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Kathryn Bigelow wins, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend DGA Awards - Entertainment Weekly
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:40 am Jackson's kids to be part of Grammy tributeMichael Jackson's two eldest children will appear on stage Sunday night during the Grammy show tribute to their father, Jackson's father and others confirmed.Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:38 am 22-year-old goes from Miss Va. to Miss America (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:24 am 22-year-old goes from Miss Va. to Miss America (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:24 am Grammys 2010 preview: Women on top as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift ... - New York Daily News
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:15 am Miss America 2009 Katie Stam gets engaged on eve of Miss Virginia Caressa ... - New York Daily News
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:15 am Powerball tickets go on sale Sunday in Michigan - Chicago Tribune
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:13 am Bigelow wins Directors top award for "Hurt Locker" (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:12 am Bigelow wins Directors top award for "Hurt Locker" (Reuters)Reuters - Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the best director award from the Directors Guild of America on Saturday with her Iraq war thriller "The Hurt Locker," a low-budget film gathering awards steam ahead of the Oscars.Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 2:12 am Tebow: Must-see TV - Daily Commercial
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:54 am Kathryn Bigelow tops directors with `Hurt Locker' (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:47 am Director Kathryn Bigelow accepts the Feature Film DGA Award for "The Hurt Locker"Director Kathryn Bigelow accepts the Feature Film DGA Award for "The Hurt Locker" onstage during the 62nd Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards. The DGA Awards are seen as a key indicator of possible...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:29 am 'Hurt Locker' director wins key Oscars indicatorKathryn Bigelow won the top honor at the Directors Guild of America Awards here Saturday, taking home the prize for her acclaimed Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker." The DGA Awards are...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:29 am Actor Rip Torn arrested drunk, armed in Conn. bank - Reuters
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:23 am Actor Rip Torn arrested drunk, armed in Conn. bankNEW YORK (Reuters) - Emmy award winning actor Rip Torn, who has had a recurring role in the NBC hit "30 Rock," has been arrested after police found him intoxicated and armed inside a...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:20 am Brangelina Totally Together at DGAs! This should shut up all those breakup rumors. At least for one news cycle.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie surfaced in public for the first time in more than a month, happily dining...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:10 am Avatar's Oscar Shot Goes Wide? Hurt Locker's Bigelow Bests Cameron at DGA Awards And this round of Oscar foreshadowing goes to... Kathryn Bigelow!
Two weeks after her Iraq-war drama was shut out at the Golden Globes, the Hurt Locker director beat out ex-hubby James...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:05 am Kathryn Bigelow tops directors with `Hurt Locker'Kathryn Bigelow has won the Directors Guild of America's top prize for "The Hurt Locker." The win makes the film and its 58-year-old director the front-runners for the Academy Award. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:02 am Bigelow wins Directors top award for "Hurt Locker"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the best director award from the Directors Guild of America on Saturday with her Iraq war thriller "The Hurt Locker," aSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 1:01 am Thousands attend 'Lost' sneak preview (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 31 Jan 2010 | 12:36 am Teen drama 'Winter's Bone,' Afghanistan doc 'Restrepo' win top Sundance prizesPARK CITY, Utah - The Ozark Mountains drama "Winter's Bone" and the war-on-terror documentary "Restrepo" won top honours Saturday among U.S. movies at the Sundance Film Festival. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 12:15 am Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron wins 2010 Miss America crown, $50,000 scholarshipLAS VEGAS - Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron won the 2010 Miss America title Saturday night after strutting in a skintight yellow dress, belting Beyonce's "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" and...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 31 Jan 2010 | 12:09 am Thousands attend 'Lost' sneak previewMore than 10,000 fans greeted the cast of "Lost" on Waikiki Beach and were treated to a special screening of upcoming season premiere. Fans started lining up 12 hours before the SaturdaySource: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:47 pm 'Winter's Bone,' 'Restrepo' earn Sundance honors (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:44 pm The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing a hymn during the 179th Semi-Annual General ConferenceThe Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing a hymn during the 179th Semi-Annual General Conference of the church last October. The Mormon Church's role in helping to finance the campaign a ban on same-sex marriage...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm Directors Steven Greenstreet (L) and Reed Cowan created a documentary "8: The Mormon Proposition"Directors Steven Greenstreet (L) and Reed Cowan created a documentary "8: The Mormon Proposition" highlighting the Mormon Church's role in helping to force a referendum onto ballot papers in 2008 which...