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| Film shows food as therapy for two Holocaust survivors Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 07:55 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - For anyone who craves one more hug from a grandma long gone, one more of her chocolate turtle cookies or another whiff of her apple strudel baking in the oven, there is "Oma & Bella". Scenes from the new documentary about two octogenarian friends living together in Berlin are warm, but the hunger to learn more about their past as Holocaust survivors creates a suspenseful undercurrent throughout the film, which is being released on iTunes and Amazon in the United States on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chief meets South Korean pop star, Austrian skydiver Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 06:29 PM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - It's not all war and peace at the United Nations. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon added pop music and supersonic skydiving to his agenda on Tuesday when he met with "Gangnam Style" South Korean singer Psy and Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner. Psy's song "Gangnam Style," which mocks the consumerism of a rich Seoul suburb, and hit horse-riding-style dance went viral on video-sharing website YouTube. It has been viewed more than 530 million times on YouTube since it was released in mid-July. "I'm a bit jealous," Ban told reporters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britney Spears hooked on drugs in 2007, former confidante testifies Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:43 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Britney Spears' former confidante encouraged her to kick her drug habit five years ago, and brought drug-sniffing dogs to her Malibu home and flushed a bag of white powder down the toilet, he testified Tuesday. "She had wanted to get clean, but she was struggling with it," the former friend, Sam Lutfi, told jurors in his civil trial in Los Angeles against Spears and her parents. "I told her she needed to do it because she was the mother of two young sons... I told her that society wouldn't tolerate a mother who was abusing drugs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pulitzer prize board adds New Yorker writer, playwright and newspaper editor Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:32 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Columbia University has added three jurors to the board that chooses winners of the Pulitzer Prize. New Yorker writer Steve Coll, playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes and Miami Herald executive editor Aminda Marquez Gonzalez will join the 19-member board that selects those who will earn American journalism's highest honor, the university announced Tuesday. Coll, a two-time Pulitzer winner, spent 20 years at the Washington Post, where he eventually served as managing editor. He is the author of seven books and has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 2005. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rupert Murdoch "psychopath like Stalin" says former newspaper magnate Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:28 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Former newspaper tycoon Conrad Black attacked Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday, calling the News Corporation chairman a "psychopath" and comparing him to Joseph Stalin. The former owner of the Daily Telegraph in Britain and the Chicago Sun-Times, who spent 37 months in a U.S. prison for fraud, said the media magnate - a longtime business adversary - was an "astonishingly cold man." "He's a psychopath ... like Stalin, except that he doesn't kill people," Black told the Telegraph. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clark Kent quits "Daily Planet" in another blow to newspaper industry Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:24 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Apparently, even Clark Kent sees the writing on the wall when it comes to the future of the newspaper industry. Kent - perhaps better known by his tights-clad alter-ego, Superman - will quit his longstanding job as a reporter for Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet in the next issue of "Superman," USA Today reports. Kent has been with the newspaper for approximately 70 years. Perhaps his decades-long inability to advance past the position of reporter contributed to his decision. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Vegas," "Elementary" get full-season orders Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:21 PM PDT NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - CBS's freshman dramas "Vegas" and "Elementary" have received full-season orders. Though NBC's new "Revolution" is beating both in the 18-49 demographic, the CBS shows are thriving in total viewers. "Vegas," a period gangster drama starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis, averages 14.9 million viewers and a 2.7 rating/8 share in the demo. It is up 8 percent in viewers in its Tuesdays-at-10 timeslot. "Elementary," starring Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson, averages 14.3 million viewers and a 3.5/10 in the demo. ... Full Story | Top |
| Quentin Tarantino returns to theaters with "Pulp Fiction," "Reservoir Dogs" Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:19 PM PDT  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Two Quentin Tarantino classics are returning to theaters just in time for the director's latest genre mash-up, "Django Unchained." Miramax, NCM Fathom and IGN are re-releasing "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" nationwide for one night only in early December. "Reservoir Dogs," which launched Tarantino's career 20 years ago, will screen December 4 at 7:00 p.m. while "Pulp Fiction," recipient of seven Oscar nominations, will screen December 6 at the same time. ... Full Story | Top |
| James Cameron to direct "The Informationist" After "Avatar" Films Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:18 PM PDT  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - James Cameron has selected "The Informationist" as his follow-up to the "Avatar" franchise. Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment has acquired the rights to Taylor Stevens' 2011 novel, and will develop the adaptation as a future project for Cameron to direct and produce. Cameron is presently at work on the second and third "Avatar" films, which Fox is keen to have after the record-breaking success of the first one. The adaptation of Stevens' novel wil also be a Fox project. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama to Do Live MTV Q&A Friday Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:16 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - President Obama will be interviewed on MTV Friday live from the White House as he reaches out to younger voters. "Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with the President," will air at 5 p.m. ET and be tape delayed until 5 p.m. PT Friday. The 30-minute special will air on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, and MTV Jams, and on MTV.com and MTV's mobile platform. MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway will sit down with Obama while correspondent Andrew Jenks fields questions from voters on a Washington, D.C. campus. ... Full Story | Top |
