Sunday, September 30, 2007

Oprah leads all the way

Oprah leads all the wayOprah Winfrey tops the list of highest paid stars on US television

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has topped a list of the highest paid stars on US television, earning £130 million between June 2006 and June 2007.

Coming in at a distant second was American Idol judge Simon Cowell, who pulled in £22.5 million thanks to the show and other projects.

The third spot on the list went to Judith Sheindlin, who raked in £15 million for her own syndicated court show, Judge Judy, reports the Daily Mail.
According to the list in the US issue of TV Guide magazine, the top five was rounded off by CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric and Scrubs star Zach Braff, who earned £7.5 million, and £3.15 million respectively.

The top five highest paid stars

1. Oprah Winfrey (The Oprah Winfrey Show): £130 mn
2. Simon Cowell (American Idol): £22.5 mn
3. Judge Sheindlin (Judge Judy): £15 mn
4. Katie Couric (CBS Evening News Anchor): £7.5 mn
5. Zach Braff (Scrubs): £3.15 mn

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Oprah's pulling in over $700K a day

Oprah's pulling in over $700K a dayOPRAH still makes a boatload of money — more like a cruise shipload. The Queen of Daytime reeled in $260 million between June 2006 and June 2007, a new Forbes.com salary survey shows.

That's more than $700,000 a day.

Winfrey accumulated cash from her daytime show, her satellite radio program, women's service magazine and the Broadway show The Color Purple, which she produced. She also has stakes in Dr. Phil McGraw's and Rachael Ray's syndicated shows.

Meanwhile, she's producing two reality-TV programs, a move that's sure to help her maintain her stronghold in the industry.

No surprise, Winfrey proteges McGraw and Ray appear on the list, at No. 7 and No. 13, respectively.

Jerry Seinfeld, who pulled in $60 million in the same period from sales of reruns of his hit show, standup gigs and commercial endorsements, is No. 2.

The list includes other usual suspects such as Regis Philbin, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer and Donald Trump, who continues to make money hand over hair with The Apprentice.

Along with Winfrey, the ladies proved they're an entertainment force to be reckoned with. Today co-anchor and former View member Meredith Vieira nabbed the No. 20 slot with $10 million; Diane Sawyer is No. 19 with $12 million; Barbara Walters, also with $12 million, is No. 18.

Additionally, Ellen DeGeneres, with the help of her daytime show and American Express paychecks, earned $15 million. Katie Couric left the Today show for the CBS Evening News and earned $15 million for her troubles.

And still going strong, Judge Judy Sheindlin is paid $30 million.

American Idol boss Simon Cowell comes in at No. 3 with $45 million thanks to his reality juggernaut which includes Idol, America's Got Talent and Celebrity Duets.


Friday, September 28, 2007

Jolie slams US spending in Iraq

Jolie slams US spending in IraqThe UN goodwill ambassador insisted that an entire UNICEF appeal for educational needs would cost only as much as eight hours’ spending in Iraq - and would help benefit 150,000 children.

Angelina Jolie has slammed the US government for spending millions on military operations in Iraq, insisting that the same would have been better utilised on education.

Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative, an event organised by Bill Clinton to address the most pressing global concerns, Jolie urged the world to "priorities in order".

The UN goodwill ambassador insisted that an entire UNICEF appeal for educational needs would cost only as much as eight hours’ spending in Iraq - and would help benefit 150,000 children.

"The entire appeal equals about eight hours of current spending in Iraq. So just a few hours would send 150,000 children to school," Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

"Nothing wins more hearts and minds and nothing gives more freedom than education; and nothing is a better deterrent for conflict than an educated child," she added.

Beckhams top overrated list

Beckhams top overrated list Friday, 28 September , 2007, 09:36

London : Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham have topped a list to find out the most overrated people, places and things.

The poll was conducted by Radar magazine and the Beckhams came on top ahead of cupcakes, Botox and Brad Pitt, reports contactmusic.com.

The magazine called soccer star David "overpaid" and his wife Victoria "a pointless collection of body parts".

Others on the list include: blogging, sex with virgins, cocaine, Keira Knightley, Pilates, Ronald Reagan, The Dalai Lama, Jake Gyllenhaal and hit TV show "Grey's Anatomy".


Thursday, September 27, 2007

Madge’s hands finally showing her age

Madge’s hands finally showing her ageThe pop diva, who was spotted at London's Cecconi's restaurant, has maintained her youthful physique by vigorous exercise and careful diet.


Pop star Madonna might be able to give women half her age a run for their money in the body department, but her wrinkled and vein-ravaged hands are showing that age is taking its toll on her.

The pop diva, who was spotted at London's Cecconi's restaurant, has maintained her youthful physique by vigorous exercise and careful diet.

However, all the exercises won’t help her stay young, say plastic surgeons who revealed that hand skin is particularly susceptible to losing its plumpness over time and it is one of the parts of the body which reveal a person's age, reports the Daily Mail.

The 49-year-old star is planning to launch another world tour to mark her 50th birthday in August next year.

Madonna was recently in news for walking out of her 25-year deal with Warner Music and signing a 100 million dollar contract with tour promoter Live Nation.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Halle Berry receives racist death threats to her unborn baby

Halle Berry receives racist death threats to her unborn baby26 September 2007 - Halle Berry has received racist death threats to her unborn baby.

The Oscar-winning beauty - who recently announced she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry - has been forced to hire security guards after allegedly receiving several disturbing letters from an anonymous writer.

One note warned she and her child would be "cut into hundreds of pieces".

A source close to the actress - who has a white father and an African-American mother - told Britain's Daily Mirror: "Halle does not normally use security but she has taken on a couple of guys to make sure."

In 2002, Halle became the first woman of American African descent to win a best actress Oscar for her role in 'Monster's Ball'.

Despite the upsetting threats, Halle is enjoying her pregnancy, and her boyfriend Gabriel has revealed she is craving pickles and bread.

