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'Twilight' sucks up $70.6M in box office debut

2008-11-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – Audiences found the vampire romance "Twilight" infectious in its opening weekend, pushing the movie to a take of $70.6 million.

Catherine Hardwicke's film also enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a female director, blowing away the previous standard of $41.1 million set by Mimi Leder's "Deep Impact" in 1998.

Drawing from its huge fan base of teenage girls, who fell for Stephenie Meyer's novel of forbidden love between brooding vampire Edward Cullen and bookish high schooler Bella Swan, "Twilight" made a whopping $20,636 per theater, according to Sunday morning estimates.

And the fangirls will get another taste soon enough: Summit Entertainment, which released "Twilight," announced during the weekend that it's going ahead with production of "New Moon," based on the second book in Meyer's internationally best-selling series. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will return as its star-crossed lovers, but whether Hardwicke will be at the helm again is still being determined.

The laid-back Hardwicke, who went bodyboarding at sunset Saturday to take her mind off this high-pressure weekend, said Sunday morning that she was heading to a meeting later in the day to discuss her possible involvement in "New Moon."

"I want to be sure that it's going to be done right. I don't want to rush into it," she said. "It's not like `Friday the 13th' or `Halloween,' you can't just do it super fast and knock another one out. I want to understand their plans and all that."

Hardwicke, whose previous films include "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown," also said she was thrilled about the prospect that the success of "Twilight" will inspire other women and young girls to pursue a career in filmmaking.

"I hope not just women but all minorities get enthused and encouraged by it. I look at the (Directors Guild of America) calendar, at the pictures of everyone that had different movies each month, and it's usually 22-29 different directors, and almost every month there's one female and maybe one minority," she said. "We've been having a lot of events, talking to a lot of fans, and so many kids of course are madly in love with Robert but tons of kids of every kind (and) girls are coming up to me and saying `I want to direct now, I'm writing a screenplay now, you're my inspiration.' I think it's great that people are getting excited."

The big opening for "Twilight" also helps put Summit Entertainment on the map, said Richie Say, the company's president of domestic distribution. Summit has only been around since April 2007 and "Twilight," its sixth release, cost just $37 million to make.

"It certainly says what we've been saying all along, that we can do more with less," he said. When Warner Bros. pushed "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from this weekend to a July 2009 debut, and Summit jumped to move "Twilight" from Dec. 12 into that spot on the schedule, "that decision was made in a day. I don't know that the major studios have that ability."

The tremendous take for "Twilight" far exceeded expectations, which had been set around $50 million.

"Teen girls rule the earth," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "If you look back at the `Hannah Montana' movie, how well that did, and now this movie, the teen girl audience will never be ignored again or underestimated. It was always teen boys who were the coveted ones, but someone finally caught on to the idea that girls love movies, too, and if you create something that they're into, that they're passionate about, they will come out in big numbers and drive the box office."

The other major debut of the weekend, Walt Disney's 3-D animated "Bolt," made $27 million to take third place. Featuring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, "Bolt" follows the cross-country journey of a dog who plays a superhero on television, but sadly realizes he has no magical powers once he gets separated from his "person."

Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution, said "Twilight" took a bite out of everyone's box office this weekend. If the vampire saga hadn't been around, Viane said, Disney would have expected an opening of at least $30 million.

"Obviously we believe in the Thanksgiving holiday in a big, big way," he said. "We've always viewed this as one of those 10-day marathons between opening day and the end of the Thanksgiving weekend."

Last weekend's No. 1 movie, "Quantum of Solace," came in second with $27.4 million. The latest James Bond extravaganza has now grossed $109.5 million, and it crossed the $100 million mark faster than any other film in the franchise, said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. It's also made $309 million internationally.

"We're in great shape. We're way ahead of where we were with `Casino Royale,'" said Bruer, referring to the last Bond picture, which also starred Daniel Craig as a more visceral incarnation of 007.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Twilight," $70.5 million.

2. "Quantum of Solace," $27.4 million.

3. "Bolt," $27 million.

4. "Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa," $16 million.

5. "Role Models." $7.2 million.

6. "Changeling," $2.6 million.

7. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," $2 million.

8. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," $1.7 million.

9. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," $1.67 million.

10. "The Secret Life of Bees," $1.28 million.

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Madonna tells AP work good distraction from split

2008-11-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK – Madonna's marital breakup is tough, but she says she's grateful that her heavy workload "provides a distraction that keeps me going."

"I'm sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life," Madonna told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday. "It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do."

Last week, Madonna and Guy Ritchie were granted a preliminary decree of divorce after eight years of marriage.

Among her current projects is promoting her documentary "I Am Because We Are," which explores the impoverished African nation of Malawi, where more than 1 million children are orphaned by AIDS. The film has its TV premiere on Sundance Channel Dec. 1.

Paparazzo's suit against Keanu Reeves goes to jury

2008-11-01T03:30:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles jury on Friday began deliberating a paparazzo's claim that actor Keanu Reeves knocked him down with his Porsche and permanently injured his wrist.
Attorneys for both sides issued their closing arguments before the jury deliberated about five minutes and left for the weekend. Jurors will resume work Monday.
The attorney for Alison Silva, who claims he was hit by the "Speed" actor in March 2007 while Reeves was behind the wheel of his Porsche, asked the jury to award Silva $711,974, which includes medical bills, loss of wages and punitive damages. Silva's attorney Joseph Farzam said in his closing argument he was a fan of Reeves but continually contended the actor was "a little careless."
"Would a reasonably careful person keep driving forward?" Farzam asked the jury.
Reeves' attorney, Alfred Gerisch, described Silva as a "paparazzo gone wild" in his closing argument and focused on Silva's contradictory statements to doctors, deputies and witnesses about what happened. Gerisch also replayed a video of the Brazilian-born paparazzo using his supposedly damaged left hand to hold onto razor wire atop a fence to shoot video of Britney Spears.
"You have some ability to stop what Mr. Silva does," Gerisch said.
Reeves was in the courtroom Friday for the proceedings. Before Gerisch presented his closing argument, the actor asked his attorney to move his podium so it wasn't blocking Silva's attorney in the cramped courtroom. The star of "The Matrix" trilogy and the upcoming remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" has remained in the courtroom throughout the trial, occasionally conferring with his lawyers.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Britney's Circus Cover, Track List Come to Town

2008-11-01T03:21:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles (E! Online) – From the looks of it, there's not much clowning around in Britney Spears' Circus...despite the "Come one, come all!" lettering and primary-color palette.

Here lies the cover of the pop princess' sixth studio album, which boasts the No. 1 single "Womanizer" as its first track and will almost certainly help the reinvigorated songstress start her 27th year off right when it drops Dec. 2 amid birthday wishes and intense scrutiny.

And with song titles like "Lace and Leather" and "Kill the Lights," it appears as if the video for "Womanizer" barely scratched the surface of the kind of sexcapades Britney's all up into now.

Coming on the heels of the record-breaking, chart-topping single—which gave Spears the biggest digital debut of any female artist since Nielsen SoundScan started keeping track—Zomba Label Group has revealed that Circus' title track will be the next single released to whet your appetite for the main event.

Check out the complete track list and decide whether you're planning to partake in Brit's big-top adventure:
1. "Womanizer"
2. "Circus"
3. "Out From Under"
4. "Kill The Lights"
5. "Shattered Glass"
6. "If U Seek Amy"
7. "Unusual You"
8. "Blur"
9. "Mmm Papi"
10. "Mannequin"
11. "Lace and Leather"
12. "My Baby"
Bonus Track:
13. "Radar"
(Originally published Oct. 31, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. PT)
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Beyonce would like to be known as "Sasha Fierce"

2008-10-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Just like the "Seinfeld" episode where George wanted everyone to call him "T-Bone," Beyonce Knowles would like to be known by a bold new name.
The R&B singer has christened herself "Sasha Fierce" for her new double album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce," due in U.S. stores on November 18, and has released a lengthy justification for the comical moniker.
"I have someone else that takes over when it's time for me to work and when I'm on stage, this alter ego that I've created that kind of protects me and who I really am," the former Destiny's Child frontwoman said in a statement.
"Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm on the stage."
Additionally, she has set up a cryptic MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/sashafierce) that gives a "lucky person" the opportunity to receive a personal message and a gift bag valued at $500.
As George found out, nicknames usually do not work when they are self-bestowed. His colleagues thought he should be called Koko the monkey. In real life, rapper Eminem had better luck with his alter ego "Slim Shady," which he said came to him while he was on the toilet.
Beyonce released her previous solo album, "B'Day," to coincide with her 25th birthday in September 2006. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart and yielded the No. 1 single "Irreplaceable."
"I Am ... Sasha Fierce" will be distributed by Columbia Records, a unit of Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment.
(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)]

by http://news.yahoo.com/

'Max Payne,' 'Chihuahua,' 'Bees' out-poll 'W'

2008-10-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES – Movie-goers elected a "W," but it was Mark Wahlberg, not George W. Bush. Wahlberg's action flick "Max Payne" debuted with $18 million to outdo Oliver Stone's film biography of George W. Bush, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Stone's "W." actually ran fourth, opening with $10.6 million to finish behind the family comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" (No. 2 with $11.2 million) and the chick flick "The Secret Life of Bees" (No. 3 with $11.1 million).
"For me, an Oliver Stone film about George Bush doesn't necessarily scream big box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "A film like this is very tough to gauge, but this is exactly what I thought it would do."
Lionsgate's "W.," starring Josh Brolin as Bush, came in well behind the $18.7 million debut of Stone's last movie, 2006's Sept. 11 saga "World Trade Center." That movie opened in nearly 3,000 theaters, about 900 more than "W.," however.
Playing in 2,030 cinemas, "W." averaged a solid but unremarkable $5,197 a theater, compared with a $6,334 average for "World Trade Center." "W." was shot on a modest budget of $25 million.
The film had been on political junkies' radar since Stone put "W." on the fast track less than a year ago so he could have it out before the November election. Stone started shooting in May, his five-month turnaround time remarkably short by Hollywood standards, where major movies can take a year or more.
If he needed more time, Stone contractually had the option of releasing the film around the time Bush leaves office in January.
But with two weeks until the election, this is prime time for a Bush biography, said Steve Rothenberg, Lionsgate head of distribution.
"We felt it was very important to release the film after the presidential debates but before the election," Rothenberg said. "We felt interest in the election would be at its height, and interest in George W. Bush would be much greater now than after January. We feel we have a good corridor over the next two weeks."
The movie received mixed reviews, with critics surprised at how relatively tame it turned out coming from liberal firebrand Stone, who made the paranoia-laden presidential tales "JFK" and "Nixon."
Brolin's Bush has some buffoonish moments, but Stone showed empathy for the president, casting him as a man with serious daddy issues but an unshakable relationship with wife Laura to fall back on.
Among the weekend's other new movies, 20th Century Fox's "Max Payne" averaged $5,332 in 3,376 theaters and Fox Searchlight's "The Secret Life of Bees" did $6,945 in 1,591 cinemas.
Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," which had been the No. 1 movie the previous two weekends, raised its total to $69.1 million.
Adapted from the video game, "Max Payne" stars Wahlberg as a New York City cop hunting the killers of his wife and child.
"The Secret Life of Bees" stars Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo in a drama about a troubled teen learning life lessons through the beekeeping operations of three Southern sisters.
"Max Payne" had a predominantly male audience, "The Secret Life of Bees" played to women, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" continued to grab family crowds and "W." was the choice for politically minded adults.
"You've got all kinds of pictures out there," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "When this business is great is when there are a lot of different pictures out that people want to go see."
Hollywood's overall revenues rose for the fourth-straight weekend. The top-12 movies took in $86.4 million, up 10 percent from the same weekend last year.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Max Payne," $18 million.
2. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," $11.2 million.
3. "The Secret Life of Bees," $11.1 million.
4. "W.," $10.6 million.
5. "Eagle Eye," $7.3 million.
6. "Body of Lies," $6.9 million.
7. "Quarantine," $6.3 million.
8. "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," $3.9 million.
9. "Sex Drive," $3.6 million.
10. "Nights in Rodanthe," $2.7 million.
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Benson, Thielemans honored as NEA Jazz Masters

2008-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – Guitarist George Benson had a chance to reconnect with his jazz roots when he was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as one of its 2009 Jazz Masters. But it was another newly minted Jazz Master, Belgian-born Toots Thielemans, who provided the most moving moment at the NEA's annual ceremony to present the nation's highest jazz honor.
Thielemans, 86, accompanied by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, played a moving version on harmonica of "What A Wonderful World," which he dedicated to his "musical guru," Louis Armstrong.
Thielemans, whose harmonica has been heard by generations of children on the "Sesame Street" opening theme, said he got hooked on jazz during the German occupation in the 1940s, when he first heard recordings of Armstrong with the Mills Brothers.
"How are you going to follow that?" quipped another new Jazz Master, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, 81, who took the stage Friday night at the Rose Theater right after Thielemans to perform the ballad "Body and Soul" with the orchestra.
Thielemans is the first European-born musician, harmonica player and baron (he was given the title in 2001 by King Albert II of Belgium) to be named an NEA Jazz Master. He recalled the warm welcome he received from African-American jazz musicians after he settled in the U.S. in 1952 — from singer Dinah Washington, who cooked him a soul food dinner, to pianist Billy Taylor, who let him sit in with his band at a New York club while he was waiting for his musicians' union card.
"I figured he was going to play the guitar, but he pulled out his harmonica and he just killed all of the people who heard him at that time, because nobody was playing jazz harmonica like that," said Taylor, a 1988 Jazz Master, in presenting the award to Thielemans.
Benson, 65, recalled his humble roots in Pittsburgh as he thanked his stepfather, who hand-made his first electric guitar when he was a teenager and introduced him to Benny Goodman's recordings with electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian.
Benson, whose singing on such crossover pop and R&B hits as "This Masquerade" later overshadowed his earlier work as a straight-ahead guitarist, then displayed some swinging jazz chops when he performed the ballad "Stella By Starlight" with the orchestra.
The ceremony also recognized the other 2009 Jazz Masters: drummer Jimmy Cobb, 79, who played on such landmark albums as Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" but was also known for his sensitive accompaniment of vocalists Washington and Sarah Vaughan; and Snooky Young, 89, the veteran big band trumpeter whose career includes a 25-year stint with Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show" orchestra.
Rudy Van Gelder, the first recording engineer to be named a Jazz Master, was honored for his work on such seminal recordings as Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus."
The stylistically versatile JALC orchestra was able to accomodate requests from each new master. Cobb sat in on drums to play "Can You Read My Mind," John Williams' love theme from the 1978 "Superman" movie, and Van Gelder was recognized with "Stolen Moments" from the 1961 Oliver Nelson album "The Blues and the Abstract Truth."
This year marked the first time that Jazz at Lincoln Center hosted the Jazz Masters awards ceremony, which was a centerpiece of the annual International Association for Jazz Education convention before that organization declared bankruptcy this year.
"We're honored to do it because it's in direct line with our mission," said trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, JALC's artistic director, in an interview before the ceremony. "We have a history and a tradition of playing with the masters and of respecting the great contributors to the art form."
Dana Gioia, who will be stepping down as NEA chairman in January, expanded the Jazz Masters program during his six-year tenure by doubling the number of honorees each year from three to six, sponsoring tours by Jazz Masters and producing short features for broadcast on Sirius XM Radio.
With JALC, the NEA developed a Web-based jazz curriculum that has reached an estimated 7.5 million students since its launch in January 2006.
"Jazz is America's greatest single musical tradition," Gioia said in an interview, "and I don't see the purpose of having a National Endowment for the Arts unless jazz is one of the things that we support seriously."

by http://news.yahoo.com

Eminem returns to rap with "Relapse"

2008-10-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Emimem's return to hip-hop is now official. After months of rumors, the Oscar-winning MC announced the title of his sixth album, "Relapse," Thursday night (October 15) during an on-air radio launch party for his book "The Way I Am." Eminem also introduced a new track, "I'm Having a Relapse."

"There's a lot of album titles floating around that are fake albums titles," Eminem told Shade 45 hosts DJ Kayslay and Angela Yee on Sirius Satellite Radio.

No release date has been confirmed, but the album is rumored to hit shelves before year's end.

