Doug Lamborn is really sorry. When he referred to President Barack Obama’s economic policy as a “tar baby” this week, he meant to use the word “quagmire.” Hey, we’ve all been there, right? In a radio show interview over the weekend, the Colorado Congressman said: “Even if some people say, ‘Well the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that,’ they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don’t even want to have to be associated with him. It’s like touching a tar baby and you get it, you’re stuck, and you’re a part of the problem now and you can’t get away.” Dough Lamborn on Obama Lamborn has since sent a letter of apology to the President and his office released the following statement: The congressman was “attempting to tell a radio audience last week that the president’s policies have created an economic quagmire for the nation and are responsible for the dismal economic conditions our country faces. He regrets that he chose the phrase ‘tar baby,’ rather than the word ‘quagmire.’ The politician told The Denver Post : “I absolutely intended no offense, and if this is at all on his radar screen, I am sure that he will not take offense and he’ll be happy to accept my apology because he is a man of character.” Seriously, who even has the term “tar baby” in his vernacular these days?!?
Why was alien/Western mash-up’s $36.2 million debut considered a failure? By Eric Ditzian Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in “Cowboys & Aliens” Photo: Universal Hollywood box-office quiz time! One Steven Spielberg-produced alien flick based on an original idea hits theaters this summer, earns $35.4 million in its opening weekend and is roundly praised as proof that original ideas (those not based on board games and theme-park rides and the like) can thrive in the pop-culture marketplace. Another Steven Spielberg-produced alien flick that might as well have been based on an original idea (considering how few people had actually read the graphic novel on which it was based and how screenwriters changed everything except the title) hits theaters this summer, opens to $36.2 million during its first weekend and is tagged a major disappointment. What gives? Well, in the comparison between the praised “Super 8” and the rebuked “Cowboys & Aliens,” a lot, including budget, talent and a certain genre hybrid that just never seems to connect with moviegoers. ” ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ arrived with big-budget Hollywood hype — the stars (Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig), the huge budget ($160+ mil), and the above-the-line pedigree (Jon Favreau, Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg),” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “On the other end of the spectrum, ‘Super 8’ carried none of the big production clutter, and most impressively, was made for a third of what ‘C&A’ cost.” Projections heading into the weekend pegged “Cowboys” to gross in the $40 million to $50 million range, on par with something you’d expect from a movie based on an original idea with marquee talent on both sides of the camera. But reviews were tepid, the public has never shown a deep love for alien/Western mash-ups and, as Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru notes, “Cowboys” was the eleventh action movie released this summer. Its audience was also 53 percent male, leading Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com, to speculate that Universal could have tried to appeal more to women. “[Star] Olivia Wilde wasn’t included in the marketing blitz as much as she should have been,” he said. “Going after fanboys can be a risky bet, because it often means that you’re alienating other groups.” Perhaps “Cowboys” might have excelled at the box office in March, when even something like “Battle: Los Angeles” (a poorly reviewed original movie, its most recognizable face Aaron Eckhart’s) was able to gross $35.6 million. Between the crowded summer calendar, the weak reviews and the unpalatable subject matter, “Cowboys” simply had too many cards stacked against it to thrive. It’s likely to drop hugely in its second weekend. While hardly an outright bomb like “Sucker Punch,” another original concept, “Cowboys” has stumbled enough to provide Hollywood with some valuable lessons. To begin, studios are likely to stay far away from the alien/Western concept for a while. What’s more, “Cowboys” shows once again that even A-list talent can’t ensure a big opening. But what “Cowboys” won’t do is make Hollywood shy away from basing films on less-recognizable properties or even original ideas altogether. “Studios are already gambling on properties that are not based on recognizable properties, and most of them are big-budget sci-fi spectacles,” Bock said. “Call it the ‘Avatar’ effect. Currently, there are nearly a dozen in production, many in 3-D. Most of them do have one thing in common: a dearth of big-name stars. Look for that trend to continue, as studios continue to bulk up the budget with SFX instead of stars.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Cowboys & Aliens.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Cowboys and Aliens’ MTV Rough Cut: ‘Super 8’ Related Photos ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ The ‘Super 8’ Trailer’s Key Moments
