Quantcast
Channel: Oh No They Didn't!
Viewing all 160784 articles
Browse latest View live

At Least Nickelback Can Laugh About Being the Most Hated Band in Detroit

0
0



Caution: The above video features everyone's least favorite Canadian rockers using some NSFW language, but that's understandable since the entire city of Detroit does not want Nickelback performing during halftime of the Lions' Thanksgiving game. While Nickelback remained resilient when threatened with a big bad online petition, in this new Funny or Die clip, the band attempts to win back their Motor City fans by either Motownizing their band name or masquerading as Detroit's most beloved inhabitants: Magnum P.I., Robocop, and Michigan's own Dave Coulier. Also, 'The League' isn't on this Thursday -- damn Thanksgiving! -- so this video gives us our weekly fix of comedian Paul Scheer. While this won't turn anyone into a Nickelback fan or make their music any less terrible, respect must be given when bands are able to mock themselves.

The Worst Videos Of All Time

0
0
Thanksgiving is here, so it's time to celebrate the holiday with the biggest video turkeys of all time. It's a tradition here at Yahoo! What can we say, we're gluttons for punishment.

Now, in compiling this list, we had certain criteria to follow. First of all, we didn't throw any old video on there just because it was shot in the '80s. C'mon, most early-'80s bands didn't know any better! MTV was brand-new and only available in maybe eight states...so how could those '80s bands have known that what they were committing to film (or more likely to Beta tape) would come back to haunt them decades later on VH1 Classic? Their record labels gave them a camcorder, a few hours on a rented soundstage, and a $100 budget, and said: "Yo, make this thing called a 'video.'" Those guys in A Flock Of Seagulls didn't know that if they shot their "I Ran" video in a mirrored room, they'd need to do more than wrap the camera tripod in aluminum foil to keep it hidden in every shot! Give 'em a break.

Additionally, we didn't include any video, new or old, that we're pretty sure was intended to be ironic and/or campy. This eliminated clips like Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," Warrant's "Cherry Pie," Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy," Aqua's "Barbie Girl," every chapter of R. Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet," and pretty much anything by David Hasselhoff, Weird Al, David Lee Roth, or William Hung. We instead focused on videos that at the time of their creation were clearly intended to be taken seriously. Because sometimes the funniest jokes are unintentional ones.

So here we go...which of the videos below is the biggest turkey? You be the judge. Feast your eyes on the "turkeys" below, try not to lose your appetite...and be thankful that videos this bad rarely get made anymore!

BEYONCE - "DEJA VU"

We honestly don't think this one is that bad. Other videos on this list are much bigger offenders. But we must include "Deja Vu" because Beyonce fans were so dismayed by this clip, they actually started a petition demanding that it be entirely re-shot. Citing what they considered to be "erratic, confusing, and alarming" choreography; "unbelievable and ridiculous" costumes; and "unacceptable interactions" and "non-existent sexual chemistry" between Ms. Knowles and her co-starring future husband Jay-Z, the 4,000 or so petitioners begged Beyonce's record label, Columbia, to go back to the drawing board (or editing room, as it were). It's probably the least horrific video listed here, but as far as Beyonce videos go, it is a stinker. In fact, we're still waiting for Beyonce to heed that petition and reshoot this one.

DAVID BOWIE & MICK JAGGER - "DANCIN' IN THE STREETS"

This video managed to do the seemingly impossible: make two of the coolest rock 'n' roll legends of all time look completely UNCOOL. How did this happen?? Did all that coolness just cancel itself out or something? How could the rock 'n' roll stud who sang "Paint It Black" and the artist formerly known as Ziggy Stardust combine forces and wind up making a video as embarrassing as this? It's as painful as watching home-movie footage of two dorky dads doing the Macarena at a Bar Mitzvah. The mind boggles. And the eyes bleed:

SUSAN BOYLE - "PERFECT DAY"

Granted, SuBo is no video vixen. No one expected--or wanted--her to get down at some Ke$ha-style warehouse rave or fiery Lady Gaga bathhouse. But no one wanted to see her brave the elements at Scotland's Trussochs National Park, looking like one of the missing members of Celtic Woman, either. And the fact that SuBo received "creative direction" on this gauze-lensed, new-agey snoozer from the song's originator, Lou Reed--supposedly one of the coolest rockers ever--boggled the minds and broke the hearts of NYC hipsters everywhere. Talk about taking a walk on the mild side, Lou.

BUSH - "GREEDY FLY"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc50xF6E7-8
Although nowadays Bush are pretty much known as The Band With That Guy Who Married Gwen Stefani, in the '90s they were one alt-rock's biggest groups (Gwen and frontman Gavin Rossdale met when No Doubt were opening for Bush, remember). We guess that's why Bush thought they could get away with a ridiculous Seven-ripoff mini-movie like "Greedy Fly." A two-minute-long intro, fleets of helicopters, Gavin playing some sort of Hannibal-like role in a bite-proof dog-cone, other band members hatching out of eggs or flying around in angel wings or incubating as man-sized maggot embryos...seriously now, was all this necessary to SELL A BUSH ALBUM? And just how many Bush albums would Interscope Records need to sell in order to recoup its losses after financing this pretentious $5 million atrocity? We bet Gwen agreed to participate in the No Doubt reunion tour just to pay off the debt for this misguided mess:

AARON CARTER - "THAT'S HOW I BEAT SHAQ"

While we find former child star Aaron wildly entertaining when he's bickering with his Backstreet Boy brother Nick on House Of Carters or camping it up on DWTS, we find him a lot harder to take when he is a) rapping and b) lying about outperforming world-class athletes thrice his size. This is so bad, it makes Shaquille O'Neal's own attempted musical side career look like the work of Bob Dylan:

COUNTESS LUANN - "MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU CLASS"

Money can't buy you class. And, as this Auto-Tuned Real Housewife proves here, it can't buy you a decent music video, either.

