Watch out! Lock up your loved ones! Another bloated, over-produced, high-concept monstrosity has escaped from the labs at Dreamworks Animation, and it's out to devour your kids.
(Reuters) Reuters - Ousted Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek says he was inspired by the rock group AC/DC when he mocked U.S. President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plans as a "road to hell." Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 27 Mar 2009 | 11:09 am
LILONGWE (Reuters) - Madonna's bid to adopt a second Malawian child, a baby girl called Mercy James, will be examined by a court in the southern African country next week, officials said on Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 11:03 am
(Reuters) Reuters - UTV Software Communications Ltd on Friday said it will buy 10 percent more in UTV Global Broadcasting Ltd for 329.7 million rupees. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 27 Mar 2009 | 7:08 am
Reuters - "Elevator Men," a screenplay that takes an unfashionably unromanticized look at vampires, is being scooped up by Summit Entertainment. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 27 Mar 2009 | 6:46 am
Reuters - Andre Techine's many admirers will not be disappointed by his latest offering, "The Girl on the Train," but they might be hard-pressed to define it. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Mar 2009 | 6:43 am
PARIS (Hollywood Reporter) - Andre Techine's many admirers will not be disappointed by his latest offering, "The Girl on the Train," but they might be hard-pressed to define it. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 6:43 am
About four hundred military service members will get a sneak peek at Woody Harrelson's latest movie, "The Messenger." The Sarasota Film Festival invited members from all branches to see... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 5:44 am
So did the American Idol judges finally have to exercise their one-time-only veto power to compensate for America's wonky voting ways?
Nah. It turned into a rough night for the oil...
The half brother of Dane Cook has been ordered held on $1 million bail on charges alleging he stole millions of dollars from the comedian. Darryl McCauley pleaded not guilty to eight... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 5:18 am
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After a long search, Australian actor Matt Passmore has landed the lead on Fox's drama pilot "Masterwork," the season's last central pilot role that... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 5:15 am
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Yang Lan, one of China's most prominent media entrepreneurs, has signed with the high-powered Creative Artists Agency. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 5:12 am
Reuters - Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush has more than 70 theater productions in his native Australia to his credit, but never before has he appeared on a New York stage. Thankfully, that situation has been rectified with his magnificent starring turn in this revival of "Exit the King," which also is welcome for being a rare Broadway production of a Eugene Ionesco play. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Mar 2009 | 5:10 am
AP - The widow of producer Aaron Spelling is placing "The Manor" in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood on the market for a jaw-dropping $150 million, making it by far the most expensive home for sale in the U.S.
A Florida man with two loaded guns was arrested this week outside the "Dancing With the Stars" studio, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Thursday.
Reuters - His sophomore effort, last summer's "The Longshots," might have been released first, but Fred Durst's freshman feature serves as an entirely respectable debut for the frontman of reunited rock group Limp Bizkit. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Mar 2009 | 2:17 am
Reuters - Racial politics have provided excellent fodder for material in the hands of gifted cinematic provocateurs like Spike Lee, but the same issues fall mighty flat in "Spinning Into Butter," the film adaptation of the award-winning play by Rebecca Gilman. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Mar 2009 | 2:17 am
Reuters - Of the many wacky entries in the Guinness Book of World Records, one of the most intriguing is the one concerning the "world's longest walk." The record belongs to Arthur Blessitt, who has managed to traverse some 38,102 miles, walking through every inhabited area on Earth and no fewer than 52 war zones in the process. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 27 Mar 2009 | 2:16 am
With an alleged stalker in custody after he tried to get close to her at the studio, Shawn Johnson is paying a heavier price than she bargained for when she signed up for Dancing WIth the...
Holly Madison may usually have a big smile on her face but that isn't a tickle she's feeling in her ribs.
"After experiencing pain in her rib area, Holly received medical...
British popstar Robbie Williams in London on March 11. Williams said he is ready to rejoin 1990s British boyband sensation Take That, a newspaper reported Friday. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Mar 2009 | 2:03 am
Front Page: Writer, King try fleet feat -- Graham King's GK Films and William Monahan are setting sail on "The Essex," an historical drama about Capt. David S. Porter and his daring sea battles against the British during the War of 1812.
The Boudoir Queen won't be getting in bed with Courtney Love anytime soon.
A fashion designer has sued the former Hole frontwoman for libel, breach of contract and other bad-faith...
The only shuffle Shawn Johnson's alleged stalker will be partaking in is the one that ends in a courtroom.
The 34-year-old Florida man who was caught Tuesday night hopping a fence...
Next Thursday, just down the block from Topshop’s grand opening, Madewell will host an evening of all things denim. From 7 to 9 p.m., they're selling their new limited-edition jeans, hand-crafted by the company’s designers. These specially distressed pairs are part of Madewell’s fall 2009 line and otherwise won't be available until that collection hits stores this summer. All jeans are $25 off at the store during this “Denim After Dark” event, plus get free hemming and custom embroidery with any jeans purchase. So go. We all know you're not getting Balmains anytime soon.
Madewell Soho, 486 Broadway, nr. Broome St.; 212-226-6954
Britney Spears might be seeking a bit more than just Amy right now. She could be looking for a new contractor.
Early Thursday morning, Rockey Lee Dickey Jr. and Alex Montes, two...
Today was kind of a downer, what with all of the variouslayoffs, and the plunging unemployment rate, and Tim Geithner getting raked over the coals in front of Congress again (which we actually couldn't bear to watch because at this point those hearings have developed an uncomfortable snuff-porn quality). But the good news is that the market rallied again, with the Dow going up 174.75 points to 7924.56 at the end of the day. Analysts are even cautiously optimistic: "It's possible that the economy may be starting to fix itself, even without some of the policy moves we've seen recently," one told the Journal. But the really good news is that scientists are making headway in a plan to regrow human limbs. As you can see, they have grown extra arms on this newt.
