There are a number of reasons that I'm not vegan. One is that I like meat. Another is that I like cheese. Still another is that I'm not sure I grasp how one person laying off dairy saves a world full of doomed cows. But among those explanations also has to be the number of vegans that I have heard, after a little while of self-righteous soap-boxing, make some variation of the following proclamation, when they finally abandon the endeavor: "I was listening to my body to have eggs and dairy and that sort of stuff." more ›

Director David Gordon Green’s latest film, Your Highness, brings back the star of his hit film Pineapple Express, James Franco, but puts him in a whole new world, or rather an old medieval one. It’s a world created by it’s co-screenwriter Danny McBride, who also appears in the film as Thadeous, the “spare” to Franco’s royal brother “heir,” Fabious. more ›

Natalie Portman, you're forgiven for No Strings Attached. Call me an apologist, but if I'd just broken my body & soul as part of a regimen to become the perfect neurotic ballerina, I'd want to follow it with something fluffy too. But I haven't. Hence, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. more ›

In celebrity coupling and procreating news of the day: Actress Natalie Portman, 29, is engaged and pregnant, People is reporting. The lucky groom and papa to be is Benjamin Millepied, who "acted as choreographer and Portman's onscreen dance partner," in her current release, Black Swan, says MTV. more ›

Between Kanye West's Runaway and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, ballet is staging a serious cinematic comeback. Black Swan opened at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, and the psychosexual thriller has soared from festival to festival ever since, in the same company as Aronofsky's previous film The Wrestler. more ›

Darren Aronofsky's nine-year-old Grimm brainchild Black Swan is finally being released to the world on December 3. Brutal and beautiful, the film is a visually stunning journey of a not very pretty sight, the gory gorgeousness reaching its pinnacle with the ballet costumes -- particularly the glorious black swan costume -- designed by L.A.'s own Laura and Kate Mulleavy of the much celebrated line, Rodarte. more ›

When it comes to best costumes, West Hollywood wins the award during Halloween. Any other time of the year, the honor goes to San Diego (perhaps Los Angeles in the future) where the annual Comic-Con was held last weekend. more ›

Many weeks, there can be slim pickings on the DVD aisle. And then there are weeks like this where three, er, fantastic movies top the list. Fantastic Mr. Fox may not rise to the absurd and lunatic levels of Rushmore or The Royal Tennenbaums, but it's a wonderful re-telling of Roald Dahl's seminal children's book. It's that rare thing -- something both children and adults can enjoy (albeit for different reasons). Plenty of critics piled on The Men Who Stare at Goats, but I thought it's daffiness totally worked. The interpretative dance sequence on the Army base was one of the funniest scenes in any movie this year, and I'll say it -- Jeff Bridges did his best work in this movie, not Crazy Heart. While it was mostly overlooked during awards season, Brothers was a solid and depressing piece of drama. Tobey Maguire has never been better, and Natalie Portman solidified her reputation as the best young actress working in studio pictures. Especially in this. Supervan! more ›

In a rare feat, The Blind Side managed to top the box office chart for the first time in its third week of release. The feel-good football story took in $20.4M ($129.2M) to easily top feel-bad vampire story New Moon ($15.7M | $255.6M). The horribly depressing Brothers was a distant third ($9.7M). The resilient Christmas Carol ($7.5M | $115M) and the god-awful Old Dogs ($6.9M | $33.9M) rounded out the top 5. more ›

The best film opening this weekend -- possibly even the best film of the year -- is Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (LAist review here). Clooney is likely a shoe-in for a Best Actor nod. I had similar hopes for Brothers, but early reviews have been mediocre. Can't imagine Jim Sheridan missing badly, but I guess we'll see. All signs point to Everybody's Fine being a, well, fine film. I'm bothered by that dull title, though. Armored? Pass. Across the Hall? Pass. Breaking Point? Pass. Serious Moonlight? Anyone still care about Meg Ryan? Next! more ›

She's single, plays flag football in Valley parks weekly and her book was on the New York Times bestselling list for a year. In fact, the vegan activist author of Skinny Bitch (LAist Review) has penned two guest posts for LAist. In the just released December issue of VegNews, writer Rory Freedman earned the top prize in the 2008 Veggie Awards--Person of the Year. In an interview with the magazine, Freedman, who has convinced thousands of women to turn vegetarian in her book, announces that a major network TV sitcom is in development and that Skinny Bastard (watch out meat eatin' guys) is due in bookstores in June (she says she's in search of a skinny bastard herself). more ›

Natalie Portman joins Devendra Banhart in his Bollywood inspired video complete with spicy subtitles and some groovin' dance moves. more ›

Considering that Doug Liman has directed some seriously good movies (Go, Swingers, The Bourne Identity), to see how badly it can go. more ›

