Oct 13, 2014

How Kim’s Half-Sister Kylie Became the Most Influential Kardashian


The ultrafamous Kardashian clan is seeing upheaval in terms of power and influence. To most of the general public—those without a permanent bookmark to TMZ.com—Kim Kardashian is the most well-known sister. Even her involvement in a silly iPhone game brought in $200 million. But Kim’s fashion influence among young women is quickly trailing off, losing steam to her youngest two sisters.

Kylie and Kendall Jenner—Kim’s teenage half-sisters—are the children of mom Kris Jenner and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner. Kendall is a professional model, with several magazine covers and runway appearances. And yet 17-year-old Kylie is actually more influential among teenage consumers.

According to data provided by fashion site Polyvore, an analysis of its 20 million monthly unique users shows that Kylie has been gradually trending up compared with her sisters in the past two years. As a haven for women 18 to 24, Polyvore’s users represent the shoppers on the edge of the fashion industry—and those with a parent-paid credit card. Below is the daily search interest for each of the five sisters since July 2012. You can see the two spikes are around Kim’s wedding to Kanye West and Kendall’s work as a rising model during New York Fashion Week:


“One of Kylie’s defining moments was showing up at Kim’s wedding with blue hair, eventually leading to her own hair-extension line,” says Kris Jenner, Kylie’s “momager.” “She drove herself to the beauty shop and did it herself.” Kylie changed it back to black after a few months, “but fans wanted the blue hair” back. Kris says her daughter’s style has taken off because “young women that age can go to their own closets and put it together.” It’s a “very accessible look.” (Her line of hair extensions is called Kylie Hair Kouture, borrowing the family’s K-based naming convention.)

Kylie is already a millionaire. It’s reported she makes $5,000 per episode on the family’s show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, despite her reluctance to be on camera much. She gets paid thousands of dollars for promotional tweets and has done some modeling on the runway, in magazines including Seventeen, and for Sears (SHLD). Kylie also has her own endorsement contracts with Opi nail polish and PacSun (PSUN) clothing. Since she’s too busy working to go to high school, she’s now home schooled instead.

Kris doesn’t criticize any of Kylie’s fashion picks. “I let her go with it, and sometimes she can make her own mistakes, but that’s a good thing,” she says. “She’s 17 years old and has the rest of her life to mess around.”

Kylie was the third-most relevant Kardashian sister two years ago but has slowly climbed her way up the ranks. The chart below shows the same search interest data, but smoothed out to show the trends more clearly. Kylie’s self-proclaimed “girly goth” and “super edgy” looks have inspired countless admirers and copycats—including big sis Kim, who donned some #KylieSwag two months ago. “I realized two to three years ago, my older daughters were asking Kylie for fashion advice,” Kris says. And, of course, you can find a lot of these looks in the family’s Steve Madden fashion line. “Kylie decided she had this edgy style she wanted to bring to the table, and she wasn’t satisfied going along with what Kendall wanted.”


Among younger fans, high-fashion Kendall has been more popular than Kim for the past couple of years. Kim dropped to No. 3 after her wedding hoopla was over—and has stayed there since. Kim turns 34 later this month, and in the minds and purses of young female consumers, she’s already been surpassed by sisters half her age. From Mom’s point of view, that’s the beauty of the machine: “The girls all are different heights, shapes, sizes. There is something for everyone.”

The family business is minting money. In 2010 they brought in an estimated $65 million for Keeping Up With the Kardashians, along with spinoffs, mentioning brands in tweets, pitching weight-loss products, opening clothing stores, and endorsing Skechers (SKX) shoes. There’s also personal appearance fees, staged photos, fragrance deals, best-selling books, and a lifestyle collection at Sears. A show renewal in 2012 earned the family another $40 million. And the family’s fashion empire had retail sales of $600 million in 2013, bringing the sisters a cut of about $30 million.

But Kylie is the youngest child; the future of the family business relies on her. Season 10 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians started filming on Monday, and it will be interesting to see if Kylie ends up playing a bigger role than in the past. “It’s much more an emotional question than a business question,” Kris says. “It will make me sad if she moves out.” Still, Kylie probably wouldn’t stray too far: “We spend every waking moment together—she’s a very supervised kid.” Plus, Kris notes, “Kourtney is 35 years old, [and] I deal with her stuff every day.”

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Cameron Diaz: People have seen my butt


Cameron Diaz is no stranger to nudity. The "Sex Tape" star wasn't afraid of showing her butt in the raunchy film.

"People have seen my butt. I've shown the top of my butt, the bottom of my butt," she told Marie Claire magazine." I'm not opposed to doing nudity, as long as it's part of the story. I'll do whatever has to get done if it's the right thing."

Nudity aside, as an actress Diaz is used to having her personal life out in the open for the world to scrutinize. That includes her relationship with Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden.

The 42-year-old said she's sick of society's expectations for her to have a child.

"We live in a society where everyone has kids, so they want other people to have kids," she said. "There is this culture that says celebrities are supposed to be just like us, so people think,'I have children, why doesn't she?' But I'm not going to do something because it's expected. If a family happens, then it happens. If children come to me, then I would do that, but I'm not someone who feels like she has to do something because it's expected."

Diaz is just living for the moment, she said.

"I'm not looking for a husband or marriage or not not looking for that stuff. I'm living, and not thinking what I should or shouldn't be doing with my life."



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John Cleese disses Taylor Swift's cat


Don't mess with Taylor Swift's cat!

When British actor John Cleese took a swipe at the "Shake It Off" singer's cat on the Graham Norton Show, Swift went silent at the actor's rudeness.

"How did it have the accident?" Cleese asked Swift after being shown a picture of Olivia Benson, the singer's cat named after Mariska Hargitay's "Law and Order: SVU" character.

"What accident," an annoyed Swift replied.

"Is that a proper cat? That's the weirdest cat I've ever seen in my life."

Watch what happened when the 24-year-old defended her cat in the video below.



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Is The Originals' Epic Romance Over Already?


