Victoria’s Secret Angel Barbara Palvin: I Did Not Hook Up With Justin Bieber (EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW)

Don’t call Barbara Palvin the other woman.

Some two months after making headlines with Justin Bieber, thanks to a backstage photo taken around the same time the singer first called it quits with Selena Gomez, the Victoria’s Secret model is speaking out for the first time about those romance rumors.

Palvin, 19, tells Celebuzz exclusively that she and the Canadian pop star were never romantically involved, despite reports to the contrary.

“You know how the drama started — Selena retweeted the picture,” Palvin said on Saturday.

“I’m okay to talk about it because I know there’s nothing. It’s ridiculous how this got to the news.”

Palvin, who spent part of her weekend at the InStyle Beauty Lounge in Beverly Hills, Calif., representing L’Oreal, says she was just “hanging out” with Bieber, 18, during the fashion show last fall.

“That was it . . . that’s why it was so weird. They thought I caused a big drama, their break-up.”

“They,” — devoted “Jelena” fans — erupted in response to the Twitter photo, causing Palvin to clear the air.

“hey everyone. please calm down. he is all yours!!” she wrote.

Gomez, 20, also took to Twitter at the time, posting a photo of her beau, a friend and Palvin together with just an ellipses: “…”

The Hungarian stunner explained on Saturday that her run-in with Bieber was an innocent fan moment.

“I wanted to meet him real bad,” she said. “I watched his movie [Justin Bieber: Never Say Never] and I was like, ‘He’s such a cool kid, I want to meet him.’ And then when I did at the [Victoria’s Secret] show we met and of course we had a conversation and then I took the picture with him.”

Just days later the two fueled the romance fire when they were spotted catching The Lion King on Broadway. According to Palvin, it was anything but a date.

“It was my sister’s first time in New York and we so wanted to go to Broadway, but there were no more tickets,” she explained. “I just came up and was telling him, ‘My sister is here, but she’s sad because we can’t go to Broadway, no more tickets.’ And he was like, ‘Well, I can get you one.’ And his friends came . . . like six people and then me, my sister and agent. So friends.”

And as the curtain call came, so did their night on the town.

“So we were just like okay, nice to meet you, that was fun, and then bye,” she said.

But the headlines didn’t stop there.

One month later, Palvin made the news again, after tweeting a photo of herself in front of a tour bus in Florida — reportedly belonging to the Biebs. But the model says that was not only not his tour bus — they never met up in the Sunshine State.

“We didn’t hang out, that’s the funny part,” she said, laughing.

“It was so funny when I read we were hanging out in Miami and I was also wearing his t-shirt. Dude, that’s my t-shirt!” Palvin added.

“And you see the mobile homes in the back [of my Twitter photo] — when you’re shooting on location you have mobile homes to do the hair and makeup and dress. And they put everything together like that’s Bieber’s tour bus, that’s Bieber’s shirt. I was like, ‘No!’”

Palvin admits the speculation made her angry because she already has a boyfriend in her hometown.

“They [the media] gave me a real hard time with this with my boyfriend. They also put him in the press and he’s not a celebrity or anything,” she said. “Him being back home [in Hungary] with a normal life and everybody is like, ‘You’re girlfriend is dating Justin.’ It’s very hard for him.

“It made me pissed, but there’s always a dark side of this business.”

If there’s any contact with camp Bieber at all, Palvin says, it’s between her and the “Boyfriend” singer’s manager Scooter Braun.

“We don’t stay in touch. I more talk with his manager Scooter. His father is Hungarian so there is this Hungarian connection and I talk with him.”

Palvin even reached out when news broke about the photographer who was killed while following Bieber’s Ferarri on New Year’s Day.

“When I heard that the paparazzi died in L.A. I called him [Scooter] and I told him to also tell Justin that maybe this is not a good start of the year, but the rest is going to be better.

“So I’m more in contact with Scooter than with Bieber.”