Eminem's last release, 2005's "Curtain Call: The Hits," has sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His last studio album was the previous year's "Encore," with sales of 5.1 million copies.

Representatives for Eminem's label, Interscope, were unavailable for comment.

Reuters/Billboard

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Britney Spears driver's license trial nears end

2008-10-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Britney Spears avoided court on Thursday, but in her absence her attorney told jurors the pop star calls Louisiana home and should be cleared of a charge of driving without a California license.

Spears' attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, told a Los Angeles jury that the case turned on defining the singer's real home.

"She was residing in California -- I'm not trying to get tricky with the terminology -- but 'resident' has a different definition," Flanagan told jurors.

Prosecutors from the city of Los Angeles argued that Spears, 26, lived in California since May 2006. They say Spears should have had a license from the state in August 2007, when she hit another car in a Los Angeles parking lot while being trailed by photographers.

Jamie Spears, the pop star's father, testified that his daughter planned to move home to Louisiana as soon as a custody dispute over her two children is settled.

Spears' father took over his daughter's business and personal affairs in February after she was twice taken to Los Angeles-area hospitals and held for psychiatric evaluations.

Spears has not attended the trial, which is her right because she is accused of a misdemeanor and not a more serious felony charge.

The case went to trial after negotiations failed over a plea bargain that would have avoided a trial.

Spears could face a maximum six months in jail if convicted but is more likely to get a fine and probation.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

by http://news.yahoo.com

McCain: Obama lied about pledge on negative ads

2008-10-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - John McCain told Barack Obama to his face Thursday night, "You didn't tell the American people the truth" about a key campaign pledge as the two presidential rivals slung accusations at close quarters in the final debate of their campaign for the White House.

"One hundred percent, John, of your ads, 100 percent of them have been negative," Obama shot back a few moments later to his rival, seated only a few feet away at a round table.
"That's not true," McCain retorted.
"It is true," said Obama, seeking the last word.
McCain is currently running all negative ads, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But he has run a number of positive ads during the campaign.
Behind in the polls, McCain played the aggressor early and often.
He demanded to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with William Ayres, a 1960s-era terrorist, the Democrat's ties with ACORN, a liberal group accused of violating federal law as it seeks to register voters, and insisted Obama disavow last week's remarks by Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat, who accused the Republican ticket of playing racial politics along the same lines as segregationists of the past.
Struggling to escape the political drag of an unpopular Republican incumbent, McCain also said, "Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. ... You wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Obama returned each volley, and brushed aside McCain's claim to full political independence.
"If I've occasionally mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people — on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities — you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush," he said.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Madonna and Guy Ritchie announce their divorce

2008-10-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

LONDON - After countless denials of domestic trouble, Madonna and Guy Ritchie announced Wednesday they are divorcing after nearly eight years of marriage.

The couple's announcement brings to an end a showbiz union that spanned the Atlantic and dominated the gossip columns.
Madonna — "Madge" to the British press — and her filmmaker husband were always greater tabloid fodder in England, where they lived. The pop star seemed to take to English life, spending much of her time at the couple's 1,200-acre country estate in Wiltshire, and to some ears, adopting a slight British accent.
But in recent years, reports began to accumulate that they were on the rocks. Over the summer, Madonna was linked — unfairly, she said — to the breakup of New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez and his ex-wife Cynthia.
The couple issued a brief statement by their representatives Wednesday, asking for respect from the press for their family's sake.
A financial settlement has not been agreed by the wealthy couple, who also must decide child custody issues.
Madonna and Ritchie, director of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," married in December 2000 at Skibo Castle, in the Scottish Highlands. The couple have two children: Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3, who was adopted from Malawi in 2006. Madonna also has a 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from her relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon.
The couple are reportedly worth some $525 million, the bulk of that belonging to Madonna. Ritchie has an estimated $35 million fortune. They own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, and the retreat in Wiltshire.
"Who would have thunk it?" Madonna told Vogue magazine in an interview published in August 2005. "The last thing I thought I would do is marry some laddish, shooting, pubgoing nature lover and the last thing he thought he was going to do was marry some cheeky girl from the Midwest who doesn't take no for an answer!"
In the documentary "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret," Madonna gets behind the bar at a London tavern and offers to get a beer for Ritchie. He grins at her and says, "Please, Mrs. Ritchie, you get in there and pull me a pint."
Madonna was to perform concerts Wednesday and Thursday in Boston as her "Sticky and Sweet" tour continued. Ritchie's latest movie, "RocknRolla," recently opened to mixed reviews.
In London, Ritchie's mother, Lady Amber Leighton, told reporters that the family wouldn't be making any statement to the media.
Lawyers said the couple would likely try to come to an agreement before heading to court.
"The judgment of the court would be to try and assess what they came in with and divide what they built up fairly equally," said David Allison, a lawyer with Family Law in Partnership, a London firm.
The needs of the couple's children will also be factored by the court, as they were in Britain's most recent high-profile celebrity divorce, the battle between former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills. In that case, McCartney and Mills fought over money and custody of their young daughter.
Mills received 24.3 million pounds in the divorce after four years of marriage.
"The needs of children figure quite highly, and that was one of the reasons Heather Mills got a gigantic amount of money, despite the fact that the bulk of Sir Paul's money was made before the marriage," Allison said.
The Sun newspaper splashed the split across its front page Wednesday, under the headline: "We're Divorcing."
Madonna, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, has found lesser success as a screen star, starring in the musical "Evita" and the comedy "Desperately Seeking Susan." Her most notable collaboration with Ritchie was the panned 2002 film "Swept Away."
She married Sean Penn in 1985, but they divorced four years later.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Day 1 in Spears case ends without jury

2008-10-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - The first day of Britney Spears' misdemeanor driving without a license trial ended Wednesday without a single juror being seated.

Potential jurors expressed a range of opinions on Spears and the matter during initial questioning. One man labeled the idea of a trial "ridiculous," while another potential panelist indicated he blamed the paparazzi, not Spears, for her troubles.
Only one person was dismissed from the jury pool on Wednesday. The woman indicated she had some previous contact with Spears' business manager.
Questioning was scheduled to restart on Thursday morning, and opening statements could begin later in the day if a jury is seated.
The charge is the last remnant of a case that stemmed from an accident last August in which Spears, who did not have a valid California license, hit a parked car and left the scene. Drivers are supposed to get a California license within 10 days of establishing residency.
Spears, 26, did not appear in court on Wednesday, and may not attend the trial. Her attorney said Wednesday that no final decision on Spears' participation in the trial had been made.
Her father, James Spears, may be called as a witness in the case, which is expected to last three days. Other potential witnesses include police officers and an online producer for gossip site X17online.com.

Jolie: Obama win would be 'nice' for family

2008-10-12T06:11:00.000-07:00

BERLIN - Angelina Jolie isn't giving away who she's backing in the U.S. presidential election, but she does have good things to say about Barack Obama.

The actress and activist tells the German edition of Vanity Fair that the Democratic contender for president comes down on the same side of several issues that she does.

Asked if she finds Obama and his background an example to her family, she replies, "Naturally that's good, but it's not a sufficient reason to vote for him.

"Obama fights for international justice, he wants to militarily intervene in cases of genocide, and close Guantanamo Bay. These are the things that could move me to vote for him, not his roots."

She then adds, "Naturally, an American president like Barack Obama would be nice for my family."

Jolie and actor Brad Pitt are parents to six children, three of whom were adopted from other nations — Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

Obama's family similarly has members from different countries: his mother is American and his late father was Kenyan.

Jolie's father, Jon Voight, has campaigned for Republican candidate John McCain.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Jolie apparently breastfeeding on W magazine cover

2008-10-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - We've already seen the baby pictures — now see the photo of Angelina Jolie apparently breastfeeding on the cover of W magazine.

Jolie appears on the cover of the W's November issue in a sleeveless top, which has been opened to reveal part of her left breast and a tiny hand ostensibly belonging to one of her twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, who were born in July.
The black-and-white photo shows Jolie smiling, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulder. The cover headline promises exclusive "private photos" of the 33-year-old actress by her partner Brad Pitt.
Jolie last caused a stir when she wore a white nursing bra underneath her tank top on the cover of People magazine after she and Pitt welcomed daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old.
Another breast-feeding cover that got people talking was in the summer of 2006, when Babytalk magazine published a photo of a baby and part of a woman's breast in profile. The magazine conducted a poll of more than 4,000 readers; a quarter of responses were negative, finding the photo inappropriate.
La Leche League International, the world's oldest breast-feeding support organization, applauds Jolie's apparent decision to be photographed nursing.
"Breast-feeding in public reveals a whole lot less than what has been revealed on the red carpet. ... I think we do need more role models like Angelina Jolie willing to be photographed and say, `Hey look, it can be done, it oughta be done,'" said La Leche spokeswoman Jane Crouse.
Besides Shiloh and the twins, Pitt and Jolie also are parents to three adopted children: Maddox, 7, from Cambodia; Pax, 4, from Vietnam; Zahara, 3, from Ethiopia.
Exclusive photos of the Jolie-Pitt clan have fetched millions of dollars. Last summer, People magazine and the British tabloid Hello! paid $14 million in a joint deal to publish the first shots of the family with newborn Knox and Vivienne. Jolie and Pitt allowed such access in exchange for a donation to charity.
Jolie, who won a supporting actress Academy Award for 1999's "Girl, Interrupted," has drawn Oscar buzz for Clint Eastwood's missing-child drama "Changeling," slated for release Oct. 24.
Pitt portrays a fitness club dimwit in Joel and Ethan Coen's recent comedy "Burn After Reading," co-starring George Clooney, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Lindsay Lohan wants deposition sealed

2008-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Lindsay Lohan doesn't want to be on camera, at least not when she's giving a deposition.

Lawyers for Lohan filed a motion on Wednesday seeking a judge's order barring any filming of the actress' upcoming deposition in a case filed by gal pal Samantha Ronson.
She also doesn't want transcripts or other accounts of the deposition introduced into public records. The documents state Lohan is afraid videotaping the deposition will "unduly embarrass, oppress and burden her because of the private subject matter of the expected testimony and the virtual certainty that, unless access is significantly limited, the transcript and videotape of the deposition will be illegally exploited by the media."

Her attorneys cited a judge's order barring videotaped depositions in Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's recent custody dispute.
A judge is scheduled to consider Lohan's motion in November.
Civil depositions are not public records, but the motion states Lohan is afraid that some media outlets would try to steal copies of the tape if the questioning is filmed.
Ronson sued her former lawyers in May, claiming they failed to represent her adequately when she sued bloggers, including Perez Hilton. Ronson claimed the bloggers defamed her by writing that she had planted drugs in Lohan's car and was exploiting the actress to the paparazzi.
The celebrity DJ's lawsuit states that her then-attorneys didn't properly fight a motion by Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, to dismiss the lawsuit. A judge granted Lavandeira's motion and ordered Ronson to pay him nearly $85,000 in legal fees.
In court documents filed earlier this week, Ronson claimed her former lawyer, Martin Garbus, and a pair of law firms threatened to sue her over unpaid legal fees in the days before Lavandeira's dismissal motion came before a judge.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Guns N' Roses to release new album next month

2008-10-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Billboard) - More than a decade after its conception, Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end, sources close to the situation told Billboard.

The set will be a Best Buy exclusive and will be available Sunday, November 23, rather than the usual Tuesday.
In the run-up to release date, album track "Shackler's Revenge" will debut in the video game "Rock Band 2," while a portion of "If the World" is playing over the end credits in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film "Body of Lies."
In addition, GNR's seminal 1987 full-length debut, "Appetite for Destruction," will be reissued on vinyl on October 28 via Interscope.
The band's last new studio albums were the simultaneously released "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" in September 1991. A covers set, "The Spaghetti Incident?," followed in 1993, and featured some of the last GNR recordings from original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.
This spring, soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008. A Dr Pepper spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

by http://news.yahoo.com

White House considers ownership stakes in banks

2008-10-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is considering taking ownership stakes in certain U.S. banks as an option for dealing with a severe global credit crisis.

An administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made, said the $700 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week allows the Treasury Department to inject fresh capital into financial institutions and get ownership shares in return.

This official said all the new powers granted in the legislation were being considered as the administration seeks to deal with a serious credit crisis that has caused the biggest upheavals on Wall Street in seven decades and continues to roil global markets.

Supporters of this approach, such as Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., argue that injecting fresh capital into U.S. banks who want to participate in the program would be an effective way to bolster banks' balance sheets and get them to resume lending. Taxpayers would benefit because the government would receive an equity stake in the bank in return for providing the capital.

"This idea would, at a minimum, complement the administration's planned approach of buying up troubled assets and may prove to be the most promising tool of all in Secretary Paulson's kit," Schumer said in a statement.

A decision to inject capital directly into financial institutions in return for ownership stakes would be similar to a plan announced Wednesday by Britain.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told reporters that Treasury was moving quickly to implement the $700 billion rescue effort and he specifically mentioned reviewing ways to bolster the capital of banks.

"We will use all the tools we've been given to maximum effectiveness, including strengthening the capitalization of financial institutions of every size," Paulson said at a Wednesday news conference.

Asked whether he would try something like the British plan, Paulson said: "We have a broad range of authorities and tools. ... We've emphasized the purchase of liquid assets, but we have a broad range of authorities. And I'm confident we have the authorities we need to work with going forward."

The administration so far has stressed its major goal is to purchase bad loans from financial institutions.

Paulson said that while the financial market turmoil has hurt the economy, the administration is moving quickly to begin the largest financial system rescue effort in history.

Even with the program to buy bad assets from financial institutions, he said, some banks will fail. He also called for patience, saying "the turmoil will not end quickly and significant challenges remain ahead."

In an attempt to help stop the financial crisis from causing a global economic recession, the Federal Reserve and other central banks cut interest rates in a rare coordinated move Wednesday.

Paulson called the coordinated rate cuts "a welcome sign that central banks around the world are prepared to take the necessary steps to support the global economy during this difficult time."

Paulson on Monday selected Neel Kashkari, 35, an assistant Treasury secretary, to be the interim head of the new program. In his remarks Wednesday, Paulson said the administration would move quickly to nominate someone to fill the job permanently.

Paulson said he was consulting with President Bush, congressional leaders and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain before choosing someone to fill the job permanently. The post requires Senate confirmation, something Paulson predicted could occur in November.

The administration has been rushing to implement the program, which cleared Congress last Friday. Paulson said it would be several weeks before the program makes its first purchases of troubled assets.

"U.S. and global financial markets continue to be severely strained," Paulson said at the briefing called to preview the upcoming weekend meetings of finance officials of the Group of Seven major industrial countries, the 185-nation International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The global credit crisis was expected to be the major agenda item at those talks.

by news.yahoo.com

Hilton continues online presidential campaign

2008-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Watch out world: Paris Hilton is continuing her bid for the White House.

The paparazzi darling and reality TV star touted her candidacy in a video on FunnyOrDie.com Wednesday — her second appearance in a political spoof on the site.

"Running for fake president is a little daunting," a heavily made-up Hilton tells Martin Sheen, whom she calls "one of our greatest fake presidents."

"Being a fake president is a lot harder today than it was when I was a fake president," says Sheen, who has often played American presidents, most notably on TV's "The West Wing."

Hilton talks with Sheen about "Fo Po" — "Foreign policy, silly" — and shares what could be her real views on the economy and the war in Iraq.

"Iraq has a Democratic government that is asking for us to leave," she says. "It seems that we've done our job and we should bring our troops home safely."

Economically, "this is the biggest depression since `The Notebook,'" Hilton says, adding that the government should "lower inflated interest rates so it's not impossible for (people) to pay their mortgage."

As Sheen tells Hilton she's "going to make a great fake president," his son, Charlie Sheen, pops in with a promise to "fake vote" for her.

Hilton bids the elder Sheen farewell with a kitten-voiced, "Bye, sexy," then tells the camera: "See you at the fake inauguration."

The 27-year-old heiress said in a statement that she hopes the video inspires people to consider the issues and vote in the real presidential election.

"I hope that my political opponents take in consideration the points that I have addressed because I feel that they are important and, as well as, that my generation and the new young voters should become more involved with our current issues and speak their voice through voting," Hilton said. "This is the most important presidential election in decades and voting is the only way that you have a voice for change."

