Saturday, October 18, 2014

STARDUST weekly tidbits- October 18

Photo from: Bruce Wayne's Pinterest account

Here's what's been making entertainment news headlines around the world this week...just in case you missed it!

Michael Jackson still on top, even after death
Forbes Magazine released their annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities this week and sitting in the number one spot is none other than the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. MJ raked in US$140 million in earnings this year. Most of that money comes from the Michael Jackson Estate, which is running Cirque Du Soleil's very successful, Michael Jackson Immortal show. The late pop star's second posthumous album, Xscape was released this year and he also appeared in hologram form at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. Coming in at number two on Forbes list is Michael Jackson's former father-in-law and rock 'n' roll legend, Elvis Presley, with an estimated US$55 million in earnings this year. Presley's estate still does well due to the flock of fans, who visit Graceland annually. Peanuts cartoonist, Charles Schultz ranks number three on the list with US$40 million. Peanuts has never really gone away thanks to online versions of the famous comic strips and clever merchandising. Hollywood legend, Elizabeth Taylor comes in at number four with US$25 million this year, due to her successful perfume line and lastly to round out the list, coming in at number five is reggae singer, Bob Marley with an estimated US$20 million in earnings this year. The singer's face can be seen on everything from bags to t-shirts and even on a line of fruit-flavoured drinks.

Joan Rivers autopsy released
Joan Rivers autopsy report was released on Thursday, revealing her official cause of death to be a lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain. According to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner's (OCME) investigation the cause of Rivers death was brain damage due to a decrease in oxygen to the brain during her endoscopy surgery. The autopsy report also revealed that Rivers was under propofol sedation, the same anaesthetic that caused Michael Jackson's death in 2009. The comedian's death was classified as a "therapeutic complication", which means that her death officially resulted from a common complication of medical therapy. "We continue to be saddened by our tragic loss and grateful for the enormous outpouring of love and support from around the world. We have no further comment at this time", Rivers daughter, Melissa said in a statement.

Iggy Azalea and Snoop Dogg in Twitter feud
Snoop Dogg started the feud when he mocked Iggy Azalea's recent make-up free photo. Snoop tweeted a meme of a man with cornrows in his hair and likened it to the Australian hip-hop star. Iggy Azalea called Snoop Dogg an a**, Snoop called her a b**ch and now, we have a feud! The 24-year-old tweeted her own unflattering picture of Snoop and captioned it: "When your drug addict aunt gets clean". Iggy didn't stop there, she went on to explain why she thinks the 42-year-old rapper is two-faced. "I only had an issue with the meme in the first place because he acts another way to my face, he even follows me" Iggy tweeted. Snoop kept the feud going with an Instagram message saying "Iggy was a man so says Todd. Hahahahahaha goodnight b**ch!! Kangaroo yo pink punk a** bac to the land down unda"!! This set Iggy off on a Twitter rant "I could post a million more memes about Snoop Dogg making fun of the way he looks too, that's easy, but the real joke here is the middle-aged man who's butt hurt I asked why he was pulling a Regina George move on social media. If I'm a b**ch for asking why you are supportive to my face but another way on your Instagram then so be it" she tweeted. After days of arguing back and forth, the Australian rapper finally tweeted "Ima be the bigger man in this situation and leave it be".

Charlie Sheen splits from fiance'
Former Two And A Half Men star, Charlie Sheen confirmed that he has split from his fiance', Brett Rossi. "She's a terrific gal but we've mutually decided to go our separate ways and not spend the rest of our lives together. I've decided that my children deserve my focus more than a relationship does right now" Sheen said in a statement.

