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The Film That Won Cannes Is Being Blasted By Its Writer As 'Porn'

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Blue is the Warmest Color

Graphic lesbian drama "Blue is the Warmest Color" — or "La Vie d'Adele" as the French film is also known — took home the top honor at Cannes on Sunday.

But that doesn't mean that everyone is pleased with director Abdellatif Kechiche's final result.

Author Julie Maroh, who wrote the novel on which "Blue" is based, wrote a blog post in which she says the film's sex scenes are "not convincing," "ridiculous," and likens them to porn.

"As a feminist and lesbian spectator, I can not endorse the direction Kechiche took on these matters," she writes.

Maroh goes so far as to call the film's sex scenes "A brutal and surgical display, exuberant and cold, of so-called lesbian sex, which turned into porn, and me feel very ill at ease."

The author adds that in the theater where she first saw the film, "Everyone was giggling ... and among the only people we didn't hear giggling were the potential guys too busy feasting their eyes on an incarnation of their fantasies on screen."

While Maroh's blog is written in French, Indiewire posted a translation of her main points:

I consider that Kechiche and I have contradictory aesthetic approaches, perhaps complementary. The fashion in which he chose to shoot these scenes is coherent with the rest of what he his creation. Sure, to me it seems far away from my own method of creation and representation, but it would be very silly of me to reject something on the pretext that's it different from my own vision.

That's me as a writer. Now, as a lesbian...

It appears to me this was what was missing on the set: lesbians.

I don't know the sources of information for the director and the actresses (who are all straight, unless proven otherwise) and I was never consulted upstream. Maybe there was someone there to awkwardly imitate the possible positions with their hands, and/or to show them some porn of so-called "lesbians" (unfortunately it's hardly ever actually for a lesbian audience). Because -- except for a few passages -- this is all that it brings to my mind: a brutal and surgical display, exuberant and cold, of so-called lesbian sex, which turned into porn, and me feel very ill at ease. Especially when, in the middle of a movie theater, everyone was giggling. The heteronormative laughed because they don't understand it and find the scene ridiculous. The gay and queer people laughed because it's not convincing, and found it ridiculous. And among the only people we didn't hear giggling were the potential guys too busy feasting their eyes on an incarnation of their fantasies on screen.

I totally get Kechiche's will to film pleasure. The way he filmed these scenes is to me directly related to another scene, in which several characters talk about the myth of the feminine orgasm, as...mystic and far superior to the masculine one. But here we go, to sacralize once more womanhood in such ways. I find it dangerous.

As a feminist and lesbian spectator, I can not endorse the direction Kechiche took on these matters.

But I'm also looking forward to what other women will think about it. This is simply my personal stance.

Read Maroh's full, translated blog post here >

SEE ALSO: A Graphic Lesbian Drama Won The Top Prize At The Cannes Film Festival >

SEE ALSO: New Documentary Follows The Everyday Lives Of 9 Lesbian Porn Stars >

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PBS Bets You Can't Tell If These Reality Shows Are Real Or Fake

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PBS AdIf you can't beat them, mock them.

Apparently that's the theory behind the new advertising campaign for WNET, the PBS station that broadcasts on channel 13 in New York, that launched this week.

Posters for mock-reality shows like "Knitting Wars," "Bayou Eskimos," and "Married to a Mime" are on rotation at approximately 185 New York subway stations. The shows have promotional Twitter feeds, too. Like for @RonPickles, star of "The Dillionaire."

To make the ads seem authentic, WNET even invented channels that the imaginary series could plausibly air on like "Insight and Arts," "The Know Channel," and "Wonder Network."

The copy that alerts viewers that the series are not actually airing reads: “The fact you thought this was a real show says a lot about the state of TV. Support quality programming. Join us at thirteen.org.”

Jeff Anderson, an executive creative director at CHI & Partners New York, decided to take on the WNET campaign as pro-bono work. “It’s pretty scary when you look out there and see what’s on television these days," he told TV Rage. "If New Yorkers want an inspiring and educational option, they need to get behind a network that we sometimes take for granted.”

WNET senior director for communications Kellie Specter told the New York Times that she hopes this campaign presents Channel 13 as “an island in a sea of madness.”

The public broadcaster spent an estimated $45,000 on the campaign in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Take a look at the ads below:

PBS AdsPBS AdPBS AdPBS AdPBS Ad

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Blake Shelton Lets Wife Miranda Lambert 'Dig Through' His Phone To Prove He Isn't Cheating

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Blake Shelton People Magazine

Country star Blake Shelton appears on the cover of this week's People magazine denying reports that he cheated on his fellow country singer wife, Miranda Lambert.

"[I tell Miranda], 'I have nothing to hide from you,' " says "The Voice" judge.

Shelton says that he even encourages her to check his cell phone if she wants to: "That's always been our policy: 'Here's my phone. Go through it.'"

"That's really the kind of trust we have," Shelton continues. "There are no secrets. [I'll say,] 'Go dig through my drawers or my computer if you feel like you need to.' And that's been a really good thing, because I don't want her to ever have any doubts."

