News & Politics - Entertainment News #8 ~ Everything Has Beauty, But Not Everyone Sees It - Page 7

**sunnykerr** · 06-01-2014, 12:53 PM

Quote:

James Cameron and Cirque du Soleil announce Avatar show

Director James Cameron has teamed up with Cirque Du Soleil to create a touring arena show based on his 3D blockbuster Avatar.

The show is expected to begin a global tour in late 2015, before the release of three Avatar sequels currently in pre-production.

The award-winning 2009 epic is Hollywood's highest grossing film ever.

Cameron previously worked with Cirque Du Soleil in 2012, executive producing its 3D film Worlds Away.

"Over the years, I have discovered the extraordinary talents and imaginations of both the artists and the creative forces behind Cirque du Soleil," said Cameron.

"I know we share the common goal of bringing audiences to another level of entertainment experiences. I look forward to doing just that on this project."

He and Cirque Du Soleil president and CEO Daniel Lamarre announced their plans at the C2MTL-Commerce and Creativity Conference in Montreal.

Lamarre said he was "thrilled" the circus company was getting to "explore the very inspirational Avatar realm for the live stage".

The live show is going to be a co-production between Cameron and Jon Landau's company Lightstorm Entertainment, Cirque Du Soleil and Twentieth Century Fox which financed and distributed Avatar.

"Avatar remains a phenomenon that continues to inspire people around the globe, and combining it with the live event ingenuity of Cirque de Soleil is a perfect synthesis of imagination and talent," said the film company's chief Jim Gianopulos.

Avatar has made $2.7bn (£1.6bn) worldwide and been awarded three Oscars, two Baftas and two Golden Globes.

The three sequels are expected to hit cinemas between December 2016 and December 2018 and will start filming later this year.

Both Sam Worthington, who playS former marine Jake Sully, and Zoe Saldana, who is Na'vi huntress Neytiri, are returning for the sequels.

It is the first time Cirque Du Soleil has used a film for inspiration, although it has produced hit shows using the music of Michael Jackson and The Beatles.

Can you say Clash of the Titanic Egos?

Pun not intended.

I suppose if Cirque could work with the Beatles, they should find a way to get along with Cameron.

I would be curious to see the result, though.

It could come off looking very Disney on Ice, you know?

baelfire24 · 06-06-2014, 01:29 PM

Justin Bieber scandal

TMZ denies suppressing Justin Bieber videos in return for his co-operation

Justin Bieber apologizes for second racist video: 'I need to take responsibility for those mistakes'

Justin Bieber uses the N-word: Can the pop star ever truly come back from the latest controversy?

**canflam** · 06-06-2014, 02:29 PM

Glad he apologized.

_vega_ · 06-06-2014, 02:50 PM

I guess I'm becoming old because I keep thinking that the teen idols of today are more annoying than the ones in the past.

**sunnykerr** · 06-07-2014, 12:03 PM

If that makes you old, Vega, then I must be positively ancient, because I'm sick of this little brat.

I get that he may be trying to, like, branch out and grow an adult fan base.

But, you know what, his material should speak for itself.

So I hope his 15 minutes are up, to be honest.

baelfire24 · 06-07-2014, 08:38 PM

I hope his 15 minutes are up too. I never cared for him or his music.

Barstool Prophet · 06-08-2014, 08:05 AM

He is so desperately trying to transition into an older audience.

Bec =) · 06-08-2014, 12:26 PM

Doing drugs and screaming N-Blank is not the way to do it. It'll just get him kicked in the butt by the African American population (celebrities and the general public).

I think it's time for Justin Bieber to say goodbye to fame. He has to accept the fact that his time in the spotlight is done. There are celebrities that work or sing in Hollywood or anywhere else for decades, but they do take little 2-5 year breaks in between.

Look at the older celebrities, in their 70s and 80s, some are still in the industry but those are the ones that began in their 30s or 40s or didn't reach true stardom until that time. But those that have retired are now doing other things, finding more quiet and discreet ways to make an impact... mainly in their local community.

There's nothing wrong with that!

I know he's only 19, but he really needs to get his act together if he doesn't want to wind up dead or in rehab by 30. Or 20, even, and that's just nine months away!

**sunnykerr** · 06-09-2014, 07:54 PM

These recent videos are of him when he was even younger, right?

