BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Director Michael Bay’s special effects spectacle “Transformers: Age of Extinction” leads all movies in ignominy with 7 “Razzie Awards” nominations, including ‘Worst Picture’, ‘Worst Screenplay’, and ‘Worst Director’. Action fantasy film “The Legend of Hercules” and faith-based film “Saving Christmas” starring Kirk Cameron trail close behind with 6 nods each for the past year’s worst achievements in film. The 35th “Golden Raspberry Awards” are announced February 21st, the eve of the “Academy Awards”.
– Reuters.com
★ Filmmaker Woody Allen is set to write & direct his first TV show for Amazon, the studio has announced. The half-hour show has already received a full season order and will be available exclusively on ‘Prime Instant Video’. Its air date is still undecided, there are no current cast attachments, and there is no pilot … or even a title. Woody quote: “I don’t know how I got into this. I have no ideas and I’m not sure where to begin. My guess is [Amazon] will regret this.”
– “Hollywood Reporter”
★ 80-year-old producer/director Garry Marshall is returning to “The Odd Couple”, overseeing a TV remake starring Matthew Perry (‘Oscar’) & Thomas Lennon (‘Felix’). The Hollywood vet was first handed the task of adapting Neil Simon’s Broadway play for TV 45 years ago and turned it into a hit 1970-75 series starring Jack Klugman & Tony Randall. Now he’s a consultant on a revival that premieres next month. “The Odd Couple” follows 2 drastically different pals who move in together after their marriages end, one fastidious, the other a complete slob.
– Associated Press
★ And congrats to the “New Girl”! Zooey Deschanel is pregnant. The 34-year-old TV actress and her boyfriend Jacob Pechenik (42) have been dating since the middle of last year and are now expecting their first child. Deschanel, who divorced Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard in 2012, is due in the Summer. Making it all the more fun .. her sister, “Bones” star Emily Deschanel, is also pregnant. She & actor-hubby David Hornsby (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) are expecting their 2nd child.
– People.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Academy Awards – This morning at 5:30 am PST, actor Chris Pine, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and directors Alfonso Cuarón and JJ Abrams announce nominations for the 87th Academy Awards from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills CA.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/k82ledo
• “American Idol” (FOX) – Vocalists in NYC audition; guest judge Adam Lambert.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Mariah Carey (“Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse”); Sharon Van Etten (“Are We There”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Nashville TN singer-songwriter-pianist Kandace Springs.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Best Coast (“Range Of Light”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Sleater-Kinney (“Dig Me Out”).
• “Queen Latifah” (syndicated) – TI (“Paperwork”). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Meghan Trainor (“Title”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Christina Milian (“It’s About Time”).
• “The World Dog Awards” (CW) – A special celebrating dogs for their work in the military, health services, and entertainment.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Darius Rucker – His 4th solo album, “Southern Style”, is coming March 31st. An accompanying tour in support begins May 14th in Holmdel NJ.
• Foo Fighters – Tonight through January 31st they’re touring South America in support of their latest album “Sonic Highways”. The 7-date trek kicks off in Santiago, Chile and also takes in venues in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. In February they head to New Zealand and Australia.
• Grammy Awards – The first round of performers for the 57th annual telecast has been revealed, and it includes AC/DC, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Eric Church, and Madonna. The awards are coming up February 8th.
• Linkin Park – Tonight “The Hunting Party Tour”, featuring special guests Rise Against and Of Mice & Men, begins in Orlando FL. Dates are scheduled through February 14th in Edmonton AB. The trek will hit several cities that haven’t seen Linkin Park in the past several years.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “The Big Short” – Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, and Ryan Gosling are teaming up for this bigscreen adaptation of the Michael Lewis best-seller, “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine”, which outlined the housing and credit bubbles of the 2000s that led to the 2007-08 global financial crisis. Pitt is also producing the film through his Plan B production shingle.
• “Boyhood 2” – Patricia Arquette and the rest of the cast of this landmark new movie are begging director Richard Linklater to make a sequel film that will follow the stars through the rest of their lives. The Golden Globe-winning filmmaker spent 12 years making his acclaimed movie. It’s a favorite to win ‘Best Film’ at the upcoming Academy Awards.
• “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus” – Spike Lee’s latest movie, a vampire love story, wouldn’t exist without crowdfunding on the web and now he’s going online to distribute the film as well, making it available to rent or buy a full month ahead of its theatrical release. Vimeo is streaming the movie in Canada, Puerto Rico, and the USA. It costs $9.99 to rent, $14.99 to buy.
• “Kingsman: The Secret Service” – 20th Century Fox is partnering with online car service Uber to give fans exclusive access to Matthew Vaughn’s new spy movie that stars Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Samuel L Jackson. Starting today, Uber riders in 50 cities have the opportunity to win 2 passes to advance screenings of the movie, one month before it hits theaters.
• “Strangers” – There’s a “Gone Girl” reunion brewing, with director David Fincher, screenwriter Gillian Flynn, and actor Ben Affleck teaming up for a remake of the 1951 Hitchcock classic “Strangers On a Train”. Fincher’s more modern take on the story would see Affleck play a character similar to Farley Granger’s tennis star who meets a charming psychopath.

