“Jordan Sparks joins Britney Spears Circus tour - Oakland Press” plus 4 more

Jordan Sparks joins Britney Spears Circus tour - Oakland Press
er horizons - Wichita Eagle
Even in a recession, women splurge on lingerie. Especially if they're ... - Daily Telegraph Blogs
Robert Pattinson Has Gone Global - The Hollywood Gossip
Israel waters its Gentile trees - San Francisco Examiner

Jordan Sparks joins Britney Spears Circus tour - Oakland Press

Posted: 05 Sep 2009 10:00 PM PDT

By GARY GRAFF
Of the Oakland Press

Jordin Sparks thought she was in the middle of a circus opening for the Jonas Brothers this summer.

Now, she's hopped to another three-ring spectacle — "The Circus Starring: Britney Spears."

"It just kind of came by a phone call," says Sparks, the 19-year-old Season 6 "American Idol" champ, who was filming a video for "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" — the second single from her sophomore album "Battlfield" — when the Spears invitation came in.

"They had an opening and they were asking me if I'd like to go — and they needed an answer that day. And I was like, 'OK, I'll do it.' So it came up by a fluke, I guess."

But, Sparks adds, it was a welcome fluke.

"Oh, yeah — Britney's been around since I was little, so she's always been a part of pop culture to me," notes Sparks. "So to be part of the huge spectacle that is the "Circus," it's really, really cool."

Sparks isn't the only one who feels that way, either.

Kristinia DeBarge — the daughter of James DeBarge of the '80s Motown singing clan — is another of the "Circus" tour's opening acts and also is pinching herself over her good fortune.

"It's amazing," says DeBarge, 19, whose first public performing was as part of the "Idol" spin-off "American Juniors."

A protégé of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, she released her first album, "Exposed," in July. "(Spears) has so many fans, so to be a part of this tour is unreal and amazing, and it's a blessing. It's a lot of props, a lot of energy, a lot of lights. You can tell people are having fun."

Sparks and DeBarge do bring some excitement of their own to the tour as well — and it apparently needs it.

While Spears' "Circus" was the top-drawing road show of the first half of the year, grossing $74.6 million in its first 48 shows, it's been plagued by reports of soft sales for its current leg, evidenced by the Palace's heavy promotion for this week's show, even taking out ad space on the Pontiac Silverdome's I-75 electronic message board to hype ticket sales.

So Spears — whose 2008 album "Circus" debuted at No. 1 and was certified platinum — and her team are certainly hoping the opening acts can put some bodies in the "Circus" seats.

Sparks' career is young, but she does bring the "Idol" cache, a platinum 2007 debut and "Battlfield," which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in July and launched a Top 10 hit in the title track.

At the same time, Sparks acknowledges it's a bit of a leap from the Jonas Brothers' clean-cut pop shows to Spears' tricked-out, skin-baring expositions.

"With the Jonas Brothers, it's a lot younger of a crowd," Sparks says. "They're very, very excited. The place is packed before the concert starts. With Britney, people wait and they want to see her, so they come a little bit later."

The Spears audience, Sparks note, is also "harder to please. They're a little bit older and a little more mature.

So I can be a little more serious on stage, and I get to dance a lot more, which is really cool.

"I have to go out there and be, 'OK, I want to make you one of my fans? What can I do to do that?' So when they clap for me, I know they're clapping because they like something. It's exciting to be able to do that, because usually they're just ... watching."

For DeBarge, meanwhile, the Spears booking dovetails nicely with the title of "Exposed," which came out in July and reached No. 23 on the Billboard charts. So far it's spawned a Top 15 hit, "Goodbye" — "Britney told me her babies (sons Sean Preston and Jayden James, both with ex-husband Kevin Federline) love that song," DeBarge says — while its successor, the Varsity Fanclub cover "Future Love," is currently on the move.

"I feel like this (tour) is accomplishing my fan base. I'm building a fan base," says DeBarge. "It's accomplishing a lot of exposure for me. I'm really connecting with my audience, and people are getting to know me more and more."

And while she respects Sparks and her success, DeBarge says that after a less-than-satisfying experience with "American Juniors" she was just as happy not to take the "Idol" route herself.

"At one point, my mom and I discussed me trying out for 'American Idol' if I hadn't found a producer to work with by the age of 16," DeBarge recalls. "I was over the whole reality TV show thing, but (music) was something I wanted to do so badly, I would do whatever it takes.

"Thank God I didn't have to, but it worked out OK for Jordin, I think. We each got here our own way."

