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BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union 's antitrust office is preparing to send a broad statement of objections this week to a proposed merger of the music units of Japan's Sony Corp. and Germany's Bertelsmann AG, sources said Monday.
The charge sheet, due Wednesday, would raise concerns about the impact combining Sony Music and Bertelsmann's BMG would have on competition in the recording industry as well as in the emerging market for online music and devices, sources familiar with the case said on condition of anonymity.
Bertelsmann spokesman Rollo Head confirmed that "we are expecting a statement of objections," but declined to elaborate. A Sony spokesman declined to comment.
A statement of objections is a standard step in EU antitrust reviews and usually results in divestitures or other commitments from the companies involved to win approval.
In opening an in-depth probe into the Sony BMG case last February, EU antitrust officials expressed concern that the 50-50 joint venture "might create or strengthen a collective dominant position" in the recorded music market.
They also questioned whether Bertelsmann's television assets or Sony's music downloading services and equipment would be affected by the deal.
Just this month, Sony Corp., parent of Sony Music, launched an online music download service, Sony Connect, which offers more than 500,000 tracks from artists on major and independent labels.
The European Commission briefly suspended its probe last month while it awaited answers to requests for more information from the companies on copyrights, author contracts and record licensing.
Regulators also wanted more clarification on aspects of their music recording and publishing businesses.
The European Commission has until July 22 to decide on the tie-up, which would reduce the number of major music companies to four.
Similar concerns about increased chances for market dominance by a reduced number of majors were a large part of the EU's objections four years ago to a deal between giants EMI Group PLC and Warner Music Group Inc.
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Posted on May 17, 2004, 9:37 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Filmmaker John Woo plays Metroid on Nintendo DS, the new dual screen handheld system at E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Wednesday, May 12, 2004, in Los Angeles
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The video game industry was once an afterthought in Hollywood, at most an ancillary source of revenue like action figures. The people passionately developing the computer-based form of entertainment were seen as dorks compared with the celebrities. Not anymore.
Now that games have matured into a $11 billion business, topping movie box-office sales and siphoning television viewers, the lucrative and increasingly influential genre has attracted more star power than ever.
Pierce Brosnan, Jet Li and Cameron Diaz, among others, have lent their voices and likenesses to games. Acclaimed film directors such as the Wachowski brothers shot footage not just for "The Matrix" films but also for the game based on the movies.
Games are no longer the follower, either. The "Van Helsing" video game was released the same day as the movie this month. Soon, more blockbuster game franchises, such as "Halo" and "Doom," are expected to become the basis of movies.
After a long courtship, these two industries have become intertwined in a young marriage, under the common law of entertainment.
"Everyone is realizing that games are making money — if not more money than films," said Brad Foxhoven, president of Tiger Hill Entertainment LLC. "And when you talk to people who own blockbusters like `Grand Theft Auto' or `Halo,' you have to realize that perhaps the film is what's considered ancillary now."
Case in point: Foxhoven founded Tiger Hill with film director John Woo to create original content for games that they hope will become franchises for movies or TV.
Signs of the lovefest were everywhere at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles. Games based on "Shrek 2," "Spider-Man 2" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies had top billing, and actor Vin Diesel was promoting one based on the movie "The Chronicles of Riddick." Diesel owns Tigon Studios, the game's developer.
Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros., which formed a video game division in January, gave details about the upcoming game and movie adaptation of the popular children's book "The Polar Express." Tom Hanks voices both.
The convergence of games and movies is about both creativity and money — made possible now that games have better graphics and the potential for more cinematic environments and storytelling.
"The development of a video game allows me to tell stories in ways I never before thought possible," said Woo, who directed "Mission Impossible 2" and decided to get into gaming after attending E3 in 2002. "It is like making a film with 10 acts instead of three and action scenes that go on forever."
Veteran screenwriter David Freeman got his first taste when he was asked to help rewrite the script for Atari Inc.'s "Enter the Matrix." Since then, he's worked on a dozen other movie-based games, including "Van Helsing" and "Shark Tale."
He has tailored his writing technique into a game trademark, calling it "emotioneering," and hopes it'll help evoke in players the same emotional depth they have traditionally experienced only in film and TV.
Game developers have also encroached upon Hollywood to more easily work with and poach talent from the movie industry. In what entertainment attorney Damon Watson recently dubbed the "Joystick Corridor," the stretch from San Diego to Los Angeles now hosts more than 70 companies tied to video games.
Among the Hollywood migrants to full-time game work: Richard Taylor, who worked on special effects for the first "Lord of the Rings" movie and the upcoming film "Chronicles of Narnia," and Richard Kriegler, an art director for "Star Trek: Insurrection." Both are now art directors at the shiny new Los Angeles studio of the leading video game publisher, Electronic Arts Inc.
"Consumers are no longer consciously differentiating what they see in a movie and what they're playing on a game," said Mark Skaggs, Electronic Arts' producer of the game "The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth."
With video games stealing more audience time, a Hollywood talent agent like Larry Shapiro finds plenty of open doors in his mission to introduce the stars of game development to the power brokers of movies and television.
One of Shapiro's latest matchmaking projects: a development deal between the creator of "The Sims," the all-time best-selling computer game, and the producers of "The Simpsons" hit TV series.
It's a far different picture than 15 years ago, when Electronic Arts secured a groundbreaking licensing deal with star football coach John Madden. "He was a celebrity and we were a bunch of schmucks," recalls EA co-founder William "Bing" Gordon.
The flirting between the two industries, some say, dates back to the early '80s, when Atari licensed the "Star Wars" name for its arcade game in 1983 and when Atari's "Cloak and Dagger" became a movie with Dabney Coleman the following year.
But even when video game revenues first overtook movie box-office receipts four years ago, Hollywood's interest was tepid. The studios' failed efforts in the early '90s to produce their own video games were still in mind.
Fueled in part by the introduction of CD-ROMs, a slew of film studios invested tens of millions of dollars to establish interactive game shops, only to fold them a few years later amid flops such as a science-fiction game from Steven Spielberg and LucasArts, "The Dig," and Walt Disney Co.'s interactive version of "The Lion King."
The only reason actor James Earl Jones agreed to do the voice-over for the 1999 game title "Tiberian Sun" was because his son liked the game, Skaggs said.
Celebrities are much less reluctant now that the Madden NFL video game and dozens of others are proven blockbusters. The casts of "CSI," "Alias" and "ER" are all on board for video game versions of their TV shows.
Jason Hall, former head of game developer Monolith Productions Inc. and now chief of Warner Bros.' new game division, said the studio turned down an opportunity to develop "Matrix"-based games a few years ago. Today, it would jump at that chance, he said.
"Now it's changed to directors, actors and producers who are very interested in having their content transmute from film into the game space," he said. "It's gone as far as wanting to produce a game first."
The benefits of collaboration are mutual.
For instance, because Ubisoft's game "XIII" featured the voices of rap star Eve and actors David Duchovny and Adam West, the game was reviewed on MTV, a marketing coup, said Ubisoft spokesman Tyrone Miller.
This synergy is also natural for the new generation of Hollywood executives and artists who have grown up around video games, talent agent Shapiro said.
"Look at any actor's trailer or writer's room," he said, "and you'll always see a game console in there."
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Posted on May 17, 2004, 9:29 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor David Carradine arrives at the British premiere of Kill Bill Volume 2 at the Empire Leicester Square in London, April 20, 2004
CANNES, France (Reuters) - "Kung Fu" star David Carradine has a great method for convincing directors to give him a part -- stalk them.
Carradine, who plays the eponymous Bill in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" revenge saga, said he met the cult director at a film festival in Toronto in 1996 and told him they were destined to work together.
"I actually was stalking him. A psychic had told me I was supposed to work with him," Carradine told a news conference at the Cannes film festival, where "Kill Bill - Volume Two" was screened out of competition Sunday.
The actor randomly called hotels until he located Tarantino.
"He came over to my hotel, I played the piano for him and I told him. I said this psychic said we're supposed to work together and we pretty much agreed that, yeah, we should," he said.
Carradine, 67, gained fame in the 1970s television series "Kung Fu" and has made more than 140 films since. But he also won a reputation for erratic behavior and later revealed he had overcome an addiction to alcohol.
Tarantino has made a specialty of seeking out actors past their prime, most famously John Travolta, whose career was in the dumps when the former video store clerk approached him about starring in his 1994 film "Pulp Fiction."
Travolta went on to make blockbuster hits like "Face/Off" and "Get Shorty." Pam Grier was known as the star of 1970s "blaxploitation" films until Tarantino gave her the title role in "Jackie Brown."
"Splash" star Darryl Hannah, who plays hired assassin Elle Driver in "Kill Bill," said her first meeting with Tarantino was equally bizarre.
"The first time I met Quentin was a somewhat brief meeting where he started quoting lines to me from obscure things that I forgot that I even did. It kind of surprised of course that he remembers everything about every film ever made in the history of mankind," she said.
"I was a little mortified at the time because once I left the room I realized that my skirt had been tucked into my tights. One of those bathroom accidents."
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Posted on May 17, 2004, 9:27 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Singer Courtney Love is greeted by fans as she exits Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, May 13, 2004 -- Singer Courtney Love answers questions from the media after leaving a courthouse in New York, May 13, 2004
On the bright side, with criminal cases pending in both California and New York, at least Courtney Love's racking up some solid frequent-flier miles.
Love was in East Coast court mode Thursday to plead innocent to bonking a guy on the head with a microphone stand during a nightclub show.
Love, wearing a red print dress over pink silk pants, showed up two hours late for her arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of assault and reckless endangerment. She entered her now usual not guilty plea to Judge Kathryn Freed and was released on her own recognizance. The case was then adjourned until June 28.
If convicted of the two misdemeanor charges, the performer could face up to a year in jail. Calls to Love's attorney, Ross Nabatoff, were not immediately returned.
According to local media reports, however, what went on inside the courtroom was nowhere near as interesting as what happened afterward.
Looking slightly disheveled with smeared red lipstick and tousled blond hair, the America's Sweetheart songbird exhibited some pretty erratic behavior, even by her own lofty standards.
Upon leaving the hearing, Love paused at an artist's rendering of her court appearance and, instead of signing her autograph, touched it up by drawing a mustache on herself.
Then she launched into an impromptu press conference in the women's bathroom, described by observers as a stream-of-consciousness rant against her ex-boyfriend Jim Barber and his ex-wife, Russell Crowe, her late husband Kurt Cobain's bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic and her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
Love touched on everything from her image ("I'm exactly the same as I've always been. I'm not a demure housewife. Why should I start now?") to her history of drug problems ("I was a junkie. I'm not now") to her lawsuit filed in December accusing Lesley Barber of allegedly stalking her, threatening to burn her house down and running over Love's foot with her Volvo.
As for her current case, in which she clocked 24-year-old Gregory Burgett during a late-night gig in March at the East Village club Plaid, leaving him with three staples in his head, she says Burgett was "approached and offered money." But she did not specify how much or whether the offer was an incentive for him to drop the charges.
"I don't think I hurt anybody," she said. "If I did, I'm sorry."
