Beyonce Surprises Fans With New Album Featuring Jay Z, Blue Ivy, Drake

December 12, 2013, 9:17 pm

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Beyonce knows her way around a holiday surprise. The singer end-capped 2013 with an "exclusive visual album" that she announced on Facebook and hit iTunes as Thursday ticked into Friday morning. Her fifth LP is entitled "Beyoncé" and features tracks with Jay Z, Drake, Frank Ocean and the singer's daughter, Blue Ivy.

Every song on the album also comes with its own music video, a mammoth investment for a singer at Bey's level. The project comes amid whispers that Beyonce -- who let the Presidential Inauguration and Super Bowl pass without a new single -- wouldn't let 2013 go without a new album. Whispers turned into a reality that played out on Twitter, where fans excitedly shared the news, mostly in all-caps messages that included the letters "OMG."

That the album didn't leak in advance of it being released is nearly unprecedented in today's music market. Unconfirmed reports pointed to a possible one-week iTunes exclusive, with physical copies being printed as the album was released to the digital retailer. Often, leaks emerge once physical copies are printed and sent to brick and mortar stores.

“I see music,” Beyoncé said in a press release provided shortly after the album hit iTunes. "It’s more than just what I hear. When I’m connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.”

“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” she continued. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans. There’s so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans.”

According to the press release, recording took place over a year and a half but began at a Hamptons retreat in the summer of 2012. A provided list of collaborators includes JAY Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Drake, The Dream, Sia, Ryan Tedder, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Hit-Boy, Ammo, Boots, Detail, Jake Nava, Hype Williams, Terry Richardson, Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, Ricky Saiz, Pierre Debusschere, @lilinternet, Noah “40” Shebib, Francesco Carrozzini, Caroline Polachek, Ed Burke, Bill Kirstein and Todd Tourso.

“I just want to give my album to the people I love and respect and hope that they feel the same thing I felt when I made the music," the singer said.

Below, a full track-list and video-list with director credits. Previously teased tracks "Standing in the Sun" and "Grown Woman" did not make the album, though a video for the latter is included as a bonus.

Songs:

1. Pretty Hurts
2. Haunted
3. Drunk in Love (Featuring JAY Z)
4. Blow/Cherry
5. Angel
6. Yoncé/Partition
7. Jealous
8. Rocket
9. Mine (Featuring Drake)
10. XO
11. Flawless (Featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
12. Superpower (Featuring Frank Ocean)
13. Heaven
14. Blue (Featuring Blue Ivy)

Videos:

1. Pretty Hurts - directed by Melina Matsoukas
2. Ghost - directed by Pierre Debusschere
3. Haunted - directed by Jonas Åkerlund
4. Drunk in Love - directed by Hype Williams
5. Blow - directed by Hype Williams
6. Angel - directed by @lilinternet
7. Yoncé - directed by Ricky Saiz
8. Partition - directed by Jake Nava
9. Jealous - directed by Beyoncé, Francesco Carrozzini & Todd Tourso
10. Rocket - directed by Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Bill Kirstein
11 .Mine - directed by Pierre Debusschere
12. XO - directed by Terry Richardson
13. ***Flawless - directed by Jake Nava
14. Superpower - directed by Jonas Åkerlund
15. Heaven -directed by Beyoncé & Todd Tourso
16. Blue - directed by Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Bill Kirstein
17. **BONUS VIDEO – Grown Woman - directed by Jake Nava

Post by Beyoncé.

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'Spider-Man' Franchise Expands With Venom, Sinister Six Movies

December 13, 2013, 5:43 am

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Three weeks after Sony announced its intentions expand the Spider-Man universe beyond the "Amazing Spider-Man" franchise, the studio did just that. Via a viral website that was teased in the recent "Amazing Spider-Man 2" trailer, Sony revealed that plans are in motion for not just "The Amazing Spider-Man 3," but also "Venom" and "Sinister Six," two films that would focus on famous Spider-Man villains.

According to a press release from Sony, "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" will arrive in theaters on June 10, 2016. Marc Webb, who directed the first two "Amazing Spider-Man" films, is not officially attached to direct, but Sony "hopes Webb will return." After that the two spin-off films are set for release, though neither has been set on the calendar. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who co-wrote "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" with Jeff Pinker ("Fringe"), and will have the task of pushing out a script for "The Amazing Spider-Man 3," will co-write "Venon" with Ed Solomon ("Now You See Me"). Kurtzman is set as director of that film.

For "Sinister Six," Drew Goddard, of "Cabin in the Woods" fame, will write the script and potentially direct the film as well. Goddard is also working on Marvel's "Daredevil" Netflix series.

No word on casting yet, but expect Andrew Garfield, your current friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, to return for "The Amazing Spider-Man 3." Whether he stars in the previously planned "The Amazing Spider-Man 4," or whether that film is one of these spin-offs, is unclear.

"I mean I'm under contract for another one after this," Garfield told Yahoo UK in a recent interview. "As far as a forth one? That's not anything to do with me."

How One Artist Turned A Hieronymus Bosch Masterpiece Into An Emoji Explosion

December 13, 2013, 5:46 am

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What are we to make of emoji? What was once a smiling face twisted and manipulated into a spectrum of facial expressions has morphed into an overwhelmingly comprehensive visual language akin to hieroglyphics. They've taken over text messages and social media, proving capable of communicating simple ideas through images of dancing ballerinas, hammering gavels and steaming (albeit cheerful) piles of poop.

