Driveway Name: Sam Worthington

Aaaand we're back in The Shade after a long Memorial Day weekend. I went to Myrtle Beach with some friends and soaked up plenty of sun, surf and shell (I actually got pretty scraped up while body-surfing). I hope you all had a fun break too and are ready for some more posts.

Everyone knows celebs like Justin Timerberlake, Halle Berry and J.K. Rowling— they're household names. But as for the musicians, actors and writers who are on the cusp of breaking out, let's call them "driveway names." Their success might lead them through the front door of stardom or it might shift into reverse never to be heard from again.

One actor who has great potential to rise from the ranks of anonymity is Aussie action-hero Sam Worthington. But don't let the pretty blue eyes and chiseled jawline fool you— this bloke is a classically trained thespian. After graduating from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1998 (NIDA alums include Cate Blanchett, Mel Gibson and Toni Collette), Worthington has spent the last decade honing his craft. The hard work has paid off as the 32-year-old actor now finds himself engaged in three big-budget films while comparisons to Russell Crowe flit the Internet. This month, Worthington stars alongside Christian Bale in Terminator Salvation, which opened last weekend grossing $42.5 million at the box office. Despite some shaky reviews for the fourth Terminator film, Variety and Week in Rewind/Movies tout Worthington as the true star— quite an accomplishment for anyone sharing screen time with Bale.

In December, we'll get to see the newbie from Down Under in another sci-fi flick, this one directed by the master himself, James Cameron. I honestly have no idea what Avatar is about (isn't an avatar an Internet picture?), but Cameron's return to the director's chair after a long hiatus is reason enough for me to watch. Also, Worthington is currently filming a remake of Clash of the Titans (yay!) in which he'll play the lead, Perseus— let's hope he does Harry Hamlin proud! The film is slated for release in March 2010.

In the meantime, if you'd like to learn how Worthington went from brick-layer to actor extraordinaire— it's actually a pretty funny story— check out this article from Wired.

Bookmarked: 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'

The latest book to leave my nightstand and find a comfy spot on my bookshelf (scratch that, my bookshelf is already overbooked) is Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. A clever retelling of Cinderella, this book was not as fabulous as Wicked — which I guess should be obvious since it isn't a best-selling Broadway play — but Maguire's enchanting prose and cheeky interpretation of classic tales hold true.

Set in 17th-century Holland, Confessions is like a fun cross between Wicked and Girl with a Pearl Earring. Art is all the rage throughout the book, something amateurs will relish and art history buffs will loathe. A detailed description of "The Garden of Eathly Delights" thrilled me because I've actually seen it in the Prado, but jaded experts would just roll their eyes at the painting's odd little cameo in the book.

As in Wicked, Maguire creates a strong and interesting woman as his protagonists. Whereas the former examined the subjective nature of good and evil through the life of a passionate yet quirky green girl-turned-witch, Confessions questions the value and consequences of beauty through opposites: Iris the Plain (at best) and Clara the Freakishly Beautiful. But in the end, it is Maguire's fleshed-out version of a stick-figure fable that I'll take away from Confessions, not a lesson in philosophy. To find out more about the book and read reviews, visit its amazon page.

Next up! As mentioned, I want to read Angels & Demons before watching the film, but Chocolat and New Moon are also worthy contenders. I'll let you know which one ends up on my nightstand.

***UPDATE*** While searching for a picture to go with this post, I discovered that Disney turned Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister into a TV movie starring Stockard Channing, Jonathon Pryce (i.e. Governor Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean) and Matthew Goode (Watchmen). Sadly, it's so obscure that Netflix doesn't even carry it. If it's streaming online anywhere, I'll post the link ASAP.

Calling all Angels, Demons and 'Da Vinci' dorks

This weekend was considerably quieter at the box office. Angels & Demons opened with only $48,000,000 but managed to unseat Star Trek as the number one film. Since I won't be seeing the movie until I finish the book, read what the top critics have to say on rottentomatoes.com.

So why am I determined to finish the novel that precedes The Da Vinci Code before watching the movie version, which is written as a sequel? Simply put, I don't think I'll be able to follow the story without having read the cliff notes (i.e. the book) beforehand. I've never been a huge fan of Dan Brown— The Da Vinci Code was over-hyped as a book and rushed as a movie— but the elaborate conspiracy theories that define his novels are too intriguing to ignore. If you have any doubts about its widespread popularity, look no farther than the themed-tours market that first erupted in 2006 and now draws Angels & Demons fans today.

