Christian Toto - Page 53

Another day, another unofficial television appearance by the First Family. Over the weekend, Michelle Obama got “slimed” as part of Nickelodeon’s “Kids Choice Awards.” Now, President Barack Obama is slated to appear before the upcoming broadcast of the 1962 film classic “To

Some celebrity interviews linger longer with journalists than others. Years ago, I participated in a movie junket for the film “Big Fish.” The movie wasn’t a hit, but the junket gave me the chance to interview co-star Ewan McGregor along

The facts in the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin have yet to be determined, but that isn’t stopping a cavalcade of celebrities from rendering a verdict in the case. Social media venues like Twitter are the preferred venue for

Julia Roberts may no longer reside on the A-list, but she’s too busy snacking on scenery in “Mirror Mirror” to care. The new film, part of the fairy tale renaissance currently plaguing both TV (“Grimm,” “Once Upon a Time”) and

Roseanne Barr is supposed to return to network television this fall – assuming she’s not elected president. But is NBC having second thoughts following Barr’s recent, hateful, Tweets? Barr’s new project, the NBC comedy pilot “Downwardly Mobile,” would mark her

“Modern Family” is hardly the “Father Knows Best” of our generation. The ABC comedy, which airs at 9 p.m. Wednesdays, features one nuclear family, one gay couple and a third clan featuring a young, gorgeous wife and a much older

The Cristero War isn’t fodder for many movies. The overlooked chapter in world history is still one needing to be told, the tale of people who risked everything to maintain their religious liberty. Sadly, that’s a theme that needs to be

Ellen Hubbard isn’t a documentary filmmaker by trade, but she decided to pick up a camera after getting fed up with the sheer volume of government waste clogging the country’s coffers. Hubbard also found inspiration from late Internet publisher Andrew

The star-studded movement to reduce the ratings of “Bully” from R to PG:13, including shout outs from Justin Bieber, Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep, has failed. But the whole campaign was a sham to begin with, a shrewd marketing ploy

Producer Harvey Weinstein is used to getting his way. Not this time. The Weinstein Company’s attempt to force the MPAA to give his new film, “Bully,” a PG:13 rating failed. So now the documentary, set to hit theaters on Friday,

Tom Hanks is no Jimmy Stewart. That may be obvious today following Hanks’ comments regarding World War II and his embrace of unpopular President Barack Obama. But a decade ago, it seemed Hanks’ career might mimic that of the beloved

President Barack Obama would have fixed everything over the last three years if not for those meddlesome Republicans. So suggests Martin Sheen, the notoriously outspoken liberal actor in a new video meant to support the president’s re-election campaign and flailing

Liberal comedians don’t consider the notion of “too soon” when it comes to mocking conservatives in distress. So., when former Vice President Dick Cheney underwent heart transplant surgery, liberal comics rushed to Twitter to fire off vile jokes. Presidential candidate Roseanne

Johnny Cash’s faith represented a “huge part of who he was,” says Jason Edwards, the director and co-star of the traveling tribute “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash.” It’s not a coincidence that Cash’s spiritual nature doesn’t get

The new drama “October Baby” doesn’t hide its intentions. It’s a pro-life movie, period. That shouldn’t impact how film critics receive it. The bigger question should be, “Is it any good?” Many liberal film critics (redundant, I know) couldn’t simply

Had “A Lonely Place to Die” only focused on a team of climbers beset by a sniper it would have given us some jittery shocks. Instead, the film supplements the climbing scenes with a geopolitical subplot woven expertly into the

Meryl Streep is arguably the most honored actress of her generation. But years ago, before the fame and Oscar statuettes, she was just an ordinary girl who suffered … at the hands … of a local bully. Streep revealed her

A quick show of hands – is anyone actually excited when they find a movie is being shown in 3D? Anyone? The movie industry has been pushing 3D hard for the past three years, despite waning enthusiasm for the medium

Jonah Hill is all of 28 years old, and he’s already at a career crossroads. The star of “Superbad” recently said he wants to cut back on comedic roles and concentrate on dramas like his recent hit “Moneyball,” the role

My formative years could be summed up in two significant stages – life before cable … and with cable. Cable television was a gift from up above for an entertainment addict like me, and for decades I relied on cable

“The Hunger Games” is infinitely better than any of the “Twilight” films. Let’s all take a deep breath and say, “thank you.” “Games,” based on the wildly popular teen novels by Suzanne Collins, trumps that vampire franchise with superior acting,

Susan Sarandon is a world-class actress who could use a beginner’s course on movie marketing. Sarandon, the ageless star of “Thelma & Louise,” “Dead Man Walking” and the new film “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” is one of Hollywood’s most

Harvey Weinstein knows how to cajole Oscar voters come awards season. His resume is chockablock with Oscar-winning films, and while he has a nose for talented fare he’s also gifted in persuading the right people to vote his way. Now,

Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert hasn’t gotten the memo that Rush Limbaugh isn’t going anywhere. The Left’s efforts to kick Limbaugh off the air following his inappropriate comments regarding liberal activist Sandra Fluke have failed. Yet the media continue to spin

Thou shall not worship false idols … unless the idol happens to be President Barack Obama. Contestant Elise Testone on Fox’s fading pop star showcase “American Idol” sang a duet of sorts with Obama this week as part of her

Will Ferrell deposits his man-child persona into a Mexican potboiler in “Casa de mi Padre” and doesn’t speak a lick of English along the way. The “Saturday Night Live” alum might broaden his base with his not really awful Spanish,

Jimmy Testagross has the belly of a middle-aged slacker, and he can’t make a cup of coffee or fold laundry. None of that matters to him. He just wants to rock, or at least lug the guitars, drum kits and

Comedian Michael Ian Black is so proud of calling late Internet publisher Andrew Breitbart “a despicable human being” he Tweeted me so I could read what he said about my late boss. Black, a comedian best known for his collaborations

The new Comedy Central show “Key & Peele” goes out of its way to protect President Barack Obama. Hosts Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele deliver sketches that pump up the beleaguered president and/or trash his political opponents. Comedians used to

Comedian Michael Ian Black admits he crosses the line sometimes with his humor. So, too, did Bill Maher, according to Black, when Maher called Sarah Palin a “c**t.” But Black, best known as a member of the comedy troupe The

The 2011 “Footloose” remake didn’t cause a cultural stir, launch any of its leads into superstardom or force us to update our iPods. It turned out just fine all the same, a credible remake of a film that, truth be

None of us will likely live to see a television show dubbed “Good Muslim Bitches” or “Good Jewish Bitches,” for that matter. That ABC would foist a show like “GCB,” based on the Kim Gatlin book “Good Christian Bitches,” upon

Audiences watched Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova fall in love on screen in the 2006 Irish charmer “Once.” What they didn’t know at the time was they were making beautiful music together off screen as well. “The Swell Season,” the

One 1999 comedy had its pie and ate it, too. It’s best not to say what else happened to the unfortunate pastry. “American Pie” not only launched, albeit briefly, the careers of several young actors but it brought the teen comedy