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Some new stuff from Toy Fair 2014!

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Among the biggest companies displaying at Toy Fair 2014 was Mattel, featuring new and upcoming products from franchises including Disney, Monster High, Batman, and Marvel - a new addition to their licensed lineup.

Not only is Mattel one of the largest toy makers at Toy Fair, they’re also one of the most secretive. With a massive pavilion secured behind a guarded entrance on their own floor of the convention center, only approved attendees can look at the Mattel displays. And even then, several areas are off limits to the press, presented exclusively for retail buyers to preview (and purchase) products and prototypes that could be more than a year away from the marketplace.



Below are highlights from the press-approved part of the pavilion, a colorful showcase filled with products spanning merchandise for boys, girls, and adult collectors.

Disney

Disney has had a long relationship with Mattel to produce many of its most popular toys. “Frozen” is still extremely popular and was spotlighted at Toy Fair with a few new toys including ice-skating Anna and Elsa dolls and Elsa’s ice castle play set. Also on display were new Disney Princess and Villain dolls and kinetic play sets for “Cars,” “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” “Sofia the First,” and “Jake and the Neverland Pirates.”


Marvel

Though Mattel has worked with DC Comics for many years (more on their products below), this year marks the first time Marvel licensed products have made their way to the Mattel brand as well, all beginning with a series of die-cast Hot Wheels vehicles themed to characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, and more.




DC Comics

Batman is bigger than ever as Mattel, and their adult-oriented sub-brand Matty Collector, produces new action figures ranging from the old “Batman” TV show to Tim Burton’s films to the more recent ones starring Christian Bale. It’s the first time many of these likenesses have been approved for action figures, including Michael Keaton as Batman, Danny Devito as Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Also included are new figures of Christopher Reeve as Superman.



(omg....)






More products Mattel showed off included a new Back to the Future DeLorean time machine die-cast vehicle, more Masters of the Universe collectibles, Barbie, and Thomas the Tank Engine.



SOURCE

Nas's Documentary to open Tribeca Film Festival

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Continuing a tradition of highlighting music docs, the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival will open with the world premiere of “Time is Illmatic,” a new documentary about the hip-hop musician Nas and his 1994 debut album, “Illmatic,” widely considered a groundbreaker.

Since it launched in 2002, Tribeca has earned a rep as a prominent showcase for new documentaries. Music docs in particular have gotten good play in the fest, with recent editions kicking off with the preems of Elton John doc “The Union” (in 2011) and The National backstager “Mistaken for Strangers” (last year).

Directed by multimedia artist One9 and penned by Erik Parker, “Time is Illmatic” traces the creation of “Illmatic” as well as Nas’ upbringing in Queens with a family that included his jazz musician father, Olu Dara. Pic was funded and supported in part by the Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access Program, one of the initiatives operated by the nonprofit loosely affiliated with the fest, as well as by the Ford Foundation. One9, Parker and Anthony Saleh produce.

“Time is Illmatic” will bow April 16 in an opening night screening that will be followed by a live performance by Nas of the entire “Illmatic” album. The title is first to be locked in for the 2014 edition of Tribeca, which this year runs through April 27.

Sources: 12

Selena Gomez has a business meeting in Beverly Hills

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Singer/Actress Selena Gomez spotted out at an office in Los Angeles, California on February 20, 2014.













Selena Gomez stops to get Starbucks with a friend on February 19, 2014 in Studio City, California.













Source

Katy Patra Walks Runway For Jeremy Scott's Moschino at Milan Fashion Week

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She was partying until the early hours of Thursday morning following the BRIT Awards.

However, Katy Perry certainly didn't show any signs of being hungover as she made a cameo appearance at the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week.

The pop star jetted from London to Italy to be in the front row to toast her friend Jeremy Scott's debut collection for Moschino.

The famous pop queen ended up walking down the catwalk to get to her front row seat - creating somewhat of a mini fashion show for photographers before the main event.

She appeared to be wearing clothes from Jeremy's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection. Katy, 29, opted for a black satin dress and coat.

Fashion critics complained the show started 45 minutes late, with many suggesting Rita Ora's tardy arrival was to blame.

source
the level of slayage is unreal

Christina Aguilera Is Pregnant! Newly-Engaged Star Expecting Second Child

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picture of where insemination took place

Another Fighter is on the way! Almost one week after Christina Aguilera announced her Valentine's Day engagement to boyfriend Matt Rutler on Twitter, a source has exclusively confirmed to Us Weekly that the Grammy winner is pregnant with her second child.

Aguilera, 33, welcomed son Max with now-ex-husband Jordan Bratman in January 2008, and has enjoyed watching her now-6-year-old grow. The "Beautiful" singer took season 4 off from The Voice to spend more time with her family and to focus on her music career. She's also taking off season 6 of the show, when Shakira will fill the pop diva's red chair

The newly-engaged couple and expectant parents have been together for almost three years. They met on the set of Aguilera's 2010 film Burlesque

The seasoned vocalist was previously married to Jordan Bratman from November 2005 to October 2010, and he shares custody of Max.

