Morrissey cancels remainder of US tour due to illness

A statement issued on behalf of the singer cited "medical mishaps" as the reason for the cancellation of the planned shows, reports BBC News. Morrissey has been suffering from mounting health issues over the past few months, including Barrett's esophagus, a bleeding ulcer and double pneumonia. The singer's publicist, Lauren Papapietro, said in a statement: "Despite his best efforts to try to continue touring, Morrissey has to take a hiatus and will not be able to continue on the rest of the tour. Morrissey thanks all of his fans for their well wishes and thoughts." 

The 53-year-old was next due to perform at Liberty Hall in Kansas on Monday (March 18) but that gig along with a further 22 shows have been pulled. The singer has previously cancelled 21 gigs this year. Morrissey has been affected by ill health throughout 2013 and spoke out following his recent health troubles, which saw him hospitalised at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. The singer issued a statement to fan site True To You, which he opened up by saying: "The reports of my death have been greatly understated." The former frontman of The Smiths went on to explain that he was treated for concussion, a bleeding ulcer and Barrett's esophagus, and as such had to cancel a number of shows. 

News Source: -    nme

James Franco and Ashley Benson Get Cozy at ‘Spring Breakers’ Premiere

We've all heard whispers of the "Spring Breakers" romance between James Franco and his co-star Ashley Benson. But, Thursday night at the movie's premiere, the volume on that talk definitely went up a notch. Clad in a navy Gucci suit, Franco worked the red carpet with all of his gorgeous castmates -- including Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens -- but when it came time to go inside the Cinema Dome to screen the Harmony Korine film, he was sure to take a seat right next to the "Pretty Little Liars" actress. The pair locked arms and laughed in their seats, taking in Franco's portrayal of a Southern rapper bent on wooing Benson's character and her visiting friends. When the credits rolled, Gomez and Hudgens made a bee-line for the party bus that would take them to the afterparty at the Emerson Theater. Meanwhile, Benson and Franco appeared to travel alone, although they arrived together through a rear entrance. Sadly, they went different directions soon after. While Ashley greeted well-wishers and her team, James stuck close to director Korine. Franco and Benson have been rumored to be sweet on each other since filming, enjoying low-key fun in New York, making that much buzzed-about Justin Bieber parody video, and holding hands as recently as SXSW's promotional stop. What do you make of the premiere date? 

Give us your two cents in the comments.

News Source: -  omg

Green Day make triumphant post-rehab return at SXSW

“Welcome back!” Billie Joe Armstrong shouted to a capacity crowd — but he might as well have been talking about himself. A massively energetic Armstrong led Green Day in a triumphant live performance return at SXSW music festival in Austin on Friday night. The evening marked the first major performance by the band since he had an infamous onstage meltdown during the iHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas last September and subsequently entered rehab. Taking the stage at the Austin City Limits Live venue to Ennio Morricone’s “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” theme, the trio (along with backing musicians) slammed through about two dozen songs, a collection of old favorites (such as “Welcome to Paradise,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Know Your Enemy” and “Jesus of Suburbia”) and newer tunes (“Stay the Night,” “Stop When the Red Lights Flash”), plus a medley smattering of covers (The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell”). Armstrong, arms frequently raised and waiting, soaked up the outpouring of fan love in like he needed every last ounce of it, calling the night a “celebration.” He was focused and playful, more than once pulling audience members out of the crowd to join the onstage fun and shooting water, toilet paper, and t-shirts into the crowd using a variety of projectile toys. Though the singer isn’t doing media interviews during the festival, the show seemed designed to telegraph a media message of its own: We’re back, we’re okay, and we still rock. At one point, a roadie abruptly took Armstrong’s failing mircophone away to switch it out. The singer laughed. “I wasn’t even on drugs!” It was a funny poke at the elephant that, while maybe not in the room given the waves of fan adoration, was at least in the vicinity. (FYI for Green Day completists, the festival also hosted screenings for two Green Day documentaries: Broadway Idiot, which chronicles the making of the band’s Broadway musical American Idiot, and Cuatro! which follows the recording of the band’s three new albums, Uno!, Dos! and Tre!, all released all within a few months last fall.) “South by Southwest, the greatest rock bands in the world!” Armstrong said of his festival host. “And a lot of other ones too!” Last night, at least, Green Day was one of the former. 

News Source: -  music-mix

Heidi Klum's Cleavage-Baring Oscars Dress: "I Actually Closed It a Lot"

Remember Heidi Klum's breasts at Elton John's Oscars party? They were just so...exposed? 

Well, it turns out that the Project Runway host actually stitched up the, er, neckline of her gold Julien Macdonald gown "about 3, 4 inches" before heading out. "I loved this designer and I loved this dress because it was very form-fitting," Klum told E! News today at the Heidi Klum for New Balance launch at Lady Foot Locker in Culver City, Calif. But, it turns out the fashion-boundary-pushing model still has a few boundaries. 

