Los Angeles, July 30 (Reuters) - A handwritten pitch and drawings for the television pilot episode of "The Muppet Show" by creator Jim Henson are among items being sold at an upcoming sale of Hollywood memorabilia, auction house Nate D. Sanders said on Monday.
The collection of illustrations, which includes an original Polaroid of Miss Piggy and Henson's handwritten pitch of story ideas, marks the early stages of development for the lovable characters including Kermit the Frog that have become an American pop culture staple.
"The photos and sketches showed Henson's vision as he created one of the most popular shows of all-time," auctioneer Nate Sanders said in a statement.
The complete Muppets lot is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $40,000 at the July 31 auction.
Henson's characters, which include Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, helmed "The Muppet Show" on TV between 1976 and 1981, before appearing in numerous films including 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol,...
The collection of illustrations, which includes an original Polaroid of Miss Piggy and Henson's handwritten pitch of story ideas, marks the early stages of development for the lovable characters including Kermit the Frog that have become an American pop culture staple.
"The photos and sketches showed Henson's vision as he created one of the most popular shows of all-time," auctioneer Nate Sanders said in a statement.
The complete Muppets lot is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $40,000 at the July 31 auction.
Henson's characters, which include Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, helmed "The Muppet Show" on TV between 1976 and 1981, before appearing in numerous films including 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol,...
- 7/30/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
* Lifetime TV channel also named in lawsuit
* Filing comes ahead of new Palin TV show debut
* Lawsuit stems from 2011 incident in Los Angeles bar
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 13 (Reuters) - A man who heckled Bristol Palin in a Los Angeles bar and insulted her conservative politician mother, Sarah Palin, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the single mom of defamation.
Talent manager Stephen Hanks also sued cable channel Lifetime, which includes film of the 2011 incident in Bristol Palin's upcoming reality TV show, claiming he had not given the program's makers his permission to be filmed.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles, stems from a widely publicized September 2011 incident at a bar and restaurant on the famous Sunset Strip.
The amount of damages is not specified but Hank's lawyer, Los Angeles-based Michael Gulden, told Reuters the suit had been filed in federal court...
* Filing comes ahead of new Palin TV show debut
* Lawsuit stems from 2011 incident in Los Angeles bar
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 13 (Reuters) - A man who heckled Bristol Palin in a Los Angeles bar and insulted her conservative politician mother, Sarah Palin, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the single mom of defamation.
Talent manager Stephen Hanks also sued cable channel Lifetime, which includes film of the 2011 incident in Bristol Palin's upcoming reality TV show, claiming he had not given the program's makers his permission to be filmed.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles, stems from a widely publicized September 2011 incident at a bar and restaurant on the famous Sunset Strip.
The amount of damages is not specified but Hank's lawyer, Los Angeles-based Michael Gulden, told Reuters the suit had been filed in federal court...
- 6/13/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
* Lifetime TV channel also named in lawsuit
* Filing comes ahead of new Palin TV show debut
* Lawsuit stems from 2011 incident in Los Angeles bar
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 13 (Reuters) - A man who heckled Bristol Palin in a Los Angeles bar and insulted her conservative politician mother, Sarah Palin, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the single mom of defamation.
Talent manager Stephen Hanks also sued cable channel Lifetime, which includes film of the 2011 incident in Bristol Palin's upcoming reality TV show, claiming he had not given the program's makers his permission to be filmed.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles, stems from a widely publicized September 2011 incident at a bar and restaurant on the famous Sunset Strip.
The amount of damages is not specified but Hank's lawyer, Los Angeles-based Michael Gulden, told Reuters the suit had been filed in federal court...
* Filing comes ahead of new Palin TV show debut
* Lawsuit stems from 2011 incident in Los Angeles bar
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 13 (Reuters) - A man who heckled Bristol Palin in a Los Angeles bar and insulted her conservative politician mother, Sarah Palin, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the single mom of defamation.
Talent manager Stephen Hanks also sued cable channel Lifetime, which includes film of the 2011 incident in Bristol Palin's upcoming reality TV show, claiming he had not given the program's makers his permission to be filmed.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles, stems from a widely publicized September 2011 incident at a bar and restaurant on the famous Sunset Strip.
The amount of damages is not specified but Hank's lawyer, Los Angeles-based Michael Gulden, told Reuters the suit had been filed in federal court...
- 6/13/2012
- by Reuters
- Aol TV.
* Sundance Channel doc looks at lives of feisty women
* Nothing off limits for inspiring series
* Producer hopes series will change perceptions
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 3 (Reuters) - Angela is a stunning model, Auti is a dancer who is trying for a baby, Tiphany is designing a clothes line and Mia works as a graphic designer.
And all four women are paralyzed from the neck or waist down and are about to shatter widespread notions of what it's like to spend life in a wheelchair.
"Push Girls", launching on the Sundance Channel on Monday, chronicles the lives of the ambitious and dynamic quartet in a way that producers say has never before been seen on U.S. television.
"Plenty of people have no idea what it's like to spend the day in the life of someone with a disability, let alone a spinal cord injury," said Tiphany Adams, 29, who...
* Nothing off limits for inspiring series
* Producer hopes series will change perceptions
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles, June 3 (Reuters) - Angela is a stunning model, Auti is a dancer who is trying for a baby, Tiphany is designing a clothes line and Mia works as a graphic designer.
And all four women are paralyzed from the neck or waist down and are about to shatter widespread notions of what it's like to spend life in a wheelchair.
"Push Girls", launching on the Sundance Channel on Monday, chronicles the lives of the ambitious and dynamic quartet in a way that producers say has never before been seen on U.S. television.
"Plenty of people have no idea what it's like to spend the day in the life of someone with a disability, let alone a spinal cord injury," said Tiphany Adams, 29, who...
- 6/4/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles, May 22 (Reuters) - Bristol Palin, among America's most famous young single mothers, returns to the national spotlight next month in a TV reality show spotlighting what producers called her "journey into growing womanhood".
Lifetime television said the series, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" would begin airing on June 19.
It will follow the oldest daughter of Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin, and look at Bristol's life as a single mom to her young son Tripp as the pair move from their home in Alaska to Los Angeles and back again.
Palin, 21, hit the headlines in 2008 when it was learned she was pregnant at age 17, just days after her conservative mother was picked as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.
The young woman has since become a paid speaker on teen pregnancy prevention, written a book and appeared on TV show "Dancing With the Stars."
Sarah Palin's...
Lifetime television said the series, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" would begin airing on June 19.
It will follow the oldest daughter of Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin, and look at Bristol's life as a single mom to her young son Tripp as the pair move from their home in Alaska to Los Angeles and back again.
Palin, 21, hit the headlines in 2008 when it was learned she was pregnant at age 17, just days after her conservative mother was picked as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.
The young woman has since become a paid speaker on teen pregnancy prevention, written a book and appeared on TV show "Dancing With the Stars."
Sarah Palin's...
- 5/22/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles, May 22 (Reuters) - Bristol Palin, among America's most famous young single mothers, returns to the national spotlight next month in a TV reality show spotlighting what producers called her "journey into growing womanhood".
Lifetime television said the series, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" would begin airing on June 19.
It will follow the oldest daughter of Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin, and look at Bristol's life as a single mom to her young son Tripp as the pair move from their home in Alaska to Los Angeles and back again.
Palin, 21, hit the headlines in 2008 when it was learned she was pregnant at age 17, just days after her conservative mother was picked as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.
The young woman has since become a paid speaker on teen pregnancy prevention, written a book and appeared on TV show "Dancing With the Stars."
Sarah Palin's...
Lifetime television said the series, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" would begin airing on June 19.
It will follow the oldest daughter of Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin, and look at Bristol's life as a single mom to her young son Tripp as the pair move from their home in Alaska to Los Angeles and back again.
Palin, 21, hit the headlines in 2008 when it was learned she was pregnant at age 17, just days after her conservative mother was picked as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.
The young woman has since become a paid speaker on teen pregnancy prevention, written a book and appeared on TV show "Dancing With the Stars."
Sarah Palin's...
- 5/22/2012
- by Reuters
- Aol TV.
