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Kanye West Demo Tape 'The Prerequisite' Touts Original Songs From 'College Dropout,' 'Late Registration'

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As the 10-year anniversary of Kanye West's debut album, "College Dropout," quickly approaches (Feb. 10), let's take an even further look back at Ye's originally unreleased 2001 demo tape, "The Prerequisite." In it, listeners will find original cuts from "College Dropout," "Late Registration" and his mixtapes, such as "Jesus Walks" and "All Falls Down" (under the title "Dream Come True").

You can listen to the full tape below and download it for free here.



"The Prerequisite" tracklist:

1. Home (Windy)
2. Jesus Walks
3. Have It Your Way
4. Out Of Your Mind
5. Wow!
6. Need To Know
7. Gotta Pose
8. Never Letting Go (The Stalker Song)
9. Hey Mama
10. Know The Game
11. Family Business
12. Dream Come True
13. Freestyle
14. Last Freestyle
15. Heartbeat

Bosnia Protest Photos: This Is What Furious Protesters Look Like

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"History in the making" -- that's how Al Jazeera correspondent Marko Pavlovic described today's protests in Bosnia to HuffPostLive.

Thousands of Bosnians took their discontent over unemployment and government corruption to the streets for a third day on Friday, with protest marches rocking at least three cities. The Associated Press reports that groups of furious demonstrators clashed with police and attacked local government buildings. Nearly 200 people were injured in the clashes.

Just take a look at the photos below for a glimpse into the fury of the demonstrators.

And can we blame them? Bosnia's middle class is decimated, many in the working class are living in poverty, while tycoons are flourishing.

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Bosnian police clash with protesters in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Sulejman Omerbasic)




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Bosnian protesters approach a local government building during a protest in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)




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A Bosnian protester is seen in the town of Tuzla, on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)




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Protesters set fire the Tuzla canton government building during public officers' demonstration in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, 140 kms north of Sarajevo on February 7, 2014. (Photo by Mersiha Besic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)




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A man walks during clashes between demonstrators and police in the capital Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on February 7, 2014. (Photo by Samir Yordamovic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)




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A protester gestures toward the police cordon in front of the local government buildings in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Sulejman Omerbasic)




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Bosnian police officers secure the area in front of a local government building in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, 140 kms north of Sarajevo, on Thursday, Feb. 6. 2014. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)




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A Bosnian protester stands next to a road blockade during a protest in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, 140 kms north of Sarajevo, on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)


Who Is t.A.T.u.? A Look Back At The 'All The Things She Said' Duo's 15 Minutes Of Fame

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If you remember anything about t.A.T.u., it's probably their controversial video for the 2003 song "All the Things She Said." That's the one where the Russian duo -- made up of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova, who were 19 and 18 at the time, respectively -- kissed and caressed each other in the rain while wearing schoolgirl outfits in prison.

If you know anything else about the band, it might be that they performed at Friday's opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Anyone who considers the duo a one-hit wonder probably raised an eyebrow at the announcement, even if t.A.T.u.'s ties to Sochi are evident in their Russian heritage. What's even more perplexing is why the Olympics, staged in a country with anti-gay laws that have gained increasing notoriety over the past several months, would select a duo defined by their promotion of homosexuality. Katina and Volkova revealed in a 2003 documentary that they aren't lesbians themselves, but they maintained that their efforts intended to champion open-minded sexuality.

Now, 11 years after they first made a splash across genres, here's what else you need to know about the duo.

Their debut English-language album, "200 km/h in the Wrong Lane," arrived in 2002 and went on to achieve multi-platinum status. Its lead single, "All the Things She Said," peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song made t.A.T.u de facto gay icons, and it remains a supposed lesbian anthem, despite having been labeled a "gimmick" by some critics. Even though they're straight, Katina commended their effort to represent young girls who don't see lesbians portrayed in mainstream culture. “I think we did a great job on that, because we received so many thank-you letters, especially if you are a teenager when everything is over the top, and then you understand you are different and society doesn’t support you, it’s really tough, a lot of people commit suicide,” she told The Daily Beast last year when the song turned 10. “I was so surprised by those letters.”



