day 3.344

what i love (this week)

the song

i found tessa and the typecast's "hold on 'til morning" where i find all my music, in an ad. it's the perfect summer-sounding song to get you through this intro-to-winter weather everyone but california seems to be experiencing now.

the show

i know we won't get to see the full kim and kris fallout, but i can't resist. i watched the kardashian empire rise and i'll watch it fall.

the movie

it's the one movie i saw in the last week that didn't include in my mass review yesterday, so ... here it is? it's the best looking of the saga- director bill condon isn't in to the whole shaky cam, dark and dreary look that the previous directors adopted.

the look book(s)

this week i'm bringing back the books. it's been a while since i've reviewed a recent read and that's because, well, i haven't read recently. but this week, copious amounts of travel time let me knock out two great reads (and, fyi, both will make great gifts). first, mindy kaling's is everyone hanging out without me (and other concerns). i love a good title, especially one i can relate to- this is a question i ask myself all the time- is sure to reel me in. the promise of laughs? even better. kaling, who you might know as kelly kapoor from the office, offers life highlights, starting with her life as a chubby androgynous suburban kid to popular-girl-in-her-head to struggling artist to the fame and fortune of hollywood. it'll have you laughing from cover to cover, with plenty of relatable stories and insight into the office you never knew you needed.

robert rave's conversations and cosmopolitans, co-written by his mom, jane, is another hard-to-put-down read. i've raved (pun fully intended) about rave's fictional works spin and waxed before, but this book's a little different. c&c is a memoir following rave's relationship with his mom post-childhood. it all begins with rave finally coming out to his mom and weaves through the duo's strengthened bond as they navigate weight watchers meetings, new york nightlife and life's little miseries together, all with a side of snark and loving humor. if you have a mom, or know someone who has a mom (that means everyone if you didn't catch on), this is a must-read.

day 3.219

justin timberlake and amanda seyfriend are in time

um, yes please. justin timberlake continues his acting tour de force with in time, a futuristic thriller co-starring amanda seyfriend. previously known as im.mortal and now, in time takes place in a time when time has overtaken money as the main form of currency. people stop aging at 25, given one year to live unless they start raking up more years. the flick looks like a modern (well, futuristically modern) take on robin hood. check out the trailer- which appeared at comic con above. in time hits theaters october 28.

first look at bella and baby

here's something else that premiered at comic con- your first look at bella and edward's baby, renesme. oh, and vampire bella, too. the twilight saga: breaking dawn, part 1 hits theaters november 18. you can also take a look at film's much anticipated honeymoon scene, below.

rip amy winehouse

day 3.175

let's talk about this

people. really? is this real life? (see what i did there? slipped in a youtube reference- nbd). meet "nuttymadam3575," a twilight-obsessed fangirl who can't seem to control her emotions. seriously- it's like this girl has no control over what her body does when it comes to twilight. i don't understand people like this. i'd actually like someone to explain them to me- people who become obsessed with fictional characters. i understand it to a point- we've all gotten a little emotional when our favorite show or movie series comes to an end (ask me about what happened when hillary duff gave up her life as lizzie mcguire), but this? this is out of hand. do these people not realize that these characters, and even the actors who play them, aren't attainable? that they don't actually know them in real life? it's one thing to be a fan, but it's quite another to verge on stalker territory.

day 3.172

twihards, get excited

the official trailer for the fourth installment in the twilight saga, breaking dawn: part 1 has hit the interwebs. i can't figure out where in the book they're planning on splitting the story, but vampire honeymoon sex makes the cut in this one. check out the trailer above ... and then wait until november for the flick's actual release.

day 2.212

the twilight sequel i actually want to see

day 2.295

am i getting old?

