Entertainment News Trends

Taylor Swift Remains Atop Billboard 200

2009-02-26T17:18:00.001+05:30

Taylor Swift's "Fearless" claims a 10th non-consecutive week atop The Billboard 200, a feat unmatched by any album since Santana's "Supernatural" collected 12 weeks at No. 1 in 1999 and 2000. Only eight other albums by solo female artists have earned 10 weeks or more at No. 1. The Big Machine set moved 62,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 32% drop in sales from last week's sum.The chart's highest debut comes from Charlie Wilson, whose "Uncle Charlie" (Jive) starts at No. 2 with 58,000. The R&B singer's last set, 2005's "Charlie, Last Name Wilson," debuted and peaked at No. 10 with an opening week of 71,000.The Fray's self-titled Epic album, which topped the chart two weeks ago, rebounds 4-3 despite a 29% sales decline to 53,000.Much like the week after Christmas, many titles experience sales drops and shift around the top tier after an active week of post-Grammys and Valentine's Day shopping. For example, climbing back into the top tier 11-4 is Nickelback's Roadrunner effort "Dark Horse" with 43,000 (-23%). Beyonce's "I Am... Sasha Fierce" (Music World/Columbia) follows suit, ascending 12-5 with 41,000 (-25%). Jamie Foxx's "Intuition" (J) leaps 14-6 with 33,000 (-19%) and India.Arie's Universal Republic set "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics" takes a 57% hit to 32,000, slipping 3-7.Selling 32,000 (-11%), Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) climbs 16-8. Grammy Award-winning "Raising Sand" (Rounder) by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss falls 2-9, also with 32,000 (-58%). Lady GaGa earns a new chart peak this week as "The Fame" (IGA) moves up 26-10 with 32,000 (+11%).
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Morrissey's "Years of Refusal," his first for Lost Highway in conjunction with his own Attack imprint, debuts at No. 11. It shares the same position as his other high water mark, which came with the No. 11 peak of 2004's "You Are the Quarry." His last studio album, 2006's "Ringleader of the Tormentors," entered and topped out at No. 27.Singer/songwriter M. Ward scores his best charting solo album yet with "Hold Time" (Merge) at No. 31 with 19,000. His previous "Post-War" only reached No. 146 in 2006, though his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel on She & Him's "Volume One" last year scored No. 71 upon entry.Other debuts this week include Annie Lennox's CD/DVD set "Annie Lennox Collection" (Sony) at No. 34 with 16,000 and the double-disc indie-rock benefit compilation "Dark Was the Night" (4AD/Beggars) at No. 49 with 13,000.At 7.41 million units, sales are down 13.3% compared to last week and down by 7% compared to the same week in 2008.

Courtesy: http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/taylor-swift-remains-atop-billboard-200-1003944728.story

Clay Aiken Comes Out

2008-09-29T06:44:00.001+05:30

Clay Aiken is joining the ranks of the out and proud.

The unlikely heartthrob, whose Southern gentlemanliness has made the young'uns love him and their moms want to pinch his cheeks, has revealed that he is gay in an upcoming cover story for People magazine, on newsstands Friday.

So whether you're saying "Huh?!" or "About time!" this is the new state of the Claynation.

The magazine's cover, leaked Tuesday afternoon, boasts the pullout quote: "Yes, I'm gay."

"It was the first decision I made as a father," Aiken says inside the magazine. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."

The 29-year-old pop star's sexuality came under increased scrutiny when he admitted to fathering a child with fiftysomething Jaymes Foster, sister of famed music producer David Foster.

Parker Foster Aiken was born Aug. 8 in North Carolina, with Aiken writing on his blog that all families involved were "thrilled."

The born-again crooner acknowledges that revelations regarding his sexuality may be difficult for some in his fanbase.

"Whether it be having a child out of wedlock, or whether it be simply being a homosexual, it's going to be a lot," he says.

Aiken, who last week reprised his role as Sir Robin on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, adds, however, that he hopes his fans know he "never intended to lie to anybody at all": "But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."

As for how his own family dealt with the news, the onetime American Idol runner-up admitted dropping the bomb on his mom four years ago when they accompanied his younger brother, Brett, to camp Lejeune before the latter deployed to Iraq.

"I started crying in the car," Aiken recalls. "It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it...I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out."

And while it took some time, he said his mom eventually learned to accept her son's sexuality.

"She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting," Aiken notes. "She still struggles with things quite a bit, but she's come a long way."

The singer stressed that it was necessary for him to own up to what everybody kind of already knew for Parker's sake, so his son can be raised in an atmosphere that is "accepting and allowing him to be happy."

Says Aiken: "I have no idea if he'll be gay or straight. It's not something I'll have anything to do with, or that he'll have anything to do with. It's already probably up inside the code there...No matter what the situation you're in, if you're raised in a loving environment, that's the most important thing."

(Originally published Sept. 23, 2008, at 3:35 p.m. PT.)

Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b30566_clay_aiken_comes.html

Breaking News! Heather Locklear Arrested After "Concerned Citizen" Calls CHP

2008-09-29T06:40:00.002+05:30

Actress Heather Locklear was arrested around 5 p.m. Saturday evening after California Highway Patrol officers found theSpin City star in her parked car blocking traffic in Montecito, Calif., a tony enclave near Santa Barbara.

According to the police report, a "concerned citizen" called police after witnessing Locklear "driving forwards and backwards over a pair of sunglasses and revving her engine" in a parking lot.

The witness then came upon Locklear again on the road.

"The citizen became concerned when Ms. Locklear exited her vehicle and stumbled into the traffic lane...the citizen called 911 and reported the entire incident to CHP Ventura Dispatch."

The report states that when officers arrived Locklear appeared disoriented, and after giving her a DUI test they determined it was not alcohol. "Although obvious impairment was exhibited during the tests, alcohol was ruled out as a factor." Locklear was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and taken to the Santa Barbara CHP office.

"She was evaluated by a drug recognition expert, who concluded Ms. Locklear was under the influence of a controlled substance, and could not safely operate a motor vehicle."

Locklear was then booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail. She was released at 11 p.m. that evening on $5,000 bail.

In June, Locklear, 47, checked into a rehab center in Arizona for anxiety and depression. She returned home after one month at the Sierra Tucson treatment facilty.

Locklear's representative said there would not be any comment.

Today 10:45 AM PDT by JOVIE BACLAYON & WHITNEY ENGLISH

Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b31349_heather_locklear_arrested_in_california.html?sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

My Chemical Romance

2008-06-08T17:07:00.004+05:30

The ENT BAND ROX for June, 2008 is...............

My Chemical Romance (often shortened to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock quintet that formed in 2001. The current members of the band are Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Frank Iero, Ray Toro and Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major label debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004. The album was a commercial success, selling over one million copies. The band followed this success with 2006's The Black Parade, featuring their hit singles, "Welcome to the Black Parade", "Famous Last Words", "I Don't Love You", and "Teenagers". The band also recently filmed a live DVD in Mexico City, which is due for release on July 1, 2008.

Early career (2001 – 2002)
The band was formed by frontman Gerard Way and drummer Matt Pelissier approximately one week after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Witnessing the planes crash into the World Trade Center influenced Way's life to the extent that he decided to start a band. Way wrote the song "Skylines and Turnstiles" to express his feelings about September 11th. Shortly thereafter, Ray Toro was called up and asked to join the band because at the time Way couldn't sing and play the guitar at the same time. The first recording sessions were done in Pelissier's attic, where the songs "Our Lady of Sorrows" (formerly called "Bring More Knives") and "Cubicles" were recorded. Frank Iero revealed that the band finished the lyrics to "Best Day Ever" moments before they arrived at the studio to begin recording. The band refers to those sessions as The Attic Demos. Mikey Way, the younger brother of Gerard, loved the demo so much that he decided to join the band after dropping out of college. Rumor had it that Mikey learned how to play the bass guitar just to join the band, but Gerard Way set the record straight in the CD/DVD Life on the Murder Scene when he reported that Mikey had been in several bands before joining My Chemical Romance.

Mainstream breakthrough (2003–2006)
In 2003, the band signed a deal with Reprise Records. Following a tour with Avenged Sevenfold, the band began work on their second album, entitled Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Released in 2004, the album went platinum within a year. The band released three singles from the album: "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", "Helena" and "The Ghost of You". It was during this time that the band replaced Matt Pelissier with Bob Bryar, after they came back from Japan in July 2004. It was a very controversial time for My Chem fans the world over. Matt left in agreement with everyone in the band; there were issues about his ability to keep time with the rest of the band. It is believed that Ray Toro asked him to try playing with a metronome for a little while, which offended the experienced drummer. Fans who were disappointed with Matt's departure wondered why the drummer, who took some artistic liberties in live performances, was relieved instead of the "pill-popping" lead vocalist. It is well-known that Gerard was at one time incredibly depressed; however, he has been clean and sober since August '05. This, perhaps, is the reason the band does not wish to talk about it often. This information was disclosed in the 2006 CD/DVD Life on the Murder Scene.

The Black Parade (2006–2007)
A biography titled Something Incredible This Way Comes was released, written by Paul Stenning (Published in 2006). It features their beginnings, right through to The Black Parade. On August 22, 2006, the band played a special one-off show at the 1800-capacity London Hammersmith Palais. The show sold out in 15 minutes prompting tickets being sold on eBay well over the tickets' face value. The name of the album they promoted was announced and 20 people dressed in black capes with their faces obscured paraded around Hammersmith, followed by a large group of fans and street team members with signs saying "The Black Parade". Later during the show the album title and the UK release date were confirmed. Prior to the band taking the stage it was announced that My Chemical Romance were unable to play, but they would be replaced by "The Black Parade". After initial crowd hostility it became clear the band were simply performing under a pseudonym in keeping with the theme of the album.

The Future(2008)
In a recent NME interview with Gerard, the magazine said the band's next record would be "a return to punk rock. In addition to that he stated that the band would be taking time off and fans shouldn't expect a new album until late 2009 early 2010." The band recently announced in a blog on their website that they would be going on a final tour in the USA before writing their new album. At the same time, they announced they will be releasing a live DVD/CD collection titled The Black Parade Is Dead! which includes two concerts in October 2007, the final Black Parade Concert in Mexico, and a small show at Maxwell's in New Jersey. The DVD/CD was meant to be released on June 24 in the US and June 30 in the UK, but the date has been postponed to July 1 due to a technical fault with the Mexico concert. In addition to "Stay", My Chemical Romance have also begun to play another new song live which debuted in Hong Kong.

List: Winners at the 80th Annual Academy Awards

2008-02-25T10:59:00.001+05:30

LOS ANGELES — Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."

Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."

Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."

Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.

Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."

Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."

Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."

Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.

Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."

Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."

Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."

Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."

Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (`The Mozart of Pickpockets')."

Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."

--
Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Honorary and technical Oscars: Robert Boyle; Eastman Kodak Co.; David A. Grafton.

A message from: hornsorhalo@yahoo.com

2008-02-23T08:57:00.002+05:30

Unfortunantly, I dont think a campaign is going to work.

ENT Crew's Response:
While we do realize that a campaign is not going to work, at the same time this is the best we can do to let Britney know that her fans are still there by her side. Tat we will always be there, no matter what! Thanks for your message though!

A message from: janolapin77@yahoo.fr

2008-02-23T08:50:00.000+05:30

i'm glad to see that Britney is getting better by now
of course, she must continue her treatment but it's so good to see her happiest!
go on Brit
Special Thanks to:
Jean (John) Lopez
britney_spears_ultimate_fans@yahoogroups.com

A message for Britney from: Leo Zarazowski Jr.

2008-02-20T07:12:00.002+05:30

HEY BRITNEY,
PLEASE GET SOME HELP, US FANS DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU TURN INTO ANOTHER ANNA NICOLE SMITH, AND COMMIT SUICIDE. WE ALL LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, SO PLEASE DO IT, SO WE CAN ENJOY MORE MUSIC FROM YOU, AND ALSO TOUR.
YOUR BIGGEST FAN
LEO ZARAZOWSKI JR

Prince of Intensity With a Lightness of Touch

2008-01-24T07:27:00.001+05:30

The defining performance of Heath Ledger’s tragically foreshortened career — more or less equivalent to what Jim Stark in “Rebel Without a Cause” was for James Dean — will surely be the role of Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain.”

As word of the death spread, a crowd had gathered outside the apartment in SoHo in time to see Mr. Ledger's body removed. More Photos »

A portrait of inarticulate love and thwarted desire, Ennis is a rich, complicated character succinctly sketched in Annie Proulx’s original short story and brought to heartbreaking life by the film’s screenwriters, Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry; by its director, Ang Lee; and above all by Mr. Ledger himself.

Outwardly, Ennis presents a familiar image of rough-hewn Western masculinity, and the longing that surges under his taciturn demeanor does not so much contradict this image as help to explain it. Ennis’s love for Jack Twist, whom he meets tending sheep on a Wyoming mountaintop in the early 1960s, takes Ennis by surprise and throws him permanently off balance. His lifelong silence, the film suggests, is less a sign of strength than of cowardice, a crippling inability to acknowledge or communicate the truth of his own feelings.

What made the performance so remarkable was that Mr. Ledger, without betraying Ennis’s dignity or his reserve, was nonetheless able to convey that truth to the audience. This kind of sensitivity — the ability to signal an inner emotional state without overtly showing it — is what distinguishes great screen acting from movie-star posing. And while Mr. Ledger was handsome enough, and famous enough, to be called a movie star, he was serious enough, and smart enough, to be suspicious of deploying his charisma too easily or cheaply.

In retrospect the best thing that happened to him — the lucky break for his admirers, at any rate —may have been his disinclination to realize his apparent movie-star potential. He was the most likable of the young things in the “Taming of the Shrew”-derived teenage comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” with his curly hair, high forehead and the permanent intimation of a smirk on his thin-lipped, angled mouth. And as often happens with young actors in Hollywood, his good looks and easy charm looked like a ticket to the commercial big time. Dutifully, but also with sparks of playful, eager energy, he played period golden boys in “The Patriot” and “A Knight’s Tale,” a misbegotten (but not entirely unenjoyable) entry in the ever-silly costume-action genre.

It is hard to know exactly when Mr. Ledger discovered his range, and set about trying to explore it, but it is clear that he covered a lot of ground in a very short time. He had a taste for portraying troubled, brooding, self-destructive young men, it’s true — the anguished third-generation prison guard in “Monster’s Ball,” the heroin addict in “Candy,” the unhappy film star in “I’m Not There,” in addition to Ennis — but the temptation to blend their fates with Mr. Ledger’s own should be resisted at all costs. Those roles should be seen less as expressions of some imagined inner torment than as evidence of resourcefulness, creative restlessness and wit.
Those same characteristics are abundantly evident in less well-known movies that should not be overlooked.

Mr. Ledger was hilarious and eccentric in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Lords of Dogtown,” playing a shaggy old-timer on the Venice Beach surf-and skateboard scene, and affably mischievous in Terry Gilliam’s “Brothers Grimm,” alongside Matt Damon.

Ennis Del Mar is complemented and complicated by Casanova, whom Mr. Ledger played in Lasse Hallstrom’s unfairly neglected biopic-as-sex-farce, which came and went too quickly in late 2005, during the ascendancy of “Brokeback Mountain.” It’s not just that the flamboyantly heterosexual Casanova is Ennis Del Mar’s opposite in obvious ways. He is also a creature of pure whimsy, a lighter-than-air confection of licentiousness and gallantry.

Which is not to say that Mr. Ledger’s performance is frivolous. Rather it required intelligence, restraint and a tricky lightness of touch. Mr. Ledger had an unusual ability to mix lightness and gravity, an emotional nimbleness he displayed most fully in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There.” Of the six avatars of Bob Dylan in that film, his, an actor named Robbie Clark, is the most remote from Mr. Dylan’s various personae and closest to the prosaic world of love, fame and ambition. Robbie starts out full of youthful energy, heedless and in love, and finds himself a decade later adrift and disappointed, robbed of the happiness that early success had seemed to promise.

Again, it’s important to warn against looking in that film or any other for clues or portents. It seems to me that Mr. Ledger, in his choice of roles, was motivated above all by curiosity, and perhaps also by an impatience with the predictability and caution that can settle around the shoulders of talented young stars. In heroic roles like “A Knight’s Tale” or “Ned Kelly” he often seems bored, which may be why he so eagerly seized the chance to play the sociopathic Joker in “The Dark Knight,” the next installment in the “Batman” franchise.

The dismaying sense of loss and waste at Mr. Ledger’s death at 28 comes not only because he was so young, but also because his talent was large and as yet largely unmapped. It seems inevitable that he will now be inscribed in the cult of the beautiful stars who died too young, alongside James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe. Even before his death he had been ensnared in a pathological gossip culture that chews up the private lives of celebrities, and Tuesday’s news unleashed the usual rituals of media cannibalism.

Mr. Ledger’s work will outlast the frenzy. But there should have been more. Instead of being preserved as a young star eclipsed in his prime, he should have had time to outgrow his early promise and become the strange, surprising, era-defining actor he always had the potential to be.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/movies/24appr.html?ex=1358830800&en=952e34787194f79f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

No Drugs on Heath's $20 Bill

2008-01-24T07:25:00.001+05:30

As the search for answers in the tragic death of Heath Ledger continues, new evidence has emerged in the case.
A rolled-up $20 bill was discovered near the actor's body, police confirmed, adding that no illegal drugs were found in his apartment.

Although no visible drug residue was found on it, the bill was to be taken to a lab for testing, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday at a Manhattan news conference.

Hours later, police announced that the bill had come up negative for illicit substances, scuttling the theory that the actor had been snorting drugs before his death.

Police said that bottles of prescription sleeping aids were found nearby, leading them to question whether Ledger died of an overdose.

In all, six types of prescription medicines were discovered in the apartment, including sleeping aids, antianxiety drugs and an antihistamine, sources close to the investigation said. Three of the medications were prescribed in Europe.

New York's CBS affiliate cited sources close to the investigation who said several packets containing an unknown substance were found in the apartment. It was not clear whether the mystery packets belonged to Ledger.

The 28-year-old Oscar nominee was found Tuesday afternoon by his housekeeper and a masseuse, lying naked and unresponsive on his bed.

He was declared dead by officials who arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.

Officials have said there were no signs that the actor committed suicide, nor any sign of foul play.
An initial autopsy was completed Wednesday morning but proved inconclusive, with the medical examiner stating that additional tests, including toxicology screens, would be required to determine the cause of death.

Ledger's family has called the death an accident and requested privacy as they come to grips with the loss of the Brokeback Mountain star.

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him," his father, Kim Ledger, said in a statement.
"He was a down-to-earth, generous, kindhearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many."

Larry Williams, father of Ledger's onetime fiancée Michelle Williams, called the actor a "great talent" and a doting father to his two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

"I think Tennyson got it right in the poem when he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends, and oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath, what a beautiful flame he made and a great talent," the elder Williams told the Melbourne Herald Sun.

"My heart goes out to everyone in his family and my family."

Meanwhile, Oscar winner Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, said "working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life."

"He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined—a thirst for life, for love and for truth and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking," the filmmaker said in a statement.

Lee Daniels, who produced the Ledger-starring film Monster's Ball, disputed the notion the actor had drug-abuse issues.

"They're saying it's drug-related. I don't believe that. We know the partiers and he wasn't that guy," Daniels told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The actor's rep said Wednesday there were no plans, as of yet, for a memorial service in either the United States or Ledger's native Australia.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=73b86298-5681-4729-8cdc-3782e9390584&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Britney Bolts, Commish Vetoes Kid Visits

2008-01-24T07:23:00.001+05:30

Britney Spears apparently couldn't decide if it was better late or never. In the end, neither worked in her favor.

A court commissioner ruled Wednesday that he would not lift the suspension of Spears' visitation rights for her children with Kevin Federline after Spears went MIA during an emergency hearing held at her own behest.

The proceedings themselves got off to a less than promising start for Spears, who arrived nearly 25 minutes tardy to Los Angeles County Superior Court. A half hour later, after going through the security checkpoint, Spears informed sheriff's deputies she wanted to leave the premises and split without even entering the courtroom.

While court spokesperson Allan Parachini originally said Spears was expected to return to the courthouse later today, that now seems unlikely.

"Any future proceeding would have to include counsel for both sides," he said outside court. "Many of you saw how this went down. This was an unusual situation. Our primary concern here is the children."

Inside the courtroom, Spears' bolting appeared to take even her attorney, Anne Kiley, by surprise. Asked by Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon if her client was going to be present for the hearing, Kiley responded, "I don't know."

"I don't want to delay the hearing," she added.

The hearing had originally been slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. Spears managed to appear at the courthouse free of her usual fanfare by entering via a basement parking garage. (A source said earlier she would be chauffeured to the downtown complex accompanied by manager pal Sam Lutfi.)

"When you're trying to convince a judge that previous orders are not necessary, the court has to have the opportunity to observe, to hear from and to assess the demeanor of the person," Federline attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan said outside court.

"I'm here personally ready to go whether the other party appears or not."

Federline, 29, was also present for the hearing, having arrived on time with Kaplan. Spears' former mister was sworn in just prior to the media being cleared from the courtroom, though Parachini was hesitant to confirm that the "America's Most Hated" rapper testified during the quickie hearing.

"It depends on what you call testimony," he said of Federline's participation in the courtroom. "A couple of questions were posed to Mr. Federline, sitting at a counsel table, and he responded very briefly—as in one or two words—to the questions he was asked."