The duo maintained buzz by making waves with countless performances in which they held hands and fondled each other. Katina and Volkova infuriated "Tonight Show" executives when they kissed during a performance of "All the Things She Said" after promising to remain chaste. The show cut away to a guitarist for the duration of the 25-second liplock.



Their follow-up song, "Never Gonna Get Us," hit the Top 10 in several countries and No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. They performed it and "All the Things She Said" on the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.



The duo split with their producer and manager, Ivan Shapovalov, in early 2004, claiming he was only concerned with advancing their scandals. Rumors t.A.T.u. had split up circulated, but the fallout with Shapovalov was depicted on the Russian reality series "t.A.T.u. v Podnebesnaya." Regardless, Volkova then became pregnant and the group was unable to record their next album as promptly as anticipated.

tatu 2003

By the time they bounced back with the 2005 album "Dangerous and Moving," their buzz had dwindled and the duo failed to garner the same recognition seen in their debut project. "The hooks they're handed this second time around are decidedly duller, and the limitations of their vocal abilities are exaggerated, not concealed, by the bluntly simplistic tunes," Rolling Stone's Barry Walters wrote. The lead single, "All About Us," didn't chart on the U.S. Hot 100 but did crack No. 13 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs rankings. The corresponding music video portrayed an attempted rape and was released with a censored version as well.



Their next two songs from the album -- "Gomenasai" and "Friend or Foe" -- also failed to chart in the U.S. The duo didn't want "Gomenasai" to be a single at all, but Interscope Records released it anyway. They parted ways with the label thereafter.





In 2009, t.A.T.u. returned with "Waste Management," an album that generated virtually no buzz in the U.S. It spawned three singles, each of which met similar fate.







Tensions rose between the two women in 2010 when Katina embarked on a solo career but continued to perform t.A.T.u.'s hits at concerts. Volkova responded by saying, "[Lena] has the right to [sing t.A.T.u. songs], but it's so stupid, absolutely stupid. If you do a solo career, it means that you do your own work. Her stuff that she makes, I think, is silly, and very soon her career will wither away and disappear." A year later, Katina gave a radio interview in which she said the two are "not planning to reform t.A.T.u., certainly not in the near future."

tatu 2009

In March 2011, the group's management announced t.A.T.u. was officially over. Katina and Volkova proceeded to release solo material. They reunited in December 2012 on the Romanian version of "The Voice" for their first performance together in three years. When asked whether they keep in touch, Katina said, "Only when we see each other. We have very different lives in different countries now. We are not in a fight, though."



The duo has reunited a few times since, without ever officially reteaming. They donned the schoolgirl outfits they once longed to shed this past September for a Japanese Snickers commercial.



t.A.T.u. performed "Not Gonna Get Us" during the opening ceremony. Coverage airs on Friday night on NBC. Until then, enjoy this 2003 E! News interview in which they discuss the reaction to the "All the Things She Said" contention.

Choir Sings National Anthem From All 18 Stories Of A Hotel, Internet Collectively Weeps

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It was the All State Choir conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Night fell and the competitors returned to the Hyatt hotel to rest up for the strenuous day of song ahead. But of course, music never sleeps.

In the video above, choir participants can be seen emerging from their rooms, joining together to sing our National Anthem in a rendition that would make even Beyonce blush. Watch these insanely talented singers make sweet, sweet music from the 18 floors of the hotel. Try not to shed a tear for America. Just try.

h/t ViralViralVideos

'Elders React' To Eminem With Honest Experience And Insight (VIDEO)

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Even by the standards of a desensitized rap generation, Eminem's lyrics can be offensive.

So, imagine how Eminem would sound if you grew up in an era where hip-hop didn't exist? Apparently, that same thought occurred to TheFineBros, who recently sat down with some elderly folks and asked them to watch and listen to Eminem.

Their priceless reactions ranged from "So cheerful!" to "He needs some medication." and just about everything in between. Some even refused to acknowledge it was actually music, while others had a surprisingly positive response to the videos.

Of course, this isn't the first time TheFineBros comedy team has shown elders a staple of our generation. We can only hope these videos keep being as funny as the one above.

Actors Make More Money Than You'd Expect On Low-Rated Films

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Ever walked out of a movie theater and said, "I can't believe I just paid for that"? Of course you have. But you can't get a refund for not liking a film, and so you go on your way, griping about how you've spent your money on something so mediocre.

