Entertainment blog news

Star Wars TV Series Coming Soon

2007-10-18T03:20:00.001-07:00

The head Jedi confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that Lucasfilm has "just begun work" on a new live-action spinoff that will bring the Star Wars mythology to the small screen. Additionally, Lucas Animation is deep in production on a weekly computer-animated 3-D series dubbed Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which the filmmaker expects to shop to various networks when finished.

Lucas considers the live-action program to be the more ambitious of the two, because it will be completely Skywalker free and instead center on supporting characters.

He admitted he was taking a risk that viewers—save the die-hard geeks who turn up at the Star Wars Celebration conventions in Greedo and Princess Leia getups—might not warm to Jedis, Sith and droids largely unfamiliar to them.

"The Skywalkers aren't in it—it's about minor characters," the 63-year-old Lucas told the newspaper. "It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different."

Nevertheless, the Star Wars mastermind maintained that "it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do."

Lucas characteristically refused to divulge details about the storylines or even which minor characters might turn up in either starring or cameos. (We're lookin' at you, Boba Fett.)

Star Wars prequel producer Rick McCallum is currently auditioning writers for the live-action series, which Lucas envisions running for at least 100 episodes.

As for the new Star Wars CGI series, this is not your average Saturday-morning cartoon.

Unlike its 2-D forerunner Clone Wars, an Emmy-winning series of shorts that aired on the Cartoon Network, Lucas says the 3-D Clone Wars will break new technological ground.

As a result, Lucas acknowledged that some network suits have been a little skittish about the projects—perhaps recalling the so-so ratings of Lucas' Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which eschewed the thrills of its big-screen progenitors in favor of history lessons. (At Celebration III two years ago, Lucas said the live-action series will be similar in tone to those tube adventures.)

"They are having a hard time," Lucas said. "They're saying, 'This doesn't fit into our little square boxes,' and I say, 'Well, yeah, but it's Star Wars. And Star Wars doesn't fit into that box.'"

If old-school Stars Wars and high-octane action is what you're looking for, fear not, young Padawans.

Anthony Daniels, who played C-3P0 in the original trilogy and its prequels, has signed on to voice the protocol droid in Clone Wars, alongside animated versions of R2-D2, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, General Grievous, Princess Amidala and Count Dookoo. A trailer is now up at the official Star Wars Website.

In an interview with TV Guide last month, Lucas said his team of animators has completed more than 40 episodes and that he believed the CGI series needs "to go after 9 o'clock, and it can't be a kiddie channel."

These aren't the first Star Wars TV spinoffs. There were the animated Ewoks and Droids Saturday-morning cartoons, two live-action made-for-TV Ewok movies and, most infamously, the universally ridiculed 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

For fans of the big screen, Lucas is also planning to tweak his Star Wars movies yet again and release all six episodes in a 3-D digital format. No word yet on a release date.

www.eonline.com

Madonna deal more about money than music

2007-10-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

The deal confirmed Tuesday between Madonna and Live Nation tells us a lot about the future of the corporate music world. But it has very little to do with ensuring the future of great music or serving the dedicated music fan.

It's a deal for the few, the rich, the branded.

Unlike Radiohead's recent end-run around the music industry, which was about using the Internet to get music from band to fan as directly and inexpensively as possible, Madonna's global megadeal with the nation's largest concert promoter is all about maximizing revenue streams.As the first performer signed to the Artist Nation imprint, her agreement with Live Nation is built on the idea that an aggressive entertainment company can sell Madonna in more ways than ever.

It points the way toward a major-label system that will be even less about innovative music, and even more about innovative marketing.

Executives valued for their ability to find talented bands and artists who excel only at music, and not glamour, will become extinct at this mega-corporation level. Their future will be in smaller niche markets, on smaller labels, which cater to hardcore music fans. Those fans are still out there by the tens of millions, as peer-to-peer file sharing has demonstrated, but the Artist Nation model isn't for them. It's for and about celebrities, and the people who can't get enough of them.

No one can begrudge Madonna's business smarts. She saw this as a way to get even more rich and more famous, if that's possible. Live Nation is taking a huge risk investing so heavily in an icon who will turn 50 next year. It's betting on the idea that it can sell Madonna not just through concert tickets, where the two shared $86 million in revenue last year, but also through record sales, merchandising, fan clubs, Web sites, DVDs, music-related television and film projects, and sponsorship deals.

The deal likely means the rich will get richer if the music industry adopts the Artist Nation model. Multimedia stars such as Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, U2's Bono and a handful of other established performers for whom music is just one part of what they do, and how they sell, should be smacking their lips.

Meanwhile, it's more bad news for the established major labels. Live Nation presents a threat to the near monopoly once enjoyed by Warner Brothers, with whom Madonna has been contracted for 25 years, as well as Sony BMG, Universal and Capitol/EMI.

In the past, the majors have worked out Madonna-style partnerships with artists such as Robbie Williams and Korn to share not just in their record sales but in all their music-related income. But they have been slow to remake their business model, and some artists -- such as Radiohead -- are beginning to abandon the majors as a 20th Century relic and set off on their own. Last week, Radiohead started selling its new album as a digital download through its own Web site at a price determined by each consumer.

Madonna's decision strongly suggests that even the artists who benefited most from the majors' business-as-usual approach are no longer interested in living in the past.

Now the nation's dominant concert promoter has set itself up as a new breed of record company, gunning to sign the same big-name artists that have been the majors' meal ticket for a half-century and offering them one-stop shopping benefits. With Starbucks and Live Nation now in the music-label business, can other powerful corporations with music-related product -- such as Steve Jobs' Apple or Paul Allen's Microsoft -- be far from establishing their own labels?

But these multifaceted deals only make sense for a few artists. For a new or midsize band with a niche audience, the Live Nation-Madonna model has nothing to do with their reality, and probably never will. Artist Nation points the way toward a future where the biggest corporations will be about only the biggest stars and the most revenue streams. Smaller artists will likely gravitate toward some variation of the Radiohead model, a combination of touring, niche marketing and direct-to-fan sales that doesn't require the involvement of multinational conglomerate.

As for Artist Nation, celebrities only need apply. Hello, Madonna -- a celebrity with a profound understanding of who she is at this stage in her career. She no longer needs a record company. She needs a marketing machine that can help her cash in on all the business opportunities that her music made possible.
www.chicagotribune.com

Leno, O'Brien lead late-night for another year

2007-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

NBC still rules the roost in late-night.

"The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" lodged its 12th consecutive broadcast year in the lead, with "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" winning 13 straight years in its time period, according to Nielsen Media Research data for the TV season ending last week.

"Leno" (5.5 million viewers) came out ahead of CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" (4 million) and ABC's "Nightline" (3.4 million) for the full year. "Leno" was down from 5.7 million viewers the year before, and "Letterman" down from 4.1 million. "Nightline" remained even.

ABC's "The Jimmy Kimmel Show," which airs at 12:05 a.m. ET, was up to 1.7 million viewers from 1.6 million.

NBC won again at 12:35 a.m. with "Conan O'Brien" (2.3 million vs. 2.4 million the year before). CBS' "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" (1.9 million) at 12:35 a.m., and "The Carson Daly Show" (1.4 million) at 1:35 a.m. were about even with the previous year.

www.reuters.com

Madonna nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

2007-09-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Madonna and disco queen Donna Summer are among nine acts nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the hall embraces more musical genres.

Other nominees include rock singer John Mellencamp, Canadian poet-singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, 1960s English band The Dave Clark Five and instrumental rock band The Ventures.

Also nominated are New York-based funk group Chic, rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and hip-hop group The Beastie Boys, reflecting the Hall of Fame's willingness to accept a diversity of genres.

Five-hundred music industry professionals will choose five of the nominees to be inducted at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel next March.

Last year, rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip-hop artists to be inducted.

Chic, the Dave Clark Five and Mellencamp have been nominated previously.

Artists become eligible for Hall of Fame induction 25 years after the release of their first record and are represented at a permanent exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Madonna, 49, made her debut in 1982 and her first album "Madonna" included hits such as "Holiday," "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" which helped her become one of the best-selling pop artists, with more then 200 million albums sold worldwide.

www.reuters.com

Paris to pack her bags for Rwanda

2007-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton plans to visit Rwanda as part of her post-jail commitment to use her celebrity status to bring attention to social causes.

"I'll be going in November, after I get back from filming my movie," she teld E! Online in a story posted on the website.

"There's so much need in that area, and I feel like if I go, it will bring more attention to what people can do to help," Hilton says.

The 26-year-old US hotel heiress-actress vowed to use her fame to bring attention to social causes after serving a 23 day jail sentence earlier this year for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

"I want to visit more countries where poverty and children's issues are a big concern," she said. "I know there's a lot of good I can do just by getting involved and bringing attention to these issues."

Hilton co-stars with Paul Sorvino and Alexa Vega in Repo! The Genetic Opera, a movie about organ harvesting.

The horror rock opera, based on a stage musical, is set in a plague-ravaged future where people can purchase new organs on the installment plan from a corporation called Geneco.

The catch is that if the payments stop, the organs are repossessed.

Hilton also says she is planning to add eco-friendly touches to her new home in Beverly Hills, California.

"I just bought the house and haven't been able to work on it yet," she says. "But I intend to."

www.theage.com.au

Preparing for another tumultous ‘Grey’s’ season

2007-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

“Grey’s Anatomy” is like a rambunctious dog.

It never seems to do what you want it to, it makes a mess of things, but that sweet face reminds you of how dearly you love it, and that’s why you’ll never take it to the pound.

After a wild season that saw one character leave to start her own show while another left, well, under less glamorous circumstances, fans prepare for another season of frustration, heartbreak and — ultimately — reluctant acceptance. As the fourth season approaches (premieres at 9 p.m. Sept. 26 on ABC), it’s a good time to catch up on where the storylines left off, what viewers are hoping for, what the writers should avoid, and what they’ll ultimately deliver.Cristina and, umm, what was that guy’s name?
Where it left off: Cristina all but left that-guy-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned at the altar. He abruptly called the whole thing off, left their apartment empty, and was never to be seen again. Viewers now know this was no accident. The actor who played that-guy-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned had gotten himself into some hot water, and that pretty much doomed any future the two could have together.

What viewers are hoping for: Cristina getting back to her old self would be nice. Most fans didn’t have a problem with the career-focused Cristina who didn’t care to make room for someone else in her life so that she could concentrate on becoming a great heart surgeon. She needs to pull it together, make her career the priority, and love will come in time. One thing that-guy-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned didn’t take with him was his mother, played by Diahann Carroll, who is on board to make a return early in the season to collect a certain family heirloom.

What the writers should avoid: Dragging it on too long. Sure, Cristina is devastated by having her love life turned upside-down, but this is why TV life is so much more fun than real life. If they want to, they can have her get over it fairly quickly and move on like fans would expect Cristina to do.

What they’ll likely deliver: This could be where the promised “fun ‘Grey’s’” will happen. Cristina, while heartbroken, ought to bounce back nicely and maybe overcompensate for the brief departure from her selfish, wise-cracking self. Or she could hook up with George.

George and Izzie … and Callie
Where it left off: Strange that George’s “wife” seems like the third wheel, huh? Fans last saw George wanting to go to another hospital because he just couldn’t stand the constant presence of Izzie, who he really loves, because their affair threatens his marriage with Callie, who he also seems to love — as much as a lying cheater can. Turns out he can’t leave, even if he wanted to, because he failed the intern exam at the end of the year. If anybody will give him another chance, it’s Seattle Grace. That’s sure to keep George and Izzie crossing paths for a while. Meanwhile, Callie wants to get pregnant and it’s a little tough to do that when your husband’s off boinking someone else — although Callie doesn’t seem to know that’s what’s happened.

What viewers are hoping for: This, probably more than anything, is the one move fans seem to be universally behind: George and Izzie getting together was a bad idea and it should stop immediately.

What the writers should avoid: More George and Izzie sexual tension — if not outright sex.

What they’ll ultimately deliver: More George and Izzie sexual tension — if not outright sex. Sorry.

Meredith and McDreamy
Where it left off: They’re the de facto power couple on this show, but their stock dropped big-time as Meredith and McDreamy were mostly a sleepy, uninteresting couple last season. There was some forced tension in the otherwise perfectly quaint relationship when Meredith famously didn’t try to swim to save her own life after falling into the frigid waters of Seattle’s Elliott Bay. That made McDreamy question his effort to save her when she didn’t even want to save herself.

Once Meredith came to after seeing her dead mom, Denny and Coach Taylor from “Friday Night Lights,” while hovering between life and death, the relationship began to sour. MerDer weren’t talking to each other much and McDreamy semi-threatened Meredith, who he doesn’t think is fully invested in the relationship, by telling her he “met a woman.” That woman just happens to be Meredith’s half-sister, Lexie, who is a new intern at Seattle Grace this season. Oh, the drama!

What viewers are hoping for: McDreamy snaps out of it, Meredith fully commits and stops whining, and they live happily ever after, so the other messed up couples on the show can get sorted out.

www.msnbc.msn.com

Scorsese to direct George Harrison documentary

2007-09-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese plans to direct an authorized documentary about George Harrison, the former Beatle who died of lung cancer in 2001, Daily Variety reported on Thursday.

Interviews and early production will begin this year, and the film will take several years to complete, the trade paper said.

"It would have given George great joy to know that Martin Scorsese has agreed to tell his story," the paper quoted Harrison's widow, Olivia, as saying.

She will serve as a producer of the untitled project, and will supply archival materials. Daily Variety added that surviving Beatle members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would participate, as would the Beatles' Apple Records label.

Scorsese, who won an Oscar this year for directing the crime saga "The Departed," is preparing for the April 2008 release of a concert documentary about the Rolling Stones, called "Shine A Light." He turned his attention to Bob Dylan in the 2005 documentary "No Direction Home," and depicted the Band's farewell concert in 1976's "The Last Waltz."

The Harrison movie will cover his time in the Fab Four, when he composed such memorable tunes as "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun," his inconsistent solo career, his foray into movie production with such projects as "Monty Python's Life of Brian," and his enthusiastic embrace of Eastern mysticism, Daily Variety said.

www.reuters.com

Transformers 2 Rolling Out

2007-09-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

After weeks of "will he or won't he return?" buzz, Michael Bay will reportedly reprise his directing duties for Paramount and DreamWorks' Transformers 2, which is targeting a tentative June 26, 2009 release.

According to Variety, "Bay has not yet inked a deal to helm the follow-up but is in the final stages of negotiation. With Bay's involvement, [the first film's star, Shia] LaBeouf is expected to return as well."

Also, even if DreamWorks topper Steven Spielberg, who exec produced Transformers, leaves the studio as industry pundits suggest he might, the trade claims he'll remain involved with the sequel.

