Scarlett Johansson Hosts Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Taking on the all-important hosting duties, Scarlett Johansson was pretty in purple at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert on Thursday evening (December 11).

Held at Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, the always-lovely “Match Point” actress teamed up with Sir Michael Caine as they presented musical acts including Jason Mraz and Marit Larsen.In related news, Scarlett just recently opened up for the very first time about her marriage to actor Ryan Reynolds while talking to UK Cosmopolitan.


“This is a very beautiful time for me. Getting married is a huge moment in anyone’s life, and the few months leading up to it were a little crazy,” says Johansson.

The 24-year-old blonde beauty adds, “But Ryan and I are in love, and we’re enjoying evolving our relationship together. I feel that my life and my work are heading in the right direction.”

Source:http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities

Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes Have London Spirit

Enjoying some time across the pond, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes were looking fine at the London, England photocall and launch party of their new movie “The Spirit” earlier today (December 4).

The “In Good Company” actress and her “We Own The Night” co-star were spotted hamming it up at the Atelier Moet photocall, along with co-star Samuel L. Jackson.

Miss Mendes was keeping the guys drooling in a swirly blue-green printed dress with black peep-toe heels, while Scarlett (who married Ryan Reynolds earlier this year) kept it conservative in a grey dress underneath a grey cardigan with grey stockings and black heels.

After a quick change of clothes, the lovely ladies then made their way to the launch party that followed, with Scarlett wearing a floral patterned ensemble while Eva brightened things up in a sexy yellow dress.

Joining a bevy of other promising movies, “The Spirit” is set to hit theaters nationwide this Christmas, December 25th.

Source:http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds Looking at Best Time to Have Kids

Newlyweds Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds reportedly have been discussing the best time for the actress to get pregnant as they are desperate to start a family "sooner, rather than later". Chicago Sun-Times' Bill Zwecker claims to have been told by a source that "Scarlett is keen to be a young mom and does not plan to be the sort of women who leaves motherhood too late and starts worrying about her biological clock ticking."

And now that Scarlett has done filming her new movie "He's Just Not That Into You" and won't start working on her next big screen project "Amazon" until late next year, rumor has it, the movie beauty and Ryan might think the time is right for her to conceive. The celebrity couple even is reported to be contemplating adopting a child from an American inner city.

Scarlett Johansson, who turned 24 years old on Saturday, November 22, began dating Ryan Reynolds, 32, in February last year. They got married in a secret ceremony, held outside Vancouver in the groom's native Canada on September 27 this year.

Meanwhile, reports have been mounting that Scarlett and Ryan are planning to hold a second wedding celebration, meant for friends and family members who couldn't attend the previous nuptials. It is believed that they will invite 150 guests to the planned festivity, which is supposed to be held in the coming months.

No comment has been made by both of them or their people concerning the adoption and second wedding reports.

Source:http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view

Scarlett Johansson inspired Katy Perry's 'Kissed a Girl' song

Who do you think inspired Katy Perry’s platinum song, “I Kissed a Girl”?

Who else?

Miss Hot Lips herself, Scarlett Johansson.

People writes about how the reporter for Allure -- writing the December cover profile of the actress -- told Johansson during the interview that Perry has admitted the actress was her lip-spiration.

"I had no idea" about the song, Scarlett replied. "I should get a cut!"

Then she added that while it was flattering, "my lips are kind of taken."

Given the perfect segue to discussing how she met actor Ryan Reynolds, the reporter pressed for details about her brand-new husband.

Nice try. But Scarlett, in effect, advised the Allure reporter to talk to the hand.

"Nobody knows," she said. "It's private. It's our story."

Good for you, Scarlett.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008

Scarlett Johansson's sexy new role

Scarlett Johansson will return to the big screen next month, and this time she'll be sexier than ever.

The Lost In Translation actress will play the baddie's sidekick Silken Floss in the film adaptation of comic book The Spirit - a role which director Frank Miller included in the film just for Scarlett.

"Well, she's a doctor or a nurse, really, but yes, she's very sexy. Frank really allowed that to develop. Very forward and sexy in a 1940s way," Scarlett told Total Film magazine.

She added that the dialogue, comprising of witty one-liners, made her character even sexier.

"That was so much fun. I mean the dialogue was great. Only Frank could write this stuff... Forget about obscene - it's worse than that because it's so clever!"

But Scarlett said her character wasn't just a bad girl.

"Like a lot of the characters, she's kind of in a grey area. They're not really good and they're not really bad, you know? They're products of their environment, I think," she said.

Source:http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/films/article.html

Scarlett Johansson's breasts try to cure Parkinson's

The 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's' benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation was held in New York last night, and Scarlett Johansson threw her weight behind the cause by showing off her cleavage. Good call. While there's no scientific proof that Scarlett Johansson's tits can cure Parkinson's, it's worth a shot. Medical science routinely vivisects monkeys in search of cures for diseases, and that doesn't give me half the erection that these pictures do

Source:http://www.infosjeunes.com/Scarlett-Johansson-s-

Scarlett Johansson: Hollywood can chew you up

Scarlett Johansson has vowed never to move to California from her native New York.

