 ABC News | Hollywood's Biggest Stars on New Projects, Personal Lives ABC News - By CHRISTINA CARON and KATIE ESCHERICH Tom Cruise is the first to admit that the past few years have been difficult for him. Barbara Walters interviews Tom Cruise for her annual "Most Fascinating People" special airing on ABC. Who's the 'most fascinating?' Yawn Barbara Walters rounds up the most fascinating people |
AP - Lil Wayne didn't get "A Milli" Grammy nominations, but his total haul was still pretty amazing.
AP - Lil Wayne didn't get "A Milli" Grammy nominations, but his total haul was still pretty amazing.
 Zap2it.com | 'Battlestar' prequel, movie in works Chicago Tribune - "Battlestar Galactica" kicks off its final set of episodes Jan. 16, and airs its series finale March 20. But longtime fans shouldn't mourn its passing too deeply: There's more interstellar goodness coming your way. A ‘Galactica’ Spinoff 'Battlestar Galactica' prequel series, 'Caprica,' coming in 2010 |
 USA Today | Michael Sheen has a talk with himself in 'Frost/Nixon' Los Angeles Times - By Robert Abele > > > Michael Sheen, who played talk show host David Frost both on stage and now in the upcoming screen version of "Frost/Nixon," knows that the transition can be scary. Review: `Frost/Nixon' depicts tense TV showdown Just a minute with - Michael Sheen on portraying real people |
Reuters - Russell Brand might soon be caught between the moon and New York City.
E! Online - It will be a big night for hip-hop, with Lil Wayne leading the pack heading into the 51st Annual Grammy Awards with eight nominations, including Album of the Year for Tha Carter III. Coldplay is right up there with seven nods, while Jay-Z, Kanye West and Ne-Yo each scored six.
AP - "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (Children's High Level Group, $12.99, 111 pages), by J.K. Rowling: Just in time for the holidays, J.K. Rowling has given Harry Potter fans a little gift.
AP - "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (Children's High Level Group, $12.99, 111 pages), by J.K. Rowling: Just in time for the holidays, J.K. Rowling has given Harry Potter fans a little gift.
E! Online - Coldplay, the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne go together like, well, Grammy nominees, of course.
Coldplay, the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne go together like, well, Grammy nominees, of course.
The acts all scored top nominations tonight for the 51st Annual Grammy...
John Mayer has a reason to get a date (like he needs one). Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus have a shared reason to grouse. Jennifer Hudson has a reason to smile.
We've outlined the top...
The Grammy season officially kicked off with a Christmas gift from Mariah Carey, who donned go-go boots to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," thereby also giving a little...
Inside sources confirm that NBC has decided not to order any more episodes of Knight Rider this season and will close production after the cast and crew complete the 17th episode, which is filming...
Romancing Pam hasn't been the only activity keeping Jim busy after hours.
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, the writing-directing debut of The Office star John Krasinski, has been...
AP - The "Scene It?" trivia game series may have started as a DVD-based board game, but the franchise is really coming into its own on the Xbox 360 console.
Mark Ruffalo's younger brother has been hospitalized in Los Angeles and listed in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to his head early Monday morning.
Beverly Hills...
Time for Gina Lee Nolin to start shopping for an even teenier bikini than usual.
The former Baywatch bombshell and her hockey player hubby, Cale Hulse, welcomed their second child...
Reuters - Saddam Hussein hasn't been in the news much lately. Being hanged to death two years ago will have that effect. Still, the situation in Iraq continues to bear the impact of his life and his ruthlessness, many of the details of which are not widely known.
OK, let's get the easy stuff out of the way: What was TV's most watched show last week? The Dancing With the Stars finale, duh.
But with Grey's Anatomy in reruns, what...
He may have been caught with his boxers down (and his socks on), but Eliot Spitzer will not be silenced! In the wake of his op-ed in the Washington Post last week, Slate has signed the former governor to do a biweekly column. "It'll be heavily about the financial crisis and fixing financial markets and the economy generally," Slate Group editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg told the Observer. The column, which starts tomorrow, will be called "The Best Policy."
UPDATE: Actually, today. Here it is. [NYO]
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: business, eliot spitzer, jacob weisberg, slate, The Luv Guv
You know what's on TV tonight, don't you? The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show! (10 p.m., CBS.) We've already seen pictures from the whole spectacle since it was taped on November 15 — a considerably long delay for this Internet age. Somehow the New York Post managed to withhold tales from backstage at the show until today. They hung out with Karolina Kurkova, who is still being criticized for her weight. To prepare for the show, Karolina works out for three hours a day and cuts out carbohydrates and wheat. Fun. Her regular diet is no picnic, either. She says it consists of green juice, hard-boiled eggs, grilled fish, vegetables, and ten nuts at a time (yes, she counts them). Still, a woman at the show tells the Post reporter, "She really porked out … It's good she dropped a little bit of weight, but really…" But really, shouldn't we embrace curves? Don't These Economic Times and the era of change create the perfect moment to usher in a new ideal model shape, like that of Daisy Lowe? When so many people are going without and cutting back, is it not more chic to look opposite? Or, at the very least, normal? Because that's how Karolina looks — normal. God forbid.
