HAPPY NEW YEAR-MY DEAR FRIENDS

Robin Roberts Officially Comes Out as Gay in Facebook Post

Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC’s morning show “Good Morning America,” has come out as gay in an end-of-the-year post on her Facebook page.“GMA” host acknowledges longtime girlfriend in thank you to supporters

Roberts’ sexuality had been known to her family, friends and co-workers for some time, but her mention of longtime girl friend Amber Laign was her first public acknowledgement.

“I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together,” she wrote in the post, which was a thank-you for those who had supported her following her bone marrow transplant last year.

Roberts was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and took a leave from “GMA” to undergo the transplant in October of 2012. She returned to the show in February 20, 2013.

Be the Match Registry, a nonprofit organization run by the National Marrow Donor Program, said that it experienced a huge spike in donors the day Roberts went public with her illness.

CNN newscaster Anderson Cooper came out in a Q&A with Andrew Sullivan in July of 2012. And former “GMA” weatherman Sam Champion last year announced his plans to marry his boyfriend 

Best of 2013: 4 Casting Decisions That Trolled the Internet

From "Fifty Shades" to "Man of Steel 2," 2013 was the year when the Internet decided that it just wasn't going to take it anymore when it came to casting choices it didn't agree with.

AP Images

If 2013 had any lessons for Hollywood's casting directors, it was this one: You're probably doing it wrong. There's nothing new about the idea of fans complaining that [Actor A] won't do a particular role the justice it deserves -- just ask Michael Keaton, who probably still smarts a little about the reaction to his being named as Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman -- but this was the year where that kind of upset went over the top. Well, even more over the top than usual, perhaps.

STORY: Worst of 2013: Bring on the Ineffectual Bad GuysWhile some casting announcements were met with excitement -- step forward, Paul Rudd, who'll play the lead in 2015's Ant-Man, directed by Edgar Wright -- and some with bemused indifference (Bradley Cooper as Guardians of the Galaxy's Rocket Raccoon? Vin Diesel as Groot in the same movie?), this was a year when the Internet realized that, hey, maybe a petition could ensure that the audience gets exactly the character it imagined when reading the book in the first place. To wit…

1. Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam inFifty Shades of Grey: You might have thought that having E.L. James -- author of the original novel series the Sam Taylor-Wood-directed movie is based on -- announce the casting of the two lead roles would have dulled any negative reaction against the choices, but you'd have been very, very wrong. Hunnam and Johnson were, according to the mass hive mind of Fifty Shades fandom, entirely wrong for the parts -- so much so that a petition was launched to have them replaced.

As it turned out, fans got half of their wish when Hunnam left the project, with sources claiming that the fan reaction had played a part in his decision (He was replaced by Jamie Dornan, late of ABC's Once Upon a Time). Johnson continues to hang in there, presumably hardened by her experience with the all-too-early cancellation of Fox's Ben & Kate.

2. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in The Fault of Our Stars: On first blush, the casting of Woodley and Elgort in the upcoming adaptation of John Green's YA novel about two teens in a support group who fall in love with each other seems perfectly sensible. Both are up-and-coming actors with affection for the source material, after all. What could go wrong? Oh, that's right -- the Internet (Curiously, Woodley was reportedly also up for the female lead in Fifty Shades of Grey at one point. Just imagine the outrage singularity that could have emerged had she won that role).

Green actually took to Tumblr to defend both actors. "Novelists do not cast movies, so these were not my decisions (although I did have a lot of input)," he wrote. "I’m defending them because I think they’re both perfect for their parts (and I’d tell you if I felt otherwise)… If the movie works, you’ll sit down in the theater and you won’t say, 'Oh look it’s Shailene Woodley,' or, 'Oh, look, it’s Tris from Divergent.' You’ll say, 'Holy wow Hazel Grace.'"

3. Gal Gadot in Man of Steel 2: If there's one thing to be said to try and comfort poor Gal Gadot about the online reaction to her being cast as the first cinematic Wonder Woman in the character's history -- amazingly, there's never been a Wonder Woman on the big screen before now, despite the character having been around for more than 70 years -- it's this: It's not you; no-one would have satisfied the fans on this one.

