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FOLIO

Courtesy of Gracenote February 22 - 28, 2015

FEATUREDSTORIES“The Victoria’s Secret Swim Special” “Parks and Recreation” “Daytona 500”

PROFILED ATHLETE Dale Earnhardt Jr.

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS Retta Jason Hervey Shanola Hampton Jill FlintHilary Farr David Visentin

WHAT'S FOR DINNER Matt Basile

JAY BOBBIN'S MOVIES TO WATCH And so much more!Connect to these shows within this magazine!

THE STORY HARRIS

holds forth at

OscarsNeil Patrick Harris becomes

first-time host of the Oscars, Sunday on ABC.

YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 22 - 28, 2015

CONTENTSC

The Oscars

p 3

“The Victoria’s

Secret Swim

Special” p 11

Daytona 500

pp 14-15

Dale Earnhardt Jr. pp 16-17

“Parks and Recreation”

pp 12-13

S IXCelebrity POTLIGHTS

+

Featured STORIES

Retta p 4

Jason Hervey

p 5

Shanola Hampton

p 6

Matt Basile

p 7

Hilary Farr David Visentin

p 9

Jill Flint p 8Profiled ATHLETE

Pictured: Academy Award Best Performance by an Actress

in a Leading Role Nominee - FELICITY JONES in ‘The Theory

of Everything.’

What’s HOT This Week Click to jump to these featured sections!

BY JAY BOBBIN

Editor's choice

Oscars go very musical, very

independentMusic and independence: If there are any overall bywords for this year’s Oscars, those would seem to be the ones.

Having presided over the Tony Awards four times and the Emmys twice, Neil Patrick Harris – a winner of both those honors – becomes the first-time host of the movie industry’s biggest night as ABC televises the 87th Annual Academy Awards from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 22. He’ll perform an original song by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, composers of “Frozen’s” Oscar-winning “Let It Go.”

That’s just one of the musical highlights planned by returning producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for their third consecutive Oscar show. They’ve also enlisted Adam Levine, Common and John Legend (in a duet from “Selma”), Rita Ora and (in a tribute to Glen Campbell) Tim McGraw to perform nominees for best song.

As for independence, the vast majority of nominated films and performances are from the independent-film world ... from “Birdman” and “Boyhood” to “The Imitation Game” and “The Theory of Everything.” Among the major contenders, only a handful of the related movies hail from major studios (including “American Sniper,” “Gone Girl,” “Into the Woods” and “The Judge”).

If it’s a surprise Ellen DeGeneres isn’t hosting again this year – especially after the huge popularity and frequent imitation of her celebrity-packed 2014 Oscar-night selfie – she maintains, “I didn’t think I was ever going to come back again after the first time I did it eight years ago, so when I decided to do it last year, it was a surprise to everybody.”

“I just decided it was time to challenge myself and do something that I thought would be fun and interesting and creative, so I just chose to do it last year. And that, for sure, was going to be ‘it.’ I knew that I wasn’t going to

SSTORY

February 22 - 28, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote

come back again this year ... or ever, but I’ve said that before. I will say that I most likely won’t do it again.”

Among the likeliest bets to receive 2015 Oscar gold is best supporting actress nominee Patricia Arquette, who’s been on a run of film-award wins for the Richard Linklater-directed “Boyhood.” Also starring in the CBS series “CSI: Cyber” starting March 4, she reflects, “I like to entertain people. We made this little art movie. It’s having incredible reception. I’m very grateful for that, so I just feel like I’m having a beautiful moment in my life. I’m grateful for everything.”

Rory Kennedy, the producer-director daughter of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy, also is a current Oscar nominee for the U.S.-evacuation documentary “Last Days in Vietnam” – set to make its television debut on PBS’ “American Experience” April 28. She says she considers her filmmaking “a gift my parents and family gave me as the idea of giving back. That is not an obligation, but a gift ... and the greatest gift, so I try to instill that in my children as much as possible, and some of that takes place through my work.”

Click here for more!

Patricia Arquette is among this year’s nominees in the Oscars, Sunday on ABC.

