AP - Moviegoers have shown a willingness to be entangled by Spider-Man's web over and over again. Now, as Disney prepares to buy the comic-book powerhouse Marvel, it faces the question of whether fans will also get attached to characters as obscure as Ant-Man and Iron Fist.
Though final Nielsen numbers for the year will not be in, obviously, until the year actually ends, a quick scan of the ratings through mid-December indicates that the final numbers will be unsurprisingly cheered by Fox News, and pretty much Fox News only. They're up in total weekday viewership by 6 percent, and are up in the 25–54 demo even more. As noted by the Times earlier this month, the news is almost altogether bad for CNN. They're down 32 percent from last year in total weekday viewership, and are set to finish the fourth quarter of 2009 in fourth place for the first time, behind Fox, MSNBC, and their own HLN. (Unless maybe everyone in America tunes in to watch Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin's New Year's special, which they probably should be doing anyway.) HLN isn't just performing well against its sagging parent network: Hidden behind the big boom at Fox, the tiny offshoot of CNN has grown in every major category. They're up in total viewers and the 25–54 demo, both prime time and daytime. If the success of Fox's opinion/journalism formula wasn't an obvious enough model that CNN's dogged pursuit of even-handed journalism isn't going to get them anywhere, maybe they'll at least look at HLN's. After all, they do call it "CNN's 'News and Views' Network."
Michelle Obama is keeping cool during her holiday vacation to Hawaii by wearing sundresses and low ballerina buns. Last night she wore a multicolor, multi-pattern dress to dinner at Alan Wong's Restaurant in Honolulu, while the day before she visited a Marine base in a Narciso Rodriguez flowy white sundress. See the full looks in the Michelle Obama Look Book.
(AP) AP - For 81 years, she has amassed movie memorabilia. Her collection now includes more than 10 million photographs, 80,000 screenplays and 35,000 movie posters dating back to when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Dec 2009 | 12:18 pm
This is fun: Earlier today we received a press release from the office of State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., crowing about a holiday dinner at Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck between the members of Albany's so-called "Four Amigos." The group, comprised of Democrats (well, most of the time) Diaz, Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate, and Pedro Espada, was going to talk about their plans for the New Year. But then we got a press release from Diaz shortly afterward announcing this:
I regret to inform you that The Four Amigos holiday dinner at Nautilus
Diner has been canceled. Some of the members did not like the idea that the
media was informed. As you know, I do not like to conduct secret meetings.
Which of the other "amigos" freaked out about press coverage? Was it Pedro Espada, who was busted earlier this year by the Post for giving his son a made-up position with the State Senate? Or was it Carl Kruger, who has, ever since his "no" vote on gay marriage, been pursued by gay activists claiming publicly at his events and outside his house that Kruger himself is a closeted homosexual? Or was it Hiram Monserrate who didn't want the press, after his bad year of getting arrested for slashing his girlfriend in the face and being convicted of misdemeanor reckless harm?
Seems to us that Ruben Diaz should be the one avoiding getting press for hanging out with those guys, not the other way around.
Ho, ho, ho: Who wants some good economic news? People went shopping this holiday season. Like, really shopping. Sales are up 3.6 percent from November 1 to December 24 this year according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse. Last year at this time, there was a 2.3 percent drop. Two things come to mind. First, this is a good sign for our recovery. And second, yes, every time you use your credit card, things are being tracked. Cue paranoia.
Online sales were up 15.5 percent this season, so that big blizzard didn't really impact much. So what are people spending their hard-earned cash on? Electronics, shoes, and jewelry. Luxury items are still taking a hit (up .8 percent, but it was down 20 percent last year), so no furs, croc, or any other fancy-shmancy items. And retailers are worried about this holding: Can they get anyone into a store come January? Also, most shoppers are buying clearance items because, no-brainer, they want to save money.
What did you get over the holidays? Are you going shopping? The Cut already did more online shopping last night, so we're doing our part to help the economy and max out our cards. We feel patriotic already.
Jude Law is enjoying a minor critical comeback with Sherlock Holmes, but don’t bet on it lasting: Up next is Repo Men, a gory futuristic action flick in which Law plays a guy who reclaims organs from people behind on their transplant payments. (Other than the plot, we know it’s the future because Law has a bar code–like neck tattoo and wears his short-sleeve shirt buttoned all the way to the top.) The lighthearted first minute of the new red-band trailer, and the fact that the movie was originally called The Repossession Mambo, has us hoping this is a promisingly over-the-top comedy, but all the stuff ripped off fromThe Bourne Identity suggest something much messier. Still, we might check it out just to find out how it is that the characters of the 37-year-old British Jude Law and the 48-year-old American Forest Whitaker are “best friends” that “grew up together.”
• Celebrate the holiday season with a complimentary service from OC61 Salon & Spa. Through the end of the year, the salon is offering a free blowout with the purchase of a facial, manicure, and pedicure; a complimentary manicure with a haircut and color; and a complimentary conditioning or glossing treatment with any haircut. Call for appointment. Through 12/31. 33 E. 61st St., nr. Madison Ave. (212-935-6261); M, T, W, F (9–6:30), Th (9–7), S (9–5), Su (closed).
• Tribeca Issey Miyake heads uptown for a special month-long pop-up store that opens this week. Shop the new men's and women's collections from Issey Miyake, as well as new items from Pleats Please, HaaT, and Cauliflower. Through 1/30. 807 Madison Ave., nr. 68th St. (212-249-0549); M–F (10–6), S (11–6), Su (12–5).
SALES ONGOING
• Select merchandise is on sale at Topshop and on Topshop.com. The flirt sequin dress is $60 (originally $135), the leather jersey mix jacket is $120 (originally $260), and the Kate Moss satin pencil skirt is $50 (originally $100). 478 Broadway, nr. Broome St. (212-966-9455); M–F (10–9), S–Su (10–8).
• Select clothes, handbags, and shoes are up to 40 percent off at eryn brinié as part of its year-end sale. 501 Broadway, nr. Broome St. (212-308-6134); M–S (10–9), Su (11–7).
• All holiday merchandise is 50 percent off at Lion in the Sun's post-holiday sale, including cards, wrapping paper, and gift bags. 232 Seventh Ave., nr. Fourth St., Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-369-4006); M–W (11–7), Th (11–4), S–Su (11–5), F (closed).
• Merchandise from Henrik Vibscov, C.Neeon, Rodebjer, and more is 50 to 60 percent off at Eva. The Henrik Vibscov leather dress is $325 (originally $795), the TV hooded sweater is $195 (originally $408), and the TV crochet corset is $125 (originally $288). Through 12/31. 355 Bowery, nr. 4th St. (212-925-3890); daily (noon–8).