| Charlize Theron developing Viking drama - yes, that's right - with ABC Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:15 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Charlize Theron tackled futuristic topics this year's sci-fi epic "Prometheus." Now she's going old-school - very old-school - for a new project at ABC. Theron is working with the network to develop "The Clan," a drama set in the Highlands of medieval Scotland. And because, when one thinks Charlize Theron, one's mind naturally drifts to Vikings, yes - there are Vikings involved. The project will follow the various clans of medieval Scotland as they battle each other, while simultaneously fending off Viking invaders. ... Full Story | Top |
| When sales aren't enough: Lightning Entertainment enters production game Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:13 PM PDT NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Lightning Entertainment, a decade-old sales and distribution company, has initiated a film production business to fill out its slate in advance of the American Film Market. Though its biggest business is selling films overseas, Lightning will now get involved at the development phase of certain films, investing in and influencing the projects to lure potential buyers. Its first production is "Dead Drop," a crime thriller about a former CIA operative who must infiltrate a dangerous Mexican smuggling ring. ... Full Story | Top |
| Robert S. McNamara's archive sells for $1 million at auction Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 03:48 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - The personal archive of former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, who served under President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis 50 years ago, sold for over $1 million at auction, far exceeding a pre-sale estimate, Sotheby's said on Tuesday. The top-selling items in the sale were two cabinet room chairs from the Kennedy administration, along with a second signed letter from the then first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, that together fetched $146,500. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin to step down Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 03:37 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Sirius XM Radio Inc Chief Executive Mel Karmazin will step down in February, a move that comes at a time when media mogul John Malone's Liberty Media Corp is trying to wrest full control of the satellite radio broadcaster. Shares of the company were down 2 percent at $2.81 in trading after the bell on Tuesday. Liberty, Sirius's largest shareholder with a stake of just under 50 percent, has been trying for months to wrest control of Sirius and has filed a petition with U.S. regulators to replace the company's board. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Pacino to play aging rocker and Jeremy Renner's dad in “Imagine” Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 02:49 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Oscar-nominees and winners are aligning, as Al Pacino, Julianne Moore and Jeremy Renner team up on the directorial debut from the writer of "Crazy, Stupid, Love." "Imagine" centers on an aging rocker (Pacino) who is inspired to put down the pipe and the whiskey bottle and reconnect with his son (Renner) after coming across an undelivered letter he wrote as a 19-year-old to John Lennon. The rock star gives up the arenas for a small New Jersey hotel, where he befriends the hotel's manager (Moore), who helps him get his life together. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jane Fonda Signs on for ABC Comedy Pilot Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 02:44 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jane Fonda is following up her stint on the HBO drama "The Newsroom" with another television gig. Fonda, better known for her big-screen efforts such as "On Golden Pond" and "Barbarella," has signed on to star in a comedy in development at ABC, entitled "Now What?" The project centers on the aftermath when an adult daughter publicly calls out her semi-estranged mother for all the horrors she's inflicted throughout her life. Mom moves in and refuses to leave until they work it all out. Fonda would also serve as an executive producer on the comedy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lutfi testifies Britney shaved her head to avoid drug testing Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 02:22 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears shaved her head in 2007 because she was afraid her hair could be tested for drugs and used against her in a child custody battle against her ex-husband, the singer's former friend and confidante testified on Tuesday. Sam Lutfi, who claims he was Spears' manager and is suing her for a chunk of her earnings from 2007 and 2008, told a Los Angeles jury during a civil trial against Spears and her parents that he met the superstar in a nightclub in the middle of her 2007/2008 personal and career meltdown. ... Full Story | Top |
| Singer Brandy is back with new album after years of struggle Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 01:40 PM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the spirited video of "Put it Down," the lead single from Brandy's new album "Two Eleven," she struts and dances, seductively inviting potential suitors to "Play your cards right, maybe we can fall in love." But it wasn't so long ago that professional and personal setbacks caused the 33-year-old R&B singer and actress to lose confidence and seriously question her future in music. The well-received album, which in its first week hit the No. 2 spot on iTunes, has the former teen idol poised for a return to the top. ... Full Story | Top |
| Emmy Rossum in talks to co-star with Hilary Swank in "You're Not You" Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 12:20 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Emmy Rossum could be sharing the big screen with Hilary Swank soon. "Shameless" star Rossum is in negotiations to co-star with Swank in the upcoming film "You're Not You." The film comes from Swank and Molly Smith's Alcon Entertainment-based 2S Films, and is based on the Michelle Wildgen novel of the same name. Swank will star as a victim of Lou Gehrig's disease, with Rossum co-starring as an aimless young woman who serves as a personal caregiver. "Nights in Rodanthe" director George C. ... Full Story | Top |
