Hillary Clinton ‘Calls Off Divorce’

HILLARY Clinton is calling off her $120 million divorce from her womanizing hubby Bill Clinton.
The American Secretary of State — who recently suffered a scary stroke drama — issued Bill a stunning ultimatum, according to America’s Globe magazine.
“There’s a $10 million cheating penalty,” a source said.
Meanwhile, Hills is facing up to the fact that she could go blind.
According to a new report, experts and Clinton family insiders say that the blood clot in her head may have caused catastrophic dam­age to the optic nerve and lead to her losing her eyesight.
“Hillary had been suffering from vision issues related to her blackouts and memory loss, but additional testing resulted in a diagnosis that she might have a rare optical nerve condition that will lead to blind­ness,” explained a family insider.
“She’s keeping this diagnosis a se­cret as she tries to figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, Bill and Chelsea are beside themselves with worry. They can’t believe this is happening.
“Also, since Hillary spends so much time on airplanes, she may have devel­oped a deep venous thrombosis in a leg, which traveled near the brain, causing swelling and damaging the optic nerve beyond repair. That could lead to blindness.
“This is extremely rare, but since she already had symptoms such as blackouts, the damage may have al­ready been done. I don’t know how long her optic nerve has been damaged or how long it could take for her to lose her vision if this is the case. It’s an individual matter.”
“Her ordeal went from sad to tragic when she learned doctors believed she was going blind,. It’s also a nightmare come true for Bill and Chelsea.
“They had visions of her running for president in four years, and now she may be in total blind­ness by then.
“Hillary is trying to grasp what is happening to her health. On top of everything, she’s going to continue to have addition­al testing to hopefully rule out a cancer diagnosis.
“But for now, losing her eyesight is the most dev­astating development in her medical crisis. She cried out, ‘I’m going blind!’ after doctors presented her with a worse-case scenario.
“Hillary’s faith in God is being tested by these shocking develop­ments.
“She’s suddenly fragile and her health is at the brink. Going blind is the last thing Hillary ever thought she’d face,” said the source. “She’s worried sick about what’s to come.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256777/hillary-clinton-calls-off-divorce.html

Selena Gomez Happy After Bieber Split

SELENA Gomez is happier than ever following her split from Justin Bieber.The actress says she has been enjoying time with her friends since parting ways with the Baby hitmaker.
“I’ve been recording, having a lot of fun with my girlfriends, having a good time,” she tells E! Online.
“I’m having a lot of fun expressing everything that I’m feeling.
“I’ve been telling people I’m definitely a little bit more sassy now. I’m a little bit more mouthy.
“I think people are used to seeing me in a certain way. I think it will be a little shocking for people, but in a good way. The movie as a whole is a lot to take in, and I’ve definitely expressed that to my younger fans.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256782/selena-gomez-happy-after-bieber-split.html

Rihanna Talks Chris Brown Reunion

RIHANNA says her public image is less crucial to her than her happiness — that’s why she had no qualms about getting back with Chris Brown, who famously assaulted her nearly four years ago.
The Diamonds singer opened up in the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine.
“I decided it was more important for me to be happy,” she said.
“Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I’d rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it.
“When you add up the pieces from the outside, it’s not the cutest puzzle in the world . . . You see us walking somewhere, driving somewhere, in the studio, in the club, and you think you know.
“He doesn’t have the luxury of f–king up again.
“That’s just not an option. I can’t say that nothing else will ever go wrong. But I’m pretty solid in the knowing that he’s disgusted by that. And I wouldn’t have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility.”
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1074597263711223269#editor/target=post;postID=5130409731932399912

Read Shah Rukh Khan's article which appeared in Outlook Turning Points 2013

The article 'Being a Khan', authored by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, appeared last week in the magazine Outlook Turning Points (The Global Agenda 2013).

Read the full article below:

Being a Khan

I am an actor. Time does not frame my days with as much conviction as images do. Images rule my life. Moments and memories imprint themselves on my being in the form of the snapshots that I weave into my expression. The essence of my art is the ability to create images that resonate with the emotional imagery of those watching them.

I am a Khan. The name itself conjures multiple images in my mind too: a strapping man riding a horse, his reckless hair flowing from beneath a turban tied firm around his head. His ruggedly handsome face marked by weathered lines and a distinctly large nose.

A stereotyped extremist; no dance, no drink, no cigarette tipping off his lips, no monogamy, no blasphemy; a fair, silent face beguiling a violent fury smoldering within. A streak that could even make him blow himself up in the name of his God. Then there is the image of me being shoved into a back room of a vast American airport named after an American president (another parallel image: of the president being assassinated by a man named lee, not a Muslim thankfully, nor Chinese as some might imagine! I urgently shove the image of the room out of my head).

Some stripping, frisking and many questions later, I am given an explanation (of sorts): "Your name pops up on our system, we are sorry". "So am I," I think to myself, "Now can I have my underwear back please?" Then, there is the image I most see, the one of me in my own country: being acclaimed as a megastar, adored and glorified, my fans mobbing me with love and apparent adulation.

I am a Khan.

I could say I fit into each of these images: I could be a strapping six feet something - ok something minus, about three inches at least, though I don't know much about horse-riding. A horse once galloped off with me flapping helplessly on it and I have had a "no horse-riding" clause embedded in my contracts ever since.

I am extremely muscular between my ears, I am often told by my kids, and I used to be fair too, but now I have a perpetual tan or as I like to call it 'olive hue' - though deep In the recesses of my armpits I can still find the remains of a fairer day. I am handsome under the right kind of light and I really do have a "distinctly large" nose. It announces my arrival in fact, peeking through the doorway just before I make my megastar entrance. But my nose notwithstanding, my name means nothing to me unless I contextualize it.

Stereotyping and contextualizing is the way of the world we live in: a world in which definition has become central to security. We take comfort in defining phenomena, objects and people - with a limited amount of knowledge and along known parameters. The predictability that naturally arises from these definitions makes us feel secure within our own limitations.

We create little image boxes of our own. One such box has begun to draw its lid tighter and tighter at present. It is the box that contains an image of my religion in millions of minds.

I encounter this tightening of definition every time moderation is required to be publicly expressed by the Muslim community in my country. Whenever there is an act of violence in the name of Islam, I am called upon to air my views on it and dispel the notion that by virtue of being a Muslim, I condone such senseless brutality. I am one of the voices chosen to represent my community in order to prevent other communities from reacting to all of us as if we were somehow colluding with or responsible for the crimes committed in the name of a religion that we experience entirely differently from the perpetrators of these crimes.

I sometimes become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in india. There have been occasions when I have been accused of bearing allegiance to our neighboring nation rather than my own country - this even though I am an Indian whose father fought for the freedom of India. Rallies have been held where leaders have exhorted me to leave my home and return to what they refer to as my "original homeland". Of course, I politely decline each time, citing such pressing reasons as sanitation words at my house preventing me from taking the good shower that's needed before undertaking such an extensive journey. I don't know how long this excuse will hold though.

