Strollerderby : film

Morning News - Susan Boyle Comes in Second

Brett Singer — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT

So you know that Susan Boyle person? Scottish woman, has a really big singing voice, knocked people's socks off on "Britain's Got Talent", which is sort of like "American Idol" but with weirder acts, like a guy who dances like Michael Jackson while dressed as Darth Vader? (No, really. That's true.) Anyway, everyone thought Susan would win contest. (My money was on Darth Jackson. Which is why I don't gamble.) But she came in second. First place went to a dance troupe called "Diversity." Maybe in England hip-hop dancing is still hip. Or people just got bored with Susan Boyle. Or maybe it was something else. Anyway, she lost, but like Clay Aiken before her, I bet we'll hear from her at some point. Sometimes second place isn't so bad. (Ask Ruben Studdard. Although he does have a new album out, so maybe he'll stage a comeback. Wow, I think I don't care about this topic. Moving on.)

Well, I'm not moving on quite yet. Apparently Susan Boyle needed a team of psychistrists to get ready for the big TV finale. I have to admit that if her story is true -- never performed anywhere but her church, shot to worldwide fame in a matter of hours, on a TV show watched by millions -- then I can't blame her for being nervous. And maybe I'm wrong but to me, it's impressive that she got as far as she did. Not because she isn't talented. But she was completely unknown a few weeks ago. Now she's very very "known." Sounds like a victory to me.

Now on to science news. Everybody has a cell phone these days, and your plants want in on the fun. Yes. That's right. Your plants. The Discovery Channel has a story about a chip that would allow plants to "call" for water when they were, like, thirsty. "The farmer would just need their regular cell phone service, and the plant would send a text message when it needed water." Neat. Although I'm not sure why you can't just water the things on some sort of regular basis. Then again, I've never owned a plant that didn't die within a month. So maybe I'm not the right person to ask about this.

This headline form the Wall Street Journal is both completely sensational, but also accurate. Here you go: Lawmakers Bill Taxpayers For TVs, Cameras, Lexus. It's accurate. I hate reading stuff like this. Some of the item, like a digital camera, I can see as being needed for a lawmakers' job. But a Lexus? Times are tough, drive a crummier car.

Republicans, Let's Play Grown-Up
Sticking with the Journal, one of their columnists says that the GOP should "play grown-up" with regard to Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. Political commentator Ellis Henican says that if Republicans keep attacking Sotomayer, "they might well achieve a rare double fiasco for the Once-Grand Party - pursuing a doomed campaign against a highly qualified Supreme Court nominee and guaranteeing that Latinos will vote Democratic for the next 30 years." I guess we'll have to see how this one plays out.

Cuba's gonna talk to us! Wow!

A group of scientists in Houston, Texas are working on a cancer vaccine. I will now make the understatement of the year -- hey, that'd be cool.

Finally, "Up" ruled the box office this weekend by taking in almost $70 million. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" came in second place, and has already broken the $100 million mark. "Star Trek" broke $200 million. There were some other movies in the top ten that I don't care much about. A few words about "Up" and their box office total: the number is somewhat artificially inflated because of the $3 per ticket surcharge for 3D (or "RealD" as they call it these days). Not every theater is showing "Up" in 3D, but a lot are, and that makes the total dollar figure larger. It also means that in Manhattan it costs $55 to take two adults and two kids to see the movie. Which, for the record, I thought was really good. But I could do without the extra cost.

Image: Wikipedia

Kansas Abortion Doctor Killed at Church

California School District Approves So-Called Gay Curriculum

Adopted Brother Was Living Across The Street

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 29th

Whit Honea — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Mike Tyson's 4-Year-Old Daughter Dies

Madonna Dishes on A-Rod and Kate Hudson

Confirmed - Gisele is Pregnant With Tom Brady's Baby!

Nicole Richie, Dad Lionel & Daughter Harlow (PHOTOS)

Sneak Peek! Jon & Kate Plus 8 Season Premiere

Kelly Rutherford, Lies and Videotape

Amy Mickelson's Breast Cancer Battle

Michelle Williams and Daughter Matilda Support Their Local Coffee House

Angelina Jolie: Madonna Adopts For Fame

Jon & Kate - Who Are The Kids Happier With? (Photos)

Slumdog Kids Finally Get A Home!