The 32-year-old model told People magazine: "She does crave pickles. And any bread. Doesn't matter, as long as it's salt and pickles."

Gabriel - who met 41-year-old Halle while shooting a Versace advert in November 2005 - also said he was pampering the mom-to-be.

He revealed: "She loves foot massages. I do all of that stuff."


Monday, September 24, 2007

George Clooney May Be Charged Over Motorcycle Crash

George Clooney May Be Charged Over Motorcycle CrashLucky to be alive, Hollywood actor George Clooney could face dangerous driving charges in connection with the motorcycle crash he and his girlfriend were involved in on Friday.

According to Weehawken Police Sergeant Sean Kelly, Clooney might have caused his New Jersey accident by attempting to pass a car which tried to take a right hand turn from the left lane.

"It's a he-said, she-said right now, but you can't pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey," Kelly said.

"If he was passing on the right, that's a moving violation," Hudson County Prosecutor Ed Defazio said yesterday.

While the Mazda driver, identified as Sciancaledore, 27, insists it was Clooney’s fault, the actor’s publicist said "The car signaled left. George was riding to the right. The driver decided to make an abrupt right turn and clipped George."

Sciancalepore was fined for not having his registration with him at the time of the accident, Weehawken Public Safety Director Jeff Welz said.

Clooney and his girlfriend, Sarah Larson, who was with him on the motorcycle at the time of the accident, were rushed to the Palisades Medical Center, across the Hudson River from Manhattan and released after being treated. The 46-year-old star suffered a fractured rib while his 28-year-old girlfriend, a former reality TV contestant and cocktail waitress, broke at least two tows.

"He was treated for a hairline fracture of a rib and road rash," Clooney’s spokesman Stan Rosenfield said, adding that "it's very painful and it'll take a long time to heal." Other than that, Clooney is doing fine but according to sources from his entourage, he’s worried that the crash brought his girlfriend in the spotlight.

''What pains George more is how this whole thing will bring a lot of attention to his relationship with Sarah,'' a source was quoted by Chicago Sun Times as saying.

The two who met earlier this year in Las Vegas at the premier of Clooney’s "Ocean’s Thirteen," have been spotted together at the Venice Film Festival, earlier this month.

''George was attracted to Sarah right away, not just because she's great looking, but she shares his 'take-no-prisoners' sense of humor,'' the source added. ''She's not intimidated by that whole fame thing and isn't impressed by that. In itself, that's a turn-on for guys like George who constantly have to be on their guard against women who have an agenda.''

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Spears ex-bodyguard opens the lid on her troubled life

Spears ex-bodyguard opens the lid on her troubled life London, Sept 23: Britney Spear’s former bodyguard Tony Barretto, who served as a secret witness in the singer’s ongoing custody battle with ex-hubby Kevin Federline, has opened the lid on her troubled life.

After Barretto's testimony last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon declared Britney as a 'habitual, frequent and continuous' user of drink and drugs, and ordered her to undergo random testing to get shared custody of her children.

Talking about his three-month stint as the singer’s bodyguard, Barretto said that within days of starting work with the singer, he realised that his duty was more about taking care of her kids.

“I was surprised to find how much the job involved looking after her kids,” the Daily Mail quoted Barretto as saying.

“She was always passing the kids along to us. If they were happy, she was happy. If they weren't happy, she was passing them on to the nanny or the security staff.

“She'd tell me, “We're going for a tan. Can you take the baby?” And then she'd walk off. She wouldn't really ask me; she'd just leave,” he added.

The 27-year-old also revealed some disturbing traits and bizarre behaviour the singer displayed.

“There was a time when I thought she was going to hurt the kids,” he said.

“She sent the nanny home. She sent her best friend and personal assistant, Alli Sims, home. Britney hates to be alone, so this was worrying. One of the bodyguards who had been with her longest said she was beginning to shut down as she had just before she shaved her head.”

“He said she'd been talking about suicide then, and this was the same. Britney was sobbing. She screamed.”

“(Sensing danger, his colleague said) ‘I'm worried about the kids. Don't let her go swimming with them.”

'Shocked, I asked, “Is she going to drown them?” He said, “I don't know.” I started to cry. How am I supposed to protect someone like that,” he said.

Barretto also spoke about a rehabbed Spears’ habitual drug and alcohol use.

“The first time she was at Teddy's nightclub in Hollywood in April, in a private booth. She asked me to hold the curtains up around it. After 20 minutes I looked over my shoulder, and she was snorting something out of her hand with a straw,” he said.

“One night I opened the restroom door after she'd been in there half an hour, and saw her snorting from a straw again.”

“She'd sneak out of the house on her own without security. Sometimes she'd be gone till the next morning. It was an unspoken subject, just as nobody ever asked her about drugs.”

“She was supposed to be sober after rehab, but she loved her Jack Daniels and Coke.”

“She'd always drink it in a Styrofoam cup, so nobody could see what she was drinking. 'I'd order for her, and the waitress would hand me the drink. Britney would walk upstairs to a private restroom to drink it.”

“She'd have a pint glass filled with Jack Daniels and Coke. I hated it, because we had to go up and down those stairs all night so she could drink in secret.”

An emotional entanglement with rock ‘wildman’ Howie Day, who Britney had met in rehab, also sent her berserk.

“She was, in my opinion, close to an overdose,” said Barretto.

Spears fired Barretto in May this year, for not picking up her hat, after she asked him three times.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

George Clooney Hurt in Motorcycle Crash

George Clooney Hurt in Motorcycle CrashWEEHAWKEN, N.J. (AP) — George Clooney and a companion were injured on Friday when their motorcycle collided with a car on a narrow road across the Hudson River from New York City.

Clooney suffered a broken rib and scrapes while his passenger, Sarah Larson, broke her foot in the 3:30 p.m. collision. The two were treated at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen and released, Clooney's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, said.

"He's doing fine," Rosenfield said. "He has a broken rib, it's very painful and it'll take a long time to heal."