#justice4desnudate

Britney is now a redhead!

Bey Opens New Leg Of Tour, Adds Songs From The Album.

Daily Real Housewives of Atlanta Post: "Charity" Pulls Statement Down About Queen Kenya

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Saving Our Daughters
has removed their lengthy statement claiming they never received money from Kenya Moore’s charity event in honor of NeNe Leakes.

At the time of this writing, the statement is no longer on their websiteand have removed their tweets linking back to the page.

Not only that, but Saving Our Daughters has somewhat addressed the controversy on their Facebook page. A concerned supporter asked the organization if it was true that they’re not recognized by the IRS as a legitimized charity.


The organization confirmed the loss of their 501(c)(3) status:

Hi Terri-Yes we are a non-profit and restructuring our 501 c-3 after the passing of the Founders Daughter due to brain cancer. Thank you Terri for caring for us.


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Here’s an excerpt from the Saving Our Daughters website,

Shortly after undertaking the new vision, Curtis and Debbie Benjamin’s youngest daughter, Iliss (photo featured above) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor at the age of 10. His sweet daughter lost her battle in 2011 just days after the volume, “Who Will Save the Little Girl?” was published.

Are we to believe they’ve been restructuring for three years — all while taking donations, holding fundraising events and NOT filing proper tax returns?

Our sources also revealed to lovebscott.com that Kenya is gathering additional proof, including bank receipts from other donors from the evening as well as video evidence of the checks being written. There are also witnesses from the event who saw the checks being handed over to one of two Saving Our Daughters representatives who were in attendance.

Source


Brian Williams unaware Arsenio Hall was still on TV - apologizes for snub

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBC News anchor Brian Williams had a quick on-air response after Arsenio Hall needled him for excluding Hall from a video montage of latenight hosts: Oops.

"Arsenio is a latenight veteran and he took us to task on his show and he even urged his audience members to call our newsroom," Williams said on his "Nightly News" telecast Wednesday from the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"So, in apologizing to Arsenio we just wanted to point out: At least you're in good company here," Williams continued, noting that the newscast last year left New Hampshire off a map and on Tuesday misspelled Philadelphia on-screen.

Hall's exclusion came during what he called NBC News' "Brady Bunch montage" showing clips of virtually every latenight TV host, including David Letterman, Chelsea Handler and Carson Daly.

The video was used on Monday's "Nightly News" segment on "The Tonight Show" debut of Jimmy Fallon, also on NBC.

On Tuesday's syndicated "The Arsenio Hall Show," the host was smiling but clearly irked as he displayed the graphic and called out Williams and journalism in general.

"If you're doing a story about latenight, all I ask is that you mention me," Hall said. "You don't even have to use a photo. I know how journalism is these days. Use Samuel Jackson — it doesn't even have to be my photo. Use Laurence Fishburne. Just mention me."

Hall invoked the names of the two actors who were involved in another recent media mishap: A TV reporter interviewing Jackson apparently confused him with Fishburne. Both are black.

The latenight landscape is nearly all white, with a few exceptions including Hall and PBS' Tavis Smiley.

"There's nobody even with a tan," Hall said of the montage shown by NBC News.

Hall, saying he's the only current latenight host "who competed and survived against Johnny Carson," said he had no grudge with his other hosts. Hall's new show debuted in September; his original latenight show aired from 1989 until 1994, when Carson hosted "Tonight."

Saying he didn't want to play the "angry black man," Hall invited a friend on stage to help out so that Williams and others in journalism would "include a brother."

Marion "Suge" Knight, founder of Death Row Records, suggested that Hall give Williams enough time to respond before making him face the consequences.

"Change it or resign?" Hall responded. "We might just be kidding, Brian. You know, sometimes I take the joke too far. Just mention me, man."



Source
my friends are at the taping as we speak...flawless guests RuPaul and Sage the Gemini

Flappy Bird is now playable in Minecraft

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The sandbox game that is Minecraft has spawned many incredible creations. Examples include a recreation of the Starship Enterprise, the space shuttle on its launch pad, and a functioning 16-bit computer. There’s even a playable Sonic the Hedgehog mini game.

With the latest craze surrounding Flappy Bird, it was inevitable that someone would take the time to recreate the game in Minecraft. So if you are getting little bit bored playing Minecraft you can now go and get frustrated playing the infuriatingly hard and addictive Flappy Bird rather than, say, logging out and going for a walk.



The creator, going by the name of Nick_Azn on Planet Minecraft, said he made the game because he was bored. He hadn’t seen any other implementations of Flappy Bird in Minecraft, so decided to have a go at making one himself. He succeeded, even to the point where your character has to keep tapping a button to make the bird fly. As for the level layouts, they are randomly generated, so you’ll get a new challenge every time you hit a pipe and die.

In order to play Flappy Bird in Minecraft you’ll need to be running at least version 1.80 otherwise half the map won’t appear. Then it’s just a case of downloading the map and saving it to your Minecraft saves folder. Reloading the game should then make it available to play.

