Tag Archives: Street

Class Warfare: Hundreds Protest Outside Bankers’ Houses In DC

Huge angry mobs converged outside bank employees' houses on Sunday afternoon to demand banks stop lobbying against Wall Street reform. “Bank of America: bad for America!” shouted community leaders outside the house of Bank of America general counsel Gregory Baer. The Chicago-based grassroots organization National People's Action, in coordination with the SEIU, bused more than 700 workers from 20 states to Baer's neighborhood, one of the wealthiest corners of Washington. The action kicks off several days of protests targeting K Street for lobbyists' role in financial reform. Baer himself apparently tried to blend in with the crowd until a neighbor outed him. The mob booed loudly as he walked into his house. “I don't have time for you,” he said, according to Trenda Kennedy of Springfield, Ill. who used a bullhorn to tell the crowd about her trouble getting a mortgage modification from Baer's bank. Kennedy told HuffPost she'd been making reduced monthly payments thanks to a trial modification via the Home Affordable Modification Program. She said that when the bank turned her down for a permanent mod, she was told she still owed all the money she'd been paying during the trial. She said she's been notified of several sheriff's sale dates but has somehow managed to keep her home. “Every time I'm inches away from losing my house, by some miracle it's been pushed off,” said Kennedy, who is a member of Illinois People's Action. Passersby and dogwalkers smiled at the sight of people gathered all over Baer's lawn and blocking the road. Baer's neighbor from across the street won little sympathy when he angrily yelled at protesters for waking up his two-year-old daughter. Kennedy was one of several people used a bullhorn to tell their personal bank horror stories. Story continues below Baer, formerly a senior official at the Treasury department, is a lawyer for the bank's regulator and public policy legal group. Bank of America declined to comment. added by: Omnomynous

Aishwarya Rai: Film Fest Flawless

Aishwarya Rai , who is often called the most beautiful woman in the world, on the red carpet for the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps during the Cannes Film Festival.

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Aishwarya Rai: Film Fest Flawless

We’re Not Sleeping On Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell and her boyfriend (?) walk the red carpet in a very revealing dress for the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps during the Cannes Film Festival.

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We’re Not Sleeping On Naomi Campbell

Cannes Film Festival Fashion: Who Looked Best?

The stars came out for the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, as a number of movies premiered. Some will soon hit theaters and bring in big bucks, such as Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps . But let’s face it: These events are all about the fashion! From Javier Bardem to Diane Lane to Jennifer Hudson, actors, actresses, singers and models all turned out for the festivities. Visit the THG Style Store to purchase these outfits for yourself and grade each celebrity’s look below… [Photos: Splash News]

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Cannes Film Festival Fashion: Who Looked Best?

Salma Hayek: Film Fest Flash

Salma Hayek , with hubby Francois Henri Pinault by her side, shows a little leg on the red carpet for the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps during the Cannes Film Festival.

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Salma Hayek: Film Fest Flash

Shia LaBeouf Admits He Didn’t Like ‘Indiana Jones’ Sequel

‘I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved,’ actor says, days after dissing ‘Transformers’ sequel. By Adam Rosenberg Shia LaBeouf at the “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” photocall at Cannes on Friday Photo: Lorenzo Santini/FilmMagic Were you one of the many “Indiana Jones” fans left disappointed by the 2008 outing “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”? You’re not alone: Star Shia LaBeouf counts himself among the haters. The actor, who only last week told gathered reporters at the Cannes Film Festival that he “wasn’t impressed” with last summer’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” made some equally frank statements over the weekend about his contribution to the Harrison Ford-starring action/adventure series. “I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished,” he said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “You get to monkey-swinging and things like that and you can blame it on the writer and you can blame it on Steven [Spielberg, who directed]. But the actor’s job is to make it come alive and make it work, and I couldn’t do it. So that’s my fault. Simple.” Perhaps most refreshing about the actor’s comments is his respect for the audience. LaBeouf is aware of the perception that’s out there and he’s not afraid to address it directly. “I think the audience is pretty intelligent. I think they know when you’ve made [crap],” he said. “And I think if you don’t acknowledge it, then why do they trust you the next time you’re promoting a movie?” It’s an unusual display of honesty in an industry that is typically driven by studios and publicists fighting hard to control their message. “I’ll probably get a call,” LaBeouf said. “But [Spielberg] needs to hear this. I love him. I love Steven. I have a relationship with Steven that supersedes our business work. And believe me, I talk to him often enough to know that I’m not out of line. And I would never disrespect the man. I think he’s a genius, and he’s given me my whole life. He’s done so much great work that there’s no need for him to feel vulnerable about one film. But when you drop the ball you drop the ball.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Hollywood Descends On The 2010 Cannes Film Festival

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Shia LaBeouf Admits He Didn’t Like ‘Indiana Jones’ Sequel

Camilla Belle Is Cute At Cannes

Camilla Belle walks the red carpet for the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps during the Cannes Film Festival.