The studios are said to want Transformers 2 in production before the expected industry strikes happen mid-next year even if, as Variety suggests, "they have to finish after it." The June 26, 2009 release date isn't set in stone because of that.
http://movies.ign.com

Art or Porn? Elton John's Photos Seized

2007-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Legendary singer-songwriter Sir Elton John is defending the work of award-winning photographer Nan Goldin after one of her photos, which he now owns, was seized by British authorities. Officials say they received a complaint that the image was pornographic.

The passions of John could stir up legal troubles in the United Kingdom, according to a First Amendment expert on this side of the pond.

Goldin's "Klara and Edda Belly-Dancing" depicts two young girls, one of whom is lying down with her legs spread open.

John lent 150 of the Goldin photos he owns to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England, for an exhibition.

The New York artist's work is well-known for its gritty and urban themes and is often graphic, provocative and sexually explicit. Her subjects frequently include family, friends and children.

"The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world," writes John on his Web site.

"It has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York … and exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid, New York, Portugal, Warsaw and Zurich without any objections that we are aware of," the singer said in defense of the photograph.

www.abcnews.go.com

Daily Entertainment Break: Jessica Biel the next Wonder Woman?

2007-09-27T10:18:00.002-07:00

She may be able to handle Justin Timberlake on her arm, but is Jessica Biel ready to take on the role of Wonder Woman?

The actress is currently in talks to play the lasso wielding DC Comic superhero in the movie "Justice League of America," Daily Variety reports. If Biel is chosen to suit up in the superhero's iconic star-spangled bustier, she will join forces alongside Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and the Flash in the Warner Bros. film. No other actors have been named for the parts of the male superheroes.

Warner Bros. remained silent on the Biel casting rumor, claiming they preferred to announce the cast ensemble all at once, Access Hollywood says (www.accesshollywood.com). Christian Bale and Brandon Routh will not reprise their roles as Batman and Superman in the upcoming film, citing concerns that it will diminish the success of their already existing superhero franchises, E! Online reports (www.eonline.com). George Miller, the man behind the movies "Babe" and "Happy Feet," is set to direct the film.

A Wonder Woman movie has long been on the drawing board for Warner Bros., Access Hollywood reports. Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer director Joss Whedon was set to write and direct the film, but pulled out of the project last February, E! Online says. Rumor has it that Whedon considered former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Charisma Carpenter (also on "Angel") for the lead role.

http://origin.mercurynews.com

'Reaper': The CW Scores with a Devilishly Funny New Series

2007-09-27T10:18:00.001-07:00

Like many twentysomething slackers, Sam Oliver is a college dropout who punches in at a warehouse store and lives with his parents, but with one big difference: he's the Devil's bounty hunter, conscripted to retrieve renegade sinners who've escaped from Hell. Sam's parents sold his newborn soul to Satan, and now that he's turned 21, Lucifer collects on the IOU.

Starring Bret Harrison (Grounded for Life, The Loop) as Sam and Ray Wise as the Devil, Reaper is a hybrid of action, fantasy, drama and comedy that gets that delicate balance just right.

Executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, who met as assistants on the X-Files, came up with the premise eight years ago and continued to develop the idea and tone. That some may find Reaper reminiscent of Ghostbusters, which Fazekas admits to having seen ""about 5,000 times,"" is not coincidental, but the 2004 flick Shaun of the Dead was even more influential for the creators.

""Here were two ordinary guys who were too hung over to realize the world's been taken over by zombies. I started thinking about these kinds of kids in their twenties who live in a nice suburb and have a nice car and Xbox and all the comforts of home so they're not really motivated to do anything. Why would you leave to live in a crappy apartment downtown? So I kind of married the two ideas together,"" she explains.

www.nypost.com

'Private Practice' star adapts to the hype amid a rocky start

2007-09-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

At times, Kate Walsh seems a bit stunned by all that has happened to her in three years, from her first appearance on "Grey's Anatomy" to being the star of her own show, the new "Private Practice."

"I could have never, ever dreamed this up," says the San Jose-born Walsh, who left the Bay Area before high school to live in Tucson.

Walsh, who will turn 40 next month, caught the acting bug from Children's Musical Theater of San Jose and other local community theater groups. After graduating from the University of Arizona, she spent close to two decades doing stage work (in New York and Chicago) and playing small to medium parts on such television series as "The Drew Carey Show."

Then, in late 2004, Walsh signed a five-episode deal with ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," a series that had yet to air. Her part: Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, the estranged wife of Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), one of the series' leads.

Walsh's character didn't appear until the 13th episode of the show's first season. But her first, very short scene was memorable. Her opening line to Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) was, and we're paraphrasing here, "And you must be the woman who's been (sleeping with) my husband."

"I had been very fortunate just to be a working actress who hovered along," Walsh says. "And then it was like, bang, 'Grey's.' "

www.mercurynews.com

"Dirty Sexy Money" a tiresome family soap

2007-09-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

If it's true we are fascinated by the lives of the very rich, then "Dirty Sexy Money" may be the cure. In this curious mix of "Dynasty" and "Arrested Development," just about the only thing the wealthy accomplish is keeping us from feeling inferior to them.

Part drama, part mystery and part unintentional comedy, "Dirty Sexy Money," the creation of executive producer Craig Wright, is full of well-drawn characters. Unfortunately, except for the two played by Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland, each is more tiresome and off-putting than the last.

Krause plays Nick George, whose father had the all-consuming job of being personal attorney to the Darlings, the wealthiest family in New York. Nick's dad was such a workaholic that Nick's mother couldn't stand it and left, thereby depriving little Nick of a close relationship with either parent.

As the series begins, Nick's dad has died in a plane crash. By now, Nick is a lawyer himself, specializing in low-paying but fulfilling work for charitable groups. The funeral was to be Nick's last contact with the Darlings.

However, Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland), the family patriarch, thinks Nick was the only one who could replace his dad. "No one seems right," he tells Nick. "You're the guy." That may not seem sufficiently persuasive to overcome a lifetime of negativity, but when coupled with a big salary and an offer of $10 million a year for charity, the deal is sealed. Nick assures his wife that, this time, things will be different. Of course.

In just hours, the five adult Darling children start calling. Patrick the politician (William Baldwin) needs help dumping his transgender hooker girlfriend. Karen (Natalie Zea) needs a pre-nup for her fourth husband but still carries an Olympic-sized torch for Nick.

www.reuters.com

Die Hard director in jail

2007-09-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

JOHN McTiernan, the Hollywood director behind such blockbuster action films as Die Hard and Predator, was sentenced to four months in prison today for lying to federal agents.

McTiernan was one of seven defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the conspiracy and racketeering case of disgraced celebrity detective Anthony Pellicano, who was charged with using illegal wiretaps and illicit database searches to eavesdrop on dozens of Hollywood celebrities and movie executives.

McTiernan, 56, pleaded guilty in April, 2006, to making knowingly false statements to FBI agents investigating Pellicano when he denied having asked Pellicano to wiretap producer Charles Roven, with whom the director worked on the 2002 film Rollerball.

US District Judge Dale Fischer denied a motion by McTiernan to withdraw his guilty plea. In addition to his four-month prison sentence, McTiernan also received two years of supervised release and a $US100,000 fine.

www.news.com.au

Kiefer Sutherland arrested on DUI charges

2007-09-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early today on misdemeanor drunk driving charges after failing a field sobriety test and breathalyzer, police said.

Sutherland, 40, was pulled over about 1:30 a.m. in West Los Angeles near La Cienega and Beverly boulevards after police spotted him making an illegal U-turn, said Officer Ana Aguirre, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
www.latimes.com

Despite rumors, Miley Cyrus not pregnant

2007-09-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Despite internet rumors, teen sensation Miley Cyrus is definitely not pregnant, a rep for the star confirmed to Access Hollywood.

The rumors started after a host of celebrity Web sites picked up a doctored article from J-14 magazine, which claimed the “Hannah Montana” star was pregnant.

“It is 100% not true,” a rep for Miley told Access Hollywood.

www.msnbc.msn.com

Resident Evil captures box office

2007-09-24T03:48:00.001-07:00

The latest film in the flesh-eating zombie series Resident Evil has made it to the top of the US and Canadian box office chart in its first weekend.

Resident Evil: Extinction made $24m (£12m) between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

The film, starring Milla Jovovich and R&B singer Ashanti, is the third in the franchise based on the hit video games.

Jessica Alba's romantic comedy Good Luck Chuck was another new entry at number two, taking $14m (£7m).

It pushed last week's number one, Jodie Foster's revenge drama The Brave One, down to number three.

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Britney’s jabbering scares her kids

2007-09-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears often leaves her young kids frightened by talking to them in weird voices, the singer’s former bodyguard Tony Barretto has revealed.

Barretto, who recently testified against the former pop princess in court, has further given a detailed account of Britney’s parenting skills.

In a recent interview, Barretto divulged that Spears frequently conversed with her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, in weird, creepy, baby voices, in made-up languages.

"She speaks to them in weird, creepy, baby voices, in made-up languages, which they just don't get. All it does is unsettle, upset and scare them. Often she would scream and cry uncontrollably. Imagine what that is like for young children,” News of the World quoted Tony, as saying.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Romance blooming on Heroes set?

2007-09-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

Does Ellen Degeneres know something we don't about behind-the-scenes love affairs on the set of Heroes? The talk show host grilled actor Maki Oka about a possible romance with our current girl crush, Kristen Bell.

"Is there a little something going on?" DeGeneres gently prodded when Oka, who plays the lovable Hiro on the NBC breakout hit, appeared on her show Friday (Sept 21).

Oka would not confirm or deny the rumoured romance, simply telling DeGeneres, "Kristin is an absolutely amazing individual both on and off screen. We're great friends. Everyone has a crush on her."

Bell, who accompanied Oka to last weekend's Emmy Awards, joins the Heroes cast this season, offering geeks everywhere (ourselves included) a reason to cease our hate mail campaign against the CW, comforted by the knowledge that Veronica Mars will live on someplace other than just our hearts.
http://canada.com

French mime artist Marceau dies

2007-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

The French mime artist Marcel Marceau has died at the age of 84, his family has announced.

The performer was known around the world for his portrayal of a white-faced clown with battered hat.

Born in Strasbourg in 1923, Marceau studied under mime master Etienne Decroux in Paris.

His daughter Camille said he died on Saturday evening, adding that details of the burial at Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery would be given out later.

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Dogg doing community service

2007-09-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

The rapper, who pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of a dangerous weapon, also received three years probation and was ordered to donate $10,000 to charity as part of the plea bargain.

His lawyer, Donald Etra, said the felony conviction would be reduced to a misdemeanour after one year if Snoop does not violate the law. Etra said: "We are very pleased with the outcome. Snoop's goal is to make music, not make court appearances."

The hip-hop star was arrested last September after a collapsible baton was found in his luggage at Orange County's John Wayne Airport.

It was classed as a dangerous weapon by the authorities, while Snoop claimed it was a prop for a video he was filming in New York and he did not realise it was a weapon.

www.news.com.au

Is Lindsay Lohan homewrecking from rehab?

2007-09-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone has already heard about the busy schedule Lindsay Lohan keeps at Utah’s Cirque Lodge. But what does Lindsay do to fill the rehab gaps between chores, exercises and therapy? According to a recent story in the Daily Mirror, LiLo’s used some of that downtime to get cozy with Dead Stays Alive frontman Tony Allen.

Rumor has it that Lindsay and the married rocker hooked up after bonding over their mutual addictions and creative careers. The Mirror reports that things took off from there. It’s even alleged that the pair had sex in a bathroom at the rehab facility.

A friend of Tony’s wife, British heiress Stephanie Allen, spoke to the Mirror about her pal’s devastation. “She's has had it, period. They tried forever to have kids. She went through IVF three times and suffered two miscarriages, and when they finally got two beautiful babies, he hooks up in rehab with a girl half his age. All Stephanie wanted was for him to be a good husband and father.”

www.msnbc.msn.com

‘Reporter’ Marcia Clark all over O.J. story

2007-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

Twelve years after Marcia Clark heard jurors pronounce O.J. Simpson innocent of murder, the former prosecutor carried her enduring guilt into another courtroom with the ex-football star.

This time, Clark was the most startling member of the media pack covering Simpson's Las Vegas felony arrest. As legal correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," she had the chance to tell the world what she thinks of Simpson — and she used it.

"Just seeing him back in court again, facing charges. I can't believe it. It's just surreal," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "He skated on two murder charges, and he managed to get out of other charges of much lesser gravity since then. How did he manage to get himself back in trouble again?

www.msnbc.msn.com

T.R. Knight says George is a mess on ‘Grey’s’

2007-09-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

The season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy” is Sept. 27, and according to T.R. Knight, who plays George, things at Seattle Grace are going full steam ahead.

“Good, good,” Knight replied when “Access” asked how shooting has been going so far. “We’re at episode six out of 24, so the marathon has begun and we just started... It’s going really well.”

Knight confirmed what many suspected, that George is back at Seattle Grace, but unlike his class, most of whom have graduated, he is repeating his intern year. That year, the actor said, comes with plenty of problems.

www.msnbc.msn.com

It’s a girl for Salma Hayek, fiancé

2007-09-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Salma Hayek has given birth to a baby girl, Valentina Paloma Pinault, her publicist announced Friday.

"Mother and child are doing well," publicist Cari Ross said in a statement. No other details were released.

The Mexico-born actress, 41, is engaged to businessman Francois-Henri Pinault.

www.msnbc.msn.com

Costner's Band Holds Free N.M. Concert

2007-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Kevin Costner and his rockabilly band drew a crowd of more than 1,000 at a free concert for a scene in his upcoming film "Swing Vote."

The Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds was transformed Friday night into the site of a presidential debate, complete with red, white and blue bunting, fake news vans and a sign reading "you.net presents The Final Debate."

A helicopter shooting scenes for the movie buzzed overhead, while crew members barked instructions to extras through a bullhorn.
www.chicagotribune.com

Cynthia Watros Is Returning to Lost

2007-09-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

According to TV Guide, Cynthia Watros is returning to ABC's Lost. Her short-lived character Libby is not returning from the dead, though. Instead, she will be featured in more flashbacks.

Executive producer Carlton Cuse stated, "She'll be in enough of the show for us to fill in the missing pieces of her story. We could not be more pleased. Cynthia is a smart and engaging actor, and [executive producer] Damon [Lindelof] and I have some very cool parts of her story left to tell."

The date of Watros return has not been set yet.

www.movieweb.com

Clooney breaks rib in motorcycle crash

2007-09-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

George Clooney suffered a broken rib and some scrapes Friday when the motorcycle he and a friend were riding collided with a car as the actor tried to pass the vehicle, authorities said.

Weehawken (N.J.) Police Sgt. Sean Kelly said the collision occurred at 3:30 p.m. as Clooney and friend Sarah Larson were traveling north on Boulevard East and sped up to pass on the right a 1999 Mazda Millenia that was preparing to make a right turn.

Kelly said it is not known whether the driver of the other vehicle, who has not been identified, had used his turn signal. Boulevard East is a narrow road with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline.

