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Stories 101 - 120 | << Prev   Next >>

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Spinal Tap Admits Where They've Been

(Newser) - Having announced their reunion tour, Spinal Tap sits down with Vanity Fair to explain where they've been for the past 25 years. "Breeding miniature horses," says Nigel, who struggled "to find jockeys that are basically 26, 28 inches tall." David, inspired by female tribute bands like... More »

It's a Bomb, Cato!

Inspector Clouseau can't win over critics

(Newser) - There is slapstick aplenty in Steve Martin’s second Pink Panther movie, but “none of it is particularly funny,” complains Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Critics are almost unanimous in panning Pink Panther 2. It’s “willfully stupid,” says Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic,... More »

Arrested Development Film Is a Go

Rising star Cera is on board for adaptation

(Newser) - After years of rumors and crossed fingers, the Arrested Development movie is finally on, the New York Daily News reports. "The movie is going to happen this year, and Michael Cera is on board. Trust me," said Jeffrey Tambor, patriarch of the dysfunctional TV family. Cera, whose career... More »

Blago's a Clown, and That's Not Funny

Blagojevich is not some kind of clown here to amuse you

(Newser) - These days, everyone seems to find Rod Blagojevich hilarious. Everyone, that is, except the state of Illinois, writes David Broder of the Washington Post. When Blagojevich went on TV instead of testifying at his impeachment hearing, there wasn’t a hint of outrage. The media “treated Blagojevich as if... More »

Sleepwalker Stirs Yuks Off-Broadway

Sleepwalking With Me wins praise from neurologists

(Newser) - Fighting off an imaginary Brad Pitt and leaping from a second-story window confirmed it: Mike Birbiglia was ready to turn his sleepwalking stories into a one-man show, Newsweek reports. Launched off-Broadway in November, the comedic Sleepwalk With Me is drawing raves from reviewers and sleep researchers alike. "Mike... More »

Blago, Burris Kick Off SNL's '09

Comedian Jason Sudeikis is the Illinois gov's hair apparent

(Newser) - Saturday Night Live doesn’t have Sarah Palin to ape anymore, so the cast started 2009 with new impressions of Rod Blagojevich, Roland Burris, and Rachel Maddow, the Huffington Post reports. Last night’s show began with Maddow (Amy Elliott) grilling wannabe-senator Burris (Keenan Thompson) and embattled Illinois governor Blagojevich... More »

Fey Is AP's Entertainer of the Year

30 Rock star and Palin impersonator beats out Downey, Ledger

(AP) - Tina Fey is the entertainer of the year? You betcha. Fey was voted the AP's Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country. Fey was selected by AP members as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment... More »

Yes Man? No, Thanks

Familiar Carrey antics seem tired in positivity flick

(Newser) - Yes Man, a Jim Carrey comedy about a guy who can’t say no, is “too sluggish and slapdash a vehicle for its star’s prodigious wackiness,” writes AO Scott in the New York Times. “Carrey looks too grown up, too tired to plunge into the reckless... More »

A Christmas Story at 25: Stealth Classic

Industry born on collectors items, museum, and conference

(Newser) - After 25 years, devotees of A Christmas Story and its wacky realism still tune in to regular holiday showings, including an annual 24-hour marathon on Christmas Day. Just as Star Trek has Trekkies, A Christmas Story has Ralphies, named after Ralphie Parker, a 9-year-old desperate for a BB gun. CNN ... More »

Paul Rudd Rules

Meet the underappreciated king of comedy

(Newser) - Paul Rudd, “the MVP of comedy films,” doesn’t get nearly enough props, Paige Newman writes for MSNBC. Seeing Rudd’s latest film, Role Models—“one of the most surprisingly funny movies I’ve seen in a while”—reminded Newman of the actor’s versatility and... More »

How Nerds Can Save Network TV

Big Bang Theory succeeds where less brainy sitcoms fail

(Newser) - Why is a physics-quoting comedy one of network TV's only successful sitcoms? And with so many Americans turning to cable, the Internet, and reality programming, what does that mean for the future of prime time? The Wall Street Journal looks at The Big Bang Theory, an unlikely hit that actually... More »

Down-to-Earth Fey on Top of the World

Maureen Dowd chronicles the comedian's rise to fame

(Newser) - How did frumpy writer Tina Fey evolve into a glamorous TV star? Hard work and lots of rules, Maureen Dowd writes in Vanity Fair. “She is the Obedient Daughter, the German taskmistress, the kind but firm maker and keeper of rules," writes Dowd, who also solves the mystery... More »

How Comedy Turned Serious

A funny thing happened on the way to the election—politics and comedy swapped roles

(Newser) - Politics and comedy are trading places, Lee Siegel writes in the Wall Street Journal, as the antics of politicians get more outlandish and comics are increasingly the people speaking truth to power. Fake newsmen like Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, with their stern commentary, lean more towards the "dark,... More »

Four Christmases a Big Turkey

Holiday comedy saps critics of their Christmas cheer

(Newser) - Holiday comedy Four Christmases had some critics chuckling but left most moaning ho-ho-no. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star as a couple forced by circumstance to visit the dysfunctional families of their divorced parents, but the "predictable and dyspeptic story" lacks the bite of misanthropic holiday classics like Bad ... More »

Irony Is Dead Again? Gee Thanks, Obama

Joan Didion disses hopeful trend, but ironists keep the flame

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s America is an “irony-free zone” where “naïveté translated into ‘hope,’” writer Joan Didion groused after the election. But not all ironists agree: P.J. O’Rourke, for one, wrote that he hopes it's not too early to talk about Obama's "... More »

With Election Gone, SNL Enters 'Rebuilding' Phase

Three new members join comedy show's cast

(Newser) - The election may be over, but SNL still has 14 episodes to fill. Lorne Michaels says the show will be in one of its periodic "rebuilding" periods, but he has much praise for three new faces. Here's the lowdown, from USA Today:
  • Abby Elliott: The daughter of former cast
... More »

South Park Duo to Skewer Mormons—on Broadway

Trey Parker and Matt Stone set their comedic sights on Utah religion

(Newser) - Canadians can rest easy. The creators of South Park are ready to offend an entirely new population—Mormons, reports the New York Post. This time, though, they will do so not on the big screen or the small screen but on Broadway. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are bringing the... More »

Monk Will Go Out on Top

USA says quirky detective show will end after upcoming season

(Newser) - The news that the upcoming eighth season of Monk will be its last has fans in mourning, but the USA Network staple leaves a rich legacy, Media Life reports. Monk ushered in the era of original cable programming and has consistently scored top ratings in key demographics. Tony Shalhoub is... More »

Satirical Paper Thrives in Tough US Market

The Onion feeds the public's need for satiric news coverage

(Newser) - As newspapers lay off workers and struggle to survive, the Onion is adding staff and circulating in new markets, the Washington Post reports. Riding the crest of America's love for Jon Stewart-style satirical news, the 20-year-old paper pays writers well and holds down a New York City office. "It's... More »

Fox Cancels Mad TV

Fox cancels comedy show after 14 years

(Newser) - Mad TV will bid adieu after 14 seasons of Saturday night sketches, the final nail in its coffin coming from a failure to boost ratings during the presidential campaign, reports Defamer. Fox's Saturday Night Live competitor, which has been on the chopping block for years, will finish up the season... More »

Stories 101 - 120 | << Prev   Next >>
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