The actress – who married Ryan Reynolds, 32, in a low-key ceremony 5 weeks ago – says she's felt pressure to relocate to Hollywood for work, but she refuses because she thinks LA is unhealthy.


'I don't do well in Hollywood,' she says. 'It's not my natural habitat.

'I have a strong work ethic. I'm ambitious and I know what's good for me.'

Scarlett, 23, prefers only to visit when work commitments make it necessary.

'I know Los Angeles; I know where I can party and hang out with other actors there, but I don't choose that life,' she tells Weekend.

'I don't get sucked in. You can get chewed up. I prefer to be able to dip in and out. I think that keeps me grounded.'


Source: http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-new

Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson Nominated for Gotham Awards

Independent film award ceremony honors Anne Hathaway, Woody Allen, and many others on Dec. 2 in Manhattan.

Anne Hathaway may have had troubles in her personal life, but she is flourishing in terms of her professional career.
The 25-year-old actress has been nominated, along with her cast mates, for the film, Rachel Getting Married, for best ensemble performance at the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

According to the IFP, the ceremony takes place Dec. 2 in Manhattan and honors Woody Allen’s film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which stars Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz for ensemble performance and breakthrough actor
Executive Director Michelle Byrd said, "2008 has proven to be an extremely strong year for an immensely diverse group of filmmakers tackling a range of subjects and forms in new and dynamic ways."

One of the films sweeping nominations was Ballast, which was a Sundance favorite and shows how one man’s suicide affects three other individuals.
This year’s breakthrough actor nominees include Rosemary DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married), Rebecca Hall (Vicki Cristina Barcelona) and Melissa Leo (Frozen River).


Source:http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/features

Johansson and Reynolds tie the knot

'Lost in Translation' star Scarlett Johansson has married her actor fiancé Ryan Reynolds in a quiet ceremony in Canada.

According to Us Weekly, the couple married on Saturday at a wilderness resort outside Vancouver, with guests and family members present.

Johansson's representative confirmed on Sunday that the pair are now married but did not give any details about the wedding.
Advertisement

The couple have been engaged since May of this year.



Source: http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0929/johanssons.html

Scarlett Johansson Covers The Cure For iTunes

My dream girl and Woody Allen favorite Scarlett Johansson is back in the forefront of musical conversation. The gorgeous blonde has released a seven song iTunes only EP not-so-creatively titled Live Sessions. The downloadable disc features five songs off her recent debut CD of Tom Waits’ covers Anywhere I Lay My Head, as well as two renditions of other people’s work.

I’ve yet to hear the new songs, but according to Pitchfork, the mini-record has been getting favorable reviews from un-accredited fans. Sweet. A random dude once told me Batman & Robin was the greatest film ever made; so, don’t let Philistine opinions sway you too much.

Here’s a track listing for the new EP…

01 Anywhere I Lay My Head
02 Innocent When You Dream (Franks Wild Years)
03 Falling Down
04 I Wish I Was in New Orleans
05 Green Grass
06 Who Are You?
07 Boys Don't Cry (The Cure)

news source : http://www.cinemablend.com/

Scarlett Johansson

Birth Name
Scarlett I. Johansson

Height
5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography : Johansson's performance as Grace in The Horse Whisperer (1998) earned her a Hollywood Reporter Young Star award. And previously her Manny & Lo (1996) role received a nod by the Independent Spirit Awards. Scarlett has an older brother and sister and a twin brother. She divides her time between New York with her dad, and Los Angeles with her mother. Her acting career was launched in the off-Broadway production of 'Sophistry' with Ethan Hawke.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Kim T.

Mini Biography : Scarlett Johansson was born on 22 November 1984 in New York City to Melanie Sloan (of Polish descent) and Karsten Johansson (of Danish descent). Scarlett showed a passion for acting at a young age and starred in many plays. She has a sister named Vanessa Johansson, a brother named Adrian, and a twin brother named Hunter Johansson born three minutes after her.

She began her acting career in 1994 starring as "Laura Nelson" in North (1994). In 1998, the acclaimed film The Horse Whisperer (1998) brought Johansson critical praise and worldwide recognition. Following the film's success, she starred in many other films including the critically acclaimed cult film Ghost World (2001) and then the hit Lost in Translation (2003) with Bill Murray in which she again stunned critics. Later on, she appeared in Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003).

In 2003, she was nominated for two Golden Globes, one for drama (Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)) and one for comedy (Lost in Translation (2003)). She dropped out of Mission: Impossible III (2006) due to scheduling conflicts. Her next film role was in The Island (2005) alongside Ewan McGregor which earned weak reviews from U.S. critics. After this, she appeared in Woody Allen's Match Point (2005) and was nominated again for a Golden Globe.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Jack Pearce

Trivia

Received an "introducing" credit for The Horse Whisperer (1998) although it was her seventh feature film. Has a younger twin brother, Hunter Johansson. Attended and graduated in 2002 from Professional Children's School in Manhattan, New York City. Grandchild of writer Ejner Johansson. Is of Danish descent on her father's side and Polish descent on her mother's side. Was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in June 2004.

