As ‘Transformers 3’ gets ready to destroy the box office, you can’t help but wonder what Megan Fox must be feeling. It was just revealed that Steven Spielberg fired the actress from the monster franchise after calling the director, Michael Bay, Hitler-like. One of the film’s stars, Tyrese Gibson, tells me he missed having her on the set and that he feels bad that she’s having a particularly bad week in the press. “Of course I miss Megan,” Tyrese told me this week in NYC. “Megan is a sweet girl. I’ve never had an issue with her. It’s always been good. I know people are talking a lot of mess about her, but I just hope she has a strong stomach. “The former model adds, “Having a franchise that she’s been a part of from the beginning, and not being able to have her on board is probably the most difficult. Sometimes things don’t work out, but I wish her well. In business, her career, her personal life. She’s a sweet girl. “So, just how difficult is it working for a director like Michael Bay? Tyrese doesn’t hold back in painting Bay as an “aggressive” guy to work under and admits that he’s had a few verbal run-ins with his boss . . but nothing too serious. “He’s very aggressive with himself. Very demanding of himself. He has very high expectations of not just the cast, but the crew,” he said. “He’s cursed me out a few times. I cursed him out back. I don’t really curse people out in person. I tend to do it through email. He curses me out in person. “And after a disappointing ‘Transformers 2,’ Tyrese says even without Megan in the mix, this installment is not to be missed. “It’s the best ‘Transformers’ in the series, hands down. The scope, magnitude, focus, adrenaline. All across the board. Michael Bay and the team, we really hit it out of the park this time, and we did it just for you. “Tyrese said they knew part deux wasn’t up to snuff and made adjustments so that wouldn’t happen again. “We heard all of the fans crying out that they felt they got taken advantage of with Transformers 2,” he said. “We came in to T3 focused, and we delivered the best movie we’ve done so far. “Critics seem to agree already, with the Hollywood Reporter, USA Today and Christian Science Monitor giving it positive-ish reviews. Salon even dubbed it “An American summer-movie masterwork. “But it’s not just ‘Transformers’ that has been keeping Tyrese busy. He has a book out ‘How to Get Out of Your Own Way’ – PopEater Interview – and is getting ready to release his new album, ‘Open Invitation’ this November. ‘”I’m actually an AOL user by the way. I’m not going to give you my email, but I’m on there,” Tyrese tells me. Smart guy!Ã
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Megan Fox Struggles To Gain Weight
Megan Fox looks pretty thin in her recent ad campaign for Armani. But don’t worry, says her trainer, Harley Pasternak, she definitely doesn’t have an eating disorder. In an interview with HollywoodLife.com, Pasternak reveals that the ‘Jennifer’s Body’ actress really struggles with gaining weight. “Do I worry about Megan getting too skinny? Yeah!” Pasternak said. “Believe it or not she has this really fast metabolism,” Pasternak continued. “So her training is all about body toning and sculpting. With her its really about she’s eating enough of the right things. People thought, ‘Oh she must be anorexic,’ but she’s far from that!”Fox gets upset when people question whether or not she’s anorexic. “She gets frustrated at times because she’s like ‘I need to put on weight.’ So she actually weight-trains to keep on that lean muscle tissue,” he said. Pasternak, who also trains Robert Pattinson, Katy Perry and Amanda Seyfried, then described the kind of training he does with Fox that results in her toned abs. “The key to Megan’s abs is first of all genetics,” Pasternak admitted. “The second is that we train her abs on all three planes. It’s not just about crunch, crunch, crunch. It’s about working her body up and down and side to side and rotation. We train all three of her rectus abdominis, her obliques and her corset muscle to make sure that her abs are not just tight and strong but small. The corset pulls it all in,” he concluded. Source link
Lindsay Lohan allegedly steals idea that could cost Millions
Lindsay Lohan got in bed with a website developer, fell in love with his idea… and then screwed him – the bad way – by taking his idea to someone else… according to the developer who’s now suing her and her brother. Fima Potik says Lindsay and her bro Michael Lohan Jr. agreed to work with him on Spotted Friend – a website that gives people a chance to see the clothes in celeb’s closets… according to his lawsuit. But Potik says LiLo and MiLo Jr. backed out and took his idea to another investor. He says he got a text from Michael Jr. saying he wanted a bigger cut of the company, or else. In the suit, Potik says Lindsay and Michael went off and started an app called Vigme… which he describes as a carbon copy of Spotted Friend. So, he’s suing them in NY State to get Vigme shut down. He also wants a ton of cash – more than $60 MILLION!Source link
Amanda Bynes siblings say Dad Is NOT An Abuser
