Matt Damon and Frances McDormand starrer Promised Land by Gus Van Sant is one of six films that will screen in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival . Also starring John Krasinski and Rosemarie DeWitt, the film is one of two American titles the festival announced Thursday. Also joining the group is animated feature The Croods , playing out of competition. The title includes voices from Nicolas Cage , Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds . Promised Land centers on Steve Butler (Damon) a former farm boy turned big city business guy who teams up with Sue (Frances McDormand) to sell financial prosperity to a struggling Pennsylvania town that has rich deposits of natural gas deep underground. The sales execs offer up easy cash in return for drilling rights on their property, but the process of extraction – known as fracking – divides the town. [ Related: Gus Van Sant On ‘Promised Land’ & His Desire ‘To Always Work’ With Matt Damon ] Other titles included in the initial lineup of six films hail from Austria, Chile, France, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Romania and Spain. The 63rd Berlinale takes place February 7 – 17. The first six Berlinale ’13 titles follow with information provided by the festival . Competition : Gloria , Chile/Spain By Sebastián Lelio (La Sagrada Familia, Navidad, El año del tigre) With Paulina García, Sergio Hernández World premiere Nugu-ui Ttal-do Anin (Nobody’s Daughter Haewon), Republic of Korea By Hong Sangsoo (Night and Day, Hahaha, In Another Country) With Eunchae Jung, Sunkyun Lee World premiere Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope), Austria/France/Germany By Ulrich Seidl (Dog Days, Import Export, Paradise: Love) With Melanie Lenz, Vivian Bartsch, Joseph Lorenz, Michael Thomas World premiere Poziţia Copilului (Child’s Pose), Romania By Călin Peter Netzer (Maria, Medal of Honor, Zapada mieilor) With Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Florin Zamfirescu World premiere Promised Land , USA By Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Milk) With Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook International premiere The Croods – animated film in 3D, USA By Kirk De Micco (Space Chimps) Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) With the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds World premiere / out of competition Berlinale Special Unter Menschen (Redemption Impossible) – Documentary, Germany By Christian Rost, Claus Strigel World premiere
Topping the charts! Britney Spears has topped the Forbes list for highest-earning female musician with $58m earnings in 12 months The X Factor USA judge Britney Spears- who neither released a new album or went on tour in 2012 – raked in an estimated $58 million in just 12 months, according to Forbes magazine. Most of the 30-year-old popstar#39;s profits – which are just slightly less than the $64 million she earned in 2010 – came from her comeback Femme Fatale tour that grossed $68.7 million w
Slamdance set its competition lineup Wednesday with 12 Narrative titles and 10 documentaries joining the film festival’s roster at the 19th annual event which coincides with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. This year, 13 World Premieres and seven U.S. debuts will screen in competition, chosen out of 5,000 submissions. “Our goal is to showcase exhilarating filmmaking with a revolutionary take on our world,” commented Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter on the festival website. “These filmmakers have a tremendous ability to innovate, explore and revitalize the independent filmmaking landscape.” The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 24. The festival’s competition lineup follows with descriptions and credits provided by Slamdance. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION: The Narrative Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 12 films are feature debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions. Best Friends Forever / Director: Brea Grant, Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Vera Miao (USA) World Premiere Harriet and Reba hit the road in this darkly comedic apocalypse tale that explores the boundaries of friendship, the danger of hipsters, and nuclear fallout. Cast: Brea Grant, Vera Miao, Sean Maher, Glen Powell, Kit Williamson, Alex Berg, Alex Fernie, Stacey Storey Big Words /Director and Screenwriter: Neil Drumming (USA) World Premiere A lively drama that captures members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30’s, as they struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008. Cast: Darien Sills-Evans, Dorian Missick, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Yaya Alafia, Zachary Booth, Amir Arison, Jean Grae The Court of Shards / Director and Screenwriter: Jan Eilhardt (Germany) World Premiere In this experimental narrative, two disabled women fight in their own way to maintain their independent loves and lives against an overpoweringly caring family. Cast: Caroline Fricke, Silvia Giehle, Natalia Bondar, Frank Hoffmann, Doris Egbring-Kahn The Dirties / Director: Matt Johnson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Evan Morgan, Josh Boles (Canada) World Premiere Two best friends think it would be funny to make a movie about getting revenge on the bullies at their school. One of them isn’t