Aubrey Peeples, in Syfy's "Sharknado," as an Angeleno about to become aware ...

Syfy's latest shark movie, with Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and Cassie Scerbo, is wonderfully bad

Aubrey Peeples, in Syfy's 'Sharknado,' as an Angeleno about to become aware of the dangers posed by airborne sharks

'Sharknado' is bad to the bone.

It's absurd. It's ridiculous. If you're a fan of low-budget horror movies and you miss it, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

'Sharknado' tops Syfy's previous gem 'Sharktopus' as effortlessly as a hungry fish drops out of the sky into the swimming pool at a retirement community.

Yes, that happens. And someone tells a retirement community resident, 'Run!' And she replies, 'I can't run. I can't even walk.'

The premise of 'Sharknado,' just so no one accidentally mistakes it for 'Argo,' is that a huge Pacific storm has morphed into tornados. As the waterspouts gain strength over the ocean off the coast of L.A., they suck up thousands of sharks.

When they move inland and lose power, they spill out the sharks like pi ñ atas gone terribly wrong. The sharks swim along flooded freeways and slam through windows to gobble up people inside.

One shark not only finds a way to secure itself to the top of an SUV going 40 or 50 mph, but it pries open the moonroof to see what kind of tasty morsels are nervously waiting inside.

Nor does the human dialogue lack bite, with lines like 'I hate sharks. I'm from Wyoming.'

And don't think for a minute that being in 'Sharknado' makes the actors seem ridiculous. On the contrary, stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and Cassie Scerbo make it look like a day at the beach. How often do you find a role where it's impossible to overact?

'Sharknado' is an hour and a half of your life that you'll never get back. And you won't want to.

dhinckley@nydailynews.com

Britney Spears' boys are 'Ooh La La' stars

Spears' sons play themselves in the new music video.

Britney Spears shares a shot of her boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James. (Photo: Britney Spears, Instagram)

'Omg. How CUTE are my boys?!' writes proud mom Britney Spears on Instagram.

She shared a sneak peek of Jayden James, 6, and Sean Preston, 7, with the note that her new Ooh La La music video premieres Thursday on VEVO at noon ET.

Spears' sons have cameos, playing themselves in the video, which Brit Brit told Ryan Seacrest she did for them. 'They're obsessed with the Smurfs.' The Smurfs 2 movie, featuring Ooh La La on the soundtrack, will be in theaters July 31.

She also said, 'They were actually really, really good on set.'

She said that her '...oldest son Preston was right on cue every time they would tell him to do something. ... When we did the actual shoot of the video I didn't see them, I was in hair and make-up, so later on I got to see what they actually did on camera and it was adorable.'

USA NOW Asiana pilot saw bright light | USA NOW video

Who's the most grown

Boys will be boys.

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade and Chris Rock return for more mayhem and gross-out gags in 'Grown Ups 2,' the sequel to their 2010 hit comedy. Salma Hayek also comes back to the fold as Sandler's wife, Roxanne.

Hayek has a 5-year-old daughter in real life and her mothering skills certainly came into play on the set of this film.

We asked the stars who they thought was the most grown-up member of the cast, and they all agreed it was Hayek.

'I am like the grown up that is sent you know like on the road trip with the kids,' Hayek said of her adult co-stars. 'I am sent here by their wives.'

James added, 'Like in the middle of the take, she'll come over, and she'll go 'You have a little schmutz on your face' and she just takes it right off the cheek.'

Watch the video at the top of this story to see Sandler, James, Spade and Hayek speak more in-depth about 'Grown Ups 2,' now playing in theaters. During our interview, Sandler asked Hayek if she liked her older or newer co-stars better (Taylor Lautner and Shaq are some of the newcomers to the cast), and her answer may surprise you.

Ben Affleck Circling the Male Lead in David Fincher's 'Gone Girl'

Ben Affleck is circling the male lead in David Fincher's Gone Girl for 20th Century Fox.

The project, based on Gillian Flynn's runaway best-seller, is coming together and would mark Affleck's next starring role.

PHOTOS: Ben Affleck at 40: Portraits of 'Argo's' Leading Man, Director and Oscar-Baiting Auteur

The story kicks off the five-year anniversary of a married couple. The wife, yet to be cast, goes missing, and the husband (Affleck) emerges as the prime suspect.

Affleck would shoot Gone Girl before slipping behind the camera for Warner Bros.' Live by Night.