Kendall and Kylie Jenner make TIME's influential teens list
It has been a big week for magazine lists, with TIME releasing their 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014 list. The list has raised a few eyebrows because the publication places reality TV stars, Kendall Jenner, 18, and Kylie Jenner, 17 on the list alongside recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafazi, 17. Unsurprisingly many people have an issue with this. TIME magazine justifies the Jenners placement on the list, citing their multiple business ventures. "Together, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars hosted red carpet events, released clothing and nail polish lines and even published a dystopian young adult novel this past Summer (though yes, they had some help). They've had solo success too, Kendall with modelling (she's walked the runway for designers like Marc Jacobs) and Kylie with pseudo-entrepreneurship (she's launching a line of hair extensions and hopes to get into acting)" TIME wrote. 

Got any opinions or comments on any of these stories? I'd love to hear them! What's your take on the feud between Iggy Azalea and Snoop Dogg and what do you think of Forbes and TIME's lists? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment box below.

Information compiled from: Entertainment Tonight and Forbes Magazine   



  

  



   

The Hot List: October 18, 2014

I know this week's Hot List is three days late, but better late than never I say! Here are the top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the top ten Australian iTunes music downloads and the top five movie box office results from Australia and the USA this week. It looks like All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor and Shake It Off by Taylor Swift have stayed in the same position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, Animals by Maroon 5 has jumped into a surprise appearance at number seven and Hot Boy by Bobby Shmurda at number ten. The top iTunes music downloads have stayed the same as last week.

Billboard Hot 100
1) All About That Bass- Meghan Trainor
2) Shake It Off- Taylor Swift
3) Black Widow- Iggy Azalea Featuring Rita Ora
4) Habits (Stay High)- Tove Lo
5) Bang Bang- Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
6) Don't Tell Em- Jeremih Featuring YG
7) Animals- Maroon 5
8) Anaconda- Nicki Minaj
9) Stay With Me- Sam Smith
10) Hot Boy- Bobby Shmurda

Top 10 iTunes Downloads
 1) All About That Bass- Meghan Trainor
2) Shake It Off- Taylor Swift
3) Live Louder- Nathaniel
4) New Thang- Redfoo
5) Bang Bang- Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
6) Freaks- Timmy Trumpet and Savage
7) Jubel- Klingande
8) Blame- Calvin Harris
9) Budapest- George Ezra
10) Ugly Heart- G.R.L.

Top 5 Box Office Results (USA)
1) Gone Girl
2) Dracula Untold
3) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
4) Annabelle
5) The Judge

Top 5 Box Office Results (Australia)
1) Gone Girl
2) Annabelle
3) Dracula Untold
4) The Judge
5) The Maze Runner 

Information sourced from: Billboard, iTunes (Australia) and Box Office Mojo 





Thursday, October 16, 2014

The TMI Tag



Hello everyone! So I decided to do the TMI Tag after I was inspired by the lovely Ariel Kaplan, who plays Imogen Willis on Neighbours. I thought it would be a great idea for you STARDUST readers to get to know me. I mean it's one thing for me to sit and write entertainment news articles on my computer but this adds a bit more of a personal touch to things. I answered these 50 questions in my Youtube video below! Hope you all like it and I didn't make a complete fool of myself (not usually hard for me to do lol!)



TMI Tag questions:
1) What are you wearing?
2) Ever been in love?
3) Ever had a terrible break up?
4)  How tall are you?
5) How much do you weigh?
6) Any tattoos?
7) Any piercings?
8) OTP?
9) Favourite show?
10) Favourite bands?
11) Something you miss?
12) Favourite song?
13) How old are you?
14) Zodiac sign?
15) Quality you look for in a partner?
16) Favourite quote?
17) Favourite actor?
18) Favourite color?
19) Loud music or soft?
20) Where do you go when you're sad?
21) How long does it take you to shower?
22) How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
23) Ever been in a physical fight?
24) Turn on?
25) Turn off?
26) The reason I joined Youtube
27) Fears?
28) Last thing that made you cry?
29) Last time you said you loved someone?
30) Meaning behind your Youtube name?
31) Last book you read?
32) The book you're currently reading?
33) Last show you watched?
34) Last person you talked to?
35) The relationship between you and the last person you texted?
36) Favourite food?
37) Place you want to visit?
38) Last place you were?
39) Do you have a crush?
40) Last time you kissed someone?
41) Last time you were insulted?
42) Favourite flavour of sweet?
43) What instrument do you play?
44) Favourite piece of jewellery?
45) Last sport you played?
46) Last song you sang?
47) Favourite chat up line?
48) Have you ever used it?
49) Last time you hung out with someone?
50) Who should answer these questions next?