Brian Grazer's Prenup Still Makes Wife Rich

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 22nd

Whit Honea — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Gosselins are Good for a Gander

Katie Holmes Sets a Bad Example For Suri

Mormon Marie Osmond Supports Her Gay Daughter!

Stars Come Out For American Idol Finale: Brad Garrett and Kids Max and Hope

Barbara Walters To Interview John Edwards' Mistress Rielle Hunter!?

Bristol Palin and Son Tripp Cover People

Angelina Catches Brad and Jen Aniston Together!

Kate Gosselin Blogs Her Troubles Away

Matt Damon: Bourne to Be a Dad

Pregnant Lauren London & Lil Wayne Will Raise Baby Together!!!

Kelly Clarkson Looks Like She's Pregnant!

Caption This, Julia Roberts (or Don't)

8 "PG" Movies Way Too Scary for Kids

Cole Gamble — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

As you may know, I'm a big fan of traumatizing kids movies. So when I came upon Brian Hanson's article, The 8 PG-Rated Movies That Should Not Have Been Rated PG, I knew I'd need to post a bit of it. Here's a smackering of freaky-ass movies that somehow got the same rating as Shrek.

Gremlins (1984)

It's been widely acknowledged that both Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg's one-two 1984 punch of darkly comic blockbusters, directly led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Gremlins is chock-full of wanton puppet terror and gore, with the titular hellions getting stabbed, beheaded, and exploded in wonderful blurts of green and brown. Of course, despite creating the PG-13 rating, neither Gremlins nor Temple of Doom were ever submitted for re-rating, so the PG rating still stands to this day for both movies. So Gremlins, with its graphic tale of Phoebe Cates' character's father decaying and rotting in a Santa suit after getting stuck inside the chimney on Christmas, gets the PG pass.

Wizards (1977)

Yay, a cartoon set off in a magical land! Sounds like Shrek again. Hold up, this baby's directed by Ralph Bashki, the guy who made edgy, X-rated cartoons like Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic (and the controversial Saturday morning update of Mighty Mouse). Wizards is a certifiable, goddamn mess, full of lame rotoscoped animation and tasteless invocation of Nazi imagery, but even for a PG-rated movie in 1977 it feels a little grotesque. There's a seemingly endless battle scene chock full of crudely-animated orcs and elves disemboweling each other, lots of cartoon characters saying naughty words, and a buxom nymph whose nipples seem incapable of being properly contained by her sheer clothing.

Watership Down (1978)

I touched on this in my own traumatizing kids movies article, but not enough can be said abut the movie in which cute fluffy bunnies rip the bloody hell out of each other.

It's pretty much a cartoon bunny horror film, as a small, ragtag group of rabbits are slowly done in by a variety of nasty enemies—owls, hunger, disease, bloodthirsty hounds, and even each other. There's another animated version that exists that would've saved me from the week's worth of nightmares and tears, but unfortunately it arrived nine years too late.

You can check out the rest of Brian's piece here.

More Good Stuff:

6 Reasons Why it Sucks to Be a Kid Today

Disturbing Baby-Swinging PSA

Dumb Kiddy Product Makeovers

9 Steps to Keep Your Kid from Ruining a Wedding

Eating Your Baby's Placenta

10 Great Books For (Traumatizing) Children

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 15th

Whit Honea — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Tom Cruise Pressuring Katie For Another Baby?

Dirk Nowitzki's Fiance Arrested?

Comedian Wanda Sykes & Wife Alex Welcome Twins!

Jada Pinkett Smith a Lesbian?

Julie Bowen Welcomes Twin Boys

Mary Stuart Masterson Has Reason to Smile!

Manny Ramirez Busted!

Chyler Leigh Welcomes Daughter Anniston

Sean Penn Still Dating Natalie Portman, Robin is Pissed!

Kate Gosselin's Heartbreak: Jon & I May Separate

Look, Look, It's Another Octomom Story

Jon Gosselin Shelled Out Big Bucks To Buy Mistress Presents

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 8th

Whit Honea — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Julia Roberts Shows Her Bikini Bod & Tattoo In Honor Of Her Kids (PHOTOS)

Jon & Kate - Jon Is Cheating -It's Been Confirmed - Photos

Elizabeth Edwards Has "No Idea" If John's The Baby Daddy

Jon Gosselin Tells EW Exclusively "I Did NOT Cheat!"