The 36-year-old's denial comes after the singer was accused of having a month-long affair with 23-year-old singer, Cady Groves.

Lambert, for her part, told Us magazine in April that "Divorce is not an option" and that she ultimately “trusts [Shelton]… but knows how flirty he appears.”

SEE ALSO: Megan Mullally And Nick Offerman Are The Funniest Couple In Hollywood >

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Miss Universe Canada Crowns Wrong Winner Due To Typo

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Denise Garrido beauty queen

Miss Universe Canada made an epic fail Saturday night.

Denise Garrido, 26, was initially crowned Miss Universe Canada before she was stripped of her crown just 24 hours later — after a typo was discovered in the results tabulation.

“My reaction was shock and disbelief at the time, and I was so tired from a long day of photos and interviews that I didn’t know if I was hearing that correctly,’’ Garrido told Today.com. “I was a little bit embarrassed, thinking about how I would tell this to family and friends who were celebrating already."

However, Garrido says that “After stepping back and letting it sink in, it’s obvious that it actually was a blessing in disguise. If they had not made a mistake, I would’ve never experienced that moment, something I’ve always dreamed of. I don’t think I would’ve received as much attention if I won as I did with this error.’’

The mistake was discovered Sunday by a third-party audit that the pageant conducts every year.

Pageant director Denis Davila had to break the news to Garrido that a typo that occurred when the judges’ handwritten scores were entered into a computer program skewed the results.

Riza Santos Miss Universe CanadaThe new results crowned Riza Santos the actual winner, and Garrido third runner-up.

“It was highly embarrassing for Denise and the organization," Miss Universe Canada spokesperson Andrew Lopez told Today.com. "But when a mistake is made, you can either cover it up, or admit the mistake, and that’s what (Davila) did. At the end of the day, it’s a human mistake."  

Garrido, for her part, is maintaining a positive outlook on the situation.

“I was meant to have that moment,’’ she said. “I was able to live the dream, and now it’s time for Riza to live it for the next year. I’ve received so much sympathy and compassion from people I don’t know, and I’m really touched by it. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, and now it’s onward and upward.”

Watch the women confront each other about the ordeal for the first time today on CNN >

SEE ALSO: Blake Shelton Lets Wife Miranda Lambert 'Dig Through' His Phone To Prove He Isn't Cheating >

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7 Awesome-Sounding Movies That You'll Probably Never See

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jurassic park IIIYou probably noticed that the worst thing in the world happened this week. That’s right, Jurassic Park 4 was put “on hold.”

Sorry to bring it up when your emotions are still so raw. Universal’s official statement is that the film is being pushed from its 2014 release in order to give time to make it the best it can be (given it hasn’t even started filming yet, 2014 was always going to be a tight turnaround).

But we’ve been here before. Previous attempts to continue Jurassic Park have come and gone, including that one about weaponized dinosaurs that sounded terrible. 

But please, Universal, don’t let it go extinct. Don’t let it die like these movies that sounded incredible and then collapsed like Jenga on a see-saw.

'Halo' the movie was done in by greed.

Aliens! Guns! Space! A man in a helmet! Amazing! All the ingredients were there, but it was greed that did in Halo. 

Microsoft, a company not used to the movie world, pitched a film of the blockbuster video game in a bizarre way: They commissioned a script by Alex Garland and then took it to all the movie studios, delivered by people in costume as Master Chief, and instructed them that they wanted $10 million versus 15% of the movie’s gross.

Even with District 9’s Neill Blomkamp attached to direct and Peter Jackson producing, that’s not a very attractive deal for a studio that then has to pony up all the cash to make the film. It could still happen and there’s a brutal alien war movie to be made from it, but it’ll require various people to stop dick-swinging and agree to less lucrative deals in order to get it done. Until that day, just keep mashing the X button.

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'Batman: Year One' would have been a much bleaker take on the beloved franchise.

While few people have any complaints about what Christopher Nolan did with the Batman series, the great joy of a property like Batman is how he can be interpreted a million different ways.

For a long time, Darren Aronofsky was developing a movie based on Batman: Year One, alongside its writer Frank Miller. Theirs would have been a much bleaker take on Batman, with Bruce Wayne not the billionaire we know but an unhappy young man growing up among the filth of Gotham City.

Jim Gordon would have played a larger role and have been on the permanent cusp of suicide, and Catwoman featured in a sense, in the form of dominatrix hooker Mistress Selina.

Warner Bros. ultimately found the whole thing a bit too gloomy for family audiences and went another route. Even more intriguing: Aronofsky’s first Batman idea was to do an older take on the hero, with Clint Eastwood beneath the cowl.



Morgan Freeman has trying to bring 'Rendezvous With Rama' to life since the early 2000s.

It could have been David Fincher’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Based on an Arthur C. Clarke story about a vast alien vessel that enters Earth’s solar and the crew who go to find out its secrets, it’s long been a passion project of Morgan Freeman, who’d planned to play the captain of the ship.

He’s been trying to get it made since the early 2000s and had Fincher signed to direct since about 2003, but the pair have never managed to find a script that everyone’s happy with. Freeman still insists it will happen every time he’s asked about it, but there now seems about as much likelihood of it happening as a giant alien craft entering the earth’s solar system.



