Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 28 Aug 2008 | 12:23 am

Forget Tori! Luke Perry Is 90210's Most Wanted

If Luke Perry does decide to reprise his role as Dylan McKay on the new 90210, the 42-year-old former television heartthrob is likely to get lots of attention. And not just from regular...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 28 Aug 2008 | 12:23 am

Many sex assault charges dropped against designer

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:19 pm

George Clooney up for 'Air'

Front Page: Actor in talks to star in Reitman adaptation -- George Clooney is in talks to star in "Up in the Air," an adaptation of the Walter Kirn novel that Jason Reitman adapted and will direct for DreamWorks.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:17 pm

Full-season order for NBC's 'Chuck'

Front Page: Network picks up back nine episodes -- NBC is giving an early vote of confidence to "Chuck," picking up the back nine episodes of the sophomore skein.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:15 pm

Thom and Jonny Cover Neil

1. Radiohead, "Tell Me Why" (Neil Young Cover)
Thom Yorke covers fellow citizen of the British Commonwealth (and falsetto singer) Neil Young at the Hollywood Bowl. [Gorilla Vs. Bear]

2. Alpinekat, "The Large Hadron Rap"
For reasons unknown, Alpinekat (a.k.a. science writer Katherine McAlpine) raps about the world's largest particle accelerator, currently under construction in Switzerland. [Fong Songs]

3. Beck feat. Jay Reatard, "Gamma Ray (Pocket Mix)"
Pocket mashes up Beck's original (off his new full-length) with a cover version by his rock-moppet successor, Jay Reatard. With pleasant results. [Stereogum]

4. T.I. feat. Rihanna, "Livin' My Life"
On this new track, T.I. advises us to ignore haters "until they fade away." Unfortunately, the summer is fading away too quickly for what would otherwise be a promising candidate for song of the summer. [Pretty Much Amazing]

5. French Horn Rebellion, "Up All Night"
Perhaps angered by Allan Kozinn's attack in the Times, the French Horns have apparently decided to fight back, though this sunny electro-pop song doesn't seem very dangerous. [Hot Biscuits]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:15 pm

DNC picks up ratings steam

Front Page: NBC prevails with convention coverage -- The Democratic National Convention picked up some ratings steam Tuesday night thanks to a highly anticipated speech by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:11 pm

Hillary Still Winking at Her Supporters

Even after her unity speech, Hillary Clinton continues to subtly stroke her constituency. Glowing in her lime-green pantsuit as she spoke in a conference room today at the Colorado Convention Center, Clinton looked at the huge crowd in attendance and said, "If I'd known I had this many delegates…" The audience whooped knowingly at her suggestion that she perhaps should have kept fighting for the nomination after all. Clinton smiled coyly.

The issue at hand was the decision to hold a roll call tonight. Clinton said, "I believe we will leave Denver united," but acknowledged dissent, saying her 1,920 delegates deserve "the respect and recognition that you've earned." But when she made the case that her delegates should unify and vote for Obama, groups of women replied: "YOU!" When she told them that she was releasing them to Obama, she was met with a loud "NO!"

"I'm not going to tell you what to do," Clinton said, but "I signed my ballot for Obama." A woman delegate in her sixties from North Carolina predicted that 90 percent of Clinton's delegates would vote for her today, not Obama. "It's in my heart," said Joanne Schlaginhaufen.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:07 pm

Racially Diverse Runways During Fashion Week? Maybe!

Daniel Peddle is regarded as a top casting director in the fashion industry. He's cast runway shows for 3.1 phillip lim, Alexander Queen's McQ, C'N'C' Costume National, Thakoon, YSL Homme, and Catherine Malandrino, among others. Now he's currently busy casting for Fashion Week, which is just over a week away (!!!). What does he look for? He tells Models.com he likes girls with "amazing personalities — who are well read, articulate and fun." His favorites include Magdalena Frackowiak and newcomer Arlenis Sosa. He says two looks are predominating this season for runway models:

We really like the tomboy look — not necessarily masculine in their face but they have sort of hardness to them while maintaining their elegance.

Another thing this season is trying to discern from all the girls out there the ones that are ethnically ambiguous. Girls and boys that have faces that you can’t just put in a certain place or race or geography. I think it’s very helpful to see those types of faces in our conflicted world because you can see that we’re still evolving as humans and they are the results of people willing to go beyond the socially constructed notions around race … With the Internet and the way that everyone is so connected now it’s not something you can overlook anymore. I don’t think it’s possible to do a modern show and have it be all blondes. I understand that sometimes a designer has an aesthetic that dictates something like that and of course we’re going to work with them to achieve their goals but personally I don’t find that to be a very modern statement.

And good old androgyny lives on. But if this "ethnically ambiguous" look Peddle speaks of is so hot right now, could that mean there's more room for racial diversity on the runways? We hope the fashion industry surprises us this time around.

New Generation: Daniel Peddle [Of the Minute/Models.com]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:02 pm

‘Piss Christ’ Photographer Andres Serrano Craps Out Some New Art

Artist Andres Serrano famously provided a test case for the culture wars of the early nineties, when Jesse Helms led the battle to defund the National Endowment of the Arts. Serrano's Piss Christ enraged the North Carolina senator and many others, so much so that the beauty of the photo got lost in its blasphemy. Now Serrano has a new show opening next month at the Yvon Lambert Gallery, and he's moved his focus from No. 1 to, naturally, No. 2. The show, "Shit," includes 66 pictures of poop, generated by 66 different creatures — from jaguars to bulls to Serrano himself.

