Will John Travolta Renounce The Church Of Scientology?
There's a rumor going around that one of Scientology's most powerful proponents, John Travolta, is looking to leave the draconian religion once and for all. After the year he's had, it would make sense. According to the Daily Mail - who rounded up some interesting quotes on the matter - it appears to be a very real possibility. To say Travolta's had a rough go of it recently would be putting it very, very lightly. On the business side of things, Travolta's big role this year performed under studio expectations. An complete aside, when you consider his personal life: His son Jett - reportedly autistic, a diagnosis the Church of Scientology refuses to dignify - passed away earlier this year. Travolta defied Scientology and acknowledged it. Some sleazy gossip website put together a theory that enlists the idea of Travolta not only having a gay lover, but the gay lover - his son's nanny - being a primary cause of his son's death. Which is besides the fact that someone tried to extort him over documents involved in his son's transportation, and his wife might've tried (successfully) to get Roger Friedman fired by going to the top brass at Fox over Friedman's comments on Scientology. All of this gives the Daily Mail's report some ground to walk on, when they note: His distress, say sources close to him, has been compounded by the first cracks in his 34-year relationship with the Church of Scientology, the cult-like religion of which Travolta is a prominent and generous benefactor. And there are dark mutterings that if he carries out private threats to leave, the organisation will go public with embarrassing details of his private life, including, it is claimed, allegations of past homosexual relationships. Sources in the U.S. disclosed to me this week that his son's sudden death has 'deeply shaken' Travolta's faith in the strange sect, which makes wild claims about its ability to cure a variety of physical and mental disorders. There's more talk of Travolta taking late night drives by himself, and being in a "state of constant distress." There's the very evident weight Travolta's gained. There's the memory of Scientology's scary-ass leader David Miscavage slagging on Travolta's sexuality: Earlier, the prestigious Time magazine also reported allegations made by Richard Aznaran, the former security head of Scientology, that the Church's leader, David Miscavige, had repeatedly joked about Travolta's 'promiscuous homosexual behaviour'. And then there's the fact that Scientology has a well known history of intimidation of the physical and emotional stripe. This goes without saying, but: Travolta's donated millions of dollars, and what could only be thousands of hours to the church throughout his life. Shit, he made Battlefield Earth. For a celebrity of Travolta's stature to renounce Scientology would be massive, for both parties. Even rumors of Travolta's potential departure from the religion are pretty damning. Granted, it'll be a difficult path if he... MORE >>
We Didn't Go to Comic-Con and All That We Got Was This Lousy Photo Gallery
They like sci-fi! They wear costumes! They play with light sabers! They saw The X-Files movie in the theater! Yes, every year people freak out when they found out that Comic-Con is full of freaks. Well, it wouldn't be the same without them. Here are some of our favorite pictures from the first two days. Strangely, most of them are of women. Like everyone else, the photographer is probably too scared of girls to actually talk to them, so he just snaps away. Publicity shy Tinkerbell hides from the paparazzi. Just because you have a Darth Vader helmet on does not mean you're wearing a costume. "Hi, this is Dick Cavett under here. Have you seen my friend, Darth Vader?" Captain Transamerica. Perez Hilton makes a killer Green Lantern. Not a librarian costume, a real librarian. John Cho immediately after placing index finger to temple and cocking thumb. "Listen, I thought I wouldn't have to bring this up after last year's debacle, but I repeat: Section 498 of the guidelines of the Pretend Princess Leia Federation states that you must be under 217 pounds