that has to be it right? why else would i not enjoy the mtv movie awards? i'm usually glued to the tv watching the show, but this year i fast-forwarded through the majority of it. plus, my dvr cut off i don't know how much of the show. i just didn't find it all that enjoyable. maybe because the show used to have a lot more over lap with movies with that got real awards. the past few years it's been all about twilight and harry potter. i don't think movies adapted from mythological book series are all that new or exciting. we all know what happens because we've all read the books - or at least read the synopses on wikipedia. plus, the awards used to be hosted by household names. who the hell is aziz ansari? i know he's on parks and recreation but, let's be honest, no one is watching that show. if you're going to get someone from tv comedy to host the show, get someone from the office or the cast of modern family. and, if it has to be parks and rec, get effing amy poehler. ok, that's my rant. onto the awards.

basically, twilight won everything. here's the few twilight didn't win.

best breakout star: anna kendrick, up in the air (she finally got something for it!)

best scared-as-shit performance: amanda seyfried, jennifer's body

biggest badass star: rain, ninja assasin (who?)

best comedic performance: zach galifinakis, the hangover

best villian: tom felton, harry potter and the half-blood prince

best fight: beyonce and ali larter, obsessed (this movie was in this awards year?)

best wtf moment: ken jeong (that naked asian), the hangover

generation award: sandra bullock

bullock's acceptance speech and the night's two performances, katy perry's "california gurls" and christina aguilera basically singing her entire album, are the only parts worth watching.

(sorry for the quality, but the whole show can be seen at mtv.com)

for all you twihards

it seems like the producers have displayed every single clip from this movie already. continuing to drum up buzz for a movie that people will see no matter what, the creative forces behind the twilight series have released the first real clip of the volturi (the "bad" vamps for those of you who don't read the series). check out all the creepy, poor acting above.

day 299

the song that started it all

here's the song that started it all for taylor swift: "i'm every woman." yep, the chaka khan classic was the song that reportedly secured ms. swift the record deal that made her the biggest artist currently. this "i'm every woman" is a rare demo track swift recorded years ago as part of her music star - in - training life and i'd say it paid off. the song is a disco-country fusion, something that no one has ever really heard before; i'd say that this ingenuity probably helped secure taylor a record deal. not many artists could take two completely different genres and make them into a ready for radio number. maybe taylor will included this leaked track as part of her fearless album re-releases, coming to stores later this month with new tracks and remixes of the singles off the original cd.

here it is, twihards

a new new moon trailer premiered last night before screenings of audrina patridge's big screen debut sorority row and it's way more packed than the first one released before last month's bandslam, which was really just a taylor lautner interview about his character in the sequel. this trailer actually tells you what the movie is about. it looks like summit entertainment is really trying to play down the whole edward not really being involved in this outing, except for a the beginning and end by putting robert pattinson in the trailer as much as possible. it looks like almost every single one of r patt's scenes is packed into the trailer, which will probably be a let down for some die-hard twilighters. check out the trailer above. it looks like kristen stewart didn't work on her acting skills at all and it still just kind of stuttering through her words. oh well, i guess she's staying true to the character she created in the first film.

day 281

what will bella wear?

now that summit entertainment has officially stated that they are working on adapting stephanie meyer's 4th novel in the twilight saga, breaking dawn, for the big screen, instyle had designers sketch the way they picture (spoiler) bella's wedding dress. rumor has it that the book will be split into at least 2 - if not 3 - different feature films to get as much of the story onto the big screen, but the dress would definitely be showcased in the first installment, which would probably start production either late this year or early next year (the 3rd flick, eclipse, is currently in production in vancouver while the second film is being released theatrically november 20th. here are the sketches:

here's monique lluillier's take on the gown. it's one of the most normal of the sketches.

erin fetherston's version is probably the most true to the "period piece" idea alluded to in the book. none of these dresses is all that fun to look at, though. and the dress is going to need to be good to distract from kristen stewart's cardboard cutout acting style.

what the hell this is is beyond me. i've never heard of brian reyes and if this is what his work looks like, i'm guessing i never will. this looks like a dragon or something, not a dress. if someone is able to dissect this for me and describe where exactly the head/limbs are, that'd be great.

hot off his miley cyrus line at walmart, max azria is going back to his high fashion roots. literally. there are twigs coming off this dress.

