We know we keep running this picture (with Madonna's new UES home inset on the left) over and over, but it's really because we are kind of haunted by the kid sitting to the pop star's left.
Kate Moss got into a tiff with her rocker boyfriend, Jamie Hince, throwing his laptop in a swimming pool. Sadly, the computer contained six of his band's latest songs that weren't backed up. But we don’t feel too badly for him because, you know, he's dating Kate Moss. Lindsay Lohan and Ryan Seacrest simultaneously tweeted about their reality-show-in-the-works. Lohan promises it will be "something meaningful like Extreme Home Makeover." Madonna finally joined Mercy in London. Amy Winehouse applied to become a permanent resident of St. Lucia. And Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates think we should legalize prostitution. And at a United Jewish Appeal lunch, Justin Timberlake said he was just "some schmendrick from a goy band."
Supermodel Iman doesn't like her legs. But she does like Angelina Jolie. Meanwhile Brad Pitt's Steven Soderbergh film Moneyball has been put on hold. Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black says that growing up gay in a Mormon household was really tough, and it didn't get any easier when PerezHilton.com posted some scandalous photos of him. Paul McCartney will be an animated squirrel in the big-screen version of his book, High in the Clouds. Actor Rhys Ifans only signed on to Nottingham, the next Robin Hood film, when his ex Sienna Miller dropped out. Producer Quincy Jones is headed for Broadway with The Genesis and Evolution of Jazz and Blues. Shakira lunched at Michael's with some Marie Claire editors, and Peyton Manning dined at '21' with his brother, Cooper.
Though designer Yigal Azrouël's relationship with Katie Lee Joel (which included some "dirty dancing" in Miami) supposedly played no role in her split with Billy, Azrouël's known for being quite the ladies' man, sleeping with fashion editors who can help his career and inviting women over for "dinner parties and to play video games." Interesting. Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend are expecting baby No. 2. SNL's Jason Sudeikis gave relationship advice to NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and his girlfriend in the green room of HBO's Joe Buck Live. Rihanna is (finally) expected to testify against Chris Brown in an L.A. court today. Anna Faris and Chris Pratt tied the knot in Hawaii. Joe Jonas told Larry King about his brother, Nick's, back-on relationship with Miley Cyrus. As if we didn't already know.
Art collectors are accusing Louis Vuitton of turning fine art into fashion leftovers, specifically Vuitton's rehashed swatches of designer Takashi Murakami's prints, which now sell for $6,000 a piece. Amber Tamblyn was confused and stressed at the Whitney Art Party, until David Cross (her date, twenty years her senior) showed up. Meanwhile, when a female fan shouted to Bradley Cooper, "Women burn for you, Bradley!" Cooper responded, "Women burn for me? Literally catch on fire? That sounds horrible." And as you can imagine, it's a tough life for Blake Lively. "I get up every morning and put on a giant ball gown, 6-inch heels and cat-fight with my best friend, while simultaneously breaking up with my boyfriend and sometimes killing someone."
Attractive people should be allowed to be together.
Last week, Katie Lee and Billy Joel announced the crumbling of their five-year marriage; many a common-sensed person pointed to the couple's difference in age as a source of problems (he's 60, she's 27 — and oh, how May buds are fragile in the harsh December winds). But people also were reminded of Katie Lee's "friendship" with Israeli designer Yigal Azrouël, a relationship that had grown close enough to spark rumors of an affair this spring. Now that the marriage is over, some well-manicured fingers are pointing at Katie's intimacy with Yigal as a problem: She'd stay in the city with the designer while her husband would roost on Long Island, and she'd even let Yigal watch her dogs. Oh, and there was apparently some "dirty dancing" between the two in Miami or something. "Page Six" subtly notes that, as a (rather good-looking) heterosexual male working in fashion, Azrouël has a reputation as quite the "swordsman," romancing the types of ladies who might be able to help his career. So, if we are to do the unconfirmed, gossipy math, we are left with two possible equations: Pretty girl finds hot dude close to her own age; they hit it. Or: Hot dude finds pretty girl to help boost his profile; they hit it. That said, Joel's rep, who is probably not a fan of doing math, says Joel's friendship with Yigal is "absolutely unrelated" to the split.
