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Glamor belongs to only part of Hollywood

2007-11-10T01:06:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - "Jeopardy!" writer Andrew Price lives in a modest home, makes mortgage and car payments and describes himself and fellow scribes as "meat and potatoes people."

Movie art director Sean Duggan, 38, rarely wears a tux and leads a life that's more regular than regal. "When they roll out the red carpet, they call me to do it," he says.

To most of the world, Hollywood is all about glitz and glamor and beautiful people — some behaving badly. But Price and Duggan belong to what might be called the real Hollywood: its industrial other half, where folks live paycheck to paycheck, drive Toyotas and stay out of trouble.

The current Writers Guild of America strike has cast a rare, international spotlight on this workaday culture of behind-the-camera jobs — known as "below the line" in production parlance.

Most WGA members lead far from glamorous lives, and seldom earn beyond five figures each year. Yet like their colleagues who build sets, apply makeup and lay cable, they're the ones who keep Hollywood cranking the content.

Or not.

Since it began Monday, the writers strike has shuttered nearly a dozen TV shows, including such popular series as "The Office," "Desperate Housewives" and "24." The feature-film pipeline could be next.

"The stars are who they are ... as a function of all those people who are unknown and keep the system going," said Elizabeth Currid, a professor at University of Southern California who studies art and culture in Los Angeles. "Stars wouldn't define Hollywood if there weren't these regular people doing their jobs behind the scenes, day in and day out."

The average salary for entertainment industry employees is $73,000 a year, a handsome income that's 80 percent higher than the national average, according to a 2006 study by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Yet most workers in Hollywood earn far less — when they even have jobs — because the MPAA's average includes multimillion dollar salaries paid to executives.

Most of the 6,000 carpenters, welders, set decorators and prop masters represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 44 earn $50,000 to $80,000 a year, said secretary-treasurer Elliot Jennings.

It's "decent money" that allows for a middle-class lifestyle, he said. But work is spotty and 10 to 15 percent of the membership are not regularly employed — a situation worsened by the increasing loss of film and television shoots to foreign locations, and now the writers strike.

"Most of our members work paycheck-to-paycheck. They get eight months of work in a 12-month period," he said. "The amount of money we make doesn't afford most members to keep their wives home from work. We're middle-class people who get up and go to work every day and can't afford not to."

Having a Screen Actors Guild card isn't necessarily a ticket to Hollywood success, either. Members can spend more time hustling gigs than working them. That's why so many have side jobs tending bar or waiting tables.

"They're not living in mansions," said USC business professor S. Mark Young. "They're probably living in modest apartments."

Writer Diana Ljungaeus was lured by the glamor of Tinseltown when she moved from her native Sweden. Yet she quickly learned Hollywood is a place where "everyone is something else."

"You take a cab and the taxi driver is really a director and the cashier is really an actor, just doing this to get over a poor stretch," said Ljungaeus, 48, who works two jobs to support her playwriting pursuits. "Very few people can live off the arts of TV, theater and film. It's a few that can and they live well. The rest of the hopeful are just struggling."

Glitz and glamor elude even those industry workers who do draw a reliable salary.

Bruce Grayson has been a Hollywood makeup artist for nearly 20 years. He lives in a condo, not a mansion. He has one car, not a fleet. And he wears some designer duds, "but the articles are few and far between."

After two decades in the business, Grayson said he's still "amazed" by the level of wealth and luxury the industry provides to the stars who put a face on Hollywood for the rest of the planet.

"It's not my world," he said. "It's their world."

And they know it.

"The difference between the upper echelon in our business and the lower echelon is so striking," actor William H. Macy said as he walked the picket line with writers this week. "It's tough for me when I'm on set. It makes me feel bad when (the studios) are being so stingy with craft services (catering) people and writers, when they're trying to cut costs on that level."

Ricky Blitt straddles both sides of Hollywood. A writer of television shows such as "Family Guy" and feature-length screenplays, he's successful enough that he doesn't have to look for jobs like many in the industry, but not so successful that he routinely rubs elbows with A-listers.

His lifestyle is "100 percent opposite from `Entourage,'" he said, referring to the HBO series about the entertainment business.

"This is my Hollywood glamor life: getting up early, writing, petting my two cats and watching NHL sports packages on TV," said Blitt, who works from an office at his Hollywood Hills home. "Nobody quite knows who you are or what you do. You can afford certain privileges, but there's nothing exciting about it."

Broadway strike may darken theaters

2007-11-10T00:51:00.000-08:00

More than two dozen Broadway plays and musicals were set to go dark Saturday in the crucial run-up to the lucrative holiday season as stagehands prepared to strike, a person familiar with contract negotiations.

The work stoppage was to begin at 11 a.m., affecting an early matinee of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical," said the person, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

A union spokesman declined comment. Lisa Linden, a spokeswoman for the League of American Theatres and Producers, said the group had not heard from Local One regarding the job action. "It would be shocking if they would hurt the theatergoing public by shutting down Broadway without notice," she said.

The League and Local One have been in negotiations for more than three months, wrangling over work rules and staffing requirements, particularly requirements governing the expensive process of setting up a show.

Local One, which has been working without a contract since the end of July, was told Friday by its parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, to begin the walkout on Saturday.

