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WGA Strike Talks Log Digital Divide

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Sides still far apart on new media revenues

For the past couple of years, Hollywood has been intensely hyping its digital dealmaking, both to the press and to Wall Street.
Hardly a day goes by without an announcement trumpeting deals for downloads on gadgets ranging from iPods to Xboxes or for streaming content on seemingly every website.

But all that hype is biting back at the bargaining table.

Accounting for digital revenues has emerged as a major sticking point during the three months of contract negotiations between companies and the Writers Guild of America. The guild has seized on Hollywood's bullishness over digital deals to hammer home its dual points: Digital media revenues will be a major driver of revenue growth at the media congloms, and writers deserve a slice.

The trouble is that there's still a big gap between the promise of future revenues and the reality of actual revenues.

The amount of money flowing into Hollywood from digital distribution is still miniscule, particularly on the movie side. The studios are each making less than about $20 million annually from all the different ways their movies can be downloaded, according to studio and digital media insiders.

On the TV side, things are a little better, as more people want to download TV shows. But insiders estimate that the major networks are bringing in well under $100 million each vs. $22 billion spent on network TV advertising in the U.S. in 2006, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

No one knows when a windfall will come, if it ever does. Studios say it's undoubtedly further away than the three years any WGA deal will encompass. But guild negotiators don't want to fall behind the growth curve of a new medium.

It's easy to see why the studios and TV networks want to hype the potential of digital: With DVD sales on the decline and viewers skipping TV ads on DVRs, the media biz needs to prove that it has a growth path for the future.

But John Bowman, chairman of the WGA's negotiating committee, has zeroed in on what he calls the "disconnect" between what the companies have told Wall Street and what had been said after the first two days of negotiations in July.

"Investors are hearing about the changing landscape in entertainment and exciting new markets to exploit," Bowman said. "In contrast, the AMPTP communicates nothing but problems to the Writers Guild."

The WGA has also published multiple charts that spotlight such sunny forecasts -- such as an eMarketer study showing online streaming revenues growing 63% annually from $775 million this year to $2.9 billion in 2010, with the assertion that Hollywood studios will capture 75% of online video ad revenues.

"Positive economic events are daily giving the lie to (the companies') doomsday scenario," Bowman said at the time.

That disconnect is a big problem for studios and networks as they approach labor negotiations.

"Everybody realizes there is going to be something here," said Bruce Eisen, head of consultancy Digital Advisors and the former prexy of movie download site CinemaNow. "But what they're doing is figuring it out. In the world of studio money, it's not even close to there yet."

The guilds are justifiably dubious: When it comes to digital media, Hollywood seems to have a poverty story for the guilds and a success story for everyone else.

"I had a major network come in and complain to me about how shitty their iPod deal is," recounted one senior digital media exec. "I told them, 'I sure wouldn't know that from what you're saying in the press.' "

But on the whole, digital media does indeed seem to be more hype than reality for Hollywood. On the movie front, studios are selling or renting fewer than 20,000 downloads of a movie title. That's a miniscule number compared to the millions of DVDs being sold.

Insiders expect the download figure to grow, but not substantially in the near term. And, they all agree, digital movie distribution won't be a viable business until download prices are cheaper than DVDs and downloads are readily viewable on TV screens.

NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox have all restructured their license agreements with studios to give them broad latitude to repurpose network shows for the Web. And over the past year, they've renegotiated affiliation agreements with local stations to allow them to stream episodes through their own websites and others like Yahoo, AOL, MSN and the News Corp.-NBC U joint venture Hulu.com.

Still, in terms of revenue, the digital initiatives of the nets are more promotional than profitable. Madison Avenue is enamored with online video advertising but will spend only about $500 million on online video ads in 2007, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, in part because the auds remain comparatively small.

"It's expensive, and there is very little inventory to buy, but the consumer is a light TV viewer, so we are testing it," said Tim Spengler, chief activation officer for Initiative Media, at a recent conference.

But the WGA is also looking to the future. Digital media is indeed small now, but so was homevideo when the guild struck what it considers to be a disastrous deal on that front in 1985. For its part, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers points out that WGA members have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the homevid agreement.

While traditional advertising spending was down in the first half of 2007, online ad spending rose more than 17%. The question for Wall Street is whether digital revenues will rise quickly enough to replace declining network TV advertising.

As technology advances, digital distribution could also increasingly replace traditional methods by which creators currently make residuals. For now, cable/satellite TV and DVDs are clearly superior to Internet streams and downloads both in convenience and image quality -- particularly when the content is in high definition.

But that will likely change. Instead of buying or renting DVDs, consumers may one day use the broadband connection on their TVs to download or stream any movie they want. Instead of watching a repeat of a TV show, they could just order from the Net whenever they want content on-demand.

But no one knows when that day will arrive. At the start of negotiations in July, the AMPTP offered the WGA two options -- extend the current contract for three years so an independent study could be conducted to sort out how writers should be compensated amid the fast-changing digital market; or agree to a revolutionary revamp of the residuals system under which writers would be paid residuals only after producers recover basic costs.

The WGA rejected both ideas on the spot, prompting the AMPTP to take the study proposal off the table.

With the current contract expiring on Oct. 31, both sides are due back at the bargaining table Tuesday, and the guild is seeking strike authorization from its 12,000 members. The only optimistic speculation that has emerged has centered on the AMPTP bringing back the study idea, although WGA leaders have been especially dismissive of that notion.

Bowman has said the study idea was flawed because it was premised on the same reasoning as the 1985 homevideo deal -- "Models haven't emerged, the environment is uncertain, we'll take care of you later."

"Well," said Bowman, "We know what happened then. Homevideo and DVD sales soared, and nobody got taken care of."
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117974041.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1

Posted on Oct 15, 2007, 10:26 AM
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Searches in Anna Nicole Smith Death

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Howard K. Stern sits with Anna Nicole Smith as they watch a boxing match at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida in this January 6, 2007 file photo

California Department of Justice investigators began serving search warrants Friday in connection with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, a person close to the investigation told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, declined to elaborate. California Attorney General Jerry Brown was expected to make an announcement later Friday.

The former Playboy Playmate died of an accidental drug overdose in February at a Florida hotel. She was 39.

Several people close to the model have fallen under suspicion since her death, including her psychiatrist Dr. Khristine Eroshevich.

The Medical Board of California said in April it was investigating Eroshevich, who, according to documents, authorized all 11 prescription medications found in Smith's hotel room the day she died.

Eroshevich had traveled with Smith to Florida.

More than 600 pills, including 450 muscle relaxants, were missing from prescriptions that were no more than five weeks old, according to the documents, which were obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.

California's medical board also opened an inquiry to determine if there was any misconduct by Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, who reportedly prescribed methadone to Smith.

Methadone is a popular narcotic painkiller that is used as part of drug addiction detoxification and maintenance programs. Methadone overdoses can cause shallow breathing and dangerous changes in heartbeat.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_en_ce/anna_nicole_smith;_ylt=Ag_fZ6IWiJ1menw6sCd2f4RxFb8C

Posted on Oct 12, 2007, 10:43 AM
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Bobby Brown Clearly In Heart Attack Denial

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Soul diva Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown, is seen here in 2005

There's lots of things Bobby Brown should be in denial about: The drunk driving, the spousal abuse, the prison time, the Ghostbusters 2 cameo. Yet, that stuff makes it to the press and he basically keeps mum. The ex-Mr. Houston only draws the line when it comes to his thrombosis. Despite the fact that his own lawyer told the AP Bobby suffered a mild heart attack due to stress and diet, Brown claims it's all a joke:

"None of it's true. I went in for a checkup. The doc gave me a clean bill of health." [...]

"I did go to the hospital ... to just get a checkup, get everything tested out so that I could go on this tour, and everything is fine," Brown said.

He must be afraid that if the public perceives him as having a bum ticker, they might start thinking he's a generally troubled individual. Don't worry, Bobby. We'd never think that about you. Whatever happens to your heart, that's your prerogative. And look on the bright side-- at least you didn't have a dootie-bubble stuck in your butt.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/cardiac-health/bobby-brown-clearly-in-heart-attack-denial-309931.php

Posted on Oct 12, 2007, 10:43 AM
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Britney Album Cover To Hypnotize You With Bad Taste

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As Britney Spears shakes off a walloping hangover after a night of toasting to her minor victory in family court yesterday--child visits one night a week, supervised by several 450-pound baby monitors plucked from the lower ranks of K-Fed's ever-growing security/poop-wiping detail--we thought we'd turn to topics more cheery than irreversibly-scarred toddlers: Britney's new album! Possibly one of the most anticipated records of this year or any other, ~~In Rainbows~~ Blackout is a welcome return to form, poised to catapult the preoccupied singer back up the charts with songs like "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)," "Hot As Ice," and "Why Should I Be Sad." As it turns out, the photo circulating yesterday of a windswept Spears biting seductively on a digit was in fact not the official album cover, which People exclusively unveiled today: a colorful collage of fedoras, wristbands, zebra prints, and vertigo-inducing spirals that's sure to put a spell on even the staunchest Britney detractor.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/cd-art/britney-album-cover-to-hypnotize-you-with-bad-taste-310225.php

Posted on Oct 12, 2007, 10:42 AM
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WGA Sets Strike Rules

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Writers Guild drafts hardline regulations

The WGA clearly wants to send a signal. The guild has formulated strike rules that would impose an exceptionally aggressive stance on its 12,000 members.
In addition to a ban on any guild-covered work in features and TV, a draft recap of the WGA rules said the guild plans to prohibit any writing for new media and declare that writers can't do animated features -- even though that realm is not under WGA jurisdiction.

The WGA didn't specify what the penalties would be for violating the rules. It's also asserting that nonmembers who perform banned work during a strike will be barred from joining the guild in the future.

Guild hasn't issued the regulations officially and will probably not do so until after it obtains strike authorization from members next week. Deadline for ballots is Oct. 18 -- 13 days before the current WGA contract expires.

But news of the rules began circulating Wednesday as the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers met in the afternoon in their eighth face-to-face session; they plan to resume talks this ayem. The two sides have achieved no progress during the previous sessions and have simply blamed each other for taking untenable stances.

The two meetings this week have focused on the WGA's proposal to double DVD residuals. In a statement after Wednesday's session, AMPTP president Nick Counter said the meeting consisted of discussions on "discrepancies in the data presented by the WGA."

In response, the WGA opted for a civil tone, saying, "We appreciate the AMPTP's offer to provide economic data to back up their arguments regarding the homevideo formula. We look forward to continuing the discussion of this critically important topic."

Earlier Wednesday, WGA West prexy Patric Verrone and exec director David Young painted a gloomy picture of the state of the talks in a 90-minute visit to ICM offices. The duo expressed frustration during the confab, characterizing the AMPTP's reaction as disrespectful to the guild's proposals -- which include spelling out rules for new-media work, doubling DVD residuals and expansion of jurisdiction in animation and reality.

Counter has returned fire repeatedly, accusing the WGA of being strike-happy and unprofessional. The AMPTP's refused to revise its initial proposal for a revamp of residual payments so that talent would receive money only after basic costs have been recouped.

In a membership meeting Tuesday night at the Century Plaza hotel, Verrone indicated he believes some progress has been achieved outside the negotiations via back channels and expressed hope that the AMPTP will take the residuals revamp off the table.

He also stressed during the session -- attended by about 100 writers --- that WGA leaders expect that SAG will be able to make a better deal with the AMPTP than the DGA.

Both the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild contracts expire June 30, but the DGA's expected to go first in negotiations -- perhaps as early as next month.

The WGA's effort to ban work for fully animated features is likely to be controversial, since nearly all of the work in that area is covered through a different union -- the Animation Guild, which operates as Local 839 of the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees. The WGA's asserting that its members can't perform new work for feature animation, including negotiating for new work, on any project even if the producers' deal is through the IATSE.

Steven Hulett, longtime business agent for the Animation Guild, said, "Any union can discipline their members for violations of internal rules and policy. But I can't imagine our union attempting to prevent someone from joining and working for another union. So good luck to them."

Under the WGA strike rules, writers with existing Animation Guild agreements are expected to be allowed to continue work, though that must be cleared with the WGA in each instance. Scribes will be banned from working on primetime network animated series already covered by the WGA.

The WGA is also taking a hard line on work for new media -- including Internet and cell phones -- with members prohibited from rendering writing services for any company due to the WGA's position that it has jurisdiction in new media.

In addition, showrunners on TV series will be prohibited from any writing but may be allowed to perform nonwriting services if cleared with the WGA. But it's unclear whether those members who are contractually required to render nonwriting services may refuse to do so without being in breach.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973833.html?categoryid=18&cs=1

Posted on Oct 11, 2007, 8:45 AM
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Paul McCartney In Court For Divorce Hearing

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Paul McCartney, front, arrives at a the Family Court in London, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007

LONDON - Paul McCartney and Heather Mills appeared in court Thursday as British media reported they may be nearing a settlement in their high-profile divorce.

McCartney and Mills arrived separately at London's Royal Courts of Justice. Bodyguards shielded Mills from view with a dark blanket as she made her way into the neo-Gothic courthouse.

A Mills aide later carried a wheelchair from the back of a car for the former model, who lost a leg in a motorcycle accident in 1993.

