October 31, 2008 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

What have/are your favorite STAR Artists being for Halloween this year?

• STAR Artist Sara Bareilles had a great idea for a costume last year. She was gonna be Tippi Hedren, star of Hitchcock’s The Birds. She had a suit coat covered in blood with fake birds attached. Sadly she got so sick she couldn’t use it so maybe she’ll trot it out this year.
• Last year, STAR Artist Lifehouse showed their devotion to 80s movies and dressed up as characters in a scene from Karate Kid – the scene where member from the evil Cobra Kai beat up Ralph Macchio’s character on Halloween dressed as skeletons
• STAR Artist Taylor Swift plans to dress up as a “Hollywood celebrity” – much different than what she did last year: she and her friend dressed up as Chewbacca. “Nobody knew it was us. It was awesome.”
• The sax player from STAR Artist O.A.R. always dresses up as Kenny G. His bandmates tell me, “It’s a problem to deal with. Nothing’s wrong with Kenny G, but he’s really funny looking.”

Movies opening this Halloween Weekend:

* Zack and Miri Make a Porno -- The title pretty much sums it up. Two cash-strapped roommates -- Seth Rogen's Zack and Elizabeth Banks' Miri -- decide to film an amateur porn movie to raise money. Of course, they eventually realize they have feelings for one another. Kevin Smith directs this very raunchy comedy. Rated R.

* The Haunting of Molly Hartley -- The title character is a teenage girl who survived an attack by her mom and is now bothered by devilish visions. Haley Bennett and Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford star. Rated PG-13.

And expanding into additional theaters:
* Changeling -- Inspired by a true story and set in the 1920s, Angelina Joli plays the mother of a young boy who is kidnapped. When a child is returned to her months later, she challenges the authorities by insisting that he's not her son. CLINT EASTWOOD directs the film, which also stars John Malkovich and Amy Ryan. Rated R.

* RockNRolla -- The action flick has received its fair share of publicity because of its director: Madonna's soon-to-be ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. The movie's complicated plot centers around a real estate scam and a painting given to a London crime boss by a Russian mobster. Rated R.

I mentioned this last week – Thursday a whole bunch of dancers got together in New York City to break the world record for most people doing the "Thriller" dance in one place. Well they did it. 73 fans performed the dance near Michael Jackson’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Times Square.

STAR Artists Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani (are married) welcomed a second child into the world recently so what will the 2 kids be for Halloween? Gavin tells me Kingston will probably be a rhino and Zuma will be “a sandwich or something.” Gavin also mentioned he might not be around to take the kids trick-or-treating, something that has put him in the doghouse with Gwen.

One Halloween tradition will continue this Sunday: the annual Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror. In one segment Milhouse awaits the arrival of The Grand Pumpkin (a la Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin). The other segments include the invasion of Transformers-like creatures and Homer becoming a hit man who kills celebrities for profit. That’s Sunday at 7 p.m. on Fox (which we have again now on Time Warner Cable!)

A private memorial service for Jennifer Hudson's slain mother, brother and nephew will be held at Chicago's Apostolic Church of God on Monday morning. Today, the family is expected to announce whether there will be a public service. In lieu of flowers, the Hudson family has asked for contributions to the newly created Hudson-King Domestic Violence Protection Fund.

John McCain and Barack Obama are ready for some football. The presidential candidates will appear in separate one-on-one interviews with Chris Berman during halftime of Monday Night Football this Election Eve.

STAR Artist David Cook is performing on Saturday Night Live – his first ever post-Idol live performance with his new band. He’ll be doing two new songs from his upcoming self-titled album and you can bet one of them will be the first single, “Light On.”

Fox has finally called it quits on King of the Hill, the second longest-running animated primetime show. After this season, it's done.

October 30, 2008

Jennifer Hudson Family Murders UPDATE:
Yesterday we learned that a gun had been found near the SUV where 7 year-old Julian, nephew of Jennifer Hudson, was found shot dead. Tuesday, STAR Artist and fellow American Idol alum Jordin Sparks offered words of support for Jennifer, “Jennifer, I don't even know what you're going through right now, but I love you. I am so, so sorry and I am praying for you, and something good is going to happen through this.”

Yesterday I gave you a paparazzi's first shot of STAR Artists Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani's new son Zuma. Today I have the first official photo from the No Doubt web page. Ain't he beautiful? Click the picture for a larger version.

Thank goodness, one of the best comedies on television is back tonight. The 2-time Emmy-winner for Best Comedy 30 Rock premieres tonight on NBC. Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally guest stars as a woman observing whether Tina’s character Liz Lemon is fit to adopt a child. Guest stars this season include Oprah, Jennifer Aniston and Salma Hayek. 30 Rock – back tonight at 8:30 on NBC right after The Office. It’s gonna be a good night of television.

Another Dancing With the Stars…star has been diagnosed with the same condition that struck Julianne Hough. Lacey Schwimmer told me she also suffers from endometriosis. Lacey decided to get checked out after realizing she was suffering from some of the same symptoms as Julianne. She got checked out and it’s a good thing she did because they caught it in the early stages and can be treated with medication, not surgery like Julianne Hough needed. To read more about endometriosis click here.

STAR Artists Coldplay and Leona Lewis have joined the line-up of performers at this year’s American Music Awards coming up on November 23rd. They join STAR Artists Alicia Keys, Pink, Taylor Swift, The Fray and others.

STAR Artist Jason Mraz has plans for Halloween tomorrow night – he’ll be playing his first show in 3 years in his hometown of San Francisco. He says he feels a little pressure knowing he’ll be in front of his friends but, “I wanna deliver as good a night there as I do everywhere else.” Jason also told me he doesn’t have very fond memories of Halloween ‘cause it’s his sister’s birthday. “She always stole the limelight.” Not to mention she got the better costumes. Jason got the hand-me-downs.

Estelle Reiner, the mother of actor-director Rob Reiner died of natural causes on Saturday at her home. She’s famous for more than being the mother of a great director. Remember that line from When Harry Met Sally: "I'll have what she's having." Yep, that’s her. Estelle was 94.

Vote!...No, wait. Don't Vote! Uh...

October 29, 2008

Dancing With the Stars’ Julianne Hough had a successful appendectomy yesterday and will take 2 weeks off from the show. Cloris Leachman on the other hand, is taking a permanent vacation from the show. Cloris was voted off the show last night but immediately jokingly refused to leave, sitting down and then wasn’t able to get back up. Though she won’t be dancing, she’s not worried about how she’ll fill her days. Since she’s been getting so much exposure on the show, she’s been inundated with TV and movie offers.

I bet it’s actually kind of easy to be super-parents for six kids, especially when you have six nannies. Evidently Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie half half-a-dozen nannies to keep their brood in check. Their dining room table in Berlin can seat 16 people – 8 chairs for the family, 6 chairs for the nannies and a couple extra in case the couple adopts more – seriously. The nannies should have nannies!

Ellen DeGeneres has Zac Efron on her show tomorrow and I've got a glimpse of part of the interview. Here's the setup: Zac's beautiful hairdo + Ellen + a pair of clippers.
Last season on American Idol it was the "Battle of the 2 Davids," and evidently they wanted to keep up that “fight.” Sure David Cook won the singing competition, but David Archuleta is winning the race to release their first album. STAR Artist David Cook’s new CD comes out November 18th but Archuleta’s comes out November 11th and is now available for pre-sale on iTunes.

ABC will be Pushing Daisies tonight while the other major broadcast networks are airing a half-hour political ad that pushes Barack Obama. The ad from the Obama campaign is set to air at 7.p.m. on CBS, NBC and Fox. ABC has been struggling with viewership on Wednesday nights so it’s opting out of the ad. An Obama spokesperson told me the ad (which cost ‘em $1 million per network) will present the Democrats’ plan to “turn the economy around and get the country back on track.”

