I took a break this weekend from movies, tv shows, and dvds to instead watch a boatload of college basketball. For those who are unaware, I was a basketball powerhouse in my high school days so I’m always obsessed these last few weeks of March. (Full disclosure: powerhouse is a huge overstatement about my abilities as a basketball player. I was decent at best and always fouled out.)

Anyway, I was particularly excited about Sat and Sun’s games as the Elite Eight matches are always close and exciting. NOT TOTALLY THE CASE THIS YEAR. The first three just weren’t that engaging. (And honestly, the announcers of the UCLA game were so obsessed with Kevin Love that it got kinda annoying to watch.)

But that all said, yesterday’s second game, Davidson vs. Kansas, was SO GOOD. It is why people play and watch basketball. Two solid teams, one a cinderella story, the other a national favorite, played hard and passionately for 40 minutes. The score was close, if not tied, the entire game and the energy level was high. Stephen Curry of Davidson was super fun to watch. While the ending was a little anticlimactic, it was a solid showing all around. Davidson showed they were a force to be reckoned with, even though they ended up losing by two.

I’m looking forward to the games this weekend/next Monday. I’m pulling for UNC (my husband might win $600 in his office pool if they win!)

And now, back to the world of entertainment….

**Photo Credit: College Sports Pro

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Let me start by saying, I realize I’m in the huge minority. That I’m one of very people still actually pulling for Lindsey Lohan to succeed. One of the few that thinks she has some talent.  And now that I’ve acknowledged that, hopefully you’ll cut me some slack.

Lohan started young and got some juicy roles including the lead role in The Parent Trap (the plum role of a lifetime). And she killed it. She was the perfect choice–she played both characters VERY well and won the hearts of all the kids AND parents who watched that film. After capturing the affections of kids everywhere, she also won over teens and tweens with her hits Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Mean Girls.

And then it happened. She discovered alcohol, boys, etc. And she took a quick turn for the worst.

It needs to be pointed out that true talent was/is apparent. She was very good in Bobby. And Georgia Rule, while kinda all over the place as a movie, had a pretty decent showing from Lindsay. There is some true talent in there (unlike her contemporaries Paris, Nicole, etc.).

This weekend, Chaprter 27 opens. It stars Jared Leto and Ms. Lohan. The film has gotten some mixed reviews and isn’t a big studio production, but I think it’s a smart choice for the actress as she tries to crawl out of the mess she’s created and starts to rebuild her credibility. Leto apparently gives quite a performance (after quite a physical transformation–he gained lots of weight for the role)–let’s hope Lohan offers up the same.

**I’ve purposely not mentioned the movie I Know Who Killed Me, the atrocity I was forced to watch about two months ago. I have to think Lohan’s incredibly unfit mother somehow tricked her into doing this role.

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So get this. I am lucky enough to have another huge movie buff sit right by me at my job. Her name is Christina Cece and she’s fabulous, funny, and wicked smart. Somehow or another I’ve talked her into reviewing movies each week on the blog. Her column will be called, Cece on Cimema. (I know, super cute, right?) So without further ado, here is Cece’s inaugural post on No Country for Old Men.

I never thought of myself as a Coen brothers kinda gal. I remember liking Raising Arizona, but Fargo disturbed me (must have seen it at a more tender and idealistic age). This is so “last year’s shoes” after all the awards it won, but the Coens’ most recent film, No Country for Old Men, is incredible. Here’s one of my very favorite quotes:

Wendell: You know, there might not have been no money.
Ed Tom Bell: That’s possible.
Wendell: But you don’t believe it.
Ed Tom Bell: No. Probably I don’t.
Wendell: It’s a mess, ain’t it, sheriff?
Ed Tom Bell: If it ain’t, it’ll do till the mess gets here.

Now, when I was watching this movie, I convinced myself that the dialogue was pure genius, and indeed, the Coens are known for this. However, just reading the lines doesn’t capture the surprise or subtlety of the humor–an effect that somehow makes it even more funny when you’re watching. This realization has forced me to acknowledge that (oh. my. gosh.) making movies is actually an art. Can you believe it? And here I was thinking Hollywood is all about the pretty. In case you’re not yet convinced, here’s another excerpt:

Carla Jean Moss: Where’d you get the pistol?
Llewelyn Moss: At the gettin’ place.
Carla Jean Moss: Did you buy that gun?
Llewelyn Moss: No. I found it.
Carla Jean Moss: Llewelyn!
Llewelyn Moss: What? Quit hollerin’.
Carla Jean Moss: What’d you give for that thing?
Llewelyn Moss: You don’t need to know everything, Carla Jean.
Carla Jean Moss: I need to know that.
Llewelyn Moss: You keep runnin’ that mouth I’m gonna’ take you in the back and screw ya’.
Carla Jean Moss: Big talk.
Llewelyn Moss: Keep it up.
Carla Jean Moss: Fine. I don’t wanna’ know. I don’t even wanna’ know where you been all day.
Llewelyn Moss: That’ll work.

