Celebritology

For Oscars, time to sing a new song

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:50 -0500

Two of this year's nominees in Oscar's best original song category: T. Bone Burnett (left) and Ryan Bingham, already Golden Globe winner for "The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart." (AP) Here's a challenge for your Tuesday: look at the list of this year's Academy Award nominees for best original song. Now try to hum one of them. Can't do it, can you? Don't worry, you're not alone. Most avid filmgoers and award-season scorekeepers couldn't sing "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" if their very "vies" depended on it. In what has become an annual phenomenon, we're once again looking at a slate of Oscar-nominated songs that, while recognizing some fine work, pays tribute to music that most people with a working radio or iPod have never heard. Clark Collis wrote a nice, long story on this very subject in Entertainment Weekly's current Oscar issue, which, for reasons that defy

Jackson's doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter; Brangelina sues tabloid

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:34:35 -0500

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, makes his way into an L.A. courthouse. (AP) Headlines: Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray charged with involuntary manslaughter, will return for hearing in April; Jackson's family thinks the charge wasn't enough... Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sues British tabloid over split rumors... Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell on "American Idol"?... Summit Entertainment suing company over "Twilight"-related DVD... K-Fed says he would get married again (that whooshing sound is me, breathing a sigh of relief)... Bill Murray says he's proud of his difficult reputation... Brooklyn Decker, wife of Andy Roddick, is Sports Illustrated's swimsuit cover girl... Andrew McCarthy has run-in with gunman while writing travel piece in Ethiopia; gunman reportedly demanded to know: "Blaine, what about prom?" (Oh, I'm kidding. That joke was too easy.) Crime Watch: Lil Wayne to be sentenced today in gun case... Charlie Sheen and wife reunited after judge modifies

Can anyone quarterback a good movie?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:45:25 -0500

In the last two Super Bowls, we've been treated to four virtuoso performances by quarterbacks as the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger outdueled the Cardinals' Kurt Warner in 2009 and last night, the Saints' Drew Brees prevailed over the Colts' Peyton Manning. For years, the adage in the NFL has been that to win, you need a franchise quarterback. The same should be said for football movies. Let's take a look back as some recent gridiron films and their signal-callers and see who passed muster. The Replacements (2000) QB: Keanu Reeves (Shane Falco) The notion that these scab players were filling in for striking professionals was not lost on Reeves, whose on-field performance is rivaled only by his Southern accent in "The Devil's Advocate." And while the southpaw did have more zip on the ball than I thought he would, he's no Steve Young. Small ball: Head coach Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino)

'Avatar' falls from top spot; Butler and Aniston vacation in Mexico

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:15:38 -0500

Headlines: "Dear John" sacks box-office reign of "Avatar"... Sarah Palin's Tea Party crib notes... Justin Timberlake revels in Harvard's Hasty Pudding... Jamie Lynn Spears splits from baby daddy, moves out to be with new dude... Heidi Montag: "I'm not in a good place right now"... Jay Leno's mea culpa tour continues with Super Bowl ad with Oprah, Letterman... Carrie Prejean engaged to former Baltimore Raven... NBC considers lifting tape delay for Emmys... Andrew Shue and NBC's "Today" co-host Amy Robach get hitched... DWTS finalist, former NFLer Warren Sapp arrested on domestic battery charges. Rumors: Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston an item?... Tiger Woods approaching a return to the links?... Friends defend a contestant on "The Bachelor" from cheating rumors... New York City madam to run for governor. --Guest Celebritologist Christian Pelusi

Emma Watson named Hollywood's highest paid actress; Howard Stern headed to 'Idol'?

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:34:59 -0500

Mel Gibson, who tells French reporters he's trying to work on his 'short fuse,' poses at a photocall to promote his new movie 'Edge of Darkness,' in Paris Thursday. (AP) Headlines: Emma Watson named Hollywood's highest paid actress... Coroner: Pnuemonia, drugs killed Brittany Murphy; Casey Johnson died of diabetes complications... Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, says she didn't seem that sick... Tila Tequila returns to Twitter... Scarlett Johansson designing handbag for Haiti relief... Naomi Campbell plans fashion show to raise Haiti funds... "K-Fat" nickname motivated Kevin Federline to lose weight... Sara Rue nears weight loss goal... Kate Gosselin returning to "The View" in March... Fans petition "SNL" for Betty White-hosted episode... "Jersey Shore" house for rent. Crime Watch: Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray will surrender to police today, source tells CNN, though it is unsure when he will be booked... Cybill Shepherd's son appears in court on theft charges... Security

