DVD Empire

Whatever Happened To...Jaleel White?

2009-09-24T10:16:00.021-04:00

I don't think that there is anyone in the world who hasn't wondered to themselves, "Whatever happened to...*fill-in appropriate celebrity name here*?"

While we may not know them in real life, celebrities make an impact on our lives, whether they're an actor, athlete, or musician, and when they disappear from the public eye, that's when we begin wondering where they are, what they're doing, or if they're even alive. That's where Whatever Happened To..., the new DVD Empire feature topic comes in - we'll do the searching for you and let you know what your long-lost favorite stars are doing today, and our first celebrity is none other than Jaleel White!

Jaleel White made a name for himself as Steve Urkel, the nerdy next-door neighbor of the Winslow family on Family Matters, but when the series ended after nine years in 1998, Jaleel found it difficult to land new roles. It wasn't Jaleel White that people saw after the success of Family Matters - it was Steve Urkel.

Jaleel wasn't going to let the nerdy shadow that Steve Urkel cast over him dictate his career choices. Rather than be typecast as a nerd for the rest of his life (a type that clearly doesn't seem to fit him anymore, based on the picture of him!), he started doing voices for animated TV shows and features, including the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog for the American version of the cartoon that was based on the popular video game.

In 2001, Jaleel graduated from UCLA with a degree in film and television, and he has been featured as a guest star in several popular live-action television shows, including Boston Legal, The Game, and more recently, Psych. He has also had some small roles in recent blockbusters, like Dreamgirls, but if you want to see his most current work, you won't be able to see it in any movie theater or television set because it's a web series! The mockumentary-style series is called Road to the Altar, and it's about a young black man and a young white Jewish woman who are planning their wedding, and based on that description alone, it's not hard to see the hijinks that could emerge throughout the planning stages.

And that's what happened to Jaleel White!

picture credit: imdb.com

John Hughes 1950 - 2009

2009-08-07T16:10:00.005-04:00

If you laughed in the 80s or early 90s, there's a good chance John Hughes was the cause of it. As a child of the 80s, one of my favorite memories of heartily laughing in a theater is when Macaulay Culkin triumphantly exclaimed "Nuts!" when trying to think up another word for balls in Uncle Buck and becoming a lifetime John Candy fan immediately after. Soon after followed Home Alone, a film I'm still able to watch like a ten year old kid, and more recently enjoying the Hughesian flourishes I could spot in Drillbit Taylor, a film for which Hughes wrote the story under the pseudonym Edmond Dantes.

But the films that I, like most people will always identify the Hughes name with are the great teen comedies of the mid-80s. The angst of The Breakfast Club, the horniness of Weird Science, and the idealized romance of Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles, no one chronicled the teenage experience better than Hughes.

Farrah Fawcett 1947 - 2009

2009-06-25T13:06:00.003-04:00

After a long and heavily publicized battle with cancer, actress Farrah Fawcett has passed away at the age of 62. Fawcett rose to fame in the mid '70s, appearing in several commercials and television shows before finally landing the role of Jill Munroe on Charlie's Angels that made her a superstar, along with the icon poster seen here. Personally though, I'll always remember Farrah for her performance as the estranged wife of a flawed Pentecostal preacher in Rober Duvall's brilliant 1997 film The Apostle, one of the best films and performances of her career.

David Carradine 1936 - 2009

2009-06-04T13:14:00.005-04:00

David Carradine has died at the age of 72 from an apparent suicide. Carradine rose to prominence as Kwai Chang Caine on the popular 70s television show Kung Fu. He starred in several films as well, including Death Race: 2000 and Boxcar Bertha. In recent years, he was most recognizable as Bill in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. An accomplished martial artist, Carradine produced several Tai Chi and Qi Gong DVDs and video tapes.

See You Next Fall

2009-05-29T12:44:00.004-04:00

The final Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and to respect the fact that it's the man's last night on the job, I'll just say I'm not a fan. His guests tonight include James Taylor and his Tonight Show replacement, Conan O'Brien. It's not off into the sunset for Leno though, as he's schedule to return to NBC this fall with his own hour long program airing Monday through Friday's at 10pm.

