Now that nearly every action or comic-book movie wants to be as big, loud and spectacular as a Michael Bay movie, there’s something refreshingly straightforward — homespun, even — about an actual Michael Bay movie like Transformers: Dark of the Moon . The picture wears its ambitions on its whirring, rumbling, clanking, heavily CGI’ ed sleeve, and it pretends to be nothing more than it is: a honking, 40-karat piece of entertainment that will cost you dearly if you take your family to see it in the theaters, especially when you factor in that 3-D surcharge. Yet Dark of the Moon , the third installment in the unkillable Transformers franchise, shouldn’t be seen any other way. Bay doesn’t care about your soul, he just wants your money — but he at least makes sure you go home feeling exhausted and spent rather than vaguely dissatisfied. It’s a fair exchange.
The first official photo from The Raven has surfaced and it features John Cusack looking very serious as Edgar Allen Poe. The film — which centers on a serial killer who challenges the dark poet to solve a series of murders based on his own stories — will hit theaters March 3, 2012. Click through to check out the full-sized image.
Ahh, Friday. It’s here before you know it, and now that I think about it, pretty much gone before you know it. But at least we have our memories as collected in Movieline’s Week in Review, plus the scintillating promise of box-office updates and other breaking news as it arises. If it arises. Who cares? What are you still doing here? Go forth and have a splendid weekend!
First of four three-day festivals also features the Flaming Lips. By Mary J. DiMeglio Dave Matthews performs at the Caravan festival in Atlantic City on June 24, 2011 Photo: Getty Images ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — For the first stop on its traveling roadshow, the Dave Matthews Band Caravan brought a rootsy collection of friends to dusty Bader Field on Friday. And even after a career-spanning set that included “Don’t Drink the Water,” “Satellite” and “Why I Am,” DMB still have plenty of hits to draw from for the next two headlining performances of their inaugural three-day festival. Matthews gave nods to almost all of the day’s supporting acts, mentioning Delta Spirit, Carolina Chocolate Drops and The Head & The Heart, and saying, “It was a pleasure to share the stage with Ray Lamontagne.” David Ryan Harris, who played Friday afternoon, joined the band for perennial crowd favorite “Jimi Thing” from their 1994 debut, Under the Table and Dreaming. Grammy-winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin proved his chops early, tearing into “You Might Die Trying.” Coffin has played with DMB since LeRoi Moore’s 2008 ATV accident and death. His Mu’tet ensemble was one of the first acts of the day. Also pulling double duty was guitarist Tim Reynolds, first appearing in the afternoon with TR3. Reynolds will also join Matthews for an acoustic set Saturday afternoon (June 25). A memorable aspect of any DMB show is the quirky frontman’s non sequiturs, and Friday night was no exception. Matthews shared these gems: “Facial hair is so transformative” and “Too much morphine will make you constipated,” after debuting a version of “Buena” by ’90s alt-rockers Morphine. Matthews unleashed his impressive wail on “Grey Street,” and the show took a romantic turn when the band followed “Crash” with “You and Me” and “Shake Me Like A Monkey.” Returning from a break, Matthews warned, “I think we might f— it up, but we’re gonna try anyway,” before his acoustic adaptation of Procol Harum’s 1967 classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Another cover closed out the set, as the band stunned the audience by playing Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” for the first time ever in concert. Though not exactly channeling Robert Plant, Matthews did sound oddly unlike himself on the vocals, in a rendition highlighted by a deft guitar solo. And though, rather than returning for a second encore, the band ended 30 minutes shy of their scheduled 11 p.m. ending time, most in the audience, anticipating another two long days capped by three-hour DMB sets, seemed relieved to be shuffling off the grounds. Previously that evening, the Flaming Lips proved it’s never too early for them to bring the weird. Flanked by sunglass-wearing, bopping Dorothys, Scarecrows, Tin Men and Cowardly Lions, they shared their ultra-psychedelic take on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon , playing the album in its entirety, interspersed with choice selections from “The Wizard of Oz.” Those looking for something lighter found instrumental jam band Lotus keeping it groovy as the sun set. An ocean breeze brought welcome relief from the hot and humid day as seagulls cruised overhead. O.A.R., Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Thievery Corporation join the caravan Saturday, while Sunday’s festivities will feature David Gray, Dr. Dog, Bassnectar and Michael Franti with Spearhead. The party travels to Chicago in July, returns to the East Coast in August for a weekend at New York’s Governors Island and wraps up at The Gorge in Washington in early September. Did you see the Dave Matthews Band Caravan? Share your review in the comments below! Related Artists Dave Matthews Band The Flaming Lips
Everyone who’s ever loved a car — a beat-up Plymouth junker, a pristine ’67 Mustang, a Hot Wheels Corvette Stingray, it doesn’t matter — knows that cars have personalities of their own. But one of the nice things about cars is that they generally express their feelings in mechanical, comprehensible terms: The need for an oil change has nothing to do with deep-rooted insecurities. Cars don’t need a lot from us, emotionally speaking.
