But fans of the original Johnny Depp led TV show will notice that the two “Jump Streets” have [...]]]>
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. (Fred Prouser/Getty)The first trailer for “21 Jump Street” is funny at times, contains a whole lot of swear words and delivers some formulaic comedy situations. (Crazy party! Drug taking! Ice Cube saying “Twittersphere”!)

But fans of the original Johnny Depp led TV show will notice that the two “Jump Streets” have very little in common.

Thin Jonah Hill and a beefed up Channing Tatum play cops assigned to the revived undercover unit on 21 Jump Street with orders to infiltrate a high school drug ring. It doesn't seem that there be a moral lesson to take away from the film, like the “Jump Street” episodes provided. Just a whole lot of “Superbad”-style debauchery.

On the bright side, it also stars Nick Offerman, aka “Parks and Recreation's” Ron Swanson. And Depp will make a cameo.

Watch the trailer, which I can't stress enough is extremely NSFW, here.

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Speaking in an investor Q&A session (via Cinema Blend), he reasoned that the two open world action franchises are very different beasts.

"I went online like everyone to see the GTA trailer," [...]]]> THQ CEO Brian Farrell doesn't expect the newly revealed Grand Theft Auto 5 to overshadow Saints Row: The Third's release later this month.

Speaking in an investor Q&A session (via Cinema Blend), he reasoned that the two open world action franchises are very different beasts.

"I went online like everyone to see the GTA trailer," Farrell said. "It's a high quality trailer and I think it's going to be another fantastic game in the GTA series.

"That said, it also shows the completely different positioning of the two games. GTA is still serious and character driven - a very different experience. Saints Row - if you saw our video today - it shows you all the crazy stuff in the game.

"It's a totally different positioning and if you read the forums it's like 'hey, I love GTA, and I love this game because it's a very different game that knows what it is and is very entertaining.'"

Saints Row: The Third hits the UK on November 18, while GTA 5 is expected to launch next summer.

M2 Research analyst Billy Pidgeon agrees with Farrell. In fact, he told IndustryGamers GTA 5's reveal could rub off positively on Saints Row: The Third.

"With the GTA V trailer promoting an as yet undated release out before THQ's Saints Row: The Third ad campaign kicks into high gear, the action-adventure sandbox genre with a crime-oriented theme gets promoted, and both games will likely benefit," Pidgeon explained.

Check out the original source here.

With such a large starting pool, it was a bit difficult to keep track of who was who, and what [...]]]> Yee haw! Top Chef: Texas kicked off tonight in the Lone Star state. Remember the Alamo? Well, it started there, with 29 chefs competing for 16 coveted jackets that would keep them in the game.

With such a large starting pool, it was a bit difficult to keep track of who was who, and what they were cooking, and whose credentials were the most impressive. Also, the many format changes were a bit unnerving, and frankly -- it was a little on the dull side. Even judge Emeril Lagasse didn't spice it up much.

The chefs were divided into three groups for the first challenge. The first group was asked to prepare a pork dish, which they had to butcher from a pig themselves. The second chose rabbit to prepare (chicken fried rabbit anyone?). And the third ... we don't know yet, as only two groups cooked tonight (annoying!).

When the game began, there was no messing around in Texas. When one cocky contestant couldn't hack it when it came to hacking up the pork, he was sent home before he got to cook a single thing. When another spilled some soup, he was sent packing. Those whose dishes the judges actually tasted were either given a jacket to signify their spot in the competition, denied and sent home, or placed on “the bubble” (some folding chairs in a room) where they waited in limbo before their chance to try and get themselves off of it and into a jacket.  

There's a lot of talent this season and it's quite early, but I do have a few favorites. Tops on my list is Keith Rhodes, who formerly served time in prison for dealing drugs but has since turned his life around. He seems so grateful to be there and wowed the judges with his dish. I'm rooting for him. Also -- Chris Crary, but mostly because he's hot.

Hopefully tonight isn't an indication of the season to come and rather it's just a slow southern start. I'm still holding out hope that Texas is going to deliver big.

What did you think of the Top Chef premiere tonight?

Image via Bravo

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D Magazine's Loren Means loves to watch Top Chef. Therefore, she volunteered to watch all of the episodes this season and write a recap. She's a Texan and she's on Texan stereotype alert. Go, Loren.