Serrano is at his talkative best in chatting up The Village Voice's Lynn Yaeger. He claims the idea came to him while watching the nude wrestling scene in Borat, and tells Yaeger, "As I started to make the work, I felt a close affinity with Goya and the work he did at the end of life — the underworld creatures. I too started to see figures and creatures in this work." Later, he explains how the work explores the ego of the artist:

"The show is also very basic — in a way, what I'm saying is that we all think we have the best shit. If you want to see some real shit, check out my shit!" he says, beaming. "I got the best shit in town."

The photos are, in fact, fascinating, as long as you don't look at them during lunch. Gorgeously lit, with gleaming backdrops of the same kinds of iridescent colors that permeated Piss Christ, Serrano's photos overcome their cheesy titles (Bullshit! Deep Shit!) and play with ideas of physical and cultural waste. (They also reference, of course, Merda d'artista, the can of artist's shit that Piero Manzoni sold for its equivalent weight in gold in 1960.) We'd be interested to see the show ourselves if we weren't so afraid of the hors d'oeuvre they'll serve at the opening. Shit on a shingle, sir?

Andres Serrano's 'Shit' Show [VV]
'Shit' Slideshow [VV]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:00 pm

Series of '39 Steps' Events Will Punctuate September (Playbill)

Playbill - Producers of Broadway's quick-change, fast-paced comedy The 39 Steps, at the Cort Theatre, announced a series of September events meant to enhance enjoyment of the show, inspired by director Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:57 pm

Guy Who Leaked ‘Chinese Democracy’ Arrested by Feds

As you'll probably recall, back in June, nine finished-sounding tracks from Guns N' Roses' fabled opus, Chinese Democracy, were leaked via some dude's blog. A takedown notice came fast, followed by an exciting visit from the FBI, leading some to believe that Democracy was actually a completed, existent thing. Now comes word that 27-year-old blogger Kevin Cogill of Culver City, California, has been arrested on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws and will likely face three years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, in addition to any civil penalties sought by Axl and whoever the heck else is in Guns N' Roses these days. Even so, they'd probably have to give this guy a life sentence before we'd believe that Chinese Democracy is actually finished.

Blogger arrested, accused of posting 9 unreleased Guns N' Roses songs [LAT via Idolator]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:30 pm

Heilemann: Why the Democrats Are Failing in Denver

Hillary Clinton's speech last night in Denver was obviously a performance with an extraordinarily high degree of difficulty, both in terms of the pressure on her to unify the party and of standing in front of a convention she believes should have been hers, vouching for her rival. In that context, her turn at the podium was incredibly impressive, its flat/rote moments easy to forgive, its high points high indeed.

When a number of her people gathered late last night at the Glover Park Group–Politico after-party, their mood was a mixture of relief and satisfaction — which was only marred when they read the story about the speech that Pat Healy posted on the New York Times' Website, which included the following line: "And her aides limited input on the speech from Obama advisers, while seeking advice from her former strategist, Mark Penn." According to a senior member of the speechwriting team, this was total bullshit, an obvious Penn leak. (Indeed, my source reports that Penn's sole contribution was a single e-mail, which the team decided to leave unopened.) The world may be in perpetual flux, but internecine warfare in Hillaryworld remains a comforting, entertaining constant.

The rest of last night was a pretty desultory spectacle. Sure, bolo-tied Montana governor Barry Schweitzer was terrific, the surprise star of the convention so far. But the rest of the speakers were only fair to middling, and keynoter Mark Warner was a disaster. (What were the Obamans thinking, choosing a keynoter who declares in advance that he will not deign to throttle the nominee's opponent?) And sure, Warner aside, there was anti-McCain red meat aplenty. But the attacks against the Arizonan were, to my ears, scattershot and less than devastating.

Like it or not, the media is measuring this convention against 2004, when the Democrats failed utterly (and intentionally!) to frame George W. Bush in effective negative terms, whereas the GOP did precisely the opposite to John Kerry. The salient question in Denver is not how loudly or harshly the Democrats assail McCain. The question is whether the party can define McCain in a way that the members of the press corps deem to be clear, compelling, and sufficiently persuasive that they adopt and apply the Democrats' preferred framing to McCain in the fall campaign. And so far the Democrats have not come close to accomplishing that objective.

Which is why tonight is so important. The two marquee speeches on the schedule, of course, are those by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. Put aside for a moment the psychodrama surrounding WJC's oration (which, I know, is akin to asking you to ignore a 50-pound heap of donkey shit steaming in the corner of your bedroom). This is a man who knows how to give a king hell of a negative speech; how to be cutting, funny, empirical, and brutal in perfect proportion.