• Select men's and women's clothing is 30 percent off at Rogan, including outerwear. The women's silk dress is $209 (originally $296), the women's bomber jacket is $319 (originally $456), and the men's peacoat is $409 (originally $595). Through 12/31. 330 Bowery St., at Bond St. (646-827-7567); M–S (noon–8), Su (noon–7).
• Select merchandise is 50 percent off at First Among Equals during the holiday sale. Through 12/31. 177 Orchard St., Stanton St. (212-253-2202); M–F (1–9), S–Su (noon–8).
• Select fall 2009 womenswear, menswear, jewelry, shoes, and accessories are 25 to 40 percent off at Bird. The Alexander Wang viscose Goddess dress is $379 (originally $625), the Thakoon floral twist-front dress is $499 (originally $845), and the Zero + Maria Cornejo Marla dress is $359 (originally $598). Through 12/31. Various hours and locations.
• Womenswear and shoes are 25 to 40 percent off at Project No. 8. The Margiela gray Replica heels are $573 (originally $765), the Stephan Schneider purple-and-black knit cardigan is $198 (originally $284), and the yellow VPL dress is $327 (originally $545). Through 12/31. 138 Division St., nr. Orchard St. (212-925-5599). T–Su (1–8).
• Menswear and shoes are 25 to 40 percent off at No. 8b. The Margiela Flocked sneakers are $386 (originally $515), the Stephan Schneider gray cardigan is $161 (originally $269), and the Aspesi jacket is $201 (originally $268). Through 12/31. 38 Orchard St., at Hester St. (212-925-5599); Tu–Su (noon–7).
• Eyewear by Dior, Gucci, Tom Ford, Lafont, and more starts at $50 at James Leonard Opticians. Through 12/31. 1010 Second Ave., nr. 53rd St. (212-753-7733); 209 Smith St., nr. President St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-222-8300); M, W, F (10–7), T, Th (10–8), S (10–6).
• Get 20 percent off everything on Digby & Iona's website, including the new fall collection, by entering "holiday" in the promo section at checkout. Through 12/31. digbyandiona.com.
• Balenciaga is offering 40 percent off select merchandise. Short-sleeve silk cowl-back dresses are $469 (originally $795), gray cloque jackets are $1,189 (originally $1,995), and the black leather woven platform booties are $679 (originally $1,145). Through 1/1. 542 W. 22nd St., nr. Tenth Ave. (212-206-0872); daily (11–7).
• Pre-fall and fall/winter 2009 merchandise is up to 50 percent off at Zero + Maria Cornejo. The Alana wool Funnel coat is $667 (originally $1,111), the leather Duo jacket in crackled leather is $995 (originally $1,990), and the silk charmeuse Nella dress is $199 (originally $499). Through 1/5. 33 Bleecker St., nr. Lafayette St. (212-925-3849) and 807 Greenwich St., at Jane St. (212-620-0460); M–S (12–7), Su (12–6).
• Select merchandise is up to 75 percent off at ABC Carpet & Home, including jewelry, lighting, furniture, rugs, and tabletop accessories. There are also special discounts on products by Tom Dixon, Gus Modern, Geography, and Zollanvari. Through 1/24. Various hours and locations.
Fewer people were murdered in the city this year than any year since 1962, the first time the statistic was recorded, reports the Times. The numbers have been roughly declining since a record high of 2,245 in 1990. So far this year, there have only been 461. It's great news, and the NYPD deserves kudos for it, but only in New York could this lede from a newspaper story seem remarkably good:
There were days upon days in New York City when not a single person was murdered in 2009. Two such stretches, in February and March, lasted nearly a week each.
Did you hear that? Some days in New York this year, nobody got killed at all. Greatest city in the world, people ...
Jaimee Grubbs has got herself a new man—and he's not married.
Grubbs, the 24-year-old cocktail waitress and medical marijuana sales associate who is one of the many alleged...
In today's second installment of "couples who split up but are now taking holiday vacays together," we bring you Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Refaeli.
Leo and his...
Goodwill toward men? Charlie Sheen's got it. Goodwill toward women? As his unscheduled solo holiday plans have suggested, that's up for a little more debate.
And while we're...
Just when you thought the Tiger Woods scandal couldn’t get more scandalous…get a load of THIS:
That’s right — Us Weekly has learned EXCLUSIVELY that Tiger Woods’ yacht is still docked. It has not been undocked, as would be the case if it were to be used for yachting, nor has the rope connecting the yacht to the dock been worn away by elemental factors, such as rain or Tiger Woods having sex with it.
In a...
Hold onto your weaves, people: Tyra announced today that this is the last season of her smizing variety show. "This will be the last season of The Tyra Show," she told People.com. “I’ve been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past 5 years.” Following in her idol Oprah's footsteps, she's ceasing production, leaving a hole in the hearts of many and a gap in TV programming. Who will address such important topics as Tyra's weight, Tyra's modeling career, and Tyra's feuds with other models? These are the major issues of our time!
TyTy is moving on to produce films with her company, Bankable Productions. "My next huge steps will allow me to reach more women and young girls to help us all feel as fierce as we truly are." We wondered for a second if Tyler Perry had some competition on his hands but lo, he encouraged her, as did the big O. Oh, Tyra, we had barely begun to know all your weaves. We'll be forced to watch ANTM to get all your smizing action. Sniff.
Tyra Banks is pulling the plug on her talk show. The former model says the syndicated "The Tyra Show" will end after its fifth season. Banks says she's sticking with the reality show... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 10:44 am
Governor Paterson has a State Police security detail of around 200 men, the Post reports today. That's 50 more than are devoted to protecting the entire territory of Long Island. While that number is the same as Governor Pataki once enjoyed, it's significantly higher than the roster that Eliot Spitzer had on hand, and the Post's Fred Dicker talked to a few people who are kind of pissed about it. "The governor wants to have an entourage — three or four cars — wherever he goes because he thinks it makes him look more gubernatorial, it helps him politically," said one senior official. The State Troopers Benevolent Association has even accused Paterson of "disregarding public safety" for cutting troopers' jobs elsewhere but amping up his own protection. To which we suggest Paterson says, in the immortal words of Big Pun: "I want it all, you can call me greedy and superficial, long as my crew's official and pulls they pistols soon as I whistle." That'll shut up the haters.
