George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Trayvon Martin’s Shooting Death A Florida special prosecutor has decided to charge neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in the shooting death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, sources told ABC News. The decision by Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey is expected to be announced at a 6 p.m. news conference in Jacksonville, Fla. The prosecutor’s ruling is certain to provoke controversy in Sanford, Fla., where shooting took place and across the country. Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic neighborhood watch captain, shot and killed Martin, who was 17 and black, on Feb. 26 after following the teenager for several minutes. The special prosecutor’s ruling came one day after Zimmerman’s legal team quit because they had lost contact with him, and suggested that the pressure of the case had “pushed him over the edge.” His lawyers said that Zimmerman was no longer in Florida and ABC News has learned that prosecutors do not know his exact location. Earlier this week, Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett said his city has become a “kindling box” due to the high emotions surrounding the case, and that he would “plan for the worst and hope for the best.” R.I.P. Trayvon. Source More On Bossip! Don’t Be Ashamed: A Gallery Of Women That Men Are Embarrassed To Admit They’d Chop Down Shook Ones:The Dumbest Celebrity Lies Of All Time Billionaire Beach Bums: BeyBey And Hov Lay Out In St. Barths, First Swimsuit Pictures Since Birth Of Blue Ivy! On The Party Scene: Busty Bangers Sheneka Adams, Erica Mena, And Natalie Nunn Let It All Hang Out In ATL [Photos]
In the States, at least, it may seem odd to make a bitterly funny movie about glum working people caught in the crossfire of political upheaval and state-sanctioned murder. But Pablo Larraín pulls it off with Post Mortem , a modest, mordant little drama set in 1973 Santiago, Chile, just as a military coup is spelling the end for democratically elected President Salvador Allende and setting the stage for the ascent of dictator Augusto Pinochet. If you were a Chilean citizen in the middle of all that, you probably wouldn’t be smiling much, and sure enough, Larrain’s protagonist here, a dour coroner’s assistant named Mario, sets the tone for the movie from the beginning: He’s a gaunt, living ghost, with lank, longish blonde-gray hair – he’d almost be hip, if only he had the energy. As the movie opens, whatever problems Mario (Alfredo Castro) has seem to be of the personal sort. We see that he’s a regular at a local cabaret – the faded, crackled letters on its façade read “Bim Bam Bum” – and learn that he’s infatuated with one of the dancers, Nancy (Antonia Zegers), an enervated-looking girl with hollowed-out eyes that nonetheless know how to calculate. Nancy is Mario’s neighbor, although they meet for the first time when Mario steals backstage one day, just as Nancy is being fired by her boss for being too skinny. He introduces himself tentatively. “Hello, neighbor,” she responds, eyeing him as a cat surveys either a mouse or another cat – it’s hard to say which. Mario and Nancy don’t exactly court – it appears she has a hunky Communist activist boyfriend, which presents something of an obstacle. But Mario’s tenderness toward her is clear: He prepares plates of food for her, hoping to tempt her to eat. When her home is nearly destroyed in a mysterious raid – she’s not home at the time — he enters the wreckage and rescues her injured dog. Nancy begs for his help in finding her father and younger brother, who have been missing since the raid. But the destruction of Nancy’s home is just one element of the violence and paranoia that’s erupting all over the city: Soldiers begin dumping anonymous bodies at the morgue where Mario works, demanding that autopsy protocol be waived; the corpses pile up daily in alarming numbers. Ultimately, those soldiers make him part of their ranks, bringing him in to assist in one extremely significant autopsy — the man lying on the table isn’t just a human being, but a political turning point. Post Mortem starts out at a crawl, but it gathers emotional momentum as it pushes forward. Larraín – director of the 2008 Tony Manero , in which Castro also starred – takes his time letting the story unfold, and most of the movie’s action is implied, framed by sparse lines of dialogue. Still, Larrain manages to do a lot with a little: The picture has a pale, worn-out look, as if the blood is being drained from it even as we watch – like the characters who populate it, it looks ready for some kind of rejuvenation that may never come. That’s particularly true of Castro’s Mario: Castro is a lanky figure who looks preternaturally careworn, in the David Strathairn/Peter Coyote mold. His Mario carries so much worry that it appears to have worn grooves into his bones. What’s happening to his country? Why does this woman, whom he loves so much, torture him with her indifference? And might one be a metaphor for the other? Post Mortem asks all those questions, in a way that’s more emotional than clinical. Rather than rushing to determine the cause of death – of love, or of a country — it stubbornly keeps listening for a heartbeat, even though there may not be one. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Two more cannon shots were heard around the country this week, as The Hunger Games defeated a pair of widely hyped newcomers to wear the box office crown for the third week in a row. Neither American Reunion nor Titanic 3D were any match for Katniss and company: the big screen version of Suzanne Collins’ novel earned $33.5 million on Friday and Saturday to become the sixth-fastest film to reach $300 in domestic receipts. At this pace, The Hunger Games is on target for a final U.S. gross of between $360 million and $370 million. Here’s a look at the top five finishers from Easter weekend: The Hunger Games : $33.5 million American Reunion : $21.5 million Titanic 3D : $17.4 million Wrath of the Titans : $15.0 million Mirror Mirror : $11.0 million
Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery face off over song selections for the ‘Idol’ top eight. By Gil Kaufman and James Montgomery “American Idol” top eight Photo: FOX Last week, we tried to give the “American Idol” top nine some helpful advice with a selection of songs they should sing during Idols week. Of course, they mostly ignored us — except for our girl J.Sanch, who totally did Beyonc
In the wake of the Oakland school shooting , celebrities took to Twitter to express their condolences to the victims and their families and offer thoughts and prayers. A former student shot and killed seven people at Oikos University, a tiny Christian college, yesterday, shocking the nation. Some of the most notable tweets: – “Sending out my prayers for those involved in the classroom shooting at OIKOS University in Oakland, CA. All we need is LOVE” – Khloe Kardashian Odom. – “My prayers go out to those involved in the shooting” – Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria. – “7 dead, 3 injured, suspect caught in college shooting … Heartbreak. Pls Pray #NOW.” – Model/mogul Kathy Ireland. – “Sad for the people killed today in Oakland, CA. I will never understand why people go on these rampages. It’s horrific” – Country singer Chely Wright. – “To the students and families of those affected by the Oikos Christian University shooting, you are all in my prayers tonight. Sick, sick world …” – Travel Channel personality Adam Richman. – “Praying for Oakland.” – MC Hammer.
Miranda Lambert and Kelly Clarkson also took home awards on Sunday night. By Gil Kaufman Photo: Getty Images As the only girl in an all-male category, Taylor Swift faced some long odds to win her second consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards at Sunday night’s 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony. But the 22-year-old proudly became just the second woman to pull off the double play in the fan-voted category, and she told the crowd, “I’m so happy about this … I want to say to my fellow nominees in this category, I respect you so much and I love you.” Swift had to attend the ceremony solo, though, as the New Jersey teenage cancer victim who scored a date with the singer to the show was hospitalized over the weekend. According to a Facebook post, 18-year-old Kevin McGuire — who had tried to invite Swift to his prom — was admitted to the hospital on Friday night. Swift tweeted some well-wishes to her date, writing, “Just talked to Kevin McGuire … He’s not well enough to join me at the ACMs. Please keep him in your thoughts. I’ll make it up to you, Kevin!” Country’s new “it” couple, “The Voice” coach and singer Blake Shelton and wife Miranda Lambert, also won big. In addition co-hosting the show, he snagged Male Vocalist of the Year and she earned Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Four the Record . It was her third Album of the Year win, which ties her with such legends as Alabama and George Strait in the category. “I own every record in this category and I’ve been listening and listening, thinking I’m not going to get it,” she said. “Every record is amazing, and I’m so thrilled. I will never take this trophy for granted. My albums are my babies.” Speaking of reality singing shows, last year’s “American Idol” winner, boggy voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery, was named New Artist of the Year, while the