I'm Following You, Nicole Richie

Pregnant Heidi Klum Naked on Ellen - Video

Mary Stuart Masterson Has Reason to Smile!

'Idol' Winner David Cook Announces his Brother's Passing at 5K Race (VIDEO)

Matthew Fox Prepares to get UnLost with Family

Jenny McCarthy To Get Her Own Talk Show?

Ed Burns and Christy Turlington Are Not Selfish

Kate Gosselin To Address Rumors About Jon?

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 1st

Whit Honea — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Details Revealed About SJP Twins: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Her Surrogate!

Rosie O'Donnell's Marital Spat Gets Twittered By Neighbor

BREAKING: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Expecting Twins!

Gavin Rossdale Had A Secret Romance?

Portraits of the Artists as Young Men - Before They Were Famous

Wolverine Goes to Disneyland

Sarah Jessica Parker - Baby Bump On Display

Patton Oswalt Welcomes a Baby Girl

Brangelina Started Because Jennifer Aniston Is A Secret Lesbian?

Jennifer Aniston Adopting A Boy!

Partly Private: The Long Journey to a Short Cut

editors — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Photo: Philip Touitou

Reviewed by Emily Frost

In Partly Private: The Long Journey to a Short Cut, we join what quickly becomes Director Danae Elon’s personal quest to convince her husband not to circumcise their second son. In one scene, the couple lies together, sandwiching their already circumcised one-year-old, when Danae, pregnant again, begins to weep over their impending decision: whether to do the same thing again.

In the course of her documentary, Elon finds the very first circumcision knives in Israel (sharp stone shards!) and applies an anti-wrinkle cream whose main ingredient is foreskin(!). She travels to Turkey, where circumcision is done at kindergarten-age. In a decorated banquet hall, we see flocks of dressed-up families celebrating — with clowns — a communal ceremony. The little boys, dressed in expensive white bedazzled princely outfits, ride together on a toy caboose while their parents cheer, and when their name is called rush center stage to the circumcision chair.

These fascinating moments feel ancillary to the director’s main mission, to portray the ways culture and family history map onto her family’s circumcision decision. But, spending too little time fully exploring the issue and too much time in a domestic tussle means Elon has to rely heavily on narration, telling us what’s happening, instead of letting life unfold. The high stakes and intense emotion of the family’s decision are eclipsed by the over-scripted plot’s continually calling attention to itself. Nonetheless, the film succeeds in challenging us to take another look (literally) at this American norm.
Trailer courtesy of Filmoption International

Partly Private is part of the Tribeca Film Festival and will be screened on Friday, May 1, 2009 at 8:30 PM at AMC Village VII 2 in New York City.

Find more information here.

Best of FameCrawler - Week of April 24th

Whit Honea — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

David Beckham's Victoria Tattoo Is Misspelled

David Kellerman -CFO Of Freddie Mac Commits Suicide

Photos Don't Lie: Angelina & Brad Did THIS

In Which Tom Cruise and John Travolta Will Ruin Movies for Our Children and Our Children's Children

Geri Halliwell Reveals Her Dark Past

Guess the Baby Bump!

Celebrity Guess Who: Name the Mom Edition

CBS' Julie Chen Pregnant!

Octomom Nadya Suleman is Ready to Add to The Family, AAACK!

Madonna's Ex-Chef: She's A Self-Centered Mother

Letting Kids See Watchmen

Brett Singer — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Lisa Belkin wonders if her 15-year old should see "Watchmen," this weekend's number one movie. His 18-year old brother saw it and pronounced it brilliant. I won't keep you in suspense (I know, you were on the edge of your seat), but Lisa eventually capitulated and let the younger son go. Spoiler: he liked it.

Having seen the film, I can say that it is definitely not for kids. The R rating should deter parents, but really it's the subject matter that they should be looking at. For the record, I enjoyed the film version of "Watchmen"; it's very faithful to the original comics (aka "graphic novel"), has some flaws, but overall is very much worth seeing. This column at The Onion AV Club by Tasha Robinson does a great job of breaking down the differences between the two, points out some missteps, and is good reading if you're interested.

