Movie sequels occasionally work if the script is a thoughtful continuation of the first film, but if they’re done badly, they end up recycling old storylines with a D-list cast for a quick buck. Then there are those sequels that are so bad, the movie studio tucks them into a deep, dark abyss of an alleyway to prevent you from seeing them. These are their stories. 

Mean Girls 2

Despite multiple offers by Paramount to write the sequel, Tina Fey distanced herself from the monstrosity that is Mean Girls 2. The only actor who returned to the franchise was Tim Meadows, who played Principal Duvall. Coincidentally (or not?), he’s also starring in another upcoming sequel — Grown Ups 2. No surprise, the first 25 seconds of the trailer is swallowed by our favourite moments from the original film, because the new script doesn’t have two legs to stand on. The plot is essentially the same as the first, except Cady is replaced by Jo, a 17-year-old tomboy who lives with her father, and the lead Plastic is brunette instead of blonde. WOAH, slow down Mean Girls 2, you’re blowing my mind.

Legally Blondes

I was OBSESSED with Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde when it came out in 2001 and watched it every year before school started. It was a tradition, so don’t JUDGE me thank you. That’s why it hurts my fragile soul to hear the Oscar-winning actress and blonde bombshell thought producing Legally Blondes (notice the plurality) would be a smart idea even after the failure of Legally Blonde 2 — the whole thing reeks of irony. In this stand alone triquel, the youngest cousins of Elle Woods must defend themselves when their school’s reigning forces frame them for a crime. The randomly British twins find strength in their Chihuahuas and use the school code to defend their pink-dominated wardrobe. Amurca’s about freedom of choice y’all.

Titanic II  Read more…

UPDATE: ENTER TO WIN TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS TO SEE OLLY MURS LIVE IN TORONTO ON MAY 1ST. SEE CONTEST DETAILS HERE!

I’m crouched in an office, mid-morning, with my cellphone cradled between my arm and shoulder talking to Olly Murs about the CIA-drama Homeland. The UK singer and X-Factor runner-up, who’s making his North American debut this April, says he often throws the show on to help him relax before gigs — tonight he’s taking Nottingham.

“I’ve never seen Homeland,” I tell him.

“It’s soo good, you should watch it!” he raves.

I ask him what he loves about it but I’m met with an awkward lapse of silence. Before I mistake it for apathy on his part I realize the call was dropped.

I silently curse the Canadian blizzard raging outside my window (with no regard for my cell service) and wait for him to call back. FOR THE SECOND TIME. So far, our 10-minute call has been interrupted twice by poor weather, and he’s been nothing but kind about it.

“It’s okay, I completely understand!” he keeps saying.

Olly’s got a soft spot for Canada because Toronto was his first pit stop when he opened for One Direction during their “Up All Night Tour.” The guys were pretty busy most of the time so pranking was kept to a minimum, though there was that time Niall surprised him by doing his soundcheck.

Read more…

This Sunday (Nov. 25) Justin Bieber will be interviewed on Oprah’s Next Chapter at 9 pm, the exact same time Lindsay Lohan will be premiering as Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime movie Liz & Dick. Can’t figure out which one to watch? I know how you feel.

Check out our list below and be sure to set your TiVo for whichever one you miss.

Watch Bieber on Own if you like:

Celebrity gossip — If you’re constantly keeping tabs on the latest celebrity news watch Bieber. While the segment was filmed before his presumed breakup with Selena Gomez (note: they were photographed out together after the news) he still provided insights into their relationship. He said they occasionally take back exits or use decoys but he never makes her separate from him. “I don’t want her to ever feel like I’m ashamed of her,” he said. ”A lot of guys do that — especially in the business — they don’t want to be seen with the girl, so they make them ride in separate cars and do all that getaway stuff.”

Backstage looks at the Believe tour — Oprah went backstage to the sold-out concert in Rosemount, Illinois and got an exclusive look at the inner workings. She also got a glimpse of what it’s like to be One Less Lonely Girl.

Keeping an updated list of your idol’s marriage plans — Justin Bieber revealed to Oprah he plans to walk down the aisle by 25. Oprah encouraged him to rethink that plan because he’s too young for such a big commitment — especially in a fast paced industry. ”Because your whole 20s is about discovering who you really are and you owe that to yourself, particularly because you are in the business that you’re in, and it’s not a lot of self-discovery time because so much is already defined for you,” she told him in the interview. Justin said he’ll think about it.

Subliminal advertising — Oprah managed to work in her some of her unofficial favourite things (score) by taking Justin shopping and sharing some gift-giving tips.