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er horizons - Wichita Eagle

Posted: 05 Sep 2009 07:30 PM PDT

l in the air will bring scarier, edgier fare to theaters

Hollywood has dark things in store for us this fall. There will be several apocalypses, heavy doses of horror and dramas about heartbreak and loss. Heck, even an offering for young viewers is titled "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

But all is not grim.

Even with the surprise bumping of Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" from Oct. 2 to Feb. 19, there are other potential Oscar contenders on the slate. We'll also get a re-release of "Toy Story" in 3-D and some comedies to please those wanting escapism of a lighter sort.

Here is a look at films coming in the next couple of months. (Release dates are subject to change.)

Wednesday

"9"

Director: Shane Acker

Cast: Voices of Elijah Wood, Martin Landau

A feature-length expansion of Acker's Oscar-nominated short film of the same name, this animated tale follows a rag doll who has come to life in a post-apocalyptic world only to find that humans are extinct. He discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from ferocious machines that roam the Earth intent on total annihilation.

Buzz: Looks to be visually arresting, but also kind of bleak — will audiences really want to see a dark, animated tale about the end of the world? Throwing Tim Burton's name on the credits as producer might help.

Friday

"Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself"

Director: Tyler Perry

Cast: Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of "Benjamin Button")

Perry returns as feisty grandma Madea, who catches teens looting her home, then delivers the young delinquents to the only relative they have: a heavy-drinking, irresponsible nightclub singer (Henson).

Buzz: Though they continually get slammed by critics, Perry just can't seem to crank out these Madea installments fast enough, with a loyal fan base ready for more. A No. 1 opening at the box office is almost guaranteed.

"Whiteout"

Director: Dominic Sena ("Swordfish")

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht

Based on Greg Rucka's award-winning comic book miniseries about a lone U.S. Marshal (Beckinsale) assigned to Antarctica to investigate the chilly continent's first murder.

Buzz: Beckinsale follows the "Underworld" films with another sci-fi/action vehicle, though the film has been in development since about 2002. Hopefully, it's worth the wait.

"Food, Inc."

Director: Robert Kenner

Independent documentary that takes an unflattering look inside America's corporate-controlled food industry.

Buzz: A hit on the festival circuit, the unflinching doc has been getting glowing reviews in its limited release.

Sept. 18

"Jennifer's Body"

Director: Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight")

Cast: Megan Fox, Adam Brody

Written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody ("Juno"), this horror/comedy follows a high school cheerleader (Fox) who is turned into a vampire-like demon and starts feeding off the boys in her small Minnesota farming town.

Buzz: The marketing is surprisingly skewed to the dude demographic, teasing in trailers with skimpy outfits and girl-on-girl kissing. But is that really what this film — with two female leads, a female director and writer — is about? Could it actually be a smart horror thriller with a female slant? Hard to tell.

"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"

Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Cast: Voices of Anna Faris, Neil Patrick Harris

Inspired by the beloved children's book, this animated tale focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.

Buzz: A sort of parody of disaster films, the film version will be somewhat different from the book, but will kids even care?

"Love Happens"

Director: Brandon Camp

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart

Romantic drama about a widower (Eckhart) whose book about coping with loss turns him into a best-selling self-help guru. But on a business trip to Seattle, he falls for a woman (Aniston) who attends one of his seminars, and he finds that he hasn't yet truly confronted his wife's passing.

Buzz: Chick flick alert! If you're wanting a good cry, this sounds like it has more sap than an IHOP; the bland title is not a good sign.

"The Informant!"

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula

Based on Kurt Eichenwald's 2000 book, which was based on a true story, this comedy/drama/thriller follows Mark Whitacre (Damon), an Ivy League Ph.D. with bipolar disorder who was a rising star at an agri-business corporation in the early 1990s — until he exposed the company's price-fixing tactics and became the highest-ranked executive ever to turn whistleblower in U.S. history.

Buzz: Damon (who gained weight for the role) is stirring up great early reviews for his broad, comedic performance.

"Pandorum"

Director: Christian Alvart

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster

Sci-fi thriller in which two crew members wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they've been asleep, what their mission is — or the danger that awaits them. Sounds like me every day!

Buzz: Think "Alien" meets "30 Days of Night." Teasers pronounce, "From the producers of the 'Resident Evil' films." Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you.

"Dead Snow"

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Cast: Vegar Hoel, Charlotte Frogner

A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies. (Yes, I said Nazi zombies.)

Buzz: This Norwegian import has made a splash at festivals and is already garnering a cult fan base. Wirkola first made a name for himself with "Kill Buljo," a Norwegian spoof of "Kill Bill."

Sept. 25

"Fame"

Director: Kevin Tancharoen

Cast: Debbie Allen, Kelsey Grammer

An updated version of Alan Parker's Oscar-winning 1980 musical, chronicling the lives of students at the New York Academy of Performing Arts.