GUNS N' ROSES - "ESTRANGED"

When GNR first hit MTV in 1987, they were the antithesis of big-haired bubbleglam bands like Poison, Europe, and the aforementioned Warrant. But their sound soon bloated along with their egos, and by the time they released the bombastic and self-indulgent Use Your Illusion two-volume set, they'd become the polar opposite of the lean, mean, rock 'n' roll machine they once were. Their cast-of-thousands "November Rain" video, with its Stephanie Seymour wedding scene and jillion-piece orchestra, or "Don't Cry," with its pointless cliff-jumping car stunts and unexplained Shannon Hoon cameo, were OTT enough. But "Estranged" was their real big-budget shark-jumper, as it came complete with oil tankers and dolphins. Yes, dolphins. It also featured men in white coats coming to cart Axl Rose away to the funny-farm. Well, at least that one part of the "Estranged" video was realistic:

IMPERIAL STARS - "TRAFFIC JAM 101"

After these SoCal dudes shut down L.A.'s 101 freeway to shoot an insipidly literal interpretation of this song, they were arrested--and angry Angeleno commuters were understandably demanding that these rap-rock jerks be locked away for life with no chance of parole. But really, Imperial Stars' even more heinous crime is the finished video. And perhaps the most fitting, if cruel and unusual, punishment for the band would be to make them watch it over and over:

JANET JACKSON - "JUST A LITTLE WHILE"

After Janet's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" scandal, the stakes were high when she released her next album, Damita Jo. She needed a comeback, and she needed it bad. The logical strategy would be for her make an amazing video, which didn't seem like it'd be so hard for her to pull off--after all, this was the woman behind such iconic MTV classics as "Rhythm Nation" and "Pleasure Principle." But instead Janet came up with this hot mess, in which she seemed to be wearing horrifically unflattering cast-off costumes from Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert and dancing more like Tito Jackson than the Janet Jackson we all once knew and loved. Her label at the time, Virgin Records, panicked and pulled the plug on this video's promotion on the eve of its U.S. premiere, and then only allowed it to be broadcast overseas...where apparently music-video standards are a lot lower:

MICHAEL JACKSON - "YOU ROCK MY WORLD"

No disprect to the late, great MJ, of course. The King Of Pop made dozens of amazing, groundbreaking videos during his illustrious career. This, however, was not one of them. In 2001, Michael released his inaptly titled Invincible album and its first single, the video for which was a massive allstar affair featuring comedian Chris Tucker and Marlon Brando. Yes, THE Marlon Brando. Brando was apparently paid a fortune (a rumored cool million) to utter one line: "Now?" Yup, that's all they wrote for him. It's sad that this was one of Brando's final acting roles (not to mention one of Michael's final music videos), but Brando's nanosecond-long cameo still turned out to be the most interesting moment in this truly underwhelming clip:

JA RULE - "THE REIGN"

Still reeling from the fallout of his feud with 50 Cent--a battle that all but destroyed his once-thriving career--Ja was clearly trying to make some statement about the death of hip-hop with this clip. But like most mini-movie music videos (see "Greedy Fly," "You Rock My World," "Estranged"), it missed the mark. Sometimes a music video should just be a music video, y'know? The best thing in this clip is late, great Patrick Swayze, although Patrick's performance here is not quite up to par with his star turn in Roadhouse:

JOURNEY - "SEPARATE WAYS"

Yes, we know we said earlier that a video couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't make this list just for being made in the cheesy '80s. But in the case of this video, "Dude, we didn't know any better--it was 1983!" is not enough of an excuse. Journey really should have known better, no matter what year it was. "Separate Ways" was lame the day it came out, and time has not been kind to it:

BOBBY MCFERRIN - "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY"

Is there anything more unbearable than watching Robin Williams mug for the camera? Yes, there is: Watching him mug for the camera alongside a professional clown named Bill Irwin, in a video for one of the most irritating novelty songs ever recorded. There was a rumor floating on the Interweb that Bobby McFerrin had killed himself, and though Snopes.com thankfully debunked that myth, we wouldn't have blamed Bobby for feeling suicidal after spending a day on this video set:

MC HAMMER - "2 LEGIT 2 QUIT"

After the huge success of "U Can't Touch This," MC Hammer clearly thought he was untouchable. He was raking in millions from lucrative endorsement deals, he had his own Saturday morning cartoon show, and he'd convinced all of America that droopy-drawer harem pants were the epitome of hip-hop chic. No wonder he thought he could get away with a video like this. It's pretty much a Hammer infomercial in which Hammer--aided by a slumming James Brown, who really ought to be remembered for more respectable moments in his long career than this--declares war on a hapless Michael Jackson and sets his sights on Jacko's King Of Pop throne. ("Bring me the glove!" James Brown cackles.) It is perhaps THE most megalomaniacal video of all time. Not long after this fiasco, the hammer of a bankruptcy court judge came down on Hammer, and though this may sound harsh to say...seriously, you won't feel that sorry for Hammer after watching this:

HEIDI MONTAG - "HIGHER"

Man, bashing this one is just too easy. Heidi's Spencer Pratt-directed debut video--which, she admitted to the press, unsurprisingly "took 20 minutes to film and cost zero dollars"--was the object of such foaming-at-the-mouth public hatred upon its release, she supposedly suffered some sort of meltdown over it. "I cried myself to sleep that first night after my video came out. I just couldn't understand why people I didn't even know felt the need to be so cruel and hurtful toward me," the over-surgerized star told Us magazine. Well, we were crying too, after we watched this. We were in mourning for those three wasted minutes of our lives we could never, ever get back:

EDDIE MURPHY & MICHAEL JACKSON - "WHATZUPWITU"

Howe bizarre that Michael Jackson, arguably the greatest music video visionary ever, ended up on this list twice? But hey, not every video can be "Thriller" or "Billie Jean." Anyhoo, in the past, moonlighting singer Eddie Murphy enlisted some truly talented musicians to help him launch his music career. He recruited Rick James to collaborate on "Party All The Time," for instance. That didn't go so well. Then he convinced Jackson (because apparently the "New King Of Pop," MC Hammer, wasn't available) for this mess--and the result was even worse. What is up with this?:

*NSYNC - "I DRIVE MYSELF CRAZY"

The next time you finding yourself thinking Justin Timberlake is the Coolest Guy On The Planet, watch this video of JT and his former boy-bandmates portraying satin-pajama'd mental ward patients, and think again. This is more embarrassing than that time Justin was on Punk'd:

PRINCE - "BATDANCE"

This should have been a winning combo. One of the biggest movies of all time, Batman, soundtracked by one of the biggest artists of all time, His Purple Majesty. So why does this video make us want to jump in the Batmobile and drive far, far away?.