• The neo-classical landmark at 70 Broad Street has been given a steep holiday discount. The 15,218-square-foot building, which hit the market for $45 million in September as an "office, mixed-use property or private residence," was reduced by $15 million over the weekend, and can now be yours for $30 million. [Cityfile, BHS] • Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love and his wife, Jacquelyne, have put their renovated three-bedroom apartment at 300 East 93rd Street on the market for $2.35 million. [NYM, Corcoran] • The townhouse at 19 East 70th Street that currently houses the Knoedler Gallery has gone on the market. The mansion, which was built in 1909 and features multiple terraces, eight fireplaces, coffered ceilings, and its original staircase, is listed for $59.5 million. [Curbed, Sotheby's] • Richard Pesin, an EVP Bruce Ratner's Forest City Ratner Companies and the real estate firm's director of retail development has paid $4.1 million for a penthouse apartment at The Prime on West 14th Street. [Cityfile]
The model-turned-mogul will focus on 'America's Next Top Model' and her production company.By Jocelyn Vena Tyra Banks Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty Images Tyra Banks will end her Emmy-winning... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 10:37 am
One of the breakout titles from this year’s Cannes Film Festival (where it won two big awards), and a cause célèbre at the New York Film Festival, as well, Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu’s Police, Adjective challenges your own reaction to it as it unspools. Starting off as a very dry, matter-of-fact police procedural, with lengthy, quiet, static scenes depicting its cop protagonist as he follows some kids under suspicion of doing drugs, Porumboiu’s film pulls the rug out from under the viewer’s feet in the final act. In a lengthy, funny, and in-its-own-way horrifying scene, our hero attempts to convince his superior that the kids aren’t worth arresting, only to find himself forced to define the words “law,” “conscience,” “moral,” and “police.” As a result, Police, Adjective reveals itself to have been a canny morality tale all along. Director Porumboiu (whose previous film 12:08 East of Bucharest was also a Cannes hit) sat down with us during a recent visit to New York.
At a recent Q&A, a woman criticized you for showing what she called “the bad side” of Romania. How do you respond to those questions?
This question I have at almost every screening. They are upset because I show average neighborhoods in average towns. Because my characters are average people. At first, I was very nervous when people asked me that, but now I’ve stopped caring. I shoot in real places. Yes, I choose my locations, but I don’t try to make them bad. It’s a world that defines me and defines the story. I try to be polite, but at the same time, this is it. A lot of my compatriots have this idea about image and about how they are perceived. I do not have this problem.
Much of the humor in both Police, Adjective and your previous film, 12:08 East of Bucharest, comes from your depiction of characters who are very precise, almost to a fault. Would you classify yourself as a precise kind of person?
I am very precise. When you are creating characters like that, of course you always have to put something of yourself in them. But when you are very precise, you can also find yourself confused by things that have different meanings. So, eventually, the movie becomes a debate about the meanings of words like “police” and “conscience.”
The notion of conscience in particular becomes an important point in the film. How would you define conscience? Is it religious, or something else?
Can someone have a conscience without religion? That is a big question. I don’t know if I see it in Romania. I’m not a practicing religious person, but I do think we need something. In more advanced societies in the West, where there’s more of a sense of identity, people have other ways of developing a conscience. But Romania is mainly Orthodox, and we didn’t have a Martin Luther or a Reformation, so this idea is enforced by religion most of the time. Communism, too, functioned in a very simple and absolute way.
At the end, our hero speaks out against arresting the kids he’s been tailing, but shouldn’t the "right thing to do" have been to not do the investigation in the first place? He’s already built the case.
This is a film about procedures. The machine is working. His first step of not obeying is when he starts to follow the other kid, hoping this guy takes drugs from someone else. So he’s already starting to do things his own way. But he’s the kind of person who respects the law. He could cheat, but he doesn’t: He could write down something false in his report. But he’s also avoided the morning meetings, where the case is supposed to be discussed. So he’s already trying to find a way around while still respecting the law, and we wonder if this is even possible. But on the other hand, he is also a hunter: I think he enjoys following these kids.
Leaked clip features singer's 'Today Was a Fairytale' and castmembers talking about the holiday.By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift in "Valentine's Day" Photo: Warner Bros. While... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 10:18 am
'Thank u for never giving up on me,' she tells her fans on Twitter.By Gil Kaufman Lady Gaga Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images MTV News' Woman of the Year Lady Gaga has a lot to be thankful... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 10:03 am
AP - The rapper Nelly is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the man who broke into his suburban St. Louis home earlier this month. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Dec 2009 | 10:00 am
Rihanna is performing at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, the second-largest city in the United Arab Emirates, on New Year's Eve. But the partygoers won't get the scantily clad Rihanna they're used to, as the singer was reportedly asked to tone down her sexy stage costume for the performance. (Beyoncé faced the same challenge for a concert in Malaysia, which was later postponed.) RiRi is supposedly getting $500,000 for the gig, which seems to be the price of her stylistic dignity. At least she'll be warm. [PopCrunch]
AP - Prosecutors say they probably won't decide until February whether to file charges against actor Charlie Sheen in an alleged domestic violence case in Aspen.
ASPEN, Colo. - Prosecutors say they probably won't decide until February whether to file charges against actor Charlie Sheen in an alleged domestic violence case in Aspen. Sheen was... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 9:57 am
MONTREAL - The National Film Board of Canada's new iPhone application has proven to be a hit beyond this country's borders, with 40 per cent more people downloading NFB content from... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Dec 2009 | 9:57 am
AT&T customer-service representatives are telling callers that the Apple iPhone is not being sold online in New York City, and that this is a purposeful strategy to deal with coverage overload. According to the blog Consumerist (and we've double checked a bunch of city zip codes), you can no longer find an iPhone to buy through the AT&T website within city limits. Last night, a sales rep told a caller that "the phone is not offered" to city residents anymore because "New York is not ready for the iPhone." There aren't enough towers, according to the rep, to handle the phone here. Consumerist asked AT&T corporate about the policy, and the only response they got was: "We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels." We'd urge you all not to panic, but those of you with iPhones already are probably pleased with this development — it likely means there will be less burden on the network, and your phone is suddenly exclusive again! And to those of you who don't yet have iPhones, well, now you have an excuse.
It’s the Christmas/New Year’s half-assed work weeks, and that can only mean one thing: TV Marathons. Yes, that is literally the only thing it means. What is another thing it means? Nothing, is the answer. I was just named #1 on the 2009 list of Best Logic Users. Thanks internet!
Today’s question: What’s your official year-end tv marathon of 2009? What were you watching last week in pajamas while attempting not to question reheated mashed potato and carrot sandwiches? Any marathons you’re looking forward to on New Year’s?
