American music legend Pete Seeger turns 90 on May 3, but the celebrations honoring his musical legacy and social activism will go on throughout the year. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the environmental group founded by Seeger in the 1960s, is marking the birthday and its own 40th anniversary with a series of concerts in the spring and summer.
After years of successful recording achievements, Bruce Hornsby is taking his work to the silver screen. The singer and songwriter of late-80's hits like "The Way It Is" and "The Valley Road" has composed the score to "Kobe Doin' Work," an upcoming documentary on basketball superstar Kobe Bryant directed by Spike Lee.
Mickey Rourke may have changed his mind about doing Iron Man 2 since we spoke to him last month, but he's apparently keeping his word about appearing at next month's WrestleMania 25 (publicist be damned). The L.A. Times has confirmed through a WWE spokesperson that he'll indeed be in attendance at Reliant Stadium on April 5, though no word yet on whether any ram-jamming will take place. [Dish Rag/LAT]
More Famous People Sign Up for Movie:Salma Hayek is staying on the comedy train: The recent 30 Rock guest star has signed up for the untitled Adam Sandler-and-all-his-buddies high-school reunion comedy, playing the Sand-man’s wife. Maya Rudolph has also joined the cast as Chris Rock’s wife, as has Colin Quinn as, we assume, no one's spouse, but just a lesser, more annoying high-school friend. [Variety]
The Hills Breakdown:Audrina Patridge is going solo. The upcoming ten-episode fifth season of The Hills will be her last, as she gets her own City-type spinoff with Mark Burnett Productions. Since Lauren Conrad is leaving the show as well, MTV will not confirm a sixth season, with a spokesperson saying only “The Hills will continue as long as there are stories to tell.” (That, or muffled, pointless nightclub conversations to tape, the spokesperson did not add.) Anyway, we’re actually looking forward to Audrina’s new show — perhaps it will finally reveal the dark secrets behind her dead, dead eyes. [HR]
Mother Ellen:Ellen DeGeneres is taking on her first live-action role since ‘99’s EdTV — she’ll play Mother Nature in an untitled comedy from Walden Media, being scripted by Sex and the City’s Jenny Bicks. The concept revolves around Mother Nature’s return to Earth for the first time since the planet’s creation. (Is this in the Bible somewhere?) Joining the ranks of third-rate comic-book villains everywhere, DeGeneres has apparently “always wanted to control the weather.” [HR]
Nepotism News:Scott Eastwood has somehow landed a role in Clint Eastwood’s untitled Nelson Mandela drama, joining a cast that includes Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. The young thespian, often billed as Scott Reeves, will play a rugby player on the 1995 national South Africa team, which made a run at the World Championship; the story revolves around the relationship between Mandela and team captain Francois Pienaar as they worked to unite the post-apartheid country. Just wait till Scotty tells his parents! [HR]
Jerks on Film:Adam Scott, the excellent jerk older brother from Step Brothers, has signed on for Leap Year. The movie stars Amy Adams as a woman traveling to Ireland in order to propose to her boyfriend (Scott) on Leap Day, when he can’t say no due to some contrivance or another; Matthew Goode plays the cynical Irish innkeeper Adams will inevitably fall in love with after realizing Scott’s an excellent jerk. Wait, what, Matthew Goode as an Irish innkeeper? We expect to hear about the rigorous haggis-and-mustache-growing-cream diet Goode is on any day now. [Variety]
Moving In:Jessica Lucas is the latest actress to join the CW’s Melrose Place reboot. She plays Riley Richmond, a wealthy inner-city school teacher (does she push weight in the inner city after school in order to maintain all that wealth?) having second thoughts about her impending marriage. She was also in Cloverfield, where she bravely and stubbornly refused to be eaten by the monster. [HR]
EVENTS TODAY
• Bloomingdale’s invites you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Wedgewood. Sip cocktails at the reception, and place your bid on one-of-a-kind tabletop settings by Barbara Barry, Monique Lhuillier, and Jasper Conran at the silent auction. Ten percent of select tabletop sales made today and all silent auction proceeds will benefit God’s Love We Deliver. Bid in-store through 3/22. 1000 Third Ave., nr. 59th St., sixth fl. (212-705-2000); 6–8.
SALES ONGOING
• Leftover fall, winter, and holiday pieces are now up to 70 percent off at Suite Orchard. Shop brands like rag & bone, Staerk, Hanii Y, and Corpus. Ongoing. 145a Orchard St., nr. Rivington St. (212-533-4115); T, W, Su (12–7), Th–S (12–8).
• Vintage-inspired tunics, shirtdresses, and pants are $20 to $50 (originally $140 to $240) at the Sweet Tater sample sale. Through 3/24. 280 Mulberry St., nr. Houston St. (212-219-6400); T–Su (12–7), M (closed).
• Sophie Roan is closing, and merchandise from Secrets of Charm, Park Vogel, M.Carter, and Andrea Corson is up to 70 percent off. Through 4/1. 117 E. 7th St., nr. Ave. A (212-529-0085); M–S (12–7), Su (12–6).
ENDING TODAY
• Barker Black's men's shoes are 50 percent off. Through 3/18. 198B Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St. (212-966-2166); daily (noon–7).
• For jeans at the right price, stop by the Diesel sample sale. Through 3/18. Cash only. 220 W. 19th St., nr. Seventh Ave., seventh fl.; 10–5.
STARTING TOMORROW
• Resurrection's thirteenth-anniversary sale includes 30 to 50 percent off vintage collections by Versace, Alaia, and more. Through 3/19. 217 Mott St., nr. Prince St. (212-625-1374); M–S (11–7), Su (noon–7).
• The fall 2008, holiday 2008, and resort 2009 collections by Abaeté are up to 80 percent off. Through 3/21. 560 Broadway, nr. Prince St., Ste. 509 (212-334-4755); Th, F (11–7), S (11–6).
• Blazers, pants, vests, skirts, tees, and overcoats are under $100 at the Libertine sample sale. Through 3/22. 187 Lafayette St., nr. Broome St., seventh fl. (212-925-8445); Th, F (11–7), S, Su (11–6).
