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David Cameron Not A Fan Of Thatcher Movie

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Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher

British Prime Minister, David Cameron has called into question the timing of the release of "The Iron Lady," the movie depicting the life of one of his predecessors, Margaret Thatcher.

The BBC reports that despite Cameron applauding Meryl Streep's performance as the former Conservative leader, he appeared baffled as to why the movie was released now, telling one of the broadcaster's radio stations:

"It is a film much more about ageing and elements of dementia rather than about an amazing prime minister.

"My sense was a great piece of acting, a staggering piece of acting, but a film I wish they could have made another day."

Though it contains flashbacks to her rule, the film is largely set in the present, showing an aging Thatcher struggling with mental issues. However, Cameron is not the only person to have criticized the film with left-leaning reviewers having some harsh words. 

A column written by Liz Hoggard in the Guardian questioned whether the film was a white-wash of Thatcher, noting that opposition to her politics scarcely appears in the movie and that Union leaders and protesters are depicted as thugs.

Additionally, the movie doesn't even seem to have struck a chord with Thatcher's own family. Another report in the Guardian said that the former Prime Minister's family didn't even take up the offer to view an early screening of the film.

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Justin Bieber Gets Jesus' Face Tattooed On His Tiny Calf -- Here's Your Daily Gossip

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                    Julianne Hough

  • Julianne Hough shows off her bikini bod in St. Barts with Ryan Seacrest.
  • Ricky Martin tweets picture of his first day on the "Glee" set.  It was only a matter of time.
  • Chaz Bono ready to date for first time…as a dude.
  • "Felicity" star, Keri Russell, welcomes a baby girl. People cared more about her pixie haircut in 1999.
  • Mila Kunis debuts her ads as the newest face of Lady Dior handbags.

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That Was Fast: Chelsea Clinton May Already Be Done With Her TV Career

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Page Six is reporting that Chelsea Clinton's television career may be over almost before it started.

Chelsea Clinton’s much-trumpeted deal with NBC seems to be nearly done. Her contract is for only 90 days, and while she’ll provide the network with two more stories, sources say it is not certain she’ll immediately sign again.

An NBC news rep tells Page Six they hope Clinton will remain with them for a "long time."  A rep for Clinton says "she is very much enjoying her time there" but that discussions about whether to renew will begin closer to the end of her 90-day tenure.

 

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'The Fighter' Director David O. Russell Allegedly Gets Physical With Transgender Niece

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Sounds like David O. Russell truly is flirting with disaster.

According to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun,  Russell's transsexual, 19-year-old nephew, Nicholas Peloquin -- the son of Russell's adoptive sister, Barbara Jane Peloquin -- alleges that "The Fighter" director inappropriately groped Peloquin during a super-awkward exchange at a Florida gym on Friday.

Also read: Mark Wahlberg Falls Out With "Fighter" BFF David O. Russell

Peloquin -- who also goes by the name Nicole -- told a Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy that the bizarre incident took place in the gym at the Embassy Suites in Deerfield Beach, Fla. (Russell is currently editing the Weinstein Co.'s "Silver Linings Playbook," starring Bradley Cooper.)

According to Peloquin's testimony, 53-year-old Russell offered to help Peloquin with ab exercises, during which Russell's hand hovered above Peloquin's "private parts."

Better grab the brain bleach, because it gets even worse.

Peloquin (pictured, in a photo from TheSmokingGun.com) -- who has not yet undergone male-to-female gender-reassignment surgery -- described "the hormones to increase his breasts" to Russell, at which point the director slipped his hands under Peloquin's shirt "and felt both breasts," the police report (see below) reads.

Peloquin told the deputy that he felt uncomfortable during the groping, but did not tell Russell to stop. He did, however, subsequently tell his mother that Russell put the moves on him in the gym.

Russell confirmed the exchange during his own interview with the detective, claiming that Peloquin was "acting very provocative toward him" during their workout, and that Peloquin invited him to feel his breasts.

Russell told police that he was "curious about the breast enhancement."

Russell's spokesperson, Cynthia Swartz, told TheWrap in a statement, "David O. Russell emphatically denies any wrongdoing and has cooperated fully with the authorities."

Per the police report, Russell told the deputy that Peloquin told him that one of his breasts is larger than the other. Oh, and that Peloquin made him "pinky swear" about the breast-touching.

