The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 11 - 15

Movies

- Tom Hanks' production company bought the movie rights to the Green Day Broadway musical "American Idiot." I hope it turns out exactly like "That Thing You Do!" (Cambio)

- The trailer is out for Selena Gomez and Cory Monteith's upcoming movie "Monte Carlo." Watch it. Or don't. (JSYK)

Music

- Taylor Swift bought her parents a $1.4M home in Nashville, not too far from her condo. Careful, Tay. If you give a mouse a cookie... (JSYK)

- Yellowcard and Good Charlotte will co-headline a 5-week tour starting in June. (JSYK)

TV

- Miranda Cosgrove has been accepted to NYU and USC, but hasn't decided which one she'll attend yet. What Would Carly Do? (JSYK) Especially since "iCarly" was just renewed for a 5th season? (Cambio)

- Kelly Ripa is devastated that "All My Children" was cancelled. Toootally forgot she used to be on that show! (Cambio)

- Kim Kardashian is reportedly already shopping for wedding dresses and knows what kind of engagement ring she wants from basketball player boyfriend Kris Humphries, even though he hasn't popped the question. No word yet whether she's trying for her own spin-off series on E!, or whether she's at all freaked out that her boyfriend spells his name the same way as her mom. (Cambio)

Tech

- That Flip cam is now a collector's item - Cisco announced this week that it is discontinuing production of Flips. It seems they were no match for the video recording prowess of smartphones. (JSYK)

Trends

- Justin Bieber is the latest celeb to take a Twitter break (or "Twake"), and somehow people are blaming Israel. Typical. (JSYK)

- Soccer is now the #1 sport among tween girls who have watched this video. (JSYK)

- Glee + Flash Mob = Glee Flash Mob (JSYK)

Cashing In

- Cody Simpson is now a breakfast cereal. Cody Crunch. It's an appalling part of a healthy breakfast! (JSYK)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Rio

Scream 4

Henry's Crime (limited)

The Conspirator (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend

1. Hop

2. Hanna

3. Arthur

4. Soul Surfer

5. Insidious

6. Your Highness

7. Source Code

8. Limitless

9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 Rodrick Rules

10. The Lincoln Lawyer

The Weekly News Roundup - week of April 4 - 8

TV

- Gregg Sulkin had to leave the Wizards of Waverly Place set yesterday afternoon for an emergency appendectomy. The surgery was a success, and the now appendix-free actor will return to the show soon. (Cambio)

- In an interview with the Daily Mail, Betty White said she's disgusted by "ungrateful" starslike Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen, who take their success for granted and don't appreciate their fame. Amen, sista. (Cambio)

- Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham isn't done exposing the torrid details of her life for profit - since TV is so limiting, she's now writing an autobiography. I think this'll be the Great American Novel, don't you? (JSYK)

- The notorious Justin Bieber put in an appearance on the season premiere of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory on MTV, and to the shock and surprise of absolutely no one, JB managed to complete the missions set to him, and won the prize: a 3-wheeled purple motorcycle. (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez sang "Who Says" during a guest appearance on Dancing With the Stars this week. Hooray. (JJJ)

- Tina Fey is pregnant with her second child. No word yet how this will affect Liz Lemon's quest for love. (Cambio)

Movies

- Hailee Steinteld has been cast in an independent production of Romeo & Juliet, to be shot (poor word choice) in Italy later this year. (JSYK)

- Robert Pattinson is pissed off that photos from the Breaking Dawn set were leaked online, and is saying as much to everyone in earshot. Seems like an overreaction, but I hear that's a good way to get an Oscar a few years down the line. (Cambio)

- Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth were cast in The Hunger Games this week, joining the recently-announced Jennifer Lawrence. (JSYK)

- Will Smith is teaming up with his son Jaden again, this time for a sci-fi movie with M. Night Shyamalan. What they don't realize is that M Night has actually been a dead alien the whole time. (JJJ)

- The trailer is out for Selena Gomez's movie "Monte Carlo." (Cambio)

- The latest addition to the cast of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is Mae Whitman. (...her?) She joins Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. (JJJ)

Music

- Matthew Morrison is doing a solo tour this summer, and he wants regional glee clubs to open for him in each city. The contest to be chosen begins today, so submit your videos now! (JSYK)

