Armchair Commentary

Sun Sets on "Moonlight" (and "New Amsterdam" and ...)

The little vampire show that could just reached the end of the line. CBS has canceled Moonlight -- though in the On Demand age, cancellation is sometimes just the start of a new chapter (there's already rumors/wishful thinking that FOX will give Moonlight another go). But FOX, meanwhile, put a stake in another cult favorite featuring a gorgeous star with an immortal soul: New Amsterdam. Also done: Back to You, starring sitcom legends Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, and Shark, starring James Woods as a sleazy defense lawyer turned prosecutor. I'll miss Shark, though the current season didn't have the bite of the first two.

The good news coming out of the current "upfront week," when networks announce their fall plans, is that some good shows are coming back: How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement (a pleasant surprise), 'Til Death, The Unit and The New Adventures of Old Christine. -- Stephanie Reid-Simons, Unbox TV Freak

Becoming Your Own Mr. Big

How many women would kill for the chance to chat with Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell? Who knows, but I'm sure some would give their right Manolo. (Haha--ok sorry. The shoe jokes are getting a little tired...) At any rate, we hope you'll check out our interview with Candace in which she shares her thoughts on dealing with noncommittal boyfriends, prepping for the red carpet, and her new TV show, Lipstick Jungle. --Leah

PS: If you're looking for a related book or DVD (or maybe the soundtrack to the new SATC movie) check out our Celebrate Fabulosity boutique.

Trailer Park: "Star Wars: Clone Wars"

For anyone who missed the Star Wars: Clone Wars trailer on TV last week (myself included), we have it right here for you to watch.  Looks action-packed, and you'll see a number of familiar characters and some not-so-familiar (such as Sith assassin Asajj Ventress).  --David

Top 5 Movie-Star Gap Commercials

There are probably more Hollywood faces in Gap commercials than any other brand in the U.S. (American Express makes a late-run second), but what I've always found fascinating is that Gap tends to cast just-short-of-A-list faces often, often in non-speaking roles, and without endorsement or title card. The most famous major celebrity face Gap had was Sarah Jessica Parker's a few years ago, and then the failed Super Bowl ad with Madonna and Missy Elliott singing some mix of "Holiday" and "Hollywood" and ending with yoga poses.

No, these ads have always been more successful as 30-second pieces of cotton candy, where if you're not really looking, you may not always realize the pretty people in the commercial are actual celebrities... sorta. (If you go back and YouTube the "Mellow Yellow" and "Love Train" Gap commercials, you'll even spot a pre-Office Rashida Jones).

Some of my favorites:

Shannyn Sossamon showing off her past life as a deejay during the "My First Love" campaign

I blogged on this once before, but I still love Claire Danes & Patrick Wilson's merry Broadway dance-off, directed by Little Miss Sunshine's Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton

Kate Beckinsale and Orlando Bloom as a gorgeous couple in love, chased down the street by... fans? People jealous of their gorgeousness? Directed by Cameron Crowe

New "Clone Wars" trailer debuts on TV tonight

Tonight at 7:58 p.m. in all time zones, five Turner networks--Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, CNN, and Boomerang--will debut the two-minute world-premiere trailer of the upcoming animated theatrical film Star Wars: The Clone Wars. After that, the trailer will debut in theaters on Friday, May 9, and be available online at starwars.com.  Wait, the trailer is going to be on Turner networks instead of Fox?  Yep, the film is going to be released by Warner Bros. and the follow-up weekly TV series will be aired on Cartoon Network, a Turner/Warner property.  Somehow, a Star Wars movie without the 20th Century-Fox fanfare is not going to be the same.  --David

5 Greatest Movie Teachers (In Appreciation of Teacher Appreciation Week)

As my son's daycare reminded me, we're in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week! So I thought I'd give my educational props to the bestest teachers of all time. After all, these instructors inspired and cared--really cared. So if you're in the mood for a little teacher-appreciation marathon, may we suggest:

Sidney Poitier, To Sir With Love: The best movies in this genre are the ones where the teacher brings gravitas and elegance, even if they're the ones breaking all the rules. Since this is Sidney Poitier in a nutshell, there's no one else we'd rather learn life's lessons from.

Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society: There are some, I am told, who found this movie uninspiring. They didn't wish for a teacher like Williams' John Keating, who asks his students to carpe diem, stand on their desks and "suck the marrow out of life." They weren't moved when he got Ethan Hawke to recite poetry in class and Robert Sean Leonard to follow his dream of acting. They didn't weep when the class saluted his farewell with "O Captain, My Captain." To these some, I say, you must have hearts of stone!

Edward James Olmos, Stand and Deliver: Now you know Edward James Olmos from Battlestar Galactica, but back in 1988 he turned in his career-defining (and Oscar-nominated) performance as Jaime Escalante, a teacher in East L.A. who made math fun. 'K, maybe not fun, but got his students to excel in it. "Math is the great equalizer," he says. Wise words indeed.

Robert Donat, Goodbye, Mr. Chips: Coming out of the golden year of cinema (1939), Robert Donat beat Clark Gable for Best Actor at the Oscars with his performance in this film, about a teacher who reflects on nearly five decades of students. That he's disliked and unpopular after he arrives only makes the poignancy that much deeper when he reflects in his old age on whether he ever made a difference.

Morgan Freeman, Lean on Me: How does a principal bring  calm to a school overrun by violence and drugs? With a baseball bat of course! He's not technically a classroom teacher, but if you're looking for a more upbeat  teacher movie after weeping through the last four, watch one of the most beloved actors of all time carry the whole movie on his broad, proud shoulders.

Honorable mention

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kindergarten Cop: Who else spends the entire class making his kids practice the fire drill, play "police school," and interrogate them about their fathers in case one is the drug-dealing convict he's been chasing across the country, and still gets them prepared to recite the Gettysburg Address? Only Ahnuld.

Who are your favorite movie teachers?

--Ellen

TV Sweeps: We're Lookin' For Laughs

So the first results from the first post-strike ratings sweeps period are in, and in addition to the obvious (yes, everyone but me is watching American Idol), it looks as though comedies are showing the most strength -- and outperforming some big-buzz dramas, like House. (Though that isn't necessarily the case in the download world.) Ratings are down for soaps, crime shows and reality TV, but half-hour comedies are strong. Including The Office, which I think has pushed the envelope in terms of its dark tone lately from beyond the expected level of pathos and meanness into drug addiction, and outright cruel. And how 'bout How I Met Your Mother, which is, Variety reports, the highest-rated scripted program in the 8:30 slot on any network, any night. I'll say that one more time: Mother rules 8:30, no matter what the night or network. And it's a big hit online as well. -- Stephanie Reid-Simons, Unbox TV Freak

The Best DVDs of the Month for May, 2008

A founding father, a budding mother, a lone Senator, and a couple of robbers.  Oh, and a guy dating a blowup doll.  Yep, it's a pretty diverse group of picks for our Best of the Month for May, 2008.

Our spotlight title this month is the HBO miniseries John Adams, based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning book by David McCullough, and starring Paul "Mr.-Indie-Cred" Giamatti. HBO calls it "a moving love story a gripping narrative and a fascinating study of human nature." (Apparently they were so excited by it they forgot to use commas). We call it our number one pick of the month, and highly recommend you check it out.

John Adams
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, David Morse, American History
Director: Tom Hooper
Significance in Seven Words: Based on the book by David McCullough

TV Resurrection: Drive Revs Again

It's been more than a year since the vaunted debut and near-immediate cancellation of Drive, starring Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Desperate Housewives). And while even fans of the show may not quite remember where things left off (guilty), anyone who enjoys good TV will be pleased to know that FOX is finally offering the final two produced episodes for download, so you can enjoy them ad-free here. The show, produced by Tim Minear (also a Firefly guy, and therefore a veteran of painful cancellations), told the story of a group of very different people taking part (not entirely by choice, in some cases) in a cross-country race.

Browncoats go Blu: "Firefly" is pre-orderable on high-definition Blu-ray

A few weeks ago, I posted about the speculation that a certain Whedonesque, prematurely canceled, sci-fi/Western/action/comedy series was going to be released on high-definition Blu-ray disc. Well, speculate no more, Browncoats, because you can now pre-order Firefly on Blu-ray! We don't know exactly what day you'll have it semi-permanently lodged in your Blu-ray player, and we're still waiting to hear about the bonus features. (And yeah, it's a bummer if you bought in to HD DVD just for Serenity, but enough of that...)  But heck, the important thing is that Firefly is going to be on Blu-ray and you can buy it now! --David