Who's going to save the music industry from itself? Certainly not Douglas Merrill, who found himself on the receiving end of a rose-colored slip from his bosses at the giant music conglomerate EMI earlier this week. While the industry kicks up its heels and straight up chillaxes until the year 2013 (when CDs officially become obsolete), some collective of Rhodes Scholars figured that now, while the country is mired in its worst economic state since the thirties, was as good a time as any to raise the price point for "many hit singles and classic tracks" on iTunes. Yes, that's right, beginning April 7, it will now cost baby boomers and their preteen children $1.29 to download the latest single by Flo Rida, an increase of 30 cents from today's current price point of $0.99. Naturally, people have mixed feelings about this.
And by mixed feelings, we really mean not so mixed at all. The Los Angeles Timescouldn't find a single soul to go on the record defending the new "variable-pricing" strategy. Not surprisingly, though, people were crawling out of the woodwork to blast the move:
"This will be a PR nightmare," predicted former EMI Music executive Ted Cohen, who is managing partner of digital media consulting firm TAG Strategic. "It is for the music industry what the AIG bonuses are for the insurance industry."
In Apple's defense, though, the new pricing plan does come with one perk — no more DRM. You know, just like all the MP3s on the rest of the Internet that you have been stealing sampling all these years. Nice try, record industry: One of these days you're bound to do something right!
Kérastase is discontinuing ten products. While we are deeply saddened that some of the liquid gold of hair products are disappearing from the market, we are thrilled that they are now on sale. Receive 30 percent off your purchase at the brand's website when you type in "VIP30" at checkout. We suggest the Bain de Force, a fortifying shampoo for weakened or fragile hair and the Bain Aprés-Soleil, a balancing shampoo for sun-exposed hair, both of which are $22.40 each (down from $32). Get other serums, creams, and gels until April 10, when the sale ends and these products are gone forever. [Kerastase Paris]
90210 is back Tuesday with a blast of eight all-new eps in a row that include the return of Donna Martin, a drop-by from Diablo Cody, breakups, a breakdown, the prom, the play and the birth...
Front Page: '12 Rounds,' 'Connecticut' also opening wide -- Friday's debut of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" ushers in the age of the 3-D tentpole as studios look to entice moviegoers with a new form of entertainment that comes with a heftier ticket price.
Front Page: Team to adapt characters into films -- With more than 5,000 crime fighters and villains in its library, Marvel Entertainment is looking for some help in adapting those characters into films.
The Axe effect is having opposite to intended results on mothers and teachers whose teen boys drench themselves in it. The Associated Press reports that moms are banning Axe products in their households, while a district in Minnesota proposed banning fragrances in school altogether. Axe, however, plans to fight the sprayer haters by starting an educational campaign that "focuses on the best application" of the products. The campaign will pretty much imply that you can't trade a real soap-and-water shower for a body spray. You can understand the parental concern. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Earlier today, we reported that the New York Times was reducing its employees’ salaries. But that measure was apparently not enough: The Times is also laying off 100 staffers on the business side. [FishbowlNY/Mediabistro]
• Blender magazine has died, though its website will live on. Blender’s editor-in-chief, Joe Levy, is now Maxim magazine’s editor-in-chief. [Ad Age via Vulture]
• The Washington Post is offering another round of voluntary buyouts. Interested employees must be over 50 with a minimum of five years of work experience behind them, as if this were an invitation to some sort of retirement home. [Politico]
• In related news, the Washington Post has the scoop on how the Washington Post “will follow a money-losing 2008 by losing ‘substantial money’ in 2009 and will continue to cut costs.” [WP]
• Google is cutting 200 employees, concentrated in the company’s sales and marketing teams. On the Google blog, Senior V.P. Omid Kordestani said, “we over-invested in some areas in preparation for the growth trends we were experiencing at the time.” [Google Blog]
• Today was the Christian Science Monitor’s last day in print. Editor John Yemma says the Monitor is now “a dynamic online newspaper on all days.” [Christian Science Monitor]
This Christian Dior Couture gown is pennies compared to the diamond wonder frock.
Guess what! Retail stocks are up! By an amazing 5 percent! The cause? Economic optimism inspired by the new regulatory plans for the financial industry, outlined by Treasury-secretary-cum-fashion-trailblazer Tim Geithner. So clearly, with the market regrowing its bull horns, fashion designers should prepare by making loads of the kind of ridiculously expensive things we all enjoyed so much three years ago. Like diamond-encrusted dresses! Hell, why not just construct an entire dress from diamonds, like designer Faisol Abdullah is doing. His dress includes over 750 diamonds, among them a 70-carat pear-shaped stone at the center of the bodice. The gown's bodice and train are encrusted with diamonds. "Stocks drop, gold is even falling but a diamond is forever," Abdullah said. "This is a dress with diamonds. Why go backwards, why can't we go forward? We are going to the fantastic, but it's real. You are getting value for money with these diamonds." Oh, excuse us — this is a recession-friendly diamond-encrusted dress.
Abdullah will unveil his creation at the STYLO Fashion Festival next week in Malaysia. STYLO chief executive Nancy Yeoh commissioned the dress. She calls it "art," and insists that "there are still enough rich people" who will want to buy it. They plan to shop the dress around to royal courts, stopping in the Middle East. We sure hope they were able to squeeze in an appointment for Beyoncé. She needs this garment more than anybody.
The Washington Post national reporter Lois Romano was among the high-profile journalists bypassed by President Obama on Tuesday night when he chose to answer questions from Univision and Essence representatives. We're not sure, but it seems she's a little bit peeved about it in this videotaped interview with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. When Gibbs brushed aside her concerns, she did that thing that so many reporters (including us) do, which is to giggle and pretend it's all in fun, and then ask another nasty question. Gibbs was not so easily thrown off:
Romano: The TelePrompTer changed last night. What was that about? [Titters nervously] It's a big Jumbotron now? Gibbs: I am absolutely amazed that anybody in America cares about who the president picks at a news conference or the mechanism by which he reads his prepared remarks. I guess America is a wonderful country. Romano: [Tittering more intensely in order to deflect the attack] You're saying this is all Washington beltway stuff? [TITTER] Gibbs: I don't think that should implicate the many people that live in Washington.