BILLY SQUIER - "ROCK ME TONITE"

Few artists can point to one defining moment, one bad choice, that in and of itself ruined his/her career. Jerry Lee Lewis can cite his decision to marry his 13-year-old cousin, for instance. Well, for '80s rocker Billy Squier, it was this laughable video that did him in. Before the rather un-rockin' "Rock Me Tonite" was released, Billy was revered among hescher-haired headbangers for his Camaro-rock anthems like "The Stroke" and "Everybody Wants You." For those songs, he made straightahead concert videos--no frills, all thrills. But then, in the middle of the Flashdance craze, he succumbed to pressure to make a trendy MTV video, and the result was three or so minutes of Billy jazzercising frenetically around some Miami Vice-style penthouse loft in artfully ripped pastel dancewear, writhing in satin sheets, crawling pantherlike on all fours, and caressing his thighs a la Jennifer "She's A Maniac" Beals. And it only took those three or so minutes to destroy Billy's entire reputation and career. He never recovered from the post-video backlash, and he has frequently, publicly blamed the "Rock Me Tonite" video for his slide into obsolescence. Honestly, he would have had a better chance of rebounding if he had married his 13-year-old cousin. This video really is that bad. If actual video footage of Billy jumping over a shark had been released instead of this, it still wouldn't have been more clear that his career was kaput.

STYX - "MR. ROBOTO"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cShYbLkhBc
The career-killing Styx debacle Kilroy Was Here was a high-camp 1983 concept album depicting a bleak future in which rock 'n' roll is outlawed and society is controlled by a Big Brother-esque, right-wing entity known as the Majority For Musical Morality (MMM). It would have been bad enough if Styx had just left it as a concept album, with its vaguely anti-Asian centerpiece "Mr. Roboto" (later heard in a gut-bustingly funny Volkswagen commercial). But the "Mr. Roboto" music video, starring an assembly line of slanted-eyed androids and an over-emoting Dennis DeYoung doing his corny Broadway shtick, pushed it even farther. And that's not all, folks! Styx, taking a cue from their almost equally abysmal Paradise Theater concept, had to turn Kilroy Was Here into a full-fledged stage musical, too--complete with changing sets, theatrical costumes, soft-shoe routines, and each band member playing a different character. This was how Styx chose to promote the Kilroy Was Here album on the road, and we're sure that by the time the band's many bewildered concertgoers had sat through this musical, they'd started to sympathize with the MMM and were also rallying for the outlawing of rock 'n' roll--or at least the outlawing of Styx.

VANILLA ICE - "I LOVE YOU"

We know, we know..."Ice Ice Baby" seems like the more obvious Iceman choice here. But trust us. This one is worse.


Source.

The Coaches for The Voice Australia Have Been Announced

0
0


The producers of The Voice Australia have confirmed the rumours -- Delta Goodrem, Joel Madden, Keith Urban and Seal are set to judge the Aussie version of the hit US TV show!

All four stars have been mentioned as possible judges for a while now, and it was officially confirmed today.

The Voice tweeted, "CONFIRMATION: The coaches for The Voice Australia are Delta Goodrem, Keith Urban, Seal and Joel Madden! How good is that?"

With Delta and Joel both set to attend the ARIA Awards this weekend, we're hoping we get a little preview of what The Voice might be like!

Source: HotHits & FaceBook

LIONSGATE SET TO DROP METHOD MAN'S 'THE MORTICIAN' ONTO DVD THIS FEBRUARY

0
0



Do you guys remember that genre flick starring Method Man called THE MORTICIAN? I don't blame you if you don't, the last time we talked about that shite was way back in September of last year. Now for some reason I happened to remember this little treat so when news dropped today on when Lionsgate will be releasing it, well I decided to rush right over here to tell all of you!

It seems Gareth Maxwell Roberts’ genre thriller is gearing up to drop on DVD, Digital Download and On Demand on February 14, 2012.What a perfect flick to watch on Valentine's Day! Unless you're planning on getting some of course...

The Mortician processes corpses with a steely regard. He is alienated and cold. He feels threatened by his new employee, Noah, who brings the notorious gangster, Carver, to the mortuary door. The Mortician’s attention is pricked by the tattoo of Botticelli’s 'Birth of Venus' on the body of a murdered young woman, Jenny. A fleeting recognition triggers a sequence of haunting dreams from his childhood. He discovers a scared child, Kane, fleeing the morgue. Carver interrogates him about the whereabouts of the boy. The Mortician witnesses Noah drag Kane into the shadows of a derelict tenement. Forcing him to act, Kane sparks the Mortician’s emotional awakening. Emerging from his icy state, the Mortician and Kane become reluctant allies united in their struggle to escape the physical and emotional chains that threaten to imprison them.

The Mortician is a redemption tale that triumphs kindness over cruelty.

Sporting a cast that includes Method Man, Dash Mihok, EJ Bonilla, Judy Marte, Ava Santana (below), Angelic Zambrana, Edward Furlong, Dana Fuchs, Wendell Pierce, Anthony Michael Fredrick, Luis Da Silva Jr. and Cruz Santiago, THE MORTICIAN's only special feature will be a featurette titled "Autopsy: Dissecting The Mortician."

Mark it on your calenders folks - Let Method Man and THE MORTICIAN into your homes come February 14, 2012!

Source

Ken Watanabe Offered Role in Akira in Place Of Gary Oldman?

