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'The Scream' And Other Shockingly Expensive Works Of Art

2012-02-23T00:15:17Z

With an estimated price tag of more than $80 million, some may gawk right back at Edvard Munch's "The Scream," the iconic painting to be auctioned in May. But based on recent sales, potential buyers are likely anxious to get out their checkbooks.

One of four versions of Norwegian expressionist painter Munch's classic piece of work will soon be auctioned by Sotheby's for an estimated $80 million. It could even fetch double that amount, according to some art experts. Interestingly, this version is the only one not currently owned by a Norwegian museum and instead part of a private collection. The other three versions of "The Scream" have all been stolen and subsequently recovered in recent years.

According to the head of Sotheby's impressionist and modern art department, Simon Shaw, the timing is especially favorable given that next year marks the 150th anniversary of Munch's birth. That said, surpassing the price of some recent sales will be no easy feat.

Just this month it was revealed that the royal family of Qatar completed the most expensive art transaction in history when it bought Paul Cézanne's "The Card Players" for $250 million. Likewise, the record for most expensive auction sale was set in 2010 when Pablo Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" fetched over $106 million at a Christie's auction.

Here are the ten most expensive works of art sold either privately or at auction (h/t AOL Money):

WATCH: Is This The World's Biggest Rope Swing?

2012-02-22T23:10:49Z

If heights aren't your thing, than this epic freefall YouTube video is probably not for you.

Devin Graham has created what he calls the world's largest rope swing, which boasts a whopping 130 foot drop, the Sun reports.

Shot over two days in Bootlegger Canyon, Moab Utah, the video features Graham's friends flying through the air, secured only by rock climbing ropes. Some of them don't even wear a helmet.

After investing a couple of hours in the set up of the ropes, the swingers swoop under the Corona Arch, to which the swing is connected by five different anchors.

Since the video hit the web last Wednesday, more than 5 million people have watched it.

In addition, Graham produced a behind the scenes video.

Of course, Graham doesn't just take frightfully amazing shots from dangerous heights.

According to CBS, other videos of his include Christmas Puppies and Smashing Pumpkins.

Tyrese, Martin Luther King: Singer Channels Leader In 'A Dreamer's Dream'

2012-02-22T22:58:58Z

A few years ago, singer-actor Tyrese Gibson was in the running to portray Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the Lee Daniels-directed movie 'Selma.' When the film was shut down in the pre-production stages, Tyrese threw himself into research on the late civil rights icon, determined to produce an MLK project of his own.

Is LeAnn Rimes Interested In Joining 'X Factor'?

2012-02-22T22:55:21Z

The latest name thrown in the ring for an "X Factor" judges spot: Singer LeAnn Rimes.

Sources say Rimes is interested in joining the Fox reality hit, with one source adding that she’s met with Factor co-producer FremantleMedia North America about the gig and other opportunities.

PHOTOS: AP Photographer Documents Daily Life In Pakistan

2012-02-22T22:40:01Z

Associated Press chief photographer in Pakistan Muhammed Muheisen documents daily life on the outskirts of Islamabad.

To see more great photography visit HuffPost Exposure.

Movie Theater Showing 'Shame' Dubbed 'Den Of Sin'

2012-02-22T22:31:15Z

An NC-17 rating is often the kiss of death for a movie, but one South Carolina theater is seeing boffo business for "Shame" after fliers that condemn the film started popping up around town. The fliers dub the Nickelodeon theater a "den of shame" and caution people not to see the movie, which features ample sex scenes and full-frontal nudity from lead Michael Fassbender. The 75-seat art-house theater (no relation to the kid-friendly network) has seen business go up since the flier controversy.

Two locals interviewed by WLTX Channel 19 admitted the negative ad, which warns that the film will "offend your sensibilities," only made them want to see the movie more. Since the flier lists the exact address and dates the film is playing and is posted right outside the "den of sin" in question, could it be the Nickelodeon itself is behind the campaign? See the video above and decide for yourself.

