Chris Brown will reportedly plea self-defence in his court case, claiming Rihanna attacked him. The 19-year-old singer – who has been accused of allegedly beating up his popstar girlfriend earlier this month – is waiting to hear if the charges will be brought to court and is set to accuse Rihanna of starting the altercation on February 7. A source told ‘Life and Style Weekly’ magazine: “Chris is already building his case. He’s saying she threw a phone at him, then hit him in the head and basically just lost it. He’s saying she attacked him.” Rihanna (21) has reportedly told police Chris beat her in his car in Los Angeles, threatened to kill her and choked her until she was unconscious. Chris has been charged with making criminal threats and was released on $50,000 bail.
Beyonce has finally infiltrated my house. My kids and my wife are all singing “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Nonstop. Every day. It’s the answer to every question and the response to every statement. It’s worse than waterboarding. I’d leave, but I know they’d follow me.
There are songs you wish you could forget but can’t. They’re like a virus that won’t leave your system no matter how hard you try. You’re in the shower, and before you can stop yourself “Y.M.C.A.” pops out of your mouth. You catch yourself chanting, “Who let the dogs out?” in the car. You respond to a friend’s recent troubles with “I get knocked down but get up again.”
You try to erase these unwelcome melodies by thinking about something else. Nothing. You sing them ten times really loud and fast, hoping to push them out of your head. No luck. They won’t leave you. You’re afraid to go out at night. You used to be so much cooler than this.
Go easy on yourself. You’re not to blame. There’s a name for the affliction, and it’s called “brain itch.” And the type of song that causes the brain itch? That’s an “earworm.” Dr James Kellaris of the University of Cincinnati has studied the phenomenon (for real). It seems the combination of repetitive words and unchanging melody makes for the perfect earworm. We’re helpless against its power.
Here are the all-time itchiest of the brain-itch tunes. You can rest easy knowing that it’s not really you singing that song. It’s that earworm dug into your mind, like in the movie “Scanners.” At least now no one can blame you when your friends ask what you want for lunch and you say, “I want my baby back, baby back.”
In an interview with The New York Times, Bruce Springsteen says he shouldn’t have made a deal with Wal-Mart. This month, the store started exclusively selling a Springsteen greatest-hits CD.
Some fans were critical because Springsteen has been a longtime supporter of worker’s rights, and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices. Springsteen’s team didn’t vet the issue as closely as it should have, and that he “dropped the ball on it,” he told the Times for a story to be published in Sunday editions and previewed on its Web site.
Springsteen went on to say: “It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be.”
“Millions of Springsteen fans have counted on Wal-Mart over the years to deliver his music into their lives, and we will continue to offer those fans this ‘Greatest Hits’ exclusive and his other popular albums at unbeatable prices,” Wal-Mart said in a statement, adding: “We are proud of the good jobs, benefits and career opportunities we provide to more than 1.4 million U.S. associates who choose to work at Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day.”
Springsteen released his new CD “Working on a Dream” this week and is performing the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
Like the Supreme Court and the College of Cardinals, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is an exclusive and obscure deliberative body that is prone to its own brand of weirdness. The Academy loves to reward actors who play endearing lunatics and actresses who hag it up for a part. It throws trophies at lavish historical epics and anything about the Holocaust. And for a long time, it had a strange aversion to Martin Scorsese. Though some times the most deserving film took home the top prize — “Casablanca” won in 1943, “The Godfather” in 1972, and “The Last Emperor” in 1987 — more often than not the Academy drops the ball. Here are just a few of the Oscar’s worst Best Pictures.
Cimarron (1931)
Here is a flick that really hasn’t stood the test of time. “Cimarron,” a big-budget tale about how the West was won, racked up huge box office earnings and took home the big prize in 1931. So why have you probably not heard of it? It most likely has something to do with the film’s ridiculous storylines, hammy acting, and overt racism.
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
John Ford’s heart-warming tale about Welsh coal miners has earned the unfortunate notoriety of stealing the Best Picture Oscar from what many call the best movie ever made, “Citizen Kane.” In some cinephile circles, the movie is regarded with a distain usually reserved for tobacco lobbyists and banking executives.
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Sure, this epic spectacle was shot in 70mm and featured lots of location footage, which was pretty impressive at the time, but it’s also about as deep as the skin on tomato soup. James Dean’s final movie “Giant” would be an infinitely better choice.