original “Idol,” Kelly Clarkson, snagged two ACM’s thanks to her hook-up with Jason Aldean on “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” The pair picked up Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for their duet. According to the Associated Press the show included a big helping of performances, including Carrie Underwood’s fiery opening, during which she rocked a magenta and black dress minidress with fringe to sing her new single, “Good Girl.” There were also a number of unexpected visits from rock and hip-hop stars, with U2 singer Bono introducing Dierks Bentley and KISS presenting an award to Lady Antebellum while wearing their full stage makeup. LL Cool J was on hand to give a shout-out to veterans alongside Keith Urban, comedian and banjo aficionado Steve Martin hooked up with Rascal Flatts following a tribute to recently departed bluegrass icon Earl Scruggs and Train singer Pat Monahan joined Martin McBride to help a New Jersey couple get married on the show’s stage to the strains of Train’s “Marry Me.” The performance-heavy broadcast also featured a visit from “Two and a Half Men” star Ashton Kutcher, who slapped on a cowboy hat and sang a George Strait song before giving Lambert her Female Vocalist of the Year trophy. Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift
Last night saw The Real Housewives of Atlanta griping, grousing, and falling asleep in their seats. Let’s break down the drama, or lack thereof, in our THG’s +/- recap! Before we get to the event the ladies wished they’d brought their pillows to, let’s start from the beginning. Kim and Cyndi meet for lunch to hash out this Africa mess . Minus 15 . I had hoped that last week’s confrontation in the parking lot would have put the South Africa debacle to bed forever. No such luck. Lunch is … awkward. Cyndi feels that they’ve never really been friends and don’t know one another and since Kim seems to say whatever she wants, why can’t Cynthia. Kim thinks that Cynthia is totally under NeNe’s thumb. So how did we get from that to hugging? I’m still not sure. Kim’s a little afraid that Cynthia’s going to whip out a friendship contract. Plus 5 because I can just picture it and that would have been funny.
Kobe love the old folks *Trick Daddy voice* Most of us could never imagine living to see our 105th birthday. Frankly, most of us won’t. Laker fan Allene Wynn turned 105 years old earlier this week, and she celebrated by taking in the Lakers-Hornets game at the Staples Center on Saturday night. Prior to the game, Wynn got the chance to meet her favorite player, Kobe Bryant. “It just made me feel good all over to meet him in person,” Wynn said according to ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I’ve been wanting to meet him for years. I got to touch him. I shook hands with him and hugged him. I said, ‘Wait, let me hug you, baby.’” Wynn said she watches the Lakers play any chance she gets and that her living room wall is plastered with Lakers memorabilia. Since she was a Laker fan before Kobe was even a thought, Wynn had no problem critiquing his game. “I told him what I thought about his playing,” Wynn said. “I said, ‘You don’t play like I want you to play.’ I said, ‘I done came all the way over here and I don’t want to see none of that sorry stuff.’” You know what they say, black don’t crack! What an incredible birthday gift! Source More On Bossip! BFWTFs: Random Celebrity Buds You Wouldn’t Imagine Hanging Out Watch Your Mouths! Celebrities Caught Making Stupid Racist Comments Poor Thang! Mommy Banger BeyBey Won’t Let Lil Blue Ivy Carter Get Her Shine On, Plus Auntie Solo Strutting Around Downtown A Bunch O’ Heathens! The 10 Least Religious States In The Country
SMH: Police say they arrested a woman carrying more than 4 pounds of cocaine stashed inside a fake pregnant belly strapped around her waist. The federal police says in a statement the 20-year-old woman was arrested Friday morning after arriving at the international airport in the northeastern city of Natal. Police say the woman arrived from central-western Brazil and became nervous during routine questioning of passengers coming from areas where “drug trafficking levels are high.” Police say the woman acknowledged she was carrying 2.1 kilograms (4.6 pounds) of cocaine inside the fake belly. Also arrested was a man waiting for her outside the airport in a taxi. Police did not reveal their identities. Source More On Bossip! BFWTFs: Random Celebrity Buds You Wouldn’t Imagine Hanging Out Watch Your Mouths! Celebrities Caught Making Stupid Racist Comments Poor Thang! Mommy Banger BeyBey Won’t Let Lil Blue Ivy Carter Get Her Shine On, Plus Auntie Solo Strutting Around Downtown A Bunch O’ Heathens! The 10 Least Religious States In The Country
