BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Tonight’s NYC premiere of the Seth Rogen-James Franco North Korean comedy “The Interview” has been called off after the group responsible for the Sony Pictures hack threatened to target venues screening the film. Rogen and Franco have also cancelled all promo appearances amid heightened security fears. At least one movie theater chain, Carmike Cinemas, has decided to pull the movie from its schedule. However, a rep for the Department of Homeland Security says there is no evidence to suggest the terror plot is real.
– Reuters.com
★ 67-year-old former “7th Heaven” star Stephen Collins has revealed that the molestation claims against him brought to light during his messy divorce battle with wife Faye Grant are true. Collins had previously remained silent about the allegations but has now confessed to “People” magazine in a lengthy essay that he did, in fact, have inappropriate sexual contact with 3 female minors between 1973 and 1994. The full statement will be published in the magazine on Friday.
– WENN.com
★ And 43-year-old “Frozen” director Jennifer Lee is apologizing for “Let It Go”.  Lee, who won the Academy Award for ‘Best Animated Feature’ this year, says she suspects that parents have had enough of their kids’ singing the mega-hit movie’s addictive songs by ‘Anna’ and ‘Elsa’. Quote: “A year ago, I’d meet people who, when they found out who I was, they’d say, ‘Oh, we love the songs! We sing them all the time’. Now they’re like, ‘Yep, we’re still listening to those songs’.” Lee says her response has gone from “Thank you”‘ to “Sorry!”. (See “Let It Go” below.)
– E! Online

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Colbert Report” (Comedy Central) – The series finalé after 9 years, as Colbert moves on to take over for David Letterman in 2015. Hopefully, as he touts frequently on Twitter, his last show will be ‘my best yet’. Guests include ‘Grimmy’, Stephen’s colleague and lifelong friend.
• “The iHeartradio Jingle Ball 2014” (CW) – This concert at NYC’s Madison Square Garden includes performances by Iggy Azalea, Maroon 5, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Jenny Lewis w/The Watson Twins (“Rabbit Fur Coat”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Coves (“Soft Friday”).
• “People Magazine Awards” (NBC) – The inaugural awards for ‘cultural forces of the year’ live from Los Angeles. The 2-hour special features appearances by 5 Seconds of Summer, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Hudson, Kevin Hart, Maroon 5, and Michael Keaton.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Foo Fighters (“Sonic Highways”).
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Nicki Minaj (“The Pinkprint”).
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo) – Sting (“The Last Ship”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Beatles – They’re already in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison as solo artists. And in 2015, Ringo Starr will finally get a special award for ‘Musical Excellence’. Among the other honorees at 30th annual induction ceremony April 18th: Green Day, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Lou Reed, and Bill Withers.
• Mariah Carey – This week she lost a shoe and then admitted she’d dropped her microphone pack due to ‘sweat’ while performing the 1st of 6 residency dates at NYC’s Beacon Theater. Later in the “All I Want for Christmas Is You: A Night of Joy & Festivity” show, she broke down in tears during a rendition of her 1993 hit “Hero”.
• *NSYNC – Actresses Joanna Garcia Swisher (“Reba”) & Jamie-Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) have become ‘ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church’ as they prepare to officiate at their friend Lance Bass’ wedding to longtime boyfriend Michael Turchin this Saturday. The nuptials will be filmed for the TV special “Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding” which airs February 5th.
• Rihanna – She’s just been named Creative Director of sportswear brand Puma. She was rumored to be negotiating a $1-million deal to create a lifestyle collection with the German sportswear brand last month, but now it seems she’s taking an even larger role.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “The BFG” – 10-year-old newcomer Ruby Barnhill has been cast as the young girl ‘Sophie’ in Steven Spielberg’s bigscreen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1982 children’s book. It’s about a young London girl and the mysterious giant who introduces her to the beauty and peril of ‘Giant Country’. Mark Rylance plays the ‘Big Friendly Giant’. Production begins in early 2015.
• “Creed” – Actress Tessa Thompson (“Selma”) has landed the female lead in this upcoming “Rocky” spin-off. She joins Sylvester Stallone as he reprises his iconic character, ‘Rocky Balboa’, who is now trainer and mentor to the grandson of his boxing best friend ‘Apollo Creed’.
Michael B Jordan is set to play the grandson. Production begins in January in Philadelphia PA.
• “Isolation” – Filming has begun in Nassau, the Bahamas on this thriller by director Shane Dax Taylor. The film stars Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”) and Luke Mably (“28 Days Later”) as a couple who visits a remote island to spark up their marriage. It’s there they unfortunately encounter a pair of killers, Dominic Purcell (“Prison Break”) and AnnaLynne McCord (“90210”).
• “One Shot” – Topher Grace stars in this indie musical comedy that’s currently shooting in Mexico City. He plays a failed Broadway singer-turned-production manager who tries to save a stage show on opening night by wrangling his eccentric cast and crew before they cause havoc. The film also features Anne Heche, JC Chasez, Rob Riggle, and Taye Diggs.
• “Undone” – Longtime music video maker Director X (Julien Christian Lutz), who helped launch fellow Canadians Drake and Justin Bieber to stardom, is making his feature film directorial debut with this indie drama about 3 high school students in a Nova Scotia community torn apart by racism and devastation. The film stars Stephan James, Sarah Jeffery, and Steven Love.