When mourning the loss of your newborn baby, it's kind of hard to strike up a romantic relationship with your baby daddy's brother. So, we totally understand why Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) isn't exactly jumping at the chance to kiss Elijah (Daniel Gillies) on The Originals right now. We get it...even if we'd gladly take her place! But does that mean that Hayley and Elijah's budding relationship is over before it even began?

We took that question straight to Tonkin and Gillies themselves, and both promised that while things look bleak right now on the romantic front, that doesn't mean it will be that way for good.

Hayley just needs to adjust to her new life as a werewolf/vampire hybrid. Sounds easy enough, right? Ha! We joke.

"I wouldn't call it cooling off," Gillies told us. "Relationships require work, and sometimes they require space and time and healing. If it is cooling right now I suspect it will heat up again and then cool and then heat up like a parabola, that mathematical graph. They dip and they travel up, and ultimately the graph is traveling up and they're making an ascent overall. And I hope that's the cast because I like them together. I think they're a sweet, dysfunctional, mismatched twosome who found each other in the storm and I love that about their love."

Tonkin explains that Hayley's new vampire senses are making it impossible for her to be rational, and seeing as how Elijah is the definition of rational, they're not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment.

"Hayley's put up a bit of a wall and isn't allowing Elijah to get past that," Tonkin said. "Both of them are dealing with the situation very differently—Hayley's being destructive and Elijah is being logical and she doesn't like that. She wants everyone to be angry and wanting revenge and she's disappointed that he's behaving so calmly about everything. Also I think she's terrified of being hurt again and doesn't want to show who she really is to him now that she's a hybrid. It's a tragic love story right now. They're both putting up walls and are being defensive."


And it doesn't help matters that Hayley needs to rely on Klaus (Joseph Morgan) right now instead of Elijah, since Klaus is the only one who knows how to live as a hybrid.

"Klaus is almost going to be her mentor in how to be a hybrid and vampire," Tonkin said. "They still feel very hostile towards each other but they have a mutual respect because they both want their baby to come home. They don't want to be enemies. They want to be able to live peacefully together as parents to their child. So I'd say that they're more than friends. At this point they're like family."

Gillies said he was proud of the way that Elijah was able to put aside his own feelings and get Klaus to help Hayley.

"He understands that that would be better for her even if he's not happy about it," Gillies said. "He's being gracious. And on a certain level he would rather be the mentor and the shoulder to cry on and be the bedrock for her but I don't think he's so egotistical that it eclipses her needs."

Right now, what Hayley needs to do is figure out her place in the world, supernatural or otherwise.

"She's pretty lost and doesn't know who she is or where she fits in," Tonkin says. "She can't relate to the werewolves anymore even though they're blood and the way her parents intended her to grow up. She's going to start figuring that out while managing her new life as a hybrid.
She has to get out her anger and build up her emotional strength and eventually she's going to realize that she needs to be more strategic. Her objective is to make New Orleans and the quarter safe down the line so she needs to work out exactly how she's going to do that and it's not going to be just killing anyone that gets in her way."

The Originals airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Selena Gomez Rates Herself a 7, Reveals Why She Can Finally "Walk Around Naked"


It's been a year of changes for Selena Gomez: New label, new manager and a new house!

On an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing Monday, the 20-year-old singer-actress talked about the perks of having her own place for the first time, joking, "Yeah, I can, like, walk around naked now and stuff!"

"That's why you live alone," Ellen quipped. "That's why you pay a mortgage!"

Really, though, Selena likes the independence that comes from not living with an authority figure. "Honestly, I just enjoy not being able to have to check in all the time," she said, clarifying, "...my mom is the sweetest ever, so even now she checks in on me. She's like, 'I see online you're here. are you OK?' and I'm like, 'I'm fine, mom, I promise!' But I think that's just the best thing, being able to go into my own space..."

Selena does have a roommate. "One of my best friends from Texas," she said, but the move has definitely given her some space to reflect. Ellen asked her, on a scale of 1 to 10, where she'd rank her self-improvement progress over the last year. Selena's response? "I'm a 7."

"This year's been—I have been doing this so long that people tend to forget—they're like, 'Be yourself, be yourself,' and I'm still trying to figure out who that is," she said. "I know I'm not perfect, but I know I have a lot of people that support me and love me, and I don't want to let anyone down, so I try to be the best I can be."


BFF Taylor Swift seems to have found herself in New York, which is precisely why she's on a mission to get Selena there. "She wants to kidnap me. She's been begging me every time we get on the phone, 'cause it's been a really good thing for her," the Wizards of Waverly place star star explained. "You know, we've been friends for seven years and she really feels like she kind of stepped into her own and became a woman there, and she's like, 'All right, your turn!'"

So, what are Selena's thoughts on a permanent move to Manhattan? Watch the clip above to find out. Plus, see what Selena admits an "awkward" part of life for her right now.

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Russell Brand Says He ''Really Enjoyed'' Being Married to the ''Amazing'' Katy Perry


Russell Brand is on a mission to spread the word about his latest book, Revolution, to the masses.

During an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today show, the British comedian and political activist explained how spreading love is the key to changing today's society, adding, "love is ultimately what we're here for."

Brand also admitted the upsides of fame, saying that it's "nice at first, good for the restaurants and the under-the-table action but ultimately unfulfilling."

He also opened up about his marriage of 14 months to Katy Perry.

"I really enjoyed it," he admitted when asked if he enjoyed being married to the pop star. "Katy Perry is an amazing person."

But he also joked that after her tied the knot, he had a few less-then-ideal ways to cope with the ups and downs of his highly publicized relationship.

"What happened was after you get married, like anyone who's been married or come out of a relationship, you obviously have a lot of expectations," Brand began with a mischievous grin.

"And if those expectations don't work out then it's probably time to grow a big beard and walk around in pajamas. That's my advice."

The two famous wed in a traditional Hindi ceremony in India surrounded by friends and family back in October of 2010.

Less than two years later, the two filed for divorce but have since spoken out in public about their marriage.

In fact, just this past summer the "Dark Horse" singer revealed the biggest lesson she learned from falling in—and subsequently out—of love with the bad boy Brit to Rolling Stone.

"Now I know—first and foremost, self-love, and then give love away," she shared.