Nick’s version is marked as completed, but I doubt this will be the last Flappy Bird recreation we see in Minecraft. I’m expecting a much larger scale version to appear, and possibly even one that uses AI to train and play itself.

source

but why?

A (long) interview featuring two of my fave past/present SNL ladies

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From Second City stage actor to Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” anchor in less than two years, Oak Park native Cecily Strong has taken the fast track to TV comedy stardom. In an exclusive interview, the 30-year-old performer connects with SNL alumna and “Debbie Downer” creator Rachel Dratch about her comedy influences, her craving for Old Jerusalem’s Greek salad, and how Chicago’s comedy scene was perfect preparation for the big time.




CECILY STRONG: Hi, Rachel!
RACHEL DRATCH: Hi! Isn’t it weird we’ve never met before?
CS:
I think I said hi to you in the hallway once, or wanted to.

RD: Yeah, I think I saw you—it was one of your first shows at the very beginning. I was like, “I think that’s her,” but then I wasn’t sure, and it might have been an awkward interlude with you in the hallway. But not a formal “hey.” So anyway, what town are you from in the Chicago area?
CS:
I’m from Oak Park.

RD: Okay. When you were growing up, did you say, “I want to be on SNL, I want to be a comedian”? Were you a drama geek?
CS:
I was a real drama geek, but I also was like, “I definitely want to be on SNL.” My friend Susanna and I would copy all of the sketches at this lodge in Michigan we went to every summer, and we were basically, like, the Super Fans.

RD: I think that’s how we all got our start. Were you the class clown type?
CS:
I definitely was. There was this great teacher I loved so much, and she really wanted to like me, but I was always in trouble for talking. And then I did a lot of theater; I grew up in Chicago theater, too. When I was in fifth grade, I was cast in Pope Joan at the Bailiwick.

RD: You were a child star. You were a Chicago child star.
CS:
I was a Chicago child actress.

RD: And it didn’t ruin you for later. I’m impressed.
CS:
I think that’s just a Chicago thing.

RD: Minus the child-star part, it sounds like we had very similar backgrounds. I was always a drama geek talking too much in class. Did you go to college or did you go straight to Chicago and start improv?
CS:
I did go to college. My senior year I went to Chicago Academy of the Arts, and I really liked that environment, so I got my BFA in Theater from California Institute of the Arts.

RD: Oh, wow! So you really knew you wanted to be an actor.
CS:
Yeah, I took my first drama class when I was 3 or something. I started performing around the house when I was very young.

RD: Then what brought you to the whole improv thing, if you’re coming from CalArts and you’re doing drama classes?
CS:
When I was at CalArts, I remember every freshman would do an Angels in America scene. And I was doing one of those scenes, and people were laughing so much. Then a lot of my teachers told me, “You should go into comedy more; keep doing comedy.” I had one teacher tell me to take a class at the Groundlings. I didn’t listen to him until after I graduated. I was in LA, and I really didn’t feel like I had a place there. I didn’t want to audition to be girlfriends and I didn’t look like a model, so I finally took that Groundlings class and really loved it, so it was sort of like, “Oh, this is what I should be doing.” I moved back to Chicago so I could do comedy at Second City and be closer to family.

RD: So how long were you at iO [Theater] before the SNL audition came up?
CS:
I took classes at iO, and I performed there with Virgin Daiquiri and sometimes with The Deltones. And I worked at the box office, which was a big thing. Charna [Halpern] was always very nice to me, and she pushed me to audition. I was a little nervous, thinking you only get one shot, and if I wasn’t truly ready, I didn’t want to blow it.

RD: How did it work when you found out you got the job at SNL? Because everyone has one of those memories.
CS:
It was an all-summer thing. The first audition was in the very beginning of July in Chicago, and that was already crazy. Then they asked eight of us to come for drinks at the hotel—it was like speeddating. After every round you were like, “Push it from your brain, push it from your brain, because this isn’t going to happen.” Then a couple of days later I got a call that I was going to be flown out to New York for an all-girls audition. Aidy [Bryant] came, too, so it was nice to have each other there. And then I got flown back to Chicago, and the next day, I got an e-mail that said, “Can you come out in three days for a meeting?” And Aidy and I go out there, just to those meetings. Lorne [Michaels] wasn’t even there, so I said, “Well, I’m not being hired right now.” And then a month went by and I’m thinking again, “I’m not gonna get this.” So I got a job—I worked, like, four jobs—and then I got a call to do a new five minutes, and it would be another screen test—boys and girls. So I went, came back to Chicago, still touring. And then got a call to go back to New York, so on the fourth trip out was when they told me.

RD: So then you got the call. [Dramatically] Tell me about the moment, Cecily, when you got the call.
CS:
It was crazy. Well, every call was like, “I passed.” And every taxi ride to the airport I was crying to even be that close. But the day I met with Lorne—and you always leave a little confused—and then [producer] Lindsay [Shookus] called me up and was like, “You’re hired. Get out here Monday.” I left the building and just walked around New York; I mean it was so dramatic in my head: “This is my city!” And you get to work in NYC and enjoy this club that I’ve always wanted to be a part of. I think it was just a lot of crying.

