Hello Kitty fans! Aly & AJ

We Heart Aly & AJ

Actresses, singers, songwriters, Hello Kitty fans! Aly & AJ sure are busy this summer - a new album, a nationwide tour, a movie on MTV, new puppies, and more!
SANRIO is proud to be a sponsor of their tour and excited to go on the road with them for what will be a really cool experience! We will post behind-the-scenes updates and pics from the tour right here at Sanrio.com, so be sure to check back regularly!
We recently chatted with the super-busy stars during a photo shoot in Los Angeles, CA. Here is what they had to say!
PART 1 - Busy Girls!

So tell us about your new album called...Insomnia?

AJ Close! It's actually called Insomniatic. There's a little twist in there. It's so funny too because it's not a real word, Insomniatic, well not until now!

ALY Yup, we made it up, AJ and I just made Insomniatic a new word!
You created a new word and wrote the whole album yourselves?

ALY Yup! It was a lot of work but it was a really cool creative process. We had a great team of people surrounding us and it was so much fun writing the songs at home, then going to the studio, then writing some more. We also did a lot of writing on the road this past summer which was great too.It was refreshing to get back in the studio too, after being on tour... getting up, writing, going to the studio, recording, laying our ideas down. We love it!

AJ The really cool thing about this new record is that we did it differently. A lot of songs on our previous record were written on the guitar. This record wrote a lot on guitar, but we also wrote on piano. The first single "Potential Breakup Song" we actually wrote to a beat. So it was interesting to do it a little differently this time.

So do you write the music together?

AJ We mainly write the songs together. Aly and I will sometimes come up with something on our own, sitting in our room or something,then we come together and share our ideas and tweak them and work on them

ALY Yeah its definitely a joint effort.

And when did you learn to play music?

ALY We started piano when we were little kids, about 6 years old. We started guitar about 4 or 5 years ago.

Do you prefer one or the other?

ALY We actually like them both. We love both! We are not actually able to take lessons as much as we would like because we are so busy right now, but we practice every day. It's cool because we get different kinds of songs from each instrument. We get different inspirations from each one. Since a lot of this record was written on the piano, it is going to have a different feel.

So is the new album going to sound really different from the previous one?

AJ I think so. It is still us, but we have definitely grown more since the last one. We have experienced more, we've been on the road, we've met lots of great people. We've lived longer! So I think that our writing and our vocals and our ability to express ourselves has grown since the last record.
I think this record is higher energy too, more danceable. But it still has a rock feel to it too. It's cool. I would say it is definitely something that people can crank in their rooms and dance to!

Cool! So you guys also have a movie coming out right?

ALY Yes-we have our movie coming out on July 8th on MTV, "Super Sweet Sixteen : The Movie". It is based on the reality series.

But you guys seem a little nicer than a lot of the people on that show!

AJ Well, I am nice in the movie, but Aly is not nice at all!

So you are acting?

ALY Right. It's fun! It's got all the drama and all the real-life crisis of the show in it but its funny. It was fun to play the not-nice one! My character's vibe was different from a lot of the characters that I have played. And she dresses differently. It was fun to be the mean girl! I am so not like that in real life so it was fun to play someone who was the complete opposite of me.

AJ And we don't play sisters, we play rivals!

So you are not like that in real life?

AJ No we are both pretty chill! I mean we have little fights sometimes....

ALY ...but we don't have the drama. We never cause the drama like that at school like our characters do.We usually try to stop it!

AJ Yeah we are more like the mediators. We are usually the ones saying "no you guys! Don't fight!"

So an album, a movie, and you are also getting ready for your national tour?

ALY Yup- we are in band rehearsals right now, which is also fun. Working out our show and making sure it runs smoothly. I love doing the prep for tours.

AJ Yeah we are going out on tour for a while, starting this July.

You guys are non-stop! How long will you be touring?

ALY We don't even know for sure! We keep adding dates. Right now it is two months, but they are adding dates through September and October.

That's a long time on the road! Do you guys bring anything with you so you don't get homesick?

AJ We bring lots of pictures of our family and friends. And of course our iPods.

ALY And our cell phones! We can't go without out that. We are always texting.

AJ Oh yeah we are always texting. And this time we are going to bring our puppies! We have four dogs now.

ALY and I each got a new puppy, so they are going to come with us. They are named Roadie and Willow. So we will have little companions on the road!

So what do you enjoy about being on tour?

ALY We love to share the music with the fans! We have had such a great time playing and maybe inspiring kids to just pick up an instrument and play. And it is great to see all the faces of our fans, the people on the message boards and the ones who send us fanmail. They encourage us and inspire us. It is so cool when someone comes up to me and says "that song made me think about something" or "that song helped me through a difficult time". That's what we are here for. That's probably the best thing we could hear as artists!

AJ We also like the traveling part too... meeting new people and traveling all over the world. It is so much fun for Aly and I. We get to experience so many things that not everybody our age gets to experience. We are really grateful. It's pretty cool!

Be sure to check back soon to hear Aly & AJ dish more about getting ready for their tour, staying up late, and what they think about Hello Kitty!

-

Source : http://www.sanrio.com/news/featured/

Movie : Savoring Pixar's Ratatouille

Savoring Pixar's Ratatouille

Remy, a common rat with a gourmet's soul, has made his way to the kitchen of the once-great Paris restaurant Gusteau's. Here, the new Pixar movie Ratatouille tells us, he will be able to create superb dishes--if only he can find a human ally. His desperate choice: a callow scullery lad named Linguini. Remy, in the logic of animated features, understands the boy's words, but Linguini can't speak rat; so the two communicate through Remy's nods and brow furrowings. Somehow, the kid gets the message. "I can't cook ..." Linguini says, and the rodent shakes his head no. "But you can?" Remy answers with a Gallic shrug so eloquent it says many things. First, a modest "Eh, a little." Beneath that: "Well, not to brag, but I'm actually quite proficient." Most important: "Trust me. Together we'll cook up some magic."