McCartney arrived minutes later, wearing a dark gray suit.

The hearing is listed discreetly on the daily court lists only by its case number, one of two cases not listed as assigned to a particular judge or courtroom. Even a small security viewing hole in the door of the court room was covered to stop prying eyes.

News reports say the immediate issue is likely to be the size of Mills' divorce settlement from the wealthy former Beatle. Press speculation has recently put the size of the settlement between $40 million and $100 million.

McCartney and Mills, who have a 3-year-old daughter, announced in May of last year that they were splitting up after four years of marriage.

They married in June 2002, four years after McCartney's first wife, Linda, died of breast cancer.

McCartney and Mills have a 3-year-old daughter, Beatrice.

Mills, 39, recently appeared as a contestant on the U.S. television network's "Dancing With the Stars" program. She was the first contestant to compete on the show with an artificial limb.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071011/ap_en_mu/people_mccartney;_ylt=Ag38x2t77bVZwCMXPJ_UI2xxFb8C

Posted on Oct 11, 2007, 8:44 AM
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NBC Plans To Sell Burbank Studio

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BURBANK, Calif. - NBC Universal plans to sell part of its site in "beautiful downtown Burbank," home to the studio housing "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and move to a new state-of-the-art broadcast facility across the street from Universal Studios, the company announced Thursday.

NBC will take the "Access Hollywood" set, local news operations and other facilities with it when it moves into the new location in 2011.

Meanwhile, it plans to move "The Tonight Show" to the nearby Universal Studios' Stage One lot when Conan O'Brien takes over hosting duties upon Leno's retirement in 2009.

The new facilities will be located in a new building adjacent to a subway line connecting Universal City, in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley, to downtown Los Angeles. They will be across the street from Universal Studios, the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and the CityWalk tourist destination.

"When looking at our long-term business operations, we realized there are very real strategic and synergistic opportunities in bringing our production facilities and talent together to grow in Los Angeles," Tom Smith, senior vice president of West Coast real estate for NBC Universal said in a statement posted on the KNBC-TV Web cite.

Company officials said they are pursuing opportunities to sell part of the 34-acre studio lot in the Burbank Media District. They would lease it back for news operations until the University City facility is finished.

The Burbank studio, purchased in 1951, was made famous by the late "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson's frequent tongue-in-cheek references to its location in "beautiful downtown Burbank."

Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos said she was sad to learn the show is leaving the Los Angeles suburb of some 105,000 residents.

"'The Tonight Show' put us on the map," she told the Los Angeles Times. "Without that line from Johnny Carson about beautiful downtown Burbank, most people wouldn't even know that we exist."

NBC officials say the new facility will include virtual studios, interactive graphic capabilities, a glass-walled newsroom and other modern features.

It's news set will be modeled in part after the network's "Today" show set in New York and will host the "Today" show and NBC's "Nightly News" whenever those programs broadcast from Los Angeles.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071011/ap_en_tv/nbc_move;_ylt=AunwEC6pFmb3u0TpRUQ6FilxFb8C

Posted on Oct 11, 2007, 8:43 AM
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Kiefer Sutherland To Do Jail Time On DUI Charge

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Actor Keifer Sutherland arrives at the Fox Fall Eco-Casino Party in Los Angeles in this Sept. 24, 2007 file photo

LOS ANGELES - Kiefer Sutherland pleaded no contest Tuesday in his drunken driving case and will begin serving a 48-day jail sentence while his Fox TV drama "24" begins its winter production break in December.

The show's star agreed to serve 30 days for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent, as well as 18 days for violating his probation for a 2004 drunken driving case, according to court records.

The actor was not in the courtroom and his attorney, Blair Berk, entered the plea agreement. A second misdemeanor charge, driving under the influence, was dropped. The charges stemmed from a traffic stop in Los Angeles last month.

As part of the arrangement, Sutherland must also enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class and attend weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months.

"I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on `24' and at 20th Century Fox," Sutherland said in a statement.

While early releases have been granted to others, including celebrities, because of jail crowding and other concerns, Sutherland must serve all of his time, according to the plea agreement. The sheriff also was specifically ordered to not release Sutherland to electronic monitoring.

The 40-year-old actor will officially be sentenced Dec. 21, when he must begin serving the 18 days in the county jail. It also is the same day his show begins its winter production break.

Sutherland then will have until July 1, 2008, to serve the remaining 30 days in jail. He will be on probation for five years and faces fines and a driving suspension, according to court documents.

The actor's plea arrangement ensures that production of "24" will not be interrupted, Fox officials said in a statement.

"Kiefer made clear to us at the time of his arrest that his first concern was the welfare of those he worked with and that he intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent shutting down the show because of his situation," the statement said.

"He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so. From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word," it said.

Sutherland also has a 1993 conviction for alcohol-related reckless driving, according to the city attorney's office.

He won a best actor Emmy last year for his performance as dashing federal counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer on "24."
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_en_ce/kiefer_sutherland;_ylt=Agl8mLqEEWucB..N8Ln434JxFb8C

Posted on Oct 10, 2007, 8:47 AM
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40 Hospital Staffers Suspended For Peeking At George Clooney's Medical Record

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US actor and director George Clooney poses after receiving an award September 2007

Clooney, 46, suffered a broken rib and scrapes in the Sept. 21 crash, while his passenger, Sarah Larson, 28, broke her foot. Both were treated at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen.

WCBS-TV in New York reported Tuesday night that as many as 40 staffers, including doctors, were suspended without pay, accused of accessing Clooney's medical records and possibly providing information to the media, a violation of federal law.

The Jersey Journal of Jersey City reported that 27 employees, but no doctors, had been disciplined, and only for looking at the records without authorization.

The investigation was not prompted by a complaint from Clooney, who said he only learned of it on Tuesday.

"This is the first I've heard of it," Clooney said in a statement. "And while I very much believe in a patient's right to privacy, I would hope that this could be settled without suspending medical workers."

A spokeswoman for the union representing some of the workers said they had been suspended without pay for four weeks.

"We believe this is a harsh penalty and an overreaction," said Jeanne Oterson, a spokeswoman for the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, adding that a grievance could be filed pending further investigation.

Eurice Rojas, the hospital's vice president of external affairs, told The Jersey Journal that hospital officials do not believe any employees leaked Clooney's medical information, but some staffers did improperly access his records.

Federal law mandates that only direct caregivers � including doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff involved in a patient's care � see such information.

Rojas did not return after-hours messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Clooney and his companion were injured when the actor's motorcycle and a car collided on a narrow road in Weehawken, across the Hudson River from New York City.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_en_mo/people_clooney;_ylt=AvXS40SzK.Qj16QTLJ3u6UFxFb8C

Posted on Oct 10, 2007, 8:46 AM
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Reality Contestant Sues Danny Bonaduce Over Fight

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Danny Bonaduce arrives at the 10th Annual PRISM Awards held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in this April 27, 2006 file photo in Beverly Hills, Calif.

LOS ANGELES (AP) � Former "Survivor" contestant Jonny Fairplay sued Danny Bonaduce, alleging battery and emotional distress after Bonaduce tossed Fairplay over his shoulder at an awards show.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also names the producers of the awards show, the Fox Reality Channel.

Attorneys for Fairplay and for Fox Reality Channel declined to comment. It was unclear whether Bonaduce had retained a lawyer. Attempts to find a phone listing for him or a representative were unsuccessful. An after-hours e-mail message sent to Bonaduce at the Los Angeles radio station where he works was not immediately returned.

Fairplay, whose real name is Jon Dalton, was presenting an award on stage at the Fox Reality Channel "Really Awards" on Oct. 2 when Bonaduce unexpectedly approached him on stage.

When Fairplay ran and jumped into his arms, Bonaduce tossed him over his shoulder. Fairplay hit the floor head first and was hospitalized for injuries to his face and mouth.

With Fairplay "on the ground and blood and broken teeth on the stage floor, Mr. Bonaduce proceeded to parade around the stage with pride," according to the lawsuit.

A video of the incident captured the sound of the audience booing.

Fairplay, 33, is suing for unspecified damages to cover medical expenses, emotional distress and lost earnings. He is also seeking punitive damages.

After an investigation, the district attorney's office decided not to press charges against Bonaduce.

Bonaduce did not intentionally injure Fairplay and his "actions fell within the realm of self-defense," Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Boxer wrote last week.

Fairplay appeared in the 2003 CBS show "Survivor: Pearl Islands" and came in third.

Bonaduce, 48, was a child star on "The Partridge Family." He starred in the 2005 reality show "Breaking Bonaduce," and has recently co-hosted Adam Carolla's radio show.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_en_tv/people_bonaduce;_ylt=Atkr5HnOpXS.h64jJKdWWZhxFb8C

Posted on Oct 10, 2007, 8:46 AM
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Hollywood Readies For Possible Strike

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Nov. 1 scenario takes on new weight

Networks and studios have started thinking about the unthinkable this week.
The harsh rhetoric surrounding the WGA negotiations plus the guild's recent move to seek strike authorization have convinced execs that the threat of a Nov. 1 strike may be very real. A possible lockout is also being discussed.

"We are trying to get as much stuff as possible shoved through," said one studio VP. "It's as hot as I've ever seen it. And whether or not they strike on Nov. 1, we have to act as if they will."

On the feature side, studios are no longer taking writing pitches and are pretty much limiting themselves to making deals on fully developed packages. Warner Bros. and Universal, for example, have put out the word to agents: Don't bring in any spec scripts until the situation resolves itself.

"A strike on Nov. 1 is a real option," WGA West prexy Patric Verrone told Daily Variety on Monday. "What I'm hearing from our screenwriters and showrunners is that they're being asked to schedule additional table reads, prepare additional scripts and squeeze in more shows, which may be physically impossible in that amount of time."More than one option(Co) Daily Variety
(Co) Daily Variety

On the TV side, the nets are scrambling to figure out how they'll fill primetime with no new scripted shows and trying to get pilot scripts completed as quickly as possible. There's also been a rash of series commitments in recent weeks, with nets handing out an unusually large number of six- and 13-episode orders.

Agents admit that the pace of feature dealmaking has stayed hectic in recent weeks -- but only for short-term projects. "Making any deals in long-term feature development has become really tough," one tenpercenter groused.

Producers and execs say available writing jobs have been drying up in recent days. "Unless you're a triple-A high-end rewriter, you're not getting an assignment now," one prominent producer said.

One agent noted that feature animation writing jobs may become a hot area for scribes in coming months since that arena's not covered by the WGA.

"I am looking more toward open director assignments rather than writing assignments," a manager noted, pointing out that the DGA is unlikely to go on strike and will probably make a deal by the end of year.

The possibility that a writers strike could start in just a few weeks, with the current contract expiring Oct. 31, had not been prominent on the town's radar until recently. The prevailing sentiment had been that the WGA would wait for several months -- perhaps until summer, when both the SAG and DGA contracts expire -- before staging a work stoppage.

The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers return today to the bargaining table for a seventh day of negotiations in a process that has so far yielded only acrimony and finger-pointing. Verrone said that the guild's stressing the possibility of a Nov. 1 strike to get the companies to come off their proposal to revamp residuals.

"We're hoping that possibility will get companies to negotiate seriously," he added.

But AMPTP president Nick Counter told Daily Variety that the prospect of an early strike has always been part of the planning for studios and nets.

"The companies all have contingencies and will be ready in the event a strike occurs," Counter added.

One industry insider believes writers will wait to see if any progress is being made before deciding to walk out.

"If there's absolutely no progress being made, they'll go out," the insider said. "If there is some movement, they might give it a few more weeks."

Endeavor partner Rick Rosen said he remains hopeful that a strike can be averted altogether.

"I'd hate to see this turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy, like the Iraq war," Rosen said. "I'd like to see people trying to engage in some meaningful and constructive dialogue rather than making pronouncements."

TV types are split as to when a strike would hurt the most, but almost all are now convinced one is coming -- and sooner rather than later. Many believe a November walkout could be particularly crippling since it could affect both the current TV season and the next one.

By Nov. 1, nets will have enough episodes of current shows in the can to get them through mid-January. But the February sweeps would be decimated, and new shows would halt production well before they'd filled their initial 13 episode orders.

As a result, an early strike could spell doom for some newer shows struggling in the ratings.

"If Fox has to shut down a show like 'K-Ville' in the middle of filming the seventh episode, they might just decide it makes more sense to simply cancel it," one agent said.

That's because keeping the "K-Ville" sets in place and its cast together would be costly. If the show were a hit, keeping the skein in a holding pattern would make sense, but given its weak early numbers, Fox might simply decide it makes sense to cut and run.

That decision would have a cost, too. TV shows generally need to produce 13 episodes to earn international coin. If shows such as "K-Ville" -- or CBS' ratings-challenged "Cane" or NBC's "Bionic Woman" -- wrap before they get to 13 segs, they'll likely end up a total loss for both the network and the studio that produces the show.

A writers' walkout before Thanksgiving could also cripple pilot season if scribes stay out for several months. While nets have purchased the bulk of their pilot scripts by now, they've seen only a few completed drafts. Most pilot scripts don't come in until late November or early December. An early strike would put pilot season on hold.

