News

Much like New Jersey, Garrison Stroopsdorf has a drone problem Collider's exclusive first look at tonight's episode of Going Dutch. The fifth episode of Going Dutch, "Nazi Hunters," will air tonight on Fox at 9:30 p.m. Et, and will stream on Hulu starting tomorrow. In our exclusive sneak peek, Colonel Jack Quinn (Denis Leary) is examining a drone that came down around the base. Paranoia quickly gets the better of him, as he wonders if the boy piloting the drone could be a spy. His subordinate (and daughter) Captain Maggie Quinn (Taylor Misiak) insists that the boy is harmless, and concludes that the colonel has an intrinsic need for an enemy, dating back to her childhood, when he believed her babysitter was poisoning her mind with "propaganda" like Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree.

Censors are played for comic relief in Saturday Night, the new movie detailing SNL’s early days. Hey, how was she supposed to know what “golden shower” meant?

But while the show’s writers snuck a lot of questionable content past the gatekeepers, they weren’t always successful. Here are five sketches that were rehearsed but never aired — mostly because good taste prevailed…

[subtitle]1Jesus of Nashville [/subtitle]

When NBC produced a 1970s mini-series called Jesus of Nazareth, SNL writers came up with their version: Jesus of Nashville. In the SNL script compilation book Saturday Night Live, a scribble indicates it was written by J.D. and J.B. — James Downey and… John Belushi?

The book version of the script features a Censored stamp with a large red cross “crossing out” the offending words. If the fake promo had run, Dan Aykroyd would have played the eponymous savior, singing this ditty:

I got...

Some beloved children's books from the '80s and '90s may no longer align with current standards of acceptability. Themes in classic novels like "The Indian in the Cupboard" and "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" may be seen as problematic today. While still beloved, books like "Where the Wild Things Are" and "The Giving Tree" now face criticism for outdated themes and portrayals.

The 1980s and 1990s were a great time to be a kid, but some of the most popular children's books during these decades haven't aged so well. Over the years, ideas about what is or is not acceptable changed. In days past, readers might not have batted an eye at certain concepts and themes in a kid's story. Today, these same books may inspire cries of outrage or, at the very least, a raised eyebrow. It doesn't necessarily mean that the children's books of the 80s and 90s are bad.

On Friday, October 20, 2023, at 10:01 Pm, A&e will air Season 1, Episode 4 of “Murder in the 21st” titled “The Brutal Truth.”

In this episode, a horrifying incident unfolds as two employees of a high-end shop become victims of a brutal attack. Tragically, one of the women loses her life, while the other survives but is deeply scarred by the traumatic experience. Detectives are tasked with unraveling the shocking events and finding answers to this terrible crime.

The episode promises a gripping and intense story as investigators piece together the evidence to understand the harrowing incident. Bizarre clues lead them on a journey to discover a shocking truth behind the crime.

“Murder in the 21st” is a series that delves into real-life murder cases, offering viewers a look at the investigations and the pursuit of justice. This episode is an opportunity to witness the work of detectives as they uncover the brutal truth.

“Pivoting” is a Fox comedy TV series that follows three middle-aged lady friends after they lose the fourth member of their group, Coleen, to an untimely death. Rocked by Coleen’s passing, the remaining friends dive into their own midlife crises, “Pivoting” in major ways to find true happiness and live their best lives.

Set in the modern era in Long Island, N.Y., the show shamelessly and boldly portrays potentially ill-advised life choices, ranging from odd career changes to marital affairs, while balancing itself out with the characters’ attempts to be better mothers and better friends.

The show was created by Liz Astrof, making for a fun, female-empowering sitcom viewers have loved and raved about. With episode titles like “My Friend Died!” “The Giving Tree,” “Hell on Wheels,” “D Day,” “The Three Bleepin’ Bleeps,” “Bounce Baby,” “Doompa-Dee Doo,” “Fans Only,” and “Coleen in a Box,” it’s apparent why fans would find comic,...

Before there can be a new beginning, first there has to be an end. Many goodbyes were said to what was considered home for many, and it all made way for a hopeful future in a new planet with promise.

The second half of the finale slowed down the rush that everyone was on, and at the same time proved why much like the heroes of the show, in some regards it was too late to return to some things that were very important in the end.

It presented a completely new story, with an official conclusion to Earth as it was. But yet the question still remains, was the endless cycle that everyone is on intentional or are storylines on The 100 unable to find a way to break the cycle?