REEL-TO-REEL, REALLY:
London-based director, producer, and visual artist Trevor Jackson is set to release a new work that explores variations on the LP format. “F O R M A T” will be released as 12 tracks in 12 different formats: 7-, 10-, and 12-inch vinyl; reel-to-reel, 8-track, cassette, and DAT tape, CD, mini-CD, and mini-disc; plus VHS and USB … making it something of a physical time-line of the history of the music album. The question is, does anyone still have an 8-track player lying around, or a burning desire to listen to something on reel-to-reel? “F O R M A T” arrives next month with an album listening party at The Vinyl Factory in Soho, where the limited edition tracks will first be available for purchase. (What, no gramophone cylinder?)
– TheVerge.com

MORE WAYS TO AVOID THAT FOOD SATAN, GLUTEN:
Starting January 26th, about 2,400 Pizza Hut locations will start selling a gluten-free pizza. That will make it the first major pizza chain to offer a certified gluten-free product that includes all toppings as well as the crust. The new pizza will be a 10-inch, 6-slice pie that sells for $9.99. Employees who make the Gluten-Free Pizza have been instructed to wear gloves and use a designated gluten-free pizza cutter (no Hazmat suit?). That’s not the only good news for gluten-free folks: Next month, MillerCoors will start selling ‘Coors Peak Copper Lager’, a certified ‘naturally gluten-free’ version of Coors beer. For starters, the new product will only be available in Seattle WA and Portland OR. (Lots of products that never had gluten to start with are now jumping on the G-F bandwagon. What’s the dumbest you’ve seen?)
– USAToday.com

TOP RECORDINGS:
NYC newspaper “The Village Voice” has been polling music critics on their favorites of the year since 1971, making it the world’s oldest year-end pop music poll. The latest edition is out this week. According to the critics surveyed, these are the best recordings of the past year …
ALBUMS:
1. D’Angelo · “Black Messiah”
2. Run the Jewels · “Run the Jewels 2”
3. War on Drugs · “Lost In the Dream”
4. St. Vincent · “St Vincent”
5. FKA Twigs · “Lp1”
SONGS:
1. Future Islands · “Seasons (Waiting on You)”
2. FKA Twigs · “Two Weeks”
3. Taylor Swift · “Blank Space”
4. Taylor Swift · “Shake It Off”
5. Kendrick Lamar · “I”
– VillageVoice.com

NO TIME FOR WATCHES:
Wearable health trackers do little to change behavior, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. It’s found that more than half of users eventually give up on their trackers, and two-thirds of them do so within the first 6 months. Why? The researchers say the devices can be too bothersome and costly, and may not be all that accurate. There’s a tremendous gap between recording data and changing behavior, they say. Another problem is that wearables appeal to those who need them least … young, high-earning and comparatively fit professionals who describe themselves as early adopters of technology. (What we need is a ‘Fat Watch’, which sends an electric shock up your arm every time you take a bite.)
– RelaxNews.com

COLOR MY WORLD:
Berkeley CA-based EnChroma has created color-blindness correcting eyeglasses, which allow those who are color-blind to see hues they may have never before experienced. The latest version of the sunglasses, meant for outdoor use in daylight, is made from polycarbonate, a material that’s both kid-friendly and usable in sports. About 10% of people experience some degree of color-blindness. The special eyewear is said to help 80% of those with the condition. Its use in aiding color-blindness is actually a fluke … the product was originally intended as laser safety eyewear for surgeons. The eyeglasses range in cost from $325-to-$450. (Would you pay that much green to see red?)
– “Wall Street Journal”