[via Movieline]

Sharon Blames ITV For Adele's Middle Finger Debacle

2012-02-22T21:58:28Z

Tuesday night at the Brit Awards, singing sensation Adele flipped the middle finger after host James Corden cut her off in the middle of her acceptance speech for British album of the year. Wednesday on "The Talk," (weekdays on CBS) Sharon Osbourne, who hosted the Brit Awards ceremony in 2008, provided some context on the incident.

Instead of the more traditional awards show play-off music, the Brit Awards tasks the host with letting winners know when their speeches have run over time, Osbourne explained. "I hosted that show about four years ago, and you've got three different producers in your ear ... They send you up there and say, 'Whatever you do, get the mic, tell them to stop, that's it.' ... So I understand her frustration ... When I hosted it, they didn't tell the artists, because they didn't want to say who's won, so they don't prep them."

Osbourne had some harsh words for ITV, the network who televised the ceremony. "It's the network. They don't care. They're English. They've got a stick up their bum," she quipped. "If it had been me, I would have said, 'You tell her, I am not telling her."

Even this year's host Corden seemed to share Osbourne's sentiments. In an interview with ITV2 after the show, he said, "I don't understand quite why I was made to [cut her short]... I was having the best night of my life and then I had to cut Adele off before she's even had a chance to say, 'Thank you.' She's the biggest star in the world. I don't understand what happened, but I'm upset about it."

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Aretha Franklin: This Is No Reflection On Whitney's Upbringing

2012-02-22T21:49:28Z

NEW YORK — Aretha Franklin says Cissy Houston raised her daughter Whitney Houston well – and that an interview where Franklin said parents need to make sure children "leave home prepared" was taken out of context.

Franklin released a statement Wednesday, four days after Houston's funeral. She was expected to sing at the funeral in Newark, N.J., Houston's hometown, but bowed out because of leg spams she said she suffered after a concert at Radio City Music Hall the night before. She performed again at Radio City the night of Houston's funeral, and paid tribute to Houston as "a very fine young lady."

In an interview about Houston on NBC's "Today" show last week, Al Roker asked Franklin about Houston's superstardom.

Franklin said: "I think parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home ... (that they) leave home prepared, really. She left home with all the right things."

After Franklin didn't attend the funeral, there were some reports that Houston's mother was upset over Franklin's comments and that Franklin was uninvited, a charge Franklin denies.

"Cissy Houston and I have been longtime friends for almost 50 years. I have four invitations and parking passes that were sent to me for the funeral," Franklin said. "Cissy does not need ridiculous speculation and neither do I – particularly at this time."

Franklin also said her full statement – "This is no reflection on Cissy or Nippy's upbringing," using a nickname for Houston – wasn't aired (a request for comment wasn't immediately returned by the "Today" show).

"Knowing Cissy as well as I do, I know Whitney left home right and properly. I was generalizing and it was a well-intended statement for any young adult coming into the music industry," she said. "I was not speaking of anyone specifically. "

Houston had fought substance abuse for years. She was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 11, the day before the Grammy Awards. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

Watch Jean Dujardin In 1998 French Television Series 'Farce Attaque'

2012-02-22T21:27:03Z

Honestly, I don't really know what's going on in this clip (two years of French classes: money well spent) other than that Jean Dujardin, your likely future Best Actor winner, is running through the jungle like he's Rambo. I'm starting to get the impression that Dujardin may have been holding out when he did that Funny or Die parody of all of the action movies that he was now being offered.

The 1998 clip, from a French television series called "Farce Attaque," shows Dujardin in predicaments ranging from being whipped while tied to a tree to, well, yes, something involving a fart joke. Enjoy, America.

Mike Ryan is the senior writer for Moviefone. He has written for Wired Magazine, VanityFair.com, GQ.com, New York Magazine and Movieline. He likes Star Wars a lot. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter

Man's Childhood Comic Books Fetch Millions At Auction

2012-02-22T21:18:11Z

DALLAS — Billy Wright plunked down dime after dime for comic books while growing up in the late 1930s and early 1940s, caring for the collection he started around the age of 9 until his death more than half a century later. On Wednesday, most of that collection sold for a whopping $3.5 million.