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm Ellen Pontac (L) and her wife Shelly Bailes celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary in CaliforniaFile photo of Ellen Pontac (L) and her wife Shelly Bailes celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary in California. The Mormon Church's role in helping to finance the campaign a ban on same-sex marriage...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm The golden Angle Moroni stands atop the Mormon Salt Lake temple in Salt Lake City, UtahThe golden Angle Moroni stands atop the Mormon Salt Lake temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Mormon Church's role in helping to finance the campaign a ban on same-sex marriage in California has come under...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm Mormon role in gay marriage ban scrutinized at SundanceThe Mormon Church's role in helping to finance the campaign a ban on same-sex marriage in California has come under scrutiny in a documentary being shown at the Sundance Film Festival. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm Jersey Shore: JWoww Talks Implants - The Plastic Surgery Channel
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:11 pm Director Thet Sambath (pictured) and Rob Lemkin created the superb documentary "Enemies of the People"Director Thet Sambath (pictured) and Rob Lemkin created the superb documentary "Enemies of the People", which explores the inner workings of Cambodia's "Killing Fields" era through hundreds of hours of...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pm Director Tim Hetherington accepts the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Film for "Restrepo"Director Tim Hetherington accepts the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Film for "Restrepo" onstage at the Awards Night Ceremony during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Sebastian Junger and Hetherington's...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pm Director Debra Granik accepts the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film for "Winter's Bone"Director Debra Granik accepts the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film for "Winter's Bone", a dark mystery about a teenager trying to find her missing father in the backwoods of Missouri.Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pm 'Restrepo,' 'Winter's Bone' take top Sundance honorsPowerful Afghanistan war documentary "Restrepo" and gritty drama "Winter's Bone" scooped the top honors here Saturday as the curtain camed down on the Sundance Film Festival. Sebastian...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pm NZ musician Pauly Fuemana of "How Bizarre" fame dies (Reuters)Reuters - New Zealand musician Pauly Fuemana, who found international fame with his country's biggest selling record ever, "How Bizarre," died in hospital on Sunday after a short illness, according to media reports.Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 30 Jan 2010 | 10:33 pm Miss America Crowned in Las VegasSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 10:22 pm Books pulled from Amazon.com in pricing dispute (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 30 Jan 2010 | 9:57 pm 'Winter's Bone' wins grand jury prize for drama at Sundance - Los Angeles Times
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 30 Jan 2010 | 9:10 pm Michael Jackson, Leonard Cohen win special Grammys - Reuters
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 30 Jan 2010 | 8:57 pm Miss Virginia Claims 2010 Miss America TitleMiss Virginia Caressa Cameron won the 2010 Miss America title Saturday night after strutting in a yellow dress, belting Beyonce's "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" and telling kids they should get outside more often. Source: FOXNews.com | 30 Jan 2010 | 8:26 pm Former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld testifying on Tillman's fraticideFile photo of former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld testifying s before the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington, DC, during hearings on "The...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 7:33 pm File photo of Pat Tillman when he played for the Arizona Cardinals back in 1998File photo of Pat Tillman when he played for the Arizona Cardinals back in 1998. Six years after Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, his family's search for truth in the face of a US government cover-up...Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 30 Jan 2010 | 7:33 pm Reporter's Notebook: St. Redford's Brat Pack? Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Zoe Kravitz and...50 Cent? Is the world ready for Brat Pack 2.0?
St. Elmo's Fire director Joel Schumacher is no slouch in the...
Via TMZ, this kind of actually sounds like a movie the 78 year-old Rip Torn would be in. Except he'd play the cop who'd show up and be like, "Rip Torn? What the fuck are you doing?" Also, I enjoy that TMZ took the time to note Rip Torn's previous mugshot (pictured above) as The Greatest Mugshot in the History of Mankind. In fact, as we know, this isn't Rip's first drunk brush with the law: he's been arrested for refusing a breathalyzer after crashing into a taxi in Manhattan, another DUI in North Salem, New York, and another suspicion of drunk driving charge in Salisbury, Connecticut, where he left a bar with a Christmas Tree tied to the top of his car. Which isn't at all suspicious late at night, when you're swerving. And probably drunk. This is the same guy who famously hit Norman Mailer in the head with a hammer and got Dennis Hopper to pull a knife on him (and then sued him twice for it). Torn may never have won that coveted Oscar, but don't count him out yet. This is the kind of complete, absolute fuckup that is at the worst, totally, completely, precedent-setting stupid drunkenness, and at best, totally belligerent, insane, and somehow, endearing.
