Translation: Are the couples they're referring to of the male-male or male-female variety?

The Verdict: Although Judd Apatow generally receives most of the credit (blame?) for ushering in this new era of cinematic bromance, we would posit an argument that the seeds for this movement were planted in 1996's Swingers. Even though the movie soared to popularity based on the strength of its legendary catchphrases, the linchpin of Jon Favreau's screenplay was the bond between Mikey and Trent. We mention this because Favreau also wrote the script for Couples Retreat, which marks the first time that he has tread this ground since Apatow's romantically stunted man-children took over the cinema. This film, which stars Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, and Kristin Davis (among others), looks like it's trying to put a spotlight on the various stages that male/female relationships go through. That said, we have an ominous feeling sweeping over us that the moral of this particular story is gravitating closer to "bros before hos" than "true love conquers all."

Must Watch: Trailer for Peter Billingsley's Couples Retreat [First Showing]

Read more posts by Mark Graham

Filed Under: couples retreat, jason bateman, jon favreau, kristin bell, malin akerman, movies, trailer mix, vince vaughn

Michael Jackson Music Sales Surge Could Last For Months

SEC Lawyer Raised Questions About Madoff Back in 2004

Back in 2004, an SEC lawyer with the whimsical name of Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot raised questions to her boss, Mark Donohue, and his supervisor, Eric Swanson, about the unusual trading patterns and strategies of one Bernie Madoff. "Concentrate on mutual funds for the time being," they told her, and requested she turn over her research, which they packed up and put in cold storage. In 2007, Eric Swanson married Shana Madoff, Bernie's niece. Probably just a coincidence.

Staffer at SEC Had Warned Of Madoff [WP]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: bernie madoff, eric swanson, made-off, shana madoff

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Playlist! - Entertainment Weekly

Telegraph.co.uk

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Playlist! Entertainment Weekly Distilling Michael Jackson's career into one CD-length list is impossible. Instead, we offer you an essential selection of his best singles, from his earliest releases with the Jackson 5 onwards: A plea to a lover left too hastily ("Oh darlin', ... Michael Jackson's Video Legacy, In His Own WordsMTV.com Billboard: Jackson had two albums in worksmsnbc.com Michael Jackson Music Sales Surge Could Last For MonthsBillboard ABC News -USA Today -Asianjournal.com all 2,743 news articles »

The 9 Least Urgent 9-1-1 Emergency Calls

You think the guy calling 9-1-1 the other day because McDonald’s didn’t give him the correct amount of change was bad? As this group of videos can attest, people using 9-1-1 for non-emergencies has been a staple of local news and internet hilarity since the beginning of time (yes, literally).

Here are our favorite 9 examples of hilarious 9-1-1 pseudo-emergencies. (Why 9? To honor 9-1-1, of course. Also we’re lazy):

9. Dead From Pot Brownies:

8. Mayo AND Mustard

7. Elephant On The Loose

Simpsons did it!

6. No Lemonade at Burger King

5. Out Of McNuggets

(Sequel: McNugget Woman Defends Her Decision)

4. The Taco Bell Ambulance

(Not technically a 9-1-1 call, but also definitely not an emergency either)

3. Joe McCain Hates Traffic

2. Kid Out Of Control? No Big Deal To This Operator

1. Asking Cop on a Date

30 Rock did it!

Watching Concrete Dry Was Never So Interesting

Earlier this week, construction workers poured concrete for fourteen consecutive hours at the future site of a fountain and entrance to one of the World Trade Center towers. The Port Authority released a time-lapse video of the process, which we enjoy not only because it's fun watching people move around at light speed, but because it does make you appreciate all the effort and activity that goes into just a single day of work on the project. Especially if, like all the Intel editors, you have no idea how people are even capable of figuring out how to build a structure like this from scratch. [Port Authority]

Read more posts by Dan Amira

Filed Under: united we stand, world trade center

Celebrate America The Way Our Forefathers Intended: Watch Evel Knievel Jump Things

This 4th of July, when you will probably be microwaving hot dogs because it’s raining too much to grill outside, why not take a few moments to honor one of our country’s greatest heroes: Evel Knievel. The man loved America so much he was willing to get on a motorcycle and jump 14 Greyhound buses without hesitation. That’s more than many of us can say (I’ll only jump like two buses for my country).

