Born Under A Star

$13, GoldBar, 389 Broome St., 212-274-1568

With the haute lounge’s recent reopening comes innovative cocktails, like this porky take on a negroni. Head bartender Tim Cooper hits the famous Di Paolo’s meat shop for the signature ingredient in his Born Under Star — guanciale — which he then infuses into campari. The result is a less bitter version of the Florentine aperitif.

1.25 oz. Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 oz. guanciale-infused campari
1 oz. Carpano Antica vermouth
Combine ingredients, and garnish with a long orange peel.

Rum & Raisin

$14, Saxon & Parole, 316 Bowery, 212-254-0350

Greek yogurt in a cocktail? It works, according to S&P bartender Masa Urushido. “I wanted to create a drink with Greek yogurt, and after playing around found that the delicate acidity and silky texture of the yogurt work well with Jamaican rum’s caramel and toffee notes.

“The spiced honey syrup gives the cocktail a sweetness that’s balanced by the cinnamon and star anise garnish.”

1.5 oz. Appleton Reserve
1/2 oz. Licor 43
1/2 oz. spiced honey syrup
1 tbsp. Greek yogurt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Shake and strain on fresh ice in a highball. Top with soda. Garnish with grated cinnamon and star anise.

Bell Boy

$12, Refinery Hotel, 63 W. 38th St., 646-664-0310

Alex Ott, the man behind cocktails at Sushi Samba, shakes up a unique mix of gin, yellow bell pepper juice and date palm syrup to create this sunny stunner. Find it at the new Refinery Hotel, a former hat factory slated to open May 1.

1 1/2 oz. Plymouth gin
2 1/4 oz. yellow bell pepper juice (to prepare bell pepper juice, blend one whole pepper with one quart of water and strain through a fine-mesh strainer)
1/2 oz. agave nectar
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pink peppercorn
Combine and ingredients and shake. To garnish, use end of pepper as lid for cocktail glass or create yellow sunflower star with mini bell pepper and place on rim of cocktail glass.

Signature Bloody Mary

$12 plain; $15 with shrimp, Sarabeth’s Tribeca and Park Avenue South

You know the famous spot for desserts, but the restaurant also boasts lunch, dinner and (like all good NYC restaurants should) brunch. Pair your scrambled egg popover with the eatery’s signature bloody mary, which can include jumbo shrimp if you’re so inclined.

Sarabeth’s Signature Bloody Mary
2 oz. vodka
4 oz. tomato juice
1/2 tsp. freshly grated horseradish
2 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Bloody Mary Pickles
1 jicama, julienned
4 ribs celery, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

Pickling liquid
2 cups sugar
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
1 tbsp. each: fennel seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine sugar, vinegar, water, spices and salt in small saucepan. Heat to a boil.

Place jicama, celery, carrots and peppers in a clean, dry glass jar or bowl. Pour boiling liquid over the vegetables, cover completely. Seal jar or cover bowl, refrigerate at least one hour. Leave vegetables in brine longer for more flavor. Will keep in fridge for about 10 days.

G.I.

$15, The General, 199 Bowery, 212-271-7101

At new celeb fave The General, sriracha isn’t just for the spicy food that “Top Chef” Hung Huynh cooks up. It also makes its way into this drink, a saucy concoction that head mixologist Colin Maxwell says “has a lot of ingredients in small amounts [that] come together to make a very deep, rich, complex flavor.”

2 oz. Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. honey syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz. orgeat
1 scant bar spoon Sriracha (adjust to taste)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 fresh sage leaves
Shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with sage leaf.

The post Cocktail roundup: Drinks with oddball ingredients appeared first on Metro.us.

Olympic and Paralympic hero Oscar Pistorius was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend model Reeva Steenkamp on Thursday. The ‘Blade Runner’ would join a surprisingly long list of sporting killers, if he is convicted.

Jovan Belcher (American Football)

In December 2012, the 22-year old linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins nine times, before turning the gun on himself in front of team-mates at the Chiefs’ stadium.

Carlos Monzon (Boxing)

The Argentine was undisputed World Middleweight Champion for seven years but is better remembered for the violence in his personal life. Monzon threw his wife Alicia Muniz off a balcony and was convicted for her murder, later dying in prison.

Hiroshi Ogawa (Baseball)

A player and assistant coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League, Ogawa killed a 67-year-old woman to steal $20,000. Kazuko Nishiuchi was thrown in the pitcher’s car boot and drowned in a lake.

Leslie Hylton (Cricket)

The West Indian fast bowler is the only Test cricketer to have been executed. Hylton was hanged in 1955 for shooting his wife dead after discovering that she was having an affair.