Buzz: In this day of the squeaky clean Disney-fied "High School Musical," will the new "Fame" be a saccharine version of the gritty original? This is 22-year-old director Tancharoen's first film, and his TV credits include "The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll" and "Britney Spears Live from Miami," so, hmmm.

"Surrogates"

Director: Jonathan Mostow ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines")

Cast: Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames

Based on the graphic novel and set in a utopian future where people live their lives remotely from their homes via physically perfect robotic surrogates, an FBI agent (Willis) investigates the first murder in years and discovers a vast conspiracy.

Buzz: Willis has never had this much hair! And blond! Oh, wait, that's his surrogate. There's the dome-y Willis we know.

"The Invention of Lying"

Writer/directors: Ricky Gervais, Matt Robinson

Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill

A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer (Gervais) seizes the opportunity for personal gain.

Buzz: Set to premiere Sept. 14 at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, and Gervais had an unexpected hit last year with "Ghost Town," so expectations are high.

Oct. 2

"Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" double feature

Directors: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich

Cast: Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

This re-release is gearing up for the real event: "Toy Story 3," due in June 2010.

Buzz: The films are re-mastered in digital 3-D, so "To Infinity and Beyond" has a new meaning.

"The Boys Are Back"

Director: Scott Hicks

Cast: Clive Owen

A sports writer becomes a single parent in tragic circumstances.

Buzz: Owen proved he has acting chops with his Oscar-nominated turn in "Closer," and this could give him even more acting cred (director Hicks guided Geoffrey Rush to an Oscar in "Shine").

"Zombieland"

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

A mismatched pair of survivors find friendship and redemption in a world overrun by zombies.

Buzz: Distributor Sony Pictures decided to bump the release date up from Oct. 9 to take advantage of the gap left by "Shutter Island's" surprise departure. Local allure: Stone plays a character named "Wichita."

Oct. 9

"Couples Retreat"

Director: Peter Billingsley (all grown up now: he was Ralphie in "A Christmas Story")

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau

Co-written by Vaughn, Favreau and Dana Fox ("What Happens in Vegas"), this comedy follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort for what they think is a vacation, but must instead endure couples therapy. Hilarity ensues.

Buzz: Great cast, but the potential for obvious, lowest-common denominator comedy is high ("Four Christmases," anyone?).

Oct. 16

"The Stepfather"

Director: Nelson McCormick

Cast: Penn Badgley (TV's "Gossip Girl"), Sela Ward

A young man (Badgley) returns home from military school to find his mother (Ward) happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, who could be hiding a sinister, dark side.

Buzz: This is teen heartthrob Badgley's first outing as a big-screen lead, but in an attempt to keep his young audience, the film's PG-13 rating could mean that it isn't very scary.

"The Road"

Director: John Hillcoat

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, a man tries to get his son to safety in post-apocalyptic times, while battling stragglers and marauding cannibals along the way.

Buzz: The film was bumped from its original release date last fall, so anticipation is nearing apocalyptic proportions itself — but the movie may be very different from the book. Can fans live with this?

"Where the Wild Things Are"

Director: Spike Jonze ("Adaptation," "Being John Malkovich")

Cast: Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo

An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, incorporating puppetry, live-action and computer animation to tell the story of Max, a rambunctious yet sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to a world he creates — a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown him as their ruler.

Buzz: Early reports (including a blog item from the New York Times, which got a sneak peak at the script) are overwhelmingly positive, saying Jonze has captured the essence of the story while adding his trademark quirky charm.

Oct. 23

"Amelia"

Director: Mira Nair ("The Namesake")

Cast: Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, Richard Gere

Biopic about famed aviator Amelia Earhart (Swank), who disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean during an attempt to make a flight around the world in 1937.

Buzz: Could be an awards season darling — it certainly seems classy enough. Two-time Oscar winner Swank's period work hasn't gone over so well ("The Affair of the Necklace," "The Black Dahlia"), but she seems perfect to play Earhart.

"Astro Boy"

Director: David Bowers ("Flushed Away")

Cast: Voices of Nicolas Cage, Freddie Highmore

Created in 1952 by Osamu Tezuka, and becoming a Japanese TV show in 1963, this animated tale follows a brilliant scientist who creates a superhero robot to replace his dead son.

Buzz: An update of another Japanese favorite, "Speed Racer," didn't go over so well last year. Will this make up for it?

"Saw VI"

Director: Kevin Greutert

Cast: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith

There's probably a plot, but really, who cares? People just want to see torture. Ugh.

Buzz: If you don't stop going to see these films, they're just going to make more. And that's torture in itself.