Charlie Chaplin and the other great silent-movie clowns knew how to express the deepest, subtlest emotions through gesture. Remy, too, in the hands of director Brad Bird and his gifted animators, is a veritable Shakespeare of shrugs. The suppleness with which Remy scoots through both human and rodent worlds lends Ratatouille the believability at the center of Pixar classics like John Lasseter's Toy Story, Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo and Bird's own The Incredibles.
Bird, like the other Pixarians, is working from the Walt Disney playbook. "In a fantasy world where animals can talk, how do they talk? That's the secret of character animation. Even though it's a completely unbelievable thing, people invest in it," he says. "If we do our job on this one, audiences will empathize with, and invest in, a rat." That's because the creative children at Pixar's Lego- like headquarters in the San Francisco suburb of Emeryville realize that movies, and especially cartoons, are not just talking pictures. They are motion and emotion pictures. And if you don't have heart, ya ain't got art.
There's plenty of both in this rat-out-of-sewer story, which hits U.S. theaters June 29. For Remy (brightly voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt) is your basic outsider. Even with his family, he felt like a connoisseur among food philistines. They are tough and oafish, satisfied with garbage; he's a devotee of the late, famed chef Gusteau (Brad Garrett) and his mantra, "Anyone can cook." Having lost track of his teeming brood, he arrives at Gusteau's old restaurant, now run by the conniving Skinner (Ian Holm). But Remy's culinary imagination, put into effect by Linguini (Lou Romano) and the comely sous-chef Colette (Janeane Garofalo), will restore the reputation of the place ... if only Remy can stay out of sight, and Linguini not be trapped by Skinner's evilest scheme.
From the moment Remy enters, crashing, to the final happy fadeout, Ratatouille parades the brio and depth that set Pixar apart from and above other animation studios. The flood that separates Remy from his family is turbulent, terrifically choreographed, action-movie excitement. The budding Remy-Linguini friendship grows naturally, without clamor or shtick--quite a feat, considering how dense and gauche the young man can be. The tonal quality is pretty amazing for a CGI movie. The usual harsh plastic visuals are replaced by muted, luscious views of late-afternoon Paris.
Ratatouille began with a premise of the movie's original director, Jan Pinkava. "When I heard this idea about a rat that wants to be a fine chef," Lasseter says, "I thought, 'Wow, this is the most extreme fish-out-of-water story I've ever heard.' Following one's creative passion against everyone telling you, 'No, you can't do this'--that was such an amazing idea."
This was to have been the first feature assignment for Pinkava, the Czech-born director of Pixar's Oscar-winning short Geri's Game. But after a few years, says Lasseter regretfully, "it was just not working out. The leadership and vision in the story were not there." Bird, who had been away from the Ratatouille meetings for a year, finishing The Incredibles, now inundated the group with appealing story ideas. Eventually, he took over the project, and Pinkava, who still receives story credit, left the company.
Wrenching decisions are what Pixarians have to make, just as the exigencies of the market are what they try to ignore. The title, for one thing: it's pronounced rat-a-tooey and refers to a Mediterranean vegetable stew, which not everyone will know or, knowing, will care about. And then ... well ... rats. They are typically figures of fear and loathing, and the Bird team hasn't prettied them up. Though Remy's coat has a lovely bluish sheen, and he often walks on his two hind paws, he is recognizably a rat, much closer to his species than a certain Disney mouse--with red pants, white gloves and yellow shoes--is to his. Then there are the marketing tie-ins, which reap extra cash and free promotion. As Ratatouille producer Brad Lewis asks, with a rhetorical flourish, "What food-product company would want a tie-in with a movie about a rat?"
The burger franchises should rethink their reluctance, because the food in Ratatouille looks real enough to eat, and to savor. Credit this to Sharon Calahan, director of photography (lighting). "I knew we'd need a bigger toolkit to pull off food," says this artist-technician. "Wet grapes and dry grapes have different kinds of translucencies. Liquids and sauces are hard. Bread was a big challenge because of its porous nature."
There's a porous nature, too, to the company's power structure. Swapping ideas, stepping in, hanging out are at the root of what has to be called the Pixar culture. The studio has working methods more in common with the dotcom companies in nearby Silicon Valley than with the movie industry down in Los Angeles. For a start, everyone who works there, from the executives to the cooks at Luxo Cafe (try the excellent sushi), is encouraged to take a filmmaking class and make a short film. This is part of Pixar president Ed Catmull's belief in "lifelong learning."
Most movie directors have individual contracts with their studios; the Pixar directors are employees of the company, contributing on all studio projects. The so-called Brain Trust--Lasseter, Bird and Stanton, along with directors Lee Unkrich, Bob Peterson, Brenda Chapman, Pete Docter and Gary Rydstrom and one recent recruit, Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt--convenes regularly to spitball ideas and, Lasseter says, "help one another make these films. We're very honest."
And no apparent wall between work and fun; often, Lewis says, he must force people to go home. "This was the first and only job for a lot of people here," says Bird, who as director of the 1999 animated feature The Iron Giant and as one of the developers of The Simpsons, is the rare Pixar Pooh-Bah who came from the outside. "I think they're under the delusion that things are this nice everywhere."

Charlie Chaplin and the other great silent-movie clowns knew how to express the deepest, subtlest emotions through gesture. Remy, too, in the hands of director Brad Bird and his gifted animators, is a veritable Shakespeare of shrugs. The suppleness with which Remy scoots through both human and rodent worlds lends Ratatouille the believability at the center of Pixar classics like John Lasseter's Toy Story, Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo and Bird's own The Incredibles.
Bird, like the other Pixarians, is working from the Walt Disney playbook. "In a fantasy world where animals can talk, how do they talk? That's the secret of character animation. Even though it's a completely unbelievable thing, people invest in it," he says. "If we do our job on this one, audiences will empathize with, and invest in, a rat." That's because the creative children at Pixar's Lego- like headquarters in the San Francisco suburb of Emeryville realize that movies, and especially cartoons, are not just talking pictures. They are motion and emotion pictures. And if you don't have heart, ya ain't got art.
There's plenty of both in this rat-out-of-sewer story, which hits U.S. theaters June 29. For Remy (brightly voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt) is your basic outsider. Even with his family, he felt like a connoisseur among food philistines. They are tough and oafish, satisfied with garbage; he's a devotee of the late, famed chef Gusteau (Brad Garrett) and his mantra, "Anyone can cook." Having lost track of his teeming brood, he arrives at Gusteau's old restaurant, now run by the conniving Skinner (Ian Holm). But Remy's culinary imagination, put into effect by Linguini (Lou Romano) and the comely sous-chef Colette (Janeane Garofalo), will restore the reputation of the place ... if only Remy can stay out of sight, and Linguini not be trapped by Skinner's evilest scheme.
From the moment Remy enters, crashing, to the final happy fadeout, Ratatouille parades the brio and depth that set Pixar apart from and above other animation studios. The flood that separates Remy from his family is turbulent, terrifically choreographed, action-movie excitement. The budding Remy-Linguini friendship grows naturally, without clamor or shtick--quite a feat, considering how dense and gauche the young man can be. The tonal quality is pretty amazing for a CGI movie. The usual harsh plastic visuals are replaced by muted, luscious views of late-afternoon Paris.
Ratatouille began with a premise of the movie's original director, Jan Pinkava. "When I heard this idea about a rat that wants to be a fine chef," Lasseter says, "I thought, 'Wow, this is the most extreme fish-out-of-water story I've ever heard.' Following one's creative passion against everyone telling you, 'No, you can't do this'--that was such an amazing idea."
This was to have been the first feature assignment for Pinkava, the Czech-born director of Pixar's Oscar-winning short Geri's Game. But after a few years, says Lasseter regretfully, "it was just not working out. The leadership and vision in the story were not there." Bird, who had been away from the Ratatouille meetings for a year, finishing The Incredibles, now inundated the group with appealing story ideas. Eventually, he took over the project, and Pinkava, who still receives story credit, left the company.
Wrenching decisions are what Pixarians have to make, just as the exigencies of the market are what they try to ignore. The title, for one thing: it's pronounced rat-a-tooey and refers to a Mediterranean vegetable stew, which not everyone will know or, knowing, will care about. And then ... well ... rats. They are typically figures of fear and loathing, and the Bird team hasn't prettied them up. Though Remy's coat has a lovely bluish sheen, and he often walks on his two hind paws, he is recognizably a rat, much closer to his species than a certain Disney mouse--with red pants, white gloves and yellow shoes--is to his. Then there are the marketing tie-ins, which reap extra cash and free promotion. As Ratatouille producer Brad Lewis asks, with a rhetorical flourish, "What food-product company would want a tie-in with a movie about a rat?"
The burger franchises should rethink their reluctance, because the food in Ratatouille looks real enough to eat, and to savor. Credit this to Sharon Calahan, director of photography (lighting). "I knew we'd need a bigger toolkit to pull off food," says this artist-technician. "Wet grapes and dry grapes have different kinds of translucencies. Liquids and sauces are hard. Bread was a big challenge because of its porous nature."
There's a porous nature, too, to the company's power structure. Swapping ideas, stepping in, hanging out are at the root of what has to be called the Pixar culture. The studio has working methods more in common with the dotcom companies in nearby Silicon Valley than with the movie industry down in Los Angeles. For a start, everyone who works there, from the executives to the cooks at Luxo Cafe (try the excellent sushi), is encouraged to take a filmmaking class and make a short film. This is part of Pixar president Ed Catmull's belief in "lifelong learning."
Most movie directors have individual contracts with their studios; the Pixar directors are employees of the company, contributing on all studio projects. The so-called Brain Trust--Lasseter, Bird and Stanton, along with directors Lee Unkrich, Bob Peterson, Brenda Chapman, Pete Docter and Gary Rydstrom and one recent recruit, Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt--convenes regularly to spitball ideas and, Lasseter says, "help one another make these films. We're very honest."
And no apparent wall between work and fun; often, Lewis says, he must force people to go home. "This was the first and only job for a lot of people here," says Bird, who as director of the 1999 animated feature The Iron Giant and as one of the developers of The Simpsons, is the rare Pixar Pooh-Bah who came from the outside. "I think they're under the delusion that things are this nice everywhere."