On the surface it makes no sense. Why should political ideology affect humor when it doesn't affect earnings potential or charity-giving or most anything else? But there is no good right-slanted Onion, or Daily Show or Bill Maher and no right-wing satirist who can nail liberals like Stephen Colbert nails conservatives. In 2007 Fox tried to launch a show to take on Comedy Central (despite Jon Stewart, in particular, sniping across political lines). The 1/2 Hour News Hour, marked by canned laughter, was described as "so heavy handed that it seems almost like self-parody," and was quickly cancelled. If the Teabuggers, whose idea of hilarity is at the 'dress up funny' level of high-school skits, are the cutting edge, the new generation, then prospects are not looking good for the future either. Or it might be that comedy, like journalism, is best when it comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. It's certainly partly built of empathy. ACORN, for all of its flaws, mainly works to give voice to the disenfranchised. Sure, you can trick them and sneakily edit your reporting and make them look silly, like O'Keefe did. But comforting the comfortable, and afflicting the afflicted just comes off as mean and nasty and smug. See: Dennis Miller and Ann Coulter. Coulter and Miller were a sorority girl and and frat boy — Delta Gamma and Sigma Tau Gamma respectively. Which stands in contrast to the depressed, substance-abusing end of society that spawns many funny people. Richard Pryor made jokes about his cock looking like a foot from all the STDs he'd caught, and about setting himself on fire while smoking crack. We fear he would not be at all Sigma Tau Gamma material. O'Keefe, from all we know about him, is more their stuff. He has grown up in a wealthy bubble, in slacks and blazers from the cradle up. That bubble is almost a prerequisite of conservatism — it's hard to be poor, or experience poverty, and still think poor people are just lazy. That is not to say privilege is a bar to humor or empathy, but if the toughest experience you've had is Juanita ironing an inadequate crease into your golf pants even though you've told her about this before, you may struggle to wield the comedy of universal experience. Even if they have done some dumb, amusing things with their lives, conservatives are not given to self-deprecation, another shortcut to laughs. If Rush Limbaugh joked about Oxycontin, or Bill O'Reilly made falafel gags in the same way Letterman referenced his cheating, they might be more likeable.
Get why this is funny? 1. Because the amount Wells Fargo has given is so small! $350,000 is, um, nothing. That's a house. A small house. That's not even a studio in Manhattan. Is that even a college education? 2. There probably won't be $35M in transactions, which is the slimy inherent reasoning Wells Fargo uses to justify not waiving the fee, widely missing the point that transaction fees are the banking customer's bane of existence, and thus, might get in the way of getting money to Haiti. Also, they put out a press line that also subtly tries to advertise their low banking fees, which is as insensitive as it is stupid. Anyway, the point is that a liquidated bank could turn Haiti from a Third World Country into a First World Country sometime by the middle of February, but because banks are institutions predicated on nothing more than trying to grow money when they're not separating their customers from their money and making it theirs, they'll simply throw a few bucks Haiti's way because they think it creates good will amongst The People and that it makes The People want to bank with them, and for the dumbest ones, it does! So really it's a choice between evil and really evil, and in this case, Wells Fargo won The "Really Evil" Trophy while Bank of America wins The "Bullshit Good Graces" Ribbon. If anything, it certainly makes choosing between buying the two stocks easier. Update: A reader corrects my embarrassingly bad misreading of Google Finance. "Probably a better way to compare the value of the two companies is to look at the total value of their stock, which would be the price of one share times the number of shares they've issued. On Google Finance it's listed as Mkt Cap (market capitalization), and BAC's is 131.31B (8.65B shares x $15.18 per share), while WFC is 147.23B (5.18B shares x $28.43 per share). So WFC is worth, as a company, more than BAC, but only about 12% more. They just haven't issued as many shares (5.1 billion vs. 8.6 billion), so each share is more valuable because it represents a larger piece of the company. Google, for instance, has a market cap of 168B (about 12% more than WFC) but has only issued 317 million shares, which is why a single share costs $530." And we learn something new every day!
