Joaquin Phoenix Retires

At the tender age of 34, Joaquin Phoenix of Walk the Line fame has decided to retire from movies and become a musician.

After filming Two Lovers, his final film co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw, Phoenix will be pursuing music, a passion of his since learning how to play guitar for the role of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. "It's Casey [Affleck]'s time now," he stated when explaining his retirement.

Casey Affleck, brother-in-law of Phoenix, confirms the statement, saying that Phoenix is indeed working on an album.

Two Lovers is slated for release on February 13, 2009.

90210 Stars Skin & Bones

One would think that weight would be a personal issue. Not in Hollywood, particularly on the set of CW's new hit show 90210.

While Entertainment Weekly reports none of the new 90210 stars weighing any more than 110 pounds (AnnaLynne McCord [Naomi] weighs in at 110 pounds for her 5'7" frame), two of its stars in particular (Shenae Grimes [Annie] at 5'3" and 90 pounds and Jessica Stroup [Silver] at 5'8" and no more than 105 pounds) are very underweight. While it is possible that these girls could be naturally thin, they could use a Super Size Meal or two along with some other weight-gain regimen. It's also possible that pressure to stay thin due to the common saying that the camera adds 10 pounds, long hours, and wardrobe sizes ranging from 00-2 are contributing to the extreme thinness. But, whatever the reason, get these girls a Super Size Meal. Seriously. Or, as Gossip Girl's Penn Badgley stated, "a double cheeseburger or something."

Perhaps laying off the cigarettes, if not quitting entirely, would help too. After all, cigarettes do act as an appetite suppressant. (What would I know though? I've never been a smoker, nor do I plan to become one!)

But there is good news. Rumor has it action may be taken to ensure the stars gain a few pounds. The boys of the show have considered an intervention to help the girls put on some weight. Let's hope it works, eh?

Pink Floyd Founder Richard Wright Dies

Richard Wright, keyboard player and founder of 1960s rock band Pink Floyd, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was 65.

Pink Floyd, which consisted of himself, songwriter/guitarist Syd Barrett, guitarist Roger Waters, and drummer Nick Mason, formed in the 1960s when they were students. The band went on to become one of the biggest names in rock music.

Wright cowrote 5 songs for Dark Side of the Moon but left the band after a falling-out with Roger Waters during The Wall production, though he rejoined the band in 1987.

Britney Spears Not to Perform at VMAs

According to her manager, Britney Spears will not be performing at this year's Video Music Awards, which will air September 7th at Los Angeles's Paramount Pictures Studio. Larry Randolph, her Jive Records manager, stated that Britney's focus will be in the studio as she works on recording her next album.

However, MTV Networks Music Group president Van Toffler stated that the network wouldn't entirely rule out a Britney appearance in some form, as there have been confirmed talks about a Britney appearance. In fact, her video for "Piece of Me" has been nominated for the prestigious Video of the Year award.

A Case of Life and Death

The past two days brought about life and death in the world of Hollywood.

Yesterday was a case of life. American Idol Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken became a father and welcomed a son, Parker Foster Aiken, at 8:08 a.m. with friend and record producer Jaymes Foster. He weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19 inches long. "No hyphens. One first name. One middle name. One last name," Aiken wrote on his blog (OMG! Yahoo).

Today was a sad case of death. Actor and comedian Bernie Mac, whose roles included a recurring role in Moesha, his sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, and movies Ocean's 11 and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, died from complications of pneumonia at age 50. Fortunately, the pneumonia had nothing to do with a lung condition called sarcoidosis that he had, which had been in remission since 2005, but it's sad to see a respected actor and comedian go so young.

While one person is given life, the other has life taken from them. After all, from dust you came, to dust you shall return.

Heath Ledger Case Closed

Reporters decided to no longer look into the Heath Ledger case, which brought about concern on how the drugs that contributed to Ledger's drug overdose death were obtained. Apparently, the decision to close the case came after former child star Mary Kate Olsen requested immunity toward questions about the death of her "close friend and his drug use" (OMG! Yahoo). According to authorities, she was the first to discover his lifeless body lying in his Manhattan apartment.

One theory that seems to be running about is that Mary Kate could have helped to obtain the drugs that contributed to his overdose, but that has yet to be proven. After all, didn't Mary Kate use drugs at one point? Or at least experiment with them? Not saying she did. Just a possibility/rumor I heard.

Closing the case has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages: Heath can rest in peace, and Mary Kate can go about her own business. Disadvantages: Slim to zero chance of closure for the Ledger family and friends unless they find another way to obtain it or move on (both of which could be difficult to do), not to mention the impact the news of Daddy's drug use could have on little Matilda's life and the fact that the only tangible memories she will have of her daddy would be photographs, news stories, and films. I feel bad for the little tyke.