We don't like to frequently trade in the tawdry world of celebrity gossip here on Vulture, but this bit was just too delicious to pass up. Cloris Leachman, our favorite daffy old hoofer, just wrote a book called, compellingly enough, Cloris. In it, she recounts a tale from the early seventies in which she and Gene Hackman made passionate love that made the neighbors complain about the noises above. "As we moved into the main course, it was as if a cosmic wind enveloped us. Some giant space magnet was pulling us together," Leachman writes. "We didn't finish the meal. We went upstairs, flew into bed and made love. It was epic." [NYP]
BABY SNATCHY: Madonna has announced that she is going to adopt another child from the country of Malawi. Not to raise it, rather to date it. (Us Weekly)
WEIGHT A SECOND: The world is in an uproar that Scarlett Johansson appears to be losing weight. Which leads scientist to the conclusion that people will never be happy and will always be assh*les. And I don't mean her, I mean you. (NY Post)
SCAM: It has been revealed that John McEnroe was one of many swindled in an $88 million scam headed by art dealer Lawrence Salander. And in a related story, art dealer Lawrence Salander made record books this week, becoming the first human being to eat an entire tennis racket. (Yahoo News)
BEFRIS: Paris Hilton managed to get to Kathy Griffin before me, and now the two are best friends. Who's next, Par? Bonnie Hunt? I'll f**king kill you. (INF Daily)
VIRAL: If you are a man, and you don't know how to defend yourself, allow these two handsome gentlemen to show you the ropes... while wearing a flame tee and a karate robe. (Youtube)
It must be bad enough dating the bratty Brit princess Lily Allen — hearing her talk about herself constantly, having to get everything off the high shelves for her — without having the bird run off and release a song about how you can't make her have an orgasm, but here it is: "Not Fair," a crude, cutesy, and sadly irresistible little kiss-off from the spokeschick of England's overshare generation (she has said the guy is real). The video, one of those where the band's transposed into some campy setting, is half as amusing as the lyrics, but we've got to credit the wardrobe person who got Allen into that fabulous pristine-white jumpsuit, which we can only assume she stripped out of immediately after this shoot to change into something soft and pink with a brand name printed across the ass.
Yesterday ex–Project Runway contestant Kenley Collins had a hearing in Brooklyn Criminal Court about her arrest for allegedly attacking her ex-fiancé with a cat, apples, and a laptop. Kenley claimed she never threw the cat at her ex-beau Zak Penley while he was sleeping. She was charged with second-degree assault, but that will probably be dropped down to a misdemeanor next month. In an unexpected and somewhat weird turn of events, Kenley's mother is defending her to reporters, which is probably a good idea, considering her alleged propensity to throw living things. "My daughter told me they were arguing because she broke up with him and he wouldn't get out of the apartment," Jeanine Collins told the Daily News. "Zak's cat, Arlo, was bothering her, so she plopped him on a down comforter on the bed and told Zak to 'go feed him.' That's all there was to it." So now we know which cat it was!
Natasha Richardson will never know the impact she had on the life of seven-year-old Morgan McCracken, who suffered a head injury last week. In this week's Empowered Patient, we tell you what to do after a blow to the head.
The hilarious fallout continues today over Monday's revelation that it was a botched attempt by Variety to purchase Nikki Finke's blog, Deadline Hollywood Daily, that prompted the trade's triple attack on her over the weekend. In her response to the hit pieces, Finke said there were "other interested parties," prompting much speculation over who, exactly, those parties might be. Possibly the Huffington Post?
Yesterday, the Wrap's Sharon Waxman asked Finke about it, and claims Finke responded "evasively" and implied that one of those offers may still result in a sale ("It may not," she's quoted as saying, "I'm very picky"). But Finke says on her own blog that Waxman used parts of "'Umms' and 'Hmms' and other noncommittal responses" from an off-the-record conversation to draw incorrect assumptions, though she doesn't specify what those assumptions were.
Interestingly enough, Finke hasn't yet responded to Business Insider's report today on rumors that the Huffington Post — which recently secured $25 million in funding to use, in part, on "select, focused acquisitions" — may be in talks to buy DHD. Might she, herself, soon be the subject of someone else's "TOLDJA!"?
Update: Finke responds in the comments at Business Insider: "Everything in your post, and Waxman's post, is incorrect."
Citigroup can no longer afford to keep on the people who clean their offices, apparently. "We got notice about two weeks ago that 65 workers will be laid off within the coming weeks," Kwame Patterson, the spokesperson for the Service Employees International Union, Chapter 32BJ, told Daily Intel. Well, we guess that makes sense. Citi would need to take some cost-cutting measures in light of their having borrowed we-don't-even-know-anymore how many billions of dollars from the taxpayer. And, you know, after having paid out millions of dollars in bribes retention bonuses to these two guys. And what with the upcoming office renovations, and the assorted expenses related to the winding down of Sandy Weill's office privileges..."What's really ironic," Patterson added, is that of these low-wage workers, "a number of them have outstanding loans and mortgages from Citigroup." How will they pay their bills now? "Probably," Patterson said, "they'll go on public assistance." Citi declined to comment when contacted by Daily Intel. Sweet Vikram, will this madness never end?
Rather than shooting an original cover for the April issue, Indian Vogue is recycling the MObama cover. They changed the color of the Vogue letters to match MObama's Jason Wu dress. Overseas editions of Vogue have a habit of recycling covers, so this isn't so unusual, but it reaffirms that MObama fever is a worldwide affliction. [BlackBook]
"In my drinking days, some of us would gather around noon on Saturdays at Oxford's Pub for what we called Drunch. We would commence with shots of creme de menthe and pint glasses of real Coke, in the hope that a combination of alcohol, sugar and caffeine would restore us ... In doing this, I would often quote 'We laugh, that we may not cry,' although just now I have discovered that no one originally said that. I always thought it was Shakespeare. It was me." —Roger Ebert, from his brand-new review of 1987's Withnail and I that was posted today [Roger Ebert/Chicago Sun-Times]
"God bless them — over 50 million people voted for me and Sarah Palin — mostly for Sarah Palin." —John McCain at a speech at the Heritage Foundation, after being reminded of how many people supported him in last year's election. [CNN]
When Rihanna was gunning for a new tattoo, she knew exactly who to call.