Or at least he used to know — before his wife's battle against Obama drove him around the bend. If Clinton can rediscover his gift for the exquisitely calibrated partisan takedown tonight, he may end up, ironically, being Obama's most effective convention surrogate. And if Biden matches and lucidly focuses the firepower he unleashed on McCain the day Obama selected him as his running mate, the Democrats may just be able to get the anti-McCain aspect of this convention on track before it is too late.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:28 pm

Aaron Sorkin plans Facebook film

Front Page: Columbia project will trace evolution of site -- Aaron Sorkin has a Facebook page -- and a new screenwriting gig.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:23 pm

The ‘Times’ Helps Us Keep Up With the Riches

Summer can be a busy time. People are in and out of town, you're on vacation, and everybody is just trying to relax. So it's often hard to keep up with what your friends are doing (one weekend we thought our roommate was in Fire Island, and it turned out he was skiing. In Dubai.) But thanks to the New York Times, there's one family we all grew up with whose summer activities are no mystery: the Riches.

You can never quite forget about the Rich dynasty. Papa Frank's eloquent columns always take up slightly too much of your Sunday afternoons, and son Simon Rich occasionally surprises you when his contributions to The New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmers" column turn it into something that actually makes you laugh. Stepmama Alex Witchel's byline isn't as common at the Times as it once was, but once in a while she will do something like change your entire TV viewing habits with one magazine story.

Still, reading their work is different from knowing what they are actually doing, which is a boundary the Times has helped the Royal Richenbaums cross this summer.

Frank Rich took nearly a month's vacation, from the end of July until the middle of August. It would have been relaxing, except for while he was gone everybody started talking about how Obama was going to lose.

For son Simon, however, there was no rest for the weary. The summer is the only time cast members and writers (like him) of Saturday Night Live can really focus on side projects, so the young humorist took advantage of the past few months to work with Bill Hader to write an Internet series called The Line. The shorts co-star John Lutz, Joe Lo Truglio, and Jason Sudeikis, and are directed by Seth Meyers. Yeah. You went to Jones Beach one time, right? That must have been a thrill.

Oh, and Simon was also nominated for a Thurber Prize for humor writing.

Brother Nathaniel Rich spent some time exploring the city's public pools because he missed the cooling effects of his summer-camp swims in Maine. (He continued to go every summer for years until he was a counselor, FYI.) He even treated Times readers to this particularly precious tidbit, which occurred moments after he plunged into the kiddie pool in Tompkins Square Park: "When I finally boarded the cross-town M14, wearing just my bathing suit and flip-flops, a young boy screamed and told me to put on my shirt. I’m pretty sure he was jealous."

While he wasn't freelancing for his father and stepmom's paper, Nathaniel was working on some writing of his own. He's crafting something that he tentatively is calling FutureWorld, which is funny, because the movie that everyone in Simon's Internet series is waiting to see is called FutureSpace. Such Richian synergy!

Which brings us to today, when we learned that Alex Witchel recently spent an afternoon making burritos with Simon's best friend Josh from high school. When they were finished, Simon came over to help eat them. After a summer of knowing exactly what the Riches are up to, readers are now invited to sit down and have dinner with them through the page. How fitting! It's better than having to do it in person, because if you did that, you would instantly die of genetic shame.

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:20 pm

Video: The ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Institute of Technology and Glaminator 11.0

One of those weaves must have grown roots into Tyra Banks's brain because she has taken the next season of America's Next Top Model to a whole new level. Above you can watch a preview of the makeover segment of cycle eleven, which premieres in one week. They're on a Star Trek set, and the modelscontestants and Jay Manuel and Miss Jay are wearing spaceship costumes. Oh, excuse us — did we say Star Trek? We meant the Top Model Institute of Technology. Miss Jay says, "Here at the Top Model Institute of Technology we build better models." Manuel tells the girls they're going to stuff them each in the "Glaminator 11.0," enter their data and find out how to make them a better model. It's all kind of frightening. But rather than being bizarre in a "isn't Tyra so fun and wacky!" kind of way, it's scary — like in a "I can't believe someone thought about this enough to actually come up with it" kind of way. Oh, what does cycle twelve have in store?

ANTM 11.01 Sneak Peek: Semi-Final Make-overs [Top Model Gossip]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:18 pm

The Lonely Toilet-Cleaner Dreams of a Better Life in Raymond Briggs’s Comic ‘Gentleman Jim’

First released in 1980, Raymond Briggs's Gentleman Jim isn't just one of the first graphic novels ever published in English. It's also the gently funny and sad story of Jim and Hilda Bloggs, who dream of a better life, even though they never went to school or got the Levels. As Gentleman Jim's mind wanders to the lives he could lead, Raymond Briggs's ahead-of-its-time storytelling takes us along for the ride. Gentleman Jim is being republished this month in a handsome new edition by Drawn & Quarterly.

Gentleman Jim, by Raymond Briggs

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:15 pm

Dear Diary: Why Does the Game Disappoint Us So?

Once in a while, Vulture takes a peek at what your friends and neighbors think of a concert. Today, the Guy Who Was Disappointed That the Game Let Last Night's Irving Plaza Show Be Overrun by Guests. (Apologies to Daily Intel and the Sex Diaries.)

10:03 p.m.: Young Joc starts things off with “It’s Going Down.” Huh. Okay, sure, Young Joc. Irv Gotti looks happy, at least.
10:10 p.m.: The Game brings out Joe Budden. Pair squash beef we were not previously aware of.
10:17 p.m.: Old-school MC Dana Dane kicks a verse off “Dana Dane With Fame” that includes cringe-inducing bit of “Japanese” gibberish. The Game informs us, giddily, that Dana just sort of showed up, uninvited. Awesome.

