World Entertainment News Headlines for July 8, 2008

Matthew Williamson Comes to NYC; Is Kate Moss Breaking Up?

A look from Matthew Williamson's fall '08 collection.Photo: imaxtree

• Matthew Williamson will open its first U.S. store in New York in early 2009 in — wait for it — the meatpacking district! Shocker. [British Vogue]

• Steve & Barry's University Sportswear is thisclose to closing 100 of its 270 of stores. [WWD]

• Kate Moss might be breaking up with Jamie Hince. He was spotted moving his stuff out of her house. So much for all that marriage hoopla. [Mirror]

• Wendy Kahn is the new chief executive officer of Valentino USA and V.F.G. USA and Canada. She replaces Graziano de Boni who's jumped to Prada's ship. [WWD]

• Eva Mendes on the couture collections: "Dior is the only show worth going to, I'm very loyal." Now that is a bold statement indeed. [WWD]

• Blake Lively's people are not happy with her Seventeen cover this month because it supposedly looks nothing like her. Her Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan covers, however, are A-OK.[NYP]

• Here's a peek at Petra Nemcova's fall ad campaign for Rampage. [Off the Rack/People]

• Stephen Jones is making hats for Audrey Tautou for her role as Coco Chanel in the upcoming biopic. [British Vogue]

• Polo Ralph Lauren is underwriting the restoration of the East Hampton Historical Society's Mulford Farm. Sounds about right. [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:40 pm

YouTube Dancer Matt Harding Taking the Stride Gum Message Into the New York ‘Times’

Screencap: Matt Harding's YouTube.

In today's Times, Charles McGrath lends the Gray Lady's imprimatur to Matt Harding, that guy who films himself doing that goofy dance all over the world. "It’s the online equivalent of a platinum hit, seeping from one computer to the next like a virus," McGrath writes of "Where the Hell Is Matt," employing a weirdly malevolent metaphor, but whatever: If this article gets even more people to watch Matt Harding's video, or his outtakes, or his awesome Google Earth animation, or College Humor's "Where the Hell Is Matt's Girlfriend," that's pretty excellent — for the world, for Matt Harding, and for Stride Gum.

Stride is the chewing-gum company that underwrote Matt's last two expeditions, just because they thought his ideas were kind of funny. McGrath marvels at the anti-advertising advertising that ensues: "Amazingly, in this era of shameless commercial tie-ins, Mr. Harding is not obliged to wear a Stride T-shirt or deliver a little pitch for the product."

But Stride has the last laugh! First of all, it cultivates the image of itself as the model of a modern company, funding the excursions of fun-loving goofballs, while getting its brand name in front of 4 million viewers (and plenty of New York Times readers). (On the other hand, they've likely now had to field pitches from scores of other slackers with their own bright ideas of ways to spend Stride's money.) Plus, it sort of seems like maybe Matt Harding is — if unconsciously — delivering little pitches for the product that sent him around the world. "I’m happy with what there is," he tells McGrath when asked if another Web video lies in his future. "I don’t want to pop the bubble."

A Private Dance? Four Million Web Fans Say No [NYT]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:30 pm

Ho, No: Ashley Alexandra Dupré May Get Reality Show?

Photo: MySpace

There are many ladies with surgically enhanced bosoms and loose morals fighting for fame and fortune on the current crop of reality shows — there's the girls on Rock of Love, I Love Money, and, of course, Hugh's bunnies on The Girls Next Door. But no real-life woman on cable television right now actually has sex for money (or not, at least, you know, directly). But that may change if Eliot Spitzer's hooker, Ashley Alexandra Dupré, gets her own reality show, which, E! is reporting, is a possibility.

A source tells E!, however, that Dupré, 23, has been developing an unscripted show with production execs at L.A.-based Handprint Entertainment, the same company that has managed the career of reality icon icon Nicole Richie and Pamela Anderson. One of the concepts being considered is a dating format. "They're talking to MTV about Ashley being the next Tila Tequila," says a source close to the project.

Oh, God. We just got a terrible, nightmarish vision of what Kristen: It's Complicated would be like: an opening montage set to a remix of "Pretty Woman." Challenges in which suitors are required to mud wrestle wearing black socks and nothing else. Ashley sobbing in a confessional, "It's just really hard for me to let my guard down, you know?" All culminating in a dreamy, thoughtful sequence in Ashley's sterile Malibu condo in which she struggles over which guido-ish dude to give the Final Garter to, after which the world finally explodes in fire and brimstone.

Ashley Dupré: Girl Gone Hollywood? [E! Online]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:30 pm

Ethical designer Hamnett enjoys fashionable return (Reuters)

Reuters - British designer Katharine Hamnett is relishing a comeback now that the fashion world has finally caught up with her campaigning notions about clothes.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:08 pm

Faked Cage Fights May Have Been Planned by Sacha Baron Cohen

Crowds in Arkansas came for the lure of cage fighting and $1 beer, but police say what they got instead was men ripping each others' clothes off and kissing a stunt suspected of being orchestrated by Sacha Baron Cohen of "Borat" fame.
Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:02 pm

Blake Lively Annoyed That ‘Seventeen’ Cover Makes Her Look Like Scary Grinning Skeleton Creature

Yikes! Who Photoshopped Blake's face with
Jessica Tandy's?Photo:

Rush Limbaugh left a $1,000 tip on a $205 check at Rosa Mexicana in Palm Beach. Friends of Claudia Cohen (including ex-husband Ron Perelman) are annoyed about the Times story on the controversy over the University of Pennsylvania's Cohen building, which they called "snarky." Blake Lively's publicist is annoyed because she thinks Lively's Seventeen magazine-cover shoot looks nothing like her. (It is true: She looks totally weird.)

Justin Lazard, heir to the Lazard banking fortune, is planning on suing a hotel in the Dominican Republic after a security guard allegedly assaulted his pregnant wife. Kid Rock brought a busload of skanky blondes to surfer Laird Hamilton's Fourth of July party in Malibu, and Hamilton's wife, Olympic volleyball champ Gabrielle Reece, was not exactly pleased. (Lindsay Lohan spent her Fourth at a party with the cast of The Hills up the road.) Florida governor and potential McCain running mate Charlie Crist is engaged to Carole Rome. Lenny Kravitz went to a rock festival in Madrid and is allegedly annoyed at A-Rod for not putting out a statement exonerating him from the divorce blame. Selma Blair made fun of her Hellboy II castmates because they had to wear a lot of uncomfortable makeup and she did not. (Howard Stern and Calvin Klein were at the screening of the film in East Hampton.) Megan Fox may or may not still be dating Brian Austin Green. Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers can't remember the names of old movies. Theater scion Eric Nederlander, whose first wife, Jessica, left him after his honeymoon for Jerry Seinfeld, has been hit with a $223,693 lien. Viacom honcho Sumner Redstone says he doesn't want to die. Cindy Adams reports that a person "close in the Yankee hierarchy" called her twice to say that A-Rod's wife, Cynthia, is "heartbroken" at his rumored dalliance with Madonna.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 8 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Sci-fi author's estate embroiled in dispute

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:56 pm

Matthew McConaughey, Girlfriend Welcome Baby Boy

Matthew McConaughey's girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy on Monday night, the first child for the couple, his rep told People magazine.
Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:50 pm

Xbox 360's "Battlefield: Bad Company" tops the Rogers Video game rental list

Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:48 pm

Rogers Video: "Vantage Point" tops both rental and sales lists

TORONTO - The most popular DVDs according to Rogers Video for the period ending July 6. DVD RENTALS 1 Vantage Point 2 10,000 BC 3 Drillbit Taylor 4 Definitely, Maybe 5 In
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:47 pm

Marcus Brauchli Tapped to Edit Washington ‘Post’

Um, adorable alert!Photo: Patrick McMullan

As was widely rumored, former Wall Street Journal managing editor Marcus Brauchli was named executive editor of the Washington Post last night. He will succeed Len Downie, who held the post for seventeen years. From the Post:

When the handoff occurs Sept. 8, Brauchli will become only the third person in the paper's top post since Ben Bradlee was given the job in 1968 and the first from outside the corporation since shortly after Weymouth's great-grandfather, Eugene Meyer, bought the paper in a bankruptcy sale in 1933.