Personally, in addition to my annual rediscovery of the joy of watching nine straight hours of Law and Order, I got really hooked on the G4 “American Ninja Warrior” marathon. On my brother’s recommendation, I DVRed the entire series on Christmas Eve and blew threw them all in order, then with my newfound appetite for lanky freerunners swinging across metal structures to avoid failure water still unsatisfied, I ended up watching the entire original Japanese Ninja Warrior series On Demand. Would I ever be this adamantly lazy if it weren’t specifically Christmas-New Year’s ‘World Halfass’ week? Probably.
Other marathons you’ve been watching? Others on New Year’s you’re looking forward to? Christmas-New Year’s TV marathon confessions in the comments, please (although if you’re in true Holiday tv marathon mode, you’re probably too lazy to have loaded this website. So we’ll just assume you’re out there.)
So, how was your Christmas? Probably better than Charlie Sheen’s! As you may be aware, the Hot Shots! Part Deux actor was arrested in Aspen early Friday morning and charged with second-degree assault, menacing, and criminal mischief. It’s not as fun as those last two charges sound, though, as it later came out that the alleged victim was Sheen’s wife, Brooke Mueller. Sheen was freed on $8,500 bail Friday night, but things only got more confusing from there.
On Saturday, TMZ reported that Mueller recanted her accusation to the police, saying she was drunk when she called 911 at 8:34 a.m. And she was! Mueller scored a .13 BAC count (Sheen was at a respectable .04). Yesterday, TMZ reported that Mueller initially told the police Sheen threatened her with a knife … which is part of the story that she already took back, we think.
This morning, People provided some comic relief, digging up Sheen and Mueller’s Christmas card, featuring the couple and their twin babies, along with the helpful explanation that it “looks like Charlie Sheen didn't expect to get coal — or police handcuffs — this Christmas.” People also has an actual report on what happened, claiming the couple were a little tipsy at a friend’s dinner party, where they began engaging in a fight that lasted through the morning. Don't worry, though, 'cause they’ll be undergoing counseling. In related news, nobody cares how Jon Cryer’s Christmas went.
It's been a rough year for Kanye West. After that little fiasco at the VMAs, followed by the groveling and getting his head kicked off by Jacob Taylor Lautner on SNL, he essentially went into hiding. But a man can only stay down for so long. Like a phoenix rising from the ash, so doth Kanye — or at least, photos of him. West modeled for Bathing Ape's spring 2010 look book. How'd he do as a model? His poses ranged from befuddled Kanye, to top-dog Kanye, to I'm-trying-to-look-serious-and-dangerous-as-I-wear-a-hoodie-with-cute-faces-on-it Kanye. Aw, adorable!
Kanye offered up his thoughts on the shoot and the Bathing Ape brand in general:
THIS SHOOT WAS MAD FUN. THIS COLLECTION USES REALLY GREAT FABRICS, EASY TO WEAR CUTS AND STILL THE OCCASIONAL SUPER EXPRESSIVE DECADENT PRINTS. BAPE RAN THE LAST DECADE AND THEY'RE READY FOR THE NEXT ONE!
Hmmm, well we guess Santa didn't bring him a new laptop with a caps-lock key that isn't broken. That's what happens when we're naughty, Kanye. So, as our last public service for 2009, we'd like to give Kanye this resolution: Dude, you were kind of a jerk last year. If you stop typing like you're yelling, people might like you more. Just a thought. Take it one day at a time, starting right now. Love ya!
Apparently, Tyra Banks is following in Oprah Winfrey's footsteps in more ways than one.
The former supermodel has also decided to pull the plug on her talker, The Tyra...
We already know John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) is dead—and we are über-pissed at Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) for doing the deed—but could another Lostie be joining Locke very soon...
Are you mentally retarded? Do your research first! I am coming after you harder than I have ever come after anyone. I am going to wipe you off the grid!!!! YOU ARE DONE! I will take everything you have. You, Nick Denton are truly the "Douche of the Decade." Merry Xmas IDIOT!!! Joe Francis P.S. I sent you an updated picture of how I actually look now so you can masturbate to it because you seem to be quite sexually obsessed with me.
Emphasis and punctuation his. Attached was a picture of a shirtless Francis wearing jeans and a bemused smirk. What's funny about this is that even as he fights against the "rapist" label, something about the tone and delivery of this whole letter/lawsuit says to us: "Hey guys, thanks for the award. It really means something."
• Robert "Joe" Halderman, David Letterman's alleged extortionist, may be close to taking a plea deal. Halderman has reportedly offered to accept a one-year prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty, although his lawyer is denying it, and any deal probably won't be finalized until incoming Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. takes office in January. [NYP] • Charlie Sheen and wife Brooke Mueller say they're heading to counseling following Friday's arrest of Sheen on domestic violence charges. (He allegedly threatened Mueller with a knife and told her he was going to kill her.) Sheen, who was released on bond on Christmas night, also says he plans to enroll in "anger management counseling," since he's hoping to keep the marriage together. Rest assured, though, that somewhere Denise Richards is screaming, "I told you so!" [TMZ, NYDN] • Ivana Trump was booted off a flight from Palm Beach to New York over the weekend after she cursed out a group of rowdy kids on the plane and then lashed out at several flight attendants. [P6, MSNBC]
• Meanwhile, things seem to be looking up for Ivanka Trump, who's on a South African safari with new husband Jared Kushner. After weather delays disrupted the start of the trip and their luggage was lost, Ivanka has since been excitedly tweeting all the animals they've seen so far. [NYDN] • In an epic PR stunt over the weekend, Jon Gosselin's apartment on the Upper West Side was supposedly broken into, couches were slashed, a Wii was stolen, a "100-year-old Ming vase" was smashed, and a note—signed by Gosselin ex "Hailey Glassman"—was left speared to the dresser calling Jon a "cheater." The police questioned Glassman yesterday, although she maintains someone is trying to frame her. [TMZ, TMZ, NYP, NYDN] • The war between Dina and Michael Lohan continues. Two days before Christmas, Dina took papa Lohan to court over $40,000 in unpaid child support. But Michael claims he owes just $15,000, and says he also gave her a a lot of cash from other business deals he "executed." [P6, P6] • In other Lohan family news, things are heating up between Lindsay and Adam Senn, the Gucci model who appeared on the last season of The City. She took him to her sister Ali's birthday party last week, so clearly things are getting serious. [NYDN] • Angelina Jolie told a German tabloid that she believes