Culturite

Amy Poehler’s final episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by a game Hugh Laurie, was, as usual, a hit-and-miss evening, with many of the show’s best laughs coming from Poehler herself. Just when it looked like the show had missed a golden opportunity for political comedy with a tepid cold open about recently indicted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Poehler and fellow ‘Weekend Update’ co-host Seth Meyers brought the big time funny with a rendition of “Really!?! with Seth & Amy” all about the foul-mouthed, comically coiffed pol. (Poehler: “The hair? Really?! It looks like you’re wearing a toupee that’s also wearing a toupee!”) The bit was so funny, it was that much sadder to realize we’ll probably never see it again — or if we do with a new ‘Update’ co-host, it won’t quite be the same without Poehler’s puckish bite.

When Poehler dropped her trademark smirk to announce her departure from the show, she got all soft and genuine and grateful, and I kinda wanted to leap through the TV and give her a big ole hug for so many years of snarky giggles.

‘The Day the Earth Stood Still,’ a contemporary reinvention of 20th Century Fox’s 1951 sci-fi classic, took the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend.

The movie, also starring Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, James Hong, Jaden Smith and Kathy Bates, made $31 million over the weekend, studio estimates showed on Sunday.

Perhaps the most misguided remake since the laughable overhaul of ALL THE KING’S MEN a couple of years ago, the new EARTH has precious little in common with either the subtle 1951 science-fiction classic, or the short story that inspired the original film (Harry Bates’ “Farewell to the Master”).

This version has simultaneously pumped up the violence and destruction — and the body count — while dumbing down the thought-provoking themes that made the 1951 version haunting and resonant.

Director Scott Derrickson is more concerned with orchestrating a series of meant-to-be-mesmerizing special-effect sequences. His EARTH is full of digital trickery that no one could have even imagined 57 years ago; unfortunately, the rest of the film is proof that the art of screenwriting has, if anything, devolved throughout the decades.

[T]he transformation of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL from a great piece of science-fiction into a borderline-incomprehensible, brain-dead action flick is nothing to celebrate.

With the Friday the 13th reboot coming up, it was only a matter of time before Freddy Krueger made his appearance. And that time is now, as Platinum Dunes co-heads Brad Fuller and Andrew Form told STYD that the deal is done to reboot the classic ‘80s horror franchise.

“It’s our next movie, hopefully shooting this spring” said Form, referring to Nightmare on Elm Street.

“It’s not Freddy cracking jokes. We want to make a horrifying movie. The concept is so scary, don’t fall asleep or you’ll die. This guy gets you when you’re most vulnerable, in your sleep. We love that. That’s the basis of the movie. It’ll be most similar to the first one but in terms of kills and dreams we’ll borrow from the entire series,” says Fuller.

Original Freddy star Robert Englund will be back for a role, though someone new will step into the dream-hopping demon’s role.