• Get resort, vintage, and other pieces by Tucker by Gaby Basora starting at $50 at this four-day sample sale. Through 3/22. 13 Essex St., nr. Hester St. (212-777-8711); Th, F (9–6), S, Su (10–7).
• Find wool jackets and silk skirts at the Issey Miyake sample sale. The designer's runway collection, Pleats Please, Issey Mikaye Fete, Cauliflower, and HaaT collections are up to 80 percent off. 145 W. 18th St., nr. Seventh Ave. (212-226-1334); 8–8.
• Ready-to-wear and lingerie are up to 80 percent off at the Only Hearts spring sample sale. Through 3/22. 230 Mott St., nr. Prince St. (212-431-3694); Th–S (noon–8), Su (noon–7).
• Find delicate sterling silver, ten-karat, and eighteen-karat jewelry designs by Me&Ro for up to 75 percent off. Through 3/21. 13 Crosby St., nr. Howard St., second fl. (646-747-5900); Th (12–7), F (10–7), S (10–4).
ENDING TOMORROW
• Get discounts on women’s clothing and accessories at the J.Crew sample sale. Cashmere sweaters are $60 (originally $140 to $200) and accessories are $30 (originally $60 to $175). Through 3/19. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., second fl.; 11–8.
The identity of the mystery man who leaped onto the subway tracks to aid an unconscious fellow commuter on Monday has been revealed. And there's a bonus! He's a hot and sexy actor! The Timestracked down Chad Lindsey (who appeared in the "Slutty Pumpkin" episode of How I Met Your Mother) after a friend tipped them off that he was the hero City Editor Wendell Jamieson spotted on his commute, covered in muck, fresh from his rescue. Lindsey, after posing for a sultry (and thoughtful!) photo near the scene of the incident, told them what happened:
“I’m kind of zoned out, and I saw this guy come too quickly to the edge,” he said. “He stopped and kind of reeled around. I felt bad, because I couldn’t get close enough to grab his coat. He fell, and immediately hit his head on the rail and passed out.” Mr. Lindsey said he sensed a train was approaching, because the platform was crowded. “I dropped my bag and jumped down there. I tried to wake him up,” he said. “He probably had a massive concussion at that point. I jumped down there and he just wouldn’t wake up, and he was bleeding all over the place.”
This is when his acting skills came into play.
Lindsey is currently in an Off-Broadway show that requires him to repeatedly lift a co-star in his arms onstage, so he was prepared for this moment.
I grabbed him from behind, like under the armpits, and kind of got him over to the platform. It wasn’t very elegant. I just hoisted him up so his belly was on the platform. It’s kind of higher than you think it is."
Headshot break!
Photo: Facebook.com
“I couldn’t see the train coming, but I could see the light on the tracks, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of this hole.’" He remembered the subway hero of 2007, Wesley Autrey, who jumped on top of a man who was having a seizure on the tracks and held him down in the shallow trench between the rails as the subway passed over them. “I was like, ‘I am not doing that. We’ve got to get out of here.’” People on the platform joined the effort. “Someone pulled him out, and I just jumped up out of there,” he said. With time to spare: “The train didn’t come for another 10 or 15 seconds or something.”
...
Oh! Sorry. What? We were just having heart palpitations. See, we here at Daily Intel have a thing about sexy mystery rescuers. We almost quit our jobs and moved into a pickup truck to chase surfer-savior Brian Jordan last year. Since we are a lady and a gay (and a Dan Amira), we are especially susceptible to ones that have dreamy blue eyes and freckles. We want to be rescued! Why don't we ever nearly drown in a freak fishing accident, or pass out and collapse onto train tracks in front of an oncoming train?? It's not fair!
Reuters - Sotheby's has withdrawn a painting from Wednesday's auction of the contents of late Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace's Lake Como villa amid suspicion it may have been stolen. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 18 Mar 2009 | 1:45 pm
Reuters - Sotheby's has withdrawn a painting from Wednesday's auction of the contents of late Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace's Lake Como villa amid suspicion it may have been stolen. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 18 Mar 2009 | 1:45 pm
Jil and her new boss. That's a pile of money he's looking at in the distance.
Yesterday Uniqlo announced the appointment of Jil Sander to a creative-director role, overseeing mens- and womenswear for the chain. (She won't have an official title—in the spirit of minimalism, we imagine.) The apparently fashion-savvy stock markets reacted positively to the news, with Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.'s shares rising 8.6 percent and, perhaps more important, keeping hope alive.
Sander said many other companies tried to coax her back to fashion, but she settled on Uniqlo because she wanted to do something "completely different" (read: make clothes people can actually afford). Uniqlo heads first made contact with Sander in June and claim not to have considered any other candidates for the position. We nearly fell out of our chairs when we saw this headline late Monday night because the news seemed too good to be true. Like a listing for a "spacious and sunny" one-bedroom apartment in the Village for $1,300 that turns out to be no more than a closet with a stove in one corner and a dribbly pipe the broker calls a "shower." The Uniqlo deal is not without a catch: The company could use Sander's cachet to justify price increases.
An intimate club doubleheader by the Decemberists and Gomez gave the South By Southwest Music & Media Conference a soaring launch on Tuesday night in Austin, Texas -- even though the annual affair formally starts today.
(AP)
AP - Jazz trumpeter-composer Terence Blanchard honed his musical gift in the streets and clubs of his hometown New Orleans and received music's highest honor for an album about the city's darkest hour Hurricane Katrina.
The Story of One Young Woman's Journey to Triumph Over Evil SPOKANE, Wash., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The intrigue of unseen spiritual struggles between good... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 12:35 pm
AP - Members of Natasha Richardson's family gathered at a New York hospital where the Tony-winning actress was reportedly taken with a serious head injury after falling on a Canadian ski slope.
AP - Members of Natasha Richardson's family gathered at a New York hospital where the Tony-winning actress was reportedly taken with a serious head injury after falling on a Canadian ski slope.