The brother and sister of Amanda Bynes have lashed out at her for attacking their dad and accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. Jillian O’Keefe and Tommy Bynes tell TMZ through their lawyer, Tamar Arminak, “We are disturbed beyond words that Amanda would come up with such a fabrication as a way to avoid getting much needed help or treatment. “Amanda went on the warpath against her dad Friday after she learned her parents were coming to NYC to get her into a mental health facility, tweeting her dad had sexually and physically abused her… something her dad vehemently denies. Jillian and Tommy are right behind their father, calling their parents “the most wonderful parents who have ever lived.” They add, “We are pained by behavior but we absolutely give our full unconditional love and support to our wonderful parents. “Source link
Fifth Harmony to Perform at Nickelodeons HALO Awards
Fifth Harmony has landed another gig. The five-member girl group, formed on season two of The X Factor, will take the stage as the latest performer at the sixth annual Nickelodeon HALO Awards on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 7 p. m., The Hollywood Reporter has learned. They join a previously announced musical lineup that includes Jessie J, Nick Jonas, Meghan Trainor, Echosmith and The Vamps. Zendaya, Carlos PenaVega and stars from Instant Mom (Sydney Park), The Thundermans (Jack Griffo, Kira Kosarin), The Haunted Hathaways (Benjamin Flores Jr., Breanna Yde) and Victorious (Leon Thomas, Matt Bennett) will make special appearances. Nick Cannon will return to host the ceremony from New York’s Pier 36 and the event will be broadcast across all Nickelodeon networks, including TeenNick and Nicktoons, and stream live for the first time on Nick.com, the Nick App and Nick Radio. Nickelodeon’s HALO Awards, which recognize the real-life teens who are doing extraordinary things in their communities and “helping and leading others” (HALO). This year’s five honorees are Lulu Cerone, 15; Yash Gupta, 18; Cassandra Lin, 16; Nicholas Lowinger, 16; and Alanna Wall, 14. The Nickelodeon HALO Awards are produced by Superfly in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Cannon, Alex Coletti, Jay Schmalholz and Shelly Sumpter Gillyard are executive producing. Email: Philiana. Ng@THR.comTwitter: @insidethetubeSource link
China to Require Permits for Foreign Online TV Shows
Foreign TV shows and movies streamed online in China will need to have permits issued by a state watchdog, China Daily reported Monday. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARPPFT) has been ordering the removal of popular foreign shows as well as trailing warnings of coming tougher regulation for months. The announced permit policy will see all foreign TV shows and movies reviewed by watchdogs before being made available for viewing online reported China Daily, which has close links to the Chinese government and is considered a reputable source on matters of state policy. The Big Bang Theory was the most high profile casualty of a Chinese government attempt to censor overseas content, ordering that the show be removed from legal video sites in April. Other U. S. shows that fell foul of the TV watchdog were The Good Wife, NCIS and The Practice. The sudden removal of The Big Bang Theory led to series creator Chuck Lorre responding sarcastically with one of his signature ‘vanity notes’ which ended with the defiant words: “The overlords of 1. 3 billion people are afraid of our sitcom. Exactly what we were going for!”Read more China’s Alibaba, Youku Tudou Pact on Video MarketingThe new policy means that Chinese audiences will not now, legally, be able to watch certain shows simultaneously as they are broadcast overseas. The bureaucratic imposition of extra waiting time to watch shows caused by the permit policy has become a hot topic on Chinese social media and hit the top 10 most discussed items on Sina Weibo. Social media users are speculating whether the increasingly tough regulations are down to a crackdown on immoral content on the Internet, following on from the policy to ban stars guilty of drug or sex scandals from Chinese television screens. China Daily reported that though there has been no public comment from the big online video sites such as Youku, privately and anonymously the industry is concerned by the developments. “It raised our concern about copyrights, which may lead to a loss of users,” said an insider from a popular online streaming site to China Daily under condition of anonymity. Some producers of foreign shows are looking to get out in front of China’s censors by providing full episodes for review well in advance. Producers behind the incredibly popular South Korean TV dramas are said to be pursuing this strategy. Read moreBBC Website Blocked in ChinaTwitter: @gentlemanabroadSource link
Jessabelle Film Review