Wright's 345 comics, nearly all of which were published from 1936 through 1941, included many of the most prized issues ever, including Detective Comics No. 27, which features the debut of Batman, and Action Comics No. 1, in which Superman's first appears.

Experts say Wright's collection, which included 44 of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's top 100 issues from comics' golden age, was remarkable for its number of rare issues, but also because it was compiled by a single person in childhood who kept it in good condition until his death in 1994 at age 66.

"This really has its place in the history of great comic book collections," said Lon Allen, the managing director of comics for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which oversaw the auction in New York City.

The copy of Detective Comics No. 27, from 1939, drew the highest bid Wednesday, selling for $523,000, including a buyer's premium, Allen said. Wright's Action Comics No. 1, from 1938, sold for about $299,000; Batman No. 1, from 1940, sold for about $275,000; and Captain America No. 2, a 1941 issue with Adolf Hitler on the cover, sold for about $114,000.

"It was amazing seeing what they went for," said Michael Rorrer, who discovered his late great uncle's neatly stacked comics in a basement closet while cleaning out his great aunt's Martinsville, Va., home after she died last year.

Most comics from the golden age – the late 1930s into the 1950s – fell victim to wartime paper drives, normal wear and tear and mothers throwing them out, said J.C. Vaughn, associate publisher of Overstreet. Of the 200,000 copies of Action Comics No. 1 produced, about 130,000 were sold and the about 70,000 that didn't sell were pulped. Today, experts believe only about 100 copies are left in the world, he said.

"The scope of this collection is, from a historian's perspective, dizzying," Vaughn said.

There were 227 of the collection's comic books sold on Wednesday for $3,466,264. The remaining comics, which are of lesser value, will be sold in online auctions Friday and Sunday and are expected to fetch about $100,000.

Rorrer, 31, said he didn't realize how valuable the comics were until months after returning home to Oxnard, Calif., when he mentioned them to a co-worker who mused that it would be quite something if he had Action Comics No. 1.

"I went home and was looking through some of them, and there it was," said Rorrer, who then began researching the collection's value in earnest.

He reached out to his mother, Lisa Hernandez, who still had half the comics at her home in League City, Texas, that she intended to give to his brother in Houston. They then went through their boxes, checking comic after comic off the list.

Hernandez said it really hit her how valuable the comics were when she saw the look on Allen's face when the auction house expert came to her house to look through the comics.

"It was kind of hard to wrap my head around it," Allen said.

The find was a complete surprise for the family, and it is unclear if Ruby Wright was aware of the collection's significance. Rorrer said he remembers her making only one fleeting reference to comics: Upon learning he and his brother liked comic books, she said she had some she would one day give them. He said his great uncle never mentioned his collection.

Allen, who called the collection "jaw-dropping," noted that Wright "seemed to have a knack" for picking up the ones that would be the most valuable.

"There were some really hard to find books that were in really, really great condition," said Paul Litch, the primary grader at Certified Guaranty Company, an independent certification service for comic books.

"You can see it was a real collection," Litch said. "Someone really cared about these and kept them in good shape."

Hernandez said it makes sense that her uncle – even as a boy – had a discerning eye. The man who went to The College of William and Mary before having a long career as a chemical engineer for DuPont was smart, she said. And, she added, Wright was an only child whose mother kept most everything he had. She said that they found games from the 1930s that were still in their original boxes.

___

Online:

Heritage Auctions: http://www.ha.com

'Jane Eyre' Costume Designer On Mia Wasikowska's Corset

2012-02-22T21:15:00Z

Although it not the first time Michael O'Connor has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, the Brit confesses he was "like a child" when he heard the news that he was up again for his work on "Jane Eyre." "It's a strange feeling," O'Connor says, "It feels a little different [than the first time I was nominated], but not too different. You don’t expect it, but then people say, 'I knew this would happen.' It’s quite an honor. How the Academy ever narrows it down to five I will never know."