BACKSTAGE SECRETS [NYP]
Related: The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Returns to ‘Sophistication’ and ‘Elegance’
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: body issues, daisy lowe, karolina kurkova, models, victoria's secret
Today, book-publishing companies were hit hard with layoffs, which is bad news for people who like to read. If you prefer to peruse listings, your weekly city guide might see some changes, and, well, more magazines and newspapers are folding. But maybe, just maybe, Tina Brown will bail us all out. Until then, sorry guys:
• The new Random House, Inc. CEO, Markus Dohle, sent out a friendly, informative memo today, officially closing the company's Bantam and Doubleday divisions. Those imprints' publishers, Irwyn Applebaum and Steve Rubin, are "stepping down." Also, several other imprints at Random House are merging. Effective immediately. Xoxo, Mark. [Observer]
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the publishing house that recently ceased publishing any new authors, has lost a few of its own: Becky Saletan, the company's publisher, has resigned, and its executive editor, Ann Patty, has been fired, along with an unspecified number of employees that adds up to "a lot." [GalleyCat/Mediabistro]
• Listings-heavy weekly Time Out New York is for sale, at an asking price of $40 million. The mag's founder says he doesn't want to sell, but its investors are pushing for a profit. [London Times]
• The Cox newspaper group (which includes the Palm Beach Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), is closing its Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington bureau, founded in 1974. This means the closure of the company's five foreign bureaus as well. [AP]
• Niche Media, which makes city-based glossies wherever rich people frolic, is folding its Atlanta mag, Atlanta Peach. [Journal-Constitution]
• Hey, someone's hiring! Sort of. Tina Brown is rescuing laid-off journalists by turning them into freelancers for her aggregator Website, the Daily Beast. Choire Sicha and Neel Shah of the late Radar magazine and former New York Sun staffers are among the site's (sort of) saved journalists. [Observer]
• Some previews for tomorrow and Friday's editions of Media Deatchwatch: Troubled Time, Inc. magazine People has only gotten half of its seventeen buyouts, and is going to have get more forceful to oust the other half by the end of the week. Similar fates are hovering over staffers at Sports Illustrated (and maybe other titles) as well. [NYP]
Read more posts by Mike Vilensky
Filed Under: atlanta peach, bantam, cox newspapers, daily beast, doubleday, google, houghton mifflin harcourt, media, media deathwatch, niche media, people, random house, simon and schuster, sports illustrated, time out new york, tina brown
Gus Van Sant was in New York last night for the Gotham Independent Film Awards, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll stick around for long. “I’m not so good at living here,” he said. “I guess I didn’t know how to escape, or leave on the weekends.” Who else was lamenting our fair city? See if it was Mickey Rourke or Darren Aronofsky’s mustache by watching our Party Lines slideshow.
Read more posts by Bennet Marcus
Filed Under: gus van sant, party lines
After Si Newhouse denied the rumor that French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld would replace Anna Wintour, Carine herself has denied the rumor. “I’m very happy at Vogue France,” she said over the phone from London, where she's overseeing a shoot for the magazine. [WWD]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: anna wintour, carine roitfeld, french vogue, rumor mill, si newhouse, vogue
Lost City posits several possible reasons why a tree outside the Plymouth apartment building in Borough Park may be festooned with colorful used baby pacifiers: "The residents … are mainly child-proud parents, and every time a new kid is born a pacifier goes on the tree to signify the birth." "The residents … belong to an as-yet-undiscovered cult." "Aliens." Plymouth residents, can you edify us? Borough Park is heavily Orthodox Jewish. Is this some insular thing we goyim and more secular Jews don't know about? [Lost City]
Read more posts by Tim Murphy
Filed Under: borough park, crazytown, neighborhood watch, real estate, trees, weird things
“There’s a darkness to some of the film, to be sure,” says Sundance director Geoffrey Gilmore about today's announced competition lineup for January's festival. “But over the last couple of years audiences got tired of films that directly engaged the Iraq War and other heavy subject matter … and we’ve moved away from the syndrome of filmmakers only able to talk about themselves.” See the full lineup here! [Variety]
Read more posts by Lane Brown
Filed Under: movies, sundance, sundance film festival
HAIR
• Following yesterday's big hair changes, Katie Couric traded in her bob for a pixie. This one will take some getting used to. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]
• Several Websites are calling out Beyoncé for showing underarm hair at the Cadillac Records premiere, reminding us sometimes not being a celebrity is so much better than being a celebrity. [Mirror]
• Also, Evan Rachel Wood went from brown-black to ginger red. To dye for. [Beauty Counter]
FRAGRANCE
• The Emilio Pucci label will launch a series of three scents named Sole 149, Acqua 330, and Sabbia 167 — representing sun, sea, and sand, respectively — this February for $60 or $100, depending on the size. The bottles have pretty Pucci prints, which is clearly the most important element. [WWD]
SKIN
• A spa in California offers a treatment called enzyme baths, where you sit buried up to your head in a tub of cedar shavings and plant enzymes. But what about splinters? [BellaSugar]
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: beauty marks, beyonce, evan rachel wood, fragrance, hair, katie couric, skin