"I think it's very empowering, very protective," tattoo artist BangBang, of Eastside...
Co-designer of 6267 and Gianfranco Ferré Tomaso Aquilano: "Today the Italian woman dresses worse than the American woman, but three out of a hundred Italian women dress really wonderfully. The Americans are dressed well but all look the same ... The Italian woman who wants to be sexy really lets you see it. She focuses more on her body, on showing it off. An American woman doesn’t show her body, but shows it in the way she dresses. She never wants to show that she is truly sexy, although in reality that’s what the American woman wants to be ... The Italian woman shows herself off, but in the end she’s not so obsessed with sex. The American woman, on the other hand, is obsessed with the idea that she might pick someone up. In Italy, women are not worried about not picking someone up." [Interview via Fashionista]
When leg injuries forced Jewel to drop out of this season's Dancing With the Stars, she promised she would be back one day.
But from the sound of it, her husband, fellow DWTS...
Front Page: Debt holders asked to consider risk factors -- Lionsgate's board of directors decided Thursday to express no opinion and remain neutral in regard to Carl Icahn's tender offer for the company's debt.
Sports talk host (and noted Yankees fan) Mike Francesa says he’d be willing to sit in a dunk tank at Citi Field for charity. This will likely raise enough money to fund numerous charitable organizations, return all bank and auto bailouts, and probably pay back Madoff's victims, too. [Watchdog/Newsday]
A large panda-shaped creature was spotted walking around Battery Park late yesterday afternoon. He (or she) was carrying a Duane Reade bag and an air of tristesse. Why? [Gothamist]
Yeah, yeah, he's cute. Now where the hell is Lourdes?
According to court officials in Malawi, Madonna has requested permission to adopt another baby from the African country. She will be there this weekend and could be in court as early as Monday to have her case heard. The Material Mom has already come under criticism from government officials in Malawi over her personal life, and that may affect the outcome of the case. Last time around, her rescue of little David Banda caused oodles of troubles for the singer when it turned out the boy's father was still alive and Madonna had circumvented many of the usual requirements for adoption so she could take him back to London with her.
Upon consideration, we really must say: Enough, Madonna. Not because of the controversies, or because it's tacky when celebrities adopt a million ethnic babies, or even because she's maybe only doing this just because she's bored. No, we want her to drop these plans to adopt a new African baby because every new little tot that enters the Ciccone brood diminishes the brilliantly shining star of Lourdes, our favorite.
We tolerated Rocco because he was cute, and because Guy Ritchie needed someone to play with and to have grow up like him. Now that the two are divorced, Rocco will probably spend more time in London while Lourdes hangs out here in New York, which is fine with us. But when David Banda came around, we started to get annoyed. Look what happened to Maddox Jolie-Pitt. For years it was all about him, and his mom, and his mohawk, traipsing around the world. He was one of the most famous celebrity kids in the world! But then came Zahara, and Shiloh, and Pax Thien, and those twins whose names we can't even keep track of because there are suddenly too many Jolie-Pitt spawn running around. (Also because their names are too ridiculous to be reproduced anyway.) Does Madonna want Lourdes to come out like just another Phillips kid? Or one of the Ronsons? Or (shudder) one of the Osmonds?
Let's draw a line here, Madonna. Do it for Lourdes.
NAILS
• A 53-year-old woman was arrested in Boston yesterday as a suspect in a bank robbery. The teller identified her by her orange nail polish. [Boston.com]
SKIN
• The Federal Trade Commission is forcing QVC to pay $7.5 million in settlement money to consumers who bought anti-cellulite skin creams and supplements that were deemed misleading and deceptive. Let it be known that you cannot, in fact, rub pounds away with cream. [Forbes.com via Beauty Counter/Style.com]
MAKEUP
• Estée Lauder named a CEO after sixteen months without one. The lucky winner: Fabrizio Freda, who was president of global snacks for Procter & Gamble before joining Lauder in November 2007 as chief operating officer. [WWD]
• A father is distraught that he can't stop his daughters from wearing makeup, especially because one of them is 3 years old. Did he father one of Kimora Lee Simmons's kids? [Daily Mail]
HAIR
• You can get a bob in five steps without cutting your hair. Carrie Underwood did it when she performed on American Idol last week, but who in the real world has the time? [Beauty Blogger/Teen Vogue]
• Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland (so they're still friends!) got their eyebrows shaped at Damone "Eyebrow King" Roberts's salon on Fifth Avenue. No word on who paid their bills. [NYP]
Wanna piss off Sharon Osbourne? Ask her if she thinks there would be any controversy over the fact that a family with past drug issues like hers is hosting a family-oriented variety show....
Have you ever watched American Idol and thought, "Gee, this terrible group medley would sound a heck of a lot better had they bothered to record it ahead of time instead of singing it live on air?" If so, well, we've got a pinch of bad news for you: They already do that! This stunning new detail came to light thanks to season-one Idol runner-up Justin Guarini, who boldly pronounced last week that he thought some of this year's contestants appeared to be lip-syncing during the group numbers. Idol producers hoped that the allegation wouldn't make a dent in the pop-culture consciousness — after all, Guarini's show, Idol Wrap, does air on the TV Guide Channel — but after a wave of public outrage somehow began cresting, they were forced to issue a statement confirming the cover-up.