A new exhibit at New York's Eyebeam Art+Technology Center sifts through the variegated universe of emoji in the aptly titled "Emoji Art & Design Show." Featuring an array of digital prints, sculptures, video and performance, the exhibition explores this new form of communication by appropriating the characters as components of artwork. It's an "examination of the emoji zeitgeist," as the online description states, that tears through the codification and emotional obscurity of contemporary society's answer to cave paintings.

Carla Gannis is one of the many artists involved in the survey, and her take on the Eyebeam solicitation for emoji-themed artworks is particularly stirring. Gannis transformed a well known painting -- Hieronymus Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" -- into a debaucherous orgy of emoji, turning nude sinners and heinous monsters into palatable emoji creatures. At least, palatable at first. Like the clever Bosch, her detailed digital rendering is quant from afar, tempting the viewer to squint their eyes and peer into the depths of her wacky emoji world. And that's when the horrors come to light.


The Garden of Emoji Delights, digital pigment print, 8.5 x 21 inches, 2013


We chatted with Gannis -- a Brooklyn-based artist who also serves as the Assistant Chair of Digital Arts at Pratt Institute -- over email to discuss the ins and outs of emoji, the allure of Mr. Bosch and what Eyebeam's dive into the visual vernacular really means.

When Eyebeam put out a call for emoji art, what was your first thought? What was most intriguing about the concept?

My first thought: "well, yes, of course…" Meaning that the idea -- in following recent art world events that focused on the Tumblr platform or the Vine app -- was timely in drawing attention to one of the "visual languages" that's being used across so many digital platforms.

Given the context, an exhibition at Eyebeam Art & Technology Center, I was intrigued by the various possibilities of these little pictographs being transcribed and/or re-codified by artists and designers into interactive platforms, large-scale installation works, digital collage and even being represented in traditional media, like painting and drawing. I haven't seen the show yet, so I don't know all the outcomes, but I can't wait to go to the opening tonight!

How long did it take you to get from emojis to Hieronymus Bosch?

I seriously had a "lightbulb" (insert emoji) moment. I sat down at my computer, typed in emoji on Google, then a few seconds later, after looking at a grid of emoji imagery, I typed in Bosch. I then did a follow up search to see if anyone else had made Emoji Bosch art. I didn't find anyone, and got to work on my first draft. Six hours later, I got up from my computer and am pretty sure I had dreams (nightmares?) about emoji/Bosch "hybrids" that night.

I've been a big fan of Bosch's work for a long time. He represents Christian iconography in a very distinct and fantastical way. Of course the Surrealists dug him. And as we go more in the direction of a trans or post-human world, via bio-tech, Bosch's chimera seem prescient. Now, more specifically with regards to emoji, "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (also referred to as "The Millennium") seems almost as ubiquitous on Google as emoji, so I wanted to make something that contextualized emoji within this well known iconographic lineage, re-inscribing Bosch's work, (the right panel from the triptych; a hellscape) using a secular, pop vocabulary of signs and digital symbols. Emoji -- which are usually viewed via a sleek, minimalist screen interface -- signify differently when overlaid onto a classical painting.


Detail, The Garden of Emoji Delights, digital pigment print, 8.5 x 21 inches, 2013

Looking at the original Bosch work, it's visually overwhelming how the painting is at first glance a sort of bright, inviting triptych -- with its pinks, blues and greens. It beckons you to crane your neck and discover that those colors mask some pretty horrific details. In that vein, I can see how emojis aren't a far leap. A group of the little icons can seem so welcoming, but strewn together can weave a completely different narrative. It ends up seeming very Bosch, no?

Yes!

The Eyebeam exhibit admits that "visual vernaculars" have been used in the past, but emphasizes the millennial fascination with this sort of visual self-expression. What is your take on the contemporary obsession with emoji?

One reason I think these little pictographs are so popular is because we communicate via a keyboard so much. I rarely talk on the phone, preferring to text or DM, etc. And to be honest, I stay very busy, so I connect with friends virtually more than IRL. Emoji provide a means to communicate with more expression, emotion even, in an abbreviated and fast-tempo way, where face/body/image cues are lacking. It's not surprising that artists and designers would pick up on this visual vernacular as a new expressive medium. I think this show will have a significant impact on showcasing emoji as a new kind of pop/netart.

Do you have any plans of continuing the emoji theme in your work? It seems like other classic paintings could have emoji hidden within as well.

Emojis have come up in a few other projects, but not as the primary source of the content, for example in my "Non-Facial Recognition" series and in a body of work entitled "legend legend" where emoji are inscribed (with lots of other net, tech and digitalized body references) in drawings, digital print works and 3D printed globes.

I've been encouraged by friends to complete the entire Bosch triptych now, given that I only "transcribed" one panel. I will probably do it, because I'm obsessive, and feel like there's a world I've just begun to explore. I want to push the scale of the physical prints going forward too (this work is only about 9 by 22 inches). The one reservation I have is that the other two panels are more pastoral. I think I like working with the emoji and their (seemingly) "happy signifiers" as counterpoint, so darker themed work adds more of an absurdity to the image, like Goya's "Disasters of War" or a still from Terry Gilliam's "Brazil." Maybe emoji are a more complex pictographic language than they're given credit for, particularly right now, at the height of their popularity and ubiquity.

Finally -- and, obviously most importantly -- if you could summarize yourself in a few emojis, what would they be?

I switched my profile pic on Facebook and Twitter last week to the image you'll find attached. I guess this summarizes the emoji me. :)




"Emoji Art & Design Show" will be on view from December 12 to December 14 at Eyebeam in New York City.

