BY MATTHEW HENGEVELD The Roots have never been the type of band to take the easy way out. Deservedly regarded as one of the hardest working bands of our time with a “constantly on the road” state of mind, they labor over every album like it could be their last. So, when I heard that the autumn 2009 release date of How I Got Over was being pushed back a couple of months, I didn’t fret. ?uestlove, the huge-afro’d drummer and maestro of the group, fearing backlash from dedicated fans, asked the Okayplayer fan base if the delay was acceptable. […]
THE SPY WHO LEFT ME: Ex-Hubbie Tells All Some
THE TELEGRAPH: The British ex-husband of alleged spy Anna Chapman has disclosed a series of emails she sent him weeks before her arrest, describing her regrets over the life she had chosen. Mrs Chapman, 28, told Alex Chapman she had “suffered a lot” because of her decision to put her career ahead of a chance to start a family with him. But she said she was determined to make her new life in America work, adding: “It’s never too late to be happy and succeed.” Mrs Chapman, who was arrested in the US last weekend as part of an 11-strong […]
CINEMA: The Beast In Me
THE KILLER INSIDE ME (2010, directed by Michael Winterbottom, 109 minutes, U.S.) CYRUS (2010, directed by Jay & Mark Duplass, 92 minutes, U.S.) LET IT RAIN (2008, directed by Agnès Jaoui, 98 minutes, France) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC Filming a novel like Jim Thompson’s pulp classic The Killer Inside Me is probably a fool’s errand, its lurid portrayal of a crazy Texas sheriff ain’t the shocker it once was, but that hasn’t stopped British director Michael Winterbottom from diving in and creating a surprisingly inert adaptation. Published in 1952, The Killer Inside Me is an inelible portrait of a […]
MEL GIBSON’s FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE FLARES UP
RADAR: In one of the most explosive, racist and vile outbursts by a celebrity ever caught on tape, Mel Gibson told the mother of his love child that the way she was dressed would get her “raped by a pack of n***ers,” RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. It’s a shocking and blockbuster development in the couple’s bitter legal battle, and Mel’s disgusting words are on audio tape. His racist, misogynist statement is one of the secrets lurking in his war with his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. RadarOnline.com has heard the tape, which also includes Mel telling Oksana he will burn down […]
DIVINE INTERVENTION: $5.8 Million Lenfest Donation Will Bring Ghost Ship Back From The Dead
[photo by EDDIE HALES] INQUIRER: All it needs to be a ghost ship is ghosts. But the SS United States – its name faded but visible on the bow – is going to come back from the dead, if its supporters have their way. Officials announced Thursday that Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest will donate up to $5.8 million to help save the ship, a storied but suffering ocean liner celebrated at a ceremony Thursday night on the Delaware River. The money will allow the Washington-based SS United States Conservancy to buy the ship from Norwegian Cruise Line, a subsidiary […]
SCRAPPLE TV NEWS: Puppy Of The Week!
Each week, our pal Jamie from the SPCA drops buy with a cute little puppy in need of a home. This show is already working its magic. Lila, the puppy we had on last week, has found a good home. And Puppy Of The Week director Marc Brodzik fell so hard for this little guy, he adopted him after the shoot. Awww.
CONTEST: Win Two Tix To See Faith No More Saturday
You want it all but you can’t have it. Actually, at Phawker you can have it all, and by ‘all’ we mean two tickets to see Faith No More at the Mann Music Center on Saturday. First emailer to FEED@PHAWKER.COM that answers the following questions wins: What color is the fish-out-of-water flopping around poignantly at the end of the video for “Epic”? Good luck, rockers. On a related note, we wanted to remind you about a pretty cool promotion AEG Live has come up with to promote the seven indie/alt-rock shows they are promoting at the Mann this summer, including: […]
PAPERBOY: Slow-Jamming The Alt-Weeklies
BY DAVE ALLEN Like time, news waits for no man. Keeping up with the funny papers has always been an all-day job, even in the pre-Internets era. These days, however, it’s a two-man job. That’s right, these days you need someone to do your reading for you, or risk falling hopelessly behind and, as a result, increasing your chances of dying lonely and somewhat bitter. That’s why every week PAPERBOY does your alt-weekly reading for you. We pore over those time-consuming cover stories and give you the takeaway, suss out the cover art, warn you off the ink-wasters and steer […]