Poor lil Lam-Lam ! Lamar Odom Admits Cousin’s Death Affected His Basketball Performance This is actually pretty sad and we feel for Lamar right now: According to RadarOnline.com reports : Lamar Odom has made an intimate confession to his three million Twitter followers in a bid to explain his woeful performance for the Dallas Mavericks this season. The 32-year-old NBA veteran, who had been at the top of the game for a staggering 13 years before this recent dip in form, got into an argument with angry Mavs fans after he tweeted a message that ended: ‘The comeback kid!’ Lamar, whose starry life away from the basketball court with wife Khloé Kardashian hasn’t helped his standing with frustrated Texans, infuriated some followers by suggesting that if he improves his game, he could be the next P. Diddy. He wrote in full: “Being the best basketball player I can possibly be will allow 2 become the next P.Diddy. I know whats fly! Dis the Year. ThecomeBackKid!” One fan, called TJPerry, shot back: “Maybe should’ve thought about ‘being the best’ when you were collecting a check from the mavs instead of sulking like a b!” Odom initially replied: “Use your platform 2 speak wisely and be an honorable fan not a fan-atic. there is a difference . just look u follow me. luckyU!LuvYa” But when other fans chimed in to ask if the criticism was unjust, Lamar opened up to an unexpected degree. He responded: “It was hard to 2 get the picture of my cuz who was 24 was shot in the head out of my mind! Thanks 4 support.” As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Khloé’s husband was also the passenger in an accident where a 15-year-old boy was killed during the past year. In addition, the troubled athlete has been dealing with his ailing father, and persistent rumors that his two-and-a-half year long marriage is in trouble. The couple are taking a break from their E! reality show, Khloé & Lamar, as Lamar tries to get back on top of his game. The price of fame… Lamar is really feeling the backlash from his high-profile marriage and reality tv fame. We hope that he recovers from his family mourning and is able to get back on his square. The tweets are below: Twitter/WENN
Cinco de Mayo weekend will surely belong to Marvel’s The Avengers , which has already racked up $18.7 million in U.S. grosses courtesy of last night’s midnight screenings. The superhero filled adventure has been pegged as possibly this year’s biggest box office draw — time will tell . But for those who want to check out something else besides superheroes (or want to resuscitate from its aftermath) there are plenty of specialty releases opening this weekend including Fox Searchlight’s India-set The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , Sundance Selects’ dance doc First Position , ATO’s water doc Last Call at the Oasis , Kathleen Turner starrer The Perfect Family . And, if you need a little more Samuel L. Jackson in your life post- Avengers , check out his other opener Meeting Evil . Marvel’s The Avengers (Opening Wide) Director: Joss Whedon Writers Zak Penn (story), Joss Whedon (story and screenplay), Stan Lee (comic book), Jack Kirby (comic book) Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson Destined to be the big box office draw of 2012 (so far), Marvel’s The Avengers features a “Super Hero team of a lifetime. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow battle an enemy that threatens global safety. The director of the international peacekeeping agency – S.H.I.E.L.D. – assembles the team to save the world from certain disaster. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Limited Release) Director John Madden Writers: Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel) Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith Distributor: Fox Searchlight The feature revolves around a group of British retirees who move to India to “outsource” their retirement in a less expensive but exotic locale. They’re drawn by advertisements to the newly refurbished Marigold Hotel, but arrive to find it less than they envisioned. Less luxurious than they had oped, they’re nevertheless transformed by their shared experience, “discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.” Marigold shot in October 2010 in India, which producer Graham Broadbent described as an “extraordinary, bewildering place.” They arrived with a small crew from the U.K., which was met by a massive team from India during their 45-day stay. “There were 350 people in the crew,” said Broadbent. “In the U.K. we’d expect maybe 120.” First Position (Limited Release) Director: Bess Kargman Subjects: Aran Bell, Gaya Bommer Yemini, Michaela Deprince Distributor: Sundance Selects Check out Movieline’s exclusive clip from First Position : (http://movieline.com/2012/05/04/first-position-clip-whats-it-take-to-be-a-boy-in-ballet-exclusive/) The doc is an inspirational look at six ballet dancers ages 9 to 19 who sacrifice