Rock group U2's new single "Invisible" raised more than $3 million for the fight against AIDS during the 36 hours it was available for free on iTunes, it was revealed Tuesday.
It scored more than one million downloads in the hour after it premiered in a Bank of America commercial during Sunday's Super Bowl, then picked up two million more until the free offer ended Monday midnight (0500 GMT Tuesday.)
Full StoryBy Glenn Whipp (LA Times)
Driving to Silver Lake the other day to visit his father, Leonardo DiCaprio passed through the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue, the neighborhood where he spent the first nine years of his life. Back then, DiCaprio says, he'd be in the car, riding to and from school, and see micro-skirted prostitutes on every corner. In the alleyway near his home, he'd occasionally notice people smoking crack and shooting heroin.
Full StoryCop comedy "Ride Along" motored to the top of the North American box office for a third weekend in a row, final figures showed Monday.
The action flick starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube easily outpaced its rivals, earning $12 million in the United States and Canada, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations reported.
Full StoryLegendary film director Woody Allen hit back Sunday at his adopted daughter's allegations of sexual abuse during her youth, calling them "untrue and disgraceful."
In a strongly-worded statement, Allen's New York publicist emphasized the filmmaker had never faced criminal charges over the claims and that experts at an earlier hearing had found there was no evidence of molestation.
Full StoryA judge says Chris Brown should remain in a rehabilitation facility and turned down a prosecutor's motion to have the R&B singer jailed over an arrest in Washington, D.C. last year.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Brandlin says Brown appears to be making progress in a treatment facility and should remain there.
Full StoryWritten by Anthony Sargon
Out of the five Academy Award nominated documentaries this year, “20 Feet From Stardom” is probably the weakest. It’s not that the film is uninteresting or offensive; it just plays it too safe and, to quote a friend, feels more like a VH1 special than an actual theatrical documentary. Still, it’s an honest and enlightening look at the lives of backup singers and the pain they go through when trying to make it on their own, and it’s most certainly worth watching if you’re a fan of music.
Full StoryWritten by Anthony Sargon
First-time director Zachary Heinzerling has crafted something truly special and memorable with “Cutie and the Boxer.” The documentary gives audiences a candid and honest look into the lives of Ushio and Noriko Shinohora, an aging Japanese couple who moved to Brooklyn decades ago to pursue their careers as artists. While Ushio has experienced a decent level of success and notoriety, it hasn’t necessarily led to a big bank account. As the documentary plays on, we learn more and more about this strange and unique couple, their past, and where they might be headed in the future.
Full StoryWritten by Anthony Sargon
“That Awkward Moment” is the kind of movie that really thinks it understands what it’s like to be a guy in your mid-twenties. I mean, all guys are totally afraid of their friends finding out they’re in a relationship because, well, only girls think about relationships, right? Wrong.
Full StoryHarry Potter author J.K. Rowling is having second thoughts about having ended the series with heroine Hermione Granger paired up romantically with Ron Weasley.
The hugely successful author tells Wonderland magazine she chose the red-haired Ron for Hermione for very personal reasons having little to do with literature.
Full StoryLegendary film director Woody Allen hit back Sunday at his adopted daughter's allegations of sexual abuse during her youth, calling them "untrue and disgraceful."
In a strongly-worded statement, Allen's New York publicist emphasized the filmmaker had never faced criminal charges over the claims and that experts at an earlier hearing had found there was no evidence of molestation.
Full Story