BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Britain’s Prince William & Prince Harry have reportedly filmed cameos as ‘Stormtroopers’ for the next “Star Wars” movie. Last week the royal siblings met the cast and crew of “Star Wars: Episode VIII” during a visit to the set at Pinewood Studios near London. And, according to reports, the princes filmed a secret scene for the upcoming movie. William and Harry are reportedly dressed in full ‘Stormtrooper’ uniforms in the scene, which sees them in an elevator with Benicio del Toro’s character. A spokesperson for the princes would neither confirm nor deny the royal roles. The movie opens in December 2017.
– “Mail on Sunday”
★ Tupac Shakur fans had to do a double take on the Vegas Strip recently as his tragic death at age 25 was recreated for a new biopic. “All Eyez on Me” stars Demetrius Shipp Jr as Tupac and Dominic L Santana as producer Suge Knight. Local reporters actually rushed to the scene during filming, mistaking the blanks for real gunshots. It’s been almost 20 years since Tupac’s death (September 13, 1996) and conspiracy theories that he’s alive and in hiding are stronger than ever. The movie’s slated for release in November.
– TMZ.com
★ Rocker Scott Weiland’s ex-wife wants the late singer’s estate to continue ponying up spousal and child support to the tune of nearly $20,000 a month. According to legal documents, Mary Forsberg wants to dip into the estate for about $12,500 a month in spousal support, plus $7,200 in monthly child support for their 2 teenagers. That’s what Scott’s been paying since 2004. Although Forsberg is the administrator of Weiland’s estate, she needs court permission to get the dough. The former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver rocker died from accidental overdose in December at age 48.
– ContactMusic.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Fifth Harmony (“7/27”, out May 20th).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – James Bay (“Chaos & The Calm”).
• “Live With Kelly & [Michael]” (syndicated/CTV) – Kelly Ripa returns from a brief hiatus to get over Michael’s exodus from the show; musical guest Jackie Evancho (“Awakening”).
• “Marilyn Denis Show” (CTV/CTV2) – Canadian country artist Meghan Patrick (“Grace & Grit”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Rock veteran Graham Nash (“This Path Tonight”).
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV2) – Viewer votes determine which 9 performers remain in competition.
• Webby Awards – Winners are announced for the 20th annual salute to the Internet’s biggest stars, coming May 16th in NYC. Nominees include James Corden, Michelle Obama, One Direction, and Rihanna. Judges include Jimmy Kimmel, Questlove of The Roots, and Internet inventor Vint Cerf.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• George Strait – He began his “Strait to Vegas” residency in Las Vegas NV over the weekend with a sold-out show at the new T-Mobile Arena.
• Kelly Clarkson – She’s just shared photos on Twitter of newborn son Remington Alexander. The 33-year-old welcomed her 2nd child with husband Brandon Blackstock on April 12th. They also have a 22-month-old daughter and 2 children from Brandon’s previous marriage.
• Kenny Chesney – He kicked off his “Spread the Love Tour” on Saturday with the first-ever concert in the 75-year history of Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn AL.
• Prince – Word has it his Paisley Park estate is going to be turned into a museum. The plans were underway before his death, according to his former partner Sheila E. A small, private memorial service for the late rocker was held at the Minnesota estate on Saturday.
• Sturgill Simpson – His country/Americana album “Sailor’s Guide to Earth” is #3 on today’s new ‘Billboard 200’ album chart. Following Prince’s death, his albums “The Very Best of Prince” and “Purple Rain” soundtrack have leapt to #1 and #2 respectively.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Coming out on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “Jane Got a Gun” ( R-Rated Western ): In this long-in-the-making period drama, a brave woman (played by Natalie Portman) asks her ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from the ultra-violent ‘Bishop Boys’ gang that’s out to kill him. Co-stars Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro.
• “Krampus” ( PG-13 Horror Comedy ): A boy who’s had a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a Christmas demon to his family home. Stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman. Could it be that “Trick ‘r Treat” director Michael Dougherty has another cult hit on his hands?
• “Ride Along 2” ( PG-13 Action Comedy ): In this sequel to the 2014 film, ‘Ben’ (Kevin Hart) heads to Miami FL with his future brother-in-law (Ice Cube) to bring down a drug dealer who’s supplying the dealers of Atlanta GA. All this as his wedding day is rapidly approaching. Co-stars Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt.
• Also being released: “The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official 1st Season” (Vintage TV); “Hot in Cleveland Complete Series” 2010-15 (TV); “The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew & Associates” (Documentary Compilation); and “19-2, Season 1” (TV).