I gave my son and daughter names that could pass for generic (pan-Indian and pan-religious) ones: Aryan and Suhana. The Khan has been bequeathed by me so they can't really escape it. I pronounce it from my epiglottis when asked by Muslims and throw the Aryan as evidence of their race when non-Muslims enquire.

I imagine this will prevent my offspring from receiving unwarranted eviction orders and random fatwas in the future. It will also keep my two children completely confused. Sometimes, they ask me what religion they belong to and, like a good Hindi movie hero, I roll my eyes up to the sky and declare philosophically, "You are an Indian first and your religion is humanity", or sing them an old Hindi film ditty, "Tu Hindu banega na Musalmaan banega - insaan ki aulaad hai insaan banega" set to Gangnam Style.

None of this informs them with any clarity, it just confounds them some more and makes them deeply wary of their father.

In the land of the freed, where I have been invited on several occasions to be honored, I have bumped into ideas that put me in a particular context. I have had my fair share of airport delays for instance.

I became so sick of being mistaken for some crazed terrorist who coincidentally carries the same last name as mine that I made a film, subtly titled My name is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) to prove a point. Ironically, I was interrogated at the airport for hours about my last name when I was going to present the film in America for the first time. I wonder, at times, whether the same treatment is given to everyone whose last name just happens to be McVeigh (as in Timothy)??

I don't intend to hurt any sentiments, but truth be told, the aggressor and taker of life follows his or her own mind. It has to nothing to do with a name, a place or his/her religion. It is a mind that has its discipline, its own distinction of right from wrong and its own set of ideologies. In fact, one might say, it has its own "religion". This religions has nothing to do with the ones that have existed for centuries and been taught in mosques or churches. The call of the azaan or the words of the pope have no bearing on this person's soul. His soul is driven by the devil. I, for one, refuse to be contextualized by the ignorance of his ilk.

I am a Khan.

I am neither six-feet-tall nor handsome (I am modest though) nor am I a Muslim who looks down on other religions. I have been taught my religion by my six-foot-tall, handsome Pathan 'Papa' from Peshawar, where his proud family and mine still resides. He was a member of the no-violent Pathan movement called Khudai Khidamatgaar and a follower of both Gandhiji and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, who was also known as the Frontier Gandhi.

My first learning of Islam from him was to respect women and children and to uphold the dignity of every human being. I learnt that the property and decency of others, their points of view, their beliefs, their philosophies and their religions were due as much respect as my own and ought to be accepted with an open mind. I learnt to believe in the power and benevolence of Allah, and to be gentle and kind to my fellow human beings, to give of myself to those less privileged than me and to live a life full of happiness, joy, laughter and fun without impinging on anybody else's freedom to live in the same way.

So I am a Khan, but no stereotyped image is factored into my idea of who I am. Instead, the living of my life has enabled me to be deeply touched by the love of millions of Indians. I have felt this love for the last 20 years regardless of the fact that my community is a minority within the population of India. I have been showered with love across national and cultural boundaries, from Suriname to Japan and Saudi Arabia to Germany, places where they don't even understand my language. They appreciate what I do for them as an entertainer - that's all. My life has led me to understand and imbibe that love is a pure exchange, untempered by definition and unfettered by the narrowness of limiting ideas. If each one of us allowed ourselves the freedom to accept and return love in its purity, we would need no image boxes to hold up the walls of our security.

I believe that I have been blessed with the opportunity to experience the magnitude of such a love, but I also know that its scale is irrelevant. In our own small ways, simply as human beings, we can appreciate each other for how touch our lives and not how our different religions or last names define us.

Beneath the guise of my superstardom, I am an ordinary man. My Islamic stock does not conflict with that of my Hindu wife's. The only disagreements I have with Gauri concern the color of the walls in our living room and not about the locations of the walls demarcating temples from mosques in India.

We are bringing up a daughter who pirouettes in a leotard and choreographs her own ballets. She sings western songs that confound my sensibilities and aspires to be an actress. She also insists on covering her head when in a Muslim nation that practices this really beautiful and much misunderstood tenet of Islam.

Our son's linear features proclaim his Pathan pedigree although he carries his own, rather gentle mutations of the warrior gene. He spends all day either pushing people asie at rugby, kicking some butt at Tae Kwon Do or eliminating unknown faces behind anonymous online gaming handles around the world with The Call of Duty video game. And yet, he firmly admonishes me for getting into a minor scuffle at the cricket stadium in Mumbai last year because some bigot make unsavory remarks about me being a Khan.

The four of us make up a motley representation of the extraordinary acceptance and validation that love can foster when exchanged within the exquisiteness of things that are otherwise defined ordinary.

For I believe, our religion is an extremely personal choice, not a public proclamation of who we are. It's as person as the spectacles of my father who passed away some 20 years ago. Spectacles that I hold onto as my most prized and personal possession of his memories, teachings and of being a proud Pathan. I have never compared those with my friends, who have similar possessions of their parents or grandparents. I have never said my father's spectacles are better than your mother's saree. So why should we have this comparison in the matter of religion, which is as personal and prized a belief as the memories of your elders. Why should not the love we share be the last word in defining us instead of the last name? It doesn't take a superstar to be able to give love, it just takes a heart and as far as I know, there isn't a force on this earth that can deprive anyone of theirs.

I am a Khan, and that's what it has meant being one, despite the stereotype images that surround me. To be a Khan has been to be loved and love back - that the promise that virgins wait for me somewhere on the other side.

 Shah Rukh Khan
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/read-shah-rukh-khan-s-article-which-appeared-in-outlook-turning-points-2013-323900

Sundance 2013: Todd McCarthy on the Best of the Fest

THR's chief film critic reveals his top picks from this year's edition of the Park City event.

Nothing sent me into orbit this year; there was no breakthrough along the lines of last year's Beasts of the Southern Wild that's likely to turn up on my or many other 10-best lists come December. But Sundance 2013 did provide the feeling of a promising new generation of filmmakers beginning to take root, one more than ever loaded with women (fully half of the 16 U.S. Dramatic Competition entries were directed by females) but also diverse in their interests, ranging from comedy and manifestly mainstream commercial aspirations to social issues, sexuality, genre revisionism and out-there narrative experimentation.

Sundance could take more than it usual share of satisfaction in its accomplishments this year due to the fact that Fruitvale, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, would not even have existed were it not for the Sundance Screenwriting Lab and institute grants that kept the project afloat. Fruitvale, which dramatizes the short life and tragic death of Oscar Grant in a police shooting in 2009, represents one of those fabled Sundance success stories the likes of which date back at least to 1989 and Steven Soderbergh with sex, lies & videotape, that of a young filmmaker no one's ever heard of one day who is the toast of the town the next.

