'The Dark Dark night Rises' Hits New You are able to

After shooting in India, Pittsburgh and La, 'The Dark Dark night Rises' has finally showed up inside a city that really resembles Gotham: NY. Christopher Nolan and crew will traverse the town within the next two days to shoot moments for next year's long awaited Batman follow up. The only real photos available to date so Christian Bale outfitted in the Bruce Wayne attire and Frederick Gordon-Levitt putting on a police uniform. You will find also shots of crew people dressing the outside of that old JP Morgan bank downtown. Browse the photos ahead, and appearance to Moviefone to ascertain if more paparazzi pictures have put in (and when you need to discover what getting 'Dark Dark night Rises' photos is much like, look at this). 'The Dark Dark night Rises' will hit theaters This summer 20, 2012. 'The Dark Dark night Increases' Hits NY See All Moviefone Art galleries » [via MTV] [Photo: IGNAT/bauergriffinonline.com] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Gillespie Quits Zombie Pride & Prejudice

Third director bites the dustLots of films lumber through Development Hell, but Pride And Prejudice And Zombies seems being suffering greater than most round the Production Flatlands of Dis. The undead literary comedy-horror mash-up just lost Craig Gillespie, who's the next director to find out he's had enough.Gillespie (Lars As Well As The Real Girl, Fright Evening) had inherited the film compiled by michael White-colored, who'd needed to stop due to dedication at Cinemax. White-colored consequently had acquired the project when David O Russell dropped it, favouring a holiday to Old St Louis with Vince Vaughn. Other names inside the hat formerly incorporated Neil Marshall (The Descent,Centurion) and Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound), but whether what is this great puts them within the running (or whether or not they continue to be interested) remains to look.Because of date cite Gillespie's departure becoming an friendly one associated with casting issues. This is often a polite approach to proclaiming that nobody seems to wish to be inside the film. Charge role in the zombie-smashing Elizabeth Bennet needs up to now apparently been switched lower by Natalie Portman (still a producer, to date as everyone knows), Emma Stone, Mia Wasikowska and, most recently, Blake Lively. Shooting was designed to can start the start of next season, though no cast now, once again, no director, Lionsgate should be thinking about reorganising their diary.

