Dubs dominate again at ladies football All Stars

All-Ireland senior champions Dublin have been honoured with seven representatives on the 2018 TG4 All Star team.

Dublin's haul is an all-time best on an All Star team selection – as the 2010 and 2016 selections each contained six Sky Blues.

The selection was revealed on Saturday night at the annual TG4 All Star awards banquet, in association with Lidl, at the Citywest Hotel.

Captain Sinéad Aherne received a seventh All Star award, and her third in a row, and there was a sixth in seven years for right-half-back Sinéad Goldrick, who will line out for Foxrock-Cabinteely in next Saturday's All-Ireland Senior Club Final against Mourneabbey.


It's the second year in a row that a set of sisters was named on the All Star selection, as the Hegartys from Donegal, Ciara and Niamh, were listed on the 2017 team.

Aherne and Goldrick are joined on the 2018 list by Dublin team-mates Ciara Trant, Siobhán McGrath, Lauren Magee, Noelle Healy and Lyndsey Davey.

Trant wins an All Star for a second successive year, while McGrath picks up her first gong since 2010.

Midfielder Magee is one of five first-time recipients, 2017 Senior Players' Player of the Year Healy wins her fourth All Star award, and a third in a row, while Davey is also honoured for the fourth time.

Trant, Healy, Aherne and Cork's Emma Spillane are the only survivors from the 2017 selection, as TG4 All-Ireland Finalists Cork picked up four awards in total.

Ciara, now a four-time winner, and Doireann O'Sullivan, who collected her first, are joined on the team by Spillane and another first-time recipient, Róisín Phelan, who's named at full-back.

Spillane received an award at right corner back in 2017 but this time she earns the left-half-back slot.

The remainder of the team is made up of players from Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Tyrone.

Donegal's Treasa Doherty earns her first All Star at right corner back, while Sinéad Burke from Galway is also named for the first time on an All Star team at left corner back.

where to find the best horror films

It's been a long time since I last checked in on Shudder, the £4-a-month streaming service dedicated to horror, suspense and the generally creepy. Much as I enjoy the odd fright night, there is no genre to which I subscribe quite so literally. But with the nights drawing in and the burning scent of Halloween on the cooling breeze, it seemed an apt time to return. We're never likelier to chain-watch horror films than in October, and Shudder certainly makes a breeze out of spooky seasonal playlisting.

I returned to find it a little beefier than I remembered, with its menu of films and series healthily expanded and the addition of Shudder TV – multiple channels of pre-selected programming for that rarest of geeks, the undiscriminating genre obsessive. I sampled the free-to-stream channel, which can be watched by non-subscribers, to find Shrew's Nest playing. Juan Fernando Andrés and Esteban Roel's enjoyably ripe Spanish gothic piece is a lively choice, and there's no arguing with the value, though I suspect most horrorheads would rather pick their tasty poison.

The selection, after all, is more diverse than you might expect, covering the art-trash spectrum rather nicely. Traditionalists of varying gore capacities can access Tobe Hooper's original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in its slick 40th-anniversary restoration, Mario Bava's sticky-stylish giallo classic Blood and Black Lace or, more cosily, Ealing Studios' elegantly shivery anthology Dead of Night.

More modern tastes predominate, particularly when it comes to the service's sidebar of exclusive acquisitions. Here's the place to find, if you dare, Emiliano Rocha Minter's We Are the Flesh, a stunningly extreme incest-and-cannibalism exercise; Lake Bodom, a smart, self-reflexive Finnish spin on the old-school slasher flick that doesn't forget to tuck a few good sharp scares in amid the winks; or Anna Biller's gorgeously retro-styled occult fantasia The Love Witch. Shudder's genre remit is pleasingly catholic: arthouse titles such as Lucile Hadžihalilović's head-scrambling, nightmare-igniting vision Evolution, or Mother, Bong Joon-ho's thrillingly derailed blend of icy noir and high melodrama, aren't obvious Halloween-marathon fodder, but they'll leave your nerves suitably disarranged.

And on the series side, a month's subscription is worth it if only to belatedly discover, as I did, Beyond the Walls, a delicious French-Belgian miniseries that takes an old-as-the-hills haunted-house premise and probes every cobwebbed corner of it. Led with steely conviction by the excellent Veerle Baetens and ravishingly designed throughout, it's a treat for those who prefer a mounting wall of eeriness to violently bone-crunching terror.

Elle Fanning Elevates Max Minghella's Solid Directorial Debut

Max Minghella's directorial debut Teen Spirit totally won me over. It's one of those movies I hadn't planned to see in Toronto. One of those movies you see because it fits your schedule, and you just hope for the best. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised by this scrappy tale of a shy teen who sets out to realize her dream of becoming a pop star with help from a very unlikely source. It's a conventional underdog story as far as it goes, but it's handled quite well by Minghella and his leading lady, Elle Fanning.

