Oh! You Pretty Things!

Message Board

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

Click to go to Variety Click to to to The Hollywood Reporter Click to go to Yahoo! Entertainment News Click to see CNN's News Page

Variety The Hollywood Reporter Yahoo! news CNN World News

Beatles Coming Together Online

by

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

The Beatles prior to the their first appearance in Chicago, September 1964


Apple Corps, the music company formed by the Fab Four to control their music and business empire, has confirmed plans to digitally remaster the band's entire catalog and, for the first time, make it available for download via online stores.

The news surfaced in testimony by Neil Aspinall, the Beatles' former road manager who's now managing director of Apple Corps, in the company's trademark lawsuit against Apple Computers in London.

In a written statement submitted earlier this month, Aspinall told the High Court that surviving members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon (Yoko Ono) and George Harrison (Olivia Harrison) had been taking a wait-and-see approach to Web-based distribution. They decided that before jumping on the online bandwagon--which accounted for a whopping $1.1 billion last year, they wanted to digitally polish the 40-year-old songs. (The Beatles have been famously technology-shy, having waited years after CDs were widely available to release their albums on disc.)

"We're remastering the whole Beatles catalog, just to make it sound brighter and better and getting proper booklets to go with each of the packages," Aspinall explained. "I think it would be wrong to offer downloads of the old masters when I am making new masters. It would be better to wait and try to do them both simultaneously so that you then get publicity of the new masters and the downloading, rather than just doing it ad hoc."

A rep for London-based Apple Corps has confirmed the company is in talks with various Internet music services, but said there was no firm timetable. There was no comment on whether one of those services would be Apple's iTunes Music Store--by far the most popular online service; but given the litigious history between the companies, such a deal might seem like a pipe dream at this point.

Apples Corps is claiming that Apple Computers' iTunes violates a 1991 settlement in which the computer company agreed not to go into the music business. Apple Corps claims Apple Computers' logo is too similar. Apple Computers, which was named in honor of the Beatles' company, asserts that the 1991 agreement only covered physical media--like CDs, tapes and records--and did not extend to digital delivery.

The trademark trial concluded on Apr. 6 and a ruling is expected later this month.

Meanwhile, Daily Variety reports that Apple Corps is working on remastering a batch of previously unreleased Beatles tunes to be used as background music for a new Cirque du Soleil show at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The launch of the show will reportedly be accompanied by the release of an album of "completely new music."

Famed Beatles producer George Martin told the trade that the recordings were made during the band's Abbey Road sessions and were relegated to the vaults before being unearthed for the circus project.

"I think we will achieve a real sense of drama with the music," Martin said. "The audience will feel as though they are actually in the room with the band."

The remastering is being supervised by McCartney and Starr, with Ono and Olivia Harrison ultimately having sign-off powers.

The Cirque du Soleil production is expected to debut this summer. No word when the purported album will hit stores.

The last time the Beatles reworked old tracks for release was in 1995, when "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" appeared as singles on the group's Anthology collection.

This week also saw the release of The Beatles: The Capitol Albums Vol. 2, a four-disc box set featuring the U.S. versions of four mid-1960s Beatles releases--The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help! and Rubber Soul.

Finally, in related news, Michael Jackson is close to selling off a portion of the Beatles' song catalog to stave off bankruptcy. (While Apple Corps oversees the band's business interests and controls release of Beatles music through EMI, Jackson owns the Beatles songbook and oversees use of the actual songs.)

Per the New York Times, the erstwhile King of Pop would sell Sony the option to purchase half of his stake in the Beatles catalog in exchange for obtaining a loan that would help him remain solvent. Sony already has a 50 percent stake in the catalog through an earlier deal with Jackson, and if the company exercises its option, it would control 75 percent.

Jackson outbid McCartney in 1985 for the rights to the ATV catalog, which includes 251 Beatle compositions, paying $48 million. Today, the same catalog is worth an estimated $1 billion.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060417/en_music_eo/18794;_ylt=AgNpJ1awLIrGynwkTZg0YKpxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 17, 2006, 9:44 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters Dies

by

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

Singer June Pointer, youngest of the Pointer Sisters pop group, is seen here in 2002-- Singer June Pointer (C), youngest of the Pointer Sisters pop group, is shown in this undated publicity photograph


LOS ANGELES - June Pointer, the youngest of the singing Pointer Sisters known for the 1970s and 1980s hits "I'm So Excited," "Fire," and "Slow Hand," has died, her family said Wednesday. She was 52.

Pointer died of cancer Tuesday at Santa Monica University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, the family said in a statement. She had been hospitalized since late February and the type of cancer wasn't disclosed.

She died "in the arms of her sisters, Ruth and Anita and her brothers, Aaron and Fritz, by her side," the family statement read. "Although her sister, Bonnie, was unable to be present, she was with her in spirit."

The Pointer Sisters began as a quartet in the early 1970s with sisters Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June. The group became a trio when Bonnie embarked on a solo career.

The group's hits also included "He's So Shy," "Automatic" and "Jump (For My Love)."

The sisters, along with their two older brothers, grew up singing in the choir of an Oakland church where their parents were ministers.

Bonnie and June formed a singing duo and began performing in clubs around the San Francisco Bay area. Anita and Ruth later joined the group and together, they sang backup for Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs and Elvin Bishop, among others.

Their first, self-titled album, "The Pointer Sisters," debuted in 1973 and the song "Yes We Can Can" became their first hit. They followed up with the album "That's A Plenty," which featured an eclectic mix of musical styles ranging from jazz to country and pop. They won the first of their three Grammy awards in 1974 for best country vocal performance by a group for the song "Fairytale."

Bonnie left the group in 1977, and the sisters recorded several more albums, scoring several hit songs that became identified as the soundtrack of the 1980s.

The successful 1984 album "Break Out" earned two Grammy awards for the songs "Automatic" and "Jump (For My Love)." The album's other hit song, "Neutron Dance," was prominently featured in the movie "Beverly Hills Cop."

June recorded two solo albums, and later left the trio.

Anita and Ruth still perform under the group's name. Ruth's daughter, Issa Pointer, is the trio's newest member.

Two years ago, June Pointer was charged with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor possession of a smoking device. She was ordered to a rehabilitation facility.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_en_mu/obit_pointer;_ylt=AgDMwIOz4hzTPO6WMbxxKi1xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 13, 2006, 9:04 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mobs Rampage In Bangalore, Inda After Beloved Local Actor Rajkumar Dies

by

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

Thousands of people surround the vehicle carrying the body of veteran film actor Rajkumar in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, April 13, 2006 -- A man walks past a burning bus on a street in the southern Indian city of Bangalore April 13, 2006


BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - Mobs torched buses, attacked company offices and stoned police on the streets of India's technology hub on Thursday ahead of the funeral of film icon Rajkumar, whose death has triggered widespread mourning.

Police said a man died of bullet injuries as officers opened fire in self-defense after a their bus came under attack. "A man died in hospital due to bullet injuries," Additional Commissioner of Police Gopal Hosur told Reuters.

Officers had earlier retaliated with tear gas and baton-charges as thousands converged on a stadium in Bangalore, home to major Indian and international technology firms, where the actor's body had been put on view in a transparent coffin.

The state government of Karnataka announced a public holiday, as authorities prepared for Rajkumar's cremation later on Thursday at a film studio on the city's outskirts.

Police said stone throwing incidents were reported as the funeral procession wound its way through the city.

The cortege was being taken to the cremation spot in a massive procession accompanied by three of Rajkumar's sons -- Shivaraj, Raghavendra and Puneet, all of whom are actors.

Schools, shops, cinema halls were shut for the day and few buses were running.

Leading IT companies -- including Wipro, iGATE and Infosys, India's second-largest software company, along with multinationals Microsoft, Dell Inc and IBM -- said they would stay closed for the rest of Thursday.

"Most companies are forced to close. Nobody wants to take a chance," an official at a multinational firm told Reuters on the condition that that the person and company not be named. "Offices that are open get stoned. This is bad for Bangalore's international image."

Offices belonging to AXA, a leading French insurance firm, and Microsoft were pelted with stones, company officials told Reuters.

Appeal For Calm

Police had to cane unruly fans surging to have a glimpse of their icon as they attempted to restore order at the stadium while thousands of fans, including women and children, stood in long queues to pay homage.

At least 10 police officers had been injured, and 50 to 70 vehicles had been vandalized, police said.

Some were bemused by the violence.

"It is a natural death. Why are the fans getting violent? It is out of fear people are closing shops," said a street vendor near one of the city's main bus terminals.

The death of Rajkumar, aged 77, following a heart attack, has sent emotions soaring in the city.

"Our hero is dead. Annavaru (elder brother) was our inspiration," said Hanumanthaiah, a fan paying his last respects at the stadium. "The government should erect a memorial in his honor."

Drivers pasted pictures of the actor to their windows in the hope of avoiding the mob's attention.

Cable television companies blocked entertainment channels to mark a day of mourning. The president of India's main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, decided to skip the Karnataka leg of his high-profile campaign tour.

Karnataka's chief minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, appealed for calm. "By resorting to violence, you will only be showing disrespect to the great actor," he said.

Rajkumar starred in more than 200 Kannada-language films over five decades. He soon gained a fiercely devoted following amongst fans for roles ranging from police to gods.

He found fame outside his home state of Karnataka after being kidnapped by notorious jungle bandit Veerappan in 2000. He spent 108 days at Veerappan's hideout before a release was negotiated.

News of his death on Wednesday sparked an initial wave of violence across the city, as mobs torched and stoned vehicles and businesses, including a Microsoft research institute.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060413/film_nm/india_violence_dc;_ylt=AiO4kO8Mo4iqHB_pYzDa09FxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 13, 2006, 9:03 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Despite Heavy Criticism, Kevin Spacey Vows To Keep Running London Theater Until 2014

by

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

Actor Kevin Spacey poses as he arrives at the 2005 Palm Springs Film Festival Gala dinner in Palm Springs, California in this January 8, 2005 file photo


LONDON (Reuters) - Hollywood star Kevin Spacey pledged on Thursday to keep running the Old Vic despite a mauling from critics and questions over why the theater may stand empty for the next five months.

"My commitment has never been stronger. This stuff makes it even stronger," the Oscar-winning artistic director of the renowned London theater company told Reuters.

With box office receipts sliding, The Old Vic's production of Arthur Miller's "Resurrection Blues" closes on Saturday, a week earlier than planned.

The next play currently scheduled at the theater, made famous by Laurence Olivier, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton among others, is a production in September of Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten," starring Spacey himself.

An unrepentant Spacey, who has been in the job for two years, came out fighting against theater critics who tore into the Miller play, directed by Hollywood veteran Robert Altman, for its "blazing ineptitude."

"People calling for my resignation because of the plays we put on is the height of arrogance," he said. "The critics don't own the theater. I find it galling that they ask for my resignation because they don't like what we do.

"It is upsetting when I have come to this country to do some good and bring some life back to a theater with a chequered past.

"I am not asking for a free ride but I also don't believe people have the right to deliberately undermine the work we are doing."

Among the critics of Spacey's management was the London Evening Standard's Nicholas de Jongh who asked "Is it time for Kevin Spacey to hand over his crown?"

Snorting with derision, Spacey said that taking advice from de Jongh on how to run a theater was "like taking advice on war strategy from Donald Rumsfeld."

He said that more than 425,000 people had been to the Old Vic in the past two years.

"I have tried very hard not to be dragged into this debate with 11 or 12 journalists. If you put them in one row, you wouldn't fill a theater," he added.

Spacey, who has won Oscars for his roles in "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty," said he was being put under a bigger microscope than any other artistic director at a London theater.

"We ought to be judged on a level playing field. It takes a long time for any theater company to find out what its strengths and weaknesses are," he said.

Among the Old Vic's big box office successes were Spacey starring in Shakespeare's Richard II and classic actor Ian McKellen dressing up in drag to play a Christmas pantomime dame in Aladdin.

When he took over the historic theater in September, 2004, Spacey pledged himself to a decade at the helm.

"This is a 10-year commitment. I am now more determined than ever," he said, promising to announce a new raft of productions for the autumn.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060413/stage_nm/arts_spacey_dc;_ylt=AlJOw33hLO2l1zh6p1E6rtFxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 13, 2006, 9:02 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Britney Spears Visited By Law Officers

by

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

Britney Spears is seen here in February 2006 driving with her son Sean Preston in her lap -- Artist Daniel Edwards poses by his sculpture 'Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston' during the opening night reception Friday, April 7, 2006 in New York


MALIBU, Calif. - Child welfare officials and a sheriff's deputy visited Britney Spears' home because her infant son was accidentally dropped from a high chair, according to published reports.

Six-month-old Sean Preston fell April 1 as his nanny was lifting him from the high chair and something in the chair snapped, Star magazine reported Tuesday. The infant slipped from her arms and fell, bruising his head on the floor, the magazine said.

People magazine and the Los Angeles Times also reported the incident on Wednesday.

Though a doctor examined the baby at the house, Spears and husband Kevin Federline took the baby to the emergency room to have him examined six days later, People said.

Spears' attorney, Martin Singer, said in a statement that the hospital made a report to the Department of Children and Family Services as required by state law.

"DCFS immediately responded and determined there was no problem and no reason to open a formal investigation. They determined that the parents weren't involved in the injury and nothing was improper within the home," he said.

The Los Angeles DCFS and the Lost Hills sheriff's station declined to give details of Saturday's visit, and would not say if there was an ongoing investigation. DCFS public-affairs director Louise Grasmehr didn't return a phone message left Tuesday at her Los Angeles office. The department routinely refuses to discuss cases, citing confidentiality laws.

"It's a very standard, routine patrol request," Lt. Debra Glaskides said Tuesday. "We just roll out with them. We stood by, we took no action, no report or anything."

In February, DCFS visited Spears' home after publication of photographs showing the 24-year-old singer driving with then 4-month-old Sean Preston in her lap, rather than in a car seat as required by law.

Spears later apologized, saying she did it because of a "horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_en_mu/people_britney_spears;_ylt=ApfVHOr4uJdZxNxzzetfdNJxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 12, 2006, 8:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Pete Doherty Misses London Court Date

by

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

British rock singer Pete Doherty climbs over a wall as he leaves Thames Magistrates court in London March 23, 2006 -- British rock singer Pete Doherty drives away from Thames Magistrates court in London March 23, 2006


LONDON - Pete Doherty failed to appear at a London court Wednesday for a review of his progress in drug rehabilitation.