As it (A) Epitomizes everything hate-able about certain people in The New Yorker's readership,
On one hand, What of the soul? indeed. On the other, if there's anybody who can make Dave Eggers more palatable, it's someone who comments on The New Yorker's website. Yes, one could absolutely write about everything that's right and wrong about this for the next two hours, and what it represents, but: no. If you actually have any interest in reading a really good remembrance of J.D. Salinger, sorry, but I can't manage anything better than what Sadie Stein wrote at Jezebel, and I have yet to read one as good. But here we are, so whatever, here's my thing:
Among the many disappointments the This is especially funny in light of the fact that during his big iPad presentation, Steve Jobs showed a page where Flash didn't load, because Flash doesn't work on the iPad! Whoops. This is going to piss a lot of people who want to buy this thing off, because it prevents them from using Hulu, and some porn sites, and let's face it: the iPad could revolutionize jacking off. Gadget nerds are smart, pesky little fuckers, because they spend all day touching buttons for the sake of touching buttons, so naturally, they noticed this and jumped down Apple's throat. So, Apple corrected it. Team Flash noted that they're building something to help people make apps with Flash. Because I don't know about computer machines, I don't know why Apple wouldn't want Flash on their computer machines, though it might have something to do with exclusive deals that optimize specific content with things like YouTube, and to keep sales and development in the App Store moving in the direction they want it to.
During tomorrow night's Grammys, the Michael Jackson tribute will not only feature the (totally random) power-trio of Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, and Usher, but also the late pop star's three children, Prince Michael, Paris, and Blanket. A source close to the Jackson family has revealed that three progeny have prepared "some sort of speech." Hm. Well, if little Paris's part is half as memorable as her speech at Jackson's funeral, then it'll go a long way towards canceling out Madonna's whacked-out VMA speech in honor of MJ. Also, we admit, we kind of want to hear Blanket speak. Maybe this year's Grammy's actually will make for decent television? Eh, probably not. Michael Jackson's Kids Will Speak at the Grammys [E!/Uberblog] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: michael jackson, grammys 2010, tributes
Source: Vulture | 30 Jan 2010 | 3:03 pm Obama Tackles Urgent Matter: College Football Playoffs! Obama holding helmet with presidential seal given to him by Riddell employees. Since the whole health care reform thing ain’t exactly going as planned, it seems the President's administration has decided to look into an equally pressing issue: How the college football national championship is determined! But really, this is some genius populism. The Justice Department is weighing whether or not it will investigate if the BCS system violates antitrust laws, an inquiry requested by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch last October. Options for the investigation include asking the Federal Trade Commission to get involved, or appointing a governmental body to study the possibility of a playoff system. (Succcchhh a good use of a governmental body!) Obama made his disgust for the current system clear back in November of 2008 when he appeared on Monday Night Football:
Divided as this nation may be, this is an issue that most of the country — or at least any big-football-school alum — can get behind. Why he didn't bring it up during the State of the Union is beyond us; no words soar like NCAA rhetoric. Obama Administration May Investigate Controversial College Football Bowl System [ABC News] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: really important issues, barack obama, bcs, justice department, orrin hatch
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 2:45 pm Tonight: Cameron, Bigelow in DGA Cage Match Bigelow and Cameron at a DGA Breakfast this morning. The next chapter in this award season’s Battle of the Exes will take place tonight as James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow square off for the Director’s Guild Award. Sure, Quentin Tarantino, Jason Reitman, and Lee Daniels theoretically are up for it, too, but it’s basically assured to be either Cameron or Bigelow. Though somehow Cameron and his Colonial coif took the Golden Globe, Bigelow has taken most of the critics prizes and we’re thinking she's got a good shot at becoming the first female winner tonight. But TBD, as ever. [AP] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: oscar race 2010, DGAs, exes, james cameron, kathryn bigelow
That's "it."