___

On the Net:

http://www.funnyordie.com/

Spears ready for trial in driving licence case: lawyer

2008-10-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Troubled pop singer Britney Spears is ready to go on trial to clear her name for allegedly driving without a California license, her lawyer J. Michael Flanagan said in court on Wednesday.

By turning down a prosecution offer of one year's probation and a 150-dollar (110-euro) fine, Spears, 26, should be able to simply pay a fine and show the violation has been corrected, Flanagan told the court in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles.

The charge stems from an August 6, 2007, fender-bender in a parking lot that was caught on video and in pictures by photographers who trail the "Baby One More Time" chart-topper whenever she ventures out in public.

Spears held a driving license from her native Louisiana at the time, even though she had been resident in California since at least May 2006 and was thus legally obliged to hold a California permit.

Her trial is scheduled for October 15.

Spears -- who hit rock bottom in January when she was twice rushed to hospital for psychiatric treatment after losing lost custody of her two young sons -- hopes to get her career back on track with a new album due out in December.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Linkin Park cancels China tour over back injury

2008-10-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

BEIJING - Linkin Park is canceling its China tour because lead singer Chester Bennington has suffered a back injury.

The band didn't say Tuesday how Bennington suffered the injury.

A statement posted on Linkin Park's official Web site said the band was canceling shows scheduled for October in Beijing, Shanghai, the central city Wuhan and the southern gambling enclave Macau.

The band also canceled its show in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

The concerts were fundraisers for victims of May's deadly earthquake in China's Sichuan province.

Linkin Park said it will still donate to reconstruction efforts, with the promoter of its Chinese concerts, Emma Ticketmaster, also chipping in and the World Bank matching the band's contributions.

___

On the Net:

http://linkinpark.com/

Fed, central banks cut rates to aid world economy

2008-10-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Economic Writer
1 hour, 5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In a rare coordinated move, the Federal Reserve and other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday to prevent a mushrooming financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown.

Markets retreated, though, on worries that the move was too little, too late.

The Fed reduced its key rate from 2 percent to 1.5 percent. In Europe, which also has been hard hit by the financial crisis, the Bank of England cut its rate by half a point to 4.5 percent and the European Central Bank sliced its rate by half a point to 3.75 percent.

The central banks of China, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland also cut rates. The Bank of Japan said it strongly supported the actions.

"The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth," the Fed said in explaining the coordinated action, the latest in a series of bold moves meant to pry open tight lending and revive the global economy.

The Dow Jones industrials, already down 875 points this week, fell another 150, and all the major indexes were down sharply.

The Fed's action will reduce borrowing costs almost immediately for U.S. bank customers whose home equity and other floating-rate loans are tied to the prime interest rate. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other banks cut their prime rate by half a point to 4.5 percent after the Fed announcement.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto welcomed the cooperation among the Fed and other countries' central banks to battle the crisis. "It's important and helpful that central banks are working in a coordinated way to deal with stress in the financial system," Fratto said.

The country's presidential contenders also embraced the action. "This is a global crisis that requires a global solution," said Democrat Barack Obama. Republican rival John McCain hoped it would contain the "financial crisis spreading across the globe."

Some analysts were skeptical that the coordinated rate reductions would do much to turn things around.

"At first blush, while this is a big step, it is unlikely to prove sufficient to stem the rot. Additional rate cuts are likely and further measures to inject liquidity and re-capitalize banks are needed," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at the investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman.

The rate cuts came against a backdrop of increasing anxiety in global financial markets. Investors have been fleeing shares on worries that neither the Fed, nor other central banks, could move fast enough to stop the rising turmoil.

European indexes, which were down about 5 percent before the rate cut, pared only some of their losses. In Britain, the FTSE-100 fell 4.24 percent, Germany's DAX dropped 4.98 percent, and France's CAC-40 dropped 4.58 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 9.38 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 8.17 percent hours before the rate cuts were announced; their declines showed the extent of the worldwide gloom.

The worldwide gloom follows a sell-off in U.S. markets late Tuesday, where major stock indexes slid 5 percent. The rout brought the Dow Jones industrials' losses to more than 875 points in two days, and its close was the lowest close in five years. The blue chip index is now around 33 percent below its record close of 14,164.53 a year ago.

The Fed's action Wednesday was the latest in a long series of moves over the last several weeks that the central bank has taken in coordination with other federal agencies, Congress and the White House to shore up a financial industry stung by bad loans, mounting losses and — in many cases — collapse. President Bush signed a $700 billion financial bailout bill into law on Friday.

The Fed's action reversed its current policy on interest rates, which had been to hold them steady out of concern that more cuts would fuel inflation. Since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues put a stop to interest-rate cuts in June, economic and financial conditions have deteriorated significantly.

"The pace of economic activity has slowed markedly in recent months," the Fed said. "Moreover, the intensification of financial market turmoil is likely to exert additional restraint on spending, partly by further reducing the ability of households and businesses to obtain credit."

Although inflation has been high, the Fed believes the recent drop in energy prices and the weaker prospects for economic activity have reduced this threat to the economy.

In addition, the Fed reduced its emergency lending rate to banks by half a percentage point to 1.75 percent. Given the intense credit crisis, banks have been ramping up their borrowing from the Fed's emergency "discount" window.

The fact that the Fed felt it couldn't wait until its regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28-29, underscored the urgency of the situation.

One of the goals of the coordinated rate cuts is to spur nervous consumers and businesses to spend more freely again. They clamped down as housing, credit and financial problems intensified last month, throwing Wall Street into chaos. Many believe the United States is on the brink of, or already in, its first recession since 2001, one that could quickly spread to other countries around the globe.

It can take months before rate cuts work their way through the financial system, however, and the economy has pressing problems now. Major U.S. retailers turned in dismal reports of third quarter sales, a dire omen for the all-important holiday shopping season. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation's economic activity.

The Fed's last rate cut was in late April, capping one of the most aggressive rate-cutting campaigns in decades as it scrambled to shore up the faltering economy. After that, the Fed moved to the sidelines, holding rates steady as zooming food and energy prices during that period threatened to ignite inflation. In the past few months, energy prices have retreated from record highs reached in mid-July, giving the Fed more leeway to drop rates again.

At its last meeting in September, the Fed struck a more dire tone about the economy, hinting that a rate reduction once again could be in the offing.

Even with the unprecedented $700 billion financial bailout plan, the failing economy and the jobs market probably will get worse. Many believe the economy will jolt into reverse later this year — if it hasn't already_ and will stay sickly well into next year.

One of the most crucial pillars of the economy — the jobs market — has cracked, and wage growth is slowing. This means that consumers will be even more hard-pressed to spend in the fashion that helps grow the economy.

Increasingly skittish employers slashed payrolls by 159,000 in September, the most in more than five years. A staggering 760,000 jobs have disappeared so far this year. The unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, up sharply from 4.7 percent a year ago.

The U.S. unemployment rate could hit 7 or 7.5 percent by late 2009. If that happens, it would mark the highest rate of joblessness since the months immediately following the 1990-91 recession. Some economists say the jobless rate could rise even more before the situation starts to get better.

Mounting job losses, shrinking paychecks, shriveling nest eggs and rising foreclosures all have weighed heavily on American voters, who will be electing a new president in about four weeks. The economy is their No. 1 concern, polls have shown.

by http://news.yahoo.com

McCain, Obama trade barbs in town hall debate

2008-10-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - John McCain dismissively called rival Barack Obama "that one," Obama mocked McCain's "Straight Talk Express," and both left the debate stage to return to the campaign trail Wednesday.

It took just eight minutes into Tuesday's presidential debate for Republican candidate McCain to land the first blow, blaming Obama and Democrats for the collapse of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
"They're the ones that, with the encouragement of Senator Obama and his cronies and his friends in Washington, that went out and made all these risky loans, gave them to people that could never afford to pay back," McCain said.
Obama responded: "I've got to correct a little bit of Senator McCain's history, not surprisingly. ... In fact, Senator McCain's campaign chairman's firm was a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae, not me."
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has a stake in a Washington lobbying firm that received thousands of dollars a month from Freddie Mac until recently.
Davis is one of the many figures in both campaigns and near them who have been targeted as reasons why each should not be supported. As they head back on the road Wednesday, both campaigns say those associations would again be highlighted.
McCain running mate Sarah Palin has questioned Obama's ties to William Ayers, who 40 years ago was a member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings. Obama had a limited relationship with Ayers, who lives in the same neighborhood and teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Democrats have criticized McCain for his role in a 1980s banking scandal. He was one of five senators who had accepted contributions from Charles Keating Jr., a real estate speculator and savings and loan owner. Keating's institution failed and cost many investors in uninsured financial products their life savings.
Neither figure came up during Tuesday's debate. Nor did either candidate call the other a liar, a familiar charge in this contentious campaign.
The closest: "You know, Senator McCain, I think the Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one," Obama said.
McCain suggested some evasiveness on Obama's part: "Nailing down Senator Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. There has been five or six of them and if you wait long enough, there will probably be another one."
In one pointed confrontation on foreign policy, Obama bluntly challenged McCain's steadiness. "This is a guy who sang 'bomb, bomb, bomb Iran,' who called for the annihilation of North Korea — that I don't think is an example of speaking softly."
That came in response to McCain's accusation that Obama had threatened to invade Pakistan.
McCain said his rival "was wrong about Iraq and the surge. He was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia. And in his short career he does not understand our national security challenges. We don't have time for on-the-job training."
Obama countered with a trace of sarcasm that he didn't understand some things — like how the United States could face the challenge it does in Afghanistan after spending years and hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq.
During a discussion of an energy bill McCain offered up a two-word phrase that immediately got a reaction.
"You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one," McCain said, pointing at his opponent.
The debate at Belmont University was the second of three between the two rivals, and the only one to feature a format in which voters seated a few feet away posed questions to the candidates.
The audience was selected by Gallup, the polling organization, and was split three ways among voters leaning toward McCain, those leaning toward Obama and those undecided.
Tom Brokaw of NBC, the moderator, screened their questions and also chose others that had been submitted online.

by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/presidential_debate;_ylt=A0WTUdOFkexIe6gAsg6s0NUE

"Mamma Mia" still big with moms overseas

2008-10-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Forget the fanboys and their comic-book movies, it's time to hail a long-neglected fan base -- the mature women who kept "Mamma Mia!" on top in the international market for the fifth week in a row. One woman in Germany is reported to have seen the ABBA-inspired musical romance more than 70 times.

Thanks to a top-of-the-market bow in Italy ($2.6 million) and strong holdovers, "Mamma Mia!" pulled in $13.6 million over the weekend from 44 territories, lifting its foreign gross to $377 million. After 13 weeks in Britain, it ranks at No. 4 and has reached a market gross of $123.2 million. "Mamma Mia!"
Among recent newcomers, the political thriller "Eagle Eye," added 17 markets, recording $8.2 million from a total of 26 markets and raising its total to $15 million. The Ben Stiller comedy "Tropic Thunder," pulled in $5.1 million from 31 markets to lift its total to $49.2 million.
Disney launched its talking-dogs comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" in five overseas markets day-and-date with its No. 1 domestic debut, taking in $5.1 million led by top-ranked bows in Australia ($2.6 million) and Mexico ($2 million).
New domestic dud "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" grabbed the No. 1 spot in the U.K. with $2 million. The Holocaust drama "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" led Spain for a second weekend with a 10-day take of $6.5 million.
In Japan, the local film "Suspect X," the big-screen spin-off of Fuji TV's detective drama "Galileo," opened at No. 1 to an impressive $5.2 million.
In France, Laurent Cantet's Palme D'Or winner "The Class" held on to first place for a second weekend for a two-week take of $6.1 million.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

by news.yahoo.com

"X-Files" star David Duchovny leaves sex rehab

2008-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor David Duchovny, who plays a womanizing novelist on the cable television series "Californication," has completed a rehabilitation program for sex addiction, his attorney said on Monday.

Duchovny, former star of the "X-Files" films and TV series, is married to actress Tea Leoni and they have two children.
The actor's admission to a rehab facility for treatment of sex addiction was publicly revealed by his attorney, Stanton "Larry" Stein, in late August.
In a statement on Monday, Stanton said Duchovny "has successfully completed rehabilitation."
"He is out and will very soon begin work on his new movie," Stanton said.
Stein declined to say where the actor had been treated or when he left the center.
In January, Duchovny won a Golden Globe Award as best actor in a comedy for his role as Hank Moody, an oversexed single dad and novelist struggling with writer's block in the Showtime series "Californication."
Duchovny, 48, is set to star in a film called "The Joneses" scheduled for release next year.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Steve Gorman and John O'Callaghan)

by news.yahoo.com

R. Kelly seeks $3.4 million from tour promoter

2008-10-06T20:09:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES - R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect.

R. Kelly Touring, which represents the singer, filed court documents on Monday seeking a judge's confirmation of the award an arbitrator granted against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment last month.
Kelly's company claimed that Rowe Entertainment and owner Leonard Rowe failed to pay him in full for shows scheduled for late last year and early 2008. An arbitrator agreed with Kelly's claims. Documents show Rowe disputed the arbitration, but did not offer any defense during a recent hearing.
An after-hours phone message left for Rowe's attorney in Atlanta was not returned Monday.
Kelly won three Grammys in 1997 for the song "I Believe I Can Fly," but is known for his sexually charged music. He was acquitted earlier this year of child pornography charges and is scheduled to release a new album before year's end.
Singer Ne-Yo recently won a $700,000 judgment against Rowe after he sued because he was dropped from Kelly's tour after only two shows.

by news.yahoo.com

Miley Cyrus celebrates Sweet 16 at Disneyland

2008-10-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Miley Cyrus' 16th birthday party was more boisterous than sweet. Cyrus celebrated the hallmark birthday at an over-the-top Disneyland celebration Sunday — even though she doesn't actually turn 16 until Nov. 23. The theme park was closed for the supersized soiree, which included a four-song performance by the teen queen and a fireworks display above Sleeping Beauty Castle and 16 giant inflatable candles.

"Miley is really hard to surprise," her father Billy Ray Cyrus said at the event.
Organizers estimated over 5,000 people attended the special party, which cost $250 a ticket. On the event's purple carpet — that's Cyrus' favorite color — the "Hannah Montana" star bragged that her parents bought her a new puppy for her birthday. What else does Cyrus want for her birthday? A new car? Perhaps a later curfew?
"My parents shut down Disneyland for me, so I'm good for a while," Cyrus said.
Cyrus' father opened up for his daughter with a few of his own songs, including "Achy Breaky Heart." His daughter donned a white ruffled skirt and jersey-like vest with "Sweet 16" printed on the back for her truncated concert. At one point, Cyrus boarded a boat in the park's Rivers of America and crooned such tunes as "Breakout" and "G.N.O."
Throughout the evening, several popular attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, remained open to partygoers. Additional activities, like receiving a "Hannah Montana" makeover and playing the upcoming Disney Interactive Studios rhythm video game "Ultimate Band," were also made available to attendees.
Partygoers ogled celebrities roaming around the park throughout the party. David Archuleta and his entourage skipped the line to ride Space Mountain. Jennie Garth and her family ducked out before the fireworks display capping the celebration. Other stars in attendance included Steve Carell, Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Disney used the event to promote their upcoming "What Will You Celebrate?" marketing initiative, which encourages tourists to take "celebration vacations" with their families. Beginning in 2009, guests at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Florida can gain free theme park admission on their birthday with a valid ID and proof of birth date.
Over at Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland's sister theme park, an entirely different celebration was occurring during the Sweet 16 event: the 11th annual Gay Days Anaheim, an unofficial gathering of gays and lesbians at the Disneyland Resort. Event producer Jeffrey Epstein said Cyrus' affair didn't conflict with Gay Days Anaheim.
"We're happy to share our big weekend with Miley," said Epstein. "While it may be a small world after all, we think it's big enough for both groups to have a blast."

by news.yahoo.com

Madonna gives fans a treat with "Sticky & Sweet"

2008-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kickoff concert to Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.

As she sang the emotional song from her movie "Evita," Madonna couldn't help but wink and smile at the roaring sold-out crowd as she sang the song's main refrain and title: "You must love me."

