9 Movies Available On Demand Right Now That Are Better Than What's New In Theaters

September 1, 2014, 5:37 am

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This is how the summer movie season ends, not with a bang but with "The November Man" and "As Above/So Below" in theaters. Neither film came to nationwide audiences with the built-up anticipation of "Transformers: Age of Extinction" or "Guardians of the Galaxy"; both will be forgotten by the middle of September. Fortunately, there are other options to enjoy on Labor Day. Ahead, nine films available to watch on demand that are better than what's new in theaters.

"Zero Theorem" (dir. Terry Gilliam)



Terry Gilliam ("12 Monkeys," "Brazil") is back with another weird, star-studded science-fiction movie that deals with nothing less than the meaning of life. Christoph Waltz is the lead here, but the supporting cast includes Tilda Swinton, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Ben Whishaw, Rupert Friend and Matt Damon.

"Dinosaur 13" (dir. Todd Douglas Miller)



A Sundance Film Festival premiere, "Dinosaur 13" details the battle over Sue, the largest intact Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered.

"About Alex" (dir. Jesse Zwick)



Aubrey Plaza, Max Greenfield, Nate Parker and Jason Ritter lead Jesse Zwick's directorial debut, a dramedy that's been described as "The Big Chill" for millennials. Come for the typical indie movie plot twists and turns, stay for Greenfield's acerbic truth-teller.

"The One I Love" (dir. Charlie McDowell)



The less written about "The One I Love," the better. (Indeed, any plot description would qualify as one big spoiler.) All we'll say is Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss star as a couple going through a rough patch in their relationship.

"Happy Christmas" (dir. Joe Swanberg)



Joe Swanberg's latest feature is about family, friends, young parents and the small problems that can often snowball into something larger. Anna Kendrick plays the film's lead, a ne'er-do-well named Jenny who goes through a tough breakup by moving in with her brother (Swanberg), his wife (Melanie Lynskey) and their son (Jude Swanberg, Joe's real-life son).

"Snowpiercer" (dir. Bong Joon-ho)



Bong Joon-ho's dystopian thriller is the summer's best unseen blockbuster: a meaty, thought-provoking nightmare that doubles as a campy, wild ride. Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton lead a cast of international stars.

"Life Itself" (dir. Steve James)



Steve James' emotional documentary about the life and death of Roger Ebert is a must-see for everyone, especially film fans who grew up reading Ebert's prose.

"They Came Together" (dir. David Wain)



David Wain's parody of romantic comedies ("I've never met anyone else who likes fiction!") is a hit and miss affair, but maybe that's all part of the bit. (After all, how many real romantic comedies are without ups and downs?) Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd are the cast standouts, but it's Wain ("Wet Hot American Summer") and his commitment to the premise that keeps "They Came Together" on track.

"Starred Up" (dir. David Mackenzie)



David Mackenzie's "Starred Up" made a splash at this year's Tribeca Film Festival thanks to its lead star: Jack O'Connell, who also plays the main character in Angelina Jolie's forthcoming drama, "Unbroken." Here, O'Connell is Eric, a violent teenager who gets sent to prison and comes face to face with his dad (Ben Mendelsohn).

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'Anthem' Music Video Proves You Can't Put Kawehi In A Box

September 1, 2014, 5:48 am

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If you don’t already know who Kawehi Wight is, let us tell you: She’s winning the DIY music game.

The prolific Kansas-based solo artist has been slowly taking over the Internet, ripping it on her loop station and playing unique covers of everything from the mainstream (Ellie Goulding, Gotye) to the alternative (Radiohead) to the classics (Michael Jackson). She even covers Hawaiian songs (Kawehi is part Hawaiian) and mixes in her original work from time to time.

Now, she comes at us with a CGI video for “Anthem,” a song from her new EP, “Robot Heart,” which was successfully funded on Kickstarter in March. Kawehi sticks to themes for each project and the music on “Robot Heart” is made completely using machines, written “from a robot’s perspective.”

Complete with dismembered Kawehi-cloned heads beatboxing in actual boxes, the video below is proof that great things happen when you think outside of the box by repeatedly putting your head(s) in one.

11 Artists You Need To Know For The Rest Of 2014

September 1, 2014, 6:13 am

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Summer's unofficially over, but a variety of artists used the last few months to get their name out there. Here are 11 artists to know as we enter the final third of 2014.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic


Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the project of 17-year-old Australian Tim Bettinson, which is a bit confusing, but don’t let that stop you from tumbling into the gentle waves of his atmospheric production. The influence of artists like Bon Iver and Sigur Rós is very clear on tracks like “Flaws,” but Bettinson adds his own touch, making for the next great name in Bon Ive-R&B (we’re with you on this one, Guardian).