When Veronica Mars hit the airwaves of the UPN network in September 2004, many of us small-screen connoisseurs figured we had finally found ourselves a plucky, blonde, mystery-solving heroine who could take up the mantle that Buffy Summers left behind. Unfortunately, after a lackluster second season and a botched relaunch by the then-fledgling CW, the show found itself unceremoniously canceled. In the ensuing years, fans of the show have subsisted on DVDs and rumors of a silver-screen resurrection, but now it appears that Mars creator Rob Thomas is just too darn busy to get his big-screen treatment finished. "I thought I had the idea broken," he tells EW scoopmeister Michael Ausiello, "but I've hit a wall in the final act that I haven't quite figured out. I'm hopeful that I can find the time to figure it out over the Christmas holidays." Pinkie swear? [Ausiello Files/EW]
Read more posts by Mark Graham
Filed Under: Kristen Bell, Movies, Rob Thomas, Veronica Mars
Representative Charles Rangel fired off an angry letter to the Times this week regarding their report showing how he fought to keep open a tax loophole for an oil and gas drilling company that pledged $1 million to one of his pet projects. Reading the article and learning the sequence of events, it seemed pretty clear that Rangel was doing a favor for the Nabors Industries CEO, a shiny-haired man named Eugene Isenberg. By now, both the Times and Washington Post have called for Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. So Rangel, understandably, is irked. Rangel's reps are already taking the fight back to the Times by talking to other media outlets. The letter he wrote is lengthy and full of words like "inflammatory," "willful blindness," "ignorance," and "irresponsibility." In it, he attempts to refute reporter David Kocieniewski's points and poke holes in his reporting. But the Times, like the wily little know-it-alls they are, posted the letter online alongside a point-by-point takedown of his arguments. You really have to read it to believe it — now the paper has moved beyond implying that Rangel has done wrong and is currently calling him a liar and a fantasist.
It's a punchy side to city reporting that you don't always see from the Times — you'd expect it more from the Daily News or the Post. It's part of a trend that we've seen at the paper that, oddly enough, seems to have started the same year the "Metro" section was collapsed into the A section. So far this year, the paper has broken some of the city's best stories: Spitzer's prostitution ring, Bloomberg's third term, and all of Rangel's myriad problems. A reporter says it's because former "Metro" editor Joe Sexton "loves beating" the tabloids "at their own game." He's been re-energized by the consolidation of his section and is fighting hard to keep his team relevant and essential. "Nobody, including me, took any pleasure in merging Metro news into the A-book, or in consolidating more of our reporting power in the city," Times executive editor Bill Keller told us in an e-mail, adding that Sexton and political deputy Carolyn Ryan (whom Sexton stole from the Boston Globe in 2007) "get enormous credit for guiding all of the coverage." "Am I proud?" Keller asked. "Damn right I am."
Congressman Rangel Responds [NYT]
Earlier: Chuck Rangel Gives Donor Sweet Deal Over Sweet Rolls
Read more posts by Gabriel Sherman and Chris Rovzar
Filed Under: business, charles rangel, eugene isenberg, finance, ink-stained wretches, let's get civical, media, new york times, politics
Tony Danza is beloved by fans for his portrayals of Tony Banta on Taxi and Tony Micelli on Who's the Boss?, but before he took on those iconic TV roles, the Brooklyn native was a professional boxer. In fact, a producer for Taxi discovered him at a New York gym. Now he's returning to his roots as host of the fourth season of The Contender, premiering tonight on Versus. Vulture spoke to Danza about filming in Singapore, his own days as a fighter, and what happens when things get emotional in the ring.
How did you get involved in the show?
Well, you know, I’m a fighter myself, I was a club fighter here in New York in the mid-seventies, late seventies, and I thought I was going to be the champion of the world, but then I got an audition for a show called Taxi, and that changed my life. And then, cut to years later, Jeff Wald, one of the producers of the show, was pitching a boxing tournament around Hollywood but just couldn’t get it in the end zone. Then Jeffrey Katzenberg and Mark Burnett got involved in it, and that put it in the end zone. And then Mark Burnett came up with the great layer of making the fighters live together, and then fight, which is really bizarre, if you’re a fighter, right? And then what happened is that they decided to go with Sylvester Stallone as the host. It was a big mistake, and I told them as much, but then I went on my happy way. Now, three years or four years later, they came back to me. So I signed on, went to Singapore, it was great. You know, boxing is very addictive, and it’s so funny because I got away from it, but the minute I was in that gym, I was hooked again. Oh man, I gotta box. I boxed guys 40 pounds heavier and 30 years younger.
Why wasn't Sylvester Stallone was a good choice?
What makes me a better host is the fact that I really was a club fighter. If I was going to change the Constitution about the presidency, I would put as one of the requirements that he has to be broke once in his life, so they can get what the other people are going through. And I’m not sure Sly understood what it meant to be a club fighter.
You boxed with the contestants?
Oh yeah, I had to. I had to! You get in a gym and you can’t really help it. I’m way past the point where I should be in the ring, 'cause I’m old, but it was really, really fun. At the tournament, they have a lot of the families there, which has never been my favorite part of the show. I’m not a big fan of kids watching their fathers get beat up or wives watching their husbands get beat up, you know? But what I think draws in the non-fans is trying to explain why people do the things they do. Why would someone want to do this? You know, you have guys who have two jobs to support their boxing career. So I tried to get these guys to talk about what it is that makes them want to fight, why they do it, what it feels like to win, what it feels like to lose, what it feels like to hit a guy in the chin and hear the crowd roar. And for one minute, for one second, you’re as good as Muhammad Ali in the middle of the ring, good as Sugar Ray Leonard, as anybody else.