Maybe that's because she knew she was right. Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Center on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed. It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight.

Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer. From the moment she first appeared on stage, looking taut and chiseled in a black bra and shorts with a mesh layer overlay, she turned the arena into a massive dance club and a nonstop party. The zooming "Candy Shop," off her most recent CD "Hard Candy," set it off as Madonna strutted onstage flanked by an army of dancers. While they may have executed the show's most intricate dance moves, the ever-fit Madonna dazzled on her own with sinewy steps that belied her AARP-status.

Though the show's first moments were devoted to her new album, it didn't take long for her to seamlessly groove back in time, performing one of her '90s gems, "Human Nature." The already funky, synthesized tune got an even funkier update, as Madonna utilized the vocoder trend with her background vocals. The unapologetic anthem was highlighted by a video that showed Madonna being watched by a security camera in an elevator; as the song went on, Britney Spears' image intertwined with her blonde musical mentor, looking frightened and frail under the camera's lens before striking a decidedly confident pose at the song's end.

It's a testament to Madonna's musical chops that her new music blended so expertly with some of her greatest hits: Elements of "4 Minutes" were mashed up with "Vogue" for a flashback that managed to be both classic and cutting edge. While she sang many of her classics, such as "Like a Prayer," "La Isla Bonita," and "Ray of Life," those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do. They were given full attention with colorful, dazzling displays and new arrangements that made them seem as exciting and fresh as when they first made their debut. "Get Into the Groove" was re-imagined with the help of a DJ, a double-Dutch playing Madonna and cartoons by the late Keith Haring. During one of her many guitar-playing moments, she gave a rocked out performance of "Borderline" to the feverishly energetic crowd.

While the "Sweet & Sticky" tour would have been a triumph in any year, it was particularly impressive coming off her somewhat lackluster "Confessions" two years ago, which seemed more like a labored, carefully designed exercise than a joyful performance.

Not so this time around. Instead of performing at the crowd, she was performing for and with them, bringing them into her world with warmth and appreciation. Even when she scolded the few in the audience who weren't on their feet with unprintable language, she was jovial and endearing.

Jabs at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — "Sarah Palin is not in my show!" were not daggers, and she even added, "Nothing personal." And the one preachy moment — in which she implored the audience to "save the world" through a series of video images that interspersed the world's atrocities with her ideas hopeful images, including Democratic candidate Barack Obama — wasn't as over the top as might be expected (with the exception of the interloping of video of Republican candidate John McCain in with world dictators and Adolph Hitler).

With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and her 50th birthday, it would have been easy for Madonna to turn her latest tour into some kind of nostalgia show. It probably would have been an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

But then again, it wouldn't have been Madonna — the consummate artist who always stretches the limits, exploring new ideas to stay relevant. On Saturday, she proved to be more than relevant — she's still music premier performer.

___

On the Net:

http://www.madonna.com

`SNL' sends up VP debate with Fey, Queen Latifah

2008-10-05T01:54:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - It's starting to feel like Tina Fey is running for vice president.

Fey again returned to "Saturday Night Live" to play Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as the sketch comedy show continued to pull out all the stops in its election year season. Queen Latifah dropped by to portray Thursday's debate moderator, PBS's Gwen Ifill, and cast member Jason Sudeikis stepped into the role of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The "SNL" take on the week's political events has become a dependable part of the news cycle this fall, offering near-immediate parodies of the presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, and their running mates. The show — particularly the opening sketches — have resonated with higher ratings for the NBC program and increased traffic on its Web site where early-to-bed viewers catch the talked-about sketches in the days after.

Saturday night's opening sketch of the VP debate appeared likely to garner similar buzz thanks to Fey's popular Palin impression. Winking and giving answers not always directly related to Queen Latifah's questions, Fey's Palin said that if she was elected, her decisions would be guided by considering "what would a maverick do?"

At the end of the segment, she asked with flute in hand, "Are we not doing the talent portion?"

Palin was runnerup in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest.

Sudeikis, with hair slicked back and a tight-fitting suit, portrayed Biden as conflicted in his feelings for McCain, whom he called "a raging maniac and a dear, dear friend."

Saturday's "SNL" concluded the opening run of four straight shows — including three with guest appearances from Fey, a former cast member and head writer for "SNL" whose day job is starring in, producing and writing for NBC's "30 Rock." The network has said her appearances on "SNL" are being decided on a week-to-week basis.

The show has shown its willingness this fall to cast from beyond its current lineup. Last week, former cast member Chris Parnell returned to play Jim Lehrer, the moderator of the first presidential debate.

"SNL" — which was hosted Saturday by Anne Hathaway with the Killers performing — will get its first weekend off this week. But it will still capitalize on election campaign fodder with the first of three prime-time "Weekend Update" specials beginning Thursday.

___

On the Net:

http://www.nbc.com

By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer

Sun Oct 5, 1:46 AM ET

Janet Jackson delays 3 more shows due to illness

2008-10-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Janet Jackson has postponed three more shows because of an undisclosed illness.

Her publicist said in an e-mail late Saturday that Jackson was postponing a Saturday show in Greensboro, N.C., one on Sunday in Atlanta and a third on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

A statement from Jackson said she arrived in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to perform there Saturday, but a local doctor advised that she not perform after it became "evident" she was not fully recovered.

Representatives for the 42-year-old singer say she became "suddenly ill" and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show. She also canceled concerts in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Jackson's publicist did not elaborate Saturday, only saying she was "recuperating." The note said Jackson will return home, at her doctor's direction, for further treatment.

In the note Jackson asked people to keep their tickets for the postponed shows, and said the promoter is working to reschedule dates.

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

Teen athlete's killing lamented in Ice Cube video

2008-10-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - The unlikely stars of Ice Cube's new video are the grieving relatives of a 17-year-old high school football star who was shot to death outside his home.

The song "Why Me?" speaks out against senseless violence and gun crime devastating communities. Cube says Jamiel Shaw Jr.'s family is a powerful illustration of the pain that lingers after a murder.

"It just was a tragic, tragic story of why," Cube says. "Young people are dying for no reason all over the world that don't know why. It's ugly, everywhere."

Shaw had been on track for a college sports scholarship when he was gunned down in March a few yards from his house in a working-class neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles. His mother was serving in the Army in Iraq at the time.

Pedro Espinoza, an illegal immigrant and suspected gang member who had been released from jail a day earlier on weapons charges, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Prosecutors say Espinoza drove to Shaw's neighborhood and shot him after asking him about his gang affiliation. Police have said Shaw was never in a gang.

The rap video begins with the tightly framed, sorrow-filled faces of Shaw's parents and aunt. His father recounts a final conversation with his son.

"To drive this home, it was only right to use real family and not use a bunch of actors," Cube says.

His video features photographs of dozens of other crime victims blowing from a tree, then across the sand in the desert. It also depicts a young man in a football jersey being gunned down on a street. As he lays dying, he asks, "Why me homie, why me?"

Espinoza's early release from jail led the Shaws to call for the passage of "Jamiel's Law," which would push Los Angeles police to crack down on illegal immigrant gang members.

Cube says the video is not meant as an endorsement of the move.

"It ain't really a commentary on that," he says. "You've got a person being killed by a person he don't know for a reason he don't know ... Who cares if it was an immigrant or if it was a taxpaying citizen?"

For the Shaws, appearing in the video was a chance to further their petition drive to qualify the proposed law for the November ballot.

"Every time I start watching it, I start crying," Jamiel Shaw Sr. says. "At the same time, I feel good that we are getting the word out."

by news.yahoo.com

Nokia takes on Apple's iTunes, iPhone

2008-10-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

LONDON (Reuters) - Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker, launched its free music package on Thursday, issuing a challenge to Apple Inc's dominance of the digital music market.

The Finnish company also launched its first touch-screen phone 5800 Xpressmusic to rival Apple's popular iPhone.

Nokia said at an analyst and media event in London it would start selling the phone shortly, pricing it at 279 euros ($395) excluding subsidies and taxes, which it said was roughly half the price of the other main touch-screen phones on the market.

"The price and positioning of the product may result in substantial demand and will undoubtedly put some pressure on Apple," said Ben Wood, research head at CCS Insight.

The price means consumers in large markets will get the phone for free from operators when agreeing to sign a contract. The company also will be able to make a dent in emerging markets.

"We expect it to be listed with most of the (mobile phone) operators," Jo Harlow, head of music phones, told Reuters in an interview.

Nokia said all major music labels and most independent labels will offer their tracks as part of Nokia's 'free' music bundle "Comes with Music," raising the total number of tracks to around 5 million.

"Apple's days of dominant digital music retailer outside the United States are numbered, if they don't do anything radical," said Rob Wells, head of Universal's digital music business.

Apple controls slightly more than half of global digital music sales through its iTunes store.

Nokia said it aims to offer the music service next year on Apple's home ground in the United States, the world's largest music market.

"In a market where price and selection are so much more important than brand to consumers, Apple cannot count on retaining users when competing with an offering which seems free to the end user," said Strategy Analytics' David MacQueen.

"Comes with Music" and similar products from other hardware vendors could help the music industry make up for falling CD sales and cut illegal downloads.

The battle for mobile music is increasingly crowded. Sony Ericsson launched its music package this month in Sweden, and South Korea's LG Electronics plans a service similar to Nokia's.

Nokia's package will differ from others on the market since users can keep all the music they have downloaded during the subscription period of 12 or 18 months. There are no charges for tracks downloaded as the cost is bundled to the phone price.

Analysts and music industry players said Nokia's offering could bring free music to millions of consumers and change the music industry significantly.

"The introduction of mobile handsets featuring unlimited music downloads out-of-the-box will bring about a fundamental change in the way the mass-market consumes digital music," said Rob Lewis, chief executive officer of British digital music firm Omnifone.

PUSH INTO SERVICES

The music download package is Nokia's first major push into the services business. Last year the company unveiled a revamp of its whole organization, aiming to build a new business from internet services to combat slowing growth in sales of handsets.

Nokia has acknowledged the impact Apple has made on the industry with its iPhone over the past year, saying the Cupertino, California-based computer and consumer electronics company had done the mobile phone industry "a big favor."

"We have a new, credible competitor in this business," Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told the Churchill Club on Wednesday, a speakers' forum for Silicon Valley civic leaders.

"Of course we need to be able to respond to any competitor and we will."

Nokia will launch the package in Britain, the world's third largest music market. UK retailer, Carphone Warehouse, will start selling the products on Oct 16. Nokia 5310 will sell for 130 pounds ($230), while the price for a version of Nokia's sophisticated N95 smartphone with eight gigabytes of memory was not revealed.

Analysts said the choice of a relatively cheap model was a clear indication Nokia was trying to win over consumers who often are not paying for music but getting it through file-sharing sites on the Internet.

"If you have access to everything, what's the need for pirated music?" said Universal's Rob Wells.

(Additional reporting by David Lawsky in San Francisco and Eric Auchard in Santa Clara, Sinead Carew in New York and Agnieszka Flak in Helsinki; editing by Carol Bishopric)

by news.yahoo.com

"Chihuahua" has paws on the box-office prize

2008-10-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It's looking like a dog of a weekend at the box office. Disney's dog, to be exact, as the Burbank studio unspools its PG comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" amid expectations that the live-action with talking dogs feature could fetch up to $30 million during its opening weekend.

The film's canines are voiced by Drew Barrymore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Andy Garcia and George Lopez.

Family patrons form the target audience, but Disney executives hope the young-at-heart crowd also will come along for the four-legged romp.

"In all the screenings we've done, we have gotten nothing but wonderful marks from all the audiences who were on hand," Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said. "So there's no question that this is a commercial, family film, but I believe we can expand on that audience."

With "Chihuahua" sure to bow at No. 1, last weekend's top dog -- DreamWorks/Paramount's "Eagle Eye" -- could grab second place, if the Shia LaBeouf/Michelle Monaghan thriller rings up half its $29.2 million opening gross during its sophomore session.

But Sony's young-skewing PG-13 comedy "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" also will compete for the silver-medal position. The musically driven romantic comedy starring Michael Cera ("Superbad") and Kat Dennings ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") appears safe to open in the teen millions, and a particularly robust weekend could help it soar a bit higher than "Eagle."

Whatever the precise pecking order of the top films, their combined grosses should power the industry to a second consecutive year-over-year weekend uptick after a sluggish start to the fall box-office season. Less than $85 million was registered during the comparable year-ago frame, whose biggest opener was the disappointing $14 million bow by a remake of "The Heartbreak Kid."

This weekend's four other wide openers look likely to max out in the upper single-digit millions.

Miramax's "Blindness" -- starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Gael Garcia Bernal and directed by Fernando Meirelles -- is getting a wide bow, but the atmospheric thriller likely will need positive word-of-mouth from its first frame to fuel a leggy run toward commercial success. MGM and After Dark's R-rated comedy "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People," starring Simon Pegg ("Hot Fuzz"), should skew a bit older than "Playlist" and gross much lower.

Vivendi's political spoof "An American Carol" skewers liberal sensitivities and is likely to play best with even older audiences. "Carol" represents the first film release for Vivendi, whose next scheduled film is the Mariah Carey-starring "Tennessee" in December.

Spyglass Entertainment's Universal-distributed drama "Flash of Genius" stars Greg Kinnear but has barely registered in prerelease tracking surveys. Based on the true story of Robert Kearns, inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper, "Genius"might find its true road to decent returns in the DVD market.

Universal this weekend also will offer 750 sneak previews of its October 10 pigskin film "The Express," starring Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Hollywood actors union seeks authority for strike

2008-10-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television actors ratcheted up pressure on Hollywood's major studios on Wednesday when negotiators, stalled in labor talks with producers, sought backing to put a strike authorization vote to guild members.

Contract negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild, which is the largest U.S. actors union with some 120,000 members, passed a resolution seeking the endorsement of SAG's national board for guild members to vote on whether to call a work stoppage, which, if it occurred, would be the second halt this year.
Late on Wednesday, SAG released the resolution passed by its contract negotiating committee, but said it would have no further comment.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios, shot back with its own statement asking, "Is this really the time for anyone in the entertainment business to be talking about going on strike?"
But SAG said a strike authorization vote by members "is necessary to overcome the employers' intransigence."
A strike authorization ballot is not a vote on a work halt, but it does give union leaders leverage in the contract talks that stalled back in July after a final offer from the AMPTP.
The entertainment industry is on edge about another possible work stoppage on the heels of the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike that crippled film and TV production.
That work stoppage, whose issues centered largely on work performed for the Internet, lasted some 14 weeks and cost the local economy as much as $3 billion by some estimates.
SAG's resolution comes after several recent exchanges between the two in recent days.
Earlier this week, SAG's National Negotiating Committee, which passed Wednesday's resolution, sent a letter to the AMPTP and key studio executives urging a restart to formal talks. In the letter, SAG highlighted new media work as a key issue.
The studios responded by saying its last offer in June was comparable with contracts signed by writers and directors, and the AMPTP did not think new talks would be productive.
On Wednesday, the AMPTP said in its statement that "it is unrealistic for SAG negotiators now to expect even better terms" than the other guilds.
Reuters/Nielsen

by news.yahoo.com

Attorney: Paparazzi called in tip on Locklear

2008-10-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - A photographer who called 911 to report Heather Locklear allegedly driving erratically runs a paparazzi agency and profited from images she took of the actress's subsequent arrest, the woman's attorney said Wednesday.

