Read more posts by Doria Santlofer and Amina Akhtar

Filed Under: 31 phillip lim, alexander wang, calvin klein, derek lam, donna karan, fall 2009, jason wu, marc jacobs, michael kors, narciso rodriguez, new york rundown, oscar de la renta, phi, preen, proenza schouler, ralph lauren, rodarte, slideshow, trends

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 10:25 pm

Rapper Doom Confuses and Excites Us

A steady stream of leaks have prefaced Born Like This, the new studio album from the mysterious rapper Doom (né MF), making us believe this thing will actually come out next month as promised; “Cellz,” the latest track to surface, is the best of the prerelease bunch. Doom ignores the progressively more insane social lament intro (“Radiated men will eat the flesh of radiated men”?) to drop the most breathless, hyperactive chunk of his third-person, free-associative garble-flow we’ve ever heard. Delivered over evil horn stabs and the requisite comic-book voice-over samples, nearly every line’s a cracked-out winner. A randomly selected highlight: “Revelations in Braille / respiration, inhale / view nations fail in shaking of a snake tail.”

Read more posts by Amos Barshad

Filed Under: born like this, doom, mf doom, music, right-click

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 10:15 pm

Bag Ladies Rejoice: Fashion Week’s Top Ten Handbags

Oscar de la Renta

Fall's clothes took a walk on the fun side, and they had the accessories to match. This fall, bags are studded, printed, textured, and ... functional. Think roomy interiors, laptop cases, and clutches that actually fit things. Alexander Wang added several gold studs to his black tote, while his mentor Diane Von Furstenberg tacked quadruple the amount of metallic charms on her small black purse. And though Donna Karan may have sworn off using anything animal in her collections, she still featured animal print, debuting a cheetah clutch at DKNY and a brown alligator-embossed case at Donna Karan. For these and the rest of our top ten bags of New York Fashion Week, click ahead.

Read more posts by Doria Santlofer and Sharon Clott

Filed Under: alexander wang, bag ladies, bags, devi kroell, diane von furstenberg, dkny, donna karan, fall 2009, fashion week fall 2009, isaac mizrahi, marc by marc jacobs, marc jacobs, new york fashion week, new york rundown, oscar de la renta, slideshow, trends

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 10:10 pm

Gillibrand’s Aides Not Too Impressed With Her Soliloquies

The New York Times brings us the story today of a little problem Senator Gillibrand is having. Apparently, she has this tendency to answer questions at lengths inappropriate for a United States Senator — as in, longer than a soundbite. During a meeting with some Brooklyn students a couple of weeks ago, Gillibrand's aides twice passed notes to the school's principal, asking her to interrupt Gillibrand and move on.

The Observer has reported on a similar incident before. On January 30th, in an off-the-record meeting with "influential liberal columnists and consultants," Gillibrand was handed a note by one of her aides during an especially long answer regarding the economy. Oddly enough, she "stopped in the middle of the answer and read the note, which instructed her to move on, out loud. She moved on." One of Gillibrand's former staffers has taken to calling these her "soliloquies." Clearly her staff doesn't like them, but shouldn't we appreciate it when our politicians are capable of expounding on a subject intelligently for more than twenty seconds, instead of trying to shut them up?

Gillibrand Prefers Soliloquy to Sound Bite [NYT]

Read more posts by Dan Amira

Filed Under: gilli-brand management, hamlet, kirsten gillibrand, politics

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 10:00 pm

Hugh Jackman On Fire This Week

Hugh Jackman's Australia just cracked $36.8 million in his native country and became the second-highest-grossing movie in Australia ever, trailing only Crocodile Dundee. [News.com.au]

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: australia, hugh jackman, movies

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:45 pm

Halle Berry’s Fragrance Drops Next Week; the Great Debate Over Gray Lips

Notice the curls!

HAIR
• It seems like we can't go a day without mentioning Michelle Obama's style, but we must give credit where due. And last night, her hair looked amazing. That is all. [Jezebel]

FRAGRANCE
• Halle Berry's fragrance hits stores next week. Can it outsell Jenna Jameson's, which also comes with a poster of her? We hope so. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]

• In the new behind-the-scenes video of Kylie Minogue's fragrance, Couture, her creative director divulges that the clothes she wears in the campaign are inspired by the bottle package — an oval. [Now Smell This]

SKIN
• Did you know that Dimethicone is an FDA-approved ingredient that's used in moisturizers as a barrier, typically in products used to treat eczema? And that it's also found in products that waterproof leather boots? [NYT]

MAKEUP
• Glamour doesn't think the gray-lip trend we saw on the New York runways, like Doo.Ri and Rodarte, will take off. We disagree — something has to pick up where black lipstick left off. [Beauty Department/Glamour]

Read more posts by Sharon Clott

Filed Under: beauty, beauty marks, fragrance, hair, halle berry, makeup, michelle obama, skin

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:40 pm

LOST RECAP: If Locke Is Jesus, Then Who Was Jesus?