"Damocles – Part Two" written by Jason Rothenberg, was an episode that in many ways was exactly what Season 5 needed.

Despite a cast letter asking for James Gunn to be reinstated as the director of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Walt Disney Studios is currently not planning on rehiring the filmmaker who it recently fired after a series of offensive tweets surfaced, according to multiple people familiar with the studio’s current thinking. The feeling within both Disney and Marvel is that the dozens of so-called jokes that Gunn made about pedophilia and rape are unacceptable in the #MeToo era and are not in line with Disney’s family-friendly image.

The studio recognized that “Guardians” cast members such as Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana stopped short of threatening to quit the series, but there is widespread belief that the actors will show up for future installments, regardless of their personal feelings about Gunn. For one thing, most are under contract and would face legal action if they opted out of a sequel.

Savannah Guthrie knows birthdays are the perfect opportunity for family photos!

The Today anchor celebrated her husband’s Michael Feldman’s birthday with their two children —son Charles “Charley” Max, 10 months, and daughter Vale, 3 — and shared the fun on Instagram. Guthrie, 45, held Charley while Vale sat on her father’s lap as they gathered around a birthday treat with candles.

“Happy Birthday to the best hubby and daddy @feldmike,” she captioned the photo. “We love you even more than chocolate cake.”

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the People Babies newsletter.

Savannah Guthrie is already encouraging her kids to think outside the box.

Posing with son Charles “Charley” Max, 10 months Sunday, and daughter Vale, 3, for the cover of Parents magazine’s November issue, the Today show co-anchor and author of Princesses Wear Pants talked about the importance of supporting her children’s creativity.

One method the newly minted children’s book author uses? Introducing imagined characters into her daughter’s life, like the Big Red Heart Balloon.

“Vale will be looking out the window and say, ‘Mommy, look! It’s the Big Red Heart Balloon!’ ” says Guthrie, 45. “She

has a vivid imagination,...

Writer-director Darren Aronofsky has said that the screenplay for mother! poured out of him, penning it in just a few days, faster than his usual pace.

But despite its free-flowing creation, the script still has some concrete inspirations.  

"There were a lot of influences. The Giving Tree was a big influence, actually. The film is kind of a horror version of The Giving Tree," he told The Hollywood Reporter at mother!'s U.S. premiere in New York earlier this week. "There was Luis Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel, where he basically took a slice of society and made...

If you’ve heard anything at all about “Soldado,” it’s probably that Emily Blunt won’t be appearing in the “Sicario” sequel. Taylor Sheridan, who wrote both films, has offered TheWrap Magazine a reason why in a new interview: “That was my decision, and at some point I’m going to have to talk to her about it,” he explains. “Her arc was complete…I couldn’t figure out a way to write a character that would do her talent justice.”

Read More: ‘Sicario’ Sequel ‘Soldado’: Emily Blunt Out in Story That Focuses On Benicio Del Toro & Josh Brolin’s Characters

Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro completed the main trio of “Sicario,” which was directed by Denis Villeneuve, and both actors will be appearing in “Soldado” as well. (Villeneuve, like Blunt, won’t be involved — Stefano Sollima is helming the sequel.) “Look what she went through. It was a difficult role,...

The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise gave us one of the greatest cinematic slashers of all time. Its score is on par with the music and sound design in Halloween and the Friday the 13th series. But while Jason Vorhees was memorialized in Alice Cooper's "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" from Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and The Ramones famously sang about Pet Cemetery, no horror icon has been better immortalized in popular song and music video than the Springwood Slasher, Freddy Krueger.&#160

Here we present 7 of the best Freddy Krueger themed music videos to brighten your Halloween in hues of red and green. That screeching sound you hear? It's either Freddy dragging his finger knives across some metal in his spooky boiler room, or it's some neighborhood alley cats reacting to the high notes in "Dream Warriors."&#160

In chronological order: One, Two, here's some video clips for you.

The presidential election has unsurprisingly dominated the first few episodes of “Saturday Night Live’s” most recent season, but in recent weeks the show has also reserved time for film festivals, post-screening Q&As and now prestige comedies. This latest skit, which begins with a voiceover artist from CBS explaining that streaming shows in the vein of “Transparent” and “Orange Is the New Black” win all the awards now, introduces us to a new competitor: “Broken.”