- Selena Gomez isn't sure whether she'll record a duet with her boyfriend Justin Bieber. This is not news. (JSYK)

- Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards last weekend. She responded with well-produced gushing about her fans. (JSYK)

- Nicki Minaj is the latest performer to be mentioned as a possible Enrique substitute on Britney Spears's tour this summer. Turns out Usher hasn't signed up for the tour yet. I stand by last week's speculation as to why. (Cambio)

- Dolce & Gabbana will throw Justin Bieber a party in Milan after his concert there on Saturday just because he's such a good kid and wears their clothing on the red carpet all the time. (JSYK)

- A new study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed a very strong correlation between teen depression and listening to a lot of music, but they did not figure out whether listening to that much music causes depression, or whether depressed teens use music as an escape. But if they're listening to The Cure, I bet I know which way the causality goes. (JSYK)

Wait, What?

- When her parents wouldn't get her a horse, a 15-year-old in Germany spent two years training the family's cow to jump gates as if it were a horse. It's cray-cray for totes. (JSYK)

- Miley isn't getting enough attention, so she reactivated her Twitter account and is trying to get one million followers by next week. C'mon people, LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN! (JSYK)

- Rutgers University is paying Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison $30,000 to do their commencement address this spring, but they paid $#%@ing Snooki $32,000 to just show up and yak about GTL and her hair. Seriously. Because apparently they believe none of this crop of Rutgers students will ever win a Nobel, but if they set their minds to it, they might just be able to achieve an Oompa Loompa shade of orange like the Snookster. (TweenTribune)

- The Boy Scouts of America organization is introducing a new merit badge next week:robotics! In addition to actually being fun for once, the badge will promote science, technology, engineering, and math. (TweenTribune)

Doing Good

- Kelly Clarkson visited an orphanage in South Africa recently. The House of Hope looks after abused and abandoned children with HIV in Cape Town. (Cambio)

- A new PSA by the New Boyz (timed to coincide with the release of their album "Too Cool to Care") urges teens to embrace their originality, be themselves, and be Too Cool to Care (and presumably buy the album and quote it and get that meme going). (JSYK)

- Darren Criss will perform with the Yale Glee Club at a gala in San Francisco in May to benefit an anti-bullying NPO and one that strives to get teens thinking about social issues in a productive way and to help them make healthier life choices. (JSYK)

- The Smithsonian and MIT have created a massive online science game for middle schoolers that already has thousands of participants despite not launching until 4/11. The game requires students to gather clues at their local museums, then collaborate in online forums with kids across the country, and to use critical thinking and problem-solving to figure out the mystery. I'll admit, I'm very very jealous and want to play, too. (TweenTribune)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Your Highness

Arthur

Hanna

Born to be Wild

Soul Surfer

Meek's Cutoff (NY/LA)

Ceremony (NY/LA)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. Hop

2. Source Code

3. Insidious

4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules

5. Limitless

6. The Lincoln Lawyer

7. Sucker Punch

8. Rango

9. Paul

10. Battle: Los Angeles

The Weekly News Roundup - week of March 28 - April 1

TV

- Jenelle Evans from Teen Mom season 2 was arrested for breaking in & entering and marijuana possession, and ceded guardianship of her kid to her mother, but now she's gone and actually done something bad. Over the weekend, she was videotaped beating the crap out of a girl, allegedly because the girl was flirting with Jenelle's boyfriend, and of course the video made the rounds on the internet. I'm so glad we're giving today's youth role models like this on television, aren't you? (JSYK)

- Betty White is the host and EP of a new prank show on NBC called "Off Their Rockers". In the show, a group of senior citizens plays practical jokes on unsuspecting young rubes. Although this sounds like a joke pitch, I'm assured it is in fact real. (Cambio)

- There was a big ol' article about Miranda Cosgrove in last Sunday's New York Times magazine. Interesting stuff! (NYTimes)

Music

- Bieber's latest prank victim is Willow Smith, but it's more of a surprise than a prank. During her concert in Manchester (UK) last week, Biebs, Scooter, Jaden Smith, and another Bieber entourage member all joined Willow on stage for "Whip Your Hair". Bieber even added some cowbell to the tune. pranking starts 1:30 in. Willow has vowed revenge. (JSYK)

- Katy Perry released the video for her song "E.T." this week. It's every bit as bland, literal, and low-budget-looking as you'd expect from a video by Mrs. Brand featuring Kanye. (Cambio)

