Alec Baldwin will reportedly head off to Cannes as part of James Toback’s next project, an unscripted slice of life featuring the actor as himself, doing all the things Alec Baldwin might do at the world’s most venerated, glamorous film festival. Neve Campbell, who will not travel with the team, is said to star as Baldwin’s wife; she shot material in New York last week. Sounds great! Though if this just turns out to be a long-form Capital One commercial , I’m going to be pretty pissed. [ Forbes via VF ]
Jean-Luc Godard may not care about Hollywood or its Oscars , but we have apparently found some hardware he is into: The 3-D camera. This calls for a comeback! The celebrated auteur, who was thought to have retired from filmmaking with his polarizing 2010 effort Film Socialisme , has reportedly undertaken another “last” project that he will shoot in three dimensions. Farewell to Language ( Adieu au Langage ), which he teased two years ago but only now has commenced production on, tells the story of “a man and his wife who no longer speak the same language. The dog they take on walks then intervenes and speaks.” Naturally. Héloise Godet, Zoe Bruneau, Kamel Abdelli, Richard Chevalier and Jessica Erickson star; European sales and production powerhouse Wild Bunch will take the project to the Cannes market next week. Here’s a not-very-good working version of its poster . Keep an eye on Movieline for more on when Farewell to Language might yield to a defective 3-D viewing experience near you. [ The Film Stage ]
Jean-Luc Godard may not care about Hollywood or its Oscars , but we have apparently found some hardware he is into: The 3-D camera. This calls for a comeback! The celebrated auteur, who was thought to have retired from filmmaking with his polarizing 2010 effort Film Socialisme , has reportedly undertaken another “last” project that he will shoot in three dimensions. Farewell to Language ( Adieu au Langage ), which he teased two years ago but only now has commenced production on, tells the story of “a man and his wife who no longer speak the same language. The dog they take on walks then intervenes and speaks.” Naturally. Héloise Godet, Zoe Bruneau, Kamel Abdelli, Richard Chevalier and Jessica Erickson star; European sales and production powerhouse Wild Bunch will take the project to the Cannes market next week. Here’s a not-very-good working version of its poster . Keep an eye on Movieline for more on when Farewell to Language might yield to a defective 3-D viewing experience near you. [ The Film Stage ]
BeyBey was interviewed on the red carpet of the Met Gala last night, and she said she definitely wants to give Blue Ivy siblings! Although some might find that hard to believe, the 30-year-old reveals that her recent fitness regimen consists of little time with a trainer. “I haven’t had much time in the gym [since the baby was born],” said Beyonce as she literally dropped jaws in a sheer, figure-hugging Givenchy Haute Couture gown. “I’ve been rehearsing, I have a show coming up and it’s my first show in a year.” At the very mention of her nearly four-month-old bundle of joy, Beyonce beams with pride, excited to talk all about little Blue Ivy, who she revealed was currently nestled safe and sound in the company of mother Tina Knowles and hubby Jay-Z. “I have such a full life,” she explains. “I feel like now I know the reason that I was born.” While she admits she isn’t sure when she might debut a new baby bump atop her already incredible figure, when that time rolls around, Beyonce isn’t ruling out a Brangelina size brood. “I definitely want to have more,” she proclaims. “I don’t know how many. God knows I dont know yet.” She actually said she doesn’t know how many, only God knows that. Can the world withstand another wonder of the likes of Blue Ivy? Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Any bets on when she’ll pop another one out? Source
Guess there wasn’t no Harlem shakin’ in the courthouse today. This is actually pretty tragic on multiple levels. G-Dep Sentenced To 15-Year Prison Term For Murder Former Bad Boy rapper G. Dep was sentenced this morning to 15 years prison for a two-decade old fatal gunpoint mugging — a cold-case murder that was only solved when he walked into a Harlem precinct two years ago, turning himself in so he could square himself, he has explained, with God. “The circumstance of your being before the court now suggests to me a maturity and decency that wouldn’t have been evident at the time,” Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus said of the sentence, the lowest allowed by law. “It was the right thing to do, even though it landed you in the position you find yourself in now,” the judge added, calling the rapper by his given name, Trevell Coleman. When he walked into a Harlem precinct two years ago, Coleman — who