And you thought your interactions with relatives over the holidays were uncomfortable?

This post originally appeared at TheWrap.

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JOB OF THE WEEK: Vertical Acuity

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job seeker

Check out the Business Insider Jobs section >>

As part of our new partnership with SimplyHired.com, each week we'll feature one of the awesome jobs advertised on the Business Insider jobs board.

Director of Marketing

Vertical Acuity

Why it’s cool: You'll have a chance to get involved with many top publishers on the web and to help them grow their businesses.

What they need: Someone to handle spreading the word about the world's first Content Logistics Platform across social media, SEM and search marketing.  They've got the venture backing, now they need to tell the world.

What you need: At least five years of experience pursuing your zealous enthusiasm for online marketing. You need a comprehensive understanding of the digital and search space, SEM and social.  Bonus points if you have experience marketing an e-commerce site.

To learn more about this opportunity click here

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The Incredibly Strange Commercials Of David Lynch

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Warning: the above is not a real ad. It's far too linear for a David Lynch production. (See our slideshow of his trippy commercials below).

Still, it's so spot on that we think that Pabst should hire Lynch for its next marketing campaign.

YouTuber RoboJukles transformed a scene from Lynch's "Blue Velvet" into a commercial for PBR, every hipster's favorite beer.

The clip shows Dennis Hopper screaming to a drinking cronie, "Heineken? Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!"

The tag line? "Because Heineken Is For Pussies."

Lynch, the man behind Mulholland Drive, has directed ads for PlayStation 2, Gucci, even Clear Blue Easy pregnancy tests.

Lynch's Ad For PlayStation2 (Featuring A Talking Duck)



Bizarre (And Backwards) Cigarette Commercial



Obsession By Calvin Klein



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Funny Or Die's Oscar Promo Attempts to Make Megan Fox Relevant Again

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Oscars Promo 2012When The Oscars teams up with novelty site Funny or Die to create a promo, it should be just that, funny. Unfortunately, the trailer falls flat.

The preview reunites “Transformers” co-stars Megan Fox (Wait. She wasn't even in the last one.) and Josh Duhamel, who was sporting a fake, silly mustache. Even Robin Williams as a Mongolian boat rower—do a double take, it's him—looks cuckoo.

The preview enlists the two teaming up on a humdrum journey to Mongolia to find Oscar host, Billy Crystal, who looks like he's been hanging with the Geico Cavemen.  

We waited for it to go somewhere, anywhere; however, the ad came to a screeching halt at its climax when Crystal simply asked the duo why they didn't just text him, advice ABC should have heeded.

Maybe this is why Eddie Murphy withdrew from hosting the 84th Academy Awards?

At least we're comforted by the thought The Oscars can't get any worse than last year.

Watch the cheese-tastic video below:

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13 Celeb Couples Who Got Engaged Over The Holidays

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Britney Spears Engaged

There must be something in eggnog that has people feeling extra rosy around the holidays.

A whopping 13 celebrity couples decided to make it official this past holiday season; from long time loves Steven Tyler and Erin Brady to Drew Barrymore's engagement to her boyfriend of one-year, which will mark the actress' third trip down the aisle.

And athletes wanted in on the action, too. LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Jay Cutler all put a ring on it during the mistletoe season.

So which other celebrity couples are headed for wedded bliss?

If they last long enough to make it down the aisle, that is...

Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman

Third time's the charm! Drew Barrymore will walk down the aisle (again) with her boyfriend of nearly a year-- art consultant, Will Kopelman.  The couple got engaged in Sun Valley, Idaho, where they were vacationing for ten days over the holidays.

"They are very happy together," a source told People Magazine.

Barrymore was previously married to Tom Green from 1999 to 2001 and briefly to Jeremy Thomas in 1994.



Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves

Matthew McConaughey finally popped the question to longtime Brazilian model girlfriend, Camila Alves, this past Christmas. The star shared the happy news on his WhoSay account, along with a photo of the couple kissing.

"[Alves] is the love of my life. Everything is right." McConaughey told People Magazine.

The couple have two children Levi, 3, and Vida, turning 2 this month.



John Legend & Chrissy Teigen

John Legend is ready to make roots of his own after his latest work with the band on “Wake Up!”

