Most-read arts and entertainment stories of 2012

Prominent passings, nuptial news, stars behaving badly and literary phenoms were among the arts and entertainment stories that captured our collective attention in 2012.

Looking back over the past year, many of the most-read A&E news stories fell into five categories. CBC News looks into the stories that piqued our readers' interest in 2012.

1. Celebrity passings

As always, the deaths of prominent arts and entertainment world figures — whether surprising passings or the loss of aged celebrities — pulled readers in. Shocking deaths such as those of singer Whitney Houston and former Degrassi star Neil Hope as well as the loss of those who shaped popular music (like Davy Jones, Donna Summer, Adam Yauch and Dick Clark), had online audiences poring over every detail.

2. Nuptial news

The marital plans — and woes — of celebrities remained a fascination in 2012. Top contenders included the collapse of the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes marriage, chiming wedding bells for performers Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel ,and an impending walk down the aisle for surprising Canadian pair Chad Kroeger and Avril Lavigne.

3. Superstars at sporting events

Headlining the halftime show at a major sporting event can provide a signicant boost to an artist's career — or it can be a high-profile platform for controversy. Both Justin Bieber and Madonna got a taste of the latter in 2012. The Stratford, Ont. pop sensation sparked much chatter after being booed by some hostile CFL fans at the Grey Cup. Meanwhile, Madonna offered up a high-energy and entertaining Super Bowl halftime show, but her gig was ultimately tarnished by an on-camera, middle-finger salute from one of her invited guests: British rapper M.I.A.

4. Apologizing for bad behaviour

Perhaps it's schadenfreude or just plain curiosity, but readers are often lured in by stories of stars behaving badly and their subsequent mea culpas. Among this year's top-read examples? Actress Kristen Stewart's public apology to her Twilight co-star and boyfriend Robert Pattinson for infidelity and the foot-in-mouth fiasco that saw Angus T. Jones blasting Two and a Half Men, his vehicle to stardom, but backing off days later.

5. Blockbuster books

Post-Harry Potter, author J.K. Rowling proved she could still pique interest, this time for her first-ever book for adult readers, The Casual Vacancy. Meanwhile, a saucy new literary phenomenon took over the western world, as E.L. James became a household name for Fifty Shades of Grey, the first instalment of her erotic trilogy.

The 20 most-read stories from the arts world in 2012:

1. Degrassi's Wheels death announced, over 4 years later
2. Bieber booed, Lightfoot lauded during splashy Grey Cup halftime
3. Whitney Houston hailed as 'sweet miracle' at funeral
4. Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies at 54
5. Pop queen Whitney Houston dies at 48
6. Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise head for divorce
7. Celebrity chef, author Anthony Sedlak dies at 29
8. Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes reach divorce settlement
9. Monkees singer Davy Jones dies at 66
10. Spy experts rate the best Bond villains
11. Ice Pilots' Arnie Schreder dies
12. Whitney Houston's body headed home to New Jersey
13. Madonna thrills Super Bowl halftime crowd
14. Top Gun director Tony Scott dead in apparent suicide
15. Disco queen Donna Summer dies at 63
16. Avril Lavigne to marry Nickelback's Chad Kroeger
17. J.K. Rowling reveals 1st post-Potter novel details
18. Kristen Stewart, Rupert Sanders apologize for affair
19. Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch dead at 47
20. Slash says Rock Hall of Fame overlooked Rush

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Quebec special effects artist acquitted in morals case

A Quebec special effects artist charged with corrupting morals has been found not guilty in a case that tested the boundaries of creative expression and Canadian obscenity laws.

Montreal artist Remy Couture says his aquittal in a morals case means he can continue to create his controversial art without infringement on his right to free expression. (Canadian Press)

Remy Couture received the verdict from the jury late Saturday after two days of deliberation.

"It's like a 400-pound weight has been lifted," Couture, 35, told reporters after hearing the verdict at the Montreal courthouse. "It's been the most stressful thing I've ever had to go through in my life."

Couture said the ruling means he can continue to create his art without infringement on his right to free expression. He was charged with three counts of corrupting morals by distributing, possessing and producing obscene material.

During the trial, Couture argued his gory works, roughly 1,000 images and two short videos that appeared on his website, Inner Depravity, should be considered art. The material in question depicts gruesome murders, torture, sexual abuse, assaults and necrophilia — all with young female victims.

The jury was asked to determine whether the material was obscene and dangerous enough to incite people to act on what they see, as the Crown contended.