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Amanda Bynes' Lawyer Speaks For First Time, Says She's 'Fine' — Here's Today's Buzz

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Amanda Bynes Wig In Court

SEE ALSO: Miss Universe Canada crowns wrong winner due to typo >

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Jennifer Lopez's Raunchy Performance Causes Scandal On British TV

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Jennifer Lopez concert outfitJennifer Lopez may be about to turn 44-years-old next month, but that isn't stopping the mother-of-two from wearing a tiny leather leotard and thigh-high boots for her latest performance on ITV's "Britain's Got Talent."

Since the show is geared toward a younger audience, not all viewers were happy with Lopez's assets fully on display, especially paired with her sexually-suggestive dance moves.

Angry viewers took to Twitter to vent about the raunchy performance. One viewer wrote "Think I have seen a little too much of Jennifer Lopez -- meant to be a family show? #inappropriate #bgt."

Another one said: "#BGT does #jenniferlopez realize it's a family show -- only thing missing was the pole - cover up your cheeks please!"

For the record, Lopez actually does grind on a pole about three quarters of the way through her performance.

The whole thing was enough to get British TV regulator Ofcom to release a statement confirming that “it has received complaints about the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ broadcast last night, which we are assessing but not currently investigating.”

Lopez, however, seemed quite pleased with her appearance, tweeting afterwards:

Judge and show creator Simon Cowell was also full of praise for her performance. “Seriously, J-Lo. If anyone wants to know how you do it -- that's how you do it," he said on the show. “Seriously, world-class.”

Cowell even tweeted later:

Simon Cowell J.Lo tweet

The performance may be a little too R-rated for the show's demo, but there's no denying Lopez has still got it. Watch below:


Jennifer Lopez - Live It Up (Live Britain's Got...by JohnJLover

SEE ALSO: Beyoncé Stops Concert After A Fan Slaps Her Butt >

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Johnny Depp Walks Off Mob Biopic Over $20 Million Salary Dispute

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Johnny Depp in Public Enemies.

Johnny Depp is not willing to take a pay cut for his craft.

The actor has just bowed out of director Barry Levinson's highly-anticipated biopic, "Black Mass" — about Boston gangster Whitey Bulger— after being asked to take a 50% pay cut from his normal fee.

But the actor's normal fee is a reported $20 million  still leaving him with a hefty $10 million in the bank!

Here's what went down, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

Depp was to have been paid his usual quote of $20 million, according to sources, but with sales of the project at Cannes on the soft side, producers were looking to trim the budget, in the high $60 million range. Depp was asked to take half, according to sources, and the actor and his reps at UTA refused.

With Depp's upcoming "The Lone Ranger" film already getting negative press after a production delay, the actor is in desperate need of a hit film.

Good thing Depp will be reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" lined up for 2015. Automatic $20 million paycheck, ka-ching.

SEE ALSO: 7 awesome movies that will never be made >

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We Now Have Our 30th Reason Why Elon Musk Is America's Most Badass CEO

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Cameron Diaz

Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been getting close to actor Cameron Diaz, the New York Post reports.

They reportedly got to know one another after Diaz bought a Tesla Model S, and Musk has been spending extra time in Los Angeles, where Diaz lives (also where SpaceX is headquartered).

A few weeks ago, we came up with 29 reasons why Elon Musk is the most badass CEO in the country— including having an adorable set of young boys with his first wife, Justine Musk, and then marrying (and divorcing) gorgeous British actor Talulah Riley.

Dating — or even hanging out with — a successful, beautiful woman like Diaz, puts the number at 30.

THE FULL LIST: 29 Reasons Elon Musk Is The World's Most Badass CEO

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Actress Writes Epic Insider's Perspective On 'Reasons Child Stars Go Crazy'

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Mara Wilson child star Mrs. Doubtfire

Mara Wilson is no stranger to the spotlight.

Now 25, the actress starred as the youngest daughter in "Mrs. Doubtfire" at age six, followed by the title role in "Matilda" and a stint on "Melrose Place," as well as other TV shows.

In light of former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes' recent public meltdown and Lindsay Lohan's current stint in rehab, Wilson wrote a post for cracked.com titled "7 Reasons Child Stars Go Crazy (An Insider's Perspective)."

In the post, she humorously lists seven key reasons "not many child stars make it out of Hollywood alive or sane."

Here are are Wilson's main points:

7. Their Parents Won't Help Them ...

"When one of my preteen co-stars didn't seem that into acting, I asked him why he even bothered doing it. "For the money," he said. I hadn't considered that. My own money was an abstract concept: locked in a bank somewhere, to be used only after I turned 18. I was just acting because I liked it. But this kid was supporting his family."

6. ... or Their Parents Can't Help Them

"When Miley Cyrus went through a series of scandals in 2010, one involving the scarier-than-pot-but-somehow-more-legal salvia, Billy Ray Cyrus went on record saying that he had very little control over his daughter anymore. Her Disney entourage had long since taken over. Even if he wasn't telling the complete truth about his role in his daughter's scandals, it was clear that he, the parent, was not in control."