When he starts work on a movie, Bird looks for core thoughts. The core here: "Cooks are givers, and rats are takers. In the larger world there are people who are givers and people who are takers. Cooking, feeding people, is a giving act. All art at its best is a giving act that continues to give as long as the art is consumed. As with a cook, you're handing it over to someone to enjoy."
Toward the end of the movie, Remy whips up his specialty for Anton Ego (voiced by Peter O'Toole), a food critic so severe he is known to trembling chefs throughout Paris as the Grim Eater. Ego puts a forkful in his mouth, and in a flash, fond memories--of a loving mother giving him delicious food--play across his face. As Bird describes the moment, "His eyes drift down toward the dish, like, 'Is it this? It is this. I love food again. This is what I was missing.'" A taste of something wonderful can humanize almost any misanthrope, even a critic.
That's the effect a soupçon of Ratatouille, or almost any Pixar movie, can have on viewers. It returns us to animation's childlike wonders, and makes believers, gourmets, of us all.

With reporting by Rebecca Winters Keegan

Source : http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1630548,00.html

'Harry Potter' Movie Premieres in Japan

The Associated Press

TOKYO -- Japan rolled out the red carpet Thursday for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth movie from J.K. Rowling's megahit fantasy series.

Hundreds of young Japanese fans, many wearing witch costumes and holding magic wands, screamed when Daniel Radcliffe appeared as white smoke spewed on the stage.

"Japanese fans are the best!" Radcliffe, dressed in a white suit, said in simple Japanese.
"Order of the Phoenix" was directed by David Yates, a Briton best known for the multilayered TV thrillers "State of Play" and "Sex Traffic."

The film opens as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is undergoing a gradual takeover by the bureaucratic Ministry of Magic and its emissary, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton).

A sense of impending doom is heightened by a series of nightmares that link Harry (Radcliffe) ever more closely to the devilish Voldemort, bringing Rowling's saga into even darker territory.

There's also a new love angle: Harry's first kiss with fellow student Cho Chang (Katie Leung).
The Harry Potter books have been translated into 65 languages and sold more than 325 million copies since the first volume, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," was published in 1997. (The book was published in the United States with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.")

After this movie, the next Harry-related frenzy will be the publication of the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," on July 21.

The first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001.

Radcliffe and co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who play Harry's friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, have been at the center of the Potter storm for almost half their lives.

"It's just absolutely brilliant. He's an icon," said 17-year-old Radcliffe, explaining why he's been playing Harry for such a long time. "He is somebody whose character has gotten his generation of kids into reading. So it's an honor to play him."

All three stars have signed up for the final two Potter films.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, opens in the United States on July 11 and in Britain the next day.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" photos and more

Source : http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=267251&mpc=2

Review : New 'Die Hard' worth the action

Review: New 'Die Hard' worth the action

By David GermainThe Associated Press

(AP) -- "Live Free or Die Hard" is the sort of movie you approach like last year's "Basic Instinct 2" or "Rocky Balboa."

You go in expecting the worst and figure you'll at least get some laughs out of seeing an aging protagonist embarrassingly trying to reclaim old glory.

Luckily for Bruce Willis and the audience, his die-hard cop still has a lot of yippee-ki-yay in him, nearly 20 years after the first "Die Hard."

This fourth installment in the franchise, the first since 1995's "Die Hard With a Vengeance," is the sort of generally welcome surprise that "Rocky Balboa" turned out to be, a reacquaintance with an old friend you didn't think you would like anymore, but do. (Watch Bruce Willis on making a movie like the first one )

Let's be clear. "Live Free or Die Hard" is silly, outlandish and painfully implausible, and it grows more so as director Len Wiseman revs up the climactic action sequences to preposterous extremes.

Yet for a pure summer power trip, it's a decent throwback to the pure-brawn heyday of Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, an agreeable respite from today's cartoonlike ballets of computer-generated action.

This time out, Willis' John McClane still wisecracks, but he's much more a stoic hard case than the yammering clown of earlier years. Divorced and disillusioned, McClane still takes his job as a New York City detective seriously, and he does it well.

One night, while staking out his college-age daughter, Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), to make sure her date keeps his hands to himself, McClane is dispatched to pick up a computer hacker and deliver him to the FBI in Washington for questioning.

Computer geek Matt Farrell (Justin Long) is one of many digital wizards the feds want to question after the bureau's cyber-security division is hacked.

Moments after McClane shows up at Matt's door, assassins bombard the apartment with gunfire, setting off a long July Fourth weekend for the cop and the hacker as they chase around trying to stay ahead of the bad guys and figure out who's behind a computer incursion that cripples the nation.

Traffic signals go berserk, financial markets crash, airplanes are grounded, electricity is cut and federal buildings are evacuated because of false anthrax alarms.

With all their equipment and digital know-how, the feds, led by FBI guy Bowman (Cliff Curtis), are virtually hapless in tracking down the mastermind, bitter security expert Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant).

So of course, it's left to McClane, an analog dinosaur who barely grasps the concept of cell phones, to hunt the man down, aided by sidekick Farrell.

Ridiculous as the action scenes are, the early ones are a clever, thrilling blend of digital imagery and old-fashioned muscle. The first two-thirds of the movie builds up enough good will that viewers may play along when director Wiseman (the "Underworld" movies) goes off the deep end with some insanely excessive stunts in the final act.

Among the highlights is a death-match between bruiser McClane and Gabriel's lover and accomplice (Maggie Q), a lethal martial-arts fighter.

With McClane taking blows that should leave him for dead, their duel accentuates the impossible levels to which the filmmakers take their die-hard notion. McClane is less a human than an unstoppable, "Terminator"-style cyborg, continually bouncing back with another punch and a new joke.

Willis shows nothing he hasn't shown a dozen times before, but he does it all well, delivering steely stares, writhing in pain and complaining in muttered soliloquy about his lot in life.

He and Long develop a nice father-son camaraderie through their adventures, while Winstead fills in for the absent Bonnie Bedelia, McClane's wife from the first two movies, playing the spunky damsel inevitably drawn into the peril.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith adds an amusing bit part as a distrustful computer nerd holed up in a "command center" in his mom's basement.

While Olyphant is adequate as the ruthless, calculating Gabriel, he suffers a similar fate as William Sadler and Jeremy Irons, the villains of the second and third "Die Hard" flicks: Namely, that no one seems like a truly worthy opponent for McClane after the deliciously flamboyant performance of bad guy Alan Rickman in the original "Die Hard."

"Live Free or Die Hard," a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 and runs 130 minutes.

Source : http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/26/review.livefreeordiehard.ap/index.html

gossip : Is Timberlake Bringing Testy Back?

Is Timberlake Bringing Testy Back?

June 27, 2007

To the casual observer, Justin Timberlake seems to have things pretty sweet, what with his worldwide fame, the overflowing coffers of cash and the ability to touch Jessica Biel's "A-oooga!"-inspiring body whenever he wants. But is his charmed life turning him into a grumpy young man?

That's the word from several outlets, which claim the "SexyBack" crooner, 26, has acted like he's wearing an atomic wedgie-producing pair of crankypants during several stops on his European tour.

Us Weekly reports Timberlake was feeling ornery in Oslo, Norway, on June 20, when he snapped at snappers trailing along as he and Biel -- along with a small entourage that included his mom -- moseyed around town.

"He shouted 'you [bleeping] a-hole' to one photographer, and his bodyguard threatened to crush my cell phone," a bystander alleges to the mag.

During that same perambulation, Justin, who has a long history of antipathy toward the paparazzi, was captured on video pulling out his own camera and taking a picture of one of the shutterbugs shadowing him.

He then turned the camera to the lensman and casually observed, "Picture of an a**hole." Us says his bodyguard then obligingly piped in, "How 'bout I punch you in the face?"

Timberlake also seemed to be feeling a mite touchy during a stopover a few days back in Gothenburg, Sweden.

According to the Swedish tab Aftonbladet, the chart-topper appeared put-upon when a young fan asked to take his picture, sniping, "You want me to juggle also?"

The paper also claims Justin had a confrontation with some teens after he, Biel and several of their friends enjoyed dinner at a local Hard Rock Café (a fine culinary choice, although not quite as classy as their recent lunch at T.G.I. Friday's).

