Kilts made a comeback at the Paris menswear shows Thursday courtesy of Japan's Yohji Yamamoto while Louis Vuitton looked east to another national costume for inspiration.

To the wail of bagpipes, models sporting beards and every conceivable style of whiskers from Dali and fu manchu to handlebar and walrus teamed Yamamoto's 21st century take on the kilt with ties, hats and long flowing woollens.

South Africa's Lira will be one among many performers at Barack Obama's inaugural celebrations Monday, but she is determined to be remembered for a performance to rival Marilyn Monroe's wooing of John F. Kennedy.

The multi-platinum artist hopes to give Obama and other guests at the Ambassadors' Inaugural Ball in Washington something as memorable, but perhaps not as racy, as Monroe's "Happy Birthday, Mr President" 1962 enticement to JFK.

Hollywood icon Natalie Wood's husband has declined to talk to detectives who have re-opened a probe into his wife's mystery 1981 death, saying he has already answered all questions.

A lawyer for 82-year-old actor Robert Wagner said those seeking to challenge the original finding of accidental death by drowning were trying to "exploit and sensationalize" the 30th anniversary of her passing.

Malawi education authorities on Thursday challenged a claim by American pop queen Madonna that her charity last year built 10 new schools in the poor southern African nation.

"The schools Raising Malawi claims to have constructed were already in existence," Education Minister Eunice Kazembe said.

Written by Anthony Sargon

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" is quite an unconventional movie. It's a modern-day American fantasy helmed by first-time director Benh Zeitlin, and it takes place in a Louisiana bayou about to be fully submerged under water due to melting ice caps. It's all a little absurd, but "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is a unique and poetic feature film, one bolstered by a fine central performance by a very talented little lady.

Cirque du Soleil announced Wednesday up to 400 layoffs -- nine percent of its workforce -- citing rising production costs for cutting deeply into profits, despite record ticket sales and revenue.

"The Cirque is not facing a crisis. Things are actually going well," Renee-Claude Menard, public relations director for the Canadian entertainment firm, told a press conference.

Sex, the Internet and good old fashioned rock-and-roll will dominate the 29th Sundance Film Festival, the top showcase of independent U.S. cinema that opens Thursday in the snowy mountains of Utah.

Founded by Robert Redford, the annual festival in Park City aims to nurture independent filmmakers who might otherwise be eclipsed by output from the major studios -- while Hollywood uses it to scout new up-and-coming talent.

Tokyo-based French designer Julien David made his men's catwalk debut Wednesday at the Paris menswear shows with a casual but elegant streetwear-inspired collection, while Mugler reinvented uniforms in a blaze of acid colors.

Up-and-coming David, 34, who has lived in Japan since 2006 and skateboards to relax, said the collection was all about subtle combinations.

Iran's announcement that it will make its own film to counter the "distorted" thriller "Argo" is fueling a debate about Hollywood and historical accuracy, sparked by Ben Affleck's Oscar-tipped movie.

The film, which won the top two Golden Globes last weekend and is nominated for seven prizes at next month's Academy Awards, tells the story of a bold CIA operation to rescue six U.S. diplomats trapped by the 1979 hostage crisis.

Prince Albert of Monaco and his sisters have denounced a new biographical film starring Nicole Kidman as their mother Grace Kelly as "glamorized" and "pure fiction."

In a statement, Prince Albert II and Princesses Caroline and Stephanie said the film's script did not accurately portray events involving their mother, the Hollywood actress who married Monaco's Prince Rainier III in 1956.