Archive for January, 2009
New Coldplay video: ‘Life in Technicolor ii’
Coldplay’s newest video, “Life in Technicolor ii” has puppets. And it starts out with good beats and a sweet rhythm. But I’d rather the vocals never started. It’s a cool concept, pretty amusing and the crowd reaction shots are priceless, but the video mostly proves that even as a puppet, Chris Martin is a little douchey:
Barack and Michelle do WHAT together?
Now, I’m all for a little PDA and it’s refreshing to see a couple in love in the White House. But I’m hoping the First Couple isn’t doing the third thing this Fox News pundit thinks they’re doing.
At least, I hope they’re not doing it in public:
Aretha Franklin comes bearing gifts for the Obamas
Aretha Franklin gave more than a good show to President Barack Obama. In addition to siging “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” the singer gave him a collection of sermons by her late father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin.
Her spokeswoman, Gwendolyn Quinn, said Franklin gave him the 17-sermon collection, a biography of her father and a Bible “engraved with a personal message.”
For the new First Lady, Franklin came bearing a gold brooch with diamonds and her 15-year-old grandson, Jordan Franklin, gave Obama daughters Malia and Sasha a collection of gospel/Christian hip-hop music.
Sarah Jessica Parker says her marriage is fine
Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are either doing fine or great actors. I’m going to go with the latter.
The stars headed to Broadway Thursday night, holding hands and proving their marriage is just fine (as long as cameras are rolling at least). They saw “The American Plan” as their date night and SJP declared it “really lovely” to PEOPLE magazine.
The play is directed by David Grindley, who will in turn direct “The Philanthropist,” another Broadway play starring Broderick, in six weeks.
She out and out answered questions about a split: “We don’t even bother to address them,” adding that the best part of being married is “being married.”
Kelly Osbourne heads to rehab
The celebrity formula appears to be get arrested, go to rehab, get away scot-free on all charges.
Reality star and singer Kelly Osbourne was arrested earlier this week in connection with an alleged assault against a gossip columnist at a London night club last year. Now the 24-year-old daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne has reportedly check into an L.A. rehab center for a month, says PEOPLE magazine.
“Kelly Osbourne has voluntarily entered a medical facility to address some personal issues. Her family stands by and supports her,” says her rep. This is her second go round. Five years ago, during her family’s reality series, “The Osbournes,” she headed to rehab for a painkiller addiction.
RadarOnline.com quotes Mama Osbourne as saying, “Yeah, Kelly’s in rehab. What else can we say? She knew that it was the right thing to do at this point and we’re proud that she did it. The family is all standing behind her. Kelly knew that she needed help and she’s getting it. … We just pray that everything’s going to be okay.”
Brady and Bundchen engagement off again
When these two do get engaged, no one is going to believe it. Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady are not engaged again. Word came right after Christmas that the New England Patriots quarterback popped the question to his supermodel girlfriend.
Nope. Family members denied the rumors.
Then, a few weeks later, PEOPLE magazine reported that the pair got engaged about a week after New Year’s in Los Angeles and a formal announcement was on its way.
Bundchen declared this impossible.
“I wasn’t even there, how can that be true?” she told the Brazilian magazine Caras earlier this week in Sao Paulo. “I don’t know how people are so creative.”
“I will realize the dream of marriage, to have children and a family, of course. I’m sorry (to) disappoint you, there is no date set yet. I’m in love and you will see my wedding on the right day.”
Michelle Ryan leaping to Doctor Who
Doctor Who is going bionic. Former NBC star Michelle Ryan may be up for the next companion on “Doctor Who.”
Ryan landed a role in “Planet of the Dead,” an Easter special set to air on BBC1 in April, reports the Daily Mail. She will play Lady Christina de Souza, who accompanies David Tennant’s Doctor on a dangerous bus trip. It is the first of four stand-alone episodes of Doctor Who and each will feature a different companion. Both Ryan and Tennant were filming on location in a bus yesterday.