Clooney and Larson were traveling north and sped up to pass on the right of a 1999 Mazda Millenia that was preparing to make a right turn, said Weehawken police Sgt. Sean Kelly. Both were wearing helmets.

It wasn't known whether the Mazda's driver, whose identity was not immediately released, used a turn signal, Kelly said. The accident was under investigation.

"It's a he-said, she-said right now, but you can't pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey," Kelly said.

Rosenfield said the accident occurred when the vehicle signaled a left-hand turn, but turned right and struck Clooney's motorcycle.

"The car signaled left. George was riding to the right. The driver decided to make an abrupt right turn and clipped George," he said.

The 46-year-old actor was in the New York area to film the dark comedy "Burn After Reading," co-starring Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

Clooney's recovery shouldn't interrupt the production's schedule, Rosenfield said.

Clooney's latest film, "Michael Clayton," will be released next month. He and Larson have been spotted together at several film festivals and movie premieres in recent weeks.

Britney Spears charged over car smash

Britney Spears charged over car smashNEW YORK: Pop diva Britney Spears was charged over a hit-and-run incident and for driving without a valid Californian licence, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Attorney's office has said.

The 25-year-old pop singer was caught on film dusting off a stationary vehicle on August six before she headed off. Following a complaint by the owner of the dented car, police decided to press the two charges against her, media reported on Saturday, quoting spokesperson Frank Mateljan as saying.

He said that Spears was notified of the charges by a letter and a hearing has been set for October ten. If she's convicted of the misdemeanour charges, the pop star could face up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000.

The charges came days after a judge had ordered Spears to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week in her child custody case with her former husband. He had also ordered both of them to undergo a parenting class.

It may be mentioned that the pop star had also been dropped by her management firm in the wake of her pathetic performance at a Las Vegas show recently.

"It saddens us to confirm media reports that we have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears. We have represented Britney for the past month. We believe Britney is enormously talented and has made a terrific record."

"But current circumstances have prevented us from doing our job. We wish Britney the best," her manager and owner of The Firm, Jeff Kwatinetz, was quoted as saying.




Friday, September 21, 2007

Brad Pitt turns outlaw in 'Assassination of Jesse James'

Brad Pitt turns outlaw in 'Assassination of Jesse James' Toronto, Sept. 21 (AP): While news about Jesse James crawled its way across 19th century America _ compared to today's lightning-fast Internet _ the tone was uncannily comparable to today's celebrity coverage, Brad Pitt found in reading those old accounts.

``I will say, I was surprised to see how tabloid journalism was alive and well even then and operating in the same way, just sensationalizing a complete fabrication of untruths,'' said Brad Pitt, who stars as the legendary outlaw in ``The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.''

``There's just more of it today. There's more of it in quantity, but the execution's the same. In that day, when you only had a newspaper to get your information, that would have been the extent of it. But it doesn't seem to have changed at all,'' Pitt told The Associated Press at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Pitt and Angelina Jolie, stars of the 2005 hit ``Mr. and Mrs. Smith,'' have been the quarry of celebrity photographers and the object of incessant tabloid gossip since they hooked up amid the breakup of Pitt's marriage to Jennifer Aniston. A media vigil preceded the birth of their daughter in Namibia last year, and crowds swelled during the Toronto festival everywhere they went.

In the late 1800s, James was able to move anonymously through America under a series of aliases, but his notoriety was unparalleled. James' image as a Robin Hood-style bandit of the people _ a myth he helped perpetuate himself _ had made him a folk hero to the public and a demon to the railroads.

Based on Ron Hansen's novel, ``Assassination of Jesse James'' dissects the James myth to present a charismatic man in the last year of his life, as his sense of security crumbles and he is overwhelmed by paranoia that associates are selling him out to the law.

Into James' inner circle comes young idolator Ford (Casey Affleck), who has grown up on romanticized stories of the outlaw's deeds. Initially an intimate, Ford later becomes an object of scorn for Pitt's increasingly unpredictable James.

Ford eventually feels compelled to become James' executioner, coming to believe it's almost a civic duty.

``I don't know what led to his idea, the need to destroy the very thing that he worshipped, but that's certainly what's going on here. You have a demoralized boy, a boy who's subject to humiliation, and in his quiet hours has this lust for the Jesse James celebrity, the Jesse James phenomenon,'' said Pitt, 43.

``Then at the point where he meets Jesse James, meets his idol, and his idol spurns him, it becomes that thing, needing to destroy the thing you love to become equal with it again.''

At two hours, 40 minutes, ``Assassination of Jesse James,'' which opens Friday, is a challenging tale, yet one that has drawn praise for the lyrical melancholy of its 19th century landscapes and for the key performances. The film earned the best-actor prize at the Venice Film Festival for Pitt, a previous supporting-actor Academy Awards nominee for ``Twelve Monkeys'' who could be in contention for a lead-actor Oscar this time.

The celebrity mystique that surrounds Pitt meshed well with the mythic nature of James, said Andrew Dominik, director of ``Assassination of Jesse James.''

``It was the sort of part that you could cast a movie star in and it would make sense,'' Dominik said. ``It wouldn't be miscasting Brad, who you never really feel like you know on-screen. He's always retained kind of an essential mystery. He's not a person people really identify with. He's more of an object to them. They aspire to be him, but they don't really identify with him.

``Those were really good qualities for Jesse. They're both enigmatic and charismatic.''

Pitt first caught widespread notice in a scene-stealing role in 1991's ``Thelma & Louise'' and went on to star in such films as ``Legends of the Fall,'' ``Spy Game,'' ``Troy'' and last year's acclaimed ``Babel,'' co-starring Cate Blanchett.

Blanchett and Pitt reunite for next year's ``The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'' Pitt's third film with David Fincher, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's story about a man who is born old and ages backward toward infancy.

``He's just so open. He's a great player. Brad loves a good idea and a good conversation, and I think that extends to acting, really,'' Blanchett said. ``I think he's got a really good nose for what works, and I think people will be blown away by him in `Benjamin Button.'''

