tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87939748402851647462012-01-14T05:21:44.940-08:00RKLnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-67619407021803748162010-02-18T03:43:00.000-08:002010-02-18T03:43:07.933-08:00

J.K. Rowling has been named in a lawsuit alleging she stole ideas for her wildly popular and lucrative "Harry Potter" books from another British author. The estate of the late Adrian Jacobs on Wednesday added Rowling as a defendant in a lawsuit it filed in June against Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for alleged copyright infringement, according to a statement released by the estate's representatives,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-67383644641973603312010-02-17T03:37:00.000-08:002010-02-17T03:37:05.335-08:00

Not long ago, Lee Daniels received a phone call out of left field: George Lucas had seen his film "Precious" and wanted the director to come to his Skywalker Ranch for a visit. Daniels flew up north, had lunch with Lucas and even spent the night in one of his cottages. "I was nervous and intimidated at first," recalls Daniels, who brought along his leading lady, Gabourey Sidibe. "Then we just

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-63622112839747691392010-02-17T03:36:00.001-08:002010-02-17T03:36:33.996-08:00

Jay Leno's longtime bandleader, Kevin Eubanks, may not play very long once the Leno troupe returns to "The Tonight Show." NBC said Tuesday that Eubanks has expressed interest in personal touring and recording. The network says he will be part of the show when it reoccupies late night March 1, but his continued involvement is uncertain. The 52-year-old Eubanks, whose duties include comic sideman

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-79221175818347867352010-02-17T03:35:00.001-08:002010-02-17T03:35:58.265-08:00

Seven "American Idol" contestants can stop worrying, for now: They're in the top 24. The Fox TV singing contest revealed the first of the lucky semifinalists on Tuesday's show. They are: Didi Benami, 23, of Los Angeles; Lee Dewyze, 23, Mount Prospect, Ill.; Katelyn Epperly, 19, West Des Moines, Iowa; Aaron Kelly, 16, Sonestown, Pa.; Casey James, 27, Fort Worth, Texas; Todrick Hall, 24, Arlington

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-73209287751264969292010-02-16T06:57:00.003-08:002010-02-16T06:57:44.649-08:00

Puerto Rico needs more effective legislation to halt human trafficking in the U.S. Caribbean territory, Latin superstar Ricky Martin said Monday. Martin was visiting his native island to present a study conducted by the nonprofit Ricky Martin Foundation, a group advocating children's rights globally. The 91-page report concludes that sex tourism and human trafficking are serious problems in

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-8659139792150420622010-02-16T06:57:00.001-08:002010-02-16T06:57:12.199-08:00

For your consideration: A pedophile serial killer with a creepy dollhouse hobby, a murderous Nazi who delights in tormenting Jews, and a hateful mother who abuses her daughter and granddaughter. Hollywood loves a bad boy and so does Oscar, with academy voters nominating several roles this year that are less than cordial, if not downright crazy. There's Christoph Waltz for his chilling

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-52756774491269275232010-02-16T06:56:00.001-08:002010-02-16T06:56:41.044-08:00

Catherine Keener stars as a guilt-ridden antiques trader in U.S. director Nicole Holofcener's "Please Give," a comedy of very awkward manners screening at the Berlin film festival. In the movie, which had its international premiere Tuesday, Keener and Oliver Platt play a couple whose business is sustained by buying artifacts from families of the recently deceased. Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-74521147150238692222010-02-16T03:32:00.001-08:002010-02-16T03:32:46.039-08:00

Chanteuse Lady Gaga is up for three awards as women dominate the shortlist for British music's Brit Awards. Lady Gaga is scheduled to perform during Tuesday's ceremony at London's Earl's Court arena. She's nominated for best international female artist, best album and breakthrough act of the year. Florence and the Machine, Pixie Lott and Lily Allen also have three nominations each. Other

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-86713538491178220992010-02-15T11:25:00.001-08:002010-02-15T11:25:23.968-08:00

Barbara Walters says next month's Oscar interview special will be her last, ending a 29-year tradition. Walters made the announcement Monday on her weekday talk show, "The View." She says she feels like she has "been there, done that." Walters' farewell Oscar special is tied to ABC's Oscar Awards telecast and will air March 7. It will feature Academy Award Best Actress nominee Sandra Bullock

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-79434713992472539542010-02-15T03:03:00.001-08:002010-02-15T03:03:21.745-08:00

The director of Madonna's Raising Malawi foundation is denying that there is a land dispute over the charity's planned $15 million girls academy, calling reports that some villagers feel the project is displacing them "erroneous." The Associated Press has reported that the village headman took the villagers' complaints to the local government, and that local officials have visited the area

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-61309151755536166592010-02-15T03:02:00.001-08:002010-02-15T03:02:49.344-08:00

Kevin Smith says he's "way fat," but that shouldn't stop him from flying. The director and actor says a pilot ejected him from a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank, Calif., saying he didn't fit properly in a single seat. Smith raised a stink about the incident on his Twitter page Sunday, saying "I'm way fat, but I'm not there just yet," and "If you look like me, you may be

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-36982682252393351402010-02-12T04:48:00.000-08:002010-02-12T04:48:04.510-08:00

Malawi's government has told a group of villagers they will have to move to make way for a $15 million girls' school being built by pop star Madonna. Residents have refused to leave the site just outside Lilongwe, the capital. Lilongwe District Commissioner Charles Kalemba told 200 villagers Thursday that the government land has been handed over to Madonna. The villagers have been offered other