With the young crooner single again after reportedly making-up — and breaking-up — for a second time with Gomez, we’ll have to wait and see who his next lucky lady will be.

What do you think — would Barbara and Justin make a good couple? Tell us below.

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Who Will Win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture? (PHOTOS)

Daniel Day-Lewis Bradley Cooper Richard Gere Bill Murry John Hawkes Ewan McGregor Joaquin Phoenix

Among the most heated races at the Golden Globes are the acting categories. Denzel Washington and Daniel Day-Lewis are in a virtual dead-heat for Best Actor in a drama, while newly Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper (The Silver Linings Playbook) squares off opposite Les Mis frontrunner Hugh Jackman for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

On Sunday, January 13, the awards will be handed out, but who will win? Who should win? Let Celebuzz help you figure that out with our guide to the Best Actor nominees.

Just like we did for Best Actress in both drama and musical/comedy, we breakdown each of the talented actors nominated, provide an overview of their performance and the bottom line on their chances of winning.

This year is one of the most competitive ever; so many good actors cranked out some truly great performances. While a Golden Globe win is not a definite precursor to Oscar, it certainly doesn’t hurt one’s chances.

Which actor gets your vote? Tell us in the comments and watch our interview with Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook!

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Which Motion Pictures Will Win Top Honors at the Golden Globes? (PHOTOS)

In the ramp-up to the Golden Globes, the Oscar nominations have come and gone, leaving a bread-crumb trail of obvious nods and an ocean of dissatisfied grumbles at some of the less-subtle snubs.

In fact, one could argue that between its two two-category system of Drama and Musical/Comedy, the Globes made a much wiser set of selections. And if you haven’t seen several, most or all of these noteworthy nominees, Celebuzz is here to break them down and help you out in the office pool come Monday.

Lincoln, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty are frontrunner for Best Drama at the Globes, while Les Miserables and Oscar-favorite The Silver Linings Playbook duke it out for Best Musical/Comedy.

The Globes air Sunday, January 13 on NBC. Here’s our guide to all of the nominees, including our predictions of who should – and will – win.

Not that we’re playing favorites, but check out Celebuzz’ interview with Zero Dark Thirty star Jessica Chastain. And then tell us in the comments below: Which movies are you rooting for?

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Ryan Gosling Says After Doubting Backstreet Boys’ Success, ‘They’re Not Returning My Calls’ (VIDEO)

It’s not secret that Ryan Gosling spent a significant portion of his adolescence on The Mickey Mouse Club, singing and dancing alongside future pop stars like Justin Timberlake on the Disney Channel series.

But in an interview for his new film Gangster Squad, Gosling reveals that he doubted for the future of such pop phenomena as Backstreet Boys when a members of the band first proclaimed their inevitable success.

“When I was doing the Mickey Mouse Club, we were living in the same place as that guy A.J. from the Backstreet Boys,” Gosling tells Celebuzz. “They were just forming that band, so he was saying how big they were going to be – and he had a poster of them in his house.

 

“We were like, it’s never going to happen,” he remembers. “Didn’t they already do that with New Kids? You’re a little late. Cut to… I was wrong.”

Backstreet Boys, of course, went on to become multimillion-selling pop stars, and continue to flourish today – perhaps not coincidentally thanks to a collaboration with forbears New Kids on the Block, entitled NKOTBSB. But Gosling insists that he isn’t regretful he skipped that particular career path in lieu of his current acting career.

“You can’t live in the past,” he says. “You’ve got to live in the now. That ship has sailed.”

Nevertheless, Gosling joked that his efforts to reach out to A.J. since then failed to receive a response. “They’re not returning my calls,” he says. “I try not to think about it.”

Watch Celebuzz’ interview with Gosling above, and the film’s theatrical trailer below. And then let us know in the comments – what do you think of the idea of Baby Goose getting down on stage as a pop star?

