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New Moon Gets Blind Sided, Recovers
It looks like New Moon has broken $200 million at the domestic box office. No thanks at all to Sandra Bullock.
Bullock's The Blind Side was the upset winner in the Thanksgiving Day standings, per estimates as reported by Box Office Mojo, edging New Moon with $9.5 million to the latter's $9.2 million.
On Black Friday, New Moon rose from the dead, well, second place, and reclaimed the top spot with a fat $17.9 million, enough to put the Twilight sequel over the $200 million mark, and ahead of The Blind Side ($16.2 million).
For those keeping score at home, New Moon surpassed $200 million—and Twilight's entire domestic theatrical run—in only eight days.
Week in Review: Adam Lambert's Out There and Lovin' Every Minute of It!
Robert Pattinson who? The man of the hour this week, for better or for worse, was Adam Lambert, whose undiscriminating use of both male and female private parts while he screamed "For Your Entertainment" at the AMAs got people talking. Not to mention clucking, finger-wagging and grandstanding.
But such is what happens in a relatively slow week when most people are rushing back to the market for that one essential Thanksgiving item they forgot.
Turkeys are on aisle 1, ma'am. Your week in review is after the jump.
Obama Gunning for White House-Crashing Real Housewives Wannabes
Look out, Balloon Brood, you've got a couple other reality-TV-aspiring jokers ready to give you a run for your money felony count.
The Virginia couple that managed to crash a state dinner at the White House this week and get up close and personal with President Barack Obama is the subject of a federal investigation, officials announced Friday.
At the behest of the president himself, investigators for the Secret Service are seeking evidence to potentially file charges against Michaele and Tareq Salahi—a couple attempting to land a spot on Bravo's upcoming Real Housewives of D.C.
The Salahis on Tuesday snuck into the president's first state dinner, honoring the prime minister of India Tuesday, then posted pictures of themselves hobnobbing with dignitaries, including the veep, on her Facebook page.
The duo even managed to meet the first family on a receiving line, bypassing the Secret Services with nary an invitation or red flag.
And now Bravo, on the verge of launching the latest installment in its popular reality fanchise, is scrambling to distance itself from any shenanigans, insisting to E! News that the Salahis participation has "not been finalized."
Tiger Woods OK After Driving Range Driveway Mishap
Tiger Woods has no problem driving when it comes to a golf course. Navigating his street...that's another story.
The 33-year-old master of the links is fine after a solo car accident outside his Windermere, Fla., home Friday morning.
The accident occurred as Woods pulled out of his driveway, struck a fire hydrant and then smashed his Cadillac SUV into a tree, according to an incident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
In a fitting bit of ingenuity, the Nike-endorsed star's wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash out the back window to get him out, according to ABC affiliate WFTV.
This Isn't It for Michael Jackson, Others Not So Lucky
It's never too early to be out of the hunt.
We've known since forever, for instance, that Michael Jackson's This Is It wouldn't make Oscar's short list for documentary features, because the concert movie simply wasn't released by the Aug. 31 cutoff date.
But This Is It did have viable options: Sony could wait for next year and then submit the film as a doc, or the studio could push for it this year in the non-doc categories. (Forget about Original Song, though—the film didn't have any. Original songs, that is.)
Sony went the latter route. And while even director Kenny Ortega has called Oscar nominations "wishful thinking," it's not crazy thinking to imagine the critically praised hit getting serious consideration. (On the Los Angeles Times' site, one Oscar voter even predicted a Best Picture nod.)
Here's a quick look at other films and stars who aren't as lucky as This Is It—their best shot for Oscar-night glory has already been shot down:
The Real Reason Oprah Quit Oprah: Sarah Palin!
Something feels wrong in our bones.
At first we thought the vague, nagging feeling was caused by that thing that we lifted that we shouldn't have lifted. Then we realized, no, it's Oprah Winfrey. She's the problem.
She's holding out on us. Has to be. What savvy businesswoman would up and quit a money-making operation?
Unless...
Unless the savvy businesswoman stumbled onto a potentially bigger money-making operation. With a potentially bigger star than her own Oprah self.
Would we dare suggest Oprah's departure from Oprah has nothing to do with literary metaphors (closing a chapter, writing a new story, blah blah blah), and everything to do with none other than Sarah Palin? Oh, yes, we would.