This is a recap of Lost Season 5, Episode 7 entitled "The Life And Death Of Jeremy Bentham," originally airing February 25th, 2009. If you haven't seen the episode yet, then don't read on, cause I spoil Top Chef too for good measure. LOVE LOCKEDOWN The episode opens on a group of new islanders from the Ajiba Airlines crash, 'led' by Caesar (I never thought the guy standing behind Jack in line at the airport last week who the camera focused on for eighty minutes would've ended up being significant!), who is called over to speak to a man in a Snuggie that's quickly revealed to be Locke. Locke fires up some "lookin' back" music and tells the the tale of his death, beginning with his "exit" from the island that took him from the frozen donkey wheel straight to Tunisia; this explains Ben winding up in the desert last season, as well as the polar bear bones discovered by Charlotte, and also proves that the Lost writers aren't above yanking ideas from Being John Malkovich. Locke is quickly rescued by Charles Widmore's team of Indiana Jones extras and taken to a hospital to have his leg re-set, where a suspiciously congenial Charlie Wids butters him up with talk about his importance and how he must return the Oceanic Six to the island so he can lead The Others. He gives Locke the subtle philosophy-referencing alias "Socrates Nietzsche" and sends him after the Oceanics accompanied by 2008 Shady Character Of The Year Runner-Up Matthew, along with a detailed portfolio of everyone's current location consisting solely of a photograph of Sayid on a roof. Locke is rejected one after the other by Sayid, Kate, and Hurley (I was expecting it to turn into a wacky movie trailer where Locke keeps getting slapped in the face by different girls while a song from The Nutcracker plays), and just when you thought "oh great, next comes the same scene again with Locke getting rejected by Sun," Matthew gets shot to hell by Ben-shaped bullets and Locke dives into his car and speeds away, only to immediately cause a 4,815,162,342 vehicle pileup. Was Ben only shooting at Matthew, or was Locke target #2? We get some confusing answers in a later scene... BEN HANGIN' AROOOOOUND THIS TOWN, GONNA STRANGLE YOU WITH AN EXTENSION CORD After not even coming close to convincing any of the Oceanics to return, Locke decides to retain some dignity by hanging himself with an extension cord in a skanky motel room. Ben bursts in just in time to save Locke and informs him that Jack bought a plane ticket to Australia (though he offers no proof) and that Locke's plan is working, then Ben strangles Locke to death with the extension cord, because he's Ben. This begs the question -- what did Ben learn between saving Locke and finishing the deed that made him pull the "not killing you" 180? Locke did mention that he knew Ms. Hawking, who Ben also claims he "knows," and also reveals that Jin is still alive but Locke promised that he wouldn't bring Sun back (thus confirming that Ben intentionally left this information out when showing Sun the wedding ring). Perhaps Ben realized that Locke's methods never would've convinced the other five, so he took matters into his own hands, eventually doing whatever shady crap resulted in Kate and Hurley showing up to the Ajira flight scared out of their minds and mysteriously eager to return islandward. LOVE LOCKEDOWN Crap, I already used that headline for the first section? It's way more applicable to this one. Well, there it is twice, in all its lazy glory. Prior to Matthew's death, back when he was in the car with Locke, Matthew transforms into an online spam ad and asks Locke if he'd like him to look up anyone from Locke's high school class to see where they are now, or if he'd like to meet horny singles in the LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA area. Locke is reluctant at first, but then reveals that he'd like to see "Helen," the "only girl who ever loved him," as per a conversation with Kate. Matthew pretends he can't find the girl after realizing he's gone five minutes without saying something shady, then finally brings Locke to a cemetery to "meet" Helen. Helen died of a brain aneurysm and is buried there, we learn; they didn't just choose to meet in person at a cemetery. Though that would've been an unexpected/stupid twist. Anywhooozz... The conversation briefly turns philosophical when Matthew brings Locke's destiny back into the equation, saying that Helen would've been dead anyway if Locke had stayed with her, but that his purpose must continue; apparently, Widmore, Ben, and Alpert all share the same philosophy regarding Locke's destiny and all seek to return the Six to the island, yet Ben and Widmore remain opposites and rivals. Could it be that both Ben and Widmore wanted to return to the island but traveling with the Oceanic Six (or Five) is the only way, and Ben merely intercepted Widmore's plan and succeeded in it by being way more aggressive and evil? (B)END REVEAL The episode concludes with a bloodied refugee-Ben in Caesar's medical tent and the reborn Locke standing over him. This means that Ben was not among those who warp-whistled from the plane onto the island, as Hurley, Kate, and Jack did, but simply landed on the island via the physical plane crash like the new other-others (formers?). Last night, Ben also broke the television record for "Most Episodes Covered In Fake Blood," previously held by Tonight Show host Jack Paar (weird, right?) Perhaps the Oceanic flight was merely one of a series of intentional "get back to the island" crashes, and the original castaways occupied the roles that Caesar and his confused companions are currently filling, while someone else was doing an intentional warp-return to the island? And Christian Shepherd was the former Locke? The plane crashes seem awwwwfully similarrrrrr... The other lingering question -- what is this important "work" Locke has to do once he gets back to the island. "Lead" The Others? To do what? Chill on the island? In the Season finale, is Alpert just gonna be like "THANK YOU for returning, Locke -- we've been wanting to set up this fantasy baseball league for a while now, but you're the only one with the Yahoo login. Tom kept saying he was gonna start one but he was super lazy, then he got killed..." As usual, leave all episode thoughts, theories, leftover Top Chef animosity in the comments!
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:35 pm

Elie Wiesel Has an Idea for How to Punish Madoff

Holocaust-surviving, Nobel-Peace-Prize–winning author Elie Wiesel, who lost $15.2 million of his charity's money to Bernie Madoff, doesn't think any normal old jail time will be sufficient punishment for the Ponzi-schemer. "He should be put in a solitary cell with a screen, and on the screen, for at least five years of his life, [would be] pictures of his victims," Wiesel said during a panel discussion on Madoff at the 21 Club. We don't know why Wiesel wants to end this psychological torture after only five years, but may we suggest that for the remainder of Madoff's confinement, the screen should show a continuous loop of this video:

[NYP]

Read more posts by Dan Amira

Filed Under: bernie madoff, elie wiesel, made-off

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:30 pm

Milan loses fashion appetite (AP)

AP - Things are quite quiet in this once bustling fashion city. Just a year ago hotels were bursting at the seams during fashion week, and a trendy meal meant reserving weeks ahead of time.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:27 pm

Missoni knits her way out of current crisis (AP)

AP - Angela Missoni, heir to the famed knitting needle Missoni family, knows that a cozy woolen item gives both warmth and comfort.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:18 pm

Gianfranco Ferre owner seeks bankruptcy protection (AP)

AP - The IT Holding company, which owns the Gianfranco Ferre fashion house, sought bankruptcy protection from its creditors Thursday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:17 pm

Eliot Spitzer Is Holding Court Again

In between the anniversary of his $4,300 transaction with Ashley Dupré (Feb 13) and the anniversary of his resignation as governor (March 12), Eliot Spitzer has decided he’s ready to come out of hiding. His appearance at Tuesday's Not State of the Union viewing party held in the E. 63rd St. home of Emily and Len Blavatnik and hosted by The Atlantic, Celerie Kemble, and Boykin Curry, seemed to be a clear toe-dipping back into the pool of public life. Or more than a toe-dip: after the speech the disgraced former governor took the mike to give the room his assessment of it, and engaged in a little friendly barbing with former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld. At no point did anyone — including Daily Intel, we're ashamed to say — acknowledge the elephant in the room. Is it possible to get taken seriously in a domestic-policy debate without at least joking about how you lost your job as New York’s tough-on-crime governor due to your involvement in an illegal prostitution ring? Apparently so. After the jump, Spitzer on everything, except, of course, what we really care about.

On the emotional impact of seeing Obama speak before Congress:
“This is one of those rare moments that make you proud and says, ‘We have shown the world what we can do.’”

On why he thinks the speech didn’t work:
“The issue with this speech is for me, once again, he is aspirationally brilliant. Exquisite speech, and programatically on point, but the execution is going to be UNBELIEVABLY difficult. He talked about the auto industry and General Motors. I looked at General Motors’ plan this past weekend and I don’t think there’s a prayer that they accomplish it. There are assumptions and presumptions about the auto market that are not real. More automobiles were sold in China over the last month than in the United States of America. We are losing our position as the largest market, the largest creator of intellectual capital.”

On what's to blame for the current crisis:
"Yes we have the CEOs with the jets, but at a larger level, it begins with hypocrisy, with those who have led us to the precipice … They took everything in sight and violated their fundamental fiduciary obligation to shareholders, employees, and consumers. That is not what capitalism is about. The abandonment of the rules of capitalism and the abandonment of what makes the market work is what permitted it. And that’s, unfortunately, what President Bush came to stand for."

On the dangers of populism:
“I’m pretty fearful of populism, because populism is not the answer. The answer is a market. And what we had before was a perversion of a market, without enough regulation. But what I’m just as fearful of on the other side is those who believe that government can articulate a market by dictating what CEOs should earn. There is a rational response that says, 'How do you make a market work?' And bizarrely enough, there’s an article about public education having income-pegged loans, so you repay your higher-education loans based on your earnings. So you’re not worried about tuition going in. You say, I can go to Harvard, I can go to SUNY Bingleton and pay X percentage of it next year. So I can be a teacher or I can be a partner at Goldman Sachs, but I can go to school and take out loans. This can work. They do it in Europe, they do it in Australia. Jim Tobin tried it at Yale. It didn’t work for some technical reasons, but there are answers out there that are not populist answers, nor are the libertarian answers.”

On his past stance as a foe of Wall Street:
"It’s not a matter of vindication, or being right or wrong. Look, I’ve seen the peaks and the valleys of public service. You just try to do your best. I look back and I say, look, I spent a decade. I was lucky to be there for a decade. I tried hard."

On jogging:
"The problem is my hamstring. My hamstring and my calf muscle. I’m 49. I turn 50 in six months. I now act like the people I used to laugh at. [Now] I work out in different ways. I get out there when I can but it’s a little slower and not quite as far as I used to go."

On what he's up to:
"We’ll see. I’m writing for Slate, which I enjoy. I’m happy to be working with my dad in the family business, and now I’m spending more time with my family, which is something that I should have been doing more of over the last couple of years."