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

One Minute Buzz: Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Split; Britney Spears Quits ‘X Factor’ (VIDEO)

It’s One Minute Buzz time!

This past week was filled with plenty of break up action, and we’re not just talking about the ending of the brief romance between Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.

After 37 days together, the young singers called it quits this week and headed their separate directions — Swift to the west coast, where she picked up a People’s Choice Award for favorite country artist, and Styles to the east coast, where he feasted on Italian grub in Queens, for free.

Meanwhile in TV land, Britney Spears made her X Factor exit official on Friday.

 

“I’ve made the very difficult decision not to return for another season,” the princess of pop said in a statement obtained by Celebuzz.

“I had an incredible time doing t he show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens, but it’s time for me to get back in the studio.”

For more on the week’s hottest headlines, check out One Minute Buzz, with Hyla, above. Are you looking forward to new music from Britney Spears? Weigh in below.

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Happy 20th Birthday, Zayn Malik! See the One Direction Star’s Hair Evolution (PHOTOS)

Here, here (hair, hair?) for the birthday boy!

Every boy band has its distinct personality types, and when it comes to One Direction, Zayn Malik — who turns 20 on Saturday — is the group’s fashion frontrunner.

2012 was undoubtedly dominated by 1D, and through the course of the British pop sensations’ rise to fame, Malik has showcased his love of style and grooming.

The Bradford, U.K., native has been known to rock a few daring hairstyles, including a blonde highlighted stripe, which he sported on-and-off since last August.

Nowadays, he’s returned to his darker roots, but with the band’s upcoming “Take Me Home” tour, Directioners might be in store for another hair-raising treat.

And while his bandmate Harry Styles gets the spotlight for his perfectly curled locks, 1D’s stylist Lou Teasdale credits Malik with the “coolest” head of hair amongst the fivesome.

“He lets me do what I want with it, I think he has the coolest hair,” Teasdale told The X Factor U.K.’s style blog.

Looks like Harry’s in agreement!

“I would probably steal Zayn’s hair. I think it looks cool,” he admitted to Cover Media.

Launch the gallery to check out Zayn’s hair evolution through the years. Then, wish him ‘Happy Birthday’ in the comments section, below!

Weekend Movie Preview — Five Flicks in Five Clicks (PHOTOS)

If you’re anything like us, the first few weeks of the year are a tangle of renewed responsibilities, halfhearted resolutions and mostly, desperate need for more days off.

As such, it’s not just a welcome, but necessary distraction to find a movie (or two, or three) to occupy those hours not already claimed by work or a new gym membership – which is why Five Flicks in Five Clicks exists.

Celebuzz takes a look at the week’s top five films – some already successful, others eagerly anticipated – to help moviegoers make their choice when they trek out to theaters over the weekend.

Click here to launch the gallery and see Celebuzz’ breakdown of the week’s films.

Check out the trailers for the films below.

Django Unchained

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Gangster Squad

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

A Haunted House

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Jack Reacher

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Texas Chainsaw 3D

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

Let us know in the comments below – which of these cinematic masterpieces makes you most excited to go to the movies?

Kelly Osbourne’s History of Celebrity Attacks (PHOTOS)

Kelly Osbourne Rihanna Michael Jackson Lily Allen Christina Aguilera Kate Middleton Justin Bieber

You do not want to get on Kelly Osbourne’s bad side!

The E! Fashion Police star has a history of attacking some of tinsletown’s finest fashion choices as well as their overall character. The 28-year-old has also been known to take to her Twitter to voice her opinions on some of pop culture’s most talked about events.

In the summer of 2012, Osbourne called Twilight star Kristen Stewart a “home wrecker” on Fashion Police after the actress was caught in a widely-publicized cheating scandal. Osbourne stood by her name calling and refused to apologize for making the potentially-hurtfeul remark.

