The fall of shock and awe
‘Halo 3’ tops ‘Spider-Man 3’ in one-day earnings
Everyone expected Halo 3 to be big, but no one knew it would be $170 million-in-the-first-24-hours big. Early in the summer, entertainment analysts crowed about Spider-Man 3s record-breaking one-day haul of $59 million. But Microsofts mega-game release blew past that on Sept. 25 with no problem. Even taking into account the price difference (the game’s average retail price was $49.99), “Halo’s” spectacular success sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment world. Some movie executives even blamed depressed box office receipts that week on young males spending their money on the game instead of movie tickets. (Microsoft Corp. / Associated Press)
Lindsay Lohan lays low after rehab
The 21-year-old starlet made headlines earlier this year for her car chases, heavy partying and reported drug use, but Lohans latest stint in rehab may have been just what she needed to curb her out-of-control lifestyle.
Since checking out of Utahs Cirque Lodge, Lohan reportedly has opted not to host a scheduled New Years Eve bash at the Las Vegas nightclub LAX to focus on her work and sobriety.
Its been almost a month now and LiLo hasnt been seen clubbing until the wee hours of the morning or racing through the streets of Hollywood. For the most part, the singer-actress has been laying low and staying out of trouble, much to the chagrin of the paparazzi. (Evan Agostini / Getty Images)
Iggy-Gate!
Some say the phrase gate has been overused as a way to indicate a major scandal, but we say nothing deserves the hyphenate moniker more than the media brouhaha over the little dog named Iggy. For a week, we watched as CNN investigated all aspects of the story. It all began when a weeping Ellen DeGeneres told the whole sordid Iggy saga on her daytime talk show -- (Ellen gets dog from a rescue, dog didnt get along with cats, Ellen gives dog to her hairdresser, rescue owner steals dog back from hairdresser leaving hairdressers kids heartbroken). Death threats were given and received, apologies went said and unsaid, and the media covered the entire thing for a week until the California fires finally usurped it. (TMZ.com / Associated Press)
K-Fed goes from zero to hero!
When Britney Spears and Kevin Federline first married, K-Fed seemed like a loser. As a backup dancer he was a big step down from Spears previous boyfriend Justin Timberlake, and since he left his current girlfriend and mother of his child to date Spears, it seemed as if he were a slimy golddigger too. But as Spears descended into a full-on crazy spiral this past year, K-Feds fight to get sole custody of their children has redeemed him in the eyes of the public. Who would have guessed that Federline would ever be the successful, tasteful, subdued, grown-up in a relationship? (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)
Britney Spears’ “Blackout”
Since Britney Spears appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards and lumbered her way through her new song, Gimme More, weve come to expect the worst. Daily headlines revealing the details of her custody battles followed by late-night club visits have become the norm.
So when her new album Blackout hit the Web one week before its Oct. 30 release, hopes were not high, to say the least. We all listened, with apprehension only to discover it wasnt all that embarrassing.
The Philadelphia Inquirer declared: Blackout is a smartly produced, sleekly effective exercise in state-of-the-art escapist dance-pop, and Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+, writing, Say what you will about Spears’ personal life, but there’s no denying that the girl knows how to have a good time. (Jive Records / Associated Press)
