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The newly (and once-again) blonde Britney Spears ventured out onto the streets of SoCal yesterday to do a bit of shopping and from the looks of the photos below, she was having the time of her life!! Look at that smile, y'all!
I totally credit her brand new blonde locks for her much sunnier disposition! She looks like the Britney that we all know and love :) Gah!! I love it when she looks happy and bright. I hope this is a sign of things to come … this year could be Britney Spears best year yet! She sure looks ready to take on the world … and I wish her every success in the world! Woot!!
[Photo credit: X17]
Prince Harry made a public appearance at a stop over of England Ruby star Lawrence Dallaglio's quest to bike ride across Europe to raise money for charity. Dallaglio and others are attempting to raise £1 million for Sport Relief, a charity that funds other charities like Cancer Research, DebRA, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Help For Heroes and RPA Benevolent Fund. While Harry did not partake in the bike ride, he did show up to lend his public support of the endeavor to help raise awareness with his Royal hotness:
Prince Harry met former England rugby union captain Lawrence Dallaglio as he took a break from a 2,800km charity bike ride. The group of cyclists, led by the former rugby hero, are pedalling across Europe on a trek that aims to raise £1 million. They arrived at London's Twickenham stadium this afternoon after completing around half of their gruelling journey. Harry, vice-patron of England Rugby Football Union, shared some banter with a group of riders when Dallaglio introduced the royal to the fundraisers. The riders are taking part in the Dallaglio Cycle Slam to raise £1 million for charity. The former rugby star and friends are riding to all the stadiums featured in the RBS Six Nations championship, having started in Rome earlier this month and also visited Paris. Money raised will be donated to Sport Relief and the newly-formed Dallaglio Foundation, whose beneficiaries are Cancer Research, DebRA, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Help For Heroes and RPA Benevolent Fund. Dallaglio said: "It's been an amazing journey so far. It's great that Harry is here to support us." A St James' Palace spokeswoman said the prince was keen to support the fundraising efforts of Dallaglio and all those taking part in the bike ride
Even tho Harry isn't biking himself, I still applaud him for showing up to lend his support in an attempt to raise awareness so that the bikers' endeavor is a successful one. Sure, I'd love to see Prince Harry all decked out and squeezed into a spandex biking outfit just like anyone else but … well, I guess it wasn't meant to be this time around. I don't mind the young ginger prince in his nifty shirt and tie … not one bit :) Kudos and good luck to all the riders on this very important journey for charity!!
[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin; Source]
Yesterday was a fairly pretty day … while it rained off and on all day long, the bursts of sunlight we got in between were really rejuvenating. I did spend most of the day indoors reading (I finally finished the entire Sandman series) but I did venture out last night to run a few errands. The moon was full last night so it was such a treat to drive around in the moonlight:
February's full moon is called the Ice Moon but it was far from icy here in SoCal :) Today is a gloriously sunny day … perfect for a trip down to Disneyland!! We have a friend visiting from NYC this week and he wants to go to Disney so David and I postponed the trip we were gonna make earlier this week 'til today so we could all enjoy Disney together. I haven't been to Disney since it was all decked out in Xmas decorations so … I'm excited!! I'll see about taking some fun photos to share tomorrow ;) Happy Sunday!!
It is time, once again, to say hello to the Hot Dude of the Week!! Wee!! Today, we've got a blonde, nice-lookin' chap photographed by Rick Day … say hello to Tanner Tillung:
It would appear that Tanner here is, very likely, taking off his tube socks after a vigorous work-out or something to that effect. I believe the intent of a photograph like this is to inspire the viewer to imagine what the lad will be taking off next after the socks have been removed. As a viewer, myself, I have to admit that if this is the intent of the photograph then mission: accomplished! It's really surprising how sexy a photograph can be even tho it's not really a very explicit photo. If you're lookin' for more Tanner Tillung, you can see other photos from this particular photoshoot at YVY Mag … but be warned, some of the photos may be considered NSFW. Enjoy!!
[Photo credit: Rick Day; Source]
So … last night, in NYC, two castmembers from MTV's hit show Jersey Shore almost met their end when the glass ceiling overhead came crashing down on their heads. Vinny Guadagnino, Nicole Snooki Polizzi and her boyfriend Emilio Masella (who is not a castmember on Jersey Shore despite his sad attempt to look like he is a castmember on Jersey Shore) were partying at an event called Masks & Mayhem in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purin at a place called Solo when the glass ceiling broke and fell upon them very nearly KILLING THEM IN THE PROCESS:
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! OK, no it isn't — but part of a glass atrium at a Purim party in Manhattan shattered Saturday night … and Chris Noth and several "Jersey Shore" peeps were in attendance. Oy vey! NYC police sources tell TMZ ice fell through a glass plate in the lobby area of a restaurant called Solo, sending shards of glass everywhere. We're told only minor injuries were incurred.
UPDATE: Whew!!! Snooki is OK — she just tweeted [a] photo and this message: "Its okay Vin and I are still alive … Omg roof just collapsed at the purim event! We thought the dj was beatin the beat hardcore but nope,the roof couldn't handle snooki and vin …" We're told Noth, Snooki, Vinny and a few others were covered in glass and escorted to a private room — but the party is still going on strong. Vinny, not one of the Chosen People, just tweeted: "Roof just collapsed at Purim event…. I think me and @sn00ki felt the wrath for not being Jewish."
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! OK, no it isn't — but part of a glass atrium at a Purim party in Manhattan shattered Saturday night … and Chris Noth and several "Jersey Shore" peeps were in attendance. Oy vey! NYC police sources tell TMZ ice fell through a glass plate in the lobby area of a restaurant called Solo, sending shards of glass everywhere. We're told only minor injuries were incurred.
UPDATE: Whew!!! Snooki is OK — she just tweeted [a] photo and this message: "Its okay Vin and I are still alive … Omg roof just collapsed at the purim event! We thought the dj was beatin the beat hardcore but nope,the roof couldn't handle snooki and vin …" We're told Noth, Snooki, Vinny and a few others were covered in glass and escorted to a private room — but the party is still going on strong. Vinny, not one of the Chosen People, just tweeted: "Roof just collapsed at Purim event…. I think me and @sn00ki felt the wrath for not being Jewish."
Dagnabit! It seems clear to me that the vengeful Lord of the Chosen was tryin' to rid our existence of the foul plague of the Jersey Shore … it's a shame the ceiling wasn't made of razorwire and acid, huh? I'm thinkin' Snooki owes her life to her hair poof and the Bumpits she wears to ensure her poof's maximum density. It looks like the Jersey Shore kids will live on to annoy us for at least another day.
[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]
Recently we learned that actor Jon Voight mended fences with his formerly estranged daughter Angelina Jolie and he was finally able to spend time with Ange and all of his grandchildren in Venice, Italy. Well, good ol' Jon is back home in SoCal and he was spotted making his way out of Beverly Glen Deli in Beverly Hills, CA yesterday morning with a young ethnic child that was NOT one of his grandchildren …
… HMMM. I fear that Voight's advanced age, coupled with the minimal time spent in the close company of his grandchildren has got him a wee bit confused. How much do you wanna bet he grabbed this kid off the street, thinking it was one of Ange's little tykes, and decided to spend some bonding time with his "grandson"? Tsk tsk. Poor thing. Ah well, at least the kid got a free meal out of this confusing mess … tho, I hope he managed to escape Jon Voight and successfully made his way home at some point.
[Photo credit: INFdaily]
After getting quite a bit of bad press while touring Australia this week, Whitney Houston dismissed her critics and soldiered on with her Nothing But Love World Tour and played her shows in Sydney. But, almost as soon as she was finished in Sydney, she packed her shizz and got to the airport as quickly as possible so that she could fly out on her way to Melbourne. I suppose she was trying to avoid the angry Sydney folks who were thinkin' about chasing her out of town with torches and pitchforks:
It would appear that her eagerly-awaited return to music has proved to be all too much for Whitney Houston. After a week in which the singer was slated for her disappointing comeback concerts in Australia, she flew out of Sydney this morning looking more than a little worse for wear. She stopped to pose for pictures with fans, who posted the snaps on Twitter this morning, but she looked distracted, her smile seeming fake as she hid behind brown sunglasses. The 46-year-old singer is currently on tour in in the country playing a number of dates in various cities for the first time in 22 years. But her great comeback proved to be a huge flop for her Aussie fans, who have been left disgruntled with her performances after spending hundreds of dollars on tickets. There have been reports of complaints, fans walking out and hundreds demanding refunds on their tickets, some of whom had paid up to AUS$699 (£410) to see the legendary diva in action … Last night she played the Hope Estate Winery in Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley near Sydney to a 12,000-strong crowd and today she jetted off to Melbourne … She wraps up her Australian tour in Perth on March 7 and heads to France and Britain in April.
Yes … it looks like this sort of criticism, whether fair or not, will dog her for the duration of her tour. Even if she were to perform perfectly stellar shows from here on out, her critics will still do their best to drag her down. While I'm sure it is very difficult for her to hear these nasty reports (again, whether fair or not), I do commend her for pressing ahead, undaunted. In the end, Whitney Houston does have a lot to prove. There is no way she will ever be able to please everyone, no way at all. She needs to stay focused on what she can accomplish, perform to the best of her ability and strive to be even better each night of her tour. That's all she really can do … and I'm thinkin' she knows that. Keep on keepin' on, Whitney!! I can't wait to see you here in the US :D
[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]
Last night Mariah Carey played the final performance of her Angels Advocate Tour at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace (a show I was very fortunate to see for myself last Tuesday night here in LA) and Mimi celebrated her tour's end with a little soirée thrown in her honor at Haze Nightclub inside the new CityCenter Entertainment Complex on the strip in Las Vegas, NV afterward. Here are a few photos of Mimi whooping it up last night:
And with that, Mariah Carey puts another successful concert tour to bed. You might say she Peaced the Spork Out her Angels Advocate Tour and then used that spork to dig into the massive cake gifted to her by the fine folks at Haze. I don't believe that hubby Nick Cannon was at her party last night … which is curious, since he was M.I.A. at her concert stop here in LA, too. I hope everything's alright between Mr. & Mrs. Cannon. In any event … Mimi is done with her tour. I can't wait to see what endeavor she takes up next!
[Photo credit: Wireimage]
Yesterday we saw a couple of promos for Jennifer Lopez's gig as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live last night … and today, we're gonna take another look at how she did on the show. Here are some of J. Lo's SNL promo photos from last night's ep:
I understand J. Lo last hosted SNL 10 years ago and while I don't necessarily recall that episode, I have to believe it was funnier than last night's ep was. Let's get the musical guest portion out of the way first … terrible! The two new songs she performed are tracks that I've never heard before and, very honestly, never want to hear again. They were bland, forgettable and just … bad. OY! Further proof that her recording career is in dire, dire straits. The skits … yeah, those were pretty bad, too. I kinda chuckled during the We Are The World skit and I actually laughed out loud during the New Car Horns skits but … that was it. The first and the last skit were humorous … the in-between was horrible. After the jump, if you dare, check out some of the skits from last night's ep of SNL to judge (or re-judge) for yourselves … More »
Nicole Richie, who spent part of her week in Paris, France launching her new Winter Kate clothing collection with her baby boy Sparrow James Midnight in tow, has made her way to London, England this weekend and she was lookin' all kinds of shady in her big-ass sunglasses:
No lie, she does look like she stole those shade from Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. LOL!! I gotta say, tho, I love Nicole in her big Hollywood "It" Girl sunnies. She was the one who really made the big sunglasses a thing back in the Summer of '05. Mebbe she'll bring back the trend for this Summer? What do y'all think … is it time to bring back the massive over-sized sunglasses?
[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]
Last night David and I met up with our BFFs Josh and Emma for a little double date night fun. We started out the night at 8oz. Burger Bar and then we made our way to WeHo for a gay ol' time:
We met up with some of Emma's friends at Trunks for some cheap drinks and then we made our way to Mickey's for some dancing … poor Joshie was being hounded all night long by the rabid guys at Mickey's that we had to protect him from the horde ;) We had a lot of fun tho … fun that we all are paying for today … ugh.
I'm not sure what the plan for today is … the rain has been falling off and on all day so … it might be a good day to hibernate. Hope your Saturday is a good one :)
Here is this week's batch of photos sent in by Pink is the new Blog readers — Brittny sends in a cute pic of her 6 month old daughter Avery trying to sneak a peek a Pink is the new Blog — Franki sends in an adorable photo with her little girl Mimi in the very snowy Washington DC area — Allie who hails from Scranton, PA sends in a photo of the latest dump of snow they've gotten on the East Coast — my good friend Sherri from back home in Michigan sends in a cute pic of her sons Daniel and Kyle enjoying a snow day this week — Linda sends in a fun pic from her recent visit to Paris, France … as you may recall, we saw a photo of her girlfriend Gale from their visit to London last week:
OY! That's a lot of snow, y'all … thanks for sharing. As much as I do NOT like the snow, it's not quite so bad when seeing in in pictures rather than in real life. Much love and thanks to you all for sending in your fun photos. Please keep 'em coming!! xo
Jennifer Lopez will host and play musical guest on tonight's new episode of Saturday Night Live. Here is video of her two promo commercials for tonight's show:
Earlier this week we learned that Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel alum Eliza Dushku stars in a (horrible-looking) horror film called Open Graves and today we learn that fellow BtVS/Angel alum Charisma Carpenter is starring in a horror film of her own. Charisma has completed work on a film titled Psychosis which *should* be released sometime this year:
Shock Till You Drop has your exclusive first look at the one-sheet and trailer for Psychosis, writer-director Reg Traviss' film which went into production at the beginning of the year under another title: Vivid. Star Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) shares the screen with Ricci Harnett and Sean Chapman (Hellraiser). And yes, that's The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins you see making an appearance. Carpenter plays Susan, a writer hoping for a fresh start after a nervous breakdown. She relocates with her new husband to a beautiful English mansion. But once there she begins seeing visions of a horrible massacre that happened 15 years earlier. Desperate to prove she isn't losing her mind, Susan must uncover the secrets behind the massacre or risk becoming a victim herself. Psychosis arrives soon from Imagination Worldwide, Red Sparrow and Kingsway Films.
I understand that news of this new film came out last October but it was only because of a post at ONTD! that I learned of its existence. Sure, this film looks more like something that Sarah Michelle Gellar would star in but I love me some Charisma Carpenter so I am DYING to see this for myself. Check out the full length movie trailer after the jump … More »
Last night celebs made their way to the Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles, CA to attend the 41st annual NAACP Image Awards which annually celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts (motion picture, television, recording, and literature), as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors. As you might expect, the amazing film Precious was the big winner of the night … and rightly so. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night:
It was a winning night for "Precious" at the 41st NAACP Image Awards. The heart-wrenching tale of an illiterate and abused teen who finds hope in a Harlem classroom was named outstanding motion picture and outstanding independent film at Friday's ceremony. Stars Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher and director Lee Daniels also won. Daniels excitedly accepted the best-picture prize, surrounded by his cast and fellow producers. "No one in Hollywood told me they wanted to see a movie about a 350-pound black woman with HIV," he said. Sidibe objected, and Daniels corrected himself: "She's not 350 pounds. This was before you were hired." The director twice told the orchestra to stop playing him off, but Daniels was ultimately cut off as gospel duo Mary Mary took the stage and the show came to a close. Presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Image Awards honor diversity in the arts and outstanding achievements in film, television, music and literature. Sidibe cried as she accepted the award for outstanding actress in a motion picture for her starring turn as Precious, the overweight, twice-pregnant teen who discovers her self-worth through reading and writing. "It's so awesome to win! I love winning," said the Oscar nominee, who made her acting debut with this film. "I want to thank my God for ordering my steps, for everything that my life was and everything that it is now." Fellow Oscar nominee Mo'Nique, who has swept the supporting actress prize throughout Hollywood's awards season for her moving turn as abusive mother Mary Jones, added another trophy to her collection with the Image Award for her role in "Precious." "For all the Mary Joneses, I love you unconditionally, baby," she said. "For all the Preciouses, I love you unconditionally. Let's start loving each other again." Other winners Friday included Keri Hilson, Maxwell, "Brothers" star Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and Chris Rock. Hilson was named outstanding new artist, Maxwell won for male artist, Mitchell took the award for actor in a comedy series and Rock accepted the documentary award for his film "Good Hair." Mitchell was moved to tears as he accepted his trophy. "As long as you all got legs, I'm going to always walk," the wheelchair-bound actor said. Rock said he wasn't prepared for his documentary win. "I made this movie just for black people," he said. "I've seen a lot of documentaries, and I said I want the blackest movie of all time." Tyler Perry was honored with the Chairman's Award for his philanthropy and career achievements. Wyclef Jean received the Vanguard Award for raising funds and cultural awareness after the earthquake in Haiti. Human-rights activist Van Jones received the President's Award. Music mogul Clarence Avant was inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame at the ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, which was hosted by Anika Noni Rose and Hill Harper and broadcast live on Fox.
What a fantastic show! After the jump, check out some photos that were snapped in the press room at the NAACP Image Awards last night … More »
Welp, I've got some good news and bad news for all y'all Britney Spears fans — the good news is that Brit Brit has come to her senses and decided to go back to her beautiful blonde hair color … here are photos of Britney making her way out of Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood, CA yesterday:
The bad news is that the report that we heard earlier this week, from MTV no less, that claimed that our dear Britney is releasing a new album this June has been denied by Britney's camp. According to a post on BritneySpears.com, the report of a new album this June has been deemed "B.S." I still contend that Britney will release a new album this year … but we may have to wait a bit longer for it to be released. In any event, Britney is back to blonde and that means she's back to her good ol' self … let's just focus on the positive.
[Photo credit: X17, Splash News]
The South American country of Chile was struck by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake last night at around 3:30 AM local time which has resulted in, at present count, at least 100 deaths with the likelihood of more to come. To put into perspective how strong an 8.8 earthquake is, it is roughly 500 times the magnitude of the earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti last month. As a result, tsunami warnings have been issued for areas along the Pacific basin … including the island State of Hawaii. Here are some images that have come out of Chile today along with some deets as reported today:
A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, shaking the capital of Santiago for 90 seconds and sending tsunami warnings along much of the Pacific basin. Chile's TVN cable news channel was reporting 122 deaths, with the toll expected to rise, as communications were still spotty around the center of quake, near the city of Concepción in the south. Chile President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe." The Associated Press quoted Mrs. Bachelet as saying that a huge wave had swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles off the Chilean coast, but there were no immediate reports of major damage there. Those reports bore out early fears that a major tsunami was on its way across the Pacific. A Department of Homeland Security official said early Saturday that FEMA was monitoring the situation and was in contact with state emergency personnel in Hawaii, which is under a tsunami warning. But the decision to evacuate coastal areas and handling this evacuation is the responsibility of state and local officials in Hawaii, the Homeland Security official said. The quake downed buildings and houses in Santiago and knocked out a major bridge connecting the northern and southern sections of the country. It struck at 3:34 a.m. local time and was centered about 200 miles southwest of Santiago, at a depth of 22 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The epicenter was some 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city, where more than 200,000 people live. Phone lines were down in Concepcion as of 7:30 a.m. and no reports were coming out of that area. The quake in Chile was more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused widespread damage in Haiti on Jan 12, killing at least 230,000, earthquake experts reported on CNN International. The U.S. Geological Survey and eyewitnesses reported more than two dozen aftershocks, including two measuring magnitude 6.2 and 6.9. "We have had a huge earthquake," Mrs. Bachelet said from an emergency response center in an appeal for Chileans to remain calm. "We're doing everything we can with all the resources we have."
Information is still coming out of Chile so we'll have to wait and see just how much damage has been done. My ex-boyfriend Erik has family living in Chile so I'm asking that we all send our thoughts and prayers out to them today. Folks in Hawaii are bracing for what is being described as a "significant" tsunami … my friends Steph and Alek *just* arrived in Hawaii yesterday so let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers as well. I'm hoping against hope that the devastation will be kept to a minimum but, at this point, we still don't really know what we are dealing with. Keep happy thoughts and prayers, y'all … hope for the best.
Earlier this week we learned from Lindsay Lohan herself that she is seriously planning a permanent move to the UK but that same day, she had already left London for Los Angeles, CA. Today, we see that Lindsay has already turned right around and made her way back to London again :
Oh yes … she looks seriously in love with the United Kingdom. Considering how spontaneous L. Lo can be, I wouldn't be surprised if this visit to London turns out to be the real, long-term thing. Sorry Brits, Lindsay may be y'all's problem now :)
Kellan Lutz, who's becoming quite the staple here on Pink is the new Blog, ventured out here in SoCal this week to pump up his car with gas and to pick up some tasty-lookin' fruit to snack on:
As you may recall, Kellan revealed his sweet tooth when he was being interviewed on the set of his Calvin Klein Underwear ad … Kellan may love Gummi Bears but it would seem he has replaced the gummis with Nature's candy ;) I'm telling you, this guy can pump gas all day long or read books in trees all evening long and I wouldn't get tired of seeing photos of him. I think it's the hair that makes him so hot, don't you think?
[Photo credit: Splash News]
Mama Courtney Cox-Arquette brought her only begotten child Coco to work with her yesterday on the set of Cougar Town. As you can see from the following ADORABLE photos, Court and Coco shared a few kisses in between takes:
It's crazy how big Coco has grown … I remember when she was a newborn and now she's a big kid. These pics are so cute. I'm glad to see that Courteney is still hard at work on new eps of Cougar Town, too. But these smoochy pics of Courteney and Coco are just too much ;)
New York City got dumped on again by another load of snow last night leaving much of the city crippled today … but for Hugh Jackman and his children Oscar Maximilian and Ava Eliot, well, the latest dumping is cause for jubilant celebration:
While I'm certain the vast majority of NYers are sick and tired of the snow (which we, here in LA, are gloriously without) I'd be willing to bet that the Jackmans are not only thrilled with all the snow they've been getting this Winter … they prolly are hoping for more! Let's hope for the sanity of our friends in the Big Apple, their presumed wishes don't come true ;)
James Franco — who has been bizzy working on soap operas, hosting Saturday Night Live and promoting biopics — has decided to reprise his role as the spokesmodel for Gucci fragrances. Here our first look at the just-released promo ad for Gucci by Gucci SPORT featuring a soaking wet James Franco:
Following James Franco's good-natured spoof of his earlier Gucci Pour Homme fragrance ad campaign on Funny Or Die, the actor is officially back in front of the camera for the Italian luxury brand's latest scent, Gucci by Gucci SPORT pour Homme. "James Franco is perfect for this fragrance and perfect for Gucci," the brand's creative director, Frida Giannini, tells WWD. "He personifies the sort of nonchalance and unforced appeal that is most attractive in a man. In the advertising campaign, he captures the fragrance's casual, modern and masculine air." Shot by famed fashion photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in Cannes, France, the new series depicts a very wet and chiseled Franco gazing seductively into the camera after a fully-clothed dip in a pool. The sporty fragrance, a mix of fresh citrus scents and masculine undertones like veviter, is available in stores now with products ranging from a deodorant stick for $27 to a 50 ml spray at $57.
I'm of the mind that men's fragrance ads look much better when the spokesmodel is nekkid but I can settle for wet. James Franco can put his pretty face on pretty much any product and it would sell. He is one of those magnetic personalities that just exudes likability and talent (imagine that!) that companies love to ally themselves with. I am all for James Franco as the new face of Gucci fragrances. I wouldn't mind gettin' a sniff of him in person sometime to, er, test this Gucci fragrance … wouldn't you?
Today looks like it's gonna be a lazy day … David and I have no plans for tonight … tho we are thinkin' of heading down South to the beach to hang out with our friends Josh and Emma. We've actually been with them on the past 2 full moons and with this month's moon happening this weekend, it's about time we got down to see them again:
It will be nice to see our friends, mebbe get some Chick-Fil-A while we're in the neighborhood and just chillax for the evening. There are plans to hit up a party tomorrow night and then mebbe trek down to Disneyland on Sunday so … the weekend will be fun.
Wherever you are, whatever you've got goin' on … I hope this is a fab weekend for you too!!