One might assume that if a film is "bad," its cast would suffer; poor pay for poor reviews, right?

Wrong. In fact, you wouldn't believe how much money actors have earned from films that made the critics grumble. Check out the salaries that actors have pulled in from low-rated films:

October Jones Is Riding The Train Better Than You

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If you hear something buzzing in your twitter and tumblr feeds it's probably just the crush of people posting October Jones' amazing, perfect, hilarious, wonderful, better-than-both-cake-AND-pie train drawings.

The sketches, which he posted periodically over the last couple of years have been featured on BuzzFeed, Tastefully Offensive and Reddit today, and they're starting to blow up pretty much all of our social media accounts.

And for good reason. Jones has, quite simply, reinvented commuting. Take a look at some of the images below.






































They Went To A Wedding And All They Got Were These Awesome Photos

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After checking out the party favors from film director Suzi Yoonessi and Spencer Crossland's January wedding, we were left wondering one thing: Why the hell weren't we invited?

As a gift to their friends and family in attendance, the couple had photographer Jonathan Grassi take portraits of guests in their hotel rooms at the kitschy Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, Calif. where the wedding was being held.

That's about 147 times cooler than the disposable favors most couples give, which guests either drunkenly leave at the reception or throw in trash as soon as they get home.

(Story continues after photo)
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Suzi and Spencer in the Carin Room

"Some guests even brought costumes tied to the theme of their room," Grassi told The Huffington Post in an email. "It was a refreshing strategy to celebrate the guests as much as the bride and groom, and it gave everyone a memento that made sure the wedding would not be forgotten."

Check out the rest of the photos below.

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Christopher and Daniel in the Yahoo Room


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Cameron, Hazel and Nicole in the Safari Room


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Daniel and Jonako in the Merry Room


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Shaheen and Sarah in the Vous Roo


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Bob and Meredith in the Love Birds Room


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Aaron, Jake, Stephen, Gary, Josh and Spencer in the Oriental Fantasy Room


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Jen, Cyrus and Lucia in the Barrel of Fun Room


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Suzi and Spencer in the Just Heaven Room


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Jonathan in the Chestnut Foal


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Leila in the Hearts and Flowers Room


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Jessica and Aaron in the Carin Room

To see more photos, check out the full project here.

[h/t The Frisky]

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Laserwolf: The Extraordinary Life Of A Water Photographer

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Imagine starting your work day at a beach every morning. The ocean is your office. Your work hours depend on whether or not it's sunny outside. Your colleagues are surfers and your only real responsibility is to chase waves. You're headquartered in Hawaii, but every now and again you get sent out to Tahiti or Bali for business trips.

This is the life of Laserwolf, a water photographer.

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The 28 year old has a more traditional name, but he doesn't like revealing it. The mysterious moniker works well for his freelance photography business, which is based on the idyllic and vicious North Shore of Oahu. His work has been featured in Surfing Magazine, Surfline, Stab Magazine, Hawaii's Freesurf and Eastern Surf Magazine.

If you ask him how he got the pseudonym, he might tell you he was raised by laser-shooting wolves -- although his answer, he admits, really depends on his mood.

superma
Above photo courtesy of Jaredd Bell.


underwater

Stepping into the world of surf photography is no easy feat, especially in a town that equates itself to the Hollywood of the surfing industry. The North Shore's bone rattling waves and jagged, shallow reef are obvious obstacles, but the unspoken pecking order of photographers is a less apparent hurdle.

The Banzai Pipeline, for example, is one of the world's most photographed and challenging waves. "You can't just swim out to Pipeline and start shooting pictures," Laserwolf told Huffington Post. "You have to wait your turn and give priority to the veteran [photographers] who have been shooting there for years."

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anthonywalsh
"I call this one beginner's luck because I nailed it my first time shooting out at Pipeline," Laserwolf said of the photograph above.


On a good day at Pipeline, dozens of surfers scramble over each other to catch a wave, while surf photographers scramble to get a shot of the day's best ride. Beginner photographers and hobbyists, according to Laserwolf, are at the bottom of the pecking order. If you try to cross the invisible boundary, a warning bark from one of the higher ups will put you back in your place.