"It's a he-said, she-said right now, but you can't pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey," Kelly said.

Kelly said the accident remains under investigation and no summonses have been issued.

The 46-year-old actor was treated at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J., and released, spokesman Stan Rosenfield said in a statement.

Larson suffered a broken foot. She and Clooney were wearing helmets, Kelly said.
www.indystar.com

ABC and AOL team up for free prime-time shows

2007-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

But when one of the players comes out with a blockbuster idea, especially on the business operations front, it's like watching a flock of geese take off. One leads the pack, the others follow. The formation may not always be perfectly aligned, but they're all headed in the same general direction.

The Walt Disney Co.'s Disney-ABC Television Group announced a deal with Time Warner's AOL today that calls for ABC to offer free, full-length prime-time episodes online a day after they premiere. ABC's free prime-time shows, which will begin appearing on AOL Video today, will include the likes of The Bachelor, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. Users will be able to view about four episodes per TV series at any one time.

As noted in a blog by David Kaplan on paidcontent.org, ABC is making a move to syndicate its prime-time shows online, much like CBS.

And ABC's free-prime-time-show announcement follows one made by NBC Universal a day earlier, in which NBC said it tuned in to the concept of offering free downloadable TV shows. NBC's Wednesday announcement said it would offer ad-supported prime time shows, such as The Office and Heroes, that could be downloaded after they aired and remain on users' computers for seven days before virtually vaporizing, according to a report in The New York Times.

www.news.com

For Jay-Z, Inspiration Arrives in a Movie

2007-09-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z, the rap superstar and president of Def Jam Records, has quietly returned to the studio to record an album of new songs inspired by the forthcoming movie “American Gangster,” his first “concept” album and second CD in less than a year.

The album, which his label plans to release in early November, came together over the past few weeks after Jay-Z was shown the film, directed by Ridley Scott, in which Denzel Washington portrays Frank Lucas, a early 1970s Harlem heroin kingpin.

Following the underwhelming critical and commercial reception for his “Kingdom Come” CD late last year — and as Jay-Z grapples with whether to stay on in his post at Def Jam — the tie-in to a major motion picture gives him a chance to rebound strong and extend his reach to a wider audience.

At the same time, it could help Universal Pictures excite younger moviegoers, whom it will need to make money on a costly film with a troubled history. Though it’s not uncommon for films to be released alongside “inspired by” albums, it is rare for them to be recorded by a single artist, let alone by a major star who had no role in the movie.

In an hourlong telephone interview, Jay-Z, 37, who has spoken of spending his early years in Brooklyn both rapping and drug dealing, said that the movie had tremendous resonance for him and had sparked a burst of creative activity that even he found surprising. He has already recorded nine tracks, almost every one prompted by a specific scene.

“It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story,” he said.

The movie, set for a Nov. 2 release, depicts the Lucas character as an underworld Horatio Alger and an innovator who, despite keeping a low public profile, rose to such power that he was able to defy the Mafia bosses who had traditionally dominated the New York drug trade before being brought down by a special narcotics task force. (Its leader is played by Russell Crowe.) Jay-Z said he thought his fans would be struck by the image of a black man reaching such heights of success, even on the wrong side of the law, much like such ruthlessly efficient Al Pacino antiheroes as Tony Montana and Michael Corleone.

“It immediately clicked with me,” said Jay-Z, who has made passing references to gangster movies in previous recordings but has never delved so deeply into the genre. “Like ‘Scarface,’ or any one of those films, you take the good out of it, and you can see it as an inspiring film.”

A $100 million gritty period piece that largely takes place before the birth of hip-hop or many of its fans, “American Gangster” marks a sizable gamble for Universal, which fired one director, Antoine Fuqua, and scrapped the project at a cost of $30 million before restarting it with Mr. Scott in charge and with Mr. Crowe in place of Benicio del Toro. (Though they share a name, Universal Pictures and Universal Music Group, the parent of Def Jam, are no longer corporate brethren.)

www.nytimes.com

Third Narnia film delayed to 2010

2007-09-21T04:13:00.001-07:00

The release date of the third Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, has been put back a year to 2010.

A Disney spokeswoman blamed the delay on "the challenging schedules for our young actors" and said production will begin next summer, instead of January.

The movie, which is being directed by acclaimed film-maker Michael Apted, was originally scheduled for May 2009.

Prince Caspian is the second film to be made from CS Lewis's novels and is scheduled to open 16 May in the US.

Caspian's release date was also delayed by five months because the film's production company, Walden Media, already had another movie, The Water Horse, coming out in December.

Relative unknown Ben Barnes will play the lead role, and will return for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Georgie Henley (Lucy) and Skandar Keynes (Edmund) from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will also feature.

Starring James McAvoy and Tilda Swinton, the first instalment of the Narnia series took $744m (£373m) worldwide.

Meanwhile, another high profile movie has had its release date moved forward.

According to industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks Animation has bought Monsters vs Aliens forward by two months in the US.

The film will now open in March instead of May 2009 to avoid clashing with James Cameron's Avatar, which is currently scheduled for release in May.

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Heroes returns for sophomore year

2007-09-21T03:56:00.000-07:00

Tim Kring is a little light on intel about the second season of his geek-tastic creation Heroes, but that comes with the territory.

He was swamped by fanboys and fangirls at Comic-Con in San Diego in July, and he didn't crack under pressure then -- except to reveal that Dominican actress Dania Ramirez, familiar to connoisseurs of geek chic as one of the sirens from last summer's movie X-Men: The Last Stand, will join the cast as Maya Herrera.

According to Heroes's second-season program notes, Herrera is a young woman "plagued by a threatening ability that has driven both her and her twin brother Alejandro (Shalim Ortiz) from their home in the Dominican Republic to ... the U.S. in search of help."

Press him a little harder, and some other details emerge.

Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) will appear in a recurring role, beginning with the fifth episode, as a mysterious siren, Elle, with cryptic ties to the Petrelli and Bennet families.

The new season will incorporate storylines based in Egypt, Haiti, Mexico, Ireland, Lithuania and Ukraine, in addition to the U.S. and of course Japan, where, in May's season-ending cliffhanger, Masi Oka's character, Hiro, found himself trapped in time, back in the 16th century and facing bushido-blade-wielding characters straight out of an Akira Kurosawa samurai epic.

Mention that season finale -- and some of the more lacklustre reviews for the final chapter in what was one of last season's few TV Cinderella tales -- and Kring is apt to take on a slightly pained demeanour. Heroes is unusual in that it tapped into the mainstream audience, and not just the comics crowd. It was one of Global and NBC's highest-rated dramas last season and was nominated for a best drama Emmy.

"I don't read a lot of the Internet chatter," Kring said, taking a break between scenes on Heroes's main soundstage at Sunset Gower Studios, the former home of Columbia Pictures. "I'm never 100-per-cent satisfied with anything I do, but I was pretty pleased that we were able to wrap up that much story and give ourselves enough of a blank slate to start season two with."

Making Heroes on a week-to-week basis is an exercise in time travel in itself, Kring suggests, with all its attendant headaches and frustrations.

"When you make a TV show, you are often several months ahead of where the audience is. The daily brush fires we're putting out often have very little to with what the audience is reacting to in any given moment."

Rewind to July 2006. Heroes made its original debut at Comic-Con, untried and untested. Kring was, frankly, terrified. He screened the original 72-minute pilot to a hall full of fanboys and fangirls. He knew they wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but that he also knew they would turn on him if he trotted out the TV equivalent of the John Travolta flop Battlefield Earth.

He needn't have worried, as it turned out. Heroes's first chapter was still two months away from being shown on TV in a shortened, 50-minute version, but that first screening was one of those "click" moments that come along once or twice in a TV producer's lifetime. If he's lucky.

http://canada.com.dose.ca

Sex Pistols to reform for one show

2007-09-21T03:55:00.001-07:00

British punk rock band The Sex Pistols will reform in November for one concert to mark the 30th anniversary of their album "Never Mind the Bollocks."

The four surviving original band members -- John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock -- told a British music paper the band would play south London's Brixton Academy on November 8. Tickets for the concert go on sale this Friday.

The Pistols spearheaded the British Punk rock movement in the 1970s, helping to spawn hundreds of similar bands like the Clash and the Damned, who railed against the establishment and supergroups who they said had become boring.

The band split in 1978 shortly before the death of bassist Sid Vicious in New York from a drugs overdose.

http://canada.com.dose.ca

Denise Richards seeks to 'protect' kids from ex

2007-09-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

It looks like the gloves are coming off -- again -- in Denise Richards' and Charlie Sheen's custody battle. After months of playing nice, Richards was back in court this week to request her two daughters be "protected" from her ex-hubby. The actress' attorney, Neal Raymond Hersh, says she is seeking "the assistance of the court to obtain orders to protect her children" from Sheen, reports People magazine. She believes that Charlie has significant personal issues which he has failed to address and which require her to take action to protect her children," Hersh says. "This is not a vindictive action. Any responsible parent in Denise's shoes would go to the ends of the Earth to protect her children." Though the court documents have not been released, Access Hollywood claims that Richards filed papers accusing her ex of "inappropriate behavior ... and conduct," including "his attraction to underage women and his sexual explicitness on the Internet, including revealing his private parts."
http://canada.com.dose.ca

Pitt signs up for new boxing movie

2007-09-21T03:31:00.001-07:00

Brad Pitt has signed up to star in a new boxing movie called The Fighter.

According to Empire, the Fight Club actor will star alongside Mark Wahlberg in the film, which is based around the life of the famous Irish-American boxer Mickey Ward.

Pitt will play Dicky Eklund, the half-brother of the one-time World Lightweight Champion, who also had a successful career in the ring before he became involved with crime and ended up in prison.

Eklund was famed for helping Ward reach success in the ring after he was let out of jail. Wahlberg will play the part of Ward in the film.

The movie will be directed by Darren Aronofsky, with a script provided by 8 Mile's Mile Silver.
www.digitalspy.co.uk

GETTING WALKED ON

2007-09-21T03:12:00.001-07:00

Stacy Keach added a star on the Walk of Fame to his list of honors the other day -- inaugurating the new Walk of Fame in Oldenburg, Germany, that is. Keach's career was celebrated there with a 20-film retrospective and a Lifetime Achievement Award at this month's Oldenburg FilmFest, and then he was surprised with the unveiling of his star as the first such tribute on that town's Boulevard der Stars. According to Keach, "It's right outside one of the biggest banks in town, so I hope that's a good sign." So, on this occasion, Keach was doing something Hollywood folk love to do ... laughing all the way to the bank.
www.la.com

FUTBOL HERO

2007-09-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

Soccer icon David Beckham's membership in the L.A. Galaxy has certainly raised the excitement level about soccer in the United States -- at least around the "Rules of Engagement" set. "Rules" actress Bianca Kajlich, who's married to Galaxy star Landon Donovan, tells us people are a lot more interested in seeing her husband when he visits her at work now that he's teammates with Beckham.

"It's great that we really genuinely enjoy going to the other's workplace and watch each other do what we do. Now it's a little more interesting because there are more people attracted to watching the Galaxy. It's funny how I came back to work after hiatus and suddenly everyone knew more about soccer," says Bianca. And when she goes to meet Landon at the field, things are different, as well. "I don't ever remember security being that big of an issue, and now I drive up and they're like, `Where's your ticket?' I'm like, `I've never had to show my ticket before."'

Bianca's been glad to get back in front of the studio audiences for her CBS sitcom, which has its second season premiere Monday, Sept. 24. Speaking of her on-screen love interest, Oliver Hudson, she admits, "We are quite competitive with each other. We talked the entire summer trying to figure out who's been working out more and who's going to be more buff when we returned. I think I won."

www.la.com

Scandal-plagued Tara Conner wouldn't change a thing

2007-09-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

Despite the scandals that plagued her reign last year, former Miss USA Tara Conner says if she had the chance to do it all over, "I wouldn't have done anything differently."

Controversy became Conner's last name after reports surfaced that she turned into a party animal, had been sneaking men into the Trump Place apartment appointed for Miss USA, was drinking underage, tested positive for cocaine, and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair in public. Conner escaped dethronement only after Miss USA pageant owner/exec producer Donald Trump decided to give her a second chance and she entered rehab last December.

"I know it sounds crazy," says Conner of not wanting to change a thing about the past year, "but we all make mistakes. No one in this world is perfect. I can sit here and try to beat myself up about being the one who did go out too much, but all of these mistakes have formed the person I am today, who is someone I'm very proud of and have a lot of respect for."

Connor will be seen offering the benefit of her hindsight to 2007's reigning beauty queens, Miss Universe Riyo Mori, Miss USA Rachel Smith and Blair, in MTV's Oct. 10-debuting reality series "Pageant Place," which chronicles what happens to a beauty queen after the win.

"I pretty much touched base on every issue you could touch base on," notes Conner, "so I'm an unofficial peer consultant there to try to keep them sane, help them look on the bright side of things and realize everything in life is temporary."

In retrospect, she says, "The crazy thing about it is that when I received the title, I didn't know what I wanted to achieve because of this disease, alcoholism, and all the `isms' I fell into." In fact, she says now, "In no way did I think I would win and be put in this position, and when the first runner up got called, I thought, 'Oh, s---! What do I do now?' I was scared to death. I didn't realize how much went into it, how stressful it was. ... I was only able to get three good sober months in as Miss USA, but it was still the best year of my life. It was the hardest year but still the best."

www.la.com

Pitt Says He & Jolie Want More Kids

2007-09-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt, who stars as legendary outlaw Jesse James in a new film, jokes that the advantage of today's celebrity culture is that people aren't carrying six-shooters around the way they did in James' day.

Even so, as the father of four young children, the 43-year-old actor is mindful of the potential dangers that come with fame.

"It's something that I want to be aware of and be cautious about, especially with the family, that everybody's protected," Pitt told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

"I mean it's rare, but there are imbalanced people out there. I've had break-ins in the house. ... I've had some of these abnormal incidents that can be a bit frightening," he said.Pitt, who stars in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," and Angelina Jolie have been the quarry of celebrity photographers and the object of incessant tabloid gossip since they got together amid the breakup of Pitt's marriage to Jennifer Aniston. A media vigil preceded the birth of their daughter Shiloh in Namibia last year.

When Pitt or Jolie is working, the other takes time off to tend the children, who travel with them wherever they are filming.

"We just take turns and make sure we keep the family together," he said.

Pitt is quick to acknowledge reporters' questions about the couple's plans for more children.

"We're not done. They say, 'Any plans for a fifth?' And I say, 'And a sixth, and a seventh, and an eighth, and a ninth.' That's my answer," he said.

"We also made a 9-foot-wide bed" that can fit him, Jolie and all four children, Pitt said. "Just big enough. One more and we'll have to go to 11 feet."
www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com

Glover, Moore, Ruffalo: filming 'Blindness' in South America

2007-09-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Danny Glover, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo closed their eyes and opened their senses to this small South American capital, a backdrop in the upcoming movie "Blindness."

