show me progress: October 2009

The Twilight Saga:The New Moon movie is super-emotional romantic movie

Actress Miley Cyrus worst celebrity influence of 2009 ; JSYK.com

American pop singer and television and film actress Miley Ray Cyrus is best known for starring as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana.She one of Disney's hottest stars of the past three years with hit records and hit films, has been voted the worst celebrity influence of 2009 by the very people who made her a star, tweens and teens, according to an online poll on Wednesday.

Cyrus, 16, took 42 percent of votes in the poll for AOL's JSYK.com (Just So You Know) website aimed at 9-15 year-olds, pushing Britney Spears and rapper Kanye West into second and third places, respectively, in a section on worst celebrity influences of the year.No reasons were given for the poor showing of the singer-actress and the popular star of Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana" television series.But the ranking follows a year which has seen Cyrus controversially dating a 20 year-old model, making "slant eyes" in an informal snapshot criticized as mocking Asians, and being accused of pole-dancing on a teen awards show.Cyrus also came in No. 4 in the category of favorite female artist, behind 19-year-old country sensation Taylor Swift, "I Kissed a Girl" singer Katy Perry and R&B star Beyonce. The poll attracted almost 50,000 votes."I think Miley is in an interesting space where she is trying to graduate from being 'Hannah Montana' and a Disney channel celebrity and coming into her own and having a career beyond Disney," said Stephanie Cohen, editor of JSYK.com."I think her fans still want her to be the sweet Hannah Montana and she is trying to age up...Parents are definitely resisting it," Cohen told Reuters.Cyrus has been one of the biggest teen idols in the world since 2006, selling more than 7 million albums, starting her own fashion line, and taking $154 million at the worldwide box-office for "Hannah Montana: The Movie" in 2009.West, whose interruption of Swift's acceptance speech at a music award show in September was deemed the most shocking moment of 2009, took 19 percent of votes in the worst celebrity influence section.Swift, the best-selling U.S. artist of 2008, has risen again in popularity this year."I think Taylor Swift has done a great job of showing her true self and coming across as very sweet and down to earth. A lot of her songs are about the underdog and teens can really relate to her," said Cohen.Elsewhere, the stars of vampire movies "Twilight" and its forthcoming sequel "New Moon" dominated the JSYK.com poll. Kristen Stewart was voted favorite female movie actress and Taylor Lautner surged past Robert Pattinson in both the favorite male movie star and "cool guy you'd like to hang out with" categories.See more at http://www.jsyk.com

Fashion model Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were married on Sunday

Fashion model Ivanka Trump and New York Observer Publisher Jared Kushner were married Sunday at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., during a lavish ceremony and reception, according to People. "Ivanka wore the most beautiful dress by Vera Wang that was reminiscent of Grace Kelly," Barbara Walters, a guest at the ceremony, reported on The View this morning.

Ivanka, an executive VP in her father's organization, and Jared, whose father, Charles, is also a real estate developer, like Donald Trump, began dating in 2007 and got engaged last July. Ivanka spent 18 months converting to Judaism for Jared, and the wedding was an Orthodox ceremony, complete with invitations printed in both English and Aramaic. "I only had a three-month engagement so it was all done pretty quickly," Ivanka recently said at a launch party for her book, Trump Card. "To all those women planning a wedding, just be organized and decisive. It also helps if you have a wedding planner helping you out!" Wedding Planning 101We assume it also helps when your dad owns the venue, but, you know, details. The Donald is on the record as approving of Jared, which had to be a relief to Ivanka. Seriously, imagine bringing your boyfriend home to that guy, with his hand gestures and magnificent branded vodka.Other guests at the wedding included New York gubernatorial aspirant and famous rodent-face Rudy Giuliani; Baba Wawa and her date, The View executive producer Bill Geddie; and of course Ivanka's mother and stepmother, Donald's first and third wives. Sources said Ivana and Melania were cordial. Advice: Your Ex Husband, His New Wife, Your KidsAside from their respective fortunes, Ivanka and Jared already have a leg up on many newlywed couples. Ivanka told New York Magazine earlier this year that they make a great match because they understand each other's demanding work schedules, and neither expects the other to put career aside for family. A relationship based on mutual understanding and compromise? That'll never work!

Twilight star Julia Jones's interview with LimeLife

The Twilight Saga star,who role as Leah Clearwater, Julia Jones spoke exclusively with LimeLife upon returning to Los Angeles from the Eclipse sets in Vancouver.Leah Clearwater's Julia Jones opens up on her "really good job," new opportunities and - yes! - working with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.Here we kick off a highly-coveted two-week series where she shares the shocking story behind landing the part of Leah, the ways your life transforms when you've starred in the biggest film franchise in the world, and the inside truth about Twilight cast relationships.