Top Chef is back and according to [...]]]> Top Chef: Texas Episode One Recap

D Magazine's Loren Means loves to watch Top Chef. Therefore, she volunteered to watch all of the episodes this season and write a recap. She's a Texan and she's on Texan stereotype alert. Go, Loren.

Top Chef is back and according to Bravo's tagline for the show, “Everything is Bigger in Texas!” Wow, I wonder where they got that idea. Note to producers: We are bigger than France. And our buildings are NOT bigger than those in New York. So there's one strike. I suggest you change your promotion from bigger to better. On to the show.

After meeting most of the cheftestants last night–not all 29 of them, but most–I think it's safe to say we have some very talented people on this season. Tom Colicchio appears more aggressive this season and he kicked them off Simon Cowell-style. Grrr. I like this Tom.

Oh, it gets better.

Well, the cast of 29 very excited chefs is certainly large. Last night the enthusiastic contestants congregated in front of the (small) Alamo. Padma shows up to greet them and also inform them that only 16 will continue on to compete.  Chris C. is so excited to see her! “Damn, Padma looks hot. I have to stay in this competition just so I can look at her.”  (Note to Chris: as a non-participating viewer I will see gobs of Padma. If your main focus is to stare at Padma – go home and turn on the TV. Lord, I already don't like him.)

Once all the excitement settled, Padma welcomed the cheftestants to San Antonio and, for me, this moment felt a bit like the Travel Channel meets the Food Network. Padma, dressed in a long flowy pink strapless dress, welcomed the group who stood in front of the Alamo. They could have been standing in front of a tree. She made no reference to the significance of the building which, for many of us, represents the brave men who battled Santa Anna's army. Ozzy Osbourne peed on the Alamo and PeeWee Herman, well, I'm sure they will get to Mr. Herman's contribution to Texas history in a future episode.

The opening shot dissolves. We reopen in a kitchen!

We meet Group 1 which is comprised of 10 chefs.  There are several executive chefs, a couple chefs de cusine, one personal chef/caterer who later introduced himself as a “chef to the celebrities”, one self- taught underdog, and one who is currently “between jobs.”  Immediately, we see some clear front runners.  Emeril Lagasse is the guest judge for the Quickfire in which the chefs are presented with a whole pig and they must each choose a cut to prepare for the judges. Once the chefs have made their decisions, two volunteers jump forward to butcher the pig. Hilarity ensues.

Well, not really but I was laughing outloud as a vegan chef, who hasn't worked with meat in 10 years, attempted to slice out the ribs while the “chef to the celebs” attacked the pig, Lord of Flies-style. He wielded a saw and boasted that he never has to butcher his own meat because his clients are wealthy. Fortunately, Chris Jones of Moto, steps in and relieves his vegan friend, Collin. Also fortunate, no one steps in for Stone, Chef Tyler Stone. Tom Colicchio strolls up shortly after Tyler has hacked the tenderloin in half. Horrified by such atrocities, Tom practically donkey kicks the kid out of the kitchen mid-challenge. After putting up a little fight and a final “fair enough” Tyler leaves and I laugh. I like this season's Tom.

The other 9 chefs are able to finish their dishes and present them for Tom, Padma, and Emeril to judge. Some chefs will get the majority vote and receive a chef's coat; others will be put on “the bubble” and have to compete again later for one of the 16 spots.

Earning a chef's coat in this group are Heather, Nyesha, Chris J., Richie, and Sarah.  Grayson, who is between jobs, and Molly, who claims to be a fine dining chef aboard a cruise ship which is a total oxymoron to me, are sent to “the bubble” while the sweet vegan, Collin and the heart- warming underdog, Simon are sent packing. (Like a vegan chef had a chance at winning this? Not fair.)

Next up is Group two. Wow, you can almost smell the pedigree in the room. Everyone in this group is an executive chef, a restaurant owner, or a chef de cuisine. All have worked with incredibly talented chefs and all brought their A game.  All but Nina.  Gayle joins us as the judge for this Quickfire where the chefs must choose a main ingredient as a group. (Team building time!)  They are presented with several choices but ultimately all decide that rabbit is the most versatile. Everyone flies into action, and when the buzzer goes off, Nina is caught with an un-plated Thumper. Bye Nina. Dakota, Whitney, Chuy, Chris C., Keith, and Ty-lor all receive chef's coats.  Janine, who didn't get her sauce on the plate, and Edward, whose rabbit was undercooked, are sent to “the bubble” where they remain to fight another day.