“The script is being kept strictly under wraps – however we can reveal that Lady Christina is a woman with a mysterious past who’s going to have a huge impact on the Doctor,” said executive producer Russell T Davies.
The BBC is looking for a new companion to star alongside the new Doctor, Matt Smith, in the next proper season and insiders claim Ryan is a major contender for the role.
“Michelle’s been in secret talks with BBC bosses,” said a source. “They are likely to announce her as Doctor Who’s new assistant very soon. She is perfect for the role. She is good looking and the right age to star alongside Matt. Everyone agrees they look great together and reckon fans will think they’re the perfect team too.”
Matt Smith was a controversial decision for the BBC, what about Michelle Ryan? Yay or nay?
Mad Men’s Moss and SNL’s Armisen engaged
“Mad Men” actress Elisabeth Moss is engaged to “Saturday Night Live” star Fred Armisen. USAweekend.com reports that the newly minted couple.
The relationship was first revealed about a week ago and now the AMC star reveals she just got engaged to boyfriend (“actually, now fiance,” Moss excitedly corrected herself).
Moss and Armisen were spotted recently together at the Vanity Fair party for “Mad Men,’ and also at her Broadway production, “Speed-the-Plow.”
“It happened just a few days ago – you’re actually the first press person I’ve told this to,” she told USA Weekend. “It’s private, so I don’t want to share the details of how it happened, but I will say it was perfect.”
‘Dexter’ stars cozy up
They make incest look like fun. Well, sort of. On-screen siblings Michael C. Hall and his new wife, Jennifer Carpenter, engaged in some decidedly non-sibling PDAs.
The couple eloped on New Year’s Eve in a ceremony in Big Sur, Calif.and Wednesday they enjoyed an intimate dinner at Hollywood’s Pace restaurant with friends.
“They were very intimate, but never over-the-top-affectionate,” one observer said. “He had his arm around her at all times and you could see the light golden band on her wedding finger even in the candlelight.”
The two made their first public appearance together at the Golden Globes last week.
“They were very casual and relaxed and enjoyed the warmth of the place,” said the restaurant observer. “Michael left with a wonderful grin on his face.”
Katy Perry is still kissing
Breathe easy, boys and girls, Katy Perry is not taking a vow of celibacy. Despite recent reports she had promised not to kiss anyone for a year, the singer and Grammy nominee for her song “I Kissed a Girl” isn’t giving up kissing any time soon.
“I am not going to be celibate,” Perry, 24, said with a laugh during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. “That was a joke, and any fine journalist would have got that.”
In a recent interview, she’d kidded that she had taken a vow of celibacy in 2009 after splitting with rocker boyfriend Travis McCoy.
“Please,” she now says, “celibacy for the whole year? I’d rather die.”
Still, the singer, who describes herself as a “prankster and a jokester,” said she may be less active in that regard.
“I guess I am just going to be looking for the right one,” she said.
Miley Cyrus ‘loves’ the Jonas Brothers, all of ‘em
Miley Cyrus has taken to YouTube yet again. This time posted on her site, Miley World. In the vid, she says that despite her heartbreak song “7 Things,” inspired by ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas, she loves “Nicky.”
“I do love him. I love Kevin. I love Joe. I love Frankie. I love all the boys and I love their family. So everyone should back off the feud cause we’re over it,” said the teen queen, she also shared the love for fellow Disney girls (and rumored frenemies) Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Check out all the Miley love below:
‘Benjamin Button’ leads Oscar noms
Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday and leading the pack was the three-hour Brad Pitt vehicle “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The movie earned 13 nominations, including best picture, acting nods for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson and directing for David Fincher.
Also up for best-picture are “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Second runner-up in the nominations race was indie favorite “Slumdog Millionaire” with 10 nominations, including best director for Danny Boyle and two of three best song.
In traditional Hollywood style, a best supporting actor nomination came for Heath Ledger’s work as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. No other big nods for the summer blockbuster.