"It's going to be a challenge, obviously, to adjust to a new culture," Brauchli said. "I'm anticipating having to go through a steep learning curve at hyperspeed."

Brauchli was ousted from the Journal in April, after it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. His term at the paper included a lot of international experience, having worked from Hong Kong, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Media hounds will be watching the Post in the coming months to see whether he'll shift the focus of the paper, which is largely local and political, to a broader scope. He'll also be charged with combining the newsrooms of the print and online versions of the Post — a task he accomplished at the Journal with positive results.

Washington Post Names Marcus Brauchli Executive Editor [WP]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

Guillermo del Toro on ‘Hellboy II’ and Impressing a Girl on a First Date

Photo: Getty Images

In 2004, director Guillermo del Toro brought Mike Mignola's Hellboy to the big screen, starring Ron Perlman as a gruff, reluctant, occult crime fighter who just happens to be a giant, red harbinger of the apocalypse. A fantastically imagined (if midsize) commercial hit, the movie was the lead punch in a one-two combo — the other being 2006's Pan's Labyrinth — that landed Del Toro the plum assignment of following in Peter Jackson's footsteps with a movie adaptation of The Hobbit. In advance of this week's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Del Toro spoke with Vulture about returning to the franchise, and the difference between climbing Mount Everest and driving on the freeway.

This film has much more of a fantastical feel than the first Hellboy. Did that have anything to do with the success of Pan's Labyrinth?
The funny thing is that there's both accidentally Mignola-esque stuff and purposefully as well, because Mike and I did come up with the basic story line, and I think that's the direction he's taking the comics, by coincidence. When I told him some of my ideas, he said, "That's exactly what we're plotting already." There are moments in the film, like when The Golden Army opens, that are completely chiaroscuro, backlit by the fire. If you freeze-framed, it would be a Mignola panel.

What can you tell us about the Troll Market sequence, which has the potential to set adolescent imaginations on fire like the Cantina sequence in the original Star Wars?
Well, the idea was that we'd move the camera around like we were in any other location — a shopping mall, a bazaar in the Far East. We would not do the thing that is done so often in this type of movie, which is where you do a close-up of each monster that you spent some money on and give each a little vignette. We said we're going to keep them in the background as if we have wandered into a real place. You’re saying, yes, there is a twenty-foot monster lurking in the background, but you’re never going to see it again. We had some things designed that we called Striders — they're like headless elephants and we spent about $100,000 modeling them — and they are only seen in the opening shots. I said that's the whole point. It's like a first date with a girl — you leave a big tip on the table and that's really impressive. They go, "Hmmmm … a 40 percent tip, he's a nice guy!" It's in the detail, you know?

Hellboy II invests pretty heartily in two love stories — an arc of blossoming love, but also one about genuine domestic difficulties. How important were those for you to the film, especially given that they're a big departure from the source material?
The two Hellboy movies for me are semi-autobiographical. I do put a lot of details in from my life, which my wife recognizes, including the moment where Hellboy gets asked, "Do you need everyone to love you, or am I enough?" I think the way Hellboy has evolved, and the way in which he is an irresponsible knucklehead but adorable, is a source of empathy for me. There's a great moment in the film that I have gone through, which is when he's asked, "Why are you with me?" and he just [stammers]. That's a very male idea of conversation. I love that he's unable to verbalize things, and it takes a spear in the heart for him to say, "Wait, I understand!"

When you're plotting the look of your movies, what's your thinking with respect to which effects will be practical, and which will rely to some degree on CGI?
I think films should be handmade. I have this notion that is perhaps the same thing that leads me to keep the props from my films, because I love that they are tangible things. We say that an audience doesn't care whether it's real or CGI, but they do. The average eye of the regular Joe is trained by thousands of hours of TV and visual effects; there's media hitting you all the time. So your eyes know. Sometimes my daughters, who are pretty savvy at the ages of 7 and 12, look at my movies and say, "That monster is computer-generated." And I say, "Nope, it's real." So it's nice that they are confounded. If I am fooling a 12-year-old eye, which plays more video games and watches more TV than just about anyone, then I am happy.

How would your time commitment on the two Hobbit films affect the possibility of a Hellboy III?
I would love to do it. There was a gap of four years between the first and second Hellboy, and provided that Ron takes his medicine and vitamins and can stay healthy enough, we can have a Hellboy III. The thing is, every time you take one movie, you are postponing others — like another of the smaller movies I'm trying to write, called Saturn and the End of Days, which is the apocalypse seen from the point-of-view of a 10-year-old boy. Every day you drive on the freeway, you're not climbing Mount Everest. —Brent Simon

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:45 pm

FOX411: Did Madonna Injure A-Rod?

On April 29, the Yankees placed A-Rod on the 15 disabled list. It was the first time hed been on such a list since the year 2000.
Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:41 pm

Possible Opening Days Announced for Topshop

Photo: FashionBinge.blogspot.com

Brace yourselves, we've got big news to share: Topshop set an opening date, or an opening week, rather. The two-story sign on Broadway boasts fall 2008, but the U.S. publicist confirmed it will be around October 16, 17, or 18. So pull out your calendars and circle the three possible days (it's a Thursday-Friday-Saturday span). Do it right now! We see the line starting around, oh, October.—Sharon Clott

Topshop New York: Opening Dates Narrowed Down [Fashion Binge]

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:28 pm

Scalpers ask $1,500 for free Bon Jovi concert (AP)

AP - Bon Jovi's concert in Central Park this Saturday is free. But that isn't stopping some scalpers from selling tickets for as much as $1,500 a pair despite a warning they cannot be resold.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:27 pm

Scalpers ask $1,500 for free Bon Jovi concert (AP)

'Big Brother 10' contestants (AP)

AP - A look at the 13 "Big Brother 10" contestants:
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:22 pm

Meet the 'Big Brother 10' cast (AP)

AP - "Big Brother 10" is returning to its roots.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:20 pm

Drew Barrymore Apparently Not That Into Justin Long

"I'm so happy my cheeks hurt," Drew said in February.Photo: Getty Images

A mere six months after telling Vogue that his girlfriend, Drew Barrymore, is full of "beauty and light, and she shines it on everybody who comes into contact with her," Justin Long (best known, poor sod, as "the Mac Guy") has been relegated to the dustbin of Barrymore's relationship history, where he is probably at this very moment weeping, whilst sharing a pint of Ben & Jerry's alongside Barrymore exes Jamie Walters and Tom Green. He can't say we didn't warn him. Many men have fallen prey to Drew's magical vagina, but their story always ends the same: She remains famous and fabulous; they disappear completely from the face of the earth.

