TOP 100 ACTOR SITES
| |||
|
| |||
| |||
|
| |||
| Brand and Perry to marry 'within months' Russell Brand and Katy Perry are set to marry within months. breakingnews.ie |
The A-Team trailer: it's bigger and buffer, but will it be better? Fans of a certain age will celebrate the transfer of this 80s TV favourite to the multiplex, but Anna Pickard can't help but suspect it's all just an excuse to trot out that well-loved theme tuneLadies and gentlemen, film fans everywhere, brush the snow of the pre-Oscars drama season off your shoes. Summer is here!Or, if not strictly "here", then at least fast approaching. And we know that because long before the buds of spring leaves appear on the trees, the buds of summer blockbusters are appearing in cinemas.And before we get to anything else, the fact of the matter is: this looks like a perfectly serviceable action movie. Bang bang bang – shirts off, shades on, running from explosions, leaping into voids. Untold numbers of guns and so much testosterone that mixed audiences at their test screenings have reportedly been emerging with beards and an unexpected inability to multitask. Oh, and a sudden, pressing desire to go road-surfing on the back of a metal door. Because it looks cool.But then, that could be the description of almost any action-tastic summer blockbuster. In order to stand out from the crowd, you have to be able to offer something new, or different, or unique.Or, in the case of this one, you have to offer things familiar, iconic in the pop-culture hall of fame and designed to inspire the ticket-shifting affections of every cinemagoer between 30 and 50.Hence, the four main characters are dressed up to look as much like the original actors as possible – it's like instead of casting the normal way, they just threw an A-Team theme party and gave the roles to the best costumes. And they've assembled an uncanny bunch of actors, from the sleek, suddenly silver-haired fox that is Liam Neeson as Hannibal Smith, to the awkward tickiness of District 9's Sharlto Copley as "Howling Mad" Murdoch, the rippling frontage of Bradley Cooper as Templeton "Faceman" Peck, and Ultimate Fighting champion Quinton Jackson as BA Baracus. And then there is the sight of that old familiar van, black with a red stripe, flying through the air.Beyond that, can fans of the original A-Team hope for the same kind of enjoyment as from their beloved TV series? Former soldiers, wrongly accused and now hunted by the military, who help out normal people and damsels in distress; building weaponry, armour and transportation out of household items.And, most importantly, a team of trained killers who manage to have firefights, shootouts, explosion fests and car crashes ... and all without killing, maiming or in many cases bruising anyone at all – ever – which was one of the notable things about the original series. Will they be sticking to all of those elements that went into making The A-Team what it was? Let's just ponder on that while looking at Bradley Cooper with his shirt off.There will, it would appear, be a number of concessions to the fact that this is having to be updated. The army bases at the beginning of the trailer look desert-like and Middle Eastern; the relative age and fitness levels of the team-members seem different, too.There's another difference. In the closing seconds, there are planes – a wing catches on fire, at least one plane explodes, another breaks into parts. And, out of it, a tank falls containing the four main characters. The tank is then revealed to have a set of parachutes. And while they gently suspend the tank in the air, Bradley Cooper climbs out and starts shooting at other planes with a machine gun.It is safe to say that the scale is bigger. And thus, like it or not, it might not be ordinary people with ordinary problems that the Team are helping out. And they, I'm just guessing here, might not be fashioning battle weapons out of household goods anymore – unless those parachutes are made from the silken bedsheets of very large, very round beds.Audiences expect bigger explosions, higher body counts and more bombastic stunts than they did in mid-80s television. So why didn't they just make something that fits that brief? Why didn't they make something with a lot of the same kinds of themes, but without the fancy dress and the unlikely van? Why do they have to make it The A-Team? Why can't it just be "an A-Team", or just "a team"? Why can't the 30- to 50-year-olds of Hollywood just concentrate more on making good new action movies and stop trying to recapture their bloody childhoods?And then, that title appears and the theme tune kicks in, and it becomes clear why – because with any other, more original concept, they wouldn't have been able to use this theme tune. And it's a really good theme tune. And at the end of the trailer, that's all you sense that they're promising their audience: a $100m excuse to use a really good theme tune.Action and adventureAnna Pickardguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
The Measure: Madonna for D&G, Dancing On Ice, A Prophet, Prada Thumbs up to Madge in the new D&G ads, and the so-bad-it's-good Dancing On Ice lineup; thumbs down to messy ponytails, collagen cheesecake and snoodsGoing upDancing On Ice GMTV's Dr ÂHilary Jones, Heather Mills, Danniella ÂWestbrook – a lineup so bad, it's Âobviously goodSpaghetti Madge scoffs some in the new D&G ads. She also washes up. At last the queen of pop spends January like the rest of usOdd colour-combining Plaster pink with sludgy yellow at Marni continues the Measure's off colour-Âcombining obsession started by Dries last seasonA Prophet Tough French Oscar hopeful. Get us to a cinema next week to see the prison gangster thriller that wowed CannesJoseph Loving their take on spring. Highlights Âinclude peep-toe suede biker boots, a glossy nude satin shirt and an on-trend parkaGoing downMessy ponytails Sorry, the Âdishevelled hair look of spring 10 is scruffy bunches à la PradaSnoods People – it's no longer 2009Roller blinds Slender grey velvet curtains are the window treatment du jour. They should not drag on the carpet or