Oh! You Pretty Things!

Message Board

Sorry, your browser doesn't support Java(tm).

Click to go to Yahoo! Entertainment News

Variety The Hollywood Reporter Yahoo! news CNN World News

K-Fed Finally Shows The World He's Earned His Ridicule All By Himself

....................................................................................................................................................

Snakes on a Plane wasn't the only opportunistically marketed entertainment product riding a groundswell of semi-ironic obsession to suffer through an underwhelming debut this weekend. On last night's Teen Choice awards, world-famous househusband and reformed background dancer Kevin Federline donned his best white-trucker-hat-and- matching-Oxford ensemble for his first-ever public performance.

The predictably lip-synced affair was notable mostly for the aspiring rapper's maddening refusal to stumble into the on-stage pyrotechnics and attempt to put out the flames engulfing him by increasing the intensity of his Roger Rabbit steps, an admirable, if ill-advised, refusal to interrupt his flow. In the absence of an accidental K-Fed immolation, there really wasn't much to hold the attention once Britney Spears completed her introduction and removed her overflowing, pregnancy-enhanced cleavage from view, but if pressed for a favorite moment from the performance, we'd have to say it's when the bewifebeatered guy in the front row, presumably a member of Federline's posse, leaps out of his seat and offers some approving fist-pumps at the end of the song, which made our own wildly enthusiastic gesticulations celebrating Federline's triumph seem somewhat uninspired.

....................................................................................................................................................
source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/top/kfed-finally-shows-the-world-hes-earned-his-ridicule-all-by-himself-195565.php

Posted on Aug 21, 2006, 10:52 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Gibson Pleads No Contest In DUI Case

..........................................................................................................................................................

Movie actor and director Mel Gibson speaks during a news conference held in Veracruz, Mexico,in this Oct. 28 2005 file photo

His lawyers arranged to move his court appearance up by more than a month, allowing Gibson to avoid a media frenzy with his plea. But he still faces the fallout from the anti-Semitic tirade he unleashed on a sheriff's deputy the night of his arrest.

Gibson did not have to appear in court in the misdemeanor case, allowing attorney Blair Berk to handle the plea.

The abrupt advancement was announced to the news media by the district attorney's office with no time for most reporters to reach the courthouse before the proceeding was over.

Court documents showed that Gibson signed the plea agreement and waived his right to a jury trial Monday but that the paperwork was filed just before Thursday's proceeding.

Gibson was stopped around 2:30 a.m. July 28 while driving on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and made anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting deputy, plunging Gibson into a scandal that led him to apologize for what he called "belligerent behavior" and "despicable" remarks.

Gibson pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor of driving while having a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. A second misdemeanor count, driving under the influence of alcohol, and the infraction of driving with an open container of alcohol were dismissed.

A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is equivalent to a guilty plea for sentencing purposes.

"This was an appropriate outcome which addresses all the public safety concerns of drinking and driving," prosecutor Gina Satriano said in a statement.

Authorities continued to withhold video and audio tapes of Gibson's arrest. Media organizations including The Associated Press have asked Sheriff Lee Baca for the tapes but have been denied on grounds that they are part of an "investigatory file" and exempt from the California Public Records Act.

The celebrity news Web site TMZ has argued that the tapes should be heard and seen by the public to assess whether the Sheriff's Department gave Gibson preferential treatment. The issue arose because a sheriff's spokesman initially said the arrest occurred "without incident" and made no mention of the anti-Semitic remarks.

Asked whether tapes and other materials would be released, Baca said, "I'm looking at that right now ... so I've got to go back and look at everything that was there."

Court documents said Gibson has already voluntarily begun rehabilitation.

The documents show the judge placed Gibson on three years' probation and ordered him to attend "self-help meetings" five times a week for 4 1/2 months and three meetings per week for another 7 1/2 months. Satriano said these would be Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, according to Jane Robison, a district attorney's spokeswoman.

Gibson was also ordered to complete a three-month alcohol education and counseling program for first offenders.

The judge also levied fines and fees totaling $1,608. Gibson's driver license was restricted for 90 days, the district attorney's office said. Robison did not know the terms of the restriction.

Gibson volunteered to make a public-service announcement about the hazards of drinking and driving, but the judge did not make that a condition of his sentencing.

Gibson was ordered to appear in court Jan. 17 for a progress report.

Gibson's spokesman, Alan Nierob, would not elaborate on the plea arrangement or offer any hints about when to expect Gibson's public-service announcement.

The case file also showed that the original judge assigned to hear the case, Terry Adamson, recused herself because Gibson is one of her neighbors.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_en_ce/mel_gibson_16

Posted on Aug 19, 2006, 10:39 PM
from IP address 70.34.204.42

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

British Rocker Pete Doherty Pleads Guilty In Drug Bust

....................................................................................................................................................

British musician Pete Doherty leaves Thames Magistrates Court in east London Friday, Aug. 18, 2006, after he pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing drugs including heroin and crack cocaine

LONDON - Musician Pete Doherty pleaded guilty Friday to five counts of possessing drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine.

Sentencing was adjourned until the Sept. 4. District Judge Alison Rose warned the Babyshambles singer that he could be sentenced to jail.

Doherty, 27, had been charged with seven counts of drug possession on Thursday, after he was stopped by police in London last week. The charges relate to that arrest and two other incidents earlier this year.

The singer gained fame with his previous band, the Libertines, and as the on-off boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss. Doherty's drug habit gained international attention after a British tabloid printed pictures of Moss allegedly using cocaine at a music studio where Doherty and his band were recording. No charges were leveled against the supermodel.

Last month, Doherty announced that he was canceling a scheduled concert and entering a rehabilitation clinic in his latest bid to quit drugs.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_en_ot/people_pete_doherty

Posted on Aug 18, 2006, 9:10 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Haley Joel Osment Faces Pot, Drunken Driving Charges

....................................................................................................................................................

Actor Haley Joel Osment is seen in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, September 18, 2003

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Thursday charged Oscar-nominated actor Haley Joel Osment, who famously saw dead people in 1999 hit movie "The Sixth Sense," with drunken driving and marijuana possession.

Osment, 18, faces up to six months in jail if convicted on the charges that arose after a car crash in suburban Los Angeles on July 20.

The actor suffered a broken rib and shoulder injury and was briefly hospitalized.

Prosecutors charged Osment with misdemeanor possession of marijuana while driving and with having a blood alcohol level higher than 0.08 percent, including a special allegation of having a level higher than 0.15 percent, said Deputy District Attorney Ed Green.

A spokeswoman for the actor was not immediately available.

Osment is set to be arraigned on September 19.

The actor shot to fame with his role as a young boy who could see dead people haunting the real world in "Sixth Sense," which raked in $673 million at global box offices.

The role earned Osment an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor and made him a star. But since then, few of his movies have scored well with critics or at box offices.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060818/people_nm/osment_dc

Posted on Aug 18, 2006, 9:09 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Woman Sues Over 1960s 'Batman' Series

....................................................................................................................................................

LOS ANGELES - A New Mexico woman is suing 20th Century Fox Film Corporation alleging she was defrauded out of $4.4 million she was entitled to receive for the popular 1960s "Batman" television series.

Deborah Dozier Potter, whose father William Dozier was one of the producers of the show, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Superior Court that alleges fraud, concealment and breach of contract.

She is an heir to her father's estate and holds a portion of the assets of Greenway Productions Inc. which produced the series four decades ago that Fox distributed, according to the lawsuit.

Both companies, Greenway and Fox, signed a contract in the 1960s, the lawsuit said. Another contract was also signed between Fox and ABC, the station which televised the show. In March 2005, Potter came across the agreement between Fox and ABC and discovered she was entitled to 26 percent of the net profits from that agreement as well.

"I wish it could have been avoided," Potter said from her home in Santa Fe. "Nobody likes litigation."

Fox does not comment on pending litigation, said Chris Alexander, vice president of 20th Century Fox Television.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_en_tv/batman_lawsuit

Nobody likes litigation, but you sit and pour over documents until you find some.

This message has been edited by crystaltjapan from IP address 216.205.224.10 on Aug 18, 2006 9:12 AM

Posted on Aug 18, 2006, 9:08 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Country Singer Troy Gentry Accused Of Killing Tame Bear

....................................................................................................................................................

Troy Gentry of the country western group Montgomery Gentry performs during the half time show at the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets game in East Rutherford, N.J. in this Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005 file photo

DULUTH, Minn. - Troy Lee Gentry, of the country singing duo Montgomery Gentry, has been accused of killing a tame black bear that federal officials say he tagged as killed in the wild.

Gentry, 39, of Franklin, Tenn., and Lee Marvin Greenly, 46, of Sandstone, appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Erickson in connection with a sealed indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Minneapolis.

Authorities allege that Gentry purchased the bear from Greenly, a wildlife photographer and hunting guide, then killed it with a bow and arrow in an enclosed pen on Greenly's property in October 2004.

The government alleges that Gentry and Greenly tagged the bear with a Minnesota hunting license and registered the animal with the state Department of Natural Resources as a wild kill.

Gentry allegedly paid about $4,650 for the bear, named Cubby. The bear's death was videotaped, and the tape later edited so Gentry appeared to shoot the animal in a "fair chase" hunting situation, the government alleges.

If convicted, both Gentry and Greenly face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $20,000 fine.

Gentry's manager, Johnny Dorris, said Wednesday that Gentry, an outdoorsman and hunter, expects to be exonerated.

Gentry "relied on the knowledge and expertise of a local guide to obtain the proper permit," Dorris said in a written statement. "Troy felt what he did was legal and in full compliance of the law and was surprised to hear of the indictment."

Greenly did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Montgomery Gentry, along with co-singer Eddie Montgomery, are known for hits such as "My Town" and "If You Ever Stop Loving Me."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060816/ap_en_mu/people_troy_lee_gentry

Posted on Aug 17, 2006, 9:30 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

IRS, Academy Awards Reach Tax Agreement

....................................................................................................................................................

Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, addresses the audience during the 78th Academy Awards Oscars telecast in this Sunday, March 5, 2006 file photo, in Los Angeles

WASHINGTON - Movie stars enjoying the lavish gift bags handed out at this year's Oscars will get some decidedly unglamorous notices: don't forget to pay tax on the windfall.

"There's no special red-carpet tax loophole for the stars," Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Mark Everson said Thursday.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in an accord with the IRS, agreed to pay taxes due on gift bags handed out through 2005.

But responsibility for paying taxes on this year's swag falls on the recipients.

The agreement marks the beginning of an IRS effort to reach out to the entertainment industry with reminders that award show gifts and promotional giveaways are considered taxable income.

The value of the gifts must be reported on a celebrity's tax return. That includes gift certificates or vouchers if they've been redeemed. The gifts count as income because the IRS does not believe they were given "solely out of affection, respect or similar impulses."

Celebrity gifting has become more lavish as marketers try to harness some star power to advertise their goods. The giveaways often include luxury trips, jewelry and electronics. George Clooney donated his Oscar swag bag to United Way. It fetched $45,100 at auction, benefiting the United Way Hurricane Response and Relief Recovery Fund. Clooney may be eligible for a tax deduction.

The bag, given to presenters at the 78th Annual Academy Awards, included a BlackBerry 8700c, a Kay Unger kimono and a cultured Tahitian-pearl necklace. Clooney also took home another prize � best supporting actor for "Syriana."

The Internal Revenue Service said it is not conducting a special audit initiative in this area, but questions about gift reporting might arise during an examination of an individual's tax return. Donors giving gifts to celebrities will be reminded to fill out special informational forms reporting the gifts to the IRS.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_en_ce/irs_oscar_gifts

Posted on Aug 17, 2006, 9:30 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

At YouTube Web Site, Viewers Get Control

....................................................................................................................................................

A viewer looks at the YouTube Web site on computer screens in New York, Aug. 17, 2006

NEW YORK - The fall TV season is about to begin. The push is on from the broadcast networks to tempt you into watching what they spent the past year pounding into shape.

At a moment when the networks would like nothing more than to make a splash � another "Lost" or "Desperate Housewives" would be nice � the biggest news in TV is the escalating instances of mutiny by viewers.

Watching what the networks set before them is fine. But more and more viewers want to cook as well as dine, which makes the TV story of the year the story of a Web site: http://www.YouTube.com .

Officially launched last December, this video-sharing service already plays more than 100 million clips per day with more than 65,000 video uploads added to its mammoth inventory. And those rates are skyrocketing.

Where does it end? "As more people capture special moments on video," its Web site declares, "YouTube is empowering them to become the broadcasters of tomorrow."

YouTube (slogan: "Broadcast Yourself") isn't the Internet's only video-sharing service. But it's the reigning brand, the talked-about phenomenon, and a mighty good example of the multiple roles now greeting yesterday's couch potato. These are get-up-and-do-something roles as artist, journalist, pundit, self-promoter, exhibitionist, prankster, weirdo and wag.

Now you, too, can be a TV producer and a TV programmer. Scheduling? That's in your hands on the receiving end, since clips are on demand, arranged in categories or searchable by various "tags." And you can be a distributor: E-mail any clip to your friends.

Ratings? Instant. Every clip appears with a running count of viewings, as well as how many viewers deemed it "a favorite." Not that anything is canceled for not being a hit. Unlike a network constricted by its two or three hours of prime time per night, the capacity of YouTube would appear to be boundless. No need here for one thing to be dropped to make room for another.

So what can you see? Make no mistake, a 10-second video aptly titled "Bunny the Dog Rubs Her Butt Against the Ground" isn't the stupidest, skeeziest or even briefest clip available. Nor is "Cockroach-Controlled Mobile Robot" the most whimsical. Or two pairs of fingers dancing to the tune of "Get Down Tonight" the most charming.

You find video testimony, as well. Katrina-themed clips from hurricane victims. Lebanese and Israelis supplying their images of war.

Meanwhile, broadcast images are being plucked off the air and granted an on-demand afterlife. The impromptu back rub that President Bush gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G-8 Summit last month? It's right here, for screening anytime. So is co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck having a hissy fit on ABC's "The View." A search of "David Letterman" turns up more than 1,000 clips.