But hark!

It seems that Barrymore has given Long a parting gift. Their movie, He's Just Not That Into You, comes out in February. Will the film give Long the push he needs to get past being known as not just the Mac Guy, but the 101st Guy to Be Dumped by Drew Barrymore? Will he rise like a phoenix from the ashes? Or is he, like the others, doomed to a life of obscurity? Eh, we're going with the latter.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long Split [People]
Earlier: Drew Barrymore Discusses 100th Boyfriend With Vogue

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:13 pm

Meet the 'Big Brother 10' cast; no ex-lovers or long-lost siblings this time

Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:01 pm

Clinton Strategist Howard Wolfson Heads to Fox News

Photo: Getty Images

Hillary Clinton's official press combatant Howard Wolfson, her communications director turned strategist, has gone to the dark side. He's joining the press. And Fox News, no less! Wolfson yesterday confirmed that he will be an analyst for the cable network. From the Times:

“I thought that Fox’s coverage during the primary was comprehensive and fair and evenhanded,” Mr. Wolfson said Monday in a telephone interview from Liverpool, England, where he was vacationing. “It’s a huge audience, and it is important to have a strong, progressive voice on the network.”

Wolfson will continue to be a partner at the Washington consulting firm Glover Park Group, but he'll start at Fox as early as this week. The move seems to reflect a sentiment from among Clintonites that the network was fairer to Hillary than any other outlet.

“The guy is very smart,” said fellow Fox News analyst Karl Rove. “He strikes me as a very able guy and surprisingly pleasant and amiable.” Rove added that he was impressed with the “Clinton attack machine.” “I always admire a passionate advocate,” Bush's brain explained.

No matter how much they're paying Wolfson, earning admiration from Karl Rove has to make any Democrat queasy. Welcome to Fox News, Howie!

A Clintonian at Fox [Caucus/NYT]
Earlier: Hillary's Communications Guru Takes the Long Way 'Round

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Colombian Hostages: The Movie, Coming Soon?

Ingrid BetancourtPhoto: Getty Images

Hostages Hold Hollywood Hostage: It's only been a week since the bait-and-switch rescue of the 15 FARC Colombian hostages, and already Hollywood is circling for the rights. Will it come from Phil Maloof's negotiations with the Colombian government for their side of the story? Or from the three American contractors who are negotiating with UTA? Or perhaps from Ingrid Betancourt herself, who is seeking her own feature deal through a French literary agent? These questions ignore the obvious problem with this true-life story: The daring third-act rescue goes off without a shot fired. Boring! [Variety]

Meanwhile: The Hollywood Reporter is claiming a deal's already been made, for Colombian director Simon Brand to direct the movie for Vertigo Entertainment and Colombian TV network RCN. Who'd they actually make the deal with? The article doesn't say. [HR]

…and the Tucker Max Players: Jesse Bradford, Matt Czurchy, and Geoff Stults have joined the cast of Tucker Max's douchetastic voyage into cinema, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Czuchry will abandon his Gilmore Girls past and play Tucker Max himself, while Bradford and Stults will play Max's friends. [HR]

Broadway Turns Kinky: Kinky Boots, the 2006 British comedy about a drag queen who saves a struggling midwestern shoe business by designing a line of fetish shoes, has been picked up for the stage by producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig. Legally Blonde's Jerry Mitchell is in talks to direct. This actually sounds good: There's enough heart to appeal to critics and enough sex to actually make money. [HR]

Sumika Counts: Aya Sumika, who's basically been a regular on CBS' Numbers as Special Agent Liz Warner, has joins the series on a permanent basis. Aya, if you're reading this, you should know the only reason we're covering you is because it's a slow week after Fourth of July weekend. Sorry, kiddo. [HR]

4,000 Dragons: Super 78 animation studio is gearing up to make its animated Flight of the Dragon in 4K — the insanely high resolution usually reserved for Imax. Described as a hybrid documentary and fantasy story about a boy who discovers China from the sky by flying with a mystical dragon, this movie promises to be the most beautiful thing you've ever been bored by. [HR]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Events and Sales: Meet Gwyneth Paltrow and Elizabeth Hurley at Bloomingdale's!

EVENTS
• The four ladies of Estée Lauder's Sensuous fragrance are stopping by Bloomingdale's tonight to sign newly purchased bottles of the perfume. Meet Elizabeth Hurley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carolyn Murphy, and Hilary Rhoda while you sniff the scent at the flagship store. That is quite a lineup for a department store. Bloomingdale's, 1000 Third Ave., at 59th St., main fl. (212-705-2000); 6–9.

• Stock up on beautiful cocktail dresses at the Giambattista Valli trunk show. Through 7/9. Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., at 57th St. (212-924-4314); 10–8.

SALES
STARTING TODAY
• Gilt.com is an invite-only sample-sale Website. Today, they launch the Hickey men's sale, where you can get men's clothes for over 50 percent off (a khaki pant was $288, now just $101). The women's online sample sales this week include Vera Wang, Felix Rey handbags, and Malo (a sateen skirt was $325 but is now $97). Not a member? No worries! Click here for your nymag.com invite.

• Tory Burch's printed tunics, pants, shorts, and dresses are 50 to 80 percent off. Plus, this sample sale is for a good cause: She's donating 5 percent of sales to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Through 7/13. 2 Great Jones St., nr. Broadway; daily (noon–8).

• You may have seen Vanessa Minnillo wearing Laila Azhar's silk-jersey, side-cowl halter dress (normally $475 at places like Big Drop), but now that and the rest of the spring collection is up to 70 percent off. Through 7/10. 61 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., second fl. (212-947-8748); 10–6.

• Alvin Valley's spring/summer collection is on sale up to 80 percent off retail prices. Pants that were $300 to $600 are just $169. Through 7/11. 632 Broadway, nr. Houston St., Ste. 602 (212-253-0095); Tues.–Fri. (noon–6).

• Nikki Laura's summer stock of Jenny Han, Julie Haus, Erin Fetherston, and more are up to 30 percent off. Through 7/13. 4 Prince St., nr. Elizabeth St. (212-226-0004); Mon.–Sun. (11–7).

• Topshop is having a sale online. Remember, they ship to the U.S.!

• Spring clothes from Rebecca & Drew are 30 to 65 percent off. 344 W. 13th St., nr. Gansevoort St. (212-647-8901); Mon.–Fri. (11–7), Sat. (11–8), Sun. (noon–5).

ENDING TODAY
• Stylist Phillip Bloch is hosting an eBay auction for charity: water. Along with his own clothes and accessories, Bloch is selling personal items from Beyoncé Knowles and Fran Drescher. Through 7/8. eBay.com; user name is phillipblochcharityauction.