Journalist David Rohde, being embraced by his nephew, after returning from captivity ... in 1995, when he was a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor. Back then Rohde was held by Bosnian Serbs.
Pulitzer Prize–winning Times journalist David Rohde was held hostage for seven months by the Taliban before conditions aligned for him to make a safe escape. To manage his sneaky exit, he and his fellow journalist accomplice, Tahir Ludin, bode their time until a night when the power in the city where they were being held remained on, so that noisy air conditioners would muffle the sounds of their escape. They also had to make sure their guards would be fast asleep, so they waited for a night when they could keep their fellow prisoners up late with games. And they had to make sure they'd seen enough of the surrounding environs (through visits to doctors with faked illnesses and begged-for trips to watch sporting events) before they made their move. But once the time was right, they moved quickly. Ludin told the Times about their plot:
At 1 a.m., Mr. Rohde woke Mr. Ludin and sneaked out of the room. Mr. Ludin recited several verses of the Koran and followed him. They made their way to the second floor, and Mr. Ludin got to the top of a five-foot-high wall. When Mr. Ludin looked down, he said, he was greeted by an unnerving view: a 20-foot drop. Mr. Rohde handed Mr. Ludin a rope that he had found two weeks earlier and had hidden from the guards. They fastened the rope to the wall, and Mr. Ludin lowered himself along the rope before unclenching his fists for good. He crashed to the ground, leaving him with a sprained right foot and other injuries. He cut his foot, he said, pointing to his swollen and heavily bruised ankle and his bandaged big toe. Mr. Rohde then lowered himself along the wall and jumped down without injury.
When the pair eventually reached a Pakistani military outpost, they were held at gunpoint and suspected of being suicide bombers. But after fifteen minutes of conversation, they were able to convince the men of who they were, and were taken to safety.
This is not the only time Rohde has been held hostage: In 1995, when he was a reporter at the Christian Science Monitor, he was held captive by Bosnian Serbs for ten days. A press conference by his desperate family eventually secured his release. This time, though, the opposite approach worked: Though the New York Times knew about his kidnapping, and it was reported in a few places, the paper worked hard to keep his situation under wraps. As early as the end of 2008, the Times was asking other news outlets to refrain from covering Rohde's kidnapping, for fear that increased scrutiny might jeopardize his life. The muzzle order was surprisingly well obeyed across the board, and the story wasn't widely publicized until his escape on Saturday.
While the major American broadcast-TV networks seem content to fill their schedules with nothing but procedurals and talk shows, there's a considerably brighter outlook for fresh ideas across the pond. Last week we learned that Kristen Schaal got a pilot for Penelope, Princess of Pets greenlit for Channel 4, and now comes word they have also picked up a pilot from Spike Jonze and David Cross. The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret will air in December and will also co-star Will Arnett. [Playlist]
AP - Grammy-winning British singer Estelle will replace Lauryn Hill as the headline act at this year's Stockholm Jazz Festival. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Jun 2009 | 3:09 pm
AP - Ryan O'Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm
AP - Ryan O'Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm
AP - Ryan O'Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm
AP - Ryan O'Neal says he plans to marry Farrah Fawcett, who is struggling to overcome cancer. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 22 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm
It may sound fishy to have 50 cities where more votes were cast than there are eligible voters to cast them. But it's not! More on that and the rest of the big news coming out of Iran.
• On Saturday, protesters were met with an unprecedented show of force. Security personnel filled the streets and used batons, water cannons, tear gas, and sometimes bullets to break up rallies. Early that morning, a bomb blast at the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini was blamed by state media on a suicide bomber. Seventeen people have been killed since the uprising began, officially, though the actual death toll may be higher. State radio ISNA announced that 457 were arrested Saturday. Sunday was relatively calm.