Robert Rozier (American football)

Played for the St. Louis Cardinals before joining a black supremacist cult. In 1986, he admitted to killing seven white people on cult orders. Rozier was released in 1996 but then re-arrested for financial crimes.

And finally…

OJ Simpson (American football)

The famous running back and sometime actor was the most high profile sportsmen to be accused of murder, of his wife and her friend, but was controversially acquitted. A civil court later awarded against him for their wrongful deaths, and SImpson is currently serving a jail sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping.

The post PHOTOS: ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius would join long list of sportsmen killers if convicted of murder appeared first on Metro.us.

While the TV industry enjoyed the limelight as well, the real question is how do the night’s movie winners will impact the ongoing Oscar race. Wins for Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln” (Best Actor in a Drama), Jessica Chastain for “Zero Dark Thirty” (Best Actress in a Drama), Michael Hanake for “Amour” (Best Foreign Language Film) and Anne Hathaway for “Les Miserables” (Best Supporting Actress) certainly help their chances at next month’s Academy Awards.

But Ben Affleck, who won for directing “Argo,” will have to be happy with the Golden Globe, as he was infamously shut out of the Oscar nominations for Best Director. But it’s win for Best Picture — Drama could help it’s win in the tight, nine-way Best Picture race at the Oscars.

Jodie Foster, who received the Cecil B. Demille Award for her long career in Hollywood, used her acceptance speech to stun audiences by addressing her sexuality more openly than she ever has — without actually saying she’s a lesbian — while also taking the press at large for task for continuing to bring up the issue.

“I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago in the stone age,” Foster said. “If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler, you might value privacy. I have given everything up there from the time that I was 3 years old.”

This year’s new co-hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, drew early raves for their work, with a lively opening segment that poked just enough fun at the attendees to make it memorable. 

“Only at the Golden Globes do the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the rat-faced people of television,” joked Amy Poehler, who is nominated up against Fey for Best Actress in a Television Comedy. “I hope I win,” Poehler told Fey.

The ladies also took a moment to poke fun at Ricky Gervais, who hosted the three previous years and drew increasing criticism each time for jokes that some felt crossed the line into meanness.

“Ricky Gervais could not be here tonight because he’s no longer in show business,” Fey joked. Fey and Poehler also noted they’d been warned the punishment for going to far was being asked back to host the next year.

The Hollywood Foreign Press made sure to spread the love around, celebrating “Les Miserables,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Argo” and “Django Unchained,” with no clear favorite film. Quentin Tarantino took home Best Screenplay while Christoph Waltz earned Best Supporting Actor , beating out co-star Leonardo DiCaprio as well as “Lincoln” scene-stealer Tommy Lee Jones, who is considered the Oscar front-runner in the category.

And Adele received her first Golden Globe for Best Song for “Skyfall.” “Oh my God! Honestly, I’ve come out for a night” as a new mom, Adele said in an endearing acceptance speech. “I was literally not expecting this.”

On the TV side of things, most awards mirrored last September’s Emmy awards. Maggie Smith won for Best Supporting Actress for “Downton Abbey,” and “Homeland” stars Damien Lewis and Clair Danes earned the trophy for Best Actor and Actress in a TV Drama. “Homeland” also won for Best TV Drama. HBO’s “Game Change,” about Sarah Palin’s introduction into the 2008 presidential race, won big, taking home Best TV Movie, Best Supporting Actor for Ed Harris and Best Actress for Julianne Moore’s depiction of Palin.

There were a few shockers, though, like Don Cheadle’s win for Best Actor in a Comedy for “House of Lies,” beating out Jim Parsons, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. and previous winner Matt LeBlanc, and first-time nominee Lena Dunham’s win for Best Actress for “Girls.” And the frank freshman HBO series also took home Best Comedy Series on the same night as it’s second season U.S. premiere

 
Best Barbs from Fey and Poehler

“When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.”

Poehler wonders why Kathryn Bigelow’s films all seem to involve torture of some sort.

“His first two films were in Boston but he wanted to film somewhere that was friendlier to outsiders so he moved this one to Iran.”

Fey ribs Ben Affleck for “Argo”

“I haven’t seen someone so totally alone & abandoned since you were on stage with James Franco at the Oscars.” — Fey pays Anne Hathaway a backhanded compliment for her role in “Les Miserables.”

