2011 Entertainment Hits & Misses

Even though “The Hangover II” wasn’t as successful as its predecessor, which helped Bradley Cooper make a name for himself, the actor took on a leading man role in “Limitless.” But that film isn’t what catapulted him into the limelight either. The actor was named People magazine‘s sexiest man alive for 2011, which is awesome for him but kind of a bummer for Ryan Gosling, who after starring in three big-time films (“Crazy Stupid Love,” “The Ides of March” and “Drive”) got snubbed from the hottie header. It’s OK, because his legion of fans really, really think he should’ve gotten the title instead of Cooper.  (Paul Buck / EPA)

Bye-bye, Batman! Christian Bale’s Dark Knight days are over. The British actor is hanging up his cape and parking his Batmobile for good. After playing Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego for three Christopher Nolan-directed flicks he tells the Philippines Daily Inquirer it’s “the end of that Batman era.” The final installment, “The Dark Knight Rises,” is slated to open in July 2012.  (Darla Khazei / Associated Press)

No more $1 DVD rentals. That’s right, in October, DVD rental kiosk operator Redbox upped its standard price by 20% to $1.20, citing rising costs. DVD prices weren’t the only ones to see a hike: Blu-ray rentals shot up even higher from $1.50 to $2. Unfortunately for Redbox, the economy and unhappy consumers aren’t likely to be the end of its financial woes. Hollywood studios may soon embargo DVD releases twice as long, leaving Redbox at the mercy of its on-demand competitors.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

“Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark” sounded like a good idea with Broadway veteran Julie Taymor (“Lion King”) overseeing the production and U2’s Bono and the Edge writing the music. But the over-budget musical was plagued with trouble from the get-go, suffering cast accidents, major delays and the loss of Taymor. And then there were the bad reviews. Adding insult to injury (literally), the show served as a Tonys punch line. Even the rockers got in on the skewering: “When I first saw the Tonys on our schedule, I just sort of assumed we had been nominated,” quipped Bono. “It appears we missed the deadline,” noted the Edge.  (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)

After six years, the twittering couple are no more. Ashton now gets to live out his carefree (and responsibility-free) prankster persona while Demi sheds her younger, some say emotionally immature, beau. Yes, it’s true, no longer will the public be bombarded with half-nude twit-pics of Demi on Ashton’s Twitter stream or the gushing adoration on Demi’s @mrskutcher. Reports that Ashton had an affair with a 22-year-old party receptionist seem to have pushed Demi over the edge and out of the marriage. That leaves us wondering, were they really in an “open relationship,” and more importantly, who get’s to keep Bruce Willis?  (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Butterbeer for all! James and Oliver Phelps, the Weasley twins from the “Harry Potter” films, were among those who celebrated when Universal Studios Hollywood and Warner Bros. announced plans to open the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the aging Hollywood amusement park. The attraction already exists at Universal Studios in Florida. California Gov. Jerry Brown and top officials from Warner and Universal promised thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in construction spending on the new West Coast attraction. But Muggles shouldn’t head down to the Leaky Cauldron to celebrate just yet -- the attraction will not be opening before 2016.

In other wizarding news, The Boy Who Lived will continue to live on, despite the “Harry Potter” films’ ending this year. J.K. Rowling, author of the international phenomenon, touted Pottermore, an online reading experience that will allow users to journey through the story lines of the books, starting with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

“Lulu” is a loud, vulgar incoherent mess, according to Times pop music critic Randall Roberts. But its worst offense is that it’s boring.  (Roberto Pfeil / Associated Press)

Coldplay’s fifth album, “Mylo Xyloto,” sees the band once again placing moderately pleasant orchestral rock arrangements around lyrics fit for Hallmark cards, writes Times critic Randall Roberts.  (Roberto Pfeil / Associated Press)

While Adele has been sidelined since early October after vocal surgery, she hasn’t lost her trademark sense of humor. Days after her operation in November, she posted on her website, “ I best get back to practicing my mime show now.” Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to that, as Adele has six nominations for the 2012 Grammy Awards, including one for album of the year, and her potential performance at the February gala would no doubt be a highlight.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Roots drummer Questlove, pictured, caused quite a stir when his band played Fishbone’s “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” as walk-on music for Michele Bachmann on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” It steered attention away from the act’s latest album, “Undun,” which might be the act’s best -- a jazzy concept effort that follows the life of a street hustler. It’s concise, relevant and one of the most reflective albums of 2011.  (Carlo Allegri / Associated Press)

To discuss Drake requires a mention of how he represents the softer side of hip-hop. It’s not just anyone, after all, who gets a guest harmonica turn from Stevie Wonder. His gorgeously pensive solo ends “Doing It Wrong,” a stand-out R&B cut in which Drake is nearly too nervous to end a relationship.