Doherty's representatives told Thames Magistrates' Court that he had been unable to return from Paris, where his group, Babyshambles, had played a concert Tuesday night.

The case was adjourned until May 12.

Doherty, 27, was sentenced in February to 12 months of community service and ordered to submit to regular drug tests after pleading guilty to drug offenses.

He faces an April 20 appearance in the same court on separate drug charges. Doherty pleaded guilty last month to seven charges of possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana.

His drug problems gained international attention after a newspaper published photos of then-girlfriend Kate Moss allegedly using cocaine at a music studio where Doherty and Babyshambles were recording.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_en_mu/people_doherty;_ylt=AtsRivFP3GO517pbWhDlCQtxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 12, 2006, 8:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

NY Times To Unwind Its Gossip Page

by

..........................................................................................................................................................
NY Post scandal a buzz killer

Even as the entertainment world wrings its hands over the New York Post's Page Six scandal, a gossip column at another NY paper is facing the ax.

The New York Times is making plans to terminate its own gossip section, Boldface Names, dispatching topper Campbell Robertson to the theater desk in the Arts section.

The Times created Boldface Names, a daily column that ran in the paper's metro section, in part as a response to the success of Page Six. But it struggled to define itself as a section that would feed the appetite for gossip created by the tabs while continuing to speak with the broadsheet's traditional voice.

Hollywood's publicity pros, meanwhile, reacted with fascination -- and, in some cases, glee -- over the Post controversy, in which gossip columnist Jared Paul Stern is alleged to have solicited payments from billionaire Ron Burkle in exchange for not running negative items about him. Stern has been suspended from the paper, though no criminal charges have been filed.

The publicists said they would make only minor tweaks in managing the complicated relationship between celebs and the columns. Many took pleasure in recalling their own experiences when they say Page Six ran an inaccurate article or didn't check on an item before publication. One publicist expressed a mixture of satisfaction and disbelief at the scandal -- and then launched into a recollection of when the column had done her wrong.

But among the mavens, there was little strategizing taking place -- largely because of the belief that the scandal would change little about the typical gossip column's reporting methods, which can involve negotiation and aggressiveness beyond the normal standards of reporting.

"Will this affect things? Temporarily," said premier Hollywood publicist Pat Kingsley. "Remember when Princess Di (was killed) and they said this is the end of paparazzi as we know it? How long did that last?"

The blogs and gossip columns -- and especially the Post's Page Six -- have increasingly served as both a publicist's best friend and worst enemy. On Tuesday, insiders said the DNA of pop culture could inhibit any changes the paper could make.

"People love gossip, no matter what, going all the way back to the ancient Greeks," said Steven Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy. "People read Page Six as much for entertainment as anything else, and the paper is not going to stop giving that to them."

The perception that the tabs won't change their methods may explain why even celebs known to be antagonistic to gossip coverage were pointedly staying away from the controversy.

George Clooney recently suggested stars' reps swamp Gawker.com's Gawker Stalker ( http://www.gawker.com/stalker/ ), which lets fans post sightings of their stars and track them on maps, and has led boycotts of tabloid news shows.

But Clooney has stayed mum so far on the Post case.

Clooney rep Stan Rosenfield said that the star had declined numerous requests from various publications for comment on the Post issue because it did not directly involve him. "George has not been the darling of Page Six, we know that," Rosenfield said. "Then again, the last thing written about him was very positive."

In an age of media fragmentation, Page Six has managed to command the water cooler. It does this primarily by coming up with genuine scoops, as well as the occasional outlandish item, such as the recent bit suggesting that Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter could replace Paramount's Brad Grey.

Like Page Six, Boldface employed a system of more experienced editors coordinating coverage among younger reporters, and its failure may reflect the same gossip-column dilemma that led to the Post's controversy: offering readers the sensational bits they crave without straining a newspaper's journalistic responsibility.

While the Post's Richard Johnson remained on his honeymoon Tuesday, speculation abounded about whether his job is in jeopardy.

Whatever the outcome, publicity experts say the consequences may be overstated. It's no longer the era of Walter Winchell and Hedda Hopper, they said; blogging and abundant media gossip have diluted the influence of gossip columnists. "There are more places to answer bad publicity with good publicity," Kingsley said. "It keeps the balance of power away from a particular outlet."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117941381&c=10

Posted on Apr 12, 2006, 8:46 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Rapper Proof Slain In Detroit Nightclub

by

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

Proof of the rap group D12 ,attends the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome, Nov. 18, 2004


DETROIT - Proof, a member of rap group D12 and a close friend of Eminem, was shot to death early Tuesday at a nightclub along Eight Mile Road, a publicist said.

The death of Proof — whose real name is Deshaun Holton — was confirmed by Dennis Dennehy, the publicist for D12's label, Interscope Records.

"Memorial service arrangements are still being made, and his friends and family would appreciate privacy during this difficult time," Dennehy said in a statement.

Family members gathered at a home on Detroit's northwest side. The residential street in front of the two-story home was lined with vehicles.

Proof was the best man at Eminem's wedding in January and often appeared alongside the superstar rapper at concerts and public appearances. He also appeared in the film "8 Mile."

D12, which includes Eminem, has been around since the mid-1990s, when members of the rap group met at Detroit's Hip-Hop Shop, a clothing store by day and a hip-hop club by night.

Detroit police wouldn't confirm that Proof was killed, but said two people were shot in the head — one fatally — early Tuesday at a nightclub on Eight Mile.

An argument at the CCC nightclub escalated into gunshots, Detroit police spokesman James Tate said.

Wende Berry, a spokeswoman for St. John Health System, said Holton was dead on arrival at St. John Conner Creek, an outpatient treatment facility. Berry confirmed that he had a gunshot wound.

Another member of Eminem's inner circle — rapper Obie Trice — was shot while driving on a Detroit-area highway in December.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060411/ap_en_mu/rapper_killed;_ylt=Am5UwjFpvDSlioc7DwZ7mw1xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

I'm just glad the LAPD wasn't involved.

Posted on Apr 11, 2006, 10:04 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Jennifer Lopez Sues Ex-Husband Ojani Noa

by

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

Jennifer Lopez arrives with husband Ojani Noa at a film premiere on April 7, 1997, in the Westwood section of Los Angeles


LOS ANGELES - Jennifer Lopez is suing her ex-husband, claiming he demanded $5 million to keep him from publishing a book containing private details about the star and their relationship.

In the lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Lopez alleged that Ojani Noa violated a confidentiality agreement by distributing the manuscript of his book to publishers, the syndicated television show "The Insider" reported. She is seeking a restraining order to keep the manuscript from becoming public.

A description of the manuscript appeared Jan. 11 in the New York Post. Lopez's lawyers contacted Noa's attorney, and Noa replied in a letter that he would continue to shop his book, the lawsuit said.

In another letter, Noa said "that he would not agree to refrain from marketing his book unless (Lopez) paid him the sum of $5 million," according to the lawsuit.

Noa's attorney, David DeRubertis, did not immediately respond to a call and e-mail message after business hours.

The confidentiality agreement stemmed from a settlement in October, when Noa dropped his lawsuit claiming Lopez fired him as manager of her Pasadena restaurant without cause. Ojani agreed not to disparage Lopez or make money off disclosure of details of their relationship, the lawsuit said.

Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. The two married in 1997 and divorced a year later. Her second marriage to choreographer Cris Judd in 2001 lasted for nine months. In 2004, she tied the knot with singer Marc Anthony.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060411/ap_en_mu/people_lopez;_ylt=Am3xDkkTfhK7vSrUN8jWCdpxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Could this be true? My heart would break if I found out these guys weren't marrying J-Lo for love.

Posted on Apr 11, 2006, 10:03 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Congloms Tell SEC To Stay Mum On Sums

by

..........................................................................................................................................................
https://tts.sec.gov/sec_seal.jpg


Hollywood resists pay fray

Pay packages are nobody's business.

That's essentially what major entertainment congloms are telling the Securities and Exchange Commission in response to its proposal that exec compensation, down to stars and division heads, become public knowledge.

Viacom, CBS Corp., Walt Disney, News Corp. and NBC Universal Monday entreated the SEC to ditch the proposal, which would force them to disclose just how richly they reward their three highest-paid employees.

Current regulations require companies to disclosure pay packages only for corporate officers like CEOs and chief financial officers.
Media companies are in a tizzy, since the new regulation could include the compensation of studio heads, TV personalities, even actors and directors -- information that's often delicate and considered proprietary.

"Existing pay packages with non-executive officers were not structured with an eye to public disclosure ... and both the interested employee and the company receiving the services have settled, and legitimate, expectations in the confidentiality of the pay packages," the media companies wrote in a letter filed with the SEC.

The agency posted its proposal in January. Monday was the last day for public comment on a bundle of propositions aimed at providing investors more details and transparency on company compensation.

There are dozens of comments posted on the SEC Web site, including one from DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. He feels disclosing the richest packages would "cause significant morale issues."

"It is inevitable that some employees will take issue with their respective rankings," he wrote, "and create unnecessary and counterproductive strife with their fellow employees and the company."

(James Stewart reports in his book "Disney Wars" that former Disney head Michael Eisner discouraged Katzenberg's quest to become chief operating officer of Disney because his compensation would have to become public.)

Katzenberg and others also insist the info would jeopardize a company's ability to retain key staffers by giving rivals the ability to "cherry-pick the company's most valuable employees."

The media giants said they're particularly concerned with talent deals with production companies, producers, writers and others that take myriad forms, including complex contingent compensation and profit-sharing.

Applying traditional disclosure principles "will raise a host of uncertainties when applied to the very different compensation arrangements that prevail with high-paid talent employees," they said in their letter.

But some compensation experts think talent deals aren't the issue. It's more about packages for division heads and other full-time employees who can make tens or hundreds of millions -- well above a CEO paycheck.

It could be Paramount chief Brad Grey. Or Michael and Roger King of CBS' King World. It could be a surprise -- an old name with lingering financial connections that surface.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about unless there are a lot of clunkers out there, and I'm sure there are going to be," said James Reda of pay specialists James Reda & Associates.

Sometimes, folks deserve the big bucks, but not always. Companies "may be overpaying ... and it would be better for investors to know that," Reda said. They "couldn't sweep it under the rug."

The historic logic for disclosing corporate executive pay -- currently, the five-highest salaried are named -- is that these people often sit on the board of directors, which sets top executive pay, and could theoretically have a conflict of interest.

Companies argue that's not an issue with any other employees, so none should be listed.

But in a time of shareholder activism, investor groups say it's about how a company chooses to allocate financial resources and if it does so wisely.

Oddly, the SEC proposes to include not the actual names of the three highest-paid executives, but only their job descriptions. Companies argue it would still be obvious who they are.

Reda said the SEC is nodding to fear of predators, like kidnappers, who target very high-net-worth individuals.

Separately, several studies on 2005 CEO pay were published Monday. USA Today found median '05 pay among chief executives running most of the nation's 100 largest companies soared 25% to $17.9 million, dwarfing the 3.1% average gain by typical American workers.

The Wall Street Journal saw pay rise $15.8% to $6 million in a much larger sample of 242 companies. It said the average return to shareholders was 6.8%.

Big media companies -- once in pole position -- were far from top tier as media stocks lagged. News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch and Comcast's Brian Roberts ranked 47th and 48th in USA Today, at $23.4 million and $23.2 million in total compensation.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117941307&c=18

lol omg, that would be great! We'd get to see public fights between Hillary Duff, Reese Witherspoon and Jim carrey over perks!! Oh yeah! Bring it on! :-D Why doesn't Hollywood want to do it? They'd finally be providing entertainment for the people! munches on popcorn

Posted on Apr 11, 2006, 10:02 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

French President Chirac's Reversal On Law A Defeat For Prime Minister Villepin

by

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

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin reacts as he waits for his Portuguese counterpart Jose Socrates, in Paris, Monday April 10, 2006 -- French President Jacques Chirac, as he waits for Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates at the Elysee Palace in Paris Monday April 10, 2006


PARIS - President Jacques Chirac on Monday threw out part of a youth labor law that triggered massive protests and strikes, bowing to intense pressure from students and unions and dealing a blow to his loyal premier in a bid to end the crisis.

While some unions celebrated what they called "a great victory," students who had planned more demonstrations appeared more cautious, saying their movement would continue for now.

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who devised the law, had faced down protesters for weeks, insisting that its most divisive provision — a so-called "first job contract" — was necessary to reduce high unemployment rates among French youths by making it easier for companies to hire and fire young workers.

But acting on advice from Villepin, his longtime protege, Chirac "decided to replace" the provision with one aimed at "youths in difficulty," the president's office said.

Top lawmakers from Chirac's ruling conservative party presented a new plan to parliament Monday. The proposal emerged after talks the legislators held last week with unions and student groups to find ways of ending the crisis.

A somber Villepin, in a television appearance, explained his original legislation was designed to curb "despair of many youths" and strike a "better balance ... between more flexibility for the employer and more security for workers."

"This was not understood by everyone, I'm sorry to say," Villepin said.

The crisis has discredited Chirac and devastated Villepin and his presidential ambitions — and thrown into question the government's ability to push through painful reforms to help France compete in the global economy. The new measures increase the government's role in the workplace instead of decreasing them, as Villepin had sought.

Students and other opponents had feared the previous measure would erode coveted job security — and some unions trumpeted the retreat by Chirac and his prime minister.

The labor law "is dead and buried," said Jean-Claude Mailly of the Workers Force union. "The goal has been achieved."

Alain Olive, secretary-general of the UNSA union, said, "After more than two weeks of intense mobilization, the 12 syndicated groups of workers, university and high school students have won a great victory."

However, the leader of France's biggest student union, UNEF, adopted more of a wait-and-see attitude — saying the group would watch to ensure that parliament would scrap the contract.

"We want to see how we can take advantage of this power struggle that is now in our favor to garner new victories," Bruno Julliard told AP Television News.

The new, four-point plan sent to parliament would bolster existing job contracts, rather than enact new ones. The government would offer more state support for companies that bring on young workers.