Check out a pic of Heidi Klum in action as a judge on America's Got Talent 

 "To be honest, the slit was, like, all the way down to my belly button," the mother of four added, gesturing in that direction. "I actually closed it a lot!" Klum protested when we told her that, yes, we were indeed familiar with the cut of her dress. "I was kind of worried that, if I would have left it like this, that, you know, an accident might have happened." So, what Klum went out in was the altered, more modest version? "It was from here to here," she said, pointing to a few inches of pretend fabric. "I closed that up. But it needed it. I don't know if the designer was happy about that, but it was a little bit too open."

News Source: -  eonline

Carole King Musical 'Beautiful' to Hit Broadway

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Douglas McGrath will pen the book for the show, which aims for a spring 2014 opening. 

NEW YORK -- The story of singer-songwriter Carole King's life and career will be told on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have announced a spring 2014 opening for the show. With a book by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Douglas McGrath (Bullets Over Broadway), the bio-musical will feature songs written by King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. 

STORY: Billie Joe Armstrong Boards New Theater Project 

Beautiful will track King from her roots in Brooklyn through her work as a songwriter for hire in the Brill Building and her marriage and creative partnership with Goffin, spawning their first No. 1 hit, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," when King was just 18. After pumping out hits for a string of top acts in the 1960s, King launched her solo singing career, winning multiple Grammys with her classic 1971 album, Tapestry. “What's so great about this for me is that musicals were a major influence on my songwriting," said King in a statement. "In fact, when Gerry and I first met, we made a bargain that I would write music for the Broadway show he wanted to write if he wrote lyrics for my rock 'n roll songs. The songs took off, and the show idea never came to fruition. Now that our songs have merged with a Broadway show, we've come full circle."

News Source: -  hollywoodreporter

Julianne Hough undergoes root canal surgery

Actress JULIANNE HOUGH is recovering after undergoing root canal surgery. The Footloose star was left with a swollen face after the dental procedure earlier this week (begs11Mar13), and she uploaded a photo showing her looking glum to her Twitter.com page. In the accompanying post, she writes, "After my Apicoectomy root canal surgery... I've got chipmunk cheeks and Botox looking lips!" The surgery caps a tough few days for Hough - she fell victim to thieves who stole $100,000 worth of jewelry from her car last Friday (08Mar13).

News Source: -  abc2news

ulianne Hough Ryan's Gonna Be Mad ... My Jewelry Got Stolen! Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2013/03/14/julianne-hough-ryan-seacrest-jewels-theft/#ixzz2Nj5r9dn0 Visit the TMZ Store: http://tmzstore.com

Ryan Seacrest must be one understanding boyfriend, because he's still with Julianne Hough ... after she left $100,000 worth of jewelry he gave her in her car ... and guess what happened? Julianne was in Hollywood Friday night, visiting a friend in an apartment complex. Law enforcement sources tell us ... she parked her Mercedes in the lot, leaving 3 pieces of jewelry inside the car -- jewelry Ryan had given her. A few hours later, Julianne went to her car ... and looked in horror as she saw the door wide open and the inside ransacked. It's unclear if Julianne left the door unlocked, but there were no visible signs of forced entry. We don't have specifics on the 3 pieces of jewelry, but we've confirmed the total value is $100k. It'll take 10 minutes for Ryan to make enough to replace those baubles. 

News Source: -  tmz

Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest split after nearly three years

One of the most photogenic couples in Hollywood has called it quits. People is reporting that sources close to the couple have confirmed that "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest and dancer/actress Julianne Hough have decided to take a break and are living apart. The source attribute the split to busy work scheduled and not any kind of animosity or fighting, saying the two are still in regular contact with one another and remain friends. It probably had nothing to do with her stolen jewelry. Seacrest, 38, and Hough, 24, met in the spring of 2010 and rumors of a romance were swirling for months. The two were outed as a couple when Hough reportedly flew to a yacht in Italy to join Seacrest on vacation.