Black-And-White Portraits Of Homeless Individuals Put Poverty In A Different Light

December 13, 2013, 5:54 am

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Photographer Rosie Holtum has been volunteering at the charity Shelter from the Storm for years. As London's only free homeless shelter, it's a privately funded organization that relies on the efforts of people like Holtum to keep the movement going.

Holtum has gone one step farther, however. Motivated by the overwhelmingly negative perception of homelessness she's observed in the UK, she began photographing the individuals she encountered at SFTS. Capturing stunning portraits of 13 people in all, she asked them to pose and dress as they wished to be seen, whether that meant a pinstriped suit and smile or graphic hoodie and smirk. The result is a collection of positive, vibrant portraits that reveal the "real" people behind misinformed generalities.



"I was inspired to start this photography project because I felt a huge disconnect between the interesting people I'd met at Shelter from the Storm throughout my years volunteering there and the stereotypes we constantly see depicting homeless people in London, especially in the run-up to Christmas," Holtom explained to FastCo.Design.

Holtum spent a significant amount of time with her subjects, describing the project as "collaborative," a process that allowed her the opportunity to learn about the men and women who sought shelter at SFTS. She ultimately hopes that her project will lead to increased visibility for the organization -- in fact, she encourages everyone to donate to SFTS's JustGiving page here.



Scroll through Holtum's photos below and make sure to visit the SFTS website to learn more about their efforts. Let us know your thoughts on the project in the comments.

The Craziest Unexpected Art Finds Of 2013

December 13, 2013, 6:01 am

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Some people have all the luck. As 2013 draws to a close, we're revisiting the fortuitous few who are closing out the year with a couple hundred thousand dollars more than they started it with, thanks to some very unexpected art finds. Whether realizing your storage hub is a James Turrell light intallation or your funky flea market necklace was made by Alexander Calder, some dramatic art finds are too good not to reexamine.

Here they are, the wildest art finds of 2013.

1. That time a Delacroix was uncovered in Santa Barbara


Eugène Delacroix, The Last Words of Marcus Aurelius, n.d. Oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 31 3/4 in. The van Asch van Wyck Trust.

Santa Barbara -- the land of bikini-clad college students, beachside Mexican food, and, apparently, hidden French Romantic masterpieces. A previously unknown painting was identified there, standing out as the possible handiwork of Eugene Delacroix, an artist best known for "Liberty Leading the People" and "Death of Sardanapalus." Eik Kahng, who discovered the gem, explained her excitement over the impressive art find in an email to the Huffington Post. “There is no better reward for a curator than that rare occasion when a complete stranger calls you up and tells you about a fantastic work of art that actually turns out to be authentic."


2. That time someone bought an Alexander Calder necklace for $15


Alexander Calder (1898-1976), Untitled (Necklace), 1938, brass

Philadelphia resident Norma Ifill was perusing a flea market eight years ago when she stumbled upon a sleek silver necklace, having no clue that sixty years before it hung in the Museum of Modern Art. Yes, the flea market find was designed by the great American sculptor Alexander Calder. Though Ifill purchased it for $15, it's worth up to $300,000. "I thought it looked so tribal," Ifill told Bloomberg. "I wore it about four-five times max and every time I wore it, people always admired it. I can’t believe I had a Calder necklace all this time and had no idea."


3. That time a James Turrell light work was mistaken for a storage space



Tobey Cotsen, a Malibu, California homeowner, received an unexpected housewarming gift upon realizing a rectangular recess she had been using for storage was actually a light installation by the nation's contemporary artist du jour, James Turrell. Costen was exploring Turrell's LACMA retrospective when she first saw the light, so to speak. There was an oddly familiar feeling to a piece on view, titled "St. Elmo's Breath 1992," which is composed of sharp-edged orange and purple fields of light that appear flat to the eye despite caving into the walls. "Where have I seen that before?" Costen recounted to the Wall Street Journal. "I've seen it in my house." Costen realized then that her home's small, neon green-tinted storage space might actually be a million dollar artwork.


4. That time a Rubens drawing was hiding in a university cupboard


Photograph: Design And Print Studio

One does not expect to find a 17th century drawing by master Peter Paul Rubens in a space often reserved for tchotchkes, but that's exactly what happened to University of Reading professor Anna Gruetzner Robins. "A Rubens in the cupboard! It is not what you expect to find," she said. Indeed! The piece, measuring in at only 10.8cm x 8.9cm, depicts a profile view of the queen of France, Marie de' Medici. It is now said to be worth over $110,000 and joined four other Rubens drawings depicting Marie in the Louvre. Surely a step up from cupboard life!


5. That time a lucky family inherited a "lost" Joseph Wright painting



Found artwork "Landscape with Rainbow" had gone unrecorded for two centuries until a lucky family unknowingly inherited the piece, which then sold for $250,000 at auction. The first version of the landscape hangs at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. For years, scholars believed Wright had painted a second version of the piece, but its whereabouts were unknown. James Gadd ended up connecting the dots, identifying a painting inherited by a lucky and unknowing family as the long-lost Wright work. You never know when a dusty, old inherited artwork is actually the lost twin of an important 18th century landscape, do you?


6. That time a grimy Canaletto was lurking in storage



Curator Timothy Standring was conducting a routine inventory at the Denver Museum when he stumbled upon a discolored canvas coated in grime. The work, Standring recalled, looked as if it had been "in someone's home who smoked Marlboros for 50 years." The work, donated from a local collector, was titled "The Molo from the Bacino di San Marco, Venice" and attributed to the studio of Italian painter Giovanni Antonio Canal, aka Canaletto. The piece was assumed to be the work of a student in the studio and was left to collect dust in the museum basement, until Stranding suspected it was by the master, not his apprentice. The exact price of this newly cleaned canvas remains unknown, but a work from the same artist sold for $17.5 million in 2005 at auction.