Other provisions would increase internships in areas where jobs are relatively plentiful — such as in restaurants, hotels and nursing — or guide jobseekers in their careers.

The "first job contract" would have allowed employers to fire workers aged under 26 at any time during a two-year trial period without giving a reason.

Chirac enacted the law earlier this month, but immediately suspended it to give ruling conservative lawmakers a chance to meet with unions and look for a way out of the turmoil.

Villepin drew up the labor legislation as part of his response to last fall's wave of rioting in France's impoverished suburbs, where many immigrants and their French-born children live. The unemployment rate for youths under 26 is a staggering 22 percent nationwide, but soars to nearly 50 percent in some of those troubled areas.

The plan sparked weeks of protests and strikes that shut down dozens of universities, prompted clashes between youths and police, and tangled road, train and air travel.

At least five demonstrations since early March drew more than 100,000 people, culminating in two that each brought at least 1 million to the streets across France in the past two weeks. Many ended in violence as youths threw stones, bottles and other projectiles at riot police, who responded by firing tear gas and swinging batons.

Unions had been threatening more demonstrations and walkouts just hours before the announcement from Chirac — and some students appeared unwilling to abandon their protest right away.

"We must go forward carefully," said Lise Prunier, an 18-year-old biology student at the University of Paris-Jussieu. "For the moment, our movement will continue."

Villepin, widely seen as a potential candidate for next year's presidential elections, has suffered heavy blows to his popularity over the crisis.

A new poll showed that 85 percent of French people think the crisis has also weakened the 73-year-old Chirac, who has ruled France for 11 years. The poll was conducted by the CSA polling agency last week among 1,005 respondents and gave no margin of error.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060410/ap_on_re_eu/france_job_protests_10;_ylt=AjNzaU8Y6JNyW4YJsMm6Jz7gelIB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Posted on Apr 10, 2006, 9:27 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

The Fruit Of Gwyneth's Labor

by

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

Gwyneth Paltrow is seen here pregnant with her second child on January 17, 2006


Gwyneth Paltrow has borne another fruit of her labor.

The actress and her rocker hubby, Chris Martin, welcomed a baby boy over the weekend, Paltrow's rep confirmed. Rather than drawing inspiration from the produce section, the couple apparently turned to the bible while choosing their son's name, dubbing him Moses Martin.

Their daughter, Apple, turns two next month.

After months of speculation regarding her blossoming figure, Paltrow finally confirmed that she was expecting in January at a Screen Actors Guild screening of her film, Proof. The event's host, Lou Diamond Phillips, introduced the Oscar winner as "a pregnant woman" and asked, "How far along are you?"

"Far enough along to feel very cumbersome," Paltrow replied.

In December, the actress' mother, Blythe Danner, had indicated that she was expecting another grandchild in the spring. "I hope there'll be more fruits and vegetables coming along, since we're all pretty much vegetarians," she said.

Paltrow's new arrival makes her the first of a group of expectant Hollywood stars to deliver, beating Katie Holmes and Angelina Jolie to the punch.

Apart from tending to her maternal responsibilities, Paltrow appears in several upcoming feature films.

She stars with Meryl Streep and Annette Bening in Dirty Tricks, the true story of Martha Mitchell, the wife of Richard Nixon's chief of staff, John Mitchell. The film is slated for a June 1 release.

Paltrow will also be seen in Infamous, a film based on Truman Capote's investigation into the murders of a wealthy Kansas family, and Running With Scissors, about a boy's experiences with a dysfunctional family. Both films are scheduled to be released in September.

Martin, meanwhile, is in the midst of a Coldplay world tour in support of the award-winning album, X&Y. The tour wraps up in July, at which point Martin has hinted he plans to take a break.

Paltrow, 33, and Martin, 29, tied the knot in a hush-hush ceremony in December 2003, one week after confirming they were expecting their first child together.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060410/en_celeb_eo/18761;_ylt=AgXEpN2Dj4iwITX8qaNuj3JxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Moses?? So that means her first born "Apple" is really just representative of some sort of innocence lost? That's nice. I know I know! She originally wanted to name her girl "Plague" and her son "Jesus"...thanks for toning it down Gwyneth! (She's always thinking about her kids)

Posted on Apr 10, 2006, 9:26 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Mel Brooks Thinks It's Time For Frankenstein To Dance

by

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

In this file photo, actor, writer and director Mel Brooks waves as he arrives at the Universal Studios Focus Features and NBC Golden Globes after-party in Beverly Hills, California, January 16, 2006


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mel Brooks thinks it is almost time for Frankenstein to sing and dance on Broadway.

The comic filmmaker, who made a monster hit musical out of his 1968 movie "The Producers," says he is adapting another of his classic film comedies for the stage -- this time the 1974 "Young Frankenstein," a spoof on the Frankenstein saga which he says is perhaps the best movie he ever made.

With no deadline set, Brooks says he is in the middle of writing the score, including a song for scary Frau Blucher, the caretaker of the Frankenstein castle still madly in love with that late, unlamented mad scientist.

When the musical is completed, Brooks says he will make a formal announcement to raise money.

"It is going to be wonderful," Brooks said in a telephone interview, just before he burst into a German-accented version of his Frau Blucher song:

"He vus my boyfriend/He vould come home in a snit/He vould have a terrible fit/I am the first thing he vould hit/But I didn't give a s---/He vus my boyfriend."

How could a show like this miss? In fact, you might ask, how can anything that the 79-year-old Mel Brooks writes, directs or stars in miss?

To find out just how much of a national treasure he is, the Mel Brooks DVD collection has just been issued by 20th Century Fox Home entertainment, containing eight of his films from "Blazing Saddles to "Young Frankenstein." All that is missing are the two film versions of "The Producers," which will be issued in May in a separate collection.

A Favorite

Brooks says his favorite film in the collection is "To Be or Not to Be," a remake of the old Jack Benny classic which he neither wrote nor directed but starred in alongside his wife, the actress Anne Bancroft, who died last year of cancer.

"I miss my wife. We had such a good time making that movie and she was so damned good in it. But listen, (the boxed set) is a treasure trove. People should buy 20 at a time and use them for Christmas presents. They make incredible gifts," he said.

The set contains five films never before issued on DVD, including "The Twelve Chairs," a film some critics consider Brooks' neglected masterpiece. "I was damned good in it," Brooks said of his performance as a serf who loves to be beaten by his Russian aristocratic master.

The set also conveys an unspoken reminder: The man many consider one of the funniest filmmakers in American history pretty much does not make movies any more.

He produced last year's musical film version of "The Producers," but choreographer Susan Stroman directed it. His last film directing effort was 1995's "Dracula: Dead and Loving It."

As far as Brooks is concerned, Broadway is more fun, especially since movies have become too much of a big business.

"I never had trouble getting films made. But when things got rough, I got involved on Broadway because there is a modicum of art still alive there. The movies today are a big, tough, cut-and-dried business. A movie opens on a Friday and it either makes its money or it doesn't. They don't let films build word of mouth any more," he said, adding:

"Broadway is like it was 50 years ago. You can get the money for a show, you can take the show out of town and try it out. The only reason I made a movie of the musical version of 'The Producers' was so we'd have a record of it."

When he made "Young Frankenstein" in 1974, Brooks said he did everything he could to emulate the 1930s James Whale movie, from shooting the whole film in black-and-white to using many of the same shots.

Now Brooks says his challenge is to do the musical on Broadway with a black-and-white set, with all the mists, moodiness and laughs of the original movie, plus songs. As he said in "History of the World: Part I," "It's good to be the king."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060410/stage_nm/brooks_dc;_ylt=Ak8n1YQS0QHusaaeCB3HnmpxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 10, 2006, 9:25 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Judge Rules in Favor of 'Da Vinci' Writer

by

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

Author Michael Baigent, co-author of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, speaks during an interview in Toronto on Thursday April 6, 2006 -- Best-selling author Dan Brown leaves the High Court in London, in March 2006


LONDON - A judge ruled Friday that mega-selling author Dan Brown did not steal ideas for "The Da Vinci Code" from a nonfiction work, ending the suspense about the case with an ultimately unsurprising decision.

High Court judge Peter Smith rejected a copyright-infringement claim by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, authors of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," who claimed that Brown's blockbuster "appropriated the architecture" of their 1982 book. In the United States, the book is titled, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail."

The ruling will allow a film based on the book and starring Tom Hanks to open as scheduled on May 19.

Smith said the plaintiffs had based their copying claim on a "selective number of facts and ideas artificially taken out of (the book) for the purpose of the litigation."

"It would be quite wrong if fictional writers were to have their writings pored over in the way DVC (Da Vinci Code) has been pored over in this case by authors of pretend historical books to make an allegation of infringement of copyright," Smith said in his 71-page.

Brown said he was pleased by the ruling "not only from a personal standpoint but also as a novelist."

"Today's verdict shows that this claim was utterly without merit, I'm still astonished that these two authors chose to file their suit at all," Brown in a statement, adding that he was "eager to get back to writing."

Both books explore theories that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, the couple had a child and the bloodline survives. Most historians and theologians scoff at such ideas, but Brown's fast-paced mix of murder, mysticism, code-breaking and art history has won millions of fans.

"The Da Vinci Code" has sold more than 40 million copies — including 12 million hardcovers in the United States — since it was released in March 2003. It came out in paperback in the United States last week, and quickly sold more than 500,000 copies, an astonishing pace for a paperback release. An initial print run of 5 million has already been raised to 6 million.

Random House said the case should have never made it to court.

"We never believed it should have come to court and frequently tried to explain why to the claimants," said Gail Rebuck, chief executive of Random House Ltd.

Leigh and Baigent may have to pay costs that legal experts estimate will top $1.75 million.

Brown's victory was widely anticipated by lawyers because copyright protects the expression of an idea rather than the idea itself.

"There is no copyright in ideas," said Mark Stephens, a lawyer specializing in media law and copyright issues. "It's just about how words are expressed."

"If the verdict were in favor of the plaintiffs, the judge (would) have rewritten the law of copyright."

The case drew a packed crowd of journalists, Brown fans and theological revisionists to London's neo-Gothic High Court last month.

Smith retained an air of bluff good humor during sometimes esoteric hearings that touched on the Roman Emperor Constantine's deathbed conversion to Christianity, the founding of the medieval warrior order the Knights Templar, the Merovingian dynasty allegedly descended from Jesus, and the perfidy of a seventh-century official named Pepin the Fat.

The publicity-shy Brown traveled from New Hampshire to testify on behalf of his publisher, and spent three days on the stand.

Brown acknowledged that he and his wife, Blythe, read "Holy Blood" while researching "Da Vinci," but said they also used 38 other books and hundreds of documents, and that the British authors' book was not crucial to their work.

Baigent and Leigh claimed Brown's novel contains the same central themes as their book. But under cross-examination, Baigent conceded that it had been an exaggeration to say that Brown used "all the same historical conjecture" as their book.

Random House lawyer John Baldwin said that while many of the incidents in "The Da Vinci Code" had been described before, "no one has put them together, and developed and expressed them, in the way Mr. Brown did. That is why he has a best-seller."

Thanks to the case, so do Baigent and Leigh. Their 24-year-old book is selling 7,000 copies a week in Britain, compared with a few hundred before the case began. Baigent's new book, "The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-Up in History," has an initial print run of 150,000 copies in the United States.

Their book is published by Random House.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060407/ap_en_ot/da_vinci_lawsuit;_ylt=ApP5YbP1V9zvLUHXDPLojnlxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 7, 2006, 9:21 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Former Teen Idol Leif Garrett Sent To Jail

by

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

Entertainer Leif Garrett appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for a hearing, Friday, Jan. 20, 2006


LOS ANGELES - Leif Garrett has been sent to jail for 45 days after failing several drug tests while staying in a strict drug rehabilitation program, authorities said Thursday.

The 44-year-old former teen idol began the sentence March 30 after a Superior Court commissioner determined he had violated terms of his rehab program, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office.

Garrett agreed to enter the program for violating probation in a cocaine case stemming from a 2004 arrest.

After his last progress hearing March 9, Garrett told reporters he had made improvement in fighting his addiction.

"I'm going down the right path," he said at the time.

Commissioner Melissa Widdifield scheduled his next progress hearing for May 11.

Garrett also faces felony heroin possession charges after officers who stopped him Jan. 14 for allegedly trying to ride a Los Angeles subway train without a ticket said they found suspected narcotics. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060407/ap_en_ce/people_garrett;_ylt=Ai7A0NI4cnLKekuwL2T5uWVxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 7, 2006, 9:20 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Spielberg Gets Real For Fox

by

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

Director Steven Spielberg arrives for the 78th Academy Awards in this Sunday, March 5, 2006 file photo, in Los Angeles


Steven Spielberg is ready to pull a Donald Trump.

Mr. Billion-Dollar Box Office is teaming with reality mastermind Mark Burnett for On the Lot, an American Idol meets The Apprentice-style Fox reality series that aims to find the next, well, Steven Spielberg.

Per a network press release, 16 finalists will be divided into two teams and each group has to produce (and write, direct and cast) a short film each week. Fox says the contestants will be forced to deal with the pitfalls that any major player could face--creative differences, budgetary problems, deadlines, etc.--but that they will also have access to some high-caliber perks, such as the opportunity to collaborate with Industry insiders and big-name celebs.

On the Lot will unfold over two nights a week, with night number one featuring an hourlong "film premiere" episode to screen the teams' work, which will tackle a different genre each week. Night number two (now, where have we heard this one before?) will be the "box office" results show. A team of judges will be on hand, but it will be viewers' votes that ultimately decide which Hollywood hopeful is sent back to the drawing board each week.

Fox says the team of judges will comprise a "high-ranking motion-picture executive, a prominent film critic and a succession of well-respected guest judges." Fine, just so long as one is really nice and another is really mean and speaks with a British accent.

The last aspiring Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino or Coppola standing will win a studio development deal with DreamWorks.

"For me, like any person who wants to be a filmmaker, the opportunity to work hand in hand with Steven Spielberg is a dream come true," Burnett said in a statement. "With the help of our partners at Fox...we're going to make an incredible show about looking for the next great filmmaker by mining the growing segment of the public making their own content and giving them the chance."