X

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FOLIO

RETTA of ‘Parks and Recreation’

Has it been hard filming this final season? No, mostly it’s been fun. I love the way they chose to wrap up the series. It didn’t get sad until the last two weeks. It was kind of hustle, hustle, hustle, and then you get to the point where you realize there’s only a couple of episodes left and you think, “Oh, crap.” But you still have to hustle. That last week, that last day and the wrap party were really hard.

Do you think you’ll keep in touch with your castmates? As of right now, we’re still pretty much “in it.” We have epic group texts going. Amy will text us when they finish editing an episode and will say, “Such-and-such scene came out so well!” And everyone keeps texting pictures that we’ve taken over the last seven years.

In addition to all your other extracurricular activities in high school, you were a cheerleader. Would Donna have done that, too? Oh, Donna totally would be a cheerleader, because it would be a way to pick up men.

Would you ever do a drama? I am totally into drama. I did a play a couple of summers ago, a drama, and my manager came and he said, “Hmmm, we probably should start submitting you for dramas.” And I said, “That’s what I keep trying to tell you.” I am praying that I get a guest spot on “The Good Wife” or “Scandal” or something like that.

JOHN CROOK’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC



http://www.nbc.com/


JASONHERVEY executive producer of ‘Outlaw Country’ on WGN America

How did this group of law enforcement and outlaws that are the subject of the unscripted WGN America series “Outlaw Country” come to your attention? I received a phone call from somebody that we work with, who said that he had a relationship with the chief of police as well as the mayor in a town called Buckner, Missouri, and was explaining a bit of their surge in crime. And they related it to these brothers, actually, John and Josh Monk. And the Cook brothers – Steve Cook, who is a detective and the main liaison with the task force, and his brother, Mike Cook, is the chief of police – have had a long, storied history with each other and ... it really sounded fascinating what was going on. So I got on a plane, went down there as quickly as possible ... and there was some discussion with the Monk brothers and their group. They agreed to meet with us, and it was interesting because once word got out that we had interest in this documentary series, they wanted to participate. They did not want this tale to essentially be a one-sided story, so they wanted to cooperate. They wanted to have a fair and balanced story, both sides.

What was your initial sense of the Monk brothers? First of all, when John and Josh Monk walk into a room, you know they’re there. You can feel their presence. You can feel the aura (that) these are serious guys. And to say that energy wasn’t palpable and borderline intimidating, I have no problem admitting that.

Are you still heavily identified with your character from “The Wonder Years,” bullying older brother Wayne? Yeah, and his name is Scott and he’s my older brother and our outside general counsel. That’s who the character was inspired by. It was my real-life older brother. Hey, you watched it, I lived it.

GEORGE DICKIE’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC


http://wgnamerica.com/

SHANOLAHAMPTONof ‘Shameless’ on Showtime

You’ve been described as someone who brings a lot of energy to the set of Showtime’s “Shameless.” Is that true? (Laughs) That’s what they call me, the Energizer Bunny. Oh, goodness gracious. Well, I’ve always had a lot of energy. I don’t know why and I don’t know where it comes from. But I know that when I first auditioned, they didn’t know whether that was really me or if this was someone trying to get a job. So now five seasons in, they’re like, ‘OK, it’s Shanola.’ (laughs)

So is there some of you in your character, Veronica? There is some of me in Veronica in the sense that we have the same hustle. We have a very good spirit about us. Our hustles are different because we came from different backgrounds but (we have) that same fire and passion for life. I would say we’re clearly alike in that but different in our approach about things. ... But we’re both very straightforward, which I love.

What drew you to the character initially? Oh, just the way she would come into a room and lighten it up. I just really never saw a character – you see the best friend roles a lot but you rarely see where she’s the aunt and she has her own thing going on with her husband where she’s all full of love and highly sexual with no apologies for it. I think that’s another thing. In America, we make apologies for being sexual, but she’s in a loving relationship and it’s a healthy drive for sex, and so that was really exciting. I just read the script and I

said, ‘This character I have to play. I have to play her.’

GEORGE DICKIE’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC



www.sho.com/

FOODF

MATTBASILEMatt Basile, the intense but immensely likable host of Cooking Channel’s “Rebel Without a Kitchen,” airing Tuesdays, is the kind of guy who views success with deep suspicion. Oh, he appreciates it, but he also knows it can breed complacency.