Interview Highlights:

LimeLife: Julia, you've just played this amazing role in Eclipse and we can't wait to hear about it. First though, can you tell us from where else we might know you?Julia Jones: Probably the most notable thing was that I did a recurring role on ER. I appeared in their final season [as Dr. Kaya Montoya], so it was pretty cool to be a part of something that great and large as it was closing. Everybody was appreciating it, so it was a good time to be involved.LimeLife: We heard that there were open casting calls for Eclipse. How exactly did you score the part of Leah Clearwater?Julia Jones: The casting director I've had a relationship with for a number of years. She actually just called us up and I went in and auditioned for the director David Slade and for her, and came back about a week later and read for some people from Summit and David again and some of the producers. And then I waited for about a month before I heard anything, and you're right, in that time they were doing huge casting calls and going up to Canada. I think they accepted tapes from anybody so really anyone in the world could put themselves on tape and potentially be seen by the casting people.LimeLife: Okay, so basically you were tapped on the shoulder to audition for the biggest cinema craze of our time. What kind of relationship did you have with the Twilight series at that time?Julia Jones: It's interesting because I hadn't read any of the books before I got the audition. I of course was aware of it, I have good friends who have been - I think "obsessed" is the right word - for quite some time. (Laughs.) Then when I got the call for the audition, I actually had a very serious visceral reaction. My heart started beating fast, it's a very unusual thing but I think on some level I think I sort of felt like I knew that this was going to be something important and probably life-changing.LimeLife: Julia, you were cast with a pretty dynamic and somewhat complex character. Can you tell us about Leah Clearwater?

Watch Live TV on your pcJulia Jones: Yeah, totally. First of all she's the only werewolf who's a female, which is in itself a very cool thing, but she has this complicated backstory where she is heartbroken because the head of the pack Sam Uley left her for her best friend and her cousin. So in addition to that she's dealing with all the changes that you have in your body when you become a wolf, and as a girl there's really nobody who knows what's happening to her - she's really alone and out there and heartbroken at the same time. And it makes her very angry and mean, and really she's just in a lot of pain and she doesn't know how to ask for help so she lashes out.LimeLife: What did you bring to Leah's character? Did you relate to her?Julia Jones: The heartbreak is a very universal emotion and most of us have felt that - I have. So that was clearly part of it. But also just being so caught up in what's going on in your world emotionally that you can't connect to the outside world, that's something that's a hard thing. Anytime you go through something dark and painful, it makes you want to just withdraw from the world, except you can't. I explored what that's like a lot when I was preparing.One of the fun things that I got to bring to her was just being a tomboy and hanging out with the boys. I was always a huge tomboy growing up and I was always competing. I was the only girl in my football league, and they were so mean to me! (Laughs). And so a lot of that was easy to draw on.Check back with LimeLife on Thursday for Part Two of our interview with Eclipse's Julia Jones where she will be talking about how Twilight has changed her life.Meanwhile, read about New Moon's 15-city mall tour - you could meet the cast members in your hometown!

"Michael Jackson's This Is It "open worldwide Tuesday

We know when Michael Jackson died in June, he was just days away from launching a 50-show run of comeback concerts in London.Now, video footage of preparations for those performances have become "Michael Jackson's This Is It," a documentary opening worldwide Tuesday.

The simultaneous showings around the globe will be anchored by a star-studded premiere at the Nokia Theatre, a 7,100-seat concert venue across the street from Staples Center, where many of Jackson's rehearsals — and his high-profile public memorial — were held.Longtime Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega, who directed and produced "This Is It," is expected to attend, as are members of Jackson's band and the executors of his will. Entertainers including Snoop Dogg, Smokey Robinson and Zac Efron are also on the guest list.Fans are likely to swarm the area, too: Many waited in line for days to buy tickets for advance screenings of "This Is It" at the new Regal Cinemas on site, which will show the film to sold-out audiences Tuesday on all 14 of its screens.The film, culled from more than 100 hours of rehearsal footage, shows an enthusiastic King of Pop meticulously crafting his moves and performing some of his most beloved hits. No critics have seen it, but Sony — which paid $60 million for the film rights — showed a 12-minute clip to entertainment journalists last week.Some of Jackson's family members and friends have seen "This Is It" in its entirety. Elizabeth Taylor, a longtime friend of the pop star, posted her thoughts Monday on Twitter."It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen," she wrote on the micro-blogging site. "It cements forever Michael's genius in every aspect of creativity."The 77-year-old actress added that she "wept from pure joy at his God-given gift" and urged her fans to see the film "again and again.""This Is It" opens in theaters Wednesday for a limited run, lending it some of the exclusivity of Jackson's aborted concert stand in London."We think the 16 days is right. It's sort of a special event that you want to frame in a special way," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.Jackson died June 25 at age 50. The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled the death a homicide, caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative. Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, has not been charged with a crime but is the focus of the police investigation.

