ROGER EBERT: Latest sequel in the alien franchise has bizarre monsters, uncanny impersonation by Josh Brolin and — would you believe? — a touching ending.

It’s not about Whitney. Fans have been scratching their heads over Bobby Brown’s latest single, "Don’t Let Me Die," the harbinger to his first solo album in 14 years due next week. The song, a plain lamenting ballad, begins with Brown, former husband of Whitney Houston, who died in February, singing, "Been ‘bout a month since you been gone / I guess it’s pretty clear that you ain’t coming home." The video features some funereal imagery, and the song ends with a long exhale and the sound of a heart monitor. Some have wondered: Is Brown pimping Whitney grief? "No," …

Actor Grant Bowler will star opposite Lindsay Lohan in the Lifetime biopic "Liz & Dick."

Who would Michelle Obama be if she could be anyone? Beyonce. "It looks like musicians just have the most fun," Mrs. Obama explains in an interview with People magazine.

The "Party Rock Anthem" duo has little shame in creating escapist fun. Their tour’s coming to town, and SkyBlue says, "You can use this as your excuse to let loose."

The warm-weather weekends will be hopping with festivals in the city neighborhoods and suburbs.

BILL ZWECKER: The pop star and her daughter didn’t like Kelly Osbourne’s look and replaced her with a younger spokeswoman for their Material Girl fashion line.

Britney Spears reportedly walked off the set on her first day of taping "The X Factor" Thursday. Several audience members said Spears was upset when a contestant at auditions in Austin, Texas, butchered her song, "Hold It Against Me." Other singers tried out for the remaining judges. …

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra launched its three-week "Keys to the City" piano festival with a program Wednesday filled with bonhomie and whimsy but with decidedly mixed results. Curators Emanuel Ax, one of America’s keyboard greats and perhaps the jolliest pianist alive, and CSO artistic vice president Martha Gilmer have been guided in part by a "more the merrier" principle in devising the festival’s near-myriad of concerts, recitals, symposia, do-it-yourself opportunities, family events and demonstrations that will fill Symphony Center through June 12. Wednesday that emphasis meant Mozart’s 1779 E-Flat Major Concerto for Two Pianos, K. 365, stuck to its name …

BANGKOK — Lady Gaga wants to go shopping in Bangkok — for a fake Rolex. The singer made the comment to her 24 million Twitter followers, sparking a uproar Thursday in Thailand where some fans called it offensive, insulting and bad for the country’s image. It’s the latest publicity-making turn of events as "The Born This Way Ball" travels through Asia. Lady Gaga’s provocative lyrics and costumes have angered Christian groups in South Korea and the Philippines and Islamists in Indonesia, where the show may be banned. Now she is stirring nationalist fervor in Thailand, where people tend to get …

LAS VEGAS — Elton John is canceling three Las Vegas performances on doctors’ orders after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection. Officials with Caesars Entertainment say the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday performances of "The Million Dollar Piano" are being cancelled. Show officials say Elton John came down with the infection last weekend and was admitted Wednesday to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Doctors have recommended he not perform for a week and take antibiotics. The singer says in a statement that he’s sorry he can’t be with his fans at The Colosseum. Ticket holders are eligible for refunds or exchanges at the …

CANNES, France — Kanye West showed off his short film and his celebrity girlfriend — TV reality star Kim Kardashian — in Cannes, the only place for anyone famous to be this week. The American rapper walked hand-in-hand with Kardashian at the launch of "Cruel Summer" on Wednesday night. The couple didn’t stop to talk to media but some of the cast revealed what it was like to work on the art project. Described as an "immersive seven-screen experience," "Cruel Summer" is a love story set in the Middle East and inspired by West’s new "G.O.O.D" album. Lebanese actress Razan …

LORI RACKL: Voters choose Phillip’s bond with the audience over Jessica’s better vocals, and ‘Idol’ has yet another white-guy winner.

BILL ZWECKER: As his ex-wife basks in the spotlight of "American Idol" and her many other projects, Marc Anthony seeks attention by bringing beauty queen Shannon DeLima to every red carpet he can.

"Hysteria" director Tanya Wexler learned the trade from half-sister Daryl Hannah and uncle Haskell Wexler.

Tickets go on sale soon ahead of new album’s release on June 19.