Hey check it out! It's one of our first looks at Gwen Stefani's new baby, Zuma! Awwwwwwww!

STAR Artist Natasha Bedingfield is British so she can’t vote next week, but that’s not stopping her from encouraging you to vote. She writes in her blog, “Make sure you put your vote in, all you Americans. As a non-U.S. citizen, obviously I can't vote, but I wish I could, because your decision on the next president will affect the world big-time.”

Robert Downey Jr. is going the distance as Iron Man. He's inked a deal for two more Iron Man movies and he's also signed on to be Tony Stark in the all-stars movie, The Avengers.

October 28, 2008

It doesn't come as a surprise, but the death of 7 year-old Julian King, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson's nephew, has been ruled a homicide. An official with the Chicago Police Department confirmed Julian died from multiple gunshots to the head. Although no arrests have been made, William Balfour, the estranged step-father of Julian remains in custody as a "person of interest."

In the wake of the success of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, movie studio Paramount has put the remake of the classic Footloose on the fast track. What does HSM3 have to do with a remake of Footloose? You guessed it. Zac Efron. They've reportedly offered him a "mid-seven-figure salary" and production starts in the spring.

STAR Artists Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles and others are offering you free music if you make a pledge to vote on November 4th. Just go to RockTheVote.com/pledge and fill out an online form pledging to vote next week and you’ll get a link to download free songs.

STAR Artist Pink’s new CD “Funhouse” and STAR Artist Sara Bareilles’ new live DVD are both in stores today.

More to come later...

October 27, 2008

This has been all over the news but here’s a recap of the tragic news regarding Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson’s family. Friday, her 57 year-old mother and 29 year-old brother were found shot to death at their home on Chicago’s South Side. Her 7 year-old nephew Julian was reported missing as well, police issued an amber alert and over the weekend Jennifer and her sister, Julia, issued an emotional plea for the safe return of Julian and offered a $100,00 reward. 27 year-old William Balfour was then taken into custody, he’s the estranged husband of Julia. He has not been charged with anything.
4:10 P.M. UPDATE: Chicago police have just confirmed the body discovered this morning is that of 7 year-old Julian, nephew of Jennifer Hudson. According to E! News, "The announcement came shortly after Jennifer Hudson, accompanied by family members, viewed the remains—the second time the Oscar winner has had to make the grim trip to the morgue, having previously identified her slain mother and brother."

Son of a gun - I called it! From E! Online: "Julianne Hough's dancing feet are working just fine. Her appendix...well, that's another story." Evidently the stomach pain that Julianne was feeling last week was her little, useless organ wanting out. The day after the story broke I predicted she was gonna have the minor surgery, I just never expected to be right. She'll dance tonight then have her appendix excised tomorrow.

Here's a Box-Office Recap from this weekend at the movies:

1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year, $42 million
2. Saw V, $30.5 million
3. Max Payne, $7.6 million
4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, $6.9 million
5. Pride and Glory, $6.3 million
6. The Secret Life of Bees, $5.9 million
7. W., $5.3 million
8. Eagle Eye, $5.1 million
9. Body of Lies, $4.1 million
10. Quarantine, $2.6 million

My girlfriend and I had a fun Fall day on Saturday. We went to Apple Valley Orchard in De Pere and picked some apples and bought a pumpkin to carve. The apples were delicious, as was the cider, and the pumpkin turned out pretty good. Here it is. His name is Count Chuck.

STAR Artist Nickelback’s last CD “All The Right Reasons” has sold 10 million copies and produced seven hit singles -- but the band still feels like they're the underdogs. Lead singer Chad Kroeger tells me they called their forthcoming record "Dark Horse" because, "I think we'll always be the dark horse. We never feel like we'll ever be done trying to prove ourselves, to ourselves and to the people who like our music." Look for it in stores November 18th.

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles recently launched a headlining tour in support of her current album "Little Voice" but she tells me she’s already itching to record her new one. She tells me it’ll be a little scary to follow in the success she’s had, “It's a blessing and a curse that there may be some set of expectations now. But it's a good problem to have." Tell that to Kelly Clarkson. Speaking of her...

STAR Artist Kelly Clarkson is completely finished recording her new album. She wrapper up her studio sessions on Friday night.

How ironic, actual news being announced during a fake news segment. On Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update segment, Seth Meyers announced his usual co-host, Amy Poehler, wasn’t there because she was having her baby. Her rep confirmed to me that mom, dad and new son Archie were healthy and resting comfortably.

Angelina Jolie had more important things to do Thursday night than attend the L.A. premiere of her new movie, Changeling. The actress and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador was in Afghanistan last week meeting with people who have been driven from their homes by the ongoing violence in the country.

Briefly:
STAR Artist Colbie Caillat was honored on Friday in New York City where she received Billboard’s Rising Star award given to a female artist who has had great success with her first or second album – all part of the Women in Music awards banquet.

Thursday, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing the “Thriller” dance. The current world record stands at 62.

October 24, 2008

Here's a look at the new movies opening nationwide today:

* High School Musical 3: Senior Year -- The Disney Channel phenomenon makes its big-screen debut. Zac Efron's Troy and Vanessa Hudgens' Gabriella worry about the future of their relationship, as the crew puts on a spring musical to celebrate the end of their time in high school. Everyone else is back for the sequel. Rated G.

* Pride and Glory -- Edward Norton heads an investigation into the murders of four New York City police officers, only to discover that some family members, who are fellow cops, may be implicated in the case. Colin Farrell and Jon Voight also star. Rated R.

* Saw V -- The fifth edition of the horror series finds Hoffman in line to continue the killer Jigsaw's legacy, if he can keep it a secret. Tobin Bell and Scott Patterson star. Rated R.

There were some really funny skits last night on the Saturday Night Live - Election Special. Here are some highlights!


A new poll seems to indicate Harrison Ford leads the race for the presidency. Well, in this case the “race” is at Moviefone.com where they asked for people to vote for the best fictional president. Here's the Top 10:

1. Harrison Ford, Air Force One, 1997
2. Morgan Freeman, Deep Impact, 1998
3. Michael Douglas, The American President, 1995
4. Bill Pullman, Independence Day, 1996
5. Kevin Kline, Dave, 1993
6. Dennis Quaid, American Dreamz, 2006
7. Bruce Greenwood, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, 2003
8. James Cromwell, The Sum of All Fears, 2002
9. Jack Nicholson, Mars Attacks, 1996
10. Jeff Bridges, The Contender, 2000

Speaking of Top 10 lists…here’s TV Guide’s Top 10 Dogs on Television:

1. Snoopy - Peanuts
2. Lassie - Lassie
3. Eddie - Frasier
4. Triumph the insult comic dog - Late Night with Conan O'Brien
5. Doc - Grey's Anatomy
6. Vincent - Lost
7. Elizabeth Taylor - Sex and the City
8. Tinkerbell Hilton
9. Scooby-Doo - Scooby Doo
10. Paul Anka - Gilmore Girls

Talk about an American Idol fantasy come true – STAR Artists Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry may have recorded a duet! Daughtry’s producer posted a photo on his MySpace page of him, Kelly and Chris in a recording studio and the caption reads, “Me, Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry at recording session for duet.” So if there is a duet, will it be on Kelly or Daughtry’s new CD?

STAR Artist David Cook doesn’t want fans to just listen to his debut CD, he wants to put ‘em through the wringer. "I just want the songs to kick you in the teeth or make you want to cry -- or do something drastic, like jump off a building. I want somebody to be exhausted when they're done listening." The CD will be in stores November 18th. Please don't jump off a building.

