The 48 Hour Film Project stops in hundreds of cities across the world, bringing aspiring filmmakers out to create short films for a $5000 prize. The winning team also lands the chance to have their film viewed at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival.

Described as a mix of “The Amazing Race,” “American Idol,” and “Tough Mudder,” the NYC stop of the competition brought out 72 teams, out of which 12 teams gained the opportunity to have their hard work shown to an audience.

The 12 teams’ films will be shown at a public screening at the Cantor Film Center on June 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the screening are $10, and can be purchased online.

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We interviewed third-time Tony Award nominee Judith Light about her current play, “The Assembled Parties,” as well as if the thrill of awards shows dims after her many successful years in onscreen and onstage (including her Tony win last year for Best Featured Actress in a Play for “Other Desert Cities”).

You’ve been to so many awards shows, you must be a pro at this.

I don’t feel like a pro at all; it’s every bit as exciting as it was the first time, I must say.

Do you know what you’re going to wear yet?

You know, those are the things that are a little bit harder for me because I have difficulty making decisions, but because I have some lovely people helping me that really makes a big difference. I don’t know that I can talk about it yet, because I haven’t asked permission.

How do you feel about your chances this year?

You really can’t compare any of the performances because they’re all so different. The women that have been nominated are all extraordinary, I think they’re amazing — and whichever one of us gets it isn’t important, what’s important is that we’ve come to celebrate each other. … A bunch of us have been talking about it, [the idea of] taking back competitiveness.

Like last year, you’re being recognized for playing an acerbic lush. Do you feel like you’re being typecast?

Well actually, I think they’re very different characters. [This one] is a woman from Long Island who is tortured by her circumstances and being cut off by her mother and is very jealous of her sister-in-law and then has this very profound transformation in the second act of the play. So I have to say no, I don’t know a lot about the typecast.

Is it a specific type of role that you like to play?

You know, I’m actually drawn to whatever characters I find really interesting and where I can really delve into pathologically and I try to find a depth in them that I can connect to that I know and understand and I want to investigate. And of course [you want to take it] when you have somebody as wonderful to work with as Richard Greenberg, who is one our greatest playwrights.

Your character changes a lot from her point of view in the first act and in the second act. Can you tell us a little about what motivates her?

What drives Faye in the first act is her need to express the depth of sorrow and pain and anger and loss that she feels in her life, and I think in the second act what she’s really expressing is the transformation that has occurred over the generosity of this amazing women [Hecht’s character] and what she said is. She’s lifted up by that and her whole life is different because this women has made such a difference in her life.
So there is this very sort of sour, angry, disappointed women in the first act. And in the second act, she’s literally lighter, as she says.

Do you relate to her reflections about the past, present and future?

That’s really interesting. I actually see that in my own life, I see that things can be lighter and better and that we can be given to by people and give to them and we can actually  transform their lives. So I think that’s a really important message in the play — not only for the people that are seeing it, but for me in my life and for a lot of people that I know. I know it’s affected a lot of people in the cast and in the play as well.

Do you come from a very close-knit family?

No, we’re a very small family and we’re not terribly close. My parents are both gone, my dad just passed away last year.

So you don’t relate to the kinds of intimate family plays that you’ve been doing?

You know, I don’t very much. This is a very distinctive story, of course I bring myself and I bring some of my past — but it’s not really the prominent, sort of the high note for me in this. It’s such a brilliantly written piece that there’s so much that really has been given to us by Richard, so I’m really not bringing a lot of my family past in with me.

Do you think it’s a typical family dynamic, with everyone bickering and keeping secrets?

I feel that there’s this very interesting family that’s been created out of love and this desire to help each other and they become this kind of family that you would never expect when you see the beginning of this play. But they come together in a way that’s very unusual and that actually worked, and I think that there’s a lot of families in the world that comes together in this way and so it seems to me that it’s a very universal kind of message.

Do you think people can take that away from the play? That they can choose their family and make amends coming forward?

I think that’s one of the biggest messages of this play, I think that’s why audiences are responding to it the way that they are because they see something of it in themselves. And even though it’s a Jewish family, we hear from so many perspectives that it comes out that there are all kinds of families and all kinds of possibilities out there.

Follow T. Michelle Murphy on Twitter: @TMichelleMurphy

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Still hoping to find a spot for your child to spend their summer days? It’s not too late – many New York City camps are still accepting summer registration. Whether your child might like to try out their voice in a musical theater program, learn to cook healthy meals or sleep in a rustic cabin, here are some summer schedule options:

Performing arts

Four Corners Creative, a company that offers dance, music and acting lessons, hosts multiple one-week Adventures On Stage musical theater camps, where kids learn dance from hip-hop to Broadway, ultimately putting on a production at the end of the week to show off their new skills. They will also get to meet Broadway performers and former Rockettes. The company emphasizes self-esteem and character building alongside the theater theme.