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-24509732401630969682010-02-11T10:57:00.001-08:002010-02-11T10:57:38.841-08:00

Brilliant and controversial British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home Thursday, his company said, after anguished Internet postings that revealed his deep sorrow at the death of his mother. He was 40 years old. Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious. McQueen's representatives would not confirm British media reports that he had committed

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-22027625625814638562010-02-11T05:47:00.002-08:002010-02-11T05:47:48.327-08:00

An Austrian entrepreneur says Lindsay Lohan won't make it to Vienna's famous Opera Ball as his celebrity date after all. Richard Lugner, a quirky 77-year-old who each year invites a different female star to the flashy gala, told the Austria Press Agency on Thursday that Lohan couldn't make it. His comment comes just hours before the start of the all-night extravaganza that attracts socialites,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-51679874484122306862010-02-11T05:47:00.000-08:002010-02-11T05:47:09.874-08:00

A judge is scheduled to decide Thursday whether Michael Jackson's father should receive medical records related to his superstar son's death. Joe Jackson's attorney issued a subpoena last month seeking all his son's medical records from UCLA Medical Center, where Michael Jackson died on June 25. His attorney, Brian Oxman, sought the files as part of an effort to obtain a monthly stipend for the

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-8757764289863794122010-02-11T05:46:00.001-08:002010-02-11T05:46:28.895-08:00

Ellen DeGeneres is glad that her "American Idol" debut drew big ratings and high praise from the show's creator, media mogul Simon Fuller. But the real test, she says, was judging herself. She decided she didn't let the contestants down, DeGeneres said Wednesday, the day after she watched the broadcast of her first "Idol" episode. "I was honest with them (the singers). I was concerned going

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-72320651935562938422010-02-10T07:46:00.001-08:002010-02-10T07:46:34.235-08:00

This year's Oscar winners won't have to put up with delayed gratification. Breaking with tradition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences plans to attach the winners' engraved nameplates to their statuettes at the Governors Ball immediately after the ceremony, which will be broadcast live by ABC on March 7 from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The Academy hands out unmarked Oscars to

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-35947076114747116982010-02-10T03:42:00.000-08:002010-02-10T03:42:02.254-08:00

Ellen DeGeneres hit the right notes with "American Idol" viewers. Fans took to the Internet to express their pleasant surprise over the 52-year-old funnylady's debut as the singing competition's fourth judge. DeGeneres assumed her judging panel post for Tuesday's episode chronicling the first round of "Hollywood Week," the cutthroat post-audition phase in which 181 contestants will be narrowed

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-48551431994672986842010-02-09T08:08:00.001-08:002010-02-09T08:08:40.007-08:00

A star for former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday evening during a whimsical ceremony that also marked the 50th anniversary of the sidewalk attraction's groundbreaking. Starr's name was the 2,401st to be unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "This is the start of the next 50 years of stars," he said outside the Capitol Records building. "I'm proud to

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-55720703404915886462010-02-09T07:42:00.001-08:002010-02-09T07:42:58.451-08:00

Little more than a week ago, Lil Wayne was reinforcing his place in rap's pantheon with a commanding performance at the Grammy Awards ceremony. His latest album, "Rebirth," was officially released Feb. 2. Now Lil Wayne, one of music's biggest sellers and rap's hottest stars, is poised to spend as much as the next year in a jail cell instead of a spotlight. The Grammy-winning rapper was due to

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-7189455324982093102010-02-08T04:28:00.002-08:002010-02-08T04:28:57.038-08:00

Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been trying to surrender to authorities for a week, will likely get his chance with prosecutors saying they will file a charge Monday in the death of Michael Jackson. A district attorney's spokeswoman did not name the doctor nor say what the charge will be but Murray's lawyers have said they expect a single charge of involuntary manslaughter against the man who

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-86983106902305837542010-02-08T04:28:00.000-08:002010-02-08T04:28:04.361-08:00

Pete Townshend is used to playing in front of stadiums filled with rabid fans who know every note of The Who's songs. He didn't get that at the band's Super Bowl halftime performance, but he's OK with that too. Townshend and bandmate Roger Daltrey performed a medley of some of their most famous songs on entertainment's biggest stage Sunday, including "Won't Get Fooled Again" during a 12-minute

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-12631436136124209282010-02-05T05:58:00.000-08:002010-02-05T05:58:03.754-08:00

Miranda Kerr says an Australian banker left red-faced when a live TV broadcast showed him looking at her scantily clad photos at work shouldn't be fired. Macquarie Bank worker Dave Kiely was at his desk as a colleague was being interviewed about interest rates when the camera showed him apparently opening e-mail attachments of nearly nude photos of the model. The clip became a YouTube hit and

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-49239998751899024022010-02-05T05:57:00.001-08:002010-02-05T05:57:29.095-08:00

Multifaceted entertainer Justin Timberlake is coming to Harvard University to be honored as the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year. The Grammy and Emmy award winner will receive his pudding pot from the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe at a roast scheduled for Friday. Hasty Pudding Theatricals said the singer, songwriter, actor and producer was selected because he's "one of pop culture's

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-22236738532896802522010-02-03T01:53:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:53:24.584-08:00

Many folks say they could write a book about life in Hollywood's fast lane, but Jackie Collins actually sits down and does it. Her latest novel, "Poor Little Bitch Girl," arrives February 9 from St. Martin's Press. An advance read leaves little doubt that "Girl," like many of her earlier works, will reach the big or small screen. Collins' books have already sold 400 million copies in 40

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-50162261665197801702010-02-03T01:52:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:52:15.101-08:00

Hollywood star George Clooney's latest movie "Up In The Air" garnered five Oscar nominations on Tuesday but there is one film about which he may not be so proud -- "Batman and Robin." The 1997 movie starring Clooney as the caped crusader with Chris O'Donnell as Robin and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl came top in an online survey by film magazine Empire to find the most disastrous film ever made.