That’s one of the reasons Basile, after a season based entirely in Toronto, has taken his Tuesday night series on the road for Season 2, sampling some of the best street foods cities such as New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Boston and Austin, Texas, have to offer.

He’s looking for new flavors and cooking styles he can take back home and possibly incorporate into the menu of his thriving Toronto restaurant, Lisa Marie.

“Other than Toronto, there were 10 or 11 cities that we traveled to this season, mainly in the U.S.,” Basile says. “It was great, because it was the first time I had traveled to that many cities in the U.S. in a short amount of time and seen how broad the landscape is across the country.”

Regardless of whether it’s served in a kiosk, a cart or a food truck, the venue of street food is less important than its intrinsic style, he explains. “It goes back to trying to find what the food of the people is. What is it that can define a city in a few bites? That’s at the heart of what street food is really about.”

That food usually includes a vibrant blend of cultures, often called “fusion.”

“You see street food embodying many cultures, usually the ones that are prevalent in that city,” Basile says. “We’ve seen it manifest in a lot of different ways. I think we’ve only really begun to tap into ‘fusion food.’ There are so many different cultures that you can continue to build flavors on.”

Where did you come up with the name of your food company, Fidel Gastro?“I was playing with the idea of Cuban sandwiches and just writing down just a bunch of random ideas. I don’t know why I wrote down “Fidel Castro,” and then I turned the ‘C’ into a ‘G,’ and I knew we had the name for our sandwich pop-up, one that people immediately gravitated toward. They thought it was clever and whimsical.”

Do you have a favorite spice?“I love fresh ginger. I think it can be used in a variety of styles of cooking. It also can be used for desserts as well. Just the right amount of ginger can give a dish a real zinginess.”

What’s next for you?“I’ve put my life’s blood, body and soul into this company. It’s only been three years and we’ve had amazing growth. We started from a very grassroots beginning that keeps us honest and humble, but the idea is that the sky is the limit as far as where this company goes.”

Sky’s the limit for ‘Rebel’ star Matt Basile

JOHN CROOK’S WHAT'S FOR DINNER



http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/

CCELEBRITY

Last summer, the recurring “The Good Wife” guest and former “Royal Pains” regular starred in the first season of “The Night Shift,” NBC’s drama about Army doctors turned San Antonio emergency-room workers. The show was renewed for a second round that begins Monday, Feb. 23, marking one of the relatively rare times a summer series has moved into the regular television season.

A big change is in store for Flint’s character, Dr. Jordan Alexander, since she’s replaced as night-shift chief and sent into the field to handle cases with her paramedic friend Gwen (Merle Dandridge, “Sons of Anarchy”).

“I think you find Jordan is having a little bit more fun,” the good-humored Flint says. “Last year, I wouldn’t exactly say she bit off more than she could chew, but she had the huge challenge of getting the night shift back in order, and dealing with her ex-boyfriend (Dr. TC Callahan, played by Eoin Macken) and her boss (Michael Ragosa, portrayed by Freddy Rodriguez).

“It kind of distracted her from really doing what she loves, so now, she’s having a great time. It reignites her passion for what she does.”

It does the same for Flint as an actress, since she’s able to work more on location around Albuquerque, New Mexico, where “The Night Shift” is filmed. “We’re in the high desert,” she reports, “and we’ve had some pretty crazy night shoots. Night shoots in the winter in the desert ... it’s like, ‘Well, this is what I signed up for. It wasn’t a dream.’ It’s really exciting, though.”

Though she’s done a number of shows that would be described as procedurals, Flint appreciates that virtually all of them have had twists. “I like having those extra layers,” she confirms. “With this, the military aspect of the characters’ backgrounds brings so much more to the show. It’s just fun to not have to do the same thing every time.”

JAY BOBBIN’S CELEBRITY SCOOP

Birthdate: Nov. 25, 1977Birthplace: Cherry Valley, N.Y.Current residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.Marital status: Single

On her work on “The Good Wife”: “It would be great to go back. I love working on that show, and I really, truly love working with Archie (Panjabi, soon to leave the

series). She’s so generous; she really gives me room to collaborate, and she cares about what my opinion is. It’s one of those things where I feel lucky not to just show up and do what I do. We really work together to inform those characters and that relationship.”

