Caryn James

Watch The New Oscar Trailer: The Search For Billy Crystal

  • By Caryn James
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  • January 5, 2012 9:10 PM
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  • 4 Comments
The Academy has released its first promo for the reconstituted Oscar show, a spot in which Josh Duhamel and Megan Fox, with some help from Robin Williams, trek halfway across the world to find once-and-future host Billly Crystal.

Don Cheadle In House of Lies On Showtime Free Weekend

  • By Caryn James
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  • January 5, 2012 8:30 PM
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  • 3 Comments
Showtime’s best series don’t have much room for the warm and fuzzies – that’s one thing I like about them, from The Borgias and Homeland (both returning for second seasons, The Borgias sooner and Homeland later) to dark comedies like Shameless, which begins its second season on Sunday. Premiering after Shameless is the new House of Lies, with Don Cheadle as a high-powered management consultant so cynical and manipulative he makes the series’ title sound understated. You can see both shows and sample other series and films during the free Showtime weekend, from Friday through Sunday.

Downton Abbey: Does Mary Get Matthew, And Will Patton Oswalt Tweet?

  • By Caryn James
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  • January 5, 2012 9:01 AM
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  • 1 Comment
It took a costume drama about nose-in-the-air aristocrats to give PBS pop-culture traction. But just before New Year’s, there was Patton Oswalt catching up with season 1 and  practically swooning as he Tweeted with arch wit but no irony, “Oh DOWNTON ABBEY, how have I only just now seen your 1st episode? I'm as besotted as a vicar at a crumpet orgy!” And,  confessing his attachment to Lord Grantham’s feminist daughter, his unlikely sex symbol of a valet and the household’s proper but deeply humane butler, he admitted,  “I  now have a lust-crush on Lady Sybil, a man-crush on Bates and a scorching butler-crush on Mr. Carson.”  

The Daily Show: The Republicans Are Like A Box Of Chocolates

  • By Caryn James
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  • January 4, 2012 11:33 AM
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  • 1 Comment

The compensation for post-vacation return to real life: new episodes of late night shows. None of them were at their best last night, with The Daily Show and Colbert Report suffering most from having taped before the Iowa Caucuses even started. Not that Mitt Romney’s squeaker win would have mattered much, but as Jon Stewart explained in a ghost-story voice, he didn’t have results because “I’m speaking to you from the past.”

He did have this comparison of the Republicans’ flavor-of-the-week experiment with the Amish period of adolescence and confusion, rumspringa. In Romspringa, Republicans will eventually head back to the safety of  Romney. Forrest Gump couldn’t have said it better: the Republicans are like a box of chocolates.  

Replay: Watch My Live Online Chat With Ed Burns

  • By Caryn James
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  • January 3, 2012 11:58 AM
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  • 6 Comments

If you missed it, catch the replay of my live internet chat with writer/director Ed Burns about his film Newlyweds, just released on VOD and iTunes. It's a charming, wry romantic comedy about a couple whose in-laws invade their marriage, and it offers a fascinating, fresh model for how to make and distribute a first-rate film for a pittance. Ed talks about how he made this highly-polished movie for all of  $9,000. and answers other questions about the film and its background.

Thanks to Ed and to everyone who watched and asked questions in real time. It was as much fun as I'd hoped!

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