Earlier this week, we learned that fans who ventured out to see Whitney Houston perform live on her Nothing But Love World Tour stop in Brisbane, Australia were less than impressed by her performance and today we learn that Whitney — thru her publicist — is firing back at the criticism. Despite the negative press she's been receiving Down Under, Whitney's people insist that she is healthily and happily soldiering on tour … with no plans to stop:
Whitney Houston says her tour of Australia is going great, despite the swathes of fans and critics who have panned her performance. Houston has faced a barrage of complaints since embarking on a six-date tour of Australia in Brisbane on Monday, with some fans walking out of concerts, some demanding refunds and others complaining she was off key and looked exhausted. The backlash following Monday's (Feb. 22) concert and a similarly criticized performance in Sydney on Wednesday (Feb. 24) prompted Houston's publicist Kristen Stewart to release a statement, dismissing rumors that the 46-year-old singer is having health problems. "Whitney is in great health and having a terrific time on her tour and with her fans," Foster said in a statement reported by Sydney newspaper the Daily Telegraph. "Her fans were dancing and singing along with her and Whitney appreciates their support." But not everyone agreed that Houston was in such fine voice for her first tour of Australia in 22 years. After finishing her Australian tour in Perth on March 7, she heads to France and Britain in April with her "Nothing but Love" world tour … Disgruntled fans have backed up their complaints about Houston's performance by posting video clips of the singer online, showing her struggling to hit some notes. Houston's Australian promoter Andrew McManus said he was proud to be associated with such "an amazing talent" and people who wanted to hear Houston of 20 years ago should go and buy a CD. "All I can say is what happened to the Australian positive support of someone who has seen difficult times and is now up on stage, warts and all, presenting herself like an open book for the world to see," he said in a statement on his company website.
Well, it would seem that "warts and all" Whitney will be moving forward with her tour which will, very likely, be making its way to the US sometime this year. Despite all that Whitney has accomplished to release her latest album I Look To You and to embark on this world tour, it would seem she still has many obstacles left to overcome. I fully support the woman and am very much looking forward to seeing her live on stage here in the US, hopefully soon. Keep your chin up, Whit! If you can survive a marriage with Bobby Brown, this tour criticism should be a piece of cake.
Back in November we got to see Taylor Lautner on the cover of Men's Health magazine and in December we got to see the first batch of outtake photos from that shoot. Today we get to see another batch of outtakes from that shoot because, well, one can never have too many outtake photos of Taylor Lautner:
As you may recall, this shoot for Men's Health featured Mr. Lautner fully clothed … he wasn't even wet! But, the photos turned out a'ight anyways. After the jump, check 'em out … More »
Rufus Wainwright has announced the release of his next album which is due out in April … and today we get our first tease of his new release titled All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu. As you may recall, Rufus lost his mother Kate McGarrigle last month and in a new interview with The Guardian, Rufus explains his new music has been colored by his mother's long illness:
On the eve of a new album and the London debut of his opera, Prima Donna, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright talks about fatherhood, the first 'gay sonnet' and his grief at the death of his mother, Kate McGarrigle, last month — I meet Rufus Wainwright for lunch in London a week after the funeral of his mother, the folk singer Kate McGarrigle, and he is still undone by the shock of grief – now tearful, now dissolving into his high camp laugh – raw-nerved in red clogs, skinny jeans and an old T-shirt, trying to keep himself in check with drawled ironies. Anyone who has followed the tortured and overlapping autobiographies of the Wainwright family in song, a confessional love story that has also involved the absent father (Loudon Wainwright III, who walked out on McGarrigle when Rufus was three) and the rival diva sister, Martha, will know that it has always been a drama with oedipal subtexts. Loudon, who originally welcomed his son into the world with the song "Rufus is a Tit Man", said recently in an interview that he pushed to move Rufus to a boarding school in his early teens "just to get him away from his mother". The four of them were reunited briefly at Kate's hospital bedside before she died, along with her singing sisters Anna and Jane, and closest friend Emmylou Harris. The farewell became, as Rufus recalls, inevitably, an impromptu performance: "We sang to her as she lay there… as we were having this jamboree, her breathing became more laboured and she made a moaning noise. One of the nurses said this could go on for four days and we had already exhausted the back catalogue. Then Kate breathed a little differently, it was like she was saying, 'Hold on, I'm going to end this show', and she died. I was looking right into her face, her eyes were open, and my aunt Jane was holding her hand. It was an amazing experience…" Because he has had more than three years to contemplate the passing of his mother – she was first diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in the summer of 2006 – Wainwright has already had the chance to unpack some of his grief in music, and few songwriters are better equipped to find those extremes – from mournful melody to show-must-go-on production number. He is in London to prepare, at Sadler's Wells, for what must feel now a little like a double-bill requiem involving a staging of his first opera, Prima Donna, and the beginning of a tour that will debut his new album, All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu. In both cases the music was shadowed by his mother's illness, and counterpointed with the first contented long-term relationship of a promiscuous and mostly unhappy romantic life, with the theatre producer Jörn Weisbrodt … Songs for Lulu ("an eerie album, essentially my mourning while my mother was still alive") grows out of the haunting lyric for a song called "Zebulon" ("My mother's in the hospital, my sister's at the opera/ I'm in love again, but let's not talk about it…") and includes three Shakespeare sonnets, set memorably to music; but it is also, Wainwright says, something of a homage to his former party-loving and addicted self – Lulu – seen from the vantage of hard-won sobriety. He feared once or twice that his settled relationship with Jörn might have a debilitating effect on his gift for tainted love songs, the yearning, nuanced ballads, one part Morrissey, one part Mahler, with which he made his name. "I wondered if not being in these fatalistic disasters with boys, I would lose this dark lake of pain to drink from. But I needn't have worried too much," he says, with his wild laugh. "In many ways, Songs for Lulu is a reaffirmation of that persona. Highly romantic, highly unstable. I mean, what I have found is that once you give up on a life, it doesn't go away. You are always appeasing, or bargaining with, or neglecting that former self, the spirit who used to be behind the wheel, and would like to be still. I don't cross to that side of the street any more. But it is important for me as a healthy person to acknowledge that the demons are still around."
You can read the entirety of Rufus's interview with The Guardian HERE wherein he talks about his mother's last days, his Prima Donna opera and his Songs for Lulu album. I am really anxious to hear any new material from Wainwright. I've been a fan since his debut album came out all those years ago and have been avidly following his career ever since. I'm not sure when or if I'll be able to see his opera performed live but a new album is something I can very much look forward to. April cannot get here soon enough for me! Any other Rufus Wainwright fans in the hiz? Exciting news, yes?
On Wednesday we got to see a portrait of Paul Pauly D Delvecchio as photographed by Terry Richardson and on Thursday we saw a portrait of Mike The Situation Sorrentino as photographed by Terry Richardson. Today we get to see photos of Richardson with the other two guys on MTV's Jersey Shore who have no nicknames and, therefore, are not worthy of their own solo portraits … apparently. Here are photos of Richardson posing with Vinny Guadagnino and Ronnie Magro:
Personally, I would've focused on Vinny's infamous eyebrows (which look like they were drawn on his face with a Sharpie marker) rather than his shaved armpit and Ronnie's thick neck (or mebbe a close-up of the bottom of Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's shoe?) … I mean, what else are these two jokers known for? After the jump, check out a couple photos of Terry Richardson posing with all of the Jersey Shore guys, none of which are wearing shirts. I mean … you had to know it was coming, right? Check 'em out after the jump … More »
Nicole Richie, who is in Paris, France this week launching her new Winter Kate clothing line, posted a new photo on her official website which is too cute for words. On this trip, Nicole brought along her baby boy Sparrow James Midnight and the pair of them posed for a cute photo in front of the beautiful Eiffel Tower:
A Romantic Day in Paris
OMG … soooo cute!! While daddy Joel Madden is home in SoCal with Harlow Winter Kate, Nicole and Sparrow are taking the City of Lights by storm. After the jump, check out a close-up photo of Ms. Richie with her gorgeous baby boy … More »
On Wednesday we learned that Prince would be releasing a new song today titled Cause and Effect and Minneapolis, MN radio station 89.3 The Current was where the song made its worldwide debut earlier this morning:
And so, without any further ado … I present for your listening pleasure the full audio of Prince's brand new song Cause and Effect — after the jump … More »
Very, very sad news to pass along today … after almost 2 weeks of searching for former child star Andrew Koenig, who played Richard Boner Stabone on the 80′s sitcom Growing Pains, it was reported yesterday that Koenig's body was found in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia — the city where he was last seen alive. This story is especially tragic because there was much hope that Koenig would be found alive as there were many sightings claiming he was still alive … the realization that he has died is a very sobering one. Andrew, it is being reported, died by his own hand … as if the whole matter needed any more tragedy. He was only 41 years old:
The body of missing actor Andrew Koenig was found at noon Thursday by friends and family in Stanley Park. A group of Koenig's friends spent the morning scouring the park for any sign of Andrew. Just before noon a group of friends along with Koenig's father Walter found Koenig's body just off the park's popular Bridle Path. "Our son took his own life," a shaken Walter Koenig told a press conference Thursday. Police are not disclosing any details about the cause or time of death. Koenig, 41, played the character Richard (Boner) Stabone in the 1980s TV series Growing Pains. The actor, who has a long history of depression, was visiting Vancouver and was last seen by friends on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. His father, Walter, who played the character Chekhov on the original Star Trek series, had appealed to the public to help find his son. An earlier search of Stanley Park, a favourite place of Andrew's since he lived here for about three years in the early '90s, had failed to find any trace of him. Koenig lived in Vancouver from about 1989 to 1992 after he finished his work on Growing Pains. Koenig was last seen on Feb. 14 at a bakery near Stanley Park. He arrived in the city on Feb. 10 to visit friends and was scheduled to return to his Venice, Calif. home on Feb. 16, but never boarded the return flight. Vancouver police were notified of his disappearance on Feb. 18. The last time Koenig's phone was active was on Feb. 16.
My deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to Koenig's family and friends … they lost Andrew far too soon. I have very fond memories of Koenig's appearance on Growing Pains and while I never really followed his career after the series ended (tho I did love his brief stint as Tumak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) I always liked the notion that the kid who lovingly played Boner on Growing Pains was still out there somewhere. I cannot imagine what his family and friends are going thru right now … I hope they are able to find solace in this sadness somehow. This is just sad … you will be missed Andrew.
Tim Burton's fantastical new 3D film Alice in Wonderland won't open in theaters until next Friday March 5 but the film had its world premiere in Odeon Leicester Square in London, England earlier today … kicking off the film's final PR push leading up to the film's release. Here are a few photos from the red green carpet arrivals at today's Wonderland premiere:
Maybe it's just her natural complexion or she wanted to bring an element of her character to tonight's proceedings. Whatever the reason, Anne Hathaway decided on a pale and interesting look as she attended the Royal World Premiere of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland in London tonight. The actress, who plays The White Queen in the new 3D movie, looked stunning in a brown sparkly dress, which showed off her white skin beautifully. Despite her strapless dress, she braved the cold and wet weather, which is pretty much guaranteed whenever there's a red carpet event in London at this time of the year. And a little thing like the rain was certainly not going to stop the stars of the film attending the premiere of the acclaimed director's new celluloid offering. Burton arrived arm-in-arm with actress partner Helena Bonham-Carter, who plays the foul-tempered monarch the Queen of Hearts, and had accessorised her outfit with red heart earrings and had sewn silver hearts into her dress. Johnny Depp, who plays the Mad Hatter, was one of the first to arrive in Leicester Square in London, dressed quite somberly compared to his on-screen alter-ego. The 46-year-old actor, looked rather dapper in a black suit and white open-necked shirt as he posed for pictures outside the venue. Ironically, the film is being premiered at the Odeon cinema, part of the cinema chain that initially refused to screen the film after a row with Disney over the early planned release of the DVD … Thankfully, the dispute was resolved today just in time for tonight's premiere.
And so … the countdown is on for the much-anticipated release of Alice in Wonderland! Today's premiere from London was broadcast live online so that fans from around the world could watch the celebs make their way down the rain-soaked carpet … I watched a bit of it but it wasn't all that interesting. I'm totally focused on the film itself. David and I will be attending an early screening of the film next week at the El Capitan Theater on Hollywood Blvd. and I am SO excited!! Wee!! Can't wait!!
Yesterday we saw a video interview of Kellan Lutz speaking on behalf of PETA's Always Adopt, Never Buy campaign and today we get to see another animal rights PSA … but this time, the focus is on saving rabbits … with a soundtrack provided by known animal rights activist Morrissey:
Animal lover Morrissey has given his backing to FOUR PAWS's new animation about rabbit factory farming. Legendary celebrity and singer Morrissey provided the iconic song 'Everyday is like Sunday' as the lead soundtrack … Factory farmed caged rabbits have limited space to lie stretched out or sit up on their hind legs. The rabbits are forced to live in cramped and barren conditions. It is not uncommon for bone disorders and foot inflammations to develop, as well as other excruciating conditions. Farmed rabbits may develop neurotic behaviours to relieve the stress caused by their unnatural living conditions.
The animated video is cute but I don't really get the connectedness between Morrissey's song and the message of the PSA — but you can check out the clip for yourselves to determine if it makes sense to you, after the jump … More »
Last night 3 of the lamest reality TV stars to ever disgrace television screens in this country met up and partied together at an event in NYC last night that was so epic in tragedy it almost sucked our plane of existence into oblivion. Here is a group shot of Angelina Jolie Pivarnick (who was ejected from the MTV series Jersey Shore after only 3 eps), Danielle Staub (who stars on the Bravo TV series The Real Housewives of New Jersey) and Dina Lohan (who starred on the E! series Living Lohan) nearly destroying our universe with their mere existence:
"Jersey Shore" star Angelina Pivarnick and "Real Housewives of New Jersey" vixen Danielle Staub crossed paths at a launch party at a Manhattan nightclub Tuesday night, possibly creating a temporal paradox so massive that it could have easily wiped out the Outer Boroughs, and possibly reality television programming altogether. What, you don't remember that landmark time travel documentary, "Back to the Future, Part II"?
Doc Brown: "Great Scott! Jennifer could conceivably encounter her future self! The consequences of that could be disastrous!
Marty: Doc, what do you mean?
Doc Brown: I foresee two possibilities. One, coming face to face with herself 30 years older would put her into shock and she would simply pass out. Or two, the encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could start a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe! Granted, that's a worst-case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to our own galaxy.
Marty: Well, that's a relief.
Pivarnick, Staub and Lindsay Lohan's mom Dina Lohan, herself a reality show star, posed for a photo together. The agenda for the summit was not available, but we wouldn't be surprised if breakout sessions included "Self-Tanner: Can One Ever Be Too Orange?" and "Legal Strategies for Sex Tape Participants."
"Jersey Shore" star Angelina Pivarnick and "Real Housewives of New Jersey" vixen Danielle Staub crossed paths at a launch party at a Manhattan nightclub Tuesday night, possibly creating a temporal paradox so massive that it could have easily wiped out the Outer Boroughs, and possibly reality television programming altogether. What, you don't remember that landmark time travel documentary, "Back to the Future, Part II"?
Doc Brown: "Great Scott! Jennifer could conceivably encounter her future self! The consequences of that could be disastrous!
Marty: Doc, what do you mean?
Doc Brown: I foresee two possibilities. One, coming face to face with herself 30 years older would put her into shock and she would simply pass out. Or two, the encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could start a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe! Granted, that's a worst-case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to our own galaxy.
Marty: Well, that's a relief.
Pivarnick, Staub and Lindsay Lohan's mom Dina Lohan, herself a reality show star, posed for a photo together. The agenda for the summit was not available, but we wouldn't be surprised if breakout sessions included "Self-Tanner: Can One Ever Be Too Orange?" and "Legal Strategies for Sex Tape Participants."
Ye gods … this is downright scary, y'all. Of all the reality TV "stars" that could've aligned in the same place, what are the chances that these dregs scraped from the bottom of the barrel happened to be in the same place at the same time. In all honestly, Danielle isn't even all that tragic all by herself … but sandwiched between Angelina and Dina? The woman is DOOMED! Yeesh … the mere in-person sight of these 3 all together last night would've driven me screaming from the venue. Do try to NOT stare directly into their vapid eyes … you're likely to turn to stone. EEP!
Sasha Fierce is dead, y'all … Beyoncé killed her. In a new interview with Extra! this week, Beyoncé reveals that her alter-ego has ceased to exist since her I Am … World Tour has come to a close on the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago. It's time to pour one out and say our goodbyes … Sasha Fierce is dunzo!
Beyoncé Knowles gave "Extra's" AJ Calloway backstage access to her final, I Am… Sasha Fierce concert in Trinidad, where he caught all the raw moments, talked future babies and her plans for the next few months. "Sasha Fierce is done," Beyoncé says of her alter ego. "I killed her." Her Sasha persona will be no more now that she's finished with her tour. The singer shared a list of things she now wants to accomplish during her break. She told AJ that she's not going back to work until everything is checked off her list! Items on her to-do list include "learning to paint and cook, and to do Broadway shows and museums. And learn just to be at home and just watch television." Beyoncé and rapper/producer hubby Jay-Z have been married for almost two years, and while there are no immediate plans for a baby, she does say, "Eventually. When it happens it happens… I definitely want a family. I'm too close to my mother, I have the best mother, you know. I can only hope the relationship I have with my mother, I can have with my kids whenever I decided to have them." AJ asked if Jay-Z also wanted kids, to which Beyoncé replied, "You gotta ask Jay."
I guess Beyoncé finally got tired of sharing the spotlight with Sasha so she had to kick girlfriend to the curb … actually, I bet it was more like B shoved Sasha down the stairs, picked up her broken body, loaded it into her car which she then set on fire and then drove off a cliff. Sasha Fierce got too big for her own good, y'all … Beyoncé ain't gonna share the limelight anymore ;) As fierce as Sahsa Fierce really was, I'm glad she's dunzo … the alter-ego thing is tired … be Beyoncé, that's fab enough. Peace out, Sasha … you were fun while you lasted :D
Visionary fashion designer Alexander McQueen who passed away on February 11, tragically by his own hand, was memorialized and laid to rest at St. Paul's Church in the Knightsbridge area of London, England earlier today. Family, friends, fashionistas, etc. all showed up to ensure McQueen was sent off in style … as well as to pay their final respects and to say their goodbyes to the late designer:
A private funeral service took place today for Alexander McQueen … The ceremony was an intimate affair, attended only by the award-winning designer's family and closest friends including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Stella McCartney. The fashion designer's father Ronald was joined by his five children at the ceremony which comes two weeks after the 40-year-old's death. Sam Taylor-Wood and boyfriend Aaron Johnson were also among the friends who gathered at Saint Paul's Church in Knightsbridge to pay their respects, as well as heiress Daphne Guinness, who wore a dramatic cape from the designer's autumn 2002 catwalk in tribute. It is expected a larger memorial service open to McQueen's supporters will take place later this year, although no date or venue has been confirmed. 'We are focusing right now on the Paris show, which takes place on March 9,' a spokesman for the label said. An inquest heard last week how the 40-year-old hanged himself in the wardrobe of his London home. He was known from comments left on his Twitter page to have been distressed by the death of his mother, Joyce, and killed himself on the eve of her funeral. His sister Janet McQueen, from Hornchurch, who was among the mourners today, identified his body. Several members of the family arrived wearing the McQueen tartan, a feature of the designer's memorable Highland Rape catwalk show in 2006.
And so … the hugely talented and very troubled artist is finally laid to rest. It is never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but I hope today's ceremony was able to give his family and close friends the closure they most likely need right now. I truly hope that Lee McQueen is finally at rest right now. Farewell, McQueen!
Just as I suspected, last night's rain drizzle did a great job of keeping me indoors … so I curled up with my Sandman graphic novels and managed to read my way thru many of them all last night:
While these beautiful hardbound copies of The Absolute Sandman and The Absolute Death sat on my bookshelf, I re-read my way thru my beloved dog-eared paperback graphic novel books. I should be done with the whole series (again) very soon and then I plan to read Absolute Death. I still have a lot of other reading to get thru (including this month's selection for The Turtle Party: Book Club) but I've been in such a Neil Gaiman way these days. It's very easy to want to say lost among the Endless:
I'm very happy to report that it is, once again, sunny and warm here in SoCal today … which means, I'm gonna get out there and soak up the sun! Hope it's sunny and warm wherever you are!! WEE!
We are mere weeks away from the theatrical release of The Runaways and today we get to see the first TV commercial for the film that will be hitting the airwaves this week … here are a few caps:
This commercial is similar in theme to the movie trailer we saw in December but there are a couple new scenes from the movie to see. Check it out in full after the jump … More »
Yesterday we saw a HILARIOUS portrait of Jersey Shore star Paul Pauly D Delvecchio shot by famed photographer Terry Richardson and today we get to see a portrait of Pauly D's Jersey Shore castmate Mike The Situation Sorrentino also photographed by Richardson. Much like Pauly D's photo captured his true essence (which looks a lot like he stole said essence from Lisa Simpson), this portrait of The Situation seems to capture his true essence as well:
I mean … yes, The Situation is known for bearing his chest but shouldn't the focus be more on his abs? HMMM. In any event, Richardson posed himself for a couple of photos with Mr. The Situation, which you can see after the jump. There is also a photo of Richardson with Pauly D behind the cut … More »
Jared Leto, who's been showing off his new mohawk hair'do all over London, England this week (including at the Elle Style Awards where he ran into his My So-Called Life co-star Claire Danes), ventured out onto the cold streets of London last night to pick up a few snacky things at a local convenience store. As you can see in the following photos, Jared's mohawk had to be tamed for the outing:
I guess Jared can't be expected to keep it up all the time … er, this mohawk, that is. I understand Jared's band, 30 Seconds to Mars, are playing a bunch of shows in Europe right now and will be bringing their tour back to the US later this year. We can't be certain how long the mohawk will last but I hope it sticks around for a while. As I've said repeatedly, it's a good look for him.
Okay … now this is getting out of hand. Not only has Jesus Luz been able to parlay his relationship, whatever it may be, with Madonna to further his modeling and DJing careers but — apparently — he's also been able to get a record deal as well. That's right, a new report out today reveals that Jesus just signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records (Maddy's old record company) to release a debut single this Summer:
MADONNA's toyboy JESUS LUZ has signed a record deal – and will release a single by the summer. I'd like to say he managed to secure the contract all on his own thanks to his amazing talents. But the almighty herself put in more than a word. The Queen Of Pop used all her might and muscle to get the model – who flaunted his own muscle on the beach in Rio de Janeiro yesterday – signed up by her former label Warners. The Brazilian's first single We Came From Light will be issued in the first half of May. Protective Madge had to make some uncharacteristic concessions to secure its release. She rarely gives permission for any of her iconic back catalogue to be used in adverts. But in order to get execs to sign up her fella, she relented and classics Vogue and Like A Prayer have been licensed for a major advertising campaign Stateside. A source said: "Madonna was determined to give Jesus all the help she can. She holds a lot of sway at Warners, where she had a deal until very recently. But getting him on the books wasn't completely plain-sailing. There was a little give and take between her and execs, but a compromise was eventually settled upon." Jesus has a two-single deal, with the label allowed first refusal on an album as well. An initial version of the club track featured vocals from her Madgesty herself, but that's unlikely to get a full release. It's more likely to feature as a B-side or on a remix. Generous Madonna has also been covering all of Jesus's expenses, including his hefty studio costs. And she been calling on other old pals, including legendary remixer VICTOR CALDERONE. The dance music heavyweight has had a long association with Madonna, retooling much of her back catalogue, such as Frozen and American Pie. And he's been busy toying around with Jesus's tracks. The source added: "Madonna really wants Jesus's career to take off. She's been going through her Filofax and putting him in contact with as many of her influential pals as she can. She's worked with Victor for a very long time and he understands just what she likes. Having him rejig Jesus's tracks will give them a cool cachet which is essential to building a clubland buzz."
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! I, for one, am VERY happy to hear this (hopefully true) news. I cannot WAIT to hear these "singles" from Jesus Luz. Oh, it's not that I think they are going to be club-bangers … I'm fairly certain they are going to be tragic embarrassments. Lord … it's bad enough that Madonna has been putting out her own bad music (let's be honest, Hard Candy was not a spectacular album) but now she's orchestrating the release of MORE bad music … from Jesus Luz?! OY!! Bring it on, Jesus. I'm dying to hear what you've got.
Earlier this week we got our first look at the newest movie poster for the new remake of the 80′s classic horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street and today we get our first look at the final trailer to be released before the film opens in April. Here are a few screencaps from the just released trailer:
Twilight/Calvin Klein Underwear/PETA star Kellan Lutz is featured in this trailer and, I'm thinkin' he ain't gonna get outta this one alive. Last September, we got to see the first teaser trailer for Nightmare and, I'm happy to report, this trailer looks much better. Check it out in full after the jump … More »
They live!!! And, I believe, they are still betrothed to be wed!! Happily engageds Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen came out of hiding for their yearly outing this week in Vancouver, British Columbia where they are attending some of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games events. What a colorful pair they make, no?