7. That time a Diego Rivera painting was found behind an office door



Normally we consider the artwork adorning office walls a step above dentist waiting room art. But the painting titled "El Albanil," which hung behind the office door of Texan Rue Ferguson, is a glaring exception. The unassuming piece, bought by Ferguson's great grandparents in 1920, is actually a masterpiece by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Ferguson's great-grandparents originally purchased the work in Mexico and passed it on to his parents, who thought it was a fake. They then kept the work in storage, unaware of its true value. The painting, made when Rivera was only 18 years old, is worth between $800,000 and $1 million, but it lived in obscurity in Ferguson's home office for years.


8. And finally, that time 1,400 Nazi-looted artworks were found in one German apartment



Tax investigators were doing a routine check on a train in 2010 when they stumbled upon something fishy, spurring an investigation that eventually led authorities to search an upscale Munich apartment. In this apartment, they discovered a hoard of over 1,400 artworks including pieces by Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Gustave Courbet, Auguste Renoir and many more. Allow us to repeat, 1,400 artworks. The paintings, which are generally in very good condition, are thought to have been seized by the Nazis from their owners after being defined as "degenerate art" around 1937 or shortly after. "When you stand in front of the works, see the ones that were long thought to have been lost or destroyed and in a relatively good state — some of them dirty but not damaged — you have an incredible feeling of happiness," "degenerate art" expert Meike Hoffmann told the Associated Press.

There you have it folks. Do your flea market shopping, spring cleaning and yearly art appraisals dutifully, for you really never know when you'll find a diamond in the rough. Check out our roundup of 2012's best finds here.

The Cat-Centric Exhibition To End All Cat-Centric Exhibitions

December 13, 2013, 6:05 am

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Don't let their lazy comportments deceive you. Cats have taken over the internet, and now they're setting their sights on the art world. Not that this is a bad thing.


Nicholas Chistiakov, Orange Cat


Evidence of this claim is first and foremost visible in "Cat Art Show Los Angeles," an art exhibition for the feline inclined, curated by LA-based art consultant and writer Susan Michals. Michals, who also blogs for the Huffington Post Arts, has compiled an enviable selection of over 50 artists, including icons -- and apparently cat-lovers -- like Tracey Emin, Guy Denning, Shepard Fairey, Kimberly Books, FAILE, Christian Furr, Tim Biskup and Gary Baseman.

The show, billed as the "the largest exhibition of cat-inspired artwork for sale ever exhibited," explores the cat as lovable companion and artistic muse, the latter a posturing even "dog people" can't attest to.


Rachel Schlueter, Billy Raised by Racoons

"Then there’s the attitude, a catch-22 in the truest sense, in that we love them for all their cuddliness; but at the same time for their unmistakable inclination of superiority," Michals explained in an interview with ARTINFO. "They can be aloof and affectionate, but always have their own agenda -- and unlike our canine friends, they will not buckle under the threat of a guilt trip. The Egyptians frequently aligned them with the gods, like Bastet, the goddess of warfare."

We have to admit that cats, the sly chameleons that they are, have the disarming ability to appear stealthy, sensual, celestial, warrior-esque, feminine and quite bored all at once. How they do it, we're not quite sure. Behold, the wondrous power of the domesticated muse, also known as the cat.


Clayton Brothers, Beautiful Feral Still


Noel Fielding, Bubble Gum Cat at the Cinema


Misako Inaoka, "Double"


Guy Denning, Kraft durch Freude (says Balthus)


Jonathan Gent, Me watching the fireworks in a cats eyes as my dog charlie dies on new years eve 1999

"Cat Art Show Los Angeles" runs from January 25 at 6205 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. A portion of net proceeds will go toward the Stray Cat Alliance of Los Angeles, a nonprofit working to end the feral cat crisis.

Latest 'Nymphomaniac' Clip Is Actually Suitable For Work

December 13, 2013, 6:24 am

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"Nymphomaniac" star Charlotte Gainsbourg has submitted herself to the throes of sadomasochistic pleasure (oxymoron much?) in many of the previous "Nymphomaniac" clips, but this latest has her trying something different: clothing.

The new teaser -- or "appetizer," as production company Zentropa calls them -- finds Gainsbourg (as Joe, the nymphomaniac of the title) purging anything that reminds her of her sexuality. She paints her mirror white, covers her windows and even gets rid of her plunger (huh?). The 80-second clip is an obvious departure from the NSFW content we've seen from Lars von Trier's sex tale so far, including the aforementioned Gainsbourg scene, Shia LaBeouf being a bit gross and creepy instructions for a seduction.

It was recently announced that "Nymphomaniac" will hit theaters in two parts next year. Both will be offered for on-demand viewing before theatrical releases, leaving Part One to bow March 21 and Part Two on April 18. The movie will receive its world premiere, in its five-hour entirety, in Denmark on Dec. 25. Watch the new clip below.

Beyonce's 'BEYONCE' Videos Teased 30 Seconds At A Time

December 13, 2013, 6:32 am

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As Thursday turned into Friday morning on the East Coast, Beyonce was all like, "Here's my surprise new album." The internet was like, "!!!!!" Beyonce fans who have yet to purchase Queen Bey's self-titled album for $15.99 album in iTunes (where it's exclusively available, for now) would be wise to check out the 17 video previews below. Why so many videos? Why not! The singer made a video for every single track, with some extra visuals to boot. Remember when Beyonce invaded Brooklyn's Coney Island in August? It was for the video to "XO." Watch 30 seconds of that, and all the other ones -- early faves: "Drunk in Love," the Drake one, "Ghost" -- right now.