joking. Cast: Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, David Matheson, Brandon Wickens, Josh Boles, Alen Delaine, Jay McCarrol Fynbos / Director: Harry Patramanis, Screenwriters: Harry Patramanis, Jonathan Glatzer (South Africa) US Premiere On a lavish and remote property, within the walls of a glass house, six lives intersect and lay bare their secrets and psyches in this twisting drama. Cast: Jessica Haines, Warrick Grier, Cara Roberts, Chad Philips, Susan Danford, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, John Herbert Billy Chen Presents: Ghost Team One / Directors: Ben Peyser, Scott Rutherford, Screenwriters: Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, Scott Rutherford, Ben Peyser (USA) World Premiere A subversive, comedic take on the found footage genre, where two roommates deathly afraid of ghosts both fall in love with a girl who believes their home is haunted. Cast: Carlos Santos, Fernanda Romero, J.R. Villarreal, Meghan Folcone, Tony Cavalero, James Babson, Scott MacArthur, Craig Stott Hank and Asha / Director: James E. Duff, Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison (USA) World Premiere In this voyeuristic love story, an Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters – two strangers aching for human connection in a hyper-connected world. Cast: Andrew Pastides, Mahira Kakkar He’s Way More Famous Than You / Director: Michael Urie, Screenwriters: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn (USA) World Premiere A struggling actress will stop at nothing to get her movie made in this sharp comedy, bolstered by absurdist touches and a bravura lead performance. Cast: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn, Tracee Chimo, Jesse Eisenberg, Mammie Gummer, Michael Urie, Ralph Macchio , Natasha Lyonne, Ben Stiller Joy De V. / Director and Screenwriter: Nadia Szold (USA) World Premiere An expressionistic, gritty look at the intersection of madness and love that follows a young con-artist who wakes up to discover his pregnant wife is missing. Cast: Evan Louison, Claudia Cardinale, Josephine de La Baume, Iva Gocheva, Victoria Imperioli Kohlhaas / Director and Screenwriter: Aron Lehmann (Germany) US Premiere An obsessed director and his cast seek to adapt the true story of a 16th-century revolutionary when their actions behind the scenes begin to mimic the book’s subject. Cast: Robert Gwisdek, Jan Messutat, Thorsten Merten, Rosalie Thomass, Michael Fuith, Heiko Pinkowski Visitors / Director: Constanze Knoche, Screenwriters: Leis Bagdach, Constanze Knoche (Germany) US Premiere Three adult siblings are surprised by their parents’ announcement that they are cutting off finances in this commanding and evocative look at the oppressive results of stasis. Cast: Uwe Kockisch, Corinna Kirchhoff, Irina Potapenko, Jakob Diehl, Anne Muller, Anjorka Strechel, Bernhard Schütz, Andreas Leupold, Janusz Kocaj, Mehdi Nebbou What Isn’t There / Director: Marie Jamora, Screenwriters: Marie Jamora, Ramon De Veyra (Philippines) US Premiere In this lyrical exploration of love, music and expression, a self-imposed mute returns home for Christmas and the anniversary of his twin brother’s accidental death. Cast: Dominic Roco, Annicka Dolonius, Boboy Garrovillo, Dawn Zulueta, Felix Roco, Alchris Galura, Mercedes Cabral, Marc Abaya DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION: The Documentary Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 10 films are directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions. Battery Man / Directors and Screenwriters: Dusan Saponja, Dusan Cavic (Serbia) US Premiere Thanks to the powers he discovered by accident, Biba Struja has spent his entire life experimenting with electricity and proving to himself and others that it cannot harm him. Cast: Slavisa Pajkic Bible Quiz / Director: Nicole Teeny (USA) World Premiere Seventeen-year-old Mikayla memorizes books of the Bible on her quest to win the National Bible Quiz Championship and the heart of JP, her quiz team captain. The film explores coming of age in the face of faith, doubt, fierce competition and teen love. Cast: Mikayla Irle, JP O’Connor, Christopher Teeny, Brandon Duffy, Rich Nelson, Rachel Dawson, Rachel Holley, Gary Irle The Bitter Buddha / Director: Steven Feinartz (USA) Cult-Comic Eddie Pepitone’s life is on display in this unhinged portrait of creativity, enlightenment and rage. Cast: Eddie Pepitone, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Sean Conroy, Paul Provenza, Dana Gould, Marc Maron The Brotherhood of the Traveling Rants / Directors: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor (USA/Canada) World Premiere ‘Godfather of hipsterdom’ Gavin McInnes goes on a stand-up comedy tour with his best friend from high school and things go from bad to worse to downright catastrophic. Cast: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor The Institute / Director: Spencer McCall, Screenwriters: Uriah Findley, Spencer McCall (USA) Is it a cult? Is it a game? Or is it a life-changing adventure? Cast: Daniel Shoup, Arye Michael Bender, Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, Garland Glessner, Michael Wertz, Kiyomi Tanouye, Geordie Aiken, Jeff Hull The Last Shepherd / Director and Screenwriter: Marco Bonfanti (Italy) US Premiere Renato, the last traveling shepherd left in Milan, has a dream – get to the inaccessible center of the city to meet the children who have never seen a flock of sheep. Cast: Renato Zucchelli, Piero Lombardi, Lucia Zucchelli, Patrizia Frisoli, Hedy Krissane, Barbara Sorrentini (voice) My Name is Faith / Directors: Jason Banker, Jorge Torres-Torres, Tiffany Sudela-Junker (USA) US Premiere Faith, a 13-year-old girl who suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder, attempts to heal from the trauma inflicted by her birthmother’s lifestyle. Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde / Director: Suzanne Mitchell (USA) World Premiere The inspiring journey of a remarkable cowboy who triumphs in his quest to protect wild horses and the American West. Cast: Dayton O. Hyde Where I Am / Director and Screenwriter: Pamela Drynan (Ireland) World Premiere The courageous story of Gay American writer Robert Drake and his struggle to recover and return to the scene of a crime in Ireland, where, he was left for dead more than 10 years ago. Cast: Robert Drake Without Shepherds / Director: Cary McClelland (Pakistan/USA) World Premiere Six bold individuals struggle to find their role in the turbulent waters of Pakistan and build a better tomorrow. Cast: Vaneeza Ahmad, Arieb Azhar, Abdullah Khan, Imran Khan, Ibrahim Waheed, Laiba Yousafzai
Kate Middleton is totin’ a gut full of that royal seed! Kate Middleton Is Pregnant Via TMZ reports : Kate Middleton just announced … she’s got a CRUMPET IN THE OVEN!!! The Royal Palace has released a statement … confirming Middleton is preggo with Prince William’s royal fetus. The Palace did not say exactly how far along Middleton is … but noted she was in the “very early stages” of the pregnancy. According to Middleton’s reps, Kate was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in Central London with severe morning sickness … and will remain in the hospital for several days. Kate and William were married back in April 2011. This is their first child together. If the child is born while Elizabeth II is still alive, it instantly jumps Prince Harry and becomes 3rd in line for the throne. Let’s hope she can finally excise that nasty royal balding gene from the family… GSI Media
The Real Housewives of Atlanta decide there’s just “No Excuse for Excuses” and one housewife walks out the door. Who’s had enough and who will be headed to Anguilla? We recap it all in our THG +/- review. Kenya and Walter head out on a double date with Phaedra and Apollo and things look pretty cozy. Perhaps a little too cozy for Phaedra’s comfort as Kenya bats her eyes across the table at Apollo. Minus 10 . Was it all just about producing a workout video? Perhaps Kenya’s just the flirty type. Phaedra can’t stop admiring Kenya’s breasts. Minus 8 because it’s a little weird that she mentions them multiple times. Of course the former Miss USA certainly likes to keep them on display. Double dates seem to be going around as NeNe and Gregg head over to Cynthia and Peter’s. Peter shares his big secret with NeNe. He wants to renew his vows with Cynthia on the beach at Anguilla. Plus 20 . It really is a lovely thought considering all of the drama that took place at their first wedding. But with the crew they’ve got joining them on this trip, I’m not sure this wedding will be any less stressful. Cynthia’s still ticked off at Phaedra, until Ms. Parks shows up with a huge bouquet and a sincere apology. Cynthia says she’ll forgive but she won’t forget. Minus 12 . If they’re truly friends I think she needs to let that one go. We all got to take a trip to Porsha’s OB-GYN and what a relief we didn’t miss that. Oye. Minus 15 . Porsha and Kordell are given the green light to start trying to make a baby again next month but all Porsha wants to talk about is how to increase her chances to have twins. Minus 9. Thank goodness her doctor has the sense to remind her that after her miscarriage she should be concentrating on having one happy, healthy baby. Plus 12 . Of course it wouldn’t surprise me if Porsha goes home and stuffs herself full of yams anyway. And on a side note, what is up with those earrings. Small dogs could jump through those hoops! The annual girls trip has suddenly become a couples trip and everyone gathers for brunch to discuss the particulars. Here I was thinking that Kandi inviting Kenya along would fill this meal with drama. Who knew I could be so wrong? Now there’s two sides to this argument and I see both. In Kim’s defense, she is pregnant for the second time in a year and she looks like she’s about to give birth sometime in the near future. Minus 10 . Expecting her to hop on a plane to head to some island to party is just unrealistic. If these ladies were gracious they’d just let her out of it. Goodness knows I wouldn’t want to risk having a baby on some small island. On the other side of the aisle, Kim did give them dates and everyone else seemingly jumped through hoops to accommodate her. Plus 8. So I do understand why they’re ticked off. Still it doesn’t seem worth all of the drama. Kim’s life has definitely changed. She’s got two teenaged daughters, an infant, another on the way and a new husband not to mention she just had to move. That’s a lot for anyone. So when the ladies started to pile on, Kim had had enough. Kim walked out and I don’t believe it was just brunch she was ditching. This may be the last we see of Kim. Minus 25 because surprisingly, I think I’m going to miss her, blonde wigs and all. Episode total = -49! Season total = -133!
