How Do You Know – Great Cast, Nice Characters, So-So Story

For me, these are the hardest movies to review. The ones I can’t find much to criticize, but I also have difficulty finding good worth shouting over. How Do You Know falls into this trap, because although it’s rather likable cast saves it from being categorized as complete drivel, it remains a very typical romantic comedy.

Reese Witherspoon plays Lisa, a 31-year-old softball player who just found out she’s been cut from the national team, and looks gorgeous doing it. She’s directionless and a little bit of a mess, unsure of the path her life will take from here forward. She’s dating Matty (Owen Wilson), a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, a guy who’s sweet and fun but little else. At first Lisa thinks this is fine, since the last thing she wants is someone sensitive.

And Matty tries, he really does. The thing is, he’s pretty much your stereotypical baseball player – good looking, confident, and not exactly the best at the whole monogamous relationship thing. There are plenty of giggles to be had during the Reese-Owen scenes, and their interplay is charming and really pretty high on chemistry, which surprised me given her (reported) distaste for immature costars.

Enter George (Paul Rudd), a man who has hit rock bottom due to a federal investigation accusing him of some sort of securities fraud at his father’s (Jack Nicholson) company. George and Lisa go on a blind date that is absolutely horrid – as someone who’s “dating” I would run, not walk, if I ended up on a date with him in that condition, even if he did look like Paul Rudd – but they end up running into one another again, then forming a friendship as they help each other figure out how to struggle through difficult times in their lives.

As she begins to see the wild differences between the two men, Lisa begins to struggle with what her choices could mean to her life. On the one hand, Matty is fun, handsome, charming, rich, and doesn’t ask anything from her emotionally. On the other, George is a mess, but he listens to her, he cares about what’s going on in her life, and he obviously wants a whole lot more than friendship.

I won’t tell you who she chooses (although I’m sure you can probably guess). What I will say is there are things I liked, pieces of the puzzle that worked extremely well. The first one of those things is the cast. Reese Witherspoon brings all of the effervescent beauty we expect from her at this point, and couples it with a believable emotional depth. Owen Wilson pulls off a character that’s more complicated than we originally give him credit for. Yes, he’s shallow and immature, but he’s honestly trying to figure out how to grow up and how to make Lisa happy while not losing himself. Paul Rudd, one of my favorite actors that we don’t see enough of, is not a typical romantic comedy lead. He’s eccentric and too honest about his oddities, but as always, Paul Rudd makes the character accessible makes us root for him anyway. Both of the love stories develop at a believable pace, with honest setbacks and emotional high notes, and we’re not left wondering what she sees in either man or what they see in her.

The one subplot that not only works, but without which the rest of the film wouldn’t work at all, is the one involving Rudd’s pregnant secretary Annie (Kathryn Hahn). When she gives birth George and Lisa end up at the hospital in time to witness the baby’s father propose, and it is truly beautiful moment and the one that changes everything else.

On the downside, the secondary storylines are bland and don’t add much of anything to the film. Lisa’s teammates and friends are in the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie, are sad when she is not accepted onto the national team, and then we never hear from them again. Jack Nicholson is pretty brilliant in the moments they allow him to have, which is both expected and nice to see. I can’t say too much regarding the federal investigation thread without spoiling a few things, but it’s certainly doesn’t play much of a role for what a big deal it’s made out to be in the beginning. There is a very nice scene between Jack Nicholson and Paul Rudd at the tail end of the film. Not a word passes between them, but we can see the forgiveness and love take the place of frustration and hurt.

The film is cute, and it does some things (like the relationship development) better than the average romantic comedy. In other areas, like the development of secondary characters and story arcs, it falls short of expectations. The film is enjoyable, and cute, and will make you giggle more than a couple of times. It is, in this humble movie-goer’s opinion, nothing that can’t wait for video.

 

Jone Dome: SNL Video – I Just Had Sex (Feat. Akon, Jessica Alba, Blake Lively, & John McEnroe)

The Jone Dome could not stop laughing at this SNL Digital Short.  Great to see Akon, hottie new mom Jessica Alba, Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, & original tennis bad boy John McEnroe.

Be sure to check out our latest episode of What U Need 2 Know by Erin Biglow.

The Biggest Loser: Q&A with Bob Harper and JD Roth

For ten seasons fans have watched as The Biggest Loser transformed lives of obese Americans and put televised weight loss on the map all in the name of personal accountability. Over the years, we’ve seen amazing before and after results of those who took up The Biggest Loser challenge under the stringent yet loving care of trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. But in the upcoming eleventh season a shocking new twist introduces two new trainers and gives the contestants the choice: work with Bob and Jillian on the ranch or with the two mystery trainers. In a conference call with trainer Bob Harper and executive producer J.D. Roth, the pair talks Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels‘ last season, and the dedication it takes to train The Biggest Loser.

Earlier this year, trainer Jillian Michaels announced that after the upcoming eleventh season she would be leaving the show. Her departure leaves a void that producers are now working to fill. Of Michaels and her departure, fellow trainer Harper sounds nostalgic but hopeful. “Jillian and I started this whole journey together and we will all greatly miss her,” he says, “but the show must go on and we will continue.” As to what he will miss about Michaels, Harper answers that he will miss “her passion and her drive.”