“Meryl Streep is not here tonight. She has the flu. And I hear she’s amazing in it.” — Poehler

“Young Daniel Day Lewis was E.T.” — Fey explores how the “Lincoln” actor is able to totally become each character he portrays

THE WINNERS:

Best Drama

“Argo”

Best Comedy/Musical

“Les Miserables”

Best Animated Film

“Brave”

Best Actor in a Drama

Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical

Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”

Best Actress in a Drama

Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”

Best Director

Ben Affleck, “Argo”

Best Screenplay

Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”

Best Score

Mychael Danna, “Life of Pi”

Best Original Song

“Skyfall”

Foreign Language Film

“Amour”

TELEVISION

Best TV Comedy or Musical

“Girls”

Best TV Drama

“Homeland”

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture

“Game Change”

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Damien Lewis, “Homeland”

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy

Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”

Best Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie

Kevin Costner, “Hatfields and McCoys”

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie

Ed Harris, “Game Change”

Best Actress in a TV Drama


Claire Danes, “Homeland”

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy

Lena Dunham, “Girls”

Best Actress in a Mini-series or TV Movie

Julianne Moore, “Game Change”

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie

Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”

The post The best of the 2013 Golden Globes appeared first on Metro.us.

“I don’t know why we don’t wait until noon to do this,” host Seth MacFarlane joked before inviting actress Emma Stone to join him to announce the nominees. “The only people up right now are either flying or having surgery.”

The nominations of course signal shifting into the most intense section of Awards Season, something not all the nominees are necessarily thrilled about. “It’s obviously exciting, it’s like getting a promotion at work,” Best Supporting Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence told Metro on the eve of the Oscar nominations, adding that her parents were staying with her and planned to have her up at 4:30 a.m. “I just get anxiety over parties, and that’s what that means, essentially, to me, [being] surrounded by lots of people, and it just gives me anxiety just to think about it.”

BIGGEST WINNERS

“Lincoln” is the clear winner nomination-wise, with Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” close behind at 11 nods, while “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which nabbed four high-profile nominations, and “Amour,” with five, had their profiles raised considerably. And the Academy’s love for David O. Russell is clear. Much like with his last film, “the Fighter,” his “Silver Linings Playbook” earned spots for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and every single acting category.

BIGGEST LOSERS

Kathryn Bigelow’s presumed Oscar juggernaut “Zero Dark Thirty” earned only five nods, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. Mark Boal and Jessica Chastain are still front-runners for writing and acting, but that’s about it. And a lack of surprises in the Best Supporting Actor category means our hopes of Javier Bardem being the first Bond villain nominated for an Oscar (for “Skyfall”) have been dashed. Leonardo DiCaprio was also snubbed, with his “Django Unchained” co-star Christoph Waltz edging him out. In the Best Foreign Language race, the exclusion of French mega-hit “the Intouchables” means it’s Michael Haneke’s race to lose.

BIGGEST SURPRISES

The Academy’s clear love for the indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and the foreign “Amour” elbowed out a surprising number of presumptive nominees, and nowhere more noticeably than the Best Director category. Many expected past winners Hooper and Bigelow on the list as well as a first-time nod for Affleck for “Argo.” And while “Beasts of the Southern Wild” has been a critic’s favorite since its Sundance debut, few expected director Benh Zeitlin to earn a mention.

METRO’S PREDICTIONS

Best Picture: “Lincoln”
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
Best Director: Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”

LIST OF NOMINEES:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables”
Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master”
Denzel Washington in “Flight”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin in “Argo”
Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones in “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “The Master”
Sally Field in “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best animated feature film of the year

“Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
“Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
“ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
“Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Achievement in cinematography

“Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
“Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
“Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
“Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
“Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Achievement in directing

“Amour” Michael Haneke
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Ang Lee
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
“Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Best documentary feature

“5 Broken Cameras”
Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
“The Gatekeepers”
Nominees to be determined
“How to Survive a Plague”
Nominees to be determined
“The Invisible War”
Nominees to be determined
“Searching for Sugar Man”
Nominees to be determined

Best foreign language film of the year

“Amour” Austria
“Kon-Tiki” Norway
“No” Chile
“A Royal Affair” Denmark
“War Witch” Canada

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Anna Karenina” Dario Marianelli
“Argo” Alexandre Desplat
“Life of Pi” Mychael Danna
“Lincoln” John Williams
“Skyfall” Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from “Ted”
Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
“Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best motion picture of the year

“Amour” Nominees to be determined
“Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
“Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
“Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
“Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
“Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Achievement in visual effects

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
“Life of Pi”
Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
“Marvel’s The Avengers”
Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
“Prometheus”
Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
“Snow White and the Huntsman”
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Adapted screenplay

“Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
“Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
“Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Original screenplay

“Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
“Django Unchained” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“Flight” Written by John Gatins
“Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
“Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

The post Your guide to key 2013 Oscar nominations appeared first on Metro.us.