Applied to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts for the fall 2003 semester, but was not accepted. The rejection allowed her to focus on her career, which blossomed soon after. Shortly after Lost in Translation (2003) was released, she said she had a connection to older men and couldn't see herself dating anyone under 30. True to her word, she had a relationship with actor Benicio Del Toro, who is 17 years her senior. Was cast as Rebecca in Thumbsucker (2005), but dropped out before filming commenced and was replaced by Kelli Garner.

Her father Karsten Johansson, a NY architect, and mother Melanie Sloan, her manager, now divorced, separated when she was 13. Campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election. Celebrated her 20th birthday at Disneyland. Auditioned for a role in The Parent Trap (1998), which finally went to Lindsay Lohan.

Has an older half-brother (Christian), an older sister (Vanessa), an older brother (Adrian, born 1976) and a twin brother (Hunter). Planned to attend Purchase University to study film Her older sister, Vanessa Johansson, is also an actress. Prepared for her role in Lost in Translation (2003) by living on Hokkaido with then boyfriend Faiz Ahmad. She is three minutes older than twin brother Hunter Johansson. She says these three minutes are the most important in her life.

Had tonsillectomy.

First role (uncredited) was in a skit during the first year of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993) at age 8. She relived this moment during an interview with Conan on July 12, 2005, twelve years later.

Father Karsten Johansson was born in Denmark, while her mother, Melanie Sloan, comes from a Bronx-bred family of Polish descent. Ranked #9 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World (2005). And was also the highest ranking new entry to the list. Named #24 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list. Director Sofia Coppola directed both Scarlett and her boyfriend Josh Hartnett, but not in the same movie. Scarlett was in Coppola's Lost in Translation (2003) and Hartnett starred in The Virgin Suicides (1999)

She donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign. Was featured as #63 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" supplement. (2002) Named #6 on Maxim magazines "Hot 100" list of 2006 Chosen by FHM readers as "Sexiest Woman Alive" in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World (2006).

Has a cat named Trooper. Named "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire Magazine [October, 2006]. Named #1 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006). Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 2004. Has been named the Sexiest Celebrity of 2007 by Playboy Magazine. Is a fan of Woody Allen. Ranked #3 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list. Has a chihuahua named Maggie. Was considered for the role of Susan Storm/Invisible Girl in Fantastic Four (2005).

Was offered the role of Lindsey Farris in Mission: Impossible III (2006). Was offered the role of Evey in V for Vendetta (2005). Was offered the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns (2006). Is an alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute such as actors Frank Miranda, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Dennis Hopper, Julia Roberts. Was ranked #12 on Forbes List of The 20 Top-Earning Young Superstars.(2007). In 2006, she was earning $2 million per year representing L'Oreal cosmetics.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $5 million. Supports Barack Obama. Was ranked #1 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actress list. (2008). Raised money for international relief organization Oxfam by auctioning off two tickets for _He's Just Not That Into You (2009)_ on eBay, giving the winning bidders the opportunity to mingle with her. [March 2008]

news source : http://www.imdb.com/

Johansson doesn’t try to look sexy

London, July 9 (IANS) Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson claims she doesn’t try to look sexy. Thesun.co.uk reports that Johansson, who got engaged to actor Ryan Reynolds recently, thinks being presentable is more important that looking good.

She said: “I don’t normally think about being sexy. I think: ‘Do I look presentable? Do I look sane?’” The “Lost in Translation” star also said that she would not find it easy to be in an open relationship.

news soruce : http://www.thaindian.com/

Scarlett believes in the power of change

IT'S the most expensive date in history but will help change the lives of some of the planet's poorest people. Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson will have a mystery guest on her arm as she sashays down the red carpet at next month's world premiere of her new film, He's Just Not That Into You. A Brit known only by the name of Bossnour splashed out s25,500 at a charity auction for the chance to arrive at the screening in a chauffeurdriven limousine and spend 20 minutes with the stunning actress. It's all to help Oxfam, a charity close to Scarlett's heart.

The 23-year-old has witnessed first-hand how they use donations to help change lives. That's why she is backing the Record's campaign asking readers to give old compact discs and vinyl records to their local Oxfam shops.

An unforgettable 10-day trip to northern India and the southern coast of Sri Lanka with the charity opened Scarlett's eyes to the fierce fight for survival people there face. She said: "Once you've met amazing people like the Dalit girls I met you can't turn your back. "I was shocked by a lot of what I saw but, seeing the fantastic work Oxfam is doing, I also felt that there was hope." Scarlett visited pupils at an Oxfamfunded school deep in the countryside of Uttar Pradesh. It offers a life-changing education to more than one thousand poor children who are Dalits, the lowest of all in India's caste system. For generations they were considered "untouchable" by society and still suffer discrimination.