Pitt now is shooting the Coen brothers' dark comedy ``Burn After Reading'' with George Clooney, his partner in crime in ``Ocean's Eleven'' and its two sequels.

While Pitt looks for roles that offer fresh dramatic possibilities, finding good work companions such as Clooney has become crucial in his job choices.

``As I get older, it's the company I keep,'' Pitt said. ``It means something to me to have these friends out here and people I respect ... Most of the movie is spent when the camera's not rolling, and to work with these interesting people is really the most important thing to me.''

With his production company Plan B, Pitt also is active as a producer whose credits include Jolie's recent drama ``A Mighty Heart.'' (He also was a producer on ``Assassination of Jesse James.'')

Pitt jokes that the advantage of today's celebrity culture is that people are not carrying six-shooters around the way they did in James' day. Even so, as a new father, Pitt is mindful of the potential dangers that come with fame.

Along with their biological daughter, Pitt and Jolie have three children she adopted from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

``It's something that I want to be aware of and be cautious about, especially with the family, that everybody's protected,'' Pitt said. ``I mean it's rare, but there are imbalanced people out there. I've had break-ins in the house ... I've had some of these abnormal incidents that can be a bit frightening.''

When Pitt or Jolie is working, the other takes time off to tend the children, who travel with them wherever they are filming.

``We just take turns and make sure we keep the family together,'' Pitt said.

Pitt is quick to acknowledge reporters' questions about his and Jolie's plans for more children.

``We're not done. They say, any plans for a fifth? And I say, `And a sixth, and a seventh, and an eighth, and a ninth.' That's my answer. ...

``We also made a 9-foot-wide bed'' (nearly 3 meters wide) that can fit him, Jolie and all four children, Pitt said. ``Just big enough. One more and we'll have to go to 11 feet.''


Brad Pitt turns outlaw in 'Assassination of Jesse James'

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Britney on a lawyer switching spree

Britney on a lawyer switching spreeSpears’ divorce attorney Laura Wasser stepped down on Sep 17, on the grounds that the singer was a 'problem client,’ following which she hired attorney Melvin Goldsman on Sep 19


It seems that Britney Spears is a habitual lawyer switcher, for she is set to fire the new legal counsel again, after just a day on the job.

Spears’ divorce attorney Laura Wasser stepped down on Sep 17, on the grounds that the singer was a 'problem client,’ following which she hired attorney Melvin Goldsman on Sep 19.

But the ‘Toxic’ singer is considering firing Goldsman, according to high-profile lawyer Sorrell Trope, who claims that he has been chosen as Spears’ new lawyer in Spears’ complicated custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Trope's office revealed that the firm was in the process of being retained by Spears.

"Yes, it's true Ms. Spears quit Melvin Goldsman's firm, but we haven't been officially retained yet. The paperwork has not been signed, and it has to have our firm's, Goldsman's and Ms. Spears' signatures. I anticipate it will be signed [Wednesday],” E! Online quoted Trope, as saying.

Meanwhile, in the latest court hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon ordered Spears to undergo twice-weekly random drugs testing.

Gordon said that based on evidence presented, he considered Spears to be a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of controlled substances.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Miller touched by poem given by blind man

Miller touched by poem given by blind manLondon, : Actress Sienna Miller was so touched by an old poem "Desiderata" given by a blind man in Guatemala that she got it engraved on an amulet that she carries with her all the time.
Miller admitted that she was initially shocked when the blind man asked her to take the poem saying it was all about her, reports contactmusic.com. But when she read the words she was shocked because she realised he was right.

She said: "He said, 'It's for you...' I was, like, okay, what is this?'

"The poem features the lines, 'You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe in unfolding as it should'."






Britney Faces Drug Testing & Parenting Evaluations

Spears must prove she’s a fit mother to keep her kids

Britney Faces Drug Testing & Parenting EvaluationsBritney Spears gets to keep her kids, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, but she’s got to jump through some hoops to keep them.

Court documents released today from Monday’s hearing reveal a host of rules Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline must follow.

Here are the facts in a nutshell:



All hearings will continue as closed hearings.


"Each party is ordered to serve and file an Income and Expense Declaration... within ten days of this date."


Attorneys for Spears and Federline have been "unsuccessful" in agreeing on a Child Custody Evaluator. Federline's attorney submitted a list of potential evaluators and now Spears' attorney has 24 hours to come up with three of her own, and the Court will now decide.


”The Court declines to modify the existing custodial timeshare.”


Neither party can take the kids out of the state, without prior written consent of the other parent or prior order of the Court.


If they do take the kids out of state, they have to provide a full itinerary of the trip complete with addresses, phone number and travel arrangements.


"Each party is restrained from making derogatory remarks about the other party and the other party's family or significant other, either directly or indirectly to the minor children, and from allowing anyone else to do so. This includes any person employed by the parties."


Both Spears and Federline are ordered to complete a "PARENTING WITHOUT CONFLICT" program and verify their completion of said course to the Court.


"Each party is restrained from using corporal punishment with the minor children and from allowing anyone else to do so."


Spears and Federline are both ordered "to engage in joint co-parenting counseling", which they'll split the cost of. If they can't agree on a therapist for this, the Court will assign them one.


"Neither party shall consume alcohol, or other non-prescription controlled substance" within 12 hrs of having custody of the kids.


Spears and Federline need to alert one another within 48 hours if they change the status of their employees who handle the kids; they have 24 hours to report any NEW hires.


Any employee on either side who has charge of the kids must hold a valid certification in Red Cross Infant and Child CPR and Basic First Aid.


Spears is ordered to meet with a parenting coach at least eight hours a week, who will observe her interacting with the kids and evaluate her skills.


The parenting coach will file a written progress report on Oct. 22 and appear in court Nov. 26.


Spears is ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week. "Based on the Evidence presented, the Court finds that there is a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol by the Petitioner (Spears)."


The results of this testing will go directly to the Court and WILL NOT be released.