This may finally be the year that well-made big-budget studio fare finally gets some respect, a cause championed by the likes of Christopher Nolan. Which is awkward, because we were expecting more from his “Dark Knight Rises,” but he didn’t quite stick the landing. If nothing else, 2012 proved to be a delightfully diverse year at the movies. Some runners up for this list include Best Picture front-runner “Argo,” Michael Haneke’s Cannes favorite “Amour” and Quentin Tarantino’s bloody, hilarious “Django Unchained.” But there can be only 10, and here they are:

1. CLOUD ATLAS — A big, bold, far-reaching tale encompassing six different stories — and six very different visual and genre style — to explore the enduring power of love and mankind’s struggle for freedom. The Wachowskis and co-director Tom Tykwer packed a lot into their 172 minutes, adapting David Mitchell’s gorgeous novel into something vital and engrossing. Plus, it’s a film that only improves with repeat viewing.

2. ZERO DARK THIRTY — Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal follow up their wins for “the Hurt Locker” with an even better film tracking the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, buoyed by a performance by Jessica Chastain that should earn her a Best Actress Oscar. The film’s greatest feat is presenting all of the facts without an ounce of politicization. It’s remarkably neutral.

3. THE IMPOSSIBLE — This true-life tale of a European family separated during the 2004 tsunami is incredibly manipulative, but it is some of the most artful, effective manipulation ever committed to film, and for that it deserves respect. A harrowing, unflinching look at the struggle for survival that puts viewers through the emotional wringer.

4. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD — A startling debut with a 6-year-old unknown star (Quvenzhané Wallis) and a look and feel unlike anything seen before, this charming and moving fable is a rare treasure, a visual poem with an equally enduring score co-written by director and co-writer Benh Zeitlin.

5. CABIN IN THE WOODS — Joss Whedon had one of the year’s biggest hits with “the Avengers” — which nearly made this list as well — but his real triumph this year comes in co-writing this sharp and hilarious deconstruction of the horror movie genre. Once the movie’s real game is revealed and the action begins hurtling toward an unforgettable climax, the film’s giddy energy become infectious.

6. RUST AND BONE — Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard turns in another striking and poignant performance as a whale trainer who loses her legs during an accident at work and rediscovers the beauty of life with the help of a down-on-his-luck bruiser of a single father (Matthais Schoenaerts).

7. LINCOLN — Daniel Day-Lewis is of course the main attraction here, seamlessly transforming himself into the 16th president, but he shares the screen with a dizzying array of fantastic supporting performances, the best of which by Tommy Lee Jones, Lee Pace and James Spader. It’s just a shame director Steven Spielberg didn’t have the self-control to end the film where screenwriter Tony Kushner clearly wanted to.

8. KEEP THE LIGHTS ON — Writer-director Ira Sachs mines his own romantic past with achingly honesty to tell the story of two men trying to love each other and ignore each other’s addictions for nearly a decade. It’s an unflinching portrayal of intimacy and the usually unexamined negotiations and compromises in any relationship.

9. ANNA KARENINA — Director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightley team up for their third literary adaptation — after “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement” — with this gorgeous and risky translation of the Russian classic. The staging and style are mesmerizing, and Knightley shines, but the real standout here is Jude Law in a career-redefining turn as the cuckolded Alexei Karenin.

10. SKYFALL — Sam Mendes leads the James Bond franchise to a new benchmark in quality just in time for its 50th anniversary, imbuing Daniel Craig’s 007 with just the right amount of fun and ’60s swagger. A delicious turn by Javiar Bardem as the villain and Roger Deakins’ gorgeous cinematography help elevate it to something even more.

THE 10 WORST FILMS OF THE 2012

There are a lot of ways to qualify a bad film, which led to some entries not making this list. Some films disappoint by wasting talent and prestige, like “the Hobbit,” while others come from such uninspired origins that it seems pointless to complain about them, like Adam Sandler’s “Thats’ My Boy.” Then there are these 10, which are just plain bad.

1. PROMETHEUS — This one might not be as objectively bad as others on the list, but it failed on a much grander scale, taking a beloved science fiction franchise, a talented cast and gorgeous cinematography and creating maddeningly thoughtless dreck. Worst of all, a film that was meant to be a prequel ends instead with a presumptuous setup for a sequel. A note to director Ridley Scott: That’s not up to you.

2. ONE FOR THE MONEY — This turkey kicked off the year in January and nearly held the title for year’s worst the whole way through. Katherine Heigl’s attempt to launch herself a franchise based on Janet Evanovich’s books is clumsy, painful and plodding, inspiring contempt from its viewers.

3. ROCK OF AGES — The poppy hair metal of the 1980s — already not the most soulful music in the world — has any life drained out of it completely in this painfully campy, overlong and uneven trudge down the Sunset Strip. Alec Baldwin and Catherine Zeta-Jones just look embarrassed to be there, and Tom Cruise should be, considering his performance. This movie — storyline and all — was better last year when it was called “Burlesque.”