"All through my career I've done what I can to discover new talent and give them a start," added the two-time Oscar-winning director, who will at least cameo on the show. "This opportunity with Mark Burnett, DreamWorks and Fox allows all of us to reach out directly to open a much wider door."

On the Lot is slated to premiere sometime next season, with an unnamed source close to the Fox deal telling Us Weekly cameras will start rolling in the fall (both Fox's and the contestants', in this case) and that the show will be on the network's schedule in 2007.

While Spielberg and Burnett may have no trouble getting a table at the Ivy, the attachment of their names to this project does not necessarily guarantee success for the winner. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had a similar concept with Project Greenlight, which aired for two seasons on HBO and one on Bravo, although that show chronicled the making of the film that the up-and-comer got to shoot when all talent-finding contests were said and won.

Despite a good amount of media attention because of Affleck and Damon's involvement, the first two winners' finished films only won limited release and box-office numbers in the low hundred-thousands. The third film is still awaiting a release date.

However, Fox certainly knows how to run a twice-weekly unscripted series that features talent, judging and voting. So, perhaps the previously undiscovered talent that emerges from On the Lot will win an Oscar. Or at least an Emmy.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060407/en_tv_eo/18745;_ylt=AnF4vobHKj0sFEy3CNiLxolxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 7, 2006, 9:20 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Hundred-Foot Eva Longoria Terrorizes Desert

by

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



We've often found ourselves wishing that someone would finally drag Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria into the Nevada desert and secure her to the arid terrain with airline cable and stakes, but it was a decidedly less worshipful proposition than the stunt that Maxim magazine has staged to celebrate its 100th issue.

They've installed a 110-foot-long version of their milestone cover outside of Las Vegas (above is a screenshot from a Google Earth link the magazine provides on their website; that little white thing at the bottom is a truck, if you need sense of terrifying scale), perhaps the largest monument to a B-list TV actress ever constructed. Expect an immediate response by castmate/famewhore rival Teri Hatcher, who has her publicist researching the feasibility of swaddling the Good Year blimp in her "I Was Molested!" Vanity Fair cover, which they would like to hire to circle the airspace above the Housewives set through their entire third season.

If you care about such things, and we know you do, some fun, press release facts about the Maxim cover follows after the jump.

EVA LONGORIA COVER BY THE NUMBERS: Size: 75' x 110' Material: Vinyl Mesh windscreen # of stakes in the ground to hold it down: 125 Crew to install: 9 # of hours of printing: 25 # of feet of airline cable to hold in place: 2400? # of hours to install: 15 hours
COORDINATES:
LATITUDE LONGITUDE
35 Degrees 115 Degrees
37 12.23 N 22 58.77 W
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/eva-longoria/hundredfoot-eva-longoria-terrorizes-desert-165575.php#more

Posted on Apr 6, 2006, 10:33 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Katie Holmes: Anatomy Of A Fake Pregnancy

by

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

Katie Holmes, who is expecting her baby with fiancé Tom Cruise "any minute," shopping at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills Tuesday, April 4, 2006.


Having correctly completed all the necessary paperwork to apply for a chaperoned furlough from Tom Cruise's compound, Scientology war bride Katie Holmes was granted permission for a day of shopping in Beverly Hills yesterday.

Coming out of Barney's New York (above), America's most suspicious expectant mother displayed all the classic indicators of an imminent fake delivery--skinny limbs, a face free of late third-trimester puffiness, and, most tellingly, a mid-sized beach ball inflated to the maximum pressure allowable by any respectable member of the National Board of Ersatz Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Based on the above photo, it could be any minute now before a drone back at the compound silently pushes forth new life into the world, then watches as the baby is whisked away to its proud, commissioning parents before she can even sigh, "She has Genetic Material Injector #44477A's eyes." She'll never be prouder than when Cruise and Holmes introduce the child to a preselcted, nonsuppressive member of the celebrity press.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/katie-holmes/katie-holmes-anatomy-of-a-fake-pregnancy-165400.php

source: http://www.justjared.com/gossip/2006/04/katie_holmes_engagement_ring.php

lol They make a good argument. Actually, it makes more sense than that Tom Cruise is monitoring her with a sonogram, and that she's going to use a bit to stay quiet during the birth. lol

Posted on Apr 6, 2006, 10:32 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Curve Balls For Disney Chairman George Mitchell

by

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

Disney Chairman George Mitchell


Mouse man on hot seat

NEW YORK -- A week after Major League Baseball chose Disney chairman George Mitchell to lead its steroids investigation, pundits and insiders continue to hammer the former senator over issues of experience as well as an apparent conflict of interest.

Major League Baseball had expected to earn wild praise for its choice of Mitchell.

Criticism has centered on Mitchell's involvement as a director of the Boston Red Sox and his chairmanship at Disney. Disney owns 80% and controls all of ESPN-- and the sports cabler has huge financial stakes in baseball and baseball ratings. ESPN nets broadcast numerous games and news programs on the sport as well as the new skein "Bonds on Bonds."

How, many wonder, can Mitchell report objectively on baseball while he still has such a prominent role governing ESPN?

"There are so many levels of concern on this issue," said Seton Hall U. professor and former CBS Sports exec Rick Gentile. "The conflict of Mitchell, and the whole commission, is a big one."

Disney has maintained that Mitchell, a former senator from Maine, will remain on as chairman. Objections, however, have led to calls for Mitchell to step down from the Disney board.

Gregory Taxin, an exec at proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis, calls Mitchell's role "an open wound" and says the baseball developments are proof that he should step down.

"It's just time for him to go," Taxin said. "He's a lame duck at Disney, and he seems to be entangled in more than a few things which conflict with the interest of Disney shareholders."

Mitchell was fiercely loyal to former Disney topper Michael Eisner, and in January, several proxy firms called for the chairman to resign after he withheld from the board a report critical of Bob Iger.

Taxin added, "The board ought to have enough sense that Mitchell is hurting the company."

Making matters worse is the fact that Mitchell did not retire last year at the mandatory age of 72. He has said he will retire by the end of this year, but some, like Taxin, are skeptical.

The board could use the baseball position as an opportunity to remove Mitchell now. But an absentee chairman could actually work in the board's favor since it would delay a battle over the chairmanship and its inevitable kicking up of pro- and anti-Eisner sentiments -- until the end of the year anyway.

A Disney spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment.

The talkshow world also has been abuzz that Mitchell's appointment will have no legal teeth. And pundits have decried the choice of Mitchell as a political fig leaf -- especially since Mitchell is known as a mediator, not an investigator, which this situation would seem to call for.

In a scathing interview last week, John Dowd, the Washington lawyer who investigated the Pete Rose gambling case, told ESPN2's Stephen A. Smith that he thought baseball had greatly erred in choosing a politico like Mitchell. Many have suggested that Mitchell was chosen simply for his clout on Capitol Hill -- and his ability to head off another congressional investigation into steroids, which Major League Baseball fears.

Mitchell has received poor marks as a Disney chair, making few strategic decisions that experts consider bold or important.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117941062&c=18

Posted on Apr 6, 2006, 10:28 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Singer Gene Pitney Dies At 65

by

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

In this image dated March 28, 1966, showing singer Gene Pitney


LONDON - Gene Pitney, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame whose hits included "Town Without Pity" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," died Wednesday at a hotel in Wales after playing a show, his agent said. He was 65.

Pitney was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. Police said the death did not appear suspicious.

"We don't have a cause of death at the moment but looks like it was a very peaceful passing," said Pitney's tour manager, James Kelly.

"He was found fully clothed, on his back, as if he had gone for a lie down. It looks as if there was no pain whatsoever."

He added: "Last night was generally one of the happiest and most exuberant performances we've seen out of him. He was absolutely on top of his game and was really happy with the show."

Born in Hartford, Conn., on Feb. 17, 1941, Pitney had his first success as a songwriter with "Rubber Ball," a Top 10 hit for Bobby Vee in 1961. Later that year, Ricky Nelson had a hit with Pitney's "Hello Mary Lou."

As a performer, Pitney had his first success that same year with "Love My Life Away."

But Burt Bacharach and Hal David provided the songs that put Pitney in the Top 10: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart."

"Only Love Can Break a Heart" was Pitney's biggest U.S. hit, peaking at No. 2 on the charts in 1962. The No. 1 song at the time was The Crystals' "He's a Rebel," written by Pitney.

He had more than a dozen Top 40 hits and even contributed to an early Rolling Stones recording session.

Pitney waited until 1990 for his first British No. 1 — he rerecorded "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" with Marc Almond.

Pitney also had some success as a country singer, pairing with George Jones to record "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night" and "Louisiana Man."

He recorded in Italian and Spanish, and twice took second place at the San Remo Song Festival in Italy. He also had a regional hit with "Nessuno Mi Puo' Giudicare."

Pitney was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060405/ap_en_mu/gene_pitney;_ylt=AuJNCNffYPHxqv6vSS.J3v9xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 5, 2006, 10:06 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Man Held As Terrorism Suspect For Listening To Punk Group "The Clash"

by

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

The late Joe Strummer, former frontman for punk legends The Clash, performs at the Glastonbury Festival in this June 26, 1999 file photo


LONDON (Reuters) - British anti-terrorism detectives escorted a man from a plane after a taxi driver had earlier become suspicious when he started singing along to a track by punk band The Clash, police said Wednesday.

Detectives halted the London-bound flight at Durham Tees Valley Airport in northern England and Harraj Mann, 24, was taken off.

The taxi driver had become worried on the way to the airport because Mann had been singing along to The Clash's 1979 anthem "London Calling," which features the lyrics "Now war is declared -- and battle come down" while other lines warn of a "meltdown expected."

Mann told British newspapers the taxi had been fitted with a music system which allowed him to plug in his MP3 player and he had been playing The Clash, Procol Harum, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles to the driver.

"He didn't like Led Zeppelin or The Clash but I don't think there was any need to tell the police," Mann told the Daily Mirror.

A Durham police spokeswoman said Mann had been released after questioning -- but had missed his flight.

"The report was made with the best of intentions and we wouldn't want to discourage people from contacting us with genuine concerns," she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060405/music_nm/clash_dc;_ylt=AuN6iRCFWd0nm6qkEEs42KJxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Nice.

Posted on Apr 5, 2006, 10:05 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Netflix Sues Blockbuster

by

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

Netflix and Blockbuster logos


Online vidtailer seeks rent control

Netflix filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Blockbuster on Tuesday, asking a Northern California federal court to shut down its rival's online DVD rental service and award Netflix damages.

The two-count suit accuses Blockbuster of copying Netflix's method for allowing users to maintain an online list of movies they wish to rent and prioritize and manage their rentals.

The other count covers the basic subscription rental model itself, which Netflix introduced in 1999.

Netflix was granted a patent on managing and online queue of movies in 2004 but held off on seeking to enforce it even after Blockbuster launched a similar service in late 2004.

Suit was finally triggered Tuesday, after Netflix was granted a broader patent covering the entire online subscription rental business model.

"From top to bottom, Blockbuster has deliberately and willfully copied Netflix's business model," Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said.

Swasey declined to comment on whether the company had warned Blockbuster about its patent before filing suit. He also declined to say whether Netflix planned to sue any of the handful of other, smaller online rental services.

In its suit Netflix claims Blockbuster was aware that the online vidtailer had a patent on its service and was seeking a second one but launched its competing service anyway. Netflix also claims Blockbuster has caused it "irreparable injuries" and induced others to infringe on its patent.

A Blockbuster spokesman said the company hasn't yet been served with the lawsuit and could not comment.

The lawsuit came on a day when Blockbuster's stock was already down after published reports said Carl Icahn would not attempt to take control of Blockbuster's board of directors at the company's annual meeting next month.

Those reports dampened investor hopes that the struggling rental chain might be put up for sale in the near term.

Icahn controls three seats on Blockbuster's eight-member board. Two seats are up for election at this year's annual meeting, with one vacant.

Netflix has 4.2 million users vs. the roughly 1 million Blockbuster Online claims.

Until now, Netflix had given little indication publicly that it planned to enforce or exploit its first patent, with execs initially saying they were studying their options.

Swasey said it was inappropriate for the company to file suit until it received the second patent on its business, for which the company applied in May 2003.

However, investors took the suit as a sign that Blockbuster's competing service may be undercutting the market for Netflix and sent shares of Netflix down 72˘ on the day to $27.41.

Blockbuster shares closed down 8˘ to $3.80.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117941007&c=18

Posted on Apr 5, 2006, 10:05 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Theater Pulls Trailer For 'United 93'

by

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

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld pauses after laying a wreath at the 9/11 Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania March 27, 2006 -- This photo supplied by Universal Pictures shows Becky London and Tom O'Rourke in a scene from the movie 'United 93.'


NEW YORK - A New York City movie theater has pulled the trailer for "United 93," which chronicles in real time the hijacked United Airlines flight that crashed into a Western Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11.

The AMC Loews Lincoln Square 12 theater in Manhattan said it made the decision after viewers complained they found it too upsetting.

"I don't think people are ready for this," theater manager Kevin Adjodha said.

"One lady was crying," Adjodha told Newsweek. "She was saying that we shouldn't have played the trailer. That this was wrong."

Universal Studios in Los Angeles, meanwhile, said it would go ahead with plans to show the trailer for the thriller, which is scheduled to open in theaters on April 28.

Adam Fogelson, Universal's president of marketing, said the trailer would be shown only before R-rated movies or "grown-up" PG-13 ones.

"The film is not sanitized or softened, it's an honest and real look" at the events of Flight 93, Fogelson told The New York Times in Tuesday editions. "If I sanitized the trailer beyond what's there, am I suggesting that the experience will be less real than what the movie itself is? We as a company feel comfortable that it is a responsible and fair way to show what's coming."

"United 93" is scheduled to make its world premiere on opening night at the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan.

The festival, which was created to help lower Manhattan recover economically from the attacks, begins April 25 and runs through May 7.

The trailer begins with images of passengers boarding the plane on a sunny morning, and builds to a disturbing scene that includes actual news video of a plane about to hit one of the World Trade Center towers. It then returns inside Flight 93 as terrorists begin hijacking it and a passenger calls his family to tell them of the impending disaster.