STARTING TOMORROW
• The Charlotte Ronson sample sale begins today. Tops, shoes, and dresses are discounted by up to 70 percent. Through 7/11. 1071 Sixth Ave., nr. 40th St., Ste. 301; 10–6.

• Spring and summer items from Elizabeth Gillett, whose dresses, scarves, and wraps can be found at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, and Anthropologie, are all on sale. Items that retail for $59 to $390 are marked down to $24 to $135. Through 7/11. 242 W. 38th St., nr. Seventh Ave., ninth fl. (212-629-7993); Wed.–Fri. (10–6).

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:00 pm

Ex-NBC Reporter Sues CBS over Compromising Video - TheCelebrityCafe.com

Enews 2.0

Ex-NBC Reporter Sues CBS over Compromising Video
TheCelebrityCafe.com - 1 hour ago
Amy Jacobson, an NBC reporter who was fired for a video in which she is wearing a bikini at the home of a source, has brought forth a multimillion-dollar suit against the CBS station that originally aired it.
Jacobson sues CBS over her NBC firing Chicago Daily Herald
Jacobson sues Channel 2 Chicago Tribune
The Associated Press - ABA Journal - Southtown Star - Chicago Sun-Times
all 93 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 1:59 pm

Brinkley and Cook return to court - Newsday

Washington Post

Brinkley and Cook return to court
Newsday - 1 hour ago
BY MARC BEJA | marc.beja@newsday.com Former supermodel Christie Brinkley arrived outside the courthouse in Central Islip Tuesday morning and reminded members of the media gathered for her sensational, scandalous divorce trial that the case was about ...
Christie Brinkley's Supermom perfection falls flat for Mr. Second ... New York Daily News
Brinkley's divorce turns an idyll into a spectacle Los Angeles Times
People Magazine - eFluxMedia - ChattahBox - Danbury News Times
all 497 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 1:57 pm

'You're the fattest ballerina'

A chance remark. An offhand cruelty. A well-intended suggestion that went wrong. If you think what parents say about their children's appearances doesn't leave a mark, think again. Four attractive, engaging, intelligent, vibrant women remember the worst (and the best) of it.

(Reuters)

Reuters - DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc plans to use chips from Intel Corp for the creation of 3-D movies, the (AP)

AP - Jon Bon Jovi is giving some people who are living on a prayer something a bit more substantial.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:56 pm

Queen of Romance: Madonna's Many Loves

Madonna and her romances have the media buzzing and people talking.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:54 pm

Male stripping, kissing stunt from 'Borat'?

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:51 pm

Chance of rain returning to Oklahoma - KRIS-TV

Washington Post

Chance of rain returning to Oklahoma
KRIS-TV - 2 hours ago
After a stretch of mostly dry weather, most of Oklahoma likely will receive rain this week. The National Weather Service said Tuesday will be partly cloudy, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in northern Oklahoma.
Another hot day in the forecast The Desert Sun
Cold front will oust heat; storm drops inch and half of rain The Capital Times
Peoria Journal Star - Mansfield News Journal - St. George Daily Spectrum - Evansville Courier & Press (subscription)
all 207 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:43 pm

Pop Tarts: Katharine McPhee Opens Up About Weight Issues

It is hard to imagine that Katharine McPhee was ever an outcast, but it turns out that the stunning American Idol runner-up (who admittedly battled from eating disorders growing up) had to overcome a few social issues to become the woman she is today.
Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:39 pm

In the season finale, DeAnna chooses the freewheeling snowboarder ... - Entertainment Weekly

Newsday

In the season finale, DeAnna chooses the freewheeling snowboarder ...
Entertainment Weekly - 2 hours ago
By Erin E. Stevenson First, let me ask: Did Jeremy just get to hang out in the Bahamas the whole time DeAnna and the Js were in Georgia meeting her family?
'Bachelorette' Picks Breckenridge Snowboarder TheDenverChannel.com
Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas Gets Engaged To Jesse Cisncsak ChattahBox
NewsNet5.com - E! Online - Film.com - People Magazine
all 59 news articles

Source: Google News - Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:19 pm

Kids TV star Josh Peck takes on darker adult role (AP)

AP - When it came time to complete the transition from kid star to grown-up actor, Hilary Duff put a scorpion down her pants and grabbed a microphone to sing the double entendre-laden "I Want to Blow You Up" in this year's film "War, Inc."

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:13 pm

What's Coming to Network TV: Who Knows?

So far, old shows and iffy pilots dominate network TV's slim fall schedules.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:02 pm

'Survivor' producer sued by ex-partner for $70M (Reuters)

Reuters - He is a rock star, an exhibitionist and a vengeful god. He is Dionysus as played by stage and film star Alan Cumming in a vibrant production of Euripides' "The Bacchae," courtesy of the National Theatre of Scotland.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 8 Jul 2008 | 6:46 am

Kenny Chesney's songs sound the same after a while (Reuters)

Reuters - Only one guy has mounted a full tour of outdoor stadiums during this economically shaky summer, and that lone figure, Kenny Chesney, brought his show to about 45,000 fans at Nashville's NFL stadium Saturday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 8 Jul 2008 | 6:24 am

Matthew McConaughey: It's a Boy!

Matthew McConaughey is a proud new pop. (Although someone should probably tell him that all new babies arrive sans shirt.) The ab-fab actor and his girlfriend, Brazilian model Camila...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 6:20 am

U.S. actor Jack Black jokes with a Panda mascot

U.S. actor Jack Black jokes with a panda mascot in London, while attending the British Premiere of his latest film, Kung Fu Panda, on June 26. The Hollywood blockbuster has broken box office records for...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jul 2008 | 6:17 am

The Bachelorette's DeAnna "Very Happy, in Love and Engaged" to...

Find out which one of these handsome fellas wants to make an honest woman out of former Bachelor castoff DeAnna Pappas... Oh, wait, they both did. Find out which one she said yes to...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 5:10 am

Wife of Yankees Alex Rodriguez files for divorce (AP)

AP - MIAMI (AP) A tumultuous week for Alex Rodriguez, played out in tabloid headlines and carried on the whispers of a connection to Madonna, came to a head Monday when his wife filed for divorce.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Jul 2008 | 4:24 am

Ashley Dupré: Girl Gone Hollywood?