Read More: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Review: Tom Hanks Gives America The Pep Talk It Needs In Halloween-ish Episode

Tom Hanks (who hosted last night’s episode), Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong star as a family of adjunct professors who all get diagnosed with depression on the same day. Lines like “I’m tired of being tired” and “I want to rip off my skin and throw it in the trash” are juxtaposed with cheerful narration explaining that,...

Last Week’S Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda Amazes, Astonishes in Trump-Heavy Episode

The long, national nightmare that is the 2016 election is a few weeks from wrapping up. This means that “Saturday Night Live” only has so much time left to tackle the dynamic between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and depraved businessman Donald Trump, and they’re not leaning away from it.

This week, an invigorated “SNL” took on “the second and worst ever” Presidential debate, passed out puppies to the audience, and introduced Emily Blunt as a legitimate comedic talent. Weekend Update even got in some jabs at Billy Bush and NBC! So what else worked, and what didn’t? Let’s dive in.

Best Sketch of The Night: “Melanianade”

If you try to parody Beyoncé, you have to do it as well as Queen Bey would, and — fortunately — “SNL” knows that. “Melanianade” was the show’s Trump-skewering version of Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,...

“Planet Earth” was a certified cultural phenomenon when it premiered in 2006, bringing the majestic wonders of nature into living rooms worldwide. Alongside enormous ratings, it was notable for being the most expensive nature documentary of all time, as well as the first to ever be filmed in high-definition. Now the BBC has dropped an extended trailer for the sequel, the appropriately named “Planet Earth II,” which looks just as lush and expansive as the original.

The six episode series boasts marquee names behind the scenes, as David Attenborough is returning to narrate, and Hans Zimmer is one of the composers working on the score. Furthermore, executive producer Mike Gunton has assured viewers that the visuals will far exceed the first season.

Read More: ‘Planet Earth II’ Trailer: The Eye-Popping Doc Returns For A Second Cycle

“Ten years after ‘Planet Earth’ first brought the wonders of the natural world to viewers in HD,...

Zack Snyder already knows what it’s like to turn an iconic graphic novel into a slightly less iconic film, but what if he were to adapt actual pieces of classic literature? Well they’d be a whole lot angrier, have a percussion-heavy score, and feature a lot more slow-motion punching. At least that’s what filmmaker Patrick Willems presupposes in this new parody video in which The Catcher In The Rye, Sense And Sensibility, and The Giving Tree all get the Snyder treatment.

Weirdly, the Catcher In The Rye section almost works, if only because Snyder’s “gritty” filmmaking style does seem like a manifestation of a 16-year-old boy’s angst. Meanwhile, the Sense And Sensibility portion offers the fantastic image of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood prepping for battle in a dramatic crossfit montage. And The Giving Tree is basically reimagined as Boy Vs. Tree: Dawn Of Giving. Unfortunately...

Once Upon a Time may have temporarily taken one Savior away, but that doesn't mean another one wouldn't eventually sprout up in its place. (Saviors: they're just like daisies!) "The Price" served as a great reminder of just how complex the line between good and evil truly is. It also teased where Merlin (Elliot Knight) is and what the Dark Swan intends to do now that they're all back in Storybrooke. Let's dig in! The Giving Tree Money may not grow on trees, but in Camelot, Merlins apparently [...]...

Talent is currently being sought for “The Giving Tree.” “The Giving Tree” is a short film based on the popular children’s book of the same name about a shy young boy who finds friendship in a tree. Six roles are being cast for this production, including the lead role of Malcolm who’s 7. Submissions are being sought from the Los Angeles area, and this is a paid gig. For more details, check out the casting notice for “The Giving Tree” here, and be sure to check out the rest of our Los Angeles audition listings!

Once there was a tree… and he loved a little raccoon.

I just so happen to have a copy of The Giving Tree within reaching distance of my laptop. I also have the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy saved on my desktop. Those two facts probably clue you in to how much I love this mashup illustration from by Isaac Goodart. The piece is titled “The Giving Groot,” and it puts a nice Marvel twist on Shel Silvertstein’s classic children’s book. (via: Neatorama)...