1. "Pretty Hurts"


2. "Haunted"


3. "Drunk in Love" (feat. Jay Z)


4. "Blow"


5. "No Angel"


6. "Partition"


7. "Jealous"


8. "Rocket"


9. "Mine" (feat. Drake)


10. "XO"


11. "***Flawless" (feat. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)


12. "Superpower" (feat. Frank Ocean)


13. "Heaven"


14. "Blue" (feat. Blue Ivy)


OTHERS

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'American Psycho' Musical Looks Like A Bloody Hit

December 13, 2013, 6:35 am

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LONDON (AP) — Is any subject too macabre to make a musical?

Not on the evidence of past works including Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd," about a homicidal barber, and his presidential killer saga "Assassins." And now there's "American Psycho," an energetic stage adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel about a soulless yuppie serial killer at large in 1980s Manhattan. The book was a savage satire on consumer culture, with antihero Patrick Bateman as punctilious about having the right labels — from his Ralph Lauren underpants to his YSL Pour Homme cologne — as he was impervious to emotion and vicious to the victims he butchered.

The book's graphic violence provoked extreme reactions when it was published in 1991 — reviews, reprinted in the program for the play, ranged from "deeply and extremely disgusting" to "a seminal book." The debate emerged again when "American Psycho" was adapted for the screen by Mary Harron in 2000, with Christian Bale in the lead role.

The play, staged at London's Almeida Theatre by director Rupert Goold, seems unlikely to generate such starkly opposing views. The violence is stylized, and less likely to traumatize than Ellis's graphic descriptions of murder and evisceration. The tone is of an exhilarating satire, a bloody romp that's both funny and alarming.

It wasn't to everyone's taste, though.

The Times of London's Dominic Maxwell gave the play five stars out of five on Friday, calling it "a darkly funny, outrageously entertaining evening," while Michael Billington in the Guardian judged it "a show that confirms the mythic power of Ellis' story and leaves us all dangerously entertained."

But Daily Telegraph critic Charles Spencer found it "glib, heartless and pretentious" — though he predicted: "It's going to be a big hit."

The star is Matt Smith, best known as the galaxy-hoping hero of the BBC sci-fi series "Doctor Who." It's an iconic role in Britain, and 31-year-old Smith will forever be associated with it, but he proves to be a versatile actor, too. His performance as a feral Wall Street wolf erases all traces of the charming, twinkly eyed Doctor. His Bateman has a buff torso and a hollow-eyed stare. His initial exuberance at killing is replaced by the dawning realization that no amount of depravity will place him beyond the pale in affluent New York society.

Produced by the Almeida, innovative theater company Headlong and Act 4 Entertainment, the show is cleverly staged on Es Devlin's white box of a set, which can transform with the help of projections from Bateman's antiseptic apartment into a grubby alley. The choreography cleverly evokes hedonistic nightclubs, aerobics classes and Hamptons beach parties.

A fast-paced book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — who worked on TV series "Glee" and Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" — meets engagingly retro music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Duncan Sheik ("Spring Awakening"). Sheik's synth-heavy musical numbers, redolent of the 1980s, outline the shallow characters' obsessions: "Clean," ''Hardbody," ''You Are What You Wear."

The show also uses real songs from the era, by Tears for Fears, New Order and others. Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" is used effectively to soundtrack a psychopath's murderous epiphany, while Huey Lewis and the News' "Hip to be Square" is the subject of an enthusiastic ode by Bateman.

One might worry that the target of the book's satire had become blunted with time, since consumer culture and brand obsession are even more widespread now than they were in the '80s. But "American Psycho" still has bite, and its '80s setting now as an extra layer of poignancy; the characters' arrogance evokes an era of imperial confidence shaken by 9/11, the 2008 financial meltdown and other recent historic ructions.

In a uniformly excellent cast, several of the female performers stand out, notably Cassandra Compton as Bateman's love-struck secretary, Susannah Fielding as his materialistic girlfriend and Katie Brayben as a cynical occasional flame.

The show gains some of its power from its staging in the intimate, 325-seat Almeida, where it runs to Feb.1, but is likely destined for bigger stages. Manhattan would be its natural home.

'Interstellar' Teaser Offers First Look At Christopher Nolan Film

December 14, 2013, 10:21 am

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The first look at Christopher Nolan's next film, "Interstellar," is here. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, and Michael Caine, among many others, "Interstellar" is co-written and directed by Nolan (his brother, Jonathan Nolan, also worked on the script, which is based on a story by physicist Kip S. Thorne). The new teaser is voiced by McConaughey and focuses on the importance of discovery and testing human limits. The upcoming sci-fi film will detail "the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage." Check out an early look at "Interstellar" below and catch the film in theaters next November.

Star Warhols Is The Nerdy Pop Art Mashup You've Been Waiting For

December 15, 2013, 2:43 am

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A (not so) long time ago, in a galaxy (not so) far, far away, one revolutionary artist decided to collapse the distinction between high art and pop culture, prized masterpiece and consumer object. The result: "Star Warhols,"



The faux pop art series, combining George Lucas' space odyssey with Warhol's soup can obsession, is the brainchild of artist Vincent Vermeij, a Netherlands based artist who goes by Chungkong. The series imagines what would happen if Campbell's chicken noodle was replaced with the colors and patterns of Yoda, Darth Vader, R2-D2 and the gang, merging two highly obsessed over worlds we never thought we'd see collide.