News Source: -  zap2it

Bates adds Misery to Horror Story

THE third season of American Horror Story will be subtitled Coven, and actress Kathy Bates joins the cast. "We're far enough along in the writing that I can tell you what it's about," , the show's co-creator, Ryan Murphy announced to more than 1000 of the show's fans who attended the PaleyFest panel on the series at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles. Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee, The New Normal) confirmed there would be witches in the new season, but failed to reveal any more plot specifics. "It's a really cool story that we've been talking about for a couple of years, actually, and this seemed the year to do it," he continued, dropping one more tidbit: After filming the first two seasons on lots and soundstages, parts of the series three will be shot in New Orleans. "The fun thing about doing the show is researching what are the really haunted places in America, because every year the institution is one of the lead characters," Murphy explained. "The first year was Murder House, and this year was Asylum. We have another couple doozy locales." Joining Murphy on the panel were American Horror Story: Asylum cast members Frances Conroy, Naomi Grossman, Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Lily Rabe as well as executive producers Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear. Before the event, it had been reported that Conroy, Lange, Paulson, Peters and Rabe were confirmed to be a part of the third season. Previously, Murphy had also said Lange would be playing a "glamour cat" in her latest "Story" role. When Lange was asked about that new character, she replied, laughing, "I don't know what a 'glamour cat' is, but I am excited about it." Late in the event, the ensemble's latest major cast addition was introduced to the audience: the Oscar-winning Bates (Misery), who said she was a big fan of the series and a longtime friend of Lange. Joked Murphy, "You know, I love a good Oscar winner," referring to two-time Academy Award honoree Lange, and adding that he and Lange had thought of Bates as this season-three character for some time. "So I pitched (Bates) this cuckoo-for-Cocoa-Puffs character. I said, 'I know you have a lot going on. And we're way, way, way far ahead, but think about it for a couple weeks, and call me or write me.' And my phone rang an hour later: 'I'm in.'" "I've always been fast," Bates injected, chuckling. Continued Murphy, "The only thing I'll say about the part is, you know, I wanted to see a lot of scenes with Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it. So, that's what you're going to see." Murphy also said he was considering a vampire-themed Horror Story, and that "I have been talking to John (FX network president and general manager John Landgraf) about doing a companion piece to American Horror Story, so I think it would be really cool to do a couple different incarnations of the idea. So, we've been talking about that, but I can't talk about it." 

 News Source: -  couriermail

Lindsay Lohan "remains a fan" of Justin Bieber after his Instagram outburst at her

If someone went on a right old rude rant and dissed us (and our financial situation) on the internet, we'd probably be very angry. Or at least slag them off behind their back in the pub to our mates. But it seems Lindsay Lohan is a nicer, more forgiving human being than us, because her rep tells us that despite Justin Bieber dissing her in his bizarre written rant posted on Instagram on Thursday, she "remains a fan" of the singer. Justin apologised to Lindsay, but only through website TMZ, and he didn't actually say the word sorry. He told TMZ: "My post was only up for a few minutes but I realised right away that what I said at the end was wrong and distracted from what I was trying to say. "I immediately deleted it and rewrote it so it would show what I was really feeling and those words are up now." 'Everyone in my team has been telling me, 'keep the press happy' but I'm tired of all the countless lies in the press right now. ' Saying I'm going to rehab and how my family is disappointed in me. 'My family is beyond proud, and...if Anyone believes i need rehab thats their own stupidity… '1 9 and I've accomplished more than I could've ever dreamed of, i'm 19 and it must be scary to some people to think that this is just the beginning. 'I know my talent level and i know i got my head on straight. i know who i am and i know who i'm not... ' I honestly don't care if you don't believe in me because I believe in me, and look where that's gotten me so far. ' don't think I deserve all of this negative press I've worked my ass off to get where I am and my hard work doesn't stop here. ' i'm growing up finding myself while having people watch me and criticise me everyday i think im doing pretty damn good. ' And to those comparing me to Lindsey Lohan look at her 2012 tax statements ;) ' The most shocking part wasn’t his atrocious spelling of ‘messege’ (although our Editor would claim that’s unforgivable) but instead his unnecessary dig at Lindsay. The actress has been involved in a number of high-profile court cases and it’s been well documented that she had huge debts to the tax man in America. It doesn't excuse the fact Justin gave her a cyber slap in the face by demanding those who compare him to the Mean Girls star ‘to look at her 2012 tax statements’. Someone should probably tell Justin, 19, that he's not messing about in the playground and is actually broadcasting to more than 35 million people. 

News Source: -   mirror

Ryan Murphy Reveals Wicked Season Three Secrets of 'American Horror Story'

Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and caldron bubble! We apologize if this all sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus to all of you, but we’ve just returned from PaleyFest, where American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy revealed new details about the highly anticipated third season. Keeping with the tradition of Asylum, Murphy confirmed that the next season of the FX hit will also features a subtitle that will describe the general theme of the season. Get ready, horror fans, because American Horror Story: Coven will soon cast a spell on a TV screen near you. Although Murphy wouldn’t divulge further details on the significance of “Coven,” the term strongly indicates what many fans have been speculating for months — Season 3 will revolve around witches. Murphy offered, “It's a really cool story that we've been talking for a couple years, and this seemed to be the year to do it.” Murphy already revealed that the new season will once again center on Jessica Lange, but this time the captivating actress will portray a more “glamour cat” type character. Lange quipped to the packed PaleyFest theater, "I don't know what a glamour cat is, but I am excited," Kathy Bates — who has been confirmed to star in the next season — made a surprise appearance at the panel. Bates admitted that she has been a big fan of American Horror Story and religiously watches each and every episode. "I've loved it from the very beginning," Bates said, "I called up Jessica and told her to talk to Ryan and tell him I'd do anything on the show." Little did she know, Murphy had already decided that Bates would be the perfect actress to help lead the wicked new season. The showrunner teased Bate’s role as a "cuckoo-for-Cocoa Puffs character" who is reported to be the best friend-turned-enemy of Lange's character. “I wanted to see a lot of scenes with Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it, and that's what you're going to see," he said to the roar of fans. While Frances Conroy has already revealed that season three of AHS would largely take place in New Orleans, Murphy confirmed that New Orleans is just one of the cities in which Coven will take place. "The fun thing is researching what are the really haunted places in America, and we have a couple doozy locales," he said. During the panel, Murphy also boasted that fans should not worry about American Horror Story disappearing anytime soon. The creator said he still has plenty of ideas for upcoming seasons that he could see 10 years' worth of stories — and maybe even a spin-off. "I have been talking to John [Landgraf] about doing a companion piece to American Horror Story," Murphy said with a coy smile. 