As you may recall, we learned that RayDen got engaged to be wed in February of 2009 and then … they fell off the face of the planet. It took until July '09 for Rachel to surface with her engagement ring on … and then it took until December '09 until we actually saw the couple out and about in public together. It would seem that RayDen are getting their yearly sighting out of the way early this year. No word on when the couple are planning to actually tie the knot but considering how they are with sharing their relationship with the public … well, don't hold your breath.
Amazing marriage equality news to pass along today … the Attorney General of the great State of Maryland, Douglas F. Gansler (a Democrat), has determined that Maryland will immediately begin recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other States where it is legal (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia). As you may recall, Washington DC just legalized same-sex marriage back in December and will begin marrying same-sex couples in March … since DC and Maryland are close neighbors, it would seem that the Maryland Attorney General is merely taking action to prepare his State for the influx of new same-sex married couples:
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) declared Wednesday that Maryland will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and that its agencies should immediately begin affording gay married couples the same rights as heterosexual ones. With Gansler's decision, Maryland in effect joins the District and a handful of states including New York that recognize same-sex marriages performed in four New England states and Iowa. The District also has its own measure legalizing those unions that is expected to take effect next week. Gansler, a supporter of legalizing same-sex marriages, was asserting his authority as the top legal adviser to state agencies to answer a question that experts say had been left unclear by Maryland law. He was responding to a legislator's request that he issue an opinion. The attorney general's opinion unleashed a torrent of emotions from both gay rights advocates and those opposed to same-sex marriage, adding a potentially explosive issue to election-year politics in Maryland. It is likely to be quickly challenged in court, Gansler acknowledged. Gay and lesbian groups said the decision put the state on track toward legalizing same-sex marriage and would embolden them to push more strongly for pending legislation to do so. Similar measures have died in the legislature in years past. The exact practical implications of Gansler's decision were unclear. David Rocah, a staff lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said he thought that the opinion could have "hundreds, if not thousands," of implications for same-sex couples married elsewhere. Rocah said the opinion could ensure same-sex spouses' rights to health benefits, inheritances, child support and even divorce. Gansler said state laws have more than 1,000 references to spouses or marriage. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), who has consistently voiced support for civil unions but stopped short of endorsing same-sex marriage, said his administration would be "guided" by Gansler's legal opinion. Under O'Malley, Maryland has significantly expanded benefits to couples who register as domestic partners, but under Gansler's opinion, same-sex couples married elsewhere would no longer have to go through that step to get many of the same protections. "I am confident that the Attorney General and his office will provide all necessary advice to state agencies on how to comply with the law," O'Malley said in a statement. "I expect all state agencies to work with the Attorney General's office to ensure compliance with the law." Gansler's opinion answered a question about recognizing same-sex marriage that was posed last spring by Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., an openly gay Montgomery County Democrat. In a roughly 50-page opinion that took nine months to compose, Gansler says the starting principle in state law is that a marriage that is valid in the place of celebration remains valid in Maryland. And even though the state narrowly defines marriages performed within its borders as between a man and a woman, Gansler says, such restrictions don't amount to a strong public policy argument that would override recognizing unions from elsewhere.
While this does NOT mean that same-sex couples can marry in Maryland, it does mean that couples who have been married in the 6 States and the District of Columbia, where same-sex marriage is legal, will be afforded the same rights and privileges in Maryland as would any heterosexual married couple. This is fantastic news. We live in a country, with United States, where the laws of the States are recognized as legal and binding in other States in the Union … this makes perfect legal sense. The tide towards marriage equality for all in the country continues to pick up steam. Little by little, bit by bit … we shall overcome and we will get there some day. Wee!!
Earlier this month Trent Reznor began posting cryptic photos (HERE and HERE) on NIN.com, the official website for Nine Inch Nails, which seem to be hinting at the latest progress on an as-yet unknown new project. In the past week or so, TR has posted 3 more cryptic teaser photos:
All of these photos, thus far, have been adding up to a big fat ? — Question Mark. The photos keep coming and we are no closer to knowing what the hell is going on. As maddening as all of this is, I have to admit that it is very exciting as well. I hope all of this build-up has a huge payoff … I'm DYING to know what is coming … aren't you?
It's been quite some time since Paris Hilton was so careless with her wardrobe malfunctions … there once was a time where homegirl was flashing this body part or that all over town on a seemingly daily basis. But, to her credit, she's managed to keep herself fully clothed for a couple of years now … which is why I was SHOCKED to discover new photos of Paris Hilton inadvertently flashing her hoo-ha in LA this week:
BELIEVE ME … I understand that no one in their right mind wants to see what Paris Hilton has to offer in photos like these but … just for old time's sake, don't you just wanna peek one more time? You can … after the jump … More »
Now that Dollhouse is already gettin' cold in the grave, it's time to look forward to the next project to feature Eliza Dushku … according to Dushku herself, she's already filmed a horror film called Open Graves. The only problem is, no one is entirely sure when or even if the movie will ever see the light of day. Here is our first look at promo pics of Eliza in Open Graves along with what little info about the film we have to go on:
Eliza Dushku told SCI FI Wire that she thinks her next film is a supernatural horror outing called Open Graves. Why "thinks" rather than "knows"? Well, Open Graves is listed on IMDB as having been completed, but the star of Fox's Dollhouse has no idea what's happening with the long-finished project. "I don't know," Dushku said in an interview to promote Dollhouse. "I did a film in Spain, but I don't where or how or when it'll be released. It was a horror movie" … Dushku said that the film was directed by Alvaro de Arminan, one of Pedro Almodovar's proteges, making his feature-helming debut. "He sent me this script," she said. "This other actor [Mike Vogel of Cloverfield] that I was collaborating with, we shipped off to Spain to shoot a movie about these American students that are living [and surfing] in Spain, and they come upon this creepy game [which resembles a Ouija board]. And, one by one, the game starts killing these kids." Dushku said that she is uncertain about the film's fate. "I don't know," she said. "To be honest, I had just talked to the director, and he seemed like an interesting chap. And spending three months in northern Spain sounded like a nice vacation and adventure as well. But I don't really know how it came together." Open Graves, which was previously titled Mamba, is still without a distributor.
I'm intrigued that this film was directed by an apprentice of Almodovar but the premise sounds more like a movie that Sarah Michelle Gellar would star in … which is not a good thing. Still … I'd check out any film that stars the lovely Ms. Dushku. After the jump, check out a few more promo photos from Open Graves along with a trailer for the film … More »
Once upon a time, Claire Danes (who played Angela Chase) and Jared Leto (who played Jordan Catalano) co-starred on a ill-fated TV series called My So-Called Life which managed to strike a cord with viewers with its stark and honest portrayal of teen angst despite the fact that the show only lasted for one season. All these years after the show ended it's run, Danes and Leto ran into each other again in London this week at the Elle Style Awards. Here are photos of Claire and Jared back when they were on My So-Called Life together and then at the Elle Style Awards this week:
I LOVE these two together … I am one of the legions of So-Called Life fans that still fondly remember the show. I didn't watch it when it aired on ABC but became a fan when it ran in re-runs on MTV shortly after the show was canceled. My So-Called Life was the show that introduced the world to Jared Leto … and I dare you find a So-Called fan who wasn't in love with Jordan Catalano. They both sure look different all these years later … but I think they still make a perfect match :)
Kellan Lutz is not only working to promote Calvin Klein Underwear these days, he is also working with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to promote their newly launched Always Adopt, Never Buy campaign. While, very unfortunately, Kellan is mostly dressed in his new promo photo for PETA, I think the message is a very important one:
Gorgeous Twilight saga actor Kellan Lutz—known to many fans as the studly vampire Emmett Cullen—reveals his softer side in a new ad for PETA. Part of PETA's "Adopt, Don't Buy" campaign, the ad shows Lutz hugging his rescued mixed-breed dog Kola and reads, "Buying Animals Is Killing Animals. Save a Homeless Dog or Cat—Always Adopt and Never Buy." The ad, which can be seen here, was shot by top celebrity photographer Collin Stark. "I love mutts!" gushed Lutz in an exclusive interview with PETA. "If anything, I think mutts stay the healthiest." Lutz also addressed the animal-overpopulation crisis. "There are surprisingly so many animals, so many animals in these animal shelters," he said. "It's sad, and knowing that they get euthanized … and there's a lot you can do … spay or neuter your pets so that doesn't happen." Almost 8 million unwanted dogs and cats enter animal shelters every year in the U.S., and half of them must be euthanized simply because there aren't enough good homes. Buying an animal from a pet store or breeder robs a homeless animal of a chance at adoption and encourages sellers to acquire more purebred animals. Lutz, a big fan of mutts, encourages "Twilighters" to adopt. For more information or to see Kellan Lutz's ad and exclusive interview, please visit PETA.org.
Lutz fans, you gotta watch this interview … it's plainly obvious that Kellan truly cares about animals and he really wants to impress upon people that we should, nay, we must "take them under our wing and take care of them". Watch Kellan's interview video for PETA after the jump … More »
Last night David and I had the EXTREME pleasure of FINALLY seeing Mariah Carey live in concert on the first LA date of her Angels Advocate Tour at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal City … and what a spectacular show it was!!
Unlike other big production stage shows, The Angels Advocate Tour is a pared down concert performance where the focus is Mariah's singing. She does no dancing and prolly takes 30 steps around the stage all night long … but, the singing, yeah she kills it live on stage … well, for the most part. After the jump, check out a few photos from the show last night and check out a fan-recorded video of her performance of Touch My Body … More »
In entirely disturbing and totally unnecessary news, it would seem that someone has decided to make a sequel to the HORRENDOUSLY bad (but horribly fun) schlock film Showgirls (which was directed by Paul Verhoeven and stars Saved by the Bell's Elizabeth Berkley) which apparently bears no resemblance at all to the original film. A trailer for Showgirls 2 has made its way to the Internets … here are a few screencaps and some deets about this sequel film:
When we reported last fall that unknown filmmaker Marc Vorlander had developed a sequel, and managed to raise $25 million to shoot a sequel to Paul Verhoeven's infamously terrible "Showgirls," we frankly didn't believe it. Well, he may not have got the $25 million (it looks more like $25 and shot on a cellphone), but Vorlander now has a trailer for "Showgirls 2″ and it sort of has to be seen to be believed. Warning, it's NSFW and incredibly bad, but we'll probably see it, if for anything out of gross curiosity. At its best moments it looks like one of those "Emmanuelle" movies, as if it were shot by David Lynch, but then by the end the actors start talking and it quickly spirals into a D-level atrocity. Vorlander said he wanted Rena Riffel from the original to star, but by the looks of it, she's not in this. The plot, which can easily be gleaned from the trailer, is (roughly translated) about "a stripper who died from a dose of contaminated cocaine. Her brother comes to Frankfurt to find the person responsible and get revenge." We're just still trying to figure out what that dumbbell scene was about, and what the skulls were for and frankly what the hell was going on for most of this.
I never would've dreamed that it was possible to make a WORSE film than Showgirls but this just goes to show you how terribly wrong I was. Lord, this looks bad. Check out the pretty NSFW uncensored trailer after the jump and judge for yourselves … More »
Earlier today we learned that Britney Spears is reportedly due to release her next album this June but Prince fans won't have to wait that long for new music from His Purple Majesty. The artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince has announced the release of a new song titled Cause and Effect for this Friday morning at 7AM CT (8AM ET, 5AM PT). Here are all the deets:
Every week the programming team at the Current is asked for our opinion on new music by local artists. "Is this song appropriate for the station? Will we play it?" And so on. Rarely do these questions come from the one local artist who has sold more than 50 million albums in his career, but last week it did when Prince's rep called to offer The Current a new and exclusive song. Having already demonstrated his support for the station by joining us at our 5th Birthday Party last month at First Avenue, we were blown away that he wanted to give 89.3 The Current a song to World debut. And even more amazed that it mattered to him if we liked the track or not! The song is called "Cause and Effect," and it's a rocker – filled with virtuosic guitar work, explosive drum breaks, a poppy chorus, trademark shrieks and whoops, some intriguing lyrics ("if I had the chance to do it all again / I wouldn't change a thing except my next of kin") and a call to mankind ("you need compassion"). Opening with Prince's classic pop smarts, the last minute of the tune swerves into a propulsive minor key guitar/strings/drum workout like we haven't heard from him in years … it seems clear that Prince wants us to know that he's back, he's recording, and from the sound of it, and he's inspired to create the new Minneapolis sound and start a new chapter in his amazing career. It's not known whether "Cause and Effect" will be the first peek into a new record or just a one-off gift to the listeners of his favorite local public radio outlet, but we're proud and honored to debut it Friday morning around 7am with Steve Seel and Jill Riley.
While I am VERY excited at the prospect of new Prince music, I'm desperately hoping that Cause and Effect is a much better song than the last new song he unleashed on the world last month. As you may recall, Prince released a song titled Purple and Gold for the Minnesota Vikings football team and that song, well, left much to be desired. Still, I'm encouraged by this report's description of this newer track. I would LOVE a new Prince album to surface this year … let's keep our fingers crossed for that. In the meantime, we've got a brand new song to look forward to … in just a couple days time ;)
Last week we saw a few photos of photographer Terry Richardson shaving off all of Jared Leto's gorgeous hair … we also saw photos from Richardson's photoshoot with Britney Spears for the new Candie's campaign … today, we get to see one of Terry Richardson's latest photographs — this time, his subject is Paul Pauly D Delvecchio from MTV's Jersey Shore:
I'm not sure about you but I think that Richardson really captured Pauly D's essence. This is THE perfect photo of Mr. D. What I want to know is WTF? is going on here? Yesterday, we saw photos of Mike The Situation Sorrentino posing in his underwear with supermodel Bar Rafaeli (!!!) for Interview magazine and today we see Pauly D as the subject of one of Terry Richardson's photos … has the whole world lost it's head?
UPDATE: A few Pink readers suggested that this photo of Pauly D is ripe for a Beyotch Stole My Look comparison … and I agree. Check it out after the jump … More »
Lest you think that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are no longer in love, due to unfounded rumors about their "split" last month, Brangelina decided to show the world just how much in lurve they are by sharing a passionate and very public smooch on the Parisian set of Ange's new film The Tourist … behold:
It's not unusual to see a couple sharing a passionate kiss on the streets of Paris – one of the most romantic cities in the world. But passers-by must have had a shock yesterday when they realised the embracing couple was none other than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The pair were keen to show their relationship is stronger than ever as they puckered up on the set of Jolie's new movie The Tourist in France. Jolie, wearing a chic cream dress for the scenes in the film, in which she stars alongside Johnny Depp, looked coy as she pulled away from the tender embrace, but couldn't keep the smile off her famous lips. Pitt took on the role of house husband as Jolie shot the scenes in a Parisian cafe, and took care of some of the couple's children, Shiloh, three and five-year-old Zahara, who were clearly keen to see their mother in action. These latest photographs are further evidence that there is no trouble in paradise for the Hollywood pair, following split rumours earlier this year over which they threatened legal action.
I guess it wasn't enough for Brangelina to put their love on display at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, FL earlier this month … now they have to flaunt it in the most romantic city in the world! Good for them!! I really love Brangelina together and I wish nothing but the greatest happiness for their little (well, big) family. Love them :)
[Photo credit: Big! Pictures; Source]
So … the city of Madrid, Spain must really, really, really love footballer Cristiano Ronaldo because this week they decided to erect a giant silver statue of Ronaldo in the Plaza de Ramales (which was renamed Praça de Ronaldo for the day) in honor of their sports hero. To the best of my knowledge, I don't believe that even David Beckham has the honor of having a city erect a statue of him … so this seems like quite an achievement for Mr. Ronaldo. Here is a photo from the statue's unveiling ceremony this week:
Residents living near the Plaza de Ramales, a quiet square in a western residential area of the Spanish capital, woke yesterday morning to find the streets adorned with green and red confetti (the colours of the Portuguese flag) along with an imposing statue of Cristiano Ronaldo, commissioned by a sporting firm. As reported by Spanish sports daily Marca, the statue of the world's most expensive player is 10 metres in height and silver in colour, featuring the player standing over a football. The Plaza de Ramales was renamed the 'Praça de Ronaldo' for the duration of the day. Ronaldo has only been at the Santiago Bernabeu since the summer, but has already become a hero in the Spanish capital. On Sunday against Villarreal, the Portuguese star put on a footballing recital, scoring from a blistering set piece to register Madrid's first goal and contributing to four of the next five goals scored by los Blancos in a 6-2 victory. After scoring his goal, CR9 lifted his shirt to show a second shirt with 'Madeira' written on it in black marker, in a tribute to his home island which suffered from devastating floods over the weekend.
Oh man … I'm certain that laying claim to a ginormous silver statue erected in your honor will not do much to cool Ronaldo's 25 year old ego. Heaven help us all. So … you wanna see what the statue looks like? Check it out after the jump … More »
Lindsay Lohan posted a tweet message on her official Twitter profile that hints that she may be seriously considering a move to the UK … and considering how much fun she's been having in London in the past week or so and considering how open she's been with the British tabloid press about her past substance abuse and her past romantic relationship with Samantha Ronson, I'm apt to believe that she is serious about a move to London. Here is the full text of her revelatory tweet:
Moving to the UK is in my near future* better dj's/music and Paris is just a Chunnel away!
If this actually turns out to be true and Lindsay does move to the UK permanently … well, firstly, I have to pass along my deepest apologies to our friends on the other side of the pond. Secondly, tho, I think it might be best for her to get as far away from her toxic parent, daddy Michael Lohan, so mebbe this move will be for the best. Now, Lindsay likes to talk … a lot … so we shouldn't really take any of this very serious just yet but … well, she may be the UK's problem very soon. What do you think, Brits? Can you handle Lindsay Lohan living on your soil permanently?
Great news for fans of Britney Spears who are dying for some new music from the once pop princess, now queen of pop … according to a new report from MTV, Brit's next album is really taking shape now that she is working with a new crop of amazing producers. AND GET THIS … we are hearing that Britney's new album might be out by the Summer (June, to be exact) … we can only hope. Here are the deets from MTV on Britney's new album and a NEW behind-the-scenes photo from Brit's Candie's photoshoot with Terry Richardson:
If Brit-Brit's too-brief appearance at the Grammys wasn't enough to whet your "Toxic" appetite, then get ready to chow down on some new music from Spears this June. For all those Circus freaks out there, you'll be stoked to hear that Britney is re-teaming with K. Briscoe, part of The Outsyders production team, who penned Spears' comeback hit "Womanizer." Plus, our pop princess is also hooking back up with Corte Ellis from Soul Diggaz, who previously worked with Britney on the songs "Naked" and "Get Back" off Blackout. Finally, color us flattered that Spears took our advice and decided to collaborate with our fave new French hitmaker DJ David Guetta on new tunes. Ooh, la la! Briscoe, Ellis and Guetta join a heap of producers who have already been tapped for the project—like Danja, Max Martin, Darkchild, Sean Garrett. Guess it's just a matter of time until we hear whose tracks make the final album cut. Hope we don't blackout from anticipation!
Dang!! Britney is bringing out all the heavy-hitters … I'm hoping this new album will be more of the Blackout variety rather than the Circus variety. Trust me, I love Circus but Blackout had a much cooler edge … if this new disc is an amalgam of both albums, I'll just die. And HELLOOOOOO, are we really talking about a June release? Please sweet baby Jebus, this this news be true … I would LOVE a new album to drop in 4 months time :) Ok … be for real … who's excited?
Mike The Situation Sorrentino, one of the stars of MTV's hit show Jersey Shore, has updated his official Facebook profile with a couple of new photos from a recent photoshoot he did for Interview magazine. I can't believe I'm actually saying this but … The Situation got to pose in this new photoshoot for Interview with supermodel Bar Rafaeli — yeah, Leonardo DiCaprio's lady. Will you please join me in a hearty WTF?!
The Situation and Bar Rafaeli ( Leo Dicaprio's gurl) Interview Magazine Spread
Yeah .. what? These are two people that I would never imagine in the same photoshoot and, yet … here we have it. The Sitch shares one more photo from this shoot — check it out after the jump … More »
Did you know that Nicole Richie can fly airplanes? Neither did I … which is why I was very pleasantly surprised to learn from her official blog that in addition to being a mother, fashion designer and fiancée … she is also an airplane co-pilot:
This past Thursday I flew to Montreal to promote my two lines Winter Kate, and House of Harlow 1960. And by flew, I mean I actually flew. My partners, Rick and Brian, let me be the co-pilot once again on their jet! It was so much fun! Now if only everyone else on the flight felt the same way.
This is so cool! Now, I'm not sure if Nicole is an actual licensed pilot or not but I would assume that she is based on the release of these photos. I love me some Nicole but I'm not sure I'd be entirely comfortable letting her pilot a plane I was on … but she must be a good pilot, right? I wonder what other secrets Ms. Richie has up her sleeve that we don't know about?
Here are a couple of cute, very cheesy, photos of Calvin Klein Underwear model and Twilight star Kellan Lutz actin' a fool for the paparazzi outside NineZeroOne Salon in West Hollywood, CA last night:
Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what he's doing in these photos … but he looks good doing it. I bet Kellan is a lot fun to hang out with. Le sigh.
Yesterday we read a bit from Lindsay Lohan's tell-all interview with British tabloid newspaper The Sun and today we learn that there is a second and final part of the interview. While the topic of discussion yesterday was Lindsay's previous substance abuse, the topic this time around is of a romantic nature. L. Lo talks a bit about her enduring love for ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson and explains what the future may have in store for her romantic life:
LINDSAY LOHAN today tells all about her lesbian relationship with SAMANTHA RONSON – and says she wants her lover back. The Hollywood tearaway had a fiery 18-month fling with DJ Sam. It ended last April after the pair were frequently pictured fighting and crying in public. Yesterday Lindsay exclusively revealed to The Sun the extent of her devastating drug and drink problems, which she admitted could have killed her. In Day 2 of our exclusive interview, she reveals she is still in love with gay Samantha, 32 – sister of super producer Mark, the man behind AMY WINEHOUSE hit Rehab. Bisexual Lindsay, who has had three stints in rehab, says she will never love another woman and plans to go back to BOYS if she can't win Sam back. Mean Girls star Lindsay says: "I never really thought about women before, it kind of just happened with Samantha. It surprised me. We're still in touch. We live in the same apartment building in LA and see each other often. She has always been one of my best friends. If I wasn't with Samantha, I would probably be with a boy next. She's the only woman I've been attracted to. We love each other. We might reconcile the relationship, maybe. I don't know." Former child actress Lindsay – nicknamed Li-Lo – admits her relationship with Sam was "passionate". She also reveals they split because Sam's family and friends did not approve of her and the way her life is constantly played out in front of the paparazzi. She says: "There have been a lot of ups and downs. Her family is very involved in her relationships and that was difficult. I think Samantha was growing as a celebrity and a musician and I think that might have scared her family. But I've always been her biggest supporter and, yeah, I love her."
OOOH, now the real juicy deets — from Lindsay's point of view — are coming to light. Want more? The second part of Lindsay's interview with The Sun continues after the jump … More »
Oh snap!! New reports out today reveal that Jennifer Lopez, La Diva Latina herself, has been dumped by her record label Sony Music Epic Records. I understand that her contract with the label was fulfilled by the last two singles she released (the horrid Louboutins was one of them) and the label decided they do not want to re-sign her and have no interest in releasing her new album Love? Yikes! At this point, J. Lo's recording career is dunzo, y'all!