JILLFLINT



http://www.nbc.com/

CCELEBRITY

HILARYFARR DAVIDV ISENT IN

of HGTV’s “Love It or List It”

• When a house no longer feels like home, homeowners are left with a big financial and emotional question: renovate or sell it? “Love It or List It” helps fed-up homeowners decide.

• In each hour-long episode Realtor David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr compete for the homeowners’ final decision to stay or go.

• David’s insider perspective on the real estate market helps target listings to prospective buyers, but Hilary is determined to show homeowners that, within their budget, she can transform their worn-out house into a castle they can love.

• If the owners decide to list it, Hilary’s hard work adds to the home’s resale value.

• As designer, Hilary Farr renovates the family home and David tours outstanding new potential properties in the family’s price range.

• Hilary is a native citizen of Toronto, Ont., and brings her international flair to her design aesthetics.

• She has renovated properties in various countries throughout the world, including Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as in California and New York.

• When not hosting, Hilary serves as president of Hilary Farr’s Designs established in Toronto and in New York.

• David is a top real estate agent and brings his dynamic selling skills and negotiating talents to the show.

• As a top agent in Southern Ontario’s hot real estate market, David has helped families land their dream home.

• David has been practicing real estate since 1987 and has been with Country Living Realty Limited since 1987.



http://www.hgtv.com/

Seth Meyers of “Saturday Night Live: SNL 40th Anniversary Special” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers” on NBC“I guess the last thing we had on the DVR was ‘The Affair.’ And the new season of ‘The Americans’ will be loaded up next.”

Anne Burrell of “Worst Cooks in America” on Food Network“My favorite show that I go to every week on Sundays is ‘The Good Wife.’ I love, love, love ‘The Good Wife.’ There may or may not be a couple of episodes of any sort of version of a ‘Housewives’ on there. ‘Law & Order: SVU’ is definitely on there. There’s a sort of documentary show on the football channel called ‘A Football Life,’ which is documentaries about ... famous football coaches and players. It’s a great show and I don’t even care that much about football. But the stories, the way they are told, are

very interesting. ‘60 Minutes’ is on there. My DVR definitely gets a workout.”

Tim Love of “Restaurant Startup” on CNBC“Mostly sporting events. A lot of soccer, a lot of football. Currently as far as TV shows go, we watch ‘About a Boy,’ ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Nashville.’ And ‘Chicago Fire.’ I don’t really watch much TV but when I watch it those are the shows I watch and my family watches.”

Jill Flint of “The Night Shift” on NBC“I binge-watch shows. I just went through and watched ‘The Sopranos’ over again; I watched it when it was airing, and I had forgotten how great that show was. And I’m going to do the same thing with ‘Six Feet Under’ because Freddy’s (‘The Night Shift’ co-star Freddy Rodriguez) in it. It’s kind of great that I get to work with somebody who I’m a fan of.”

CCELEBRITY

CELEBS’ FAVORITE SHOWS

Seth Meyers

Anne Burrell

Jill Flint

Tim Love

Set the DVR


It isn’t the holiday season, but the Victoria’s Secret models are returning to a screen near you.

Traditionally seen in a televised “Fashion Show” each December, the lovely ladies get an additional CBS showcase with the first broadcast of “The Victoria’s Secret Swim Special” Thursday, Feb. 26. Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Martha Hunt and others are shown in Puerto Rico as they shoot a swimwear campaign. Since music typically is a part of the specials, Maroon 5 and Colombian star Juanes perform.

“It was so much fun,” the pleasant Aldridge says of making the hour. “It was such a beautiful place to shoot, and the energy was incredible. It’s an inside look at the Victoria’s Secret swim catalog, which is so big for them, and you get to know us a little more. I love that people get to know our personalities and see who we are.”

Between the photo shoot, filming for the special and the possible distractions of the exotic setting, Aldridge doesn’t deny a lot happens: “There were a lot of shoots going on at once, but I feel so lucky to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel, to get to do this as my job. Going to the most beautiful locations in the world with my best friends, it’s such a blessing ... just a dream come true.”