While I could care less about Leno's move to 10pm (That's my King Of The Hill rerun time on Adult Swim), I'm a little torn between who to watch: The Late Show With David Letterman or the new and improved Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien, and I'm betting I'm not alone. While Leno has always relied on the day's headlines for humor (and obviously all monologues are topical in nature), Conan and Dave have always appealed to a similar sense of humor. Let's hope this rivalry stays friendly.

Star Trek Opens With $72.5 Million

2009-05-11T13:28:00.003-04:00

Although it wasn't enough to top Wolverine's opening weekend haul, J.J. Abrams revamp did manage to exceed analysts' box office expectations by bringing in $72.5 million. More interesting is that it took the record for biggest IMAX opening weekend with $8.3 million, topping The Dark Knight, a film with scenes specifically shot for the IMAX format, which took in only $6.3 million opening weekend at IMAX theaters.

If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so soon. Abrams has definitely injected new life into the series in a way that should bring Trek to a new generation while alienating only a constantly bitter minority of original fans. Those of you new to Star Trek are definitely going to want to catch up on 40 years of history, so be sure to check out out our Star Trek Sale, where you can save up to 45% on DVDs and Blu-rays!

Stay Golden, Bea Arthur

2009-04-27T10:14:00.003-04:00

Television legend Bea Arthur passed away this weekend at age 86 from complications due to cancer. After conquering the theater in her early career, Arthur rose to national fame as the titular feminist trailblazer in Maude, the Norman Lear sitcom that tackled controversial subjects such as the Vietnam war, alcoholism and, perhaps most famously, abortion.

But of course, even the current generation will always instantly identify Arthur as the sarcastic Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak in The Golden Girls, a series that won Arthur her second Emmy Award. And while Arthur may have worked less in her own golden years, the quality of her work never dropped, with memorable guest appearances on Futurama and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Get Ready For Fa5t & Furiou5

2009-04-06T13:44:00.004-04:00

With a box office total of a staggering $72.5 million dollars over the weekend, the inexplicably high box office for Fast & Furious has our top scientists working nonstop to see if the Earth did indeed time travel this past weekend to the year 2000. Seriously though, expect at least three more Furious sequels, at least one more Chronicles Of Riddick movie, and something equally as bad as A Man Apart. Me, I'll just keep crossing my fingers for this to actually happen.

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Monsters Vs. Aliens? 3D Wins!

2009-03-30T15:11:00.005-04:00

As expected, Dreamworks latest computer animated romp Monsters Vs. Aliens was number one at the box office over the weekend, taking in an impressive $58.2 million, the largest weekend total of 2009 so far. What's more impressive is that 3D screenings of the film accounted for 58 percent of the film's total take, with only 28 percent of theaters actually showing the film in 3D, thanks to the higher priced ticket. While critics were divided on the artistic validity of 3D (including Roger Ebert), it's obvious that 3D is back in a very big way.

What are your thoughts on 3D? Worth a the extra cash or an unnecessary novelty and headache?

The Big Goodbye

2009-03-20T15:09:00.004-04:00

Tonight, one of the greatest science fiction television series ever to be made will say its final goodbye.

Don’t expect it to end happily for the crew of Battlestar Galactica. Already this season we’ve seen alcoholism, suicide, military executions, and the great Battlestar itself begin to fall apart. Chances are pretty good more characters will be among the dead than the living when the end credits roll shortly after 11pm EST tonight.

A note to fans: Tonight’s episode, which starts at 9pm EST actually runs 2 hours and 11 minutes – so if you’re DVRing the show, make sure to account for the extra time, which was just announced by the Sci-Fi Channel this morning.

UPDATE: Richardson Dies Following Accident

2009-03-18T08:33:00.006-04:00

UPDATED: Natasha Richardson has died as the results of a head injury suffered in a skiing accident.

Ms. Richardson’s injury occurred on the ski slopes in Canada, where apparently she fell while training on a beginner’s course. Reports say that the actress did not show any visible signs of injury and felt fine, but started to complain of a headache shortly thereafter and went to a local hospital for treatment. Her condition apparently regressed significantly from that point forward, and her husband Liam Neeson, who had been shooting a movie in Toronto, left the set to be with his wife at the hospital. At some point on Tuesday, Ms. Richardson was moved from the hospital in Canada to one in New York city. Her death was reported Wednesday night.

Natasha Richardson is a Tony-award winning actress who has appeared in such films as The Parent Trap and Maid In Manhattan. She is the oldest daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave. She married Neeson in 1994, and the couple have two sons together.