"For the most part, everyone knows the order and respects it," Laserwolf said. "You just have to figure out how you're going to position yourself."

lip

Sometimes, finding the right angle for the perfect shot means positioning yourself in dangerous sections of the wave. The photo above is an example of a unique, albeit risky, photo op Laserwolf discovered while shooting in Tahiti.

"This is probably my favorite photo that I've shot," he said. "I'm up in the lip of the wave looking down on the surfer inside the barrel. I don't know how I didn't get sucked over."

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Consider the angle of the photo above. Laserwolf captured this photo just as the surfer swipes by and the wave closes up. "This is a dangerous place to be," he points out. "The surfer is much closer than he appears and the lip of that wave is about to come crashing down on me."

During the winter season on the North Shore, waves reach up to 25 and 30 feet, making it both dangerous and difficult to both tread water and successfully point a camera.

ropes

"This is something cool that people never get to see," Laserwolf says, pointing out the rope-like tubes in the photo above. "Those are little tornadoes that run along the back of a wave. When one of these grabs a hold of you, there is no escaping it. You will be sucked over and slammed to the bottom of the sand."

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Above photo courtesy of Damea Doresy.


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Above photo courtesy of Damea Doresy.


Weather is one of the most challenging details of water photography, according to Laserwolf. All of the elements need to line up for an ideal day of shooting. Wind, lighting, swell direction, and the size of the surf combined can either make or break a photo shoot.

Every morning, Laserwolf checks the surf conditions to evaluate which equipment to bring out. If the waves are big and barreling into hollow tubes, he uses a fisheye lens to get close into the wave while still getting a wide angle. Smaller days call for a longer lens.

When all of the elements work in his favor, Laserwolf captures incredible moments.

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"I got up really early to shoot the sunrise this morning," he said. "The sky was on fire with all sorts of reds, pinks and oranges."


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"This is Gavin Beschen. He’s my favorite surfer to shoot. He has tons of style, which makes my job really easy."


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Still early in his career, Laserwolf admits that water and surf photography is just enough to pay his bills. As a freelancer, he shoots for free and hopes publications will accept -- and pay for -- his work. "It's full on starving artist vibes," he said.

He aspires to be like established photographers Jim Russi, Brent Bielman and Zak Noyle, and hopes to one day land a job as a staff photographer for a magazine.

But for now?

"I'm grateful to just be in the ocean," he says. "It's where I'm most comfortable, so to be able to call it my office really is a blessing."

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Want a daily dose of Laserwolf's photography?
You can follow him on Instagram at @Laserwolf_Photo or visit his website at LaserwolfPhoto.com.

Salah Salahadyn, Universal Knowledge Allah Accused Of Stealing $5M Stradivarius

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Prosecutors say it was the suspect's "dream theft": to simply snatch an expensive Stradivarius violin from an unsuspecting musician.

Never mind that Salah Salahadyn, 41, had already tried and failed at art theft. The Milwaukee man pleaded guilty in 2000 to trying to resell a $25,000 statue to the art gallery owner from whom it had been stolen in 1995, and his ex-girlfriend told investigators that while he hadn't stolen it himself he did plot the theft. Salahadyn was sentenced to five years in prison for that crime. Now he could face up to 15 years in prison for a separate theft, after he and another suspect were charged Friday in connection with the January heist of a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin valued at $5 million.

A confidential source told police that Salahadyn talked about stealing high-end art, the criminal complaint said.

"Salahadyn explained that his dream theft was a Stradivarius violin because of its potential value and the fact that it could be snatched from the hands of a musician as they walk down the street," the complaint quoted the source as saying.

Salahadyn and a second man, Universal Knowledge Allah, 36, appeared in Milwaukee County court Friday on charges of being a party to robbery. Allah is also charged with possessing marijuana.

Court Commissioner Katharine Kucharski ordered cash bail of $10,000 for Salahadyn, citing a lengthy criminal record that includes theft and bail jumping, and $500 for Allah, whose record is clean.

Allah's defense attorney, Paul Ksicinski, noted that the criminal complaint says his client wasn't at the scene of the robbery. The complaint filed Friday does say Allah bought the stun gun used in the attack.

Salahadyn's public defender, Alejandro Lockwood, left through a door inaccessible to reporters.