Jennifer Lopez has spent most of her singing career at Sony Music Epic Records. The bland version of what happened, I'm told, is that the contract period had ended and that Lopez had fulfilled it with her last two singles, and that Lopez and Stringer decided together not to move forward with an album. Others insist the Sony label dropped her. There also is disagreement on how finished her upcoming album was before it was canceled. Internet reports say her 7th studio album, titled "Love?", was supposed to come out in April and featured production from Danja, Jim Jonsin, Darkchild, Chris n Teeb from Dropzone, and The Neptunes among others. A song from it titled "Fresh Out The Oven" surfaced online in October 2009 as a buzz single and reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart. But the official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23 following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards and then peaked at #31 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Lopez insiders claim to me the album was "by no means done" and everyone was "only a few songs into it" and "unlike movie dates, street dates rarely hold in the music biz". But that album was real enough to delay the release of her upcoming CBS Film, The Back-Up Plan. Others tell me the album isn't being released because "Louboutins" bombed, as did her performance at the American Music Awards, and Sony Music execs "aren't sure who her audience is anymore. Where once she had little girls, she's been supplanted by Beyonce, Gaga, and Rhianna. Lots of fighting going on between Benny Medina (who, of course, is spending their money like it's 10 years ago) and the label." But when I began inquiring about this, her manager Benny Medina emailed this morning to confirm the split. "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction her career as an actress and recording artist. She is grateful and appreciative to everyone Sony for all that they accomplished together" … eanwhile, I understand that Sony will still be releasing her "Greatest Hits" album in the fall. Supposedly, Lopez has not wasted any time getting signed elsewhere: it's rumored she is already in talks with Island Def Jam's bigwig L.A. Reid to come to his label. Granted, this is a tough time for music artists, especially those like Lopez who were once big in the biz and now are battling not only the changed economics and rampant piracy but also the moving target of today's music fans. JLo insiders insist none of this is fazing Lopez, who took time off to have two kids with her recording star husband, Marc Anthony, and who is just now returning to her acting career with the release of the feature The Back Up Plan.
Yeah, I don't care how "amicable" they are trying to spin this story … Sony Epic would not be letting J. Lo go if they thought she could make them more money. The music biz is in shambles and an artist like J. Lo, who commands a lot of money, can be seen as dead weight if she is not able to bring the hits. I have no doubt that Lopez will get a new record contract, she may even get one that is pretty lucrative, but the fact that she is no longer a hitmaker means that her days in the music biz are very limited. If Love? is made up of garbage like Louboutins then it's prolly for the best that we never hear it. I'm not sure how much longer Jennifer Lopez can stretch out her music career but this is not a good sign for her longevity. Mebbe it's time she pack it in now and save some face.
Wee!! David and I have some very exciting plans for today … at LONG last, we are finally going to see Mariah Carey live in concert!! As soon as I heard last December that Mimi was kicking off a new tour called The Angels Advocate Tour, I knew this would be my chance to finally see MC live in concert! I got us a pair of tickets and tonight is the night!
Mimi is one of those divas that you know puts on a great show. I've tried to stay away from seeing any photos from this tour cuz I want to be surprised. David and I are both very excited … Woot!!
That is pretty much all we've got going on … I'll do my best to tweet from the show and hopefully I'll have some fun photos to share tomorow.
Rocker Joan Jett is featured in the new issue of Interview magazine wherein she talks to interviewer Evelyn McDonnell about her life in The Runaways and the upcoming biopic of the same name. While new photos of Joan are not featured in the mag, new photos (shot by director Floria Sigismondi) of Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett (along with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie) are featured with her interview. Here is one of those photos and some excerpts from Joan's interview with Interview:
In the four years that they were together, the quintet of teenage girls that made up The Runaways cut a swath of hard rock, harder kisses, and, eventually, scary-hard drugs through the legendary glam scene of 1970s Los Angeles. Their exploits-and exploitation-are the stuff of legend and now of The Runaways, the debut feature film from photographer and video director Floria Sigismondi. Based on trouble-doll lead singer Cherie Currie's 1989 autobiography, Neon Angel, Sigismondi hones in on the relationship between Currie and the band's co-founder, songwriter, and guitarist Joan Jett (Currie's book, written with Tony O'Neill, is being published in an updated version this month by HarperCollins). Dakota Fanning plays the beautiful, damaged Currie; Michael Shannon steals the show as the evil genius svengali Kim Fowley; and Kristen Stewart plays Jett, all black-leather attitude and sex appeal-Elvis plus estrogen. In part because of rights issues, The Runaways pays short shrift to the band's other members-guitarist Lita Ford, bassist Jackie Fox, and drummer Sandy West. But driven by great songs, the film-and the feeling of liberation, love, and pain teenagers find in music and each other-is dead on. "I was looking for raw," says Sigismondi, who has directed videos for the likes of Marilyn Manson, The White Stripes, David Bowie, Björk, The Cure, and Interpol. "This very short period of time held a big place in all of their lives. It was a very delicate thing, but it wasn't all heartfelt. There was anger. There was resentment. There was sorrow. They were breaking new ground. They were taking risks. They were doing things that brought them up against walls." I recently spoke to Jett-creator of some of the greatest-of-all-time anthems like "Bad Reputation" and "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and who, with her manager, Kenny Laguna, executive-produced The Runaways-about what it was like to see her youthful triumphs and excesses (including some steamy scenes with Currie) on screen. "Joan Jett-she's just one of a kind, and has never veered from her path," Sigismondi says. "She's gone out there and said, 'This is who I am.' And she's still doing that."
Joan's interview begins after the jump — where you can also check out other photos of Kristen and Dakota as photographed by Floria … More »
Last July we got to see the first teaser poster for the new remake version of the classic 80′s horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street and in September of last year we got to see the first movie trailer for the film. Today, just about 2 months from the film's release in theaters, we get our first look at the first official movie poster for Nightmare:
While Warner Bros. Pictures A Nightmare on Elm Street doesn't arrive in theaters until April 30, the studio wants you to dream of the day by torturing us with all sorts of goodies from the forthcoming redo … this evening you'll be dreaming of good ol' Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley) thanks to this brand spanking new one sheet! Watch MySpace Thursday for the final trailer.
"A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another…but when they sleep, there is no escape."
While Warner Bros. Pictures A Nightmare on Elm Street doesn't arrive in theaters until April 30, the studio wants you to dream of the day by torturing us with all sorts of goodies from the forthcoming redo … this evening you'll be dreaming of good ol' Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley) thanks to this brand spanking new one sheet! Watch MySpace Thursday for the final trailer.
"A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another…but when they sleep, there is no escape."
Nice poster but I'm still reserving judgment. I'm very curious to see what the upcoming new movie trailer looks like … while I liked the one we saw last September, I really don't think it holds up to the original film. I'm cautiously optimistic that the film will be fun but I highly doubt it will surpass the classic original. What do y'all think of this poster … are you skerred?
Ever since news broke last October that Quentin Tarantino is planning the make the third installment of the Kill Bill series of movies, there has been MUCH interest in any new information about the planned production. In December, Tarantino revealed that the next film will not be titled Kill Bill … and today we learn that the new film, whatever it will be called, may be made in 3D:
Quentin Tarantino is set to make his movies even more graphic – he wants to make the next "Kill Bill" sequel in 3-D. James Cameron's Oscar-nominated 3-D epic "Avatar" has inspired a number of other filmmakers to adopt the popular technique. George Lucas is planning to revive his "Star Wars" films in 3-D, while studio bosses at Warner Bros. have confirmed the technology will be implemented for the final installments of the "Harry Potter" franchise. Tarantino has been a fan of 3-D movies for several years and wishes he had acquired the technology prior to the release of "Kill Bill" in 2003, because he would have happily included the popular effects. Tarantino is set to make a third film in the franchise and he's hinted he may use the technology for "Kill Bill 3″, which is due for release in 2014. He tells WENN, "I was thinking of 3-D after I saw 'House of Wax', I've always liked 3-D. I was thinking 3-D after I saw "Friday the 13th". I've always liked 3-D. So if I had the right stories, for instance if I could do 'Kill Bill' allover again I'd be tempted to do it in 3-D."
Wee!! Altho I feel this 3D fad may be getting out of hand just a touch, I'm really all for it. I remember back in the 80′s when "all" the movies had to be in 3D (Amityville 3D, Jaws 3D, etc.) and I loved them all … even if the movie sucked, seeing it in 3D was a treat. During this period in the 80′s, many movies broadcast on TV were in 3D as well. I am very much looking forward to seeing Alice In Wonderland in 3D next month and I would LOVE to see the next Killed Bill film in 3D when it gets released in theaters. I am ALL for this idea … are you?
Last week we learned that the entire Brangelina brood made their way to Venice, Italy to take up temporary residence while mama Angelina Jolie begins work on her new film The Tourist. Just one day after, we saw cute photos of Brangelina taking their eldest daughters Zahara Marley and Shiloh Nouvel out for a boat ride on the canals of Venice … you may recall that some people mistakenly believed that it was not Shiloh on the outing but the youngest Jolie-Pitt son Knox Léon. Today we get to see new photos of Angelina and Brad hard at work in the city of Paris, France … Ange was bizzy filming scenes for her new film and Brad was bizzy caring for the kiddies:
As Johnny Depp told [mentioned] this weekend, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck began shooting Columbia Pictures thriller The Tourist in Paris, France on Tuesday. [Here is a] first look at photos of Angelina Jolie on the set. The film is a remake of the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer. It concerns an American tourist (Depp) who finds his life in danger when a female Interpol agent (Jolie) uses him as a dupe to flush out an elusive criminal with whom she once had an affair.
Yes, while Angelina was bizzy filming her café scenes, Brad was bizzy elsewhere with the kids. After the jump, check out photos of Brad with Shiloh — who was showing off her adorable new boyish haircut … More »
Whitney Houston continues to tour the planet with her Nothing But Love World Tour and has recently made her way to Australia (after performing shows in South Korea and Japan) and has hit a huge snag along the way. Whitney performed her first show in Oz this week (Brisbane, to be exact) and completely failed to impress her audience there. According to Aussie news reports, Whitney Houston's live performance on this tour has not been living up to expectations:
Whitney Houston's Australian comeback is under fire after fans criticised the opening night of her Australian tour claiming the singer sounded 'croaky and appeared 'disorientated'. The American star struggled through the opening night of her first Australian tour since 1988, and was left breathless and exhausted after just two songs at her show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, it was claimed. And even more bizarrely, the 46-year-old took a 20 minute break to catch her breath mid-way through the show. After half a dozen songs she left the stage for twenty minutes to take a break, bringing on her brother, Gary Houston, to sing in her absence. The band and backing singers then performed an energetic version of one of her biggest hits, Queen of the Night, from The Bodyguard soundtrack. One fan interviewed on Australian TV after the show said: 'It was a disgrace. She can't sing. She didn't sing one song properly. She was disorientated and she needed a 20-minute break. It was the first concert I have walked out of in my life.' Another fan said: 'She couldn't entertain a dead rat, to be honest.' Other fans took to Facebook and Twitter to complain about the 'croaky' quality of her voice. ' 'We just got back from Whitney Houston concert in Brizzy and I feel so sorry for her. She sounded croaky,' fan Rick Crystal said on Facebook. '#whitneyhouston should have toured 15 years ago. Voice not what it used to be,' adavidholloway said on Twitter after the concert. Some fans said they would be demanding their money back. 'The multi-award winning singer appeared disoriented and failed to properly name some of her backing band as she introduced them to the audience, ' wrote the Australian Associated Press's music reviewer. 'But the final act faltered at the finale when she croaked her way through I Will Always Love You, pausing to get a drink and towel herself down just as she was about to hit the song's epic high note, which she turned into a soft coo,' he added … the singer's spokesman Andrew McManus said Whitney was 'surprised' by the negativity and rejected tabloid rumours that she was seriously ill after the performance. U.S. tabloid the National Enquirer claimed the 46 year old had collapsed due to a drug and alcohol binge, and that her health has declined in recent months, with family members begging the star to postpone her planned concerts. 'It was not a train wreck,' McManus said. 'She was hitting most of the notes, yes her throat was a little croaky. 'Her health is fine but she's also not 22 years of age anymore.' The Australian concerts are part of her comeback "Nothing But Love" tour which kicked off at the end of last year. 'She was not fit to perform,' wrote one on the Courier Mail newspaper's website. 'She seemed to be on another planet and the concert was laughable.'
Yikes! Those Aussies and their concert reviews … they're quite vicious, no? You may recall that the folks in Oz unleashed this kind of ire towards Britney Spears last year when she performed her Circus tour there … but, in their defense, they may be right about Whitney's lackluster performance this time around. After the jump, check out video of Whitney's performance of I Will Always Love You and judge for yourselves whether or not Whit was up for the task of performing … More »
Okay … hold on to your hat's, y'all and take the following information with a HUGE grain of salt. The Sun newspaper, the British tabloid who yesterday shared with us an interview they conducted with Lindsay Lohan wherein she openly confessed her past substance abuse, is now reporting that Twilight star Robert Pattinson has confessed to them that he is "together" with Kristen Stewart in a romantic fashion. The couple attended the 2010 BAFTA Awards in London, England earlier this week and while the couple arrived separately, they did leave the awards show together … could The Sun be right? Are K. Stew and R. Pattz really an item?
After months of speculation, Robert Pattinson has finally confirmed he is dating his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart. The actors, who have been dating since last year, were due to make their first public appearance as a couple at Sunday's Bafta Film Awards, but ended up arriving separately. Pattinson, 23, was proudly cheering from the audience when his American girlfriend, 19, was named as the winner of the Bafta Rising Star accolade at the star-studded ceremony at the Royal Opera House. After refusing to comment on their relationship for months, Pattinson finally broke his silence and admitted they were an item. He told The Sun: 'It is extremely difficult but we are together, yes. We can't arrive at the same time because of the fans. It goes crazy. This was supposed to be a public appearance as a couple but it's impossible. We are here together and it's a public event but it's not easy. We have to do all this stuff to avoid attention.' After the Baftas, the couple headed to the Grosvenor House Hotel for the after-party, where they were spotted leaving at a relatively-respectable midnight. While Stewart attended the Elle Style Awards alone last night, Pattinson was busy working all day on his new film Bel Ami. Romance rumours have surrounded the couple since the first Twilight movie came out in late 2008.
HMMMM … yeah, I'm not sure I believe this report at all. It is quite easy to believe that Lindsay Lohan would sell her story to The Sun but I cannot believe A.) that Robert Pattinson would be so open about any romantic involvement like this with anyone and B.) that R. Pattz would give such information to The Sun of all publications. It occurs to me that Pattinson could've been talking about the fact that he and Kristen attended the BAFTAs together as friends and his comments have been taken out of context, that sounds more likely. So … I suppose it's up to the individual to decide if they believe this "confession" from R. Pattz to be genuine, misconstrued or a complete fabrication. What do YOU think is going on here?
First we learned the happy news that Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie got engaged, then we saw just how appreciative Hilary was to Mike for the lovely ring he gave her. Today we learn how much Comrie dropped on that ring for his new fiancée … and he dropped quite a lot of dough. Hilary and Mike have already made their way back to SoCal from their Hawaiian holiday (where the couple got engaged) and made a very public stop at Katsuya in Hollywood, CA for a coming out party of sorts. Hilary made sure to proudly show off the $1,000,000.00 ROCK that Mike gave her:
Hilary Duff's NHL-playing fiancé, Mike Comrie, knows how to give good ice. A source close to the Edmonton Oilers center, 29, tells us that the engagement ring he gave the former Disney star, 22, cost—gulp—$1 million. The source tells us that Comrie bought the14-karat princess-cut sparkler in Las Vegas. After two years of dating, Comrie popped the question while he and Duff were on a recent vacation in Hawaii. A wedding isn't the only thing these two have in the works. Our source also tells us the pair are close to buying a $10 million home in Beverly Hills. (While he probably takes home a nice paycheck from the Oilers, Comrie also happens to be an heir to Canadian home furnishings retail empire, The Brick.) A rep for Duff declined to comment. Comrie has proven himself to be a generous beau. Just a few months after they became a couple in 2007, he reportedly bought his ladylove a $100,000 Mercedes.
Yowza!! Yeah, we knew that Mike was very generous with Hilary and this phat ring is further proof of that generosity. I've always liked these two as a couple and I am thrilled for them. Tho, I'm actually very surprised how flashy Hilary was with her ring last night … considering she did everything she could to hide it when Hila-rie were departing Hawaii after their vacay. In any event … congrats to the happy couple!! Now the countdown begins to the day they say I Do.
[Photo credit: X17; Source]
It's been a couple of weeks since visionary fashion designer Alexander McQueen died (sadly, by his own hand) but the show must go on at the Fashion House of McQueen. Here are a few photos from the last collection that was designed by Alexander McQueen before his untimely death this month:
Here is the last line created by the late Alexander McQueen for his second line, McQ. With punk touches, the collection features the expressive Yuri Plesku. Punk is the departure point for new the line, which pays tribute to a key decade in UK fashion. McQueen brings us rebellion, stylized figures and a skinhead look from the eighties. There are slim silhouettes, striking colorwashes, short-sleeved shirts and classic check shirts.
In terms of avant garde McQueen designs, this collection for McQ is very normal … but still, it's distinctly McQueen. Check out a few pieces after the jump … More »
Jennifer Love Hewitt celebrated her 31st birthday over the weekend with an 80′s themed party attended by family and friends … tho her loverboy Jamie Kennedy was strangely absent. HMMM … do you suppose there might be trouble in paradise or do you think Jamie just didn't want to be seen with J. Love lookin' this ridiculous?
Jennifer Love Hewitt rang in her 31st birthday with a scavenger hunt for her mom and friends Sunday, but boyfriend Jamie Kennedy was nowhere to be found. The birthday girl, rocking a Lady Gaga-esque hair bow and pink tutu, was on Team '80s and went from West Hollywood to Santa Monica in search of clues. But all we wanna know is where was her man? "I didn't even hear his name mentioned," a source tells E! News. "I don't know why…maybe he was out of town." Reps for Love and Kennedy didn't respond to our requests for comment, but sounds like Jen had a blast without him. "They went all over town collecting items, taking pictures and figuring out clues," the source tells us of the bash, which was thrown by Cal Iseminger of Cal's Game Night Productions. "There were prizes, and it was a lot of fun." The hunt ended at Electric Karma restaurant on Third Street, where she blew out her candles.
Ruh-ro! I hope everything's alright between Jen and Jamie. Now, just because Jamie wasn't at her birthday party doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong in their relationship … tho, it does sound a bit worrisome that the poor guy wasn't missed nor was his name even uttered all day long. HMMM. Honestly, I'm not sure what kind of 80′s party this was … J. Love looked less like she came from the 80′s and more like she escaped from the nut house. Still, I hope things are cool between her and Jamie. What do y'all think … does this smell of trouble to you?
As if the countless photos of the couple creepin' together in secret and in public weren't enough proof, Sienna Miller is finally talking publicly about her rekindled romantic relationship with Jude Law. Speaking to the press at this weekend's fashion show for her clothing line Twenty8Twelve, Sienna gushed that she is "happy" to be back with Jude:
They quietly reignited their relationship three months ago while both starring in separate productions on Broadway. After initially denying the romance, Sienna Miller has finally spoken out her reunion with Jude Law, admitting 'I'm so happy'. Speaking at her Twenty8Twelve fashion show yesterday, Miller gushed about her boyfriend, declaring he's 'great'. She told the Daily Mirror: 'It's going really well. I'm so happy actually, he's great.' There was no sign of Law at the Miller's Autumn/Winter 2010 show at London's Temple Place yesterday, because he is currently in Japan promoting Sherlock Holmes. Instead, her 'date' was her sister and co-designer Savannah Miller, who joined their models on the catwalk after the show. They started dating again last December after Law and Miller were starring in the Broadway productions of Hamlet and After Miss Julie respectively. Over Christmas, they holidayed together in Barbados and since returning to Britain, have been inseparable. The GI Joe star, 28, is planning to move back into Law's north London family home, where they originally lived together several years ago. Miller's public declaration of joy may not go down too well with Law, who previously told her to stop discussing him in interviews before they resumed their relationship.
Welp, now that she's blabbin' that the couple are together in public we can prolly set the egg timer to countdown to the day when Jude dumps her again. He is notoriously against talking to the press about his private life … I fear he may decided to cut Sienna off if she continues to talk about his biz. We've seen how totally he is able to completely cut out his newborn child and his babymama from his life, it'd be a shame if Sienna suffered the same fate. As I've always maintained, Jude and Sienna make a good pair … they totally deserve one another. I guess we'll have to wait and see how long JuSie will last now.
Congratulations are in order for Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi and her unnamed babydaddy … People magazine is reporting that Padma finally gave birth to her first child, a girl she named Krishna Thea Lakshmi, over the weekend!
Padma Lakshmi is now the happy mother of a daughter. "Model, author and Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef Padma Lakshmi gave birth to a baby girl named Krishna Thea Lakshmi on Saturday," her rep tells PEOPLE. "Mother and baby are well and happy." Last month, Lakshmi dropped hints about her daughter's name, saying, "I am going to name the child an Indian name. It will be after someone in my family, so don't expect to see an Anglicized name – it will be a classically Indian Sanskrit name." Lakshmi, 39, announced her pregnancy in Oct. after years of struggling with endometriosis. She has not identified the baby's father.
Since Padma is insistent on keeping the identity of the baby's father private, I think we should all respect those wishes. I'm just absolutely thrilled that she finally popped and is now the proud mother of (undoubtedly) a beautiful baby girl. I can't think of a prettier name for a little girl than Krishna … I love it!! Much love and congrats goes out to mother and daughter today!!!
Yesterday wasn't all bad … for the most part, it was one of the funnest days I've enjoyed living here in LA :) As you may have noticed, I've been on a bit of a Charmed kick lately. Now that I'm re-watching the entire series all over again and have been fawning over my new possession of a full-size replica Charmed spirit board, I've been itching to visit the real life mansion that was used in all 8 seasons as the Halliwell Manor on the show. Much like a real life home was used as Buffy Summers's home on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which my friends and I visited back in July of '08), there is a real life mansion that was used as Halliwell Manor in Charmed. The Charmed House is in the Angelino Heights neighborhood of Echo Park:
I've been meaning to get out to see the house for a couple of weeks now but there were many delays. Yesterday was finally the day!! After the jump check out some of the fun photos I took of Halliwell Manor yesterday afternoon … More »
Yesterday was mostly an amazingly fun day. David and I spent the sunny afternoon all over town doing some very fun things (which I'll get to presently) but our evening activity took place at the ArcLight Theater in Hollywood, CA were we attended a showing of the new film Shutter Island. Based on the creepiness of the trailer, I thought it would be worth seeing … and David really wanted to see it so we had high hopes that it would be good. David kinda liked it and I, on the other hand, did not:
From the get-go, the movie did not grab me and, in fact, only succeeded in annoying me. The horrible misuse of music (the pounding, blaring noise that tried to set the tone) and the even horribler accents used by almost all of the actors (especially Leonardo DiCaprio, who I kept expecting to utter the phrase Turn out da lights, Mugsy with his ridiculous Boston accent) made it difficult for me to focus on the story. Once I finally did focus on the story, I found it a terribly unbelievable jumble of confusing mess that never really came together … not even at the end when you finally realize what is going on. Considering that this was a Martin Scorsese film, I was very surprised at how little was spent on the special effects … and this is not an FX film. Not even the digitized water in the background of many of the scenes looked believable. They should've spent the money they didn't use on FX for the writers. The only acting performances I enjoyed came from Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow … and only barely. They are fantastic actors but they were totally wasted on this messy film. I'm certain there will be many comments below in the dissent but I honestly felt that Shutter Island was terrible. It wasn't the worse movie I've ever seen but I'm deffo of the mind that poor Alfred Hitchcock, whom Scorsese was trying to pay homage to, is turning in his grave :(
But, as I said, the rest of yesterday was very fun … fun that I'll talk about in the next post :)
Last night celebs of the silver screen convened at the Royal Opera House in London, England to attend the 2010 British Academy Film Awards which are, essentially, the British Oscars. It THRILLS me beyond belief to pass along the news that The Hurt Locker took home the top prize, pretty much shutting out Avatar from all the big trophies. Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the BAFTA Best Director award and her film won 6 of its 8 nominations. Not too shabby, right? Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals and some deets about who won what at last night's BAFTAs:
The inevitability of a major Oscar-night skirmish between Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" and James Cameron's "Avatar" continued to grow over the weekend. The Iraq war film won six of the eight categories in which it was nominated at Sunday night's British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. Cameron's 3-D fantasia was shut out of the major categories, as ex-wife Bigelow became the first woman to take the BAFTAs' Best Director honor." The film about a bomb-disposal unit in Iraq also won Best Picture, Cinematography, Editing, Sound and Original Screenplay (for screenwriter Mark Boal). Bigelow dismissed talk of a rivalry with Cameron, saying she was "real honored" to be nominated alongside her former husband. Cameron shouldn't feel bad, also swept in the major categories was Quentin Tarantino, whose Nazi drama "Inglourious Basterds" got blanked with the exception of a Best Supporting Actor win for the amazing Christoph Waltz. "Avatar" did manage to notch wins for Best Production Design and Special Visual Effects. Jason Reitman's downsizing drama "Up in the Air" won for Best Adapted Screenplay, beating out such serious competition as "District 9," "An Education," "In the Loop" and "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." English actors had a good night, with Colin Firth winning Leading Actor honors (over "Crazy Heart" strummer Jeff Bridges) for his role in "A Single Man" as a college professor struggling to find the meaning of life after the death of his longtime partner. Newcomer Carey Mulligan took home the Leading Actress prize for her lauded breakout role in "An Education." Both drew healthy applause, but one of the loudest ovations on the red carpet came for Kristen Stewart of "Twilight" fame. The Los Angeles native took home the night's only audience-voted award, the Orange Rising Star prize, in which she aced out Mulligan, Jesse Eisenberg ("Zombieland"), Nicholas Hoult ("A Single Man") and Tahar Rahim ("A Prophet"). Continuing a string of pre-Oscar wins, Mo'Nique won the Best Supporting Actress award for her harrowing work as a harsh mother in "Precious." Duncan Jones, the son of British rock icon David Bowie, won the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for his trippy space film "Moon," and "Up" won the trophy for Best Animated Film and Best Score for Michael Giacchino.