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Catherine Hicks sticks by Stephen Collins

Photo from: Angela Parsons Pinterest account

Actress, Catherine Hicks, who played the role of Annie Camden on 7th Heaven for 11 years has supported her former on-screen husband, Stephen Collins, after leaked tapes of Collins allegedly confessing to sexually abusing underage girls emerged this week.

Hicks stood behind Collins in the wake of the accusations, when she talked to paparazzi yesterday. "I really have nothing to say, nothing to hide. I don't know anything. Stephen's a good guy in my opinion" she said. When asked if anyone on the 7th Heaven set had any suspicion about Collins, the 63-year-old actress was adamant. "No, gosh, no" Hicks said.

The audio recording of the confession was taped by Collins ex-wife, Faye Grant and leaked to US tabloid news site, TMZ. Grant made a secret recording of the confession during a therapy session with Collins. TMZ says that Collins was unaware that he was being taped, but under California law it is legal to make such a recording in order to gather evidence for a "violent felony" charge.

The New York Police Department is investigating the case, as two of the three alleged incidents took place in New York City. The third was allegedly in Los Angeles. Police spokesman, Stephen David says a complaint was filed in 2012 and accused Collins of forcing a then 14-year-old girl to commit a lewd act in 1972. David says the case remains open but no charges have been filed. "There is a formal complaint on file and the incident is being investigated by the Manhattan Special Victims Squad" the police department's statement said. The Los Angeles Police Department is also reviewing the audiotape, but a spokesman said they did not plan to open their own investigation. 

Faye Grant and Stephen Collins are currently going through what TMZ described as a "nasty and prolonged divorce". The fallout from the allegations has been swift, with reports by The Hollywood Reporter of Collins being dropped from the sequel to Seth MacFarlane's hugely popular film, Ted, which is set for release in the US on June 26 next year. The US actors union, SAG-AFTRA has also confirmed that Collins resigned from the body's national board and the US cable channel, UPTV, which airs re-runs of 7th Heaven has pulled the program from its schedule.     

Got any opinions or comments about this story? Feel free to leave them in the comment box below.
 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The Hot List: October 8,2014





So I'm trying something new with STARDUST. This will be the first week of The Hot List, where I will tell you guys the top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the top ten Australian iTunes music downloads and the top five movie box office results from both the USA and Australia for the week.

Billboard Hot 100
1) All About That Bass- Meghan Trainor
2) Shake It Off- Taylor Swift
3) Anaconda- Nicki Minaj
4) Black Widow- Iggy Azalea Featuring Rita Ora
5) Bang Bang- Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
6) Stay With Me- Sam Smith
7) Habits (Stay High)- Tove Lo
8) Break Free- Ariana Grande Featuring Zedd
9) Don't Tell Em- Jeremih Featuring YG
10) Rather Be- Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne

Top 10 iTunes Downloads
1)  All About That Bass- Meghan Trainor
2) Shake It Off- Taylor Swift
3) Live Louder- Nathaniel
4) New Thang- Redfoo
5) Bang Bang- Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
6) Freaks- Timmy Trumpet and Savage
7) Jubel- Kilngande
8) Blame- Calvin Harris
9) Budapest- George Ezra
10) Ugly Heart- G.R.L

Top 5 Box Office Results (USA)
1) Gone Girl
2) Annabelle
3) The Equalizer
4) The Boxtrolls
5) The Maze Runner

Top 5 Box Office Results (Australia)
1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2) Into The Storm
3) Guardians Of The Galaxy
4) The Hundred - Foot Journey
5) The Inbetweeners 2 

Information sourced from: Billboard , iTunes (Australia) and Box Office Mojo

Let me know if you guys like this idea of The Hot List. If you do I'll make it a weekly thing! As always please feel free to leave comments, suggestions etc. 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

STARDUST weekly tidbits- October 5

Photo from: AT Celebrities Pinterest account

So it's been a few weeks since I've done one of these but nevertheless...Here's some of the latest entertainment news headlines from around the world this week...just in case you missed it!