0
0


Though Warners is likely hoping that the big problems of getting classic anime Akira converted to a live-action version and up on screen are now behind it, the issues bringing the film to life haven’t quite gone away. Despite being offered the role of a colonel in the film recently, it would seem that Gary Oldman hasn’t locked in a deal, so the studio is now kicking off negotiations with Inception’s Ken Watanabe instead.


As of right now, all this must stay strictly in the rumour section as Watanabe is nowhere near a deal and there’s always a chance Oldman could return – or play a different part. And it's typical of the sort of early deal-making (and passing) that happens when a big film such as this is being put together.

But Watanabe is a fine replacement for the part – he’s got recognition factor from the likes of Chris Nolan’s work and The Last Samurai and he’s a proven actor. And he's also Japanese, which makes a pleasant change from the all-caucasian casting policy for the lead roles so far.

Akira follows bike gang leader Kaneda (Garrett Hedlund) as he deals with what happens when his best friend Tetsuo is used in a government experiment to exploit his powerful latent psychic abilities. The result? City-threatening chaos.

So far, Hedlund appears to be the only actor with a solid deal, though Helena Bonham Carter and Kristen Stewart have both been offered roles.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra aims to start shooting in March.

Source

Okay then, try to 'amend' the white washing of the cast by giving a role to one Asian actor. Of course.

Hilary Swank on Disastrous Chechnya Birthday Appearance: “Shame On Me”

0
0
Photobucket

On Friday, Hilary Swank made her first major media appearance since controversially wishing Chechnya’s bad guy president, Ramzan Kadyrov, a happy birthday during a visit to that country in October.

Swank told “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno about her ill-fated trip, which she says began with an offer to help promote peace in a war-torn region and ended with her expressing deep “regret” over inadvertently celebrating an alleged human rights violator.

The Oscar-winning actress tells Leno that organizations had sent warnings about Kadyrov before Swank went to Chechnya, but “they weren’t shared with me.”

“Shame on me,” says Swank. “The bottom line is, I should know where I’m going.”

source

X Factor Little Mix Secret: Dad Jailed For Murder?

0
0


Go away, Daily Star.

Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has a dark family secret – her father was jailed after a vicious street battle left an amateur boxer dead.

Dad John was found guilty of murder and affray after a fight outside a nightclub left amateur boxer Paul Reidy dead in 1985. The murder conviction was later overturned on appeal.

He was jailed for life after roofer Paul Reidy was knifed three times outside a nightclub in 1985.

John Nelson, 46, was originally found guilty of murder and dubbed the “Disco Killer”.

But the X Factor contestant’s father had his conviction overturned shortly afterwards following an appeal and instead served a shorter sentence for affray.

Nelson, now a successful businessman, married the girlband star’s mother Janis – now a police community support officer – at South London’s Brixton Prison in August 1985 while he was being held on remand for the murder.

Nelson was later cleared of the killing, which took place outside Lautrec’s disco in Dagenham in 1985.

He was dragged screaming and protesting from the Old Bailey court after the jury returned a guilty verdict at the end of his 1986 trial.

Seething Nelson – whose daughter is one quarter of the girlband tipped to win this year’s X Factor – turned to the jurors as he was led to the cells and shouted: “I’ll be out one day,” before he was ­ removed from the court.

Nelson also screamed: “No, no,” as he was led from the courtroom.

But last night a source close to the family and friends of the victim told how watching Nelson’s daughter – who was not brought up by him – make a bid for fame and fortune on the reality show has served as a painful reminder of Mr Reidy’s ­ untimely death.

The source – who asked not to be named – told us: “Paul could have been married with kids now.

“He has been prevented from enjoying any of that.

“Now Nelson’s daughter is 20, making the most of her life on X Factor. Paul was 20 when his life was snuffed out.

“She’s in the limelight now while Paul’s life was taken away at the same age.

“Nelson got married in prison while on remand for the murder.”

The source added: “Paul’s family were devastated after the murder conviction was overturned.

“Paul was a gentleman – we all still miss him today.”

But while the victim’s friends and family see Jesy’s appearance on the reality show as a reminder of Mr Reidy’s violent death, relatives of the singer have ­spoken fondly of their daughter’s ­success.

Jesy’s mum Janis, 51, now a PCSO in Canvey Island, Essex, spoke proudly of her daughter’s battle against bullying about her weight both at school and on the internet prior to taking part on the ITV programme.

Speaking last month, the police worker said: “It’s all so surreal, I can’t believe it.

“I’m just so happy for her at the moment, especially after everything she’s been through to get to this point.

“When she was younger, she used to be bullied quite badly at her school.

“I think she’s always been a bit ­different and you know what kids are like.

“They think that everyone should act and look the same way.”

Last week Little Mix embarked on a non-stop week of promotional events and publicity stunts in a bid to ensure the quartet are guaranteed victory in this year’s competition.

Meanwhile the singer’s father has remained ­silent on his daughter’s bid for stardom.

Cleared Nelson, who now runs a string of ­businesses including the Nelson’s Garden Centre in Hornchurch, Essex, reacted angrily when ­confronted with the details of our story last night.

He told us: “I’m not interested. I’m not interested in talking to you. You’ve got nothing good to say about anything and I don’t want nothing to do with it.

“The best thing you can do is count me right out of it.”

Little Mix are neck-and-neck with Marcus Collins as bookies’ favourites to win the X Factor final which airs on ITV next weekend.



Source

Frank Miller VS. Alan Moore over Occupy Wall Street

0
0


Two legendary graphic novelists — Frank Miller, creator of The Dark Knight and hard-boiled Sin City, and Alan Moore, who wrote Watchmen and V for Vendetta — are finding themselves on opposite sides of a pretty gaping ideological divide regarding Occupy Wall Street, and are expending a good amount of vitriol on the subject online. Frank Miller, trending evermore militantly to the hard-right since 9/11, started the spat off with a post to his blog on November 7, a choice excerpt of which follows below.

“Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness. These clowns can do nothing but harm America. “Occupy” is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at anarchy, to the extent that the “movement” – HAH! Some “movement”, except if the word “bowel” is attached - is anything more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves. Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.