To quote E! News: "If there's one thing STAR Artist U2's Bono needs, it's a platform for his world views. Oh wait..." As if Bono didn’t have enough to do, evidently next year he’ll add reporter to his resume. He’s going to start writing for the New York Times. And what kind of absurd salary is Bono charging? He’s actually doing it for free.

My Halloween Costume!

Here's me in my Halloween costume. People at work think I'm super weird - mostly thanks to me walking around like this. I'm Buddy the Elf from the movie Elf! Woo!

My girlfriend is being Jovie (Buddy's love interest in the movie), except a much sexier version of Jovie (photo not available...yet.)

October 23, 2008

Dancing With the Stars’ Julianne Hough was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after complaining about stomach pains but she assured me it’s nothing to worry about. “I'm definitely OK, and everything's just fine.” She’s back in action preparing for next week’s performance.

Fans of STAR Artist Daughtry will tell you that Chris Daughtry’s lack of hair doesn’t have a negative effect on his appeal – hence the reason he’s a finalist in the “Bald is Beautiful” contest. The other 3 finalists are sports commentator Tiki Barber, football legend Terry Bradshaw and NBA star Charlie Villanueva. Here’s the deal: go vote for Chris at EnjoyEagle.com – the winning most beautifully bald celebrity gets a trophy and $1,500 for their favorite charity.

The editors of Shine on Yahoo! have named the Top 10 TV Couples - and no, not all of them are dating. Here they are in no particular order along with their chances of survival:

* Jim & Pam - The Office - 70%
* Don & Betty - Mad Men 80%
* Vince and Ari - Entourage - 90%
* Chuck & Blair - Gossip Girl - 10%
* Liz Lemon & Jack - 30 Rock - 20%
* Kelly Taylor & Dylan McKay - 90210 - 0%
* Meredith & McDreamy - Grey's Anatomy - 60%
* LC & Doug - The Hills - 40%
* Ted & Stella - How I Met Your Mother - 30%
* Hank & Karen - Californication - 50%

Walmart.com is taking advance orders of STAR Artist Nickelback’s upcoming album "Dark Horse" which hits stores officially on November 18th. Yeah, I know that’s a ways off but if you do order now through them you’ll get the first single right away and a bonus soundcheck recording the day of the CD’s official release.

Just what Lindsay Lohan’s career needs: more bad press. I hear Lindsay will only appear on four episodes of Ugly Betty, instead of the six she agreed to do, because of her behavior on the set. Supposedly Lindsay showed up every day with a posse, smoked all the time and caused such a mess in her dressing room that it had to be re-painted. Lindsay’s friends say star America Ferrera is the reason for Lindsay’s departure.

Briefly:
STAR Artists John Mayer and Taylor Swift are among the artists who will sing at this year’s Grammy nomination announcement special on CBS December 3rd. Celine Dion and the Foo Fighters will join them.

David Duchovny is suing the British paper that ran the story implying he had an affair with a 28 year-old tennis instructor.

STAR Artist OneRepublic kicks off its first headlining tour today in Virginia. On November 2nd they’ll play at Carthage College down in Kenosha.

October 22, 2008

You can bet STAR Artist Madonna and Guy Ritchie have been planning for this divorce for a while. Not even a week after they announced they’re officially splitsville and Guy already has been seen coupling around with a British actress named Kelly Reilly. Madonna, back in New York City, seems to be heating things up with New York Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez – like, for real. A source tells me he registered his car with her apartment building and gave the building manager his photo so he can come and go as he pleases. Evidently, A-Rod didn’t want the manager confusing him with someone who hits home runs in the post-season.

The High School Musical franchise has made stars out of Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale but they haven’t let that go to their heads. Okay, maybe a little. Ashely told me she can now fly first class and not pay for it but Vanessa said, “We've gotten to do some amazing things with High School Musical but at the end of the day, we're still ourselves." You can win tickets into High School Musical 3 today by donating to Coats for Kids. Just stop out to the PDQ Car Wash on S. Oneida St. in Green Bay from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. and you could win. Get more details here.

STAR Artist Gavin Rossdale who sings “Love Remains the Same,” is married to STAR Artist Gwen Stefani, has two adorable kids, used to sing in a big rock band and now has a thriving solo career. Gavin told me, at first going solo “weirded him out” but he’s adapting to it. When I asked him how his oldest son was adapting to the new bundle of joy they had a few months ago Gavin told me it’s, “Either the love or the kick. Nothing in between. Just love or less love.”

Last night on Dancing With the Stars we said “bye bye” to Toni Braxton but we also had to say farewell, temporarily, to Julianne Hough who had to be taken to a hospital after the show. She was complaining of stomach pains and now that I’ve had the minor surgery, I immediately think it’s her appendix asking to be taken out. Or Cloris Leachman punched her in the stomach – that crazy bird will do anything to win.

Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl says she definitely wants to be a mommy but she doesn’t want to get “knocked up” to do it. Sources tell me her and her husband, musician Josh Kelley, plan to adopt a baby from Korea. They’ve supposedly already begun filling out the paperwork.

Briefly:
Barack Obama is making a “surprise” appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today (3 p.m.) And don’t worry, he dances.

Tina Fey is flattered with all the comparisons to Sarah Palin, mostly ‘cause she thinks Sarah is hotter (I don’t agree).

October 21, 2008

The David Duchovny – Tea Leoni separation gets a little more interesting with each passing hour. The latest random allegation is David had an affair with his 28 year-old tennis instructor. She wouldn’t confirm or deny they’re relationship and apparently she told David’s lawyer the rumors were not true. Last week, a rep for Billy Bob Thornton had to deny rumors that David’s wife Tea was the one having an affair with Billy Bob. Can’t David and Tea just get separated in peace?!

Speaking of former X-Files stars…Gillian Anderson and her boyfriend welcomed their second child to the world last week, a boy named Felix.

So, why is the struggling economy good for your love life? Find out here. Hey, when you can't afford to go out and do anything...

Showtime has announced one of my favorite shows, Dexter has been renewed for not one, but two more seasons!

Who’s coming to Madonna’s rescue during this tough journey she’s taking towards a finalized divorce? Her gal pal, Gwyneth Paltrow. She told me recently, “She's a very good friend. I'm supporting her in all the ways that I can. I'm just there for her. I speak to her a lot." And with this divorce comes a change of scenery for Madonna. A source close to her tells me she’s a New Yorker though and through (though she was born and raised in the ‘burbs of Detroit) and will want to raise her kids in the Big Apple.

Tom Cruise has let Katie Holmes out of her cage as she’s going to be on Eli Stone tonight. She’ll play a lawyer Eli meets after he has a dream about her singing and dancing.

A year ago, no one in the U.S. had heard of STAR Artist Leona Lewis. A lot has changed. Leona’s CD “Spirit” is the 4th best-selling album in the world, right behind Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”

STAR Artist O.A.R. says they’re okay with being known as “the band who sings that song “Shattered.” If you do want to check out other songs by them, try “Love and Memories” and “Hey Girl.”

NBC seems willing to overlook the poor reviews for its Knight Rider update. According to E! Online, the network has picked up the new series for a full season.

October 20, 2008

Here's a complete Box-Office Recap from this weekend:

1. Max Payne, $18 million
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, $11.2 million
3. The Secret Life of Bees, $11.1 million
4. W., $10.6 million
5. Eagle Eye, $7.3 million
6. Body of Lies, $6.9 million
7. Quarantine, $6.3 million
8. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, $3.9 million
9. Sex Drive, $3.6 million
10. Nights in Rodanthe, $2.7 million

14 million people watched Saturday Night Live this weekend, 17 million watched the first half hour. And what did they see? VP wanna-be Sarah Palin. Yep, all the rumors and what I told you last week were true. She actually didn't do THAT much performing, but whatever. What stole the show was something Palin was “supposed” to do but "opted not to". The rap by Amy Poehler. I actually squealed with laughter when I watched it. If you missed Palin’s performance on SNL, here it is:

Fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, whose annual "Worst-Dressed" lists slammed celebrities for their fashion faux pas, has died. Blackwell passed away yesterday of complications from an intestinal infection. He was 86 years old.