While travel is a great option, those who are on a tighter budget might appreciate the illustrated versions of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. These special editions include all of the original text along with city and site maps, artistic renderings and photographs of artifacts described in the story. In short, these books are the "Holy Grail" for devoted fans (yes, horrible pun, I know).

Apparently the illustrated versions have been out for a few years, but I just moseyed across them during a recent trip to the bookstore. Had I been more observant three years earlier, I could have bought them as a birthday gift for my mother, who is starting to find signs of Opus Dei and Illuminati at the grocery store and post office. Perhaps then I could have spared myself from her many questions: "Is there any obelisk in Saint Peter's Square? Have you seen 'The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa'? What does 'novus ordo seclorum' mean?"

Happy B'day Stephen Colbert

Today is the 45th birthday of the truthiness king himself, Stephen T. Colbert. The often-egocentric host of "The Colbert Report" made no mention of his special day on the show, although he did treat himself to a couple of thousand-dollar desserts on a recurring segment, Colbert Platinum.

In addition, staff members bought him a 1973 Martin guitar (see the full story), which might make its debut on Thursday's show when Yusuf (a.k.a Cat Stevens) guest stars. So sweet of them, but I honestly won't know if he plays it or not— I can't even tell a guitar apart from a bass.

The picture above (courtesy of the Military.com) is our first glimpse of Private Colbert training at Fort Jackson, S.C.— check out the Louis Vuitton bag and over-sized shades! He's attending boot camp to prepare for the show's upcoming trip to the Persian Gulf. The time and specific location of the tour is still a mystery, but hopefully we'll see some footage of the basic training soon.

Dismissed!

Bringing Trekkie Back

DISCLAIMER: I was a Trekkie (hem hem, technically a "Trekker") long before the new Star Trek film was even in production, so you might want to take my subsequent gushing with a grain of salt.

Back in 2005, I heard rumors that J.J. Abrams was in talks for creating a new Trek movie that would feature the crew from the original series as young adults. Reports said it would be, "The O.C. meets Star Trek." I was terrified. Mixing the mature, philosophical Trek with a melodramatic teen show seemed as good of an idea as mixing orange juice with milk. I couldn't have been more wrong.

In a single word, Star Trek is amazing. Sure it's also fun, thrilling, sexy and (yes) fresh, but "amazing" is the only way I can describe the pleasant shock that kept my mouth agape during most of the film. Abrams, who was already a sci-fi whiz ("Lost," Cloverfield, "Fringe"), has outdone himself: He breathed life into a wayward franchise while still honoring the Trek mythology. You don't need to be a Trekkie (heck, you don't even have to know what the U.S.S. Enterprise is) to enjoy the film, yet there are plenty of old-school allusions for the fans.

Surprises and plot twists are half the fun of Star Trek, so I will be sparing in the details I share. Despite the smooth special effects and the imaginative glimpses of alien worlds, the highlights were definitely in the performances. Karl Urban nailed the cantankerous "Bones" McCoy to an eerie (yet hilarious) degree that made me think he was channeling DeForest Kelley himself. Chris Pine's portrayal of James T. Kirk proved that this pretty boy can act — he embodied Kirk's devil-may-care attitude toward rules without the hokey Shatnerisms. And while Kirk was portrayed as a sort of Casanova on the television series, his womanizing habits are a great source of humor in the film. Funnyman Simon Pegg clicks as the clever and colorful Scotty while Zoe Saldana adds some feistiness to Uhura while maintaining her quick wit and compassion.

But out of all the cast, Zachary Quinto shines the brightest as a young Spock who must continually struggle with his emotions while questioning which world — Vulcan or human— he truly belongs to. The actor held his own, quite a feat considering the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, made an appearance. In addition to Nimoy, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross and Jennifer Morrison from "House" have cameos. Perhaps they are closet Trekkies?

All the strings that might have constrained Star Trek in past are cut here. In the various television incarnations, plot continuity and fixed budgets kept the stories grounded; in previous films, the age of the actors (usually in their 50s and up) kept the action safe. But there are no limits in Abrams' reimagining of Gene Roddenberry's original vision — and that's Trek at its best.

Still not convinced to give Star Trek a try? Then check out Jimmy Fallon's interview with the two Spocks (Quinto and Nimoy) and learn how to act during a starship attack.

Until next time, live long and prosper.