It's hard to tell if Rush Limbaugh is having a seizure or letting out his inner Gaga Monster at this preliminary Miss America event. Either way, uh, enjoy? [via TMZ] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: rush limbaugh, lady gaga, miss america, poker face, video
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:54 pm Activist Group Not Gaga Over Lady's Guns Lady Gaga's wild ways have earned her an enemy.
After using prop pistols during her live stage shows, and waving around faux firearms with Beyoncé in the video for their hit...
Fast-forward to 2:23 for one of the best answers regarding one of the most favored questions regarding the Eliot Spitzer resignation: DID HE WEAR SOCKS WHILE HAVING SEX WITH THOSE HOOKERS? DID HE?!?! I know it's like a thing to wear socks while you're doin' the do, but seriously, I don't get it. Is there some associated kink with socks? Is there a sock fetish, per se, or is this just an east coast thing, because it's always SO COLD around here? One time in high school, the big story was that my friend got a girl to have sex with him while wearing just a studded belt and Chuck Taylors, which was kind of badass, but I think that was more an early-aughts emo thing rather than a socks thing. I mean, I'm assuming Spitzer wears nice socks, and maybe they're so nice, one could conclude that they're not worth taking off? Then again, there are way more lowbrow instances of guys keeping their socks on during sex, so maybe it's not a nice-sock thing, per se. Then again, if I had, say, a $50 pair of boxers, I'd want some kind of press release issued every time I took them off. So, I don't know, I think about socks during sex, I think about nice socks. Anyway, the rest of the interview is actually pretty great, and has me convinced that Spitzer's still got a shot at running sometime in the future, if for any reason other than the fact that I can't quite wrap my head around voting for a guy who actually does keep his socks on while having sex. Seriously! I can't get past that. Also, Marion Barry smoked crack and DC reelected him. Also, we elected Bloomberg three times. There's that.
Emmy-winning actor Rip Torn was arrested Saturday for allegedly breaking into a bank in Salisbury, Conn., where he's a resident.
Police...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm Second American Held in North Korea Robert Park, believed to be the first American being held. Well, this is not great news: According to the State Department, a second American is being held in North Korea. The North Korean government reported that the unidentified American entered the country from neighboring China on Monday. Though the incident is being investigated, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday afternoon that they have been unable to get any additional information. On December 29, North Korea said they were holding an American — also unidentified, though believed to be Christian missionary Robert Park — who had entered from China on Christmas Eve. North Korea says it holds 2nd American [CNN] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: north korea, foreign affairs, international relations, news, robert park
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:35 pm Week in Review: Brad & Angelina Conquer Awards Season by Not Showing UpWhether or not they still consider themselves a couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie totally conquered the headlines this week as a team.
Not that either one of them did anything. But...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:31 pm Jamie Foxx Not Stepping Into Simon's Idol Shoes Jamie Foxx would like to take over Simon Cowell's judging gig on American Idol, but the singer and actor is just too busy!
"I would love to do it but I don't think I...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:29 pm See the Paintings Wagered in the Indy vs. New Orleans Art Museum Super Bowl BetAre you ready for some art-ball? The New Orleans and Indianapolis Museums of Art have gotten into the spirit of the game. Read more posts by Edith Zimmerman Filed Under: art, clickables, super bowl
Source: Vulture | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:22 pm Parks & Recreation Picked Up for Third Season Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation was picked up for a 3rd season, according to The Wrap. The NBC comedy, which was tepidly received when it came out of the gates with an initial 6-episode run, has broken through this year, winning the love of critics (if not necessarily the masses). Let’s celebrate at The Bulge later tonight? [The Wrap] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: parks and recreation, amy poehler, industry, nbc, tv