As a Spears source told E! News Tuesday, the "Gimme More" singer initially planned to ask Gordon to restore her visitation rights for sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1. Gordon stripped her of monitored visits on Jan. 4, the morning after her forced hospitalization and hours-long custody standoff with police, in which she refused to hand over her children to Federline's bodyguard.

Spears, 26, has not seen or been in contact with her children since the incident. She was expected to spend supervised quality time with her kids in a "therapeutic setting," i.e., under the watchful eyes of medical professionals.

Kaplan said after court on Wednesday that he is not yet comfortable with that proposal.
The hearing comes in the wake of Spears' appearance at Kaplan's office for a deposition Monday. After skipping several appointments outright, she finally submitted to about 40 minutes of questioning and is scheduled to return for more in the coming days.

Kaplan has said that while he only managed to ask her a fraction of his questions, the session went better than on Jan. 3—the day of her standoff—which lasted just 14 minutes.
Her newfound compliance, however, was apparently short-lived.

Barring any more emergency hearings, attorneys for both Federline and Spears are due back in court Feb. 4, the previously announced date for the next scheduled hearing in their custody battle.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=10abf12d-681d-40d1-93bf-9a3f009745f3&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

27 Dresses

2008-01-24T07:20:00.001+05:30

Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer, Edward Burns

Directed by: Anne Fletcher

It's not easy to be a beauty and a funny girl -- a va-va-voom body tends to distract from the jokes. But Katherine Heigl has the knack -- look at Knocked Up.

Just don't look here.

Heigl fights an uphill battle in 27 Dresses, a chick-flick compendium of wedding cliches that will have every guy bolting for the exits.

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna also wrote The Devil Wears Prada, but she's dipped her sharp wit in sentimental syrup.

It helps to have Judy Greer around as Heigl's acid-tongued BFF.

But McKenna and director Anne Fletcher (Step Up) make a fatal error. They want us to believe that the gorgeous Heigl is a plain Jane who saves her bridesmaid dresses -- all twenty-seven of them -- while stoking her unrequited love for her macho boss (Ed Burns). Not buying it.

Even James Marsden, so good in Enchanted and Hairspray, can't put any zip into the role of a cynical wedding columnist who morphs unpersuasively into our girl's Prince Charming. 27 Dresses is so flimsy it gives froth a bad name.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/15481326/review/18048506/27_dresses

Cassandra's Dream

2008-01-24T07:17:00.000+05:30

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Tom Wilkinson, Sally Hawkins, Hayley Atwell

Directed by: Woody Allen

Even in middling form, Woody Allen still knows how to get a few licks in. Set in London, which energized his Match Point in 2005, Cassandra's Dream finds the Woodman mucking about in the moral quicksand of one of his best films, 1989's Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Two Cockney brothers, Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell), are contemplating murder. Ian wants to dump the restaurant he runs with dear old dad and take off for Hollywood with wanna-be actress Angela (Hayley Atwell, a pale shadow in the role Scarlett Johansson played to an erotic turn in Match Point).

Terry bought a boat, Cassandra's Dream, with his winnings from a dog race, but now he's back in debt, and loan sharks are advancing on his ass looking for payback he can't squeeze out of his earnings as a mechanic. Enter rich old Uncle Howard (the reliably flawless Tom Wilkinson) with a deal: If the boys will off his business enemy, Martin Burns (Phil Davis), they'll have enough money to follow their dreams.

McGregor and especially Farrell bring genuine emotional commitment to their roles, especially on a long walk where they convince themselves that the unthinkable is doable. But Allen, who stays behind the camera, brings too little wit and too much contrivance to material that quickly dissolves into warmed-over Dostoevski.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/14721473/review/18048463/cassandras_dream

Bernard and Doris- Rolling Stone Review

2008-01-24T07:14:00.000+05:30

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Ralph Fiennes
Directed by: Bob Balaban
This stunner of a movie is so far under the radar you'll have to go to HBO to find it. Get crackin'. It's the hip antidote to multiplex junk such as Mad Money and Meet the Spartans. Susan Sarandon is at her scrappy, sexy best as tobacco heiress Doris Duke – think Paris Hilton with brains and genuine hotness. And this is Ralph Fiennes like you've never seen him, as Bernard Lafferty, a secretly alcoholic, furtively gay Irishman who stumbles into a job as her butler.

The time is 1987. Six years later, Doris is dead and Bernard, out of rehab, controls her billion-dollar estate. Was it murder? So went the rumor, but the charges didn't stick. The deft script by Hugh Costello cheerfully admits, "Some of the following is based on fact and some of it is not."

In reality, Bernard resembled Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Doris looked like, um, hell. But you won't care. Get Emmys ready for Sarandon and Fiennes, who transcend everything tabloid in the material. They create an intimate love story that manages to be hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time.

How fitting that they duet so movingly on an S&M ballad from Peggy Lee (Bernard's former employer) called "I Love the Way You're Breaking My Heart."

All praise to director Bob Balaban, who doesn't miss a beat or a nuance in bringing us in, close as a whisper, to what might have been.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/18068033/review/18068043/bernard_and_doris

Lil Wayne's Borderline Drug Bust

2008-01-24T07:11:00.000+05:30

At least Lil Wayne posted bail in time to make the 3:10 out of Yuma.

The rap star was arrested Tuesday night after Border Patrol officers allegedly found marijuana, cocaine and Ecstasy in his tour bus while it was stopped at a checkpoint in southwestern Arizona.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was stopped at about 11:30 p.m. and booked into Yuma County Jail at 6 a.m. Wednesday on suspicion of possession of dangerous drugs, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, according to Yuma County Sheriff's spokesman Capt. Eben Bratcher.

The self-proclaimed "Best Rapper Alive" was released a little before 2 p.m. Wednesday on a $10,185 bond after being arraigned via video at Wellton Justice Court, about 35 miles east of Yuma, E! Online has confirmed. Wayne will find out whether he's going to face criminal charges at a hearing set for Friday in Wellton.

‘‘He is looking forward to his day in court. That’s all I can say right now,’’ Wayne's Yuma-based attorney, James Tilson, told the Yuma Sun. Two members of Wayne's 11-person entourage were also busted for alleged marijuana possession. Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Ramona Sanchez said nearly four ounces of pot, nearly an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy, miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, $22,000 in cash and three guns were recovered from the suspects' bus. After the bus was pulled over for a routine check on Interstate 8, a drug dog alerted officers to the presence of possible substances.

While two of the firearms were legally registered to two of Wayne's friends, officers also turned up a .40-caliber pistol registered to Wayne in Florida, where he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Authorities are investigating whether the hip-hopper violated Arizona weapons laws, Sanchez said.

Also still plaguing Wayne is a pending drug case in Atlanta, gun and pot charges in New York and a lawsuit brought by a Miami jewelry company that claims he has yet to pay for $146,000 worth of bling he purchased in October.

The New Orleans native has pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing a controlled substance stemming from his August 2006 arrest in Atlanta after police allegedly found marijuana and more than 100 Xanax and hydrocodone, or cough suppressant, pills in his hotel room after being tipped off by a hotel employee.

In the meantime, the mix-tape master, who lately has made a career of guest-rapping on other artists' albums, is putting the finishing touches on Tha Carter III, which now has a Mar. 18 release date. Wayne was named MVP of the Year at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards in October and shared the Alltel People's Choice Award with Birdman for their collaboration on the single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy."

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=a00be515-7fac-49a6-8fb1-b795a0dd509e&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Writers Drop Demand and a Picket Plan

2008-01-24T07:10:00.000+05:30

In a major step toward ending a 12-week walkout, Hollywood’s striking writers on Tuesday dropped their demand for extended jurisdiction over reality and animation work and agreed to extend informal talks with Hollywood production companies, even as they decided not to picket next month’s Grammy Awards telecast.

The decision to drop the jurisdiction demand removed a major impediment to reaching a deal similar to last week’s settlement between the production companies and the Directors Guild of America. In a letter to members, leaders of the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East said they would continue efforts to organize reality and animation writers, but would do so apart from the contract negotiation.

In a vote disclosed Tuesday, the West Coast guild also elected not to picket the Grammy ceremony, scheduled for broadcast by CBS on Feb. 10, though it is unclear whether writers will be allowed to work for the show.

The decision set off a collective sigh of relief from the beleaguered music industry, which had feared that picket lines would deter artists from performing on or attending this year’s Grammies, a crucial promotional platform for record labels and artists, and for CBS.
The writers’ vote follows a fierce — and public — campaign by Neil Portnow, the chief executive of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which organizes the awards, to allow the show to proceed unimpeded.

“This really creates a comfortable environment for everybody to come,” Mr. Portnow said. Though the writers guild had not reached a separate interim agreement that would allow its writers to work on the Grammy telecast, Mr. Portnow said, “we’ve got time” until the Feb. 10 program and added that, “with all due respect to the writers, we’re really about the music.”
Formal negotiations between writers and producers broke off more than six weeks ago. Since last week, ferocious debate has swirled within the writers’ guilds as to whether they should pursue an immediate agreement patterned on the directors’ deal.

Writers as prominent as John Wells, a former president of the Writers Guild of America West, have argued in favor of the directors’ agreement, which addresses issues similar to those facing writers, especially regarding compensation for digital media. But leaders of the writers’ guilds and of the allied Screen Actors Guild have cautioned against knee-jerk acceptance of the directors’ terms, which, among other things, pegged the residual for electronic downloads of films and television shows at roughly double the rate paid when programming is distributed on DVD.
Patric M. Verrone, current president of the West Coast guild, had been a staunch advocate of the demand for reality and animation jurisdiction. But production companies argued that they were powerless to grant it, in part because many writers in that area are already covered by other unions.

At Paramount Pictures’ lot on Melrose Avenue, an all-day writers’ march on Tuesday sought to associate the guild’s fight with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s union struggles. As of 10 a.m., about 200 writers and supporters were walking a 35-minute circuit around the studio’s perimeter. Pickets had been asked by their leaders to bring drums, guitars, tambourines and American flags to the march, to give it what the guild’s Web site called a “festive” air. At midmorning, however, most marchers carried only their standard placards.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/business/media/23strike.html?ex=1358830800&en=5b2c79be4074ef0b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

‘No Country’ and ‘Blood’ Lead Oscar Nominations

2008-01-24T07:04:00.000+05:30

Roll out the black carpet. A lineup of films bleak in tone and worldview will take center stage at the 80th annual Academy Awards next month, with critical darlings like “There Will Be Blood,” “No Country for Old Men” and “Michael Clayton” dominating the nominations, including the best picture category.

Unlike last year’s competition, when flashy hits like “The Departed” and “Dreamgirls” received multiple nominations, the 2008 Oscar race swings back toward less mainstream films. The nominations, which come despite uncertainty about the ceremony’s fate because of the lingering writers’ strike, were marked by dark themes and unconventional endings.

“It’s tapping into a generalized fear that people have about the state of the world they are living in,” said Scott Rudin, the veteran producer who has credits on both “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.” He added, “There is just that zeitgeisty thing that happens sometimes. It is more alchemy than planning.”

“No Country for Old Men,” about the ruthless aftermath of a botched drug deal, and “There Will Be Blood,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a scheming oilman in an epic about American capitalism, each nabbed eight nominations. Besides best picture, both movie’s directors — Joel and Ethan Coen for “No Country for Old Men” and Paul Thomas Anderson for “There Will Be Blood” — received nominations.

Warner Brothers pulled off a coup with seven nominations for “Michael Clayton,” which stars George Clooney as a corporate fixer mired in dirty dealings. The movie captured nominations in almost every major category, including best picture, best director (Tony Gilroy), best actor (Mr. Clooney), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson), best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton) and best original screenplay (Mr. Gilroy).

But apparently even Oscar has his limits when it comes to dark and depressing. “Into the Wild,” a lengthy look at a man’s journey to the Alaska wilderness and ultimate death by starvation, was largely shut out, despite aggressive campaigning. The film, directed and written by Sean Penn, received a lone nod in the major categories, for Hal Holbrook as best supporting actor. (The Oscar nomination was Mr. Holbrook’s first.)

A little sunshine did manage to break through. “Juno,” the runaway independent hit ($87.1 million and counting) about a sardonic teenager who gives her baby up for adoption, secured four nominations, including best picture, best director, best actress and best original screenplay.
“The producers are just crying,” said Jason Reitman, the film’s director, from the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be sitting here and have my named called.”

Reached in London, Ellen Page, the 20-year-old star, said of her nomination: “It’s crazy! It’s absolutely crazy!”

“I act because I love to act,” she added, “and when something like this happens, it just obviously helps me immensely.”

“Atonement,” a British romance about lives that are altered (mostly for the worse) by a lying teenager, received seven nominations, including best picture. It was shut out of most of the other major categories, however.

The bulk of the nominations were not a surprise. Mr. Day-Lewis, whose gritty portrayal of an oil man in “There Will Be Blood” has already won him a wheelbarrow full of accolades, continued his march to the ultimate awards podium with a best actor nomination.

He will square off against Mr. Clooney; Johnny Depp, nominated for his murderous barber in “Sweeney Todd”; Viggo Mortensen, singled out for his murderous Russian-mob chauffeur in “Eastern Promises”; and Tommy Lee Jones, noted for his “In the Valley of Elah” portrayal of a police officer grappling with the aftermath of his son’s return from Iraq.

Julie Christie, of “Away From Her,” and Marion Cotillard, of “La Vie en Rose,” will vie for the academy’s top female acting honor. (They won best actress plaudits at the Golden Globe Awards for those films.) Joining them will be Ms. Page; Cate Blanchett, nominated for her royal reprisal in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”; and Laura Linney, for her role in “The Savages” as a self-involved single woman who must deal with her father’s deteriorating health.

Ms. Blanchett is the first actress to be nominated for playing the same person in two different films, according to the academy. On Tuesday she was also the only acting nominee to pop up in multiple categories, receiving a best supporting actress nod for playing Bob Dylan in the Weinstein Company’s “I’m Not There.”

Commercial success mattered little to voters, a shift from some recent years. For example, “American Gangster,” the Ridley Scott epic starring Denzel Washington as a Harlem heroin kingpin, received attention in only two categories: best supporting actress (for the veteran Ruby Dee) and art direction.

In the historically male-dominated field of screenwriting, four women made the cut this year. “It’s a huge sign of progress,” said Nancy Oliver, nominated for best original screenplay for “Lars and the Real Girl.” Of her nod, Ms. Oliver said: “Two things that I think are fundamental to human experience are loneliness and kindness. Both are absolutely at the heart of the movie.”
With the exception of Ms. Dee and Javier Bardem, singled out for best supporting actor for his creepily cold killer in “No Country for Old Men,” the nomination roster notably lacked diversity. The nominations are the opening pistol shot for the movie industry’s most important contest. As always, the Oscars have the power to catapult a niche film into the mainstream and rewrite Hollywood’s pecking order.

“We will have a solid month where these nominations will make a significant difference in the potential for these films, both domestically and internationally,” said Daniel Battsek, the president of Miramax. The studio, a division of the Walt Disney Company, received 21 nominations across four movies: “No Country for Old Men,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Gone Baby Gone” and “There Will Be Blood” (for which it holds international distribution rights).

But for the first time in decades nobody is certain what the terrain ahead, never mind Oscar’s finish line, will look like.

The screenwriters’ strike, now in its third month, has thrown the road to the Oscars into chaos. The Golden Globes imploded earlier this month after the Writers Guild of America promised to picket the ceremony, frightening away nominees and presenters and forcing the organizers to hold a glorified news conference instead. The guild has promised to give the academy the same treatment.

The academy on Tuesday said its show would go on, although it was not sure in what fashion. Sid Ganis, president of the academy, said several contingency plans were being considered in case the writers’ strike was not settled (or at least nearing settlement) in time for the ceremony, but declined to provide details.

The selections made for a bad day at ABC, which is scheduled to broadcast the ceremony on Feb. 24, with Jon Stewart, the political satirist and star of “The Daily Show,” as host. The network has already been on tenterhooks over how the writers’ strike will play out. Now it faces a nightmare situation of persuading viewers to celebrate a batch of difficult films that most have never seen. (The expected pontificating on the strike from the podium probably won’t help increase audience excitement.)

In general, the telecast’s success in the ratings turns on the popularity of the movies the academy chooses to honor. When the low-budget film “Crash” won the big prize in 2006 — also the first year Mr. Stewart served as host of the ceremony — about 38.9 million viewers watched, one of the smallest turnouts for the so-called Super Bowl for Women since Nielsen Media Research started delivering overnight ratings. In contrast, when the immensely popular “Titanic” swept the awards in 1998, more than 55 million people tuned in.

On the other hand, there may be pent-up viewer interest in Hollywood glamour because of the absence of the Golden Globes. An ABC spokeswoman declined to comment.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/movies/awardsseason/23osca.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=58c8e7f7b80212f7&ex=1358830800&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

The Moment of Truth- Extended Preview

2008-01-23T21:48:00.000+05:30

The greatest new reality show playing on your TV screens. Check it out!

Heath Ledger is found dead in US

2008-01-23T10:43:00.000+05:30

Hollywood actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a residence in Manhattan.

"He was found unconscious at the apartment and pronounced dead," the New York Police Department said, adding that pills were found near the body. Police are reportedly investigating if the Australian actor, who earned an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain, died of a drug overdose.

Father Kim Ledger said that the death of his 28-year-old "dearly loved son" had been "tragic" and "accidental". Speaking in the actor's home town of Perth, in Western Australia, Mr Ledger said that his son had been a "down to earth, generous, kind hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual".

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him." The 28-year-old was found dead in the flat at 1526 (2026 GMT) on Tuesday.

Split

New York police said they did not suspect foul play and that his body had been discovered with prescription pills nearby. "We are investigating the possibility of an overdose," police spokesman Paul Browne told Reuters news agency. "There were pills within the vicinity of the bed."

The BBC's Matthew Price in New York says the exact cause of death was still being investigated, but suicide has not been ruled out. Police, journalists and crowds of fans are outside the Broome Street apartment in the fashionable SoHo area.

Investigators said Ledger had been due to have a massage at the flat. His family said Heath was "generous" and "life-loving". The housekeeper went to tell him the masseuse had arrived and found him dead on Tuesday afternoon.

The medical examiner's office said an autopsy would be carried out on Wednesday.
In September the Perth-born actor split from his girlfriend Michelle Williams, with whom he has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda. Williams played his wife in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain.

Hollywood Mourning

Hollywood's hierarchy were quick to offer their tributes and mourn Ledger's death.

Terrible to see his young daughter lose her father. I've been looking forward to seeing him in the new Batman movie
Mark, Houston

"I had such great hope for him," said Oscar-winning actor-director Mel Gibson. "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss."

In 2001, Mr Gibson had cast Ledger to play his son in the American war of independence epic, The Patriot.

"What a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to his family," said fellow Australian actress Nicole Kidman.

American actor John Travolta, who was in Australia at the time of Ledger's death, said the young actor had been one of his favourite performers.

"His abilities are rare...it's a tremendous loss," said Mr Travolta.

Brokeback Breakthrough

Ledger had split up with fellow Brokeback star Michelle Williams. Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee said Ledger's performance had been a "miracle" of acting, echoing a young Marlon Brando.

He won an Oscar nomination for his role as a gay cowboy in the film but the award went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role as Truman Capote. Ledger starred in I'm Not There, as one of several actors in a role representing singer Bob Dylan.

He also plays the Joker in yet-to-be-released Batman film, The Dark Knight. Ledger also starred in A Knight's Tale and The Patriot, and played a suicidal son in Monster's Ball.

HSM Graduating in Big-Screen Style

2008-01-16T07:24:00.000+05:30

It's official. These High Schoolers are matriculating to the megaplex.

Production on High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the first big-screen installment of the smash-hit Disney franchise, is expected to kick off this spring with the entire cast intact, Walt Disney Studios announced Monday.

So, apparently, the pending money matters have been settled and image issues addressed since the wait-and-see period following the record-breaking premiere of HSM2 in August, during which it was unclear whether Disney would rehire Vanessa Hudgens or shell out big bucks for Zac Efron, whose asking price went way up after he became Hollywood's next big thing.

In September, the Disney Channel refused to comment on Hudgens' future with the franchise after a few underage nude self-portraits the 19-year-old took for a boyfriend hit the Internet.

Her surprisingly scandalous behavior set fan sites ablaze for awhile, but, as is frequently the case, the chatter died down and the actress was back in business a month later.

Efron inked a reported $3 million deal in November to return as Troy Bolton for the theatrical sequel, while Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale were also said to have received pay hikes, although they wouldn't dish on the exact dollar amount.

Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel will also be heading back to East High for their senior year, and director Kenny Ortega will once again helm the song-and-dance action.
"We're thrilled to have all of the talented cast members who helped to make High School Musical such an incredible phenomenon joining us for this big screen motion picture event," Oren Aviv, president of motion picture production for Disney, said in a statement.

The threequel will "take these popular characters in some intriguing and entertaining new directions," Aviv continued. "Clearly, the music, spirit and personalities in these films have touched audiences in a very special way, and this latest musical adventure delivers lots of great new entertainment on an even grander scale."

The films, seen by more than 250 million people around the world, have certainly touched people's wallets. The HSM soundtrack was the top-selling album of 2006, and Josh Groban's Noël was the only album keeping HSM2's tunes from the top spot last year.

The tween-friendly saga has also spawned a book series, a concert tour, videogames, an ice show and a well-received stage musical.