Of course, that didn't stop some fans complaining about Gadot personally -- that she was too skinny, too weak-looking, not busty enough, all manner of ridiculous complaints. Her previous experience, as well, came into question: Could someone who's appeared in theFast & Furious franchise really be an Amazon Princess, some wanted to know. (The answer is, of course, "Probably. Why not?") Gadot, for her part, seems to be taking such complaints in her stride, saying in a recent interview that she represents "the Wonder Woman of the new world." Take that, fanboys.

4. Ben Affleck in Man of Steel 2: Of course, the response to Gadot's casting was nothing compared to what followed the news that Ben Affleck would be playing Bruce Wayne and his more famous alter-ego in the 2015 follow-up to this summer's Superman reboot. Whether it was concern over his age, his looks or his past as Marvel's Daredeviland boyfriend to Jennifer Lopez, it appeared as if the fan knives were out for the Argodirector and star (There was, of course, a petition to have him dropped from the movie).

What was truly entertaining about the Affleck casting wasn't the backlash, though, but the backlash to the backlash, with former Batmen Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer coming out in favor of the news, alongside such other celebrity boosters as Joss Whedon andMatt Damon.

Studios should take note for future use: The best way to respond to fan upset isn't to ignore it or capitulate to it, but instead try to drown it out with a carefully-planned counter-assault fueled by celebrity power. After all, who would you rather listen to? Anonymous Internet complaining, or George Clooney telling you to cool down and that everything'll be okay in the end?

Box office to hit all-time high in 2013

Image Credit: Disney

2013 was the year when all those big, expensive, flashy  flops dragged down the movie business, right?

Not quite. Despite all the worry over write-down-inducing failures like The Lone Ranger and 47 Ronin, 2013 was actually another boom year at the box office. In fact, it’s about to go in the record books as Hollywood’s all-time best: With two days left til the New Year, we’re just a few million shy of 2012′s record-setting $10.837 billion haul. 

So how did this happen? Despite its notable flops, summer actually saw an 11 percent increase over 2012 thanks to megahits like Despicable Me 2 ($367.7 million), Man of Steel ($291 million) and Monsters University($268.5 million) — not to mention the year’s number one movie, Iron Man 3 ($409 million), which ranks as the 13th highest-grossing movie of all time, not accounting for inflation. Then came the fall-winter season with blockbusters like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($391.1 million), Gravity ($254.6 million) and Frozen ($248.4 million). Overall, 2013 has seen 12 movies cross the $200 million mark domestically (2012 only had 11), and 31 movies top $100 million (2012 had the exact same number).Not quite. Despite all the worry over write-down-inducing failures like The Lone Ranger and 47 Ronin, 2013 was actually another boom year at the box office. In fact, it’s about to go in the record books as Hollywood’s all-time best: With two days left til the New Year, we’re just a few million shy of 2012′s record-setting $10.837 billion haul. 

Of course, this isn’t exactly earth-shaking news. The box office has set a new record in six of the last 10 years, partly thanks to economic factors like increased ticket prices, 3-D admissions, and inflation. But the fact that numbers are up at all is a sign of the industry’s bullishness, especially in the face of increased competition from streaming services and TV.

Weekend Report: 'Hobbit,' 'Frozen' Top 'Wolf,' 'Mitty' on Final Weekend of 2013

this year, Santa delivered five new nationwide releases on Christmas Day. By the weekend, though, audiences had turned their attention back to blockbuster holdovers The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Frozen.

With a diverse set of options, overall business was strong on the final weekend of 2013: the Top 12 earned $185.8 million, which is up 13 percent from the same frame last year. 

The second Hobbit movie took first place for the third-straight weekend—the only other movie to accomplish this feat in 2013 was fellow Warner Bros. release Gravity.The Hobbit added $29.9 million, which is off seven percent from the first Hobbit on the same weekend last year. The Desolation of Smaug has now earned over $190 million, and remains on pace for a final tally north of $250 million.

Disney Animation's Frozen continues to exceed even the most optimistic expectations. The animated sensation increased 47 percent to $28.8 million; among fifth weekends, that figure ranks third all-time behind Avatar($42.8 million) and Titanic ($30 million). The movie is benefiting not only from great word-of-mouth, but also from a void of legitimate family entertainment—Saving Mr. Banks turned out to be too mature, while Walking with Dinosaurs never really clicked with audiences.

