By now you know whether you've received everything on your Christmas or Hanukah wish list — you're either trying to figure out which toy to play with first or which to return first.
Either way, it's important that you wade through the wrapping paper at least once over the holidays to enjoy the movie fest taking place at theaters this week. Award-winning British actor Clive Owen gives a chilly performance in the provocative sci-fi thriller "Children of Men," while Dame Judi Dench is delectable as a psycho school teacher in "Notes on a Scandal," opposite Cate Blanchett.
If you simply can't make it through the front door to your local multiplex, there are many other delicious treats to be consumed in the spoils of your own home. As 2006 comes to a close, there's comfort for those who crave consistency. Tune into ABC on Dec. 31 and you'll see — who else? Dick Clark, greeting the New Year for the 34th time.
MOVIES
Critically acclaimed English actor Clive Owen, was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the drama "Closer." Now, his film "Children of Men," which opens Dec. 25, is getting plenty of buzz. Adapted from P.D. James' novel, the film opens on communal mourning in the year 2027 as what's left of civilization weeps over the slaying of an 18-year-old who was the world's youngest person."Notes on a Scandal" is the pure-class take on "Single White Female," allowing Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett to melt into their roles as London teachers whose friendship carries a dangerous underpinning. It opens Dec. 27. We're accustomed to seeing Dench commandeer films with glorious arrogance, yet here she's found a new and subtler way to dominate. Dench's character is that of the most dangerous of predators, the sort who's unaware she's a predator, approaching with an open hand and tentative smile.On Dec. 27 comes "Miss Potter," a biopic directed by Chris Noonan ("Babe") about the beloved children's book author, Beatrix Potter. It's star, Renee Zellweger, has already received a Golden Globe nod for the part.Another biopic hitting theaters this week, "Factory Girl," tells the story of Edie Sedgwick, a Harvard drop-out who became the bosom buddy of Andy Warhol, played by Guy Pearce. Amanda Peet plays the wife of a slacker (Zach Braff) in the new comedy "Fast Track." Braff's character is forced to become the breadwinner when he finds out there's a baby on the way — but the only job he can find is one working for his father-in-law. Other TV stars like Jason Bateman and Donal Logue appear in the film which opens Dec. 29.TV
The TBS comedy, "10 Items or Less," and its cast of improv actors, who with nothing but an outline for each week's half-hour episode, wing the dialogue and action, gear up for the first season finale of the show on Dec. 25. The new NBC News special "Tom Brokaw Reports: In the Shadow of the American Dream" airs on Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. After an eight month study in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, this hour-long documentary offers a unique look at the myths and truths about illegal immigration.2
So what if we won't see Jessica Simpson on the 29th Annual Kennedy Center Honors broadcast? There are still a slew of other people worth watching. Recipients honored at the annual national celebration of the arts were, composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber; conductor Zubin Mehta, country singer Dolly Parton; singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson; and director Steven Spielberg. It airs Dec. 26 at 9pm on CBS. Tune in on Dec. 31 for the ABC special, "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin Eve 2007," beginning at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31. Christina Aguilera will rock in the New Year with live performances from Times Square. Country superstars Rascal Flatts will lead the world-class roster of performances that also includes the stars of Broadway's "Jersey Boys," Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, and Meat Loaf. MUSIC
R&B crooner Omarion is 21 years old and that's just what he's named his sophomore album. Out Dec. 26, "21" features Omarion's latest single "Ice Box."Hasidic reggae singer Matisyahu's new CD/DVD, "No Place To Be" contains seven new tracks and live video footage shot in Tel Aviv in Dec. 2005. It also includes the music video for his song "Jerusalem."Also out this week are the new album from Switchfoot and the soundtrack album "Rocky Balboa - The Best Of Rocky."BOOKS
New York Times best-selling author, Julie Garwood, has a new novel, "Shadow Dance" which promises more drama for the Buchanan and Clayborne clans. It all begins at a lavish wedding which is interrupted by a wedding crasher. Iris Johansen's heroine Eve Duncan returns in "Stalemate," available Dec. 26. The forensic sculptor travels to a Columbian jungle, where a mysterious stranger may help her unlock a mystery of her past.Earlier this year Calvin Trillin published an article in The New Yorker about his beloved wife, Alice. The touching tribute will be reissued in book form on Dec. 26 in "About Alice."THEATER
The Broadway musical "The Wedding Singer" starring Stephen Lynch and Felicia Finley closes on Dec. 31. Also closing Dec. 31 is Devid Grieg's off-Broadway drama "The American Pilot" about an American pilot who crash-lands in a rural village in a war-torn country.Sandra Bernhard performs a special New Year's cabaret show at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater Dec. 29 through Dec. 31. The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players throw their New Year's Eve Champagne Gala at Symphony Space where they'll be performing scenes, songs, and parodies from the company's repertory. The ensemble is backed by a 25-piece orchestra, the champagne is complimentary, and they take requests.