Watch Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor if you like:

Fledging stars making a comeback — Lohan is getting her share of bad reviews but if she pulls of Taylor’s charismatic yet mysterious allure it’ll be the comeback story of the year. Unfortunately, I don’t think it will happen but it’s always fun to hope, right? And she’s not in jail, so that’s a start. Producer Larry A. Thompson told Hollywood Reporter: “We had to get through quite a bit, and making a movie with Lindsay Lohan is not for the faint of heart. During production I certainly turned 50 shades of white, but we got it in the can and I think it’s good.”

Campy films —  Read more…

Florence + the Machine’s dark new video for “Lover To Lover” chronicles a fading housewife living in a shabby old home trying to repair a damaged relationship with a verbally abusive lover.

Her intimidating gent is played by Ben Mendelsohn, who kind of looks like a Wild West cowboy with his untamed moustache. After a seemingly endless cycle of fighting and making up, Flo burns their possessions and dives into the freezing cold ocean in a bleak but powerful final gesture.

Florence Welch told Nowness: ”The waves were enormous, it was freezing cold and four in the morning — I was weeping all the way in I was so scared.”

“Lover To Lover” is the latest track from the group’s sophomore album Ceremonials. The video was directed by Vincent Haycock.

Watch it here

In Ke$ha’s new music video “Die Young” she plays a sexy cult goddess leading a hedonistic tribe of sex-crazed ruffians at the end of the world. It there’s one thing the leather-clad vagabonds like more than group makeup sessions with their fierce leader, it’s pentagrams. Lots and lots of pentagrams, a symbol for anything from religion to occult beliefs.

Ke$ha is carried from their getaway car (a Hearst) to an abandoned church in Mexico where they engage in SALACIOUSNESS, even though the rest of the world is flipping out about the apocalypse.

“Everybody else is kind of scared and hiding and we are running around like wild people, making out with each other and taking over a small border town in Mexico,” she told Capital FM. “The federalis are after us because we’re so wild!”

The new video can only be called tres “Ke$ha.” Would you join her cult?

Watch it here

Trisha Paytas got such a poor reception after her YouTube declaration in support of Mitt Romney you might wonder why she bothered uploading another political-themed video. Of course, you can’t discourage a Republican with such unbridled enthusiasm (even after a loss) and little knowledge U.S. politics to infect the Internet.

In the video, the stripper turned Internet star explains how Romney still WON in her world because he’s way hotter and richer than Obama. You could even call her a #groupie4lyfe.

“Congratulations to all of you who wanted him to win,” she said to Obama supporters. “Now you can all go have frivolous sex over the next four years and take birth control and have abortions and YAY!”

Considering her former profession you’d think she’d understand the importance of protection for any unintended dangerous situations but that’s a whole other debate. She went one step further and implied everyone watching her video would hate it because they’re clearly all unemployed Obama supporters on welfare (Romney supporters are too busy with their important jobs to watch her videos).

In the end there’s no use getting upset over such an asinine video except if you think about the people who take it seriously. Plus, according to Paytas, the world is going to end in December just like the Mayans predicted so we won’t have to put up with her YouTube channel much longer.

Watch it here

Last night No Doubt pulled their video “Looking Hot” after online commenters complained the video was offensive. The music video included Native American imagery, such as a teepee, smoke signals, feathers and headresses.

YouTube commenters and online bloggers were quick to bash the video for insensitively appropriating Native American culture, and soon after, No Doubt took the video down and issued an apology.

In a post titled ”In Regards to Our ‘Looking Hot’ Music Video” on their official website, No Doubt wrote:

As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history. Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people. This is of great concern to us and we are removing the video immediately. The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness. We sincerely apologize to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are.

The track was the follow up single to “Settle Down” from their sixth studio album Push and Shove. Did you see it? What did you think of it?

While No Doubt didn’t intend for their music video to be offensive, many artists before them have released music videos deemed too insensitive by major networks. And sometimes that’s the whole point…

Seven controversial music videos

Madonna — “Like A Prayer”

When the music video for “Like A Prayer” was first released people were shocked at its Catholic iconography. The video tells the story of a black man wrongly accused of murdering a child. Madonna witnesses the whole thing and later kisses a Saint on the mouth. This is heavy stuff, especially for 1989. The Pope wanted to ban her from performing in Italy.

Nicki Minaj — “Stupid Hoe”

Nicki Minaj‘s “Stupid Hoe” was so controversial that BET banned it from airing. Although they didn’t specify why, it was probably because the raunchy lyrics. The count? Minaj says stupid hoe an astounding 52 times and f*ck 10 times.

