L.A. Times - Entertainment News

Review: Transfixing 'Fill the Void' looks at love by arrangement

By Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Film Critic — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

The film centered on marriage in an ultra-Orthodox community won seven Ophirs, Israel's Academy Awards. Hadas Yaron is a teen torn between her heart and her family.

A mother and daughter anxiously scan the aisles of an Israeli supermarket. They're not looking for fresh produce but rather a clandestine glimpse of a young man a matchmaker has proposed as a potential husband for the daughter. The mother's eye is practiced as he comes into view — "You're going to do a lot of laundry" — but the daughter is delighted. At least for now.

Catherine Zeta-Jones out of treatment facility for bipolar II

By Nardine Saad — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:36:00 GMT

Catherine Zeta-Jones has returned home after leaving a treatment facility where she was being treated for her bipolar II disorder.

David Boreanaz, Tom Felton and Kate Walsh to star in 'Full Circle'

By Patrick Kevin Day — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:32:00 GMT

When DirecTV's new original drama "Full Circle" debuts on the Audience Channel in the fall, some people will see it as screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute's TV debut. But others may see it as a chance for Angel and Draco Malfoy to team. Both "Angel" and "Bones" star David Boreanaz and "Harry Potter" alum Tom Felton have been announced in the cast, but don't expect a typical ensemble effort.

Watch a trailer for Metallica's upcoming 3-D concert film

By Mikael Wood — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:19:00 GMT

The last time Metallica was at the center of a high-profile Hollywood movie -- in Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's revealing 2004 documentary "Some Kind of Monster" -- the members of the influential heavy-metal outfit spent most of their time on-screen talking about their feelings.

Video: Fan-generated Bruce Springsteen film to debut July 22

By Gerrick D. Kennedy — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:35:00 GMT

What does Bruce Springsteen mean to you? That’s the basis of a new documentary built around the legendary rocker’s influence on his fans.

First-round bids due this week for Hulu

By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:24:00 GMT

The first round of bids were due this week for Hulu, the popular online TV service whose prospective sale has attracted interest from digital media players as well as cable operators.

Paris Hilton's hip-hop connection: She can hustle

By Chris Lee — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:08:00 GMT

On its surface, the arithmetic is baffling. Paris Hilton plus Cash Money Records equals … sweet, sweet music?

Jesse James chops off pinky in gruesome bike shop accident

By Nardine Saad — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:55:00 GMT

Jesse James lost his pinky while working with a saw at his custom bike shop.

Cannes Film Festival: J.C. Chandor's 'All Is Lost' is unusual survival tale

By Steven Zeitchik, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:25:00 GMT

The 'Margin Call' director's new film has one character, played by Robert Redford, who speaks little during a struggle to survive on a damaged sailboat.

CANNES, France — For his 2011 Wall Street drama "Margin Call," writer-director J.C. Chandor put an ensemble of stars including Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore and Zachary Quinto into corporate offices and had them talk furiously as a crisis at their characters' firm climbed up to the executive suites.

Entertainment One acquires Naomi Watts as 'Diana'

By DiAngelea Millar — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:37:00 GMT

Entertainment One acquired the U.S. rights to distribute the film “Diana,” starring Naomi Watts. The film, which will premiere in the U.K. in September, will hit U.S. theaters this year.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen releasing major label debut album

By Randy Lewis — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:00 GMT

Here’s an aspiring musician whose major label debut won’t have to struggle with the budget constraints most first-timers are faced with.

'S.W.A.T.' star Steve Forrest dies

By Patrick Kevin Day — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:07:00 GMT

Actor Steve Forrest, best known as the star of the 1970s action drama "S.W.A.T.," has died.