10:25 p.m.: Raekwon and Ghostface pop up. Although Rae does “Bulletproof Wallets” with the Game, Ghost just kind of hangs out.
10:37 p.m.: Fat Joe, looking not super fat, actually, proves most people still don’t care about Fat Joe.
10:45 p.m.: Maino makes one of his two guest appearances of the evening; he was also at the Young Jeezy show at the Blender Theater. Was there a guest-MC shuttle bus running?
10:50 p.m.: The big gun, we suppose: Young Buck, another former G-Unit artilleryman turned sworn 50 Cent enemy. Buck gifts the Game with a dazzling watch. This kind of thing is a bit awkward in public, we learn.
11 p.m.: The Game at least has the night’s best line, in a non sequitur: “Usain Bolt can’t fuck with me … tell dude to come catch me in Compton while I’m running from the cops.”
11:15 p.m.: With multiple entourages threatening to spill over the lip of the stage, Jim Jones caps the cavalcade of stars. Points for his Louis Vuitton head-scarf ensemble, but dude doesn’t say “baaalin’” even once. Dipset crony Freeky Zekey is not famous enough, apparently, to get a microphone.

TOTALS: Two guest MCs we care about, one of whom who does a song; countless derogatory remarks made in the direction of 50 Cent; zero shouts of baaalin’; seven, maybe eight, actual songs performed by the Game.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 9:00 pm

Cesaria Evora to resume tour in September

Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora, seen here performing in 2007 and who turned 67 on Wednesday, will resume her international concert tour after being forced to take a three-month break for health reasons,...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:53 pm

Lush Employees Go Naked

Today at noon, employees at Lush Cosmetics citywide dropped trou and strutted, naked but for aprons, outside their places of employment. The stunt was cooked up by the British Columbia–based company in order to promote their "naked" bath products — they are made from organic fruit and vegetables and sold sans plastic bottles — and it certainly got them attention. Over by the Lush store in Herald Square, tourists and salarymen went wild at the unexpected midday display of flesh. "Take them off! Take them off!" the crowd shouted at two twentysomething guys in boxers, one of whom eventually complied. The publicity stunt, a spokesperson explained, was the company's idea, but employees chose whether to comply. While some clearly reveled in the attention (see above), as the crowd grew larger, others seemed to be feeling regretful about their choice. We asked store manager Jennifer Paulson, who kept herself firmly pressed against the store wall, why she had chosen to go naked. "Because we keep our products unpackaged so nothing goes to the landfill," she said like a good employee, then worried aloud: "Someone was videotaping so now I'm worried I'm going to be on YouTube!"

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:45 pm

A Top-Shelf Crime Novel From ‘Cold Case Files’ Writer

Top-shelf crime novels eventually find their way to the screen, but Michael Harvey’s work has evolved in the other direction. Creator of the acclaimed but regrettably forgotten TV series Cold Case Files, Harvey broke through big-time as a novelist with last summer’s neo-noir classic-to-be The Chicago Way. This year the writer — whose PI, Michael Kelly, is in many ways Chicago’s answer to Marlowe and Spade — brings back his hero in an intricate thriller based partly in the corrupt present and partly in the corrupt past, where he might finally find out what caused 1871’s Great Chicago Fire (it wasn’t a cow).

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:45 pm

Artist Caroline Burghardt Visits Hippie Heaven

As the season turns, we cling to the summer we have left in various ways, be it soaking up the washed-out hues of a retirement community pool or gawking at the celestial rendering of a greasy-haired Californian (we presume) eating cherries from a rusty pot. Caroline Burghardt's dirty-elbowed hippie is swathed in heavenly light: Is she Jesus's secret girlfriend? Joni Mitchell? See her at Luhring Augustine through Friday.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:30 pm

Denver Dispatch: Will.I.Am on McCain, Muse

In a frenzy of creativity after hearing Barack Obama's speech in New Hampshire, Will.I.Am made a YouTube video called "Yes We Can" with friends like Scarlett Johansson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; the clip went on to get over ten million hits, and turned Will.I.Am into a kind of spokesperson for the YouTube age. Yesterday he took part in a Huffington Post panel about new versus old media where he and Washington Post publisher Katherine Weymouth got into some lively battles over whether old media is dead. Weymouth emphasized the resources needed to keep quality journalism alive; Will.I.Am compared Web media to a horse, then jumped up and pretended to mount one.

But perhaps the biggest surprise came when we asked Will.I.Am if he'd write a song for other big figures in the election. Michelle Obama? Of course. "I'd call it 'Go On Girl,' or 'Strong Lady,'" he said. And what about John McCain? "If he inspired me, yes." Well, does he? Will.I.Am thought for a second, then nodded. "The POW thing is very inspirational," he said, getting more assured of his decision as he spoke. "I’m not saying that John McCain isn’t inspiring, with the things that he’s overcome and done. And, you know what, I would like to overcome that kind of stuff. That’s beyond inspirational. That’s triumph. He is an inspiring guy." But for now, at least, he says he's got to stick to one muse. "We’re lucky to have two inspiring people running for president, but I side with Obama to be the inspiring person to lead the nation."