Flynn wrote the screenplay for the film, which is being produced by Reese Witherspoon and Leslie Dixon.

He is repped by WME.

E-mail: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com Twitter:@TatianaSiegel27

'Skyfall' director Sam Mendes signs on for next James Bond movie

Director Sam Mendes, right, poses with cast members Daniel Craig and Berenice Marlohe, center, during a photocall to promote their film 'Skyfall' in Berlin October 30, 2012.Reuters

Sam Mendes has changed his mind.

The 'Skyfall' director, who previously stated in multiple interviews that he would not be involved in the next James Bond flick, has signed on to direct the 24th Bond film, which is set to be released in November 2015.

Mendes had said he wouldn't direct the upcoming Bond movie because he wanted to work on other projects.

'I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honor all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct 'Bond 24.' I very much look forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time,' Mendes said in a statement sent to FOX411.

The previous Bond movie, 'Skyfall,' raked in $1.1 billion worldwide.

Chairman and CEO of MGM Gary Barber added: 'We are thrilled to reunite the extraordinary talents of director Sam Mendes with our star Daniel Craig for the next great Bond adventure.' He added, 'As evidenced by the phenomenal success of our last collaboration with EON Productions and Sony, the incredible legacy of this 51-year-old franchise continues to amaze.'

No stopping Octavia Spencer in 'Fruitvale Station'

Her Oscar for 'The Help' boosted her into dream-project territory, and 'this ride is still going. And if I have anything to do with it, it will continue to go.'

Octavia Spencer is embracing a bright film future after winning an Oscar for 2011's 'The Help.' (Photo: Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY)

LOS ANGELES - On March 21, 2012, the state of Alabama officially proclaimed 'Octavia Spencer Day' for the native daughter who had captured the nation's attention and a supporting-actress Oscar for her role as Minny in The Help weeks earlier.

The Montgomery native was granted stretch pink limousine service, slammed down the state Legislature gavel and heard a hometown marching band play a song in her honor.

But after that Spencer, 43, stopped accepting accolades for her work.

'It's hard to outdo a day in my honor, so I kind of wanted that to be the ultimate moment. I didn't go beyond that,' Spencer says. 'At some point you have to stop. I'd be running around accepting things, then I'd get rusty for the work.'

That's not likely to happen. She is re-emerging with a vengeance, starting with her co-starring role in Fruitvale Station (opening wide on Friday), which garnered top honors at January's Sundance Film Festival. The film by 27-year-old writer/director Ryan Coogler is based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area who was shot by police on New Year's Day 2009.

MORE: Octavia Spencer: The help behind Fruitvale StationTRAILER: Fruitvale StationVIDEO: Spencer and Jordan talk Fruitvale

After years of waiting to hit her stride in Hollywood, the veteran actress is finally able to take advantage of the creative projects she has always dreamed about, thanks to her Help success.

'Octavia is all about perseverance,' says Michael B. Jordan (HBO's The Wire),who portrays her son Oscar in Fruitvale Station. 'She paid her dues and stuck with it. It's her never-say-die attitude that got her where she is now and will continue to push her in the future.'

Spencer will make her singing debut as a Las Vegas bartender in Diablo Cody's Paradise (Oct. 18), a thought that makes her cringe while sipping her Diet Coke at Culina restaurant. And she's finished the sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer (no release date yet), in which she and Chris Evans will battle fellow passengers aboard a train traveling around a frozen planet.

'I get to actually fight onscreen, something I have always wanted to do,' Spencer says, noting that the fascination stopped after she clocked one of the stuntmen with a prop pickax during a melee. 'I thought, 'My God, this can happen to me,' and I was paralyzed with fear after that. It was like, 'Please don't hit me.' For real. I realize I am probably not an action girl.'

Next she'll start filming alongside one of her Hollywood heroes, Kevin Costner, in the drama Black and White, in which they will portray grandparents fighting a custody battle.

'I'm scared. I'm a huge Costner fan. But at least there's no action. So there's no chance I'm going to get hit by anything,' she says with a laugh.

Spencer also has expanded into the literary world with her kids' novel, Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit,which will be released Oct. 15. It's the first in a series featuring a female-led, multicultural group of kids who solve mysteries.

She also has optioned the rights to journalist Tim Rieterman's book Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People, and plans to produce a movie about the infamous 1978 Jonestown massacre.