BAD HABITS THAT ARE RUINING YOUR EYES:
Vision experts say it’s time to change up these bad-for-you behaviors …
✗ Staring at your smartphone for hours on end. It can lead to blurred vision, dry eyes, dizziness, and nausea.
✗ Sleeping with contacts lenses in. Not only does it increase your risk of an infection, but it could lead to permanent damage.
✗ Rubbing your eyes too hard, which can break the blood vessels under the eyelids. To soothe irritated eyes, try a cold compress instead.
✗ Overusing eyedrops. Using them too often can irritate eyes over time. Non-prescription eyedrops don’t improve the health of your eyes anyway, they just make them appear less red.
✗ Not using safety goggles. About 45% of eye injuries happen at home. And among the most common risks are home improvement projects involving nails.
✗ Misusing eye makeup. A buildup of makeup can cause infections. Plus, bacteria loves to grow in dark, damp places, so you should throw away mascara after 3 months.
✗ Not wearing your eyeglasses. Excessive squinting can lead to eyestrain, which can then lead to pain. Sunglasses help block harmful UV rays that can hurt your eyes over time.
– Condensed from GoodHousekeeping.coM

WHAT WE GOOGLED:
Not only did Kim Kardashian not #breaktheinternet, she wasn’t even the most searched celeb of the past year. Google’s just-released list of top trending searches around-the-world shows that actress Jennifer Lawrence was the celebrity name searched the most in 2014 (we’re sure she has mixed feelings about that after the infamous nude pic fiasco). Kardashian and hubby Kanye West did manage to take top spot amongst wedding searches, beating out George Clooney & Amal Alamuddin. The top topic searched on Google in 2014 was Robin Williams’ death, followed by the World Cup, and the Ebola outbreak.
– USAToday.com

WHY “LET IT GO” IS SO ADDICTIVE:
“Boston Globe” columnist Yvonne Abraham has called it ‘musical crack’. Musicologists weigh in on why the “Frozen” soundtrack tune has become the mega-hit that it is …
✓ It appeals to a broad audience. Even out of context with the movie “Let It Go” still works, as its messages of liberation and self-acceptance are just as strong. That means the song has the widest possible appeal.
✓ It’s emotionally complex. Rather than being a love song or a positive anthem, “Let it Go” is unusual in that it is tonally quite dark. Musicologist Anthony Sheppard pinpoints the song’s negativity: There are 5 ‘don’ts’, 4 ‘nevers’ and 3 ‘nos’ in the lyrics.
✓ Songs with both long notes and catchy, repetitive choruses make for potential ‘earworms’, or songs that get stuck in your mind. If your brain forms an emotional connection with the song, from lyrics or narrative meaning, then it’s even more likely to stick.
✓ Idina Menzel. The song was written specifically for her. It’s not at all easy to sing or replicate. Her voice helped to make “Let It Go” a hit outside of the movie.
✓ It perfectly matches the animation. The video, which has been watched 380 million times on YouTube, has been described as ‘a nuclear bomb of a multimedia experience’.
– “Daily Telegraph”

THE SCARIEST FILMS:
A new joint study from University College London & University of Ottawa shows that main characters in children’s animated films are more than twice as likely to be killed off as those in adult films. The study also finds that the parents of main characters are 5 times more likely to die. Noting that grisly deaths are common, the report cites the shootings in “Bambi”, “Peter Pan”, and “Pocahontas”; stabbings in “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Little Mermaid”; as well as ‘potentially traumatizing’ animal attacks in “A Bug’s Life”, “The Croods”, and “How to Train Your Dragon”. The study suggests that all this onscreen death and violence can be particularly traumatic for young children, and the impact can be intense and long-lasting. (You want violence? Try reading some nursery rhymes!)
– ContactMusic.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Powerful earthquakes can permanently shorten the length of Earth’s day, by moving the spin of Earth’s axis. The 2011 Japan earthquake knocked 1.8 microseconds off our days. The 2004 Sumatra quake cost us around 6.8 microseconds.
– “QI”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.18.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [71] Keith Richards, Dartford UK, classic rock guitarist (Rolling Stones-“Start Me Up”, “Satisfaction”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1989)