The three actors wrapped up filming in Uruguay on Wednesday on the story of an unnamed city where everyone suddenly loses their eyesight, and the chaos that ensues.

Moore's character is the only one unaffected by the epidemic in the movie, based on a novel by Portuguese writer Jose Saramago.

"When you are blind you try to adopt another kind of sensitivity, so this role is definitely a challenge from a physical point of view," said Glover, 60, from the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo.

"The story is powerful and it addresses how we relate to each other as human beings," he said.

The three actors took time out to dance a tango, buy souvenirs and drink mate, a tea-like infusion sipped with a metal straw.

The production heads to Brazil on Friday, where "Blindness" director Fernando Meirelles first won fame for "City of God," which depicts life in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown.

www.cbc.ca

Justin on Britney: 'She has huge heart and is a great person'

2007-09-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Justin Timberlake had kind words about Britney Spears, but said he hasn't spoken to his ex-girlfriend in a long time and couldn't offer any explanation for her recent bizarre behavior.

"What do you think is going on with Britney?" asked talk-show host Oprah Winfrey during an interview with Timberlake that aired Wednesday."I don't know, to be honest with you. I haven't spoken to her in years," the 26-year-old singer said. "There's no ill will. I have nothing but love for her."

"It's funny because we dated each other at a time," he said. "Wow, I haven't talked about this in a long time, this is interesting."

"We were teenagers," he said.

"Famous teenagers," Winfrey added.

"And I think that's basically the best way to describe what happened to us," Timberlake said. "I think she's a great person. And I don't know her as well as I did."

Spears and Timberlake, both Mouseketeer alumni, dated for three years before breaking up in March 2002.

Timberlake wouldn't speculate about what's going on now with Spears, who has divorced Kevin Federline, shaved her own head, spent time in rehab and delivered a sloppy performance at MTV's Video Music Awards during the past year.

"What I do know about her is she has a huge heart and she's a great person," he said.

Asked if he's dating anyone now, Timberlake said yes, but wouldn't give her name.

During his appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Timberlake did talk about his struggles to deal with the paparazzi who shadow his every move. He said tabloids try to turn celebrities' lives into soap operas.

"If two famous people are dating each other, what I've found and I could be wrong, but just in my personal experience, if you're not going to get married, then you're breaking up," he said. "It's one or the other."
www.latimes.com

Jennifer Lopez pregnant with first child

2007-09-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Actress and musician Jennifer Lopez will have her first child with husband Marc Anthony, sources confirmed this week. After as much as two years of trying to conceive with Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez wore a baggy green dress to the New York Fashion Week launch of her new clothing line, JustSweet, and the press was in an uproar trying to decide if she was covering a baby bump. An insider spoke to In Touch, who is reporting that Jennifer Lopez is not only pregnant, but that she's three months along.

In Touch reports that Jennifer Lopez is pregnant as a byproduct of in-vitro fertilization, after she couldn't conceive naturally with Marc Anthony. They even report that there may be more than one child waiting in Jennifer Lopez' womb. There could be twins on Jenny's block. The source, who has reportedly seen the J.Lo sonogram, told In Touch, "The way the fetus is lying made it difficult for the doctor to tell if there was more than one baby in there."

The magazine also noted that it wasn't just the outfit at fashion week that sparked the pregnancy rumors for Jennifer Lopez fans. They noted that at Fashion Week, Jennifer Lopez was clearly watching her food intake and wouldn't eat tune or drink wine, two good signs that a woman at least thinks she's pregnant. Neither Jennifer Lopez nor Marc Anthony have actually confirmed the news as of yet and there's no word if it will affect the tour that the two have scheduled for November.

The new recording from Marc Anthony, the soundtrack to El Cantante, hit stores last month and the new recording from Jennifer Lopez hits stores in October. The 38-year-old Marc Anthony has always been much bigger in his own language than in the United States, but has had a few hits albums here including 1999's Marc Anthony (which hit number 8 on the US charts) and 2002's Mended (which hit number 3 on the US charts). Marc Anthony has also appeared in Big Night, Bringing Out the Dead, and Man on Fire. The biggest hits of the musical career of Jennifer Lopez have been 1999's On the 6 (7 million copies sold worldwide), 2001's J. Lo (13 million copies sold worldwide), and 2002's This Is Me...Then (6 million copies sold worldwide).

On-screen, Jennifer Lopez hasn't been as busy as she once was, focusing more on music than movies lately. She did appear in El Cantante with her husband and has finished shooting the yet-to-be released Bordertown. You can catch Jennifer Lopez on DVD in Money Train, Jack, Blood and Wine, Selena, Anaconda, U Turn, Out of Sight, The Cell, The Wedding Planner, Angel Eyes, Enough, Maid in Manhattan, Gigli, Jersey Girl, Shall We Dance, Monster-in-Law, and An Unfinished Life.
Source: www.actressarchives.com

In the footsteps of Jesse James

2007-09-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hollywood offers a new spin on the legend of Jesse James when "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," starring Brad Pitt as James, opens Sept. 21.

If the movie sparks your interest in the famous outlaw, there are plenty of places in Missouri where you can learn more about his life, his gang and the era in which they lived.

In the countryside just outside Kearney, you can visit the James family home, where his mother, Zerelda, began giving tours not long after he was assassinated in 1882. Today it's known as the Jesse James Farm and Museum.

Fifteen kilometres away, in Liberty, you can visit the Jesse James Bank Museum, where a bank robbery was carried out by James's gang in 1866. The museum is designed to look like the bank looked the day of the crime.

In Stanton, you can take a guided tour of the Meramec Caves, reputed to be a hideout for James. And in St. Joseph, you'll find the house where James was killed, and the courthouse where two men were tried for his murder.

After James was assassinated, his elder brother Frank James spent six months in the 1859 Jail in Independence, where admiring locals brought him gifts, a carpet and fine furniture. You can still see his furnished cell there today, complete with a picture of Shakespeare, his favourite author, hanging over his bed. Frank was never convicted of any crime, and his ashes were buried in the Hill Park Cemetery in Independence, where you can find his headstone.

A covered wagon historical tour with stories about the James gang is also offered through December around Independence by Pioneer Trails Adventures.

Source: http://canadianpress.google.com

McConaughey takes Owen Wilson's place in 'Tropic Thunder' film

2007-09-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Matthew McConaughey is taking Owen Wilson's role in the comedy movie "Tropic Thunder."

Wilson, 38, dropped out of the DreamWorks movie after an apparent suicide attempt in August.

The Ben Stiller-directed "Tropic Thunder," which is filming in Hawaii, stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, Bill Hader and Steve Coogan.

McConaughey has an uncredited cameo in the movie, his publicist Nicole Perez said Wednesday.

The movie is about a group of actors who gather on a remote island to shoot a big-budget war movie and are forced to become the soldiers they are playing.

Wilson publicist Ina Treciokas didn't immediately return a telephone message seeking information on Wilson's recovery.

Wilson was taken by ambulance to a hospital after police responded to a call about a suicide attempt at his Santa Monica home. The day after he was hospitalized, he issued a statement asking for privacy so he could "receive care and heal."

Mirren takes third US award in year at Emmys

2007-09-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Helen Mirren was at her regal best on Sunday night in Los Angeles as she scooped her third award at her third major US awards ceremony this year. Following earlier success at the Oscars and the Golden Globes for The Queen, the grand dame of British drama was back to claim an Emmy award for best actress in a mini-series for her final outing as DS Jane Tennison in the last instalment of Prime Suspect.

Spears retains conditional custody of her children

2007-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears has retained 50/50 custody of her children, but the singer is going to have to work for it.

Calling her a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol, a judge ordered Spears to submit to random drug testing twice a week and work with a parenting coach for at least eight hours a week.

"The parenting coach is to observe [Spears'] interaction with the minor children and her parenting skills," Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner Scott Gordon wrote in court documents.

Controversial 'Kid Nation' set to air

2007-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

CBS' reality show "Kid Nation" launches tonight under a cloud of controversy, making it the new season's most-talked-about series even though few have actually seen it.

"Kid Nation" - airing at 8 p.m. - follows 40 youngsters, ranging in age from 8 to 15, who spent 40 days setting up their own world on a ranch in New Mexico.

"The series raises a really interesting question: What are our children capable of doing?" said executive producer Tom Forman.

That question has been obscured in recent weeks as Forman and CBS officials have been peppered with questions about how the kids were treated and whether child-labor laws were violated.

One parent complained after a child was burned in a cooking accident, and the New Mexico attorney general's office has conducted an inquiry - not a formal investigation - into the issue. There's never been a formal complaint from the mother of the burned child, said Phil Sisneros, director of communications for the attorney general's office.

The child was treated on the scene and, after consulting with the mother, remained on the show.

"The show really answers the critics and then some," said Forman. "What you'll see on the show is kids really coming together to build a community, kids exceeding our expectations in every way."

CBS officials did not send out the show for preview (something not unusual for reality shows), in part to help fuel stories about the series.

"If there's little meat to the claims and the content is compelling, then the increased awareness will translate the greater initial tune-in to ongoing interest," said Stacey Lynn Schulman, CEO of Hi: Human Insight, a media consulting firm. "If its not compelling, then the show will fail more rapidly."

Katz Media executive Bill Carroll said the controversy can only help drive viewership. "You need to have a louder voice," Carroll said.

As for the show's critics: "I personally think it's a bunch of baloney, the stuff they're saying," said Guylan, 11, a cast member from Massachusetts. "I was there, I know what happened. I don't think anything worthy of this bashing happened. Once the first episode airs, all this controversy will kind of float away."

In casting, the producers sought exceptionally bright kids. And Forman said he met with every parent to discuss the production. The parents, he said, have gotten a bad rap in the flap, which is unfair.

"Look, from the minute I thought of [the show], and certainly every step along the way, we just knew we'd have to be more careful than any show in the history of television," he said.

The kids on the show set up their own government, worked on the ranch, set up their early bedtimes and held regular "town meetings." At any of the meetings the kids could leave. There was no reality-show elimination.

"Without giving away too much, I was very surprised by the outcome," Forman said. "I was blown away every day by what they accomplished. When they are good to each other, which is 99% of the time, they are more kind, more just and more fair. Adults do it so badly."

Source: www.nydailynews.com

Behind the scenes: Kanye rises to the top

2007-09-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Listen to his current album, "Graduation," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, besting 50 Cent's "Curtis" in a much ballyhooed face-off, and you're more likely to hear the sounds of chests being thumped than backs being patted.

But Tuesday evening at GQ's 50th-anniversary party at Cedar Lake, a club in Manhattan's popular Meatpacking District, West was surprisingly gracious.

"I feel bad about beating 50," he said, "but I feel good about being number one."

According to Nielsen SoundScan, West to date has sold more than 957,000 albums. Fifty, who has said that he'd retire from rap if West was victorious, sold 691,000 copies in the past week. Will 50 be heading to Shady Pines? His people would not "confirm or deny his retirement."

No matter. The GQ party was as much a celebration of the magazine's storied history as it was of West. "He's the perfect marriage between artistic integrity and mainstream," said GQ's editor Jim Nelson. Watch Kanye talk about how he'll celebrate »

Supermodel Cindy Crawford, who arrived solo in a silver micro-mini dress and matching pumps, gushed about the magazine and then quickly moved on to the 50-Kanye tiff. She remained neutral.

"I love both of them," she said, referring to the rappers. "I could never pick sides, but I heard Kanye kicked some serious butt. 50 shouldn't retire," she added. "We still love him."

West worked the red carpet in a white Calvin Klein suit and matching canvas sneakers. His fiancee, Alexis, opted for a curve-hugging black number that looked more befitting a dominatrix than a bride-to-be. As she quietly hovered in the background, West was showered with congratulations, hugs and handshakes, declarations of his genius and even a few who took to quoting his lyrics.

Earlier in the evening West reminisced about the days when he wasn't so beloved. After spending an entire summer perfecting his game, he tried out for his high school's basketball team. He made all of his shots, completed all of the drills, but was cut nevertheless. The coach told him he wasn't tall enough, the 5-foot-8 rapper recalled. "And I keep feeling like all these awards shows, it's just them telling me I'm not tall enough. It's like what else do you want me to do?"

He said some of his temper tantrums (the latest backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards), stem from that moment. They are less about his ego and more about his passion. "I play to win. I look at it like it's a sport, man. And all I'm doing is basically screaming at the refs," he said.

Jay-Z, the rapper turned Def Jam executive, said that Kanye's current success was owed to his obsessive work ethic. "There are 75 iterations of 'Stronger,' " he said, referring to West's current hit single. "There are 16 versions of the 'Good Life.' He cares more about the music than anyone."

In recent days 50 Cent has alleged that Island/Def Jam purchased albums to bolster West's sales. It's a charge that the label's CEO, L.A. Reid, vehemently denied shortly before posing for photos with West on the red carpet.

"This is a very clean and legitimate success," said Reid. Did he expect 50 to retire? "No, I expect him to go back into the studio and make a better album."

Moments later, hip-hop mogul P. Diddy sauntered down the red carpet, toothpick firmly in mouth, black Gucci loafers gleaming. Like Crawford, he refused to choose sides.

"I'm very political," he said, grinning slyly, "and this is a very emotional situation."

Ever the businessman, Diddy quickly launched into a sales pitch about his new women's fragrance, Unforgivable, which hits stores today. "I had so much success with my men's fragrance and the women were demanding their own fragrance, so I had to oblige them," he said.

He also had his own dares to make. In a video that was released to YouTube earlier in the day, he challenged Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Sarah Jessica Parker and any other female celebrity with a fragrance to a "scent off."

"I know mine will win," he said. "I'm going to invite all of them to my penthouse suite, and if any of their scents smell better than mine I'll take 'em shopping and they can run up my credit cards." As of yesterday, none of the ladies had obliged.

British crooner James Blunt, of "Beautiful" fame, was also ready for his own showdown. Blunt's sophomore album, "All the Lost Souls," was released on Tuesday and he joked that he was eager to take on 50 and Kanye. "I'm throwing my hat into the ring," he said. "I'm comfortable coming in from behind and if my album sells more than either of theirs this week, I will retire from the American music industry."

West hit the stage shortly after 11. He did not come alone. He was accompanied by a band, an elaborate string section, several back-up singers, a DJ, fog and a highly choreographed light show. He ran through his past hits ("Gold Digger") and current chart-toppers ("Stronger"), whipping the crowd of tastemakers, fashionistas, and celebrities like Beyonce into a frenzy.

Lawyer sues Vanessa Hudgens for $150,000

2007-09-19T02:59:00.000-07:00

As if her nude photo scandal wasn’t enough, “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens is now being sued.

According to court papers obtained by “Access Hollywood,” a former lawyer for the “HSM” star says she owes him $150,000 in legal fees.