Their homes have no running water or electricity and every day is a relentless struggle. But in a country where 40million children have to work rather than go to school, the kids Scarlett met are the lucky ones. As well as an education, they get at least one square meal a day. Many pupils are forced to stop attending during harvest time to help their parents in the fields. When they can go, the five tiny classrooms where they learn basics such as reading, writing and arithmetic offer a way out of poverty.

Scarlett sat with Gudiya, 11, and her classmates on swings in the playground and listened keenly to their hopes and dreams. The star said: "Gudiya was an amazing, bright girl full of ambition and attending the fifth grade. "When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said a government official. "Every morning she rises at 3am to study then complete the household chores before walking for half an hour to school. "I asked her how she felt she would be able to raise her family and also hold a government position. She responded confidently, 'I can manage.' Her pride and drive to succeed was an obvious outcome from her schooling." Gudiya lives in a one-bedroom house where she sleeps on the floor with her mum and two brothers. Most girls in Uttar Pradesh are married by the age of 12 but as one of the three per cent of Dalit women who can read, Gudiya has a way out.

Scarlett said: "It mademe realise how vital education is to developing countries in bringing people out of poverty and giving them a sense of dignity, self-worth and confidence." Scarlett missed out on attending the Oscars to take the Oxfam trip. She told friends she was ditching the glamorous awards to go "to the other end of the world". Her sacrifice allowed her to hear stories she claims were more shocking than any film script, many of them from survivors of domestic violence in Delhi. Thankfully, through Oxfam's We Can campaign, they are slowly learning to rebuild their lives.

In the Indian capital's slums, Scarlett also met some of the millions who live on less than 10 rupees - just under 13p - per day. There is no running water, sanitation or healthcare. Each year, half a million Indian children die from easily treatable illnesses such as diarrhoea. The poverty was heart-breaking - but it was visiting those whose lives were devastated by the tsunami which made Scarlett collapse in tears. In Galle, on Sri Lanka's southern coast, Bandawathi Maitipe told the star how she had little to live for after her husband and son were killed in the Boxing Day stormin 2004. She lost her home and tailoring firm. She and remaining son Asela Abeytunga, 26, face a bleak future.

Scarlett said: "The devastation both directly and indirectly as a result of the tsunami is overwhelming. "I went to visit a rural fishing community which Oxfam had fully irrigated, allowing people to live safely in a government development. "After hearing such a devastating case that morning, seeing this village thrive gaveme a sense of hope and progress. It was an incredible opportunity to see the grassroots approach being taken by nongovernmental organisations like Oxfam towards reconstructing the lives of this devastated country."

news source : http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/

Sweet Scarlett, Don't Do it!

For those of you itching to see more of (in a skin sense) Scarlett Johansson and are still bitter about the rumored topless scene excised from "The Island", it is a good bet that your wish may be granted with "Amazon". Financing (Signature Pictures) and screenwriting (Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain - The folks who recently wrote the upcoming Karl Urban Viking picture "Outlander") are now underway.

I have a mondo-gigantic thing for Ms. Johansson. She is gorgeous and her acting exudes style, intelligence and wit (even in a Michael Bay picture) rounded out with her signature coy dead-pan. That being said, I'm a bit skeptical of her as an Amazonian warrior exacting vengeance for her people in the year 200 B.C. Talk about casting against type.

I'd rather see her in a Sophia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch or Wes Anderson picture over a big budget star vehicle. I suppose I should be consoled with the fact that she has two Woody Allen pictures on the way ("Matchpoint" and "Scoop"), Brian De Palma's adaptation of James Ellroy's "The Black Dahlia", and Neil Jordan is also set to drop her into 15th century Rome opposite Collin Farell in "Borgia." That is eclectic enough to warrant the silliness of Amazon (Hey, I want to be proved wrong here, but come-on, I'm getting a Barbarella feeling about this...) I'm going now to re-watch my Ghostworld DVD for the 15th time.

news source : http://twitchfilm.net/

SCARLETT JOHANSSON - JOHANSSON RULES OUT TOUR

Fans of Hollywood actress SCARLETT JOHANSSON will miss out on the chance to see her sing on stage - the star has ruled out embarking on a tour to promote her new album ANYWHERE I LAY MY HEAD. The Matchpoint star released her debut album last week (19May08), a collection of Tom Waits covers, but has no plans to follow up the LP with any live dates.

Johansson, who recently admitted to suffering from stagefright, had been rumoured to be considering playing at a music festival this summer (08) - but has now ruled any future gigs. A spokesman for Johansson's record label Warner Music says, "It's purely a hobby for her. Now that she's engaged as well (to actor Ryan Reynolds) the opportunities seem to have become even more limited."

news source : http://www.contactmusic.com/

Scarlett covers Waits -- why?