- Enrique Iglesias opted out of Britney Spears' tour this summer. Undaunted, Britney invitedUsher to join her instead. No word on whether she realizes he's a performer, or if she thinks he'll just help steer her to the stage every night. (Cambio)

- Taylor Swift's album sales passed the 20,000,000 mark this week. She was presented with a plaque commemorating the event backstage before her concert in London on Wednesday. 3 albums, 20 million copies. Damn, son. That's a lot of love. (Cambio)

Movies

- John Travolta officially signed on to play John Gotti in Nick Cassavetes' upcoming biopic of the "alleged" mobster. (Cambio)

- Russel Brand has two more comedies currently in development, and he told reporters he wants to direct both films. I'm sure as an actor he's prepared for that job. After all, I've had lots of dental work done over the years, which has fully qualified me to be a dentist. (Cambio)

- Batman is getting re-re-booted. After next year's "The Dark Knight Rises," Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale will be done with their trilogy, and Warner Brothers will "reinvent" the franchise yet again. Because clearly that was necessary. Um... (Cambio)

- Hide your kids, hide your wife: Justin Bieber is in talks to star in an R-rated comedy withAshton Kutcher called "What Would Kenny Do?" about a 17-year-old who meets a hologram (claiming to be his 30-year-old future self), who helps him navigate high school and whatever will get them an R rating. (CNN)

- James Franco will actually be a professor at NYU, teaching a directing class to 3rd year grad students. This portion of his inevitable biopic will be very boring, but will probably introduce the romantic foil who will carry us into Act 2. (Cambio)

- Jennifer Garner will play Miss Marple in an upcoming "reimagining" of Agatha Christie's classic detective stories. Because if there's one actress who springs to mind when you think of an old unassuming biddy from the English countryside who can investigate and solve crimes undetected because no one would think such a nice old lady would be doing anything like that, it's Jennifer Garner. (Cambio)

- The latest addition to the Superman cast is Amy Adams as Lois Lane. (Cambio)

In the Series of Tubes

- Tyler "Tornado Boy" Tubbs blew up online this week after he posted a video he shot as a tornado touched down next to his home in western Pennsylvania. The video has gotten almost 400,000 hits on YouTube, and has been mentioned on GMA and Jimmy Kimmel. Spoiler Alert: he survived the twister. (JSYK)

- This week, Amazon.com released their new products: Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. Cloud Drive is basically an online external hard drive, much like Google Docs but with more structure, and it can be accessed using any browser. You can store everything up there including music, and use Cloud Player to play that music on any web-enabled device. 5GB free, or pay for up to 1000 GB. (Cambio)

- While the Egyptian cobra was on the loose this week after escaping her cage in the Bronx Zoo, she popped up on Twitter, under the name @BronxZoosCobra. I'll admit, I was a big fan, and I wasn't alone - over 200,000 followers kept up with the cobra's adventures around NYC. (Twitter)

- My other online obsession right now is the website for Sokoblovsky Farms, Russia's Finest Purveyors of Miniature Lap Giraffes (like the one seen in those DirecTV ads). The site has a giraffe-cam, where you can watch the tiny Vladimir in his enclosure on the farm. Seriously, check it out. And as they say, "if not see him, don't worry he come back." You will, too. Nearly half a million people have signed up to be on the waiting list for their very own miniature lap giraffe. Awesome.

- Jackie Chan is not dead, although he was the latest celeb to get an "RIP" trending topic on Twitter this week. Glad he's still with us. (Cambio)

Trends

- President Obama wants to overhaul the current national education laws, and reduce the amount of standardized testing. Tests would be administered every few years instead of annually, and schools would also be assessed by other measures, like attendance. Representatives of the manufacturers of #2 pencils could not be reached for comment. (TweenTribune)

- Teen hospital visits due to complications from use of the drug Ecstasy increased 74% between 2004 and 2008. I, for one, am impressed. That's a hell of an increase. (JSYK)

Doing Good

- Miranda Cosgrove is the face of Nickelodeon's new anti-bullying TV campaign. (Cambio)

Movies Opening This Weekend

Hop

Source Code

Insidious

Super

In A Better World (NY/LA)

Cat Run (limited)

Rubber (NY/LA/Austin)

Trust (limited)