When asked what he’s looking for when casting for new trainers, executive producer Roth already has a golden standard by which to measure the candidates: Bob. “We were looking for people who had the same mission that we had, which is we want to reach in and help people change their lives. No one knows better than Bob that carrying all that emotional baggage that they have that they can work out and focus on high exercise, slowly giving their emotional baggage back one piece at a time.” So, when it comes to the new trainers signing on to Biggest Loser, Roth is looking for the same dedication and passion that Harper has towards helping people change their lives. “What’s amazing to me is that Bob, after ten seasons, is still there when he doesn’t have to be. On a Saturday morning, Bob’s still driving out to the ranch to see how they’re doing. And it’s that kind of commitment that we’re looking for when casting.”

But, of course, after being a staple of the show for so many years, Michaels’ absence and the addition of a new trainer could change the dynamics of The Biggest Loser. When asked about this Roth acknowledges that though there will be change the dedication toward contestants will remain the same. “I’m convinced that no one will be able to take the place of either Bob or Jill. They’ll be different. And different doesn’t mean worse, and it doesn’t mean better. They’ll just have a different flavor.” Roth says, “We really want people there who have a passion for making a change in these people’s lives, to give every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to people.” This is a task that Harper is more than willing to accept. “I have a passion for what I do,” Harper says of working on The Biggest Loser. “I think it’s really important that I always keep that hunger in me. It is my passion. It is what I’m supposed to be doing with my life and my career.” Roth agrees, “The beautiful thing about Bob is that he’s found his mission in life ten seasons ago, changing people’s lives, helping them get their lives back. That’s never going to change. Bob’s going to be on this show forever.”

When asked of the possibility of Michaels returning for a future season Roth says that if Jillian wants to come back, he’s more than open to the idea.

The eleventh season of The Biggest Loser will premiere January 4th on NBC, just in time to start working on those resolutions.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy of Trae Patton and NBC.

Burn Notice Review: Hell Falls on Miami, Part II

To read Part 1, see Hell Falls on Miami, Part I by Keshaunta Moton

Part II
The second part of the epic Burn Notice finale deals with Vaughn’s assault on the crew and the ever strained relationship between Michael and Fiona.

The beginning of the finale has the gang preparing for Vaughn’s siege. In order to test the waters as it were, Sam does a search and discovers that every time a call is made to a known associate of Michael’s there is an immediate FBI response. This is disconcerting to say the least as it shows that Vaughn’s playing no game and he’s got his friends in high places on the lookout.

The gang’s immediate concern is securing the list and placing Madelyn somewhere safe. While Madelyn is hidden in a motel room, Michael and crew make plans to get the jump drive to a high ranking government official that they can trust. But unfortunately they’re all out of those. The nearest that they can come up with is Bill Crowley, a politician who the gang previously strong-armed with pleasant results. As they are making plans to visit their old friend, Vaughn calls Michael and pretends to want to meet on friendly terms. What Michael doesn’t see, but he of course knows, is that as Vaughn is talking he’s mobilizing an army to come for Michael. After playing coy for a while, Vaughn gives up the pretence and tells Michael that he’s coming after him, now you’ll “know what it’s like having me after you.”

In order to secure the list, Michael tries to hide it in a nuclear facility that even he can’t access. The plan: distract one of the incoming trucks and plant the drive on there. Michael and Fiona work on busting a water pipe and creating road damage that will slow down one of the trucks. As they are working, Fiona tries to figure out what she is fighting for. Her life is in danger and she has no winning side to this. If they don’t manage to bring Vaughn down then they’re all dead, but if they do outsmart Vaughn and get the list in capable hands then she’ll lose Michael… again. “Whatever turns out, I lose.” She has no chance for happiness and Fiona sounds bitter about it. But more than the bitterness, it seems that Fiona just wants Michael to see what she is fighting for. Because really, you don’t constantly put your life in peril for nothing, she wants Michael to realize and admit what she is fighting for. She’s fighting for him and she’s almost begging for him to acknowledge this and tell her that her fight is not in vain. And I don’t know if it’s as Fiona said and Michael is completely incapable of understanding relationships or Michael intentionally pushing her away, but here Michael has the absolute worse response imaginable. While Fiona is looking for some assurance that they have a future together Michael completely eradicates this by telling her “just because it’s my path doesn’t mean it’s yours.” Tragic. That’s a complete slap in the face, stranglehold, knock you down ’til you can’t get up heartbreak. Fi wants a future together and Michael tells her that their futures are not necessarily entwined. Cue heartbreak.

Anyway, while they’re working, Vaughn’s men come up shooting and Michael, Jessie and Fiona are involved in a car chase which ends with them crashing outside yet another hotel. They can’t run for it because unfortunately Jessie has gotten a pole stuck in his leg and it is bleeding profusely. The three run into the hotel where Michael and Fiona patch Jessie up, with Vaughn’s team camped outside setting up for a long siege.