Don’t be surprised if she ask, “where the cash at?” Seventeen people and five “corporations” connected to a New York City escort service were indicted in Brooklyn Wednesday, charged with running a high-price prostitution and drug ring. The alleged racket earned more than $7 million in three years, catering to high-rolling customers who could drop more than $10,000 a night, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. The 144-count indictment includes allegations of enterprise corruption, promoting prostitution, money laundering, and criminal sale of a controlled substance against High Class NY, an escort service based in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. Among the individuals named in the documents are High Class NY’s owners: Mikhail Yampolsky; his wife, Bronislava; a son, Alexander; and a stepson, Jonathan Yampolskaya. Eleven High Class NY managers and two of the escort service’s largest financial investors, Efim Gorelik and Yakov Maystrovich, also are indicted. They could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. “We are not going to run from this. We intend to fight these charges,” said Joseph Mure, attorney for Yampolskaya and the younger Yampolsky. The attorney’s in charge of the indictment seem to think this case has legs but we’re not so sure… Escorts, called “models,” were required to sign employment contracts prohibiting sexual contact with clients in an effort to mask the illegal nature of the business, the indictment says. “There is no such thing as a high-class pimp, and as we do with all other pimps, my office will prosecute these defendants and seek the maximum sentences available under the law,” said District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. The indictment charges the High Class NY operates several escort websites, including highclassny.com, discreteclub.com, nyadultdating.com, cupiddirect.com, and angelofyourchoice.com, in addition to advertising its services on backpage.com and craigslist.com. Well if they signed waivers stating that they will not have sex for money, then how can you say the company was a prostitution ring?? All were saying is, it’s going to be very difficult to prove this in court… Source
The Office star, who announced her pregnancy in May, had another scoop: the baby is due in the fall. “September we’re in what they call the home stretch,” she says. Appearing on The Tonight Show on Tuesday, Jenna Fischer was asked by host Jay Leno if her parents were thrilled over their first grandchild. “This is the second grandchild,” The Office star corrected, “but first grandson.” When Leno jumped on the word grandson, Fischer confirmed that she and husband Lee Kirk are expecting a boy.
Mamie Gummer, who met Walker while performing in Broadway#39;s Dangerous Liaisons in April 2008, paid tribute to tradition in her grandmother#39;s gown. The newlyweds announced their engagement in October 2009. Meryl Streep#39;s latest role? Mother of the bride. The actress#39;s eldest daughter, Mamie Gummer, tied the knot over the weekend, us has confirmed. Gummer, 27, who starred in ABC#39;s Off the Map, wed actor Ben Walker, 29, Saturday at the family estate in Connecticut. Among the 15
Another great example of how the justice system in Amerikka works wonders when you come from a privileged background. Suspended Columbia University student Harrison David , 20, plead guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover officer as part of a plea deal struck Tuesday. As part of the deal, David will be sentenced to six months in jail, however he will likely only spend 3 1/2 months behind bars at Rikers due to time served and good behavior, according to his attorney, Matthew Myers. The felony charge of criminal sale of a controlled substance will be part of his permanent record and he’s likely to be officially booted from Columbia. “He has huge regrets about it because now he’s blown an Ivy League education,” Myers said, adding, “His family is extremely upset.” David said he sold powdered cocaine to an undercover police officer on Aug. 21, 2010 at the West 113th Street apartment where he lived prior to entering his sophomore year last fall. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony. The admitted drug dealer had previously turned down an offer to 1 year in prison and 2 years of probation. Instead, David ended up with up to six months in jail and five years probation, prosecutors said. “We believe that less incarceration time and the additional three years of monitoring will serve in the interest of justice,” said Assistant District Attorney William Novak, of the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. David was one of five students, many of whom belonged to fraternities at the school, who were arrested in Morningside Heights on Dec. 7 and charged with selling $11,000 worth of cocaine, MDMA, LSD, marijuana and other drugs to undercover police officers. As the only one charged with dealing cocaine, David faced mandatory prison time if convicted of the top indictment charge. He pleaded guilty to a lower level drug sale offense. The arrests followed a five-month investigation coined “Operation Ivy League” in which the students were found to be dealing drugs out of fraternity houses and apartments at Columbia. The case was marred by the arrest of one of the main undercover detectives who set up the sting. Richard Palase was arrested as part of a Staten Island illegal gambling operation in June. Myers said the the detective was involved in two of the undercover sales by David and that the detective’s legal troubles may have given his client a small amount of leverage in his plea negotiation. David did not comment to reporters when leaving the courthouse on Tuesday. He is set to turn himself in at his sentencing on Aug. 30. No deals have been reached in the cases of Christopher Coles, Adam Klein, Jose Stephan Perez and Michael Wymbs, the other students charged. They are all suspended from Columbia. On Tuesday, the other defendants’ lawyers filed briefs in support of getting them drug treatment instead of jail as a punishment. They are due back in court on Sept. 23. Ain’t that a b*tch… Harrison David’s parents are crying about him getting kicked out of Columbia, meanwhile if it had been Tyrone slangin’ rocks right outside the gates, his folks would not have seen his a*s for YEARS!!! Sorry but this lil b*tch a*s got off easy… Mommy and Daddy got them good lawyers on the case and he’ll be back in front of the XBox in three months. SMH. Source
After auditioning “five or six times” for the role of Steve Rogers, a/k/a Captain America, 27 year-old Sebastian Stan didn’t get the gig. But he did get a call to discuss a different iconic character in the WWII -set Marvel comics blockbuster: James “Bucky” Barnes, Cap’s best friend, sidekick, and, in Joe Johnston ‘s big screen adaptation (in theaters Friday), a soldier who could potentially undergo big changes in future Captain America sequels.