Damn!! This is amazing news for Bigelow and The Hurt Locker! I knew that the film would do well at the BAFTAs but I did not expect it to practically pull off a clean sweep. I truly hope this bodes well for the film's performance at the Academy Awards here in Hollywood, CA next month. Wow … just … wow. After the jump, check out some photos from the BAFTA press room and see some photos of some of the winners with their coveted awards … More »
A couple of weeks ago, Neil Patrick Harris shared a personal photo on Twitter of Jennifer Lopez on the set of his CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and today we get to see the first official promo still from that episode. As you can see from the following photo, J. Lo's character Anita Appleby is puttin' the serious moves on NPH's character Barney Stinson:
The official first look of "How I Met Your Mother" episode that reveals how Jennifer Lopez translates to the sitcom has been released. In the new still, Lopez's Anita Appleby is in the position to seduce Neil Patrick Harris' Barney. According to earlier reports, Anita is a self-help guru who helps Robin in taming the womanizer. Anita makes it her mission to "break" Barney. There is no date yet for the episode but it will be within the March run … "How I Met Your Mother" is taking a break for the Winter Olympics coverage but will be back on March 1 with Carrie Underwood as guest.
J. Lo looks good, y'all. Her booty is bangin' and Barney looks like putty in Anita's hands. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that these might might actually do the do … er, well, on the show that is ;) HIMYM is pulling out all the stops in these upcoming eps … be on the look out for a bunch of great guest stars. Which of the show's upcoming guests are you most excited to see?
Great news for fans of the GI Joe toys and cartoon of the 80′s … according to a new report, there is a possibility that the Cobra Crimson Twins, TOMAX and XAMOT, will be featured in the upcoming sequel to GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Script writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have suggested in a new interview that the twin baddies may be written into the sequel … which sends the 13 year old boy inside me squealing with delight:
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who have been hired to write the script for "G.I. Joe 2″, recently shared their idea to use more characters from the toy line in the upcoming movie. MTV later tried to get more information about who will be brought into the sequel, asking the two whether the new characters will include Tomax and Xamot who are also known as Crimson Twins. Refusing to confirm or rule out the possibility, Reese answered, "Oh yeah, well–," before adding with a laugh "… okay, maybe." He further told MTV, "I can't say. You may have just read it off my face but I can't say. Can't say." Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, consisting of Tomax and Xamot, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the "G.I. Joe" universe. Together they are the co-leaders of Cobra's elite troops, the Crimson Guard. As for "G.I. Joe 2″, Stephen Sommers who directed "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" is slated to return to the same position. Meanwhile, the original cast members, such as Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller, are expected to reprise their roles as they reportedly have signed on for the sequel, which has yet to set any release date.
SQUEEEEEE!! Now, I realize that I am in the minority here but I loved GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and I am very much looking forward to the sequel. Sure, the movie wasn't the best movie ever but I felt they did a great job bringing the beloved GI Joe characters to life … cheesy life, no question. TOMAX and XAMOT are among my fave GI Joe characters (who, some of you may already know, are twin brothers who finish each other's sentences, feel each other's physical pain and ALWAYS work together) and I can't even express how excited I am at this news. Are there any other GI Joe fans out there? Who's excited with me?
Rihanna celebrated her 22nd birthday in style this past Saturday at a party thrown in her honor by her current boyfriend, LA Dodgers baseball player Matt Kemp. Kemp decided to grace Ri Ri with a lap dance at a club in Arizona … tho it wasn't he that was performing for Rihanna. It was a stripper who goes by the professional name "Bridget the Midget":
Rihanna celebrated her birthday on Saturday night with boyfriend Matt Kemp, a few close friends … and a little person who gives lap dances. It all went down in Arizona … during a weekend in which RiRi went barhopping in Scottsdale … The tiny dancer is "Bridget the Midget," a porn star who also appeared on "Cathouse."
As you might imagine, there is video of this special performance by Bridget for Rihanna. Funny enough, Bridget was dancing to the song Hard from Ri Ri's new album Rated R. Check out a vid clip after the jump … More »
Lindsay Lohan, who spent some time in the UK recently, gave a confessional interview to the British tabloid newspaper The Sun wherein she openly discussed her past drug use and proclaims her current sobriety. As best I can remember, this is the most open that L. Lo has been with a publication about her drug use ever … which makes for a fascinating read:
HOLLYWOOD wild child LINDSAY LOHAN today lays bare the extent of her drug addiction – and confesses she came close to killing herself through a heady mix of alcohol, cocaine and mind-bending drugs. And she tells of her "terror" at collapsing on her bathroom floor after taking sleeping pills. The bisexual actress, who has been to rehab three times and was jailed after being caught with cocaine, has always played down the extent of her drug abuse. But today the 23-year-old star of hit films such as Herbie Fully Loaded and Mean Girls sensationally reveals she hit rock bottom – and risked blowing her entire career. Speaking exclusively to The Sun she tells how her problems got worse when her father MICHAEL, a former drug addict and jailbird who beat up Lindsay's mother DINA, started talking to the Press about his daughter in 2007. Lindsay, nicknamed Li-Lo, says: "When my father was going public, that's when I hit rock bottom. I abused substances too much and it wasn't the answer to my problems. People need to know that. I tried to mask my problems with alcohol, cocaine and mind-altering substances. Now I'm in a place where I don't need to use anything and I can feel emotions because I choose to. I learnt from my mistakes and I'm now healthy and happier. I never want to be close to losing everything I worked for and aspired to have my whole life. Mind-altering substances are so dangerous. If I can teach others, especially teens, by sharing my experiences, then that's what I will continue to do. I've made some dreadful mistakes but learned from them – that has probably saved my life."
Wow … I mean, just because Lindsay is saying these things doesn't necessarily mean she's taken them to heart … but still, a public confessional like this does bode well for her supposed healthy new lifestyle. Her chat with The Sun goes on from here — and Lindsay has much more to say. After the jump, check out a photo of Lindsay taken for publication in The Sun (with reporter Emma Cox) and some from her tell-all interview … More »
Last Friday we learned that happy news that popstar/actress Hilary Duff and hockey player Mike Comrie got themselves engaged to be wed while they vacationed in Hawaii (and over the weekend we saw just how thankful Hil D. was to get her fat ring) and today we get to see photos of Hila-rie making their way home from their holiday:
Hilary was well aware of the paparazzi presence at the airport as the couple tried to leave so she did her best to try and hide the big, fat diamond she was wearing on her finger … apparently, Hilary was feeling more shy at the airport than she was on the balcony of the couple's hotel. She did manage to inadvertently flash her ring tho — check out the size of her new engagement rock after the jump … More »
Whoa!! People magazine is reporting that Ryan Phillippe and long-time girlfriend Abbie Cornish have broken up … due to infidelity! As you may recall, Ryan and ex-wife Reese Witherspoon split a few years ago because he fell in love and started fooling around with Abbie while the pair filmed their movie Stop-Loss together. Ryan and Abbie have been together since 2006 … but now, apparently, are no longer. Rabbie is dunzo, y'all!!
It's over between actress Abbie Cornish and boyfriend Ryan Phillippe, her spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE exclusively. "Abbie ended the relationship with Ryan and she moved out of their home," the rep tells PEOPLE. On Sunday, the actress was spotted removing her belongings from the house she shared with Phillippe while he visited a friend with children Ava and Deacon. The split follows months of tabloid speculation that Phillippe has been unfaithful to Cornish – regularly hitting the nightclubs and being linked to other women. When asked about the cause of the break-up and whether Phillippe cheated on Cornish, her rep replied, "No comment." Cornish, 27, and Phillippe, 35, met in 2006 on the set of the film, Stop-Loss, and survived intense media scrutiny following Phillippe's divorce from Reese Witherspoon. Cornish has been in Vancouver for the last seven months shooting the film, Sucker Punch. Reps for Phillippe could not be reached for comment.
Ugh … I can't say that I'm surprised at all. As much as I love Ryan, Abbie had to know that if you take up with a dude who cheats on his wife to be with you then you run the risk of getting cheated on yourself somewhere down the line. I'm not necessarily of the mind that "once a cheater, always a cheater" but the chances are likely that cheaters can be repeat offenders … Phillippe here proves that fact. My first thought, since Reese is newly single again too, was that perhaps this is a chance for Witherppe to get back together again … but something tells me that prolly won't happen. Ah well … Rabbie had a pretty good run. Clearly Ryan was lookin' for greener pastures … mebbe one day, he'll finally find them.
UPDATE: Ryan Phillippe is now giving his side of this break-up story. Hollywood Life brings us his exclusive statement on the split after the jump … More »
Back in August we saw photos of Twilight star Taylor Lautner in the pages of Entertainment Weekly magazine and in November we saw photos of Lautner in Rolling Stone magazine … today we get to see a few outtake photos of the now very legal Taylor Lautner from both of those magazine shoots … and, believe me, they are worth seeing:
All of these new outtake photos look pretty good but, as I'm sure you can imagine, the Rolling Stone photos are the better ones. Check out 2 outtakes from the EW shoot and 2 from the RS shoot and see which ones are YOUR faves … More »
When last we saw mama Jamie Lynn Spears with her daughter Maddie Briann in the company of JL's pappy Jamie Spears, the three of them were stepping out for lunch in Kentwood, LA … today, we see the Spears group making their grand arrival here in SoCal this week:
It's nice to see that JL has been spending so much time with her father … so much so that she decided to come back home to LA to spend more time with him and with big sister Britney Spears. The Spears clan has been hanging out a lot this week (tho, they've not been making a spectacle of it) which is great news. The family appears to be settling into a strange normalcy again … absent for many years now. It's unclear how long JL and Maddie will be staying in SoCal but I hope they stick around for a while. I'd love to see Britney and JL out and about together :)
[Photo credit: Fame]
Last night I ventured out to see my first concert of 2010 and I was thrilled that my first show of the new decade was performed by my Detroit homie Brendan Benson. Benson, as some of you may know, has spent the last few years playing in The Raconteurs with Jack White (who also hails from Detroit Rock City) but I've been a fan of his for years before he joined The Raconteurs and was just a solo act. It's been many years but the last time I saw Brendan Benson play solo, he was performing on Woodward Ave. as part of Rock City Fest in downtown Detroit. Needless to say, it was quite a treat to see him playing here in LA last night:
Brendan released his latest solo album My Old, Familiar Friend last August and this tour is in support of that fantastic album. After the jump, check out a few photos that I snapped of Benson on stage at Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA last night … More »
Awwww yeah … it is that time, once again, for us to pause – reflect – gaze – gander on the famed Hot Dude of the Week here on Pink is the new Blog. Today, we get to feast our eyes on a spectacular black & white photo, taken by photographer Liem Pham, of a spectacular specimen of man named Benjamin Noah:
There's something about the way the chiseled male form looks in b&w that makes photos like this sizzle all the more. All of Benjamin's hard work in the gym is plainly evident in this hawt photo. I, for one, am thankful that Benjamin has made a career out of modeling because based on the photos of him shot by Liem Pham, it looks like he'll have a long and successful career ahead of him … which, of course, means we may get to see more of his hot hotness in the future ;) Enjoy!!
[Photo credit: Liem Pham; Source]
Happy Day, y'all!! Today our beloved Rue McClanahan is celebrating her 76th birthday and I want us all to send her all the Birthday Lurve we can muster for her on her special day!!!
While Rue's Golden Girl co-star Betty White is prolly still hopin' that she will "drop dead", I think it would be lovely for the rest of us to hope that she enjoys the happiest of birthdays today. According to Betty, Rue is out of the hospital and recovering at home after she suffered a stroke a few months ago … but is doing well and is, hopefully, enjoying her birthday today. We love you Rue!!! Have a Happy Birthday today!!!
Birthday lurve goes out to the littlest Beckham this weekend as Cruz David turned a whopping 5 years old yesterday and celebrated with family and friends at XMA Extreme Sports Studio in North Hollywood, CA. As you can see from the photos below, Cruz got all dolled up in costume as Transformers Autobots leader Optimus Prime for the occasion:
Cruz Beckham must have one hell of a dressing up box. The youngest Beckham boy jumps at every opportunity to step out in a fancy dress costume, and his fifth birthday was certainly going to be no exception. Dressed from head-to-toe as a Transformer, the youngest Beckham boy managed to upstage his mother Victoria yet again as he larked about for the cameras. Cruz played up for the paparazzi as he and his older brother, seven-year-old Romeo, who was wearing one of dad David's Sport Relief t-shirts, arrived at the Xtreme Martial Arts World Headquarters in Hollywood with Victoria for his birthday celebration yesterday. In his Optimus Prime outfit, he was all smiles as he leapt out of their people carrier with his arms outstretched before poking an amused looking Romeo's face with his finger. Victoria, dressed in skinny blue jeans and towering black heels, grabbed Cruz's hand and led him into the venue. It's clearly one of Cruz's favourite places as he also celebrated his fourth birthday last year, again in fancy dress, this time dressed as Wolverine from the X Men. And his smile never left his face and was beaming with happiness as he left a few hours later, still clutching mum's hand, and laden down with party bags. Later, Victoria took the boys, who were joined by older brother Brooklyn, 10 and Gordon Ramsay and his family for dinner at the Pirate's Dinner Adventure. Although it was only natural that he was the centre of attention on his birthday, Cruz wasted no time in ditching his robot costume and getting the pirate gear on.
Yes, Cruz Beckham really does love his costume birthday parties. If you recall, he dressed up as both Iron Man and Wolverine for his birthday celebration last year … this year, he opted for Optimus Prime and a Pirate. It's really nice that his parents let him express this side of himself … I bet he had a blast. Earlier this week, I erroneously reported that mama Victoria Beckham was headed back to the UK from NYC but, as you can see, that was wrong. Vicki B. was headed, instead, for home so she could be with her son on his birthday … sorry 'bout that. In any event, Birthday Lurve goes out to little Cruz today …. here's hoping he had a great little bday!!
On Friday we learned the happy news that popstar/actress Hilary Duff and hockey playin' hunk Mike Comrie got themselves engaged (Hilary's publicist has officially confirmed the engagement). The blog at Bauer-Griffin, apparently, managed to catch the exact moment when Mike proposed to Hilary while they were on vacay in Hawaii last week:
What followed next, after this sweet down-on-one-knee moment, was totally natural and extremely hilarious! After the jump, find out what Hil D. did for Mikey to show her extreme appreciation after he popped the question … More »
And the hits just keep on comin' for our sad child stars from days of yore. It's bad enough that former child star and Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman has been having his own troubles with the law, today we learn that former child star Brian Bonsall (who starred in Family Ties and Star Trek: The Next Generation) has been arrested again … for the third time (the second time in 3 months), this time around for failing to pass a drug test while out on bond from his last arrest. As you may recall, Bonsall was just arrested in December on charges of assault. Homie just got busted again this week for drugs:
Former "Family Ties" child TV star Brian Bonsall is in trouble again — this time over drug tests that allegedly showed he has used marijuana while out on bond. Brian Bonsall, 28, was out on bond after being charged with third-degree assault and failure-to-appear in Boulder. During a court appearance on Friday, he was arrested after the prosecutor said he violated conditions of his bond. Deputy District Attorney Amy Okubo said Bonsall tested positive for marijuana in a Feb. 15 urine test and had several other diluted urine tests. Okubo said he believed the reason the urine tests were diluted was "because he was trying to hide drug use." Bonsall's attorney said his client had applied for a medical marijuana license, although it wasn't clear if he already had one. The court-appointed attorney said Bonsall is a candidate for medical marijuana due to severe head injuries he has suffered. The original assault charges stem from an alleged incident involving a friend of Bonsall who said he was hit in the face with a stool. Okubo said one of the conditions of Bonsall's bond were "no drugs."
Ugh. Stories like this are just heartbreakingly sad. It sounds as if Bonsall (and for that matter, Colman as well) is stuck in a sad loop of misery, crime and despair. You hope that people learn from their mistakes but when stuff like this just keeps happening, well, you begin to fear what will come next. I'm afraid that Brian Bonsall will either end up spending the majority of life in jail or he'll end up dead. I hope for his sake he can, somehow, get the help he desperately needs … absent that, I hope he goes the jail route because it would be just too tragic if this young man ended up dead :(
Earlier this week we saw a bunch of behind the scenes promo pics and vids from the new Candie's ad campaign Britney Spears: Through the Lens and today we get to see one more cute behind the scenes photo. This pic comes from the set of Britney's photoshoot with Terry Richardson and features our dear Brit with a pair of cute pink rollerskates:
She looks utterly fantastic in all of these Candie's photos … I love them all! After the jump, take more more look at the promo photo, shot by Richardson, that features Britney and a cute pink teddy bear … More »
Earlier this week we learned that Jared Leto, almost unthinkably, decided to shave off his gorgeous hair so that he could rock a new mohawk hair'do … today we get to see Leto, as frontman of his band 30 Seconds to Mars, rockin' the 'hawk on stage in Nottingham, England last night like the true rock star he is:
Ugh … it's almost gross how perfect Jared Leto looks all the time. As I suggested previously, the man knows how to rock any look right … this mohawk works perfectly on him. Sure, I'd prolly advise against the red leather Janet Jackson gloves but, over all, he looks like a great rock star. I have to admit, I'm loving this look on him … aren't you?
Last night I got dragged out of the house by my dear friends Darion and Jordan for a night of dinner and dancing. David was supposed to come with but he was feeling under the weather at the last minute and decided to opt out. Undaunted, Darion and I enjoyed a fun dinner at Rambutan Thai in Silverlake … we were met by Jordan and his good friend Adam for drinks afterward. I, somehow, got talked into having another drink at Akbar and well, that's was my night:
It was really fun hanging with the guys but I wasn't really in a mood for a big night out. Darion and I bailed by midnight and that was fine by me :)
It is a gloriously sunny day here in LA today so I'm gonna try to get out and enjoy it … tonight I'm seeing Brendan Benson at the Troubador in West Hollywood, CA. Ahh … happy Saturday :)
Here is this week's batch of photos sent in by Pink is the new Blog readers — Angi sends in an adorable photo of her babygirl Jennifer (who turns 2 in March) having a fantastic Valentine's Day — Amy and Brian send in a beautiful photo from their wedding day last December — Richard from Oklahoma City, OK sends in a happy photo of his acceptance letter to the University of Oklahoma … my alma mater! Go Sooners!! — Kathryn who hails from Northern Virginia sends in a photo of the crazy 25 inches of snow they got earlier this year — Gale from Seattle, WA sends in a photo from her recent European travels:
Much love and thanks you all for sending in such great pics! I am so happy for Richard that he will be attending OU in the Fall. I LOVED my time in Norman, OK and I know he is going to have a blast!! Congrats goes out to Amy and Brian and, again, all my love to all y'all for sending in your amazingly fun photos. Please keep 'em coming!! xo
Back in December the folks at Disney announced that Captain EO, the classic 3D film that stars Michael Jackson and showed exclusively at Disney theme parks in the 80′s and 90′s, would be returning to the parks this month. I am THRILLED to pass along the news that Captain EO will begin showing again starting this Tuesday February 23:
Since we first announced the return of "Captain EO" on the Disney Parks Blog, there has been an incredible response from fans, and we've received many enthusiastic emails and phone calls asking exactly when the classic "Captain EO" attraction featuring Michael Jackson will reopen. Today, we are excited to give you an update on the Captain's return! On Tuesday, February 23, as a tribute to the magic, music and messages of "Captain EO," the 3-D musical adventure is returning to the Tomorrowland theater in which it debuted. While it's not possible to replicate some special effects elements from the original presentation, it will boast a new 70mm print of the film, and it will sound better than ever thanks to acoustic enhancements made to the theater since the film last played there in 1997.
I understand there will be a special line set up for guests who only want to see Captain EO without visiting the park. Because I have an annual pass, I am planning to visit Disneyland on Tuesday to see the film AND play in the park :) Woot!! How many of you Southern Californians will meet me at Disney on Tues?
Last month we learned the shocking news that Dexter star Michael C. Hall is suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma but, in happier news, he was battling the illness very successfully. Shortly after that news broke, MCH was on hand to collect well-deserved acting awards from the 2010 Golden Globe Awards and the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards. When last we saw MCH out and about, he was doing a bit of grocery shopping with his Dexter co-star and real life wife Jennifer Carpenter a few weeks ago. Today we get to see new pics of Michael C. Hall, lookin' spry and happy, as he made his way into the Chateau Marmont here in LA earlier this week:
It is FANTASTIC to see MCH lookin' so well. I understand his cancer treatments have been going perfectly and he is on track for a full and healthy recovery. MCH is seriously one of my favorite TV actors of all time and I am absolutely thrilled to learn that he is doing so well. The next season of Dexter should begin filming soon … knowing MCH, he'll be ready to get back into action in no time.
Last night the principal stars of the new movie version of Alice In Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton, surprised fans online and in person by appearing at a fan event sponsored by Disney and My Space at the Hollywood and Highland Complex in Hollywood, CA to preview the film and the film's soundtrack. As you might imagine, Johnny Depp (who plays The Mad Hatter in Wonderland) garnered the biggest cheers from the crowd when he was brought out on stage:
The anticipation is building for the release of Tim Burton's fantastical Alice in Wonderland and fans of the movie were treated to a sneak preview of the film AND a special surprise appearance from Johnny Depp Friday night in Hollywood. Looking dashing in his trademark tinted glasses and a scarf, Johnny Depp was greeted by deafening screams as he stood on stage at the Alice in Wonderland Fan Event at the Hollywood and Highland complex. Depp plays the Mad Hatter in the film and he was joined by director Tim Burton and fellow co-stars Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas and Anne Hathaway. Sponsored by MySpace, the event featured performances from four featured artists who performed their songs from the soundtrack "Almost Alice." Rocking out to a packed audience, 3OH!3, Metro Station, Kerli and Never Shout Never ramped up the anticipation for the appearance of the film's stars. The 3D fantasy adventure Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5.
Disney had been hyping last night's event all day long on Twitter … to be honest, had I known the event would feature the stars in person, I might've braved the rain to attend myself. After the jump, check out photos of some of the other Wonderland stars on stage last night … More »
Rihanna, known for her funky style and fashionable bravery, will be releasing a book of photographs this Summer that will feature some of her various fashion looks in a photobook titled Rihanna (edited by photographer Simon Henwood). If you are a Rihanna fan, then this book is for you. Here is our first look at the cover of Rihanna along with the full book description:
The official visual chronicle of the year's "it" girl as she embarks on her first solo tour. The millions of sites tracking her every fashion move, the innumerable magazine covers including the recent Italian Vogue shot by Steven Klein, her past endorsement deals including Gucci and CoverGirl—Rihanna is the reigning style icon of the moment. She has garnered multiplatinum–selling success as an artist (her current album, her fourth, Rated R had the highest first-week sales of any of her other albums in the U.S. to date), including Grammys, MTV Video Music Awards, and countless other awards for her performances. Creative director Simon Henwood captures the supernova at the height of her beauty and ferocity in hundreds of photographs that track her enormous influence on current trends and interaction with the world of fashion—from her performances in the most cutting-edge couture (such as Gaultier and Chanel, as well as in pieces from museum collections), to her relationships with the unknown but up-and-coming designers she personally champions, to her fashion shoot with Ellen von Unwerth in Berlin for her album artwork. This is a visually arresting capsule of one of the world's most talked-about artists of the year.