The lawsuit, filed by Brian L. Schall in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, alleges a breach of contract and unjust enrichment by the 18-year-old Hudgens.“Perhaps Vanessa Hudgens… needs to go back to school to learn a very basic lesson in contractual obligations,” Schall states in the lawsuit.

The suit claims Hudgens and Schall entered into a written contract for legal services in October 2005.

According to the suit, Schall claims he advanced costs and expenses on Hudgens’ behalf for her songwriting and recording career.

A rep for Hudgens was not available for comment.

Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

50 Cent: From Queens to king of rap

2007-09-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

It is hard not to see an element of spoilt-brattishness in the assertion by the rapper 50 Cent that he would retire as a solo artist if the new album by his rival Kanye West outsold his own. But his bluff could be called today when the US chart is published – West is expected to top it, as he has in the UK, and some people think this might be behind 50 Cent’s decision to cancel the European visit during which he was to perform at the MOBOs tonight. Fifty, as he is known, is a man with a publicity-grabbing history of feuds with rivals, and ambitions far beyond the music scene. Still only 32, he already has lines of video games, clothes and footwear to his name and when asked if there could be a President 50 Cent, he replied: “Never say never.” 50 Cent (real name: Curtis Jackson) grew up in one of the roughest areas of New York and had a spectacularly grim childhood. (The name comes from a Brooklyn robber of the same name; “I’m the same kind of person 50 Cent was,” the rapper has said. “I provide for myself by any means.”) His father wasn’t around and his mother, a drug-dealer, was 15 when she had him and 23 when she was murdered. Brought up by his grandparents, he began dealing crack at 12, impressed by the flashy cars and smart clothes of the local drug dealers. “Some people criticise my lyrics for being aggressive,” he has said, “but in my eyes it’s a direct reflection of the environment I grew up in.”

He ended up in and out of jail, and in 2000 had a run-in with another drug dealer, who shot him nine times. He now wears a bullet-proof vest constantly, travels in a bullet-proof car and says that anger is the feeling he is most comfortable with. “I know I did the wrong thing,” he once said of his drug-dealing past, “but it didn’t feel like there was any options.”

He credits the birth of his son, Marquise, now 10, with being the impetus he needed to turn his life around. Rap was his salvation, and he was the first artist Eminem signed to his record label. Get Rich or Die Tryin’, his debut album, sold nearly 11 million copies (he thanked his parole officer on the album sleeve). An attempt to break into films followed, when he appeared in a semi-auto-biographical film of the same name as his debut album, but it was voted by one internet film site as the 27th worst movie of all time.

But Fifty has had the last laugh: now worth upwards of $60 million (£30 million), and with a penchant for statement diamond jewellery, he lives in the former mansion of the boxer Mike Tyson in Connecticut, and has a stated ambition to become a billionaire. “I might be the rapper from Queens,” he said in 2006, “but most of my time is now spent thinking about brand names, company profiles and empire-building. In that sense I see myself primarily as a businessman.” Or possibly president.

Source: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk

Sean Penn's 'Into the Wild' forages for meaning in fatal quest

2007-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years after Chris McCandless starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness, the story of his quest to escape from society back to nature still inspires controversy: Was he a hapless amateur who threw himself into harm's way - or a genuinely idealistic seeker with a run of bad luck that cost him his life?

"Into the Wild," writer-director Sean Penn's film adaptation of Jon Krakauer's 1996 nonfiction book about McCandless' ultimately fatal search for himself, may only fan the flames when it opens Friday.

"Alaskans have every reason to be outraged by the way Chris went into the wild - but Chris wasn't an Alaskan," says actor Emile Hirsch, who plays McCandless in the film. "When you talk about a tale of survival, you can't really glorify the survival lifestyle if you don't survive."

Yet Hirsch, 22, understands completely what drove McCandless. "Now [I get it], more than ever," he says. "I know a whole generation of young men like myself who are so immersed in technology, with the cushions and comforts of life, that they need things to help them define when they become a man."

"Some people thought he was a nut," says actor Hal Holbrook, who plays a retiree who befriended McCandless in the California desert before McCandless, who renamed himself "Alexander Supertramp," lit out for Alaska. "But the other side is kind of fascinated by what the young man was searching for. I'm for him; I think we need an examination of this kind of seeking, daring individualism in the world we live in, which is crushing out the individualistic spark at every turn."

Penn's impressionistic film follows McCandless' journey to reconnect with and test himself against nature. As Krakauer chronicled - first in Outside magazine, then in his best-selling book - after McCandless graduated from college, he gave away the remainder of his college fund - $24,000 - to charity and hitchhiked around the American Southwest and Midwest, trying to escape the materialism of society. He worked as everything from a Burger King fry cook to a South Dakota wheat harvester, then used his earnings to buy supplies and walked into the Alaskan wilderness. His emaciated body was found by moose hunters several months later. He was 24 years old.

To play McCandless, Hirsch had to get himself into the kind of condition required for mountain climbing, kayaking and wilderness hiking. But director Penn challenged Hirsch to do more than just get in strong physical shape.

"Sean didn't allow me to bring my boy self on set," Hirsch says. "He forced me to be an adult and brought maturity out of me I didn't know I had. Not that we sat around all serious all the time - but there was a level of responsibility and commitment that, for me, was very new."

Hirsch also developed a profound respect for the power and cruel indifference of nature in the Alaskan wilderness.

"It's this beautiful, harsh land that is unforgiving and does not care about man," Hirsch says. "When something so beautiful becomes the thing that is preventing you from living, you realize it's not there for your amusement. Sean calls Alaska 'nature on steroids.'"

Brian Dierker, the film's marine coordinator, also played a role in the movie, after being persuaded by Penn to move to the other side of the camera ("A lot scarier than whitewater rapids," Dierker says). He sees a mirror of McCandless' questing spirit in Penn, with whom Dierker subsequently spent time on a family rafting trip.

"There's definitely a similarity," Dierker says. "I think Sean has a profound love of adventure and nature - and the natural world in general. In some ways, he and Chris McCandless are kindred spirits."

Adds Marcia Gay Harden, who plays McCandless' mother, "Sean is one of the bravest men I've ever met."

Penn - whose fourth film this is, after 1991's "The Indian Runner," 1995's "The Crossing Guard" and 2001's "The Pledge" - draws that same aspect out in others, says Holbrook, who climbed a steep, rocky terrain on camera after Penn told him he thought he couldn't do it.

"He said he thought he should get a stand-in to do it for me," Holbrook, 82, says. "I said, 'I can climb that goddamned hill!' I did it three times."

There are other troublesome aspects to McCandless' journey. As a parent herself, Harden says, she has a hard time with McCandless' decision to cut his parents off completely - to disappear after his college graduation and never communicate with them again.

"There were years of hidden anger at his parents - but there's an element of cowardice to that," she says. "It's incredibly brutal and cruel not to call. At some point, just a phone call and a 'F--- you' would have been [better]."

At the same time, she says, "I understand his exodus and I appreciate it.... We live in a society of capitalism run amok. And the rhythms of society are so different than the rhythms of nature."

Holbrook concurs. "I know people don't agree with what Chris did, but they'd have said the same thing to Sir Edmund Hillary," he says. "In fact, they'd have said it to everyone from Daniel Boone on up. 'Don't go! It's too dangerous!'

"What about the astronauts? They also had to leave their families and risk their lives. Why? Because there was something so alive in them that they just had to go and do that."

Source: www.nydailynews.com

Fan attack made Pitt feel vulnerable

2007-09-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt admits that he was left a bit shaken after an obsessed fan got a little too close for comfort at the Venice Film Festival recently.

Pitt, who one the Best Actor award at the festival for his role in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford’, revealed to the Mirror that the incident had shown him just how vulnerable stars can be.

"I haven't been jumped like that in a while. It tells me that we're vulnerable," the paper quoted him, as saying.

However, he insists that incidents like these will not make him hide.

"It's something I have been thinking about but I don't want to change my life to avoid those kinds of things. I've had break-ins in the house and I'm dealing with a recent one now," he said.

The ‘Troy’ star also revealed that he, like most people in showbiz, had developed a ‘radar’ over the years that helped his cope with unbalanced fans.

"You also develop a radar - you feel it when you are approached by unbalanced people," he said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire in remake of 'Brothers'

2007-09-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire are being lined up to star in a Hollywood remake of acclaimed Danish war film "Brothers," it was reported Tuesday.

Gyllenhaal, an Academy Award nominee for his performance in the Oscar-winning gay cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain" in 2006, and "Spider-Man" star Maguire were both in talks to feature in the film, Daily Variety reported.

The original 2004 film, directed by Denmark's Susanne Bier, tells the story of a man who is sent to fight in Afghanistan while his brother is saddled with the task of looking after his wife and child.

Maguire is to play the soldier sent off to war, with Gyllenhaal his younger brother, Variety reported. Filming is to begin in November.

Source: http://afp.google.com

Mirren takes third US award in year at Emmys

2007-09-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Broadbent cast in next Harry Potter film

2007-09-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent has revealed that he has joined the cast of the sixth Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.

In an exclusive interview with the film website Dark Horizons, Broadbent said that he would play Horace Slughorn.

He described the character as "a retired teacher of magic who's drawn back out of retirement because he's got some secrets they need in the battle against the Death Eaters".

Shooting on 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' began yesterday.

Star Daniel Radcliffe can currently be seen on Irish cinema screens in the Australian drama 'December Boys'.

Broadbent's new film, 'And When Did You Last See Your Father?', opens in Ireland on 5 October.
Source: www.rte.ie

Zoe Saldana Joins Enterprise Crew

2007-09-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Actress Zoe Saldana is set to play Uhura in J. J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek prequel, a role famously originated by Nichelle Nichols.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, 29-year-old actress Zoe Saldana will embody Uhura, the Enterprise's chief communications officer, in J. J. Abrams’ prequel set for a December 2008 release.

Nichelle Nichols portrayed Uhura both on the big screen and on the small screen and was one the first black women to have a prominent role in a major television series.

The film’s lineup already includes Anton Yelchin (“Huff,” “Alpha Dog”) as a younger version of Russian navigator Pavel Chekov, played by Walter Koenig in the original TV series and seven feature films, and Zachary Quinto (“24,” “Heroes”) as young Mr. Spock.

The original Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy, will reportedly have a cameo as well. CinemaBlend.com quotes Nimoy explaining his motivation to participate in the project:

“People have been asking me why I'm doing this movie, and I think the answer is obvious: we have a great director, a wonderful script, and a wonderful young actor playing Spock, so…it was logical.”

Zoe Saldana, 29, has played in “Drumline” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” She is currently busy filming James Cameron’s first non-documentary directorial effort since 1997’s “Titanic,” the blockbuster 3-D fantasy “Avatar.”

Sam Worthington plays the lead character, war veteran Jake Scully, while Zoe plays his love interest, an alien named Neytiri. The cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and C. C. H. Pounder.

Zoe next appears on the big screen in February 2008, when the thriller “Vantage Point,” starring Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox and Sigourney Weaver is released.

J. J. Abrams debuted as a movie director in 2006, with “Mission: Impossible 3,” starring Tom Cruise. His Star Trek prequel will be distributed by Paramount Pictures. The plot is being kept under wraps. There have been rumors however that the story will show the Enterprise crew in earlier days than ever shown before.
Source: www.efluxmedia.com

Britney Spears dropped by management firm

2007-09-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears has been dropped by her management company, The Firm, just a month after she hired them for the run-up to the release of her new album on November 13.

The agency said in a statement: "We believe Britney is enormously talented, and has made a terrific record. But current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job."

The blow comes amid the ongoing battle between Spears and former husband Kevin Federline for custody of their two children.

A former bodyguard for the pop star has reportedly filed comments to the court about alleged nudity and drugs and the safety of her their young sons.

Tony Barretto, 28, worked for Spears from the time she left a rehabilitation clinic in March until May 17.

Mr Barretto arrived in court yesterday with a lawyer but was not called to testify. Instead his comments were filed with the court as evidence.

Outside the court, Mr Barretto's attorney Gloria Allred said she was shocked her client was not questioned and issued a statement calling him a "key and secret witness."

Federline's lawyer, Mark V. Kaplan, said it was not unusual for lawyers to decline questioning a surprise witness.

"Sometimes lawyers don't like cross-examining when they don't know what the extent of the answers will be," he said.

The singer married Federline in October 2004. She filed for divorce last November and the divorce became official July 30. The two have joint custody of sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

Spears went through episodes of bizarre behaviour early this year - including shaving her own head - and finally spent time in rehab.

Her attempts at a professional comeback took a hit last week with a sloppy performance at MTV's Video Music Awards.

In a further developement, Spears also parted ways with her attorney.

Her divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, was replaced by Mel Goldman of Los Angeles law firm Freid and Goldman. Neither Goldman or Wasser discussed the change.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Harry Potter and the Grown-Up Drama

2007-09-17T13:21:00.001-07:00

He's helped make the mega-budgeted Harry Potter movies the highest-grossing franchise in history. But two years ago, Daniel Radcliffe took a stab at shaking up his screen image by accepting a role in a teeny-tiny Australian indie movie, December Boys (which just opened in New York and L.A.).

Radcliffe plays Maps, an orphaned lad from the Outback sent with three fellow orphans to have a summer holiday in a seaside town, circa the early 1960s. Maps is the responsible eldest kid in the quartet, but away from the nuns, he lets loose. He learns to drink and smoke, and catches the eye of a local lass (Teresa Palmer), leading to a deflowering scene way beyond that chaste kiss with Cho Chang in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. (It's semi-explicit PG-13 stuff, which prompted Variety to dub December Boys, ''Harry Potter Gets Laid.'') EW.com caught up with Radcliffe to talk about Boys, just as he began filming on a TV movie, My Boy Jack, in Ireland last month.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This character, Maps, is nothing like Harry Potter!
DANIEL RADCLIFFE: I needed just to prove to myself that I could absolutely go off and do something else. The question I get asked a lot is about being stereotyped as Harry, or rather typecast. I never thought of that as being an option for myself, but I totally understood why people would ask it. So thought it would make a lot more sense to start doing different things before [the] Harry Potter [films] ended, sort of in conjunction with them, rather than waiting till they're all done and then trying to break away.

That's what made you take that flashy stage role in Equus last winter in London as well, right? You got a lot of attention for doing good work — but also for being stark naked onstage.
If you can do something like Equus, that has a much different, more grown-up audience, I think that shows people you really want to try out different things. It makes them take you more seriously.

And yet, way before Equus, you did December Boys — even though we're only seeing it now.
I don't think I would've been able to give the performance I gave in Equus or in Harry Potter 5 had I not been in December Boys. It really helped my confidence. Because suddenly I was working with a different crew. There was nobody in the crew or cast who was connected to Harry Potter.

Was that daunting at first?
Pretty nerve-wracking. I'd been doing the Harry Potter films for about four or five years uninterrupted at that stage. And, obviously, people make assumptions. The child-star label is brought up. And so I was worried that people [on December Boys] would be thinking, Oh God, what's he going to be like? when I was walking onto the set the first day. I was quite nervous about going up against that stereotype. But, luckily, I'm not that person, so they were very, very accepting of me. Because I wasn't being horrible and throwing things.