Here are some choice Evel Knievel jumps embedded below. Have a safe 4th of July, everyone!

Jackson memorial to be at Staples Center

Congress Takes a Lot of Working Vacations

Turns out, after Congress banned lobbyist-sponsored trips abroad in 2005, excursions on the public dime ballooned nearly 70 percent. Since Democrats took over Congress, the amount increased 50 percent in two years, costing taxpayers about $13 million last year. Now, granted, that's pennies in a congressional budget, but there are still some trips that raised The Wall Street Journal's eyebrows:

Often, lawmakers combine trips to war zones with visits to more tranquil spots. In February, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation of Democratic lawmakers to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan for a day. Before landing in Kabul, the eight lawmakers and their entourage of spouses and aides spent eight days in Italy, spending $57,697 on hotels and meals.

To be fair, a lot of the trips are to places like Iraq and Afghanistan, war-torn locales where our leaders probably should be sticking their heads now and again. "In mid-February, for example, six House lawmakers traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Afghanistan," the Journal reports. "Each lawmaker reported spending $1,500 on hotels and meals in Kuwait, $400 in Bahrain, and $25 in Afghanistan. They reported no expenses in Iraq." Of all the places not to drop a dime! Because Italian tourist traps really need your cash more than the shawarma place just outside the Green Zone.

In other news, the staff salaries of all White House personnel have been released. As you probably knew, it's not that lucrative to work in there. The highest-paid staff members (like Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, and Robert Gibbs) are mostly salary-capped at $172,000, with the exception of Obama himself, who makes $400,000. Most staffers, especially the younger ones, earn within the $35K to $70K range (and they don't get Italian vacations, even if they are disguised as "trips to Afghanistan").

Still, counting for New York City taxes, absurd rents, and an overall higher cost of living, these kids probably aren't doing too bad compared to how a lot of us up here live. (Discounting those of you who work in finance and the law, of course, who live in a way public servants should never be allowed to understand). And they get to swipe in at the White House every day. We're officially jealous. We bet the coffee in the West Wing is relatively drinkable, and they get to have a puppy at work, every day.

Remind us again why we didn't run for office, or help someone run for office? Is it because no one would take us seriously? Because we can stop declaring wars on animal species, if that's what it takes.

Congress's Travel Tab Swells [WSJ]
Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff [White House]

Read more posts by Chris Rovzar

Filed Under: barack obama, congress, early and often, jobs that are cushier than ours, nancy pelosi, obama administration, politics, white house

No Love Lost Between Quincy Jones and Bubbles

"Are you kidding me? He bit a hole in my daughter’s hand! Rashida’s hand. Rashida Jones — did you see I Love You, Man? That’s my daughter. She was a little girl. And Bubbles bit her hand. Michael used to bring [boa constrictor] Muscles and Bubbles by the house all the time, you know." —Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson's monkey [Details via Golden Fiddle/Tumblr]

"You're on a broom for a long time, like a few hours at a go. You're literally sitting on a broom and it gets a little bit sore down under a bit. It's been fun, but it's quite hard work." —Rupert Grint on the consequences of Quidditch [MTV]

"The tone of the piece is similar to Reservoir Dogs. Even though the violence is somewhat anarchic, it has a humor side to it. I find myself laughing at the same time as thinking, 'God, I shouldn't laugh, that's so sick and gross.'" —Julia Ormond on Jennifer Lynch's Surveillance [NYDN]

"I'm willing to clean the lawns, wash the cars, I have a decent salary. I'll even shut up and listen in a conversation and I don't watch sports!" —Chris Isaak is looking for love [Daily Express UK]