In this case, he's Ryan Coogler, a highly ingratiating 26-year-old black man from modest circumstances in the Bay Area who studied film at USC, participated in the Sundance Lab last January and within the year managed to enlist the help of such Hollywood luminaries as Forest Whitaker and Octavia Spencer and get his film made and out into the world with the spotlight firmly on him.
It's a powerful and well-made topical drama, one that stars another promising talent by the name of Michael B. Jordan. One can only hope that expectations are now not raised so high that the film might appear overrated and perhaps a bit sanctified to future viewers.
For me, two other films shared the top shelf with Fruitvale. After warming up with Off the Black and last year with Smashed, director James Ponsoldt came into his own with The Spectacular Now, which was prized by the jury for its fine lead performances by Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. This is an unusually rich teen comedy-drama that goes much deeper than 99 percent of films dealing with adolescents, so insightfully does it dig into its young characters' hopes, levels of denial and eventual assumption of awareness of their inherited personal traits and the consequences of their behavior.
I got a strong rush out of John Krokidas' stylistically charged Kill Your Darlings, a reasonably plausible and emotionally turbulent look at budding bohemians Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs when they were merely lads discovering they were different at Columbia University in the early 1940s (how did they all avoid the Army, anyway?). Aside from dramatizing the eventually fatal relationship between the desperately enamored David Kammerer and the beautiful young Lucien Carr, first-time director Krokidas demonstrates real flair for shooting, cutting and music and is especially sensitive to the formative moments of his subjects' artistic adventurism and sexual impulses.
Among the eight competition films directed by women, the most compelling was Stacie Passon's Concussion, which charts a different sort of walk on the wild side, that of a lesbian suburbanite, Belle de Jour-like foray into prostitution as a way to explore her own domestic stasis. The most purely entertaining film in the entire competition was In a World... from Lake Bell, hitherto known mostly as an appealingly offbeat actress with rare screwball gifts whose eventual profile in the Hollywood scheme of things has been hard to figure. Now it's much clearer: She has real promise as a writer-director based on this funny, live-wire look at the world of Hollywood voice-over talent.
Francesca Gregorini's Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes and Jerusha Hess' Austenland were pretty well received by my colleagues; Cherien Dabis' May in the Summer, Lynn Shelton's Touchy Feely and Liz W. Garcia's The Lifeguard somewhat less so. But the unaccountable prizewinner was Jill Soloway, who was named best director for her very conventional, TV-style work on the banal and tonally uncertain Afternoon Delight. Awards program audience members were at a loss afterward wondering how the jury came up with this choice.
Shane Carruth's Upstream Color was the most anticipated competition entry for hard-core enthusiasts for his debut film Primer nine years ago. Beautiful, mysterious, thematically suggestive but dramatically obscure, this is an experimental art film that appealed to exactly the same fan base as Primer and suggests a deeper burrowing into the writer-director-cinematographer-editor-composer-sound designer-lead actor-distributor's idiosyncratic mind rather than, as some had hoped, an artistic expansion.
One thing this year's filmmakers all got right was keeping their work tight. The average running time of the U.S. competition entries was 96 minutes, certainly a much shorter average than what you find at the big international festivals such as Cannes. The longest film of the 16, Andrew Dosunmu's visually vibrant but under-achieved Mother of George, about Nigerians living in New York City, runs 106 minutes, while Fruitvale is the shortest at 85 minutes (the official Sundance catalog lists its running time as 100 minutes, suggesting some significant last-minute pruning was done).
As usual, the batting average was lower in the festival's graduate program, the Premieres. Stealing the show was Richard Linklater's Before Midnight, the third and almost certainly the best of his ongoing collaborations with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. In a series of breathlessly long takes, this one goes deeply into the mutual understandings and lingering resentments of a couple entering middle age, highlighted by amusing but trenchant dialogue and beautiful Greek backdrops.
The special event of the festival, experienced by a full house committed to spending an entire Sunday at the Egyptian Theater reveling in it, was the world premiere of the six-hour miniseries Top of the Lake, created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. Shot on stunning locations in New Zealand and featuring terrific work by leads Elisabeth Moss, Peter Mullan and Holly Hunter, this highly female-centric mystery pivots on the investigation into the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old. In time-honored fashion, many dreadful skeletons are unearthed that reveal the depravity beneath the beauty of the place. It's a series basically on a level with the best American longform dramas of the past couple of decades and a must for serious viewers when it debuts on the Sundance Channel in March.

Several entries in the low-budget Next category inspired spirited reactions, especially Alexandre Moors' disturbing Blue Caprice, which imagines the manipulative older man/younger protege relationship behind the Washington, D.C.-area Beltway sniper shootings. Randy Moore's provocative, sophomorically surreal Escape From Tomorrow uses Disney World as a location to transformative ends; Chad Hartigan's rigorous, quietly observed character study of two men in transition, This Is Martin Bonner, surprisingly snared the category's audience award, while Andrew Bujalski's one-joke Computer Chess amassed fans captivated by the resurrection of 30-year-old PortaPak black-and-white video for the occasion.
The standard advice festival veterans give to newcomers wondering what they should see among the 120-plus films annually on offer at Sundance is: When in doubt, see the documentaries. Rarely is there a documentary in the U.S. or World categories that isn't at least worth sitting through, and mostly they're very good. Given the press of other films, I simply didn't have the time to fully take my own advice this year, but the word was generally strong.
Among the most talked-about American documentaries were Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish, about killer whales kept in captivity at water parks; Richard Rowley's Dirty Wars, which looks at a journalist tracking the inside story about covert U.S. military efforts; Dawn Porter's Gideon's Army, focused on burdens faced by public attorneys defending poor clients; Jacob Kornbluth's Inequality for All, starring (and that is the word) economist Robert Reich; Greg Barker's Manhunt: The Search for Osama Bin Laden, a welcome companion piece to Zero Dark Thirty; Shaul Schwarz's Narco Cultura, an eye-opening window on drug cartel-inspired music; Morgan Neville's hugely crowd-pleasing Twenty Feet From Stardom, which puts terrific backup singers front and center; and Marta Cunningham's Valentine Road, about the 2008 murder of cross-dressing eighth-grader Larry King by classmate Brandon McInerney (full disclosure: my wife, Sasha Alpert, co-produced this one): All these films and no doubt others played to packed and highly responsive audiences all week. And then the awards were announced and the big winner (of both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award) was Steve Hoover's hitherto less-heralded Blood Brother, which emotionally illuminates the community at a remote facility for HIV-infected kids in India.
It all goes to show that, going in, you never know at Sundance about what will emerge, who will transform from a nobody into a player, what film or two will define a given year. In the work overall this time, both dramatic and documentary, you felt engagement, not cynicism; an exploratory impulse, not a willingness to settle for formula. With any number of the filmmakers who established their names this year, their next works can be anticipated with real interest.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-2013-todd-mccarthy-best-416307

Miley Cyrus: ‘Katy Perry Has Been my Friend For Years’

