Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:45 pm

Why Modeling Isn't Fun: ‘Vogue’ Pays Zilch, and People Laugh at You

When up-and-coming model Rosie Mortimer did her first Vogue shoot for Mario Testino, the magazine didn't even pay her. She explains in today's Telegraph that this was one of many reasons she decided to quit the biz, aside from the fact that becoming a supermodel is about as common as Anna Wintour going out in public in a ponytail.

She met Testino at a party when she was 18. Her agents thrust her into his line of sight like a bunny for Hef at the Playboy mansion:

Two girls who worked for my agency grabbed me. One whispered: "That's Mario Testino, go and walk past him."

"Which one?" I asked. I received a withering look.

"The grey-haired man over there—Rosie, you should really know these things."

I soon spotted a middle-aged man with a group of models sniffing around him, all desperately trying to get noticed... I wondered how to go about this without seeming too uncool. I took a deep breath and walked in his direction, swerving at the last minute. Suddenly I heard an Italian voice. "Dalin', you are bootiful! What agency are you with?"

A month later I was sent on a Vogue shoot with Testino. There were several other models there, but it was a huge honour for us all—so much so that Vogue paid us only in kudos.

There was also this other time Mortimer did an audition for a TV commercial in which she danced with rain-soaked tights around her boobs to Beyoncé in front of multiple cameras and cackling casting directors. Sounds like a real self-esteem booster!

Britain's next top model? No, thanks [Telegraph]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:40 pm

Paul Rodgers of Queen

Singer Paul Rodgers of Queen performs at the VH1 Rock Honors at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Legendary rock group Queen announced their first new album in 13 years on Wednesday,...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:34 pm

David Paterson Had an Affair Affairs. So What?

When incoming governor David Paterson first told the Daily News that he had an extramarital affair (or two, or three), no one seemed to get very upset. Sure, the papers tried to keep us riled up: "DAVID BARES DIRTY HAREM," screamed the Post. "The full disclosure to the Daily News wasn't actually a full disclosure," snipped Choire Sicha in today's Observer, referring to the reveal that there was more than one tryst during Paterson's period of infidelity (which Paterson himself owned up to in a subsequent news conference).

But no editorials have been written calling for Paterson's resignation, and even Joe Bruno "brushed off suggestions that the affair threatened to interfere with the state’s business."

So why is Paterson getting a pass where Spitzer didn't? Here are six reasons.

1. It's in the past. Some of Paterson's affairs date back to the nineties (though some are significantly more recent). This isn't an ongoing state of marital crisis that might distract him from his executive duties.

2. He knew their names. While there's something potentially dicey about sleeping with someone connected to your office, as was the case with Lila Kirton, who worked for Spitzer, it's a hell of a lot better than some prostie named "Kristen."

3. Spitzer and McGreevey make Paterson look wholesome. Trysts in Best Westerns or random motor lodges may seem seedy, but it's downright bland compared to a threesome with a limo driver after hot-wings night at T.G.I.Friday's.

4. He got ahead of the story. Unlike some New York politicians, Paterson was upfront and honest about what had happened, and unlike with some other New York politicians, it so far doesn't look like he spent any taxpayer money on it. His problem, his wallet. We can live with that.

5. The scorecard is even. Michelle had affairs, too. So it's a lot harder to moralize about her choices and what they mean for the state of women's rights.

6. He's kind of adorable. After his swearing-in, Paterson ran through Albany like a Saint Patrick's Day MC, and his bar-mitzvah stage presence is cuddly. How can we hold anything against this guy?

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:30 pm

Bobby Digital Returns!