This is a very entertaining movie, with a messed up ending. I was impressed enough to buy a few of the other films by these guys in order to re-watch them. And now I have the perfect answer when my husband asks me where I got the shoes he’s never seen before: From the gettin’ place!

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I’m not really lost, I just had to do that play on words… It’s not even a good play on words, but I still had to do it….

Just so you know, I’m just as obsessed with Lost as I am with How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock.  There is a bit of a love/hate relationship there, but overall, I’m completely hooked. So many characters have me caring so much about their fate: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Juliet, Saied, Hurley, even Ben! Half of me can’t wait for the next episode but the other half can’t wait for the series to wrap up and have all questions answered.

Here are some of my open questions:

- Who the hell is Ben? Who does he work for? And what is his ultimate goal?

- How much of this entire show is going to be explained by Sci-Fi stuff and how much will be realistically explained? I’m hoping it’s more of the latter. I was happy to see that some rich dude faked the plane crash with all the dead bodies instead of all the people on the island already dying once and this being pergatory. (Although I guess that could still be the case…)

- Who does Jack dig? Kate or Juliet?

- Who does Kate dig? Jack or Sawyer? (And am I lame for caring?)

Let me know what you all think!

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Here’s the deal: I think Britney did a pretty good job on How I Met Your Mother last night. She looked good, she seemd uncrazy, and she delivered her lines without stuttering or going cross-eyed. I’ve read elsewhere that this was seen less as a stunt and more of damage control. I think that’s probably true. 

(photo courtesy ETOnline.com)

As I watched last night, I kept looking over at my husband excitedly each time Britney spoke. I was just so happy that she pulled herself together long enough to pull this off. Because deep down, I want her to have a comeback. I am pulling for Britney Spears — and I think this is a solid step.

THAT SAID, I must say, she fell short of an A. I can only give her the B+. Here’s why: I think you get really good insight into someone’s true acting/performing talent by watching them host Saturday Night Live. You can see who is comfortable, who isn’t, who has innate good timing, who can be silly, etc.  And I thought Britney was exellent when she hosted.  And I thought her performance last night, while solid, wasn’t on par to her SNL gig.

Finally, I felt the show was strong overall. With a bunch new people watching, it had an opportunity to grab some news fans. And I’m sure it succeeded.

P.S. HOW FUNNY IS SARAH CHALKE? New girl crush for sure.

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THE TIVO IS READY. Tonight, after much hype, Britney Spears is guest starring on How I Met Your Mother. As all you religious GlamBuzz readers know, I’m obsessed with this show. And while I can’t wait to see Ms. Spears stutter her way through a few lines, part of me is sad that HIMYM had to go this route. I mean, I get it. They will get more viewers tonight than all their other episodes combined–and the idea is to hopefully expose these new viewers to the show. I guess I’m just nervous that what they’ll see isn’t what HIMYM truly is. It’s not a show that needs guest spots to drive plot. (Although maybe it is a show that needs guest stars to drive viewership and hold off cancellation for a wee bit longer.)

What’s my main point here? That my tivo was ready pre-Britney guest spot. And that this show is phenominal. It’s well written and the cast is super funny. So, tune in tonight — for the hype of Britney but also to check out a pretty solid show.

(I should really be getting kickbacks from this show…)

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At 11-years-old, Abigail Breslin is sharp, funny, and cute as a button. The pocket-sized star talked to a group of reporters at the Nim’s Island press junket about working with Jodie Foster, dancing with sea lions, and helping the environment. - Lauren Barth

What was the best part about working on Nim’s Island?
Getting to work with all the animals.

Are you a big animal person? Do you have animals at home?
Yeah, I have two dogs, two cats, and a turtle.

Which animals were the friendliest on set?
Probably the sea lions, just because they come up to you and they give kisses and do all that stuff.