That part about hypocrisy was pretty good, right?

Read more posts by Jada Yuan

Filed Under: barack obama, early and often, eliot spitzer, politics

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:10 pm

Armani combats gloom with modest extravagance (AP)

AP - Giorgio Armani, superb designer but also consummate business man, knows how to sell clothes.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:08 pm

Does Watchmen Stand a Chance With Non-Fanboys?

Well, the geeks have had their say, but how is Watchmen, really? This morning, finally, we got our first official, impartial reviews of Zack Snyder's opus. So is it as good as Harry Knowles says? And what will your non-comic-reading boyfriend or girlfriend think?

Both trades weighed in on Watchmen today, and while Hollywood Reporter's review is the more negative one, their quibbles are the same: It's too much like the comic. Watchmen is "undone by its own reverence," says Variety's Justin Chang:

There’s no question that “Watchmen” reps some sort of ultimate fanboy’s delight. Whether it’s Dreiberg’s flying owl ship or the staggering glass palace Dr. Manhattan conjures up on Mars, the filmmakers have spared no expense in their mission to visualize every last frame ... Yet, there’s simply no room for these characters and stories to breathe of their own accord, and even the most fastidiously replicated scenes can feel glib and truncated.

Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt is even more damning:

[Watchmen's] costumed superheroes, operating in an alternative 1985, are seriously screwed up — and so is their movie ... If you're not already invested in these characters because of the original graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, nothing this movie does is likely to change that predicament ... Snyder and writers David Hayter and Alex Tse never find a reason for those unfamiliar with the graphic novel to care about any of this nonsense. And it is nonsense. When one superhero has to take a Zen break, he does so on Mars. Of course he does.

So what of Watchmen's commercial prospects? "After a victorious opening weekend, the pic’s B.O. future looks promising but uncertain," says Variety. Says HR: "Looks like we have the first real flop of 2009." This all sounds okay to us, though — we liked the comic, plus our girlfriend still owes us one for Mamma Mia!.

Film Review: Watchmen [HR]
Watchmen [Variety]

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: movies, watchmen, zack snyder

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:00 pm

Men Now Wearing Tighter Pants to Get Women to Stare at Their Posteriors

Today, the New York Times "Styles" section identifies a cultural shift in America that has been a meme of this blog since its inception a little over a year ago: hot men are meant to be ogled. Increasingly, men are dressing in such a way as to lure the female gaze in their direction, particularly their lower half. Whereas American men once wore pants with a seat that could sail a boat, they now gravitate toward a slimmer cut that they once thought was purely European. The new pant is neither tight nor baggy, but just right, as illustrated here by hottie of the moment, Hugh Jackman.

But since all that really matters is the economy these days, let's take a look at how the New Tight Pant has driven sales. New York–based Bonobos advertises its New Tight Pant in simple straight-dude speak as "awesome fitting trousers." The Times has the company's backstory:

Three years ago, Brian Spaly was just another guy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, who in his spare time altered his saggy, baggy pants on his girlfriend’s sewing machine to fit better. (You know, like we all did.) He made and sold a few pair to friends, several of whom came back for more. A school friend, Andy Dunn, saw business potential, and in 2007, the company went online.

The pants range from $110 to $310 and come in lightweight wool, corduroy, and cashmere but fit like jeans thanks to "a novel curved waistband, a medium rise, a narrow-cut thigh and a couple of well-placed darts above each cheek," the Times explains. But back to the economy: While most retailers ate it this last holiday season, Bonobos made a small killing. Sales increased each month from $163,000 in August to $270,000 in December, with the average customer purchasing four pairs. So, flailing retailers, you want to get shoppers back into stores? Stock up on tight man pants. May as well up-sell mirdles while you've got their attention.

A New Angle on Trousers [NYT]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: bonobos, bottoms up, hugh jackman, menswear, pants

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 9:00 pm

Cyndi Lauper Applauds Madonna’s Tadpoling

At "Defying Inequality: the Broadway Concert for Equal Rights," the other night, nubile young New York intern Ross Urken asked Cyndi Lauper what she thought about Madonna's post-divorce flings with youthful boy toys like A-Rod and Jesus Luz, and Cyndi, who takes equal rights extremely seriously, set him straight. "What's your issue?" she demanded. "You know how many old geezers do you see with young women. What's the double standard? Who cares? You know, they're both adults. Who cares? What's good for the goose is good for the gander." Oh, obviously; girls, they want to have fun.

Read more posts by Ross Kenneth Urken

Filed Under: cyndi lauper, party lines

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:34 pm

Paul Greenwood Is Never Going to Live This Teddy Bear Thing Down

They have matching bow-ties!

Quiz: What do you think Paul Greenwood, 61, is most embarrassed about right now?

a) That he, the town supervisor of North Salem in Westchester, was convicted of a $553 million fraud and his life as a horsey Connecticut gentleman was revealed to be a total lie.
b) That said fraud was lumped together in all the papers with like three other frauds, and in half of them Bernie Madoff gets top billing.
c) That it has been widely revealed that not only did Greenwood squander the money on ponies, he spent at least $80,000 on teddy bears. In fact, according to the Post "he and his wife are believed to own the world's largest collection of rare Steiffs — 1,350 of them."

Aw. We bet that has nothing to do with his childhood.

BERNIE & THE DOMINOS [NYP]
Pair Lived Large on Fraud [WSJ]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: bernie madoff, fraud, Old Crime, paul greenwood

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:30 pm

Capsule reviews of `Jonas Brothers,' other films (AP)

AP - Capsule reviews of films opening this week:
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:19 pm

What’s 4 Inches Tall, Weighs 1 Pound, and Is Begging to Be Eaten Alive?

This guy:

After the jump, a photo of a creature who also falls under this titles guidelines... ORBIT THE ORPHANED OWL. Seriously, I will gladly lactate mama's milk into his tiny beak and then wear each of these bastards in a nursing bra, flaps down:
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:19 pm

Review: `Crossing Over' a contrived tale (AP)

AP - The best we can say is that writer-director Wayne Kramer means well with "Crossing Over" — he means to put a human face on the unwieldy and divisive topic of illegal immigration.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:18 pm

Fug Girls: Forecasting the Final Season of The Hills From a Single Trailer

The painful genius of The Hills is that it never gives us time to forget. With uncanny timing on Tuesday, just as we were marveling about how gloriously long it's been since we cared what Spencer is doing, the MTV crackmongers dropped a new trailer onto the Interwebs that sucked us right back into the show's soapy vortex. The clip carries most of the same hallmarks of previous iterations — Audrina failing to make proper eye contact with anything, eloquent quotes ("I mean, what's next? Like, what, really, what's next?"), and serious, sob-induced mascara tracks — but with one extra catch: the distinct air of a series coming to an end. So we fired up our tried-and-true (well … tried, anyway) Hills-Montage Defragging Machine to see if we can weed the real drama out of the spit-shined, and possibly very final, hype. Watch and join us.

THE PSYCHIC
What They Want Us to Think: A wise sage with second sight who lives under a rock takes one look at Lauren and understands her situation with Heidi.
What's Really Going to Happen: An actress who just watched a Hills marathon shuffles some Tarot cards and sums up the last four seasons while Lauren tugs on her braid and feigns awe at her grasp of the cosmos. We’d prefer if the psychic said something totally random, like, "You're going to rediscover roller skates and ponchos, and also, enjoy those nachos you're having for breakfast tomorrow morning," but since she probably has scripts in front of her, we suspect that is unlikely.

