August 14, 2014

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Thursday, August 14, 2014        Edition: #5284


Can You Believe This Sheet?

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The movie doesn’t officially open until Friday but a pirated DVD-quality copy of “The Expendables 3” had already been downloaded more than 2.2 million times by August 1st, according to court filings. Citing lost box office sales that are ‘impossible to calculate’, a California judge has issued an order to stop the operators of several websites from offering pirated copies of the film. The distributor, Lions Gate, had sued 6 websites that did not respond to requests to remove the film from their content. Apparently all the pirated copies originated from a single, high-quality digital file that had been stolen.
– Reuters.com
★ Actor Ed Harris is reuniting with his “Human Stain” co-star Anthony Hopkins to play the villain in the upcoming TV series “Westworld”. Harris has been cast as ‘The Man in Black’, a character described by producers as the ‘distillation of pure villainy into one man’. “X-Men” actor James Marsden and “True Blood” actress Evan Rachel Wood have also joined the cast of the highly-anticipated show, which is inspired by director Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi thriller of the same name. The original film starred Yul Bryner, who portrayed a creepy robot cowboy simply known as ‘Gunslinger’ in a hi-tech Wild West amusement park.
– TheWrap.com
★ Film music novices Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros), Arcade Fire, and Pharrell Williams are among the first-time nominees competing at the 14th ‘World Soundtrack Awards’ on October 25th, the culmination of “Film Fest Ghent”. The first-time nominees are being honored for the films “All is Lost”, “Her”, and “Despicable Me 2” respectively. They’ll be joined by WSA perennials Alexandre Desplat (“Grand Budapest Hotel”), Hans Zimmer (“12 Years a Slave”), and by the writing team behind “Frozen” at the annual event in Ghent, Belgium.
– Variety.com
★ 26-year-old “Girls” star Zosia Mamet has opened up about her battles with an eating disorder in “Glamour” magazine’s September issue. The actress tells her story in grueling detail, drawing yet more attention to the mental health discussion going on in media this week.  Under her father’s guidance, Mamet sought treatment for her illness but relapsed soon after her rehab stint. Currently maintaining a healthy weight and mental state, she considers herself ‘an addict in recovery’. Mamet urges readers to be open and honest about their struggles as a first step.
– ContactMusic.com
★ And former “Dexter” star Michael C Hall is set to return to the small-screen in a miniseries written by acclaimed late filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Nearly a year after wrapping his role as the serial killer in an 8-season run, the Emmy-winner will star in the drama “God Fearing Man”. The series centers on the true story of Canadian minister Herbert Emerson Wilson who moonlighted for years as one of the most successful bank robbers in America during the early 20th century. The story is one of two unfinished projects by Kubrick, who died in 1999.
– “Hollywood Reporter”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – TI (“Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head”). Rerun.
• “Chelsea Lately” (E!) – Fergie (Black Eyed Peas).
• “Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Wu-Tang Clan (“Wu-Tang Forever”). Rerun.
• “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight” (CBC) – Celtic musician Loreena McKennitt (“The Journey So Far”).
• “INXS: Never Tear Us Apart” (Showtime) – A documentary detailing how the classic rock band’s unique sound and work ethic helped rocket them to international success.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Kiesza (“Hideaway”). Rerun.
• “Last Comic Standing” (NBC) – The judges perform; the remaining 3 comics perform; the winner is revealed.
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV2) – Boy George (Culture Club); Taylor Swift (TBA album, coming October 13th).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Rodrigo y Gabriela (“9 Dead Alive”). Rerun.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Magic! (“Don’t Kill the Magic”).
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo) – Demi Lovato (“Demi”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Dolly Parton (“Blue Smoke”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Daft Punk – A collection of remixes of tunes from their 2005 album “Human After All” has finally been released in North America via iTunes. Previously, the 2006 remix album had only been available in Japan.
• Justin Bieber – He’s reportedly reached a plea bargain in his Miami FL DUI case from 7 months ago. The deal is said to include a fine, the viewing of videos of real-life DUI cases with tragic endings, private anger management classes, and a $50,000 donation to charity.
• Katy Perry – Her tour rider demands: Fresh fruit & veg prepared exactly to her liking; other organic food; Pinot Grigio wine; plus pink, white, and purple flowers backstage (not carnations). Also staff must not speak to her before a show, especially to ask for photos or autographs.
• Linkin Park – The upcoming movie “Mall”, starring Vincent D’Onofrio & Gina Gershon, will mark the feature film directorial debut of Joe Hahn. The movie receives a North American theatrical release beginning October 17th.
• Queen – Producer William Orbit, who worked with Madonna on “Ray Of Light” and “MDNA”, is producing a new Queen album that features previously unheard vocals by late frontman Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May has confirmed that “Queen Forever” is due by year-end.
• She & Him – Zooey Deschanel & M Ward are putting together an album of cover songs to be titled “Classics”. Their 5th studio album will be comprised of 13 covers, with a 20-piece orchestra featured on all tracks. The project is due for release this Autumn.
• Spandau Ballet – The 1980s pop act fronted by Tony Hadley is preparing to hit the road on a world tour in support of their as-yet-untitled new album which they are currently recording, their first in 25 years.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Aquaman” – Warner Bros plans for an ‘Aquaman’ movie are taking shape, with a pair of screenwriters hired to work on 2 completely separate scripts. One – or perhaps both of the scripts, providing they can be fused together – will form the basis of the eagerly-awaited flick inspired by the DC Comics character.
• “Ben-Hur” – 33-year-old actor Tom Hiddleston (“Thor” films) is reportedly the top choice of director Timur Bekmambetov to play ‘Judah Ben-Hur’ in the upcoming bigscreen adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 classic novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale Of the Christ”. The 1959 version of “Ben-Hur”, which starred Charlton Heston, held the record for most Oscars (11) for several decades.
• “The Brittany Murphy Story” – Lifetime Channel is airing a 2-hour bio-film about the late actress next month. Amanda Fuller (“Last Man Standing”) will play the “8 Mile” actress, who died in 2009 from pneumonia and other causes at age 32. Strangely, her husband Simon Monjack died of the same illness just 5 months later. The made-for-TV film airs September 6th.
• “The Light Between the Oceans” – Michael Fassbender & Rachel Weisz star in this adaptation of a 1920s-set book by ML Stedman. The story centers on a young lighthouse keeper and his wife who decide to keep an orphaned child who is washed up on shore. But doing so has devastating consequences. The pic will shoot from the end of next month in New Zealand.
• “13” – “Easy A” screenwriter Bert V Royal is adapting composer Jason Robert Brown’s stage musical for the bigscreen. It’s the story of a 13-year-old boy who moves from NYC to a small town in Indiana, detailing his struggle to win acceptance among his peers. The production ran on Broadway for 4 months in 2009. It co-starred singer/actress Ariana Grande.