Eight Broadway shows will not be affected by the strike, as they are playing in theaters with separate Local One contracts. They are "Young Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," "Xanadu," "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Mauritius," "Pygmalion," "The Ritz" and "Cymbeline." Off-Broadway shows will also keep running.

On Thursday, after two days of contentious negotiations, the local got its parent union's permission to strike.

November has been an exceptionally busy month for Broadway, with the opening of such plays as Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll," "Cyrano," starring Kevin Kline, and "Young Frankenstein." Still to come before Christmas are such productions as "The Farnsworth Invention," by Aaron Sorkin, Disney's "Little Mermaid" and a revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming." Broadway traditionally does well in December, particularly in the week between Christmas and New Year's, normally the busiest of the year.

In March 2003, more than a dozen Broadway shows went dark after musicians went on a four-day strike, costing the city millions of dollars in lost revenue. Earlier this year, the musicians agreed to a new three-year contract.

The 3,000-member stagehands union, which has between 350 and 500 members working on Broadway at any given time, contends it could find employment for many of its people in television or film if a work stoppage occurs.

Hollywood writers set strike for Monday

2007-11-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Film and TV writers prepared to go on strike Monday for the first time in two decades to break what has become a high-stakes stalemate with the world's largest media companies over profits from DVDs and programming on the Internet.

Writers Guild of America board members voted unanimously Friday to begin the strike at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time (3:01 a.m. EST) unless studios offered a more lucrative deal with a bigger cut from video sales and shows sold or streamed over the Web.

"The studios made it clear that they would rather shut down this town than reach a fair and reasonable deal," Patric Verrone, president of the western chapter of the guild, said at a news conference.

The union said it would stage its first pickets in New York and Los Angeles after strike captains meet Saturday to finalize details.

Both sides agreed late Friday to meet with a federal mediator on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike. The meeting will take place at a neutral location to be determined, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said.

Earlier in the day, J. Nicholas Counter, president of the producers' group, called the writers' strike "precipitous and irresponsible" in a prepared statement.

Producers believe progress can be made on other issues but "it makes absolutely no sense to increase the burden of this additional compensation" involving DVDs and the Internet, he said.
Last year alone, members of the western chapter of the guild were paid $56 million in additional compensation from DVD residuals, he said.

Counter declined a request by The Associated Press for further comment.

Among other media giants, the alliance represents CBS Corp.; NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; and The Walt Disney Co., owner of the ABC network.

The negotiations began in July and were joined this week by a federal mediator.

"We are committed to seeing this through and are willing to engage in any further discussions if the studios so desire," Verrone said.

The first casualty of the strike would be late-night talk shows, which are dependent on current events to fuel monologues and other entertainment.

"The Tonight Show" on NBC will go into reruns starting Monday if last-ditch negotiations fail and a strike begins, according to a network official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person lacked authorization to comment publicly.

Garth Brooks and Tommy Lee Jones were the scheduled guests.

Comedy Central has said "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" would likely go into repeats as well.

A message left seeking CBS comment on plans for "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York was not immediately returned Friday evening.

During the 1988 writers strike, Letterman, then host of NBC's "Late Night," and longtime "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson initially went off the air but later returned as the walkout dragged on for 22 weeks and cost the industry about $500 million.

Daytime TV, including live talk shows such as "The View" and soap operas, which typically tape about a week's worth of shows in advance, would be next to feel the impact.

The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

There could be widespread disruptions in Hollywood as other unions support the writers.
Officials with the Screen Actors Guild have told members they must report for work but encouraged them to join picket lines during their off-time.

A similar message came from the head of a local Teamsters union. However, those workers were told they were protected by law from employer retribution if they honored strike lines.

John Bowman, chief negotiator for the writers guild and the producer on an upcoming TBS show "Frank, TV," said he would not cross picket lines, even if it cost his job.

"Unfortunately we have to inflict as much damage as we can as soon as possible in order to get this thing over," he said.

The economic impact of a strike is hard to estimate because not all production will be halted at once, economists said.

"There definitely will be pain," said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

The entertainment industry contributes about $30 billion a year to the Los Angeles economy, or about $80 million a day, he said.

Talks between writers and producers will likely impact upcoming negotiations between the studios and unions representing actors and directors.

All those unions believe revenue from content offered on the Internet, cell phones and other platforms will grow tremendously in the years ahead, even though it's now minuscule compared to DVD sales.

Consumers are expected to spend $16.4 billion on DVDs this year, according to Adams Media Research.

By contrast, studios could generate about $158 million from selling movies online and about $194 million from selling TV shows over the Web.

The strike was first announced Thursday night at a meeting attended by 3,000 union members whose moods ranged from defiant to somber.

Stupidity Does Not Stop Britney Spears

2007-10-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears doesn't go out in underwear because she "just doesn't like" the feel of it on her skin.

The Toxic singer - who has been frequently pictured in public without panties on - knows it is "stupid" to go out without underwear but just doesn't feel comfortable in it.

Jewellery designer Tuesday Knight, who has been friends with Britney since 2003, said: "Not wearing panties is ridiculous - and I've told her!

"I've said, 'You can't walk into a store wearing just a shirt with your underwear off, or get out of cars baring all.' I've told her that no one will take her seriously when she does this.

"Britney knows it's stupid, but says she just doesn't like to wear underwear. She doesn't feel comfortable with it on."

