NEWS ARCHIVE [page 4]
 
YOUR GREEN IS WELCOME: "SHREK" BOX OFFICE AT BROADWAY THEATRE [Playbill, 9/30/08]
Preview performances begin Nov. 8 for the new musical based on the story and characters from William Steig's book "Shrek!," as well as the DreamWorks Animation film "Shrek." Opening night is Dec. 14, 2008. A Seattle tryout recently ended; the troupe (including Brian d'Arcy James in the title role) will soon jump back into rehearsals. Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) penned the lyrics and libretto, and Tony Award nominee Jeanine Tesori (Millie, Caroline, or Change) wrote the music. Jason Moore (Avenue Q) directs. Shrek the Musical is DreamWorks Animation's first venture in legitimate theatre. The production was initiated when Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first "Shrek" film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is being produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, president) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling). Tickets for Shrek the Musical are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, online at Telecharge.com, or in person at The Broadway Theatre box office (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street). Group sales are available by contacting Telecharge Group Sales at (212) 239-6262, or 800-432-7780. For more information, visit www.shrekthemusical.com.
 
TRAILER OF MADONNA'S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT "FILTH AND WISDOM" [Aceshowbiz, 9/30/08]
The trailer to "Filth and Wisdom" has been released, introducing some of the characters involved in the movie. The drama comedy is the directorial debut of pop queen Madonna that has received mixed reviews when it was premiered at Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2008. Centering its story on the narration done by Ukraine native Andriy Krystiyan who travels to England and live with two female flatmates, "Filth and Wisdom" is cinematic tale of everyday life about people who are obliged to take on jobs just to earn a living. Whether we take the path of wisdom or the path of filth, we will eventually arrive at the same enlightened place.  It will be released in theaters on October 17, 2008.
 
HIGH SCHOOL CARTOON SPREADS "GOOD VIBES" FOR FOX [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/30/08]
Fox is getting "Good Vibes" about a new animated comedy from "Pineapple Express" director David Gordon Green. The network has ordered a presentation from the project for spring consideration. Written by Green and to be drawn by Brad Abelson ("The Simpsons"), "Vibes" revolves around a crazy group of high school students living in a Southern California coastal community. The "Vibes" pickup is part of Fox's concerted effort in the animated comedy arena, which includes entertainment president Kevin Reilly's plan to add at least one or two new toon series to its lineup every year in preparation for the eventual departure of veteran show "The Simpsons" and as a way of keeping the median age of the network's viewership lower. This season, Fox is launching two new animated comedies, "Sit Down, Shut Up" and "The Cleveland Show," both set for midseason.
 
"CHIHUAHUA" A DOG-EARED STORY, BUT CAST ADDS BITE [Reuters, 9/30/08]
Historically, Disney's done well by going to the dogs, from "Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians" to "The Shaggy D.A." and "Eight Below." Although not quite the same pedigree as the above, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," which the studio releases Friday (October 3), is nevertheless a can't-miss proposition. A cross-cultural, bilingual romp about a pampered pooch who must suddenly fend for herself -- doggy booties and all -- in the mean streets of Mexico with, remarkably, not a single Taco Bell placement in sight, the picture might not be as fresh and clever as it could have been, but its spirited voice cast delivers the whole enchilada. Considering that long-lead awareness campaign, this little Chihuahua is poised to make mucho dinero for Disney, with unlimited merchandising potential nipping at its heels. In a role tailor-made for its provider, Drew Barrymore supplies the pitch-perfect voice of Chloe, the overly indulged pet entrusted to the care of Piper Perabo's flaky Rachel by her eccentric Aunt Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis). But during a south-of-the-border jaunt taken by Rachel and her friends (the film is shot almost entirely in Mexico), Chloe is kidnapped by a dog-fighting ring. As Rachel, her aunt's landscaper, Sam (Manolo Cardona), and his Chloe-smitten dog, Papi (voiced by George Lopez), head up a search party, Chloe is taken under the wing of Delgado, a soulful German shepherd (a terrific Andy Garcia) with a secret past, and along the way forms a connection to her ancestral home. Having helmed the live-action/CGI "Scooby-Doo" movies and a "Home Alone" installment, director Raja Gosnell could probably do this stuff in his sleep, and he hits all the requisite posts with an unforced ease. Still, you wish the script, credited to Analisa LaBianco and Jeff Bushell, had been given another punch or two to make it just a little sharper and more surprising.It would have given that inspired voice cast more to chew on, though Barrymore, Garcia (more animated than he has been in years), Lopez, Placido Domingo, Luis Guzman, Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez and a menacing Edward James Olmos in Doberman form (as Delgado's arch-nemesis, El Diablo) do nicely with what they're fed. Behind the scenes, visual effects supervisor Michael J. McAlister ensures that the film's 200-odd assortment of real-life canines "speak" convincingly in both languages. And in an effort to avoid a repeat of the frenzied run on puppy purchases triggered by the 1996 release of the live-action "101 Dalmatians," the film includes a warning concerning responsible pet adoption that should please PETA.
 