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Camilla Belle Is Cute At Cannes

‘Iron Man 2’ Soars Past ‘Robin Hood’ At The Box Office

Superhero sequel holds first place despite competition from Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. By Josh Wigler Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man 2” Photo: Paramount Pictures The Box-Office Top Five #1 “Iron Man 2” ($53 million) #2 “Robin Hood” ($37.1 million) #3 “Letters to Juliet” ($13.8 million) #4 “Just Wright” ($8.5 million) #5 “How to Train Your Dragon” ($5.1 million) “Iron Man 2” held on to the top of the box-office charts for the second weekend in a row despite elevated competition from a slew of new releases, including Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood.” Although the Marvel Studios superhero sequel earned a victorious $53 million from Friday through Sunday, it still suffered a steep 59 percent plunge from its $128.1 million opening weekend. Even with such a sharp decline, “Iron Man 2” already ranks as the second-highest-grossing release of 2010, behind Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Additionally, the movie has grossed an impressive $428.2 million worldwide total after only three weeks in theaters. Director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe returned to their “Gladiator” roots with “Robin Hood” this weekend. The medieval epic came in second place with $37.1 million at the domestic box office and an additional $74 million from foreign showings, resulting in a $111.1 million global total. But with a hefty $200 million production budget and surefire hits such as “Sex and the City 2” and “Shrek Forever After” arriving over the next few weeks, “Robin Hood” faces a challenging road in its quest to cross the profit line. The weekend’s other major new releases, “Letters to Juliet” and “Just Wright,” landed in third and fourth place with $13.8 million and $8.5 million respectively. “Letters” failed to match the success of leading lady Amanda Seyfried’s previous romantic hit, “Dear John.” Fifth place belonged to the continually successful “How to Train Your Dragon” with $5.1 million. Horror remake “A Nightmare on Elm Street” fell to sixth place with $4.7 million. Upcoming Releases Moviegoers can return to the kingdom of Far Far Away next weekend as “Shrek Forever After” enters the box-office arena. The DreamWorks family film goes up against Universal’s “MacGruber,” based on the Will Forte-starring “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Check out everything we’ve got on “Iron Man 2” , “Robin Hood” and “Letters to Juliet.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Iron Man 2’ Gear Up For ‘Iron Man 2’ With These New Clips MTV Rough Cut: ‘Robin Hood’ Related Photos ‘Iron Man 2’ “Robin Hood” ‘Letters To Juliet’

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‘Iron Man 2’ Soars Past ‘Robin Hood’ At The Box Office

Senate votes to keep small banks under fed reserves oversight…disgusting really

The Federal Reserve would continue to oversee smaller banks around the country under a measure adopted Wednesday in the Senate, marking a major victory for the Fed as lawmakers prepare to overhaul the nation's financial regulations. This Story * More restrictions on bank investments are debated * Fed holds on to small banks in Senate bill Under the bill originally introduced by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), the central bank would have been stripped of the ability to regulate all but the handful of banks that hold assets above $50 billion. The Fed's leaders had vehemently opposed that proposal, saying it would undermine the central bank's effectiveness. Lawmakers agreed on Wednesday, passing 91 to 8 an amendment to keep the Fed as the primary supervisor of the thousands of smaller banks across the country. “This amendment ensures that the nation's monetary policy is connected to Main Street and not just to Wall Street,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The vote followed a vigorous campaign by Fed leaders — especially the heads of regional Fed banks, who would have lost most of their regulatory authority. They argued that their oversight of smaller banks provides them a better window into the internal functioning of the economy, noting that those banks have contributed to big economic problems in the past, such as in the 1930s and during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. Proponents of shifting that oversight away from the Fed noted that the central bank regulators had made significant mistakes over the past decade, failing to rein in bad lending practices that contributed to the recent crisis. On Wednesday, banking industry representatives quickly praised the vote. “Preserving Fed supervision over smaller institutions means preserving its access to timely information about the flow of credit to small businesses and in communities of all sizes across the country,” Edward L. Yingling, president of the American Bankers Association, said in a statement. “Community banks are vital to the economic health of the nation and issues that impact these banks and their communities should be a major factor in the Fed's decision making process.” See more at the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051202873…. added by: NotHippie

Friday Box Office: Robin Hood On Target

Break up Universal! While the beleaguered studio’s Robin Hood may not have been able to notch the No. 1 spot on Friday, It will gladly take a $13 million opening on the way to a likely $36 million weekend. (It will handily break $100 million worldwide). That’s about $10 million off the pace of Iron Man 2 , which suffered a Friday-to-Friday drop of more than 70 percent. Letters to Juliet and Just Wright opened at what you might call “modest” and “soft,” respectively, while A Nightmare on Elm Street closed off the Top 5 for the last time in its lucrative, miserable run. Full figures after the jump.

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Friday Box Office: Robin Hood On Target