Her post-court remarks echoed comments she made earlier in the day outside her Manhattan apartment to Celebrity Justice. There, the 39-year-old musician told the syndicated show that there was a conspiracy by former associates to swipe millions of dollars from her and Frances Bean.
"My daughter's trust fund had $12 million stolen from it," Love said, adding that these same acquaintances had a "bogus power of attorney" that allowed them to embezzle more than two-thirds of her fortune and hide them in "accounts everywhere."
Blaming herself for not looking after their finances, the troubled entertainer admitted feeling devastated and "humiliated" by the whole affair and apologized to her daughter and several other people whom she believed she hurt and stated that she realizes she must "take responsibility" for the hole she's dug for herself and her family.
Love also issued another apology to Crowe for supposedly rejecting his advances.
"I'm sorry to Russell Crowe for you leaving me all those messages for the Golden Globes," said Love. "I never got them, dude. It would have been a fun date."
Love then went on "to thank the FBI in advance because I know they are going to help" with her criminal woes.
Thursday's trip to bizarro world comes a little over a week after authorities in Los Angeles said the former Hole singer tested positive for cocaine following her October meltdown outside Barber's home.
She is facing two separate trials stemming from that night: two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence and an additional count of disorderly conduct; and two felony counts of illegal possession of prescription painkillers.
Love has pleaded innocent in those cases, too. While she's reportedly working on a plea deal on the misdemeanor counts, she could face more than three years in prison if convicted of the felonies.
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Posted on May 14, 2004, 8:57 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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The dust hasn't settled yet on Rosie O'Donnell's rant on "The View" Wednesday.
O'Donnell got into a argument with co-host Star Jones over what she called the unfairness of Martha Stewart's conviction in the face of O.J. Simpson and Jayson Williams going free.
"We got a lot of angry mail from across the country," Jones said yesteday, the day after her run-in. "You should see the mail that had to do with race."
And at least one community group in Philadelphia is demanding O'Donnell apologize.
"Black people have so few role models," O'Donnell ranted. "They said, 'You know what? I don't care. You're not taking [Simpson and Williams]," O'Donnell said in drawing comparisons to Stewart's conviction. "I'm fuming," said Asa Khalif, founding president of the Philadelphia-based organization Racial Unity USA, which promotes diversity.
"How dare she say [Simpson and Williams] - who the majority of the African-American community does not support at all - are role models.
"For her to say that is a slap in the face of those individuals in the African-American community who have supported her.
"We're asking her to apologize about what she said," Khalif said.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a comment," sniffed O'Donnell's publicist, Cindy Berger.
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Posted on May 14, 2004, 8:56 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Donny and Marie Osmond pose with their mother, Olive, center, during a showing of young people's fashions designed by Mrs. Osmond in New York, in this July 25, 1978 file photo
SALT LAKE CITY - Rumors of a $30,000 bounty for a photograph of Olive Osmond in her coffin have prompted the Utah entertainment family to increase security at Saturday's funeral for the family matriarch.
Fans contacted the Osmond Brothers, performing in Branson, Mo., to alert them that a Web site had posted a rumor offering money for "a photograph of Mrs. Osmond with the children around the coffin mourning, but they want her in the coffin," said Osmond family spokesman Ron Clark.
If the rumors are true, "it would be so belittling to a woman who has lived a gracious life," he said.
Clark hadn't substantiated the rumor, but has added extra security for the funeral, planned at Provo's Oak Hills Stake Center, a meeting house for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Osmond, mother of Donny and Marie Osmond and other members of the performing family, died Sunday of complications from a stroke she suffered more than two years ago. She was 79.
The Osmond family was "extremely concerned and rather upset" when they heard the rumor, Clark said. "It's hard enough on them as it is without having to worry about this."
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Posted on May 14, 2004, 8:54 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Director Michael Moore (R) is seen in this undated image during production of his film 'Fahrenheit 911.'
LOS ANGELES - Miramax Films chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein plan to buy back Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9-11" — which Walt Disney Co. blocked Miramax from releasing — and distribute it themselves.
Under the deal, the brothers, who have a thorny relationship with parent company Disney, would not be able to distribute the movie through Miramax. They would have to find a third-party company.
Moore's film criticizes President Bush's handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.
Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said last week that the company "did not want a film in the middle of the political process" because he believed that theme park and entertainment consumers "do not look for us to take sides."
Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein spent about $6 million on the film. He and his brother would have to repay Disney for the investment, and would likely insist on a deal that cuts Disney out of any future profits.
A similar deal was worked out in 1999 when Disney forced Miramax to give up filmmaker Kevin Smith's "Dogma," which took an irreverent approach to Catholicism with modern prophets, angels and apostles in a bid to stop the end of the world. Lions Gate Films eventually picked up "Dogma."
"We're very happy that Disney has agreed to sell `Fahrenheit 9-11' to Bob and Harvey," Miramax said in a statement. "Bob and Harvey look forward to promptly completing this transaction."
Eisner confirmed the planned deal Wednesday afternoon in a conference call with financial analysts. He also lamented the negative press he and Disney received by refusing the film. "There's not much that we can do with Miramax that's not carried in the press," he said.
In France, "Fahrenheit 9-11" was making its world premiere Wednesday as one of 18 films in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where many new movies find business partners for distribution.
Moore did not immediately return a call for comment.
The confrontational director won an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary "Bowling for Columbine," about the Columbine High School shooting and U.S. gun control policy. The film earned $21.5 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary ever.
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Posted on May 13, 2004, 9:28 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Striking Carlton Hotel employees stand with union banners as they demonstrate for better working conditions, during the 57th Cannes Film Festival, May 13, 2004
CANNES, France (Reuters) - Film stars staying at the ritzy Carlton Hotel during the Cannes festival risked finding their beds unmade and minibars empty Thursday, after a third of its staff went on strike to protest working conditions.
Around 100 employees stopped work at the beachfront Carlton, one of the jewels of the Riviera resort, forcing managers to don aprons. Nonetheless, room service and catering were disrupted.
"We are striking reluctantly, not to provoke anyone but because our working conditions and salaries are deplorable," said Ange Romiti, an official at the Communist-led CGT union.
Cannes has been plagued by labor protests this year.
Actors and technicians angry over welfare benefit cuts had threatened to torpedo the world's top film showcase but struck a last-minute deal with organizers that gives them a chance to air their grievances without disrupting events.
About 200 of them staged an impromptu sit-down protest outside the Palais des Festivals, the main venue for screenings, during the gala opening ceremony Wednesday.
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Posted on May 13, 2004, 9:25 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES - Talks between the Writers Guild of America, Hollywood producers and three broadcast networks will resume June 1, the two sides said Wednesday.
The delay gives both sides time to attend to other pressing matters, including presenting the networks' fall schedules to advertisers over the next two weeks in New York.
Producers and writers got back together Wednesday after adjourning last week. The groups decided to continue talks among smaller groups on various issues over the next few weeks.
A news blackout, lifted briefly last week to allow the WGA to report to its members, will stay in place.
The WGA has rejected a three-year pact presented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, saying it would result in huge health plan cuts and would provide no new residual payments from the lucrative DVD market.
Writers have countered with a one-year deal, similar to the one reached earlier this year between producers and actors.
Producers have said they are willing to continue talks on a three-year deal, which is preferred because it provides studios and networks with stability as they plan their schedules.
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Posted on May 13, 2004, 9:22 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
GE Vice Chairman Bob Wright, seen in this undated file photo, will serve as Chairman and CEO of the merged company
NEW YORK - NBC completed its deal to merge with the Universal entertainment businesses Wednesday, creating a new media conglomerate that will take its place alongside giants such as Time Warner Inc. and Viacom Inc.
The new company, to be known as NBC Universal, will be led mainly by NBC executives including Bob Wright, the NBC chairman who will become its chairman and CEO. Wright will also continue as vice chairman of General Electric Co., NBC's parent company.
The deal brings together television's top-rated network among the 18-49 age group, which advertisers try hardest to reach; a major movie studio; a television production studio; a handful of cable TV channels including USA, Sci-Fi, CNBC and Bravo; and a group of 29 television stations.
Wright said the combination presented a "tremendous growth opportunity for our viewers, advertisers, employees, and GE shareowners."
While not as diverse or large as some of the other major conglomerates, NBC Universal will own several top-quality properties, not least of which is the powerful "Law & Order" franchise, a cash cow for NBC which is produced by Universal's television arm.
Before the deal, NBC had been the only major television network that wasn't part of a larger media conglomerate with its own major production studio.
Now that it has one, NBC is not only assured of more future shows in the pipeline but it will also have more bargaining power in negotiating for shows of its own.
"They all have mutually assured destruction," says Tom Wolzien, a media analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein and a former NBC executive. "They all buy and sell to each other. NBC's been on top for a long time, but if it goes into the pits like ABC did, it will still have product."
GE will own 80 percent of NBC Universal, while the French media and telecommunications conglomerate Vivendi Universal will own the remaining 20 percent. Vivendi is also getting $3.4 billion in cash in the deal, and GE is assuming $1.7 billion in debt from Vivendi.
The company would have had about $13 billion in revenues had it been combined last year, well behind Time Warner, which had $40 billion in revenues last year. However, as a unit of the massive GE, NBC Universal will have an extremely powerful corporate parent.
Ron Meyer, the head of Universal Studios, will remain at the company as head of the Hollywood studio as well as its associated theme parks.
Vivendi Universal had been looking to unload the Universal entertainment businesses as a way to pay down debt and streamline its structure, undoing an acquisition spree by ousted chief executive Jean-Marie Messier that nearly left the company bankrupt. Vivendi still owns the Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company.
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Posted on May 12, 2004, 9:02 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
PHILADELPHIA - John Whitehead, a prominent R&B artist best known for the 1979 hit song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," was shot dead Tuesday, police said.
Whitehead, 55, and another man were working on a vehicle when they were shot by two gunmen, police said. The assailants fled.
Whitehead was shot in the neck and collapsed. Ohmed Johnson, who was shot in the buttocks, was in good condition early Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Police said the gunmen fired a series of bullets; a young neighborhood girl said she heard about a dozen shots.
"Why did they do this to my dad?" Dawn Whitehead, 33, asked at the scene. "I just talked to him yesterday ... He was a fun person. Who would want to kill him?"
Police had no immediate suspects or motive.
Gene McFadden, who was Whitehead's partner in the singing group McFadden & Whitehead, went to the scene in the city's West Oak Lane neighborhood and stood there trembling, WPVI-TV reported.
The two men formed a group called the Epsilons in their youth and were discovered by Otis Redding, touring with the legendary performer in the 1960s, according to their Web site.
The duo wrote several hit songs performed by others in the 1970s, including "Back Stabbers," "For the Love of Money," "I'll Always Love My Mamma," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," "Where Are All My Friends," "The More I Want," and "Cold, Cold World."
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" went to No. 1 on the R&B chart and reached No. 13 on the pop chart. The song became an unofficial anthem for the Phillies as they charged to a World Series championship in 1980 and the Eagles as they reached the Super Bowl in 1981.