The Families of Flight 93 have said that Universal Pictures will donate 10 percent of the first three days' grosses to the memorial.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_en_mo/film_united93

Posted on Apr 4, 2006, 9:49 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Die Hard' Film Director John McTiernan Accused Of Lying To FBI

by

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

Film director John McTiernan is seen at the Cannes Film Festival in this May 15, 2000 file photo.


LOS ANGELES - "Die Hard" director John McTiernan was charged Monday with making a false statement to the FBI about his knowledge of wiretapping by an indicted Hollywood private detective, authorities said.

McTiernan is accused of lying to federal investigators last month when he told them he had no knowledge of the wiretapping and had never discussed it with the private eye, according to a charging document provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigators contend McTiernan, 55, hired Anthony Pellicano to tap phone calls involving a man identified in the documents as Charles Roven, a Hollywood producer who worked with him on "Rollerball."

McTiernan, who also directed "The Thomas Crown Affair," "The Hunt for Red October" and "Last Action Hero," could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted. A message left with his attorney, John Carlton, was not immediately returned.

Pellicano, who has worked for some of the biggest names in Hollywood, has been charged in a wiretapping scandal that has rattled entertainment and legal circles.

Prosecutors allege he wiretapped Hollywood stars he was hired to investigate, including Sylvester Stallone and others, and used the information for threats, blackmail and in some cases to help clients gain advantages in legal disputes. Pellicano has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

McTiernan is the 14th person charged in the ongoing case. Four others have pleaded guilty to a variety of charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_en_mo/hollywood_wiretaps;_ylt=AvH_i9sjP4ERJYIPPeM6_D1xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 4, 2006, 9:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Chris Farley Lives On Billboard

by

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

A billboard uses a photograph of the late comedian Chris Farley to advertise a treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles April 3, 2006


A very important message from Chris Farley--from beyond the grave.

Eight years after his fatal overdose, the late Saturday Night Live funnyman has been resurrected for a series of billboard advertisements plugging a new treatment for drug and alcohol abuse from Hythiam Inc.

Farley's body was found Dec. 18, 1997, in his Chicago apartment. A coroner ruled that Farley died inadvertently as a result of a deadly cocktail of morphine and cocaine. He was 33.

The first sign, set to go up today in Los Angeles, features Farley's image with the slogan "It wasn't all his fault." The billboard will be erected on the Sunset Strip adjacent to Hollywood's Chateau Marmont, the famed hotel where Farley's idol and another SNL star, John Belushi, died in 1982, also at the age of 33 from an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the ads mark the first time that Farley's estate has okayed the use of his image for commercial purposes since his death.

Hythiam, a fast-growing Los Angeles-based medical firm, reportedly paid $25,000 to his family for the right to use the image. The company's chief executive, Terren S. Peizer, says the ads will let people battling drug and alcohol addiction know that there are alternative treatments for their disease.

The billboards focus on a new outpatient prescription drug treatment called Prometa.

"We felt it was an effective way of getting people to focus on our message point, because it's unusual to see a celebrity in this fashion," Peizer told the Times.

But the ads are not without controversy.

"It's completely tasteless to harness the dead for commercial gain," Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert--a nonprofit advertising watchdog based in Portland, Oregon--told E! Online.

"The ads are deceptive because they suggest Chris would still be alive today if he took Prometa. What evidence is there that's true? My understanding is that Farley died of an overdose of morphine and cocaine, and the drug doesn't even treat opiates," he added.

"This is part of a trend by ad agencies that shows no respect for the dead. It's also part of how the greed in the advertising industry has no shame at all, and neither does the company."

In recent years, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Louis Armstrong and Steve McQueen have made posthumous appearances in TV and print campaigns.

Farley's brother, Tom, however, says he doesn't see a problem, saying the billboards provide a way for younger addicts to get help.

"It really wasn't about the money for us," Tom Farley--who runs the Chris Farley Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin--told the Times. He says using his brother's fame to increase awareness "has always been something we've done with the foundation, so I liked their mindset."

Other estates share similar motivations. For instance, John Wayne's family agreed to let Coors use the legendary actor for TV ads in exchange for the beer company making donations to the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

Five more Farley billboards are set to be unveiled in Los Angeles within the coming weeks. Hythiam is also negotiating with the estates of other dead stars to resurrect them for a marketing campaign geared toward older addicts, though Peizer declined to name names.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/18713

Posted on Apr 4, 2006, 9:45 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Weekend Box Office: 'Ice Age' Sequel Hot, Basic Instinct Sequel Not

by

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

In this file photo provided by 20th Century Fox, Manny the woolly mammoth (voiced by Ray Romano) gets some troubling news from Fast Tony (voiced by Jay Leno) in 'Ice Age The Meltdown


LOS ANGELES - "Ice Age: The Meltdown" heated up the box office with a mammoth $70.5 million weekend, while audiences gave the cold shoulder to Sharon Stone, whose "Basic Instinct 2" debuted with a paltry $3.2 million.

The "Ice Age" sequel, from 20th Century Fox, took over the top box office spot from Universal's "Inside Man," which slipped to No. 2 in its second weekend with $15.7 million, raising its 10-day total to $52.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Premiering in third place was the Warner Bros. roller-skating tale "ATL," starring rapper Tip Harris, which took in $12.5 million.

Universal's "Slither," starring Nathan Fillion in a horror comedy about killer slugs from outer space, flopped with $3.7 million, debuting at No. 8.

Sony's MGM release "Basic Instinct 2," the belated sequel to the 1992 sex thriller that made Stone a star, tied for the No. 10 spot with Lionsgate's "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," which took in $3.2 million in its second weekend.

The overall box office surged, with the top 12 movies grossing $136.5 million, up 40 percent from the same weekend last year. The upswing followed a stagnant first quarter after a prolonged drought last year, when attendance fell 8 percent compared to 2004.

"Ice Age: The Meltdown" reunites Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo, now joined by Queen Latifah, as voices of prehistoric animals migrating to safety when global warming threatens to flood their home.

The sequel easily surpassed the $46.3 million opening weekend of the original "Ice Age" and broke the record held by the first "Ice Age" for best March opening ever. If the numbers hold when final figures are released Monday, it would tie "The Incredibles" for second-best animated debut ever behind the $108 million first weekend of "Shrek 2."

"No one had any idea it would do this kind of business," said box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations, who expected the "Ice Age" sequel to debut in the $55 million range.

"The notion that people don't want to go to the movies is dispelled by something like this," he said. "It proves people will line up for the right movie if given the motivation."

Opening in about half the overseas markets, "Ice Age: The Meltdown" also grossed $43.4 million internationally, though it has yet to debut in the biggest foreign markets, including Great Britain, Germany and Japan.

"Basic Instinct 2" features the sexual predator Stone played in the first movie in a new murder thriller in London as she plays mind games with her psychiatrist ( David Morrissey).

Sony opened "Basic Instinct 2" in just 1,453 theaters, a fairly small release for such a high-profile title. "Ice Age: The Meltdown" debuted in 3,964 theaters.

Critics savaged "Basic Instinct 2," many finding its tale of erotic intrigue both laughable and dull. Sony held out hopes the movie would find an audience on DVD.

"I think it's a very sexy film, and Sharon Stone looks great and really worked the film," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution "It's a movie that probably will have a very strong life in the home-video world."

The 2005 Sundance Film Festival hit "Brick," first-time filmmaker Rian Johnson's throwback to old-style film noir set among modern teens, opened strongly in limited release, with $87,524 in two theaters. Distributor Focus Features plans to expand "Brick" to more theaters this Friday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.


1. "Ice Age: The Meltdown," $70.5 million.

2. "Inside Man," $15.7 million.

3. "ATL," $12.5 million.

4. "Failure to Launch," $6.6 million.

5. "V for Vendetta," $6.5 million.

6. "Stay Alive," $4.58 million.

7. "She's the Man," $4.57 million.

8. "Slither," $3.7 million.

9. "The Shaggy Dog," $3.5 million.

10 (tie). "Basic Instinct 2," $3.2 million.

10 (tie). "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," $3.2 million.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060403/ap_en_mo/box_office;_ylt=AnbHwUck8dyWNffrTUUogyVxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 3, 2006, 9:27 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Tom Cruise Says Marriage Can Wait

by

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

German TV host Thomas Gottschalk, left, and U.S. actor Tom Cruise ride bikes during the German television show 'Wetten Dass..?' (Bet it..?) in the eastern German city of Halle Saturday April 1, 2006


BERLIN - American actor Tom Cruise told Germany's leading tabloid in its Monday edition that he wanted to tie the knot this summer with fiancee Katie Holmes, after the birth of their baby and the upcoming release of his new film, "Mission Impossible III."

Cruise was in Germany to plug the film on the country's popular "Wetten Dass ..." ("I'll Bet ...") TV show. He said on the show Saturday that two pilots were at the ready to fly him home should Holmes go into labor.

"If Katie calls, I'm gone," Cruise said, insisting that he wanted to be present at the birth of their first child.

Cruise confirmed to Bild that he and Holmes planned to marry in the coming months.

"First the baby, then the film," he was quoted as saying. "Then, in summer, we want to get married. I won't let this woman get away."

Cruise is both starring in and co-producing the third installment in the "Mission Impossible" series, filmed in China and Italy. The film is due to be released on May 5, 2006.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060403/ap_en_ce/germany_people_cruise;_ylt=AnAc49Ztwr0khWjIi19GKdtxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 3, 2006, 9:26 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Cameron Diaz Courts Victory In Topless Pics Case

by

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

Actress Cameron Diaz signs autographs as she arrives at the Kids' Choice Awards, Saturday, April 1, 2006, in Los Angeles


The battle over Cameron Diaz's bare breasts is over.

The In Her Shoes star is no doubt walking on air after a resounding victory in her lawsuit against a now imprisoned photographer. Diaz's publicist, Brad Cafarelli, confirmed Friday that a Los Angeles judge has awarded Diaz statutory damages in the case, which involved the illicit sale of topless photos and video taken of the actress more than a decade ago, before she was an A-lister.

In his ruling Thursday, the judge also dismissed a countersuit that the shutterbug, John Rutter, had brought against Diaz, accusing her of fraud and breach of contract. A further ruling is expected on whether Rutter must foot Diaz's legal bill.

Diaz sued Rutter in 2004 for unauthorized commercial use of her name and image after the photog tried to get her to buy the photos for $3.3 million. When she balked, he threatened to sell them to a European advertising agency for $5 million.

Rutter in turn sued Diaz for $10 million, claiming she expressed interest in buying the pictures and lured him into a trap.

Diaz's lawyers tipped off police, who arrested Rutter. Last July, he was convicted of felony charges of forgery, perjury and attempted grand larceny. Rutter is currently serving a nearly four-year sentence for being, as the judge in the criminal case declared, the "shot-caller in a scheme to defraud Miss Diaz."

As for the racy images, they have been secreted away far from the public eye. The judge in the civil case issued a permanent injunction barring any sale, license or use of the photos and videotape.

Diaz, meanwhile, will be next be seen--fully clothed--on screen in The Holiday, a romantic comedy costarring Kate Winslet and Jack Black due out Dec. 8.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060402/en_celeb_eo/18704;_ylt=Am6Eg1B1TStRKibBTBiORBdxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Apr 3, 2006, 9:25 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Model Naomi Campbell Charged With Assault

by

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

Super model Naomi Campbell is led by a plainclothes police officer into Manhattan criminal court following her arrest, Thursday, March 30, 2006 in New York


NEW YORK - Supermodel Naomi Campbell was charged with assault for throwing her cell phone at a housekeeper after accusing her of stealing clothes when she couldn't find a pair of jeans she wanted to wear on "Oprah," prosecutors said.

She was released on her own recognizance and allowed to keep her passport after her lawyer argued that her famous face would prevent her from fleeing.

"She is probably the most recognized and prominent model in the world," defense attorney David Breitbart told a judge Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court. "There is no place she could go and not be recognized."

Campbell, wearing a white fur poncho, was arraigned on a charge of second-degree assault before Judge Richard Weinberg, who allowed Breitbart to enter a plea of not guilty on her behalf.

In a statement issued late Thursday, Campbell called the allegation that she hit or injured her housekeeper "completely untrue." She said she had questioned the housekeeper, Ana Scolavino, about missing items since she started working for the model more than two months ago.

"She is sadly mistaken if she thinks she can extract money from me by concocting lies by recycling old stories," the supermodel said. "I have asked my lawyer to look into filing both theft and extortion charges against her."

The housekeeper was treated at a hospital for a cut that required four staples, said Assistant District Attorney Elina Kreditor, who asked the judge to set bail at $3,500 and to order Campbell, who is British, to surrender her passport.

Breitbart called the request for $3,500 bail "an insult," saying his client's Park Avenue apartment is worth more than $3 million and she earns "more than six figures on a regular basis."

He said Campbell needed her passport for a trip to South Africa next week to visit Nelson Mandela. He asked the judge for orders to keep the housekeeper away from Campbell's apartment.

The judge said Scolavino, would have to give up her key to the apartment and issued an order of protection against Campbell, telling her she could have no contact with the employee. He scheduled her next court appearance for June 27.

The assault took place at about 8:30 a.m. inside Campbell's apartment, according to a criminal complaint. The housekeeper was hit in the back of the head and was treated at Lenox Hill Hospital, it said.

A woman who answered the after-hours media relations number at the hospital said no one was available to comment and that she could not provide any information on Scolavino.

Campbell was taken into custody shortly after police responded to the hospital to investigate the reported attack.

Facing a familiar sea of cameras, Campbell exited a Manhattan police station shortly after 4 p.m. in a scene that was part runway, part perp walk. Scores of photographers, reporters and film crews had gathered to record her departure; she responded by flashing a quick smile.

In a statement, a Campbell spokesman said the supermodel was not responsible for any assault.

"We believe this is a case of retaliation, because Naomi had fired her housekeeper earlier this morning," said the statement from J.R. Johnson. "We are confident the courts will see it the same way."

This was not the first time the volatile Campbell, 35, was accused of reaching out and touching someone with a phone. In 2003, the supermodel was sued by a former administrative assistant who said Campbell had thrown a phone at her during a tantrum two years earlier.

In August 2004, in the same apartment, Campbell and her maid battled it out, with the worker claiming the supermodel slapped her across the face. Campbell accused maid Millicent Burton of instigating the fight.