Many Stradivarius violins, crafted by renowned Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari, are owned by private collectors who lend them to top violinists to be played in symphonies. Experts say a Stradivarius violin degrades with disuse but remains in good condition when played regularly.

Experts estimate 600 to 650 Stradivarius instruments remain — about half of what the master produced — and they can be worth millions of dollars apiece.

It wouldn't be hard to find one. Symphonies that feature a Stradivarius often play up the fact in brochures, advertisements and local media. For example, Frank Almond, a concertmaster at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, gave newspaper and magazine interviews about the Stradivarius, built in 1715, that was loaned to him by a private owner, and he's discussed the instrument in podcasts.

Almond had just completed a performance Jan. 27 and was putting the violin in his vehicle when a man shocked him with a stun gun, Almond told investigators. Almond fell to the ground, and by the time he recovered the thief's van had sped away.

Violin thefts are generally rare, perhaps because thieves know the easily identified instruments would be hard to sell. But the robberies seem to be increasing, and musicians should be more cautious, said David Bonsey, a New York-based violin maker and appraiser.

"It's just one of these really unfortunate things where there's really a loss of innocence," Bonsey said Thursday. "We've seen a lot of this in recent years."

Police found the stolen violin late Wednesday night in a suitcase in the attic of a Milwaukee home of Salahadyn's acquaintances. Police said the homeowner didn't know what was in the suitcase.

The music industry breathed a sigh of relief when police said the violin appeared to be in good condition. But the theft also rekindled conversations about how to balance keeping the violins safe and making sure the public has a chance to enjoy them.

Kerry Keane, an international consultant for musical instruments from Christie's, said his clients who own Stradivarius violins are rethinking what to do with them. Many bought the violins with the philanthropic intent of lending them to top virtuosos, he said, but as the violins increase in value, so does the risk.

"One client is considering buying a lesser grade of violin he can lend out," Keane said. "That's my greatest fear — that this will add hesitance to the philanthropists who buy them so they can be played in public."

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Associated Press writer M.L. Johnson contributed to this report.

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Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde@ap.org.

Scarlett Dennis, 7th Grader, Supports Gay Marriage In Awesome Animated Video

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If there's one thing we love here at HuffPost Gay Voices, it's seeing the passion and talent of young activists in the making -- and this Los Angeles middle schooler certainly fits the bill.

In a video that appears to have been uploaded by her teacher, 7th grader Scarlett Dennis created an amazing animated short that perfectly encapsulates the love and resilience of same-sex couples in the face of adversity.

Dennis' one-minute stop-motion animated video illustrates the question on many of our minds: "Why is it in this country that a heterosexual couple who have just met can get married but a homosexual couple who have been in love for years cannot?"

Check out the video above. Bravo, Scarlett!

You Won't Recognize Sochi In These Old Photos

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If the only images you've seen out of Sochi are those of Olympic skiers and Russian security forces, these photos taken in the first half of the twentieth century in the Russian resort town will blow your mind.

Sochi has been one of the region's prime resort towns since the start of the twentieth century. Throughout the decades, millions of visitors have sought refuge in the town's baths and sanatoria, lauding the center for its balmy climate and refreshing beaches.

The photos below showing Sochi back in the days were collected by the Sochi Branch of the Russian Geographic society.

Jimmy Fallon And The Muppets Say Goodbye To 'Late Night' With The Band's 'The Weight'

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Jimmy Fallon's final episode of "Late Night" on Friday got a little emotional, but there were plenty of people on hand to cheer him up -- including The Muppets.

Watch above as Fallon says goodbye to his show of 5 years with a heartfelt (and funny) rendition of The Band's classic, "The Weight," featuring the entire Muppet ensemble.

When he leaves the set at the end of the song and greets his loyal cast in the new "Tonight Show" studio on the other side of the hall... Well, we might just have something in our eyes. *Sniff* *Sniff*

Fallon's first episode of "The Tonight Show" will premiere on Feb. 17, and the "Late Night" torch will be passed on to his fellow "SNL" alum Seth Meyers on Feb. 24. Congratulations to them both!