YouTube's reach on occasion has actually eclipsed that of TV. In June, "Weekends with Maury & Connie" ended its brief run on MSNBC with a self-mocking version of "Thanks for the Memories" by Connie Chung. More than twice as many people saw it, post-broadcast, on YouTube.

YouTube is an escalating archive. A colossal clearinghouse. A proving ground. It's a virtual commons for anyone anywhere with a camcorder in reach. It's a valuable resource; a glorious time waster. And, of course, a breeding ground for buzz.

The most persuasive evidence that YouTube is rewriting TV rules emerged last month when "Nobody's Watching," a sitcom pilot pronounced dead after failing to find a broadcast home, found a warm reception on YouTube (where it logged a half-million viewings). With that sort of cyberspace validation, it was resurrected by NBC as a prospect for the 2006-07 schedule.

At about the same time, NBC and YouTube forged a strategic partnership that, among other things, lets NBC hype its fall shows on YouTube. What more proof do you need of new media's appeal than when the mainstream media jumps on board?

NBC is learning one of the new rules YouTube has showcased with its free-for-all policy: Exposure, not payment, is what counts. Spreading it around is key.

And NBC, along with the rest of mainstream media, will have to abide by a new cultural reality as set forth by Chris Anderson in his current best-seller, "The Long Tail": "A once-monolithic industry structure where professionals produced and amateurs consumed is now a two-way marketplace, where anyone can be in any camp at any time."

Other video-sharing sites are staking a claim in this two-way marketplace. In a story headlined "Beyond YouTube," Rolling Stone recommends 10 more, including http://www.iFilm.com , http://tv.blinkx.com , http://video.google.com and http://video.yahoo.com .

But for the moment, YouTube has the heat. It's the name on everybody's lips. And maybe the name says it all, proposing a convergence of You and Television, manifested on your PC screen as a vast community.

For all those who resisted plunging into the Internet's reservoir of video, YouTube may have the goods and the cachet to persuade them to get their feet wet. Silly, smart, raw and slick, YouTube with its gathering force is Must-See TV.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_en_tv/ap_on_tv_youtube

Posted on Aug 17, 2006, 9:29 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'City Slickers' Actor Bruno Kirby Dies

....................................................................................................................................................

In this undated photo provided by CBS, Bruno Kirby appears in character as attorney Barry Scheck from the 2000 television movie 'American Tragedy'

LOS ANGELES - Bruno Kirby, a veteran character actor known for playing the best friend in two of Billy Crystal's biggest comedies, "When Harry Met Sally" and "City Slickers," has died. He was 57.

Kirby died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, his wife Lynn Sellers said in a statement Tuesday. He had been recently diagnosed with the disease.

"We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."

Born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu in 1949 in New York City, he was the son of actor Bruce Kirby. His early work included the 1971 film "Young Graduates," as well as appearances on the television show "Room 222" and the made-for-TV movie "The Summer Without Boys."

In 1974, he scored a role in "The Godfather: Part II," which won several Academy Awards, including best picture. In the film, Kirby played young "Pete Clemenza," following Richard S. Castellano's role in the first installment.

Over the next few years, Kirby made various TV appearances, including "Fame" and "Hill Street Blues," before landing the role of "2nd Lt. Steven Hauk" in Robin Williams' "Good Morning, Vietnam."

That was followed two years later by the romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally," in which Kirby played Crystal's best friend. In 1991, Kirby once again appeared as Crystal's cheery friend in "City Slickers," � along for a mid-life adventure driving cattle on a dude ranch.

He also appeared in 1997's "Donnie Brasco," and recently in an episode of the HBO hit series "Entourage."

Along with his wife and father, Kirby is survived by his stepmother Roz Kirby, brother John Kirby and stepbrother Brad Sullivan.

No information on funeral arrangements was immediately available.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060816/ap_en_mo/obit_kirby

Posted on Aug 16, 2006, 10:04 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Trade Round-Up: Ace Ventura III: Pet Detective With A Malibu Beachhouse Payment To Make

� Fresh off the flop of My Super Ex Girlfriend, director Ivan Reitman convinces a financial backer to contribute $200 million to co-finance ten films over the next five years through his Montecito Picture Co. Producing partner Tom Pollock explains the economics of their hit-and-miss, mid-budgeted comedies: "The kinds of movies we make are in an exceptionally sweet spot in the studio system; we tend to make comedies at a price. When they work, like with Old School and Road Trip, they make a lot of money. When they don't, like Eurotrip, they don't lose much. From a Wall Street standpoint, that's a good risk." Here's to throwing shitty comedies against the wall and seeing what sticks! [Variety]

� Morgan Creek determines that a few more dollars might fall out of his pockets if they hold Ace Ventura's corpse by the ankles and give it a vigorous shake, then hires some writers to whip up a third installment centering around the pet detective's son. Given Jim Carrey's recent struggles getting a project off the ground, don't rule out the actor making a cameo as Ace and then finishing out the rest of the movie playing his own kid. [THR]

� As the media wonders why Viacom didn't buy MySpace when it had the chance, rumors are circulating that Sumner Redstone ordered Tom Freston to go to San Francisco to make a deal, but Freston never went. Viacom calls the story "patently untrue," while also denying reports that CBS Corp. bully/rival Les Moonves sat on Freston's chest until Rupert Murdoch could complete his purchase of the social networking site. [Variety]

� Fox wins Monday's 18-49 demographic with its two-hour finale of Hell's Kitchen. Your takeaway from this: The networks' summer reality series filler has mostly been used up, and it's nearly safe to start watching TV again. [THR]

� The following is the title of an actual bass-fishing project now in development at Fox Atomic and not a joke about the next Will Ferrell movie: Fishing on the Edge: The Mike Iaconelli Story [Variety]
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/viacom/trade-roundup-ace-ventura-iii-pet-detective-with-a-malibu-beachhouse-payment-to-make-194415.php

Posted on Aug 16, 2006, 10:03 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Short Ends: We're Never Getting Rid Of David Copperfield

....................................................................................................................................................

� David Copperfield claims that he's found the Fountain of Youth in the Bahamas, meaning that not even the normal human birth-death cycle can now free us from an eternity of TV specials centered around lame illusions involving the "disappearance" of various landmarks. Just don't let anyone tell David Blaine, OK? Nobody wants to see how long he can hold his breath while submerged in that shit.

� There is perhaps no better footwear for kicking your friends in the balls than Converse's new Jackass model sneaker Unless you're trying to sterilize your buddies, in which case some steel-toed Timberlands will do a pretty nice job.

�The Daily Gut makes the bold prediction that by December, Ashlee Simpson will have had enough plastic surgery to finally release the inner camel she's been trying to free for years.

�Maybe Paris Hilton's vagina is only going for $10 on eBay because she announced she's not going to use it for a year.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/paris-hilton/short-ends-were-never-getting-rid-of-david-copperfield-194496.php

Posted on Aug 16, 2006, 10:01 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

German Jewish Leader Criticizes Novelist Guenter Grass

....................................................................................................................................................

Renowned German author Guenter Grass, who received a Nobel laureate in 1999, smokes a pipe in front of his house in Luebeck, northern Germany, in this June 25, 1997 file photo, after his house was smeared with swastikas the night before

BERLIN - The head of Germany's main Jewish organization on Tuesday criticized novelist Guenter Grass for waiting decades to reveal that he had served during World War II in the Waffen-SS, the Nazis' dreaded paramilitary force.

Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Central Council of Jews, said the admission negated Grass' longtime criticisms of German politics and society for not adequately dealing with the Nazi past.

"His long years of silence over his own SS past reduce his earlier statements to absurdities," Knobloch was quoted as saying by the Netzeitung online newspaper.

Grass has been widely criticized after his admission in an interview published Saturday in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he had served in the Waffen-SS. In the interview, he expressed shame at having been part of the organization and said he was making the admission because "it weighed on me."

Previously, it was only known that he worked as an assistant to anti-aircraft gunners � a common duty for teenagers at the time � and that he was wounded before being captured by U.S. troops.

Grass said he volunteered at age 15 for the submarine service and was refused, only to be called up for military service at 17. When he reported for duty in Dresden, he found it was with the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg."

He said that under the sway of Nazi indoctrination he did not view the Waffen-SS as something repulsive, but as an elite force.

Knobloch pointed out that Grass has a memoir coming out on Sept. 1. The book details his SS experiences.

"The fact that this late admission comes so shortly before the publication of his new book raises the suspicion that this is a PR measure," she was quoted as saying.

Grass' critics have included Joachim Fest, a leading author on the Nazi period, and former Polish president Lech Walesa, who said Grass should give up his honorary citizenship in his hometown of Gdansk, Poland. The city was called Danzig when Grass was born there in 1927.

A Forsa poll for Stern magazine showed 87 percent of those surveyed did not agree that Grass should give back his 1999 Nobel Prize for literature, as some critics have demanded. Eight percent said yes and 5 percent did not know in the survey of 1,005 people taken Monday. No margin of error was given.

Michael Sohlman, head of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, was quoted as saying by the Dagens Nyheter newspaper that the Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked.

"The decisions are absolute and it has never happened that a prize has been revoked," Sohlman said.

Officials at the Swedish Academy, which awards the literature prize, declined to comment on the issue.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060815/ap_en_ce/germany_guenter_grass

It's like he wants people to feel sorry for him that he saw the Nazis as an elite group when he was with them. Plus he wants to get his heroic war stories out there, AND absolve his guilt of holding a secret. End result, I'm just sickened by the idea that there are any Nazis left alive, and that now they feel enough time has passed to admit it, and perhaps sway public opinion towards something like "The Nazis were bad, but not the people who wore the uniforms". ??!

We have a best selling novelist, a pulitzer prize winning novelist trying to sell a book now on "My Nazi memoirs: I'm not that bad now, am I?" It's totally creepy. We can't get to a point in the world where we can say "Sure, being a Nazi was OK." We can't. I mean for the good of the world. I don't care if everyone in the Nazi party has to hide out until they die or whatever. It's not like this guy is admitting that the Nazis committed horrible atrocities that groups of people deny either. He, (like all of them who talk about it) never did a thing, he just admired the ideology and volunteered. We still have people, high profile celebrities even, that deny the holocaust happened. And now we have Nazi's outing themselves and saying "read about my Nazi adventures...coming to a bookstore near you". And it's not like genocide doesn't happen today. We can't ever get to a point where we say being a Nazi was "ok". It's just not. Hide out until you die. Be ashamed. It's not ok. Facism is not ok, genocide is not ok, racism is not ok, bigotry is not ok, being dazzled by a "white future" is not ok. You should be ashamed. Making money on your Nazi memoirs is shameful, especially when it's like "I never did anything bad personally. I just thought it was a party."

Posted on Aug 15, 2006, 9:47 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Trade Round-Up: Here Come The 9/11 TV Shows

....................................................................................................................................................

� Now that we've been softened up to 9/11-based Hollywood projects by United 93 and World Trade Center, it's time to gird ourselves for the onslaught of TV specials tied to the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Especially promising (read: dread-inducing) is ABC's upcoming Path to 9/11 miniseries, which will run with "limited commercial" interruption, a choice network head Steve McPherson explains thusly: "Some things you do for commerce and some things because they are the right thing to do." Apparently, it's OK to make a little money from a tragedy, but not too much. [Variety]

� Pirates 2 pulls down another $44 million at the international box office, and jumps nine places on the all-time worldwide list with its $855 million cumulative gross. Yup, still a shitload of money. [THR]
News Corp prepares to roll out the next phase of its evil plan to coopt the internet as a distribution channel for its entertainment products, announcing plans to sell downloads of Fox TV shows and films via MySpace and Direct2Drive. [Variety]

Agent Dance Mini Edition: Veteran TV agent Steve Glick lasts just a year at ICM, as he ditches/is ditched by the agency following its purchase of BWCS and its shinier television department. [THR]

CBS Paramount TV signs up Laguna Beach producers Gary and Julie Auerbach to create more "unscripted" shows that forego even token attempts at representing reality. [Variety]
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/cbs/trade-roundup-here-come-the-911-tv-shows-194107.php

Posted on Aug 15, 2006, 9:46 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Hollywood TrendWatch: Troubled Continent Cries Out For Enlightened Lindsay Lohan Photo-Op

....................................................................................................................................................

This Sunday's NY Times, finding a jumping-off point in Gwyneth Paltrow's instantly derided "I Am African" ad and Madonna's recent, ten-minutes-behind-the-trend push into Malawi, turns its attention to the rapidly cooling continent whose myriad problems are the current fascination of celebrities looking to combine a vague intention to, like, do something socially responsible n' junk with some excellent opportunities for favorable publicity. Says the Times:

"Celebrities," Mr. Musto said, "have added a glamorous patina to it." And to themselves, he said, especially if they need a little good press, like Lindsay Lohan, who has suffered through a year of rough tabloid treatment for her party-girl ways and has vowed to visit Kenya in support of the One Campaign. [...]

But, said Morgan Binswanger, a former liaison between performers and philanthropies for Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles: "There's self-interest and there's enlightened self-interest, and the fringe between the two is gray. I think those that step forward and really carry out enlightened self-interest move an agenda."
Alyssa Milano certainly hopes that is true. The actress, who toured civil-war-torn Angola in 2003 (and strayed into an active minefield, without incident), said Africa is one way celebrities can transform an unprecedented level of scrutiny into their lives into something productive.

Given the PR problems that have dogged Lohan ever since she became famous enough to bypass the celebrity-optional age requirements of Hollywood drinking establishments, she might be the perfect person to take this fascinating idea of "enlightened self-interest" to the next level. The good she might do simultaneously for her image as a spoiled party girl and for the plight of Africa when she emerges from an extended bathroom break on a UNICEF photo shoot, staggers into a Kenyan orphanage, then tries to teach a roomful of starving children the technique involved in a well-executed body shot.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/top/hollywood-trendwatch-troubled-continent-cries-out-for-enlightened-lindsay-lohan-photoop-194088.php

Posted on Aug 15, 2006, 9:45 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Nobel prize-winning German Novelist Admits He Served In Nazi Elite Force

....................................................................................................................................................