For our purposes, the question is "how do I decide whether or not a movie is appropriate for my child?" Movie ratings help, but only up to a point. A commenter at the Times' website points out that "Dark Knight" was rated PG-13, which in my opinion is absurd. Great film, one of the best I've seen, and Heath Ledger's performance was incredible and deserving of an Oscar. Part of what makes his Joker so amazing is that he is really, truly disturbing, more so than the bone-popping-out-of-an-arm style of violence on display in "Watchmen." To me, and I believe to my kids, psychological violence is more troubling than physical violence. Not that I want them to see the extreme grossness that "Watchmen" has. But a movie's rating doesn't always tell the whole story.

What I do with superhero movies is see them first. I know. I make the ultimate sacrifice, go on opening weekend with a bunch of guys wearing Captain America t-shirts, and decide whether or not the flick is kid-friendly enough. "Iron Man" was, although the opening sequence is questionable. "Hulk" was borderline, but my then 7-year-old didn't want to see that one anyway. (Although he does love my blog post written from Hulk's point of view.) I thought "Spider-Man 3" would be too scary for him (Venom), but he was unfazed; actually, I think he was a little bored (the bizarre musical number).

What makes this part of my parenting job easier is that I actually want to see superhero movies. Belkin, not so much: when asked by a commenter why she didn't just see "Watchmen" first if she was so concerned, she replied: "You are right, I should have seen it if I felt so strongly about helping to give context to the message, but, frankly, I couldnt [sic] stand the thought of sitting through it." At two and a half hours, I can't really blame her. But if she had seen it, she would have found out that along with the cartoonishly graphic violence (not a lot, but what's there includes someone having their hands cut off with a power saw) is a very violent rape scene, a moment is that is much more graphic than the one in the original comic. Do I think most fifteen year olds have seen something like that in a movie already? Probably. Does that mean I want them to see that without me telling them what's wrong with that behavior? Probably not. For me, seeing a film is the best way to determine whether or not you want your child to see it, no matter what age they are. Fifteen may be too old to be concerned about what sort of entertainment your kids consume. But even if you don't censor it, it's probably a good idea to know what they watch.

Source: NY Times

Image: AVClub.com

Cookie Monster Cupcake

Angelina Jolie Could Always Use an Extra Baby

Should Chris Brown Be Getting Out the Kids' Vote?

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:50:00 GMT

Heath Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing The Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' It's well-deserved, and personally I think he would have won even without the sentimental vote.

Heath's family – his father Kim, mother Sally and sister Kate -- accepted on his behalf and all three gave an amazingly calm and classy speech, pointing out that his daughter Matilda is the one who will get the golden statuette: "We really wish you were here, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda." Michelle Williams will keep it for her until Matilda turns 18. If Heath and Michelle had been married, it would have gone to her. Executive Director of the Academy Bruce Davis said, "I don't think we have ever had a situation like this."

It's all very sad, but Heath's mother said, "Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved," so I'm going to go with that. Congratulations, dude.

image: Reuters

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger Wins 2009 Oscar Gold!

Cookie Monster Cupcake

OctoMom Says No Dating For Her

Disney Bails on Narnia

Brett Singer — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

You won't be hearing the Chronic-WHAT?-cles of Narnia at the Mouse House any more.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting (clunky sentence, sorry) that Disney has decided not to pick up the option to get involved with "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the third film in the series. The reasons are "budgetary and logistical", which sounds to me like code for, "the other films didn't make enough money and producing them was annoying, so why should do it again?" "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", the first film in the series, grossed $745 million worldwide, whereas "Prince Caspian" took in "just $419 million," according to the Reporter. That still sounds like a lot of cabbage to me, but it's a big drop-off, and may not be enough to make risking more cash on a third film worthwhile.

Although I enjoyed the books when I was younger, and my son is starting to read them now, we haven't seen either movie yet. They didn't have that "must-see" effect on my kids that the Harry Potter films or "Iron Man" had. In fact, my son has expressed more interest in seeing a DVD-only release, "The Next Avengers", then he has in "Lion" or "Caspian."

Interestingly, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" was scheduled for a May 2010 release, so talent was attached, plans were made, people had eaten a cheesecake and taken a nap, etc. (Random reference for you on Christmas Eve – don't say I never gave you anything.) Walden Media, which owns the rights to the C.S. Lewis stories, will shop around to try and find another partner for "Treader", but these flicks don't come cheap -- $180 million for "Lion", $200 million for "Caspian". With shrinking profits and a crummy economy, it will be interesting to see if another studio jumps in for "Treader."