Among 2013 releases, Frozen now ranks seventh with $248.4 million. It's also now guaranteed to close with over $300 million.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues took third place with $20.2 million. Through 12 days, the comedy sequel has earned $83.7 million, and it will pass the original movie's $85.3 million total in a day or two.

David O. Russell's American Hustle held on to fourth place with an estimated $19.6 million. So far, the star-studded 70s caper has earned $60 million; with plenty of awards recognition still to come, Hustle should have no problem getting to $100 million.

Among the Christmas Day releases, Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street led the pack with $18.5 million ($34.3 million five-day). That's noticeably lower than last year'sDjango Unchained ($30.1 million), which was also a very long, controversial movie from a popular director (and also featured Leonardo DiCaprio!). Django did have a much more appealing story, though, and for a three-hour movie about corrupt, drug-addled Wall Street bankers, it's hard to imagine a significantly higher debut.

Wolf's audience was 54 percent male, and a whopping 90 percent were 25 years of age or older. They awarded it a terrible "C" CinemaScore; on the surface, that suggests the movie will burn out quickly, though the controversy about the movie's borderline pornographic content could spur some interest. If Wolf also garners a handful of Oscar nominations, it could theoretically flirt with $100 million before the end of its run.

After a slow start last weekend, Saving Mr. Banks saved some face this weekend by improving 50 percent to $14 million. Through 10 days, Banks has earned a decent $37.8 million.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opened in seventh place with $13 million ($25.6 million five-day). For star Ben Stiller, that's miles away from movies like Night at the Museum and the Meet the Parents sequels, and is also arguably worse than recent comedy Tower Heist ($24 million). Mitty's audience was 52 percent female, and 64 percent were over the age of 25. They awarded it a "B+" CinemaScore, and it should play well through the next few weeks.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has now earned $391.1 million. With another week of holidays, it appears to be on pace to top Iron Man 3 ($409 million) and the original Hunger Games ($408 million).

A handful of new releases bombed pretty hard this weekend. Universal's long-delayed mega-budget samurai movie47 Ronin earned just $9.9 million ($20.6 million five-day). It received a solid "B+" CinemaScore, though its pattern suggests that it will be very front-loaded (it would be surprising if it made it past $50 million). 

Ronin isn't doing particularly well overseas either, and Universal is expected to lose a ton of money on this (some reports have it as high as $175 million). Don't cry for Universal, though—to this point, they've had a banner year thanks to major hits like Despicable Me 2 and Fast & Furious 6.

Grudge Match was the biggest surprise of the weekend—and not in a good way. The Robert DeNiro/Sylvester Stallone boxing comedy took in just $7.3 million ($13.4 million five-day), which caps a rough year for the two geriatric stars. Audiences clearly weren't interested in seeing a reheated version of Rocky and Raging Bull. Those that did give it a chance were 55 percent male and 68 percent were 25 years of age or older, and they gave it a "B+" CinemaScore.

Pop star Justin Bieber was back on the big-screen this weekend with Believe, the follow-up to massively-successful 2011 documentary Never Say Never. Unfortunately, Bieber's fans didn't show up this time, and the movie debuted in 14th place with an abysmal $2 million ($4.3 million five-day). In comparison, Never Say Never opened to $28.8 million. While this opening does prove that Bieber's fans are less engaged now than they were three years ago, it's also a result of light marketing and a fairly modest release (only 1,037 locations).

Biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom expanded to 975 locations and took 13th place with $2.4 million. Considering how timely the movie is—and how aggressively The Weinstein Company marketed it—that's not a particularly good debut. Unless it pulls some surprise Oscar nominations (unlikely, given how competitive the field is) Mandela is unlikely to find a substantial theatrical audience in the U.S.

At five locations, August: Osage County opened to $179,500 ($35,900 average). Meanwhile, Lone Survivordebuted to $92,500 from two theaters ($155,400 five-day). Both titles will expand nationwide in January.

Around-the-World Roundup

On its third weekend in theaters, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug added $98.3 million overseas. Its only new market was Australia, where it debuted to a strong $12.8 million (down six percent from the first Hobbit). To date, its earned $423.8 million; according to Warner Bros., that's on par with the first movie across the same bucket of territories. The Hobbit will essentially wrap up its run in existing markets before reaching China and Japan in late February.