The 25-year-old mother-of-two, who has lost custody of sons Sean Preston, two and one-year-old Jayden James to ex-husband Kevin Federline, can't understand why people think she is a bad role model.

Tuesday added to In Touch Weekly magazine: "Britney has always been a good mother. I want people to know that she's the better parent - not Kevin!

"Britney asked me, 'Doesn't anybody get to see this part of me?' The answer is, no, they don't. People just read about her not wearing underwear.

"I knew Britney when she and Kevin first met. She remade her entire life so it was all about him. She didn't even want to sign a prenup. Since then, I've watched her spiral downward."

JOLIE & CLOONEY: SEXIEST SUPERHEROES

2007-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie and George Clooney are Hollywood's sexiest superheroes.

Jolie's sultry Lara Croft from "Tomb Raider" and Clooney's turn as Batman in the widely-panned "Batman and Robin" saw them crowned the most lusted after Superwoman and Superman by film fans.

Jolie won with 36 per cent of the vote, fighting off stiff competition from Jessica Alba's sexy Sue Storm from the "Fantastic Four" franchise, who polled 19 per cent.

Third and fourth saw a battle of the catwomen as Halle Berry's role in "Catwoman" took 11 per cent of the vote, narrowly beating Michelle Pfeiffer's leather-clad turn in "Batman Returns."

Clooney won by a landslide in the Superman section with a massive 73 per cent of voters lusting after his portrayal of the Caped Crusader.

Trailing behind the 46-year-old actor was the late Christopher Reeve, who won seven per cent of the vote for his performance as the Man of Steel in 1978 hit "Superman."

Latest Batman Christian Bale took third place with his performance in "Batman Begins."

Hugh Jackman's hairy Wolverine from the "X-Men" movies and Tobey Maguire's portrayal of Spider-Man in the trilogy rounded off the top five.

The poll was conducted to mark the DVD release of comic book adaptation "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."

Top Ten Sexiest Superwomen:

1. Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider" - 36 per cent

2. Jessica Alba as Sue Storm in "Fantastic Four" - 19 per cent

3. Halle Berry as Catwoman in "Catwoman" - 11 per cent

4. Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" - 10 per cent

5. Jane Fonda as Barbarella in "Barbarella" - 8 per cent

6. Lynda Carter as Wonderwoman in "Wonderwoman"

7. Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - 5 per cent

8. Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in "Batman and Robin" - 3 per cent

9. Jennifer Garner as Elektra in "Elektra" - 1.5 per cent

10. Michelle Ryan as Bionic Woman in "Bionic Woman" - 1 per cent

Top Ten Sexiest Superman

1. George Clooney as Batman in "Batman and Robin" - 73 per cent

2. Christopher Reeve as Superman in "Superman" - 7 per cent

3. Christian Bale as Batman in "Batman Begins" - 4.5 per cent

4. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in "X-Men" - 4 percent

5. Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in "Spider-Man" - 3.5 per cent

6. Ben Affleck as Daredevil in "Daredevil" - 3 per cent

7. Brandon Routh as Superman in "Superman Returns" - 2.5 per cent

8. Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk in "The Incredible Hulk" - 2.5 per cent

9. Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic in "The Fantastic Four" - 1 per cent

10. Val Kilmer as Batman in "Batman Forever" - 0.5 per cent

Source: BANG Showbiz

Orlando Bloom in Minor Fender Bender

2007-10-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Orlando Bloom was involved in a car accident early Friday morning.

Bloom was driving down a Hollywood street when another vehicle cut him off and he hit a parked Porsche Cayenne, according to TMZ.com.

The actor's rep issued this statement to TMZ:

"Orlando Bloom, who was in a minor car collision late last night, is grateful that no one was seriously injured. Bloom called for help immediately following the incident.

"He spent last night at the hospital to be with his childhood friend who sustained a minor neck injury. He is thankful that emergency services arrived so quickly and that the ER staff at Cedars Sinai took such good care of his friend."

The car Bloom was driving, a 2003 Toyota Matrix, is registered to Dariusz Wolski, the director of photography on the "Pirates" movies.

Police have confirmed the 30-year-old star was not under the influence. He believes he was being chased by the paparazzi after leaving a Hollywood lounge.

Snoop gets community service over airplane weapons rap

2007-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg must serve 160 hours of community service following his arrest for carrying an illegal police baton in his luggage at an airport last year, reports said Friday.

The controversial singer will spend his sentence picking up litter at a Los Angeles area public park following a plea deal with prosecutors during a preliminary court hearing, several reports said.

The rapper -- whose real name is Calvin Broadus -- was arrested at John Wayne Airport in Long Beach, California in September last year after an outlawed collapsible baton was discovered in his hand luggage.

Broadus, 36, could have faced trial for the felony charge of knowingly possessing a deadly weapon but the offense will now be downgraded to a less serious misdemeanor, provided Broadus carries out community service and does not break the law again.

Broadus also agreed to donate 10,000 dollars to a children's charity and will pay more than 1,000 dollars in fines and court fees.

The sentence comes six months after Broadus was given a three-year suspended sentence and handed five years probation after pleading no contest to two charges of illegally possessing a gun and marijuana.

He was also ordered to perform 800 hours of community service by the court in Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles.