Lady Gaga — “Alejandro”

Because of the religious imagery, MTV chose to air Lady Gaga‘s “Alejandro” only on its sister stations after midnight. Gaga’s video combined Catholic imagery with sexual themes like S&M and androgyny. Gaga, who wears a latex version of a nun’s robe, even ingests rosary beads in one scene. Needless to say, she was criticized by everyone from Katy Perry to the Catholic League.

Bjork — “Cocoon” Read more…

It’s the night of Hurricane Sandy in Toronto and I have to repeat my question for Milo Greene’s Robbie Arnett a few times because the wireless service over the phone keeps cutting out. I hear music in the background — it sounds like a piano — as he tells me what he ordered at the restaurant. Pad Thai, mildly spicy, with lemon and water. Delicious. The indie folk band drove straight from Montreal in their van, and is now relaxing before their show at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern in a couple hours.

Robbie is one of four vocalists, none of whom are actually named Milo, in the Los Angeles quintet. Milo Greene was the fictional identity of their British booking agent who “represented” them through their college years. They don’t need his services anymore and are currently playing shows across North America. They recently released a self-titled debut album that includes the track “1957″ and completed a short film named Moddison, which is the name of a track on their album. Over the phone, Robbie tells me all about pre-show jitters, guilty music pleasures and nearly driving off a cliff at the Grand Canyon.

First, some mood music. Listen to “1957.” 

What are you up to right now? 

I’m over at Rivoli’s, which is a bar right next to Horseshoe Tavern. We’re just getting some food and enjoying Monday night football before the show.

Do you get nervous before performing?

It’s more of a nervous energy. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing in front of five people or 500, I just get a little anxious. Once I get up there settle into it I get a little more relaxed.

You just played The Bowery Ballroom a few days ago. Looks like you narrowly missed Hurricane Sandy in New York. 

It’s kind of scary. Our manager is in Boston with his girlfriend and they were supposed to fly back to LA this morning but he’s not able to fly back for a few days. Everything’s locked down but we kind of escaped some madness.

Any plans for tomorrow in Toronto?  Read more…

The Black Key’s new music video for “Little Black Submarines” captures their intimate performance at Nashville’s Springwater Supper Club, a former speakeasy. The Danny Clinch-directed video is a fairly simple concept but their passionate performance and the gritty cinematography is enough to keep me watching.

Singer Dan Auerbach described the building to Rolling Stone: ”It’s been there forever. It’s got a lot of history. It’s one of three or four different little small dive bars in town. It’s special because it’s so old.”

The track is the fourth single taken from their album El Camino.

Watch it here:

You’ve probably heard a lot about K-Pop lately, what with Psy’s “Gangnam Style” going viral, inspiring legions of fans to adopt the horse-riding move as their modern day Macarena.

K-Pop is an energetic mashup of dance, electronic, pop and hip hop, that originated in South Korea and is quickly spreading across THE WORLD with the help of social networking sites. K-Pop’s The Wonder Girls was one of the first girl groups to introduce us to the genre (thanks Wonder Girls!!) back in 2009. With their new single “Like Money,” featuring Akon, we’re falling in love all over again. We had a chance to ask band member Lim a couple questions.

Here’s what you need to know about The Wonder Girls: 

They had a Korean meal with Akon: Bandmate Lim says the ladies were pretty eager to collaborate with Akon on “Like Money.” While some artists who work together hardly get a chance to meet, Akon made a trip to Korea and spent time with the ladies. ”We had a great experience working with Akon!” Lim says. “He actually came to Korea, we spent some time there too. We had Korean meal together and performed at a music festival. He is a fun person to be around!”

Watch “Like Money” featuring Akon here:

The Wonder Girls basically introduced us to K-Pop: The Wonder Girls became the first K-Pop artists to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 2009. They joined the Jonas Brothers on their tour and made the rounds on television programs, including an appearance on So You Think You Can Dance.

The band is like a family: The ladies became really tight, especially after they moved the US and spent more quality time together. Lim says one huge difference between touring the US and Korea is that they’re given more of an opportunity to meet fans in North America. In Korea they don’t often do one on one sessions with fans and it’s slightly more formal. “In Korea, we would bow when we meet our fans, but in the States we just say hi and they give us a hug!” she says.

We’re not done! Here are five other K-Pop artists you should know about Read more…

Knitted Frog Slippers, $8 , Forever 21

Make sure to bring cozy slippers for late night or early runs to the common area. These adorable knit slippers from Forever 21 are comfortable and will keep your roommates smiling.

Lavender Satchels, $6, Etsy

These lavender satchels will keep your room smelling fresh and clean. Keep them near your laundry hamper during heavy study weeks so your room won’t smell stale. These ones include natural essential oils and will ward off moths.