"Back then it was mostly just me giving love away with no self-love. I went through my ‘return of Saturn,' is what they call it."
(E! and NBC are both part of the same NBCUniversal family.)

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Kat Dennings and Josh Groban Are Dating!


Kat Dennings and Josh Groban are dating, E! News can exclusively confirm.

The 2 Broke Girls actress, 28, an the "Brave" singer, 33, made their first official outing as a couple at the Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills Saturday. "They were so cute together!" a source says of the stars. "They were adorable on the carpet. She was whispering in his ear a lot and they seemed really happy."

Groban performed three songs at the annual benefit.

Dennings later Instagramed a picture of herself getting cozy with her new boyfriend on the red carpet, writing, "I ship it." That same night, Groban told his Twitter followers, "Lovely night all around. Always happy to support Barbara Davis and her #CarouselOfHope ball to raise money for Diabetes research."

On Sunday, the musician echoed Dennings' caption, tweeting, "I just shipped my pants."

Prior to dating the singer, Dennings was most recently in relationship with 2 Broke Girls guest star Nick Zano. Groban, meanwhile, dated Mad Men actress January Jones and had a fling with singer Katy Perry. Thor: The Dark World star Dennings is certainly an upgrade for Groban, who joked to Chelsea Handler in April 2013 that he was dating his dog, Sweeny. "He's kind of the love of my life at the moment," he said.

Congratulations to the new couple!

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Larry David Calls Jennifer Lawrence's Crush "Flattering," But He Still Wouldn't Date the Actress


Chris Martin has some competition! In Vanity Fair's November issue, 24-year-old cover girl Jennifer Lawrence raved about Larry David, saying, "I'm in love with him, and I have been for a really long time."

How did the Curb Your Enthusiasm star react to Lawrence's public profession of love? "Smart kid," he said during the New Yorker Festival Saturday.

"It's a shame that I'm about 40 years older than she is." The New Yorker's David Remnick then read the rest of Lawrence's quote, in which the Academy Award winner said, "I worship Woody Allen, but I don't feel it below the belt the way I do for Larry David." The 67-year-old co-creator and head writer of Seinfeld laughed, saying, "Maybe she's referring to her knees."

Is their 43-year age difference really a problem, though? (At 37, Martin is 13 years older than Lawrence.)

"I don't think I could do it. On one hand, it's very flattering and on another hand, it's kind of a shame—in terms of timing," David explained. He then added, "I'd have fun watching the reality show of it, though."

Lawrence previously told Vanity Fair that she wants a partner who "isn't afraid to fart in front of me." The Serena actress isn't looking for a "big, passionate love," either. "I'd rather have just a peaceful time." Lawrence also said she wants a man who "has the same taste in reality TV." Her favorite shows include Dance Moms, Doomsday Preppers, Hoarders, The Real Housewives of New York City and Shark Tank. "Basically, what I'm saying is all I need in a relationship is somebody to watch TV with me," she said.

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Katy Perry Booked for Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show


Pop superstar officially signs on following months of speculation and news of the league's controversial "pay to play" offer

Cue the "Firework"s: Katy Perry has officially signed on to perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XLIX on February 1st, Billboard reports. The multi-platinum pop star had been in the running alongside Rihanna and Coldplay, according to The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ also reported that some artists were asked if they would agree to a "pay to play" deal by making a financial contribution to the NFL in exchange for the major national exposure granted from such a high-profile gig. But sources indicated that the proposition "got a chilly reception from the candidates' representatives."

Perry joked about the Super Bowl negotiations this past Saturday during a recent appearance on ESPN's College GameDay. "We have had some conversations, and I would be honored, of course," she said. "But I have let them know that I'm not the kind of girl who would pay to play the Super Bowl. The ball is in their field." A representative for Perry was not immediately available for comment.

The NFL's "pay to play" plan hasn't gone over too well with agents, either. "Obviously it is a marketing boon to play halftime for the Super Bowl," David T. Viecelli, agent for Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons and St. Vincent, told Rolling Stone. "But I hope that everybody tells them to go get stuffed."

The league rarely pays artists who perform during the halftime show, though they do typically cover travel and production expenses, which can reach as high as $1 million. In recent years, the halftime show has continued to grow in popularity — this year's performance with Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought in a record 115.3 million viewers, while only 112.2 million watched the actual game.

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Iggy Azalea Leads the Way With Six American Music Awards Nominations


Iggy Azalea leads the charge at this year's 42nd Annual American Music Awards as the Australian rapper chalked up with six nominations, including nods in the Artist of the Year and Single of the Year categories. Pharrell Williams, John Legend and Super Bowl halftime performer Katy Perry each scored five nominations as the AMAs revealed this year's hopefuls on Good Morning America. It was also announced that Charli XCX would perform at the American Music Awards, set to air live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 23rd.

While most categories have three to five nominees facing off, the Artist of the Year award features 10: Azalea, Beyoncé, Luke Bryan, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, Legend, Lorde, One Direction, Perry and Pharrell will all face off for the coveted trophy. Azalea's "Fancy" with Charli XCX will also challenge Legend's "All of Me," Williams' "Happy," Perry's "Dark Horse" with Juicy J and MAGIC!'s "Rude" for Single of the Year honors.

The award show streak continues for Azalea as she also dominated the MTV Video Music Awards with eight nominations, tying Beyoncé. The New Classic rapper also grabbed nods in the New Artist of the Year category, Favorite Hip-Hop Album and Favorite Hip-Hop Artist categories. In the latter two, Azalea will be up against Drake and Eminem.