HSM3: Senior Year will find Troy and Gabriella stressing out over their impending separation once graduation sends everybody on their merry ways. Sure enough, East High's senior class will stage one last musical "reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future," according to the studio's plot synopsis.

Natalie Finn

Mon, 14 Jan 2008

05:44:23 PM PST

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=1df4246b-10e6-45c9-bf80-1e7a7508b783&entry=index

America Loves Ellen, Denzel

2008-01-16T07:20:00.000+05:30

Ellen DeGeneres has just boogied by Oprah Winfrey to the top of the popularity chart.

The Harris Poll's annual rundowns of America's favorite TV and film stars is out and, for the first time in six years, Winfrey is not number one in tube nation.

DeGeneres jumped from number eight to number one in the poll, which surveyed 1,171 U.S. adults between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12. (Presumably that didn't include any striking Hollwood writers, who aren't exactly among DeGeneres' biggest boosters at the moment.)

The list was dominated by talk-show personalities and funnymen, with Jay Leno at three, Jon Stewart at five, David Letterman and Stephen Colbert tied at eight and Ray Romano and Homer Simpson tied at nine. Bill O'Reilly, who is funny in his own way, checked in at number eight.
House's Hugh Laurie was the only drama-series star to crack the top 10, holding tight at number four.

Colbert and Simpson were newbies to this year's list, coming at the expense of Kiefer Sutherland and Conan O’Brien.

Over on the movie poll, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks finished first and second for the second consecutive year.

Powered by his Pirates of the Caribbean finale and Sweeney Todd singing debut, Johnny Depp shot up to number three, from number seven in 2007.

Hanks' Charlie Wilson's War partner Julia Roberts was the highest charting woman at number four, one slot ahead of Will Smith, who just added to his box-office legend with the record-breaking success of I Am Legend.

John Wayne, dead since 1979, continued his posthumous popularity, ranking number six among movie stars. He has registered in the top 10 every year since the poll began in 1994. He beat out alive-and-kicking stars Matt Damon (tied for seventh with the retired Sean Connery), Sandra Bullock (ninth) and Bruce Willis (tenth).

Dropping off the list this time around: Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, George Clooney and Harrison Ford.

The movie poll was conducted between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12 and based on a sample of 1,114 U.S. adults.

Here's a recap of Harris' 2008 favorite TV and movie stars polls:

America's Favorite TV Personality
1. Ellen DeGeneres

2. Oprah Winfrey

3. Jay Leno

4. Hugh Laurie

5. Jon Stewart

6. (tie) David Letterman

6. (tie) Stephen Colbert

8. Bill O'Reilly

9. (tie) Ray Romano

9. (tie) Homer Simpson

America's Favorite Movie Star
1. Denzel Washington

2. Tom Hanks

3. Johnny Depp

4. Julia Roberts

5. Will Smith

6. John Wayne

7. (tie) Matt Damon

7. (tie) Sean Connery

9. Sandra Bullock

10. Bruce Willis

Marcus Errico

Tue, 15 Jan 2008

02:58:28 PM PST

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=faa106b1-fe7f-4c1a-a004-99c275180338&entry=index

Zac Efron Busts a Surgical Move

2008-01-16T07:14:00.000+05:30

Zac Efron's style has been cramped.

The High School Musical star underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, E! News has confirmed.

"He had his appendix removed and is recuperating," Efron's rep said.

On Monday, Walt Disney Studios confirmed that the 20-year-old heartthrob and costars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Monqiue Coleman and Corbin Bleu will be returning for the theatrical sequel HSM3: Senior Year. Production is set to kick off this spring with director Kenny Ortega once again behind the camera.

"I am the luckiest guy in the world, and I know it," said Ortega, who last week scored a Directors Guild of America award nomination for his work on HSM2. "This will be our last time together, and I love working with these kids so much. It's going to be great."

Efron, who already knows his way around the big screen thanks to his breakout role in Hairspray, put his mainstream success into perspective in Details magazine's January-February issue.

"It's weird, I don't feel like I deserve any of the attention," the actor said. "There's really nothing but one audition for a Disney Channel movie that separates me from 2,000 other brown-haired, blue-eyed guys in L.A., you know?"

Natalie FinnTue,

15 Jan 2008

03:10:27 PM PST

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=32f6d428-a44c-4357-85c2-3e1d608bba7c

Former Child Star Renfro Dead

2008-01-16T07:07:00.000+05:30

Brad Renfro, the former one-to-watch whose acting work in recent years was overshadowed by reports of drug abuse and legal troubles, was found dead Tuesday morning at his Los Angeles home. He was 25.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office confirmed he passed away but had no other details at this time.

Renfro, who made his big-screen debut opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon in the adaptation of the John Grisham bestseller The Client when he was 12, worked steadily over the years but never quite recaptured the buzz that surrounded him as a child star.

There's no word yet on cause of death, but Renfro was known to have struggled with substance abuse in the past.

His most recent public behavior, however, suggested that the Knoxville, Tennessee, native was working hard to get his life back on track.

About a month after agreeing to enter a drug-diversion program in March 2006 in order to avoid jail time on an attempted heroin-possession rap, he told reporters that he had 30 days of hard-won sobriety and was "tired of paying the consequences" for his destructive behavior.
He had previously served 10 days in jail on an unrelated DUI charge.

"It wasn't as bad as I had feared it would be," Renfro said, referring to the court-ordered detox program. "It's helped me greatly. It's definitely been an eye-opener...I'm going to stay clean, and, in turn, it will help me spiritually and with work. It's going to help me in all phases of my life."

The actor had recently wrapped shooting on the feature adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' 1995 novel The Informers, costarring Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke and Brandon Routh.

Most recently, Renfro was spied as a troubled murder suspect in a 2006 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and he appeared in the 2005 time-travel thriller The Jacket with Adrien Brody.

Even as a tween star, Renfro tended to stick to the dark side when it came to choosing roles.
After a bright-eyed turn as Huckleberry Finn in the Disney film Tom and Huck, he went on to play a child-abuse victim in Sleepers and a boy who learns that his friendly old neighbor played by Ian McKellen is actually a Nazi war criminal in Apt Pupil.

His other film credits include Bully, Ghost World and a number of lesser-known indie projects.

By
Natalie Finn
Tue, 15 Jan 2008
04:09:55 PM PST

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=a957c8d8-3439-417c-8b03-5d0dd9ca4756&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Golden Globes 2008: The winners

2008-01-14T10:34:00.000+05:30

Here is the full list of winners and nominees for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards, which have been held in Hollywood:

Best film (drama)
Atonement

Also nominated:
American Gangster
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best film (musical or comedy)
Sweeny Todd

Also nominated:
Across the Universe
Hairspray
Juno
Charlie Wilson's War

Best director - film
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Also nominated:
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright - Atonement

Best actor (drama)
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Also nominated:
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Best actress (drama)
Julie Christie - Away from Her

Also nominated:
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd

Also nominated:
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

Also nominated:
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd
Ellen Page - Juno

Best supporting actor
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Also nominated:
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best supporting actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

Also nominated:
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best foreign language film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France and US)

Also nominated:
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Kite Runner (US)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Best animated feature film
Ratatouille

Also nominated:
Bee Movie
The Simpsons Movie

Best screenplay
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men

Also nominated:
Diablo Cody - Juno
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

Best original song
Guaranteed - Into the Wild

Also nominated:
Despedida - Love in the Time of Cholera
Grace is Gone - Grace is Gone
That's How You Know - Enchanted
Walk Hard - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best original score
Dario Marianelli - Atonement

Also nominated:
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
Clint Eastwood - Grace is Gone
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
Howard Shore - Eastern Promises

Cecil B DeMille Award - lifetime achievement
Steven Spielberg

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best series (drama)
Mad Men

Also nominated:
Big Love
Damages
Grey's Anatomy
HouseThe Tudors

Best series (musical or comedy)
Extras

Also nominated:
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
Pushing Daisies

Best mini-series or film made for TV
Longford

Also nominated:
Bury My Heart
At Wounded Knee
The Company
Five Days
The State Within

Best actor (drama)
Jon Hamm - Mad Men

Also nominated:
Michael C Hall - Dexter
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
Bill Paxton - Big Love

Best actor (musical or comedy)
David Duchovny - Californication

Also nominated:
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carrell - The Office
Ricky Gervais - Extras
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies

Best actor (mini-series or film made for TV)
Jim Broadbent - Longford

Also nominated:
Adam Beach - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Ernest Borgnine - A Grandpa for Christmas
Jason Isaacs - The State Within
James Nesbitt - Jekyll

Best actress (drama)
Glenn Close - Damages

Also nominated:
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Minnie Driver - The Riches
Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Edie Falco - The Sopranos

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Tina Fey - 30 Rock

Also nominated:
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds

Best actress (mini-series or film made for TV)
Queen Latifah - Life Support

Also nominated:
Bryce Dallas Howard - As You Like It
Debra Messing - The Starter Wife
Sissy Spacek - Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson - Jane Eyre

Best supporting actor (mini-series or film made for TV)
Jeremy Piven - Entourage

Also nominated:
Ted Danson - Damages
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Andy Serkis - Longford
William Shatner - Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland - Dirty Sexy Money

Best supporting actress (mini-series or film made for TV)
Samantah Morton - Longford

Also nominated:
Rose Byrne - Damages
Rachel Griffiths - Brothers and Sisters
Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy
Anna Paquin - Bury My Heart On Wounded Knee
Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl

Driving Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Freeman

2008-01-14T06:39:00.000+05:30

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman can still bring it.

The septuagenarians' The Bucket List edged Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan's First Sunday for top spot at the weekend box office, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations.

The Nicholson-Freeman vehicle grossed $19.5 million, a decimal point better than the $19 million taken in by the Cube-Morgan team-up.
The Bucket List, a not especially critically acclaimed comedy-drama about two terminally ill men on a mission make the most of their end days, enjoyed two strong weekends in limited release before breaking wide, and breaking big, this weekend. It is director Rob Reiner's biggest hit, and his first un-bomb, since President Clinton's first administration and The American President.

Even more impressive: A quick check of the stats at Box Office Mojo reveals that The Bucket List is the first movie with stars of a certain age—both Nicholson and Freeman are 70—to top the weekend box office since Driving Miss Daisy, starring 80-year-old Jessica Tandy (and costarring Freeman, then a youngster of 52), schooled Tango & Cash and more back in January 1990.

First Sunday offers no such inspiration to AARP members. The caper comedy merely goes down as just another solid Ice Cube performer. It opened slightly smaller than the Barbershop movies; it opened bigger than the Are We There Yet? and Friday movies.

Elsewhere, Juno (third place, $14 million; $71.2 million overall) continued to make like Little Miss Sunshine, making the most of its little budget.

Nicolas Cage's National Treasure: Book of Secrets fell to fourth from first, but banked another $11.5 million ($187.3 million overall).

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything didn't do anything, opening in ninth, scrounging up $4.4 million, and reminding that pirates, outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, are box-office pariahs. The first VeggieTales feature-length cartoon, 2002's Jonah, an oceanic tale that wasn't pirate-focused, debuted with $6.2 million.

Atonement (10th place, $4.3 million; $25.2 million) went into Sunday with the most Golden Globe nominations, but Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, also a top Globes contender, came out of Sunday with the best, on average, weekend of any movie, grossing $1.9 million at 78 theaters. Through its first three weekends, the oil epic has tapped into $4.4 million overall.

Charlie Wilson's War ($4.27 million; $59.5 million overall) dropped out of the top 10 after a so-so run, while Sweeney Todd ($3.4 million; $44.1 million) dropped out after a so-blah run.
Drilling down further: No Country for Old Men ($1.3 million, per Box Office Mojo) neared $47 million overall, becoming the Coen bBrothers' top-grossing movie ever; and Tom Cruise's Lions for Lambs, struggling to hit the $15 million mark, got all of $700 closer.

Debuting at one theater, The Business of Being Born, the Rikki Lake-birthed documentary about medicine and maternity wards, grossed a strong $10,212.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. The Bucket List, $19.5 million
2. First Sunday, $19 million
3. Juno, $14 million
4. National Treasure: Book of Secrets, $11.5 million
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks, $9.1 million
6. I Am Legend, $8.1 million
7. One Missed Call, $6.1 million
8. P.S. I Love You, $5 million
9. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie, $4.4 million
10. Atonement, $4.3 million

By
Joal Ryan
Sun, 13 Jan 2008
01:29:18 PM PST

Source:
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=298e1145-eaab-4d71-a874-81fdddbe1a6e&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Q&A: Ringo Starr

2008-01-14T06:31:00.000+05:30

Ringo Starr's new single, "Liverpool 8," is a sort of musical autobiography — albeit heavily abridged — in which Starr sings about his teen years in the local merchant navy, joining Rory Storm's skiffle band in 1959, the Beatles' stint in Hamburg and selling out Shea Stadium at the height of Beatlemania. It's a charming start to Starr's fifteenth solo album, also called Liverpool 8, on which he collaborated with his old mate Dave Stewart. "Liverpool 8 is like the 90210 for me," he explains. "It's the zip code of the neighborhood that I was born into." In addition to "Harry's Song," a tribute to Starr's fallen friend Harry Nilsson, and dark blues like "Think About You" and "Now That She's Gone," Starr's messages of peace and love abound on the album. (Four songs feature "Love" in the title.) "You put four guys in a room, and they're always going to write a sad love song," says Starr, 67, checking in from his pad in Monte Carlo. "But it's always been peace and love — my live shows are a peace-and-love fest. That's my main promotion, really."

By:
AUSTIN SCAGGS
Posted Jan 10, 2008 1:58 PM

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17980211/qa_ringo_starr

''The Amazing Race'': Osaka Punch

2008-01-09T06:51:00.000+05:30

All right, all right, CBS: We admit it, we were wrong about there being no non-elimination rounds this season of The Amazing Race. You don't have to rub it in our faces by doing two in three weeks. And why do you always cram them in at the end of the season? Do you figure we're too invested at that point to get fed up and tune out? Thank goodness you don't stall like this on every show. Around April, I'd hate for every third episode of CSI to be about the investigators checking their e-mail and boiling their tweezers.

This was an episode of hinky edits, even by Amazing Race standards. It started off with Rachel talking about how TK has rebuilt her self-confidence; she concluded by saying, ''With TK, I don't have ears.'' She doesn't have ears? I replayed it again, thinking I misheard, but, yes, she said ''ears.'' I can't imagine what she could possibly have meant. Was it hippie-speak? I flipped through my back issues of Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic books but couldn't find a reference. Perhaps she was quoting a Donovan lyric. Is ''hurdy-gurdy'' slang for ''without ears''?
I assumed it was just the result of a sloppy Frankenbite (that's when reality producers stitch together a quote out of many unrelated sentences). Maybe they were trying to have her say, ''With TK, I don't have any fears,'' which doesn't make that much sense either, but hey, it was a non-elimination round — the producers are already on a vacation from caring! But I just shrugged and went on watching the show, not realizing that this was an early symptom of a weird-edit epidemic that would take over the episode.

The teams were headed to Osaka, Japan, from Mumbai. After double- and triple-checking with a ticket agent, TK and Rachel landed a 6:55 p.m. flight with two stops, while everyone else was on an 8:30 flight with one stop. From the moment that the flights took off, TK and Rachel vanished. Though we didn't see them again until much later, there was repetitive talk of them: First we saw the other teams endlessly ask themselves, ''Where are they? Are they ahead of us? Are they behind us? We have no idea!'' (And when TK-Rachel finally reappeared halfway through the show, we got the same thing from their perspective: ''Where are the other teams? Are they ahead of us? Are they behind us? We have no idea!'')

But I was frustrated that the producers never showed us what went wrong. Were their flights held up somewhere? Or did they mess up, concentrating on the earliest departure but not comparing arrival times? But if that was their error, the producers would have done what they normally do: show some sort of close-up shot comparing their arrival times and the other teams', accompanied by a foreboding ''zing'' sound effect. It was all a bit odd and, in light of everything else, a bit suspicious.

Meanwhile, Donald and Nicolas set their tone for the episode by constantly talking about how Donald was old and getting tired. And yet, weary though he may have been, he was still quick with a zinger, joking that backpack-carrying Nicolas was ''like a bitch for me, it's perfect!'' He may have been shuffling along at slow speeds like Tim Conway's old-man character, but his personality still had the zing of a young Dorf. And I'm talking golf Dorf, not fishing Dorf.

When everyone landed in Osaka, we had another odd edit. As Ronald wondered aloud where TK and Rachel were (it was his turn), we suddenly saw an odd shot of a plane high in the air. But it was clearly a shot taken from another show. Or a movie, rather; it looked like it was on film, as opposed to the Race's videotape. It looked to me like TK and Rachel were actually running late because they were now in the film Air Force One. I suppose we should be happy that Bertram van Munster didn't just toss a shot of a TIE fighter in there.

Then it was time for the roadblock, which involved playing cabbie: One teammate had to drive a couple to a destination five miles away without corralling someone to lead them. We had already heard Christina make the foreshadowing statement that she was happy she didn't have to drive here, so it was inevitable (and fun) that she'd end up behind the wheel. I enjoyed Christina, Nicolas, and Jen's frustrations driving (and I found myself reflexively quoting, ''Big Ben! Parliament!'' from European Vacation as they all desperately tried to cross traffic), but I mostly found myself thinking about the Japanese couples hired to sit in the back seats. Were they actors? If so, what were they told about their roles? ''Here's your motivation: You've been married for 27 years, and there's a sadness that hangs over you both. The wife suspects the husband of infidelity, while the husband's only 'cheat' is with the memory of his university sweetheart, whom he has not seen in years but is increasingly obsessed with. Or is it just that he is in love with the memory of his lost youth? Oh, and one more thing: a pinhead from a reality show is giving you a ride and barely knows how to drive. Action!''

Jen made quite an entrance into her cab. Why would someone who speaks of little else but ending a leg in first place begin a challenge by taking time out to admire herself in her cute little cabbie hat? Perhaps after being tortured by dogs, camels, and donkeys on the race, she was gleefully thinking, ''There's no way the animals of the world will recognize me in this disguise!'' I also enjoyed the cut to the put-off couple in the back of her car. Their expressions clearly said, ''You have brought great dishonor to reality TV.''

She and Christina finished the roadblock around the same time, while Nicolas, after attempting to take a shortcut, lost ground. And how did the producers aurally accentuate his defeat? By playing an incredibly predictable knockoff version of ''Turning Japanese,'' which I believe they've used before when previous seasons have visited Japan. It made me wonder what foreign reality shows use as a go-to musical cue when they visit America. To be as patronizing as ''Turning Japanese,'' it would have to be a tune called something like ''Americans Are Adorable When They Poop.''

There was a delightful moment after Jen finished: In the cab on the way to the detour, she was explaining her roadblock travails to Nate, who finally said, ''I'm sorry, it's hard for me to pay attention when he's driving....You know what I'm saying?'' To which Jen just glared and said, ''No, I don't.'' By the way, for those of you keeping track at home, you should add ''cab drivers'' to the big list of ''what distracts Nate.'' If you're ranking the list, I think for Nate cabbies should land somewhere below ''the smell of doughnuts'' and above ''thinking about my best miniature-golf score.''

It was ironic that Nate was distracted by his cab driver, considering that it was Christina and Ronald's driver who was the distracting one. He was wheezing like he was mid-coronary. There was a secondary race going on here: Which would explode first, the cabbie's heart or Ronald's hernia?

The detour was ''Sense of Touch, or Sense of Smell.'' ''Touch'' involved making a small robot kick two soccer goals with a cell-phone controller, while for ''Smell,'' teams had to find the one real flower in a store full of thousands of fake, odorless ones. (''Teams without a delicate sense of touch might wind up kicking themselves instead of goals,'' said Phil. Tortured wordplay like this is the best evidence yet of why the writers' strike needs to end.)

Nicolas-Donald were the only guys to go with the robots. Because who's better with cutting-edge technology than a 69-year-old man? Yet they finally got it done, mostly because the other players kept making their Battlebots take dives. Really, with the defense they were playing, they might as well just have thrown a bunch of broken Tamagotchis onto the table and then wandered away.

Meanwhile, the other two teams went to the flowers. Nate and Jen predictably devolved into bickering, though they did finish first. As they dashed into their cab, Jen accused him of pushing her. He denied it, and the producers actually went to the videotape: I found the replay inconclusive, as it wasn't clear whether he was just nudging her along or shoving her. But here's what I did find conclusive: These two need to break up — now! I mean, holy frickin' shnykees, this union is unholy. If they're not stopped now, I fear he will propose, and she will fly into a rage, snapping at him for trying to break her finger by putting that ring thing on it.

After Jen had found the flower, there was a clip from a post-leg interview in which she sunnily talked about how sniffing all those flowers was like being in a Pink Floyd video. Considering how upbeat she and Nate were, I thought for sure that they'd won the leg. After all, if they'd squandered yet another lead, there was no way she would be able to tamp down her rage enough to seem that happy. And yet, surprisingly, it was Christina and Ronald who finished first, earning themselves the weirdest prize ever: ''an electric vehicle that seats four.'' And more oddly, this prize was clearly dubbed in later. Not only did Phil's voice sound different, but we never even saw his mouth move. In the one shot of him talking about this vague ''electric vehicle,'' his head was entirely blocked by Ronald's. I found this completely mysterious, especially because he not only refused to specify a brand of car, but he didn't even specify what kind of vehicle it was. Don't ask questions: It's a vehicle, and it has a plug. Now get off my mat. I think Ronald and Christina are getting a toaster with four wheels nailed on.