Frozen earned $50.5 million, which makes this its strongest weekend yet at the foreign box office. It opened to a solid $5.8 million in Australia, and still has Brazil, Japan and China on the way. To date, Frozen has earned $243.5 million overseas, and will pass $500 million worldwide on Monday.

Coinciding with its domestic debut, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opened to $27.2 million in 39 overseas markets. Its top market was Italy ($5 million), though it was also solid in the U.K. ($3.8 million), Australia ($3.1 million), Spain ($3.1 million), Mexico ($2.5 million) and Brazil ($2.2 million). 

47 Ronin added $13.8 million this weekend for a new total of $22.3 million. It opened in first place in a handful of smaller Asian markets, but only managed a fifth place debut in the U.K. ($2.3 million).

Walking with Dinosaurs grossed $12.3 million this weekend, most of which was from holdover markets. To date, the CGI dinosaur movie has banked $33.4 million

Pirates of the Caribbean-Earned Over $1.043 billion.

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” films have earned over $3.7 billion at the worldwide box office. Most recently, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” earned over $1.043 billion.

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” films have earned over $3.7 billion at the worldwide box office. Most recently, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” earned over $1.043 billion.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com//movies/pirates-of-the-caribbean/events/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5#7hkzcX6Pk5971pst.99

Biggest winners and losers of 2013???

What Went Right and Wrong in 2013: When he got the job as director of "Star Wars Episode VII," it seemed like the right time to go ahead and crown Abrams the new franchise king of Nerdville, but that was before the release of "Star Trek Into Darkness." As much as he got right on the 2009 reboot, he seemed to get wrong this time out. There is an obvious need to keep secrets on big giant films like these, but so much time and energy was spent keeping the most obvious secret in recent history (of course Khan is the bad guy… what other "Star Trek" villain has that much name value?) that it hurt the actual film, and even Abrams seems to be aware of that now.

What's Ahead in 2014: It's going to be a long year of small announcements as filming gets underway for "Star Wars," and Abrams is going to spend the year focused on delivering what may well be the single most under-the-microscope event film ever made. It's not going to be an easy job, but his various TV projects and producing gigs on films like "Star Trek 3," "Mission: Impossible 5," and film versions of both "Portal" and "Half-Life," should keep this ridiculously busy guy even busier.

WINNER: Beyonce

 In a year where millions were spent to promote an effort like Lady Gaga's "Artpop," or high-end deals were struck with tech companies like with Jay Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail" or a lead single needs to hit like on Katy Perry's "Prism," Beyonce just showed up to the party with a surprise self-titled effort in the middle of December like NBD. Selling more than 600,000 copies with none of the above, she even managed to make 17 music videos in total secrecy to boot. Even better? The album was good, and she became the first female artist in history to have her first five efforts go to No. 1.


WINNER: Everyone associated with 'Breaking Bad'

 

WINNER: Mark Burnett

After the success of "The Bible," Burnett jumped ship to take the sequel, "A.D.," to NBC, where he's also developing a miniseries project about the Mayflower. And then Burnett also has follow-up seasons for all of those reality hits.

LOSER: Jim Carrey

This was supposed to be Carrey's big comeback year, what with his roles in two high-profile films: magician comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" co-starring Steve Carell and the ultra-violent comic-book sequel "Kick-Ass 2." Unfortunately for the former box-office powerhouse, both films floundered commercially and drew largely negative reviews, dumping water on Carrey's would-be return to form. The latter film's performance certainly wasn't helped by the star's  refusal to promote it owing to concerns of screen violence in the wake of the Newtown school shootings.

WINNER: Alfonso Cuaron

What Went Right and Wrong in 2013: When he got the job as director of "Star Wars Episode VII," it seemed like the right time to go ahead and crown Abrams the new franchise king of Nerdville, but that was before the release of "Star Trek Into Darkness." As much as he got right on the 2009 reboot, he seemed to get wrong this time out. There is an obvious need to keep secrets on big giant films like these, but so much time and energy was spent keeping the most obvious secret in recent history (of course Khan is the bad guy… what other "Star Trek" villain has that much name value?) that it hurt the actual film, and even Abrams seems to be aware of that now.
What's Ahead in 2014: It's going to be a long year of small announcements as filming gets underway for "Star Wars," and Abrams is going to spend the year focused on delivering what may well be the single most under-the-microscope event film ever made. It's not going to be an easy job, but his various TV projects and producing gigs on films like "Star Trek 3," "Mission: Impossible 5," and film versions of both "Portal" and "Half-Life," should keep this ridiculously busy guy even busier.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/biggest-winners-and-losers-of-2013-beyonce-jennifer-lawrence-breaking-bad-and-more#IAJEJe7tuCbH1fsV.99