News Source: -   hollywood

Will item numbers prove to be too Badmaash for the film board?

The Central Board of Film Certification has now decided to scrutinise item numbers on screen and it seems that Priyanka Chopra's Badmaash babli is at the head of the queue. Even as Bollywood's leading ladies look set to jump on the item bandwagon, the days of item numbers may be numbered. Sheila and Munni may have danced with abandon, but Badmaash babli may have to keep those moves under wraps, at least till the clock strikes 11. The Central Board of Film Certification has now reportedly decided to give an A certification to item songs, including Badmaash babli from the film Shootout At Wadala. It's a move which has the film industry rather rattled as it will prevent promos of item songs from being run in primetime slots thus affecting the marketing of a film, or so filmmakers claim. Tanuj Garg of Balaji Motion Pictures says, "After submitting Babli Badmaash for certification, we were informed that it would get an 'A' because it was an item track. We were shocked and informed the CBFC that the industry was not aware of such a rule. We were later told that there was no blanket directive; songs would be certified according to their content." But perhaps the lovely ladies won't have to retire those blingy outfits just yet. The CBFC claims there is no blanket ban on item numbers as of now and each dance number will be certified on an individual basis. CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson says, "I would like to unambiguously clarify that no such decision has been taken, either by the board or by the ministry, nor is such a move being contemplated. The guidelines governing certification of films, trailers, or any part thereof simply state that they will be certified depending on the age-group of audiences that they are suitable for." But in the meantime what happens to Badmaash babli? Will Babli... be cleared by the board's revising committee or will she get an A? And judging from her name, that's a grade Badmaash babli certainly isn't interested in! 

News Source: -  ndtv

Hema Malini's candid confession to Salman Khan

It 's an award night that sees Salman Khan making his debut as an awards show host. And apart from the fact that the Dabangg Khan promises to light up the Renault Star Guild Awards with his style and charm, he also ensured that some stars make some candid confessions. Take this one for example. When the dream girl, Hema Malini who looked extremely stunning in a white sari, was asked to dance on Saathi Chal, a song where the actress sported skates, she said, "I still have not learnt how to skate, when actually Ramesh Sippy had asked me to do so years back during the making of Seeta aur Geeta!" If Salman made Hema go back in time, then Lata Mangeshkar was moved emotionally when she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award. She didn't have words to express what she was going through at that moment. It was then that Salman Khan requested the singing sensation to sing a few lines of 'Naam Gum Jaayega'. As her voice reverberated in the entire studio the audience stood up and gave her standing ovation with teary eyes!

Sourse News: -  timesofindia

Richard Hawley, Jessie Ware and more confirmed for Somerset House Summer Series Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/jessie-ware/69163#SHuhjWdmW5MdmMxQ.99

Richard Hawley, Jessie Ware and Band Of Horses are among the names confirmed for this year's Summer Series at Somerset House. The annual series of gigs will run from July 11-21 this year at London's Somerset House. Joining the line-up will also be Alex Clare, Lianne La Havas, Swedish duo First Aid Kit, Of Monsters and Men, Tom Odell and Edward Sharpe and The Magentic Zeros. The Summer Series at Somerset House will also see the return of both Goldfrapp and Basement Jaxx, with the big name acts performing on the final two nights of the series on July 20 and 21 respectively. Speaking about his appearance on July 14, Richard Hawley said: "Playing Somerset House is the venue along with Greenwich Observatory. I've always hoped I might get a chance of playing as they are both connected deeply with our country’s history. I'm a bit of a history lover truth be told so I'm really looking forward to it, you never know they might let me have a look around the place then I can visit the shop and bring me mum a tea towel home like a proper tourist. Oh and we get to play some rock'n'roll ... result". 