On the political side, Sam and Madelyn crash another Crowley affair where Sam tries to explain to Crowley about Vaughn’s secret organization working in the government. Sam wants Crowley to pass the list on to his superiors, who will then dismantle the organization, making Crowley a hero. Self-serving as always, Crowley likes the hero idea but is reluctant to trust in Sam’s word. Even though Sam knows a little too much about the Barrett situation which earned a Congressional Committee, Crowley calls the FBI who almost immediately set up a protective custody for him. Sam, who had warned Crowley against the FBI, tells him that he has two choices. 1: Crowley could go with the police and take his chances that the information he already knows won’t get him killed or 2: he could trust Sam. After a moment of thought Crowley agrees to go with Sam.

Back at the hotel, Michael is checking out Vaughn’s forces (there are a lot of them by the way), leaving Fiona and Jessie alone to talk. Jessie, noticing the tension between Fi and Mike asks Fiona if everything is okay. No, it’s not. Fiona says that she always thought that Michael just needed to get past his burn notice in order to move on with his life, but now it seems as though this burn notice is his life. In response Jessie sort of slaps Fiona out of her pity party by telling her “I don’t think you get involved with someone like Michael Westen hoping he’s going to buy a house on the lake.”

Vaughn’s getting tired of waiting and Jessie is getting weak from blood loss. So the new plan is to lure Vaughn and his team to the top floor of the hotel and then blow the stairwell. As Vaughn prepares to ascend the stairway accepting Fiona’s supposed surrender, he announces to Mike, Fiona and Jessie that he has a guest with him. That would be Michael’s mother. Michael is upset by this news, and he as well as the rest of the team knows that Vaughn would never honor any deal that they would make.

Michael tells Jessie and Fi that their only hope now is to get the list in the right hands, and they can’t do that trapped in the hotel. Michael comes up with a plan. He will run from the building, drawing Vaughn’s men away from it and leaving Jessie and Fi to make their escape. All the team recognize this as a suicide mission, especially when you consider the bomb he plans to trigger once Vaughn’s men get close enough. Both Jessie and Fi hate this plan, but Michael says it’s the only way. On his way out Michael apologizes for burning Jessie using his formal name, “for what it’s worth Agent Porter, I’m sorry for what I did to you.” I love this part because by addressing Jessie in this manner Michael is giving him all the proper respect of someone who he has wronged. He shows humbleness here that is admirable. On the other hand Michael says nothing to Fiona as he leaves the room, when she calls him back Michael tells her that “maybe it’s time you went your own way.” This could be seen as being cold, but actually I think it’s more of a sign of Michael trying to free her from his sinking ship. I think it just hurts him too much that he’s shut down. But maybe that’s wishful thinking.

Soon after Michael leaves, Fiona backs away from Jessie telling him that she has to go out there with Michael, “screw wisdom, I belong out there with him, better or worse. I knew that the moment I met him.” She tells Jessie goodbye and heads outside to where Michael has taken temporary cover. She surprises Michael when she appears alongside him and when he asks what she’s doing she tells him that she’s tired of him making all the decisions. “We’ll do this together,” she tells him and even though Michael is upset he looks so happy that Fiona’s there beside him. I swear it looks like he’s going to cry. As they are out of bullets, Michael and Fi grab hold of the detonator promising to press the button together. Right before Vaughn’s men come upon them they hear unexpected gunfire. That would be Sam and the U.S. ARMY that Crowley has managed to bring. Oh, yeah! The troops come in and gather Vaughn’s men and Sam finally gets a piece of Vaughn.

In the quiet aftermath, Michael, Fiona, Sam, and Jessie are talking as Jessie is loaded into an ambulance when Michael is approached by two men in suits who tell Michael to come with them. Michael kisses Fiona goodbye and goes with the two men. After a week being in a “box, answering questions” Michael is transported to yet another unknown location. When he gets out of the car a man comes out of a building. Michael looks shocked as the man says “Welcome back,” and they shake hands. The camera pans up and Michael Westen is in Washington, D.C. Michael has made his way back to being a spy.

These two episodes combined to make the season finale of Burn Notice, and it absolutely ROCKED!!! The Fiona/Michael bomb clutch, totally Romeo and Juliet. They love each other; they really, REALLY love each other. There are so many great storylines in this episode. From Madelyn/Jessie/Marv circle of truth, and the Michael/Larry trip down memory lane, to the Michael/Fiona hate to love you saga. I loved them all.

I can’t wait until next summer; I seriously don’t think I can. Is Michael really going to be a spy again? What’s going to happen with him and Fiona? And for some reason this episode seemed to be saying goodbye to Jessie Porter. This idea makes me sad. Maybe I’m wrong, I hope I am. Either way ,season 5 can’t come soon enough. Tune in this summer on USA to find out what happens next to Michael Westen on Burn Notice.

Do you have a favorite moment/storyline of this finale? What questions are you looking forward to seeing answered next season?

Until then, I’m signing out. Thanks for reading. Laters!

Season 4, Episode 18: Last Stand (originally aired December 16, 2010)

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 10/9c on USA Network.

Images courtesy of USA Network

Burn Notice Review: Hell Falls on Miami, Part I

This week’s episode of Burn Notice was nothing short of perfection as Michael Westen and crew managed to kick up a dust storm around them, bring down an army, and become legends among men. I want to personally thank everyone who had anything to do with these episodes of Burn Notice because this is by far the most fulfilling season finale that I have seen in a long time. Now this is going to take a while to go over, but the ending is well worth it.

