Meghan Markle, Prince Harry called local villains by neighbors in ritzy California town
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly are called local villains by neighbors of the ritzy California town the couple fled to after leaving their royal roles behind. One Montecito resident, who has never met the couple but spoke to Vanity Fair, referred to the duo as the prince and "the starlet." The neighbors of the quiet Santa Barbara area attribute many of the new annoyances to Markle and Prince Harry, including increased housing prices, busy streets and more.
Trump inauguration: Carrie Underwood, Kid Rock, Jason Aldean lead musical lineup
President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration events are gearing up to be filled with a number of celebrity performers. Many of country music's biggest stars are preparing to take the stage for a number of events taking place throughout the weekend and on Monday, the day of Trump's inauguration. Here is a list of celebrities performing at various inaugural gatherings.
How Booked is building a community one stellar reading recommendation at a time
Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way, and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities. Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations. This week we have Booked in Evanston, Illinois!
Japanese TV network to open independent probe into alleged sexual misconduct by celebrity host
The head of Japan’s Fuji Television network announced plans on Friday for an independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against one of the country’s top celebrities and company officials’ suspected involvement. Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the SMAP boy band who is now a popular TV host at the network, has been linked by local media reports to allegations of sexual assault at a party which it is alleged was arranged by a member of staff at Fuji TV.
Movie Review: Cameron Diaz is ‘Back in Action’ with Jamie Foxx as glam spies turned dorky parents
But, we do Wordle!! Er, OK. That’s how former secret agent Matt (Jamie Foxx) explains that he and wife Emily are now living a boring, mundane, glamour-free life and nobody would ever be looking for them. To which the rest of us Wordle players say: Whoa, speak for yourself, Matt! Lots of us play Wordle and we don’t think WE’RE boring or mundane. Anyway! More to the point is that Matt’s explanation obviously doesn’t work, because within a moment he and Emily are, yes, “Back in Action.” It’s not only the title of director Seth Gordon’s film, but the story of Foxx’s co-star, Cameron Diaz. Back in movies after more than a decade, Diaz retains her easy charm and has chemistry with Foxx. But this doesn’t mean their lines are funny or logical. Often, they are neither. We start 15 years ago, in a pre-credits sequence featuring our ultra-cool co-spies (also lovers). Their job is to pose as French arms dealers visiting the home of a shadowy Russian terrorist — then break into a safe and steal a key to the entire world’s infrastructure or something.
David Lynch, director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’, dead at 78
David Lynch, an influential director known for his unique and surrealistic films and TV shows including “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78. His death was confirmed via his official Facebook page, where his family wrote: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”
Conan O’Brien will receive the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy
Comedian and host Conan O’Brien was named the newest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy on Thursday. O’Brien, 61, has carved out an improbable decadeslong career arc, moving from goofy television interloper to comedic elder statesman. Along the way, he survived one of the most public failures in the history of television on “The Tonight Show” — only to launch a successful, and sustained, next act.
Movie Review: A family is torn apart under Brazil’s dictatorship in ‘I’m Still Here’
It’s easy to fall in love with the Paiva family. Filmmaker Walter Salles makes sure of that in “I’m Still Here.” He drops the audience into the warm everyday of the beautiful home of Eunice (Fernanda Torres) and Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, where their five kids run freely between the beach and their living room. Life is calmly chaotic, full of affection, gentle familial teasing and various life stages (one is about to lose a tooth, another about to go to university). Someone always seems to have wet hair, be covered in sand, or bringing in a mangy stray, as their youngest, Marcelo, does in the film’s lovely opening. Even if their life is technically worlds away from any one person in the audience, it feels familiar and close. Anyone coming to “I’m Still Here” will surely know that this domestic tranquility does not and cannot hold. It was about seven years into Brazil’s military dictatorship, which would last until 1985. And while the film suggests that there was a semblance of normalcy in their day to day, there are also ominous signs of change and oppression — reports of ambassadors being kidnapped on the news, and tense “random” traffic stops that their eldest daughter endures one night. Some left-leaning citizens are making plans to leave, but the Paiva family is not in a terrible rush. They’re even making plans to build a new home.
Movie Review: ‘One of Them Days’ will convince you Keke Palmer is a star
Horror, not comedy, has been the go-to movie genre in recent years, but a movie like “One of Them Days,” starring Keke Palmer and, in her big-screen debut, SZA, is a good reminder of what we’ve been missing. Creepy stuff and jump scares, we’ve been told, have proved better suited for channeling our abiding contemporary dread. But the communal joys of big-screen comedy have, and always will, suit dark days as much as light ones, if not more so. “One of Them Days,” for instance, happens to arrive while Los Angeles, where the movie is set, has been decimated by wildfires. The Southern California skies, though, are crystal clear in “One of Them Days.” In the opening moments, someone says, “It’s always cooler on the West side.” “One of Them Days,” which had its premiere cancelled by the fires, is a welcome warm breeze for a movie landscape that has largely frozen out the comedy. There’s one overwhelming reason for this: Keke Palmer.
Mel Gibson calls out 'monumental mismanagement' of LA fires by California government after losing his home
Actor Mel Gibson is joining the long list of elite residents who have accused elected officials of mishandling the Los Angeles fires. Gibson, who lost his home in the crisis, slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an exclusive interview with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo. "Well, first I thought it was, 'Oh gee, bad luck, tragedy.' But then I came to realize that it was monumental mismanagement by our elected officials; and that’s the nicest thing you can say about it," Gibson said on the debut episode of the "Arroyo Grande with Raymond Arroyo" podcast.