MILEY Cyrus says Katy Perry has been her friend for “f**king five years”.
The former Hannah Montana insists there’s no rivalry between herself and the Firework hitmaker.
“Katy Perry’s been my friend for f**king five years, and I’m not ever gonna let our work get between that relationship,” she said.
“If Katy sticks with being Katy, and Ke$ha is Ke$ha, and Rihanna is Rihanna, and I’m me, there’s room for everybody.
“The problem is when people look at Lady GaGa and say, “Oh, that works; I’m going to be like that.”
Meanwhile, Miley has once again sparked speculation she’s married to fiance Liam Hemsworth — after referring to him as her “hubby”.
The 20-year-old called the 23-year-old actor her ‘hubby’ in a new interview and explained he is the main reason for her happiness at the moment.
“I’ll literally look at him and be like ‘You are hot, dear god!’” she said. “The other day, I turned on the pool heater and it was steaming, and he walked outside and took off his clothes and jumped in the pool.
“I was like, ‘I’m gonna faint — the hottest guy of my life is in a steaming pool. This looks like a Playgirl shoot.’ So I took a photo and made it the background on my phone. My best friend grabbed my phone and was like, ‘Who’s that? He is so hot!’ [and I replied] ‘That’s my hubby!’”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256689/miley-cyrus-katy-perry-has-been-my-friend-for-years.html

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber: Speaking Again

SELENA Gomez is back on speaking terms with Justin Bieber.
The actress — who recently split from the teen singer — apparently took a call from Justin last week.
“Selena doesn’t care about Justin. She’s out with girlfriends because she’s single and hot and focusing on herself for once, not just making him happy,” a source said.
“Selena talked to Justin briefly once last week, but they aren’t getting together or anything. And she’d be very open to dating people, but they need to be hot as hell because she deserves it.”
Recent reports claimed Bieber’s romance with Gomez ended because he had drug-fueled sex with a 22-year-old nursing student, according to a new report.
On December 21, the 18-year-old pop star joined rapper Lil Twist and nursing student Milyn “Mimi” Jenson around 6 p.m at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons.
“They all went to buy weed at a smoke shop on Olympic Blvd. in Hollywood,” a source said, “then they got food at McDonald’s and went back to the hotel.”
The group returned to the Four Seasons, where the coupling between Mimi and Justin continued in his bedroom suite.
“Justin surprised her by saying, ‘I want to know if you taste good.’ He started kissing her cheek and ear and neck and then her whole body,” the insider said.
“He seemed out of it, and even though he didn’t ask Mimi to leave, she decided she should go.
“Mimi thought Justin was single, and he definitely acted like he was.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256641/selena-gomez-and-justin-bieber-speaking-again.html

President Obama Engages in Media Criticism, Calls Out Fox News

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In a new interview, Obama characterized the partisan anger on TV as a big obstacle to moving forward with his agenda -- calling out hosts by name.

President Barack Obama may be dismissive of cable news channels' journalistic integrity, but he's well aware of the partisan-leaning networks' power.

In a new interview with The New Republic, Obama laments the power that right-affiliated news channels and conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh have on both public opinion and the lawmakers in Washington, instilling fear of crossing their hard-line demands. Issues such as gun control, healthcare and environmental reforms have hit snags in recent years due at least in part to media influence.
In discussing the chances that he'll be able to strike bipartisan compromise on major issues in his second term, Obama said "One of the biggest factors is going to be how the media shapes debates. If a Republican member of Congress is not punished on Fox News or by Rush Limbaugh for working with a Democrat on a bill of common interest, then you'll see more of them doing it."
Obama pinpointed one example, which was a recent partisan response to a non-partisan situation.
"Even on issues like the response to Hurricane Sandy, [NJ Governor] Chris Christie was getting hammered by certain members of his own party and media outlets for cooperating with me to respond to his constituents," he said.
The president's antipathy toward cable news outlets is not new. In a long cover story for Vanity Fair published in October, Michael Lewis recounted how Obama walked into a room that was playing one of the networks, then quickly dismissed its analysis of why he took a certain action.
Later, in an interview with NPR, Lewis described Obama's attitude toward cable news outlets in bruising terms.
"He's already, for example, decided that nothing on cable news is worth listening to," Lewis explained. "He doesn't watch it. He thinks it's totally toxic, like it affects your brain, and he won't turn on the TV. But he does read the newspapers."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/president-obama-engages-media-criticism-415837

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler to Split Soon?

GEORGE Clooney and his girlfriend Stacy Keibler will split soon, according to a new report.
Sources tell In Touch Weekly magazine that the end is near for the pair, who have been together since August 2011.
“George liked her at first because she wasn’t into fame,” a source said.
“Now that Stacy’s been around the A-list, she’s hooked. George wants someone more low-key.
“She likes to have fun and George has been working more than ever. George is more devoted to his career than to his relationship. But with awards season in full swing, the pair will most likely ride it out until George starts filming The Monuments Men in Europe in March.
“He’s starring in it and directing it, so he’ll be very busy… that means no Stacy.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256537/george-clooney-and-stacy-keibler-to-split-soon.html

Robert Pattinson Ignores Kristen Stewart?

ROBERT Pattinson is ignoring Kristen Stewart — so she’s planning to fly out to Australia to question him.
Sources say Rob is “barely picking up” Kristen’s calls.
“Kristen is desperate to get out to Australia [where Rob is currently filming The Rover] because she misses Rob,” a source said,
“But he’s being ambivalent about the whole thing.
“It seems like she’s going to fly out there, despite the fact that he has cut their communication down a lot. He’s barely picking up her calls [or] responding to her messages.
“Behind the scenes, people are hoping that she doesn’t go [in case the paparazzi] get pics of her upset, or a blow out between them.
“[The Breaking Dawn Part 2 DVD] is coming out in March, and they want to give it some time to breathe and make money before they get too emotional together.
“Kristen’s team is begging her to put on a happy face and be normal, because she makes a lot of money off the back end of [Breaking Dawn Part 2], so if the DVD sells a lot, she can cash out.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256561/robert-pattinson-ignores-kristen-stewart.html

Jennifer Lopez Won’t Marry Casper Smart

JENNIFER Lopez won’t be rushing Casper Smart down the aisle.
The singer, 43, says she’s deeply in love with Casper, 25, but insists isn’t going to marry anytime soon.
“Usually I’m like, where is it going? Are we getting married? But now I’m like, maybe it’s OK to just be in the moment,” she said. “Maybe it’s OK to enjoy this for right now. Who knows where it’s going? There’s love here. Relax.”
Jennifer started dating Casper after her split from third husband Marc Anthony and the star admitted it has been difficult explaining the marriage breakdown to their four-year-old twins Max and Emme.
“It wasn’t until recently they started going, ‘Where’s Daddy?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m going to explain it to you when you’re bigger because you’re not going to understand it right now’,” she said.
“And they’ll take that. And I said, ‘But here’s what I do know. Mommy and Max and Emme are always going to be there. Mommy’s always going to be there. Mommy’s not going anywhere.’ And that comforts them a little.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256558/jennifer-lopez-wont-marry-casper-smart.html

