Spanish artist Pablo Picasso will be played by none other than the Spanish actor Antonio Banderas in the upcoming film 33 Days.

Banderas says,

“Picasso’s a character that has pursued me for a long time and I always rejected. He deserves a lot of respect because I am from Malaga, and I was born four blocks from where he was born. It has always fascinated me.”

As if these weren’t enough uncanny coincidences between both Picasso and Banderas, the 51 year old actor is around the same age as the Picasso was when he completed Guernica, a large mural commissioned by the Spanish government to represent Spain at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. Picasso’s Guernica drew attention to the suffering endured during the Spanish Civil War and quickly became an anti-war symbol.

The film 33 Days is a reference to the length of time it took Picasso to complete the oil painting. He created Guernica as a response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War in 1937.

The film will be directed by Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura and will begin filming in Spain and France in the summer of 2013. Saura previously made a film about the surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel, titled Buñuel y la Mesa Del Rey Salomón.

By Ikam Acosta

It seems like Rihanna and Chris Brown can’t seem to get enough of each other. The pair’s most recent adventure together involved a musical collaboration, although no indication of any romantic relationship has been admitted by either of the two artists.

Brown did some guest vocals on Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” remix. Rihanna returned the favor by lending her vocals to Chris‘ remix of “Turn Up The Music.” Both singers tweeted the songs for fans to hear.

Ever since Chris Brown attacked Rihanna before the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony, fans have been urging her to stay away from him. Since then, Rihanna has been less than stringent on adhering to the rules set by Chris‘ restraining order, and her attorney even said she “didn’t object to removing the stay-away provisions.”

Rihanna even revealed in a 2010 interview that “she no longer resented Brown and that she enjoys his music.” Brown and Rihanna first joined musical forces for a remix of her smash hit “Umbrella” back in 2007.

Chris Brown was recently spotted attending Rihanna’s birthday party, indicating that a reconciliation might possibly be in the works.

By Ikam Acosta

Is David  Boreanaz that “good man”? That “brave man” who the Earl of Grantham  wants for his daughter Mary?

Because the Bones star thinks he could be the one!

“I’d like to be that American cowboy who shakes things up at Downton Abbey.  I’m open for a visit Mr Fellowes. #ITV @masterpiecepbs,” Boreanaz tweeted yesterday, giving a shout-out to Downton  Abbey executive producer Julian Fellowes. He also praised  the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show as a “great series” with “great  production value.”

Why, David, we never knew you cared!

On the season finale of the British series, which has been delighting  Americans via PBS for the last year, (SPOILER ALERT) Hugh  Bonneville‘s Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, tells his eldest  daughter, Michelle Dockery‘s Lady Mary, that he doesn’t want  her to marry a man who “threatens her with ruin.”

Her blackmailing, tabloid-publishing fiancé, Sir Richard Carlisle  (Iain Glenn), is rather a louse, isn’t he?

“I want a good man for you,” Bonnevile says. “A brave man. Find a cowboy in  the Middle West and bring him back to shake us up a bit.”

Let’s just say, if she brings back David Boreanaz, it will shake all of us up a little bit.

And it could happen! Shirley MacLaine will show up next  season as the mother of Elizabeth McGovern‘s Cora, so why not  throw some more Tinseltown into the mix? Could make for a jolly good show!

by Natalie Finn

Did President Obama miss a musical calling?

It was only last month that the commander-in-chief channeled Al Green at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. On Tuesday night, he shared the stage with no less than Mick Jagger, B.B. King and Jeff Beck.

The all-star musical lineup performed in the East Room of the White House, with the President joining in for an ensemble rendition of his hometown anthem “Sweet Home Chicago,” news footage from the gathering shows.

The full version of In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues will air on local PBS stations on Monday, Feb. 27, at 9 p.m. ET.

For most of the evening, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama took in the concert from the audience, swaying in their seats and occasionally getting up to dance, reports the Associated Press.