Part One:
We begin this week with Tyler Brennan, thief and all around bad guy, who last week managed to steal the list from Michael and is now dangling it over his head like one big, sharpened ax. It seems that although Brennan has been out of touch, he has still been keeping tabs on Michael. So, when Michael steals the list from Walsh and then contacts Jessie’s former handler Marv to trade it for reinstatement, Brennan finds the perfect opportunity for a money making venture. He threatens Marv into handing over the list and Michael’s recorded confessions about Vaughn and his “secret society.” And so, it is with this that Brennan comes back and offers Michael the opportunity he wouldn’t dare take himself… to kill everyone who helped burn him.

Actually, he doesn’t so much as offer Michael as he threatens him to cooperate. Brennan tells Michael that every day at 5 a.m., he, Brennan, is the only thing that keeps that list from being sent to Vaughn. If Michael doesn’t cooperate, Brennan will allow the e-mail to Vaughn who will then want Michael and all his acquaintances dead. Faced with no other options, Michael agrees

But it seems that Brennan is not happy with the company Michael keeps and tells Michael that he’ll be going at it alone, Sam and Fiona aren’t “invited to this party.” To help Michael with his task, Brennan has brought in Larry, another spy who, without Michael’s love of humanity, is more than eager to start tearing apart everyone put in front of him. Upon seeing Michael’s hesitance to go around killing people, Larry is disappointed and a little bit hurt. The Michael he knew wouldn’t give a second thought to what he was being asked to do; in fact, he says, Michael should be just as eager as Larry is to make the people who burned him pay. But, far from altruistic means, Larry has his own agenda; while he seems to be Brennan’s lapdog, he’s just biding his time with until he can steal the list for himself.

So far this week, Jessie has been sitting out, not because he is uneager to face the man who killed his former handler and friend, but because Michael and Sam correctly think it would be a bad idea. Jessie is torn up about Marv’s death and wants revenge against Brennan for the murder of his friend. Dealings with Brennan need to be handled delicately, and this is beyond Jessie at the moment. Jessie is left to deal with Marv’s former employers and he leads them to believe that Marv had gone rogue. He feels guilty about this and wants to call Marv’s family, but Madelyn tells him that sometimes the “truth can hurt as much as help.” Jessie, remembering his mother’s murder, tells Madelyn that above all the “truth matters. “

Fiona and Sam spend their time this week trying to track down Brennan, where’s he’s staying, and where he’s hidden the list. By tracing Larry’s phone calls they find that Brennan’s phone has a specialized hi-tech call scrambler. The only person capable of such a hi-tech device is a guy name Alfredo. With a little torture they learn that Alfredo also sold and installed a wall safe. Fi and Sam get the address of the safe and stake out the empty hotel Brennan is using as a base. Unfortunately though, Brennan has the place all wired up for security so breaking in without being noticed is impossible. Jessie is called and the three prepare for a long, uncomfortable stakeout.

Michael and Larry handle their first assignment quickly; while Michael talks Brennan into kidnapping their target instead of killing him, Larry quickly takes the decision out of his hands and throws a bomb in the guy’s car. While Larry finds this hilarious, Michael is outraged. For most of this episode Larry has been talking about Michael as if he’s this cold and brutal killing machine. Having known Michael beyond the scope of the series it kind of makes you wonder whether Brennan is right. Whether somewhere deep inside Michael there is something that makes these words true. Larry accuses Michael of “bottling up all your darkness that makes you who you are.” Now, we don’t know Michael from the Larry-era, when he was a hard-core spy, so now one must wonder, is there a part of Michael Westen that is as dark as Larry says. If somewhere deep inside of Michael there is a darkness that is waiting to take him over. I don’t want to believe it, but the fact is that Michael was a spy. As Larry says, they lived by the creed “no kids, no families,” so Michael had to cut everyone out of his life for a very longtime. He sent his mom postcards full of lies, and kept Fiona on the outer bounds of his life keeping himself shut off from everyone who loves him. And this is completely understandable as in this line of work your vulnerabilities can get you killed. So Michael, alone in a dangerous job with nutsos like Larry, maybe there was a part of him that gave into that darkness. But whatever the case, I’m sure that the Michael Westen pre-burn notice is not the same one we see today.

So, anyway, Michael tells Larry about Brennan’s safe, and the two make a plan to hijack Brennan and take the list. But Larry’s form of hijacking isn’t the same as Michael’s. As soon as Mike and Larry meet up with Brennan, Larry kills Brennan which of course means at 5 a.m. the next morning the audio would be going to Vaughn. This is exactly what Larry wants because now it makes Michael vulnerable and Larry tells him you “need me to survive.” Larry is, of course, mistaken as all Michael really needs is the scope of a gun welded by Sam and holding Larry hostage. And it is here where Michael informs Larry of the difference between the two of them. Larry could go ahead and shoot Michael, which of course means Larry would then be dead, or he could let Michael, who he needs, go and keep his life. Whereas Michael would die for what and who he believes in; Larry wouldn’t die for a thing so he lets Michael go.