The best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. There will be a quiz later. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “Alain Resnais: 60 years of sensational cerebral filmmaking” — Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian walks down memory lane side-by-side with video assistance to cover a titan of creativity, individuality and storytelling. “On Oscars and the personal gravity of art” — Kristopher Tapley at HitFix clears away the fog of award season (an entire season!) to push a level-headed criticism of the circus. Just a reminder that, as Billy Murray’s Meatballs character chants: It Just Doesn’t Matter. Like what you like. Don’t worry about what gets a statue. “Oscars 1974: It was a very good year” — Susan King at The La Times profiles a fun, profound ceremony — a great read after that safe, dull, dead-horse-beating show they produced last night. “The Last, Disposable Action Hero” — Alex French at The New York Times checks...

Why Watch? To celebrate The ABCs of Death 2‘s search for the second 26th director, we’re posting 13 contest entries for 13 days. All of which start with M is for. Today’s is Mother Nature from Mugworth. Turning the tables with some animation (and full-frontal nudity), this short puts a revenge fantasy on display that’s morbid in its simplicity (especially if you value your stick). Clever and quick with notes of Bill Plympton, it’s either a far more delightful version of The Happening or a terrifying sequel to “The Giving Tree.” What Will It Cost? Around 1 minute Vote for M is for Mother Nature here. A New Short Film Every Weekday...

I take reality television so seriously that — no lie — my husband’s wedding vows included a promise to love, honor and share (or at least put up with) my obsession for the genre. But when it comes to So You Think You Can Dance — which, in my mind, is the artsy-cool Solange to American Idol‘s megastar sister Beyoncé — I’m always overcome by the hokey notion that whether or not my favorites prevail, the art of dance always comes out a winner.

I know, I know…that sentiment probably made you cringe harder than the sight of Paula Abdul’s “blooming onion” hairstyle.

I can’t get no satisfaction — not when it comes to American Idol‘s Season 12 theme nights, anyway.

I know, I know: A couple weeks back I put together a gallery of potential alternatives to the usual “Songs That Inspire” and “Songs From the Year You Were Born” — and I’d actually included “’80s Rock” and “No Ballads Allowed” among my 22 suggestions. So you think that Fox’s official announcement of “Classic Rock, No Ballads” for Top 7 night would’ve been cause for nothing but a joyful Headbangers Ball up in Casa Slezak.

Alas, the problem this week wasn’t...

The Giving Tree Band released their latest album Vacilador on Oct. 2. A extremely personal album, Vacilador gives just a small glimpse into the lives of the band. Combinging heavy spanish influences and their own folk sound, the band managed to combine two different genres into a new and refreshing sounding album. We recently talked with founding member Todd Fink and found out the meaning behind the mysterious title, the bands recording process and what inspires him to write music....

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans. Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below. Thu. Oct. 25 • 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', B'way • 'Memphis', Tour • NJ, 'Beehive' • 'The Giving Tree' Documentary Fri. Oct. 26 • 'Le Cid' • NJ, 'A Christmas Carol' Sat. Oct. 27 • NJ, 'Beehive' • 'Truth' • Waalk Dreams Club Sun. Oct. 28 • Click here to search for auditions. Mon. Oct. 29 Equity Agent Access Auditions (Musical) 2012 • 'Footloose', Wi • 'The Mountaintop', MD • 'Slumber Party', Ct Tue. Oct. 30 • Bari Studio, Dance/Fitness Trainers • 'Footloose', Wi • 'Death for Five Voices' • 'Mardi Gras' and 'The Last Word' • 'Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man' • Suny Purchase, 'Tour De Force' • Suny Purchase, Untitled Colonial Drama • 'The Mountaintop',...

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans. Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below. Thu. Oct. 25 • Auto Commercial, Design Firm Entrepreneurs • Auto Commercial, Food Truck Owners • Auto Commercial, Hipster Urban Farmers • Auto Commercial, Music Industry Professionals • Auto Commercial, Retail Business Owner • 'Maggie's Getting Married' • 'Sissy' • 'The Giving Tree' Documentary Fri. Oct. 26 • Auto Commercial, Design Firm Entrepreneurs • Auto Commercial, Food Truck Owners • Auto Commercial, Hipster Urban Farmers • Auto Commercial, Music Industry Professionals • Auto Commercial, Retail Business Owner • 'Mayflower' • Mnet America, Host/VJ • 'Sissy' Sat. Oct. 27 • SAG Feature, Background • 'Sissy' Sun. Oct. 28 • Clu, 'Forbidden Fruit' • Clu, 'Glass Butterfly' • Clu, 'Organic' • Clu, 'Weight' • Clu, 'Writers Block' • Feature Film, Alice Hunter • 'Honky Tonk Angels' Mon.