Barbara Walters can breathe a sigh of relief, she won’t have to replace another co-host. Elisabeth Hasselbeck reconfirmed on Friday’s The View she is not leaving the show for Fox News.

I was able to talk to STAR Artist Daughtry about their upcoming album and from what he told me it was a real group effort. For their debut album, Chris wrote all the songs, not so much for this new one. The group told me, “We've been very experimental in how the writing process works -- we do it as a band, we do it as these two people, we do it with outside writers, plus the guys in the band. It's been a learning experience for all EIGHT of us!” Mr. Daughtry himself told me he thinks he’s doing the best writing he’s ever done. Look for the new Daughtry album the first quarter of 2009.

I wasn’t expecting one so soon, but no, STAR Artist Madonna and Guy Ritchie have not reached a divorce settlement yet. Between the two off them, they’re worth nearly $600 million.

October 17. 2008

Here are the movies hitting theaters today:

* Max Payne -- Based on the hit video game of the same name, Mark Wahlberg stars as a cop who seeks payback for the murders of his family and partner. Rated PG-13.

* W. -- Having already made films about former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, director Oliver Stone tells the story -- as he sees it -- of current President George W. Bush, played by Josh Brolin. The cast also includes Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Vice President Dick Cheney and Thanide NEwton as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rated PG-13.

* The Secret Life of Bees -- In this adaptation of the best-selling novel, three beekeeping sisters take in an emotionally-scarred 14-year-old girl and her caretaker in 1960s South Carolina. Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and STAR Artist Alicia Keys star. Rated PG-13.

* Sex Drive -- An 18-year-old man is joined by his buddies on a road trip he hopes will end with him losing his virginity to a girl he met online. Rated R.

Music has lost a legendary voice - lead singer of the Four Tops, Levi Stubbs died in his sleep today at his home in Detroit. He had reportedly been battling cancer. Even if you don't know his name, you know the songs (you've probably karaoked to a few of them) and you know his voice. Levi Stubbs was 72.

Will Sarah Palin be on Saturday Night Live in the near future? You betcha. She'll be on tomorrow! Now we don't know if Tina Fey will be on as well, though that'd be pretty darn funny, but we do know that Josh Brolin will be the host and in the new movie W. he plays President George W. Bush so that could lead to an absolute perfect storm of political comedy.

Officials at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center said yesterday that Desperate Housewives actor Gale Harold is improving after Tuesday's motorcycle accident. Harold, who just began playing Teri Hatcher's boyfriend series, is still in the intensive care unit after suffering swelling on the brain and a fractured shoulder. However, hospital officials said he is expected to recover.

Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus did nothing to hide her feelings toward "shouldn't this be illegal??" boyfriend and model Justin Gaston. On Wednesday at L.A. Fashion Week, while Gaston strutted the catwalk he blew kisses and winked at the 15-year-old, and she in turn, quote "licked her lips seductively." I just threw up a little in my mouth.

STAR Artist John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston broke up back up in August but recent shenanigans seem to indicate they're back together. They've been seen gettin' cutesy together three times in the last week. Most recently they were spotted being' all couple-y celebrating his birthday on Wednesday.

STAR Artist David Cook recently posted this video blog talking about his Saturday Night Live performance coming up November 1st.

I don't know how you keep a secret like this but STAR Artist Nelly Furtado revealed that she and her fiancee got secretly married...over the summer! That's like...3 months ago! How do you do that and not spill the beans? Why would you not want to tell people?! *throws up hands in surrender*

Briefly:
STAR Artist Taylor Swift will be going on her first headlining tour early next yera to promote her new album "Fearless."

Will Ferrel will take his hilarious President Bush impression to Broadway for a one-man show called You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush. Sounds like he's right on with his career strategery.

October 16, 2008

Angelina Jolie was on The Today Show today where she talked about her new movie Changeling which looks incredible and she also dished about her and Brad's plans to adopt MORE kids! Check it out:
There's actually a fun evolution story behind the hit song "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. He actually wrote it about 4 years ago in about 15 minutes and then recorded a very low-tech version of it, put it online, only to take it down shortly thereafter. Even though it was only online for a little bit, fans quickly found it and fell in love with it, just like STAR listeners have. "I'm Yours" kept getting requested at Jason's concerts and finally he recorded a "normal" version of it - the one you know now. Now when he plays it at his shows, "I look out there, and people are singing it to each other. And that's the best feeling."

STAR Artist David Cook has been booked as the musical guest on the November 1st episode of Saturday Night Live. We've also got even more info on his debut self-titled album. Out of the 12 songs, David wrote or co-wrote on all of them except "Time of My Life" and his new single "Light On." Other co-writers on the album: STAR Artist Goo Goo Dolls' singer Johnny Rzeznik, Cathy Dennis (who wrote the American Idol theme and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl"). David is also booking appearances on Live With Regis & Kelly, Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the coming weeks.

Two STAR Artists have recently told John McCain to stop using their songs in conjunction with his Presidential campaign. Survivor told him recently to stop using "Eye of the Tiger" and now Jon Bon Jovi has told McCain-Palin to stop using "Who Says You Can't Go Home" at their rallies.

STAR Artist Kelly Clarkson started a new online blog and revealed she's almost done with her new album she just has to finish one last song with Ryan Tedder, the lead singer of STAR Artist OneRepublic. She says, "I love this record! I hope y'all like it." The album is due out in the early part of next year.

David Duchovny was apparently a single man when he checked into rehab earlier this year for sex addiction. He and his wife, Tea Leoni, confirmed yesterday they have separate and have been separated a while. They lept it private for the sake of their kids.

Heidi Klum's Project Runway crowned a winner on last night's season finale. Leanne Marshall out-sewed contenders Korto and Kenley. Marshall won $100,000 to put towards launching her own clothing line. The show's mentor, Tim Gunn, served as the guest judge after Jennifer Lopez backed out from the gig at last minute due to a foot injury. Project Runway will be relocating production next season from New York to Los Angeles.

October 15, 2008

It's official. STAR Artist Madonna and her husband of 7 and a half years, Guy Ritchie, have agreed to divorce. Their rep issued a statement, "They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time. A final settlement has not been agreed upon yet." Madonna and Guy have been dodging rumors about a troubled marriage since August when it was rumored Madonna had an affair with New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez.

Some more not-so-good news...
Hospital sources have confirmed to me Desperate Housewives star Gale Harold, who plays Susan's new man Jackson, is in the neurological inetnsive care unit at the LA County Medical Center and is in "stable condition." His rep confirmed to me Gale was involved in a motorcycle accident yesterday and fractured his shoulder is under supervision. Everyone I've talked to is hopeful he'll make a full recovery.

If you weren’t able to check out the American Music Award nominees yesterday, here are some of the main categories:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
LIL WAYNE
CHRIS BROWN
ALICIA KEYS
EAGLES
COLDPLAY

FAVORITE POP/ROCK MALE ARTIST
CHRIS BROWN
KID ROCK
USHER

FAVORITE POP/ROCK FEMALE ARTIST
MARIAH CAREY
ALICIA KEYS
RIHANNA

FAVORITE POP/ROCK BAND DUO OR GROUP
COLDPLAY
EAGLES
DAUGHTRY

FAVORITE POP/ROCK ALBUM
COLDPLAY, Viva La Vida
ALICIA KEYS, As I Am
EAGLES, Long Road Out Of Eden

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
COLBIE CAILLAT
FLO RIDA
JONAS BROTHERS
PARAMORE
THE-DREAM

FAVORITE ADULT CONTEMPORARY ARTIST
DAUGHTRY
EAGLES
JORDIN SPARKS

We finally know why STAR Artist Janet Jackson had to cancel and postpone 9 concerts. Her rep told me, “After a thorough medical evaluation, it has been confirmed that Janet's symptoms are being caused by a rare form of migraine called vestibular migraine, or migraine-associated vertigo, for which she is currently receiving treatment." It looks like she will for sure return to the stage tonight. Good for her.