Nobel prize winning German author Guenter Grass gesturing during a press conference at the Buddenbrookhaus in Luebeck, northern Germany, June 2001

BERLIN (AFP) - Nobel prize winning German author Guenter Grass has made the stunning confession that he was drafted into Nazi Germany's notorious Waffen SS elite force during World War II, prompting his biographer to lament the "end of a moral authority".

The 78-year-old Grass told Saturday's edition of the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he revealed this for the first time in his memoir "Peeling Onions" which is due to appear in September.

So far, it had only been known that the author, best known abroad for his 1959 novel "The Tin Drum", was conscripted into the German air defence forces.

But in his autobiography he also recounts that he tried to join the Third Reich's submarine forces when he was 15 years old but was rejected because he was too young.

He says that he was drafted into the elite Waffen SS the following year but denies suggestions that he joined willingly.

Grass, for many years a prominent leftist and pacifist, was wounded in 1945 and sent to an American prisoner of war camp.

"I wanted to make clear once again what happened then and above all things concerning me," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine. "My silence for all these years is one of the reasons why I wrote this book," he added. "It had to come out."

Other German authors were displeased with his confession, with Walter Kempowski, 77, saying that it came "a bit late". Grass biographer Michael Juergs was "personally disappointed" and lamented "the end of a moral authority".

Grass, who was born in the Baltic port of Danzig, now the Polish city of Gdansk, said he tried to join the submarine forces to flee his oppressive family but now saw the idea as "crazy".

At the time Grass said he was "not at all repulsed by the Waffen SS"; only later did he have "feelings of guilt and shame".

"I was stupid enough to believe that Germans would not do such things and took it all for propaganda," until the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders, he added.

Grass, who was 11 when the war started in September 1939, said he never fired a shot during his time with the feared elite force whose notoriety he only grasped once his unit had been defeated, when one of his superiors ordered him to get rid of his uniform.

Grass was held at a PoW camp at Bad Aibling in southern Bavaria, where US forces also detained Joseph Ratzinger who was to become Pope Benedict XVI.

He said in the interview he befriended a certain Joseph at the camp whom he described as "very Catholic", but did not say whether he in fact was Ratzinger.

"I wanted to become an artist and he wanted a Church career," he said, adding that Joseph was "a bit hung up but a nice guy".

Grass was a close friend of post-war West Germany's first social democratic chancellor Willy Brandt who had escaped Nazi persecution in Germany and had close links with German anti-Nazi forces in Norway and Sweden.

He campaigned for the Social Democrats in the 1960s and 1970s and joined the party in 1982, resigning in 1993 in protest over restrictions to Germany's asylum laws.

He was awarded the Nobel literature prize in 1999.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060812/en_afp/afpentertainmentgermanyhistorywwiiliteraturegrass;_ylt=An3M_EKZk7Vrqn1jnkEDtJBxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 14, 2006, 10:07 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Boy George Reports For NYC Trash Duty

....................................................................................................................................................

Boy George, who was born George O'Dowd, reports for garbage duty, Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, in New York

NEW YORK - With a city-issued broom in his hand, Boy George started his court-ordered community service early Monday, sweeping leaves and trash off the sidewalks of New York.

It took less than an hour for the former Culture Club frontman to get into a spat with the media.

"You think you're better than me?" he yelled. "Go home. Let me do my community service."

Boy George took to the streets of Manhattan as a Department of Sanitation worker wearing an orange vest, dark capri pants, shoes without socks, and without the wild makeup and androgynous style that made him so recognizable as the '80s icon who sang "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

"This is supposed to be making me humble. Let me do this," he said. "I just want to do my job."

The singer, born George O'Dowd, was ordered to spend five days working for the Department of Sanitation after pleading guilty in March to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment. The officers who responded found cocaine instead.

At 7 a.m. Monday, a sport utility vehicle pulled up at a Lower East Side sanitation depot. The agency planned to issue the singer a shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves for the job of picking up trash on the city's streets.

In June, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara issued a warrant for O'Dowd's arrest after he initially failed to complete the requirements of his plea deal. When O'Dowd appeared in court 10 days later, Ferrara called off the warrant but warned the singer he could not escape his community service commitment.

"It's up to you whether you make it an exercise in humiliation or in humility," Ferrara told O'Dowd.

O'Dowd, 45, initially envisioned a service project more in line with his status as an '80s icon.

He petitioned to spend the time helping teenagers make a public service announcement. Among his other proposals to the court: holding a fashion and makeup workshop, serving as a DJ at an HIV/AIDS benefit or doing telephone outreach.

Boy George's manager, Jeremy Pearce, told reporters shortly after the singer arrived for his first day on the job: "He doesn't show any kind of emotion about these things. He takes it in his stride."

"He doesn't need to be humiliated," Pearce said. "He's a humble person."

"Things outside in the street were a little chaotic," said Sanitation spokesman Keith Mellis. "We'll see if there's some cleaning that can be done inside."

The sweeping later resumed in a gated Sanitation parking lot.

"This is for everyone's safety," Deputy Sanitation Chief Albert Durrell said as photographers crowded outside the gate. He said the day's work also might include mopping inside the depot.

Boy George appeared to be in good spirits during a late-morning break, waving to reporters on the other side of a chain-link fence and yelling, "How are you?" before returning to work.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060814/ap_en_ot/boy_george;_ylt=As.BKrrs2EdV86HsIg_cpxFxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Aug 14, 2006, 10:06 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Casual Gaming Taking Place Of Traditional Entertainment

....................................................................................................................................................

Gaming competitors during the World Cyber Games in Singapore, November 17, 2005

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A substantial minority of American adults would rather spend their free time playing casual games -- such online diversions as "Bejeweled" and "TextTwist" -- than watch television.

A study by Harris Interactive set for release Monday found that 31 percent of the over-18 set preferred the games to TV for whiling away a spare hour. Watching movies at home fared better, with 21 percent choosing games instead, but going to the movie theater did slightly worse with 35 percent.

RealNetworks commissioned the study to understand its customers better, company senior vice president worldwide games Michael Schutzler said. He added that they were very surprised by some of the findings, particularly when the report broke out the numbers for women older than 40.

Nearly half (49 percent) would play casual games rather than go to the movie theater, 32 percent opted for them over movies at home, and 37 percent chose them over watching TV.

Schutzler said RealNets began offering games six years ago. "It really wasn't going well," he added. "Then just for the heck of it we tried 'Bejeweled.' It immediately sold hundreds of times anything else we ever offered."

Working with women's lifestyle expert Jennifer Louden, RealNets used the Harris findings and other research to improve sales of advertising and downloaded games.

"Effective advertising in casual games requires an added level of sensitivity," Schutzler said. "It's clearly an effective way to reach this important audience, women over 40, but it can't disrupt the experience."

The same group doesn't like games that incorporate brands into the action, often called advergames, but the set reacts positively to sponsorship and to interstitials between levels, he said.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060814/media_nm/media_games_dc;_ylt=ArORgLtzIRZFeOTgaKfnmmJxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 14, 2006, 10:04 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Will Terror Take Toll On 'Trade'?

....................................................................................................................................................

A security officer from the Transportation Security Administration warns departing passengers that "liquids and gels" are no longer permitted on airline flights at Washington Dulles International Airport

Recent events could affect Par pic's Box Office

As if opening a movie about 9/11 just a month before its fifth anniversary isn't tricky enough, Paramount, which bowed "World Trade Center" on Wednesday, now faces the dicey dilemma of a real terrorist situation.

Of course, no one knows whether public concern about the foiled plot to blow up airplanes flying between the U.K. and U.S. will affect auds' willingness to see the Oliver Stone-helmed film, which Par has been marketing with an extremely sensitive touch.

In an unprecedented move for a serious drama, Par opened "WTC" on Wednesday and did $4.4 million. While that's low for a Wednesday bow, there really aren't any comparable films, since virtually all other Wednesday openers have been tentpoles or came before a holiday frame.

But based on solid tracking and the Wednesday perf, most expect the pic, which is playing 2,957 theaters, to cume high 20s or low 30s by Sunday. It will likely come in No. 2 for the weekend behind the second frame of "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

"This movie's performance is about the long haul and how many people will tell their friends they have to go see it," Rob Moore, Par prexy of distribution, marketing and operations, said of the decision to open the pic on a Wednesday. "That's why we wanted to get people talking about it early, even if it means we took some money out of the weekend."

He noted that, per tracking, 80% of opening-night auds said they would "definitely recommend" the pic, which Paramount is hoping will translate into a long run at the B.O.

Surprisingly, 60% were female and 40% were under 25. Moore noted that teenage girls turned out particularly well, nearly matching the number of men over 25.

By contrast, Universal's 9/11 pic "United 93" drew an overwhelmingly adult aud that was almost evenly split between genders. "World Trade Center" is generating about twice as much interest in pre-release tracking as "United 93," which bowed to $11.5 million.

Among other openers, Disney's dance drama "Step Up" is tracking best, almost entirely on the strength of teen girls. Pic opens at 2,467 playdates and should gross low or mid-teens.

Sony and Revolution's family superhero comedy "Zoom," which bows at 2,501, is tracking poorly and looks unlikely to even break into the teens.

The Weinstein Co. is hoping that horror pic "Pulse," which is going out under the Dimension label, will break out beyond the core young male aud showing up in tracking. Pic opens at 2,323 and will likely do high single digits or low teens.

"Talladega Nights" barely beat "World Trade Center" on Wednesday, grossing $4.5 million, and should drop about 50% this weekend, putting it around $24 million. That makes the comedy the presumptive No. 1 unless "World Trade Center" does particularly well.

Overseas, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" will likely come in first for the sixth consecutive week as it expands to Spain.

Rival distribs continue to opt for targeted openings against "Pirates" rather than wide launches.

In limited release in the U.S., Fox Searchlight expands its strong-performing Sundance pickup "Little Miss Sunshine" from 59 theaters to 153.

Sony Pictures Classics opens Brazilian import "The House of Sand" at five in Gotham and L.A.

ThinkFilm starts the rollout of "Half Nelson," its well-received Sundance pickup about a drug-addicted junior high school teacher, at two plays in New York.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117948303?categoryid=13&cs=1

Posted on Aug 11, 2006, 10:44 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Trade Round-Up: Studios Chew Up Employees, Shit Out Money

....................................................................................................................................................

Disney employees who recently lost their jobs in the recent Cast Member Massacre will be overjoyed to learn that the company made "massive gains in its fiscal third quarter," and that's even before their saved salaries and the Pirates 2 box office dollars hit the books. OK, here's a cheerier thought: The noble sacrifice of their paychecks will probably help Bob Iger boost his annual bonus. Yay! [Variety]

Great News For The Recently Shitcanned Day continues, as Paramount gets "back in the black" from the DreamWorks acquisition, corporate parent Viacom reports a large gain in profits, and super-positive CEO Tom Freston declares that the 'Mount is "re-emerging as a top-tier studio." Thanks, everybody they fired to make this possible! [Variety]

There's really nothing else to talk about in Hollywood but money, so we note that Sony beat Disney to $1 billion at the domestic box office. Remember last year when everyone thought Sony's Amy Pascal was getting fired for her bombtastic summer of Stealth and XXX? Good times. [THR]

Universal and Fox entrust 26-year-old Neill Blomkamp, who previously has only directed commercials, with directing their precious Halo project. The studios' first choice for the blockbuster hopeful, the guy who came up with the edgy, buzzed-about "Apply directly to the forehead" spots, was unavailable. [Variety]

John C. Reilly is officially inducted into comedy's New Gay Mafia by landing a second starring project in a week following Talladega Nights, this time hooking up with Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan for Walk Hard, a spoof of musical biopics like Ray and Walk the Line. [Variety]
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/disney/trade-roundup-studios-chew-up-employees-shit-out-money-193453.php

Posted on Aug 11, 2006, 10:43 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Hollywood ProtestWatch: Top Model Striker Ejected From Nordstrom

...................................................................................................................................................

America's Next Top Model's striking writers are still picketing outside the show's offices, but one protesting scribe found that the acrimony persists even in the neutral zone represented by The Grove, our fair city's leading, artificially sweetened retail fantasyland. One might hope that host Tyra Banks and the people who toil to give her something to say between eruptions of "that's fierce" could coexist peacefully outside the boundaries of the conflict, but according to this report on the strikers' MySpace blog, all the world's a battlefield:

This is the craziest coincidence ever! I was at the Grove mall [yesterday]. I was done picketing for the day, and there was going to be a concert there sponsored by the CW that I wanted to check out. I ended up getting there way early, and went window shopping in Nordstrom.

After a few minutes of perusing the shoe department, I notice a group of people gathered around none other than Tyra Banks! And here I am in my handwritten "America's Next Top Model writer on strike" T-shirt! I was trying to move around to the front of where Tyra and her fans were, hoping she would see me. Within seconds, however, a guy dressed all in black with a headset on kicked me out of the store! I was just standing there! So, I left and as I did I heard him say into his mouthpiece "don't let that girl back in." Unbelievable!

I always had a positive opinion of Tyra, but that is being tested lately. First, remaining silent about whether she supports her writers or not. Now this. I just dont know.

While we're sure that Banks and her people weren't going to take a chance that a disgruntled writer might suddenly attempt to bludgeon the host with a reduced-price pump and inflict hundreds of dollars in hair-extension damage, they could've at least been a little more subtle in their methods. Having a salesgirl hover nearby the striker, click her tongue at the writer's homemade top, then rudely suggest that someone who might be about to lose her job probably can't afford anything in Nordstrom's might have been enough to get her to leave the store before excessive strong-arm tactics became necessary.

Bonus To Do link: The ANTM strikers are staging a fan appreciation event at the picket site tomorrow, complete with sympathetic models from the show and a "special celebrity guest appearance" by a hissing cockroach. We'll leave it up to you to supply the Janice Dickinson joke.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/the-cw/hollywood-protestwatch-top-model-striker-ejected-from-nordstrom-193497.php

Posted on Aug 11, 2006, 10:42 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Disney Studios Defends Firings Even As Profits Pop

....................................................................................................................................................

Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company is seen here in a publicity photo

Disney biz gets dizzy

"Cars" is driving Disney to high-octane profits.