At the end of this part of the two part finale, Michael and crew and Madelyn meet up in Madelyn’s garage where Fiona is drilling through Brennan’s safe to get the jump drive that contains the list. Madelyn tells Jessie that she called Marv’s family and told them that their father died a hero, this relieves him. Fiona asks Michael why they never discuss a future together until they’re in danger of death. Everybody decides to get a good night’s sleep to prepare for the upcoming siege.

Part II of the Burn Notice season finale coming soon!

Season 4, Episode 17: Out of the Fire (originally aired December 16, 2010)

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 10/9c on USA Network.

Images courtesy of USA Network.

Top Chef All-Stars Review: See How The Pros Do It

After last week’s highly explosive episode things haven’t calmed down much in the kitchen in a surprising double elimination and one of the most difficult challenges in Top Chef yet. This season so far has really pushed the chefs to reach new levels of creativity, ingenuity, and adaptivity or reap the consequences. All of the challenges have not been a disappointment and it feels like there’s a sense of excitement flowing back into the bloodstream of this series.

This episode’s quickfire split was judged by David Chang of well known New York eateries Momofuku and Má Pêche. The chefs were split into four random groups where they were given lamb, artichokes, garlic to prepare à la classic mise en place race and then to cook a dish out of those ingredients. To make it more challenging, the team that finishes their mise en place first gets to hit a fifteen minute timer that affects all other teams. So essentially you could have five minutes to cook if your team is slow.

The winning group was the blue team – Spike, Richard, Tre and Stephen with their crispy lamb chop with artichoke three ways. While they didn’t gain immunity in the elimination round, each chef did get five thousand dollars.

For the elimination challenge, the chefs were competing against the members of their groups in creating a dish worthy and in the spirit of one of New York’s premiere restaurants. Each group ate at David Chang’s Má Pêche, David Burke’s Townhouse, Michael White’s Marea and Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50.

Dale T. won with his sunny side up egg dumpling, braised pork belly, milk ramen with bacon, beef and pork. He didn’t incorporate any of Wylie’s molecular gastronomy techniques, but the dish was creative and looked tasty anyways. What clinched it for him had to be his broth that Wylie commented tasted like breakfast.

You compare this to the other Dale who also created his take on French toast and added popcorn and veal. The veal didn’t fit in with the breakfast theme of the dish and he got eliminated for it. Joining him is Stephen who was incredibly comfortable cooking the Italian style of Marea. His coho calmon, black mission figs, broccoli rapini, and fennel pollen just didn’t work for the judges.

Tiffani and Fabio were also at the bottom with Dale and Stephen and I’m glad that at least Fabio wasn’t kicked out just yet. Tiffani has this annoyingly superior attitude that it was nice to see her squirm down at the bottom, just to hand her a slice of humble pie. Her dish looked worse than Dale’s in my view, but unfortunately she stays safe for this round.

Angelo continues to be annoying in his over eagerness to kiss David Chang’s ass. He makes it to the top four which will certainly continue to bloat his ego like none other.

Jamie made another soup dish and while she might make a damn good soup, she’s looking like a one trick pony right now.

Other notable dishes were Casey’s coconut halibut “scallop,” tapioca “caviar” and ginger-carrot emulsion as well as Antonia’s pea puree, carrot puree, seared scallop and pickled carrot dish. They both looked delicious and felt a little whimsical, befitting of David Burke’s style.

A majority of the dishes delivered were up to par and while they have a long way to go compared to the famous chefs featured tonight, they were not incredibly amateurish. This is perhaps what makes this season so exciting, many of the chefs are actually showing audiences better food than the previous season.  Maybe the next incarnation of Top Chef could be All-Stars versus Masters. That would definitely be worth watching.

Season 8, Episode 3:  New York’s Finest (originally aired December 14, 2010)

For more on Top Chef, click here. You can follow Poptimal on Twitter @poptimal.

Wednesdays at 10/9C, Bravo

Photographs courtesy of Bravo.

Ricky Gervais Interview: No Longer an Extra

Fans of the brash, cheeky wit of Ricky Gervais are surely delighted to know he’ll once again host the Golden Globes this year and give another welcome boost of adrenaline to the awards show circuit. His maiden stint as emcee last January was met with sideways glances and nervous chuckles from those unfamiliar with his deadpan delivery, and uproarious, slack-jawed howls from those who are.

Gervais has been a British comedy staple for years, but didn’t break out across the pond until his BBC series The Office shattered the definition of modern sitcoms and swept the Globes in 2004, winning both Best Comedy Series and Best Actor for Gervais’ portrayal of the insufferably delusional David Brent. Since then, Gervais has gone on to executive produce the American Office, headline his own HBO stand-up specials, and make the crossover transition to film, producing and starring in both Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying. His often-polarizing comedic slant produces either rabid fans who proclaim him the funniest man on the planet, or slack-jawed stares from people uncomfortable with his pointedly controversial remarks (“I like a drink as much as the next man,” Gervais famously said during last year’s Globes, while holding a beer. “Unless that man is Mel Gibson.” Zing!). The poor souls who reside in the latter group frankly don’t know what they’re missing, but in a recent conference call Gervais said he’s not always clamoring for laughs, anyway.