Logic


The first member of the rising label Visionary Music Group is Logic. From sleeping on a friend’s couch, broke, to one of the most anticipated debut releases in hip-hop this year, Logic exemplifies what it means to grind for everything you receive. Wielding one of the cleanest flows in the game, Logic is a name that will be remembered in hip-hop for a long time.

Heavy English


Continuing the legacy of trendsetting that is Long Island rock, Heavy English is undefinable. Unafraid to write popper songs like “21 Flights,” and then follow it up with some gritty, organ-tinted rock ’n’ roll, the band has a little bit of everything for everyone. With a record deal finally signed, Heavy English is set to become one of 2015’s big players.

Brolly


It was no more than a week ago that Brolly appeared in our vision, but sometimes all you need is one listen to understand that an artist is creating something truly special. Comparable to the sounds of bands like Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie, Brolly's “Wolfe” EP is a stellar introduction to their gorgeous brand of ambient rock. We can only hope these guys will be around for many years to come to continue to tug at our hearts.

QuESt


The second member of the rising label Visionary Music Group is QuESt. Thanks to some steady promotion by music site HotNewHipHop, QuESt has come to greater attention. Releasing his “Searching Sylvan” mixtape on Sept. 2, QuESt is about to prove himself one of the most promising storytellers in hip-hop. This isn’t just one of the best mixtapes or hip-hop releases this year. This is one of the best albums all year.

Dorothy


Fresh to the scene, Dorothy is bringing back the eff you rock mentality that has been absent for far too long. Blistering riffs paired with vocalist Dorothy’s (yes, the band is named after her) loud-as-hell-and-in-your-face vocals will have you head banging within seconds of listening to one of their songs. If it doesn’t, then you probably have morals or something.

Hopium


Electronic duo Hopium has kept their faces hidden in the shadows, but the anticipation of the resolution to this mystery is incomparable to that of the wait for a proper release. Their first single, “Cut,” brought about some stunning visuals, and the second single, “Dreamers,” is a dismantling slice of sublime production. Please give us more, Hopium.

Jon Bellion


The third member of the rising label Visionary Music Group is Jon Bellion. While Bellion is capable of laying down a 16 on any track with his labelmates, Bellion is VMG’s secret pop weapon. He won’t be a secret for long though, because while many will try to compare his production and vocals to one of today’s most popular names in pop, the tables might soon be turned.

From Indian Lakes


It's a huge accomplishment when any band sells out show after show on their first headlining tour, but it’s especially significant when you are a band that is currently confined to the vision of underground music media. From Indian Lakes’ third studio album, “Absent Sounds,” is looking to blur those lines with their indie rock gold, and with releases like “Ghosts,” there’s no reason any should be ignoring the songwriting prowess of Joey Vannucchi and the rest of the band.

Royal Blood


When oversimplified, Royal Blood is basically blues rock on steroids. The duo's self-titled debut has been lighting up the Internet lately, and the praise is deserved. Yet for all the plaudits the album is worthy of, it is the band’s live show that captures them in their rawest and most kickass form.

Mo Lowda & The Humble


Mo Lowda & The Humble have gotten plenty of comparisons to Kings of Leon, and when you listen to the vocals, one can understand why. However, Mo Lowda’s instrumentals draw from a different and greater variety of influences in sound and, in our opinion, contain more creative song structure. Either way, Mo Lowda has some serious chops and it’s almost impossible not to fall in love with their debut “Curse the Weather."

Mathu Andersen, Artist And 'Drag Race' Creative Producer, Will Blow Your Mind

September 1, 2014, 7:10 am

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If you don't know who Mathu Andersen is... you are not doing drag!

Andersen is an incredibly skilled make-up artist and the creative producer for reality television program "RuPaul's Drag Race." He is also Rupaul's personal hair and make-up artist and has been for a very long time. A visionary, Andersen gives outsiders a glimpse of his innovative work by way of his Instagram account, where he posts the the final results of the different looks he is inspired to create.

And when he's inspired, we're inspired -- and we wanted to pass the feeling along, so we compiled 10 of our favorite looks that he's showcased over the past several months. Check them out below.

Sympathy for the devil

Would you accept this bloodless grasp and comfortless embrace and lead me in the final dance?