In a lot of reality shows, like, say, America’s Next Top Model, the host is a mentor as well, giving advice to contestants. But these are tough guys — are they getting emotional after a fight, where you have to comfort them or talk them through things?
I have a sort of paternalistic gene or something, I can’t help it. And I was a club fighter, so I know what these guys are going through. These guys are hoping for their chance. This is it! And boxing is on life support; The Contender and the Versus TV network are about the only game in town, other than Pay-Per-View or Pay TV, you know? I will tell you, it’s not in the show, but there was one particular fight and I thought that this particular guy was one of my favorites, and I thought he got a bad decision. I thought he won the fight and they took it away from him, and I went in my dressing room and I cried!
Did you ever have regrets about leaving your boxing career?
Yeah … I guess so. And I tried after Taxi to come back and fight. I thought, Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll hit somebody in the chin, and then I’ll have a series of fights and I’ll be champion of the world! Big dreamer. But I came back and I wasn’t the same guy. I was worried about getting hit in the nose! And you can’t worry about stuff like that. And I have to say, maybe because of going back and doing this show, sometimes I’d be thinking here and there myself — you know, I really did think I could have done it, I really think I could have been champion of the world. And I’ll be honest with you — this is hubris probably, and we all become better fighters once we quit — but I was watching the guys, and I was watching a lot of fights, and now I’m back into it. And yeah, I think I could beat a lot of guys!
What was it like filming in Singapore?
You step out of the plane, you look at the airport, and you think, Holy mackerel, who’s the Third World country? When you see the infrastructure, and the building and the wealth and the architecture … And the interesting thing was to be there when the meltdown was happening here, and I’m one of the last people who still reads the newspaper, and it was an interesting juxtaposition. First of all, it’s a little bit like 9/11, only no one’s feeling sorry for you, and I got the paper one day, and I saw on the left side, above the fold, it said "America Meltdown, Crisis, $700 Billion Bailout," all of that, but on the right side of the paper were Chinese astronauts!
For the record, who is actually the boss: Tony or Angela?
I have been asked that many times. And she’s the boss. I’m no dummy. She’s one of my favorite people in the world — one of the greatest girls of all time.
Read more posts by Lori Fradkin
WWD solicited sketches from more than twenty top designers of Inaugural Ball gowns for Michelle Obama. Some, like Michael Kors's and Diane Von Furstenberg's, were not only lovely, but truly appropriate for the occasion. Others, like Betsey Johnson's, seemed like a long shot. But of all the designers who participated in the exercise — Marc Jacobs, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Carolina Herrera, and Zac Posen, to name a few — key players were missing, namely Michelle's favorite designers. Where was Thakoon? Maria Pinto? Narciso Rodriguez? Jason Wu? It's unlikely WWD didn't ask them. The article states:
[H]er current favorites, as well as a few majors, declined WWD’s request for sketches. Some are loath to presume to offer unsolicited advice, while others, it seems, are definitely in the Inaugural sweepstakes and prefer, or have been asked, to keep their participation low-pro.
Indeed, her favorite designers have remained pretty mum on the subject. When we asked Thakoon at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund dinner last month if he'd submitted sketches, he said only, "Um … we'll see what happens." Maria Pinto doesn't usually design one-of-a-kind pieces for Michelle for special occasions but told WWD in August that the Inaugural Ball is an exception. “She [Michelle] referred to it, saying, ‘Make sure Maria gets that dress designed,’ but we’re not going to talk about it yet,” Pinto said. “We don’t want to jinx anything.” Rodriguez was vague like Thakoon. When asked if he was designing one, he told the New York Observer, "It would be nice to think so." Wu, on the other hand, dismissed Michelle's choosing one of his designs for the big night as a "long shot" in The Wall Street Journal.
Thus far evidence suggests Michelle will deflect to a favorite designer for the big ball. Though we do think Kors's design would be a great choice (think about it — he's American, it's a good cut for her, it's not too opulent, and the color is smashing), she prefers local and young designers to big, established labels. While we love Rodriguez's work, after the criticism of her Election Night dress, we'd be surprised if she chose him again. Then again who knows what will happen? She might shock the world and wear something by a brand like J.Crew. They told us they were eager to dress her for the occasion. And considering yesterday's kerfuffle over the $30,000 ring that Barack supposedly bought her as a gift, such a demure choice might not be so unlikely.
Michelle Obama: What Should She Wear? [WWD]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: betsey johnson, carolina herrera, christian lacroix, diane von furstenberg, inaugural ball, j crew, jason wu, marc jacobs, maria pinto, michael kors, michelle obama, narciso rodriguez, thakoon, the dress, zac posen
Stephen Colbert: "Well, I thought it was funny." (me too)
Joyce Carol Oates: "Revenge is living well, without you." (oh snap!)
Joan Rivers: "Liars, hysterectomy didn't improve sex life!" (uhhhhhh...?)