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-4911173143284724592010-02-02T09:39:00.001-08:002010-02-02T09:39:57.327-08:00

Geneva's opera house has taken the unusual step of issuing a warning to audiences about its new production of Alban Berg's harrowing opera "Lulu", saying it may be unsuitable for people aged less than 16. Lulu, one of the masterpieces of the 20th century operatic canon, premieres on Thursday in a production by controversial French theater director Olivier Py. Previous productions in the staid

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-36017378659631629682010-02-02T09:38:00.001-08:002010-02-02T09:38:43.167-08:00

Interesting oddities, facts, figures and trivia related to this year's Academy Awards nominees: IN RARE AIR: "Up" is only the second animated feature film to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture. "Beauty and the Beast" was the first, nominated in 1991. PROTECTING HER LEAD: Meryl Streep remains Oscar's most nominated performer, with this year's best-actress nod for portraying Julia Child

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-11456540274586886572010-02-02T03:48:00.000-08:002010-02-02T03:48:02.147-08:00

The charity anthem "We Are the World" has been rerecorded by 80 artists who came together in the same Hollywood studio where the original was cut 25 years ago. Pink, Natalie Cole, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Brian Wilson and others stood shoulder-to-shoulder on risers at Henson Recording studios Monday night to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief. "This one, the enthusiasm,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-17880120249954615732010-02-02T03:40:00.001-08:002010-02-02T03:40:30.319-08:00

Academy Awards voters are about to release their first top-10 list in 66 years. Oscar nominations Tuesday feature 10 best-picture nominees instead of the usual five, the first time since the 1943 awards show that so many films are competing for Hollywood's highest honor. Academy organizers say they wanted a broader range of titles in the mix, including worthy populist movies that often miss out

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-52952871746067797722010-01-29T03:41:00.001-08:002010-01-29T03:41:39.802-08:00

Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway has received a good-natured ribbing from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals student drama troupe. The group's Woman of the Year was honored Thursday with a parade down Massachusetts Avenue near the university followed by a roast where she received her pudding pot from Harvard men in drag. She joins a distinguished list of past recipients that includes

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-26977398920008612212010-01-29T03:40:00.001-08:002010-01-29T03:40:48.076-08:00

John Travolta said Thursday that faith has helped him survive the tragic death of his 16-year-old son, Jett. The actor, a noted Scientologist, walked the red carpet in New York with wife Kelly Preston to promote his new film, "From Paris With Love." The movie was filmed in late 2008, and shooting wrapped just days before Jett Travolta died on Jan. 2, 2009. "We work hard every day with our

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-77095536602260927732010-01-28T08:25:00.001-08:002010-01-28T08:25:26.953-08:00

You wouldn't think T-Pain was inhibited at all. But the rapper-singer, known for his synthesized vocals and catchy hooks, says he sometimes feels creatively restrained when it comes to music. He says he was able to express his true self in "Freaknik: The Musical," a one-hour animated special based on an annual, raucous and now-defunct Atlanta street party. It premieres March 7 on the Adult Swim.

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-24643654326015833222010-01-28T04:34:00.001-08:002010-01-28T04:34:30.485-08:00

Charges against a former Nevada sheriff's deputy accused of accepting gifts in exchange for giving preferential treatment to the jailed creator of the "Girls Gone Wild" videos won't be dismissed, a federal judge said Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks denied a motion from the lawyer defending former Washoe County jail Sgt. Michon Mills, who served as a liaison between Joe Francis'

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-8021202297857930622010-01-28T04:32:00.001-08:002010-01-28T04:32:23.600-08:00

Jay Leno tells Oprah Winfrey that he hasn't spoken to Conan O'Brien throughout the recent contentious negotiations over "The Tonight Show." In quotes provided Wednesday by Harpo Productions, Leno tells Winfrey that "it didn't seem appropriate" to speak to O'Brien. But Leno says the two comedians might talk when "things cool down." NBC unseated O'Brien and moved Leno back to the program he had

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-76399293037242883282010-01-27T06:15:00.000-08:002010-01-27T06:15:04.292-08:00

Warner Bros. will release the next two "Harry Potter" films in 3D, a move underscoring the post-"Avatar" rush for extra-dimensional box office returns. Studio executives around town have been scrutinizing film slates for opportunities to expand forays into 3D releasing. Warners has been testing footage from its upcoming "Clash of the Titans" -- converted into 3D by an outside vendor -- and the

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-13745571558213635132010-01-27T06:14:00.000-08:002010-01-27T06:14:25.391-08:00

The attorney for Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton says the government entrapped his client in a drug deal. In court documents filed Tuesday, David Markus says the government used a paid informant to convince his client to buy cocaine. The defense is pushing to have the informant's identity revealed. To prove entrapment, Markus will have to show that Banton was not predisposed to engage in

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-80741734225519318222010-01-27T06:12:00.001-08:002010-01-27T06:12:50.363-08:00