physically and emotionally on their way to one of the most prestigious youth ballet competitions in the world. First Position takes a year-long look at children around the world who strive to master an art form despite the odds. “We fell in love with these kids who are striving to do their best with the pressures they’re facing,” Sundance Selects exec Ryan Werner said about the film. His company picked up the title at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and since then it has won awards at Doc NYC and at festivals in Portland, Dallas and San Francisco. Also sure to give the doc a push is the fact that one of its characters is on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars . Nightline and Good Morning America are doing stories on the film. First Position is available on demand and will open in theaters in New York and L.A. this weekend. “We’re actively pursuing the dance community as we did for [our other recent dance doc] Pina, but also people who are interested in a ‘great story.'” Last Call At The Oasis Director: Jessica Yu Writer: Jessica Yu Subjects: Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Jay Famiglietti, Peter H. Gleick Distributor: ATO Pictures in partnership with Participant Media This doc is a wakeup call about the worldwide water crisis. Featuring activists Erin Brockovich and others, the film exposes how water will become one of the biggest challenges society will face this century and offers up solutions. Selling a documentary about the world’s looming water crisis may be a tough sell at best. But there are potential solutions to drum up interest at low to no cost and the film’s distributor has been working those avenues. Director Jessica Yu joined a packed house at the Ford Foundation in Manhattan last month for a screening of the film which kicked off the 4th annual “Envision” conference, which focuses on issues relating to a “sustainable future,” co-hosted by the U.N. and the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP). “Part of the publicity is reaching out to NGOs,” said ATO Pictures co-president Jonathan Dorfman. “And [partner] Participant ( An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman ) has a lot of great relationships with those groups…They deliver on the docs.” ATO first saw the film last year in Toronto and were impressed by its quality and the highly regarded people who appear in the feature. “There are serious experts like Erin Brokovich and others who know [a lot] about this,” noted Dorfamn who added that the famed environmental advocate made famous by Julia Roberts portrayal of her back in 2000 will be heading to Los Angeles post-screening Q&As at the Landmark on Friday and has also been doing press to promote the film. Meeting Evil (Limited Release) Director: Chris Fisher Writers: Thomas Berger (novel), Chris Fisher Cast: Luke Wilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Leslie Bibb, Peyton List It’s not just The Avengers actor Samuel L. Jackson has going on this weekend, he’s also starring in this weekend’s crime thriller, Meeting Evil . The film centers on John (Luke Wilson) a depressed suburban family man who is recently unemployed. After he stops to help a stranger with his car, he’s forced into a surreal murder-filled ride that forces him to confront everything about his life. The Perfect Family Director: Anne Renton Writers: Paula Goldberg, Claire V. Riley Cast: Kathleen Turner, Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter Religious mom Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner) is nominated for the coveted Catholic Woman of the Year Award at her local parish, but she has one challenge – her non-conformist family. Her gay daughter Shannon (Emily Deschanel) want to marry her partner and her unhappily married son Frank Jr. (Jason Ritter) is hooking up with a local manicurist. Meanwhile, her own marriage to a recovering alcoholic is less than ideal. With a budget of less than $1 million and a script, they turned to actress Kathleen Turner for the main role. “We were trying to put together as good of a cast as we possibly could to maximize attention and press,” producer Cora Olson said. After implementing some script changes Turner requested Olson and her producing partner Jennifer Dubin reached out to Emily Deschanel who they knew socially to join the cast and they also sought out Jason Ritter, who worked on their previous project Good Dick, which they also produced and released. The Perfect Family shot 19 days in Los Angeles, which she said ran pretty smoothly. “Jen and I have done a lot of these types of films and it’s important to get crews who understand this kind of schedule,” she said. The film debuted last year at Tribeca and Present Pictures has partnered with Variance Pictures for the theatrical release. [Comments and other portions of this article were previously published in Brian Brooks’ weekly specialty preview article on Deadline .]