Although he won an Oscar for "The Duchess" in 2008, O'Connor confesses "I think I am most proud of the "Last King of Scotland" and “Jane Eyre," in terms of my work." We had the chance to catch up with O'Connor to discuss his inspiration behind "Jane Eyre," what it was like to force Mia Wasikowska into a corset and what he thinks of his competition:

How did you got started in costume design?
I used to do photography and I was keen on that, so I went to this theater and worked at the Old Vic in London.Then I did classes and went to college and I sort of started assisting designers. Eventually, I sort of thought I’d branch out and try to do it myself and become the head of the department. I started doing small films and then one meeting after another meeting, and I’m here.

What was the inspiration behind “Jane Eyre?”
The inspiration is her character, the challenge is making a woman from that time look stylish today, while still looking simple. She’s sort of a “thinking” Jane, so it was about looking and finding paintings of women in simple costumes at the time. And notes from Emily Dickinson, things like that. I just thought, "How would we make something exciting in all black?" So, instead of black, she could be in dark grey, and it could show more of the style, or detail. The original costumes were a great inspiration. I looked at them and was like, "Oh my God. How did they do it?" I was trying to recreate it really, without, you know, replicating.

Do you feel like it’s more challenging to work on a film where people have read the book and have an idea of how “Jane Eyre” should look?
I think it is, unless the script is designed to run away from the vision of the book. I think in this case, the original source of material is crucial, really, to what we were trying to do. So for me, although the characters are being described as sort of plain and simple, I didn't want to make them not plain and not simple. The character doesn’t have to be exact, but you don't want them to be unrecognizable. It's about achieving the spirit of the character, I think.

How do you bring a contemporary aesthetic to the period costumes?
It's challenging because people are looking at the actors, they know the actors and know that they are real people, so you can’t kind of over-encumber them with lots of fuss. The key is in the details, like Jane’s sleeves are probably tighter than they would have been, or adjusting the fabrics. It's not an exact replica of what Jane would have worn. If she had great big, puffy sleeves or something, I feel that would be inappropriate.

What was it like working with the stars, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Judi Dench, on the film?
Well, I don’t think many women want to wear a corset everyday of their lives, but that is what Mia had to do to get the right shape. I’m sure Michael doesn’t want to wear trousers cut quite so high with braces and skirted coat and scarves around his neck. And likewise, I don’t think Judi Dench really wants to be so buttoned up. I know with Judi, we could’ve gone further over-the-top with her, but I know that she wouldn’t have felt correct like that. So even though it was a dialogue with all of the actors about those things, but you know, really, Mia has to be congratulated because she tolerated all of it everyday, without a single complaint.

Were there any things you did to make the corsets more comfortable?
Not really. It’d be great if you could, but for them to do their work, it has to be constructed in a certain way. If they’re not, they won’t last half a day. It’d just be like a flannel or an old rag. And I know when Mia put it on, she was feeling - she was becoming Jane as it were, so it helps the character. It’s quite a relief to take it off, as I’m sure she’ll tell you.

Do you feel that the costumes contribute to their character?
It takes time, they might have done something the week before where they’re sort of shot out in Los Angeles or something, in a t-shirt and jeans. So they come in, and they see this thing and they look and aren't totally comfortable. You know, I’m around these things a lot, so they’re familiar to me. But to them, it’s a bit tricky. But, slowly, I think that it’s good for them to meet the costumes designers, so they get a sense of where we’re going with it and they take the information, they use that and they come back to me with more information - what they feel about the character and then it’s like a journey together really.

What do you think about the other designers who are nominated?
I met Mark Bridges [who is nominated for "The Artist"] once in Los Angeles, he’s very pleasant. I met Arianne Phillips [who is nominated for "W.E."] many, many years ago. And I met Lisy Christl [of "Anonymous"] when I was doing “Jane Eyre," in London. I’ve known Sandy Powell [who is nominated for "Hugo") for a very long time. Definitely the longest. I love her work and all of it – I think this year, particularly, the people are really strong, amazing technical achievements.

Take a peek in our gallery below for some of the remarkable costumes in "Jane Eyre."

