Stephen Colbert's Moving Eulogy for His Mother

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Stephen Colbert returned to the airwaves Wednesday night after a hiatus following the death of his mother. And his opening tribute to her will probably make you cry. 

By Esther Zuckerman

May 23, 2013

'The Hangover 3' Reviews Are in, and They Make for a Mountain of Pans

Heading into the third Hangover's Memorial Day weekend release, the proposition of reviewing such a ridiculous film set off a competition of sorts between critics who have each tried their hardest to criticize the movie in the most excoriating way possible. Let's award some prizes.

Comments | 6,499 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 23, 2013

The Smart Set

Go to Space with Leonardo DiCaprio

Today in celebrity news: Leo DiCaprio is auctioning off an escorted space trip, Amanda Bynes can't get on a plane, and Brad Pitt can't remember your face. 

Comments | 5,027 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 23, 2013

This Fake Psy Was the Most Successful Photobomb Prankster in Cannes History

How do you become the toast of Cannes? Pretend to be Psy, apparently.

Comments | 10,684 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 23, 2013

Jon Stewart and the Ghosts of Presidential Scandals Past

Jon Stewart last night turned his attention to Reagan "fan fiction" author (and, you know, Wall Street Journal columnist) Peggy Noonan, who is angry at President Obama for his recent scandals, but gives her former boss a pass for a little thing like Iran-Contra.

Comments | 1,676 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 22, 2013

The Call Sheet

'American Horror Story' Gets Another Witch

Today in show business news: Emma Roberts has joined the Ryan Murphy family, CBS hires a Bad Teacher, and a glimpse of the next Vince Vaughn movie.

Comments | 3,980 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

Do You Buy Joseph Gordon-Levitt as The Situation?

Yesterday we wrote about Joseph Gordon-Levitt's attempt to promote his directorial debut, which he also wrote, in character on Twitter. His Twitter persona as porn-addicted Jersey guy Jon Martello seemed strained. Now we have the trailer to see if he can pull off the persona on screen. 

Comments | 2,095 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

Billy Crystal vs. Robin Williams Is TV's New Battle of the Olds Next Season

One week after CBS gave the world an upfront first look at Williams's TV comeback in The Crazy Ones (doing his manic schtick, with Buffy as his hot young daughter), word comes that FX is bringing Crystal on board for a pilot called The Comedians, wherein he'll play a veteran comedian (himself, with a hot-but-not-in-the-Buffy-way young sketch-show partner). Whose return will be more illustrious?

Comments | 628 Views

By Jen Doll

May 22, 2013

For the Diner Who Has Everything, There's Dinner in the Sky

What sort of dining experience is the right sort of dining experience for the diner who's seen it all, done it all, eaten it all, and is just so weary over simply sitting in a nice restaurant and eating? Dinner while hanging from a rope, for $500 each, for the pleasure of dining really, really alfresco.

Comments | 838 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 22, 2013

Sergio Garcia Added 'Fried Chicken' to Golf's Mega Feud & Tiger Is Not Amused

What was already a years-long rivalry between two great players has now transformed into a full-fledged war of words with racial undertones fueling the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world heading into golf's major summer tournaments. Here's how Garcia's apology tour is going, and how Tiger Woods is reacting.

Comments | 3,925 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 22, 2013

'American Idol' Is Too Old and Bad for Old and Bad Contestants to Save It

The latest wacky plan is to hire former contestants to judge the competition. And while Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson might be worth tuning in for, Fox should accept the natural death of a show that had a long and fabulous life and let Idol die gracefully.

Comments | 5,443 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 22, 2013

The Smart Set

Justin Bieber Will Sue You for $5 Million if You Gossip About Him

Today in celebrity news: Justin Bieber has a pretty strict social contract, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Swift have a hang, Madonna's daughter goes on a date with Finn from Homeland, and Ellen buys her Oprah house. 

Comments | 5,443 Views

Amazon's Kindle Worlds: A Way to Sell Fan Fiction Without Legal Hassles

Amazon Publishing is launching Kindle Worlds, a publishing platform that lets authors sell fan fiction based on properties like Gossip Girl. Amazon Publishing retains the rights to the works and will set the prices. So much for those 50 Shades problems.

Comments | 209 Views

By Jen Doll

May 22, 2013

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Money: A First Edition Sells for $227,421

A first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in J.K. Rowling's phenomenally selling 7-part series, has been acquired for 150,000 pounds (or $227,421) at a London charity auction held by Sotheby's and organized with the English PEN writers' association

Comments | 9,420 Views

By Jen Doll

May 22, 2013

Drew Magary and the Rules of the Fatherhood Memoir

In the past five years Drew Magary has given the world The Postmortal, a novel about a pre-apocalyptic world, Men with Balls, a "professional athletes handbook," and now Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood. It's not the typical parenting memoir.