And then things got even weirder. Nate and Jen jogged into the pit stop, looking irritated, during the daytime. We cut to Phil watching them approach, in daytime. But then he started to talk, and as he did, we cut back to Nate and Jen, and behind them it was dusk. Then back to Phil, and it was dusk there, too. I replayed it to make sure I wasn't crazy, but sure enough, in the first shot of Nate-Jen, there was an unlit Ferris wheel behind them; in the second shot, the lights were on.

Even weirder, in the daytime shot of Nate and Jen, they looked peeved, but in the dusk shot, they actually looked far calmer. What was going on here? Were they called back later for reshoots? And if so, why? In the second shot, where they didn't look unhappy at all, Phil asked them, ''You guys are bummed right now, right?'' It was like he was reminding them to be their usual pissed selves. Had something happened in between to cheer them up? Were they given an electric vehicle, too? It felt as if the show were edited by the guy who did the Watergate tapes.
As I tried to wrap my mind around this, the emotional coda of TK and Rachel's truncated and tardy leg began. They were more than three hours behind, and we saw them leisurely breeze through all the challenges (poor cleaning man and cab couple, forced to wait hours for them to show up), all the while talking about how much they cared for each other. It had all the hallmarks of a let's bid adieu to this loving couple montage, and yet after all that, it ended up being non-elimination. Why were we given this farewell tour with them if they were sticking around? This episode raised far more questions than it answered, and damn it, I want answers. Electric answers.

''Desperate Housewives'': A Bury Special Episode

2008-01-09T06:40:00.000+05:30

In the likely season finale, Lynette learns that Ida saved her family in the tornado; plus, Gaby gets bad news at Victor's funeral

We opened this episode of Desperate Housewives with a montage of post-tornado Wisteria Lane. Judging from the destruction, the creators might want to consider a crossover episode with Extreme Home Makeover. While Mary Alice read a passage about small acts of kindness from Chicken Soup for a Desperate Housewife's Soul, I tried to imagine what was going through the minds of the characters and the actresses as they surveyed the devastation.

Bree: I doubt this cup of water will fix Lynette's torn vocal cords.

Marcia: I'm delivering her water, next I'll be handing her an Emmy.

Susan: Finally, a disaster that's not my fault.

Terri: I won't let go of Felicity until my character gets a better story line.

Lynette: I'll never forgive Tom if he dies and leaves me with his illegitimate child and that frickin' pizzeria.

Felicity: First, I'll thank my husband, then Marc Cherry, then my co-stars....

Edie: I wonder where I could get one of those sandwiches they're passing around.

Nicollette: I wonder when I'll be included in the opening credits.

Mrs. McCluskey: If Ida lives and I don't find that cat, I'm as good as dead anyway.

Kathryn Joosten: I totally thought I'd be killed off.

After weeks of wondering if Marc Cherry was gutsy enough to murder the entire Scavo clan, we got our answer. Behind wooden board number 1 was Penny. Behind jagged piece of wreckage number 2, we get Parker. Next it's Humpty, followed by Dumpty, and then Daddy's Dirty Little Secret. (When did she start to call Lynette ''Mom''?) And finally, Tom Scavo emerged, with the not so compelling news that Ida had not survived. I thought the cut to the abbreviated opening credits was a little insensitive. You know, when an apple falls from above and crushes somebody? I felt bad for laughing, until I met Ida's family.

Now, I know this TV Watch isn't exactly the forum to compose my will, but family, should I die, I call my ashes get shotgun. Don't put me in the cup holder. Also, don't bother trying to sell my stuff on eBay. (I'm broke, I've already tried pawning it off, and no one wants it.)

While Lynette and Mrs. McC packed the junk that the dearly departed Ida had accumulated (I'll take that ''Where's the Beef'' T-shirt if no one's claiming it), Lynette discovered that Ida was part of the All-American Girls baseball league. Wow. I wonder if she met Geena Davis and Madonna. Turns out, Ida was quite the fielder and even made the only unassisted triple play in league history. What a crackerjack! Still wouldn't call her a ''friend'' to ''everyone,'' though. Yes, I'm looking at you, Mary Alice. Enough with the misleading voice-overs, mmmkay? Parker made an appearance, and while Lynette showered the little miracle with kisses, he told her that Ida died saving the entire family. Lynette got teary. Then Tom Hanks made a cameo (check your DVRs; I'm sure you just missed it) and said, ''There's no crying in baseball!''

There's also no sprinkling of cremated bodies on the baseball diamond, but that didn't stop Lynette and Karen from honoring Ida's last wish. While Ida's family members drove home with an urn of dust bunnies next to their sweating soda cans, Lynette put Operation Ash Drop into effect. Seeing Lynette dart around the field with bits of Ida trailing behind was priceless. I loved Mrs. McCluskey's eulogy, as she tried not to get too emotional reciting Mary Elizabeth Frye's well-known poem. Everything about this scene worked for me. In fact, I hope my burial involves heavy-duty metal cutters, lawbreaking, a heartfelt speech, and a good old-fashioned police chase. RIP, Ida Greenberg. And Toby the cat (MIA, presumably dead). And Scruffles the possum. And uh, Victor. (In that order.)

Victor's dead, and Gaby was devastated. Not about Victor. About not getting any money. Duh. She sat front and center at the funeral, admiring her grieving-widow look in a compact mirror. Yeah, she's born with it, but with Gaby, it's also a lot of Maybelline. Milton came to mourn his son's death, but mostly to let Gaby know she wouldn't be profiting from the politician's very timely death. Milton wasn't going the ''Do not stand at my grave and weep'' route; he planned to storm the pulpit and declare Gaby a ''cheating, lying whore'' in front of the entire congregation. I'm not sure if that would be honoring his son's memory, but it sure would have been memorable. (I fear this is more along the lines of how my funeral will go.) Gaby kinda took that as her cue and left, holding back tears, but she still worked the church aisle like a runway. A true model at heart. Or whatever Gaby has that keeps her blood circulating.

Love is blind. Metaphorically. Unless you're Carlos. Gaby went to visit, and to soften the blow of his blown-away millions, she loaded him up with morphine. ''I'm texting someone, heh-heh?'' She could have just played a Mary Alice voice-over. That puts my dad to sleep in under 15 seconds. When a visit to Al's was unsuccessful (don't you just hate it when the colleagues doing your illegal business just up and die?), Gaby still saw bright things for their future together. ''I know this is bad, but we have each other!'' And that, my friends, is what you'd call blind optimism. While I'm sure this development has loads of comedic potential (Gaby leads Carlos into walls, Carlos leans in and kisses the wrong woman, Gaby puts a leash around Carlos so she doesn't run off and forget about him every time she sees something shiny, and on and on), let's hope Carlos gets his vision back within four or so episodes. Or before it makes my eyes burn.

If Carlos was supposed to be the blind one, then why were Bree and Orson trying to set Andrew up with a man who was old enough to be his father? Actually, Andrew answered that question quite succinctly. Mom's just pimping him out for a new roof! As it turned out, the gay neighbors have a gay contractor friend named Walter, who is heartbroken. Bree needed a contractor and has a gay son who is single. You do the math. Unfortunately, things don't add up when you factor in two girls who need a mommy. Julie and Susan had been skeptical about letting Bree into their home, but when Bree became their very own Mary Poppins, they weren't ready to see her leave anytime soon. She cooks, she folds, she hems skirts! Julie was practically on her knees begging Susan, ''Can we keep her, can we keep her?'' And can you blame her? So Susan did what she does best and ruined Bree's home-repair scheme, Andrew's chances of getting a flat-screen TV, Walter's opportunity to flaunt a new guy in front of his ex, and a potentially delicious dessert amongst forced friends. Gotta wonder what rating Susan would get from Bob and Lee. Poor Walter scored a three. I went to grade school with boys who gave out ratings during lunch period. I didn't score any better than Walter. Let's just leave it at that.

But even though Susan spoiled the dinner party, Bree and I both sympathized with her. She's pregnant, and her husband's in rehab. Oh hey, that's right — Mike wasn't in this episode. I hadn't noticed until right now. I'd take scenes between Susan and Bree over scenes between Susan and Mike any day. And with Orson spouting lines like ''He's here, he's queer, and we're used to it,'' I certainly wasn't missing Mike's drug drama. Here's hoping that Orson and Bree move in with Susan forever and Mike has a nice looong stay in some remote facility.

And here's hoping the Mayfair mystery doesn't continue to drag its feet. Desperate Housewives has a tendency to test its audience's patience, and, believe me, as a fan of Lost, I have infinite amounts of patience. I am patience personified. Provided, of course, I'm given at least a morsel of a clue or hint along the way. Instead, we got duplicate scenes of Adam and Dylan reading the note and trying to muster as much shock as they could without causing their heads to pop off. How 'bout letting me see at least one word of the note and then let me speculate for weeks about what it could possibly mean? And Katherine, no one burns secret documents in the fireplace anymore. Welcome to 2008; go immediately to your nearest Staples and pick up a shredder. And Adam, come back. You're not leaving for good, right? Right? Katherine's just a tad miffed about having to identify your old lover at the morgue; she'll get over it! At least let me know when Desperate Housewives will be back before you go? Adam?

So, TV Watchers, are you dying to see Andrew in that mesh T-shirt? Wondering what tales of horror are scribbled down on that note? Happy to see the Scavo clan reunited, or disappointed that Marc Cherry didn't ''go there'' and kill a few of them off? Offended that they said Walter is a three? Happy we didn't have to suffer through any Mike-in-rehab scenes? And do any of you have ideas about how to pass the time on Sunday nights until the show returns?

Timberlake's Grammy Idol

2008-01-09T06:14:00.000+05:30

For someone who's had less than glowing words for the goings-on at American Idol, Justin Timberlake seems to have no problem participating in a copycat competition.

The four-time nominee has signed on to play a part in "My Grammy Moment," a competition sponsored by the Recording Academy that will allow unsigned talent the chance to compete for the career-launching pleasure of bringing the sexy back with Timberlake at this year's Grammys.

Would-be superstars cannot be currently signed to a recording contract, must be over 18 years of age, and, presumably buried in the fine print, must be able to "carry a tune in a bucket."

Singers must submit through Yahoo! Music a 60-second video of an a cappella version of one of the following ditties by Jan. 3: Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," Faith Hill's "Breathe," Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It," Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love," Aretha Franklin's "Respect," and, for the fellas, "Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father" or Timberlake's own "Cry Me a River."

The entrants will be judged by a blue-ribbon committee comprising singers, songwriters, producers and other industry VIPs.

A dozen will be named Jan. 8, at which point the masses will be able to view the submissions and further vet the wannabe pop stars down to five, then three, finalists.

At which point they're virtually all winners—the final three contestants will all be allowed to rehearse with Timberlake in the week leading up to the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 11.

"I'm happy to participate in this unique approach to discovering unsigned talent, but I'm only a piece of the puzzle," the FutureSex/LoveSounds singer said. "All of you contestants out there should look at this as more than just a chance to duet with me, because it's really an opportunity to begin your career as a superstar. And I'll be there to help coach you along."

Voting via Internet and text messaging will continue through the Grammy ceremony and the winner will be revealed live, when he or she takes the stage with Timberlake. It's unknown which song the newly formed twosome will sing.

Golden Globes cancels traditional show

2008-01-08T06:55:00.000+05:30

Come this weekend, Hollywood won't be busting out its Golden Globes for all the world to ogle.
Instead, after last-ditch talks with the striking writers union fell through, NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association scuttled the glittery Globes ceremony and replaced it with a stripped-down news special.

The HFPA, responsible for bestowing the awards, now simply plans on holding a press conference to announce the 25 winners for the film and TV honors on Sunday at the Beverly Hilton, which will be aired as an hourlong NBC News report.

"We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,” Jorge Camara, HFPA president, said in a statement.

"We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year's Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled."

In an attempt to salvage the star power, NBC had tried to put together bookend specials focusing on nominees, past winners and the night's A-list parties, sources confirmed to E! Online. But the Writers Guild of America balked.

Before the winners were unveiled at 9 p.m., the network had wanted to air a one-hour Dateline special featuring clips and interviews with nominees (the program had initially been set to run Saturday), as well as an hourlong retrospective of the Golden Globes from Dick Clark Productions, the telecast's longtime producer.

The press conference would have been followed by a one-hour Access Hollywood-style show with dispatches from various parties, presumably to catch the winners' reactions.
By retooling the Globes as a bare-bones news broadcast, organizers were hoping to still be able to draw out stars who otherwise were gearing up to boycott the ceremony.

On Friday, the Screen Actors Guild and a contingent of Hollywood's top PR firm issued separate announcements saying none of the 72 nominated actors was willing to cross a picket line out of solidarity to the striking Writers Guild of America. NBC and the HFPA were hoping a technicality would have made at least some nominees reconsider. The network's news division isn't represented by the WGA—the reason why The Today Show stayed on air while The Tonight Show went black.

But the WGA refused to play along, vieweing the maneuver as an attempt to circumvent the ongoing stirke, and NBC backed off, sources say.

There was no immediate comment from either the Writers Guild or the Screen Actors Guild on the new Globes plan.

The WGA had previously said it would not picket the Globes should the HFPA decide to hold the ceremony without broadcasting it on TV or the Internet. But NBC reportedly didn't want to give up the ratings-grabbing ceremony, which usually ranks second only to the Oscars among all award shows, and deal with the resulting hole in its Sunday schedule and consequent loss of ad reveunue.

The Globes ceremony, which NBC pays between $5-6 million a year to televise, has been broadcast since 1980. The show has run on NBC since 1996. The HFPA has reportedly agreed to return this year's payment.

Another option floated over the weekend would have been to postpone the ceremony, à la the 2001 Emmys, until a settlement was reached.

But with no end in sight to the writers' strike, a potential actors' strike on the calendar and the network facing a short-term scheduling hit and revenue hit, NBC and the HFPA went with the scaled-down "press-conference" option, similar to what CBS has opted to do with Tuesday night's People's Choice Awards.

Earlier Monday, NBC Entertainment cochief Ben Silverman told E! News anchor Ryan Seacrest that the network was "obviously trying to find a solution to satisfy fans of these great movies and all the incredible stars who have worked so hard all year and got this incredible opportunity.
"Sadly, it feels like the nerdiest, ugliest, meanest kids in the high school are trying to cancel the prom. But NBC wants to try to keep that prom alive."

Dick Clark Productions, meanwhile, previously attempted to broker an interim agreement with the WGA similar to that inked by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, which allowed his productions back on air.Clark's company issued a statement before the non-telecast decision, saying it was "disappointed that the WGA has refused to bargain with us in good faith."
Never one to hold back, Silverman echoed the company's sentiments, saying, "It feels unfair to me that Dick Clark Productions is not being given the same consideration that other companies like Tom Cruise's United Artists [which completed a separate deal Monday] or David Letterman's Worldwide Pants are being given.

"That's what's really disturbing me, how inconsistent it all is. It seems very much being played in an intentional and not a professional way."

As for the rest of awards season, the WGA has granted waivers for the 14th Annual SAG Awards on Jan. 27 and the 2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards Feb. 23.

But the WGA has also signaled it would not grant a waiver to the Academy Awards, which are scheduled to take place Feb. 24.

2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominees

2008-01-07T07:31:00.000+05:30

The nominees for the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. Yet another awards show in the very top tier (which also contains the Golden Globes and Academy Awards) is the Screen Actors Guilds Awards, where the actors themselves choose the best performances from amongst their peers. It might not be the absolute best actor who is chosen (that is always debatable), but having some friends who are classically trained actors, one thing I do know is that actors very harshly critique other actors. Without further ado, here are the nominations.

The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, the only industry accolades devoted solely to actors honoring actors, will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27th at 8PM EST from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

ACTOR
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will be Blood
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page - Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones - No Country for Old Men
Tom Wilkinsen - Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Catherine Keener - Into the Wild
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

ENSEMBLE CAST
3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Hairspray
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Charles Durning

Golden Globes 2008: The nominations

2008-01-07T07:21:00.000+05:30

The nominations for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards for film and TV productions in full:

Best film - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best film - Musical or Comedy
Across the Universe
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd
Charlie Wilson's War

Best director - film
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ridley Scott - American Gangster
Joe Wright - Atonement

Best performance by an actress in a film - Drama
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

Best performance by an actor in a film - Drama
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Best performance by an actress in a film - Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney
Todd Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page - Juno

Best performance by an actor in a film - Musical or Comedy
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John Reilly - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a film
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Julia Roberts - Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a film
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta - Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Best foreign language film
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France and US)
The Kite Runner (US)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Best animated feature film
Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

Best screenplay - film
Diablo Cody - Juno
Ethan Coen and Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

Best original song - film
Despedida - Love in the Time of Cholera
Grace is Gone - Grace is Gone
Guaranteed - Into the Wild
That's How You Know - Enchanted
Walk Hard - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best original score - film
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
Clint Eastwood - Grace is Gone
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Howard Shore - Eastern Promises

Cecil B DeMille award
Steven Spielberg

Best television series - Drama
Big Love
Damages
Grey's Anatomy
House
Mad Men
The Tudors

Best performance by an actress in a television series - Drama
Patricia Arquette - Medium
Glenn Close - Damages
Minnie Driver - The Riches
Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Edie Falco - The Sopranos

Best performance by an actor in a television series - Drama
Michael C Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
Bill Paxton - Big Love

Best television series - Musical or Comedy
30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
Extras
Pushing Daisies

Best performance by an actress in a television series - Musical or Comedy
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Anna Friel - Pushing Daisies
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds

Best performance by an actor in a television series - Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
David Duchovny - Californication
Steve Carrell - The Office
Ricky Gervais - Extras
Lee Pace - Pushing Daisies

Best mini-series or film made for television
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
The Company
Five Days
Longford
The State Within

Best actress in a mini-series or film made for television
Bryce Dallas Howard - As You Like It
Debra Messing - The Starter Wife
Queen Latifah - Life Support
Sissy Spacek - Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson - Jane Eyre

Best actor in a mini-series or film made for television
Adam Beach - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Ernest Borgnine - A Grandpa for Christmas
Jim Broadbent - Longford
Jason Isaacs - The State Within
James Nesbitt - Jekyll

Best supporting actress in a mini-series or film made for television
Rose Byrne - Damages
Rachel Griffiths - Brothers and Sisters
Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy
Anna Paquin - Bury My Heart On Wounded Knee
Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl

Best supporting actor in a mini-series or film made for television
Ted Danson - Damages
Kevin Dillon - Entourage
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Andy Serkis - Longford
William Shatner - Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland - Dirty Sexy Money

"No Winners," as Court Strips Spears Custody

2008-01-07T07:05:00.000+05:30

With Britney Spears locked down in a hospital following her bizarre late-night standoff, a Los Angeles court commissioner has granted Kevin Federline sole custody of the ex-couple's two young sons.

"I'm not happy about any of these events," said K-Fed lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan upon exiting the courthouse following the brief closed-door afternoon session.
"There are no winners here."

Spears remains on a minimum 72-hour hold at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center while undergoing psychological and physical testing. The Friday court ruling means that even if she gets out as scheduled on Sunday, she won't have any contact with sons Sean Preston or Jayden James at least until Jan. 14, when Court Commissioner Scott Gordon has scheduled the next custody hearing. (View the court order.)

Kaplan called for Friday's emergency session following Spears' meltdown. He and Spears attorney Tara Scott initially met with Gordon for 20 minutes in the morning and returned at 1:30 p.m. to continue proceedings.

At the request of another Spears attorney, Anne Kiley, Gordon agreed to close the afternoon session and cleared the courtroom at 1:50. It took just a half-hour before Gordon to reach his decision.

"[Federline] is awarded sole legal custody and sole physical custody of the minor children," Gordon ruled. "[Spears'] visitation with minor children is suspended pending further order of the court."

Although Kaplan earlier said Federline may testify "if it's absolutely necessary," he did not appear in court.

There was no further comment from either side following the ruling.

The 29-year-old Federline already had primary physical custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, with Spears allowed a handful of visits with the boys during the week, under the watchful eye of a court-appointed monitor.

Spears' joint custody of the boys was first downgraded last October after she failed to comply with Gordon's orders, which included a series of random drug tests.

Late Thursday, Spears refused to return the boys to Federline's bodyguards, locking herself in a room with her youngest son. Police were called to the scene and, although she was judged at the time to be under the influence of an unknown substance, authorities said Friday that there was no evidence of that.

"There was no actual crime that was involved" and Spears has not been arrested, LAPD spokeswoman Officer Ana Aguirre said, adding that no threat was posed to Sean or Jayden at the house.

The singer was detained by police and then transported via ambulance to Cedars-Sinai. She remains under a "5150 hold," which, per the medical code, is enforced "when any person, as a result of mental disorder, is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled."
A source close to Spears tells E! Online senior editor Marc Malkin that the family fears she is suffering from bipolar disoder and has not been following doctors' orders.

"This was going on before the head shaving," the souce said. "She wouldn't listen to anyone. She said she knew what she was doing. She needs major help. Let's hope she will finally get it."
Although the singer has already received visits from father Jamie Spears and pal Sam Lutfi, her mother, Lynne Spears, is the only inner-circle member to have spoken publicly since the incident transpired.

In a teary phone call to Access Hollywood, Lynne simply implored, "Just say prayers."
Both Kiley and Scott are attorneys with the firm of Trope & Trope, which on Wednesday filed court documents seeking to be released as the singer's counsel, citing a "breakdown in communication."