REVIEW: The Double Chokes on Cold-War Tropes, Gere-Grace Mismatch

The Double shows its cards right away, when the screen fills with a cable news show on which a congressman insists “Russia’s back!,” noting that the country has reignited its nuclear program, its president is openly hostile toward the U.S. and it has more covert agents inside our borders than ever before. Russia’s back, baby! And what a relief that is, at least in terms of spy thrillers — things seemed so much simpler in the Cold War days, when it was a straightforward matter of superpower versus superpower, a grand schism of ideology, and all an actor needed to do to play a bad guy was affect an accent and an air of stoicism. The Double, which marks the directorial debut of Michael Brandt, a screenwriter on Wanted and 3:10 to Yuma, revels in Iron Curtain kitsch while indulging in gruesomely clichd set-ups involving sleeper agents, code-named assassin cells and a weary former CIA agent being lured out of retirement and forced to partner with an FBI eager beaver. That CIA agent is Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere), who lives alone and makes time to take in the occasional neighborhood Little League game. (When he tells the mother of one of the players this as they sit together in the stands, she’s charmed, and doesn’t seem at all like she’s going to check the sex-offender registry as soon as she gets home.) He’s reluctantly summoned back into the fold by his former boss (Martin Sheen, who deserves to have been given more to do), who believes the recent murder of a senator shows the signature of “Cassius” — the name the CIA gave to a top Soviet assassin who was the only member of a group of seven agents to never have been caught. There’s been no sign of Cassius for years, and Paul, who lead the efforts to catch the other six killers, insists it’s a copycat case and that his old nemesis is dead. Nevertheless, he’s teamed with Ben Geary (Topher Grace), an FBI up-and-comer who wrote his master’s thesis at Harvard on Paul’s tracking of Cassius, and who’s convinced the assassin has reemerged. Paul, it goes without saying, doesn’t immediately take to being paired with this snot-nosed kid. He doesn’t actually speak the words “snot-nosed kid,” but he does bark, “Where were you when the wall came down?”, to which Ben genially answers that he was watching it in TV instead of pointing out that he was likely in elementary school. Gere has never been an overly expressive actor, and his initial dislike of Ben and gradual softening to him blend into a general air of bemusement, as if he’s always mildly surprised to find himself sharing a screen with Grace. There’s reason to that — Grace is sorely miscast here, as any sort of authority to be reckoned with and as a loving family man and father of two. I don’t dislike him as an actor, but his vague smarminess undercuts any expertise or likability he’s supposed to possess. You don’t want Paul to learn to respect Ben, you want him to ditch the guy and stop taking his calls. Despite the absence of chemistry between the film’s two leads, The Double does contain some delightfully over-the-top twists that make no sense but are great fun to consider. One early reveal involves the identity of the double agent the title refers to, and adds some serious complications to the mission at hand. The implausibilities pile on as the story goes along — the film sandwiches in flashbacks to 1988, in which everyone looks exactly the same but are shot through a filter, and then jumps back into the present day investigation, in which Paul and Ben interrogate another survivor from the group of assassins, played by Stephen Moyer. Why does Moyer sound like Yakov Smirnoff while Cassius speaks perfect American English? How is Paul able to identify a generic-looking suede coat as Russian-made at a single glance? What does the shady informant/dealer of goods from the homeland sell that he couldn’t put on display at a specialty store — pirated Russian soap operas? Unpasteurized dairy products? If you’re going to find The Double tolerable, it’s best to let these and the many other questions that arise slide. Despite similarities, this film is several rungs down the ladder from Salt and lacks the charisma of a lead like Angelina Jolie to pull you past nagging silliness. The Double does manage a few nicely done setpieces, including a highlight involving a prison breakout and another moment in flashback that appears to borrow from the training sequence in Shiri. But the film provides no real thought on the complications of life as a double agent, on national loyalty and sacrifice or even the standard sad assassin angst. The only emotion it provokes is Cold War nostalgia — in Russia, direct-to-DVD movie comes to you. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Christina Milian Joins NBCs The Voice As Social Media Correspondent

EXCLUSIVE: Singer-actress Christina Milian (Its About Time) has been named as the new Social Media Correspondent for the second season of NBCs singing competition The Voice. She replaces Alison Haislip. Christina’s extensive musical background and widespread recognition make herthe perfectchoicefor the role ofSocial Media Correspondent onThe Voice, said NBC’s president of alternative programming Paul Telegdy. “Her experience as a singer will provide a comfort level to our artists when they speak to her about the ins and outs of the competition.” The Voice, hosted by Carson Daly and starring musical coaches Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, is getting a big Season 2 launch after the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 and will air Mondays 8-10 PM. Milian was most recently seen in the TV movieThe Christmas Cupid and in a guest stint on CSI. She also recurs as the voice of Esther onFamily Guy.

National CineMedia's Hall honored for efforts

Kurt Hall Despite his ShowEast recognition, Kurt Hall is not taking all of the credit for his company's charitable efforts -- not with a lengthy shot."It isn't really about me," Hall states. "It comes down to the folks within our company. I am merely a really small a part of that."Hall required the helm at NCM in 2005 when the organization moved forward from Regal CineMedia Corp.Since that time, he's supported (and led to) NCM's broad swath of philanthropic activities, with a charitable organisation half-day program that enables employees, who create a minimum monthly contribution to get one half-day served by pay."It not just enables our employees to complete charitable things, however it enables these phones dictate in which the money goes," Hall states from the program.The non profit organizations he's most enthusiastic about mainly target the results of smoking, like the American Lung Assn. (His mother died of cancer of the lung 3 years ago.)In addition, Hall states the ShowEast award is a superb tribute to industry vet Hassanein, that has headed several charitable orgs and presently can serve as chairman of Variety Boys and Women Club of Queens."I've known Salah forever of my career in 1988," Hall states. "He's been among the symbols of the profession for a lot of, a long time.InchSHOWEAST 2011 Five three dimensional misconceptions that won't dieHonoreesShow "E" Award: Jim Amos Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award: John C. Hall Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award: Kurt Hall ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011 Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips Wed

Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson After eight years of dating, That '70s Show's Danny Masterson and girlfriend Bijou Phillips have gotten married, People reports.Tuesday's ceremony was held before family and friends at a private castle in Tipperary, Ireland. Phillips, the half-sister of Chynna Phillips and Mackenzie Phillips, wore a Zac Posen gown. Masterson's brother Chris was the best man.Photo gallery: Storybook celebrity romancesThe couple met at a celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas in 2004. Masterson, 35, and Phillips, 31, starred together in the 2009 drama The Bridge to Nowhere. He proposed in March 2009, according to People.

Real Existence: Occupy Wall Street? MTV Issues Casting Demand Protesters

Really? An advert came out on C-list seeking people in the Occupy Wall Street movement to audition for MTV’s The Actual Existence 27. The NY Observer surmises that maybe someone at Bunim/Murray Productions saw the Chicks of Occupy Wall Street Tumblr. States the ad: “Are you part of the Occupy Wall Street Movement? MTVs Real Existence is seeking cast individuals to inform their very own tales on our show. If you are over the age of 20 and appear to become involving the age groups of 20-24, as well as the description below appears as if you, you'd like to learn what you believe!” plus a request recent photos, bio and make contact with information. Apparently oldsters inside the OWS movement — anyone who even seems like they may be 29 — don't need to apply.

Hollywood Worries About Weak Box Office: Footloose #1, Real Steel #2, The One Thing #3 Large Comics Explosive device Within The Large Year

FRIDAYPM/SATURDAY AM UPDATE: Seriously, do movie moguls enter showbiz simply to greenlight unnecessary remakes of teenybopper movies and horror movies or unfunny comedies that humiliate large stars like Friday’s film fare? Maybe that’s why audiences are rebelling. Based on tonight’s estimations, my sources the United States box office is searching very weak againfor a few days ago. Asa longtime studio professional worried aloud in my experience tonight: “I’m really worried about how soft situations are. Amounts were searching better throughout your day. However I’m sitting here searching at grosses tonight and that i’m concerned for that Industry. What’s worrying meis where are individuals hardcore movie fans at this time?” Well, I only say Hollywood should expect the worst once they release lots of dreadful photos over recent days.A few days ago’s total gross won’t edge much over $80M — the industry whopping-35% from this past year when Jackass three dimensional opened up to $50M. (I understand that which you’re thinking: Who're the jackasses now?)This isn't a great situation for that galleries to stay in as moviegoing makes its way into the all-important holidays. Full analysis coming: 1. Footloose (Vital) NEW [3,549 Theaters] Friday$5.7M, Believed Weekend$17M 2. Real Steel (DreamWorks/Disney) Week 2 [3,440 Theaters] Friday $4.6M (-46%), Believed Weekend $16M, Believed Cume $51.3M 3. The One Thing (Universal) NEW [2,996 Theaters] Friday$3.5M, Believed Weekend$9M 4. The Ides Of March (The new sony) Week 2 [2,199 Theaters] Friday $2.3M (-31%), Believed Weekend $7.5M, Believed Cume $22.1M 5. The Dolphin Tale (Alcon/Warner Bros) Week 4 [3,286 Theaters] Friday $1.7M, Believed Weekend $6.5M, Believed Cume $59M 6. Moneyball (The new sony) Week 4 [2,840 Theaters] Friday $1.4M, Believed Weekend $5.5M, Believed Cume $57.7M 7. 50/50 (Summit) Week 3[2,391 Theaters] Friday $1.4M, Believed Weekend $4.5M, Believed Cume $24.5M 8. The Large Year (Fox) NEW [2,150 Theaters] Friday $1.2M,Believed Weekend$3M 9. Courageous (The new sony) Week 3 [1,214 Theaters] Friday $1M, Believed Weekend $3.3M, Believed Cume $21.3M 10. Dream House (Universal) Week 3 [2,172 Theaters] Friday $825K, Believed Weekend $2.5M, Believed Cume$18.4M