Few people knew Chet Atkins like Steve Wariner. The country music mainstay and the legendary producer were friends and collaborators for more than 25 years before Atkins died in 2001. So when Wariner calls his Grammy-nominated album "Steve Wariner, c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins" a labor of love, he's not exaggerating. "This album from the get-go was really more about art," Wariner said. "I

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-47794481855972169872010-01-26T05:19:00.002-08:002010-01-26T05:19:38.036-08:00

John Travolta has landed his own jet in Haiti carrying relief supplies and a team including doctors and Scientology ministers. The 55-year-old actor flew the Boeing 707 from Florida on Monday carrying 4 tons of ready-to-eat military rations and medical supplies for earthquake victims. Among those accompanying Travolta is his wife, actress Kelly Preston. The Church of Scientology says the pair

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-20926978080714001802010-01-26T05:19:00.000-08:002010-01-26T05:19:04.268-08:00

Justin Timberlake will soon have a new piece of hardware for his trophy case — a pudding pot. The Grammy and Emmy award winner was named Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year on Tuesday. Timberlake will receive the award at a roast set for Feb. 5. Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe, said in a statement that the singer, songwriter, actor and producer was

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-39963512616709736312010-01-25T12:02:00.001-08:002010-01-25T12:02:13.199-08:00

Equestrian chic was the big news in Christian Dior's spring 2010 haute couture show Monday, Jan. 25, in Paris, where the house's couturier John Galliano looked to ladies of the late 19th century who hunted, rather than lunched. Specifically, the women who inspired Charles James, the neo-classical American designer whose more extravagant shapes were in turn to inspire Monsieur Christian Dior

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-19627663764460332592010-01-25T05:37:00.001-08:002010-01-25T05:37:34.997-08:00

There is happiness to be found in late-night TV these days. Just ask Jimmy Kimmel, who is celebrating the seventh anniversary of his ABC show Tuesday with guest Harrison Ford. Ford is set to deliver a "very special" gift to the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host to mark the occasion, ABC said Monday. "People often ask me if I ever imagined we'd be on the air this long," Kimmel said. "It's a weird

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-3525065875323163622010-01-21T04:29:00.001-08:002010-01-21T04:29:18.390-08:00

NBC says it has reached a deal with "Tonight" host Conan O'Brien for his exit from the show, allowing Jay Leno to return to the late-night program he hosted for 17 years. NBC made the announcement early Thursday that O'Brien will conclude his "Tonight" show run, seven months after O'Brien took the reins from Leno. O'Brien landed the "Tonight" show after successfully hosting "Late Night," which

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-74793406304185377712010-01-21T04:28:00.003-08:002010-01-21T04:28:52.714-08:00

Director James Cameron's 3D blockbuster fantasy film "Avatar" tied with British drama "An Education" and Iraq war movie "The Hurt Locker" with eight nominations each at the BAFTAs, Britain's main film awards. They were closely followed by extra-terrestrial film "District 9" with seven nominations. Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" starring Brad Pitt and "Up in the Air" with George

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-24660671496389727362010-01-21T04:28:00.001-08:002010-01-21T04:28:22.440-08:00

At a time when specialty film labels have been downsized by their corporate parents, Focus Features stands firm. Not only has its CEO James Schamus greenlighted such Oscar-winning films as "Milk" and "Brokeback Mountain," the Universal Pictures division to profitability at the same time. A writer-producer whose collaboration with Ang Lee has led to films like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-28034286543270865382010-01-20T05:34:00.000-08:002010-01-20T05:34:02.465-08:00

The Grammys are staging an unprecedented tribute in honor of Michael Jackson including a 3-D film clip the singer made before his death. A posthumous tribute to Jackson will be a focal point of the Jan. 31 Grammy Awards broadcast, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday. It will include a 3-D clip Jackson made for his hit "Earth Song," a video that was to be integral to his comeback concerts in

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-6291081662948721892010-01-20T02:29:00.002-08:002010-01-20T02:29:42.982-08:00

Amy Winehouse is due in court to face a charge of assaulting a theater manager at a family Christmas show. The 26-year-old soul diva is accused of disrupting a performance of the Dec. 19 pantomime, or variety show, "Cinderella." The singer allegedly struggled with a theater staff member after heckling the performers. Winehouse has been charged under her married name, Amy Civil, with a public

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-74634412842243109612010-01-20T02:29:00.000-08:002010-01-20T02:29:09.879-08:00

A month after her sudden death, Brittany Murphy's mother and husband say they are convinced the actress died of natural causes, not drugs or an eating disorder. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Sharon Murphy and Simon Monjack said that Murphy did not use drugs or alcohol and that they are awaiting a determination from coroner's officials that will end speculation

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-86376483203810367232010-01-19T11:36:00.001-08:002010-01-19T11:36:57.680-08:00

Jay-Z will bring his "Empire State of Mind" to the West Coast for Coachella this year. The Brooklyn-born rapper will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which kicks off on April 16 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. Rock acts Muse and Gorillaz are set to headline on April 17 and 18, respectively. The three-day festival — with more than 130 acts — also includes Thom

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-25030173728873118722010-01-19T05:11:00.001-08:002010-01-19T05:11:09.172-08:00

Chinese censors have ordered the 2D version of "Avatar" pulled from screens across the country, apparently to reduce competition for the homegrown film industry. The 3D and IMAX versions of James Cameron's global hit will continue their run into February. But Saturday marks the end of the 2D run of the science fiction epic, which also dramatizes the forced eviction of a people — a politically

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-36354064123251895072010-01-19T05:10:00.001-08:002010-01-19T05:10:29.700-08:00