Episode one ended with 11 spots filled, four chefs on “the bubble” and 10 cheftestants in group three waiting to compete. With only 4 spots left, the pressure is certainly on for group three.

I think this will be an exciting and fun season and I can already see we will witness some excellent talent in the kitchen. After next week, we'll have the final sweet 16 but, for now, Keith, Nyesha, Sarah and Heather have my vote. Would love to hear your favs.

Happy tails to you until we meet next week.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The jackpot in the Florida Lotto game has grown to $25 million after no one matched the six winning numbers in the latest drawing, lottery officials said Thursday.

A total of 57 tickets matched five numbers to win $3,998 each; 2,387 tickets matched four numbers for $75.50 each; and 46,370 tickets [...]]]>

The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The jackpot in the Florida Lotto game has grown to $25 million after no one matched the six winning numbers in the latest drawing, lottery officials said Thursday.

A total of 57 tickets matched five numbers to win $3,998 each; 2,387 tickets matched four numbers for $75.50 each; and 46,370 tickets matched three numbers for $5 each.

The winning Florida Lotto numbers selected Wednesday: 11-31-34-39-47-52.

___

November 03, 2011 12:51 PM EDT

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Check out the original source here.

The one ticket with all six winning numbers from Wednesday's drawing was sold at a still-undisclosed location in the state, and lottery officials are waiting for the winner to step forward. The [...]]]> The winning Powerball ticket for a $254 million jackpot has been sold in Connecticut, and it's the largest prize ever in state lottery history.

The one ticket with all six winning numbers from Wednesday's drawing was sold at a still-undisclosed location in the state, and lottery officials are waiting for the winner to step forward. The jackpot winner can claim a $254 million annuity paid over 29 years or a lump sum of nearly $152 million in cash.

Wednesday's winning Powerball numbers were 12-14-34-39-46, Powerball 36. There were nearly 2.3 million tickets with winning combinations sold nationwide, including about 29,000 in Connecticut.

Players have until April 30, 2012, to claim their prizes.

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Based on Johnny Depp's ‘80s TV series, “21 Jump Street” stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as cops who go undercover as high school students to expose a drug ring at their alma mater.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, [...]]]>
Get ready for a whole new take to the “21 Jump Street” remake.

Based on Johnny Depp's ‘80s TV series, “21 Jump Street” stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as cops who go undercover as high school students to expose a drug ring at their alma mater.

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the remake features a cameo by Depp. However for box office appeal, it's not surprising that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star doesn't appear in the trailer.

"I went and did my bit as I was hoping to, and it worked out really well. It was really fun,” Depp told MTV. “I got to spend some time with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and the wonderful directors [Phil Lord and Chris Miller\] on that. It was a great experience."

Tatum took to Twitter to announce the release of the red band trailer, which is loaded with profanity and shows the two stars in a mess of hilarious hijinks.

The remake of ”21 Jump Street” hits theaters March 16, 2012.

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The television host spoofed the story on his show on Wednesday evening (2nd November 2011), performing a version of the 17-year-old's [...]]]> Justin Bieber may have told Twitter followers to "ignore the rumors" about the 'baby mama' story doing the rounds, but it wasn't enough for Jimmy Fallon to keep quiet, reports the New York Daily News.

The television host spoofed the story on his show on Wednesday evening (2nd November 2011), performing a version of the 17-year-old's biggest hit 'Baby', though renaming it (It's Not My) Baby. Wearing the star's signature baseball cap, leather jacket and dog tags, Fallon took to the stage for the updated version of the song. The host sent the audience into frenzy, singing the reworked lyrics, "You said we did it, and I'm a dad. My lawyer's tripping, cause this looks bad. You only said this to get my cash. Now Selena Gomez is going to kick my ass.It's not my baby, baby, baby. Oh-oh, it's not my baby, baby, baby". In a second verse unlikely to please 'Team Bieber', Fallon quipped, "You said I didn't use protection, I only lasted 30 seconds. But that's not true. No that's a lie. It was totally more like 45". The story first surfaced earlier this week, with tabloids reporting a 20-year-old woman had filed a serious paternity lawsuit alleging Justin was the father of her 3-month-old child, following a romantic tryst backstage at the Staples Centre.