'The Hunger Games' Capitol Seal Debuts [Moviefone Exclusive]

Attention 'Hunger Games' fans: the possibilities certainly to your benefit at this time. Within the last two days, people of Panem happen to be treated to first looks whatsoever 12 district closes -- most of which incorporated industry projects specifically written for that film by 'Hunger Games' author Suzanne Collins. Now comes the ultimate puzzle piece: an initial consider the seal for that Capitol itself. Take a look at a unique see that, along with the other district closes, ahead. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Woodsy Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Jesse Sutherland and Lenny Kravitz, 'The Hunger Games' comes to theaters on March 23, 2012. Return to Moviefone for additional concerning the long awaited adaptation within the lead-as much as release. For additional on 'The Hunger Games,' mind to the state capitol website. [Top Photo: Lionsgate] 'Hunger Games' Photos See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Happy Existence

Tom McCaffrey is passionate concerning the 19 nineties techno music in Happy Existence. A Tilt Pocket production. Produced by Rachel Fernandes, Michael M. Bilandic, Spencer Kiernan. Executive producer, Abel Ferrara. Directed, put together by Michael M. Bilandic.With: Tom McCaffrey, Amanda Salane, Gilles Decamps, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alexander Ross Perry.Occur cramped houses and hole-in-the-wall stores inside the East Village, Michael M. Bilandic's nanobudget comedy "Happy Existence" plays as being a poor schlub's "High Fidelity," centered around Keith, a 35-year-old, music-loving sad sack faithful not to the eclectic but for the outmoded techno in the the 19 nineties. No matter the derision his listening options regularly inspire in trend-following Gothamites, the pic's title is not entirely ironic, as Keith's genuine appreciation in the tribal music experience ultimately yields profound, if largely unshared, satisfaction. Fittingly professional produced by cult helmer Abel Ferrara, pic could develop its own fringe following. Fired from his latest disastrous DJ stint within an trendy tapas bar where he refuses to sit in the clientele's tastes, Keith (deadpan standup comedian Tom McCaffrey) clings anxiously to his vinyl emporium of rare trance classics, where a handful of die-hard disco brainiacs congregate. He decides to throw a vintage-style rave to enhance money to be able to save the failing store, taking the assistance of his handful of pals and infrequent clients. He utilizes legendary DJ Liquids (Gilles Decamps), a Eurotrash cokehead now spinning celebrity-studded tales of his decadent heyday instead of records. (The pic could not make any try for connecting the disco past to the current worldwide revival of electronic music.) Director Bilandic's humor is acerbic but never cruel. Keith hops the ferry to Staten Island for just about any money-seeking family visit, waxing poetic round the finer points of Detroit versus. Chicago house styles for his effusively encouraging but absolutely not aware parents, who tremulously slip him $ 100. Even Keith's clumsy progresses a street kid half his age (Amanda Salane), happening within the squalid, takeout-tossed apartment, ultimately register more as misguided detours in relation to friendship than pathetic sexual fumblings. Like Ferrara, Bilandic takes note of his misfit's epiphanies, twisted, condemned or out-of-date though they could be, though Keith achieves a pace of lumpen passivity unknown to Ferrara's angst-ridden Christ figures. Familiar NY indie stars and company company directors for instance Alex Ross Perry and Kate Lyn Sheil come in odd corners, but it's Perry d.p. Sean Cost Williams' distinctive lensing providing you with "Happy" its raw, imagistic energy. The color-saturated, communal space Keith yearns for is not really absent while he strides along, his earphones flowing out techno trance, using a city suffused with lurid colors that can come for the forefront inside the pic's underpopulated but very passionate rave moments.Camera (color, HD), Sean Cost Williams editor, Bilandic, Ernest Saito music, Da Vinci Boi, Hot Hero production designer, Matt Master art director, Abe Scott costume designers, Linnea Vedder, Meg Browning appear, Luke Allen appear designer, Neil Benezra. Examined on DVD, NY, March. 10, 2011. Running time: 73 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Ted Koppel to Join Rock Center with Brian Williams