The kids also apparently wanted a photo of the lately grim-faced singer, but when he demurred, they responded by letting fly a popular four-letter word with "face" tacked onto the end of it.
Timberlake's alleged response was to suggest -- how do we put this delicately? -- that they get to know themselves in the biblical sense.

Justin, Jessica and their group headed back to their hotel with the teens tagging behind, according to Aftonbladet, which purports he and his pals then made their way to the roof and began hocking objects -- fruit, water bottles, Ping-Pong balls, loogies -- over the side.

Timberlake's rep did not respond to our request for comment.

Source : http://entertainment.msn.com/music/hotgossip/6-27-07

Spice Girls reunite for world tour

Spice Girls reunite for world tour

The Spice Girls wannabe stars again. Following a calculated publicity buildup, the original Girl Power group of the 1990s announced Thursday they had agreed to get together for 11 concerts around the world in December and January.

The shows will be their first concerts since breaking up in 2001, and the first with all five of the original group since Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell quit to pursue a solo career in 1998.

"Imagine you got divorced and you've got back together with your ex-husband," Halliwell said, explaining how she felt about the reunion.

"She just appreciates the fact we've let her back in," joked Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham.

The group said the shows would be in Los Angeles on Dec. 7; Las Vegas on Dec. 8; New York on Dec. 11; London on Dec. 15; Cologne, Germany, on Dec. 20; Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 23; Beijing on Jan. 10; Hong Kong on Jan. 12; Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 17; Cape Town, South Africa, on Jan. 20; and Buenos Aires, Argentina on Jan. 24.

Halliwell and Beckham joined with Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm, Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton and Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown to pose for photos and announce tour plans.

"We wanted to say thank you to our fans. It just feels very right for us," Chisholm said.

"Obviously it's nostalgic. But equally, if new fans want to come along, that's fantastic," Halliwell said. "I like to think our songs are universal and they are timeless."

Fans stood outside the news conference, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Spice Girls.

"We found out about this going on and we decided to take a trip," said Nicola Seodon, 21, a shop worker, who traveled the 20 miles from Dartford to London.

"I was a big Spice Girls fan when I was 10 years old. I'll definitely buy their album and I never got to see a concert when they were still around, so this will be a great chance," she said.

The Spice Girls' first single, "Wannabe," was released in 1996 and topped charts in 31 countries. They went on to sell more than 55 million records.

But their last album, "Forever," released in 2000 and without Halliwell, fared poorly.

You could now call them the Spice Mums. Beckham said the tour would be designed to accommodate the band members' seven children. And Bunton is now pregnant with her first child.

"Our priority is going to be our families. We want to have fun," said Beckham, who has three sons with her husband, soccer star David Beckham. "That's one of the many reasons for this, for our children to see what we used to do. And I may be the cool one in the family for once."

EMI said it plans to release the first Spice Girls greatest-hits album in November. The group also plans to make their first official documentary for TV broadcast.

"It's going to be the most honest story that you've ever heard," Halliwell said. "You get to see the dark side of the Spice Girls, the gritty side, the tears."

___
On the Net:

Spice Girls: http://www.thespicegirls.com/





Source : http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/44921474

Nonstop style : Four and Mod Thai up Japan

Music

Nonstop style

By Ubonwan Pongpat, Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Four and Mod Thai up Japan

Twenty-one-year-old Sakonratt Worn-aurai (Four) and 16-year-old Chutimon Chairat (Mod) are currently at the top of Thailand’s girl-group heap. Since they made their debut two years ago, Four-Mod have been popping up everywhere — on TV, in the papers, on posters and on the radio.

Their bubblegum pop songs are popular in pubs and clubs, encouraging enthusiastic party-goers to get up and dance. The girls are keeping that energy going with their new album, Wooo!, and a hectic, non-stop schedule.

Exhausted from long working hours without enough rest, Four and Mod took a break to chat with Student Weekly. The pair told us about their new album, their dramatically changed looks and what it’s like working in Japan.

Student Weekly: You look a lot different than you did for your last album. Your makeover and your shiny red lipstick seem to be the talk of the town. What’s with the new look?

♦ Four: The whole red lipstick thing is just temporary. We wore red lipstick only when we took promo shots and for the cover photos. When we do shows we wear our usual bright makeup.

Student Weekly: What have your fans had to say about your new look?

♦ Four: Some like it, some don’t. Those who like us being lovely and bright say it’s too much, too fashionable. While those who aren’t stuck on our previous image say it’s cool and chic.

♦ Mod: Most of them like it, though.

♦ Four: This time, the music is more edgy and lively. We can’t dress the way we used to.

♦ Mod: One more thing: We’re now with Kamikaze, so we have to be very fashionable to fit that label’s concept.

Student Weekly: So what are your true colours? Are you girly or sexy?

♦ Four: Not girly or sexy. I’m naughty and cheerful.

♦ Mod: I’m just like her.

Student Weekly: What are the biggest problems you girls are facing right now?

♦ Mod: My problem is that I’m fatter. I gained two kilos recently. I ate a lot during the summer.

♦ Four: I need to gain a little more weight so that we’re more equal.

Student Weekly: Your debut single “Dek Mee Pun Ha [Problem Child]” is about you guys not being able to find boyfriends. Is that true in real life?

♦ Four: It’s just like in the song. I’m too busy. I don’t have time to take care of anyone. Guys don’t like that kind of girl.

♦ Mod: I admit that boys have hit on me. But I’m not ready to think about love right now.

Student Weekly: Four, what about the rumour that you and Chain from Nice 2 Meet U have been seeing each other?

♦ Four: We’re just friends. Seriously, I’m not looking for love right now. I believe that love comes when the time is right.

Student Weekly: Why did you choose Japan as the location to shoot your album photos and your newest music video?

♦ Four: Because of our outfits, which are so colourful and Japanese-like. Where else would have been better than Japan?

♦ Mod: We had a lot of obstacles. The weather was so cold, and it was raining and windy. Our schedule was really tight. We had three days to shoot five songs — one for the video and four for the karaoke VCD.

Student Weekly: Did you have any onlookers?

♦ Four: We wanted onlookers, actually. We were shooting in the middle of Harajuku, one of the busiest areas in Japan. It was kind of funny. People were pretty bewildered about what we were doing. We were dancing like lunatics in the junction. When the traffic light turned green, we had to run away. When it turned red again, we went back to dance, and so on.

Student Weekly: Four has been an actress for a quite a while. What about you, Mod? Have you ever considered a career in acting?

♦ Mod: I’d love to. It would be a new experience that I’ve never tried. Let’s see if I can make it.

Student Weekly: Have you thought about modelling?

♦ Mod: Modelling must be fun. If I have the opportunity, I’ll definitely do it.

Student Weekly: Four, you’ve done a lot of things — singing, acting and hosting. Is there anything else you’d like to do?

♦ Four: I wanna try VJing or DJing. I like listening to the radio. Some DJs can make me laugh just with their voices. I believe I can do it. I’m talkative and funny.

Student Weekly: You’ve been busy for months and months. What would you like to do when you finally you have some time off?

♦ Mod: I’d like stay home and get ample sleep, which I haven’t had recently. I’ve worked every day nonstop — like a machine.

♦ Four: Sleep and shopping. I haven’t gone shopping in a very long time.

Source : http://www.student-weekly.com/thisweek/250607_entertain_03.html

Commentary: TV ads now musician's pal

By Steven Van ZandtThe
Hollywood Reporter

NEWYORK (Billboard) -- Somewhere in the earliest part of the 21st century, it became obvious that a profound paradigm shift had taken place in the relationship of rock 'n' roll and music licensing. With the end of the rock era (1965-1994), the rules began changing just as fast as the technology.

During the height of the rock era, if one of your songs was used in a TV commercial, your career was on the way out. And after the late '60s, hit singles weren't even cool again until the '80s.
But now the opposite is almost true. If you don't have a song in a TV commercial your career is over. I'm exaggerating slightly but you get the point.

And a hit single that actually sounds like rock 'n' roll? We should all live long enough to see that again.
So in 2002, while I was meeting with various sponsors for my "Underground Garage" radio show, I'd take the extra time with the ad agencies to try and convince them to use more up-and-coming bands in their TV spots.