While the AMA nominations are based on album and single sales, radio play, streaming and other music industry measurements, the winners are decided by fan vote. Starting October 13th, fans can start polling for their favorites over at AMA.VoteNow.tv. Fans can also make their picks by using the hashtag #AMAs on Twitter.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Iggy Azalea
Beyoncé
Luke Bryan
Eminem
Imagine Dragons
John Legend
Lorde
One Direction
Katy Perry
Pharrell Williams

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX – "Fancy"
John Legend – "All of Me"
MAGIC! – "Rude"
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J - "Dark Horse"
Pharrell Williams – "Happy"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
John Legend
Sam Smith
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Iggy Azalea
Lorde
Katy Perry

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
Imagine Dragons
One Direction
OneRepublic

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Lorde - Pure Heroine
One Direction - Midnight Memories
Katy Perry - Prism

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP - COUNTRY
Eli Young Band
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum

FAVORITE ALBUM - COUNTRY
Garth Brooks - Blame It On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences
Eric Church - The Outsiders
Brantley Gilbert - Just As I Am

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Iggy Azalea
Drake
Eminem

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
Drake - Nothing Was The Same
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
John Legend
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Jhene Aiko
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé - Beyoncé
John Legend - Love in the Future
Pharrell Williams - G I R L

FAVORITE ARTIST - ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Bastille
Imagine Dragons
Lorde

FAVORITE ARTIST - ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Sara Bareilles
OneRepublic
Katy Perry

FAVORITE ARTIST - LATIN
Marc Anthony
Enrique Iglesias
Romeo Santos

FAVORITE ARTIST - CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
Newsboys

FAVORITE ARTIST - ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
Avicii
Calvin Harris
Zedd

TOP SOUNDTRACK
Frozen
The Fault In Our Stars
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1

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Teenage Girl Halloween Costume Ideas – Kardashian Halloween Costumes 2014


Teenage girls can go as famous teenagers for Halloween. The first one up is Miley Cyrus no longer a teenager but famous as one. She would make an excellent Halloween teenage girl costume. Cyrus the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She became a teen idol when she started to appear as Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel in 2006. She’s had a successful singing career, and there are many high points of her career that would translate well into a teen girl Halloween, costume. Kylie Jenner, 17, part of the Kardashian clan would be a good Halloween costume.

Kylie now 17 famous since 2007, When the family’s reality show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ premiered on the E network. She has over 7 million followers on Twitter. She began a successful modeling career with the Sears Line ‘Crush Your Style’. She has also modeled for pop star Avril Lavigne’s clothing line ‘Abbey Dawn’.

Her sister older sister, Kendall Jenner, 18, is also on the show, and has become a very successful runway model. She has also appeared on TV shows, other then the family reality show. She was an episode of Hawaii Five-O. She has been a model with the elite modeling agency ‘Wilihelmina’ since she was 14. Both girls have the trademark long black hair parted in the middle, either would make a great Teenage Girl Halloween Costume.

Another excellent Halloween Costume for a teenage girl would be Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The TV series was based on the comic strip of the same name. The show ran on ABC from 1996 to 2003. The show stared Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman. The show is about an American teenager that discovers on her 16th birthday that she has some supernatural powers.

She lives with her aunts that are about 600 years old. They are aunt Helda played by Caroline Rhea and Aunt Zelda played by, Beth Broderick. Sabrina has a magical cat named Salem who is a black cat and talks. So if you are going to do this costume, make sure you have a black cat, you can make one, or buy one, but the costume would be more complete with the cat. Dorthy Gale from the Wizard of Oz, is another Halloween Teenage Girl costume. Dorothy was a teenager living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in a farm house in Kansas.

She was 16 years old, she is stuck in a huge tornado and winds up in the Wizard of Oz, which brings about all different interesting cast of characters. Dorothy has a little black dog named Toto, so make sure you have a toy or make one. She wore her hair parted and braided. She has a light sky blue dress, and a top small white apron dress, and red ruby slippers. So red shoes, or painted red shows with red glitter would be perfect. She carried a basket through the entire film, so make sure you have a basket with a long handle for the costume.

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Penelope Cruz named Sexiest Woman Alive 2014 by 'Esquire'


Why Penelope Cruz, 40?

Here's what we glean from reading the lengthy interview (which is as much about bullfighting as it is about Cruz):

SHE'S GORGEOUS

"She is impossibly beautiful. When she walks into a room, men start walking into furniture."

SHE'S TALENTED

"She speaks four languages and dreams in many more. (Sometimes her husband, Javier Bardem, speaks to her in the language he spoke in No Country for Old Men, and she has to run out of the house.)"

SHE'S MAGICAL

"Over the course of a long lunch, Cruz looks like a thousand different women. She flips her hair, or she shifts in her chair, or she creases her forehead or widens her eyes, and these alone are enough to transform her. It feels like watching close-up magic, an actress playing every possible part and well enough to be confounding."

SHE'S MYSTERIOUS (IN OTHER WORDS SHE WON'T TALK ABOUT JAVIER BARDEM)"She will not discuss the evolution of her relationship with Bardem, for instance, whom she first met filming Jamón Jamón, at age seventeen, but didn't marry until four years ago. 'That is for us,' she says. She declines to talk about her recent motherhood (a three-year-old son and a daughter who just turned one) except to say that family is everything to her and the reason we have not seen much of her lately."

OR THAT ANTI-ISREAL LETTER SHE WROTE IN JULY:

"She has asked not to be asked about … her controversial signing of an open group letter in the Spanish media condemning the Israeli bombing of Gaza, referring instead—at the table, in person— to a statement released by her publicist as her final word on the subject. ('My only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace,' it reads in part.)"

SHE'S MODEST

"She doesn't feel like the sexiest woman alive, she says—she feels like a mother who doesn't get enough sleep…"

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Missing Actress Misty Upham's Father Believes She Is "Suicidal"

The American actress was last seen on Sunday, October 5, leaving her apartment in Auburn, Washington.

American actress Misty Upham, who played a housekeeper in 'August: Osage Count,' still hasn't been found after being reported missing on the 6th October, and to make matters worse her father believes she sounded "suicidal" the last time they spoke.

The 32 year-old actress was last seen on Sunday, October 5, leaving her apartment in Auburn, Washington, and while the investigation into her disappearance is still ongoing, Charles Upham recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, recalling the last conversation he had with his troubled daughter.

"She had recently changed her medication, so she was sort of having erratic behavior," Charles told THR. "She told me and her mom that we didn't have to worry about her any more. I thought it sounded suicidal myself, so I called the police. She's always been a suicidal person."

On the day she went missing, police responded to a suicide call made from Upham's sister's apartment in Muckleshoot, Washington, but when they arrived she was nowhere to be seen.