another designer i've never heard of, prabal gurung, went modern with her take. i'm under the impression that prabal thought she was designing this dress for an actual client from the "for bella...with love" inscription on her sketch. what a sad delusion.

these dresses are all starting to look alike to me. blah blah blah. this is lela rose's take. bo-ringg.

the first project runway designer to become a real fashion force, christian siriano, was asked to give his interpretation (above). hello, drama. this might be a little much for poor little kstew.

this is badgley mischka's tale on the dress. it's pretty true to form in terms of the book's description of the dress, but i'm freaking creeped out by the sketched woman wearing the dress. is it just me, or is there a grandma goldfish head on top of this body?

zac posen contributes the last design and it's the least like the book's description (other than that weird ass dragon dress from above - i already forgot who the hell designed that). this is another creepy ass sketch. this is why the public rarely sees the sketches and only sees the finished garmet - the sketches are far to effed up for be considered beautiful. chances are none of these will make the cut for the movies; they'd all be too expensive - probably the entire wardrobe budget! of course, there's still time for the costume designer to choose something.

day 207

raging bitch, day 2

more from miss carrie prejean.  

two twilight stars quit!

shocking right?  okay, they didn't quit the movies.  they've quit smoking.  it appears that the cancer sticks are an epidemic on the twilight set, with everyone from robert pattinson to kristin stewart puffing away.  sadly, those two aren't the ones kicking the habit.  instead, self-proclaimed "role models" nikki reed and ashley greene (rosalie and alice, respectively) are saying buh-bye to tobacco.  the girls see themselves as people who young fans look up to; so, when pics of the duo surfaced sucking the marlboros, they knew it was time for a change.  the girls are gradually becoming smoke free, sucking on prop cigarettes instead - ones without harmful chemicals - to ease away from the habit.  but, if they're photographed with these realistic, non-tobacco ciggies, isn't that just as bad as being photographed with the real thing?  anyone can say the cancer sticks are fake, but can we believe them? i'll be interested to see how this plays out.  

day 201

youtube musica

it looks like everybody is trying to get a piece of the twilight action, including musicians.  with the success of the first movie's soundtrack and editing beginning on the new moon sequel, some of today's top (and not so big) acts are angling for a spot on the soundtrack.  earlier this year, justin guarini (american idol season 1 runner up) released a song onto the internets in hope of getting some twilight attention.  here's his attempt, entitled "i can't live." the mop-topped tv guide reporter def went for the dark-vibe, but it seems too tailored to twilight.  and i don't know if anyone is really interested in hearing guarini - are you?  plus, any song lyrically driven is probably going to end up on the credits sequence - they're going to go for a big name.  i.e. last year's flick enlisted paramore, who had just had mondo success with "misery business," for their song "decode." plus, the band was probably an easy nab - they still aren't big enough to headline a tour on their own; they're opening for no doubt this summer.  

        

and, now, justin's final two counterpart and from justin to kelly costar kelly clarkson is throwing her hat in the twilight music rink.  a single reportedly written exclusively for new moon (and sounding like a track straight from 2007's debacle of an album my december), "empty as i am" has hit the web.  it's a bit moody for my taste, but so is the whole twilight franchise.  i say clarkson is a safer bet over guarini - and i'm sure guarini is pissed as hell.  he was the only "artist" out there to have publicly released a song specifically for the film.  check out kelly's song below.   

        

and, in more moody music news, a track selena gomez recorded "for fun" a couple years back, entitled "head first," has made its way to youtube this week.  selena took to her mytwitface (she used all three social networking sites) to deny rumors that the song has anything to do with her romance with jobro nick, but did say the song was about a childhood crush.  it's disney pop at its best, to say the least.  the thing i don't understand is that, in the beginning of her mouse house career, selena said she didn't want a solo singing career, but a band instead.  it seems like her tune has changed; s go is set to release her debut album in the near future on disney-owned hollywood records (home to fellow disney starlets [and friends/frenemies] miley cyrus and demi lovato).  