For more of Chungkong's inspired mashups, check out this series of Superhero Ice Pops. Enjoy the images below and may the chicken noodle be with you!

Celine Dion's 'Loved Me Back To Life' Ushers In New Single, 'Voice' Appearance, Holiday Special

December 15, 2013, 6:11 am

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Virtually every entertainer has a misfire.

But it's news when an album by one of the best-selling recording artists in history quickly tumbles down the charts. Celine Dion's first all-new English-language album in six years, "Loved Me Back to Life," entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2. But just five weeks later, it's plummeted to No. 35.

"Of course, the record company wants to be the No. 1," said Dion. "They want to sell records. They want to make money. And don't get me wrong, I want to. But I'm proud about what I have done with this record."

According to the Metacritic website, the majority of the album's reviews have been positive. And even some of the negative critiques have paused to praise Dion's emerging vocal maturity.

Over the next few days, millions will hear a sample when she performs her new ballad "Incredible" with Ne-Yo on "The Voice." The pair will perform the mid-tempo ballad live on the Tuesday (9 p.m. ET/PT) season finale of NBC's singing-competition show.

Then on Wednesday, Dion is the principal performer and host of the CBS special "A Home For the Holidays," which underscores the need for children to be adopted from foster care.

"As a mom, I could not refuse (the gig)," explained Dion on Saturday night after the "Holidays" taping.

The singer and her husband René Angélil have three biological sons, all through in-vitro fertilization. "But adoption (had) always been taken into consideration," she added.

The 45-year-old Dion said motherhood is the cornerstone of her life, as well as what propels her career, which also includes a recent return to residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

She said she'd like to try acting, but she isn't interested in following Carrie Underwood into the live-TV musical arena. Underwood's "The Sound of Music Live!" was a recent ratings smash for NBC, and the network has announced it's seeking another musical for the small screen.

"I'm not crazy about musicals, to be honest with you," Dion explained. "I don't know why. I prefer to rock on stage."

For Christmas, she'll take a break from rocking at Caesars, instead spending the day in Vegas with "my four boys," she joked, including her 71-year-old husband in the mix. "When we have an opportunity to stay home for the holidays, it's pajamas, home food, simplicity of life."

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Follow Michael Cidoni Lennox at http://www.twitter.com/CidoniLennox

Meet Babes Trust, Brooklyn Drag Artist And Performer

December 15, 2013, 6:54 am

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This is the seventh installment in an ongoing series that explores drag culture and the nightlife scene in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past several years, following the large-scale exodus of artists across the East River and into northern Brooklyn, those engaged in drag culture in this outer borough have rethought what "drag queen" means. Accompanied by a larger movement to understand drag culture outside of the pageant circuit, many individuals engaged in the drag community throughout Brooklyn approach drag culture through a nontraditional lens of "alternative" drag or performance art. Visit HuffPost Gay Voices regularly to learn not only about the individuals involved in Brooklyn's drag community, but more about the culture of the community itself.

The Huffington Post: How did you get your start in the drag world?
Babes Trust: I started when I was 16 -- there was an old drag club in Manchester, England, that was just across the street from the New Union public house on the infamous "Gay Village." It had this amazing sunken dance floor.

I met the resident drag queen there as I was searching for a job. She said she couldn't afford to pay me, but in return for me handing out flyers for her nightly shows she would transform me into a drag queen. Which she did -- to post flyers for her show! Me in a full sequin gown 16 years old posting flyers for a drag show! It was such good fun and that was my first brush with drag.

It's now a Chinese restaurant.

How would you characterize the kind of drag that you do?
Punk. It's hard to classify. I kind of dislike the word "drag," I'm more of a bad tranny. My linage is that of Divine, so an agitator. I try to put my looks and shows together that attack the status quo, the nuclear family and strict gender roles.

Some transgender people are critical of drag performers using the word "tranny." What are your thoughts about it?
First of all, I can only tell you what I've experienced. I have at some points in my life identified as transgender. I lived in a trans anarchist house in London for three years, my closest friend is transexual and sometimes uses the word to describe herself and comrades.

I have issues around this wider idea of community; such as the gay "community," the trans "community" -- we are not a generalized generic community or binary. Although we share some basic values, we are many different communities with varying values, speech, meanings, codes and languages.

Tranny means different things to different people. Do I know some people who feel more comfortable with explaining their gender and sexuality as "tranny"? Yes. Its that okay?

By one "community" effectively silencing and oppressing another to "not say" certain words or be so untrusting of people that you believe that everything comes from a place of violence, is sad.

If someone identifies as "tranny," the people who attack the term as offensive are oppressing the people who have a valid claim over the term.

Do I think the term should be banded around by popular media? No. Perhaps it's an idea of who has a valid claim to it. Being a cross dresser, a drag queen, a queer, a faggot, a tranny -- a non-binary person and living in and experiencing my drag community that explores these ideas of non-binary gender and sex, alienness and fluidity I would say gives validity to the term and deserves to be celebrated. Not all of us live in such a defined state of being.

How does Brooklyn as a community shape and construct drag culture?
Well, the Bushwig/Brooklyn community is very new and embryonic. Yes -- some queens right now are getting some press. However, it's all very geared towards this idea of being "the next big thing," which I find rather boring. I keep thinking we need some kind of radical community guidelines, to form a communal space or, like Warhol, create a Factory. Make our own culture, rather than join one. I think if this happens it would definitely shape drag culture in a more direct way. Right now, however, I feel we just feed the mainstream and RuPaul's drag farm.