to wear the gold bikini costume. Thank you." The front row of the Robert Pattinson panel. "Then I got up on and served Peter Jackson and James Cameron water. It was freaking suh-weet!" Apparently Halloween isn't the only occasion for slutty cheerleader uniforms anymore. Attack of the 50-foot Megan Fox. Mommy, help! Sadly, we know who she's dressed up as. And she did a killer job. Millions of fanboys left in a huff when they learned that the Cameron Diaz panel about The Box had no mention of, well, you know... Former East German swimmer and Olympic gold medal winner Helga Auchtenfluz came as the Hulk. If she can read our mind she'd hear us thinking, "Spandex? Really?" Isn't that a Vulcan symbol? Where's your authenticity? Pretty girl uglies herself up so someone will actually talk to her at Comic-con. Fired from his job fighting litter, Paper Iron Man got a job as a holiday gift wrapper at Macy's. No, not Dora the Explorer. Just some kid. The Ice King goes in search of his bride, Anna Wintour. MORE >>
Obamas, Clintons, Anybody Who's Anybody Will Be In Martha's Vineyard This Summer
All hell's gonna break loose on Martha's Vineyard at the end of August when (1) the Obama family descends on the quiet East Coast getaway for two weeks and (2) Chelsea Clinton's wedding goes down. So: where're they living? Blue Heron Farm, which is located somewhere in the Chillmark section of Martha's Vineyard. White House staffers apparently vetted twenty different places on the island before settling on the estate. What's it got going for it? The four dwellings on the estate are dominated by a white Victorian farmhouse, and the property overlooking a finger of the Tisbury Great Pond includes an apple orchard, flower and vegetable gardens, stone walls, a swimming pool, a golf practice tee and a small basketball court. Not bad. Also, they can bring the mutt. Places like it go for $20,000 a week in the area, but the White House isn't disclosing how much Blue Heron's gonna go for, though they do note that the First Family's gonna be picking up the tab. Now: why Martha's Vineyard? Easy: Chelsea Clinton's wedding, which has been denied time and time again by Clinton staffers and people who didn't get invited. Interestingly enough, the New York Times is running a travel guide on the Vineyard on Sunday. The lede: The Democrats are back in power, which means Martha's Vineyard is on the political radar again. The Kennedys have been coming since there were actual vineyards, Chelsea Clinton is reportedly tying the knot on the island and - oh, didn't you hear? - the Obamas are on their way. But part of the Vineyard's appeal is how easily it shrugs off snobbery, unlike other fancy playgrounds. (We're looking at you, East Hampton.) Woah woah WOAH holy shit! Not good! Didn't they get the memo from the Sunday Styles? The voice of the people is the voice of bullshit. Who gave these guys the key to the car? Not good. BOUGIE FAIL. Can they redeem themselves in the eyes of the Styles Gods? It's a picture-perfect beach shack - without the beach. Housed in a tiny, weathered shingle house on a small side street in Menemsha, the Bite (29 Basin Road; 508-645-9239; www.thebitemenemsha.com) has been serving what many regard as the island's best fried clams, oysters, squid, shrimp and scallops for more than 20 years. There are only two picnic tables, so bring a couple of icy beers, get a small order of clams ($12.95) and take the paper bag of crispy deliciousness to the dock and watch the fishermen. Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan and Henry Louis Gates are all regulars, and if the road is blocked off when you go, get your camera ready - word is that the first family is going to pay a visit.Open May through October. Dangerous territory with Styles peeps: any restaurant where you can eat for under $50 is a shonda. But the subtle implication that ANGRY EDUCATED BLACK DUDES (AND THEIR FRIEND BILL CLINTON) LIKE FRIED FOOD should be good enough to suffice the Weekly Print Deities of Liberal White Bougie Privilege...for now. Obamas Not Roughing It [NY Daily News] 36 Hours in... MORE >>
Is Judd Apatow's Funny People Ha-Ha Funny, Or Awkward Turtle "Funny?"