“I always try and be different,” he remarked, adding that the task of generating any kind of audience response is what he focuses on during performances. “As I say, I always try to be quite challenging. I mean, I want people to laugh and I want [them] to gasp as well. I get as big a buzz from [a] gasp as I do a belly laugh.” For Gervais, the element of surprise that a gasp insinuates gives him an equal sense of accomplishment as a sea of laughter. “I think comedy and drama are different branches of the same tree. You know, it doesn’t matter whether you’re watching a horror film or hearing a joke, it’s the surprise that’s the good bit. It’s the bit you didn’t expect.”

Gervais proved a wisely provocative hosting choice that helped the Globes avoid the stiff-upper-lip reputation many Hollywood galas get trapped in, although the Globes’ dining room-style seating and perpetually flowing champagne is likely an added boost. Although he’s aware his approach to comedy is often misunderstood, Gervais discussed why he’ll do anything but hold back for his second effort as Golden Globes host.

“I don’t think I went far enough,” Gervais said, when asked if he’ll display the same fun-poking technique he used in last year’s awards telecast. Some celebrity targets, after all, took his jabs more gracefully than others. According to Gervais, his intention is never to deliberately insult someone, but rather invite them in on the joke with him. “I think comedy comes from a good or a bad place. And I think however cheeky or out there or, you know, taboo subjects and dark places I take them, I think they know it comes from a good place with me. The last thing I want to do is genuinely offend anyone … So I want the victims of the joke to like it as well. I don’t see any victory in going out and being awful and shocking. That’s too easy. I mean, it’s five o’clock on network TV …  I think you’ve got to be interesting and engaging and, you know, I try and do it with a twinkle in my eye and a smile on my face. So hopefully I can go even further this year and still not be chased out of the country.”

While Gervais expressed desire to achieve a sense of mass appeal, he was equally quick to specify that such an approach doesn’t mean he plans to go soft. Ideally, he said, his good-natured irreverence will produce a happy medium of sorts. “I don’t use [comedy] as a platform to, you know, get political or get my own back on the world,” he said. “I’m hosting a party. You know, it’s a televised industry party. So you’ve got to keep it light. But, as I say, that’s not to say you can go out there and just do awfully flat, broad, anodyne, homogenized, reworked material. I think you can be original and push the boundaries a little bit and still come in line with taste and decency. That’s my plan.”

Part of Gervais’ shtick involves a blink-and-you’ll miss it delivery of jokes so subtle, viewers may not even realize he was kidding until he’s already moved on to the next topic. This, Gervais says, is another reason he decided to give hosting the Globes “another go.” Like much of the rapid-fire dialogue in The Office, Gervais says his humor is also best appreciated after multiple viewings. “I think I’m better second time around. I genuinely think that. I do,” he said, adding that getting the initial practice run over with makes for more successful future efforts. “That’s why I’m doing it again. I had such a great time, but like anything you do for the first time you go, ‘Oh, let me do it again. I can do it better. I can do it better.’ Do you know what I mean? It’s like the first time I had a go at golf I wanted to go around again because I said, ‘No, I can do it now. I can do it now.’”

Despite his excitement for the “sequel” to his Globes gig, Gervais surprisingly insisted the third time isn’t the charm in this case and he won’t be hosting again. “Well the truth is I’m not a host. I’m not a presenter. I don’t think I should be doing it at all. I do these things for fun. I don’t even count these things as part of my career really. Well, there’s loads of things I do that I don’t count as part of my career,” he said, admitting that hosting work is not his passion, but more of an extraneous, albeit “fun,” opportunity. “I’d have had to invent the concept of award ceremonies to be as excited about them as I am about doing The Office or Extras or, you know, whatever,” he continued. “But I suppose I want this to be great and go out on a high. I think you’ve always got to think that you’re going to do a good job and it’s going to be fun and – because you’re in control. And if you’re in control and it turns out exactly as you wanted it to, then you’ve got no one else to please really. And I always try and I want to do things that I’m pleased with. And so if I’m bad, I shouldn’t do it again. And if I’m good, I shouldn’t do it again. So that’s the thinking really.”

Gervais is known for a diverse career in comedy that’s spanned TV, movies, children’s books, stand-up, an animated series, and a wildly popular podcast, so it’s no surprise he won’t be adding the title of full-time awards show host to his already crowded roster. While he’s dabbled in numerous facets of show business, Gervais said his reasons for sticking with comedic efforts are derided from both personal experience and instinct. “You know, the reason we have humor in our evolution is to get us through adversity,” he said. “It’s no coincidence that some of the most depressed people have the best sense of humor and create the best comedy. And I say it in the [upcoming HBO stand-up] special — we use it as a sword and a shield and as a medicine and all these reasons. And I love taking people on an emotional journey and it doesn’t matter if it’s a film, a TV show or a piece of stand-up. It’s to take people on a journey they hadn’t been on before.”