1946 [68] Steven Spielberg, Cincinnati OH, movie director-producer (“Lincoln”, “Indiana Jones” films, “Jurassic Park” films)/estimated net worth: $3 billion (2014)

1954 [60] Ray Liotta, Newark NJ, movie actor (“The Place Beyond the Pines”, “Goodfellas”)

1963 [51] Brad Pitt, Shawnee OK, movie actor (“12 Years a Slave”, “Moneyball”)/Angelina Jolie’s partner since 2005/wed to Jennifer Aniston 2000-05

1975 [39] Sia (Furler), Adelaide, Australia, pop singer (“Chandelier”, “Clap Your Hands”)

1975 [39] Randy Houser, Lake MS, country singer (“Like a Cowboy”, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight”)

1978 [36] Katie Holmes, Toledo OH, movie actress (“Batman Begins”, “First Daughter”)/TV actress (“The Kennedys” 2011, “Dawson’s Creek” 1998-2003)/Mrs Tom Cruise 2006-12

1980 [34] Christina Aguilera, Staten Island NY, TV personality (“The Voice” since 2011)/pop singer (“Beautiful”, “Genie In a Bottle”)/5 Grammy Awards/30 million+ albums sold worldwide

1989 [25] Ashley Benson, Anaheim CA, TV actress (‘Hanna Marin’ on “Pretty Little Liars” since 2010)/movie actress (“Spring Breakers”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day”. Who’s that? If you’ve seen the 2003 movie “Elf”, you don’t have to ask. The idea is to pick up the phone and answer: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”, a quote that comes straight from the movie.

• “Bake Cookies Day”. What’s the best kind of homemade cookie: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal-Raisin, or Peanut Butter?

• “Free Shipping Day”, an annual pre-Christmas shopping event when participating retailers offer free delivery with purchases.

• “International Migrants Day”, a day of solidarity for migrant workers, on the anniversary of the UN’s 1990 adoption of the International Convention On the Protection Of the Rights of All Migrants Workers & Members of Their Families. (Catchy name.)

• “Re-Gifting Day”, an annual observance on the Thursday before Christmas week. Passing something onward that you’ve been given is becoming increasingly acceptable. Research shows that 40% of office party gifts, for instance, are re-gifted.

• “Roast Suckling Pig Day”. Here [co-host], put this apple in your mouth!”
NET: http://tinyurl.com/3no9em

• “Wear a Plunger On Your Head Day” for some unknown reason. Something to do with your potty mouth maybe?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1984 [30] Actors Jamie Lee Curtis (“True Lies”) & Christopher Guest (“SNL”) are wed in the Los Angeles home of comedian Rob Reiner (one of the longest lasting marriages in Hollywood)

2009 [05] “Avatar”, directed by James Cameron, opens in movie theaters (with a reported budget of $300 million-plus, it’s said to be the most expensive movie ever made; fortunately it’s also the most successful, with $2.8 billion in worldwide box office)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1983 [31] With Mick Jagger serving as best man, Keith Richards weds longtime girlfriend Patti Hansen on his 40th birthday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1993 [21] ‘World’s Largest Hotel’ opens, the 5,000-room MGM Grand in Las Vegas (even though the MGM has since expanded, the Venetian Las Vegas/Palazzo complex now claims the title with 7,017 rooms)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Annie”; “Mr Turner”; “Night At the Museum: Secret Of the Tomb” open in movie theaters
[Fri] “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” series finalé (CBS)
[Fri] “Canada’s Walk of Fame Gala 2014” (Global)
[Fri] Underdog Day
[Sat] Games Day
[Sun] Winter Solstice
[Sun] Global Orgasm Day
This Week Is … Tell Someone They’re Doing a Good Job Week
This Month Is … Closed Caption TV Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS MRS CLAUS MAY BE CHEATING:
✗ She never sits on Santa’s lap anymore.
✗ She always puts on fancy new bonnets before going out. Who is she trying to impress?
✗ She goes out for a few minutes to ‘get candy canes’ but doesn’t get home until 4 am, reeking of elf.
✗ It’s an extra slap in the face that there are no candy canes.
✗ She bakes cookies for Santa that are clearly ‘guilt cookies’.
✗ On her phone is the text, “He spends so much time with the reindeer, he has no idea.”
✗ The highest ranking workshop elf, ‘Winkles’, won’t make eye contact anymore.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the story behind your oldest Christmas tree decoration?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I went for my routine checkup today and everything seemed to be going fine until he stuck his index finger up my butt! Do you think I should change dentists?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Have you ever wondered what was going on the day you were born? The new website TakeMeBack.to has been set up to clue you in …
NET: http://takemeback.to

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: You might not think it, but doing THIS alleviates allergies and asthma.
Answer: Growing facial hair.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you had 1 dollar for every dollar you had, having 1 dollar would give you an infinite amount of dollars.