Twits Quiz: Kirstie Alley, Moby, Nick Hogan, John Mayer

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:21:18 -0500

How well do you know your celebs? Twits has a brand new spiffy quiz format! Watch the short video clips below -- in which actors dramatize some of the best mind droppings celebs have to offer -- to match the quotes with the celebrity who originally posted them to Twitter. This week's Twits are: Keep them in mind as you watch the video, below: Now, let me know how you did -- and how you like the new format -- in the comments section below. --- Actor Bios: Cesar Guadamuz is a local artiste of the stage and a cog in the world known as White Collar. Jen Chaney oversees The Washington Post's online movie coverage and spends a lot of time over-analyzing "Lost." Annie Mueller is a local actor and a graphic design student at Northern Virginia Community College. Aidan Hughes is a Washington-based stage and film actor

Lindsay Lohan, secret hoarder?; Leif Garrett busted with heroin

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:12:00 -0500

Headlines: Lindsay Lohan, secret hoarder?: Tila Tequila, Perez Hilton make Forbes's list of top 25 Web celebs... John Travolta says he was "like a commander" during trip to Haiti... John Mayer donates $500K to Haiti relief... Brittany Murphy's husband cancels pay-for-play memorial event... "90210's" Ian Ziering engaged... Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten settles case alleging he punched woman in the face. Crime Watch: Leif Garrett arrested for heroin possession... Kim Kardashian wins permanent restraining order against alleged stalker. Rumor Mill: Michael Jackson's doctor to be arraigned on Friday... Tiger Woods's wife dumps divorce lawyer... Pam Anderson signs deal to appear on "Dancing with the Stars"... Secret Madonna and A-Rod meet up in Manhattan? Pix/Video: Get 'em while they're hot: Tiger Woods's mistress golf balls. Chat Day! Join me at 2 p.m. ET for this week's edition of Celebritology Live. Now with 40 percent less snow. Gallery: Celebs with reusable shopping

Featured Advertiser

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:12:00 -0500

'Lost' Dueling Analysis: 'LA X, Parts 1 and 2'

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:47:14 -0500

In which Jen Chaney and I return to our friendly debate (and dissection) of TV's densest (in a good way) TV show. Read, add your thoughts in the comments section, then join us at 2 p.m. ET for the first "Lost" Hour chat of the season. The resurrected Esau (Terry O'Quinn, right) confronts Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell). (ABC) Jen: Like Jack Shephard while on his rebooted Oceanic 815 flight, I can't quite shake the feeling we've been here before. Oh, that's because we have: sitting in front of our laptops at an ungodly hour, trying to tap-tap-tap our way into making some sense of what we just saw in a two-hour season premiere of "Lost." But something is different this time. This time we know we're in the home stretch, hurtling toward the end (sniff) of "Lost" and, hopefully, some answers. The first indication we might be getting answers?

Mackenzie Phillips now says sex with father not "consensual"

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:35:42 -0500

Headlines: Mackenzie Phillips now says sex with dad was not consensual... Jennifer Aniston to host Haiti benefit... Kristin Chenoweth wants to adopt Haitian orphan... Brittany Murphy's husband seeking $1,000 donations to attend event honoring late wife... Diddy hopes to launch business academy. Crime Watch: AP source says prosecutors set to charge Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray with involuntary manslaughter... Alleged Ryan Seacrest stalker pleads not guilty... Redmond O'Neal to be released from jail to rehab facility. Rumor Mill: Madonna dumped by Brazilian boyfriend Jesus Luz?... Gael Garcia Bernal not embroiled in breakup, paternity suit, says rep... Kanye West pitches a fit to get better seats on cross-country flight... Mena Suvari set to wed in Rome... Nude photos of "Jersey Shore's" Snooki up for sale. Pix/Video: Mel Gibson calls TV reporter an "***hole" on the air (things start getting ugly around 2:15)... Say What? "I write a lot of

Time to get "Lost"

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:11:21 -0500

Ben (Michael Emerson) sticks it to Jacob (Mark Pellegrino) in a scene from last season's finale. (ABC) Just hours away from tonight's season six premiere episode, Jen Chaney and I channeled the collective angst of the hardcore "Lost" viewer in today's Style section of The Washington Post: We have gone through a great deal to get to this day and this moment. Plane crashes. Smoke monster attacks. Nosebleed-inducing time travel. Untimely deaths whose causes have included, but are not limited to, drowning, gunshot wounds, flaming arrows, poisonous spiders and the unfortunate handling of live dynamite sticks. But we made it. And now here we are, just a few hours away from the sixth and final season of "Lost," the ABC show that has kept an obsessed mass of viewers glued to our televisions (and the Internet, which helps us understand what happened during the "Lost" episodes we just watched