RD: What about the whole "Weekend Update" thing? Has that changed your experience there? I remember [Amy] Poehler would say Lorne said, “Once you do ‘Weekend Update’ you’re going to be super-famous because everyone hears your name every week.”
CS:
People know your name. Belushi, Chevy Chase… It was unexpected and I was sort of like, “I’ll wait to see it happen before I believe it’s real.” I think he told me in June that he wanted me to do it, and then when it was in The New York Times in August I was like, “Wow, I guess I’m gonna do it for real.” The first episode I was just holding back sobs. I was so happy. I was like, “What can I do next year now?” Every year has been something amazing.

RD: What do you do on your breaks? Because people don’t know this, but we do get these kind of chunky breaks. Are you a big traveler, or do you go to Chicago a lot?
CS: I’m starting to be a traveler. I’ll go back to Chicago to visit family, always on the holidays, of course. I would have traveled a lot more in my life if I ever had money to do it, so now that I have a little bit…

RD: Now that you’re rich!
CS:
Now that I’m super loaded, as you know. I went to Hawaii.

RD: Oh, wow! Nice. I was going to ask you about the whole Chicago thing. What are your favorite Chicago hangs?
CS:
I used to go to Gaudi Café a lot for dinner over on Ashland and Erie. My first apartment here after LA was in West Town.

RD: The cool thing about Chicago was—when I moved there, anyway—you can be 24 years old and have an amazing apartment. You might be sharing with roommates, but the apartments there are so nice. So did you have a great apartment?
CS:
It was pretty good. I mean it was huge compared to what I have now, and it was really cheap.

RD: And where else do you hang? When you come back, where’s the place you go?
CS:
Well, because I lived in Old Town later on, I still like to go to Old Jerusalem, and Thai Aroma was a big one. [Old Town] Ale House, too.

RD: Oh yeah. My hangout on Monday night while doing The Second City, because that was our one night off, was always Café Iberico, at LaSalle and Chicago. It’s tapas, and I used to go there once a week, and I still go there whenever I come to Chicago. I was going to ask you, if you were a total diva and you could get one food sent to you once a month from Chicago, what would it be?
CS:
It would probably be a little Greek salad from Old Jerusalem. They’re my favorite Greek salads; it’s just so simple. I don’t know what they do.

RD: Everyone always says “Chicago pizza,” but that’s kind of a gut bomb.
CS:
I love pizza, and I love cheese… but Greek salad.

RD: All right. We’ll get that on dry ice for you. When you were little, though, you watched SNL and everything—who were your influences? It doesn’t have to be SNL and it doesn’t have to be me, but who were your influences?
CS:
[Laughs] My family was very into comedies, so when I was little we all watched SNL together, Marx Brothers movies, Monty Python; we loved Tracey Ullman, I Love Lucy. My brother and I always would watch The State, and whatever was on MTV at the time—The Simpsons, Beavis and Butt-Head.

RD: That’s a great comedy university that you just listed. Back to Chicago, how do you think being a part of the comedy scene here prepared you for SNL?
CS:
Well, it’s really an ensemble environment, and Chicago theater, in general, is that way. That really helps on the show and being able to write with people; I feel like I’m very laid-back about letting go of ideas if they don’t work. I’m okay with stinkers. My friend Abby says, “They can’t all be winners.”

RD: Are there any causes that you feel passionate about?
CS:
I worked at Planned Parenthood in Chicago for a long time in the corporate office, and I’ll be back for an event with them in April. And I really like PAWS. My mom got her dog, “my little brother” Emerson, from PAWS. Those are my big Chicago ones. I donate to Best Friends, another animal one; St. Judes, of course… Anything [having to do with] women’s rights, gay rights, or animal rights I’m a sucker for.

RD: Taking a step back and looking at the past couple of years of your life, did you imagine two years ago that you’d be where you are now?
CS:
No, not at all. At that point two years ago, I was like, “You know what? If this is what it is, I’m going to be fine with this, because I’m getting to do what I love—getting to perform at iO and Second City.” I was hardly making any money, but I was surviving. So this is just such a bonus on top of that. And the friends I have in New York and a new relationship and the career, I could cry I’m so happy. It’s such a dream. And getting to meet people who are your heroes—it’s unreal.

RD: Whoa. Top that! Now I feel like I should ask you some weirdo question to finish things off. Do you believe in ghosts?
CS:
I do believe in ghosts because my apartment is haunted. I saw a medium, and she told me I can’t have a residual ghost, but I have problems with boundaries, so I’m bringing ghosts home.

RD: [Laughs] I love that I actually got a good answer. Your apartment in New York or Chicago?
CS:
In New York.

RD: I love it. Have you seen this ghost?
CS:
Well, I kept thinking there was something in my doorway. My best friend from California—she’s a little weird like me and believes in ghosts—she was like, “Oh, that closet door opened in the middle of the night.” Sometimes my printer goes off, and my lights went off, and [my boyfriend] Michael told me, “It’s you; it’s your energy.” It turns out, I’m haunted; it’s not my apartment. But I have to say, “Are you from the white light of God?” The medium told me to ask them. They have to answer honestly. It makes me laugh if I ever get scared.