In the hours of the moons descent. We congregate in the dusty domain of moth. All urged toward the light... But none so much as me... I have the urge to apologize for not being more prolific with posting. Time has been an issue..... Also the ideas that were occurring to me were quite strange and grotesque... Which leads me to the primary reason... I started to second guess myself and my audience... Is this too much? Not enough? What will they say? I really do appreciate the support. It is gratifying, overwhelming, inspiring, horrifying etc... you get the idea... it is a lot of things. So bless you for showing up. You are the thousands of elephants I sometimes bring into the room and try to assiduously ignore while I create... and as I type this out it dawns on me what a challenge and a blessing this pachydermal infestation is... So thank you and please don't tap on the glass... It rattles the hermit

Spirit fingers and whole of something besides

Yep..... I am a rabbit ..... A raggedy one at that. It must be Easter.... Stay tuned for the resurrection

Utterly preposterous!

Hello my lovelies.... Behold my cow eyed, wasp waisted incorrectness

Not really sure what this is about. I am just calling it Lint trap as it seems I just achieved it by rolling around on the floor

Fully in possession of my own delusion..... I think

Utterly breathtaking -- we love you, Mathu!

Watch Unearthed Footage Of A Teenage Katy Perry Before She Was Famous

September 1, 2014, 8:05 am

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"I have lots of songs to write about. Lots of things to write about." So says a teenage Katy Perry -- then Katy Hudson -- in a newly unearthed video from 2001 posted to Vimeo by award-winning cinematographer and videographer Jim Standridge.

"I was very fortunate to meet and hangout with this genuine talent in the beginning of her career," Standridge wrote in a note accompanying the video. "The other day I was cleaning out some old footage in my office and found 90 minutes of raw footage I had totally forgot about. [...] I think Katy has grown into an amazing entertainer and woman."

Standridge cut the 90 minutes down to just under 13, and the package showcases Perry's preternatural talent. Then a Christian singer-songwriter, Perry's work has an unmistakable Alanis Morisette vibe, but there are some guitar licks that also sound a little like early Radiohead (specifically from "The Bends"). The video closes, appropriately, with Perry singing "Last Call," one of the tracks from her 2001 album, "Katy Hudson."

HuffPost Entertainment contacted a representative for Perry to see if the singer had any comment or remembrance about the video. This post will be updated if and when they respond. In the meantime, watch Standridge's video below.

Katy Perry Uncensored Raw Talent from Jim Standridge on Vimeo.

[h/t Gawker]

12 Stars (And One Director) Who Had The Best Summers In Hollywood

September 1, 2014, 8:52 am

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Summer isn't just for Country Time Lemonade and apple pie, it's also a season that can create Hollywood's next batch of superstars. This year, we counted 12 actors (and one director) who made the leap. They probably had a better summer than we did, but ours was pretty great thanks to their efforts, so everyone wins. Ahead, 13 of the summer's best breakout stars.

You Should Have Seen A Movie This Summer, Because They Were Actually Really Good

September 1, 2014, 9:49 am

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Pretty much no one went to the movies this summer. This was the worst May-through-August stretch at the box office since 1997. Ticket sales dropped 15 percent from last year, and the season's top earner -- "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- might wind up as the lowest-grossing summer movie champ since "Shrek" in 2001. To quote Henry Hill in "Goodfellas," this is the bad time. Too bad, though, since the movies might be better than ever.

That's hyperbole, but despite the flaccid ticket sales, this was one of the most creatively satisfying summer movie seasons I've witnessed in quite a while. The aforementioned "Guardians of the Galaxy" was the summer high point for good reason (it's a great movie), but so many other features delivered as well. "Godzilla" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" were better than "District 9," the surprise Best Picture nominee from 2009 and a benchmark for modern-day science-fiction with an auteur's eye. "Neighbors" and "22 Jump Street" were not only hilarious, but forward thinking within the current comedy landscape: Both provided actresses (Rose Byrne and Jillian Bell, respectively) with the best roles, an unexpected gender shift in the world of bromances. "Edge of Tomorrow" may have had a bad title, but it was Tom Cruise's best movie in almost 20 years, a thrilling, smart, entertaining rush that reminded everyone why Cruise was so famous in the first place.



Even the also-rans were fun: People hated "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," but I found it enjoyable and goofy, like the best movie I would have ever seen at 11 years old. Marc Webb's superhero sequel definitely included too much world-building, but it hummed along like Becky G's "Shower": "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is not high art, but the damn thing was just so catchy.