PHILIP GLASS TO CREATE OPERA ABOUT WALT DISNEY FOR N.Y. PREMIERE [CBC, 9/30/08]
The New York City Opera has commissioned influential composer Philip Glass to compose a new opera based on the final months of studio mogul Walt Disney. The commission is one of the first acts by incoming general manager Gérard Mortier, currently director of the Opéra National de Paris. Mortier has also chosen a groundbreaking 1976 opera by Glass, Einstein on the Beach, as the New York City Opera's first production in its refurbished theatre in 2009. That season will concentrate on 20th-century works. In creating the work about Disney, Glass will be working with the story from The Perfect American by writer Peter Stephan Jungk. Jungk, an American novelist who lives in Paris and writes in German, re-imagines Disney's final months through the eyes of a fictional Austrian cartoonist who used to work for Disney in the 1940s and 1950s. The book combines both admiration and resentment for the man who created Disney studios in an examination of the American dream. Glass, who has composed for musical theatre, dance and film as well as for opera, has worked with literary texts to create operas out of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and Doris Lessing's The Making of the Representative for Planet 8. He also created an opera from Leonard Cohen's work The Book of Longing. The Perfect American is scheduled to be performed in the 2012-13 season and will honour Glass's 75th birthday. City Opera also premiered Glass works such as Akhnaten and recorded his Satyagraha. For the production of Einstein on the Beach, the Philip Glass Ensemble and the Lucinda Childs Dance company will work with City Opera. In the 2009-10 season, City Opera's home at the Lincoln Centre is undergoing a $200-million renovation. Mortier has scrapped traditional opera productions and scheduled performances of concerts, live music and panels spread around New York's five boroughs in an effort to woo new opera lovers.
 
MARVEL UPS FILM UNIT OUTLOOK; INKS DEAL WITH PARAMOUNT [Reuters, 9/30/08]
Marvel Entertainment Inc raised its film unit's 2008 revenue outlook following initial payments of $60 million from Viacom's Paramount Pictures -- the distributor of the comic book publisher's "Iron Man" movie. Paramount will also distribute Marvel's next five self-produced feature films across the world, the two companies said in a separate statement. Marvel expects 2008 revenue from its film production segment between $125 million and $140 million, compared with a prior forecast of $65 million to $80 million, according to a regulatory filing. The initial payment from Paramount to Marvel was not offset by any production or marketing expenses related to the "Iron Man" DVD release, Marvel said in the regulatory filing. Under an agreement between the companies, Paramount will distribute a slew of forthcoming movies from the Marvel stable, including "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "The First Avenger: Captain America," and "The Avengers." Marvel's distribution deal with Paramount, which capitalizes on "Iron Man"'s success, will help the latter offset a potential big loss should it lose distribution of DreamWorks films. Earlier this month, DreamWorks reached a long-expected deal with India's Reliance ADA Group for $1.2 billion in new financing to leave Paramount and produce movies as an independent studio. But DreamWorks must still reach a film distribution deal with a major Hollywood studio. Shares of Marvel, which houses a cast of more than 5,000 characters including Spider-Man and X-Men, were down 5 percent at $32.77, while Viacom's stock was down 7 percent at $23.65 Monday afternoon, September 29, both on the New York Stock Exchange.
 
BURNETT'S "CONTENDER" GOES TO SINGAPORE [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/30/08]
Reality TV producer Mark Burnett is setting Season 4 of "The Contender" in Singapore, taking production of the boxing series outside the U.S. for the first time. Hosted by Tony Danza and produced with DreamWorks Television, the fourth season will premiere in the U.S. in December. In a statement Monday, September 29, Burnett declined to disclose terms of the deal with the Singapore Tourism Board, but he said that cooperation from the Singapore government "made it an easy decision to bring our entire U.S. production to Singapore." Post-production of the 12-episode season also will take place in Singapore as part of a one-year exclusive deal with local post house Infinite Frameworks, Burnett said. The deal marks the second time Singapore has hosted the "Contender" brand. A variation on the format, "The Contender Muay Thai," was shot in the Southeast Asian island-state in 2007 as a co-production with local company Imagine Omnimedia. A second season of "The Contender Muay Thai" is in negotiations, Burnett said. The Singapore version of "The Contender" is not part of Burnett's $20 million joint venture with Malaysian resort developer Genting International. That venture, Mark Burnett Productions Asia, is expected to announce its first locally developed TV format later this year, Burnett said.
 