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher welcome baby daughter
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have welcomed their baby daughter into the world on Wednesday and they have now revealed the baby's name. Kutcher took to his website to introduce his daughter to the world. "Mila and I would like to welcome Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher to the world. May your life be filled with wonder, love, laughter, health, happiness, curiosity and privacy" he wrote. The That 70s Show actor then challenged readers to guess which of several baby photos is actually Wyatt. "Can you guess which one is ours, or does it really matter?" Kutcher asked.

Kim Kardashian denies reports that she left baby, North West at hotel
Kim Kardashian is firing back at reports that she forgot her daughter, North West inside a Paris hotel this week. The reality star was seen leaving the hotel and heading to a car, before going back inside the lobby and exiting again, this time with her daughter. "Heard on the radio today some story I forgot my daughter at our hotel as I'm leaving for the airport. Are you kidding me?!?!?! LOL. I went to the car to make sure the car seat was in because the day before we had a car seat issue" Kardashian tweeted.

The Veronicas are back on top again
Jessica and Lisa Origliasso of The Veronicas have managed to make a big comeback this year, with their new song, You Ruin Me, which hit No.1 on the ARIA charts this week. The Veronicas had three years where they were releasing no music, due to disputes with their record label Warner Music. The twins are now signed with Sony Music.The 29-year-old singers admit that You Ruin Me is very different to the pop tunes that people are used to hearing from them. "We didn't expect anything, we just kind of wanted to get it out there, but for so many people to connect to the song it's very validating" Lisa Origliasso told Sydney Confidential.

Charlie Sheen sued over dentist incident
A dental technician who says actor, Charlie Sheen punched her in the chest during an office visit is now suing him for assault and battery. Margarita Palestino filed the lawsuit on Friday in Los Angeles seeking unspecified damages from the former Two And A Half Men star. The lawsuit accuses Sheen of attacking her during a dental appointment on September 25th, including punching her in the chest and grabbing her bra. "Sheen had an adverse reaction to the combination of nitrous oxide and pain medication he was taking for a shoulder injury and that Sheen knocked over dental instruments, but other elements of the woman's story are not true" Sheen's publicist, Jeff Ballard said. Los Angeles police said that they have an active investigation into the incident but could not release further details.

Slash to play at NRL grand final
Legendary rock guitarist and former Guns 'N' Roses member, Slash is set to perform during the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs NRL grand final. The rock star learned the basics of NRL when he watched the Rabbitohs play the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2010. Slash will perform his new single, Bent To Fly from his album Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. "For me, it is going to be such a great experience to be in that environment with that energy performing, even if it's just the one song it is going to be quite the experience" he said.

Got any opinions, thoughts and suggestions on this week's entertainment news headlines? If, so feel free to leave comments in the comment box below! 

Information compiled from: Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and The Daily Telegraph      


Friday, October 3, 2014

20 years of the Kennedys on Neighbours!

Photo from: Neighbours Facebook page



Okay, so most people who have known me for a while will be aware that I am a massive fan of long-running Australian soap opera, Neighbours. I've been watching the show since I was eight years old back in 1996. Today is a very important occasion in the history of Neighbours so I can't let it slip by unnoticed. October 3rd, 2014 marks 20 years since the Kennedy family i.e. Alan Fletcher (Dr. Karl Kennedy), Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Benji McNair (Malcolm Kennedy), Kym Valentine (Libby Kennedy) and Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer) (and, yes in case you were wondering that's the very same Jesse Spencer who played Dr. Chase on House) arrived on Ramsay Street!