RD: All right. Well, I’m going to use that if I ever see a ghost.


I miss Dratch. I hope she gets a successful show.

Source (and there are also more pics there)

FFAO - Day 13 U.S. Primetime & Late Night Live Event Viewing Post

Elizabeth Olsen says she likes Ashley better than Mary-Kate and denies having a nose job.

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It seems Elizabeth Olsen can tell her famous twin sisters apart by which one remembers her birthday.

The 25-year- old actress appeared on Wednesday's episode of Bravo's “Watch What Happens Live” and revealed some family gossip after being pressed by a caller to choose her favorite sister.

"You have two sisters, I also have two sisters, you have to prefer one over the other. Who do you like better: Mary-Kate or Ashley?" the fan on the phone asked the brunette star.

"Ashley remembered my birthday, but I don't hold grudges against Mary-Kate forgetting mine," the young Oslen replied.



"She was out of town! I should have just said my brother," Olsen, who just turned 25 over the weekend said.

"Ashley's in the lead today, but tomorrow MK could do something amazing," host Andy Cohen chimed in.

Despite Mary-Kate's slip up, Olsen insisted the family is "all very close."

"I'm very close with my brother as well. I should have just said him. That would have been the easier scapegoat."

"You are though, to clarify, feeling closer to Ashley today," Cohen said, fueling the sibling rivalry.

"Mary-Kate is literally going to come home from her vacation and shoot me that I said that," Olsen joked.

"I think, from the last time I was in Jamaica, text signals do work," Cohen added, implying the 27-year-old fashion designer could have still reached out to her little sis.

Olsen was quick to jump to Mary-Kate’s defense.

"How often when you're on vacation do you look at your phone and read the date?" she said.

"You don't really read the date. You're just like, 'This is day three of my vacation.’”





A caller asks Elizabeth what is the craziest rumor that she has heard about her sisters and while describing the rumor, she also denies ever having a nose job (starts around 1:50)




SOURCE 1


SOURCE 2


Whose your favorite Olsen? And do you believe she hasn't had a nose job?

Kate Upton in CR Fashion Book and at Sports Illustrated Miami Party

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Kate Upton may have landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for the third time this week. But a new shoot in CR Fashion Book proves that she still has a place in high fashion.

The 21-year-old poses for the fairytale-themed issue in corsets and glossy red lipstick - the femme fatale to Brazilian model Marlon Teixeira’s evil sorcerer.

The shoot, titled ‘Ferocious’ was styled by former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. Miss Upton is now a recurring muse of Ms Roitfeld, 59. She appeared on the first-ever cover of CR Fashion Book in September 2012, wearing a knitted V-neck, maternally cradling a brood of ducklings against her ample chest.

She has since featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and countless other prestigious titles.

In October last year, Ms Upton thanked former Ms Roitfeld for helping her make the transition from glamor to high-fashion model. She told Page Six: 'She was the first editor who put me on the cover actually wearing clothing.'

The blonde bombshell initially shot to fame as a bikini-clad Sports Illustrated magazine star, and before landing the gig with Ms Roitfeld, she thought she was destined to be snubbed by the fashion world.

A casting director for Victoria's Secret famously branded her image 'too obvious' and said she would 'never use' her for the lingerie brand's famous runway show. 'She's like a Page 3 girl...like a footballer's wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy.'

The CR Fashion Book images were released just days after it was revealed that Miss Upton had yet again scored the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover. The new issue of CR Fashion Book will hit newsstands on February 25.



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LcZUNSE

David O. Russell: 'I Like My Actors To Feel Me'

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He's been at the helm of two of the most successful movies of the past 18 months, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.

And David O. Russell has offered a unique glimpse into his unconventional approach to the movie-making in a new interview with Jon Stewart on Thursday night's episode of The Daily Show.

Revealing he likes to get up close and personal to his troupe of actors, including the likes of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, the 55-year-old screenwriter explained he prefers to accompany his cast on set with a small hand-held camera to capture their emotions.


He said: 'I like to be very close to my actors. I don't like to be sat in what they call video village, which is often 100 yards or more away from the set.
'I like to be close to them. I like them to feel me and me to feel them. I like to shoot with a small camera so I can be there.'

A new behind-the-scenes still from shooting American Hustle - which has been nominated for numerous prizes this awards season - shows the director sprawled out on the back seat of a car as Jennifer Lawrence and Jack Huston sit in the front.

As the 23-year-old actress, portraying Rosalyn Rosenfeld, glances casually towards the camera, Russell can be seen slumped behind her with a tiny camera and various pieces of equipment surrounding him.

And the director explained Jennifer, who he has worked with on both American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, loved his somewhat unorthodox approach to film-making.
Opening up on his relationship with the Oscar-winning actress and her co-stars Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Christian Bale, he added on The Daily Show: 'Jennifer got used to it, she liked it a lot.
'Jack Huston, who's sitting with her, plays the man who romances her so that's the scene they were shooting.