PreK through fifth grade
$475 per session
www.fourcornerscreative.com

Fitness

For a camp-like experience without the separation of a full week or day, kids’ yoga studio Yogi Beans on the Upper East Side is also still taking reservations, whether families are in town for the whole summer or just this month. Their Mini-Bean Yoga Retreat offers a two-hour yoga adventure for kids, ages three to nine, including soothing poses, a healthy snack, and arts and crafts.

Three to five years, six to nine years
$40 to drop in or 10 classes for $300
www.yogibeans.com

Foodies

For children with an appetite or eye toward the kitchen, Freshmade NYC is expanding their cooking classes this year to a three-day summer camp, for an hour each day. The camps include cooking alongside arts, crafts, yoga and farm visits. The camp starts off at the Battery Urban Farm downtown, where kids can plant and grow their own herbs and vegetables. Later, at the Soho-based Freshmade NYC, campers learn to prepare healthy meals.

Two years to six years
$272 per session
www.freshmadenyc.com

Enrichment

With locations all around the five boroughs, the YMCA offers a slew of day camps and sleepaway camps for young New Yorkers. Day camps include an array of activities like swimming and museum visits to swim camps, or campers can choose specialized arts camps and sports camps. Sleepaway camps promise a bully-free atmosphere and team-building exercises to make children feel welcome in rustic cabins, where they live with a trained counselor. Financial assistance is available to some families. Each branch has a different schedule of activities, so check with your local YMCA.

Costs vary
Sleepaway camp for ages six to 15
www.ymcanyc.org

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @reporteralison

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Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More,” an immersive theater experience loosely based on the story of “Macbeth,” has been wowing audiences since 2011. More than just a show, this experience spans five stories of Chelsea’s The McKittrick Hotel (530 W. 27th St.), including the Manderley Bar with live lounge performances that last late into the night.

Since the debut of “Sleep No More,” and its subsequent spectacular rise in popularity, The McKittrick has branched out to host special events — like themed party performances on occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween.

This season, the “Sleep No More” team goes one step further, premiering additions that, as they attest, will posit the McKittrick as the area’s ultimate nightlife destination.

One example is Gallow Green, the rooftop that reopened in April offering panoramic city views. A cocktail list boasts offerings by mixologist Dave Wondrich and features a variety of alcoholic punches (punch drunk, get it?) that are available in single pours or to share. A limited menu includes an array of sweet and savory bites devised by chef R.L. King. Gallow Green will be open nightly through autumn. Guests don’t need tickets to “Sleep No More” to come upstairs and enjoy an evening of drinks under the stars — however, it’s the perfect place to imbibe before or after your evening of Shakespearean debauchery. Table reservations are strongly encouraged.

Of course, it just wouldn’t be “Sleep No More” if there weren’t always just one more surprise lurking around the bend. The McKittrick recently hosted the premiere party for Lady Antebellum’s latest album, as well as after-parties for the Tribeca Film Festival. Keep an ear to the ground for even more exciting opportunities and special guest appearances that are already in the works.

One way to stay on top of the latest announcements for parties, musical events, guest appearances and special performances is to sign up for Maximilian’s List by emailing reservations@sleepnomorenyc.com.

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In the arts, certain themes resonate through time. One of these is the madness of betrayed women. Yasuko Yokoshi’s grand new project, “Bell,” fuses elements of an 18th-century Kabuki dance play and the 19th-century French ballet “Giselle,” but its most startling, telling aspect is a rendition of Lady Gaga’s 2009 hit “Bad Romance.”

Yokoshi, the first resident artist at New York Live Arts, has had access to unprecedented resources in developing the 70-minute piece, which features three American modern dancers, two Japanese Kabuki performers and six musicians, with the choreographer herself in a central role. A native of Hiroshima based in New York for more than 30 years, her eyes, ears and sensibilities are carefully tuned to contrasting emotional landscapes and their odd similarities.

Between the unfamiliar cadences of the Japanese music, performed live on traditional instruments, and the lilting melodies of the ballet score hovers the strange chanting of Gaga’s heavily synthesized recording, oddly similar to the Japanese sound. Yokoshi finds the feeling-tone of madness and despair that plays through all her sources. She and her cast illuminate it, referencing the buttoned-up formality of Kabuki and the romantic swirl of ballet simultaneously, juxtaposing these elements against the bratty behavior of girls guarding a Buddhist temple.