Floods, Tigers And The Olympic Ceremony: The Week In Photos, Feb. 2 - Feb. 9

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

1. In Myanmar, a hot air balloon hovers over the temples of Bagan, on Feb. 4, 2014.
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(Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images)

2. South African miners gather to mourn their colleagues, who died in a mining accident in Doornkop, southwest of Johannesburg, on Feb. 6, 2014.
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(MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

3. Indira, a bengal white tigress, lies down with her cubs at the zoo of Cali in Colombia, on Feb. 6, 2014.
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(LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images)

4. Camel herders warm themselves at a bonfire at the annual Nagaur cattle fair, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, on Feb. 6, 2014.
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(AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)

5. Royal Marines, deployed to aid those affected by devastating floods, wade through Moorland, Somerset on Feb. 7, 2014.
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(JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

6. An Indonesian boy carries his brother as the Mount Sinabung spews pyroclastic smoke at Sibintun village, on Feb. 7, 2014.
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(Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

7. A man gestures as he urges other protesters to stop stoning a local government building in Tuzla, north of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, on Feb. 6, 2014.
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(AP Photo/Amel Emric)

8. Russian artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, on Feb. 7, 2014.
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(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

9. A North Korean soldier looks towards the south through a pair of binoculars at the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, on Feb. 6, 2014.
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(AP Photo/Yonhap, Shin Jun-hee)

10. Anti-government protesters stand on a barricade in Ukraine's Kiev on Feb. 7, 2014.
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(MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Leonardo DiCaprio And Jonah Hill Reteam For Olympic Bombing Movie

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Leonardo DiCaprio says he and "The Wolf of Wall Street" co-star Jonah Hill are "going to come up with something unique" as they re-team to tell the story of 1996 Olympics security guard Richard Jewell.

Hill will star as Jewell in the planned film, which was presented to the two actors as they searched for another joint project following the Oscar-nominated depiction of stockbroker excess. "I think it's such a heartbreaking story and such an interesting story about the 24-hour news cycle: a man becoming a hero and then the world's biggest villain within 24 hours of each other -- and dying before he got to see his name cleared," Hill said in an interview Thursday night. He was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival presenting an award to DiCaprio and "Wolf" director Martin Scorsese.

DiCaprio is expected to both produce and play Jewell's attorney.

"The whole premise of it is fascinating in its own right. We're going to have to get together," DiCaprio said in an interview, praising Hill as a creative partner. "When you work with somebody of his talent and his vision, I think we're going to come up with something unique."

Jewell was initially hailed as a hero for spotting a suspicious backpack and moving people out of harm's way just before a bomb exploded in the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, killing one and injuring 111 others. But within days, he was named as a suspect in the blast. He was eventually exonerated and died in 2007 at age 44.

Both DiCaprio and Hill are Academy Award-nominated for their work in "Wolf." DiCaprio was previously nominated for his performances in "The Aviator," ''Blood Diamond" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." He hasn't won.

"What I've realized over the years is that there is no predicting these things," DiCaprio said. "Of course anyone would love to be honored by their peers. But it is the old cliche. We got nominated for this. And that's a pretty amazing achievement, especially the fact that Marty and (screenwriter) Terry (Terence Winter) and Jonah both got nominated as well — for a film like this which you don't see coming from the Hollywood studio system very often, we feel pretty lucky."

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson at www.twitter.com/ryanwrd

Artist Transforms Ordinary Objects Into Ghostly,Two-Dimensional Versions Of Themselves

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Many artists devote hefty amounts of time and energy to recreating three dimensional objects in a two-dimensional picture plane. Cynthia Greig does just the opposite.

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The Detroit-based artist creates what appear to be simple, black-and-white drawings of ordinary, if not a bit outdated, household objects. A non-portable telephone, a clunky camera, a rotating fan -- Greig finds her inspiration in objects that hover dangerously close to obsolescence. But what look like two-dimensional sketches are actually three-dimensional sculptures.

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To create her optical illusions, Greig paints the borderline-extinct objects with ordinary household paint, in effect erasing them before time does. She then draws directly onto the objects' edges with charcoal, producing ghostly representations of the things that seem more like nostalgic sketches than glazed-over statuettes.