Seen with her Victoria’s Secret peers in a Super Bowl ad earlier in the month, attired in football uniforms (initially, at least), Aldridge confronted one of her fears for the “Swim Special.”

“I actually am quite scared of heights,” she allows. “Russell James, the Victoria’s Secret photographer, didn’t realize that when he asked me to shoot on this

BY JAY BOBBIN

SSTORY


A ‘Secret’ mission – models

don swimsuits on CBS

beautiful rock. Then he told me I didn’t have to, but I said, ‘I have to do it. I want to do it.’ As silly as a fear can be, it’s very real, and I was very happy I did it. The picture turned out to be incredible.”

Impressed as she was by Juanes (“I’d never heard him before, and I absolutely was blown away”) and Maroon 5, Aldridge is understandably partial to a couple of other music acts. Her husband is Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon, and one of their Nashville neighbors is Taylor Swift, who has performed on a couple of “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” editions.

“All the girls love her,” Aldridge says. “She’s just cool and so fun. She’s an honorary Angel, basically. She’s just awesome.”


Lily Aldridge appears on “The Victoria’s Secret Swim Special” Thursday on CBS.

http://www.cbs.com/

STORYS

'Parks'

CLOSING its gates

The series finale of “Parks and Recreation” airs Tuesday on NBC.


Story on next page

Amy Poehler parks

‘Parks and Recreation’ for good

“I’m always excited about what’s next.”

So says Amy Poehler, and it’s time for her to focus on that as “Parks and Recreation” reaches the end of its road. NBC’s local-government comedy series wraps up its seven-season run with an hour-long finale Tuesday, Feb. 24, but Poehler’s intrigue about moving on doesn’t mean she won’t long for her longtime alter ego: Leslie Knope, who progressed from being a city employee of fictional Pawnee, Ind., to a regional director of the U.S. National Park Service.

“One of the things I’m going to miss the most is like hearing what’s going to happen to Leslie next year,” allows “Saturday Night Live” veteran and recent Golden Globe Awards co-host Poehler. “You know, we would have a summer discussion about it, and Mike (series executive producer and co-creator Mike Schur) would be like, ‘I think she’s going to run for office.’ You knew this was going to happen, and I’m going to really miss that.”

Schur reflects, “We launched in 2009, and we hung on by the skin of our teeth for a good, long while there. And I think all that really matters, ultimately, is whether any show can find a group of people that the show speaks to who watch it all the time and who really care about it and who are vocal about caring about it. We were lucky enough to have that situation.”

Over the course of “Parks and Recreation’s” run, Chris Pratt – alias the show’s Andy Dwyer – has become a major movie star, thanks particularly to last year’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Reportedly now under serious consideration to be the big screen’s new Indiana Jones, Pratt maintains his leaving the sitcom before it ended “would never happen.”

“I’ve been (in) this business for 15 years,” the husband of CBS’ “Mom” star Anna Faris says, “and I’m realizing the things that really matter about what you’re doing, for me at least, (are) just the relationships you have while you’re doing it. And for me, this show likely will ... I mean, I hope that possibly, I could have the good fortune of finding another group of people like this, but I don’t expect I ever will.”

Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe are among others who have been significant players on “Parks and Recreation.” For those who’ve been there virtually from start to finish, though – also including Nick Offerman (iconic in his own right as Parks and Recreation department boss Ron Swanson), Aziz Ansari, Jim O’Heir, Aubrey Plaza and Retta – the end is especially bittersweet.

Poehler leaves the show being appreciative that it has “a lot of really young fans. I can’t tell you how many people have 15-, 16 year-old kids who watch it with them. I think that’s really great to have a show you both find funny. It must be nice to find one thing that you agree on that’s funny. So there’s, like, a family element to the watching of the show that’s been really nice.”

BY BY JAY BOBBIN


SSTORY


Amy Poehler

http://www.nbc.com/

SSTORY

Kevin Harvick vies in the Daytona 500, airing Sunday on Fox.