LO, AUDRINA, AND LC
What They Want Us to Think: After last season’s uneasy truce, the girls move out of the house and on to an uncertain — yet surely glamorous and Louboutin-filled — future.
What's Really Going to Happen: The girls vacate the manse — which Audrina left ages ago, so we have no idea why she even cares — because the shot of an LC closing the door behind her makes a good episode ending (plus someone is sick of paying the mortgage). They continue to see each other at brunches marked primarily by long silences, and cocktail hours at which people cry and scream at each other to be heard over lyrically on-the-nose music that, conveniently, you can purchase on iTunes. No one gets a new job or ever meets anyone new.

THE CONTINUING DOUCHEBAGGERY OF SPENCER PRATT
What They Want Us to Think: Spencer acts gross; Heidi gets upset.
What's Really Going to Happen: Spencer acts gross; Heidi gets upset (we've been to this rodeo before), but doesn't dump him, because she can't until Us Weekly has either paid for their lavish TV wedding or given her a million bucks for a "Why I Left Him" cover, or both. But at least it looks like someone punches the evil Pratt in the meantime. Bonus good news: Spencer appears to have shaved his goatee. FINALLY.

HEIDI'S PARENTS
What They Want Us to Think: After the drama of the pretend Mexico wedding, Heidi's betrayed mother has forgiven her enough to offer her an objective ear about her problems with Spencer.
What's Really Going to Happen: Pshaw. That glimmer of hope in Mama Montag's eye is impossible to disguise. The woman clearly prays every night that Spencer will self-immolate, leaving her daughter free to hook up with someone who doesn't make her relatives grind down their teeth in repressed rage. We spend the season pitying her poor family, as usual.

LAUREN AND HEIDI
What They Want Us to Think: Are these two star-crossed drama queens finally going to patch things up?
What's Really Going to Happen: Heidi decides to eat a little crow, moping around over Lauren so she can win points in the court of public opinion while also, hopefully, making LC look like a cold fish. Meanwhile, LC gratefully peppers the entire season full of Profound Musings that are specifically scripted to make the teasers interesting. Not for nothing does her comment to Brody about Speidi — "After everything that’s gone down, the two people that they burned are the only two people they have to call" — evoke her infamous and presumably equally rehearsed dig at Heidi, "I want to forgive you and I want to forget you." That being said, we think it is possible that Lauren and Heidi may in fact kiss and make up — if Spencer allows it — because it would provide such a tidy ending to their shared narrative arc.

AUDRINA AND JUSTIN BOBBY:
What They Want Us to Think: BUT WHERE IS JUSTIN BOBBY?
What’s Really Going to Happen: Just because you can’t see him doesn’t mean he’s not there. Justin Bobby is like a cockroach: The Hills could be hit with a nuclear bomb and he would crawl out of the rubble just in time to tell Audrina something that sounds really deep but is actually meaningless, and then convince her to take off her top. Expect him to saunter in by the third or fourth episode, possibly wearing a fedora, likely without having washed his hair, and definitely getting to third base before she dumps him in favor of an open-ended finale that could yield a spinoff. God help us all.

For more of the Fug Girls, check out Go Fug Yourself.

Read more posts by The Fug Girls

Filed Under: audrina patridge, heidi montag, lauren conrad, mtv, new york fugging city, reality tv, spencer pratt, the hills

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:15 pm

Due to Time Constraints, Concert Audiences Will Miss Out on the Wisdom of Def Leppard Singer Joe Elliot

"We're going out with three bands, which limits the amount of time we can play to about 90 minutes. When you do your greatest hits and some new material or extra stuff you might throw in, you have got to push and shove and clamp down. No big long speeches from moi.” —Joe Elliot on Def Leppard's upcoming summer tour [Billboard]

"If I could just do anything, like if they handed me the keys to the kingdom, I'd probably want to do a very hard, insane fantasy sci-fi CGI musical. Musical gets in there every time."—Joss Whedon on the project of his dreams [TV Guide]

"Stevie's albums and his songs became the soundtrack of my youth. And through them I found peace and inspiration, especially in difficult times. I think it's fair to say that if I was not a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me. We might not have married. So the fact that we agreed on Stevie, was part of the essence of our courtship." —President Obama on the man who brought Michelle and him together [PBS via Guardian UK]

"They told me what they had planned just before the last couple of episodes I filmed. I was a little disappointed, but what a way to go, huh? I think it’s ironic to have survived five years on The Sopranos and then to be whacked on the second season of Damages. Bummer, right?" —Tom Aldridge on the death of his Damages character, Uncle Pete [LAT]

"This is not a therapy show; it's a comedy show. After nine years of marriage, I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich." —Jerry Seinfeld on his new reality show, Marriage [USAT]

"There's going to be an episode where you get to see this aggressive tendency. With CSI, you can never worry about being too dark." —Laurence Fishburne on releasing Dr. Raymond Langston's dark side on this season's CSI [TV Guide]

Read more posts by Emma Pearse

Filed Under: barack obama, def leppard, jerry seinfeld, joe elliot, joss whedon, laurence fishburne, stevie wonder, tom aldridge

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 8:00 pm

"Slumdog Millionaire" child actors returned to Mumbai Thursday to a heroes' welcome. Duration: 01:07

"Slumdog Millionaire" child actors are returning to Mumbai Thursday to a heroes' welcome after helping the film to sweep the Oscars at the weekend. The movie won eight Oscars including best film. Hundreds...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:50 pm

Robin Williams headed for Broadway

Front Page: Comedian taking 'Weapons' tour to Neil Simon -- Robin Williams will bring his standup to Broadway in the spring when the tour of his solo show "Weapons of Self-Destruction" gets a short stint at the Neil Simon Theater.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:47 pm

Niall Ferguson: ‘People Just Have to Get Over the Fact That Their Wealth Wasn't Worth What They Thought it Was’

Look, and he's laughing!

We cringed when saw the headline "There Will Be Blood" above an interview with financial historian Niall Ferguson this morning. We've talked to him ourselves before, and know what a cold-blooded demon of doom the man can be. Nervously, we clicked on the link, expecting the renowned financial historian to describe how we are fated to repeat the horrors of the early- and-mid-twentieth century.

There was some brain-chilling stuff in there, as the historian-turned-futurist warned of worldwide civil wars, the toppling of governments, and other gruesome conflicts.

However: no World War III!

"It's just that I don't see it producing anything comparable with 1914 or 1939. It's kind of hard to envisage a world war. Even when most pessimistic, I struggle to see how that would work, because the U.S., for all its difficulties in the financial world, is so overwhelmingly dominant in the military world"

We love it when people struggle with their pessimism. It's what gives the Downturnaround life. Ferguson struggled some more, too, to the point where he almost started to sound ... well, we won't say optimistic. Let's say, manageably pessimistic. The United States ought to be spared the worst, he opined, much as we might deserve it:

"It's almost paradoxical that an American crisis ... reinforces the status of the United States as a safe haven," he said.

Then he started to go really crazy!

"There are some fantastic investment opportunities that pretty soon are going to start attracting buyers ... "

We felt like we felt when we watched our 80-year-old uncle taking his first tentative steps to "Baby Got Back" after too many glasses of Chablis at a wedding: Alarmed, but proud of the old bugger! He went on:

We're looking at a Great Recession, not a Great Depression ... People just have to get over the fact that their wealth wasn't worth what they thought it was in 2006. Whether it's their stock market portfolio or their housing. If we simply go back to where we were, in 2005, that's surely not the worst thing that could happen to us.

The Downturnaround will take it! We gave up on 2006 a long time ago, and the idea of 2005 is positively thrilling. It's the thirties that we're not in any hurry to revisit.