The 17-year-old, who appeared on Fallon's show in April 2010, is yet to comment on the spoof but told Twitter followers on Wednesday, "Im going to ignore the rumors...and focus on what is real.an opportunity to help by doing what i love. Judge me on the music! Love yall!"

Check out the original source here.

"The managerial search process begins immediately," Epstein said. "We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can [...]]]>

The Chicago Cubs fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein seems to have ruled out a popular name to succeed him in Ryne Sandberg.

"The managerial search process begins immediately," Epstein said. "We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success. The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level."

The last part of that statement seemed to exclude Sandberg, and in fact Epstein did call him to say he wasn't in the running.

"Theo called me 10 minutes after they issued the press release (on Quade) and told me that they have a list of guys and I'm not on it,'' Sandberg said, according to the Daily Herald. "He wished me good luck and said he hoped I got a chance somewhere soon.

"He didn't owe me that at all. He didn't have to do that. It was a classy move and I'm very appreciative of the phone call. In the end, I wished him and everybody there good luck."

Sandberg was a Hall of Fame second baseman for the Cubs who became a highly successful minor league manager in the Cubs organization before managing the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A team last season. But he hadn't coached or managed on the major league level.

Despite being eliminated, Sandberg had no hard feelings.

"Cubs fans should have trust in Theo," he said, according to the Herald. "They're in great hands with him and (general manager) Jed (Hoyer) and (senior vice president) Jason (McLeod),'' Sandberg said. "They're heading in the right direction and they're going to do everything in their power possible to get the Cubs where they ultimately want to be."

Epstein and Hoyer met with Quade last week at Wrigley Field and spoke again by phone Tuesday after Hoyer's introductory news conference. Epstein flew to Florida to tell Quade that he would not return.

"When I joined the Cubs last week, I knew that Mike had a reputation as an outstanding baseball guy, as a tireless worker, and as a first-rate human being," Epstein said in a release. "After spending some time with him this past week, it became apparent to me that Mike's reputation is well deserved. His passion, knowledge of the game, commitment, and integrity stood out immediately. While Mike is clearly an asset to any organization and any major league staff, Jed and I believe that the Cubs would benefit long term from bringing in a manager for 2012 who can come in with a clean slate and offer new direction."

Quade had one year and $1 million remaining on a two-year deal he signed last November. The deal carried a club option for 2013.

"Theo was class all the way," Quade said. "He and Jed were so impressive in the way they approached me and listened to what I had to say about the team. If you're going to let someone go, they handled it as well as anyone could.

"I'm really going to miss all the people in the front office, media relations, marketing, all the great people at the ball park. They were my family for a while, and that part really stings. But life does go on."

The Cubs finished 71-91, which was Quade's first full season as a big league manager after taking over for Lou Piniella late in the 2010 season. Quade's overall record is 95-104.

Quade isn't sure what he'll do next, but he knows he can win as a big league manager.

"We got a taste of that winning in 2010, but everyone knows the game is about the players, and this year we weren't deep enough as an organization to survive some of the injuries," he said. "I know we played better baseball the last couple of months of the season, but we all know that wasn't good enough.

"You go through all the emotions when you're told to move on. I came back from the meeting with Theo, put my fishing boots on and then went straight to the water and fished for two hours. That was my way of dealing with the decision, clearing my head out. Theo handled things so well. I understand their decision. They have a daunting task ahead of them and a lot to do. So I wish them well."

Epstein's old team, the Boston Red Sox, are also undergoing a managerial search. Given the similarity in philosophy between Epstein and new Boston GM Ben Cherington, it's logical to assume that the teams may be dipping into the same pool of candidates.

"There may be some people we both talk to,'' Cherington said. "That hasn't happened yet, because they haven't started theirs yet and I don't know how they're going to start theirs. But it's possible we'll be talking to some of the same people."

Major league sources told ESPNChicago.com the Cubs coaches were told no decisions would be made on their status until a new manager is hired. They are free to look for other jobs in the meantime. Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, bullpen coach Lester Strode and bench coach Pat Listach are under contract for next season.

ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine and ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes contributed to this report.

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