Heavy D's Bio-Documentary Set To Air On Centric

2012-02-22T21:08:12Z

WASHINGTON — The story of late rap pioneer Heavy D will be chronicled in a documentary airing Sunday on Centric TV.

"Be Inspired: The Life of Heavy D" will feature interviews with the Jamaican-born rapper's family and artists such as Will Smith, Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah, according to Centric TV, the 24-hour channel that is part of the BET Network.

Heavy D, whose given name was Dwight Myers, is considered one of the most influential rap artists of the late 1980s and early 1990s, both as the front man for his group, Heavy D and The Boyz, and as a solo artist. He died last November at age 44, from a blood clot in his lung.

Centric said the documentary includes footage from Heavy D's last televised performance, at the BET Hip-Hop Awards last October.

In addition to building his own successful music career, Myers was a big part of the careers of other black artists. Queen Latifah discusses in the documentary being mentored by Myers. Myers also was a record label executive who hired Sean "Diddy" Combs as an intern, and was producer to other rappers, such as Jay-Z.

Myers' talents went beyond the studio to the theater and television. He appeared in "The Tracy Morgan Show", "Law and Order", "Boston Public" and other shows. He most recently played a courthouse guard in "Tower Heist."

Cindy Sherman's Long Awaited MoMA Retrospective

2012-02-22T20:33:41Z

Cindy Sherman is both one woman and an infinite number of real and imagined women. She is not only one of the most influential contemporary photographers but she is also her own makeup artist, hair stylist and subject. As a model, her persona explodes into a vast range of roles, in which there is never-ending variation yet restricted by rigid boundaries, designated for us as "female." She photographs herself in different roles, all named "Untitled" yet all strangely familiar. We know this film-noir vixen, we know this collagen-pumped aging socialite. These are the roles women are all offered and expected to play.

Sherman exposes how her artistic endeavor isn't all that different from the universal expectation of the female image. Look a certain way, play a certain role... Sherman shows us the categories we already know all too well. Thirty-five years of the photographer's work will show at the Museum of Modern Art from February 26 to June 11. Listen to the curator speak on the exhibition and Sherman's immense influence in art and culture in the video above.

Meryl Streep To Present At Academy Awards

2012-02-22T20:29:53Z

It looks like Meryl Streep will have a busy Oscars night: The "Iron Lady" actress was announced as a presenter at the 84th Academy Awards on Tuesday.

Joining the ranks of Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, the "Bridesmaids" cast and more, Streep will be giving away an award -- and could be receiving one herself.

Streep, who has been nominated for 17 Academy Awards and taken home two statues, is nominated this year for her role as Margaret Thatcher in the "Best Actress" category.

Viola Davis is nominated in the same category for her starring role in "The Help." And while she has admitted that Streep may be the one to take home the Oscar, the question of who would win in a fight is a different story.

"Friendly competition -- although, I can whoop I whoop Meryl Streep's behind in a good, old fashioned street fight," Davis said of her longtime friend on CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" of her longtime friend.

The Oscars air on Sunday, February 26.

Dad Takes Adorable Photos For Sick Grandmother

2012-02-22T20:26:24Z

It's not every day that a little girl can transform into Super Mario, ride a flying bicycle, or let down her hair like Rapunzel (and then have her sister swing from it). But when your dad's a photographer and you're adorable, the magical becomes possible.

According to The Daily Mail, Jason Lee was inspired to start documenting his daughters' growth when his mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006. He wanted her to be able to see her granddaughters without catching any of their kid germs -- and so, his photoblog was born.

Eight-year-old Kristin and 5-year-old Kayla are a "never-ending source of ideas" when it comes to Lee's creative process, he says. Their mutual love for Justin Bieber became fodder for a Valentine's Day shoot, Kayla's playing with a drumstick at the dinner table turned into a jam session, and one time, they both just got to be a Super Mario Brother.

As for Lee's mother, she was delighted with his project and continues to follow their family life online. "I just hope that people enjoy the images as much as I enjoy taking them," Lee told The Huffington Post. "Maybe reading about their antics and stories can bring a smile to someone's face."