Dark family secrets won’t remain hidden for long. Skipping October’s final weekend to avoid the prospect of reduced box office traffic resulting from a Halloween Friday release, Lionsgate and Paranormal Activity franchise producer Blumhouse Productions will need to rely on an enduring appetite for horror material to challenge the upcoming weekend’s competition. Jessabelle’s performance is unlikely to be boosted by an overly familiar premise that bears too much similarity to numerous recent releases: it focuses on Jessie (Sarah Snook), who’s released from a Louisiana hospital two months after a terrible car accident that’s killed her boyfriend and terminated her recent pregnancy, forcing her to rely on her long-estranged father Leon (David Andrews) for support. He’s not particularly enthused to be reunited with his daughter either, particularly since she’s wheelchair-bound while recovering from two broken legs, leaving him no alternative but to bring her back to the bayou home where she grew up after her mother Kate (Joelle Carter) died from cancer shortly after her birth. See more Hollywood’s 100 Favorite FilmsIt’s a brooding brick house still concealing dark family secrets that Jessie only begins to understand as she starts watching a collection of VHS tapes that she finds in a box labeled “Jessabelle”among Kate’s possessions. In the videotapes her pregnant mother speaks directly to the camera, hinting at her tumultuous relationship with Leon as she conducts a series of increasingly ominous Tarot readings for Jessabelle, indicating that there’s a mysterious female presence in the house watching her. At the same time, Jessie begins to experience frightening ghostly visitations in her mother’s bedroom where she’s frequently confined, along with terrifying nightmares and strange noises around the big empty house when her father is out. Even after a terrifying corpse-like woman that only Jessie can see attacks her when she’s in the bath, Leon won’t discuss the unexpected illness that killed her mother years ago. But when he discovers that she’s been watching more of Kate’s videotapes, Leon flies into a rage after one of his frequent bouts of boozing and attempts to burn them, but the fire quickly leaps out of control, killing him in a terrible conflagration. At his funeral, Jessie re-encounters her former high school boyfriend Preston (Mark Webber), now married but still carrying a torch for her. Preston expresses his alarm after she relates the frightening events transpiring at her house and resolves to protect her, but the increasingly violent hauntings quickly reveal that neither one of them is prepared to deal with the sinister forces they’re up against. See more 14 Horror Films Inspired by Real-Life EventsAlthough prolific actor and screenwriter Robert Ben Garant begins the film on a distinctly Southern Gothic note, a different type of regionalism takes over as the demon that haunts Jessie’s home discloses its true intentions. However, Garant’s gradual revelation that traditional Haitian Voodoo rites and a related curse may be the source of her predicament is handled unevenly, initially revealed only partially through Jessie’s tumultuous, recurring nightmares and cryptic comments from minor characters, before awkwardly introduced plot developments clarify the extent of her mother’s connection to a menacing man involved with an unconventional local church. With the exception of the videotapes featuring the recordings by Jessie’s mother, Saw franchise director and editor Kevin Greutert abandons the found-footage approach that has frequently characterized Blumhouse productions, settling instead on an atmospheric style that draws on the film’s rural Louisiana setting and familiar haunted house genre conventions. The too-infrequent scare techniques, however, are mostly by the book, rarely developing sufficient dread to heighten the film’s rather unremarkable climax. Repeated minor plot inconsistencies take a heightening toll as well, undermining both narrative efficacy and credible character motivation. Read more ‘Ouija’: Film ReviewConstrained by limited mobility throughout almost the entire film, Snook finds scant opportunity to develop Jessie’s character beyond the generic template lain out by the filmmakers, although some of the more intense scenes reveal a degree of sympathetic grit. Had Webber’s Preston appeared at an earlier point in the film he might have seemed more integral to the plot, but instead comes off as essentially reactive. As the malevolent spirit haunting Jessie, Amber Stevens makes a gratifyingly repellent impression, enhanced by Michael Fimognari’s foreboding cinematography and Jade Healy’s spooky production design. Production companies: Lionsgate, Blumhouse Productions, Principato-Young EntertainmentCast: Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, David Andrews, Joelle Carter, Ana de la Reguera, Larisa Oleynik, Chris Ellis, Amber StevensDirector: Kevin GreutertScreenwriter: Robert Ben GarantProducers: Jason Blum, Paul Young, Peter PrincipatoExecutive producers: Robert Ben Garant, Jerry P. Jacobs, Matt KaplanDirector of photography: Michael FimognariProduction designer: Jade HealyCostume designer: Carol CutshallEditor: Kevin GreutertMusic: Anton SankoCasting director: Michelle Morris GertzRated PG-13, 90 minutes Source link
Daniel Radcliffe’s Horns Saved by VOD
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Daniel Radcliffe’s horror fantasy Horns opened in 103 theaters over the weekend, grossing only $104,357 in its limited U. S. box office debut.
