Jacob Hall
Teacher Who Showed ‘The ABCs of Death’ to Her Students Sent to Jail
The internet will never stop arguing about when it is okay to show films with explicit content to children. But, there is one thing that we’re pretty sure everyone can agree on: showing the violent and disturbing The ABCs of Death to five classes of unsuspecting students is an act of irresponsible idiocy on just about every conceivable level. Columbus, Ohio substitute teacher Sheila Kearns was rightfully let go from her job back in 2013 when she screened the film for her substitute Spanish classes, but the courts have handed down an additional punishment: 90 days in jail.
SNL and Dakota Johnson Take You to the Weirdest ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Press Junket
With Dakota Johnson guest hosting, last night’s SNL had no shortage of 50 Shades of Grey jokes. For her part, Johnson seemed equally bemused and embarrassed by her controversial new hit, rolling with whatever the show threw at her and always coming out looking far better than her naysayers expected. Her ability to make fun of herself and the film that has turned her into an overnight movie star really came together in the only sketch of the night that required her to play herself.
Dakota Johnson and the Ladies of SNL Say What They Want to Say
Modern SNL has one of the strongest female line-ups in the show’s history, so it’s always a pleasure when the writers give this group of extremely funny ladies a chance to shine together. This sketch is a weird one because it feels like such an odd and specific concept that must have been a real pain in the butt to pitch in the writer’s room, but the execution is simply sublime: a group of women start being brutally honest with the people in their lives and immediately celebrate to the impossibly catchy sounds of Sara Bareilles’ “Brave.”
Louis C.K. Wants to Star in Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Alien’ Movie and Die in Gruesome Fashion
Last night, we heard official word that 20th Century Fox was moving forward with director Neill Blomkamp’s Alien sequel and today, we already have one actor expressing his desire to be in it! However, that actor may not be who you expect and his reason for wanting to be in the film is a little unusual. We are talking about the one and only Louis C.K., the comedian and star of FX’s Louie, who wants to star in the new movie just so he can die a horrible onscreen death.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Plot Synopsis Revealed as Filming Begins
After years of false starts and delays, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales finally began filming in Australia yesterday. And that’s not a moment too soon for the franchise’s star, Johnny Depp, who hasn’t headlined a hit since 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. So, this brings up two important questions. First, will a fifth Captain Jack Sparrow adventure resuscitate Depp in a post-Mortdecai world? Secondly, can new directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning inject new life into a series that ran out of steam two movies ago?
SNL 40 Resurrects ‘The Californians’ and Recruits Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift and Betty White For the Cast
A few key members of the SNL cast and crew must love “The Californians” because the much-derided sketch was brought back to life for the show’s star-studded 40th anniversary special. For those of us who have always enjoyed this bizarre sketch (and there are about three of us), it’s a welcome return and we will greedily drink up the angry tears of everyone else.
SNL 40 Monologue: Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Everyone Else You Love Stops By
We knew going in that the SNL 40th anniversary special would be chock-full of just about every famous person who has ever walked within spitting distance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza and the opening monologue was quick to make use of this genuinely insane temporary cast of stars. Things got started on the right foot when the always-welcome Steve Martin took the stage ... but then he was joined by Tom Hanks. And then things got really crazy.
New ‘Jurassic World’ Toys Offer Our Best Look Yet at the Indominus Rex
In the Jurassic World trailer, careful editing ensured that we only catch tiny glimpses of the Indominus Rex, the genetically modified dinosaur cooked up by scientists to increase attendance to their theme park. But if you were expecting our first really good look at this guy to come from another trailer, you were wrong. This is the year 2015. These kinds of things get revealed in toy form these days.
‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Trailer: The Bellas Go International
The first ‘Pitch Perfect’ was a sleeper success, doing surprisingly solid business at the box office and earning equally solid reviews from critics. But it was home video that transformed this little a cappella comedy into a genuine sensation, instantly becoming the favorite film of 12-year-old girls (and their initially reluctant parents) all over the world. So the new ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ trailer arrives with the air of an event film. The sequel is not an underdog, but the Bigger, Flashier, and Louder follow-up that has the confidence to suggest that there is an entire franchise to be found here.
Bryan Cranston Returns as Walter White…For a Super Bowl Commercial
‘Breaking Bad’ may be completely, definitively over, but that doesn’t mean Walter White is ready to leave popular culture alone. Oh, no. As long as Bryan Cranston is alive and as lone as insurance companies are prepared to back dump trucks full of cash up this house, we’ll get to see America’s favorite meth dealer pop up every so often. So while it’s weird to se Cranston play Heisenberg one more time in an Esurance commercial, it’s not that surprising.