Campbell was discovered at age 15 and launched a career that landed her in magazines worldwide — including the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Campbell's high-profile lifestyle has included appearances in music videos by George Michael and Jay-Z and a close friendship with Mandela.

The international modeling sensation has appeared in several films and dabbled in a musical career.

The mercurial Campbell has a reputation for angry outbursts and abusive behavior. She pleaded guilty in Toronto to an assault charge for beating another assistant while making a film in Canada in 1998.

She also battled a cocaine addiction before reportedly getting straight several years ago.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060331/ap_en_ce/people_naomi_campbell_21

Note to Naomi Campbell and Russell Crowe from regular people "We're not animals" Actually, they'd probably know that hitting animals with cell phones was wrong 'cause Peta's always sending them pamphlets.

Posted on Mar 31, 2006, 10:39 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Superman' In A Fortress Of 3-D

by

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

Actor Brandon Routh, who plays the title role in the upcoming movie 'Superman Returns' poses in the Italian city of Florence, December 14, 2005


Three or four sections, totaling 20 minutes, will be projected in 3-D using a proprietary process developed by the large-format exhibition firm. During the movie, audiences will be given a visual cue to put on and take off their Imax 3D glasses for the stereographic sequences.

"Superman" will be simultaneously released to Imax and conventional theaters June 30 via Warner Bros.

Director Bryan Singer's film stars Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman, as well as Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060331/film_nm/superman_dc;_ylt=Aor2EqaaUb0RZLgfy0_n9RNxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Wow, last we heard this film was way over budget because they spent $100 million on special effects alone, it was going to be the Matrix meets Superman..but now they've clearly fixed it because they've created some scenes in 3-D! lol Wow!

Posted on Mar 31, 2006, 10:39 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Raw Feed' Movies On Direct-To-Video Diet

by

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


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Taking the concept of direct-to-video a step further than the flurry of recent sequels to theatrical movies, Warner Home Video on Thursday announced a branded line of video premieres.

All the films in the "Raw Feed" series will be edgy, hip thrillers, "a little bit Alfred Hitchcock meets 'The Twilight Zone,"' according to Warner Home Video senior vp theatrical catalog Jeff Baker.

Baker said this marks the first time Warner Home Video has gone outside of its own library product to develop and produce a line of movies.

"We believe there is a market for direct-to-video if the content is compelling and interesting," Baker said. "It's really a question of how you portray them in packaging and marketing and creating awareness."

In keeping with the films' cutting-edge feel, Baker said, marketing will focus on the Internet and on streaming content to Web sites and portable entertainment devices.

The first "Raw Feed" film, "Rest Stop," about a young couple terrorized while on a cross-country trip, is slated to begin production Monday. It's written by John Shiban, an Emmy-nominated writer-producer who is co-executive producing the WB Network's "Supernatural."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060331/film_nm/warner_dc;_ylt=AgrAeKP4gRbC5DIB0_K9M_ZxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Um, yeah that makes sense, a Hitchock quality film that goes straight to video. Thanks Warners! *Phew!* And here I thought that all the Hollywood executives agreed that viewers are just stupid idiots that will buy anything! :-D

Posted on Mar 31, 2006, 10:37 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Los Angeles OKs Payment To Slain Rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s Family

by

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

Notorious B.I.G., who won rap artist and rap single of the year, clutches his awards at the podium during the annual Billboard Music Awards in New York, Wednesday evening, Dec. 6, 1995


LOS ANGELES - The city has approved a $1.1 million payment to the family of rapper Notorious B.I.G. as punishment for police negligence during the slain musician's civil lawsuit trial.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper had sanctioned the city after learning that a police detective withheld documents that were pertinent to claims made by the rapper's family. She declared a mistrial in July.

The payment represents the cost of legal fees and other expenses incurred by the family's attorneys. City lawyers told the council an appeal was unlikely to overturn the judge's ruling. The council approved the payment Wednesday.

Christopher Wallace, or Notorious B.I.G., was shot and killed March 9, 1997, after a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The murder has not been solved.

A retrial of the wrongful death case is expected later this year.

His family's lawsuit against the city and LAPD claimed a corrupt LAPD officer arranged to have Wallace killed at the behest of Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight, and that LAPD officials covered up Mack's involvement. Knight has denied involvement.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060330/ap_en_mu/notorious_big;_ylt=AuW3IL5cYl7c_D.J3VWZ0D9xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 30, 2006, 10:07 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Special Effects Tech Sues Over 'Mission: Impossible III' Burns

by

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

US actor Tom Cruise gestures to the crew from a speedboat while filming Mission Impossible III on the Tiber river in Rome on Tuesday, July 12, 2005


LOS ANGELES - A special effects technician alleges that negligence caused him to be severely burned in an explosion on the set of "Mission: Impossible III."

Steven Scott Wheatley says in a Superior Court lawsuit that he suffered third-degree burns over more than 60 percent of his body when a Chevrolet Suburban that was "rigged with pyrotechnical material" accidentally exploded and engulfed him in a fireball last June 6.

"Mission: Impossible III," starring Tom Cruise, will be released in theaters May 5.

Wheatley is seeking unspecified damages for negligence, pain and suffering, lost earnings and medical expenses. His wife is also seeking damages.

Paramount's Nancy Kirkpatrick said Wednesday she couldn't comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit names as defendants Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures; the owners and mangers of the Agua Dulce Movie Ranch; Cruise/Wagner Productions, the production company owned by Cruise and Paula Wagner; and various people on the set that day.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060330/ap_en_mo/movie_worker_burned;_ylt=AmHImwVo4x8wr4KW79A6e3lxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 30, 2006, 10:06 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Ryan Seacrest And Teri Hatcher Kiss Uncomfortably

by

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

Pictures published by Us Weekly that show Ryan Seacrest and Teri Hatcher together on Saturday March 25, 2006 in Malibu, CA


Pretend Not To Notice The Photographer They Hired

A couple of thoughts immediately crossed our minds upon viewing Us Weekly's completely convincing, obviously not staged photos of American Idol spokesmodel Ryan Seacrest and profoundly desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher:

? Teri Hatcher's troubled past is obviously playing a prominent role in her choice of unavailable men;
? If Seacrest's mouth were clenched any tighter, he'd probably shatter all of his teeth en route to swallowing his entire chin.

Special Bonus Section! We can't guarantee that the following PrivacyWatch sighting isn't somehow involved in the above publicity ploy, but someone sent in an account of the odd couple's visit to Malibu a couple of days ago that seemed a little suspicious even before the photos surfaced:

"I saw Ryan Seacrest and Teri Hatcher eating a big ass lobster and drinking champagne at popular biker stop "Neptune's Net" on Saturday (3-25-06). I couldn't really tell if they were on a date, but both seemed to be having a good time. There was lots of touching and laughing going on. It was nice to see two celebrities hanging out at a dive restaurant and not acting pretentious at all. They were very friendly to everyone who noticed them and they didn't try to hide their identities at all. Even the two hardcore bikers with long beards who looked that they hadn't showered in months recognized them.

The best was when Seacrest came out with the food looking for a place to sit. At first their were no seats available so some random dude offered to share his seat with Seacrest. Seacrest was confused if the man was getting up, but once he realized that the guy wanted to dine with him and Teri he politely declined the invitation."

A biker bar? Apparently, someone on Seacrest's PR team vetoed a meal at Mr. Confirmed Heterosexual's Steak House And Brewery as too transparent.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/top/seacrest-and-hatcher-kiss-uncomfortably-pretend-not-to-notice-the-photographer-they-hired-163854.php#more

Posted on Mar 30, 2006, 10:05 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Former Village People Cop Is Arrested

by

..........................................................................................................................................................
http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/03/04/20050716192709990001>
Victor Willis is seen in the bottom center of this undated publicity photo for the "Village People"


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Victor Willis, the original policeman in the 1970s disco band the Village People, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to drug possession and giving false identification to a police officer.

His arrest Sunday ended a five-month search for the former hitmaker.

Willis, 54, was pulled over by a South San Francisco police officer for a routine traffic stop but was arrested after cocaine and drug paraphernalia was found in his car, Lt. Jeff Azzopardi said.

The officer did not immediately recognize Willis, who was the subject of a bench warrant after failing to appear at his sentencing hearing on drug and weapons charges in October, police said.

Both Willis and his companion, Staci Brandt, who also was wanted for a parole violation, initially gave false names to the officer, Azzopardi said. Willis was later identified through fingerprints.

Brandt also pleaded not guilty to the same charges Tuesday.

Both are scheduled to return to court on April 10.

Last July, Willis was arrested in Daly City for possessing cocaine. He agreed to a plea bargain that would have resulted in a prison term of no more than 16 months, but he never showed up for sentencing. His bail jumping now gives a judge the right to impose the maximum four-year, four-month sentence.

A new sentencing date for that case has not been set, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Willis, who co-wrote such hits as "YMCA" and "In the Navy," left the Village People in 1980. His case was first featured on the television crime show "America's Most Wanted" in December.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_en_mu/people_willis;_ylt=Aklj39P_EIcaF9mxdDzTvkhxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 29, 2006, 8:49 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Britney Spears' Songwriters Accuse Composer

by

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

Britney Spears arrives for a post-Grammy party at a private residence Feb. 8, 2006, in Beverly Hills, Calif


SEOUL, South Korea - Britney Spears' songwriters have accused a South Korean pop composer of plagiarism and are seeking damages, a music publisher said Wednesday.

Universal Music Publishing Korea, the company that handles South Korean copyrights for Spears' music, said her songwriters had complained that "Get ya," performed by Lee Hyo-lee, sounded similar to a song they wrote for the 24-year-old pop singer titled, "Do Something."

"Get ya" was the lead song on Lee's second album, which was released last month. Spears released "Do Something" in February 2005.

Kevin Cho, general manager of Universal Music Publishing Korea, said Spears' songwriters claim the Korean track had been "partially plagiarized" and the company sent their complaint to Lee's composer, Kim Do-hyun.

Cho said they were seeking a settlement of undisclosed terms, but hadn't yet received a response from Kim's side.

Kim has said he was influenced by the Spears' song, but denied copying directly from it. He wasn't immediately available for comment Wednesday.

Lee, whose sexy style has earned her prominent appearances in advertising campaigns, is staging a comeback this year with a return to live performances.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_en_mu/people_spears;_ylt=An_BlBB0JNSHH5Bg1dcMQnVxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 29, 2006, 8:48 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Beatles' Apple Takes on Apple Computer

by

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

A record with an Apple Corps logo is seen placed on the top of an Apple computer with its logo, top left, in London Wednesday, March 29, 2006


LONDON - Two legendary companies in the music industry faced off in court Wednesday in a trademark battle over a piece of fruit.

Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles' record company and guardian of the band's musical heritage and business interests, is suing Apple Computer Inc., claiming the company violated a 1991 agreement by entering the music business with its iTunes online store.

Geoffrey Vos, a lawyer representing Apple Corps, argued that characterizing the download system as an electronic device was a "perversion" of the constraints laid down in the agreement between the two companies.

Vos said that Steve Jobs, co-founder and chief executive of Apple Computer, had said the downloading of music from the Internet was the same as buying an LP in the modern world.

Apple Computer's argument that it uses the apple mark only in connection with a delivery system was "plainly wrong," Vos said.

The computer company's logo is a cartoonish apple with a neat bite out of the side; the record company is represented by a perfect, shiny green Granny Smith apple.

Apple Corps — founded in 1968 and owned by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison — is seeking both an injunction to enforce the 1991 agreement and monetary damages for the alleged contract breach.

The 15-year-old agreement between the two Apples had ended a long-running trademark fight in which each agreed not to tread on the other's toes by entering into a "field of use" agreement.

Apple Computer said before the trial that "unfortunately, Apple and Apple Corps now have differing interpretations of this agreement and will need to ask a court to resolve this dispute."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_en_bu/apple_vs__apple;_ylt=ArcevxUotb6SAJneofh.YehxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Yeah yeah But will Gwyneth Paltrow also enter the lawsuit on behalf of her child?

Posted on Mar 29, 2006, 8:47 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

French Hold Massive Protest Amid Strike

by

======================================================================

People march during a protest against the first job contract law, known as CPE, Tuesday, March 28, 2006 in Paris.


PARIS - Nationwide strikes disrupted airline, train and bus services, and sent more than 200,000 protesters into the streets across France on Tuesday as unions joined in solidarity with students angered by a new youth labor law.

As public pressure mounted amid the largest demonstrations yet against the controversial employment contract, cracks appeared within the conservative government.

In a clear break with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy suggested that the measure be suspended to allow talks with unions.

Paris and other cities deployed thousands of police to prevent a possible resurgence of violence that marred previous demonstrations against the law, which would make it easier for companies to fire young workers. Protest marches took place in scores of cities and towns.

"We have to defend the rights that were won by our ancestors and which the current government is trying to take away," said Maxime Ourly, a literature student who joined tens of thousands protesting on Paris' Left Bank.

Students and labor unions say the law will erode France's cherished workplace protections. Set to take effect next month, it would let companies fire employees younger than 26 without reason in the first two years on the job.

Even with huge marches under way, Villepin held firm. He told parliament that he was open to talks on employment and possible changes to the law but did not say that he would withdraw it.

"Only in action will we convince all of the French that tomorrow can be better than today," he said, loudly heckled by opposition politicians.

Villepin says the greater flexibility will encourage companies to hire young workers, who face a 22 percent unemployment rate — the highest in Western Europe. But as protests have grown, his government — and chances of running for the presidency next year — have appeared increasingly fragile.

Sarkozy, who is also seeking to be the conservative camp's presidential candidate, told a meeting of lawmakers from the ruling UMP party that the law should not go into force as long as talks to resolve the crisis are still possible, his aides said.

Villepin's sputtering effort at reform underscores the dilemma facing many countries in Europe that have lush jobs protections and social safety nets under threat by competition from fast-rising Asian economies with cheaper labor and fewer workplace protections.

According to police estimates, 31,000 marched Tuesday in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, 28,000 in the southern port city of Marseille, 26,000 in the Alpine city of Grenoble, 17,000 in Lyon and more than 120,000 in nearly a dozen other cities and towns.

Protesters in Paris said they wanted to defend the status quo.