"She used to make [suicide] threats sometimes, but she never went through with it," her father, who recently moved with his wife and daughter to the Seattle area to receive rehab following a stroke, added.

Upham, who has had a history of depression and mental health issues, was treated by a strong psychiatrist in Los Angeles but this did not continue when they arrived in Seattle.

"She had a medical team in L.A and she was doing fine, but that team couldn't continue in Washington," Charles said. "I think that she is either in a place where she cant' get help - maybe she fell down and broke her leg and something, or she got in with the wrong crowd, don't think she would have taken her own life. I don't want to think she is dead."

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Meghan Trainor holds on to U.K. number one


Pop star Meghan Trainor has fought off a double attack from Nicki Minaj to retain the crown atop the U.K. singles chart. The singer's catchy All About That Bass fends off Minaj's Anaconda, which enters at three, to hold on to number one for a second week. The rapper scores another mention in the top three with Bang Bang, her collaboration with Jessie J and Ariana Grande, which stays put at two. Meanwhile, there is also little change in the U.K. albums chart - George Ezra's Wanted on Voyage dominates the countdown for a second week, while Ed Sheeran's X climbs to two, just ahead of Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour in third place.

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Taylor Swift gets flustered over Kiwi teacher on The Graham Norton Show


A New Zealander caught Taylor Swift's eye when he appeared on The Graham Norton Show.

Ben Wombwell participated in the red chair segment, where audience members tell a humorous story.

Norton starts by making jibes about Mr Wombwell's accent, and the fact that he was living in UK.

"Is there anyone in New Zealand, deserted, they're all here," Norton says.

After revealing he is a primary school teacher, Swift asked: "Where is he? Where can we find him?"

The audience begins hooting and cheering, and Swift quickly says: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry".

Norton tells her to "slow down" and to take deep breaths.

Swift responds: "I've got it in check. I'm good now. I'm fine."

Wombwell then begins telling his tale about a funny incident on school trip.

Norton allowed him to walk from the red chair, a sign that he was happy with the story.

Also on the show, John Cleese asks Swift whether her cat had been in an accident after Norton displayed a picture of it.

"Is that a proper cat? Is it damaged irrevocably? It's the weirdest cat I've ever seen in my life," Cleese asks a less-than-impressed Swift.

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Archer Cartoon Dumps Isis Name

Producers behind cult animated series Archer are changing the name of the show's fictional spy agency to distance itself from terrorist group Isis.

The adult Tv series centres on the adventures of the title character and his fellow colleagues at Isis (International Secret Intelligence Service), but creator Adam Reed reveals he will be tweaking the title of the global espionage organisation for the upcoming season six in light of the recent hostage beheadings and other violent actions of the real-life militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly known as Isis.

Executive producer Matt Thompson tells TheDailyBeast.com, "(Isis is) just the most awful thing, and we didn't want to have anything to do with it."
The name change will be incorporated into the storyline of the season six premiere, which airs in the U.S. in January (15).

Archer features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler and Judy Greer, among others.

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NYFF review: Actors, camera soar in surreal "Birdman"


You are in a dirty, cramped dressing room of a Broadway theater, tinged with generations of acting history, successes and regrets. It's here where the voices of actors past might speak to you, with encouragement more elegant than "Break a leg."

But Riggan Thomson can't hear those voices, thanks to the inner voice of his super-ego speaking so loudly no ego could drown it out.

Riggan (Michael Keaton) is days from Opening Night of his Broadway play, an adaptation of a Raymond Carver story which he has also written and directed. His life's blood is in the production. It's a life that has seen its share of success (three top-grossing "Birdman" superhero movies) and failures (divorce and a daughter straight out of rehab).

And alas, the signs aren't boding well when an actor is injured during rehearsals, requiring a last-minute replacement: Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), whose passionate quest for realism on stage includes drinking actual gin and attempting to make love for real with his co-star and partner, Lesley (Naomi Watts).


Riggan also faces countless other pressures, including a pregnant girlfriend, Laura (Andrea Riseborough); a worried producer, Jake (Zach Galifianakis); and a theatre critic (Lindsay Duncan)who promises to bury his production with her review.

A treat of black comedy mixed with magical realism and powerful emotions, "Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" had its U.S. premiere Saturday at the New York Film Festival.

Masterfully directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu ("Babel," "Amores Perros"), the film unspools for the most part in the manner of a single unbroken take, conjured from the last few days before Opening Night. Taking place mostly within the confines of the theater's backstage, where actors, costumers, stagehands and reporters jostle, argue, fight or make out, the story is mostly told through Riggan's POV, though the camera often drifts away to eavesdrop on others' conversations.

The stunning camerawork is by cinematographer Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki (whose work has graced the movies of Alfonso Cuarón and Terrence Malick, and who won an Oscar last year for "Gravity"). Shot without artificial lights (there was no room for them in the exceedingly cramped quarters of the St. James Theater), in long extended takes that are cleverly edited together, the camerawork creates a fluid sensation of being airborne through the entire film, sometimes getting thisclose to the actors.

It's a process that required extensive rehearsals and technical run-throughs -- and which generated an atmosphere for the actors that was (according to Keaton) the most intense he'd ever experienced.

The seamless technical work makes the script's intense emotional points all the more powerful, as Riggan faces a growing fear that he, his precious play (titled "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love"), even his life are no longer relevant to an audience, or to his family.

His daughter, Sam (Emma Stone), is extremely blunt in her assessment of his motivations and self-image:

"You are doing a play based on a book that was written 60 years ago, for a thousand rich, old white people whose only real concern is going to be where they can go have their cake and coffee when it's over. Nobody gives a **** but you. And let's face it, Dad, you are not doing this for the sake of art. You are doing this because you want to feel relevant again. Well, guess what? There is an entire world out there where people fight to be relevant every single day, and you act like it doesn't exist. Things are happening in a place that you ignore -- a place that, by the way, has already forgotten about you! I mean, who the **** are you? You hate bloggers, you mock Twitter, you don't even have a Facebook page! You're the one who doesn't exist!"

It's a movie that, like Muhammad Ali, floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Released by Fox Searchlight, "Birdman" opens on October 17. It is Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief violence. Running time: 1:59.