There Will Be Blood [The Globe and Mail via Infectious Greed]

Read more posts by Hugo Lindgren

Filed Under: business, niall ferguson, The Downturnaround, the economy, the great depression, the great recession

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:45 pm

T Magazine Downsizes

The New York Times will now only publish twelve issues of T style magazine a year, down from fifteen. At least it didn't get canned completely, like Play, the sports supplement that closed last year because of poor advertising. Which yet again proves that in the centuries'-old war between fashion and sports, fashion always wins. [NYP]

Update: A New York Times spokeswoman has clarified T is scaling back to 13 issues a year, not 12 as the Post reported. She explained T publishes four fashion issues a year and two of those will be absorbed into the regular New York Times Sunday magazine.

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: media deathwatch, new york times, t

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:40 pm

Cate Blanchett is to star in 'Robin Hood' remake

Oscar-winning Australian icon Cate Blanchett, seen here in 2008, is to play Maid Marian in a Robin Hood remake starring Russell Crowe, entertainment industry press reported Thursday.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:32 pm

Shock: Rick Rubin to Work With Columbia-Signed Artist

Despite recent criticism over his performance, Rick Rubin is still, as far as we know, the co-head of Columbia Records. For how much longer this will be the case, we do not know. But at least he's taking a rare break from his busy schedule of producing hit albums for other labels to work with an artist signed to his own company!

The act in question would be Clipse, whose next album, Til the Casket Drops, is due for a late-summer release. Rubin has produced one track for the duo so far, and is planning on doing a couple more in the next few weeks.

The bearded one working with Clipse is notable for a few reasons: First, because hip-hop productions from the Def Jam founder have been extremely rare since the late eighties (it's pretty much just been "99 Problems," a one-off Nike-promo single, and, uh, a track on Crunk Juice). Second, because Clipse's deal with Columbia is a 50-50 profit-sharing one — and because the group's critically beloved 2008 album Hell Hath No Fury sold about thirteen copies — he's definitely doing it more for love than to make money (for either him or the label he runs). And third, because it's given us this incredible photo.

So is this Rubin's attempt to get out of the dog house? Or, since he's reportedly never in the office, was he just unaware that Clipse is signed to Columbia?

Rick Rubin joins the Clipse in the studio [Popwatch/EW]

Earlier: Failing Record-Label Exec Wins Grammy for His Moonlighting Gig

Read more posts by Amos Barshad

Filed Under: clipse, columbia records, music, rick rubin

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:30 pm

Samuel Jackson has signed long-tern deal for "Iron Man"

US actor Samuel L. Jackson, seen here in 2007, has signed a long-term deal to play Marvel superhero Fury in a slew of upcoming films including the sequel to 2008 hit "Iron Man," reports said Thursday.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:22 pm

John McCain Is Personally Using Twitter

Brave new world.

Although seemingly every journalist and politician now feels compelled to share their every thought and experience via the magic of Twitter, we never expected the trend would reach John McCain. Keep in mind, this is the same man who, during the campaign, admitted, "I don't e-mail, I've never felt the particular need to e-mail," and whose aide once had to assure the public, "John McCain is aware of the Internet." But it's true! McCain is getting with the times, and not only has a Twitter page, but, supposedly, personally bangs out his own tweets, sort of. "YEs!! I am twittering on my blackberry but not without a little help!" reads one unnecessarily enthusiastic tweet from this morning, prompted by God knows what. Who knows how much help he gets — he definitely didn't figure out Internet shorthands like "ICYMI" on his own. Give the man some credit though, he's come a long, long way.

McCain 2.0: Senator on Twitter, with a new BlackBerry to boot [Political Ticker/CNN]

Read more posts by Dan Amira

Filed Under: john mccain, mavericks, politics, technology, twitter

Source: Daily Intel | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:20 pm

Best Week Ever? More Like Best Slumdog Millionaire Cameo Ever.

Tomorrow night, the Best Week Ever with Paul F. Tompkins Oscar Special will premiere on VH1 at an all new time! 10 PM ET/9 PM Central! How serious is this special? Well, don't listen to us... listen to the STARS OF THE F**KING MOVIE THAT WON BEST PICTURE OH SNAP:

Could Dev Patel and Freida Pinto BE any more adorable? Clearly.
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:08 pm

New book a novel attempt to resurrect Sam Spade (AP)

AP - "Spade & Archer" (Alfred A. Knopf, 337 pages, $24), by Joe Gores: Breathing new life into an iconic character created by a long-dead author is a risky business that requires both skill and daring.

Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:07 pm

Barack Obama Dabbles in Risky Neckwear, Tim Geithner Goes All Out

On the left, Barack's silver splendor, on the right, Geithner's bright might.

Last night the Obamas awarded Stevie Wonder the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Ho ho, but the fun didn't stop there. Though reporters have previously noted that Barack only wears red or blue ties, last night he wore a silver tie. Fashion editors have predicted when he branches out he'd take this route or opt for something patterned. But this morning he was back to his serious wardrobe, choosing a blue-striped tie for the very serious unveiling of his very serious new budget. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, however, wore a very cheerful bright-orange tie. We love it — channeling fiscal optimism with fashion! Either that or he's a raging fashionisto deep down inside and caught fall 2009's neon fever a whole season and a half early. In any case, we can't wait to see what this administration will do next. We're holding out for leopard print.

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: barack obama, menswear, risky business, ties, timothy geithner

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:05 pm

Banderas joins Woody Allen film

Front Page: Cast includes Watts, Pinto, Brolin, Hopkins -- Antonio Banderas has been added to the lengthening cast of Woody Allen's next pic, a still-untitled project set to roll this summer in London, according to producer Mediapro.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 7:01 pm

Jerry Seinfeld ties knot on TV return

Veteran comedian Jerry Seinfeld, seen here on February 22, 2009, is to return to US television for the first time in 11 years as producer of a reality show based on marriage disputes, reports said Thursday...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:58 pm

Morgan Freeman Sued by Woman in Crash

Woman sues for negligence, denies reports she's actor's mistress.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:42 pm

It’s Time for Some Spring Shoe Porn

Clockwise from top left: Silver Lake Sandals, Stanton by Madison Harding, Anasco by Aldo, Neon Flats by Forever 21, Deal Me N by Kenneth Cole, Clubhouse by VANE for Sebago.

We love to shoe shop (our overfilled closets are a testament to that). And with the new spring shipments hitting stores over the next few weeks, we're in prime hunting mode. We scouted the city's best stores to bring you the top 155 pairs of shoes for men and women in our latest Shop-A-Matic. We're betting you can find at least one pair you like, whether it's a sandal, loafer, pump, or platform. Because even though you own a million, you can never have enough. Ever. Check out our top six picks (under $200), after the jump.

Silver Lake Sandals
Price: $88
Why we like them: Now these are spring. They're bright and fun, and we can already picture pairing them with a spring dress and floating down the street.

Stanton by Madison Harding
Price: $143
Why we like them: We've had enough of the gladiator sandal, so instead we're leaning toward this pair with chain detailing — it adds just enough of a tough twist.

Anasco by Aldo
Price: $125
Why we like them: Perforation is a big trend we spotted amongst men's shoes, and this hits on the style without going overboard, making it a great casual option.

Neon Flats by Forever 21
Price: $19
Why we like them: Neon’s hot this year for spring and fall (hello, Marc Jacobs), and this is an easy, inexpensive way to mix the trend into your wardrobe.

Deal Me N by Kenneth Cole
Price: $120
Why we like them: Men always seem to need a good pair of dress shoes, and these are it. It's a great laceless shoe that’s modern for men. Pair it with a classic suit, and you're set.

Clubhouse by VANE for Sebago
Price: $110
Why we like them: This is a classic dock shoe for men, so you can pull off preppy without looking stuffy.