The jurors were sequestered Friday and were asked to first decide whether they felt the images were obscene under the Criminal Code. If yes, they were asked to determine whether the works had artistic merit.

If they deemed it to be artistic, they had to find Couture not guilty. If they deemed the work to be obscene and gratuitous, they had to find him guilty.

'My objective was to create horror, plain and simple.'—Remy Couture

The website was part of a personal project by Couture designed to raise the bar of his make-up and special- effects work. Couture, who is self-taught, sought to bring a psychopathic killer character of his own making to life.

Couture described it as a sort of "fake diary of a serial killer," complete with his own universe inspired by horror movies and literature. But there was no victim in the case — all of the works were staged with willing actresses and a combination of fake blood, latex and silicone to create lifelike, horrific images.

Couture testified the reason behind the work was to highlight his skills and abilities as a master of special effects horror, and that the goal is to make his work look believable.

Crown argued work was violent pornography

Couture told the jury that his was a creation of horror and aimed to disgust. He denied the Crown's contention that he was making pornography with a violent twist. He argued the sexual nature of some of his work was secondary.

"My objective was to create horror, plain and simple," Couture told the court.

Defence experts testified that Couture's work was in line with other similar work in the genre. A university cinema professor testified that what was acceptable in the genre had changed greatly over the span of seven decades.

The trial heard that Interpol received a complaint in 2006 from a user in Austria. The scenes were deemed so realistic that a pathologist in Europe couldn't rule out that a homicide had actually been committed. Montreal police began their investigation in early 2009.

Police officers who testified had doubts that Couture's work was real homicide, but still engaged in an elaborate sting operation with police posing as clients looking to do a gory photo shoot around Halloween.

Couture, who has no criminal record, pleaded not guilty in 2010, arguing that the state has no business defining what art is, or infringing on his right to free expression.

The artist told reporters he was approached by a police detective about a pleading out and getting an absolute discharge in the case, but Couture has said that he went ahead out of principle. He said that pleading guilty or settling could set a dangerous precedent and raise questions about other kinds of work done by artists.

In her closing, Crown prosecutor Genevieve Dagenais said that Couture was not targeted by police and admitted the case is particular because there is no victim.

She also said the investigation took some time because it was a first for the Crown. But it was clear to the prosecutor's office that Couture's work should not have been displayed on the Web.

The Crown argued that there were risks associated with exposing such material, calling it violent pornography. Publishing the material "undermines fundamental values of Canadian society," prosecutor Michel Pennou argued.

Experts for the Crown testified that the material could push vulnerable members of society to act out what they see. They also took issue with the fact that the victims were all women.

Couture had said he'd planned to create a new video where the female victim turns the tables on his psychopath creation, but he never got to it as his special effects career began to take off.

A seven-woman, five-man jury heard the case with Quebec Superior Court Justice Claude Champagne presiding.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman dies at age 70

Authorities say Lee Dorman, the bassist of psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, has died at age 70.

Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Gail Krause says Dorman was found dead in his car Friday morning, at his home in the coastal Southern California town of Laguna Niguel.

According to coroner's officials, foul play is not suspected. Dorman died of natural causes in Southern California and there won't be an autopsy. A statement from the Orange County coroner's office said Dorman had been under the care of a physician. Authorities said he may have been on his way to a doctor's appointment when he died.

No services have been announced. Douglas Lee Dorman was born in September 1942.

Iron Butterfly rose to prominence in the late 1960s. According to the band's website, its second album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, sold more than 30 million copies. The title track's distinctive notes have been featured in numerous films and TV shows including The Simpsons, That `70s Show and in the series finale of Rescue Me.

Dorman was also a founding member of the rock group Captain Beyond.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chicago steps up on Broadway's longest-running list

The dangerous dames and all that jazz from Chicago have kicked Les Misérables down the list of the top three longest-running shows in Broadway history.

Thursday night's staging of the Tony-winning musical marked its 6,681st performance, allowing Chicago to step into third place in the tally of Broadway's longest-running shows.

The scathing 1920s-set satire follows a pair of female murder suspects as they try to scheme, finesse and finagle their way to fame and freedom by manipulating a crime-and-celebrity-obsessed press corps, all with the help of their charismatic and crafty defence lawyer.

'This production has exceeded my wildest expectations time and time again'—Producer Barry Weissler

It includes catchy songs such as All That Jazz, Roxie, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle.