"Get On Up" and "Jersey Boys" tried to do the musical biopic thing that "Walk Hard" destroyed seven years ago, but both had bright spots. In the case of "Get On Up," it was Chadwick Boseman, who gave the year's best performance that won't receive a smidgen of Oscar buzz. "Jersey Boys," on the other hand, simply relied on its catalog of Frankie Valli hits, but, hey, those are great hits.

There was the "The Fault in Our Stars," a teen drama about cancer that wrung actual emotions out of its manipulative plot by not being manipulative at all. ("If I Stay," a late summer release in the teen weepy genre, was not as successful in that regard.) Shailene Woodley was a star before "The Fault in Our Stars," but now she's a star. Ansel Elgort, too, was a revelation, but I was most smitten with Laura Dern, playing a grief-stricken mother with a faux-sunny outlook that still makes me tear up even as I write this.



All of those films, and I didn't even mention "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (solid, silly, let's make James McAvoy star in everything) or the quality independent films that littered the season. May brought Jon Favreau's "Chef," a bro-y comedy about fatherhood and sandwiches that has only grown on me since I first saw it before South By Southwest in March. There's a big heart to Favreau's movie, which is buoyed by lived-in performances from Dustin Hoffman, Bobby Cannavale, Robert Downey Jr. and Sofia Vergara (not to mention Favreau himself).

"Obvious Child" saved the romantic comedy by turning it indie, and created stars in Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy. Enough has been written about "Boyhood" to fill two Internets, but it was with good reason: The movie, about a specific boy in a specific time of his life, was perfect, heartbreaking, aspirational and a titanic creative achievement. (Richard Linklater's work on "Boyhood" was every bit as brilliant as Alfonso Cuarón's in "Gravity," and Cuarón won an Oscar.) "Snowpiercer" was campy and awesome in the true definition of that word, and probably could have been a huge hit if it weren't so bleak and dark. (But Chris Evans should be in all the movies McAvoy and Chris Pratt can't make.)

Yes, there were duds: I'm a Michael Bay devotee through and through, but "Transformers: Age of Extinction" was a relentless horror. "Maleficent" was bad, but not as bad as "A Million Ways to Die in the West," one of the year's truly terrible pieces of garbage. "Tammy" stunk too, but at least it tried to do something a little different. It didn't work, but let's applaud Melissa McCarthy for using her clout to produce an indie road movie about accepting oneself, even if it was marketed like a big, stupid studio comedy. (The less written about "Sex Tape" and the aforementioned "If I Stay," meanwhile, the better.)

But on the whole? It was great stuff. Many celebrated the summer of 1984 this year, a time period that brought us "Ghostbusters," "Karate Kid," "Gremlins," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," "Sixteen Candles," "The Natural," "Revenge of the Nerds," "Muppets Take Manhattan," "Red Dawn," "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," "Bachelor Party" and "Once Upon a Time In America," among others. I don't think the people running the Internet in 30 years will spend as much time on the summer of 2014, but I'd like to think they will. And, just in case, put me down now for the 30th anniversary retrospective on "Edge of Tomorrow." That movie was boss.

Ansel Elgort Is Also A DJ Named Ansolo, Okay?

September 1, 2014, 10:45 am

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Ansel Elgort had a pretty great summer, and he capped it off by performing at Electric Zoo. Elgort, who played the male lead in "The Fault in Our Stars," performs under the name Ansolo, and was a last-minute addition to the electronic dance music festival. "DREAMS COMING TRUE!" Elgort wrote on his Facebook page before performing on Saturday. He also tweeted some photos from the event:

EZOO THAT WAS THE FUCKJG SHIT!!! pic.twitter.com/td5VmSpE8q

— Ansolo (@Ansolo_Music) August 30, 2014

Yesterday was so amazing, remember my set will be streamed today at 12pmET on @sxmElectro channel 52 pic.twitter.com/oOOSldvKmq

— Ansolo (@Ansolo_Music) August 31, 2014

Elgort's full Electric Zoo set list can be found here. Check out some of Elgort's Ansolo work, via his Soundcloud page, below.