in open relationships and occasionally gets a little rough with Brad Pitt when he doesn't obey her. "The sparks fly at home if the nice Brad fails to see that he's wrong and reacts in a defiant way," she said. "Then I get so angry that I tear his shirt." We'll assume she was kidding about that last bit. [Telegraph, P6] • Renee Zellweger spent Christmas with Bradley Cooper and his parents in Los Angeles. [People] • As for Rihanna, she spent Christmas in Barbados, where she frolicked in a butt-baring, Pepto-bink bikini. Jude Law and Sienna Miller spent the holiday in Barbados as well. [DM, Mirror] • How is Kate Hudson recovering from her breakup with Alex Rodriguez? She's hanging out with Elle Macpherson in Aspen and eating ice cream, of course. [NYDN] • Just days after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a theater manager in England, Amy Winehouse is being treated for "nervous exhaustion" after collapsing at home. [ShowbizSpy] • What do you get someone who has everything? Well, if you're Victoria Beckham, you get your husband a $3,000 bulldog for Christmas. [Sun] • Fergie and Josh Duhamel were seen shopping for baby clothes the other day, so Fergie must be pregnant. [P6] • Lawyers for pervy billionaire Jeffrey Epstein have settled with four women who filed suits against him forcing them to become his sex slaves. Fourteen other women have suits pending, though, so his lawyers should be busy well into the new year. [P6] • Walter Noel, the hedge fund manager who lost $7 billion to Bernie Madoff, hasn't been seen at his house in Mustique. But Bill Gates may be renting it for the season. [P6] • Close friends and family members gathered for a private funeral for Brittany Murphy on Christmas Eve in Los Angeles. In a statement, Murphy's husband Simon Monjack called Murphy his "soul mate" and said that "mystery is the nature of love and you never know when or where it will strike or how quickly it will be taken from you." [Us] • Britney Spears and Kevin Federline briefly reconnected over the holidays two years ago, she got pregnant, had an abortion, and then recently had a meltdown while screaming, "I killed my baby!" This "news" is all courtesy of this week's National Enquirer, naturally. [National Enquirer]
It's hard to imagine, but Tom Waits has a mom, and she's just as disappointed in him as yours is in you. Waits tells the Canadian Press that his mother gave him an earful about his playing the devil in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: "She's really upset. Pretty pissed off about the whole thing. My mom was raised in the church. If you just tell your mom, flat-out: 'I'm playing the devil, mom.' Then you just leave it there, and you don't explain anything, they imagine all kinds of things. Moms imagine terrible things — that I'm eating children, which is just not me. I'm not that kind of devil, mom." [Canadian Press]
It's a Christmas miracle!
No, not the fact that Sienna Miller and Jude Law are reconciled on a romantic getaway. The fact that Sienna is on a beach and has her bathing...
Maybe they were after his family jewels.
KISS' fire-breathing frontman, Gene Simmons, has been slapped with a civil suit by a couple who claim his inner demon came out after they...
• Lindsay Lohan is reportedly dating Adam Senn, a Dolce & Gabbana model who formerly starred on The City as Allie Crandell's naughty boyfriend. He met her family over the weekend and they supposedly like him. [NYDN]
• The Martin Margiela suite at Les Sources de Caudalie hotel and spa near Bordeaux, France costs 650 euros and up per night (or $936 at current exchange), and includes a gift signed by the designer. [T Magazine/NYT]
• Teens aren't spending as much money as they used to. Abercrombie and Hollister are secretly crying right now. [NYT]
• Christy Turlington stars in the Bally spring 2010 campaign, shot by Raymond Meier, for the second season in a row. [WWD]
• Kohl's is still looking for a location in Manhattan, but it might not be 1775 Broadway, as previously anticipated by the retailer. [StyleList]
• Vivienne Westwood's collection of wallpaper for Cole & Son launched this month and ranges from $87 to $298 per roll. [Shopping Blog]
• The company English Laundry is launching a collection inspired by how John Lennon dressed in the sixties. It will also feature the musician's artwork and imagery, and Macy's picked it up for spring. [WWD]
• Mulberry released a bag in its spring collection named after Alexa Chung. [InStyle UK]
• People are still talking about this: Demi Moore's lawyers wrote a letter to photographer Marty Singer demanding an apology after he made comments that her cover for W was Photoshopped. He refuses to apologize. [Page Six/NYP]
• The lingerie-inspired trend we saw on the spring runways is moving into swimwear with companies like Eres and Anna Maria La Bianca creating swimsuits that look like undergarments. [WWD]
The theatrical release of Michael Jackson's This Is It wasn’t quite "it," apparently, because the Spike Lee–directed video for the titular single has only just now been released. It’s really too bad Spike waited all this time to start making posthumous music videos, because this one is really good. It takes the standard approach of cutting up any old leftover footage to a new high, not only digging up awesome clips of young Mike, but also incorporating shots of Gary, Indiana (Jackson’s hometown) as well as fan tributes from around the world (and from Brooklyn — the Prospect Park birthday tribute Spike organized unsurprisingly makes an appearance). There's also a cool shot of Jackson with a giant snake around his neck, and just the right amount of heavy-handed imagery, courtesy of a dramatically extinguished CGI fireplace. Thanks, Spike! This just about makes up for Miracle at St. Anna.
After dubbing nearby children "little fuckers" and heckling flight attendants, Ivana Trump was physically escorted off her flight from West Palm Beach to LaGuardia, pre-takeoff. On a separate flight last September, the Donald's first wife called some children "barbarians" and told them to shut up. Though he spent last week in court because he's late on child support, Michael Lohan said wife Dina "received a lot of cash from me as well as commissions on business deals I executed." And: "Regardless of what Dina says, I will always love her. She is a breath of fresh air." According to Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s upcoming PBS documentary, Faces of America, Meryl Streep is distantly related to Eva Longoria. Angelina Jolie told German magazine Das Neue, "I doubt that fidelity is essential for a relationship. Neither Brad nor I have ever claimed that living together means to be chained together. We make sure that we never restrict each other." She added, "When the nice Brad fails to see that he's wrong, I get so angry that I tear his shirt." A blind item says an unidentified male model had unprotected sex with "a certain starlet" and now he fears he has an STD. Oh, and last week, Lindsay Lohan introduced her new beau, Gucci model and infamous City star Adam Senn, to her family.