Beyonce still has the No. 1 album in the country

Beyonce’s self-titled album spends its second week still within the apartment on The signboard two hundred album sales chart, work 374,000 a lot of in sales. That puts the overall range for “Beyonce” at 991,000 copies in only period of time, one in every of that wasn’t a full sales week.

She stirred 617,000 copies within the surprise album’s 1st 3 days of sale via iTunes, therefore it’s down solely thirty ninth in the week. Amazon and Target – as we tend to foretold – were a trifle peeved at the digital-only 1st week and balked at marketing the physical version of the album.

Still, that’s an improved sales week than No. 2, Garth Brooks’ “Blame It All On My Roots,” the country star’s Walmart-exclusive boxed set, that stirred 199,000 copies (+16%). coincidently, the set isn’t accessible at digital retailers the least bit.

One Direction’s “Midnight Memories” is up No. 5 to No. 3 (166,000, +35%), the Oscar Robertson’s “Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas” conjointly climbs 2, No. 6 to No. 4 (132,000, +22%) and Kelly Clarkson’s “Wrapped in Red” falls No. 3 to No. 5 (124,000, -9%). Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers platter 2” ascends No. 8 to No. 6 (115,000, +39%) and Katy Perry’s “Prism” moves No. 9 to No. 7 (99,000, +67%).

The “Frozen” audio recording gets a vacation raise No. 10 to No. 8 (81,000, +45%), archangel Buble’s vacation album “Christmas” shoots up No. 13 to No. 9 (68,000, +43%) and Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Party” rises No. 14 to No. 10 (68,000, +44%).

Sales square measure up twenty second in the week compared to the previous week and down Revolutionary Organization 17 November compared to an equivalent week last year. Sales for the year square measure down Sept. 11 compared to last year; there's a new full week of sales for the year, and some of sales days at the tip up till New Year’s.

Oscar nominations voting begins

Voting begins Dec. 27 for 2014′s Academy Awards nominees. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are invited to cast secret ballots for their favorite film work from the past year until Jan. 8, 2014.

The academy is offering electronic voting for the second consecutive year. It announced last week that 289 feature films are eligible for best-picture consideration.
Nominations for the 86th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 16.
Ellen DeGeneres will host the ceremony when the Oscars are presented on March 2.

Notable deaths in 2013- From the World of Entertainment

 Paul Walker-40

 Paul Walker, the star of "The Fast and The Furious" franchise died in a car crash on the Saturday following Thanksgiving following a his attendance at a charity event.  An LA native, Walker began his on screen career with some television roles in the '80s before segueing into film.

Mindy McCready- 37


Although only 37 at the time of her death, McCready had worked in the music industry for two decades and recorded five studio albums and had 12 songs on the Billboard country singles chart.  She died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Roger Ebert- 70

Roger Ebert died following a long battle with cancer.  A film critic, he won a Pullitzer in 1975 and "Ebert's television career began the year he won the Pulitzer, first on WTTW-TV, the Chicago PBS station, then nationwide on PBS and later on several commercial syndication services. Ebert and Siskel even trademarked the 'two thumbs up.'" (AP)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/notable-celebrity-deaths-of-2013#UOJFb3kjiq1Pd0KE.99

Roger Ebert died following a long battle with cancer.  A film critic, he won a Pullitzer in 1975 and "Ebert's television career began the year he won the Pulitzer, first on WTTW-TV, the Chicago PBS station, then nationwide on PBS and later on several commercial syndication services. Ebert and Siskel even trademarked the 'two thumbs up.'" (AP)

Roger Ebert died following a long battle with cancer.  A film critic, he won a Pullitzer in 1975 and "Ebert's television career began the year he won the Pulitzer, first on WTTW-TV, the Chicago PBS station, then nationwide on PBS and later on several commercial syndication services. Ebert and Siskel even trademarked the 'two thumbs up.'" (AP)
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/notable-celebrity-deaths-of-2013#UOJFb3kjiq1Pd0KE.99

 

Annette Funicello- 70

 Rising to stardom from her time on "The Mickey Mouse Club" as a Mouseketeer in the 1950s, Annette Funicello passed away from complications related to her multiple sclerosis. "She wrote of her triumphs and struggles in her 1994 autobiography, 'A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes' — the title taken from a Disney song. In 1995, she appeared briefly in a television docudrama based on her book. And she spoke openly about the degenerative effects of MS."