Akiko Iwasaki’s costume designs — and the hair, wigs and makeup by Koji Kasai — draw our eyes as dramatically as the fusion of sounds, ranging from Western and Japanese singing to viola, flute, drums and shamisen, plus recorded natural noises. We may not understand what’s going on, but we are held rapt by the beauty of the cultural collision on the wide stage.

If you go

Yasuko Yokoshi’s ‘Bell’
Through Saturday
New York Live Arts
219 W. 19th St, 212-924-0077
$15-$30; www.newyorklivearts.org

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Glacial pace notwithstanding, there’s a lot to be said for “The Flick” at Playwrights Horizons. Sam Gold’s production of playwright Annie Baker’s latest effort has a likeable plot with clever flourishes, offbeat characters and excellent acting. Its downfall is that both playwright and director have mistakenly confused realistic with real, resulting in a theatrical experience that’s true to life but deadly in its lack of momentum.

Baker and Gold meticulously detail the workaday exploits of Sam (Matthew Maher) and new recruit Avery (Aaron Clifton Moten) as they clean up between shows at the Flick, a single-screen movie house in Massachusetts. Sometimes joined by projectionist Rose (Louisa Krause), they reveal themselves haltingly. The play’s truth is unassailable, but real life in real time can be a real drag. Sam desperately pines for Rose, who in turn is drawn to Avery. Avery, who attempted suicide a year ago, hesitates but ultimately joins Sam and Rose as they skim the theater take every night for “meal money.” And Rose learns that the theater is about to be sold.

“The Flick” picks up in the second act, but the overall pace makes “The Three Sisters” look like it’s on speed. The plot here achieves an emotional crescendo as Avery, subtly played by Moten with an almost flat affect, reaches out to his co-workers, only to be shot down. But it’s too little too late. The purposeful monotony preceding it deflates its impact.

If you go

‘The Flick’
Extended through April 7
Playwrights Horizons,
416 W. 42^nd St.
$70, www.playwrightshorizons.org

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The Martha Graham Dance Company just can’t catch a break. Finally back on its feet after years of legal turmoil, the 87-year-old troupe last year celebrated its move to the Greenwich Village studios vacated by Merce Cunningham’s defunct organization — only to have its basement storage space swamped by Sandy. Priceless sets and costumes were damaged or destroyed.

Janet Eilber, current artistic director, faces two challenges: getting Graham classics back onstage after this crushing blow and adding new works to the repertory to attract young audiences. Scores of volunteers are helping by restoring the scenery, lending costumes (the ensemble will dance Graham’s lovely “Diversion of Angels” in dresses belonging to American Ballet Theatre) and donating choreography, time and money. The current Joyce season includes a new Luca Veggetti piece and a preview of a work by Nacho Duato.

Program A features “The Show (Achilles Heels),” Richard Move’s fantasia on themes from Homer’s “Iliad.” Originally commissioned by Mikhail Baryshnikov (whose voice still lingers on the voiceover, to which the dancers lip-synch), this cheeky piece includes a game show and songs by Deborah Harry of Blondie in its Arto Lindsay score. Overlong, overstuffed and intermittently static, it nevertheless has its charms — notably the physiques of many nearly naked young men, a meme Move borrows from Graham herself, as well as Natasha Diamond-Walker playing a horse. And 1962’s “Phaedra,” not Graham’s best work, also shares this program: It’s one of many descants on Greek myths that obsessed the pioneering modernist.

Program B, three vintage Graham works, is for purists; Program C includes her “Angels” and others’ variations on her themes.

If you go

Martha Graham Dance Company
Through March 3
Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave.; 212-242-0800
$10-$59; www.joyce.org

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In the name of full disclosure, we weren’t looking forward to reviewing “The Vandal.” The plot centers on two strangers at a bus stop telling each other stories to pass the time, and we suspected that it would serve as a cheap framework to tie together an otherwise unrelated series of 10-minute vignettes, like the off-Broadway equivalent of “Movie 43.”

As was the case with Peter Farrelly’s latest work, we suspected, deep down, that any first play by Hamish Linklater would be produced simply because the man at the helm was well-connected in Hollywood (to wit, one benefit reading of this piece called in heavyweights Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver).