Here is one possible one: "I shot myself in the leg." - Plaxico Burress. Ok, last Plaxico joke of the day, promise. I've fired enough off today...ZING!!! OK, DONE.
Leave your six word memoir in the comments!
(via USA Today)
Open up a newspaper or magazine these days, and you get the odd feeling of being transported back to the seventies. It's not so much the actual news that's giving us déjà vu, although there are some parallels: the endless, unpopular war, the city budget crisis, the coverage of Paul McCartney's love life. But most of all, it's the mustaches. Everyone has them again, from newly christened attorney general Eric Holder to Brad Pitt. Why? Are men feeling the chill of the Greatest Depression especially on their upper lips? Or is everyone just biting the style of stud-tacular Rep. Henry Waxman? We're not sure. Perhaps, after perusing our guide to the Mustaches of 2008, you can help us find the answer.
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: alwaleed bin talal, freddy ferrer, thomas friedman, Visual Aids
“The Fear,” the first single off Lily Allen's sophomore disc, It's Not Me, It's You (due early February), attacks the celebrity culture that has people taking their “clothes off” for “fuckloads of diamonds.” This, of course, is the same culture that Allen, the daughter of showbizzers who put her in films and on TV before she could walk, was born into, and perpetuates now with her clothing line and talk show. But when she sings “I don't know what's right and what's real,” it's a total Behind the Music moment. Plus, the rest of lyrics are actually quite funny, and the song’s production is glittery and propulsive. Talk about a guilty pleasure.
Download “The Fear”: Pretty Much Amazing
Read more posts by Ehren Gresehover
Filed Under: lily allen, music, right-click
The fact that the CEOs of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have been dining together on the regular doesn't mean anything: "Senior executives at both firms say … that Mack and Blankfein are merely commiserating about being bank holding companies, and strategizing how they're going to deal with their new status." And when Mack complimented Blankfein on the way the candlelight glinted off the dome of his head, did that mean anything? Developing. [DealBreaker]
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: business, finance, john mack, lloyd blankfein, The Greatest Depression
The lineup for the Sundance Film Festival has been announced. As speculated, R.J. Cutler's documentary about Vogue called The September Issue made the cut. The crew followed Anna Wintour and her team for nine months as they put together the September 2007 issue, with "unprecedented access." [HR]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: anna wintour, movies, rj cutler, sundance, vogue, wintour wonderland
Each rumor about Anna Wintour's purported retirement — and, it follows, the equilibrium of the universe — tempts us to latch on and believe. Yesterday Gawker reported Si Newhouse was in Paris, meeting with French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld to offer her the job. Newhouse denied this in the afternoon, but just hours later Fashion Week Daily suggested that British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman was in line to succeed Anna. Today the Independent steps back from the vicious rumor mill to assess the likelihood and implications of a major Vogue shake-up:
In reality, the chances of Newhouse offering Roitfeld the position appear minimal. Senior sources at Condé Nast yesterday virtually laughed the idea into touch. "I would eat my hat if such a changeover came about," said one. "It is borderline theatre of the absurd."
Absurd because Carine "is considered to be the most radical of all the Vogue editors," writes the Independent. Roitfeld doesn't consider wearability or accessibility of the clothes in her fashion layouts, unlike Anna, whose Vogue must appeal to Middle America. Plus, American Vogue's circulation is 1.2 million while French Vogue's is just 133,000. Which brings us to the matter of the ever-shaky economy:
Condé Nast sources say that Roitfeld does not possess the experience to take over at American Vogue, particularly when difficult economic conditions demand stable leadership. "Not at this tricky moment would you replace a knowledgeable editor who knows the American market thoroughly with an editor from Europe who is not experienced at that type of magazine."
It's hard to argue with cold, hard numbers.
Anna might not have dispelled her ice-queen persona when we asked her about the possibility of retirement at the National Book Awards last month, but she appears to be trying to mollify her image. Why else would she agree to fully cooperate with a documentary film crew? That movie is expected to screen at Sundance. "It will, she hopes, be fairer than The Devil Wears Prada," reports the Independent. Despite her terse remarks at the National Book Awards, this round of rumors — The Devil Wears Prada story incarnate — could not be better publicity.
The knives are out for Anna Wintour [Independent]
Related: Rumor: Carine Roitfeld to Replace Anna Wintour Next Month (UPDATED)
In Which We Offend Anna Wintour and She Shoos Us Away
Why Anna Wintour Isn’t Going Anywhere
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: alexandra shulman, anna wintour, british vogue, carine roitfeld, french vogue, rumors, si newhouse, the devil wears prada, vogue, wintour wonderland
Bill Richardson drops an odd tidbit in his Esquire profile this month: "One time when I was a congressman, in the House gym, I was talking to one of the towel attendants. I said, 'Kenny, how you doin’?' He said, 'You know, I feel really good today.' I asked why, and he showed me a note that President Bush had sent him. The note really connected with Kenny, and it showed a certain class by George Bush the first." Of course there was no follow-up question or it failed to yield anything, so unless Kenny is coming forward we can only imagine what the note said, which is...ew. [Esquire]
Read more posts by Jessica Pressler
Filed Under: bill richardson, Early and Awesome, george bush senior
What would The Colbert Report be without gimmicks? When Stephen Colbert isn't teaming up with Ben & Jerry's, he's trying to run for president. When he's not faux-feuding with billionaire attention hog Richard Branson, he's campaigning to get a slang term he coined included in the dictionary. Now, the latest in his long string of (essentially harmless) promotional stunts sees him harnessing the tremendous power of the Colbert Nation in an attempt to humble the latest convert to Auto-Tune, Mr. Kanye West. You see, Colbert apparently isn't too pleased that his new Christmas album, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!, is sitting at No. 16 on the iTunes Album Charts. Thus, he has demanded that his disciples flood the iTunes Music Store at 5 p.m. EST this afternoon to purchase the LP, thereby dethroning Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. How would the notoriously egomaniacal image-conscious Kanye respond?