Story on next page

SPRINT CUP runneth over

at Daytona

This winter has been like any other for Kevin Harvick – busy.

There have been public appearances, NASCAR production work and photo shoots, as well as getting his personal business in order as he prepares to leave home for 10 months to drive in the Sprint Cup. Everything is pretty much the same.

Except now, he’s the Cup champion, which makes him not only part of NASCAR history but also the driver to beat as stock-car racing’s top series revs up for 2015 with the season-opening Daytona 500, which airs Sunday, Feb. 22, on Fox.

With his 2014 title, the 39-year-old Californian adds to a trophy case that also includes Rookie of the Year awards in the Busch (now Xfinity) and Cup series in 2000 and 2001, two Busch titles (2001, 2006), wins at Daytona (2007) and in the Brickyard 400 (2003), and two victories in the Cup’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 (2011, 2013).

So with seemingly no more mountains to climb in stock-car racing, Harvick indicates his biggest challenge now is to remain competitive.

“That’s kind of the yearly challenge ... ,” he says, “so for me it’s one of those circumstances where each year you have a different type of motivation, just wanting to feel that success again that we had in 2014. We have much of the same team and people and ingredients and all

name

SSTORY



those things with it. So we’ve been fortunate to win the Daytona 500, and the Daytona 500 is as close a feeling as you’ll get to winning a championship, just from the fact that it’s not like any other race when you win that race and our sport’s biggest race. So that’ll be the first goal, is to somehow try to win that race again.”

And winning that race, according to Harvick, comes down to one word: survival.

“A lot of times you just need to be rolling at the end of the race ... to have a chance,” he says. “So the first three-quarters of the race (the key is) trying to make sure you miss those crashes and wind up somewhere around the front of the pack when you get to 50 laps to go.

“So it’s a challenging race,” he continues. “... Everybody wants to win that race, and in the new format, the risk versus reward of a win when you get that golden ticket is high, so you feel like you should take more risk than what you’re used to and hopefully have a chance at winning the race. ...

“But it’s not a normal plate race,” he says. “It’s the Daytona 500, so there’s a little bit different feeling and urgency to try to win this race than there is in any other race. It’s just got that mystique and extra hype and feel.”

BY GEORGE DICKIE

Cup champion

Harvick looks ahead to Daytona and 2015

http://www.fox.com/

SPORTS

DALE JR.

S


FULL NAME: Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr.

BORN: Oct. 10, 1974 (age 40)

HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, N.C.

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6 feet/165 pounds

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

CAR: No. 88 Chevrolet SS

WINS/TOP TENS/POLES: 23/223/13

BEST CUP FINISH: third, 2003

HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS: Daytona 500 winner, 2004, 2014; Busch Series champion, 1998, 1999; 2003–2014 Sprint Cup Series Most Popular Driver

Story on next page

STILL CHASING A CHAMPIONSHIP


SPORTSS

He’s NASCAR’s most popular driver and has been for more than a decade. Yet, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. defends his Daytona 500 title Sunday, Feb. 22 on Fox, he’ll be hoping to kick-start a racing season that ends with something that’s eluded him thus far in his career: a Sprint Cup title. The two-time Daytona 500 winner has won just about everywhere he’s raced. Come November, however, when NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup wraps up, that’s when he’d like to be at the top.

Since he began racing full time in what was then known as the Winston Cup series, Dale Jr. has been consistent. Expectations were high that he would follow in the footsteps of his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. The younger Earnhardt had won consecutive Busch (now Xfinity) Series titles in 1998 and 1999. He fell just short of the Rookie of the Year title in the 2000 Winston Cup series. From the tragic loss of his father at Daytona in 2001 through the early part of the decade, he continued to raise his stock in stock-car racing.

In 2007, Dale Jr. jumped ship when he vacated the No. 8 Budweiser-sponsored Chevrolet he drove for Dale Earnhardt Inc., now owned by his stepmother, and joined Hendrick Motorsports. Running with teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon hasn’t resulted in a championship, but late in the 2014 season all three drivers were in contention for the title. A similar chance in 2015 is all Earnhardt Jr. can ask for.