Tom Waits owns one of the most indelible voices in all of music, a ragged, sometimes hysterical rasp that may not be mellifluous to the ear but is positively soaked with humanity and emotion.

The actress Scarlett Johansson knows something herself about the power of voices, her own seductively deep timbre contributing not insignificantly to her status as seemingly every straight male's feminine ideal. Even accounting for her considerable indie cred as star of "Lost in Translation," however, Johansson's decision to devote an entire album to covering eternal oddball Waits is itself a consummate head-scratcher.

Tackling the vaunted Waits songbook, Johansson shows prudence in not attempting to replicate her subject's broken-glass cackle. Unfortunately, she also allows too little of her own estimable charm to penetrate the project, leaning instead on producer Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio fame) to frequently sheath her voice in countless layers of studio gauze.

No doubt it's interesting to hear deliberately warty Waits nuggets like the title track recast to emphasize atmosphere and mood, and Sitek is a true wizard of sound who deserves most of the credit for the record's listenability. Still, his efforts fare best when he's able to work with an actual melody, and when Johansson isn't rendered static as well.

"Town With No Cheer" wobbles but still captivates, while "Falling Down" and "Fannin Street" find Johansson actually commanding attention. Regrettably, the second half of the record falters from too many narcoleptic tunes that bury Waits' lyrics deep in the mix, apparently forgetting it was those words, and Waits' delivery, that made a song like "Who Are You" so great in the first place.

news source : http://www.newsobserver.com/

Scarlett Johansson - Song For Jo

Scarlett Johansson releases her first album to my knowledge next week. Film start who do music tend to deliver something as bad as rockstars who try acting (with the exception of Meatloaf in Fight Club, obviously). However, on the selected tracks that I’ve heard, I have to say that this is intriguing and the production is interesting. Let me add that she can’t sing for shit, but it doesn’t matter as nor can Nico or Tom Waits whose influence can be felt somewhere along the way. It also has a French vibe going on, not dissimilar to Emily Loizeau

news source : http://www.thedownloader.co.uk/

Stella McCartney has designs on Scarlett Johansson's wedding dress

Scarlett Johansson may have only been engaged five minutes, but she won't have any problems organising a wedding dress if Stella McCartney gets her own way.

The designer has revealed that she would love to create the dress that Johansson will walk down the aisle in.

news source : http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/

Scarlett Johansson Doesn’t Have Hepatitis Like You Thought

Chances are that the sole reason you haven’t had sex with Scarlett Johansson yet is because she looks like she’s got hepatitis. Well fear not. Scarlett Johansson doesn’t have hepatitis. At all. And, for some reason we haven’t worked out yet, she really, really wants you to know that. In what might go down in history as the weirdest sudden statement made by a celebrity ever, Scarlett Johansson recently decided to blurt out:

“People think I’m going to be some brazen harlot, but I’m not out there with every Tom, Dick and Harry or catching hepatitis.” And you know what? Good for Scarlett Johansson. She’s making a stand for all women who don’t feel like they have to be enslaved by the patriarchal ideal of an obedient woman, and she’s absolutely free to discuss her sex life however she sees fit. Bravo, Scarlett.

Although we can’t help noticing that Scarlett Johannson completely failed to mention whether or not she’s out there catching syphilis, herpes, gonorrhoea, chlamydia or genital warts. The dirty cow.

news source : http://www.hecklerspray.com/

Scarlett Johansson: Firmly under major label control

Last week, a pair of tunes from Scarlett Johansson's debut, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," found their way onto the Web. With the acclaimed actress tackling the songs of Tom Waits, singing with David Bowie, and working with a host of underground rock luminaries (TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, among others), there was, understandably, quite a bit of interest in the songs.

But within hours of the title track and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" leaking, the songs were removed from any blog that hosted them. Yet with the May 20 release of her album, due on Warner Bros.-owned label Atco/Rhino, it seemed like high time to get the music out to the public. The sudden Web removal of the tracks seemed a bit puzzling. Warner Bros., after all, was the first major label to strike a licensing agreement with streaming site Imeem, and there is a seeming newfound attitude among labels to get music into the hands of fans as quickly as possible (see Gnarls Barkley, the Raconteurs).

When contacted, a label rep for Johansson did not comment on why the two tracks were asked to be taken down, but did note that a new and different Johansson song would be made available the following week. And voila, it has, as "Falling Down" featuring David Bowie has landed as an exclusive on AOL's Spinner site. Consider it proof that even in 2008, the Web can't totally derail a major label marketing campaign.

But the Web can certainly make one even more frustrating for all parties. Check the VH1 site for Madonna's "Hard Candy," which at one point offered brief snippets of every song on the album. Perhaps everyone soon came to their senses and realized that a full track or two would be a better tactic. I'm betting more fans than not are comfortable making their purchase judgments based on 30-second clips available on iTunes or Amazon, so why let them make that decision two weeks before the April 29 release?