• A statement posted online by the Revolutionary Guard ominously warned Iranians to prepare "for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij [pro-government militia], and other security forces and disciplinary forces" if they continue to rally in the streets. Some protests have been reported today nonetheless.
• The Guardian Council, which is investigating accusations of electoral fraud, announced that the vote total in 50 cities exceeded the number of eligible voters. But because Iranians aren't required to vote in their home districts, that doesn't necessarily point to fraud. Meanwhile, a report by Chatham House in London found irregularities in the election and called the result "highly implausible."
• One of Saturday's casualties was a woman named Neda Soltani, who was standing on the street beside her father when she was shot. (You can see it here; be warned that it is very, very graphic). The video and her story have spread around the Internet on social networking sites, and may galvanize greater outrage against the government crackdown. One reformist politician has posted a message on his Facebook page asking for people to gather in Tehran this afternoon to mourn her.
• According to the Huffington Post, the website Peiknet has posted a letter signed by 40 senior clerics on the Assembly of Experts calling for an annulment of the election.
• In a news conference today, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman once again blamed Western governments and media for promoting unrest.
• Reporters Without Borders says that 23 journalists and bloggers have been arrested in Iran. In addition, a Canadian correspondent for Newsweek, Maziar Bahari, has been jailed without charges. The BBC says its correspondent in Iran, John Leyne, has been told to leave the country.
• President Obama continues to walk a fine line in his response to the situation in Iran. In a statement released on Saturday, he calls "on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights." In an interview with CBS aired this morning, Obama expressed concern about becoming "a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States."
When you're a world-class director like Michael Bay, attempting the impossible by trying to make a sequel that will satisfy the discerning fans of a Shia LaBeouf–starring actioner inspired by an eighties toy franchise, it's imperative that your entire team perform at its maximum potential. The special-effects crew needs to be at their most explody, and Megan Fox can be nothing less than her absolute chestiest. Also, marketers must spare no expense to convince audiences that your movie will completely scorch their faces off — and if they don't, there's a problem. Over the weekend, TMZ obtained a grammatically horrifying e-mail from Bay to Paramount brass, complaining that the studio's promotional push for Transformers Revenge of the Fallen did not meet with his high standards.
On the evening of May 4, an incensed Bay sat down at what we assume was a powerful supercomputer and dashed off a quick note that makes Quentin Tarantino's misspelled Inglourious Basterds script look like the AP Stylebook. You can read the entire thing (subject line: Urgent NOTE FROM BAY) here, but below are the best parts:
• "I'm sure the Yahoo downloads of the trailer are far lower than last movie — I would of got something saying how we broke download records like last time."
• "I still run into so many people even this weekend with kids that ask 'is that movie coming out this year?'"
• "So far our print has been in my opinion and abject failure."
• "Over the years Jerry Bruckheimer mentored me on event movies — he had a mantra — 'A studio that does not make it an event, will it into an event, thinks the audience will just show up, will always be bitten in the ass.'"
• "At this time last movie we had an 30 minute MTV event around the Video Awards, now we have our two leads just announcing an award — they want me to play a small clip. I consider this so lame. Clips don't blow people away!"
• "On the foreign front, from the terrible amateur cut down trailer I received which had a 23 frame flash cut of Megatron, if someone would of given me just one call, I could of told them the whole point of the trailer was the reintroducton of Megatron."
• "I cannot figure if this is a cash issue with your company? Is there some clever idea why are we not spending? I'm not sure."
On June 6, Bay sent Paramount another note (also leaked to TMZ) thanking Paramount executives for "busting your butts and bringing your 'A game,'" which we guess means they were miraculously able to read his first e-mail.