Top 10 in the box office last weekend

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules

2. Sucker Punch

3. Limitless

4. The Lincoln Lawyer

5. Rango

6. Paul

7. Battle: Los Angeles

8. Red Riding Hood

9. The Adjustment Bureau

10. Mars Needs Moms

The Weekly News Roundup - week of March 14 - 18

Biebieber

- Justin Bieber dropped by the London Madame Tussauds for the unveiling of his wax doppelganger, and if you want to see a really creepy picture, click here. (JSYK)

- The long-awaited collaboration between JB and Rascal Flatts has finally been released. Check out the video for "That Should Be Me." (JSYK)

- The Fab One was forced out of his hotel in Liverpool, England, after two fans dressed as maids snuck into his room and photos of his stuff using their cell phones (or "mobiles" as they call them there). This was, of course, after a mob of screaming girls had assembled outside the hotel, and the police had warned Bieber that if he made an appearance on his balcony, he would be arrested for inciting a riot. (Cambio)

Movies

- Taylor Swift has signed on to the cast of The Lorax (scheduled to release in March 2012), joining Zac Efron, Betty White, Ed Helms, Danny DeVito, Rob Riggle, and others. (JSYK)

- Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence will star as Katniss in the movie version of The Hunger Games (aka the next Twilight series). Now we can go back to speculating which other Inception cast-member will be in the next announced villain in the new Batman movie. (JSYK)

- There's a new teaser out for HP7.2! Check it out. (Cambio)

- Kevin Costner will play Superman's adoptive dad in the new Zach Snyder movie. He joins the already-cast Henry Cavill and Diane Lane. (Cambio)

- A decade after the first movie bombed, "Daredevil" is getting a reboot. Ben Affleck is not expected to have anything to do with the new version. Somehow I still don't think it'll work. (Cambio)

Music

- Rebecca Black's "Friday" is being hailed by critics and fans alike as being the hands-down absolute worst song of all time bar none. Can't say I disagree. (JSYK)

- Lady Gaga is being honored... but not for her music. She is this year's recipient of the CFDA Style Icon award. Her stylists and designers sure did earn it! (Cambio)

- Billy Ray Cyrus has decided not to get divorced, and instead to patch things up with his family. Best of luck to you, BRC. (Cambio)

- The Maine will be going on tour with friends of the show Augustana, starting May 12th in Dallas, and wrapping up in Phoenix on June18th. (Cambio)

TV

- Christina Applegate has signed on to an untitled NBC sitcom about a working mom, her stay-at-home husband, and her inevitably opinionated parents. (Cambio)

- And David Henrie has been cast as the lead in the CBS pilot "Assistants", which is about... assistants. To celebrities. Someone strained a few brain cells coming up with that one. (JJJ)

- Matthew Morrison will direct a few of the upcoming episodes of Glee. I hope that turns out to be better in practice than in theory. (Cambio)

Blatant Gossip

- OH NOES! Ashley Greene and Joe Jonas split up! And mere months short of their one-year anniversary! (JSYK)

Technology

- Finally satisfying the demands of the nation, there is now an app called "90210 - The Game", where the whole point is to be popular. Huzzah! (JSYK)

- Eminem is officially the most popular person on Facebook, having overtaken Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga. Guess he's Not Afraid of meaningless victory! (Cambio)

Innovation

- A 13-year-old kid in Ohio created a line of "man candles" as a counterpoint to the "girly"-scented candles made by his sister. The Man Candles come in several different varieties of scents that men like, including bacon, pizza, and sawdust. (JSYK)

Doing Good

- UNICEF has a contest right now where for $5 you can enter to win a Celebrity Tap Pack, which is a case of water poured from celebrities' home faucets (Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Robin Williams, Adrian Grenier, and Taylor Swift are among the participating celebs). I seriously hope their tap water tastes better than the rest of the tap water in LA. (JSYK)

- Meanwhile, stars like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga have been encouraging fans to donate to Japan disaster relief. The Lady even designed "We Pray for Japan" bracelets that fans can buy for $5, with all proceeds going to tsunami relief. (JSYK)

- Sandra Bullock, meanwhile, cut out the middleman by donating $1,000,000 to the Red Cross for disaster relief. Even after the Red Cross takes their cut, that's a heck of a donation! (Cambio)