1. Bobby Digital, "You Can't Stop Us Now"
If you liked Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams, then it stands to reason you'll like this new track from RZA's upcoming fourth solo album. (We do!) [Pitchfork]

2. Cassettes Won't Listen, "Change" (Blind Melon cover)
CWL turn in a not-bad cover of a BM song. No, we don't know why. [The Music Slut]

3. Animal Collective, "Water Curses"
On this tune off their upcoming EP, Animal Collective once again reaffirm their status as a bunch of acid-damaged hippies. It's catchier than we just made it sound, though. [I Guess I'm Floating]

4. The Sound of Arrows, "Danger!"
The only danger you could possibly run into while listening to the debut from this Stockholm band is spontaneously engaging in some Wham!-style dance moves. You've been warned. [Hits in the Car]

5. Roots, "Birthday Girl"
On what will probably be the first official single for their new album, the Roots talk about the pleasures and perils of relationships with much younger people. Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump ably demonstrates by contributing guest vocals. [Pop Tarts Suck Toasted]
—Ehren Gresehover

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:15 pm

Who Are David Paterson’s Girls?

As with the Spitzer scandal, the news cycle for David Paterson's affairs has now moved onto the lucky ladies in question. Although Our Lady of Indignation Andrea Peyser names the new Governor's trysts as "too many to count," there's still only one woman who's an official notch on the motel-room bedpost, and a second who, while perhaps totally innocent of any hanky panky, still sounds a bit sketchy. But given what we do know, who are the ladies to whom David turned to during his dark, jealous hours of marital misery?

The Post names one as Lila Kirton, an employee of Spitzer's at the attorney general's office who then followed him to the governor's New York City office, where she served as the director of community affairs (and made a nice $150,000 a year, to boot). Paterson's campaign wrote Kirton a check for $500 for "professional services" in 2002, but we're pretty sure it wasn't for that, considering Paterson has said their relationship lasted for several years. With Spitzer's resignation, Paterson has inherited Kirton as part of his staff — awkward! He has said that he will "accommodate her wishes" in regards to whatever she wants to do about that situation. We're guessing those wishes might involve the words "paid leave of absence" and "Maldives."

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Diane Dixon has also been name-checked as having a "close personal relationship" with Paterson — and though the details are a little less explicit, both Dixon and the Post were so kind as to come together to provide us all with a nicely posed photo shoot for this occasion (never let your big moment pass you by, we say!). The track-and-field star recently got a job within the City's Department of Education and claims that it was mostly through Paterson's influence; she also happens to have tapes and dates of conversations she'd had with him. Seems rather convenient, no? Strikes us as not so much candles-and-rose-petals romantic as grand-jury defensive, but maybe we're just old-fashioned.

David Bares Dirty Harem [NYP]
Paterson Gal's Tape Shocker [NYP]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 9:00 pm

Destroyer's Dan Bejar on the Part of His New Album That Everyone Hates

Dan Bejar's got it good. When he's not chopping it up with the cream of the Vancouver music scene — in addition to recording with the New Pornographers, he makes records with members of Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade as Swan Lake, and his lady friend Sydney Vermont as Hello, Blue Roses — Bejar is Destroyer, the deceptively badass nom de plume of his primary musical outlet. Since the mid-nineties, Bejar's been releasing progressively ambitious indie-pop records, which owe as much to free-associating emcee Cam'ron as seventies-era Dylan for their cheeky, cryptic wordplay. Destroyer's latest, Trouble in Dreams, was released yesterday on Merge Records. Vulture caught up with Bejar during the brief downtime between South by Southwest and his upcoming national tour.

Is recording with Destroyer a lot different from recording with your other bands? Do you have to check your ego a lot?
My ego is pretty much checked already. With the New Pornographers, it’s a different thing. I just give Carl the songs.

You’re like a songwriting mercenary?
A songwriting headhunter … on Challengers, I was a bit more hands-on in the studio, which I think paid off. But my ego gets checked left and right. There’s a part of this one song [on Trouble in Dreams] called “My Favourite Year” — everyone who's heard it unanimously, um, despises it? The people who recorded it but never played on it say, “I hate this part of this song!” It’s a pretty obvious part of the song to hate.