        

selena also recently hooked up with dallas-based (selena is from the area) pop-rock band forever the sickest kids for a reworked version of their song "woah oh," similar to leighton meester's recent duet with cobra starship.  this is def a radio friendly (and not just radio disney) jam that's perfect for summer.  if this is any indication of what gomez's debut will be, she'll be pushing the disney envelope to the most rock it's been.   

        

and, in related disney music news, here's a snippet of "before the storm," miley cyrus' collaboration with former boyfriend nick jonas, to be included on the jobros' new disc lines, vines, and trying times.  so nice that these two could work things out.  or, at the least, disney could negotiate a contract for them to sing together.  i smell a megahit, at least in the tween universe.    

        

miley tweeted today that she and nick were "writing" another song together while they recorded a new eco-friendly promo for the disney channel, alongside selena, demi, and nick's brothers.  

day 196

mtv movie awards: who won what, how?

mtv hosted the 2009 movie awards last night and it went off without a hitch (and finished on time!).  the whole thing should be streamable above - though that vid might just show you the opening - but you can catch the whole thing over at mtv.com. be warned, it's in 42 parts! so who won?  andy samberg of snl hosted the shebang and came full circle in a way - samberg was one of the writers of the show in the early 2000s and was discovered by then host jimmy fallon.  pretty cool, huh?  basically twilight won everything.  okay, not really, but close - with 5 out of the big awards.  check out the whole list below.  and i def recommend watching the whole show - there's some prime moments, like when sasha baron cohen (as bruno) basically 69'd eminem (the whole thing was reportedly staged, but audience members didn't think so) and abigail breslin looked disgusted when miley won for best song.  oh well.  until next year (or the vma's in the fall!).  

Best Movie: Twilight

Best Male Performance: Zac Efron, High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Best Female Performance: Kristen Stewart, Twilight

Breakthrough Performance, Male: Robert Pattinson, Twilight

Breakthrough Performance, Female: Ashley Tisdale, High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Best Comedic Performance: Jim Carrey, Yes Man

Best Villain: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Fight: Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet, Twilight

Best Kiss: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, Twilight

Best WTF Moment: "Peeing in the Sink," Amy Poehler in Baby Mama

Best Song From a Movie: "The Climb," Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie

day 145

twilight gets doll-ed up

the three big twilight characters - edward, bella, and jacob - have gotten the barbie treatment.  the supernatural trio have been turned into posable collectable items by the tonner doll company. so, if you need a little fix of the vampire/werewolf battle before the twilight saga continues on screen this fall, then maybe you'll want to pick a couple of these up. problem is, though, that each figure costs $125.99 each and are on backorder. obviously some hardcore fans had some money to burn and got on the bandwagon early. each of the dolls comes in a "twilight-authentic" outfit and can be posed up to 17 ways. have fun with that...if anyone actually purchases this, i'm going to suggest major help for you. psychiatric help. how can a $9.95 barbie be bumped up to over $100??

just a short one today. 

day 115

aniston without a man-istan

it looks like one of hollywood's cougar couples has called it quits.  john mayer reportedly gave jennifer aniston the boot after she returned to lalaland from a european promotional tour for marley and me.  the couple has apparently been fighting recently and just decided the relationship wasn't the right thing right now.  this is quite the surprise to fans and friends alike - the couple just made their coming out at february's oscar ceremony, which happened to be the anniversary of their meeting.  this is the second break-up for the couple. mayer held an impromptu press conference outside his gym in august of last year explaining he ended the relationship because he didn't want to waste someone's time.  i wonder if it's the same reason this time?  aniston is said to be happy to move on with her life.  it seems like all of aniston's exes move on really quickly - brad moved right onto angelina, vince vaughn recently got engaged...i wouldn't be surprised if john was on to someone new in the next month or so.  hopefully jen  is able to find someone soon - her love life has never been very stable.  