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Aside from giving the collection of rejected objects an artistic afterlife, Greig's artworks challenge us to readdress our own visual perception. "I’m interested in how we learn to see, identify and remember, and the role images play in the codification of perceptual and mnemonic experience," Greig writes in her artist statement. "By denying certain aesthetic expectations and assumptions, 'Representations' intends to interrupt a more conventional, passive viewing experience, and provoke the viewer into seeing a photograph as if for the first time."

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Greig's images, not quite mechanical but not quite handmade, ask viewers to look closer before verifying what exactly it is that they're looking at. Take a closer look yourself with the images below. Of course, a cup of coffee and a purse aren't exactly on their way out of usage, but grouped with oversized fans and picture frames, you can't help but think of a future where something takes their place.

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All images courtesy the artist and Fred Torres.

Odilon Redon Goes On View In Switzerland, Remains As Dreamy As Ever

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Smiling spiders, seductive cyclops, floating cubes with a piercing gaze -- these hybrid creatures could only come from the vivid imagination of one man: Odilon Redon. The artist bridged the states of dreaming and waking through his haunting drawings and exuberant color explosions, using charcoal, paint and pastel to reveal his other worldly visions.

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L'Araignée souriante, 1881




Redon, who was born in 1840 in Bordeaux, was deemed only a "marginal artist" in his day. Today we know better, and the creative force is now held partially responsible for spurring the genesis of modern art by turning artists' attention from the fruits of nature to the twisted fabrications of the mind.

zylo
Le Cyclope, ca. 1914




Redon was an early proponent of Symbolism, believing that external reality was only the surface of a deeper interiority filled with both color and shadow. As the artist himself said, "I have placed there a little door opening on to the mysterious. I have made stories." A general ambivalence runs throughout Redon's work, suggesting that light and darkness, nature and dream, fantasy and horror, are all relatively interchangeable. Without moral grounding or determined meaning, Redon's mythical hallucinations hover in the liminal space between waking and sleeping, good and evil.

odilon
Papillons, ca. 1910




A current exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler features Redon and all his glittering contradictions. Monsters mingle with angels while dark, inhuman visions bleed into a sublime feat of botany. From his early, macabre charcoal works to his later obsession with the awe-inspiring possibilities of a flower in bloom, Redon's oeuvre was, in effect, one giant hybrid. See how the devoted dreamer changed the course of 19th century art below.


redon
Le Char d'Apollon, ca. 1910




ophielia
Ophélie, 1900–05




mort
La Mort de Bouddha, ca. 1899




vase
Vase au guerrier japonais, ca. 1905




bud
Le Bouddha, ca. 1905




yeux
Yeux clos, ca. 1894




barq
La Barque, ca. 1902




enfant
La Coupe du devenir, 1894




cube
Le Cube, 1880




Redon's exhibition runs until May 18 at Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland.

Will Smith Isn't Returning For 'Independence Day 2' After All, According To Latest Report

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We learned back in October that the long-gestating "Independence Day" sequel has two working scripts: one with Will Smith and one without. Now, according to Deadline.com, it looks like the one that doesn't feature Smith is more likely to enter production.

An anonymous source tells Deadline that Smith has informed Fox he is not on board for the follow-up to the popular sci-fi flick. The early reports indicate Smith has not yet officially broken the news to director Roland Emmerich, who previously said the actor's involvement was "looking good" despite the fact that he's "too expensive" and "too marquee." (HuffPost Entertainment reached out to Smith's rep for confirmation and will update this post upon hearing back.)

The release of "Independence Day 2" -- also known as "ID Forever" -- will coincide the 1996 original's 20th anniversary. It was delayed from July 2015 to July 2016 to avoid a busy summer that includes "Jurassic World," "The Fantastic Four," "Terminator: Genesis" and "Ant-Man." Even if Smith doesn't return, we may still see a star-studded spectacle, as Michael B. Jordan is rumored for the lead, and "Independence Day" stars Jeff Goldbum and Bill Pullman are reportedly expected to reprise their roles.

The 1996 film became a box office behemoth, collecting $817 million worldwide and winning the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It's often credited as having jump-started Hollywood's big-budget disaster-film infatuation.

[via Deadline.com]

Beatlemania Is A Moment In Culture Never To Be Repeated

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Musical moments that capture the attention of a national audience — and beyond — never seem to be in short supply. Last week, Bruno Mars set a ratings record with 115 million people watching his Super Bowl performance. A few months ago, the talk was about Beyonce's surprise album. And there's still discussion of That Miley Moment at the MTV Video Music Awards.