USA Today reports that 28-year-old Cynthia Castillo, sporting a pink T-shirt with Camacho#39;s face on the front, enraged Camacho#39;s sisters and former girlfriend Gloria Fernandez, 50, by then entering the family#39;s private section. After Camacho#39;s sisters apparently told Castillo to leave, grieving guests watched in confusion as the women began slapping and swinging at each other. After taking the argument outside the viewing room, police were called to calm the scene. Castillo told U
Earlier this week, Bing revealed what people were searching for in 2012 ( Kim Kardashian mostly). Now Ask.com, which apparently still exists, is doing the same! The question and answer search engine’s year-end review of what was huge in 2012 focused, fittingly, on the burning questions people wanted answered . Valerie Combs, V.P. of communications for Ask.com, said in a statement: “With nearly half of the queries on Ask.com in the form of a full question, we get a snapshot of not only what captured consumers’ attention, but also what piqued their curiosity.” Here are Ask’s top news search terms and related questions for 2012: 2012 Olympics . How many medals did the US gymnastics team win? Hurricane Sandy . What is the damage from Hurricane Sandy? Black Knight shooting . What happened at the Colorado shooting? Jerry Sandusky . What is Jerry Sandusky’s sentence? iPhone 5 . When will the iPhone 5 be released? Facebook IPO . When is the Facebook IPO? Lance Armstrong . Did Lance Armstrong take drugs? Whitney Houston . How did Whitney Houston die? Costa Concordia . How did the Costa Concordia sink? Trayvon Martin . Why was Trayvon Martin Shot? Apparently people really love the Fierce Five and worried about Sandy. And can’t recall the correct name of the final part of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Batman trilogy. Quick answers below … A lot See #1 There is no movie called that Not long enough September something May something Obviously Drugs/alcohol We forget Talk to George Zimmerman Who needs Ask.com. Just Ask THG.
Are you shocked? Kenya Moore Exposed As Highschool Bully In a recent interview Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kenya Moore said bad editing was the reasoning behind her being portrayed as a crazy coochie crack hating freak. But, according to an old friend of Kenya’s her mean girl days go all the way back to high school… Via Rhymes With Snitch : According to the friend, who reached out to RWS, Kenya was part of a mean girl clique at Cass Tech high school who were known for smoking, drinking and only dating older guys with money. The source claims Kenya’s gold digger status in high school became legendary after one of her older boyfriends, a suspected street pharmaceutical rep, ferried Kenya and her mean girl clique from downtown Detroit to Metro beach on his yacht. Don’t let the pretty face fool you, the ex-Ms.USA has always been bout that ain’t isht life.
President Barack Obama met with McKayla Maroney and other members of USA’s Fierce Five Olympic gymnastics team – Kyla Ross, Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas – yesterday in the Oval Office. But the Leader of the Free World was not impressed. Emulating the look Maroney made famous on the medal stand this summer, Obama folded his arms and curled his lips alongside the gymnast, promoting McKalya to Tweet soon afterward: “Did I just do the Not Impressed face with the President?” Yes, McKayla, you sure did. We wonder how Obama feels about the Kim Kardashian wedding, the Grand Granyon and many other events/monuments the Internet hilariously super-imposed Maroney into a couple months ago.