Model Ivanka Trump weeding with Jared Kushner

Jennifer Aniston coming back to TV show with Oprah Winfrey

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Dancing's Mya: interview with TVGuide.com

American R&B singer,tap-dancer and model Mya Marie Harrison will compete on the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars.Mya is "excited" Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman has finally lavished praise on her ballroom skills, but she's still feeling black and blue. "I have bruises all over my legs," she tells TVGuide.com.Find out what happened and more.

TVGuide.com: You finally got praise from Len. How did that feel?Mya: [Laughs] Yes, it was such an accomplishment! I cannot complain about that. We've been working really, really hard to please him. It's been a little confusing because the first time, he said he wanted simplicity; the second time, he said he wanted simplicity; and the third time, he said he expected more. We were a little thrown off each time. The Argentine tango was more of a traditional dance, whereas the lambada was a little looser, so we thought we'd do really well with the intricacy of the choreography and the difficulty and the footwork. He liked it, but Carrie Ann and Bruno didn't think the performance aspect was there, so you can't please them all! ... I'm kind of thankful for [Len's criticism] because it didn't make me too comfortable!Dancing's Melissa Joan Hart unsure if being paired with Mark is a "good thing or a bad thing"TVGuide.com: How did his criticism affect rehearsals? Did you feel more pressure?Mya: Yeah, well, we always feel the pressure to do better each week. But when the timeframe's shortened, I sort of wanted Dmitry to tone down the choreography, especially when Len said it was too much. It's hard to learn so much in so little time and be able to perform it and make it look easy. I ask him if we can change things that I just don't know how to do or that I cannot get after 25 times! ... Dmitry is a very accomplished guy and the stuff he throws at me is really, really difficult sometimes.TVGuide.com: What happened in rehearsals last week? You kicked him where it hurts.Mya: [Laughs] Not intentionally! I wouldn't do that! The choreography was so weird and you had to use a lot of footwork and your knees obviously elevate, and when you elevate while you're turning, you can definitely hurt someone! They only showed [one kick], but I kneed him in the [groin] a couple of times. I suggested he wear a cup!Read Maks' Dancing blogWatch Live TV on your pc TVGuide.com: How do you feel about the jitterbug this week?Mya: That'll be fun. It's kind of, like, rock 'n' roll. I love the contrast from week to week. There's nothing similar. Dmitry is now sick, so we'll see what happens. It's the beginning stages of something, so I think we're all going to get flu shots. So Dmitry needs a cup and a flu shot! All the pro dancers haven't gotten any rest because they have numbers to do every night, the Michael Jackson tribute and our knockout dance and our main dance and our group dance. They're working their behinds off.TVGuide.com: Do you re-watch your routines?Mya: I actually didn't for the first four weeks and I just started last week after we performed the lambada. I started watching to see where I could do better. I watched Monday's performance. I'm just happy it's over. That's the hardest dance so far. It had weird timing, rhythm, and is very painful. It's so contained, confined and all internal muscles working. You use almost every muscle in your body and I've never experienced so much shoulder pain or ankle pain in my life.TVGuide.com: Carrie Ann said you were disconnected from your character in the Argentine tango. Are you going to focus on getting into character more this week?Mya: Carrie Ann said I didn't have an internal dialogue and looked very distant and I probably did! I was probably focusing too much on the steps because they're still not in my body. I don't want to mess up because if I do, it's noticeable and that's the last thing I want. I'd rather compromise a lack of character versus missing a step and messing up my whole routine.TVGuide.com: You had the group hustle last week and this week there's the mambo marathon and the knockout dance for the bottom two. How crazy is it preparing multiple dances?Mya: Our knockout dance is still not together! We haven't had the time to focus on it, but hopefully we won't have to perform it. We still have to be prepared because you never know. We chose the cha-cha. It's tough doing so many. The most challenging thing is having to shut things down with your managers and agents. They're doing their jobs and providing you with lots of opportunities, but you have to pick and choose. You have to say no. And they are lots of fun things, lots of parties, events, fashion shows. And then sometimes they get pissed off at you! [Laughs]Catch up on all the ballroom action with our Dancing recapsWatch Live TV on your pc TVGuide.com: You should know you've topped our power rankings with a third of the vote twice already.Mya: Wow! Really? Thank you! That makes me nervous! I just want to get better. I have to just zone out and compete with myself. I have to do better. I'm not there yet 100 percent, obviously look at the scores. It's just about doing my best and pleasing the audience at this point. Whatever the scores are, they're going to be what they're going to be. But I always want to put on a great show and put my all into it.More related Articles on TVGuide.com

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