The 2013 Somerset House Summer Series dates are as follows: 

Alex Clare (July 11) 

Band Of Horses (12) 

Lianne La Havas (13) 

Richard Hawley (14) 

First Aid Kit (15) 

Of Monsters and Men (16) 

Tom Odell (17) 

Jessie Ware (18) 

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (19) 

Goldfrapp (20) 

Basement Jaxx (21) 

Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday 15 March priced £27.50 (plus booking fee). 

News Source: -  nme

Women's Prize for Fiction: Can Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn rob Hilary Mantel of the hat-trick?

Psychological thriller Gone Girl, the American publishing sensation, is up for its first major literary award but faces the daunting prospect of derailing the all-conquering Hilary Mantel. The page turner by Missouri author Gillian Flynn, which has sold more than 2 million copies around the world, is in the running for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Orange Prize. Flynn told The Independent: “I was incredibly thrilled by the news. It’s really nice especially for someone who writes stories with mystery as they aren’t always recognised so widely. I feel really proud.” Crime fiction has traditionally been overlooked at the biggest literary awards, but Gone Girl, a “whodunit revolving around a marriage” was today named among the titles on the 20-strong longlist. “A lot of mysteries deal with very important and meaty and substantial issues. It’s great when we can embrace all different kinds of literature,” Flynn said. “More and more writers are pushing the genre.” It is up against some heavy-hitting competitors including Bring Up the Bodies, Mantel’s sequel to Wolf Hall, which has already won the Man Booker Prize and the Costa Book of the Year. No author has won all three in one year. “Flynn said: “Mantel was on all my favourite year-end lists. She is a brilliant glorious writer. I’m thrilled to be somewhere on that list beside her. It’s very cool.” Despite clamours for Gone Girl to be recognised by literary judges in the US, where it was seen as a literary phenomenon second only to 50 Shades of Grey last year, up until now it had missed out. Writer and activist Natasha Walter, who is on the judges panel for this year’s Women’s Prize, said the book’s inclusion had been “a subject of great debate” before adding: “The judges felt that while it was this big commercial success, it is a riveting thriller that just goes deeper.” She agreed that crime fiction was often unfairly overlooked for literary plaudits. Gone Girl follows the disappearance of Amy Dunne, the beautiful and brilliant wife of Nick, just as their marriage has begun to splinter. As the police investigation and the media spotlight falls on Nick, dark secrets begin to emerge. “This is the dynamics of a marriage gone wrong. How two personalities come together and come apart. I like the mystery genre as a way of telling that story,” the author said. “It is a very relatable story for all of us who have been in long term relationships or marriage, although it does go beyond the parameters that hopefully we all deal. So many people have told me they have touchstones with different parts of the story.” Independent on Sunday reviewer Dough Johnstone said Flynn was “at the front of the pack of American thriller writers,” adding the “characterisation, plot, dialogue, description and social commentary are all razor sharp”. He added that if – as the Pat Benatar song goes – love is a battlefield, the main characters’ relationship was a “twisted, dangerous and bloody war zone”. The dark tale is Flynn’s third novel following Dark Places and Sharp Objects, her debut which won two Dagger Awards in the UK. All three books are being adapted into Hollywood films. Flynn, a former television critic, is building a fan club of fellow authors including Val McDermid and Kate Atkinson. Crime writer Mark Billingham called Gone Girl “amazing”. As for Mantel “can you imagine if she had not made the longlist?” Walter said, before adding: “We will not be thinking about the other prizes in judging this one.” Barbara Kingsolver, who wrote Flight Behaviour, and Zadie Smith, with NW, are vying to become the first to win the award twice this year. This is the 18th year of the prize open to all women writing in the English language. Orange ended its sponsorship last year, and the organisers are expected to announce its replacement in the weeks before the announcement of the winner in June. Shani Boianjiu has become the first Israeli author to make the longlist with The People of Forever are Not Afraid. Best selling author in Turkey Elif Shafak is also in the running for her seventh novel Honour set in her homeland and London about honour killings. 

News Source: -    independent

'Spring Breakers' At SXSW: Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens & James Franco Star In 'Dream'