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Posted on May 12, 2004, 8:58 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor Kiefer Sutherland is seen holding up his SAG Award in the press room in this photo taken February 22, 2004
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Actor Kiefer Sutherland has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly eight years, citing irreconcilable differences.
Sutherland and his wife, Elizabeth Kelly Winn Sutherland, have been separated since 1999 and have no children together, according to papers filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Sutherland, 37, stars in the Fox drama "24" and has appeared in numerous films, including this year's "Taking Lives," as well as "Young Guns" in 1988, "Flatliners" in 1990 and "Stand by Me" in 1986.
Sutherland has a daughter from a previous marriage to actress Camelia Kath.
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Posted on May 12, 2004, 8:55 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
French police walk in front of the entrance of the 57th International Film Festival's palace in Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 11, 2004
CANNES, France (Reuters) - The world's biggest cinema showcase braced for an ambush by part-time French actors and stagehands threatening to spoil Cannes's annual cocktail of sun, celebrity and celluloid.
Festival officials sought in last-minute talks on Tuesday to defuse a labor flare-up that could disrupt this year's event.
With A-list stars Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron heading to the French Riviera, organizers scrambled to find a formula that would placate the protesters, who have been angered by state benefit cuts.
France, already on heightened security alert after the Madrid train bombs two months ago, has sent in 1,000 police officers to ensure the 12-day festival runs smoothly after it opens on Wednesday.
Last summer, the aggrieved entertainment industry workers staged sit-ins that disrupted several major French arts festivals. They are protesting over welfare reforms which cut their unemployment benefits.
After 90 minutes of talks with union officials on Tuesday, all a spokesman for the festival would say is: "the discussions are ongoing."
Festival director Veronique Cayla is working with the unions, trying to give them a platform to air their grievances.
Up to 500 demonstrators were expected to descend on Cannes but they will probably find accommodation a problem. Every hotel along the Riviera coast is booked for miles around,
Restaurant and bar owners, worried about the possibility of trouble, staged their own demonstration on Tuesday down the Croisette, the glamorous beachwalk running through the town.
Festival Stars
A field of 18 films from around the globe are competing for the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes, a festival that thrives on controversy. This year will be no exception.
American filmmaker Michael Moore, who scored a stir two years ago with the anti-gun lobby documentary "Bowling for Columbine," this time shows "Fahrenheit 9/11," a tirade against the Bush administration.
The Walt Disney Co has barred its Miramax film unit from releasing the movie, saying it did not want to put out a politically polarizing film in a U.S. election year.
"The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," a biography of the British comedian starring Geoffrey Rush and Charlize Theron, has angered his family.
Sellers' son Michael has objected and Britt Ekland, the actor's third wife, called the casting of Theron "nonsense."
Cult film director Quentin Tarantino heads the judges for Cannes 2004 where a third of the films come from Asia.
Among the stars, Pitt will be promoting the $200 million sword-and-sandals epic "Troy."
Tom Hanks, on his first visit to Cannes, will be publicising the Coen brothers' remake of the classic British comedy "The Ladykillers."
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Posted on May 11, 2004, 8:59 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor Tom Sizemore, who was convicted of abusing former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, is shown in this Aug. 15, 2003, file photo at the Los Angeles Superior Court Airport courthouse
LOS ANGELES - Actor Tom Sizemore has violated the terms of probation imposed for abusing ex-girlfriend and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, a prosecutor said Monday.
Prosecutors allege that Sizemore "tested dirty" for drugs in early March, according to defense attorney Mark Werksman, who filed a response under seal Monday.
"We're asking the court and the public to withhold judgment 'til we have a hearing and have the opportunity to prove that this allegation is bogus," he said.
Deputy City Attorney Robert Cha said he alleged the probation violation in a motion April 29. He declined to provide specifics, saying only, "I didn't file this motion for no reason, with nothing to support it."
Sizemore, a star of "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan," was sentenced in October to six months in jail on misdemeanor charges of harassing, annoying and physically abusing Fleiss during the two years that they had a relationship. The judge postponed the jail term to allow Sizemore to complete a live-in program at a drug rehabilitation center.
He is tested for drugs regularly under terms of his probation.
Sizemore is currently in Canada shooting a new police television series, Werksman said. The 42-year-old actor has been tapped to play Pete Rose in an upcoming made-for-television movie called "Hustle."
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Posted on May 11, 2004, 8:57 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor Don Johnson arrives at NBC's 75th anniversary celebration on May 5, 2002, at New York's Rockefeller Center
ASPEN, Colo. - An Aspen grocery store has accused actor Don Johnson of leaving an unpaid bill of $5,470, according to court records.
Other Aspen businesses also are suing the "Miami Vice" and "Nash Bridges" star in Pitkin County Court for outstanding bills. A list of creditors in a bankruptcy petition include $7,345 from Aspen Valley Hospital, $1,228 from Isberian Rug Co., $1,688 from Holy Cross Energy and $2,787 from Garfield & Hecht law firm.
A spokesman for the actor could not be reached for comment.
Johnson, 54, filed for bankruptcy protection last month to secure his Woody Creek ranch and stave off a lender's attempt to auction his home.
The lender, Los Angeles-based City National Bank, filed court papers in Pitkin County District Court in March against Johnson. That lawsuit asks a judge to auction Johnson's home to recoup $930,000 he owes the bank, according to court papers.
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Posted on May 11, 2004, 8:55 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Comedian Alan King is shown in this1965 file photo. King, whose tirades against everyday suburban life helped build a long comedy career in nightclubs and television that he later expanded to character acting on the silver screen, died Sunday May 9, 2004, in New York -- Comedian Alan King is shown in New York in this file photo of Oct. 6, 2000
NEW YORK - For comedian Alan King, nobody was out of bounds when it came to humor. Not even a sitting queen. Once, after performing for Queen Elizabeth II in London, the comedian was introduced to Britain's monarch. "How do you do, Mr. King?" she asked him. "How do you do, Mrs. Queen?" he replied.
"She stared at me, and then Prince Philip laughed," King recalled. "Thank God Prince Philip laughed."
King, whose cutting wisecracks about suburbia, marriage and modern life struck a chord both with the blue bloods and those with blue collars, died Sunday. He was 76.
Comedian Jerry Stiller, who knew King for more than 50 years, said King was "in touch with what was happening with the world, which is what made him so funny."
"He always talked about the annoyances of life," Stiller said. "He was like a Jewish Will Rogers."
King, who also was host of the New York Friars Club's celebrity roasts, died at a Manhattan hospital, said a son, Robert King. He died of lung cancer, his assistant Miriam Rothstein said.
King appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" dozens of times and he played supporting roles in more than 20 films including "Bye Bye Braverman," "I, the Jury," "The Anderson Tapes," "Lovesick," "Bonfire of the Vanities," "Casino" and "Rush Hour 2."
He also produced several films, including "Memories of Me," "Wolfen" and "Cattle Annie and Little Britches," and the 1997 television series "The College of Comedy With Alan King."
He said he was working strip joints and seedy nightclubs in the early 1950s when he had a revelation while watching a performance by another young comedian, Danny Thomas.
"Danny actually talked to his audience," he recalled in a 1991 interview. "And I realized I never talked to my audience. I talked at 'em, around 'em and over 'em, but not to 'em. I felt the response they had for him. I said to myself, 'This guy is doing something, and I better start doing it.'"
King, who until then had been using worn out one-liners, found his new material at home, after his wife persuaded him to forsake his native Manhattan, believing the suburban atmosphere of the Forest Hills sections of Queens would provide a better environment for their children.
Soon he was joking of seeing people moving from the city to the suburbs "in covered wagons, with mink stoles hanging out the back."
His rantings about suburbia, just as America was embracing it, struck a chord with the public and soon he was appearing regularly on the Sullivan show, Garry Moore's variety show and "The Tonight Show."
Bookings poured in, and he toured with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra, played New York's showcase Paramount theater and performed at top nightclubs around the country.
King appeared in a handful of films in the late 1950s, including "The Girl He Left Behind," "Miracle in the Rain" and "Hit the Deck," although he didn't care for his roles. "I was always the sergeant from Brooklyn named Kowalski," he once complained.
He also appeared on Broadway in "Guys and Dolls" and "The Impossible Years," and produced the Broadway plays "The Lion in Winter" and "Something Different."
He wrote the humor books "Anyone Who Owns His Own Home Deserves One" (1962) and "Help! I'm a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery" (1964).
Born Irwin Alan Kniberg, he grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side and in Brooklyn.
"Both of them were tough neighborhoods, but I was a pretty tough kid," he recalled in 1964. "I had an answer for everything. ... I fought back with humor."
He married Jeanette Sprung in 1947 — ""Marriage is nature's way of keeping us from fighting with strangers," he once cracked — and they had three children, Robert, Andrew and Elaine Ray. When King was at the height of his career, he faced one son's drug addiction and said he realized he had neglected his family.
"It's not easy being a father," he said, "but I've been allowed a comeback."
He spent more time at home and his son conquered his addiction.
"Now everyone kisses," he said. "We show our affections."
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Posted on May 10, 2004, 9:31 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Donny and Marie Osmond pose with their mother, Olive, center, during a showing of young people's fashions designed by Mrs. Osmond in New York, in this July 25, 1978 file photo
PROVO, Utah - Olive Osmond, the mother of Marie and Donny Osmond and other members of the performing family, died Sunday. She was 79. Family spokesman Ron Clark said she died of complications from a massive stroke she suffered more than two years ago. Her condition began to deteriorate last week and family members were by her bedside.
"She was surrounded by those who made her life worthwhile and complete," Clark said. "Many of her children were at her side. She couldn't have passed with any greater love and peace than existed in that room."
She was born in 1925 to Thomas and Vera Ann Davis in Samaria, Idaho, where her father was a principal.
She later moved to Ogden, Utah, where she was a secretary at the Adjutant General Depot. There she met George V. Osmond, the soldier she married in 1944.
Both enjoyed music. George sang and Olive played the saxophone, and they passed along their love of music to their children.
Their first two sons, Virl and Tom, developed degenerative hearing losses that affected their speech. The next four sons, Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay, had no signs of hearing loss and began singing close four-part harmonies as children. They performed as the Osmond Brothers, producing 34 gold and platinum records in the 1960s and 1970s.
They were later joined by Donny, Marie and Jimmy Osmond.
The family toured internationally and made numerous recordings and TV appearances. From 1976-79, Donny and Marie Osmond hosted the television program "The Donny and Marie Show," which their older brothers helped produce.
Olive Osmond is survived by her husband, nine children, 55 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services are pending.
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Posted on May 10, 2004, 9:29 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In the first sentencing under California's new anti-camcording law, a 34-year-old Los Angeles-area man has been sent to jail for 42 days, the Motion Picture Assn. of America said Friday.
Ruben Moreno was also given three years' probation and ordered to forfeit his camcorder during sentencing at Los Angeles Superior Court on May 3.