(The interview with Babes Trust continues after the slideshow.)


Describe the drag scene and community in Brooklyn -- how is it different from drag culture elsewhere?
In Brooklyn it is more raw, more experimental and more queer. It is similar to other cities like London and Berlin. However, I think in NYC there is more of a crossing of "scenes." For example, there is a "queer" drag scene, although small, in Berlin, but those queens would never really cross paths or play at the same places with the "fish." I think that this happens more in NYC due to economics and the city's readiness to consume.

Why did you decide to co-found Bushwig?
After moving here from London I was fully aware and inspired by the Wigstock festival. After doing some shows over here with what is now know as "The House Of Bushwig" I realized that there were so many drag queens, more than any other place I had encountered. I thought it would be amazing to create a community festival that could showcase all of these amazing creatures and to create a meeting point for them all. Also, the wider goals were to give everyone a larger audience to showcase... so yes we do want it to be huge.

Where can you be found throughout the week?
I work a lot bartending so it's hard for me to get in drags after an 11-hour shift. But you can find me in a dress at HappyFun Hideaway in Bushwick on Friday nights.

I'll also be doing a New Years Eve Dance & Drag Party at Secret Project Robot! with my sisters Macy Rodman and SCHWARZ.

I'm also part of a new band called BOTTOMS, which includes myself on programming, Micheal Promistat on drums and the performance artist Jake Dibeler on vox.

I should also mention my new magazine that we just successfully launched in Amsterdam called SISTERS that documents the more left of field and one-time drags! We launch in NYC in February -- so look out for that.

...or come find me at Bushwig next year. Life is drag.

Any parting words?
Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!

The next installment of this series will take a look back at the past two Bushwig festivals. Missed the previous featured drag performers in this series? Check out the slideshow below.

Cub Camp 2014 Calendar Released By Scooter McCreight (NSFW)

December 15, 2013, 6:55 am

≫ Next: Rainbows, Scuba Santa And A 6-Story Christmas Tree: The Week In Photos, December 8 - 14

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We certainly have been seeing quite a few sexy 2014 calendars popping up over the past couple of months and we honestly couldn't be happier about it.

The Cub Camp calendar, a project spearheaded by Scooter McCreight and shot by photographer Bradley Roberge, is currently in its second year of publication. The calendar features a collection of furry men and captures the aesthetic of the Cub Camp party.

A portion of the funds generated through sales of the Cub Camp calendar will be donated to the Will Munro Fund for Queer & Trans Youth Living With Cancer. Will Munro was the co-founder of The Beaver in Toronto, Canada -- the location of the monthly Cub Camp party. Launched in 2010, the party began at The Beaver but has traveled to locales such as Provincetown, San Francisco and New York City.

Interested in ordering the Cup Camp calendar? Click here to visit the publication's website.

Check out a sexy slideshow of the cubs below!

Rainbows, Scuba Santa And A 6-Story Christmas Tree: The Week In Photos, December 8 - 14

December 15, 2013, 7:29 am

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Nothing quite compares to the power of a photograph to communicate the goings on in the world, captured in the thick of things. Ranging from the serious to the silly, these photos offer peeks into various events around the world this week.

1. In Singapore, people take pictures inside a giant Christmas tree along Orchard Road. Attracting thousands of tourists every year, the famous shopping belt transforms with Christmas scenes, which will be lit up from November 23, 2013 to January 5, 2014.


Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

2. In Israel, mounted police ride past Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men as they rally outside the Atlit military prison following the arrest of a young man who refused to serve in the Israeli army on December 9, 2013.



Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

3. In Turkey, Paul Pogba of the Juventus soccer team gestures after their Champions League match defeat against Galatasaray at the TT Arena Stadium on December 11, 2013. The match was halted Tuesday in the 31st minute with the score at 0-0 as hail and snow began to fall heavily in Istanbul, but resumed Wednesday.


AP Photo

4. In Spain, a diver wearing a Santa Claus costume feeds a shark in the aquarium of Palma de Mallorca on December 11, 2013.


Jaime Reina/AFP/Getty Images

5. In Lebanon, a Syrian refugee tries to move a washing machine outside her tent to protect it from Storm Alexa's snowfall at a makeshift camp in Terbol near the Bekaa Valley town of Zahleh on December 11, 2013.


STR/AFP/Getty Images

6. In Canada, a cargo train passes through the famous 'Morant's Curve' offering a beautiful view of the frozen Bow River and the Canadian Pacific Railway at Banff National park on December 6, 2013.


Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

7. In Cambodia, a man and a woman ride a motorbike loaded with porks along a street in Phnom Penh on December 9, 2013.


Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images

8. In Ireland, a shopper walks pass hilarious graffiti as she shops in Dublin on December 11, 2013.


Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images

9. In the West Bank, a rainbow emerges in the Judean desert after stormy weather, including high winds and heavy rainfall, lashed Israel and the Palestinian territories on December 11, 2013.


Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

10. In South Africa, navy officers guard the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela during the lying in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on December 12, 2013.


Markus Schreiber/AFP/Getty Images

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Beyonce Performs 'XO' For The First Time At Chicago Show

December 15, 2013, 7:33 am

≫ Next: Best Makeup And Hairstyling Oscar Shortlist Includes 'American Hustle' But Not 'Lee Daniels' The Butler'

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Beyonce is wasting no time in incorporating her new album into her tour's setlist. After electrifying the Internet by dropping the 14-song collection at the stroke of midnight on Friday with no prior announcement, Queen Bey is now transferring the royal energy she used to captivate the world to her live performances. She debuted "XO," which will also reportedly serve as the next single released from the self-titled album ("Blow" and "Drunk in Love" are both currently out).