Which part is it?
The song is kind of divided in half by this one part that breaks down into what sounds like a phoned-in version of my voice, a ratty electrical guitar, and I’m kind of cackling this line, “Beware the company you reside in.” And it’s not very sonorous. It’s not pleasing to the ears. But I kind of just went with it. It followed some obscene logic in my head as to how that song had to go to work. But when I just played it for people, I just felt like I was sabotaging a song. It’s been said that every time I sing a song I’m sabotaging a perfectly good song.

The supergroup tag obviously gets applied to a lot of your projects, so I thought it’d fun to have you dream up a theoretical supergroup. You wouldn’t have to be in the band…
I could be like an impresario?

Exactly!
[Laughs.] Yeah, I don’t know … I’d get Miles Davis and Richard Harris together. I think it would just be those two with a bunch of MIDI triggers.

You mention 1993 in “My Favourite Year.” What happened in ’93?
That song feels like it has a really personal feeling to it, but it’s nothing specific. I can’t say that 1993 has any real significance other than, you know, I was 20 years old, gearing up to drop out of school and be completely aimless and fucked up. It was a pivotal time.

I think Destroyer is a great name for any band, but particularly in this case because it’s the exact opposite of this nuanced thing that you do. Was it a calculated decision, or did you just like the name?
I was actually so out of it I didn’t know that there was a Kiss record called Destroyer because I didn’t know anything about Kiss. I still don’t know anything about them. I just thought it was a cool rock-and-roll name, and I was kind of blown away that it hadn’t been taken already. I was like, "I have to use this because it’s so weird that no one’s used it before."

Is there any good action in Canada we’re missing?
No, man. Canadian politics, it’s a washout … I’m more into municipal politics these days. Vancouver is getting the Olympics for 2010.

Congratulations!
[Laughs.] Well, it tends to change the city forever when they get these big events. It seems like slowly but surely no one I know is gonna be able to afford to live in this city anymore. It’s gonna be interesting to see where people go, what people do. We have a pretty formidable homeless and street drug problem in Vancouver, and I can’t quite figure out what they’re gonna do about it when these millions of people invade the city to watch ski-jumping. —Amos Barshad

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:30 pm

Donatella ‘Startles’ Herself in the Mirror

Donatella Versace was awfully press shy at last night's party at Barneys to celebrate the store's launch of Versace menswear. But we slipped in between camera flashes to ask her about her new, face-masking fringe:

Tell me about your bangs.
I did it yesterday. I was bored with my look.

What made you want to change?
Sometimes you just need to change. Do something different.

Who cut them for you?
My hairdresser, Carlos Verdi. Do you like it?

Does it feel weird?
Yes. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and get startled.

Mariah Carey has three assistants. How many do you have?
Three. They run my agenda. —Jada Yuan

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:30 pm

Judge: Mills Was 'Explosive and Volatile'

A judge said Heather Mills twisted the truth to get more out of Paul McCartney.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:19 pm

Brooklyn Heights Residents Are Always Bringing It Back to Poop

Brooklyn Heights: This post is about the neighborhood's best dog walker, and those who try to pull it off-message and make it about dog poop instead will be frowned upon, okay??? [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
Carroll Gardens: Robert Scarano's 342 Bond Street building not only aesthetically attacks locals with its bunker-like façade, now it's literally attacking them: Its guard dogs reportedly escaped and mauled one couple's adorable little puppy (see pic). [Gowanus Lounge]
Clinton Hill:The Broken Angel building became the center of controversy when its quirky turret was torn down a few years ago, and then again when the owners decided to convert it into condos. Now, it's the subject of a legal smackdown between its documentarian and her cinematographer. [NYDN]