But it’s the feuds between two of the most famous women in music that has landed Osbourne in some hot water. Osbourne has gone toe-to-toe with both Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga after years of name calling and public criticisms from all parties.

Osbourne took digs at Aguilera’s recent weight gain in a Oct. 2011 episode of Fashion Police when she said, “she is just becoming the fat bi**h she was born to be.”

As if two wrongs make a right, Osbourne defended her blunt statement by adding, “she’s called me fat for so many years.”

However, the most recent Osbourne-centric drama was with Gaga. Mother Monster wrote an open letter on her Born This Way Foundation website asking Osbourne to stop her bullying ways.

“Your work on E! With the Fashion Police is rooted in criticism, judgement, and rating people’s beauty against one another,” Gaga said.

Rather than scolding Osbourne, Gaga encouraged her to use the spotlight to take a stand. “I urge you to take responsibility and accountability for the example that you are setting for young people. They look up to you because you are famous,” she writes. “Why not help others? Why not defend others who are bullied for their image and share your story?”

After the letter was released, Sharon Osbourne took to defending her daughter and unleashed her opinions on her Facebookpage.

“Welcome to the real world. Are you so desperate that you needed to make this public? I am calling you a bully because you have 32 million followers hanging on your every word and you are criticizing Kelly in your open letter,” Sharon penned.

While it doesn’t look like the Osbournes are backing down any time soon, we do hope that the drama cools down for everyone’s sake.

Click through the gallery above to check out Osbourne’s history of criticisms against celebs.

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

‘Gangster Squad’ Costume Designer Reveals How Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone Suited Up for the ’40s Crime Story (Q&A)

Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes Gangster Squad, Costumes

Genetics may get all of the credit for movie stars being so darn attractive up on the screen, but truthfully, it’s costume designers who often do most of the work. And over the past two decades, Mary Zophres has helped George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bridges among many others look their best, earning BAFTA and Academy Award nominations in the process.

Most recently, Zophres gave a glamorous sheen to Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Josh Brolin in Gangster Squad, a crime thriller that required her to recreate the look of the 1940s in order to bring to life the true story of a group of cops who were assigned the task of taking down one of Los Angeles’ most notorious mob bosses, Mickey Cohen.

Zophres spoke exclusively with Celebuzz about her work on the film, which involved tracking down an extensive collection of period costumes, and assembling new ones that perfectly fitted the ensemble cast, which also includes Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Anthony Mackie. Additionally, she offered an inside look at a handful of the designs that she came up with as she created the characters’ vintage wardrobes.

Celebuzz: First of all, you did a fantastic job on the costumes in Gangster Squad. I was deeply envious watching those guys walk around in those suits.

Mary Zophres: Well you can do it. I mean, totally. Do you live in L.A.?

CB: Yes, I do.

MZ: There’s a great vintage clothing store called Play Clothes that is on Magnolia, and she has some ’40s suits, a lot of ’50s suits there and they will totally fit you up if you’re in to it. Or take a suit in your closet and just make sure it fits or if you don’t have one, it’s tailoring. That’s the difference between looking good and looking a little shlubby.

CB: Where do you usually start when you are researching something that demands the kind of period detail that Gangster Squad does?

MZ: I start every movie I do, but particularly a movie like a period film, I start doing research. Because it’s based on a true story, there was a lot of visual research on Mickey Cohen and even the gangster squad because there really was a John O’Mara, the character that Brolin plays, there really was a Frank Whalen. [But] we got lots of photos of police detectives from that time period and I looked at a lot of magazines because there’s so many nightclub scenes. And in those days there was magazines called like Photoplay, for instance, and I got like a year or two straight of Photoplay, where you can see candid photos of people out and about, and just to get the feeling of like what people in Los Angeles were looking like and what they were wearing to these nightclubs. We also got movies of people walking in downtown L.A. So we could watch those just to let it sink in, “this is how people looked and dressed in every day life in Los Angeles.” So to make a long story short, [I do] tons of research – a lot of it out of Western Costume; they have a great research library, some of it just online. And then you kind of get ideas, like I based Anthony Mackie‘s character on Jackie Robinson because I couldn’t find any African American detectives in that time period, to be honest with you. Like we took a little bit of license there. So Jackie Robinson, for instance, was an inspiration and there were plenty of research photos on him and you just kind of pick around.