From tuna fish to John Mayer, we’ve got some parenting advice for the proud new mama. By James Montgomery Jessica Simpson Photo: Getty Images On Tuesday (May 1), Jessica Simpson and her fianc
It’s a great time to be a fan of Carrie Underwood. The season four American Idol champion released her fourth studio album today, while also announcing a number of upcoming tour dates AND looking ridiculously hot in the pages of the latest Glamour . To wit: Yeah. Once you eventually remove your eyes from those pics, and the drool from your keyboard, read on to find out when Carrie will be coming to a city near you, and check out her performance below of “Good Girl” on The Late Show with David Letterman: 5-26 Baton Rouge, LA – Bayou Country Superfest 6-21 London, England – Royal Albert Hall 8-12 Toronto, ON Canada – Boots & Hearts Music Festival 9-14 Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena 9-15 Bridgeport, CT – Webster Bank Arena 9-17 Providence, RI – Dunkin’ Donuts Center 9-19 Worcester, MA – DCU Center 9-20 Reading, PA – Sovereign Center 9-22 Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center 9-23 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 9-26 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center 9-27 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center 9-29 Fargo, ND – FARGODOME Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl” (Live on The Late Show) 10-1 Saskatoon, SK – Canada Credit Union Centre 10-2 Calgary, AB Canada – Scotiabank Saddledome 10-4 Vancouver, BC Canada – Rogers Arena 10-6 Seattle, WA – Key Arena at Seattle Center 10-7 Portland, OR – Rose Garden 10-10 West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center 10-12 Reno, NV – Reno Events Center 10-13 Sacramento, CA – Power Balance Pavilion 10-14 San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion at San Jose 10-16 Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center 10-18 Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena 10-20 San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center 10-21 Glendale, AZ – jobing.com Arena 10-24 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Arena 10-25 Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena 10-27 Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena 10-28 Springfield, MO – JQH Arena 11-3 Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena 11-4 Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum 11-7 Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena 11-9 Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall 11-10 Hartford, CT – XL Center 11-13 University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center 11-15 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena 11-16 Moline, IL – i wireless Center 11-20 St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center 11-21 Tulsa, OK – BOK Center 11-24 Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse 11-25 Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills 11-27 Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center 11-28 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center 11-30 Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum 12-1 Newark, NJ – Prudential Center 12-4 Albany, NY – Times Union Center 12-6 London, ON – Canada John Labatt Centre 12-8 Kanata, ON – Canada Scotiabank Place 12-11 Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center 12-12 Chicago, IL – United Center 12-14 Des Moines, IA – Iowa Events Center 12-15 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center 12-18 Memphis, TN – FedExForum 12-19 Duluth, GA – Arena at Gwinnett Center 12-21 Orlando, FL – Amway Center 12-22 Sunrise, FL – BankAtlantic Center