East Village: Yep, that's a youth hostel that recently opened at 27 East 7th Street. Just look up at the rooms full of "sleepy-eyed young Asians." [Vanishing NY]
Fisk Terrace-Midwood Park: It's now a historic district! Never heard of it? Neither have we! But this Flatbush district, with the Q train flanking its western border, is chock-full of gorgeous Victorian, Colonial Revival, and Shingle Style homes. [Curbed]
Long Island City: Reportedly, one man is left living in this beautiful old building that will be knocked down for a 42-story Rockrose rental tower with studios starting at $2,100. [LIQcity]
Upper West Side: Gee, wouldn't it be great if the crazy, pedestrian-bedeviling corner of Columbus Avenue and 72nd Street were to look more like this? That's what a local group is proposing. [Streetsblog]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:15 pm

Clint's Big-Screen Comeback

Clint Eastwood's ready to make our day by finally making an appearance in a new movie. The erstwhile Dirty Harry is set to go before cameras in his first film role since starring...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:05 pm

'Idol's' White finding new kind of beauty

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:04 pm

Artist Kristen Schiele Goes Night Swimming

Kristen Schiele's spooky playground, part painting, part collage, is reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan's 2006 thriller, Lady in the Water — in which a pasty woman called a "narf" emerges from Paul Giamatti's pool on a mission to save the world (or something) — except better, thankfully, in every conceivable way. Schiele's exhibition is at Sloan Fine Art Gallery through April 12. —Emma Pearse

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 8:00 pm

Shia Snuffs Out Smoking Problem

Shia LaBeouf may not be ready to slap on the patch, but he is trying to snuff out his smoking problem. A day after a Los Angeles court commissioner issued a warrant for the young star's arrest,...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:58 pm

Heather Mills Branded a Liar

In her fight to get her hands on Paul McCartney's money, Heather Mills made a series of "exaggerated" claims, according to the judge in the case. The onetime Dancing with the Stars...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:57 pm

Blair Waldorf's Wardrobe Does Not Go Home With Her

Everyone knows that actors don't get to keep the clothes they wear on the set. But when it comes to super-fancy high-fashion shows like Gossip Girl, even thinking about taking racks home is impossible. Unless you're Blair Waldorf, of course. "At the end of the first thirteen episodes, they gave me some stuff, which was wonderful, but mostly not," Leighton Meester told us at the Versace Menswear launch at Barneys last night. "Mostly, it’s just too priceless. A lot of the stuff is loaned, and we have a lot of stuff from archives, old stuff that people have used, like, years ago."

Meester, who prefers to spend her paycheck at Opening Ceremony, says her clothes are a wee bit more affordable than Blair's. "You can dial it down it a little bit for real life. I still take a lot of her style into my own." So no baby-doll lingerie, white tights, and fur mufflers? "She’s high fashion, so I take some cues from that, but I don’t go overboard. I feel like I can do it with a little bit less expense. Not everything on the outfit has to be priceless designer."

The actress says she doesn’t really mind that she can’t keep the contents of Blair’s closet. "Really, a lot of the stuff you wear a few days in a row, and you never want to wear it again, anyway." We don't know that feeling, but we'll take your word for it. —Fiona Byrne

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:50 pm

Brazilian director Jose Padilha

Brazilian director Jose Padilha posing with his Golden Bear he won for his movie "The Elite Squad" at the 58th International Film Festival in Berlin in February 2008. The movie has since then inspired...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:46 pm

‘Pravda’ Duly Salvaged From Man Booker Long List

Houghton Mifflin has heeded our advice and published Edward Docx's Pravda, once languishing away on the Man Booker Prize long list. Finally out this week in the States, Docx took a page from his own life for this tale of Anglo-Russian twins untangling their family history, with stops in St. Petersburg, London, Paris, and New York. Though it didn't ultimately win the big prize — you try competing with Anne Enright and Ian McEwan — the drama-and-deceit-drenched pages stand up to the buzz and prize nod it received across the pond.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:45 pm

Inside an Apartment in the New Plaza

New York’s real-estate writer S. Jhoanna Robledo recently toured an apartment in the newly renovated Plaza, and our cameras went along. Once the crown jewel of New York hotels, the Plaza went condo in 2005, and its permanent residents enjoy all the amenities of hotel living. This two-bedroom rental is only $16,500 a month, and comes with a mosaic-tile bathroom and turndown service. And if you want a drink, the Oak Bar is right downstairs.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:40 pm

The ‘90210’ Update: Who’s the New Brenda?