Wonder Woman Pillow, $30, Etsy

You’ll score extra points with this knit Wonder Woman pillow. It’s geek chic. If anyone comes into your room and doesn’t like it, be wary.

Cloud Duvet Cover, $89, Urban Outfitters Read more…

Miley’s Bun

Miley Cyrus retweeted a message from her long lost bun of hair. Although the bun has poor grammar, we respect that it isn’t holding hard feelings against Miley, who recently cut it off in favor of a Twiggy-esque cut. The bun even advised Miley on how to tell off haters. Message: If you’re going to tell people off, it’s always more legitimate if you include Chanel’s logo.

Ed Sheeran

In fact, I don’t actually pay for therapy. Instead, I read Ed Sheeran’s tweets every morning and then repeat them 3o times over in front of the mirror as a daily affirmation.

Miley Cyrus

We’re surprised Miley Cyrus let strangers babysit her dog. Has she not seen the new trailer for Seven Psychopaths?!? YELP.

Mac Miller

Good to see Mac Miller is inspired by an extensive collection of music.

Conor Maynard

That was the day Conor Maynard retired music. After you get a sartorial compliment like this from Wiz Khalifa, you really can’t go up.

Lady Gaga Read more…

My headline “which cat is the bigger jerk?” is misleading, because clearly 99.9 percent of all the fluffy felines in this world are assholes. Even my cat Farley (above) is one of the most unfriendly creatures I’ve come across (but I still love him). For example, every time I try to hug him he uncomfortably squirms out of my loving embrace — biting my forearm if he feels it’s necessary — runs to a corner and starts cleaning himself like my arms were covered in mud and disease. As he cleans himself he glares at me with utter distaste and superiority.

Anyway, these two cats are similarly inclined toward a rebellious nature. Our competitors in this battle are Teddy and Loki (of course). Who do you think is the bigger jerk?

Competitor One: Teddy knocks things over just ’cause

Competitor Two: Loki likes his space 

Winner:

Loki reigns supreme in this battle. While Teddy puts up a fierce fight, he only knocks over one medicine bottle, whereas Loki is unstoppable.

As if the hangover wasn’t bad enough Belgian cyclist Gijs van Hoecke was sent home after drunken photos of him surfaced in several British and Belgian newspapers. The Belgian Olympic Committee made the decision to send him home after consulting the leader of the Belgian cycling squad.

The 20-year-old was photographed on Tuesday night stumbling toward a car with the help of his teammates, wearing wet pants, with his eyes closed. He already finished his race, coming in 12th place at the men’s omnium and just wanted to celebrate…. maybe a little too hard.

Can’t an Olympian hold their liquor these days?

Hoecke told a Belgian daily called Het Laatste Nieuws: “I made a big mistake. I’m happy my parents didn’t tell me off. They understand that I needed this.”

There were probably more discreet ways for the guy to have some fun. That said, can’t we give him a break?

In the meantime, his teammates provide us with a helpful guide to helping a drunken friend:

1. Firmly grasp an arm so the boozy partier will feel safe/protected. It will also prevent them from toppling to the pavement, which would result in you expending more energy to pick them up. Carry their cell phone and wallet in your pockets so they don’t get lost.

2. When applicable, navigate. Point your fingers in the direction you’re going to guide your friend. If their eyes are half closed, accompany your exaggerated gestures by narrating your movements in a loud voice. Always carry water.  Read more…

I understand the awkwardness of reading an erotic novel like Fifty Shades of Grey on the subway. That’s why I’ve come up with this craftacular DIY manual, to guide you through reading it without anyone knowing the better. 

Operation: Wrap Around

Level: Easy

Reader: This is the ideal solution for someone with few resources and little time.

Tactic: If you’re not concerned about damaging the spine of the novel, wrap the front cover around the back to block the sultry title from the wide-eyed grandmother sitting in priority seating. If cracking the binding is a concern, consider the following: if you’re standing, face a wall so the title of the novel is blocked from other passengers and if you’re sitting down, balance the book on the top of your thighs. Disclaimer: If you choose the latter, it might be slightly uncomfortable to read the text at this jarring angle but your objective will be fulfilled and judgemental riders won’t know you’re reading about The Red Room of Pain. 

Operation: Genius

Level: Medium Read more…

Taylor Swift, purveyor of rainbows with a voice like a harp, has been walking among us mere mortals since 2006 ever since she released her debut studio album. Since then, it’s become evident to myself and rest of the Internet that Swift isn’t just a pop country singer. She is a princess.