barrymore won't be eclipsed

the creative minds behind the twilight series have decided not to hire actress-turned producer/director drew barrymore as the director for the franchise's third flick, eclipse.  instead, the pic will be helmed by spanish horror director juan antonio bayona.  bayona has yet to do an english language flick - eclipse will be his second attempt at an english debut.  is this a good idea?  a man who has never worked in english directing one of the biggest movies of 2010?  i guess his aesthetic is horror and twilight's look and feel is pretty dark, so it could be a good match.  the thing i don't understand is why not just ask catherine hardwicke back?  she would have had plenty of time to work everything out for the third film and then new moon's director, chris weitz, could helm the fourth.  i guess they just want it to be a big mess.  maybe this means drew is being considered for the fourth installment.  that would be interesting to see - stephanie mayer, the series' author, said the book will be extremely difficult to adapt to the screen and she doesn't see how it will be feasible.  if tween girls are still out there - which i know they will be - a fourth film is inevitable.  i wouldn't be surprised if twilight got the harry potter treatment, either, with the fourth book being split into at least 2 films.  eclipse is set to his theaters in june of 2010.  

britney finally "seeks amy"

britney spears has finally released her much anticipated music video for her next single "if u seek amy."  the song is sure to be a major radio hit, but the video is a bit of a disappointment.  it seems like it was filmed in one day and there are literally no set changes - the whole thing takes place inside a house.  it's simplicity reminds me of her "piece of me" video.  check out the new video above and tell me your thoughts.  i think it's really funny that brit's team decided to poke fun at the fox news reporter who was so up in arms over the controversial lyrics to bookend the vid.  it just seems like the video was rushed without a real concept - and there is almost no dancing - just simple movements and hand gestures.  

day 110

day o' updates 

there really aren't any new stories today, so i'll just do a couple blurbs about some stories i've covered and some i haven't....it looks like two of hollywood's heartthrobs might be shacking up together. yes, two guys. dating. matt dallas, of the recently canceled kyle xy, and jonathan bennett, who played aaron samuels in mean girls, are said to be an item.  bennett is openly gay whereas matt dallas has continually avoided commenting on his personal life ... as of today, dakota fanning is officially a part of the twilight family.  the young actress finalized talks to star as vampire jane in the second installment of the franchise, which summit entertainment is now highly publicizing on their website.  new moon begins shooting this month ... lindsay lohan is still working on that third album.  the singer/actress is reportedly hoping to cover britney spears' "oops...i did it again" as part of her new project, along with "womanizer.  how about she just makes it a britney cover album, right? ... the cw's gossip girl spinoff, lily, has finalized its cast.  joining brittany snow and krysten ritter as sisters lily and carol are lost's cynthia watros of lost is set to come on board as rhodes family matriarch cece while pretty in pink and lipstick jungle's andrew mccarthy will be playing rick, the girls' father.  ryan hansen of veronica mars and jericho's shiloh fernandez are also set to hop on the 80s bandwagon.  look out for the backdoor pilot sometime in may, which will feature no doubt in a recreation of one of their "pre-fame" concerts ... and, sadly, jimmy kimmel and sarah silverman have decided to call it quits once again, after 5 months back together.  funny how i opened and closed this with relationship news. 

that's all i got for today kiddos. 

day 102

drew to eclipse third twilight?

drew barrymore is in talks to direct the third movie in the twilight film franchise, eclipse.  the first film was directed by catherine hardwicke and the second - which goes into production in just a few short weeks - is being helmed by chris weitz.  drew has long been interested in directing, with her production company, flower films, becoming a powerhouse in hollywood after the charlie's angels flicks.  drew recently wrapped production on her directorial debut, whip it!, a comedy set in the fast paced world of roller derbies and starring juno's ellen page.  so why 3 directors for 3 films?  hardwicke pulled out of the second installment when summit entertainment, the studio behind the movies, wanted a tighter production schedule that hardwicke believed would hurt the quality of the film.  and weitz won't be returning to the third because he'll still be working on post-production on the second film. yes, the third film will be coming out in spring 2010, meaning filming needs to take place this fall, even before the second film will be released in theaters.  summit knows that twilight is a bankable series but they don't know how long the interest in the vampire themed epic will last.  it will be interesting to see the production value of the newest movie as compared to the first and so on.  and as for drew? i would want to at least see whip it! before i made the decision.  the only good thing is that she is a hollywood veteran and knows how the make and publicize big blockbusters.  she'll probably be a fun addition to the creative forces behind the series, too.  no official word has been released from either camps but, if drew is selected, the announcement will probably be made this summer. 