Rocky (1976)
The Academy couldn’t possibly have foreseen “Rocky” IV, V or VI when they handed this film a trophy. That being said, Stallone’s pugilist fairy tale seems pretty pale next to its fellow nominees, “Network,” “All the President’s Men,” and of course Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” Over the years, the Academy developed a fetish for nominating but not rewarding Scorsese’s best work.
Ordinary People (1980)
Another example of the Academy hosing Scorsese. “Ordinary People,” about emotionally-repressed suburbanites, is a well-crafted, well-acted movie. It just not even in the same ballpark as Marty’s savage masterpiece “Raging Bull,” a movie that many critics have dubbed the best of film of the 1980s.
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
A well-meaning but muddle-headed Best Picture winner about rich white folk learning a little something about racism by talking to the help. The film’s warm and fuzzy Hallmark card version of race relations is particularly galling since Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” — the actual best pic of the year — wasn’t even nominated.
Dances With Wolves (1990)
In a perfect world, the poor would be fed, the Cubs would win the World Series, and “Goodfellas” would have won Best Picture. Instead, this steaming pile of self-congratulatory new-age twaddle got the nod. Director Kevin Costner went on to make “The Postman” while Scorsese would have to wait sixteen more years before landing the prize in 2006 for “The Departed.”
Forrest Gump (1994)
Robert Zemeckis’ manipulative, schmaltzy Boomer yarn made piles of cash and wowed about half the critics in the country, but the movie’s sentimental platitudes and cheap nostalgia really don’t hold a candle to “Pulp Fiction,” the most influential and imitated film of the ’90s.
Gladiator (2000)
A poor man’s “Spartacus” tarted up with lots of CGI. For a director as talented as Ridley Scott, it’s hard to understand why the action scenes in “Gladiator” were as incoherent as they were. It was as if the entire editing staff was hopped up on Red Bull and Twinkies. If you want to see better-constructed action scenes in a better movie, check out the flick that should have won, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Crash (2005)
One of the great “What were they thinking?” moments of Oscardom. Instead of choosing the best-reviewed movie of the year — “Brokeback Mountain” — the Academy picked this contrived, hectoring paean to liberal guilt. What made Ryan Phillippe shoot that guy? Racism. What made Ludacris jack that car? Racism. What made Sandra Bullock fall down the stairs? Racism. The movie is about as nuanced as a hammer blow to the head, as enjoyable as listening to your parents fight, and about as honest as your average Enron executive.
So this year, will the Academy get it right for a change or will it drop the ball once again? And what Oscar winners of the past do you think had no business taking home the gold?
Well, chances are if you have working electricity (which is likely, given that you’re on the Internet reading this blog right now), then you are aware that a little show called American Idol kicked off its eighth season this week. Despite a lot of gum-flapping about the show’s supposed ratings decline, the public’s supposed growing disinterest in the contestants’ recorded output, and the supposedly dubious decision to cast fourth judge Kara DioGuardi, Idol still managed to draw roughly 30.1 million viewers for its premiere Tuesday night, making it the most-watched prime-time show of the television season thus far. So apparently Seacrest is not out, just yet. Then again, maybe Bikini Girl had something to do with it…
A past American Idol success story also made news this week, when it was announced that season 3 finalist-turned-Oscar-winning-superstar Jennifer Hudson will sing the National Anthem at next month’s Super Bowl (a broadcast with such gibungous ratings, it makes Idol’s 30.1 look like nuthin’). J.Hud hasn’t made a public appearance since her mother, brother, and nephew were tragically murdered last October, so this will be a big return to the spotlight for the troubled Idol. We here at That’s Really Week congratulate her on this comeback, and welcome her return to the spotlight.
A couple other troubled women–albeit more notorious ones, pun intended–were also in the spotlight this week. First, hip-hop diva Lil’ Kim angrily addressed the press about her depiction in Notorious, the new Notorious B.I.G. biopic. Kim, who was romantically linked to Biggie (real name: Christopher Wallace) early in her career and was famously mentored by the slain rapper, issued a statement that read: “The film studio and producers involved were more concerned about painting me as a ‘character’ to create a more interesting storyline instead of a person with talent, self-respect and who was able to achieve her own career success through hard work. Even though my relationship with Big was at times very difficult and complicated (as with most relationships we have all experienced at one time or another), it was also genuine and built on great admiration and love for each other. Regardless of the many lies in the movie and false portrayal of me to help carry a storyline through, I will still continue to carry his legacy through my hard work and music.”
But Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, dismissed Kim’s complaints, saying: “This is not a Lil’ Kim movie. This is a Christopher Wallace movie. It has nothing to do with Lil’ Kim. If she’s disappointed and upset, that is her problem.” And screenwriter Cheo Hodari Coker further added: “I think that [actress] Naturi [Naughton] did a great job playing Kim. I think people are going to be a lot more sympathetic towards [Lil' Kim] after seeing the movie.” But will they be more sympathetic towards Kim after reading her whiny statement? We shall see…
The other tortured female making the headlines this week was Amy Winehouse, whose jailbird husband Blake “Incarcerated” Fielder-Civil officially filed for divorce from behind bars. Yes, that’s right: Blake left her. Ouch. Mr. Incarcerated cited alleged infidelity as the reason for the long-rumored (and probably long-needed) split, although it would seem that until recently Amy was pretty loyal, since she never missed an opportunity to give her lesser half a shoutout from the stage or wear a Blake-themed hair accessory in her ever-expanding bouffant.
However, in an interview last weekend with tabloid News Of The World from her current vacation spot in St. Lucia, Amyactually raved that she’d “finally escaped from hell” and was “in love again.” With someone other than Blake Incarcerated. Yes, Amy has been spotted all over St. Lucia as of late with 21-year-old tourist Josh Bowman–who, Amy told the tabloid, “couldn’t be more different from my husband, which is not a bad thing.” (Well, we can’t argue with that logic.) “I don’t know what’s going on with us now and for the time being I’ve just forgotten I’m even married…But our whole marriage was based on doing drugs. So being with someone like Josh is much better for me.” She also said she would “deal with Blake when I get back”–which, we assume, will mean dealing with a divorce attorney. We suggest she hire Fiona Shackleton, the British super-lawyer who handled the multimillion-dollar divorces of Paul McCartney and Madonna. Amy, whose rise to great fame and fortune coincided with her May 2007 marriage to Blake, is going to need a seasoned legal pro here.
And on the subject of legal pros, it’s too bad Boy George didn’t have a more effective lawyer on his side this week. The flamboyant Culture Club frontman was sentenced to 15 months in jail after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort (he was accused of handcuffing the escort to a wall in a London apartment). Judge David Radford apparently believed that Boy really did want to hurt his victim, saying that George was guilty of “gratuitous violence.” Oh well, maybe Boy George can hang out with Blake Incarcerated behind bars.
And speaking of fame, fortune, and pros, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2009 inductees were announced this week, and shockingly, the Stooges were once again passed over. We say “shockingly” because the Stooges’ legendary guitarist, Ron Asheton, died from a heart attack last week, and we figured this would at least earn the band some sympathy votes. (Not that the Stooges NEEDED any sympathy votes, mind you–they’re awesome and much deserving of the accolade.) This year’s nine possible Rock Hall nominees were Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Metallica, Run-DMC, the aforementioned Stooges, War, and Bobby Womack, and along with the Stooges, Chic didn’t make the cut either–despite their own vast influence on dance and soul music. Of course, Metallica and Run-DMC are great additions to the Hall, and we’re thrilled that fierce female rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson made it (in the “Early Influence” category). But the omission of recently reunited punk godfathers the Stooges, especially in light of recent tragic events, is no fun indeed.
The Stooges first got back together for California’s Coachella festival in 2003, and since then the fest has been a destination for all sorts of comeback bands, from the Pixies to Crowded House to the Verve to Rage Against The Machine. And this week it was announced that one of Coachella’s 2009 reunion bands will likely be ’90s slacker-rock icons Pavement, who (get ready to feel really old now) are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Other rumored reunion acts on this year’s Coachella bill include Britpoppers Blur and ’80s ska legends the Specials, although it seems extremely unlikely that a long-hoped-for Smiths reunion will take place at Coachella 2009. Or at Coachella 2029, for that matter. And we;ve got a feeling there won’t be any Culture Club reunion, either…
And thus concludes another week in headspinning headlines. Come back next week for more, and until then, goodnight and good music.