had had success as a protege of Sean “Puffy” Combs in the late ’90s — was a married dad of three and in treatment for an addiction to PCP. As part of turning his life around, he was determined to take responsibility for a crime that had continued to gnaw at him, his lawyer, Anthony Ricco, has explained. And he has never backed down. “My hope is that Trevell never wavers from his decision,” Ricco said at the poignant sentencing. “Fifteen years is a long time. Fifteen years in the penitentiary for putting yourself there is an even longer time.” Coleman, 37, has suffered the mockery and insults of his fellow prisoners, the lawyer noted, and in the press as well, for confessing to a shooting that he had essentially gotten away with, only to find out that his victim had died and that he had turned himself in for murder. “He’s gotten the scorn of other inmates, who called him stupid — ‘Look what happened when you open your mouth,’” the lawyer said. “His wife questioned him — ‘Trevell, what about us?’” Coleman and his wife were raising twin sons of kindergarten age. On the day of his April verdict, the wife — who had urged Coleman not to confess — had wondered to the lawyer about how the boys will manage now, without their father. “My hope is that their sons will grow up to be as proud of their father as boys can ever be, for fixing what he did,” Ricco said. “They will have a father who has honor.” In confessing, the rapper had told cops that when he was 17, or 18, or maybe 19, he had shot a man three times during a botched mugging at Park Avenue and 114th Street. He didn’t know if the man lived or died. Authorities scoured old records, much of it on microfilm, and matched the confession to the cold-case fatal shooting of John Henkel, gunned down on Oct. 19, 1993 at the same address. Hard-ball-playing prosecutors refused to offer Coleman a plea to a lesser charge, for which less prison — even a few years less — would be mandated. The outcome is fair, said prosecutor David Drucker, who did argue in favor of the minimum sentence today. There was “A totally innocent victim,” Drucker said. “The defendant shot him three times in the torso, killing him, and then he biked off leaving the victim to die.” Coleman has lived a non-violent life, turned himself in for all the right reasons, and solved a murder that would never have been off the books otherwise, he noted. Still, “He should be convicted of the crime he committed, murder in the second degree,” the prosecutor said. “I’m just trying to get right with God,” Coleman had told The Post in an exclusive jailhouse interview back in December 2010. He made no statement at his sentencing today, and nodded somberly to his family members as he was led out of court in handcuffs. SMH. Let’s hope he can maintain some kind of relationship with his wife and sons while he’s in there and that the other prisoners don’t sh!t on him too much. Do you think what G-Dep did was noble or stupid? Source
Gabel reveals plans to Rolling Stone to take the name Laura Jane Grace after undergoing gender transition. By Katie Byrne Tom Gabel of Against Me! Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Against Me! singer Tom Gabel has come out as transgender and discussed plans to begin living as a woman in the next issue of Rolling Stone. Gabel, who will go by Laura Jane Grace and remain married to wife Heather, will undergo electrolysis treatments and take hormones to make the transition from male to female. “For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news,” Gabel told Rolling Stone of Heather. “But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.” Gabel has dealt with gender dysphoria for years and decided it was a good time to speak up about the private struggle, telling only a few family members and friends about the upcoming transition before talking with the magazine. “I’m going to have embarrassing moments, and that won’t be fun,” Gabel said of coming out. “But that’s part of what talking to you is about — is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.” Though Gabel is the first major rock star to undergo a gender transformation, she’s hardly the first celebrity. Larry Wachowski, half of the Wachowski-brother directing duo behind the “Matrix” trilogy, has been credited as Lana Wachowki in recent work and seems to now identify as a woman, though neither sibling has spoken publicly on the subject. Chaz Bono, meanwhile, made a very public run on “Dancing With the Stars” as the first transgender contestant . Chaz, born the daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono, underwent female-to-male gender transition between 2008 and 2010. In the next issue of Rolling Stone, due Friday, Gabel will tell her full story, including what the revelation means for the future of Against Me! Related Artists Against Me!