4. SAVAGES — Oliver Stone’s over-saturated, bombastic drug war fantasy is filled with overwrought melodrama, empty tough-guy posturing and an ending that is beyond frustrating. But the worst aspect of the film can be summed up in three words: Blake Lively narration.

5. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING — Basing an ensemble comedy on a pregnancy manual was probably the first mistake. The second was thinking any of the shrill and unsympathetic characters on display are at all entertaining. An all-star cast — Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks — does its part to set women back a good 20 years.

6. AMERICAN REUNION — The sequel that no one asked for taught us two things: The most successful member of the original “American Pie” cast turns out to be Alyson Hannigan, surprisingly. And when you take away the original film’s plot device of the main characters trying to lose their virginity, it turns out they’re pretty boring people — and not terribly funny.

7. THE RAVEN — Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) teams up with a detective to solve horrific crimes inspired by Poe’s stories. The main attraction here is Cusack trying his damnedest to out-crazy Nicolas Cage, devouring every inch of scenery in this uneven, poorly conceived thriller.

8. ALEX CROSS — Tyler Perry’s first foray into acting for a director other than himself is poorly made by cable TV movie standards. But that — and the film’s paltry opening weekend — apparently aren’t stopping them from making a sequel.

9. RED DAWN — What should have been one of the worst films of 2009 instead limped onto screens this year. The young cast try their best in this unnecessary and clumsy remake, but there’s no saving it. And the cynical decision to change the bad guys from Chinese to North Korean in post-production — not with recasting or reshooting, just by changing the flags on their uniforms — is downright offensive.

10. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN, PART 2 — Talking about how bad this movie is — not to mention the entire sparkly vampire series — feels futile, especially now that it’s all over. It at least serves as proof that all the directing and acting talent you can muster are no match against shoddy source material.

5 MOVIES YOU SHOULD RENT RIGHT NOW

Films can be in and out of theaters in no time these days, especially smaller ones. Here are some blink-and-you-missed-them gems from 2012 that you can give another chance right now on DVD and streaming. Do yourself a favor.

1. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED — What could have been a snide indie comedy poking fun at an eccentric loser is elevated by Mark Duplass’ performance as said loser, imbuing his time travel true-believer with gravity and a palpable sadness and giving the film a tinge of bittersweet complexity.

2. THE SOUND OF MY VOICE — Speaking of time travel, there’s a reason indie darling Brit Marling has been getting so much attention. She’s a fine filmmaker in her own right — and co-wrote this taut, quiet mind-bender — and her on-screen presence is mesmerizing. Just try to resist being taken in by her loopy cult leader who claims to be from the future.

3. CASA DE MI PADRE — Will Ferrell’s gonzo Spanish-language romp is over-the-top, ridiculous and absurd in all the best ways. Plus, he lets “Y tu Mama Tambien” stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna and “Parks and Recreation” scene-stealer Nick Offerman in on the fun. The real star, though, is a far-from-believable stuffed jaguar.

4. CHRONICLE — The “found footage” genre may be outstaying its welcome, but Josh Trank’s inventive debut is easily the best use of the gimmick. In fact, his story about what high school boys would likely do if they suddenly developed super powers — hint: nothing productive — would have been just as great as a more traditional film.

5. BUTTER — Jennifer Garner plays against type as a cold, calculating career wife, leading a phenomenal ensemble in the biting political satire reveling in its characters’ quirkiness. Don’t let the folksy Midwestern accents fool you. This isn’t a Sarah Palin/Michele Bachmann takedown. The film is actually a retelling of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 primary battle set at the Iowa State Fair butter-carving competition. Yes, you read that correctly.

The post The best and worst films of 2012 appeared first on Metro.us.

“I think it’s got to be Connery,” he tells Metro, soon summing up the thoughts of his generation, “because as soon as I was of that age, he was really starting as well. And I just identify Connery with that role. It’s always been a great piece of escapism.”

Christopher Nolan, director of “The Dark Knight” and “Inception,” on George Lazenby:

Well, the director at least has kind words for Lazenby’s movie, if not specifically the actor himself. “I think, ‘Her Majesty’ Secret Service’ would be my favorite Bond. It’s a hell of a movie, it holds up very well,” he told Empire magazine. “What I liked about it that we’ve tried to emulate in ["Inception"] is there’s a tremendous balance of action, scale, and romanticism and tragedy and emotion. Of all the Bond films, it’s by far the most emotional.”