Ted Koppel Ted Koppel is joining Rock Center with Brian Williams as a special correspondent, NBC News announced Thursday. "My goal has been to make Rock Center the Cooperstown of our craft," Brian Williams said. "Ted is a consensus hall of famer, joining the best team of men and women on the air today. While his place in the history of television journalism is already established, his work here is just beginning. This is the next chapter, and it's an enormous honor to work with this giant and former competitor." Check out more of today's news The new series, which begins Monday, Oct. 31 at 10/9c, will feature in-depth stories, coverage of topical events and interviews with newsmakers. Koppel, 71, is best known for his role as anchor on ABC's Nightline from 1980 to 2005.

John Malone Becomes The No. 1 Land Owner, Passing Ted Turner

Ted Turner seems destined to be one-upped by his longtime ally, Liberty Media’s John Malone. First it was in media, where Malone remains a player long after Turner was pushed out of Time Warner. Now Malone has passed Turner as the nation’s biggest private land owner — a title the founder of cable channels including CNN, TNT, and Cartoon Network held since the 1990s — according to The Land Report. Malone bought more than 1M acres of timberland in Maine and New Hampshire this year, bringing his total land holdings to 2.2M acres. That passes Turner, who has more than 2M acres, mostly in Montana.Malone tells the publication that he caught “this land-buying disease” when he toured Turner’s ranch two years ago. The Land Report’s annual survey of the largest private U.S. landowners just looks at acreage owned by individuals, families, family-owned companies, and family-controlled foundations.

Arts supporter Beatrice Gersh dies at 87

Posted: Mon., Oct. 10, 2011, 1:40pm PTBeatrice Gersh Longtime Los Angeles philanthropist and arts supporter Beatrice Gersh, whose late husband Phil founded the Gersh Agency, died of natural causes Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 87. Services will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Hillside Memorial Park & Mortuary, 6001 Centinela Blvd., Los Angeles. Beatrice Gersh was part of a group that helped found the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and she and her husband remained notable supporter of the museum. Born Beatrice Aberle in Los Angeles, she attended Stanford and USC and taught history at USC before marrying Phil Gersh. Phil Gersh founded the Gersh Agency in 1949, and the couple became some of the first collectors of modern art in Los Angeles, serving on the L.A. County Museum of Art's Modern and Contemporary Art Council for many years. She was also a founder of the Los Angeles Music Center and a member of the Music Center's Blue Ribbon group. In 1989, MOCA presented "Selections from the Beatrice and Phillip Gersh Collection," an exhibition of pieces given to the museum by the couple and selections from the Gershs' private collection. Phil Gersh died at age 92 in 2004. Beatrice Gersh is survived by brothers Charles and Leon; sons David and Bob, co-presidents of the Gersh agency, and grandchildren Steven, who is a Gersh agent; Laura, a Gersh staffer; Jessica; Bill, a TV production staffer, and Annie. Donations may be made to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Sundance Selects Builds up Bess Kargman's Ballet Documentary