Shop-A-Matic: Spring Shoes

Read more posts by Sharon Clott

Filed Under: bcbg, lacoste, retail therapy, shoe porn, shoes

Source: The Cut | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:40 pm

Are Lost’s Writers Crazy Enough to [Insert Huge Spoiler Here]?

There's a huge rumor going around the Internet today about a character on a popular island-based TV show (we won't say which). Is it true? We have no idea. But if you're the type of person who likes to be surprised by completely unforeseen events in your televised entertainment, we'd recommend that you stop reading this post immediately.

Okay. You promise not to leave us angry comments if we spoil this for you? Read on!

We've always assumed that the question of whether Kate would choose Jack or Sawyer would be resolved in one of Lost's final episodes in 2010 — but if today's rumor is true, she may not live to see this year's season finale. According to Zap2it, Evangeline Lilly is currently auditioning for pilots to air in the fall of 2009, signaling her availability during the time when Lost's sixth season is set to film. If this is true, and Kate doomed, we hope it's because the writers had long planned to kill her off with a case of Island-nosebleed disease and not the result of Lilly coming down with Shelley Long disease.

[Zap2It, via Dark UFO]

Read more posts by Matthew Perpetua

Filed Under: evangeline lilly, huge spoilery rumors, lost, tv

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:30 pm

WATCH: View: Rihanna's Abuse Transcends

Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:26 pm

Patridge Posts 'Devastating' Burglary Video

"Hills" reality TV star put surveillance video of house being robbed on blog.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:16 pm

NASA Loves Whedon

More than three decades after a letter-writing campaign resulted in an actual space shuttle named after the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, NASA is now baiting Joss Whedon fans by putting the name of the International Space Station's Node 3 up to a vote and listing Serenity as one of the options. What astronaut wouldn't be thrilled to work 500 miles above the Earth in a vessel named for a show that got canceled after just eleven episodes? [Newsarama]

Read more posts by Matthew Perpetua

Filed Under: joss whedon, serenity, space, tv

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:05 pm

TOP CHEF FINALE RECAP: The Finale Was A Bit Of A Tw*t, But What Finale Isn’t?

The following is a Recap of the Top Chef Season 5 Finale, originally airing February 25, 2009. If you haven't watched the episode yet and don't want the results spoiled for you, you shouldn't be reading a pop culture blog that always covers Top Chef. -- Eighteen people made Top Chef finale winner predictions in our Open Thread yesterday, with this breakdown: Carla: 10 people Stefan: 8 people (myself included) Hosea: 0 people (commenter Brigid picked Hosea at 9:45 pm, which doesn't count) My roommate and TC-watching cohort Matt was the only one I'm aware of who took Hosea, so he wins the "Big Effing Deal, You Predicted A Dumb Bravo Reality Show Correctly" Award. If I had been correct, it would have been the "Behold My Amazing Powers Of Clairvoyance Over This Awesome Bravo Reality Show" Award, which I already own, and I don't have room in my trophy case for another, so I'm GLAD I didn't win. Yes, Glad Bags. -- Tom's "DERRR-scription of the final challenge: "We want to see the fire, the passion, and the soul. But most importantly, it must taste delicious." In other words, "We wish to see a window into the true, unadulterated essence of your being. Also you make food good please." -- Rocco DiSpirito delivered THE MOST PRETENTIOUS SENTENCE EVER UTTERED: "It's good, it's just, I'm so tired of eating foie gras!" This man deserves to be headbutted by me wearing a helmet made out of the spaghetti I ate for two years after moving to New York and temping. -- After an entire season of Bravo painting Stefan as the villain, what happens in the finale? Hosea draws the #1 knife, picks his partner first, steals all the foie gras and caviar from the kitchen and gets defensive when Stefan questions him, then finds the baby in the king cake, picks his appetizer ingredient first and sticks Stefan with alligator, doesn't make a dessert in a three-course meal, and after the judge's table, even makes a bitchy comment to Carla about how he stuck with cooking his own food (subtext: unlike some other googly-eyed people). I guess he was the villain all along -- congratulations, guy from the movie Saw who apparently wrote this season of Top Chef. -- Still, the quote of the night belonged to Stefan, whose European accent apparently made it ok for Bravo to air the word "tw*t" unbleeped. Next season, they're gonna shoot for "Motherf***er." After the jump, the Final Elimination (not the title of an 80s Van Damme movie): -- The entire meal came down to each contestants' third course; Hosea went with a semi-safe but successful venison dish, while both Carla and Stefan produced disastrous desserts: Carla got screwed when she accepted Casey's suggestion to make a soufflé, thus fulfilling the Shakespearean foreshadowing in Carla's episode-opening sound byte: "I just gotta cook the food that got me here." Stefan, on the other hand, had no excuse for his cartoon plate of spleniforous wonderment; if he had saved his desserts from Restaurant Wars for the Finale, he'd be living in a mansion made of Glad Bags right now. -- When even Fabio has to concede that Hosea's meal was better than Stefan's, the judges probably made the right call. -- That being said, Hosea's victory ultimately changes this season's legacy from "Anticlimactic Stefan Foregone Conculsion" to "Well That Was A Waste Of Time." It was like the Diamondbacks' World Series win -- rightfully earned, but at the same time, a year from now we'll be like "wait, that really happened? Alright." -- Branford Marsalis informed us that chefs "talk like musicians." I had no idea jazz musicians were such total d*cks when eating other peoples' food. -- My goodness was Carla emotional at the Judge's Table; her failure-acknowledging tears and the subsequent emotion from the Judges prompted the most depressing royalty-free music Bravo could find. It's hard not to feel bad for her, too -- yes, it was her decision to give her assistant way too much say in her menu, but that one moment of timid graciousness is gonna cost her a lifetime of nightmares involving monster soufflés. Feel free to make that nightmare into a Coraline-esque animated feature, anyone who's reading. Carla will provide the voice of the bats. -- Last night's worthless DVR-buster snippet actually made me laugh; when Stefan asks a New Orleans psychic about a girl named "Jamie," the psychic responds "this person could be your girlfriend..." thus immediately getting things wrong even with her first cautiously general sentence. And if Bravo just edited it to make it look that way, all the better. -- T-Shirt prediction for this year? Something with Monkey Ass, I hope. FINAL POWER RANKINGS 1) H......... can't even type it. Whatever. Finale thoughts, season as a whole thoughts, Hosea thoughts, and t-shirt predictions in the comments, please. Gonna be a while before we get a chance to do this again (all the way til the reunion episode in a week).
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 6:00 pm

PHOTOS: H'Wood's Clothing Mishaps

Not every fashion choice works out perfectly -- even for Hollywood stars.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:58 pm

Star Power? Celebrities Who Fight Criminals

Celebutante Nicky Hilton is the latest star to fight back against a criminal.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:57 pm

Catfight Between 'Idol's' Abdul and DioGuardi Heats Up

The claws are out between 'Idol' judges Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:50 pm

How To Make A Correct Entertainment Magazine Cover

Incorrect Entertainment Magazine Cover Two likable, excited young actors smiling genuinely and posing with their well-earned awards:
Correct Entertainment Magazine Cover Completely making sh*t up: (Slumdog pic via Just Jared)
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:45 pm

Did the Producers of American Idol Accidentally Buy This Idiot Another Week on Televison?

Maybe! Obviously Nick Mitchell thinks of himself as the second coming of Sacha Baron Cohen or something. But as far as made-up alter egos go, his "Norman Gentle" "character" is pretty lazy — just an obnoxious, flat-singing idiot in shorts, a headband, and a shiny shirt that we'd assume hasn't been washed since before his first audition. Even so, Earth's three most easily impressed people, Randy, Kara, and Paula, seem perfectly willing to encourage his "art" ("Definitely one of the most entertaining performances ever," Randy raved last night).