TV picks: 'Arrested Development,' biopics, 'Longmire,' cartoons

By Robert Lloyd — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:45:00 GMT

"Arrested Development" (Netflix, Sunday, then anytime). The 15-episode, seven-years-belated fourth season of what was formerly a Fox comedy and now belongs to the Internet is not being offered in advance for critical review, so you know as much as I do. Apart from appeasing the critical community, and, as my wife pointed out, not wrecking our Memorial Day weekend by making us work on Sunday, there doesn't seem to be any reason to make it available. Public interest is already running high — higher, anyway, than when the show was actually on — and the producers don't have to worry about winning their time slot, because they have don't have one. The whole series will become available at once Sunday, and then remain available, to Netflix subscribers, something like forever; new subscriptions will be the only metric that matters. I don't think for a moment that this coyness disguises any sort of tactical damage control — given that the old team (who are back every man-jack and woman-jill of them) had an unerring sense of how to make this show, I suspect watching the new episodes will be like running into an old friend from whom the longest separation feels like no time at all. The third season ended not at a moment of resolution but of escape — escape is a kind of resolution, I know — with Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) and son George Michael (Michael Cera) and Michael's father, George (Jeffrey Tambor), sailing off to Mexico; Michael's mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), hijacking the Queen Mary to evade the SEC; and George Michael's cousin, Maeby (Alia Shawkat), who turned out not to be his cousin, pitching her family story to "AD" executive producer (and narrator) Ron Howard, who didn't see it as a TV show. (But maybe a movie.) Some things have no doubt happened in the interim.

Benedict Cumberbatch showers 'Trek' director J.J. Abrams with praise

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:37:00 GMT

Eva Longoria graduates with master's degree in Chicano studies

By Nardine Saad — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:04:00 GMT

Eva Longoria is backing up her beauty with a whole lot of brain. The actress graduated with a master's degree Wednesday.

'Fast & Furious 6': The cars cost millions, hundreds got crushed

By David Undercoffler — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:46:00 GMT

Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Gina Carano are billed as the stars of "Fast & Furious 6," opening Friday. But it only takes a few scenes of the latest installment of the "Furious" franchise to realize that the millions of dollars of cars are the real action heroes.

Review: AMC's new reality series 'Showville' should be better than it is

By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:25:00 GMT

On paper, AMC's new reality show is fabulous. Each week for eight weeks, "Showville," which is set to premiere Thursday night at 9 p.m., will take us to a small town where talent coaches Alec Mapa and Lisette Bustamante will select four locals to put on a talent show; the remaining residents will vote on a winner.

Weinstein Co. acquires Stephen Frears' latest, 'Philomena'

By Susan King — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:13:00 GMT

"Philomena," the latest film from Academy Award-nominated director Stephen Frears (“The Queen,” “The Grifters”), has been acquired by Weinstein Co. for distribution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain after a bidding war with several studios.

Carole King honored with Gershwin Prize

By Gerrick D. Kennedy — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:06:00 GMT

Carole King has amassed some impressive accolades in her storied five-decade career. Now she can add the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to her mantle.

'Behind the Candelabra' is must-see; 'Arrested Development'? We'll see

By Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:04:00 GMT

Each week Times TV critic Mary McNamara offers her viewing picks for the coming week:

'Call of Duty: Ghosts' wows Xbox One unveiling with a dog

By Todd Martens — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:55:00 GMT

"Call of Duty: Ghosts," the latest iteration of the first-person-shooter franchise, is due out in the winter but was shown at Tuesday's Xbox One launch event. Surprisingly, it wasn¿'t new weapons and exotic, war-torn locales that dominated the grand unveiling of the sure-to-be blockbuster game.

Video: J.J. Abrams to critics: Here's Benedict Cumberbatch in the shower!

By Meredith Blake — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:29:00 GMT

Video: Jennifer Aniston strips in 'We're the Millers' trailer

By John Horn — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:21:00 GMT

Jennifer Aniston clearly hasn't been skipping her pilates classes.

Harold Shapero, neo-classical composer at Brandeis, dies at 93

By David Ng — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:28:00 GMT

Harold Shapero, the American composer and pianist who was associated with the neo-classical style of music and who was a longtime professor at Brandeis University, died Friday of complications from pneumonia. He was 93 and lived in Massachusetts.

Cannes crime spree! Billy Crystal tries TV. Sen. McCain makes case.

By Joe Flint — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:23:00 GMT

After the coffee. Before figuring out what to do this weekend.