more gossip about gossip

the news just keeps piling up for the cw's gossip girl.  it has now been confirmed by fellow cast member krysten ritter that brittany snow will be going back to blonde to take on the role of lily van der woodsen (nee rhodes) in the tentatively titled lily (though that's sure to change - it screams felicity or other drama-in-a-can).  producers made the official decision last night right before krysten walked the carpet to promote her current show, breaking bad.  the show will focus on britanny and krysten's characters (lily and carol), two sisters living in la la land during the punk-infused era of the 80s.  and as for the show that birthed lily? gwen stefani and the group that launched her career, no doubt, will be taking to the upper east side in one of this season's last episodes right before their spring/summer tour launches in may.  that's sure to draw ratings to the show, right?  this should all be very interesting.  the cw is really putting all their creative juices into keeping gossip girl as their flagship show, which is a rarity for a network when a show doesn't really pull in big numbers.  it also looks like 90210 will be back in the fall to help usher in the melrose place relaunch, alongside dramas smallville and supernatural.  

day 80

more sex coming in 2010

the four stars of the hbo series and last summer's big hit at the box office, sex and the city, along with writer/director michael patrick king have all signed on for a sequel to the film, which was announced to be in development when the dvd of the movie was released last fall.  the movie was always "going to" happen, but contracts were signed today at new line, the studio backing the film.  king has yet to pen a script, but he's sure to jump right on that now that he's signed contracts, especially because new line is hoping for a summer 2010 release.  but, what will the sequel be about? king has said that he won't be going the same "comeback from a tragedy" route as the first film and, like the episodes of the series, each of the movies should have its own distinctive point of view.  i'm guessing there will be a lot of focus on samatha - kim catrall's character - now that she's single and back to her old, cougar-ing ways.  and charlotte (kristin davis) will be juggling family life.  but what about carrie (sarah jessica parker) and big? and for miranda (cynthia nixon)?  hopefully something good.  sex and the city: the movie was one of 2008's biggest films and broke the record for the biggest opening of an r rated film ever. 

grammy wammy

this sunday is music's big night, with the grammy awards taking place and being broadcast on cbs.  and, as always, there will be some really interesting performances.  we might even get to see someone give birth.  m.i.a., who is nominated for her hit "paper planes," is set to perform. on the same night of her due date.  while first children are often late, this could be disastrous.  but interesting.  another performance scheduled is a duet between country chart topper taylor swift and disney star miley cyrus.  the two will be singing a swift-penned song.  maybe it will be about dating and being dumped by a jonas brother? taylor dated joe and miley dated nick, each of them having quite the public breakup.  another odd mash-up will be keith urban and john mayer.  the guitar toting twosome will be doing a bo diddley tribute.  like always, the grammys are sure to be a wild night (remember amy winehouse's "to my blake incarceratedddddd" comment last year?).  

rumor patrol

here's a few small stories to confirm or deny.  first up is that audrina patridge and benji madder are dating; according to the upper lipless beauty of the hills, this is false ...is etta james mad at beyonce? that would be yes.  click here to check out a tirade the famous singer gave about how she doesn't appreciate knowles's portrayal of her in the movie cadillac records or how she performs "her" song, at last.  to be clear, etta was the third person to record the track ... does twilight have another famous cast member? it looks that way.  90210's analynne mccord is set to take the "cameo like" role of heidi, a girl who lures victims to a vampire tribe in the series. this will unite her (possibly) on screen with her rumored boyfriend, kellan lutz, who plays emmett in the series.