Women are dominating the nominations for Britain's leading music awards — the Brits — but Internet sensation Susan Boyle was snubbed on the shortlist. Quirky chanteuses Florence and the Machine, Pixie Lott, Lily Allen and Lady GaGa all have three nominations. Other British contenders include boy band JLS, Leona Lewis, Bat for Lashes, Paolo Nuttini and Dizzee Rascal. Nominees in the

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-85910367332203450252010-01-19T05:09:00.000-08:002010-01-19T05:09:42.766-08:00

Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean defended his charity on Monday in the wake of questions about its practices while calling on the international community to enable the evacuation of his homeland's earthquake-ravaged capital. "Port-au-Prince is a morgue," Jean said at a Manhattan press conference, recounting how he collected the corpses of small children and adults from the festering streets on

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-81159475557557391792010-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:00:07.525-08:00

Rebecca Stead's "When You Reach Me" and Jerry Pinkney's "The Lion and the Mouse" have received the top prizes in children's literature. Stead's intricate, time-traveling narrative set in 1970s Manhattan, inspired in part by "A Wrinkle in Time," won the John Newbery Medal for best children's book. The Randolph Caldecott prize for picture book was given to Pinkney's wordless telling of the classic

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-28087289962281395762010-01-18T08:59:00.001-08:002010-01-18T08:59:17.199-08:00

Emir Kusturica is trying to stop Hollywood tainting his Kuestendorf arts festival, but the renowned director underestimated the star power of Johnny Depp. Kusturica, winner of two awards at the Cannes film festival, said he wants the festival, now in its third year, to be devoted only to "movies, music and life", far from the "blockbusters that pollute the spirit". But the journalists following

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-32702452873701676292010-01-18T08:58:00.000-08:002010-01-18T08:58:19.123-08:00

Edgar Allan Poe's fertile imagination has endured for more than 150 years — and so has his pale, death-haunted image, with his sunken eyes, a trim mustache and unruly mop of curly hair. However, scholars say Poe looked far more vigorous, perhaps even dashing, in his earlier years than he does in the well-known series of daguerreotypes taken in the final years of his life. The more robust Poe

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-13288866642373722332010-01-18T01:19:00.001-08:002010-01-18T01:19:52.364-08:00

"The Murderer's Daughters" (St. Martin's Press, 320 pages, $24.99), by Randy Susan Meyers: Lulu's mother told her not to let her father in the apartment, but it's hard for a 10-year-old to say "no" to a parent. So Lulu opened the door and then ran for help as her father stabbed her mother and sister. Death comes quickly in "The Murderer's Daughter," Randy Susan Meyers' debut novel. Within pages

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-16241278631368310482010-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:002010-01-18T01:18:28.316-08:00

The Golden Globes gave top honors to James Cameron's "Avatar" and took its cue from the film's celebration of humanity, with winners ranging from the gritty child-abuse drama "Precious" to freewheeling comedy "The Hangover." Sunday's awards ceremony also opened wide to embrace the long-admired Jeff Bridges, who took best dramatic-acting honors for the country-music film "Crazy Heart," and a

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-56251253376420325592010-01-12T06:41:00.001-08:002010-01-12T06:41:28.185-08:00

The Golden Globes' guest list includes a former Beatle, an Oscar winner and Indiana Jones. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association says Paul McCartney, Reese Witherspoon and Harrison Ford will be presenters at Sunday's show. Ricky Gervais will host the 67th annual awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The show will air live on NBC (8 p.m. EST). Other presenters include Olivia Wilde, Mickey

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-50454407564921848772010-01-12T06:40:00.003-08:002010-01-12T06:40:54.093-08:00

Music from artists on labels owned by Warner Music Group, the world's third largest music company, will be available to U.S. subscribers of digital music service eMusic, the companies said on Tuesday. The deal will make 10,000 catalog albums from artists like REM, Depeche Mode and Aretha Franklin available for downloading. But the deal does not include newer hit records. The new deal is just

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-28608514697416473732010-01-12T06:40:00.001-08:002010-01-12T06:40:29.786-08:00

Although the Dave Matthews Band's many achievements include a Grammy Award, getting a trophy has never been the focus of the group, which has blazed an independent path from pop's mainstream. And it's still not. But this year, even frontman Dave Matthews is feeling emotional over their two nominations for "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King," including album of the year, perhaps the Recording

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-60802973612169158952010-01-11T11:32:00.001-08:002010-01-11T11:32:29.842-08:00

Barbara Walters says NBC News tried to hire her back last June, but she decided to stay at ABC. Walters says she met with NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker and other officials, but chose not to go because she's been happy at ABC. The 80-year-old journalist said Monday on "The View" that with the emphasis on the 18-to-49 age group for advertising, "it was a very flattering offer."