BY DAN LADD

JAY BOBBIN'S THEATRICAL MOVIE REVIEW

REVIEW

MOVIES

J. Lo shouldn’t adore ‘The Boy Next Door’

“THE BOY NEXT DOOR”

Older woman. Younger man. Big trouble.

There’s little question of the territory “The Boy Next Door” goes into, and the picture so clearly knows it, you want to like it in spite of itself. You may not quite get there, but at least it doesn’t pretend to be anything but the pure popcorn movie it is.

Jennifer Lopez stars as perhaps the world’s most glamorous teacher, and her marriage hitting the rocks – with John Corbett as the husband – coincides with the arrival of a hunky new neighbor (Ryan Guzman, of the “Step Up” series) who’s taking care of his ill uncle.

It doesn’t take long for the educator and the young man to meet, and ... well, one thing leads to another. That “another” easily earns “The Boy Next Door” its “R” rating, and it also earns the Lopez character the aforementioned big trouble, since she quickly wants to back down from the intimate encounter.

The other participant doesn’t, though, and he starts displaying dangerous tendencies that threaten Lopez and everyone close to her – including her son (Ian Nelson) and her best friend (Kristin Chenoweth, always a welcome presence, even in as standard a role as this one).

You know where “The Boy Next Door” is heading, so it’s really a matter of how well it gets there. Director Rob Cohen has proven himself an efficient moviemaker on a wide range of films, from “Dragonheart” to “The Fast and the Furious,” so it’s not a surprise that the picture consistently looks good. That’s never more true than when Lopez is at the center of a shot, but that goes without saying.

The thing is, if you’ve seen any melodrama that’s in the “Fatal Attraction” vein, you’ve pretty much seen “The Boy Next Door” already. It doesn’t add anything new to the genre, and with the talent on hand, that’s kind of a shame.

It’s good to see Lopez has spent some of her “American Idol” off-time keeping a hand in big-screen work, but if she really wants it to be worthwhile, she’ll need to find more than “The Boy Next Door.”


M

“THE CAPTIVE” (March 3): Eight years after a young girl vanished, new clues surface in director Atom Egoyan’s melodrama; Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Mireille Enos and Rosario Dawson star. (R: AS, P)

“FOXCATCHER” (March 3): An Olympic wrestler (Channing Tatum) joins a wealthy benefactor’s (Academy Award nominee Steve Carell) team; Mark Ruffalo, Oscar-nominated as well, also stars. (R: AS, P, V)

“THE BREAKFAST CLUB: 30TH ANNIVERSARY” (March 10): Cast members Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson provide a commentary track for this Blu-ray marking the film’s three-decade milestone. (R: AS, P)

“OUTLANDER: SEASON 1, VOLUME 1” (March 3): Based on Diana Gabaldon’s books, the Starz romantic-adventure series features Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe. (Not rated: AS, V)

“THE RED TENT” (March 10): Shown recently on Lifetime, the biblical drama stars Minnie Driver, Morena Baccarin, Rebecca Ferguson and Debra Winger. (Not rated: AS, V)

“THE SOUND OF MUSIC: 50TH ANNIVERSARY ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION” (March 10): The half-century movie milestone of the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is marked; Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer star. (G)

UPCOMING DVD RELEASES

Coming Soon on DVD...

JAY BOBBIN'S MOVIE REVIEW MOVIES TO WATCH

Top PickDVD

MOVIES

M

Ryan Reynolds and Mireille Enos

J.K. Simmons

“WHIPLASH”Now up for Oscars for best picture and

supporting actor (J.K. Simmons, recently a Golden Globe Award winner), writer-

director Damien Chazelle’s superbly intense drama examines the relationship

between a music student (Miles Teller) and a relentlessly demanding professor

(Simmons). Despite the oppressive circumstances, the young drummer takes

what he learns to heart, to the degree that the teacher may end up standing

in his way. Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist (“Glee”) also appear, but the

picture’s biggest triumph is in providing veteran character actor Simmons with

an unforgettable role that’s immediately among his career hallmarks. ›››› (R: AS,

P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)


SFAVORITE SHOWS

SUNDAY 7 p.m. on ABC The Oscars Red Carpet LIVE!