Jeffrey Epstein, the fresh-out-of-the-clink billionaire who solicited girls for prostitution, has settled with four of the women who were suing him, though he's still got fourteen to go. A lawyer says the girls are "fearful of him," since Epstein's investigators are mining for dirt on the accusers and the girls are "beat up [emotionally]." Fairfield Greenwich Group's founder Walter Noel canceled his family's annual vacation in Mustique this year after losing $7 billion of his clients' cash to Bernie Madoff. Sources say Noel rented his island estate to Bill Gates instead, and Gates might want to buy the place.
TMZ has gotten its paws on a photo which seems to show John F. Kennedy sunbathing on a yacht while two topless women jump off, and a few more topless women tan on the top deck. They date it circa the mid-fifties, when Kennedy was a senator and a husband. Adrian Grenier took shots at the Yard. Susan Sarandon stopped by Burdick Chocolates. Oliver Stone drank at the Gates. NYU professor and prophet of economic doom Nouriel Roubini hosted a party at RdV, a swanky basement lounge in the meatpacking district, and partied with his wingmen, George Soros and Donald Trump. Jude Law was photographed vacationing in Barbados with on-again girlfriend Sienna Miller. Kiefer Sutherland dined with Jon Bon Jovi at Lure Fishbar.
Despite being jailed Christmas morning on domestic-violence charges and reportedly threatening his wife, Brooke Mueller, with a knife, Charlie Sheen, who dubbed his last wife Denise Richards a "sad, jobless pig," apparently has "no plans for divorce." Denzel Washington turned 55 today. Madonna reportedly purchased a $9 million, 30-acre ranch in the Hamptons. The estate formerly belonged to Kelly Klein, Calvin Klein's ex-wife. Over the weekend, Jon Gosselin's apartment was trashed by a "sick perpetrator," his lawyer said. A note bearing ex-girlfriend Hailey Glassman's name was attached to a butcher knife found speared into a bedroom dresser, but police "haven't been able to prove it was her," and Glassman's lawyer said "somebody appears to be trying to frame [Hailey]" and it "appears to be a huge, huge publicity stunt and nothing else." Post-breakup with A-Rod, Kate Hudson is shopping and eating ice cream in Aspen with Elle Macpherson. As reported on Ivanka Trump's Twitter, on the very first day of her honeymoon safari with Jared Kushner, the newlyweds "spotted 2 lionesses, 10 hippos, 3 rhinos, 3 giraffes, and a group of baboons!" Obviously the animals are giving her special treatment because she's a Trump.
AP - "Becoming Jane Eyre," (Penguin Books, 256 pages, $15) by Sheila Kohler: Charlotte Bronte was a dutiful daughter of the Victorian age. Her best-known character, Jane Eyre, endures as a woman who transcends time and social order. How Charlotte released Jane into the world is the subject of Sheila Kohler's new novel, "Becoming Jane Eyre."
AP - "Becoming Jane Eyre," (Penguin Books, 256 pages, $15) by Sheila Kohler: Charlotte Bronte was a dutiful daughter of the Victorian age. Her best-known character, Jane Eyre, endures as a woman who transcends time and social order. How Charlotte released Jane into the world is the subject of Sheila Kohler's new novel, "Becoming Jane Eyre."
AP - "Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed" (Random House, 260 pages, $26) by Gregg Easterbrook: In "Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed," author Gregg Easterbrook describes a tremendous boom in the world's well-being that he sees as speeding ahead. Easterbrook brings up some striking but rarely mentioned figures as evidence. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 28 Dec 2009 | 8:13 am
Sienna Miller turns 28 today. Denzel Washington is turning 55. John Legend is 31. Gayle King turns 55. Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers is turning 36. Judge Alvin Hellerstein is 76. Media tycoon Phil Anschutz is 70. Former AOL exec turned new media investor Bob Pittman is turning 56. Artist Robert Storr is 60. South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson is turning 63. And American Idol runner-up David Archuleta is 19 today.
Roman Polanski, presumably stir crazy while doing hard time in his Swiss chalet and awaiting word on his possible extradition to the U.S., has made his first public statement since his incarceration. Would you believe that he's received an "overwhelm[ing] … number of messages of support and sympathy" from people outraged by the indignity of his plight? He would certainly like you to! In an open letter posted on the website of popular French intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy, Polanski thanks his boosters and sends out warm holiday greetings to you and yours.
Here's the letter in full:
My dear Bernard-Henri Lévy, what you have said in the Swiss press is true — I have been overwhelmed by the number of messages of support and sympathy I have received in Winterthur prison, and that I continue to receive here, in my chalet in Gstaad, where I am spending the holidays with my wife and my children.
These messages have come from my neighbours, from people all over Switzerland, and from beyond Switzerland — from across the world. I would like every one of them to know how heartening it is, when one is locked up in a cell, to hear this murmur of human voices and of solidarity in the morning mail. In the darkest moments, each of their notes has been a source of comfort and hope, and they continue to be so in my current situation.
I would like to be able to answer all of them. But it is impossible: There are too many. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could reply? Perhaps in your journal, La Règle du jeu, which has supported me from the very first day? Perhaps you could disseminate these few words I’m sending you? I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to you.
Happy holidays to you and yours — and, through you, to all of these unknown friends whom I am discovering day after day, and who have helped me so much.
My warmest regards,
Roman Polanski
He did not include a card with a photo of himself wearing a Christmas sweater and Santa hat, but you should definitely imagine one anyway.
Oh my gosh, y'all, did you hear about these newfangled things called fashion blogs? Well, they're, like, everywhere, the Times Styles section said, and it's getting fashion editors at magazines all up in a tizzy! The venerable Gray Lady tried her damnedest this weekend to stir up some controversy by pointing out that editors like Anna Wintour and the Vogue crew don't much care for sitting next to bloggers. (Oh, the horror.) Apparently, as Tavi swanned in, decked out in her adorable outfits, not everyone was thinking she was quite so cute. And Bryan Boy scored a spot two seats away from Anna at the spring D&G show in Milan. Oh, what will become of fashion?
Apparently, this seismic shift (which, let's point out, has been happening for years) has become so grand that designers are actually paying attention to bloggers. "Marc Jacobs named one of his bag designs after Bryan Boy," Eric Wilson dutifully points out in his article. To which we say, "Yes, but what has he done for us lately?" This is old news. Apparently, the speed at which blogs can gather photos, post both them and commentary, and hit publish is a big threat to the majors of the front row. But, if we may reassure our Vogue-ettes for a second: We do need you. Without your spreads, your market editors, your photographers, whom and what would we write about? We need fashion magazines just as much as we need blogs. So there, everyone can stop popping Xanax now. When blogs start shooting the latest clothes with the style and substance that magazines do, and readers turn to them in droves, then editors can worry. Enough with the whole fashion print is dead thing. That story is so 2009.