Regardless of the rapidly advancing technological achievements and expectations in the entertainment industry, Gervais insisted that good storytelling trumps all visual dazzle, and a riveting anecdote will never be considered obsolete – hence his unfaltering success. “Whatever happens with innovation in entertainment, you know, there’s going to be something that makes Avatar look like Steamboat Willie one day. But I’ll tell you, whatever that is, it will never compete with one human being telling another human being what an awful day they’ve had. It won’t.”

Gervais humbly acknowledged how fortunate he feels to have such a lucrative career doing not only what many consider the most difficult niche in show business, but doing it in so many different ways, and doing it well. “Looking back, it’s been ridiculous. It’s been like a dream. I’m going to wake up and I’m still 36, still working in my old job. I’m still working in the [same] office where I got the idea [for the show] from and I’m going to wake up and go, ‘I just had the best 12-year dream I’ve ever had.’”

Don’t miss Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes, Sunday, January 16 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

For more interviews and television reviews, click here.

Images courtesy of Virginia Sherwood/NBC

The Biggest Loser: Q&A with Season 10 Winner Patrick House

This season on NBC, viewers watched as 400-lb father of two Patrick House shed an incredible 181 pounds and won the title of The Biggest Loser. The formerly unemployed sales rep struggled, not only to gain a healthy weight from fear of an early death, but also to keep his struggling family afloat in a time of economic crisis. Today in a conference call with the now svelte Patrick, the Biggest Loser talks about his plans for the future, his new job, and his proudest moment at the ranch.

Paying it forward,
One of the things at the top of Patrick’s list since winning The Biggest Loser is paying it forward, taking his success on Biggest Loser to create a difference in the world around him. One of his steps to “pay it forward” has led to a new job inspiring others toward their weight-loss goals. Starting in January, Patrick will serve as mentor to students at the Mindstream Academy; a South Carolina school focused on helping overweight teens achieve a healthy lifestyle. Originally intended as a one-time guest speaker, Patrick will serve as a full-time inspiration to Mindstream’s students. And as an extra incentive, Patrick announced that every student who enrolls in the Mindstream Academy in the month of January will receive a $5,000 scholarship.

On the plan,
As most serial dieters know, the hardest part of weight-loss is keeping the pounds at bay; add to that the upcoming holiday season and the potential for setback is immense. But Patrick is well aware of this danger and has the proper motivation to overcome it: his two sons, aged two and four. Patrick credits wanting to see his sons grow up as his driving motivation to lose weight, while now too young to understand the drastic change they instigated in their father’s life, Patrick looks forward to one day reliving his life changing journey with his sons and “what a shame it would be if when I went back to watch it I’m back at 400 pounds to watch it with them.” Patrick credits his family for helping him make it through this journey. From his parents and in-laws who helped him keep his family finances afloat, to his wife who dedicated herself to this Biggest Loser lifestyle change (so much so that she dropped from a size 14 to a size 4.) And with this support system, Patrick looks forward to starting his new, more active life.

Here’s what Patrick had to say,
On gameplay,
“I don’t have any second thoughts on how I played the game. I went into The Biggest Loser scenario with the idea of getting a work out and not getting involved in all of that and I quickly realized early on that you need to have friends and you need to have allies that have your back if you’re planning on making it far in this game. That’s what it boils down to at the end: the game. We’re changing our lives and getting our lives back and I did that, but at the same time there’s a quarter million check there at the end. Winning The Biggest Loser for me and winning that money for me meant getting my family back up on their feet.”

His proudest moment,
“One of the proud moments for me was when we were in downtown LA doing the challenge to win the car, and when I popped up those last flights of stairs and I saw Ada [Wong] and Brendan [Donovan] sitting at the top waiting on me, that feeling of joy and love and camaraderie and friendship that I had right then was overwhelming. For Brendan and Ada to step down and allow me to have that car speaks not only to their character but it speaks of the friendships that blossomed on Biggest Loser Season 10. As much as people want to say how big and overly extended the game play was, you can look at that episode and see the true love and feeling that go into The Biggest Loser, and that’s what The Biggest Loser is all about.”

The Biggest Loser returns January 4th on NBC, with a new batch of contestants, Bob, Jillian and a surprising new twist. Tune in at 8pm ET, to check it out.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Images courtesy of Bret Hartman, Trae Patton, and NBC.

Golden Globe Nominations: Some Thoughts

The 68th annual Golden Globe nominations were announced earlier this week, and I don’t know what is going on. The awards, which are to be held on January 16th, have produced many a “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat” reaction. Let’s jump in:

Movie, Musical or Comedy: Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, Red, The Tourist
Where the hell to begin here. Let’s start with The Tourist, because I don’t think anyone wanted to see this movie, let alone give it an award, despite starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. Seriously, watch this trailer and tell me this looks like a musical or comedy. I’m so confused that I might have to see this despite my better judgment and respect for actors who can actually pull off accents. Maybe that’s supposed to be funny and we are all just missing the joke? Surprisingly, I fully support Burlesque in this category because it was a secret comedy. I swear it was trying to make fun of itself — from the bad writing to the entirely unlikeable main character to Cher’s ability to pull off the best performance while not being able to move her face — comedic genius. It was the best bad movie I have seen in a while. OK, it totally doesn’t deserve a Golden Globe, but at least seeing it show up on this list made me laugh. I didn’t see Red but wanted to, and I loved both The Kids are All Right and Alice in Wonderland (which both star Mia Wasikowska, kudos to her), so I would be happy with either. Secretly I would be happier with Alice winning, but I have a feeling Kids will walk away with this one.