Source: Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:25 pm

Jennifer Aniston Shuns Plastic Surgery; I Am Queen Imminent

PLASTIC SURGERY
• Jennifer Aniston said she would never get plastic surgery. That one nose job she had to fix her deviated septum to help her breathe easily while sleeping was enough. [ONTD]

FRAGRANCE
• P. Diddy's busy promoting his I Am King fragrance, but an I Am Queen fragrance is also in the works. The man knows what women want. [Moment/NYT]

• Fabien Baron, the man behind the Interview redesign, will design the packaging for Zac Posen's new fragrance. [Fashion Week Daily]

• Benetton is releasing Essence of United Colors of Benetton Woman and Man, a pair of scents described as fruity and floral. [Cosmetic News]

MAKEUP
• This shows a somewhat unpleasant-looking picture of a girl with lipstick on her teeth. The blogger wants you to answer the poll: Would you tell someone if she had lipstick on her teeth even though it's so embarrassing to point out? With issues like these, who needs the political conventions? [BellaSugar]

SKIN
• Accessories designer Solomon Chase partnered with visual artist David Toro to create FACE, a line of facial products. And by products, we mean little stick-on glow-in-the-dark triangles and furry bindis. [Dazed Digital]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 8:00 pm

MSNBC team at odds during DNC

Front Page: Scarborough bumps heads with colleagues -- Is it something in the coffee? Joe Scarborough, the former GOP congressman-turned-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show, has been bumping heads with his on-air colleagues lately, notably correspondent David Shuster during Tuesday morning's broadcast from the Democratic National Convention here at the Pepsi Center.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:55 pm

Early Fame: Golden Ticket or 'Child Abuse'?

Celebrities sound off on what happens when fame hits at a young age.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:46 pm

Jay Baruchel: The Next Anna Faris?

Now that The House Bunny's impressive opening weekend has transformed Anna Faris from comedienne who needs to be a star to comedienne who sort of is a star, the hunt is on for the next Anna Faris. Who will be the next low-level actor whom we in the liberal media push for stardom? The Observer stakes a claim with yesterday's blog post "Jay Baruchel Should Be More Famous," arguing in favor of the Apatow supporting player best known as the main freshman in Undeclared and the bully in the upcoming Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. We stand firmly behind this selection, and add that the movie most likely to cement Baruchel's stardom is the recently announced Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse, in which Baruchel and Seth Rogen will play bickering roommates in a postapocalyptic wasteland — sort of like The Odd Couple meets The Road.

See the fake trailer for Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse — which Baruchel and Rogen made for the hell of it one week and which spawned the feature deal — after the jump.

Jay Baruchel Should Be More Famous [NYO]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:45 pm

Meet the New Girl: Alice Burdeu

It's no secret models who win America's Next Top Model seldom go anywhere in the fashion industry. But Australia's Next Top Model could be a different story: Since the five foot eleven Alice Burdeu took home the season-three prize last year, she's landed the September 2007 and July 2008 covers of Australian Vogue. She also managed to rack up bookings in some major February shows in Europe and New York, walking for Proenza Schouler, Maison Martin Margiela, and Alexander McQueen. And she didn't stop there! She was also chosen for D&G's fall campaign alongside fellow redheads Olga Sherer and Martha Streck, shot by Mario Testino. Now that's what we call a top model. Maybe there's hope for the next winner of the American series? Meh, probably not.

Model Profile: Alice Burdeu

Plus: Browse over 435 beauties from our Model Manual.

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:15 pm

Asensi delivers fun in new thriller (AP)

AP - "Everything Under the Sky" (HarperCollins Publisher, 387 pages, $25.95), by Matilde Asensi: It's a good thing that the gambling, opium-addicted, prostitute-loving husband of Elvira De Poulain died. She would otherwise be stripped of an adventure that is so engrossing it could compel the reader to skip meals and ignore chores in a mad dash to read the book's ending.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:15 pm

Yeeeeah: Young Jeezy Gets His Michael Phelps On

Michael Phelps recently cited Young Jeezy as an inspiration for snagging those eight gold medals, which pretty much makes the Atlanta rapper the new Vangelis. At his sold-out Blender Theater show last night, Jeezy skipped Phelps favorite “Go Getta,” but still brought the chariots of fire. He took the stage in a tight leather vest emblazoned with a Harley Davidson–style logo advertising his new disc, The Recession. (The flagging economy has apparently forced Jeezy to repurpose wardrobe items from Wild Hogs.) But he quickly ditched that, presumably to better rip through his back catalogue in that half-rapper, half-garbage-disposal voice. You don't win medals with his kind of flow, but it's still a workout, so Jeezy paced himself, roaring the first half of his couplets on “Go Crazy” and “Trap Star” and letting the crowd finish them off.

Then came the cameos: Fabolous on “Breathe” (big cheers), Lil’ Kim on “Lighters Up” (bigger). “I told y'all niggas I was connected,” Jeezy boasted after the Queen Bee trotted off stage. “I might bring bin Laden out!” Instead, he brought out Maino, the Brooklyn MC whose ubiquitous summer hit “Hi Hater” is probably stuck in Osama's head. Selections from the new disc came toward the end of the hour-long set; L.A. Reid could be spotted in the back, nodding his approval. Brash and hoarse, Jeezy gave his timely assessment of the race for the White House with “My President”: “I say, and I quote, we need a miracle / And I say a miracle 'cause this shit is hysterical!” Inspiring stuff.