The behind-the-scenes string-pullers likely let him into the Top 36 just so he could drop a hilarious train wreck on the big stage, then get voted off right away. But while his version of "And I Am Telling You" was pretty awful, it was, astonishingly, probably among the episode's top three performances, meaning he might actually survive tonight's elimination. Only Allison Iraheta's take on Heart's "Alone" was passable; former front-runner Adam Lambert's "Satisfaction" was terrifying, Megan Joy Corkrey's "Put Your Records On" was okay but boring, and everybody else was hopelessly pitchy and/or completely forgettable. Obviously producers should have had him compete last week, when he would've only been the fourth-best singer. Anyway, here he is, we hope for the last time:

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: american idol, nick mitchell, tv

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:45 pm

Porn Plot: Vivid's Sordid Plans for Nadya 'Octomom' Suleman

Vivid Entertainment has offered Nadya "Octomom" Suleman $1 million to star in a porn video

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:43 pm

Def Leppard, Poison, and Cheap Trick to Triple-Team Long Island

When was the last time you really saw Strong Island bust out its freak flag? Your next chance is July 8 at Jones Beach, when the monster triple bill of Def Leppard, Poison, and Cheap Trick hits Wantagh. Whatever happens onstage is practically irrelevant, although it is always a little interesting to watch a band with a one-armed drummer. And frankly, we're curious about the state of Poison guitarist C.C. Deville's face, which was a fright in the eighties. But if we fall in with the right crowd and the right keg, we might never make it out of the parking lot. [Billboard]

Read more posts by Hugo Lindgren

Filed Under: cheap trick, def leppard, mulletbrow, music, poison

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:35 pm

Dany Boon

Dany Boon, the director and star of France's most successful film ever seen here in 2008, "Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis", has become the best-paid actor in European film history, an industry ranking showed...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:11 pm

Styx, REO Speedwagon Team Up For "Rockin'" Tour, Single

Classic rock fans will have an opportunity to tap into a recession-relieving concert with the 2009 Can't Stop Rockin' tour, featuring REO Speedwagon, Styx and 38 Special.In acknowledgement of the tour, Styx and REO Speedwagon teamed up to record a new single

Source: Billboard.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:11 pm

Dev Patel might appear on TV gameshow

Actor Dev Patel, the star of Oscar-winning hit film "Slumdog Millionaire" seen here on February 22, 2009, is in talks to appear on the TV gameshow in which the rags-to-riches movie is based on, a spokeswoman...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:04 pm

Lost: Picking Locke

"I remember it like it was yesterday ... no, three days ago."

John Locke, best (and most original) character on the show, light of our life, fire of our loins, anti-hero of our favorite episodes! In this excellent installment, our miserable savior is snubbed, bitchily psychoanalyzed, crippled (per usual), puppeteered by both sides of the Global Game of Find the Island, and, in a genuinely disturbing sequence, strings up a noose of electrical cord.

Good thing Ben knocks on the door.

Also, our friend who is always defending Ben, coming up with baroque explanations for how he's the good guy? Abandon hope.

Teaser
In a dark room, a man rifles through spooky charts, conceals a gun. A sultry woman joins him — they are Caesar and Ilana, but when she asks what's in his bag, he says "Just a flashlight." There's a be-suited man in the water, and over expositional chitchat, they walk to the beach. Caesar introduces himself, and the camera reveals a calm John Locke.

On the Mainland: Jeremy Bentham Spoke in Class Today
Sultry Ilana offers Locke a mango, then explains, "the woman and the pilot" stole a boat. We say, what? WHAT WHAT? Because we're deeply slow on the uptake, and it takes us forever to suss out that these are the Ajira passengers — with Caesar the guy who offered Jack condolences, and Ilana that chick who guarded Sayid. Locke's confused too, so he requests a passenger list, but Ilana needs to ask Caesar. There's mango enjoyment, Locke-ish opacity, and an explanation of that suit: It's what they were going to bury him in. Because Locke remembers DYING. Whoa.

Flashback to the donkey wheel! Locke lands in the Tunisian desert; vomits, is crippled; sees cameras, calls for help; is finally truck-transported to a hospital, then dosed by a manic, hairy doctor. Behind a curtain, Abaddon (a.k.a Lieutenant Daniels) lurks. Oh cripes: What in God's name are they doing to Locke's leg?  He passes out, as do we.

When he wakes, Widmore is bragging about getting him quieter medical care. Then he fills Locke in on how they know each other: They met two episodes ago, which is to say, when Widmore was a 17-year-old Other, that day Locke and Richard had their time-loop tête-à-tête. Widmore suggests Ben tricked Locke into leaving the Island, explaining he can relate: Widmore, too, was King of the Others before he was exiled.

Locke says, no, he chose to leave. Widmore infers that Locke is there to retrieve the O6 and waxes manipulative (but accurate): Yer friends? They're liars! Liars for three years! Back to normal lives! Nonetheless, he'll help John, because there's a warrrr coming, and if Locke isn't on the Island, the wrong side will win.

Widmore gets Locke the Jeremy Bentham passport, plus spy photos, and they debate who should trust whom. Widmore argues Ben is Mr. Lie. Locke objects that Widmore sent a freighter to blow them up! Widmore cuts to the center of Locke, beneath many rings of trauma: Locke's SPECIAL, so SPECIAL! He's got to have some of the Island's attention. And while Locke believes he must die, Widmore won't let that happen, and so he introduces Evil-Concierge Abaddon and his car service of hidden agenda.

And we're off to Santo Domingo! Where Sayid is sweating some Habitat for Humanity project, having shrugged off Ben's yoke of mind games. If he hadn't left the Island, he'd never have spent nine magical pre-murder months with Nadia; so no, he won't return. And while Locke insists he's no dupe, Sayid gently suggests that perhaps Locke feels he has nowhere else to go.

Locke asks for his ex Helen, but first visits Tall Walt. Walt's been dreaming about Locke, threatened on the Island; Locke gently elides Michael's death. And because "Walt's been through enough," Locke leaves. Across the street, Ben lurks with possessed schoolboy eyes.

Next up: Hurley, who assumes Locke's dead. Hilariously hard to convince, Hurley freaks when he realizes John is real — and like Sayid, just says no to the Island, especially since he ID's Abbadon as Evil Oceanic Dude.

In the car, Abbadon reminds Locke that he was the orderly who first convinced him to go on the Australian walkabout; yep, John remembers. "I help people get to where they need to go to. That's what I do for Mr. Widmore."

Next stop: Kate. Another no. Is that why Locke was so desperate to stay on the Island, because he'd never loved anyone?, non-sequiturs Kate bitchily. Wrong-o, Locke says — what about Helen? Which, okay, ended because he was "angry, obsessed." Look how far you've come!, Kate snarks, because Kate is Miss Perfect and has not, say, burned her stepfather alive.

John's exasperated that Abbadon hasn't found Helen, so we're off to a graveyard. Oh, sad.  Helen died of a brain aneurysm. "Is life inevitable or a choice?" — and then Abbadon is shot and killed, and Locke peels away in a panic, spinning into a collision.

In the hospital, Depressed John is attended by none other than Depressed Jack. And not only does Jack — like Hurley, Kate, and Sayid — nix Locke's destiny pitch, he's downright dickish. Fate! Probability! Someone trying to kill me! "They don't want me to get back because I'm important!" "Maybe you're just a lonely old man who crashed on an island. That's it." (Except for the whole "healed from paralysis" bit, spinal surgeon, but okay.)

