• Will 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Generate Enough Heat with an R Rating from MPAA?

    It seems like we have been waiting forever for the film adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey" to be released, and now that it is almost here, it has finally been given an official rating by the MPAA. Although it seemed like it was heading for an NC-17 branding, it has just been announced that "Fifty Shades of Grey" will hit theaters Feb. 13 with an R rating.The film, based on E.L. James's risqué BDSM trilogy, pulled an official R rating due to "strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity," which, of course, is no surprise to anyone who has read the series. But there has been concern all along about taking something so graphic and putting it on the big screen. In order to make fans of the book happy, whatever unfolds on screen is going to have to be really hot and risky. It is almost hard to imagine the film being able to mirror the book with just an R rating, don't you think?Perhaps what Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, have managed to create on screen will still hold even if it is not identical to the book. If their chemistry works well enough and if the actual movie is as cleverly crafted as the teasers for it have been, then it could work. Dornan recently talked about "Fifty Shades of Grey" being a love story at its root. Maybe they have worked to tap into an emotional connection as well as the obvious physical one that the book series is based on.

  • Elliott Smith Tribute Album from Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Due for March Release

    It's been over 11 years since Elliott Smith tragically passed away, and now the "Miss Misery" singer is getting his due with a tribute album. Yesterday (Jan. 7), it was announced that The Avett Brothers' Scott Avett and singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield will be releasing a tribute album for the late Smith, fittingly titled Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Eliott Smith.

  • Wakarusa Festival Releases 2015 Phase 1 Lineup: The Roots, STS9, Paper Diamond & More

    It's the week of festival lineups. Coachella got things started and then Governors Ball made their announcement to compete with more genre-specific festivals, Ultra Music Festival and Bottlerock threw their hats in the ring as well. Jam/dance music festival Wakarusa has joined the lineup announcement fray with their first group of artists. Headlining the festival are Tonight Show house band and hip-hop/neo-soul veterans The Roots, jam band favorites STS9, Paper Diamond, Savoy, Young The Giant, The Devil Makes Three and many more, according to a press release.

  • T-Pain Joins DJ Drama For Upcoming Gangsta Grillz Mixtape 'The Iron Way'

    T-Pain made his way back into the spotlight this year after proving he didn't need the help of Auto-Tune to sing. He has shifted his focus from making hits to making personal music, and with that comes the release of his upcoming album Stoicville: The Phoenix, which is due out in this year. Ahead of that, however, he will be teaming up with DJ Drama for a new mixtape in the Gangsta Grillz series called "The Iron Way." According to The Fader, the two are currently in the studio putting "the finishing touches" on the effort. The release date for the tape has yet to be announced, but you can view the artwork above.

  • Wiz Khalifa Shares Chaotic 'Raw' Music Video [WATCH]

    Wiz Khalifa has shared the music video for his "Blacc Hollywood" track "Raw," which you can check out below. The Gerard Victor-directed clip features extensive use of negative black-and-white photography and flicker film techniques, so much so that the video opens with a trigger warning for those who suffer from seizures — do not watch this video if you have epilepsy. There is not much of a story, but there does not really need to be one with such complicated and fascinating visuals.You can check out Wiz Khalifa's "Raw" music video here, but again, do not watch it if you are prone to seizures:

  • Did 'Today's' Matt Lauer Have an Affair with Giada De Laurentiis?

    Giada De Laurentiis has been plagued with rumors ever since announcing her split from husband Todd Thompson last week. She has been accused of cheating on her soon-to-be-ex with several different men, and while De Laurentiis is denying all accusations of infidelity, there is one that is raising eyebrows. The celebrity chef has been accused of hooking up with the host of "The Today Show," Matt Lauer, who is often the subject of cheating rumors himself.According to Page Six, De Laurentiis denies getting cozy with the married Lauer in 2011 in Barbados, where he was filming a segment for the NBC morning news program. The problem is that Lauer has been accused of cheating on his long-suffering wife Annette Rogue, with numerous women over the course of their 17-year marriage. Even just a few weeks ago we told you about how Lauer chose to spend last summer holed up in his New York City apartment rather than out in the Hamptons with his wife and children. That was after NBC agreed to have a helicopter fly him to and from work each day so he could be close to his family all summer.It is Lauer's dicey history that is making many wonder if something did happen a few years ago with De Laurentiis.

  • Cool C Receives Second Stay of Execution: Philadelphia Rapper Will Live to See Another Day

    Philadelphia rapper Cool C was scheduled to be executed today, Jan. 8, but a judge in Pennsylvania decided to grant the artist a stay of execution. This is the second stay Christopher Roney has received after being convicted of killing a female police officer in 1996. His first stay was granted in 2006, Philly station NBC 10 reports.According to the court case, Roney, along with Steady B — real name Warren McGlone — and Mark Canty, robbed a PNC bank in the late 1990s. Officer Lauretha Vaird entered the bank during the robbery and was shot to death. Despite witness reports and surveillance tapes, Roney has maintained his innocence, claiming to have been eating with his mother at the time of the murder.Vaird was the first female officer murdered on duty in Philly.McGlone was sentenced to life in prison for murder in the second degree. He and Canty both fingered Roney as the trigger man in the 1996 ordeal.Roney gained notoriety in the late 1980s as part of the Hilltop Hustlers, which scored an underground hit with "Juice Crew Dis." He released two solo albums, "I Gotta Habit" in 1989 and "Life in the Ghetto" in 1990. Roney linked up with McGlone and Ultimate Eaze in 1991 to form C.E.B. Their only album, "Countin' Endless Bank," produced one charted single with "Get the Point." He also gained praise with "Glamorous Life."

  • John Travolta Signs On to Play Robert Shapiro in 'American Crime Story: People Vs. O.J.'

    Ryan Murphy continues to piece together what will likely turn into his next hit show. "American Crime Story: People Vs. O.J." is scheduled to begin filming in Los Angeles within the next few months, and it is lining up quite an interesting list of names to portray key players in one of the most well-known trials in recent American history. We have already told you about David Schwimmer, Sarah Paulsen and Cuba Gooding Jr. being signed to the project, and it has now been confirmed that John Travolta has been cast as Robert Shapiro.According to a report by Deadline, "Travolta also will serve as a producer on the miniseries, which takes a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers that explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness and the LAPD's history with the city's African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt."This marks Travolta's first TV series role since the 1975-79 comedy "Welcome Back, Kotter." He joins David Schwimmer, who plays another Simpson attorney, his confidant Robert Kardashian; Cuba Gooding Jr, who portrays Simpson; and Sarah Paulson, who plays prosecutor Marcia Clark."

  • Sia Apologizes for "Elastic Heart" Music Video: Did Not Intend to Imply Romance Between Maddie Zeigler & Shia LaBeouf

    Sia is getting a little bit of flack for her new music video, "Elastic Heart." The emotional clip, which stars 12-year-old Maddie Zeigler and 28-year-old Shia LaBeouf has triggered comments regarding pedophilia and inappropriate content. And now, the "Chandelier" singer has apologized to those who may have been disturbed by the clip, claiming that she only meant to make an emotional people of art.
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