Legend proposed to Chrissy Teigen, his Sports Illustrated model girlfriend (and one of our favorite tweeters!) of more than four years over the holidays while vacationing in the Maldives.

Afterward, the couple booked it to Thailand to spend time with Teigen's family. Teigen revealed via Twitter that she’s going to take Legend’s last name, Stephens.



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You'll Never Guess The Name Of The Anonymous Actress Who Sued IMDB For Revealing Her Age

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The actress who had anonymously sued IMDB.com and its owner, Amazon.com, for posting her age has revealed her name in an amended complaint against the companies.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, identifies the actress as Huong Hoang -- though the complaint notes, "Prior to and throughout her acting career, Plaintiff has only and always presented herself to the public by her American stage name, Junie Hoang. 

Read the full amended complaint here.

Hoang (pictured) is seeking $1 million from the companies for revealing her age in her profile, which she says happened after she signed up for IMDB's pay service, IMDB Pro. In her original complaint, Hoang claimed that her acting prospects had been damaged by the revelation of her age.

Hoang's IMDB profile lists her date of birth as July 16, 1971, and her place of birth as Saigon, Vietnam. Her recent roles include one-episode appearances on "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant," as "Triage Nurse," and "1000 Ways to Die," as "Sharon,"

Late last month, the judge gave Hoang two weeks to file an amended complaint with her name included.

More to come...

This post originally appeared at The Wrap.

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Should Your Ticket To 'Young Adult' Cost The Same As 'Mission Impossible'?

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Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

Ever wonder why your ticket to "Young Adult" costs the same as "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"? There's a reason for that. Maybe even five.

Derek Thompson has some fun with these theories in a recent Atlantic essay. He posits that despite how disparate Hollywood movies can be in terms of quality and production costs, uniform pricing uniformly rules the theatre.

Post-World War II era, uniform pricing took the stage. And thanks to DVDs, piracy and the magic of the World Wide Web, studios and theaters are too gun-shy to pull any moves that would turn off loyal movie-goers (aka the guys who paid to see "Young Adult." Or Charlize.).

With attendance taking a nosedive year after year, according to the box office monitoring site The Numbers, moving prices seems out of the question.

But wouldn't it be nice for theatres to come out and say, "Hey, we're only going to charge you $6 for this low-budget indie, and $12 to see Tom Cruise scale a building in Dubai"? Of course it would, says Thompson, but not so fast. Here are few reasons he thinks that hasn't happened yet:

Lower prices = more sneaking in. You know everyone would pay $6 for "Young Adult" and then sneak into "Mission Impossible" if they could get away with it. And lower prices might mean that they could.

Prices signify quality. Sadly, a $6 movie doesn't sound as Oscar-worthy as a $12 one. Although it probably is. Have you seen "Mission Impossible?"

Cutting prices after opening weekend would lower attendance even more. "If people knew that ticket prices would fall after a big opening, many more would wait until the second or third weekend to see it, which would, ironically, destroy the meaning of opening weekends," writes Thompson. Opening weekends are a cash cow for theatres, and a major predictor of sales.

Check out Thompson's full article on The Atlantic for the rest of his theories.

Tell us: Do you still visit the movie theatre or have high ticket prices scared you off?

DON'T MISS: 15 Smart Things To Do With $100 In 2012 >

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Here's What You Missed At The 'Portlandia' Premiere With The Cast Of 'SNL' (PICS)

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Portlandia Premiere

After drawing 5 million viewers last season and becoming the IFC Channel's most watched series ever, the hipster sketch show "Portlandia" created by "Saturday Night Live" star Fred Armisen and Sleater-Kinney frontwoman, Carrie Brownstein, celebrated the premiere of the show's second season Thursday night.

The screening and subsequent after party at the Museum of Natural History in New York City brought out a slew of the creators' celebrity friends.

Andy Samberg (with his girlfriend on his arm), Jason Sudeikis (sans lady love, Olivia Wilde), Kristen Wiig (without new BF, Fabrizio Moretti), Bill Hader and Kenan Thompson came out to support their "SNL" co-star, while "Portlandia" guest stars Jeff Goldblum and Jack McBrayer (aka Kenneth the Page from "30 Rock") also came to fete the hit show.

