Is it me or is Adam Sandler the natural successor to Noel Coward? | Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures I understand the appeal of Steven Seagal far more than I ever will that of Adam Sandler. I've hated him in his comedies just as much as I have in his dramas. In fact, I've yet to make it through the entirety of Punch Drunk Love even though Paul Thomas Anderson is high on my......

Sweeney ponders blood-letting | Photo courtesy of DreamWorks Though it did decent business at the box office, I'm thinking that Sweeney Todd will kill on DVD. It's Burton's best film since Edward Scissorhands. I enjoyed Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, but it's nice to see him in something less hammy. I understand that David Cross did Alvin and the Chipmunks because he needed the dough, but what's Jason Lee's excuse? He......

I'd rather have a Windy City Heat 2 but the The Hammer will have to suffice. | Photo courtesy of Hammer the Movie I've been a devoted fan of Adam Carolla since his early days on Loveline so don't expect any objectivity in my coverage of The Hammer. I've been waiting to see this movie since it played at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and tomorrow it finally hits theaters. Even non-fans of the......

I Am Legend proved to be legendary, indeed, as it opened with a staggering 76.5 million dollars--an all-time record for a film in December. Considering it exceeded estimates by over $30M, I think it's safe to say that Will Smith is now officially the biggest movie star in the world. I can't remember the last time I typed out such a depressing statement. Alvin in the Chipmunks surged unexpectedly, bringing in an even $45M,......

Of all the big holiday releases, I Am Legend is probably the one I'm least excited to see. And that's saying a lot considering National Treasure 2 is on the docket. As for Legend, I just get the feeling that there's absolutely nothing in the movie that will surprise me. And I'm sure that the dark ending of Matheson's source novel has been scrapped in favor of something more life-affirming. Because Will Smith never......

The overwhelming support the writers have received during the strike has been really encouraging. Look who's showing their solidarity now!......

Law & Order: Criminal Intent offers what will no doubt be a sensitive meditation on the perils of fame in a May episode that closely parallels the Anna Nicole Smith saga. Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kristy Swanson, in her puffy, post-pregnancy state (that's the kind of glow you can only get from stealing another woman's husband and having his baby) will play the ersatz Anna Nicole and… (wait for it)… David Cross will......

A Word Or 55: I'm Tivo-ing Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24) on Conan tonight because it's the only new TV worth watching. Did you know Mary Lynn used to be David Cross' girlfriend? Did you know she's starring in a full-length comedy show at the Steve Allen Theater? Go see her Sunday, Apr. 15 @ 8:00pm, it's like $5 or $10 or something, pocket change. Also, after losing an hour of my life......

Texas is thawing, the Northeast is freezing, and a sort of natural order seems almost restored to the Ist-A-Verse. Almost. Londonist HQ—that is to say, the city of London—was battered by heavy winds, making it a bad time to be a twelve-meter (nearly forty-foot) tall snowman. Still, not everyone decided to keep warmly covered. Meanwhile, back indoors, the Big Brother racism is now causing all kinds of headaches for international diplomats, and Londonist got into......

I was lucky to catch a performance of of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players almost exactly 3 years ago in a small museum's theater north of New York city. It was a winter performance, one that the family patriarch, Jason Trachtenburg, decided to bill as "The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: On Ice!" The "On Ice" part was performed by the family pretending to skate on and off stage and it's that kind of brazen......

US attorney in Frisco sez the LA Times story was filled with inaccuracies when it claimed that Roger Clemens and others were the names redacted from the affidavit of MLB players fingered by stool pigeon Jason Grimsley - LAT Guns 'N Roses announces new tour dates including two in LA: 12/17, 12/19 at the Gibson - MTV Death Row inmate convicted of murder dies of a heart attack, victim's mother pissed that he wasn't......

THURSDAY • Death from Above 1979, Mean Reds and Illuminati are at the El Rey tonight at 8 PM. Tickets are $21. • Largo hosts a Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Katrina benefit featuring Grant Lee Phillips, Colin Hay and David Cross tonight at 8 PM. Click here for our complete list of this week's events.......

Well, we've survived the first leg of awards season so far. The Golden Globes are over, Industry-types are off to Park City for Sundance and the Oscar nomination/winner odds-making begins in earnest. Now is the time for out-of-town journalists to do their legwork about town in order to find new ways to describe the luxuriousness of Wolfgang Puck's Oscar Ball menu or give readers a verbal blueprint of this year's location for the Vanity......

Aside from the Vice Presidential debates, there are some events going on around town. If you decide to go out rather than remain home, glued to the TV as Cheney and Edwards duke it out, you can always catch the highlights on the radio while on your way to one of these fine events. At UCLA, "Where's My Democracy?" comes to Royce Hall. Downtown For Democracy has brought together a group of writers who......

We know where we're going this Saturday—straight to Hell! And we couldn't be more excited. Every Saturday from now through Halloween, the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood presents "Hollywood Hell House." Hell Houses have become a staple of the Halloween season for Christian kids across the country over the last few years, and now LA has one of its very own. Of course, ours is full of snarky comedians like Bill Maher, Sarah Silverman,......