Newsweek Entertainment

The Woman Behind USA Network's Hit Machine

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:26:52 GMT

Inside USA Network's winning streak.

Chris Daughtry Q&A

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:05:31 GMT

Daughtry finished fourth on American Idol in 2006, but his debut album became the bestselling record of 2007. His follow-up, Leave This Town, debuts this month. He spoke to Ramin Setoodeh.

A McCartney Tour Guide

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:01:55 GMT

Usually, when a music legend announces, "And here's a song from my latest record," the unspoken response from the audience is "OK, but you'd better follow it with some hits." Sometimes this dynamic makes sense; mega-artists tend to draw big crowds even after the muse of inspiration has long since left the building. But as Paul McCartney prepares to play seven dates in four U.S. cities this summer, he happens to be floating on a raft of recent material that ranges from good to great. You could draw up a fascinating set list just from the snappy , the sophisticated , and the wild-as-"Helter Skelter" (released under The Fireman moniker in 2008). The sad thing is we'll probably never hear that kind of Macca concert.

David Foster Wallace: On Line

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:58:14 GMT

It's easy to miss the small things when trying to scale a mountain all alone, obsessed with simply planting one foot after another. Same goes for books so long that reading them seems like scaling K2. With its 1,000-plus pages and 300-plus endnotes, David Foster Wallace's is precisely such a doorstop. And now, it has its own literary sherpa.

Whose Cop Shows Rule: L.A.'s or N.Y.'s?

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:54:17 GMT

New York people, as a rule, are not Los Angeles people, or vice versa. For instance, no one in the history of L.A. has ever yelled "I'm walking here!" while navigating a busy intersection (because no one in L.A. has ever actually walked across an intersection). The country's respective glamour capitals are even further apart culturally than they are physically, but they have one thing in common: they both make great settings for cop shows. So why, over the last decade or more, are most of the better ones set in New York? Between , the hydra-headed franchise, and the Manhattan-set CSI spin-off, New York procedurals have stuck in a way that recent Angeleno shows ( etc.) have not. Sure, there are exceptions. just finished a stellar seven-season run, and is still going strong. But given that Los Angeles practically invented the cop show and monopolized the genre in its early years (see: ), it's curious that the city has largely relinquished its dominance. a new L.A.-based cop drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, is an excellent example of why.

How Real Is 'Bruno'? The Ft. Smith Back Story

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:51:24 GMT

Is Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie as staged as his MTV Awards brawl with Eminem? An exclusive look at a small Southern town presented as a hotbed of homophobia in the film.

Why Bruno is the Most Depressing Movie of the Year

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:05:58 GMT

Sure, you'll laugh so hard you might squirt Diet Coke out of your nose. But 'Brüno' also leaves you with a very bad aftertaste.

Bruno: A Fashion 'Don't' of a Movie

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:07:50 GMT

'Borat' turned guerrilla comedy into a sharp, political weapon. 'Brüno' is funny enough, but its satire is entirely too overdressed for success.

AllThingsD: Is The Net Ready for Michael Jackson's Funeral?

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:55:40 GMT

Is the Internet ready for the King of Pop's funeral?

Michael Jackson's Parallels to Judy Garland

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:32:37 GMT

The parallels between Michael Jackson and Judy Garland are haunting.

Are the Chemicals Released by Fireworks Dangerous?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:49:07 GMT

Are "green" fireworks the answer to unhealthy pyrotechnics?

Snark: The Right Response Michael Jackson's Death

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:03:19 GMT

For the living, a little snark will get us through.

How Michael Jackson Helped Kris Allen win 'Idol'

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:11:19 GMT

The champ remembers growing up in Arkansas with Michael's greatest hits.

Michael Jackson: The Man in the Mirror

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:22:20 GMT

He was a music legend and a legendary oddball. Now that he's gone, perhaps we can finally answer the question: who was Michael Jackson?

Quincy Jones Remembers His "Little Brother"

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:20:27 GMT

For some strange reason, I have a history of meeting young performers when they reach age 12. There was Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, and, of course, Michael Jackson. In 1978 Sidney Lumet pulled me kicking and screaming into doing the music for starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael as the Scarecrow. Michael dived into the filming, learning not only his lines but everyone else's. There was only one problem: there's a scene where the Scarecrow starts pulling proverbs from his stuffing and talking about Socrates. Michael kept saying "So-crates." It was really interesting to watch; either because of his age or his fame, no one wanted to correct him. After about the third time, I pulled Michael aside and told him the correct pronunciation. He looked at me with the big, wide eyes of a child opening a present under the Christmas tree and said, "Really?" It was at that moment that I said, "Michael, I'd like to produce your solo album." It was that wonderment I saw in his eyes that locked me in, the idea that we could go into unexplored territory, a place that, as a jazz musician, gave me goosebumps.

Unravelling Michael Jackson's Finances

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:53:58 GMT

Though years of excessive spending had left Michael Jackson deep in debt, the star's estate should eventually be profitable.

Sofia Vassilieva: The Next Big Thing

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:31:53 GMT

Have you heard of Sofia Vassilieva yet? You will. She's one of the breakout stars of the summer.

Michael Jackson's Complicated Legacy

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:57:33 GMT

Michael Jackson was talented, but he spent as much time seducing the tabloids as the microphone.

How Michael Jackson Became a Pop God

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:32:22 GMT

He might have died a sudden death, but Jackson leaves us with a music legacy for the ages.

Farrah Fawcett: A Lot Tougher Than People Think

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:25:40 GMT

The Charlie's Angels star dies at 62. Let's remember her for the tough girl that she was.