CB: What or who was the inspiration for Emma Stone’s character?

MZ: Emma was a sort of a made-up character, her character Grace Faraday. But I looked to Rita Hayworth and I wanted her to have that sexuality. I mean, she was like Mickey Cohen’s arm candy basically, and so I talked to [director Ruben Flesicher], and he was like, ‘I want her to evoke Rita Hayworth and Lauren Bacall and Gene Tierney.’ So by the time I finish doing my research, I know the script inside and out, and so then it’s just like that’s your reality. I didn’t even look at any other time period piece of clothing or a magazine or anything the whole time I was on Gangster Squad because this was my thing.

CB: Men now are kind of built a little differently than men were then, at least in terms of the way they wore their clothes. How much tailoring did you have to do to suit the actors who were in this film or even just what we perceive as style now as opposed to what was fashionable then?

MZ: Well, the men’s suit back then is different than it is now. A very fashion-forward suit nowadays is shorter — it comes up on a high hip on a man and is more tapered in the leg. It’s a flat front; it has a lower rise. The 1940′s suit has got a stronger shoulder, a niche waist and it’s longer — it just covers the butt. And so the gangster squad, all of their clothes, we made, because every change for those guys ended up having to need a double at some point. And so we built all the clothes for Josh, for Ryan, for Kennard [Robert Patrick], for Ramirez [Michael Pena], for Anthony Mackie’s character. And what we did was we would usually find something that was original, maybe a jacket or a pair of pants from another suit and we would tailor them to the actor, because everybody has different bodies and they’re movie stars and we wanted them to look good. A lot of the fabric came from overseas, from England, from Italy, because we were [looking] for like a textured wool, and then we manufactured it from L.A. tailors who are used to cranking out these large numbers of multiples. We made Josh’s hats, we made Ryan’s hats, and we made Sean Penn‘s hats. And everybody else’s hats we found in stock — there’s great costume houses in L.A. where we could find some really good originals, [but] you have to try a lot of hats on to get the one with the right crown and the right brim. So it was a lot of tailoring and a lot of manufacturing, and for Emma, we built all of her clothes.

CB: Who was the easiest to find a style that matched their personality or the personality of the character with that sort of period detail?

MZ: I thought not only were they enthusiastic and willing to get inside their character and the period, but everybody sort of listened to me when we were talking and prepping. You mentioned that all the men are built differently than they are, and we said try to lay off the heavy weights if you’re going to work out — work out like they did in those days with just push-ups, sit ups, pull-ups. Because you don’t want that big thick body in this time period, and everybody did that. And Josh had a great haircut and he looked great in his fedora, and to me, the minute he put his costume on he looked like he stepped out of the 1940s. And Ryan wears clothes really well. Michael Pena was just very open; he had never really done a period piece before, and it was a huge learning experience for him. Anthony Mackie has done some period work and he totally understood it – they were all so in to it.

CB: Ryan and Emma’s costumes say so much about their characters. How much participation did they have in their costumes, and how much were they reliant on you to sort of find costumes that were appropriate for their characters?

MZ: I think because they both were coming from very busy schedules — like Ryan was on another movie — they were very reliant on my research. I don’t know how to say this without sounding [full of myself], but I sort of guided them – like, this is the world that this movie is and this is how I see your character and how I see your costume. And they were really receptive to this idea and kind of just accepted it, because you have to remember I had been on the movie — not only have I done this time period, and this is my area of expertise, but I had been on it longer than they had. And so they accepted this way to sort of get in to this time period, get in to their character. Emma was like a sponge — she was totally receptive and wanted to know why and who’s and what’s. She was really cooperative. She had to wear undergarments like girdles and we really pinched in her waist. — she’s got such a nice figure, but she is built more contemporary than a girl from the ’40s is. So, we sucked her in like three inches on her waistline and gave her a little bit bigger bust line. She was totally in to it, and of course she has an opinion, but I think she and I [both] realize what works on her and what doesn’t, so it was a very good relationship.