I don't know if that makes them more likely to be stupid youth or, you know, deeply troubling...

And, honestly, I don't really care either way.

Besides, youth isn't really his problem.

There are plenty of successful artists in Hollywood/the music industry who didn't do this sort of crap when they were "child stars" and some of them had even worse parental guidance than he's had.

Mayim Bialik, Justin Timberlake, Jodi Foster, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCapprio, Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Fred Savage, Christina Aguilera, any of the Harry Potter kids...

Macauley Caulkin may be a basket case, for all I know, but you'd never see him pull a stunt like this.

Pick a boy band. Any boy band. Some of those people went off the deep end. I don't know of a one that giggled while singing racist trash.

Britney Spears may not have two grey cells to rub together. She still wouldn't do crap like this.

**canflam** · 06-10-2014, 02:19 PM

What crap do you mean? Drew Barrymore went into rehab for drug & alcohol abuse in her early teens & attempted suicide.

**sunnykerr** · 06-10-2014, 07:08 PM

Well, to be clear, I haven't committed Drew Barrymore's criminal history to memory...

But I don't recall her ever being charged with assault or driving under the influence.

Specifically, though, the "crap" I was referencing was the recent videos using racially unacceptable language.

Again, haven't committed Drew Barrymore's criminal record to mind, but I don't recall her being even accused of crossing that line.

Even when she spent a year in rehab. Even when she was flashing her boobs on national television.

**sunnykerr** · 06-11-2014, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Tracy Morgan: Crash driver pleads not guilty

The lorry driver accused of causing the fatal crash that also injured comedian Tracy Morgan has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say Walmart lorry driver Kevin Roper, 35, had not slept for more than 24 hours before the accident early on Saturday morning.

He swerved to avoid traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, crashing into Mr Morgan's van and killing comedian James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack.

Mr Roper is charged with death by auto and assault.

His bail has been set at $50,000 (£29,779) and he could face more than a decade in prison if convicted.

Investigators are also examining what role Mr Roper's work commute played in the accident.

He lived in Georgia but his job was based in Delaware, US media report.

Wal-Mart has said Mr Roper was in compliance with federal safety regulations at the time.

Mr Morgan, who was nominated for an Emmy for his role in 30 Rock, is in a critical but stable condition after surgery on a broken leg at the weekend.

The 45-year-old also suffered a broken nose and several broken ribs in the accident, in which two other passengers were seriously injured.

One other passenger was treated and released from hospital on Saturday while the driver of the luxury van and another passenger were unhurt.

New Jersey State Police have now released audio recordings of the three emergency calls made after the crash.

One unidentified woman told the operator: "It's a terrible accident. The car flipped. It's on its side. It's two vehicles and a Walmart truck."

Morgan, who also starred in Saturday Night Live, was scheduled to start filming ten episodes of a new half-hour comedy show in August, for cable network FX.

"The only thing we are concerned with is the health and recovery of Tracy Morgan and the victims of this tragic accident," said the network in a statement.

"We will support Tracy and his family in every way possible throughout his recovery. At the point when Tracy has recovered and decides that he is ready to go back to work, his show will be waiting for him."

You know, my dad was a lorry driver for a year after he retired from his job as a high-school teacher.

It's an insane profession.

Federal regulations are a joke and the workers are worked to the bone.

Obviously, the driver in this case isn't less at fault because of the industry he works in.

But, at the same time, I can't see that he's more at fault than Wal-Mart, his supervisors and everyone else in the chain who created this sort of system.

**sunnykerr** · 06-14-2014, 10:26 AM

An update on Morgan's condition:

Quote:

Tracy Morgan showing 'signs of improvement' after crash

Comedian Tracy Morgan is showing signs of improvement, according to his publicist, after being badly injured in a motorway crash on Saturday.

Morgan is in a critical but stable condition after breaking his legs, nose and ribs when a Walmart truck driver crashed into his vehicle.

"Today was a better day," said spokesman Lewis Kay, adding that doctors are "optimistic".

Morgan's friend, fellow comedian James McNair, died in the accident.

Also known as Jimmy Mack, a memorial service was held for McNair on Thursday in his hometown of Peekskill, New York.

Morgan, 45, starred alongside Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in the comedy series 30 Rock and is a former regular on Saturday Night Live.