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 7:00 pm

Man arrested for Guns N' Roses leak

Front Page: Nine 'Democracy' songs appeared on blog -- Federal authorities say they have arrested a blogger suspected of streaming songs from Guns N' Roses unreleased album, "Chinese Democracy,'' on his Web site.

Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:44 pm

Tim Gunn: Cindy McCain Looks ‘Like She’s Duct-Taped’

A little while back Tim Gunn told Time he loves Michelle Obama's style but is far less enthused with Cindy McCain's. (His exact words were, "Cindy McCain looks like someone has twisted her ponytail into a knot and tried to give her a face-lift.") So when we bumped into him at Tide and Downey's "Total Care" event last night, we just had to ask him to elaborate. Tim still thinks Michelle has Cindy beat style-wise, hands down. "There is no contest!! I mean, Michelle really epitomizes American style, and she's not afraid to show her shape, she's not afraid to show her sexiness without being the least bit inappropriate," Tim said. "She's just an alluring woman. And Cindy with her suits and she's all buttoned up, she's just soooo — she just looks like she's duct-taped! There is just something about her, and in a way it's a metaphor about who she is!" Does he think she's heeded his advice about wearing her hair a little less taut? That's the least of her problems! "I'm just not a fan. I don't know who her advisers are, but it's the whole look — her clothes have to be fixed too." He continued, "I just don't think she's capable of improving the look. It's an inaccessibility in the way [Cindy] presents herself to the world, whereas Michelle has an accessibility. You would feel comfortable just going up to her and saying something like, 'How are you?' And with Cindy you have to be careful you’re not speared!"

Related: Tim Gunn: Cindy McCain’s Updos Are Far Too Taut

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:30 pm

CONFIRMED: Aaron Sorkin Creates Facebook Page, Writing Facebook Movie

Aaron Sorkin, a man whose discomfort with the Internet goes way, way back to the days he got angry at the Television Without Pity message boards, is writing a movie about the founding of Facebook. Sorkin has created a Facebook group for "Aaron Sorkin & the Facebook Movie" on which Sorkin (or is it his assistant?) (or is it someone pretending to be his assistant?) writes:

I've just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented. I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page. (Actually it was started by my researcher, Ian Reichbach, because my grandmother has more Internet savvy than I do and she's been dead for 33 years.)

Facebook Sorkin seems pretty legit: He's answering questions about his life and work, posting photos of himself playing tennis, cracking Sorkin-y jokes. But is it real? Over on the message boards, a collection of journalists are leaving plaintive requests for someone, anyone, official to contact them.

But in an e-mail to Vulture, producer (and former Vulture boss) Scott Rudin has confirmed that this is indeed Sorkin, and that Sorkin is indeed writing a Facebook movie for Sony.

What on earth will Sorkin's Facebook movie be like? We guess we're glad he's learning what Facebook is before he writes it, although we're sad he'll never know the glory that was Scrabulous. And how will the master of guys walking down hallways and talking write scenes of guys IMing each other for hours?

Aaron Sorkin & The Facebook Movie [Facebook]

Source: Vulture -- Entertainment, Music, Culture, Theater, Movies, Art -- New York Magazine Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:29 pm

72-year-old singer goes for Green Day

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:27 pm

McCartney to play Israel, 43 years after ban

Some 43 years after a Beatles concert was banned by Israel, Paul McCartney has announced he'll perform there in September.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:08 pm

Win Wenders

The President of Jury of the 65th Venice International Film Festival German director Wim Wender at Venice Lido as the festival opens.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:02 pm

George Clooney at the Venice Film Fest

US actor George Clooney arrives for the screening of "Burn After Reading" the latest movie by Ethan and Joel Coen in which he stars along side Bradd Pitt, during the 65th Venice International Film Festival...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:02 pm

(L-R)Joel Coen, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Ethan Coen, Tilda Swinton and George Clooney

(L-R)US director Joel Coen, US actors Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand, US director Ethan Coen, British actress Tilda Swinton and US actor George Clooney pose before the screening of their movie "Burn After...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:02 pm

Brad Pitt at the Venice Film Festival

US actor Brad Pitt poses before the screening of the movie "Burn After Reading" directed by Ethan and Joel Coen during the 65th Venice International Film Festival at the Venice Lido.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 6:02 pm

Clooney, Pitt have some fun

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:58 pm

Brad Pitt Says 'The Twins Are Fine'

Inevitably, a news conference Wednesday promoting their new Coen brothers film, "Burn After Reading," turned to the birth of Brad Pitt's twins with partner Angelina Jolie, and whether George Clooney would ever settle down.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:53 pm

Nina Garcia Has Never Seen ‘Stylista’

Admittedly, last night’s Barnes & Noble book signing starring Project Runway judge, best-selling author, and soon-to-be Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia was not the best celebrity Q&A we’ve ever attended — that honor goes to Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, hands down. Still, the venerable Ms. Garcia put on a good show. There to sell copies of her new book, The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, Garcia, after briefly describing the book's premise, gamely answered various audience questions, including her opinion of “commuter shoes” — “Huh? What are those? Can’t they wear ballet flats?” — to the trends that need to go NOW. That would be you, Crocs! Though many queries revolved around sartorial dilemmas, a few people in attendance sought career advice and, uh, clarification. “What is an ‘editor-at-large’?” asked one woman. Garcia’s calm, textbook reply? “Someone who contributes to the magazine but is not in the office every day.” Aha! When asked her opinion of Elle rival Anne Slowey’s new reality show, Stylista, Garcia said that she hadn’t seen it, and in all fairness, it also hasn’t premiered yet. Still … had she ever “discussed” the project with her? “Nope.” Silence. Next question!