- After learning that thieves had stolen computers from a high school in his hometown of Philadelphia (in West Philadelphia he was born and raised), Will Smith donated 29 brand-new computers to the school. What a prince! (Cambio)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Paul

Limitless

The Lincoln Lawyer

Win Win

Bill Cunningham New York (NYC)

Cracks (NYC)

Winter in Wartime (NYC/LA)

The Music Never Stopped (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imsb)

1. Battle: Los Angeles

2. Rango

3. Red Riding Hood

4. The Adjustment Bureau

5. Mars Needs Moms

6. Beastly

7. Hall Pass

8. Just Go With It

9. Gnomeo & Juliet

10. The King's Speech

The Weekly News Roundup - week of March 7 - 11

Bieber

- Young Master Bieber finally convinced his BFF Jaden Smith to join Twitter on Wednesday. Finally! As of 4:30 this afternoon, Jaden already has over 250,000 followers, but that ain't nothin - the Bieb has over 8 million and counting. (JSYK4TNZ)

- Miley spoofed Bieber on SNL last weekend. (JJJ)

- JB tweeted that he's going to grow a mustache by not shaving for 30 days. I have my doubts. (Teen)

- "Never Say Never" never quite hit #1 in the box office, but as of this week it's the #3 highest-grossing documentary on record, so that's something. (DisneyDreaming)

TV

- Greyson Chance returned to the Ellen show this week, performing "Dancing Crazy" withMiranda Cosgrove. (JSYK)

- Rapper/actor/dancer Romeo got pulled over on Wednesday just so the cop could wish him good luck on Dancing With The Stars. It takes all kinds, I tell you what. (Cambio)

- On Monday night, Conan used a giant live-action version of Angry Birds to destroy Kim Kardashian's "song" "Jam." (JSYK)

- Addressing the public for the first time since checking into rehab last fall, Demi Lovatoreleased a video on Cambio on Monday crediting the support of her fans for getting her through her toughest time. (Cambio)

- Not that our viewers watch The Walking Dead, but new reports say that the zombie extras have their own meal time, because their grotesque makeup and prosthetics were making crew members queasy. Awesome. Season 2 is going to be amazing! (Cambio)

- "How I Met Your Mother" has been picked up for another two seasons, which means WE WILL NEVER EVER EVER FIND OUT WHO THE MOTHER IS! GAAAAH! (Cambio)

Movies

- Oh George Lucas, when will the madness end? Not yet, apparently! He's re-releasing theStar Wars movies in 3-D. The first one, The Phantom Menace, will be out in 3D on February 10, 2012. (NYTimes)

- Emma Watson is taking a semester or two off from Brown University to promote the final Harry Potter, film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and work with her environmentally-responsible fashion line. She does insist she will return to school, but few can resist the siren song of a Hollywood paycheck. (JSYK)

- The Tomb Raider franchise is rebooting, but Angelina Jolie has declined to reprise her role as Lara Croft. Unnamed sources that may or may not just be me were quoted as saying "Angie just didn't think this sounded like a good idea." (Cambio)

- And speaking of turning down roles, Rihanna said no to the remake of "The Bodyguard" and friend of the show Jason Derulo decided not to play Jimi Hendrix in an upcoming biopic. Since when have singers realized they're not actors?? (Cambio)

Music

- I know what you've been thinking - Willow Smith released her song "21st Century Girl" last week, so how much longer do we have to wait before there's an overly-cinematic music video for it that involves a shaman, a pack of wolves, and the building of civilization?? Well fret no more: that video has arrived. (JSYK)

- Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson are hitting the road together for the "Waiting 4 U" tour. The tour starts April 11th in Denver, and finished May 18th in Portland. (Cambio)

- Katy Perry did a cover of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way." No word yet whether the Lady saw a video of the performance or whether she'll invite Katy to join her on stage in Toronto. (Cambio)

- Conan might want to keep that Angry Birds set standing by - Gwyneth Paltrow signed arecord deal with Atlantic. (Cambio)

- Mumford & Sons are going to tour the States, and because they're kinda hipsters, they're touring by train. (Cambio)

Tech

- Oh, so another cool thing about the Nintendo 3DS other than the 3D screen that doesn't require glasses? It's also wifi-enabled and can stream movies from Netflix. No word yet whether you can also stream 3D movies in 3D. (JSYK)