'This is something I have been interested in my entire life. I am getting to get a chance to explore these things I would never have been able to do otherwise. Honey, if awards season 2012 did not happen, there would not be a published book and I would not be here talking about Fruitvale Station. This ride is still going. And if I have anything to do with it, it will continue to go for a while.'

She holds up her Diet Coke to celebrate. 'So cheers to that.'

Adam Lambert Headed To Glee For Season 5

Adam Lambert knows a thing or two about covering pop songs. The musician got his big break as a contestant on American Idol, showing off his incredible vocal range and control, which he's only continued to develop further in the years that have followed since his Idol run, proving - as others have - that you don't need to actual win Idol to find success after. And now it looks like he's returning to Fox, this time for a run on Glee, which is where those cover-skills should come in handy, considering the musical dramedy's playlist consists mainly of made-over pop songs.

TVLine posted the news that Adam Lambert would be joining Glee for the series' upcoming fifth season, citing a Tweet from Ryan Murphy:

I am thrilled to announce that the super talented Adam Lambert is joining the cast of Glee this fall.

— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) July 11, 2013

Once upon a time, a bit of Glee casting resulted in more obvious conclusions drawn about how the actor (or singer) might fit into the series, but given that Glee's divided structure, that's no longer the case. There are no details given about what kind of role Lambert will be playing, and we also don't know where he'll be playing it. The series divides its attention between the glee club students at McKinley High School and the adventures of Rachel and Kurt in New York City. Lambert could be involved in either story arc. Or maybe there's something else in store for his character? We can only speculate.

As TVLine points out, there were rumors about Lambert joining Glee not long after his season of Idol wrapped up. But that was years ago, when Glee was still new. He's since returned to TV to appear on Pretty Little Liars, but that was to perform. While we should probably expect to hear plenty of Lambert's phenomenal voice during his run on Glee, it sounds like there's some acting involved too, so that should be interesting.

In addition to creating his own music since his Idol days, Lambert has also performed with Queen, which - for those who have never heard him sing - is a mark of the kind of vocal control and range the man has. Following in the footsteps of the great Freddie Mercury is no easy task, but he's up to the challenge. For evidence of that, watch the video below, which shows Lambert singing 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber's single days are officially over ... again ... for now ... 'cause he's back on with Selena Gomez -- but TMZ has learned there's one major catch -- he's gotta stop acting like a d-bag.

According to sources, Selena had firmly resisted reuniting with Justin after their most recent breakup because he and his friends have been acting like raging self-entitled jackasses the last few months -- smoking pot, speeding around in expensive cars, and pissing in mop buckets.

But Justin -- being the Casanova that he is -- was able to change her mind ... and on July 4th, we're told he won her back by promising to change his douche ways. Apparently, Selena bought it.

We're told JB and his 'Wild Kidz' goons have taken notice of the public backlash against their ridiculous behavior -- hard not to -- and they all decided to clean up their acts.

Sounds like BS -- considering Bieber's abysmal track record for making phony apologies and continuing to act like an oblivious self-important douche-baby -- but our sources say Selena has always been an extremely positive influence on him ... and if anyone can change him, it's her.

You'll notice -- Bieber's string of crappy behavior has almost perfectly coincided with him being single. Whenever he was with Selena, however, Bieber seems to retire his crown as Douche King, the Supreme and Unapologetic Leader of Doucheland, and act like a semi-gentleman.

Bottom line, it seems like no one else can fix Justin, so why not give Selena a shot? It might just be crazy enough to work.

President Obama honours George Lucas

President Barack Obama honoured greats from the world of film, music and books last night when he awarded National Medals of Arts and Humanities to George Lucas, Allen Toussaint and Joan Didion.

said that artists had the power to open minds and praised Lucas, creator of Star Wars, for transforming movies. Obama, who slipped up in a press conference earlier this year when he confused a Star Wars 'Jedi mind trick' with a Star Trek 'mind meld' said: 'I remember when I first saw Star Wars. There's a whole generation that thinks special effects always look like they do today. But it used to be you'd see, like, the string on the little model spaceships.' He added that 'all the medal winners challenge us to think and to question and to discover, to seek that inward significance'.

Toussaint, who helped revive his native New Orleans with music after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, described receiving the medal as 'a very proud moment in my life'. Toussaint's songs have been recorded over the past 40 years by artists including Lee Dorsey, The Rolling Stones, The Neville Brothers, Lowell George, Otis Redding and Elvis Costello.