The super-quirky show, which is executive produced by "SNL" head honcho Lorne Michaels, boasts season two guest stars such as Amber Tamblyn, Kyle MacLachlan, Penny Marshall, Sean Hayes and Tim Robbins.

Season two also promises lots of "pickling," "catnapping" and Andy Samberg as a lothario mixologist. If you've never seen the show and have no idea what we're talking about, check out a video here.

"I always knew I wanted to do a show based in Portland," Armisen told Business Insider at the premiere.

After watching the first two episodes from the second season, we're pretty sure Armisen and his team captured Portland's finest and made the city, and it's inhabiting characters, relatable to everyone in every town.

Season two of "Portlandia" premieres tonight on the IFC Channel.

Celebs walk the orange carpet before entering the theater



The crowd gathers pre-premiere



"Portlandia" co-creator Fred Armisen poses with show guest star, Andy Samberg... and his girlfriend. Sorry, ladies!



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Here Are The 10 Primetime TV Shows With The Most Product Placement

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wayne's world product placement

When a company pays for its product to be featured in a movie or a television show to increase brand awareness, it’s called product placement.

Click here to see which shows made the list >

This form of advertising has been around almost as long as movies and television shows themselves, and has long been a secondary source of income for networks and content producers.

When factoring in commercial-skipping technology such as DVR and on-demand programming, product placement becomes even more attractive for advertisers.

However, this type of brand marketing is a double-edged sword. While companies can weave their products into shows, they are in danger of alienating consumers with overzealous product-placement campaigns. The effectiveness of product placement is also a key question, and strategies can range from featuring a brand briefly on screen to having it play a key role in the plot.

In the past year, reality TV shows have been the leaders for integrating brands through product placement, with products tied into the themes and storylines of the show. While scripted television has received fewer instances, a recent report released by Nielsen shows that these spots are more memorable for the audience.

Nielsen has compiled the top programs with product placement, and the following is a list, ranked by number of product placement occurrences in 2011, including sponsors and memorable instances of brand integration.

So, which prime time shows had the most product placement in the past year? Click ahead to find out!

Click here to see which shows made the list >

This post originally appeared at CNBC

10. “The Amazing Race”

  • Product placement occurrences: 161
  • Episodes in 2011: 11
  • Network: CBS

“The Amazing Race” pits 11 two-member teams in a race around the world, each competing for a $1 million prize. The contest’s format allows for seamless integration of product placement in all facets of the show, from what car they drive to the challenges the contestants face.


There's no product placement in this clip, unless you count the watermelons.

Travelocity, the primary sponsor, is featured throughout the program. In one of the more standout scenes of product placement, it had the contestants create the company's signature “Roaming Gnome” out of chocolate.

Another challenge had contestants find a mango-papaya tea in a taste test out of hundreds of other teas, in an event sponsored by Snapple. Ford Motor even issued a press release that listed its products to be featured on the show’s 19th season. With many opportunities for product placement, it’s no wonder that “The Amazing Race” features a wide variety of brands...for a price.

Source: CNBC.



9. “America’s Next Top Model”

  • Product placement occurrences: 178
  • Episodes in 2011: 26
  • Network: CW


Hosted by former model Tyra Banks, the CW’s fashion reality show follows model hopefuls as they compete to become “America’s Next Top Model.” The format incorporates product placement into many of the challenges, including scenes where contestants prep for challenges, use specific beauty products, or directly pose for a brand-oriented photo shoots or commercials.

The show is officially sponsored by CoverGirl, which supplies the winner with a $100,000 modeling contract. As a result, many challenges revolve around using and applying CoverGirl makeup. This includes challenges where contestants are rated on everything from the best use of CoverGirl products to the best public relations pitch for the products. In several of the show’s 17 seasons, there is an episode where the contestants are asked to write, produce, and perform in a commercial for CoverGirl.

Source: CNBC.



8. “Friday Night Lights”

  • Product placement occurrences: 201
  • Episodes in 2011: 13
  • Network: NBC


In the only show on the list that doesn’t fall under the “reality” genre, “Friday Night Lights” took advantage of lucrative corporate tie-ins in 2011. The show, set in the fictional football town of Dillon, Texas, has been a critical darling since it has first aired. However, lagging ratings threatened the show with cancellation after its second season.