5. They Get Used to Love and Attention, and Then Lose It

 "Adults know that infatuation is fleeting, but kids don't understand this. A year in a kid's life seems like an eternity, and they think anything happening now will happen forever. Years of adulation and money and things quickly become normal, and then, just as they get used to it all, they hit puberty -- which is a serious job hazard when your job is being cute."

4. They Have Been Sexually Exploited

"To be a teen idol is to be vulnerable. Brooke Shields has said that being a sex object led her to feel like she wasn't in control of her own body, and is one of the reasons she didn't have sex until she was 22. Natalie Portman has said similar things."

3. They Need to Rebel, But Can't

"Probably one of the reasons I was never big into partying as a teen was because I was scared of the public finding out. 'Friends' of mine would sometimes post things I'd said or pictures I was in on public websites, which caused rifts and some serious trust issues. Even now, I will duck out of the way at parties when someone brings out a camera -- even though I'm well over 21, I haven't been a recognizable name in years, and my parties tend to be less "coke orgy," more "board game bonanza."

2. They Don't Know What Else to Do

"If I were to talk to Lindsay Lohan, I'd encourage her to get the hell out of acting and into something soothing. Take up botany or something. But she wouldn't be likely to listen to me -- and not only because I'm younger and way less hot than her. It's because she's been acting all her life, she has little education, and in her mind, there's nothing else she could do. She's likely to keep doing it even if she's making herself -- and maybe also the people she works with -- miserable."

1. They Can't Escape It

"I still get recognized. It's flattering, but it can be uncomfortable. Maybe because it only seems to happen when I'm looking and feeling crappy, and while I'm glad what I did meant something to someone, I can't take much pride in my childhood acting. It feels like it happened in another lifetime, and even then, it felt like a hobby. People making a big deal out of me just embarrasses me."

Mara Wilson

... "Child stars who are best off as adults usually do one or two projects, then get the hell out of Hollywood, at least for the next few years. They go to Harvard or Yale (or my alma mater, NYU, which has been called "Where Child Stars Come to Die") and learn to do something besides act. That's my suggestion for kids who want to act, by the way: Make sure it's really your choice, get out of it when it stops being fun, and get an education."

Today, 25-year-old Wilson is a self-described "normal-looking woman living in a two-bedroom apartment in one of the less cool neighborhoods of New York. I write stuff and tell stories, but I'm not a celebrity and wouldn't want to be one. I'm much more 'reformed drama nerd' than 'former child star,' and I like it that way."

To read Wilson's post in its entirety, visit cracked.com >

SEE ALSO: Amanda Bynes Showed Up To Court Looking Disheveled In A Blonde Wig >

SEE ALSO: Amanda Bynes Mug Shot Reveals Buzzed Hair >

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You Must Download The New 'Star Wars' Game For iPad (AAPL, DIS)

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star wars knights of the old republic for ipad

"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is not only the best "Star Wars" game of all time, it's also one of the best video games of all time.

And now you can play it on iPad. You can get it for $9.99.

Even if you're not a "Star Wars" fan, chances are you'll like this game. It has an incredible story, great gameplay, and reportedly holds up well all these years later. (It was originally launched on Xbox in 2003.)

IGN got to review the iPad version of "KOTOR" early and said it was pretty good. Check it out.

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Disney Sued for Billions Over 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Franchise

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Johnny Depp Pirates of The Caribbean

Could Disney have done a little plundering of its own when coming up with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise?

The company has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by a man who claims that he came up with numerous elements of the hugely successful "Pirates" film series, including characters, supernatural elements, storylines, plots, themes, sequence structures and screenplay elements, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap.

Also read: Disney Taps 'Kon-Tiki' Filmmakers to Direct Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'

In the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida on Tuesday, Florida resident Royce Mathew claims that Disney infringed on a story that Mathew had written, and fraudulently procured a settlement from him when a previous lawsuit was filed.

In addition to the Walt Disney Co. and Walt Disney Pictures, the suit lists numerous other defendants, including "Pirates of the Caribbean" producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Mathew alleges that he created numerous supernatural stories in the late '80s and early '90s, including a "Supernatural Pirate Story," along with a related Supernatural Pirate Movie.

See Video: Johnny Depp Is a Scream in New 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Clips

Mathew claims that he provided Disney with copies of his creations over a period from 1991 to 1995, both through direct meetings and the Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Agency, but Disney subsequently credited "Pirates of the Caribbean" writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio with the creation of those works.

Though Mathew doesn't list specific damages in the suit, the complaint claims that Mathew "is entitled, inter alia, to the billions of dollars that Disney has generated, or allowed others to generate, from the defendants' unauthorized use and exploitation" of Mathew's works.

Disney has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment.

Mathew claims that he initiated a copyright infringement action against Disney in 2006, but that the defendants "fraudulently procured" a settlement, prompting him to execute a release agreement in mid-2007.