Beverly Hills, 90210 fans praying Brenda will finally get her revenge against Dylan and Kelly are disappointed today. The cast of characters for Rob Thomas's updated version of the show — which we remain optimistic will be titled 902102 — does not seem to include a 37-year-old Shannen Doherty. But don't fret! The new cast bears more similarity to the original than you might think. We went through the list of characters that appeared on Variety's Website today, figuring out which of our old Peach Pit favorites have analogues in the upcoming remake.

Annie: Described as an emo kid trying to break into the cool crowd, she’s clearly the new Brenda Walsh.

Dixon: Though adopted, like Steve Sanders, Dixon is much more like Dylan McKay — with little regard for the rules and an affinity for danger. Here we feel compelled to point out that Annie and Dixon are actually brother and sister, which obviously implies the show will be dealing with the hot-button issue of incest this time around. After all, producers are apparently considering a minority actor for this role, so anything’s possible.

Tabitha Mills: A washed up actress/alcoholic in her sixties, Tabitha is the new Samantha Sanders (Steve’s mom) — only now she’s two generations back, playing Annie and Dixon’s grandma.

Harrison Mills: Son to Tabitha and Annie and Dixon’s dad, this eighties grad of Beverly Hills High returns to the 90210 with wife and kids in tow to take care of his poor mum. Clearly, ol’ Harry has mommy issues — much like Steve Sanders, whose birth mother died and whose surrogate mother, Samantha, was driven to drink by the knowledge that her husband was in fact Steve’s real father.

Celia Mills: Harry’s wife and Annie and Dixon’s mom, she’s an Olympic athlete who settles for a job as a personal trainer after the move. Celia’s not quite Donna Martin, but we suspect she’ll often appear in spandex, which makes her close enough.

Daphne Silver: Despite sharing the same last name as David and hosting her own YouTube series, which is kind of like D.J.-ing your high school’s radio station, Silver is Beverly Hills’ new token Jewish girl — a.k.a. Andrea Zuckerman.

Max Silver: Daphne’s 24-year-old brother and manager of the family movie theater, Max will be taking over as Nat Bussichio, Peach Pit patriarch.

Navid Shirazi: Producer of Beverly Hills High student-run video newscast, this is the new David Silver. Only this time, instead of being a year younger than everyone else, he’s Middle Eastern.

Naomi Bennett: The rich, hot (but not necessarily blonde!) popular girl, Naomi is the new Kelly Taylor. And like her inspiration, she’s spoiled rotten. But this time, she’s complicated, too.

Ethan Ward: Naomi’s ex, he’s the jock with depth, not unlike hockey player Brandon Walsh. At some point, Ethan will forsake the popular kids to chill with the 90210 crowd. Which makes us wonder: Are the new kids of Beverly Hills not popular?! Because that would be really daring. —Kari Milchman

'90210' spinoff details emerge [Variety]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:15 pm

New sitcom star: I 'was sort of a loser'

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 7:14 pm

The ‘GQ’ Whipped List Includes Some of New York's Meekest

We were just tipped off to GQ's list of "the twenty-five most emasculated, disempowered, henpecked husbands on the planet" by Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici. He was fascinated by the fact that Wendi Deng, our best friend, pushed Rupert Murdoch around so much. Well, yeah. Doesn't everyone know that it's the powerful men who love to be dominated? But what other New York men did GQ out as submissives? Despite the obvious and frankly just-for-show sexism (because everyone knows that all dudes who work for GQ are either gay or Sensitive) we clicked over, and we were not disappointed.