Rocco DiSpirito is out at Dancing With the Stars and he insists "It's all gravy! This was a wonderful experience and there’s nothing to complain about." His voting off was a asurprise to...well...no one. "I got to learn how to dance. I got to make friends with Karina. I even got Bruno to dance!"

4 big STAR Artists, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat and Natasha Bedingfield, are among a group of celebrities who have recorded PSAs to help our schools. Check out their individual PSAs by clicking on their respective names. (Sara's and Natasha's elude me...)

Looks like “Time of My Life” will make the cut. STAR Artist David Cook has chosen to include the American Idol single on his debut album. Here’s the rest of the track listing. Look for it in stores November 18th.

"Declaration"
"Heroes"
"Light On"
"Come Back to Me"
"Life on the Moon"
"Bar-ba-sol"
"Mr. Sensitive"
"Lie"
"I Did It for You"
"Avalanche"
"Permanent"
"A Daily Anthem"
"The Time Of My Life" (bonus track)

She put the "fortune" in "Wheel of Fortune." Michelle Loewenstein can afford to buy more than a vowel after winning $1 million on Wheel of Fortune yesterday. The 24-year-old floral designer and newlywed from Santa Monica, California struck it rich in the show's new million-dollar bonus round, solving the puzzle "leaky faucet." Loewenstein says she might spend the cash on a new home or car, and also help out her family.

STAR Artist Avril Lavigne and her husband Deryck have had to officially deny they are having marital problems and that Deryck is cheating on her. Recently the National Enquirer ran a story claiming those things were true.

October 14, 2008

The American Music Awards nominees were announced today. See if your favorite STAR Artist is up for an award. This year’s awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on November 23rd. STAR Artist Pink is slated to perform.

Jennie Garth is 9021-Oh so happy Jason Priestly is coming back to America’s best-known zip code. Jason has signed on to direct an episode of the new 90210 on the CW. “I'm happy that he's there. Jason directed a couple of episodes of the original show and he was great. He's a hoot, so it'll be fun." Sure Jennie is excited to reunite with Jason but I’m guessing Jason’s just as happy to reunite with a paycheck.

If Sarah Palin becomes Vice-President, don’t expect to see Tina Fey on every Saturday Night Live. She told me “We’re gonna take it week by week. If she wins, I’m done. I can’t do that for four years. And by ‘I’m done,’ I mean I’m leaving Earth.” Tina did tell me she thinks Palin is fascinating, very likeable and fun to play.

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles kicked off her first-ever headlining tour last Thursday, and so far, she says she's finding it "stressful," to say the least. "I've noticed myself in the last day or so just really feeling the pressure of wanting to make the show amazing...I'm trying to relax a little bit. You might think that by this point, she'd be tired of playing those songs live, especially her hit "Love Song." But Sara tells me, "The energy of the crowd and people getting excited about hearing that song usually makes it really fun to sing,

Eli Stone is back for its second season premiere tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC. Sigourney Weaver will guest star as Eli’s psychiatrist.

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Parker is giving me the skinny on her weight gain. She says rumors she’s pregnant have just been blown out of proportion because she’s just put on some natural weight. “I never went up a size, I just got rounder. I’m still a size zero.” Oh I get it, Eva’s a mathematician. Zero is a round number.

Would ya believe it? Last night STAR Artist Janet Jackson postponed another concert. Doctor’s orders made her cancel the gig in New York. It's official: I now have absolutely no idea what’s going on with her.

Briefly:
If you waited to see Indiana Jones on DVD instead of paying $9 per person to see it in theaters, your wait is over. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits stores today.

STAR Artist The All-American Rejects have pushed back the release of their new album “When The World Comes Down” to December 16th.

STAR Artist David Cook revealed to me his debut CD will be self-titled. Look for it in stores November 18th.

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles, KT Tunstall, Colbie Caillat and others are all featured on a new collection of Christmas songs called "Hotel Café Presents: Winter Songs." Check it out in stores today.

Looks like Fall Out Boy won't be releasing their new CD on November 4th after all, because they're concerned about the fact that November 4th is also Election Day. Look for it (hopefully) December 16th.

October 13, 2008

The Weekend's Box-Office Recap:

1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, $17.5 million
2. Quarantine, $14.2 million
3. Body of Lies, $13.1 million
4. Eagle Eye, $11 million
5. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, $6.5 million
6. The Express, $4.7 million
7. Nights in Rodanthe, $4.6 million
8. Appaloosa, $3.34 million
9. The Duchess, $3.32 million
10. City of Ember, $3.2 million

Here are the Top 10 Tear-Jerker Movies of All-Time:

1. Bambi (1942)
2. Ghost (1990)
3. The Lion King (1994)
4. E.T. (1982)
5. Titanic (1997)
6. Beaches (1998)
7. Philadelphia (1993)
8. Watership Down (1978)
9. Boys Don't Cry (1999)
10. Steel Magnolias (1989)

Following a successful battle with breast cancer, Christina Applegate returns to the small screen in the ABC comedy Samantha Who? Check out its season 2 premiere at 8:30. Also tonight, NBC unveils its new action drama My Own Worst Enemy starring Christian Slater. He’s a suburban dad who unknowingly leads a double-life as a Jason Bourne-type spy. Check that out at 9 p.m.

Even though I told she was all good to go for her concert on Saturday night, STAR Artist Janet Jackson had to cancel that one too. That show was to mark her return to the road after a mystery illness had her sidelined for seven concerts. She’s expected to get back to performing tonight in Verona, New York.

Former American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe knows how to stroke Simon Cowell’s ego. He says there's a good reason why Simon makes more money than fellow judges Randy and Paula for his work on the show. "There is always jealousy in every job. Why is he getting more than the other two judges? Because it is believed that he brings more to the table." Lythgoe says he thinks Simon now earns approximately $36 million per year from Fox.

STAR Artist Leona Lewis might be going to court in the near future. A record company wants to release an album she made before she was a superstar and Leona isn’t too keen on that. Speaking of lawsuits, STAR Artist Bon Jovi is being sued for $400 billion! Yeah, you heard me, BILLION. A guy claims Bon Jovi’s 2007 song “I Love This Town” is a blatant rip-off of his band’s song “(Man I Really) Love This Team.” How the heck did he get a number like $400 billion. Well copyright law allows for $100,000 per CD sold, and Lost Highway has sold 4 million copies.4 million x $100,000 = $4 billion

Following a good amount of drama on what should be a funny hour of television, Presidential wanna-be John McCain will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday night. McCain actually announced his run for the presidency on Letterman’s show but after canceling an appearance, Letterman hasn’t exactly been happy with McCain. We’ll see if they can make amends Thursday night.

STAR Artist Maroon 5’s Adam Levine says he and the guys are already writing songs for a new album and much like their previous album’s title, it won’t be soon before long. He told me, “I think it's going to be a very spontaneous album-making process this time around....we're going to get back to the basic idea that made our band special...just kind of raw, simple, nothing too produced."

Briefly:
Congratulations to Lisa Marie Presley who gave birth to twin baby girls last week. We don’t know names yet but her publicist told me “...babies and mom are happy and healthy and resting at home."

STAR Artist Taylor Swift is already the face of L.E.I. Jeans but now sundresses are in her future. "They'll be really cute, but not that expensive, because I don't want my fans to ever feel like I wear the most expensive clothes and they can't relate to that."