Mathew is seeking a rescission of the earlier release agreement. However, his suit argues, even if a rescission isn't granted, he's still entitled to enforce his copyright claims after mid-2007. (The "Pirates" movie franchise is still very much a going concern; as reported by TheWrap on Wednesday, Disney has tapped "Kon-Tiki" directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg to helm the fifth installment of the series.)

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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Beyoncé Outraged That H&M Intended To Photoshop Her Bootyliciousness

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Beyonce for H&M

When Beyoncé heard that H&M's art department were planning to retouch images of her modeling the brand's beachwear collection, she was absolutely furious.

Upon hearing that H&M intended to slim her silhouette, the curvaceous pop star insisted that only un-doctored photographs be released, according to a recent report in The Sun.

It is practically impossible that absolutely no retouching was done on H&M's images, of course. Color, brightness and contrast are routinely adjusted on ad imagery.

A source told The Sun that "'when Beyonce found out they had edited the way her body really looked, she hit the roof. She’s a true diva and was furious that she had been given such a snubbing. Her people refused to give the pictures the green light so H&M were forced to use the originals."

A spokesperson for H&M reached out to the British tabloid confessing that there had indeed been "discussions" regarding Beyoncé's photos for the brand but confirmed that the images that were ultimately published had not been retouched. 

"Both H&M and Beyonce are very happy with the final result,” the H&M spokesman added.

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Pretty Much Every Celebrity Appears In The First Wacky Trailer For 'Machete Kills'

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The first trailer for Robert Rodriguez's "Machete Kills" features Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Mel Gibson, Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas, and Charlie Sheen (as Carlos Estevez).

Even Lady Gaga has a role in the film!

Due in theaters September 13, "Machete Kills" features Danny Trejo as a Machete, who is recruited by the President to stop a billionaire arms dealer.

And it looks ridiculous. But maybe in a good way?

Watch the below trailer (in both Spanish and English) and decide for yourself.

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lopez's Raunchy Performance Causes Scandal On British TV >

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LAST CHANCE: Enter To Win A Kindle Fire From Business Insider

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ipadmini

We're giving you a chance to win a Kindle Fire HD.  Become a newsletter subscriber now to enter.  If you're the lucky winner you will have a host of features at your fingertips.  

Entry deadline is May 31.

As a newsletter subscriber, you'll get daily updates and alerts on topics that matter most to you. You must subscribe to at least one newsletter to be eligible, so if you haven't already, be sure to choose one or more before submitting your entry.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER >

On or after May 31, 2013, we'll announce the lucky winner.

You must be a legal resident of the U.S. and a newsletter subscriber to win.

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The Beautiful Young Daughters Of The Baldwin Brothers

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Stephen Baldwin Hailey Baldwin

Blonde, slender, 5'10 17-year-old Hailey Baldwin turned heads Wednesday night as she accompanied her father, Stephen Baldwin, down the red carpet at the "After Earth" premiere.

But before Hailey was making headlines with her more grown up looks, her cousin Ireland Baldwin — the celebuspawn of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger — entered the scene with her racy Instagram photos and recently announced modeling contract.

Besides the two blonde models, there's also beautiful brunette Baldwin cousins.

While the four Baldwin brothers have had their fair share of drama — when they decided to procreate, they did a pretty good job.

Meet the beautiful Baldwin cousins >

In case you're confused who belongs to which Baldwin brother, here's a quick breakdown:

Alec Baldwin:

Daughter Ireland (born 1995)

Stephen Baldwin:

Daughter Alaia (born 1993)
Daughter Hailey (born 1996)

Billy Baldwin:

Daughter Jameson (born 2000)
Son Vance (born 2002)
Daughter Brooke (born 2004)

Daniel Baldwin:

Kahlea Baldwin (born 1990)
Alexandra Baldwin (born 1994)
Atticus Baldwin (born 1996)
Avis Baldwin (born 2008)
Finley Baldwin (born 2009)

Hailey Baldwin is Stephen Baldwin's second-born daughter.



She has always been close with her father. They even had matching hair!



Hailey often posts photos of her dad on her Instagram account — like here at the "Men In Black 3" premiere.



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Meet The Sexy Underwear Model From The Diet Dr. Pepper Ad

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josh button diet dr pepper

Underwear model Josh Button was hired by Diet Dr. Pepper to attract women to the brand. 

In the now-viral ad, a shirtless Button launches into a monologue about why he is one of a kind. 

"Millions of guys are born good-looking," he says, as the number 70,611,600 flashes across the screen. "But not many are really good looking." (the number 64,891 flashes). "Even fewer are really, really, really, really good-looking, at least that's what I'm told." The number 45 appears. "I'm Josh Button and I'm one-of-a-kind. 

We caught up with Button in New York to talk about how he was discovered, the ad, and the surprising demographic its attracting. 

Business Insider: How did you get into modeling?

Josh Button: I was discovered when I was waiting tables in Miami. I had been scouted a few times, and thought it would be fun to have a job where I got paid to travel. Within a month, I was in Paris, and I've been fortunate to work in the industry for a long time. 

BI: Did Diet Dr. Pepper hire you to attract women to the brand? 