- Like the latest Hollywood starlet, the thinner, faster, lighter, prettier iPad 2 launched on Tuesday. It is scheduled to develop a drinking problem by June, end up in court by July, and be replaced by a new sensation in August. (Cambio)

Blatant Gossip

- Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have broken up, so could you guys finally give him my number? (Cambio)

- Miley might have a new boyfriend - she was seen out with Jared Followill (of Kings of Leon fame). (JJJ)

- Kanye West was turned away from several high-profile fashion shows at Paris Fashion Week after he showed up uninvited. The official story is that he simply wasn't on the list, but I suspect they were worried he might jump up on the runway and say "Yo Versace, I'm really happy for you and imma let you finish, but Yves Saint Laurent's Fall '96 was one of the best runway show of all time! OF ALL TIME!" (Cambio)

- Justin Barta (of The Hangover fame) and Ashley Olson (of Mary Kate And fame) have broken up. Not sure if this affects anyone. (Cambio)

- Julie Taymor and Spider-Man also broke up this week. They cited irreconcilable differences and the largest number of preview performances of all time. (Cambio)

Doing Good

- After today's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, celebrities like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, and others tweeted their support. Here's hoping they also texted REDCROSS to 90999. (JSYK)

- Wisconsin high school students planned a state-wide school walk-out for 2pm today in solidarity with the recently-silenced unions. They also encouraged students in other states to join. What high school student would pass that up? (JSYK)

- President Obama has joined the fight against bullying! He and Michelle have launched StopBullying.gov, and are working with both the Department of Education and the Department of Health & Human Services to work on preventing bullying in schools across the country. I wonder if it's encouraging or discouraging for kids to hear that even the President has to deal with bullies. (JSYK)

- Not sure if this counts as good, but Lady Gaga broke off her album deal with Target over their political donation practices. And here we thought she'd made the deal in the first place because they'd stopped donating to jerks. (Cambio)

WTF?

- An ice cream shop in London's Covent Garden area has thwarted Lady Gaga's legal attempts to stop production of its "Baby Gaga" ice cream... which is made with human breast milk. Not cow. Human. The owners of the shop are considering counter-suing for defamation, but honestly, how can you beat this kind of publicity? (Cambio)

Magazines

- Nina Dobrev is on the cover of Teen Vogue (TeenVogue)

- Victoria Justice is on the cover of Seventeen even though she's 18 (Cambio)

- The boys of Glee are in Teen Vogue this month, showing off formal wear in the magazine's prom photo spread. (TeenVogue)

Movies Opening This Weekend

Battle: Los Angeles

Jane Eyre

Red Riding Hood

Mars Needs Moms

Certified Copy (NYC)

Black Death (NYC)

Kill the Irishman (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend (imdb)

1. Rango

2. The Adjustment Bureau

3. Beastly

4. Hall Pass

5. Gnomeo & Juliet

6. Unknown

7. Just Go With It

8. The King's Speech

9. I Am Number Four

10. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

The Weekly News Roundup - week of February 28 - March 4

Bieber

- JB turned 17 on Tuesday! You guys all had parties too, right? Right?? He celebrated with his "totally-not-girlfriend" Selena Gomez, hanging out and shopping and stuff. (JJJ)

- As a birthday present, Bieber asked fans to donate $17 to Charity: Water, a non-profit that provides clean drinking water to communities in developing nations. His fundraising goal was $17,000 and at last count, he'd raised nearly $30k. (Cambio)

- Here are 17 random facts about the Bieb. (AOL Music)

- Remember how Bieber gave those chopped-off locks of his hair to charities so they could auction them? Well one of those locks of hair just went for $40,668. Ellen DeGeneres set up the eBay auction, and the funds will go to The Gentle Barn, an animal rescue center here in California. (JSYK)

TV

- Miley Cyrus is hosting SNL this weekend. Brace yourselves. And now would be a good time to make sure your earthquake kit is fully stocked. (JSYK)

- Charlie Sheen has tiger blood and Adonis DNA, and is also on a drug called Charlie Sheen. True story.