He even trashed their love of Lords of Warcraft, which ostensibly might be hitting a little too close to his own audience. But in his deconstruction of Frank Miller's 300, the Guardian's Rick Moody describes how this hard-right mentality is in the DNA of every recent superaction-meets-superhero film: "Might is right, the global economy will be restored, America is exceptional, homely people deserve political disenfranchisement, and so on." While Miller's diatribe was not explicitly directed at self-professed anarchist Alan Moore it also sort of was, if you consider that Occupy Wall Street protesters were, after all, flashing V masks right from the start of the original Zuccotti Park sit-in. Speaking to HonestPublishing.com on December 2, Moore lashed back.

Well, Frank Miller is someone whose work I’ve barely looked at for the past twenty years. I thought the Sin City stuff was unreconstructed misogyny, 300 appeared to be wildly ahistoric, homophobic and just completely misguided. […] I heard about the latest outpourings regarding the Occupy movement. It’s about what I’d expect from him. It’s always seemed to me that the majority of the comics field, if you had to place them politically, you’d have to say centre-right. [...] So yes I think it would be fair to say that me and Frank Miller have diametrically opposing views upon all sorts of things, but certainly upon the Occupy movement.

As far as I can see, the Occupy movement is just ordinary people reclaiming rights which should always have been theirs. [...] It’s a completely justified howl of moral outrage and it seems to be handled in a very intelligent, non-violent way, which is probably another reason why Frank Miller would be less than pleased with it. I’m sure if it had been a bunch of young, sociopathic vigilantes with Batman make-up on their faces, he’d be more in favour of it. We would definitely have to agree to differ on that one.


Although if V isn't a "sociopathic vigilante" with a mask (rather than make-up), what is he?

SOURCE

9 Clips from SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

0
0


We’ve been provided with nine clips from Guy Ritchie’s upcoming Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows to share with our readers.  The sequel finds Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes and Jude Law’s Watson going head-to-head with supervillain Moriarty, played by Mad Men’s Jared Harris.  This time around Holmes and Watson have a new companion in Noomi Rapace, who plays a gypsy tagging along on their quest to get to the bottom of Moriarty’s dastardly plan.

All the clips are in one video.



Source

Glenn Beck signing brings out exactly the type of people you would expect it to.

0
0
Glenn Beck inspires tears and cheers at Camp Hill book signing

Some 489 Glenn Beck fans waited in line at the Camp Hill Barnes & Noble bookstore up to nine hours Thursday to have the conservative firebrand sign $18.20 copies of his latest treatise, “Being George Washington: The Indispensable Man, As You’ve Never Seen Him.”


Other Beck-penned books were also on offer, and the eager supporters of the long-running radio, television, and internet talk show host patiently carried stacked copies for signing, even though Beck arrived an hour late for the scheduled 4:30 p.m. event.


“Traffic is awful,” he said grinning, after rolling into the spacious store to a quick burst of applause, and making a quick pit stop before greeting his fans and signing his books.


Mary Russek, 17, a senior at Harrisburg Academy next year, was still visibly moved moments after having her five books signed.


“I told Glenn that because of him I will make a difference,” Russek said with tears still welling up in her eyes. “He looked me in the eye, and I knew he believed me.”


Gisela McBride, an 85-year-old Carlisle resident who immigrated to the U.S. in 1957 after surviving Nazi Germany as a child, was eager to encourage Beck to continue pushing to save America.


“I’m very concerned about this country,” McBride said, a copy of her own book “Memoirs of a 1000-Year-Old Woman: Berlin 1925 to 1945” in tow. “No one listens to prophets, but they really have to if they want to save this country.”


James Renwick Manship Sr. drove from Mount Vernon, Va., dressed as George Washington to get his book signed.


“I am so grateful at what he’s doing to promote George Washington,” said Manship, 58, who’s regularly impersonated the nation’s first president since 1997. “If we follow (Washington’s) example, America will be a better nation, and that’s what (Beck) is saying.”


Randy Billman, a Carlisle real estate agent who makes a point of supporting Beck whenever he’s in town, praised Beck for inspiring him to analyze current events more critically.


“He looks at everything in a different light,” Billman said. “And he’s one of the few talk show hosts that keeps religion in the conversation.”


Despite a clear dedication to Beck, most fans were reserving judgment on their choice for president.


Still, Sue Lovette, who made trek from Johnstown and was among Beck’s first audience when he began his new online talk show earlier this year, said she had ruled out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.


“They have to have integrity and honor,” said Lovette. “Whoever that is will have my vote.”


Michael Zoll, who drove from Manassas, Va. to see Beck, was also undecided.


“Right now there are too many candidates,” said Zoll, eager to get on the road to return home with his prize. Beck’s opinion “will have some influence, but I’ll make up my own mind.”







I cannot believe these people are rill. I don't even have words so I will let Glenn express my feelings for me:


source

'X-FACTOR' USA JUDGES PAULA & NICOLE Targeted by Death Threats After Eliminating Drew

0
0


"X-Factor" hosts Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger voted off the wrong contestant Thursday night -- at least according to several angry Drew Ryniewicz fans ... whose violent threats have Paula and Nicole fearing for their lives.

According to our sources, Paula and Nicole both got the cold shoulder from Simon Cowell after the show ... who was "furious" with their decision. But that's nothing compared to the abusive tweets and Facebook messages they've received. Some of the messages read:

-- "F**K you paula you dumb c**t you voted off the most talented person on your f**king show. i hope you die you DUMB B***H."

-- "I hope you die, you selfish----------"

-- "@NicoleScherzy @paulaabdul go die"

Sources on the show tell us Paula and Nicole are shocked by the harassing messages and neither has experienced a reaction so strong before.

SOURCE

look at me, blessing you plebeians with her royal highness meryl streep

0
0


Kennedy Centre Honours Gala Dinner 2011 (Dec. 3). The awards ceremony is tonight at The White House and will be broadcast on CBS December 27.

The Gummers: Meryl, Don, Grace, Henry, Mamie & Ben Walker (Mamie's husband)




Honourees Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep, Neil Diamond, Sonny Rollins & Barbara Cook


+ Clintons


omg..