Spring break forever. At the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on Sunday night, crowds descended upon the Paramount Theater to watch the U.S. premiere of Harmony Korine's new film "Spring Breakers." As one film journalist noted on Twitter, the line for "Spring Breakers" was as long as any they had seen in the years coming to SXSW. "Open your mind, take it in and see what happens," Korine said before unveiling his Day-Glo exploitation satire, a drug-fueled odyssey where Selena Gomez smoking pot out of a bong is about the 17th most scandalous thing depicted onscreen. Running just over 90 minutes, "Spring Breakers" is a relentless assault on the senses, the type of film where every sound effect is pushed to 11 and half the images could be labeled as NSFW. Korine's film, which he also wrote, focuses on four young women (Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, the director's wife), who head to Florida for spring break after three successful rob a local chicken restaurant. Once there, the quartet engage in all manner of bad behavior -- sex, drugs, more drugs -- until an arrest brings them bikini-to-face with Alien (James Franco), a local rapper-slash-life force who teaches them the ways of spring break by proudly showing off his "shit." "The movie came to me like a dream," Korine said. "I had been collecting spring break imagery for a couple of years. From fraternity sites and online pornography. […] I started looking at it and I liked the world and the colors and the feel of it. There were all these hyper-sexualized, hyper-violent subjects. But then there's all these interesting, child-like details. Nail polish. Bags. Stuff like that. I just imagined girls on a beach in bikinis robbing fat tourists." At the moment, "Spring Breakers" -- which is out in New York and Los Angeles on March 15 before hitting theaters nationwide on March 22 -- is the movie equivalent of a Google trending topic, thanks to great interest among general audiences for the way film uses Gomez and Hudgens, two actresses with Disney Channel backgrounds and young fans. "I hired all the actresses in the film for all different reasons," Korine said. "They were terrific and bold, but also, in a lot of ways, in real life, representative of this pop mythology. They were all at a point in their lives where they were ready to experiment and push themselves. Lucky for me they did." Of course, nothing in "Spring Breakers" would be half as fun -- or subversive -- if not for Franco, who gives one of the most committed and original performances of the last 12 months. Alien, inspired in part on Florida rapper Dangeruss, who appears in the film (a question after the screening about whether Alien was based on Riff Raff, as that rapper has speculated, was met with eye rolls), is an evil empire unto his own. He's American excess gone wild, complete with a collection of machine guns, nunchucks, and shorts. Alien boasts that he has "Scarface" on repeat as if it's a flush 401k account. "What was it like? Fun," Franco said about playing Alien. "It was great. Harmony makes a movie that can support that character and that's why I kind of could go so crazy. There was no way to go over the top. It was always going to be supported by Harmony and his movie and the context. To have that as an actor is a dream. You can really feel like there are no boundaries and you can just create." In fact, the only boundary for Franco may have been one of comfort. To create Alien's distinctive look, the actor put his hair in cornrows and metal grills on his front teeth. "The grills were cool. I hated the cornrows," he said. "If anybody had cornrows, you're in the club. We can get together and say, 'Aw, the itch; it's horrible.'"

News Sourse: -   huffingtonpost

"Rhoda" actress Valerie Harper living "fully" despite brain cancer

Actress Valerie Harper, star of the 1970s television comedy "Rhoda," says she is determined to "live each day's moments fully" despite a brain cancer diagnosis that doctors told her could bring death in a matter of days or in several years. Harper, 73, who won four Emmy Awards for her signature sitcom role, said on NBC's "Today" show on Monday that the reality of her illness hit home "when I heard the word 'incurable.'" "'Incurable' is a tough word, so is 'terminal,'" she said with a laugh. The interview, taped from her home in Los Angeles, marked Harper's first appearance on network television since she disclosed her cancer diagnosis in a People magazine cover story last Wednesday. In that article, Harper said she learned in mid-January that she was suffering from leptomeningeal carcinomatosis -- cancer in the membrane of her brain -- and was given as little as three months to live. In her televised interview with Savannah Guthrie of the "Today" show, Harper said her doctor told her she could live anywhere from a week, if for example she suffered a seizure, to a few months or even for several years, and that he had patients who had lived much longer than the prognosis. Harper was a prime-time staple on U.S. television through most of the 1970s, first as the brassy but insecure neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern on the hit CBS sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The character proved so popular that Harper was given her own spinoff series, "Rhoda," which ran for several more seasons on CBS. "A lot of folks are calling (asking), 'Can I come by the house?' 'Are you in a wheelchair?', because they hear it as a death sentence, which it may be," Harper said on "Today." "But I'm not dying until I do. I promise I won't." As to holding out hope against a seemingly grim fate, Harper, her voice hoarse due to a bout of laryngitis, said that beyond being hopeful, "I have an intention to live each day's moments, fully." Harper recently completed a tour promoting her new autobiography "I, Rhoda" and starred on Broadway as Tallulah Bankhead in "Looped," for which she earned a Tony Award nomination. Harper, who underwent surgery for lung cancer in 2009, said on "Today" that the disease she is currently battling is "very rare" and was "hard to detect because it was diffuse. It's all around. It's not in one lump." She recounted feeling odd symptoms when she was working to take her "Looped" show on tour, noticing "this weird feeling in my jaw," adding, "I vomited for no reason and wasn't sick. And I thought, 'That's weird.'" Despite the dire nature of her condition, Harper said she clings to hope. "The thing I have is ... very rare and it's serious and it's incurable ... so far. So I'm holding on to the 'so far.'"

