Author: Esther Zuckerman

Did Fox Just Try to Steal a Movie Mutant from Marvel?

Associated Press/Creative Commons

Bryan Singer broke some news on Twitter today: Evan Peters, of American Horror Story, will be playing Quicksilver in Singer's upcoming X-Men film. Alone, that's not all that interesting, but put that together with Joss Whedon's intention to put Quicksilver in the Avengers sequel, and things get really interesting. 

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

'Much Ado About Nothing' Looks Like a Pretty Fun Party at Joss Whedon's Place

The trailer for Whedon's already much praised adaptation of Shakespeare — yes, the one he filmed at his Santa Monica home to as a relaxing (?) break from the The Avengers — has arrived.

Comments | 17,278 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Here's Your First Look at Will Ferrell's Bizarre IFC Show, 'The Spoils of Babylon'

The parody of overly dramatic TV miniseries events is an adaptation of a fictional novel by author Eric Jonrosh, played by Ferrell. We dug up a trailer that shows off the project's decidedly retro feel.

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

The New 'Hangover' Trailer Has a Lot of Old Jokes

Remember how Bradley Cooper was nominated for an Oscar? Well, here's the first full trailer for The Hangover Part III, which features Cooper and the so-called "Wolfpack" back to their old tricks.

Comments | 2,586 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Creepy Nude Photos of Emilia Clarke on Broadway Make No Sense

We wonder what Truman Capote would say: Game of Thrones fans are invading Broadway to snap photos of a naked Holly Golightly played by Daenerys Targaryen. Do they not watch her get naked on HBO every week?

Comments | 75,979 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Sad George Lucas Handed 'Star Wars' to Disney Without a Big Fight

We now know, straight from the top, that the original leads of Star Wars are "negotiating" to come back for Disney's rebranding. Except, well, George Lucas isn't on top anymore.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Trimming the Times

The Shadow of Chavez, Facebook's News Feed Dilemma, and Wicked Witch Fashion

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 345 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 7, 2013

Jon Stewart Dissects the GOP Boob-Job on Military Spending

To demonstrate just how divided we are politically, the Daily Show host took Republicans to task over their resistance to spending on universal preschool — and their desire for more spending on the military.

Comments | 2,829 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

Just Who Is This James Franco?

His media tour for this weekend's Oz the Great and Powerful has combined with Spring Breakers and the general impossibility of James Fanco so that no one can decide, once again, which James Franco this. Allow us to attempt to clarify.

Comments | 6,207 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

'Fetch' Will Definitely Be a Song in the 'Mean Girls' Musical

Regina George be damned, "Fetch" is happening.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

The 86-Year-Old Olive Garden Critic Is Back, and Meaner Than Ever

Marilyn Hagerty, whose straightforward review of the chain restaurant inspired equal measures of mocking and praise, has returned to said chain restaurant to evaluate it one year later. And guess what? She's gotten more critical since going viral.

Comments | 10,338 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

Why Sam Mendes Turned Down James Bond for...Theater

The director of Skyfall says in a new interview that he's not coming back for Bond 24. But given his career trajectory — and the scope of the two shows he's taking over — it actually makes a lot of sense.

Comments | 172 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

Carrie Fisher Might Have Just Confirmed the Full Middle-Aged 'Star Wars' Monty

The women behind Princess Leia's somewhat bizarre comments — by way of an interview with a Palm Beach lifestyle magazine — may be a signal that the original cast is coming back in force for Episode VII.

Comments | 4,562 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

Trimming the Times

Hoping for a Liberal Pope, Marriage by Skype, and a New BBQ Mecca

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 6, 2013

Jon Stewart Whistles Past Dixie

Jon Stewart last night riffed on the conflict over the element of the Voting Rights Act that makes sure there is oversight of voting laws in states that historically discriminate.

Comments | 3,793 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Chart of the Day

America's Morning Commute, Mapped

You might reconsider complaining about your commute.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Twist in Acid-Throwing Russian Ballet Scandal Reveals New Heroes & Villains

On Tuesday, Moscow police detained a dancer from inside the Bolshoi company, who was allegedly in charge of ordering the hit. Now this gets even more interesting. Let's take a look at the players in a sordid tale of disfiguration and pointe shoes.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

New 'Iron Man 3' Trailer Prompts More Questions About 'Chinese' Ben Kingsley

We've now got a good look at Kingsley's villain The Mandarin, who shows a serious interest in Chinese culture — but not stereotypically, swears the director! — along with a menacing voice that spouts non-stop philosophical threats and reminds a lot of people of Bane — and/or Chinese stereotypes.