Yesterday, the first reviews of Judd Apatow's Funny People started to trickle out from the major film critics. How'd it do? Well... Wordy but fun, overreaching yet accurate, Variety's Todd but McCarthy - who gives great analysis with sometimes decent box office projections - has mixed, yet succinct, feelings, to put it lightly. His lede, emphasis mine: Candid but long-winded, well observed but undisciplined, "Funny People" feels like Judd Apatow's diploma picture marking his move from high school to college as a filmmaker. Amusing and engaging yet lacking in snap and cohesion, this insider's look at the world of standup comics in contempo Los Angeles rings true in its view of the variously warped, stunted and narrow lives of its mostly male denizens. Adam Sandler's central performance as some version of himself is notable for its revelation of callowness and ambivalent self-regard, which will fascinate some fans and turn off others. Curiosity should spur a healthy opening, with likely widely divergent reactions suggesting questionable staying power. Could've guessed that one, though: Apatow's making a movie with a big heart where the endgame is more than just some great dick jokes and a moral, and that's evident by the premise. How about that third act, when the movie inevitably gets all serious on us to show what an aueteur Apatow is? While it has its moments, this long latter stretch drains the picture of what little momentum it had and switches the focus to [Leslie Mann's] Laura and her own marital problems, which are annoying and not entirely convincing. Eegh. McCarthy goes on to slam Leslie Mann, and take us away from the Apatow and Sandler we want to see (like, incidentally, the last third of Funny People, apparently). But what'd the other trade in town think? Silly wittle Hollywood Reporter, show us what you've got: Bottom Line: A more mature but still funny Judd Apatow comedy whose move into serious human relation issues nearly scuttles the third act...there is a serious side to this film that makes the second half go awry....George's [Adam Sandler's] disease goes into remission — and the air comes out of the movie. Finally, what do the bloggahs have to say? Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere, Keyboard Cat us out of here: It's not a "great" film but for me it's a stunningly brave (by which I mean exceptionally candid and self-revealing) one. And funny as shit. And we have a consensus! While it's funny and great and well, Apatow's noble attempts at painting deep, murky moral colors at the end of his film aren't as good as Apatow's skill at directing a good dick joke. And this is the problem I always had with people who would shove a boxed set of Freaks and Geeks DVDs in my face like it was the second coming of good television that I'd never seen: sure, it has its moments, but I can't see beyond the non-revelatory revelatory moments to understand why it's the best thing in dramedy since Edward Albee. That being said, I'm... MORE >>
Colonel Kate Major's War For Jon Gosselin's Soul
Jon Gosselin's pissed Kate Major's lying about them being together. Another parent peddles her kids for money when really, she should be a Spider Man villain. Lindsay Lohan gives me Gwyneth's GOOPy runs. Happy Saturday Morning, here we go: Jon Gosselin, sigh, is now vehemently denying any kind of romance with Star Reporter Kate Major, and has now become part of a gossip cycle where everyone - including yours truly - is being played by some guy who helped a lady pop out eight kids and a Star reporter. Apparently he told somebody at Zombie Radar: "Oh my God, I can't believe she did this to me...What do I do? She's totally [expletive] me over!" Well, the first thing you should do is stop talking to people at Zombie Radar. If it's advice you're after, you should ask someone from Radar 3.0. They'd know what to do. The second thing you should do: have a vasectomy. Make sure you can never, ever procreate again. It's just a bad idea. The next thing you should do is burn any clothing you've purchased over the last few months. Then you should tell Kate Major to go away. Sell the place you just bought in New York, and move back to Pennsylvania. Get a place nearby (it can even be your "gangsta-ass pimp pad" or whatever, if that's really what you need) so your wife - ravenous with power over your guys' eight little moneymakers - can not raise eight human beings whose sole reason for existence is to talk about what a fuckhead they think you are, because if you leave her to her own device, that's exactly what she's going to do. She will raise eight people who will inevitably hate you, only kind of hate her, and be way more like her than you. And if the world goes to war with each other and everyone has to take a side, you'll be lucky if they don't bayonet you. And that's what you get for hanging out with a Star reporter. She's saying that you guys are bumping uglies and you're surprised?! Jon Gosselin, sigh. [NYDN and NYDN] Oh, and he wants his own reality show. Seperate from Kate and the kids. Please give me your tenative titles in the comments, I'll be busy having an ulcer. [E!] Speaking of terrible parents churning out children for the sole reason of creating a profitable enterprise, Octomom - who should be the next Spider Man villain on name alone, and I can't be the first one to think of this: she throws her children at you and they beg you to take them away, she's powered by Zombie Radar and her Achilles Heel is the sad apathy of the world which isn't so much sad as it is generally fair - just signed her kids into a labor agreement. Each kid gets $250/day, and she's looking at around $250,000 over three years, and the other six kids...don't get nothin'. Yeah: so eight of her kids are getting paid for the reality show, the other six get bupkes. Which won't create any kind of inferiority complex. At all. [NYDN] When you think "Lindsay Lohan" and "shakes," you probably think of a reaction involving sniffable drugs, particularly, imported South American... MORE >>
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