'It's great when I have an intuitive connection with the actors and they inspire me to write roles for them. I wrote for Jennifer, I wrote for Bradley, I wrote for Christian and Amy.

'I talked to them and said, "Let's create a role that's worthy of you being involved". I'm privileged to have their friendship.'
But show host Jon Stewart offered a fair amount of ribbing for the somewhat quirky direction method.

He joked: 'You look like you are chaperoning a terrible date. You are the director and you look like they are smuggling you into Tijuana.'

American Hustle has already become quite the darling of 2014 awards season, winning the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, while Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence scooped Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively.

The crime-comedy drama took the top honours at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards, winning for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture, while Jennifer won the BAFTA for Actress in a Supporting Role, and Russell and Eric Warren Singer winning the Best Original Screenplay accolade on Sunday.
American Hustle has been nominated for 10 Oscars next month, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

Source

ONTD, have you ever got close to actors when you were directing your award-winning movies?

Mandy Patinkin's Lost Loves Found (Kelly & Michael)

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I like this guy so much. Here's a video of him reuniting with 2 ex-girlfriends



Video and Source




Mandy Patinkin adorably reunites with two ex-girlfriends on 'Live with Kelly and Michael'

You might have thought you'd already watched the best Mandy Patinkin video, but you were wrong. Oh so wrong. This clip from Wednesday's (Feb. 19) episode of  "Live with Kelly and Michael" in which he is surprised by not one but two ex-girlfriends, is actually the best Mandy Patinkin video of all the Mandy Patinkin video on this here internet.

The last time Patinkin visited Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, they read him a letter they'd received from Sandy Hyman, who'd had her first kiss with the actor. Patinkin was thrilled, and caught up via phone and email with Hyman after the show. Unfortunately, they didn't have a chance to meet up in person before she moved to Texas. Enter Kelly and Michael, who flew Sandy in to reunite with her lost love.

Check out the "Homeland" star's face as he realizes she's there, then try not to drown in the adorable as he envelops her in the most genuine bear hug you've ever seen while screaming "OH MY GOD" over and over. The happily married Patinkin sits with his arm around her as they chat about the good old days -- and the fact that they haven't seen each other in 40 years. "Would you know me if you saw me now?" asks Hyman. "In a heartbeat I'd know you," Patinkin responds.

Just when you thought that was the cutest thing you'd see all day, Kelly and Michael cajole Patinkin into mentioning the other ex he's been trying to track down: his college girlfriend, Lenore "Nori" Haines. He'd even tried enlisting some of his CIA and FBI sources to no avail. But those tricksters have an ulterior motive: They've already found her, and flown her in for the segment. Patinkin's reaction is even better (and so is Kelly and Michael's when they see how legitimately moved he is by the reunion).

"I can't take this," he happily exclaims. "Am I dying or something? What's happening?!"

Set aside 10 minutes and watch: It'll make your day, and inspire you to connect with some of your old childhood friends. Bonus: There are also some delightful details about young Mandy's magic skills, which would normally be totally awww-worthy but because of the incredible nature of this double reunion, are barely even worth mentioning.


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Joe Simpson and 'client' land in LAX after deflecting gay rumors

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Last April, he divorced his wife of 35 years Tina amidst claims he was a closeted homosexual.

And Joseph 'Joe' Simpson landed at LAX Tuesday - his 56th birthday - dutifully by the side of his model client Jonathan Keith.

The former youth minister fueled further gay rumours when he was seen lounging on South Beach with the Scottish 21-year-old over Valentine's Day weekend.






'The guy in the pics is my modeling Client. He was in Miami taking agency meetings. That's it!!' Simpson tweeted on Tuesday.

According to TMZ, Joe has been managing the 6ft2in stud for the last five months.

But according to the JT Entertainment website, Jonathan would appear to be one of Simpson's few clients aside from his well-known daughters Jessica and Ashlee.

While in Miami, the twosome frolicked on the beach and visited the home of deceased gay designer Gianni Versace.

'Back in 2004, Joe discussed the idea of setting up a male model agency with his family,' a source told Radar Online in 2012.

'He wasn't interested in a female one, just specifically a male agency tailored for boys who were looking to break into the showbiz industry through catalogue work, or magazine shoots.'

The Radar Online insider continued: 'Joe was also thinking of getting into boy band management. In the end, Joe didn’t pursue either idea. But you have to wonder if he was trying to find ways of meeting young men, even then.'

Last year, Jessica's ex-husband Nick Lachey made a strange revelation on Watch What Happens Live on Bravo.

The 98 Degrees boybander said the best thing about not having Joe Simpson as a father-in-law anymore 'is I don’t have to play grab-ass under the table on Easter Sunday.'


Joe allegedly had a year-long affair with 21-year-old aspiring model Bryce Chandler - lavishing him with clothing and hotel stays.

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"American Idol" producers sue Sony Music for $10 million in unpaid royalities

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For 12 years, American Idol has been one of the biggest success stories in the music industry. Even as the reality singing competition series experiences some signs of aging, there is no doubt that the show has provided an immensely influential promotional platform for undiscovered talent and a sanctuary from some of the industry's post-Napster blues.