I think we're all well-aware that Rihanna has made a career out of taking fashion risks and this book sounds like the perfect place to see many of those (in)famous looks in one place. As I mentioned above, this book seems geared toward diehard Ri Ri fans so haters need not apply. This book sounds fab … is it something that you think YOU might like to pick up?
It has been about a month since Conan O'Brien signed off on the final episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and since that time he has been pretty much M.I.A. It turns out that Conan has been gettin' some much-needed rest and popped up this week in Hawaii … lookin' homeless as all get out but also lookin' rested and relaxed … oh and puttin' the mack on a dolphin:
You would think that with the reported $32.5 million settlement from NBC that Conan O'Brien pocketed he would have the ladies flocking to him. But as RadarOnline.com can reveal the only action that the former Tonight Show host seems to be getting these days is from a dolphin! Conan was spotted on vacation in Hawaii with his wife and kids on Thursday and the red headed host made the most of the warm tropical waters by taking a dip with a dolphin. The dolphin seemed to take a liking to Conan sharing a smooch with the unemployed funny guy. Let's hope Conan's wife isn't the jealous type!
Awww … this is such a cute picture … one that would be aided muchly if Conan had shaved one or twice in the past month but still, very cute. It's good seeing Conan out in public … I hope he's thinking carefully about his next career move. I don't think there is any rush for him to jump the gun. It would seem that he is taking his time, nice and slow. Rest well, Conan!!
[Photo credit: Splash News, Source]
Ryan Carnes, who has been previously starred in Desperate Housewives and the film Eating Out, is featured in a photoshoot by Jeff Slater titled Sunday Morning. As you can see from these photos, it would seem the theme of this Sunday Morning shoot is all about Ryan and his sleepy nekkidness as he rolls himself out of bed to start the day:
I am very happy to report that there are many more photos from this shoot to see … some of them are NSFW but all of them are extremely HOT and worth seeing. After the jump, see what waking up on a Sunday Morning with Ryan Carnes might look like … More »
Comedienne Kathy Griffin is trying on a dramatic role for size in an upcoming episode of Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit. Here is our first look at Kathy in one of her scenes with SVU hottie Christopher Meloni and some deets about this serious new role:
Kathy Griffin is used to making people laugh, but her upcoming guest role on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" was no laughing matter. The comedian plays a gay activist who works with Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after a woman from a lesbian community is found dead. The episode airs March 3 at 10 p.m.. "With [the cast and the crew] watching you, and the pressure is on, when you mess up a line, you don't want to do it again," Griffin told The News. "My mind is programmed to go for the joke. My whole life is looking for the joke, but this was no joke. I didn't want to disappoint them." Griffin, who stars in her own Bravo reality series, "My Life on the D-List," scored the plum guest role after "L&O" executive producer Neal Baer attended last September's Creative Arts Emmys (or "Schmemmys," as Griffin calls them), which Griffin hosted. Without even meeting the funny lady in person, Baer vowed to a Griffin pal that he'd write her a part that would get her an Emmy nomination. "I do think it's a little bit A-list that I'm in this category where people just write parts for me and I don't even have to audition," said Griffin, who is in town for her three-night concert, which kicks off tonight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. When Griffin received Baer's script, she was relieved to see that she would be playing Babs Duffy, a "white, lesbian Al Sharpton," rather than a goofy version of herself. "Playing myself gets kind of boring," said Griffin. "There's enough of myself already out there. I'm sick of myself … By the third day, I worked up the courage to ask Mariska if she could run lines with me. She said, 'I want to be there for you,'" Griffin said. "At first, I thought she was kidding … she and Chris were so helpful." In the episode, Griffin's and Hargitay's characters share a kiss – Griffin's first same-sex smooch. "I was so nervous about getting my character right that the last thing I gave a s- about was kissing a girl," said Griffin. "When it came to the actual kiss, I kind of don't remember it. I'd love to sit here and say her lips are soft, but you'd have to ask Babs."
Wow … who knew that Kathy Griffin had this in her? I'm SO curious to see how she does with this role … I'll bet she nails it. David is a big fan of all the Law & Orders so I'm sure this episode will be on our DVR for me to check out. While I'm more a fan of the CSI: shows, I'll deffo be checkin' out this ep of L&O to see if Kathy's got what it takes to be a serious actress. What do y'all think … can she handle it?
Last week we got our first look at Robert Pattinson on the cover of the 10th Anniversary issue of Details magazine and today we get to see a couple more previously unseen photos from that shoot:
Details just published a new batch of photos from this photoshoot helmed by photographer Norma Jean Roy. After the jump, check out one more new NSFW photo of R. Pattz posing with those topless models again … More »
Vampire Weekend have just released a music video for their new single Giving Up The Gun which features, among other folks, our dear Jake Gyllenhaal. Here are a few screencaps and a short description of the video from Spinner:
Fans can now add "ace tennis player" to the list of Jake Gyllenhaal's many talents. The actor is part of a superstar cast for Vampire Weekend's new video for 'Giving Up the Gun,' which also brings together another fine tennis player, Joe Jonas, as well as Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and Lil Jon. The clip is a stylish but decidedly weird dreamlike sequence where Vampire Weekend video muse Jenny plays the tennis game of her life. The surreal quality stems from Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig's original inspiration. "I was stressed out one night worrying about the video and an image popped into my head of our friend Jenny (who's also in the 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' video) playing tennis against a samurai. It grew from there," Koenig tells Spinner. Sound-wise, the song is one of Vampire Weekend's more straight-ahead pop tunes, but with driving, delicious percussion. "Our goal has always been to give the songs what they need," Koenig says. "Sometime our songs need marimbas or AutoTune, and sometimes they just need a big beat" … "'Giving Up the Gun' just means turning your back on aggression and selfishness," Koenig explains of the song's concept. "The heroine of the video isn't an amazing tennis player, but she has heart. She stays calm despite the unfairness of it all."
Basically all you need to know is that Jakey poo pulls off his pants to reveal his shorty tennis shorts ;) After the jump, check out the video in full … More »
Congratulations are in order for popstar/actress Hilary Duff and her hockey-playin' beau Mike Comrie … according to new reports out today, the couple are engaged to be wed! After a couple years of dating, it appears that Hila-rie are finally ready to say I Do. They're gettin' hitched, y'all!!
Disney diva Hilary Duff has become the second hockey fiancée of the season, thanks to her engagement to Edmonton Oilers star Mike Comrie. A source close to the 22-year-old actress confirms to E! News that she got engaged to her boyfriend of more than two years while vacationing in Maui this week. Duff's mom seemingly laughed off reports of her daughter's engagement this week (just like the couple themselves did a year and a half ago), but we're guessing that was before she caught a load of pictures seemingly catching the 29-year-old Comrie at his very moment of question popping. There's no word yet on a wedding date for the happy couple. Congrats, you two!
Yes, much congrats to the happy couple!! It's funny … I remember when Hilary Duff and Joel Madden were my fave Hollywood couple and now, here we are all these years later, and they're both engaged to other people … it's funny the way life works itself out. I hope you'll join me in sending the warmest wishes and our heartiest congrats to Hilary and Mike! Congrats!!
Last night I FINALLY met up with my dear friend Adriana for our appointed monthly dinner date (which was weeks overdue) and we decided to let David tag along with us. AY and I have a rule that the places we eat have to be new so we were racking our brains to come up with a place to dine … then it hit me! I knew the perfect place that we would all love to visit, that none of us have ever been to before … in fact, I don't know anyone alive who's ever been there. I decided we should have our date at Encounter Restaurant & Bar right smack dab in the middle of LAX Airport:
I'm certain that everyone in the SoCal area (or has visited the SoCal area) has seen Encounter but, as I said, I've never met anyone who's actually been inside. Sooooo … that's where we went for dinner and drinks last night. After the jump, check out some photos from inside Encounter and hear my mini-review on the famed eatery that no one ever eats at … More »
Back in December we saw a few manipulated photos of celebs that predicted what they might look like in the future as they age … today, Life & Style magazine does the same with photos that predict what celebrity children (like Brangelina's kiddies) may look like in a few years time when they grow up. Here is what L&S mag thinks Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt may look like in 10 years time:
Watch out, world — Zahara is 15!
Z's already an adorable diva, so Angie and Brad should have their hands full when she hits her teens. "Zahara's a smart-ass," Angelina has said. "So dramatic and creative and loud and charming. She's definitely the biggest personality in the house."
Ever wonder what Hollywood's cutest kids will look like when they grow up? Now you don't have to! Life & Style tapped a forensic artist to predict what our favorite tykes will look like in 10 years. Using sophisticated age-progression computer technology, we've enhanced the features these tots already have while also taking into consideration their parents' signature assets. Here's Tinseltown 2020! For more photos of what Hollywood's cutest kids will look like in 2020, pick up the latest issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!
Watch out, world — Zahara is 15!
Z's already an adorable diva, so Angie and Brad should have their hands full when she hits her teens. "Zahara's a smart-ass," Angelina has said. "So dramatic and creative and loud and charming. She's definitely the biggest personality in the house."
Ever wonder what Hollywood's cutest kids will look like when they grow up? Now you don't have to! Life & Style tapped a forensic artist to predict what our favorite tykes will look like in 10 years. Using sophisticated age-progression computer technology, we've enhanced the features these tots already have while also taking into consideration their parents' signature assets. Here's Tinseltown 2020! For more photos of what Hollywood's cutest kids will look like in 2020, pick up the latest issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!
After the jump, see how Life & Style thinks Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt will look in 2020 … More »
It was previously reported that Julie Benz is not the only new female character to move to Wisteria Lane … supermodels Heidi Klum and Paulina Porizkova have signed on to guest star on the Desperate Housewives and DH star Eva Longoria shared with her fans on Facebook the first photos of Heidi and Paulina on set. Here is a pic of Eva, Heidi and Drea de Matteo on set this week:
Eva Longoria is so excited with the arrival of models on the set of "Desperate Housewives" that she wanted to share it with her fans. The depicter of Gabrielle Solis posted on her Facebook, the set pictures of her and co-star Drea de Matteo posing with the guest stars, Heidi Klum and Paulina Porizkova. The supermodels whose appearance on the comedy show had been announced earlier this month, came to the set to film their parts on Wednesday, February 17. "Me, Drea and Paulina Porizkova on set today! Paulina is so gorgeous! Having fun with models today!" Eva wrote underneath the photo with Paulina. A few hours later she posted the one with Heidi, saying "Heidi Klum is guest starring on our show today too!! here is a pic!". Eva however, did not provide information of when the episode featuring Paulina and Heidi will be aired but E! reported that it will be one of the March episodes. Paulina and Heidi play as themselves and they run into Eva's Gabby and Drea's Angie while in New York City.
Ah yes, it looks like there is much excitement going down on the set of Desperate Housewives this season. After the jump, check out the photo of Eva, Drea and supermodel guest star Paulina Porizkova … More »
Here are a few photos of hottie Kellan Lutz walking the streets of NYC all by his lonesome as he slurps on what looks to be an ice tea from Starbucks and then chats on his handy mobile phone:
Yeah … these photos aren't all that special … it's just that Kellan looks good slurpin' on his Starbucks drink, that's all. While I vastly prefer those photos of Mr. Lutz where he is wearing much less clothing, he don't look so bad when he's all dressed up either … wouldn't you agree?
Here's a fun game to play today … can you guess which celeb was showin' off his booty crack while giving The Ellen DeGeneres Show a huge shout-out by wearing her trademarked undies?
I'd say that's quite a clefty crack, wouldn't you? Baby's got back, y'all. I will hint that this fellow is in NYC where he participated in New York Fashion Week this week … can you guess who it is? Find out if you're right, after the jump … More »
Earlier this week we learned that Tiger Woods, embattled golf star and extramarital cheater extraordinaire, would be making a public statement today in front of the world to break his silence in person for the first time since the Tiger Woods Cheating Scandal broke last November (as you may recall, Tiger initially broke his silence on his official website last year but this would be his first in person statement since the scandal broke). Just moments ago, Tiger Woods overtook the TV and Internet airwaves to deliver his mea culpa. Here are a few screencaps from his appearance along with some excerpts from his speech:
Tiger Woods has apologized for having affairs and says he is unsure when he will return to competitive golf. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was not acceptable," said Woods, looking composed and speaking in a steady voice. His wife, Elin, was not obviously present. As for coming back to the PGA Tour, Woods said: "I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out it will be this year." Woods talked for more than 13 minutes Friday from the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour. About 40 people were in the room, including his mother. He hugged her when he finished speaking. "I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior," Woods said. Admitting he felt he "deserved to enjoy the temptations" that came with his fabulous success, Woods said he is solely responsible for his actions. Woods said he was in treatment for 45 days and will return for more therapy, adding he has more work to do to resolve his personal problems. The world's No. 1 golfer had not talked in public since his traffic accident Nov. 27 triggered shocking revelations about Woods' serial infidelity. Friday's event was tightly controlled, with only a few journalists allowed to watch Woods live. Woods' televised confession became a major television event with the networks breaking in to show it live.
Thus far, the entire transcript of Tiger's statement has not been made available but I do have the full 13+ minute video of his statement in case you missed it — you can watch video of Tiger Woods's full apologetic statement after the jump … More »
Earlier this week we saw a striking photo of Prince William on the cover of the new issue of Hello! magazine … a photo which was shot by a former homeless man named James Hubbard who, we learned, was allowed to shoot the young prince so that the photos could be sold to the highest bidder for charity. Today we get to see a cute pic of the photographer and the prince along with a couple of behind the scenes photos from their photoshoot:
It's been the talking point of the week: Has Prince William really dyed his hair black or has the future king been given a digitally altered new thatch? With the issue being discussed as far afield as India, Australia and the U.S., St James's Palace yesterday took the extraordinary step of issuing a statement. Apparently it's all down to legendary photographer Rankin (he is so famous that he doesn't have to use his first name) and some over-enthusiastic studio lighting and technical jiggery-pokery. The Glaswegian artist, who has previously captured subjects as diverse as the Queen and Britney Spears, oversaw last month's session in his London studio in which William was photographed by Jeff Hubbard, a former homeless man now getting his life back on track. It was the appearance of the pictures in Hello! magazine this week, after being sold to raise money for charity, that led to the comments about the prince's thinning, dark blond locks being replaced by a good covering of almost black hair. William's spokesman said that as the portraits were 'artwork' and not a straight-forward snap, a specific form of lighting was used to create a clear, crisp image – which immediately darkened the royal hair. The portraits were then developed to give William a 'natural' skin tone, but this further darkened all the non-white tones – including William's mop. The explanation did not fully explain how it also made his thinning hairline look so much more full. The spokesman said: 'Studio lighting and work on colour contrasts in the prints have all contributed to the particular look. The prince is pleased with the results, particularly since they have been commissioned in order to help homeless men and women, which is an issue close to his heart.' Money from the sale of the pictures and an exhibition will go to the charity Crisis, which helps rough sleepers get back on their feet. It was Crisis which helped 53-year-old Mr Hubbard turn his life around after his marriage and successful travel business collapsed in the recession of the early Nineties.
Honestly, I don't even care how fake his hair looks … Prince Wills looks good in these photos. The behind the scenes photos show that his hair wasn't really dyed black for the photos and they also don't show him lookin' so thin on top. Check out those photos after the jump … More »
On Wednesday we learned that Courtney Love has finally settled on a release date for her new Hole album (which features none of the original members of Hole) Nobody's Daughter (the same name she was planning to give her next solo release) on April 27, 2010. News of the release date came from a new coverstory interview with Spin magazine … which features C. Love on the cover and in the pages of their March issue. In addition to talking about her new album, Love also talks about the drama concerning her loss of custodial rights of her daughter Frances Bean Cobain:
Courtney Love has never been shy about speaking her mind, and the rocker is characteristically unabashed in a new interview with Spin magazine. When asked about daughter Frances Bean, 17, who currently has a restraining order against her mom, Love points a finger at the family of her late husband Kurt Cobain. "Those snarly-ass O'Connors want checks," she says in Spin slated to hit newsstands Feb. 23, referring to her late husband's family. "I'm through supporting their asses." Cobain's mother, Wendy O'Connor and his younger sister, Kimberly, currently have legal, medical and financial authority over the teenager. Despite losing legal control of Frances Bean, Love, 45, says she's focused on making her new album, Nobody's Daughter, a success. "One time, Frances was being mean and said, 'What are you going to do if the record fails?' " Love reveals. "Well, Frances, it can't fail because I love it, and I've worked really hard to make sure that I love it." But, the magazine reports, Love is not as gruff as she sometimes seems and tears up at the mention of her daughter, saying, "I'm lost in a [expletive] nightmare maze." The singer revealed her feelings about her daughter on Twitter last week, writing, "My daughter has been kidnapped and i am going to take it? Of course i was beyond angry, despondent suicidal in every way." However, in the Spin interview, she references suicide again while discussing drugs. "I don't take anything that isn't prescribed to me," she says. "Cocaine, narcotics – those would be tantamount to suicide, and I'm not suicidal."
This Spin magazine coverstory meanders a bit and features that off-kilter Courtney Love that we are very familiar with but, I have to say, she comes off as much more coherent than she normally does in her My Space/Twitter/Facebook rants. Thru a filter, provided by a journalist, Courtney sounds pretty lucid. I can't help but be curious to hear her new album … I'm deffo planning to give it a shot. In regards to losing custody of her daughter, well, Frances will turn 18 later on this year which will render the matter of parental custody moot. It's prolly for the best that Frances takes control of her own life cuz leaving it in the hands of Courtney Love? Well … no. After the jump, check out a couple photos from Courtney's Spin magazine photospread … More »
Over the past couple of weeks, we've been seeing new promo images from the upcoming sequel film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Last week we saw photos of characters Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) rolling around in the grass and just yesterday we saw a photo of Edward battling evil vamps Victoria (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) and Riley (played by Xavier Samuels) … but today, we go back to Bella and Edward. This time, tho, the couple aren't rolling around in the grass … this time, they are rolling around on the bed:
The countdown to Eclipse is hotting up, and now we have even more brand new stills of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The steamy new snaps show lovebirds Bella and Edward play fighting and giggling, before stealing some alone time in Edward's brand new bed. Phew! But we're still waiting to get our hands on some more snaps of our favourite warewolf, Jacob Black, A.K.A. super-muscly star Taylor Lautner. And for all those who just can't wait to see the new Eclipse trailer, we have good news! Fans will be able to get their hands on the first super-exclusive sneak peek of Eclipse when New Moon is released on DVD on 22nd March.
Oh man … if memory serves, Eclipse is when all the lovin' takes place. From the look of these promo stills, this may be our first peek at the moments leading up to "the lovin'". Check out two more photos of Bella and Edward gettin' it on after the jump … More »
Anyone who has any passing knowledge of Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn knows that he is a man of impeccable taste, incredible style and is among the nicest people on Earth. But, when it comes to commenting on the pitiful state of fashion as perpetuated by so-called reality stars like the Kardashian girls and the folks on MTV's Jersey Shore, well, even Tim Gunn has to be brutally honest. Here is a new interview with Tim Gunn by WonderWall that took place during New York Fashion Week this week … trust me, it's an interview you're gonna wanna read:
We talked with design guru and "Project Runway" star Tim Gunn at Fashion Week, and let's just say, he made this interview work (tee hee). He has built a career on his strong sartorial opinions, so it's no wonder that he lets loose when talking about the "Jersey Shore" stars' fashion sense and the Kardashians' Bebe line. Check it out.
Wonderwall: What do you think of Jersey Shore style?
Gunn: Ugh! Oh! Don't even get me started. It is not a style to emulate. I know that the show is hugely popular. I will tell you it pains me when I hear 12-year-old girls say it's their favorite show. You shouldn't be watching it! And it's so incendiary that New Jersey is no longer permitting it to be taped in New Jersey.
WW: That's why they're going to film in Miami.
TG: Yeah, so what does that say?
WW: Nothing good.
TG: It's like throwing people to the lions in ancient Rome. I don't get it.
WW: J-Woww is launching her own line.
TG: Preposterous! Preposterous! Sorry.
WW: Are you a supporter of the Kardashians' line with Bebe?
TG: No! I just think the Kardashians have an absence of taste and I don't think that that should be perpetuated. I'm sorry I'm sounding like an old farty snob but it bothers me.
WW: You sound like somebody who's telling the truth.
TG: I will say in general with celebrity labels, with the understanding that they're not actually designing them, but you hope in a way that they're not overseeing them either. I'm all in favor of anything that employs young designers.
WW: How do you feel about Fashion Week moving to Lincoln Center?
TG: We have to look for a silver lining to this. And we've known for a number of seasons that we were battling with the Parks Commissioner. Why, I do not know because Bryant Park helped brand New York as the fashion capital of the world, but we're taking the high road here. And for me, I love the fact that we can align fashion with the arts. It puts it into a cultural context … and I'm really quite thrilled by it all. The only little downside is it's going to be a subway ride away from the Fashion District.
WW: We'll make it work.
TG: We'll make it work. Exactly.
We talked with design guru and "Project Runway" star Tim Gunn at Fashion Week, and let's just say, he made this interview work (tee hee). He has built a career on his strong sartorial opinions, so it's no wonder that he lets loose when talking about the "Jersey Shore" stars' fashion sense and the Kardashians' Bebe line. Check it out.
Wonderwall: What do you think of Jersey Shore style?
Gunn: Ugh! Oh! Don't even get me started. It is not a style to emulate. I know that the show is hugely popular. I will tell you it pains me when I hear 12-year-old girls say it's their favorite show. You shouldn't be watching it! And it's so incendiary that New Jersey is no longer permitting it to be taped in New Jersey.
WW: That's why they're going to film in Miami.
TG: Yeah, so what does that say?
WW: Nothing good.
TG: It's like throwing people to the lions in ancient Rome. I don't get it.
WW: J-Woww is launching her own line.
TG: Preposterous! Preposterous! Sorry.
WW: Are you a supporter of the Kardashians' line with Bebe?
TG: No! I just think the Kardashians have an absence of taste and I don't think that that should be perpetuated. I'm sorry I'm sounding like an old farty snob but it bothers me.
WW: You sound like somebody who's telling the truth.
TG: I will say in general with celebrity labels, with the understanding that they're not actually designing them, but you hope in a way that they're not overseeing them either. I'm all in favor of anything that employs young designers.
WW: How do you feel about Fashion Week moving to Lincoln Center?
TG: We have to look for a silver lining to this. And we've known for a number of seasons that we were battling with the Parks Commissioner. Why, I do not know because Bryant Park helped brand New York as the fashion capital of the world, but we're taking the high road here. And for me, I love the fact that we can align fashion with the arts. It puts it into a cultural context … and I'm really quite thrilled by it all. The only little downside is it's going to be a subway ride away from the Fashion District.
WW: We'll make it work.
TG: We'll make it work. Exactly.
Thank you SWEET BABY JEBUS for Tim Gunn. The man is such a respectable fashion icon, I cannot TELL you how much it relives me that he is not afraid to speak the truth. Tim Gunn does not like being mean for being mean's sake … for him to claim that the Kardashians are devoid of taste and to call a proposed fashion line designed by J-Woww as preposterous, then he must truly believe it to be so. Tim Gunn is the man, y'all … and I love him even more for his truthful answers in this interview. LOOOOOVE it!
Yesterday we saw a few supercute photos of Angelina Jolie and fauxhubby Brad Pitt enjoying the city of Venice, Italy together with their children (including their twins who are rarely seen in public) and right now we get to check out a couple new photos of Brangelina on another outing in Venice … this time with only two of their children, their eldest daughters Zahara Marley and Shiloh Nouvel:
Aww now these pics are cute … and considering the scary photos of Angelina we saw earlier today, these are a welcome sight. Now that the Brangelina brood have relocated to Venice, Italy for a spell while Ange films her next movie, I expect we'll be seeing much more of the family out and about on the streets and canals of Venice in the coming weeks. Will we see more of the elusive twins? I hope so. Will we see more of the scary Angelina neck? I sincerely hope not. I guess we'll have to see what Brangelina's time in Venice brings us in the days and weeks to come.
While rumors are swirling that Nicole Richie is shopping for wedding dresses at NY Fashion Week this week, the very engaged Joel Madden took his eldest child — daughter Harlow Winter Kate — for a stroll on the chilly streets of NYC yesterday afternoon:
OMG … how cute is Harlow. It sure looks like she's nice and toasty all bundled up in that cute little outfit. I cannot get over how adorable this little girl is … she is the PERFECT amalgamation of both mama Nicole and daddy Joel. I'm still very happy that the news of Nic/Joel's engagement has finally been made public … now we can look forward to the coming nuptials. No word on how long the Richie-Madden clan will remain in NYC so we may get to see more cute pics like this soon.