According to Kay, Morgan's fiancee Megan Wollover is with him as he recovers from an operation on his leg and is relaying everyone's good wishes.

"While Tracy remains in critical, but stable, condition, he continues to show signs of improvement," said Kay.

"His medical team remains optimistic that his recovery is progressing."

Walmart truck driver Kevin Roper has pleaded not guilty to charges of death by auto and assault by auto charges in court.

Prosecutors said he had not slept for more than 24 hours before the crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, when he swerved to avoid traffic that had slowed down, ploughing into Morgan's limo bus.

Walmart has said it believes Roper was in compliance with federal safety regulations but has promised to cooperate with the investigation.

Another two people were seriously injured in the accident after the limo bus flipped over, fellow comedian Ardie Fuqua Jr and Morgan's assistant, Jeffrey Millea.

Kay told reporters he had been informed by Millea's wife that her husband had also "shown much improvement over the past few days".

Gossip website TMZ has so far refused to remove a video featuring footage of the crash site, which shows motorists stopping and pulling a body from the wreckage of Morgan's limousine, believed to be Fuqua.

Actor and comedian Louis CK pleaded with TMZ on Twitter to "take it down", asking fans not to watch the video as it featured his friends who were in intensive care.

Fuqua's daughter also posted a statement appealing to TMZ on social media, calling it "hurtful".

"All I ask is to be kindly left alone so that my father and everyone else can be left in peace," she said.

If nothing else, I hope this situation shows everyone who goes on the TMZ website or who watches footage they provide on so-called "news" shows what kind of beast they are feeding when they do that.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we killed Princess Diana and I don't think we killed or injured Mr Morgan's friends and entourage here either.

But we don't need to encourage this sort of behaviour by validating its existence with our attention.

**sunnykerr** · 06-15-2014, 01:57 PM

Quote:

US radio star Casey Kasem dies at 82

DJ Casey Kasem, best known for hosting US radio show American Top 40, has died at the age of 82, his daughter has said.

Kasem became a household name in the US after launching the nationally-syndicated show in 1970.

He also voiced cartoon character Shaggy in Scooby-Doo.

He had suffered from Lewy body disease, a form of dementia, and had recently been at the centre of a bitter family court battle over his care.

His death comes days after a judge allowed the star's daughter Kerri to withhold food, liquid and medication from her father against the wishes of his wife of 34 years, Jean.

A message posted on Twitter by Kerri Kasem said: "Early this Father's Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends.

"Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken.

"Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad."

Kasem began his career in the 1950s and found fame with the chart programme.

He famously ended his broadcasts with his signature sign-off: "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

After spells hosting countdown shows under other titles, he returned to American Top 40 in the 1990s and retired from the airwaves in 2009.

Around the world, his radio rundown was broadcast in 50 countries and he was known for the spin-off TV show America's Top 10.

In Scooby-Doo, Kasem voiced the scruffy, food-loving but sometimes cowardly Shaggy from the first series in 1969 until 1995, and again from 2002 until 2009.

He had numerous other roles in TV shows, animations and commercials over the years.

The veteran presenter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981 and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2003, he was honoured with the Radio Icon award at The Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas.

'One of the greats'

Among those paying tribute were Ryan Seacrest, who took over from Kasem as host of American Top 40 in 2004.

In a statement, Seacrest recalled how he would listen to Kasem every week "and dream about someday becoming a radio DJ".

"Casey had a distinctive friendly on-air voice, and he was just as affable and nice if you had the privilege to be in his company. He'll be greatly missed by all of us," he said.

Rock star Bryan Adams described him as "one of the greats of American radio".

Last month, Jean Kasem moved her husband from a California nursing home to friends in Washington state, after courts in California awarded Kerri temporary conservatorship over her father's care.

Court documents showed that Kasem's daughters Kerri and Julie had accused Jean of "elder abuse" by isolating their father from his children. Kasem and Jean also had a daughter together called Liberty.

It's sad to feel relief at someone's passing, but in this case that's really all I can muster.

I was never aware of who Mr Kasem was until the squabbles over his care became part of the "news" programmes.

So, for his sake really, I'm glad it's all over.

**canflam** · 06-15-2014, 04:22 PM

I didn't listen to him on the radio also. Recently heard about his health & who is wife is on a local talk radio show. Wish his family well.


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