JB: I'm sure that was part of it. But the male response to the ad has also been surprising. I think the ad does a good job of poking fun at too-serious male models, which guys think is funny and are responding really well to. My friends have been calling me and saying they think its hilarious. 

BI: What inspired your character in the ad? 

JB: It's funny because the company just told me to act like myself, which is rare. We thought it would be funny if I channeled this "Zoolander" attitude and acted like I took myself incredibly seriously. People have actually asked if the commercial is affiliated with the movie. 

BI: How do you stay in shape? 

JB: I love surfing, and that's become a big hobby for me lately. I'm a really active person and love sports. I also try to eat in moderation, although I'm not strict by any means. Staying active allows me to consume a lot of calories. 

BI: Do you drink Diet Dr. Pepper? 

JB: It's actually the only soda I allow myself to occasionally drink. I think it tastes really good. 

BI: What do you think your life will be like after modeling?

JB: I'm an aspiring actor and would love to act in plays or movies. This commercial was a good transition into that because I got to play a character and express myself more than with some other gigs. 

Check out his ad here:  

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11 Extravagant Ways Rich Tech Executives Have Spent Their Fortunes

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How do wealthy tech entrepreneurs spend the millions and billions of dollars they've made?

Some give it to charities. Others party portions of it away and buy really expensive toys.

Here are some of the most extravagent ways people like Sean Parker and Larry Page have spent their fortunes.

Sean Parker may be spending up to $10 million on his wedding to Alexandra Lenas, complete with custom-made costumes for each guest, a backdrop, and man-made waterfalls.

Sean Parker is planning an extravagant wedding to the mother of his child, Alexandra Lenas, in June. 

The wedding could reportedly cost Parker $10 million. He's hired “Lord of the Rings” costume designer Ngila Dickson to create custom-made outfits for each guest. In addition, the plants and flowers alone are estimated to cost $1 million, The Daily Mail reports. The dance floor that's being put in could be another $350,000. A lot of landscaping has been planned as well; there will reportedly be man-made waterfalls, ruins and more. So much has been leaked about the wedding though, the Parkers may move their wedding location.

The wedding isn't Parker's first jaw-dropping expense. He's known for throwing elaborate parties, and he's reportedly spending 1.5 years in NYC's Plaza Hotel while his 6-story apartment gets renovated.



Amazon founder Jeff Bezos* invested $42 million in building a 10,000-year clock.

The clock Bezos is having built in Texas is meant to serve as a symbol to make people think long-term.

"If we think long-term, we can accomplish things that we couldn't otherwise accomplish," Bezos said in an interview. We humans are getting awfully sophisticated in technological ways and have a lot of potential to be very dangerous to ourselves, and it seems to me that we as a species will have to start thinking longer term. This is a symbol, I think symbols can be very powerful."

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through Bezos Expeditions.



Early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has invested millions in anti-aging technology because he wants to live forever. He also has invested heavily in establishing colonies of startups off the coast of California.

Peter Thiel gave  $3.5 million in 2006 on anti-aging researcher and it's well known the early Facebook investor wants to live forever.

"He has put money into the projects of more than a dozen biotech companies, from DNA sequencing to cancer treatment to a mobile app called 100 Plus, which encourages healthy behaviors intended to extend lifespan beyond 100 years," Financial Times writes of his desire to cheat death.

Also, Thiel has invested in Seastead Institute which wants to "colonize the world's oceans." In other words, it is putting up structures in the oceans to avoid dealing with the rules and regulations of different governments. One in particular is Blueseeds, which is off the coast of California, and has the goal of helping non-U.S. entrepreneurs get access to Silicon Valley's resources without Visas. Thiel has donated more than half-a-million to Seastead.



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Actually, Beyoncé WAS Totally Photoshopped In This Ad

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Beyonce H&M

This morning, Business Insider, among others, noted that Beyoncé insisted that photos of her in this summer's H&M campaign not be retouched in Photoshop. The fashion brand was said to have accommodated the star, apparently only releasing undoctored shots of the singer.

This afternoon, a source close to Beyoncé told us "this is all not true."

In an email to Business Insider, the source said that "Beyoncé objected to being made skinnier at the waist and less curvaceous, but the current ad is still extremely photoshopped."

"She is not objecting to her face, skin and body being made flawless," the source added. "No one looks like that, even her. This is all a ploy to pretend that no photoshop was used. Hilarious."

Take another look at these images. Thinking they has not been digitally perfected in some way is, indeed, pretty naive.

beyonce H&M

beyonce H&M

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GWYNETH PALTROW: Here Are My Favorite Things To Do In Los Angeles

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I was born in Los Angeles and my early childhood is imprinted in my brain: the memory of palm trees and the city’s specific light, harsh yet diffused at once – which I know doesn’t make sense. I remember my dad [the late director Bruce Paltrow ] driving me around to meetings when he was trying to get his career going.

