Listen Up June Music 2010

SHINY Young Thing
Although she goes by Marina & the Diamonds (the “Diamonds” are her devoted fans), Marina Diamandis is a half-Greek, half-Welsh solo artist whose dramatic synth pop and pretty piano riffs have led to countless Kate Bush comparisons. Diamandis’ confident debut album, The Family Jewels, is refreshingly current, and on hit-the-dance-floor tracks such as “Oh No!” her full-throttle operatic delivery suggests she’s packing a third lung.

Listen Up June Music 2010

Taylor Lautner Photo For the Day

Becuase I am an avid fan, I decided I would post Lautner's pic everyday. So, enjoy!

Taylor Lautner Photo For the Day

The ELLE/Portable Light Project

Last September at Elle we came across an incredibly cool invention: a messenger bag outfitted with a small, flexible solar panel, an HBLED light, a rechargeable battery pack, and a USB port. Called the Flap Bag, (short for “Flexible Light and Power”) it was the brainchild of the brilliant architect Sheila Kennedy, who directs the Portable Light Project, a non-profit initiative that provides solar textile kits to empower the world’s poorest people who do not have access to electricity. Kennedy’s team works with nongovernmental organizations, providing training to women so they can integrate the technology into local textile materials using commonly available materials and their sewing and weaving skills. The results are surprising: a culturally diverse range of blankets, bags, and clothing that generate clean, sustainable energy and light, while supporting local economies.

For those who live far from power lines in Africa, Central America, Haiti, and beyond, a Portable Light Kit can charge a cell phone, so a shopkeeper can order supplies and transfer savings to a bank account, or provide light for children to study at home. Without this small portable source of clean energy, women and their families would be literally living in the dark with little chance of breaking out of an endless cycle of poverty. Reading about this gave Elle an idea. We called Kennedy and asked if the Portable Light team would collaborate with major fashion designers to make one-of-a kind solar-powered bags, which we would then auction, with the proceeds benefiting Portable Light’s charities. We called designers and asked the same question. Everyone replied with an enthusiastic Yes, and thus was born the Elle/Portable Light Project. 

The ELLE/Portable Light Project

Momma Got Spoiled on Mother's Day

Looking none the worse for wear after announcing her split with baby daddy Gabriel Aubry last week, Halle Berry spent a happy Mother's Day in Santa Monica, California with her beautiful daughter Nahla, 2.

Sporting the exact same facial expressions, Christina Aguilera and her little lookalike son Max were spotted out in NYC's Soho district on Sunday morning.

Momma Got Spoiled on Mother's Day

Miley Cyrus gets BieberFever!

Last night Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber grabbed dinner at Ari-Ya sushi in West Hollywood, and the two teen superstars were all smiles when we spotted them leaving the restaurant. Miley's driver picked Justin up at his hotel in WeHo, and the two originally planned on catching a movie, but they realized they showed up at the wrong time when they got to the Beverly Center, so they decided to eat sushi and stop by Pinkberry instead.
When asked if they might be working on an album together, Miley replied "Maybe," and though there obviously wasn't a romantic connection, Justin certainly enjoyed the attention he received from tagging along with Miley! Or Miley with Justin? Who's the bigger star here?

Miley Cyrus gets BieberFever!

Selena Gomez Graduates High School

She's done -- Selena Gomez has officially graduated high school!

The 17-year-old actress posted on her Facebook, "What are the odds ... Today I graduated from high school and got my diploma!!!!! I also filmed my graduation ceremony in the upcoming movie Monte Carlo."

Selena continued, "So in a weird way I was able to experience an official graduation, LOL. How is everyone doing? What are your plans for the summer? Miss you all and I will update again soon."

Congrats, Selena!

Selena Gomez Graduates High School

Infamous Comic Book Movie Recastings

Terrence Howard and Don Cheadle both starred in "Crash" and have both been nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award. Thanks to "Iron Man 2" out domestically this past Friday, their careers are now linked even closer.

In "Iron Man 2," Cheadle takes over the role of James Rhodes -- Iron Man's ally -- played by Howard in the original 2008 feature.

Other than complete reboots, like the 2008 version of "The Incredible Hulk" with Edward Norton wiping the slate clean five years after Eric Bana's Hulk, this type of recasting in mid-franchise is relatively rare in comic book movies. Here's a look at a few times when it did happen, and whether or not it was the right move..

Character: Rachel DawesActor: Katie Holmes in "Batman Begins" (2005); later played by Maggie Gyllenhaal in "The Dark Knight" (2008).

"Batman Begins" came out at the height of media furor over the Katie Holmes/Tom Cruise relationship - just one month after Cruise infamously jumped on Oprah Winfrey's couch. All that tabloid attention distracted a bit from the film, but critics didn't think much of the "Dawson's Creek" alum's performance, which even earned a Razzie nomination for "Worst Supporting Actress." Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped in for the sequel, and was much better received, as was the movie itself, making over a billion dollars worldwide and becoming the highest grossing comic book film of all time.

Infamous Comic Book Movie Recastings