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-52594244730014809162010-01-11T11:28:00.001-08:002010-01-11T11:28:31.980-08:00

Michael Buble's latest song may be titled "Haven't Met You Yet," but he apparently has found the one. The singer's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, confirmed that the 34-year-old Canadian crooner proposed to girlfriend-actresss Luisana Lopilato over the weekend. The 22-year-old Argentinian plays Buble's love interest in the music video for "Haven't Met You Yet." Buble was previously engaged to Academy

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-5063819672158556162010-01-11T03:11:00.001-08:002010-01-11T03:11:49.770-08:00

Near the end of the hit film "Avatar," the villain snarls at the hero, "How does it feel to betray your own race?" Both men are white — although the hero is inhabiting a blue-skinned, 9-foot-tall, long-tailed alien. Strange as it may seem for a film that pits greedy, immoral humans against noble denizens of a faraway moon, "Avatar" is being criticized by a small but vocal group of people who

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-66519042238616794852010-01-05T14:53:00.001-08:002010-01-05T14:53:26.811-08:00

Lady Gaga, Pink, Green Day, Dave Matthews Band and Zac Brown Band are the latest acts scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards on January 31, organizers said Tuesday. The Grammys will also feature performances by nominated artists Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Maxwell and Lady Antebellum. Now that Lady Gaga and Dave Matthews Band have been added to the roster, all five nominees

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-47679107346703921202010-01-05T14:52:00.002-08:002010-01-05T14:52:56.947-08:00

Lenny Kravitz has taken to Twitter to "set the record straight" about a leaked version of Michael Jackson's "Another Day," a song the rocker recorded with the late King of Pop. Kravitz posted a video of himself sitting among trees and telling fans that the version of "Another Day" which surfaced online Sunday night was not leaked by him. "Mine has been locked up in a vault since we recorded it,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-43764251332096813772010-01-05T14:52:00.000-08:002010-01-05T14:52:04.148-08:00

Sharon Stone will soon be fighting crime in a guest role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." The Oscar-nominated actress will appear on the NBC cop drama in a four-episode story arc later this season, says Pam Golum, a spokeswoman for producer Dick Wolf. Stone, best known for her films "Basic Instinct" and "Casino," will play a cop turned prosecutor. In the past, she has guest-starred on

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-20513344535438818902010-01-05T07:35:00.003-08:002010-01-05T07:35:42.499-08:00

The people who watch TV shows, buy movie tickets and follow their favorite artists online get to call the shots during the first show of Hollywood's awards season: the People's Choice Awards. The awards will be presented Wednesday at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS (9 p.m. EST). Topping the nominees are vampire tales "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and HBO's "True Blood."

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-2533460124909189052010-01-05T07:35:00.001-08:002010-01-05T07:35:16.215-08:00

Hollywood's awards season is just beginning, and Kevin Bacon has already won. The 51-year-old actor, nominated for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards for his starring turn in the TV movie "Taking Chance," will receive the Joel Siegel Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The award recognizes an entertainer's charitable efforts. Meryl Streep will present the honor to Bacon

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-15839345733716513992010-01-05T07:34:00.001-08:002010-01-05T07:34:40.377-08:00

Science-fiction scored big with the Producers Guild of America, with "Avatar," "Star Trek" and "District 9" taking three of the 10 nominations Tuesday for the group's top film honors. The group representing Hollywood producers also handed best-picture nominations to the animated blockbuster "Up," the World War II hit "Inglourious Basterds" and the critical favorites "The Hurt Locker," "Precious:

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-53256761286179625382010-01-04T09:02:00.003-08:002010-01-04T09:02:42.423-08:00

Emile Hirsch is on his way to Africa to climb the continent's highest peak. The "Milk" and "Into the Wild" star is joining Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco, Isabel Lucas and Elizabeth Gore for a weeklong trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. The Summit on the Summit expedition, which begins Thursday, aims to use star power to help raise awareness about the need for clean water worldwide. The 24-year-old Hirsch

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-77804616460265237752010-01-04T09:02:00.001-08:002010-01-04T09:02:09.942-08:00

Actor Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend have announced the birth of their second child — a baby girl. The actor says on his Web site that Vida Alves McConaughey was born Sunday. She weighs seven pounds, seven ounces. McConaughey says his girlfriend, model Camila Alves, is "recovering wonderfully" and the couple welcomed "this little lady into our family." The couple had a son, Levi, in

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-25176056818104813072009-12-30T09:42:00.002-08:002009-12-30T09:42:46.209-08:00

The king of Middle Earth is being made a knight — for real. Film writer and director Peter Jackson, whose widely acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" trilogy scooped 17 Oscars, has been made a knight in New Zealand's New Year Honors' list. He becomes Sir Peter Jackson for what the annual list honoring the country's worthy citizens simply calls "services to film." New Zealand knights and dames, among

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-45235097926676254992009-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:002009-12-30T09:42:01.078-08:00

A former Ohio police chief has been sentenced to prison in connection with a break-in at the home of the surrogate who bore twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Barry Carpenter was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison Wednesday. He was convicted last month on charges of receiving stolen property, theft in office and evidence tampering but acquitted of other counts,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-92108159290074522292009-12-29T11:08:00.001-08:002009-12-29T11:08:54.370-08:00

Short interest in Comcast Corp has jumped in recent weeks as some investors bet that the rise in the cable company's shares following its NBC Universal deal has reached a peak. Short positions in Comcast rose 24 percent or 10.6 million shares in the two weeks to December 15, making the company the third-biggest increase in short interest on Nasdaq. This comes after the shares gained as much as

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-74961914139439061612009-12-29T11:07:00.002-08:002009-12-29T11:07:58.724-08:00

iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending Dec. 28, 2009: Singles: 1. "Tik Tok," Ke$ha 2. "Replay," Iyaz 3. "Fireflies," Owl City 4. "Bad Romance," Lady GaGa 5. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)," Jay-Z 6. "Down (feat. Lil Wayne)," Jay Sean 7. "Whatcha Say," Jason Derulo 8. "Party In the U.S.A.," Miley Cyrus 9. "Do You Remember (feat. Sean Paul & Lil Jon)," Jay