Comments | 3,448 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

The Boy Scouts' Lingering Gay Ban Has Started a Pop-Music Boycott

As the Boy Scouts of America's national board stalls on making a high-stakes decision regarding the group's opposition to gay scouts and scout leaders, they're losing high-profile headliners for their big gathering, the National Scout Jamboree,

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

'Seinfeld' vs. 'Girls': A Brief History of TV Backlash

"If People Talked About Seinfeld Like They Talk About Girls," a much discussed satirical essay, has incited a range of responses — because the Girls backlash train never stops rolling — including a not-so-friendly reminder that there was once a Seinfeld backlash, too.

Comments | 4,138 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Trimming the Times

Drone Denials, Inside the God Particle, and the Rise of Amazon Primetime

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 5, 2013

Jon Stewart Resurrects John Boehner's (Non-Jedi) Mind Meld

Jon Stewart pointed out in his show last night because of sequester-related stress both Barack Obama and John Boehner slipped up in public remarks.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

Harrison Ford is Coming Back in a Big Way, Now with 'Anchorman 2'

After a bit of a pause in his career following Cowboys & Aliens—perhaps to make us forget—Harrison Ford is returning the the big screen in a big way, now with a role in the Anchorman sequel. 

Comments | 5,528 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

The Most Anticipated Commencement Speakers of 2013

We learned today that Oprah would be speaking at Harvard's commencement. Let's look at some of the most intriguing and most WTF options for 2013 commencement speakers. 

Comments | 12,949 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

The Windham Campbell Prizes Are the MacArthur Genius Grants Just For Writing

Upon the announcement of the winners of Yale's new Windham Campell Prizes today, nine writers learned that they would be the recipients of big bucks.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

How to Read the 'Justice League' Rumor of Christian Bale Returning as Batman

A (pretty) well sourced report suggests that Bale will return to his role as the Caped Crusader for Warner Bros.' answer to The Avengers franchise. So how would this work?

Comments | 6,035 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

Trimming the Times

Chinese Hacking Motives, the Market vs. the Job Picture, and a New Oz

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

NBC Affiliate Bets on 'Matlock' Rerun Over NBC's Primetime Lineup

Poor NBC. It's been a really weird week for them.

Comments | 3,587 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

And the 2014 Oscar for Best Picture (Maybe) Goes To...

Yes, predictive lists are already out, so — what the hell? — we've put together a list based on the lists, in roughly descending order of which big movie from the year ahead will score a Best Picture nomination.

Comments | 2,581 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

Obama's 'Jedi Mind Meld' Shatters His Nerd Credibility

It's a good thing Obama isn't running for office again: the president, who has been known to be Spock-like and nerd-courting, just lost the support of both Star Wars and Star Trek fans. Well, except maybe J.J. Abrams.

Comments | 6,724 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

The New David Bowie Album Is Great

He's not one for conventions, so he jumped the gun today by releasing The Next Day streaming, in its entirety, on iTunes. And now Bowie fans can all breathe a collective sigh of relief: everyone seems to agree that it's good — maybe even remarkable. 

Comments | 3,793 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

Jimmy Kimmel Might Be Your Next Oscar Host

Amid the fallout from Seth MacFarlane's Oscar hosting performance, everyone speculated as to who the next Oscar host should be. Kimmel seemed almost too easy of a choice, but now it seems like he is already being groomed as the successor.

Comments | 1,487 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 1, 2013

Trimming the Times

The Perfect Pig, the Real Harlem Shake, and Michelle Obama's Self-Defense

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 688 Views

By Esther Zuckerman and Richard Lawson

Feb 28, 2013

Your TV Guide to 2013's Wild New Pilots

We've sifted through all the 2013 television pilots to highlight the potential hits, the constantly recurring trends, and the ideas that are so crazy they just might work... but probably won't.  