According to a report in today's New York Times:
Manfred Westphal, a spokesman for FremantleMedia North America, which produces “American Idol” for Fox, at first denied the charge, saying on Tuesday: “The Idols don’t lip-sync, period.” But on Wednesday, in an e-mail message, Mr. Westphal said: “Due to extensive choreography and to balance their voices with open mikes against a screaming audience, the Idols do sing along to their own prerecorded vocal track during the group performances only.”
Ooh, burn! And although this revelation has no direct effect on the show's outcome, it does confirm a suspicion we've had about Guarini ever since we first laid eyes on his mop top back in 2002: Maybe he is Idol's version of Sideshow Bob, after all!
A six-man, six-woman jury began deliberating Thursday whether music producer Phil Spector is responsible for the death six years ago of an actress in his home.
The latest 3-D animated movie involves the possible extinction of the human race and features a mad scientist with the head of a cockroach, a prehistoric half-ape/half-fish, a 50-foot-tall woman (OK, 49-foot-11), and a blue brainless blob named B.O.B. And they're the heroes.
A while back, we told you about Alfie Patten, a 12-year-old British lad who supposedly fathered the child of a 15-year-old girl. But good news for Alfie -- that girl was a total Doug McClure! Alfie is not the father! You know what that means it's time for, right? Call the Momo Popo because it's OUR FAVORITE DANCE IN THE UNIVERSE!
Marc Ecko's streetwear empire might be on the brink of bankruptcy. Marc Ecko Enterprises — which owns *ecko unltd., Cut & Sew, Zoo York, Complex magazine, Complex.com, ecko red, Avirex, and several licenses — owes investors a total of around $170 million. Ecko's chief marketing officer tells the Post that the situation is not "life-threatening at all." But still, the company has cut expenses, closed its warehouse, and is attempting to lease out its 23rd Street headquarters. See, it's not just the luxury brands that face huge financial troubles. The street is suffering too. And high schoolers may be the hardest hit, as these dire times threaten their rhino-emblazoned gear and Zoo York skateboards. Just what will Vanessa Hudgens do without her magical ecko red sneakers that she just danced in for her "Sneakernight" music video? Come out with "Barefootnight"? The horror.
Fred Durst, front man of nineties rap-rockers Limp Bizkit, is taking on a new role: sensitive indie filmmaker. His dramatic directing debut, The Education of Charlie Banks, opens today, and stars Jesse Eisenberg as an introspective, bourgeois Manhattan kid who’s haunted by a magnetic and dangerous bully, played by Jason Ritter. Durst spoke to Vulture about overcoming his musical persona, his little-known sensitive side, and why we should all prepare ourselves for a Limp Bizkit comeback.
How and when did you first become interested in directing?
I think ever since I was preteen I wanted to direct movies and tell stories. I never thought I’d be in a rock band; that just came out of the blue and came first somehow. Though it inevitably led me to better opportunities for filmmaking, or to be taken a little more seriously. The room’s kinda warm for me — it’s easier to get meetings.
Being that guy from Limp Bizkit wasn’t an impediment?
Well, it was hard to get meetings for anything substantial. For someone in my position, there’s opportunities to be anything you want to be, even if you shouldn’t be eligible, and I think that’s left a bad taste in a lots of financers' and studios' mouths. Just cause someone’s popular at one thing, letting them do the other isn’t always the right thing. I was just offered at first a lot of typical things that seemed inspired by what Limp Bizkit sounded like or felt like — a music-video-style film, or a throwaway B-horror-genre flick.
You’ve said you identify with both Charlie and Mick, Ritter’s character. They’re pretty different.
Well, class struggle is something I really identify with from the get-go. We were not a wealthy family at all, growing up. We worked very hard for a very little bit of money, and didn’t live gratuitously in any way. That’s Mick. But I’ve also had moments in my life like Charlie — I’ve had a bully in my life, I’ve had those guys come in who passively take your girlfriend. But there’s still something charming about them, even if they might turn on you any second. I’ve been in Charlie’s shoes, literally.
What’s going on with Limp Bizkit?
There’s a lot of time in a busy guy’s life to do everything [laughs]. The original Limp Bizkit is back together, we’re going to tour this summer, and then I’m coming back to direct my third feature, called Psycho Killer, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, who wrote Se7en. It’s a very, very smart script. I’m wearing a couple different hats, and it all blends well.
You sound so mellow. It’s not quite what I expected.
Yeah, I’ve always been. When I put that cap on and go into Limp mode, something happens. But I’ve been able to get some serious perspective on things, and absence made the heart grow fonder. There’s been a void I think, in rock. There’s nothing else like Limp Bizkit; there’s been nothing else like Limp Bizkit. People are like, “You sound like Linkin Park” — we don’t sound anything like Linkin Park! We’re tighter, friendlier, and stronger than ever now. It’s very weird and scary.
Have you grown up?
Well, we’ve evolved as humans, but we finally realized we want to own Limp Bizkit. We’re like, “You know, we ARE Limp Bizkit. We own this shit.” We want to go out there and destroy.
If you aren't familiar with the complicated process by which the Treasury makes decisions, we suggest you be an American and educate yourself by watching this video.
And all this time, we thought Goldman Sachs controlled everything.
[Via DealBreaker]
Front Page: Studio stays with Bad Robot until 2013 -- Paramount Pictures has extended its overall deal with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Prods., keeping the company on the lot through 2013.
Looks like all that talk about putting the "M" back in MTV wasn't just lip service. The network will be exclusively debuting the video for "Know Your Enemy," the first single from the new Green Day record, across its 66 international channels on April 24. Presumably with an intro from Lauren Conrad. [Variety]
When Gwyneth Paltrow made the random-seeming decision in October to start a weekly series of lifestyle newsletters, we — like almost everyone else — greeted the first wave of them with scorn. Critics deemed the venture irrelevant and patronizing, and we personally weren't sure we wanted life lessons from someone who once publicly sported angry bruises resembling incompetent hickeys because she'd undergone an obscure detoxification procedure. However, six months into the life of Goop.com, here’s the dirty little secret we have to confess: It's totally addictive.