Angelina Jolie on The Paparazzi

ANGELINA Jolie‘s kids aren’t bothered about the paparazzi.
The actress — who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt — explains to her brood that people just like to take photos of people who make movies.
“We just explain to our kids that people like to take pictures of people who make movies. And that’s all it is. It’s not anything special about mommy and daddy – we just happen to make movies.
“I don’t think [actors need a mystique surrounding their private life]. You know the actor. You’ve seen them at award shows, you’ve seen them at premieres dressed up. So whether they share or not, their cover is already blown.”
Jolie recently revealed her kids’ toilet habits keep her grounded.
“The great thing about having a bunch of kids is they just remind you that you’re the person who takes them to go poop!” she said.
“We have a very normal, very grounded home. And we’re friends, and we have a laugh with our kids.
“And we don’t pay attention to this [celebrity] view of ourselves. We don’t buy those magazines, we don’t watch those TV shows. We just shut it out.
“We just explain to our kids that people like to take pictures of people who make movies. And that’s all it is. It’s not anything special about mommy and daddy – we just happen to make movies.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256531/angelina-jolie-on-the-paparazzi.html

Jennifer Lopez Learning From Her Twins!

JENNIFER Lopez says her twins taught her the differences between men and women.
The former American Idol judge — who has four-year-old Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony — says observing how her kids tackle situations has shown her how the sexes handle scenarios in very different ways.
“I’ve learned so much about the differences between men and women by having boy and girl twins,” she said.
“I think women go under the illusion that men have the same feelings we do, or operate in the same way and we really don’t.
“I think women tend to think through to the point where they almost over-think, whereas men just battle on ahead and deal with the consequences later.”
Jennifer says the differences were particularly apparent when her kids first learned to walk and were getting to grips with using stairs.
“I saw this in the way my twins learnt to walk down stairs. My son just ran at them full tilt, fell, picked himself up, ran at them again — and after he’d fallen 12 times, he got it,” she said.
“My daughter literally took one toe, touched the first step, took it back, touched it down again. She never did fall down, but it took her two weeks longer to figure out how to do it.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256482/jennifer-lopez-learning-from-her-twins.html

Cameron Diaz Dating New Mystery Man?

CAMERON Diaz has a new man in her life!
The actress was accompanied by her new boyfriend on double date with her good friend Drew Barrymore and her husband Will Kopelman in New York.
Diaz, 40, enjoyed a cosy dinner with “a dapper gentleman dressed in a suit” at Bill’s Food and Drink in Manhattan, according to the New York Post gossip column Page Six.
Sources say the couples appeared to be having a great time together and it didn’t look like a first date, although Cameron introduced her guest to Drew, who gave birth to her first child Olive last October.
“Drew was raving about her baby and the best friends appeared to be having a great time,” a source said.
Diaz recently insisted she has never been “drawn” to marriage.
It just wasn’t the thing I was drawn to. I certainly didn’t want it in my 20s. Or my 30s,” she said.
“I want someone who takes care of themselves, who’s strong. To hear people are engaged in life like that is exciting to me.
“I don’t need to have the children in my life be a part of my literal flesh. And anyway, there’s still a possibility of that, I ain’t that old. I’m feeling very … capable.
“For the first time in my life I’m content. Getting older is the best part of life. I know myself better. I feel more capable than ever. And as far as the physicality of it – I feel better at 40 than I did at 25.” ]
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256479/cameron-diaz-dating-new-mystery-man.html

Beyonce Upset About Lip-Syncing Scandal

BEYONCE Knowles isn’t impressed.
The Single Ladies singer is said to be bitterly disappointed by the reaction to her performance of the American national anthem at Barack Obama‘s inauguration on Monday.
The superstar — who allegedly mimed The Star Spangled Banner in Washington DC immediately following the president’s swearing-in and speech because she only had one night to rehearse with the US Marine Corp Band before the performance — reportedly feels she did nothing wrong and the controversy has tarnished what was supposed to be a momentous occasion.
A source said Beyonce feels “a technicality which everybody does took away from the beauty of the moment.”
The insider confirmed Bey used a backing track, but explained that this is completely normal for an outdoor performance and insisted she also sang parts of the song live.
“She didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Pavarotti has done it! It was freezing out, and if she messed up just one note, that would have been the story,” said the source.
“Everybody uses these tracks, and the music director advised it. Any big outdoor live performance is almost always with some kind of track.
“She did sing, but used a track.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256474/beyonce-upset-about-lip-syncing-scandal.html

Bradley Cooper in Gay Scandal?

BRADLEY Cooper is facing speculation about his sexuality.
The actor has been trying to outrun persistent rumors about his sexuality for years, despite having romanced A-list beauties including Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez and Zoe Saldana.
Rumors about Bradley’s sexuality started swirling when influential blogger Nikki Finke cracked that Bradley and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest needed to “redo their closets” – in­sinuating that it was time for them to come out as gay.
“The rumors about Bradley are swirling again,” a source told American tabloid the National Enquirer.
“He’s been able to laugh them off in the past, but this latest one comes right when he’s on the verge of be­coming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and is campaigning for an Oscar.
“Now the floodgates have opened, and people in Hollywood are once again wondering, ‘Is he or isn’t he?’ Bradley believes the cruel rumor could damage his leading man sta­tus.
“Bradley always seems to be on the hunt for his next girlfriend.
“I’m sure he’d like to get married and finally put the questions about his sexuality to rest.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256449/bradley-cooper-in-gay-scandal.html

Kristen Stewart Fears Her Career is Over

Kristen Stewart

KRISTEN Stewart is worried about her career following her split from boyfriend Robert Pattinson.The actress famously cheated on Rob with her married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.
Rob and Kristen rekindled their romance following the cheating scandal, but are now said to have split once again.
“Kristen’s feeling very sorry for herself,” a source told American tabloid the National Enquirer.
“She knows she’s lost a lot of respect after what happened, but with the awards under way it’s just hit her how much her leading lady status has plummeted.
“She knew there would be a backlash from her cheating scandal, but she hoped the fact that Rob took her back might have placated a few people.
“Obviously that’s not been the case as there has been a certain cooling towards her now that the dust has settled. The scripts have definitely slowed down in land on her doorstep. and even the Snow White sequel’s still in negotiations. She’s in a real state about it. She’s in a really dark place at the moment.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256375/kristen-stewart-fears-her-career-is-over.html#comment-619993

Beyonce Lip-Synced the National Anthem? Why We’re Refusing to Believe It

Beyoncé did not lip-sync the national anthem. At least, as far as we're concerned.

The First Lady of pop culture sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" to such perfection during Monday's inauguration celebration in Washington D.C. that it practically made us cry tears of red, white, and blue. It was absolutely flawless, as we knew it would be. Bey can do no wrong. Yet, Tuesday morning, it was reported that Queen B lip-synced her soul-stirring performance and suddenly, it felt like the color was drained from the sky, the grass ceased to grow, and the wind got just a bit colder. Beyoncé's spellbinding performance was a fake?