There's a rag in New Jersey called Steppin' Out, which is edited by old Intel friend Chaunce Hayden. It's got gossip, salacious news, info on all the state's nightclubs and concerts, and as frequently as possible, it puts a busty, moderately to marginally famous reality star or porn queen on the cover. Basically, for years, Chaunce Hayden has been like St. John the Baptist preparing the state for the arrival of its savior, Jersey Shore. And this week, Hayden has an interview with one of the show's stars, J-WOWW. It's a conversation that will have New Yorkers shaking between their pathetic, average-size hoop earrings.
J-WOWW wants to spend next summer in the Hamptons!
J-WOWW: I would love to do a spin off of "Jersey Shore" in the Hamptons. It would be the New York version of “Jersey Shore.” I'm really not a Jersey girl. I'm from Long Island. I've always been a Hamptons girl. Almost everyone on the show is from New York. Next season I would like to represent Long Island and do behind the scenes in the Hamptons nightclubs. The fist pumpers in the Hamptons are more extreme. I feel like me and my friends could bring a more extreme version to MTV. ... But instead of putting girls with guys, I would put together more girls like me.
Chaunce Hayden: Like you?
J-WOWW: The plastic look and guys who are 6'4" and total juiceheads. It's actually much worse in the Hamptons. We don't really use the word Guido where I'm from. It's just the house music lifestyle. Instead of Guido's we call it “The Scene.”
We actually have to admit we have no idea what she's talking about in most of those sentences. But the idea of more girls like Snooki going to the Hamptons seems pretty genius to us.
This video is like walking past someone else’s karaoke room and overhearing the Grease megamix and rolling your eyes at the karaoke amateurs as you proceed to sing your rockin’ Del Amitri song, but Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are in it for some reason!
Another song that someone should cover is “Don’t Stop Believing” by The Journeys.
Even if you are among the few who miss the fabulous fluff of Danity Kane, you have to admit Sean "Diddy" Combs' latest ingénue is way cuter than Aubrey, Dawn, Aundrea, D-Woods...
A nonallergenic alternative to down, this soft, puffy comforter lets you sleep sniffle-free ($169.99 for a queen-size at Bed Bath & Beyond, 620 Sixth Ave., nr. 18th St.; 212-255-3550). Plus: Uniqlo’s colorful Heattech tops and Ernest Alexander’s new wool belts. Best Bets [NYM]
Every week between now and February 2 when the nominations are announced, movies and stars will help themselves — or sometimes, hurt themselves — in the Oscar race. Vulture's "Oscar Futures" will listen for insider gossip, comb the blogs, and out-and-out guess when necessary to track who's up, who's down, and who's currently leading the race for a coveted nomination.
Best Picture
UP:Avatar. It's a monster hit, it landed on lots of big critics' best-of lists, and the backlash already happened weeks ago, so anybody still nitpicking just sounds like a whiner. Also, the Gurus of Gold now have it in the lead to win Best Picture.
DOWN:Nine. Toxic reviews and now unimpressive box office. Harvey's lucky that it's a crappy year and there are ten slots.
CURRENT PREDIX:Avatar, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Invictus, Nine, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air.
Best Director
UP: James Cameron, Avatar. Ten days in theaters and Avatar's already made a third of what Titanic did. If nothing else, he'll have the top-grossing movie of any serious contender here.
DOWN: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air. The backlash arrives! The Gurus of Gold have his movie dropping out of first place, and all of Jeff Wells's friends were disappointed by it (for what it's worth, many of our Twitter friends disliked it, too).
CURRENT PREDIX: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker; James Cameron, Avatar; Clint Eastwood, Invictus; Jason Reitman, Up in the Air; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds.
Best Actor
UP: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart. Waning enthusiasm for Air presumably means good things for George Clooney's primary competition here.
DOWN: Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine. Well, moviegoers have finally heard him sing.
CURRENT PREDIX: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart; George Clooney, Up in the Air; Colin Firth, A Single Man; Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker.
Best Actress
UP: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia. Decent box office and good reviews (for her performance, at least) for It's Complicated certainly don't hurt her chances.
DOWN: Marion Cotillard, Nine. She's the best part of a movie nobody seems to like, which won't help her in a race this competitive.
CURRENT PREDIX: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side; Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Gabourey Sidibe, Precious; Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia.
Best Supporting Actor
UP: Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes. Not that we expect it to pay off in a nomination or anything, but critics seem to like him in Holmes more than they have in ages.
DOWN: Alfred Molina, An Education. With last-minute surges for Woody Harrelson and Christian McKay, his category's getting crowded and support for the movie seems to be evaporating.
CURRENT PREDIX: Matt Damon, Invictus; Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds.
Best Supporting Actress
UP: Mo'Nique, Precious. Not much movement here in the past week, but at this point she'd probably have to whack Gabourey Sidibe with a frying pan in real life to lose this award.
DOWN: Penélope Cruz, Nine. She wouldn't have beaten Mo'Nique anyway, but the cratering support for her movie doesn't bode well.
CURRENT PREDIX: Penélope Cruz, Nine; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mo'nique, Precious; Julianne Moore, A Single Man.
This weekend's travel was generally a nightmare for everyone. But not that bad of a nightmare, in context.
The bomb that Nigerian aspiring terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to ignite on Christmas Day aboard Northwestern Airlines Flight 253 was a very powerful type — one that, though small, would have likely blown a hole out of the side of the plane and potentially caused a devastating crash as it landed in Detroit. Luckily, the explosive that was sewn into his underwear — and only caused a minor fire which passengers and crew were able to put out — is extremely hard to ignite. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or PETN, is among the "most powerful of explosives," according to the Times, and was the same explosive that was smuggled aboard by the infamous (and also thwarted) 2001 "shoe bomber," Richard Reid.
Meanwhile, British police fear that there may be more of their former residents training in terror camps in Yemen, where Abdulmutallab prepared for his attack attempt. According to the London Sun, there are at least five radicalized British Muslim cells training in the Arab nation, each of which include at least 25 citizens. They're to return to the United Kingdom in early 2010 "and will then await internet instructions from al-Qaeda on when to strike," reports the tabloid. They're being monitored by police and will likely not be allowed back into the country. Abdulmutullab, who allegedly trained with these very cells, was denied a visa to return to the United Kingdom last May, as he was on a terrorist watch list there. "If you are on our watch list," British Home Secretary Alan Johnson pointedly observed, "then you do not come into this country."
Certain groups of die-hard fans are protective of the characters they hold on a pedestal. "Star Trek" has its Trekkies and "Star Wars" has the Jedi religion.
