If you're anything like the gang at Movieline HQ, the only holiday ritual superior to 90-proof egg nog involves foraging for fun, innovative and practical gifts for friends and loved ones. (Honestly, "practical" isn't even always a consideration; sometimes you've just got to have a few sets of Growing Pains trading cards... but we'll get to those.) And now, in celebrated institutional tradition, we bring our recommendations to you in the second annual Movieline Gift Guide!
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Also in this Tuesday edition of The Broadsheet: Scientists come closer to making Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a reality... One Gossip Girl star won't be on the show much next year... The F.C.C. Wants U 2 txt 911... and more ahead.
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After responding to a fire at the George Washington Hotel in Pittsburgh, firefighters stumbled upon a blood-splattered hotel room littered with liquor bottles and even a piece of a scalp. Police Chief J.R. Blyth, who was brought in to investigate, called the discovery "the most grisly murder scene in his 35 years in law enforcement." Only, the blood wasn't real. It was actually the leftover set of a horror movie that was filmed two years ago with Corey Haim.
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If you thought Toy Story 3 seemed like a touching, pitch-perfect conclusion to the adventures of Woody, Buzz and the gang - Too bad! The characters will be coming back to theaters for more action, only this time in a series of shorts. The first one will play in front of this summer's feature-length toy advertisement Cars 2.
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This new music video for Black Swan makes you suspect that Fox Searchlight is still nervous about the "ballet-is-for-old-rich-people" stigma. It seemed like the positive buzz, the great first trailer and news of a lesbian kiss would be enough, but they really pulled out the stops here. For horror and suspense junkies, the abrupt, strobe-edited interludes feature violence, psychosis and the some of the creepiest imagery in an American trailer. Ah, and then for cosmopolitan 18-24 demographic, the other half of the video takes place in a hip dance club with plenty of sensual embraces. Plus, for the old rich people, there's ballet. Black Swan: Finally a movie for everyone.
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· The Simpsons is often as trenchant as The Daily Show when it comes to mass media mockery. Check out this "network conclave" where Jeff Zucker and NBC are told they're there to "listen and not speak." Fox News gets some flak too. [THR]
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You read the review for Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, and then shortly after, you read Movieline's comprehensive timeline of everyone who fainted during the gruesome amputation scene starring James Franco and a dull pocket knife. Before you decide to not see the film because of a few personalized accounts of cold sweats, nausea, fainting and panic attacks, check out what 127 Hours co-star Amber Tamblyn told Movieline about the infamous scene.
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· Everything about Green Lantern might seem totally terrible, but at least Peter Sarsgaard's embodiment of Hector Hammond is as grotesque as ever. Look at those veins! Make sure you haven't eaten for 30 minutes and click ahead to see the latest disgusting picture of Sarsgaard-as-Hammond, then stick around for more Buzz Break.
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Stars, they're just like us: They even survive near miss aviation disasters. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was a passenger on the Delta flight bound for Moscow that was forced to make an emergency landing last night at JFK airport in New York after one of the engines failed. Said DiCaprio's representative in a statement, "[Leonardo] wishes to commend the actions of the pilot and flight crew in bringing the plane to a safe landing." And how! Us Weekly reports that DiCaprio signed autographs for the rescue crew upon the plane's safe landing. [Us via Gothamist]
Late on Friday The Daily Beast published an essay from former Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I. The crux of it: Because Lindelof, a life-long Harry Potter fanatic, found himself hating The Deathly Hallows, he finally understood what it meant to be a fan. Specifically, he finally understood that the irate sect of Lost fans who hated the series' ending had merit. "I sincerely and genuinely apologize to all those whom I have stripped of their Lost fandom just for complaining about the stuff you didn't like. It doesn't make you any less a fan," Lindelof wrote. "In fact, it just makes you honest. I respect that. And I'm genuinely sorry for ever feeling otherwise." Which begs the question: Why?
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Well, your first look that doesn't include some mystery Rachel Dratch lookalike. Favorite Hungarian newspaper Vasarnapi Hirek had a story about Angelina Jolie's controversial directorial debut in its pages this weekend, including a first look at stars Zana Marjanović and Goran Kostic. Said Jolie: "It's shot in color, but it could transfer to black and white. We haven't decided that." Also undecided: Whether or not the film will be released in English. Start pre-ordering your tickets now! Or just click ahead and check out the very ultra-serious image.
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Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: Red enters the awards picture... Jorge Garcia goes back to the island (or at least an island)... Mel Gibson's career hangs in the legal balance... and more...
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Things have been looking bleak for Blockbuster Video lately, but apparently chain isn't finished yet. According to the LA Times, the company is not only reorganizing to get out of bankruptcy, but also preparing to launch their first nation-wide advertising campaign since 2007. But what slogan can they possibly use to separate themselves from competitors like Netflix and Redbox while maintaining that distinct Blockbuster brand? Movieline has a few ideas.
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Tim Burton has started a collaborative storytelling project that anyone can contribute to...provided they use only 127 characters and that they are selected. Burton posted the opening to a story about his character Stainboy on Twitter, and starting today, users can post follow-up passages. The best posts will be selected and posted on the twitter feed, culminating in some sort of complete Stainboy short story on December 6th. The adventure begins with mysterious goo...
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Despite the title, it turns out that Matthew McConaughey did not actually beat Steven Spielberg to the punch with a movie about honest Abe. The Lincoln Lawyer is actually about a sleazy Beverly Hills lawyer (McConaughey) who rides around in a Lincoln town car with a "NTGUILTY" vanity plate and apparently defends everyone from motorcycle gangs to Ryan Phillippe. But things get a bit more complicated for the Lincoln Lawyer once he meets Phillippe, who may or may not have killed his wife. So much so that he starts carrying a gun.
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