So consider us surprised to settle into our seats at The Flea Theater and actually disappear into this engaging plot from its first monologue, delivered by a chatterbox teenager who’s at once likable with the earnest self-disclosure of an Amy Sherman Palladino character. The same fine balance of eager vulnerability that worked so well for Noah Robbins in last year’s “The Twenty-Seventh Man” at The Public Theater also appeals to the obstinate, ornery Margaret (Dierdre O’Connell), who slowly lets down her guard and starts warming to Robert’s quirky requests. First, it’s just to buy him beer since he’s underage — but that leads to a series of small favors that continue to peel away both characters’ layers (figuratively and literally; there’s brief nudity) as they dance ever closer to the teen’s true motives.

But we won’t reveal that here and ruin all the fun. Although all of the characters (including Robert’s dad, played with frank humanity by Zach Grenier) come to exorcise their demons through their mostly true tales, the three never share the stage — but there’s still a central plot that holds their storylines together in a way that never feels forced. “The Vandal” is a tight 80 minutes, with no intermission, and has just reasonably been extended through March 3. The writing certainly has peaks and valleys, but as a world premiere it’s a promising kickoff to what could be a secondary career in playwriting for Linklater. We look forward to his next offering to see if it builds on the momentum of “The Vandal” — no pressure, though.

If you go

‘The Vandal’
Through March 3
The Flea Theater,
41 White Street
$45 weekdays, $50 weekends,
www.theflea.org

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Credit: Josh Lehrer

The cynic’s pick: ‘PASSION’

“Passion” is a twisted love story about a relationship founded on obsession and manipulation. The antithesis of a rom-com, this dark musical will appease those who are intrigued by the intensity of infatuation and the complexities of newfound love. For Sondheim fans, it’s a no-brainer. And those who like to be first-to-know will be impressed that you heard about this under-the-radar restaging that’s new to town as of this weekend (Feb. 8). www.classicstage.org

Credit: Joan Marcus

The confident choice: ‘PICNIC’

No matter who you are, it takes a lot of courage to bring your date to a play where Sebastian Stan spends half the time onstage shirtless and gleaming with sweat. Here he’s a down-on-his-luck drifter who falls for a small town’s most prized bachelorette. We won’t tell you how that seemingly doomed affair turns out, but we will guarantee that you’ll earn major points for being bold enough to stare at Stan while sitting next to your SO. www.roundabouttheatre.org

Credit: Michael Brosilow

The long-term ticket: ‘WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?’

Committed couples get comfortable with one another; they operate in a language that only they can understand. This production takes that kind of long-haul love to the next level, showcasing theater’s most cohesively dysfunctional husband and wife as they bait and mock a newly married duo over a long night of cocktails. And it’s all in the name of breaking familiarity and pushing their relationship to the next level. Despite the epic levels of gamesmanship to which this particular pair have taken their matrimony, the play’s still recognizably romantic in a way that many longtime lovers will understand. www.virginiawoolfbroadway.com

Credit: Joan Marcus

The introductory date: ‘THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD’

Isn’t it great at the start of a relationship, when there’s still a lot of excitement and, well, mystery? If you’re just starting out with someone new, a musical comedy is the perfect pick that will let you relax together and laugh. With audience participation and surprise endings that change every night, there’s plenty within this uproariously convoluted plot for you to talk about. And regardless of the twists and turns this choose-your-own-adventure might take, you’ll be good to go knowing that every single performance is going to end in a love song. www.roundabouttheatre.org

Credit: Joan Marcus

The safe bet: ‘ONCE’

As the top Tony winner of 2012, “Once” is likely to hit the mark for even the hard-to-please theatergoer. Romantic and haunting, the story follows musicians who realize they each bring out just what the other person needs most. If all else fails, there’s a bar right onstage so you can grab a glass of wine to smooth over any misgivings about your taste in musical theater. But in our professional opinion, if your date doesn’t like “Once,” you should probably just reconsider the relationship. Unfortunately, this is also one where it might be hard to score tickets — but if you can, you really can’t go wrong. www.oncemusical.com

Follow Metro’s theater editor via Twitter: @TMichelleMurphy.

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Per BARC’s (aka Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition) Facebook pag, Lena Dunham and her mother Laurie Simmons came into the shelter today to adopt the rescue Repeat, who they will rename to  Lamby.

Lamby is apparently a 1-year-old Cockapoo mix. A BARC volunteer notes in the comments that “if she hadn’t been adopted (they told us she was), I would have had to take her. The sweetest dog, so gentle. Really like a little lamb. So appropriate name!”

Lucky dog!