A little questionable P.R. doesn't seem to have scared Ashley Dupré away from the spotlight. E! News has learned exclusively that the former high-priced prostitute at the center...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 4:15 am

Pablo Neruda, in 1971

Writer, poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda, then Chilean ambassador in France, answers journalists' questions at the embassy in Paris after being awarded the 1971 Nobel Literature Prize. 14 Neruda's poems...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jul 2008 | 2:28 am

Kidman Has a Girl, Sunday, on Monday

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have baby girl, Sunday Rose, in Nashville.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 8 Jul 2008 | 1:28 am

Jamie-Lynn Sigler Talks About Entourage Role

The best show on television about movies is Entourage, of course, and—as Watch With Kristin reported earlier—my good friend Jamie-Lynn Sigler signed on for a three-episode arc. So I...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 1:12 am

Jonah Hill Continues to Be Superbad

Think Spicy Black Bean Chips and Two-Buck Chuck wine are the only great finds at Trader Joe's grocery store? Perhaps not. Funnyguy Jonah Hill gets some McLovin in the parking lot at...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 1:00 am

James McAvoy: Try Hard With a Vengeance

"I think inside all actors there's a kid who secretly yearns to jump off buildings and say 'Yippeekayay, motherf--ker!' " —James McAvoy, explaining to Details...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:30 am

Nickelback Inks Multi-Rights Deal With Live Nation

As expected, Live Nation has entered into a long-term global partnership with Nickelback, following closely on the heels of a multi-rights deal notched with Shakira.
Source: Billboard News - Daily | 8 Jul 2008 | 12:00 am

Brinkley Told Kids, 'Daddy Doesn't Love Me'

At divorce trail, Christie Brinkley recalled "nightmare" of crumbling marriage.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:45 pm

A-Rod's Mystery Doc & Madonna's Missing Prenup

With all this gossip about Madonna's marriage and A-Rod's divorce, I need a translator. What the heck is this antenuptial agreement A-Rod has? And does Madonna have one? Does she even have...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:39 pm

Cirque du Soleil-style extravaganza hits Broadway (Reuters)

Reuters - Cirque du Soleil has no right to complain about the similarly titled "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," which has landed at the Broadway Theatre for a summer engagement through August 24 after touring the country.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:36 pm

An ‘ANTM’ Winner Scores a Gig!

Smile, Dani!Photo: Courtesy Saks Fifth Avenue

Today we got an e-mail from Saks Fifth Avenue alerting us that the new collection of Tory Burch is available for purchase. We'll admit we weren't immediately bowled over — we can't bear to see another version of those gold-toe flats (we kid, she did win the CFDA award for those accessories after all). But it turns out Tory does in fact have something new up her sleeve. And it comes in the form of 22-year-old Danielle "Dani" Evans, winner of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 6. Remember her? From way back when in 2005? Of course you do! She's the one they totally redid from top to bottom — new teeth, new accent, new personality. Well, now she resurfaces for the first time in a while. But to be honest, Dani looks a tad uncomfortable. And then it hit us — she didn't use one of Tyra's patented smiles! Hello, this totally called for a catalog smile. It would have gone perfectly with that cardigan! In any case, congrats on the gig, Dani. —Sharon Clott

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:30 pm

Drew Barrymore Loses the Long Face

Maybe Drew Barrymore prefers PCs after all. The 50 First Dates star and her frequent PDA partner Justin Long have parted ways after nearly a year of dating, Barrymore's rep confirms...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:25 pm

Brinkley: Breakup was a 'nightmare'

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:07 pm

Chinese Designer Qui Hao Wins the Woolmark Prize

Qui Hao at the Singapore Fashion Festival on March 30, 2008.Photo: Tim Chong/Reuters

On Thursday, Chinese designer Qui Hao beat out nine other finalists to win the anticipated Woolmark Prize. Though our hopes rested on American Tom Scott, Hao translated some pretty innovative ideas into knitwear, including "a white tube dress encircled with knitted orbs of Merino wool, inspired by a series of cave photos by Wang Gang," WWD reported. With his prizes (100,000 euros, and his designs will be stocked at Colette) Hao plans to relocate from Shanghai to Paris. And he's planning a line of masks that will appear in Chinese Vogue's December issue. Lets hope the City of Light continues to be a good-luck charm for the rising star. —Kendall Herbst

Fashion Scoops: Winning Woolmark Designer [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 11:00 pm

CityFile: A Who’s Who of New York, Right Down to Spitzer’s Daughter’s Prom Date

Not from prom night — this picture is from before the whole prostitution scandal. For the prom night pics, you'll have to head to CityFile. Some weak, shameful part of us still feels sorry for the Spitzer kids.Photo: Getty Images

Today the newly launched Website Cityfile.com brought itself to our attention with a spectacular set of photos. It seems that the site, which creator Remy Stern hopes will be a comprehensive who's who of prominent New Yorkers, has intercepted the prom photos of Elyssa Spitzer, the daughter of disgraced governor Eliot Spitzer. Perhaps this spring, as all of the hysterical hooker mess was unfolding, you took a moment to imagine what it would be like for young Elyssa's prom date, having to meet Eliot just before whisking his daughter off to a night full of balloons, bad food, and McClintock-mussing. Well, imagine no longer, because the perilously awkward moment is caught forever on film.

The Spitzer Prom! [CityFile]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:58 pm

You Too Can Smell Like Kim Kardashian!

Photo: WireImage

FRAGRANCE
• Kim Kardashian is the latest celebrity to jump on the fragrance bandwagon, aiming to release one in May 2009. No word on the notes she's picking, but, more importantly, we want to know when the celeb-scent trend will end. Soon please? [People/Off The Rack]

• Deep breath — the four Estée Lauder Sensuous fragrance ladies are going to be at Bloomingdale's tomorrow! Exclamation points! Elizabeth Hurley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carolyn Murphy, and Hilary Rhoda are stopping by Bloomie's at 59th Street to sign newly purchased bottles from 6 to 9. [Jet Set Girls]

MAKEUP
• Coca Rocha's makeup essentials include Yves Saint Laurent mascara and the YSL Touche Brilliance Gloss. [Bella Sugar]

• Bebe (you know, the ones with the rhinestone-encrusted tanks), will release a makeup line and fragrance next year. The soft launch starts this November with the release of three lip-gloss tubes. [WWD]

SKIN
• Le Vin is a new luxury beauty brand that combines organic ingredients with wine. The main ingredient comes from a vitamin in Chardonnay grapeseed extract called Vita-vino Actif. See, wine is good for you in every which way (though we still prefer to just drink it). [British Vogue]

HAIR
• Tweezerman's new tweezers have animal prints on them of crocodiles, giraffes, and zebras. But, they're $25, which is a bit too much to pay to rip your own hair out. For that much, get a wax. [Outblush]

• Frederic Fekkai just launched Salon Color, a hair-color treatment for about $30 that comes in 20 shades. [Stylebell]

PLASTIC SURGERY
• The latest rumor in the mill — Corey Feldman may have gotten some liposuction. Wow, TMI? [Styledash]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

Julie Hagerty Touches Down on Broadway, and Other Culture Highlights From This Week's ‘New York’

Photo: Chris Buck

In this week's issue of New York, Adam Sternbergh checks in with Airplane! star Julie Hagerty, currently appearing in Broadway's The Marriage of Bette and Boo. John Leonard sings the praises of Generation Kill, the new HBO miniseries from The Wire's Ed Burns. Hugo Lindgren finds MGMT worthy of the hype. David Edelstein reviews Full Battle Rattle, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Journey to the Center of the Earth (in that order). Need help with your Netflix queue? Logan Hill sorts through this month's new DVDs. Plus, Sam Anderson soberly assesses Iain Gately's new book Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

Serena & Common's Love Match in London?

Tennis may not have been the only thing on Serena Williams' mind at Wimbledon. Her maybe-boyfriend Common was in London in the days leading up to the match against her sister, Venus,...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:30 pm

The 'Car Talk' guys' new look

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:27 pm

Rush Limbaugh’s House, and Other Egomaniacal Estates

L-R: Palazzo Chupi (Brown Harris Stevens), Jeffrey Epstein's townhouse (Scott Wiseman/The New York Times/Redux) Kanye's compound (Newscom), and Damian Hirst's shark (Getty Images).