Well, just like thousands of other technologically savvy young folks with something to say (and egos that need stroking), Kanye Twittered his response: "who the fuck is Stephen Colbert?" [Ed. note: Still 107 characters to spare!]. Now this isn't the first time that Kanye has found himself embroiled in a pseudo beef around the time of a record release — he famously entered into a mutually beneficial showdown with 50 Cent when both released their LPs on September 11, 2007. However, this latest situation finds Kanye playing the unfamiliar role of possum, as he's pretending that he doesn't know who Stephen Colbert is. But why?
The simple answer is that it's in each other's best interests to stoke a friendly (albeit pretend) rivalry. Colbert gets to put another notch on his ever-expanding gimmick belt, and Kanye will likely find himself with an opportunity to appear on a popular talk show where he can expound (let's hope sans Auto-Tune) upon important subjects other than 808s and heartbreak. Somehow, we think that these two famously outspoken cultural icons just might find that they have more in common than the ever-increasing size of their wallets.
Colbert Calls Upon Nation To Crush Kanye [E!]
Read more posts by Mark Graham
Filed Under: Beef, Kanye west, stephen colbert
Twice last month, Posh Spice stepped out in one of the most coveted accessories of the fall 2009 season — the Balenciaga dual-tone T-strap sandals. Maybe it's the metallic heel with a double color infusion, or maybe it's the fact that these are guaranteed to make your legs look amazing, but we're drawn to these shoes, magnetically pulled to obsess over them since they hit the runway in February. Ten months later, we've followed up on the sales of the two colorways (peach/gray and black/gray) and found out they are sitting on the shelves of three stores this very moment, probably sad, frightened, and scared that they'll never see the light of day. But you can change that. Check out where they're stocked, prices, and available sizes after the jump. (And heads up: Barneys New York is selling them for 40 percent off. So, step to it.)
Barneys New York
Color: Only gray/black
Sizes: 7, 7.5, 9.5
Price: On sale for $745
Where: 660 Madison Ave., at 61st St. (212-826-8900); Mon.–Fri. (10–8), Sat. (10–7), Sun. (11–6).
Bergdorf Goodman
Color: Peach/gray and black/gray
Sizes: 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9 (peach); 7.5 and 8 (black)
Price: $1,245
Where: 754 Fifth Ave., at 57th St. (212-753-7300); Mon.–Fri. (10–8), Sat. (10–7), Sun. (noon–6).
Balenciaga
Color: Only peach/gray
Sizes: 8, 9, 10
Price: $1,245
Where: 542 W. 22nd St., nr. Tenth Ave. (212-206-0872); Mon.–Sat. (11–7), Sun. (noon–5).
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: balenciaga, barneys new york, bergdorf goodman, retail therapy, sales, shopping
Photographer Nikki S. Lee’s black-and-white works (on view at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. through January 10) are far tamer than her usual color self-portraits that have her in some suggestive or just plain salacious pose, imitating an imagined character from different ethnic subcultures. Here, these lead-heavy photographs — indeed they are photographs of sketches Lee commissioned from street portraitists around the world — are very Jason Bourne, like artful head shots the CIA might use to locate a rogue secret agent. Is Lee planning on retiring soon?
Read more posts by Emma Pearse
Filed Under: art, art candy, nikki s. lee
As we've noted, President-elect Barack Obama's family tree is complicated. Of his seven living half-siblings, the media has primarily paid attention to Maya Soetroro-Ng (daughter of Obama's late stepfather Lolo Soetoro), Auma Obama, and his estranged, Nairobi-dwelling brother, George Hussein Onyango Obama. But now, thanks to this Chinese news report — it's entirely in Mandarin in Cantonese — the world is getting its first look at Obama's half-brother Mark Ndesandjo, who has lived in Shenzen, China for the last few years (and speaks Mandarin). In addition to running an Internet company, World Nexus, Ndesandjo spends his days teaching orphans to play the piano and practicing calligraphy. So, basically, he makes most people look like lazy wastes of space, just like his half-brother.