Is the character you play in December Boys English or Australian?
Australian. I had accent lessons with a woman called Kate Godfrey, who's fantastic. It's a very easy accent to caricature, but not to do accurately. We filmed in Adelaide, Australia, and a lot of people have said to me, ''Oh, it's a very Adelaide accent.'' Personally, I can't tell the difference between an accent from Adelaide and an accent from Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane. But in Australia they can. So, hopefully it'll go down fairly well.

And you shot it back in 2005?
In between Potters 4 and 5. But I'm losing track of the time in my own life at the moment. I now sometimes have to work to remember exactly when I did Equus. Because so many journalists came up to me and asked, ''Do you think Equus helped you in making Harry Potter 5?'' I found myself eventually saying, ''Yes.'' And then I'd catch myself — Wait, I did Equus after Harry Potter 5. But yes, December Boys was directly after Harry Potter 4 finished.

Source: www.ew.com

Jessica Alba cuddles up to her first romantic comedy

2007-09-17T13:20:00.001-07:00

Jessica Alba is trying to slow down, but it's difficult - for a lot of reasons.

"Since I've opened myself to certain things, all of these amazing opportunities have come my way," she says. "It's hard to turn them down because it's what I always wanted. So I kind of embrace it with open arms but, at the same time, try to hang on to some sanity."

Alba is referring to an unlikely sea change in her career. Now 26, she has been a cute teen ("The New Adventures of Flipper"), supporting-actress eye candy ("Sin City"), lead-actress eye candy ("Into the Blue"), vacuum-packed action figure (on James Cameron's TV sci-fi drama "Dark Angel," and in the "Fantastic Four" movies) and, of course, most beautiful woman on the planet.

She looks pretty good now, sitting in a Manhattan hotel lobby dressed casually in slacks, a modestly low-cut top and high heels. What all those lovely pictures on magazine covers and the Web don't convey is how fine-boned she is. She's less a bombshell than she is a firecracker.

But what she'd really like to be, at least for now, is ... Lucille Ball. "I've always loved 'I Love Lucy,'" she says. "That's my favorite show."

And in Alba's latest film, "Good Luck Chuck," opening Friday, she does get to do a little Lucy. Her character, Cam Wexler, works with penguins and is more than a bit of a klutz. Of course, Cam still looks like Jessica Alba, so she attracts the attention of a dentist (played by comedian Dane Cook) who is famous for hooking up with women, only to see them marry the next guy they meet. He hopes Cam will be the one to break his "curse." Amazingly, it's the first time Alba's done a lead role in such a carefree movie.

"I'd never done comedy before," Alba says. "People in the business weren't really that open to me doing comedy. And I didn't really know [I could do it] until I just went for it.

"Also, my idea of comedy is different. I'm not into a sitcom-style, setup-joke rhythm. I'm more like, 'Put me in a circumstance, and let me go.'"

What Alba means is, let me go run into walls, let me knock over a tray of drinks. It comes naturally to her because she's that way in real life. Clumsiness used to make her cry as a kid, but at the same time she used to behave like "a complete jackass" to make friends. As an adult, she says she falls on her face when she tries to be cute.

Why Alba tries to be cute is a mystery. Perhaps, like some beautiful women, she's not at all sure how cute she really is. She talks about a date she had recently in which - trying to be cute - she climbed a pile of rocks to a romantic spot and fell into a lagoon. She emerged bloody and completely soaked.

For the record, the guy asked her out again (who wouldn't?), but she won't say who he was. Alba is guarded about her private life, although it's hard to imagine that, as busy as she is, she has much of one. She does drop the cuteness and coyness when she talks about her career.

"At a very young age I was very determined and very strong-willed, and I was going to make it happen no matter what, and nobody was going to get in my way," she says.

No doubt a lot of Alba's drive comes from her upbringing. The daughter of Mark Alba, a Mexican-American, and Catherine Jensen, who has French and Danish ancestry, Jessica was an Army brat, moving around from Mississippi to Texas to California. She has said that she felt she didn't fit into either the Mexican or Anglo communities, and found that acting became an outlet for her - and an out.

Over the years, Alba has been willing to do what it takes to get out, up to a point: She draws the line at nudity. She refused to disrobe for "Good Luck Chuck," and in a bathtub scene, she's actually wearing a strapless wet suit beneath the bubbles. However, she's about the only actress in the film who does keep her clothes on, a fact that makes Alba, clear-headed and serious about her career, just roll her eyes.

But Alba notes that she liked working on the film, in part because of Cook, in part because she got to play "a regular person." She's also excited about her next project, Mike Myers' "The Love Guru," though she's nervous too, maybe because she isn't sure of her comedy footing yet.

If Alba is nervous about the prospect of a Myers film, she may be secretly petrified about another project she's contemplating. Though far from being firm, there's a possibility that she could be on the New York stage next summer, especially if an impending writers strike shuts down Hollywood for a while. She might perform with the Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway, which makes sense since she took acting lessons from Atlantic co-founder William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, years ago. But there's another name associated with the company that she invokes - co-founder/playwright David Mamet, author of such scalding plays as "Glengarry Glen Ross."

"It might be a Mamet play," she says, being coy again.

Alba recognizes that the critical knives might be out if she tries the stage. But movie stardom has not only prepared her for that, it's also made it necessary.

"I don't really care [what people say], it's not about them, it's about me," she says. "If I don't have my performances as something just for me and start listening to jackasses that have a problem, then I have nothing at all. At least I have that."

Source: www.nydailynews.com

It's secret? A lovable family of thugs

2007-09-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Prison Break star Wentworth Miller says there was never any doubt that he'd find himself behind bars again.

"Well, I thought to myself, it's there in the title, so the chances are things will come full circle," laughed Miller, above left, who plays Michael Scofield.

But for the actor, there's a welcome twist when the series throws open the doors on its third season tonight.

"There is a reversal in that chain of events where you have Michael on the inside and Lincoln [Dominic Purcell, above right] now being the brother on the outside," said Miller over the phone from the show's set in Dallas.

Another difference is the actual prison itself. The Panama-located Sona prison makes Prison Break's old big house Fox River look like Camp Cupcake.

But it's this kind of dangerous and inhumane space that Miller says is a paramount piece in the storytelling puzzle.

"Part of Prison Break's winning formula is what happens if you stick a bunch of alpha dogs in a box and you shake it," says Miller. "And the tighter, more confined that box is, the better."

This box is confined and crowded as it also houses three of Michael's mortal enemies (Tea-bag, Mahone and Bellick), as well as a whole new crew of sociopathic villains and a mysterious man that the Company is very interested in.

"He can no longer rely on just his wits, just his cleverness, just his planning and preparation," said Miller about his character. "He has to be someone now who can think on his feet and defend himself and those he loves with his fists."

It's this development that Miller says makes Michael's personal journey even more intense.

"The question then becomes how can he remain a good person while letting these darker impulses play out," said Miller.

Going back behind bars is, of course, a good idea, as people who have never experienced prison life are generally very curious about what goes on behind those walls, but it's not enough to support a series.

"We also have an underlying current of very traditional, family-based themes that people can tap into beyond the gun fights, fist fights and car crashes," said Miller. "I've said before, Prison Break is a roller-coaster ride and can be enjoyed strictly on that level, but the fact the writers and the actors are working hard to craft within that believable, compelling, relatable characters, that's why you care when one of us drops dead on the show.

"If you didn't, then I think it would be, at the end of the day, probably just some entertaining spectacle that no one would talk about 10 years from now."

Source: www.canada.com

Simpson behind bars, tape of hotel standoff released

2007-09-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Former football star O.J. Simpson was held without bail on Monday, accused of stealing back his own sports souvenirs in what was reported to be an expletive-laced face-off with memorabilia dealers.

Simpson, 60, who was acquitted in 1995 of the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, was arrested, taken away in handcuff and held without bail on Sunday on suspicion of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and burglary, Las Vegas police said. If convicted on all charges, Simpson could face some three decades behind bars.

An audiotape of last week's incident in a Las Vegas hotel that reportedly was made by one memorabilia collector was released on Monday by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

In the expletive-filled recording, a man said to be Simpson is heard saying: "Don't let nobody out of this room ... Think you can steal my shit and sell it?"

Unconfirmed media reports on Monday said lawyers for Simpson were preparing to go to court to try to get the former NFL star swiftly released on bail.

Las Vegas police have arrested another man they believe was with Simpson during the incident and said they were searching for four others.

Simpson has told reporters he did nothing wrong and was merely trying to retrieve his own collectibles, personal photos, his Hall of Fame certificate and other items he said had been stolen by a former sports agent.

A second sports collector, Bruce Fromong, who was in the hotel room during the incident, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that Simpson never held a gun but that some of his cohorts did. The weapon charge was filed against Simpson apparently because his associates were armed.

"The door burst open, and in came, running in, almost commando-style, O.J. Simpson and some of his people, with guns drawn," Fromong said. "And O.J. at that time was saying, 'I want my stuff. I want my stuff.'

"The thing in my mind as soon as I saw him, I'm thinking, 'O.J., how can you be this dumb?'" Fromong said. "He didn't need to be there."

Simpson was a record-setting running back in the National Football League and later parlayed that fame into a career in movies and television before the sensational 1995 murder trial.

After he was acquitted of murdering former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, a civil court jury found Simpson responsible for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to their families.

Simpson's arrest in Las Vegas came as his book "If I Did It," which includes a hypothetical account of his ex-wife's murder, was hitting store shelves. The book is No. 2 on Amazon.com's best-seller list.
Source: http://sport.guardian.co.uk

Britney 'just wants to be a mom'

2007-09-15T12:40:00.001-07:00

Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, on the other hand, said that his client was faring well.

Pop diva Britney Spears’ lawyer has indicated that she is currently having a tough time dealing with frustration, which has sprung from her custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline.

Laura Wasser revealed this while she was talking to reporters outside the courtroom, after another hearing of her case on Friday.

"(She) just wants to be a mom," People magazine quoted Laura Wasser as saying.

"I believe this is a frustrating time for her," she added.

She, however, did not divulge details about what was discussed at the hearing.

When asked whether Britney’s frustration could be due to the negative reactions to her appearance last Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards, Wasser said: "Yes. I think she just wants to be a mom, and both of her kids' birthdays are this week, and I think she would've liked to celebrate with them without having to worry about the entire nation - the entire world - being concerned about what's going on with her personally and her custody battle with Mr. Federline."

The attorney was resistant to accept the suggestion that Britney tried to offer Federline a settlement, which he was reluctant to accept.

"I don't believe that's true. They met and are trying to work it out so they don't have to have a judge make determinations for them regarding their kids. I don't know that he was resistant or she was resistant. They are both trying to work to come up with something together," she said.

Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, on the other hand, said that his client was faring well.

When Kaplan was asked whether Britney’s recent public appearance was hindering her case, he said, "I don't know what thing you are referring to, and I'm not going to talk about any strategy. I think how she is doing is something for her attorneys to address."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Will 'Idol' Be the Emmys' William Hung?

2007-09-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today, TV stars will dress up in the most uncomfortable clothes and be driven under a scorching sun to one of the dicier neighborhoods south of downtown Los Angeles to sit for three hours in an auditorium, feigning fascination with Ryan Seacrest, knowing full well that had the Fox network suits who championed "House" star Hugh Laurie as this year's Primetime Emmy Awards host prevailed, the stars -- and millions of us at home -- would instead be spending a pleasant evening lapping up Laurie's urbane patter.

Then again, bear in mind: The first-time Emmys host will be secretly suffering his own personal agony.

"American Idol," the Fox singing competition that is Seacrest's gravy train, picked up a technical award last weekend -- during the non-televised portion of the annual two-night orgy of statuette dispensing -- to avoid becoming the biggest Emmy loser of all time. (That dubious distinction still goes to "Newhart," which went 0-for-25 before going off the air.)

For the fifth straight year, however, "Idol" is nominated for best reality competition series against stiff competition. It's pitted against CBS's "The Amazing Race," the four-time champ with its gorgeous shoots in exotic locations, which make TV academy voters feel so much better about including this reality series race in its precious Prime-Time Emmy telecast.

An "Idol" loss tonight would be a dagger in Seacrest's heart.

This time, however, "Idol" producers were ready. Sure "Amazing Race" is shot in Hanoi and Halong Bay, but "Idol" went to Africa to shoot Carrie Underwood singing to hungry orphans. And the broadcast raised millions of dollars for charity. That's right, this year, "American Idol" producers submitted their "Idol Gives Back" extravaganza for consideration in the best reality derby. And that, my friends, includes Dead Elvis singing a duet with Celine Dion on stage. (Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, CBS and Bertram van Munster!)

Seacrest won't be the only individual suffering silently tonight. Much teeth-gnashing is expected from Helen Mirren should she fail to turn her final "Prime Suspect" performance into another trophy for best movie-or-mini acting, which would enable her to finally dethrone Patty Duke as the queen of that genre. Mirren and Duke are tied at three Emmys apiece in that category.

But Mirren's teeth-gnashing would be nothing compared with the hair-tearing that will break out in the HBO seats should "The Sopranos" lose out on the drama-series Emmy to David Kelley's "Boston Legal." Not since "Upstairs, Downstairs" in the late '70s has a drama series won the best-drama Emmy after the show was already off the air. And while "The Sopranos" series finale was unquestionably the season's most buzzed-about -- and railed-against -- telecast, the HBO mob drama actually hasn't snagged a best-drama win but once, in 2004.

The first year "The Sopranos" was eligible in this category, TV industry navel-gazers were shocked when it lost to "The Practice." This year, "The Sopranos" is up against the series that "The Practice" morphed into -- "Boston Legal," which is up for best drama for the first time.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

More Vanessa Hudgens Pics Surface Online

2007-09-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

"High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens is getting a lot of clicks on the Internet again -- and it's not for pictures for her hit movie, but images that were leaked on the Internet of the Disney actress in compromising positions that aren't so lady-like.

Once again Hudgens' wholesome image created onscreen is put to the test as she was trying to recover from the first nude photo incident that surfaced on the Internet last week.

The first photo that surfaced on the Internet showed the 18-year-old actress smiling as she posed naked and in underwear in a bedroom with a red curtain behind her.

The sources of the Internet leaks have yet to be discovered.

According to the New York Daily News, one of the recent photos shows Hudgens engaged in girl-on-girl kissing and another has her touching a girlfriend's breast.
The humiliated actress backed out of an appearance on Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show" last night, blaming a scheduling conflict.

Despite the star's "lapse in judgment" in posing for racy photos that leaked to the Internet, which is grabbing media attention, The Walt Disney Co. is sticking with Hudgens, who has greatly contributed to the wildly successful "High School Musical" franchise.

Vanessa Hudgens apologized Friday for the photos, which show her smiling as she posed naked and in underwear in a bedroom with a red curtain behind her.

"Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment," said Disney Channel spokeswoman Patti McTeague. "We hope she's learned a valuable lesson."

She said negotiations were ongoing to land all the actors for a "High School Musical 3" feature film, including Hudgens.

Hudgens, who played the brainy Gabriella in the first two made-for-cable TV movies, told her fans she was sorry.

"I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos," she said. "I am thankful for the support of my family and friends."

Hudgens' publicist, Jill Fritzo, wouldn't say anything about who took the pictures and how they slipped out onto the Internet.

The bookworm Gabriella was the love interest of Troy, the basketball star played by pinup king Zac Efron. The sequel's premiere on Disney Channel last month attracted more than 17 million viewers, making it the summer's most-watched TV program.

Hudgens is a superstar among the preteen set, and Disney has spun a wide merchandising net around the series with albums and concert tours. She and Efron reportedly date in real life, making them big attractions for celebrity magazines.

The films' wholesome nature for a company that has made its name on family-friendly fare for generations is a big part of its success. Parents can relax with their children watching, knowing it won't make for any uncomfortable questions.

Gabriella and Troy coo, they make googly eyes, they barely kiss. Gabriella would doubtlessly blush at the idea of a young actress posing for nude photos.

If Disney executives had cut ties to Hudgens, not wanting the company's name associated with anything not G-rated, they would have run the risk of upsetting a formula that has made the company millions upon millions of dollars.

How would parents explain to the show's young fans that the old Gabriella was being replaced by another actress?

"That's her private life, not her public life. That picture got leaked by somebody who broke a trust with her," said Michele Smith of Westborough, Mass., whose 8-year-old daughter Kathryn is a devoted "High School Musical" fan.

Dropping her from future movies or other "High School Musical" projects would not only be unfair to Hudgens but to fans such as Kathryn, Smith said.

"If Vanessa is not in the movie, my daughter would not be so excited to see it," she said.

Smith said she hopes that Kathryn doesn't hear about the photo but, if she does, she's prepared to talk about it. She'll say that it's something private for Vanessa that shouldn't have been shared.

The best thing for Disney was to do nothing, said Michael Levine, a Hollywood image consultant and author of 18 books.

"What they shouldn't do is make a bigger deal out of it than is necessary," he said. "The picture is not salacious."

Michael Sands, a publicist whose clients have included the divorce attorney for Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, said Hudgens should be commended for coming forward quickly and saying it was her pictures.

"She's very talented and this is a big cash cow for Disney," he said.

In an earlier interview with Teen Magazine, the Disney actress commented on her upbringing and compared herself to other Hollywood stars who have been in hot water lately.

"I'm a good kid, Hudgens said. "I've been brought up with very good morals, and I'm not going to go out and do something I don't want other kids to do."

Hudgens said she believes that she's part of a new crop of well-behaved rising stars who are ready to take the place of the hard-partying young Hollywood crowd.

"I love being a role model because, in Hollywood, there aren't a lot of role models to look up to," she says. "The fact that there's a whole bunch of good kids coming out who are now stepping into the limelight, I'm very proud of that."
Source: www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com

Fox's 'Nashville': Reality Takes a Trip Down South

2007-09-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

In the increasingly unrealistic world of reality television, it turns out that Southern-fried 20-somethings can be just as self-absorbed, petty and gorgeous as their West Coast brethren.

Meet the folks of "Nashville," Fox's newest entry into the "just-barely-a-reality-show" genre, about a handful of aspiring country music singers trying to make it big in the honky-tonkin' Tennessee capital.

"Nashville," the first new network show to debut in the 2007-08 television season, comes from the same team behind "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," MTV's stylized reality show about rich kids living the spoiled life in Cali.

"Laguna Beach," and later "The Hills" and "Newport Harbor," also on MTV, stretched the boundaries of reality TV, turning the once rough-and-tumble format with bad cinematography (remember the early years of "The Real World" and "Survivor"?) into buffed and polished mini-movies, featuring perfectly sculpted characters spewing lines that sound scripted.

We'll give this to "Nashville" -- not all its subjects are superficial snobs, and some of them do have real talent. But with the music comes plenty of soapy mini-drama about their social lives.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sopranos tipped to win at Emmys

2007-09-14T07:14:00.002-07:00

The mob drama, which ended in the US in June, is favourite to win best drama. The show, starring James Gandolfini, also has 14 other nominations.

Boston Legal, House, Grey's Anatomy and Heroes are also up for best drama.

Best comedy nominees are last year's winner The Office, Entourage, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men and Ugly Betty.

The made-for-TV movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has the most nominations overall, shortlisted for 17 prizes.

British actress Minnie Driver is up for best lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of a con artist alongside comedian Eddie Izzard in The Riches.

But she faces tough competition from favourite Edie Falco, who already has three Emmys for playing the wife of mob boss Tony Soprano, played by Gandolfini.

Other contenders are last year's winner Mariska Hargitay, Patricia Arquette, Sally Field and Kyra Sedgwick.

In a poll on the Los Angeles Times' website, TV critics and other pundits predicted Gandolfini would win best dramatic actor, although House star Hugh Laurie could give him a run for his money.

Other UK nominations include Ricky Gervais for Extras, Dame Helen Mirren for Prime Suspect and Jim Broadbent for Longford.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Britney 'fat'? Oops ... weight-watchers did it again

2007-09-14T07:14:00.001-07:00

It was supposed to be the comeback of the year, an over-hyped, eagerly anticipated revival of a stalled career. But, after Britney Spears performed her new single "Gimme More" at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, she left shocked viewers asking for less.

Clad in a black sequined bikini and knee-high stiletto boots, the 25-year-old pop star wobbled around dazed, confused and poorly rehearsed. Critics universally panned the performance, but in a society that worships skin & bones, the most scathing comments were aimed at her weight.

Terms such as "fat," "bulging," "pudgy" and "flabby" peppered most of the post-show analysis about Spears, with many naysayers faulting her for donning an outfit they thought she wasn't fit to wear. Actually, it would be nice to know what kind of shape some of these critics are in. It's almost certain that more than a few are sporting their share of flab.

And for those who consider Spears to be overweight, a glimpse around some of the shopping malls and local cineplexes might clarify what "fat" actually is. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 60 percent of Americans need to drop major poundage; no doubt many are the same ones lobbing barbs at Spears.

But all the tongue wagging over her alleged weight gain is yet another disturbing example of the constant scrutiny women are under in a culture obsessed with thin celebrities.

Source: www.mercurynews.com

Vanessa Hudgens: The Tonguey, Lesbian Almost-Kiss Pictures

2007-09-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Less than a week after 18-year-old Vanessa Hudgens' goody two-shoes public image was obliterated by a photo of her standing around completely naked, Vanessa Hudgens has done the only thing she could - she's tried desperately to divert attention away from her naked pictures. How? By being in a bunch more pictures that show Vanessa Hudgens pretending to bite another girl's breast, Vanessa Hudgens wagging her tongue about in a cunnilingus-y way, Vanessa Hudgens crawling about on a bed in her underwear, Vanessa Hudgens almost kissing another girl with tongues and Vanessa Hudgens appearing to try and kiss her own knee. Her own knee! Is there no end to this girl's depravity?

There's still no word about the High School Musical future of young starlet Vanessa Hudgens, who gained an army of slightly dirty middle-aged male fans this week after it was revealed that naked pictures of her had been spread across the internet like a ~~gift from heaven~~ terrible, awful act of sordid bad irresponsibility given that she's a role-model for millions of children and all. It makes sense, though, that Disney should keep Vanessa Hudgens on for High School Musical 3, because what is High School Musical if not a pale retread of Grease, albeit a retread of Grease where Sandy takes everything to its natural conclusion and runs around naked, biting on Rizzo on the tits in the flying car during We Go Together? Huh?

Fearing for the future of her career, Vanessa Hudgens has already apologised for the first naked pictures, but the new flock of risque Vanessa Hudgens photos that have emerged on the internet might have undone all the good work that the apology started to achieve. Because now that there are photos of Vanessa Hudgens larking about in a vaguely lesbian way with some other teenage girls, she's leapfrogged the $500,000 that Girls Gone Wild recently offered her and is now in a prime position to solely star in those hardcore European hotel-room pornography films that are so explicit it's hard to watch them without bringing up a little bit of vomit. Or something.

Source: www.hecklerspray.com

50 Cent's retirement? Not so fast

2007-09-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Don't hold your breath waiting for 50 Cent to retire.

Sure, the trash-talking MC may have uttered what seemed like famous last words, vowing to hang up his mike if Kanye West's "Graduation" outsells 50's third album, "Curtis," in their first week of release. Now, just two days after both CDs went on sale -- and a month after his challenge began generating an inescapable din of promotional hype -- Nielsen SoundScan has tallied the albums' early returns, putting West on pace to best 50 by about 125,000 copies by Tuesday.
But a closer reading of 50's original invitation to throw down, taken with comments the Queens, N.Y.-born rapper made to The Times just before "Curtis" was released, makes it clear that even if the sum of all of 50 Cent's fears were to materialize, rap fans -- and haters -- haven't likely heard the last from hip-hop's most diss-prone MC.

Since August, media scrutiny has focused on only one part of the commitment 50 made on the hip-hop website SOHH.com: "If Kanye West sells more records than 50 Cent on Sept. 11, I'll no longer write music. I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out any more solo albums."

Source: www.latimes.com

Foxy Brown: No Baby Behind Bars

2007-09-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

It turns out the only thing Foxy Brown is expecting to do in jail is promote a record.

Contrary to the buzz set off by the Chyna Doll rapper's own attorneys, Brown is not three months pregnant, according to her manager, Chaz Williams.

"And to the pregnancy rumors, this is the official statement: She is not pregnant," Williams said Wednesday while announcing a Nov. 20 release date, bumped up from Dec. 4, for Brown's fifth studio album, Brooklyn's Don Diva.

Brown is currently behind bars at Rikers Island on New York's East River, her home for the next year for violating her probation in connection with her 2004 throw-down in a Manhattan nail salon.

"This is just a temporary situation," Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, said in a statement. "I made my bed and have no problem lying in it. My will is steady. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger."

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson sentenced Brown to a year in jail last Friday, saying she hoped the hip-hop star would learn from this experience and "never again have to stand in a court of law."

Hours before Jackson laid down the law, Brown was indicted for felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly smacking Arleen Raymond, her neighbor of 14 years, in the face with her BlackBerry on July 31.

Source: www.eonline.com

Jodie Foster's Brave New Role

2007-09-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

After almost 40 films and two Oscars, Jodie Foster remains one of Hollywood's most sought after actresses. In her new thriller, "The Brave One," she plays a radio talk show host trying to pull her life together after a brutal crime until she realizes it will never be the same.

Foster sat down with Harry Smith to talk about her role. In the film, Foster's character, Erica Bain, is in love with New York City, and talks on the airwaves about this beautiful place where she lives.

"In some ways, the nostalgia of what New York used to be, right, before Times Square was Disneyland. Some of the things disappearing before our very eyes, of course, as she is disappearing before our very eyes," Foster explains. "It's a beautiful movie. I have to say, it's one of the best movies I've made in years. I'm so proud of it."
Source: www.cbsnews.com

Satirist Jon Stewart to host 2008 Oscars: official

2007-09-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Satirist and talk show host Jon Stewart is set to host the Oscars next year, a statement said Wednesday, likely giving Hollywood's biggest night out a political flavor in an election year.

Stewart, the host of US television's "The Daily Show," presented the gala ceremony in 2006, most memorably with a montage about gay cowboys themed on "Brokeback Mountain," one of the favorites for best picture that year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement Stewart was a natural choice to host next year's glittering gala event, where a slew of weighty, political films could be in contention.

"Jon was a terrific host for the 78th Awards," said Gil Cates, producer of the Oscars telecast. "He is smart, quick, funny, loves movies and is a great guy. What else could one ask for?"

Stewart, who will take over from this year's host Ellen DeGeneres, said he was delighted to have been asked again.

"Im thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time because, as they say, the third times a charm," he quipped.

Source: http://afp.google.com

Britney Spears: Top 5 Vegas 'Britastrophes'

2007-09-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, she bombed at the Video Music Awards. But it is unfair to say the Sunday night performance marked a new low for Britney Spears in Vegas.
This city has been home to so many of her "Oops I did it again" mistakes. In fact, Sunday barely scrapes into my 'Top 5 Britastrophes' to take place in Vegas:

5. Britney bombs at the VMAs. Not bothering to sing, seemingly unable to keep up with her backing dancers and looking stressed out Britney goes through the motions of a performance.

4. In July, Britney's bodyguards were accused of attacking Flynetonline.com photographers at the Wynn. According to the account offered by the paparazzi: "Immediately after, Britney ran towards Andrew as if she were going to attack him, but after being restrained by security, she threw a baby bottle at Andrew and said, 'I am going to kill you. I'm going to (expletive) kill you.' She then said that he should get a restraining order against her, because if she couldn't kill him, she'd hire someone who would."

Source: http://vegasblog.latimes.com

Hudson moves to "Sex and the City" movie

2007-09-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson has joined the cast of "Sex and the City: The Movie," which begins filming next week in New York.

Hudson will play the assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, in the film based on the hit HBO comedy series.

In July, the show's four leads, including Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, came aboard for the film after New Line Cinema agreed to finance and distribute it. Chris Noth also joined the cast to reprise his role as Mr. Big.

Source: www.reuters.com

Kanye West outselling 50 Cent

2007-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Early reports suggest Kanye West is outselling 50 Cent in the battle between the rappers.

The acts, who both released albums this week, have been caught in a media battle to see who would get to Number One.

The 'beef' culminated with 50 Cent saying that if 'Curtis' didn't outsell West's new effort 'Graduation' he would quit music.

He said: "I'll write music and work with my other artists, but I won't put out anymore solo albums."

However,'Graduation' is looking like it will top the charts in the US and the UK.

White Stripes cancel U.S. tour

2007-09-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

The White Stripes announced Wednesday that they are canceling their entire North American tour, including two sold-out shows Oct. 6-7 at the Aragon Ballroom.

The duo of Jack White and Meg White (a former married couple) cited health issues for the cancellation. Drummer Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and is unable to travel, the band said.

The White Stripes latest album, “Icky Thump,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is approaching 1 million sales.

Springer unleashes tough guy Steve on daytime TV

2007-09-10T09:26:00.002-07:00

With Monday's launch of spinoff talker "The Steve Wilkos Show," Jerry Springer is building himself a TV empire that arguably parallels that of Oprah Winfrey. But the daytime syndication veteran, whose own talk show kicks off its 17th season September 17, laughs off any comparison to the queen of daytime.

"It's not fair to Oprah to put me in the same sentence," Springer says. "Oprah is in a world of her own; she's the best there is or has ever been."