In an effort to save the show, DirecTV brokered a deal with NBC to subsidize production costs so that its customers could see new episodes before they ran on NBC. The show was an ideal spot to feature merchandise or brands such as Costco, Sam Adams, Under Armor, Gatorade, and Ford because of its main theme of small-town community and love of football.

After the last season, many fans might more readily recognize Applebee’s, since one of the characters Tyra, played by Adrianne Palicki, worked at the restaurant, garnering it numerous mentions on the show.

Source: CNBC.



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Beyoncé Has A Bébé! -- Here Are This Week's Winners And Losers In Hollywood

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Beyonce Baby

Hip hop's reigning couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé produce an heir to the throne. Kathy Griffin gets a baby in the form of a new Bravo network talk show and a slew of celebrities follow B's advice, "If you like it then you better put a ring on it."

Not as lucky in love: a "Real Housewife of Beverly Hills" calls it quits following a fake marriage, while Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon want everyone to know how in love they are.

WINNER: Blue Ivy Carter

A star is born! Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed a baby girl and heir to the throne, Blue Ivy Carter, in New York City on Saturday. Suri Cruise who?



LOSER: Nick Cannon & Mariah Carey

We’re glad Nick Cannon is recovering well after being hospitalized with kidney failure, but can the press-hungry couple stop with the twitpics from the hospital bed? We don't need to see Mariah Carey in her flannels.



WINNER: Kathy Griffin

Bravo announced Saturday that it will premiere "Kathy," a weekly talk show with network favorite, Kathy Griffin.

Bravo stated, “this will be the destination to get Griffin’s thoughts on everything pop culture as she rants on the week’s biggest headlines and tabloid gossip.”



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Justin Bieber Says He's Just Like Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Justin Bieber Floyd Mayweather Jr.

When not stealing the hearts of pre-teen girls and creating a frenzy everywhere he goes Justin Bieber likes comparing himself to soon-to-be jailed pro boxers.

Bieber spoke to V Magazine about his father being a "great fighter" and teaching him how to box growing up (via Off the Bench).

He then made a parallel between all the hate he gets and the negativity surrounding Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

'Now that I'm on top, everyone wants to bring me down. Everyone's trying to tug at me and take my spot,' he said.

'Like Floyd Mayweather, he's the best boxer in the world. Now he is a champion. Every time he goes to a fight now, people are like, 'He's going to lose this time'.

Bieber also calls himself a "pretty good boxer."

So could the teenage sensation someday leave his music career for the ring? He didn't provide those details, but it's fair to say "never say never."

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Olivia Munn Broke Up With NHL Star Brad Richards

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olivia munn brad richards

Olivia Munn broke up with New York Rangers player Brad Richards, a source told Us Weekly.

The couple had a short stint, they just started dating in November, but a source told Us, Munn felt it was necessary to end the relationship:

"She ended it with him. She had to. It's not really complicated. She just realized she liked him as a friend and nothing more," the source told Us.

After the two started dating, Munn was referred to as a Rangers good luck charm. The team went on a 6-0 winning streak after the couple got together.

This could be bad news for the Rangers.

 

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15 Films You Need To See In 2012

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15 films 2012 batman lotrThe year of 2011 was all about Ryan Gosling ("Drive," "The Ides of March," "Crazy, Stupid, Love"), book sequels ("Harry Potter," "Twilight") and some mediocre comic fluff ("Green Lantern," "Thor").

With Gotham’s finest taking to the skies one last time ("The Dark Knight Rises"), the release of a long-awaited Marvel mash-up ("The Avengers"), and a return to Middle-earth ("The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"), 2012 is shaping up to be a revamped version of last year-- but with bigger superheroes and sci-fi action.

We even get to welcome a few oldies back to the mix in the form of agent alien hunters ("Men in Black III") and a few big titles ("The Great Gatsby," "Django Unchained") that will leave Gosling in the backseat as three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio returns to theaters next Christmas.

Strap in and prepare for the ride because here, we, go.

The Hunger Games

Release Date: March 23, 2012

Before we bid adieu to the Twilight series come summer, March may give us a new phenomenon to take its place. Take the problematic utopia of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” combined with Michael Bay’s similar “The Island” and the competitive sport of “The Running Man” and you have the action-thriller “The Hunger Games.”
 