News Sourse : -   reuters

An Opera Opening Night That Doubled as a Birthday Party for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a major fan of the Washington National Opera, and the WNO is a major fan of hers. This mutual appreciation society convened on Saturday night at the Kennedy Center for the opening night of Bellini’s Norma, which was followed by a black-tie buffet supper to celebrate Ginsburg’s 80th birthday. The company presented her with an ecru-colored silk shawl, handmade by the opera’s costume artisans, which had significance because similar shawls are used throughout the production. The opera’s executive director, Michael Mael, presented the shawl to Ginsburg at her table, along with a small chocolate cupcake with one candle. As the justice walked to the podium to make brief remarks, she wrapped herself in the shawl, clearly delighted with the gift. She told the guests one of her joys has been to see the Washington National Opera become “greater” each year. “Its best years are still ahead,” she said. When Ginsburg returned to her seat the WNO had another surprise gift for her: a solo serenade by tenor Corey Evan Rotz, who sang the aria “You Are My Heart’s Delight” from a 1920s operetta. After the birthday hoopla there was still more to come, because it was time to give another round of applause to the cast, crew, and benefactors who made Norma possible. Artistic director Francesca Zambello, standing on the crimson carpet at a Plexiglas podium just outside the door to the president’s box, called them one by one to join her onstage, beginning with the production crew and ending with, of course, the star, Angela Meade. In true diva fashion, Meade appeared from the wings of the box tier terrace and walked across the room, smiling broadly as she accepted one more standing ovation. They were joined by Clarice Smith, a longtime WNO patron who provided the major funding for the production. Though not officially critics, the 125 invited guests at the supper were uniformly ecstatic about the production and the cast, predicting big things for Meade and swooning over her costars, Dolora Zajick, who plays Agaldisa and has a few memorable duets with Meade; Rafael Davila, who plays Pollione; Mauricio Miranda, who is Flavio; Dmitry Belosselskiy (Oroveso); and Julia Mintzer (Clotilde). “It’s the best of all the operas I’ve seen here,” said Dede Feinberg, whose husband, Kenneth, is a member of the board of trustees. At the same table, James Spellman said, “It’s amazing to see so many young American opera singers this gifted.” Dwight Owsley, an opera singer visiting from New York, was just as enthusiastic. He talked about the strenuous nature of the roles played by Meade and Zajick. We wanted to know when an opera singer eats to have the energy for three hours of stage work. “Now, after the show,” he said, “but never before, and never on the day of a performance.” It’s good, then, that there were two buffet tables, with salad, meats, fish, vegetables, pasta, and a full bar, and that the singers have two days off. They perform Norma again on Tuesday evening and on several other dates through the month of March.

News Sourse: - washingtonian

Sheryl Sandberg pushes women to "lean in"

Sheryl Sandberg pushes women to "lean in" Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of the social networking giant Facebook -- but that's not what's putting her in the headlines. She's decided to jump head first into one of most hotly debated and intensely personal issues out there: women in the workplace. In a new book that has already touched a nerve, Sandberg proposes a reason for why there are so few women at the top: the problem she says might just be women themselves. Despite the fact that women have been getting more college degrees than men for 30 years, they still account for only four percent of CEOs in America's Fortune 500 companies and Sheryl Sandberg says that number needs to change. Sheryl Sandberg: The very blunt truth is that men still run the world. Norah O'Donnell: But what about the women's revolution? Sheryl Sandberg: I think we're stalled. I think we're stalled. And I think we need to acknowledge that we're stalled so that we can change it. Norah O'Donnell: Are you trying to reignite the revolution? Sheryl Sandberg: I think so. Sheryl Sandberg is an unlikely revolutionary. At 43, she is one of the few women at the top of corporate America, yet she's surprisingly uncomfortable with her own power and influence - something she has fought since her days at North Miami Beach Senior High, where her classmates voted her most likely to succeed. Sheryl Sandberg: And my friend was on the yearbook staff. And I went to find her and I said, "I do not want to be most likely to succeed." Norah O'Donnell: What? Sheryl Sandberg: Most likely to succeed is not the girl who gets a date to the prom. And I was worried enough about that. Norah O'Donnell: You were embarrassed? Sheryl Sandberg: I was embarrassed. My entire life I have been told, you know, or I have felt that I should hold back on being too successful, too smart, too, you know, lots of things. She says that kind of self-doubt isn't unique to her -- it resides deep inside most women, who learn to downplay their accomplishments at a young age. In her 20 years in the work place, she says she has noticed a stark difference in the way men and women view their success. Sheryl Sandberg: Women attribute their success to working hard, luck, and help from other people. Men will attribute that-- whatever success they have, that same success, to their own core skills. Norah O'Donnell: So what do you attribute your success to? Sheryl Sandberg: I think, you know, my success, if I want to honestly want to attribute it, it's attributed to a lot of things, some of which really are luck, working hard, and help from others. Like, I've had-- Norah O'Donnell: What about your core skills? Sheryl Sandberg: And my core skills. And my core skills. But it is both. Norah O'Donnell: But Sheryl, you are-- you're one of the most powerful women in the world and you still can't attribute your success to your own core skills? Sheryl Sandberg: No, I can s-- I can, more. It's that mindset that led Sheryl Sandberg to reach the conclusion that's at the heart of her book: it's not just men who hold women back, women do it to themselves. They play it too safe at work, worry too much about being liked and turn down opportunities in anticipation of having a family one day.