Sundance Selects has acquired U . s . States rights to director Bess Kargman's documentary First Position, which follows six youthful ballroom ballroom dancers simply because they compete inside the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition.Related Subjects•Toronto Worldwide Fil... The film, which Kargman also produced, had its world premiere within the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival, where it absolutely was named runner-because the crowd selection for best documentary. Furthermore, it will be screening inside the Vancounver Worldwide Film Festival, the Hamptons Worldwide Film Festival and DOC New you are able to city. "This is often a touching and inspiring documentary with great suspense which keeps audiences riveted. Bess Kargman bakes an attractive film that captures the sophistication of individuals phenomenal artists," Jonathan Sehring, leader of Sundance Selects, mentioned. The sale was talked about by Arianna Bocco, senior v . p . of purchases and productions, and Betsy Rodgers, senior v . p . of economic and legal afffairs, for Sundance Selects with Josh Braun at Submarine regarding the filmmaker. Related Subjects Toronto Worldwide Film Festival Worldwide

Snoop Dogg Family Comedy Lands at NBC

Snoop Dogg is really a step nearer to adding sitcom star to his already broad resume. The rapper, together with veteran sitcom producer Don Reo (My Spouse and youngsters, 2 . 5 Males), withwhom he did an arc for on Fox'sBrothers, has offered a household comedy pitch to NBC.The project focuses on a parent (Snoop) and the group of misfit children. The multi-cam 30 minutes, which originates fromWarner Bros. TV, counts Reo like a author and executive producer, with Snoop attached like a producer and star. Ted Chung(Dogg At Night) will even function as a producer around the project. Whether it ultimately will get acquired to series, it'll join Snoop's other small screen credits, includingDoggy Fizzle Televizzle, a 2002 sketch comedy show he created and starred set for MTV, andSnoop Dogg's Father Hood, a real possibility series focusing on his family for E!. Both Snoop and Reo are generally repped by Paradigm. Email: Lacey.Rose@thr.com Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Subjects Snoop Dogg NBC TV Development

Parents Television Council 'Pleased' With 'Playboy Club' Cancellation

The Parents Television Council is "pleased" and "grateful" that NBC has canceled The Playboy Club.our editor recommendsHugh Hefner: The Playboy InterviewNBC Cancels 'The Playboy Club''Playboy Club' Cancellation: What Hollywood, Viewers Are Saying'Playboy Club': Gloria Steinem Advocates Boycott of NBC Series'The Playboy Club' Showrunner: 'There's a Perception of the Show That's False''The Playboy Club:' Chrysler to Continue Advertising Despite PTC Campaign The TV watchdog had lobbied against the program since NBC ordered it to series in May. It called on its members and others to contact local NBC affiliates, and asked advertisers whether the Playboy brand aligns with their corporate image. PHOTOS: PTC vs. TV: 10 Television Show Controversies NBC dropped the show Tuesday after three underwhelmingly-rated outings. The drama premiered Sept. 20 to 5 million viewers and a 1.6 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic. The second episode of the series from showrunner Chad Hodge and 20th Century Fox Television, tumbled 19 percent, luring only 3.8 million viewers and a 1.3 in the demo. Its most recent episode dropped even more, attracting 3.2 million viewers and a 1.2. STORY: Hugh Hefner: The Playboy Interview PTC president Tim Winter said Tuesday, "Bringing The Playboy Club to broadcast television was a poor programming decision from the start. We're pleased that NBC will no longer be airing a program so inherently linked to a pornographic brand that denigrates and sexualizes women." PHOTOS: Fall TV Death Pool: Will 'Charlie's Angels' or 'How to Be a Gentleman' Be Axed First? The PTC said its campaign against the program was in part, to differentiate what was suitable for broadcast ad cable programming, "Since much of the new NBC leadership comes from the cable industry, we are hopeful those making programming decisions will consider more carefully the difference between the publicly-owned broadcast airwaves and a subscription service like cable. The network's decision to air this series was a violation of the public trust that comes with the privilege of holding a broadcast license. "We are grateful to every member of the public who responded to our call to take action against this attempt to mainstream a brand that is synonymous with the pornography industry. We hope other broadcasters heed the important lessons of this programming debacle," Winter concluded. PHOTOS: Fall TV Preview 2011: 10 Fresh Faces to Know Seven companies did not buy ads after the show's first airing: Kraft, Sprint, Lenovo, UPS Store, Subway, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Campbell's Soup. Related Topics The Playboy Club

