Author: Sandy Cohen
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Stellar cast boosts stoner comedy ‘Night Before’
Starring Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, Lizzy Caplan; directed by Jonathan Levine; 101 minutes; R for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity. Boosted by its stellar cast and playful take on “A Christmas Carol,” “The Night Before” is a coming-of-age stoner-buddy comedy laced with…
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Damon charms as stranded astronaut in ‘The Martian’
Without Matt Damon, the solitary fight for survival on Mars would be lonely indeed. Alone on screen for most of his scenes as an astronaut stranded on the red planet, the Oscar-nominated actor is the winning heart of Ridley Scott’s epic space adventure, “The Martian.” With Damon’s charm center stage, Scott has crafted an exciting,…
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Edgerton makes deft directing debut with ‘The Gift’
Starring Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton; directed by Joel Edgerton; 108 minutes; R for language Nobody likes a bully. Especially a past victim with a long memory. Figuring out who’s the bully and who’s the victim is part of the mystery in “The Gift,” a satisfying directorial debut from writer, producer and star Joel…
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‘Furious 7’ drives hard with action, laughs, tribute
Fast-moving fight scenes, outrageous auto antics and a sprinkling of ridiculous one-liners make “Furious 7” a campy, crowd-pleasing escape. Never mind that the film repeatedly presents the impossible – a muscle car attacks an airborne helicopter – fans of the franchise know to suspend disbelief at the door. With nonstop action from start to finish,…
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Zooey Deschanel talks fashion, Prince and ‘New Girl’
Zooey Deschanel is almost bubbling over with excitement: Her show “New Girl” is a hit, she just released a pop song with Prince, she’s working on a movie with Bill Murray and Bruce Willis, and now she’s sitting in a Tommy Hilfiger store filled with racks of dresses she helped design. It’s fitting, then, that…
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Keaton, Formula 1 driver among Golden Globes surprises
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – If Woody Allen attends the Golden Globe Awards, he’d rival Bill Clinton as its biggest surprise guest. Allen will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at Sunday’s ceremony. The writer-director famously avoids awards shows, though, and skipped those for his previous 12 Golden Globe nominations. “We’ve read that Woody’s not going…
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Jennifer Lawrence beats Cyrus, Netflix for top entertainer
LOS ANGELES — The battle for AP entertainer of the year came down to the Girl on Fire and the Queen of Twerk. Jennifer Lawrence edged out Miley Cyrus by one vote in The Associated Press’ annual survey of its newspaper and broadcast members and subscribers for Entertainer of the Year. There were 70 ballots…
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Aubrey Plaza asked to leave MTV Movie Awards
LOS ANGELES — Aubrey Plaza interrupted Will Ferrell’s acceptance speech at the MTV Movie Awards, then left the building. MTV officials confirmed Monday that the “Parks and Recreation” actress was asked to leave the ceremony after unexpectedly walking on stage and trying to take Ferrell’s trophy as he accepted the Comedic Genius Award. The irreverent…
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Steven Tyler, Joe Perry honored for songwriting
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — They’ve been larger-than-life performers for decades, but now Steven Tyler and Joe Perry’s songwriting skills are getting the attention. The Aerosmith veterans will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June and will receive the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ Founders Award next week. Rocking out in…
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Buzz off: Another star leaves ‘Dancing’
LOS ANGELES — Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, but he won’t be spending any more time on the dance floor. The 80-year-old astronaut was eliminated Tuesday from “Dancing With the Stars.” Aldrin and his professional partner, Ashly Costa, consistently finished in last place during the ABC show’s three weeks of competition. He earned just…