As for Scarlett's "Falling Down," expect a more link-friendly version of the song to be available in the next day or two. It's an icier first single than expected, which Johansson offering a surprisingly still delivery around a deliberately slow swirl of spacey effects and heavily layered instrumentation.

news source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/

Just How Bad Is The Scarlett Johansson CD? Hear For Yourself

Actresses are getting record deals while real musicians can't get arrested by the major labels. And they want to blame their drop in sales on downloaders. The following is the case in point. We received the following PR today with a link to a listening party: Scarlett Johansson will release her debut album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, on Atco Records, an imprint of Warner

Music Group's Rhino Entertainment, on May 20. The inspired album features 10 Tom Waits songs and includes one original track. Collaborating with TV on the Radio producer David Sitek, Johansson is also joined by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zimmer, Sean Antanaitis from Celebration, as well as others. You can preview the following six songs to see if you think

Scarlett can sing or if she's another Paris Lohan (or worse!): 1. Fawn 2. Town with No Cheer 3. Falling Down 4. Anywhere I Lay My Head 5. Fannin Street 6. Song for Jo. Gave it a listen but all I heard was organ music for three and half minutes followed by her talking with a bunch of echo on her voice (which was really buried in the mix). Two minutes of that and couldn't take any more. Didn't sound inspired at all, actually sounded pretty mundane but if you have more patience.

news source : http://www.antimusic.com/

Off with her sister’s head

By Lisa Kennedy
NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE, , DENVER, COLORADO : The world awaits the resourceful art house or Turner Classic Movies programmer who strings together films that tell the story of British history through its royals. There would be Mrs Brown, with Judi Dench as Victoria. There would also be Derek Jarman’s Edward II, a movie that helped usher in the “new queer cinema” of the early 1990s; Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V; perhaps even Al Pacino’s docu-homage to Shakespeare and Richard III, Looking for Richard. Certainly, The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as the sisters Boleyn, would fit into this monarchy marathon.

This story of sibling rivalry and sisterly connection in the court of Henry VIII would precede Elizabeth and its less golden sequel. Directed by British television director Justin Chadwick, this is a less gripping foray into the territory of Showtime’s highfalutin historical soap “The Tudors.” Based on Philippa Gregory’s historical novel, the movie trades on something of a casting switcheroo. Portman, who manages a girlish vulnerability even in an action flick like V for Vendetta, is the calculating, bold Anne. The chillier Johansson has yet to find the perfect material. Here she strikes the pose that brought her to the fore in the first place. As in Girl With a Pearl Earring, her Mary is an intelligent innocent navigating a new world.

David Morrissey is impressively disagreeable as the Duke of Norfolk, the Boleyns’ uncle and chief puppetmaster of the family’s fortunes and misfortunes. It is he and father Thomas Boleyn (Mark Fylance) who use the Boleyn children (even son George) as political currency. The “other” of the title fits each sister depending on her relation to Henry. Initially, it refers to the darker sister, as when Anne celebrates the younger’s nuptials. “I am eclipsed,” she says, seeing Mary aglow and dressed to wed for love (Benedict Cumberbatch as luckless William Carey).

Other times it is Mary. Tossed on his rear in a hunting foray that puts Anne in a dark light, Henry awakens to the light-haired Mary ministering to him. Once he forces the quieter, younger sister to court from countryside, he finds soul mate and friend. His passion is mercurial. When Anne returns from France, charged with keeping him interested in Mary, who convalesces during a pregnancy, her boldness has been refined in the French court.

She has become his match, and she torments him with that fact till he divorces his wife and changes the course of England and world religion. Peter Morgan adapted Gregory’s novel. And it’s easy to recognize why the writer of The Queen was drawn to these sisters, their ambitious family machinations and the complex character of Henry.

Unfortunately, that nuance doesn’t find its way onscreen. Neither Johansson nor Portman convince. Instead of providing a quality setting for their talents, director Chadwick uncovers their limitations. It is not until the bitter end that they appear at all connected to each other. Glimpses of depth come from Eric Bana as Henry and Kristin Scott Thomas as the Lady Elizabeth Boleyn.

Not as petulant or supercharged as Jonathan Rhys Meyer’s Tudor on the Showtime series, Bana still captures the mood of a man of appetites but also intellect. One of the finest moments comes from neither Boleyn girl but from Ana Torrent as Queen Katherine of Aragon. She’s no ingenue. She’s no patsy either. When she warns Henry that he’s fallen under Anne’s spell, her understanding of her husband’s weaknesses, but also his strengths, is real and regal.

Ambition, erotic energy and world history are more than enough reason to return to the monarchs of yore, it seems. Still, one wonders if filmmakers have it right: Will we forever be enamored with Britain’s royal pains?

news source : http://www.taipeitimes.com/

Kristin Davis more popular than Scarlett Johansson

Kristin Davis is more popular than Scarlett Johansson. The 'Sex and the City' star auctioned on eBay the opportunity to meet her at the world premiere of the film version of the hit television show. The auction raises money for charity Oxfam America.