But as shown by a new lawsuit filed on Thursday by 19 Recordings against Sony Music, the story of how the industry has leveraged American Idol into one chart-topper after the next is not without allegations of greed and corruption. The complaint filed in New York federal court and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter also explores some cutting-edge issues on the digital side of the business.


19 Recordings was founded by American Idol creator Simon Fuller and is now controlled by the show's owner, Core Media Group. In the lawsuit, 19, and by extension all of the artists -- including Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry -- who have entered into deals as part of their participation on Idol, claim that Sony Music has been systematically robbing them of millions of dollars in royalties. The lawsuit, seeking at least $10 million in damages, was filed after 19 exercised the right to audit Sony's books pursuant to recording agreements, and the parties couldn't come to any settlement.

"We did not want to have to file this lawsuit, but Sony left us no choice, so this became necessary to protect our artists," says 19 Entertainment worldwide head of music Jason Morey. "Our complaint lays out the claims in great detail. Everything we have to say about the case is set forth in it."
Richard Busch at King & Ballow adds, "We have investigated this thoroughly and feel strongly about the claims."

Perhaps the biggest claim -- both monetarily as well as one that could impact record companies and musicians well beyond the Idol universe -- deals with the alleged underpayment of streaming royalties.

Sony is among the larger music entities that has forged licensing deals with streaming services run by Spotify, Google and Apple.

But the lawsuit says that Sony is accounting for the exploitation of master recordings here as "sales" or "distributions" rather than as "broadcasts" or "transmissions." The distinction might sound like semantics, but it is nevertheless important. By treating streaming music as sales, Sony is essentially saying that such deliveries are no different than downloads purchased on Apple or Amazon. And with that, Sony would be forking over significantly less money under the terms of the company's recording agreements -- the difference between a 50 percent royalty share for a "transmission/broadcast" versus a fraction of that for a "sale/distribution." The plaintiff says the discrepancy has resulted in at least $3 million in damages.

"Such exploitation can only be fairly described as 'transmissions' or 'broadcasts,' and, upon information and belief, are so described in the licenses or other agreements between Sony and the streaming services," says the lawsuit. "However, Sony has nevertheless accounted to 19 for all streaming income received at the lower Album rate as if the exploitation between the streaming service and the end user was described as a 'distribution' or 'sale' and, by so doing, Sony has breached the Recording Agreements."

The lawsuit then goes into other ways in which Sony is allegedly cheating on music from Idol alumni.

For instance, Sony is accused of improperly deducting money spent on television advertising. The plaintiff says that Sony once requested a "royalty break" on a proposed TV ad spend in New Zealand and the United Kingdom for the Kelly Clarkson album My December, which 19 refused. Allegedly, Sony doesn't always ask. According to the lawsuit, Sony is able to recoup ad money by finagling the math -- working to its own advantage the alleged distinction between an "individual" ad campaign and an "aggregate" ad campaign so as to not exceed maximum spends allowed by contract.

According to the lawsuit, "Sony's interpretation would lead to the absurd result of potentially allowing it the ability to conduct an unlimited number of TV and/or radio advertising campaigns in a given country for a particular Album without ever seeking 19's prior approval so long as each individual campaign, however limited, was within the specified required range."

19 also alleges that Sony has made other improper deductions over things like music videos, has incorrectly paid royalties on joint venture compilation albums, has improperly calculated escalated royalty rates in instances of more-than-a-million-selling albums, is failing to pay over money from past lawsuits, is improperly deducting foreign income taxes, is underreporting or not reporting at all synchronization master uses in films and TV shows, and more.

The accusations fly two ways. Apparently, in response to some of these accounting allegations, Sony has made arguments that it has overpaid 19 on certain items.

"Sony attempts to state compilation albums are not albums," says the lawsuit, which rejects the premise as merely another excuse for a lower royalty rate.

The lawsuit also includes a novel discussion over whether Sony is gaming iTunes. On that Apple platform, consumers can buy 99 cent singles or $9.99 albums, but for accounting purposes, things get immensely tricky rather quickly.

What happens when consumers purchase multiple tracks off an album? Is that treated as the equivalent of an album purchase for the purpose of figuring out when artists are due bonus royalty escalators? Should royalty rates for singles apply even though consumers are choosing tracks off of iTunes' album section? And what happens when a song like Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted" is available for purchase as both "All I Ever Wanted – Single" and as a track from the album All I Ever Wanted?

The lawsuit says that Sony takes advantage by pretty much always delivering answers in its favor -- or, as the case may be, treating downloaded tracks as singles as much as possible. The plaintiff says this is unfair because there are no extra manufacturing, marketing or promotional costs associated with individual songs available for purchase separately. For its part, Sony claims that it has overpaid royalty participants on digital track downloads, according to the suit.

The legal salvo comes at a perilous time for singing competition shows. Fox has just canceled X Factor, which featured original Idol judge Simon Cowell, and NBC's The Voice just lost one of its biggest stars in Cee Lo Green. As for Idol, the ratings for its premiere this year were down 22 percent in the key demo and recent episodes have also been losing viewership.