Movies

- Ohyeah the Oscars happened last weekend! Seems like longer ago than that. Full list of winners here. (imdb)

- Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures decided to cast Diane Lane as the dowdy Martha Kent, AKA Superman's adopted mom. Seems like an odd fit. (Cambio)

- But WB also made a very good decision - they bought Leavesden Studios, the stages where the Harry Potter movies were filmed, and are turning them into a tourist attraction! Starting in 2012, muggles will be able to take a 3-hour tour (a 3-hour tour) and see sets from the films. You can pre-book your tour later this year. (JSYK)

- "Blade Runner" is getting remade and will become a franchise, with who knows how many sequels to follow. By my count there are now only 7 movies left from the 80s that have not been remade. (Cambio)

- Of course they're making a sequel to Avatar. Of course they are. And how are they going to go a step beyond the original's visuals? By going under water. Of course they are. (Cambio)

Music

- 10-year-old Maria Aragon (of YouTube fame) sang "Born This Way" with Lady Gaga at her Toronto concert on Thursday, and reportedly stole the show. The Mounties are now investigating the theft. (CNN)

- The wait is over: Kim Kardashian's first single, "Jam" has finally been released into the wild. The song premiered on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. Here's hoping Seacrest survived. (JSYK)

- Palate cleanser! New Willow Smith, called "21st Century Girl." (JSYK)

- And if you haven't seen the new Gaga video, "Born This Way," well then you're just behind the times, aren't you. (Cambio)

- Taylor Swift rebounds like a pro! She was seen out at a Kings game with none other thanChord Overstreet last week. Can't wait to hear the song she'll inevitably write about him! (Cambio)

Technology

- Watson has been defeated! Long live humans! Congressman Rush Holt from New Jersey beat Watson on Monday's Jeopardy. This sets the robot revolution back at least a year. (Tween Tribune)

- The iPad 2 will be in stores March 11, thereby rendering the original iPad totally obsolete, mere months after it was first introduced. (JSYK)

Broken Records

- At a spelling bee in Flagstaff, AZ, last weekend, two 8th graders battled for three hours and95 rounds of the bee, before one of them finally spelled "affidavits" incorrectly, and the other spelled "accolade" and "taciturn" correctly for the win. The previous record (also held by these two students) was only 39 rounds. (TweenTribune)

- Charlie Sheen joined Twitter this week and got over 1,000,000 followers so fast he landed a Guinness World Record. (CNN)

Doing Good

- Confusing the hell out of anyone who's been following the news, Miley Cyrus traveled to Haitiwith the Starkey Hearing Foundation, where she helped deliver custom-built hearing aids to hearing-impaired children. (JSYK)

- Did you notice that Angelina Jolie wasn't at the Oscars? Me neither. But it turns out she wasn't there because she was in Afghanistan, checking up on the girls' school she founded, and talking with refugees who were displaced by war and the Taliban. Probably a better use of her time and resources, all things considered. (Cambio)

Movies Opening This Weekend

Rango

The Adjustment Bureau

Take Me Home Tonight

Beastly

Red State (NYC)

Happythankyoumoreplease (limited)

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives (LA/SF)

I Saw the Devil (LA/NY)

Abel (limited)

Top 10 in the Box Office Last Weekend

1. Hall Pass

2. Gnomeo & Juliet

3. Unknown

4. I Am Number Four (finally at the correct number)

5. Just Go With It

6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

7. Big Mommas

8. The King's Speech

9. Drive Angry 3D

10. True Grit

The Weekly News Roundup - week of February 21 - 25

BiebOHMYGOD WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR??

- Bieber got a haircut, and it practically crashed the entire internet. Now that is true power. I hope Oprah is taking notes. All those chopped locks went to good causes - they were given to various charities to be auctioned and raise money. (JSYK)

- Also up for auction: the futuristic duds that Bieber and Ozzy wore for their Super Bowl ad. Funds raised will go to Sharon's cancer charity. (Cambio)

- But there is a down-side to chopping off that hair - as soon as Bieber showed off his new 'do on the Ellen show, he lost 80,000 Twitter followers. I'm going to take that to mean that his career is now doomed. (4TNZ)

- The hosts of The Talk surprised Bieber this week when, during their chat with Bieber, they brought on hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. Gretz played some air hockey with the Bieb, and then presented him with an autographed jersey. Bieber was suitably star-struck. (Cambio)

- "Never Say Never: The Remixes" debuted at #1 on the Billboard top 200 albums chart, with over 161,000 copies sold. And the album is all remixed versions of old songs. No new material. #1. Kids these days... (MTV)