Comments | 16,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 28, 2013

The Oscars Defend Seth MacFarlane's Misogyny as 'Creative Freedom'

As the fury over his Academy Awards hosting gig starts to settle down, the Academy itself isn't abandoning the host, even as he becomes the latest Hollywood product to be condemned by lawmakers.

Comments | 3,202 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 28, 2013

The Curious Case of Cruz, Mysteriously Poisoned Show Dog

The 3-year-old Samoyed died shortly after competing in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, and his human owners are looking at foul play. Was it case of activists poisoning a show dog, a hotel pesticide problem, or something entirely different?

Comments | 2,759 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 28, 2013

Trimming the Times

The Cannibal Cop Fantasy, Homeless Female Veterans, and IBM's Chef Watson

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 517 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Chart of the Day

People Who Think Sushi's Gross Also Probably Oppose Gay Marriage

Using a Public Policy Polling poll on food issues and Pew data on gay marriage opinions, Dave Gilson of Mother Jones found that the people who won't try sushi are, age-wise at least, the same people who don't approve of gay marriage. 

Comments | 2,439 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

The Lena Dunham-'Zero Dark Thirty' Audition: A Viral Video Origin Story

The YouTube video du jour features a young woman doing a spot-on impression of Lena Dunham "trying out" for Jessica Chastain's super-serious role as Maya in Zero Dark Thirty. She is Chelsea Davison, and this is where the whole thing came from.

Comments | 3,449 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Chris Cooper Could Help Make New 'Spider-Man 2' More 'Dark Knight'-Like

The Academy Award-winning actor joins the expanding family of The Amazing Spider-Man sequel as Norman Osborn, the man who eventually becomes the Green Goblin, and while he may not be a super villain just yet, that might be a very good thing.

Comments | 2,065 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Famed Pianist Van Cliburn Dies

Van Cliburn, the concert pianist whose Cold War victory at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow catapulted him to fame, has died at the age of 78.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

America Has Had Enough of Fashion's Night Out

The brain child of Anna Wintour that sought to take Fashion Week to the people with an evening of late hours, swag, celebrities, the occasional drink, and apparently a desire to shop more is taking a break from America.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Pippa Middleton's Underqualification for New Job Upsets Much of Britain

The aunt of Britain's hottest fetus has a new job, and it's making a lot of people in Britain upset.

Comments | 13,794 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 27, 2013

Trimming the Times

Rape in the Air Force, the Sequester's Immigration Backlash, and Soda Hackers

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

Yeah, but Who Should Host the Oscars Next Year?

Seth MacFarlane, after all the criticism, said on Twitter today that he won't host the Academy Awards again. Naturally, a number of publications have already started speculating as to who should emcee in 2014. Let's rank the choices.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

The True Story of the Pig That Rescued a Goat

Think back to September: Mitt Romney was still a constant in the news cycle and for a brief moment we were enthralled with a video of a pig rescuing a baby goat. But that video—like too much of what works its way into the online news cycle—was a fake.

Comments | 1,145 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

Seth MacFarlane's Oscar Boob Song Sent Mr. Skin into Real-Time Misogynist Rush

The host's much criticized "We Saw Your Boobs" song during his opening number of the Oscars was all about celebrity nude scenes, and now the website that's all about just that has done MacFarlane's homework for him.

Comments | 20,346 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

David Bowie and Tilda Swinton Get Freaky in New Video

Just a normal couple driven insane by a couple of bizarre, androgynous celebrities.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 26, 2013

Trimming the Times

Yosemite's Glowing Moment, Yahoo's Office Decree, and the Next 'Downton'

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 25, 2013

Chart of the Day

The Oscar Acceptance Speeches Were Less 'Mushy' This Year

The Economist has a chart examining the frequency of gushing onstage clichés in Oscar history, and the words of Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence weren't as bad as usual.

Comments | 1,300 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 25, 2013

Here Comes 'Brogurt'

Back in August, the Wire's Rebecca Greenfield predicted an oncoming Greek yogurt backlash. While this hasn't quite happened yet, the knowledge that our world is now inhabited by something being deemed "brogurt" implies perhaps the end of days for this thick, creamy snack. 

Comments | 10,457 Views

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