There are some observers, however, who think a January strike might make more strategic sense. The TV season would still be hurt, with original episodes of shows running out by late February. Pilot season would still be affected, since nets might be reluctant to lense $4 million pilot segs without scribes available to do rewrites -- especially for comedies.

If scribes wait until January, they can also claim to have gone the extra mile on negotiations by working without a deal for two months. On the other hand, almost all nets have made early pilot commitments to at least two or three projects, some of which are expected to lense in December.

So a November strike could put a crimp in nets' plans to get a jump on development. To some, waiting until the end of June -- when SAG and the DGA see their contracts expire -- has become a less likely option.

"The writers have realized if they do that, they're just letting the studios fill their pipelines," one agent said. "They know that if they want to have an impact, they go out now."

Fox reality prexy Mike Darnell said a few months ago that he'd never been so busy. Two cycles of the red-hot "Hell's Kitchen" are in the works, while the net held back the buzzworthy "When Women Rule the World" for a later date. And, of course, "American Idol" wouldn't be affected by a strike.

CBS alternative chief Ghen Maynard is said to have two dozen concepts in the works for CBS and sister net the CW. Emmy magnet "The Amazing Race" is also on the shelf.

Over at NBC, new chief Ben Silverman has been greenlighting project after project, while shows that pre-date his arrival -- the provocative "Baby Borrowers," for example -- are ready whenever he needs them. He's also said he's been talking to international broadcasters about snapping up shows already produced for English-speaking markets such as Canada and Blighty.

ABC's got a high-profile skein from Oprah Winfrey called "The Big Give," as well as a spinoff of "Dancing With the Stars."

Newsmags like "20/20" and "48 Hours" are also gearing up to add nights if needed. And with gameshows proving to be very popular lately --especially as short-term plays -- don't be surprised if quizzers multiply quickly.

One daypart that would be immediately crippled by a strike is latenight. Both Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows went dark for a couple months during the last big WGA strike in 1988, and it's almost certain the current batch of talking heads would sign off for at least a few weeks if there's a walkout.

While the WGA might ultimately grant the talkers a waiver, nets would instantly lose millions in ad revenue.

One writer too young to remember the last strike said he's trying to proceed as normal even though he knows it's not.

"We're just going ahead with the show," he said. "Everyone's a little bit in the dark about what's going to happen. I think everyone is finally realizing this could be real, and everyone's freaked out about what it means."
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973660.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

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Charlie Sheen's Body Covered In Multiple Stupid Tattoos

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Charlie Sheen, author of the "go cry to your bald mom" e-mail suggesting his ex-wife Denise Richards might have more luck extracting sympathy from her cancer-suffering mother than from him, is painfully familiar with the sometimes irreversible consequences of indulging one's impulses. Luckily for him, however, lasers can remove the patchwork of ridiculous tattoos covering his body, as requested by fiancée Brooke "I'd rather not have to stare at Puff the Bookish Dragon every time we make love, honey" Mueller. From Page Six:

Sheen, who spent his early years partying hard and bedding a bevy of actresses, doesn't remember getting some of the gruesome tats, including a dragon with glasses and a stingray on his left ankle.

A wooden sign nailed to his chest above his heart reads, "Back in 15 minutes." That one was originally meant to be an ashtray, he said, but went horribly wrong. Sheen can't even remember the year he got it. One tattoo he's already had lasered off is the "Denise," for ex-wife Denise Richards, on his left wrist.

Before he gets to those others, however, Mueller insisted the technician first attend to the the USC Junior Varsity pep squad team photo tattooed on his inner-thigh, and the pig dressed like an adorable hobo on his lower back--the result of Sheen getting liquored up one night after a particularly ugly day in family court, wandering into a random Sunset Strip tattoo parlor, and demanding a "jobless pig above my ass, in honor of Denise."
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/regrets/charlie-sheens-body-covered-in-multiple-stupid-tattoos-308331.php

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Smugglers Try To Use Bugs As Drug Mules

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This image released by Schiphol Airport customs in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007, shows a dead bug containing cocaine

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - As drug mules, bugs don't carry much. And they didn't get by customs in the Netherlands. A customs officer who took a close look at a consignment of more than 100 large, dead bugs sent from Peru to the Netherlands discovered cocaine had been stashed in their backs.

"We see a lot of things, but this was a first for us," customs spokesman Kees Nanninga said Thursday.

"It looked like they were cut open, the drugs hidden in their backs and then they were glued back together again," he said.

The insects held only about 10 ounces of cocaine, worth about $11,000, Nanninga said.

The discovery was made this summer in a routine check at a postal sorting office, but was made public Thursday. Nanninga said he did not know if anyone was prosecuted as a result of the find.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_on_fe_st/odd_drugs_in_bugs_2;_ylt=AkpHue4vxuupm8IvkwqgYAblWMcF

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Inside 'The Kite Runner' Rape Scene

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Because we're sure there's nothing you'd find more pleasant on a Monday morning than the further discussion of the filming of a juvenile rape scene so culturally inflammatory that a studio may now find itself responsible for the welfare of the movie's displaced child actors until they reach adulthood, we turn to Slate's Kim Masters' ongoing coverage of the dilemma now faced by Paramount and The Kite Runner's filmmakers, who, of course, say they never could have foreseen that their commitment to staying true to their source material would put the kids in jeopardy. But what exactly is in the controversial scene that Paramount's Afghan-culture consultants now fear may not foster the open and honest dialogue they'd hoped for? Reports Masters:

The filmmakers have repeatedly said they had no inkling of the danger during the making of the film. "Nobody that we were working with [in Afghanistan] ever said this could be anything but a positive thing for these kids and their families and for their culture," says producer Rebecca Yeldham. "There was such joy and enthusiasm for the sincerity and seriousness of our approach." [...]

Yeldham says the scene was in fact depicted in a less harrowing manner than originally planned, in part "out of respect for concerns of the families and out of respect for the culture." (Apparently, the filmmakers had some inkling of these issues after all.) She also said that the studio wanted to be sure the movie got a PG-13 rating so it could "reach out and touch audiences around the world of all ages."

Ahmad Kahn said he declined to remove his trousers for the scene. He and his father became concerned that the studio would use computers to make the sequence more graphic. Yeldham says that is not the case. But she acknowledged that a body double was used, in one case to show a boy undoing a pants buckle and in another to show pants being tugged slightly down. "We shot those for continuity," she says. "There was no nudity involved." Somehow, we suspect that the Mahmidzada family will be unpleasantly surprised to see that bit of continuity.

"This has been a labor of love for four years," Yeldham says. "We have taken great pains to do right by Khaled's beautiful book. And, none of us being of this culture or faith, we really, really carefully undertook every step of this process and tried to do the right thing by the kids and the families always. It's tough to be on the receiving [end] of fraudulent accusations when you know that you can hold your head high because you did do the right thing."

One has to wonder if Paramount, crumbling under the building pressure of the controversy as the release date approaches, will decide it needs to sacrifice its filmmakers' uncompromising vision in the interest of peace.

While critics will probably find replacing those rape-establishing continuity shots with something far less culturally explosive, such as an innocuous, violence-defusing title card reading, "And then Hassan and the nice man shook hands and went on with their day, having never been unclothed in each other's presence. The end," a creative disaster, the alteration may save the studio the expense of having to put the children through college.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/cultural-exchanges/inside-the-kite-runner-rape-scene-307649.php

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WGA Talks Go Nowhere

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Writers, employers at standstill

Who will blink first?
That�s the key question, with negotiations between union writers and employers virtually stagnant while an Oct. 31 contract expiration looms.

Two days of talks last week yielded little more than finger-pointing by the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. Each side accused the other of acting irresponsibly; neither backed off from their initial proposals, first unveiled nearly three months ago.

The only area of agreement was that the next session is set for Tuesday -- 22 days prior to expiration of the current contract. Most observers had predicted that the talks would not lead to a deal by that point, but the level of hostility engendered by the bargaining has been unprecedented.

The two sides are so far apart on key issues -- such as how to pay writers for work on new-media platforms -- that the next key development probably won�t be at the bargaining table but rather on the WGA�s strike authorization vote. It�s a given that members will approve the request, but what will be most closely watched is how many of the WGA�s 12,000 members vote and whether a significant number vote no.

A strong endorsement of a strike --any number above 90% -- would likely embolden WGA negotiators to maintain their hard line at the bargaining table. A lower level of support could help the AMPTP nudge the guild toward a deal sooner rather than later.

There was no public comment after Thursday�s bargaining session, at which actual discussion of proposals took place. Both sides went on the attack after Friday�s meeting, with AMPTP president Nick Counter attempting to portray the WGA as irresponsible and unprofessional.

�We have had six across-the-table sessions and have been met with only silence and stonewalling from the WGA leadership,� Counter said. �We have attempted to engage on major issues, but no dialogue has been forthcoming from the WGA leadership. This is the most frustrating and futile attempt at bargaining that anyone on the AMPTP negotiating team has encountered in guild negotiation history.�

Counter also accused WGA leaders -- who have pledged for the past two years to take a harder line at negotiations than the guild took in 2004 -- of not wanting a deal but simply using the talks as a pretext to strike.

�The WGA leadership apparently has no intention to bargain in good faith,� Counter added. �The WGA leadership is hidebound to strike. We are farther apart today than when we started, and the only outcome we see is a disaster engineered by the present leadership of the WGA.�

In response, members of the WGA�s negotiating committee said the AMPTP is asking for something that guild members will never approve -- a change to a residuals system under which writers would receive payments only after basic costs had been recouped.

�While the WGA remains determined to make a fair deal, at this stage of the negotiations the AMPTP is still stuck on its rollback proposals, including profit-based residuals,� the guild said. �Our members will not stand for that. The entertainment industry is successful and growing like never before. Writers, whose creativity is at the heart of that success and growth, are committed to sharing in it. Tuesday, we will return to the table and once again present our serious and fair proposals.�

The statement was signed by negotiating committee chief John Bowman and committee members Neal Baer (�Law & Order: SVU�), Bill Condon (�Dreamgirls�), Susannah Grant (�Erin Brockovich�) and Shawn Ryan (�The Shield�).

The WGA East then asserted over the weekend that the AMPTP had mischaracterized the guild as being strike-happy and abandoning negotiations.

�Nothing could be further from the truth,� the WGA East said. �This is a ploy by the AMPTP to manipulate our membership into voting no on the strike authorization. We have been bargaining with energy and dedication, which we will continue to do. At this point in negotiations, the AMPTP repeatedly reiterates the same proposals. We hope that next week they will start bargaining. Their claim that we won�t bargain on our proposals is untrue -- we welcome that discussion. What we cannot do is contemplate the end of residuals.�

Counter was particularly perturbed that Friday�s session lasted less than an hour. Guild reps left at 11:30 a.m. after AMPTP negotiators tried to get them to discuss the WGA�s proposals.

�The WGA leadership stated that they would not be available again until Tuesday, leaving us with only three weeks to deal with these incredibly complex issues,� he added.

With a strike authorization, the WGA could stop work as early as Nov. 1 if there�s no deal. The WGA has already acknowledged that many expect the guild will continue to work under current terms and conditions for several more months, waiting for the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild to make acceptable deals and then incorporate those improvements into a new WGA contract.

Still, the possibility of a WGA strike is likely to cause studios, networks and producers to ratchet back the number of writing assignments in coming months.

The WGA will hold a pair of members-only informational meetings this week in Los Angeles -- Tuesday night at the Century Plaza and Thursday night at the Sportsmen�s Lodge. The WGA East will hold a similar meeting in Gotham on Thursday.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973604.html?categoryid=18&cs=1

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New Owner Guy Hands Tells EMI Staff To 'Wake Up'

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Music giant must innovate, says new owner

EMI Music Group's new owner has warned staff that they must think outside the box if the company is to prosper in the years ahead.
Guy Hands, the chairman of private equity financiers Terra Firma, which bought EMI two months ago, last week sent an email to all employees in the wake of news that one of the company's top acts, Radiohead, will sell its new album without the involvement of the record label.

Radiohead's innovative plan is to deliver their latest album over the Internet by allowing fans to set their own price for the music.

Hands responded with an internal memo stating that the music industry has been too slow to embrace the digital revolution and that Radiohead's move was "a wake-up call" that everyone at EMI should welcome, but "respond to with creativity and energy."

Hands wrote: "Rather than embracing digitalization and the opportunities it brings for promotion of product and distribution through multiple channels, the industry has stuck its head in the sand."

The Terra Firma boss believes that other EMI acts and their managers will be following the Radiohead initiative closely to see whether such a business model can earn musicians more money than following the traditional record company route.

"Why should (established acts) subsidize their label's new talent roster � or for that matter their record company's excessive expenditures and advances?" Hands said in his memo.

Indeed, Hands appears to be willing to rip up the established record company business model in favor of focusing EMI on all aspects of the music industry. It is understood he is entertaining such ideas as having the company explore deals whereby EMI might subsidize the making of an album or fund a tour in exchange for a share in an act's revenues.