AP - Members of Natasha Richardson's family gathered at a New York hospital where the Tony-winning actress was reportedly taken with a serious head injury after falling on a Canadian ski slope.
Fastest Growing All-Soccer Network Secures U.S. and Canada TV Rights for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid League Play through 2012 MIAMI, March 18 /PRNewswire/ --... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 12:01 pm
SARASOTA, Fla., March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over fifty winemakers, world-class Chefs and some 6,000 guests will gather this spring for the 19th Annual Florida Winefest... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 12:00 pm
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Limited Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LTD), parent company of La Senza, today announced the appointment of Joanne Nemeroff as president... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 12:00 pm
'I wanted to develop more of a personal sound for myself,' singer/actor says of Speed of Light.By Jocelyn Vena Corbin Bleu Photo: MTV News He's known for his wild hair and starring in the wildly... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 11:54 am
Or, how I quit drinking and still learned to love SXSW, in Bigger Than the Sound.By James Montgomery SXSW Photo: Jensen Walker/Getty Images AUSTIN, Texas — There are some things that just... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 11:54 am
TOKYO, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with our Spring 2009 Parka Campaign, UNIQLO is offering an amazing 1000 styles of colorful parkas for customers to choose from. The Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 18 Mar 2009 | 11:39 am
Actress Natasha Richardson was reportedly recovering in a New York City hospital on Wednesday, the day after she was seriously injured during a ski lesson in Canada.
(E! Online)
E! Online - We're not sure why, in the guise of giving the contestants a second chance, producers think it's a good idea to make us watch the same low-scoring performances over again.
Natasha Richardson, in critical condition after injuring her head in a skiing accident Monday afternoon in Montreal, has arrived in New York.
While friends and family gathered Monday...
Reuters - English mystery writer Ruth Rendell has written more than 70 books and insists she would stop if she felt she had lost her touch for the intricate workings of the human psyche. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 18 Mar 2009 | 5:28 am
The Octonursery has its first two residents.
One-fourth of Nadya Suleman's infant brood was home Tuesday night after sons Noah and Isaiah were released from a Bellflower, Calif.,...
Hey, y'all. And top o' the evening. (That's a combo greeting to mark both Grand Ole Opry night on American Idol and St. Patrick's Day.)
The remaining 11 contestants lent...
Wow, when it comes to shocking backstage revelations, Jewel certainly knows how to deliver.
The singer, who had to bail out of Dancing with the Stars due to an injury, told us backstage...
According to a source close to the couple, they have been "taking a...
Valentino continued his tour of talk shows, hitting up The Martha Stewart Show today. A Cut reporter tells us it wasn't quite what she expected. No VaVa cooking up a soufflé. And definitely no pugs. Instead, expect the designer to talk about his life with Giancarlo and his upcoming documentary. The audience, apparently, was more enthralled with the demonstration of a lemon shining copper than with the designer, and the highlight of the show was the preshow music. Martha rocks hip-hop for her middle-aged audience. Who knew? The episode airs Friday.
When the street right outside the New York Magazine office split open like a pair of cheap trousers yesterday and brown nasty water started gushing out, our first thought was: end times. Better get the inflatable dinghy out of storage and head for the meet-up site. Shit, where did we leave our gold? Later, when we saw hundreds of municipal employees pull up in a fleet of trucks and assorted vehicles, our thoughts changed to: bureaucratic clusterfuck. More precious tax dollars down the tubes. But this morning, when we saw the work crews applying the final layers of asphalt, the wound all but healed, we marveled: Downturnaround, baby! New York City is not heading back to the seventies without a fight!
Paris Fashion Week is always the strongest and most influential of the season — nobody does it quite like the French. Shoes continued to play a major role for fall. Thigh-high boots (keep doing your StairMaster) were everywhere: French coquettish at Louis Vuitton with lacing and bows or stretch suede with eighties cone heels from Isabel Marant. Feather sandals at Givenchy upped the titillation factor on an LBD, and fur-trimmed sandals took Miu Miu for a walk on the sexy side. At Nina Ricci, towering, heel-less platforms defied the laws of physics, proving that the crazy-shoe trend is still very much alive. To see more shoes from Paris, click ahead.
Spotted: Gerry Pasciucco, a former vice-chairman of Morgan Stanley, at a recent party in Belle Haven, Connecticut, "sporting a Che Guevara t-shirt, blue blazer and handkerchief, with some sort of sporting drink I'm unable to identify (possibly a mojito?)." [TPM]
We tolerated Alec Baldwin's "Hulu is run by aliens" spot that ran during the Super Bowl because, well, it's Alec Baldwin. However, as we have told you a number of times over the last few months, we have significantly less patience for the man Entertainment Weekly dubbed "the smartest person on television," one Seth MacFarlane. Although we'll admit that there is a certain novelty that comes with hearing the voices of familiar cartoon characters out of their normal context of animation, we're not sure that the following Hulu spot really nails the value proposition of the popular video site. Even worse, near the tail end of the new commercial, we're subjected to shots of Seth MacFarlane's belly. No matter how much you like Peter Griffin, we're pretty sure that we all could've lived healthy, happy, and productive lives having never had that image burned into our brains.
Just because the parade is over, and the novelty of wearing your very handsome special shamrock tie that you can only wear once a year has worn off, please don't lose the magic of Saint Patrick's Day. It lasts until midnight, people! There are still concerts to attend, there are plenty of Irish brews yet to sample, and there are plenty of Jameson specials around town. So don't stop eating those Irish potatoes (seriously, they don't go bad for at least two months), keep on that face paint, and for God's sake, don't stop drinking. You think Saint Patrick got all those snakes out of Ireland by walking in a straight line?
Lindsay Lohan is a piece of work—literally.
Los Angeles-based artist Ben Tegel created his latest Lohan-inspired work for a poster promoting Girl on Girl night at the Viper Room...