Source: Hollywood Reporter via Reuters

Image: Amazon

Are these toys sold out?

Working Parents Smackdown Part 2 – Dads With Jobs vs Moms With Jobs

Is Miley Cyrus' First Photo Shoot Creepy?

Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 2)

Movie Review – "Delgo"

Brett Singer — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:45:00 GMT

It has been said that if you're going to steal, steal from the best. The new film "Delgo" (now in theaters) certainly does that, but they seem to have swiped more than they could carry.

This new CGI animated feature has elements of "Star Wars", "Dune", "Lord of the Rings" and even "Shrek", the latter only in terms of the animation. There are the usual cheap attempts at kiddie humor – characters running into walls suddenly, things falling down, yelling – but that alone wouldn't be enough to make this flick worth skipping. (In fact, that's probably the only part of the film most children will enjoy, other than a couple of halfway-decent action sequences that occur much too late to save the movie.) What truly makes me say that this is not a film for children, despite the fact that it is clearly meant for a family audience, is the confusing story and oddly graphic violence. It does have genuinely beautiful character and scene design, and although the animation isn't the best you've seen, it's far from the worst. But following the plot requires effort that just isn't worth it.

Let me try to summarize the story. There are two races in the land of Jhamora, the Lockni and the Nohrin. The Nohrin have wings, the Lockni don't, but they can make stones levitate. The two races/tribes/whatever have an uneasy truce, which was reached after a Nohrin invasion of a Lockni village, when our hero Delgo's (Freddie Prinze Jr.) parents were killed. Delgo soon meets the Nohrin Princess Kyla (Jennifer Love Hewitt), whose mother was killed by a fellow Nohrin named Sedessa (Anne Bancroft, in her final screen appearance) when Kyla was just a baby. Sedessa was exiled and her wings were chopped off. Delgo seems conflicted about his feelings for the Nohrin, and it affects his ability to make rocks move with his mind. Elder Marley (Michael Clarke Duncan) tries to teach him how to move rocks better by offering subpar Yoda-esque lines like, "Connect with the stone, Delgo…feel its pulse," and "The stones are a path to a higher good… they will teach you about yourself." (It doesn't exactly have the resonance of "Do or do not. There is no try.") Meanwhile, Sedessa has been plotting her revenge from an aerie in the sky somewhere. She has a closet filled with dozens of fake wings that makes her seem like an alien Imelda Marcos (remember her? The shoes?). Sedessa is in control of a race of creatures that look like Tolkein's Goblins whom she uses as muscle, as well as another group of smaller creatures whose sole purpose seems to be to screw things up when they are needed. (Their leader, if you can call him that, is Spig, voiced by Eric Idle, who speaks in bad malapropisms like Shakespeare's Dogberry. Unlike Dogberry, he's almost never funny.) Sedessa has help on the inside from Raius (Malcolm McDowell), a Nohrin soldier who wants to be general, which he becomes after framing the current general, Bogardus (Val Kilmer), who appears to be a compulsive gambler. Through various manipulations, war breaks out between the Nohrin and the Lockni, then Sedessa leads her Goblins-that-aren't-Goblins into battle while the two races are fighting. But the winged and the ground-bound fight together and save the day.

Got it? If so, can you explain it to me? The elevator pitch could go something like this: "It's like 'Lord of the Rings' meets 'Romeo and Juliet' meets 'Star Wars' meets 'The Lion King', which itself was cribbed liberally from 'Hamlet', so throw that in too." If this film were any more derivative, it could be traded on the Nasdaq. "Delgo" isn't complex the way well-crafted stories are; it's more bloated and obtuse. This could be due to too many writers; six are credited, and many more receive credit at the end, including Jeff "The Dude" Dowd – yes, the guy "The Big Lebowski" character was based on – as a "script consultant", but that may be fake. It's not clear. Jokes are thrown in here and there, Delgo's character becomes a warrior of sorts without any particular explanation, Bogardus uses the term "vig" when talking to a creature who may or may not be his bookie – storytelling at its finest, this is not.