"We are here for our children. We are very worried about what will happen to them," said Philippe Decrulle, an Air France flight attendant. "My son is 23, and he has no job. That is normal in France."

Light rain did not dampen the festive atmosphere, with red union flags and balloons floating over the marchers and stands selling sausages.

Police were deployed, as the authorities feared a repeat of the violence at a march last week when suburban youths attacked peaceful demonstrators and officers.

Sarkozy, meeting with police before the Paris march began, urged them to arrest as many troublemakers as possible.

"It will be another difficult day. You will be judged on the number of arrests and on your cool," he said.

The State Department advised Americans in France to avoid areas where crowds were expected to gather and to exercise caution, particularly at night.

The strike slowed train, plane, subway and bus services across the country to a fraction of their normal levels. It was the first time that unions had ordered walkouts in solidarity with students spearheading protests against the job contract.

National newspapers were not on sale at newsstands, and radio and television broadcasts were limited. About a third of public school teachers and other education workers also were on strike.

France's top five labor union federations also refused Villepin's invitation to meet Wednesday for talks, insisting that he shelve the contract first.

President Jacques Chirac canceled a planned trip Tuesday to the northern port city of Le Havre "in light of events," his office said.

======================================================================

Yay!

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

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Universal brewing 'Starbucks'

by

==================================================================

Tom Hanks and Starbucks logo.


Universal Pictures has made a six-figure acquisition of "How Starbucks Saved My Life" based on a 102-page proposal and attached Tom HanksTom Hanks to star and Gus Van SantGus Van Sant to direct.
Playtone partners Hanks and Gary GoetzmanGary Goetzman will produce.

Book, to be published by Penguin imprint Gotham Books, is a memoir by Michael Gates Gill, a former J. Walter Thompson exec who found himself down and out when he was downsized out of a job.

In his 60s and in a personal tailspin because of an affair that ended his marriage, Gill saw his luck change when he entered a Starbucks and walked out with a job offer from the store's manager, giving his life new purpose.

The proposal slipped out in New York last week, and though the book has yet to be written, several studios felt the story was a blueprint for a film on the timely subject of mature execs who must find a third act when cut loose from their jobs.

Playtone has animated pic "The Ant Bully" opening Aug. 4 via Warner Bros.; the Mike NicholsMike Nichols-directed "Charlie Wilson's War," which begins production Sept. 15 at Universal with Hanks and Julia Roberts; and the Spike JonzeSpike Jonze-directed "Where the Wild Things Are," which is starting production at WB this summer.
==================================================================
:-D How great for Starbucks!! Maybe with the money they make off the movie they can open some more stores!

Posted on Mar 28, 2006, 9:18 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Cowell Goes for Variety With New TV Show

by

======================================================================

Simon Cowell poses in an undated publicity photo released by Fox.


LOS ANGELES - Simon Cowell's new TV talent show promises to be a real circus.

Singers, comedians, jugglers, animal acts and anyone else hungry for stardom will be welcome on "America's Got Talent," the summertime series that Cowell, the tart-tongued judge on Fox's "American Idol," is producing for NBC.

Group acts or singles, old or young — all are eligible to try for the $1 million prize, he told a telephone news conference Monday.

"You can be 2 years old, 100 years old. You can be the next Destiny's Child, you can be the next Jackson 5 or you can be the next David Copperfield," Cowell said. "This is a show literally open to anybody."

Auditions dates were announced Monday, with tryouts set for Los Angeles on April 6-8; Chicago, April 12-13; New York City, April 17; East Elmhurst, N.Y., April 19, and Atlanta, April 22-23. Would-be contestants also can apply online.

An air date for the series has yet to be set, NBC said.

Cowell, an English record-company executive who became a celebrity on "American Idol" and was part of its British precursor, "Pop Idol," said he's a longtime fan of American shows that featured a variety of performers.

The "time is right" for a contest open to performers of every stripe, he said. Cowell won't be a judge on the show but very qualified "A-list" celebrities have expressed interest, he and fellow executive producer Ken Warwick said.

Cowell was asked about whether he was aware of Wayne Newton's "The Entertainer," which ran on E! Television Network last year and had a similar goal of showcasing diverse talent.

"Yes. And I hated it," he said.

For such shows to work, Cowell said, it's crucial to include the audition process. In "America's Got Talent," as in "American Idol," viewers will learn who makes the cut in the five city auditions and then see further dismissals as the semifinals unfold in a Los Angeles studio.

How the semifinalists are dumped will be "very brutal," Cowell said. He didn't offer details.

Cowell, who's joined ranks with the "American Idol" producing team on "America's Got Talent," is apparently intent on giving every American — and every TV network — a chance for fame and fortune: He's also producing "American Inventor" on ABC.

"American Idol" is a consistent ratings leader for Fox. "American Inventor" scored as a top-20 show in its March 16 debut against college basketball but now has to prove itself against CBS' tougher "Survivor."

Does Cowell fear diluting the valuable "American Idol" brand?

No, he said. Instead, he hopes that "America's Got Talent" will be a different type of show that fills the gap when "Idol" is off the air.

Asked if the new show might compete directly against Fox's, Cowell replied: "That will never happen."

======================================================================



    
This message has been edited by crystaltjapan from IP address 216.205.224.10 on Mar 28, 2006 9:32 AM

Posted on Mar 28, 2006, 9:18 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.10

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Author Of 'Solaris' Dies At 84

by

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

File picture shows famous Polish writer Stanislaw Lem at his home in Krakow in February 1975


WARSAW, Poland - Stanislaw Lem, a popular science fiction writer whose novel "Solaris" was filmed twice, died Monday in his native Poland, his secretary said. He was 84.

Lem died in Krakow, Wojciech Zemek told The Associated Press. Zemek did not give other details or the cause of death, citing only Lem's advanced age.

Lem was one of the most popular science fiction authors of recent decades to write in a language other than English, and his works were translated from Polish into more than 40 other languages. His books have sold 27 million copies.

His best-known work, "Solaris," was adapted into films by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972 and by Steven Soderbergh in 2002. The latter starred George Clooney and Natascha McElhone.

His first important novel, "Hospital of the Transfiguration," was censored by communist authorities for eight years before its release in 1956 amid a thaw following the death of Josef Stalin.

Lem's other works include "The Invincible," "The Cyberiad," "His Master's Voice," "The Star Diaries," "The Futurological Congress" and "Tales of Prix the Pilot."
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060327/ap_on_en_ot/obit_lem;_ylt=Anv8Q7AkjyVD.NUX654kKMdxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 27, 2006, 9:17 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Today In Brad Grey: More Wiretapping Fun, Crazy Succession Rumors

by

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

Paramount CEO Brad Grey is seen here at the Hollywood premiere of Paramount Pictures' Sahara April 4, 2005



Friday's NY Times again draws embattled Paramount emperor Brad Grey into the Anthony Pellicano Wiretapping Trial of the Century, reporting that the "first direct evidence" of how the eavesdroppingest PI in Hollywood used his illicitly gained information to benefit his clients has been introduced in the case--in this instance, how wiretapped conversations between screenwriter Bo Zenga and his lawyer may have helped Grey's attorney defend against Zenga's suit. (We're not even going to bother to explain, especially when the Times so helpfully put together this handsome chart.)



In other, necessarily connected Brad Grey news, writer Toby Young passes along a "rumor circulating in New York and Los Angeles" that's the nuttiest Paramount-related gossip that we've heard: that Young's former boss, Vanity Fair editor and longtime Friend of Hollywood Graydon Carter may take over the studio. The whispered arguments for Carter, according to Young:

1. Brad Grey’s position looks increasingly untenable. There’s another front page story in the New York Times today linking him with Anthony Pellicano and, at this rate, it’s not a question of if he goes, but when.

2. The Board of Paramount will want to move the story on as soon as they give Grey his marching orders and what better way to do that than to choose someone completely unexpected to succeed him? In Hollywood, Graydon’s appointment will be almost as big a talking point as Brad Grey’s dismissal.

3. There have been plenty of previous rumours about Graydon’s imminent departure, but they’ve lacked plausibility because, after all, why would he voluntarily give up such a great job? That isn’t a factor here because being head of Paramount is self-evidently a better job than editing Vanity Fair.

4. Okay, Graydon has no experience of running a Hollywood studio, but, then, neither did Brad Grey. Admittedly, that may be an argument for replacing Grey with an industry veteran--“a safe pair of hands”--but maybe not. Graydon has a good relationship with “the talent” and he knows a thing or two about packaging.

5. April Fool’s Day is still one week away.

If throwing extravagant Oscar parties and having lots of well-connected friends is all it takes to get a name injected into the Paramount succession rumor mill, we officially declare Elton John to be our dark-horse candidate to step in should Grey vacate his post. He'd be way more fun than Carter.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/paramount/today-in-brad-grey-more-wiretapping-fun-crazy-succession-rumors-162891.php#more

Posted on Mar 27, 2006, 9:16 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

New 'Xanadu' Laces Skates

by

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

Olivia Newton-John and Michael Beck are seen here in a scene from the 1980 movie musical "Xanadu"


Disco tuner rolls Off Broadway

Roller disco arrives Off Broadway, finally, with a stage version of the 1980 movie musical "Xanadu" set for spring 2007.

New musical, with a book by Douglas Carter Beane ("The Little Dog Laughed"), will be directed by Christopher Ashley ("All Shook Up") and produced by Robert Ahrens. Show will have an out-of-town tryout this fall before skating into a yet-to-be-determined 499-seat venue in New York city.

Music will be taken from the pic, which starred Olivia Newton-John. Roster of songs, written by John Farrar and former Electric Light Orchestra member Jeff Lynne, includes Newton's chart-topper "Magic."

Fantasy-romance follows a frustrated artist and a has-been big band leader (played by Gene Kelly in the movie) inspired by a mysterious woman (Newton-John) to build a flashy roller disco. Pic flopped when it was released, but went on to become a cult favorite.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940379?categoryid=15&cs=1

Posted on Mar 27, 2006, 9:13 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'Brokeback's' Randy Quaid Asking For Award Of $10 million

by

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

Actor Randy Quaid is seen here arriving at the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles January 16, 2006


Poor sport or pitifully underpaid?

Randy Quaid has filed a lawsuit against Focus Features alleging that Universal's specialty arm duped him into deferring normal pay for his role in "Brokeback Mountain" by falsely representing the project as a low-budget indie pic with no prospect of making money.

In his suit, logged Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Quaid says James Schamus and David Linde knew from the get-go that Ang Lee's unconventional oater would go far beyond just an arthouse release, and that big Universal would help with marketing costs and other expenses.

Linde and Schamus ran Focus together until just last week, when Linde was named co-chair of Universal Pictures.

"Defendants were engaging in a 'movie laundering' scheme designed to obtain the services of talent such as Randy Quaid on economically unfavorable art film terms for a picture that, in reality, had studio backing and would be exploited using traditional studio marketing and distribution techniques," the lawsuit states.

A spokeswoman for Focus said the specialty division doesn't comment on pending litigation.

Lawsuit also names Del Mar Prods., formed to produce "Brokeback," as a defendant.

Quaid is asking to be awarded $10 million, the amount the lawsuit suggests he would have received had Focus been upfront about its intentions for "Brokeback," which has grossed nearly $160 million worldwide.

"Randy Quaid is an instantly recognizable household name and much-admired actor on the world's stage with a worldwide box office total of nearly $2 billion. His likeness, talent and name are worth millions of dollars and are solely his property," the lawsuit states.

Lawsuit never declares exactly what Quaid was paid, if anything, for playing the small role of Joe Aguirre, a ranch manager appearing in several scenes. His lawyers would not comment beyond what was stated in the suit.

According to the suit, Lee told Quaid during a meeting that "we can't pay anything, we have very little money, everyone is making a sacrifice to make this film."

Hollywood guilds define low-budget films as those in the $500,000-$7 million range, according to the suit.

"Brokeback" budget was $14 million-$15 million.

Insiders say even at that budget, there would be no money for the kind of compensation Quaid was talking about.

Quaid alleges, however, that he was told the budget was much lower.

Also, the lawsuit alleges that Linde and Schamus were enlisting big Universal's help from the beginning. Further, Quaid alleges Linde told him on Feb. 1 that he had received $1.5 million upfront for producing the film, though Linde later changed that figure to $1.

"Despite their professed expectations that the controversial subject matter of the film would inhibit its box office performance, defendants in fact did not believe that the film would appeal only to a small 'arthouse' audience and did not market it only to a niche audience," the lawsuit says.

Focus did initially open "Brokeback" only in NY, L.A. and San Francisco. It expanded the number of screens as the movie -- a kudos favorite -- gained in popularity at the box office.

While specialty arms have their own marketing budgets, it's not unusual for them to turn to their parent studios for assistance once pics pick up awards steam.
..........................................................................................................................................................


source: http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117940304&c=13

Posted on Mar 24, 2006, 9:08 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

'99 Red Balloons' Video to Air for an Hour

by

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

99 Red Balloons Club Mix 12" Maxi Single as sold in Japan 1984


NEW YORK - They're kidding, right?

VH1 Classic will present a full hour of the English and German music videos for the 1984 hit "99 Luftballons," aka "99 Red Balloons," by German rock group Nena.

The music video presentation, to air Sunday (2 p.m. EST), caps off the cable channel's "Pay to Play for Hurricane Katrina Relief," which raised over $200,000 for Mercy Corps, a humanitarian relief organization.

Viewers could request one video to be played on VH1 Classic for every $25 donation. For a $35,000 donation, they could select an hour's worth of music videos from the 1960s through the early 1990s.

However, one viewer chose something different for his allotted hour, requesting continuous playing of "99 Luftballons," said VH1 spokeswoman Maura Wozniak.

"99 Luftballons" is a Cold-War era protest song that tells the story of 99 red balloons floating into the air, triggering an apocalypse when the military sends planes to intercept them.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060324/ap_en_mu/tv_vh1_katrina_fundraiser;_ylt=AmA1G020_Ca2wvPhV4oc7CpxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 24, 2006, 9:07 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Korean Drama Craze Reaches United States

by

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

Members of the Hawaii K-Drama Fan Club watch Korean DVDs together at Nora Muramoto's home in Pearl City, Hawaii, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006


HONOLULU - It's become a daily ritual for Gayle Stephens. She often laughs and cries while getting her daily fix. She's even tried to get her family hooked.