- And just in time for the limited release of "Never Say Never 2.0", you can buy your purple Never Say Never-brand 3-D glasses at Toys 'R Us. (BieberArmy)

- JB's 17th birthday is March 1st (we're throwing a party, right?), and he says he'll be spending the big day at home with his family, especially his grandparents because his grandmother makes the BEST cherry cheesecake. (PopEater)

- Madame Tussaud's has finally gotten around to making a wax Bieber. Copies of the likeness will appear in London, Amsterdam and New York in March. Guess we here in LA will just have to wait. (JSYK)

- Justin Bieber told Selena Gomez he loves her, and now they're both saying it like all the time. (MTV)

- But despite that, Bieber asked out Rihanna when they were sitting next to each other at a basketball game. She declined. (Cambio)

- I wish I were kidding, but there is now an app called Bieberhead, which will paste Justin Bieber's head onto any photo. They're even going to offer a free upgrade with photos of the new haircut. It's terrifying. (Tech Digest)

- And you think you're a Belieber? Well when Biebs didn't win a Grammy, a true Belieber took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to air his displeasure. Amazing. (Business Insider)

- His most recent appearance on CSI will probably be his last - Bieber's character was killed in a shoot-out with police. But CSI isn't above the old identical-twin gimmick, so who knows. (TV Squad)

Movies

- "Beastly" had its premiere at the Grove on Thursday, and star Alex Pettyfer had to leave early because his house had caught fire and he needed to take care of it. Seriously. Or maybe the movie was just that bad... (JJJ)

- Robert Pattinson is a hoarder - he has unworn clothing in stacks all over his homes and storage units, and he can't bring himself to get rid of any of them. So, moral of the story is that hoarding is apparently super sexy from now on. (Cambio)

- A teenager in Albuquerque, NM, was fined $2,900 for illegally downloading "The Hurt Locker," because one solitary cautionary tale like that will stop all teenagers from illegally downloading movies forever. (JSYK)

TV

- Glee will start doing some original songs, instead of just doing covers. Ladies and gentlemen, start your TiVos! (Cambio)

Music

- Last night was The Motown Sound concert at the White House, hosted by Jamie Foxxand featuring performances by Motown legends Nick Jonas, Sheryl Crow, Seal, John Legend, and others. (Cambio)

- During the Asian leg of her world tour, Taylor Swift dressed up as a geisha, wig and all. (JJJ)

- Lady Gaga will do a duet with 10-year-old Maria Aragon, whose cover of "Born This Way" rapidly became a YouTube favorite. The duet will be during Gaga's upcoming Toronto concert. (Cambio)

- David Archuleta has been dropped by his label, Jive Records. (4TNZ)

- Selena Gomez will release her new single "Who Says" on March 10th. (JSYK)

- Friend of the show Cody Simpson has released the video for his song "All Day." (AOL Music)

- Adele's latest album was released this week. Girl can siiiiiing. (AOL Music)

Trends

- The awesomest dad in the world made a playable Angry Birds birthday cake for his 6-year-old son. If you haven't already seen the video, do yourself a favor and watch it now. (JSYK)

- The newest bracelet fad is the purple Bieber Fever wristband, with proceeds going to Pencils of Promise, Bieb's charity of choice. (JBSource)

- An Egyptian man named his newborn baby daughter "Facebook" in honor of the website's role in the revolution. That girl will either be the coolest one in school, or will have to change her name. (JSYK)

- And there's a new app called the Breakup Notifier, that does exactly what you'd think: you tell it who you want it to Facebook-stalk, and it notifies you the second they become single. Creeeeeepyyyyyy. (JSYK)

- Alyssa Milano is pregnant. Yes, this is a trend. (Cambio)

Doing Good

- Paris Hilton's $3,200 birthday cake was stolen during her birthday party, but it's ok - the perp brought it to skid row and handed out slices of red velvet to the homeless people there. And to that, I say bravo. (Cambio)

Movies Opening This Weekend (imdb)

Drive Angry 3D

Hall Pass

Of Gods and Men (NY/LA)

Heartbeats (NY)

The Grace Card

Top 10 in the box office last weekend (imdb)

1. Unknown

2. Gnomeo & Juliet

3. I Am Number Four

4. Just Go With It

5. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

7. The King's Speech

8. The Roommate

9. The Eagle

10. No Strings Attached