By far the best thing about "Delgo" is the designs that the animation is based on. Most of the reviews have slammed the CGI, but by now I’m used to it, and the many years that were apparently spent on post-production paid off somewhat. There are a few beautifully drawn backgrounds, some cool-looking creatures (like the flying warship-things that the faux Goblins ride) and these nifty walking plants. The drawings that appear over the end credits (which feature a litany of bizarre jobs such as "Alchemist of Pseudo-Reality" that must be inside jokes) have more life in them than their animated brethren, which isn't a good thing. Maybe someone could re-release "Delgo" as a series of picture books, perhaps emphasizing the undeniably good message respecting different races and the dangers of war, which is definitely present in the film but gets lost amidst all the clutter.

The main reason I need to tell parents to be cautious about "Delgo" is the violence. I'm not anti-violence at all, but some things here seem unnecessarily graphic, like a character who gets run-through with a sword, and another who gets shot in the back with an arrow. There's not much blood, but the suddenness of the deaths could be upsetting to younger children. Also potentially disturbing for little ones is a flashback scene when Nohrin warriors kill Delgo's parents while he hides in the closet of their Lockni hut. (Let me be clear – a child is playing with his dad at home, and scary people break in and kill his mother and father while he watches.) Then a Nohrin soldier sees him, pokes his head into the closet and says, "You're on your own, kid." Of course, there's a very good chance that any human children in the audience will have fallen asleep by the time these events occur, and even if they don't there's virtually no chance they will have become involved in the characters because the script simply doesn't allow them to do so. Many other films targeted at children are violent and/or dark, like the last couple of "Harry Potter" movies. But at least the story backing them up has some depth. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the outfits some of the characters wear are oddly tight-fitting and, especially in the case of Bancroft's Sedessa, weirdly well endowed. (Think wasp-waist, C-cup.) That's not a bad thing, I suppose. But it seems like an odd choice.

As for the cast, it's "all-star" but not exactly A-list. Where "Kung Fu Panda" had Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman, "Delgo" has Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. Other folks picking up a paycheck include Burt Reynolds, Louis Gossett Jr., Kelly Ripa, and Chris Kattan (who I almost feel sorry for, since even when animated he gets cast as a nitwit; then I remember that at least he's working and any sympathy goes out the window). They all give fairly generic and uninspired line readings except for Malcolm McDowell, who does a decent enough villain, and the late Anne Bancroft, who uses her considerable talents to create an actual character with her voice. This is Ms. Bancroft's final film to be released in theaters; remember that she died in 2005, which should give you an idea of how long the newly created Fathom Studios has been working on this thing. Saying "an actress of her talent deserves a better screen farewell" is a cliché, even if it is true. Still, she does more with the material than her younger cast members, and at least she went out playing a much younger character. Sometimes in Hollywood, actors have to take what they can get. Family moviegoers, though, should probably exercise freedom of choice and stay home.

"Delgo" is now in theaters. The trailer, which makes the film look less weird than it is, is below.

Image: Amazon.com

Babble Podcast for December 8, 2008

Babysitter Made Pornographic Film With 2 Year Old

They Say – Most Toys Are Toxic

Mini Baby Sculptures Not Edible, Selling Like Hotcakes

Nine-Year-Old Lothario Gets Movie Deal

Brett Singer — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Alec Greven is either a genius or the luckiest little kid ever. At least if you only consider his success in the entertainment business.

Alec is the author of "How To Talk To Girls", a book about fishing. Psych! It's really about how to talk to girls. (A little nine-year-old humor for you. Thank you. Tip your waitress.) That book has now been optioned for a film.

Yes, a film. How they plan to dramatize a 46-page book that features such gems as "Comb your hair and don't wear sweats," I have no idea. But that didn't stop Fox (which is owned by News Corp., same as the book's publisher Harper Collins) from handing over a decent chunk of cash – "low-to-mid six figures", according to the Hollywood Reporter. That'll buy a lot of candy and comic books.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go speak to my children. I thought I would have to wait until they were older for them to start earning their keep. But screw that. The older one can pen "How To Talk About Pokémon," the younger kid can do "How To Talk Constantly". I see TV series, coffee mugs… the possibilities are endless.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Image: New York Post

World Famous Atheist To Write Children's Book

Dating Advice from a Nine-Year-Old

Christian Words Removed From Oxford Junior Dictionary

Puppies Save Lost Toddler

Explaining Plaxico Burress To A Seven Year Old

Nebraska Butt Bandit Caught

When Board Games Become Major Motion Pictures

Jen Chaney — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:28:00 GMT

Toys have been turned into movies before. It happened with "Transformers." Same deal with "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl."