“Who are you wearing?” It’s always a big question on an awards night, and you can bet it will be posed to virtually every interviewee by hosts Robin Roberts, Lara Spencer and Michael Strahan during this pre-ceremony special. Nominees and presenters will be chatted up outside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, and their remarks might not be in-depth — given the nature of such conversations on such occasions — but they’ll be long enough for ogling of their designer outfits. New

8 p.m. on NBCChicago FireAll of executive producer Dick Wolf’s current NBC shows unite with a single

story, starting here with “Nobody Touches Anything.” Firehouse 51 members worry when the owner of a burning house is found with a mysterious box, prompting the involvement of “Chicago PD’s” Voight and Lindsay (Jason Beghe, Sophia Bush). The plot also encompasses “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in a related edition of that series.

MONDAY 8 p.m. on NBC The Voice

It’s “Blind Auditions” time again as the singing competition starts its eighth season, with Christina Aguilera returning to the panel of mentors and judges after taking some time off from the program. Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Wlliams

also are back to survey the talent, eventually choosing hopefuls to be on their respective teams ... but only one person ultimately can be named the season’s “Voice.” Carson Daly continues as host. Season Premiere New

TUESDAY 8 p.m. on FOX MasterChef

Whatever the age of the contestants, there only can be one MasterChef at the end of each season ... and so it is here with “Junior Edition: The Finale,” in which one of the two remaining young chefs will get the trophy and $100,000. They and their loved ones are sure to be in for a tense time before that outcome is determined. Gordon Ramsay is the host and, along

“Chicago Fire”

Adam Levine performs in the Oscars

Carson Daly hosts “The Voice”


Graham Elliot is a judge in “MasterChef”

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Swith Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot, a judge. Season Finale New

WEDNESDAY 8 p.m. on CBS Survivor

The phrases “white collar” and “blue collar” get different meanings — with “no collar” added to them — as the Jeff Probst-hosted contest launches its 30th round with the theme “Worlds Apart.” The newest castaways are separated into three tribes, based on whether they break rules, make rules or simply follow rules. Don’t bet that they’ll all stay in their initially assigned slots over the course of pursuing the $1 million grand prize. Season Premiere New

9:30 p.m. on CBSThe Amazing RaceBy the time a show reaches its 26th season, you can’t blame it for trying to find a new twist, and this Emmy-winning competition has one as it starts its latest round. The 11 participating teams are couples who are dating, and two of them are fairly famous: New Kids on the Block member Jonathan Knight and partner Harley Rodriguez, and two Olympic medalists, short-track speed-skater Aly Dudek and bobsledder Steven Langton. Phil Keoghan is still the host. Season Premiere New

THURSDAY 9 p.m. on FOX Backstrom

The slaying of a fortune teller in the Chinatown section of Portland leads to many secrets being revealed in the new episode “Ancient, Chinese, Secret.” First, Backstrom (Rainn Wilson) and his peers discover that a laundry service cloaks another type of business — a decidedly illegal one. The detectives get their fortunes told in the course of the probe, and some of the information proves unsettling. Dennis Haysbert and Genevieve Angelson also star. New

FAVORITE SHOWS

FRIDAY 9 p.m. on FOX Glee

It might seem like an honor for amateur singers to be requested to perform at a bar mitzvah — but the members of New Directions find it more of a headache in the new episode “Child Star.” The young guest of honor tests the group’s patience, and more than once ... many times, in fact. Spencer (Marshall Williams) tries to get Roderick (Noah Guthrie) to take better care of himself physically. Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch also star. New

SATURDAY 8 p.m. on HALLMARK Good Witch

Catherine Bell reprises her bewitching role as Cassie Nightingale in this new series spinoff of several successful TV movies. The recently widowed Cassie’s life with her teenage daughter, Grace (Bailee Madison), is complicated by a new neighbor, Dr. Sam Radford (James Denton, “Desperate Housewives”), who is alarmed that so many locals prefer Cassie’s herbal treatments to his own medical practice. Catherine Disher and Peter MacNeill also star in the series premiere, “Starting Over... Again.” Series Premiere New

Lea Michele stars in “Glee”

Dennis Haysbert stars in “Backstrom”

“Survivor”


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