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-91808276526066591402009-12-29T11:07:00.000-08:002009-12-29T11:07:09.594-08:00

For more than 60 years, TV stations have broadcast news, sports and entertainment for free and made their money by showing commercials. That might not work much longer. The business model is unraveling at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the local stations that carry the networks' programming. Cable TV and the Web have fractured the audience for free TV and siphoned its ad dollars. The recession has

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-74738480470676209492009-12-28T13:48:00.003-08:002009-12-28T13:48:44.046-08:00

A contentious lawsuit between Marilyn Manson and former bandmate Stephen Bier has been settled without the multimillion judgment the keyboardist initially sought, court records show. An agreement calls for attorneys representing former Bier to be paid $380,000. Manson's insurance company will pay $175,000 while the rest will be paid by Bier's former business managers, Manson's attorney Howard

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-1330104137831112792009-12-28T13:48:00.001-08:002009-12-28T13:48:16.765-08:00

Moviegoers have shown a willingness to be entangled by Spider-Man's web over and over again. Now, as Disney prepares to buy the comic-book powerhouse Marvel, it faces the question of whether fans will also get attached to characters as obscure as Ant-Man and Iron Fist. The Walt Disney Co. is making a $4.2 billion bet that they will as it nears completion of its acquisition of Marvel

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-16909165877479986282009-12-28T09:17:00.000-08:002009-12-28T09:17:00.297-08:00

The rapper Nelly is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the man who broke into his suburban St. Louis home earlier this month. CrimeStoppers announced the reward on Monday. Someone forced his way through a locked window at Nelly's Wildwood home in the early hours of Dec. 11 and got away with a duffel bag full of items that included electronics and other goods.

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-48508820357597160372009-12-28T07:44:00.003-08:002009-12-28T07:44:47.269-08:00

"Becoming Jane Eyre," (Penguin Books, 256 pages, $15) by Sheila Kohler: Charlotte Bronte was a dutiful daughter of the Victorian age. Her best-known character, Jane Eyre, endures as a woman who transcends time and social order. How Charlotte released Jane into the world is the subject of Sheila Kohler's new novel, "Becoming Jane Eyre." Charlotte Bronte was the third of a poor curate's six

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-82509514384474562842009-12-28T07:44:00.001-08:002009-12-28T07:44:20.066-08:00

A second Hollywood movie has shattered the Chinese box office record in a year, as Beijing faces increased pressure to ease its annual quota of 20 foreign blockbusters. The American disaster film "2012" has made 460 million Chinese yuan ($67.3 million) as of Dec. 23, eclipsing the previous of mark of 450 million yuan set by another Hollywood blockbuster, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-82641931688637138822009-12-24T14:44:00.001-08:002009-12-24T14:44:29.919-08:00

Actress Brittany Murphy will be laid to rest at a small, private funeral on Christmas Eve, while a larger memorial service may be held early next year. Family spokesman Alex Ben Block said the Thursday funeral for the "Clueless" and "Girl, Interrupted" actress will be by invitation-only at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills. The 32-year-old actress died after collapsing at her Hollywood

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-3220073385702691172009-12-24T00:20:00.001-08:002009-12-24T00:20:18.692-08:00

Before "Sherlock Holmes" was a movie opening on Christmas Day, it was a comic. Sort of. Lionel Wigram, one of the film's producers, wanted to do a modern retelling of the classic detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "I wanted to present Sherlock Holmes not as fuddy duddy, 'Masterpiece Theatre' guy," said the British native. Wigram came up with a story treatment but "realized that

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-37753338708775723902009-12-18T10:12:00.000-08:002009-12-18T10:12:59.271-08:00

Jon and Kate Gosselin are officially divorced after 10 years of marriage, eight children and a year of tabloid headlines. A lawyer for Kate Gosselin says she gets the family home in eastern Pennsylvania in the no-fault divorce agreement entered Friday and first reported by TMZ. Lawyer Mark Momjian (MAHM'-jee-in) says Kate Gosselin will continue as the primary caretaker of the reality TV

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-43139592828117421972009-12-16T09:35:00.000-08:002009-12-16T09:35:22.928-08:00

Tiger Woods's Swedish-born wife Elin Nordegren wants a divorce because of the golfing great's extramarital flings, People magazine reported Wednesday. "She plans to leave Tiger," one unidentified source "close to the golfer's wife" was quoted as saying. The former model and mother of two has met with lawyers to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement with the billionaire sportsman, the report said

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-21034057252559481442009-12-16T09:34:00.001-08:002009-12-16T09:34:25.778-08:00

Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton will fight the drug charge against him in Tampa instead of Miami. Banton, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, waived his bail hearing Wednesday in Miami federal court. His case is being prosecuted in Tampa, where he will be transferred. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Turnoff issued a temporary order of detention. A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-28772793400221017812009-12-16T09:33:00.003-08:002009-12-16T09:33:50.605-08:00

Nick Jonas is used to performing in front of screaming fans who know all the words to their favorite Jonas Brothers songs. Now his new band, Nick Jonas & The Administration, is getting ready to perform as the house band for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles. The band will be expected to not only entertain but also keep the pace of the show moving. "I'm excited and

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-46610534548917214032009-12-16T09:33:00.001-08:002009-12-16T09:33:13.674-08:00