Stephens loves Korean dramas.

She is among a growing number of Americans with no connection to Korean culture who say the shows are a more compelling and wholesome alternative to the usual daytime programming on American TV. And retail giants are also starting to tune in.

"I like the fact that they're cleaner, they're not as smutty as the American dramas," said Stephens, a 32-year-old black woman who grew up in Durham, N.C.

"I didn't think I would enjoy watching, but I really got caught up in it. It's very engaging," she said.

TV dramas have become South Korea's hottest export since cell phones, female golfers and kimchi. The Korean craze, which also includes music and film, has swept through Japan, China, the Philippines, Singapore and most of Asia and is now making its way across the United States.

"It's just a small peninsula nestled between Japan and China, but they've just hit it right," said Tom Larsen, general manager of YA Entertainment LLC, a major North American distributor of Korean dramas. "They know how to put together a good drama that their neighbors in Asia are eating up."

Now, more Americans are saying hello to "hallyu," or the "Korean wave."

Larsen said the dramas are the driver behind the wave, but it is really "all things Korea."

"It stopped in Hawaii, built up some momentum and reached California shortly after and is continuing to spread across the states," he said. "The mainland is three, four, five years, behind Hawaii."

Korean soap operas used to be only offered in select Asian video stores, but now they are going mainstream with English subtitles.

In Hawaii, retailers such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Borders, Blockbuster and Tower Records are capitalizing on the craze and in the past few months began selling Korean drama box DVD sets for $60 to $120.

The DVDs are also sold in music and book stores in cities with large Asian communities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and New York, as well as online at Amazon.com.

Since opening in 2003, San Bruno, Calif.-based YA has seen revenue triple in each of the past two years behind strong sales of its top sellers: the tearful love story "Stairway to Heaven," and historic drama "Dae Jang Geum." YA plans to release 22 titles this year.

Fans say the Korean shows, centered around relationships and family, focus more on story lines than special effects and are a refreshing change from American programming they see as too violent and too racy.

Annette Marten, a 69-year-old nurse from Kailua, said Korean soaps depict love in a more romantic and artistic way, without steamy, bedroom scenes.

"I'm not prudish in any way, but it's so lovely how they express themselves," she said. "I get all excited if they get a hug. It has so much more meaning."

Many Korean dramas feature elements also found in American soap operas — love triangles, forbidden love, evil mothers-in-law and corrupt business partners. But a key difference is that Korean story lines end usually after 16 to 20 hour-long episodes, no matter how popular they become.

CBS' "Guiding Light," on the other hand, has been on the air since 1952.

"They go from one bed to the next and everybody ends up with someone else's husband and it never ends," said former daytime TV fan Yolanda Kala, 48, of Waianae. "It's like 20 years and they still have the same problems. At least with the Korean stuff, you start and you end."

KBFD-TV in Honolulu, the nation's first FCC-licensed station dedicated to Korean programming, had primarily Korean viewers when it first aired in 1986.

Today, less than 10 percent of viewers are Korean and ratings are higher than ever, said Jeff Chung, the station's general manager.

In just a few years, the station has helped Korean dramas become part of Hawaii's entertainment landscape.

Travel agents here are selling tours to Korea to visit filming locations. There are blogs and chat rooms. Hawaii's largest daily newspaper carries a weekly column. Korean restaurants, shops and language classes are now filled with curious non-Koreans.

There're even fan clubs devoted to the dramas.

Gerrie Nakamura and Nora Muramoto, who are of Japanese ancestry, are truly Korean drama queens.

They founded the Hawaii K-Drama Fan Club in 2002 with about 20 people, but the group has grown to 400 members, mostly middle-aged women of all races. Only about 5 percent of its members are of Korean heritage.

Muramoto, 59, said her love of the dramas has inspired her to take Korean cooking and language classes. Nakamura, a high school teacher, said she sometimes recommends the dramas to her students to learn about family values and respect for elders.

"We grew up with 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'The Waltons,' but today's kids don't have that," she said. "They see extreme whatever — reality TV and naked girls on MTV."

More than 200 members attended the latest club gathering and got a visit by journeyman actor Lee Jeong-gil, who often plays the role of a father or businessman.

"I was blown away by the welcome," Lee said. "I never expected anything like this."

There are other fan clubs devoted to specific Korean stars, such as Bae Yong-joon, the soft-smiling star of "Winter Sonata."

The 2002 love story turned Bae into a huge star in Asia, especially in Japan, where his scarf-wearing image is featured on everything from teddy bears to key chains. Hawaii's Bae fan club boasts more than 100 members and may expand into a national group.

"`Winter Sonata' is showing on the mainland and there's pockets of underground fandom all over the U.S.," said Michelle Smith, the club's president.

While obsessed with the star, Smith said she isn't the typical fan.

"Your typical Bae Yong-Joon fan is in her 40s, has a family and listens to K-pop," she said, a reference to Korean pop music. "I ride a Harley, play electric guitar and listen to Green Day, AC-DC and Ozzy."

Music, from ballads to instrumentals, plays a prominent role in Korean dramas. There's also a lot of crossover in acting and singing, such as pop stars Jung Ji-hoon and Eric Mun.

Jung, of the hit romantic-comedy series "Full House," is better known as the singer "Rain." He sold out New York's Madison Square Garden twice last month and in October performed in front of 40,000 fans at Beijing Workers Stadium.

Retiree 62-year-old Margie Okuhara said she feels like a teenager again when the Hawaii drama club meets to swoon over the stars.

"My kids call me a groupie," she said. "I say, `That's OK, when you get to be my age, you can do whatever you want.'"
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060324/ap_en_tv/ap_on_tv_korean_dramas;_ylt=Av41YiHaCXr8mEEWF18.rXlxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 24, 2006, 9:06 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

British Rock Singer Pete Doherty Pleads Guilty Then Kicks Reporter

by

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

British rock singer Pete Doherty climbs over a wall as he leaves Thames Magistrates court in London March 23, 2006 -- British rock star Pete Doherty, right, kicks away a member of the media's microphone as he leaves Thames Magistrates' Court in east London, Thursday March 23, 2006 -- British rock singer Pete Doherty jumps off the boot of his car as he leaves Thames Magistrates court in London March 23, 2006


LONDON - Moments after pleading guilty to seven drug charges Thursday, Pete Doherty lashed out at reporters covering his court appearance and kicked one in the arm.

Trudi Barber, a reporter for the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Radio One station, was kicked amid scenes of what she described as "total chaos."

The 26-year-old Babyshambles singer was more than an hour late for his appearance at Thames Magistrates' Court in central London. He had to battle through a crush of reporters and photographers to get inside.

He then pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, which police said they found when he was stopped once in December and once in January.

Doherty, the former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss, is already under court supervision for drug charges. In early February, a judge imposed a 12-month community service order and required Doherty to submit to regular drug tests.

His lawyer, Sean Curran, asked Judge Jane McIvor to put off the matter off for six months so they could see how Doherty progressed.

"I would not like the court to impose anything that would go against the grain," Curran said. "He is a very talented man. Unfortunately, every move he makes has been in the spotlight."

McIvor ordered Doherty to return to court April 20, "which will mean we will know the results of his next review on April 12." She warned that all options remained open for sentencing.

It was when Doherty left the court — wearing his trademark trilby hat and a gray suit — that he allegedly kicked Barber in the elbow and knocked her microphone on the ground.

"It was total chaos here outside the court both when he arrived and when he left," Barber said on Radio One.

"Afterwards he leapt over the railings outside the court," she said. "All of a sudden he lashed out, kicking me in the arm that was holding the microphone."

Doherty then ran down the street pursued by nearly two dozen members of the media. He jumped over the trunk of a Jaguar sedan and into the driver's seat, nearly colliding with another car when he tried to pull out into the street.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060323/ap_en_mu/pete_doherty;_ylt=ApsSXLHG4EwZtLD4nzR2eo1xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 23, 2006, 9:18 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Universal Backlot A Hot Property

by

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

A Universal Studios Tram is seen driving through the backlot in Universal City, CA


Plans underway for 400-acre Universal City development

NBC Universal has tapped developer Thomas Properties Group and architect Rios Clementi Hale Studios to create a master plan for future construction at the 400-acre Universal City property.

The "vision plan," which will take four to six months to formulate, will evaluate the feasibility of additions to the mostly undeveloped backlot area, including housing, office, retail and production facilities. The plan -- which will require county and city approvals -- also will analyze needs of the existing studio lot, theme park, CityWalk, hotels and office buildings.

Universal City contains one of the largest tracts of prime undeveloped property in the Los Angeles area, but Universal officials were careful to couch Wednesday's announcement as exploratory and emphasized there are no plans in the works to push for building another resort-type property.

A decade ago, Universal had aggressively pursued approval of a plan to build out the property via a second theme park, hotels, offices and production space. However, it put those plans into deep freeze in 1998 amid neighborhood concerns over increased noise and traffic.

"Universal City plays an important role in our company and in Los Angeles," said U Studios toppertopper Ron MeyerRon Meyer in a statement. "Now is the time to shape a vision not only for the continued vitality of our studio and theme park businesses but for the property itself."

Universal Studios reprep Cindy Gardner said the study is especially timely in order to evaluate changing business conditions. Earlier this year, as part of what was then termed a "needs-assessment phase," studio parent General Electric hired consultants to explore the feasibility of selling part of the real estate for condo construction.

James Thomas, head of Thomas Properties Group, has been involved in the development of Playa Vista and downtown projects including the Library Tower, the Gas Company Tower, the Wells Fargo Plaza and City National Plaza.

Universal promised it would keep residents in nearby communities apprised. Polly Ward, president of the Studio City Residents Assn., told Daily Variety that Universal has been attentive to concerns of residents, but expressed concern over GE, which has owned Universal for less than two years.

"Universal's done a good job of mitigating noise and traffic, but GE's an unknown factor," she said. "I don't think that all that property can continue being unused, but it needs to be used responsibly."

CityWalk, which opened in 1993 and expanded seven years later, was the last major project undertaken at Universal.
................................................................................................................................................................................

source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940225?categoryid=18&cs=1

Posted on Mar 23, 2006, 9:17 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Chef Gets Big Send-Off on 'South Park'

by

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

This photo, supplied by Comedy Central, shows the character of Chef, a cook at the elementary school in 'South Park,' with two other characters


NEW YORK - Isaac Hayes' Chef character got a true "South Park" send-off Wednesday night — seemingly killed off but mourned as a jolly old guy whose brains were scrambled by the "Super Adventure Club."

The thinly disguised satire continued the show's feud with Scientologists in its 10th season premiere on Comedy Central.

The soul singer has voiced the Chef character in "South Park" since 1997, but left recently because of what he called the animated show's religious "intolerance and bigotry." Founders Matt Stone and Trey Parker said Hayes, a Scientologist, was mad that "South Park" mocked the religion in an episode last November.

A rerun of that Scientology episode was mysteriously pulled off the air last week amid published reports that actor Tom Cruise, another Scientologist, had used his clout to bury it. A Cruise spokesman denied that.

Hayes didn't participate in making Wednesday's episode; the character's lines appeared to be patched together through tapes of past dialogue.

Chef repeatedly said he wanted to "make sweet love" to the "South Park" elementary school kids — it seems the "Super Adventure Club" turns its members into child molesters.

The children try to rescue Chef, but in the end he turns to head back to the "Super Adventure Club" — until he falls off a bridge onto rocks, is burned, stabbed and mauled by a mountain lion and bear.

Then he apparently dies.

"A lot of us don't agree with the choices the Chef has made in the last few days," one of the children eulogizes him at a funeral. "Some of us feel hurt and confused that he seemed to turn his back on us. But we can't let the events of the past few weeks take away the memories of how Chef made us smile.

"We shouldn't be mad at Chef for leaving us," the eulogy concludes. "We should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains."

The door for Hayes' return wasn't completely closed. In the show's final scene, members of the "Super Adventure Club" try to revive Chef, and it's not clear he's really dead.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060323/ap_en_tv/tv_south_park;_ylt=AnJVUq3sp6C30EqCnqDVGbxxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 23, 2006, 9:15 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Hank Williams Jr. Accused Of Harrassment

by

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

Country Western recording artist Hank Williams Jr., is shown in this , Jan. 11, 2006, file photo in Pittsburgh


MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A 19-year-old waitress has accused Hank Williams Jr. of harassing her in a hotel bar.

Holly Hornbeak alleged that around midnight Saturday the country superstar swore at her, tried to kiss her and lifted her in a chokehold, according to a police report.

Williams has been staying at the Peabody Hotel while his daughters are being treated in a Memphis hospital for injuries they suffered in a car crash.

Police had not issued any warrants in the case as of Tuesday evening, The Commercial Appeal newspaper reported.

Nor has Williams been contacted by police, his publicist, Kirt Webster told The Associated Press Tuesday night.

"I am shocked at such allegations," Webster said in a statement. "Hank Jr. has had to defend himself once already in Memphis last Friday from erroneous allegations, and now this.

"Hank and family is still staying at the hotel, if any issues were problematic one would think that the hotel would ask him to check out or leave the premises. Neither has happened."

On Friday Williams held a news conference to dispel rumors started by an anonymous caller on a radio talk show that he had asked for only white personnel to attend to his daughters.

The women were seriously injured when their SUV overturned on a Mississippi highway last Wednesday.

Holly Williams, 25, was released from the hospital Friday. Hilary Williams, 27, remained in intensive care Tuesday.

Hank Williams Jr. has had a string of No. 1 hits including "Family Tradition" and "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight." He has sung the theme for ABC's "Monday Night Football" since 1989.

His father, a star in the late 1940s to early 1950s, had hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." He died in 1953.
..........................................................................................................................................................

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060322/ap_en_mu/people_hank_williams_jr;_ylt=AmrqScnnkpN_G3mDlmmi2blxFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Posted on Mar 22, 2006, 9:03 AM
from IP address 216.205.224.11

Respond to this message

Goto Forum Home

Find more forums on Classic RockCreate your own forum at Network54
 Copyright © 1999-2009 Network54. All rights reserved.   Terms of Use   Privacy Statement