Still, I find something particularly odd about making a film based on a board game. But that's exactly what Hollywood plans to do with ... wait for it .. Monopoly.

As mentioned recently in the Hollywood Reporter, the production of the Monopoly movie is moving forward and ... wait for it again .. Ridley Scott has officially decided to direct. Yes, THAT Ridley Scott, the same guy behind "Alien," "Blade Runner" and "Gladiator." Honestly, what's next? Martin Scorsese signing on to helm "Hungry, Hungry Hippos"?

Apparently Hasbro, the company behind Monopoly, has other motion picture plans in the works, including film versions of "Ouija Board" and "Battleship." (We can all guess what the climactic line of dialogue will be in that last one, right?)

To be fair, Monopoly doesn't mark the first time a board game has inspired a movie. We all remember the big screen version of "Clue." (OK, some of us do. Vaguely.) Still, somehow this concept feels like a new low for movie ideas. Then again, perhaps I am wrong.

Maybe Americans are simply dying to see another classic "Kid MovesThimble Around Board, Kid Tries to Buy Park Place But Realizes He Has No Money, Kid Gets Bored and Ditches Monopoly to Play Video Games Instead" story. It's so cliche, though. I mean, that's basically the same exact plot as "No Country for Old Men."

You tell me if I'm wrong. Seriously, I know you're capable of doing that based on the stick incident. Does the "Monopoly" movie sound like a great idea? Would you take your kids to see it? And who should play that dude with the monocle?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of November 14th

Whit Honea — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:00:00 GMT

John Travolta Bald With Love

Who Is Barack Obama? 50 Things You Didn't Know

Will.I.Am: It's a New Day (Video)

Watch Out For Your Soul, Britney: Madonna's HUNGRY

Secret Message in Taylor Swift Lyrics: Pregnant or Not, She's Really Pissed

Rihanna Pregnant With Chris Brown's Baby?

Photos: First Daughter Sasha Obama

Caylee Anthony Remains Found?

Remember The Pregnant Man? He's Knocked Up Again!

Will Smith, Oprah and Obama: The Crying Game (Video)

It's Sunday Rose On Oprah

Presidential Perks for Obama Kids

Best of FameCrawler: Week of November 7th

Whit Honea — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Obama Elected 44th President of the United States!

Brooke Burke Says She's Married...More Kids, Please!

Sarah Palin Gets Crank Pranked But Good (Video! And Palin Response! GOD THIS IS FUN!)

Jemaine Clement Has A Son

Rahm Emanuel is Now Part of Barack Obama's Entourage (Photos)

Colbert, Stewart and Obama: The Tears of a Clown(s)

Brad Pitt's Parents Don't Want to See Angelina's Boobs

Is Taylor Swift Pregnant?

Salma Hayek Is A Thief

Did A Celebrity Convince You To Vote?

Michelle Obama is a Work of Art

Baby Brother For Suri Cruise?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 31st

Whit Honea — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Photos: Matilda Rose Ledger Turns 3!

Michael Jackson Is Flat Broke

The Hudson Family Tragedy

Isiah Thomas: My Kid Needs Help, Not Me

Travis Barker's Burn Pics

Jennifer Hudson's Family Confirmed Murdered; Nephew Kidnapped

Matt Damon Takes an Acting Break

I Guess It's Over: Madonna Set to Bury Guy's Memory. Literally.

Barack Obama Variety Show on SNL - Video!

This Just In- Jon Stewart Having Campbell Browns Baby

Suri Cruise Has A Private Gym!

Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 24th

Whit Honea — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Lil' Wayne Welcomes Lil' Baby

Brad's Nearly Nudes Of Angelina

Alec Baldwin Praises Sarah Palin?

Is Someone Trying To Out Will Smith?

Obama Dances On Ellen

Jenny McCarthy: My Son Is Cured of Autism

Guess Who Is Having Twins?

Jennifer Aniston Pregnant with John Mayer's Baby!

Lil Wayne's Baby Mama Revealed & It's NOT Nivea!!!