Like probably many of you, we were absolutely entranced by the description of Rush Limbaugh's home in the New York Times this past weekend. It reminded us of this great book we have called Dictator Style, which showcases the flamboyant interior-decorating styles of some of the world's biggest despots. Limbaugh is, it seems, a member of the Saddam Hussein school of interior design. Like Saddam, he likes things opulent and luxurious— crystal chandeliers, lush carpets—and favors an oversized heirloom look— the chandelier in the dining room is a replica one from the Plaza, his library is "a scaled-down version of the library at the Biltmore Estate"—it's like Old Money Disneyland-style. Also like Saddam, Limbaugh likes to gild the lily:

The gleaming cherry-wood floors are dotted with hand-woven oriental carpets….Cherubs dance on the ceiling, leatherbound collections line the bookshelves and the wood-paneled walls were once “an acre of mahogany"... His staff lights fragrant candles throughout the house to greet his arrival from work each day.

Like many others whose fervent hate of and disregard for others is matched by a deep and true love for themselves, Limbaugh also keeps "a life-size oil portrait of El Rushbo, as he often calls himself" in a prominent position on his main staircase.

Limbaugh's scarily swank digs reminded us of a few other giant places occupied by giant personalities that we've recently come to know, and, in some cases, to love. After the jump, check out our mini-gallery of Egomaniacal Estates!

1. Kanye West, musician

Location: Los Angeles
The layout: A 4,200-square-foot, three-level house described as "a cross between a museum and a Louis Vuitton boutique," according to Interior Design, with French-walnut flooring, and many brand-name accessories, such as Ingo Maurer lamps and an Antonio Citterio bed (draped with red-fox and chinchilla throws). Neverlandish touches include Campbell's Soup cans by Andy Warhol, a Bob's Big Boy diner mascot by Burton Morris, stuffed animals by Fernando and Humberto Campana, paintings by Murakami and a 250-gallon aquarium filled with black moor and chocolate oranda goldfish.
Dictatorial flourish: It was widely reported that the angel in the Michelangeloesque ceiling portrait is West himself, though on his blog today he disputes it.

2. Jeffery Epstein, money manager, charter member of Bill Clinton Perv Posse, prisoner of his own desires.

Location: Upper East Side, though he also maintains residences in Palm Beach, New Mexico, the Virgin Islands (heh) and currently, Palm Beach County Correctional Facility.
The layout: Epstein's 45,000-square-foot, eight-story mansion on East 71st Street underwent $10 million in renovations five years ago. Notable features he added include closed-circuit T.V.'s and a heated sidewalk in front of the house for melting snow.
Dictatorial flourish: A lawsuit filed against him by probable tranny Maximillia Cordero last October claimed, "defendant gave plaintiff a tour of his mansion, showing her a huge crystal staircase with a huge crystal ball by the railing, ceiling chandeliers, a lounge room with red chairs, a statute [sic] of a dog with a statute [sic] of dog feces next to it.” Emphasis ours.

3. Steven A. Cohen, chairman, SAC Capital

Location: Greenwich, Connecticut
The layout: A Georgian "colossus" that contains its own beauty salon, theater, ice rink tended by its own Zamboni, and art gallery, which contains pieces by DeKooning, Manet, Degas, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Pollack, to name but a few.
Dictatorial flourish: A glass tank containing a tiger shark injected with formaldehyde, a work by the artist Damien Hirst.

4. Julian Schnabel, painter, filmmaker, lover.

Location: West Village
The layout: The 50,000-square-foot, "Pompeii Red" condo tower, named Palazzo Chupi, has 180 windows, balconies with cast-stone or bronze railings, multiple terraces. Kitchens, bathrooms, and the pool are lined with handmade tiles from Morocco, California, and North Carolina. Walls are lined floor-to-ceiling with Schnabel canvases.
Dictatorial flourish: While there is no actual portrait of Schnabel inside the Palazzo Chupi, there need hardly be. Consider the details, the chubby pink exterior and the fact that Ingrid Sischy called the house a Gesamtkunstwerk, a "total artwork" and "a sort of architectural autobiography" and you'll realize: Schnabel lives inside himself.

Late Period Limbaugh [NYT]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:15 pm

Astrology Partly to Blame for Bloc Party's Lyrics

Photo: Getty Images

1. Bloc Party, "Mercury"
"My Mercury's in retrograde," sings Kele Okereke on BP's excellent first single from their upcoming third album. Apparently it's about an astrological condition that signifies "difficulties in communication," which may explain why none of other lyrics make any sense either. [Stereogum]

2. Max Vernon, "I Kissed a Girl" (Katy Perry Cover)
Max Vernon keeps the original gender pronouns on this doo-wop cover of Katy Perry's jam of the summer. We wonder if he's going to teach your girlfriend how to dance with you while he's at it. [The Music Slut]

3. RAC feat. Karl Kling, "Take on Me" (a-ha Cover)
This awesome cover is about as close as you'll get to hearing the Postal Service do a-ha's singular classic. [Hits in the Car]

4. Sally Shapiro, "Find My Ghost (Dntel Remix)"
Meanwhile, here's a wonderfully cold and lonely track from the recently released second volume of Sally Shapiro remixes, served up by Dntel, the beats-and-glitches half of Postal Service. [ Pasta Primavera]

5. The Kooks, "Violet Hill (Coldplay Cover)"
Doing their part to combat CSD (Coldplay Shame Disorder), the Kooks do a cover of Coldplay's recent hit that even a hater could love. [ Deaf Indie Elephants]

—Ehren Gresehover

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:00 pm

Sightings: Hilton, Seacrest and Scary Spice

HIGH ROLLERS: Paris Hilton and Benji Madden, partying at the new Wasted Space rock lounge in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with Nicole Richie and Joel Madden after the night's...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:00 pm

A Hazy Glimpse of the New Rick Owens Boutique

Katya (NY Models) models an ensemble from Rick Owens’s fall collection in front of the Hudson Street boutique’s wall of fog.Photo: Courtesy of OWENSCORP

We’ve been monitoring the slow progress of the new Rick Owens store at 250 Hudson Street, not least of which because it gives us a new lunchtime activity. (Welcome to SHNOT Rick!). Since the store isn't set to open until July 14, we have to make do with walk-bys. Thankfully, a kindly spokesperson took pity on us and sent over some photos of the store's much-hyped fog installation.

The boutique will feature the fall 2008 men's and women's collections, as well as Owens’s furniture, Drkshdw, RickOwensLillies and the spring/summer Palais Royal collections. —Lauren Murrow

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:45 pm

David Markson Slums It: ‘The Ballad of Dingus Magee’

Long before David Markson became critics’ favorite underrated writer of experimental fiction, he was a pulp novelist. This newly reissued 1966 Western is an outrageously ribald take on the genre (marred, unfortunately, by a subpar Frank Sinatra film that was later made of it). A sample sentence: “‘Nice to have you back, you double-dealing, women-and-children-terrifying dishonorable skunk,’ Hoke said, setting aside the pen.” Trust us: there’s a lot more where that came from.