By Piya Sinha-Roy
(Reuters) -- Michael Jackson's "Bad" returns this September with new music and never-before-seen concert video in the first re-release of a full album from the King of Pop's catalog since he died in 2009, Jackson's record company and estate said on Monday.
The "Bad 25" deluxe package, released on September 18, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the original, Grammy-winning album with hits like "The Way You Make Me Feel," and it will include demos and songs that didn't make the final cut of the original version.
The new songs were recorded in Jackson's studio while he was making the album, and the package also offers a DVD of Jackson's performance for Britain's Prince Charles, Lady Diana and 72,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium in 1988.
The video was discovered in the singer's personal collection, and thought to be the only copy of the performance, taped for Jackson's own use, the estate said.
(Reuters) -- Michael Jackson's "Bad" returns this September with new music and never-before-seen concert video in the first re-release of a full album from the King of Pop's catalog since he died in 2009, Jackson's record company and estate said on Monday.
The "Bad 25" deluxe package, released on September 18, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the original, Grammy-winning album with hits like "The Way You Make Me Feel," and it will include demos and songs that didn't make the final cut of the original version.
The new songs were recorded in Jackson's studio while he was making the album, and the package also offers a DVD of Jackson's performance for Britain's Prince Charles, Lady Diana and 72,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium in 1988.
The video was discovered in the singer's personal collection, and thought to be the only copy of the performance, taped for Jackson's own use, the estate said.
- 5/22/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles, April 24 (Reuters) - Television producer Dick Clark had routine prostate surgery the day before he died last week of a massive heart attack, according to his death certificate.
Clark, who created long-running music show "American Bandstand" and produced the American Music Awards and the Golden Globes, died at a Santa Monica, California hospital on April 18, at the age of 82.
The music industry veteran who suffered a major stroke in 2004, was in the hospital for a procedure to ease acute urinary retention, or difficulty in urinating, according to a copy of his death certificate obtained by celebrity website TMZ.com.
Clark was quietly cremated last week, his spokesman said, and no plans for a memorial or public service have been announced. (Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)...
Clark, who created long-running music show "American Bandstand" and produced the American Music Awards and the Golden Globes, died at a Santa Monica, California hospital on April 18, at the age of 82.
The music industry veteran who suffered a major stroke in 2004, was in the hospital for a procedure to ease acute urinary retention, or difficulty in urinating, according to a copy of his death certificate obtained by celebrity website TMZ.com.
Clark was quietly cremated last week, his spokesman said, and no plans for a memorial or public service have been announced. (Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)...
- 4/25/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Vernell Hackett
Nashville, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Country singer Keith Urban says that during the three weeks he was ordered not to speak late last year after vocal surgery, he learned a few valuable lessons about communication including this: sometimes people talk too much.
"I was amazed at how much noise there is on television and in conversations," Urban told Reuters on Wednesday. "It's rubbish. We could strip away so much ... be more succinct ... and still make our point.
"I realized I'm as guilty as anybody. I learned that when you have to write stuff down you get real particular as to how and what you want to say."
The singer underwent surgery in November to remove polyps from a vocal chord, causing his doctor put him on vocal rest for three weeks and bar him from singing until February.
Urban, who has nothched a No. 1 single "Long Hot Summer" with co-writer Richard Marx,...
Nashville, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Country singer Keith Urban says that during the three weeks he was ordered not to speak late last year after vocal surgery, he learned a few valuable lessons about communication including this: sometimes people talk too much.
"I was amazed at how much noise there is on television and in conversations," Urban told Reuters on Wednesday. "It's rubbish. We could strip away so much ... be more succinct ... and still make our point.
"I realized I'm as guilty as anybody. I learned that when you have to write stuff down you get real particular as to how and what you want to say."
The singer underwent surgery in November to remove polyps from a vocal chord, causing his doctor put him on vocal rest for three weeks and bar him from singing until February.
Urban, who has nothched a No. 1 single "Long Hot Summer" with co-writer Richard Marx,...
- 1/26/2012
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Jason Reitman will be staging a live reading of John Hughes's The Breakfast Club (1985) tonight at Lacma. The full cast, reading through the screenplay together for the first time, won't be known until they appear on stage at 7:30 pm. Update: At Vulture, Margaret Lyons notes that Reitman has tweeted the names of the cast. "Michael Chiklis will play the principal, Jennifer Garner will play the Molly Ringwald character of Claire, and Aaron Paul will play Judd Nelson's character, Bender. Aaron Paul! As Judd Nelson! They join Mindy Kaling (Ally Sheedy), James Van Der Beek (Emilio Estevez), Patton Oswalt (Anthony Michael Hall), and Jk Simmons (the janitor)."
"18 years after the sudden death of actor River Phoenix, Dutch director George Sluizer says he will finish Dark Blood, the 1993 drama that Phoenix was shooting when he died of a heart attack on Halloween night outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles.
"18 years after the sudden death of actor River Phoenix, Dutch director George Sluizer says he will finish Dark Blood, the 1993 drama that Phoenix was shooting when he died of a heart attack on Halloween night outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles.
- 10/20/2011
- MUBI
Arnold Schwarzenegger is writing a memoir about his rise to fame and unlikely transition from Austrian-born champion bodybuilder to Hollywood action star to California governor, his publisher said on Thursday.
Schwarzenegger, 64, who in May announced his separation from wife Maria Shriver after admitting to fathering a child out of wedlock, is "chronicling his embodiment of the American Dream" in his second autobiography, publisher Simon & Schuster said.
The memoir, titled "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," was acquired by Simon & Schuster after Schwarzenegger began working on the book last year. It will be released in October, 2012.
Named after his 1990 film "Total Recall" near the pinnacle of his movie career, the book will return to Schwarzenegger's roots where he started lifting weights as a teenager in a small Austrian village before winning Mr. Universe titles and moving to the United States at the...
Schwarzenegger, 64, who in May announced his separation from wife Maria Shriver after admitting to fathering a child out of wedlock, is "chronicling his embodiment of the American Dream" in his second autobiography, publisher Simon & Schuster said.
The memoir, titled "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," was acquired by Simon & Schuster after Schwarzenegger began working on the book last year. It will be released in October, 2012.
Named after his 1990 film "Total Recall" near the pinnacle of his movie career, the book will return to Schwarzenegger's roots where he started lifting weights as a teenager in a small Austrian village before winning Mr. Universe titles and moving to the United States at the...
- 9/22/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Big, brash new singing contest "The X Factor" was thumped on its U.S. TV debut, with American audiences preferring comedy "Modern Family" in their millions, ratings figures showed on Thursday.
After months of hype and bold predictions by its creator Simon Cowell, just 12.1 million Americans tuned in for the debut of "The X Factor" on Fox -- about half the audience for the most recent season of "American Idol".
Instead, "Modern Family" -- the affectionate ABC mockumentary that won big at the Emmy Awards last weekend -- drew 14.3 million viewers to make it the most-watched TV show of Wednesday night, early numbers for Nielsen media research showed.
Critics were also mostly underwhelmed by "X Factor", which Cowell had predicted earlier this year would thrash the competition and replace "Idol" as the most-watched show on U.S. television.
"It quickly becomes clear that this series, which...
After months of hype and bold predictions by its creator Simon Cowell, just 12.1 million Americans tuned in for the debut of "The X Factor" on Fox -- about half the audience for the most recent season of "American Idol".
Instead, "Modern Family" -- the affectionate ABC mockumentary that won big at the Emmy Awards last weekend -- drew 14.3 million viewers to make it the most-watched TV show of Wednesday night, early numbers for Nielsen media research showed.
Critics were also mostly underwhelmed by "X Factor", which Cowell had predicted earlier this year would thrash the competition and replace "Idol" as the most-watched show on U.S. television.
"It quickly becomes clear that this series, which...
- 9/22/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Oscar organizers on Wednesday unveiled a tough new set of rules that cracks down on the types of events Academy Award voters can attend before making their picks for the world's top film awards.
The new rules are meant to help create a more level playing field for nominated movies, actors and actresses by curbing the wining and dining that takes place for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of the awards.
"These campaign regulations play an important role in protecting the integrity of the Academy Awards process and the distinction of the Oscar," Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement.
