Generations collide in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

Trapped in a dystopian future where marauding, shape-shifting robots have turned New York's Central Park into a concentration camp, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has no choice in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" but to travel back in time to alter history.
The film, which opens in US theatres on Friday, is the seventh based on the Marvel Comics series that has grossed more than $2.3 billion at the global box office.

A sequel to both 2006's "X Men: The Last Stand" and 2011's "X-Men: First Class”, the film begins in a future where Sentinel robots are trying to destroy mutants, and follows Wolverine as he travels back to the 1970s, when he does not have the use of his silver-coloured claws.

Justin Bieber in robbery charge

Pop singer Justin Bieber has been accused of attempted robbery, a Los Angeles Police Department official said on Tuesday, following media reports that he had tried to snatch a young woman's mobile telephone.
Bieber, 20, has not been arrested or questioned, said LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera. A spokeswoman for Bieber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Detectives have interviewed the victim, who reported the alleged crime, Herrera said. The incident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles.

Alec Baldwin arrested for riding bike in wrong direction

Actor Alec Baldwin was arrested in New York on Tuesday for riding his bicycle in the wrong direction on a one-way street and acting "in a violent, threatening manner" toward police officers, officials said.
The Emmy-award winning actor was taken into custody by two officers who spotted him riding his bike against traffic in lower Manhattan around 10am, police said.

He was issued two summonses, one for the bicycle violation and another for disorderly conduct.

Lady Gaga Dubai concert censored to respect culture

A planned Lady Gaga concert in Dubai in September will be censored to respect cultural traditions, the United Arab Emirates daily Gulf News reported on Tuesday.
Lady Gaga, who is known for her outrageous stunts and provocative costumes, cancelled a concert in Indonesia in 2012 because of security concerns over objections by Islamic groups to her style.

The Gulf News quoted Marco Rios, the chairman and CEO of AMI Live, one of the three firms involved in bringing Gaga to Dubai, as saying: "There will be some edits for Dubai. It cannot be the full show, because it wouldn't be allowed. So it's a special show for Dubai and for the culture."

Noah, Sophia popular names in US

Even before the 2014 movie "Noah" featuring actor Russell Crowe climbed the box office charts, Noah became the most favourite baby name for boys in the US, a report said.

Sophia topped the list of popular names for baby girls for the third straight year, according to the list of most popular baby names for 2013 released by the US Social Security Administration.

"This is big news in the world of baby names with Noah rising to the top, unseating Jacob," the release stated.

There is only one new name in the top 10 this year - Daniel.

Google Glass celebrates Mother's Day!

As the world prepares to celebrate Mother's Day  today, a new promotional Google Glass short film features the love between a mother and her son.
Made by an Indian-origin filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, who wore Google Glass throughout the shoot, the two-and-a-half minute film “Seeds”, released Friday, was shot over the course of 10 days in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and India.

The story talks about the journey of a young married man travelling all the way from San Francisco to India to tell his mother the new development in his life.

Chaganty wore same clothes and a wedding ring throughout the shoot.

It gives us a first-person look at the fictional father-to-be’s trip as he boards planes, trains and automobiles to get to his mother’s place.

Jolie takes plight of kidnapped Nigerian girls to red carpet

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, in London to promote her new film "Maleficent," used the red carpet event on Thursday to renew her plea for the safe return of more than 200 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Islamist rebels.

The 38-year-old actress, who serves as a United Nations special envoy for refugees, said it was "heart-warming" to hear reporters' questions and people's concern for the abducted girls at a movie event.

"The important thing though is to understand that this happens because these men think they can get away with this and they can do this," Jolie told reporters.

Slow cooking formula works for films: Rakeysh Mehra

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has directed only four films in his over 13 years in Bollywood. He believes good movies deserve the "slow cooking" treatment, but says his new project "Mirza Sahibaan" will be his "fastest ever".

"Mirza Sahibaan" is Mehra's ambitious film, via which he is set to launch two newcomers - Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan, and Saiyami Kher, the niece of talented actress Tanvi Azmi and granddaughter of yesteryear's leading lady Usha Kiran.

The filmmaker has given his actors ample time to grasp their characters as best as they can for the project, which will go on floors in mid-September. Mehra intends to release the film towards the end of 2015.

That'll be quite a gap since the release of "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", won't it?

Rajinikanth's Twitter debut draws over 150,000 followers

He's truly 'Thalaivar'! Cinematic icon Rajinikanth, who made his debut on Twitter Monday, attracted over 150,000 'followers' on his first day of joining the social networking platform.
"Salutation to the Lord. Vaaakkam Anaivarukkum! A big thank you to all my fans. Excited on this digital journey," read the first tweet by the thespian, who is reverred for his acting acumen.

His new movie "Kochadaiiyaan", directed by his younger daughter Soundarya R. Ashwin, is gearing for release Friday. Hence, Rajini's decision to make his presence felt on the digital world, seems to be well-timed.

'Spider-Man 2' tops box office charts

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2," a sequel about the web-slinging superhero, snared $92 million (54.51 million pounds) in US and Canadian ticket sales over the weekend, taking the top spot on movie box office charts at the start of Hollywood's lucrative summer blockbuster season.
The big-budget, effects-filled movie starring Andrew Garfield is expected to rank as one of the year's highest-grossing films. With international sales, it has rung up nearly $370 million around the globe through Sunday, distributor Sony Corp said.

"The Other Woman," a comedy about three women out for revenge on a cheating husband, finished a distant second on domestic charts with $14.2 million, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak.

Kurt Cobain's wallet note mocks marriage vow to Courtney Love

The handwritten note, which was released on Wednesday by the Seattle police  Department, was part of evidence collected in the investigation into Cobain's death, which was ruled a suicide.

"Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife even when shes (sic) a bitch with zits and siphoning all yr (sic) money for doping and whoring," reads a portion of the undated note written on stationery from the phoenix hotel in San Francisco . Police did not indicate whether the handwriting was Cobain's.

Love's publicist could not immediately be reached for comment. CBS News first reported the existence of the note, which it obtained through a public information request for evidence collected about Cobain's suicide. Cobain and Love, the singer of the on-again, off-again rock group Hole, had a child together and their tempestuous relationship was marked by drug use 

Pop music singer Madonna.

Singer, performer and actress Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16, 1958, to parents Silvio "Tony" Ciccone and Madonna Fortin. Tony, the son of Italian immigrants, was the first of his family to go to college, where he earned a degree in engineering. Madonna's mother, an x-ray technician and former dancer, was of French Canadian descent. After their marriage in 1955, the couple moved to Pontiac, Michigan, to be close to Tony's job as a defense engineer. Madonna was born three years later, during a visit with family in Bay City.
The third of six children, Madonna learned early on how to handle her role as the middle child, admitting that she was "the sissy of the family" who often used her feminine wiles to get her way.

Valentine's Day: A Day of Romance.

Valentine's Day has its historic origin in Christian theology, and the name is derived from Saint Valentine, a martyred saint from ancient Rome. The real history of Valentine's Day is not comprised of roses, chocolates and pretty cards. Instead, crime, imprisonment and execution are at the genesis of our modern day love fest, dating back to the man whose martyrdom may have inspired the holiday. There were reportedly three early Christian saints named Valentine, but the one the holiday likely comes from was a Roman priest during the 3rd century A.D. under Emperor Claudius II.

The Roman Empire was experiencing massive turmoil at the time.