You got to work with some phenomenal actors including Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster. Did Jodie give you any advice about your career?
Well, I mean, not really, but just watching her, you can learn from her because you just believe every character that she is and just watching her as kind of like learning.

Nim faces big challenges to save her island. Is there anything in your life that you would defend? Is there something you would be willing to defend despite really big obstacles in your own life?
My room. No, I’m just kidding. No, my room is a disaster. It’s a complete and total mess all the time. And that’s the way I like it and nobody can tell me to clean it.

You’re a city kid – you grew up in New York. So being out there in nature so much, was that something that you could do if you had to?
I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t think that I really could. I’d be like, so where’s the nearest Starbucks? … No, my mom would ask that. Because my mom’s favorite thing in the world is Starbucks.

What type of things should children do to help the environment?
I guess just doing little things like turning off the lights when you’re gone and turning off the TV and unplugging things.

What movies do you have coming up?
Well I have the Kit Kittredge: An American Girl movie coming out and I’m doing a movie right now with Cameron Diaz, called My Sister’s Keeper.

Do you have any favorite movies that you always watch?
I’m trying to think. Okay. I have one. And this is like one of my favorite movies. The Devil Wears Prada. Love that movie. 

Are you trying to tell us you’re a budding fashionista?
Yes. No, no. But I like shopping a lot.

Have you ever splurged on anything?
I don’t know. But I just got a cat, so that was really cool and his name is Blue Reed and he’s upstairs.

Is there something you’d really like to get to do in a movie?
You know what I’ve always really wanted to do and I’ve never done? And this could be like, in any movie. A food fight. And it seems so much fun. Like, I would just like to throw food and that would be really fun.

You’re home-schooled, right? Do you think you’ll ever want to go to regular school?
Well, probably when I get older, I’ll go to college, which is sort of regular school, but I don’t know. I’m not a big fan of waking up early, so I don’t think so.

Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam.com, GlamBuzz, Celebrities, Celebrity, Nim’s Island, Abigail Bresin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler

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Dancing With the Stars kicks off it’s new season tonight and I’ll definitely watch. Mostly because some of the celebrities doing it are pretty interesting (they had me at Priscilla Presley and Shannon Elizabeth.) But after thinking for a little, there are several celebrities that I would absolutely LOVE to see compete on this show. Check out my list and see if you agree:

Wilmer Valderrama:  Am I right or am I right or am i right? I’m dying to see this That 70’s Show alumni sashay across the dance floor. We already know he’s got the rhythm but can he transform his ’70s moves into Dancing With the Stars success? I think so. 

Paul Reubens: While half of me thinks it’d be really funny to watch him compete as Pee Wee Herman,  the other half knows he’d be less likely to do the show as his alter ego. Either way, I think adding a touch of infamy to the cast never hurts. And for those that have seen Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure, we know the boy can dance.

Elizabeth Berkley: This show is BEGGING for a Saved by the Bell alumni. Zack or Kelly would be too obvious, Screech would be too pathetic, Slater is already hosting about 21 other shows on cable, and Lisa Turtle is too busy shopping on Melrose to make it to rehearsals. So all that leaves is our girl Jesse Spano. (Elizabeth also got to practice her moves when she filmed Showgirls. Bonus!)

Monica Lewinsky: Because who doesn’t want to see this?

Josh Charles: Mr. Charles starred on the short-lived-but-absolutely-fabulous-show Sports Night. He’s gone on to do very little else except hang around the pool at the Hotel Roosevelt on Thursday nights. That said, I loved him on Sports Night and think if he waltzed his way back into primetime, he might actually get to stay awhile.

Jamie Lynn Spears: Too soon?

Emilio Estevez:  We need a nostalgic ’80s star. Plus, I think it would be fun to watch a brother vs. brother showdown on Monday nights. His big bro Charlie Sheen stars on Two Men and a Baby over on CBS. (Correction: I’ve just been told that show is called Two and a Half Men. My bad.)

What do you think? Did I miss anyone?

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She’s blond. She’s beautiful. And she’s a rising star. Sara Paxton is only 19, but she’s been building her resumé for 14 years appearing in movies, television shows, and commercials. With a fun new parody flick about to hit theaters, Glam chatted with the sweet starlet about fashion, puppies, superpowers, and, ummm …  fart machines. – Lauren Barth

Tell me about Superhero Movie?
Superhero is basically by the same people that did Airplane and Naked Gun and Scary Movie but this time it goofs on a lot of superheroes like Spiderman and Batman and X-Men. And I guess I play like the Mary-Jane character from Spiderman – the Kirsten Dunst character.