Moreno was caught taping "The Alamo" at the Pacific Winnetka Theater in Los Angeles on April 12 when a projectionist noticed the light from his video camera and the sighting was confirmed through night vision goggles. The law prohibiting such digital piracy was enacted Jan. 1.
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Posted on May 10, 2004, 9:27 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Bowie performs on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC studios in Burbank, California April 21, 2004
MIAMI (Reuters) - David Bowie on Thursday scrapped a concert in Miami after a local stagehand was killed in a fall before the performance began, the rock star's publicist said in a statement.
Details of the accident at the James L. Knight Center, or of the stagehand's identity, were not disclosed, but the statement said police were investigating.
"A statement was read to the audience after the accident, informing them that refund or postponement information would be available shortly," the news release said, adding that Bowie and his tour personnel were "deeply saddened" by the accident.
Bowie is on the second North American leg of his "A Reality" concert tour, which ends June 5 in New Jersey. The tour is being promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment, a unit of Clear Channel Communications Inc .
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Posted on May 7, 2004, 8:59 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Singer Ricky Martin performs during a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York, Saturday, June 28, 2003
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Ricky Martin's former manager has filed a $63.5 million lawsuit against the singer for breach of contract.
Angelo Medina claims the 32-year-old pop star failed to live up to terms agreed upon when they ended their contract in September. Medina claims he was to have continued managing Martin's career in Puerto Rico but not internationally, but the singer broke all ties.
Edgardo Cartagena, a lawyer for Martin, said Thursday the allegations are "not too well-organized."
"There was an agreement to terminate the relationship," Cartagena said. "We reject the allegations."
Judge Oscar Davila agreed Wednesday to hear the case. Martin didn't attend the hearing.
Medina filed the lawsuit in response to a $2.5 million lawsuit Martin filed against him in New York. Martin is demanding that Medina return advance payments for services allegedly not given.
The next hearing in Medina's lawsuit is Aug. 13.
Medina, who said he parted ways with Martin to spend more time with his family, has expressed dismay over being sued by the star, whom he considered "a son."
Martin's hits include "She Bangs," "Shake Your Bon-Bon" and "Livin' La Vida Loca."
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Posted on May 7, 2004, 8:58 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A day after it suspended contract negotiations with film studios and TV networks, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) promised its members Thursday that it would not concede on issues that could set a poor precedent when actors and directors begin their own talks later this year.
In a letter to members, WGA West president Daniel Petrie Jr. said the best option now was to avoid a strike or production disruption by getting the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, to agree to a one-year deal that would include some gains in minimum salaries and health care while postponing the hot-button issue of residuals.
"We do not think a strike at this time is in our interest, nor is it in the interest of the industry as a whole," Petrie said. "It is equally not in our interest to take a bad three-year deal. Our accepting such a deal not only would hurt us, it would undercut our sister guilds, (and) we have no desire to do either."
The writers are concerned that the AMPTP, by refusing to change home video formulas or offer higher health care contributions, might be trying to drive a hard bargain with the WGA so that it will be in a better position to hold the line with the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America.
AMPTP representatives declined comment on the negotiations, which have been suspended until Wednesday so that WGA West and WGA East can take member input on their proposed one-year deal. WGA West's meeting is Monday at the Sheraton Universal.
"We're going to continue to respect the process and negotiate this deal across the table," AMPTP spokeswoman Barbara Brogliatti said.
The producers said they are still focused on reaching a new, three-year minimum basic agreement and believe it can be done before the networks begin their fall television presentations to the upfront market, beginning May 17.
The current contract expired May 2, as did its "no strike/no lockout" clause.
"It also means that the companies can lock us out at any time, and we need to be aware that that's a risk we're running," Petrie said.
In addition to reaching a deal or a strike/lockout, another possibility is for the writers to continue working under the terms of the current contract, as they have been since Sunday.
In terms of DVD residuals, sources said WGA negotiators sought to double them from the current annual level of about $51 million by increasing from 20% to 40% the amount of DVD revenue that is made available for home video residuals. The percentages involved in this 20-year-old formula would remain the same at 1.5% on the first $1 million and 1.8% thereafter.
AMPTP negotiators reportedly refused to change the rates, citing financial studies to back up their concerns that 60% of major theatrical releases fail to reach break-even.
The producers also declined to apply the same residual rates to movies sold over the Internet that WGA negotiated in 2001 for movies rented over the Internet (1.2% of the entire license fee).
The writers said residuals on Internet film sales are no less important than DVD residuals because it could be another lucrative distribution window within five years.
Sources said the producers offered to apply existing home video formulas to Internet film sales, such that the residual would be paid out of 20% of the producers' gross instead of the entire license fee.
WGA leaders said they are open to continued negotiations on a three-year deal provided it includes the better terms they want on DVD, Internet film sales, health care contributions as well as an extension of union jurisdiction to reality TV and a modest pay TV residual increase.
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Posted on May 7, 2004, 8:57 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES - Contract talks between television and film writers and producers have stalled, with the Writers Guild of America rejecting a proposed three-year deal and offering a one-year deal while the parties continue to negotiate.
The WGA said late Wednesday it rejected a deal that would have reduced its health care benefits and given writers only small increases in other areas.
The three-year contract offered by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers did not include any increase in residuals paid on DVD sales — a critical issue the WGA had hoped to resolve in the talks.
The writers have offered a one-year deal identical to one recently agreed to by the Screen Actors Guild and the alliance.
The producers said they agreed to an adjournment in the talks so the WGA could report back to its members.
Neither side is yet talking about a strike. No new talks have been scheduled.
The writers' last three-year deal expired Sunday. The two sides have been negotiating since April 5.
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Posted on May 6, 2004, 9:14 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Martha Stewart exits Manhattan federal court after meeting with a probation officer following Monday, March 8, 2004, in New York
NEW YORK - A federal judge refused to grant Martha Stewart a new trial Wednesday, dismissing claims that a juror lied to conceal a bias against the celebrity homemaker.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum clears the way for a hearing next month at which Stewart could be sentenced to more than a year in prison for lying about a stock sale.
Stewart claimed juror Chappell Hartridge lied repeatedly on his jury questionnaire, including failing to disclose he had been arrested in a domestic dispute and accused of stealing money from a Little League group.
Whether or not the charges are true, Cedarbaum wrote, they do not meet the legal standard of showing the juror would have been excused for bias during jury selection.
"Many of the allegations offered to support these claims amount to little more than hearsay, speculation and, in one instance, vague allegations made by a person who refused to identify himself," the judge wrote.
Cedarbaum also denied a new trial for Peter Bacanovic, who was convicted along with Stewart on March 5 for lying about why Stewart sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems stock in 2001, just before the stock price plunged.
Bacanovic made similar allegations against Hartridge, and lawyers added that one juror had told them the jury discussed an expensive handbag that Stewart toted to court during the trial.
"All this information reveals is that Stewart is a wealthy woman," Cedarbaum wrote. "Defendants cannot seriously contend that the jurors were not already aware of that."
In a statement, Stewart lawyers Robert Morvillo and John J. Tigue said they disagreed with the ruling and planned to appeal errors that "deprived Martha Stewart of a fair trial."
"We regret that a case about false statements was decided by a juror who appears to have made many false statements in an effort to gain access to the Stewart jury," they said.
Lou Colasuonno, a spokesman for Bacanovic, said lawyers for Bacanovic "still believe these issues have merit and present solid grounds for appeal."
But any appeal would be filed after a June 17 sentencing at which Stewart and Bacanovic are each expected to get 10 to 16 months in prison. Cedarbaum could allow them to spend up to half the time in home confinement.
Stewart and Bacanovic were convicted of conspiracy, making false statements and obstructing federal regulators. Bacanovic was also convicted of perjury.
The pair said Stewart sold 3,928 ImClone shares because of a plan to sell when the stock price hit $60. The government said Bacanovic passed Stewart a tip that ImClone founder Sam Waksal was selling.
On the day after the sale, ImClone announced a negative government report about an experimental cancer drug that sent the stock price on a steep drop. ImClone has since recovered and now trades well above $60.
Courts are extremely wary of interfering with jury decisions, and most legal experts said Stewart and Bacanovic's new-trial move was a longshot.
Among the allegations was that Hartridge was once arrested after his former girlfriend claimed he had assaulted her. The ex-girlfriend supported the allegation in an affidavit and said she later dropped the charges.
But Cedarbaum said Hartridge may have believed that he did not have to disclose the arrest on his questionnaire, which asked about prior brushes with the law, because the charges were dropped and his record was sealed.
The judge also said Hartridge may have simply forgotten about some court judgments against him in 1990 and 1991 that he failed to disclose, most of them for less than $3,500.
And allegations by Stewart that Hartridge was accused of stealing from a Bronx Little League group while he was a volunteer treasurer were based mostly on hearsay. The group's board never took action against him.
Hartridge has not responded to repeated requests by The Associated Press for comment on the allegations.
Stewart also claimed that post-trial comments by Hartridge, by far the most outspoken of the 12 jurors, showed a bias against her.
He said on the day of the verdict that the conviction was "a victory for the little guy," and also said investors may be more comfortable investing and "not worry about these scams and that they'll lose their 401(k)."
The judge said Hartridge was likely responding to media questions that asked him to speculate about the meaning of the verdict. She dismissed the notion Hartridge had a pre-existing negative attitude about Stewart.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined comment.
Stewart resigned as head of her media company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, when she was indicted in 2003. After the conviction, she stepped down from the board, but took the new title of founding editorial director.
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Posted on May 6, 2004, 9:13 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Supermodel Naomi Campbell arrives to the opening of the Broadway revival of 'A Raisin in the Sun' Monday, April 26, 2004, in New York
LONDON (Reuters) - Supermodel Naomi Campbell scored a legal victory against a tabloid newspaper on Thursday, in a case sure to have far-reaching implications for Britain's celebrity-obsessed media.
Britain's Law Lords, the country's highest court, ruled against the Daily Mirror in the final round of a long legal battle which began when the paper ran a story saying, correctly, that Campbell, 33, had visited Narcotics Anonymous.
In 2002, the Appeal Court had stripped Campbell of 3,500 pounds ($6,280) awarded to her after she successfully sued the Mirror for breaching her privacy by running the story.
But on Thursday, the Lords allowed Campbell's appeal against that ruling, saying she had endured an "invasion" of her privacy.
Lord Hope said: "Despite the weight that must be given to the right of freedom of expression that the press needs if it is to play its role effectively, I would hold that there was here an infringement to Miss Campbell's right to privacy that cannot be justified."
Campbell's lawyer Keith Schilling told reporters: "This not only vindicates her personally, but more importantly it represents a real advancement to the rights of people to maintain important elements of their privacy.
"She was simply determined to fight the cause of an individual's basic right to be left alone to receive therapy without the glare of the media spotlight," he added.
The ruling is likely to send a ripple through media in Britain, where the best-selling newspapers are filled daily with images of celebrities, sometimes taken without their knowledge by paparazzi photographers.
The case centered on publication by the Mirror that Campbell had been addicted to drugs, along with details relating to her treatment and a photograph of her leaving a treatment session.