Make no mistake, Gwynnie’s missives are not helpful. At all. Want a dinner idea? Try this cool thing called “pesto.” Need a vegetable dish? Gwynnie dug deep to produce a steamed-peas recipe that involves — wait for it — steaming some peas. In a travel primer about Paris, she tipped us off to some joint called the Ritz; for Los Angeles, the Beverly Hills Hotel. In short, 95 percent of what she will ever mention has already occurred to you, and you’ve been crying for months about being unable to afford most of it. And the cherry on top is the dreadful name: Gwyneth claims GOOP was her childhood nickname and swears she didn't know its alternate meaning, but we don't believe her, because we are certain she was not raised in a cave. For most of us, it evokes a botched recipe or something you'd scrape off your shoe — hardly a positive association for self-improvement advice.
But little by little, GOOP's relentless obliviousness sneaks up on you and becomes oddly charming. Once you realize you're reading it not for the information, but for the peek into how Gwyneth ticks, it becomes hilarious — not annoying — when Gwyneth blithely exalts rare hibiscus-flavored Majorcan salt, or recommends giving someone a $1,400 leather weekend-getaway bag for Christmas. You react with an amused, "Of course" when a pal of the woman who once evangelized macrobiotic living produces a recipe called "Dino Meat," made of unappetizing lumps of obscure meat substitute served with mushy grains arranged in the shape of a cow (the awesome photo of which single-handedly validated our continued membership). Entertainingly, even the tongue baths Gwyneth gives to the celebrity pals she’s roped into contributing feel like she thinks they're cute insider dish. Christy Turlington is an “amazing mother” who recommends Jane Austen, while "great dresser" Wes Anderson suggests a Japanese cartoon he says "could spawn something like Scientology." There's something endearing about the image of Gwyneth sitting in a garret somewhere banging out a few paragraphs about the butt exercises she does when her trainer goes on tour with Madonna, or nagging Steven Spielberg to boost our cultural education with a list of his favorite flicks. (That he actually did it is also rather sweet.) Indeed, as vanity projects go, at least Gwyneth's intentions are good, if perhaps condescending — like when she had Deepak Chopra proffer tips on how to be grateful at Thanksgiving, as if we Philistines couldn't figure that out otherwise. On the other hand, obviously Deepak is one of her go-to gurus; we're actually shocked the Dalai Lama has escaped her reach.
So although GOOP may fail in its stated objective of "nourishing the inner aspect" — sorry, we are not self-loathing enough to do a seven-day cleanse for speedy weight loss — it succeeds as a snapshot of who Gwyneth is, believes she is, or aspires to be. Just as The Martha Stewart Show taught us that Martha is a big ol' flirt who loves potato vodka, GOOP is at least as revealing as any Vanity Fair interview, and more honest than anything we'd expect to come from a celebrity of Gwyneth Paltrow's stature. So in the spirit of that bravery — intentional or otherwise — we hope she continues to ignore her detractors and forges ahead unchanged. After all, it certainly beats trying to sell us leggings or spray-tanner.
"It’s a constant. I enjoy In Rainbows in the morning. You throw it on in the iPod dock and get ready to leave the house and go on about your day. That album seems to put me in a pretty decent mood." —Justin Timberlake hearts Radiohead [Music Mix/EW]
"That tour taught me to go, go, go, go. No set times, no soundchecks, no showers. It doesn’t matter if you have a hit song. ‘Get in line for catering, please.’ No favoritism at all. It was me and 12 other guys in a bus, face to face, all the time, smelling like crap. I felt like GI Jane afterward. Everyone had a bet that I was going to die or have to drop out." —Katy Perry on her first I Kissed a Girl tour [Pop Matters]
"That I did a lot of ecstasy." —Beth Orton on what listening to her 1996 album Trailer Park reminds her [Guardian UK]
“The hardest part about playing Henry has always been the hardest part about playing Henry. It’s not like when I played Elvis or even ‘Match Point’ where I could look in the mirror and I could see the character. I can’t look in the mirror and see Henry. I have to see my own version of Henry." —Jonathan Rhys Meyers on trying to find his inner Henry VIII for The Tudors [Pop Matters]
"I always used to sort of apologetically say, 'Oh, no, that wasn't me, that was a body double.' Because I'm modest, as a person. But now I say 'Thank you. Yes, that was my ass.'" —Virginia Madsen on claiming what is rightfully hers [LAT]
"Just been reading the NME about me doing a catwalk to premiere Pretty Green. No chance." —Liam Gallagher on not being keen on modeling, thank you very much [Twitter via Contact Music]
Spike Jonze has nearly completed Where the Wild Things Are, the epic children's-book adaptation he directed from a script co-written with Dave Eggers, but after coping with studio clashes, reshoots and rewrites, and special effects "unlike anything I've dealt with before," he's feeling bummed about one thing in particular: "I've been working on the same movie for four years and basically haven't been paid anyway," he said at MoMA last night, following the premiere of Patrick Daughters and Marcel Dzama's new music video for Department of Eagles. "When you break down how much you're making [over that time] ... Yeah, it's kind of crazy."
But Jonze is relieved to be putting the finishing touches on the film, which is due in October. And he's excited about another labor of love: a documentary about Wild Things creator Maurice Sendak, which he hopes to finish in time for the release of the main event. "He's awesome and amazing," said Jonze of the 80-year-old writer, who wrote the book when he was living in a basement apartment on West 9th Street, and who now lives in Connecticut. "But yeah, this year I should probably get back to work on other stuff, and start making money again," the filmmaker said with a shrug. "I haven't made money in a long time."
Maybe more music videos — like the "short film" he just made with Kanye — would be in order? "No way, I don't think so. There are no budgets at all. We support ourselves with commercials. That's how I make money." Our all-time favorite was that Gap ad in which customers rip a store to shreds. Well, "It's a good thing to get paid to destroy a Gap."