To watch a trailer for "Birdman," click on the video player below.



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Beyoncé, Jay Z and Blue Ivy Display Their Artistic Sides During Family Visit to Paris Museum


Step aside Beyoncé and Jay Z. Baby Blue Ivy Carter is the next big artist!

With a little more free time on their hands, the talented Hollywood couple continued their vacation in Paris by visiting the Louvre with their daughter.

In new pictures just released on Beyoncé's website, the family explores a variety of paintings, statues and other artistic elements featured in the iconic museum.

During their private visit, Blue Ivy showed her interest in the arts by grabbing mom's camera to snap a few special images. Queen Bey also couldn't help but capture her daughter as she walked around the venue in a gorgeous, polka-dot pink dress.


The "Single Ladies" singer even took time to snap a selfie in front of a memorable work of art. Is it just us, or is the statue taking a selfie too?

Ever since Beyoncé and Jay Z wrapped up their sold-out tour, the couple has been focusing on family and spending time together as a unit.

In recent weeks, the twosome caught up with close pal David Beckham at the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and Barcelona F.C soccer match.

The married duo also shared precious moments with their baby including a snapshot of Beyoncé on the swings next to her daughter.


So what's next for the power couple?

There's still speculation that the twosome could be combining their talents once again for a "huge" album.

Dash Radio's DJ Skee recently broke the news on-air after getting word on the collaboration from sources close to Bey and Jay's camp, adding that the album is set to be released in late 2014 or early 2015.

Oh, how we hope this news will be true!


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Amanda Bynes back under involuntary psychiatric hold

Troubled actress Amanda Bynes remains at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California, under an involuntary psychiatric hold while she awaits a competency hearing this week.

Despite Bynes' often-bizarre behavior during the past several days, there is no guarantee a court will allow the hold to continue past the 72 hours provided for in section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. "They can't just make up evidence. It has to be true and observable," attorney Wendy Patrick told CNN Sunday. "The hearing is not just a rubber stamp."

Bynes, 28, was admitted on Friday, immediately after returning to Los Angeles from New York. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays "may be excluded from the 72-hour period if the State Department of Social Services certifies for each facility that evaluation and treatment services cannot reasonably be made available on those days," according to the law.

Before arriving, Bynes had posted a string of tweets in which she insisted, "I am not insane" while also writing, "I need a tremendous amount of facial surgery" and accusing her father of abuse in tweets she or someone else has since removed. Afterward she recanted, tweeting, "My dad never did any of those things. The microchip in my brain made me say those things but he's the one that ordered them to microchip me."

Her final tweet to date was directed at Britney Spears' controversial former manager. "You feel like a brother to me, Sam Lutfi. I mean it. Thank you luuuuv," Bynes wrote on Friday. According to TMZ, Lufti, in tandem with Bynes' parents, had urged the actress to return to Los Angeles under the pretense of his helping her sue her family. The car that met her at the airport then transported her to the hospital.

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Kim Kardashian Forgets to Wear a Bra During Dinner Date With Kanye West


Did you forget something before your dinner date, Kim Kardashian?

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star stepped out with her main man, Kanye West, Saturday evening. And although the two were hoping for a quiet dinner, Kim's revealing outfit got plenty of fans talking.

The 33-year-old opted for a tight skirt and sheer top, but ultimately decided to pass on an all-important bra. As a result, Kim delivered quite a boobtastic appearance.

Regardless of her fashion choices, it appears Mrs. West had a wonderful evening.


"Movie night with @KendallJenner @KanyeWest !" Kim wrote on Twitter after her meal. "Saw Gone Girl.... OMG it's crazy."

Her night didn't end there. North West's mom also admitted to enjoying a special reading from spirit.

"Thank you for the reading @PsychicSisters," Kim said on Instagram while wearing a striped button-down top.

The entire Kardashian family is hard at work filming season 10 of their hit E! reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

In fact, cameras were rolling this weekend as Kourtney Kardashian traveled to Las Vegas with Scott Disick for a club appearance at the Mirage Hotel.
While Disick fulfilled his hosting duties at 1 OAK, a very pregnant Kourtney was relaxing with girlfriends. "Bath time. About last night," she wrote on Instagram while posing in a tub with close gal pals. "Our hangout."

The couple would quickly head home just in time to read their kids bedtime stories. Awww!

Khloé Kardashian was also across the world in Dubai where she was seen hanging out with Paris Hilton, Alessandra Ambrosio and other pals. Gotta keep up, folks!

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Jennifer Lopez Heads to the Pumpkin Patch in Flashy Bentley


The "Booty" singer had quite the weekend as she treated her twins, Emme and Max, to an afternoon at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in West Hollywood, Calif.

Joined by her longtime manager Benny Medina, Lopez arrived in style as a white Bentley convertible driven by a chauffeur pulled up to the celeb-friendly grounds. Jessica Alba, Harry Styles and Fergie have all been spotted there in recent days.

Wearing ripped white jeans, a plaid button-down and wedge sneakers, Lopez was channeling her inner farm girl as her kids rode on slides and picked the perfect pumpkin.


The "Jenny From the Block" singer's hot ride comes after her SUV was involved in a car accident on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., this past summer.

According to police, the vehicle was rear-ended by a man driving a small pickup truck.

"Sitting at a light, riding high right before some drunk fool rear ended us in my new whip!!!" Lopez said on Instagram. "Thank god everyone ok!!! #GRATEFUL #THANKYOUGOD #DontdrinkandDrive!!!! #cursedthatfoolout #theBronxcameout #dontmesswithmycocnuts #mamabear #leahstayedcalm #thatwasweird."



Lopez's weekend, however, wasn't all about pumpkins and flashy cars. Turns out the singer was also working on her fitness with Tracy Anderson.

The celebrity trainer posted a video to Instagram that showed Lopez doing some ab training in the gym. Meanwhile, Anderson found herself a little bit distracted during the session. "I'm gonna lose my job over this brilliant book @LenaDunham @Jlo #JLotookmybook #Backtowork #notthatkindofgirl," she captioned the video.