Searches in Anna Nicole Smith death

2007-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

California Department of Justice investigators began serving search warrants Friday in connection with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, a person close to the investigation told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, declined to elaborate. California Attorney General Jerry Brown was expected to make an announcement later Friday.

The former Playboy Playmate died of an accidental drug overdose in February at a Florida hotel. She was 39.

Several people close to the model have fallen under suspicion since her death, including her psychiatrist Dr. Khristine Eroshevich.

The Medical Board of California said in April it was investigating Eroshevich, who, according to documents, authorized all 11 prescription medications found in Smith's hotel room the day she died.

Eroshevich had traveled with Smith to Florida.

More than 600 pills, including 450 muscle relaxants, were missing from prescriptions that were no more than five weeks old, according to the documents, which were obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.

By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer

Trump casino shares surge on takeover report

2007-10-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares in Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc, which owns three casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, rose more than 16 percent on Friday on a report that the company is in takeover talks.

The Star-Ledger newspaper, citing three people familiar with the talks, reported on Friday that Trump Entertainment was in preliminary talks with Cordish Co., a real estate development firm that was involved in the development of two Hard Rock-branded hotel casinos.

Trump Entertainment declined to comment. Representatives of Cordish were not immediately available for comment.

Donald Trump's casino company said in July that it failed to reach a deal with potential acquirers and ended discussions to sell itself, disappointing investors.

Trump Entertainment's three casinos have been struggling along with the rest of Atlantic City, as the seaside gambling resort faces stiffer competition from new gaming facilities in nearby Pennsylvania and New York.

Trump Entertainment's Chief Executive Mark Juliano told Reuters in an interview in August that the company, which exited bankruptcy in May 2005, had made diversifying beyond Atlantic City a priority, and was open to selling one or more of its casinos at the right price.

But selling the company or assets was not the priority, he said in the interview.

"We're running the company as if this is the way it's going to look a year from now or two years from now," Juliano said.

Trump Entertainment shares, which are down about 55 percent this year, were up $1.14 at $8.13 in afternoon trading on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Chris Reiter, editing by Brian Moss)

Aniston is Forbes top-selling celeb face

2007-10-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - People can't get enough of Jennifer Aniston. Neither can Us Weekly, Star or other popular celebrity magazines.

Aniston sits atop Forbes.com's first-ever analysis of top-selling famous faces, based on several factors, including newsstand sales of celebrity weekies People, Us Weekly, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style, OK! and Star over a six-month period ending June 30, as supplied by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

The 38-year-old actress graced six covers — appearing on every magazine except In Touch Weekly at least once during the time period — with her face collectively selling more than 5 million copies, the Web site said Tuesday.

Aniston's ex-husband, Brad Pitt, takes second place on the list, followed by Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Katie Holmes, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Valerie Bertinelli and Kelly Ripa.

Britney Spears isn't on the list even though the 25-year-old pop star snagged 18 single covers during the six-month period. Spears' face fails when it comes to sales, Forbes.com said, and she is only slightly more likable than Paris Hilton.

Consumers have grown tired of Spears' consistently bad behavior, In Touch Weekly Editor in Chief Richard Spencer is quoted as saying.

"Usually there's a roller coaster of emotions," he says. "But unfortunately for Britney, there's been no roller coaster lately — there's just been the downhill."

Also missing from the list: Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson.

Forbes.com calculated the tabloid appeal of a celebrity by comparing how many issues a cover sold with the magazine's average newsstand sales. The Web site then factored in the number of full covers a celeb graced, and ranked his or her consumer appeal using data from Encino, Calif-based polling firm E-Poll Market Research to rule out flukes.

http://www.forbes.com

Rock claims Pam lied about miscarriage

2007-10-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Kid Rock claims Pamela Anderson lied about a miscarriage during their brief marriage last year.

Anderson lied while they were arguing about visiting her on the set of a movie in Canada, the 36-year-old rapper alleges in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

"She's in Vancouver shooting a movie and I have Lakers seats on the floor, and I'm gonna go to the Lakers (basketball) game with my friend Jesse James," the 36-year-old rapper says.

"I'm like, `Baby, I got these tickets. I'll see you on the weekend there,' and that leads into her saying, `You don't care about me, blah blah blah,'" Rock says. "She finally comes up with this: `I just had a miscarriage' ... and hangs the phone up."

Rock, claiming he was unaware that Anderson was pregnant, says he chartered a plane and flew to Vancouver. "When I get there, she's partying at this restaurant, drinking champagne, jumping on the tables. I'm thinking, `That's a quick recovery from a miscarriage.'"

Last November, a spokeswoman for the former "Baywatch" star said Anderson had suffered a miscarriage. Later that month, Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, and Anderson filed for divorce, seeking to end their marriage of less than four months.

In response to the allegations, Anderson's publicist, Cindy Guagenti, referred The Associated Press to an e-mail that is quoted in the magazine's story.

"I hope his album does well," the 40-year-old actress says. "I hope he's happy in life. We were married for four months. If he has nothing nice to say about me, then please tell him to stop talking about me."

Last month, Anderson and Rick Salomon applied for — and were granted — a marriage license in Las Vegas, according to Clark County's Marriage License Bureau.

Rock's latest album, "Rock N Roll Jesus," is due out next Tuesday.