• Marc Anthony! Well, duh. Somebody's got to change Max and Emme's diapers, and we'll give you a hint: It's not going to be the one with the expensive French manicure.
• Howard Stern. Again, duh. When the woman waking up next to you looks like Beth Ostrovsky and you look like, well, Sideshow Bob, you'll do anything you can to keep the relationship going.
• Woody Allen. Soon-Yi drinks his milkshake. We wouldn't, but she does. And for that, friends, she can do all the pecking she wants.
• Jack Welch. See above, re keeping it up.
• Mark Consuelos. It's one thing to have a wife as big as you are. It's another to be as small as your wife — and bring in about one-eighth of the income.
• Rudy Giuliani. She can talk about her "big testosterone factor" husband all she wants, it's pretty clear who's wearing the pants. Right, schnoopikins?
• Larry King. Proud of it! And why not? He's 100 years old! Dude needs someone to wipe the dribble off his chin before he goes on air, bless him.

The Whipped List [GQ]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:48 pm

Amy Winehouse to Perform at Wintour's Big Gala?

Amy Winehouse may perform at the Met's Annual Costume Institute Gala on May 5. A rep from the Metropolitan Museum of Art confirmed that Winehouse is one of a number of guests being considered for the slot. Though she's a good bit grungier than the always perfectly coiffed Anna Wintour, the gala's hostess, fashion designers adore her. She's already inspired a Chanel collection by Karl Lagerfeld and played a Fendi party, and Giorgio Armani reportedly has his eye on her. A source told the Daily Mirror, "Giorgio has made no secret to his friends that he would love to work with Amy. He sees this party as an ideal opportunity to sound her out about future projects together."

Event co-chairs George Clooney and Julia Roberts are reportedly trying to sign Winehouse on for the event. The Met's spokeswoman denied rumors that the Grammy winner would rake in a million for her performance, since the event is a benefit.

If Winehouse does make the event, we will watch closely to see if she and La Wintour touch for any photo ops. And the exhibit being about superheroes, we're curious as to just what Winehouse would wear. We're picturing Wonder Woman but a little, you know, rough around the edges.

Amy Winehouse to Get $1 Million to Sing at George Clooney's Party [Daily Mirror]
Fashion Scoops: Calling Amy [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:40 pm

Zahi Hawass

Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass, seen here in 2007, threatened on Wednesday to withdraw archeological items on show in Switzerland because of a parallel picture exhibition he deemed offensive to...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:37 pm

Snoop Dogg Stands Up for America’s Ugly Women

"How many ugly women selling records? None! Only the pretty ones sell records — Beyonce, Mary J. The ugly ones just be singing their little hearts out but don't get no sales." —Snoop Dogg, feminist [BET via Mirror]

"We probably get more leeway than most shows. And if we want to do something special — like, we just did this Tourette's show, and we said 'In order to do this show, we need to say 'shit' a bunch, or else it doesn't make any sense' — so we made a case for it, and they let us say 'shit' a bunch. And they let us say 'cock,' too. But it was within the realm of Tourette's, so it was okay, I guess." —Matt Stone on making South Park [A.V. Club]

"You can prompt applause with a sign. My friend Seth Meyers coined the term 'clapter,' which is when you do a political joke and people go, 'Woo-hoo.' It means they sort of approve but didn't really like it that much. You hear a lot of that on [whispers] The Daily Show." —Tina Fey [PageSix.com]

"The green screen is like a whole other animal. It's so much different from climbing mountains in Alaska." —Emile Hirsch on the surprising difference between filming Speed Racer and Into the Wild [ComingSoon]

"Once we finished the final cut and color-timed it, literally everything seemed to work itself out. Even the Middle East, I'm sure you've seen that everything's worked out there, and everyone's happy." —Zak Penn on the power of his upcoming film The Grand [ComingSoon]