Repent Paramount! Said The Ticked-Off Writer!

2009-03-16T15:37:00.006-04:00

The world’s most famous speculative writer, Harlan Ellison, has set his phaser to “sue” over Paramount’s use of “City On The Edge Of Forever” (an episode Ellison wrote) for profit.

Ellison claims he is owed 25 percent of any income Paramount makes using any of his creations from that episode, and that the studio has not shared profits from – among other things – a recent Christmas ornament and series of books based on the episode (entitled “Crucible”).

While Ellison is suing Paramount for an undisclosed amount he is also suing the Writer’s Guild of America for a grand total of $1, for not properly acting on his behalf in the matter at hand.

In a prepared statement, Ellison stated “…please make sure to remember, at the moment some Studio mouthpiece calls me a mooch, and says I’m only pursuing this legal retribution to get into their ‘deep pockets,’ tell’m Ellison snarled back, ‘F- - - -in’-A damn skippy!’ I’m no hypocrite. It ain’t about the ‘principle,’ friend, its about the MONEY! Pay Me! Am I doing this for other writers, for Mom (still dead), and apple pie? Hell no! I’m doing it for the 35-year-long disrespect and the money!”

Ahh, Harlan. It’s good to hear from you.

Actor Ron Silver Dies

2009-03-16T07:41:00.007-04:00

Ron Silver, who won the 1988 Tony Award for David Mamet's "Speed The Plow" and was best known for his roles on TV's West Wing and in the films Ali and Reversal Of Fortune, died on Sunday - the result of a two year struggle with esophageal cancer.

Although acting was his profession, Silver was also a political activist, who came under fire in recent years from "liberal" Hollywood after Silver spoke on behalf of President Bush at the 2004 Republican Convention. Silver felt that his conservative leanings cost him jobs in the latter part of his career.

Ron Silver was 62 years old.

Watchmen Brings In $4.6 Million At Midnight

2009-03-06T14:48:00.006-05:00

At the stroke of midnight last night, rabid Rorschach fans gobbled up Director Zach Snyder’s Watchmen to the tune of $4.6 million dollars. By comparison, that’s about double what midnight showings of Snyder’s last film, 300, pulled in. But it’s nowhere near the $18 million record that The Dark Knight made for midnight showings last summer.

Although the movie is based on arguably the greatest comic book story ever written, both critics and fans who got an early peek at the picture have given it mixed reviews. Many expect Watchmen to have a $50 to $75 million opening weekend, and then drop off quickly in ticket sales in subsequent weekends.

By this Sunday, we should have a better idea of exactly how many showed up this weekend to watch the Watchmen.

The Best & Worst Of Oscar

2009-02-23T09:11:00.009-05:00

It was a night where Oscar tried a lot of new changes, but delivered very few surprises. As expected, Slumdog Millionaire was the night’s big winner, capturing 8 total awards, including Best Picture. The only mild shocker was in the Best Actor category, where Sean Penn beat out Mickey Rourke – although many (including DVD Empire) predicted Penn’s victory.

Trying to remedy the recent history of the Academy Awards being a dull show that always seems to run over, this year’s ceremony offered up a new stage design, some fresh ways of presenting awards, and song and dance man host Hugh Jackman. The result was a dull show that ran overtime (a full 45 minutes!).

Here’s our recap of “The Best & Worst” of the 81st Academy Awards:

HUGH DON’T KNOW JACKMAN: While host Hugh Jackman was far from the worst host the Academy has had in recent years, his opening “let’s parody the movies with song” number only reminded us of when Billy Crystal did this every year…and much better.

ONE EXCEPTION TO THE ABOVE: Hugh pulling nominee Anne Hathaway up on stage for a Frost/Nixon duet. She can sing, too? Ms. Hathaway really does have it all.

BEST PRESENTERS: Tina Fey and Steve Martin, please co-host next year.

WORST PRESENTER: Alan Arkin. Bad enough you stole Eddie Murphy’s award a few years back, but your “Seymour Philip Hoffman” gaffe was inexcusable.

BEST DRESSED: Anne Hathaway. This lady could show up in jeans and look stunning.

WORST DRESSED: Mickey Rourke. Seriously, dude – we realize you’ve never been a slave to fashion, but at least put on a tie next time…it’s the freakin’ Oscars!