OPEN UP!
A friend’s yawn is more catching than a stranger’s. Why? Scientists from universities in Pisa, Parma, and Rome have found that the ‘catching yawn’ is caused by a need to understand the feelings of others. The study suggests that contagious yawns are a sign of deep empathy, an emotional bridge that enhances social bonding. The biologists believe contagious yawns are caused by an involuntary re-enactment of the facial expression seen in others. They think ‘mirror neurons’ in the brain fire when certain expressions are seen in other people, prompting us to instinctively copy them. The new research suggests that this ‘mirror system’ is strongest between people who are emotionally attached, enhanced by shared memories. (Whatever, cover your mouth, pal. We don’t wanna see your spit-strings.)
– @MailOnline

SURPRISING SUMMER USES FOR ONIONS:
✓ Repel Insects – Rubbing an onion on your skin or clothes is a nontoxic alternative to bug spray.
✓ Soothe Bites & Stings – Try rubbing raw onion onto an itchy bug bite or painful bee sting to calm the area down.
✓ Remove Splinters – Place a piece of tape over a small piece of raw onion and lay it atop a splinter for about an hour and the splinter should be loosened and easier to pull out.
✓ Clean the Grill – After scrubbing the grill with a wire brush to remove gunk, turn on the heat and use a half onion speared on a long fork to clean off the cooking grate.
✓ Ward Off Ants –  If ants are constantly invading your kitchen, leave a bowl of raw onion slices out. The scent will keep them at bay.
✓ Preserve Avocados – Place slices of red onion and avocado in an airtight container or, top guacamole with slices of red onion. The onion will prevent the avocado from turning brown.
✓ Absorb New Paint Smell – Cut up slices of raw onion and place them in a bowl of water. Leave the bowl in the newly painted room overnight to absorb the strong scent of paint fumes.
– Condensed from iVillage.ca

MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKS:
Snapchat is now more popular than Twitter, its popularity having more than doubled since last November to leapfrog Twitter and become the 3rd-most-used social media app among Millennials (18-24s). Snapchat’s popularity is also growing among 25-to-34s, and in the over 35 age group, albeit more slowly than among younger folk. The top social networks for Millennials, according to the latest comScore rankings …
8. Tumblr … 6%
7. Vine … 11%
5. Pinterest / Google+ … 18%
4. Twitter … 24%
3. Snapchat … 33%
2. Instagram … 43%
1. Facebook … 76%
Last year, Snapchat turned down a $3-billion acquisition bid from Facebook. (Smart move!)
– MediaBistro.com

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• A blood test to predict Alzheimer’s disease might be available within 2 years.
– AARP.org
• According to a new study, NYC is the unhappiest city in America. Pittsburgh, Louisville, Milwaukee, and Detroit follow. The city that smiles most? Richmond VA.
– National Bureau of Economic Research
• In 1982, Guinness came close to re-launching it’s famous Irish brand as an English beer brewed in west London.
– “The Economist”

BS CHRONOMETER 08.14.14


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [69] Steve Martin, Waco TX, movie actor (“Pink Panther”, “Cheaper By the Dozen”)/banjo player (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell-“Love Has Come For You”, Steve Martin &  The Steep Canyon Rangers-“Rare Bird Alert”)/2-time Academy Awards emcee

1966 [48] Halle Berry, Cleveland OH, TV actress (‘Molly Woods’ on “Extant” 2014, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”)/movie actress (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”, “Monster’s Ball”)/wed to Olivier Martinez (2013)/ex-Mrs  Eric Benét/ex-Mrs David Justice/ex-partner of Gabriel Aubry

1983 [31] Mila Kunis, Chernivtsi, Ukraine, movie actress (“Ted”, “Black Swan”)/voice actress (“Robot Chicken”, “Family Guy”)/TV actress (“That ’70s Show” 1998-2006)/fiancée of actor Ashton Kutcher

1987 [27] Tim Tebow, Makati City, Philippines, TV football analyst (ESPN)/former NFL QB-RB-WR (New England Patriots, NY Jets, Denver Broncos)/Heisman Trophy winner (2007)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Creamsicle Day”, celebrating those ooey gooey, orange- or raspberry-flavored Popsicles with ice cream inside, an invention of Swedish-born entrepreneur Alexander Frehse in 1923.

• “Financial Awareness Day”, a day to add up all your assets and all your debts in order to get a clear picture of where you stand … just before declaring bankruptcy.

• “International Nagging Day”. If you have issues with someone, this is a good day to get them out of your system … over and over and over.

• “Summer Romance Day”, celebrating the (sometimes brief) relationships formed during vacations in the lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer.

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2010 [04] 1st-ever “Youth Olympic Games” (14 to 18-year-olds), held in Singapore

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1985 [29] Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights to the vast majority of the Beatles’ catalogue for $47 million, outbidding Paul McCartney (now estimated to be worth over $1 billion, they’re controlled by Sony, one of cash-strapped Jackson’s primary creditors)

1999 [15] Tickets for the Backstreet Boys North American tour sell out in just 1 day, generating $30 million

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [11] A massive power failure in eastern Canada and northeast USA leaves some 50 million people without electricity for up to 2 days

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “The Expendables 3”; “The Giver” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Best Friends Day
[Fri] Men’s Grooming Day
[Sat] International Homeless Animals Day
[Sat] World Honey Bee Day
[Sun] Thrift Shop Day
This Week Is … Smile Week
This Month Is … What Will Be Your Legacy Month

BULL’S BITS


WAYS TO GIVE YOUR KIDS A 1970s EXPERIENCE:
✓ Make them play outside. Like all day. Hot? Drink from the hose. Run through the sprinklers.
✓ Let them watch TV. Plenty of it. But only the TV Land retro channel.
✓ Send them to the movies for an entire day, where they can sneak from theater-to-theater.
✓ Let them spend 3 nights in-a-row at a best friend’s house. Don’t call to check in every hour.
✓ Have them make stuff from whatever you can find. Ropes are fun.
✓ Have them put on a talent show. No theme, no requirements, no directions, no anything.
✓ Get them to build a fort in the backyard. Do not assist in any way.
✓ Help them learn to find the amazing in the ordinary. They will need this skill in life.
– Adapted from ScaryMommy.com

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Which is the most common day for a backyard BBQ?
a. Friday.
b. Saturday.
c. Sunday. [CORRECT. 23% of the total.]
– NPD Group

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Which invention do you wish had never been invented?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I have a stepladder. It’s a very nice stepladder, but it’s sad that I never knew my real ladder.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to the latest research, people who do THIS at least once a month have less stress in their lives.
Answer: Go to the movies.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.

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