The Law Lords were asked to rule on whether the publication amounted to a breach of confidence or invasion of the supermodel's privacy or both.
Mirror editor Piers Morgan, already under fire this week over his newspaper's publication of pictures claiming to show British soldiers abusing an Iraqi detainee, poured scorn on the decision.
"This is a very good day for lying, drug-abusing prima donnas who want to have their cake with the media, and the right to then shamelessly guzzle it with their Cristal champagne," he said in a statement.
"If ever there was a less deserving case for creating what is effectively a back-door privacy law it would be Miss Campbell -- but that's showbiz," he added.
The case has been closely watched by lawyers for the media, many of whom regard the development of privacy law in Britain as potentially more threatening than the tried and tested laws of defamation.
Leading London media lawyer, Chris Hutchings, said: "Whereas libel traditionally used to be the big media bogeyman, privacy is now fast taking over from it."
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Posted on May 6, 2004, 9:11 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Film director Michael Moore poses for a portrait Oct. 9, 2002, in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore's documentary linking President Bush with powerful Saudi families, including that of Osama bin Laden, is stirring up controversy even before its release.
That's if it even gets released.
Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety said in its Wednesday edition that Walt Disney Co. has moved to prevent its Miramax Films unit from distributing "Fahrenheit 911."
The Disney edict could herald the bloodiest political battle yet between Miramax's feisty co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who oversaw the purchase of Miramax a decade ago, Daily Variety said.
"Fahrenheit 911," Moore's follow-up to his Academy Award-winning film "Bowling for Columbine, will still premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in France later this month. Rumors had been circulating of a July release date in North America, but the film does not appear on Miramax's summer schedule, the paper said.
It quoted a Miramax spokesman as saying that the company was "looking forward to resolving this amicably."
Officials from Miramax and Disney were not immediately available for comment on the report.
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Posted on May 5, 2004, 8:46 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
A row of bobblehead dolls featuring the name and likeness of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are pictured in an office at Ohio Discount Merchandise Friday, April 30, 2004, in Canton, Ohio
SAN FRANCISCO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is suing an Ohio bobblehead company, alleging it unlawfully used the former Hollywood actor's image for a toy plastic doll.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit says the governor's image holder, Oak Productions Inc., "does not permit Schwarzenegger's name, photograph, likeness or voice to be used on commercial products, on packaging of commercial products or in advertising for commercial products or services" unless authorized.
The lawsuit was filed Friday but served on the doll's makers Tuesday.
The makers of the bobbleheads contend the governor is a public political figure and can no longer control his image.
"He's no different than any other politician," said Todd Bosley, an owner of Ohio Discount Merchandise Inc. in Canton, Ohio. The company has produced a variety of bobbleheads of public officials.
Schwarzenegger's attorney, Martin Singer, did not return calls seeking comment.
Legal experts said it could be a close call whether Bosley and his brother, Toby, were stealing Schwarzenegger's right of publicity.
"This will depend on what it is people are buying: a bobblehead of Schwarzenegger like they would buy one of Britney Spears, or is the bobblehead making a political statement, which would be protected by the First Amendment," said Los Angeles attorney Robert N. Benjamin.
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Posted on May 5, 2004, 8:44 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger performs in Hong Kong, in this Nov. 7, 2003, file photo in the first of two concerts by the Rolling Stones, who headlined the post SARS-concert series
HONG KONG - Spending $12.8 million on a concert series featuring the Rolling Stones to lift spirits after a SARS outbreak may not have been cost-effective, said Hong Kong's financial secretary.
"We may have overestimated the impact of organizing 16 concerts," Henry Tang told a legislative panel investigating the government's handling of last year's event.
The Rolling Stones drew a good turnout, but overall the concerts were plagued by poor ticket sales and lineup flip-flops. Other performers included Carlos Santana, Prince and British R&B singer Craig David.
A recent government audit report said surveys showed the event "was on the whole not perceived by the public as good value for (the) money."
On average, 43 percent of the tickets were sold. Officials had expected the public to be more interested, Tang said Monday.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome sickened 1,755 people in Hong Kong last year, killing 299.
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Posted on May 5, 2004, 8:42 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Courtney Love arrives at the Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Beverly Hills, Calif., Friday, April 30, 2004
LOS ANGELES - The prosecutor in the misdemeanor drug case against Courtney Love said Monday she tested positive for cocaine when she was arrested last year.
After a judge continued the trial to May 25, Assistant City Attorney Jerry Baik told reporters outside the courtroom that Love tested positive for several illegal drugs after the October arrest, including cocaine. He declined to identify the other drugs.
Love, the widow of grunge rocker Kurt Cobain and former lead singer of the rock band Hole, recently released a solo album, "America's Sweetheart."
Love did not appear at the Monday court hearing, one of two cases stemming from Oct. 2 incidents.
She faces misdemeanor charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct after being arrested for allegedly trying to break into the Los Angeles home of a former boyfriend.
After her release, emergency workers were called to her home and took her to a hospital for a drug overdose. Police have testified she handed one officer a plastic bag of pills, which were later identified as oxycodone and hydrocodone — painkillers for which her attorney claims she had prescriptions.
Love was charged with two felony counts of possession of controlled substances. She faces more than three years in prison if convicted.
The felony and misdemeanor cases are being tried separately.
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Posted on May 4, 2004, 8:52 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Rosie O'Donnell is seen here in San Francisco, California, February 26, 2004
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In her first major screen commitment since the end of her daytime talk show, Rosie O'Donnell will play a retarded woman in "Riding the Bus With My Sister," an original movie for CBS.
O'Donnell will also executive produce the project, which is based on a book by Rachel Simon, a writer and college professor. O'Donnell ran excerpts from it in her Rosie magazine and optioned it after it was published in 2002.
It chronicles Simon's relationship with her mentally retarded sister, an endearing, feisty and independent Pennsylvania woman who fills her days riding city buses.
Following the death of their father, Rachel is forced to spend time with her sister, and soon discovers that she has found a sense of family and friendship in her world of bus drivers and passengers that Rachel hadn't found in her more successful urban life.
"This is an amazing book, a beautiful story of the ties that bind," O'Donnell wrote for the book's cover. "Two sisters, as different as they come, find the magic in each other's lives. This book touched my soul."
"It's kind of like a female 'Rain Man,"' said Larry Sanitsky, who will also executive produce. "I think it's a very touching story which says a lot about sisterly relationships and what it's like as an adult and a child to have a developmentally disabled sibling in your family."
Joyce Eliason, who worked with CBS and Sanitsky on a number of longform projects, including "Blessings" and "Open House," adapted "Riding the Bus" to the small screen. As part of the research for the movie, Eliason, Sanitsky and Rachel Simon went to Pennsylvania and rode the buses with Beth.
O'Donnell won a total of 11 Daytime Emmy awards for her stint as host/executive producer of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," which bowed out in 2002 after six years. She most recently produced the ill-fated Broadway musical "Taboo."
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Posted on May 4, 2004, 8:51 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Gloria Estefan winner of Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year, Female, poses with her award after the Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Miami Arena in Miami Thursday April 29, 2004 -- Dolly Parton performs during the County Music Television Flame Worthy Video Music Awards show in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, April 21, 2004
NEW YORK - Major recording companies have agreed to return nearly $50 million in unclaimed royalties to Sean Combs, Gloria Estefan, Dolly Parton and thousands of lesser known musicians under a settlement being announced Tuesday.
A two-year investigation by New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office found that many artists were not being paid royalties because record companies lost contact with the performers and had stopped making required payments.
"As a result of this agreement, new procedures will be adopted to ensure that the artists and their descendants will receive the compensation to which they are entitled," Spitzer said in a statement.
The Washington-based Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the companies, planned to comment after the official announcement, said spokesman Jonathan Lamy.
Representatives for Combs and Parton did not immediately return calls for comment. A spokesman for Estefan, reached prior to the announcement, was unaware of the settlement and had no immediate comment.
The participating companies include: SONY Music Entertainment; Sony ATV Music Publishing; Warner Music Group; UMG Recordings; Universal Music; EMI Music Publishing; BMG Songs; Careers-BMG Music Publishing; BMG Music and the Harry Fox Agency.
Under the settlement, the music companies agreed to make good-faith efforts to track down artists to whom royalties are due. If the artists still cannot be located, the money will revert to the state.
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Posted on May 4, 2004, 8:49 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Pop star Michael Jackson, center, arrives for his expected indictment on charges related to child molestation inside the courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif., Friday, April 30, 2004
TRENTON, N.J. - A New Jersey man once awarded a warehouse full of Jackson family memorabilia has turned over a pair of underwear and other items to authorities investigating the Michael Jackson child molestation case.
Henry V. Vaccaro Sr. said he found the white Calvin Klein briefs balled up in the bottom of a wardrobe containing several of the pop star's costumes.
The briefs and several newspapers were seized several weeks ago by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at the request of California authorities.
Robert Honecker, the county's first assistant prosecutor, confirmed that his office collected the evidence but declined to say why the items were sought.
A spokesman for the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office declined to comment, citing a protective order issued by the judge presiding over the pop star's case.
Vaccaro said he was told that authorities plan to use the underwear for DNA comparison.
"Once we secured the items, we notified the district attorney's office," Honecker told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "They sent two detectives out and we turned the evidence over to them."
Vaccaro said two Santa Barbara sheriff's officers later returned to his warehouse and "they found a few other things they were interested in," including two handwritten notes from Jackson and a list of "rules" children had to follow when staying at the singer's 2,600-acre Neverland Ranch in Santa Maria, Calif.
Jackson pleaded not guilty Friday to a grand jury indictment that expanded the child molestation case against him to include a conspiracy count involving allegations of child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
Last month, Jackson won a legal fight to shut down a pay-per-view Web site operated by Vaccaro. A U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles also said Vaccaro could not sell the pop star's possessions, but Vaccaro said he had shipped the goods to a European buyer weeks ago.
A lawyer for Jackson said he will seek a court order to have the memorabilia returned from either Vaccaro or a buyer. The collection included gold-trimmed costumes, financial documents, letters, awards, and one of Jackson's first outfits worn with the Jackson 5.
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Posted on May 3, 2004, 8:33 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES - Hollywood writers and producers ended their contract talks Sunday with no new deal, but both sides pledged to continue negotiations this week.
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers exchanged proposals Sunday, a day after the deadline for an agreement passed. Writers are trying to gain a larger share of profits from the $15 billion DVD market.
The two sides will meet separately before reconvening Wednesday, they said in a joint statement issued Sunday night.
A news blackout was in effect for the seventh straight day of discussions. On-and-off negotiations began April 5.
Producers likely want a contract in hand to show advertisers by May 17, when the sale of time for TV commercials begins for the next season. The contract covering 11,000 TV and movie writers had an expiration deadline of midnight Saturday, but both sides agreed to extend talks.
The WGA has not asked members to authorize a strike but the possibility is still there.
Producers concede they have reaped millions of dollars from home video sales, and that DVDs have become a major source of revenue.