Related: America’s Next Top Fashion Editor [NYM]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:45 pm

Defense Gives Closing Arguments in Pellicano Case

A federal prosecutor claimed Tuesday that taped phone calls between Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and a high-powered lawyer showed they were conducting illegal wiretaps, even though the alleged wiretapped recordings have never been found.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:23 pm

Islamic Group Protests 'Towelhead' Movie

Civil rights group says title is a "racial and religious slur," asks for change.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:00 pm

Are Louis Vuitton’s Artist Collaborations Nearing Their End?

Marc Jacobs convinced Louis Vuitton to design handbags in collaboration with artists Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince. The resulting enthusiasm and sales numbers were enormous. The label's latest collaborative handbags, designed by Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo in honor of Louis Vuitton's 40th anniversary, will go on sale Wednesday at a pop-up shop in Tokyo. In a lengthy article in WWD about the Kawakubo partnership, Marc Jacobs reveals that unlike the Murakami and Prince projects, he had no creative input on the bag collection Kawakubo created in Vuitton's signature monogram pattern. He also said he doesn't feel the need to continue the Vuitton collaborations despite pressure from the higher-ups and hinted he thinks they're getting a little out of control:

“I’ve kind of warned everybody up there that I think they’ve gotten a little too into this idea which, I mean, is great,” Jacobs said. “I’m glad that everybody gets behind it, but what they don’t realize is that I do it at a pace that maintains the brand’s integrity and seems really right, and I think that sometimes everybody loves a good idea so much that they kind of go too far and it kind of kills it.”

So is the next Louis Vuitton collaboration further off than we might have thought? Is it coming at all? Could Marc be shifting his obsessive energies from contemporary art to something else? Whatever he cooks up next, we can't imagine he won't deliver.

Vuitton's Deal With Rei Kawakubo [WWD]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 5:00 pm

Pelosi Daughter Making McCain Film

Almost more than the convention of Barack Obama, the 2008 DNC is like a party given for and by Nancy Pelosi.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 4:49 pm

Armani designs villas at $1.8 billion Egyptian resort (Reuters)

Reuters - Giorgio Armani will design his first villas for a $1.85 billion gated community development in Egypt that is just two hours' drive from Cairo, the Italian fashion designer said on Wednesday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 27 Aug 2008 | 4:24 pm

Video: Justin Timberlake IS William Rast

Clips from the promotional Internet movies for Justin Timberlake's new clothing line, William Rast, are out! You'll recall Timberlake had some reservations about starring in the campaign for the line but consented after the label's new creative directors suggested he play William Rast in a series of Internet movies alongside love interest Erin Wasson. They play rebels who run from the cops for unknown reasons while making out intermittently (which is exactly what we do in our William Rast clothes). We're so glad JT didn't withhold his talents from us for another day.

Oh, and did we mention he also helped with the screenplay? Another of his gifts. A taste:

Justin Timberlake: You love me.
Erin Wasson: You know I do.
JT: How much?
EW: A lot.
JT: How much is a lot?
EW: As the day is long.
JT: Say my name.
EW: Mmm … William Rast.
JT: Say it again.
EW: William. Rast.
JT: You are?
EW: Yours forever.
JT: Come here.

Genius.

William Rast [WilliamRastMovie.com]
Related: How William Rast Execs Convinced Justin Timberlake to Star in the Campaign

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 4:15 pm

Pop Tarts: Tara Conner Teaching Women How to Be Ladies

Ever wonder what happened to Tara Conner? It looks as though 2006’s troubled Miss USA has come a long way from her days of battling a drug/alcohol addiction to now teaching other young women how to act like ladies.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 3:41 pm

Stars band together to fight cancer

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 3:32 pm

Dunzo: Theory’s Premise Line; Glimpse Jonathan Saunders’s Target Line

• Theory's better-priced Premise collection is dunzo. The fall '08 collection will be its last. [WWD]

• Here's a peek at a dress from Jonathan Saunders new Target Go! International program. As Nina Garcia might say, we want to see more. [Forbes]

• Tennis is growing in popularity more than any other sport, so brands like Polo Ralph Lauren and Lacoste are selling lots more tennis clothes. [WWD]

• Yves Saint Laurent will hand out thousands of free, limited-edition cotton tote bags designed by Stefano Pilati starting September 6 in "key fashion cities" like New York. Normally, they just hand out catalogues, but now we get a free bag. Yay! [WWD]

• The CW Network has bumped the premiere date of Stylista up one week to October 22, so rearrange your life now before you forget (as if you would). [CW Blog/CW]