Annie Hathaway




<3 Yo-Yo Ma



Some Gala in NY (Nov. 30)




every soundbite is valuable tbh


tee hee with alec






+ Mark Ruffalo (with his wife Sunrise) because the grey is sew hot



The Iron Lady DC Screening (Nov. 29)







US-China Forum (Nov. 18-19) [via]













Some Gala in Washington (Nov. 16)






With WP photographer Marvin Joseph



Interview with the BBC


OSCAH clips






High-jacking someone's wedding in Manchester

BTW, there are loads of stills and a few scans for The Iron Lady here. I don't rally want this to become an IL post so I'm going to forgo posting them all.

FYI, Meryl will be participating in a live Q&A session on Tuesday 6th December, you can submit your questions here.


source

bisous!

Zac Efron was 'nervous' around Queen Pfeiffer

0
0


Zac Efron was intimidated by Michelle Pfeiffer when he first worked with her.

The hunky actor starred alongside the veteran actress in musical 'Hairspray' in 2007 and will soon be seen with her again in romantic comedy 'New Year's Eve', and he admits he was more relaxed around her the second time.

He said: 'I had the chance to work with her on 'Hairspray', but I was very young and I was a little bit nervous to work with her, so I tended to say all the wrong things and I was very bashful around her.

'When I found out that she wanted to play this role, I was in 100 per cent, and it was really great.'

Zac initially rose to fame on musical TV show 'High School Musical' - which also starred Vanessa Hudgens, who later became his girlfriend - and he admits he has some very 'fond memories' of his time on the set of the teen franchise.

He told 'Daybreak' on ITV1: 'It's lovely to reflect. I'm very, very grateful for those days - they are some of my fondest memories and I'm still very close with all my friends so we get a good laugh every time we see it come on TV or anything like that.'



Director Garry Marshall and a stellar ensemble cast will ring in the 2011 holiday season with the romantic comedy ‘New Year’s Eve.’ ‘New Year’s Eve’ celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts. The film stars Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Academy Award-nominee Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, two-time Academy Award-winner Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Academy Award-nominee Michelle Pfeiffer, (YES! YES! YES!) Til Schweiger, Ryan Seacrest, two-time Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank and Sofia Vergara. ‘New Year’s Eve’ is set for release December 8th, 2011. Check out what Zac Efron had to say about the film below. Look out for a more in-depth interview with Zac Efron and the rest of the cast next week.

Paul is extremely fun loving. He meets the opposite of him in Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, Ingrid. Paul really helps her come out of her shell?

Zac Efron: Yeah. Paul is just this energetic, kind of cool, fun-loving character. I dunno, he’s like me on a good day (laughs). He just wakes up and he’s very excited about New Year’s. You can tell he just wants to party, he’s all about having fun. He meets his counterpart on New Year’s Eve, Ingrid is this very closed lady. You can tell she has probably never really celebrated New Year’s, ever. She’s just so quiet and meek. I dunno, I guess they just latch onto each other. Their fates are intertwined. Ingrid tells Paul that he can have 4 tickets to this midnight New Year’s Eve ball, if he helps take her around New York and helps her complete her list of resolutions – which she hasn’t completed in God knows how many years. And she came to the right place, because Paul’s the man (laughs), he can take care of anything. So he takes on this challenge and pretty soon they’re jetting off to all 5 boroughs on a Vespa, taking care of these resolutions. And some of them are pretty impossible, so Paul has to use his imagination, he can’t just take everything too literal – he’s gotta improvise!

I heard you and director Garry Marshall had a code word?

Zac Efron:
(Laughs) The first thing Gary asked me wasn’t about character or motivation, it was, “What’s our code word?” I’m like, “Code word!?” He’s like, “Yeah, you’ve gotta give me a code word, so if you need anything you just say the code word. Then I can talk to you in private.” I’m like, “That’s brilliant, a code word?” He goes, “Where are you from?” I reply, “San Luis Obispo,” and he goes, “That’s the code word, anytime you need to talk to me, just say San Luis Obispo.” I was like, “I love this guy,” (laughs) he’s just awesome, really cool.

Do you have your own New Year’s Resolution, or personal goal?

Zac Efron:
My resolution is to just stop talking about going and doing things, all the adventures I want to have in life, and just really go and do them. I’m 24, I’m not getting any younger. I want to go climb all these mountains, I wanna hike the Appalachian Trail, I still haven’t gone sky-diving – I promised myself that I’d go sky-diving when I was 18, and I still haven’t done that. I wanna check out China, India, there’s all these things I wanna go do. So I’d say that’s my resolution, just to go and get lost, do some Indiana Jones stuff (laughs).

SOURCE 1
SOURCE 2

I will put my damn faith in Gary Marshall to not screw this up. After all, he and his sister gave us A League of Our Own, Big, The Princess Diaries, and Hocus Pocus. PLEASE don't let this be another Valentine's Day....ugh....
In terms of Efron...I used to despise him and the rest of the HSM cast because I honestly thought they killed Disney, what with brainwashing the youth of today and whatnot with their songs and....ugh it was torture. But anyway to sum things up....HE BETTER HAVE BEEN NERVOUS TO BE WORKING WITH SUCH A GODDESS.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

Love of my life looking a haute mess!!

0
0
Jury member Jessica Chastain attends the opening ceremony for the 2011 Marrakech International Film Festival on Friday (December 2) in Marrakech, Morocco. 
               v alabaster chiq       
      




idk or c who any of these other ppl are tbh

source

          Last year, the world renown festival featured a Leo Dicaprio retrospective (they showed Titanic), and I can only hope for more films of equally astounding caliber for Jessica to judge this year!!!          

Lady Gaga Vevo interview about Marry the Night

‘Vampire Diaries’ Fans Prosecuted For Naming Son After Damon

0
0


A couple in Busigny, France, is due in court Dec. 15 to defend naming their son Daemon after, you guessed it, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) from The Vampire Diaries. The spelling of the name — the couple added the “e” in to make it French — has apparently raised the eyebrows of French authorities who, according to the UK’s Daily Mail, believe it has “diabolical origins.”