[h/t USA Today]

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Beyoncé & Jay Z Looked Really Happy At Made In America

September 1, 2014, 12:09 pm

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Beyoncé and Jay Z were spotted looking plenty happy at Made In America in Los Angeles on Sunday. ("Still drunk in love?" reads the Us Weekly story about the photos.) Beyoncé and Jay Z spent the summer on tour (and also dodging rumors of a split), but the pair presented a united front at last month's MTV Video Music Awards, where Beyoncé won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

'Magic Mike XXL' Is Now In Production, And Peter Andrews Is The Cinematographer

September 1, 2014, 12:46 pm

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Ladies of Tampa and everyone else who thought 2012's "Magic Mike" was one of the most entertaining dramas of the last half-decade, it's time for round two. Director Steven Soderbergh tweeted a photo from the set of "Magic Mike XXL," the forthcoming sequel to Channing Tatum's breakout film, signaling the start of production.

"It's ON!" wrote Soderbergh, who isn't the director for part two, but will participate in the film. As GQ revealed in a profile on Tatum earlier this year, Soderbergh is the "Magic Mike XXL" cinematographer, editor and camera operator. (You'll note that "Peter Andrews," Soderbergh's cinematography pseudonym, is listed on the film slate.)

"I want to be there, but I don't want to be the director," Soderbergh told GQ about "Magic Mike XXL." "I want to be a part of it. I want to be in the band, but I just don't want to be the frontman this time." As such, Gregory Jacobs, Soderbergh's long-time first assistant director, will take over "Magic Mike" duties for the sequel.

"Magic Mike XXL" is out in theaters on July 1, 2015. It looks like there might be a helicopter involved.

It's ON! pic.twitter.com/zczZdpqzdt

— Bitchuation (@Bitchuation) August 31, 2014

Carrie Underwood Announces Pregnancy

September 1, 2014, 5:48 pm

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KRISTIN M. HALL, Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Carrie Underwood and NHL player Mike Fisher chose the Labor Day holiday to announce they are expecting their first child.

Underwood and Fisher posted the announcement on their social media accounts on Monday. Underwood's publicist confirmed the couple will be expecting their first child in the spring.

The 31-year-old Underwood shot to fame after winning "American Idol." She has won six Grammys and sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. She was the first woman to twice win the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award.

She will be co-hosting the upcoming Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley this November.

Fisher, a 34-year-old center for the Nashville Predators, is recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the start of the season.

Sci-Fi Artist Saya Woolfalk Creates A Hallucinatory Human Mandala From Dancers

September 3, 2014, 6:17 am

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Saya Woolfalk doesn't create artworks, she creates worlds.



The artist, whose father is African American and white and whose mother is Japanese, conjures mythical utopias to explore ideas of race, sexuality, difference, hybridization, cooperation and creativity. Her multimedia works summon viewers on a multicolored trip through mythical research, bunk biology and bizarre costumes, exposing cultural rituals as the fantastical occurrences they have been all along.

Her 2012 exhibition "The Empathics" introduced viewers to a bizarre breed of women who, after encountering genetically unusual buried remains, begin experiencing psychedelic visions that transform them into part plant, part animal hybrids.

This uncanny species, dubbed the Empathics, are an extremely porous culture, literally absorbing their cultural influences and physically mutating as a result. When searching for an iconography suitable for her mythical breed, Woolfalk incorporated the mandala, a nest of squares and circles that, to many, represent the cosmos.

"For Buddhist practitioners however," the Asian Art Museum explains, "mandalas are not just images to view, but worlds to enter -- after recreating the image in their mind’s eye, meditators imaginatively enter its realm."



"It's been something I've been drawn to for a very long time," Woolfalk explained to The Huffington Post. "As I keep working on this project I keep thinking about early projects I did, even in college, where I was using this Buddhist, thangka painting structure. I grew up in Japan part-time and my grandmother is Buddhist and Shinto. She practices both everyday. We'd do these ancestral worship rituals every year and pray to the memory of my grandfather. She lived with shrines in her home. From a personal perspective it's always been part of the background in my life."

The fluid nature of thangka paintings made them the perfect symbol for the Empathics to eat up.

"Thangka painting became this symbol for a form that gets transported from location to location and actually transforms its iconography based on place. In India there are Buddhist thangkas, in Japan there are Buddhist thangkas, in Tibet there are thangkas -- but they're constantly evolving in relation to the stories of that location. You'll have the same structure but things will shift and change because the interests of the local people are slightly different depending on where you go. So that kind of became really interesting to me. These things we think of as a single object but are constantly transforming based on place."



On Thursday, September 4, Woolfalk will present "ChimaTEK™: Hybridity Visualization Mandala," a living installation that invites viewers to experience visual hybridity in the form of a living, breathing mandala. The piece, in conjunction with the Asian Art Museum’s "Enter the Mandala: Cosmic Centers and Mental Maps of Himalayan Buddhism" exhibition, features four Bay Area dancers of different ethnicities and dance backgrounds, dancing atop a mandala taped to the floor.