Sales of romance novels are up and expected to rise, "because romance novels tend to do better in economic downturns," according to Andrew Sullivan. A recent report on NBC also notes that the recession has begotten a rise in vasectomies. "Apparently some couples, fearing that their incomes may be permanently lower, wish to minimize the chances of having another child." Our takeaway? Sex without consequences = IN for the Greatest Depression. [Freakonomics/NYT]
In the latest celebrity turned designer news, Salma Hayek is launching a cosmetics collection. The line, which she has researched for the past three years, will focus on providing anti-aging products at an affordable price. It will also be named after her inspiration, her maternal grandmother, a cosmetologist named Maria Luisa, who didn't have any wrinkles when she passed away at 96. And while we usually think that celebrities endorsing cosmetics is a dime a dozen, Salma Hayek is, well, hot. The woman is in her forties, a fantastic actress, just had a baby, and married a billionaire, for goodness sake. It wouldn't exactly suck to look like her. So, marketing executives, bring on your Salma brainwashing. We're already willing to do anything to avoid wrinkles. Slap her name on it, and it basically sells itself.
Oh, those wacky U.K. press peeps. Fact-check, much? That little staple of journalism 101 doesn't seem to be of high importance across the pond.
Case in point: The U.K.'s Daily...
Just read about the recall on the Hannah Montana granola bars, which may have bad peanuts in them? If I eat one and it gives me salmonella, can I sue Miley...
During our interview with Observe and Report director Jody Hill today — in a rare moment in which he was not busy hating on Paul Blart: Mall Cop — he told us that Observe star Seth Rogen will host Saturday Night Live sometime in early April (which we guess means either the 4th or the 11th). This should come as terrific news to anyone who remembers this.
“Stay Up! (Viagra)” is every bit as underwhelming as its lame-o title: Kanye West and fellow rapper-producer 88 Keys halfheartedly trot out weak boner puns (“rise to the occasion”) over a jazzy we-love-the-nineties beat. Clearly, the video’s meant to be the thing, but unfortunately, the gimmick — the duo are made-up to look like randy old men — was put to better use in Jackass, and the dramatic flourishes are completely predictable: The bodacious dates squeal with excitement when Pete Wentz walks on; the old men pass out at the end, before they’ve even gotten laid.
Front Page: Amount is below face value but above market -- As Lionsgate girds for battle with Carl Icahn, the activist investor revealed on Tuesday the pricing of the tender offer he made last week to buy up to $325 million in company debt.
Why was Jon Stewart's takedown of Jim Cramer good for the economy? How much did ER love having George Clooney back? Why is it maybe not so bad to be saddled with a Friday-night time slot,...
The Huffington Post honcho will try her hand at print for a day. Elsewhere in the world of media, print and online organizations make cautious advances toward one another.
• Arianna Huffington is guest-editing the Metro tomorrow. [Metro]
• The News & Observer Publishing Company, a subsidiary of the McClatchy Company that owns community newspapers in North Carolina, is cutting 78 staffers, or 11 percent of its workforce. “We must make these additional cuts to sustain our company and adjust to new competitive and economic realities,” said publisher Orage Quarles III. [FishbowlNY/Mediabistro]
• Condé Nast is planning cuts to the Condé Nast Media Group, which handles most of the company's revenue. [Ad Age]
• Naysayers doubt the web-only version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer will succeed. "Those who have run the numbers tend to agree that the advertising revenue just isn't there yet to make a general-interest, journalism-intensive website pay for itself," says Jeff Bercovici. [Mixed Media/Portfolio]
• AOL is paying them no heed. The company has hired Carl Cannon, Walter Shapiro, and Patricia Murphy for a politics site launching next month. But site editor Melinda Henneberger said AOL's goal is "quality news sites that have zero aggregation, original content, that pay writers a living wage, and that pay bloggers." [Wrap]
• Nor is the Times, which today ponders the possibly bright future of local reporting. "We've never thought of it as a failing of the newspaper that its metro section didn't report on a deli closing, because it wasn't even conceivable that a big centralized paper could cover an event with such a small radius of interest," said Steven Johnson. "But of course, that's what the web can do." [Opinionator/NYT]
AP - Tony Gilroy penetrated the world of corporate corruption with smarts, suspense and searing insight in his 2007 directing debut, "Michael Clayton." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 17 Mar 2009 | 10:34 pm
Filmmaker Jody Hill was preparing to go to Albuquerque to shoot Observe and Report last year when he found out that his wasn't the only mall-cop comedy in development. But Hill — director of The Foot Fist Way and co-creator of HBO's Eastbound and Down — wasn't afraid of Paul Blart: "I figured it was gonna suck," he told us at South by Southwest today.
Still, because the two films are being released so closely together (Observe and Report premiered at SXSW last night and hits theaters April 10), he admits that the inevitable comparisons irk him a bit, even if he knew his would be better (Variety today calls it a "shockingly and sometimes discomfortingly funny comedy"). "It's annoying that every time I read an article, they mention this piece-of-shit movie," he said. "I don't want a battle of the mall cops. If somebody's doing something, I don't want to do that."
Check out this rare wooden Federal-style townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, which was built in the 1820s. Though it hasn't changed hands in over 70 years, it's fully updated — retaining intricate tin wainscoting and pressed ceilings. Cheerily painted yellow on the outside, the interiors are lit by wide, modern windows and skylights. If you've been waiting for the time to buy, this might be your chance: The owner has dropped the price by over $1 million since last spring.