Mark Wahlberg Threatens Andy Samberg, Also Talks to Animals (Video)

Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 17th

Whit Honea — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

John McCain Does The Monster Mash

More Private Angelina Photos Leaked

Joe the Plumber: The Videos!

Tina Fey "You Ignorant Slut"*

PlumberGate: Joe The Plumber IS Related to Charles Keating, and Also Owes Back Taxes!

Lisa Bonet Confirms She's Pregnant

Russell Crowe Says Sons Are Complete Opposites

Joe the Plumber: Republican Plant and Relative of Charles Keating?

Gwen Stefani Worries About Her Weight

Michael Jackson's Kids Unmasked!

Denis Leary: Autism Means Your Kid Is Stupid and Lazy

Billy-Bob Trumps David Duchovny In The TeaLeonifornication Stakes

Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 10th

Whit Honea — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Totally Biased Political Post Containing Cute Kids and Stuff (Video)

New Video & Photos: Angelina Jolie and Kids

Katie Holmes Tells Tom- I'm Leaving

Congrats, Emma! You Endured Pain In Childbirth! JOIN THE CLUB.

Bigot Bridget Bardot Mouths Off About Sarah Palin

Tina Fey is Sarah Palin on SNL: VP Debate (VIDEO)

Mark Wahlberg Talks to the Animals on SNL (VIDEO)

Ricky Schroder Talks About Son's Accident

Madonna Scares Me

The Truth About Angelina Jolie

JLo: I Had A Nervous Breakdown

John McCain Bingo!

Disney movie to feature black princess

Brett Singer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

This would belong in the "who cares" pile except that this is the first time that Disney has had an African-American princess in one of their films.

The folks at Yahoo! Shine are pleased, but have this to say: "We somehow doubt there was a woman named Tiana living in 1920s New Orleans, where the story is set, but we’ll let that slide as we have a bigger issue with the new trailer: the toothless narrating firefly. Yeah."

"The Princess and the Frog" is due in 2009. Here's the trailer. What do you think?

Source: Yahoo! Shine

Read more:

Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 3rd

Whit Honea — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Matt Bryant Plays, Honors Son (Updated)

Duggars Reveal Sex Of Baby # 18

Bill Maher Calls Sarah Palin "A Bimbo"

Sarah Silverman Is Still Doing That Baby-Making Thing With Jimmy Kimmel.

Angelina's Post Baby Body Revealed- Photos

Travis Henry Arrested

Jim Carrey Says Jenny McCarthy's Son Taught Him a Deeper Love

Jenny McCarthy Hits Back At Amanda Peet On Vaccine Issue

Chris Rock: Sarah Palin's A Hockey-Mom Version Of Kim Kardashian

Justin Timberlake Proposes To Jessica Biel! Is She Pregnant?

Sarah Palin: Miss Alaska Pageant Video

Best of FameCrawler: Week of September 26th

Whit Honea — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Lindsay Lohan Trumps Clay Aiken's 'Oh, Hey, I'm A Gay Dad' Reveal. Sort Of. Maybe.

Criss Angel Car Crash Video

Was Oprah Found Dead?

Travis Barker and DJ AM's Plane Crash Explained?

Suri Cruise is Isolated and Lonely

Travis Barker Plane Crash: Statement Issued

Pamela Anderson's New Playboy Spread (Photos)

Sharon Stone Loses Custody of Child

Britney's Womanizer Leaked

Is Criss Angel Dead?

Sarah Palin Disney Movie: Head of Skate

From The There Is A God Files: Patrick Dempsey Likes A Good Spanking

Best of FameCrawler: 9-19-08

Whit Honea — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Pam Anderson Marries Fat Old Guy (Photos)

CNN Newsmaker Found Dead With Child At Side

Sarah Palin's Daughter Caught Doing Drugs On Tape

Amy Poehler Crying About Everything These Days

Ryan and Redmond O'Neal Arrested for Meth Possession (Photos)

Megan Fox in a Bikini!

Josh Howard Hates America? The National Anthem Video

Sarah Palin's Tanning Bed

Mary Louise Parker Naked on Weeds: Photo!

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden Splitting Up?

All I Want For Christmas Is A Sarah Palin Action Figure

Keira Knightley's Odd Reason For Wanting To Be Pregnant