But the dancers don't just dance on the mandala. They are the mandala. "When you actually watch the dancers -- words are great and important for framing -- but when you see the physicality of dancers in relation to each other. Sometimes it's impossible to get the dancers to coalesce. And that failure is actually part of their difference. That is also part of what I'm thinking of as visualizing of the mandala. The coalescence and impossibility of coalescence of these four actors."



The piece invites viewers into a new level of consciousness. "The mandala is a teaching tool for the visualization of a specific form of consciousness. The idea is that as an audience member comes into the space they're not only inside of a mandala but they're actually seeing and visually experiencing these dancers as mandala. The physicalization of an idea of something."

The piece, co-presented by Headlands Center for the Arts, precipitates Woolfalk's upcoming exhibition at the Chrysler Museum of Art, also titled ChimaTEK™.



"ChimaTEK™ is the technology that the Empathics have produced to try and create a more mainstream idea of what the Institute of Empathy's research can actually do. Instead of being a nonprofit it's now a corporation and I'm trying to move it into more of a nefarious zone. Is this just happy multiculturalism? Is this an American desire for a utopia that doesn't really exist? There's a research institute whose intentions are good and now this corporation whose valence kind of shifts."

This is the magic of Woolfalk's work. For all its hallucinatory visions and kaleidoscopic colors, it remains consistently incredulous of its own existence. Straddling utopia and dystopia, cooperation and cultural appropriation, Woolfalk questions the possibility and direction of her fabricated universe, raising crucial questions about culture as it exists in ours.

"ChimaTEK™: Hybridity Visualization Mandala" takes place Thursday, September 4 from 6 to 9 pm at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Don't miss it.

Mike Myers Almost Walked When 'Wayne's World' Wasn't Going To Use 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

September 3, 2014, 6:35 am

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When you think of "Wayne's World," you think almost singularly of the famous "Bohemian Rhapsody" scene. You might also think of that scene while pondering great music moments in movies, standout scenes from '90s comedy, bad hair in movies and the entirety of Mike Myers' catalog.

As it turns out, the sequence almost didn't happen -- and if it hadn't, "Wayne's World" would have come crumbling down.

During a recent interview on "WTF with Marc Maron," Myers revealed the battle he had to fight for the Queen hit to be used in the film, one example of why he doesn't mind being labeled difficult to work with.

An example of something I fought very, very hard for, and it was my first movie: It was 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in 'Wayne’s World.' They wanted Guns N’ Roses. Guns N’ Roses were very, very popular. They were a fantastic band. ...

Queen, at that point, not by me and not by hard-core fans, but the public had sort of forgotten about them. Freddie [Mercury] had gotten sick, the last time we had seen them was on Live Aid and then there were a few albums after where they were sort of straying away from their arena-rock roots. But I always loved 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' I thought it was a masterpiece. So I fought really, really hard for it. And at one point I said, 'Well, I’m out. I don’t want to make this movie if it’s not 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'

Myers obviously got his way, but Mercury presumably never got to see Wayne and Garth belt out the band's song, as he died a few months before the movie opened. But the 1975 anthem gave Queen a second wind, shooting up to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and pushing the soundtrack -- which "Bohemian Rhapsody" opened -- to No. 1. Now you can go back to pondering great music moments in movies, '90s comedy, bad hair and Mike Myers' catalog.



[h/t Vanity Fair]

'Stolen Innocence' Film Shines A Light On The Worst Brothels Of India

September 3, 2014, 6:56 am

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In 2011, Casey Allred, an American educator in India, noticed something strange. The school he ran was losing girls with each passing week. Teachers went to the girls' homes to investigate, but often there were no answers to be found.

"I will never forget the day that I learned the truth," Allred later recounted. "I spoke with a local attorney who told me that he had parents coming to his office every day looking for their lost daughters. He then told me that these girls were being trafficked into the sex trade."

Vague laws and a disenfranchised poor has made India ground zero for human trafficking. By one estimate, one child goes missing every eight minutes in the country, of which nearly half are never found. That's half a million children currently at sea, according to the Indian government. Life for these kids is bleak: a best-case scenario might be domestic servitude, in a home where it's forbidden to sit down and rest. Many others -- mostly girls -- are forced to prostitute themselves.


A still from "Stolen Innocence," Allred's in-progress documentary.