To me LA is all about being outside. I have great memories of being little in California. Our house in Santa Monica had a pool, a tree house and pomegranate trees in the garden. Whenever I’m in the city I feel my brain works less hard. I’m not noticing everything everywhere because it’s all so familiar, whereas in London I’m constantly aware of everything – such as the blue plaques – because it’s still so foreign to me, even though I’ve lived there for 10 years. Los Angeles has the quality of home. I find it deeply tranquil. It’s my roots. But I’ve had a love-hate affair with the city over the years. It was fantastic when I was a child, but it wasn’t good for me in my twenties when I was dating and trying to make it as an actress. I felt lonely there. It’s a difficult city to discover yourself, because it is so spread out that you never quite know where you are supposed to be. But now, having a job and a family, it is fantastic.

Santa Monica PierMy idea for the goop city guides app, which covers not just LA but New York and London too, came about because I’ve always been the person my friends call to find out where they should go in a city – for anything, right down to a good bikini wax. Because I’m so curious, wherever I travel I’m always pounding the pavement, asking locals a million questions. In fact, I originally started goop, my website, as a database for my friends. It’s such a big part of who I am and the app came out of that. There’s so much information out there that it’s nice to have someone whose taste you trust.

I always find that the hotel concierge in a particular city will recommend a restaurant that they say is great and in fact it’s terrible, so you waste your money. The recommendations on my app come directly from me, so they have to be good. You’ll find out about the best restaurants that really are tried and tested, and places you wouldn’t necessarily find on your own, but which a local would know. We designed the city guides app to be like a bookshelf, and I am effectively a curator sharing my experiences with you.

Los Angeles isn’t considered one of the world’s great cities, but I think it’s like a best-kept secret. If you know where to go, a holiday in LA can be a very cool experience. Here are some of my personal picks from the app.

MY JET LAG CURE

As soon as I arrive in LA after a long flight, I head to the Be Hive of Healing ( behiveofhealing.com ), a holistic healing centre in Santa Monica, to see Dr Habib Sadeghi , the founder. He gives me an IV [intravenous therapy] full of vitamins, which is incredible. The lymphatic massage treatment helps with jet lag, too: they wrap you in a blanket and you sweat out impurities. Dr Sadeghi has also changed my life in terms of allergy testing and food.

MY BIG BREAKFAST

I usually make breakfast for the family at the weekend, but when I do go out, one of my favourite places is Hal’s Bar & Grill ( halsbarandgrill.com ) on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Its eggs Benedict is delicious, and it also has nightly jazz. The Hotel Bel-Air ( hotelbelair.com ) has a really good brunch; you sit outside, which is lovely. Huckleberry ( huckleberrycafe.com ) in Santa Monica is fantastic for breakfast, especially on Sundays.

But for the best coffee and muffins, go to Caffe Luxxe ( caffeluxxe.com ). I also love Peet’s coffee ( peets.com ), which is a West Coast thing.

A POST-BREAKFAST WORKOUT

If you want to work out after breakfast, there’s a lot of yoga in LA. I like YogaWorks ( yogaworks.com ) on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica . There are other branches throughout the city. People are obsessed with Maha Yoga ( mahayoga.com ), in Brentwood, where they blast rock music as you exercise.

In California, I like to take advantage of the outdoors. You can run up and down the Santa Monica Steps, on a steep hillside close to the beach. Or you can hike in the Santa Monica Mountains , which I love. I walk for miles, admiring the views – you don’t feel as though you are in LA.

Closer to the ocean is the Will Rogers State Historic Park, off Sunset Boulevard, which is beautiful. Friends of mine who live inland, on the East Side of LA, hike in Runyon Canyon Park, which they love, because they can take their dogs.  Our dog hasn’t made it to LA yet.

For an indoor workout, I go to the new studio of Tracy Anderson ( tracyandersonmethod.com ), in Brentwood , of which I am a part-owner. Her method is miraculous. She has changed my body and my life. She has a variety of cardio and “band cardio” classes [working with resistance bands that hang from the ceiling]. There’s also a blow-dry bar in the studio if you want to get your hair done quickly. LA has a lot of blow-dry bars.

A DOSE OF RETAIL THERAPY

There’s great shopping all over LA. For beautiful artis an pottery that makes a great gift, I love Heath Ceramics ( heathceramics.com ). Just One Eye ( justoneeye.com ) has one-of-a-kind clothing, art and jewellery. A great thing to do on Saturday morning is go to a farmers’ market. If you’re not from a warm climate, you will find the abundance of fruit and vegetables astonishing. It’s such fun just to walk along the stalls and see the colours and all the produce – the huge yellow sunflowers and the bright, sweet California strawberries. They are like sugar.

ABSORB SOME CULTURE

MOCA Los Angeles LAThe idea that LA isn’t cultural is untrue; the culture just comes in a different package. If you’re looking for 400-year-old buildings, obviously it’s not the place to go. LA is not about stepping back in time; it’s about “Where are we now?” Its real strengths are contemporary art, architecture and food. You can’t go wrong with a weekend visit to MOCA ( moca.org ), the Museum of Contemporary Art , which is current and has a good vibe, great exhibitions and a cool kids’ area where they can do art and play. At Bergamot Station ( bergamotstation.com ), in an old railway station, you can explore a variety of contemporary art galleries.