• Iman said she doesn't much care for her legs, so she wears pants a lot. Aw, supermodels — they're (kind of) like us! [NYDN]
• Kate Moss and Jamie Hince got into a fight over the weekend, resulting in her tossing his man bag and laptop into a swimming pool, killing six new songs he'd been working on. [Mirror UK]
• Jewelry brand Damiani signed a deal with Jil Sander to create a line of jewelry and watches for the label. The line will launch in early 2010. [WWD]
• Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, apparently has an offer from Anna Wintour to intern at Vogue either in New York or in Los Angeles. [Hindu via Grazia]
• Lily Cole was one of three students to receive top marks from Cambridge University, where she's studying art history. [Daily Mail]
• Isaac Mizrahi will open a 1,500-square-foot store in the Upper East Side in August. [WWD]
Susan Boyle may have earned a pair of standing ovations this weekend, but Britain's Got Talent's head honcho and resident curmudgeon, Simon Cowell, has been humbled by the singer's...
Amy Winehouse plans to move to St. Lucia for good. And in a related story, Absolut and Bacardi have just announced new factory openings in St. Lucia.
Perez Hilton claims that Black Eyed Peas singer Will.I.Am beat his ass, and rather than call the cops, TWEETS for OTHER PEOPLE to call the cops for him. Will.I.Am claims he had nothing to do with this beatdown, to which we have to say, please, do not be so humble. You will be hailed a hero.
Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend are expecting their second child. Matt celebrated by growing 2 new abs -- his 11th and 12th.
As though you needed a reason to be weary of Scientology outside of John Travolta's hairline -- there's this article.
Also if you happened to notice two ladies wearing gowns amongst the denim-clad at Saturday night's Jamie Cullum concert, that was my friend and I "classing it up". Jamie was amazing -- the Times has a review. Oh and getting drunk in a silk gown in the rain? Always a good idea. (And for the record, no I still have not gone through menopause, thank you.)
CLEVELAND, June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers looking to send a laugh and brighten someone's day routinely stop by the greeting card aisle for assistance. Whether... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 2:15 pm
AP - Rihanna may testify in the Chris Brown case today. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing, after which a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for his case to go to trial.
Chris Brown's felony assault case is about to enter a key phase. The R&B singer is due back in court Monday afternoon for a preliminary hearing that could feature testimony from Rihanna... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 2:06 pm
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein thinks everything's coming up roses.
Bankers at Goldman Sachs are expected to earn "the biggest bonus payouts in the firm's 140-year history" this year, if the second half of the year performs as well as the "spectacular" first half. According to the Guardian, "a lack of competition and a surge in revenues from trading foreign currency, bonds and fixed-income products has sent profits at Goldman Sachs soaring." The British paper reports that Warren Buffett, who bought $5 billion in Goldman shares earlier this year, has already made a billion in profit on the investment. In fact, despite because of the global economic collapse that they helped create, the bank is facing its most profitable year ever.
But you know what is especially heartwarming? You don't have to work at Goldman Sachs, or even a profitable bank, to see your salary hiked this year. The Financial Times reports that UBS and Citigroup and (still existing!) Merrill Lynch are bumping their base salaries for bankers, even though their bottom lines are dropping out underneath them. The fear is that the banks will lose key talent to better-thriving opponents — and since bonuses are being closely monitored in the United States, increasing base salary is the safest way to stay competitive.
This, obviously, is great news for everybody. Now our banker friends can go back to buying us $7 Cavit Pinot Grigios at T.G.I. Friday's. It just felt so wrong the other way around.