There was no indication Friday how much longer the firm would represent Spears.

Britney Released from Hospital

2008-01-07T07:02:00.000+05:30

So much for a 72-hour hold.

After a little more than 24 hours at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, E! News has confirmed that Britney Spears has been released from the hospital, despite previous reports that she was to be held under a minimum three-day lockdown.

Shortly after her admittance via ambulance just after midnight Thursday, the singer was placed on a "5150 hold," meaning medical workers had determined she posed a danger either to herself or others. As a result, she was to be held for 72 hours, during which time she was to undergo a battery of physical and psychological tests.

However, medical officials have the authority to lift the hold at any time during a patient's stay, should they be determined to no longer pose a threat. Spears' early release indicates she was granted the medical and psychological all-clear.

According to The Insider, Spears made her exit from Cedars-Sinai early Saturday morning via an underground tunnel at the facility. The show also reports that none other than Dr. Phil McGraw was on hand to escort the singer off the premises.

"My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention," the TV doctor told Entertainment Tonight, adding that his being at the hospital when she was released was merely coincidence.

"She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the room. We visited for about an hour before I walked with her to her car."

Spears is now back at her Studio City home with father Jamie Spears.

News of her release comes in the wake of confirmation from Spears pal Sam Lutfi that the 26-year-old was doing much better than she had been during the precipitating hours-long custody standoff.

"She is doing a lot better than Thursday night, she's reached out to her mom and Jamie Lynn and they've been in constant contact…they have shown wonderful support," Lufti told E! News exclusively Friday night, adding that Spears would not be at the hospital for any longer than the hold required of her.

It's unclear if any of Spears' supportive family members were on hand for her release early Saturday.

Father Jamie is the only official family member to be caught by paparazzi entering Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which he did early Friday morning, along with Lutfi. According to People, her mother Lynne and sister Jamie Lynn have remained in their hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana.
While Kevin Federline was also present at the hospital when his 26-year-old ex-wife was first being admitted for a battery of physical and psychological tests, Lutfi made clear that Federline was only there to check on his children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, the latter of whom was also briefly checked out by doctors—as is standard for children in the wake of such a traumatic experience—before given the medical okay.

He was not, as has been reported, there to visit Spears. When asked if the 29-year-old father had seen or spoken to the singer since Thursday night's incident, Lutfi gave E! News a quite adamant, "No!"

As for what specifically went down Thursday night, Lutfi offered no new specifics on the standoff that culminated in Spears locking herself in a room with one-year-old son Jayden and ended with the "Gimme More" singer being transported via ambulance to Cedars-Sinai.

However, he did say that he believed the media and legal circus that resulted from the evening was mishandled but that he did not begrudge the LAPD for following protocal, saying the officers remained at the Studio City home for so long because they "wanted to make sure they were following proper procedure and abiding by the court documents."

Still, he said he wished "that the whole situation was handled better."

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High School Musical 2 DVD Bloopers HQ

2007-12-19T07:27:00.000+05:30

Watch the full video here!

Lost Moves Up in ABC's World

2007-12-17T07:29:00.000+05:30

For those of you who will be looking for Lost next year, you won't find it in the usual spot.
Staring down the dimly lit hatch of a spring with no new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters or Desperate Housewives, ABC has opted to move the Emmy-winning Lost to Thursdays at 9 p.m., the time slot that in prestrike days would have played host to the weekly Grey's-CSI battle.

But the scribes are at a standstill, and it's Lost that will be getting the primo prime-time real estate as part of ABC's attempt to make its strike-impacted schedule look as attractive as possible in the absence of the rest of its scripted heavy hitters.

Not that Lost's reemergence won't bring along its own set of issues—the castaway drama is still one of myriad series that has only half of its preordered episodes in the can thanks to the writers' strike.

Fox, for instance, opted to postpone the seventh season of 24 indefinitely until it could air an uninterrupted "full day." But apparently ABC has figured that some Lost—eight consecutive new episodes instead of 16—is better than none at all, considering how none too pleased audiences were when the series' third season was interrupted by a three-month hiatus.

So, Lost's fourth season will premiere Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., where it will serve as lead-in to the new drama Eli Stone.

ABC will ring in the New Year Jan. 3 with the premiere of Darren Star's Cashmere Mafia, one of two competing Sex and the City-inspired femme-fests on tap for 2008 (so as not to be confused with Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle), which after its post-Grey's debut will set up shop in the corner office vacated by Lost, aka Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Notably missing from ABC's early-'08 lineup are all its new hourlong series—minus the largely panned Big Shots, which will return Jan. 3 following Cashmere Mafia and then air in January on Thursdays at 10 p.m. before going on what could be a permanent break.

Otherwise, critical darling Pushing Daisies, Women's Murder Club, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money are going to take turns rotating during the 8-10 p.m. period on Fridays set aside for drama encores.

With not too much else going on in the hour-of-fiction department, that leaves plenty of space for the return of According to Jim and the continuation of Samantha Who?, Notes from the Underbelly and Carpoolers, the latter of which answers the prayers of those who saw the potential of the buddy sitcom but loathed the fact that it aired after Cavemen.

Following the lead of its fellow broadcasters, ABC has padded the rest of its schedule with plenty of tried-and-true reality shows and a few new offerings, including Oprah's Big Give, which will try to play off of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's family-friendly audience, and Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, which should tide Dancing with the Stars fans over until the juggernaut's return March 17.

Here's a look at ABC's midseason lineup, with new shows in bold:
MONDAY

January: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, Notes from the Underbelly (9:30), October Road

February: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann Results, Samantha Who?, Notes from the Underbelly, October RoadMarch: Dancing with the Stars, Samantha Who? (9:30), The Bachelor

TUESDAY
January: Just for Laughs (8-9 p.m.), According to Jim, Carpoolers, Boston LegalMarch: Just for Laughs (8-9 p.m.), Dancing with the Stars Results Show, Boston Legal

WEDNESDAY
January-March: Wife Swap, Supernanny, Cashmere Mafia

THURSDAY
January: Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Big ShotsFebruary: Ugly Betty, Lost, Eli Stone

FRIDAY
January-March: Drama encores (8-10 p.m.), 20/20

SUNDAY
March: America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Oprah's Big Give, Desperate Housewives

The Legend of the Box Office

2007-12-17T07:16:00.000+05:30

Hollywood set aside its broken Golden Compass and came back to life with two huge openings: a historic one for Smith's I Am Legend; and a bigger than expected one for Alvin's Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The sci-fi remake I Am Legend was the number one film, grossing $76.5 million, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations. The CGI-updated Alvin and the Chipmunks was a super-size number two, with a $45 million take.

Combined, the two accounted for about 80 percent of all ticket sales among the weekend's Top 12 movies.

"It just shows how the market can expand when you have pictures that people want to see," Chris Aronson, Fox senior vice president of distribution, said Sunday.

Fox was the studio that had been expecting a $20 million bow from Alvin and the Chipmunks, while Warners was the beneficiary of Smith's biggest-ever opener.

New Line, meanwhile, was the woozy-feeling patient after its would-be franchise starter The Golden Compass (third place, $9 million) fell off a cliff, down 65 percent from a disappointing debut weekend.

So far, the $180 million fantasy film is the unwanted fruitcake of the holiday season, having taken in just $41 million overall. (It has performed stronger overseas; so, perhaps any sequels could be made expressly for Slovakia, et al.)

So goes The Golden Compass, so goes star Nicole Kidman's box office year: Terrible. From failing to heat up the summer with The Invasion, costarring fellow Golden Compass traveler Daniel Craig to failing to catch on at art-houses with this fall's Margot at the Wedding, Kidman has been on the outs with ticket buyers. (In the paycheck department, however, she continued to do just fine. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she banked $15-$16 million for the $15.1 million-grossing The Invasion.)

Smith's presumed eight-figure quote for I Am Legend probably looked like a bargain after his last-man-on-Earth act opened $25 million bigger than any movie in his 12-year string of hits.
I Am Legend, meanwhile, no doubt goes down in the books as the highest-grossing film version of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name. (The two earlier versions, 1964's The Last Man on Earth, and 1971's The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston, were produced in preblockbuster Hollywood.)

Elsewhere, the Golden Globe-nominated Juno, pound for pound, theater for theater, put up the best numbers of the weekend, grossing $1.4 million ($2.2 million to date), and almost cracking the Top 10 on the strength of—not 1,000, not 100, not even 50—but 40 screens.

By comparison, August Rush needed 2,007 theaters to cobble together a take of $1.8 million ($28.1 million overall) and nab a 10th place finish.

Atonement, the top film nominee at the Globes, had a strong weekend (although not nearly as strong as Juno's). It moved up to ninth place, with $1.9 million from 117 theaters.

Among award-show hopefuls still in release, the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men (fifth place, $3 million; $33.6 million overall) was the top-grosser.

The Kite Runner, balancing out its two Globe nominations, with a PR nightmare involving the film's young Afghan stars now fearing for their safety in their home country, managed a smooth but unspectacular opening: $450,970 from 35 theaters.

Youth Without Youth ($27,815 at 6 theaters) was only a minor player, despite being Francis Ford Coppola's first film as director in 10 years.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
I Am Legend, $76.5 million
Alvin and the Chipmunks, $45 million
The Golden Compass, $9 million
Enchanted, $6 million
No Country for Old Men, $3 million
The Perfect Holiday, $2.97 million
Fred Claus, $2.31 million
This Christmas, $2.3 million
Atonement, $1.9 million
August Rush, $1.8 million

by Joal RyanSun, 16 Dec 2007 01:02:10 PM PST

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The Kite Runner (2007)

2007-12-17T07:08:00.000+05:30

From Memories, There’s No Escape

Much like the best-selling novel on which it’s based, “The Kite Runner” tells the story of an

Afghan refugee who, long after arriving in America, sifts through memories of his cosseted childhood, his emotionally remote father, his devoted best friend, the kites they flew and the stories they shared. The back of my paperback copy of this Khaled Hosseini novel is sprinkled with words like “powerful” and “haunting” and “riveting” and “unforgettable.” It’s a good guess that this film will be rolled around in a similarly large helping of lard.

There’s another word on the back of my copy: “genuine.” The portrait of Afghan culture broadly painted by its narrator, a 38-year-old novelist known as Amir (played in the film by the Scottish-born Khalid Abdalla), certainly seems like the real deal, a sense of authenticity underscored by the book’s evocation of the Afghan diaspora in America, its descriptions of traditions and rituals and the numerous italicized words like “Kocheh-Morgha” (“Chicken Bazaar”) and “Shirini-khori” (“ ‘Eating of the Sweets’ ceremony”).

That said, it is difficult to believe in the authenticity of any book (and its author) in which a born and bred Afghan narrator asks of the Taliban — as this one does in June 2001 — “Is it as bad as I hear?” David Benioff’s clumsy screenplay doesn’t broadcast its political naïveté as openly, but only because the filmmakers seem to assume that unlike the book’s readers, the movie audience doesn’t care about such matters. Mr. Benioff gestures in the direction of Communists and mullahs, the Soviet invaders and the Taliban insurgents, but none of these players figure into the story in any meaningful fashion.

The director Marc Forster, following the script’s lead, scrupulously avoids politics and history — there are no causes or positions, just villains and horrors — and instead offers us a succession of atmospheric, realistic landscapes, colorful sights and smiling boys. And kites. Lots and lots of bobbing, darting, high-flying kites.

Like the recent film version of Ian McEwan’s novel “Atonement,” another story ignited by the destructive behavior of a pubescent child, “The Kite Runner” presents a world informed by a variant of original sin. In both, a child’s damaging words and deeds give way to — and seem to foreshadow and somehow even to incite — the larger violence of war. The two stories register very differently, both on the page and on screen, yet what’s curious is how each presents childhood as an already corrupted state that is redeemed only by adult grace. In these stories war becomes a kind of cleansing agent for the destructive child, who, after enduring hardships, matures into a properly contrite adult (and a fiction writer to boot).

It takes a while for that contrition to surface in “The Kite Runner.” First the adult Amir has to conjure up a leisurely flashback during which his 12-year-old self (Zekiria Ebrahimi) rushes through the dust and the exotica — past the woman in a burka and the severed animal heads — pausing to read, write and fly kites. He worships his gruff father, Baba (Homayoun Ershadi), a businessman who swills alcohol and dismisses the mullahs as “monkeys.” Amir, in turn, is adored by the illiterate servant boy Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada), whose father has worked for Baba his entire life. Amir loves his younger friend in his selfish fashion, but because Baba favors Hassan (if not enough to educate the boy), Amir also betrays him.

Mr. Forster, who previously directed “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland,” has been soundly defeated by “The Kite Runner.” Despite the film’s far-flung locations (it was shot primarily in China), there is remarkably little of visual interest here; the setups are banal, and the scenes lack tension, which no amount of editing can provide. With the exception of Mr. Ershadi, whom art-house audiences may remember from Abbas Kiarostami’s “Taste of Cherry,” it also lacks credible performances. The two lead child actors, both nonprofessionals, are predictably appealing, but only because they’re children. Unlike Mr. Kiarostami, who has a genius for translating the natural rhythms of nonprofessional performers to the screen, who siphons real life and bottles it, Mr. Forster never makes you believe in these children or their woes.

In both novel and film form, “The Kite Runner” recounts a simple yet shrewd story about that favorite American pastime: self-improvement. Amir’s childhood mistake isn’t a careless juvenile offense; it’s a human stain that must be scrubbed out through self-abnegation, confession and personal transformation. Yet, watching this film, you are left to wonder whom precisely is all this suffering for — is it for Amir? Hassan? Afghanistan? Or do Hassan and the story’s other sad children — especially those hollow-eyed boys and girls glimpsed during the preposterous climax in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan — suffer because it’s possible to package other people’s pain and turn it into a commercial diversion? It’s no surprise that for all its foreign trappings, “The Kite Runner” tells the same old comforting story. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The Kite Runner” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). There is a discreetly shot if entirely unnecessary scene of a child’s rape and an extended bloody fight involving punches and a slingshot.

THE KITE RUNNER
Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Marc Forster; written by David Benioff, based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini (in Dari, with English subtitles); director of photography, Roberto Schaefer; edited by Matt Chessé; music by Alberto Iglesias; production designer, Carlos Conti; produced by William Horberg and Walter F. Parkes; released by Paramount Vantage. Running time: 2 hours 8 minutes.
WITH: Khalid Abdalla (Amir), Atossa Leoni (Soraya), Shaun Toub (Rahim Khan), Sayed Jafar Masihullah Gharibzada (Omar), Zekiria Ebrahimi (Young Amir), Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada (Young Hassan) and Homayoun Ershadi (Baba).

By: By MANOHLA DARGIS
Published: December 14, 2007

Source: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14kite.html?ex=1355288400&en=c78b882d2355e337&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

X-Files Scares Up Cast

2007-12-10T07:09:00.000+05:30

Mulder and Scully are about to get pimped out and then some.

Xzibit, the hit-making rapper and hilarious host of MTV's Pimp My Ride, will join Amanda Peet and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly in key supporting roles for the upcoming X-Files movie.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Xzibit and Peet will play FBI agents working alongside David Duchovny's Fox "Spooky" Mulder and Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully in the second film based on Fox's hugely popular sci-fi series.

No word on Connolly's role. A rep for Fox declined to provide any information on the threesome's characters, and details of the plot remain a closely guarded secret.

What we do know is that unlike the first X-Files feature in 1998, the new film will avoid the series' abstruse mythology and instead work as a standalone installment about some kind of supernatural mystery.

X-Files creator Chris Carter will direct the film from a script he wrote with series writer and executive producer Frank Spotnitz.

Talk of another X-Files movie has been ongoing since the 1998 release grossed more than $189 million worldwide. But the project stalled as Carter and Fox engaged in lengthy litigation over residuals from the show's syndication sales.

The two sides settled earlier this year, clearing the way for the new chapter.

Aside from his seven-season sojourn on Pimp My Ride, Xzibit has guested in CSI: Miami and freestyled opposite Eminem in 8 Mile. More recent film roles include XXX: State of the Union with fellow emcee Ice Cube, Derailed with Clive Owen and Gridiron Gang with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Xzibit had been set to star opposite Bruce Willis and Woody Harrelson in Pinkville, Oliver Stone's drama about the My Lai Massacre. But that picture was shelved due to the writers' strike, allowing Xzibit to fit the X-Files sequel into his schedule.

Known for her roles in The Whole Nine Yards and NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Peet currently stars opposite John Cusack in the New Line drama Martian Child. She also recently agreed to headline the drama Real Men Cry with Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo.

Connolly had a memorable turn as Uncle Morty in 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Other film credits include White Oleander, The Last Samurai and the voice of McSquizzy in last year's Open Season.

The still-untitled X-Files film is due to begin shooting later this month in Vancouver and hits theaters July 25, 2008.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=b1fdf084-2b8e-47cb-9131-2df437f5abb0&entry=index

Pieces of Britney Big on eBay

2007-12-10T07:04:00.000+05:30

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what's the going rate for a dollar bill boasting a picture of Britney Spears where George Washington is supposed to be?

Believe it or not, $3.99.

The embattled pop star is still the hottest thing since sliced bread (featuring the Virgin Mary) on eBay, which has announced that Spears-related items, from copies of signed pictures to gloves she supposedly wore at a New York Jets game to a piece of chewed gum, outsold the flotsam and jetsam related to fellow tabloid princesses Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

More than $34,000 "worth" of Spears stuff was successfully bid on in 2007, although some of the sellers may have been out of luck, considering that estimated sum was generated by only 34,345 items.

Last year, a waiter auctioned off Spears' half-eaten egg salad sandwich and her then-hubby Kevin Federline's chomped-on corndog. And online casino goldenpalace.com ate it up, so to speak, to the tune of $520.

However, this was the year of the shave, and locks of Spears' hair, along with the partially imbibed can of Red Bull she was carrying when she walked into the salon, were up for sale just days after the "Oops…I Did it Again" singer went bald. Although it's unclear if the sale went through, at one point 26 people had pushed up the price of one lot of those once-idolized strands to more than $1,000.

"What Americans buy and sell every day is one of the best indications of what they're obsessed with," said eBay pop culture expert/harbinger of doom Karen Bard. "When someone or something is being written about in tabloids or reported about on CNN, if it revs up the American public, you're bound to discover a bidding frenzy for related listings on eBay."

Well, a certain briefly jailed heiress was all over CNN this year. More than 27,000 Hilton-related items, including a toothbrush purportedly stolen from her trash, were sold via eBay.

The most popular items sold in connection with Hilton and Spears, though, were bottles of their signature fragrances, according to the online auctioneer.

Meanwhile, Lohan was in third place with 8,099 items sold.

Thanks to her run-in with the razor, her increasingly high-stakes custody battle and her first studio album in three years, Spears' name was also Yahoo's most popular search term for the sixth time in seven years. The oft scandal-tinged World Wrestling Entertainment came in second and Hilton placed third.

As far as eBay's ever-popular sports-memorabilia category goes, disgraced athletes did big business in 2007.

Possibly juiced homerun king Barry Bonds outsold both imprisoned Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and O.J. Simpson, who pushed just 5,196 items compared with Bonds' 145,497.

Bonds, of course, has been indicted on federal charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in relation to allegations that he took steroids, while Simpson is awaiting trial on armed robbery and kidnapping charges for allegedly shaking down two memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. Vick is scheduled to be sentenced Monday for conspiracy after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting ring.

In other pop culture craziness, Transformers paraphernalia outsold Harry Potter doodads when it came to film memorabilia and Grey's Anatomy beat out Heroes in terms of small-screen swag.

The sci-fi (and hot chick)-lovin', comic book-collectin' fans of Bionic Woman came through, however, giving merchandise related to the troubled NBC show a leg up on goodies from fellow freshman drama Pushing Daisies, a whopping 4,249 to 337 items sold.

Troubled, because all eight completed episodes of Bionic Woman have aired and NBC has yet to give the go ahead for more when—or if—the current writers strike ends.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=87271e05-f5fe-4e63-8087-199053f110ec

Howie Scores Backstreet Bride

2007-12-10T06:59:00.000+05:30

Howie Dorough doesn't have to worry about the meaning of being lonely anymore.

The Backstreet Boy took a bride Saturday in his hometown of Orlando, marrying longtime girlfriend Leigh Boniello, a lawyer for the band confirmed.

With his fellow Backstreeters looking on, Dorough, 34, said his I-do's to cap a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. James Cathedral.

"The wedding took place as planned, and all went well," attorney Jason L. Turner said in a statement.

The nuptial news was first reported by OK! magazine, which was given exclusive coverage to the affair.

Boniello was the Webmaster for the Backstreet site, and the two began dating six years ago. Dorough finally popped the question last New Year's.

"She wasn't expecting it, and I was quite nervous—more nervous about proposing to her in front of 40 family and friends than about performing in front of 40,000 people onstage," Dorough told People earlier this year.

He becomes the third member to ditch his singleton status, following Brian Littrell and the now retired Kevin Richardson to the altar.

There won't be too much time for a honeymoon. Dorough and the rest of BSB—Littrell, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean—resume their tour in Buffalo on Tuesday.

The band's latest album, Unbreakable, dropped in October.

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=64813c72-76af-4d03-978a-a8f746674ec1

Not Quite a Golden Weekend!!