News report on Obama's half-brother Mark Ndesandjo in Shenzhen, China [Shanghaiist]
Read more posts by Alisa Gould-Simon
Filed Under: barack obama, mark ndesandjo, the obama bunch
Last week Alex Rodriguez went to Madonna's concert in Miami, as you see at left. Sweet, right? And, perhaps, a little sticky (ew, sorry — seized that pun without thinking). The Glamorous Bee was struck by the manner in which Alex tied his scarf: the slipknot. The blogger writes, "Call me ignorant, but I didn't know men wore scarves in this manner," and notes Madonna takes to tying her scarves this way. Technically, a man can wear a scarf however he wants. Our country might be about to change, but it's still free. What's more striking to us about this photo, however, is that A-Rod paired his slipknotted scarf with a snug plaid vest and crisp (too crisp?) white shirt. So perhaps it's not the slipknot that's adding a certain, er, nuance to his vibe, but the combination of scarf and vest. Not to mention the neon tag around his neck. If he is taking cues from Madge on how to dress, is a sheer bodysuit next?
Alex Rodriguez: What Are You Wearing, Dude? [Glamorous Bee]
Read more posts by Amy Odell
Filed Under: alex rodriguez, madonna, menswear, sticky and sweet
The Mets just announced that their new Citi Field will still be called that, even though Citigroup, which agreed in 2006 to pay the Mets $400 million over twenty years for the naming rights, just got a big federal bailout. So, obviously, some people feel the new stadium should be called something like Taxpayers Field. But then Mets honcho Jeff Wilpon says this, weirdly: "Over time, the fans that we bring here will become Citi customers and Citi will thrive and be able to pay the money back to the government." Yeah, that's how capitalism works. [NY1]
Read more posts by Tim Murphy
Filed Under: bailouts, citigroup, neighborhood watch, queens, real estate
Little did Vulture know that when we wrote a toss-off line about Third Eye Blind in a post about KCRW's exiting music director Nic Harcourt last month (!) that it would turn into the hottest conversation topic on the site today (well, second hottest). While we're not entirely sure how the disciples of Stephen Jenkins found the post in question (fingers crossed that his ex Charlize Theron is somehow involved), we thought it would be the righteous thing to do to point all 3EB fans in the direction of this expanding discussion. After all, it's not every day (or even every decade) that people openly discuss the merits/drawbacks of the creators of one of the late nineties' most subversively catchy singles, is it? (Just for the record, our favorite Third Eye Blind moment came when the band appeared on an episode of Real World: Seattle Road Rules and challenged the dysfunctional cast to make a video for their paean to teenage suicide, "Jumper." Art!)
Earlier: Nic Harcourt Throws In ‘Eclectic’ Towel (a.k.a., a call to arms for Third Eye Blind fans)
Read more posts by Mark Graham
Filed Under: Apropos Of Nothing, music, stephen jenkins, third eye blind
AP - "No holds barred," Richard Nixon urges to David Frost as the two prepare to sit down for a series of interviews in 1977.
"I loved playing Skeletor, and people sometimes say, 'Aren't you embarrassed?' Not in the least! I loved my performance in that. I worked very hard to make him as exciting as I could. It was a great paycheck. But it was also delicious." — Frank Langella on his role in 1987's Masters of the Universe [USAT]
"[He's] a poor man's acting coach." —Vin Diesel on Samuel L. Jackson [Reuters/HR via Yahoo]
"I don't want to be normal. This is my childhood." —Dakota Fanning [WENN via Starpulse]
"Everybody knows who we are. You have to see us in league with The Rolling Stones now." —Noel Gallagher on Oasis [NME]
"I went out and got drunk, contemplated the whole thing and got over it." —James Cameron has overcome your expectations for his 3-D opus Avatar [AP via Starpulse]
"I don't really want people to walk out of the cinema wanting to be the Punisher." — Ray Stevenson on Punisher: War Zone [Sci Fi Wire]
Read more posts by Tammy Oler
Filed Under: dakota fanning, frank langella, james cameron, noel gallagher, quote machine, ray stevenson, vin diesel
Santa Claus takes off from the North Pole in just three weeks, which means you have only 21 days to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your nice list. And as much as we love the idea of "'tis better to give than receive," the whole ordeal can become really daunting and overwhelming. But stick with us and your season will indeed be merry. Two weeks ago we brought you 500 gifts for our annual holiday gift guide, and this week, we added 135 more last-minute gifts — from toys to accessories to clothes — that are surefire scores. Plus, our bargain radar is in high gear: 113 gifts are under $100, and 79 are under $50. Check out our top six picks after the jump.
Camera Belt
Price: $85
Why we like it: Made of ivory glass and featuring an old Kodak lens, this buckle has a vintage feel for a great alternative to status-quo leather.
Wool-Blend Lumberjack Cap
Price: $36
Why we like it: While the standard lumberjack look is red, this blue is a new take on the plaid trend.
Lilka Well Tended Chemise
Price: $58
Why we like it: The bright floral chemise injects some spring cheer into winter doldrums.
Oeuf Squeeze Me Mittens
Price: $60
Why we like it: Get this for any new mom — the white mittens sewn into the palms are for a little one to keep their hands warm while holding your hands. Aw.
Made Her Think Mirage Rings
Price: $115
Why we like it: Statement jewelry is a huge trend this year, and this affordable cocktail ring utilizes a subtle sparkle as opposed to large gems.
Graphic-Print Overnight Suitcase
Price: $95
Why we like it: Bid farewell to your dull duffel bag, boys.