The next court date is Nov. 26 at 8:30 a.m.


"What the El" Editorial:

It is quite obvious from all of these stipulations by the court that the judge suspects she’s not a fit mother but there's not enough evidence to do something drastic like take the kids away.

This is a “give her enough rope to hang herself” situation.

She screws up even in the tiniest way, and those kids are going to live with K-Fed.

I’m glad she and Kevin have to take parenting classes!

I’m sad that she’s probably “on something” but maybe forcing her to undergo drug testing will clear her head enough to see that she’s completely screwing up her life and her career!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Dave Grohl Hates Courtney Love

Dave Grohl Hates Courtney LoveFoo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl hates Courtney Love more than anyone in the world.

The former Nirvana drummer - who has publicly feuded with Kurt Cobain's widow in the past, even previously calling her an "ugly f***ing b***h" live on stage - insists there is no one else he detests more.


Grohl said: "There are a lot of people that I've been angry with in my life, but the one that's most noted in Courtney. So it's pretty obvious to me that those correlations are going to pop up every now and again. I still remain little secretive about it all."


In new song 'Let It Die' - on the Foo Fighters latest album 'Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace' - Grohl sings the line "A simple man and his blushing bride/Intravenous, intertwined", an apparent reference to Love and his Nirvana bandmate Cobain, who suffered from heroin addiction before
committing suicide in 1994.


Grohl also revealed now he is a father, to daughter Violet, he is not afraid to write ballads instead of hard rock songs.


He said: "Violet's the light at the end of my tunnel. I'm not afraid to write anything anymore. A lot of that has to do with the big picture - having a child and realising that life's too short to be afraid of a f**king piano ballad."


Play it again, Blunt

Play it again, BluntJames Blunt will be in Toronto October 1 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St. For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.ca.


ALBUM REVIEW: All The Lost Souls - Rating 3 stars

Poor, poor James Blunt.

The pretty-boy British singer- songwriter must be feeling terribly anxious with the release of his sophomore album.

How does one live up to You're Beautiful -- one of the most simultaneously loved and reviled hits of 2006? How does one prove the success of their first album wasn't a fluke?

Well, by writing and recording an album that's very similar to the first, of course.

All the Lost Souls has all the Blunt trademarks that made Back to Bedlam the tremendous success that it was in 2005 and 2006. It has Blunt's unmistakably high (but not quite falsetto) voice, conveying a certain sensitivity that makes some women swoon. It has a sweet folky pop sensibility with songs like Shine On, which is sure to make certain listeners smile, turn up the volume and sing along. And then there are the few naughty bits that seem oddly out of place, but will fool fans into thinking they're listening to something edgier.

It's innocuous and fairly bland stuff, but also melodic and, at times, kind of catchy.

The opening track, 1973, is hard to ignore, with it easy touch-step beat (perfect for living room dancing) and its repetitive lyrics about the good times once had at a club. (The song was reportedly inspired by a club Blunt frequented while living and writing music in Ibiza.)

I'll Take Everything is another track that manages to stand out from the uniform sound on most of the other tracks. Blunt seems to be singing with legitimate conviction about getting the most out of life (did success bring with it an existential crisis, perhaps?).

Annie breaks out of the background tendencies of other songs on the album, but on closer listen, the lyrics appear to be just plain mean. The song is about a woman who has dreamed of being a famous star, but who will only make it into the spotlight by way of Blunt singing about her. And, just to insult her further, he sings, "But the walls came tumbling down down. Will you go down on me?" Not nice.

Blunt's sophomore effort is sure to satisfy his fans. And it will likely get significant pop radio play.

But, with the exception of a couple of songs, All the Lost Souls sounds like the product of someone on mood-stabilizers who is going through the motions of making another hit album.


Monday, September 17, 2007

Spears may not get her kids’ custody

Spears may not get her kids’ custodyBritney Spears is reportedly close to losing the custody of her two kids, after a Los Angeles attorney brought up a secret witness who has dished out accounts of her behaviour with her kids.

The man, who has observed the singer’s parenting skills, will appear at the closed door hearing of the custody battle between Spears and her ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

Last week, attorney Gloria Allred got a declaration signed by the man with the court, reports Fox News. The channel’s reporter Roger Friedman said that the man might blow Spears’ chances of gaining her kids’ custody.

”I am told that the witness could blow Spears's chances of keeping Sean Preston and Jayden James," News.com.au quoted Friedman, as saying. Friedman also said that the witness will reveal the singer’s drug usage in front of her two sons.

"The likely observations from the witness concerns drug usage by Spears in her home and in front of her kids." He added.
Allred has kept the identity of the man a secret to avoid a publicity war.

"You may or may not recognise him as we walk into court. He is not famous. He's just someone who's concerned about the kids,’ Allred said.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Britney 'just wants to be a mom'

Britney 'just wants to be a mom' Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, on the other hand, said that his client was faring well.

Pop diva Britney Spears’ lawyer has indicated that she is currently having a tough time dealing with frustration, which has sprung from her custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline.

Laura Wasser revealed this while she was talking to reporters outside the courtroom, after another hearing of her case on Friday.

"(She) just wants to be a mom," People magazine quoted Laura Wasser as saying.

"I believe this is a frustrating time for her," she added.

She, however, did not divulge details about what was discussed at the hearing.

When asked whether Britney’s frustration could be due to the negative reactions to her appearance last Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards, Wasser said: "Yes. I think she just wants to be a mom, and both of her kids' birthdays are this week, and I think she would've liked to celebrate with them without having to worry about the entire nation - the entire world - being concerned about what's going on with her personally and her custody battle with Mr. Federline."

The attorney was resistant to accept the suggestion that Britney tried to offer Federline a settlement, which he was reluctant to accept.

"I don't believe that's true. They met and are trying to work it out so they don't have to have a judge make determinations for them regarding their kids. I don't know that he was resistant or she was resistant. They are both trying to work to come up with something together," she said.

Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, on the other hand, said that his client was faring well.

When Kaplan was asked whether Britney’s recent public appearance was hindering her case, he said, "I don't know what thing you are referring to, and I'm not going to talk about any strategy. I think how she is doing is something for her attorneys to address."


Friday, September 14, 2007

Britney & K-Fed come face to face

Britney & K-Fed come face to faceBritney had been hoping that the matter would not go to court.


Britney Spears and ex hubby Kevin Federline met for an unscheduled meeting to discuss their kids just five days before they are due to face each other in family court.

According to People magazine, the singer was the one to ask for the meeting at Century City offices of Spears's attorney Laura Wasser.

A source revealed that though Britney had been hoping that the matter would not go to court, her hopes were dashed by her former hubby.

"Britney asked for [the meeting]. She wants to put an end to this public debacle. However, Kevin [has] refused. He needs more money so he's determined to win this," People quoted the source, as saying.

A source close to Federline confirmed the meeting, but said that Federline going got additional child support.

"He's not going for additional child support in the court papers that were filed. It's not about the money," the source said.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Kanye Krazy?

Blaming the music channel for Britney Spears' public meltdown, West put the network on blast, saying, "They exploited her, they played me and I really don't mess with MTV." West was upset because he says he wanted to perform his new single, "Stronger," on the show's main stage, but was relegated to a "suite" performance by the network, even though Justin Timberlake, who also performed in a suite on Sunday's show, ended up "on the big stage" to close the broadcast. Hold up, hater!

A source connected to the awards show tells TMZ that Kanye was offered the main stage, but opted for the suite, claiming he wanted to "feel the excitement and energy" of a smaller venue, rather than people just sitting there at tables. In addition, Kanye's "Stronger" performance was pre-taped Friday night -- to give it a "night" look -- as the actual show went live Sunday night at 6:00 PM, while there was still daylight in Vegas. Our sources say Kanye "loved" his act and expressed that to the MTV execs who were all there. We ain't sayin' he's a golddigger...

For their part, MTV says it "has a long and collaborative relationship with Kanye and we hope and look forward to continuing that meaningful relationship."

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Sparks-and fists-fly backstage at whacked out VMAs

Sparks-and fists-fly backstage at whacked out VMAsBritney Spears’ on-camera meltdown at the MTV Video Music Awards couldn’t hold a candle to the drama going on backstage, and yesterday an irate Kanye West vowed he’d never work with the music network again.

West, who threw a tantrum at the show after being blanked in all five categories he was nominated for, told New York radio station Z100 that he’s cancelled all his upcoming “TRL” appearances to promote his new CD “Graduation.”

“That’s two years in a row, man . . . give a black man a chance,” said West. “I’m trying hard man, I have the No. 1 record, man.”

West said he was also peeved that MTV didn’t allow him to perform on the main stage, instead he was relegated to a suite.

“For me, MTV made it seem like performing on the main stage was a bad thing, and the suites were just so great,” he said. “It was my dream when I made ‘Stronger’ to open up the VMAs with a real power performance.”

West also blasted the music channel for letting Tinseltown trainwreck Britney Spears open the show.

“They exploited Britney in helping to end her career,” he said. “This game will chew you up and spit you out.”

For her part, Spears was so distraught over her embarrassing performance she broke down in tears backstage. According to Us magazine, the trashtastic pop tart was “crying badly.”

“She’s devastated. She was really nervous and knows she screwed up,” a source told Us.

Another spy dished to People.com that Spears’ lip-synching flubs and dance screw-ups were the result of terrible nerves.

“She was just plain nervous because of all the hype . . . . She just got out there and froze.”

And that wasn’t the only VMA fallout.

Police in Las Vegas cited Kid Rock, the former husband of actress Pamela Anderson, for suspicion of battery after a backstage scuffle with her other ex, Tommy Lee. The two men got into a fight while singer Alicia Keys was performing during the two-hour show Sunday.

While it’s unclear why the brawl broke out, observers speculated that Lee’s man-handling of Anderson may have sent Rock over the edge. Anderson was married to Rock for four months last year. She and Lee, who have two sons together, were wed for three years.

Las Vegas police said that Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, was cited for misdemeanor battery after investigators determined from interviews with both men and eyewitness accounts that he was the instigator.

“He was deemed to be the primary aggressor,” said police spokesman Bill Castle.

According to an audience member, the aging rockers “had each other at the necks, they were practically strangling each other.”

Another eyewitness spotted the Motley Crue drummer being escorted out of the venue and into the main casino “screaming the f-word over and over again.”

MTV posted a short video clip of the altercation, showing Rock and Lee being pulled apart by security guards as they shouted at one another. But what the two men said was inaudible.

Lee insisted to “The Insider” he was “trying to be the bigger man,” when the Detroit rocker approached him and socked him in the jaw.

“I was about to put Kid in the emergency room when security grabbed me,” the 44-year-old boasted. “They said, “If you move, we will break your arms.’ ”

The near-brawl did provide a few extra laughs during the award show when presenter Jamie Foxx called on the boys to “stop all of this white-on-white crime.”

“Tommy Lee and Kid Rock fighting like black folks - it’s hilarious,” he said. “Who won? I was in the bathroom. Pamela Anderson has got a hard choice to make.”






Saturday, September 8, 2007

Michael Jacksons New Song 'Fake'

Michael Jacksons New Song 'Fake' A song touted as the first new release from MICHAEL JACKSON in four years is a fake, according to the pop superstar's representative.

Radio bosses at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania station 93.1 Kiis FM aired dance track Mamacita, which contains segments sung in Spanish, earlier this week (begs03Sep07), and claimed it was Jackson's work.

However, the King Of Pop's spokesman Raymone Bain denies Mamacita is a Jackson song, telling Eurweb that he "has not released any music yet".

Friday, September 7, 2007

Lohan Reunion 'Amazing'

Lohan Reunion 'Amazing'HOLLYWOOD - Michael Lohan is ecstatic after his "amazing" reunion with his estranged daughter Lindsay.