Comments | 2,303 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 22, 2013

Final 'Man of Steel' Trailer Brings the Sci-Fi

From the big new trailer heading into Memorial Day weekend and the feature stories accompanying it, you can rest assured that this blockbuster is not going to be all emotions and Malick-y visuals after all. No, this is a Superman movie that takes its aliens seriously.

Comments | 9,363 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Who Should Be the New Voice of 'This Is NPR'?

Your favorite public broadcasting network is looking for someone to record their "this... is NPR" voiceovers. You could be that person! Although, come to think of it, the following people have voices made of gold, so they might deserve the job.

Comments | 2,699 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 21, 2013

The Call Sheet

Reese Witherspoon Is Really Going to Space

Today in entertainment news: Reese Witherspoon's first sci-fi movie seems to be a go, Leo DiCaprio reteams with an old friend, and Steven Spielberg is adapting a video game.

Comments | 3,737 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Try to Spot Spoilers in These 'Arrested Development' Set Photos

Arrested Development Day is fast approaching, and, aside from their structure, we still don't know much about Netflix's 15 new episodes. But a new interview with the show's set decorator — and photos from the scene — published in House Beautiful Tuesday give us some tiny spoilers. Perfect for over-analysis.

Comments | 1,661 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

CBS: Not Just for Old People Anymore

The network has officially topped the prized 18-49 demographic for the 2012-2013 broadcast season.. Thing is, CBS is only technically winning:It turns out that ratings in that demographic are down across the board, and Fox's fall is only helping.

Comments | 1,246 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Lame New Twitter Account Isn't Selling His Movie

Taking on a fictional persona ;is by no means anything new on Twitter, but it will be interesting to see how this works as a promotional tool. So far? Not that well.

Comments | 4,147 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Microsoft Wants the New Xbox One to Totally Take Over Your TV

Isn't this supposed to be a video game thing? Well, yes, but Microsoft's mission with the Xbox One is to navigate everything you do on a television, from talking to it and watching it to interacting with every gamer on the planet. Let's break down just how this bad boy can transform your living room.

Comments | 1,727 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 21, 2013

What We Watched

How 'Bates Motel' Won Me Over

A&E's truly strange drama/mystery/thriller/horror series Bates Motel finished its first season last night, in typically bizarre and gruesome fashion. With the doldrums of summer television almost upon us, why not spend a couple weeks catching up with this masterfully wacky show?

Comments | 2,699 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Have You Forgotten About 'The Wolverine'?

Between the billion dollar behemoth that is Iron Man and the hotly anticipated Man of Steel, it can be easy to forget there's a third superhero movie coming out this summer. So, with that in mind, this latest rock'em sock'em, robot ninja filled trailer for July's The Wolverine might pique your interest. 

Comments | 208 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 21, 2013

The Smart Set

Chelsea Clinton's Secret Job

Today in celebrity news: Chelsea Clinton has been working at NYU somewhat undercover, Arnold and Maria aren't quite over, and Ashton meets the parents.

Comments | 7,889 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 21, 2013

Jon Stewart Explains the Obama Administration's 'Random Guy' Defense

In the wake of what he is calling "Hurricane Scandy," Jon Stewart last night looked at Obama's defense strategy: sending out a random guy to Sunday morning talk shows.

Comments | 61,166 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 20, 2013

The Call Sheet

Kate Hudson Teams Up With Zach Braff

Today in show business: Zach Braff has put Kate Hudson in the movie you bought him, the Angry Birds movie really is happening, and Claire Danes has a teen daughter.

Comments | 7,623 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 20, 2013

What's Missing in the 'Saturday Night Live' Cast Now

Saturday Night Live will look pretty different in September, as this past weekend's season finale saw the departure of mainstay favorites Fred Armisen and Bill Hader. There are, come September, going to be a lot of new faces around Studio 8H.

Comments | 11,600 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

May 20, 2013

And Now Back to Tenacious D with the Weather

Today in viral videos: Jack Black gives us (and New Zealand) his version of meteorology, the 2-year-old David Beckham, and one greedy ostrich. 

Comments | 1,040 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

NPR Has Watched 'Arrested Development' More Closely Than You

Last week we introduced you "Recurring Developments," a graphic that indicated where you can find instances of Arrested Development's repeated jokes, now NPR has released their take on the show's "running gags." It's called "Previously, on Arrested Development," and it takes fandom to the next level. 

Comments | 5,406 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

James Franco's 'As I Lay Dying' Reviews Not as Bad as We Were Expecting

We haven't always been kind to James Franco, and his adaptation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying seemed ripe for ridicule, but new reviews indicate perhaps we should give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Comments | 2,495 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

Everyone Relax: Seth MacFarlane Isn't Hosting the Oscars Again

Next year's Oscars will be Seth MacFarlane-free, according to Seth MacFarlane. The controversial host of last year's ceremony tweeted this afternoon that he will not in fact be hosting the 2014 ceremony. 