But they argue that on the TV side, DVD revenue is merely replacing money that had come from international markets that have dried up, syndication deals and licensing fees that had been increased after shows became hits.
A number of creative issues are also on the table, including rewrites. The WGA wants to banish the "one draft deal," in which a screenwriter gets paid for a first draft and is expected to deliver numerous rewrites for free.
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Posted on May 3, 2004, 8:32 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Monty Python comedians, from left to right, Terry Jones, Terry Gillam, John Cleese and Michael Palin gather together for a photograph before watching a showing of their film 'The Life of Brian' in London, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the group Thursday, October 7, 1999
PHILADELPHIA - Monty Python's Flying Circus alumnus Terry Jones doesn't mince words about why the troupe's film "Life of Bryan" is being rushed into rerelease this month.
"It's shameless commercial opportunism on our part," Jones told the Philadelphia Inquirer in Sunday's editions.
The original plan was to get the movie prints out in August, the month that marks the 25th anniversary of the Python's tale of an accidental messiah. Then came Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."
"We just saw the opportunity and thought we'd take it," Jones said. "We're definitely trying to cash in on Mel's enormous success."
Jones, who directed the wickedly funny biblical send-up, also helmed "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "The Meaning of Life." A quarter-century ago, "Life of Bryan" sparked controversy and bans.
"That was rather good, really, because it gave us a lot of publicity," Jones said. "It also gave us a great ad line in Sweden, because the Swedes regard the Norwegians as having no sense of humor, and as it was banned in Norway the Swedish distributor ran a line that read, 'This film is so funny it was banned in Norway!'"
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Posted on May 3, 2004, 8:31 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Pop star Michael Jackson, center, arrives for his expected indictment on charges related to child molestation at a courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif., Friday, April 30, 2004
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson arrived in court 40 minutes early Friday for arraignment on a grand jury indictment that could move the 5-month-old child molestation case closer to trial.
Jackson, who was scolded by the judge for showing up late to his last hearing, smiled and waved to fans as entered the courtroom under an umbrella.
Police Chief Danny Macagni said 42 of Santa Maria's 107 police officers were assigned to the courthouse, along with about 50 sheriff's deputies, to handle the throng of fans and journalists. At least 130 members of the media were expected.
Thomas Mesereau Jr., a veteran criminal defense attorney, took over the case last weekend after Jackson decided to remove Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman, the two high-profile lawyers who had been directing his defense.
The star said he wanted lawyers who could devote full time to his case.
At his first court appearance Jan. 16, Jackson had showed up 20 minutes late after taking time to greet cheering fans. Judge Rodney Melville told him, "you have started out on the wrong foot here. I want to advise you that I will not put up with that. It's an insult to the court."
After that hearing, Jackson had danced on top of an SUV for a crowd of 3,000 fans.
Experts said it was likely that Jackson's new lawyer advised him such raucous displays are not in his best interest.
"The indictment means things are getting serious," said Loyola University Professor Laurie Levenson. She said Jackson's behavior at the arraignment sets the tone for the rest of the case.
"The question is which Michael Jackson are we going to get — the one who says he is serious about saving his life or the one who dances on cars."
The grand jury indictment returned last week was so secret that the court schedule doesn't even list an arraignment. It was expected to be unsealed as part of Friday's court proceedings.
Jackson had already been charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 14 and giving an intoxicant, reportedly wine, to a youth under 14.
Outside the courthouse Friday, some fans waved handmade signs toward the throng of television cameras. A banner reading "Michael — Being here is the least we could do. To all: Through this media circus don't let your ears deceive you" was also draped along the fence.
On Thursday night, two to three dozen fans gathered outside the singer's Neverland Ranch about 30 miles from the courthouse for a candlelight vigil.
Some wore black "Free Michael" T-shirts, and one dressed as the singer.
Pedro Rivero, a 22-year-old from Madrid who said he had met Jackson "too many times to count," said he had a feeling he needed to be at the arraignment.
"Everything that's happening is so unfair," said Rivero. "He's just so genuine, so pure."
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Posted on Apr 30, 2004, 8:35 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES - An adult-movie actress known as Jessica Dee was identified as the third performer to test positive for HIV in an outbreak that has mostly shut down the porn industry.
Dee had sex with five men who were later placed on a voluntary quarantine list, after the first HIV case was announced April 12, said Sharon Mitchell, executive director of the nonprofit Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, which screens performers for sexually transmitted diseases.
In all, 53 people were listed for quarantine, and dozens of producers in the nation's multibillion-dollar porn industry have halted production until more tests are conducted for the virus that causes AIDS.
"This is not over," said Mitchell, who confirmed the actress' stage name in Friday's The New York Times.
The outbreak began after a performer with the stage name Darren James apparently contracted HIV while filming unprotected sex scenes in Brazil. He returned to the United States and apparently infected Lara Roxx during film shoots, Mitchell said.
Los Angeles County health officials and the state's Division of Occupational Health and Safety are investigating.
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California claimed Thursday the county Department of Health Services violated the law by obtaining without a subpoena private medical information on performers potentially infected with HIV.
"The government needs to make a showing that the breach of the confidentiality is warranted and the way to do that is by going through the court," ACLU attorney Peter Eliasberg said. If people think the government can obtain their private records, it may deter them from getting HIV tests, he said.
County Health Officer Jonathan Fielding said he had not seen the letter and could not comment.
Mitchell said her attorney indicated she had no choice last week when she turned over the records. The records of the two performers who had tested positive at the time were not included because of state privacy requirements, she added.
Mitchell said the health department would use the information to interview the performers and determine whether they may have passed on HIV to people outside the porn business.
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Posted on Apr 30, 2004, 8:33 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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PARIS (Hollywood Reporter) - John C. Reilly has walked off the Swedish set of director Lars von Trier's "Manderlay" to protest the killing of a donkey for the shoot, a production spokeswoman said on Thursday.
"We did not want to talk about this, but since the news leaked out in the press, we confirm that this did happen," the spokeswoman said.
"We tried very hard to use a puppet instead of a real donkey because we really needed to show a donkey being killed for the film, but when that didn't work we approached a vet and asked him to provide us with an animal that was due to be slaughtered anyway. Because of the film, this poor donkey lived two more months than it would have otherwise," she added.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, the film's chief producer said Reilly quit three weeks ago, and was quickly replaced by Slovenian actor Zeljko Ivanek.
"The other actors did not have moral problems about the death of the donkey, especially since we gave it a lease on life, and he was killed with dignity, according to Swedish law and in the presence of a veterinarian," said Peter Aalbaek Jensen, who is also managing director of the film's Danish producer, Zentropa.
The $15 million film, which explores the American South of the 1930s, stars Bryce Howard as Grace, the part played by Nicole Kidman in von Trier's most recent film "Dogville." Other stars include Willem Dafoe as Grace's father, Lauren Bacall, Jeremy Davies, Danny Glover, Isaach De Bankole and Chloe Sevigny.
Ivanek also starred in "Dogville," which was part one of von Trier's "USA -- Land of Opportunities" trilogy, as well as von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark." Reilly is best known for his roles in "Chicago," "The Hours," "Gangs of New York" and "Magnolia." The shoot is due to wrap soon.
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Posted on Apr 30, 2004, 8:32 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Dolores O'Riordan, right, singer with the Irish group, The Cranberries, speaks to reporters outside the High Court in Dublin, Wednesday April 28, 2004, after she and her husband Don Burton, center, won the court case against them of alleged unfair dismissal by their nanny Joy Fahy
There was no lingering in court for Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan.
The singer left a Dublin courtroom a winner Wednesday after a judge dismissed the bulk of a case brought against her by a former nanny.
High Court Justice Jonathan Quirk threw out Joy Fahy's claims of breach of contract and false imprisonment, finding that the allegations did not hold water.
Fahy claimed that she had a one-year verbal contract with O'Riordan's husband, Don Burton, which guaranteed her a down payment on a Dublin apartment and a new Jeep Cherokee in exchange for caring for the couple's son, Taylor.
However, since she allegedly hightailed it out of the position after only two months, she received neither perk, much to her ire.
Quirk found that Fahy was not entitled to the perks, nor the $15,000 salary she claimed she was owed. He did, however, award her $1,800 to pay for clothes that were "mislaid" after she left the nanny position.
Fahy's charge that she was imprisoned by the couple was based on her claim that she was forced to barricade herself in a room to escape barrages of verbal abuse from Burton--but Quirk wasn't buying it.
In the courtroom Tuesday, O'Riordan testified that Fahy's charges amounted to "downright lies," and griped that the nanny had left the family without warning during a Canadian vacation.
The judge's findings were a boon to O'Riordan, who remains a renowned celebrity in Ireland, though her international fame has faded since her '90s heyday. Fahy's charges were the stuff of serious headline fodder, and painted the singer in a less-than-flattering light.
Fahy has an A-list employment history, having worked as a nanny for U2 drummer Larry Mullen and as a personal assistant to supermodel Elle McPherson in the past.
We're not sure how many more staffer-to-the-stars gigs lie in her future--but this failed legal battle can't have done much for her resume.
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Posted on Apr 29, 2004, 9:31 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor Jackie Chan speaks to reporters after meeting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh Wednesday April 28, 2004
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Jackie Chan, a newly appointed U.N. goodwill ambassador, says he might shoot a movie in Cambodia.
"First, I was joking, but now I'm taking it seriously," Chan told reporters after meeting Wednesday with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"When I go back (to Hong Kong) I will think about the script. I'm sure I'm coming back very quickly. I will see how to make a film in Cambodia," he said.
Chan, a box-office star of Hollywood and Chinese-language movies for more than 20 years, didn't say what sort of film he might make.
But Eang Sophalleth, a Hun Sen spokesman, said Chan told the leader the script should reflect the struggle for happiness by people who have been affected by conflict and disease.
"The prime minister has welcomed and supported Jackie Chan in making a movie in Cambodia ... to help the world be safer from the danger of land mines, unexploded ordnance and HIV/AIDS problems," he said.
On Monday, Chan was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund and U.N. AIDS agencies.
The 50-year-old action star will likely begin shooting the third film in the "Rush Hour" series later this year.
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Posted on Apr 29, 2004, 9:29 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Donald Trump and Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive for the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance evening on board the Queen Mary 2, Saturday, April 24, 2004 in New York
NEW YORK - There's a new member of Donald Trump's "A-Team." Following Ivana and Marla, model Melania Knauss became engaged this week to the billionaire developer, Trump spokesman Norma Foerderer said Thursday.
Trump gave the 33-year-old Slovenian native a diamond engagement ring on Monday. Knauss wore the ring to a party that night at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, although it went unnoticed by the hundreds of guests.
Trump, 57, has lived with Knauss in his Trump Tower home for the past five years. No wedding date was set, and Trump — currently riding high with the success of his NBC reality show "The Apprentice" — had no comment on the latest twist in his sometimes tumultuous love life.
His first two marriages ended in very public divorces: the first from wife Ivana after nearly 15 years, the second from Marla Maples after less than six years.
Maples, the other woman in his 1990 divorce, split with Trump for good in 1999. Trump said the union followed his realization that "life's too short," a revelation prompted when a gunman killed a half-dozen Long Island Rail Road commuters.