Decidedly unimpressed with the wild-haired, world-weary old man, she doesn't think much of the interaction until it comes time for her audition for Teen Spirit, a British singing competition that requires the permission of an adult guardian. In a bind, Violet turns to Vlad and he agrees to become her chaperone/manager/unlikely mentor — for a staggering 50 percent! If you know anything about showbiz, you'd know that isn't a great deal for Violet, but at least it changes in time once the girl's mother finds out about their unusual arrangement. Vlad doesn't put up too much of a fight, as you come to discover that it's not really about money for him, but rather, a second chance to do things right. He may have squandered his potential and become content to drink his days away at the pub, but he also sees potential in Violet and finds renewed purpose in taking the reins of her career and coaching her technique. And off she goes on a true underdog story that will offer her temptation at every turn. Minghella effectively uses montage to whisk us through the early stages of the competition, but you've seen this story before, so you know it'll all come down to 'the finals' — though there are some pleasant surprises along the way.

Of course, the following isn't one of them, for assuredly when you enter one of these competitions, the idea is that you're kind of making a deal with the devil. In this case, Violet ends up being offered a recording contract prior to the final competition. If she loses, it doesn't really matter, because she'll still get to make an album. But if she wins, and other record labels come calling with more attractive offers, then she's stuck with the original deal… if she signs it. There's a catch, of course. The proverbial Devil, in this case, the Teen Spirit producers as embodied by a well-cast Rebecca Hall, want Violet to cut Vlad out of the deal. So not only does the competition test her talent, it tests her integrity as well. She wouldn't have made it this far without the crazy old coot, but does she really need him now that she has, to some extent, made it? It's an offer she shouldn't refuse, but whether she does or not is another question entirely.

Troye Sivan Is the Perfect Pop Star for 2018

Troye Sivan, global pop star, shows up to his photo shoot alone. No manager. No assistant. No glam squad. Just a slight 23-year-old with wide blue eyes, artfully floppy bleached-blond hair and a voice that has captured the hearts of a millions-strong fandom, spread out everywhere from his hometown in Australia to his adopted home in Los Angeles. When Sivan stretches out his hand to introduce himself, he says his name earnestly: He's Troye. He'd like you to know about him. He'd like you to like him, and his music; his new album Bloom is out Aug. 31. But more than anything, he'd like to be there for you.

"I just want to provide for a young audience what I felt was lacking when I was a kid," he says, "which was representation of someone living their life." When Sivan talks about representation, he's talking about representation for someone like him: queer, sensitive, thoughtful.


Sivan is different from many of the stars who have come before. But for him, that's an asset, not an impediment. His music–delicate dance-pop that has notched hundreds of millions of streams, a Saturday Night Live appearance and one big Top 40 hit ("Youth")–has already won him fans like Bloom collaborator Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, who brought him onstage during a recent stadium tour date. Maybe it's because Sivan is more than just your average pop star. He built a platform as a digital influencer first, building connections with fans who related to his unapologetically queer identity, then used his Internet following to buoy him to stardom as a bona fide artist. And it's working: Bloom marks a major artistic achievement, evoking influences from the Velvet Underground to Simon & Garfunkel, all wrapped up in a sleek pop package.

Pop superstar launches state-of-the-art radio studios

International pop star Bebe Rexha has played an exclusive gig in Geelong to mark the launch of Geelong Broadcasters' new hi-tech studios.
The American singer-songwriter took to the stations' Live Stage on Wednesday night in front of hundreds of guests including business leaders, politicians and other VIPs.
A handful of listeners, who became possibly Australia's luckiest teenagers after winning an on-air competition to see Rexha perform, seized on the opportunity to grab selfies during a once-in-a-lifetime meet-and-greet with the star.

Rexha's set included some of her biggest hits including Meant To Be and Me Myself and I.

Other performers at the star-studded launch party included Nathaniel Willemse, whose set included his smash Live Louder, along with Geelong father and son duo Cam and Taylor Henderson.

Guitarist Justin Derrico, who has played with the Pussycat Dolls, Tina Turner, Beyonce and Pink also treated the crowd to a display of his virtuoso skills.

Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood officially opened the studios, presenting a plaque to Janet and Alison Cameron, directors of Geelong Broadcasters' family-owned parent company Grant Broadcasters.

With the brief formalities sorted the crowd of up to 300 gave a rousing welcome to Bebe Rexha for her exclusive performance, one of her only public shows during her Australian promotional visit.

The new studios are located on the first floor of Geelong Broadcasters' Moorabool Street building and feature state-of-the-art digital broadcasting equipment and a high tech news facility.

It also brings under the one roof the company's booming digital media arm, payroll operations and region's leading tourist guide, What's On In Geelong.