But after some prodding from Buddy Guy, who referenced Obama’s Apollo performance and told him, “You gotta keep it up,” the President took the stage – and a microphone offered by Jagger.

After singing a few bars, Obama leaned the mic toward B.B. King.

“This music speaks to something universal,” Obama said, as quoted by the AP. “No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. ”
 

 
By Liz Raftery

Imagine you’re eight years old again. You’ve just sat down at a movie theater with your parents to see the “Shrek” spinoff, “Puss in Boots,” where a lovable talking cat goes around sword fighting and making cute jokes. You’re expecting some kid-friendly trailers before the film begins, too! But, unfortunately, the downright terrifying clip for “The Devil Inside” plays instead, subsequently scarring you for life and making you sleep with a nightlight on until you’re 25.

This is the reality one such audience encountered during a UK screening of “Puss in Boots.” Before the movie started, the cinema accidentally played the trailers for “The Devil Inside” and “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.” The children — and parents — were not pleased by the horrifying exorcisms or Nic Cage’s head exploding into flames.

“Cinemagoer Peter Flynn told the Mirror his four-year-old daughter Laura “was extremely frightened by what were exceptionally strong images, even by adult standards … I tried to cover her eyes.” Another filmgoer, Catherine Walker, said: “It was every parent’s nightmare — kids watching exorcism trailers.”

The cinema’s general manager, David Denyer, apologized afterward, stating, “I would be upset if my children had seen those trailers, which were meant for ‘Underworld Awakening,’ the next film to be shown. We’re
investigating how this error happened and action will be taken if appropriate.”

This isn’t the first time adult films have been shown to unsuspecting kids at theaters. In 2010, children were given the torture-porn flick “Saw 3D,” instead of “Megamind.”

by Alex Suskind

It’s a kind of “European Idol” — a flashy international contest to choose the best singer before the eyes of millions of television viewers. When Azerbaijan was chosen to host the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, it had hoped that the glitzy competition would put a new shine on its image abroad.

Eurovision would let them show off “a modern, secular country that is proud of its roots,” former government member Mikhail Jabbarov told Spiegel Magazine. Oil wealth has pumped new money into the nation. It boasts a stunningly high literacy rate.

Instead, the former Soviet nation is taking heat for alleged human rights abuses as the upcoming event focuses attention on the small country wedged between Iran and Russia.

Government crackdowns on dissent have been lamented by Amnesty International and other groups. Journalists have been abducted and threatened. The country was recently ranked 162nd out of 179 countries in media freedom by Reporters Without Borders.

“Azerbaijan will no doubt offer an opulent stage to voices from across Europe, but outside the concert hall, few critical voices are tolerated,” Amnesty International program director John Dalhuisen said.

Last week, Human Rights Watch slammed Azerbaijan, accusing it of forcing families out of their homes to make way for the singing contest, which will take place in May at the Baku Crystal Hall in the country’s capital.  One of the displaced people was a navy captain.

Right out of the gate, Jotdog proved to be one of Mexico’s most innovative new bands. Their 2009 self-titled debut earned Latin Grammy nominations and even scored them a Breakthrough Artist statue at the TeleHit Awards. And now they’re back with a synthpop gem called Turista de Amor. Vocalist Maria Barracuda spoke to us exclusively about what fans can expect from album #2.

“We are very excited about this new record,” she told us. “We have a lot of fun elements and stuff that really shows off our influences.”

And who might those influences be? According to Maria, she and collaborator Jorge “Chiquis” Amaro come from very different musical backgrounds.

“It’s interesting, Chiquis is heavily influenced by 80′s bands like Queen, XTC, and Devo,” she explained. “While I’m more of a southern rock girl. I like Creedance Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Sheryl Crow. But it’s both our style that creates Jotdog’s sound.”