Affleck says romance with J-Lo hurt his career

2007-10-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Oscar-winner Ben Affleck, whose romance with singer-actress Jennifer Lopez sent paparazzi into overdrive from 2002-2004, says their years together likely took a toll on his career.

"It was probably bad for my career," the actor, 35, who won a best screenplay Academy Award with Matt Damon in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting," told Details magazine.

"What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work," he said.
"You go to a movie, you only go once. But the tabloids and Internet are everywhere. You can really subsume the public image of somebody. I ended up in an unfortunate crosshair position where I was in a relationship and (the media) mostly lied and inflated a bunch of salacious stuff for the sake of selling magazines. And I paid a certain price for that. Then, in concert with some movies that didn't work...," he added.

The couple, dubbed "Bennifer" by the tabloid press, planned to wed in 2004 but called it off at the last minute.

Lopez later wed singer Marc Anthony, and Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner.
Affleck is set to release his first film as a director in October, "Gone Baby Gone," the tale of a girl's kidnapping in Boston.

"I feel like this film is a linchpin for my life," he said. "My career. I have a lot riding on it. I want (the film) to work. Badly."

Just A Minute With: Actress Charlize Theron

2007-09-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winner Charlize Theron has shown a range of talent acting in thrillers and in movies on social issues but her latest film about the Iraq war reveals another side to the actress -- her political awareness.

Theron, 32, won the best actress Oscar of 2005 for playing a female serial killer in "Monster," and her new movie, "In the Valley of Elah," which opened last week, looks at the impact of the Iraq war on returning soldiers and their families.

The South African actress, who also acquired U.S. citizenship this year, took some time to talk to Reuters about the movie and her interest in politics and social issues:

Q: WE HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH OF YOU LATELY SINCE 2005'S "AEON

FLUX" AND "NORTH COUNTRY." DID YOU TAKE SOME TIME OFF?

A: "I took about a year off. I wanted to go and live life a little bit. So I did a little traveling, which was really nice. And there was nothing out there I was interested in, so I threw myself into a few things I wanted to development."

Q: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN FILM PROJECTS?

A: "I've always been fascinated with the process of filmmaking and not just acting -- with putting a project together, starting from nothing then building it and nurturing it and seeing it through."

Q: WHAT ABOUT "IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH" STRUCK YOU?

A: "This had a real element of being based on a true story and that affected me. I couldn't stop thinking about how he translated it from the real story to the fictional version. It was something that kind of haunted me."

Q: YOU SEEM TO LIKE "BASED ON A TRUE STORY" MOVIES. "NORTH

COUNTRY" WAS. "MONSTER" WAS. DO YOU?

A: "I think it's kind of how it turned out. I will say there is an element, when you read something and it's really good, then on top of it, somebody says, 'by the way, this really happened.' It's extreme and riveting."

Q: "ELAH" HAS THE IRAQ WAR AS THE CONTEXT TO TELL A TALE OF

HOW WAR IMPACTS PEOPLE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT.

A: "There is a split opinion on where we are, politically, on this war. People are arguing and debating on whether it was right to go. We've forgotten we did go. What (the troops) are doing is really brave, but psychologically how could it not take its toll. They are coming back and we are not taking care of them."

Q: DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A POLITICAL PERSON?

A: "I'm very politically aware. I don't think I can be one of those people that can walk around with blinders on. I question authority, question what the government is doing, and I think that is an incredibly patriotic thing to do. I think if I didn't care I wouldn't ask any questions. I love America and love living in this country. And I think, maybe coming from a country like South Africa, and being used to political turmoil, that's just the way I grew up."

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE?

A: "I'm still watching and doing my research. I think it's important to see and hear what everybody's agendas are, and I think it's a little early to make a decision."

Q: YOU'RE ACTIVE IN HUMANITARIAN CAUSES. WHY IS THIS

IMPORTANT FOR YOU?

A: "Because I'm a human being. I don't ever, for one second live in an imaginary world where I don't realize my circumstances easily could have been very different from what they are. If I can do something to help, I don't know why I wouldn't. I don't know how people ignore it."

Reuters

'I looked like a pig': Britney

2007-09-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

BRITNEY Spears was seen "crying badly" after her disastrous MTV Video Music Awards show, and has called herself a "fat pig" on stage.
______________________________________________

It appears she left everyone aghast by her low energy performance - including herself.

The former pop star mimed her way through her new single Gimme More and struggled to dance in time, but it was the sight of her once ultra toned body that really left her embarrassed, the UK's Daily Mail reports.

See the pictures that made Britney cry here.

A source told American magazine Us: “She was also able to see video of herself throughout the auditorium.”

“She flipped out. She came running off the stage, yelling 'Oh, my God, I looked like a fat pig! I looked like a fat pig!' She was inconsolable.”

Meanwhile, X Factor judge Simon Cowell has joined a chorus of critics who have panned the comeback effort, warning it could spell the end of her career.

He said: “If I had been looking after Britney I'd have taken one look at her in rehearsals and I wouldn't have allowed her on stage.

“It would have been worth pulling her off the bill - no matter what the cost - to save any chance she had of resurrecting her career.

He told The Sun newspaper: “She wasn't ready for that show in every possible way.

“The song wasn't right, the image wasn't right and she just wasn't rehearsed.

“If she had turned up and given that performance at the X Factor auditions then I wouldn't have put her through to the next round.

