I couldn’t have guessed back in 1995 that Richard Linklater ‘s charming Before Sunrise would spark one of the most beloved trilogies of the next few decades, but anticipation has been so high for the latest chapter in Jesse ( Ethan Hawke ) and Celine’s ( Julie Delpy ) arrested romance that it was only natural we’d be longing for more after 2004’s Before Sunset . Shot in secret, the third film in the series, Before Midnight , premiered last night at Sundance to rave reviews and today brings a few new photos that’ll have you pining even harder for whenever it’s delivered to theaters. Via The Playlist : Without walking and talking into spoiler territory, let’s just say Sundance critics were largely over the moon for the pic, which was also written by Delpy, Hawke, and Linklater. Slate goes so far as to say it’s “not only good, but so good it approaches perfection.” Perfection , people! THR calls it “funny and harrowing,” for what it’s worth, which sounds… promising? Indiewire lauds it “Linklater’s most refined achievement,” although The Guardian goes against the grain, labeling it “forced and unnecessary.” Read more from the Sundance Film Festival : ‘The East’: How Marling & Batmanglij’s Dumpster-Diving Freegan Summer Inspired The Eco-Anarchist Sundance Thriller ‘Austenland’ Director’s Note: Jerusha Hess On Her ‘Girlishly Indulgent’ Sundance Rom-Com SUNDANCE: ‘Sound City’ Premiere Finds Dave Grohl Rocking With Rick Springfield Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Forget Justin Bieber smoking weed . This young singer has a much bigger problem on his hands? Well… in his pants: The Biebs is a crack dealer! That’s the hilarious description manager Scotter Braun used to describe his client after Bieber posted a photo to Instagram in which his drops trou and gives the world a peek at what was once reserved for Selena Gomez . Consider yourself warned, readers. Or perhaps aroused… Bieber has since deleted the picture, but not before it made the Internet rounds and Braun Tweeted: “as a prankster u have to respect another good prank. only makes sense. #crackdealer” Is Bieber giving Gomez a look at what she’ll now miss? Giving a little Eff You to his critics? Simply having fun? It’s unclear. But we’re guessing a few million female followers don’t mind pondering the possibilities as they swoon over his moon.
A look back at this epic year in celebrity news would not be complete without reflecting upon some of the brightest stars who said goodbye to us in 2012. Here are 12 of the most notable pop culture figures – from singers to actors to authors and even historical figures – who passed away this year: Donna Summer – Last Dance 12. Donna Summer , disco’s queen, became synonymous with an entire genre of music with hits like “Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance.” 11. Ray Bradbury was an author ahead of even his sci-fi time. 10. Jenni Rivera . The popular Mexican singer-actress was taken from us – and her family – far, far too soon this month in a tragic plane crash. 9. Larry Hagman . Dallas star was the original TV villain. 8. Mitchell Guist . The Swamp People star attracted an enormous following thanks to his reality show, and the reaction to his passing was immense. 7. Nora Ephron ‘s screenplays – When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle – have been often imitated but never duplicated in modern cinema. Phyllis Diller Standup 6. Phyllis Diller hilariously made herself the butt of her own jokes, but more importantly shattered the glass ceiling of comedy over a decades-long career. 5. Don Cornelius ‘ Soul Train didn’t just provide great music, it empowered a black audience and informed a white audience in a vast cultural experience. 4. Steve Sabol may not be a household name, but the NFL Films founder forever changed the way we watch the most popular sport in America. 3. Neil Armstrong & Sally Ride , the first man on the moon and first woman in space, were both pioneers outside of our atmosphere and inspirations on Earth. 2. Dick Clark may not have invented popular music, the American teenager or New Year’s Eve, but he left an indelible mark on all of the above. Whitney Houston National Anthem: The Best Ever 1. Whitney Houston ‘s final years were not what millions of fans would have hoped for, but her legacy and the power of her voice never diminished. These are just a dozen of the memorable figures we bid farewell to, of course. Share the names and memories of these and others you will miss below!
Kevin Federline’s brother Chris says he not only had an affair with Britney Spears, but fathered her oldest son Sean, according to a new bombshell tabloid report. Christopher Federline, as reported by the National Enquirer, filed for a restraining order against Britney on December 18 in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla. Claiming The X Factor judge stole from, blackmailed and harassed him. Obvi. “She is out-of-control and a maniac,” Chris Federline said in the court docs. Say what now? Well, he explains, or at least tries to … Chris claims Britney recently “went to Kevin’s house to pick up Sean Preston and Jayden James , and [his] wallet was on Kevin’s coffee table.” Britney, he says, “opened it up and stole [his] Capital One credit card.” C-Fed says Britney racked up $4,500 in charges, and also “laughed at me [and] told me my brother Kevin ruined her life, and made fun of me and told me I have a small penis.” That covers all bases right there. As for the illegitimate he claims he fathered, Chris says he got the pop star pregnant while she was married to K-Fed – and that SHE threatened to expose it. “She also blackmailed me and told me if I tell the police that she stole my credit card, that she will tell the world I’m the true father of Sean Preston, not Kevin.” “I do confess I slept with Britney, and I am the true father, but the public does not need to know,” he admitted … to a f–king celebrity gossip magazine. Makes perfect sense to us. Yet, when he asked for his card back, she “just laughed” and “threatened to tell Kevin she and Chris had sex while she was married to Kevin … and tell everyone.” It’s unclear how many times they allegedly fornicated while both were married, but Chris says he regrets the affair with Britney and didn’t want it to get out. An insider says, “Chris says the fling was a mistake” and he “always felt bad and kept it to himself because he didn’t want Alisha, his wife at the time, to know.” If the recent Britney split rumors are true, she and Jason Trawick are on the rocks. Maybe she and Chris can patch up their differences … in the sack!