The key change is that after nominations are announced on January 24, Academy members can only attend screenings of movies, but not a party or event if there is no screening.
That means many dinners and gatherings where performers, producers...
The new rules are meant to help create a more level playing field for nominated movies, actors and actresses by curbing the wining and dining that takes place for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of the awards.
"These campaign regulations play an important role in protecting the integrity of the Academy Awards process and the distinction of the Oscar," Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement.
The key change is that after nominations are announced on January 24, Academy members can only attend screenings of movies, but not a party or event if there is no screening.
That means many dinners and gatherings where performers, producers...
- 9/22/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Television musical comedy "Glee" returned to smaller audiences but warm reviews after a summer of confusion over the future of its stars, a box-office flop of a concert movie and disappointment at the Emmys.
The Fox show attracted just 8.9 million viewers, a 30 percent drop on last year's season two opener, according to figures on Wednesday from media research company Nielsen.
But those who watched the subversive comedy about a failing high school show choir mostly liked what they saw.
Entertainment Weekly said it was "a really satisfying start to the new year." Rolling Stone praised the plot, the witty repartee and song choice but thought the season opener "didn't hit any of the emotional notes 'Glee' is capable of."
As promised, the show made clear that lead characters Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr....
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Television musical comedy "Glee" returned to smaller audiences but warm reviews after a summer of confusion over the future of its stars, a box-office flop of a concert movie and disappointment at the Emmys.
The Fox show attracted just 8.9 million viewers, a 30 percent drop on last year's season two opener, according to figures on Wednesday from media research company Nielsen.
But those who watched the subversive comedy about a failing high school show choir mostly liked what they saw.
Entertainment Weekly said it was "a really satisfying start to the new year." Rolling Stone praised the plot, the witty repartee and song choice but thought the season opener "didn't hit any of the emotional notes 'Glee' is capable of."
As promised, the show made clear that lead characters Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr....
- 9/21/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
(Reuters) - R.E.M, once dubbed "America's Best Rock & Roll Band," said on Wednesday they decided to "call it a day" after more than 30 years of generating hits and selling millions of records.
Key members of the band, whose hits include "The One I Love" and "Losing My Religion," addressed fans in a posting on their website, thanking them for their loyalty and saying they have astonished even themselves with their accomplishments.
"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.
"We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening," the band said in its posting.
R.E.M , made up of singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck,...
Key members of the band, whose hits include "The One I Love" and "Losing My Religion," addressed fans in a posting on their website, thanking them for their loyalty and saying they have astonished even themselves with their accomplishments.
"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.
"We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening," the band said in its posting.
R.E.M , made up of singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck,...
- 9/21/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
New York (Reuters) - Dave Stewart went to the hilltop and called on a higher rock star -- Mick Jagger. Thus began Superheavy, a project shrouded in secrecy for two years and now with one album released this week to its credit
Stewart, founder of the Eurythmics, rang the Rolling Stones frontman from a hilltop in Jamaica with the idea of forming a super group from different genres.
They brought together British soul singer Joss Stone, reggae artist Damian Marley and composer A.R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer behind the "Slumdog Millionaire" score, to form Superheavy, which produced a record of the same name.
They tested the idea with a two-hour studio session in Los Angeles two years ago, producing what Stewart called "this huge noise."
"That gave us a lot of confidence," Jagger told Reuters with all his bandmates, except Marley, the youngest son of the late Bob Marley. "We got a lot of songs.
Stewart, founder of the Eurythmics, rang the Rolling Stones frontman from a hilltop in Jamaica with the idea of forming a super group from different genres.
They brought together British soul singer Joss Stone, reggae artist Damian Marley and composer A.R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer behind the "Slumdog Millionaire" score, to form Superheavy, which produced a record of the same name.
They tested the idea with a two-hour studio session in Los Angeles two years ago, producing what Stewart called "this huge noise."
"That gave us a lot of confidence," Jagger told Reuters with all his bandmates, except Marley, the youngest son of the late Bob Marley. "We got a lot of songs.
- 9/21/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Actor Tom Sizemore spent several hours behind bars in Los Angeles on Tuesday for apparently missing a court date last month, police and judicial officials said.
The "Saving Private Ryan" actor, is trying to make a comeback from drug addiction with a role in TV show "Hawaii Five-o", was arrested by police during a drug-related investigation.
Although no drugs were found, police found Sizemore had an outstanding warrant against him, which officials said was issued when he failed to turn up for a court date in August relating to a 2009 arrest for battery.
Sizemore, 49, has spent years in an out of courts on drug related charges and appeared on TV show "Celebrity Rehab" in 2010 to try and beat his habit.
He is set to appear in the new season of detective series "Hawaii 5-o" as the internal affairs chief of Hawaii's police department.
Sizemore was released...
The "Saving Private Ryan" actor, is trying to make a comeback from drug addiction with a role in TV show "Hawaii Five-o", was arrested by police during a drug-related investigation.
Although no drugs were found, police found Sizemore had an outstanding warrant against him, which officials said was issued when he failed to turn up for a court date in August relating to a 2009 arrest for battery.
Sizemore, 49, has spent years in an out of courts on drug related charges and appeared on TV show "Celebrity Rehab" in 2010 to try and beat his habit.
He is set to appear in the new season of detective series "Hawaii 5-o" as the internal affairs chief of Hawaii's police department.
Sizemore was released...
- 9/21/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Alicia Powell and Christine Kearney
New York (Reuters) - Getting beaten up is never a good thing, unless maybe you're Gavin DeGraw. In which case, it could even make life "Sweeter."
The U.S. singer-songwriter isn't bitter about being thrashed by a group of men in New York and hospitalized for days in August, a month before his new album was released, telling Reuters it was, in the end, the "best case scenario."
The pop and rock singer spoke about the late-night attack, which made worldwide headlines only weeks before his fourth studio album, "Sweeter" featuring the single "Not Over You," was released on Tuesday.
Before the attack, DeGraw was best known for the 2004 single "I Don't Want To Be" which broke onto top 40 charts in Britain, Australia and The Netherlands, peaked at No. 10 on the Us Billboard Hot 100 and was widely covered by contestants in TV shows such as "American Idol.
New York (Reuters) - Getting beaten up is never a good thing, unless maybe you're Gavin DeGraw. In which case, it could even make life "Sweeter."
The U.S. singer-songwriter isn't bitter about being thrashed by a group of men in New York and hospitalized for days in August, a month before his new album was released, telling Reuters it was, in the end, the "best case scenario."
The pop and rock singer spoke about the late-night attack, which made worldwide headlines only weeks before his fourth studio album, "Sweeter" featuring the single "Not Over You," was released on Tuesday.
Before the attack, DeGraw was best known for the 2004 single "I Don't Want To Be" which broke onto top 40 charts in Britain, Australia and The Netherlands, peaked at No. 10 on the Us Billboard Hot 100 and was widely covered by contestants in TV shows such as "American Idol.
- 9/21/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - "Royal wedding" and "winning" (as in Charlie Sheen's catch-phrase) were the two most used phrases on television in 2011, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
The rantings of the former "Two and A Half Men" actor beat "Arab Spring" and Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" singing show when it came to dominating TV screens in the official 2010-11 U.S. TV season, the Global Language Monitor said.
"This is apparently shaping up to be the Year of Kate (Middleton). She has come to dominate the small screen through her engagement, her fashion choices and most of all her royal wedding," said Paul Jj Payack, president of Global Language Monitor.
Middleton's April wedding to Britain's Prince William was watched by millions of people around the world and generated massive media attention.
But Sheen wasn't far behind. The comedy star embarked on a series of bizarre interviews,...
The rantings of the former "Two and A Half Men" actor beat "Arab Spring" and Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" singing show when it came to dominating TV screens in the official 2010-11 U.S. TV season, the Global Language Monitor said.
"This is apparently shaping up to be the Year of Kate (Middleton). She has come to dominate the small screen through her engagement, her fashion choices and most of all her royal wedding," said Paul Jj Payack, president of Global Language Monitor.
Middleton's April wedding to Britain's Prince William was watched by millions of people around the world and generated massive media attention.
But Sheen wasn't far behind. The comedy star embarked on a series of bizarre interviews,...