_{President Barack Obama with Allen Toussaint}

Obama said: 'Allen Toussaint has built a legendary career alongside America's finest musicians, sustaining his city's rich tradition of rhythm and blues and lifting it to the national stage.'

At a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Obama awarded 24 medals to people including Herb Alpert, who made Latin music popular in the Sixties with his Tijuana Brass, soprano Renée Fleming, playwright Tony Kushner and comedian Elaine May.

Two American writers were also honoured. Ernest Gaines, the descendant of Louisiana sharecroppers, was given a medal as well as Didion, 78, who Obama said had touched his life and the lives of Americans. 'Today, decades into her career, she remains one of our sharpest and most respected observers of American politics and culture,' Obama said, describing how Didion taught herself to read as her family moved frequently around the country with her father, who was an Army officer.

_{Joan Didion after receiving her medal}

Obama, known for his love of basketball and football, seemed particularly pleased to award a medal to Frank Deford, the reporter who spent 50 years at Sports Illustrated magazine.

Follow @TelegraphFilm

Halle Berry friends fear failure of her third marriage

By Bill Zwecker

FRANCE-CINEMA-FESTIVAL

Updated:

While Halle Berry clearly believes the third time will be the charm, a number of her Hollywood pals are worried as it appears the Oscar winner will marry for the third time this weekend.

The beautiful actress hasn't had the best judgment in picking mates, and friends expect fiancé Olivier Martinez to be another disappointment - especially if he strays, as they fear.

'Right now, it all seems great and they are expecting their first child together, and all that,' said a longtime Berry buddy Wednesday. 'But that's how it was in the beginning with her first two husbands, [baseball player] David Justice and [singer] Eric Benet - and even with Gabriel [Aubry, whom she did not marry even after the birth of their daughter, Nahla].'

While another veteran associate of the actress also expressed a degree of nervousness about Berry remarrying, she did say, 'I've known Halle for many, many years, and I've definitely never seen her happier or more content. ... But in this day and age, why does she think she has to have that piece of paper? ... Of course, we all hope it will really work out this time.'

Berry and Martinez, whom she met while filming 'Dark Tide,' have been engaged since March 2012. They have revealed the child they're expecting will be a little boy.

† Even Berry herself seems surprised she is heading toward the altar, telling 'Extra' just last weekend, 'I swore it off, right? Never say never, people!'

THE SINGLE SCENE: Chicago-based Being Single magazine will host its 10th annual 'Bachelor Breakfast' Saturday at the South Loop Hotel. The event usually draws women from across the Midwest to learn more about relationships from the male perspective.

This year's panel will include Darren Washington, author of 'A Dummies' Guide to Sexual Purity & Dating'; Patrick Shaffer of City of Faith Christian Church of Chicago, noted AIDS activist and author of 'Love Again'; shipping executive Bill Bolden, and Grammy-nominated record producer Eric Miller.

The event will be hosted by Being Single publisher Bonita Bennett and moderated by Joy Bivins, curator at the Chicago History Museum. For more information, go to beingsinglemag.com.

BIG THINGS EXPECTED: The talented Steve Grand was featured on 'Good Morning America' Tuesday, thanks to the meteoric rise of his 'All American Boy' video on YouTube. For the final weekend of Grand's yearlong gig at the Joynt in River North, club owner Stanley Wozniak expects a flock of folks - including record label reps and touring managers for the singer, who currently is unsigned.

MORE MUSIC: Anita Baker has canceled her concert Saturday at Ravinia. No reason was stated, but Baker also called off a June 29 show at Wolf Trap in Virginia. Refunds will be automatically applied to original payment method.

† The one-and-only Chicago music legend Milt Trenier will be back by popular demand at Untitled Show Lounge, 111 W. Kinzie - with the fun all starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 20.

SEEN ON THE SCENE: We're sure to get lots of rocker sightings around town with Taste of Chicago in gear. Delta Spirit (performing at Taste with fun.) was spotted Tuesday night dining at Nellcote in the West Loop, while Karmin (here with the Jonas Brothers at Northerly Island) got a burger fix at River North's 25 Degrees.

J.Cole's 'Born Sinner' tops album chart in third week

J.Cole's 'Born Sinner' rises to No. 1 on Billboard album chart.

Recording artist J. Cole. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images for BET)

Rapper J.Cole's Born Sinner leaps to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in its third week of release. His sophomore album sold 58,000, the sixth smallest total at No.1 in the SoundScan era, which began in 1991.