The winning bid came in at $52,100, and surpassed the $42,000 Johansson raised with a similar offer earlier this month. The high-bidder for that auction would meet Johansson at the premiere of her latest movie 'He's Just Not That Into You'.

The winner of Davis's auction, identified by the handle 'superiorlotus912', will be chauffeured to the May 27 premiere in New York to meet the actress. The bidder will also receive a pair of Jimmy Choo 'Felix'-style shoes.

Many celebrities have auctioned off meet-and-greets to raise money for the international poverty relief agency, including Colin Firth and Charlize Theron. Actor Djimon Hounsou is currently offering a fan the chance to accompany him to the press junket and premiere of his new film 'Push'.

Oxfam America is a Boston-based branch of Oxfam International. It offers development programs and emergency relief services, and campaigns for change in global practices and policies that keep people in poverty.

news source : http://www.azcentral.com/

Dammit, Scarlett Johansson's Album Might Be Good

Uncut, a most likely credible culture magazine from the U.K., gives Scarlett Johansson’s Tom Waits covers album a track-by-track review today. None of the tracks are identified as “celebrity cash-in crap,” and in fact they sound like fun, drugged-out indie-wall-of-sound twists on the originals. We are even looking forward to hearing Johansson cover the pretty ballad "Who Are You?" as the album's closer.

Damn! Will we have to disavow our smug dismissal of the project?

“That is some redundant shit,” we said to ourselves when we first heard about it, “having someone with a gravely voice cover Tom Waits songs. Fueled by giggly interviews given by a vapid star with no reverence for the weight of her source material, this cynically conceived project will appeal to the same assemblage of tools and poseurs that bought Jewel’s poetry, shamefully outselling every real Tom Waits album.” To legitimate sophisticates like us — owners of one Tom Waits album and zero books of poetry — it was an idea worthy of scorn. But now it turns out that not only is Scarlett Johansson unattainably beautiful and rich, she may be possessed of a quality singing voice and a keen ear for collaborators. Are we going to have to — crap! — add another album to the list?

his intelligently envisioned and diligently assembled work of creativity is bumming the hell out of us. —Ben Mathis-Lilley Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits' Covers Album Previewed!

news source : http://nymag.com/

Fan pays £20,000 to date Scarlett

A Scarlett Johansson fan has paid £20,000 for a 20-minute date with the Hollywood actress in an online auction for charity Oxfam.

The star will be accompanied by the winning bidder at the world premiere of her new film He's Just Not That Into You in the US in July.

The UK-based bidder has not been identified, but goes by the nickname Bossnour on eBay. An Oxfam spokesperson said the money raised to help poverty was "fantastic".

The fan will also have their hair and make-up done for the evening before being chauffeured to the event with a guest.

Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Anniston, Jennifer Connelly and Ben Affleck also star in the romantic comedy, which is based on the popular self-help book of the same title.

Make-over

The Oxfam spokesperson said: "To get £20,000 for a 20-minute date and a pair of tickets to help us fight poverty is fantastic.

news source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Scarlett Johansson Moves in with Ryan Reynolds

Scarlett Johansson has been dating Ryan Reynolds for about a year now (they started dating back in April) ... is it the time to move in with him?
Rumor has it that Scar Jo has decided that she will move in with Ryan, although her mom is totally and utterly against it!
Scar Jo is in the process of moving her stuff into Ryan's Los Angeles home and her mom is going berserk because she thinks it's still too early and her daughter is rushing into things.
Scar Jo has already met his parents and there has been news that the two are already engaged!

What do you think? Is it to early? Or is Scarlett too young for such a move?

news source : http://www.waleg.com/

Ten Things You Never Knew About Scarlett Johansson

By Beth Hilton, Entertainment Reporter : Scarlett Johansson is just a tad annoying, wouldn't you say? Not only has she been voted the sexiest woman alive, she's managed to enchant Woody Allen and dated the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Jared Leto and Josh Hartnett. Dolly Parton, Jenna Jameson and Courtney Love are all clammering for her to play them in a slew of biopics, David Bowie describes her singing as "mystical" and she's about to try her hand at directing. Oh, and Natalie Portman wants to grab her boobs! All this and she's just 23 years old. As 'ScarJo' slips on a corset and a British accent in The Other Boleyn Girl, we unveil ten fascinating facts about Hollywood's most sought-after star.

1. Scarlett was born in New York to a Danish dad and a Bronx-born Polish mum. As well as twin brother Hunter, who was born three minutes after her, she has a sister Vanessa and brother Adrian.

2. Scarlett had her heart set on movie stardom from an early age. She says: “When I was three, I used to tell my Mom I had a fire in my brain to act.”

3. Scarlett's been terrified of cockroaches ever since she woke up with one on her face. Yikes!

4. Scarlett lost out to little Lindsay Lohan for the role of a pair of mischievous identical twins in 1998 film The Parent Trap.

5. Despite having already starred in six previous movies, Scarlett was given an "introducing" credit for 1998 tear-jerker The Horse Whisperer!