- 9/20/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Dolores Hope, the wife of late entertainer Bob Hope, died on Monday of natural causes at the age of 102, a family spokesman said.
Hope, a singer who put her career on hold after her marriage, died in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles, said spokesman Harlan Boll. Bob Hope, her husband of almost 70 years, died in July 2003 at the age of 100.
Dolores Hope had a singing career in New York before she met her entertainer husband and married him. Together, they moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue a career in film and television.
The couple raised four children and Dolores often accompanied Hope on his many visits to entertain U.S. troops overseas.
At the age of 83, she revived her singing career, recording several albums and performing with Rosemary Clooney. She made her last visit to U.S. servicemen at age 84, during the 1991 Gulf War,...
Hope, a singer who put her career on hold after her marriage, died in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles, said spokesman Harlan Boll. Bob Hope, her husband of almost 70 years, died in July 2003 at the age of 100.
Dolores Hope had a singing career in New York before she met her entertainer husband and married him. Together, they moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue a career in film and television.
The couple raised four children and Dolores often accompanied Hope on his many visits to entertain U.S. troops overseas.
At the age of 83, she revived her singing career, recording several albums and performing with Rosemary Clooney. She made her last visit to U.S. servicemen at age 84, during the 1991 Gulf War,...
- 9/19/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Viewership for the 2001 Primetime Emmy Awards fell 8 percent from last year to just over 12 million Americans who watched Jane Lynch host the heavily promoted TV show that drew mixed critical reviews.
According to preliminary viewing figures from media research company Nielsen, 12.4 million people watched the three-hour show, down from 13.5 million last year when the Emmys were moved to avoid competition from popular football games.
If the early results hold up, that would make Sunday's Emmys on Fox one of the least viewed telecasts of the past five years. The show put on by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which gives awards for programs and performances, received its lowest ever audience in 2008 when 12.2 million Americans tuned in.
Time magazine blogger James Poniewozik described Lynch, who won an Emmy last year for her acid-tongued cheerleader coach role in "Glee", as "game" in her hosting duties but...
According to preliminary viewing figures from media research company Nielsen, 12.4 million people watched the three-hour show, down from 13.5 million last year when the Emmys were moved to avoid competition from popular football games.
If the early results hold up, that would make Sunday's Emmys on Fox one of the least viewed telecasts of the past five years. The show put on by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which gives awards for programs and performances, received its lowest ever audience in 2008 when 12.2 million Americans tuned in.
Time magazine blogger James Poniewozik described Lynch, who won an Emmy last year for her acid-tongued cheerleader coach role in "Glee", as "game" in her hosting duties but...
- 9/19/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - He is one of the greatest American film directors working, but on Sunday night it was the world of U.S. television that Martin Scorsese ruled over, winning an Emmy for directing drama "Boardwalk Empire."
The pilot episode of the series, which is set in 1930s Prohibition-era Atlantic City at a time when mob bosses ruled that seaside town, was directed by Scorsese, and if he had his way, the maker of "GoodFellas" and "Raging Bull" said he'd like to direct more.
""I've always dreamed of working on a project where the characters can develop over a period of time," Scorsese told reporters backstage at the Emmys. "You can develop plot, characters ... and get more done over a longer period of time. It gives you more license and much more freedom."
Scorsese, 68, had been nominated for Oscars, the film industry's top honors, seven times before finally...
The pilot episode of the series, which is set in 1930s Prohibition-era Atlantic City at a time when mob bosses ruled that seaside town, was directed by Scorsese, and if he had his way, the maker of "GoodFellas" and "Raging Bull" said he'd like to direct more.
""I've always dreamed of working on a project where the characters can develop over a period of time," Scorsese told reporters backstage at the Emmys. "You can develop plot, characters ... and get more done over a longer period of time. It gives you more license and much more freedom."
Scorsese, 68, had been nominated for Oscars, the film industry's top honors, seven times before finally...
- 9/19/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Zorianna Kit
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Playing up one of the most popular colors of the fall season, the red carpet was awash in a variety of crimson and scarlet dresses at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday.
"One of fall's hottest trend colors is crimson, and the stars didn't miss a beat on the Emmy's red carpet this year," said style expert Sam Saboura, citing Lea Michele, Kate Winslet, Nina Dobrev, Kerry Washington and Adrianne Palicki among the many stars wearing the bold color.
Even actor Allan Cumming opted for the hue, wearing red pants with his tuxedo jacket.
Additionally, bright blues and aquas -- showcased during this past week's Fashion Week as colors to wear next spring -- showed up on stars like Cobie Smulders, Claire Danes and Amy Poehler.
"Sleeves were everywhere," observed fashion watcher Shara Koplowitz. "Actresses wore sleeves that best accentuated their arms."
That meant short sleeves on Michele,...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Playing up one of the most popular colors of the fall season, the red carpet was awash in a variety of crimson and scarlet dresses at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday.
"One of fall's hottest trend colors is crimson, and the stars didn't miss a beat on the Emmy's red carpet this year," said style expert Sam Saboura, citing Lea Michele, Kate Winslet, Nina Dobrev, Kerry Washington and Adrianne Palicki among the many stars wearing the bold color.
Even actor Allan Cumming opted for the hue, wearing red pants with his tuxedo jacket.
Additionally, bright blues and aquas -- showcased during this past week's Fashion Week as colors to wear next spring -- showed up on stars like Cobie Smulders, Claire Danes and Amy Poehler.
"Sleeves were everywhere," observed fashion watcher Shara Koplowitz. "Actresses wore sleeves that best accentuated their arms."
That meant short sleeves on Michele,...
- 9/19/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Fine art, jewelry and Hollywood memorabilia owned by Tony Curtis -- including the yachtsman jacket he wore in "Some Like It Hot" -- brought in over $1 million on the auction block on Saturday, more than twice the presale estimates.
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
- 9/18/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Julie Gordon
Toronto (Reuters) - Madonna may have stolen the lion's share of the headlines, but there were plenty of films by women directors earning a lot of buzz at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which draws to a close on Sunday.
From the invention of the vibrator to the aftermath of a school massacre, women brought comedy and complexity to the event that helps launch Hollywood's Oscar season.
From Madonna's "W.E." to Sarah Polley's "Take This Waltz", many of the films delved into familiar themes of relationships, marriage and children, but it is unfair to label them as "chick flicks", said Canadian actress and director Polley.
"If you make a movie about a woman, whether it's by a woman or from the perspective of woman, then it's (labeled) a 'chick flick,'" she said. "But there's no matching marginalizing term to talk about a movie that stars a man.
Toronto (Reuters) - Madonna may have stolen the lion's share of the headlines, but there were plenty of films by women directors earning a lot of buzz at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which draws to a close on Sunday.
From the invention of the vibrator to the aftermath of a school massacre, women brought comedy and complexity to the event that helps launch Hollywood's Oscar season.
From Madonna's "W.E." to Sarah Polley's "Take This Waltz", many of the films delved into familiar themes of relationships, marriage and children, but it is unfair to label them as "chick flicks", said Canadian actress and director Polley.
"If you make a movie about a woman, whether it's by a woman or from the perspective of woman, then it's (labeled) a 'chick flick,'" she said. "But there's no matching marginalizing term to talk about a movie that stars a man.
- 9/17/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Zorianna Kit
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Adults can embrace their inner child with T-shirts by Lotty Dotty featuring the image of a paper doll who comes with her own detachable Velcro clothing to mix and match, changing the doll's outfit to fit the wearer's own personal fashion.
The offbeat shirts are just one of the many items being handed to celebrities at gifting suites in Los Angeles this week in the lead-up to Sunday's Emmy Awards, U.S. television's top honors that bring out A-list Hollywood TV stars.
Gifting lounges have become important marketing tools for companies, and even in the recent gloomy economic climate, the suites open up as a way for established companies and upstarts to gain exposure for new products or reintroductions. In recent years, many have begun to give some proceeds to charities.
By giving their products to celebrities as a "gift," marketers hope consumers...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Adults can embrace their inner child with T-shirts by Lotty Dotty featuring the image of a paper doll who comes with her own detachable Velcro clothing to mix and match, changing the doll's outfit to fit the wearer's own personal fashion.