Born Sinner spent its first two weeks at No. 2, first behind Kanye West's Yeezus and then Wale's The Gifted. It has sold 439,000 copies surpassing Yeezus's 431,000. The Gifted was No. 2 this week with 50,000 followed by Yeezus with 39,000,

The only album to debut in the top 10 was Joe's Doubleback Evolution of R&B, which sold 31,000 copies. It was the sixth top 10 album for the veteran singer.

USA NOW Deja vu for Clinton, Palin? | USA NOW video

Lamar Odom Attacks Paparazzi Trashes Camera and a Car

went absolutely nuts on 2 paparazzi in Hollywood this afternoon ... smashing a car, a camera ... and then fleeing the scene -- apparently with some of the destroyed camera gear.

The violent incident was captured on video ... where Mr. Khloe Kardashian was seen going into the back of a car belonging to one of the paps, and chucking all of the guy's equipment into the middle of a busy street.

He then walked across the street and smashed another photog's car with a metal bar, then picked up all the gear from the street and put it in his trunk.

Curiously, right after raging against the paps, Lamar also had a run-in with a fan -- and couldn't have been nicer. Watch the video ... it's kinda bizarre.

It's unclear why Lamar was so angry ... when the video starts he's already digging through the pap's car.

So far, no one's filed a police report. We haven't heard back from Lamar's reps.

'Oldboy': Red

The red-band trailer for Spike Lee's remake of 'Oldboy' is out, and it suggests that the director's new film might hew closely to Park Chan-wook's dizzying, disturbing 2003 original.

The trailer lays out the basic premise - a man (Josh Brolin) is abducted and held in captivity for 20 years, until one day he's mysteriously freed and sets out to learn the identity of his captor and the reason for his imprisonment, forging uneasy alliances and wielding a hammer to exact bloody revenge.(Before you watch, take note that the clip contains strong language and graphic images not suitable for work or for younger readers.)

For some cinephiles, the remake, which was written by 'I Am Legend' and 'Thor' screenwriter Mark Protosevich, is one of the most anticipated releases of the fall. Park's film is revered as an accomplished cult oddity, full of startling imagery and gut-punch revelations, existing as part of the director's thematically linked Vengeance Trilogy (the other two films are 2002′s 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' and 2005′s 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance').

Whether Lee will retain one of the most unsettling key moments from that film remains to be seen.

As for Park, he made his English-language debut 'Stoker,' with Nicole Kidman, earlier this year and is also a producer on the anticipated adaptation of 'Snowpiercer' to be directed by fellow Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho.

Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley and Samuel L. Jackson costar in 'Oldboy,' which opens Oct. 25.

- Mark Olsen | @IndieFocus

RECENT AND RELATED 'Pac Rim' comic: Travis Beacham talks Del Toro 'Pac Rim': Del Toro on Japanese pop culture influence 'Pacific Rim' trailer offers action on a massive scale 'Pacific Rim' footage delivers '2,500 tons of awesome' 'Pacific Rim': Guillermo del Toro crafts 'gothic tech' Is 'Pacific Rim' the new 'Transformers'? Del Toro opens the big box that's 'Pacific Rim' Meet Del Toro's 'blue-collar' Jaeger Gipsy Danger 'Pacific Rim' trailer: A kaiju, robot 'wrestling match' 'Oldboy' poster: first look at Spike Lee's remake of Korean thriller

Bobbi Kristina Brown, Nick Gordon engaged despite criticisms: 'We aren't even ...

Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic/FilmMagic

Bobbi Kristina Brown says it's her prerogative to marry boyfriend Nick Gordon.

The 20-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown isn't hiding her love for her man, nor is she taking the negative responses quietly. Although her mother once referred to Gordon as her son before her untimely death in February 2012, Brown reassures the public he is not related to her by blood or adoption.

'Yes, me and Nick are engaged. I'm tired of hearing people say, 'Eww you're engaged to your brother' or 'If Whitney was still alive, would we be together or would she approve of this?'' she wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday. 'Let me clear up something, we aren't even real brother and sister, nor is he my adoptive brother. My mom never adopted him. In fact, mommy was the one who even said that she knew that we were going to start dating.'

'The Greatest Love of All' singer did, however, reportedly adopt Gordon when he was 12, and the young man lived with the Houston family. Still, 'The Houstons: On Our Own' reality star professed that her mom would have been in support of their relationship.