October 10, 2008

Here's what's hitting theaters today:

-- Body of Lies - Russell Crowe and Leonardo Dicaprio lend some serious star power to this drama about a CIA agent who's looking to bust up a terrorist group in Jordan. Rated R.

-- The Express - Based on the true story of Ernie Davis, the first black football player to win the Heisman Trophy. Rob Brown plays Davis. Dennis Quaid also stars. Rated PG.

-- Quarantine - In this horror flick, a TV news crew goes to an apartment building on a routine 911 call and finds themselves quarantined and cut off from the outside world. Jennifer Carpenter (from Dexter) stars. Rated R.

-- City of Ember - Billy Murray and Tim Robbins star in this movie based on the popular children's books. The great lamps that illuminate the city of Ember are starting to flicker and two teens must race against time to help the citizens. Rated PG.

Want a sneak-peek at Oprah on 30 Rock?
STAR Artist John Mayer recently took time from being mopey about his Jennifer Aniston break-up to cheer up some of our troops. John spent the day with Marines in North Carolina where he visited soldiers wounded in Iraq, fired a machine gun and sparred (fought) with soldiers in the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga. He told me over the phone, “Believe me when I say that the day was life-changing."

Apparently STAR Artist Madonna is an equal opportunity diva – she doesn’t just act like a diva to underlings, but to other musicians as well. Swedish pop star Robyn was asked to open for Madonna at a couple shows and she tells me her and her crew were told, “not to approach Madonna, not to speak to Madonna and, above all, no pictures.” Robyn told me her worst fear was she’d turn into a Madonna.

STAR Artist Janet Jackson recently scrapped a bunch of shows due to a mystery illness but now she’s back and raring to go. She’ll resume her Rock Witchu tour tomorrow night. Her publicist told me, “Janet, who has been under her doctor's care and recuperating over the last week, is excited about getting back on the road and again being able to share with her fans what she feels is one of her best stage shows ever.”

A lot of STAR Artist Lifehouse’s songs are inspired by the lead singer Jason’s personal life – but their latest hit, Broken, is inspired by the life of one of Jason’s best friends. This particular friend needs a kidney transplant and is living on a dialysis machine, which isn’t easy or pleasant. "It really was disturbing to see him in this place, but inspiring at the same time, just to see how he could continue to wake up in the morning and grin through his pain, I guess."

Angelina Jolie looks great, especially considering she just had twins. But what makes her beautiful figure even more amazing is the kind of food she eats. Apparently she LOVES junk food like pizza, French fries, ice cream and Hot Pockets and was eating so much her OB-GYN told her she had to start making better eating decisions. Angelina can eat as much junk as she wants. She loses all her weight chasing her 38 kids around the house.

Up until now, STAR Artist Colbie Caillat had been living with her parents. But that’s all changing because Colbie and her sister are buying a house together – so it’ll be Colbie, her sis and her sister’s fiancé all under one roof. She told me, “I didn't want to live by myself, so we're helping each other out -- it's perfect."

October 9, 2008

Five shows make their fall appearances tonight – I know right? What took so long?!

7:30 p.m. - Kath & Kim - NBC – Molly Shannon and Selma Blair star in this sitcom about the bizarre relationship between a mother and her adult daughter.

8 p.m. - CSI - CBS - The ninth season of the procedural drama gets underway, as does the farewell to star William Petersen, who will depart the series later this year, to be replaced by Laurence Fishburne.

8:30 p.m. - SNL on Thursday Night - Saturday Night Live looks to capture more fans with this 30-minute weeknight episode that will feature an all-new "Weekend Update" segment. The show has been enjoying record ratings this political season.

9 p.m. - Life on Mars - ABC - Based on a popular British series, this drama revolves around a cop who winds up back in the 1970s after being involved in a car accident.

9 p.m. - Eleventh Hour - CBS - Also based on a hit British series that starred Patrick Stewart, this new drama follows a doctor who specializes in investigating scientific crimes.

A couple months ago, John McCain put out a campaign ad that said Obama was more like a Britney Spears or Paris Hilton than a trustworthy politician. Paris didn’t like that. She hit back with a hilarious campaign ad of her own. And now she’s back for more. Check out the latest campaign video from Paris:

ORIGINAL

It’s so hard to see a love like this disappear. Hugh Heffner has broken up with one of his 3 girlfriends, Holly. Hugh told me it’s because Holly wants marriage and kids, two things Heff isn’t really…keen on. One of the others, Kendra, also confirmed she’s moving out of the Playboy Mansion, so now Hugh needs two more girlfriends. What’s a man to do!?

Palin on SNL? With luck and time, you betcha! Saturday Night Live head honcho Lorne Michaels and cast member Seth Meyers made the rounds to the media this week playing up the possibility of Palin making a cameo on SNL. So will she or won't she??! "Of those specific rumors, there's no truth. We do have an open-door policy, but there's nothing specific yet, but our window of opportunity is before the election...Our doors are always open."

STAR Artist John Mayer is going back to school. He’s been hanging out at his alma mater, the Berklee College of Music, where he’s been dropping into classes and working on songwriting. He also did a private gig for the students – in between songs he talked about his work and his Berklee experience.

The numbers are in. America elected…to watch the Presidential debate on Tuesday. Over 63 million tuned in to watch Obama and McCain go at it. If you haven’t registered to vote you still can, the deadline is next Wednesday, the 15th. Sites like RockTheVote.com make it really easy. Just enter some basic information, print the sheets and throw on a stamp. I’ve made it easier on you - check out the "Rock the Vote Widget" to the right ---->

STAR Artist Leona Lewis knows how to stick to her guns. She recently turned down a $2 million paycheck because it would have compromised her values as a vegetarian. The gig was just to go to England’s big department store Harrod’s and posing for lots of pictures. The problem? Harrod’s sells fur products.

Briefly:
Wanna see Angelina Jolie breast feeding? I don't know why you would but I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't. Angelina posed for pictures for the cover of W magazine while breast feeding. It hits newsstands on October 21st. Here's a sneak peak.

The rumor that started yesterday that Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant again is being called “a bunch of made up crap.”

Neither Joe Jonas or STAR Artist Taylor Swift have confirmed that they've ever been more than friends, but an unnamed source tells me they've parted ways as a couple.

October 8, 2008

There is NO confirmation this is true but I just wanna put it out there. The National Enquirer is reporting Britney Spears' 17 year-old sister Jamie Lynn is pregnant...again. I hate to say it but the last time she was rumored to be pregnant, she actually was...

Long before the Queen of Everything – Oprah – had her “Favorite Things,” Neiman Marcus released its annual Christmas Book. The 82nd edition is out announcing the list of “must haves” for the upper crust of society of 2008 and into 2009:

--Topping the list as the most expensive item is a $1.3 million wedding at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California.

--For vintage vinyl fans, a 45 RPM singles collection featuring every song on the Billboard Top 100 Rock and Pop charts from January 1, 1955 until December 31, 1990. This collection of 35 years of musical history, including many collectables, is yours for $275,000.

--Here's a perfect gift for the Dallas Cowboys football fan on your list: a Cowboys' Texas Stadium end zone to install in their backyard, priced at just $500,000.

--For golfers, how about a custom backyard golf course designed by greens legend Jack Nicklaus, yours for $1 million.

--In celebration of their 250th anniversary, Guinness is offering to custom-build an Irish pub in your home, plus throw in a trip to Dublin, Ireland. Cost: $250,000.

--In lieu of his and hers cologne this year, artist Nathan Sawaya is willing to sculpt you and yours using Lego bricks for the bargain price of $60,000.

What a surprise – no one got eliminated on Dancing With the Stars. This week’s scores will be combined with next week’s. In light of Misty May-Treanor’s injury I told you about, no one got the boot and surprisingly, no one will be replacing Misty when she leaves to have surgery.