While "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" came out in July and won't show up in the results until the fourth quarter, company still saw massive gains in its fiscal third quarter, growing net income to $1.13 billion -- an increase of 39% over the April-June frame last year.

Announcement of the sharply improved earnings came less than a month after Disney declared a belt-tightening, which resulted in the dismissal of some 550 employees.

Studio is also ratcheting down its slate to about 10 Disney-branded pics and two or three non-Disney branded movies per year.

After noting strong perf of "Cars," topper Bob Iger said, "Our new approach makes particular sense when you consider the above-market returns we were able to earn on Disney-branded films."

But while the "Cars" domestic rollout has had some serious torque, the pic's post-June international release has sputtered in some key markets, in part because it was overshadowed by the "Pirates" sequel.

Studio was the main reason for the Disney jump: It swung to $240 million in operating income from a $44 million operating loss a year earlier.

"Cars," which has earned $238 million domestically since its release, was not the only driver behind the studio's success. Conglom also benefited heavily from homevid. DVD sales were up 9% in the quarter, fueled by "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which sold 18 million units.Revenue at the studio also spiked an impressive 17% to $1.7 billion.

Comparisons at the studio were skewed by the fact that while movies like "The Pacifier" and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" overlapped with parts of the comparable quarter last year, there was no major release on the level of "Cars" to fully dominate spring 2005.

Execs also noted that the belt-tightening moves "will benefit the entire company" because of how "it expands our global reach and provides far more significant opportunities for ancillary revenue." Increases of nearly 70% in operating income at the consumer products division -- driven by "Cars" merchandise -- buttressed the point.

Call was first time Disney faced Wall Street since it announced the overhaul that will see it become an entertainment company that happens to make movies more than a traditional studio.

Analysts have generally been happy with the move, and chose not to scrutinize it Wednesday.

No one raised the point that, under the new system, there'll be less risk from midrange films but more consequences if there's a Disney-branded dud.

Company also flogged next year's slate, noting the third "Pirates" pic as well as Pixar's "Ratatouille," which is part of the mad May '07 release schedule, and pointed to DVD releases of "Cars" and "Dead Man's Chest" as other drivers.

But the Mouse House disappointed Wall Street when it declined to make financial projections for next year.

While analysts cheered the quarterly numbers -- numbers handily beat expectations -- investors were more muted, sending the stock down 1%, including after-hours trading, to $28.67.

Unlike past quarters, call didn't feature the scapegoating of the Miramax titles, though execs couldn't resist a jab of sorts, with Staggs saying that numbers "benefited from less expensive Miramax titles vs. the prior year."

Disney also continued its exit from the publishing biz. Company revealed it would sell its 50% stake in Us Weekly to Wenner Media for a neat $300 million, noting that the original investment cost only $40 million.

For the quarter, revenue went up 12% at Disney to $8.62 billion. Television was also a solid performer, with revenue up 10% to $3.74 billion and operating income up 5% to $1.15 billion.

Execs noted Internet revenue above the billion-dollar mark at $1.2 billion but later acknowledged that without theme-park packages Disney sells online, number came in just a little bit over $500 million.

Analysts were most skeptical about the company's digital strategy, asking if it will sign up more new-media partners or if execs felt that digital properties can be monetized better.

Mouse Housers responded that the company is engaging in a massive redesign for Disney.com and that studies showed that viewer recall for ads in online shows is more than triple that of TV ads.

Vidgame arena was also tagged as a priority for expansion.

And company acknowledged that there had been discussions of a "broad sweeping partnership with one of the broad aggregators" like Yahoo! or Google but that it didn't pan out.

Company did note "disappointing" results for its ESPN mobile offering but did not suggest it would stop selling the service.

Asked on the call with analysts how a brewing controversy over Pixar options would reflect on new parent Disney, execs kept it dryly financial.

After first saying it would be "inappropriate to comment" on Pixar options, CFO Tom Staggs said "We aren't aware of any basis under which stock options issued by Pixar would have an impact on our financials."

On Tuesday it was revealed that a number of Pixar execs, including John Lasseter, received suspiciously timed options when the company was still independent and that they could face scrutiny as part of the options backdating scandal.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117948228?categoryid=18&cs=1

Posted on Aug 10, 2006, 9:55 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Robin Williams Enters Alcohol Treatment

....................................................................................................................................................

Robin Williams is interviewed at the premiere of 'RV' at the Mann Village theatre in Los Angeles April 23, 2006

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian and Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams has entered treatment for alcohol abuse after being sober for 20 years, his publicist said on Wednesday.

Williams, 55, "found himself drinking again" after two decades of sobriety and "has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family," spokeswoman Mara Buxbaum said in a statement.

"He asks that you respect his and his family's privacy during this time," she said, adding, "He looks forward to returning to work this fall to support his upcoming film releases."

Besides "The Night Listener," which opened last week and stars Williams as a radio host who becomes involved with a young listener who claims to be a child-abuse victim, the actor has three more movies set to hit theaters this year.

He plays another talk show host who runs for president in the upcoming film "Man of the Year," due out in October, supplies the voice of a penguin in the polar cartoon "Happy Feet," set for November, and co-stars with Ben Stiller and Owen Williams in the comedy "Night at the Museum," due in December.

Williams, who once incorporated jokes about his bouts with excessive drinking into his stand-up comedy routines, became a household name as the star of the 1970s sitcom "Mork & Mindy" and went on to a successful film career.

He received Academy Award nominations for his dramatic lead roles in "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society" and "The Fisher King" and clinched the Oscar as best supporting actor in "Good Will Hunting."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060809/en_nm/williams_dc

Oh, but everyone who saw "RV" starting hitting the bottle didn't they? I wonder if it would be fun to be in a rehab facility with Robin Williams, or like the most depressing thing on earth. It strikes me that he'd either make jokes with everyone and lighten their load. Or just like bring the party down so far, like nothing's funny to him unless he's being paid, and he's not giving away his jokes for free, so he's such a drag that people are like "lighten UP! OMG! JEEZ!" And he's like teary-eyed "I know that everyone of you have YOUR problems. But I NEED HELP!" You know? And what caused this realization? Like, I'm sure it's something to do with the Mel Gibson arrest. But what do you think he says when he's drunk?

Posted on Aug 10, 2006, 9:54 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Conflicted Former Agent Plays Winning Poker, Fears Fame

....................................................................................................................................................

Reality show producer and former agent Jamie Gold is seen here playing poker

Reality show producer and former agent Jamie Gold is currently the chip leader at the World Series of Poker No Limit Hold 'Em Championship in Vegas, but he's terrified of winning--not because he's afraid of the millions of dollars he'd take home, as an agent's moneylust never truly fades, but rather because he fears the fame that a victory will bring. In an interview with ESPN.com, Gold explains why the idea of instant celebrity is so frightening that he openly muses about taking a dive into second place:

"I don't want it,'' Gold said. "I've seen what it's done to other people. I've worked with actors from James Gandolfini to Felicity Huffman to Lucy Liu.
"Gandolfini wanted nothing to do with fame. If you notice before 'The Sopranos,' he never did a movie that put him in the spotlight. He never did Jay Leno. He never did an interview. He never talked to the press. He didn't want any of it. He couldn't stand it because he knew what would happen to his life.

"He got in an accident in New York City and someone walked over to him and said something like, 'Well, you're Tony Soprano, so you don't need any help.' Craziness. It's insane.."

It's not too hard to understand why a behind-the-scenes player (or anyone who's even fleetingly considered a messy suicide upon hearing an actress discuss who she's wearing on the red carpet) like Gold would eschew the spotlight, but we think there might be a deeper psychological explanation for his fame-phobia revealed by the Gandolfini story. Namely, Gold fears that if he's crossing the street in Beverly Hills and he's struck by a Lexus, a bystander will rush to his side, recognize him as a onetime agent, then leave him for dead.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/culture/conflicted-former-agent-plays-winning-poker-fears-fame-193219.php

Well yeah, he's doing what everyone does who wants to avoid fame, getting on TV shows and holding press conferences about his shyness. I feel sad for someone so thrust upon the world. Leave him alone everyone...that's right...Jamie Gold...remember that name..HE doesn't want to be famous.

Posted on Aug 10, 2006, 9:53 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Thousands Show Up For The 'Idol' Short Cut To Stardom

....................................................................................................................................................

Contestants line up to audition for the television show 'American Idol' at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena August 8, 2006 -- Contestant Jackie Burch smiles after being selected for the next round of the audition for the television show 'American Idol' at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena August 8, 2006

Approximately 10,000 hopefuls of varying degrees of non-talent gathered at the Rose Bowl for the first day of American Idol's sixth season auditions. All foster dreams of being crowned the next instant superstar on the stage of the Kodak Theater, perhaps even rendering David Hasselhoff a salty puddle of blubbering emotion in the process. With an army-sized talent pool to winnow down in a limited amount of time, it should come as no surprise that the preliminary rounds are fast and furious:

The elimination process was surprisingly quick, said Ryan Duitch, 17, of Los Angeles. The hopefuls stepped forward four at a time to one of 14 judging stations. Each station was manned by three producers looking for that special "Idol" magic. Each hopeful had all of about 20 seconds to showcase his or her talent.

"Not what we're looking for," Duitch said he and others were told. But he, like other contestants, said this wouldn't stop them from pursuing their passion.

Pushing the producers for further feedback is a fruitless affair, as they have usually moved onto the next group of four before a contestant has allowed the harsh reality of their rejection to fully sink in. And besides, there really is no easy way to explain to the crushed candidate that their singing was fine, but that they just didn't have that "awkward, effeminate, just-begging-to-be-humiliated 'X' factor" that really makes for compelling, watercooler TV.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/american-idol/thousands-too-lazy-to-pay-dues-show-up-for-the-idol-rocket-ride-to-stardom-192946.php

Posted on Aug 9, 2006, 9:42 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

County Refuses To Release Mel Gibson Tapes

....................................................................................................................................................

This booking photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, shows actor-director Mel Gibson taken after he was arrested Friday, July 28, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Audio and video tapes of Mel Gibson's drunken driving arrest are exempt from the California Public Records Act and won't be released, authorities said, despite requests from a celebrity news Web site.

The Web site, TMZ, had asked Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca for tapes of the incident in which Gibson uttered obscenity-laced, anti-Semitic comments. TMZ argued the tapes should be seen and heard by the public to assess whether Gibson received preferential treatment from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"The records you have requested are records of the investigation and part of the investigatory file in this matter," replied Gary P. Gross, principal deputy for the county counsel's office. That means they must remain sealed, Gross said.

Gibson was arrested early July 28 after he was stopped for driving 87 mph in a 45-mph zone. He was released on his own recognizance later that day.

The 50-year-old actor-director, charged with misdemeanor drunken driving and having an open container of alcohol in his car, is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 28.

Questions have been raised about the fact that a Sheriff's Department spokesman initially said Gibson had been arrested "without incident" and made no mention of what Gibson himself latter called his "belligerent" and "despicable" behavior.

The arresting deputy's initial written report, which contained Gibson's statements, was also ordered modified and the comments placed in a supplemental report.

No decision has been made on whether to pursue further legal action, the Web site's attorney, Alonzo Wickers IV, said Tuesday.

Harvey Levin, who runs TMZ, said he would wait to see "how the case plays out."

"It could go to trial, and if it does, the tapes would become evidence," he said.

Meanwhile, California's Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, Tom McClintock, said he no longer will use a fundraising letter sent on his behalf by Gibson.

McClintock decided to pull the letter after the incident, his campaign spokesman, Stan Devereaux, said Tuesday.

"Tom saw the news and the situation as it was unfolding with Mel Gibson and made a conscious decision to direct people not to use the letter any further. He was disillusioned by the situation with Mr. Gibson," Devereaux said.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060809/ap_en_mo/mel_gibson_tapes;_ylt=Atq_h4CG0igCYWT_Ke7MFGlxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 9, 2006, 9:41 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Rwanda Genocide Movie Criticizes UN Role

....................................................................................................................................................

Retired Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, whose U.N. peacekeepers had to stand by helplessly as the slaughter unfolded in Rwanda in 1994, is shown addressing an international conference on genocide in Kigali, in this April 6, 2004 file photo

"Shake Hands with the Devil" is based on the book by Romeo Dallaire, the former Canadian general in command of U.N. forces in Rwanda at the time who was so traumatized by his failure to stop the massacres he later tried to kill himself.

"Our film is about a man who was aware genocide was coming and tried to get the U.N. to allow him to do something about it, but it instead it turned him down," director Roger Spottiswoode said in an interview in Kigali.

"It is really about the bigger issue of what the U.N. role is in situations like these," he told Reuters at the capital's Amahoro stadium, which sheltered thousands of terrified residents in 1994 as the killers roamed the streets outside.

Spottiswoode said the film was particularly timely given the calls on the United Nations to intervene to end the war in Lebanon, and the ongoing efforts to send a U.N. force to stop rampant murders and rapes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. The United States has called the Darfur conflict genocide.

Focus On U.N.

In Rwanda, Dallaire had alerted his bosses in New York that the country was sliding into chaos. But then he could do little more than watch as ethnic Hutu extremists butchered more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutus in 100 days of carnage.

The big screen version of his book follows three other films about the genocide released in the last two years.

But while the others, including the award-winning "Hotel Rwanda," have focused on the tales of individuals caught up in the bloodshed, Spottiswoode said his movie would be the first to examine in detail the United Nations' lack of action.

"The U.N. has proved to be a complicated and imperfect organization," said Spottiswoode, who also directed "Tomorrow Never Dies." "Is it an institution that should be improved or destroyed? These are the questions raised in the movie."

The Canadian director began filming "Shake Hands with the Devil" on location in Rwanda in June, with Roy Dupuis starring as Dallaire. It is scheduled for release in September 2007.

The three other genocide films have shocked Western audiences with the scale and savagery of the slaughter, but have been criticized by many Rwandan survivors, who dismiss them as money-making exercises that got the story wrong.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060809/film_nm/rwanda_film_dc;_ylt=AhOQrsDtn1s6V978Sg0XhjRxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 9, 2006, 9:40 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Jerry Lewis Sues 2 Entertainment Firms

....................................................................................................................................................