But Nicholas Tepper, who represents photographer Jill Ishkanian, said in a written statement Wednesday that her phone call to authorities was motivated by "civic duty" and a concern for Locklear's safety.
He also defended Ishkanian's right to then take photos of the arrest.
"The fact she witnessed Ms. Locklear's erratic driving and reported it to the police did not mean she was disqualified from reporting the story, which she in fact did," Tepper wrote.
He said Ishkanian then sold the photos to celebrity gossip site TMZ for $27,000 — but did it through a third party, KM Press Group, because her standing in the industry has been damaged by a lawsuit against her former employer, US Weekly.
In its postings this week, TMZ questioned whether Ishkanian was "up to no good" and claimed she alerted fellow paparazzi to Locklear's impending arrest. TMZ head Harvey Levin said Wednesday that the owner of KM Press Group has repeatedly told him that one of the agency's photographers snapped the photos and that Ishkanian called to tip him off to Locklear's arrest.
Tepper said Ishkanian had been visiting family and friends in the Montecito area when she spotted Locklear's car driving erratically Saturday afternoon, called 911 and was advised by a CHP dispatcher to stop following the car.
But Levin said some of the pictures appear to be taken well before Locklear's arrest, and questioned Tepper's contention that Ishkanian just happened to run into her acting erratically at a market. At least one of the photos shows Locklear coming out of a shop.
Tepper initially said Ishkanian took all the photos after phoning authorities. But when pressed about the image of Locklear appearing to leave a store, he said he wasn't sure about the sequence that the photos were taken in, only that Ishkanian shot them all.
Levin said he did not consider the photos tainted. "Ultimately, these are photographs of an arrest."
The California Highway Patrol, which would not confirm the identity of the 911 caller, said she didn't identify that the driver was Locklear, but said the actress appeared "drunk" in a market. The CHP said in a news release that Locklear showed "obvious impairment," but alcohol has been ruled out.
Santa Barbara County prosecutors will have to decide whether to pursue charges after test results are returned that could show whether Locklear was under the influence of other substances.
CHP Lt. Dane Lobb said Wednesday that Ishkanian's involvement would not change what was going forward as a regular DUI investigation. "We determined (Locklear) was someone who shouldn't be operating a vehicle," he said.
Locklear's attorney, Blair Berk, did not return an e-mail message seeking comment Wednesday evening.
Tepper later said in an interview that Ishkanian also provided authorities with a statement and would testify against Locklear if necessary. He said Ishkanian sold the photos without disclosing that she was the shooter because of her $55 million lawsuit against US Weekly; that suit claims the magazine's employees damaged her career by accusing her of stealing information from company computers.
Federal agents later raided Ishkanian's home and business, but she has never been arrested or charged. Her lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, libel, slander, and conspiracy.
Tepper said Wednesday the US Weekly lawsuit has limited her business, claiming others in the industry refuse to use her material. The magazine is appealing a judge's ruling that refused to dismiss several of Ishkanian's claims.
US Weekly said through a spokesman Wednesday night that it had no comment.
After leaving the magazine, Ishkanian helped form Sunset Photo and News, a paparazzi and celebrity reporting agency.

by news.yahoo.com

Dekker eager to enroll in "Fame" remake

2008-09-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Thomas Dekker, the star of Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," is in talks to take a lead role in MGM's remake of the 1980 musical "Fame."

Dekker is gunning to play Marco, a working-class kid with some gnarly acting chops who is competing with thousands of hopefuls to get into and survive an elite New York public high school for the arts.

Written by Allison Burnett, the revamp will be directed by Kevin Tancharoen, a director and choreographer who has worked in TV (MTV's "DanceLife"), on music videos and on tours for such singers as Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.

The film's producers have been holding open casting calls in New York and Los Angeles since the spring (video auditions posted by wannabes also pepper YouTube).

The original "Fame," directed by Alan Parker, followed an ensemble of ambitious young performers and teachers as the kids worked their way through the prestigious New York Academy of Performing Arts. The film was nominated for six Oscars and won for best score and best original song, "Fame," performed by co-star Irene Cara. It was then spun off into a TV series.

MGM, under the production leadership of Mary Parent, already has staked out September 25 as a release date. Other characters about to be cast include an aspiring filmmaker, a shapely dancer, a slam poet, a salsa musician and a sheltered pianist.

Dekker started acting at age 6 and comes from a musical family. He sang on the soundtracks of several films in the animated "Land Before Time" video series and has an album, "Psyanotic," on iTunes.

Dekker's other recent TV work includes "7th Heaven" and "Heroes." His feature resume includes the horror film "From Within" and the drama "My Sister's Keeper," both due in theaters next year. "Whore," an independent film that Dekker wrote, directed, produced, edited and starred in, will be released by Moving Parts in October.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Britney Spears files appeals in driving case

2008-09-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears' attorney has asked a judge to delay the singer's upcoming trial on a misdemeanor charge for driving without a valid license.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday seeking a stay in the criminal case. Flanagan also wants an appellate judge to order the judge overseeing the case to grant Spears' motion to dismiss.

Flanagan has twice requested a dismissal of the case, saying that Spears should be allowed to pay a $10 fine and not face a criminal trial.

The 26-year-old singer is scheduled to go on trial in October on a single misdemeanor charge that she did not have a valid California license when she hit a parked car in August 2007 and left the scene.

Flanagan also argues in Monday's filings that Spears is unable to meaningfully participate in her defense because of her conservatorship. Since February, her father has controlled the singer's personal and financial affairs.

Also Monday, the pop star told a New York radio station that her clip "Piece of Me" leaves room for improvement — despite winning three MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month.

"It's a cool video, but I think by far I've done videos that are way better," the singer said in an interview with top 40 radio station Z100. "So I was really shocked that ... it got the award."

Spears called her triple victory "inspiring, though, because now going forward with the videos that I'm doing now, I can really go there and do something crazy and see what happens."

Spears, whose new album "Circus" drops Dec. 2, plans a possible world tour next year.

by news.yahoo.com

Food and Hotel Thailand 2008

2008-09-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

Date : 17 - 20 September 2008
Venue : The Royal Paragon Halls, Exhibition & Convention Center
5 ^th Floor Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

Food & Hotel Thailand 2008, incorporation IFHS and Retail Thailand 2008, will once again be held at the Royal Paragon Halls in the heart of Bangkok to follow on from its record breaking success in 2007 when it attracted a total of 19,369 trade visitors from 56 countries.

Food & Hotel Thailand remains the number one event in Asia for the hospitality industry’s premium market supply of international food, beverage, equipment and technology.

More infomation :
Bangkok Exhibition Services Ltd (BES), Tel. (+66) 02 615 1255 Fax. (+66) 02 615 2991-3
www.foodhotelthailand.com

Bullock Wagon Race

2008-09-30T03:57:00.001-07:00

Two Thai men riding on the bullock wagons use of bamboo sticks to force their bulls to sprint faster during a race in Petchaburi province, central Thailand Sunday, Feb. 12, 2006. Thai farmers at this province celebrate the end of the harvest season with various kind of folk competitions including bullock wagon race, wrestling with the bulls and climbing the palm trees. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

By Richard Barrow

from thai-blogs.com

Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds marry in Canada

2008-09-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds did a little rushing into it after all. The couple married this weekend, according to publicist Meredith O'Sullivan. She did not provide details.

Us Weekly reported on its Web site Sunday that the small wedding took place at a resort outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Guests included Scarlett's mother, Melanie Sloan, and her brother, Adrian Johansson, the magazine said.
The couple announced their engagement in May.
"We're just enjoying our time," the actress said last month. "We're just recently — very recently — engaged. So, you know, we're just taking it easy. And no big plan yet. But it's a good time and we're just ... enjoying our time to be young and engaged.
"I mean, I'm 23. There's no reason to rush into it. Everything feels very natural and relaxed."
Johansson most recently starred in the Woody Allen film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Reynolds starred on the TV show "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" and the romantic comedy "Definitely, Maybe."

by news.yahoo.com

Springsteen to play Super Bowl halftime show

2008-09-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will play the half-time slot at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, snagging the spot at the most-watched musical event of the year, according to the organizers.

This year, more than 148 million viewers in the U.S. watched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers play at the championship game of American football, the National Football League said on Sunday.
Other recent acts have included Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2. The most infamous performer was Janet Jackson, who bared her breast during the 2004 event, triggering a crackdown on televised smut.
The Super Bowl will be televised by NBC.
(Reporting by Michael Erman)

Tina Fey reprises role as Sarah Palin on `SNL'

2008-09-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," again appearing as the candidate in an opening sketch.

Saturday night's show — the third of the season for the NBC comedy program — brought back the season premiere tandem of Fey and Amy Poehler, who opened the season with a memorable sketch featuring Fey as Palin and Poehler as Hillary Clinton.

This time around, Poehler played CBS's Katie Couric, parodying the interview with Palin earlier this week. Poehler, though, mostly played straight man to Fey, who ratcheted up her performance of Sen. John McCain's running mate by satirizing her foreign affairs experience.

When Poehler's Couric pushed Fey's Palin to specifically discuss how she would help facilitate democracy abroad, Fey gave in: "Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines. ... I want to phone a friend."

When a confused Poehler informed her that that wasn't how the interview worked, Fey's Palin responded — alluding to one of the governor's most quoted lines from the interview — "Well, in that case, I'm just gonna have to get back to ya."

Fey, a former cast member and head writer of "SNL," has seemingly been thrust back into regular appearances on the program despite her full-time gig with NBC's "30 Rock."

She is widely considered to look like Palin, and "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels persuaded her to ride the show's hot hand. Her first appearance as the Alaskan governor two weeks ago was a huge hit, helping boost the premiere's ratings and garnering attention online.

Fey wasn't the only former cast member who returned Saturday night. Chris Parnell came back to play presidential debate moderator Jim Lehrer in a sketch that parodied Friday night's contest between McCain and Democratic rival Barack Obama — which occurred less than 27 hours earlier than the live "SNL" broadcast.

The sketch mainly played up McCain's attempts to shake up the debate process, as Darrell Hammond's McCain urged his opponent to join him in "nude or seminude" town hall meetings.

At the outset, Parnell announced: "Throughout the debate, I will urge you both to look at one another up to and beyond the point it becomes uncomfortable."

___

On the Net:

http://www.nbc.com

The films of actor Paul Newman

2008-09-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

The films of Paul Newman include:

"The Silver Chalice," 1954.

"Somebody Up There Likes Me," 1956.

"The Rack," 1956.

"The Helen Morgan Story," 1957.

"Until They Sail," 1957.

"The Long Hot Summer," 1958.

"The Left-Handed Gun," 1958.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," 1958.

"Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!" 1958.

"The Young Philadelphians," 1959.

"From the Terrace," 1960.

"Exodus," 1960.

"The Hustler," 1961.

"Paris Blues," 1961.

"Sweet Bird of Youth," 1962.

"Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man," 1962.

"Hud," 1963.

"A New Kind of Love," 1963.

"The Prize," 1963.

"What a Way to Go," 1964.

"The Outrage," 1964.

"Lady L," 1965.

"Harper," 1966.

"Torn Curtain," 1966.

"Hombre," 1967.

"Cool Hand Luke," 1967.

"The Secret War of Harry Frigg," 1968.

"Rachel Rachel," (director) 1968.

"Winning," 1969.

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.

"WUSA," 1970.

"Sometimes a Great Notion," 1971.

"Pocket Money," 1972.

"The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," (director), 1972.

"The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," 1972.

"The Mackintosh Man," 1973.

"The Sting," 1973.

"The Towering Inferno," 1974.

"The Drowning Pool," 1975.

"Silent Movie," (cameo), 1976.

"Buffalo Bill and the Indians ... or Sitting Bull's History Lesson," 1976.

"Slap Shot," 1977.

"Quintet," 1979.

"When Time Ran Out," 1980.

"Fort Apache The Bronx," 1981.

"Absence of Malice," 1981.

"The Verdict," 1982.

"Harry and Son," 1984.

"The Color of Money," 1986.

"Fat Man and Little Boy," 1989.

"Mr. & Mrs. Bridge," 1990.

"The Hudsucker Proxy," 1994.

"Nobody's Fool," 1994.

"Twilight," 1998.

"Message in a Bottle," 1999.

"Where the Money Is," 2000.

"Road to Perdition," 2002.

"Our Town," 2003.

"Empire Falls," 2005.

"Cars," (voice) 2006.

By The Associated Press

Paul Newman, Hollywood's anti-hero, dies

2008-09-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman never much cared for what he once called the "rubbish" of Hollywood, choosing to live in a quiet community on the opposite corner of the U.S. map, staying with his wife of many years and — long after he became bored with acting — pursuing his dual passions of philanthropy and race cars.

And yet despite enormous success in both endeavors and a vile distaste for celebrity, the Oscar-winning actor never lost the aura of a towering Hollywood movie star, turning in roles later in life that carried all the blue-eyed, heartthrob cool of his anti-hero performances in "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
The 10-time Academy Award nominee died Friday at age 83, surrounded by family and close friends at his Westport farmhouse following a long battle with cancer, publicist Jeff Sanderson said Saturday.
In May, Newman dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men" at Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse, citing unspecified health issues. The following month, a friend disclosed that he was being treated for cancer and Martha Stewart, also a friend, posted photos on her Web site of Newman looking gaunt at a charity luncheon.
But true to his fiercely private nature, Newman remained cagey about his condition, reacting to reports that he had lung cancer with a statement saying only that he was "doing nicely."
As an actor, Newman got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become a legend held in awe by his peers. He won one Oscar and took home two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."
Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting."
"There is a point where feelings go beyond words," Redford said Saturday. "I have lost a real friend. My life — and this country — is better for his being in it."
Newman sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer." Newman also directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie."
"Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special," his daughters said in a written statement. "Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity."
With his strong, classically handsome face and piercing blue eyes, Newman was just as likely to play against his looks, becoming a favorite with critics for his convincing portrayals of rebels, tough guys and losers. New York Times critic Caryn James wrote after his turn as the town curmudgeon in 1995's "Nobody's Fool" that "you never stop to wonder how a guy as good-looking as Paul Newman ended up this way."
But neither his heartthrob looks nor his talent could convince Newman to embrace the Hollywood lifestyle. He was reluctant to give interviews and usually refused to sign autographs because he found the majesty of the act offensive.
"Sometimes God makes perfect people," fellow "Absence of Malice" star Sally Field said, "and Paul Newman was one of them."
Newman had a soft spot for underdogs in real life, giving tens of millions to charities through his food company and setting up camps for severely ill children. Passionately opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favor of civil rights, he was so famously liberal that he ended up on President Nixon's "enemies list," one of the actor's proudest achievements, he liked to say.
A screen legend by his mid-40s, he waited a long time for his first competitive Oscar, winning in 1987 for "The Color of Money," a reprise of the role of pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson, whom Newman portrayed in the 1961 film "The Hustler."
In that film, Newman delivered a magnetic performance as the smooth-talking, whiskey-chugging pool shark who takes on Minnesota Fats — played by Jackie Gleason — and becomes entangled with a gambler played by George C. Scott. In the sequel — directed by Scorsese — "Fast Eddie" is no longer the high-stakes hustler he once was, but an aging liquor salesman who takes a young pool player (Cruise) under his wing before making a comeback.
He won an honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft." In 1994, he won a third Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his charitable work.
His most recent academy nod was a supporting actor nomination for the 2002 film "Road to Perdition." One of Newman's nominations was as a producer; the other nine were in acting categories. (Jack Nicholson holds the record among actors for Oscar nominations, with 12; actress Meryl Streep has had 14.)
As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the 2005 HBO drama "Empire Falls" and providing the voice of a crusty 1951 Hudson Hornet in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, "Cars."
But in May 2007, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" he had given up acting, though he intended to remain active in charity projects. "I'm not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to," he said. "You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that's pretty much a closed book for me."
Newman also turned to producing and directing. In 1968, he directed "Rachel, Rachel," a film about a lonely spinster's rebirth. The movie received four Oscar nominations, including Newman, for producer of a best motion picture, and Woodward, for best actress. The film earned Newman the best director award from the New York Film Critics Circle.
In the 1970s, Newman, admittedly bored with acting, became fascinated with auto racing, a sport he studied when he starred in the 1969 film, "Winning." After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made strong showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and second place in the Le Mans in 1979.
"Racing is the best way I know to get away from all the rubbish of Hollywood," he told People magazine in 1979.
Newman later became a car owner and formed a partnership with Carl Haas, starting Newman/Haas Racing in 1983 and joining the CART series. Hiring Mario Andretti as its first driver, the team was an instant success, and throughout the last 26 years, the team — now known as Newman/Haas/Lanigan and part of the IndyCar Series — has won 107 races and eight series championships.
"Paul and I have been partners for 26 years and I have come to know his passion, humor and, above all, his generosity," Haas said. "Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team's drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him."
Despite his love of race cars, Newman continued to make movies and continued to pile up Oscar nominations, his looks remarkably intact, his acting becoming more subtle, nothing like the mannered method performances of his early years, when he was sometimes dismissed as a Brando imitator.
Off the screen, Newman was beloved in Westport, the upscale community about an hour north of New York. One of his favorite haunts was Mario's Place, an eatery that Newman frequented with pals actor James Naughton or writer A.E. Hotchner. He preferred medium-rare hamburgers, with an occasional Heineken.
"He's such a great human being," owner Frank DeMace said. "I can't say enough about him."
Former patrolman John Anastasia says Newman regularly played the annual softball game between local celebrities and the town police department. Newman played on the police department's team.
"He was very much into it, very athletic," Anastasia said. "He didn't play the part of a celebrity, he played the part of a ballplayer. He was not just there for his good looks."
In 1982, Newman and Hotchner started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. The company had donated more than $250 million, according to its Web site.
"We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person," Robert Forrester, vice chairman of Newman's Own Foundation, said in a statement.
Hotchner said Newman should have "everybody's admiration."
"For me it's the loss of an adventurous friendship over the past 50 years and it's the loss of a great American citizen," Hotchner said.
In 1988, Newman founded a camp in northeastern Connecticut for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He went on to establish similar camps in several other states and in Europe.
He and Woodward bought an 18th century farmhouse in Westport, where they raised their three daughters, Elinor "Nell," Melissa and Clea.
Newman had two daughters, Susan and Stephanie, and a son, Scott, from a previous marriage to Jacqueline Witte. Scott died in 1978 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. After his only son's death, Newman established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children.
Newman was born in Cleveland, the second of two boys of Arthur S. Newman, a partner in a sporting goods store, and Theresa Fetzer Newman. Following World War II service in the Navy, he enrolled at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he got a degree in English and was active in student productions.
He later studied at Yale University's School of Drama, then headed to work in theater and television in New York, where his classmates at the famed Actor's Studio included Brando, James Dean and Karl Malden.
Newman's breakthrough was enabled by tragedy: Dean, scheduled to star as the disfigured boxer in a television adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Battler," died in a car crash in 1955. His role was taken by Newman, then a little-known performer.
Newman started in movies the year before, in "The Silver Chalice," a costume film he so despised that he took out an ad in Variety to apologize. By 1958, he had won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for the shiftless Ben Quick in "The Long Hot Summer."
In December 1994, about a month before his 70th birthday, he told Newsweek magazine he had changed little with age.
"I'm not mellower, I'm not less angry, I'm not less self-critical, I'm not less tenacious," he said. "Maybe the best part is that your liver can't handle those beers at noon anymore," he said.
Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.
___
Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York and Josh L. Dickey, Greg Risling and Susan Katz in Los Angeles contributed to this story.
___
On the Net:
http://www.newmansown.com/