If Nick Nolte wanted a tan he could just try and win STAR 98’s Break for the Beach. Instead, he set his house on fire. Okay, he didn’t really set his house ablaze but an electrical fire did start in his Malibu home. The fire department had the (not so) raging inferno out in 10 minutes and Nolte suffered only minor injuries. However the bar in his living room was completely destroyed – Nolte’s still in shock.

Here’s a match made in heaven for STAR listeners. STAR Artists Rob Thomas and Chris Daughtry are teaming up to play a benefit concert where all money raised will go to Pets Alive, a no-kill animal shelter in New York. Rob and Chris have known each other a while. Rob’s the one that told Chris to turn down the offer to be the lead singer of the band Fuel. They also wrote a song together but it didn’t make it onto Chris’ album.

Speaking of Daughtry...
A couple weeks ago STAR Artist Daughtry re-released their self-titled album, and now another STAR Artist is headin’ down that path. Colbie Caillat will re-release "Coco" with 3 brand new songs as well as live versions of songs by two of her biggest influences: Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. Look for that in stores November 11th and then you can also hear Colbie on STAR Artist Taylor Swift’s new CD coming out November 11th as well. They duet on a song called “Breathe.”

Esquire magazine has named Halle Bery the Sexiest Woman Alive. She humbly accepted the award saying, “I share this title with every woman, because every woman is a nominee for it at any moment." Aww that’s so super nice and generic Halle. You obviously haven’t met Kathy Bates.

STAR Artist Avril Lavigne is all done touring for the time being. What’ll she do now? She’ll continue working on her clothing line, she’s got a fragrance coming out next year and she tells me she really wants to focus on acting. She had a couple of small roles but she’d like to pursue bigger and better things. As for a new record she tells me she doesn’t want to rush into anything, “If I feel like it, then it'll happen. If not, I'll just let it be natural.”

I’ve been telling you about that new EP from STAR Artist Coldplay slated to hit stores later this year – well now I can tell you exactly when later this year. "Prospekt’s March" will hit stores November 25th. Here's the track listing:

"Life in Technicolor ii"
"Postcards From Far Away"
"Glass of Water"
"Rainy Day"
"Prospekt's March/Poppyfields"
"Lost +" (Jay-Z remix)
"Lovers in Japan" (Osaka Sun mix)
"Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground"

October 7, 2008

There could be no lights…no camera…no action. That’s if the Screen Actors Guild elects to strike. Leaders of SAG told me they think members will give the green light to strike if the issue is put to a vote. Actors are basically looking for the same kind of compensation that the writers wanted when they struck back at the beginning of the year. I asked the head of the Screen Actors Guild if he thought it was wrong to strike during such a poor economic climate. He said, “I understand people are afraid the economy's bad, but we're talking about the future, we're talking about the future of actors." The Screen Actors Guild will talk about a possible strike on the 18th.

Republican Presidential nominee John McCain is reportedly in talks to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman around the 15th. Over the past 2 weeks Dave has been pretty unrelenting of his criticism of McCain ever since McCain cancelled his appearance on his show to instead talk to Katie Couric. At the time McCain claimed he was canceling to fly to D.C. to deal with the financial crisis. It has been good between them since.

Much like “the truth”, David Duchovny is “out there.” David is out of rehab which he checked into in August for sex addiction. He’s about to start work on a new movie and has already been photographed out and about walking the street. Not that he’s a street walker…though with his condition I wouldn’t put it past him…

Paris Hilton thinks she’s mommy material. And heck, judging by how little she’s been in the tabloids recently for doing bad things or not wearing underwear, I’m actually ok with that. She told me she wants 3 or 4 kids and wants to start working on that in the next year or two. I’m sure it won’t be a problem. She started practicing about 10 years ago.

STAR Artist Natasha Bedingfield has recorded a new video on YouTube all about her mom’s charity sky dive over Mount Everest I told you about last week. Her mom wants to make $2 million for the charity Global Angels and Natasha is basically just asking for your help it making the goal a reality. Check out the video and if yo'ure so inclined, click the link below the video to donate.Donate here.
Briefly:
STAR Artist Coldplay was named The Best Act in the World Today at the Q Awards yesterday, given out by British music magazine Q. If they were the best act in the world today yesterday, I wonder if they’ll still be the best act in the world today, tomorrow?...

Victoria Beckham fixed her problem skin with geisha facials and a face cream made of nightingale droppings.

STAR Artist Pink will perform at the American Music Awards, November 22nd on ABC.

October 6, 2008

It wasn’t a good weekend to be OJ Simpson. Exactly 13 years after he was acquitted of the murdering his wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman, OJ was convicted of various charges including kidnapping and armed robbery. He and a co-defendant could face a minimum of 15 years in jail or the maximum of life behind bars. OJ’s lawyer has already promised an appeal.

Here's the Complete Box-Office Recap from this past weekend:

1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, $29 million
2. Eagle Eye, $17.7 million
3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, $12 million
4. Nights in Rodanthe, $7.4 million
5. Appaloosa, $5 million
6. Lakeview Terrace, $4.5 million
7. Burn After Reading, $4.08 million
8. Fireproof, $4.07 million
9. An American Carol, $3.8 million
10. Religulous, $3.5 million

Misty May-Treanor may be bowing out of Dancing With the Stars. Over the weekend producers told me she had been injured and received immediate medical attention. She didn’t break any bones but I hear she will have to have surgery on it – she may have injured her Achilles tendon. If she does have to leave Dancing With the Stars, there’s a chance the bootylicious Kim Kardashian might return to tango some more.

STAR Artist Janet Jackson has postponed 3 more shows after becoming suddenly ill before her concert a week ago. She checked into the hospital but was released the same day. We still don’t know what’s wrong with her but a local doctor in Greensboro, where she was supposed to do a show, told her to go home and recuperate.

What’s the new season of American Idol going to be like with the new judge Kara Dioguardi? The judges table will go Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon and in the case of a tie during the audition rounds, Simon will be the tie-breaker just like he was when guests judges came in. Meanwhile I got a glimpse of what the backdrop will look like behind auditioners. It has all 7 winners on it but David Cook, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks have the best pictures and most central location, probably because they’re having the most success. The winner with the tiniest picture and worst location? Taylor Hicks. Whoops!

In the most recent issue of Marie Claire, Lindsay Lohan admits she wants to follow in Angelina Jolie’s footsteps and adopt a child in need or from another country. If she adopts a child in need, the only thing the child will need is a new mom.

HBO announced today one of my favorite shows, Entourage, has been picked up for another season. We're only 5 episodes into the 5th season but it's official - the gang will be back as early as Summer 2009.

October 3, 2008

Here are ALL the movies opening this weekend:

* Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- A spoiled Chihuahua is stuck in Mexico and must find its way back to Beverly Hills, with the help of some doggy pals. Drew Barrymore, George Lopez and Andy Garcia lend their voices. Rated PG.

* Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- Superbad actor Michael Cera and The House Bunny actress Kat Dennings are the title characters, who connect one night while trying to locate a band's secret concert in New York. Rated PG-13.

* How to Lose Friends and Alienate People -- Simon Pegg is a British journalist in New York who seems to irritate everyone around him, including another writer played by Kirsten Dunst. Rated R.

* Blindness -- A city is overwhelmed by an epidemic that's causing its citizens to go blind. The victims are held in a mental asylum where one woman, played by Julianne Moore, pretends she's blind in order to assist her husband and lead a battle against the disease. Rated R.

* An American Carol -- The spoof of A Christmas Carol tells the story of a Michael Moore-like filmmaker who wants to rid the country of the Fourth of July holiday, until he's visited by three spirits from American history. Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, and Jon Voight star in this comedy, helmed by Airplane! and The Naked Gun director David Zucker. Rated PG-13.