The current production, playing at the Ambassador Theatre, is an edgy revival that's been running for 17 years.

"This production has exceeded my wildest expectations time and time again," producer Barry Weissler said in a statement to industry publication Playbill.

"This is truly a remarkable day, and on behalf of the entire Chicago company, I want to thank the legions of fans and beloved audience members worldwide who have helped our show achieve this incredible milestone in Broadway history."

The production has a way to go before potentially cracking the top two slots: The Phantom of the Opera (which is still running) has had 10,356 performances, while Cats (which closed in 2000) had 7,485.

The brainchild of musical theatre icon Bob Fosse, Chicago first debuted on Broadway in 1975, with Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach in the lead roles. That edition ran for about 900 performances.

Over the years, the Chicago revival has seen a host of theatre greats and celebrities join its cast, including Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey, Melanie Griffith, Usher, Brooke Shields and Huey Lewis. Country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus is featured in the current cast.

Tours have brought the musical to 24 countries worldwide.

The revival also spawned a star-studded, Oscar-winning movie adaptation, directed by Rob Marshall and headlined by Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Psy's Gangnam Style reaches 1 billion views on YouTube

Viral star Psy has reached a new milestone on YouTube.

The South Korean rapper's video for Gangnam Style has reached 1 billion views, according to YouTube's own counter. It's the first time any clip has surpassed that mark on the streaming service owned by Google Inc.

It shows the enduring popularity of the self-deprecating video that features Park Jae-sang's giddy up-style dance moves. The video has been available on YouTube since July 15, averaging more than 200 million views per month.

Justin Bieber's video for Baby held the previous YouTube record at more than 800 million views.

Psy wasn't just popular on YouTube, either. Earlier this month Google announced Gangnam Style was the second highest trending search of 2012 behind Whitney Houston, who passed away in February.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada's War Witch advances in Oscar race

Canadian film War Witch, the French-language drama about a Congolese child soldier, took a step closer to the Oscars on Friday.

The film, alternately known by its French title Rebelle, is one of the nine movies longlisted for the Academy Awards, organizers revealed Friday.

The Kim Nguyen film, which has been acclaimed on the international film festival circuit, revolves around a 12-year-old girl who is forced by rebels to shoot her own parents before being abducted to fight for their cause as an orphaned child soldier.

Making the list of semi-finalists "is a great honour because the competition is crazy this year. The films that are there are just mind-blowing. It's a real privilege," Montrealer Nguyen told CBC News on Friday.

Rachel Mwanza has earned accolades for her star turn in War Witch. (TIFF)

"When we talk about a global village, that's when it kind of hits you — all these great filmmakers," he said, adding that being a contender alongside Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, whom he respects greatly, "It's such an honour. At the same time, it almost feels like the world gets smaller when these things happen."

The nine contenders are:

• Austria - Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
• Canada - War Witch (also known as Rebelle), directed by Kim Nguyen.
• Chile - No, directed by Pablo Larraín.
• Denmark - A Royal Affair, directed by Nikolaj Arcel.
• France - The Intouchables, directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.
• Iceland - The Deep, directed by Baltasar Kormákur
• Norway - Kon-Tiki, directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg.
• Romania - Beyond the Hills, directed by Cristian Mungiu.
• Switzerland - Sister, directed by Ursula Meier.

Altogether, 71 countries submitted movies for Oscar foreign film consideration this year.

Praise for young star

War Witch has earned widespread accolades for its young star, 14-year-old Rachel Mwanza, whom Nguyen plucked off the streets of Kinshasa after an open casting call that drew many street kids.

When Mwanza won the Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival in February, she became the first sub-Saharan African ever to win the honour. She subsequently won a best actress prize at the Tribeca Film Festival in March.

So, Nguyen said, she has had some familiarity with receiving international recognition.

"Now, we mostly focus on her [learning] to read, learning to write. Right now, she works with a tutor in Kinshasha. And I guess if she wants to make use of the recognition that she got in the past year, the most important thing is to get those basics down — and maybe learn a bit of English too, because she's mostly learning French. But it's up to her."

The list of nine will now be whittled down to 5 finalists that will be unveiled along with all other Academy Award nominees on Jan. 10.

"There are really, really good films this year," Nguyen said when asked about his odds of making the Oscars shortlist.

"The only thing I can say is ... we adopted Che Guevara's philosphy: 'Be realistic, ask for the impossible.' So that's our mindset and it's been that way for the last few months."

The Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 24.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Quebec special effects artist acquitted in morals case

A Quebec special effects artist charged with corrupting morals has been found not guilty in a case that tested the boundaries of creative expression and Canadian obscenity laws.

Montreal artist Remy Couture says his aquittal in a morals case means he can continue to create his controversial art without infringement on his right to free expression. (Canadian Press)

Remy Couture received the verdict from the jury late Saturday after two days of deliberation.

"It's like a 400-pound weight has been lifted," Couture, 35, told reporters after hearing the verdict at the Montreal courthouse. "It's been the most stressful thing I've ever had to go through in my life."

Couture said the ruling means he can continue to create his art without infringement on his right to free expression. He was charged with three counts of corrupting morals by distributing, possessing and producing obscene material.

During the trial, Couture argued his gory works, roughly 1,000 images and two short videos that appeared on his website, Inner Depravity, should be considered art. The material in question depicts gruesome murders, torture, sexual abuse, assaults and necrophilia — all with young female victims.

The jury was asked to determine whether the material was obscene and dangerous enough to incite people to act on what they see, as the Crown contended.

The jurors were sequestered Friday and were asked to first decide whether they felt the images were obscene under the Criminal Code. If yes, they were asked to determine whether the works had artistic merit.

If they deemed it to be artistic, they had to find Couture not guilty. If they deemed the work to be obscene and gratuitous, they had to find him guilty.

'My objective was to create horror, plain and simple.'—Remy Couture

The website was part of a personal project by Couture designed to raise the bar of his make-up and special- effects work. Couture, who is self-taught, sought to bring a psychopathic killer character of his own making to life.

Couture described it as a sort of "fake diary of a serial killer," complete with his own universe inspired by horror movies and literature. But there was no victim in the case — all of the works were staged with willing actresses and a combination of fake blood, latex and silicone to create lifelike, horrific images.

Couture testified the reason behind the work was to highlight his skills and abilities as a master of special effects horror, and that the goal is to make his work look believable.

Crown argued work was violent pornography

Couture told the jury that his was a creation of horror and aimed to disgust. He denied the Crown's contention that he was making pornography with a violent twist. He argued the sexual nature of some of his work was secondary.

"My objective was to create horror, plain and simple," Couture told the court.

Defence experts testified that Couture's work was in line with other similar work in the genre. A university cinema professor testified that what was acceptable in the genre had changed greatly over the span of seven decades.

The trial heard that Interpol received a complaint in 2006 from a user in Austria. The scenes were deemed so realistic that a pathologist in Europe couldn't rule out that a homicide had actually been committed. Montreal police began their investigation in early 2009.

Police officers who testified had doubts that Couture's work was real homicide, but still engaged in an elaborate sting operation with police posing as clients looking to do a gory photo shoot around Halloween.

Couture, who has no criminal record, pleaded not guilty in 2010, arguing that the state has no business defining what art is, or infringing on his right to free expression.

The artist told reporters he was approached by a police detective about a pleading out and getting an absolute discharge in the case, but Couture has said that he went ahead out of principle. He said that pleading guilty or settling could set a dangerous precedent and raise questions about other kinds of work done by artists.

In her closing, Crown prosecutor Genevieve Dagenais said that Couture was not targeted by police and admitted the case is particular because there is no victim.

She also said the investigation took some time because it was a first for the Crown. But it was clear to the prosecutor's office that Couture's work should not have been displayed on the Web.

The Crown argued that there were risks associated with exposing such material, calling it violent pornography. Publishing the material "undermines fundamental values of Canadian society," prosecutor Michel Pennou argued.

Experts for the Crown testified that the material could push vulnerable members of society to act out what they see. They also took issue with the fact that the victims were all women.

Couture had said he'd planned to create a new video where the female victim turns the tables on his psychopath creation, but he never got to it as his special effects career began to take off.

A seven-woman, five-man jury heard the case with Quebec Superior Court Justice Claude Champagne presiding.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

FILM REVIEWS: Les Misérables, Django Unchained

Dec 21, 2012 | 2:36Film Eli's 2012 top films Video

Film Eli's 2012 top films Dec 21, 2012 | 2:36The year's best offerings ranged from the provocative titles to guilty pleasures to nostalgic romance. Eli Glasner shares his picks for the top films of the year.