In a file photo Jerry Lewis speaks at the Fox News studio in New York March 12, 2004

LOS ANGELES - Comedian Jerry Lewis filed a $2.3 million lawsuit against two entertainment companies, claiming he is owed money over a proposed remake of his 1961 movie "The Errand Boy."

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, names as defendants Spyglass Entertainment Group and Hollywood Pictures Corp.

Calls to Spyglass were not immediately returned on Monday. No phone listing could be found for Hollywood Pictures.

The lawsuit said Lewis and JAS Productions Inc. entered into an agreement with Hollywood Pictures in 1996 that gave the film company an option to remake "The Errand Boy."

Lewis was to act in the film and serve as a consultant and executive producer if the option was exercised, the lawsuit said.

Between 1999 and 2001, Hollywood assigned its rights to Spyglass, which never made the movie but prepared a screenplay and hired script writers, according to the lawsuit.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_en_mo/people_jerry_lewis;_ylt=AvkDkCxbepqwY9V1bHU3GC9xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 8, 2006, 9:28 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Michael Jackson Claims Lawyers Of Unspecified Ethnicity Out To Get Him

....................................................................................................................................................

Pop star Michael Jackson visits an orphanage in Tokyo in this May 28, 2006 file photo

As Michael Jackson continues to traverse the European countryside in his ongoing quest to find a chateau that can accomodate the amenities his growing family requires--Coca Cola-filled moats, child-safe play dungeons, what have you--his spokesperson in the U.S. has released a statement claiming the singer has discovered that a consort of his former attorneys conspired to put their client in the poor house:

The plot was discovered after someone leaked documents to Jackson showing that unnamed former lawyers for the 47-year-old singer tried to recruit others into a petition that would drag him unwillingly into bankruptcy court, his spokeswoman and manager Raymone Bain said.
"In what could be one of the biggest conspiracies in entertainment history, documents have been sent to Michael Jackson and his representatives which reveal a deliberate plan by some former attorneys as well as associates and advisers to force Mr. Jackson into involuntary bankruptcy," Bain said.

We imagine Ms. Bain rose to her current, influential position as Jackson's chief spokesperson and confidante as a direct result of being the only candidate who was capable of delivering a steady stream of her employer's insane missives without breaking up into hysterical fits of breath-inhibitive laughter. Still, it's difficult to say this early on whether Jackson is a legitimate fraud victim, or if he is just letting his paranoid, self-actuating fantasies get the better of him. Seeing as the statement comes from a man who was once recorded saying about his lawyers, "They suck. They're like leeches. I'm so tired of it. It is a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose," we can't help but wonder if the convenient timing may be a result of Jackson having caught wind of something that reignited his determination to unmask the greedy, horned Hebrews as the devils he always knew they were.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/celeb-jurisprudence/michael-jackson-claims-lawyers-of-unspecified-ethnicity-out-to-get-him-192669.php

Posted on Aug 8, 2006, 9:27 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Iraqi Reality TV Show Defies Odds

....................................................................................................................................................

In this Al-Sharqiya television grab, contestants are seen in Iraq's new hit reality television show 'Saya Wa Surmaya', or 'Fame and Fortune', in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 7, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Clad in a beige suit, the TV news anchor fiddles with his glasses as he announces there's been an explosion: "The microwave blew up in Soha's face as she was preparing her trademark pizza," he says.

Jon Stewart, step aside. Welcome Ali Fadhel, rising star of Iraqi spoof news � or so he hopes. For now, the 24-year-old is a popular contestant on Iraq's new hit reality television show "Saya Wa Surmaya," or "Fame and Fortune."

The show features Iraqi men and women taking on challenges in hopes of winning a contract with Al-Sharqiya television, which airs the program. Fadhel tried his hand at a fake newscast.

"Fame and Fortune" presents a different "reality" from every day life in Iraq � no kidnappings, no killings, no explosions � except for the odd cooking accident.

"There's such little support given these days to the youth," said Mustafa Kadhem, head of programming at the station. "We figured we can help uncover some of the talented ones."

Reality TV burst on the scene in the Arab world in 2003 with programs similar to "Big Brother," but adding elements of "American Idol"-style talent shows. The shows angered conservatives, who considered the spectacle of young men and women dancing and singing under one roof sacrilegious.

Al-Sharqiya introduced Iraq's first reality TV show in 2004, but it was not geared toward pure entertainment. The program, "Construction Contract," revolved around the reconstruction of homes destroyed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country.

"Fame And Fortune" kicked off this year with different themes every few months. One offered winners interest-free loans to start small businesses. The latest installment, "Youth Project," is a talent contest.

"The idea was to help people realize their dreams and follow them as they do that," Kadhem said.

"Youth Project" began after the network ran ads seeking young people who have an interest in visual arts. More than 70 people auditioned; eight were chosen, including four women.

The show hit the air in July, featuring the eight finalists, aged 17 to 30, in a set that looks like a living room with an open kitchen. The contestants, in mostly unscripted situations, perform different artistic tasks � photography, script writing, directing and acting � that are evaluated by professional artists.

Viewers decide who leaves the show by voting through the network's Web site. The winner gets $3,000 and will be hired as a director by the network.

In a concession to Islamic tastes, the participants don't spend the night on the set, as they might in a Western reality show. But they eat together, socialize and sit close to one another on a narrow couch.

So far, the show has avoided offending the religious establishment.

When the top-rated, Lebanese show "Star Academy" appeared in 2003, it drew sharp criticism on many Islamic Web sites. Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti denounced the show as an open invitation to sin and instructed Muslims not to watch it. The Dubai-based MBC television pulled the plug on an Arabic version of "Big Brother" two years ago after similar criticism.

The Iraqi producers of "Fame and Fortune" have avoided the problem by sending the participants home at night. Kadhem said sleeping over at the same house wouldn't have conformed to Iraqi traditions, "plus there was simply no need for that � the tasks do not require it."

When a participant is voted off, there's none of the passionate hugging and kissing common on "Star Academy." Instead, women shake hands with male contestants who survive the cut, offering a simple "mabrouk," or "congratulations."

Nonetheless, slick Western production methods are evident in every aspect of the show � from the trademark IKEA interiors, more reminiscent of a New York studio than traditional Iraqi tastes, to commercials advertising the show with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in the background.

In his spoof newscast, Fadhel pretended to talk to Aseel Essam, "the correspondent on scene." Her hair in pig tails, Essam sported tight Bermuda jeans and a baby blue, body-hugging top.

That may seem simple. But producers say it's tough to produce a show like this in Iraq. Eighty percent of the shooting is indoors. The few outdoor scenes are shot in "working-class neighborhoods known to be safe," Kadhem said. He refused to identify them for security reasons.

The soon-to-be-stars also take their own precautions.

Soha Sadeq, 24, said she doesn't put on makeup until she arrives at the studio to avoid problems from Islamic zealots on the street. "It's better that way, to keep a low profile and not attract attention," she said.

Fadhel, whose wife is expecting their first child in a month, said he once encountered four explosions on his way to the network's central Baghdad studio.

"I have to practice my art," said Fadhel, whose idols are Stanley Kubrick, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Oliver Stone. "Two things could kill me � a terrorist on the street, or not practicing my art."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_en_tv/iraq_reality_tv;_ylt=AlFBSIsVlbOgoC1Z46ZQSoJxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 8, 2006, 9:26 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Record labels Sue LimeWire

....................................................................................................................................................

In this undated handout photo from LimeWire, Mark Gorton, CEO of Lime Wire LLC, is seen in New York

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Some of the world's biggest record labels sued the makers of the file-sharing program LimeWire on Friday, saying the software allows users to download music without paying for it.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, is the latest in a string of lawsuits the music industry has filed in an attempt to curb Internet piracy. That effort was bolstered last year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that content companies can take legal action against technology firms that encourage copyright infringement.

Record labels owned by the world's four major music companies -- Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI Group Plc, and Warner Music Group Corp. -- brought the lawsuit against New York-based Lime Wire LLC.

The suit seeks $150,000 in damages for every song "willfully infringed" by LimeWire. It also names LimeWire parent Lime Group LLC as well as chief executive Mark Gorton and chief operating officer Greg Bildson as defendants.

LimeWire officials could not be reached for comment.

In the complaint, the record companies accuse LimeWire of profiting from illicit downloads of their music, saying "the scope of infringement is massive."

LimeWire and its executives "have had a direct financial interest in, and derived substantial benefit from, the infringement

of plaintiffs' copyrighted sound recordings," the complaint said.

In a statement, industry trade group the Recording Industry Association of America said that "despite numerous efforts to engage LimeWire, the site's corporate owners have shown insufficient interest in developing a legal business model."

Last month, one of the world's best known file-sharing networks, Kazaa, agreed to pay more than $100 million and commit to going legitimate to settle two lawsuits brought by the movie and music industries.

Kazaa had emerged as the dominant file-sharing network after recording industry lawsuits brought about the collapse of the original Napster in 2001. Napster has since reemerged as a paid service.

In recent years, illicit file-sharing networks have lost ground as legitimate music services like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes gained popularity.

Further solidifying the case for legitimate music services was last year's precedent-setting ruling by the United States' top court, which stated that because "peer to peer" company Grokster's intent was to encourage copyright infringement, it could be held liable for the music traded on its network.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060805/media_nm/media_limewire_lawsuit_dc;_ylt=AhMwkmCFkqWWR4QFtLH91mZxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 7, 2006, 9:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Super Agent Ari Emanuel Calls For Hollywood To Boycott Mel Gibson

....................................................................................................................................................

Endeavor Talent Agent Ari Emanuel, the inspiration for HBO's "Entourage" character Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), is seen here in a publicity photo

Taking to heart the Hollywood maxim that "All that is required for the triumph of drunken, anti-Semitic movie star evil is that good superagents do nothing," Endeavor icon Ari Emanuel is using his platform over at the Huffington Post to rally the entertainment industry to take a principled stand against Mel Gibson:

At a time of escalating tensions in the world, the entertainment industry cannot idly stand by and allow Mel Gibson to get away with such tragically inflammatory statements. When The Passion of the Christ came out, Gibson was quoted as categorically denying any anti-Semitism attributed to him: "For me, it goes against the tenets of my faith, to be racist in any form. To be anti-Semitic is a sin. It's been condemned by one Papal Council after another. There's encyclicals on it, which is, you know -- to be anti-Semitic is to be unchristian, and I'm not."

Now we know the truth. And no amount of publicist-approved contrition can paper it over. People in the entertainment community, whether Jew or gentile, need to demonstrate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line.

There are times in history when standing up against bigotry and racism is more important than money.

All over town, agents, studio executives, and other power players are nervously eyeing one another, wondering if this indeed a time in history for standing up against bigotry and racism, or a time during which they can obtain the services of a $20-million-per-picture superstar at a heavily discounted rate. And after about five minutes of painfully searching the places where their souls used to be stored, the phones at ICM will start ringing off their hooks, as the feeding frenzy to give Gibson a chance to redeem himself for 20 percent of his usual quote begins.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/top/aris-frustration-of-the-day-boycotting-mel-gibson-edition-191001.php

Posted on Aug 7, 2006, 9:47 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Paris Hilton To Magazine: I'm celibate

....................................................................................................................................................

U.S. socialite Paris Hilton smiles before a news conference in Costa d'en Blanes at the Balearic island of Mallorca July 22, 2006

LONDON - Paris Hilton says she is sick of boyfriends and is celibate.

The 25-year-old who gained international fame when a former boyfriend posted a videotape of the couple having sex on the Internet denied leading a promiscuous lifestyle in an interview with the British edition of GQ magazine.

"I'm not having sex for a year. ... I'll kiss, but nothing else," says Hilton, who told the magazine she has had sex with only two men during her lifetime.

Of the videotape with Rick Solomon that became one of the most searched-for items on the Internet in 2003, she said: "I never received a dime from it. It's just dirty money and he should give it all to some charity for the sexually abused or something."

The Hilton Hotels heir and uber-socialite told the magazine she is "very shy" and relates to the late Princess Diana, who was hounded by photographers.

"I've been in cars trying to get away from speeding paparazzi before and it's horrible, so I can relate to Diana and the problems she had," Hilton is quoted as saying.

During the interview, Hilton also displayed some political illiteracy.

When asked about British Prime Minister Tony Blair, her response was: "Who? ... Oh, yeah, he's like your president. I don't know what he looks like."

Hilton also told the magazine she collects $500,000 in fees just to show up at parties and other events from Las Vegas to Tokyo. Her best-paying gig, she said, was a recent Austrian appearance.

"I had to say `hi' and tell them why I loved Austria so much," she is quoted as saying.

And why does she like Austria? "Because they pay me $1 million to wave at crowds!"
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060806/ap_on_en_tv/people_paris_hilton;_ylt=Au6uFfS_IHvu..79Ni3Rz4ZxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 7, 2006, 9:46 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Security Videotape Negates Claims About Jazz Pianist Hilton Ruiz's Death

....................................................................................................................................................

In this file photo provided by Joel Chriss & Co., jazz pianist and composer Hilton Ruiz leans over a piano in the Summer of 2005, in Amagansett, N.Y

NEW ORLEANS - Bouncers at a Bourbon Street dance club threw the late jazz pianist and composer Hilton Ruiz face-first into heavy wooden doors and then onto the floor after he was attacked by a club patron, his daughter claims in court papers filed Thursday.

But a representative for Club Utopia said its tapes show Ruiz signing a tab for more than $200, leaving by himself and walking without incident along an alley.

Tapes from a club next door show Ruiz tripping minutes later and hitting his face on the curb, Jacques Chrysocoos said.

Ruiz, of Teaneck, N.J., was hospitalized after being injured May 19. He died June 6, never regaining consciousness. He had come to New Orleans to make a video to go with a Hurricane Katrina benefit recording.

Attorney Scott M. Galante filed the new allegations against the club for Aida Ruiz, as an amended version of a lawsuit brought in June against Utopia and others. The allegations are based on statements by a witness, Galante said.

In the suit, Aida Ruiz claims that the club's bouncers failed either to protect her 54-year-old father or to help him after a patron attacked and beat him.

Chrysocoos said the review of that morning's tapes shows that the only disagreement that came close to a fight was between two other patrons, who were asked to leave. He said the club is sending its tapes to police.