New Jersey will honor Clemons by flying flags at half-staff on Thursday. By Gil Kaufman Clarence Clemons Photo: Getty Images Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to his musical brother, late sax player Clarence Clemons , on Tuesday at a memorial service in Florida. The titanic 69-year-old musician died on Saturday at a Palm Beach hospital after complications from a recent stroke. The private two-hour funeral at a small church near Palm Beach was attended by Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, as well as fellow E Street bandmember Steven Van Zandt, singer Jackson Browne and Miami Heat general manager Pat Riley. “Clarence was a man of unconditional love, but his love came with a lot of conditions,” Springsteen said of his friend of more than four decades. His comments drew some knowing laughs and nods from the crowd of 150 packed into the small Royal Poinciana Chapel, according to the U2 to Coldplay and Slash, paid tribute to Clemons . “His partnership with Bruce Springsteen and the rest of the E Street Band brought great pride to our state and joy to every fan of this music around the world.” Clemons was born in Virginia in 1942, but moved to Jersey as a youth counselor before joining Springsteen’s band. “On a personal note, when I heard about the Big Man’s passing on Saturday night, I was struck with an overwhelming feeling that the days of my youth were now finally over,” Christie said in a statement. “My condolences to Clarence’s family and all the members of the E Street Band.” Related Photos Clarence Clemons: A Career In Photos Related Artists Bruce Springsteen
Chris Marrs Piliero-directed clip features ‘Weeds’ actor Guillermo Diaz. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears in her “I Wanna Go” music video Photo: Jive Britney Spears proved her comedic chops on the small screen in her cameo on “How I Met Your Mother,” and now she’s once again displaying her funny bone in the video for “I Wanna Go,” which dropped Wednesday (June 22). Like he did with Ke$ha before, director Chris Marrs Piliero makes off-kilter pop culture references and pokes fun at the idea of the sexy pop star. There’s a number of Spears-related references, including a polka dot bikini top as an homage, perhaps, to Minnie Mouse, her skull-wearing Mickey Mouse ears T-shirt and a movie theater marquee that reads “Crossroads 2: Cross Harder.” Spears has touched on her relationship with the media in the past, but perhaps not with this much humor or self-deprecation. The video opens with a press conference, where reporters ask the superstar crazy questions such as, “Is it true you banned junk food, smiles, candy, sunshine and laughter from your Femme Fatale Tour?” The answer: Yes, obviously. “Can you confirm reports that you’re pregnant with Brad Pitt’s love child?” The answer: “That is false: It’s quintuplets.” Eventually annoyed by the onslaught of increasingly dumb questions, Britney declares, “F— you” to the reporters in the room. The only person who passes the test is “Weeds” and “Half Baked” star Guillermo Diaz, who is hanging out, wearing a hat that only the Burger King could love. She then dashes out onto the streets in her Avril Lavigne-worthy, pop-punk princess finest. It seems Britney has decided to live life on her own terms. She grabs the bum of an autograph-seeking fan. Then, she flashes a group of men, and as a cop tries to arrest her, she has her way with him right there on the street. Britney just doesn’t care anymore, and why should she? She’s finally having fun. Britney displays the sass and charm fans fell in love with a decade ago during performance shots, where she flirts with the camera, her eyes as big and wide as her smile. Fans are back with her as she makes her way around town and, of course, the paparazzi have found her. For one photographer, she gives an impromptu fashion shoot before smashing his camera. And when she finds herself surrounded by more of his cronies, she takes them out one by one with any singer’s best weapon: her microphone. There’s a surprising turn, however: As the mic slams itself against the photogs, pulling the skin off their bodies, it reveals that they are cyborgs, much to Brit’s dismay. So, what’s a girl to do? She’s rescued by Guillermo, who drives her through the desert. She dances in the car, wearing only a bikini top and miniskirt. And just when she thinks she’s safe, it’s revealed that he too is a cyborg. Can’t Brit ever catch a break? The video returns to the press conference, where the pop star awakes from a daydream and reveals, “Guillermo, I had the strangest dream.” “I love dreams,” he tells her. “And seashells,” he says, placing several in her hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” But, is Britney truly safe with Guillermo? In an homage to the final frame of Michael Jackson’s classic “Thriller” video, the clip closes with Diaz turning his head toward the camera to reveal his red, glowing robot eyes. Share your review of the “I Wanna Go” video in the comments below! Related Videos Britney Spears Battles The Paparazzi Playlist Related Artists Britney Spears
We’re kicking off Father’s Day weekend here at the Mr. Skin blog by rubbing down both versions of the family horror classic The Stepfather . The Stepfather (1987) stars Jill Schoelen, who Mr. Skin eloquently describes in his review as an “athletically trim brunette…with a sensually angelic face and ripe to bursting swellings of flesh fruit.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Jill’s shower scene in The Stepfather , where she bares her juicy melons and delicious derriere, is one of Mr. Skin’s favorites, despite its short (16 seconds) running time. For the 2009 remake of The Stepfather , the producers kept the story basically the same, but with a few notable (and if you ask Mr. Skin, detrimental) changes. First the main character was changed from a teenage girl to a teenage boy (played by Gossip Girl ’s Penn Badgely ), and second, all the nudity was taken out in order to get a PG-13 rating. Ouch. But here to cheer us up is Amber Heard as Penn’s love interest. When Amber prances around in that teeny weeny polka dot bikini, we almost forget about Jill’s jugs….almost. More pics after the jump!
We’re kicking off Father’s Day weekend here at the Mr. Skin blog by rubbing down both versions of the family horror classic The Stepfather . The Stepfather (1987) stars Jill Schoelen, who Mr. Skin eloquently describes in his review as an “athletically trim brunette…with a sensually angelic face and ripe to bursting swellings of flesh fruit.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Jill’s shower scene in The Stepfather , where she bares her juicy melons and delicious derriere, is one of Mr. Skin’s favorites, despite its short (16 seconds) running time. For the 2009 remake of The Stepfather , the producers kept the story basically the same, but with a few notable (and if you ask Mr. Skin, detrimental) changes. First the main character was changed from a teenage girl to a teenage boy (played by Gossip Girl ’s Penn Badgely ), and second, all the nudity was taken out in order to get a PG-13 rating. Ouch. But here to cheer us up is Amber Heard as Penn’s love interest. When Amber prances around in that teeny weeny polka dot bikini, we almost forget about Jill’s jugs….almost. More pics after the jump!
The formidable subject of Buck shares his initials and ideals with another, even more imposing romantic hero. Black Beauty, a horse with a human range of intellect and emotion, is the title character and narrator of Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel. His life story is marked by hardship and hard work, all of it at the mercy of morally variable owners. Sewell wanted her readers in horse-dependent 19th-century England to see their mounts, carriage-pullers, and field-plowers not as insensible beasts but creatures worthy of respect and compassion. Buck Brannaman, a Wyoming horse trainer with a resume that includes inspiring the Nicholas Evans novel that became Robert Redford’s 1998 movie The Horse Whisperer , is the 21st-century embodiment of that same cause.