* Flash of Genius -- Based on a true story, Greg Kinnear stars as the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and subsequently battled the auto industry in court over the idea. Rated PG-13.

Expanding into wide release:

* Appaloosa -- In this Western, set in 1882, a city marshal and his deputy hunt down a villainous rancher, but they're distracted by a widow, played by Renee Zellweger. Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons also star. Rated R.

And now open in limited release:

* Rachel Getting Married -- Anne Hathaway stars as a recovering drug addict who leaves rehab and returns home for her sister's wedding, causing all sorts of problems in the process. Rated R.

* Religulous -- Bill Maher travels the world and offers his cynical view on organized religion. Rated R.

If you’re an artist that finally wants to break into the big times – all ya gotta do is get on one of five media outlets. A study found that an ad for iTunes is the best way to beef up your success. When STAR Artist Coldplay was in one recently personally playing their song “Viva La Vida,” downloads of the song soared from 295,000 to 950,000. Check out the other top 4 ways to gain immediate success as an artist:

- Appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show
- Have your song in a commercial during the Super Bowl
- Get your song chosen as the iTunes Free Single of the Week
- Have your song performed on American Idol

It’s a Daughtry Baby Boom! Bass player Josh and guitarist Brian just announced both their wives are expecting babies, right around the same time. I guess it’s officially no mystery now what they do on break from tour...

Two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and Dancing with the Stars winner Helio Castroneves has been indicted on federal tax evasion and fraud charges in connection with his alleged use of offshore accounts to hide millions of dollars from the IRS. He’s charged with one count of conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion for purportedly failing to report about 5.5 million dollars in income from 1999 through 2004. Hope he remembers the Cha-Cha because he’ll need some fancy footwork to get out of this mess.

Hustler publisher Larry FLynt has reportedly produced an X-rated movie with an adult film actress who resembles vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. I guess Tina Fey missed her chance to make an easy three grand.

Super fans of STAR Artist David Cook crashed his record company’s website the other day when over 1 million people logged on nearly simultaneously to stream his latest single called “Light On.” His debut album hits stores November 18th.

October 2, 2008

There's a cast list floating around for the new Celebrity Apprentice. Wanna see it?

* Deal or No Deal briefcase model Claudia Jordan
* Singer Brian McKnight
* (Not-so) funnyman Tom Green
* Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian (what a great family)
* Former basketball star Dennis Rodman
* Mother-daughter tandem Joan and Melissa Rivers
* Foul-mouthed comic Andrew Dice Clay
* TLC singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins
* Ex-football player Herschel Walker
* Former ice skater Scott Hamilton
* Poker player Annie Duke
* Country singer/musician Clint Black
* LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis
* Baywatch actress Brande Roderick
* Monster Garage star & Sandra Bullock hubby Jesse James.

The Celebrity Apprentice premieres in January on NBC. It's gonna be an epic disaster.

Former American Idol wanna-be David Archuleta is taking a break from working on his debut album to make his acting debut as himself on the Nickelodeon series iCarly. I hear he’ll be appearing on an American Idol-like show and gets a big spike in votes when he appears on one of Carly’s webcasts. That episode’s a way off - look for that next spring.

STAR Artist Taylor Swift and Camp Rock stars the Jonas Brothers certainly have a lot in common considering their age and what they do for a living. So when they hang out it’s not surprising they talk about music and the industry but Taylor tells me it’s not all about that, “We don't just sit there and geek out over guitar chords 24/7. It's really fun to be around people who do the same thing that I do, because you know when to turn it off.”

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about Leonardo DiCaprio, so let’s do it! He’s got a new movie coming out next week called Body of Lies and in doing the press tour from the movie he has manage to confuse many major entertainment publications. First he told the AP he has no plans to really settle down but then he turned around and told Parade magazine he wanted to “get married and have children.” He did acknowledge that contradicts everything he’s said in the past. His current girlfriend says she doesn’t believe in marriage, “A couple doesn’t need a contract.” Well good luck getting her to sign a prenup, Leo.

Ever since his break up with Jennifer Aniston, STAR Artist John Mayer just isn’t the same carnivorous ladies man he once was. One of his friends tells me he just “isn’t into anyone” and has been spending all his time with longtime friends, even some high school pals who John refers to as his “circle of trust.”

I’ve got some more details about STAR Artist Sara Bareilles’ new live DVD. It includes a full concert in San Francisco, plus behind-the-scene footage and exclusive acoustic performances. If you want to take that San Fran concert with you, they’ve also thrown in a regular CD with the DVD. Look for it in stores October 28th.

After leaving The View over a year ago, Rosie O’Donnell may be getting ready for a full-time return to TV. A source tells me Rosie will host a live primetime special, Rosie’s Variety Show (how creative…) on November 26th, Thanksgiving Eve. It’ll have sketches, musical acts, celebrity guests, and evidently entertainment value – we’ll see about that. The special could dovetail into a full-time job for Rosie starting in 2009.

October 1, 2009

Oprah kicked off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month yesterday when Christina Applegate stopped by to talk about her very recent double mastectomy. In case you missed it, check out a clip here. Warning: your eyes may water a little.

So I guess no one was right about the Dancing With the Stars results show last night. The Vegas odds makers wanted you to bet on Cloris Leachman, I thought it would be Chef Rocco DiSpirito…but no. It turns out no one likes the bootylicious Kim Kardashian. I mean think about it. 2 couples scored less than Kim and America still wanted her off their TV. Guess she’s not as popular as she thinks she is. After the show Kim said, "This was a huge challenge for me. Every dance was a huge accomplishment for me, and I did the best I could. And this was the best experience of my life." Now she can get back to doin' what she does best – gold-diggin’.

The new fall TV season continues tonight with 3 premieres on ABC and one on DirecTV:

Pushing Daisies -- The second season premiere of the quirky hit features Chuck going undercover when a model at a cosmetics company dies from a bee sting. Meanwhile Lily takes Olive to a nunnery so she can't reveal Lily's deep, dark secret. ABC, 7 p.m.

Private Practice -- The adventures of former Grey's Anatomy character Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh, continues. While two men are now competing for her affections, she learns that Naomi is hiding the practice's financial problems. Meanwhile Cooper must decide if he should reveal a medical secret to a patient. ABC, 8 p.m.

Dirty, Sexy Money -- Nick Darling is the guest of honor at a luxurious birthday party on a yacht. Movie actress Lucy Liu joins the cast this season to stir things up. ABC, 9 p.m.

Friday Night Lights -- Season three of the football drama begins an exclusive run on DirecTV tonight with uncut, commercial-free episodes months before they air on NBC in 2009.

A couple of weeks ago I told you about STAR Artist Alicia Keys singin’ the new James Bond movie theme song – now the video is here:
Apparently Jennifer Aniston is so obsessed with maintaining that perfect deep, dark tan, she shelled out $34,00 for two – count ‘em 2 – tanning beds. Supposedly the day before a big photo shoot her old one conked out so she had to go to a public tanning salon which freaked her out so much she bought the two new ones: one to use normally and one as a back-up. So then in about 20 years maybe Jennifer can hire TWO dermatologists to treat her skin cancer. Yeesh.

PBS newswoman Gwen Ifill says she still plans to moderate the first Vice Presidential debate on Thursday night even after breaking her ankle walking down the stair at her home. Maybe she should change her name from Gwen Ifill to Gwen I Fall. Sorry. That was bad.

I got more details on STAR Artist Maroon 5’s appearance on CSI: NY tonight – they’ll be performing their newest song on a rooftop in the city. Make sure you tune in early ‘cause it’s at the very beginning of the episode. 9 p.m. on CBS.

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles will be performing on Brooke Shields’ hit show Lipstick Jungle tonight – 9 p.m. on NBC.