day 79

hardwicke in hardcover

though she won't be returning to direct the twilight sequel, new moon, catherine hardwicke has gone and got herself quite the lucrative deal.  the director will cashing in on the twilight craze now that she has scored a book deal with little brown.  he director will be releasing (in quite the rush) twilight: director's notebook, a memoir made in replica of her actual notebook.  the book will hit shelves about a week before the first twilight movie arrives on dvd, and will include insight on casting, location scouting, wardrobe, and more.  does this mean we'll get to see who else was in mind for the roles of edward, bella, and the rest of the twilight-ers?  i guess we'll all have to pick up our own copies.  hardwicke has also promises to include photos and storyboard sketches to put a little more personal spin on the book.  but, will anyone actually buy this?  probably only the really hardcore fans, but it's still one last way to cash in on the franchise.  the second installment of the series kicks off filming in march, as well, with a release set for november.  

beckham back to britain?

it looks like the beckhams may already be leaving their new american home.  both posh and becks have reportedly been offered new positions over seas.  it looks like posh will be headed to england to a judging seat at the x factor.  main judge and producer simon cowell has reportedly offered the former spice girl the seat currently held by dani minogue (kylie's sister), with an initial offering of about $1.5 million.  that's pretty good change for a reality show judge.  it's still interesting to me that former x factor judge sharon osbourne left the british version of the show to head to the american version.  could posh's new seat lead to a gig in america? it will be interesting to see if this is a vicious circle.  and, as for victoria' husband, it looks like he's trying to get out of his la galaxy contract to permanently stay at ac milan, where he has been playing in the interim.  it would make sense for both posh and becks to be overseas, but an italian movie made permanent? it seems like no one takes into consideration the toll all this moving takes on the kids - 3 countries in such a short lifetime?  seems cruel to me.  but, like any child of a celebrity, a normal life is probably out of the question.

two stories is all i got for now, but check back later for now.  and check out the new google links on the right - they'll take you to even more pictures and stories.  

day 67

inauguration shenanigans 

while the focus this week has been on our newly sworn in presidente, word of various celebrity craziness in and around the festivities is starting to trickle out.  first up is none other than repeat diva mariah carey.  the songstress formerly know for her high pitched notes (now known more for her club beats) was apparently so dissatisfied in her treatment at the affair, that she bailed out of the ceremony altogether.  now, you ask, what could have been so bad that mariah stormed off? her seat.  mariah was disappointed with the fact that she had to sit with the "commonfolk" (aka her celebrity peers, like jon bon jovi, mary j blige, alicia keys, and bruce springsteen); she wanted to sit with the obamas themselves.  now, the "front row" seats are almost exclusively for family and government officials, past and future.  where carey got the idea she was a relative of the obamas or a member of barack's cabinet is beyond me.  before mimi left dc, however, she did get a chance to sing "hero" at the neighborhood inaugural ball, an event created by obama to make all neighborhoods across the country aware, at the same time, of what was going on in washington the day of the inauguration through a variety of web-based components.  carey wasn't the only star disappointed in her role at the inauguration.  fellow diva sean "diddy" combs is said to have been frustrated with his seating arrangement as well, in addition to not being asked to perform and his "second fiddle" role to more prominent jay-z (diddy even had to sit next to mr beyonce during the ceremony - how tragic!).  where do these people get off thinking it's their day?? diddy's people did refute the claims, saying the inauguration was "one of the greatest moments of his life." okay...

twilight lands another name

in addition to dakota fanning (and possibly vanessa hudgens, though reports are now claiming that the character she auditioned for won't even be making an appearance in new moon), america ferrera is said to be joining the cast of the vampire/werewolf mega franchise.  while the first move featured a virtually unknown cast of actors only known for their former, small supporting roles, the sequel is shaping up to be a big name blockbuster.  the ugly betty actress, and reported avid fan of the series, has reportedly auditioned for the role of leah clearwater, the only known female werewolf in the stephanie meyer-created quileute tribe.  there's no official word on this casting decision, but if it's true, word is sure to break soon - why would they want to keep such a "name" a secret? while the film series really doesn't need any more publicity, adding actors and actresses with names is sure to draw more attention to the franchise and more fans to the box office, which means even more money for the films.  