ROLL ME OVER:
When dogs roll over on their backs and expose their bellies, it’s a sign of submission, right? Apparently not. New research suggests that’s an incorrect interpretation of canine body language. A joint study by Canada’s University of Lethbridge and the University of South Africa shows that a rollover may be more of a combat manoeuver than act of submission. In-depth examination of dog activity suggests that most rollovers are defensive tactics to avoid neck bites or other offensive moves. In fact, researchers could not find a single instance of ‘turning to supine’ that could be attributed to submission. (Fascinating. But what we want to know is … how come when you scratch a specific spot on your dog’s belly, one of its legs twitches?)
– HuffingtonPost.com

BS AMAZING HEALTH FACTS:
• Eating fish lower on the food chain, like herring, is healthier than eating predators like shark.
– NYTimes.com
• There are 10 times more bacteria in your body than actual body cells.
– List25.com
• After exercise, milk can rehydrate your body more efficiently than specialized sports drinks.
– TIME.com

BS CHRONOMETER 01.15.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1968 [47] Chad Lowe, Dayton OH, TV actor (‘Byron Montgomery’ on “Pretty Little Liars” since 2010, “Life Goes On” 1991-93)/movie actor (“Unfaithful”)/brother of actor Rob Lowe

1979 [36] Drew Brees, Austin TX, NFL quarterback (New Orleans Saints, ex-San Diego Chargers)

1981 [34] Pitbull (Armando Pérez), Miami FL, rapper (f/Ke$ha-“Timber”, “I Know You Want Me [Calle Ocho]”)

1988 [27] Skrillex (Sonny Moore), LA CA, electronic dance music DJ-producer (“Bangarang”, “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Fresh Squeezed Juice Day”. So what’s your preference … Orange? Grapefruit? Tomato? Red Man Chaw?

• “Hat Day”, a day to dispel the boredom of mid-Winter by wearing the goofiest hat you can find. Always hilarious on radio.

• “Humanitarian Day”, encouraging people to work together enthusiastically to disrupt the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, and neglect.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [10] Spearheaded by actor George Clooney, celebrities from music, TV, and movies band together for “Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope”, a 2-hour telethon to benefit victims of the 2004 tsunami that devastated regions in SouthEast Aisa and Eastern Africa

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2001 [14] ‘Wikipedia’, the free content encyclopedia, goes online

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1967 [48] 1st ‘Super Bowl’ (although it isn’t called that until 2 years later) as 61,946 fans pay 10 bucks a ticket to watch legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers beat the KC Chiefs 35-10 in Los Angeles (MVP is Packer QB Bart Starr)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1983 [32] Tom Syles of Van Nuys, California sets a world record by keeping a single Life Saver candy intact in his mouth for 7 hours, 10 minutes

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Blackhat”; “Paddington”; “Spare Parts”; “The Wedding Ringer” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Appreciate a Dragon Day
[Fri] International Fetish Day
[Sat] Chili Days
[Sun] Thesaurus Day
[Mon] Martin Luther King Day (USA)
This Week Is … Universal Letter Writing Week
This Month Is … Clean Up Your Computer Month

BULL’S BITS

BRUTALLY HONEST 30TH BIRTHDAY CARDS:
Send one of these to anyone you know who’s approaching the big 3-0. We’re sure they’ll thank you for it …
• “Being single at 30 isn’t as bad as it used to be.”
• “OK, so you’re the same age as Mark Zuckerberg and he’s worth $33 billion. But is he happy?”
• “There is nothing you can do at 25 that you can’t do at 30 … except perhaps getting out of a chair without making a noise.”
• “Have a great 30th birthday. Sorry we couldn’t make it. We couldn’t get a babysitter. Love, literally all your friends.”
• “You’re 30. From now on if you get pregnant people will assume you did it on purpose.”
• “There’s nothing wrong with turning 30. Unless you’re single, hate your job, and haven’t even begun to think about saving money.”
• “Bad news: You’re 30. Good news: The clothes you wore as a teen are now considered ‘vintage’.”
• “Happy ‘your younger colleagues will no longer understand any cultural references you make’ day.”
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I had an accident when I was a kid. I fell into an upholstery machine … but now I’m fully recovered.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ After this week’s gala, Tina Fey &  Amy Poehler have confirmed they’re done. So who should host next year’s Golden Globe Awards?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: New research shows that couples do THIS more in January than any other month.
Answer: Argue.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
False hope is better than no hope at all.