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Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling

Christine Lahti stars in Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling. An Atlantic Theater Company presentation of a play in one act by Adam Rapp. Directed by Neil Pepe. Sandra Cabot - Christine Lahti Wilma - Quincy Tyler Bernstine Dr. Bertram Cabot - Reed Birney Dirk Von Stofenberg - Cotter Smith Cora Cabot - Katherine Waterston Celeste Von Stofenberg - Betsy Aidem James Von Stofenberg - Shane McRaeAdam Rapp writes funny lines for scary people. That's not a shabby talent and it's on smart display in "Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling," an absurdist comedy of manners about the primal instincts that surface when a rich and pretentious Connecticut couple host an intimate dinner party. Neil Pepe's slickly helmed production for the Atlantic Theater Company puts scribe's skills in the best possible light. But, comes the reckoning, Rapp doesn't deliver the goods. For all the savage talk and bestial imagery, there are no teeth -- and consequently no bite -- to this offbeat but superficial comedy. To suggest the social affectations of Sandra (Christine Lahti, exercising her sublimely wicked wit) and Bertram Cabot (Reed Birney, making easygoing look easy), set designers Andrew Boyce and Takeshi Kata have hoisted a massive chandelier over the handsomely dressed table in the couple's tasteful dining room. But we already know that Sandra's a snob because she's teaching her maid Wilma (played with subtle sass by Quincy Tyler Bernstine) to speak French. Before the Cabots and their guests actually sit down to eat, Rapp ("Red Light Winter") front-loads his play with some cruelly funny cocktail-hour fun and games. Bert tosses out the first conversational ball by telling his friend Dirk Von Stofenberg (Cotter Smith) how much he enjoyed a recent trip to Borneo, in his awed opinion "a place where nature and mythology seem inseparable." But know-it-all Sandra keeps cutting in with scathing criticisms and corrections, and after driving poor, emasculated Bert out of the room, she practically rapes Dirk. Preening herself like a well-groomed bird of prey (credit Theresa Squire for the stunning Chanel suit), the supremely confident Lahti swoops down on this spellbound pigeon and pretty much eats him alive. The avian imagery is not out of place, because flocks of wild geese seem to be committing suicide and landing in the Cabots' backyard. One corpse turns up as the main dinner course, while others are fed to the African lion that the Cabots' teenaged daughter Cora (perfectly creepy in Katherine Waterston's poised perf) claims is imprisoned in the basement. Keeping the metaphor aloft, Dirk recalls his childhood fantasy of being able to fly. His suicidal son, James (Shane McRae), actually gave it a try -- and fell. By the time dinner is over, the sky has turned ominous colors and the nature imagery has been beaten to death. In addition to those geese on the lawn and the lion in the basement, there are references to wildebeests, crocodiles, orangutans, barracudas, deer, and the rabid wolf in "Old Yeller." The brutal nature of the human animal is a familiar dramatic theme and a favorite one of Rapp's, but much of the symbolism here seems gratuitous and without point. These suburban couples may be every bit as contemptible as their children think they are, but real savagery seems beyond them. Unlike the married couples who lose their civilized veneer in Yasmina Reza's "God of Carnage," T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party," or any number of plays that take place at a dining room table, the Cabots and the Von Stofenbergs are given nothing to fight about, no reason at all to bare tooth and claw. And for all Rapp's allusions to creatures that fly, crawl, swim, or creep on cat's feet, the monsters in this derivative play are actually pretty tame beasts.Set, Andrew Boyce and Takeshi Kata; costumes, Theresa Squire; lighting, Tyler Micoleau; original music & sound design, production stage manager, Erin Maureen Koster. Opened on Oct. 3, 2011. Reviewed Sept. 30. Running time: 1 HOUR, 20 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Dancing's Derek Hough: Ricki Is Not Obsessed with Kirstie Alley