have fancy-pants tiebacksSaying 2010 We thought it was Âfuturistic, in a Blade Runner kinda way, but drop the 20 and it's modernCollagen cheesecake Latest craze in Japan for defying age. InsaneFashionCelebrityMadonnaDancing on IceHeather Millsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Awards season: what to wear How the stars can rock the red carpet at the Brits, the Baftas and the OscarsIn pictures: The fashion hits and misses at the Golden GlobesThe BritsWhen and where: Earls Court, London, 16 FebruaryThe dress code: Big black knickers, possibly adorned with Swarovski crystals or ostrich feathers. With Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Pixie Lott each nominated for three awards, the chances of at least one turning in the currently modish no-skirt look are high. Hair should look glamorous but dishevelled, like you had it done on a Vogue shoot yesterday, then went out on the razz and haven't been home since. Visible bra straps are de rigueur. Legs should be on display (wearing long to the Brits is not classy, it's Myleene Klass-y.)What's at stake: Your Brits look is not about how pretty you are, it's about whether you rock. No one cares whether your dress is sample-size and no one gives a toss if your earrings are from Harry Winston or Claire's Accessories. The statement accessory that matters is a NBF, with whom you hold hands/link arms on the red carpet.What to avoid: Borrowing haute Âcouture from Chanel and spilling sambuca down it; holding hands with Fearne Cotton.Pre-match gossip: With Gaga, Florence, Pixie and Lily top of the nominations list, the fashion angle looks a lot of fun this year. The style desk does not mourn the demise of the mumbly boys in cardigans who dominated this event for most of last decade.The icon: Amy Winehouse in a yellow Preen dress with black bra (2007).The reigning queen: Alexa Chung, who looked gorgeous last year in short sparkly navy and who totally has that Brits hairdo down. However, we suspect Chung's low-key cool is likely to be overshadowed by the girls in pants and crazy false eyelashes this year.This year's hot tip: Got to be Gaga.The BaftasWhen and where: Royal Opera House, London, 21 FebruaryThe dress code: Oscar dress-rehearsal, so slightly more relaxed than the real thing. Marion Cotillard wore a black, knee-length cocktail dress last year (although it was Dior, not a last-minute Karen Millen purchase).What's at stake: A chance to build your brand pre-Oscars. So last year, Kate Winslet wore bodycon black Zac Posen just in case anyone in Hollywood hadn't got her "I do Pilates now and I have a proper stylist so give me some trophies, dammit" memo. Angelina ÂJolie's black dress with lightning flashes of hornet-Âyellow played up beautifully to the whole queen of the dark side Âimage she's got going on.What to avoid: Anything too pompous; too many vulgar Âdiamonds. This isn't LA, Âdarling, it's not about money, it's about the work.Pre-match gossip: Last year's star turn by ÂBrangelina lent the Baftas serious glamour. Who will do the honours this time?The icon: Marion Cotillard collecting her Best ÂActress award in 2008.The reigning queen: ÂPenelope Cruz, who won Best Supporting Actress last year. Hot dress plus hot continental Âaccent is a formula for Bafta gold.This year's hot tip: Audrey Tautou for Coco Avant Chanel would seem a contender. But Carey Mulligan (An ÂEducation), Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones) are all on the long list.The OscarsWhen and where: Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles, 7 MarchThe dress code: High school prom for grownups. Stars have become so terrified of making a fashion mistake that they go for dresses that have fashion prestige yet can be guaranteed not to offend anybody's grandma in Ohio. The result is a bland, bloodless diet of long, demure frocks in black (classic), pink (feminine) or gold (look like an Oscar, win an Oscar, they say).What's at stake: A triumph on the ÂOscar red carpet is the kind of glittering publicity that money cannot buy.What to avoid: The loo-roll-dolly look, as modelled by Sarah Jessica Parker last year. The look she was Âgoing for was, I suspect, Audrey ÂHepburn at the Baftas in 1955.Pre-match gossip: Some of the big players may not have qualifying films, so we could see some new blood. First, this could be a Brangelina-free Oscars, leaving the carpet clear for a new homecoming king and queen. Can we start a campaign to replace Brangelina with the gorgeous Emily Blunt (a possible nomination for Young Victoria, the Oscars love a role with a crown) and John Krasinski? Secondly, neither Nicole Kidman nor Anne Hathaway look all that likely to be in the running (although come to think of it, that never stops Kidman hogging the red-carpet limelight). This is good news, because one thing Oscars 2010 does not need is more long, bony ladies in pale shroudy dresses. Forget the waif look, this is the wraith look, and we are o-ver it. No offence or anything; it just puts us off our popcorn.The icon: Cate Blanchett in pale yellow Valentino with a burgundy sash pulled off Oscar chic better than anyone in modern times.The reigning queen: Last year's style crush was Freida Pinto, with a side Âorder of Tilda Swinton.This year's hot tip: It feels like it's Âgoing to be Meryl's year, doesn't it? This is not great news from a style point of view, since we didn't love the Golden Globes frock, or at least certainly not the belt. But we've got an idea: remember the fabulous dress Christian Lacroix made for Helen ÂMirren when she won for The Queen in 2007? Lacroix, not to put too fine a point on it, is bankrupt, so may have a little time on his hands. If Meryl gets the nod, perhaps she could get her Âpeople to call his people.DressesBrit awardsBaftasOscarsPop and rockLily AllenFashionGolden GlobesJess Cartner-Morleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Video: a sneak preview of Halo Legends Halo Legends – a collection of animated shorts based on the popular series of Xbox games – is to be released on Blu-ray and DVD in February. Here's a sneak peek at one of the episodes … guardian.co.uk |