paula abdul, responsible for all music videos

or, so, she would like us to believe.  the lakers girl-turned pop star-turned american idol judge has been quoted as saying that her videos, like "opposites attract," are the "almanac" for for current stars like beyonce and rihanna, and the videos they've created. now, i don't know about you, but i don't really recall beyonce and rihanna dancing and singing with an animated character...and, if paula is referencing the rap-singing duet, i don't think she invented that, either. had paula called attention to the "straight up" video, then, maybe, i could see where she's coming from.  that video is much more, stylistically speaking, like the videos of today.  sometimes we just have to excuse miss abdul's comments (to be real, we have to do this most of the time)...but this one struck me as quite the quote.  to say that abdul's videos have stood the test of time is a bit extreme, even for abdul to say herself.

day 65

there's no doubt that paramore will be on tour

when a new official site launched around thanksgiving of last year, it was apparent that rock group no doubt would be heading on a tour.  and, now, that news is official.  gwen stefani will lead her 3 band mates across the country this summer.  and, the band's opening act will be female fronted, male backed (sound familiar?) group paramore.  while no official dates or cities have been announced, they should be announced in the near future.  gwen has said that this tour will allow the band to reconnect with fans - they haven't traveled since 2004 - and get inspired to write and record new material, not done since 2004 when gwen pulled a beyonce to record some solo material and become one of the biggest selling female pop vocalist of recent times.  this is good news for fans and, hopefully, the group will return to the ska roots that made them famous and fuse them with the reggae infused beats that relaunched the band in the late nineties/early 2000s.  

"never say never, but no."

while pink uttered the above statement many a time in interviews last year, it appears the star is investing more in the "never say never" part than "no." the singer is said to have reconciled with her ex-husband, stunt cyclist and tattoo enthusiast carey hart.  the couple have reportedly moved back in together to test the waters in pink's malibu home.  this week would have marked the couple's second wedding anniversary and thoughts of that date may have prompted the couple to try living together again.  the relationship broke up because of the couple's opposite work schedules and difficulty making time for each other.  but how are things going to change? pink and carey have always had a very odd relationship, with hart even appearing in pink's video for her song "so what," in which she bashes him, during the separation.  

crappy oscars. 

the razzi nominations were announced today and, no surprise, some of last years biggest bombs made the cut.  the razzies, for those of you who are uninformed, is an awards show which gives prizes to hollywood's worst offerings, with awards for all the main categories (like acting and direction, as seen at the oscars.  rarely do actors actually appear to accept their awards, with the exception of halle berry, who came to accept awards on behalf of her film, catwoman. some of this years nominations include paris hilton's the hottie and the nottie, larry the cable guy and eddie murphy for worst acting, kate hudson (for both my best friend's girl and fool's gold), and cameron diaz and ashton kutcher for their coupling in what happens in vegas.  mike myer's the love guru lead the pack with 7.  obviously, none of these cinematic masterpieces will be part of tomorrow's oscar nominations.  

casting coup

the twilight team may be getting a big name movie star to add to its roster of insta-celebrities. the role of jane, a member of italy's volturi (the most deadly of the vampires in the saga), is most likely going to be played by none other than dakota fanning.  the role was apparently offered the the pint sized star outright - no auditions and no other considerations.    this seems like stunt casting to me, but maybe it's a good choice? i don't read the books, so i'll need some other opinions.  but, from the character depiction, it seems like dakota fits the bill.  it makes sense to go with a young actress, as jane is supposed to be in the 4 foot range, with her fellow italian vampires being at least 3 times her size.  we'll see if dakota can pull off the role once filming begins in both the us and italy in march.