BEST BIT: Jack Black’s rant about how he makes money by doing DreamWorks animated movies then bets in on Pixar taking the Oscar.

WORST BIT: We’d like to give this to Ben Stiller’s overwrought mocking of Joaquin Phoenix, but instead it goes to the James Franco/Seth Rogen Pineapple Express spoof that proved to be no more funny than…well, Pineapple Express.

MOST ANNOYING PLUG: We love Bill Maher, but plugging your documentary not once, but at least three times during your short appearance wasn't funny...it was just tacky.

MOST OBVIOUS MISSING IN MEMORIAM: Patrick McGoohan. Guess that role in the Oscar-winning Braveheart wasn’t enough to deserve recognition.

MOST OBVIOUS MISSING IN AUDIENCE: Jack Nicholson. Seemed like Anne Hathaway got Jack’s front-row seat. Not that we’re complaining.

BEST SPEECH: Sean Penn giving a shout out to the Academy’s “Commie, homo-loving sons of guns”.

WORST SPEECH: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s Greg Cannom, not only for doing nothing but reading a bunch of names off a list, but seeming so annoyingly smug about it.

Well, that’s all folks…see ya next year!

Dark Knight Snubbed By Oscar

2009-01-22T08:43:00.004-05:00

Hollywood just doesn’t get it. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was by far one of 2008’s best movies, but because the Academy just can’t see past the “superhero” label, it was all but snubbed when this year’s nominees were announced.

Oh sure, Heath Ledger was still nominated for Best Supporting Actor (an posthumous award he’ll probably win), but The Dark Knight was nowhere to be found in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director or even Best Screenplay.

For the record, this year’s 5 Best Picture nominees are: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader; and Slumdog Millionaire. The latter is almost surely a shoo-in now for the Best Picture trophy.

Spaced Named Best DVD of 2008

2009-01-16T15:02:00.005-05:00

The Editorial Staff of DVD Empire has selected the Top 10 DVDs of 2008, but this year there was a catch to the list: the titles had to be exclusive to DVD. That meant anything that also was available on Blu-ray was not eligible.

After careful debate, the release of the BBC series Spaced was named the top DVD of the year.

For the complete list of what made the Top 10, CLICK HERE.

Agree or disagree with our picks? Tell us what YOUR favorite DVD of 2008 was...and why!

KHAAAAN!!!

2009-01-14T16:34:00.003-05:00

It’s been a horrible day for movie/television fans. First we learned of the death of Patrick McGoohan, and now word has come in that Ricardo Montalban has passed at the age of 88.

While Montalban was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mr. Roarke on TV’s Fantasy Island, true movie fans know that his most memorable role was that of Khan Noonien Singh on the Star Trek episode Space Seed, and in what is widely considered the best theatrical film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Montalban also had memorable roles in The Naked Gun, and some of the Planet of the Apes and Spy Kids films.

But he’ll always be Khan to us. Godspeed, Ricardo.

Be Seeing You...

2009-01-14T14:09:00.008-05:00

Sad news to report today, as DVD Empire has just learned of the passing of Patrick McGoohan, who was 80 years of age.

McGoohan is perhaps best known for his role as “Number 6” on the acclaimed British television series The Prisoner. Playing a secret agent kidnapped and held captive on a remote, mysterious island in a town known only as “The Village,” The Prisoner is widely considered to be one of the best shows ever on TV, if not the best.

In his latter years, McGoohan would co-star with Mel Gibson in the Oscar winning film Braveheart, playing King Edward Longshanks. Among his other notable roles were as the warden in the 1979 Clint Eastwood thriller Escape From Alcatraz, and as a judge in 1996’s A Time To Kill.

McGoohan was the winner of two Emmy awards, both for appearances on Columbo – one in 1975, and one in 1990. He also received the British BAFTA award in 1960 for Best Television Actor.

Slumdog No Longer The Underdog

2009-01-12T09:40:00.003-05:00

Once a longshot for a possible Best Picture Oscar, Slumdog Millionaire may just now be the front-runner, thanks to four Golden Globe awards last night, including one for Best Picture Drama.

The Danny Boyle-directed movie about a young Indian boy whose destiny many lie in his appearance on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” also captured Globes for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.