U.S. tour dates kick off with a July 16 show in Chicago. By Gil Kaufman Nicki Minaj Photo: Getty Images Nicki Minaj has announced the first North American dates for her “Pink Friday” tour, which will kick off on July 16 with a gig at the Chicago Theatre. The 15-stop sequel to her sold-out debut international outing is slated to run through an August 12 date in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. With capacities ranging from 2,800 to close to 7,000, the tour is likely to sell out quickly considering that tickets for Minaj’s shows in the U.K., Japan and Australia sold out within hours of going on sale, according to a release announcing the road trip. Along with the official tour dates, Minaj will also hit a number of radio shows in the coming months, starting with a May 10 stop at the KYLD “WiLD Jam 2012, which will also feature Bay legend E-40, Gym Class Heroes, B.o.B. and Neon Hitch. She’ll swing by the KPWR gig in Los Angeles on May 12, then the WRDR show in Philadelphia on June 1, the WJMN gig in Boston on June 2, the Hot 97 Summer Jam in New York on June 3 and WZMX’s July 20 show in Hartford. For fans with a little extra coin, Nicki will be offering another shot at her VIP meet and greets on the tour, where Barbz will get a chance to have early access to the venue on the night of the show, get some face time with Minaj, as well as autographs and photos. Information on the VIP deals can be found on her website . Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday (May 4). Minaj just released the beach-tastic video for her pop single, “Starships,” ? and is in the process of shooting the clip for her next one, “Right By My Side.” Nicki Minaj tour dates:
Lamar Odom has succeeded where so many before him have failed: at standing up to Kris Jenner. The Kardashian matriarch had reportedly been pressuring her son-in-law to give up professional basketball and dedicate himself fully to the life of a talentless, shameless hack reality TV star. But TMZ now confirms Odom has gone in the opposite direction and will be concluding his series with wife Khloe Kardashian after this season in order to focus on his faltering NBA career. The heretofore solid sixth man was placed on the inactive list by the Dallas Mavericks a few weeks ago after failing to connect with teammates, showing general laziness and falling to career lows in points and rebounds. He’s now intent, though, on reviving his career, with insiders saying he’ll reside full-time in Los Angeles and work out with personal trainers. The most recent episode of Khloe & Lamar earned -65 points from our critic, as it focused on Khloe’s family visiting the struggling couple in Dallas.
Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga might soon get killed by Will Smith. Wait… what?!? Men in Black III director Barry Sonnenfeld confirmed in an interview with Collider this week that the music superstars will actually cameo in his upcoming blockbuster, though you’re unlikely to be aware of it as you watch Agents J and K in action. “In this [installment] there are a few people that you’ll see up on the surveillance board, including Lady Gaga, Tim Burton, who probably knows more about aliens than I do, and let’s see who else… Justin Bieber,” Sonnenfeld told the website. “The challenge is getting celebrities that are famous, will give you permission and won’t be like ‘Who’s that guy?’ in 10 years.” In the 2002 sequel to this franchise, Michael Jackson actually played the role of an alien for a brief scene. The film comes out on May 25 and you can watch the Men in Black III trailer now. Can you spot Bieber and/or Gaga in it?!?
Lindsay Lohan has just signed on to play Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime movie, much to the chagrin of Rosie O’Donnell . The actress is thrilled about the opportunity. In fact, she’s felt a kinship with the late Hollywood legend before. In 2006, at age 19, Lindsay posed as Taylor, who passed away in 2011, for Interview magazine in photos taken by Karl Lagerfeld – including a cover shot. Take a look at the striking resemblance below … The shots are powerful, with Lohan managing to capture much of Taylor’s vulnerability and beauty, traits that helped win her the role in the Lifetime film. Of course, this was before Lindsay Lohan’s plastic surgery and/or hard-partying ways altered her appearance drastically. But that’s neither here nor there. It has not been revealed who will star opposite Lohan as Richard Burton in Liz & Dick , but the 25-year-old actress is heavily insured and raring to go.