Source: Vulture | 30 Jan 2010 | 1:20 pm In China, 'Avatar' Cannot Be Contained The Chinese government is learning the hard way that there is no point in trying to get in the way of the Avatar juggernaut. After the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said last week that James Cameron’s blockbuster - which has already set the record for world-wide ticket sales - would be pulled from 2D theaters in favor of domestic film “Confucius," popular demand has resulted in a reversal of the decision. The Chinese are just so eager to see Jake Sully and his better (blue) half that theater owners in China are disregarding the ruling and showing “Avatar” on their 2D screens, in addition to in their 3D and IMAX theaters. Even in spite of the regulations, the film is destroying “Confucius” at the box office — earning up to 2.5 times as much dough every day. The lesson for China is that when one of its cities tries to rename a mountain range after a movie featuring blue people, it's probably best to just not interfere. Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: avatar, china, confucius, movies
Now, "sucks," is, of course, a subjective assessment, and also, this is Kyle Smith we're talking about, so it's an especially subjective assessment, because as far as critics go, Kyle Smith isn't exactly Manohla Dargis. That said, a few reports from Sundance on this begin to form a small consensus. From a tracking board I'm on, where assistants share industry tips, someone put out a call for Sundance screeners. One response:
Another one:
Of course, these are just industry assistants, but it's worth remembering that nobody in the industry wants to badmouth a big movie with important talent and major attachments, because they might need those things in a date to come. Reminder: this is why nobody who works in the film industry really "hates" anything openly. Really though, these are just three voices, and they're by no means an indication of a shitty movie. That said, there's almost no way this movie can't be bad. How can it not? When Twelve hit shelves in 2002, McDonnell's book was a publicist's dream: There was Nick McDonnell, the handsome young wunderkind, who knew what the fucked up kids were like.There was Nick McDonnell, the young author who—when he wasn't being compared to Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney—was being interestingly blurbed by everyone from Hunter S. Thompson to Richard Price and Joan Didion. There was Nick McDonnell, who's Jennifer Egan-penned New York Times book review of his coming-of-age story about Upper East Side kids getting fucked up on a mysterious new superdrug called "Twelve" that's a cross between MDMA, heroin, and speed called McDonnell's writing an "authentic voice." This was a few years after Cruel Intentions, See, teenagers being rebellious and fucked up is a universal theme that continues to do well! Especially when you're talking about specific subsets of teens en masse, and especially when you're talking about the children of the rich and privileged, to see how "the other half" gets fucked up. But the sub-genre of really rich kids getting fucked up among some of the stuffiest people alive—Upper East Side royalty—hadn't been thoroughly shaken up in a while in 2003, certainly not by one of them, in a book that won the praises of New York's literary elite. I read Twelve when I was 18. And of course, like every other 18 year-old aspiring writer, I wanted to punch McDonnell in the face. Mostly because he got the chance to write the book, but mostly because it's a pretty decent story, and holds up as an okay modern literature book, but at the very least, an excellent YA novel. Seven years later, the adaptation is released. And reports come out that it sucks. Possible reasons: 2. Because Chace Crawford's on Gossip Girl, and comparisons are inevitable. 3. And comparisons to Gossip Girl will kill it, because Gossip Girl is a self-aware, meta show that constantly makes fun of its own melodrama (a Josh Schwartz trademark he started with The O.C.). There's no hint of irony in Twelve, the book, so can you really expect the movie not to follow suit? 4. No. Also, book adaptations almost always suck. 5. Finally: Joel Schumacher. What's the guy who directed Batman & Robin, Phone Booth, and other campy aughts' action "classics" doing at Sundance? Apparently, trying to secure distribution for what was his indie labor of love. Which he did:
Way worse movies have premiered at Sundance, surely. And Twelve isn't the worst movie at Sundance because people say it's bad—which they do—or because it might actually be bad, which it probably is. No.
Five people were killed this morning in a fire in Brooklyn, authorities said, in a blaze that took place in apartments located above a row of stores in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. The victims were trapped inside their apartments as the interior walls collapsed due to the flames. A whopping 125 firefighters were called to the scene. Three other residents and thirteen firefighters were injured in the fire. 5 Dead in Brooklyn Apartment Fire [NYT] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: sad things, brooklyn, fires
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 12:37 pm Listen to Hot Chip's New Album, One Life Stand, in Its EntiretyIt's streaming over on their MySpace. Go there and try it out! Good stuff is waiting for you. [MySpace] Filed Under: music, clickables, hot chip
The key phrases come about four minutes in, when he's talking about the bipartisan fiscal planning commission idea that failed.
Bolding and italicized emphasis mine. And that's why only certain people get to write White House Weekly Addresses: restraint. Related, Obama will continue to be pissed for another three years.