AP - "Life Sentences" (William Morrow, 344 pages, $24.99), by Laura Lippman: Laura Lippman earned her fame with a series of books about a fictional Baltimore private detective named Tess Monaghan. But in recent years, she has written several stand-alone novels that have incrementally strayed from her mystery writing roots.
Voting is open on the fourth Bracket of 90s Movie Madness:
Remember, the question is "WHICH MOVIE IS MORE 90s?" not just "which movie is better" - Vote away after the jump and leave your arguments in the comments:
here.
Round 2 of Brackets A and B start tomorrow!
(poll embeds via xversusy.com)
The first thought that ran through Tom Selleck's mind before this photo was taken is "What are the odds that a stranger would be wearing a leather jacket emblazoned with my nickname in bed?"
The second thought that ran through Tom Selleck's mind? "I'm gonna have to confiscate that jacket. No, seriously. I'm not kidding. I need your jacket. Listen, gimme the f**kin' jacket assh*le. (pause) Thank you."
**Our apologies if the above man is actually Lenin's corpse.** Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Mar 2009 | 5:15 pm
Front Page: Company mandates 5% pay cut -- In the face of rapidly declining subscription and advertising revenues and a series of fiscal missteps, the New York Times Co. will lay off 100 workers from the business side of the org and has mandated a 5% pay cut for all of its employees.
Front Page: Fox returns to crush the competition -- Fox's "American Idol" crushed the competition on Wednesday with a special two-hour performance show that was pushed back a day by President Obama's Tuesday press conference.
Flo Rida's appearances on the Hot 100 are doubly sweet this week, with "Right Round" maintaining at No. 1 and "Suga," featuring Wynter, scoring the chart's hot shot debut at No. 25. "Suga," which sold 78,000 digital tracks last week and quadrupled its airplay audience, is the third single to chart from Flo Rida's upcoming Mar. 31 album, "R.O.O.T.S."
The above photo is yet more proof that there is still a yet-to-be-tapped million dollar idea floating out there: Baby bras. Just the tiiiiiniest little bras for baby boobs.
The above photo of baby shots depicts a new trend in motherhood: Putting your baby in a bucket of hot water to create a delicious stew to calm it down when it is collicky. The "Tummy Tub", as it is called, recreates the feeling of being in a womb, which relaxes the baby and, apparently, turns it into a pile of fleshy mashed potatoes (see above).
Me? I just want to inspect each one of them and then pick out the best, weigh it, and take it home like a lobster.
Ahead -- THE CREEPIEST TUMMY TUB DEMO VIDEO EVER. Seriously, someone convince me that isn't formaldehyde.
Next week's Billboard 200 albums chart will find a pair of albums perhaps vying for the top slot. Both Walt Disney's "Hannah Montana: The Movie" soundtrack and the "Now 30" compilation (UMe) are on track to start with more than 120,000, but it's too early to tell which album will triumph. The "Hannah" set led Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart released on March 25.
Last night, American Idol's Season 8 kept rollin' along, with the Top singing hits from Motown, replete with guidance from the legenday Smokey Robinson, who may or may not be cryogenically frozen (a compliment, trust us.) The further along this season of Idol goes, the more we begin to realize how many people this season are actually just a huge joke. Let's start with the bad:
THE BAD:Kris Allen: "How Sweet It Is" Mediocre singer who unhinges his jaw. He is impossible to watch.
Scott MacIntyre: "Can't Hurry Love" The longer America keeps Scott on the show, the longer you torture the guy. Did I say "the guy"? I meant "me." The longer you torture me. And as further proof to how sh*tty this season is, he'll probably be on for at least 3 more weeks. Would it be weird if he wore sunglasses?
Megan Joy: "For Once In My Life"Arrested Development fans will remember Charlize Theron's turn on the series as a beautiful woman who was secretly mentally retarded. This, folks, is Megan Joy. No one can deny her beauty, but for f**k's sake there is no way there isn't something just a little bit off with her.
Michael Sarver: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" Sucked. I have no more time to waste on this guy.
Lil Rounds: "Heatwave" Yeah, that's right -- I didn't like the performance. Do they make ear tamps? Perf, cause the ol' soundholes were bleeding. The song became a repetitious shoutfest.
Danny Gokey: "Get Ready" The only way I would ever buy Danny Gokey's debut album is if he named it "Gokey Dokey", because let's face it, that's hilarious. He's a one trick pony -- if you consider being a good singer who happens to be a widow with the face of a Fraggle a "trick".
THE GOODMatt Giraud: "Let's Get It On" Fine, he looks like a human baby. But he doesn't totally sicken me! Bonie points for that. In the scheme of this season, Matt's alright.
Anoop Desai: "Oh Baby Baby" I admit that the upper lip sweat Anoop had goin' on tonight was a bit of a distraction. But this blog is nothing if not loyal, so we haven't turned our backs on Anoop just yet. Again, in the scheme of the Motown trainwreck episode, Anoop rose to the top.
Allison Iraheta: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" We've always loved Allison's voice. But we fear her possy-autism might get her eliminated early and unjustly. Nevertheless, she was one of the few (two?) that kicked ass tonight. Let's keep her around, America.
Adam Lambert: "The Tracks of My Tears" Adam Lambert is the King of 'Motown... Literally. 'Motown. Think about it. This entire post was leading up to this man. Allow us to jump the gun tattoo and call this entire competition for Lambert. He is a true showman, has a killer voice, seems humble, looks adorable while napping, and basically has his sh*t down. Now, maybe it was because I watched last night's episode at 4 am... but I shed a few tears after it. YES I AM ADMITTING IT. It could also be because he got a standing ovation from Smokey R, and that the audience went nuts, and that he looks like a slightly more butch Zac Efron, but whatever it was... Adam Lambert stole the f**king show. Thank God he gives me a reason to tune in next week.