Demi Lovato is on her way back home. The young singer, who has been touring South America (watch this fun performance of ” Niggas in Paris ” now!), announced this week plans and locations for a U.S. tour. Demi Lovato – “Skyscraper” (Live in Chile) When might Lovato be coming to a city or arena near you? Having battled through significant drug use , Lovato will be hitting the following locations over the following couple months… 6/12 – Del Mar, CA, The Del Mar Fairgrounds 6/22 – Holmdel, NJ, The PNC Bank Arts Center 6/23 – Hershey, PA, Star Pavilion at Hersheypark Stadium 6/24 – Vienna, VA, Filene Center at Wolf Trap 6/26 – Saratoga Springs, NY, Saratoga Performing Arts Center 6/30 – Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino 7/1 – Canandaigua, NY, Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center 7/3 – Toronto, ON, Molson Canadian Amphitheatre 7/5 – Boston, MA, Bank of America Pavilion 7/6 – Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center 7/12 – Salt Lake City, UT, EnergySolutions Arena 7/13 – Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre 7/14 – Las Vegas, NV, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – Theatre for Performing Arts 7/15 – Bakersfield, CA, Rabobank Arena Theater & Convention Center 7/17 – San Jose, CA, San Jose Event Center 7/18 – Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre 8/4 – Highland Park, IL, Ravinia Festival 8/11 – Springfield, IL, Illinois State Fair 8/27 – Essex Junction, VT, Champlain Valley Exposition 8/30 – Monroe, WA, Evergreen State Fair 9/1 – Salem, OR, Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilio
Only five American Idol finalists remain – but 10 will soon be coming to a city near you. The Fox series has announced its full slate of summer tour stops, as Skylar Laine , Phillips Phillips and the remaining contestants will be joined by the five most recently eliminated singers, starting in Detroit on July 6. Skylar Laine -“Tattoos on This Town” Who are you most excited to see in person? Ponder that question as you plan when you’ll go see the Idols in tour. Dates/locations are listed below. Jul 06 – Detroit, MI at Joe Louis Arena Jul 07 – Rosemont, IL at Allstate Arena Jul 09 – Minneapolis, MN at Target Center Jul 11 – St. Louis, MO at Scottrade Center Jul 12 – Kansas City, MO at Sprint Center Jul 14 – Broomfield, CO at 1STBANK Center Jul 16 – West Valley City, UT at Maverik Center Jul 18 – Seattle, WA at Key Arena at Seattle Center Jul 19 – Portland, OR at Rose Garden Jul 21 – Sacramento, CA at Power Balance Pavilion Jul 22 – San Jose, CA at HP Pavilion at San Jose Jul 23 – Los Angeles, CA at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE Jul 25 – Ontario, CA at Citizens Business Bank Arena Jul 26 – San Diego, CA at Valley View Casino Center Jul 27 – Glendale, AZ at Jobing.com Arena Jul 29 – Dallas, TX at American Airlines Center Jul 30 – Lafayette, LA at Cajundome Jul 31 – Jackson, MS at Mississippi Coliseum Aug 02 – Orlando, FL at Amway Center Aug 03 – Sunrise, FL at BankAtlantic Center Aug 05 – Duluth, GA at Arena at Gwinnett Center Aug 06 – N. Charleston, SC at North Charleston Coliseum Aug 08 – Washington, DC at Verizon Center Aug 09 – Baltimore, MD at 1st Mariner Arena Aug 11 – Columbus, OH at Schottenstein Center Aug 12 – Nashville, TN at Bridgestone Arena Aug 14 – Pittsburgh, PA at Consol Energy Center Aug 15 – Rochester, NY at Blue Cross Arena Aug 16 – Toronto, ON at Air Canada Centre Aug 18 – Manchester, NH at Verizon Wireless Arena Aug 19 – Worcester, MA at DCU Center Aug 21 – Philadelphia, PA at Wells Fargo Center Aug 22 – Long Island, NY at Nassau Coliseum Aug 25 – Portland, ME at Cumberland County Civic Center Aug 26 – Providence, RI at Dunkin Donuts Center Aug 28 – Newark, NJ at Prudential Center Aug 30 – Albany, NY at Times Union Center Sept 01 – Bridgeport, CT at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard Sept 02 – Uncasville, CT at Mohegan Sun Arena Sept 04 – Syracuse, NY at War Memorial at OnCenter Sept 06 – Wilkes Barre, PA at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza Sept 07 – Atlantic City, NJ at Boardwalk Hall Sept 08 – Reading, PA at Sovereign Center Sept 10 – Cincinnati, OH at US Bank Arena Sept 11 – Milwaukee, WI at Bradley Center