Deeply disturbed by this reality, Allred became one of the many activists fighting to change it. Along with Chris Davis, a film director, he traveled to the red light districts and brothels where girls are kept. The two hope to release a documentary built from the footage they captured, with the aim to put pressure on the government to act.

A documentary done at the ground level has the potential to illuminate a world that's not fully understood even by those seeking to shut it down. In a Kickstarter ask for funds to complete filming, Allred describes shooting "discreetly and undercover" through India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and in trafficking hotbeds such as the beaches of Goa and a Calcutta brothel known as “the source.” So far, interview subjects include the industry's shadowy figures, according to Allred, including pimps, madams and sex workers.

For more on the project, check out the video for "Stolen Innocence" below.

Columbia University Student Will Drag Her Mattress Around Campus Until Her Rapist Is Gone

September 3, 2014, 7:08 am

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Emma Sulkowicz is a senior visual arts student at Columbia University. On the first day of her sophomore year, she says, she was raped by a classmate on her mattress.

"Rape can happen anywhere," she explains in the video above. "For me, I was raped in my own dorm bed. Since then, it has basically become fraught for me, and I feel like I've carried the weight of what happened there with me everywhere since then."

Sulkowicz' senior thesis, titled "Mattress Performance" or "Carry That Weight," is a literal expression of that emotional weight. In what she calls an endurance art piece, she will drag her mattress everywhere she goes on campus until her rapist is expelled or leaves. The project, she says, could extend for one day or for the entire remainder of her time at Columbia.

"The past year or so of my life has been really marked by telling people what happened in that most intimate private space and bringing it out into the light," she says. "So I think the act of carrying something that is normally found in our bedroom out into the light is supposed to mirror the way I've talked to the media and talked to different news channels, etc."

When Sulkowicz's case made it to a university hearing seven months after the actual incident occurred, administrators were confused about how anal rape could happen and she had to draw a diagram. The experience left her feeling physically ill.

Two other women came forward to say they had been assaulted by the same student, but all believe their cases were mishandled, in part by mistake-riddled record-keeping on the part of university authorities (note: aliases were used in early reporting on the case to protect the identity of those involved).

Their alleged attacker was found not responsible by the university, and remains at the school.

"I was so naive that I guess I thought they would just believe me because I was telling the truth," Sulkowicz told The Huffington Post in February. "I didn't expect the school was going to try to not take my side."

Sulkowicz was one of 23 students who filed a federal complaint against Columbia for mishandling sexual assault cases, in violation of the gender equity law Title IX. The U.S. Department of Education has yet to determine whether it will investigate the university.

"Carry That Weight" is especially powerful protest against injustice, while also forcing her community to face the emotional and physical trauma of sexual assault. While one of her rules for the performance is that she can't ask for help carrying it around, Sulkowicz said others are allowed to offer their help.

"I'm hoping that not only do I get better at carrying the mattress, but... I'm very interested in seeing where this piece goes and what sort of life it takes on," she says.

Additional reporting by Tyler Kingkade.

Need help? In the U.S., visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated by RAINN. For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.

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Bushwig, Annual Drag Festival, Returning To Brooklyn For Third Year

September 3, 2014, 7:27 am

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Bushwig, a drag festival in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn that provides a platform for alternative modes of performance, music and styles of drag outside of the mainstream, is returning for its third year and expanding from a one day event to a full weekend showcase on September 6 - 7.



Growing from 30 performers in its first inception to 75 last year, the 2014 installment of Bushwig is slated to feature over 160 different acts, all showcasing their individual modes of performance and creating, in the words of founder Babes Trust, "a world class drag, art, music and performance festival."

"Bushwig is an event that not only acknowledges and honors its predecessor, Wigstock, but also forges new ground with the electric energy of a community living in Brooklyn and beyond," prominent community member Untitled Queen previously told The Huffington Post. "The festival becomes an equal opportunity stage for performers to come together amongst their peers and a huge audience and blow everyone away."



Founded in 2012, Bushwig is, in part, an effort to "give back to the community" and contribute to the creation of "a huge drag movement" in the words of Horrorchata, who co-founded the festival alongside Babes Trust.

The "Queer New World: Brooklyn Drag Culture" series that ran on Huffington Post from November 2013-April 2014 featured 21 of these performers, and now you have the chance to experience their work -- and the work of drag legends such as Linda Simpson and Heidi Glum -- in person for yourselves.