HAIR
• After two women complained that they were hospitalized from botched Brazilian waxes, New Jersey's Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is considering a proposal to ban them altogether. A decision will be made on April 14. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]
• With Julia Roberts back in the spotlight for Duplicity, perhaps it's time to reflect on her hair evolution. She has looser, blonder waves now, but it wasn't always like that. Remember? [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
FRAGRANCE
• Daisy Fuentes is launching a new jasmine scent in April called Dianoche Love that will be sold exclusively at Kohl's. She also wants to launch a makeup line in the future. [WWD]
PLASTIC SURGERY
• Michael Jackson is considering getting more plastic surgery. [Sun UK]
MAKEUP
• Korres's new makeup uses extracts from wild rose, which is known to soften and moisturize skin. [British Vogue]
ENGAGEMENT: Christina Ricci is now engaged to boyfriend Owen Benjamin. And if the picture is any indication, either her fiance is 8 feet tall, or Christina Ricci lives in an incubator. (Us Magazine)
STILL HOLDS UP: "It could be a crackhead! That got hold to the wrong stuff! And it told him to get up to the tree and play a leprechaun." (Urlesque)
QUOTE: John Mayer was quoted as saying ‘This Heart Didn’t Come With Instructions’. And for the first time in history, the following sentence finally becomes true: John Mayer is hilarious. (Access Hollywood)
LIST: To celebrate his Irishness, blogger Jon Friedman has put together his list of Top 10 Green Things. (LNWJF)
AND FOR THE FELLOWS: Cityrag has put together a portfolio of boob pictures with green things on them, not including your own significant others' after your 11th Guinness later tonight when her boobs are at the end of that other rainbow. (Vom references? Check.) (Cityrag)
BLOGGER PERK: Imagine my surprise today when, after lunch, a package arrived for me from an unknown sender. I nervously tore open the package, only to find the following DVD set. Mother's Day has come a couple months early for this childless blogger! (Amazon)
AP - "The Cuba Wars: Fidel Castro, the United States and the Next Revolution" (Bloomsbury Press, 314 pages, $28), by Daniel P. Erikson: This book should be required reading for officials reviewing Cuba policy for President Obama's new administration.
Yesterday, a perpetually optimistic DreamWorks announced a July 4, 2011, release date for Transformers 3. Today, celebrated director Michael Bay says, via his official website, that they jumped the gun:
I said I was taking off a year from Transformers. Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 — they asked me on the phone — I said yes to July 4 — but for 2012 — whoops! Not 2011!!! That would mean I would have to start prep in September. No way. My brain needs a break from fighting robots.
Still, though — look at that sentence with four em dashes in it! Even when he's tired, that guy really does things all the way, doesn't he?
Some fashion writers really have the life. Going to shows, parties, dinners galore, hobnobbing with design's greats. Like Mickey Boardman, who recently had dinner at Azzedine Alaïa's place in Paris. It was a merry old time, with Alaïa telling tales about his supermodel pals Veronica Webb and Stephanie Seymour.
Color us green for envious. But it's this little tidbit we find out about the designer that had us in stitches: "Mr. Alaïa said he, the St. Bernard along with four cats all sleep together in a pile!" Oh who says fashion has strange bedfellows? Don't you pile into bed with a giant dog and four cats? We just hope the bed is king-size.
Now that Real Housewife Alex McCord is out of a job, she's exploring her options. Not in the field of visual merchandising, where she worked previously, of course. In the spotlight. Betty Confidential's Kelly Will reports that McCord's been meeting with talent agents to "find a little avenue of fame beyond her Bravo gig. She's willing to model, act, and maybe even dance!" We can't decide what's more awesome: picturing her on Dancing With the Stars, or picturing her in a movie. [Betty Confidential]
Front Page: Will Ferrell special debuts to 2.3 million viewers -- In what shaped up to be a big weekend for cable comedy specials, Will Ferrell's sendup of George W. Bush captured the biggest aud for any HBO special since 2004, while the blue roast of Blue Collar comic Larry the Cable Guy drew the largest crowd for Comedy Central so far this year.
There just isn't another celebrity right now on a bigger roll of "everything I do is ridiculous in a laugh-at-me not with-me kind of way" right now than Alex Rodriguez - wouldn't you two fellas agree?
Yep, that's A-Rod and his own mirror image apparently attempting some kind of failed artistic "embracing my ego" photospread in this month's Dudes In Loose Formal Clothes Magazine.
I'm pretty sure I understand the symbolism - the idea of A-Rod gazing at his own image lovingly inside an empty room represents how he doesn't have a competent publicist. Source: Best Week Ever | 17 Mar 2009 | 9:30 pm
Front Page: Studio acquires rights to futuristic 'Games' -- Lionsgate has acquired feature rights to Suzanne Collins' futuristic novel "The Hunger Games" and set the project up with Nina Jacobson at her Color Force banner.
Ruth Madoff has declared her $9.4 million Palm Beach estate her primary residence, not because she plans on heading south for a little R&R in the wake of her husband finally going to jail, but because the Florida constitution protects people who, like Ruth, apply for and receive "homestead exemptions" to prevent their property from being seized by mean creditors. “The two big drawing cards to Florida were sunshine and affordability,” a local lawyer told Bloomberg. “Now it’s for sunshine and the protection of your primary mansion.” [Bloomberg]
Josh Schwartz, creator of Gossip Girl, Chuck, and The O.C., makes the leap online, with a new, web-based series, Rockville, CA, debuting on TheWB.com today. The show, made up of five-minute webisodes, takes place in an L.A. rock club and centers around a music nerd and his love interest ... another music nerd! Schwartz spoke to Vulture about the pros of creating Internet TV, the cons of seeing live music at the Bait Shop, and his love of Seth Cohen–like characters.
After so much TV, why are you doing a web series?
I’ve wanted to do a web series for a while; I think we all have the sense that we’re heading into some sort of version of this in the future. TheWB.com came to me with the budget and the go-ahead, and I thought the music would marry well with the web components of the show. I was also nostalgic for the time in my life in my twenties when I spent a lot of time at these kinds of clubs.
You’ve tried to incorporate music into your shows before ...
On The O.C., I found there was not as high a tolerance for people standing around, bobbing their heads to a band that was lip-synching. In Rockville, the music feels more organic because it’s integral to the plot and can be more like background. Since you can finish watching the episode and click on a link to watch the full performance, there’s not so much pressure to incorporate it. If the Killers or Death Cab played the Bait Shop on The O.C., we felt like we had to feature it prominently.
So many web series have failed. Why will yours succeed?
I haven’t done a lot of research, to be honest. I’m aware of a couple of web shows, but Rockville was really about the creative endeavor for me. Stuff about what makes it successful, how many impressions or hits it gets, I don’t really know about that. It’s less relevant to me because it’s not like TV ratings where you have to hit a certain number.
How did you change your TV style to fit web?