The offbeat shirts are just one of the many items being handed to celebrities at gifting suites in Los Angeles this week in the lead-up to Sunday's Emmy Awards, U.S. television's top honors that bring out A-list Hollywood TV stars.
Gifting lounges have become important marketing tools for companies, and even in the recent gloomy economic climate, the suites open up as a way for established companies and upstarts to gain exposure for new products or reintroductions. In recent years, many have begun to give some proceeds to charities.
By giving their products to celebrities as a "gift," marketers hope consumers...
- 9/17/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Janet Guttsman
Toronto (Reuters) - Pink ribbons dumb down the grim realities of treating cancer, and hide the profit-focused core of many high-profile fund-raising events, according to a movie that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this week.
"Pink Ribbons, Inc." takes a detailed look at some of the colorful fundraising events in North America, where women, united in their fight against breast cancer and mostly dressed in pink, cheer their way along scenic routes.
The film questions the priorities of the campaigns and the broad use of the pink-ribbon logo as a fight-breast-cancer addition to products as diverse as T-shirts, toilet tissue and handguns.
"For me, pink ribbons were something very innocent," said Lea Pool, director of the made-in-Canada documentary, which emphasizes the corporate sponsors of many of the events.
"I think it's still not a bad idea, but I was very afraid of all the corporations and...
Toronto (Reuters) - Pink ribbons dumb down the grim realities of treating cancer, and hide the profit-focused core of many high-profile fund-raising events, according to a movie that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this week.
"Pink Ribbons, Inc." takes a detailed look at some of the colorful fundraising events in North America, where women, united in their fight against breast cancer and mostly dressed in pink, cheer their way along scenic routes.
The film questions the priorities of the campaigns and the broad use of the pink-ribbon logo as a fight-breast-cancer addition to products as diverse as T-shirts, toilet tissue and handguns.
"For me, pink ribbons were something very innocent," said Lea Pool, director of the made-in-Canada documentary, which emphasizes the corporate sponsors of many of the events.
"I think it's still not a bad idea, but I was very afraid of all the corporations and...
- 9/17/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Richard Leong
New York (Reuters) - Star singer Andrea Bocelli dazzled thousands with his signature brand of pop and opera in a cold, wet night in New York City's Central Park, which will be etched in his memory as an important career milestone.
The Italian tenor considers Thursday's free concert, which 60,000 had been expected to attend, as one that keeps him squarely in the footsteps of other opera stars including Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo who also have performed on the stage of the famed park.
"Most of (my) important milestones happened in New York," the 52-year-old told Reuters through an interpreter before the concert.
Bocelli, who has sold 70 million records worldwide, has performed at other famous New York venues including Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. But a free concert in Central Park is always a special event for performers as well as New Yorkers.
"Things are all things one would hope for.
New York (Reuters) - Star singer Andrea Bocelli dazzled thousands with his signature brand of pop and opera in a cold, wet night in New York City's Central Park, which will be etched in his memory as an important career milestone.
The Italian tenor considers Thursday's free concert, which 60,000 had been expected to attend, as one that keeps him squarely in the footsteps of other opera stars including Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo who also have performed on the stage of the famed park.
"Most of (my) important milestones happened in New York," the 52-year-old told Reuters through an interpreter before the concert.
Bocelli, who has sold 70 million records worldwide, has performed at other famous New York venues including Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. But a free concert in Central Park is always a special event for performers as well as New Yorkers.
"Things are all things one would hope for.
- 9/16/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Julie Gordon
Toronto (Reuters) - Ambition and folk art collide in director Jim Field Smith's comedy, "Butter," which uses a state fair butter carving competition to satirize the divisiveness of American politics.
The British comedian-turned-filmmaker crafts the story of Laura Pickler, a woman who steps into her husband's shoes as a competitive butter sculptor after he is pressured into retirement in order to give someone else a chance to win.
For Pickler, played with pitbull edge by Jennifer Garner, being the better half of Iowa's most popular butter artist is just the first step toward an eventual future in politics.
But standing between her and the Governor's mansion is Destiny; a young, black foster child whose prodigal talent and passion for butter carving whip the crowd, and local judges, into a frenzy. It's up to Pickler to put Destiny down.
"To a certain extent it's about ambition," Field Smith told Reuters.
Toronto (Reuters) - Ambition and folk art collide in director Jim Field Smith's comedy, "Butter," which uses a state fair butter carving competition to satirize the divisiveness of American politics.
The British comedian-turned-filmmaker crafts the story of Laura Pickler, a woman who steps into her husband's shoes as a competitive butter sculptor after he is pressured into retirement in order to give someone else a chance to win.
For Pickler, played with pitbull edge by Jennifer Garner, being the better half of Iowa's most popular butter artist is just the first step toward an eventual future in politics.
But standing between her and the Governor's mansion is Destiny; a young, black foster child whose prodigal talent and passion for butter carving whip the crowd, and local judges, into a frenzy. It's up to Pickler to put Destiny down.
"To a certain extent it's about ambition," Field Smith told Reuters.
- 9/16/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - A story posted on Parade magazine's website on Thursday in which Brad Pitt talks about his life with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston put the actor in damage control mode, saying his words had been misinterpreted.
The 47-year-old Pitt said in a profile by Parade magazine posted on the publication's website that he is now a "satisfied man" in his relationship with Angelina Jolie.
The "Moneyball" star compares his new life with Jolie, with whom he is raising 6 kids, favorably to the roughly five years he spent married to Aniston.
"It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself," Pitt told Parade.
"I think that my marriage (to Aniston) had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't," he added.
Those quotes...
The 47-year-old Pitt said in a profile by Parade magazine posted on the publication's website that he is now a "satisfied man" in his relationship with Angelina Jolie.
The "Moneyball" star compares his new life with Jolie, with whom he is raising 6 kids, favorably to the roughly five years he spent married to Aniston.
"It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself," Pitt told Parade.
"I think that my marriage (to Aniston) had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't," he added.
Those quotes...
- 9/16/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Julie Gordon
Toronto (Reuters) - To say Toronto was abuzz with "Hysteria" would be an understatement.
The film, which is based on the true story of the first electronic vibrator's invention in the 1880s, premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday but even before the curtain rose, the movie's stars and director had reporters laughing at a news conference.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, who portrays one of the key characters, said that among the best perks of the job was all the unsolicited "gifts" she received while shooting in London.
"By the time I finished the movie I'd been sent maybe 15 vibrators by different people in London with vibrator stores," said Gyllenhaal. "It was a pleasant surprise."
"It's been happening to me my whole career," joked the film's lead actor, Hugh Dancy, to peals of laughter from the gathered press.
Joking aside, Gyllenhaal said the film presented a serious...
Toronto (Reuters) - To say Toronto was abuzz with "Hysteria" would be an understatement.
The film, which is based on the true story of the first electronic vibrator's invention in the 1880s, premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday but even before the curtain rose, the movie's stars and director had reporters laughing at a news conference.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, who portrays one of the key characters, said that among the best perks of the job was all the unsolicited "gifts" she received while shooting in London.
"By the time I finished the movie I'd been sent maybe 15 vibrators by different people in London with vibrator stores," said Gyllenhaal. "It was a pleasant surprise."
"It's been happening to me my whole career," joked the film's lead actor, Hugh Dancy, to peals of laughter from the gathered press.
Joking aside, Gyllenhaal said the film presented a serious...
- 9/16/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Supermodel and TV host Heidi Klum was named on Thursday as the most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace, inviting malware and viruses to flourish on computers.
Internet security firm McAfee said searching for downloads and screensavers for the "Project Runaway" judge and former Victoria's Secret model runs a nearly one in 10 chance of landing on a malicious website with spyware, spam, phishing and other viruses designed to steal personal information.
CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, also a judge on "America's Got Talent" and a former British tabloid newspaper editor, was the most dangerous male celebrity in the survey, produced annually by McAfee.
McAfee said cyber criminals often used the name of popular celebrities to lure people to websites that are laden with malicious software.
It said singers and sports stars tended to be safer searches than movie stars and models. Cameron Diaz topped the cyberspace danger list in 2010, and was No.