Former convict Michael visited the 21-year-old singer/actress at the Cirque Lodge rehabilitation center in Utah on Thursday, where she has been seeking treatment since last month.

Father and daughter hadn't seen each other since Michael went to prison in New York after he was found guilty of driving while intoxicated and other charges two years ago.

An eyewitness to the reunion tells TV channel E!, "The moment Lindsay saw Michael, she started running and jumped into her father's arms. Her father hugged her and swung her around. Lindsay was so happy. It was very emotional."

Leaving Cirque Lodge after their meeting, Michael said, "I can't comment on my relationship with my daughter. But (the reunion) was amazing."

Michael is planning to visit Lindsay again during his stay in Utah, before he returns to New York on Saturday.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Ledger arrives solo for Venice festival

Ledger arrives solo for Venice festivalActor Heath Ledger arrived at the Venice Film Festival alone today as family confirmed he has split from partner Michelle Williams. The couple are said to have separated after three years together.

'Brokeback Mountain' star Ledger, 28, looked grim-faced and spoke only briefly during a press conference for his new Bob Dylan film 'I'm Not There'. Williams, 26, also appears in the movie but did not accompany him to promote it.

The couple got together while filming 'Brokeback Mountain' in 2004 and their daughter Matilda was born in October 2005.

Williams' father, Larry, told Australia's Daily Telegraph: "We have known about their troubles for a while but it's always a very difficult thing in life when these things happen. I know Heath and Michelle still care about each other deeply and are very committed to being great parents to their daughter."

He blamed pressures of work for their break-up, saying: "You can never be stunned by what happens in Hollywood - I learned that when we were dealing with Michelle's career when she was younger. Michelle was grown up at 16 and, just like Heath, her life has had an extremely fast
pace to it. I feel tremendously for her and for him, and hope they will find what they want in life."

The split has not yet been officially confirmed by the couple's publicist but they are believed to have parted amicably several weeks ago.




Monday, September 3, 2007

The secret behind Zeta-Jones' svelte figure

The secret behind Zeta-Jones' svelte figureCatherine Zeta-Jones revealed that she got back her svelte look after her pregnancies through a combination of healthy eating and a rigorous exercise regime.



The 37-year-old, who once admitted that reducing after giving birth would be hard, featured in the InStyle magazine showing off perfectly toned legs and a trim midriff.



The actress has to be extra cautious now about her fitness regime as she is playing role of a New York chef in her latest film, No Reservations.



'I have to drag myself to the gym like everyone else,' Daily mail quoted Zeta-Jones, as saying.



'But I do eat sensibly and have lots of chicken -- although if I could eat only three foods for the rest of my life, it would also be smoked salmon sandwiches with potato chips crunched inside and fish and chips if I did not put on weight,' she added.



She also revealed that she indulged in her favourite sandwiches while carrying Dylan, 7, and Carys, 4.

Troubled Amy back in UK

Troubled Amy back in UKAmy Winehouse arrived back in the UK today as concern continues to mount about the troubled singer.

Winehouse, 23, and husband Blake Fielder-Civil were photographed at Gatwick on their return from a five-star resort on St Lucia in the Caribbean.

The singer, who has cancelled a string of performances, is nominated for a Mercury Award, and is due at the London ceremony tomorrow.

Brit-award winner Winehouse was admitted to hospital last month after a reported overdose of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol.





The couple went on holiday after Winehouse quit rehab for a second time.

But pictures of the talented singer on holiday have sparked concern that she is still using hard drugs.

Before she went away, Winehouse was seen bloodstained and covered in scratches after quitting rehab with her husband.

The Back to Black singer shocked her fans with her blood-soaked ballet shoes, bruises to her neck, bandages on her arms and make-up smeared down her face.

Fielder-Civil had scratches covering his face and neck.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Iraq War Films Highlight Brutalization of Soldiers

Iraq War Films Highlight Brutalization of SoldiersOn the Lido, a paradisical Adriatic island, Venice Film Festival audiences were shown the horrors of war — and the U.S. occupation of Iraq — in two American movies premiering here. Brian De Palma's Redacted dramatizes the inhuman violence U.S. soldiers can be driven to commit in a country of which they know little, except that death can erupt anywhere. In the Valley of Elah, from Paul Haggis, who received a Best Picture Academy Award for Crash, enlists three other Oscar winners (Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon) in a story of the war brought home.

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Both films are based on actual atrocities. Redacted is inspired by the March 2006 rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, Abeer Qasim Hamza, and the killing of her family and torching of their bodies and their home, by four American soldiers. Three of the GI's have been convicted by military juries, earning from 90 to 110 years in prison. The fourth, who was discharged from the Army before charges were brought, is to be tried in criminal court; the prosecutor handling the case says he will seek the death penalty.

Elah is based on a Playboy investigative article, Mark Boal's "Death and Dishonor," about a returned Iraq vet whose body was found near an Army base, hacked to pieces with dozens of stab wounds.

In their styles, the movies are poles apart: Redacted is constructed entirely of seemingly real snippets of media: YouTube-like blogs, video posts, picture-phone emails and a daily video record of the war kept by one soldier, Angel Salazar (Izzy Diaz); it's a multimedia mockumentary. Elah is more traditional, a crime procedural that involves a police detective (Theron) and the murdered GI's father (Jones). But both films have a startling impact and a lingering chill. Just as important, both demand that their viewers consider the cost of the government's decision to invade a land no American was properly prepared for fighting in.

The cost — beyond the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives, beyond the toxic inflaming of the Middle East and the trashing of our country's reputation — is surely the reckless endangerment of U.S. soldiers' physical and mental health. They go over to Iraq whole; of those who make it back, many return with body parts missing or minds horribly damaged. Health officials report a huge increase in spousal and child abuse by returning vets.