Police have repeatedly said they investigated Ruiz's injuries as an attack, but found only evidence of an accidental fall.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060804/ap_en_ot/pianist_death;_ylt=AtETYYtXBUWk_8gxyPpHbqRxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Aug 4, 2006, 10:02 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Today In Bruce Willis: 'Die Hard 4' Gets A Release Date, Bruno Sues Childhood Pal

....................................................................................................................................................

Actor Bruce Willis is seen here arriving as a guest for the premiere of the film 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' in Hollywood July 26, 2006

It's already been a big day for erstwhile international megastar Bruce Willis, as Fox has announced that the fourth installment of the long-dormant Die Hard franchise, Live Free or Die Hard, will open over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2007, momentarily releasing Willis from his recent career purgatory of endlessly circling the globe and pretending to enjoy hugging sweaty men in rented raccoon suits. But in less happy news, http://www.TMZ.com reports that Willis has filed suit against a childhood friend whom he had hired as a full-time scrapbooker (come on, anyone who's anyone in Hollywood has one), but whom allegedly repaid the actor's generosity by absconding with some of Willis' photographed and videotaped memories, peddling an unflattering book full of "falsehoods and lies" about Willis to publishers, and extorting him with his cynical aspirations of being a tell-all author. The story offers no hint as to what these lies might be, but one can only hope they contain clues to unlocking the mystery of why Willis bought boybandish singer Aaron Carter $1 million in gifts, or, at the very least, where he had Cybill Shepherd's body buried after the wrap party for Moonlighting. We are genuinely sad for Willis, for no faded star should have to have the happy occasion of the announcement of his desperation comeback vehicle marred by the ugliness of a personal lawsuit made public.

In another Bruce Willis-related tidbit, it seems that not even the Die Hard 4 release news was enough to push BruceWillis.com to the next level. What's it going to take, an official attachment to Striking Distance 2?
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/top/today-in-bruce-willis-die-hard-4-gets-a-release-date-bruno-sues-childhood-pal-191907.php

Posted on Aug 4, 2006, 10:00 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Rob Schneider Takes On Mel Gibson To Plug New Movie In 'Variety'

....................................................................................................................................................

In [yesterday's] Variety, celebrity penpal Rob Schneider has finally followed up* his infamous open letter promising a post-lunch beating to LAT reporter Patrick Goldstein over some unflattering remarks about manwhore masterwork Deuce Bigalow with a full-page, self-promotional, jokey pledge never to work with embattled anti-Semite Mel Gibson.

As expected from a follow-up project conceived for the sake of commerce rather than art, the sequel lacks the unhinged inspiration of the original, and ends with a disappointing, obligatory third act resolution plugging Schneider's next project, Big Stan, rather than offering an appropriately escalated act of threatened violence against the disgraced star. We suppose we'll just have to wait for next year's vanity ad to see if Schneider will ever recover the open-letter-writing magic of last February, but we fear his best days working in the form are long behind him.

[*We're not counting Schneider's plea for tolerance to the NY Times as a proper follow-up. That was clearly just a little indie project to keep him busy between big-budget gigs.]
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/top/rob-schneider-takes-on-mel-gibson-to-plug-new-movie-in-variety-191949.php

Posted on Aug 4, 2006, 9:59 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Musician Freddy Fender Has Incurable Cancer

....................................................................................................................................................

Tex-Mex country singer, Freddy Fender gestures to photographers after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, in this, Feb. 4, 1999, file photo

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Musician Freddy Fender has incurable cancer, discovered after tumors were found on his lungs, and his wife said they are "hoping for a miracle."

"I feel very comfortable in my life," Fender told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times for a story published Wednesday. "I'm one year away from 70 and I've had a good run. I really believe I'm OK. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. I cannot complain that I haven't lived long enough, but I'd like to live longer."

Fender started his career in the late 1950s and hit the charts with "Before The Next Teardrop Falls," "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and "You'll Lose A Good Thing." He has won three Grammy Awards, the most recent in 2002.

He was to have surgery in early January to remove the upper left lobe of his lung because of a fungal infection, but surgeons found two large tumors and left the lobe intact.

Fender underwent chemotherapy in late January but stopped because of its side effects. A scan later found nine more tumors.

He was resting at his home in Corpus Christi, said Vangie Huerta, his wife and manager, adding that she did not ask doctors to estimate how long he might live.

Fender, who has canceled all performances, has decided to resume chemotherapy at a lower dosage.

"We can prolong his life with medication or chemo, but it's not a cure," his wife said.

Fender received a kidney from his daughter in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004. He has had problems with diabetes and hepatitis C.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060803/ap_en_mu/people_fender;_ylt=AsWA50T.XUj1oQkwUavxUYNxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Aug 3, 2006, 9:36 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Prosecutors Officially Charge Mel Gibson With DUI

....................................................................................................................................................

This booking photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, shows actor-director Mel Gibson taken after he was arrested Friday, July 28, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson now faces a legal battle in addition to the one to restore his public image.

Prosecutors on Wednesday charged Gibson with driving under the influence of alcohol, having an elevated blood-alcohol level and an open container of liquor in his car when he was pulled over in Malibu last week.

If convicted, Gibson faces up to six months in jail, though first-time misdemeanor drunken driving offenders usually face minimal, if any, time behind bars. It's up to the judge to determine if Gibson would serve any time.

Prosecutors made no mention of Gibson's self-described "belligerent behavior" and "despicable" remarks in the complaint � reportedly the unleashing of an anti-Semitic tirade.

"After evaluating all the evidence presented by the Sheriff's Department � and they presented every scrap of evidence they had � we evaluated carefully and felt the charges we filed were the appropriate charges in this case," said district attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

Gibson's lawyer, Blair Berk, declined to comment, saying, "It is inappropriate to discuss the ongoing case." An attorney may appear in the actor's place during his Sept. 28 arraignment.

Arrested at 2:36 a.m. Friday after his Lexus was stopped for speeding, Gibson allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12 percent, over the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

"He will be held accountable for his violations under the law," Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said, adding that the charges "didn't surprise me."

In the aftermath of Gibson's arrest, his publicist, Alan Nierob, has said the actor-director was in an ongoing program for alcohol abuse before the arrest and has entered another, on an outpatient basis.

Gibson has apologized twice. In the latest he addressed the Jewish community, apologizing for his "vitriolic and harmful words."

According to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Sheriff's Department's report says Gibson told the arresting deputy: "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked him, "Are you a Jew?"

Gibson, 50, has had a troubled relationship with Jewish organizations since his 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which some criticized for portraying Jews as responsible for the death of Jesus. Supporters say the movie merely followed the Gospel story.

Gibson's apologies weren't accepted by former TV producer Merv Adelson, who took out an ad in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times blasting movie studio heads for not strongly and publicly condemning the Oscar-winning actor-director.

"Let's make ourselves proud and NOT support this JERK in any way, just because he's a so called 'star,'" wrote Adelson, co-founder of Lorimar Productions, which produced such TV hits as "Eight is Enough" and "The Waltons."

A sheriff's spokesman's initial account of the arrest described it as occurring "without incident" and made no mention of Gibson's remarks, fueling claims of a cover-up after they came to light

In an interview with the Associated Press, Sheriff Baca maintained deputies made no attempts to cover up his comments.

"Those are completely false," Baca said while attending a congressional hearing in San Diego. "The district attorney in his statement clearly verifies that all of the evidence � including inappropriate remarks, hateful remarks, anti-Semitic remarks, including with the videotape along with the audiotape," is there.

Baca added that the deputy who stopped Gibson "had the full authority to not arrest him and just take him home."

"You know, if that were his option, if he chose that option, he would be within our policy. But he chose the arrest option, which to me, shows me he's doing a terrific job," Baca said.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060803/ap_en_mo/gibson_remarks;_ylt=AtTHY18.LcA00hp19j_.qixxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 3, 2006, 9:35 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Spokeswoman: Marie Osmond Was Hospitalized and Released

....................................................................................................................................................

Marie Osmond is seen here speaking at a North Little Rock, Ark., Sam's Club store on April 27, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY - Marie Osmond was hospitalized for a bad reaction to medication, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, denying reports that the singer had attempted suicide.

She basically had an adverse reaction to some medication she was taking and she blacked out," spokeswoman Amy Hawkes said.

Osmond, who lives in Utah County about 30 miles from Salt Lake City, spent a couple of days at Timpanogos Regional Medical Center in Orem last week, Hawkes said.

"She's doing fine. She's vacationing with her family right now," she said.

The National Enquirer reported in its Aug. 14 edition that Osmond's hospitalization was the result of a failed suicide attempt.

"We deal with those tabloids all the time," said Karl Engemann, Osmond's manager. "You get tired of responding. It's like punching Jell-O."

He would not say what kind of medication she was taking or what it was for.

A message left at the National Enquirer's offices after regular business hours Wednesday was not immediately returned.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060803/ap_en_tv/people_marie_osmond;_ylt=Am0UYRnFvG9oMdKPs_ofRaFxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Aug 3, 2006, 9:32 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Joking Use Of Word 'Jews' Finally Not Gibson-Related

....................................................................................................................................................

Yesterday, Comedy Central took out this ad in Variety to congratulate South Park on its Emmy nomination for their "Trapped in the Closet" episode, a good-natured, lightly self-satirizing attempt to chuckle at themselves for so readily allowing themselves to become Tom Cruise's bitch by yanking a repeat of that show because of its unflattering portrayal of the cherished corporate asset about to open a movie for parent company Viacom. But because of the copy's inclusion of the word "Jews," a term now copyrighted by Mel Gibson's Icon Productions, some people assumed the ad was some kind of reference to Gibson's recent war-mongering-Hebrews-related troubles.

Today, a Comedy Central spokesperson assures the LAT that the ad is merely a quaintly retro dig at Cruise and riff on the time-honored "Jews run Hollywood" joke, not a perfectly timed assault on the currently rehabbing serial apologizer. We think the giant cartoon rendering of the Celebrity Centre should've been a pretty obvious tip-off as to the ad's target, but whatever. The publicists have spoken.

This, of course, means that the "full page Variety ad satirizing and/or expressing outrage at Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic remarks" frontier is still wide open, and we look forward to seeing which brave soul spends some money (Ari Emanuel, we're looking at you) to be the first to splash the words "sugar tits" across the trade's blank canvas of protest.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/top/joking-use-of-word-jews-finally-not-gibsonrelated-191553.php

Posted on Aug 2, 2006, 10:56 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

TMZ Savors Gibson Scoop

....................................................................................................................................................

Website http://www.TMZ.com broke the Gibson story and has continued to advance it with, among things, 'night of' photos secured by celeb mag In Touch

Web winner in Mel mess

There aren't too many winners in Gibsongate.
But http://www.TMZ.com , the niche Web site that uncovered the original police report about the star's arrest and anti-Semitic outburst, is enjoying an unexpected vogue as a journalism powerhouse.

Site is co-owned by Telepictures and America Online -- both in the Time Warner family.

And at a time when TW is frantically trying to remake AOL into an advertising play -- a briefing on the strategy is due today -- it has suddenly found new evidence for its argument that the Netco can produce exclusive and desirable content.

And apparently, the conglom isn't stopping now.

Officially, TMZ and its fewer than 20 staffers are pushing ahead as though it's business as usual, give or take the more than 40 interviews editor-in-chief Harvey Levin has given. On Tuesday it updated the site with more Gibson tidbits, as well as its typical mix of celebrity peeping and news shards.

But insiders said TMZ is using its sudden popularity to push ambitious media plans. They include pacts to syndicate its online offerings to print outlets as a kind of entertainment-news service, new deals for feeds to mobile phones and possibly even a pay TV deal.

And Telepictures prexy Jim Paratore, who oversees business initiatives for the site, acknowledges that the company will be beefing up internally by getting into more original production for the video sections of its site.

"This is the story we've been waiting for," he noted.

On Tuesday, there was more for TMZ to feast on. Gibson issued another mea culpa in which he said, "I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested." He noted, "I'm not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing."

Meanwhile, Tony Snow, answering a question about how President Bush feels about the Gibson incident at a White House press briefing, said, "The president believes in forgiving sins for all those who wish to be forgiven."

TMZ has continued to post Gibson news with gusto, dining out on the story long after it has moved into the mainstream.

The news cycle has created a particular kind of feedback loop that, supporters argue, offers a glimpse into how news will work in the 21st century: A host of dedicated sites, either as specialty arms of corporations or as independent outlets, call on their narrow expertise to break news for, and then benefit from, the wide reach of the mainstream media.

"The immediacy of the Internet lets us break stuff right away," said Paratore. "Then the mainstream press picks it up -- and funnels the traffic back to (us)."

But Time Warner's ability to push the content strategy is riddled with questions.

For all the bashing AOL takes as an outdated narrowband company, firm has shown an impressive facility for playing the niche game. It launched TMZ as an E! Online type of site last year. Around the same time, it acquired a collection of successful blogs that included tech blog Engadget and the parenting-centered BloggingBaby.

Still, the AOL brand is picking up some tarnish. Insiders said the AOL portal was only the fourth or fifth most popular way consumers reached TMZ's coverage of Gibson over the weekend.

And expansion can be a sucker's bet. When TheSmokingGun.com broke the news earlier this year that police records contradicted James Frey's memoir "A Million Little Pieces," owner Court TV talked about using the popularity to expand into television.

But the plans fizzled. A few months later, Court TV's ownership situation changed, execs departed and the Web site has gone back to doing low-profile work in a small corner of an expanding media universe.

AOL and Time Warner also are pushing forward with pre-existing plans to develop fashion and TV sections on the TMZ site.

But as TMZ expands, site must resolve complicated questions of identity.

It still projects uncertainty over whether it wants to appeal to an insider trade aud (the name stands for the obscure production term "30-mile zone") or the celebrity obsessions of an outsider crowd; a lead item Tuesday carried the "Entertainment Tonight"-like news about how "our cameras were outside the club Butter in New York City Monday night where we ran into Renee Zellweger, T.I., Vin Diesel and Spike Lee."

The Gibson story has found a way to trade on both. Will it last?