Derek Hough Derek Hough and Ricki Lake may have topped the Dancing with the Stars leader board last week, but Hough by no means thinks they're the ones to beat. "It felt great, but if you look, the scores were really close, so it's going to be a very competitive season," Hough tells TVGuide.com. "I know people are going to do really well next week and whatnot, and as long we can keep improving as far as her skill set, then I think we'll be in good shape." Not in good shape? His apparent inability to add their scores. Find out what the three-time champ has to say about this math skills, why Lake was never hung up on being Kirstie Alley, and why he chose to film a movie last season instead of going for a threepeat.Fall Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning showsHas math always been hard for you?Derek Hough: [Laughs] I know, I know. And no, it has not. I want everyone to know that I got an A+ in math when I was in school!How's the rumba going?Hough: Great! I tend to choreograph the beginning last. I don't know why I do that. I leave the first 20 seconds open and go back to it last, but on the first day, I had the other three-quarters done and she picked it up really quickly. That pleasantly surprised me. You have to tell a story this week. What's Ricki's?Hough: What I really like about her story is that it's about triumph, which is what I think we all want. She was saying that this past year, she wasn't fully allowing herself to be happy or to be open to love again. So, the fact that she's able to open up again and to be happy was a huge triumph for her. It's kind of fantastic that it's happening now and I'm kind of part of it in the present. I think there'll be some pretty heavy and dramatic stories this week. Hers is happy. I think it's really sweet.She's been saying that Kirstie Alley was her weight-loss inspiration. Is she that focused on it or is the show just playing up her comments?Hough: No, I think Kirstie was her initial inspiration, but she's not really hung up on her or obsessed with her. She's actually happy with who she is, and the fact that she's losing weight is a huge bonus. I think the biggest thing is that she's just happy. Part of that is having a healthier lifestyle. She's her own person. She's doing her own thing. She hasn't weighed herself. She's measuring herself in inches. She doesn't know how many pounds she's lost, and to be honest with you, that's the correct way to do it as far as dancing goes. It's not about the pounds; it's about the inches. You build muscle, so you might gain weight, but you will look and feel better. Dancing's Chaz Bono: The support has been overwhelmingIs there anything you're working on improving this week?Hough: Her footwork and leg action. The rumba is a lot different from the jive, obviously. There's a lot more control and it's more precise. It requires a lot of strength and technique in her legs. We want to make everything look tight and clean.Who do you think is your biggest competition so far?Hough: I think everybody's doing great. I was really impressed with Kristin [Cavallari]. She was great last week. J.R. [Martinez], obviously - I believe he'll be there in the finals. He's got amazing potential. Chynna [Phillips] - she's really great at the ballroom stuff. You never truly know. You might think someone's doing good, but maybe they have a bad week and drop the ball. You can be surprised both ways.How does it feel to be back?Hough: It feels great. [The premiere] was wonderful. It was great to receive that sort of response. That's why I love live audiences so much. It's the instant response and gratification of the hard work you've done. They stood up and cheered. I was telling Ricki, "Isn't this wonderful?" I was really glad she was able to experience that.Check out photos from DancingDid you want to take a break from the show or was the movie [Cobu 3D] a career opportunity you could not pass up?Hough: I think it was a mixture of both. It was my first film, and I want to do more in the future. [But] I definitely needed to have one under my belt and throw myself into the deep end. But on top of that too was the fact that I just won two seasons in a row [with Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey], and I felt like coming back would be anticlimactic.You didn't want to go for a threepeat?Hough: No. For me, it was like, "Wow! I've just had two incredible seasons. It really can't get much better than that, so I'm going to take one out and then come back." It's difficult going all the way to the end. It's not easy at all. It takes a toll, for sure.You're already the first pro with three Mirrorballs. How badly do you want a fourth?Hough: [Laughs] It would be awesome to win a fourth, but right now it's just one week at a time. Hopefully we can do it!

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