The Ballad of Dingus Magee

David Markson
Counterpoint
Out now
$13.95

Buy

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:45 pm

Will Smith

Actor Will Smith arrives to the Premiere of Sony Pictures' 'Hancock" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in June 2008 in Hollywood, California. Smith was crowned king of the July 4 box-office once again this...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:39 pm

RZA Runs Out of Dialogue to Sample; Will Direct His Own Kung-Fu Movie

Photo: Getty Images

RZA Wants to Direct: Eli Roth will produce a kung-fu movie, The Man With the Iron Fist, written and directed by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. RZA's "been studying directing with Tarantino for years," says Roth, so expect lots of loving close-ups of feet. [CHUD]

Bruno Spoofs Actual Mossad Agent: Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie has wended its way to the West Bank, where leather-clad gay caricature Bruno ensnared a former Mossad agent and a Palestinian into a foolish debate on how "hummus" was not the same as "Hamas." We're sure Bruno's homophones will be hilarious to homophobes. [Daily Mail via Defamer]

The Lost Book Club: ABC's Website offers a complete guide to all the books featured on three seasons of Lost. Expect sales of An ECG Workout: Exercises in Arrhythmia Interpretation to achieve a spike in sales as a result. [ABC.com]

Lost Copy of Metropolis Found: Discovered in Argentina, the print contains many of the minutes cut from Fritz Lang's masterpiece for American release and assumed lost forever. It will be released on DVD as MetropoliXXX: Expressionist Weimar Cinema, Uncut and Unrated!! [GreenCine Daily]

Being Stanley Kubrick: This Channel 4 (UK) video celebrating their month-long Stanley Kubrick festival is almost as creepy as the movie it recreates, The Shining. We do wish we'd seen the guy responsible for the hallway blood flood, though. Did he have a hose or what? [Guardian]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:30 pm

Sheldon Silver Rival Wants You to See Red Over Blue Building

Photo: Curbed

To the left you'll see an invitation to a brunch (intercepted by Curbed) in honor of Paul Newell, the upstart Democrat trying to unseat Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in this fall's primary. Part of Newell's campaign strategy is to win over the post-ethnic young population that sloshes all over the neighborhood these days. He figures that the bloggers who have come out for Obama (one of his idols) will find his message of change appealing. But in this invitation, he's chosen to take aim at one of the most elegant icons of the neighborhood's gentrification: the Blue Building, a luxury condo complex that leans over the intersection of Norfolk and Delancey. Newell invites you to spend $75 to "beat Sheldon Silver, who takes money from taxpayers & gives it to b/millionaire developers to build $2 million–per-unit condos like this one." There's an asterisk (isn't there always) which later explains:

The builders of this beauty received at least a 15 year tax abatement on property taxes and gave over $200,000 to lobbyists between 2006 and 2008. That's right, you subsidized this.

Mmm. We'd rather go to a brunch dedicated to neutering every person who drives in to wait in line at Libation each weeknight. Can you see about that, Paul? That would be change we could believe in.

Tangled Up in the Politics of BLUE [Curbed]
Related: The Men Who Would Be Shelly [NYM]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:16 pm

'Well Enough Alone' details a life of hypochondria (AP)

AP - "Well Enough Alone: A Cultural History of My Hypochondria" (Riverhead Books. 256 pages. $23.95), by Jennifer Traig: In our current age of anxiety, medical-themed TV shows and WebMD, most of us at one time or another have inflated a pimple into cancer or a stomachache into appendicitis.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:10 pm

Lame: Ghostbusters Video Game to Be Moranis-Less

Photo: Sierra, Getty Images

Last November, in a post titled "We Can't Wait to Play the Ghostbusters Video Game!", we proudly declared our enthusiasm for the upcoming Ghostbusters video game, due in October. The multi-platform title will be a sequel of sorts to 1989's seminal ghost-busting comedy Ghostbusters 2 and will feature the voice-acting talents of every actor, both principal and non, in that film and its slightly superior 1984 predecessor, according to a sneak preview at Das Gamer. Every actor, that is... except for Rick Moranis.

"He made so much money off of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids that he retired," says Sierra Entertainment's Dan Borth, shattering both our hopes and dreams. "He just doesn’t want to work anymore." Amazingly, Annie Potts, Brian Doyle-Murray, and even notorious crank Bill Murray will reprise the roles that made them famous — but apparently no amount of money could lure Moranis back to his greatest-ever part as Louis Tully, the Ghostbusters' hapless accountant/lawyer. Honestly, we're not really sure how much we can possibly look forward to a Moranis-less Ghostbusters game, and, even though we didn't think it possible, we now feel even worse about going to see Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

An Inside Look At The Making Of Ghostbusters [Das Gamer]

Earlier: We Can't Wait to Play the Ghostbusters Video Game!

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:00 pm

Faking Out Consignment Shops

The faux Calvin Klein dress.Photo: Jezebel.com

We've always thought consignment shops were hit-or-miss, with their racks of designer rejects nestled in with vintage finds. But that's the joy of secondhand shopping — the thrill of the hunt! Alas, our happy-go-lucky thrifting world got flipped upside down today, as a few Jezebel hustlers proved that what you see might not be what you get.

One of their writers took on the thrifting beast to see if professional buyers can get faked out with cheap crap — and low and behold, they did. After taking disposable clothing from H&M and Target and sewing in labels from Calvin Klein, Gucci, Donna Karan, and Pamela Barish, the writer then took the faux-designer clothes to Tokio 7, Cadillac's Castle, and Beacon's Closet to pass it off as the real thing.

Two stores, Tokio 7 and Beacon's Closet, actually took the bait. Two! But, it's a tricky situation: All of the items were very plain and simple — kind of like cheaper versions of the designer's clothes. So someone could be fooled, plus it's H&M's thing to jump on trends and look like something more high-market than it really is. But nevertheless, this is like trying to pass off a cubic zirconium for a diamond. And, like diamonds, some people buy into the hype of the sale. However, Cadillac's Castle came to the rescue and said no way. The sassy salesclerk smacked down the wannabes and peeled off the hand-sewn tags. So, lesson learned? Buyer beware — and we're definitely shopping at Cadillac's Castle from now on. —Sharon Clott

Label Whores: Selling Fake Fashion? Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad [Jezebel]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:00 pm

‘Ugly Betty’ Watch Begins!