CB: How about Ryan?

MZ: In the beginning, the audience doesn’t know whether [he’s] a gangster or a cop, you know, and neither does people that [he] hangs out with. And so he dresses a little bit more like a gangster and I also think he cares about his appearance and spends the majority of his income on clothes, whereas Josh’s character is much more utilitarian. Like in his mind, [Josh] went from an Army uniform to a cop uniform, and then now that he’s a detective his suit is a uniform. He had maybe five different suits that we put him in in the movie and they all kind of look alike, and that was intentional. Like he doesn’t want to think about his clothes, whereas Ryan’s character, every day he gets dressed and he’s much more dapper and cares about his appearance and he’s still trying to get a lady, too. There’s a comment in the beginning that not for a lack of trying, but he hasn’t had any action in a couple of weeks. So he’s going for it — he’s out every day, out on the town and trying to look as sharp as he possibly can. And then he has a bit of an arc, [because] as he gets more and more in to being a member of the gangster squad, he becomes a little bit more serious, like you’ll see him wear ties a little bit more often at work as opposed to just an open-collared shirt. That was an intentional arc for his character, just because he cares more — he’s trying to be a member of the squad and be more like what was considered appropriate for a detective to wear in those days.

CB: How feasible do you feel like it is for someone to be influenced by this and take that style now? Do you feel like there’s a way to sort of borrow that and bring it in to sort of a modern, the modern day?

MZ: Oh, absolutely. I think that if the guy was going to purchase some clothes, I think it’s a more formal outward appearance than some people have nowadays, I often think the 1940′s silhouette is quite flattering. So if they did go and purchase ’40s clothes, it’s an intention to tailoring because basically I think that’s what sets the ’40s silhouette apart from some other time periods — the shoulder fits, the waist fits, the sleeve length fits, the pants fit. It’s a formality and attention to tailoring and detail that it works in any time period I think.

CB: Do you have a favorite costume that you designed for this film, or even a favorite character that you worked?

MZ: I love Emma’s red dress — I have to say that red dress to me is a showstopper. I love the cream dress also that she wears when she catches Ryan breaking in to Mickey’s house, but it’s such a short scene you don’t really get a good glimpse at it. But I loved all of her clothes. And also there’s – there was a pimp in the movie that had a huge part got way cut down, but it was my first zoot suit that I ever designed and had built and that was a lot of fun. But I guess it’s Emma’s clothes I really enjoyed doing, just finding those gowns. It was fun because I didn’t copy an original design. That red gown was directly built from my sketch and it was very satisfying to see it go from an idea in my brain on to paper and then into a garment and then on to an actress’s body. To me that red dress is a showstopper. I think she looked fantastic in it and so I have to say that’s probably my favorite.

Which of the costumes in Celebuzz’ gallery is your favorite? Watch the Gangster Squad trailer and let us know what you thought of the stars’ style in the comments below!

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

‘Gangster Squad’: How Arresting is Ryan Gosling’s Crime Thriller?

More things should have Ryan Gosling and Tommy guns. It’s science, really.

Thankfully, Gangster Squad agrees with us. The new film from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer features Gosling and Josh Brolin as police detectives in 1940s Los Angeles, working outside the law to take down real-life crime boss, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Emma Stone also stars as the requisite femme fatale.

While Squad has plenty of Gosling and cops ‘n robbers action, is it worth your hard-earned money at the box office? Read on to hear what the critics have to say.