Dec 21, 2012 | 2:35Film Les Misérables, Django Unchained Video

Film Les Misérables, Django Unchained Dec 21, 2012 | 2:35CBC reviewer Eli Glasner offers his take on two very different films opening in theatres on Christmas Day: the fascinating, but ultimately lacking musical adaptation Les Misérables and the ultra-violent Django Unchained, which sees the audacious Quentin Tarantino back in fine form.

Dec 20, 2012 | 3:03Film Doomsday films Video

Film Doomsday films Dec 20, 2012 | 3:03Whether or not you believe the world will end on Dec. 21, there's still time to squeeze in a mini-marathon of apocalyptic films. Zulekha Nathoo offers up her picks.

Dec 20, 2012 | 2:58Music Music world deaths study Video

Music Music world deaths study Dec 20, 2012 | 2:58Rock and pop musicians die prematurely more often than the general population and an early death is twice as likely for solo musicians as for members of bands, according to a new study. Zulekha Nathoo reports.

Dec 18, 2012 | 4:02Movies 2012's hidden cinematic gems Video

Movies 2012's hidden cinematic gems Dec 18, 2012 | 4:02From a rebooted Bond to Batman's final bow, 2012's been a year of fast and familiar cinema. However, as we pause to catch our breath during the holiday season, it's a great time to review titles that flew under the radar this year. Eli Glasner shares his picks.

Dec 18, 2012 | 3:57Film The Master is tops for Toronto critics Video

Film The Master is tops for Toronto critics Dec 18, 2012 | 3:57The Toronto Film Critics Association showered love on Paul Thomas Anderson's drama The Master, crowning it the year's best film and toasting Anderson's direction, screenplay and members of his cast. Eli Glasner reports.

Dec 14, 2012 | 5:50Film The Hobbit begins a muddled journey Video

Film The Hobbit begins a muddled journey Dec 14, 2012 | 5:50Championing faster frame-rate technology and expanding The Hobbit into a trilogy, filmmaker Peter Jackson appears to have forgotten he also needs to tell a clear, compelling story, says CBC reviewer Eli Glasner.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chicago steps up on Broadway's longest-running list

The dangerous dames and all that jazz from Chicago have kicked Les Misérables down the list of the top three longest-running shows in Broadway history.

Thursday night's staging of the Tony-winning musical marked its 6,681st performance, allowing Chicago to step into third place in the tally of Broadway's longest-running shows.

The scathing 1920s-set satire follows a pair of female murder suspects as they try to scheme, finesse and finagle their way to fame and freedom by manipulating a crime-and-celebrity-obsessed press corps, all with the help of their charismatic and crafty defence lawyer.

'This production has exceeded my wildest expectations time and time again'—Producer Barry Weissler

It includes catchy songs such as All That Jazz, Roxie, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle.

The current production, playing at the Ambassador Theatre, is an edgy revival that's been running for 17 years.

"This production has exceeded my wildest expectations time and time again," producer Barry Weissler said in a statement to industry publication Playbill.

"This is truly a remarkable day, and on behalf of the entire Chicago company, I want to thank the legions of fans and beloved audience members worldwide who have helped our show achieve this incredible milestone in Broadway history."

The production has a way to go before potentially cracking the top two slots: The Phantom of the Opera (which is still running) has had 10,356 performances, while Cats (which closed in 2000) had 7,485.

The brainchild of musical theatre icon Bob Fosse, Chicago first debuted on Broadway in 1975, with Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach in the lead roles. That edition ran for about 900 performances.

Over the years, the Chicago revival has seen a host of theatre greats and celebrities join its cast, including Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey, Melanie Griffith, Usher, Brooke Shields and Huey Lewis. Country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus is featured in the current cast.

Tours have brought the musical to 24 countries worldwide.

The revival also spawned a star-studded, Oscar-winning movie adaptation, directed by Rob Marshall and headlined by Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Psy's Gangnam Style reaches 1 billion views on YouTube

Viral star Psy has reached a new milestone on YouTube.

The South Korean rapper's video for Gangnam Style has reached 1 billion views, according to YouTube's own counter. It's the first time any clip has surpassed that mark on the streaming service owned by Google Inc.

It shows the enduring popularity of the self-deprecating video that features Park Jae-sang's giddy up-style dance moves. The video has been available on YouTube since July 15, averaging more than 200 million views per month.

Justin Bieber's video for Baby held the previous YouTube record at more than 800 million views.

Psy wasn't just popular on YouTube, either. Earlier this month Google announced Gangnam Style was the second highest trending search of 2012 behind Whitney Houston, who passed away in February.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More