Dave Matthews helped produce new Palahniuk film

2008-09-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Dave Matthews has acted in a few films, but the Grammy-winning musician has been playing a behind-the-scenes role in Hollywood of late — that of film producer.

The singer of his namesake band co-founded ATO Pictures and has served mostly as a silent partner. But in the company's latest film, "Choke," the musician was adamant that ATO do more than help finance the film.

"I felt very strongly about us being connected to the project. ... I loved the script," Matthews told The Associated Press during a phone interview Friday before performing with his band in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

"Choke," which was released Friday by Fox Searchlight Pictures, is an adaptation of a novel from "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk.

The film, which stars Sam Rockwell, is about a sex addict named Victor Mancini who likes to pretend he's choking in restaurants to garner strangers' sympathy and then fleece them. When Mancini isn't doing that, hooking up with fellow sex addicts or working at a historical theme park, he's trying to cajole the truth of his paternity from his mentally ill mother.

Matthews doesn't appear in the film, but he championed it once he read the script and the book.

"What Chuck manages to do is make an unusual story not unusual, and I think the film makes that (as well)," Matthews said. "There's a very sweet story at the core of it: This young man's struggle to find out who he is."

Last year, ATO produced "Joshua," a film about a musical child whose family life dramatically alters once his baby sister is born.

Matthews wrote the song that the child character croons as the film draws to a close.

For "Choke," Matthews worked on planning and supporting the movie.

"My involvement was much more in discussing how to get the film done ... (being) really more of a cheerleader," he said.

The opening of "Choke" comes as Matthews and his bandmates work to wrap a tour only weeks after the untimely death of LeRoi Moore, the band's saxophonist and arranger, and one of its founding members.

Moore died Aug. 19 in Los Angeles of complications stemming from a June 30 accident near Charlottesville involving an all-terrain vehicle. He was 46.

"I think it will be a long time before we'll go through a night without him being very present on stage with us when we're performing, in both happy and sad ways, I suppose," Matthews said.

The band is scheduled to perform a few more dates in South America before returning home to continue work on a new album Matthews hopes will be ready for release early next year.

___

On the Net:

"Choke": http://www.foxsearchlight.com/choke/

Obama, McCain argue over war, taxes in 1st debate

2008-09-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

OXFORD, Miss. - John McCain accused Barack Obama of compiling "the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate" Friday night as the two rivals clashed over taxes, spending, the war in Iraq and more in an intense first debate of the White House campaign. "Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies," shot back the Democrat.

Obama said his Republican rival has been a loyal supporter of the unpopular president, adding that the current economic crisis is "a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain."

The two men were polite but pointed as they debated at close quarters for 90 minutes on the University of Mississippi campus.

McCain accused his younger rival of an "incredible thing of voting to cut off funds for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," a reference to legislation that cleared the Senate more than a year ago.

Obama disputed that, saying he had opposed funding in a bill that presented a "blank check" to the Pentagon while McCain had opposed money in legislation that included a timetable for troop withdrawal.

Obama opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2002, before he was a member of Congress, while McCain voted in the Senate to authorize the war.

"You were wrong" on Iraq, Obama repeated three times in succession. "John, you like to pretend the war began in 2007."

McCain replied that Obama has refused to acknowledge the success of the troop buildup in Iraq that McCain recommended and Bush announced more than a year ago.

The two presidential candidates stood behind identical wooden lecterns on stage at the performing arts center at the University of Mississippi for the first of three scheduled debates with less than six weeks remaining until Election Day. The two vice presidential candidates will meet next week for their only debate, and Obama and McCain each put in a plug for his own running mate.

But there was a difference: Democrat Joe Biden made the round of post-debate television shows. NBC and CNN said they invited McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has granted only three interviews since joining the ticket a month ago, but she declined.

The 47-year-old Obama is seeking to become the nation's first black president. McCain, 72, is hoping to become the oldest first-term chief executive in history — and he made a few jokes at his own expense.

"I've been around a while," he said at one point. "Were you afraid I couldn't hear him?" he said at another after moderator Jim Lehrer repeated a phrase.

But he also sought to turn his age into an advantage. "There are some advantages to experience and knowledge and judgment," he said. "And I honestly don't believe that Sen. Obama has the knowledge or experience" to serve as commander in chief.

McCain also made a point of declaring his independence from Bush. "I have opposed the president on spending, on climate change, on torture of prisoners, on Guantanamo Bay, on a long — on the way that the Iraq War was conducted. I have a long record and the American people know me very well ... a maverick of the Senate."

It was a debate that almost didn't happen. McCain decided a few hours in advance to attend, two days after announcing he would try to have the event rescheduled if Congress had not reached an agreement on an economic bailout to deal with the crisis now gripping Wall Street.

The two men were pointed but polite, although at least once McCain sought to depict his rival as naive on foreign policy. That was in response to Obama's statement that it might become necessary to send U.S. troops across the Pakistani border to pursue terrorists.

"You don't say that out loud," retorted McCain. "If you have to do things, you do things."

He also criticized Obama for having said he would sit down without precondition with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"So let me get this right, we sit down with Ahmadinejad and he says 'we're going to wipe Israel off the face of the earth' and we say, 'no you're not.' Oh please," McCain said.

Obama said Henry Kissinger, the former Republican secretary of state and a McCain adviser, shared his view on talks with Iran.

The two men also differed on federal spending. McCain said a freeze on most government spending was worth considering, except for veterans, defense and "some other vital issues."

Obama said the problem with that was that some programs needed more money. He mentioned early childhood education as an example.

Moderator Jim Lehrer's opening question concerned the economic crisis. While neither man committed to supporting bailout legislation taking shape in Congress, they readily agreed lawmakers must take action to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and their homes.

Both also said they were pleased that lawmakers in both parties were negotiating on a compromise.

McCain jabbed at Obama, who he said has requested millions of dollars in pork barrel spending, including some after he began running for president.

As he does frequently while campaigning, the Republican vowed to veto any lawmaker's pork barrel project that reaches his desk in the White House. "You will know their names and I will make them famous," he said.

The stakes were high as the two rivals walked on stage. The polls gave Obama a modest lead and indicated he was viewed more favorably than his rival when it came to dealing with the economy. But the same surveys show McCain favored by far on foreign policy.

Both candidates had rehearsed extensively, Obama prepping with advisers at a resort in Clearwater, Fla., and McCain putting in debate work at his home outside Washington.

The two presidential hopefuls are scheduled to debate twice more, at Belmont University in Nashville on Oct. 7 and at Hofstra University in Hempsted, N.Y., on Oct. 15. Vice presidential contenders Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are to square off in a single debate Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
news.yahoo.com

Erin Brockovich working for NYC law firm

2008-09-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - The legal crusader portrayed by Julia Roberts in the Oscar-winning film "Erin Brockovich" is now working for a Manhattan personal injury law firm that specializes in asbestos cases.

The real Erin Brockovich signed a consulting contract with Weitz & Luxenberg and will be involved in soliciting cases and investigating claims. Brockovich told the New York Post: "I'm hands-on and they're hands-on so it will be a team effort."

Already the 48-year-old Brockovich has filmed two TV commercials for the law firm seeking individuals who may have contracted lung cancer from exposure to asbestos, the Daily News reported. Brockovich also consults with a West Coast law firm, Girardi & Keese.

Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of the environmental activist in the 2000 movie.

The film focused on how Brockovich led a 1996 water pollution case that won residents of a small California desert town a $333 million settlement from a state utility company.

from news.yahoo.com

Daniel Radcliffe wins raves for nude Broadway debut

2008-09-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The actor who portrays the schoolboy wizard in the Harry Potter movies received as much attention for appearing naked as for his range and depth in the London production of playwright Peter Shaffer's "Equus."

Daniel Radcliffe is now reprising the role on Broadway, and this time reviewers are concentrating on his able performance in the play first performed at the National Theater in London in 1973.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times said Radcliffe, 19, wore his part of a suburban stableboy who commits grotesque crimes against horses "like a tailor's delight -- that is, a natural fit that allows room to stretch."

"Like many beloved film actors Mr. Radcliffe has an air of heightened ordinariness, of the everyday lad who snags your attention with an extra, possibly dangerous gleam of intensity," wrote Brantley, adding his "Alsatian-blue gaze" helped his convincing performance.

USA Today carried the headline "'Equus': Radcliffe revealed as a serious actor" as reviewer Elysa Gardner said "the Harry Potter star puts to rest any arguments that his appeal should be limited to moony adolescents and maudlin grown-ups."

Like other reviewers, Gardner said Radcliffe's performance outshone the production.

"In his impressive debut in a major stage role, as the disturbed adolescent in 'Equus,' Daniel Radcliffe significantly helps overcome the fact that Peter Shaffer's 1975 Tony winner doesn't entirely hold up," said Variety.

While most reviews centered on praising Radcliffe's performance, some made reference to the nakedness that caused such a stir in London.

"Radcliffe, despite the visceral physicality of the role, appears supremely comfortable in his own skin -- and yes, kids, thanks to the nude scene, we get to see all of it," said Newsday's reviewer Linda Winer, who also called the London-born Radcliffe "a smart, intense, wildly serious stage talent."

Variety noted Radcliffe had been criticized by some London critics for a lack of vocal control but said an extra year and a half of maturity may have helped.

"His delivery here is as confident and compelling as his febrile physicality -- whether fully clothed and wary or naked and defenseless," said David Rooney.

Brantley noted the similarity between Radcliffe's role in "Equus" and that of Harry Potter with both characters coming of age "in a menacing, magical world where the prospect of being devoured by darkness is always imminent."

Radcliffe will return to the boy wizard role soon when he begins filming the final Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Xavier Briand)

from news.yahoo.com

Disney gala shows off upcoming movies

2008-09-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - In a gala adorned with Hollywood stars, The Walt Disney Co. wowed an industry crowd Wednesday in a showcase of its upcoming films that included a sequel to its 1982 sci-fi flick "Tron" and a "Lone Ranger" remake with Johnny Depp as Tonto.
The daylong presentation at the Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars, delivered repeated surprises as actors emerged onstage to tout animated 3-D movies, live-action thrillers and comedies — with animal co-stars ranging from guinea pigs and chihuahuas to humpback whales.
Jim Carrey, starring in his first Disney film, a 3-D motion capture remake of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," summed up the chaos of his performance, in which he plays seven characters including Ebenezer Scrooge.
"It's pretty much just a party and everyone's invited," he said.
Commenting on Disney's lengthy rollout, which included a full screening of the animated dog-hero movie "Bolt," Carrey told out-of-town guests, "You can go back home and say these saddle sores came from Hollywood."
Disney made a similar presentation of its animated films to investors in April in New York, but held its last live-action movie showcase three years ago.
The 17 films presented then grossed over $5 billion at the box office, said Dick Cook, the chairman of Disney studios. He called the upcoming film slate the "most creative" in Disney history.
Among other casting announcements, Disney said Oprah Winfrey will be the voice of the character of Eudora in the hand-drawn animated movie set in New Orleans, "The Princess and the Frog."
The film features an African American heroine, Tiana, played by Anika Noni Rose. Winfrey plays Tiana's mother in the movie set for release on Christmas in 2009.
Depp, who received top billing for the role of Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, will also play the Mad Hatter in a Tim Burton remake of "Alice in Wonderland."
"Believe me, any time this guy wears a funny hat, it's good news for Disney," Cook said.
A brief snippet from "Tron 2" featured a louder, crisper and more thrilling bike race and a cameo of an older Jeff Bridges, who starred in the original version.
Miley Cyrus, star of an eponymous movie and television show, performed a live song from "Hannah Montana: The Movie"; Robin Williams and John Travolta, stars of the upcoming "Old Dogs," yucked it up on stage; George Lopez appeared to promote "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"; and Dwayne Johnson was on hand to tout "Race to Witch Mountain."
The University of Southern California marching band even made an appearance.
The Pixar and Disney animation studios' chief creative officer, John Lasseter, also broke the news that "Cars 2," the sequel to the blockbuster he directed for Pixar Animation Studios, would be released in the summer of 2011, a year earlier than once planned.
Along with a wide-ranging slate of films starring Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal"), Tim Allen ("Wild Hogs 2"), and Zac Efron ("High School Musical 3: Senior Year"), Cook boasted Disney would release five 3-D movies next year, more than any other studio.
Cook fired a barb at former Disney studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, now chief executive of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., ribbing: "I read that even Jeffrey Katzenberg may release his first 3-D movie next year," in reference to "Monsters vs. Aliens."
The company also previewed films from its labels Touchstone and Miramax, the latter of which produced the 2007 Oscar winners "No Country for Old Men," and "There Will Be Blood."
The most promising Miramax release, set for release in December, was "Doubt," starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a dark tale about a nun's fight against a priest who she suspects of sexually abusing a black student.