WAYS TO TEXT:
You’ve no doubt heard of ‘sexting’, taking naked pics and sending them via text. But have you heard of …
• Brexting … Breaking up with someone via text message.
• Chexting … Cheating on one’s spouse or partner through text messages.
• Confexting … Confessing something via text message.
• Drexting … Sending text messages while drunk.
• Fexting … Pretending to send a text message to avoid talking to someone or just to look busy.
– “Boston Globe”

BRANDING YOUR KID:
There are so many things expectant parents need to buy. Now there’s something else for the shopping list … a baby-naming consultant. But be forewarned, it’s not cheap. A Swiss branding company, for instance, charges more than $29,000 to choose the perfect moniker for a soon-to-arrive bundle of joy. The agency claims to spend about 100 hours coming up with the perfect name, which includes checking to ensure that a name has not been trademarked, and consulting historians to determine whether a potential name has an ‘aggravating past’. But why spend so much money on a moniker? You don’t want to name a child with an unattractive name and have them go through life suffering the consequences. (Right, Atlas?)
– Bloomberg News

REAL BUT REALLY WEIRD FACIAL TREATMENTS:
✗ Beer Facial – Mixing some lager with honey, avocado, and vinegar can apparently boost cell regeneration and heal dry skin. But is it worth wasting a perfectly good Corona?
✗ Bird Poop Facial – Nightingale droppings were an infamous luxury treatment of Japanese geishas. Some salons offer a similar facial today, but the droppings are sanitized with UV rays.
✗ Fire Facial – Popular in China, this involves an esthetician putting an alcohol-soaked towel on your face, lighting it afire, then pulling it off before you suffer horrific burns.
✗ Kitty Litter Face Mask – Turns out that the stuff your cat uses to cover up his business can actually be toxic, so this is one crazy treatment you definitely shouldn’t try on your own.
✗ Sheep Placenta Facial – A serum made from ovine afterbirth gets smeared on your face to help reverse the signs of aging. Victoria Beckham is allegedly a big fan.
✗ Stem Cell Facial – Lauded as better-than-Botox, this pricy procedure (circa $20,000) is supposed to make you look like a teen again after stem cells are injected into your face.
✗ Vampire Facelift – An esthetician draws your blood, then injects it back into your face to spark production of collagen and elastin. Kim Kardashian infamously tried it out.
– Cosmopolitan.com

GO FOR THE POOR BOY:
A few reasons a guy with less cash is a better catch …
• He’s More Likely to Be Faithful: Not only does research show that lower-income guys are less likely to stray, but scientists have also found that wealthy men are hypocrites about cheating.
• He’ll Charm Your Friends: Low- and middle-income men are more polite than wealthy guys when they meet new people, reports the journal “Psychological Science”.
• He’ll Champion Your Ambitions: Research published in the “Journal of Applied Psychology” says that successful men can be more sexist. Conversely, poorer men are often more supportive of their partners’ careers.
• Sex Will Sizzle: A guy with lighter pockets will try to wow you in bed, says Bethany Marshall’s book “Deal Breakers”. A man will use all of his resources to win a woman’s heart so she won’t leave. If he can’t afford fancy dates, he’ll often aim to excel in the sack.
– “Women’s Health”

BS AMAZING BRAIN FACTS:
• Half your brain stays alert when you sleep in new surroundings.
– NPR.org
• Eating beef was thought to stir up courage in Shakespeare’s time. But it was also thought to make people stupid.
– BBC News
People’s brains shrink during ultra marathons.
– “New Scientist”

BS CHRONOMETER 04.26.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [58] Giancarlo Esposito, Copenhagen, Denmark, movie actor (“The Jungle Book”, “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials”)/TV actor (“Revolution” 2012–2014, ”Breaking Bad” 2009-11)

1963 [53] Jet Li, Beijing, China, movie actor (“The Expendables” movies, “Cradle 2 The Grave”)

1964 [52] Jimmy Stafford, Morris IL, pop guitarist (Train-“Hey, Soul Sister”, “Drops of Jupiter”)

1965 [51] Kevin James, Stony Brook NY, movie actor (“Grown Ups”, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”)/TV sitcom actor (“The King of Queens” 1998-2007)