Angelina Jolie joins her partner Pitt with her own best-actress nomination for the missing-child drama “Changeling.”
The complete list of nominations are as follows:
Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday:
1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”
3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”
4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”
5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”
6. Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
7. Foreign Film: “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Germany; “The Class,” France; “Departures,” Japan; “Revanche,” Austria; “Waltz With Bashir,” Israel.
8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”; Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”; David Hare, “The Reader”; Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”; Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”; Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges”; Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, “WALL-E.”
10. Animated Feature Film: “Bolt”; “Kung Fu Panda”; “WALL-E.”
11. Art Direction: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” ”The Duchess,” “Revolutionary Road.”
12. Cinematography: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
13. Sound Mixing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”
14. Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” ”WALL-E,” ”Wanted.”
15. Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Alexandre Desplat; “Defiance,” James Newton Howard; “Milk,” Danny Elfman; “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman; “WALL-E,” Thomas Newman.
16. Original Song: “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E,” Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.
17. Costume: “Australia,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Duchess,” ”Milk,” “Revolutionary Road.”
18. Documentary Feature: “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “The Garden,” “Man on Wire,” “Trouble the Water.”
19. Documentary (short subject): “The Conscience of Nhem En,” “The Final Inch,” ”Smile Pinki,” “The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306.”
20. Film Editing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” ”Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
21. Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”
22. Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” “Lavatory – Lovestory,” ”Oktapodi,” “Presto,” “This Way Up.”
23. Live Action Short Film: “Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” “Manon on the Asphalt,” ”New Boy,” “The Pig,” “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”
24. Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man.”
TLC gets sexed up
Forget Janet Jackson. This is quality Superbowl viewing. At 10 p.m. Feb. 1, Superbowl Sunday, TLC will premiere a reality show based on a woman whose company sells sex toys through home parties.
“Mother Knows Sex” chronicles the struggles faced by Patty Brisben and her family as she runs her business.
Brisben founded Pure Romance in 1993 and the company is now a multimillion-dollar business with 80 full-time employees and a force of independent consultants.
The company sells such fun products as edible undies, a tickle and whip, feather teaser and, of course, a stripper pole.
Jonas Brothers surprise Obama girls
Barack and Michelle Obama may have gotten Beyonce, but their daughters Malia and Sasha got the real treat: a surprise visit to the White House from the Jonas Brothers.
According to ABC News, the girls had a late-night scavenger hunt in their new home and at the end opened a door to see their (and nearly every tween and pre-tween girl in the country) favorite boy band.
The Disney stars played three acoustic songs and posed for photos with the girls and their friends. The surprise was orchestrated by First Mama Michelle and she had them sneak in through the East Portico.
“They were invited to surprise the girls and their friends and (the Jonas Brothers) had a blast,” their spokesperson said of the surprise.
On Monday night, the pop band performed for the girls and their mother (and 14,000 fans) at the Kids Inaugural concert.
Ty Pennington offers reward for hit and run info
Ty Pennington: Bounty Hunter. Sort of. The host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is on the hunt for a hit and run driver who left a man in extremely critical condition.
Daniel Seeck, a cousin of one of Pennington’s managers, was riding his bike in Santa Monica last Saturday when he was hit by an SUV. Seeck is on life support at UCLA Medical Center.
Pennington is offering a $10,000 reward for any info that leads to the arrest of the person who was driving the SUV. The investigator, Chris Dawson, is waiting for calls at 310-458-8427.
‘Top Chef’ host Colicchio a hero
Top Chef head honcho Tom Colicchio is officially awesome on all counts. Not only is his the adorable bad cop on “Top Chef,” he’s now a hero.
The reality-show judge saved fellow foodie Joan Nathan from choking to death during the “Art. Food. Hope.” benefit in Washington, D.C. on Monday, according to the Internet Food Association.
