Sherlock Holmes and The Chipmunks: When Sequels Are Weak-quels

Warner Bros.

The soft openings for two top franchises bring more bad news to Hollywood: now the industry can’t even bank on retreads

Galley Girl: Eric Weiner’s ‘Ikea God’ and a Pack of Publishing Old-Timers

Right: Chuck Berman

Weiner, a self-described “Confusionist,” went on an intense spiritual expedition, traveling around the world and trying on various religions like different suits.

Mission: Impossible 4: Cruise Control

Paramount Pictures

With Pixar’s Brad Bird at the helm of this bustling live-action feature, the aging Tom Terrific tries to restore the covenant between a star and his fans

Mariah Carey Fatigue: All I Want For Christmas Is Some New Holiday Music

Mariah Carey

It’s been 17 years since a new Christmas song entered the canon. How long do we have to wait for a new holiday hit?

Listen to TIME’s Protest Song Playlist On Spotify

Joe Giblin / AP

The Protester is TIME’s 2011 Person of the Year. In honor of that decision, we’ve put together a playlist of protest songs

Christian Bale Roughed Up in Failed Attempt to Visit Chinese Activist

Paramount Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

While in China this week on a publicity tour for the new film “Flowers of War,” Bale attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng, the blind legal activist who is under house arrest with his family. Bale was punched and eventually turned away by plainclothes security guards.

My Five Things: Al Roker

NBC

Everybody needs a side gig, even the weatherman. Al Roker has co-written three murder mysteries, the latest of which is out now. TIME reached out to Roker to ask, “What are the five things you’re really digging on right now?” He responded….

Tuned In

Christopher Hitchens, RIP

Christopher Hitchens, the brilliant, pugilistic essayist and journalist, died Thursday of cancer at age 62. This is not a personal remembrance of Hitchens; I didn’t know him. It’s too bad, because from all accounts knowing “Hitch” was a bracing experience, involving arguments and legendary drinking bouts that Hitchens, inevitably, would win. (There will be plenty [...]

Top 10 Literary Sidekicks

Warner Bros. / Everett Collection

The new Sherlock Holmes movie features Jude Law as an action-star Watson. TIME takes a look at nine of literatures other great comrades.

Alvin and the Chipmunks, or The Burdens of Parenthood

20th Century Fox

Every parent sacrifices: hours logged at cold hockey or skating rinks, wet soccer fields, watching movies like this. The things we do for our kids!

The Top 10 Plays and Musicals of 2011

Michael McCabe / Jeffrey Richards Associates / AP

Often the hardest part of picking a list like this is deciding which one deserves the No. 1 spot. This year it was the easiest: War Horse. A lot of people might give the honor instead to The Book of Mormon. I found it so overrated that I was tempted to leave it off my list entirely.

Golden Globe Nominations: Pitt and Clooney In, Spielberg and Malick Out

Columbia Pictures / Everett; Merie Wallace / Fox Searchlight

A Madonna movie received two more noms than The Tree of Life. This is just one way the Golden Globes are crazy.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: Frenzied With Benefits

Warner Bros.

Guy Ritchie sends Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law on another chase-filled case; but this sequel is no equal to the savory 2009 original

Tuned In

NBC Announces: America’s Got Howard Stern

Your chances of winning the next edition of America’s Got Talent for butt bongo just got better.

Tuned In

Golden Globe TV Nominations: Another Round of Hits and Disses

Gregory Peters/AMC

Why I got over my caring-who-the-Golden-Globes-pick problem a while ago.

She’s a Dancing Machine: Girl Talk’s 71-Minute Long Music Video

girlwalk

One woman dances her way across New York City in this clip set to the music of hip-hop mashup DJ Girl Talk.

The Artist Leads 2011 Golden Globe Nominations With Six Bids

The Weinstein Company

Silent film is taking over Hollywood’s awards scene. The silent-era tale “The Artist” heads the Golden Globes with six nominations, among them best comedy or musical and acting honors for its French stars.

Firth’s Theorem: Awards Season and the Anglophile Biopic

Pathe Productions / The Weinstein Company

We’ve come up with a simple formula to help determine if a film is going to get any Oscar love.