I had to change up my entire approach to storytelling. I’m used to thinking in terms of an episode, and here I’m thinking in five-minute bites. But it’s perfect for my attention span. We’re all headed toward only being able to pay attention to something for five minutes anyway.
How is this show different from your other ones?
These kids are older, they’re in their early twenties, they have no money, and they’re struggling to figure out their lives. There are echoes of some of my other shows, but it’s different.
Rockville has a Seth Cohen/Dan Humphrey–like character. Are you worried about that becoming your signature?
A cynical, hyperarticulate guy who’s kind of nerdy? Handsome in an offbeat way? Grows on you over time? What can I tell you, I have a type. I don’t think it feels inappropriate for this kind of show, though. There are a lot of people like that who work in the music world.
Do you think people like that watch your shows?
You’d be surprised. Hipsters believe in love, too.
Reservations just opened up yesterday for New York Spa Week, which will be held this year from April 13 to April 19. Spotted on the list of specials: The Geisha Facial at Shizuka New York Day Spa — a.k.a. the Bird-Poop Facial. With this 60-minute treatment, the spa uses sanitized nightingale droppings to re-texturize the skin. Originally priced at $180, the price plummets to $50 during Spa Week. Yes, isn't it about time they opened up the luxury of spreading poo on your face to the common folk? Like you're not getting crapped on enough already. [NewYorkology]
HBO's broadcast of Will Ferrell's Broadway-savingYou're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush on Saturday scored the network's best ratings for any comedy special since 2004's Chris Rock: Never Scared. It also, we understand, inspired a record number of Google Image Searches for the phrase "Diego Luna." [Live Feed/HR]
So claims an employee of the show, who is runnin' around town telling anyone with an ear that America's foremost singing competition is completely rigged. The NY Daily News reports that a female staffer knows who is going to make it to the show's sought after top 4 positions.
So who is it going to be? Click ahead for **SPOILERZ**According to this nameless woman, your AI final four are:
DANNY GOKEY
LIL ROUNDS
ALEXIS GRACE
ADAM LAMBERT
You know what this means, don't you...
VOTE ANOOP.
If enough people band together, they'll have to listen to America. Right? RIGHT?
Looking for a mildly enjoyable way to spend St. Patrick's Day that won't piss off your sponsor? The Sci-Fi Network — we are hoping against hope that the whole Syfy thing will never happen — has been running a Leprechaun marathon all day. For what it's worth, when it comes to "scary" puns, we'll take the Crypt Keeper over Warwick Davis any day. [Sci-Fi Network]
The family of Charla Nash, the woman mauled by Travis the Chimp, is reportedly suing the ape's owner for $50 million. Apparently they consider it negligent and reckless to raise a wild animal as a person, possibly give it prescription drugs, and call your friend over to help when it gets angry, leaving her without lips, a nose, eyelids, or hands, and potentially blind and brain-damaged from the ensuing attack. We tell ya, these frivolous lawsuits never stop. [NYDN]
Andrea Miller is one of those inventive boutique owners who can mix design elements, genres, and eras with ease. Her Park Slope shop, Eponymy, carries everything from contemporary Korean designers to vintage Chanel jackets to artwork from her nonprofit organization, Humble Arts Foundation. She sat down to talk about where she sources her amazing finds and why she can't stand flip-flops.
The store carries everything from antique mirrors to vintage Chanel jackets, and also showcases fine-art photographers. What was your inspiration for mixing art and style?
There wasn’t really any set outlook to the whole thing. My grandparents used to own an antiques shop in New Jersey and I found jewelry cases, antique mirrors, and all sorts of fixtures there. I had started the Humble Arts Foundation with a few friends a few years ago and just sort of put the whole thing together and winged it!
How do you think art and fashion influence one another, then?
They are both expressions of who we are. One movement in fashion and art is a direct resistance of the movement that came before it.
What exactly is the Humble Arts Foundation?
Humble Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the careers of emerging fine-art photographers by way of exhibition and publishing opportunities, limited-edition print sales, twice-annual artists' grants, and educational programming.
From where do you source your goods?
You would be amazed what treasures you can find in small towns. I spend a few months driving around from Virginia to California and just meeting really interesting people!
What do you look for when buying?
I look for detail when buying vintage clothing and for pieces that will fit a variety of people.
Is there a story behind any of the more unusual things you stock?
I would say there is a real curiosity-type feel to the store, so I like to keep off-the-beaten-track-type pieces. There is a stuffed snake I have had since I was 8 years old that sits with a vintage necklace hanging out of its mouth. I also collected fossils when I was younger and have added in two displays for a personal touch.
What sort of woman shops at Eponymy?
Someone witty, adventurous, whimsical, open-minded, and with a sense of nostalgia.
What do you think every woman should have in her wardrobe?
A good pair of boots which look nice but which you can also walk in!
What trends do you like right now?
Trends are a funny thing to me. I only really take note of a trend if a bad one happens! I like a classic, elegant look. Good structure, good lines, and a good fit are also important.
What trends do you wish would just go away?
I could write a book on this, there are so many, but if I had to pick one it would be flip-flops in NYC — a complete liability; it should be kept as a beach look!
What is the one item you can’t live without?
Sunblock or cashmere socks.
Doug Benson brings you all the highlights from Monday in this Best Day Ever: America's next top stampede, Ellen's lesbian dance party, and Gossip Girl's phoned-in sitcom gag.
(Ed. Note: Turn speakers on high.)
"Oh Danny boy, (*sniff*) the pipes, the pipes are calling...
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side (click here)
The summer's gone, and all the flowers (*coughcough*) are dying...
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide. (click here)
(louder now) But come ye back when summer's in the meadow (neighbor: "Keep it down!")
Or when (click here) the valley's hushed and white with snoooowww!
'Tis I'll be here (*full sobs now*) in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy! Oh Danny boy (click here) I love you sooo. (click here)"
Cue audience. And this guy.