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To celebrate the recovery of his senses and his reacquaintance with his cross-dressed ‘wife,’ the Lord has an acting troupe perform a matrimonial comedy in the couple’s honor. As in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” this induction seems to lend the main action a didactic quality, an important factor to keep in mind when interpreting the intentions of both playwright and director. For those unfamiliar with the plot, the story that follows concerns the marriage prospects of the two daughters, the elder “shrew” Kate and the widely desired Bianca, of “a rich gentleman of Padua” who will only consent to marry off the younger after finding a husband for her less desirable sister.

As with Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice,” Kate’s beliefs must be sacrificed and her character censured by play’s end to complete the comedic cycle from social discord to cohesion by marriage. Like the Jewish moneylender, she naively believes in the ostensible laws of her society and the personal liberty they seem to grant, making her complete submission to her husband Petruchio the punchline to the play’s running joke about the necessary subjugation of rebels and reprobates to the communal will for the smooth functioning of the body politic. Her fierce individualism was allowed to develop because her father protected her from the reality of her privileged yet limited station, and it must now be repudiated to restore balance to the economic order.

But this is Shakespeare, so what appears at first glance to be a simple reification of rigidly defined class and gender roles quickly becomes a hilarious and complex examination of the fluidity and constructed nature of these very things. Starting with a worker turned aristocrat whose wife is really a manservant, we move on to servants masquerading as their masters and wealthy gentlemen posing as poor tutors. Since we are all actors playing many roles throughout our lives, Kate’s ultimate decision to take on the role of an obedient wife to a man she chose to marry is as much an act of freedom as one of obedience. In this light, Bianca’s marriage of love to Lucentio appears as little more than the acceptance of a social imposition carried out on a whim.

However, these textual subtleties go undeveloped in this production, where Kate’s grotesque treatment by her fortune hunting husband Petruchio is never questioned by Arbus, who directs the other characters to stand around in awkward silence during these moments, a choice that proves neither entertaining nor meaningful. This decision, or lack thereof, reveals Arbus’ refusal to take a stance on the matter or impose any personal vision on the proceedings. I suppose that a generous viewer might infer that this is meant to suggest people’s inability to intervene in such abhorrent behavior or condemn our indifference to the suffering around us.

Typical of Arbus’ superficial reading are the manic performances of Maggie Siff and Andy Grotelueschen as Kate and Petruchio, who substitute sweaty, slapstick energy for depth and timing. Though occasionally amusing, Matthew Cowles is barely discernible and mostly incoherent as the tinker Christopher Sly, another indication of the broad comedy that Arbus resorts to rather than undertaking a riskier but potentially deeper reading of the text. Similarly, the Wild West setting substitutes spectacle for insight, distancing us from the material so that we are left with neither a greater understanding of Shakespeare’s time nor our own. Like most Broadway productions, “The Taming of the Shrew” gets by on its smooth professionalism without offering anything of daring or nuance. Then again, what can one expect from a production sponsored by Deloitte, the world’s second largest “professional services network.”

Click here for more on theater from Oleg Ivanov.

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A painful, haunting work, “Beyond the Horizon” starts as an adventure story of young love and life on the high seas and ends as a nightmare of domestic recrimination and thwarted dreams. Robert and Andrew are caring brothers living on their father’s farm and in love with the same woman, their beautiful neighbor Ruth. Robert is a poetic stargazer about to embark on a voyage around the world as an apprentice on his uncle’s ship, whereas Andrew is a pragmatic everyman set to take over the family farm. Ruth makes her romantic choice on the eve of Robert’s departure, setting off a series of events that tear apart the happy family and result in individual misfortune for each character. The illusion of love soon gives way to hardship and regret for those that stay, while the one who leaves finds himself wishing he had remained. Like the Jacobean dramatist John Webster as described by T.S. Eliot, the play reveals that even at this point in his career O’Neill “was much possessed by death / And saw the skull beneath the skin.”

Robert’s youthful interest in fairies and other childhood wonders ill equips him for a life of toil and practical business, and the sickly boy with literary aspirations is soon broken by a sisyphean cycle of drudging labor and bad luck. He is one of the living ghosts that occupy so much space in O’Neill’s work and life, half-dead men and women who move through life like shadows in a dream, whose visions never materialize, whose revolutions never come. Aside from Uncle Dick bearing an uncanny resemblance in appearance and performance to Cap’n Crunch, the characters perform with suitable understatement and simplicity under Ciarán O’Reilly’s forthright direction. This play was the moment American theater finally came into its own, and from the elusiveness of Andrew’s self-made wealth in Argentina to Uncle Ben’s jungle riches in “Death of a Salesman,” our playwrights continue to ponder its ambivalent examination of the American Dream’s deadly promises.