Insiders at the company say that there has been mixed reaction to some of the statements coming out of Terra Firma about EMI, but that the willingness of Hands and his executives to listen to ideas by staff is being broadly welcomed throughout the company.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973622.html?categoryid=19&cs=1

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Wesley Snipes' Tax Trial 'Not Delayed'

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Wesley Snipes is shown in Los Angeles in this February file photo

A US judge has refused to postpone actor Wesley Snipes' tax evasion trial after his newly-appointed lawyers asked for extra time to allow them to prepare.

Snipes' new lead lawyer, Robert G Bernhoft, wrote in a three-page emergency motion that the actor was concerned about whether his former lawyer Daniel Meachum would be physically well enough to take an active role in his October 22 trial in Florida.

According to the motion, Snipes also felt that lead trial lawyer William R Martin had not prepared adequately.

Senior Judge Terrell Hodges rejected the reasons given in the motion.

"This series of events would lead any reasonable person to suspect that the defendant's dismissal of able counsel is nothing more than a ploy designed to force a continuance of the trial," Hodges said.

"In any event, it will not have that effect."

An October 2006 federal indictment charges Snipes with fraudulently claiming refunds totalling nearly $US12 million ($A13.53 million) in 1996 and 1997 for income taxes already paid.

The star of the Blade trilogy and other films also was charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004.

The indictment said Snipes conspired with American Rights Litigators' founder Eddie Ray Kahn and tax preparer Douglas P Rosile Sr to file false refund claims based on a bogus argument that only income from foreign sources was subject to taxation.

The indictment said Kahn and Rosile, through American Rights Litigators, collected fees of up to 20 per cent of refunds from fraudulent tax returns.

A telephone message left by The Associated Press with Bernhoft's office was not immediately returned. A telephone listing for American Rights Litigators could not be located.
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source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/071005/2/14los.html

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Cable Nets Take Aim At One Another

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Newsies go for the gut with criticisms

The gloves have come off.

The cable news wars are getting more personal as Fox News, CNN and MSNBC increasingly take aim at one another, feeding off controversies, real and imagined.

The latest salvo took place Thursday morning when Fox News' "Fox and Friends" crew threw a slap at CNN's "God's Warriors" series.

Two days after calling the series "anti-Semitic," Fox News' morning crew piled on the series, which first aired in August.

"There have been a number of religious organizations who said that CNN absolutely got this story completely wrong," said co-anchor Steve Doocy.

Gretchen Carlson crowed that one group "is asking people to call CNN, even urging them -- they are giving out the phone numbers of one of the top people of CNN, president of CNN Worldwide."

The CNN series, part of an ambitious slate of docs rolled out at the TCA press tour over the summer, provided the news net with a rare ratings bright spot, beating Fox News all three nights it aired.

The series, whose three segments were "God's Jewish Warriors," "God's Muslim Warriors" and "God's Christian Warriors," averaged 2 million viewers per night.

Since then, Fox News has reported on criticism of the series for implying a moral equivalency between acts of violence committed in the name of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

The news hook for the most recent attack was an ad criticizing the series placed in the New York Sun by the pro-Israel Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.

"CNN strongly disagrees with some criticism that there was a 'moral equivalency' between the three programs," a rep said, noting that the network segregated the three pieces to avoid putting them on equal moral footing.

Call it reporting, debunking or simply attacking, it's become par for the course in cable news. Even CNN, which doesn't air opinion shows and doesn't typically engage with its opponents on the air, is increasingly getting into the act.

Rick Sanchez, who took over Paula Zahn's normally sedate 8 p.m. show in August, targeted Fox News' Bill O'Reilly last week following comments the latter made during a radio show on race.

The dust-up, which began when Media Matters circulated quotes from O'Reilly's radio show, served as ample programming grist for both O'Reilly and Sanchez, who each brought on "experts" with various opinions on the issue.

"We reacted because Bill O'Reilly is a huge name -- it had nothing to do with competition," said Victor Neufeld, who has left CNN but was exec producer of the show when it reported on O'Reilly.

"People like Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs or Wolf Blitzer are household names, and they have as much stature as major political figures. If any of these individuals say anything that's controversial, it's equal to Sen. Biden calling Barack Obama 'articulate.' "

Far from trying to kill the issue, O'Reilly kept it alive, scheduling the Rev. Al Sharpton, who admitted he hadn't listened to the original radio show, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who hadn't appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor" in 11 years.

O'Reilly went on to call out reporters he felt had treated him unfairly on the story. On his radio show, he played a recording of a conversation he had with the Washington Post's Paul Farhi, who told him, in what he believed to be an off-the-record aside, "You are getting so dragged into something you don't deserve. ... It's ridiculous."

For Olbermann, it was the gift that kept on giving. The MSNBC host, who has staked out a position as the anti-O'Reilly over the past year, spent more than eight minutes on the controversy the following night.

Part of O'Reilly's persona is the "No Spin Zone" and the view that the mainstream media skews against conservatives.

MSNBC emulated and inverted that approach with Olbermann, who boosted his ratings 73% over the past year by using O'Reilly as a foil and offering scathing commentary on the Bush administration.

Far from hurting O'Reilly, the latest attacks simply drew crowds to the tube, like kids to a schoolyard fight.

In fact, on Tuesday night, "The O'Reilly Factor" rang in 2.7 million viewers, its highest total in three months. In the third quarter, O'Reilly averaged 2.1 million viewers, more than the combined totals of MSNBC's Olbermann (744,000), CNN's Zahn/Sanchez (649,000), and Headline News' Nancy Grace (468,000).

For its part, CNN has plans to reair "God's Warriors," the first in a new series of expensive and highly promoted docs, numerous times over the next few months.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973431.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

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Bonaduce Free!!! D.A. Rejects Case

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TMZ has obtained a document from the L.A. County District Attorney's office, rejecting the case against Danny Bonaduce.

Danny boy got into it on stage at Monday's FOX Reality Channel's Really Awards. "Survivor" reject Jonny Fairplay jumped on him, and Danny tossed Jonny over his shoulder. Jonny fell face first and lost a couple o' teeth.

Police were investigating a felony battery, with Danny as the chief suspect. The D.A. wrote on the rejection form, "Insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt."
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source: http://www.tmz.com/2007/10/05/bonaduce-free-d-a-rejects-case/

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Suspect Charged In "Indiana Jones" Theft

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Actor Harrison Ford is dressed as the character 'Indiana Jones' on the film set of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' in this June 21, 2007 publicity photograph

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has arrested a man in connection with the theft of computers, photographs and documents from director Steven Spielberg's upcoming fourth "Indiana Jones" film.

The Tuesday afternoon arrest took place during a sting operation in West Hollywood, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

He said officers posing as potential buyers arrested the man on suspicion of receiving stolen property. The goods had been advertised for sale through emails sent out to entertainment-gossip Web sites.

"He is on what is known as parole hold," said Whitmore who declined to release the man's name. "We believe there's more people involved and don't want to release the name until this plays out," he added.

On September 24, the sheriff's department was notified that some items had been taken from Spielberg's production office on the Universal Pictures lot.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071004/film_nm/spielberg_dc;_ylt=AuqRbTF91xIb1D02LOaofZxxFb8C

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Charlie Sheen Hate E-Mails To Denise Richards Reveal A Fondness For Words 'Jobless' and 'P

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The rare olive branch in the ongoing Charlie Sheen-Denise Richards divorce came in an e-mail dated Aug. 24, when, according to court documents, Sheen apologized for a wide array of regrettable remarks he made about his ex-wife and her family, including "a comment about your poor Mom," "your abilities as a mother," and "my pigheaded assertion that you pressed the button that detonated the second tower." Fox411 has revisited the papers to find what, exactly, was contained in those enraged correspondences he so desperately wishes he could unsend:

On Aug. 22, Sheen wrote to the mother of his children: "You are a pig. A sad, jobless pig who is sad and talentless and, um, oh yeah, sad and jobless and evil and a bad mom, so go [expletive] yourself, sad, jobless pig."

That's not all. In other e-mails, Sheen ridicules Richards' mother, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. "Go cry to your bald mom, you [expletive] loser," Sheen writes. [...]

[Nanny Diana Alvarez] swears in her declaration that she received this text message from Sheen: "The girls won't remember you or even care about you. You couldn't have done worse if you tried. Thank God they'll no longer be exposed to someone SO WEAK. Go have a kid of your own. Maybe that way you'll stop ... confusing the fake kids for a real one. Oh, but that might take some guts. Something you so obviously lack with hopeless vacuity."

Sheen's Baldwinian language seems almost unfathomably callous; but as divorce survivors can attest, a contentious split can cause both parties to do and say things that are completely of character. It's only when pointing out one's former spouse's loser qualities no longer holds the thrill that it once did that they may find themselves going after peripheral targets, like cancer-suffering mothers-in-law and child-coveting housekeepers.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/correspondence/charlie-sheen-hate-e+mails-to-denise-richards-reveal-a-fondness-for-words-jobless-and-pig-306659.php

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Music Download Case Goes To Jury

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Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minn., left, leaves the federal courthouse building in Duluth, Minn. on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007 with her attorney, Brian Toder, during a midday break after closing arguments

DULUTH, Minn. - An attorney for six major music companies urged a federal jury Thursday to find a Minnesota woman liable for damages for illegally downloading and sharing music online, activity he said has gnawed at the industry's bottom line.

Record companies have filed some 26,000 lawsuits since 2003 claiming their music's been misused, but the case against Jammie Thomas, a mother of two from Brainerd, is the first to go to trial. Many other defendants settled by paying the record companies a few thousand dollars.

Regardless of how the first trial of a person accused of illegally sharing music online turns out, a spokesman for a record industry group said companies plan to keep suing listeners.

Richard Gabriel, the lead attorney for six companies that sued Thomas, didn't ask jurors to award a particular dollar amount or to find Thomas willfully infringed on copyrights.

"I only ask that you consider that the need for deterrence here is great," he said.

Thomas had testified that she did nothing wrong. Her attorney, Brian Toder, argued Thursday that music companies presented plenty of technical evidence but never proved that "Jammie Thomas, a human being, got on her keyboard and sent out these things."

"We don't know what happened," Toder told jurors. "All we know is that Jammie Thomas didn't do this."

Gabriel called such assertions "misdirection, red herrings, smoke and mirrors."

The record companies' evidence included testimony that sought to link Thomas to a Kazaa file-sharing account that held the copyrighted material. Thomas testified that she never had a Kazaa account, but acknowledged giving conflicting dates for the replacement of her computer hard drive � something Gabriel suggested was done to cover her tracks.

The companies are seeking damages regarding 24 songs the trial focused on, not the 1,702 that were described in their complaint.

The 12-member jury must agree unanimously. If they decide Thomas infringed on the record companies' copyrights, they will then consider whether she did it willfully � a distinction that could drive maximum damages from $30,000 per song as high as $150,000 per song.

U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ruled Thursday that the record companies did not have to prove songs on Thomas's computer were transferred to other users for her to be found liable. The act of making the files available would constitute copyright infringement, he said.

Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, which coordinates the lawsuits, said companies will keep filing them.

"We think we're in for a long haul in terms of establishing that music has value, that music is property, and that property has to be respected," said Sherman.

Sherman said Wednesday night that he's surprised it took this long for one of the industry lawsuits to go to trial.

After four years, he said, "it's become business as usual, nobody really thinks about it. This case has put it back in the news. Win or lose, people will understand that we are out there trying to protect our rights."

The record companies involved in the lawsuit are Sony BMG, Arista Records LLC, Interscope Records, UMG Recordings Inc., Capitol Records Inc. and Warner Bros. Records Inc.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071004/ap_en_mu/downloading_music;_ylt=Athq_HMqr3dQ8eY._syoil5xFb8C

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Howard K Stern Sues Author for $60mil for Defamation of Character

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Though it was Larry Birkhead who openly swore he'd sue Rita Cosby, to use the legal parlance, "back into the MSNBC rat-hole from which she first produced her twitching rodent snout," it is Howard K. Stern, the second half of the all-male coupling she licentiously described in Blonde Ambition, who's first to file suit:</p>

Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer and companion, Howard K. Stern, filed a $60 million libel lawsuit Tuesday against Rita Cosby and her publisher over a book she wrote that claims Stern and Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had a sexual encounter.

The suit, filed in federal court in New York, seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages from Cosby--who wrote "Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death"--and Hachette Book Group USA Inc.

With the gauntlet thrown down, Cosby's best hope at this point is to finally locate the rumored and elusive video capturing the "compromising, intimate position" enacted by the two Smith hangers-on; otherwise, the $60 million sex-act will remain relegated to the category of myth, despite being the most satisfying make-believe blow job Stern has ever not received.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/revenge/stern-says-60-mil-barely-enough-to-cover-suffering-of-having-world-think-hed-do-birkhead-306377.php

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Nicolas Cage Confronts Naked Intruder In Home

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Nicolas Cage speaks during a news conference for his new movie "Ghost Rider" in Tokyo February 21, 2007 -- This police booking photo released by the Orange County District Attorney's office shows Robert Furo, who was charged with burglary after he broke into Nicolas Cage's home in the coastal city of Newport Beach

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A naked intruder broke into Nicolas Cage's waterfront home near Los Angeles, and put on one of his leather jackets before he was confronted by the actor, police said on Tuesday.

