“Obama, by Versace”
By Kimberly Chou, written on Jun. 28, 2008
Barack and Michelle can stretch that Kennedy comparison just a bit further now. Mrs. O rcently prompted White House/Black Market chains to sell out of a black/white summer dress after she wore it on The View (and mentioned the$148 shift’s maker). And Donatella Versace dedicated her spring/summer collection to the presidential candidate, though she did have some suggestions: “I would get rid of the tie and jazz up the shirt.”
Thanks to the UK’s Indepedent for the story. Think Hillary Clinton or John McCain would have had the design houses as excited? Peep this reminder of pantsuits and sweater vests, here.
But what about Prisoner of Azkaban?
By Kimberly Chou, written on Jun. 23, 2008
To celebrate its 1000th issue, Entertainment Weekly has published top-100 lists of “new classics,” including rankings of its favorite dead-tree medium, which book critics haven’t been taking to too kindly. Some good and some obvious stuff here (like no. 80 Bright Lights, Big City, though I’d rather see McInerney’s Story of My Life — sample line: “The first year I was in New York, all I did was guys and blow. Story of my life.”), and some questionable (no. 67 The Kite Runner — more heavy-handed foreshadowing, please!).
Thoughts? The list and the link to the direct source, below the jump.
“Sex and the City” draws controversy and admiration
By Sasha, written on Jun. 1, 2008
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In case you haven’t heard, the most important/hyped movie of the past decade few months was released last Friday at the stroke of midnight. Four years after the series came to a satisfying close, the “Sex and the City” franchise has been revived for another two and a half hours of consumerism, narcissism, marriage-hunting and, yes, plenty of gratuitous sex. Now in their 40’s, the four New York City gals are back and – as expected – the film has been hit with a gauntlet of criticism, being decried as everything from racist, anti-feminist, consumer-driven and just plain unrealistic. The latter of these claims is unnecessary to point out now, considering that the entire series has balanced upon the premise that its main neurotic – Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) – was somehow able to afford Manolos, couture, nightly Cosmopolitans and a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment on a sex columnist’s salary. Obviously some facts were stretched there and it’s irrelevant to point this out over ten years after the series’ inaugural episode.
“Grand Theft Auto IV” may herald a new age of entertainment
By vanwagoner, written on May. 11, 2008
Most video games are known only by hardcore gamers and relatively few others. Other games, like “Halo” or “Guitar Hero,” are universal fixtures to anyone under 30. But GTA IV? GTA IV, in one week, has become not only widely known, but also a game that it is necessary to know.
In the past week, “Grand Theft Auto IV” has broken every sales and distribution record in the entertainment industry. Where “Halo 3” made ‘only’ 170 million clams on its first day, GTA IV managed a mammoth 310 million before sunset. The first week was a similar story, with GTA raking in almost 500 million dollars. Follow the link to check out some comparative benchmarks.
“Rock of Love 2″ Finale Tonight
By Mark Schultz, written on Apr. 13, 2008
During this pre-finals week, when lengthy papers and test reviews erode my sanity and cause me to question the world I live in, all I have to do is remember Bret Michaels is just one episode away from finding true love. Yes, after years of emotionless sex with everyone from Pam Anderson to that groupie who looked like Pam Anderson, Michaels is finally ready to settle down with either Daisy De La Hoya or Ambre Lake. The finale airs at 9 tonight, after which it will doubtlessly be aired over forty times in the next two days.
This is one of those shows where you don’t root for someone to win — you root for someone to lose based on who you think will have the most insane, irrational reaction to defeat. Therefore, I hope Ambre wins, inviting Daisy De La Hoya (relative of Oscar) to unleash an uppercut to Ambre’s face.
If this doesn’t excite our student readership, nothing will
By Matt Roney, written on Apr. 10, 2008
According to Comedy Central Insider, an album of new Mitch Hedberg material is set to be released soon, three years after his untimely death at the age of 37.
Awesome.
You may remember Hedberg from his Comedy Central special (attended by a number of people who didn’t know who he was), or from the scene in “Almost Famous” in which he smoked fake pot with Peter Frampton (the part when Russel sells Penny Lane to Humble Pie for $50 and a case of beer). Hedberg is remembered mostly for his idiosyncratic, one-liner approach to comedy and his distinctive delivery.
To tide you over, here are some links to his Wikiquote entry, and there’s a video after the jump. Enjoy.
Best. Game. Ever.
By Brandon Conradis, written on Apr. 8, 2008
Kudos to whoever invented a game that made crayons fun again.
Here’s the deal: The game (called “Magic Pen”) is a copy of the game “Crayon Physics,” an ingenius concept where you used a pen to draw shapes that enabled you to move a ball from one point on the screen to another. But with this flash new version, all you need is your mouse. Really, it’s awesome. So click here to play the latest “most addictive game ever.”
If you need further proof, take a gander at this video.
Michael Cera sightings to increase significantly
By Punit Mattoo, written on Apr. 8, 2008
Today’s Free Press had a story about the tax incentives the state’s drawn up to attract filmmakers to Michigan. One of the movies taht has already decided to take advantage of the financial benefits is the Weinstein-produced “Youth In Revolt.” Filming of the movie starring Michael Cera will take place in May and June in Ann Arbor and Detroit and should provide a little bit of interest for the kids stuck her with summer courses.
Top Five Post-strike Premieres
By Mark Schultz, written on Apr. 6, 2008
In case you weren’t reminded by last week’s episode of “South Park,” there was a writers strike, and it caused a great temporary harm to scripted television. Fortunately, some of TV’s most popular and critically-acclaimed shows return in the next five days, a week I’ll call: “Why do I have to have three papers due during this week of excellent ‘post-strike’ premieres?”
In no particular order, here are this week’s top five post-strike premieres:
Universal, Warner and Sony BMG on MySpace’s Top 8
By Matt Roney, written on Apr. 3, 2008
Looking to further dominate the music world, social networking giant (and host to thousands of mediocre bands) MySpace has signed deals with three of the four major record labels (Warner Bros., Sony BMG and Universal, whose site is almost as obnoxious as MySpace’s) to start a new service along the lines of iTunes called “MySpace Music.” Beyond pay downloads, MySpace plans to offer add-supported streaming, concert tickets, and merchendise. Apparently, this is in response to Facebook’s iLike app, which connects users with iTunes.
Personally, this seems a little bit unnecessary. MySpace is already a major part of the current music industry — a profile on the network is indispensable for any new group, and some have even managed to build a lot of hype entirely based on MySpace streaming (Black Kids, for example). They’ve got a label, they sponsor shows, and they get exclusive content from important artists. So what, honestly, does the site have to gain by becoming the musical Wal-Mart of the Internet? I predict that MySpace will spend a lot of money on a service that no one will use.