The template on Drake’s chart-topping 2011 album “Take Care,” and for essentially the entirety of Drake’s young career, is Kanye West‘s “808s & Heartbreak.” Drake shares West’s love for mood and never-ending existential analysis (80 minutes of it, to be precise). “Marvin’s Room” showcases Drake’s talents for both: he recounts how his sexual conquests are destroying his love life, sounding lost in murky, synthesized soul.

Now if he’ll just stop complaining about his taxes.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Looks like Elder Price and Elder Cunningham might be bringing their message to a movie theater near you. The musical featuring the mismatched Mormon missionaries took home nine Tony Awards and could be headed to the big screen. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the guys behind “South Park,” along with “Book of Mormon” co-writer Robert Lopez, have been hinting at a movie adaptation for some time but getting a straight answer out of them isn’t always easy. Parker insists they “haven’t sat down and made an official plan.”  (Joan Marcus / Associated Press)

Brett Ratner, left, caused quite a kerfuffle back in November when he used a gay slur while promoting his new movie “Tower Heist.” Soon after, he resigned as producer of the 84th Annual Academy Awards, and his hand-picked host Eddie Murphy, right, quickly dropped out too. The academy didn’t waste any time finding replacements, hiring Brian Grazer as producer and Billy Crystal as host.  (Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images, left, and Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Despite the Quickster-gate debacle, the short-term Netflix renewal is good news for Disney -- a company looking to boost content (and thus sales) for the Kindle Fire. Even better is its deal with Amazon. Under the new contract, Amazon will pay Disney to stream the Disney Channel, ABC Family and other content to feed its video streaming service Prime Instant. Amazon also signed contracts with CBS, Fox, Warner Bros., Sony and NBCUniversal.  (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

He’s one of the best known people on the planet, with millions of fans and millions of dollars and a TV/music star girlfriend in Selena Gomez. Would he jeopardize all of that with an affair and possible lovechild? A baby? Baby? BABY?! NO! But Bieber fought Mariah Yeater’s claims, and the suit was dropped. Beliebers rejoice.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The story seems like a Hollywood script -- a disguised disaster. U.S. Army soldier JR Martinez was severely burned driving a Humvee in Iraq. A motivational speaker, the former soldier was invited to be a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars.” He and his professional dance partner, Karina Smirnoff, beat a Kardashian (Rob) and a former talk show host (Ricki Lake) to take home the mirrored ball trophy as the show’s winning couple. Despite all of that, the show’s ratings continue to decline. Whether it’s age or the not-so-starry stars, “DWTS” doesn’t have the kick that it once did.  (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

The “Jersey Shore” cast made its way to the homeland, taking up residence in a former bank building in Florence, Italy. Though the cast managed a few brawls, fender benders and bans from public places, Snooki, Pauly D, the Situation, JWOWW, Vinny, Deena, Sammi and Ron scored the largest audience ever for an MTV series season premiere. Snooki, who also spoke at Rutgers University, JWOWW and Pauly D also scored themselves spin-offs to their juggernaut reality series.  (Elisabetta Villa / Getty Images)

Tracy Morgan apologized for a homophobic rant he launched into during a June 3 show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium after organizations including GLAAD and the Human Rights Commission called for an apology or explanation. “I want to apologize to my fans and the gay and lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I’m not a hateful person and don’t condone any kind of violence against others,” Morgan said in a statement. “While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.” However, the damage was still done, and the “30 Rock” star continued to make apologies at public appearances to mend the severely damaged fences.  (Paul Buck / EPA)

A hit in Sweden long before arriving on U.S. shores, music-streaming service Spotfiy was tied up securing licensing agreements with American labels for more than a year. The ad-supported service, which allows users to listen to music for free (with commercials) or pay a $4.99 or $9.99 monthly fee to avoid those pesky ads, boasts access to millions of songs, giving consumers an easy way to legitimately hear a mighty swath of music past and present. Facebook integration makes it easy to share playlists, and the dream of having access to a massive chunk of the world’s music library with the click of a button has become a reality.  (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