6. Being romantically linked with Patrick Swayze would be Scarlett's "dream come true" and she reckons John Travolta "has everything I'm looking for in a man". She's not exactly immune to the Hoff either, describing him as "a hunk".

7. Scarlett's sex symbol status was sealed by a lingering shot of her knicker-clad rear in Lost in Translation. She says of the scene: "I told the director of photography that if he made my arse look bad he'd never work again!" "He was like, 'I promise you - it will look really nice', and he came through. My arse looked OK." Men around the world tended to agree.

8. Scarlett once named 71-year-old Woody Allen the sexiest man in Hollywood. She gushes: "He lets me call him Woodrow... I'd sew the hems of his pants if he asked me to." Allen in turn calls her "criminally sexy". Get a room, people!

9. Scarlett is no shirker in the charity department. She's an Oxfam ambassador, skipped last year's Oscar parties to visit India and Sri Lanka, donated cash to a Sri Lankan school and visited troops in Iraq. Angelina, eat your heart out.

10. Scarlett is nuts about cheese. She says: "My greatest vice is cheese. Nothing else reigns over my life."

news source : http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/

Scarlett versus Natalie

In the new historical melodrama The Other Boleyn Girl, which opens Friday, Natalie Portman plays Anne Boleyn, the woman who would become the second of six wives of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana), only to be beheaded. Scarlett Johansson plays Mary Boleyn, Annes sister, and rival for the hand and the bed of the handsome Henry.

What would happen if we pit Portman and Johansson together as rivals? Who would win that competition? They are popular, highly in-demand young women in their 20s who mix major studio films with small, independent fare. They have both made successful transitions from child actress to adult, received major award nominations and been the muses of legendary directors. Neither has shied away from nudity. But who is actually the better actress? Or are they on an even playing field?

news source : http://www.baltimoresun.com/

Scarlett Johansson - anywhere …

Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, who premiered the film “The Other Boleyn Girl” at the Berlinale Film Festival last week, turns singer.

Johansson, who is famous for her roles in such films as “Lost in Translation”, “The Island”, “The Black Dahlia“ and “Scoop”, presented her smoky voice already in the song “Summertime” as part of the film “Lost In Translation“ and collaborated with Justin Timberlake on the clip “What Goes Around… Comes Around”.

In May she will release her debut album called “Anywhere I Lay My Head”, which is a Tom Waits cover album and includes contibutions by David Bowie and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

“Anywhere I Lay My Head” will be released May 16 via Warner Music.

Tracklisting:

01. Fawn
02. Town With No Cheer
03. Falling Down
04. Anywhere I Lay My Head
05. Fannin’ Street
06. Song for Jo
07. Green Grass
08. I Wish I Was in New Orleans
09. I Don’t Want To Grow Up
10. No One Knows I’m Gone
11. Who Are You?

news source : http://www.berlinista.com/

Morning Memo: Scarlett Johansson Snubs Us Reporter; Natalie Portman's 15 Minutes

When an Us Weekly reporter tried to speak with Scarlett Johansson after her Today show appearance, the actress snapped: “You have got to be kidding me after that [plastic surgery] cover you did.” [Gatecrasher] The hot new fragrance for women can’t be bottled—it just sorta happens. [NYT]

Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn couldn’t make it to Marc Jacobs’ recent fashion show because she was ill, but she still wrote about it and then he wrote her. [WWD] At the launch party for her vegan shoes, Natalie Portman only stayed for 15 minutes. [P6] Since meeting at the Cynthia Rowley fashion show last week, David Tisch and Lipstick Jungle actress Lindsay Price have been dating. [P6]

Excerpts from the last interview Michelle Williams gave—to a British magazine—before Heath Ledger's death. [Us] In a forthcoming film about the “Scooter” Libby situation, Valerie Plame will be played by Nicole Kidman. [P6] Some of this spring's hippest accessories are really fun. [NYT]

Mia Farrow is thrilled that Steven Spielberg backed out of his role as an artistic director for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. [P6] When will messaging service Twitter catch on? [NYT] Love is in the air: Mary Louise Parker is engaged to actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan. [Us]

news source : http://www.observer.com/

Scarlett sings it up for Barack

Scarlett Johansson sings in a new music video supporting US presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Lost in Translation actress joined her fellow stars, including Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and Wyclef Jean in lending her voice to promotional video Yes, We Can to drum up votes for the Democrat politician.

Scarlett, Nicole and Wyclef are the latest stars to show their support for Obama, following in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Brad Pitt and George Clooney.In a rally held in Los Angeles on Sunday talk show host Oprah spoke about her decision to vote for Obama, who could become the first black US President. She said: "I'm just following my own truth, and that truth has led me to Barack Obama."

Obama is up against fellow Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, who has received her own star support. Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, America Ferrera and Danny DeVito are all behind Clinton, whose husband Bill occupied the White House for eight years.

news source : http://www.smh.com.au/