 George Jones- 81

George Jones, a country music superstar, passed away at the age of 81. "With one of the most golden voices of any genre, a clenched, precise, profoundly expressive baritone, Jones had No. 1 songs in five separate decades, 1950s to 1990s. He was idolized not just by fellow country artists, but by Frank Sinatra, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, James Taylor and countless others. 'If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones,' Waylon Jennings once sang."

 

James Gandolfini, 51

James Gandolfini, best known for his work as Tony Soprano on "The Sopranos" passed away at the age of 51 from a heart attack.  At the time, he was vacationing in Italy.  Over the course of his career, Gandolfini won a Golden Globe, three Emmys, three individual SAG Awards, and two ensemble SAG Awards.  This year, following his death, he was nominated for a number of awards for his work on "Enough Said."

How To Find The Best Movies of 2013 on Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, you are likely reading many top ten movie lists that feature a majority of movies that are just being released into theaters (American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, Wolf of Wall Street) or that won't even make it into wide release until January 2014 (primarily, Her). But we're here to remind you that there were 11 other months in 2013, and many of the year's best films came out then, and many of them are available for streaming or rental on a streaming service. If you're not planning on hitting a multiplex this weekend, here's a rundown of what you can watch from the comfort of your own sofa.

Big Budget Winners

The Heat: It's amazing that a movie can still take the conceit of two diametrically opposed cop partners — one crazy, one uptight — and make it work this well. Melissa McCarthy is the former, Sandra Bullock the latter, and this summer comedy was a very deserving box office hit. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

The World’s End: Vulture movie critic David Edelstein called this film — the third partnering of Edgar Wright, Nick Frost, and Simon Pegg after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz  — "the year’s most entertaining sci-fi comedy romp." That's a very specific category, of course, but suffice it to say that it's also one of the year's funniest, getting an equal amount of laughs from verbal and slapstick physical humor. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

The Conjuring: Of this summer's hit haunted house movie, Vulture's Bilge Ebiri wrote, "The Conjuring succeeds because of all that anticipation of dread things to come. The damned thing works you so well that you may even consider leaving halfway through, for fear you'll have a heart attack." (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

This Is The End: Much like The Conjuring, this apocalyptic comedy starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, and friends as themselves features an exorcism scene. Unlike The Conjuring, it also features Satan's dick. Profane and crude and hilarious. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Fast and Furious 6: Every year has a great, dumb, fun movie. And this is 2013's. The impossibly long runway, the London Tube fight between Michelle Rodriguez and Gina Carano, that moment when Vin Diesel catches Michelle Rodriguez in mid-air after leaping out of his car — so ridiculous and so good. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Indie and Foreign Gems

Frances Ha: This is what it is like today to be a 20-something, artsy urban dweller. So, watch this Noah Baumbach-directed black and white gem if you're interested in that. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Spring Breakers: Just read James Franco's monologue. It might be the movie monologue of the year. Then watch Spring Breakers and look at all his sheeyit. Don't be 'spicious. (Available to stream on Amazon Prime)

Before Midnight: The sequel to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset picks up about ten years later after the latter. Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) are now married with children. And where the first two films dealt with desire and longing and nostalgia, this third tackles the joys and hair-pulling frustrations of marriage. There is a ferocious final act argument between the couple that will knock you down. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Gimme the Loot: Two New York City teens who love to graffiti want to tag up a piece of famous memorabilia belonging to the New York Mets. In terms of New York demographics, this shows the opposite of what we see in Frances Ha —  middle class minorities — but with just as much verve. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Upstream Color: Earlier this year I wrote the following about writer-director-actor Shane Carruth's second feature: "It's a movie full of long, wordless stretches and sounds of indeterminate origin that resulted in me experiencing wonderful feelings of indeterminate origin and being reduced to long wordless stretches when I tried to describe it to anyone." The plot is wackadoo — it involves pigs and hypnotism and mind melds and the circle of life — but the emotions elicited by the love story at its core is anything but. If you liked Carruth's first movie, Primer, and really if you like movies to be experiences as much as stories, then you should probably watch Upstream Color. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Much Ado About Nothing: David Edelstein's fourth best movie of 2013. In his top ten roundup, he wrote, "Just before postproduction for The Avengers, Joss Whedon gathered a bunch of friends (TV actors, mostly) and shot a Shakespeare movie in twelve days in his own rambling L.A. house. His casual approach works amazingly well—this might be the best Shakespeare comedy on film." (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