"Bushwig represents a full spectrum of drag. Because of the festival’s inclusive nature, many alternative kweens find that it represents them and their community more efficiently than any other event in the area," Trey LaTrash previously told The Huffington Post. "Bushwig represents what is wild about drag, what is interesting about north Brooklyn, and hopefully new practices in community culture, in and out of a drag context."

Bushwig will taken place September 6-7 at Secret Project Robot in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Head here for tickets and information.

New Zealand Performed A Pre-Game Haka Dance, And Team USA Had No Idea What To Make Of It

September 3, 2014, 8:34 am

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New Zealand has yet to win a game at the Basketball World Cup, but the team is undefeated in showmanship.

This, after the "Tall Blacks" launched into Tuesday's match against the United States with a pre-game haka dance, an ancient performance borrowed from the island's Māori people, meant to fiercely display the group's "pride, strength and unity."

U.S. players turned to watch the spectacle, with camera close-ups showing Derrick Rose and James Harden looking on, open-mouthed. It's unclear whether Rose and Harden were slack-jawed in amazement, confusion or fear.

U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski told the Associated Press the haka "was a really neat thing to do," adding that the team admired the tradition and planned "to shake hands with [New Zealand] afterwards."

The U.S. ultimately won the game, with a final score of 98-71.

Sam Smith Reveals His Unrequited Love For A Straight Friend Inspired His Hit Album

September 3, 2014, 9:01 am

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Sam Smith says that unrequited feelings for a straight male friend inspired his smash debut album, "In The Lonely Hour."

"It's really tough to explain. But no, he's not gay," Smith, 22, told The Sun of the friend, whom he did not name. "I know he loved me, too, but not in that way."

In segments of the interview, which was excerpted by the Daily Mail, the singer-songwriter said he gave his pal the heads-up before the album's release this spring, and revealed "it gave me a lot of closure actually."

"It put a book end at the end of the record," he noted. "It was amazing, I'm so happy I did it. What I wrote the songs about doesn't affect me anymore."

Released in June, "In The Lonely Hour" has produced the smash singles "Stay With Me" and "Leave Your Lover."

Smith, who opened up publicly about his sexuality in May, told Digital Spy that he is "not trying to be a spokesperson" for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

"It sounds awful of me, but I'm really just trying to live my life and write music about it. That's what I do. I'm not trying to heal the world," he said. "My family and friends have made it feel normal and I'm not going to stop that now."

Watch A Ridiculously Lynchian Trailer For David Lynch's Upcoming Museum Show

September 3, 2014, 9:02 am

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As a smart man once said, David Lynch is not James Franco.

The filmmaker, the internet is quickly learning, has multiple talents that are real. Before he ever touched a video camera, Lynch studied visual art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a dark building set in the soot of Philadelphia, both locales of which he credits for inspiring his later work. In a week, he'll return to PAFA for an epic museum retrospective, created over decades. It all promises to be super Lynchian, down to the Twin Peaks-era "backwards language" he speaks in the trailer:



The show will include Lynch's first attempt to create what he calls a "moving painting," a lifelong obsession that led him to the world of film. Titled "Six Men Getting Sick," the multimedia installation won first prize at PAFA's experimental painting competition the year Lynch made it. The New York Times has an image of the work, which involves a resin screen molded with three protruding casts of Lynch's own head. Onto these, he projected a hand-painted animated loop of heads in "various stages of distress," as the Times puts it.

Lynch has never hidden his love of the brush. In a 2012 essay for HuffPost, he described being a child and meeting a friend's father, who was a painter.

"Hearing this news that an adult could be a painter -- an explosion went off in my head and from that moment on all I wanted to do was paint. And for me, the world of a painter held much coffee."

David Lynch is also obsessed with coffee. It all comes full circle.

Germany Opens A Memorial To Nazis' Disabled Victims

September 3, 2014, 9:18 am

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BERLIN (AP) — Germany has inaugurated a memorial to more than 200,000 people with physical and mental disabilities who were killed by the Nazis after their lives were deemed "worthless."

The memorial in Berlin is close to monuments to the Jewish Holocaust victims and to the Nazis' gay and Gypsy, or Roma, victims. The 24-meter (79-foot) blue glass pane stands on the site of a villa where the mass murder of patients at hospitals and mental institutes was coordinated starting in 1940. The euthanasia program's methods included using gas chambers.

Sigrid Falkenstein, whose aunt was killed in 1940, said Tuesday it was "a technology of killing tested and carried out for the first time on defenseless, sick and disabled people, a test run for all the Nazis' following programs of mass eradication."