In the midst of a wanky rant from fans about the elimination of Ariane last week, Colicchio heard a cry for help from chef Alice Waters. He sprinted over to perform the Heimlich maneuver, saving Nathan who had a chunk of chicken lodged in her wind pipe.
“I did what anyone else would have done and was just happy to be there,” Colicchio told TVGuide.com. “I’m thrilled Joan’s well.”
Top Chef airs Wednesdays at 10 pm/ET on Bravo.
Lindsay and Sam check(ing account) each other out
Despite the nights spent fighting, the newly reunited Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have taken that all-important relationship step of opening a joint bank account. Britain’s Daily Express reports that the DJ has always wanted to stay financially independent, though she spends plenty of her $23,460 per disc-spinning gig on Lohan.
The insider said “Sam’s very generous to Lindsay. She pays for everything when they go away together and Lindsay wants to show her gratitude by doing this. Sam is completely disinterested in shopping and things, whereas Lindsay loves to spend and always says she wants to be as rich as possible. Having a joint account with Sam is a huge step for her.”
Hmm, wonder how fast the cops get called when Sam sees that first checking account statement.
George Clooney to scrub in at ER?
PEOPLE magazine reports that George Clooney will do one final shift in the “ER”
Sources close to the show say that the actor will return to the show that launched his career and “ER” co-creator John Wells has ordered a closed set to keep Clooney’s appearance under wraps.
Dr. Doug Ross was last seen in 2000 on a cameo with his ex, Carol, played by Juliana Marguilies.
No word on how many episodes Clooney will be in, though NBC ordered an an extra four episodes for the show’s 15th and last season. No word (confirmation or otherwise) from NBC, Warner Brothers or Clooney’s publicist.
Clooney, himself, denied reports last March he was returning. He’s had the most success of any ER alum and Wells has been courting him for return for the show’s last season.
Falk’s wife contests conservatorship
Peter Falk’s wife is opposing a bid by his daughter to place him under a conservatorship.
Shera Falk, who married the “Columbo” star 32 years ago, filed paperwork in the Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday stating that her husband entrustedher to manage his affairs and care before his health deteriorated.
Stating that her father suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, Catherine Falk applied to be named conservator over her father’s affairs in December.
Shera, however said that her husband has adequate care and isn’t close to his daughter. Her filing includes declarations from the couple’s accountant, housekeeper and numerous friends, including an ex-wife of Johnny Carson and actor Joe Mantegna.
No information on the actor’s state of health was included in the filing. It does say that he is cared for around-the-clock by a home nursing staff in a guest house at their Beverly Hills home, which was converted into an art studio and was easier for Falk to navigate after undergoing hip surgery in June.
A hearing on whether the conservatorship is necessary is scheduled for next week.
Razzies ‘dis-honor’ Hilton, Myers, more
The Razzies are rarely shocking and often amusing. This year’s list leads of with Mike Myers’ flop “The Love Guru.” The “comedy” leads the pack with seven nominations for the year’s worst movies, including worst picture and worst-acting slots for Myers, Jessica Alba, Verne Troyer and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley.
The other worst-picture contenders were “Disaster Movie” and “Meet the Spartans,” (both Hollywood spoofs) the horror movie “The Happening”; Paris Hilton’s romantic comedy bomb “The Hottie & the Nottie”; and the sword-and-sorcery fantasy “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.” (generally the length of the name is inversely proportionate to the level of suck).
Hilton had three nominations for her individual work: worst actress and worst screen couple alongside her co-stars in “The Hottie & the Nottie,” plus worst supporting actress for “Repo! The Genetic Opera” (pictured at left) Of course, sucking hasn’t stopped her from making more crap yet.
Eddie Murphy, continuing a rollercoaster ride of crap that never seems to go back up, followed up last year’s three wins for “Norbit” with nominations for worst actor and screen couple alongside himself for dual roles in his sci-fi comedy dud “Meet Dave.”
For the complete list of nominations, click here.
Razzie “winners” will be announced Feb. 21, the day before the Oscars.