[Photo via Getty Images]
The masterminds behind the 9/11 attacks will not be tried in lower Manhattan, the Obama administration announced Friday. “I think I can acknowledge the obvious,” an administration official told the New York Times. “We’re considering other options.” After initially supporting the plan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke out against it earlier this week, claiming that the costs and logistics of holding the trial in New York were too great. Numerous business leaders, officials and politicians - including Sens. Chuck Shumer and Kristen Gillibrand - had already issued objections to the proposed trial. It is not clear yet where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other accused plotters will be tried, though it will take place domestically. According to Fox News and the New York Post, this could mean holding the trials at Guantanamo.
Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: terror trials, al qaeda, barack obama, khalid shaikh mohammed, mayor bloomberg, politics
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 9:38 am Jersey Shore Season 2 Is a Go, Though Not at Actual Jersey Shore You can breathe a sigh of relief, zoo creatures: There will be another Surf-and-Turf Night. Another Ravioli Night. And yes, another Chicken Cutlet Night. MTV and the original Jersey Shore cast have reached a deal for a second season of the reality show, which means Snooki, The Situation, and the gang will be back to beat up the beat and binge on ham for another summer. There is no word yet on the terms of the agreement, though it was initially reported that the original cast members were looking for $10,000 per episode. “Our audience has fallen in love with Jersey Shore and its amazing cast who have really grown together as a family," said Tony DiSanto, president of programming for MTV. “That bond gives the show its heart, and we're thrilled to reunite these friends to bring fans more of what they love — laughs, love, drama and of course, GTL.” The show will return in the mid-late summer (only, like, seven more months, you guys!) with 12 new episodes, which means production will start soon. But instead of filming in Jersey in the winter, MTV is going to take the cast to a new mystery location. WAIT, does that mean that's the last we've seen of Karma?! As Snooki would say: "Not cool." MTV orders more "Jersey Shore" [THR] Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: reasons to celebrate, jersey shore, mtv, reality tv, the industry, tv
Source: Vulture | 30 Jan 2010 | 9:07 am Michael Jackson's Kids Will Speak at the Grammys The King of Pop's progeny will be represented at the Grammy Awards.
A source close to the Jackson family exclusively tells E! News that, as of late Friday evening, Michael...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am Jersey Shore Cast Signs On for Season Two! We're going to need more lotion here.
MTV has ordered up a second season of Jersey Shore and all your faves have signed on for another go-around, sources close to the negotiations...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 8:36 am Billy Bush Busts Brangelina Bashers, The Bachelor Begins Bussing and More! • Hot-head Billy Bush wants to protect Brangelina. From people like him.
• Meet a man with a tube of lipstick and a dream. Yes, he's on American Idol.
•...
Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 30 Jan 2010 | 8:17 am Andrew Young Reveals Icky Edwards Details on 20/20 There were just so many cringe-worthy aspects of John Edwards's former aide Andrew Young’s appearance on 20/20 last night. For one thing, Young and his wife Cheri uncomfortably/dramatically clutched each others’ hands throughout the entire interview while being asked questions such as, “So you found it in a pile of trash?” (referring to an Edwards sex tape). Though much of the information had already been leaked, we still got some cringe-y tidbits, like learning that not only did Edwards and his mistress Rielle Hunter dream of having Dave Matthews Band at their wedding, but they also had a DMB song: "Steady as We Go" (which wouldn't have been our guess). Another standout "ugh" moment is when ABC plays a voicemail, from Elizabeth Edwards to Andrew Young, wherein she calls Hunter a "concubine." That's one word for it, we suppose. [via ABC's "20/20"]Read more posts by Josh Duboff Filed Under: blergh, andrew young, john edwards, rielle hunter, scandals, video
Source: Daily Intel | 30 Jan 2010 | 8:15 am Stream the New Erykah Badu Track, "Jump in the Air," Featuring Lil WayneIt's a bonus track off the upcoming New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh album, which comes out March 30, and it's hot stuff. Read more posts by Edith Zimmerman Filed Under: music, clickables, erykah badu, lil wayne
Source: Vulture | 30 Jan 2010 | 7:05 am Stars shine on the red carpetAnne Hathaway was on hand for the Giorgio Armani Prive haute couture show this week. Check out the red carpet gallery.Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 30 Jan 2010 | 5:11 am
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