(Or you could just click play.) Source: Best Week Ever | 17 Mar 2009 | 8:11 pm
These posters for the premiere of Alien vs. Predator on New Zealand television are pretty awesome, but I think I'd rather actually watch a movie where an Alien and a Predator battle it out over a game of pool (after learning the ins and outs of hustling from a venerable Paul Newman Predator) than the actual move:
Or wait, maybe this is just a screenshot from this movie, which no one ever saw? Either way..
After the jump, two more even more intense AVP battles:
It's prom season, people. Remember prom in all of its glory? The date drama, rented limos, packing condoms in your Claire's purse, going to someone's shore house only to realize they don't have toilet paper or heat ... Oh, the memories. If you could do it all over again, what would you change? Well, we'd like to go to the duct-tape prom, that's for sure. It's the ninth year for this Duck brand duct tape "Stuck at Prom" contest, where students compete to create the most innovative outfits out of the sticky stuff. Judges choose the best by their use of the twenty colors, originality, accessories, and quantity. The first-place couple gets $3,000 each, which is barely enough to buy three credits at college anymore. But who cares about the future when you're known as That Girl or That Guy who won the duct-tape prom? That kind of thing "sticks" with you forever. Winners will be picked June 9, but that doesn't mean you can't judge some of the submissions now. Click ahead to see students from Swainsboro High School in Swainsboro, Georgia, in all of their duct-tape debauchery.
Loudcrowd.com, a website that combines tunes, music-oriented games, e-commerce and social networking in a virtual world, debuted at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival in Texas. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 17 Mar 2009 | 7:51 pm
Conduit Labs believes that online music lovers want to do more than just listen. Conduit backed its conviction with the launch of Loudcrowd.com, a website that combines tunes, music-oriented games, e-commerce... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 17 Mar 2009 | 7:51 pm
Reuters - Andy Warhol comes to Paris in a major exhibition of his trademark society portraits but a famous image of Yves Saint Laurent will be missing after a dispute over whether the late couturier was an artist or a mere designer. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 17 Mar 2009 | 7:22 pm
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, BWE.tv has compiled a list of The 10 Best Irish Movies. As in the case with most limited lists, some of your favorites were probably left off. Feel free to add your own in the comments. And happy and healthy beer crawl! BONUS: This list features one bullet point written almost entirely by my own mother. Enjoy!
10. The Crying Game. To quote my favorite American movie Mrs. Doubtfire, "She's a he-he." But putting aside that fact that you get to spy a tranny's ballsack, The Crying Game happens to be a moving love story and crushing drama, starring one of the best ugly-hot actors of all time, Stephen Rea. And yeah, I owned the Boy George cassette single in the 7th grade, but thankfully I had no friends with which to make fun of me for it.
9. Waking Ned Devine. This adorable Irish comedy combines two of our top 5 favorite things ever: Old people and the lottery. Added to this list as it features many a familiar Irish face, not to mention boatloads of runaway coffin b-roll footage.
8. The Commitments. We had to limit our Top 10 Irish Movies List to just one musical, and when it comes down to The Commitments vs. Once, there is only one clear winner... and it isn't Once. Based on a short story by famed Irish writer Roddy Doyle, The Commitments chronicles a group of out-of-work Dubliners who join forces to create a one of a kind soul band that's got flare to spare. The music from the film became a huge success independently of the movie, and you know? It still holds up today. Your quintessential Irish film: Ups, downs, laughs, tears, underdogs, cigarettes, bars, Irish things, Ireland.
7. The Magdelene Sisters. Are you a fallen woman? Wonder what life would have been like back in 19th century Ireland? Well, according to fabulous Irish drama The Magdelene Sisters, life would have been pretty f**kin' terrible. The sotry follows four girls forced to live in a Convent Laundry -- Irish slang for religious ladies prison, or "nun jail" -- where they proceed to get treated like animals. Some manage to overcome the abuse; other succumb to it. Deeply disturbing? You bet your Irish ass.
6. Michael Collins. Check it out... his name is like my name! Only his name brings to mind an Irish radical who founded the Irish Free State, whereas my name brings to mind a Jewish blogger who enjoys Activia shakes (the food and also the side effect) in her spare time. Plus, the movie features my favorite Irish actor Liamaidan Quinneeson. (It's like picking between children.)
5. Angela's Ashes. Added to this list for its featuring of bicycle tire shoes, my favorite style.
4. Patriot Games. Technically, an American film, directed by an Australian, but at its heart, a moving and suspenseful action movie about the IRA starring Harrison Ford before he got his ears pierced. No rolling hills or rousing bar scenes in this one, but proof that you don't ever want to f**k with the Irish.
3. The Brothers McMullen. The original Blair Witch Project, in that it was made for something like $28,000 to make, the movie follows three of the most Irish-looking bastards you've ever seen. It is also the work that brought perhaps Ireland's best looking actor Ed Burns to Hollywood's attention. Thanks to The Brothers McMullen, we were able to enjoy such other cinematic classics such as She's the One... 15 Minutes... One Missed Ca-- I'll stop.
(Above, a scene where the two main characters of Ryan's Daughter meet.)
2. Ryan's Daughter. Sad to say, but I've never actually seen Ryan's Daughter. Thankfully, it happens to by my mother's favorite movie ever. I decided to call her this morning, while she was running late for work, to get her direct review. And here is what she had to say: "Uch Numero uno. The best music, best cinematrography. David Lean directed it, the director of Dr. Zhivago. It's sprawling! The acting is flawless. Nevermind the acting, the music! It's the same composer that wrote the music for Dr. Zhivago -- I think his name is Maurice Jarre -- you'll have to Google it up for the spelling. John Mills won Best Supporting Actor for playing the Village Idiot. And it's really the story of the IRA. Northern Ireland wants to secede from the other Ireland. I saw it at the Ziegfeld about 5 times when it came out... well first of all the music, on the big screen, it's almost like being there! It's the fabulous story of a young girl, the daughter of a tavern owner, that marries a teacher. And England is occupying the territory. And a new English officer that any girl who would lay eyes on would want to shtup -- Christopher Jones, Michelle you would sh*t if you saw him. And he starts an affair with this girl to end all affairs, I mean to die for. He was in a war and so he's dragging his leg. And the village idiot -- even he is mocking them! And how the town ostracized her. Michelle, it's the best movie ever, I'm telling you. It sounds lame when I'm telling you but it's a killer. Michelle, I'm late for work, you can't Red Tomato it and see what it's about?"