I'll be in the minority when I attend Leatherheads this weekend because I'm not going to see George Clooney. As an increasingly obsessive fan of he is way overdue to be in a film that properly utilizes his narrow but sharp comic instincts. more ›

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I'll go on the record and say that I think Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is the funniest movie in the last ten years. Will Ferrell's subsequent pictures--most of them amusing to varying degrees--have never lived up that early, brilliant standard. Semi-Pro is his latest picture and if its previews are any barometer of its quality, it looks like Ferrell has fallen short yet again. Don't get me wrong--I'm sure I'll laugh plenty, but I doubt that Jackie Moon will linger with me for very long after I've left the theater. Whither the apocryphal Anchorman 2?! more ›

Talk shows this week are all Natalie Portman all the time if you hadn't noticed - the charming pixie is making the rounds for her new flick The Other Boleyn Girl, a period piece that looks like a yawn to me. In terms of tonight's viewing options check out the 10 o'clock slot - way too many choices and all of them are reality TV, what a shame. more ›

I'll lead this review by saying,"If only the DVD of ." The film is one of Wes Anderson's best tales of whimsy and familial dysfunction. Three brothers who've long since grown apart decide to travel across India on a sort of spiritual odyssey that ends, fittingly, at the base of the Himalaya where they encounter their long-lost mother. As with any road movie, the point is really the journey and not the destination and this journey is a joy to watch. more ›

While it easily won the weekend box-office crown, Beowulf disappointed somewhat with a 28.1 million dollar opening. If it's anything like Zemekis' last film Polar Express, though, the amazing 3-D will continue to pull in audiences for weeks to come. Having seen it at the IMAX theater at the Bridge, I can say that it is totally worth the price of a ticket. Bee Movie stayed strong in its third week, adding $14.3M and... more ›

It almost feels like summer again as Beowulf comes crashing into theaters with a huge amount of hype. From where I'm sitting, though, that hype actually looks deserved. If 3-D is (once again) the future of film, consider me an early adopter. Combine a technical innovator like Zemekis with two--and I mean this as a true compliment--odd birds like Avary and Gaiman and you get a movie that is relentlessly beautiful and compelling. Love... more ›

Wes Anderson has a following, the kind of following that lines up hours before showtime at the Hammer museum for Filter Magazine’s bi- monthly “Big Time” event to see his new film, The Darjeeling Limited. I am a fan, but not the kind that shows up hours before – I’m more the type to bother someone I know to get a spot on the “list” and be excited about a free movie. Any free movie. more ›

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King, and appreciated their beautiful skyline. more ›

As if Wes Anderson didn't already have the undying respect of fanboys across the world for directing Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, he has now done the ultimate: convinced Natalie Portman to do her first nude scene for his short, The Hotel Chevalier. The film is a companion piece to Anderson's forthcoming The Darjeeling Limited and stars Portman and Jason Schwartzman. They are ex-lovers who meet... more ›

Since it is the last Harry Potter weekend, allow me to open with a relevant quote from the late (or is he?) Albus Dumbledore, "I make mistakes like the next man. In fact, being--forgive me--rather cleverer than most men, my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger." This sentiment applies very well to Milos Forman and his new movie, Goya's Ghosts. In his long career, Forman has directed numerous superb films, deservedly winning Oscars for both Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Goya's Ghosts, however, is a true misstep. more ›

From time to time, LAist will take a look at the many book-to-film projects underway in Hollywood. We'll explore the books we love and why we're over-the-moon excited or just plain worried about the film projects that bear their name. When it was announced a few weeks ago that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson were teaming up to make a film out of Alice Sebold's outstanding The Lovely Bones, we wondered if they'd make it... more ›

Andy Samberg has to be one of the luckiest guys alive. Look at that goofball. Between trysting with starlets like Natalie Portman and Kirsten Dunst, his day job includes making shorts like "Lazy Sunday" at Saturday Night Live. And it all started with video sketches Samberg and his Lonely Island cohorts posted on the Web. (The other two guys got writing gigs on SNL.) So it’s fitting that Samberg is helping kick off YouTube Sketchies,... more ›

Leah (pronounced Lay-uh) is a great blogger. Born in Canada, she's been blogging since she was 14. We wont hold it against her that she lives in Austin. With her husband. Here's Leah top ten best movies of 2006: 10. Monster House Even though this is a kids movie, I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me the heebie jeebies. 9. Hard Candy I wouldn't watch it again but it was intense... more ›

"I've been trying to go to Iraq with Hillary Clinton for so long," Local 20 year old Lindsay Lohan told Elle Magazine, People reports. "Hillary was trying to work it out, but it seemed too dangerous." The article also claims that the Mean Girl is practicing her marksmanship at the gun range. Talk about friendly fire. Living in LA has inspired Madonna to renew her vows with her Guy... in England. Female First has... more ›