Oct. 30

"Gentlemen Broncos"

Director: Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Nacho Libre")

Cast: Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano

A teenager attends a fantasy writers' convention where he discovers his idea has been stolen by an established novelist.

Buzz: Hess' follow-up to "Napoleon" wasn't as well received, so this is his chance to bounce back. Early word is positive; Rockwell is consistently good, whether it be comedy or drama.

"Youth in Revolt"

Director: Miguel Arteta

Cast: Michael Cera, Justin Long, Steve Buscemi

Based on the novel by C.D. Payne, a teenager (Cera) deals with parents teetering on divorce and sets his sights on his dream girl, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity.

Buzz: The book has a cult following so there may be a built-in audience. But how long is Cera going to play teenagers?

Nov. 6

"Disney's A Christmas Carol"

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Voices of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth

Computer animation to be shown in 3-D in most theaters, re-envisioning the classic Charles Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey), who is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve.

Buzz: If the ghost of Christmas Future were to pop up, he would probably show us the media blitz with which Disney is sure to surround this big-budget spectacle.

"The Box"

Director: Richard Kelly ("Donnie Darko")

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella

A mysterious man delivers a strange box to an unassuming couple with the following declaration: Inside the box is a button, and if pushed it will bring the bearer of the box $1 million — but simultaneously take the life of someone they don't know.

Buzz: Sounds like twisty sci-fi more along the lines of "Darko" than Kelly's last outing, the bizarre "Southland Tales," which crashed critically and commercially. This will be his chance to prove that "Darko" wasn't a fluke.

Showing:

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Even in a recession, women splurge on lingerie. Especially if they're ... - Daily Telegraph Blogs

Posted: 05 Sep 2009 03:48 PM PDT

The Washington Post reckons you can gauge the state of the economy by the state of men's underwear drawers. That's because we're supposed to assume that men will purchase underwear at a relative steady rate. The theory: "Sales of men's underwear typically are stable because they rank as a necessity. But during times of severe financial strain, men will try to stretch the time between buying new pairs, causing underwear sales to dip."

So apparently we are to believe that America got itself – and the rest of the world – into this recession because people were splurging on homes, cars, and vacations they couldn't afford. However, when it's time to cut back, men will cling to that old pair of briefs for as long as they can. In a recession, when a man sees $45 underwear on a male model in a Hugo Boss ad, he's likely to think (a) that he looks gay and (b) that the guy's wearing $45 in beer money. This is why the underwear purchase loses out.

Women would never do this – perhaps with the exception of women who make their own soap and take home the shampoo from a stay at a cheap hotel. There's no way women's underwear – or any other items made exclusively for women – could ever be used as a reliable economic indicator. Women will remortgage the house to fit a few more lingerie purchases onto their various perpetually juggled credit cards. I know of a few who have personally done so.

Women's purchases are also difficult to gauge because – and I know it's not politically correct to say this, but it's the truth – they aren't always paying for the things they buy. They may be living "Vegas style". And by that, I mean they're blowing some other guy's money like pretty girls do at the Blackjack table. Some women live like every day they won the lottery jackpot. Men don't have the luxury of doing this – unless they were once married to Britney Spears.

So the underwear theory doesn't work for women. But for men, it passes my sniff test. (I mean the theory, not the underwear.)

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Robert Pattinson Has Gone Global - The Hollywood Gossip

Posted: 05 Sep 2009 12:35 PM PDT

Bad news, American teenagers:

You have competition around the globe for Robert Pattinson.

In just a couple years time, the actor has gone from a random recurring character in the Harry Potter series to an A-list star that anchors the most popular movie franchise on the planet.

He was featured earlier this week in Premiere, a French publication, speaking on his "Zen" attitude towards fame.

Now, he's the cover by for a Belgian magazine. We' love to tell you what it's called, or what the headline reads, but it's difficult enough for our staff to understand Britney Spears' speak. Please don't ask us to interpret another language.

Just ogle away at Pattinson like usual and count down the days until New Moon hits theaters...

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Israel waters its Gentile trees - San Francisco Examiner

Posted: 05 Sep 2009 11:30 AM PDT

6 comments

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Sandra Samuel, an Indian woman of quiet strength and uncommon valor, never had a passport till the other day. Without fanfare and lacking any agent or public relations specialist, she did more for human life that dreadful morning in Mumbai last week than Britney Spears or Paris Hilton or Lucy Liu have accomplished in their lifetimes. Britney may have trimmed down for her birthday and gotten great photo-ops, but Sandra Samuel saved an infant's life literally in the face of blazing machine guns and grim killers. She did not seek a photo.