Rowing Back: Death Row Records, which went bankrupt earlier this year, is coming back to life. Music publisher EverGreen has struck a deal with WideAWAKE, the company that now owns the label, to license Death Row songs for movies and TV, distribute unreleased material, including bonus-track–laden The Chronic Re-Lit (and, yes, more Tupac albums), and eventually release a graphic-novel series, animated webisodes, and a feature film. But most exciting of all — EverGreen now has in its possession, with which to do whatever it pleases, a never-released album by Warren G! [Billboard]
B'way Bound:Memphis, a musical loosely based on one of the first white radio D.J.'s to play African-American music in the fifties, is coming to Broadway in the fall. The show, which premiered at La Jolla Playhouse last year, has a book by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics by Bon Jovi’s David Bryan. This is the greatest thing a non-Jovi/Sambora member of Bon Jovi has done since the 1986 Slippery When Wet tour, when drummer Tico Torres drank an entire fifth of Jack Daniel's while standing on his head. [Variety]
Footlooser:Julianne Hough, the combination Dancing With the Stars professional dancer and country singer, has signed on for the Footloose remake starring Chace Crawford in the role vacated by Zac Efron. Contrary to what common sense would tell you, Hough is not a replacement for a more famous person. [Variety]
On Dubs: French movie star Alain Chabat is set to star in The Dubber, a Focus Features buddy comedy. Chabat will play a man who provides the dubbing for a top Hollywood actor; when the actor breaks down on set and goes missing, Chabat goes to find him. Chabat's really going for it, funding the movie through his production company WAM Films. So, snap-judgement time, America — can this guy make it in the U.S.? [Variety]
Prime Lambert: Hi Fi Recordings and Wilshire Entertainment will release On With the Show, an album of material Adam Lambert recorded before American Idol. In response, Lambert released a statement, saying, "The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on. I'm thrilled to be working with some of today's hottest songwriters and producers and can't wait for people to hear what my music really sounds like." The less-hot producers Lambert worked with before apparently becoming a famous jerk were not available for comment. [Billboard]
This summer's ubiquitous maxi dresses have made us long for something —anything —that will stand out in the sea of flowing frocks. T-Bags's crêpe multicolored camisole with chain-strap details does the trick. The rainbow hues easily go from day to night, and the top pairs perfectly with a skirt or pants. Plus, the chain loops let you skip the jewelry. And for those of you who love the Outnet but keep missing out on flash sales, this is already 50 percent off.
away. The Eastman Kodak Co. announced Monday it's retiring its most senior film because of declining customer demand in an increasingly digital age. The world's first commercially... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 1:23 pm
Since "Jon & Kate Plus 8" premiered in 2007, the super-sized family has morphed into a multimillion-dollar empire, complete with merchandise, books and a loyal fan base that follows their every move. But such success comes with a price, as the Gosselins learned after allegations of infidelity and news of marital woes became public.
An unscripted look via social media and the Web at a team of 200+ Kmart designers showcasing their quality-first approach; Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 1:00 pm
• In case you thought Mel Gibson's girlfriend's claim at being a musician was just a line, Oksana Grigorieva has released two tracks and a music video for "Say My Name" on...
(Fashion Wire Daily)
Fashion Wire Daily - Gucci's Spring 2010 menswear runway show on Sunday, June 21, cited as its inspiration the work of Latin American architect Oscar Niemeyer, but ultimately it bore little resemblance to his ideas.
Fashion Wire Daily - Gucci's Spring 2010 menswear runway show on Sunday, June 21, cited as its inspiration the work of Latin American architect Oscar Niemeyer, but ultimately it bore little resemblance to his ideas.
(AP) AP - "A Bright and Guilty Place" (Doubleday, 281 pages, $25), by Richard Rayner: There must have been at least some virtuous citizens among the half million who doubled the population of Los Angeles between 1920 and 1930. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 22 Jun 2009 | 10:26 am
The Dead Weather's album, "Horehound," comes out July 14 on Jack White's label, Third Man Records; it will be distributed by Warner Music. For an album that was spawned from frenzied late-night sessions, it doesn't sound at all slapped-together. It's a deep, sludgy collection that recalls early Led Zeppelin and includes a dark, bluesy cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony."
