Film drama 99 Homes, which was co-produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, arrives in cinemas tomorrow after its regional debut at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival last October as part of a festival run during which it picked up the Grand Prix at the 41st Deauville American Film Festival this month, and a nomination for the Golden Lion award at last year's Venice Film Festival. The film stars Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Social Network), Michael Shannon (an Oscar nominee for Revolutionary Road and a star of HBO TV drama Boardwalk Empire) and Golden Globe-winner Laura Dern. Co-written and directed by Iranian-American director Ramin Bahrani, it tells the story of a young father (Garfield) who, after his family is evicted from its home, goes to work for the greedy real estate broker (Shannon) who is the source of his misery. – The National staff
Idris Elba and Clean Bandit set for DXBeach
Actor Idris Elba and Clean Bandit will top the bill at Dubai's sophomore DXBeach festival. International DJs Klingande, MistaJam and Mike Mago have also been confirmed for the October 23 event, at a newly refurbished Zero Gravity. If you're wondering where you might have heard the two headliners before, the answer is at Sandance – Clean Bandit played the final edition of the Atlantis festival this time last year, while Elba, star of TV's The Wire and Luther and Marvel's Thor movies, added a brief, ragtag DJ set to the May 2013 event. Elba's DXBeach appearance will come midway through his visit to the city as part of the cast filming Star Trek Beyond. Doors open at noon, with international acts hitting the stage from "late afternoon" until 3am. The inaugural DXBeach attracted an audience of 5,000 in April, with Mark Ronson headlining. Early-bird tickets cost Dh200, with preregistration available at www.dxbeach.ae. – The National staff
Drake drops new mixtape
Canadian rapper Drake, whose mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late appeared without notice in February and became a top-seller, has dropped another surprise release. He teamed up with Atlanta-based rising star Future for What a Time To Be Alive. The rappers were known to be collaborating, but released the new mixtape at short notice on Monday exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes. Billboard predicted that What a Time To Be Alive would debut at the top of the weekly chart as the top-selling new release since Drake's previous mixtape, probably relegating Honeymoon, Lana Del Rey's newly released fourth album to second place. – AFP
Britney Spears headed for jail?
Orange is the New Black star Taryn Manning hopes to see Britney Spears join her in the Netflix prison drama. Manning, who co-starred with the singer in the 2002 movie Crossroads, would love to reunite on screen with the pop star, and hopes she can convince Spears to appear in the Netflix drama, femalefirst.co.uk reports. Speaking on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, she told Entertainment Tonight: "Of course, I want Britney Spears everywhere you can see her. She's the best. She's such a good actor that I feel like they could do anything with her. I was so impressed working with her ... she's just very sincere in her acting, you know? It's like everyone wanted to maybe hope that she's not gonna be good but she was great." – IANS
Springer celebrates 25 years of crazy
US American talk-show host Jerry Springer wore a tuxedo and fought back tears during the taping of his show's 25th-anniversary edition. "There's never been a moment in the 25 years of doing our show that I ever thought that I was better than the people who appear on our stage. I'm not better. Only luckier," said Springer, who claims he plans to keep hosting his show as long as he's healthy. The Jerry Springer Show may not attract quite the same controversy it did when it began 25 years ago, but it remains a dependable daytime ratings-grabber, watched regularly by about two 2 million people. "We don't hear it anymore," he said, "because I'm not part of the pop culture. It's not shocking anymore. The world has changed," said Springer. – AP
Flatley set to retire after final Broadway run
Michael Flatley, the creator of Irish folk dance stage shows Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, will hang up his dancing shoes after his debut on Broadway this year, organisers of the show said. The 57-year-old will make special appearances for the first time on Broadway in Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games during its run at New York's Lyric Theater from November 7 until January 3. He will then retire from dancing. The show, which features holograms, dancing robots and acrobats alongside the Irish dancers, will feature the veteran dancer at the end of each evening's performance. – Reuters
