Thursday, August 23, 2012

Nude photos of Prince Harry in Vegas cause royal hangover for Buckingham Palace


By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout

Nude photos of Prince Harry partying in a Las Vegas hotel room are causing another royal headache for the British monarchy.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday that the pictures of the 27-year-old naked prince playing pool in a hotel suite, posted by TMZ.com on Tuesday, are real.

According to TMZ, the pictures were taken Friday after Harry and his entourage went down to the hotel bar and invited the unidentified women back to his hotel suite and engaged in a game of "strip pool." In one of the images, Harry is seen standing and covering his genitals with his hand; in another, the prince is bear-hugging a naked woman.

Sources told ABC that Harry—who was heavily involved in London's Olympic hosting duties—"has been on holiday with friends, letting off steam before the next phase of his military duties." On Monday, Harry and U.S. gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte faced off in an impromptu "swim battle" at a pool party at Las Vegas' Wynn Hotel.

According to the BBC, the palace said it would be making no further comments about the nude images.

But the "Hangover"-like shots of Harry, third in line to the British throne, have nonetheless called into question the prince's royal judgment.

"Everybody knows better than to party naked in a room full of strangers without confiscating the cellphones," ABC News public relations consultant Howard Bragman said. "That's just Hollywood 101. There's always deniability, but once the photos are taken, you're caught."

"This is a mess—this was not the type of fun he was supposed to be having," a "source close to Harry"—apparently unfamiliar with Las Vegas' trademarked motto—told Us Weekly. "He's in trouble."

Harry's been in trouble before.

In 2005, the "playboy prince" apologized after a photograph taken at a costume party showed him wearing a Nazi uniform.

In 2002, Prince Charles sent Harry, then 17, to rehab after he admitted smoking marijuana and getting drunk in a pub near the royal family's country estate—which earned him the nickname "wild child."

In recent years, though, Harry has made an effort to shed his "wild" image, taking on more royal responsibility—including a solo tour of the Caribbean and Brazil in May.

"Prince Harry is not the first royal playboy and he certainly won't be the last," Daniella Gibb wrote on the Huffington Post U.K. blog. "Some of the most glorious royals in history were naughty. Comparisons have long been made between our Prince Harry and another handsome red-headed prince, Harry Tudor. He, too, as a second son was not expected to become King and therefore didn't have that burden or responsibility."





Monday, August 20, 2012

'Top Gun' director dies after jumping off bridge


By CHRISTOPHER WEBER | Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Scott, director of such Hollywood hits as "Top Gun," ''Days of Thunder" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," died Sunday after jumping from a Los Angeles County bridge, authorities said.

The 68-year-old Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Joe Bale said.

"I can confirm that Tony Scott has passed away. The family asks that their privacy is respected at this time," Scott's spokesman, Simon Halls, said in a statement.

Several people called 911 around 12:35 p.m. to report that someone had jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles Harbor, according to Los Angeles police Lt. Tim Nordquist.

A dive team with Los Angeles Port Police pulled the body from the murky water several hours later, Nordquist said. Scott's body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner's office.

One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed to traffic during the investigation. Cargo vessels moved at reduced speeds through the east side of the port's main channel during the search, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

Investigators found a note in Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on the bridge, according to the Los Angeles Times. That note listed contact information. A suicide note was later found at his office.

The British-born Scott, who lived in Beverly Hills, was producer and director Ridley Scott's younger brother. Distinct visual styles mark both siblings' films — Ridley Scott mastering the creation of entire worlds with such films as "Gladiator," ''Blade Runner," ''Alien" and this year's "Prometheus," Tony Scott known for hyper-kinetic action and editing on such films as his most recent, the runaway train thriller "Unstoppable," starring regular collaborator Denzel Washington.

Scott was a thrill-seeker himself in his personal life, an avid rock climber who also liked driving fast cars and motorcycles. Still, filmmaking was his real thrill.

"The biggest edge I live on is directing. That's the most scary, dangerous thing you can do in your life," Scott said in an interview for his 1995 naval adventure "Crimson Tide." ''The scariest thing in my life is the first morning of production on all my movies. It's the fear of failing, the loss of face and a sense of guilt that everybody puts their faith in you and not coming through."

Tony was the first of the Scott brothers to enjoy blockbuster success with "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise, the top-grossing film of 1986 at $176 million. Scott teamed with Cruise again four years later on the hit "Days of Thunder." He also had a sequel to "Top Gun" in development.

But Ridley Scott later managed more and bigger hits than his brother and earned a level of critical respect never achieved by Tony Scott. "Gladiator" won the best-picture Academy Award for 2000 and earned Ridley Scott one of his three best-director nominations; Tony Scott never was in the running for an Oscar, and critics often slammed his movies for emphasizing style over substance.

Even Scott admitted that it was a challenge to infuse drama into some of his scenarios — for example, cars racing in circles in "Days of Thunder." In an interview for that 1990 summer hit, Scott was blunt about where some of the ideas came from.

"I went back and I stole from all race movies to date," Scott said. "I took the better elements, then tried to build on them. Really, the speed, the energy and the placement of the audience inside some of the cars came in the editing room. ...

"I'm always pushing for something new and fresh in the way things are shot, and the rest happens in the editing room. ... The real speed comes from the cutters and what they do with the celluloid."

While Ridley Scott had an auspicious start to his film career with 1977's acclaimed period drama "The Duellists" and 1979's "Alien," Tony Scott bombed with his debut, 1983's supernatural romance "The Hunger," with David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve.

He vaulted into Hollywood's top ranks the next time out, with "Top Gun," followed a year later by "Beverly Hills Cop II," both with producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The two brothers ran Scott Free Productions and were working jointly on a film called "Killing Lincoln," based on the best seller by Bill O'Reilly. Along with countless commercials, their company produced the CBS dramas "NUMB3RS" and "The Good Wife" as well as a 2011 documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg for the History Channel.