AP - As they did during the Depression and World War II, movie audiences today have found a respite from hard times with light, fanciful tales that help them forget their troubles for a couple of hours.
Reuters - Before "Sherlock Holmes" was a movie opening on Christmas Day, it was a comic. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 28 Dec 2009 | 5:24 am
T Time: Of all the original members of the A-Team that we'd like to see make a cameo in the A-Team remake, none is as important as Mr. T. But like the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle we asked for for Christmas, it was not meant to be. The guys at Latino Review ran into Mr. T at the gym last week, where he broke the news. Mr. T says a cameo isn't right for him and he'd prefer to continue spending his days eating Snickers and then going to gym to work them off. [Latino Review]
Fat Man:Tyler Perry will strap on the fat suit for a new stage production of Madea's Big Happy Family. The show will see him revive the matriarch of the kooky Simmons family on stage for the first time in five years. Perry promises the production will "make you hurt yourself in a good way." We think that means it will make you laugh. [WSJ]
Dock Side: After a nearly three-year break, The Boondocks will return to Adult Swim early next year. Score one for smart cartoons! [Wrap]
The streets of Tehran were filled with protesters this weekend as tens of thousands of Iranians clashed with police during Ashura, Shiite Islam's holiest day. Reports of the protests are scattered and unreliable since media isn't allowed into the country, but like six months ago after the country's presidential election, Iranians have taken to the Internet to get the word out.
The word isn't good. As many as ten people have been killed by security forces in Tehran. Among them is opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi's nephew, who was targeted to send a message to the protesters. Demonstrations have even broken out in other, more conservative parts of Iran, largely because Islam bans killing during Ashura. That means the unrest is likely only just beginning.
US actor Robert Downey Jr arrives at the world premiere of the new film "Sherlock Holmes" in central London, earlier this month. The movie, directed by Guy Ritchie, has earned 65.4 million dollars since... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Dec 2009 | 9:52 pm
"Princess Tiana" attends the opening of "The Princess and The Frog" in New York City last month. Disney's animated movie, the first featuring an African-American princess, dropped to seventh place in US... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Dec 2009 | 9:52 pm
Director James Cameron arrives at the premiere of "Avatar," at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in Hollywood earlier this month. Box office ticket sales in North America hit a record high for the Christmas... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 27 Dec 2009 | 9:52 pm
In what is perhaps the least surprising piece of information we could have learned about the past life of a Jersey Shore–er, TMZ brings news that the Situation used to shake his penis for money as part of a group called All American Male. Now that's the Situation! [TMZ]
The amazing Vic Chesnutt, a singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia, who spent the past 25 years singing dark and hilarious songs, passed away on Christmas Day after an apparent suicide. Click through his YouTube videos. It's worth your time. [Washington Post]
Front Page: Johnson, McCord leaflet at session on how to exit guild -- With most of Hollywood shut down for the holidays, a skirmish broke out last week over thesps being persuaded to quit the Screen Actors Guild.
Front Page: 'Avatar,' 'Ice Age' propel studio to $2.26 billion overseas -- With help from animated dinosaurs, singing chipmunks and the distant world of Pandora, 20th Century Fox has reached an estimated $2.26 billion in foreign ticket sales to set a new industry record at the international box office.
Front Page: Big deals for Cablevision, Liberty Media leaders -- Just in time for the holidays, top execs at Liberty Media and Cablevision have inked rich new employment contracts.
Front Page: Hopes fade for the renewal of retrans pact before it expires -- It's not looking good for an eleventh-hour accord between Fox and Time Warner Cable before the Thursday night expiration of Fox's retransmission consent agreement with the nation's second largest cable operator. The sides can't even agree on whether they have held any negotiations during the past several days.
Jaimee Grubbs has got herself a new man—and he's not married.
Grubbs, the 24-year-old cocktail waitress and medical marijuana sales associate who is one of the many alleged...
In today's second installment of "couples who split up but are now taking holiday vacays together," we bring you Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Refaeli.
Leo and his...
Goodwill toward men? Charlie Sheen's got it. Goodwill toward women? As his unscheduled solo holiday plans have suggested, that's up for a little more debate.
And while we're...
• The neo-classical landmark at 70 Broad Street has been given a steep holiday discount. The 15,218-square-foot building, which 
It’s the Christmas/New Year’s half-assed work weeks, and that can only mean one thing: TV Marathons. Yes, that is literally the only thing it means. What is another thing it means? Nothing, is the answer. I was just named #1 on the 2009 list of Best Logic Users. Thanks internet!
Apparently, Tyra Banks is following in Oprah Winfrey's footsteps in more ways than one.
The former supermodel has also decided to pull the plug on her talker, The Tyra...
We already know John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) is dead—and we are über-pissed at Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) for doing the deed—but could another Lostie be joining Locke very soon...
• Robert "Joe" Halderman, 
It's a Christmas miracle!
No, not the fact that Sienna Miller and Jude Law are reconciled on a romantic getaway. The fact that Sienna is on a beach and has her bathing...
Maybe they were after his family jewels.
KISS' fire-breathing frontman, Gene Simmons, has been slapped with a civil suit by a couple who claim his inner demon came out after they...
Even if you are among the few who miss the fabulous fluff of Danity Kane, you have to admit Sean "Diddy" Combs' latest ingénue is way cuter than Aubrey, Dawn, Aundrea, D-Woods...
UP: Avatar. It's a monster hit, it landed on lots of big critics' best-of lists, and the backlash already happened weeks ago, so anybody still nitpicking just sounds like a whiner. Also, the 
DOWN: Nine. Toxic reviews and now 
UP: James Cameron, Avatar. Ten days in theaters and Avatar's already 
DOWN: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air. The backlash arrives! The 
UP: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart. Waning enthusiasm for Air presumably means good things for George Clooney's primary competition here.
DOWN: Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine. Well, moviegoers have 
UP: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia. Decent box office and good reviews (for her performance, at least) for It's Complicated certainly don't hurt her chances.
DOWN: Marion Cotillard, Nine. She's the 
UP: Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes. Not that we expect it to pay off in a nomination or anything, but critics seem to like him in Holmes more than they have in ages.
DOWN: Alfred Molina, An Education. With last-minute surges for Woody Harrelson and Christian McKay, his category's getting crowded and support for the movie seems to be evaporating.
UP: Mo'Nique, Precious. Not much movement here in the past week, but at this point she'd probably have to whack Gabourey Sidibe with a frying pan in real life to lose this award. 