"It's a big moment for us to break a story like this. But I don't think it's the only moment," Levin said. "I really believe we can be the future of entertainment news."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117947821?categoryid=18&cs=1

Posted on Aug 2, 2006, 10:55 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Japanese TV Advertisers Turn Backs On Hollywood

....................................................................................................................................................

Japanese women walk past a huge poster of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Tokyo November 11, 2004

TOKYO (Hollywood Reporter) - In the beginning, there was Charles Bronson. He was followed by James Coburn, casually lighting up a cigarette, and Paul Newman behind the wheel of a Nissan.

By the mid-'80s, the floodgates opened and dozens of Hollywood's big-screen stars were selling products on Japan's small screens. America's top entertainment talent was hawking everything from Japanese Scotch to instant noodles, mobile phones and chewing gum.

But not anymore. The American face no longer sells so well in Japan, which has undergone a shift in advertising tactics to embrace its homegrown talents and Asian screen stars who have become more prominent in recent years.

"From the mid-1980s to the early '90s, Japan enjoyed a period of prosperity the like of which it had rarely experienced before, and Japanese companies also spent big on advertising," said Akihiko Sasamoto, Asian casting supervisor for advertising agency Hakuhodo Inc.

"Some companies tried to promote their eminence by landing Hollywood stars and other high-fee celebrities for the advertising," he said. "Those were the glory days for Hollywood stars in advertising in Japan."

Corporations were keen to have Harrison Ford quaff their beer or Sylvester Stallone heft a ham. Even the Muppets got in on the act by endorsing a broadband Internet service, and the Simpsons drank CC Lemon.

All that began to change when Japan's economic miracle suddenly hit the buffers in the late '90s. "Moving products became the issue, and moving housewives -- who actually hold the purse strings -- became the main thrust of marketing activities," Sasamoto said.

"For this reason, Japanese celebrities and Korean stars, who have been riding a wave in Japan recently and who are familiar to housewives here, appear much more frequently than Western stars," he added. "Korean and Taiwanese entertainment has been enjoying a boom in Japan in the last two or three years, and that boom is valuable because it offers the novelty of something that people have never had the opportunity of experiencing before."

Today, none of the big companies is willing to reveal how much they paid Hollywood's stars for their appearances or even release images that graced TV screens here.

The companies that previously employed Hollywood's biggest names, however, deny a deliberate change in policy.

"Each commercial is created based on the concept and the target for the product," said Kazushige Tsutaya, a spokesman for Osaka-based Nissin Food Products Co.

In the past, Nissin's adverts involved Arnold Schwarzenegger dressed as a superhero to promote instant noodles, as well as vintage footage of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

"The ads made a contribution to sales," Tsutaya said, "but today our mainstay brands are mostly presented by famous Japanese actors, actresses, models and musicians."

Sony prefers to let its products do the talking, according to spokesman Gerald Cavanagh, though it quickly saw the potential in one of the biggest Asian names to grace Japanese screens recently.

"Sony's approach to using domestic and foreign talent in commercials is perhaps a bit different from other companies," Cavanagh said. "We do it occasionally -- for example, we used the Korean actor Bae Yong-Joon in some digital imaging ads -- but generally we refrain.

"We usually put the product or technology center stage," he said.

A similar strategy is employed by Nissan, 25 years after Newman zipped around in a red Skyline in a campaign that saw the car dubbed the Newman Skyline.

"Our advertising is focused on our products and brand," said Steve Wilhite, head of global marketing at Nissan. "We do not rely on stars to sell our products and have not had any foreign actress appearing in our commercials in Japan since 1999. We do use Japanese stars from time to time, depending on the character of the model, but we mostly use ordinary people who represent our potential customers."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060802/media_nm/japan_dc;_ylt=Ajr2MxmfhQQZVW_bdxaVnuRxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Check out http://www.japander.com/japander/index.htm to see almost every celebrity hilariously sell out big time in Japan.

Posted on Aug 2, 2006, 10:54 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Official Report Cites Mel Gibson Remarks

....................................................................................................................................................

In this booking photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, actor-director Mel Gibson is seen in a booking photo taken Friday, July 28, 2006

LOS ANGELES - An official police report on Mel Gibson's arrest on drunken driving charges substantiates claims that he made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a deputy, a law enforcement official said Monday.

On Monday, sheriff's department officials sent prosecutors their case, which also says a tequila bottle was found in Gibson's car when he was pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Gibson had released a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for saying "despicable" things to sheriff's deputies when he was arrested, but he did not elaborate. The entertainment Web site http://www.TMZ.com had reported that the sheriff's department was considering eliminating the anti-Semitic remarks from its official report.

The report forwarded to prosecutors cites Gibson as making disparaging comments about Jews, according to the law enforcement official, but spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The district attorney's office confirmed prosecutors had received the case and it was under review. A tentative arraignment date was set for Sept. 28.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060731/ap_en_ot/gibson_remarks_14

Posted on Aug 1, 2006, 9:54 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Gibson Apologizes For Anti-Semitic Remarks

....................................................................................................................................................

In this photo released by Icon Distribution, director Mel Gibson, center, speaks on set during filming of his new film 'Apocalypto,' in Mexico

Mel Gibson's statement, released to the news media early Tuesday, five days after his drunken driving arrest in Malibu:

There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.

I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.

The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God's child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.

I'm not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.

I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realizing is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.

This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have. Its about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060801/ap_en_mo/gibson_remarks;_ylt=AlEz8WhbkHU8M9685J2ocmVxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Aug 1, 2006, 9:55 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

ABC Pulls Mel Gibson Holocaust Miniseries

....................................................................................................................................................

Actor-director Mel Gibson gestures during a news conference at Veracruz port in Mexico October 28, 2005

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The ABC television network said on Tuesday that it has pulled a miniseries about the Holocaust it was developing with Mel Gibson's production company.

The move came after Gibson was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early on Friday and was reported to have launched into a tirade against Jews, asking the arresting officer if he was a Jew and blaming the Jews for starting all wars.

The actor, who holds strong conservative Catholic religious and political views and whose father is a Holocaust denier, apologized on Saturday and has entered a rehabilitation program to treat alcoholism.

But the incident has raised questions about the future of projects Gibson and his Icon Productions company are working on.

A spokeswoman for ABC, which is owned by Walt Disney Co., said an ABC television miniseries based on a memoir about a Dutch Jew during World War II would not go ahead.

"Given that it has been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we have decided to no longer pursue this project with Icon," said spokeswoman Hope Hartland.

ABC did not give any further reason for its decision to drop the project and Hartland made no comment when asked if the decision was linked to Gibson's behavior at the weekend.

Disney's movie studio arm still plans to release Gibson's self-financed Mayan-language movie "Apocalypto" on December 8, Hollywood's trade papers reported.

The Web site http://www.slate.com quoted Walt Disney Studios President Oren Aviv as saying he accepted Gibson's apology.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060801/en_nm/gibson_abc_dc;_ylt=AmFid4FxB0U8B2Wcx62qNcxxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Aug 1, 2006, 9:56 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Casino Royale' Set Goes Up In Flames

....................................................................................................................................................

A plume of smoke billows from the set of the new James Bond film Casino Royale at Pinewood Studios located in Buck, England

Until now, upcoming Bond installment Casino Royale's greatest obstacle--aside from a script by Paul Haggis--was the new Bond himself, Daniel Craig, who seemed doomed from the start to weather the emasculating taunts of the British tabloid press. But now the production has come against a foe far greater than a Bond with uncharacteristically fair coloring and an inability to drive stick: A freak chain reaction has resulted in the studio containing all the Bond sets to burn to the ground.

A chain of explosions ripped through Pinewood Studios, in Bucks, after a welder's stray spark accidently set fire to plastic sheeting and ignited a cluster of gas canisters.
The blaze -- visible from ten miles away -- sent the roof caving in on Europe's biggest movie set, destroying a replica of the Italian city of Venice built as a backdrop for actor Daniel Craig.

It is the SECOND fire to burn an 007 set to the ground. But an insider said last night: "We came back before and we'll do it again. We're shaken, certainly, but not stirred."

While the damage won't affect the wrapped Royale, the next, already-greenlit installment will face considerable delays, unless of course producers use the misfortune to their advantage, and pit the spy against a cunning supervillain who will stop at nothing until he sets back the British motion picture industry several months at least.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/james-bond/casino-royale-set-goes-up-in-flames-191041.php

Posted on Aug 1, 2006, 9:52 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'House of Sand And Fog' Director Picks Great Weekend For Getting Arrested

....................................................................................................................................................

Vadim Perelman is seen after the preview screening of 'House of Sand and Fog' in this Dec. 18, 2003 file photo at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York

If you were a filmmaker involved in a barroom brawl that resulted in your being arrested on third-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual assault charges, you really couldn't have wished for a better weekend for such embarrassing shenanigans to occur. While Mel Gibson distracted the media with his tequila-enabled thoughts on sugar-titted law enforcement officials (and that somewhat less quotable stuff about Jews and wars) , The House of Sand and Fog director Vadim Perelman found himself accused of alcohol-fueled fisticuffs and unwelcome assgrabbery in Norwalk, Connecticut. Reports Greenwich Time:

Perelman allegedly grabbed two women's buttocks and punched one of them in the face at Rain Ultralounge & Sushi Bar, 112 Washington St., according to police. He was arrested early last Saturday and released on $5,000 bond for a court appearance next week.
Perelman's attorney, Paul Callan of Manhattan, yesterday said he had not seen official court documents about the allegations, but that the case involves "minor, misdemeanor charges" stemming from a barroom scuffle.

Perelman intends to plead not guilty and looks forward to being exonerated, his attorney said.

"Vadim adamantly denies being involved in any kind of a sexual assault," Callan said. "My understanding is . . . there were a large number of people crowded together . . . so it was a confusing situation involving a barroom scuffle, and there was never any intent by Vadim to touch anyone inappropriately."

The story has more details on how the "scuffle" unfolded, but it seems like any bar fight so ugly that a director accidentally punches an underage girl in the face and unintentionally winds up touching a pair of asses really could have benefited from the involvement of an experienced stunt coordinator. We're sure Perelman's next brawl with the Connecticut locals will be a more elegantly choreographed affair, not another amateurish, chaotic blur of flying fists and randomly grabby hands.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/celebrity-jurisprudence/house-of-sand-and-fog-director-picks-great-weekend-for-getting-arrested-191063.php

Posted on Aug 1, 2006, 9:51 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Gibson's Remarks In Spotlight After Arrest

....................................................................................................................................................

Actor-director Mel Gibson is shown at a news conference in Veracruz, Mexico in this October 28, 2005 file photograph

LOS ANGELES - Despite an apology by Mel Gibson, Hollywood insiders and the star's fans sought more details about his reported anti-Semitic tirade during an arrest for drunken driving and whether sheriff's deputies gave him preferential treatment.

Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, would not elaborate beyond an apology Gibson issued Saturday in which the star admitted he uttered "despicable" things to deputies.

A leaked arrest report quoted Gibson as saying "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asking an arresting officer, James Mee, "Are you a Jew?"

The entertainment Web site TMZ posted the document, which it said was four pages from the original arrest report. Sheriff's officials have declined to comment on Gibson's alleged remarks.

The Office of Independent Review, a department watchdog panel, has opened an investigation into whether authorities tried to cover up Gibson's alleged inflammatory comments, said its chief attorney, Mike Gennaco.

"Assuming that the report was excised, then the question is was it done for a good reason within regulations," he said.

Gibson, a Roman Catholic, has filmed public service announcements for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca's relief committee dressed in a sheriff's uniform.

"There is no cover-up," Baca told the Los Angeles Times. "Trying someone on rumor and innuendo is no way to run an investigation, at least one with integrity."

Gibson was arrested after deputies stopped his 2006 Lexus LS 430 for speeding at 2:36 a.m. Friday. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said deputies clocked him doing 87 mph in a 45 mph zone.

A breath test indicated Gibson's blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent, Whitmore said. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.

Gibson posted $5,000 bail and was released hours later.

In his statement, Gibson said he has struggled with alcoholism and had taken steps "to ensure my return to health."

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Gibson's apology "unremorseful and insufficient."

On Sunday, some in Hollywood debated whether Gibson's career could recover from the scandal.

"It's a nuclear disaster for him," said publicist Michael Levine, who has represented Michael Jackson and Charlton Heston, among others. "I don't see how he can restore himself."

But Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, said filmgoers could overlook the alleged ugly comments if a future Gibson film was perceived as worthwhile.

"Usually it comes down to the marketing of the movie and does the average person want to see the film," Dergarabedian said.

Gibson, 50, won a best-director Academy Award for 1995's "Braveheart," and also starred in the "Lethal Weapon" and "Mad Max" films, among others,

In recent years, he has turned his attention to producing films and TV shows through his Icon Productions. His last major starring role was in the 2002 film "Signs." He played a supporting part in the 2003 film, "The Singing Detective," which he also produced.

The hundreds of millions of dollars he made producing the 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ" has given the star the ability to finance his own films, giving him a measure of independence from the major studios.

Days before the release of "The Passion of the Christ," Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, sparked controversy when he told an interviewer that the Holocaust was mostly "fiction."

His next project is "Apocalypto," a movie about the decline of the Mayan empire that is being distributed by The Walt Disney Co.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060731/ap_en_mo/gibson_remarks;_ylt=ArohMoTUkB534kIlhYWR9ZlxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Jul 31, 2006, 9:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

EXCLUSIVE: Gibson Skated Twice Before

....................................................................................................................................................
TMZ has learned that Mel Gibson has been stopped for reckless driving two other times in Malibu but he was allowed to leave without a ticket or arrest.

As TMZ first reported, Gibson was arrested on Friday for suspicion of driving under the influence on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu -- driving 87 miles an hour. As we reported, the deputy who arrested Gibson was ordered to sanitize his arrest report to make it appear that Gibson's arrest was "without incident." In fact, The report states Gibson was abusive, violent and vulgar, and even attempted to escape.

TMZ has confirmed that approximately three years ago, Gibson was driving 74 miles per hour on Pacific Coast Highway, one mile from his house, when he was pulled over by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy. Sources say Gibson avoided eye contact with the deputy during the stop and even though the deputy was suspicious of Gibson's sobriety, he let him go.

