This just across the transom: A record 111 million people watched Super Bowl XLV on Sunday night, meaning the Packers victory over the Steelers was the most-watched television event in the medium's history, surpassing Super Bowl XLIV by nearly 5 million viewers. Great news for everyone involved! Except maybe Christina Aguilera.
So you might have heard writer-director Paul Haggis caused a bit of a stir when he left the Church of Scientology in 2009. His defection, he said at the time, was attributable to the church's reluctance to declare its tolerance toward gays and lesbians -- an institutional blind spot exacerbated by its refusal in 2008 to condemn California's Prop 8. But as a much-anticipated new profile in The New Yorker proves, there is a little more to the story. Like 24,000 words more.
· From the brilliant mind of Tom Scharpling comes the best music video you'll probably see this week. (Sorry, Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire.) It's for the New Pornographers song "Moves," and features everyone from Paul Rudd and Bill Hader to Julie Klausner and Donald Glover. And some other surprises. If you don't like laughing, "Moves" is a pretty great song, too. Click ahead to watch, then stick around for the Super Bowl ratings edition of Buzz Break!
Now hear this: Movieline loves a good pointless list. Problem is, we like when pointless lists actually have a point -- and people are ranked and weird subject matters are brought to the fore. In the case of LA Times Magazine's newest list, the 50 Most Beautiful Women in Film, the selections aren't even ranked. They're just listed in alphabetical order, as if we don't know who Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor are, and need to look them up in the Yellow Pages. The amount of notable omissions is also worthy of a fight. Let's give them one.
Whether you watched it for the $3 million ads, the halftime show, or the men in tight spandex pants shoving each other up and down a grassy field, Super Bowl XLV was rich with memorable moments. Some got your geek pulse racing (ZOMG guys, it's Red Skull!). Others were expensive lapses in judgment (tsk tsk, Groupon) or unfortunate brain farts (Xtina, we're looking at you.) Relive the glory and the wonder as Movieline counts down the best and worst moments of Super Bowl 2011.
Also in this Monday edition of The Broadsheet: Police come to stop Shia LeBouef's bar fight... Scientology is creepier than you thought... Disney now marketing to newborn babies... and more ahead...
I know. As you dragged yourself out of bed this morning and went for the Asprin, one burning question clawed it's way through the post-superbowl haze: "Did I drink way too many beers or was that Transformers 3 spot actually kind of awesome?" It's actually a fair question! Now, since all fifteen movie advertisements that aired last night are online, let's take a sober look at each one and see how they fair on the Movieline Super Bowl Ad Report Card.
As most of America gets ready to watch Green Bay pummel the Steelers, Leighton Meester made the weekend hers as The Roommate hit the top spot. Sanctum lost itself at a distant second place and America's Horny Sweetheart, Natalie Portman, settled for the third spot. Your weekend receipts are here.
The filmmaking process and a particular studio head's cojones were among the topics of discussion Friday night when director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) held a Q&A with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) to celebrate the 10th anniversary Blu-ray release of Nolan's breakout film, the neo-noir psychological mystery Memento. But while the sold-out crowd at L.A.'s Egyptian Theatre got to witness the playful Del Toro warming up straight-laced Nolan like a looser, geekier James Lipton, a few topics were strictly off-limits.
Leighton Meester muscled out a James Cameron production and horny Natalie Portman for a surprise number one as The Roommate ruled the Friday box office. Sanctum settled for second place and last week's champ, The Rite, was exorcised back into fifth place. Your Friday box office is here.
Someone take Chris Rosen off suicide watch. His immortal beloved Cobie Smulders is reportedly the front-runner to join the dude-studded cast of The Avengers. And now we have word from sister side Deadline as to exactly which Marvel lady she's be playing: SHIELD agent Maria Hill.
Well, this is a horse of a different color. After Robert Downey, Jr. had to drop out playing the huckster Wizard of Oz for Sam Raimi's new adult re-imagining, the studio had their heart set on the other resident weirdo of Hollywood, Johnny Depp, to take on the role. But Depp passed and now there's a new oddball contender: professional multi-hyphenate James Franco.
Wonder no more, my little chickadees, about what that strange short list of women who weren't going to play Lois Lane in the new Superman reboot meant. Word on the street is, they're all in the running to play Ursa, the Kryptonian villainess from Superman II.
· Who needs a real Arrested Development follow-up when you can film your own sequel using these paper dolls of George Michael Bluth Sr., Lindsay Bluth Fünke and Tobias Fünke? Ok, we still might but this should tide us over in the meantime. [Paste]
Look at Paul Giamatti's face and just try to pretend you're not totally pumped for the weekend. As the curtain draws closed on the first week of February, it's time for another edition of Movieline's patented Week in Review. Check back here Saturday and Sunday to experience the delights of weekend editor Dixon Gaines, and don't forget: Bring something to the Super Bowl party you're attending. It is so not cool to show up empty handed.
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