A DJ set by Kaskade at the premiere of the Electric Daisy Carnival documentary, “Electric Daisy Carnival Experience,” went south on a July evening in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre when masses of fans spilled into Hollywood after the artist announced a live performance via Twitter. As the police attempted to disperse what turned into a huge gathering, crowds turned on the authorities, throwing objects, jumping on cars and littering the boulevard with trash. As for rapper the Game, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials investigated the rapper and a tweet that they said sparked a “telephone flash mob” in early August. Authorities say the rapper sent out a tweet containing a number for the Compton police station, urging people to call it if they wanted an internship with him.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The superstar collaboration “Watch the Throne” saw Jay-Z and Kanye West offering a glimpse into the lifestyle of hip-hop’s rich and famous. The Times’ Randall Roberts was a fan. He wrote the pairing “is a cocksure, fiery, smart, if problematic, collaboration that showcases the pair’s distinct lyrical skills, their way around a metaphor and an ability to execute both a grand narrative and the details that turn it into truth.”  (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

After being found not guilty of the murder of her daughter Caylee Anthony, Casey Anthony stirred plenty of strong emotions, and she was booed as she walked out of a Florida jail. The media still haven’t moved on. TMZ, for instance, posted pictures of what the site said was Casey in Ohio, treating the woman as if she’s a celebrity rather than someone acquitted of a serious crime. In September, Dr. Phil will keep the story alive, as he recently sat down with Casey’s parents. Many were obsessed with the trial and unsatisfied with its answers, but the bigger question is why does this remain a story?  (Red Huber / Associated Press)

Foster the People’s mix of Euro-chic electronics, snappy choruses and soulful beats have helped the band become the breakout Los Angeles act of 2011. Driven by the hit single “Pumped Up Kicks,” the band’s debut, “Torches,” debuted in the Top 10 on the U.S. pop charts. That was back in late May. At the end of August, the band was still in the Top 20.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

The Tony Awards are supposed to be about the Broadway nominees, but Neil Patrick Harris, right, stole the show this year as the host with the most. He kicked off the festivities with the crowd-pleaser “It’s Not Just for Gays Anymore,” got into a sing-off with Hugh Jackman to the theme of “Anything You Can Host I Can Host Better” and wrapped up the evening with a recap rap of the show. Competing for the spotlight was the big winner, “Book of Mormon.” The comedy, about two mismatched missionaries in Africa, won nine Tonys, including best musical. At left is co-creator Trey Parker.  (Jeff Christensen / Associated Press; Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images.)

Planning a wedding can be pretty stressful, but planning a royal wedding can only be a royal pain. The world watched closely as Prince William and Kate Middleton made arrangements for their April 29 nuptials, and -- we’re not going to lie -- we loved watching it all unfold, especially the catapulting of Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton to the international spotlight.

When the newly minted duke and duchess of Cambridge soon announced that they’d stop off in Los Angeles a few months after their royal wedding, Angelenos welcomed them with open arms. The official visit followed a visit to Canada and included sightseeing, a job fair, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts event, a charity polo match and a trip to Inner-City Arts in Skid Row. David and Victoria Beckham, who have become close friends with the royal couple, welcomed the newest member of their brood that weekend: baby girl Harper Seven Beckham.  (Matt Dunham / Associated Press)

We like Conan O’Brien. Many people do. We also like George Lopez, who consented to move his already-established late-night show on TBS to make room for Conan’s new show -- all in an effort to help out the network that gave him a chance and to be a team player. We don’t like that Lopez has now been cut from the team. The last episode, which included Arsenio Hall, Eva Longoria and a couple of Lakers, was a great farewell, and was a reminder of how refreshing TV can be with different (i.e., ethnically diverse) voices adding to the chorus of late-night chatter.  (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Website popularity comes and goes quickly, and the business of Web technology is a bytes-eat-bytes world. The sale of MySpace seemed inevitable -- most of us abandoned the site years ago as Facebook absorbed more and more of the social network. But Hulu, a scrappy video site that allowed hipsters and newbies who were boastfully happy to not have a TV (and the rest of us) and yet watch what they wanted, was still being discovered by many before it was snatched up by the monstrous Comcast. That “everything on the Web is free” belief seems less and less concrete.  (Vizio / Getty Images)