My three simple reasons did convince a few. One, a big star is going to overwhelm your brand. I remember Beyonce doing a commercial, but who cares what the product was? Two, it's cheaper. For the tens of millions spent on Beyonce, you get 30-60 new bands. Band, master, song, all in. And third, it's a hip thing to do, and it's a good thing to do. The fans of the band will appreciate it and never forget it. It might help break a new artist and you get the credit, and much more brand recognition for all the right reasons. "Did you see that cool new band in the Coke commercial?" stuff.

Also helping the indie world these days, and always has, is movies. "Spider-Man" just became super-important, using up-and-comers and indie tracks for its soundtrack, a refreshing and unusual move for a major flick.
I don't know who started it -- Allen Moyle's "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater comes to mind -- but it's good for the movies and good for the music world, which, now more than ever, must rely on the synergy of strangers.

(Actor and guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt is a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and host of the syndicated radio show "Underground Garage.")

Source : http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/25/music.vanzandt.reut/index.html

Nation's Springfields vie for `Simpsons'

By LISA RATHKE, Associated Press Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. - With a bowling alley, a pub, a prison and a nuclear power plant just down the road, Springfield, Vt., likes to think itself a real-life version of the home of "The Simpsons."

Now, the town is going all out to prove it, joining 13 other Springfields from across the nation in a contest, with the winner hosting the big-screen premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" July 26. The public will choose the winner in a USA Today online vote.
The competition is stiff.

Springfield, Ill., has its own power plant, run by a man who looks a lot like Mr. Burns, head of the nuclear plant on "The Simpsons," said Tim Farley, executive director of the Illinois' Springfield Convention and Visitors' Bureau. The school is identical and the city is not far from Shelbyville, the town next to Homer Simpson's Springfield, he said.

"We feel like Springfield has a lot of curious similarities," Farley said.
But folks in Springfield, Ore., the home state of "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, always thought it was their Springfield on the Fox TV show. "It was a shock, that we had to prove it," said Niel Laudati, community relations coordinator.

Every Springfield in the nation was invited to take part, submitting a three- to five-minute video showcasing their towns. Some had a cow over the idea.

Springfield, Minn., declined, saying it was nothing like the dysfunctional town on the TV show.
As the June 28 submission deadline approaches, the Springfields aren't giving away many details, just upping the ante.

"We just got Senator Kennedy to be in our Simpsons video," said David Horgan, producer of the effort in Springfield, Mass. "I can't give it away, but he's hilarious."

Last week, more than 300 people showed up to be in the final scene of the Massachusetts entry. "We had a hair salon dyeing hair blue," and piling it up like Marge Simpson's do, said Azell Murphy Cavaan, community relations director.

Illinois and Massachusetts got local input online for how to show their "Simpsons spirit." Oregon held a public meeting with the mayor. Companies have volunteered their video-editing services, food and beverages.

Vermont's Springfield planned to show off buildings with "Springfield" in them — the bank, a movie theater — in a scene in which Homer (Burlington talk show host Tim Kavanaugh) runs through town chasing a big, pink, rolling doughnut.

On Tuesday, 17-year-old volunteer cameraman Alex Campos of Barre filmed Homer charging after the doughnut through a Little League diamond and plowing into his son, Bart.

The southeastern Vermont town's preparations went so far as to include a doughnut double — in case anything happened to the inflatable plastic pastry.

Later they planned to film the final scene, in which Homer is chased by a mob into a movie theater.
"We tried to keep within the spirit of the movie," said producer Brock Rutter, of the Vermont Film Commission, who also plays Bart. "Homer wrecking things and everything turning out in the end."

The town doesn't plan to emphasize anything that might be offensive, said Patty Chaffee, head of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

We're not "looking at it (as) being compared to. I think more for us it's a promotional piece, just getting our name out there."

Voting ends July 9, with the winner announced the next day. The movie hits theaters July 27.

___

On the Net:
http://www.usatoday.com

-

Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/simpsons_springfields

Source Photo : http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070619/480/ab3b92afbc4249c0b286678728a22047;_ylt=Ar_61MAwGpE4Y4A5jshvfEC2GL8C

Was the Last Decade of Movies THAT Bad?

Is this all a decade of movies is worth?

According to the American Film Institute's new list of the 100 greatest films, the last 10 years have produced only four great ones: "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (No. 50), "Saving Private Ryan" (No. 71), "Titanic" (No. 83) and "The Sixth Sense" (No. 89).
I get bloated just typing those titles. Granted, the last 10 years have been a historically weak period for films. They can't touch Hollywood's golden era of the '40s, or the heralded '70s, when maverick directors roamed the studios.
But surely, there's been more to see in the last decade than Haley Joel Osment whispering "I see dead people." (Pssst: I've seen better movies.)
The new entries to AFI's 10th anniversary list confirm what we already knew: This is the era of the blockbuster. Except for "Saving Private Ryan," these are all tentpole popcorn movies excellent films, but we're still dealing with hobbits, ghosts and Celine Dion.


AFI's list to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its original top 100 was chosen from ballots sent to 1,500 filmmakers, actors, writers, critics and others in Hollywood. Those ballots listed 400 nominated films, 43 of which came from the last decade. Other new nominees included "Spider-Man 2," "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Shrek" and "Chicago." It would seem this decade's best representatives are superheros, pirates and ogres.
This is, of course, an entirely subjective enterprise even though the AFI list does boost movie rentals nationwide and it's ridiculous to argue too vehemently over any "best of" list.


But it's still fun. So ...
Two of the "new" films on the ballot strike me as worthy of the top 100 list: Michael Mann's brilliant, stylish "The Insider" isn't "based on a true story" in the typical movie sense it's intensely realistic in portraying a whistle-blower from Big Tobacco (Russell Crowe) working with a news producer for CBS (Al Pacino). There isn't a better movie about corporations and modern heroism. And Wes Anderson's classically quirky comedy "Rushmore" is far more than a cult flick. In a long comic lineage of oddballs, Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) tops them all.
Many others that weren't on the ballot are also deserving. Two that could sit comfortably on the shelf next to "Rushmore" are "Election" and the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski." The latter rises to the level of classic after all, its whole premise is film noir held up to the funhouse mirror of "The Dude."
Alexander Payne's "Sideways" was nominated by AFI, but his "Election" was not. Reese Witherspoon has since become a major star, but this political satire set in high school remains her most lasting work.
The early '90s was the height of the independent film era. Two of the top talents from that time made films that deserve consideration: Paul Thomas Anderson's ambitious, Altmanesque "Magnolia," and David Fincher's "Fight Club" (which was on the ballot).
If there's one film that I would put atop any list of the last 10 years, it's the overlooked "You Can Count on Me," starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo and Matthew Broderick. Directed by playwright Kenneth Lonergan, it's one of the most humanistic movies you'll ever see. Buster Keaton's 1927 silent comedy "The General" jumped into the new AFI list at No. 18, so obviously a degree of time is sometimes necessary to recognize a masterpiece. I pray to "Moby Dick" that this could someday happen to the wonderful (if terribly titled) "You Can Count on Me."
Others worth noting are Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line," Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight," Robert Altman's "Gosford Park" and the older, but still terribly underrated Paul Newman picture "Nobody's Fool" (1994).
But there's only so much room. The AFI list already lacks many earlier classics like "Laura" (1944), "Out of the Past" (1947), "His Girl Friday" (1940), "Notorious" (1946), "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "Manhattan" (1979) and "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975).
The truth is, the last 10 years may deserve only a few spots on the top 100 list. Really, many of the best movies of the past decade have come from foreign countries.
Walter Salles' "Central Station" and "The Motorcycle Diaries," the co-directed "City of God," Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy," Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Lives of Others," Wong Kar Wai's "In the Mood for Love" and Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" all rival if not surpass American releases.
So rather than mope about AFI's treatment of the last 10 years in movies, it's worth expanding our view to the wider world of film. There's more than "dead people" out there to see.