"Like, Ozzy — working with him was so interesting, because he reminded me — ah, I don't want to get in trouble — but he reminded me a little of Queen Victoria. Like, he was very delicate." —Moby on one of his favorite collaborators, Ozzy Osbourne [Pop Candy/USAT]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:30 pm

Meet the New Girl: Kate Somers

After last year’s Ford Supermodel of the World contest, won by Hyoni Kang, no one knew how much more of the adorably freckled Kate Somers we’d be seeing. Actually, quite a bit. She won over Marc Jacobs, walking in both of his New York shows. And she walked exclusively for Gianfranco Ferré in Milan. With a season like that, there’s hope for runners-up everywhere. —Kendall Herbst

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:20 pm

AUction house employee displaying rare books

An employee at the Drouot auction house displays rare books during an auction for rare-book lovers, museum buyers and fans of Napoleon. Some 335 books and letters, collected over the past three decades...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:17 pm

Songkick co-founders Ian Hogarth (L), Michelle You (C) and Pete Smith

This Songkick handout shows Songkick co-founders Ian Hogarth (L), Michelle You (C) and Pete Smith on Brick Lane on March 5, 2008 near their headquarters. The British Internet startup Songkick launched...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:09 pm

Target's New GO Line Is Designed by…Target?!

Target has commissioned limited-edition GO lines by Jovovich-Hawk, Gryson, Botkier, and Richard Chai. But today, the retailer announced it will keep the GO line going in between guest-designed lines, with collections designed in-house:

Target canvassed the globe to find the newest fashion trends, and translated them into easy-to-wear and low-cost ensembles. Ranging in price from $16.99 - $49.99 the first collection, launching on April 13, 2008, includes a variety of updated wardrobe staples including long boyfriend blazers, printed tunics, wide-leg trousers and cowl-neck printed tees. Additional standout pieces include a long linen vest, satin romper, mod shift dress with circle pockets, square-neck kimono sleeve top and foil printed metallic swimsuits.

Several GO International collections of women's fashion will be introduced in 2008 and each will be available for one month exclusively at select Target stores nationwide and at Target.com/go.

Target's certainly launched enough GO lines to be able to handle a few on their own now, so this all sounds promising. Some of the pieces would easily mix-and-match into any wardrobe, but we may skip the shiny ensembles. After the jump, we have the rest of the first line from the new GO program.

Elsewhere: Photos of Unnamed Target GO Collection Surface [Racked]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 6:05 pm

Is the Justice League Movie in Trouble Again?

It's survived endless delays, one strike-related near-cancellation, and the casting of mostly D-listers, all of whom are becoming even less famous by the minute — but has the Justice League movie finally been scrapped? Australia's Sydney Morning Herald reports that director George Miller's ensemble superhero movie (apparently now called Justice League Mortal, fittingly) has been denied an Australian tax rebate that would've made the film's $200 million budget 40 percent refundable, meaning it will probably not be shot in the country. "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Australian film industry is being frittered away because of very lazy thinking," Miller told the paper.

Apparently the rebate was denied because, hilariously, the film — previously titled Justice League of America — isn't Australian enough (it is "an American story that will be performed in American accents," argue its opponents in Australia's Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance). Miller is now faced with either moving the production to another country (Canada is apparently a possibility) or replacing Adam Brody with a kangaroo.

Mega movie refused rebate [SMH via /film]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 19 Mar 2008 | 5:45 pm

Bloomberg Gets Wheezy Over Congestion Pricing

Mayor Bloomberg came out swinging for congestion pricing today. Facing a March 31 deadline for the city and state legislatures to collect $354 million in federal start-up funds, Hizzoner appeared at breakfast with U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters at his side. To a question about congestion pricing's threat to federal funding, Bloomberg snapped: "That's one of the stupider things I've heard!" On the State Assembly proposal to tax income above $1 million, he cracked: "If not now, when? I don't know what these people are smoking!" He got so passionate that he even sounded daring about putting tolls on East River bridges: "Given the times we're facing, maybe people can consider ideas that were politically third rail." But the performance failed to captivate its intended audience. Afterward, City Council finance-committee chairman David Weprin — one of a few lawmakers on hand — seemed firmer than ever in his resistance to the congestion-pricing idea. "They extended the deadline to April 7," he told us, "but that comes down to the fact that they don't have the votes." So is Bloomberg using what Hillary Clinton calls "the kitchen sink" strategy? —Alec Appelbaum