Demi Lovato has come out with a special new single. Almost two weeks after 26 individuals lost their lives at the hands of Adam Lanza , The X Factor judge has dedicated a version of “Angels Among Us” to those affected by the massacre. Demi Lovato – “Angels Among Us” “We can never imagine what the families in Newtown, CT are experiencing right now,” the video says in its opening. “And while there is nothing we can do to replace their loss, we can stand together and support them during this difficult time. This song is in honor of those angels we lost on December 14.” It’s a beautiful gesture, a lot more uplifting than Jesse James’ gun rant . Thank you, Demi, for striking the perfect note with this song.
After two and a half years of dating, Wissam Al Mana and Janet Jackson are engaged, according to a new report – and they’re planning a secret wedding to boot! Wissam Al Mana “gave her a huge, expensive ring” earlier this year, Us Weekly claims. So big, in fact, “She’s afraid it will get lost, so she keeps it locked up!” The luxury-brand mogul, 37, spares no expense when it comes to the 46-year-old sister of Michael Jackson. Insiders say they’ll wed in spring in his native Qatar. The wedding “will cost millions,” reveals a Jackson insider to the celebrity magazine. “He is flying in all of Janet’s friends and family on private jets.” That would be … pricey. Janet Jackson, of course, has seven siblings and more than 20 nieces and nephews, plus her parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. And that’s not all. Adds the source, “He wants to get a top chef to create a custom menu.” The ceremony will undoubtedly be “a circus,” another source says. While the private Janet has yet to confirm the big news personally, she is said to be over the moon about the wedding, and starting a family with Wissam Al Mana. “She wants kids,” says the Jackson source. “If she can’t have them, she will adopt.” Congratulations to Janet and Wissam – if in fact this piece of celebrity news is true!
‘I’m pretty scared,’ the ‘American Idol’ champ says of expectations for his debut disc, The World From the Side of the Moon. By James Montgomery Phillip Phillips Photo: MTV News
Mark Wahlberg : The new Shia LaBeouf ? Michael Bay and Paramount announced Thursday that Wahlberg, who stars in Bay’s real life crime pic Pain & Gain , will lead the franchise sequel Transformers 4 . “An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers ’ legacy,” said Bay in a statement. LaBeouf’s run as the squirrelly-scrappy lead of the Transformers franchise ended with Transformers: Dark of The Moon (he’s moving onward to more artsy fare, anyway — Von Trier ahoy !), but casting someone like Wahlberg changes the game considerably. He’s got the star power of Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel in one. He was nominated twice for the Oscar. He is Mark Wahlberg . I imagine this deal going down one day on the Pain & Gain set over beers, Wahlberg in his Pain & Gain tracksuit ( or maybe this short shorts outfit ) and Bay in a smoking jacket, because for some reason I always picture Michael Bay in a smoking jacket. Feel the vibration! Full press release follows; weigh in on the casting move below. Does it change your feelings on Bay’s mega-blockbuster robot franchise at all? Can we now conceivably picture Transformers and Pain & Gain as connected worlds in the Michael Bay multiverse? HOLLYWOOD, CA (November 8, 2012) – After an exceptionally successful collaboration on the upcoming “Pain and Gain,” Michael Bay has cast Academy Award®-nominee Mark Wahlberg in the highly anticipated “TRANSFORMERS 4.” The film will hit theaters June 27th, 2014. “Mark is awesome. We had a blast working on “Pain and Gain” and I’m so fired up to be back working with him. An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers’ legacy,” said Bay. Bay will direct the next installment in the “TRANSFORMERS” series, which begins shooting next spring. From Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., in association with Hasbro, the film will be produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Bay’s first “TRANSFORMERS” film was a box office sensation in 2007, opening at #1 and earning more than $700 million worldwide. His second installment “TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN” in 2009 grossed more than $830 million worldwide. In 2011, “TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON” was an even bigger hit worldwide, grossing more than a billion dollars to become the 5th highest grossing film of all time. To date, the franchise has earned more than $2.6 billion worldwide. From acclaimed director Michael Bay comes “Pain and Gain,” a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie. Based on the unbelievable true story of three personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong. Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson, and Bar Paly also star. The film is based on magazine articles by Pete Collins, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and produced by Donald DeLine, Michael Bay and Ian Bryce. “PAIN AND GAIN” opens in theaters everywhere April 26th, 2013.
Forget the zombie apocalypse . The far more significant Mayan apocalypse is nigh. Just two more months to live, people of Earth! If you believe in that sort of thing. Today (October 21) starts the two-month countdown toward doomsday, according to an interpretation of the Mayan calendar that predicts the end of the world on 12/21/12. Which sucks, but the upside? No wasting time and money Christmas shopping. Two ancient texts traced back to the ancient civilization confirm the end date of the Mayan Long Count calendar on the winter solstice of this year, or December 21, 2012. That day is the last day of the 13th bak’tun, or 144,000-day cycle, of the calendar. Ancient Mayans saw the end of the 13th bak’tun as the end of a full cycle of creation. We. Are. F*%ked. Not all scholars believe that the Mayan Apocalypse will bring fire and brimstone, but better safe than sorry. Time to burn through your savings and live like you’re dying now. The economy could really use it. Will the world end 12/21/12? Yes No Unclear View Poll »