Luckily, Lopez was able to find some time to relax this weekend. On Saturday night, the 45-year-old put her feet up and watched ex-fiancé Ben Affleck's new movie.

"Feet up…movie night!!! #GoneGirl," the singer wrote on Twitter. Hey Affleck, guess you know who to thank for making your movie number one at the box office for the second week in a row.

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Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Jane Fonda get Lifetime Impact Awards


Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez and Universal Pictures Chair Donna Langley were on Saturday given the Lifetime Impact Awards at the 2014 Variety Power of Women awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Season Hotel.

The 6th annual A-list event was organized in partnership with Lifetime Television. The event is organised each year to honor various female entertainers for their commitment to charity while involving themselves in philanthropic works.

Witherspoon, who is a huge admirer of Nobel Peace Prize winner Yousafzai Malala, celebrated the work done by the teenage Pakistani girl while accepting the award for her own philanthropic efforts with the Malala Fund.

The Oscar winning Hollywood star told the audience that Malala is her role model and it was her 15-year old daughter Ava who first attracted her attention towards the Pakistani activist.
"This summer, my daughter and I got to meet Malala and got to have dinner with her at a friend's house," Witherspoon, 38, said.

For her part, Viola Davis talked about her personal reasons for focusing on childhood hunger. "I was one of the 17 million kids in this country who didn't know where the next meal was coming from, and I did everything to get food," she said.

Davis told the audience how she stole, rummaged through garbage bins, befriended children who were lucky to always have food on their table, and ensured that she does not remain hungry. "It has been the joy of my life to be able to start this campaign," she said.

Jane Fonda was hailed for her work with the 20-year old Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential, which is aimed to reduce teen pregnancy cases. "I grew up believing that service is the rent you pay for life," Fonda said.

J-Lo was honored for her work with The Lopez Family Foundation that works for women's and children's access to medical care.

Universal Pictures Chair Donna Langley received an award for her philanthropic efforts as Global Ambassador with Vital Voices. "I want them to grow up in a world where female empowerment and female rights are a birthright," Langley said.

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Family reports actress Misty Upham missing


Police in Washington state say an actress known for her roles in "August: Osage County," ''Frozen River" and "Django Unchained" is missing.

The Seattle Times reports (http://is.gd/haPZ2S ) that 32-year-old Misty Upham hasn't been heard from or seen for the past week.

Officials at the Auburn Police Department say the acclaimed Native American actress was staying at a family member's apartment on the Muckleshoot reservation near Auburn. Her father filed a missing persons report on Monday.

Cmdr. Steve Stocker says Upham is not considered endangered. He acknowledges that her family is concerned about her and so are the police, but her disappearance is not suspicious.

In a statement given to the media on Friday, Upham's father, Charles, wrote that she has a medical condition that has the family concerned.

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Thriller 'Gone Girl' keeps box office title on $26.8 million


David Fincher's thriller "Gone Girl" secured the top spot at the box office for a second week, outdrawing several new releases.

The film, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, collected $26.8 million for distributor 21st Century Fox in the U.S. and Canada, Rentrak Corp. said in an emailed statement. "Dracula Untold," a new release from Universal, came in second with $23.5 million. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" placed third in its debut while "The Judge," also new, came in fifth.

"Gone Girl," based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, has taken in $78.3 million in domestic theaters since its release on Oct. 3, Rentrak said. The film, whose twisting plot line delves into domestic violence, has generated buzz and talk of Oscar nominations. It received 87 percent positive reviews from critics tracked by the website RottenTomatoes.com, and a 91 percent rating from moviegoers.

"You can't put a price on the type of buzz 'Gone Girl' has built," Phil Contrino, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, said in a telephone interview. "It's one of those movies where, if you haven't seen it, you're left out of the conversation. It's no surprise that it's holding up as well as it has, and it should continue to do well for the next couple of weeks."

"Gone Girl" tells the story of New York writer Nick Dunne and his wife Amy, whose relationship falls apart after they move to Missouri to look after Dunne's sick mother. When Amy goes missing, Dunne is suspected of murdering her.

It's shaping up to be one of the biggest films yet for Fincher, whose credits include "The Social Network," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and "Fight Club." "Gone Girl" had a production budget of $61 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Ticket revenue is split with theaters.


Studios are offering moviegoers a diverse set of choices, providing "interesting audience dynamics with women making news by being the dominant moviegoer for some of the top films," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Rentrak. Some new releases are suffering at the box office as the audience fragments, he said.

"Dracula Untold," from Comcast's Universal Pictures, is an origin story that shows how Vlad the Impaler became the blood-thirsty Dracula. The film stars Luke Evans, who was also featured in "Fast & Furious 6" and "The Hobbit" series, as the cursed man who undergoes the transformation to become immortal.

The film, which also stars Dominic Cooper and Charles Dance, had a budget of $70 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It failed to enthrall critics, generating 26 percent positive reviews, according to RottenTomatoes.com. It was forecast to generate $15.5 million on its debut.

Disney's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" took in $19.1 million in its domestic debut. The comedy stars Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner and was written by Rob Lieber and directed by Miguel Arteta.

The film was well received by critics, generating 66 percent positive reviews, according RottenTomatoes.com.

Based on the children's book, the movie tells the story of 11-year-old Alexander, played by Ed Oxenbould, as he experiences a day filled with calamities. He soon learns he is not alone as his mother, played by Garner, and father, Carell, also have a difficult time.

Warner Bros.' "The Judge," the other new release, took in $13.3 million in domestic theaters. It stars Robert Downey Jr. as big-city lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns home to a small town. Robert Duvall plays his estranged father, who is the town's judge and suspected of murder.

The film cost the studio $50 million to make, according to Box Office Mojo. "The Judge" garnered 47 percent positive reviews, according to RottenTomatoes.com. It was forecast to generate $13 million in its debut, according to Boxoffice.com.

"I wouldn't necessarily blame Robert Downey Jr. as much as I would a lack of Oscar buzz for the movie," Contrino said. "This time of year, people want a movie like 'The Judge' to get the types of glowing reviews you'd expect for adult-skewing fall releases. This one fell short of that."

Warner Bros.' horror film "Annabelle" fell to fourth place from second in its second week, generating another $16.4 million in sales.