2007-12-10T06:48:00.000+05:30

Even if the writers weren't on strike, it's doubtful Saturday Night Live's comics would be penning "Lazy Sunday" odes to The Golden Compass.

The $180 million fantasy epic was no Chronicles of Narnia at the weekend box office, debuting with a pedestrian $26.1 million, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations.

And no, The Golden Compass wasn't a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, either. Each of those movies grossed at least $47 million in their first weekends, with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone bringing in $90.3 million.

New Line Cinema was looking for some LOTR, Harry Potter and Narnia magic when it charted a course for The Golden Compass. Like those other franchises, Golden Compass is based on a bestselling series of books. But the comparison ends there.

Unlike the golden three, The Golden Compass arrived in theaters Friday with weak reviews and loads of baggage. A conservative Catholic organization urged a boycott of the film, accusing author Philip Pullman's source material of being anti-God and anti-Catholic. This in contrast to the way Narnia, for one, was embraced by Christian groups (not to mention SNL's Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg).

In the end, The Golden Compass was more Eragon than Narnia (or Harry Potter or LOTR). Eragon, which bowed with $23.2 million last December, was another would-be fantasy franchise that didn't take off, flying dragons or no.

The news wasn't exclusively bad for The Golden Compass, talking polar bears and all.

It was the number one movie of Hollywood's latest weak weekend. And it was a much bigger draw than stars Nicole Kidman's and Daniel Craig's last joint venture, The Invasion, which bombed last summer.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. The Golden Compass, $26.1 million
2. Enchanted, $10.7 million
3. This Christmas, $5 million
4. Fred Claus, $4.7 million
5. Beowulf, $4.4 million
6. No Country for Old Men, $4.2 million
7. August Rush, $3.5 million
8. Hitman, $3.48 million
9. Awake, $3.3 million
10. Bee Movie, $2.6 million

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=3c724158-341c-4d05-b4b9-90a61f65a954&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Most Popular Holdiay Movie- The Golden Compass

2007-12-06T07:19:00.000+05:30

1^stMost Popular Movie

The Golden Compass

Running Time:

1 hr. 58 min.

Release Date:

December 7, 2007

MPAA Rating:

PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence

Complete Movie Details

Starring:

Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Eva Green, Daniel Craig, Derek Jacobi, Ben Walker, (II)

Directed by:

Chris Weitz

What's the story?
12-year-old Lyra is an orphan who lives in a parallel world, where human souls take the form of animal companions called daemons. When her best friend disappears, Lyra promises to find him. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, doesn't want her to go, but the mysterious Mrs. Coulter offers to bring Lyra along for the adventure of a lifetime. One thing Lyra packs for the trip: the alethiometer -- a mysterious compass that many people are violently determined to possess. When the compass reveals to Lyra the truth about her friend's kidnapping and the evil force behind it, it's up to her to stop the war that threatens her world.

Movie Trailer!

Three Good Reasons to watch.

1It's a unique take on the fantasy genre: no old wizards in pointy hats, but loads of talking, fighting, shape-shifting animals.
2Dakota Blue Richards beat out more than 10,000 other girls for the role of Lyra. Clearly, the kid's got something.
3Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig and Eva Green reunite, but this time he's an aristocratic explorer and she's a witch.

You Didn't Know
In addition to Nicole Kidman, the cast includes another Oscar winner and two more nominees, but they'll just be heard and not seen. Kathy Bates provides the voice for Hester, the hare; Kristin Scott Thomas voices Stelmaria, the snow leopard, and Ian McKellen does the voice of Iorek Byrnison, the polar bear.

Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/holiday-movies/The-Golden-Compass/1808718640

50 Cent Video!

2007-12-06T07:16:00.000+05:30

This is the most viewed 50 cent video on You Tube today!

Spoiler Chat: Office, Lost and Grey's Scoop!

2007-12-01T19:41:00.000+05:30

Hey, tubers! Thanks for all your TV-licious Q's this week. Let's dig right in, starting with the Official possibility of a bun in the oven...Yeee!

Cris in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada: Angela's pregnant! Please tell me the one good thing about the strike is that once it's over, they can write the pregnancy in as Dwight's baby! Dwight as a dad = hilarious!
(1) Congratulations, real-life Angela! (2) Did you know that Office boss Greg Daniels, Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Paul Lieberstein (Toby) are all related via Liebersteiniosity? Remind me to make friends with Paul's mama, 'cause I wanna have Christmas dinner at that house! (3) She better be pregnant on the show, and it better be Dwight's (not—horrors!—some kind of Andyspawn), because, seriously, she's due in May and that is sweeps, so this is a gimme. (4) I would give up one of my own ovaries to hear Dwight Schrute's theories on pregnancy, birth and childrearing. Can you imagine?!

G in Chicago: "Lost Without Lost: A Haiku"

Where are my people?
Sandy beaches, shirtless men
Die, hiatus, die!

(Please, please tell me you have some tiny little morsel of info to share on Lost? I’m dying here!)
Ha!...Or make that Ha-lle-freaking-lujah! I do! Check out the spoiler section below, mon cheri!

Jer in McAllen, Texas: Your new photo is sooo Top Model! Any scoop on that dramafest? How about Project Runway?
Wow, I guess all my ANTM viewing finally paid off! Thank you. [Blush.] Okay, regarding PR: Heidi Klum is coming to town! (She sees you when you're sloppy, she sees all your mistakes, she knows if you dress bad or good, so dress good for goodness' sake!) Heidi is starring in the Paley Center for Media roundtable about Project Runway next Tues., Dec. 4, and I'm moderating. Yay! If you have any Q's about Runway, seasons one through now, email me at tvdiva@eonline.com, and I'll get you A's!

Chrissy in Oak Park, Illinois: So, I'm assuming Michael Vartan's show got canceled, since it hasn't been on for weeks. I'm pissed!
Actually, ABC put Big Shots on hiatus for November sweeps, but it's back this Thursday and has a few eps in the hopper—including the one guest starring Charisma Carpenter. Said ep airs Dec.13!

Jennifer in Toluca Lake: Do you have any scoop on The Hills? I'm sorry, but it's the best show on TV. Do you think Heidi and Spencer will actually get married?
Sources tell me their plans are still in the works, though they've settled down regarding the casting of people in the wedding (perhaps because they were outed...hmmm?). And by the way, am I the only one who thinks Whitney's new squeeze Jarrett is kinda adorable? He gave her free personal training, picked her up for a date, treated her with respect and paid the bill. This just might be the best guy ever on The Hills! Still, spoiler alert! I just so happen to know it didn't work out between the two of them, because Whitney apparently moved on and started dating someone here at E! (no, not Korbi, not Moondust, not Teddy C...).

Sharon in Gainesville, Florida: I loooove The Hills, and I am totally Team L.C.! I'm even gonna buy L.C. designs for all my female family members this Christmas.
Go for the handbags. Lauren just released a new line that includes a clutch, a coin purse and a tote. FYI, don't miss tonight's installment of the show, because Spencer's sister makes her debut, and she confronts your girl quite aggressively. It's a cannot-miss ep.

Diana in San Diego: I miss Logan's partner from last year on Criminal Intent—the redhead with the pixie haircut, not the new redhead. What happened to her? Is she ever coming back?
A L&O: CI show rep assures me that Julianne Nicholson (the pixie redhead, Det. Megan Wheeler) is returning to the show next year. She's been on maternity leave, with Alicia Witt (the new redhead) filling her shoes in the meantime as Det. Nola Falacci. Alicia shot six eps of the show, and her last installment airs when the show returns from winter hiatus. (Nicholson was great, wasn't she? It took me a while to get used to her, but I think Julianne's chemistry with Chris Noth is the best of anyone's since Jerry Orbach. Can't wait until she's back on the cases!)

Danielle in Van Nuys, California: I can't escape the billboards for that Tin Man movie. Is it any good?
Granted, I'm a wee bit biased because I have a Wizard of Oz collection the size of Jack Donaghy's cookie jar collection (seriously), but I think it's divine! It's a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz, and if Sci Fi were lame (like me), the tagline should be something like, "Everything you think you know about the land of Oz is wrong (but cooler than you ever imagined)." The cast is top-drawer, the writing is even better, and if you like Lost, Battlestar or Pushing Daisies, plan to love it, because it's something like a mashup of all three (plus, Zooey Deschanel from Weeds). I foresee Pirates of the Caribbean/Harry Potter/Wicked-scale fandom erupting after y'all have seen it. And if not, I'll be starting a one-woman fan club.

Jenny in Sherman Oaks, California: I went to the So You Think You Can Dance show in L.A. this week, and it was awesome! Any scoop on the cast?
Sí! Korbi went backstage after the show and said the kids were in very good spirits, getting ready to drive up to San Fran for a big Thanksgiving dinner together (and their next performance). Kameron told her they're just trying to really enjoy these last couple weeks of the tour, because it's quickly coming to a close. The posttour plan? He's moving to New York with season-two finalists Ivan and Travis, while B-girl Sara's hitting L.A. And Neil has already booked a movie, which everyone's psyched about! By the way, guess who else she spotted backstage: Karen Darling! Turns out the very sweet Natalie Zea is a huge fan of SYTYCD and was totally thrilled to be meeting the dancers. I knew I liked her.

Chris in Syracuse, New York: I'm a big fan of Wonderfalls. Any chance of Bryan Fuller and Lee Pace reuniting with any of the cast on Pushing Daisies? Also, rumor has it Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas is resurrecting Cupid—true?
Sadly, we heard through the grapevine last year that the cancellation of Wonderfalls just about broke Caroline Dhavernas' heart—so much so that she can't bear to take on another American series full-time. But...maybe a guest stint? Cross your fingers! (Speaking of Pushing Daisies, Mike White and Molly Shannon costar in the next ep as Hansel and Gretel types—a brother and sister duo with a predilection for candy. Love it!) As for Cupid, yes, it's true! Jeremy Piven won't be involved, but Rob is working up a new version for ABC! Don't forget. More R.T. in the world = more smiles.

Maria in Chicago: Why did October Road premiere on Thanksgiving? It couldn't have done very well in the ratings—most of my friends had no idea it was back.
True dat. Even the brand-new Seth Green-graced episode of Grey's Anatomy hit a ratings low with barely 14 million total viewers. Road aired after that, and lost more than half the audience, averaging about 6 million. The good news is it settles into its regular time slot (10 p.m. on Mondays) tonight, and the Weeds season is over, so we can all watch OR if we so desire. (Personally, I'm having a hard time getting into it. Can you diehards help me? I wanna love it!)

Melissa in Hammond, Indiana: I was just wondering if and/or when there are going to be new episodes of The Girls Next Door?
Season four premieres Sun., Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. Look for 12 eps total this season. Jen is already parked in front of the TV with her popcorn and a bottle of gin. (Take a shot every time Kendra is tardy, Bridget talks to Winnie like she's a person and/or Holly mentions her stint at Hooters!)

Eric in Santa Barbara, California: I missed Battlestar Galactica: Razor! Will it ever be re-aired, or is there someplace on the Internet where I can find it?
Direct to DVD, baby! Razor comes out on DVD Dec. 4, 2007. And Christmas stockings around the nation open wide...Speaking of which, we've seen the season-four preview from the bonus features—check the spoiler section for more.

SPOILERS

Heather in Miami: My sincerest condolences that your Hawaii trip was canceled. Is there no justice in the time of the strike?! Anyway, why don't you make it up to yourself by telling us some Lost scoop.
Thanks, Heather. Anyone wanna help me drown my sorrows with some mai tais? As you may know, the Lost production office is an impenetrable fortress of secrecy these days, but I was able to dig up a little scoop that I certainly found fascinating! Sources tell me the series most definitely flashes backward and forward in this season—and until the series ends...yeee! I'm also hearing we get quite a few new characters courtesy of Marsha Thomason's character, Naomi. Word is, Naomi summoned them via walkie-talkie before Locke busted that knife in her back. So, newbies are a-comin'!

Tanya in Chino, California: Only two episodes left of Heroes! Any scoop on what happens? Are the eps good?
I've heard of what happens but haven't seen them yet, and I can tell you this: I'm highly alarmed by the body count at the end of next week's episode. If one death in particular isn't a fake-out (that is, if he or she doesn't come back when the show returns), I will be asking you to join me for the rioting, looting and hissy-fitting that is only appropriate with a death of this kind of fan favorite.

Yuley in Germany: I cannot stand Rose on Grey's Anatomy! Please tell me she will take her sicky paws off Patrick Dempsey.
Hey now! I'm not saying I like Rose and McDreamy together (jury's still out, if you ask me), but I have to tell you that Lauren Stamile, who plays Thorny, is quite a lovely person—inside and out—so let's not go crazy with the hate, 'kay? That said, you'll have plenty of reason to put a fist through your TV in the next couple of episodes if you are not a fan of the McThorny pairing, 'cause, well, there's a little lip-on-lip action on the way! Yep, you heard me. McDreamy is puckering up to Miss Prickly. Good thing or bad? Comment below!

Harrison in Rhode Island: The last episode of Grey's was fantastic! So many lives hanging in the balance. Any word on who'll survive?
I know Nurse Rose "saves the day" when it comes to McDreamy's computer-gremlin-riddled surgery, so I'd bet good money on that patient surviving...and on the experience making Derek swoon.

Tori in Sonoma, California: Brothers & Sisters is so good. Please spill!
Gladly. Stand by for lots of exclusive Brothers & Sisters video clips from my time hanging out on set with the Walkers! Those are coming later this week. Meanwhile, the romances are heating up, no?! Last night's episode had me all swoony with that Lyle Lovett serenade at the Hollywood Bowl for Kitty...(not that my hubby doesn't do things like that all the time, but jeesh!). Anyway, look for Saul to finally begin accepting his homosexuality when he goes on a date with a man named Evan, and for Nora to cozy up to Danny Glover's character, Isaac. (Poor Chevy!)

Grace in Asheville, North Carolina: I love Friday Night Lights, but I feel like there's an element of romance missing. Last season, we had Lyla and Jason, Lyla and Tim, Tim and the neighbor, Julie and Matt, Smash and Waverly and, of course, the coach and Tami to tide us over. This year, not so much.
Take heart! There is love (and lust) in the Dillon air, and you'll bear witness to it very soon. First of all, Matt Saracen has a couple of balls in the air...and I ain't talking 'bout his football game. As you know, the cheerleader has sunk her claws into him, but the heat between Matt and Nurse Carlotta keeps him from making a commitment to either of 'em! Also, Jason's got a date or two in the near future: One goes south fast, while another may turn into something long term. Of course, Julie's got forbidden teacher love on the brain, and stay tuned for some good Smash action as well.

Erin in Reston, Virginia: Any updates on my old fave ER?
In an upcoming ep, Sam and Gates...flirt?! Say whaaa? It's subtle, but it's there, and it's kind of freaking me out! What do you guys think of that pairing? Post in the Comments below!

Brenna: OMG! This Tuesday is the big Bones kiss! I am so looking forward to it! But I need to know, is anything good gonna happen for them after it? Love you, Kristin!
All I can say is that in the last scene of the last episode before Bones goes off the air (because of the strike), there's an event that's much, much bigger for Bones and Booth than a li'l ol' kiss...and not in a good way. Gaaah! (Oh, and thanks for the love, my dear.)

Kathie in West Haven, Connecticut: I love Gossip Girl, and I need a gossip fix! Can you tell me if Serena's mom and Chuck's dad are still together? They never made it clear whether she forgave him or not.

She did. Lily van der Woodsen and Bart Bass (or should I say L&B) are sooo on, and word is Serena is quite surprised when she finds out. XOXO, TV Gossip Girl.

James in Chicago: Chuck?
Most important, there's another great heart-to-heart moment coming up between Sarah and Chuck (how toe-tingly was that kiss?!). Also, Chuck's cover is finally exposed, causing him to leave town and go under permanent security, and at Buy More, Big Mike's giant marlin is stolen and the cops believe it's an inside job.

Stephanie in West Chester, Ohio: Do you have any idea about what happens on the Psych holiday episode?
Well, Gus' dad kills an old guy...Kidding, that's just the title, but an old guy does die, Corbin Bernsen keeps the boys in check by being his usual hilarious self, and "Lassie" becomes a holiday pet of Juliet's family. Sort of. In other exciting Psych news, people who know things tell us that creator Steve Franks is directing the season finale. Yays!

Christopher in Concord, California: What's coming up on Dirty Sexy Money?
The Darling family secrets do not stay hidden forever. I'm hearing we'll finally know the truth about which Darling kid is Nick's half-sibling this Wednesday! Word is, more info about Dutch and Letitia's affair is learned as well.

Jessica in Orlando, Florida: Anything on Aliens in America? Will Justin ever go on a date?
Yes, Justin is finally getting a girlfriend! In an upcoming episode. He dates an unpopular girl named Donna, who informs him that his French-kissing skills need fine-tuning. Also, Raja gets some lovin' as well from a girl named Sadika.

Janelle in Austin, Texas: October Road! October Road!
Nick's mother, who passed away years ago, had a secret her son soon uncovers.

Kristen in Winter Park, Florida: Can you give us any news about Law & Order: Criminal Intent? I'm a total junkie when it comes to that show...
Ben Vereen stars in the final episode of the fall as a minister entangled in the murder of four college boys. Word on the street says his performance is a major standout. Also, over on L&O: SVU, an upcoming case focuses on a secluded Orthodox Jewish community called Kiryas Joel after several children are raped by a 14-year-old classmate. Can you feel my goosebumps of creep from there?

Linda: Loved Razor. However, I could not hear what the old man in the tub said! Grrr...please tell me what I waited nearly two hours to hear and then miss. Thank you so say we all.
He said, "Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end." I say, "The end and the beginning are always the same thing," but that's just me. As for the season-four preview, Tricia Helfer spills that there is going to be a new Six, who goes by the name of Natalie; Jamie Bamber says the first 10 eps are all about the secret Cylons; and Ronald D. Moore promises we meet the final Cylon before the end of season four. There's also a season-four trailer that includes one particularly intriguing shot: Kara lying on the floor of a Galactica hallway screaming, "We're going the wrong way!" Mmmm...

Kara in Fort Lee, New Jersey: Can you please tell me why the actress playing Nathan Fillion's ex-lover from Chicago looks so familiar? I've been trying to figure it out since she unexpectedly showed up at his door last night on Desperate Housewives!
Her name is Melora Walters, and you know her because she is crazy Wanda Henrickson from Big Love! You know, Joey's weirdo wife who has a penchant for poisoning people?! Turns out she'll be playing a loon on Desperate Housewives, too, and sources are saying Tom Scavo is her next victim! Do you remember when we reported back in October that Tom would be seen having dinner with an annoying hussy? Turns out that hussy is the same lady who wreaked havoc on Adam and Katherine Mayfair's marriage back in Chi-town.

Heroes Redux: One to Go; Three to Die

2007-12-01T19:40:00.000+05:30

"Two Heroes will fall. One villain will rise."

Trust me, that NBC promo dude ain't kiddin' in the Heroes teaser that aired tonight! And frankly, I'm a wee bit scared about the two impending deaths in next week's winter finale...which I have a little exclusive scoop on below.

But first, let's dig into what went down tonight!

WHAT WE LEARNED

Peter Petrelli Is a Selfish Little Prat: Sorry, Milo, me still love you long time, but that was some ridiculous motivation you kept expressing in tonight's episode! Let me get this straight: You went to the future. You saw that ninety-freaking-three percent of the entire world population had perished because of that pesky virus, but your primary concern is to save some Irish trollop you met in a bar a few weeks ago? Yes, Caitlin is perfectly lovely, but if The Bachelor has taught us nothing else this week, it's that you cannot develop strong feelings in that amount of time. How about a little concern for humanity at large?!...Ahem. Sorry. Had to vent.

Claire-Bear's Never Been Better: Okay, granted, I can't really follow her logic of how showing the world her ability will make her story about her father's death automatically true, but hot damn, Hayden P was certainly on top of her game tonight, giving the likes of Sally Field in Steel Magnolias a run for her money as far as believable and heart-tugging tears. (Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but still, I was moved!) (And psst...Worry not! Claire won't be crying much longer.)

Alejandro, We Hardly Knew Ye... But we knew ye a lot longer than we were supposed to! Don't forget what Shalim Ortiz told us when he stopped by the illustrious WWK studios (aka my office) to chat: He was only supposed to be in one or two episodes. So he was living on borrowed time and should move on to greener and fan-friendly pastures. RIP, Alejandro.

Adam Is 100 Percent Bad Boy (and Not in the Fun Sort of Gangsta Way): Lest it not be clear, Adam's sole intentions are to release strain number 138 of the virus on the population, in order to wipe the slate clean on humanity and enact his plan for world domination. Sorta makes Sylar look like a wounded putty-tat, does he not? (Not to mention David Anders' original evil mastermind on Alias, the delicious Mr. Sark.) This is some serious evil!

WHAT LIES AHEAD

In next week's winter finale, three Heroes will die.

We'll call the first death Final, the second death Uncertain and the third death Reversed (thanks to Claire's miracle juice—yay!). (And no, they don't go down in that order.)

Although you may be shocked by all of these deaths—because they are all series regulars and very pretty people!—you probably won't cry over Final or Reversed (that's just my hunch). But if Uncertain turns out to stick, well, let's just say the Heroes producers best be stocking up on some hazmat suits for the s--t storm that's about to erupt! The fans will not be happy.

(P.S.: In other winter-finale news, Mama Petrelli just might be the worst mother ever in the history of the planet, while Noah Bennet has my vote for Father of the Year, while Sylar is the Comeback Kid.)