The Grandmaster: In this tale about the early 20th century Chinese martial artist Ip Man, Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) mixes lush slo-mo martial arts action with lush slo-mo meaningful stares between gorgeous stars Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Documentaries

Leviathan: Ostensibly a movie about the American fishing industry, Leviathan barely contains a narrative. Rather, it's a stridently experimental work that puts cameras underwater and right in the middle of roly poly fish heads. Hallucinatory, enthralling, and most definitely not for everyone. (Available to rent on iTunes)

20 Feet From Stardom: Put your mind to The Rolling Stones's "Gimme Shelter," to the powerful woman's voice singing "War, children, it's just a shot away/ It's just a shot away." Now think of all the other incredible backup singers you've heard and seen and what popular music would be like without their invaluable contributions. 20 Feet From Stardom gives them their due in a manner as energetic as their voices. (Available to purchase on Amazon and iTunes)

Stories We Tell: Sarah Polley, erstwhile actress and director of Away From Her We Go and Take This Waltz, jumps headfirst into the muddy waters of her family's past — specifically the question of whether or not the man who raised her was actually her father. What sounds like it could be a soap opera reveals itself to be so much more. (Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Blackfish: Whether you're an animal lover or not, it's hard not to be moved by this tale of of killer whales who are captured in the wild, forced to perform at theme parks like Sea World, and then lash out at their human handlers. (Available to stream on Netflix)

Room 237: An apology for the faked moon landing, a secret exploration of the great Native American massacre, a veiled look at the Holocaust — these are just three of the wacky theories that viewers have come up with as to the meaning behind Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Room 237 is a movie obsessed with the outer limits of fan obsession. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

We Steal Secrets: Prolific documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Taxi to the Dark Side) turns his sights on Wikileaks and Julian Assange. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

Cutie and the Boxer: An elderly Japanese artist lives in New York City, where he continues to make large abstract pieces by using paint-soaked boxing gloves to literally punch out his work on giant canvases. His wife, younger by several decades, has long served as his de facto assistant, but she too harbors a desire to create art. Cutie and the Boxer is simultaneously a movie about artistic and marital struggle. (Available to stream on Netflix, to rent on Amazon and iTunes)

The Gatekeepers: Six members of Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, get on camera to talk about war and peace. It's precedent-breaking and compelling. (Available to rent on Amazon, to purchase on iTunes)

A Band Called Death: Three black musician brothers in Detroit form the title group and proceed to make punk music before the invention of punk music. The trio's story is kickass and heartbreaking. (Available to stream on Netflix)

Justin Bieber Tweets ‘I’m Officially Retiring’ on Eve of Movie Release

Did someone spike the punch too heavily? The singer cites the media as reason for his split career call, however vows to ne'er leave his Beliebers

“Believe” it or not, pop phenom Justin Bieber is purportedly retiring. a minimum of that’s what Bieber claimed via his Twitter account late weekday night.

“My beloved beliebers I’m formally retiring,” the singer tweeted.

Tuesday night happens to be Christmas Eve. It additionally happens to be the eve of his theatrical unleash, “Justin Bieber’s Believe,” and it absolutely was the day when his new assortment album, “Journals,” was discharged on iTunes. flaky night for the 19-year-old to settle on to announce his retirement.

At the time of this writing, the tweet had over a hundred,000 retweets and eighty,000 favorites.

See video: Justin Bieber Reveals Secret Talent at Laugh industrial plant Gig: I F— ‘Bitches’

Forty-two minutes later, Bieber infernal the American statedia for his apparent career-ending decision: “The media talks lots regarding me. they create a up lots of lies and need American state to fail however I’m ne'er feat you, being a belieber could be a life-style.”