Brooklyn Heights: Boy, they sure lived up to those plans to give over Montague Street to pedestrians on Sunday. Not! Oh, okay, it was its first week. Maybe it'll improve. [Curbed]

Chelsea: Old-time fabric stores in the city are dropping like flies, but not scrappy True-Mart Fabrics on 25th Street and Seventh, looking the same as when it opened in 1975. [Blog Chelsea]

Dumbo: Ugly Betty will be filming here tomorrow. Yippee! [DumboNYC]

Greenpoint:Not a month after it was bolted to a street sign, a flat wooden statue of a girl, created as a birthday tribute by her artist boyfriend, and instantly enjoying much love in the hood, was chopped in half. [Gothamist]

Greenwich Village: Fashion designer Betsey Johnson put her bright-pink downtown penthouse on the market last fall for $3.6 mil, but no one bit, so she just sold it for about $2.5 mil. She's moving to the UES to live with her daughter and grandchildren. Awww. [NY Mag]

Red Hook: Wow, Columbia Street has gone from being a total effing mess only last summer to, well, a paved, proper-looking street! And that greenway's coming along too, though now it's more of an, uh, gravelway. [Brownstoner]

Williamsburg: Just in case you didn't know, it is the burg's old Italians and Puerto Ricans who run the Giglio Feast here every July, not the hipsters, even though they do make up more and more of the crowd every year. [Gowanus Lounge]

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 7 Jul 2008 | 8:30 pm

A Weeping Frank Rich Declares: ‘Wall-E For President’

Photo-illustration: Everett Bogue; Photos: Patrick McMullan, iStockphoto, Courtesy of Pixar

This weekend's showpiece on the Sunday Times "Op-Ed" page was Frank Rich's epic dispatch from the weekday megaplex, "Wall-E For President," an ode to the future Best Picture nominee and a condemnation of the two candidates for president currently duking it out on cable news. Though the headline ups the ante on our Wall-E Oscar campaign considerably, Rich is not literally suggesting that the little trash-collecting robot launch a third-party candidacy, just bemoaning the fact that, as he puts it, "a cartoon robot evokes America’s patriotic ideals with more conviction than either of the men who would be president." Rich, in fact, obviously wept through the entire running time of Wall-E, and we're pleased he liked it so much — it can only help Wall-E's Oscar chances, though Andrew Stanton is probably gritting his teeth to hear his movie, the environmental message of which he's so carefully downplayed, described as "a gentle, if unmistakable, summons to remake the world before time runs out."

But why couldn't Wall-E run for president? He's certainly got a great Q-rating, with $128 million in tickets sold already. He is diligent, honest, and hard-working. And he stays admirably on-message ("Eve"). Sure, he won't even be manufactured for another 200 years or so, but who cares? "Wall-E: The Candidate of the Future!" We're already excited about reading Jeffrey Wells's diatribe: "Animated characters, stay on your side of the fiction/nonfiction fence."

Wall-E for President [NYT]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 8:30 pm

Two Bucks Gets You a Coach Bag at the Jersey Shore

Feeling lucky?Photo: Amina Akhtar

This past weekend some of your dedicated Cut staff went to the beach, but not the fancy ol' Hamptons part. No, we went budget and hit the Jersey shore (sometimes we gotta keep it real). So there we were, drinking piña coladas on the Point Pleasant boardwalk, and we couldn't help but marvel at the ubiquity of Coach bags slung over the rather muscular and tattooed arms of the ladies. And then, what do you know, we came across this ingenious machine. Sure, we've all tried to get stuffed animals out with that claw, but Coach bags?

As our eye-hand coordination is a bit off, especially after our third colada, we didn't give it a go — so we can't vouch for the authenticity of the bags. But something tells us you may as well hit Canal Street. —Amina Akhtar

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 8:15 pm

Author traces how Kama Sutra became worldwide epic (AP)

AP - "The Book of Love: The Story of the Kama Sutra" (Henry Holt and Co. 272 pages. $27.50), by James McConnachie: There's something almost magical about the words "Kama Sutra." They conjure up images of hidden passion, of mystical eroticism, of countless lovemaking positions that are impossibly acrobatic.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 8:12 pm

Artist BLU Makes Animated Vandalism

Italian artist BLU brings the streets of Buenos Aires to the small screen. In this seven-minute video, multi-legged men and newborn babies give birth, Russian-doll style, to wormy, leggy creatures, houses, diamonds, and, in one inexplicable case, a folder of nonsensical office papers. Michel Gondry would do well to take notice. —Emma Pearse

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 8:00 pm

Alan Cumming Appreciation: A Brief Interlude

Well, hello again.Photo: WireImage

"From the moment that Alan Cumming was lowered down on to the stage, upside down, his skirt falling about him, and his exposed buttocks shining in the lights, you knew this was going to be no ordinary theatrical experience."

—From a review of the Scottish production Bacchae, starring Alan Cumming as Dionysus, at the Rose Theater. Oh, Alan. It's so good to have you back.

Cumming of Age [Highland News]
Related: Intel's Coverage of Alan Cumming

Bum descendant.Photo: Getty Images

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 7 Jul 2008 | 7:45 pm

Inside Italian ‘Vogue’: New Jourdan Dunn Pic

Photo: Courtesy of Women Model Management

More images from Italian Vogue are spilling in, and they keep getting better and better. Here’s one of Jourdan Dunn, styled by Pat McGrath. McGrath created Dunn’s subtle glow, Guido (one name only) gave her a gorgeous windblown look, and Lori Goldstein styled the menswear-inspired ensemble, including pieces from Alexander Wang, Kiki de Montparnasse, and Ann Demeulemeester. Can someone please get us a copy already? This piecemeal thing is just torturous! —Kendall Herbst

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 7 Jul 2008 | 7:30 pm

Colangelo Wins Who Is On Next Award (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - Next time somebody tells you there is a dearth of young design ideas in Italian fashion, tell them to head to Rome for the Franca Sozzani driven talent showcase Who Is On Next, which this weekend unearthed some quirky and cool new designers whose names won't be unknown for much more.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 7 Jul 2008 | 7:27 pm

Billboard CD reviews: Beck, G-Unit (Reuters)

Reuters - Because his records so rarely sound like anyone's but his own, it's easy to forget how much Beck thrives on collaborating with name-brand producers like Nigel Godrich and the Dust Brothers.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 6:00 pm

Kidman, Urban parents of new baby

Nicole Kidman gave birth Monday to a baby girl named Sunday.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 5:34 pm

C-Rod Divorce to Challenge Prenup

Former trainer says A-Rod's interest in kabala drew him away from his family.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 5:29 pm

Music Review: Jean Grae shows some promise (AP)

AP - Jean Grae, "Jeanius" (Blacksmith Records/ Warner Bros.)

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:55 pm

Adolf Hoitler wax figure at the Berlin Madame Tussauds museum

The new Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin said Monday a wax figure of Adolf Hitler, seen here on July 03, 2008, would go back on display once it has been repaired after a visitor ripped off its head on...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:45 pm

A view of the display area where a wax likeness of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler sat in Berlin's Madame Tussaud's

A view of the display area where a wax likeness of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler sat in Berlin's Madame Tussaud's wax museum before it was removed after the wax figure was decapitated by a visitor. The museum...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:45 pm

Music Review: Nelson teams with Marsalis on CD (AP)

AP - Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note)

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:35 pm

Music Review: Beck returns with sullen words on CD (AP)

AP - Beck, "Modern Guilt" (Geffen)

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:33 pm

In Nice, French Care Less About Brangelina

Residents and tourists seem unfazed by Angelina's stay at seaside hospital.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:05 pm

Wino Sings, Sways With Wine in Hand

Amy Winehouse clutched a glass of red wine and seemed shaky performing in Spain.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:02 pm

Canadian poet Leonard Cohen

Canadian poet Leonard Cohen performs at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton in Glastonbury last month. Cohen will be the star turn in a long-awaited gig at the Montreux Jazz Festival which...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Jul 2008 | 2:26 pm

Spoiler! That 'Hancock' twist -- and others

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 7 Jul 2008 | 1:45 pm

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