A sequel to “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” for which he won his final Pulitzer, “A Moon for the Misbegotten” concerns the Hogans, a family of tenant farmers, and their bittersweet relationship with their endearing yet self-loathing landowner James Tyrone. An alcoholic theater dilettante and disgusted womanizer, Jim was based on O’Neill’s older brother, who died of alcoholism at the age of 45 within three years of their parents. The play starts with Mike, the youngest of Phil Hogan’s three sons, taking his father’s accumulated fortune of $6 and running away from the farm with the help of his only sister Josie. Despite Phil’s constant blasphemy and endless bickering with his daughter Josie, we soon realize that the two are actually a fairly happy pair with a deep and abiding love for one another. With her bruised knees and amazonian health, Josie would have people believe that she’s a fallen women who has been with every eligible man in the county, a lie to cover her insecurity and loneliness that secretly pains Phil, though he halfheartedly plays along, and irritates Jim, who tells her to cut it out because of his genuine admiration for the father and daughter.

A kind of surrogate son to Phil, Jim enters reciting Latin and is an immensely likable, affable, and gentle person when sober. But when he drinks his mind often wanders through dark memories and secret sorrows, culminating in a confession to Josie on a long moonlit night about his revulsion with the circumstances of his mother’s death and his contemptible reaction to it. Having wallowed too long in a shallow, ugly world at least partly of his own making, Jim can no longer abide the corruption around him and the decay within. He is near the end of his days, by choice and circumstance, O’Neill capturing his disgust as lucidly as a mirror. Often quoting Ernest Dowson’s masterfully decadent poem “Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae,” Jim too is “desolate and sick of an old passion,” prey to the grief of his insurmountable personal losses that falls upon him “when the feast is finished and the lamps expire.”

O’Neill was greatly influenced by the themes and staging of Ancient Greek Tragedy, his characters existing behind masks emotional and psychological in abstract spaces that easily lend themselves to experimental productions. Director J.R. Sullivan errs in relying too heavily on a realistic set and especially in overdoing the naturalistic sound design, with its superfluous singing of birds and cicadas, reminding one of the rural silence Chekhov wrote into his plays to stymie Stanislavski’s equally overzealous naturalism. Otherwise, the cast and crew does an admirable job of realizing O’Neill’s stark yet exhilarating story of one man’s losing battle with his past and the silent demons of his soul.

The post Off-Off-Broadway review: ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten’ and ‘Beyond the Horizon’ appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Elizabeth Olsen: The Olsen twins’ younger sister got a head start in 2011 with her impressive performance in “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and she’ll continue the momentum with “Liberal Arts,” written and directed by Josh Radnor. She’ll also appear in the horror flick “Silent House” (March 9) and paranormal thriller “Red Lights.”

2. Gina Carano: How does a mixed martial arts fighter end up as the lead in the Steven Soderbergh spy thriller, “Haywire”? She kicks ass, obviously.  
 
3. Lily Collins: The spawn of “Sussudio” impresario Phil Collins already had her coming-out party in 2011 with roles in “Abduction” and “Priest.” This year the 22-year-old has a starring role in Tarsem Singh’s lighthearted take on the Snow White fairy tale in “Mirror Mirror” (March 16).

4. Andrea Riseborough: Thank Madonna for bringing this English Rose to the forefront in 2012. Riseborough will start off the year with the Madge-directed feature “W.E.” (Feb. 3). She’ll stay front of mind with IRA thriller “Shadow Dancer,” as well as “Disconnect,” co-starring “True Blood” babe Alexander Skarsgard.

5. Taylor Schilling: Though she may’ve been the lead in failed TV show “Mercy” and dead-on-arrival “Atlas Shrugged: Part One,” somebody in Hollywood must have faith in this 27-year-old in order to cast her opposite Zac Efron in the romantic drama “The Lucky One” (April 20). Schilling will also star in Ben Affleck-directed political thriller “Argo.”

6. Josh Hutcherson: This 19- year-old actor has been working steadily, but it’ll be the March 23 release of “The Hunger Games” that makes him a star. While we can’t promise he’ll be the next Robert Pattinson —  RPatz will always have a special vampire lair in our hearts  — the series’ rabid fan base will give Hutcherson a fast-pass to megastardom.  

7. Michael Fassbender: We’re not going to hide our partiality to this 34-year-old Irish-German export. His upcoming spy flick, “Haywire” (Jan. 20), combined with all the awards season buzz he’s been getting for his performance in 2011’s “Shame” will propel Fassbender to A-List by the time his sci-fi film “Prometheus” is released on June 8.

