“Precious,” adapted from the novel Push by Sapphire, is a gritty indie film directed by Lee Daniels about an obese and illiterate teen who is pregnant for a second time by her own father. Set in Harlem in 1987, the story follows Precious as she struggles with her insecurities and disastrous home life while using what resources she has to improve her life. Although, “Precious” has an impressive cast, Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, Paula Patton, and Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe in the starring role, Mariah and Mo’Nique’s performances are already generating Oscar buzz. Mariah strips off the makeup and glitz from her normal life and steps into the role of a social worker. Mo’Nique is terrifying as she plays Mary, Precious’ mother, who is both physically and verbally abusive and delusional. Mary has the power to crush all of Precious’ hopes. Gabby also gives a great performance in her acting debut for someone who auditioned on a whim. If the book is any indication, “Precious” won’t wallow in the bleak details of the main character’s life. Instead it captures an energy that is pushed along by anger and hope. If you need more encouragement to see this film when it opens Nov. 6, consider that it won three awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including the coveted Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Keep reading »
Tabloid Cheat Sheet: Has Swayze Given Up Hope? Ellen Pompeo’s Cheating Husband?
It’s not even technically hump day since it’s a four-day week, so why are you even pretending you’re tired? To be fair, you blew too many brain cells on Labor Day weekend, and heaven knows you blew too many dollars. So save yourself from losing more of either by getting all your tabloid goo in one go, cause we’ve picked the most important cover stories from all the grainiest of tabloids. Enjoy! Keep reading »
A Bite Of The “New Moon” Soundtrack From Death Cab For Cutie
What could make Seth Cohen and every teenage girl in America squeal at equally loud decibel levels? The fact that a one-minute-and-45-second snippet of the first single from the “New Moon” soundtrack, Death Cab For Cutie’s “Meet Me On The Equinox,” is now available online. The movie doesn’t open until November 20, but if you pre-order the soundtrack now, you can be one of the first to download the whole song during the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend. Judging from the snippet, the song has the perfect wistful vampy vibe. We’re sure the rest of the soundtrack will be dope as well since it’s curated by music director Alexandra Patsavas, the lady who made “The O.C.” and “Twilight” soundtracks so addictive. Rumor has it that Thom Yorke and Kings of Leon will also have ditties on the album. [MTV] Keep reading »
Moving Into “Melrose Place”
I didn’t need a crystal ball to predict that the CW’s updated version of “Melrose Place” was going to be kind of awesome. It seemed like Laura Leighton, aka Sydney, was going to be the major player on the show—she was sprawled out in a chaise lounge in the center of the show’s cast promo pics, which was confusing because any “Melrose” addict knows that she died in a car crash on her wedding day back in the ’90s. Turns out that she only faked her death, with the help of Dr. Michael Mancini, and now has come back to be Melrose Place’s landlord. She was already, of course, sleeping with one of Melrose’s tenants, David—conveniently, Michael’s son. But then, just a few minutes into the episode, Sydney was floating face-down in the infamous Spanish-tiled pool. She’d confessed to David that she’d done something “really, really bad” and no doubt she’ll become this show’s version of Laura Palmer—the season will be about figuring out who killed her. Was it Michael, who wanted to keep her from telling his wife that they’d been boning? Was it David, who was pissed she was also getting it on with his dad? Keep reading »
Photographer Elena Kalis Takes Lewis Carroll’s Classic Story Underwater
Will recreating classic fairy tales and children’s stories in photo shoots ever get old? Probably not. Photographer Elena Kalis took this amazing series of underwater photos in which her 10-year-old daughter plays out scenes from Alice in Wonderland in the clear, blue ocean surrounding the Bahamas, where they live. We’d like to take a trip down this saltwater-filled rabbit hole. [Elena Kalis via NOTCOT] Keep reading »
Tyra (And Her Real Hair) Is Back And Chatting With Perez Hilton
“The Tyra Show” came back for its fifth season yesterday! Perez Hilton (barf) stopped by as the first guest. But the main event was Tyra Banks, who is usually weaved to within an inch of her life, hosting the whole show with her natural hair.
Unforch, Tyra’s real hair is anticlimactic—i.e. she’s not bald. Underneath those weaves and extensions she sashays down the red carpet in, she has regular, boring, shoulder-length brown hair. On yesterday’s show, though, she may have straightened it or had a relaxer in it or something, because it was not kinky in the slightest—which kind of defeats the purpose of her saying “It’s my real hair!” Doesn’t it?
Anyway, during the show, her hairstylist, Oscar, blow-dried and curled her natural ‘do, while she chatted with three women who have some serious issues about their real hair. One of her guests was a biracial woman whose white mom didn’t want people to know she had a black father. This evil mom shaved her daughter’s hair off as a kid because she didn’t want a “nappy-headed baby.” Keep reading »
Quickies: These Guys Fit The “Million Dollar Bill” And Fall Fashion Decisions
- Some guys in Asbury Park, New Jersey gave Whitney Houston a tribute by performing her song “Million Dollar Bill.” [The WOW Report] — I would have guessed they were on Fire Island, not in Asbury Park.
- Days before Demi Moore chastised Perez Hilton for publishing suggestive photos of her daughter Tallulah Willis, 15, Perez promised Tyra Banks on her talk show that he’d stop making derogatory statements towards minors. [Starpulse] — Perez must have been waiting for the episode to air before he changed his ways. Or maybe his ghostwriter had no idea the promise was made?
- Matt Damon said he had the “funnest” time gaining weight for his starring role in “The Informant.” [PopEater] — I still love you, Matt, even if you don’t have the best grammar.
Gratuitously Adorable Baby Tiger Video
Album Drop: This Week’s New Releases, From Yo La Tengo To Jay-Z
It’s new release Tuesday, so it’s time to take the latest tunes for a spin! But first, we’d like to wish Pink a very happy birfday. And ladies, if there’s one thing you do today, it’s gotta be letting Josh Homme and Dave Grohl rock tease you with their new super-group trailer. Man, we can’t wait for them to whip it out! Err, the record. OK, now let’s focus on today, cause it’s got some pretty sweet releases. This week Jay-Z kills it, Mayer Hawthorne is our soul man, A Fine Frenzy drops a bomb, Yo La Tengo has us wanting more, Sondre Lerche makes us like the kinda nova you can’t put on a bagel (aka bossa), and the Vivian Girls rule, boys drool, obvi. So, let’s get into the groove, after the jump! Keep reading »