Weekend sales for the top 10 films rose 29 percent to $133 million from a year earlier. Sales for the year to date have fallen 4.2 percent to $8.1 billion.

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Oct 12, 2014

Skype receives much-needed facelift in newest version


While it’s still in beta for Windows systems, the newest version of Skype has just been rolled out for Mac clients – and developer Microsoft has given the voice chat application a major facelift.

Skype 7 – as it’s being called – follows in the long-standing tradition that Microsoft has cemented in bringing big changes to the software platform. The user interface has received a complete reworking, and hopes are high that this will deliver a better overall experience for the millions who make use of the application for both business and pleasure.

One such improvement is how sending a photo in chat will generate a thumbnail of the image automatically, dramatically improving the readability of the chat and making it easier to understand when the images were sent while in the middle of a conversation. Additional improvements include shared PDF documents and Microsoft Office files will have their document icons displayed prominently.

However, the most groundbreaking design feature for the newest iteration of Skype is a split dual pane that will enable users to have a video chat pane directly alongside a chat box, no longer requiring users to switch from one to the other in the middle of a video chat as is standard operating feature in Skype 6; it’s likely that this inability to multitask is Skype 6’s most reviled feature among its wide user base.

The core design philosophy behind Microsoft’s overhaul of Skype’s desktop version is understood to provide users that are primarily familiar with the company’s mobile app with a more familiar experience. This seems to run at cross-purposes with Microsoft’s design of its next Windows version, which has sought to minimize the Metro aesthetic that so famously flopped in Windows 8, which seemed more geared towards mobile computing instead of desktop productivity. However, with Microsoft’s new “mobile first” focus this revamp of Skype’s user interface to be more reminiscent of the Skype mobile app isn’t nearly as out in left field as it appears to be.

Whatever the impetus behind the new software revision, users are unlikely to find much to fault Microsoft on when it comes to Skype 7 – except perhaps that it took so long to update the program in the first place.

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Mariah Carey kicks off 'The Elusive Chanteuse Show' in Beijing


BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Mariah Carey has kicked off a 10-day concert tour of China in Beijing's Worker's Stadium. It's part of her world tour, titled "The Elusive Chanteuse Show." This marks the pop star's first tour in China, and there are many excited fans.

Pop diva Mariah Carey is bringing her world tour to China. "The Elusive Chanteuse Show " is in support of her fourteenth studio album which was released in May.

This is her first ever tour of the Chinese Mainland. Carey's only previous appearance in China was a lone concert in Shanghai in 2003, so many fans have been looking forward to this.

"I have been listening to her songs and I found out two months ago that she would hold concerts in China. I came from another city just for her concert," a fan said.

This is Carey's eighth concert tour and her first re-emergence since her last tour in 2006. At Friday's concert, the pop star performed for an announced crowd of 38,000 at Beijing Worker's Stadium. It was a moment long in the making for some of Carey's fans.

"I am a local Beijinger but I don't usually go to concerts. But when I heard that Mariah Carey was going to hold concerts in China, I had to come. She is a superstar who I followed when I was young. I grew up with her songs. I am so happy I can see her in person today. I am very happy," a fan said.

Mariah Carey is one of a number of Western performers eyeing China's booming music market. Her concert stop in Beijing will be followed by performances in Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.

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Edward Snowden and girlfriend reunited in Moscow, new documentary shows

Protesters hold masks depicting former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden during a demonstration in Berlin

Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who blew the whistle on the U.S. government's mass surveillance programs, has been reunited in Russia with his long-time girlfriend, according to a new documentary shown on Friday.

Lindsay Mills, a dancer who was living with Snowden when he left Hawaii for Hong Kong in May 2013, joined him in Moscow in July 2014, the documentary disclosed.

The two are filmed cooking together in an apartment in Moscow, where Snowden, 31, has been living since he was given temporary asylum and later a three-year residency permit.

Mills had remained silent and her whereabouts were largely unknown after Snowden's release of tens of thousands of classified U.S. intelligence documents in 2013.

"Citizenfour," made by U.S. film maker Laura Poitras, who shared a Pulitzer Prize this year for her role in publicizing the Snowden documents, had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on Friday.

It gives a fly-on-the wall account of Snowden's tense days in a Hong Kong hotel and his encounters with journalists from the Washington Post and Britain's Guardian newspaper as they prepared to divulge details of NSA programs that gathered data from the Internet activities and the phones of millions of ordinary Americans and dozens of world leaders.

PERSONAL SACRIFICE

"Citizenfour," takes its title from the email alias that Snowden used when he first approached Poitras in early 2013 through a series of encrypted emails with a view to leaking details of the top-secret programs to the media.

Marketed as a "real-life thriller," it is the first of several major films in the works about Snowden, who is wanted by the United States on charges brought under the Espionage Act.

"I already know how this will end for me, and I accept the risk," an outwardly calm Snowden says.

"This was a film we had to make as privately and secretly as we could," Poitras said after the screening, which received thunderous applause from an audience that included Snowden's father and other family members.

"We very much wanted to communicate in this film that (it)was about people who take risks and come forward at huge personal sacrifice," added Poitras, who says she has been stopped and questioned when entering the U.S. numerous times in the past 10 years. She now lives in Berlin.

Snowden's revelations sparked a global debate on the limits of privacy versus the needs of national security, and he is viewed either as a traitor or a hero who spoke up for civil liberties.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who along with Poitras was Snowden's first points of contact with the media, said he hoped that "Citizenfour" would allow the public to form their own opinion about the man and his motives.

"So much has been said about Ed Snowden, a lot of it bad but a lot of it really good. I felt like this was really the first time that people got to see who he really is so that they could make up their own mind.

"I always felt ... that the most powerful part of the story was not going to be the documents and the revelations but the power of the story and the acts of this very, kind of ordinary young man, who decided very consciously to sacrifice his whole life for a political principle," Greenwald said on Friday.

Poitras said she had shown the documentary to Snowden on a trip to Russia about three weeks ago, when the brief scenes with his girlfriend were filmed.

The documentary will open in U.S. movie theaters on Oct. 24.

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