From Kanye's meltdown at the Grammys to Fifty Shades of Grey mania - Alan Corr looks back at TEN's top stories from the business of show this week!
1 Kanye has another head throw at the Grammys
Hozier did himself no harm with his duet with Annie Lennox and it was Sam Smith’s night (he took home an armful of Grammys) but it was the one they call Kanye who stole all the thunder at this year's music biz backslapping festival. He did a funny mock stage invasion as Beck accepted a well-deserved Album of The Year for Morning Phase but then ruined the punchline with a petulant backstage rant in which he urged Beck to "respect artistry and give his award to Beyoncé."
By the end of the week, Kanye was in most people's doghouse and Morning Phase was back in the Irish charts. Result!
2. Australia has been invited to enter the Eurovision Song Contest
Not an early silly season tabloid flyer - this is, like, for reals. The Eurovision Song Contest has invited Australia to enter the competition for the first time to mark its 60th anniversary show next year.
Makes sense - Australia has always loved high camp, kitsch and Kylie and around three million Aussie viewers watched the Euro poll of bad taste and worse muzak last year. Now Oz will be represented for the first time as a wildcard entry. As long as ruddy Jedward don't put on an Aussie accent and try to sneak in.
3. Moe Dunford wins Shooting Star Award for Patrick's Day
The Dungarvan actor who stars in the universally acclaimed new Irish film Patrick's Day, was presented with his European Film Promotion (EFP) Shooting Star Award by Natalie Portman at the Berlin International Film Festival on Monday night. Previous Shooting Star winners include Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, Domhnall Gleeson, Andrew Scott and Ruth Negga. Watch TEN's interview with director Terry McMahon and Moe Dunford below.
Patrick's Day is in cinemas now. Read TEN's review here.
4. Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk greets Irish fans
Breaking Bad spin-off prequel (oh yes) Better Call Saul finally landed on Netflix this week and star of the show Bob Odenkirk delivered a touching greeting to the show's Irish fans.
5. Bidding on portrait of Glen Hansard starts at $15,000
Admit it - you've always wanted a painting of a redhead Irish troubadour hanging over your fireplace and now you can! Bidding on a portrait of Dublin singer Glen Hansard will start at $15,000 ahead of the Oscar Wildes, the annual 'Irish Oscars' to be held in Hollywood next week.
Bidding on the painting by Belfast-born artist Colin Davidson, who also did the cover of Hansard's debut solo album, Rhythm and Repose, began on eBay during the week and closes on February 19. We reckon it's a pretty good likeness but it could do with a decent Frame. Geddit!!!???
6. Fifty Shades of Grey mania hits Ireland
Some high-end designer smut hit the big screen on Friday and hacks the world over sharpened their quills to make some truly awful puns (actually, we rather liked the line about "more M&S than S&M"). We here at RTÉ TEN decided that the only way to avoid gender bias and get a fair take on this momentous event in world cinema was to send crack film reviewers Harry Guerin and Taragh Loughrey-Grant along to deliver finely-tuned and balanced reviews. Check 'em out here and here and just there . . . (that's quite enough of that - Ed).
7. Rubberbandits musical coming to Dublin
The Rubberbandits' new musical Continental Fistfight is coming to Dublin's Abbey Theatre. The show will take place on the Abbey Theatre's Peacock stage from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 March, following two sold out two seasons at London’s Soho Theatre, as well as a hugely successful season at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
8. Sexy Sam and rugged Russ for Dublin Film Festival
The star wattage at this year's Jameson Dublin Film Festival got brighter this week with the announcement that Kim Cattrall and Russell Crowe will be in town for the event. Kim will be here to attend the first screening of her new Sky Arts TV show, a black comedy entitled Sensitive Skin, and Dublin regular Russ will attend a screening of his directorial debut, The Water Diviner.
9. ITV announces new satirical puppet show
Spitting Image fans rejoice: ITV has announced the arrival of Newzoids, a new puppet animation show "poking fun at pop stars, politicians, sports faces and TV favourites". Among those set for lampooning in the six-part series are: Ant and Dec, Beyoncé, Professor Brian Cox, Kim Kardashian, Jeremy Kyle and Harry Styles.
10. U2 release epic video for Every Breaking Wave
U2 have issued an epic, 13-minute video of their latest single Every Breaking Wave. Featuring SLF, an iguana, smoking (lots of smoking) and a tale of love across the barricades, it was made by Belfast-born filmmaker Aoife McCardle.