Beyoncé Is Yours on Thanksgiving
Too tired to move after inhaling your Thanksgiving dinner? Just watch Beyoncé burn some calories instead.
We wouldn't exactly call it different—or even "a little different"—but the diva's Turkey Day concert special, Beyonce: I Am…Yours promises to be a whole lot of fun.
While the one-hour ABC event mainly consists of footage from Beyoncé's ongoing "I Am" Tour, in particular her show at the Wynn Las Vegas, fans will also be privy to some behind-the-scenes action, including rehearsals, the artist otherwise known as Sasha Fierce kidding around with her crew backstage, and home video of the 28-year-old hitmaker preening for the camera when she was merely destiny's child.
So it's funny that the night's second act features a fellow who was riling all the single ladies into a frenzy long before Beyoncé ever sang into a hairbrush microphone...
Exclusive
Justin Bieber: Blame Twitter for His Broken Foot
Justin Bieber can thank Twitter for his broken foot.
See, if it wasn't for the social networking phenomenon, the li'l guy may never have met Taylor Swift and therefore may never have gotten the chance to open for her at England's Wembley Arena.
We'll let the Biebster explain...
Dancing Finale: Did Donny Really Beat Marie?
Should Donny meet Marie at Thanksgiving tomorrow, the Osmond brother best go easy on the Osmond sister with the Dancing With the Stars trash talk.
See, while Donny owns Marie when it comes to DWTS wins (one versus zip), Marie owns Donny—big-time—when it comes to DWTS ratings.
Last night's Donny-crowning finale fell more than 5 million viewers shy of the nearly 25 million who tuned in the fall 2007 closer, featuring Marie, preliminary Nielsen estimates showed.
But before Marie breaks into a flag-drawing touchdown dance, it should be said that against 2009 competition, Donny's show did just great, averaging a season-high 19.2 million.
Oh, and also, he won the mirror ball, and Marie didn't.
Uh-Oh, John Mayer's Ego May Explode
John Mayer may be the serial dater Twitter king artist you love to hate, but you also apparently love to buy.
As if his ego needed another boost, Mayer's Battle Studies has debuted atop the Billboard album chart, selling a solid 286,000 copies—none of which, we're guessing, were purchased by people named Jennifer, Minka or Jessica.
"Battle Studies is officially the number 1 album in the US!" a surprisingly humble Mayer tweeted. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! What a way to spend Thanksgiving."
And most of the days after it. For the Mayer-weary, now may be a good time to turn off your televisions, as he has only just begun the fight to saturate your screens.
Carrie Ann Inaba Trades Judges' Chair for Hospital Bed
Spending all season craning your neck over the judges' table is good for catching illegal lifts, but not so good on your already arthritic neck.
As Dancing With the Stars' prettiest judge (sorry, Bruno) practices the former and suffers from the latter, Carrie Ann Inaba will be undergoing the first of what may be several surgeries this morning in order to relieve the pressure caused by her spinal stenosis.
"I have arthritis," she told People. "The space around my spinal cord has become compressed. I have been locked. My neck was so stiff. We're hoping this procedure will relieve that.
"I'll be fine and if this surgery goes well, I may have another one in the future."
The curse spares no one, people.
And just like her show's dancers, who know from speedy recoveries, Inaba plans to be back on her feet in no time. Along with fellow cofounders Katie Holmes, Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman, she plans to be in attendance at the Dizzy Feet Foundation's Celebration of Dance fundraiser this Sunday in Los Angeles.
________
You don't have to be working on the dance floor to get injured. Just like you don't have to be a hot young thing to take home the Mirrorball Trophy, right Donny Osmond?
Dancing With the Stars: A New Winner Raises the Disco Ball
Wait, Kathy Ireland was on this show? What the heck is Tom DeLay doing here?!
Oh right, the Dancing With the Stars finale is when a whole season's worth of contestants come out of the woodwork and remind the viewers just how right they were in casting these folks aside long ago.
With that behind them, Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne and Mya gathered tonight for one last spin around the floor and awaited to hear who would be bringing the illustrious disco-ball trophy home for good.
Kelly danced the Viennese waltz more gracefully than ever; Mya brought new sharpness and confidence to her and Dmitry Chaplin's nerd-meets-seductress jive; and Donny performed his Argentine-tango ass off, somehow managing to look intense but not hammy.
But, as Len Goodman said earlier, "There can be only one."