'My mom knows me better than any of you,' she added to her online rant. 'A lot of ya'll are saying that y'all are only saying this all out of love, which is bull because if that was so, all you would want is for me to be happy.'

While the couple supposedly called off their previous engagement in November 2012 after disapproval from within the family, they appear to be back on the road to matrimony.

'People need to seriously stop judging my relationship,' she continued. 'You may or may not agree with my relationship. You may or may not respect it. Judge me, go ahead. Your opinions are yours and mine are mine. It is my life and not yours. The decisions I make have nothing to do with you.'

On July 3, Brown posted an Instagram pic with Gordon in which she called him her 'gorgeous fiancé' and said she was 'madly in love with this phenomenal man.'

Beyonce flaunts glitter

She's nude and sparkly.

Beyonce glitters for 'Flaunt.' (Photo: Tony Duran, Flaunt.com/beyonce)

All that glitters is ... Beyoncé.

The superstar with the Midas touch is covered in nothing but glitter in the new issue of Flaunt.

In the interview with bare Queen Bey, she is asked only a few questions, but one of them is about criticism over her deal with Pepsi.

Her reply: 'When you work out, take care of your body, rehearse as hard as I rehearsed in the commercial, I think it's great to have a Pepsi or Diet Pepsi when you want one. It's all about choices.'

And another question: What is your favorite kind of stain?

Beyonce's answer: 'Milk.'

USA NOW Deja vu for Clinton, Palin? | USA NOW video

Brandi Glanville parties, stumbles, loses dress

Her dress fell off. Her thong was exposed. She was overserved.

Brandi Glanville attends the Gypsies Night Club on June 22 in Mount Pocono, Pa. (Photo: Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images)

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star (and frequent feuder with LeAnn Rimes) Brandi Glanville had a little too much fun on Monday night.

Photos are popping up showing Eddie Cibrian's ex stumbling, losing her dress to reveal her breasts and exposing her thong undies as she hit several bars in West Hollywood.

A hot mess, in other words.

Glanville, 40, explained on Twitter: 'I got drunk with my gays its not murder,,everyone kept sending us drinks.I was being polite'

Us Weekly says she was with her book agent, Michael Broussard. At one point, she tries to kiss him.

TMZ's headline: 'WAAAASTED.'

USA NOW Should marijuana matter to the Zimmerman jury? | USA NOW video

Doctors: Randy Travis in congestive heart failure

The information came in a video statement from Drs. William Gray and Michael Mack of the Baylor Health Care System on Wednesday.

Randy Travis performs on day 2 of the 2013 CMA Music festival at the LP Field in Nashville. (Photo: Wade Payne)

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) - Doctors say country music star Randy Travis was in good health until three weeks before he was hospitalized and is now in congestive heart failure because of a viral respiratory illness he contracted.

The information came in a video statement from Drs. William Gray and Michael Mack of the Baylor Health Care System on Wednesday.

Although Travis remains in critical condition, Mack says 'his condition has stabilized and he has shown signs of improvement.'

The singer underwent a procedure to increase blood flow after being admitted to a Texas hospital Sunday with viral cardiomyopathy, a heart condition caused by a virus.

The 54-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer, best known for his hits Forever and Ever, Amen and Three Wooden Crosses, became ill after a virus infected his heart muscle, causing it to become weakened and enlarged so that it could not pump properly. Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure.

Copyright 2013 newsunews.blogspot.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Canyons Director Compares Lindsay Lohan To Marilyn Monroe: 'Similarities ...

First Published: July 10, 2013 10:43 AM EDT Credit: Nickolas Muray/George Eastman House/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The director of Lindsay Lohan's latest movie, 'The Canyons,' has compared the starlet to Marilyn Monroe.

Director Paul Schrader wrote that he was reading 'The Making of the Misfits' (a book from James Goode, which chronicled filming that project as Arthur Miller and Marilyn's relationship disintegrated), when he was struck by the similarities between the two stars.

'Similarities? Tardiness, unpredictability, tantrums, absences, neediness, psychodrama - yes, all that, but something more, that thing that keeps you watching someone on screen, that thing you can't take your eyes off of, that magic, that mystery,' the director wrote in a piece for Film Comment magazine.

PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan Over The Years

Schrader, who wrote the 1976 film 'Taxi Driver,' went on to share his opinion that Lindsay 'has more natural acting talent than Monroe did.'