"Whenever I get to shoot an episode, it always feels like I'm going to visit family. They're such gentlemen, such good guys."—Emmanuelle Chriqui on Entourage [NYDN]

"I'd tell everyone to come in naked in full body paint."—Bat for Lashes's Natasha Khan on her ideal world [Guardian UK]

Read more posts by Emma Pearse

Filed Under: chris isaak, emmanuelle chriqui, jennifer lynch, julia ormond, michael jackson, natasha kahn, quincy jones, quote machine, rupert grint

Frederic Mitterrand

Youssou N’Dour on Politics, Music, and the Theater-Filling Documentary of His Life

While the Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour is certainly the most famous singer in Africa, in the U.S., he’s probably still best known for his duets with Peter Gabriel (“In Your Eyes,” “Shaking the Tree”) and Neneh Cherry (“Seven Seconds”) and his collaborations with the likes of Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen. But given the runaway success of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s new documentary Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love (currently playing at Village East Cinemas and opening in L.A. this week), the 49-year-old Grammy-winning activist, singer-songwriter, producer, and sometime actor, whose infectiously eclectic, pop-inspired music has long been a staple of many world-music compilations, may finally gain the greater exposure he deserves. N’Dour recently took time to answer Vulture’s questions.

In the West, musicians and celebrities are often ridiculed when they speak out or get involved in political causes. Have you ever come across this stigma?
It’s sort of the opposite in my country; people think that as a musician I should take an even stronger position in working for social causes or helping people. And we try to sing about the reality of life in our songs and in our art — we often treat subjects that are political in nature. For example, a few years ago, I wrote a song called “Toxique,” about toxic waste, and I think it actually influenced a number of people’s opinions.

When you perform in the U.S., what’s the composition of your audiences like?
The first group of people to come to my concerts are the Senegalese community here, who spread the word around about my music. I don’t really see them as the public at all — they’re actors, like me. They’re the people who really understand and get the music; at the concerts, they start dancing and everything, and suddenly everybody else gets in the mood. Sometimes someone even comes up to the stage in front of my microphone just to dance. They’re like promoters. They’re promoting my music right there.

So you’re one of the biggest and most popular musicians in the world. Are there any musicians out there who make you giddy?
There’s a lot of them. When I went to a Stevie Wonder concert, I was like a little boy. He had been such an idol for me. But I think you categorize music not by people but by periods, certain eras. The era of Prince, for example. What he did at that time really impressed me. [Editor's note: We interviewed N’Dour before the death of Michael Jackson.]

This film gets quite up close and personal to your family — we see your grandmother, we see your family home, etc. Were you worried about giving a camera crew so much access to your life?
Yes, of course. We had never had such intimate parts of our lives exposed before in public, so I was very worried about this beforehand. My first instinct was to be very protective. But after I saw how it was going I felt I could breathe a little easier. I think it’s a credit to the director that she was able to create a certain relationship with each member of the family. In a sense, she got permission from each of them, gaining their trust.

You gave a surprising and powerful performance in the 2006 film Amazing Grace, playing the eighteenth-century abolitionist Olaudah Equiano. Have you considered doing more film work?
Making movies takes an enormous amount of time, which is why I don’t go back to it. I don’t really have the time to give to it. What I know is the stage, the recording studio, the concert hall. That’s my world. But if somebody proposes a film to me that shares my vision or is about something I believe in strongly, then I might act again. That was why I accepted the role in Amazing Grace. My character was a slave who had purchased his freedom and was now an abolitionist. I felt it was important to show that there were many black people at the time who fought to abolish slavery. So, I was in the film because I was bringing a message. I don’t really see myself as an actor.