Justin Bieber, Flo Rida, Lady Antebellum and Hall & Oates also perform leading up to Team Blake’s victory. By James Dinh Blake Shelton and Jermaine Paul celebrate on “The Voice” Photo: NBC Universal Records added a new artist to their roster Tuesday night (May 8) when Jermaine Paul of Team Blake was named season-two champ during the finale of “The Voice,” which also featured some major star power appearances from the likes of Justin Bieber and Flo Rida. “I just wanted to say thank you for everyone that voted for me,” the former Alicia Keys backup singer said on the sparkler-filled stage, before giving credit to his wife, children and parents. “God bless y’all, man. Nobody but Jesus, man, nobody!” It was a close call, as host Carson Daly revealed just moments before the announcement that only a mere 4 percentage points separated Paul and runner-up Juliet Simms. Kicking off the two-hour episode was a brief contestant introduction with Paul, Simms, singer/songwriter Tony Lucca and classically trained Chris Mann, before segueing into a recap of the previous night’s live final round and some thoughts from each of the judges about their contestant. But it wouldn’t be a big ol’ finale without some collaborative performances from our season’s favorite former contestants, so Paul rallied up Jamar Rogers, James Massone and Pip to lead the pack on a cover of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” It was a solid effort that most importantly proved why Paul stands as the last remaining singer of the bunch and won the contest. After a montage of silly bloopers from the panel (proving that Xtina is surely more than just full of sass) and a quick commercial break, Simms of Team Cee Lo joined Flo Rida for a medley of his singles “Whistle” and “Wild One.” Missing in action was singer Sia, but Simms took over for the Australian crooner’s chorus, temporarily walked away from her rock element and jumped to some fist-pumping Top 40. Team Xtina’s Chris Mann brought back his lady favorites Lindsey Pavao and Katrina Parker for an appropriate cover of the Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” and the couple complemented Mann’s lively onstage urgency. It may have been an intense evening for the contestants, but “The Voice” kept the show lighthearted by dedicating an entire segment to Shelton and Levine’s on-camera bromance with highlights of their cutesy interactions. “It is clear that Adam has a crush on me, and Miranda is a little bit jealous, but I think it’s cute,” Shelton joked about wife Miranda Lambert. Hall & Oates were up next to sing their classic “Rich Girl” alongside the men of the evening: Tony, Jermaine and Chris. As the duo jammed out to their 1977 hit, the trio of finalists crooned on the side as background vocalists to the iconic act. Living out one more performance were former contestants Naia Kete, Cheesa, Kim Yarbrough and Sera Hill with a performance of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. Full of energy, attitude and smiles, the quartet blended their distinctive voices for a great number. But it wasn’t enough to outshine Juliet Simms’ group performance alongside Erin Willett, RaeLynn and Jamar Rogers for a cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.” It was the best of the all-star performances and brought all the judges to their feet for standing ovations. NBC doubled up when they brought some buzz for the season finale of “Parks and Recreation” as Cee Lo took to the set of the comedy sitcom and had the cast cater to his guest appearance and, of course, the famed swivel chair. Lady Antebellum repped for country music when they appeared for a performance of “Wanted You More,” but the biggest rumble of cheers went to Justin Bieber, who served up a flashy debut performance of his hit “Boyfriend.” As teased a few weeks ago, the teen superstar took the stage for an elaborate production of his lead single. Entering through the floor, the pop singer walked down an alley of bright lights and spent much of the number as the center of attention for a crew of dancers with misty smoke seeping in between his choreography. Before the Biebster took center stage, Team Adam’s Tony Lucca re-emerged for his main number of the night with Jordis Unga to sing Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” It was a friendly throwback to the competition’s battle rounds, as the two played off each other’s lines and catered to different parts of the stage before joining together for an ending hug. What did you think of Jermaine winning “The Voice”? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Justin Bieber
Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! Sacha Baron Cohen’s publicity tour for ‘The Dictator’ is in full swing. He appeared on TODAY as his film’s character, Admiral General Shabazz Aladeen. He was interviewed by Matt Lauer. “By the way, how are your family? … How is your wife Annette?” he asked at the top of the interview. “What is she doing now?” “She’s probably watching this interview,” said Lauer. “Incorrect!” said Aladeen, pulling a swatch of brown locks from his pocket. “Is this her hair?” Fortunately, it was all an act. “The Dictator” opens May 16th.