Hoping to take advantage of Halloween, the indie film opened in 103 theaters over the weekend, grossing $104,357 for a meek location average of $1,103 despite the star status enjoyed by Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter. The good news: Horns has generated $1 million in VOD returns for distributor Radius-
Taylor Swifts 1989 Set for Biggest Sales Week Since 2002
As of Nov. 1, with only one full day left in the album’s debut tracking week, industry forecasters now say 1989 could sell over 1. 3 million copies through Nov. 2. Watch more Taylor Swift on How She Felt About Having 89 Fans in Her HomeThus, the album is now aiming to surpass the one-week sales record for an album by a woman, set by the debut of Britney Spears’ Oops!… I Did It Again in 2000, when it arrived with 1. 319 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. 1989 is also set to earn the largest sales week for any album since 2002, when Eminem’s The Eminem Show sold 1. 322 million in its first full week on sale. The album’s official debut week sales figure, as tabulated by SoundScan, will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Watch more ‘SNL’ Claims Taylor Swift’s Music Makes People Sick1989 is Swift’s fifth studio effort and was released on Oct. 27 through Big Machine Records. A little over two weeks ago, forecasters pegged the new album to sell 750,000 in its debut frame. Then, about a week ago (Oct. 23), it was upgraded to 800,000. By midday Oct. 27, the album’s release day, its projection grew to over 900,000. The next day it was kicked up to 1 million, followed by 1. 2 million on Oct. 29 and then 1. 25 million on Oct. 31. 1989 will be Swift’s third consecutive album to sell more than a million copies in its first week, making her the only act ever to earn three million-selling weeks. (She was already the only woman to do it twice since SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.)This story first appeared on Billboard.com. Source link
Trailer for Lifetimes Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever
Lifetime is gearing up for another holiday classic with the release of its first trailer for Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever set for November 29, 2014.
The forthcoming holiday special, set to air Nov. 29, will feature a pet-store cat that is constantly overlooked until a 12-year-old girl has her holiday wishes come true’or so she thinks. “You really screwed up your big wish,” Grumpy Cat (voiced by Parks & Recreation star Aubrey Plaza) reveals to the innocent young girl. Unlike most furry kittens, Grumpy Cat could care less about peace, joy and goodwill for all during the season. But with a loving family, could the cat’s attitude change?”Don’t get sappy on me,” Grumpy Cat says in the new trailer. “Wait, I forgot-it’s a Lifetime movie.” Grumpy Cat shot to fame in 2012 after owner Tabatha Bundesen posted a picture of the cat onto Reddit. Since then, the viral feline has become the subject of a book, calendar and even American Idol. You don’t remember when she was the VIP guest during season 13?
Actually, maybe that’s a good thing. She also is inching closer and closer to seven million fans on Facebook. When the latest preview from Lifetime was released, Grumpy Cat shared, “I had a movie trailer once. It was awful.” That’s the spirit!Someone who actually is excited for the upcoming movie is Plaza herself. “DREAMS DO COME TRUE!” she wrote once the trailer was released. #RT FOREVER #grumpycatsworstchrismasever #ThanksgivingHEREWECOME.” Will you be watching Grumpy Cat in between your family’s annual viewing of Elf, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone? Source link