A massive Tim Burton retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art proved a hit with fans and museum-goers. The director of such films as “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood” and “Alice in Wonderland” displayed his macabre artwork and movie props in the exhibition, which drew tens of thousands of people, despite a separate ticket price on top of regular admission to LACMA and a savage review from The Times art critic, who called the show “a monotonous plod.” The show’s popularity wasn’t surprising; during its time at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where the exhibition debuted in 2009, it became one of the highest-attended shows in MoMA history. Plus, Burton’s special connection to Los Angeles (he spent his childhood in Burbank) was an extra draw for the local art crowd.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

The 25th anniversary tour at the Ahmanson Theatre between June 14 and July 31 saw an attendance total of 109,996, or 2,000 per performance, which was 97% of the Ahmanson’s capacity for the 55-show run. The show grossed $176,121 per performance, a house record. “Les Miz” worked because it is one of the top-grossing musicals of all time (its original Broadway run lasted 16 years, ending in 2003) and has a huge built-in fan base. Douglas Baker, producing director of Center Theatre Group, felt L.A. audiences were primed for the anniversary tour. Among the attractions were new production elements, including a set design adapted from paintings by Victor Hugo, author of the classic 19th century novel on which the musical is based. Helping to prime the pump: In March, PBS began airing the “Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert” taped at London’s O2 Arena.  (Deen van Meer / Associated Press)

Justin Bieber pulled off a box-office coup in February with the launch of his 3-D concert movie and life story called “Never Say Never.” Cashing in on the worldwide Bieber Fever outbreak, Justin and his director Jon Chu delivered a documentary that even managed to sway many of his harshest critics. By mid-March the film had grossed more than $80 million globally -- a big number compared to the Jonas Brothers’ 2009 “3D Concert Experience,” which failed to make even $25 million internationally, according to Box Office Mojo.  (Jonathan Short / Associated Press)

John Galliano, the noted British fashion designer, was fired by the French fashion house Christian Dior for saying he “loved Hitler,” and he’ll be facing trial in France over the remarks. Oscar-winner Natalie Portman, who is the face of the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, railed against the designer and said she would no longer be associated with him. Speculation about whether he would appear at Dior’s Fashion Week show circulated among fashionistas, but the show went on without its designer. His own namesake brand’s show went on as well, in an informal setting. Galliano, who has since checked himself into rehab, also acquired an unlikely ally in Whoopi Goldberg.  (Michel Euler / Associated Press)

Pop stars Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Nelly Furtado and 50 Cent recently said they had renounced millions of dollars from performing for members of Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi‘s family. Even though the funds were donated to worthy causes, the artists drew much attention to a growing and controversial cultural phenomenon: celebrity artists being hired by rich, powerful and sometimes disreputable clients to play at private or semi-private functions.  (Imre Foeldi / EPA)

The Super Bowl singer flubbed the national anthem but tried to make up for it during an Aretha Franklin tribute at the Grammys. But soon after, she and boyfriend Matt Rutler were arrested on suspicion of being publicly intoxicated and driving under the influence, respectively. She won’t be facing criminal charges, but that same week it was revealed that the “Burlesque” singer-actress would serve time -- as a mentor for NBC‘s newest talent show, “The Voice.” That’s one of the quickest comebacks we’ve seen in a while, but hey, at least Pink’s glad she’s not as sloppy as her cohort.  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

God created man. Man created Watson. Watson went on to crush man on the TV game show “Jeopardy!” But Watson hasn’t declared itself God ... yet. For now, the IBM-created device is reveling in its $77,147 haul after blowing away former “Jeopardy!” champions Ken Jennings, left, and Brad Rutter. For a ratings ploy that made the 27th season of “Jeopardy!’s” current run a headline grabber, it’s a hit. For a snapshot of the coming battle of humans versus the machines, we give this one a terrified miss.  (Carol Kaelson / Associated Press)

Radiohead fans were treated to a video as well as a digital download of the new album a day earlier than expected, bringing much happiness to the webosphere. Though critics are mixed about the album, at least the fans got to see Thom Yorke in a bowler hat.  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)