MY LUNCHTIME HAUNTS

Some people like to go to The Ivy, order its famous chopped salad and watch the celebrities. I prefer a turkey burger at Ammo ( ammocafe.com ) in Hollywood. I also love Bouchon ( bouchonbistro.com ), in Beverly Hills , where I have oysters and French fries, or chicken.

With the family I go to Brentwood Country Mart ( brentwoodcountrymart.com ), where you can also find great clothing and books. Frida Taquería has delicious Mexican food, but everyone in my family loves Reddi Chick , which has been there since I was born; I used to go as a child. You sit outside in the courtyard eating the best rotisserie chicken and chips – a classic LA thing to do. For dessert, Sweet Rose Creamery has superb ice cream.

One other place I go whenever I am in Los Angeles is Sushi Park, at 8539 West Sunset Boulevard , for Japanese food. It’s not fancy, but it’s amazing. I just eat whatever they serve me.

MY KIND OF NEIGHBOURHOOD

If you want to get a real sense of LA, stroll along Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. You can park and walk and feel like you are steeped in a neighbourhood and a culture. The food is wonderful, the clothes shops are amazing and unusual, it’s alive and it’s not touristy. There’s lots of really interesting stuff. I love the pizzas at Gjelina ( gjelina.com ), one of the best restaurants in LA – my mouth is watering just thinking about them – and there’s a great bar called The Other Room ( theotheroom.com ). Heist ( shopheist.com ) is a cool clothing store with a chilled Venice vibe.

The other neighbourhood I like is Silver Lake : it’s the Shoreditch of Los Angeles, where the cool kids hang out and there are plenty of hip shops and cafés. I love a little place there called Forage ( foragela.com ), which is really nice and unusual. People bring in home-grown vegetables and trade them for meals, and they serve grass-fed burgers. I like meeting friends for lunch there and it’s not hugely expensive.

TAKE ME TO THE BEACH

If you want to go to the beach at the weekend, you have to get out of the city. I like the County Line Beach ( beachcalifornia.com/county-line-beach-ventura.html ), which is past Malibu, on the border of LA and Ventura counties. It’s a big surf spot, beautiful and off the beaten track.

EATING OUT, WITH THE CHILDREN…

We love The Ivy At The Shore ( theivyrestaurants.com ), which has delicious pizzas and guacamole with hot home-made tortillas. It has really child-friendly food as well as good grown-up choices: I always have crab cakes and onion rings.

...AND WITHOUT

I love Providence ( providencela.com ), which is right by Paramount Studios and has incredible seafood. We eat in a quiet room and the food is delicious: American with a French influence. I took a friend there recently for her birthday.

Nantucket scallops at Providence

For a romantic dinner with Chris [Martin, her husband] we keep it casual, so the setting doesn’t have to be romantic. We love Giorgio’s, Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi ( giorgiobaldi.us ), which has been there since I was little and has simple dishes made with high-quality ingredients. Its corn ravioli with truffle sauce is beyond crazy; I could eat platefuls of it. Oh my God, it is so good. Yes, I eat pasta all the time – but I work out all the time too!

MY BIG NIGHT OUT

I don’t do nightlife in LA. I don’t go out dancing much, but when I do, the Chateau Marmont ( chateaumarmont.com ) at night is fun. There’s a great dinner and bar scene at the hotel.

I love to hear music in LA and I always find out what’s on at the Hollywood Bowl ( hollywoodbowl.com ). You sit outside and listen to the music in the beautiful amphitheatre which is completely open to the sky. It’s such a special experience; they’ll have all kinds of concerts, from Radiohead to a classical symphony. You make your own picnic or pick up a picnic basket from somewhere like Joan’s on Third ( joansonthird.com ) and bring a bottle of wine. To me, that epitomises Los Angeles culture.

WHERE TO STAY

My favourite hotel in Los Angeles is Shutters on the Beach ( shuttersonthebeach.com ) in Santa Monica. I have a house in LA but that’s where I love to stay – and where I send my friends. It’s beautiful, cosy and not too modern. The beds are really comfortable and you have a great view of the ocean. You know you’re in California when you stay there.

Shutters on the Beach

Anyone who loves music will like the Chateau Marmont ( chateaumarmont.com ), left, in West Hollywood. That’s where music industry people stay. It is kind of ramshackle and falling apart, which is part of its charm. People who love it really love it.

HOW TO LOOK GOOD

Karyn Grossman ( grossmandermatology.com ) is my number one beauty recommendation. She did a Thermage laser treatment on me that took five years off my face.

Los Angeles has some of the best hairdressers in the world. Chris McMillan in Beverly Hills has done Jennifer Aniston’s hair forever. I go to Tracey Cunningham , who does my colour, too. She is my girl. Her place is called Méche ( mechesalonla.com ).

I also highly recommend Sonya Dakar ( sonyadakar.com ), my crazy Israeli facial lady. I always feel really good after seeing her. She’s just magic – and a full-on human being, a real ball-buster.

As told to Elaine Lipworth

To download the goop City Guides app for Los Angeles, London and New York (£2.49), see goop.com/apps

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Bars In Los Angeles >

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