Alberta rockers Nickelback swept the MuchMusic Video Awards Sunday night, as their hit "Gotta Be Somebody" won for best video, best rock video and best postproduction.
Chris Daughtry is famous -- hard not to be, what with the "American Idol" thing and the heartthrob thing and Grammy Award nomination thing and the gazillion records sold thing.
A Danish-Swedish comedy about mental illness has won the best picture at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival led by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (seen here earlier this year), according... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 7:46 am
We asked a simple question: Have you had enough Spencer and Heidi Pratt?
And you responded. Oh, did you.
You voted with such fervor and enthusiasm that you very nearly...
If Rihanna takes the stand at Chris Brown's preliminary hearing Monday, it will be her first time publicly talking about what happened the night her boyfriend allegedly attacked her.
While celebrating Father's Day at home, Jon Gosselin spent his time eight-deep in kids, but his mate Kate was nowhere to be seen.
The family spent the majority of the day playing in...
Astro Boy, the mythical Japanese cartoon character that has captivated generations of young people worldwide, will come out this year as an animated film by British director David Bowers. The animated... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 22 Jun 2009 | 2:24 am
Rachel Griffiths gave her hubby Andrew Taylor the ultimate Father's Day gift this year: a bundle of joy.
The Brothers & Sisters star gave birth to a baby girl, a rep for...
The way The Hangover was going, Sandra Bullock would need the biggest opening of her career—by a lot—in order to end the Vegas comedy's two-week reign of debauchery atop the box...
Front Page: Shareholders approve management restructuring -- Howard Stringer already had his hands full trying to return Sony to profitability. But now he’s doing so with a more powerful position.
They can't all be home runs for Brad Pitt.
His latest project, the Steven Soderbergh-directed Moneyball, has been put into "limited turnaround" by Columbia Pictures honcho...
Sure, they may crave the spotlight, but sometimes famous folks just want to be more like us common folk. You know, to simply go about their business without the sight of flashbulbs...
Fashion Wire Daily - It was all about linear shapes and graphics in Giorgio Armani's menswear runway show Saturday, June 20, in Milan, a collection right in synch with the new nomadic moment sweeping through Italian fashion.
What's better than young love? Recently reunited young loves performing a duet together and then endlessly tweeting about it afterward, of course!
That's exactly what fans got...
Sandra Bullock will surely be popping open the champagne as her new romantic comedy, "The Proposal," accepted the top spot at the box office this weekend by grossing $34.1 million, according to early estimates by Hollywood.com Box Office.
AP - The look for next summer may be colorfully upbeat, but where styles are concerned, Italian designers showing their 2010 menswear warm weather wears are playing it safe.
Front Page: Greg Meidel in line to take prexy/COO position -- Twentieth TV prexy/COO Bob Cook, who has run the syndication distribber since 2000, will depart the company later this year.
Front Page: 'Stars' pro dancer set for Paramount remake -- "Dancing With the Stars" pro dancer and country singer Julianne Hough will star opposite Chace Crawford on Paramount's upcoming remake of "Footloose," contingent on working out scheduling.
Front Page: Columbia Pictures drops ball on Brad Pitt pic -- Columbia Pictures has dropped the ball on “Moneyball,” the Steven Soderbergh-directed Brad Pitt starrer that was supposed to begin production on Monday in Phoenix.
Front Page: Sandra Bullock comedy tops weekend -- Disney’s Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds topliner “The Proposal” smooched its way to No. 1 at the domestic box office.
Earlier this year, Michael Bay told EW about the day that "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (opening on Wednesday) nearly fell apart. It was Sunday, July 27, 2008.
Fashion Wire Daily - The outstanding collection seen Saturday, June 20, the opening day of the Italian menswear season, was Burberry, whose stroll through the wind and rain was the show which most connected to their current economic outlook.
Front Page: Company starts to develop 'Taken' sequel -- EuropaCorp founder Luc Besson announced that the company has entered the TV production biz at a Paris presentation of annual results.