“The problem she has now is that she could have killed her career. It's difficult to come back from that performance, for a while at least."

It appears that Spears is aware of the damage she's done – she was seen "crying badly" backstage after the show, according to sources.

Dayli Telegraph

Beyonce, J.Lo make mag's `best dressed'

2007-09-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani are among the stylish stars on People magazine's list of best dressed women of 2007.

Katie Holmes, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon and Ali Larter are other sharp dressers singled out in the magazine's "Best & Worst Dressed" double issue, on newsstands Friday.

"Whether classic or continental, girl-next-door or glam," these celebs made all the right fashion moves throughout the year, the magazine said.

Don't forget the men. David Beckham, Terrence Howard, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and George Clooney meet People's standards for always stepping out in style, whether they're wearing tuxedos or T-shirts.

Pitt and his partner, Angelina Jolie, are among the year's best dressed couples. Other fashionable duos: Stefani and her husband, Gavin Rossdale; Halle Berry and boyfriend Gabriel Aubry; and newlyweds Tony Parker and Eva Longoria.

Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Lily Allen, Emma Watson and Kate Middleton get the nod for their bold and unexpected sense of style in a special "British Accent" section.

Among the fashion moments the magazine would like to forget: Sienna Miller's black hot pants and tights and Avril Lavigne's pairing of a frilly dress and combat boots.

Janet Jackson and Kirsten Dunst are cited for wearing the "worst red carpet dresses" of the year.

___
http://www.people.com

Court hears Jackson costume malfunction

2007-09-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA - CBS Corp. should not be fined for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction" because the stunt was both fleeting and unauthorized, a lawyer for the company argued Tuesday.

The network also accused the Federal Communications Commission of applying "mushy" and newly restrictive standards when it fined CBS $550,000 for the half-second of partial nudity.

"The FCC's new zero-tolerance policy has already had a chilling effect on the broadcast industry, particularly with regard to television," said Robert Corn-Revere, a CBS lawyer who asked a federal appeals court panel to overturn the fine.

Several third parties, including two former FCC chairmen who complained the agency was engaged in a Victorian crusade, filed briefs in support of CBS.

The agency, though, called CBS indifferent to the risk that "a highly sexualized performance" might cross the line.

The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," as he reached for Jackson's bustier.

The scene capped a show that featured a crotch-grabbing performance by Nelly and steamy lyrics from Jackson and others.

The case is the second recent test of the federal government's powers to regulate broadcast indecency. In June, a federal appeals court in New York invalidated the government's policy on fleeting profanities uttered over the airwaves. The case involved remarks made by Cher and Nicole Richie on awards shows carried on Fox network stations.

In a footnote to that ruling, the 2nd Circuit noted that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been quoted using such expletives.

FCC lawyer Eric Miller argued Tuesday that Jackson's costume reveal, although fleeting, was graphic and explicit. Still images of the moment in question soon made their way around the Internet.

"The idea of an exception for fleeting nudity flies in the face of common sense," Miller said.

CBS should have been forewarned, especially when Jackson's choreographer boasted four days earlier that the show would include "some shocking moments," he argued.

Corn-Revere said the network took many precautions, such as choosing Jackson and Timberlake over more provocative performers, reviewing the script, voicing concerns about ad-libbed remarks and applying a 5-second audio delay.

Jackson has said the decision to add a costume reveal — exposing her right breast, which had only a silver sunburst "shield" covering her nipple — came after the final rehearsal.

At the time, broadcasters didn't employ a video delay for live events, which was remedied within a week of the game.

In challenging the fine, CBS said that "fleeting, isolated or unintended" images should not automatically be considered indecent. The agency noted it has long held that "even relatively fleeting references may be found indecent where other factors contribute to a finding of patent offensiveness."

Miller also argued that Jackson and Timberlake were employees of CBS and that the network should have to pay for their "willful" actions, given its lack of oversight.

The 3rd Circuit judges didn't indicate when they would rule. The $550,000 fine represents the maximum $27,500 levied against each of the network's 20 owned-and-operated stations.

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press Writer

RADCLIFFE'S SEX SCENE FEAR

2007-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

The 18-year-old star confessed he had a crush on his "beautiful" "December Boys" co-star Teresa Palmer and was nervous about getting too sexually aroused when they simulated lovemaking.

He told Britain's The Guardian newspaper: "Teresa is beautiful, so I was sort of worried about, you know, certain things."

"But kissing someone on camera is just not sexy, no matter how attracted to them you are."

"No matter how beautiful they are, when you're surrounded by crew who are taking measurements of the focus and making sure you're in the right light, it becomes totally clinical."

"And clinical is not a word I would associate with any good sexual experience."

Despite his concerns, the "Harry Potter" actor loved shooting the "clumsy" sex scene for his new movie - about four orphan boys who want to be adopted by the same family - because it reminded him of his own first sexual experience.

He said: "I love that scene! It was so totally clumsy. It's so malcoordinated when she asks him to kiss her neck and play with her tits at the same time."

"It's that first time experience when you're like, 'OK. What's this hand doing? What's that hand doing?'"

"Trying to coordinate all those things at once is an absolute nightmare. It's a sex scene that's not sexy. It's clumsy and sweet."

Daniel added he had no qualms about appearing completely naked on the London stage for his role in the play "Equus" earlier this year.

