Story Times: Spotlight

Published February 6, 2016

Ben Stiller defends Justin Bieber

Ben Stiller took a stand for Hollywood bad boy Justin Bieber — who has a minor role in the new film — Zoolander 2 as he walked the red carpet at a fan screening in Sydney, Australia.

Ben explained he believes the public have a love-hate relationship with the pop star simply because of jealousy. “I think they all want to be him, they all want to be Justin Bieber. They all want Justin Bieber’s life, let’s face it,” he continued.

Bieber makes a cameo appearance in the upcoming comedy sequel; where in the opening scene of the movie, he is shown to be gunned down, spurring a manhunt for a killer who is targeting pop stars.

Showing off his funny-side Ben stated “What happens to him in the movie indicates how people feel about him.”

It is reported that Justin’s death scene drew cheers from the audience who were the first in the world to view the film in Sydney recently.

Ben insisted Justin wouldn’t be fazed by the reaction. “I think he has a sense of humour about all of it and I also think he has the last laugh, too,” he said. The film also features regular Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig.


9/11 Road Trip, the movie of all time

A rumoured road-trip to Ohio after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, by Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor, is being turned into a movie.

The Guardian reports Michael Jackson will be played by Joseph Fiennes, a white man who starred in Shakespeare in Love alongside Brian Cox, as Brando, and Stockard Channing as Liz Taylor.

Fiennes disclosed, “It’s a challenge. It’s a comedy. It doesn’t poke mean fun, but it’s a story, possibly urban legend, whereby Michael, Marlon Brando, and Liz Taylor were all together the day before 9/11 doing a concert. Airspace was shut down and they couldn’t get out and Michael had the bright idea to go to hire a car and drive.”

Fiennes hinted at humorous moments built around Brando’s incessant desire for fast food along the journey, but suggested it wouldn’t all be fun and happy meals.

“It’s a fun, light-hearted tongue-in-cheek road trip of what celebrity of that kind is like,” he said. “But also it’s rather beautiful and poignant about their relationships as well.”


“I never wanted to be in 1D,” says Zayn Malik

Wait, what? Yes, this is true.

“I think I always wanted to go, from like the first year, really. I never really wanted to be there, like in the band,” Zayn confessed during an interview.

“I just gave it a go because it was there at the time, and when I realised the direction we were going in — mind the pun — with the music, I instantly realised it wasn’t for me, because I realised I couldn’t put any input in.”

When he was further asked if the rest of the band members tried to stop him from leaving he said, “When I was leaving the band, they obviously didn’t want me to leave, but they couldn’t talk me out of it at that point. I already made my mind up, so I just left.’

Directioners everywhere must now come to terms with the fact that the fab five was really just the fab four, plus a guy who just wasn’t that into it.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 6th, 2015

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