"I'm gonna sing this song, which is a brand new song," Beyonce announced to the crowd on Friday at Chicago's United Center, where she used a call-and-response format to engage the crowd with the unfamiliar track. "It hasn't even been out for 24 hours. I want to sing this to y'all because it was written for y'all."



Beyonce will have ample time to integrate the album into her setlist. The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour has five remaining shows in 2013 before resuming in February and March, when Beyonce will perform 16 gigs in Europe.

Best Makeup And Hairstyling Oscar Shortlist Includes 'American Hustle' But Not 'Lee Daniels' The Butler'

December 15, 2013, 8:38 am

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The Academy has unveiled the shortlist for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar, giving us the seven films in consideration for the category's three nominees. Many of the finalists are to be expected, but that doesn't mean the compilation comes without snubs. "Lee Daniels' The Butler," "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," "Rush" and "12 Years a Slave" -- all Oscar contenders in other categories -- were omitted from the list.

Here's a look at the seven movies that did make the cut. Academy members will select the nominees after a screening on Jan. 11.

"American Hustle"


"Dallas Buyers Club"


"The Great Gatsby"


"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters"


"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"


"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"


"The Lone Ranger"


Recent winners in the category include "Les Misérables," "The Iron Lady," "The Wolfman" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Founded in 1981, the award has gone to a motley crew of period pieces ("Elizabeth," "Braveheart," "Amadeus"), campy comedies ("Mrs. Doubtfire," "Men in Black," "The Nutty Professor," "Beetlejuice," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas") and big-budget productions ("Star Trek," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe").

This Dad Got The Best Christmas Present.. He Heard His Daughter's Voice For The First Time

December 15, 2013, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Will Ferrell Says Working With Kanye West On 'Anchorman 2' Meant Listening To A Lot Of 'Yeezus'

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Ken Stehle has been deaf for more than 50 years, but with some technological magic, he heard his daughter sing for the first time last weekend.

Ashley Stehle, 15, is a member of Villa Duchesne High School's advanced show choir in St. Peters, Mo., according to KSDK.

At her Christmas concert on Sunday, her dad wore his new hearing aid, which allowed him to listen to the sound of Ashley's voice.

"He was just closing his eyes and listening to my voice," Ashley told the news channel. "He didn't really care if he was seeing me because he has always seen me. He wanted to hear me and that was just awesome."

In September, we wrote about a deaf 7-year-old from Guatemala who heard his family's voice for the first time thanks to a new hearing device. And last July, a 14-month-old girl heard herself for the first time after receiving a cutting-edge cochlear implant.

Watch Ashley Stehle's entire performance below:

Will Ferrell Says Working With Kanye West On 'Anchorman 2' Meant Listening To A Lot Of 'Yeezus'

December 15, 2013, 9:52 am

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What's it like to work with Kanye West?

That's one of the million-dollar pop culture questions of 2013, and we've received an answer from an unlikely source: Will Ferrell. The funnyman got to stand in the presence of West's "awesomeness" while filming "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," in which the rapper makes a cameo. When asked during an appearance on ITV's "Jonathan Ross Show" what it was like, Ferrell confirmed that West was on his best typical behavior.

"It was very surreal to have Kanye -- who's such a big fan of comedy -- in our movie hanging out for two days", he said. "He was playing the new tracks a lot -- over and over. Even when you're trying to film, he's playing the tracks."

The "tracks" are the ones that comprise "Yeezus," which was released in May, right around the same time West filmed his cameo for "Anchorman 2." Naturally, the cast and crew were too intimidated to ask West to stop blaring his music on the set.

"We got a scared 18-year-old intern to ask him to turn them down," Ferrell joked before revealing that West lingered around the set after his scenes were finished. "He hung out, even after we said, 'You're done'. He was like, 'no, no' and stayed in the background, hanging out and fighting with people."

Ferrell's questionable sincerity aside, director and co-writer Adam McKay made similar remarks when asked about the matter in June.

"He even showed up for an extra quarter of a day where he had no speaking lines," McKay told MTV. "He was just kind of in the group fight sequence, and he was having so much fun that he came back to do that. He even showed up for an extra quarter of a day where he had no speaking lines. He was just kind of in the group fight sequence, and he was having so much fun that he came back to do that."

Ferrell and McKay discussed the experience with Rolling Stone earlier this month, revealing that Kim Kardashian spent some time on the set and that West rapped "New Slaves" for them in hopes of soliciting feedback.

"She was there the first day," McKay said of Kardashian, who at the time was a month away from giving birth to North. "She seemed like this totally normal, pretty girl -- not the most-Googled woman on earth."

Chicago Poet Malcolm London, Irish Graffiti Artist Maser Partner For 'Never Too Late To Love' Mural

December 15, 2013, 11:01 am

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"There is one thing the richest man can never purchase: yesterday."

Thus begins the stirring poem written by Chicago poet Malcolm London that inspired a mural painted in the city's Pilsen neighborhood by Irish graffiti artist Maser earlier this fall.

The two partnered for the collaborative piece -- titled "It's Never Too Late To Love" -- in October for the Heart of the City online music television channel.

Earlier this month, Heart of the City released a video (embedded above) showing the creation of the mural while London recites the words that inspired it.

The mural is located in the alley of La Baguette Bakery, 2109 S. Ashland Ave.

Post by Heart Of The City TV.

(h/t Gapers Block)