He said: "If the script says I have sex, I have sex. That's just what you do as an actor."

Source: BANG Showbiz

`High School Musical' star nude online

2007-09-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - Vanessa Hudgens' representative has confirmed that a nude photo circulating on the Internet is indeed the 18-year-old star of Disney Channel's wildly popular "High School Musical" series.

"This was a photo which was taken privately," a statement from Hudgens spokesman said, according to MSNBC.com. "It is a personal matter and it is unfortunate that this has become public."

The photo shows the 18-year-old actress standing naked in what appears to be a bathroom, with a red shower curtain behind her.

There was no immediate comment Friday from officials at the Walt Disney Co.
Hudgens portrayed Gabriella, the brainy love interest of Zac Efron's basketball star in the first two "High School Musical" movies. The two are said to be dating in real life.

"High School Musical 2" attracted more than 17 million viewers for its Disney Channel premiere in August, the most-watched television program of the summer. A feature film "High School Musical 3" is planned.

The moment a crazed fan attacked Brad Pitt in Venice

2007-09-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

This is the moment when Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt was attacked by a crazed female fan
Pitt, in Italy for the Venice Film Festival, was surrounded by his security team when the unnamed fan barged her way through the crowd and attempted to embrace the actor.

Everything seems normal as Brad meets his adoring public at the Venice Film Festival As Brad passes, the crazed fan sees a chance to get close to her idol

"It was a scary moment. The security team must have been embarrassed that she was able to get that close to him. She could have been anyone," said one onlooker.
"Brad didn't look very happy about it all."
Fortunately for Pitt, the fan simply wanted to hug her favourite Hollywood star rather than do anything more serious.
Pitt is in Venice for the premiere of his film The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford which takes place on Sunday.

Before Brad knows whats happening, the girl has stretched out her arms and grabs him around the neck

The fan attempts to drag Brad closer for a hug, while his security are very slow to react

He stars and produces the film which is a strong contender for the Golden Lion award.
Brad has already angered photographers after refusing to remove his sunglasses during a photo call for the movie.
Pitt, wearing what was described as 'an indifferent smile', rejected repeated requests by the photo corps to remove the glasses, then passed them to his co-star Casey Affleck, who put them on.
The photographers then left the shoot en masse in protest.
The Italian press have nicknamed Brad the 'Pitt Bullo' as a result. 'Bullo' means bully in Italian.

In Venice with Brad is Angelina Jolie, their 15-month-old daughter Shiloh and her three adopted children - Maddox, from Cambodia, Zahara, an Ethiopian girl, and Pax Thien, from Vietnam.
Asked what it was like being father to four young children, Pitt, 43, told reporters at the festival: "It's the most fun I have ever had and also the biggest pain in the a***.
"And I love it and I can't recommend it any more highly." But he added: "Sleep is non-existent!"

dailymail.co.uk

Quentin Tarantino's 3D porn

2007-09-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Quentin Tarantino wants to make a 3D porn film.

The 'Pulp Fiction' director admits he has been toying with the unusual idea for some time, and thinks it would be the perfect next step for the adult genre.

He told Total Film magazine: "Right now it's still in my mind. But I've been musing at what I would do if I could make a 3D porn film! It hasn't been green-lit yet, as I still have a few things to work out on it!"

It seems Tarantino has been thinking about X-rated films a lot recently.

Earlier this week, he claimed Gwyneth Paltrow would be a terrible porn actress and insisted he would never cast her in an adult movie.

Tarantino said: "I could do an erotic film, I wouldn't mind doing a women-in-prison or a cheerleader movie. But I wouldn't cast someone like Gwyneth Paltrow. It would have to be a cool, trampy actress who says, 'OK, let's get the cameras rolling - here we go!' "

(C) BANG Media International

Tom Cruise Wins Extortion Case

2007-09-02T02:38:00.000-07:00

The man who demanded $1 million from Tom Cruise over stolen wedding photographs will plead guilty to transmitting threatening communications with the intent to extort.

David Hans Schmidt was arrested in July after approaching Cruise's reps and asking for $1 million in return for photos he'd acquired from the movie star's 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.

In court papers, Cruise's lawyers report Schmidt, who has been dubbed the 'Sultan Of Sleaze' for peddling sex tapes of Paris Hilton and Colin Farrell, told the actor's representatives "it would not look good for anyone if the photographs become public."

But now Schmidt has agreed to enter into a plea agreement.
When sentenced, he faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a substantial fine.

Lindsay Lohan Doing Drugs Having Sex In Rehab

2007-08-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well I guess the title says it all. Here’s a shocker. Lindsay Lohan maybe having “issues” in rehab. And by issues I mean getting wasted and banging fellow rehabbers in the bathroom. Ah Lindsay, how we’ve missed you.

“Lindsay got called into the director’s office on Aug. 15 and was questioned about drugs. When ordered to take a drug test, she reluctantly complied but screamed and cursed at the medical director before storming out the room. She was told that if she couldn’t conform to the program she’d have to leave.”

I could only imagine the poop-stained coke she smuggled in there or had a friend drop off. Maybe she is snorting some ajax cleaner in the bathroom and f-in janitors for a bump. Maybe she is smoking some oregano that the chefs sold to her.
www.starmuscle.com

JESSICA PARKER'S TOILET SPLASH

2007-08-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

The "Sex and the City" star bought nine red and orange toilet rolls from a Scottish website, as well as a number of kid's toys and games.