Wow I can’t get this involved in each category — moving on!

Movie, Drama: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Social Network
Is The Fighter even out yet? I’m dying to see The King’s Speech, and I regret to say that I inexplicably still haven’t seen The Social Network — I am a failure to my generation — so I feel like I don’t have that much authority to speak on this category since I have only seen Black Swan and Inception. Inception BLEW MY MIND — more than Black Swan, therefore it should win. I feel like I should have been more into Black Swan than I was, but it just felt like Center Stage’s demented cousin once removed that developed a bad meth habit. Weird results.

Movie Actress, Drama: It doesn’t even matter, Natalie Portman will win for Black Swan.

Movie Actor, Drama: See above, insert Colin Firth, The King’s Speech (this one is purely based on hype since I have not seen ANY of the movies that these men are nominated for, tra la la, oops…)

OK I’m stopping going through every category and am hitting up the highlights/biggest surprises, which for movies just leaves me with one more:

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, The Kids are All Right; Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right; Anne Hathaway, Love & Other Drugs; Angelina Jolie, The Tourist; Emma Stone, Easy A
Who is more surprising in this category, Angelina Jolie or Emma Stone? I would love to see Emma Stone win — she is seriously hilarious even though I may have been the only person who thought that Easy A was comedy gold? It makes me feel weird when actors are pinned against one another in the same category for the same movie. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening were both great in Kids. I would be happy to see either win and simultaneously feel sad for seeing the other lose. Therefore, Emma Stone should just win.

TV time!

TV Series, Drama: Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife, Mad Men, The Walking Dead
Meh. Seeing as how Mad Men is the only show on this list that I consistently watch, I’m inclined to pull for it. Buuuuut it wins every year, and while maybe it should, it would be nice to see a good ol’ fashioned network show win once in a while, so I’m pulling for The Good Wife. To hell with all this basic cable crap.

With that said, I couldn’t care less about the actor/actress in a drama nominations– they are just as you would expect. WHERE IS DR. WALTER BISHOP FROM FRINGE on this list?!!  Does anyone on either list jump out to you here? Yawn:

TV Actor, Drama: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Michael C. Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House

TV Actress, Drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife; Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men; Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs; Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

TV Series, Musical or Comedy: 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, The Big C, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie
Who watches The Big Bang Theory? There must be something to it because it keeps getting nominated, yet I still have no desire to watch. Do you think we can start a write-in campaign to get It’s Always Sunny nominated? 30 Rock will always be the funniest show on TV, but I think that Modern Family should win — it is so fresh and so good. Thinking of Modern Family just makes me think of what happens after Modern Family – and no — the laughs don’t stop. Is anyone else out there watching Cougar Town? Do yourselves a favor, pour a glass of red wine, and watch. It is hilarious and a perfect dessert to Modern Family and should be on this list.

TV Actress, Musical or Comedy: Toni Collette, The United States of Tara; Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Laura Linney, The Big C; Lea Michele, Glee
United State of Tara makes me feel weird, but I think there has been one awards cycle where Toni Collette hasn’t won anything, so my money’s on her this time around.  Rachel has kind of been bothering me this season on Glee, even though she is amazing, so my heart wants Tina Fey to win this year. She put on a live show for crying out loud!

TV Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Steve Carell, The Office; Thomas Jane, Hung; Matthew Morrison, Glee; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
As annoying as Rachel has been on Glee this season, Mr. Schue has been worse. Buuuuut Matthew Morrison is a dream boat so I wouldn’t object to him winning and needing to be on stage in a tux for a few minutes. Alec Baldwin should probably win though. He put on a live show for crying out loud!

So there you have it — or as much as I would let you have because these are the categories that I found most interesting. What do you think? Did your favorites make the list? Surprised to see any names? Should I go see some more movies or adopt a new TV rotation? The awards season has begun — it’s the most wonderful time of the year — enjoy!

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Show will air January 16, 2011 on NBC at 8pm EST.

For more awards show coverage, click here.

For television reviews, click here.

For movie reviews, click here.

Photographs courtesy of CBS, Suzanne Tenner/Focus Features, Danny Feld/ABC

Listen To The Leaked Kanye Christmas Song: “Christmas in Harlem”

Merry Christmas douchebags, a-holes, scumbags . . . from  Kanye West (If you haven’t heard Runaway, then you missed that joke).  Kanye has created “Christmas in Harlem,”  new holiday anthem featuring his protégés CyHi Da Prynce and Teyana Taylor that leaked online today.

This appears to be an unfinished version and CyHi, tweeted: “The real one is coming!”

Kanye tweeted that the final track will  feature  vocals from Cam’Ron, Jim Jones, Pusha T, Big Sean, and Musiq.

Share with your friends and be sure to tell them that you heard it from Poptimal.com first. (Click player below taken from the MFR website.  This is not hosted on our servers, it merely points to their website)

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