'But, like Monroe, her weakness is her inability to fake it,' he continued. 'She feels she must be experiencing an emotion in order to play it. This leads to all sorts of emotional turmoil, not to mention on-set delays and melodrama. It also leads, when the gods smile, to movie magic.'

PHOTOS: Hollywood's Original Blond Bombshell: Marilyn Monroe

The director also pointed out differences between the two starlets. He wrote that Monroe was protected by the studio system's ability to do damage control, something not available nowadays, and how these days, people can become stars without 'being taken seriously,' while Marilyn had to show she was studying her craft.

'LL lives in a world of instant celebrity gratification Monroe could have only dreamed of. Paid for public appearances, paid to wear clothes, paid to pose, paid for gossip tips, paid for tweets,' he wrote. 'These rewards are available without the pretense of responsibility.'

But, should anyone have gotten the idea that the director's experience wasn't a positive one, he noted at the end of his piece that 'it was a treat to work with Lindsay.'

'A director can shoot around misbehavior. He can't shoot around lack of charisma,' he wrote. 'I just wish it was easier for Lindsay.

PHOTOS: Hollywood Legends: Present & Past

'The Canyons,' written by Bret Easton Ellis, and starring Lohan, Nolan Gerard Funk and James Deen, opens in theaters on August 2, 2013.

The film follows the story of a producer named Christian (Deen), whose girlfriend, Tara (Lohan) is trying to hide an affair she had with an actor.

Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Angelina Jolie scouts locations in Hawaii for new film 'Unbroken'

KAPP WAHS/FlightRisk/AKM-GSI

Angelina Jolie is fiercely beautiful, even while casually strolling through an airport.

The 38-year-old actress was spotted at the Honolulu International Airport on Sunday with her sons, Maddox, 11, and Pax, 9.

RELATED: ANGELINA JOLIE CELEBRATES 38TH BIRTHDAY WITH SIX CHILDREN

Dressed in all black with shades and a wide smile, Jolie attracted the attention of many.

'Angelina was smiling and talked to several people at the gate who greeted her and her sons with 'alohas' and 'enjoy your vacation,'' one onlooker told Us Weekly.

PHOTOS: BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE THROUGH THE YEARS

But it was more like bring-your-child-to-work-day for the mother of six as she reportedly visited the Rainbow State to scout locations for her new movie, 'Unbroken.' The film, which Jolie is set to direct, details the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian turned World War II prisoner of war.

Hawaii makes the perfect backdrop for the film.

PHOTOS: ANGELINA JOLIE ATTENDS 'WORLD WAR Z' PREMIERE

'Most of the Oahu locations will be on current and former military installations to stand in for U.S. bases during World War II and a Japanese POW camp,' a source said. 'The production also will use an Oahu high school football stadium to stand in for an Olympic track stadium.'

Although this will be the second film the actress has directed, after her directorial debut in 2011's 'In the Land of Blood and Honey,' it is her first project since the preventive double mastectomy she underwent 2.5 months ago.

RELATED: ANGELINA JOLIE TEARS UP AT FIRST APPEARANCE AFTER DOUBLE MASTECTOMY

Her resilience is obvious and couldn't be more apparent to her fiancé, Brad Pitt.

In fact, the 49-year-old actor felt Jolie's decision to undergo the invasive surgery after doctors indicated she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer was 'absolutely heroic.'

RELATED: ANGELINA JOLIE WEARS BRAD PITT-DESIGNED BRACELET

Not surprisingly, her first public appearance after the medical procedure was to support Pitt at his 'World War Z' premiere in London.

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler

Clooney & Keibler Broke Up Over the Phone

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler phoned in the end of their relationship ... as in, they broke up over the phone while they were half-a-world apart ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the couple tell us ... the two had been growing apart over the past 3 months, with George in Europe working on a movie and Stacey in L.A. working on her new TV show.

But with Clooney scheduled to remain in Berlin until December -- Stacy decided she couldn't do the long distance for another 5 months.

One source tells us, 'Both sides realized there is no way to have a relationship when you don't see each other.

We're told the two talked out the situation like adults -- and both agreed going their separate ways was best.

So how did George handle it? Like a friggin' gentlemen -- 'He was very respectful, adult about the situation ... he reminded Stacey that they were friends before they dated and wants to be friends after.'

There are reports that Stacy was pushing GC for kids and that's why the relationship fizzled -- but we're told that couldn't be further from the truth.