It turns out Peter Jackson hasn’t run out of dwarves . Over the weekend, TheOneRing.net revealed a picture of the thirteenth Hobbit dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin is important for multiple reasons: he’s the dwarf leader, he’s carrying something called “Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver,” and he’s played by moderately famous actor Richard Armitage. Bona fides! Click through for your first look.
Step aside, Hannah and Her Sisters . Thanks to $1,891,000 in ticket sales over the weekend, Midnight in Paris has become Woody Allen’s biggest domestic hit ever . The time-twisty comedy has earned $41,793,000 to date, a little over $1.7 million more than Sisters did in 1986. Of course, Hannah sold more tickets , and Midnight in Paris still trails Vicky Cristina Barcelona by almost $20 million in worldwide receipts, but, hey: congrats, Woody! [ Box Office Mojo ]
Film experts weigh in on how ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ blockbuster finale is likely to fare in the long run. By Eric Ditzian Daniel Radcliffe in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. There was little doubt that when the “Harry Potter” franchise finally came to a close after a decade-long presence at the multiplex, it would do so in epically lucrative fashion. But only when “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” actually began lighting up screens last Thursday at midnight did the true extent of its box-office power become clear: The film raked in a record $43.5 million at those early screenings and ended up shattering the three-day opening record of “The Dark Knight.” “While I assumed it would have the best ‘Harry Potter’ debut of all time, I wasn’t quite sold on the fact that it could eclipse the ‘Dark Knight’ record, as none of the previous films, although highly successful, have ever approached that staggering number, despite having one of the most rabid fanbases filmdom has ever seen,” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “This was monumental, as it seems everyone wanted to be a part of the discussion, everyone wanted to say goodbye to dear friends, and everyone wanted to experience the magic on the big screen one more time.” But not everyone wanted that magical experience in 3-D. While “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” benefited from the largest 3-D launch ever, according to Box Office Mojo , a majority of ticket buyers choose 2-D screenings, with just 43 percent of its total gross coming from 3-D screenings (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” by comparison, earned 60 percent of its opening gross from 3-D showings). So, although “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” opening marks the second-biggest 3-D opening after “Alice in Wonderland,” the last “Potter” film wasn’t a 3-D must-see — it was a pop-culture must-see. But insiders hardly predicted how intense the get-out-to-the-theater urge would be. Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com, pointed at social-networking sites as the key factor that raised awareness and drove ticket sales in the days leading up to release. The franchise’s Facebook page added 870,000 new “likes” last week and Twitter registered more than 225,000 tweets in that time frame. “It clearly showed that even casual fans of the series were excited about the last installment,” he said. “You can’t break records with just die-hard fans — you have to expand the base. That’s exactly what ‘Part 2’ did.” Just don’t expect it to do what “Avatar” did. James Cameron’s sci-fi flick built slowly and stayed at the top of the box office for weeks. “Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” by contrast, experienced a hefty, 53 percent drop from Friday to Saturday, showing the film, like so many blockbusters before it, was a frontloaded theatrical event. While it will safely become the biggest movie of the summer, these wizards won’t be able to compete with Cameron’s big blue aliens, who drove “Avatar” to $2.8 billion worldwide. “While the global grosses of ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ will likely be out of reach, expect ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ to become the third-highest grossing movie ever once it exits theaters, and surpasses ‘Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,’ which hauled in $1.1 billion worldwide, ” Bock said. “Harry Potter,” then, is on the verge of unseating “Star Wars” to become the most lucrative franchise in movie history. While some franchises struggle to maintain early success (see this summer’s “Transformers” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” films), “Potter” has had no such problems. The example that Warner Bros. has set with its boy wizard is one that other studios wrapping up franchises would be wise to follow. ” ‘Potter’ fans grew up and didn’t abandon the series, but that could happen with ‘Twilight,’ ” Contrino said. “You have to mature at the same pace as your audience. The ‘Potter’ series grew darker and more compelling as its audience aged. It worked perfectly.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights Related Photos ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Opening-Night Madness ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’