Trump has three children with Ivana and a daughter with Maples.
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Posted on Apr 29, 2004, 9:27 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Actor Robert Downey Jr. and his estranged wife, actress-model Deborah Falconer are seen here at the premiere of the film 'Frida' October 14, 2002 in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Robert Downey Jr. and his estranged wife, actress-model Deborah Falconer, have officially ended their 12-year marriage, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
The couple, who have been separated for eight years, filed divorce papers this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, publicist Alan Nierob said.
"This is more or less just a formality," he told Reuters.
Downey, 39, and Falconer were wed in 1992 after a 42-day courtship. Their 10-year-old son, Indio, will continue to live with his mother, but Downey "remains very involved in the upbringing of his son," Nierob said.
Downey, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1992 film "Chaplin," recently became engaged to film producer Susan Levin. The two met while working together on last year's psychological thriller "Gothika."
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Posted on Apr 28, 2004, 9:22 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Brian Roberts, president and CEO of Comcast. Comcast dropped its 66-billion-dollar hostile bid for The Walt Disney Co, giving some breathing room to embattled Disney chief executive Michael Eisner
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable company, on Wednesday withdrew its unsolicited $48.4 billion offer to buy Walt Disney Co. after the entertainment conglomerate steadfastly refused to open negotiations.
"Unfortunately it has become abundantly clear that Disney does not share our interests," Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts said on a conference call. "I am very comfortable with our decision to withdraw even though it is not the outcome I had hoped for."
The decision, which sent Comcast's shares up as much as 5.7 percent, ended a more than two-month stalemate between the two companies and raised new questions about where Comcast, which had come under heavy shareholder pressure to drop the bid, might look to expand next.
Roberts gave investors a hint on a conference call to discuss the company's first-quarter profit announced earlier in the day, when he said he expected Comcast to take a serious look at Adelphia, the bankrupt cable company that recently announced it was seeking a buyer.
"They have a number of systems that fit our footprint," Roberts said.
One of the media industry's savviest dealmakers, Roberts opted to make the Disney bid public in February after his initial overture to Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner was rejected. Disney shares immediately jumped well above the offer price, but Roberts said he would be patient and wait for the stock to move to a more rationale level.
Disney's shares on Wednesday fell 38 cents to $23.80, slightly below its closing share price a day before the Comcast bid was announced in February.
But the combination of Disney's refusal to negotiate and concerns by Comcast shareholders about the size of the bid led Roberts to decide to withdraw the bid Tuesday night after huddling with his advisers for two days, sources close to the company said.
"We're moving on," Roberts said."
Comcast announced the withdrawal of the bid shortly after reporting a first-quarter profit of $65 million, and a 10 percent jump in revenue.
The Disney bid had led some analysts and investors to question whether Comcast believed it could sustain a cable-only strategy going forward.
"Some of our shareholders felt that we were signaling that we had lost confidence in the cable business," Roberts said. "I'd like to make one critical point. We love the cable business. We have never been more bullish about cable and its potential for growth from the future."
The withdrawal of the bid comes a day after Disney's board reiterated support for embattled CEO Eisner, who has faced sharp criticism from high profile shareholders. Eisner lost his chairman title after a contentious annual meeting last month.
A Disney spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. The entertainment and media conglomerate has continually said it would not discuss the merger offer with Comcast, which it said severely undervalued the company.
Comcast shares rose 51 cents to $30.48 in mid-morning trading on Nasdaq.
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Posted on Apr 28, 2004, 9:21 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A possible takeover of MGM remained the talk of the industry Tuesday, as sources confirmed that Sony Corp. had sent a formal letter of interest to buy the company.
Meanwhile, Viacom Inc. president and chief operating officer Mel Karmazin hinted his firm isn't interested in the studio at current price expectations.
Buoyed by the continuing takeover talk, MGM shares hit a 52-week high Tuesday, closing up 2.9% at $20.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, after going as high as $21.50 during the day. The company continued its stance of declining to comment on sale talk.
In its latest quarterly earnings conference call, Sony executives also declined to discuss their plans for MGM. However, sources familiar with the situation said the company was looking for additional information before submitting a formal bid.
In its Tuesday edition, the Wall Street Journal first reported that Sony had sent a formal letter of interest to MGM.
In any offer, Sony is likely to team up with private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group, sources said last week. The group is looking at a bid valued at about $5 billion in cash and debt.
Time Warner also is considering whether to submit an offer together with private equity group Thomas H. Lee Partners, sources said. TW also hasn't commented on its intentions so far, but management might get MGM-related questions in the conglomerate's first-quarter earnings conference Wednesday afternoon.
Analysts have suggested that after recently reducing its overall debt load, TW will have to choose between using its financial power on a takeover play for MGM and such possible acquisition opportunities in the cable industry as bankrupt Adelphia Communications, which put itself on the block just last week. TW chairman and CEO Richard Parsons has expressed an interest in both cable and film library assets.
One industry player unlikely to play a role in deciding MGM's future is Viacom. Speaking at a breakfast event in New York on Tuesday, Karmazin said Viacom's main interest has always been MGM's film library given his firm already owns Paramount Pictures.
While he wouldn't say what price Viacom would be willing to pay for MGM, he said it is "not comparable to the price MGM is looking for."
Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen said in a report Tuesday that price disagreements have been the spoiler for MGM's past attempts to strike a deal with another major studio. "We believe in each case, price has been the prohibitive factor," Reif Cohen said. "This in part reflects the concern that MGM's library may already be heavily exploited in the DVD market."
Still, a deal with another big Hollywood player is a "solid" idea, she said. "A large chunk of duplicative expenses such as global home video distribution, theatrical development and overhead could be eliminated," the analyst explained.
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Posted on Apr 28, 2004, 9:20 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Halle Berry is shown as she arrived with husband Eric Benet for the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 20, 2002
LOS ANGELES - Actress Halle Berry has filed for divorce from her husband, R&B singer Eric Benet, a spokeswoman said.
Publicist Karen Samfilippo confirmed the filing Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court but declined to comment.
The couple were married about three years and separated in October. This is the second divorce for the actress, who was previously married to Cleveland Indians outfielder David Justice.
Tabloids speculated about Benet's faithfulness from nearly the moment the "X-Men" star married Benet in January 2001.
The two met in 1999 at a party to celebrate the premiere of Berry's HBO movie "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," about the first black woman nominated for a best-actress Oscar with 1954's "Carmen Jones."
Berry won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for the Dandridge role. She then became the first black woman to win a best-actress Oscar for her work in 2001's "Monster's Ball."
Benet has a young daughter, India, from a previous relationship with a girlfriend who was killed in car crash 15 months after the girl was born.
His first album, "True to Myself," was released in 1996. He has had such hits as "Spend My Life With You" and "Love Don't Love Me."
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Posted on Apr 27, 2004, 9:23 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Pop star Michael Jackson said on April 26, 2004 that he personally 'terminated' his two lead defense attorneys, Mark Geragos (L) and Benjamin Brafman (far right), in his child molestation case, suggesting that they had failed to give him their full attention
LOS ANGELES - Act Two of the Michael Jackson child molestation case gets under way this week with a new cast of lawyers taking center stage.
"My life is at stake," the pop star said as he announced firing his two high profile lawyers, Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman.
At the counsel table when court reconvenes Friday will be Thomas Mesereau Jr., a well known advocate whose work on behalf of the downtrodden and minorities was a selling point for the superstar who has been involved in fund raising for numerous causes.
Mesereau also is a veteran of a star trial, having represented actor Robert Blake in a murder case for the past year before they had a falling out.
Sitting beside Mesereau will be Steve Cochran, Jackson's longtime lawyer, and Robert Sanger of Santa Barbara, who has represented Jackson in lawsuits in the county where his Neverland ranch is located.
From his statement, it appeared that Jackson broke with Geragos because of the famed attorney's representation of Scott Peterson on charges that Peterson murdered his wife, Laci, and their unborn child.
Jackson felt that Geragos' involvement in that trial, which is in jury selection, was taking up too much of his time.
"It is imperative that I have the full attention of those who are representing me. My life is at stake," Jackson said. "Therefore, I must feel confident that my interests are of the highest priority. I am innocent of these false charges, and will aggressively seek to clear my name.
"I feel very confident that when I am able to defend myself, I will be exonerated by a jury of my peers," Jackson said.
Jackson, 45, is free on $3 million bail. He was originally charged with seven counts of lewd or lascivious conduct involving a child under 14 and with administering an intoxicant, reportedly wine, to a child under 14.
Brafman, one of New York's top criminal defense attorneys, declined to comment on Jackson's statement, as did Geragos.
"I have not replaced my defense team," Jackson said. "I have replaced the lead attorneys. And, contrary to reports, this is a decision that I have personally made."
The statement which said flatly that Geragos and Brafman were "terminated" came a day after the lawyers said they voluntarily "stepped down" from the case for reasons they would not discuss publicly.
In a hearing Monday afternoon by conference call, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville approved the substitution of lead counsel.
The change comes less than a week before Jackson is due in Santa Maria Superior Court for arraignment on a grand jury indictment.
Behind the scenes, sources said that yet another attorney had been directing the negotiations that led to the dismissal of Geragos and Brafman.
Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney who has been close to Jackson's brother, Randy, was described as having been "at the highest level in the negotiations."
Oxman had worked with Mesereau and knew of Jackson's desire to have him as his attorney. An earlier approach to Mesereau was rejected because he was still representing Blake.
With the return of a grand jury indictment last week, Jackson began to re-evaluate his team.
"This is a new case now, a new proceeding," said Oxman. "This is totally Michael's decision. He's concerned with everything. He's very passionate about this. He is a smart man, a good man. He is innocent and he's going to show he's innocent."
Defense attorney Harland Braun, who was replaced by Mesereau in the Blake case, said it is not unusual for Hollywood stars to change lawyers in mid-case.
"Think of it as politics," said Braun. "A candidate often changes managers in the middle of a campaign."
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Posted on Apr 27, 2004, 9:22 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The youngest member of the original hit-making Pointer Sisters was charged on Monday with cocaine possession, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.
June Pointer Whitmore, 50, was arrested last Thursday with two other people outside the Hollywood apartment of her older sister, Bonnie, but was released on bail.
Bonnie Pointer, who left the group in 1978 to pursue a solo career with Motown, was not charged in the case. Whitmore has not performed with the Pointer Sisters in more than three years, their lawyer, Martin Singer, told Reuters.
The two remaining members of the original lineup, Anita and Ruth Pointer, previously obtained a court order barring their younger sibling from the group and asserting their exclusive rights to the Pointer Sisters name, Singer said.
He said Whitmore was kicked out of the group because of repeated substance abuse problems that prevented her from making several appearances.
Anita and Ruth Pointer, who now perform as a trio with Ruth's daughter, Issa, are currently en route to Belgium for a tour, Singer said. He said they were in Montana last week recording a DVD when Whitmore was arrested.