Internet security firm McAfee said searching for downloads and screensavers for the "Project Runaway" judge and former Victoria's Secret model runs a nearly one in 10 chance of landing on a malicious website with spyware, spam, phishing and other viruses designed to steal personal information.
CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, also a judge on "America's Got Talent" and a former British tabloid newspaper editor, was the most dangerous male celebrity in the survey, produced annually by McAfee.
McAfee said cyber criminals often used the name of popular celebrities to lure people to websites that are laden with malicious software.
It said singers and sports stars tended to be safer searches than movie stars and models. Cameron Diaz topped the cyberspace danger list in 2010, and was No.
- 9/15/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - There aren't many reality TV shows that stage their own world premiere.
But this is Simon Cowell and his much-hyped new singing contest "The X Factor", which rolled out the red carpet in Hollywood on Wednesday night ahead of his return to U.S. television next week.
A year after walking away from his job as a judge on "American Idol" -- the most watched show on U.S. TV -- the brash Briton has lost none of his self-confidence. His new venture, in which he is both creator and executive producer as well as a judge, is promoted with the simple tagline "He's Back."
"I am feeling excited now. There is always nerves before a launch but it is good nerves...I have always wanted to have, not a film premiere, but a TV premiere in the cinema. I think it is...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - There aren't many reality TV shows that stage their own world premiere.
But this is Simon Cowell and his much-hyped new singing contest "The X Factor", which rolled out the red carpet in Hollywood on Wednesday night ahead of his return to U.S. television next week.
A year after walking away from his job as a judge on "American Idol" -- the most watched show on U.S. TV -- the brash Briton has lost none of his self-confidence. His new venture, in which he is both creator and executive producer as well as a judge, is promoted with the simple tagline "He's Back."
"I am feeling excited now. There is always nerves before a launch but it is good nerves...I have always wanted to have, not a film premiere, but a TV premiere in the cinema. I think it is...
- 9/15/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Actress Scarlett Johansson has become the latest celebrity to fall victim to apparent leaked nude photos from her mobile phone, which appeared on a website on Wednesday.
The FBI has been drafted by "The Avengers" actress to investigate, according to celebrity news website TMZ. An FBI spokesman declined to confirm or deny the investigation, and a representative for Johansson was not immediately available to comment.
The photos show the 26 year-old actress in a towel with an exposed backside, while another shows her topless. They were posted on several celebrity gossip websites.
Johansson's nude pictures are the latest to hit the Internet after actresses including Jessica Alba and Vanessa Hudgens also suffered the embarrassment of explicit photos appearing on the Web.
(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)...
The FBI has been drafted by "The Avengers" actress to investigate, according to celebrity news website TMZ. An FBI spokesman declined to confirm or deny the investigation, and a representative for Johansson was not immediately available to comment.
The photos show the 26 year-old actress in a towel with an exposed backside, while another shows her topless. They were posted on several celebrity gossip websites.
Johansson's nude pictures are the latest to hit the Internet after actresses including Jessica Alba and Vanessa Hudgens also suffered the embarrassment of explicit photos appearing on the Web.
(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)...
- 9/14/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Julie Gordon
Toronto (Reuters) - With her new drama "In Darkness" Agnieszka Holland has returned to her native Poland to produce a haunting portrait of the Holocaust that could net the veteran director another Oscar nod.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, tells the true story of a group of Jews that hid for 14 months in the sewers beneath the then-Polish city of Lvov during World War II.
Shot in Polish and German, Holland said that while a film made in English would likely reach a wider audience, she wanted to make a Holocaust movie that was as faithful to the truth as possible.
"I felt that if I have to, if I want to, if I must do another movie which touches this theme, it has to be more realistic," she said. "I felt this story, for some reason,...
Toronto (Reuters) - With her new drama "In Darkness" Agnieszka Holland has returned to her native Poland to produce a haunting portrait of the Holocaust that could net the veteran director another Oscar nod.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, tells the true story of a group of Jews that hid for 14 months in the sewers beneath the then-Polish city of Lvov during World War II.
Shot in Polish and German, Holland said that while a film made in English would likely reach a wider audience, she wanted to make a Holocaust movie that was as faithful to the truth as possible.
"I felt that if I have to, if I want to, if I must do another movie which touches this theme, it has to be more realistic," she said. "I felt this story, for some reason,...
- 9/14/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Actress Marilu Henner has enjoyed living with a fantastic memory since she was a child, but it was only recently that her special powers were diagnosed as real-life condition and given a name.
Now the "Taxi" actress and self-help author is a consultant on the new TV crime drama "Unforgettable" featuring a detective played by Poppy Montgomery who can't forget the past. Henner also has been cast on the show in a very different role.
Henner, 59, who also appeared in the movies "La Story" and "Perfect" spoke with Reuters about her work on "Unforgettable", and her upcoming book that helps others uncover their past.
Q: "Unforgettable" wasn't based on you, but the character has the same condition. I've heard it called Superior Autobiographical Memory, hyperthymesia. Which do you prefer?
A: "It's called highly superior autobiographical memory, or Hsam. They are creating gradients of it now.
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Actress Marilu Henner has enjoyed living with a fantastic memory since she was a child, but it was only recently that her special powers were diagnosed as real-life condition and given a name.
Now the "Taxi" actress and self-help author is a consultant on the new TV crime drama "Unforgettable" featuring a detective played by Poppy Montgomery who can't forget the past. Henner also has been cast on the show in a very different role.
Henner, 59, who also appeared in the movies "La Story" and "Perfect" spoke with Reuters about her work on "Unforgettable", and her upcoming book that helps others uncover their past.
Q: "Unforgettable" wasn't based on you, but the character has the same condition. I've heard it called Superior Autobiographical Memory, hyperthymesia. Which do you prefer?
A: "It's called highly superior autobiographical memory, or Hsam. They are creating gradients of it now.
- 9/14/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Piya Sinha-Roy
Los Angeles (Reuters) - George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis is the latest celebrity to strip down for animal rights group PETA, unveiling her campaign and her naked body in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.
Shoppers on ritzy Rodeo Drive got an eyeful of Canalis as she posed next to her nude, black-and-white campaign portrait for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The Italian TV host, who split from A-list actor Clooney earlier this year, has long been against the use of fur. Her campaign will be shown prominently in Milan, where designers are still known to use fur in their collections.
"This is a thing which I personally believe and trust in, so nobody told me to do it. Since I was a little kid, I was against fur, I never wore fur in my life," she told Reuters.
Canalis, 33, joins a long list of Hollywood...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis is the latest celebrity to strip down for animal rights group PETA, unveiling her campaign and her naked body in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.
Shoppers on ritzy Rodeo Drive got an eyeful of Canalis as she posed next to her nude, black-and-white campaign portrait for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The Italian TV host, who split from A-list actor Clooney earlier this year, has long been against the use of fur. Her campaign will be shown prominently in Milan, where designers are still known to use fur in their collections.
"This is a thing which I personally believe and trust in, so nobody told me to do it. Since I was a little kid, I was against fur, I never wore fur in my life," she told Reuters.
Canalis, 33, joins a long list of Hollywood...
- 9/14/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Lady Gaga, Bono and Usher will pay tribute to the work of the Bill Clinton Foundation in a one-night concert at the Hollywood Bowl in October, the organization and Yahoo said on Tuesday.
Other "socially responsible artists" in music, film and television also will take part in the event, which is aimed at celebrating 10 years of the former U.S. president's foundation and raising awareness of its work on issues such as AIDS and the environment.
The October 15 "A Decade of Difference" concert will be broadcast live exclusively on Yahoo with all proceeds going to the Clinton Foundation, organizers said.
"I am proud that some of today's most influential performers are coming together to raise awareness about the work of my foundation," Clinton said in a statement.
He said the commitments to the Clinton Global Initiative over the past 10 years had helped to improve the lives...
Other "socially responsible artists" in music, film and television also will take part in the event, which is aimed at celebrating 10 years of the former U.S. president's foundation and raising awareness of its work on issues such as AIDS and the environment.
The October 15 "A Decade of Difference" concert will be broadcast live exclusively on Yahoo with all proceeds going to the Clinton Foundation, organizers said.
"I am proud that some of today's most influential performers are coming together to raise awareness about the work of my foundation," Clinton said in a statement.