Comments | 208 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 20, 2013

The Coen Brothers Are Having a Grand Time at Cannes

Amid the rain and the burglaries and the lavish parties for blockbusters (we're looking at you Hunger Games), this weekend Cannes regulars the Coen brothers emerged as one of the few elements of the Cannes Film Festival that didn't warrant major complaints. The goodwill they've received for their latest film Inside Llewyn Davis may carry them all the way to awards season in December. 

Comments | 1,459 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 20, 2013

The Smart Set

Kate Learns to Cook

Today in celebrity news: Duchess Kate is learning how to cook, Justin Theroux maybe had a bachelor party, and Faye Dunaway made a very important phone call. 

Comments | 3,334 Views

By Jen Doll

May 20, 2013

Mad Women: 'Because You Know What He Needs'

Well, last night's Mad Men — the eighth episode this season, titled "The Crash" — was interesting to say the least. Some people loved it, others hated it, and it left a lot of us a bit befuddled (much like Ted Chaough in the photo above).

Comments | 27,864 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

May 20, 2013

Thankfully, No One Was Hurt in Miguel's Meme-Ready Stage Dive

The most-talked about person during last night's Billboard Music Awards wasn't a performance or musical artist—it was the fan who was on the receiving end of a Miguel stage-dive gone horribly wrong. It seems like she survived.

Comments | 9,170 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Uh Oh, Another Big Burglary Happened at Cannes

Does Cannes have a serial thief in their midst? A powerful Chinese film executive had all of his luggage stolen out of his rented apartment this week just days after $1 million worth of Chopard jewelry went missing from a hotel on the city's main strip. 

Comments | 1,248 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Box Office Report

'Star Trek' Prospers

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where we know The Next Generation is clearly the superior television show. 

Comments | 2,913 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Fred Armisen and Bill Hader Say Goodbye to 'Saturday Night Live'

Saturday Night Live said goodbye to two of its biggest stars last night, both in spectacular fashion, and had all time performances from Kanye West. It was a night of teary goodbyes and awkward Ben Affleck jokes. Join us, please, as we send off Stefon and Ian Rubbish in style. 

Comments | 23,957 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Oxbow Upsets Orb's Bid for a Triple Crown at the Preakness

After completing a thrilling come from behind win at the Kentucky Derby, Orb was supposed to walk away with Preakness and charge onto the Belmont Stakes in pursuit of the elusive Triple Crown. Unfortunately a horse named Oxbow had other ideas. 

Comments | 832 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

The New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer Says Hello But Not Much More

There are a lot of cool things reportedly in store for fans when Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues hits theaters on December 20. The new trailer isn't giving away any hints, though. 

Comments | 1,871 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Kanye Was Watching You Watch Kanye's New Video Last Night

So if Kanye West's weird behavior in the Saturday Night Live promos wasn't enough to pique your interest in tonight's season finale, last night he surprised the world be debuting a new song and video with projections on landmarks in 10 different cities around the world. 

Comments | 2,492 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 17, 2013

The Call Sheet

The Dramatic Demise of 'American Idol'

Today in show business news: Not many people watched the American Idol finale, The Voice is still going strong, and Pete Campbell takes to the stage. 

Comments | 5,398 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 17, 2013

Why We Should Get Excited for J.J. Abrams's 'Star Wars'

While attention is, understandably, mostly on J.J. Abrams's newest film Star Trek Into Darkness, I'm suddenly more interested in his next film, 2015's Star Wars: Episode VI, which could actually be quite good.

Comments | 4,379 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Prepare for John Galliano's Redemption Tour

John Galliano may have apologized for the Anti-Semitic slurs that got him fired from Dior back in 2011, but two years later and he's far from redeemed. Now it seems like he's hoping to change that in a very public fashion.

Comments | 623 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Amazon's Open Pilot Season Is the Flip Side of Kickstarter

The backlash to the backlash to one of Amazon's comedy pilots is proving how letting fans on the Internet choose what they want to watch can backfire for the creative minds behind projects. 

Comments | 208 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 17, 2013

What We Watched

'American Idol' Finale: The End of an Era

It's over. After all of that pain and struggle, all that we have endured, it's done. Randy Jackson has left the show. Ha, mean. I'm just kidding, Randy. But yes, the twelfth American Idol competition came to a close last night, a surprisingly rousing and spirited finale to a season that's been anything but.

Comments | 7,474 Views

By Jen Doll

May 17, 2013

Dan Brown Is the Anne Hathaway of Authors

Allow me to present a hypothesis: Dan Brown is the Anne Hathaway of authors. Hard-working, serious about his craft (even if others aren't), with lots and lots of money to show for his work. And people love to hate him as much, and sometimes even more, than they love to love him.

Comments | 6,851 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 17, 2013

Kanye West's Angry 'SNL' Rant Makes Saturday's Season Finale a Must-Watch

This coming weekend is a big one for Saturday Night Live. It marks the end of Bill Hader's tenure on the show and Ben Affleck's fifth time hosting. But perhaps the most significant reason to tune in is the fact that Kanye West is the musical guest, and he's making it seem like he really really doesn't want to be.

Comments | 105,109 Views

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