| Whitney Houston's family share struggles in TV reality show Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 11:36 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Making a TV reality show may not be the most obvious way to cope with the sudden death of a loved one, but most families don't count an icon like Whitney Houston among their relatives. Less than a year after the "I Will Always Love You" singer drowned accidentally in a hotel bath tub after taking cocaine, Houston's teen daughter, her mother, brother and sister-in-law share with the world their struggle to cope in "The Houstons: On Our Own". ... Full Story | Top |
| Depeche Mode to kick off 2013 world tour in Tel Aviv Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 10:13 AM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - Depeche Mode, the British synthpop pioneers whose hits "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" cemented their status in 1980s New Wave and beyond, are planning a 2013 worldwide tour to follow the release of a new album. The band, which has sold over 100 million records since its 1981 debut album, launch the tour in Tel Aviv on May 7, followed by 34 shows in Europe and a leg in North America. "To be making music for more than half our lives ... it's pretty incredible to still be able to do that," lead singer Dave Gahan told a press conference in Paris on Tuesday. ... Full Story | Top |
| BBC chief denies cover-up over sexual abuse Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 10:07 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - The head of the BBC denied on Tuesday helping to cover up sexual abuse by one of its former stars but accepted the British broadcaster had been damaged by a scandal that has shaken public trust in a national institution. George Entwistle, who was announced as the 90-year-old media organization's new boss in August, told hostile lawmakers that failures at the BBC had allowed Jimmy Savile, once one of Britain's top TV presenters, to prey on young girls for years. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU wants more indie films released online Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 10:04 AM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Ever turn on your television to find the same tired line-up of last season's movies available to watch? Or been disappointed about how it takes weeks for a movie to arrive on-demand? While cinemas have always enjoyed privileged status when it comes to being the first to screen movies, the European Commission wants to level the playing field for digital outlets by encouraging the same day release of films across platforms. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venice winner "Pieta" director a soft-spoken "monster" Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 08:52 AM PDT  YANGPYEONG, South Korea (Reuters) - The near-death of an actress in an accident while filming nearly ended director Kim Ki-duk's career four years ago, but after making "Pieta," which took best picture at this year's Venice film festival, he is now South Korea's most feted auteur. The incident, in which an actress playing a character who hanged herself fainted with the rope around her neck and was cut down by Kim himself, shook Kim so badly it changed his views on mortality. ... Full Story | Top |
| New York court date in Lindsay Lohan car accident case canceled Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:52 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Embattled actress Lindsay Lohan appears to be off the hook after being arrested for leaving the scene of an accident last month when her Porsche allegedly clipped a pedestrian in an alley behind an upscale Manhattan hotel. New York prosecutors said Lohan's scheduled court appearance on Tuesday had been canceled. No future court date was scheduled, an indication the district attorney has decided not to move forward with the case. "Apparently prosecutors agreed that there wasn't enough to proceed." said Lohan's spokesman, Steve Honig. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pippa Middleton pens party book, "startled" at fame Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:36 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Paparazzi favorite Pippa Middleton is already a global celebrity. Now the 29-year-old sister of the future British queen is aiming to become a global brand. The woman whose appearance at the spectacular 2011 wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William caused as much of a sensation as the bride herself has written a recipe and party planning book which hits the shelves this week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ethiopians take UK stage to show dance changes lives Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:12 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Two Ethiopians who take to the London stage on Monday evening are living proof that dance really can change lives. Addisu Demissie, 30, and Junaid Jemal Sendi, 28, will perform in "A Holding Space", a dance collaboration which explores their extraordinary journey from the streets of Addis Ababa to some of the biggest arts venues in Europe. In the film "Billy Elliot", the son of a tough northern English miner breaks taboos and challenges a community's prejudices by ditching boxing to take up ballet. ... Full Story | Top |
| James Bond blends old and new charms as 007 turns 50 Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 05:04 AM PDT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Makers of the new James Bond movie "Skyfall" have striven to combine the old-school values that made 007 such a success over the last 50 years with enough modern mores to keep the silver screen's favorite super spy relevant in a post-Cold War world. The 23rd official Bond film, which has its royal world premiere in London on Tuesday, brings together Daniel Craig on his third outing on Her Majesty's secret service with British director Sam Mendes making his franchise debut. ... Full Story | Top |
| BBC chief says sex abuse claims "very grave" Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012 03:03 AM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - The director general of the BBC said on Tuesday allegations of sexual abuse carried out by one of the publicly funded broadcaster's former stars represented a very grave matter that had an impact on its reputation. "This is a gravely serious matter and one cannot look back at it with anything other than horror," George Entwistle told lawmakers on parliament's Culture and Media Committee. ... Full Story | Top |
| DeGeneres honored for lifetime as U.S. entertainer Monday, Oct 22, 2012 09:43 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ellen DeGeneres, an American entertainer and prominent gay rights advocate, received the highest U.S. award for achievement in comedy on Monday. Receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, the national showcase for arts, DeGeneres was praised as a pioneering female comic whose edgy variety show has helped define the format for daytime television in recent years. ... Full Story | Top |
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