With a really fun cast that includes Tracy Morgan and Leslie Nielsen, what was it like on-set?
It was great! Leslie was really funny. He liked to walk around in his tighty-whities sometimes so it was very interesting. We did this one scene where he’s in a hospital bed and he was like “All I have to do is sleep for this scene? Great cool. I’m gonna really sleep.” So he goes to sleep, they do the little scene, and they’re like “Leslie, you’re wrapped.” And he’s like “I’m wrapped? Great!” And he flings off the covers and walks off set and he’s wearing nothing but the tighty-whities and I was like “Oh my God!” He’s really funny.

So it sounds like he was the practical joker of the group?
Yes, the infamous fart machine was always on set.

As you mentioned you play the Mary-Jane-like character, so you don’t have any superpowers. But if you had them in real life, what would you want your superpower to be?
I would probably want to fly because I could always avoid traffic and that would be really nice. If I stuck on the 101 I could just fly over it. That would be nice.

And you have a project you’re about to start working on, right?
It’s called last House on the Left, and I’m going to be leaving a week from today to go to South Africa to begin filming it … But I had to get a bunch of shots to go there so I’m getting about five shots on Monday as well.

You’re career started to take off in the last two years. How has your life changed?
I mean, luckily it hasn’t really changed very much –except that now and then if I happen to run into a group of  tween girls they kind of recognize me and they’re like “Oh my gosh – Aquamarine!” But besides that life hasn’t really changed that much.

You started appearing in commercials at the age of five. Did you know from the get-go that you wanted to act for a living? And if you weren’t and actress, what would you be doing?
I mean, I definitely liked it. When I was little it was kind of just for fun. It was like my after-school activity. Like some kids do dance or baseball, but for me it was acting. When I was around 16 or 17, I realized I wanted to do it forever professionally … When I was little I always thought I’d be a veterinarian. So I’d probably say that. I’ve always loved animals. And I was working on a show where I had to work with all these animals and I was like “I want to be a veterinarian. I’m going to quit acting one day and become a veterinarian.” But then I realized you have to do 8 years of school and I was like “No.” Acting is my true calling.

Tell me about what you do for fun? What are you favorite hobbies?
I like to shop. And I like to play with my dog and take my dog to the park and stuff and go to the beach. She’s a little Chihuahua. She’s so cute! Her name is Bella. She has the littlest angel face and then she has the coloring of a beagle and she has these big floppy ears. But she’s tiny. 

What are your favorite movies?
I have a couple favorite movies. But, definitely, Some Like It Hot, Overboard, Gone With the Wind, Billy Madison. You cannot go wrong with Adam Sandler. You know, Zoolander. I love Little Miss Sunshine.

What’s your favorite book?
Hmm. Well I am pretty much obsessed with anything Harry Potter. I have been since they first came out and I was like 11. My best friend and I are both obsessed with Harry Potter. We used to be the losers who would dress up and wait in line for the book. 
 
You mentioned that shopping is a hobby. What’s your favorite store?
There’s this store called American Rags on La Brea that I really love because I don’t like wearing the same things as other people. I hate when people are like “You have that? Oh, I have that too! Yay!” And, so, they have a lot of different things so I like going in there and picking up individual pieces that are unique. And there’s this vintage sunglasses store on Beverly that I’m obsessed with. I’m obsessed with vintage sunglasses because then nobody else can have them. Everyone’s like “Ooo where’s you get your sunglasses?” And I’m like “Oh they’re vintage.” And I feel cool when I say that.

Is there anything you’ve really splurged on?
Probably either my car or I just bought a condo actually so I guess that! But that’s kind of like an investment splurge. It’s not like “Oh I spent 50 grand on a bracelet,” or something like that.

Do you have any guilty pleasure TV shows you’re embarrassed to admit you watch?
Yes! I am pretty much obsessed with I Love New York and Rock of Love and all that stuff. I watch all those and I even Tivo if I’m going to miss it. I love Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, I Love New York, Celebrity Rehab – all those shows I Tivo.

Any actors you’d love to work with?
Well, not only is Jake Gyllenhaal nice to look at, I think he’s a good actor and I would love to work with him. And I would love to work with Orlando Bloom because he’s beautiful. I hope we’d get to have a kissing scene. I would love to work with Goldie Hawn basically and I would love to work with Reese Witherspoon – I think she’s so amazing. And I would definitely be so honored and blown away if I was able to do anything with them.

Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam.com, GlamBuzz, Celebrities, Celebrity, Superhero Movie, Sara Paxton

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Jodie Foster is without a doubt one of the most talented, intelligent, and respected women in Hollywood. Her sincerity and integrity are apparent in all her endeavors, from acting to directing to producing to parenting. And while Foster shies away from the spotlight and takes long breaks between projects, she continues to remain at the top of her game. (Two Oscar wins never hurt anyone.)

And now Foster, 45, is taking on a new challenge. In her latest film, Nim’s Island, she strays from her comfort zone and explores her comedic side. Foster plays Alexandra Rover, a reclusive, agoraphobic novelist who conquers her fears and faces the outside world to help save a young girl on a faraway deserted island. With the film’s moments of slapstick physical humor and Foster’s kissing scene with a sea lion, we imagine that playing Alexandra Rover was as much fun as watching her in action. – Lauren Barth

You’ve built your career playing serious, dramatic roles. Nim’s Island is definitely a departure from that. There are even moments of physical comedy in this film. Did you have any hesitations about playing a lighter, comedic role or was it a welcomed change?
Oh no. I was really looking forward to that. That was the challenge. I’ve been trying to find the opportunity to explore a lighter side of myself. And being able to bring my kids to see the movie, and bring them on set, and read the book [with them]. And [it was nice] for them to really understand what I do, and for me to make a movie that was for them – that was great.

Nim’s Island was filmed on a very tropical beach, with lots of live animals. Plus you have Abigail Breslin, who’s 11, and Gerard Butler, who I’ve heard is quite the on-set class clown, it had to make for some funny moments. Are there any stand-out stories from filming?
Well you know, the animals – a lot of the world revolved around them. Whether the sea lions felt like giving me a kiss or how the pelican was working that day. A lot of the lizards had to be animatronics because, well, lizards don’t listen so well. And at one point we were all on the beach having one of those tropical days where you lie around making sand castles. And the set guys were trying out the lizard sling-shot [we use in the movie]. And they had all these little fake rubbery animals that were flying through the air at us, and we kind of didn’t know what was happening. Suddenly all of these fake little animals would land in our path and it kind of jarred the [peaceful] moment.

The message of Nim’s Island for children (of all ages) is “be the hero of your own story.” Is this a message you try to instill in your own children? How?
I think so. And I think also in the context of the natural world – to be a hero, to be an adventurer! It takes hard work and discovering sides of yourself and getting dirty and getting your hands dirty, and being able to face challenges. It’s not about computer-generated virtual worlds where there are laser teams and you hit a target. I think entertainment for kids is really lacking in the sense of the power and the beauty of being part of the natural world and planet.

You play adventure novelist Alexandra Rover. And all of her readers and fans expect “Alex Rover” to be this rugged man and not an agoraphobic, Purell-obsessed woman. Do you ever have experiences with fans where they expect you to be completely different than you actually are in real life?

They almost always expect me to be taller. That’s one expectation that I fail at traumatically every time. They’re like “wow you’re really short.” And I’m like “yep.” Yeah, everyone expects me to be taller.

Tell me a bit about your philanthropic activities. And how do you decide what organizations and philanthropies to align yourself with? Glam is the #1 women’s property on the web – so we reach a very large demographic of women and we want to empower and help women around the globe. With so many great causes out there, how do you find the one that will really make a difference?
Well, I keep all that to myself. I really do. I’m not good at being a sort of publicity spokesperson. So, what work I do, I kind of just do with my hands and my feet and my money. And I’m not out there with it.

Having started your career in entertainment at such a young age, how does that affect your opinion about all the young actors and actresses who are getting into trouble these days? Why do you think it’s so common for them fall into these traps, and what’s your advice for young actors about avoiding that pattern?
Oh, I really have no idea. It was a different time when I was growing up. Who knows whether I would have survived it now? Long [paparazzi] lenses, skyrocketing salaries, and all of that stuff. It was just a different time. Yeah, I don’t really have any advice for anyone. It’s hard enough to be an adolescent no matter where you are –whether you’re living in Kansas or any place. It’s just difficult to navigate that [stage of your life] and keep all your faculties in tack – it’s a pretty difficult thing.

*Photos Courtesy of Fox Walden

Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam.com, GlamBuzz, Celebrities, Celebrity, Movies, Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler, Nim’s Island

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