Britt Ekland, Bond girl, on Roger Moore:

“I think Roger is the best Bond, of course,” the star of “The Man with the Golden Gun” told the Telegraph recently, “not just because of being my Bond, but because if you read the early Ian Fleming books describing him, that’s how he was. He was a bachelor, unattached, he was luxurious, sophisticated, and he was not available for females so no long term relationships there. I think Roger really portrayed that.”

Jesse Bradford, star of “Guys with Kids,” on Timothy Dalton:

We asked a child of the 1980s to comment here; Bradford was born in 1979. “Connery wins, hands down,” admits Bradford, who starred in “Bring it On.” “But Timothy Dalton is the Bond of my youth and he deserves more credit than he gets. He nails the dark and dangerous element, but unlike Daniel Craig (Connery’s runner up in my book), Dalton also brings a swashbuckling sort of elegance and humor to the role. Also, it’s important to remember context—in this case the gender bending mid-80s. Dalton brought a sensitive, gentile demeanor that made him arguably the most feminine Bond. Of course, he can still kick ass, but he’s the only one with really ANY feminine side, and I love that he made that work in a roll so traditionally steeped in machismo.”

Famke Janssen, star of “GoldenEye,” on Pierce Brosnan:

The erstwhile Xenia Onatopp tells Metro: “We were the first movie back after a several-year hiatus. They had to reinvent themselves at that point as James Bond. I thought there was no better person to do that than Pierce Brosnan. He has all of what you from James Bond, looking at the other James Bonds we’ve had in the past. He was debonair, classy and yet had a twinkle in his eye and he’s a handsome guy who can act. On top he brought something truly modern to the role, which was very much needed to reinvent the franchise. He did. It worked on so many levels. It speaks to how well the Bond producers have kept re-inventing themselves over the years.”

Ralph Fiennes, star of “Skyfall,” on Daniel Craig:

He may be biased, since he appears in the next Bond, but Fiennes says: “I think Casino Royale was really excellent, and I think Daniel is a brilliant Bond, wonderful. A Bond for now, in our world. He’s wonderful.”

Who would you vote for?

(With additional reporting by Joel Amos)

The post Celebrities weigh in: Who was the best James Bond? appeared first on Metro.us.

Travel & Leisure magazine looked at twenty cities, and our down and dirty town landed at the top of the list. New York came it at #5 on the list last year, but apparently didn’t do much to clean up its act.

Developments like the MTA’s initiative to remove trash cans from subway stations might seem like a contributing factor at first glance. But the MTA actually reports an increase in cleanliness at the first two stations from where the trash cans were removed.

Alas, there are plenty of other dirty little details that New Yorkers have come to accept: Rats, roaches, bed bugs, curb side trash and smog, just to name a few.

New Orleans, Baltimore and Los Angeles joined NYC toward the top of the list as dirty cities. Chicago was rated the cleanest of the twenty cities, followed closely by Anchorage and Phoenix. 

This isn’t the first time NYC has earned itself an unfavorable title. Last year, Travel & Leisure named it the rudest city in the country, though that may have been a point of pride for some New Yorkers.

It’s not all bad, though. The magazine’s readers also ranked New York #1 for  theater, stylish locals, and luxury stores.

The post NYC rated dirtiest city in America by Travel & Leisure appeared first on Metro.us.

For the third year in a row, Jayden and Isabella are the city’s most popular baby names, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced yesterday.

Of all recorded birth certificates in 2011, New York City saw more than 600 Isabellas and more than 800 Jaydens.

The mayor was accompanied by two Brooklyn babies: Borough Park’s Isabella Pal and her mother Natalia Lattanzio, and Jayden Marthone of Crown Heights, with his parents Stanley Marthone and Kimberly Harris. The mayor presented each baby with a onesie declaring them “Made In New York” and an “Official New York Baby” bib in either red or blue.

Jayden’s parents said they had no idea their newborn son’s name was so common and they were in fact trying to be unique when they chose that name for the boy.

Other names they considered include Jonathan and Christian, but Harris said she was “looking for something different.”

“We thought it was different,” she said. “We were shocked.”

Other popular baby names for girls include Sophia (#2) and Sofia (#10). The mayor noted that Michael — “a fine name” — moved up a couple notches to the fifth most popular name, from seventh in 2010.

The life expectancy of babies born in New York City exceeds the national average by 2.5 years, the mayor noted.

“[This] hasn’t happened by accident,” Bloomberg said. “This is a result of all the steps we’ve taken in New York to ensure that our babies have the best possible start in life, and get off to a safe and healthy childhood.”