Caught on tape: Nick Nolte, dumpster diver

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:33:00 -0500

Nolte leaves no trash can unchecked. (Screengrab from Radar.com) Have you seen the Radar.com video of Nick Nolte searching Venice, Calif., trash cans and dumpsters for a missing bag? If not, by all means, take a moment and have a look because Nolte seems to be poised to out-do Gary "I'm going to pull your endocrine system out of your body" Busey in the once-successful-actor-turned-borderline-psycho department. The actor, who it should be noted still works on a regular basis but is far from his career highs (arguably "48 Hours," "Prince of Tides" and one of my fave Nolte flicks, "North Dallas Forty"), has a few movies in production according to IMDB.com. In 2002, Nolte posed for this unforgettable mug shot and later pleaded no contest to charges of driving under the influence of the date-rape drug GHB. How would Nolte's bag have ended up in the trash? Why is

Tila Tequila deletes Twitter account!

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:30:15 -0500

Update: Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique land Oscar noms. -- 10:07 a.m. ET --- Headlines: Tila Tequila deletes her Twitter page... Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox among Razzie worst actress nominees... Blanket Jackson too overwhelmed to join siblings on stage for Grammy tribute to dad Michael... All-star line-up re-records "We Are the World" for Haiti relief... Michael Lohan headed to Haiti... No maternity clothes for Gisele Bundchen... Rip Torn headed to rehab after bank break-in... Ex denied visitation rights to Jesse James's (Mr. Sandra Bullock's) daughter... "Deadliest Catch" captain Phil Harris in a coma following stroke. Rumor Mill: Bradley Cooper calls engagement (to Renee Zellweger) rumor "nuts"... Brangelina annoyed at last year's Oscar "nostril cam"... Ex-husband wants to drag Diddy into J.Lo case... Conan O'Brien paying some crew members out of his own pocket... Gael Garcia Bernal splits from girlfriend, demands paternity test for son. Pix/Video: Amber Rose's completely pointless

'Lost' spoilerage: Sneak peeks abound

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:03:14 -0500

Over the weekend, a lucky crowd of "Lost" faithful actually got to watch the season's two-hour premiere episode projected on a massive screen on a Waikiki beach accompanied by none other than the show's stars. Sigh. To ease a bit of everyone else's snowbound sorrow, ABC released a new show promo, a couple of clips and the first few minutes of season six's first episode (to the winners in ABC's "Message in a Bottle" sweepstakes, who received said clip on what has to be the coolest flash drive ever). Within, oh, a couple of milliseconds, it wound up on the Internet. You'll find it embedded below along with the rest of the newly-released footage. It goes without saying that these are NOT something to watch if you're at all SPOILER averse. So move right along if you'd rather limit your exposure ahead of Tuesday evening's premiere broadcast (9 - 11

Poll: Grammy's worst fashion offender?

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:59:47 -0500

From moments sublime to ridiculous, Sunday evening's Grammy Award ceremony -- as per usual -- brought out the music world's extremes. But on an evening awash in outre outfits, who stood out as the evening's biggest fashion offender? Vote your conscience below (just click on your pick, then click "vote" at the bottom of the page). Then, check out the rest of the evening's fashion dos-and-don'ts in our exhaustive Grammy fashion gallery. (Getty Images)

Brangelina surface at Directors Guild Awards; Rip Torn arrested for bank break-in

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:54:26 -0500

Although Pitt and Jolie turned out to support Quentin Tarantino at Sunday evening's Directors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, the couple wasn't photographed together. (Images: Getty, AP) Headlines: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie turn up for Directors Guild Awards... Beyonce picks up six Grammys; Michael Jackson's kids pay tribute to "daddy" | Gallery: Grammy fashion | Awards ... Taylor Swift butchers Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon"... Julia Roberts's Valentine Day advice: ladies, "take your top off"... Etta James battling Alzheimer's, says son... Kristin Bell and Dax Shepard engaged... Robert Pattinson immortalized in comic book form... "Jersey Shore" returning for second season; Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino launching men's cologne. Crime Watch: Rip Torn arrested for alleged bank break-in. Rumor Mill: Drew Barrymore and Justin Long not engaged, says rep... Charlize Theron splits from longtime boyfriend Stuart Townsend... Zac Efron to take over "Spider-Man" franchise?... Padma Lakshmi expecting baby girl. Pix/Video: Lady Gaga