Shop-A-Matic: 135 Last-Minute Gifts
Read more posts by Sharon Clott and Diana Tsui
Filed Under: retail therapy, sales, shopping
When Té Casan put all of their stock on sale in November, we thought we were in for some good deals. But the red flares went up when the prices kept plummeting — the company might take a turn for the worse. And it did. The store closed for good on November 30, the Sunday after Black Friday, an associate told us over the phone today. "The company folded," he said. "There's no more sale or store." The accompanying Website also shut down, employing a simple error message "We are currently updating our website," and it directs customers to call the now-defunct location to get the same news, only vocally. Té Casan, R.I.P. Now Natalie Portman will just have to take her vegan shoe line elsewhere.
Read more posts by Sharon Clott
Filed Under: shoes, shopping, shutterings, te casan
If last night’s Gotham Awards ceremony at Cipriani were any indication, the upcoming spate of year-end prize-giving will be a series of smooth, well-oiled affairs. With machinelike precision — are we sure these are independent filmmakers? — the unofficial kickoff to the 2008 movie-awards season began on time, ended on time, and pretty much went without a hitch. (We’ll assume they came in on budget, too.) Even host Aasif Mandvi, who bombed big early on with a painful and endless riff about how the election of Barack Obama was just a very stoned Allah’s idea of a joke on the U.S. (his “Allah voice” sounded like a cross between Gandhi and Cheech Marin), recovered quickly when he called the audience "the Joe Liebermans of filmmaking," to a chorus of appreciative boos. (You kind of had to be there.)
Hosted by the Independent Feature Project (IFP), the Gothams also appeared to have shed the identity crisis of the last several years. Yes, we all had a weird moment of clarity when the tribute reel for Penélope Cruz, one of the night’s honorees, reminded us that she was also in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Vanilla Sky. But the night’s other honorees were all spot-on: HBO Documentary head Sheila Nevins (who had the night’s best line when she playfully refused to thank her programmers “because we’ve all seen All About Eve”), director Gus Van Sant, and the estimable Melvin Van Peebles, who received a warm, extended standing ovation. The coveted Best Feature award went to Courtney Hunt’s acclaimed no-budget indie drama Frozen River, which isn’t exactly a hot Oscar Watch item, save perhaps for Melissa Leo’s lead performance, which the Gothams also rewarded. (It should be noted, however, that River won at Sundance and just yesterday bagged a whole crapload of Spirit nominations, so maybe we’re being too cynical.) The Documentary winner, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s Trouble the Water, probably has a better shot at an Oscar, since it’s already been short-listed by the Academy. You can see the rest of the winners here.
In truth, Vulture’s high point of the evening came early, when director Nina Paley won Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You for her unbelievably awesome animated film Sita Sings the Blues, which we touted in the Picture Palace and elsewhere earlier this year. Paley also happened to be one of our tablemates, and we were disconcerted to learn that, despite critical acclaim and a number of awards, Sita may remain undistributed. The problem? While the recordings of the lovely Annette Henshaw songs throughout the film are in the public domain, their lyrics, evidently, are not. And the rights holders are asking for extortionate prices — apparently unable to comprehend the fact that Paley’s film is the biggest and most compelling marketing tool they’ll ever have for these works. (You can learn more about Paley’s film and her travails here.) Still, we hope she enjoys her award — especially since it carries with it a $15,000 cash prize.
Read more posts by Bilge Ebiri
Filed Under: asif mandvi, frozen river, gotham awards, martin van peebles, melissa leo, movies, nina paley, penelope cruz, sita sings the blues
Tagline: "A real revolutionary goes where he is needed."
Translation: Real revolutionaries don't need no stinking bathroom breaks.
The Verdict: Just in time for Che to make a one-week, Oscar-qualifying pit stop in selected theaters in New York and Los Angeles (at the Ziegfield and the Landmark, respectively) before opening nationally in late January, IFC has finally decided to release a trailer for the Steven Soderbergh opus that manages to boil the four-hour epic into its purest two minutes and 28 seconds. As the iconic image of Che Guevara that you've seen on the chests of millions of confused collegians everywhere dissolves into a clip of Benicio del Toro enjoying a fine cigar, viewers are swept through a few minutes' worth of visually striking scenes that show Che alternately fighting in jungles and stirring up the revolutionary spirit with denizens of Cuba and Bolivia. Heavy-handed and overly simplistic summations ("He was an inspiration / Behind a revolution") accompany a score filled with equal amounts of tension-filled violin plucking and soaring orchestral arrangements, signaling to all that this is a film to be taken seriously. However, we're not sure that this trailer works hard enough to convince audiences to make the bold choice to commit to sitting in a dark theater for four hours next weekend, with or without an intermission break. After all, we are still plagued by nightmares of recovering from the last movie of this length that we were forced to endure, the butt-numbing display of hubris that was Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. Regardless, we'll be there next week and likely again in early January, when we'll be able to take more frequent bathroom breaks digest the film's breadth in the comfort of our own home through the magic of On Demand.
Read more posts by Mark Graham
Filed Under: Benicio del Toro, Che, movies, Steven Soderbergh, Trailer Mix
Reuters - "Hallmark Hall of Fame" productions are typically feel-good, life-affirming movies that put a dent in your supply of tissues. But not all of them are rendered as perfectly as CBS' "Front of the Class," an especially touching story of a young man who would not let Tourette's syndrome keep him from what he loved most: teaching.
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