The fierce debate over health care hasn't led to a new law yet, but it's produced some of this year's top quotes, according to a Yale University librarian. Fred Shapiro, associate librarian and lecturer in legal research at Yale Law School, is releasing his fourth annual list of The Yale Book of Quotations. His top quote: "Keep your government hands off my Medicare," by a speaker at a town hall

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-69897727523318322452009-12-15T11:47:00.002-08:002009-12-15T11:47:50.111-08:00

What first signaled to a young, eager-to-please James Cameron he'd make movie history with Sigourney Weaver? Her heels. More than two decades ago, the director was waiting to meet her in a Santa Barbara hotel to pitch his ideas for the film "Aliens" — the sequel to "Alien." "I knew she was a tall girl," Cameron said. "I was thinking about her shoes. If she's wearing tall heels she's going to be

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-54331295205058213162009-12-15T11:47:00.000-08:002009-12-15T11:47:00.866-08:00

ABBA is dancing its way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, The Hollies and The Stooges. The list of the next class of inductees was released Tuesday by the Cleveland hall. ABBA and The Stooges made it in this time after being nominated previously but not making the cut. ABBA, a Swedish pop group that became one of the most successful acts in pop history,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-38698806583744381072009-12-15T11:46:00.003-08:002009-12-15T11:46:37.265-08:00

"Up in the Air" landed at just the right time, emerging as a potential Academy Awards favorite with themes of job loss and economic calamity that offer a heartbreaking yet hilarious reflection of these hard times. The film grabbed a leading six Golden Globe nominations Tuesday, including best drama, plus directing and screenplay honors for Jason Reitman. George Clooney earned a best dramatic

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-1206542748753578922009-12-15T11:46:00.001-08:002009-12-15T11:46:08.316-08:00

Three-time Grammy Award-winner Brian Setzer was rushed to an Albuquerque-area hospital after cutting short a concert. Setzer, former frontman of the Stray Cats, had performed three Christmas-themed songs with his Brian Setzer Orchestra when he left the stage Monday night during a sold-out concert at Isleta Resort and Casino. A publicist for Setzer didn't immediately respond to phone and e-mail

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-32577824015078547462009-12-10T10:58:00.001-08:002009-12-10T10:58:13.112-08:00

Jon Gosselin, the star of TLC's hit reality show "Jon and Kate Plus 8," has not shown up to a hearing in his legal fight with the network. Gosselin's attorney, Mark Heller, had previously said the celebrity dad would attend Thursday's hearing in Maryland, but the hearing has started without him. The judge says Gosselin's lawyers don't plan to call witnesses. The network wants the judge to stop

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-3674362844718371642009-12-10T10:57:00.003-08:002009-12-10T10:57:44.230-08:00

Prosecutors say they have charged a man suspected of stealing $25,000 in jewelry from Julie Newmar. The actress who portrayed the first Catwoman on the "Batman" TV series in the 1960s spotted the pilfered jewelry for sale on eBay and alerted authorities. That led Los Angeles prosecutors to charge 48-year-old Robert Ouriel with grand theft on Wednesday. He is due in court for arraignment

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-21217667181685096112009-12-10T10:57:00.001-08:002009-12-10T10:57:06.630-08:00

The Nielsen Co. is selling some of its most prominent trade journals — including The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard — and shutting down Editor & Publisher, which has chronicled the newspaper business for 108 years. In all, Nielsen is selling eight titles to e5 Global Media LLC, a new company formed by private equity firm Pluribus Capital Management, and Guggenheim Partners, a financial

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-33493376887531765252009-12-10T10:56:00.001-08:002009-12-10T10:56:40.304-08:00

They gave us the most memorable music moment of 2009, so it's only fitting that Kanye West and Taylor Swift have been named the king and queen of the charts. Billboard magazine named Swift the top female artist, while West was declared top male artist. But Swift trumps West overall. She was the top artist of the year, with Beyonce coming in second and Lady Gaga third. Swift has a sophomore CD,

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-66301196955576398752009-12-07T10:02:00.000-08:002009-12-07T10:02:44.372-08:00

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and Brazilian author Paulo Coelho are among new entries in "Who's Who", the British guide to society's most influential people published Monday. World number one Federer, 28, is among the youngest new entrants to the 162nd annual edition of the book, which also lists Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce and Everton manager David

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-37161298484878664312009-12-07T10:01:00.000-08:002009-12-07T10:01:28.175-08:00

Al Pacino meets William Shakespeare next summer in New York City's Central Park. The 69-year-old Pacino will portray Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice," one of two offerings by the Public Theater's 2010 Shakespeare in the Park series, running June 9-Aug. 1. Artist director Oskar Eustis (YOO'-stihs) says the series will also include "The Winter's Tale," which will alternate in performance

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-51711778674092438382009-12-07T09:59:00.001-08:002009-12-07T09:59:50.555-08:00

Mostly excellent, all of them memorable, here are the decade's Top 10 television achievements as tapped by the TV writers of The Associated Press. In no particular order, they are: • "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (premiered October 2000) and the franchise it inspired. This drama was already a surprise hit when, with season two, it emerged as a reassuring response to the sorrows and

RKLnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793974840285164746.post-18372996449588290852009-12-07T09:58:00.001-08:002009-12-07T09:58:43.060-08:00

A publicist says the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley is staying with her father two days after being treated in New York for a possible overdose of pills. Alexa Ray Joel's publicist Claire Mercuri won't say where the 23-year-old is staying. Billy Joel has homes in Manhattan and on eastern Long Island. His daughter was hospitalized for several hours Saturday after police received

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