News Sourse: -   cbsnews

Holly Madison: Daughter Rainbow Won't Be "Traumatized" by Her Name

Holly Madison is not happy with the public's reaction to her unique baby name. The Girls Next Door star gave birth last week to her first child, Rainbow Aurora Rotella. (It's a girl. Thank goodness.) After the Twittersphere exploded with jokes about the baby's moniker, Madison stepped up to defend her choice. "I have always loved the name Rainbow," the former Playboy model wrote on her blog. "There was a girl in my school a few years younger than me named Rainbow and I was so envious of her name because it was so pretty and unusual. She was a perfectly normal, well-adjusted, sporty girl, by the way, so I’m not worried about my daughter being 'traumatized' by having an unusual name." "There are a lot of smug haters out there who bag on my choice of a name, but I don’t care about what they think," she continued. "I want my daughter to be proud of who she is and learn to speak up and stand up for herself at a young age. I spent most of my life being a people-pleaser who worried about what other people thought or thought was cool and I don’t want that for her." So Holly is convinced that her daughter's unusual name won't "traumatize" her. Actually, we'd be inclined to say that Rainbow will fit right in with the other celebrity newborns, like Jeremy Sisto's son Bastian Kick and Uma Thurman's daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson. These days, it's practically a requirement for celebrities to choose one-of-a-kind names for their kids. The name itself, though, does give us pause. "Rainbow Aurora," as many people have none-too-kindly pointed out, does sound a bit like a "stripper name" -- not an awesome connotation for the daughter of Hugh Hefner's ex. Putting aside that image, the name is still intensely girly, evoking Disney princesses and Lisa Frank stickers. If Rainbow is a tomboy, that name might disagree with her. But in the end, the only person who really has to live with Rainbow Aurora's name is Rainbow herself. As a little girl, we're sure she'll love it. When she gets older, she can choose whether to go by something different -- or maybe just shorten it to "Rain." 

News Sourse : -  ivillage

Barbara Walters denies reports Hasselbeck leaving "The View"

Barbara Walters on Monday denied reports that Elisabeth Hasselbeck was leaving the daytime television talk show "The View," saying the co-host gave the show "perspective and balance." US Weekly magazine on Friday first reported Hasselbeck, 35, would leave the ABC talk show at the end of the season in August, citing an unnamed source who said Hasselbeck's outspoken conservative views did not attract enough viewers. Deadline.com and the Hollywood Reporter also reported that Hasselbeck's contract would not be renewed. "There is a particularly false story that keeps getting picked up about Elisabeth's alleged departure, saying that we don't approve of her conservative views," Walters, who created the long-running talk show, said on Monday's program. "The truth is we love Elisabeth. I like her personally and she's just a wonderful person," Walters said. "But beyond that, we value and appreciate her point of view, it's important to us because Elisabeth helps give the show perspective and balance," Walters said. "So we have no plans for Elisabeth to leave." ABC had previously released a statement following the reports saying only that Hasselbeck "is a valued member of 'The View' and has a long-term contract." Hasselbeck joined the long-running women-oriented talk show in 2003 and became known for her heated arguments with former co-host and liberal Rosie O'Donnell. Co-host Joy Behar, who has been with the program since its debut in 1997, said on Thursday that she would leave the show after the current season.

News Sourse: - reuters

Sarah Jessica Parker on 'The Carrie Diaries': 'It's odd'

Sarah Jessica Parker originated the role of Carrie Bradshaw on HBO’s Sex and the City, but she’s not exactly a fan of the CW’s Sex prequel, The Carrie Diaries. In a new interview with luxury shopping site Net-A-Porter.com’s online magazine The Edit, Parker said that while Diaries star AnnaSophia Robb — who plays the young Carrie — is “lovely,” she’s “not sure” how she feels about the series. “You know, I think it’s one of those tests of your generosity,” Parker said. “[AnnaSophia] is a lovely girl and I want her to feel good about, but it’s… odd.” The 47-year-old actress, who wears pieces from designers like Victoria Beckham and Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane in photos that accompany the interview, also noted that, while she believes the candid conversations between the original Carrie and company ”encouraged women to share more candidly,” she’s paying a price for playing the well-heeled character. I went to a foot doctor and he said, ‘Your foot does things it shouldn’t be able to do. That bone there… You’ve created that bone. It doesn’t belong there,’” she said. “The moral of the story is, the chickens are coming home to roost. It’s sad, because my feet took me all over the world, but eventually they were like, ‘You know what, we are actually tired, can you just stop — and don’t put cheap shoes on us.’”


News Source: popstyle.ew.com