He said the commitments to the Clinton Global Initiative over the past 10 years had helped to improve the lives...
- 9/13/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Christine Kearney
Toronto (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film Festival reached its midpoint on Tuesday with films like the "The Descendants" and actor Michael Fassbender winning praise, but a nagging question about the future of dark dramas in Hollywood has hovered over the event.
Toronto, which along with recently wrapped festivals in Venice and Telluride, helps launch the movie awards season and industry pros gather here to build buzz for their films. Yet, while some dramas here have been praised for their stories and characters, few business deals have been made to put many of those movies into theaters.
Industry observers, such as Sony Pictures Classics head Michael Barker, said that while Toronto is "the ideal way to launch a film," there have been fewer deals made so far due to some content being considered a hard sell for consumers.
"Regarding new films that haven't been acquired, my personal...
Toronto (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film Festival reached its midpoint on Tuesday with films like the "The Descendants" and actor Michael Fassbender winning praise, but a nagging question about the future of dark dramas in Hollywood has hovered over the event.
Toronto, which along with recently wrapped festivals in Venice and Telluride, helps launch the movie awards season and industry pros gather here to build buzz for their films. Yet, while some dramas here have been praised for their stories and characters, few business deals have been made to put many of those movies into theaters.
Industry observers, such as Sony Pictures Classics head Michael Barker, said that while Toronto is "the ideal way to launch a film," there have been fewer deals made so far due to some content being considered a hard sell for consumers.
"Regarding new films that haven't been acquired, my personal...
- 9/13/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Beloved actress Mary Tyler Moore, best known for the 1960s and 70s TV series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," is being honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Screen Actors Guild.
Moore, 74, also a producer and fund-raiser for diabetes research, will be presented with the award at the Screen Actors Guild's annual film and television awards ceremony in January, the guild said on Thursday.
Moore, winner of seven Emmys for her success in U.S. television, first found fame at age 23 when she was cast as Laura Petrie, the wife of comedian Dick Van Dyke in his 1960s sitcom.
She went on to develop and star in her own show playing independent, single career woman Mary Richards in a workplace comedy set in a local TV news station.
"Mary Tyler Moore won our hearts as Laura Petrie and Mary Richards,...
Moore, 74, also a producer and fund-raiser for diabetes research, will be presented with the award at the Screen Actors Guild's annual film and television awards ceremony in January, the guild said on Thursday.
Moore, winner of seven Emmys for her success in U.S. television, first found fame at age 23 when she was cast as Laura Petrie, the wife of comedian Dick Van Dyke in his 1960s sitcom.
She went on to develop and star in her own show playing independent, single career woman Mary Richards in a workplace comedy set in a local TV news station.
"Mary Tyler Moore won our hearts as Laura Petrie and Mary Richards,...
- 9/8/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon was home and recovering from being hit by a car while jogging in the beach community of Santa Monica on Wednesday, her representative said.
"The actress was not seriously injured and is resting comfortably at home," her spokeswoman said in a statement.
No further details were available. Santa Monica is a community immediately adjacent to Los Angeles.
Witherspoon, 35, became a box office sensation and A-list Hollywood star in her "Legally Blonde" comedy movies, and she won an Academy Award for best actress in drama "Walk the Line."
(Reporting and Writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Zorianna Kit)...
"The actress was not seriously injured and is resting comfortably at home," her spokeswoman said in a statement.
No further details were available. Santa Monica is a community immediately adjacent to Los Angeles.
Witherspoon, 35, became a box office sensation and A-list Hollywood star in her "Legally Blonde" comedy movies, and she won an Academy Award for best actress in drama "Walk the Line."
(Reporting and Writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Zorianna Kit)...
- 9/8/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Washington (Reuters) - Actress Meryl Streep will add another honor to her illustrious career as one of the five artists recognized by the Kennedy Center for their contribution to culture.
Streep will join cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, Broadway singer and actress Barbara Cook and saxophonist Sonny Rollins as 2011 Kennedy Center honorees, the performing arts organization said on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama will salute the five, and other stars will perform in their honor at a ceremony to be broadcast on CBS television on December 27.
Kennedy Center chairman David M. Rubenstein said the five honorees were extraordinary people "whose collective artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world."
Double Oscar-winner Streep, 62, is regarded as among the greatest living film actresses for performances in movies ranging from "Sophie's Choice" to "The Devil Wears Prada".
Rubenstein said "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond has "created...
Streep will join cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, Broadway singer and actress Barbara Cook and saxophonist Sonny Rollins as 2011 Kennedy Center honorees, the performing arts organization said on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama will salute the five, and other stars will perform in their honor at a ceremony to be broadcast on CBS television on December 27.
Kennedy Center chairman David M. Rubenstein said the five honorees were extraordinary people "whose collective artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world."
Double Oscar-winner Streep, 62, is regarded as among the greatest living film actresses for performances in movies ranging from "Sophie's Choice" to "The Devil Wears Prada".
Rubenstein said "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond has "created...
- 9/7/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Chris Michaud
New York (Reuters) - Actress Elizabeth Taylor's world-renowned collection of jewelry will be auctioned off in December at a two-day sale that is expected to realize more than $30 million, Christie's said Wednesday.
The December 13-14 sale will follow a global three-month tour that will also include Taylor's couture, fine art and memorabilia, and will be the first of a series of auctions from the estate of the legendary film star who died in March.
Some 269 diamonds, pearls, rubies, rings, necklaces and even a tiara will be sold, with several of the most valuable, and storied pieces tied to Taylor's lengthy and complicated relationship with Richard Burton, whom she married twice and divorced twice.
"This is without a doubt the greatest private collection of jewelry ever assembled in one place," said Christie's Americas chairman and president Marc Porter.
The collection includes everything "from her most jaw-dropping diamonds,...
New York (Reuters) - Actress Elizabeth Taylor's world-renowned collection of jewelry will be auctioned off in December at a two-day sale that is expected to realize more than $30 million, Christie's said Wednesday.
The December 13-14 sale will follow a global three-month tour that will also include Taylor's couture, fine art and memorabilia, and will be the first of a series of auctions from the estate of the legendary film star who died in March.
Some 269 diamonds, pearls, rubies, rings, necklaces and even a tiara will be sold, with several of the most valuable, and storied pieces tied to Taylor's lengthy and complicated relationship with Richard Burton, whom she married twice and divorced twice.
"This is without a doubt the greatest private collection of jewelry ever assembled in one place," said Christie's Americas chairman and president Marc Porter.
The collection includes everything "from her most jaw-dropping diamonds,...
- 9/7/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - It was a disastrous attack that played out live on television 10 years ago, riveting a horrified nation for days.
But the thought-provoking films and TV shows that followed, depicting the fiery attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath, have mostly been shunned by American audiences who favored escapist movies and almost-reality TV while wars raged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade that followed.
Culture watchers and media pundits say audiences are not yet ready to relive a memory that remains painful, and some experts note that this particular chapter of American history is still unfinished.
"Films about 9/11 run the risk of being exploitational because they deal with such an epic tragedy and they don't have a resolution. One of the things Hollywood wants is a happy ending, and you are not going to get it," said Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of "Film and...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - It was a disastrous attack that played out live on television 10 years ago, riveting a horrified nation for days.
But the thought-provoking films and TV shows that followed, depicting the fiery attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath, have mostly been shunned by American audiences who favored escapist movies and almost-reality TV while wars raged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade that followed.
Culture watchers and media pundits say audiences are not yet ready to relive a memory that remains painful, and some experts note that this particular chapter of American history is still unfinished.
"Films about 9/11 run the risk of being exploitational because they deal with such an epic tragedy and they don't have a resolution. One of the things Hollywood wants is a happy ending, and you are not going to get it," said Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of "Film and...
- 9/7/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Christine Kearney
New York (Reuters) - Coming off a robust first half of 2011 for independent films, the Toronto film festival kicks off on Thursday with expectations for a generous amount of business deals, Hollywood star power and Oscar hopefuls.
Film fans and industry pros are heading into this week's festival, which will screen 268 feature throughout 11 days, in a buoyant mood following strong movie lineups and dealmaking at the Cannes and Sundance festivals earlier this year.