Still, it's hard to deny the similarities in the TV paths forged by the two Chicago-based talk show hosts, including introducing cable extensions of their daytime series, having presences in musicals and films and spinning off talkers. Springer also recently had a good run on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" -- he's now mulling the idea of releasing a dance-themed DVD -- and will return next summer as host of NBC's "America's Got Talent."

But the likable host -- who is worlds removed from his guests, whom he regularly warns that he would never go on his own show -- is modest about his international success.

Source: www.reuters.com

Timberlake's "Box" Wins Emmy

2007-09-10T09:26:00.001-07:00

He cut a hole in a box, stuck his junk in it, and now he has an Emmy for it! Last night, frisky Justin Timberlake and "SNL" regular Andy Samberg won a Creative Arts Emmy for their hilarious "SNL" short film, "D**k in a Box," about a very special gift.

In Andy's acceptance speech (Timberlake was busy making girls swoon at a concert in Washigton state), he joked, "I think it's safe to say that when we first set out to make this song, we were all thinking 'Emmy!'" Samberg dedicated the award to a real "up and comer" -- his "D*ck in a Box" creative partner, saying Timberlake's "clearly very talented and could use a break. So, Justin, if you're out there, congrats to you, kid."

Source: http://it.tmz.com

'Indiana Jones 4' title is announced

2007-09-10T09:25:00.001-07:00

The full title for the fourth Indiana Jones movie has been announced by actor Shia LaBeouf.

The Transformers star, who will appear opposite Harrison Ford in the film, revealed that producers are to call it Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, when he was speaking at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and Karen Allen will also star in the adventure epic, which is due to be released next year.

Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk

More Nude Photos of Hudgens?!

2007-09-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

This past week's nude photo scandal isn't the first for "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens, say some sources.

A source close to Hudgens told People that two years ago, before she was famous, Hudgens emailed suggestive pix of herself to Nickelodeon star Drake Bell -- star of the "Drake and Josh" show. No word on if she rang his bell.

A rep for Drake says he never received the alleged sexy shots.

Source: http://it.tmz.com

Jolie, Pitt planning next adoption?

2007-08-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are planning to adopt another child from Africa.

According to a report in the Daily Mail today, the couple will travel out to Ethiopia in three months' time to begin the process. They hope that the new addition will help Zahara Marley, the tot Angelina adopted from Ethiopia in June 2005, to feel more comfortable and connected to the family as she grows up.

Jolie adopted her first child, Maddox Chivan, from Cambodia in March 2002. Zahara became her second adopted child more than three years later, and Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh Nouvel in May 2006. She then adopted three-year-old Pax Thien from Vietnam in March this year.

A source told the newspaper: "Angie in particular feels very strongly that while Shiloh will grow up seeing the family resemblance between herself and her natural parents, and Maddox and Pax will feel a connection through their birthplaces, Zahara has no such close-knit bond.

Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk

Here's to You, Mrs. Spears!

2007-08-09T03:27:00.000-07:00

Star magazine is reporting that Brit-Brit, in all her meltdown glory, has accused Mama Lynne Spears of sleeping with Kevin Federline!

While we love the Graduate-style backstabbery, we can only imagine this is a Cheetos-induced fever dream Britney's trippin' on.

Star says Lynne is heartbroken and "deeply hurt that her own daughter would so viciously accuse her of doing something so terrible."

Source: www.eonline.com

Release of Anna Nicole Smith surgery video blocked

2007-08-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

A judge issued a temporary re straining order that prevents the release of a 1994 videotape docu menting a breast-augmentation surgery for Anna Nicole Smith. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff granted the order last week at the request of Smith's former attorney and executor of her will, Howard K. Stern. The injunction prevents the sale, distribution or dissemination of the videotape. In court documents, first obtained by CelebTV.com, Stern accused Gerald Wayne Johnson, the Texas doctor who performed the surgery, of sending a tape showing the procedure to Thomas Riccio, a Los Angeles-based memorabilia dealer. Stern claims the surgery was taped without the former model's consent. Smith died of an accidental drug overdose in Florida in February at age 39. Phone messages left for Stern's attorney, Vivian Thoreen, and Johnson's attorney, Gus Pappas, this week were not immediately returned.

Source: www.cleveland.com

Justin Timberlake MTV favourite

2007-08-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles lead the nominations for this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Justin and Beyoncé are both in the running for seven awards, while rapper Kanye West and rising star Rihanna are nominated in five categories.

The coveted title of Video of the Year will be contested by Justin's 'What Goes Around... Comes Around', Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable', Kanye's 'Stronger', Rihanna's 'Umbrella', Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab', and 'D.A.N.C.E', by French electro duo Justice.

Justin is also up for Male Artist of the Year, Most Earthshattering Collaboration for his 'SexyBack' duet with Timabaland, Quadruple Threat of the Year and Best Choreography in a Video, while his promo for 'What Goes Around... Comes Around' received Best Editing and Best Director nominations.

Beyoncé's duet with Shakira, 'Beautiful Liar', is up for Most Earthshattering Collaboration, Best Choreography, Best Director and Best Editing.

She is also up for Female Artist of the Year and Quadruple Threat of the Year.

Kanye and Rihanna appeared on MTV's Total Request Live yesterday (07.08.07) to help announce the nominations, with Lily Allen joining them via video link-up.

Lily, who was detained for five hours by US immigration officials after arriving in Los Angeles, will go up against British rival Amy Winehouse for the title of Best New Artist.

Amy has also been nominated for two other awards.

The ceremony, taking place on September 9, will be a star-studded affair with Kanye, Amy, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Lily, Chris Brown and the Foo Fighters all expected to perform.

Source: http://people.monstersandcritics.com

Lopez wins lawsuit over ex-husband's book

2007-08-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lopez has won a lawsuit and been awarded £273,000 after her first husband planned to publish a tell-all book about her.

Ojani Noa was married to the Latino singer for 11 months in 1997 and alleged she had several affairs during their brief relationship, including one with current beau Marc Anthony.

The suit claimed that Noa was in breach of a previous settlement that stated he would not be allowed to reveal any private information about their marriage.

It was also decided that her former flame would have a permanent injunction against him to prevent him "criticising, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging or causing disparagement" to the star.

Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk

Intimately Beckham gets US launch

2007-08-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

David and Victoria have launched his-and-hers fragrances called Intimately Beckham in the US.

The products are already available in Britain but are now being introduced as part of the Beckhams' flurry of activity in the States.

They are due to go on sale in department stores next month and at pharmacies in January, according to the Daily Mail.

Victoria introduced the fragrances to Americans in an interview with Women's Wear Daily.

She explained: "Why is this different from any other celebrity fragrance? The fact that I have spent a lot of time checking all the details.

"We are not just saying, 'We are celebrities, put our name on it.' I love to be involved with the whole process."

The magazine says the franchise, which will also see Instinct by David Beckham go on sale in the country, is expected to make $100 million this year.

Source: www.digitalspy.co.uk

A box-office banker: How Matt Damon became Hollywood's leading man

2007-08-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Matt Damon's agent no doubt sat up and paid attention yesterday morning when Forbes, the business magazine, pronounced his client to be a very particular sort of top movie star - the one who provides the best return on the studios' investment.

That does not make him Hollywood's top celebrity - that honour, Forbes decided a couple of months ago, belonged to Brad Pitt, both for his on-screen successes and the tsunami of media coverage surrounding his marriage to Angelina Jolie.

Nor does it make Damon the best paid actor in the business - the likes of Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio easily outstrip him on that front.

If anything, it is precisely because he is not paid top dollar that he is so interesting, from a financial point of view. A Matt Damon film, the magazine reported, will make back an average of $29 (£15) for every dollar the star is paid. That's roughly twice as much as Cruise or Tom Hanks. Pitt, who finished second on the Forbes list, will earn back about 24 times as much as he gets paid.

Not far behind him, tied for third place, are Johnny Depp, star of the monstrously successful Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Vince Vaughn, a comic actor with considerable domestic box-office appeal even if he is far less well known overseas.

Below them come Jennifer Aniston - a surprise, perhaps - Angelina Jolie, Renée Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Stiller and Sandra Bullock.

Like Damon, these are not necessarily the industry's top earners at all. No Julia Roberts. No Jim Carrey. No Russell Crowe - who, according to Forbes, provides the worst value for money of any big star because his price tag is sky-high ($20m per picture of thereabouts) and his record on drawing in audiences is middling to poor ever since his back-to-back Oscar nomination appearances in Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind more than six years ago.

What the members of the list all have in common is that they are not grotesquely overpaid. In Aniston's case, they are hardly in the top movie star bracket at all. And yet they are all nice little earners, for a variety of reasons. Vince Vaughn will never be mistaken for a great actor, but his gentle (and occasionally not-so-gentle) comedies almost invariably draw a big domestic audience - films that have recently included The Wedding Crashers (about two guys who go to other people's weddings to pick up women) and The Break-Up (in which he co-starred with Aniston).

A lot of things about the Forbes list, like much else in the movie business, is of course a crapshoot. Damon happens to have been in two highly successful multi-film series, both of which scored big this summer: the Ocean's Eleven series, in which he was merely a member of an all-star ensemble cast, not the lead, and the Bourne series, whose third instalment, The Bourne Ultimatum, earned rave reviews and broke US box-office records for August when it made more than $70m on its opening weekend last weekend.

Damon also happens to have taken a punt on several low-budget films, in which he worked for a drastically reduced fee, that turned out to be critical and, in some cases, box-office successes. The biggest of these was Martin Scorsese's Irish gangster drama The Departed, set in Damon's home city of Boston, which turned out to be the director's biggest box-office hit ever and earned him his first, highly elusive Oscar.

But Damon also appeared in Syriana, the mosaic-like film about American power, corruption and geopolitics, and in Robert De Niro's directorial portrait of the early years of the CIA, The Good Shepherd. Damon himself would be the first to acknowledge that his run of success has been as much about luck as any brilliance on his part. Go back a few years, when he appeared in Robert Redford's expensive flop, The Legend of Bagger Vance, followed by All The Pretty Horses, Billy Bob Thornton's equally disastrous adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel, and the state of his career looked very different.

As Damon himself has told it, he did not receive a single film offer for six months, prompting him to go to London for a while to appear in Kenneth Lonergan's play This Is Our Youth in the West End. It was not until the first Bourne film, The Bourne Identity, became a big hit in 2002 that his career got back on track.

Source: http://news.independent.co.uk

Anton Yelchin in talks to play Checkov in next 'Star Trek' movie

2007-08-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Russian-born actor Anton Yelchin is in talks to play Pavel Checkov, the navigator on the USS Enterprise, in the 11th 'Star Trek' movie.

Variety reports casting for the rest of crew is currently underway in New York and London.

Already cast are Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy, who will both play Mr. Spock.

Details on the plot are sketchy but the film is thought to look at the early history of the crew and their first meeting at the Starfleet Academy.

Source: http://movies.monstersandcritics.com

Timberlake and Beyonce lead the pack at MTV Video Music Awards

2007-08-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Beyonce and Justin Timberlake lead this year's MTV Video Music Award nominations with an eye-popping seven nods each.

Biting at their heels are hip-hop star Kanye West and Barbados hit-machine Rihanna with five nods, as well as rehab dodger Amy Winehouse with three.

All of the frontrunners - except for Beyonce - will be performing at the show, which will be broadcast live from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Sept. 9. Other MTV-approved bands stepping up for a bout onstage include beat-maker Timbaland, emo darlings Fall Out Boy, the Foo Fighters, U.K. export Lily Allen and pop-infused R&B star Chris Brown. All five of the frontrunners will also square off in the video of the year category.

This year's awards will also see the debut of a few new categories: most earthshattering collaboration, male artist of the year, female artist of the year and quadruple threat of the year (an award for multi-talented musicians who foray into other fields, such as fashion, acting, dancing, business and philanthropy).

The best new artist category will be voted on by fans at www.vma.mtv.com, with the winner being announced live on the telecast.

Source: www.canada.com

MTV's Desperate Video Music Awards

2007-08-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Even though it's been years since the channel has shown the videos it honors, the MTV Video Music Awards persist. This year's top nominees, announced today, are Beyonce and Justin Timberlake with seven apiece, followed by Kanye West and Rihanna with five, and Amy Winehouse with three.

MTV typically waits until the very last second to find/announce a host for its signature awards show, but thus far West, Winehouse, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Lily Allen, Chris Brown and Foo Fighters are committed to perform, with more acts to be announced soon.

In at least a nod to the fact that MTV is no longer really a music video network, a few new categories have been added to the show. Male and Female artist of the year recognize an artist's complete body of work in 2007, while Monster Single of the Year and Quadruple Threat award (honoring "those boundary-busting artists who have conquered multiple worlds including, but not limited to; music, fashion, philanthropy, business, acting and dance") give the network's bookers latitude to honor celebrities who haven't had much of a video presence, but who might bring in some ratings.

If that seems slightly desperate, it is. For years, the Video Music Awards were MTV's highest-rated programming event. Launched in 1984, with Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosting, the ceremony was a remarkably fresh and satirical take on dull old awards shows. Because its premise was that the awards themselves were a joke — statuettes went to bands for videos in which they often didn't appear, let alone direct — celebrities were looser and more spontaneous, and so was the show.

Like all successful satire, the VMAs eventually became the thing they satirized, resorting to stunt casting (Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie's kiss! Madonna and Britney and Christina's kiss!) and remote locations (Miami! The Metropolitan Opera!) to sustain interest. Nevertheless, ratings for the 2006 show were down 28% from the 8 million viewers the VMAs averaged in 2005, and nearly 45% down from 2005. This year's edition will be held Sept. 9 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Source: www.time.com

Usher wedding finally goes ahead

2007-08-07T14:19:00.001-07:00

Speaking to Us magazine, the singer said: "I exchanged vows with Tameka Foster in Atlanta on Friday and we are happily married."

Their original ceremony was cancelled hours before it was due to take place amid reports pregnant Foster was taken to hospital for stress.

Usher, 28, said the re-arranged private ceremony was "quaint and intimate".

He told the magazine that Foster and the baby are "fine".

In June, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child together. Foster has three other children from a previous marriage.

Usher, a five-time Grammy award winner, is best known for hits such as Confessions and You Make Me Wanna. He is expected to produce a new album by the end of the year.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Michelle Pfeiffer Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

2007-08-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Michelle Pfeiffer received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in an August 6 ceremony in front of the Hollywood & Highland Center.

The 49-year-old star of such films as Scarface, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and Dangerous Liaisons thanked her mother and father for supporting her decision to become an actress.

Speaking about her mother, she said "She taught me that I could do anything and that I should have a career before I got married." She said her father "taught me that you can make something of yourself if you work hard."

The three-time Academy Award nominee is currently seen as the villanous Velma Von Tussle in "Hairspray," and will portray the evil witch Laima in "Stardust," opening August 10 in the United States.

Also appearing at the ceremony were her "Baker Boys" co-star Jeff Bridges and Paul Rudd, her co-star in the upcoming romantic comedy "I Could Never Be Your Woman."

Source: www.voanews.com