No one was hurt in the incident, which happened early on Monday in Newport Beach, an upscale community 45 miles south of Los Angeles. Cage, who was at home with his wife and child, asked the intruder to remove the jacket, escorted him outside and called a security guard.

Robert Dennis Furo Jr., 45, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a first-degree burglary charge. He was ordered back to court on October 10 for a pretrial hearing.

Newport Beach police Lt. Craig Fox said Furo was "apparently" naked, and not known to Cage. There was no sign of a break-in, and he did not know what led Furo to Cage's home.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Cage paid $25 million for the property in 2005.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071003/en_nm/cage_dc;_ylt=AkjECDuKizht2MJ2DeUZXhBxFb8C

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Suicide Missions: Fortune Goes Inside The CAA Death Star

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For undoubtedly strategic reasons that may not become clear for months--or even years--CAA has allowed a Fortune magazine writer to infiltrate the Death Star and publish a lengthy piece on the current state of the evil agenting monolith. While the scribe obviously couldn't get anyone with concen for their personal or professional well-being on the record about the agency's seemingly neverending reign of terror (said one "half joking," anonymous studio head whose spouse, children, and career are certainly already dead: "I value my wife and kids. And I value my relationship to CAA. If they don't like this article and I'm quoted, there goes my first look at the best projects.") the scribe did get some face time with partners like Bryan Lourd, Richard Lovett, and Kevin Huvane, as well as fly-on-the-wall access to some shadowy rituals rarely witnessed by outsiders:

"I wish we could talk you out of writing this story," CAA president Richard Lovett told me the first time we met. He was sitting at a large marble table in one of the many identical, almost sterile conference rooms at the company's new office building near Beverly Hills. Next to him was Lourd. They were wearing matching blue shirts and skinny black ties. "We don't want any publicity," Lovett continued. "We are behind-the-scenes players. We are uninteresting and are meant to be, as everything we do is for and about the clients."[...]

"It's not hard to share information when it's in your DNA," says Huvane. CAA associates must return their colleagues' calls first. "If you tell one person at CAA something, it's pretty certain that everyone else there will soon know it as well," says Marc Graboff, the co-chairman of NBC. "I don't know how they have such instantaneous communication, but it's like they're acting with a common brain." [...]

Every Monday morning more than 100 agents gather around an enormous custom- made marble table to hear their marching orders. The men wear dark suits, colorful ties, and shiny black shoes. The few women present are clad in similar dark pantsuits - conservative but not boring. The questions from the head of the table begin: What scripts did you read? What's everyone's schedule? Is there a screening that people need to know about? Has there been any movement over the weekend at studios on things that are going to get greenlighted? What clients are in town who might need meetings?

We'll end our direct quoting of the piece right there, as the chilling description of the carnage that follows each Monday morning debriefing is too terrible to relive; suffice it to say that once the weekend's intelligence has been distributed throughout the agency hive-mind, dozens of stroller-pushing assistants file into the conference room, and the feedings begin. And they don't end until every last Bugaboo has been completely emptied of its delicious cargo.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/suicide-missions/fortune-goes-inside-the-caa-death-star-306383.php

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Britney Spears Ordered To Give Kids To Kevin Federline

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Britney Spears is shown in this frame grab from video courtesy of website TMZ.com carrying her son Sean Preston Federline while an assistant carries her other son Jayden James Federline, as Spears leaves a restaurant in Malibu, California September 30, 2007- Another screen grab shows her driving away without a valid California license

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears hit another personal low, being ordered to relinquish her children by a judge who had cited her drug-and-alcohol-fueled lifestyle.

Ex-husband Kevin Federline will take Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday "until further order of the court," Los Angeles County Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon ruled Monday.

Phone messages left for representatives of Spears and Federline were not immediately returned.

This is the latest problem to plague Spears, whose fortunes have taken a very public turn for the worse since splitting from Federline, 29, last year. The two were married in October 2004. Spears filed for divorce last November and it became official in July.

Since becoming single, Spears has appeared increasingly erratic and out-of-control. First, she was photographed at various Hollywood hotspots partying hard with Paris Hilton, with some photos capturing the pop star without panties. Then Spears shaved her head as paparazzi looked on, beat a car with an umbrella and ended up spending a month in rehab.

Last month, Gordon said Spears engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol" and ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week as part of her ongoing custody dispute with Federline.

Spears also was previously ordered to meet weekly with a "parenting coach" who was to observe and report back to the court about her parenting skills. Both Spears and Federline must complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.

Spears was set to redeem herself and return to the pop throne with a much-hyped performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. But it was universally panned, with Spears appearing spaced-out and lethargic � and, in some eyes, less than buff. The following week, her management firm dropped her and her divorce lawyer resigned.

Spears was then charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for allegedly crashing into a parked car in August.

The driving offenses likely compelled the judge to issue Monday's orders, said New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles said Spears applied for a California driver's license but did not complete the process.

"She was driving without a license with a child in the car," Felder said. "You can put aside the in and out of rehab, the shaving her head. But this? When a judge went out on a limb for her? There's no going back."

Though Spears must relinquish physical custody of the children until further ruling from the court, she and Federline still share legal custody.

Los Angeles divorce lawyer Connolly Oyler said he's surprised the children weren't taken from Spears sooner. Judges typically remove youngsters from households where parents are ordered to undergo drug testing, he said.

But, he added, all is not lost for Spears.

"If she picks a good counselor and gets a different set of friends, there's a good chance she can turn things around," he said, noting "she's only 25."

The couple is due back in court Oct. 3. Spears' new album is set to be released Nov. 13.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071002/ap_en_mu/britney_spears_custody;_ylt=Aup0BAMXCNPYlzDgK4moc0ZxFb8C

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Radiohead Tells Fans To Pay What They Want For Album

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Radiohead (l-r) Ed O'Brien, Jonny Greenwood, Thom Yorke, Phil Selway and Colin Greenwood

LONDON (Reuters) - Radiohead, one of the world's most influential rock bands, plans to sell its new album from its Web site as a digital download and let fans choose what they want to pay.

With music sales in decline globally for seven successive years, the industry is engaged in a debate over how best to reverse the trend.

Radiohead said its seventh studio album "In Rainbows" would be available from Radiohead.com from October 10 in MP3 format, meaning it can be played on all digital devices. In the latest twist in the move to digital music, fans can choose how much to pay, or can pay nothing if they prefer.

The band will also offer a special edition boxed set for 40 pounds ($82) which will be available later and will include two vinyl albums, a CD version of the new album and a second CD with additional new songs, artwork and photographs of the band.

Music observers said the British five-piece, which is no longer signed to a record label, is able to sell directly to its fans because it has such an established support base.

"They are the first band to put their money where their mouth is," Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q music magazine, told Reuters. "I think other bands that have been similarly successful will look and, if it is deemed to have worked, will do the same."

The traditional music business model has been under pressure as piracy and the move to digital sales has cut into album revenues. A strong area of growth, however, is live music and any subsequent tour by Radiohead would be boosted by the interest generated by the album.

"The traditional business model had been ruined by the Internet," said Grundy. "The industry is still trying to work out what on earth the new model or models should be and this is just one option."

Radiohead's digital or boxed set versions could be pre-ordered from the group's Web site from Monday and a spokesman said the box set had so far proved the more popular.

The group is planning a traditional CD release of the album in early 2008.

A decision by U.S. music star artist Prince to give his latest album away free with a British newspaper was met with fury by retailers and the industry who said it undermined the value of recorded music.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071001/music_nm/radiohead_dc;_ylt=AgN33t2zmtgMWZR6_x81ATZxFb8C

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Sylvester Stallone And Rambo Crew Saw Myanmar Aftermath

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Sylvester Stallone is seen in this Jan. 21, 2005 file photo in Universal City, Calif

LOS ANGELES - Sylvester Stallone says he and his "Rambo" sequel movie crew recently witnessed the human toll of unspeakable atrocities while filming along the Myanmar border.

"I witnessed the aftermath � survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off," Stallone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific."

The 61-year-old actor-director returned to the U.S. eight days ago from shooting "John Rambo," the fourth movie in the action series, on the Salween River separating Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Stallone said he was in Thailand for six months, most of it along or on the river.

"This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams," Stallone said. "All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river."

This was before the crackdown last week against the largest pro-democracy protests in Myanmar in two decades. After the government increased fuel prices in August, public anger turned to mass protest against 45 years of military dictatorship. Last week, soldiers responded by opening fire with automatic weapons on unarmed demonstrators.

For decades, Myanmar's army has waged a brutal war against ethnic groups in which soldiers have razed villages, raped women and killed innocent civilians.

The "Rambo" script, written long before the present Myanmar uprising, features boatman John Rambo � the Vietnam War-era Green Beret who specializes in violent rescues and revenge � taking a group of mercenaries up the Salween River in search of missing Christian aid workers in Myanmar. The character "realizes man is just a few paces away from savagery when pushed."

"I called Soldier of Fortune magazine and they said Burma was the foremost area of human abuse on the planet," Stallone said.

Shots were fired over the film crew's head, he said. "We were told we could get seriously hurt if we went on."

"I was being accused, once again, of using the Third World as a `Rambo' victim. The Burmese are beautiful people. It's the military I am portraying as cruel," he said.

Stallone is now editing "John Rambo," which will be released in January. He wants the Motion Picture Association of America will give the film an "r" rating.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_en_ot/people_stallone;_ylt=AoFHRW9EP8CLvklblDGwtgZxFb8C

Yeah, but I bet the shopping was great. Go see Sylvester Stallone's new movie!

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Miss Moneypenny Actor Lois Maxwell Dies At 80

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Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny

SYDNEY (AFP) - On screen, Lois Maxwell played the woman James Bond never seduced, Miss Moneypenny. In real life, she was more than his match -- an adventurous traveller, an entertainer, and a flirt to the end.

Her death on Saturday at Fremantle Hospital, in Western Australia, from a combination of lung and vascular disease, followed several weeks of treatment there. She was 80.

The Canadian-born actress, a constant in 14 James Bond movies as the starring role changed hands, took on the Miss Moneypenny role in 1962 alongside Sean Connery in "Dr No."

And she continued to play the secretary to spy chief M, constantly flirting with her 007 agent, until 1985's "A View To A Kill" with Roger Moore.

In a 2005 interview, Maxwell said she insisted when she took on the role that she be allowed to give Moneypenny a "background" and that Bond director Terence Young not "put my hair in a bun and horn-rimmed glasses on me."

The "background" was an unexplained sexual tension between Moneypenny and Bond and the chemistry worked.

"She was my lucky token," Moore told the British broadcaster Sky News after her death.

"(People) who remember the Bond films with Moneypenny will remember her with great affection. She certainly will be missed by me and I'm sure by millions of fans around the world."

Born Lois Ruth Hooker on February 14, 1927 in Ontario, Canada, Maxwell ran away from home at 16 to join the Canadian Army Show.

She ended up in London, where she met Roger Moore at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, beginning what was to be a life-long friendship.

She changed her name in Hollywood, won a Golden Globe award and worked with Ronald Reagan on "Bedtime For Bonzo."

When the first Bond movie came along, Maxwell was an experienced actor in need of an income after her husband, British television executive Peter Marriott, developed a heart problem.

"I had a husband who was desperately ill, with two small children and no money, so I called producers I had worked with before and said 'help me,'" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005.

Maxwell's life was as colourful as that of her screen sweetheart -- she gained her pilot's licence, went on safaris, travelled widely and sailed across the South China Sea on an armed boat in case of pirates.

She was in Fremantle, near the Western Australian capital of Perth, to visit her son and his family five years ago when she collapsed while out shopping as a result of a blood clot on her elbow.

Maxwell required emergency surgery to save her arm and was so relieved at waking up from the operation and finding her limb intact, she became a fundraiser for Fremantle Hospital and a strong supporter of vascular surgeon Professor Paul Norman.

"We used to joke that he became her new leading man. She used to flirt shamelessly with him," former hospital worker and friend to the Maxwell family Penny Young told AFP.

Young said despite failing health, Maxwell had rallied in recent days.

"The thing about Lois for the family, she was such a strong fighter and in the past she would never give up," she said.

"She had that that attitude of, 'Damn, my heart will continue beating until I'm ready for it to stop.'"

"She was just adorable, and cheeky and fun."
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071001/en_afp/entertainmentfilmaustraliajamesbondmaxwell;_ylt=AkHv9j9XxgVrXpyFc0PrXlVxFb8C

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Pushy Junket Reporter Ropes Adam Sandler Into The Gay Cause

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Mexican audiences will be able to find out what all the bear-on-bear fireman fuss was about, as Los declaro marido y ... Larry--aka I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry--is finally getting a release there. (It rolled into Spain a few weeks ago, with the far catchier title Os Declaro Marido Y Marido, and an accompanying feeder-fetish website that hearkens to other classics of the genre.) In Mexico City to promote the opening, Adam Sandler appears to have fallen for the oldest wire reporter trick in the book--answering "Sure, why not?" to a seemingly innocuous but strategically phrased question, then waking up to headlines outlining your passionate commitment to fighting for gay rights:

Adam Sandler says he would like to work alongside gay-rights groups after starring in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

Sandler, who was in Mexico with co-star Kevin James to promote the film's opening in theaters here, told a news conference: "If I can help anybody in any way, I certainly would."