Approximately one year ago Gibson was stopped again, after driving 64 miles an hour on Pacific Coast Highway -- where the speed limit is 45. Sources say that Gibson was so cocky that he was on his cell phone the entire time he was detained by the deputy. Ultimately, the deputy decided to let him go without giving him a citation.

And there's new information about Friday's arrest.

As TMZ reported, the deputy who arrested Gibson was ordered by superiors to re-write his report and eliminate all references to Gibson's bad conduct and anti-Semitic remarks. Sources tell TMZ that Lt. Crystal Miranda told the arresting deputy that Captain Tom Martin talked to Sheriff Lee Baca who expressed concern that the explosive report might leak to the media and that it needed to be re-written in a sanitized form.

Sources say Gibson, who was pulled over early Friday morning for allegedly crossing lanes at a high speed, told the arresting deputy that he was leaving home just after 2 a.m. and heading to his brother's house. The arresting deputy found a bottle of tequila in the car, 3/4 full, in a brown paper bag. We're told that Gibson told the deputy that the bottle wasn't his but, "I've had a little bit."

We're also told that Gibson, who issued a statement over the weekend, suggesting he was not of sound mind when he uttered the anti-Semitic tirade and engaged in abusive behavior, was not in fact "out of it." Sources connected with the case tell TMZ that Gibson was drunk but was in control of his senses. At one point at the Sheriff's station, sources say Gibson was "jumping like a monkey" on a steel cage and told the arresting deputy, "I'm not going to hurt you physically. I'm gonna hurt you. I'm gonna make you lose."

We're also told that deputies at the Sheriff's station were star struck by Gibson and a number of them went to Gibson's holding cell to get a look of the star. The problem for the Sheriff's department -- there's a mounted camera in the station and the deputies can be seen fawning over the actor. Sheriff's officials have called some of the officers who were caught on tape in and warned them they might be subject to discipline.

As TMZ reported, the arresting deputy was ordered by officials to take out references to Gibson's bad behavior. We're told the altered report makes no mention of the fact that Gibson attempted to flee the scene by running to his car to escape. We're also told that the officer checked a box on the report that Gibson was "belligerent." Ironically, even though officials did not order the deputy to remove that reference, they did order him to re-write the report to eliminate all references to the supporting evidence leading the officer to believe Gibson was indeed "belligerent."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/31/exclusive-gibson-skated-two-times-before/

Posted on Jul 31, 2006, 9:49 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Gibson Has Had Better Weekends

....................................................................................................................................................
We're willing to bet that when news of Mel Gibson's DUI bust in Malibu early Friday became public later that day, the still-hungover actor probably had no idea that he would soon remember that initial report of his arrest as one of the happier, more carefree moments of his recent life. Since then, the simple story of "celebrity ingests too much alcohol, drives automobile too fast, and gets semi-embarrassing slap on the wrist from law enforcement officials of rich beach community" has become one of "celebrity ingests too much alcohol, drives automobile too fast, tries to run away from law enforcement officials attempting to give him semi-embarrassing slap on the wrist, is easily recaptured by law enforcement officials, threatens to commit act of sexual aggression against law enforcement officials, claims to own the rich beach community which employs law enforcement officials, promises to use vast financial resources to gain revenge upon law enforcement officials [Ed.note--Deep breath, here come the good parts], expresses belief that people of the Jewish faith are responsible for entirety of armed global conflict, tries to ascertain if law enforcement officials are members of the Jewish faith, notices presence of female law enforcement official, refers to female law enforcement official by epithet suggesting that her mammaries are made of sugar, pantomimes intention to urinate on floor of holding cell, and attempts to destroy malfunctioning phone when it fails to provide a dial tone for his legally mandated post-arrest call."

If by now you're wondering what the hell we're talking about, http://www.TMZ.com narrates the above events in more straightforward fashion:

As the two stood next to the hood of the patrol car, the deputy asked Gibson to get inside. Deputy Mee then walked over to the passenger door and opened it. The report says Gibson then said, "I'm not going to get in your car," and bolted to his car. The deputy quickly subdued Gibson, cuffed him and put him inside the patrol car. [...]
Once inside the car, a source directly connected with the case says Gibson began banging himself against the seat. The report says Gibson told the deputy, "You mother f****r. I'm going to f*** you." The report also says "Gibson almost continually [sic] threatened me saying he 'owns Malibu' and will spend all of his money to 'get even' with me."

The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"

The deputy became alarmed as Gibson's tirade escalated, and called ahead for a sergeant to meet them when they arrived at the station. When they arrived, a sergeant began videotaping Gibson, who noticed the camera and then said, "What the f*** do you think you're doing?"

A law enforcement source says Gibson then noticed another female sergeant and yelled, "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?" [...]

After leaving the bathroom, Gibson then demanded to make a phone call. He was taken to a pay phone and, when he didn't get a dial tone, we're told Gibson threw the receiver against the phone. Deputy Mee then warned Gibson that if he damaged the phone he could be charged with felony vandalism. We're told Gibson was then asked, and refused, to sign the necessary paperwork and was thrown in a detox cell.

Of course, there's the small matter that the Malibu police might have initially covered up this fun little story to avoid precisely the uproar that is now unfolding over Gibson's interesting opinions on Jews and wars. And then the part about how Gibson was reportedly let go from two previous reckless driving stops without a citation, incidents whose more desirable outcomes presumably did not require anti-Semitic remarks or offers to punitively copulate with the officers who pulled him over.

To his credit, when faced with a public relations crisis that could only be worse if it had ended with Gibson lighting his car on fire and driving it into a synagogue, the actor did release a public statement of apology in which he blamed the nasty things he said and did on his alcoholism, not on the tiny Jews who order airstrikes on Beirut from their secret base inside his head.

See you in the morning, when Mel Gibson Monday, in which each person in Hollywood will be contacted individually by scores of media outlets to provide an opinion on how this incident might affect Gibson's career, kicks off in earnest.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://defamer.com/hollywood/top/mel-gibson-has-had-better-weekends-190848.php

Posted on Jul 31, 2006, 9:50 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Boy George Ordered To Pick Up Trash In Aug. Heat

....................................................................................................................................................

Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, exits Manhattan criminal court, in this March 8, 2006 file picture taken in New York

NEW YORK - Boy George will perform his court-ordered community service by picking up trash on city streets in the August heat, a sanitation spokesman said.

The one-time Culture Club singer will be issued a shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves when he reports Aug. 14 for five days of work, said department spokesman Vito Turso.

"This is the epitome of community service," Turso told the Daily News for Monday editions. "It's not like he's going to be working in an air-conditioned office."

Born George O'Dowd, the 45-year-old singer has struggled with drug problems for years. He was ordered to do community service after pleading guilty in March to false reporting of an incident. He called police with a bogus report of a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment in October, and the responding officers found cocaine inside.

Turso's statement was the first indication of what sort of work the singer would be given. He could be assigned to pick up streets in Chinatown, Little Italy, Nolita or parts of the Lower East Side.

O'Dowd became an '80s icon with his androgynous appearance and vocals on hits such as "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" A Manhattan judge threatened the singer with jail time if he failed to complete his five days of community service before Aug. 28.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060731/ap_en_mu/boy_george;_ylt=AmhkM64OW55dCzDtyV1D3whxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Posted on Jul 31, 2006, 9:47 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Lindsay Lohan Parties On -- Ignores Studio "Advice"

....................................................................................................................................................

After a scathing letter from the studio head of her latest movie, detailing her lack of professionalism, one would think the starlet would stop, or at least slow, her partying ways. Lindsay proved everyone wrong though by heading to Vegas this weekend and hitting up Hollywood hot spot Hyde last night, continuing her streak of late nights.

Lindsay was spotted in the club's parking lot, hugging and talking with friends. She later drove away in her black Mercedes with an unidentified male in the passenger seat.

James G. Robinson, the CEO of Morgan Creek Productions, in a letter to Lohan that was leaked to the press, called her "...discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional" and went on to say that her actions are those of a spoiled child which has caused her co-workers to feel alienated and "has endangered the quality of this picture."

Lindsay's mother, Dina, has since come to her daughter's aid, saying the letter was "too much" and that Lindsay is "a wonderful child."
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/31/lindsay-parties-on-ignores-studio-advice/

Posted on Jul 31, 2006, 9:45 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Gibson Arrested For DUI

..........................................................................................................................................................

Actor-director Mel Gibson is shown at a news conference in Veracruz, Mexico in this October 28, 2005 file photograph

If pain, as Mel Gibson has said, is "the precursor to change," then the Oscar-winning star may be bound for a new direction

Gibson, 50, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at 2:36 a.m. Friday in Malibu, according to authorities and online records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The actor-director was zooming along Pacific Coast Highway in a 2006 Lexus sedan, going about 80 mph, when he was pulled over by deputies, Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the sheriff's department said.

Gibson's blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.12, Whitmore said; the legal limit in California is 0.08.

The star was booked, and later released from custody, Whitmore said. His bail was set at $5,000, online records show.

Gibson's bail was set at $5,000, online records show.

"We don't have any information on [the arrest], but are checking into it," said Alan Nierob, Gibson's publicist.

This is at least the second DUI arrest for Gibson, though the first since he was widely reported to have begun attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the early 1990s. The earlier DUI bust occurred in 1984 in Toronto, where Gibson was filming Mrs. Soffel with Diane Keaton.

Twenty years ago, Gibson responded to his troubles by stepping back from his movie career.

"I wasn't channeling the energy properly," Gibson said in a 2004 CNN profile on the star. "It was too much in the race, and I didn't have enough petrol, but I was going for the finish line anyway."

When Gibson returned to Hollywood, his demons weren't far behind. By 1991, he told ABC News, he thought about jumping out a window.

"I just didn't want to go on," Gibson said.

His problems, Gibson explained, were "spiritual bankruptcy"--and addiction.

"I would get addicted to anything, anything at all," Gibson told ABC News. "Doesn't matter what it is--drugs, booze, anything. You name it--coffee, cigarettes, anything."

Gibson, who went on to win two Oscars for Braveheart, talked up his low points while stumping for 2004's The Passion of the Christ, the gory account of Jesus' final hours. Gibson, who wrote and directed the self-financed epic, said he pursued the biblical tale after reconnecting with his religion and turning his life around.

Last appearing on the big screen in 2004's Paparazzi, the erstwhile Lethal Weapon is scheduled to unveil his latest film as a director, Apocalypto, in December.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060729/en_celeb_eo/19622

Posted on Jul 29, 2006, 9:12 AM
from IP address 70.34.204.42

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Harry Potter' Actor To Be Naked On Stage

....................................................................................................................................................

British actor Daniel Radcliffe arrives for the 2006 Empire Film Awards in London, in a Monday March 13, 2006 file photo

LONDON - Daniel Radcliffe will strip off his Harry Potter eyeglasses and robes for his London stage debut next year.

The 17-year-old actor, who plays the bespectacled schoolboy wizard in the Hollywood adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels, will star as a troubled stableboy in Peter Shaffer's "Equus."

The play delves into the psyche of a boy named Alan Strang who blinds six horses with a metal spike. The production is scheduled to open next March in the West End theater district, said spokesman Peter Thompson.

"It is an extraordinary play, and he's very much looking forward to the role," Radcliffe's spokeswoman, Vanessa Davies, said Friday. "He is maturing as an actor and beginning to take on new and challenging roles."

In one scene the actor playing Strang is required to simulate sexual ecstasy while riding a horse naked. But Davies said nudity was not the focus of the play.

Richard Griffiths, who plays Harry's Uncle Vernon in the films, is lined up to play the psychiatrist who interviews the troubled youth.

Radcliffe is now filming "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth installment in Harry's adventures, and recently finished shooting "December Boys," the story of four orphans who compete for adoption.

"Equus" opened in 1973 at London's National Theatre, before a successful run on Broadway starring Anthony Hopkins. Richard Burton starred in a 1977 film adaptation.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_en_ot/people_daniel_radcliffe;_ylt=AkUPMr3H.GjtqEy8DOSIKjtxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Posted on Jul 28, 2006, 10:54 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Miss Universe Explains Fainting Spell

....................................................................................................................................................

Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza,18, of Puerto Rico, poses for photographs in Los Angeles, Monday, July 24, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza is back on her feet after being crowned Miss Universe 2006 and fainting under hot lights and the weight of a dress made entirely of metal chains.

"What happened was that it was hard to breathe and the dress was very tight and weighed a lot," Rivera told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Rivera briefly fainted after posing for pictures and taking questions at a post-pageant news conference Sunday night. She was given liquids and quickly recovered.

Her fainting spell was also caused by the heat, the lights and the emotional rush of winning � not from a lack of food, as some had speculated, she said.

"I eat very well," Rivera told the AP. "My nutritionist ordered me to eat six times a day."

The 18-year-old communications student and aspiring actress has been studying English for seven months. She spoke entirely in Spanish at the Miss Universe ceremony, and during the interview.

"Spanish is an extremely romantic language that can make any person fall in love with you," she said. "And that's what I wanted to create with the jury, to be able to make them fall in love through my native language."

Rivera, the fifth winner from Puerto Rico in the pageant's history, described herself as a "boricua" � slang for Puerto Rican � who doesn't favor statehood or independence for her Caribbean island home, which has been a U.S. Commonwealth since 1952.

"I don't go for either stance," said Rivera, who nonetheless defends Puerto Rico's separate status from the U.S. in the Miss Universe competition.

"If we were to compete as a normal state of the United States you would lose the charm of the beauty of Puerto Rico," she said. "Puerto Rican beauty ... is totally different from American beauty."

Her first planned stop after winning the Miss Universe crown was Japan. Then it's off to Indonesia and South Africa, visits that should be confirmed before September, a representative said.
....................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060727/ap_on_en_ot/miss_universe;_ylt=Ak_pfVm7v6tLoWY7Q5IkaINxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

It just sounds like she won Miss Universe because she's the type of girl that will get ribs removed, or cut off toes, squeeze into corsets to look good and faint all over the place. It's weird.

Posted on Jul 28, 2006, 10:52 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Find more forums on Classic Rock

Create your own forum at Network54