-




On the Net:
http://www.afi.com/



-





Source : http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20070621/118248120000.html

Paris Hilton: 'I'm Much More Grateful'

Paris Hilton is feeling thankful. The 26-year-old heiress, who is set to be released from jail soon, told Ryan Seacrest of E! News that her "gratitude has gone up so much" since she's been behind bars.
Hilton has been in custody since June 3. She is housed in the special-needs unit of the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, a suburb of Los Angeles.
She called Seacrest Thursday to talk about how the experience has changed her.
"I'm much more grateful for everything that I have, even just to have a pillow at night or food," she said.
Serving time has been tough, she said, and visits with her family have been emotional.
"I am behind glass and I want to give my dad a big hug and they won't even let me do that," she said. "I'm not a criminal, I'm not dangerous. ... It's hard but I'm stronger every day."
The star of TV's "The Simple Life" also weighed in on her status as a tabloid darling.
"I just realize that the media used me to make fun of and be mean about it," she said, adding that she is "frankly sick of it" and that she wants to "use my fame in a good way."
The interview is scheduled to air on E! News on Thursday and Friday.
___

Source : http://www.broadcaster.com/ap2.cgi?image_id=news://newsclip.ap.org/90c92bb1-01cd-4410-9a5b-b8acf3786388@news.ap.org

: http://www.broadcaster.com/ap2.cgi?ap_mesg_id=news://newsclip.ap.org/D8PTLLQ00@news.ap.org

RICHIE HIT WITH BABY, WEDDING RUMORS

June 18, 2007

Sure, Nicole Richie's rickety arms don't seem strong enough to hoist a box of Huggies or balance a bridal bouquet, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning with chatter of a stork delivery and an aisle-walk in her future.

First up is the baby burbling, which grew louder on Saturday night when the diaphanous, rehab- and eating disorder-denying starlet attempted to avoid shutterbugs by covering her face with a bag of takeout (yes, she was in proximity to food), a move that pulled her roomy brown minidress taut and highlighted some head-scratching swelling around her usually concave belly.

So, is it a bundle of joy, bloat from eating a Lifesaver or the most elaborate "Simple Life" publicity stunt ever?
According to the New York Post, a "good pal" of Richie's says she's "definitely" incubating the spawn of Good Charlotte front man Joel Madden, 28, her boyfriend of less than a year.

The ostensible friend also claims Nicole, who was popped for DUI in December, has her fingers crossed that her supposedly delicate condition will help her escape the same pokey-filled fate as sometime BFF Paris Hilton.
"Nicole is kind of hoping her pregnancy will keep her out of jail," the chatty confidante alleges to the paper, which adds that other friends are worried and "wondering if she can carry the baby to term because of her weight issues."

For now, Richie, 25, is sidestepping questions about whether there's an eensy-weensy (and likely wee bit peckish) bun baking in her Easy-Bake-like oven, and her rep has refused to confirm or deny the rumors, saying only there's "nothing to report" (via E! News).

Even dad Lionel is pleading ignorance, recently telling TMZ.com of the maternity mumblings, "I don't know. I'll find out myself."

As for Nicole's mom, Brenda, she may be even further out of the loop. According to Celebrity Babylon, mother and daughter are "totally estranged" right now, and Richie has been holed up in "a secret place ... to try to deal with everything that's going on."

Still, Nicole wasn't exactly hiding on Thursday as she slipped into a flowing frock for the YSL Pool Party benefit at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she was joined by the newly skunk-Mohawked Madden.
The twosome chowed down on lobster salad and lamb, but spurned offers of booze, "a first" for Richie, a source snippily tells the Post.

Joel, for his part, was "overly attentive to her -- keeping his arm around her all night -- and repeatedly asked her if she was OK." (By the by, the New York Daily News reports the rocker's ex, Hilary Duff, bailed out of the soiree at the 11th hour when she learned they were going to be in attendance.)

As for the knot-tying nattering, that was seemingly sparked by the dazzler dragging down Nicole's twiggy digit at the star-packed charity event, which a spy described to the Post as a "big rock surrounded by more diamonds."

The only hitch in the nuptial theory: The ring was on the middle finger of her left hand, not the all-important third one.

This is the second time this year that Nicole and Joel have been at the center of matrimonial rumblings. In February, they were reportedly spotted checking out rings at a Los Angeles jewelry store.

Richie, of course, is no stranger to the question-popping process. She was previously engaged to Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein

Example -- Nicole Richie:Photos

Source by : http://entertainment.msn.com/tv/hotgossip/6-18-07

Stars dare to wear at Fat’s other festival

Fashion

To a T

By Tatat Bunnag, Photos by Tatat Bunnag

Stars dare to wear at Fat’s other festival

Fashion trends come and go, but the T-shirt is a mainstay that’s never been out of style. With the heat and humidity of Thailand, the light and comfortable T-shirt is sure to always have a place in Thai fashion.
Through the years, choices for decorating T-shirts have ranged from iron-on designs to tie-dying to silk-screening to hand painting. Because those decorations feature everything from advertising to personal statements and jokes, no other item of clothing says more about the person wearing it.

On the lookout for new methods of self-expression, many young people now realise that they can, with a little artistic flair, knock out their own unique and personal designs. With the idea of showcasing some of those new and creative T-shirt designs, Fat Radio started its T-shirt festival in 2005.

The festival — this year held on June 10 at JJ Mall next to Chatuchak Market — has become the premier event for talented T-shirt designers and fans of fashion that’s functional and fun.

Student Weekly stopped by the third annual T-shirt festival to check out the innovative designs and to hobnob with some of the celebrity shirt sellers who were on hand. We asked them how they came up with the ideas for their trendy T-shirts.

“It’s the cartoon version of me in one of my latest music videos. This design was released on both a T-shirt and a watch.”
Petch Osatanukor, singer

“It’s called Panda Scream. As you can see, this artwork is obviously inspired by Edvard Munch’s The Scream. I also thought that this design was perfect for the turbulent situation at our music label now. [Laughs.]”
Somsiri Sangkaew, Bear-Garden’s singer

“This design can be read as ‘Armchair.’ I got the idea from the shape of a block.”
Anusorn Maneethed, Armchair’s singer

“This T-shirt says, ‘You say what? We say whatever!’ It’s the slogan for the mobile club night and party that my friends and I put on. It’s dedicated to whatever music moves us.”
Kasidit Samniang, Futon’s singer

“Our drummer Ja was the one who found this character on the Internet, so we named it Ja Too. We also used it as a logo for our new album, Romantic Comedy.”
Tul Waithunkiet, Apartment Khunpa’s singer

Source by : http://www.student-weekly.com/thisweek/180607_insidestory_02.html

Bon Jovi : New album not 'Bon Jovi does country'

Bon Jovi: New album not 'Bon Jovi does country'

-From left, Tico Torres, Jon Bon Jovi,
David Bryan and Richie Sambora


BURBANK, California (AP) -- They still look like the Bon Jovi of old -- their leather jackets and jeans. And they still act like the boys from New Jersey, proud of their musical brotherhood that spawned numerous hit albums and No. 1 singles.
But still, there is something different, something unexpected from one of the biggest rock bands of the past few decades. At first listen, it's their sound. It's well ... different. And perhaps even more surprising, it's intentional, they say.

Fresh off their crossover success with a country remake of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, which earned them the sole Grammy of their 25-year career, Bon Jovi is releasing the country-influenced album "Lost Highway" on Tuesday. And nobody in the band seems sure what the reception will be -- from their fans to the country music industry.
"Who knows? This record might be over in three weeks. Or it might have 10 singles on it," Jon Bon Jovi said during a recent interview.

"I just found myself listening to this kind of music, and finding that they were telling stories. That's something we've been doing our whole career," he said. "So it was very much a fit for us."

But while the albums of Bon Jovi's career have tended in the past decade to be more socially or politically influenced ("Bounce" was inspired by 9/11, "Have A Nice Day" followed the presidential election), this album appears to be personal, filled with stories inspired by the band members lives, loves and losses. And for a group that has made every effort to avoid tabloid headlines and VH1-style "Behind The Music" stories, the band has had more than enough of those moments to go around in the past few years.

It was the inspiration behind the album, which despite its lukewarm reception from critics has already received a fair amount of airplay for its first single " (You Want To) Make A Memory."