New photos of Angelina Jolie, who is currently in Venice, Italy with her ENTIRE family, seem to show some strange skin growths or something on her neck which have everyone asking, What the hell is wrong with her neck? US Weekly, the publication which believes itself to be an ardent seeker of knowledge and truth, asked a few doctors that specialize in cosmetic surgery what they think is going on with Ange's scary neck … read on:
Angelina Jolie was photographed in Venice, Italy Wednesday afternoon with two protruding muscles where her chin meets her neck. The photo was not altered, as Jolie, 34, sported the same facial protrusion at the BAFTA awards in February 2009. UsMagazine.com consulted a number of plastic surgeons to find out what's really going on because, as Beverly Hills-based Dr. Gabriel Chiu tells Us, "it's unlikely that the banding can occur from strong facial muscles alone." Dr. Elie Levine, who has not treated Jolie, says that it appears she's "received Botox to her face and likely her neck" because she shows "no wrinkles along the sides of her eyes (the crow's feet) despite that very large smile… and her forehead is smooth." Botox paralyzes muscles, causing one to "recruit other muscles that are not regularly used to twisting the neck and smiling widely" to compensate, he adds. Dr. Chiu believes Jolie may have had a "minimally invasive procedure" — such as Gore-Tex injected into her face — to lift and suspend "the tissues in her neck, jaw line and lower face." Dr. Brian Glatt concurs. "Angelina appears to have had a procedure done to tighten her lower face, neck, and jaw line such as a mini or lower facelift," he says. If she had a mini-facelift, Dr. Andrew Jacano says the skin was not lifted far enough back. "Think of it like making your bed," he says. "If you don't pull the sheets tight enough, they'll appear wrinkled and bunched at the corners." But Dr. Lyle M. Back believes Jolie has not received any cosmetic surgery. He credits the protrusion to Jolie's "very thinned out skin — tented and pulled over the edge of the angle of her jaw" as the result of her having less than 10 percent body fat. "Body builders love to employ a variety of techniques to get their skin looking this thin so that the judges can actually see the striations and fiber lines in their muscles through their skin," he adds.
At first, I too thought the photos were doctored but further investigation shows this weird neck thing on Angelina Jolie in many different photos. I dunno what could've caused it but I know it's scary lookin' as hell. I'm not sure which of these explanations could be the right one, all I know is I hope Ange either has the matter fixed or she will take better pains to keep her neck covered. Ick! What do YOU think is her problem?
[Photo credit: INFdaily; Source]
So … yesterday was David's and my 4 year anniversary and altho we've celebrated in Barcelona, Spain and Amsterdam, Holland in the past, this year we decided to celebrate in our own backyard. We didn't want to make a huge production out of our special day, we just wanted to spend some time together outside … so we packed a small picnic and made our way to Coldwater Canyon Park for some quality time together:
The weather was beautiful but the company was even more beautiful :) If you so desire, you can check out some of the photos we snapped on our picnic outing … More »
A few weeks ago it was reported that musician Sheryl Crow will be guest starring in upcoming eps of her BFF Courteney Cox-Arquette's hit comedic sitcom Cougar Town on ABC and today we get our first look at Crow on the show. People magazine just released the first promo still from Sheryl Crow's first episode of Cougar Town … behold:
Sheryl Crow has caught the acting bug — and getting to kiss a hunky TV star didn't help! The singer is set to appear in a recurring role on Cougar Town, which stars her pal Courteney Cox, beginning in March. "I play a woman named Sara in her 40s who's a wine dealer," Crow tells PEOPLE. "I don't want to give too much away but there's a little romance with Grayson (Josh Hopkins, pictured), who lives across the street from Jules, which is Courteney's character. Jules and Grayson have always had a sort of unspoken thing for each other." Does that mean there will be a catfight over serial dater Grayson? "I don't know if I can give it away," Crow says with a laugh. She did dish, however, on smooching Hopkins. "He's a good kisser," she says. "But it's always weird kissing somebody when there are 3,000 people around." But Crow had a plan for getting over her nerves — rip it like a Band Aid! "The first day I walked in and I saw Josh and I said, 'Okay, kiss me! Let's get it over with." And so they did: "Yeah. I said let's get it over with," she says. "No surprises."
As I've said many times, I LOVE Cougar Town. It sounds like Sheryl will be bringing some more drama to the show … which is always a good thing. I loved it when Lisa Kudrow guested on the show, here's hoping Sheryl's ep(s?) will be just as fun to watch!
Last month we saw a couple of glammy photos of former Boy Bander Lance Bass which were shot by photographer Mike Ruiz. Those photos to me looked more like pics that American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert would be featured in … but today, courtesy of Mike Ruiz's official Facebook profile, we get to see what a collaboration between Glambert and Ruiz actually looks like:
Not bad … not bad at all. Sure, this photo is a bit much on the styling (and make-up) but for Adam Lambert, it's a much more muted look for him. It works. After the jump, check out another photo from this photoshoot … More »
Gary Coleman, who was recently arrested in Utah for failing to appear at an important court date [because he was hospitalized with a heart condition] and then was released from jail in a wheelchair, appeared on The Insider last night to talk about his legal woes and was, IMHO, ambushed on national television by a lawyer who kept pressing him to answer accusations that he physically abused his wife. Here are a few screencaps from the encounter:
I can't help but feel bad for poor Gary Coleman … the guy is set up like a punching bag and in this interview is berated to the point that he storms out of the interview which I think was the original intent of the Insider interview. The Insider makes it a habit of ambushing their interviewees just so they can capture these sorts of responses for their show. After the jump, check out the video clip in full and see for yourselves … More »
Kelly Osbourne has been making the rounds at New York Fashion Week this week — just yesterday we saw her sitting in the front row with Shannen Doherty at the G-Star Raw show earlier this week — and today we get to see a colorful photo of Kelly O. at the Jeremy Scott show at Milk Studios last night … get a load of this:
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! This is hilarious … there is NO WAY Kelly did not know she was dressed like Fred Flintstone when she put this little number on. Homegirl has been lookin' fine in recent months but this outfit is a world of no! LOL … and I thought Pete Wentz was the crazy one at NY Fashion Week. I think Kelly takes the cake!
Pete Wentz's fashion line, Clandestine Industries, threw a fashion show event at Stage 37 in NYC earlier this week for New York Fashion Week and, as you can tell from the following photos, he really went all out for his runway look … behold:
As far as I know, the new collection by Clandestine isn't necessarily Silence of the Lamb-related so I'm not sure why Wentz came out in a Hannibal Lecter ensemble but … at least the mask is covering up that heinous beard he's trying to grow. Ah Fashion, why you gotta be so crazy?
Academy Award-winning American Idol reject Jennifer Hudson has been chosen as the latest celeb to don the milk'stache for the latest promos for Got Milk? ad campaign. Here is one of J. Hud newly released milk'stache photos for the ad campaign:
The Taste of Fame — Center stage, silver screen, joyful new mom. How do I keep this show on the road? Milk. Its wholesome goodness helps make my family strong at every stage. Talk about a powerful performance. Got Milk?
I love me some J. Hud but this outfit? No. I dunno why she needs to wear one of Liberace's old bath robes … it's not a good look on her. After the jump, check out Jennifer Hudson's other Got Milk? promo ad which, IMHO, looks a bit better than this one … More »
After many weeks in hiding, disgraced golf star Tiger Woods came out of the hole he's been living in yesterday to go for a friendly jog (with a female-looking [?] companion who is NOT his wife Elin Nordegren), showing his face in public for the first time since the Tiger Woods Cheating Scandal rocked the world. Altho it was reported that Tiger did surface on the grounds of a rehab center in Mississippi last month, this is the first confirmed outing for Woods in weeks. Tiger's public jog occurred just hours after his people released a statement announcing that he will be giving a press conference tomorrow to address the scandal he's been embroiled in. It would appear that Tiger Woods is attempting to take back COMPLETE CONTROL of the situation that has gotten way out of hand. Here's a pic from Tiger's jog and the full text of his press conference statement announcement:
Tiger Woods is ready to come out of his shell, planning a talk this Friday, February 19 which will be opened only to "a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates". Scheduled to begin 11 A.M. EST at TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the golfer will apologize for unspecified past behavior and discuss his plans for the future.
"While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that's what he's going to discuss."
Tiger Woods is ready to come out of his shell, planning a talk this Friday, February 19 which will be opened only to "a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates". Scheduled to begin 11 A.M. EST at TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the golfer will apologize for unspecified past behavior and discuss his plans for the future.
"While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that's what he's going to discuss."
It's not entirely clear what Tiger will say but I suspect some sort of public apology is on the way. Considering that NO QUESTIONS will be allowed, he'll basically stand in front of cameras and deliver a carefully-worded speech that has been crafted for the occasion. I'm very curious to hear what he has to say, to hear what sins he'll admit to but I doubt I'll be very impressed. The event will take place tomorrow morning at 11AM ET, 8AM PT … stay tuned!
Last week we got our first look at new promo stills from the upcoming sequel film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and today, by way of Pink reader Stef, we get to see another promo still released from the film. As you may recall, Bryce Dallas Howard was hired to replace Rachelle Lefevre (who was unceremoniously fired from the role) in the role of vampire Victoria in Eclipse and last August we saw the first photos of Bryce on set as Victoria. This new promo still gives us a better look at the new Victoria as she and vampire Riley (played by Xavier Samuel) try to hurt poor, sweet Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson):
Yeah … I don't like it. I hate that Bryce has been cast as Victoria … I miss Rachelle. I'm certain die hard Twilighters will squeal with glee at the sight of this new still from the film but … not me. GRRR.
[Source, thanks Stef]
Here are a couple of SUPERCUTE photos of Kingston James McGregor (first born child of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale) and Ruby Sweetheart (first born child of Toby Maguire and Jennifer Meyer) enjoying a park playdate together here in SoCal this week … behold:
Seriously aren't they the cutest? These two enjoyed a playdate previously last October when they were still babies … now they've practically kids! These two are just adorable … methinks they'll be BFFs for the rest of their lives ;)
Always on the go-go-go, Victoria Beckham — who just showed her 4th collection of high-end dresses at NY Fashion Week this week — was spotted making a hasty exit from her hotel in Manhattan on her way to JFK International Airport to reportedly fly back to London. Here are photos of the Posh one making her departure:
As you can see, Vicki B. is toting around her $30,000.00 crocodile Hermès Birkin bag and that nasty fur-like jacket she wears from time to time. I swear, it looks like her coat is made out of road-kill … not even the fancy purse makes it look better. BUT, VB ain't go no time to listen to fashion criticism … cuz she's on the go-go-go again! Her children have already returned home to SoCal (after they spent some time with daddy David Beckham in Milan, Italy last week) so she may be spending a bit of time in Europe this time around. I don't know the lady does it but … she really is the epitome of the frantic jetsetter. OY!
In June of last year, NME took us into the recording studio with Courtney Love who was — we were told — working on her new album titled Nobody's Daughter. In January of this year, C. Love launched an official website for the disc and announced a string of new concert dates. Today we learn that Nobody's Daugther is scheduled for release on April 27:
Courtney Love has found a home for Nobody's Daughter. Mercury/IDJ will release Hole's highly anticipated new album on April 27. It took Love, who graces the cover of the March issue of SPIN, five years to finish Nobody's Daughter, during which time she told the magazine she relied on "the kindness of strangers" — in reality, former collaborators like Linda Perry, Billy Corgan, and producer Michael Beinhorn, who helmed Hole's previous album, 1998′s Celebrity Skin. All three have since distanced themselves from the project. Beinhorn quit after almost a year, citing frustration with Love's "fragmented focus." "She had a lot of things going on in her personal life that made it impossible to do the sort of work that I wanted," he says. Though Perry declined to comment, Love tells SPIN that Perry, who cowrote America's Sweetheart, the singer-guitarist's 2004 solo debut, has been "incredibly gracious" and "gave me probably the best advice I ever received, which is to become a lesbian." As SPIN previously reported, Hole's founding guitarist, Eric Erlandson, objects to Love's use of the band name since none of the former members are involved. The current line-up includes Love's roommate, 23-year-old British guitarist Micko Larkin, bassist Shawn Dailey (of Rock Kills Kid), and drummer Stuart Fisher. Jack Irons, formerly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, played drums on the album. The success of Nobody's Daughter is crucial to Love's long-awaited comeback, especially given her recent drama: She lost custody of daughter Frances Bean in December amid rumors of domestic abuse, and a restraining order prevents Love from contacting her. "One time, Frances was being mean and she said, 'What are you going to do if this record fails?'" Love tells SPIN. "Well, Frances, it can't fail because I love it, and I've worked really hard to make sure that I love it."
This may sound like great news for C. Love fans but, I wouldn't hold my breath just yet. As you may recall, it was previously announced that Nobody's Daughter would be released on January 1, 2009. Still, this is hopeful news … especially since it comes from Spin magazine. I'll admit it, altho she is a crazy trainwreck I'm really curious about the sound of this new album. I can't wait to hear it — tho, it won't be a proper Hole album. Courtney may be a crappy mother but I suppose she's an OK rock star. Are any of y'all lookin' forward to the release of Nobody's Daughter? Do you think Courtney Love will sink or swim?
Last Thursday we learned the shockingly sad news that famed fashion designer Alexander McQueen had passed away at the young age of 40. In the week since, it has been determined that McQueen died of asphyxiation due to hanging by the neck … because a note was found with his body, it's fairly certain that he died by his own hand:
At an official inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court in London on Wednesday, it was revealed that Lee Alexander McQueen hanged himself in a wardrobe closet at his Mayfair apartment, leaving a suicide note by his side. His sister, Janet McQueen, was called to identify the body, the BBC reports. A representative of the Metropolitan Police said at the five-minute initial hearing that there were no suspicious circumstances, while the coroner's office said the full report of the post-mortem examination was not yet available. The inquest was adjourned until April. 28. A rep at the Alexander McQueen fashion house tells PEOPLE, "There has been no date set for a memorial but we hope to know more shortly," and adds: "It will be very low-key." The family laid to rest the designer's mother, Joyce McQueen, in East London only last Friday, the day after Alexander McQueen's body was discovered.
There has been talk all along that McQueen had committed suicide but I thought it was unwise to pass along those reports until they were substantiated. This is very, very sad news. It is so tragic that such an accomplished and successful person could feel so lost that they felt compelled to end their own life. The man was a genius, yes, but it is clear now that he was a very troubled soul. I truly hope Alexander McQueen has finally found peace in death that he clearly and very desperately lacked in life :(
Today, David and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary :) It was 4 years ago today that we met in Amsterdam and, as it turns out, fell madly in love. Here is one of the first photos that we ever took together on that fated trip to Holland:
We can hardly believe it's been so long … and yet, we still have a whole lifetime to share ahead. Thank you so much for all of your well wishes … we couldn't be happier. We've got plans for a nice, quiet celebration today.
It's a beautiful day, y'all … I hope you are able to enjoy it as much as we plan to :)
OK … now this might be a bit creepy, even for the most diehard of rabid Twihards, but I still think it's totally worth sharing with all y'all. A shop on Etsy has created a Manllow (half man, half pillow) in the likeness of the Twilight character Jacob Black (portrayed on screen by the just turned 18 Taylor Lautner). Should you be able to procure one of these Manllows, your dream of being able to sleep with Jacob Black can be realized. Here is what the Jacob Black Manllow looks like:
For all the Twilight crazed lonely women in the world, Jacob Black is finally here to be with you and only you. Sleep with him, cuddle with him, use him as a neck rest, the Jacob Manllow is there to be your man and pillow all in one. Don't worry, in the Manllow world, all men are of age. Made of soft cotton jersey, screen printed face, polyester stuffing and love.
According to the creator, the Manllow is "105% creepy, 5% loveable" — a description with which I'd have to agree. This is werid, y'all … but, as you might imagine, it is already sold out. The Manllow creator insists that more Manllows will be made available for sale … if you'd like updates, you are encouraged to follow Manllow on Twitter HERE. What do y'all think of this creepy thing … would YOU want to sleep with something like this?
Shannen Doherty, who we loved/hated as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210 and loved/missed as Prue Halliwell on Charmed, was sittin' front and center at the G-Star Raw fashion show at the Hammerstein Ballroom for New York Fashion Week last night … and she was quite a sight for sore eyes. Here are a few pics from Shannen's arrival, from the front row (with seat neighbor Kelly Osbourne) and the after party:
Woot!! Shannen looks great, don't she? It was such a nice treat to see her reprise her role as Brenda Walsh on the new version of 90210 last Fall … it's a shame we don't get to see more of her. I'm currently re-watching the entire Charmed series and I am so LOVING Shannen Doherty again these days. I'm so glad she popped up at NY Fashion Week … I hope we get to see more of her soon!
Lindsay Lohan is featured in the new issue of L'Uomo Vogue magazine in a sorta sexy photo shot by Canadian popstar-turned-photographer Bryan Adams (yes, of Summer of '69 fame). Here is L. Lo's boobs-out photo:
Except for the look on her fact, this photo ain't half bad. This photo could actually be really sexy if we weren't all well acquainted with Lindsay Lohan's breasts. I still find it very strange that Bryan Adams is now a "fashion photographer" and even stranger that Lindsay likes being photographed by him but … well … here you have it. I give it a meh. What do YOU think of this photo?
Yesterday we saw a couple photos of Jared Leto getting his beautiful hair shaved off his pretty head by photographer Terry Richardson … and today we get to see the final result of that haircut. But first, here's another photo of Jared in the midst of getting his hair shorn off:
Ugh … I still cannot believe he decided to shave off his hair but … well … yeah.
So … are you dying to see how his new hair'do turned out? Check it out, after the jump … More »
It's been quite some time since we've seen the Brangelina bunch all together, including ALL of the kiddies — Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley, Pax Thien, Shiloh Nouvel, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline. When last we saw Brangelina out and about, they were were lookin' all lovey-dovey in Miami, FL as they rooted for the New Orleans Saints at Super Bowl XLIV. Since then, Angelina made her way to Haiti to do some UN Goodwill Ambassador work there. This week, the entire Brangelina brood have made their way to Venice, Italy for a little family vacay … with ALL of their children:
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave the tourists of Venice an extra sight to see today when they were spotted treating their children to ice cream. After keeping a low-profile amidst rumours of relationship trouble in recent months, the couple were seen with all six of their children today for the first time in ages. The superstar couple jetted into Italy's canal city yesterday afternoon in preparation for a three-month stint while Jolie films her new movie The Tourist. And after sleeping off the jetlag at their new digs at the 15th century Palazzo Mocenigo, Jolie and Pitt decided to give their four oldest children a taste of a local delicacy – ice cream. The couple are renting out the stunning canal-side Palazzo, which is situated between the Rialto and Accademia parts of the city and faces San Toma. After arriving in a private plane at Marco Polo Airport on Monday afternoon, the family took two speedboats – one for their huge amount of luggage and another for the children – to their new home. Jolie, 34, isn't expected to begin filming until March 15 which gives the family plenty of time to get to know the maze of streets and canals of Venice. Earlier today, the couple left their 19-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne at home with the nannies as they took their four other children out for ice cream … A few hours earlier, the couple then stepped out with their youngest children Knox and Vivienne, who have been rarely seen in public … Their move to Venice is yet another new location for the couple's increasingly nomadic existence. After spending the past few months in Los Angeles, it appears the Jolie-Pitt family are suffering from itchy feet again.
Aww … I love seeing the entire family altogether. This photo shows the brood enjoying ice cream together (and look at Shiloh's hat … is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?!) but after the jump, you can check out photos of Brangelina with the youngest twins as they boarded a gondola for a Venician cruise … More »
Last November we learned the worrisome news that plans were in the works to remake the classic 1994 film The Crow, which starred the late Brandon Lee and was based on the famed James O'Barr graphic novel of the same name, in a new incarnation. Today we learn the troublesome news that those plans are moving forward … according to new reports, filming of the new version of The Crow will begin this Summer:
Director Stephen Norrington's upcoming relaunch of "The Crow" may finally be on the verge of getting a greenlight to begin production. "The producer and visual effects people are crunching numbers," Norrington told Mania.com. "We've opened discussions with major cast but nothing is final yet." Norrington also indicated that "The Crow" would probably be filmed before his supernatural World War II thriller, "The Lost Patrol." Additionally, Norrington stated that he hopes to begin filming "The Crow" during the summer and that he expects to deliver a first draft of the script later this month. "The Crow" was created in 1989 by James O'Barr and follows a young man named Eric Draven who assumes the identity of The Crow in order to avenge the murder of his fiancée. In 1994, director Alex Proyas adapted "The Crow" into a feature film starring the late Brandon Lee, which spawned three sequels. Norrington's "Crow" is reportedly a new take on the material and does not use the Eric Draven character. Norrington has previously directed two comic book movies — the original "Blade" film and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" — before taking a long sabbatical from directing features. Norrington's "Crow" film was first announced at the end of 2008. Back in November, "The Crow" producer Ryan Kavanaugh stated that the script for the relaunch was already completed. "The script is great," related Kavanaugh. "We're very excited about it. 'The Crow' is definitely going to happen, we're just getting all the pieces together right now. It's not officially greenlit, but it's going to happen… I think in a couple months we could have the package together for sure."
No, no, no. The more I hear about this planned redux, the more I hate what I hear. The Eric Draven character IS the Crow. I contend that the sequel films that failed after the '94 original did so because they focused on "new Crows" that were vastly sub par to the original character. While I liked Norrinton's adaptation of Blade, I hated his incarnation of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen … so that worries me, too. I do not have high hopes that this redux will satisfy me or longtime Crow fans. It's possible that an entirely fresh take on the Crow mythos could work but it would have to be done very well, with the right cast and the right script. At this point, I have no confidence that those components will actually come together properly. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Are any of y'all impressed by any of this news?
Yesterday we got to check out some new promo photos from the new Candie's ad campaign, titled Britney Spears: Through the Lens, and today we get to check out a bunch of behind the scenes photos AND video from the various photoshoot sets. Among the behind the scene photos are the promos that were photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Terry Richardson and Mark Seliger. Here the first batch of campaign photos culled together and some info from the latest press release:
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. unveiled today its spring 2010 marketing campaign for its junior brand, Candie's®, which is exclusively available at Kohl's Department Stores and Kohls.com. The campaign entitled, "Britney Spears Through The Lens," showcases international superstar, Britney Spears, as seen through the lens of three famed photographers, Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger and Terry Richardson. Each iconic photographer shot Spears at Paramount Studios in Hollywood late last year. Britney Spears, commented, "Annie, Mark and Terry are three of the biggest photographers in the world, I am honored to be working with them for my Candie's Only at Kohl's ads. It was an amazing shoot and I know my fans are going to love the cool images." The campaign, a series of photographs of Spears as seen through the lens of each master photographer will debut with a four page insert in the April issue of Seventeen Magazine as well as online at candies.com and Kohls.com. Each photographer has their own unique and trademark style. Annie Leibovitz's photograph features Spears against an industrial backdrop, Terry Richardson photographed Spears on a plain white set with colorful props, while Mark Seliger created elaborate sets. Seliger's first set was a French burlesque inspired pink dressing room and the second was a custom designed pink Harley-Davidson motorcycle against a perfect blue sky and green grass background. "This is the most exciting shoot we have ever produced for Candie's. We have three master photographers; Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger and Terry Richardson shooting the biggest pop star in the world, each in their own iconic style," stated Dari Marder, chief marketing officer, Iconix Brand Group. Julie Gardner, Kohl's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, stated, "The new Candie's spring advertising campaign is innovative, authentic and provides a unique brand expression in the marketplace. We are confident this will resonate with our junior shoppers who trust Candie's to provide style and value." The "Britney Spears Through The Lens," campaign will be seen in fashion magazines, outdoor billboards, in-store, circulars, online and direct mail. The Candie's Only at Kohl's marketing campaign was created by the Iconix in-house marketing team in partnership with Annie Leibovitz who is famous for her celebrity portraits, Mark Seliger who is recognized for infusing music and fashion in his photography and Terry Richardson who is known for his ability to capture the true essence of his subjects.