I won’t dignify this nonsense by going too much more in depth. It’s just so obvious the French Authorities are Team Stefan.

Source

Famous Authors’ Harshest Rejection Letters

0
0
It’s hard to imagine that the definitive icons of literature could have been subject to the same iciness of the high-gated publishing-house “no” machines that we know all too well. Of course, even down-to-earth publishers can miss a great work sitting on their desks; with thousands of titles of varying merit clogging editors’ mailboxes, it’s impossible to skim every page of every slush-pile manuscript, let alone give it its proper consideration. Furthermore, some of our most adored geniuses churned out well-spotted crap before maturing into the artists we remember.

Prescience is no hard science, but hindsight can be a kick in the shins nonetheless, especially for the editors who sent these rejection letters to writers who would later become the bestselling, influential giants of their day — and ours.

Photobucket
(lol what an asshole)



Rejected: an overly verbose manuscript by Gertrude Stein
Publisher Arthur Fifield must have been very proud of this lampoon of Stein’s — admittedly confounding, provocative — style. At the time, 1912, she was only beginning to enter the literary scene and hadn’t yet established the reputation that would draw in great artists, writers, and personalities through the rest of her career and life. The manuscript in question might not have amounted to much, but after being rejected by Fifield, she did become an accomplished, bestselling author, with titles like The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. Moreover, her expat Paris living room became the epicenter of a rich art world, one her famed contemporaries visited for contacts, review, and social company — and one whose fruits are, today, examined and reexamined by theorists, academics, and critics worldwide.

The letter reads:

Dear Madam,
I am only one, only one, only one. Only one being, one at the same time. Not two, not three, only one. Only one life to live, only sixty minutes in one hour. Only one pair of eyes. Only one brain. Only one being. Being only one, having only one pair of eyes, having only one time, having only one life, I cannot read your M.S. three or four times. Not even one time. Only one look, only one look is enough. Hardly one copy would sell here. Hardly one. Hardly one.

Sincerely Yours,
A.C. Fifield


Photobucket
Rejected: The Left Hand of Darkness, a novel by Ursula K. Le Guin

In 1968, Le Guin‘s agent received this rejection letter with regard to her novel, The Left Hand of Darkness. This “unreadable” book, so described by the editor whose note is above and whose identity Le Guin protects, went on not only to be published but also to win the 1969 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1970 Hugo award — only two of many more the author has racked up. Considered one of the greatest fantasy writers of our time, Le Guin is held on par with Tolkien by scholars and is often regarded as the first to produce feminist texts within her genre.

Photobucket


Photobucket
Rejected: three writing samples by Kurt Vonnegut

A decade and a half later, a writing sample by Vonnegut would have been accepted without a look beyond the author name, but in 1949, Kurt Vonnegut was a nobody, and the editors at The Atlantic Monthly had no big plans to lift him out of anonymity. After mailing the magazine three samples of his work, he received the above letter of rejection from editor Edward Weeks, which now hangs, framed, in Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis. The following decades of Vonnegut’s career were characterized by a prolific output of award-winning novels, including Cat’s Cradle and Slaughter-House Five, the latter of which is rumored to have developed out of one of the rejected samples.

Weeks’ mistake reads:

Dear Mr. Vonnegut,

We have been carrying out our usual summer house-cleaning of the manuscripts on our anxious bench and in the file, and among them I find the three papers which you have shown me as samples of your work. I am sincerely sorry that no one of them seems to us well adapted for our purpose. Both the account of the bombing of Dresden and your article, “What’s a Fair Price for Golden Eggs?” have drawn commendation although neither one is quite compelling enough for final acceptance.

Our staff continues fully manned so I cannot hold out the hope of an editorial assignment, but I shall be glad to know that you have found a promising opening elsewhere.

Faithfully yours,

Edward Weeks


Photobucket
Rejected: Lolita, a novel by Vladimir Nabokov

The novel that later went on to sell 50 million copies and become a timeless, esteemed classic first had to endure numerous rejections from publishing houses, including this one written by Mrs. Blanche Knopf herself. In 1956, one year after the English version of the book was published in Paris, Nabokov’s subject matter — the pervy Humbert Humbert’s incest-pedophilia double-whammy crush on his stepdaughter — was considered too taboo for American imprints. Until, that is, Walter Minton of G.O. Putnam and Sons came along and begged Olympia to publish it in 1958 in New York.

Blanche Knopf’s 1956 rejection letter, from the Knopf archives, reads:

Darling,

This office has taken a long time to say no to Nabokov’s Lolita which you and I both know was impossible at least for us. Do you want the books back? I don’t imagine so in which case we will keep it for our blank department. But let me know. I wonder if any publisher will buy it.

Will you please tell Renée that I had her charming letter. I have no news except that the Coco is holding his own. As soon as I know more, I will write. But it was enchanting of her to send me a line, and I am very grateful. We have all been upset about this affair.

Bless. And all the best.

As always,

Mrs. W.A. Bradley
18 Quai de Bethune
Paris 4, FRANCE


Photobucket
Rejected: The Bell Jar, a novel by Sylvia Plath

The Knopf editor “jbj” knows all too well what difference a name drop can make; Plath originally submitted her novel under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, whose work received the original, terse in-house review printed below. When it was revealed that Victoria Lucas was in fact Sylvia Plath, an embarrassed jbj took a greater interest in the work, although he ultimately still rejected it. Plath’s only novel eventually became an American classic and staple of every high school curriculum, but before that, the rest of the Knopf staff seem to have agreed with jbj — unpublishable.

jbj’s reviews read:

[1] Reject recommended

I’m not sure what Heinemann’s sees in this first novel unless it is a kind of youthful American female brashnaess. But there certainly isn’t enough genuine talent for us to take notice.