"Richie (Sambora) and David (Bryan) suffered a lot in the last year, a lot of pain. In what had been a very peaceful decade and a half, suddenly there was a lot of pain in the organization," Bon Jovi said. "I think it was cathartic for Richie to express with me or through me the hell he has been dealing with: losing his dad, losing the wife. And David, it's the same thing. So it was an easy record to write."

Bryan, who broke up with his wife recently, said Bon Jovi is always looking for musical subject matter. "There's some personal turmoils that showed up on this record. It's a cleansing process, I think."

In what Sambora told The AP was one of his first sit-down interviews in two years, following the breakup with his wife Heather Locklear and his romance with her friend Denise Richards (the two have since split), he said the songs reflect the heartache.

"It's interesting, the changes I've gone through in my life. I think I've brought a lot of the dramatics here within the lyric in a bunch of different places -- just from the stuff that's been going on with me. I think even the songs I didn't write with Jon, I think he used me as his muse."
Sambora said the band closed ranks around him during the recent death of his father, who died of lung cancer, to help him get through it.

"They were unbelievable. We're a tight group. Everybody goes through their own stuff, and everybody supports each other while they go through it no matter what it is."
During the interview, he was joined by drummer Tico Torres.

"It's all part of a relationship. You get through it, together," he said, looking over at Sambora. (A short time after the interview, Sambora entered a Los Angeles-area rehabilitation center for an undisclosed condition. The band has said he will be joining them this month for a scheduled performance).
It's perhaps this relationship between band mates that is laid open in the song "A Whole Lot Of Leaving," a song that clearly invites the country music influence onto the album.

Bon Jovi said he knows the success of country remake of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" laid a welcome mat of sorts for them in Nashville. But he added: "I'm not a carpetbagger."

He quickly pointed out that he and Sambora have been making trips to Nashville for years to meet with artists, producers or to find inspiration for their musical storytelling.
And he dismissed the "Bon Jovi goes country" label.

"Listen to it. I don't think it's that different than a Bon Jovi record. It's not a Bon Jovi does country record," he said. "I think I was at fault for trying to explain myself, for misrepresenting us, for saying we're going to Nashville to make a country record."

Country music, he said, is the music of Alan Jackson and Vince Gill. He said "Lost Highway" is much more in tune with country-to-rock crossover artists, such as Sugarland and Big & Rich, who also make an appearance on the album's rocking "We Got It Going On" number.

As the band readies to release its new album, the irony of a rock band winning it's only Grammy in a country music category for a remake is not lost on Bon Jovi.

"We were a nine-time Grammy loser. Nine times," Sambora said. "The juxtaposition is really crazy."


Source by : http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/18/bon.jovi.ap/index.html

Britney Threatens To Sue Over Billboards

Britney Threatens To Sue Over Billboards; Plus Jennifer Hudson, Phil Spector, Paris Hilton, Shar Jackson & More, In For The Record
Hudson invited to join Oscar group; Spector attorney held in contempt; heiress 'is doing as well as she can,' mom says.

By MTV News staff

Britney Spears
Photo: Alexander Tamargo/ Getty Images

Britney Spears isn't crazy about a handful of billboards promoting "The MJ Morning Show" in Florida — and she's threatening legal action because of them, according to documents obtained by TheSmokingGun.com. In a letter sent last week to Clear Channel Communications lawyer Donna Schneider, the pop star's counsel Lynda Goldman claims the billboards — which feature a snarling, bald Spears next to radio host Todd Schnitt, and the headlines "Total Nut Jobs," "Shock Therapy" and "Certifiable" — are "outrageous to the extreme." In the letter, Goldman demands the billboards be removed and says Spears is entitled to "very substantial damages" from Clear Channel because her "likeness has a multimillion-dollar value for authorized commercial exploitations." ...

Jennifer Hudson, Steve Carell and Eddie Murphy are among the 115 people who have been asked to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ryan Gosling, Daniel Craig, Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston have also been invited to be a part of the group, which is responsible for the Academy Awards. ...
Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declared a teary-eyed Sara Caplan in contempt of court on Monday. The former Phil Spector defense attorney refused to testify that she saw forensics expert Henry Lee pick up possible evidence in the murder case, The Associated Press reports. The judge ordered her jailed until she testifies but stayed the order to allow for an immediate appeal. ... Paris Hilton's mother and father visited her in jail over the weekend, and Kathy Hilton told MSNBC that the heiress "is doing as well as she can." When asked how his Father's Day was treating him on Sunday, Rick Hilton said, "It's not one of my best." ... Shar Jackson has hired an attorney in her flap with Star magazine over its claims that she is pregnant with Kevin Federline's baby, according to TMZ.com. She said her children are being affected by the rumors and is willing to submit to a pregnancy test to prove she's not expecting. ...

Mötley Crüe filed a $20 million suit against manager Carl Stubner — who also represents Tommy Lee — on Monday, alleging that he hurt the band's reputation, diverted revenue and mismanaged Lee's career. In the lawsuit, the band claims Stubner "promoted Lee's solo activities to the detriment of the band, and at the same time, mismanaged Lee's career so as to harm the Mötley Crüe brand and Lee's reputation as a musician and bandmember." A call to Sanctuary Group, which is also named as a defendant in the suit, was not immediately returned. ... Robert De Niro isn't getting his way in court. A federal judge declined to dismiss a suit that alleges the actor misrepresented his health on an insurance form for his 2005 Fox flick "Hide and Seek," AP reports. Fireman's Fund claims De Niro wrote on the form that he had never been diagnosed with or treated for prostate cancer — but according to court documents, he was diagnosed with the disease in 2003 after undergoing a prostate-gland biopsy. The diagnosis and treatment delayed the movie production, with the group paying Fox more than $1.8 million to cover the delay. A hearing set for July 2 will decide whether the case should go back to state court. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have lined up their first TV performances in seven years, and David Letterman will be doing the hosting honors. The band will unveil new Zeitgeist material when they play his "Late Show" on July 9 and 13. ... 50 Cent will make some serious money from his affiliation with Queens, New York, beverage brand Glacéau — his Formula 50 is one of the brand's VitaminWater flavors — but reports that surfaced late last month estimating that he'll earn $400 million thanks to Coca-Cola's $4.1 billion buyout of the company were about $300 million off, according to Forbes. 50's profile on the magazine's Celebrity 100 list estimates that the deal, which is not yet finalized, will net the rapper $100 million. ...

Avril Lavigne's next single, "When You're Gone," is scheduled to hit radio Monday (June 18). The video, directed by Marc Klasfield (Jay-Z, Gnarls Barkley) premieres on "TRL" Thursday. ... Lavigne was named Favorite Canadian Artist by viewers at Sunday's MuchMusic Video Awards, and broke down in tears during her acceptance speech, thanking fans for their votes. She also performed "Girlfriend" on the show, and took the Best International Video by a Canadian prize for the clip. Other viewers-choice winners include Favorite International Group My Chemical Romance (the band also won Best International Video - Group), Favorite International Artist Hilary Duff and Favorite Canadian Group Billy Talent. ...

Michael Jackson settled a $48 million lawsuit on Monday that had been brought by New Jersey financial company Prescient Acquisition ofHackensack, AP reports. A lawyer for Prescient owner Darien Dash said Dash had helped Jackson secure $573 million in financing to purchase Sony Corp.'s half of the Beatles' song catalog Jackson co-owned with the company. The lawyer also claimed Dash had helped Jackson refinance a $272 million bank loan. Terms of the settlement have not been released. ... Lou Pearlman will be transported from Guam to Florida to face a bankruptcy charge, according to AP. It could be two to three weeks before the former 'NSYNC and Backstreet Boys manager, who appeared before a federal judge in Guam on Friday, arrives there. ... Julia Roberts gave birth to her third child, Henry Daniel Moder, on Monday. ...