Adding to their optimism for the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) is a full roster of Hollywood A-listers among the event's movies, ranging from George Clooney and Brad Pitt to U2, Pearl Jam and Madonna.
Moreover, attendees will all be looking at a group of films that might turn into Oscar contenders following on from last year's "The King's Speech," which won top prize at Tiff.
"This year is going to be a turnaround...
New York (Reuters) - Coming off a robust first half of 2011 for independent films, the Toronto film festival kicks off on Thursday with expectations for a generous amount of business deals, Hollywood star power and Oscar hopefuls.
Film fans and industry pros are heading into this week's festival, which will screen 268 feature throughout 11 days, in a buoyant mood following strong movie lineups and dealmaking at the Cannes and Sundance festivals earlier this year.
Adding to their optimism for the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) is a full roster of Hollywood A-listers among the event's movies, ranging from George Clooney and Brad Pitt to U2, Pearl Jam and Madonna.
Moreover, attendees will all be looking at a group of films that might turn into Oscar contenders following on from last year's "The King's Speech," which won top prize at Tiff.
"This year is going to be a turnaround...
- 9/7/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - It was a disastrous attack that played out live on television 10 years ago, riveting a horrified nation for days.
But the thought-provoking films and TV shows that followed, depicting the fiery attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath, have mostly been shunned by American audiences who favored escapist movies and almost-reality TV while wars raged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade that followed.
Culture watchers and media pundits say U.S. audiences are not yet ready to relive a memory that remains painful, and some experts note that this particular chapter of American history is still unfinished.
"Films about 9/11 run the risk of being exploitational because they deal with such an epic tragedy and they don't have a resolution. One of the things Hollywood wants is a happy ending, and you are not going to get it," said Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - It was a disastrous attack that played out live on television 10 years ago, riveting a horrified nation for days.
But the thought-provoking films and TV shows that followed, depicting the fiery attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath, have mostly been shunned by American audiences who favored escapist movies and almost-reality TV while wars raged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade that followed.
Culture watchers and media pundits say U.S. audiences are not yet ready to relive a memory that remains painful, and some experts note that this particular chapter of American history is still unfinished.
"Films about 9/11 run the risk of being exploitational because they deal with such an epic tragedy and they don't have a resolution. One of the things Hollywood wants is a happy ending, and you are not going to get it," said Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of...
- 9/7/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Jill Serjeant
Los Angeles (Reuters) - The family of Amy Winehouse will give their first major television interview since the British singer's death in June to American journalist Anderson Cooper for the September 12 launch of his new TV program.
Cooper, who launches his own syndicated daytime talk show next week, said in a Twitter message on Tuesday that he would be speaking with Winehouse's father Mitch, her mother, stepmother and boyfriend for the launch of "Anderson."
"I'm really looking forward to speaking with Amy Winehouse's family. They've been through so much, and her talent was so great," Cooper said on Twitter.
The singer of hits such as "Rehab" and "Back to Black" was found dead in bed at her London home on July 23 at the age of 27. Despite well-chronicled addictions to drug and alcohol, the cause of her death remains a mystery. An autopsy found no illegal substances...
Los Angeles (Reuters) - The family of Amy Winehouse will give their first major television interview since the British singer's death in June to American journalist Anderson Cooper for the September 12 launch of his new TV program.
Cooper, who launches his own syndicated daytime talk show next week, said in a Twitter message on Tuesday that he would be speaking with Winehouse's father Mitch, her mother, stepmother and boyfriend for the launch of "Anderson."
"I'm really looking forward to speaking with Amy Winehouse's family. They've been through so much, and her talent was so great," Cooper said on Twitter.
The singer of hits such as "Rehab" and "Back to Black" was found dead in bed at her London home on July 23 at the age of 27. Despite well-chronicled addictions to drug and alcohol, the cause of her death remains a mystery. An autopsy found no illegal substances...
- 9/6/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
By Bob Tourtellotte
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Comedian Eddie Murphy, whose movies range from "Beverly Hills Cop" to voicing the smart-mouthed donkey in "Shrek," has been picked to host the Academy Awards in February for the first time in his career.
Tuesday's announcement makes Oscar organizers appear as if they are aiming for laughs in 2012, after this year's performance by co-hosts, dramatic actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco, fell flat with critics and many viewers.
The hosting job pairs Murphy, who began performing stand-up comedy at age 15 before joining TV's "Saturday Night Live," with director Brett Ratner, another Oscar first-timer best known for action movies and comedies.
Alongside Ratner's Oscar co-producer Don Mischer, the pair bring a decidedly comic edge to the show that has tried to stay relevant among young and mainstream moviegoers as its major awards in recent years primarily have gone to dramas aimed mostly at older audiences.
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Comedian Eddie Murphy, whose movies range from "Beverly Hills Cop" to voicing the smart-mouthed donkey in "Shrek," has been picked to host the Academy Awards in February for the first time in his career.
Tuesday's announcement makes Oscar organizers appear as if they are aiming for laughs in 2012, after this year's performance by co-hosts, dramatic actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco, fell flat with critics and many viewers.
The hosting job pairs Murphy, who began performing stand-up comedy at age 15 before joining TV's "Saturday Night Live," with director Brett Ratner, another Oscar first-timer best known for action movies and comedies.
Alongside Ratner's Oscar co-producer Don Mischer, the pair bring a decidedly comic edge to the show that has tried to stay relevant among young and mainstream moviegoers as its major awards in recent years primarily have gone to dramas aimed mostly at older audiences.
- 9/6/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
New York (Reuters) - Television talk show host Regis Philbin on Tuesday announced the final day, November 18, for taping his "Live! with Regis and Kelly," ending his run on the popular program after nearly 28 years.
Philbin, who turned 80 years-old on August 25, said in January that this current season would be his last on the program, and on Tuesday he finally put a hard date on the end.
"Friday, November 18 is my last day," he told viewers of the program. "But don't worry, the show goes on."
There was no word on who will replace the popular octogenarian, but Philbin joked that co-host Kelly Ripa "will be trying out new" men and seeking a "new young hot" one to sit by her side.
Ripa joined Philbin in 2001, replacing his former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford. The duo of "Reege" and a female sidekick on "Live!" has been a winning combination over the...
Philbin, who turned 80 years-old on August 25, said in January that this current season would be his last on the program, and on Tuesday he finally put a hard date on the end.
"Friday, November 18 is my last day," he told viewers of the program. "But don't worry, the show goes on."
There was no word on who will replace the popular octogenarian, but Philbin joked that co-host Kelly Ripa "will be trying out new" men and seeking a "new young hot" one to sit by her side.
Ripa joined Philbin in 2001, replacing his former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford. The duo of "Reege" and a female sidekick on "Live!" has been a winning combination over the...
- 9/6/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Producer David Gest, Tito Jackson and others close to Michael Jackson on Monday unveiled a singing and spoken-word tribute tour to the late King of Pop.
"A Jackson Named Michael: Remembering a Legend," kicks off in the United Kingdom in March 2012, and follows another tribute set for October in Wales that has caused some controversy among fans of the "Thriller" singer.
Gest's show will feature Tito, a member with Michael of Motown singing sensations The Jackson 5, along with another sibling Rebbie Jackson and friend Deniece Williams singing tunes and telling tales about Jackson's life and career. Plans call for a question-and-answer session with audience members.
"The majority of the show will be reminiscences and stories about Michael that the public has never heard," Gest said in a statement.
The tour also follows the October U.K. release of Gest's documentary film, 'Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon,...
"A Jackson Named Michael: Remembering a Legend," kicks off in the United Kingdom in March 2012, and follows another tribute set for October in Wales that has caused some controversy among fans of the "Thriller" singer.
Gest's show will feature Tito, a member with Michael of Motown singing sensations The Jackson 5, along with another sibling Rebbie Jackson and friend Deniece Williams singing tunes and telling tales about Jackson's life and career. Plans call for a question-and-answer session with audience members.
"The majority of the show will be reminiscences and stories about Michael that the public has never heard," Gest said in a statement.
The tour also follows the October U.K. release of Gest's documentary film, 'Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon,...
- 9/6/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.