World Cup: Falcao, Cuadrado fashion Colombia win against Poland, FT 3-0

 When the stakes are as high as an exit from the world cup for both the competing teams, one expects to see a hard-fought game. However, the match between Poland and Colombia was nothing like it. Colombia was a team on a mission to win and Poland came out on the field to make sure Colombia accomplishes the mission.

Such lack-lusture was the performance of Poland that they have become the first European team to be eliminated from the World Cup. Colombia dominated the game right from the kick-off. While Colombia played a well-organised team, Poland hinged and waited for Lewandowski to produce some magical moment. It never happened.

Mina was first one to score for Colombia in the 40th minute of the game, giving his team the lead with a wonderful header. The pressure mounted on Polish side as Falcao scored an amazing goal, doubling the lead for Colombia. Polish players did make some moves but they just could not complete them. They lacked finishing touch.

Scattered all over the field, lack of a playmaker who could make a definitive and productive move, missing golden opportunities were the reasons for Poland's defeat. Adding insult to the injuries, Cuadrado scored the third goal for Colombia in the 74 the minute, sealing a comfortable victory for his team. 

With this win, Colombia stand a good chance of progressing to the round of 16 of the world cup. Poland will play against Japan and leave for their home soon after.

Reality Star Lala Kent Isn’t Holding Back In Jennifer Lawrence Feud

It’s Lala Kent vs. Jennifer Lawrence ― again.
                                             

The “Vanderpump Rules” star then talked about tweets she sent to Lawrence, which she said previously that her manager made her delete.

Kent didn’t stop there.

When McDonald asked Kent if she thought Lawrence had sexual relations with Harvey Weinstein, the reality star answered, “Yeah, I think she’s that type of chick.”

She added, “Well, here’s the thing. Now anytime you bring her up, like, I’m going to have nothing nice to say about her. I’m going to say that her hair sucks, her face is a little too pudgy, like she needs to stop the drinking, you know? I said it, you don’t have to worry.”

Those remarks seemed to be missing from the podcast version online Wednesday. Neither Kent nor McDonald answered HuffPost’s requests for comment.

Kent later said on Twitter that her “Juicy Scoop” comments were taped “a couple of weeks ago when I still felt hurt and emotional,” and that she’s now on better terms with Lawrence.

Lawrence hasn’t commented since she sparked the feud with statements about Kent on Andy Cohen’s Bravo show, “Watch What Happens Live.” When the host asked Lawrence, a noted fan of Bravo reality shows, about “Vanderpump Rules” storylines, the actress let loose.

Robert De Niro says US suffering 'temporary insanity'

Hollywood actor Robert De Niro blasted the Trump administration’s stance on climate change, calling America a ‘backward’ country during a speech Sunday in the Middle East.
                                               

De Niro, a frequent critic of President Trump, said that in the country he’s describing, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency suggested last week that global warming may be a good thing for humanity.

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who has said in the past that carbon dioxide is not to blame for global warming, noted last week that a warming climate may not be so bad.

Although the EPA itself is unequivocal that a warming planet, and resulting environmental changes, is a danger to society and will likely lead to more fires, floods and other disasters, Pruitt questioned whether we know enough about how much temperatures will actually rise.

“Do we know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100 or year 2018?” he told the Nevada TV station. “It’s fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what it should be in 2100.”

Trump has questioned the science of climate change a few times, tweeting during a cold snap late last year that America “could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against.”

Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Kesha & More Nominated for GLAAD Media Awards

"RuPaul's Drag Race," Sam Smith, Kehlani & Billboard also received nominations.
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, announced Friday (Jan. 19) the nominees for the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards live from the Sundance Film Festival. Among the nominees: Halsey, Miley Cyrus, Kesha, Sam Smith, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Billboard. GLAAD also announced a non-competitive special recognition award for JAY-Z’s song and music video “Smile,” featuring his mother Gloria Carter, who used the song to come out as a lesbian.
                                                     

The nominees for outstanding music artist include: Miley Cyrus, Younger Now; Halsey, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom; Honey Dijon, The Best of Both Worlds; Kehlani, SweetSexySavage; Kelela, Take Me Apart; Kesha, Rainbow; Perfume Genius, No Shape; Sam Smith, The Thrill of It All; St. Vincent, MASSEDUCTION; and Wrabel, We Could Be Beautiful. RCA is the sole record label with two nominations, for Miley and Kesha.

Several shows with musical elements received nominations as well: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is nominated for outstanding comedy series, Star and Nashville are among the shows nominated for best drama series, and both RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Voice scored noms for outstanding reality program.

Billboard, which launched a Billboard Pride vertical and corresponding Facebook page with its viral Love Letters to the LGBTQ Community project last June, received a nomination for outstanding magazine overall coverage. Other nominees in the field are The Advocate, People, Teen Vogue and Time.

The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 12 and in New York on May 5. A full list of nominees can be found here.