Other movie winners included Mickey Rourke for Best Actor in a Drama (The Wrestler); Kate Winslet for Best Actress in a Drama (Revolutionary Road); and Vicky Cristina Barcelona for Best Picture Musical or Comedy. The Dark Knight’s Heath Ledger also received a posthumous award for Best Supporting Actor; while Wall-E was given Best Animated Feature.

In the TV categories, Mad Men came away with a win for Best Television Drama; with 30 Rock claiming the prize for Best Television Comedy. 30 Rock stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin were also named Best Actress and Best Actor in their respective comedy categories.

The other big winner of the night was the HBO mini-series John Adams, taking home Globes for Best Mini-Series or Made-For TV Movie, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Actress (Laura Linney), and Best Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson).

For a complete list of Golden Globe winners, Click Here.

Marley Top Dog At Box Office

2008-12-29T15:24:00.003-05:00

In a crowded holiday box office at the theaters, the winner was a real dog.

Marley & Me, based on the bestselling novel and starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston took the number one slot, bringing in over $51 million since opening on Christmas Day.

Second place went to the critically acclaimed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt with $39 million, although Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories actually finished second for the 3-day weekend, and has grossed $38.5 million to date.

Tom Cruise’s Valkyrie finished a respectable fourth, with a $30 million gross since Christmas Day, while the only real bomb of the season is The Spirit, Frank Miller’s directorial debut which has managed to only pull in $10 million at the box office since Thursday.

Court Adjourned

2008-12-10T14:05:00.002-05:00

ABC’s five season run of Boston Legal came to an end Monday, as Denny Crane and Alan Shore said so-long (and “I do!”) in a memorable two-hour finale.

The series ender also ranked as the most watched episode of the season, raking in over 10 million viewers.

Created by David E. Kelley and starring William Shatner as the Alzheimer’s ridden Denny Crane and James Spader as the suave, but savvy Alan Shore, Boston Legal managed to address some of the major legal issues of the day with a tongue-in-cheek style.

Boston Legal was a spin-off of Kelley’s The Practice, and actually proved to be the more popular and successful of the two shows. With the end of Boston Legal, this will be the first time in 20 years a David E. Kelley series is not part of the network TV lineup.

The first four seasons of Boston Legal are currently available on DVD.

It's Twilight Time

2008-11-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

Everyone knew Twilight would open well, but not even the most optimistic could have predicted a $35.8 million opening day and a $70.5 million opening weekend.

How does that stack up to other big movies of 2008? Well, the opening day figures best both this year’s debuts of Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; while Twilight’s opening weekend numbers best both last weekend’s Quantum of Solace debut, as well as other hits this year such as Wall-E and Hancock.

In fact, the only movies to open better in a November slot than Twilight are three entries in the Harry Potter series.

Twilight is based on the first entry of the popular young adult vampire series by author Stephanie Meyer. The movie marks the first big hit for up and coming studio Summit Entertainment.

A sequel, based on the second book in the series, “New Moon” has already been announced.

Bond Is Back

2008-11-14T15:25:00.004-05:00

Today's the day James Bond fans have been waiting for, as Daniel Craig's second turn as 007 hits theater screens in the United States (the movie already premiered to boffo box office in the U.K.).

So far, critics have been mixed on the 22nd "official" entry in the series, "Quantum of Solace". Some have praised its leaner, meaner storyline; while others have claimed that Bond no longer feels like Bond - comparing the latest incarnation to the popular Jason Bourne flicks.

Regardless, expect "Quantum of Solace" to rule the box office this weekend, and perhaps for several weeks to come.

Zack & Miri Smith's Best Since Chasing Amy

2008-10-26T09:02:00.004-04:00

DVD Empire was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno this weekend, and wanted to pass along what a great flick it is to our readers.

Easily Smith’s best movie since Chasing Amy, Zack and Miri tells the story of two down on their luck platonic roommates from Pittsburgh (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who decide that the only way they are going to get out of their dire straits is to produce and adult film for profit.

The result is a sometimes raunchy but always funny spoofing of the adult film industry, that easily matches up with comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin in terms of hilarity. Like most Smith movies, there is a heart at the center of all the hijinks, as Zack and Miri slowly discover their true feelings for one another.

The movie co-stars Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Katie Morgan, Traci Lords, Justin Long and Brandon Routh.

Zach and Miri Make a Porno opens everywhere on October 31st.