Beiber Offends the Phillipines

 There are certain pitfalls to having more than 30 million followers on Twitter and another 4.5 million on Instagram. Namely, it's very easy to accidentally offend someone with what was supposed to be a lighthearted message.

 That's what happened to pop sensation Justin Bieber recently, when he posted two Photoshopped images of boxer Manny Pacquiao getting knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez.

 The first, which you can see above, is a parody of the Disney movie Lion King. The movie's main character, Simba, is checking to see if Pacquiao is O.K. Along with the photo Bieber provided a caption: "Dad wake up."

 The other image is of Michael Jackson and Paqcuiao, both leaning in a similar fashion. Jackson was doing a dance move, Pacquiao was leaning on the ropes of the boxing ring. Bieber wrote, "Pacquiao doing the lean with MJ .. Classic moment."

 Several members of the Philippines Congress were outraged to see Bieber's photos, and seven legislators even filed a resolution which demanded an apology for the "distasteful comments." They also released a statement, which read in part:

 "Mr. Bieber should have known that the Hon. Pacquiao has reached his stature as such as a result of sheer hard work, determination and firm belief in God, and despite such stature best exemplifies humility and grace even in defeat."

 The 18-year-old pop star has aligned himself with Pacquiao's rival, Floyd Mayweather, and he's made no secret of his allegiance....More

Read More

Brad Pitt Bombs At Box Office Softly

 Is Brad Pitt seen as too good a guy to play a hit man? Moviegoers this weekend gave a thumbs down to his crime thriller "Killing Them Softly," which opened to a disappointing $7 million at the box office.

 It's Pitt's worst box office opening ever, or at least since 1992's "Cool World," which took in $5.5 million. That one was on just 1,600 screens though. "Killing Them Softly" was in 2,422 theaters.

 Expectations were modest for "Killing Them Softly," distributed by the Weinstein Company. Analysts had the film doing $12 million and thought it might do better, based on the appeal of Pitt. Instead it wound up with same weekend total as Disney's animated "Wreck-It Ralph," which is in its fifth week.

 Pitt got a lot of the credit for the surprising success of last year's baseball movie "Moneyball," which opened to $19 million and went on to make $75 million. But first-night audiences gave "Killing Them Softly" an "F" CinemaScore, and the Weinstein's date change -- it had originally been set to open Oct. 19 -- didn't help.
Erik Lomis, head of distribution for the Weinstein Co., admitted he was disappointed and surprised.
"We thought a bold, caring film and we are proud of the movie," he told TheWrap Sunday. "We looked at the reviews and we thought it deserved a wide release."

 Producer Annapurna Production made the film for $15 million and is on the financial hook. "Killing Them Softly" has generally received good reviews -- 81 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes -- after premiering in competition in Cannes earlier this year. Some critics questioned whether the film's relentless references to the 2008 recession made it too talky for action fans.

Also read: 'Killing Them Softly' Review: Crime Comedy Bludgeons Us Repeatedly With Subtext
It can cut either way when an actor who typically plays a "good guy" becomes a bad guy, or at least a very flawed character, in a film. Denzel Washington notably went against his typical roles in the 2001 film "Training Day," in which he played a cop gone bad. That film debuted No. 1 at $22 million.

"You never know," Lomis said. "We had a strong Friday and thought that would provide a lift." That miserable "F" CinemaScore, however, meant the word-of-mouth was going to hurt rather than help, however.
Andrew Dominik ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") directed and wrote the screenplay on "Killing Them Softly." The supporting cast includes Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins and James Gandolfini....More

Read More