by news.yahoo.com

US-FILM Summary

2008-09-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

Depp to play Tonto, Mad Hatter in upcoming films
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Johnny Depp is becoming the new face of Walt Disney Studios. The actor will preside over the manic tea party in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" as the Mad Hatter and will play Tonto in "The Lone Ranger," whose latest screen incarnation is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Disney formally announced the casting Wednesday at a studio presentation. It also said it is officially in development on a fourth installment of "Pirates of the Carribean," which would see Depp reprise his popular role of Captain Jack.
Oprah Winfrey hops aboard Disney's "Frog"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oprah Winfrey has joined the voice cast of the upcoming Disney animated film "The Princess and the Frog." At a Disney presentation in Hollywood on Wednesday, John Lasseter, the chief creative office at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, said that Winfrey will play the character of Eudora, the mother of the main character, Princess Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose.
Spielberg eyes helm of DreamWorks' "Chocky"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - DreamWorks has acquired the dramatic rights to the science fiction novel "Chocky" from Pollinger Ltd., the U.K. agency that handles the literary estate of the late author John Wyndham. Steven Spielberg is said to be keen to make the adaptation his next directing project.
"Harold & Kumar" writers line up next feature
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The creators of the "Harold & Kumar" franchise have smoked out a new project. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and wrote and directed "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," will write and direct the comedy "'Til Beth Do Us Part" for Warner Bros.
"Made of Honor" takes the cake on DVD chart
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Two films that grossed about the same at the box office battled it out for the top spot on the national video sales chart, and the one with the significantly lower production budget won. "Made of Honor," a Sony comedy that earned $46 million in theaters, bowed at No. 1 on the Nielsen VideoScan sales chart for the week ended September 21, while Warner's "Speed Racer," which made $43.9 million at the box office, landed at No. 2 on its debut. "Speed Racer" cost an estimated $120 million to make, three times as much as "Made of Honor."
"Nights In Rodanthe" tells of love's second chances
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When romantic thriller "Unfaithful" debuted in theaters in May 2002, odds were that it would be quickly forgotten because it opened in the summer season against action-filled competitors such as "Spider-Man" But the pairing of Richard Gere and Diane Lane won the hearts of audiences. "Unfaithful" pulled in a strong $119 million at global box offices, and the film about a mesmerizing married couple earned Lane an Oscar nomination.
Anne Hathaway compatible with "Opposite"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Actress Anne Hathaway will star in "The Opposite of Love," portraying a commitment-phobic attorney who finds her well-constructed life coming apart when she rejects her ready-for-marriage boyfriend. The 20th Century Fox project is based on the best-seller by Julie Buxbaum, with writer (and actress) Kara Holden adapting the screenplay.
"Cars 2" racing to theaters in 2011
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Pixar is pushing the pedal to the metal on its sequel "Cars 2." The follow-up to John Lasseter's 2006 film "Cars" originally was scheduled for release in summer 2012. But at a Disney presentation Wednesday, Lasseter, Pixar's chief creative officer, said that the film has been moved up to a 2011 release.
Ambrose, Kaufman take "Unorthodox" roles
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lauren Ambrose and Adam Kaufman lead the cast of "Unorthodox," a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation for CBS. Susie Essman, Ricki Lake and Mercedes Ruehl co-star in the film, which is now in production.
Affleck eyeing good "Company" of real-life drama
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Ben Affleck is in talks to star in "The Company Men," and John Wells will direct the timely drama about a man whose life is up-ended by a financial downsizing. Producer Wells is writing the screenplay about a man who is laid off and must cope with the financial consequences and the fallout at home.

by news.yahoo.com

Depp to play Tonto, Mad Hatter in upcoming films

2008-09-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Johnny Depp is becoming the new face of Walt Disney Studios. The actor will preside over the manic tea party in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" as the Mad Hatter and will play Tonto in "The Lone Ranger," whose latest screen incarnation is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
Disney formally announced the casting Wednesday at a studio presentation. It also said it is officially in development on a fourth installment of "Pirates of the Carribean," which would see Depp reprise his popular role of Captain Jack.
On the "Alice" front, Depp and Burton -- who first worked together in 1990's "Edward Scissorhands" and most recently collaborated on "Sweeney Todd" -- have formed one of the longest-running director-actor partnerships in modern Hollywood. When Burton committed to filming a new live-action/CG-animated version of "Alice," Depp was touted as the most likely candidate to play the Mad Hatter -- after all, having worked with Burton on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," he's practiced in wearing a top hat.
Mia Wasikowska, the young Australian actress who appeared in HBO's "In Treatment," has the film's title role.
Matt Lucas, who stars in the sketch comedy series "Little Britain USA," which debuts on HBO Sunday, is set to play the dual roles of Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
"Ranger," meanwhile, puts Depp back in business with Bruckheimer, who produced the "Pirates" movies. Tonto is the Native American colleague of cowboy hero the Lone Ranger. The casting could stir up controversy with Native American groups, who might accuse the studio of putting a white actor in the role. One factor that could counter such an argument is Depp's mixed ancestry, which includes German, Irish, and Cherokee.
"Ranger" is being written by "Pirates" scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and has no director at this time.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Healthy James Levine opens Boston Symphony season

2008-09-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

BOSTON - James Levine returned to podium for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's gala opening night performance, after taking several weeks off following surgery for kidney cancer.

During a dress rehearsal earlier Wednesday at historic Symphony Hall, Levine said he felt great and was excited to return.
"I'm even more thrilled to be back than usual. We had a wonderful set of rehearsals for this concert tonight and everything just looks even more wonderful to me than it did before. I'm feeling very well and I was a very lucky boy," Levine said at a news conference following the rehearsal.
Levine, who was forced to miss much of the BSO's Tanglewood season this summer after having a kidney removed in July, said he had "smart doctors" who caught the cancer early. The BSO has said he will need no further treatment for the early-stage tumor.
"In the end, I felt just very, very lucky," Levine said.
The 65-year-old Levine also is music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he has already conducted this season. He led a performance of Verdi's "Requiem Mass" at the Met to honor the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti last week, and a segment of the opera's opening gala Monday night.
Levine offered the Boston musicians his critiques during the rehearsal ending one piece by saying, "the blend, the shape, wonderful."
As the rehearsal drew to a close, several members of the orchestra stopped by the maestro's podium to chat with him before he exited through a stage door.
Levine led the BSO Wednesday night in an all-Russian performance, including the "Letter Scene" from the Tchaikovsky opera "Eugene Onegin," featuring Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska, "Pictures at an Exhibition," by Mussorgsky, and Glinka's "Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila."
___
On the Net:
http://news.yahoo.com/

Lindsay Lohan: Says she is dating Samantha Ronson

2008-09-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Lindsay Lohan has confirmed what the world has guessed: She's been dating Samantha Ronson "a very long time."

The 22-year-old actress casually told the co-host of the syndicated radio program "Loveline" on Monday that she's been dating the 31-year-old DJ. The pair have appeared in public and been photographed together but have never publicly commented about the extent of their relationship.

"You guys, you and Samantha, have been going out for how long now?" DJ Ted Stryker asked. "Like two years, one year, five months, two months?"

"For a very long time," Lohan said after laughing.

Stryker interviewed Ronson while she took a break from DJing at TV Guide's Emmy afterparty Monday night in Los Angeles. Ronson had been discussing her friendship with DJ AM and Travis Barker, who are recovering from severe burns following a plane crash in South Carolina last weekend, before putting Lohan on the phone.

Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane-Zelnik, told The Associated Press on Monday that Lohan is not engaged to be married.

___

On the Net:

http://www.myspace.com/lindsaylohan

Nicole Kidman credits fertile water with pregnancy

2008-09-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY, Australia - Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman said swimming in Australian Outback "fertility waters" during production of her latest film may have contributed to her unexpected pregnancy over the past year.

The 41-year-old Aussie, who gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose in July, said she and six other women who swam in the waters of a small Outback town during production of the epic romance "Australia" fell pregnant.

"I never thought that I would get pregnant and give birth to a child, but it happened on this movie," Kidman told The Australian Women's Weekly in an exclusive interview for the magazine's 75th anniversary edition, released Wednesday.

"Seven babies were conceived out of this film and only one was a boy. There is something up there in the Kununurra water because we all went swimming in the waterfalls, so we can call it the fertility waters now."

"Australia," directed by Baz Luhrmann, was filmed in Kununurra, a small town in far northern Western Australia state. The film, which follows the story of a noblewoman on a cattle drive in Australia during World War II, is due for release in November.

"I'm so lucky I'm so tall, so I carried small and also, I have to say, I had a birth that I was blessed with, a labor that was very good and a baby that was very good to me in that regard," said Kidman, who is married to country music crooner Keith Urban and has two adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise.

"To be given this again is a beautiful thing. To have raised Bella and Connor since I was 25 and now to be able to do it again at 41 ... wow!"

by news.yahoo.com

`Grey's Anatomy' goes post-`happily ever after'

2008-09-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - First came the achingly romantic hilltop reunion between Dr. McDreamy and Meredith that ended last season's "Grey's Anatomy." Is heartbreak next?

"We ended last season with the end of the fairy tale," said series creator Shonda Rhimes. "I always thought this season was about what happens after the `happily ever after,' for all our characters."

"For some, it's about jumping off into something new. It feels like a very fresh start for everybody," Rhimes said. The ABC show's two-hour season debut is 9 p.m. EDT Thursday.

An on-air promotion has provided a clue about one potential challenge facing Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). It includes a brief scene in which Derek is confronted by nurse Rose (Lauren Stamile).

"I wish there were a good way to say this: I'm carrying your child," Rose tells Derek, whose stunned look might match that worn by "Grey's" fans.

When last seen, McDreamy was embracing Meredith amid a sea of candles after therapy allowed her to see the light about their relationship. Rose's revelation — if it's to be taken at face value — strikes an ominous note for the couple known in shorthand as Mer-Der.

Adding to the mystery: In an ABC podcast in May, Rhimes said Rose isn't pregnant, and was later quoted as saying she wouldn't deceive "Grey's" loyalists. If that's the case, Rose — or the network's promotional department — is quite the manipulator.

Rhimes, who's highly protective of plot twists, won't tip her hand about how the story plays out. But she's openly upbeat about season five.

"We've settled in from all the attention paid and all the hoopla. We feel like we're back to where we were in seasons one and two, in the sense that the writers feel a little bit fearless," Rhimes said. "We know our characters so well at this point that now is the time to take chances."

The Hollywood writers strike that shut down most TV production for months had an unexpected benefit, Rhimes said.

"It was the first time in four-and-a-half years I wasn't working nonstop. It was a chance to sleep and clear my brain. ... I know what happens next for these characters in a way I hadn't known before."

For Drs. Grey and Shepherd, that means a bold step toward commitment. But as Rhimes signals, it's unlikely their path together will be smooth.

The new season brings guest stars Bernadette Peters and Kathy Baker and a new medical man at Seattle Grace: Kevin McKidd, playing a military doctor who Rhimes said "makes an impression" on Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh).

There's also a familiar face, Katherine Heigl, despite speculation that the series star might want to shrug off her scrubs.

The talk began this summer, after Heigl said she wasn't submitting her name for Emmy consideration year because the show didn't deliver the material to warrant a nod. She won a 2007 Emmy for the role of Dr. Izzie Stevens.

"Talk? Who?" Rhimes responds tartly when asked about the issue, adding, "We have every intention of seeing Katherine for the entire season."

Asked if the actress has expressed any desire to leave, Rhimes said, "No, she has not."

"Grey's Anatomy" has provided off-screen drama before, most notably stemming from an ugly clash between cast members Isaiah Washington and T.R. Knight. Washington, who used an anti-gay slur, was fired.

"I have to say we've been through a lot," Rhimes said. She attributes it to "the `Dawson's Creek' phenomenon," in which a "bunch of lovely and young actors" must learn to cope with the sudden fame a TV hit brings.

"These are people who went from living their lives to not being able to walk down the street without paparazzi being able to follow them wherever they go," she said.

Rhimes, a newcomer herself as a series TV producer (she now has a second show, the "Grey's" spinoff "Private Practice"), said she feels as if "everybody has grown up together."

"I drive my little golf cart over to the set and everybody is just really happy. ... So it's nice to see that we're growing into it," Rhimes said.

Does that mean no more surprises?

"I would be shocked if there were no more surprises," she said. "It's the nature of the beast. I don't necessarily feel the same about `Private Practice.' I just feel like this particular show is its own animal. ... If it's a calm day, we're suspicious."

___

On the Net:

http://www.abc.com

Angelina Jolie's Ex has Moved On

2008-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Eli Stone
star Jonny Lee Miller is to become a father for the first time, his representative has confirmed.

The actor is expecting his first child with wife Michele Hicks. The pair married in July 2008.

Lee Miller and Hicks, an actress and former model, held a baby shower on Saturday night, September 20, with friends and family in Los Angeles, according to
People.com.

Lee Miller married Angelina Jolie in 1996. The pair split a year later and divorced in 1999.

No Bond catchphrases in new 007 adventure

2008-09-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Posted in: Movie News
Author: Paul Heath

Marc Forster, the director of the new James Bond film has revealed that QUANTUM OF SOLACE will not see Daniel Craig utter those immortal 007 words, "Bond. James Bond." Or indeed any other catchphrases. Forster spoke with the Independent newspaper in the UK.

"There was a 'Bond, James Bond' in the script. There are several places where we shot it as well, but it never worked as we hoped." Forster sais.

"I just felt we should cut it out, and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson (the film's producers) agreed, and Daniel [Craig], agreed too. It's nice to be open-minded about the Bond formula. You can always go back to them later on."

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Plan Children's Hospital

2008-09-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated $2 million to set up a children's hospital in Ethiopia.

The clinic will target kids suffering from tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS.

The pair chose Ethiopia because it's where their three-year-old adopted daughter Zahara was born.

Jolie and Pitt said in a statement:

"It is our hope when Zahara is older she will take responsibility of the clinic and continue its mission. Our goal is to transfer the success we have had in Cambodia to Ethiopia where people are needlessly dying of tuberculosis, a curable disease, and HIV/AIDS, a treatable disease."

"The fact that poor people continue to die in our world today of TB, a curable disease, because of lack of access to drugs and care is unacceptable."

Jonas Brothers Will Never Date a Fan

2008-09-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Pop sensations The Jonas Brothers have vowed never to date a fan. The trio, who wear purity rings to signify their no-sex-before-marriage rule, insist that they don't have time for relationships as they are constantly touring. And Kevin Jonas is convinced that they would never be interested in a girl if she turned out to be a fan of the band. He says, "We wouldn't really want a girl we dated to be a fan. We love to date but it's almost impossible with our schedule. We're on the road at least 265 days a year, so forming any significant relationship with someone is too difficult."

by hollywood.com

HOLLYWOOD

Lindsay Lohan Agrees with Hollywood.com's 1st Annual 'King of Summer' Pick

2008-09-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - They say: Imitation is the biggest form of flattery, no? We say: Thanks Lindsay! Looks like we’re not the only ones who've decreed Robert Downey Jr., Hollywood’s ruling actor this season.
Did we mention the Iron Man was recently knighted our "First Annual King of Summer"? CLICK HERE to read: Hollywood.com’s "First Annual King and Queen of Summer" Part I:CLICK HERE to read: Hollywood.com’s "First Annual King and Queen of Summer" Part II:Giving off a more cool and collected vibe these days, Samantha Ronson's gal pal, Lindsay Lohan has praised comeback kid Downey Jr. for conquering his addiction demons, according to WENN. Often portrayed a hot mess in the media, the Georgia Rule actress admires Downey Jr. for pulling his act together, believing his experiences have helped him attain the respected Hollywood status today. She told Marie Claire, "He's an amazing actor. Look at people like that who have gone through s**t and had to work that much harder to get to where they are now." And, referring to her own checkered past, which has seen her arrested over a DUI, Lohan shared, "I've learned. I'll never go back. And it's not a never-say-never type thing - it's just, I know. I know." We see a future Hollywood.com "Queen of Summer" in the making.

by hollywood.com/news

Lindsay Lohan

2008-08-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Hilary Duff s father has been released from prison just a day after he was jailed over a bitter court battle with his estranged wife over their famous daughter's 21st birthday party. Bob Duff was released from a Texas jail on Thursday, August 28, after being ordered to spend up to 10 days in there for contempt of court and pay $12,500 to his ex-wife for the star's 21st birthday party and a present. Susan and Bob Duff are currently in the middle of a two and a half year divorce battle. Duff was also ordered to pay the $367,537 he earned from selling stocks last month into a court repository. (c) 2008 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorised copying or re-distributing permitted.
Photo(s) by Dave Edwards- © 2008- DailyCeleb.com- All Rights Reserved
www.hollywood.com

Jennifer Aniston to Grace '30 Rock' with Her Presence

2008-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Jennifer Aniston is coming home. The actress is to make a guest appearance on NBC’s 30 Rock, the same network that launched her career with super hit Friends, the Associated Press reports. Jennifer Aniston's publicist Stephen Huvane confirmed Friday but did not give immediate details on the role Aniston will play--as herself or a fictitious character--or the episode's planned air date. It should be a catfight between her and Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon, don’t you think? Or maybe a new love interest for Alec Baldwin? And us 30 Rock enthusiasts remember last year when Aniston’s Friends alum David Schwimmer had a 30 Rock guest spot last season as Greenzo, the environmental superhero. Classic.