The 42-year-old actress paid $50 for the lavatory paper from the Fort William gift shop Granite House's online store.

She also bought classic games such as Ker-Plunk and Twister, both at $20, as well as a MiniQuarium- a plastic aquarium with fake jellyfish - for the same price.

She then added dice game Perudo to her cyber shopping basket for $30 and splashed out $60 on a multi-colored dips tray.

Alistair Ness, a partner in the firm, told Scotland's Daily Record newspaper: "I spotted the name Sarah J Parker on the order form and my first thought was 'Is it really her?'"

"A lot of celebrities use a PO Box number as they don't want to give their address and that's what she did."

"The other thing that convinced me it was Sarah was her email address mentioned her production company."

Sarah is not the only star to shop at the store. Previous customers include Robin Williams, Jerry Springer, and Jessica Lange.

Source: BANG Showbiz

61 stars removed from Walk of Fame

2007-08-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Sixty-one stars from the Hollywood Walk of Fame — including those of Charlton Heston, Cary Grant, Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra — have been removed and stored while a $500-million hotel-shopping-housing project is built on Vine Street near Hollywood Boulevard.
Eight of the terrazzo star squares crumbled as they were removed from the walkway.
"We saved the brass. They'll be rebuilt," said Tim Maxwell, project manager for Webcor Builders, which is involved in the construction project.
The stars were placed in a secure warehouse, where they'll remain until the project is completed in 2009.
The removal of the stars and the closure of a half-block near the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine has angered some people.
"This was done for a private developer. This was not done for the public's interest, like when the stars were removed back in the '90s for the Metro Red Line (subway) construction," said John Walsh, a longtime Hollywood activist. "Closing down sidewalks for years at a time like they do here would never happen in New York City."
The sidewalk needed reconstruction because it was improperly sloped and didn't meet federal requirements for providing access for wheelchairs, said Ken Summers, project director for Webcor Builders. The new sidewalk will be flatter, he said.

O'CONNOR BRANDS BUSH A BAD CHRISTIAN

2007-08-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Nothing Compares 2 U singer and former nun famously tore up a picture of the late Pope John Paul II on American TV, but now insists it's political figures who are giving religion a bad name.

She says, "There's a lot that's beautiful about religion. It's just you get some nutters that misinterpret it.

"Islam... you've got a very small bunch of fruitcakes... Same in the U.S.. you've got people like Bush bringing Christianity into disrepute."

O'Connor, who's new album Theology is dedicated to love and peace, has recently become a Rastafarian.

Source: WENN

Jennifer Lopez Gets $545,000 from Ex-Husband

2007-08-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

A Los Angeles arbitrator awarded Jennifer Lopez $545,000 in a lawsuit against her ex-husband who planned to publish a book detailing their marriage, according to People.com.

The El Cantante star sued first husband, Ojani Noa, for breach of contract, claiming the book violated an agreement stating that he not discuss their relationship.

In writing, the arbitrator ruled that a permanent injunction should be awarded against Noa, stopping him from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging or causing disparagement" to Lopez.

Noa will also have to hand over all copies of materials relating to the book.

Lopez' lawsuit also claimed that Noa offered not to publish the book in exchange for $5 million.

Lopez and Noa were married on February 22, 1997 and divorced in January 1998.

GWEN AFRAID OF BREASTFEEDING

2007-08-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

The 37-year-old singer, who has a 14-month-old son with her husband Gavin Rossdale, has revealed Kingston's teeth are starting to come through.

Gwen said: "I don't know when I'm going to stop breast-feeding Kingston."

"I'll just keep going while I can but he is getting his teeth now so it is a little bit scary. He has already bitten me a few times!"

"It is just obviously really convenient with my lifestyle. He was genius when I flew Los Angeles to London recently."

"He nursed then went to sleep. But he doesn't sleep through the night. He's up every three hours to feed."

The singer admits she worked hard to get her figure back after giving birth, but is striving not to be too "super-neurotic" about fitting into "cute" outfits.

Gwen said: "I try not to be but I'm super-neurotic about diet. I'm neurotic about trying not to be neurotic!"

"I'm like every other girl. I have to try really hard my whole life to try to be fit. And I'm super-vain. And I want to wear cute clothes."

"You know, I was chubby when I was a little girl. And I have all those issues everyone else has. But I try not to."

"And I've learnt over the years that it's such a waste of time. And people like me whether I'm a little bit fatter or not."

Source: BANG Showbiz

Spice Girls

2007-08-04T10:26:00.001-07:00

They have given their fans the chance to vote for where they would play next on their world tour.And now a massive internet campaign could mean the Spice Girls end up performing... in war-torn Iraq.We can reveal that fans have already voted in their thousands for the girls to play Baghdad.And a Spice Girls spokesman told 3am: "The girls will go anywhere in the world that gets the most votes - be it Baghdad or Antarctica."And we reckon the girls - who we've dressed up in army fatigues - would go down a desert storm performing for our brave soldiers.A source close to the girls said: "Baghdad's already generated thousands of votes and it'll definitely be a contender when the voting ends."So, what are you waiting for? Tell them what you want, what you really really want.