But the 41-year-old actor-comedian stopped short of calling himself a potential gay icon.

"I don't think that's gonna happen, dude, certainly not," Sandler said. "If I was a gay man, I wouldn't want me to represent" the gay community.

With Sandler's solidarity with the Gay movement now on record, it won't be long before he's contacted by a PSA-hungry GLAAD looking to collect on his press conference pledge, demanding he start by taping a 30-second spot on the importance of using sensitive language when addressing the growing number of Gay Robots in American schools and workplaces.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/accidental-activism/pushy-junket-reporter-ropes-adam-sandler-into-the-gay-cause-304959.php

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Britney Spears Honored For Staged Incompetence

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In what must be the most trying and unheralded period of Britney Spears's career yet, any sort of achievement--even topping a UKTV Gold poll honoring the "most embarrassing dance sequence of all time"--must come as welcome news. Surely learning not even the mass cringing elicited by Elaine Benes's thumb-flinging pas de incontinence could approach that of her own VMAs performance should be enough to comfort Spears with the knowledge that 2007 wasn't a total wash.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/honors/britney-spears-honored-for-staged-incompetence-304988.php

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Disney Channel Now Boasts At Least One Teen Virgin

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It's not for nothing that youth-skewed cable network The Disney Channel has long been referred to by their competition as "Mickey's Little Tramp Factory," having churned out a steady stream of them since its 1983 launch. Its latest vixenish graduate, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, was recently caught traipsing nakedly across the internets and into the hard drives of countless hormonally charged tweens and pervy MySpace users posing as such.

She has since reemerged upon the scene, in a network-approved, flash-resistant sequined potato sack that leaves everything but her knees to the imagination. Bucking the trend, however, is Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, who found herself the victim of a pregnancy hoax, and has turned to Extra's cameras to defend her virtue:

Cyrus opened up about all those pregnancy rumors saying, "It's given me the street cred to say that would be impossible, because I'm living my life the way I believe is right and that is to stay pure." Cyrus does not believe in sex before marriage, she said, "No, I don't at all!"

So committed is she to saving herself for her future husband that Cyrus has already attended a father-daughter purity ball on the arm of her bemulleted cowboy dad, Billy Ray. After pledging him her undying virginity in a ring exchange ceremony, the two shared a touching line dance, in which they do-si-do'd their shared commitment to preserving Miley's purity to the familiar strains of Achy Breaky Heart.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/ladylike-behavior/disney-channel-now-boasts-at-least-one-teen-virgin-304616.php>

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Posted on Sep 28, 2007, 8:57 AM
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Showtime's Bloody Fountain Just As Innocent Looking As They'd Promised

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We apologize for questioning the sincerity of that marketing executive who insisted that the fountain at Hollywood and Highland was running red with good, clean Showtime color-branding, not the cruor of a relatable serial killer's victims. As you can plainly see in LAist's photo (there are more here) of the tinted water gently cascading behind the network's "promo scene" tape, anyone who came away with the impression that the fountain was filled with blood was obviously bringing his or her own violent baggage to the experience.

If your kids don't sleep for months because they're seeing something that's not there, blame their crazy little imaginations, says a defensive marketing exec:

"We're not out there to frighten people," said George DeBolt, vp media and promotions at Showtime. "Red is an important color for the network. It's our corporate color. Whatever people take away from this is what they take away, but we're using the color red so that it's noticed.

"'Dexter' is not a horror series," he added. "It's a series about a serial killer who happens to be in forensic police work. There is blood in the show, but we're not doing this to convey the notion of blood or horror because that would be off strategy with how we promote the show."

BONUS PROMOTIONAL FUN! Hurty Elbow notes that Showtime has made it murderously easy to send your best friends (or the guy who keeps taking your spot in front of the Chinese Theatre) a lighthearted death threat.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/there-will-not-be-blood/showtimes-bloody-fountain-just-as-innocent-looking-as-theyd-promised-304658.php

Posted on Sep 28, 2007, 8:56 AM
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NBC Recalls Better-Rated Heyday By Reviving 'Knight Rider'

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Proving once again that his finger is firmly on the pulse of what is hot in other countries, in the decades before his network slid into fourth place, or at the multiplex three months ago, NBC's perfect TV executive storm Ben Silverman has made yet another bold programming move that should shame his overly cautious, Idol-dependent, Cavemen-greenlighting rivals: according to Variety, his Peacock is bringing back Knight Rider, preparing a two-hour backdoor pilot that will reintroduce audiences to an updated series about the love between a man and his sassy, wisecracking supercar.

(Hasselhoff, of course, is too busy with other projects to even entertain the idea of trying to squeeze in to his old Members Only jacket.) But realizing that the harder-to-please kids of today would likely dismiss the idea of a talking-car show with, "Why does that dude's OnStar sound so gay?" the first time K.I.T.T* speaks, Silverman's got a totally killer hook to keep them so transfixed they'll hardly notice the Mountain Dew Game Fuel they're drooling all over their Hot Topic t-shirts: The car--or rather, cars, as some will likely be "evil"--will transform, capitalizing on a desirable demographic's proven love of giant-fucking-robot-related entertainment. To his credit, Silverman ultimately decided against integrating other box-office-tested elements, rejecting a briefly considered idea that Michael Knight should be a pirate of indeterminate sexuality.

[*And can we do something about that name? How about P.A.N.T.H.E.R? Someone in development can figure out what it's supposed to stand for.]
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/hollywood-out-of-ideas/nbc-recalls-better+rated-heyday-by-reviving-knight-rider-304454.php

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Phil Spector Case Ends In Mistrial

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Defendant Phil Spector (L) and his wife Rachelle arrive for a court session in Spector's murder trial at Los Angeles Superior Court, September 26, 2007

Deadlocked jury could not reach verdict

Record producer Phil Spector�s murder trial ended in a mistrial Wednesday because of a jury deadlock.

�We are disappointed the jury was unable to reach a verdict. We will start immediately to prepare for a retrial,� said Los Angeles County D.A. Steve Cooley. Spector will remain free on $1 million bail.

The next court hearing is Oct. 3 for scheduling dates leading up to the retrial. Spector is not required to attend.

On Wednesday, each juror told Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler that the panel could not reach a verdict.

�At this time, I will find that the jury is unable to arrive at a verdict and declare a mistrial in this matter,� the judge said.

The mistrial came on the 12th day of deliberations on whether Spector murdered actress Lana Clarkson more than 4� years ago.

The foreman reported the panel was deadlocked 10-2 but did not indicate which way they were leaning.

The trial entered uncharted procedural waters on Sept. 18, when the jurors, who had been deliberating since Sept. 10, told Fidler that they had reached a 7-5 impasse in their deliberations but did not indicate which way they were leaning.

Spector has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Clarkson and faced a possible life sentence if found guilty.

Eager to avoid a mistrial, Fidler first told counsel that he wanted to explore the possibility of allowing the jury to deliberate on the lesser charge of manslaughter, but he concluded that it would be improper because it would signal to the jury that the court wanted a conviction at all costs.

After interviewing the jurors, Fidler decided that the instruction about the meaning of reasonable doubt could be the reason for the deadlock, and over defense objections, he provided a new instruction and gave hypothetical scenarios under which Spector could be held guilty. The jury resumed deliberations on Friday.

The nine-man, three-woman jury includes �Dateline NBC� senior producer Adam Gorfain. In his juror questionnaire, he acknowledged familiarity with the case and indicated that his work focused on high-profile crime stories.

On Feb. 3, 2003, nightclub hostess and B-movie actress Clarkson was found dead at Spector�s mansion in Alhambra. On Nov. 20, 2003, Spector was indicted for Clarkson�s murder.

After numerous delays, the trial began April 25 in downtown Los Angeles. The defense claimed the death was a suicide and offered testimony that Clarkson was depressed about her career, as well as forensic evidence that she shot herself in the mouth. The prosecution contended Spector had a history of threatening women with guns and that he shot Clarkson after she declined to spend the night with him. Spector�s chauffeur, Adriano DeSouza, testified that Spector emerged from the house immediately after the sound of a gunshot, holding a gun in his bloody hand and stated, �I think I killed somebody.� Spector did not take the stand during the trial.

The trial was marked by controversy. Spector went through three sets of attorneys. He was first represented by Robert Shapiro, one of the original members of the O.J. Simpson �dream team.� Shapiro was replaced by well-known defense attorney Leslie Abramson, who in turn was replaced by Bruce Cutler, best known as the attorney for Mafia boss John Gotti. Cutler, who was frequently absent from court to film a television show, left the defense team on Aug. 27, when Spector refused to allow him to give the closing argument. It was given instead by attorney Roger Rosen, who had functioned as lead attorney in Cutler�s absence.

Famed forensic expert Henry Lee was accused of hiding crucial evidence found at the crime scene that the police had overlooked. Sara Caplan, one of Spector�s former attorneys, was compelled to testify that Lee placed a item in a vial at the crime scene but that she couldn�t identify it. A former law clerk also claimed to see Lee remove an item from the crime scene. The prosecution theorized that the missing item was an acrylic nail that was pulled off Clarkson�s hand, and it was evidence that she did not shoot herself. Fidler ultimately ruled that Lee had hidden or destroyed evidence.

Another well-known forensic expert for the defense, Michael Baden, was accused of having a fundamental bias because his wife, Linda Kenney-Baden, is a member of the defense team and specializes in forensics. Baden introduced a new theory late in the trial that Clark had breathed for several minutes before she died to explain a spot of blood on Spector�s jacket. The defense contended his clothes would have been soaked with blood if he had been holding the gun because she was shot at such close range.

Spector, 67, had a decades-long career as a musician, songwriter and, most of all, record producer, pioneering the so-called Wall of Sound. During the �60s, he worked with several bands, notably the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner and the Ronnettes. Spector married lead singer Ronnie Spector in 1968. Spector made a comeback in 1970 when he was brought in to produce the Beatles� �Let It Be� and produced albums for John Lennon and George Harrison during their solo careers.

Rumors of Spector�s bizarre behavior, including his obsession with guns, circulated for years. Ronnie Spector, who filed for divorce in 1972, wrote in her memoir that he threatened to kill her if she left him. According to several accounts, Spector threatened Lennon with a gun during a recording session, placed a loaded pistol at Leonard Cohen�s head and forced Dee Dee Ramone to play guitar at gunpoint. Spector�s habit of wearing the outlandish wigs he sported at the trial reportedly dates to the 1970s, following a near-fatal car accident, in which he suffered massive head injuries.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972791.html?categoryid=18&cs=1

Posted on Sep 27, 2007, 9:19 AM
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Hong Kong Singer Banned From Hiring Filipina Maids

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File photo from 2006 shows one of the best-known pop singers in Hong Kong, Jacky Cheung

HONG KONG (AFP) - One of the best-known pop singers in Hong Kong, Jacky Cheung, has been banned from hiring Filipina maids after employing and sacking 21 in three years, the Philippines consulate here said Thursday.

The consulate said it has placed Jacky Cheung and his wife on its watchlist of sub-standard employers for one year, and they will not be allowed to renew the contracts of the four helpers they currently employ.

"There has been a string of Filipina helpers whose record showed they have been terminated by the employer," said Vice Consul Val Roque, vice consul at the consulate.

Roque said the couple was put on the watchlist after the consulate received complaints. He did not reveal details.

"For us, it's a disturbing trend because ideally we want the workers to have a stable job here," he said.

"When an employer terminates a contract it's the workers who suffer because they might have to confront a mountain of debt incurred by coming to Hong Kong. It's an unfair situation."

Roque said Cheung's wife, a former actress, tried to explain the high rate of firings and stress they had all been treated well.

The consulate said its decision could be reviewed after a year.

Cheung, one of Hong Kong's biggest stars, rose to fame in the mid-1980s.

Like most stars here Cheung has been packaged as an all-round entertainer, starring in a number of hit local films as well as singing Canto-pop, a hybrid of Chinese ballads and Western pop.

The South China Morning said one of the complaints came from a former maid who was jailed for six months last year for stealing photographs and a letter from the ballad singer.

She told the paper that helpers often had to work up to 19 hours a day.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070927/en_afp/entertainmenthongkongphilippinesmusicmaid;_ylt=AqmKRlI3JMIpahjr4vSG9_1xFb8C

Posted on Sep 27, 2007, 9:18 AM
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Publicists To Book Paris Hilton On First Flight To Rwanda After Next Movie Role

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Perhaps concerned that the public might not be internalizing the post-incarceration "Paris Hilton is now a productive, selfless, and globally aware member of society" message they're pushing as quickly as they'd planned, Hilton's image-rehabilitation team is temporarily tabling those obviously ineffective Children's Hospital drop-ins in favor of a more dramatic plan: a trip to Rwanda, a place so war-torn and impoverished that no one will be able to accuse her of being there to raise awareness of her perfume or clothing lines:

"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 said of the region. [...]

"I want to visit more countries where poverty and children's issues are a big concern," the 26-year-old socialite said. "I know there's a lot of good I can do just by getting involved and bringing attention to these issues."