Warning: The following post contains angry, politically incorrect, and often drunk celebrities…and A Lot of swearing!

With the news that Community show runner Dan Harmon has made steps to bury the hatchet with funnyman Chevy Chase, the case of the celebrity rant has become part of the cultural forum yet again. Following a recent spat with his boss, Chase left a “drunken” voicemail to let Harmon – in no uncertain terms – what he thinks of him. Harmon then played the recording to a select audience, one thing led to another, and now its all over the web.

The Celebrity meltdown has always be the source of amusement and humor. Not because its fun to laugh at other’s misfortune – which it isn’t. But rather because people losing it and unleashing a tirade on tape, is always a refreshing display. Celebs are always so worried about their ‘image’ that we...

We're back with the latest installment of Radio 66.6! This week features news, music, videos, tour dates and more from the likes of Motorhead, Cannibal Corpse, Escape the Fate, Gwar, Every Time I Die, Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, Napalm Death and more. Don't touch that dial!

News

Legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose died this past Saturday, March 3rd, at age 64 of prostate cancer. Our condolences to Ronnie's friends and family.

King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill recently suffered a heart attack. He underwent emergency surgery and remains on a ventilator, but he is slowly recovering. We hope he is back to 100% soon.

Gwar are working on new material. There is no release date scheduled, but be prepared!

Close Your Eyes vocalist vocalist Shane Raymond has left the band due to the rigorous touring life. The hardcore/punk band's statement can be read here.

Decoder have changed their name to Lead Hands. The change...

We're back with the latest installment of Radio 66.6! This week features news, music, videos and more from the likes of Rob Zombie, Megadeth, A Day to Remember, Every Time I Die, Marilyn Manson, As I Lay Dying, Motley Crue and more - so don't touch that dial!

News

Motley Crue are in the studio with prodder James Michael. Rumor has it that the hard rockers are recording a new song to coincide with their upcoming summer tour.

Keyboardist James Baney has parted ways with The Devil Wears Prada. Read the band's brief statement on the matter here.

Shadows Fall have completed recording their seventh album. It will be released in late spring via Razor & Tie Records. If you have graphic design skills, you can enter a contest to create the band's new logo here.

Vision of Disorder have signed to Candlelight Records. The metalcore veterans will begin recording a new album next month.

Ryan Gosling is having a career year, with three buzzed-about performances in three critical darlings, and he faces the possibility of having to choose which project he'd rather see get some Oscar shine.

George Clooney, meanwhile, is continuing to have one helluva career. Hollywood's reigning King of Cool could be a contender in the both the Best Director and Best Actor races ... for different movies.

The heavyweights square off in "The Ides of March," the Clooney-directed political thriller starring Gosling as an ace campaign strategist facing serious ethical dilemmas (and costarring Clooney as a politician who positions himself as an"Agent of Change").

Is the suddenly ubiquitous Gosling a threat to Clooney's Tinseltown throne? We asked writers Cassie Carpenter (representing Gosling) and Todd Gilchrist (representing Clooney) to go at it in our inaugural edition of "Fight Club." Ding ding.

Cassie: Ryan Gosling plays more mysterious, complex characters. He takes bigger risks than George Clooney.

Now that I've written that headline, I'm remembering a number of sad-as-hell children's books: Babar, Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree... although that last is more disturbing than sad, maybe. Anyway, illustrator Andrew Kolb has definitely given us a contender in the form of Space Oddity, which repurposes the lyrics of Bowie's 1969 breakthrough single as a retro-styled children's book. Spoiler alert: the astronaut dies. Just like in the song. This is just a concept at the moment — the book has no publisher, and Kolb has yet to hear from Bowie, though I can't imagine the rock icon will be anything but chuffed about it. It's a really beautiful piece of work that (if published) will almost certainly traumatize generations of children to [...]...

'If we devoted ourselves to preserving life rather than our bank accounts, we would all be richer for it,' he tells MTV News.

By Eric Ditzian

Thomas Ohlson

Photo: MTV News

We first met Thomas Ohlson during MTV's "Diary of Facebook," a 30-minute documentary that delved into the social-networking site's effort to highlight users' life-changing stories.