When taken as a whole, this campaign looks very strong, very solid. These photographers do amazing work all on their own … in combination, they've come up with a campaign that should really do well for Candie's. Our dear Britney looks FANTASTIC!! After the jump, check out a few behind the scenes photos from the various photoshoots and check out some fun behind the scenes video as well … More »
At the start of this month, we got our first look at the first promo photos from the 2010 Calvin Klein Underwear campaign featuring new spokesmodels Kellan Lutz, Mechad Brooks, Fernando Verdasco and Hidetoshi Nakata. Since the release of those initial first photos, we saw a few more photos … some behind the scenes photos … and some HOT behind the scenes video. Today, we get our first look at the first video commercial released for this campaign:
Nakata, Verdasco, Lutz and Brooks ask the viewer if they want to see their **** but, as you might imagine, it's not entirely clear what they mean by ****. Watch the video clip after the jump and see if you can figure out what they are teasing us with … More »
Yesterday we learned that Britney Spears and her agent/beau Jason Trawick spent part of their Valentine's Day celebration at their friendly, neighborhood McDonald's … but it turns out that there was more to their VD plans than just a sack of Chicken McNuggets. Jason ordered a HUGE bouquet of balloons to be delivered to Britney by the the time the couple returned home from their trip to McD's:
Aren't they just the cutest? It's impressive that Britwick are so content with the simpler things in life. It really appears that they enjoyed themselves a fabulous Valentine's Day together … here's hoping Britwick will enjoy many more together :)
Yesterday we saw photos of Zac Efron surfin' (well, pretendin' to surf, actually) on Bondi Beach in Australia … and today we get to see a couple more photos of Efron in Oz but this time, he was photographed with his longtime girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens. The couple were spotted swappin' copious amounts of spit at a bar near the beach … behold:
AWWW … young lurve, ain't it sweet? I'll admit it … I never thought these two would last as long as they have but they continue to endure as a couple. It would be so easy for both of these young stars to flit about from partner to partner but, instead, Zanessa stay happily together. They're just so cute I could puke on my fabulously stylish shoes … couldn't you?
Around Xmas, we got to see a few promo photos featuring Kylie Minogue for TOUS jewelry and today we get to see a new batch of promo photos of Kylie posing with a few TOUS accessories for their Spring campaign. As you can tell from the following photos, Kylie plays a sexy magician in this new ad campaign:
Kylie Minogue poses as a musician in her latest advertising campaign, chopping herself into bits as she advertises Tous handbags. The Australian singer is dressed in a top hat and skimpy striped outfit for the shots. She tweeted: 'Hello peeps!! Am in the middle of photo-shoot for the next Tous campaign, photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth. It's all about…*m*a*g*i*c!! / I first worked with Ellen in the mid 90′s….!!! She has great energy and takes gorgeous pics.'
The photos are really fun. Check out a couple more photos from this *m*a*g*i*c*a*l* TOUS campaign featuring Miss Minogue … More »
Jared Leto, who has been sportin' a mound of big sexy hair lately, went and did the unthinkable yesterday … he went and got a haircut:
Folks, he didn't just get a haircut … he shaved off all of his hair! Photographer Terry Richardson, who is one of the photographers who shot Britney Spears for the new Candie's ad campaign, is the one who shaved Jared's head for him. Check out the haircut in progress after the jump … More »
BLAHHHHHHH! So, my day yesterday was totally shot … thanks to the ineptness of UPS. Long story short, they were due to deliver a piece of furniture from Pottery Barn … which I spent all day tracking. The status read "OUT FOR DELIVERY" all day long and the deliver never arrived. The status date was not updated this morning which got me worried. I called them and found out, OH — THEY LOST THE PARCEL! Then the UPS lady told me about how there needed to be an investigation to find it … which had me wondering, when might I expect to receive my furniture — she had no answer. Thankfully, the kind folks at Pottery Barn are rushing out a replacement piece which will likely arrive before the lost one does. It's possible the lost parcel may be delivered today but, I'm no longer holding my breath :(
At least the Pottery Barn folks care about customer service, which is why I am happy to buy from them.
The only bright side to yesterday's fiasco was that I had a lot of time to finish reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman:
I've read the book before when it was published in '01 but I had a hankering to read it again … wow, it is such a fantastic book. Gods reminded me how masterful a storyteller Neil Gaiman is. It also reminded me why he is my fave contemporary author. I plan to read Anansi Boys soon but I want to re-read Gaiman's entire Sandman comic book series first:
It's been ages since I've read the entire series, so that's my plan.
I'm still totally annoyed by UPS tho, now I'm worried that if I leave today I'll miss the package delivery … GRRRRR.
Entertainment Tonight brings us our first peek at the next new episode of Glee … the famed ep that will feature all music by Madonna! Here are a few screencaps from this preview video:
Oh yeah … it looks like Fox is really pulling out all the stops to ensure they pull back in their big ratings for Glee's return to the air. I knew the all Madonna music ep was coming … but I didn't know it was gonna be the first ep back from the Winter hiatus. After the jump, check out this preview clip in full … More »
In the wake of a fan-inspired drive on Facebook hoping to get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live, it turns out that Betty herself is not opposed to the idea. In a new interview with the LA Times, Betty says all that needs to happen for her to host SNL (and satisfy the legion of fans on Facebook) is for SNL boss Lorne Michaels to call her up and ask:
The ball is in your court, Lorne Michaels. I just got off the phone with the legendary Betty White, and despite her busy schedule the actress hasn't missed the Facebook push to name her as a host of "Saturday Night Live." "I don't know where that came from," White said. "That came out of left field. I understand they've had all of these hits." So is the 88-year-old up to the task of holding court at 30 Rock? "That would be up to Lorne Michaels." White said she'd have to think on who her dream musical guest would be, because the showbiz veteran has plenty on her plate.
This Betty hosting SNL thing has really taken on a life of its own … I cannot imagine how Michaels would dream of not offering Betty the chance to host. She would be a fantastic host and the buzz alone would help the show get high ratings. Make it happen, Lorne Michaels … Betty is just waiting for your call.
One more thing, in this interview, Betty also updates on Rue McClanahan's condition (she suffered a stroke and had to be hospitalized recently) … according to Betty, Rusie is doing fine:
"Ruesie had a little health problem, but she's back home in New York and feeling better. I'm delighted and thrilled to report that."
Wonderful news all around!! Would YOU tune in to watch Betty White host Saturday Night Live? I know I would, for sure!!
Prince William, who just shared a special Valentine's Day lunch with his ladylove Kate Middleton, is featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Hello! magazine. His appearance in the mag is due to a set of photographs of Wills that were sold to the highest bidder to raise funds for charity. Hello! paid the most so they get to use the photos. As you can see from Wills's Hello! coverphoto, he is rockin' some seriously black hair … a whole lot of hair, actually:
Could it be a trick of the light? Or is Prince William the first member of the Royal Family to dabble in, dare one say it, a touch of Grecian 2000? A new portrait of the future king, taken only last month, shows him with a good covering of dark hair. It is all the more striking because it was taken just before his royal tour of Australia, where a gust of wind left onlookers in no doubt about his thinning crown. The image is one of several appearing in Hello! this week after they were sold to the celebrity magazine for an undisclosed sum in aid of charity. But while some make it look as if William has dyed his hair, it appears the change of colour may be down to either lighting or computer trickery because in other pictures his familiar dark blond locks are on display. The cover picture, showing the 27-year-old prince with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, smiling cheekily at the camera, was taken by a former drug addict and rough sleeper and is the first official royal portrait to be taken by a non-professional. Jeff Hubbard, 53, was eventually helped by Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, and now has his own flat in East London. The charity persuaded William to let himself be photographed by Mr Hubbard. A double portrait signed by both men will be displayed at Somerset House in London from March 10 as part of the exhibition A Positive View before being auctioned for the charity. Although the money from the sale of the photos to Hello! will go to Crisis, there will be concern that William is allowing his 'image rights' to be used for commercial advantage.
Firstly, I think it's fantastic that Wills would allow his image to be used to raise funds for charity. Something as simple as posing for a camera will, very likely, net millions of dollars for very needy charities. I can't think of a better way to use one's "image". I'm more concerned, tho, by the misleading headline The Real William because the real William does not have a head of thick, black hair. After the jump, check out a real image of the real William for comparison … More »
Now that we know that Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are engaged to be wed, the question becomes are Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Rafaeli engaged as well? The couple who have been together for a long time (despite the occasional ups and downs) were spotted enjoying a romantic Valentine's Dinner together this past weekend … and those who were there to bear witness are saying it looked like Leo popped the question. Bar was also photographed wearing a ring on her finger (tho, IMHO, it does not look like an engagement ring to me) so … could they really be engaged?
With Sunday being Valentine's Day, it would have been the perfect opportunity to get down on bended knee. So the question is, has Leonardo DiCaprio proposed to his on-off girlfriend Bar Refaeli? If the shiny gold ring on her engagement finger is anything to go by, it could the case. The Israeli model, 24, was spotted with the sparkler as she dined with Leo and his mother at the charity gala dinner at the Berlin International Film Festival today. Last month the pair were pictured together at a basketball match, setting tongues wagging that they had rekindled their tempestuous relationship. They split in June 2009, reportedly because 35-year-old Leo was not ready to settle down and move in with her. But now it appears the actor could be ready to bite the bullet. German newspaper Bild reported that the Hollywood star proposed to Bar in the Hotel de Rome on Valentine's Day. Later that day, the pair shared a romantic evening meal at the city's Grill Royal restaurant. On Monday, Leo's German mother Irmelin, 65, joined her son and Bar at the Cinema for Peace Gala 2010 charity dinner. The event is held every year as part of the film festival, also known as the Berlinale. DiCaprio dressed for the occasion in a smart tuxedo dinner suit while Bar wore an eggshell silk number. Bild newspaper also quoted a source saying the actor's mother had been urging him to make an honest woman of Bar. The insider told the publication: 'She previously urged him to marry Gisele Bündchen without success. Now she said to him, "Don't make the same mistake a second time!"'
HMMM … VD is certainly a good time to propose and considering Leo and Bar have been together for some time it makes sense that they might've gotten engaged. I find it hard to believe, tho, that the ring that Bar is wearing is an engagement ring. Considering how private this couple is, I doubt we'll get any sort of confirmation either way. It'd be nice to see these two settle down but something tells me that Leonardo DiCaprio is not the marrying kind. What do y'all think … are they gettin' hitched?
Late last week we saw photos of Zac Efron doing a bit of shopping on Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA just a day before he and girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens hopped a flight to Australia. Today we get to see pics of Zac on the shore of Bondi Beach down under trying his hand at surfing with the Aussies down there … behold:
Hundreds of children and teenagers descended on Sydney's famous Bondi Beach earlier today to see their idol Zac Efron taking part in a charity surfing event. But crowds hoping to see the High School Musical star show off his surfing skills were left disappointed as he simply waded into the water for a photo opportunity. Having previously spoken of his love for surfing, there's no doubt the 22-year-old can hold his own on a board. But perhaps the thought of hundreds of people watching in action left the actor feeling a bit of stage fright. The Californian actor and girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens were flown Down Under by Oakley sunglasses to raise awareness for their OneSight Foundation's Learn-To-Surf programme. While Hugdens kept a low-profile in the nearby North Bondi Italian restaurant, Efron was driven on to the beach in a golf buggy. Dressed in a red Oakley wetsuit, Efron was overwhelmed by the crowds of screaming girls clambering for a photo or autograph with the heart-throb. While Efron was happy to wade into the sea, he declined to demonstrate his surfing skills. He was flanked by pro-surfers Layne Beachley and Tom Whitaker and a few hand-picked youngsters who were learning to surf. Instead of 'hanging 10′, Efron was happy to play teacher as he helped some of the teenagers onto the surf boards.
I guess those who can — do, those who can't — teach. Honestly, tho, I can't blame the kid for not attempting to surf … the photos of him crashing out would been pure fodder for his detractors. Incidentally, on a totally unrelated note, Zac and Vanessa ended up missing Valentine's Day altogether due to their trip to Oz. The couple departed out of LA on Feb. 13 and landed in Australia on Feb. 15 — so no VD for them this year. Ah well, better luck next year!! Gettin' back to Zac at the beach … I'm just insanely jealous that his hair manages to look perfect, even when its wet! Zac must've sold his soul for always-perfect hair … IMHO, it looks like he deffo got the better end of that deal. Good hair, Zac!
Congratulations are in order for Nicole Richie and Joel Madden — parents of the very beautiful Harlow Winter Kate and Sparrow James Midnight — who have finally announced to the world that they are engaged to be wed!! Altho the couple have been secretly engaged for some time now, the couple have finally decided to share the happy news with the rest of the world. Nicole appeared as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman in NYC last night and broke the news to Letterman and the world during her interview. Groom-to-be Joel confirmed the news on his official Twitter profile as well. Here are photos of the couple making their way thru the scrum of paparazzi in NYC last night and a close-up photo of Nicole's pimpin' engagement bling:
They've been together for more than three years and have two children. Now, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are planning to make it official. "Yep. i'm engaged. Very happy. Yeah we've been engaged for a while so your all kind of late on that. But Thanks for the hooplah all the same," Madden Tweeted Monday night, after news of their plans to wed went wide. He also expressed thanks to relatives who did not let word of the engagement slip. He Tweeted: "P.S. thats why i love my family and friends. None of them are sources. All good tight lipped people who let us enjoy it! Thanks everybody" Richie said Monday night during a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman that the couple are engaged to be married, a source told PEOPLE. After the show, Richie headed to the New York restaurant Abe & Arthurs – without her fiancé – for dinner. "She was glowing," says a source. "She was telling her table how happy she was." Richie, 28, and Madden, 30, began dating in December 2006 and have daughter Harlow, 2, and son Sparrow, 5 months.
I am THRILLED that Nic/Joel finally decided to let the world in on their happy news. I'm pretty sure many folks got very suspicious that the couple were planning a wedding when Nicole was spotted paying a visit to a Monique L'Huillier boutique here in SoCal a few weeks ago … L'Huillier is famous for her beautiful wedding dresses, after all ;) But … the word is FINALLY out … and we can all send the happy couple our warmest wishes and our most heartfelt congratulations!!!
Last month we learned that Britney Spears had re-signed with Candie's to be their celebrity spokemodel for another year and earlier this month we got our first look at the first promo photo that went on display at Kohl's discount department store featuring the 2010 campaign (photographed by Annie Leibovitz). Today we get to see a few more photos, newly released, from the Candie's Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign … featuring our dear Britney:
As you can see, this photo is the full-size version of the first photo released last month. I think it looks much better in this full-size incarnation, don't you? We also learn today that Leibovitz is not the only photographer employed to shoot the new Candie's campaign. After the jump, check out a few more promo photos including one photographed by famed fashion photographers Terry Richardson and Mark Seliger … More »
When last we saw Gerard Butler, he was leaving Mexico via private plane along with his vacation mate Jennifer Aniston (whom he had been sharing a nice few days with in Cabo San Lucas in the days before their departure) and it turns out that he since made his way to Rio de Janerio to participate in the Carnival celebrations going on there. A few weeks ago, before his holiday with Aniston, Gerard happily met and smooched a stranger on the streets of Venice, CA … while in Rio, it would seem that he was up for stranger smooching again:
Just a week ago, Gerard Butler was toasting his 'close friend' Jennifer Aniston's 41st birthday by the pool in Mexico. But as he spent Valentine's Day surrounded by a bevy of scantily-clad beauties in Brazil yesterday, it looked like the Hollywood actress was the last person on his mind … Dressed in white, which highlighted his Mexico tan, Butler got into the carnival spirit as he danced with local ladies. But Butler declined to join in the drinking of refreshing Caipirinha cocktails because he's been teetotal for 13 years. After watching the parade at the Sambadrome earlier that day, Butler was seen partying until the early hours at the five-star Copacabana Palace Hotel last night. Having worn a white mask for Phantom Of The Opera several years ago, Butler opted for a more colourful gold mask this time. He was spotted enjoying the attentions of stunning Brazilian soap star and pin-up Rita Guedes, 38, who showed off her figure in a hot pink, low-cut satin dress. At one point, Guedes got out her mobile phone and started typing on it, suggesting she may have got Butler's number.
He is such a cad. I hope Jen isn't stayin' up night waiting for Gerry to call cuz, well, he looks otherwise occupied these days. Gerard did spend some time down in Rio hanging out with a BFF from one of his old movies. Find out who, after the jump … More »
I got some good bad news for you movie fans … it is being reported today that Madonna is planning to direct her next film. As you may recall, Maddy made her directorial debut with the film Filth and Wisdom which was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews … but, undaunted, Madge has apparently chosen her next movie project to direct. Prepare yourselves, Madonna is gettin' back behind the camera again:
Madonna has decided to give another shot to her directing career, Variety reported. After receiving mostly negative reviews with her first directed-film feature "Filth and Wisdom", the singer has signed on to helm "W.E." which revolves around the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson that led the Brit royal to abdicate the throne to marry his two-time divorcee lover. The pop star is likely to direct Vera Farmiga as the "Up in the Air" actress is reportedly eying the role of Simpson, who precipitated the most severe constitutional crisis in the English monarchy in the 20th century after Edward proposed to her, only months into his reign. The pair later lived the rest of their lives as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and became celebrities around the world. It has not been known who will tackle the role of King Edward VIII. Meanwhile, the film's script will be written by Madonna alongside "Truth or Dare" director Alex Keshishian. Colin Vaines and David Parfitt are producing the biopic, which is slated for 2012 release.
Oh man … this has got DISASTER written all over it. Not only is Maddy planning to direct again but she is tackling a historical piece … about a British monarch? Doomed. This project is doomed from the start. I commend Madge for having the cojones to direct again and for believing she can do British royal history justice but … yeah, I can't see how this film will ever be good enough to quiet her critics. Personally, I think Maddy should stay away from historical pieces but she's gonna do what she wants to do. What do y'all think … does any of this sound like a good idea to you?
Fashion designer Victoria Beckham unveiled her latest collection of high end dresses at New York Fashion Week this past weekend … here is our first look at some of the designs that make up the former-popstar-turned-fashion-designer's 4th collection of dresses:
While the rest of us were celebrating Valentine's Day, the fashion pack were showing their love for Victoria Beckham, who presented her fourth collection in New York yesterday. In a series of intimate presentations, she showcased next season's offering from her self-named label, which already counts the likes of Elle Macpherson and Jennifer Lopez among its fans. And the latest line looks set to win even more celebrity devotees – red carpet-friendly dresses inspired by femme fatales of the Forties – just in time for the Oscars. Each design was teamed with a pair of shades from Mrs Beckham's own label, as well as towering platform heels – it didn't take a genius to notice the similarity with the signature Posh look. Models that shared Beckham's whip-thin frame did little justice to her inspired use of in-built corsetry – a design feature that has enabled curvier women, such as Carol Vorderman and Katherine Jenkins to wear her form-fitting designs. Draping appeared throughout, on backs and necklines as well as puffed hemlines, lending a more relaxed feel to the severe hourglass shapes of previous collections, though she retained details such as the sexy rose-gold zips that snake down the back of so many of her dresses. The result was a line of beautifully sculptured frocks, inspired by the unlikely combination of Dick Tracy comics and the late dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, in an electric palette of deep reds, blues and greens, as well as nudes and a dazzling pale gold. Indeed the lady herself, who was, for once, not photographed, wore one of her own dresses with five-inch heels (clearly it was too important an occasion to worry about bunions). Presenting each dress, one-by-one, she said: 'I feel the clothes express how my own personal style has evolved, more relaxed, a little more slouchy, but still structured.' Block colours dominated, bar one print, a soft, grey pixillated design that appeared on a strapless minidress dubbed 'the cloud' – she explained how it had taken days, and several sleepless nights, to perfect. As the line yet again won high praise from the media, Beckham told her guests how the fashion industry was finally beginning to take her seriously as a designer, and that her dream would be to open her own store in the next five years. 'But, I'm still learning,' she admitted. 'I still feel I need to prove myself – all my life I've had to prove myself. Each season, I have to better myself. I really want to grow as a designer.'
Wanna see more? After the jump, check out a few more looks from VB's new collection of dresses … More »
Last week we learned the Marc Jacobs's new husband, Lorenzo Martone, is featured in the new issue of Butt magazine. It turns out that Mr. Martone-Jacobs is also featured in the new issue of New York magazine. In his interview, Martone opens up about life at home and at work … as the first husband of Fashion:
Martone (or Lolo, as his friends call him, like he's a big puppy) loves to touch people. He has a powerful, and soothing, physical presence. He even smells reassuringly expensive (his cologne is called Poivres à Trois, which, he jokes, translates into "a pepper threesome"). He dresses in a happy, colorful uniform of tight shirts, suspenders, skinny jeans, scrunchy socks, and high-top sneakers, all by labels like Lanvin, Dior, and Marc Jacobs (he says he gets a slightly more than 20 percent-off VIP discount). For the last two years, Martone, who speaks four languages and has an M.B.A. in, of all things, luxury-brand management, has worked as a strategic planner for Chandelier Creative, a fashion and beauty ad agency with clients like Parfums Givenchy, Nars Cosmetics, and threeASFOUR. Tonight he's wearing a Chanel watch encircled with diamonds, which he got from Jacobs after "I caught him smoking in action in Venice," he says. Martone hates smoking, and they got in a fight over the fact that Jacobs hadn't quit like he said he had. "Between the Taurus sign and being Latin, I probably reacted …?" He trails off. "And all I know, we were shopping in Venice and I got this watch as a gift." Martone wears two rings. One he bought himself, with a matching one for Jacobs—pink gold from Boucheron, "which is Marc's favorite brand." He's had bears engraved on the inside. "We call each other bears because of our facial hair and all that," he says. "I have an attraction for beards. It's kind of a fetish." Jacobs grew one after they started dating. "I've molded him in my image," Martone says, not quite seriously. The other, an infinity ring of emerald-cut diamonds, Jacobs gave to Martone off his own finger after they'd been together for eight months. "It was not an engagement ring, just a gift," Martone says. Like Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of his beloved Pride and Prejudice, he has his share of status conflicts over his marriage prospect. But then again, Jane Austen never imagined the blogosphere. Or for that matter, Butt magazine, the arty gay quarterly that Martone posed bare-bottomed for in the spring 2010 issue, discussing their wedding, as well as his personal sexual history.
Ah yes, I knew it wouldn't take long for Martone's Butt to rear it's proverbial head again. Incidentally, this New York magazine spread also offers another photo from Martone's Butt spread. After the jump, check out another look at Martone's NSFW bare butt in Butt … More »
Many people wondered why accomplished musicians (and husband and wife) Jay-Z and Beyoncé were not included in the 25th anniversary remake of the classic charity anthem We Are The World: 25 Years for Haiti and in light of new comments from Jay himself on the remake, we may now know why they were not included. Jay-Z gave a recent interview where he makes clear that he is not happy that the song was re-recorded, which is very likely why neither he nor Beyoncé decided to be a part of the remake:
Jay-Z wasn't a big fan of the "We Are the World" remake, which debuted at the Olympic opening ceremonies Friday to benefit Haiti earthquake relief. "I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: 'We Are the World,' I love it, and I understand the point and think it's great. But I think 'We Are the World' is like [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller' to me. I don't ever wanna see it touched," Jay-Z told MTVNews.com Saturday night at the 2 Kings dinner in Dallas. Critics agree with the rapper. Sniped The Washington Post of the song, which featured Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, "The updated take was horribly oversung… save for the 21st-century rap verses added toward the end of the track." Wrote the New York Times, "Lil Wayne, you're no Bob Dylan…. as a piece of work, [the song] has all the pitfalls of a Hollywood remake." Continued Jay-Z, 40, "I'm a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that's going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts: [Millions have been raised] through text [donations] to Haiti," he continued. "So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but 'We Are The World' is [musically] untouchable like 'Thriller' is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it's gonna be untouchable." His suggestion? "I think it's time for us to make a new [song]," Jay-Z says. "I tried to do that with 'Stranded,' the song Jay, Rihanna and U2′s Bono and the Edge premiered at the 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon]. I didn't try to make 'We Are the World,' but I tried to make our take on how we felt."
While I understand his position and agree, a new charity anthem might be in order, I think it is very counter-productive to criticize the efforts of the We Are The World foundation in this matter. Who cares if a song is re-recorded or not, who cares if the re-recording is sub-par to the original. The song was initially written to raise awareness and funds for people in need of help and support. The song is, once again, being used to offer that same aid to other people in need. The entire point is that the people of Haiti need our help … that should be the sole focus here. Again, it's fine that such public people have a negative opinion about the song but to voice them in this way only hurts the people who would benefit from sales of the song. Love the song or not, I think it is very important that people give as much as they can to help fund Haitian relief. IMHO, that is the most important thing to remember, not the presumed "untouchable" nature of a single song.