Tragically, no matter how effectively Hilton can deliver her publicists' expertly crafted talking points, there will always be those who doubt the sincerity of her transformation. (Has she even picked out a favorite Bible story yet?) We expect that her handlers will be closely monitoring the media reaction to her trip as it unfolds, hoping that the cynicism will be subdued enough that they don't have to resort to their last-ditch strategy: sending Paris back to the States with an adorable Rwandan orphan in tow, promising that she won't cease her charitable, globe-trotting activities until "I've collected more cute babies than Brad and Angie."
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/raising-awareness/publicists-to-book-paris-hilton-on-first-flight-to-rwanda-after-next-movie-role-304119.php

Posted on Sep 27, 2007, 9:17 AM
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Phil Spector Judge Gets Online Threat

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Judge Larry Paul Fidler gestures during a hearing in music producer Phil Spector's murder trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles September 24, 2007

LOS ANGELES - An Internet posting that appeared to threaten the judge in Phil Spector's murder trial has become the latest twist in the lurid court case.

The jury was set to enter its 12th day of deliberations Wednesday, a day after court officials disclosed the MySpace.com posting that stated "I love Phil Spector" and "The Evil Judge should DIE!!!!."

The posting was on a MySpace Web page called "Team Spector," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It was subsequently taken down, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini said.

Sheriff's investigators were looking into the messages, which were signed "xoxo Chelle," according to Parachini. Spector's wife is named Rachelle, but one of his defense attorneys, Christopher Plourd, said she denied having anything to do with the notes.

The 67-year-old music producer is charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 3, 2003, death of actress Lana Clarkson, 40.

Clarkson was killed by a gunshot fired in her mouth as she sat in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra mansion after meeting him at her job as a nightclub hostess and going home with him for a drink. The defense contended Clarkson was depressed and the shot was self-inflicted, either an accident or a suicide.

The case went to the jury on Sept. 10 and the jury foreman told the judge on Sept. 18 that the panel was deadlocked 7-5. After two days of debate among attorneys, the judge revised the jury instructions and the panel resumed talks late on Sept. 20. In addition to those interruptions, the jury has not deliberated on weekends.

Spector emerged on the music scene in the late 1950s and became a top producer using a hit-making recording technique that became known as the "Wall of Sound." Clarkson was best known as the star of Roger Corman's 1985 cult film "Barbarian Queen."
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070926/ap_en_mu/phil_spector;_ylt=AmnD57ppPI0sishvy299b1txFb8C

Posted on Sep 26, 2007, 11:33 AM
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A Kiefer-In-Peril Round-Up

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When Kiefer Sutherland wandered out of his East Side comfort zone--where drunken U-turns aren't just legal, they're encouraged!--and into the glare of a West L.A. cop car's spotlight, few of us immediately realized that the ensuing arrest constituted a probation violation for the beloved, tannenbaum-tackling lush-of-the-people. Now, with the actor facing possible jail time and all the ominous God-finding that implies, we offer a Kiefer post-DUI round-up:

� Kiefer's night in lockdown had no immediate effect on 24's shooting schedule, though there's no telling what extended jail time might do to affect the season, or President Cherry Jones's ability to fend off a nuclear threat posed by lesbian-denying Iranian terrorists. [THR]

� Jack "Lauded" Bauer wasn't going to allow one little DUI prevent him from accepting another honor from a grateful nation: This time, the nation was Canada, and the honor was an ACTRA award for commitment to his northern homeland and their native acting peoples. [Variety]

� Unfortunately, as of posting time, Canada's national newspaper doesn't know how to spell their own favorite son's name. [theglobeandmail.com]

� A Canadian journalist breaks down his first post-arrest day like an episode of 24. We're glad you find this so hilarious, Kiefer's supposedly appreciative country! [thestar.com]

� More Commonwealth Kiefer Coverage fun-facts: In England, it's called "drink-driving," and yes, that does sound weird, but no weirder than a "drugs overdose." [news.bbc.co.uk]

� Here's a shocking video of Kiefer signing autographs outside Area the night of the arrest. We know! We can hardly believe it, either! [TMZ]
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/kieferwatch/a-kiefer+in+peril-round+up-303966.php

Posted on Sep 26, 2007, 11:32 AM
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NBC's Ben Silverman Handicaps The Fall TV Season

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Which network, you might ask, will be washed into fourth place when NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman unleashes his perfect television storm on his helpless competitors? In a Very Special Synergistic Conversation with CNBC chatshow personality Michael Eisner to air tomorrow night, the brash young conqueror of boob-tube worlds predicts it's Fox that will feel the resurgent's Peacock's fury (who can forget those terrifying cake-talons?), as Silverman ironically uses the very programs developed by NBC predecessor/newly appointed Foxster Kevin Reilly to bury his rival's network while it awaits American Idol-led Nielsen salvation.

And as for the guy who challenged his manhood over the way he handled the aftermath of Reilly's unexpected firing, Silverman acknowledges there's some buzz on Pushing Daises, but does take a shot at Steve McPherson's beloved Cavemen, which internet blogsite Cavefamer has called "twenty-two rollicking, Cro-Magtastic minutes of laughing and thinking that will make you forget all about auto-insurance commercials!"
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/fall-tv-preview/nbcs-ben-silverman-handicaps-the-fall-tv-season-303591.php

Posted on Sep 26, 2007, 11:31 AM
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'Die Hard' director John McTiernan sentenced to prison

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McTiernan

Lied to FBI about private eye Anthony Pellicano

Director John McTiernan has been sentenced to four months in federal prison for lying to the FBI about hiring disgraced private eye Anthony Pellicano to illegally wiretap producer Charles Roven.
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer sternly admonished the "Die Hard" helmer Monday for suggesting that his crime did not justify prison time, and that he suffers from depression.

"He (McTiernan) will certainly not be the only depressed man in custody," Fischer said during the Monday court hearing. "He has shown no remorse, just excuses."

Sentence, which also included a $100,000 fine, was issued after the court rejected McTiernan's motion to withdraw his earlier guilty plea.

In April 2006, the 56-year-old McTiernan became the highest-profile Hollywood player to be charged in connection with the Pellicano scandal.

He is the second person who used Pellicano's services to receive prison time. Earlier this year, Daniel Nicherie was sentenced to 4� years after pleading guilty to hiring Pellicano to wiretap a Hollywood businessman.

Prosecutors say McTiernan lied to the FBI when he told investigators that he had no knowledge of Pellicano's illegal wiretapping activities.

In fact, FBI said McTiernan hired and paid Pellicano to conduct an illegal wiretap of producer Roven in summer 2000. Roven and McTiernan had worked together on the movie "Rollerball."

Shortly after McTiernan was indicted, he agreed to plead guilty to one count of making a false statement in connection with a Justice Dept. investigation, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

On Sept. 10 -- 17 months after entering the plea agreement -- McTiernan and his new attorney notified prosecutors that he would seek to withdraw his plea on the grounds that he was given bad advice by his then-attorney.

McTiernan and his new attorney argued that he was jet-lagged and under the influence of alcohol and medications when he made his false denials to FBI agent Stanley Omellas during an after-hours phone call to McTiernan's home.

McTiernan said his former attorney should have advised him that he had good defenses, and a valid basis for suppressing evidence used against him.

Federal prosecutors argued, however, that McTiernan decided to try to withdraw the guilty plea only when he learned prosecutors were planning to recommend six months prison time at the sentencing hearing.

Fischer agreed with prosecutors that McTiernan was fully cognizant when making the false statements to the FBI.

Going further, Fischer said McTiernan was not acting like a person sorry for his crime, as a plea agreement requires, but rather like someone "incensed" that he'd ever been charged in the first place.

Following the hearing, McTiernan's legal team said they would immediately seek an appeal.

"I am somewhat stunned. I just don't see locking a person like this up," said defense attorney Milton Grimes.

McTiernan, whose other directing credits include "Die Hard With a Vengeance," "The Hunt for Red October" and the 1999 "The Thomas Crown Affair," is lined up to direct "Run," a $30 million action-thriller produced by L.A.-based management-production shingle Pierce/Williams and finance brokers Future Films.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972627.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Posted on Sep 25, 2007, 8:25 AM
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Kiefer Sutherland Arrested On DUI In LA

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Actor Kiefer Sutherland arrives at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday on misdemeanor drunken driving charges after failing a field sobriety test, police officials said.

The actor was pulled over at about 1:10 a.m. in West Los Angeles after officers spotted him making an illegal U-turn, said Officer Kevin Maiberger.

Sutherland, 40, tested over the state's legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent, and was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, Officer Karen Smith said.

He was released around 4 a.m. after posting $25,000 bail, according to Sheriff's Department records.

Maiberger said Sutherland was scheduled to appear in court Oct. 16.

Sutherland won a best actor Emmy Award last year for his role as agent Jack Bauer on the Fox TV series "24." The series is set to return to the air in January.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070925/ap_en_ce/people_sutherland_arrested;_ylt=Aj8mAEO8ZqjdO24XfzngertxFb8C

Posted on Sep 25, 2007, 8:25 AM
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Batman Crew Member Dies In Film Shoot

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Warner Brothers unveils the Batcycle, called the Batpod in the film, for the upcoming movie 'The Dark Knight' at the 2007 Licensing International Expo at New York's Javits Convention Center, June 19, 2007.

LONDON (Reuters) - A crew member involved in the filming of the new Batman movie has died in a car accident on the set, police said on Tuesday. The special effects technician was killed when his 4x4 vehicle crashed into a tree during a dummy film run involving the "Batmobile."

The incident happened on a property near Chertsey, Surrey, on Monday afternoon.

Surrey Police and the Health and Safety Executive said they were investigating a workplace fatality on a London film set.

"Batman: The Dark Knight," starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, is due for release in the United Kingdom next year.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070925/film_nm/britain_batman_dc;_ylt=AuWWGX6wM4Or9a0RnpzqKyNxFb8C

Posted on Sep 25, 2007, 8:24 AM
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Mime Legend Marcel Marceau Dies At 84

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French mime Marcel Marceau is shown in this 1970 file photo

PARIS - Marcel Marceau, the master of mime who transformed silence into poetry with lithe gestures and pliant facial expressions that spoke to generations of young and old, has died. He was 84.

Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red flower, Marceau breathed new life into an art that dates to ancient Greece. He played out the human comedy through his alter-ego Bip without ever uttering a word.

Offstage, he was famously chatty. "Never get a mime talking. He won't stop," he once said.

A French Jew, Marceau escaped deportation to a Nazi death camp during World War II, unlike his father who died in Auschwitz. Marceau worked with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children, and later used the memories of his own life to feed his art.

He gave life to a wide spectrum of characters, from a peevish waiter to a lion tamer to an old woman knitting, and to the best-known Bip.

His biggest inspiration was Charlie Chaplin. In turn, Marceau inspired countless young performers � Michael Jackson borrowed his famous "moonwalk" from a Marceau sketch, "Walking Against the Wind."

Marceau's former assistant Emmanuel Vacca said on French radio that the peformer died Saturday in Paris, but gave no details.

In one of Marceau's most poignant and philosophical acts, "Youth, Maturity, Old Age, Death," Marceau wordlessly showed the passing of an entire life in just minutes.

He took his art to stages across the world, performing in Asia, Europe and the United States, his "second country," where he first performed in 1955 and returned every two years. He performed for Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Tireless, Marceau took his art to Cuba for the first time in September 2005.

"France loses one of its most eminent ambassadors," President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement. Prime Minister Francois Fillon praised Marceau as "the master" with the rare gift of "being able to communicate with each and everyone beyond the barriers of language."

The son of a butcher, the mime was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923, in Strasbourg, France. His father Charles, a baritone with a love of song, introduced his son to the world of music and theater at an early age. The boy was captivated by the silent film stars of the era: Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the Marx brothers.

When the Nazis marched into eastern France, he fled with family members to the southwest and changed his last name to Marceau to hide his Jewish origins.

With his brother Alain, Marceau became active in the French Resistance, altering children's identity cards by changing birth dates to trick the Nazis into thinking they were too young to be deported. Because he spoke English, he was recruited to be a liaison officer with Gen. George S. Patton's army.

His father was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

"Yes, I cried for him," Marceau said. But he said he also thought of the others killed.

"Among those kids was maybe an Einstein, a Mozart, somebody who (would have) found a cancer drug," he told reporters in 2000. "That is why we have a great responsibility. Let us love one another."

Some of Marceau's later work reflected the somber experiences. Even the character Bip, who chased butterflies in his debut, took on the grand themes of humanity.

Marcel's life as a performer began with the liberation of Paris from the Nazis. He enrolled in Charles Dullin's School of Dramatic Art, studying with the renowned mime Etienne Decroux.

On a tiny stage at the Theatre de Poche, a smoke-filled Left Bank cabaret, he sought to perfect the style of mime that would become his trademark.

The on-stage persona Bip was born in 1947, a sad-faced double whose eyes lit up with childlike wonder as he discovered the world. Bip was a direct descendant of the 19th century harlequin, but his clownish gestures, Marceau said, were inspired in part by Chaplin and Keaton.

Marceau likened his character to a modern-day Don Quixote, "alone in a fragile world filled with injustice and beauty."

Dressed in a white sailor suit, a top hat � a red rose perched on top � Bip covered the gamut of human experience, and emotion. He went to war and ran a matrimonial service.