Listening to tracks from their latest release, you can definitely hear strong classic rock elements. But as Barracuda explained, Jotdog encompasses a lot more than that. She and Chiquis pride themselves on also being a visual band, incorporating costumes and science fiction themes into their videos.

“We are huge science fiction fans,” she said. “We love apocalyptic movies like Mad Max and Resident Evil. But we also love the style of classic authors like Jules Verne. You can see a lot of his influence in our latest album cover.”

Maria went on to explain how those themes can slip into her lyric writing as well. Several of Jotdog’s new songs have dark and brooding themes, but they’re always blended with a fun and poppy backbeat.

“Our lyrics are pretty mature,” Barracuda said. “But it’s funny because little kids like Jotdog a lot. We have fans as young as four-years-old and others who are in their 40′s. I think a lot of people like us because our sound is very nostalgic and fun.”

And judging by their growing Facebook and Twitter followings, Jotdog’s popularity is getting bigger everyday. Be sure to keep up with Maria and Chiquis on their official website, which will include viral updates from their upcoming SXSW appearance!

By Michael Lopez

Just when you thought Lady Gaga‘s life story couldn’t get any much more eccentric, the singer now claims she is haunted by the devil in her sleep.

Gaga recently solicited the help of the famous Indian healer Deepak Chopra, as have other celebrities like Michael Jackson, to help her heal from her intrusive thoughts. Gaga confessed,

“I have this recurring dream where there’s a phantom in my home and he takes me into a room where there’s a blonde girl with ropes tied to her limbs pulling her apart.”

Sounds like a fantastic idea for her next music video, if you ask me. I would take these nightly messages and run with them, Gaga. This could be the perfect visual for your next breakthrough hit.

When Lady Gaga told Chopra about her dream, he offered nothing but reassurance. Gaga said,

“I told Deepak the dream was so terrifying I thought somehow that a devil force was trying to take hold of me. He laughed and told me that I should learn to embrace my own insanity.”

Gaga has also turned to Chopra to come to terms with her superstar status and to help her dream of levitating, something she has always want to do.

“I want to go into a coma and levitate. I am a very spiritual person.”

The singer feels Deepak is a great healer and a very influential person in her life. She claims Chopra’s message is a true inspiration. She stated,

“He helps me to reach inside my spirituality and we take it to the next level.”

By Ikam Acosta

That version will likely boast a more simple interface that should be easier for drivers to use without killing everyone else on the road. We’re big fans of that plan, though we have to wonder about the viability of putting the touch screen in the rear-view mirror to begin with. Here’s hoping Rydeen will turn to a traditional dash-mounted system in the future. Hit the jump to check out a video of the mirror for yourself.

 

 
By Zach Bowman

While most of the time your dash cam will record nothing but the drudgeries of daily driving, if you’re like this guy, you’ll be glad you had it on when something fishy goes down. The setting is a traffic-clogged freeway somewhere, and the characters are played by our dash cam owner and one of those unscrupulous people we were talking about earlier.

Follow the jump to see why it’s always good to have a dash cam rolling.

UPDATE:The original video on YouTube has been made private. You can still see the video if you click here.

UPDATE 2:The video has been reposted on YouTube by someone else and is viewable below.

 

 
By John Neff

Halle Berry‘s beau Olivier Martinez has been spending so much time in Los Angeles with the Oscar winner that he hasn’t visited Miami for months. But that will change early next month, when the French actor opens a restaurant on South Beach.

“I love the interesting and international people I have met in Miami,” Martinez tells PEOPLE. “So when my friend Michael Martin said he found a space for a restaurant and lounge where we could bring in the best aspects from the South of France, I was excited and wanted to get involved.”
Together with restaurateur Jean-Phillippe Bernard, the partners are opening Villa Azur, featuring the seasonal ingredients and international flavors of Saint-Tropez, where Martinez and Martin have spent many late nights enjoying fine food and wine.

“Olivier and I love Miami and want to bring the glamour and allure of the South of France to this melting pot of a town,” Martin says.