According to a statement from a Marine Corps band spokesperson, the "music" for the performance was pre-recorded. "We don't know why Beyoncé decided to use prerecorded music … All music [for inaugural ceremonies] is prerecorded as a matter of course, and that's something we've done for years and years. The Marine Band did perform live throughout the ceremony but we received last-minute word that Beyoncé wanted to use the recording," they told the London Times. Furthermore, the Times states, "A spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band Kristen DuBois said it was standard procedure to record a backing track..."

Now, the Internet has widely accepted this all to mean that Beyoncé wasn't actually singing, but Bey has yet to respond to requests for confirmation. Because we'd like to keep on assuming that the sun is still shining, the birds are still singing, and life is still beautiful, we're choosing to accept the traditional definition of a "backing track," which is pre-recorded studio music to, well, back a singer's performance — not replace the singer's voice altogether.

What’s more, is that we seem to be forgetting the spot where Beyoncé ripped the earpiece out of her ear and continued on with the anthem, hitting every word exactly on time. The Hollywood Reporter theorizes that B was able to keep up with the recording without her playback because she had performed the song “so often.” And while she may be a singer so fantastic the sheer sound of her voice can make flowers grow, it seems highly unlikely that she’s performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with her chosen flourishes and vocal runs, so many times that she could lip-sync to it exactly on time without at least a little assistance, especially when the sound coming through the mic was undoubtedly on somewhat of a time delay (which is how every sound system in a public area tends to work). It just doesn’t add up.

Finally, upon repeated viewings of the video of Beyoncé's performance, the brief blast of breath that escaped when she made "P" and "B" sounds, characteristic of almost any person speaking or singing into a microphone, can be heard throughout the recording. It seems like a lot of effort to either record the song with those imperfections or for Bey to add them in to appear as if she’s not lip-syncing.

Still, per the quotes in the Times, popular opinion is that Beyoncé lip-synced to pre-recorded, studio vocals like some sort of perfectly-timed deceptive wizard. But until word comes down from Mount Beyoncé with confirmation of these claims, we, her devoted worshippers, will continue to dismiss their merits. That performance was moving. It was the kind of performance that made you proud to be an American. And the only person we’ll allow to take that away from us is Queen B herself. Call us delusional if you must, but just know our reality is far rosier.

UPDATE: Master Sgt. Kristin DuBois, public affairs chief for the United States Marine Band, clarified for NBC News that the pre-recorded track Beyoncé used did include vocals. DuBois added, "Sometimes you just need to do it. Beyoncé is a gifted singer and her decision has no bearing on her musical ability." But the echo! And the earpiece... THE EARPIECE! We hold true to our conspiracy theory until Bey tells us otherwise.

UPDATE II: Vindication! Capt. Gregory A. Wolf, Media Officer for the Marine Band, issued the following statement to Hollywood.com: "The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) requested that the Marine Band accompany Beyonce Knowles-Carter in the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2013 Inaugural Ceremony. However, there was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event. Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances. Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."
http://www.hollywood.com/news/beyonce_lip_synced_national_anthem_inauguration/48660963

Shakira Finally Gives Birth (To a Normal, Human Baby)

Congratulations are in order for Shakira: The singer and her soccer player boyfriend Gerard Pique welcomed their first child, Milan Pique Mebarak, on Jan. 22 after a Jessica Simpson-style (i.e. seemingly elephant-length) gestation period. A rep for the new parents released a statement on their behalf expressing how excited they are to welcome the new (100 percent human) baby to their family.
"We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué, born January 22nd at 9:36pm, in Barcelona, Spain. The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn) means dear, loving, and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification," reads the announcement. "Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth."
Milan weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. and both mother and son are happy and healthy, the rep confirmed.
Shakira will be back in the public eye for season four of NBC's The View, when she takes over judging and coaching duties for Christina Aguilera. The singer made headlines recently for a photo that showed her jaw-droppingly huge pregnancy belly, which is not all that big when you consider she is a very tiny lady (like, below 5 feet tiny) and there was an almost-fully developed baby inside of her.
http://www.hollywood.com/news/Shakira_Gives_Birth_Gerard_Pique_Milan_Pique_Mebarak/48677868

Robert Pattinson’s Family Glad He Dumped Kristen Stewart

Robert Pattinson

ROBERT Pattinson‘s family is glad he dumped Kristen Stewart.The actor reportedly split from the actress — who he reconciled with in October 2012 following a brief split after she cheated on him with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders — earlier this month and those who care about him are said to be secretly relieved he has ended the four-year relationship.
“No one would ever have told him what to do,” a source said.
“But some people felt he never gave himself time to deal with what happened and heal. They think he has made the right choice.
“Rob thought it would be good for he and Kristen to visit his family in the UK over Christmas and New Year, but things were very frosty.
“Rob’s family, especially his sisters, have found it hard to forgive the hurt and humiliation Kristen has caused him.”
And the 22-year-old actress also angered Robert by signing up for a Snow White and the Huntsman sequel, even though Rupert won’t be involved with the movie.
“Kris thought it would be fine because Rupert is no longer working on the project, but Rob didn’t feel the same way. That caused a major point of tension,” said the source
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256392/robert-pattinsons-family-glad-he-dumped-kristen-stewart.html

Selena Gomez Wants to Date a Man After Bieber Split

SELENA Gomez plans to date only sexy men following her split from teen signer Justin Bieber.
The actress is keen to get over the Baby hitmaker, so is getting straight back into the dating game.
“Selena is flirting with as many hot guys as she can right now,” a source said.
“Because she’s trying to get the last few years of her life back. Justin had money and fancy sh*t, but she’s hot as hell and wants to find a good guy.
“He was just a little boy and she needs a man, so yeah, she will go on a ton of dates and be happy and forget about Justin.”
http://www.showbizspy.com/article/256405/selena-gomez-wants-to-date-a-man-after-bieber-split.html

Chris Brown's House Stormed by Cops Following Swatting Prank; Singer Spotted Getting Cozy With Rihanna at L.A. Club

Chris Brown may insist that his relationship with Rihanna is nobody's business, but pranksters apparently thought that his home was very much their affair.
The controversial R&B crooner became the latest victim of celebrity swatting after cops rushed to his house Monday in response to an emergency call that turned out to be a hoax.
Per the Los Angeles Times, police received a call before 5 p.m. alerting them to an alleged domestic-violence incident at the "Forever" singer's L.A. home and claiming that the caller's mom may have also been shot.

http://www.eonline.com/news/380553/chris-brown-s-house-stormed-by-cops-following-swatting-prank-singer-spotted-getting-cozy-with-rihanna-at-l-a-club

Box Office Report: 'Mama' Officially Wins MLK Holiday, Trounces the Governator

Universal Pictures

Jessica Chastain in "Mama"

Final numbers for the long weekend show Jessica Chastain's new horror pic easily in the lead; Arnold Schwarzenegger's hopes of restoring his star status falter.