Tony Scott said he gained perspective by mixing things up between film, TV and commercials.

"I like changing the pace of my life, changing my discipline. It gives me ideas for how to see the world differently," Scott said in a 2007 interview.

Besides "Unstoppable," Scott worked with Washington on four other movies: "Crimson Tide," ''Man on Fire," Deja Vu" and "The Taking of Pelham 123."

In a tweet Sunday, director Ron Howard said, "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day."

Director Jon Favreau tweeted, "Such sad news about Tony Scott. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends."

Other Scott films include "True Romance," written by Quentin Tarantino, "The Fan," with Robert De Niro, and "Enemy of the State," starring Will Smith.

Scott was married to actress Donna Scott, who appeared in several of her husband's films. They have twin sons.

Completed in 1963, the 6,060-foot Vincent Thomas Bridge links rises 185 feet at its highest point above the Los Angeles Harbor. Many have taken their lives by jumping from the span.

The bridge has been used in many Hollywood productions, among them "Charlie's Angels," ''Gone in 60 Seconds" and "The Fast and the Furious."

Katie Holmes Teaches Suri Cruise How to Ride a Bike



Us Weekly

Katie Holmes is guiding her little girl in more ways than one!

The Romantics actress, 33, taught her daughter, Suri Cruise, 6, how to ride a bicycle in New York City August 18. Wearing a V-neck white tee and blue jeans, Holmes kept a watchful eye over her child with ex-husband Tom Cruise, 50.

Suri, whose pink helmet matched her magenta bicycle, placed her favorite stuffed animal in a basket as Holmes steered the bike by taking hold of one of its handlebars. Though they've been spotted spending time at family-friendly venues like the Bronx Zoo and Chelsea Piers, an insider recently told Us Weekly that Holmes intends to give her daughter a more structured schedule.

"Suri's life is going to change," the insider said. "Katie wants to really become a parent and start teaching her strong discipline."

The mother-daughter duo recently returned to the Big Apple after a brief visit to Holmes' native Ohio. In the months following the actress' split with Tom, "she's been doing really great," another source recently told Us. "She's so strong. She's an independent girl with her own ideas."

Holmes and her daughter currently reside in a $12,500-a-month apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The actress will return to Broadway this fall in Theresa Rebeck's new play, Dead Accounts. The five-character comedy will be directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien.
 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Spice Girls reunite at Olympics closing ceremony





By Jessica Derschowitz
(CBS News) The Spice Girls reunited Sunday for a performance during the star-studded closing ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown - aka Posh Spice, Baby Spice, Ginger Spice, Sporty Spice and Scary Spice - sang their hits "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life" while riding around the Olympic Stadium atop bedazzled taxi cabs.

It was the first time the British '90s group has performed together since their reunion tour more than four years ago. Earlier this year, the quintet came together to announce details of "Viva Forever," a musical based on their songs that is set to begin in London this fall.
Beckham was featured in the closing ceremony twice - during the Spice Girls performance, and earlier in the show, when one of her designs appeared in the portion of the evening celebrating British fashion.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Kim Kardashian’s swimsuit picture obsession

Kim Kardashian tweeted these photos on August 2 (Instagram) 





By Suzy Byrne | A-Line: Celebrity Style

Another week, another two new bikini photos of Kim Kardashian! On Thursday, the reality TV star posted a pair of self-portraits to Twitter in which she was wearing a revealing brown string bikini with gold embellishments. She labeled the first photo "pool time." The second, tweeted soon after, was tagged, "#nofilter #nophotoshop."

Is it us or is the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star a bit obsessed with sharing her swimsuit photos with the world?

Skimming her Twitter feed over the last month, she's shared at least six bathing suit pics. Unlike the new ones — snapped in what appears to be a very fancy bathroom — the others were taken in more exotic locations. On July 15, Kanye West's lady love posted a va-va-voom shot of her sporting a one-piece with a plunging neckline and black-and-white stilettos. "Good morning Miami," she wrote alongside the shot, which was taken on a yacht. (Good thing it wasn't snapped on a beach — we don't think she'd get far in those heels!) A few days earlier, she tweeted a vintage photo from a 2009 calendar shoot that took place in Cabo San Lucas. In the pic, Kim strikes a sexy pose in which she's standing on a bed with her arms over her head while the sun comes up in the background. "Sunrise summertime shoot," she wrote, again noting that the image was not photoshopped.

Based on the frequency in which she shares these racy shots (and brags that they are not photoshopped), one would think Kim, 31, is completely at ease with her famously voluptuous body, but that doesn't seem to be the case. During an appearance on the U.K. web series "Lorraine" in June, she was asked if she was comfortable with her curves and had a hard time answering the question. "I think so, for sure," she said before changing her answer. "Well, no, I'm such a perfectionist. I don't think I'm ever really comfortable."

She also talked about how her thighs are her biggest insecurity, saying, "I still have some cellulite." She also noted that Spanx is "the greatest invention."

One would also assume that if she's endlessly posting photos of herself in various states of undress, she must be getting nothing but encouragement after she posts each picture, right? Not necessarily. On the more recent images, there are comments from Instagram users like capetownsista, who wrote, "Why do you feel the need to take pics of yourself and post it? So many of you out there as it is. I'm just saying." And marc20031987 commented, "Very nice but slightly attention seeking."

That's not to say that all the feedback is bad. amberfox07, who is on Team Kim, wrote, "It's pictures like this that reassure girls that being skin and bones is not always sexy! Props Kim!!!" And Mattybee23 was so inspired that he proposed: "MARRY ME."
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