In 2005, Ohlson was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als), a devastating disease that causes motor neurons to die, leading muscles to waste away while cognitive abilities remain unaffected. Confined to a wheelchair, unable to talk and despairing that his life no longer had purpose, he ended up creating a Facebook account and, in turn, new reasons to keep fighting. Though he can only type with two fingers, Ohlson has become an articulate Als activist, sharing his experiences and becoming a public face of his disease.

His courage in the face of unimaginable suffering...

"The X Factor" bosses are reportedly losing interest to have Cheryl Cole back to the reality show. Following her firing from "The X Factor (Us)", TV executives were said giving her an offer to return as a judge on the U.K. version, but she has become uncontactable.

"That's it. Cheryl will not be returning to the British X Factor. People have been trying to speak to her and persuade her this would be a good idea, but she's been uncontactable," a source told Daily Mail. Moreover, the Girls Aloud star was rumored blowing her chance to return to the show by snubbing Simon Cowell's calls.

Words are, Cole was given a deadline to decide whether or not she would return to the U.K. "X Factor" on Saturday night, May 28, with Cowell telling her, "Do you want another job on more money? It's a question: yes or no?...

Cheryl Cole will not return to The X Factor UK, it has been reported. The 'Promise This' singer was rumoured to be rejoining the show after being axed from the American version earlier this week. Cole was given until midnight on Saturday to commit to the show ahead of Wednesday's auditions, but ignored Simon Cowell's calls as the deadline approached, reports the News of the World. A source said: "The brutal truth is that no-one is bigger than the show - not Cheryl and not even Simon. We have bent over backwards for Cheryl and she hasn't engaged with us. She is out. That's showbusiness." However, a close friend of Cole's said: "They set her a ridiculous deadline. They have basically done the same to Cheryl as they did to Dannii Minogue - given her an offer she couldn't accept. "They did this because (more)...

Cheryl Cole will not return to The X Factor UK, it has been reported. The 'Promise This' singer was rumoured to be rejoining the show after being axed from the American version earlier this week. Cole was given until midnight on Saturday to commit to the show ahead of Wednesday's auditions, but ignored Simon Cowell's calls as the deadline approached, reports the News of the World. A source said: "The brutal truth is that no-one is bigger than the show - not Cheryl and not even Simon. We have bent over backwards for Cheryl and she hasn't engaged with us. She is out. That's showbusiness." However, a close friend of Cole's said: "They set her a ridiculous deadline. They have basically done the same to Cheryl as they did to Dannii Minogue - given her an offer she couldn't accept. "They did this because (more)...

Cheryl Cole has reportedly lost out on the chance to rejoin the UK X Factor series, after she refused to take Simon Cowell’s calls.

The former Girls Aloud singer was axed from the Us version of the singing show earlier in the week, and was rumoured to have demanded double her fee to make a return for ITV’s upcoming run.

However, insiders have today told The News Of The World that after spending the week refusing to speak to Simon Cowell, or any show bosses, the deadline has passed and Cole will not now be allowed to take a seat beside Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh.

A source told the publication that Cheryl had to midnight on Saturday to sign her contract, adding:

“The brutal truth is that no one is bigger than the show – not Cheryl and not even Simon. We have a huge show we need...

Getty Ryan Gosling at Cannes

If the Cannes audience’s wild applause, laughter and cheers are any indication, Nicolas Winding Refn’s violent thriller, “Drive,” has got what it takes to become a cult movie. For one, there’s a lot of blood–heads are smashed like melons or blown to bits with heroic sang-froid– and high-speed thrilling car chases abound to the tune of a throbbing catchy rock soundtrack. Still, it’s all counterbalanced with poetic flyover shots of La,...

Elisabeth Caren/AP

Like mother, like daughter.

Although Sarah Michelle Gellar Prinze‘s daughter Charlotte Grace is only 19 months old, she’s already fallen in love with books, the actress told People Tuesday at The Nestle Share the Joy of Reading Program event in Los Angeles.

“We read every morning [and] every night and sometimes throughout the day,” Gellar Prinze, 34, shared.

“My husband [Freddie Prinze Jr.] reads to her and my mother reads to her. We do voices and she loves it.”

An avid reader herself, Gellar Prinze collects classic children’s literature books.

“I’m working right now on a...