Based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins, the series takes place in a futuristic world where young adults are pitted to fight against one another yearly. We bet Katniss Everdeen’s skills would put Jason Bourne on edge.
 



The Avengers

Release Date: May 4, 2012
 
We can’t discuss superhero films without mentioning the film we’ve been waiting for since the first coming of The Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson’s mini-cameos in Thor and Iron Man over the years finally comes to fruition as the Marvel team assembles to take down Loki and his gang. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark doesn’t look like he’ll play well alongside Captain America and Thor, and we can’t wait.
 
As long as it doesn't become the “New Year's Eve” of hero films, we're cool.
 

 


Men In Black III

Release Date: May 25, 2012
 
There’s something about Will Smith, aliens, and summer blockbusters.  One “Men in Black” sequel was satisfactory—two may be pushing it. However, the dynamic relationship between Smith’s Agent "J" and Tommy Lee Jones’ "K" is enough to warrant another go around.
 
Plot line aside (Agent J travelling back in time to save K from an assassination attempt is some crazy “Back to the Future” nonsense), we’re hoping for a memorable dance sequence or impromptu rap. We even get to see Smith sporting a 'stache.
 



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'The Dark Knight Rises' Tickets Are Already Selling Out... For July!

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The Dark Knight Rises logo

Holy, ticket sales "Batman"! You better plan ahead if you want to see this summer's must-see film – way ahead.

"The Dark Knight Rises" may not hit theaters until July, but tickets for the summer sequel are already sold out. Fans flocked to Fandango to purchase tickets for IMAX midnight showings in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with N.Y.'s Lincoln Square selling out first.

Don't worry Bat fans, tickets are still available (breathe a sigh of relief). Regular non-IMAX screenings don't appear to be on sale  yet. All tickets sold have only been for the July 19 midnight IMAX screenings.

This is the earliest we've seen advance movie tickets go on sale since "Avatar" sold tickets four months prior to its release. With the demand for midnight screening tickets on the rise ("The Hunger Games" will be going on sale a month in advance), we wouldn't be surprised if we see more go on sale sooner. Just to be safe, better sign up for Fandango alerts if you want to know when tickets are available in your area.

"The Dark Knight" (the film's predecessor) brought in over $533 million domestically at the Box Office in 2008. If this is any indication of how the sequel will do, we're predicting a record-breaking opening weekend for director Christopher Nolan.

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This Was The Most Watched Event On Television Since Super Bowl 2011

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tim tebow steelers win tweet

Earlier this week we told you the Broncos-Steelers game drew incredible ratings.

Now, the NFL released the full viewership numbers, and Tebow's incredible comeback brought in 42.4 million viewers (via NBC Sports).

That means more people watched the Broncos-Steelers wild card game than ANYTHING else that has aired on television since the Super Bowl on February 6, 2011.

The Broncos-Steelers game beat out all of the other playoff games from last weekend by a longshot:

  • Bengals-Texans: 21.9 million viewers
  • Falcons-Giants: 27.7 million viewers
  • Lions-Saints: 31.8 million viewers.

Oh the power of Tebow.

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The Daily Mail Is Sent 400 Pictures Of Pippa Middleton Every Single Day

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pippa middleton

An interesting nugget from the Leveson Inquiry into British press standards here.

Paul Silva, picture editor at the British paper for 13 years, told the inquiry today that the sheer number of pictures they receive is staggering.

"She goes to get a coffee or she goes back into her house - we get about 300-400 pictures of that a day," he said.

"There is no need for it, there is no reason to use them, there is no justification for using them," he admitted, and said that the Mail had refused to carry photos of Kate Middleton's sister taken without her permission.

Perhaps that claim is true, though we wonder how exactly Pippa gave her permission in these photos of her getting into a taxi with her boyfriend after a night out, or these ones of her dancing with a "mystery man" before kissing her boyfriend.

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Zooey Deschanel Would Need To Invest Nearly $7 Million To Keep Up Her Spending If She Quit 'New Girl'

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Zooey Deschanel Thumbnail

Sorry Zooey Deschanel, but your spending habits are so not adorkable.