Here are the most popular names for NYC babies in 2011:

Girls

1. Isabella

2. Sophia

3. Olivia

4. Emma

5. Mia

6. Emily

7. Madison

8. Leah

9. Chloe

10. Sofia

Boys

1. Jayden

2. Jacob

3. Ethan

4. Daniel

5. Michael

6. Matthew

7. Justin

8. David

9. Aiden

10. Alexander

The post Isabella, Jayden top NYC baby name list for third time in 2011 appeared first on Metro.us.

Our athletes have come a long way in the four years since the last Olympic Games and so has the Internet. Fans are much more likely to be equipped with smart phones this summer than they were in 2008. With advances in technology, comes a more enhanced level of participation for Olympic enthusiasts both in and out of London.

The team at Netted by the Webbys set out to sift through the heap of apps that are springing up ahead of the Olympics and narrow them down to a list that could win a gold medal in user satisfaction.

“Over the past year or two, we’ve really seen a general viewing experience enhanced by social media and the internet,” David-Michel Davies, the executive director of Netted and the Webby Awards, told Metro. “Nothing is more exciting with that than really big live events.”

The last Super Bowl is a perfect example of how crucial the internet has become to fans during their live experience, Davies explained. The most ever tweets per second were recorded during the game. With the Olympics being the “Super Bowl of the world,” as he put it, the digital experience will prove to have its biggest impact on fans yet.   

Check out this list for the essential Olympic apps you need to download now.

London 2012: Official Results App

As the official app for the Olympics, users can find results, live updates, schedules, medal tables and athlete profiles. It can also be tailored to provide info and official news on specific countries. Bonus: It’s available on all smartphones and it’s free.

NBC Olympics Live Extra

A revolutionary advancement in apps, this one allows users to view live streaming footage of the Olympics with replays and push notifications for event start times. It’s only available in the U.S. on Android, iPhones and iPads.
 
BBC Facebook and Apps

Where better to experience the happenings in London than the U.K.’s leading news source? The BBC’s social networks and apps are best for people attending the games, as they’re only available in the U.K.

London 2012 Live Wallpaper 

This fun app enables users to download the London Skyline and @London2012 tweets creatively displayed in the background. Reviews for the app have been overwhelmingly positive so far. The downside? It’s only available on Android.
 
ESPN Sport by Sport Rules

Looking for an education in Olympic sports before you set out to follow them? This site offers rules for every Olympic competition, important moments in history for the sport and profiles for star athletes.
 
Facebook Olympics Hub

Isn’t it nice when you can find everything you need in one place? This Facebook page features athlete profiles and a rundown of teams, sports, and events — all easily sharable information.
 
Tweetheletes

A quirky twist to experiencing the Olympics, this app lets users “race” athletes participating in the 100 meters. Since one tweet is about 2.5 cm high, users are encouraged to send the 4,000 tweets needed to cover that space in the time it takes the athletes to run it. Hurry up and download it — race day is August 5.

Flickr and Instagram

If you’re looking for authentic photos from behind the scenes at the games or from the middle of all the excitement, look no further than these photo-sharing options. These two sites will have crowd-sourced photos of the games.
 
London_2012

If you’re a visual person, you’ll love this app that offers a comprehensive collection of videos from the Olympic Games. Connect with other fans through the app’s chat rooms. However, this app is available only on iPhones and iPads.
 
Shazaam

You know this app by its ability to decipher a song that’s playing when you can’t quite remember the title. For the games, though, this app will let you unlock additional coverage during the Olympic broadcast.
 
2012 Summer Games Offline

What makes this app great is that once it’s downloaded on your smartphone, you can use it any time, whether or not you have cell service on your phone. It’s perfect for travelers coming to London for the games, who may not have international data plans enabled. For just 99 cents, it provides schedules, information on events and venues and key basics on Olympic sports.

Timista

Trust your peers through reviews on this site that lets you keep your options open when it comes to your plans in London. You can easily find what you need based on your schedule and location. It’s perfect for choosing activities that let you maximize your free time during the games (if you have any!).
 
Fitocracy

Watching the world’s most athletic people compete at the international level might just be the inspiration you need to get in shape. This website can help you do just that by offering features that motivate you to train like an Olympian.

The post The best apps for experiencing the 2012 Olympic Games appeared first on Metro.us.

Whether you agree or disagree with the idea of objectifying and ranking women based on their physical appearance (and encouraging readers to do it, too, by voting for their picks), you can’t argue that Maxim has made the annual tradition into a wildly popular and successful media blitz. Maybe you love to look at it or maybe you hate to look at it — but you’re still looking at it.

So, of course, we here at Metro have studied the list closely, for, uh, reference purposes, and we contend that the Hot 100 are, in fact, hot. But, there are a few selections on Maxim’s 2012 Hot 100 that make us rather uncomfortable.