10 Things I love about 'X-Men Origins'

While I am totally biased when it comes to reviewing X-Men films (or anything with Hugh Jackman for that matter), X-Men Origins: Wolverine is fun, fast-paced and fulfilling. Yes, fulfilling. Where X-Men 3: The Last Stand left me upset, confused and generally discontented, the latest mutant flick exceeded my expectations. Perhaps it should bump X3 out of the Blu-ray DVD pack and take its place...

So why am I raving about this film? Here's 10 reasons why:

1. Cool cameos from some of your favorite recurring characters like a teenage Cyclops (sorry, the glimpse of Storm was held for the director's cut DVD).
2. We finally know the tantilizing secrets of Wolverine's past— did you know that Logan isn't his first name?
   
3. Will.i.am rocks his silver screen debut in a cowboy hat.
   
4. Logan's love interest, Kayla Silverfox, is low-maintenance (not psychotic like Jean Grey in X-3) and gracefully acted by "True Blood" 's Lynn Collins.
5. Liev Schreiber kicks mutton-chops as Sabretooth. This blockbuster-shy actor earned some much-needed cool points after playing a nerd opposite a dashing Hugh Jackman in 2001's Kate & Leopold.
6. The sidekick and foil mutants were not annoying in this film. Dominic Monaghan as Bolt, Will.i.am as Wraith and Daniel Henney as Agent Zero vs. Callisto, Juggernaut and Pyro— 'nuff said.
7. Unlike the dark-dark-and-even-darker Dark Knight, I actually laughed during parts of this superhero movie. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?
8. Sorry, boys, this X-Men film is eye-candy for the girls. Between a shirtless Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), a smoldering Taylor Kitsch (Gambit), a growling Liev Schreiber and a naked Hugh Jackman, you might want to bring a pocket fan.
9. The film has an adorable elderly couple who offer Logan some guidance (seriously we haven't seen a duo this cute since Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Spider-Man).
   
10. Still wanting more? At least two more spin-offs are already being discussed: a Deadpool prequel and another Wolverine story taking place in...Japan? Really?
    

Hounding Anoop-Dawg plus 'X-Men Origins' alternate endings

For those of you who are watching this season of "American Idol," keep reading. For those of you who despise/boycott/ignore it, just skip down to the X-Men paragraph.

Chapel Hill, N.C.'s own Anoop Desai, who was eliminated from the show two weeks ago, made his homecoming Monday at UNC-Chapel Hill. Friends, family and (of course) fans gave him a warm welcome. While I was an undergrad at UNC, I heard Anoop sing a few times as a member of the male a Cappella group, the Clef Hangers. After following his success on "American Idol," I was excited to meet and congratulate him. My friend and I were lucky to get our pictures taken (see right!) and speak with him briefly. Yes, I was pestering a fellow alum like a teeny-bopper, but Anoop couldn't have been more gracious.

Also, in case any fellow Tar Heels are wondering, I asked if his outfit was from Julian's on Franklin Street. It's not, but he did say he liked their style!

In addition to my local-celeb hunting, I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine today. I'm too tired to do a full review now, but it was dynamite (or should I say adamantium?) If you're planning to see it soon, be sure to stay until the end of the credits for an additional scene as done in X-3: The Last Stand. Apparently this film has more than one ending snippet, but you can only see one at a time (read MTV's scoop on the multiple alternate endings).

More to come soon!

"My dad's Wolverine" and the kickoff of May Movie Madness

Like all superhero flicks, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has the potential to be a great date movie. Despite the genre's penchant for long action scenes and over-the-top characters, there's always a deeper story, and it usually centers around love . While true romances (think any movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel) are a bit too serious for the first few movie dates, silver screen incarnations of classic comics are guaranteed to keep the mood light— or in the case of Spider-Man 3, ridiculously frivolous.

But what if you don't have a date? Hugh Jackman shares his 8-year-old son's method of impressing the ladies in the "The Daily Show" interview below. And in case you're wondering, the blow-up Wolverine punching toy was first mentioned back in 2006 when Hugh was promoting X3: The Last Stand on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Unfortunately NBC Universal is extremely vigilant in keeping their clips off youtube, so alas I have no video of that interview. Conan had predicted that Hugh's son would get a lot of use out of the punching toy as a teenager— I guess he started early!

Also, The LA Times has an article that breaks down the quintuple blockbusters of May and picks Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian as the only candidate likely to break $100 million on opening weekend (wouldn't have been my first pick!) But with all these budget-bloated movies premiering this month, it begs the question: Will there be anything left for the rest of the summer?

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