Details of Whitmore's arrest were sketchy. But a spokeswoman for prosecutors said she and her co-defendants were confronted by police officers who responded to citizen complaints and found them in possession of cocaine and cocaine pipes.
Whitmore is charged with one count of cocaine possession and a lesser charge of possessing an illegal smoking device. Although conviction carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, Whitmore would be eligible for a California program that allows first-time offenders to have their record expunged if they complete drug rehabilitation.
The original Pointer Sisters trio produced a string of hits in the late 1970s and early '80s, including a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," "He's So Shy" and "Slow Hand."
Legal representatives for Whitmore were not readily available. No arraignment date has been announced.
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Posted on Apr 27, 2004, 9:20 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
David Bowie performs on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC studios in Burbank, California April 21, 2004
LONDON (Reuters) - Singer David Bowie has invited his fans to mix two of his songs together, extending a hand of friendship to underground bootlegging enthusiasts.
The rocker, currently touring with his 26th album "Reality," has invited his supporters to splice a song from the album with any other track from his back catalog as part of a six-week contest.
Bowie is on the panel of judges who will pick a winner and runners-up from among a publicly voted shortlist of entrants.
Bowie already involves his fans closely in his music. So far, fans have co-written songs with him, helped to choose album art and packaging and attended www.davidbowie.com Web Site members-only concerts.
"Mash-ups" -- songs which mix together parts of different songs -- are often made illegally without record companies' consent, but have become increasingly popular with the availability of inexpensive music editing software.
Recently, "The Gray Album" -- an innovative mix of rapper Jay-Z's "Black Album" with the Beatles' "White Album," prompted music giant EMI to secure a cease and desist order against the man behind it, turning it into a surprise hit.
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Posted on Apr 26, 2004, 9:30 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Film producer Lew Rywin listens to the sentence as the Warsaw provincial court found him guilty of fraud charges, in Warsaw, Poland Monday April 26, 2004
WARSAW, Poland - Lew Rywin, the Polish co-producer of the Oscar-winning "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist," was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Monday in a bribery scandal.
Rywin remained free pending an expected appeal of the Warsaw provincial court's verdict, which also included a $24,830 fine.
The court ruled that the 58-year-old producer falsely claimed he represented Prime Minister Leszek Miller when he allegedly sought a $17.5 million bribe from Agora SA, publisher of the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, in 2002.
His offer in exchange to lobby for changes to a proposed media law that would enable Agora to buy a nationwide broadcaster also was a misrepresentation, the three-judge panel ruled.
Presenting the verdict, Judge Marek Celej said the court had concluded that Rywin approached Agora president Wanda Rapaczynska and Gazeta Wyborcza editor Adam Michnik "in order to achieve financial gain."
He "misled them because he claimed against the facts that he represented Miller and a group holding power," Celej said.
Standing in court, Rywin shook his head and smiled as the details of the verdict were read by the judges.
The scandal led to Rywin's five-month trial and an investigation by parliament. Neither managed to shed much light on what happened, but they generated speculation about corruption in high places and cost Miller and his governing Democratic Left Alliance party public support.
Prosecutors had pressed charges of influence peddling, claiming Rywin acted on behalf of Miller and political power brokers when he made the alleged offer, which was revealed by Gazeta Wyborcza.
Rywin has denied the charges, claiming he was set up by Agora, and his lawyers said they planned to appeal Monday's verdict.
Miller, who testified at the trial, vehemently denied any involvement.
The prosecution's main piece of evidence against Rywin was a poor-quality audio recording made by Michnik in which Rywin is heard making his proposal.
Judge Ewa Grochowska-Szmitkowska, another of the judges, told Rywin that his name "has become a symbol of corruption and scandal," undermining public trust in the government and harming Poland's reputation before it joins the European Union on May 1.
Rywin's Heritage Films co-produced Roman Polanski's "The Pianist, which last year won three Academy Awards last year, including an Oscar for best director. The company also co-produced Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List," which won the 1993 Academy Award for best picture.
Prosecutors had demanded a three-year jail sentence for Rywin and a fine of $62,500.
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Posted on Apr 26, 2004, 9:29 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
A fireman stands near a car driven by singer Billy Joel that crashed into the side of a house in Bayville, N.Y., Sunday, April 25, 2004 in this image taken from video --Billy Joel performs Wednesday, April 21, 2004 during the annual Rainforest Foundation benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York
BAYVILLE, N.Y. - Singer-songwriter Billy Joel was slightly injured and mostly embarrassed when he lost control of his car on a rain-slicked road and banged into a house, the Grammy Award-winning artist's third car accident in two years.
There was no evidence of alcohol or drug involvement and Joel was not suspected of any crime, said Nassau County police Officer Joan Eames, a police spokeswoman.
Witnesses said the accident occurred at about 4 p.m. Sunday, when Joel, driving a burgundy and black car, crashed through a row of bushes and banged into a small beige home one block from the beach.
"He seemed embarrassed that he lost control of the car," said witness Thomas Phillips Jr. "He said, `I can't believe I got in another accident.' He was just going out to get a pizza."
The accident left a crack in the house's foundation and 6-foot-long skid marks in the sand in the street, witnesses said. Joel suffered a small cut on his left ring finger but refused medical attention, Eames said.
No one was in the car with Joel, and no one in the house was injured, police said. A call to Joel's publicist, Claire Mercuri, was not immediately returned Sunday.
Last year Joel was hospitalized after smashing his car into a tree along a highway on far eastern Long Island. No summonses were issued, and Joel was not given a Breathalyzer test.
Joel, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, escaped serious injury in a crash in East Hampton in June 2002. He later checked into a New Canaan, Conn., substance abuse and psychiatric center.
Joel was involved in a motorcycle accident on Long Island in 1983.
He and model Christie Brinkley, who divorced in 1994, have a teenage daughter, Alexa Ray. Following last year's car accident, Brinkley expressed concerns about their daughter riding in a car with him.
Joel has had more than two dozen Top 10 hits in his career, including his signature 1974 song "Piano Man." His music, including the title song "Movin' Out," is currently the subject of a Broadway musical.
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Posted on Apr 26, 2004, 9:28 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
Chinese martial arts star Jackie Chan, has taken a leap into the world of fashion with the launch of his own line of clothing
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Jackie Chan's next movie should be banned in Taiwan because of the actor's remarks about last month's presidential election, a senior ruling party lawmaker said.
At a news conference in Shanghai last month, the action star called Taiwan's disputed election "the biggest joke in the world."
"We want to propose a motion at the legislature to ask the government to ban showings of Jackie Chan's new movie," Parris Chang, a senior member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Thursday.
Chan's latest Hollywood film, "Around the World in 80 Days," is set to open on the island in June. His other Hollywood films include "Shanghai Knights" and the "Rush Hour" movies.
President Chen Shui-bian narrowly won the March 20 vote, but opposition candidate Lien Chan claims the vote was marred by irregularities, though he's provided little proof.
The High Court is working out how to conduct a recount, tentatively scheduled for next month.
Chan, who is married to a Taiwanese actress, is a frequent visitor to the island, where he has appeared in commercials for humanitarian causes.
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Posted on Apr 23, 2004, 9:02 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
'American Idol' contestants, top row from left, Jennifer Hudson, George Huff, Jon Stevens, and seated from left, La Toya London, Diana Degarmo, Jasmine Trias and Fantasia Barrino, are shown together in this undated promotional photo
LOS ANGELES - Theories flew fast and furious Thursday after the "American Idol" viewer vote went against favorite Jennifer Hudson, ranging from racism to fateful weather to teenage puppy love.
Or maybe America just has a tin ear.
While Hudson and two other singers lavishly praised by the show's judges ended up at the bottom of the heap Wednesday night, contestants who gave marginal performances were top vote-getters.
Hudson, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London — "The Three Divas," as they've become known — seemed to have the best shot at taking the Fox TV contest. But they were less popular than their competition, including redheaded crooner John Stevens, a 16-year-old whose highest compliment from the judges was that he was a nice guy.
With the lowest vote tally, Hudson was bumped from the show. Even series host Ryan Seacrest chastised viewers.
"America, don't forget you have to vote for the talent. You have to keep your favorites in the competition. You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks," he said after results were announced Wednesday.
Series judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul play an advisory role after helping winnow down the field of 70,000 applicants to 32 semi-finalists and then, with viewers, to 12 finalists. The audience takes charge from there until the winner is picked.
Hudson, appearing Thursday on Seacrest's talk show — Fox's "On-Air With Ryan Seacrest" — said it was the public outcry, more than the vote, that shocked her. "I didn't realize the impact that I had," she said.
A storm that caused a power outage in the Midwest may have been a factor in Hudson's ouster, TV entertainment newsmagazine "Extra" said Thursday.
More than 15,000 people in Hudson's hometown of Chicago were unable to watch the show or dial in Tuesday night, when the vote turned out to be the closest in the show's three-year history, "Extra" said.
Jackson, who said losing Hudson was "nuts," told "Extra" he thought the outage could have been a problem but it wasn't enough to alter the outcome.
Fox didn't release the viewer vote count this week, but about 24 million votes were recorded last week.
Others offered more cynical assessments.
"It simply seems inconceivable that the 'Idol' results would turn out this way," Sam Rubin, an entertainment reporter with local station KTLA, said on the air. "You would almost expect (boxing promoter) Don King to replace Ryan, it looked so fixed."
"'American Idol' is telling the world that John actually got more votes than Jennifer," one outraged fan wrote in a Web site posting. "The bottom 3 is really the top 3. It was rigged!!"
The New York Post reported it was deluged with calls complaining that the voting was racially motivated: Hudson, Barrino and London are black. (The Post is owned by News Corp., which also owns Fox TV.)
George Huff, still in the competition, is black, as was last year's winner, Ruben Studdard. "American Idol," unlike other reality shows featuring competition, is more popular in black homes than white homes.
For the current season, the show was watched in 19 percent of all black households, compared to 15 percent of white households, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Questions of racism also came up in the first season, after talented Tamyra Gray was voted off.
A call to Fox for comment on this week's vote was not immediately returned.
One online posting compared the contest results to Academy Award voting.
"It is the same in years when someone wins an Oscar because three better films split the votes. The three ladies more than likely have people voting along the same demographic and that splits their vote," the message said.
Other remaining contestants are Diana DeGarmo and Jasmine Trias.
Internet chatter included speculation that the female teen audience the show attracts in big numbers was skewing the vote toward the male contestants, Huff and Stevens.
For London "to be put in the bottom three proved what Simon has been saying all along ... 'That's what you get when America votes,'" another online message proclaimed.
"As proven with last night's results, you can never assume that any contestant is safe," said "American Idol" executive producer Ken Warwick. "You can never assume that they have enough votes. It's imperative that viewers vote for their favorite idol every week."
For the contestants, a recording contract and instant career are at stake.
But the show has produced winners among those who didn't finish first: Last season's runner-up, Clay Aiken, has outsold Studdard, while third-place finisher Kimberley Locke has an upcoming album. Gray has been visible as an actress and singer.
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Posted on Apr 23, 2004, 8:59 AM from IP address 216.205.224.10