Journalist Elizabeth Lane is one of the country’s most famous food writer. In her columns, she describes herself as a hard working farm woman, taking care of her children and being an excellent cook. But this is all lies. In reality she is an umarried New Yorker who can’t even boil an egg. The recipes come from her good friend Felix. The owner of the magazine she works for has decided that a heroic sailor will spend his christmas on *her* farm. Miss Lane knows that her career is over if the truth comes out, but what can she do?
Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi; Star Cast: SRK, Anushka sharma, Vinay Pathak, Kajol, Rani, Preity Zinta, Priyanka and Others; Director: Aditya Chopra; Rating: ***
The shy, somewhat geeky Surinder has already fallen for Taani since the first time he has seen her but alls his hopes crash when Taani tells him the day they arrive at his house that she won’t be able to give him any love as that’s one feeling she has lost forever with the sudden turn of events in her life. The rest of the film is about how Suri transforms himself into a very hep flirtatious dude Raj to win her love using a dancing school as a platform for his antics. He is well aided with his childhood buddy Bobby (Pathak) who brings on the physical transformation in him. But what happens is Taani who is unaware of Raj being Suri himself ends up falling in love with Raj. Suri is now again in a fix but then he finally decides to take a bold step
Rab Ne has been definitely amongst the most awaited films of 2008 and there have been great expectations riding on it especially because it is Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge maker Aditya Chopra’s comeback film after a long gap of 8 years. The script has its moments and master craftsman Adi keeps you engaged initially with some really beautifully handled moments between SRK and Anushka. But as SRK’s character’s transformation comes in the grip slowly loosens and you start feeling restless with the pace slumping down considerably. What follows is a criss-cross between some really well penned and executed scenes and some really drab moments with badly placed songs acting as speed breakers. But Adi’s terrific dialogues deserve a special applause for touching the right chords.
Shah Rukh Khan is simply superb as first the shy Suri and then the flamboyant, full of energy, Raj. Newcomer Anushka gets a really well etched character to perform and it despite being her first film, she comes across an absolute natural. Vinay Pathak is fun and provides good comic relief.
Music of the film is good but the problem is apart from a very well tuned and picturised Haule Haule number, the rest songs appear wrongly placed. The picturisation of the number featuring Kajol, Preity Zinta, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta and Rani is mind blowing but again it coming at a wrong juncture doesn’t really make it work.
All in all, the film has the capacity to do very well in the North and the overseas but elsewhere the film won’t be anywhere near Adi’s earlier two works in terms of business.
Ashlee Simpson and husband Pete Wentz have welcomed their first child, a boy.
Bronx Mowgli Wentz – who weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz, and was 20.5 inches long – was born Thursday night, a spokesperson for the couple confirms to Usmagazine.com.
“Proud new parents Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz welcomed new son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, late this evening,” the rep tells Us. “Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy, and thank everyone for their well wishes!”
Look back at Ashlee Simpson’s baby bump.
Us Weekly first broke the news that Simpson, 24, and Wentz, 29, were expecting in April.
“Carrying a child is the most inspiring, emotional, amazing experience of my life,” Simpson wrote on her MySpace page. “My weight and my pant size are the absolute last thing I am concerned about. I am only concerned with having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.”
During her pregnancy, Wentz — whom she wed in May — doted on her, often fetching her No. 1 craving: green olives.
He said she wanted “green olives on everything! You always have to be ready.”
See what other pregnant stars snacked on.
As her due date neared, Wentz said Simpson couldn’t wait to give birth.
“She’s excited, she’s anxious… I think she wants it to be over,” he recently said on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show. “She just wants to not be pregnant any more. She wants to have it because it’s, like, a struggle to go up and down the stairs … going out in public’s insane.”
(As for the baby’s name, Bronx, Wentz said his goal was to make sure his kid would have a moniker that would work as either “a rock star or a senator.” What do these famous baby names mean?)
No doubt Ashlee’s sister Jessica Simpson is thrilled: In September, she said she couldn’t wait to be an aunt.
Play Us’ Guess the Simpson Sister quiz.
“I’m going to spoil the kid rotten, that’s for sure,” she said. “I think my sister’s going to be pretty strict, actually, because she’s been so good throughout her pregnancy.”