8. Chris Diamantopoulos: We finally learned how to spell Galifianakis, so it’s about time another comedic actor with an impossibly lengthy Greek last name take the scene by storm. The “Up All Night” actor will soon star in “The Three Stooges” (April 13), in which he plays Moe, the only Stooge with a passable haircut.

9. Taylor Kitsch: The “Friday Night Lights” star appears in two huge movies this summer: the sci-fi epic “John Carter,” set on Mars, and “Battleship,” a live-action version of the popular board game.

10. Douglas Booth: Could the role of Romeo in the latest “Ro-meo and Juliet” turn Booth into another Leonardo DiCaprio? With a second starring role alongside Disney princess-turned-stoner Miley Cyrus in “LOL…,” well, we may have found our RPatz replace-ment after all.

New musicians to watch

1. Lana Del Rey
Del Rey released a video this summer that was so hot that every blogger in the world watched it back-to-back enough that they were all fighting to be the first to declare her passé by the next day. But for those of us who are just interested in good music, and care more about hearing it than hearing it first, Del Rey’s sultry take on gangsta will be a breath of fresh air when her debut drops at the end of this month.
 
2. King Krule
If you didn’t know that Archy Marshall was a fresh-faced 17-year-old, and you heard his patient beats, sophisticated guitar chords, moody words and his low London voice, you might think he was in his 30s and possibly was the type of character who accompanied Pete Doherty through every stint in rehab. But luckily for us, Marshall has many years ahead of him.
 
3. Azealia Banks
Imagine if Rihanna really was into sex as much as she sings about. And if Nicki Minaj was into Interpol! Then you might have an idea of the hot, hilarious awesomeness that is the 20-year-old Harlem native Azealia Banks.
 
4. Michael Kiwanuka
His song, “Tell Me a Tale,” sounds at first like a forgotten song from the 1970s, but once he gets to the chorus you’ll know that not only is this a song of the new decade, but one that will not be forgotten. The fact that he has released three EPs in the past 12 months should also be a testament to that. 

New TV series to watch

1. ‘House of Lies’
The buzz: Oscar-winner Don Cheadle gets what he wants — by any means necessary — as cutthroat management consultant Marty Kaan, who charges America’s 1 percent for his high-priced advice (and the occasional night of strip club debauchery).

Why we’ll be watching: It’s fascinating to watch the serious, intense Cheadle morph into such a charismatic con man. Matching his wit is Kristen Bell as an ambitious member of Marty’s team.
Premieres Jan. 8 at 10 p.m. on Showtime.
 
2. ‘Alcatraz’

The buzz: J.J. Abrams. Mysterious island. Hugo!
Why we’ll be watching: Alcatraz, the island prison off of San Francisco, already holds plenty of intrigue — and even more so in this drama when former inmates who were presumed dead become linked to modern crimes. Add the storytelling prowess of Abrams and familiar Lostie Jorge Garcia, and we’re already formulating conspiracy theories.
Premieres Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
 
3. ‘Luck’

The buzz: “Deadwood” creator David Milch is back on HBO. This time, he’s bringing Dustin Hoffman and director Michael Mann with him for a series on one of his passions: horse racing.
Why we’ll be watching: Simply put: Milch creates beautiful television (you just need a little patience when watching his densely layered epics). Add the allure of thoroughbreds, gambling and Oscar-winner Hoffman, and “Luck” is a sure bet.
Premieres Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

4. ‘Smash’

The buzz: “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee stars as a wannabe Broadway star who auditions for a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston also star.

Why we’ll be watching: Every network’s been trying to figure out how to mimic the success of “Glee” with their own musical series; NBC nails it with this behind-the-Broadway-scenes drama from Steven Spielberg.  It’s going to be, well, a “Smash.”
Premieres Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. on NBC.
 
5. ‘The River’

The buzz: “Paranormal Activity” creator Oren Peli brings his mastery of “found footage” scares to the small screen.

Why we’ll be watching: The host of a nature series goes missing in the Amazon, so — cameras in tow — his wife and son go searching for him. If you’re not already creeped out by what’s lurking in those waters, the supernatural elements to this tale will provide plenty to shriek about. Steven Spielberg’s attached his name to this one, too.
Premieres Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

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O’Neal was just 41 years old. He was born in Boston, but his efforts to break into comedy took him to Los Angeles, the United Kingdom and New York City.

He was well-known for his successful career in stand-up comedy and appearances on Comedy Central and the radio program Opie and Anthony. Social networking sites are abuzz as both fans and celebrities pay their respects to one of comedy’s biggest names today.