How long will America keep paying for the psychic wounds its good young men encountered in Iraq? How long will they be emotionally disabled by their experiences? Rachel Maddow, one of the sharpest political commentators around, said on her Air America show a few weeks ago that the war in Iraq would not end for another 75 years — until the last haunted vet dies, still screaming out his nightmares.


MURDER IN IRAQ: SEE IT NOW ON YOUTUBE

What was the upside for young Americans sent overseas in World Wars I and II? Two things: They could kill the enemy, and have sex with the local ladies. Neither applies in Iraq. The enemy is almost impossible to identify — it could be man, woman or child — and Muslim women would risk death if they had sex with the infidel invaders, even if they were so inclined.

These frustrations are at the heart of the drama in Redacted. The Iraqis are not guys in different uniforms, or women one might woo; they are walking frag bombs, more animal or mineral than human. And when the members of one squad stationed in at a checkpoint in Samarra see their sergeant blown up while sweeping a dump site (his severed arm lands in front of Salazar's camera), they gradually go a little nuts.

Their attitude has never been exactly enlightened. They refer to Iraqis as "sand n-----s," and when one car goes speeding toward the checkpoint (after, the driver says, being waved through), they blow it up, injuring the driver and killing the woman in the back seat, who had been about to give birth. After the sergeant's death, one of the squad's less evolved members, B.B. Rush (Daniel Stewart Sherman), starts frisking an Iraqi schoolgirl with unseemly sexual forcefulness.

Later, over a drunken poker game, Rush and his redneck pal Flake (Patrick Carroll) think it'd be fun to return to a house they had searched and pay a little more attention to the pretty Iraqi girl who lives there. They do that, dragging along some of their reluctant buddies, and in a long scene that shocks and sickens, commit their crimes of passion and vengeance.

If you're wondering about journalistic impartiality, I should say that not all the violence in Redacted is the soldiers'. After the rape-murder, one of the squad is kidnapped by an insurgent group; in a video on the group's website, we see the soldier condemned to death, his throat slit, his severed head held up. But, you could say, those are the tactics of jihadists; they're supposed to behave abominably. We're not. And if we did, we're obliged to ask why.

In Venice, De Palma explained that "redacted" is the military's euphemism for the editing, in fact censoring, of impolitic comments in war documents, including servicemen's letters to the folks back home. (The Army also recently forbade its soldiers access to YouTube; but emails and videophone messages still get through.) "Sadly," De Palma said, "the true story of the war in Iraq has been redacted from the mainstream corporate media. I did this film because I believe that if we as a country are going to cause such disorder we must also be prepared to face the horrendous images that result from these events." And in the current video culture, he added, "The pictures are what will stop the war. If we get these pictures and stories in front of a mass audience, maybe it will do something."

Salazar, who hopes his video record will get him into film school, is the movie's recording Angel; he tells one of his squad subjects, "The camera never lies." That's nonsense, the other soldier says, "The camera does nothing but lie." De Palma has been investigating the question of visual veracity for most of his 40-year career. Redacted takes him back, back, past the Hitchcock homages and the action epics, back to his earliest films: Greetings! and Hi, Mom!, two innovative satires on the Vietnam War. The first film has clips of Lyndon Johnson addressing the nation on TV, and a character obsessed with the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination. Hi, Mom! follows a Viet vet (Robert De Niro) with a movie camera, recording what he sees and what he does, including bombing his own housing development, an action that kills his pregnant wife and his dog. In the 60s and today, De Palma says, war does bad stuff to people.

His new movie has torrents of words and goes heavy on macho posturing; at times it suggests a ragged off-off-Broadway play. And De Palma is not going for subtlety here: Flake, the craziest of the squad members, has a Confederate flag for his bedspread — he's a lunatic Reb. But Redacted pretty successfully sustains a dual level of hysteria (in its content) and disinterest (in its film-long framing devices). It's an amazingly vigorous work for a filmmaker who turns 67 on Sept. 11, and his strongest cinematic and political statement at least since Casualties of War, his Vietnam film of 1989. The movie is a cry of national shame; for De Palma, it's a new badge of honor for a wily old vet.

DAVID VS GOLIATH: WHO WINS?

The valley of Elah is where the Philistines sent out their Goliath to terrify the Israelites, and where young David felled the giant with his trusty slingshot. Haggis wants you to ask: In Iraq, who is the good guy, who the enemy? And how does one turn into the other?

Hank Deerfield (Jones) is a terse, honorable man, an ex-soldier who, against the pleas of his wife (Sarandon), encouraged his son to enlist for Iraq. Now he learns that the boy, Mike, has been back in the States without telling his family and, much worse, has been found murdered. Was the crime drug-related? Hank is skeptical. He tells an Army doctor, "You know, the Army does regular drug tests on its soldiers." The doctor replies: "Not when they're in Iraq."

Hank knows a lot — the number of men in an infantry unit, the way a blue car looks green under a yellow streetlight — but he has much to learn about the effect of this war on today's young men. One vet has drowned his wife's dog, and later drowns her in a bathtub. Hank has also hears that Mike had been called Doc by his comrades. Why? Because, on patrol in Iraq, Doc would "stick his hand in some hadji's wound and say, ‘Does that hurt?' And the hadji would say yes. Then he'd stick it in again and say, ‘Does that hurt?' That's how he got the name Doc."

Those of us who weren't crazy about Crash thought it reduced each of its dozens of characters to one small virtue and big flaw. This time Haggis is more open to his characters' drives and demons. The good guys, the ones so well played by Jones, Theron and Sarandon, have nuances worth noting; and even the ones capable of committing the most heinous crimes seem like decent people to whom some awful thing happened. (Special mention to Wes Chatham, who could be Matt Damon's younger, cuter brother, as a soldier testifying to Hank about the killing.) The combination of dedicated actors and a superior script helps make Elah a far more satisfying film than Crash.

Both films end with powerful visual statements: a montage of real people killed in Iraq, the raising of an American flag upside down, as a traditional distress signal to other nations. We need help, these wrenching films say, when we can no longer help ourselves.