Allow us to explain:  

Amanda Knox

Everyone is talking about “Foxy Knoxy’s” appearance on the list. She was acquitted this year of her roommate’s murder and returned from Italian prison to her home in the United States. Besides a few professional athletes, Knox is the only woman on the list who isn’t a model, actor or singer. The question is: Is it okay to judge a convicted murderer on her sexiness, as long as she was acquitted later?

Amanda Bynes

Even though Bynes seems to be clumsily following in the footsteps of trainwreck Lindsay Lohan, we can’t help but still picture the former Nickelodeon star as just that — a Nickelodeon star. Her consistent roles as innocent, goofy girl have sucked any and all sexy thoughts about Bynes straight out of our heads.      

Lois Griffin

Interesting choice, Maxim, interesting choice. Perhaps the writers chose the “Family Guy” mom to try and interject a little humor onto the list and send a message that says, “Sure, we judge women primarily on their worth as sexual objects, but look — we included a cartoon, so we can’t be that bad, right? Ha. Ha.”

Sarah Hyland

The very young-looking actress plays a teen on the show “Modern Family” and, yes, she is of legal age. But even Maxim admits that talking about her hotness is a bit borderline creepy: “It turns out the hot daughter from Modern Family is 21, so you don’t have to feel weird about having a crush on her.” Well, we still feel weird about it.

Vanessa Hudgens

She’s already got a naked photo scandal under her belt, but Hudgens is another one of those former Disney stars who won’t grow up in our minds. She probably still lives at home with her parents, right?

Emma Roberts

Another young one, Roberts was dubbed by one Metro staffer as “the human glass of milk.” ‘Nuff said.

Selena Gomez

Again, we know she’s “legal” at age 19, but we still can’t get past her Disney image. Plus, she’s the the girlfriend of Justin Bieber (cutest kid couple ever!) and the whole thing makes us feel icky inside. Wait, Bieber turned 18, too?

Emma Watson

We’re well aware that the Brown-educated Brit has come into her own, cut her hair, and re-branded herself as a mature actress, but we will always see her as frizzy-haired little Hermione, who helped Harry Potter save the world as a young student at Hogwarts. We don’t want to sexualize anyone who’s still 11 in our minds.

Miley Cyrus

She certainly wants everyone to think she’s hot, with her recent sideboob unveiling and all, but she is still tween rocker Hannah Montana in our eyes. There’s no doubt that Cyrus is growing up, but come one: How mad would her dad be with us for looking at his Miley in “that way.”

Stephen Colbert

Apparently, he made the list after an aggressive write-in campaign by his fans, but it’s puzzling, given that Maxim labels the Hot 100 as “The Definitive List of the World’s Most Beautiful Women.” But, uh, sure, Maxim. 

The post The 10 selections on Maxim’s 2012 ‘Hot 100′ list that make us uncomfortable appeared first on Metro.us.

Nameberry analyzed more than 3 million views of the site’s individual name pages so far in 2012, then compared the numbers with this time last year. A handful of names have jumped in status and are on a path to being some of the year’s most popular choices on the part of new parents. You’ll surely recognize them when you see them.

1. Rue — the lovable underdog who met her fate at age 12 in ‘The Hunger Games’ has succeeded in more than just winning our hearts. We’re now naming our babies after her.

2. Emmett and other “-ett” names. “Think of -ett at the newest “it” ending for boys’ names,” Nameberry says. Let’s not forget it’s also the name of one of “Twilight’s” sexiest vampires, Emmett Cullen.

3. Ivy. Made famous by the equally famous infant daughter of two of the world’s most famous music stars. Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, made headlines as soon as she came into this world, both for her unique celebrity name and for the ridiculous way her parents commandeered an entire floor of the maternity ward.

4. Weston, Wesley, and West. The age old debate between the West and East coasts seems to be settled, at least when it comes to baby names. Jenna Fischer from “The Office” led the trend when she named her son Weston.

5. Adele. A rather old-fashioned name made popular once again with the rise of Grammy award-winning singer Adele. But unlike most of the girls who are named Adele, the starlet vocalist dropped her last name.

6. Grayson and Gray. “Is Grayson the new Jason?” Nameberry asks. It’s certainly a new twist on the old classic. The site also suggests the new television series “Revenge,” which centers around characters in the Grayson family, could be inspiring the new popularity.  

7. Cyrus. While primarily a boys name, it’s also the last name of teen pop star Miley Cyrus — though we hope that’s not why the name seems to be making a comeback.

8. Cato. With its catchy two syllabus, it’s easy to see why this edgy name is gaining momentum. Its also the name of another “Hunger Games” character — the male villain who serves as the major threat.

The post ‘Hunger Games’, pop culture influence 2012 baby names appeared first on Metro.us.