Director Todd Haynes and Kate Winslet

On one hand, out director Todd Haynes doing a miniseries version of Mildred Pierce, starring Kate Winslet no less, sounds like pure gold. The 1945 movie version is a melodrama, and as Haynes proved with his 2002 movie Far From Heaven, he may be the only contemporary director alive who can pull off melodrama without Od-ing on the irony and turning it into outright camp.

On the other hand, you know what they say about remakes: filmmakers should only tackle flawed movies with terrific premises, not movies that are already undisputed classics.

And Mildred Piece is a well-deserved classic — a movie that is both melodrama and film noir, with Joan Crawford (and Ann Blyth and Eve Arden) at the very peak of their considerable talents.

That warning to filmmakers to stay away from remaking celebrated films turns out to be prescient: HBO's Mildred Pierce is surprisingly unsatisfying.

Given the veritable dogpile (birdpile?) of Black Swan joking on the web for the past four month, you'd think there'd be no laughs left to wring from it. But trust Sassy Gay Friend, to choke a few more out.

I can't even decide what my favorite part is but maybe it's a tossup between the Mila Kunis bit, the awkward Natalaughter and this opening gag.

Nina: Is this heaven?

Sassy Gay Friend: No, it's the hospital. In heaven Annette Bening wins the Oscar for The Kids Are All Right. What What What were you doing?

Oh Sassy you stupid bitch.

Fwiw if you've never seen any of these The Giving Tree is still the best one.

 ...

If you’ve somehow missed out on the glory that is Second City’s satirical Sassy Gay Friend videos, now’s your chance to join in on the rib-tickling antics of this brilliantly bitchy bestie.

In each entry, the scarf-twirling Sassy Gay Friend (Brian Gallivan) reprimands a famous female figure (be it Juliet, Ophelia, or The Giving Tree) for her tragic foibles before providing some invaluable advice and sass! In the latest entry, Sgf takes on Natalie Portman’s Nina from Black Swan, dishing out realness and tough love to this batshit-crazy ballerina.

Now, I loved Black Swan, but the boy has got a point!

What’s your favorite Sassy Gay Friend vid?

You can e-mail Kristy, follow her on Twitter or check out her production blog.

Previously on episode 1.12 (Bottlenecked), we met a Caffrey-wannabe con man named Matthew Keller. He's smart, ruthless, but not exactly suave and charming. Think stereotypical New Jersey con man versus Neal's New York style. He killed a man and then challenged Neal to create a fake wine bottle given to Ben Franklin by Marie Antoinette. Neal accepted only to play right into Keller's hands. He wanted his bottle tested to prove it was real, driving up the price, which he needed to pay off the Russian mob. Unfortunately for him, Mozzie buys the wine bottle for a million dollars he doesn't have, forcing Keller to confess to theft and murder to get protection from Sergei and the Russians.

We open as Hughes exposits Keller's 20 year sentence at Barksdale (maybe? - I can't find it on the internet) for manslaughter. Keller wants to avoid a super max prison with a strong Russian...

Charlie Sheen has become obsessed with his father Martin's classic war movie Apocalypse Now and had a bloody slogan from the film tattooed onto his chest.

The troubled actor, whose hit sitcom Two and a Half Men has been scrapped for the rest of the season, had the words "Death From Above" inked onto his skin earlier this week (ends27Feb11), claiming the phrase from the Vietnam War epic symbolises his own crazy life.

Explaining the tattoo, which is complete with blood dripping from the phrase onto an apple, he tells U.S. radio host Alex Jones, "It’s the banner from the death card that Kilgore (Robert Duvall's character) is throwing on his victims. But also falling from it is the apple from The Giving Tree. There’s my life. Deal with it."

Sheen also revealed he sees parts of himself in every major character in the 1979 film, from his dad Martin Sheen's Captain Benjamin L. Willard, to Dennis Hopper as an American photojournalist, to Marlon Brando's renegade Colonel Walter E. Kurtz.

Quoting from Brando's character, he adds, "'You have the right to kill me, but you do not have the right to judge me'. Boom. That’s the whole movie. That’s life."

Sheen's future on Two and a Half Men was thrown into doubt after he publicly lambasted show creator Chuck Lorre, prompting producers to pull the sitcom for the rest of its current season.

Christian Bale has his next project set in stone: According to Variety, the actor will re-team with The Machinist director Brad Anderson for Concrete Island, in which he’ll play “a wealthy architect who finds himself stranded on a section of fenced-off wasteland in West London and is forced to survive on only what’s in his crashed car and what he’s able to find.” You know what this means, PopWatchers: Bale will surely be going Method. Yes, based on that description, I fully expect to soon see scary tabloid photos of the dangerously dieting actor, who has famously...