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 19 Mar 2008 | 5:45 pm

Books of the Millenium series by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson

Books of the Millenium series by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson at a book fair. A fourth volume of the bestselling "Millennium" crime trilogy by the late Stieg Larsson will not be published, his father said...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 19 Mar 2008 | 5:23 pm

'Superbad' Director's Latest Rash of Raunch

"Drillbit Taylor," with Owen Wilson, is one of Judd Apatow's many new flicks.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 4:00 pm

Katie Holmes to Release Clothing Line With Giorgio Armani

Fashion "it" girl Katie Holmes is set to release her own clothing line with Giorgio Armani, named Katie Holmes for Armani.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 3:58 pm

Science Fiction Writer Arthur C. Clarke Dead at Age 90

Clarke died early Wednesday at age 90 and was to be buried in a private funeral this weekend in his adopted home of Sri Lanka.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 3:58 pm

Robin Williams to Guest Star on 'Law & Order'

Williams is playing an "engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong" and who faces serious repercussions, series spokeswoman Pam Golum said Tuesday. The episode, which films later this month, is scheduled to air April 29.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 3:48 pm

Why is Harold Perrineau back on 'Lost'?

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 3:37 pm

A 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' tribute

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 3:02 pm

Halle Berry Names Baby Girl Nahla Ariela Aubry

Halle Berry's newborn daughter is named Nahla Ariela Aubry, her publicist Meredith O'Sullivan told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:58 pm

Spitzer Call Girl in 'Girls Gone Wild' Archives Was 17

An attorney for Ashley Alexandra Dupre, now 22, told The Associated Press she was 17 when the footage was filmed.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:50 pm

Reality Check: Putting the Idols Back in 'American Idol'

'Idol' and 'Dancing' leave audiences swooning
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:31 pm

FOX411: Judge: Heather Mills 'Underhanded'

The judge in the Paul McCartney, Heather Mills divorce case found Mills' behavior 'distinctively distasteful' in his final findings Tuesday.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:30 pm

Kristin Davis' Rep Denies Racy Photos

Compromising photos believed to be of Kristin Davis have re-surfaced on the Internet, TMZ.com reports — but the "Sex and the City" star's rep says they are not of the actress.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:28 pm

Arthur C. Clarke to have secular funeral

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 2:07 pm

Pop Tarts: Naomi Watts' Heath Ledger Ban

Naomi Watts may have spent many months in the arms of Heath Ledger prior to their break-up in 2004, but the Academy Award-nominated actress isn't ready to talk about her late lover on camera just yet.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 1:58 pm

Is Shia LaBeouf on the Lam?

The "Transformers" star skipped court & has a $1,000 warrant out for his arrest.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 1:42 pm

Berry's New Baby: Nahla Ariela Aubry

Halle Berry's daughter's name means honeybee in Arabic.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 1:18 pm

'Idol' twice as big as nearest rival

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 1:06 pm

'Hogan's Heroes' star Dixon dies

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 12:44 pm

Penn's Iraq War Anniv. Gift: Scathing Film

Sean Penn narrates a film that portrays U.S. media as uncritical of Iraq War.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 19 Mar 2008 | 12:36 pm

Report: Man Committs Suicide at Mel Gibson's House

A construction worker committed suicide at Mel Gibson's Agoura Hills, Calif. home, TMZ.com reported.
Source: FOXNews.com | 19 Mar 2008 | 12:05 pm