Jessica Chastain packed quite a punch at the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday box office as her two films -- horror pic Mama and best picture Oscar contender Zero Dark Thirty -- upset the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Final numbers for the four-day weekend show Mama, from Universal and producer Guillermo del Toro, grossing $33 million, far outpacing expectations on the strength of younger females. Studio insiders say the movie clearly benefited from its teen-friendly PG-13 rating.

Sony and Annapurna's Zero Dark Thirty placed No. 2 in its second weekend of nationwide release, grossing $18.7 million for a domestic total of $57 million. The movie, from director Kathryn Bigelow, is among a handful of best picture contenders enjoying a bump from awards attention.

VIDEO: Jessica Chastain, Guillermo del Toro and Co. Go Behind the Scenes of 'Mama'

The prime example over the MLK weekend was David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook, which soared up the box-office chart to No. 3 as it finally expanded nationwide, grossing $13 million for a domestic total of $57 million. Many box-office observers had thought Harvey Weinstein made a fatal mistake in deciding not to open the film nationwide in November, opting instead for a limited rollout.

Broken City, starring Wahlberg, Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones, opened to a disappointing $9.5 million to come in No. 6. The action-thriller, from Emmett/Furla Films and New Regency, received dismal reviews.

Fellow new entry The Last Stand, Schwarzenegger's first leading role since 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, turned in an even more dismal performance, grossing $7.2 million and placing No. 10. The Lionsgate action pic's performance could pose problems for the actor's planned return to stardom.

In North America, Mama prospered thanks to young females; women and teenage girls made up 61 percent of the audience, while an impressive 63 percent of the audience was under 25. The horror picwas made for a modest $15 million.

FILM REVIEW: Mama

Broken City and Last Stand both were rated R and ended up competing for the attention of older males; 78 percent of the audience for each was older than 25.

At the specialty box office, the France-produced best picture Oscar contender Amour continued tooverperform, grossing $462,000 from nine theaters for a location average of $12,833 and cume of $1.2 million, a tidy sum for a foreign-language title.

Here are the full results for Jan. 18-21 holiday weekend at the domestic box office (* denotes best picture Oscar contender).

Title, Weeks in release/theater count, studio, three-day weekend total, cume

1. Mama 1/2,647, Universal, $33 million

2. *Zero Dark Thirty, 5/2,946, Sony/Annapurna, $18.7 million, $57 million

3. *Silver Linings Playbook, 10/2,523, The Weinstein Co., $13 million, $57 million

4. Gangster Squad, 2/3,103, Warner Bros., $10.3 million, $33.4 million

5. A Haunted House, 2/2,160, Open Road Films/IM Global, $9.7 million, $31.3 million

6. Broken City, 1/2,620, Fox/New Regency, $9.5 million.

7. *Les Miserables, 4/2,579, Universal, $9.25 million, $131.8 million

8. *Django Unchained, 4/3,012, The Weinstein Co., $9.23 million, $139.4 million

9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 6/2,323, Warner Bros./New Line, $7.7 million, $288.7 million

10. The Last Stand, 10/2,027, Lionsgate, $7.2 million

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-mama-wins-414177

Inaugural Ball

Photos from the Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance during the Commander-In-Chief Inaugural ball at the Washington Convention Center during the 57th Presidential Inauguration Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/inaugural-ball-slideshow/

Box Office Report: Arnold Terminated by 'Mama,' 'Zero Dark Thirty'

Schwarzenegger's "The Last Stand" flops, while Mark Wahlberg-Russell Crowe thriller "Broken City" likewise struggles; "Silver Linings Playbook" rockets up the chart as it expands nationwide.

In a box-office upset, new horror pic Mama -- starring Zero Dark Thirty's Jessica Chastain -- is easily winning the long Martin Luther King weekend and badly beating two R-rated films packing plenty of male heat: the Mark Wahlberg-Russell Crowe action-thriller Broken City and Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Last Stand.
Mama, from Universal, is projected to top the four-day holiday weekend with a better-than-expected $33.2 million after taking in $28.1 million for the three-day stretch. Studio insiders say the movie clearly is benefiting from its teen-friendly PG-13 rating.
Broken City is expected to gross $10 million for the four-day weekend after a disappointing three-day take of $9 million. The movie, from Emmett/Furla Films and New Regency, earned a B CinemaScore though it received dismal reviews. Broken City all but tied with holdover Gangster Squad for No. 4.
From Lionsgate, Last Stand came in at a lackluster No. 10 after earning $6.3 million for the three-day weekend. The gun-laden action pic, which is expected to gross $7.4 million for the four days, marks Schwarzenegger's first leading role since 2003 and doesn't bode well for the actor's planned return to stardom. Nearly 80 percent of the audience was older than 25.
Chastain has plenty of reason to celebrate: Sony and Annapurna's Zero Dark Thirty is holding at No. 2 with a three-day gross of $17.6 million and a projected four-day take of $21.4 million, pushing its cume to nearly $60 million. That gives her the top two spots at the domestic box office.
Zero Dark Thirty is among a handful of best picture Oscar contenders enjoying a bump from awards attention. David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook is the weekend's most noticeable example as it expanded nationwide, grossing $11.4 million to come in No. 3. The film's total is nearing $60 million.
Silver Linings is expected to take in $14.2 million for the four-day holiday weekend in a win for The Weinstein Co. Many box-office observers had thought Harvey Weinstein made a fatal mistake in deciding not to open the film nationwide in November, opting instead for a limited rollout.
"I never thought we'd come in third place," said Erik Lomis, president of distribution for The Weinstein Co. "This is a big victory for our strategy and the great word-of-mouth the film is getting. The sky's the limit."
Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, another best picture contender, also enjoyed an awards bump as it opened in 54 markets overseas, scoring a stellar $48.1 million despite much of Europe being buried under snow. From The Weinstein Co. and Sony, Django opened at 30 percent of Tarantino's previous film, 2009's Inglourious Basterds.
In North America, Mama prospered thanks to young females; women and teenage girls made up 61 percent of the audience, while an impressive 63 percent of the audience was under 25. The horror pic was made for a modest $15 million.
"There's a void in the marketplace for PG-13 fare," said Universal president of domestic distribution Nikki Rocco.
Universal also won the MLK weekend last year when Contraband, also starring Wahlberg, opened to $28 million.
Broken City and Last Stand had to compete for older males (78 percent of Broken City's audience also was over 25).
At the specialty box office, best picture contender Amour continued to overperform, grossing $413,261 from nine theaters for a location average of $11,479.
Here are the full results for the weekend of Jan. 18-20 at domestic box office (* denotes best picture Oscar contender). Final numbers for the four-day holiday weekend will be released Monday.
Title, Weeks in release/theater count, studio, three-day weekend total, cume
1. Mama 1/2,647, Universal, $28.1 million
2. *Zero Dark Thirty, 5/2,946, Sony/Annapurna, $17.6 million, $55.9 million
3. *Silver Linings Playbook, 10/2,523, The Weinstein Co., $11.4 million, $55.3 million
4. Gangster Squad, 2/3,103, Warner Bros., $9.1 million, $32.2 million
5. Broken City, 1/2,620, Fox/New Regency, $9 million
6. A Haunted House, 2/2,160, Open Road Films/IM Global, $8.3 million, $30 million
7. *Django Unchained, 4/3,012, The Weinstein Co., $8.2 million, $138.4 million
8. *Les Miserables, 4/2,579, Universal, $7.8 million, $130.3 million
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 6/2,323, Warner Bros./New Line, $6.4 million, $287.4 million
10. The Last Stand, 10/2,027, Lionsgate, $6.3 million
 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-arnold-terminated-413990

Obama Sworn in Amid Celebrity Serenades; Makes Plea for Equality in Second Term

Getty Images

The president became the first chief executive to use his inaugural speech to endorse gay rights and marriage equality. He also reaffirmed his commitment to fight climate change.