Guess they didn’t respond well to “Here, Kitty Kitty” . According to RadarOnline.com : British woman was savagely attacked by two cheetahs recently while enjoy “a trip of a lifetime” to a South African wildlife park. But what was probably more painful was the fact that her husband took pictures of the whole ordeal rather than rushing to her aid! Violet D’Mello, 60, went to pet the purportedly tame animals as permitted. But she was left traumatized when she was mauled by the cheetahs, suffering injuries to her head, stomach and legs and nearly losing an eye. One of the guides at the Kragga Kamma game reserve immediately intervened and managed to get one of the felines off of Violet. But then the other one joined in the frightening melee and pinned the Aberdeen woman to the ground. Several of the guests apparently tried to pull the animals off as the quick-thinking woman tried to play dead. While the whole three-minute ordeal was going on, Violet’s 64-year-old husband Archie took photos of the entire attack – rather than run to help his wife. The startling images, which you can see here on RadarOnline.com, show blood pouring from the woman’s head, arms and legs. The cheetahs are also seen staring at the woman like she was a piece of meat that they were going to devour until there was just a carcass left. In a creepy foreshadowing of what is about to occur, Violet is seen petting one of the cheetahs who is laying down licking his lips. Park manager Mike Cantor, who raised the four-year-old cheetah brothers Mark and Monty, said that “everyone has been traumatized by it all.” Eight-year-old Camryn Malan was also caught up in the attack and needed stitches in her leg from the cheetah bites. Astonishingly, Cantor maintains that the cheetahs just wanted to “play.” “I have grown up with these cheetahs and they are not aggressive animals,” Cantor said. “It is almost like they wanted to play with the woman. What happened was that a young girl got a bit uptight and then ran away and the cheetah grabbed her by the leg.” Not surprisingly, Violet told South Africa’s Herald newspaper that the incident was a “nightmare.” “It really came from nowhere and I was totally helpless. The doctor at the hospital said cheetahs usually aim for the stomach area and disembowel their victims, so I was lucky to be alive,” she said. The petting part of the park has been shut down pending an investigation. This gives the term “gut full of human” a whole new meaning. And we can only make that joke because she’s ok! Ladies, would you dump your hubby if he grabbed the camera instead of the cape if you were under attack? We think that’s a pretty good grounds for divorce. CatersNews
As mild, comforting and vaguely colonial as beans on toast, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel brings together some of Britain’s top-shelf acting treasures for a story of late-life awakenings and self-discovery in India. Directed by John Madden (of Shakespeare in Love and, more recently, The Debt ), the film is, underneath its surface of warm fuzzies, a precision instrument aimed directly at the heart of its intended, underserved older audience. As predictable a path as it follows, it delivers exactly what it sets out to — a feel-good tale with equal portions of romance, tempered melancholy, transformation and low-key fish-out-of-water humor. And if the mechanics at work here are more than obvious, they’re also a fair price to pay for getting to see Bill Nighy joke with Judi Dench about his inability to fix a telephone, Maggie Smith force down local food in order to be polite, Tom Wilkinson join in a game of pickup cricket and Penelope Wilton look terrified during a tuk-tuk ride. The seven retirees in the main ensemble end up in Jaipur, enticed by marketing materials for a hotel “for the elderly and beautiful” that turn out to be more aspirational than actual. The place is run-down, some of the rooms don’t have doors and others have been taken over by wildlife — the manager Sonny (an aggressively animated Dev Patel) has unquashable enthusiasm but not particular skill for running a place or raising money to make much-needed fixes. Fortunately for him, most of his guests can’t afford to leave — they’ve outsourced their retirement to India rather than face living the rest of their lives tucked away or lauded as if they had already died. Housewife Evelyn (Dench) is there because the husband she always trusted to take care of things has passed away and left her in debt, forcing her to sell the apartment in which they lived. Douglas (Nighy) and his wife of almost 40 years Jean (Penelope Wilton) invested their savings in their daughter’s internet startup (the mystery of the online world to these characters is a recurring joke) — she’s been unable to pay them back, forcing them to either move to a depressing senior citizens community or out of the country entirely. Madge (Celia Imrie) and Norman (Ronald Pickup) are looking for love or, barring that, to get laid — they’re both anxious to prove to themselves that that part of their lives isn’t over. Muriel (Maggie Smith) is a former housekeeper who’s reluctantly left England in order to avoid a long wait for a hip replacement surgery. And Tom Wilkinson is Graham, a high court judge who’s gay (“nowadays more in theory than in practice,” he explains) and has returned to the place in which he grew up to track down his first love. Add to this Sonny’s attempts to date call-center worker Sunaina (Tena Desae) despite his mother’s (Lillete Dubey) desire to arrange his marriage to someone else and have him give up the hotel, and you have enough plot threads to easily carry the film through its unhurried two-hour runtime. And most of them work — Nighy and Dench are especially luminous playing explorers of the city who fall in love with India and with the renewed sense of possibility in their lives, their reserve giving way to tentative but genuine joy and an unexpected connection. Wilkinson is so disarmingly self-deprecating as Graham that it takes a while to realize that the confessions he’s making to his new friends are the most open he’s been in his life. Smith operates with the same glorious crabbiness she’s perfected in her recent roles, though the film’s attempt to treat her first as adorably racist and then as a uniting figure thanks to her transformative friendship with a maid is impossible to swallow even with her enjoyable performance. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel portrays the city in which it’s set as chaotic, colorful and lively, but also ultimately a backdrop — this is not a film about India, it’s one about growing old in a terribly British fashion. “Can we be blamed for feeling that we are too old to change?” Evelyn muses in one of her blog posts that in voiceover periodically mark the story. While we in the audience have always known that’s not the case — that’s why we’re watching the film — the pleasure is in watching the characters on screen realize the fact themselves, to their delight. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