Hear me out:

1. She’s dating American royalty

Swift has been linked to various douches (from John Mayer to Joe Jonas) but that was clearly a front to throw us off. Now she’s rumoured to be dating a Kennedy, which basically means she’s with the bees knees of American royalty. She and Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson Conor Kennedy have been cozying up together in Hyannis Port, Mass, going sailing and eating at a local pizzeria. If that’s not enough, I’m pretty sure you can see the faint hint of glitter burst from the soles of Taylor’s feet in the photos of her and Prince Charming.

2. She can talk to animals

Taylor enlightened us a few months ago when she revealed her unique skill of jabbering with fairytale creatures, namely her fluffy feline Meredith. She proceeded to share Instagram photos of her cray adventures with said cat over Twitter. Proof that only princesses can talk to animals, remember the Disney princesses of yore:

3. Her lyrics are contradictory Read more…

In Justin Bieber’s video for “As Long As You Love Me” actor Michael Madsen, who plays his GORG girlfriend’s dad, wants to break up their relationship. We’re not sure why since Justin is a total charmer. In fact, when Madsen tells Bieber off at the beginning of the video, he gets a few things wrong:

1) Justin Bieber is no mere boy. I mean he is, yes, but have some respect Madsen, he’s a MAN (duh). This storyline is decidedly more grown up than those we’re used to. It’s filled with forbidden love, family conflict and violent repercussions. Bieber is certainly evolving.

2) Madsen says: “I know what type of guy you are. Once upon a time I used to be the same thing. You know what that means? That means one day you’ll leave her for someone else, and break her heart.” To that I say: Like you know anything Madsen. I’ve never met Justin personally but I can assure you he’s not one of those scummy guys that would jet off for no reason at all. I can tell. Plus, doesn’t he prove his dedication when he risks personal injury to stay with his girlfriend?

3) The biggest lie of all is when Madsen claims he doesn’t want to know Justin Bieber. I mean, come on, we know you’re trying to play the tough father figure and all but EVERYONE wants to know JB. #AmIRight?

Even though Madsen gets a few obvious things wrong, we’ll forgive him because he seems like an intimidating guy (has anyone seem Reservoir Dogs?) and he’s definitely an amazing actor (again, has anyone seen Reservoir Dogs?).

In the end, things kind of go astray for Madsen when his daughter chooses Romeo Justin over her father, but we’re left with a bit of a cliffhanger.

The Anthony Mandler-directed mini-film features Big Sean. The track is taken from his fourth studio album Believe.

Watch it here:

When I was a kid, I fancied myself a pretty talented writer. In fact, I authored an unpublished book about a family that got stuck in a flimsy canoe on the Amazon River. The book was a whole 30 pages, however, I have to admit my handwriting became increasingly bigger near the last chapters so I could meet the 30 page quota.

I’m positive I would have gone bananas if my action-filled story was featured on my newest obsession, Written By A Kid. Too bad it didn’t exist at the time… The series brings to life the fanciful tales of young children, by getting well known actors to portray their narration. In the second episode, eight-year-old CiCi tells the story of a toddler named Max (Link Neal) who tests the patience of his new stepdad (Rhett McLaughlin) and ultimately develops an appreciation of the Goth lifestyle.

The show, which was created by Will Bowles and Josh Flaum, featured Joss Whedon in the first episode, acting out a rowdy cowboy named Gerald who conquers an alien. The animation is hilarious and the stories are way better than anything an adult could come up with.

Watch the second episode here:

The Wanted are like, so popular

Ah yes. Just like The Wanted I also love spending my afternoons indulging in the slew of fan mail addressed to me. The only problem is trying to drag the heavy bag of love sonnets through my front door (#celebrityproblems). Luckily it does wonders for my biceps. [Sidenote: I don't actually get letters of praise or in fact, any letters at all. I'm merely channeling the thoughts of bandmates Tom Parker and Jay McGuiness (above) because their lives seem are undeniably awesome.]

Conor Maynard is naked

Conor Maynard landed in Atlanta to perform for his Mayniacs and tweeted about the sweltering heatwave that struck the city. By now the Mayniacs are like “Britt, stop talking about Atlanta and weather. Dude just tweeted about “naked time” and I’m visualizing. He can have the key to my city anytime.” Yes, they ACTUALLY just said that.

Kendall Jenner is a princess

When I was Kendall Jenner’s age I spent my summers drinking rainbow Slurpees at the local amusement park and watching repeat episodes of dated sitcoms when I wasn’t working at a nameless Canadian department store. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Kendall and her sister Kylie go to photo shoots and tweet photos of themselves in glitzy princess dresses. Man, she is so relatable.

Deadmau5 gets a fluffy friend Read more…