Now, who do you think is doomed to die next week? Vote below! And come back on Monday for my next Vine show, which was shot entirely on location at the Heroes set during the filming of the winter finale. Don't say I never take you anywhere!

Lost Ads Coming to the Big Screen

2007-12-01T19:38:00.000+05:30

This just in: Lost is coming to the big screen!

Oh, how I wish I could tell you our beloved Evie, Matthew and Josh are starring in a movie version of the show we so adore, but this is pretty much the next best thing: Sources tell me ABC has secured a deal to air promos for the upcoming fourth season of Lost (with new footage!) before all movies rated PG and above in Screenvision and NCM chains in December.

Hear that? It's the sound of this die-hard couch potato running out to buy my tickets!

And by the way, this also means ABC thinks the new season of Lost is so good, it warrants such play. I've heard from Alphabet-net insiders that the upcoming eight episodes filmed so far are "crazy good" and will "even satisfy the haters." So, if you're already starting to feel the fourth-season fever, sound off below, will ya?

And if you're headed for the aforementioned theaters, don't you dare think about hitting the bathroom before the show...

Rumor Patrol: Is Reaper a Goner?

2007-12-01T19:37:00.001+05:30

It's aliiive! (For now.)

Despite what you may have heard, Reaper is not dead, undead, a zombie or otherwise shuffling off this mortal coil. After getting a few panicky emails (and bless you for caring about good TV!), I checked with the CW, and Reaper's rep tells me, "The show isn't airing, because we are premiering our new show Crowned, but it definitely has not been canceled. It will be back in the New Year."

Inside sources close to the show also confirm to me that "no decision has been made yet" regarding the show's longevity. Ten to twelve episodes were set to be produced. Eight episodes have aired.

Here's hoping it's true that Reaper will return! 'Cause I, for one, happen to think Reaper is just about the most watchable thing on the good ol' See Dub these days, and I highly recommend you check it out.

Also, I've seen the first episode of Crowned and can tell you it's exactly what you think it is: harmless, flavorless reality sludge with the sole purpose of trying to fill the impeding void of scripted programming due to that dreaded S-word.

SMG Back on TV? Dare We Dream It?

2007-12-01T19:35:00.000+05:30

Here's a little news to make you fellow Buffy fans squeal.

Sources close to the lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar tell me she's become somewhat disenchanted with the movie scripts she's been receiving, so she's considering...wait for it...coming back to television.

Boo-freaking-yah.

Word is, Sarah's been looking at various TV scripts and weighing her options. And you know what that means, my friends? With any luck, when the strike ends, we could have Joss Whedon and Sarah Michelle Gellar both back in our lovely small-screen world!

Wonder if she's asked Joss to send her the treatment for Dollhouse? Yeah...probably not. That'd be far too good to be true. But still, here's hoping we get to see Gellar in our living rooms again sometime soon!

What do you say? Comment below...

Brothers & Sisters Wedding Party!

2007-12-01T19:31:00.000+05:30

Have you ever loved a TV family so much you find yourself fantasizing about being a part of it? Well, for me it was the Bradys, the Keatons, the Huxtables and now...the Walkers.

In case you haven't been watching ABC's Brothers & Sisters, few other series on television this season have such a smart, charming and totally engrossing set of characters—who are so dang cool they physically repel anything even remotely sappy.

And this Sunday is going to be perhaps the finest B&S episode of the year, as Kitty Walker (Calista Flockhart) and Senator McCallister (Rob Lowe) tie the knot. Always one for a little free cake and open bar, I did my best to crash the wedding and got as far as...four beloved members of the Walker clan, who just so happen to be bridesmaids and groomsmen for the big event.

While they shot the wedding ep, I sat down on set with Dave Annable (Justin), Emily VanCamp (Rebecca), Matthew Rhys (Kevin) and Sarah Jane Morris (Julia) to get to know them a little better. And I only have two words left to say: Adopt me!

You'll feel the same after watching the clips below. Check 'em out, starting with Dave Annable on why he's collecting garbage...

The Hills Drama Just Keeps Getting Better

2007-12-01T19:30:00.001+05:30

If you've been watching MTV's The Hills, you know it's just about the most addictive guilty pleasure on television these days. And what's happening onscreen is only the half of it.

First, we get the news that the now infamous "She Pratt," aka Spencer Pratt's eerily similar-looking sister Stephanie, was arrested in Hawaii for allegedly shoplifting at Neiman Marcus. Que scandoloso! Que Winona!

And now, remember my previous story that producers were looking into casting Roxy Olin, an actress who is the daughter of Brothers & Sisters producer Ken Olin and star Patricia Wettig, as a bridesmaid for Heidi and Spencer? Well, MTV did follow up with me to tell me that the story is not true. However, you may have noticed Roxy did pop up on the latest episode—that was her standing next to Spencer's sister as she told off Lauren in the bar.

Still, it looks like that may be the end of the Hills line for Roxy. Her mom, Patricia (also known as the VP on Prison Break), has given an interview over on ew.com, saying Roxy will only appear in one episode of The Hills even though "they wanted her to do another one."

"Roxy appeared as a favor," Patricia told ew.com. "She met Heidi, but Roxy went to high school with (Hills costar) Spencer Pratt, so that's the connection. I'm pretty sure she's not going to do any more. They kind of pigeonhole you into stuff there."

All I know is I'm already pigeonholed into a serious addiction with this series, and I might need to seek counseling to cope with it. Especially because—hope you're sitting down for this—MTV has released a season finale date of Dec. 10 for the second season of The Hills. I know! Too soon! I feel the shakes coming on already...

Tin Man: Welcome to the O.Z., Bitch!

2007-12-01T19:25:00.000+05:30

Sweeps may be over, but some of the most entertaining TV you'll see all year is yet to come. Sci Fi continues its winter miniseries tradition this Sunday with the first of three nights of Tin Man, a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz that mixes up your space operas with your family melodramas and ends up creating a whimsical, wonderful, mythological adventure.

What's that, you say? You've already seen The Wizard of Oz? Not like this, you haven't! Here's what's different—and fabulous—about this take on the old tale.

Noir-othy: Imagine dropping Veronica Mars into the land of Oz (here known as the O.Z., or Outer Zone), and you'll get a sense of how drastically Zooey Deschanel's girl from over the rainbow differs from Judy Garland's. Even though she's just a regular girl from the Plains, Zooey's DG hardly bats an eyelash at the strange turn of events that deposit her in the O.Z. She handles the situation with great aplomb and a dry, deadpan humor that's miles from Garland's peppy astonishment. This girl's voice drops down a register as she wryly tells the Munchkin types, "You're out of your tiny minds." Cocreator Craig Van Sickle says, "When Zooey wanted to do it, we were thrilled, because she brings such a great, totally different energy, and a whole other audience, to the part."

Backstory: This O.Z. acknowledges the stories of the past but does not depend on them. Instead, according to cocreator Steven Long Mitchell, "We tried to take some of those lines from the icons in the movies and the books so the audience at home can play the game of 'Oh, that's what that means.' " However, lions and tigers and, oh look, a bear, "oh my!" are not just played as coy winks to the audience. Despite the fact that this sci-fi miniseries is full of space lasers and holograms and bottled brains, as the story progresses, you'll see our cultural history with The Wizard of Oz has everything to do with the actual history of the O.Z. (Hint: The wicked sorceress Azkadellia is not what she at first seems to be.)

Let's Talk About the Hot: All due respect to 1939, but the O.Z. has never looked this good. In addition to the beautiful production design, the CGI majesty of the Central City and the gorgeous flying-monkeys effects work, the characters this time around are just, let me tell you, damn fine. Kathleen Robertson's Azkadellia manages to be exquisitely beautiful without sacrificing any of the terrifying that Margaret Hamilton pulled off so well. Think Darth Vader in an S&M corset. Seriously—keep an eye on her cleavage, because this miniseries has some majorly good boob acting. And Neal McDonough, aka the world's hottest albino, gives the Tin Man an unexpected Indiana Jones-style sex appeal. (As evidenced by the seven-foot-tall poster of Neal that Jen stole from the Tin Man premiere party. Don't tell Sci Fi. Or her husband.)

That Old Black Magic: Like its predecessors in the cinematic land of Oz, Tin Man is eminently family friendly, but with all these incredibly good-looking people running around, sparks do fly. There's no nooky to speak of, but is that a little chemistry I see between DG and the Tin Man? Says Van Sickle, "There is something there...We really tried to keep it subtle, because we went back and forth on the question of chemistry. But it is there. We would love to do a series, because it is all there." (Yes, yes, please do a series!)

The Gang's All Here: You'll meet Alan Cumming's Glitch, who could really use a brain, and Raoul Trujillo's Raw, who is furry and gets scared sometimes, and Neal McDonough's ex-cop Wyatt Cain, who wishes he didn't have a heart. But they turn out to be so much more than the sum of their missing parts. This series gives the lessons of the past their due, but it also has a great deal more to say...

Tune in to Tin Man Sunday at 9 p.m. on Sci Fi, see what you think (we admit, the first 20 minutes are a little slow, but give it time, please!). Then come by the Chat on Monday for more tips on what else is coming down that yellow brick road.

Hulk Bodyslams Alimony, Custody Claims

2007-12-01T19:24:00.000+05:30

When it comes to the terms of his divorce from wife Linda Bollea, Hulk Hogan is more than convinced he knows best.

The wrestler, whose real name is Terry Bollea, has filed a counterpetition to his wife's divorce suit. In his filing, the Hulkster contests his missus' call for unspecified alimony and child support, as well as her bid for primary custody of the duo's speed-demon son, Nick, claiming the 17-year-old should be able to decide for himself with which parent he wishes to reside.

The Hogan Knows Best stars, who have been married for 24 years, also have a daughter, aspiring pop star Brooke, but she's 19 and not subject to custody arrangements.

In his filing, the 54-year-old mustachioed patriarch left no point undisputed, even questioning the marriage date Linda listed on her divorce petition, filed last week. While she jotted down Dec. 12, 1983 as the big day, the semiretired WWE icon claimed it was actually Dec. 18. Public records back up his timeline.

One thing there doesn't seem to be much disagreement on is when things went sour for the duo. Per court documents, they separated in September, a month after their son's car crash left his passenger, Iraq veteran John Graziano, hospitalized in a coma.

In her petition, Linda sought legal custody of Nick until his 18th birthday next July, although she said she was open to "liberal visitation" for the grappler.

In his reply, Terry countered that "it would be in the best interest for the parties to have shared parental responsibility."

Linda, 48, has also requested half of the couple's shared assets, which include more than $9.5 million in real-estate holdings, as well as unspecified amounts of alimony and child support. She also wants him to cover all her legal expenses. Hulk, meanwhile, said in his filing that Linda was more than capable of supporting herself and helping to support their son.

He did, however, indicate he would continue to provide health insurance for the family.

As for Linda's claim to half the couple's assets, Hulk's petition mentions "numerous liabilities, contingent liabilities, obligations and debts which must be resolved as part of any equitable distribution that may be accomplished by the court."

Linda's attorney, Elliot Jay Goldstein, told southern Florida's Herald-Tribune newspaper Thursday that he has already filed a response to the wrestler's petition by mail, though did not disclose its content.

Along with Terry Hogan's counterpetition, depositions given by Deborah and Michael Graziano, the mother and brother of John Graziano, were released Thursday. The 22-year-old is expected to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home, requiring constant care.

Nick Bollea is facing charges of felony reckless driving involving serious bodily injury as a result of the crash. Police are currently investigating whether the crash occurred as a result of illegal racing. Shortly after the accident, the teen told Deborah that the smash was caused when he was unable to avoid a standing water puddle and skidded into a tree.

"He said they were driving, and he saw a puddle, and he tried to avoid it, but there was a car next to him that he couldn't get around," she told prosecutors. "So, they hit the puddle and hydroplaned."

Per the newly released documents, Clearwater Police Officer David Nugent questioned the statement, saying neither he nor his fellow investigator "saw any standing water that could result in a hydroplane situation."

Meanwhile, Nick's attorney, Kevin Hayslett, defended his client's statement, saying the water, a result of a recent rainfall, "was a contributing if not the proximate cause of this accident."

In her deposition, Deborah also said that Terry Bollea was "very upset" that his son took the 1998 Toyota Supra out with his three friends, but was unable to stop them as he was in the shower when they decided to leave the house in the vehicle.

"He said...he always takes too long in the shower, and the kids were tired of waiting for him," she said. "And if he didn't take so long maybe they would have waited for him and then they wouldn't have taken that car and gone."

The Grazianos, who are separated and have different representation, have said that they plan on filing suit against the Bollea family.

by Gina Serpe
Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:55:24 PM PST

Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=d82187a5-cc5a-445e-b630-e41ac90dc0c3

The Strike, Your Marriage and You

2007-12-01T19:21:00.000+05:30

With the assistance of Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? writer Bob Kushell helps you survive your marriage during the Writers' Strike.

Sundance Announces 2008 Lineup

2007-11-29T07:29:00.001+05:30

The Sundance Institute has released the list of movies that will play at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Dramatic competition entrants include the awaited big-screen version of Michael Chabon's The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, from filmmaker Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) and starring Sienna Miller, Peter Sarsgaard, and Nick Nolte, and an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel Choke, directed by actor Clark Gregg (The New Adventures of Old Christine) and starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. Documentaries cover the usual assortment of topical fare (films about New Orleans, slavery, war-torn Africa, and steroids) and personality profiles (Hunter S. Thompson, Patti Smith, and Roman Polanski). In total, 121 movies from 25 countries were selected from 3,624 submissions — the biggest number ever. The festival runs from January 17-27 in Park City and other locations in Utah. The full Sundance slate can be found on Sundance.org.

By Joshua Rich Joshua Rich Joshua Rich is a staff editor for EW.com

NBC orders more episodes of 'Chuck,' 'Life'

2007-11-29T07:24:00.000+05:30

NBC has clearly taken to heart the name of Chuck's place of employment, Buy More: The network just ordered nine additional episodes of the freshman drama starring Zachary Levi as a most unlikely secret agent man. The Peacock gave the same love to another new hourlong series, Life, meaning that when this strike business is finally resolved, both Chuck and Life will run for a full season. Meanwhile, NBC’s two other first-year dramas — Bionic Woman and Journeyman — can only press their noses against the renewal glass and pray for an early Christmas present.

Stuck on a Family Hamster Wheel, Mile After Mile, Year After Year

2007-11-29T07:19:00.000+05:30

The hands that rock the cradle sometimes tip it over. Watching “The Savages,” Tamara Jenkins’s beautifully nuanced tragicomedy about two floundering souls, you have to wonder if those hands didn’t also knock that cradle clear across the nursery, sending both Savage children into perpetual free-fall.
Certainly Jon Savage, the angry lump played by a brilliant — oh, let’s just cut to it — the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman, looks like a man who’s taken as much abuse as he likes to deliver. One night, Jon, a college professor who lives and teaches in Buffalo, is awakened from a deep sleep (Ms. Jenkins has a nice way with metaphor) to discover that his father, Lenny (a fine Philip Bosco), has gone around the bend and has begun finger-painting with his feces. The bearer of these unfortunate tidings is Jon’s younger sister, Wendy (Laura Linney, sharp and vanity free), a self-professed playwright whose greatest, perhaps only creation is the closely nurtured story of wounded narcissism and family wrongs unwinding in her head.

They mess you up, your mum and dad, Philip Larkin more or less wrote, which, though it provides steadfast inspiration for poets of all disciplines, has emerged as one of the banes of American independent cinema. At first glance “The Savages,” which had its premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, looks like another one of those dreaded indie encounter sessions in which everyone cracks wise and weary on the bumpy road to self-actualization. Ms. Jenkins, whose gifted first feature, “Slums of Beverly Hills,” fired up movie screens and critics nearly a decade ago, seems incapable of such falsity. I bet she knows the rest of Larkin’s poem, namely, “They fill you with the faults they had/And add some extra, just for you.”

Movie Trailer

Ms. Jenkins never explains how or why or even if Lenny filled Jon and Wendy with his faults, and what caused his wife, their mother, to run away. She omits the talk-show psychology and instead lets the clues seep through the realistic-sounding snippets and strings of dialogue, through sentences (not speeches), questions (not confessions) and silences as lived in as the story’s recognizably real and revelatory spaces. In Wendy and Jon’s separate if similarly cluttered homes, you can almost see the layers of aspiration and disappointment that have accumulated alongside the dust and the books; in Lenny’s sterile house in Sun City, Ariz., you see a man who has not only wiped away his past, but has also erased part of his own self.

In their dyspeptic, quarrelsome fashion, the Savages are blissfully neurotic, often very funny variations on J. M. Barrie’s fictional offspring, John and Wendy Darling, those charmed, magical storybook children. (In their moments of terrifying mutual dependency they can also recall the brother and sister in Jean Cocteau and Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Enfants Terribles.”) If Ms. Jenkins’s middle-age characters have never grown up, in spirit and mind if not in body, it isn’t because they flew off to Neverland in a cloud of fairy dust, but because they did not and could not leave. Yet if Jon and Wendy have stayed locked inside, Ms. Jenkins also suggests — through an image of flight of surprising force and beauty — that some children find other means of escape, including their imaginations.

Ms. Jenkins doesn’t imply that all that pain is a worthwhile price to pay for imagination, but she acknowledges the paradoxical truth that suffering can also be a source of inspiration, a way out of the childhood room we sometimes call the past. For Jon, who is writing a book on Brecht, and his playwright sister, life has become something of a performance. Both were probably given a role to play a long time ago — superior brother, resentful sister — and now act out their parts to perfection. (Jon, who clings to Brecht as if to a baby blanket, is something of a walking alienation effect. ) Jean Renoir once asked, Where does theater end and life begin? Ms. Jenkins seems to answer that question reasonably by saying there is no separation.

It would give away too much to reveal what happens to these distinctly nondarling siblings, whose outbursts and moments of hilarious, often voluble cruelty border on the shrill and the unspeakable. Ms. Jenkins has a gift for family brutality, but she herself isn’t a savage talent. There isn’t a single moment of emotional guff or sentimentality in “The Savages,” a film that caused me to periodically wince, but also left me with a sense of acute pleasure, even joy. It’s the pleasure of a true-to-life tale told by a director and actors who’ve sunk so deep into their movie together you wonder how they ever surfaced. You live with Jon and Wendy Savage gratefully, even when they can’t always do the same.

“The Savages” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). The film has raw words and open wounds.

THE SAVAGES
Opens today in New York and Los Angeles.

Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins; director of photography, Mott Hupfel; edited by Brian A. Kates; music by Stephen Trask; production designer, Jane Ann Stewart; produced by Ted Hope, Anne Carey and Erica Westheimer; released by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 53 minutes.

WITH: Laura Linney (Wendy Savage), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jon Savage), Philip Bosco (Lenny Savage), Peter Friedman (Larry), David Zayas (Eduardo), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Jimmy), Cara Seymour (Kasia), Guy Boyd (Bill Lachman), Debra Monk (Nancy Lachman), Kristine Nielsen (Nurse), Margo Martindale (Roz), Zoe Kazan (Student) and Marianne Weems (Director).

Source: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/movies/28sava.html

Nose on the Prize, but Which Oscar to Sniff?

2007-11-29T07:07:00.000+05:30

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27 — Eddie Valiant, the hard-nosed private eye played by Bob Hoskins in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” wasn’t about to fiddle with animation. “Forget it,” he said. “I don’t work Toontown.”

Now the makers of “Ratatouille” are about to find out if Valiant also speaks for the movie academy in Hollywood.

MOVIE TRAILER

As the awards season heats up, the Walt Disney Company and its Pixar Animation Studios unit have been wrestling with a conundrum posed by their warmly received, computer-animated fable about a rat who aspires to become a Parisian chef: Any move to promote it as the year’s best picture might lead to ballot-splitting that would diminish its chances of getting the less prestigious but more easily won Oscar for best animated film.

More than a technical issue, the dilemma goes to the heart of Hollywood’s evolving attitude toward animated movies. Only one, “Beauty and the Beast,” also from Disney, has ever been nominated for best picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (It lost in 1992 to “The Silence of the Lambs.”) In 2002 “Shrek” became the first winner of an Oscar for best animated feature.

But an unintended consequence of the new category was to confine animated movies to a kind of Academy Awards ghetto precisely as they were flourishing at the box office and challenging the best live-action films with their storytelling art.

“I don’t think anybody ever thought about it,” June Foray, a longtime voice actress (“Rocky and His Friends,” “Mulan”) and former member of the academy’s board of governors, said of the resulting predicament. “We were just proud of getting an Oscar for animated features.” (Richard Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, spotted the danger early on. “We all hope this doesn’t take away the opportunity of an animated feature to be recognized as best picture,” he told Variety in December 2000.)

Under the academy’s rules, films nominated for best animated feature are automatically considered eligible for best picture. Similarly, their actors — though delivering only voice performances — are eligible for general acting nominations, though none have ever received one, and their writers and directors are similarly eligible for general awards.

But studios like Disney and DreamWorks Animation, which made “Shrek,” have come to fear that a push for best-picture votes, however well deserved, will pull some fans among the academy’s 6,000 voting members toward that category, while others cast a vote for animation.