By Kit Bowen Friday, August 29, 2008

www.hollywood.com/news/

Adrian Grenier and Kevin Connolly Catch Up on the News

2008-08-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

On HBO's Entourage, the characters played by Adrian Grenier and Kevin Connolly typically make their own news as an actor and his manager, respectively.
During a break in filming season five, though, the stars caught up on the latest happenings, courtesy of The New York Post.
So, what were New Yorkers reading about this week? Alex Rodriguez being terrible in clutch situations and Hillary Clinton showing off her great oratory and political skills. In other words: the usual.

Posted on August 28th, 2008 8:36 AM by Hilton Hater
Filed under: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly

Chelsea confident of new era with Robinho

2008-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Peter Kenyon said yesterday that Chelsea’s summer transfer business will be concluded once Robinho completes his move from Real Madrid, a signing that the chief executive believes will show that the club are poised to reach a new level under the management of Luiz Felipe Scolari. Chelsea’s previous big-name buys from Europe’s powerhouse clubs in the Roman Abramovich era have been in or about to enter their thirties, but the Brazil forward is only 24. He is expected to cost about £29 million once the protracted negotiations are finally over but Kenyon is confident that the deal will go through shortly. As well as enhancing the team, Chelsea’s ability to attract Robinho underlines their growing status. “This is a different signing, that’s why it has taken so long,” Kenyon said, speaking to mark the release of the club’s second Corporate Social Responsibility report on their community activities. “I think he comes with real desire and wants to be recognised as one of the best players in the world. I know everyone does, but Robinho is different to what we have had. “We are gaining respect every year and the rest of Europe sees us as a real club. A lot of that has been behind-the-scenes work, we’re very influential in European football. If you look at where we were five years ago to where we are, it has been a meteoric rise. It is about growing up and, ultimately, you win the Champions League and that cements your position.” Kenyon said that the presence of Scolari, the former Brazil and Portugal coach, was key to attracting Robinho. “He’s absolutely committed to wanting to come,” he said. “He’s the right age and he’s come from Madrid so he understands what big-club football is all about.” Scolari said: “He’s a very good player because of his unpredictable style. If you expect something, he can change in a second. He’s different.” Purchasing Robinho and Deco, the Portugal midfield player who signed from Barcelona this summer, will mean the attainment of Chelsea’s targets. Kenyon said that when he discussed transfers with Scolari, “he came up with two names — one was Deco and one was Robinho. What we’re doing is supporting Scolari, how he wants to change and move the style a bit to take us to the next level.” Avram Grant, Scolari’s predecessor, was criticised for lacking authority, but no one would level that accusation at the Brazilian. “He is doing a great job for us,” Kenyon said. “One of his big skills is that he’s forever dealt with big players. I don’t think big players faze him because, to him, everybody is a big player and he’s always worked with them. “We’ve got 14 different nationalities at Chelsea, so there is a different dimension to it. He’s fitted in and it feels he’s been here for ever.” The same could not be said of Andriy Shevchenko. The striker has rejoined Milan on a season-long loan, with the Italian club paying all his wages. Nine league goals in two seasons seems a poor return on his £30 million transfer fee. Kenyon maintains, however, that Chelsea received value for money from Shevchenko. “Yes, I do \,” he said. “You have to look at these things pragmatically, sometimes these things don’t work as well as you want them to. Remember, we got Deco for £8 million and that looks to be the buy of the season. You have to counter these things and we are happy with where we are.” The arrival of Robinho would push Shaun Wright-Phillips even farther down the pecking order but yesterday his agent said that the winger does not want to join Manchester City or Everton. Chelsea’s Corporate Social Responsibility report on community activities can be downloaded from chelseafc.com

From The Times

August 28, 2008, Tom Dart

Metronomy Mania Tour, Single & Album News

2008-08-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Metronomy Mania
Tour, Single & Album News

Metronomy have announced their plans to release a new single, album and tour in the coming months.
The remixers du jour will release new single 'Heartbreaker' - a huge sounding, radio-ravaging slab of electro chunk-fun(k), followed by a full album on the 8th September.
Their second album will be called 'Nights Out', which is something we're sure Metronomy are getting use to by now.
The tour will coincide with their new releases, and will take place throughout October - tickets for which can be snapped up below.
Metronomy Tickets Now On Sale
Metronomy tickets are now on sale for dates in Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds and London between the 23rd and the 31st of October 2008. Buy Tickets online for these gigs now from the Clash Misuc Ticket store.
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Read more information such as biography, news, reviews, and features for Metronomy on Clash Music
Register for MyClash and get a weekly newsletter with information on the hottest gigs on sale

Diddy Plays Down Cop Confrontation

2008-08-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is playing down reports he was held at gunpoint by a Los Angeles police officer on Saturday, insisting he wasn't in a car stopped by cops. Reports suggested the rap mogul was pulled over during a routine traffic stop in the early hours of Saturday morning on the city's Sunset Boulevard. The vehicle was flagged down by police because it did not have the proper registration plate details.
An officer allegedly pulled a gun on Diddy when the star and his entourage approached him as he took down details and reported the traffic stop.
But a spokesperson for the rapper insists just one car in a seven-vehicle fleet was pulled over-- and Diddy wasn't in it.
She says, "Sean's car did not get pulled over. No gun was pulled directly at him. One of the cars traveling in a seven-car entourage was pulled over for not having proper tags. The driver was not issued a ticket because the car was a rental vehicle."

'Thunder' Reigns Again With $16.1 Million Weekend

2008-08-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

August 25th, 2008 9:06am EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The action comedy "Tropic Thunder" weathered a rush of new movies to remain No. 1 for a second-straight weekend with $16.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Paramount-DreamWorks release — starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black as actors caught up in real battle while shooting a war movie — raised its 12-day total to $65.7 million.
"Tropic Thunder" came in just ahead of Sony's campus comedy "The House Bunny," which debuted in second place with $15.1 million. "The House Bunny" stars Anna Faris as an ostracized Playboy bunny who becomes den mother to a sorority of campus misfits.
Universal's "Death Race" — an update of 1975's "Death Race 2000," with Jason Statham starring as a driver in a kill-or-be-killed auto race of the future — opened at No. 3 with $12.3 million.
The weekend's other new wide releases, Ice Cube's sports drama "The Longshots" and Rainn Wilson's music comedy "The Rocker," opened weakly.
"The Longshots" — an MGM-Weinstein Co. release starring Ice Cube as a former high school star coaching his niece, the first girl to play Pop Warner football — came in at No. 8 with $4.3 million.
20th Century Fox's "The Rocker," starring Wilson as an over-the-hill heavy-metal drummer who gets a chance at stardom with a high school band, took in $2.8 million to finish at No. 12.
After a run of blockbuster weekends, late summer was proving the usual dumping ground for modest movies as business slowed and audiences eased into back-to-school mode.
That opened the door for "Tropic Thunder" to repeat as the weekend's box-office leader.
"There isn't that divide where there's a couple of huge movies coming every week," said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan.
Summer's biggest hit, "The Dark Knight," continued its climb up the box-office charts, placing fourth with $10.3 million. The Warner Bros. Batman sequel has taken in $489.2 million on its way to becoming the second film ever to top $500 million, after "Titanic" ($600.8 million).
Overall movie revenues of $3.9 billion are slightly ahead of last summer's record pace. But higher admission prices mean the actual number of tickets sold is down about 3 percent compared to summer 2007, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
Still, Hollywood should finish with a box-office record and a second-straight summer topping the $4 billion mark.
"Thank you, 'Dark Knight.' That's added close to half a billion dollars," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "One film like 'The Dark Knight' can make a huge difference."
In limited release, Focus Features' comedy "Hamlet 2" pulled in $435,000. Starring Steve Coogan as a high school drama teacher staging a campy, irreverent musical sequel to Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet 2" expands into nationwide release Wednesday.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Tropic Thunder," $16.1 million.
2. "The House Bunny," $15.1 million.
3. "Death Race," $12.3 million.
4. "The Dark Knight," $10.3 million.
5. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," $5.7 million.
6. "Pineapple Express," $5.6 million.
7. "Mirrors," $4.9 million.
8. "The Longshots," $4.304 million.
9. "Mamma Mia!", $4.303 million.
10. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," $4.1 million.

By DAVID GERMAINAP Movie Writer

Beckhams Deny 'Horrific' Car Crash Reports

2008-08-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Victoria Beckham and her husband David have lashed out at reports stating they had been involved in a "terrifying car crash", insisting the incident never happened. The showbiz couple were reportedly visiting their home in the village of Bargemon, close to the French Riviera, last week, August 18, before the soccer star was due to fly to Beijing, China to take part in the Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday, August 24.And as the pair made their way to Nice airport so the star could catch his plane to China, the pair was involved in a horrific crash, which left their black BMW with a smashed windscreen and extensive damage along the passenger side. Reports stated David Beckham reportedly smashed the car laterally into a wall, leaving his wife severely shaken, with speculation the accident occurred due to paparazzi hounding the couple. But the couple's spokesperson, Cheryl Maisel, has denied the crash ever happened, blaming online gossips for the false story. She says, "There was no car crash. David and Victoria Beckham were driving a car that had been scratched the day before when it had been left parked at the airport, they were not involved in any accident at all. There was no police, no crash, no paparazzi chase, etc., just very incorrect reports via Internet gossip sites."

Legend Debuting Song At Democratic Convention

2008-08-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

สิงหาคม 25, 2008 , 10:30 AM ET
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

John Legend will debut a new song, "If You're Out There," tonight (Aug. 25) as part of the opening of the Democractic National Convention at Denver's Pepsi Center.According to a statement, the song is an "anthemic call-to-action and evocation of human potential." It includes such lines as "We're the generation / We can't afford to wait / The future started yesterday and we're already late.""If You're Out There" was produced by Trevor Horn and Devo Springsteen, and features the Agape Choir. It will be available via the Web site my.barackobama.com/johnlegend after the performance but can be purchased now via iTunes.The song will also be found on Legend's next album, "Evolver," due Oct. 28 via Columbia.
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Leona Lewis, Jimmy Page Jam At Olympics Finale

2008-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

สิงหาคม 25, 2008 , 11:30 AM ET
Berwin Song, Beijing

Jimmy Page, Leona Lewis and Placido Domingo joined Chinese performers including Wei Wei, Andy Lau and Karen Mok at the 2008 Beijing Olympics' closing ceremony last night (Aug. 24).Held at the National Stadium (a.k.a. the Bird's Nest), the ceremony was held before a capacity crowd of 91,000 and hundreds of Olympic athletes.Following the handover of the Olympic flag to Boris Johnson, mayor of 2012 Summer Olympics host city London, a red double-decker London bus entered the stadium. From the bus emerged singer Leona Lewis and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who performed Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The performance culminated with an appearance by international soccer star David Beckham.The ceremony continued with South Korean male vocalist Rain, Hong Kong female vocalist Kelly Chen and Chinese-American singer Wang Lee-Hom who jointly performed "Beijing, Beijing, Wo Ai Beijing (Beijing, Beijing, I Love Beijing)." Domingo then performed "Ai de Huoyan (The Flame of Love)," in Chinese and English, with Chinese soprano Song Zuying.

The Script, Perry In Charge On U.K. Charts

2008-08-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

สิงหาคม 25, 2008 , 10:15 AM ET

Paul Sexton, London

The Script and Katy Perry continued their reigns on the U.K.'s album and singles charts respectively yesterday (Aug. 24), with the Irish band's self-titled debut for Phonogenic starting a second week at No. 1 while "I Kissed a Girl" moving into a third. The Script also saw its single "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" edge up 3-2 behind Perry, trading places with Kid Rock's former No. 1 "All Summer Long" (Atlantic). Rihanna's "Disturbia" (Def Jam) improved 6-4, Madcon's "Beggin" (RCA) rose 7-5 and Noah and the Whale's "5 Years Time" (Vertigo/Universal) jumped 9-8, while Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro scored its first U.K. top 10 single at No. 10 with "Mountains" (14th Floor/Warner Music). That comes five years after the band notched the first of nine previous top 40 hits with "Questions and Answers." Welsh rock quartet the Automatic, best-known for the top five hit "Monster" of two years ago, opened at No. 16 with "Steve McQueen," the first single from its new album, "This Is a Fix." Nigerian-British soul artist Taio Cruz climbed 32-20 with "She's Like A Star" (4th & Broadway/Universal). The top four of the album chart were unchanged, with ABBA's "Gold -- Greatest Hits" (Polydor/Universal) at No. 2 again, followed by Duffy's "Rockferry" (A&M/Universal) and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Parlophone/EMI). The highest new entry, at No. 5, was Monkey's "Journey to the West" (XL Recordings), the album of the contemporary opera written by Damon Albarn and designed by Jamie Hewlett, both of Gorillaz. The show had its premiere season in Manchester last year and made its London debut at the Royal Opera House last month. The show uses nearly 40 Chinese performers including acrobats, martial artists and singers, with an orchestra combining Western and Chinese instruments.
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A newly released "Greatest Hits" set on Universal Island by Lynyrd Skynyrd, inspired by the reference to the band's "Sweet Home Alabama" in the Kid Rock hit, entered at No. 16. The original single, which has been bubbling under the top 40 for the last few weeks, climbed back 55-48. On Billboard's pan-European charts, the Coldplay album is in a ninth week at No. 1 on European Top 100 Albums, while Perry's track leads Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for a second week.

Reports: McCartney to perform in Tel Aviv

2008-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Aug. 24, 2008, 11:46 AM EST

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Sir Paul McCartney is set to perform in Israel, 40 years after his legendary band, the Beatles, were banned from playing in the Holy Land.
Israeli media were abuzz with excitement on Sunday with news of McCartney's visit. The rock star was scheduled to play earlier in the year, but the show was canceled. Israeli media reported McCartney would perform in Tel Aviv on September 25.
Tel Aviv city officials could not be reached to confirm the report. McCartney's publicist, Stuart Bell said, "Nothing's been confirmed."
The Beatles were set to tour the Jewish state in 1965, but they were refused entry permits over concerns the group's lyrics could corrupt Israeli youth.

Madonna Starts 'Sticky And Sweet' Tour In Wales

2008-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Even at 50, the queen of pop just can't stop courting controversy. As Madonna kicked off her international "Sticky and Sweet" tour Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales, she took a none-too subtle swipe at the presumptive Republican nominee for U.S. president.Amid a four-act show at the packed Millennium Stadium, a video interlude carried images of destruction, global warming, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, Zimbabwe's authoritarian President Robert Mugabe -- and U.S. Senator John McCain. Another sequence, shown later, pictured slain Beatle John Lennon, followed by climate activist Al Gore, Mahatma Gandhi and finally McCain's Democratic rival Barack Obama.The rest of the show had the usual Madonna fixtures: sequins, fishnets, and bondage-style outfits drawn from the 3,500 items of clothing reportedly whipped together by 36 designers specifically for the tour. Dancers sauntered across stage in top hats and tail coats, and Madonna tried her hand at break-dancing and pole-dancing.Some 40,000 fans, many in pink cowboy hats and boas, were treated to a heavy metal version of "Borderline," while "La Isla Bonita" served as backdrop for a flamenco routine. The show, billed as a musical mishmash of "gangsta pimp," Romanian folk, rave, and dance, was an homage to Madonna's continuous reinventions over the past three decades.She took a playful take on her variegated career, mocking dancers dressed as her previous incarnations -- including the "Material Girl" and "Blonde Ambition"-- before they sank into the stage to the tune of "She's Not Me." Madonna finished off the concert with her thumping "Give it 2 Me" from her new urban-inspired album, "Hard Candy."
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Following Cardiff's opening concert, "Sticky and Sweet" moves across Europe, hitting London's Wembley Stadium on Sept. 11 and Paris on Sept. 20. From there, it goes to North America in October before wrapping up Dec. 18 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.