• Mark Ronson will return as the D.J. for Charlotte Ronson's spring 2009 show this season, following sister Samantha's turn at the tables for the past few seasons. Maybe she just couldn't steal away from LiLo. [Fashion Week Daily]

• Sonia Rykiel has enlisted daughter Nathalie Rykiel as well as Karl Lagerfeld, Donna Karan, and Jean Paul Gaultier to design an outfit in the "spirit of Rykiel" in celebration of the brand on its 40th anniversary. [WWD]

• Did you know Diesel has a radio station? Well, they do! Since more than a million people tuned in for its first month on air, it'll run for a whole other month. [British Vogue]

• Newly engaged Adriana Lima's dating advice for men: "Be yourself. And don't talk about yourself too much. That's not sexy. Don't tell me about your [private] jet. I'm not interested." [NYDN]

• Shirtless-male-model time! Up-and-coming male models Tomasz and Gustaf heat up the Paul and Joe fall/winter campaign. [Models.com]

• America's Next Top Model spoiler alert! Click the link if you want to know who is rumored to go next week, but we will tell you she supposedly gets cut because the judges don't like her personality. How ironic. [Top Model Gossip]

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 3:30 pm

Tokio Hotel: Germany's Jonas Brothers

German rock band is already conquering American shores, thanks to the Internet.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 3:23 pm

Review: `Frozen River' a gripping slice of life (AP)

AP - When the two women first cross the river together — in the dead of winter, in a rickety Dodge Spirit — Melissa Leo's character, Ray, says what the audience is thinking: "This is so ... stupid."
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Aug 2008 | 3:10 pm

Manager: No 2nd VMA Stint for Spears

Britney Spears' manager said she's not slated to perform at the MTV VMAs.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 2:59 pm

Snoop Dogg's Character in Question

Australia assessing rapper's criminal history before granting visa for concert.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 2:50 pm

Pucci Watch: Peter Dundas Could Replace Matthew Williamson

Pucci is reportedly in talks with Paris-based designer Peter Dundas to replace Matthew Williamson as head designer (last month we learned Williamson will leave Pucci when his contract expires in the fall to focus on his own Matthew Williamson label). The Norwegian Dundas has designed for Emanuel Ungaro and currently designs for French furrier Revillon. He told WWD, "I'm very happy at Revillon," but would not comment further. Pucci wouldn't comment either. It was previously reported that Pucci was considering design assistants to replace Williamson, but perhaps an underdog won't land the gig after all.

Fashion Scoops: PRINTS CHARMING? [WWD]
Related: Matthew Williamson Is Just About Done With Emilio Pucci

Source: The Cut - New York Magazine's Fashion Blog | 27 Aug 2008 | 2:45 pm

Top TV shows: Olympics, Olympics, Olympics

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:49 pm

Broadway debut for Haley Joel Osment

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:43 pm

Australia Considering Whether to Grant Snoop Dogg a Visa

The immigration department said Wednesday it was conducting a character assessment of Snoop Dogg, including his criminal history, as Australia considers whether to grant the rapper a visa for a concert tour later this year.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:30 pm

Clooney raises money in Venice for Darfur

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:29 pm

Haley Joel Osment to Make Broadway Debut

David Mamet's "American Buffalo," a robbery tale set in a Chicago junk shop, has found its third partner in crime -- Haley Joel Osment, who will be making his Broadway debut in the production.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:18 pm

Manager: No performance for Britney at VMAs

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:11 pm

'Bones' characters still have issues

Read full story for latest details.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:10 pm

Raspy-Sounding Neil Diamond Offers Refund to Concertgoers

Disappointed Neil Diamond fans will get a refund after attending a concert in which the 67-year-old singer's voice sounded raspy.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:08 pm

'Suge' Knight Posts Bail After Las Vegas Arrest

Police say rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight is in a Las Vegas jail on drug and assault charges after he was accused of beating his girlfriend while brandishing a knife.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 1:04 pm

Mad for Mascara: Latest and Greatest (Fashion Wire Daily)

Fashion Wire Daily - Judging by the sheer number of high-tech mascaras currently on the market, the days of buying any random mascara in "black" and applying two coats are numbered, if not already gone.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 27 Aug 2008 | 12:52 pm

Prosecutors Drop Some Charges Against Fashion Designer

Without explanation, prosecutors in Los Angeles dropped more than half of the sexual assault charges against Indian-born fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander just before jury selection began for his trial.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 12:51 pm

Blogger Arrested on Suspicion of Streaming Guns N' Roses

Federal authorities say they have arrested a blogger suspected of streaming songs from Guns N' Roses' unreleased album, "Chinese Democracy," on his Web site.
Source: FOXNews.com | 27 Aug 2008 | 12:25 pm

Brad Pitt and George Clooney in Hollywood in 2007

A black comedy by the Oscar-winning Coel brothers, which stars Hollywood icons George Clooney and Brad Pitt, seen here in Hollywood in 2007, has headlined the Venice film festival.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:37 am

More than 20 films will be competing for the Golden Lion top prize

Golden Lion statues form the decor of the entrance of the cinema palace on the eve the 65th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on August 26. A black comedy starring Hollywood icons George Clooney and...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Aug 2008 | 10:37 am