Here is his performance, if you missed it:
Smokey Robinson just fell in love all over again. Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Mar 2009 | 4:31 pm
Merengue star Elvis Crespo is being investigated after a woman said she saw him performing a sex act on an airplane en route from Houston to Miami, according to Miami-Dade County police. The Grammy winner was masturbating in view of other passengers Thursday,
Movie posters go through countless revisions and redesigns before a final version makes its way to theaters and subways (and the internet .0001 seconds later) -- here's a look at several second-to-last drafts of some particularly memorable movie posters before they got the memorable taglines exactly right:
Rihanna debuted her latest tattoo this week, a miniature gun cleverly tucked under her armpit. Which leads one to wonder: Is Rihanna trying to tell us something... through body art? Like some sort of double-backwards ri-ri version of Memento? She realizes a gun tattoo won't actually do anything in a time of crisis, right? Specifically one tailor-made for Tiny Elvis?
Perhaps Rihanna is starting a new trend of empowering weapon tattoos, to show abusive hopefully-ex boyfriend Chris Brown who is in charge. In which case, might we suggest her next tatt be a medieval mace seductively hidding inside the crack of her ass. Source: Best Week Ever | 26 Mar 2009 | 2:46 pm
It may be hard to imagine Sean Penn performing slapstick comedy, but the double-Oscar winner is being lined up to star as one of The Three Stooges Source: FOXNews.com | 26 Mar 2009 | 1:26 pm
As far as Ben Harper is concerned, the forthcoming "White Lies For Dark Times" is "my second first record." Due out May 5, the album, Harper's 10th studio effort, certainly puts the singer, songwriter and guitarist on some new creative terrain.
Adam Lambert has showed his softer side on "American Idol," earning a standing ovation for his smooth performance of "The Tracks of My Tears." Guest mentor Smokey Robinson, who originally performed the classic song with the Miracles, rose to his feet after watching the 26-year-old theater actor hit all the right notes.
The fate of music producer Phil Spector was put in the hands of the jury on Thursday after a five month retrial on charges that he murdered a Hollywood actress in his Los Angeles home.
So did the American Idol judges finally have to exercise their one-time-only veto power to compensate for America's wonky voting ways?
Nah. It turned into a rough night for the oil...
With an alleged stalker in custody after he tried to get close to her at the studio, Shawn Johnson is paying a heavier price than she bargained for when she signed up for Dancing WIth the...
Holly Madison may usually have a big smile on her face but that isn't a tickle she's feeling in her ribs.
"After experiencing pain in her rib area, Holly received medical...
The Boudoir Queen won't be getting in bed with Courtney Love anytime soon.
A fashion designer has sued the former Hole frontwoman for libel, breach of contract and other bad-faith...
The only shuffle Shawn Johnson's alleged stalker will be partaking in is the one that ends in a courtroom.
The 34-year-old Florida man who was caught Tuesday night hopping a fence...
Britney Spears might be seeking a bit more than just Amy right now. She could be looking for a new contractor.
Early Thursday morning, Rockey Lee Dickey Jr. and Alex Montes, two...
90210 is back Tuesday with a blast of eight all-new eps in a row that include the return of Donna Martin, a drop-by from Diablo Cody, breakups, a breakdown, the prom, the play and the birth...
When Rihanna was gunning for a new tattoo, she knew exactly who to call.
"I think it's very empowering, very protective," tattoo artist BangBang, of Eastside...
When leg injuries forced Jewel to drop out of this season's Dancing With the Stars, she promised she would be back one day.
But from the sound of it, her husband, fellow DWTS...
Wanna piss off Sharon Osbourne? Ask her if she thinks there would be any controversy over the fact that a family with past drug issues like hers is hosting a family-oriented variety show....
Last night, American Idol's Season 8 kept rollin' along, with the Top singing hits from Motown, replete with guidance from the legenday Smokey Robinson, who may or may not be cryogenically frozen (a compliment, trust us.) The further along this season of Idol goes, the more we begin to realize how many people this season are actually just a huge joke. Let's start with the bad:
THE BAD:
Kris Allen: "How Sweet It Is" Mediocre singer who unhinges his jaw. He is impossible to watch.
Scott MacIntyre: "Can't Hurry Love" The longer America keeps Scott on the show, the longer you torture the guy. Did I say "the guy"? I meant "me." The longer you torture me. And as further proof to how sh*tty this season is, he'll probably be on for at least 3 more weeks. Would it be weird if he wore sunglasses?
Megan Joy: "For Once In My Life" Arrested Development fans will remember Charlize Theron's turn on the series as a beautiful woman who was secretly mentally retarded. This, folks, is Megan Joy. No one can deny her beauty, but for f**k's sake there is no way there isn't something just a little bit off with her.
Michael Sarver: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" Sucked. I have no more time to waste on this guy.
Lil Rounds: "Heatwave" Yeah, that's right -- I didn't like the performance. Do they make ear tamps? Perf, cause the ol' soundholes were bleeding. The song became a repetitious shoutfest.
Danny Gokey: "Get Ready" The only way I would ever buy Danny Gokey's debut album is if he named it "Gokey Dokey", because let's face it, that's hilarious. He's a one trick pony -- if you consider being a good singer who happens to be a widow with the face of a Fraggle a "trick".
THE GOOD
Matt Giraud: "Let's Get It On" Fine, he looks like a human baby. But he doesn't totally sicken me! Bonie points for that. In the scheme of this season, Matt's alright.
Anoop Desai: "Oh Baby Baby" I admit that the upper lip sweat Anoop had goin' on tonight was a bit of a distraction. But this blog is nothing if not loyal, so we haven't turned our backs on Anoop just yet. Again, in the scheme of the Motown trainwreck episode, Anoop rose to the top.
Allison Iraheta: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" We've always loved Allison's voice. But we fear her possy-autism might get her eliminated early and unjustly. Nevertheless, she was one of the few (two?) that kicked ass tonight. Let's keep her around, America.
Adam Lambert: "The Tracks of My Tears" Adam Lambert is the King of 'Motown... Literally. 'Motown. Think about it. This entire post was leading up to this man. Allow us to jump the gun tattoo and call this entire competition for Lambert. He is a true showman, has a killer voice, seems humble, 