Then he same one thing regarding forgiveness and God.

Last week, the “Boyfriend” singer told station Power 106 that his album, “Journals” (which was discharged Monday), would be his last, which he planned to retire when. Later, Bieber’s reps claimed he was simply humourous, however steered that the pop star take it slow off when the film unleash.

“Justin Bieber’s Believe” hits theaters Wed, holy day of obligation.

Emma Stone tops Forbes list of 'best value' Hollywood stars

Three young female actors, Emma Stone, Mila Kunis and Jennifer Lawrence, have topped Forbes magazine's annual list of the best value stars in Hollywood.

Stone, who appears in the Amazing Spider-Man films, was named best value actor in the world, with a return of $80 per $1 invested in her. Kunis, who has appeared in blockbusters Ted and Oz the Great and Powerful in the past two years, was second with $68.70 per $1 paid, while Hunger Games star Lawrence was just behind with a return of $68.60 per $1.

All in all the top four "best value" stars were all female, furthermore, with Natalie Portman, who starred in blockbuster Thor: The Dark World, also squeezing in ahead of the men. The top male star was Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, in fifth spot with $31 return for every $1 he was paid.



The triumphant return of younger, female stars comes despite the fact that older male actors are overwhelmingly the best paid in Hollywood. Robert Downey Jr ($75m), Channing Tatum ($60m) and Hugh Jackman ($55m) are the current highest-earning Hollywood stars. According to Forbes the best-paid female star, Angelina Jolie ($33m) would only make 10th place on a combined list of male and female actors.
Adam Sandler was named worst value star in Hollywood by Forbes earlier this month, with a meagre return of just $3.40 per $1 paid.

Separately, Lawrence was yesterday named the Associated Press's entertainer of the year ahead of singer Miley Cyrus and streaming site Netflix. AP polls 70 top US editors and news directors for its annual award. As well as the $765m global box office success of Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, the 23-year-old actor won her debut best actress Oscar for the comedy drama Silver Linings Playbook in 2013.

Forbes' top 10 best value stars

1. Emma Stone ($80.70 per $1)
2. Mila Kunis ($68.70 per $1)
3. Jennifer Lawrence ($68.60 per $1)
4. Natalie Portman ($31.30 per $1)
5. The Rock ($31.10 per $1)
6. Daniel Craig ($25.60 per $1)
7. Russell Crowe ($25.60 per $1)
8. Kristen Stewart ($25 per $1)
9. Robert Pattinson ($23.50 per $1)
10. Taylor Lautner ($21.40 per $1)

Paul Walker: Family Fued Over $45 Million Fortune — Report

Paul Walker’s family can’t come to an agreement on who gets his assets, according to a family source. His $45 million fortune is now causing quite the feud between Paul’s parents and his ex.

After mourning for Paul Walker, the late actor’s family is now deciding on who gets his assets — and it’s not an easy decision. From his daughter, Meadow Walker and her mother Rebecca McBrain to his parents, the huge amount of money has created a great deal of tension, according to a new report.

Paul Walker’s Family Fighting Over Money

Rebecca, the mother of Meadow who dated Paul from 1998 to 1999, believes that she should get some of Paul’s assets, a source told Star magazine.

Paul Walker Tribute - His Greatest Movie Star Moments

“There’s no way Paul’s family will let Rebecca get her hands on all the money,” the source said. “Paul’s family think they should be the financial caretakers.”
However, Rebecca isn’t the only one of Paul’s loves who wants some of the money. Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell, who dated Paul for seven years up until his tragic death, also feels like she should get some of his finances.
“Paul’s parents want to have control of his assets” though, the source said. “They think they know best.”

Meadow Walker ‘Too Young’

If Paul’s parents get control of the money, there’s a good chance they will put some away for their 15-year-old granddaughter.
“Meadow is too young to handle that much money,” the insider added.
Meadow, who recently was out at the first public event since Paul’s death to see Justin Bieber‘s movie Believe, was forming a new bond with her father before he died. She had just moved into his home from her mother’s Hawaii home.
“He was happier than you can imagine to have her living with him full-time,” a source told HollywoodLife.com exclusively. “She was the love of his life, he was an amazing dad and he was so happy that she chose to live with him because he never felt like he got enough time with her.”
Hopefully the family will put this feud behind them and stick together during this tough time.