WASHINGTON -- Serenaded by music stars, greeted by a traditional 21-gun salute and watched by a beaming First Lady and their two daughters, President Barack Obama took the ceremonial oath of office Monday to begin his second term.

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Chief Justice John Roberts administered the ceremonial oath to Obama, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court’s first Latina member, took Vice President Joe Biden through his oath. Justice Antonin Scalia, distinctive in the black head gear usually worn by European judges and law professors looked on, as did former chief executives Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
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The president’s second inaugural address, which began slowly and built to a rhetorical crescendo, drew strongly on themes of political and economic equality and diversity and, while endorsing deficit reduction, featured a ringing defense of some of the social programs congressional Republicans are most eager to cut. In the first inaugural address to speak directly of gay and lesbian Americans, the president placed a key event in the gay rights movement -- the Stonewall incident -- in a line of milestones during the struggle for women's suffrage and equal rights for African Americans, then went on to explicitly endorse marriage equality.
"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth. ... Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well," Obama said.
"This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience," Obama said in his address. "A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."
First Lady Michelle Obama was attired in a quietly striking navy Thom Browne coat and dress, a belt from J.Crew, a cardigan designed by Reed Krakoff and a necklace by Cathy Waterman. She also wore J.Crew shoes. Older daughter Malia wore a J.Crew ensemble, while Sasha was attired in a Kate Spade coat and dress.
STORY: Michelle Obama Wears Thom Browne to Inauguration
Though not quite the star-splashed affair his first inauguration was, Obama’s presidential sequel has drawn a strong cadre of Hollywood and entertainment industry loyalists, including: Tennis Channel head Ken Solomon and his family; soap opera producers Colleen and Bradley Bell; star interior designer Michael Smith and his partner HBO exec James Costos; LGBT leaders Barry Karas and Dana Perlman, and industry money manager John Emerson and his filmily.
The music industry, however, has been amply represented throughout the festivities. As part of Monday’s official ceremonies, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor performed the national anthem, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" and "America the Beautiful." In a nod to the President’s well-known admiration for Abraham Lincoln -- Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis were recently White House dinner guests -- an award-winning Mormon choir performed a stirring version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” while Obama turned to look on with obvious appreciation.
Sunday night Stevie Wonder performed at a concert for the president’s campaign workers. Tuesday evening Lady Gaga will give a invitation-only concert for Democrats who worked on the president’s reelection campaign.
The First Family began Inauguration Day with religious services at St. John’s Cathedral, where they heard readings and homilies from a variety of Protestant ministers, a rabbi and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington.
Obama actually took the official oath of office for a second time Sunday in a brief midday ceremony witnessed almost entirely by family members. Afterward, some of his leading entertainment industry supporters joined the First Family for a celebratory reception.
The short swearing-in ceremony was held in the most formal of the White House’s oval reception chambers, the Blue Room. The President was flanked by the First Lady, who held the Bible on which he swore his oath, and their daughters Sasha and Malia. The sacred text on which he rested his hand as Chief Justice Roberts administered the solemn oath of office is an heirloom of his in-laws’ family, presented by the First Lady’s father, Fraser Robinson, to his own mother, LaVaughn Delores Robinson, who was the first African American to manage a Moody Bible Store.
As President Obama completed the oath, he turned to his daughters and quipped, “I did it.”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obama-sworn-celebrity-serenades-makes-414072

Leonardo DiCaprio Plans 'Long, Long Break' from Acting

See what happens when Leonardo DiCaprio puts it all out there in Django Unchained — arguably one of his best roles to date — and you snub him, Oscar voters?! He decides to quit acting. At least temporarily.
While talking with a German publication, the daily paper Bild, the Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino main dude explained his decision as a matter of being just generally exhausted — rather than our personal theory above — which, after his string of event-style films over the past several years, is no surprise. "I am a bit drained. I'm now going to take a long, long break. I've done three films in two years and I'm just worn out." But who wouldn't be exhausted after giving all those career-defining performances and constantly getting snubbed?
DiCaprio seems to be the Susan Lucci of movie actors. This year's shut out wasn't his first, by any means. He was similarly shut out on nominations for his work in Romeo + Juliet, The Basketball Diaries, Catch Me If You Can, Gangs Of New York, Shutter Island, Revolutionary Road and Inception. But that's not all, the three times he was nominated for anything Academy related (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, and Blood Diamond), he was left to smile and nod while someone else accepted the award. I mean, I've done a hell of a lot of losing in my life (as we all have), but damn, that's a lot of frustrating losses, eh?
But with all that down-time, what would DiCaprio do? Well his plans are simple, really. Just try and change the world. You know; no big deal! "I would like to improve the world a bit. I will fly around the world doing good for the environment." I mean, who doesn't use their million-dollar-making downtime to try and reverse global warming? I mean, when I'm not making ALL of the dollars here at Hollywood.com, my favorite hobby involves reengineering the make-up of pollution in order to transform it into clean air and water. But I mean, who doesn't tinker around with stuff like that, right?
At least we all have The Great Gatsby to look forward to in 2013. There's hope for your golden dreams yet, Leo!
What do you think of DiCaprio's decision to take time off? Let us know in the comments.
http://www.hollywood.com/news/Leonardo_DiCaprio_Plans_Long_Long_Break_from_Acting/48552449

Barack Obama Biography

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. He became a Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois in 2004, and has established himself as a serious candidate for President of the United States in 2008, defeating John McCain to become our nation's first African-American chief executive.
He is also a certified hunk, and a favorite of celebrities, gossip rags and hot girls who make videos on YouTube.
We, too, have a crush on Barack Obama.
Up against McCain and formidable Hillary Clinton before that, Barack Obama faced steep odds in his bid to become this nation's chief executive. But he hung in there nicely on the strength of many strong state election finishes and record levels of financial support.
Whether Barack Obama becomes one of our great presidents or not remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - tens and millions of people from all walks of life love the man. Chief among them? Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama.

Read more <a href="http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com">celebrity gossip</a> at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/stars/barack-obama/bio.html#ixzz2IXhYNVNP