After an unexplained one-week hiatus (what is this, The Sopranos? Oh Man It Kind Of Is), Top Chef is Back for Episode 8, “An Offer They Can’t Refuse”. What awesome Quickfire are they gonna throw at us to make up for lost thyme? Ut ohhh: Guest Judge Isaac Mizrahi. Padma torturedly explains, “Just as a runway show is designed to attract the buyer, a plate is designed to entice the palate.” Meaning, we had to have Isaac Mizrahi on for some dumb cross promotional thing our producers agreed to and after this sentence let us never speak of this again. Angelo is excited, saying “Two of my favorite things are food and fashion.” Haha, of course they are. We know what some of your other favorite things are too, and spelling “crocodile” is not one of them: This week’s Quickfire will only focus on aesthetics, and whoever has the...

Actually this has nothing to do with The Giving Tree. The kid in The Giving Tree didn’t grow up to be Sean Penn, did he? Nah, I’m thinking of Sweet and Lowdown. There’s few if any trees in that. Anyway, here’s the trailer for the next Terrence Malick film, Tree Of Life, starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come out until May 27th of 2011, or whenever Malick’s secret carrier pigeon delivers the film canister to Grauman’s Theatre by cover of night then kills itself with a cyanide capsule:...

On Sunday I moderated the final panel at Film Independent’s 6th annual Filmmaker Forum (presented by indieWIRE Oct. 29-31) on a subject that is starting to concern independent filmmakers almost as much as studio execs: movie piracy. It's becoming increasingly mainstream. We all know people who do it. Take a look at the music industry, which has been ravaged by piracy-related losses. The question I asked the panel: "Are we going to figure out alternative models and are independent filmmakers going to lead the way?” The brutal truth: with 75% of worldwide revenue driven by the majors (80% in the U.S.), we are all going to live or die with their strategy and how they implement it. The indies can lead the way to alternative ...

Underground journalist Ryan Bartek hit Fangoria Musick with the news that his latest effort, a road book/music journalism expose entitled “The Big Shiny Prison,” covering all forms of extreme metal, punk, industrial, experimental, rock, electronic, psychedelia, etc. has been unleashed as a Free Pdf Download (get it here).

This book is packed with interviews – from Brutal Truth to Millions of Dead Cops, Impaled to Dwarves, Repulsion to Cephalic Carnage. AxCx to Pig Destroyer, Kylesa to Stalaggh, Genghis Tron to Abysmal Dawn & beyond. Even USA President Barack Obama makes the most bizarre appearance of his entire career. Yet that’s just scraping the surface & below you will find a comprehensive list of appearances.

The following statement comes directly from the author: “My name is Ryan Bartek. For the past 3 years I’ve sacrificed everything for the successful completion of this project. I spent a year on the road, another year completing & shopping it,...

I usually get a little bit leary of when people hand me things to "check out" at a convention. Regardless of the material, I always manage to get to it, even when it takes months to happen. Such is the case with this album, Cadaverous Presence, the 2008 release by Chicago's Cardiac Arrest. The CD was given to me back in February at our Chicago stop on the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors tour, by guitarist Tom Knizner (aka "Cardiac Tom" on the Fango Forums).

In one of the rare instances where I've actually enjoyed the almost-obligatory "intro" track on an album, "The Inevitable" is a crusty, instrumental behemoth of fuzzy guitars and brooding power that provides a working build-up to the machine-gun assault of the album's title track.

The immediate reaction upon listening to the first few tracks was that Cardiac Arrest is bringing back a seriously old-school death metal vibe.

More than usual, this was an episode about children and parents so let’s first get the stuff that’s not about that, specifically the sub-plot that gives the episode its title. Tyra’s back in town and in attempting to make amends with Landry she somehow makes things worse. There’s a great scene where, while helping Tyra study, Landry finds himself in a tug-of-war between mother and daughter as both snipe at each while sweet talking him. With a look on his face that makes clear he finally realizes just how much he’s being taken advantage of, Jesse Plemons says everything without a word, and lets Tyra know what he’s figured out later in fairly unsparing terms. The show probably could have left it there, but I’m glad it didn’t. Tyra scores Landry’s band a gig almost just to prove him...