Cody L. Conover, a 25-year-old man from Lancaster, Kentucky, died Friday while attending the Bonnaroo festival, AP reports. Conover was taken to the United Regional Hospital in Manchester, Tennessee, at 11 a.m. Friday with no visible signs of trauma, and was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Conover's death is the sixth fatality in the event's six-year history. Investigators are looking into drugs and heat as possible causes of death. It will be several weeks before police determine the official cause. ... Also at Bonnaroo, legendary jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman, 77, collapsed onstage Sunday night midway through his 90-minute set. The Dallas Morning News reported that Coleman crumpled to the stage and had to be carried off by his bandmembers after succumbing to apparent heat stroke. Coleman was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition Sunday night. ...

Velvet Revolver's upcoming North American run with Alice in Chains is scheduled to launch August 5 in Baltimore. Seventeen dates have been announced for the first leg of the tour, which will hit cities including Toronto; Mansfield, Massachusetts; Wantagh, New York; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Tinley Park, Illinois; and St. Paul, Minnesota. ... Radiohead posted some new material on their Dead Air Space blog Friday, in a post titled "a bit of tape from the studio." The 1:27-long clip features video of a reel-to-reel tape player churning out selections from songs — some sound like they may be backward — and is accompanied by the description, "I keep bits of tape which have been chopped out of the mixes when they were edited ... stick em on a reel ... when you play it back it sounds like ... this." ...

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society have parted ways with Roadrunner Records after just one album, the band announced Sunday. Roadrunner released 2006's Shot to Hell, which has sold 121,000 copies since it hit stores in September. The band promises an "exciting announcement" regarding its future will be made in the coming weeks. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan have confirmed rumors that they have parted ways with drummer Chris Pennie; he now plays drums with Coheed and Cambria. The band has enlisted Stolen Babies' Gil Sharone to help finish current album recording sessions. The band revealed in a statement that its forthcoming album will be titled Ire Works and will be produced by Steve Evetts (Saves the Day, Earth Crisis); the set is due in stores this fall. ...

Former Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen was paroled from a New Jersey correctional facility in April, Blabbermouth reported Friday. According to records posted on the New Jersey Department of Corrections Web site, Eisen (whose real name is Tod Salvador) served 11 months for attempting to lure or entice a child stemming from his arrest for allegedly meeting and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in January 2005. He was fired from Static-X following his arrest. ... A pirated copy of Michael Moore's U.S. health care exposé "Sicko" was available on YouTube and BitTorrent over the weekend — two weeks ahead of the documentary's June 29 release, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper's source said distributor Weinstein Company plans to take "a very aggressive approach to protecting the film." Moore hasn't commented on the leak, though he did say he wasn't opposed to the unauthorized distribution of his "Fahrenheit 9/11" in a 2004 interview with Scotland's Daily Herald. "I don't agree with the copyright laws and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labor," Moore said at the time. "The more people who see it, the better."
6.15.2007
50 Cent defends hip-hop in the July issue of Spin — and says Oprah Winfrey is simply out of touch with his audience. "She doesn't ever say anything that anybody from the ghetto is gonna ID with," 50 said. "Take a poll. You go out and find me some young black women who ID with Oprah. ... She can escape the fact that she's black because she's a billionaire." 50 also said in the interview that hip-hop takes more heat than it deserves. "I think it affects people a lot more to see a film where somebody realistically gets their head blown off than to listen to somebody rapping for three minutes." ...

50 and Winfrey share space on Forbes magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the most powerful and highest-paid celebs — 50 comes in at #32 and Oprah's #1. Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Diddy also make the cut, while Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton do not — blame "diminished brand value" for their absence, editor Lea Goldman told Reuters. Last year's champ, Tom Cruise, drops to #8 on the list, while Tiger Woods takes #2 and Madonna is #3. ...

In yet more 50 Cent news, the rapper has caught a break with authorities — he won't have to testify in Allen Iverson's upcoming trial, a federal judge ruled Friday (June 15). The charge stems from a 2005 incident in which the basketball star and members of his security team brawled with customers at a bar in Washington, D.C. Prosecutors had suggested 50 knew members of the security squad, but the rapper replied that since he wasn't involved in the fight and wasn't named in the lawsuit filed by two of the patrons, he shouldn't have to testify. A federal judge agreed with 50 and let him off the hook. ...

Fall Out Boy haven't finished mining last year's Infinity on High — Pete Wentz and the gang, who are slogging through their Honda Civic Tour, have posted a video for "The Take Over, the Break's Over" exclusively on FriendsOrEnemies.com. ... Ludacris and Nick Cannon are teaming up for "Ball Don't Lie," an indie drama starring street-ball champ Grayson T. Boucher (a.k.a. the Professor), Variety reports. ... Try this one on for size: Bruce Willis will star alongside his daughter Rumer in a teen-remake of the landmark '70s crime movie "Chinatown" that starred Jack Nicholson, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "The Sophomore" will be helmed by music-video director Brett Simon (Good Charlotte, the Killers) and begin principal photography in August. ...

White Stripes have added a New York stop to their Icky Thump promotional tour. But instead of taking over a shuttered Tower Records branch — as the band is doing in West Hollywood, California, on Wednesday — Jack and Meg will play Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza on Tuesday. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m., and will only be available at the venue's box office. ... Lily Allen posted a blog entry on her MySpace page Thursday responding to reports that she was late for her Tuesday show at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Allen said she took the stage at her scheduled start time. "Anyone who thought I was going on earlier, I'm sorry you were misinformed," she wrote in the post. "I would never turn up two hours late for a gig ....... EVER." The singer also announced that she won't be posting her thoughts as freely going forward. "I'm not going to write here so often now," Allen explained. "This used to be one of my favourite things to do. I could come on here and vent how I feel honestly and get feedback from you guys. But the tabloid f---s have ruined it." ...

Jill Scott capped her two-night run at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Thursday with guests Robin Thicke and Chaka Khan. After that, she toasted the night away at Manhattan's Rooftop Garden for her private afterparty that also brought out Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson and dance queen Tweetie. ... Power 105 radio personality Ed Lover is set to host a town-hall discussion as a part of Kevin Powell's three-day "Black and Male in America" conference in Brooklyn this weekend. The festivities kick off Friday night with panel workshops and will feature speeches and activities by the likes of Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Davey D and Powell over the following days. ...

During his appearance last week with Korn at the annual Download Festival at Donington Park in England, Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison became the first artist to take the fest's stage for a fifth time — with four different bands. He's currently touring with Korn as their fill-in drummer while kitman David Silveria is on hiatus. In the past, Jordison has played Download with Slipknot, his side project Murderdolls, and he also joined Metallica onstage at the fest in 2004. ... H.I.M. will shoot a video for the track "Passion's Killing Floor" on Thursday in Los Angeles with director Meiert Avis (U2, Avril Lavigne). The cut will be included on the "Transformers" soundtrack album and is the first single from the band's forthcoming LP, Venus Doom, which is due September 18. ...

Could a Spice Girls reunion happen after all? Mel C has dismissed the idea in the past, but now comes news that she recently told the BBC, "We've been discussing it and it could possibly happen. I've always said, 'I don't want to do it, the past is the past. It was amazing, it was magical. We could never re-create it.' But this year people have been talking about it, and some of the girls have expressed an interest in doing it." She said if a reunion is to happen, it would only serve as a brief "thank you" to fans. ... June 16 marks the 10th anniversary of the U.K. release of Radiohead's OK Computer — the disc hit U.S. stores July 1, 1997. The band has been writing material in recent months, but there's no word yet on when a new album will surface. ... Moby has signed up with Mute North America, making Mute his record label throughout the world. He is currently working on a new album, and will play a DJ gig on Friday at New York's Nublu. Moby will also DJ at events in Italy next month, performing at Naples' Powerstock Festival (July 27), Jesolo's Il Muretto (July 28) and Milan's Amnesia (July 29). ...

Former Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC manager Lou Pearlman appeared before a federal judge in Guam on Friday, according to The Associated Press. The feds allege he defrauded a bank by securing almost $20 million in personal and business loans using phony documents from an accounting firm that didn't exist. Pearlman, who was held over Friday, is set to appear in another hearing next week. ... Texas officials announced Thursday that seven convicted sex offenders have been arrested after MySpace provided details about the former members of the social-networking site, Reuters reports. MySpace began cooperating with state authorities last month after initially refusing to provide information, questioning whether revealing users' identities is legal.

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