Yesterday The Wire took readers on a whirlwind tour of "The New Girl" star's finances. They look solid on the surface—no debt, a cool $1,578,000 in the bank, $1,645,000 in stocks ... heck, she even donates to charity!—but if her career were to go up in smoke (as many in Hollywood do) she'd need to save a pretty penny to keep her  $600 a month dry cleaning habit. 

Your Money spoke to Libertas wealth management adviser Adam Koos to get the scoop on what the twee actress should do to get her finances in check, based on her divorce filing papers. There's probably a lot the actress isn't disclosing—clothing campaigns, films and her indie pop project, She & Him—so we're going by what her attorney said she spends ($22,500!) and earns from "New Girl" ($95,000) per month.

Plan for disaster 

Even though she's young, Deschanel, 31, shouldn't take her success for granted, said Koos.

"If she read this she'd probably say nothing's going to happen, but Hollywood isn't an easy place to work as you age, and what if disaster struck? She would not be able to sustain the amount of spending she's doing." 

Especially if she were to become disabled or the hit sitcom mysteriously wasn't renewed. On the surface, Deschanel seems set for the next century. But a little number-crunching tells a different story.

Deschanel currently brings in $1,140,000 per year. Let's say she pays 40% in taxes. Her after-tax income would be $684,000 yearly ($1,140,000 x .60), bringing her total net worth, if we added the after-tax income to the $1,578,000 she has in the bank and $1,645,000 in stocks, to a princely sum of nearly $3.8 million dollars.

If Deschanel punched out of Hollywood for good, invested her current yearly income and earned an average return of 4 percent, she'd still be making $153,000 or so per year for the rest of her life. That's not shabby. But wait a second—if you divided that number by 12, you'd find she's only taking in $12,800 about month. But the actress spends way more than that: $22,500 per month and $270,000 annually.

There's no way she could sustain this—unless she invested $6.75 million in the stock market at a 4 percent return. At an aggressive 5 percent return, that number would be slightly better ($5.4 million), but not by much. 

"You can't spend money on what you expect to make," said Koos. "It should be based on the level of lifestyle you'd be able to retain if the worst were to happen. Sure, if Zooey kept making $95,000 a month, she could spend like that forever, but who knows in Hollywood." Or life.

The actress may now be single, but a) don't expect her to be for long and, b) even singles should prepare for the worst. Having an emergency fund is key to any financial picture and rising star or not, there will likely be rocky days ahead for the A-lister.

Rein in the spending

It goes without saying, then, that Deschanel needs to get a grip on her spending.

"Zooey hit the lottery on the acting gig, but I'd tell her, 'Look, you're young, you're successful and you should definitely reward yourself, but these things can change very quickly,'" said Koos. "It would make a lot of sense to rein in some of the exuberant spending on things like dry cleaning ($600) and clothes ($2,000)." 

Sidenote: How does she spend that on dry cleaning if she's consistently replenishing her wardrobe? We digress.

Deschanel could easily adopt a few lifestyle tweaks to change her spending habits. Among them:

She could ditch the $600 dry cleaning tab by washing things herself (or paying someone else to do it) and going longer between cleanings. The latter will help her clothes last as long as those red carpet photos.

Rather than drop $500 a month on eating out, Deschanel could ask her friends to split the tab or try skimping on solo meals out when she's too tired to cook. (See more ways to save on restaurants in 2012.)

Deschanel might try cutting her $800 utilities tab by calling the service providers to negotiate down the price. Her $300 cell plan could also be slashed if she and big sis Emily signed up for a family plan, asked for a group or corporate discount if the plan was for business, or switched to making calls from the web using a device like Magic Jack.

Spending $1,000 monthly on groceries could easily be changed if the singer opted for generic over brand-name goods and switched where she shops (Whole Foods?) to a local food stand or salvage store. The latter might sound off-putting, but a lot of well-off Americans are flocking to these stores to save big on non-perishables like canned goods and crackers.

Finally, the adorkable actress could tear a page out of the Your Money playbook and count to ten before she splurges on impulse items and think long and hard about why that vintage Chanel frock is calling her name when she already has ten in the closet.

Ms. Deschanel, if you're reading this, we love you. Just take these tips as encouragement to plan for the future and keep rocking at your stellar career. 

Don't Miss: The Story Of How I Clawed My Way Out Of Debt And Finally Paid Off My Credit Card >

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