Read more posts by Bilge Ebiri

Filed Under: chat room, movies, music, youssou n'dour, youssou n'dour: i bring what i love

Gary Coleman's Wife Popped for Domestic Violence

Kevin Jonas' Engagement = JoBros Jokes on Twitter

Optimus Prime Speakers Redefine ‘The Boomin’ System’

Are you on the hunt for an audio system that sounds even tinnier than your iPod earbuds? If so, you might want to try out these Optimus Prime speakers, which will set you back a cool $50. If you're keeping track at home, every pair of these that sell will net Michael Bay $4. [Topless Robot]

Read more posts by Mark Graham

Filed Under: merchandising, michael bay, optimus prime, transformers

New Photos of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Neil Patrick To Host Emmys In Rare “Actually Smart” Award Show Decision

Fresh off the heels of last year’s legendary “Five Reality Show Hosts” debacle, the Emmys are on the verge of making a bold, actually smart decision for this year’s host, a rare, looked-down-upon occurrence in the Awards Show biz also known as “Pullin’ a smartie”:

Thesp Neil Patrick Harris is in the midst of cutting a deal with CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to host the 61st annual kudos on Sept. 20. Insiders cautioned that the deal is not yet completed, but all sides are working toward setting Harris as this year’s Emmycast frontman as soon as possible.

Whoawhoawhoa…whose idea was it to cast a funny, likable tv star who almost single-handedly made the Tonys watchable? Aren’t award shows supposed to surprise us every year with their adorable out-of-touchness, or is that just the Grammys? Why not give it another go with SIX reality show hosts? I really think that last Emmys broadcast was that close to perfect…

No word on whether the Oscars will take a break from their usual changing stuff stupidly policy to also hire a good host. Such as, to throw a random example out there, Neil F***ing Patrick F***ing Harris?

Actor Karl Malden dead at 97

Is There Anything Computer Generated Babies CAN’T Do??

You know that scene in Ghostbusters when Gozer tells the guys to choose their “destructor” and then Venkman tells them to clear their minds but Ray accidentally thinks about the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Gozer becomes a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? [Sorry, forgot to say "Spoiler Alert" for all our readers in 1984]

Well, if I’m ever in that situation (it could happen), I’m afraid New York City will be destroyed by a giant rollerskating baby thanks to this new Evian ad:

[via Buzzfeed]

Bikini Olympics: It's Models vs. Actresses - Let the Games B

CNN Investigates: MJ’s Bubbles In Star Chimp Retirement Home

In one of the hardest-hitting pieces of investigative journalism Anderson Cooper 360 has ever produced, a reporter caught up with Bubbles the Chimp at a retirement home for retired star-apes and didn’t pull any punches with his questions — if you’ve been dying to know what Bubbles likes to eat for lunch or whether Michael ever came to visit him (and I know I have), then this thrilling exposé is a must-watch:

(via Dlisted)

A Character Actor of Intensified Normalness - New York Times

Telegraph.co.uk

A Character Actor of Intensified Normalness New York Times It's a face that you can't help noticing. Not handsome in the usual movie-star way, by any means, but — befitting a man who defined what it meant to be a character actor — full of character. The jutting chin and oft-broken nose curve toward ... Would Malden's priest-of-the-piers be too preachy for us today?USA Today Oscar winning actor Karl Malden dies at 97Reuters Karl Malden: 1912 - 2009Washington Post Newsday -Examiner.com -San Jose Mercury News all 1,158 news articles »

Exclusive: AEG's Randy Phillips Talks About Michael Jackson Fallout

This Michael Jackson Funeral Sign Crosses The Border Into Creeptown

There’s already something vaguely creepy about more than a million Michael Jackson fans camping out at the Neverland Ranch hoping to get a glimpse of MJ’s body before he’s buried, but this obsessive fan sign sounds exceptionally menacing:

Did the people in the tent drink some poisonous Kool-Aid so they can greet MJ as he moonwalks his way through the pearly gates? Are they gonna try to dance with the body, Tom Petty-video-style? Or force it to re-enact the “Billie Jean” choreography one last time?

I’ll just stick to my round-the-clock MJ music video marathons, but by all means, you fans go wild.

Exclusive: Michael Jackson Was Working On Two Albums

The Real Housewives of New Jersey: The Prequel

Do you already miss the table-flipping ladies of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey? Well, you’re in luck. Clips from a 1994 documentary titled Wildwood, NJ has just surfaced on YouTube. Not only does it nail my beloved home state, but it features some rad 90’s fashion as well.