Members could vote for the film in both categories. But Oscar campaigners assume that many would choose just one — a dangerous situation, given the small voting pool and the razor-thin margins that can determine a winner. Such a split could leave even a film as widely admired as “Ratatouille” — A. O. Scott, co-chief film critic for The New York Times, called it “a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film” — without a prize. Meanwhile a strong competitor like, say, “Persepolis,” about growing up in Iran, might slip into the animated winner’s circle.

The studios’ reluctance to advance their animated wares as candidates for best picture is enforced by a perception that actors, the academy’s largest branch, with about 20 percent of the membership, are reluctant to honor movies without live performances. Additionally, the academy has a definite allergy to family fare, like the G-rated “Ratatouille”: 28 R-rated films have been nominated for best picture in the last 10 years, while only two PG-rated movies — “Finding Neverland” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” — have. And none with a G rating have made the cut.

Disney executives declined to discuss their award-season strategy for “Ratatouille.” But early indications show the studio walking an awkward line between reaching for the big prize and pointing voters toward the smaller one.

A two-page advertisement in Monday’s Daily Variety, for instance, described “Ratatouille” as “the best-reviewed film of the year ... around the world.” But it modestly offered the picture “pour votre considération” only as best animated feature, while also mentioning the screenwriter and director Brad Bird.

Although the awards are not announced until Feb. 24, Mr. Bird has already shown up on the screening-and-appearance circuit that helps drive the movie world’s prize campaigns. And Disney’s reticence notwithstanding, a bit of a groundswell is likely to buoy his film’s best-picture prospects as critics’ “10 Best” lists start appearing in December, and the various pre-Oscar prizes, including the Golden Globes (where “Ratatouille” is eligible for only an animated award), fall into place.

Don Hahn, who produced “Beauty and the Beast” for Disney, meanwhile acknowledged that his own film might not have entered the record books with a best-picture nomination if the animated category had existed at the time.

“I hate to think that,” said Mr. Hahn, an executive vice president for Disney’s animation unit. “But as a voter, you tend to categorize animation as a genre as opposed to a technique.”
An admirer of “Ratatouille,” Mr. Hahn said he would be pleased to see that picture and its producer, Brad Lewis, end his own status as the only producer whose film was nominated for more than Toontown honors. “I absolutely want some company,” he said.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/movies/awardsseason/28rata.html?_r=1&ref=movies&oref=slogin

THE DARK KNIGHT TEASER TRAILER!!

2007-11-28T07:30:00.000+05:30

Watch the exclusive video right here!

Sean Taylor Hits

2007-11-28T07:28:00.000+05:30

Compilation of Sean Taylor crushing people in his rookie year

Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model

2007-11-28T07:24:00.000+05:30

Tyra Banks going crazy on America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model

2007-11-28T07:23:00.000+05:30

Hilarious Video of Top Model. www.topmodelforsale.com

Hayden Panettiere- I Still Believe

2007-11-28T07:22:00.000+05:30

"I Still Believe" performed by: Hayden Panettiere from: 'Cinderella 3'

Hayden Panettiere on Dating

2007-11-28T07:21:00.001+05:30

Hayden Panettiere talking about dating in Hollywood.

Hayden Panettiere: Behind the shoot for GQ Magazine

2007-11-28T07:18:00.000+05:30

Here's an behind the scenes look!

Amy Winehouse & Kate Moss Told Stop "Glamorising" Drugs

2007-11-28T07:07:00.000+05:30

Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss have come under fire from the United Nations for 'glamorising' the use of cocaine.

Watch the video here!

Mad TV - Desperate Housewives

2007-11-26T06:42:00.000+05:30

Mad TV parody of Desperate Housewives!!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

I'm Not There Movie Clip

2007-11-26T06:40:00.000+05:30

This is a clip from the new Bob Dylan movie. It stars Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan and David Cross as Allen Ginsberg.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

Kanye West on the passing of his mother LIVE onstage!!

2007-11-26T06:36:00.000+05:30

Kanye West LIVE onstage at Brussels, Belgium on 18/11/2007 talking about the passing of his mother, his emotion and the media. Dedicates the song Don't Stop Believing by Journey.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

Reasons to Be Thankful This TV Season

2007-11-26T06:30:00.000+05:30

Well, tubers, it's that time.

Time to start loosening that belt, mashing those yams and roasting the delicious Tofurkey that will no doubt flawlessly complement your Aunt Margaret's pickled Jell-O salad surprise. (Or maybe it's time to figure out how you're gonna get out of the whole Thanksgiving dinner thing?)

It's also time to pause and take stock in all the glorious reasons for which we can be thankful.

And since this here column is all about all the things we can bow down to worship on the almighty small screen, allow me to share with you a few things that myself and my cohorts in TV-loving crime, Korbi Ghosh and Jennifer Godwin, are especially thankful for this season.

Why? 'Cause we want to. (And we're gonna give you all the chance to do the same! But first, listen up…)

Korbi Is Thankful For:
• The women's movement, which paved the way for careers like the i! nimitable Tina Fey's as well a s many other funny, talented and brainy females.
• The parents of the people who write Dexter, because they spawned some damn smart kids.
• NBC, which renewed the best drama on television, Friday Night Lights.

Jen Is Thankful For:
• The stories. I'm thankful for shows that get enough episodes to create genuine, authentic characters and give them arcs and have them grow and change as people. Movies are awe-inspiring and larger than life; books are deep and smarter than me; but TV people are my people, and I'm thankful there are so many amazing stories being told right now.
• That son of a bitch Sawyer and his crazy girlfriend Kate—those two are epic.
• TiVo, DirecTV, Netflix, screeners, iTunes and YouTube, for making the extremely involved and challenging work of watching TV a little bit easier. Before all that stuff, these working conditions were just terrible. ;)

Kristin ! Is Thankful For:
• J im Halpert and Pam Beesley, who I'm pretty sure could cure cancer, put an end to hate crimes and solve all the problems in the Middle East, if only scientists could find a way to bottle the squeal-good feeling we all experience while watching them. (Legislators: Look into it. Thank you.)
• Dexter. Really, the best thing on TV right now.
• Writer-producers like Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and Tim Kring, who have every right to hate the spoiler-spilling press and hate-spewing fans but still treat all of us with more kindness and respect than some members of our own family. (Plus, they keep doing what they do even though most of us in the same position would have suffered nervous breakdowns and been institutionalized long ago.)
• Finding a guy who has proven that even die-hard fans of Two and a Half Men and cheesy Brazilian telenovelas deserve love, too. (Turns out, that Men show doesn't even suck all that much…Who ! knew?!)
• Everyone who makes it possible for this here column to exist, including, most notably, the aforementioned and thoroughly awesome in every way Jennifer Godwin and Korbi Ghosh, plus my fearless editor Erik Pedersen, producer Kat Forcadas, the copy editors, interns, photo editors, production elves and, most important, our WWK mascot, Moondust, who's taught us too many life lessons to count (hair gel and pantomime among them).
• And most important…YOU, for coming to this column against your better judgment, for keeping me gainfully employed (yes, this is your fault!) and for making me feel a little less of a freak by loving TV as much as I do.

That said, there have to be a few things you're feeling grateful for this Turkey Day, no? So, sound off in our poll below. You can only pick one (because of the way our polls work), but tell us about your other faves in the Comments. What'd we miss? What are your favorite small-s! creen things? Post below, tuberino s—we wanna know!

By Kristin Dos Santos
Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/w/20071121/119568160100.html

'Enchanted' Casts $50M Box-Office Spell

2007-11-26T06:15:00.000+05:30

Audiences fell under the spell of "Enchanted," a fairy-tale romance that debuted as the No. 1 movie and led Hollywood out of its recent box-office doldrums with solid business over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Starring Amy Adams as a cartoon princess exiled to real-world Manhattan by her fiance's wicked stepmother (Susan Sarandon), Disney's "Enchanted" took in $35.3 million over the weekend and $50.05 million since debuting Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Sony Screen Gems' family reunion holiday tale "This Christmas," whose ensemble cast includes Delroy Lindo, Regina King, Mekhi Phifer and Idris Elba, opened at No. 2 with $18.6 million for the weekend and $27.1 million since Wednesday.

Hollywood had been in a box-office funk this fall, but the two movies paced the industry to a healthy Thanksgiving, with the top-12 movies pulling in $218.1 million from Wednesday to Sunday, up 6 percent from the holiday period last year.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

"That's good for an industry that's been in a downtrend for almost two months," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "Thanksgiving sets the tone for the rest of the year and the holiday season in general. This was a key weekend, and it delivered."

"Enchanted" had the second-best five-day Thanksgiving debut ever, behind the $80.1 million haul of Disney's "Toy Story 2." Disney released all five of the top-grossing movie debuts over Thanksgiving, with "Unbreakable," "A Bug's Life" and "101 Dalmatians" trailing "Toy Story 2" and "Enchanted."

"It's a really good place to launch a movie," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. "When you get a movie as strong and well-playing as this, it bodes well for us right through the Christmas holiday."

Among other new wide releases, 20th Century Fox's video-game adaptation "Hitman" debuted at No. 4 with $13 million over the weekend and $21 million since Wednesday. The movie follows the exploits of a genetically engineered assassin (Timothy Olyphant).

The Warner Bros. drama "August Rush" opened in seventh-place with $9.4 million for the weekend and $13.3 million since Wednesday. "August Rush" stars Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Robin Williams in the tale of an orphaned musical prodigy seeking his parents.

The Stephen King adaptation "The Mist," a fright flick distributed by MGM for the Weinstein Co.'s Dimension Films banner, premiered in ninth-place with $9.1 million for the weekend and $13 million since Wednesday.

The third King adaptation from director Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile"), "The Mist" stars Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher and Toby Jones among residents trapped in a supermarket after their Maine town is engulfed in a haze filled with terrifying creatures.

Horror films generally are trashed by critics, but "The Mist" earned fairly positive reviews, much like Dimension Films' summer hit "1408," also based on a King story. Bob Weinstein, co-founder of the Weinstein Co., said that could mean a longer shelf life for "The Mist" the same way that "1408" hung on in theaters.

"It just stuck around, and hopefully, we'll be around for several weeks," Weinstein said. "We're just so thrilled to be in the Stephen King business."

Expanding nationwide after two weeks in limited release, Miramax's "No Country for Old Men" came in at No. 10 with $8.1 million, raising its total to $16.6 million. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the acclaimed crime saga stars Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Enchanted," $35.3 million.
2. "This Christmas," $18.6 million.
3. "Beowulf," $16.2 million.
4. "Hitman," $13 million.
5. "Bee Movie," $12 million.
6. "Fred Claus," $10.7 million.
7. "August Rush," $9.4 million.
8. "American Gangster," $9.2 million.
9. "The Mist," $9.1 million.
10. "No Country for Old Men," $8.1 million.

Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20071125/119602734000.html

David Beckham Denies Ignoring Cancer Kids

2007-11-26T06:09:00.000+05:30

David Beckham's been forced to turn defender after being accused of snubbing a group of child cancer survivors.

Movies Dat Rock

2007-11-25T10:00:00.000+05:30

1. Beowulf - $27.5M
In the age of heroes comes the mightiest warrior of them all, Beowulf. After destroying the overpowering demon Grendel, he incurs the undying wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother, who will use any means possible to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle resonates throughout the ages, immortalizing the name of Beowulf.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Animation and Adaptation

Running Time: 1 hr. 53 min.

Release Date: November 16, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity.

Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures International, Paramount Pictures

U.S. Box Office: $27,515,871

2. Bee Movie - $14.0M
Barry B. Benson is a graduate bee fresh out of college who is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a rare trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans are mass consumers of honey and decides to sue the human race for stealing bees' honey.

Genres: Comedy and Animation

Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

Release Date: November 2nd, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG for mild suggestive humor.

Distributors: Paramount Pictures

U.S. Box Office: $93,570,695

3. American Gangster - $12.9M
Based on the life of drug-kingpin-turned-informant, Frank Lucas, who grew up in segregated North Carolina where he watched as his cousin was shot by the Klan for looking at a white girl. He eventually made his way to Harlem where he became a heroin kingpin by traveling to Asia's Golden Triangle to make connections, shipping heroin back to the US in the coffins of soldiers killed in Vietnam.
Genres: Drama, Thriller, Crime/Gangster and Biopic

Running Time: 2 hrs. 37 min.

Release Date: November 2nd, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: R for violence, pervasive drug content and language, nudity and sexuality.

Distributors: Universal Pictures Distribution

For the week ended 11/18/07

American Music Awards 2007 Winners

2007-11-25T09:43:00.000+05:30

POP OR ROCK
Favorite Male Artist: Justin Timberlake
Favorite Female Artist: Fergie
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Nickleback
Favorite Album: Daughtry/Daughtry

COUNTRY
Favorite Male Artist: Tim McGraw
Favorite Female Artist: Carrie Underwood
Favorite Album: Carrie Underwood/Some Hearts
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES
Favorite Male Artist: Akon
Favorite Female Artist: Rihanna
Favorite Album: Justin Timberlake/FutureSex/LoveSounds

RAP/HIP-HOP
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Favorite Male Artist: T.I.
Favorite Album: T.I./T.I. vs. T.I.P.

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Daughtry

LATIN MUSIC
Favorite Artist: Jennifer Lopez

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist:Linkin Park

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist:Casting Crowns

SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album: High School Musical 2

FAVORITE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Daughtry

Source: http://abc.go.com/primetime/ama/index?pn=winners

Britney Bourne in L.A., Banned in Paris

2007-11-25T09:38:00.000+05:30

At least Britney Spears can let someone else worry about the holiday traffic this weekend.
In light of Friday's court ruling that prohibits her from driving her kids around, the beleaguered pop star is battening down the hatches, although her attorneys didn't detail what sort of new "security measures" the "Oops!…I Did It Again" singer is taking.

"Recent aggressive actions by individuals who have followed [Spears] and blocked her access, with and without the children, have resulted in her decision to take certain security measures which she hopes will only be necessary temporarily, for the protection of the children," lawyer Sorrell Trope said in a statement Monday.

"Ms. Spears hopes that she and Mr. Federline will be able to reach an agreement as to all matters concerning their children. She hopes that by not commenting on court proceedings the media attention in those proceedings will subside, which she requests for the safety and well being of the children."

Trope had no comment on reports that Spears had hired a private investigator to tail Federline.
Federline was awarded full custody on Oct. 1, and Spears is currently entitled to thrice-weekly supervised visits, including one overnight, with two-year-old Sean Preston and year-old Jayden James. She's still required to submit to random drug testing twice a week, and she has one hour to appear after being summoned by the court.

Her chauffeuring privileges were suspended Friday after the court reviewed paparazzi video of her running a red light with her sons in the car. She has also rolled over no fewer than three feet, including one belonging to a sheriff's deputy, over the past five weeks.

The 25-year-old has since employed a driver, who was spotted hauling her and her brood to the Four Seasons hotel over the weekend.

According to a newly released minute order from Friday's hearing, the judge has ordered the paparazzo who filmed Spears' red light run to return to court on Jan. 23. Spears and Federline, or their representatives, are also ordered to appear at that time. (View the minute order.)
As for Turkey Day, TMZ reported Monday that Spears will be celebrating Thanksgiving with her boys a day early, allowing Kevin Federline to take them on Thursday.

And it turns out that this isn't the only type of baggage that's been plaguing the pop princess.
A French civil court has ordered Spears' record label to pay Louis Vuitton more than $117,000 in damages over the pop star's use of one of the famed atelier's signature patterns in the video for her 2004 song "Do Somethin'" off of Greatest Hit: My Prerogative.

The suit named MTV.com, which allowed Francophiles the world over to watch the video, Zomba Label Group, which runs Jive Records, and its parent company Sony BMG as defendants. There was no immediate comment from the Spears contingent.

The video features Spears gliding through a heavenly sky in a pink Hummer tricked out with seats upholstered in Louis Vuitton's Cherry Blossom pattern, which has appeared on the fashion house's ultrapricey handbags and luggage.

But the eighth-most name-checked brand in hip-hop has enough exposure, merci beau coup.
According to the newspaper Le Figaro, the court tribunal, in awarding the damages and issuing an injunction banning the LV-flashing part of "Do Somethin'" in France, ruled that Spears in no uncertain manner spotlighted the brand "so that even a casual viewer would notice."

Louis Vuitton, now a unit of LVMH, argued in its complaint that Spears' association with the brand hurt rather than helped, both in sales and image.While the ruling was issued in French, Louis Vuitton was basically stating that it didn't want its fancy-schmancy image mixed up with whatever message Spears was trying to send at the time.

And that was then.

By Natalie FinnMon, 19 Nov 2007 04:53:03 PM PST
Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=8488c19a-8c48-4237-b12e-b758d74b6d61

Daughtry, Underwood Not Idol at AMAs

2007-11-25T09:34:00.000+05:30

Apparently, all the Chris Daughtry fans were just biding their time, while those Carrie Underwood fans just won't quit.

The gravelly-voiced rocker's eponymous band and the burgeoning country superstar won a leading three pointy prism trophies apiece Sunday at the 2007 American Music Awards, which for the first time in the show's history left the voting process entirely up to fans, who could choose favorites online.

Daughtry collected Favorite Pop/Rock Album honors for its self-titled debut, as well as awards for Favorite Breakthrough Artist and, beating out Norah Jones and John Mayer, Adult Contemporary Artist—not bad for a guy who finished fourth on American Idol.

"Before I go anywhere with this, none of this would be possible for us without the fans," Chris said. "We realize no matter how good our music may be, you guys make us who we are and we thank you for that."

While fans picked the winners, nominees are chosen based on album sales and radio play. Needless to say, Daughtry will be remembered in 2007 for both. As will Underwood, whose fans, it turns out, are all thumbs.

The 24-year-old Idol and Grammy winner also tripled her pleasure, scooping up awards for Favorite Country Album for the long-legged Some Hearts and Female Country Artist, as well as the T-Mobile Text-In Award, which not only means that she is the fans' overall favorite artist of the year, but that she'll probably be getting a free phone, as well.

Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake did almost as well and he didn't even need to show up, accepting AMAs for Favorite Male Rock/Pop Artist and Soul/R&B Album for FutureSex/LoveSounds via satellite from Australia.

Also an absentee two-timer was T.I., on house arrest in Atlanta while awaiting trial on gun-possession charges. His felony status didn't seem to matter to his fans, though, who still named him their Favorite Male Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and named T.I. vs. T.I.P. their favorite album in the genre.

Host Jimmy Kimmel, without a union-sanctioned monologue because of the writers strike, held his own as far as his opening remarks went—"Welcome to the 94th annual American Music Awards. This is my fourth time hosting the show and my first time hosting it drunk"—but then became the 1 millionth person to make a mockery of Kellie Pickler this year by pulling her and reigning Idol champ Jordin Sparks onstage to join him in the YouTube favorite "Soulja Dance."
(A nicer, albeit obvious touch, one that didn't require much dialog: Kid Rock pretending to slug Kimmel when he caught him sitting next to Celine Dion. Alicia Keys was later able to sing "No One" uninterrupted.)

The performance-packed ceremony, actually only in its 35th year, took place at the recently opened Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles and aired live on ABC.

Fergie opened the three-hour show with a "Fergalicious"-"Clumsy"-"Big Girls Don't Cry" medley, which segued into Will.i.am p- p- performing "Heartbreaker" and then teaming up with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger on their single "Baby Love."

Fergie also ended up closing the show with her receipt of the AMA for Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist (Kimmel also thanked Promises for letting so many stars out tonight), but it's possible that she wasn't supposed to, considering several major awards hadn't been handed out by Cinderella time.

At about the midway point, when the audiences' energy could have been flagging, Chris Brown followed up his table-topping performance at the MTV Video Music Awards with another attention-grabbing appearance, this time featuring the 18-year-old and his backup dancers clad head to toe in black track suits and beanies trimmed with glow-in-the-dark stripes—accoutrements that especially came in handy once three dancers were suspended from the ceiling and surrounded by laser lights.

The lasers returned to perk things up Duran Duran took to the stage to perform "Falling Down" off their new album, followed by a rather anemic rendition of "Hungry Like the Wolf."
Beyoncé, who earlier in the evening teamed up with country duo Sugarland for a bluegrass version of "Irreplaceable" (they all did their best), became only the sixth recipient of the International Artist Award, joining fellow luminaries Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, the Bee Gees and Aerosmith, and former luminary Michael Jackson.

"I'm so blessed to wake up every morning and do what I love," the Dreamgirls star said. "I don't take it for granted—I'm so grateful, I'm so honored, I'm so humbled by this award."
Here's the complete list of winners from the 2007 American Music Awards:

Pop/Rock
Male Artist: Justin Timberlake
Female Artist: Fergie
Band, Duo or Group: Nickelback
Album: Daughtry, Daughtry

Country
Male Artist: Tim McGraw
Female Artist: Carrie Underwood
Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts
Album: Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood

Soul/R&B
Male Artist: Akon
Female Artist: Rihanna
Album: FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake

Rap/Hip-Hop
Band, Duo or Group: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Male Artist: T.I.
Album: T.I. vs. T.I.P., T.I.

Miscellaneous
Adult Contemporary Artist: Daughtry
Latin Artist: Jennifer Lopez
Contemporary Inspirational Artist: Casting Crowns
Soundtrack: High School Musical 2
Breakthrough Artist: Daughtry
T-Mobile Text-In Award: Carrie Underwood
International Artist Award: Beyoncé

by Natalie FinnSun, 18 Nov 2007 08:38:25 PM PST
Source: http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=3d1200f1-3b0a-4fe5-8422-f904ec825340