1. In The Name of the Father. Not just my favorite Irish movie of all time, but one of my favorite movies ever. The movie is based on the life story of Gerry Conlon (whose equally intriguing book was used as the basis for the screenplay), and directed by acclaimed Irish director Jim Sheridan. This true story follows Conlon, played by master actor Daniel Day-Lewis, a young man who, along with a group of family and friends, is convicted of an IRA bombing of two pubs in Belfast. Conlon and his father spend 15 years in prison trying to prove their innocence. It is at once empowering and moving, crushing and spirited. If you haven't seen it... why am I even talking to you? Go, now. (pause) Well go! Source: Best Week Ever | 17 Mar 2009 | 7:11 pm
George Clooney always struck me as the type of celebrity who would remain charming and hilarious even when he's completely losing his mind after staying overnight in Chad and using water buckets to flush toilets, and I'm glad this video proves me entirely correct. Also, Frank Caliendo's Andy Rooney pales into comparison to Braindead George Cl-Rooney:
Front Page: Bio musical nabs four nods at annual event -- The Sacred Fools Theater Company staging of the bio tuner "Louis and Keely Live at the Sahara" led the kudos at the 40th annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) Awards, garnering four nods, including outstanding production.
Front Page: Rookie drama 'Castle' also delivers for network -- Viewers flocked to veteran reality programs last week, as Fox's "American Idol" and the return of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" easily topped the primetime program rankings.
Italian porn star Laura Perego took part in a protest to "highlight poverty in Italy in the current economic climate," battling poverty the best way anyone can - by painting Italy's colors on her body and getting naked in front of the Milan Stock Exchange:
Naked protest AND has nothing to do with PETA? It's win-win!
After the jump, more pics of the (very NSFW) protest:
The so-called "striptease" itself basically consisted of Perego just taking her jacket off instantly. I imagine people complained about this a lot.
Her slogan translates to English as "Italy In Its Pants," which is an expression meaning "People don't care if slogans make sense while your boobs are showing"
Poverty being solved:
Soon the Italian police arrived, attempting to break up the protest with maximum effort:
"You-a fool -- don't-a you know that in Italy, is illegal to be-a naked in public for-a more than seventy straight hours? Please put-a you coat back on for five minutes, then carry on."
(And yes, for the record, I've been to Milan and they speak English with crappy phonetic Italian accents, not Italian) Source: Best Week Ever | 17 Mar 2009 | 5:30 pm
Front Page: Talks over theme park's financing break down -- Disney has put the long-delayed expansion of its Hong Kong theme park on ice after talks with the city government on a cash injection collapsed.
A file photo shows US actors Paul Newman (L) and Elizabeth Taylor (R) in a scene from the 1958 Hollywood film "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". This year's San Sebastian film festival, the most prestigious in the... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 17 Mar 2009 | 4:30 pm
Front Page: Tony-winning actress involved in ski accident -- Actress Natasha Richardson was being treated in a Montreal hospital after she fell during a private ski lesson and received a "serious" head injury at Quebec's Mont Tremblant resort.
AP - Video-game combat has come a long way since the turn of the century. In the 1990s, 3D shooters like "Doom" and "Half-Life" were aimed at the PC audience, with the occasional gem (like "Goldeneye 007") popping up on a console. All that changed in 2001 with the release of Microsoft's "Halo," which became the Xbox's flagship game.
While Kerry Katona's intentions might have been honest, the 34GG fake filet caused too many legal issues for the world's leading auction site. Source: FOXNews.com | 17 Mar 2009 | 2:32 pm
AP - Singer Amy Winehouse turned a court appearance into a spring fashion show Tuesday as she pleaded innocent to assaulting a fan at a party last year.
Coldplay have announced the full schedule for its North American summer tour, an extended run that starts May 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. and ends up back in Tampa, Fla. on August 6.
Mötley Crüe will be joined by Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool and Charm City Devils on the Crüe Fest 2: The White Trash Circus tour, the band announced at a Fuse TV press conference yesterday (March 16).
Jennifer Hudson is buzzing at the prospect of the first-full scale concert tour of her career. "I'm excited to get out and meet the people and sing for the people," Hudson, who hits the road March 31 in Albany, N.Y. with Robin Thicke, told Billboard.com Monday.
They've been called "bromances": those buddy films and TV shows, such as the movies "Pineapple Express" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," that feature non-sexual but deep friendships between two or more males. The forthcoming "I Love You, Man," which opens Friday, appears to fit the bill, but don't tell the stars that.
Natasha Richardson, in critical condition after injuring her head in a skiing accident Monday afternoon in Montreal, has arrived in New York.
While friends and family gathered Monday...
The Octonursery has its first two residents.
One-fourth of Nadya Suleman's infant brood was home Tuesday night after sons Noah and Isaiah were released from a Bellflower, Calif.,...
Hey, y'all. And top o' the evening. (That's a combo greeting to mark both Grand Ole Opry night on American Idol and St. Patrick's Day.)
The remaining 11 contestants lent...
Wow, when it comes to shocking backstage revelations, Jewel certainly knows how to deliver.
The singer, who had to bail out of Dancing with the Stars due to an injury, told us backstage...
Lindsay Lohan is a piece of work—literally.
Los Angeles-based artist Ben Tegel created his latest Lohan-inspired work for a poster promoting Girl on Girl night at the Viper Room...
Oh, those wacky U.K. press peeps. Fact-check, much? That little staple of journalism 101 doesn't seem to be of high importance across the pond.
Case in point: The U.K.'s Daily...
Just read about the recall on the Hannah Montana granola bars, which may have bad peanuts in them? If I eat one and it gives me salmonella, can I sue Miley...
Why was Jon Stewart's takedown of Jim Cramer good for the economy? How much did ER love having George Clooney back? Why is it maybe not so bad to be saddled with a Friday-night time slot,...