Locke's comeback zinger: "Your father says hello." Jack goes ballistic, screams his dad is dead, Jack won't help, leave the O6 alone!

In a decrepit motel, Locke scribbles his suicide note: "I wish you had believed me." He makes a noose, then clambers on the table. It's freaky-sad: How often do we watch beloved characters commit suicide? Luckily, Ben bangs on the door, and gently talks angry Locke down, claiming he's been keeping them safe — trying to PROTECT Locke, in fact.

Ergo, Ben killed Abbadon. And Locke (and we) are totally confused as Ben spins out his side, as opposed to Widmore's side. Locke can't kill himself! He has no idea how important he is! Locke insists he's a failure, couldn't get anyone to come back, he's no leader.

Ben informs him that Jack booked a plane ticket, then kneels before him: John, you can't die, you've got too much work to do. He helps Christ from his cross — until Locke makes a tragic error, revealing his promise to Jin. As Ben gathers cord, Locke adds that they should visit Eloise Hawking. Yep, Ben knows her, he says blandly. And then he strangles Locke to death, gasping like the monstrous fetus of evil he is.

Pocketing the ring, Ben makes it look like a suicide. "I'll miss you, John. I really will."

Luckily for Locke fans, vengeance is nigh: On the Island, Locke joins Caesar as he inspects Dharma files. Locke explains, sorta, his time line. Caesar has a mystery too: He was sitting across from Hurley when he disappeared. Locke might have some answers for him, but again requests the flight list, then visits the "people who got hurt" — a ward of wounded passengers. One of them being Ben Linus: "He's the man who killed me."

What We Know Now
• Ben killed Locke.
• Helen is dead(ish).
• The non-O6 passengers survived the crash, losing their luggage but not their hidden agendas.

The Wha? Factor
• What's Widmore's game? Not to mention his backstory.
• Where did Frank take that boat, and who is the woman with him?
• Who is Caesar, why is he the boss of everyone, and can he get me a passenger list, please?

Related: Lost Babies: A Comprehensive Guide to the Cuties

Read more posts by Emily Nussbaum

Filed Under: lost, overnights, tv

Source: Vulture | 26 Feb 2009 | 5:00 pm

Woman in Morgan Freeman Crash: I Am Not His Mistress

The woman who was with Morgan Freeman the night of a car crash that injured both of them insists she was never romantically linked to Freeman and is suing the actor for negligence.

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 4:51 pm

Jailed Rapper DMX Rebooked On Assault Charges

Jailed rapper DMX now is facing additional charges after he allegedly threw a tray of food at a Maricopa County detention officer.

Source: Billboard.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 4:37 pm

'Idol' crushes competition in ratings

Front Page: Fox nabs victory in key categories -- A two-hour edition of "American Idol" carried Fox to victory in all key categories on Wednesday, though ABC's "Lost," CBS' "Criminal Minds" and NBC's "The Biggest Loser" all posted solid results opposite the juggernaut.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 4:24 pm

Chris Isaak Is 'Mr. Lucky' In Song And On T.V.

Chris Isaak returns with a new album and a new television show that debuts tonight (Feb. 26).

Source: Billboard.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 4:22 pm

BWE’s 100 Most Realistic Fake Album Covers

Last week, we became privy to one of the most creative memes on the Internet: Make Your Own Fake Album Cover. Take a random page on Wikipedia, take a random quote, add in a random Flickr find, put them together, and BOOM: An Indie classic. The challenge was fun, and you guys really came through, posting your own results for the world to see. Some of the fake albums you guys created were so mind-blowingly realistic, we had no choice but to assemble together our favorites. 100 to be exact. And here they are, in no particular order... BWE's 100 Most Realistic Fake Album Covers. 100.

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1. (With thanks to all of you for being so talented, and Intern Erin for helping out!)
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 4:06 pm

Reality Check: Nick Mitchell Makes Lasting Impression

Nick Mitchell might not be the most commercial contestant on American Idol, but after round II of the Season 8's semi-finals he's certainly proved to be the most memorable.

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:47 pm

Ferrell, Wahlberg join 'The B Team'

Front Page: Adam McKay to direct comedy for Sony -- Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired "The B Team," a spec pitch package for an Adam McKay-directed action comedy that will team Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as cops.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:45 pm

Could American Idol’s Most Hilarious Outtake Make It To The Top 12?

America... be prepared for what might end up being the most amazing American Idol Top 12 in the history of the show. Two words: Normund Gentle. The best singer? Hardly. Attractive? To the blind. But a performer? In the truest sense of the word. Our phone lines were zeroed in on Norman's number last night, and if there is a God, this man will forever be a part of American Idol lore. We're also pulling for the mildly autistic Allison and the shrieky Adam... but no one, and we mean no one, can top this: This is clearly all part of Simon's master plan.
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:45 pm

Reality TV Show to Highlight Daily Life of MC Hammer

The 1990s rap music sensation says "Hammertime" will give viewers a glimpse of his 16-hour days as a businessman, computer geek, proud father and husband

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:32 pm

These Star Trek Mashups Are The Funniest Thing I’ve Seen On The Internet in 2009

As a diehard Next Generation fan who's also professionally obligated to read the entire internet every day, I can't believe I'm just now discovering these Star Trek: TNG remixes, which are easily the funniest (intentional) thing I've seen on the internet in months. The concept -- Star Trek footage (and some Back to the Future footage) edited together into weird, one-minute features -- doesn't sound like anything you haven't seen on the internet before, but it's just executed so perfectly, I'm still laughing out loud at these the third and fourth times I watch them. Here's the first one, Data's Lunch, to give you an idea: You can watch the rest of them and agree with my gushing praise here. After the jump, my personal favorite, Uneventful Day:
Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:30 pm

Cablevision swings to quarterly loss

Front Page: Newsday buy to blame for slump -- Cablevision capped an eventful fiscal year with a $321.4 million net loss in the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of $6.6 million in the year-ago period.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:22 pm

Flo Rida And T.I. Reign On Hot 100

Flo Rida and T.I. maintain their No. 1 and No. 2 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, but the biggest splash on the chart comes courtesy of Soulja Boy.

Source: Billboard.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 3:21 pm

Matt Groening looks to the future

Matt Groening laughs -- a lot. Sometimes it's a chuckle of uncertainty, but mostly it's a big, rollicking guffaw. It's the sound of a man who still can't quite believe how much fun he gets to have at work -- work that includes "The Simpsons," still going strong after 20 years, "Life in Hell" and "Futurama."
Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 2:49 pm

Fox stays with 'Simpsons'

Front Page: CBS renews 'Survivor' for two more cycles -- Cowabunga: Fox has given a two-season pickup to "The Simpsons," which will make the toon stalwart the longest-running scripted primetime skein in history.
Source: Variety.com - Front Page | 26 Feb 2009 | 2:40 pm

PHOTOS: Polka Dots Take Over H'Wood

Hollywood embraces new polka dot fashion trend.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 1:33 pm

FOX411: Katie Holmes' Movie Career Still Over

Usually associating with Tom Cruise has been good for his women whether or not he married them, romanced them or used them for publicity. Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz, for example, each have Academy Awards.

Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 1:32 pm

Def Leppard Unveils Summer Tour With Cheap Trick, Poison

Veteran rock act Def Leppard will return to the U.S. this summer, Billboard.com can reveal. Joining them on all 40 dates will be Poison and Cheap Trick. Live Nation will produce the tour, which begins on June 23 in Camden, N.J.

Source: Billboard.com | 26 Feb 2009 | 1:00 pm

Obamas praise Stevie Wonder at White House

To hear Barack Obama tell it, he owes Stevie Wonder plenty.
Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 26 Feb 2009 | 12:58 pm