In one famous sketch, "Public Garden," Marceau played all the characters in a park, from little boys playing ball to old women with knitting needles.

In 1949, Marceau's newly formed mime troupe was the only one of its kind in Europe. But it was only after a hugely successful tour across the United States in the mid-1950s that Marceau received the acclaim that would make him an international star.

Single-handedly, Marceau revived the art of mime, which dates to antiquity and continued until the 19th century through the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, or improvised theater.

"I have a feeling that I did for mime what (Andres) Segovia did for the guitar, what (Pablo) Casals did for the cello," he once told The Associated Press in an interview. Marceau started his own company, then in 1978 the International School of Mime-Drama.

Marceau also made film appearances. The most famous was Mel Brooks' 1976 film "Silent Movie" � he had the only speaking line, "Non!"

As he aged, Marceau kept performing, never losing the agility that made him famous.

A perforated ulcer nearly killed Marceau in the Soviet Union in December 1985. He was rushed home to Paris in critical condition, but bounced back to the stage five months later.

On top of his Legion of Honor and his countless honorary degrees, he was invited to be a United Nations goodwill ambassador for a 2002 conference on aging.

"If you stop at all when you are 70 or 80, you cannot go on," he told the AP in 2003. "You have to keep working."

Marceau was married three times and had four children. Funeral arrangements were not immediately known.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070923/ap_on_en_ot/obit_marceau;_ylt=AogrOcctf_sbQELYi66cW9RxFb8C

Posted on Sep 24, 2007, 9:13 AM
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Sheriff: 2 Dogs At DMX Home Had Wounds

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Rapper DMX, whose name is Earl Simmons, performs at The Source Hip Hop Awards at the Pantages Theater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles in this Aug. 18, 1999 file photo

PHOENIX - Two dogs found buried at a home belonging to DMX had serious wounds, said authorities investigating animal neglect allegations.

One of the dogs had serious bite wounds and another had trauma to its abdomen, but exact causes of death were not determined, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Saturday. A third dog carcass had been burned so badly an exam was inconclusive.

The remains were dug up on Aug. 24, when sheriff's investigators probing allegations of animal neglect raided the rapper's home in north Phoenix.

Authorities also seized 12 live pit bulls, numerous weapons, and about a quarter-ounce of marijuana in a bedroom, Arpaio said. The sheriff initially said a half-pound of suspected narcotics was found, but tests showed the substance was not illegal drugs.

No charges had been filed against the rapper or anyone else, but Arpaio said that may change.

"Someone's going to have to pay for this," the sheriff said. "We have 12 dogs who were abused and three dogs buried in the yard � someone's going to have to pay."

A lawyer for the 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has said DMX was not at the home during the raid, hadn't been there for months and was paying caretakers and veterinarians to care for his animals.

Murray Richman on Saturday questioned how the sheriff could connect his client to any alleged animal abuse.

"How do you attribute activities to a person who has not been there, when they have knowledge that other persons have been," Richman said. "Is it because of the celebrity nature?"
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070924/ap_en_mu/dmx_home_raided;_ylt=AgDchpZT9jwr7Vetx4854QxxFb8C

Posted on Sep 24, 2007, 9:12 AM
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Ramones Member Sues Apple And Wal-Mart

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The Apple logo hangs at the entrance to the Apple store on New York's 5th Avenue June 29, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former drummer from the 1980s punk band, The Ramones, sued Apple Inc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, RealNetworks Inc and others for copyright infringement, claiming the companies lacked permission to sell downloads of six songs he authored.

In the suit filed in U.S. federal court in Manhattan on Friday, Richard Reinhardt alleges his music publisher never had the right to authorize distribution or duplication of six songs he wrote between 1983 and 1987.

The suit, which also names the estate of the band's one- time guitarist, Johnny Ramone, Ramones Productions Inc and their music publisher as defendants, alleges the music publisher improperly authorized third parties, such as Apple's iTunes service, Wal-Mart.com's music download service and RealNetwork's Real Store and Rhapsody services to use the songs.

Reinhardt claims no music publishing agreement was ever made with his music publisher and that the songs -- Smash You, Somebody Put Something in My Drink', 'Human Kind', 'I'm Not Jesus, I Know Better Now and (You) Can't Say Anything Nice -- are solely owned by Reinhardt, according to the lawsuit.

Reinhardt is seeking at least $900,000 in damages, profits the defendants made from the songs and a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from using the songs in any manner whatsoever, according to the lawsuit.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. A spokesman from Apple did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

A spokeswoman from RealNetworks said the company had not yet seen the lawsuit and does not usually comment on litigation.
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source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/media_nm/walmart_apple_ramones_dc;_ylt=AvknlvkG2rwF1oFAOdJtTtFxFb8C

Posted on Sep 24, 2007, 9:11 AM
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New TV season off to slow start

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'Back to You'

Big debuts fail to bring in big audiences

If early returns are any indication, it could be a challenging fall for the broadcast networks: Four new series got a jump on the competition with early bows Wednesday night, but none seemed to excite auds.
Fox's "Back to You" and "Kitchen Nightmares" looked solid but unspectacular, while CBS' "Kid Nation" fared OK but didn't open to the kind of numbers commensurate with the publicity and controversy it had generated over the summer. And CW's "Gossip Girl" scored big with female teens but didn't do a whole lot in broader demo categories.

One caveat that applies to all shows this season is the DVR factor. With more and more viewing done on viewers' timetables, premiere-night ratings can't be expected to hold up as well as in past years. Also, some pilots this season have been made available to the public on various platforms prior to their television debuts.

According to live-plus-same-day DVR viewing estimates provided by Nielsen, CBS' "Kid Nation" opened with a 3.1 rating/9 share in adults 18-49 and 9.38 million viewers overall from 8 to 9:06 p.m. Show, which drew criticism about child endangerment and exploitation, narrowly won its opening hour in 18-49 -- moving into the lead at 8:30 -- but with an average slightly below what "Jericho" debuted with in the timeslot last fall.

It seemed to draw more family viewing than the typical CBS show, as its kids number was above average (an 8 share), while its 50-plus number was relatively low. "Kid's" success would seem to hinge on getting more kids to start talking about the show, something CBS hoped to spur by offering screenings of its preem at schools in eight cities across the country.

It will also receive a second airing Saturday at 8.

At Fox, Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton laffer "Back to You" bowed at 8 o'clock with a 3.1/10 in 18-49 and 9.48 million viewers overall, making it the top show of the night in 18-49 share and rating (tied with "Kid" and "Kitchen"). "Back to You" beat "Kid Nation" head to head in adults 18-49 (3.1/10 to 2.7/9) and total viewers (9.51 million to 8.55 million).

"'Til Death" followed at 8:30 (2.8/8 in 18-49, 7.76m), dropping off some while auds flipped to the conclusions of the hourlong programs in the time period.

For the hour, Fox was on par with its performance in the timeslot a year ago with "Bones," as "Back to You" was up at 8 and "Death" down at 8:30.

Competition intensifies in the coming week for "Back to You," "Kid Nation" and the other opening-hour skeins as ABC -- the only network not airing regular firstrun fall programming in the 8 o'clock hour this week -- will join the party with "Pushing Daisies." (A special one-time airing of "Dancing With the Stars" plays Wednesday at 8 next week).

NBC's "Deal or No Deal" kicked off its season with below-par numbers (2.5/8, 9.86m) but did spike up in the second half-hour of an NFL-themed episode as a contestant zeroed in on the $1 million prize.

CW's "America's Next Top Model" looked good as usual kicking off its season at 8 o'clock (2.5/8 in 18-49, 5.22m), winning the hour in persons 12-34 (3.0/11) and dominating in femmes 12-34 (4.7/16).

At 9, "Gossip Girl" (1.7/4 in 18-49, 3.50m) fell off quite a bit in broader categories but held up well in femmes 12-34 (3.6/11), winning its hour and retaining more of its "Model" lead-in (77%) than any other show to bow behind the nonscripted heavyweight.

It's worth pointing out that other long-running teen soaps like "Beverly Hills 90210" and "One Tree Hill" didn't exactly storm out of the gate. Net also has to be pleased that the show hit a bull's-eye in female teens (5.3/17), where it opened higher than the preems of other young-skewing shows like "The OC," "Gilmore Girls" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Fox moved to the 18-49 lead at 9 o'clock with the bow of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.1/8 in 18-49, 6.61m), which built nicely in its second half-hour but didn't approach the ratings level of the summer show it hatched from, "Hell's Kitchen."

ABC ran third in most categories from 9 to 10 with its spec "From Grey's Anatomy to Private Practice" (2.5/7 in 18-49, 7.14m), a retrospective of Kate Walsh's "Grey's Anatomy" character Addison Montgomery. Walsh leads the ensemble in "Practice," a "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff that bows in the Wednesday-at-9 hour next week.

And NBC's season finale of "Last Comic Standing" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 7.10m) posted the show's best numbers in five weeks, moving to the timeslot lead in key demos from 10 to 11.
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source: http://www.variety.com/VR1117972363.html

Posted on Sep 21, 2007, 9:40 AM
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'Britney' guy may get TV gig

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Chris Crocker

YouTube sensation inks deal with 44 Blue

The "Leave Britney Alone" guy could be getting his own TV show.
Reality shingle 44 Blue Prods. has inked a development deal with Chris Crocker, the Internet superstar whose tear-filled defense of Britney Spears has generated nearly 8 million hits on YouTube in just one week.

Plan is to develop a docusoap built around Crocker, a 19-year-old who lives with his grandparents in Tennessee. Even before the Britney clip, Crocker had developed a large Net audience via numerous video performances posted on MySpace.com.

"Chris first got on our radar a year ago," said 44 Blue prexy/co-founder Rasha Drachkovitch, who said he wants to develop a show that plays to Crocker's strengths.

"It's going to pretty much be the 'Chris Crocker experience,'" he said. "We consider him a rebel character that people will find interesting. He's going to be a TV star."

Since posting "Leave Britney Alone," Crocker has become a darling of the mainstream media, appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and inspiring countless spoofs, including one from actor Seth Green ("Robot Chicken").
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972243.html?categoryid=20&cs=1&query=chris+crocker

Posted on Sep 21, 2007, 9:40 AM
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VH1 checks into 'Celebrity Rehab'

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Network to feature stars from previous shows

A group of celebs who have appeared on VH1 reality series will soon appear in a new venue on the net: rehab.
Cabler is taking four or five personalities from its previous skeins and following them as they go through rehab, with well-known addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky attending to the group.

Several stars not previously seen on VH1 reality skeins will also appear; nine patients will be featured altogether.

Show, titled "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," will debut on Jan. 10. Net has ordered eight hourlong episodes.

John Irwin and Damian Sullivan are exec producing together with Pinsky and Howard Lapides.

VH1 did not announce the name of the rehabilitation facility involved, but sources said the show is being taped at the Pasadena Recovery Center, where Pinsky serves as a physician.

Net has also yet to reveal the identity of the celebs; it's believed, however, that one is former "American Idol" contestant Jessica Sierra.Far from reveling in drinking or partying, series will be a serious take on the difficulties of going clean. "Celeb Rehab" will "give viewers an unflinching look at exactly how the rehab process works and what it feels like for participants," net said in a statement.

Over the past few years, VH1 has heavily mined the celebreality genre; at present net has a number of shows, such as "Rock of Love" and "Scott Baio Is 45 and Single," which follow the lives of current or former stars.
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source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972403.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Posted on Sep 21, 2007, 9:39 AM
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It's Second-Degree Murder Or Bust For Hung Spector Jury

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The Phil Spector jury still sits deadlocked, one faction firmly convinced the pouffy-wigged eccentric shot Barbarian Queen star Lana Clarkson in the mouth, the other feeling Spector was merely the victim of a convoluted self-murder plot for which he'd unwittingly provide a suicide-friendly foyer and firearm. Presiding Judge Larry Paul Fidler, meanwhile, in his ongoing attempts to shake some clear-minded consensus into the divided group, has opted not to offer the option of a reduced sentence of manslaughter:

The judge told lawyers he was considering allowing the panel to consider a lesser charge, but later decided against making involuntary manslaughter an option for the jurors.

If the deadlock persists and a mistrial is declared, prosecutors would have three options: seek a new trial of Spector, pursue a plea bargain or drop the charges.

The judge ruled in August that the jury would consider only second-degree murder, saying the facts of the case did not support lesser offenses. Involuntary manslaughter involves causing a death through extremely careless acts.</blockquote></p>

We're not sure what the law recognizes as a "careless act," but it would seem to us that the administering of an "intra-oral" gunshot wound followed by the defendant stumbling outside with a gun in his hand and telling his limo driver, "I think I killed somebody," would definitely qualify as one. Nevertheless, the lack of a verdict compromise brings us one step closer to mistrial and the very real prospect of Spector getting off, only to be picked up by Vegas police a decade later for waving a gun in the face of a rock n' roll memorabilia collector he claims stole the napkin on which he scribbled the lyrics to Da Doo Ron Ron and the lucky wig he wore the day he was declared a free man.
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source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/spectorwatch/its-second+degree-murder-or-bust-for-hung-spector-jury-301611.php

Posted on Sep 20, 2007, 9:09 AM
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