Devin Faraci, BadassDigest

“Do not expect much from Gangster Squad. This is not LA Confidential 2… This is not a hard-hitting film. This is not a movie with much to say. Gangster Squad is a big cartoon, a pulpy movie made by people who only know pulp from reading about it in movie reviews… And if you approach it like that, you’ll enjoy the movie just fine.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“To be fair, this tawdry dose of pulp fiction (“inspired by real events”) is not a complete waste of time. It offers the marginal pleasure of an all-star cast slumming their way through a thicket of routine plotting, almost laughable dialogue and the constant blaze of tommy guns.”

Charlie Schmidlin, ThePlaylist

“With his third feature, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer frames 1940s Los Angeles — morally compromised, glamorous, and a monument to protect and exploit on both sides of the law — to adapt Paul Lieberman’s true-crime articles into cinematic legend, but in lieu of any sharp insight into the period and its notorious figures, the film’s brash, ultraviolent encounters instead build a showy exterior with nothing of import left standing.”

Peter Debruge, Variety

“The cops play things as dirty as the crooks in Gangster Squad, an impressively pulpy underworld-plunger that embellishes on a 1949 showdown between a dedicated team of LAPD officers and Mob-connected Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) for control of the city.”

James Rocchi, GeekNation

Combining the retro-L.A. style of L.A. Confidential, the candy-colored visuals of ‘Dick Tracy’ and entirely too much of The Untouchables, Gangster Squad doesn’t so much fail to succeed on its own merits, but instead fails because it lacks any merits of its own.”

Ouch. Those are same damning reviews… But what do you think? Drop your review in the Comments below. And watch the trailer now on Celebuzz!

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player

‘Gangster Squad’: How Arresting is Ryan Gosling’s Crime Thriller?

More things should have Ryan Gosling and Tommy guns. It’s science, really.

Thankfully, Gangster Squad agrees with us. The new film from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer features Gosling and Josh Brolin as police detectives in 1940s Los Angeles, working outside the law to take down real-life crime boss, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Emma Stone also stars as the requisite femme fatale.

While Squad has plenty of Gosling and cops ‘n robbers action, is it worth your hard-earned money at the box office? Read on to hear what the critics have to say.

Devin Faraci, BadassDigest

“Do not expect much from Gangster Squad. This is not LA Confidential 2… This is not a hard-hitting film. This is not a movie with much to say. Gangster Squad is a big cartoon, a pulpy movie made by people who only know pulp from reading about it in movie reviews… And if you approach it like that, you’ll enjoy the movie just fine.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“To be fair, this tawdry dose of pulp fiction (“inspired by real events”) is not a complete waste of time. It offers the marginal pleasure of an all-star cast slumming their way through a thicket of routine plotting, almost laughable dialogue and the constant blaze of tommy guns.”

Charlie Schmidlin, ThePlaylist

“With his third feature, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer frames 1940s Los Angeles — morally compromised, glamorous, and a monument to protect and exploit on both sides of the law — to adapt Paul Lieberman’s true-crime articles into cinematic legend, but in lieu of any sharp insight into the period and its notorious figures, the film’s brash, ultraviolent encounters instead build a showy exterior with nothing of import left standing.”

Peter Debruge, Variety

“The cops play things as dirty as the crooks in Gangster Squad, an impressively pulpy underworld-plunger that embellishes on a 1949 showdown between a dedicated team of LAPD officers and Mob-connected Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) for control of the city.”

James Rocchi, GeekNation

Combining the retro-L.A. style of L.A. Confidential, the candy-colored visuals of ‘Dick Tracy’ and entirely too much of The Untouchables, Gangster Squad doesn’t so much fail to succeed on its own merits, but instead fails because it lacks any merits of its own.”

Ouch. Those are same damning reviews… But what do you think? Drop your review in the Comments below. And watch the trailer now on Celebuzz!

Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE)
No changes are to be made to this player