jbj

[2] I have now re-read—or rather read more thoroughly—“The Bell Jar” with the knowledge that it is by Sylva Plath which has added considerably to its interest for it is obviously flagrantly autobiographical. But it still is not much of a novel. The trouble is that she has not succeeded in using her material in a novelistic way; there is no viewpoint, no sifting out o the experiences of being a Mademoiselle contest winner with the month in New York, the subsequent mental breakdown and suicide attempts, the brash loss of virginity at the end. One feels simply that Miss Plat is writing of them because [these] things did happen to her and the incidents are in themselves good for a story, but throw them together and they don’t necessarily add up to a novel. One never feels, for instance, the deep-rooted anguish that would drive this girl to suicide. It is too bad because Miss Play has a way with words and a sharp eye or unusual and vivid detail. But maybe now that this book is out of her system she will use her talent more effectively next time. I doubt if anyone over here will pick this novel up, so we might well have a second chance.

jbj

A second Knopf reader, Patrick Gregory, though, was not as starstruck by the revelation of Plath’s true identity as jbj was, though, adding to the review:

RECOMMEND REJECTION

This is an ill-conceived, poorly written novel, and we would be doing neither ourselves nor the late Miss Play any good service by offering it to the American public…I don’t doubt that certain elements of the British press will puff the book nicely, but Mrs. Jones’s original four-line report strikes me as the only honest and responsible critical reaction to the work.

P.G. 3/29/63


Photobucket
Rejected: Hunter S. Thompson’s biography, by William McKeen

Unconventional as far as rejection letters go, this one was penned post-publication, but given Hunter Thompson’s colorful language in the personal rejection note he sent to his biographer William McKeen in 1991, we deemed it worthy of inclusion anyway. With no further ado, the scribbled note, now framed in McKeen’s home, reads:

— McKeen, you shit-eating freak. I warned you not to write that vicious trash about me —

Now you better get fitted for a black eyepatch in case one of yours gets gouged out by a bushy-haired stranger in a dimly-lit parking lot. How fast can you learn Braille?

You are scum.

HST

Photobucket

Photobucket
Rejected: The Giant Zlig, an illustrated book by Tim Burton

A ripe, 18-year-old Burton, still in high school, submitted his illustrated children’s book to Walt Disney Productions for consideration. That was 1976, and T. Jeanette Kroger, author of his rejection letter, didn’t see in The Giant Zlig what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, BAFTA, Cannes, and, it’s fair to say, the majority of humanity saw in him in later years. Kroger thanked Burton for his mail and made no mention of the possibility of publication but did give the artist some tips.

They read:

Dear Tim:

Here are some brief impressions of your book, The Giant Zlig.

STORY: The story is simple enough for a young audience (age 4-6), cute, and shows a grasp of the language much better than I would expect from one of today’s high school students, despite occasional lapses in grammar and spelling. It may, however, be too derivative of the Seuss works to be marketable–I just don’t know. But I definitely enjoyed reading it.

ART: Considering that you suffer from a lack of the proper tools and materials, the art is very good. The characters are charming and imaginative, and have sufficient variety to sustain interest. Your layout is also good–it shows good variety in point-of-view. Consequently, I not only enjoyed reading about the Giant Zlig, but I got a chuckle watching him, too.

I hope my comments please you. Thanks for the opportunity to read The Giant Zlig; keep up the good work, and good luck.

Very truly yours,

T. Jeanette Kroger

Editor
Walt Disney Productions


Photobucket
Rejected:On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

Now heralded as the beat bible, Jack Kerouac’s magnum opus On the Road was finally published by Viking Press in 1957, six years after it was written. But in 1951, given its provocative content and untraditional style, publishing houses wouldn’t touch it. Knopf was just one of many whose editors reviewed the manuscript harshly and reported it as untouchable to their editors. In 2007, NPR interviewed Richard Oram, associate director of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas, where the Knopf archives are stored, and he shared a bit of On the Road‘s bleak review. Here's a part of Mr. Parks’ review:

“…this is a badly misdirected talent and … this huge sprawling and inconclusive novel would probably have small sales and sardonic indignant reviews from every side.”


Followed by the even nastier, pithy review of another editor:

“I don’t dig this one at all.”


PhotobucketPhotobucket
Rejected: “The Estate (?) (The Healer of All Flesh??),” a partial manuscript by Isaac Bashevis Singer

Singer’s manuscript, titled in its Knopf rejection slip as written above, The Estate (?) (The Healer of All Flesh??), later went on to become two of his novels, The Estate and The Manor, and Singer himself went on to become one of the foremost Yiddish writers of his time and win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978. His stories really aren’t as bad as Knopf editor Herbert Weinstock would have you think.

He writes:

This is a partial rough translation of the same novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer which I saw in January 1055. It’s Poland and the rich Jews again.

With endless editorial work and endless serpentine dealings with Moshe Spiegel, the willing translator-adapter, this might be turned into an English novel nearly as good and nearly as salable as The Family Moskat. I honestly do not think it worth Knopf’s time and effort, though I do think that Spiegel will persist until he gets someone to publish. Personally, I’d reject.

H.W. 4/9/59


source

NBC Thursday Night Christmas Promo

Michael Jackson Cirque du Soliel tour at Mandalay Bay in Vegas

0
0


Las Vegas Premiere Of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour By Cirque du Soleil

Including pictures of
The Jackson Family
Some Glee Dudes
Some Memorabilia
Nightmare Material





Mark Salling


Kevin McHale & Harry Shum Jr.


Allison Janney


MIND FREAK ANGEL


Justin Long & Aaron Paul


Holly Madison


Kinda love her


Show choreographer Travis Payne


That is a fierce man.


Orlando Jones


Berry Gordy & John Landis


Paris "Flawless" Jackson


Prince Jackson


Katherine Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, and the show's musical designer Kevin Antunes


Tito and Jackie Jackson with NIGHTMARE MATERIAL


They're performers in the show but STILL. DAMN.


UGH


DOUBLE NIGHTMARES






MORE PERFORMERS


Memorabilia









(This was one of the first videos I remember seeing on MTV. They played it all the time.)






Happy Blanket thanks you for your time


http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ldx6iTH2zC-/Las+Vegas+Premiere+Michael+Jackson+IMMORTAL



Video Teaser for the show

Viewing all 160784 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images