The menu will be French and Italian-inspired and feature entrees such as penne pasta with vodka and caviar cream sauce, or a veal filet mignon stuffed with artichokes, tomatoes and cheese.

The bar and lounge boasts a library with art and design books, as well as couches for guests to sip champagne and share plates of oysters with caviar and Olivier’s special olive bread, which he enjoys in France.

Designed by Francois Frossard, the restaurant will be outfitted in antique woods and chandeliers with both contemporary and old pine furniture.

La Cave d’Azur, the intimate private dining room and wine cellar, will seas 12 VIPs and offer nearly 200 choices of hand picked wines.

Says Martin: “Olivier knows that we are doing something special together where people can get a touch of Saint-Tropez glamour in South Beach.”

By Linda Marx

Stephen Colbert took a break from picking on politicians Monday night to address the reason behind his unexplained hiatus from his Comedy Central show last week.

Without delving into specifics, The Colbert Report star hinted that he halted production last Wednesday and Thursday because of his 91-year-old mother’s health, as had been speculated.

“Evidently, having 11 children makes you tough as nails,” Colbert, 47, and the youngest of the brood, said, seemingly implying his mother, Lorna, is on the mend. “Confidential to a lovely lady.”

The comedian, who’s earned a loyal following with his satirical take on conservative newsmakers, then touched his nose – perhaps a shout-out to his mother tuning in from home?

Although his mother’s condition is still unknown, Colbert was comparatively more direct about a few other rumors surrounding what the network described in a statement as “unforeseen circumstances.”

Plastic Surgery?

Addressing Joan Rivers’s playful claim that he was going under the knife, he said that he was not having plastic surgery on his face but, rather, his backside. And as for buzz that he’s making his way to the White House, he said that’s “not gonna happen.”

“Some people said that my show was canceled by the Federal Communications Commission at the request of the Federal Election Commission because I was about to announce my presidential candidacy,” he said.

He also clarified that his brief departure had nothing to do with the Pope or a stint in rehab – although the latter, he joked, would be a viable option if they offered treatment programs for Diet Coke.

Before his return to TV, Colbert previously reached out to his fans on Twitter.

“My family and I would like to thank everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers,” he wrote. We are grateful and touched by your concern.”

By Alison Schwartz

Nick Jonas‘s romance with Australian pop star Delta Goodrem is officially over.

“Nick and Delta have decided to mutually end their relationship,” Goodrem’s rep confirms to PEOPLE in a statement. “At this point in time, they are both focused on their careers as they go on different paths.”
The statement continues: “They remain friends and wish each other the best for the future.” Jonas’s rep declined to comment.

News of their split comes about a week after Jonas told PEOPLE he was savoring life in New York City, where he’s currently starring on Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in a role previously played by Daniel Radcliffe and Glee‘s Darren Criss.

“I’m enjoying love, life and friends,” the 19-year-old said in a Feb. 10 interview.

Jonas first stepped out with Goodrem, 27, holding hands on a movie date last May.

By Sharon Cotliar and Alison Schwartz

While the average bride spends about 250 hours planning a wedding, Elizabeth Smart proved she is definitely not average, finalizing her wedding plans in record time.

Smart, 24, and Matthew Gilmour, 22, who have dated for a year, were engaged just last month. Smart initially expected to have a summer wedding but moved the date up two weeks ago.

“It’s everything you can imagine with planning a wedding,” Smart tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Only, it’s compressed into a few days.”

Smart spoke about child advocacy at a South Carolina function just days before she flew with her parents, Ed and Lois Smart, from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Hawaii to marry Gilmour. The private ceremony, attended by family, was held Saturday afternoon.

With all the details of a destination wedding to arrange and manage, Smart laughed over trying to secure the traditional “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” for her big day.

“Are you kidding?” she says.  “There’s been no time!”

By Cathy Free and Alicia Dennis