"THIS WEEKEND Fairy tales came true as mothers and daughters powered the animated film The Princess and the Frog to the number one spot in its first weekend of nationwide release. But the frame's only other wide opener, Clint Eastwood's Nelson Mandela drama Invictus, suffered a soft debut in third place. Overall, the North American box office remained ahead of the same frame from a year ago as 2009 continued on its record pace towards shattering the $10 billion mark for the first time ever. In a cartoon world ruled by computer animation and 3D wizardry, Disney went old school with its traditionally drawn pic The Princess and the Frog which won the box office crown with an estimated $25M this weekend. Following two weeks of exclusive play at solo theaters in New York and Los Angeles, the G-rated tale set in 1920s New Orleans won over kids with a powerful $7,280 average from 3,434 theaters. Kidpics rarely break $20M on opening weekend in December unless they bow over the Christmas holiday frame. With holiday shopping and other activities becoming a top priority, parents often become less available for moviegoing at this time of year, but invade the multiplexes in large numbers come the 25th. The Mouse House has a decades-long history of making princess movies, and even in the 1990s had multicultural female leads in major toons like Mulan, Aladdin, and Pocahontas. But Disney finally has its first black princess and audiences are giving her a big thumbs up." (BoxOfficeGuru)
(image via nysd)
"Washington is a town that understands divas. They do well here. What are politicians, lawyers, media stars and assorted other players if not a bunch of divas? And that’s just the men. Diva behavior is not an altogether bad thing. At its best it is rooted in self-confidence, rather than insecurity, and built on some real talent. This past week in Washington was a week of good divas. It began at the 'President’s Guest House,' Blair House Mansion, for a festive cocktail party to celebrate the season and a decorating extravaganza pulled together by Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall and a handful of lifestyle magazines. The news isn’t that they did a beautiful job, it’s that they did it with only two weeks notice. Having Martha Stewart in the mix certified a bona fide diva presence, and she was confident and gracious as she mingled with other guests, posed for photos and took some of her own pictures ...After an hour or so at Blair House everyone boarded buses (well, Martha Stewart took a private car) for a slow but steady peak of rush hour ride to the State Department for a second reception with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton." (WashingtonSocialDiary)
"On the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, builders are putting the finishing touches to a new headquarters for Nomura, the Japanese investment bank. With three up-to-the-minute trading floors and enough desk space to allow the bank to increase its headcount substantially, the 11-storey glass and steel structure was widely hailed during its construction as a symbol of Nomura’s commitment to London as the hub of its international business. But just days after the British government levied a 50 per cent 'supertax' on bank bonuses, Nomura chiefs in Japan are said to be demanding alternative options to ramping up London capacity. Across the City, bankers are furious about the tax, saying the most draconian crackdown on remuneration in the world will only serve to boost rival financial centres such as New York, Hong Kong and Switzerland." (FT)
"Much of the old presidential campaign gang has moved on. The governor he made famous — Sarah Palin, his vice-presidential pick in 2008 — is the one exciting crowds these days. He is facing the possibility of a primary challenge at home, one more reminder of his uneasy relationship with his own party. Yet at the age of 73, one year after his defeat by President Obama, Senator John McCain of Arizona is trying to make the most of the platform where he has always been most comfortable, the United States Senate. The Republican Party’s leadership vacuum has given Mr. McCain an opening, and he is charging through it, tacking right on some issues and loudly embroiling himself in battles with the White House and Democratic leaders over health care, stimulus spending, foreign policy and the style of the Obama presidency. He is more visible now than at any time since the end of his presidential campaign." (NYTimes)
"NBC News White House correspondents Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie will be anchoring a new program for MSNBC, reports WaPo's Howie Kurtz. The program, titled 'Daily Rundown,' will air at 9amET in 2010, filling the slot formerly occupied by Dylan Ratigan's 'Morning Meeting,' who, we heard, will be on in the afternoon. Todd says the program 'has the feel of a signature Washington show for us.' The plan is for one of the two to anchor from the road when they are traveling with the president. Update: MSNBC has announced that 'The Daily Rundown' will premiere on Monday, Jan. 11, 2010 and that Ratigan's program will air at 4pmET starting the same day." (TVNewser)
"Last night, as an escape from the cold downpour that blanketed our city for most of the day, New York's literary luminaries gathered in the hearth-like glow of the Half King, where the PEN Edmont -- PEN's new committee of younger writers and supporters, named after the New York City hotel where Holden Caulfield stayed in The Catcher in the Rye -- held their holiday benefit for the PEN American Center's literary arts enrichment program for New York City public high school students. Among those in attendance: Paul Auster, Salman Rushdie, Steve and Barbara Isenberg, Georgia Tapert, Siri Hustvedt, Nathaniel Rich, Clairborne Swanson, John Buffalo Mailer, Stephanie LaCava, Garret LaCava, Becka Diamond, and Keegan Singh." (Papermag)
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