1971 [45] Jay DeMarcus, Columbus OH, country musician (Rascal Flatts-“I Like the Sound of That”, “Banjo”)

1976 [40] Jose Pasillas, Calabasas CA, alt-rock drummer (Incubus-“Love Hurts”, “Anna Molly”)

1980 [36] Channing Tatum, Cullman AL, movie actor (“Magic Mike” movies, “Jump Street” films)

1980 [36] Jordana Brewster, Panama City, Panama, movie actress (“Fast & Furious” films)/TV actress (“Secrets & Lies” since 2015)

1984 [32] Emily Wickersham, Mamaroneck NY (‘NCIS Special Agent Eleanor Bishop’ on “NCIS” since 2013)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Audubon Day”, saluting John James Audubon, born on this day in 1785. He is most known for his wonderful bird portraits. What is often forgotten is that he painted them using stuffed models, captured in the wild.

• “Alien Day”, a movie celebration akin to “Back To the Future Day” or the “Star Wars” holiday “May the 4th”. The date is connected to the planet known as ‘LV-426’ (as in 4/26/16), which is key to “Alien” lore. As part of today’s festivities, select theaters are showing a double feature of “Alien” (1979) and “Aliens” (1986). Also Reebok Alien Stompers, the shoes worn by Sigourney Weaver’s character ‘Ellen Ripley’, are coming back to planet Earth. And there’s also an online trivia challenge in which movie fans can win prizes every 42.6 minutes on Twitter.

• “Hug an Australian Day”, to show our appreciation for all the friendliness and support Aussies have given us over the years.

• “Kids & Pets Day”, an annual celebration since 2005 of the magical connection between children and animals.

• “Pretzel Day”, honoring the world’s oldest snack food. They were made as early as 610 AD by monks in France & Italy using dough scraps formed to represent a child’s arms folded in prayer.

• “World Intellectual Property Day”, established by WIPO in 2000 to celebrate content creators, and to raise awareness of how patents, copyright, and trademarks impact our daily lives.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [05] TV news anchor Katie Couric announces she will no longer host the “CBS Evening News” (her tenure has been a ratings struggle since 2006)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2013 [03] Country music icon George Jones (“He Stopped Loving Her Today”) dies at age 81

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1921 [95] 1st ‘Weather Reports’ on radio (WEW, St Louis, Missouri)

1941 [75] Chicago Cubs use 1st organ in a baseball park (duh duh duh duh da duh … charge!)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1986 [30] ‘Worst Nuclear Power Plant Accident in History’ as an explosion and fire at Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant releases radioactive contamination into the atmosphere (only ‘level 7’ event recorded until the 2011 Fukushima I nuclear incident in Japan)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Administrative Professionals Day
[Thurs] Hot Docs International Documentary Festival begins (Toronto ON)
[Thurs] Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day (USA)
[Fri] Beale Street Music Festival begins (Memphis TN)
[Fri] “Keanu”; “Mother’s Day”; “Ratchet & Clank” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Hairball Awareness Day
This Week Is … Safe Kids Week
This Month Is … Landscape Architecture Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOUR FASHION SENSE IS SLIGHTLY BEHIND-THE-TIMES:
• In your suit’s secret vest compartment you find $20 … in gold doubloons.
• Your 27-inch platform shoes have a dead goldfish in them.
• Marilyn Manson asks you to be a spokesmodel for his new retro-seasonal haberdashery line.
• The front of your shirt has big sequin letters spelling out the phrase ‘Roller Disco Rules’.
• A number of people have remarked that your pink ascot is too heavily starched.
• Your best suit came with 2 pair of pantaloons.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ High school graduates should take a year off before entering college. Yes or no?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• The average person will purchase 7 of which in a lifetime?
a. Cars.
b. Washing machines. [CORRECT]
c. Engagement rings.

• Your breakfast cereal is stale. Which should you do?
a. Eat it with Gatorade instead of milk.
b. Zap it in the microwave for 15 minutes on low.
c. Spread it on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 350 F. [CORRECT]
– “Woman’s Day”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When in doubt, don’t bother.

BS TERRIBLY TOUGH TRIVIA:
Name any 3 North American pro sports teams whose nicknames do not end in ‘S’.
[Red Sox, White Sox, Heat, Jazz, Thunder, Magic, Wild, Avalance, Lighthing.]

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Over half of brides won’t book a wedding venue these days unless it has THIS.
Answer: Good wifi.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.