On Patrice O’Neal’s official Facebook page, one fan wrote, “RIP Patrice. You gave me the gift of laughter. Your legacy will live on.”

Another wrote, “You spoke the truth about relationships and other relevant topics and made them funny. Enjoyed you in life, see you on the other side.”

Those who worked with O’Neal are also mourning his loss today.

“I started my career w/ Patrice O’Neal. He was 1 of the best ever. Fond memories of road gigs, late night eats & laughs,” tweeted Dane Cook, who also posted a photo of himself with O’Neal.

Charlie Sheen, who was the butt of many of O’Neal’s jokes during his Comedy Central roast, posted a tribute on his WhoSay page: “Patrice had that rare ‘light’ around him and inside of him. I only knew him for the few days leading up to the Roast. Yet I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent. My tears today are for the tremendous loss to his true friends and loving family.”

Here are five of our favorite moments from Patrice O’Neal’s too-short career. What are yours?

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From zombie walks being held in cities across the world to television shows, video games and numerous books hitting stores, people’s fascination with zombies is spreading like a plague. “Zombies have the upper hand,” says University of British Columbia film studies professor Ernest Mathijs, whose specialities include horror and fantasy.

“Zombies are a kind of ingredient you can add to any cultural product and make it look slightly different,” he explains. “It will turn it into a funny parody of contemporary cultures, and somehow that appeals to cultures across the globe.”

The idea of zombies originally came from the voodoo culture in Haiti. The word “zombi” was used to describe a brainless slave laborer raised from the dead by a bokor, or sorcerer.

The now-familiar modern zombie was popularized and turned into a phenomenon in 1968 by way of the unexpected popularity of director George Romero’s low-budget horror classic “Night of the Living Dead.”

Gisele Baxter of UBC’s English department, who specializes in gothic culture and post-apocalyptic fiction, says Romero’s film took the horror genre one step further. “Romero was influential in spawning everyday horror that doesn’t deal with mad scientists or externalized threats, but deals with threats we associate with nightmares, personal threats and very primal fears,” she says. (See page 14 for our chat with the legend himself.)

The audience identifies with zombie stories because people today are fascinated and fearful of the possibility of an apocalypse, while the metaphorical possibilities and themes inherent in zombie stories also appeal to modern filmmakers because they can experiment with notions of what people would do to survive in a kill-or-be-killed world.

These undead know no limits, even invading classic literature with “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which is being adapted into a film. “When you think of ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ the last thing you think about is zombies,” Baxter says. “The juxtaposition of these immensely different things really fascinated people. Then it spawned a lot of copycat titles, which is very impressive because people found the energy and imagination to do anything with these titles.”

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Australian wine company Auburn Estates (yes, the members of AC/DC are Australian) will release four wines in honor of the band, according to gibson.com:

–AC/DC Back in Black Shiraz (dry red)

–AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato (sweet white)

–AC/DC Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon (dry red)

–AC/DC Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc (dry white)

This is the first time winemakers have really let their creative (and musical) juices flow. Other bands that have started wine labels or collections include Whitesnake, KISS, Motörhead, Queensrÿche and Warran.

Cheers to rock n’ roll!

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Bateman, perhaps the most debonair murderer in movie history,
references The Tunnel, The Harvard Club, Arcadia, Orso’s, 150 Wooster
and many, many more hot spots of his era. Some remain while some are now
memories as distant as shoulder pads and Members Only jackets.

Scouting New York has compiled a list of the places that appear or are
mentioned in the film. Did you party at any of these places? Did you
wish you partied at any of these places? Most importantly, would Patrick
Bateman still want to party at any of these places?

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Where did you grow up in Brooklyn?

Mill Basin area, south Brooklyn, and I lived in Canarsie. The Botanical Garden was very fun
and magical for me as a child. I love Atlantic Terminal area by BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene], that’s a lot of fun for me. Kings Plaza, that’s our mall. I skated Aviator [Sports and Events Center], which is also in Brooklyn.

What’s the hardest part of skating in a costume?

A lot of competitive skaters, we wear short dresses and we never really wear long dresses. It’s quite different material, but you get used to that. It’s a shock and sometimes you get a little tangled and it takes a few tries.

What do you like about performing in New York?

I think I’m a little more accustomed to the persona of the people here, the fast-paced lifestyle. The other skaters, they’re not sure how to read people here.

Do you do anything for good luck?

I have to tie my left skate first, it’s supposed to be good luck. I heard that a long time ago when I started. That’s just the way I’ve done it. For me to change it would just mess with my mind.

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