But moments that spark a musical revolution? A dramatic altering of the pop culture landscape? A true moment for historians to analyze? Rare indeed, which is what makes the 50th anniversary of what is considered the start of Beatlemania so remarkable — and so unlikely to happen again. "The media has gotten so fragmented now ... there's 50 things in a marketing plan for an artist today," said Revolt TV President (and former MTV executive) Andy Schuon. "The ability to fan that fire and to give it the kind of intensity that 'The Ed Sullivan Show' could get doesn't exist today."

Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' performance on "Ed Sullivan," their first appearance in America. Nielsen says 45 percent of all TV sets in use at the time were tuned into the broadcast, with fans and the uninitiated alike gathered shoulder to shoulder in their living rooms. The Beatles landed on a trigger point when they hit America. It was a pop culture sonic boom spurred by talent, timing and luck that's still rattling the windows.

"This was a seismic shift in American culture and it gave the teenagers not only a voice but a way of being, a way of thinking that had never occurred before," Beatles biographer Bob Spitz said.

"Previous to the Beatles' arrival here, teenagers were an appendage in the family. After that, the teenager became one of the dominant forces in the family. They became a marketable force and that didn't happen with Elvis. This was pure."

Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich, who produced this Sunday's TV special "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles" on CBS (8 p.m. EST), vividly remembers the electricity surrounding the British band's appearance as he gathered with friends at a boarding house in Athens, Ohio, near the Ohio University campus to watch the show.

Fans' interest had been stoked expertly thanks to their recent hits, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and a promotional campaign that included mop-top wigs.

"Everybody was waiting for it," Ehrlich said. "People hadn't seen them. There weren't VCRs, there weren't DVRs. There was nothing. If you didn't see it on one of three TV channels, you didn't see it."

A generation of baby boomers — teenagers just turning 13 and 14 — was poised for the moment: The relatively new medium of TV, the growing media culture in the U.S. and a burgeoning post-war affluence that allowed millions of teens to bond through the black-and-white broadcast that began with a mop-top shaking version of "All My Loving."

"Entire families wanted to see what was going on here because the phenomenon of The Beatles arriving here was so spectacular, so different from anything we'd ever experienced before, and everybody wanted to look at it," Spitz said. "The kids wanted to look at it because they wanted to be like The Beatles and the parents watched it because they wanted to see what they were up against. Really. It was kind of like a morbid fascination."

It was a unique opportunity. Millions of kids and the equally young medium of television were coming of age. The two found each other willing allies. They combined with factors that made the moment so startling and powerful it simply can't be recreated in our hyper-media age.

For example, every major pop star in the world — including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — appeared or performed at last month's Grammy Awards. More than 28 million people tuned in — a huge number in modern television — but one that pales compared with Feb. 9, 1964 when at least 73 million viewers tuned in.

The competition for the Grammys was legion: Besides all the other entertainment on more than 100 other channels, there's Netflix, video games, apps, ESPN, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, iPads and Kindles, all vying for attention. Even Mars' gigantic audience last Sunday was smaller on a percentage basis.

"At this moment Paul and I are the only two people who know what that experience was like and it was incredible. Incredible," Starr said. " ... The Beatles are The Beatles — let's be honest. There was no bigger band in the land, and I don't really believe there is any today, you know?"

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Online:


http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-night-that-changed-america/


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Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

Beatles Week On 'David Letterman' Features Lauryn Hill, Sting, The Flaming Lips And More

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Lauryn Hill took to "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Friday to conclude a week of all-star Beatles covers. From The Flaming Lips' psychedelia to Hill's reggae stylings, each night's musical guest performed a different song to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' arrival in America.

Letterman, who currently occupies the Ed Sullivan Theater where The Beatles performed in 1964, also interviewed Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for a special airing Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on CBS. In the meantime, enjoy all five "Late Show" performances below.

Broken Bells -- "And I Love Her"


Sting and Ivy Levan -- "Drive My Car"


The Flaming Lips and Sean Lennon -- "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"


Lenny Kravitz (with Paul Shaffer) -- "Get Back"


Lauryn Hill -- "Something"
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