Despite those woes, Idol has consistently produced great album sales. Fourteen alumni have each sold more than a million albums, led by Underwood with almost 15 million alone in cumulative sales. What that has really meant financially for these performers is an issue that will be explored in a New York courtroom.


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Ariana Grande V Magazine photoshoot!

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Ariana Grande showed off her playful girly side (with the appropriate hint of sex appeal) for V Magazine's spring music issue through a series of beautiful black and white photos. The singer also touched on a number of topics, including her hair, her career, being vegan, her idol Madonna and more.
"I use my hair as a mask, as a shield. I hide behind it and it's what keeps me me. Some people make fun of me for it, but I don't know who those some people are, so I don't care," Grande, who openly revealed that she wears extensions because of all the dye jobs she's had, said.




Ariana has also been very open about being vegan, and explained why she's chosen to follow this diet and lifestyle.
"In America, almost everybody thinks you need to have meat for protein. Protein, protein, protein! And what's in dairy? Calcium, calcium, calcium," she said. "It's those kinds of proteins that latch onto the insides of your blood- stream and make it easier for you to have a heart attack. Look, cows produce milk withnutrients for cows. Maybe that's why Americans end up looking like cows!"
Grande added, "Ultimately, no one wants cow tit pus in their food, do they?"
Cringe.



The Nickelodeon star also shared that she's focusing on music when it comes to her career. "Music is my dharma. It's what makes my heart smile and what I feel like I am meant to do. I understand music more than I understand human beings and the English language."
And one of her idols is Madonna. Well, "attitude" idol, that is.
"I just love how she stands up for what she believes in and surprises people by not eff-ing up when they want her to so badly...Know what I love most about Madonna? When a bad review came out, she was the first person to say ‘f--k you.' When someone said she sounded like Minnie Mouse, she crawled into bed naked except for Minnie Mouse ears. It's such a good attitude to have. It's inspiring to me because there are times when I think I've been a weak, people-pleasing little mouse my whole life."
But Ariana's working on being tougher with harsh critics. "That's what I'm learning right now, that I have to become stronger in this industry. I've learned over the past year that you don't have time to chase after ever person who doesn't understand you. The people that know me know that I'm a nice girl. My fans know that I'm a nice girl. My friends know that I'm a nice girl. And ultimately, that's all that matters."

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'Looking' Writers on 'the Minority Trap' and Being Called 'the B-word' (Boring)

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In a panel discussion Tuesday, the HBO freshman dramedy's EP Michael Lannan and writing staff talked audience reception and alternative titles ("Homos" was on the table at one point).

While Nick Hall, vp comedy development at HBO, calls the overall reception to Looking "overwhelmingly positive," at a panel discussion, he did reference a few think pieces about the show that have emerged since its premiere, some of which have been "very scathing," including a Slate piece by J. Bryan Lowder. Perhaps surprisingly, many of the negative reactions come from gay viewers."Our gay community is looking at us in a certain way," said JC Lee, a staff writer on the show. "That there is one view of gayness, and we're not meeting it."

One of the show's EPs, Michael Lannan, joined Hall, Lee and fellow staff writers John Hoffman and Tanya Saracho for Tuesday's panel, moderated by the WGA West's gay and lesbian writer committee chair Gary Goldstein. "It's a minority trap," continued Lee."When you have a piece that showcases a community, there's this identity factor where if you're showing a certain kind of queerness, you're not honoring what queerness is. There's a sense their queerness feels threatened by a show that is normalizing it."

Members of the panel all placed emphasis on the style of their show (which has also faced criticism for being too slow-paced), a conscious decision on their part. They've heard the criticisms. "The B-word is what they keep calling us; you know, 'boring,' " said Saracho. "I would rather they hate it than call us boring."

From the decision to bring on writer-director Andrew Haigh of the quiet British drama Weekend, Lannan and his teamed acknowledged the style they wanted to create. "Not to be in defense of boring, but that is very intentional," Hoffman said. "I think that has become part of the show. [The episodes] do feel like little half-hour indie movies."

Lee emphasized truthfulness in the show's storytelling, an atmosphere that he said is created in the writers' room, where discussions about sexuality, race and their own personal stories (sometimes an "awful, trashy sex story," as Lee noted) make it into episode scripts."You'll reveal your deepest, darkest secrets, and they end up in the show," Saracho said, laughing.

Saracho also noted the show's title was the very last one they came up with. Among the options were Homos and Golden Boys, before they landed on Looking, which they all agreed encapsulated the first season's main theme of each character looking to go outside of his comfort zone.

For Lannan, the biggest compliment was a story from castmember Jonathan Groff, when he watched Sunday's upcoming episode with his brother and sister-in-law and a moment made them both gasp."It was a big moment because he said he'd never had his straight brother and sister-in-law invest in gay characters this way," Lannan said. "There are moments like that, which are really exciting to hear about."

Looking's seventh episode, "Looking in the Mirror," premieres Sunday, Feb. 23, at 10:30 p.m. on HBO.

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