My favorite part is the girl at 1:58 that says “I haven’t been in a fight for awhile because my boyfriend won’t let me fight anymore.” Psh, typical SOUTH Jersey guy, am I right? Always trying to tell women when and where they can fight.

Report: Michael Jackson Used Two Aliases to Get Drugs

The Cast Of Rock Of Ages Breaks Least Impressive World Record Ever

Yesterday, the cast, crew, and audience of the 80’s cheese-rock Broadway musical extravaganza Rock of Ages broke the world record for ‘Largest Ensemble Air Guitar Performance.’ They miraculously SHATTERED the previous world record of 440 people by getting a mind-blowing 810 people to play air guitar along to– yes, you guessed it, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” This is huge, people. This is bigger than Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals huge [Note: No it isn't]. This is bigger than Steve Wiebe breaking Billy Mitchell’s Donkey Kong high score [Note: It DEFINITELY isn't].

Although, not to be a stickler for the rules, but looking at this picture it seems like some of these people weren’t so much doing air guitar as they were doing that awkward old person back and forth arm dance that relatives always do at weddings. I’d hate for the sanctity of the air guitar record books be marred and we enter the oft-debated “asterisk era.”

Either way, I’m inspired to break another world record. What do you say we round up enough people to hold the record for ‘Largest Group Giving the Finger to the Cast of Rock of Ages’? Cool, see everyone outside the theater tomorrow at noon. Bring your middle finger.

Report: Jackson's Ex-Wife Debbie Rowe Says 'I Want My Childr

9/11 Was An Inside Job, Confirms Spencer Pratt

Don’t click on it, Dan. Don’t do it. It’s just gonna be some impossibly shameless quotes to continue fueling attention to Heidi & Spencer at all costs, and you’ll just get mad at yourself and everything in the universe. Don’t do–no, NO!!!

In a Monday appearance on Alex Jones’ radio show, Infowars, the couple revealed they feel 9/11 was an “inside job,” say the idea that global warming exists is “mind boggling” and lament the “end of humanity.”

“I really do feel like we took the blue pill or whatever from The Matrix,” Spencer says.

Since then, says Heidi: “We’ve been nonstop researching the Internet…for information for at least a month all day every day.”

AHhhhhHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh…. WHY DO I KEEP FALLING FOR THIS??? STOP CLICKING ON ANYTHING RELATED TO EITHER OF THESE PEOPLE!!! HOW STUPID ARE YOU/ME/YOUME/EVERYTHING????

Unless the next link is “Heidi Gets Banged By A Syphlitic Rhino And Dies Instantly – VIDEO” I’m not falling for this crap again. There’s more than enough videos of squirrels eating lemons to fill my giant blocks of sitting on the internet time.

While You Were Celebrating Your Country’s Independence By Blowing Up A Small Part Of It

• Kevin Jonas got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Danielle Deleasa yesterday. Deleasa will immediately enter the Witness Protection Program and surround herself with dozens of round-the-clock, groupie-repelling security guards.
• According to Forbes, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston were the top two earning actresses over the past year. The clear message: Getting f***ed by Brad Pitt is nice work if you can get it.
• An Indian court officially decriminalized consensual gay sex, repealing an anti-sodomy law originally put in place by British colonials in 1860. Next up – repealing the 1860 “Photographs Are Illegal Because They Steal Your Soul” Act.
• Universal is planning a feature film adaptation of the Arcade game Asteroids. The movie will be remembered fondly by children from the 80s, but they’ll get bored and switch over to the Q-Bert movie after one quarter.
• Courtney Love vows to gain 15 pounds over the next month. I’m picturing a movie montage with “I’m Too Sexy” playing, a bunch of ice cream eating, and Kirstie Alley in a referee’s outfit.

Michael Jackson Left 'Endless' Supply Of Unreleased Music

Michael Jackson Funeral Date Set, Mystery Deepens