The Kennedys are my favourite TV family and one of my all-time favourite Neighbours families. I loved the Scullys to! I have grown up watching the Kennedys on TV every weeknight at 6:30pm and I can't believe how fast the 20 years have gone! I think some of my favourite Kennedy moments over the past 20 years have been the Kennedys arrival on Neighbours back in 1994, the famous slap that Susan gave Karl after his affair with Sarah (Nicola Charles) in 1998 and Libby and Drew's wedding in 2001. I actually didn't see the Kennedys arrival on the street when it first aired on TV because I was only six at the time but I've seen it on DVD a few times since then. I always crack up at the part where Danni (Eliza Szonert) and Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt) help the Kennedys move the piano (at least I think it was a piano?) and they make a huge hole in the wall, much to Karl's dismay.
 

I would like to congratulate Benji McNair, Kym Valentine, Jesse Spencer and especially, Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne, who of course are still kicking it on Neighbours as the legendary Dr. Karl and Susan Kennedy after 20 years on this amazing milestone. I'm pretty sure that Alan Fletcher and Kym Valentine will be reading this and possibly some other current members of the Neighbours cast and crew so thank you very much for giving me and so many other Neighbours fans 20 years of very fond memories.

If any other Neighbours fans are reading this what are your favourite Kennedy moments? Feel free to share them in the comment box below. I will leave you all with a special video tribute that I made in honour of this event. I hope you enjoy it! Happy 20th anniversary to the Kennedys and much love!



   

Parenthood farewell season kicks off

Photo from: Parenthood Facebook page

Hi guys! Yes, I know its been a few weeks in between blog posts but I had a medical emergency. It was the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashana) last week and I was cutting an apple, you know to eat my apple dipped in honey. I somehow managed to give myself a very nasty cut with the knife. Five hours of waiting in the emergency room at the hospital and a tetanus shot later I had my finger bandaged up. The bandages are still on at the moment and they come off on Sunday! Yay! So, in a nutshell it is extremely hard to type with one hand, which I am doing right now. That's the reason for the lack of blog posts. I'm trying to get everything back to normal as soon as possible though. 

I think I've bored everyone enough with my dramas so let's get straight into this. The sixth and final season of Parenthood premiered in the USA on September 25th. I'm in Sydney, Australia so unfortunately I didn't get to see the first episode of season six until a few days after the original air date. Parenthood's run in Australia has actually been very sporadic. The time slot changed so many times and it was always on late at night at about 9:30pm, as a result Parenthood has always been somewhat of an enigma on Australian television. I have always felt that if Channel 7 aired it a little earlier in the evening at about 8:30pm, and perhaps on another night not directly after Aussie family drama, Packed To The Rafters on a Tuesday it could've done well here. Parenthood has extremely loyal fans in Australia nonetheless, for those of us who do watch it. I have no idea when the sixth season will actually be airing in Australia so I'm watching it on American time (Thank goodness for internet streaming ay?)   

So the end of season five left us wondering whether Amber [Mae Whitman] was pregnant, Zeke [Craig T. Nelson] and Camille [Bonnie Bedelia] sold the Braverman family home, Adam [Peter Krause] and Kristina [Monica Potter] were about to open their new school so Max [Max Burkholder] could attend and we were left wondering what the future would hold for Joel [Sam Jaeger] and Julia [Erika Christensen]. I really enjoyed the first episode of season six! It seems like Julia is trying to move on with her life after her separation from Joel. It should be interesting to see where Sarah's [Lauren Graham] relationship with Hank [Ray Romano] goes this time around and it was so heart warming at the end to see Max try and attend Chambers Academy after Adam and Kristina had worked so hard to get it open in time.

If the first episode of the new season is anything to go by I think we will be in for a great final season. Parenthood is a show that has become very dear to my heart because the story lines are quite true to life. I am so glad that it's back for a sixth season and I will be sad to see it go. Do any of you watch Parenthood? If, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box below!