"EAGLE EYE" SOARS TO No. 1 AT BOX OFFICE WITH $29 MILLION [AP, 9/29/08]
Shia LaBeouf's conspiracy thriller "Eagle Eye" debuted at the top of the weekend box office with $29.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, September 28. The Paramount-DreamWorks release was the second No. 1 premiere for LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso, who also teamed on 2007's hit "Disturbia." Opening in second place with $13.6 million was another reunion, the Warner Bros. romantic drama "Nights in Rodanthe" featuring "The Cotton Club" and "Unfaithful" co-stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane. The previous weekend's top flick, Sony's thriller "Lakeview Terrace," slipped to No. 3 with $7 million, raising its 10-day total to $25.7 million. The Samuel Goldwyn release "Fireproof," a Christian drama starring Kirk Cameron as a firefighter who turns to God to help save his marriage, premiered in fourth-place with $6.5 million. "Eagle Eye" helped pull Hollywood out of the box-office doldrums that have lingered the last two months. The top 12 movies took in $87.8 million, up 15 percent from the same weekend last year. "You put a summer-style movie in the heart of the fall, and you can take advantage of the marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. Spike Lee's World War II drama "Miracle at St. Anna" opened weakly with $3.5 million, coming in at No. 9. The Disney release features Derek Luke in a saga of four soldiers from an all-black unit stuck behind enemy lines in Italy. Two other movies — Fox Searchlight's "Choke" and Lionsgate's "The Lucky Ones" — opened in narrower release of about 400 theaters each, compared to 3,510 cinemas for "Eagle Eye." "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston in a quirky tale of a sex addict who feigns choking in restaurants to get money for his mom's psychiatric care, opened outside the top 10 with $1.3 million. "The Lucky Ones," a road trip tale among three Iraq War veterans (Tim Robbins, Michael Pena and Rachel McAdams), bombed with just $208,000. "Eagle Eye" stars LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan as strangers hurled together in an escalating series of politically motivated adventures, their lives controlled by a mysterious female voice directing their actions through technology. The movie secures LaBeouf's position as a steady box-office draw. His other credits include "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Transformers," along with the latter's upcoming sequel.
 
"AMERICATOWN"  FUTURISTIC SERIES WILL DEPICT MASS EXODUS FROM U.S.
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/29/08]
What if the current financial crisis in the U.S. becomes so severe that Americans start to flee the country? Welcome to "Americatown," a Chinatown-like enclave of U.S. immigrants in cities around the world. HBO is developing the futuristic drama series, which hails from writer Bradford Winters and producers Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy. Set 25 to 40 years in the future, when the precipitous decline of the U.S. leads to a mass exodus of its citizens, "Americatown" centers on a cluster of newly arrived American immigrants in a big foreign city. "By presenting Americans as immigrants in the near future, as both underdog and hero in the drama of global dislocation, we substitute a mirror for the rancor that informs much of the partisan debates on immigration," Winters said. The deal at HBO caps a decade-long development process for Winters, who at different points shepherded the project as a series, movie, miniseries and a book. His original idea, which he shared with Fontana, was to take a "Traffic"-style look at immigration in present-day New York from different points of view. About a year ago, Winters came up with the futuristic idea that would become "Americatown." In his research for "Americatown," Winters had explored possible nightmare scenarios that could bring the U.S. to a collapse decades down the road. Among these hypotheticals: the price of oil skyrocketing and natural disasters reaching catastrophic proportions. Then suddenly oil hovered near $150 a barrel this summer, floods hit the Midwest and the South, and Wall Street crashed under the weight of the mortgage crisis. How does Winters feel seeing a number of the dire circumstances in his fictional tale become reality? "What is happening right now is such a terrible disaster for so many people and, in some ways, I think it makes it less hard to argue that the events in 'Americatown' are impossible," he said.
 
THEATRES, STUDIOS NEAR DEAL FOR DIGITAL PROJECTION [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/29/08]
A consortium of the nation's top movie-theater chains will announce within two weeks a $1 billion-plus financing agreement with four major studios to equip more than 15,000 screens nationwide with digital-projection systems during the next three years. Universal, Paramount, Disney and Fox -- with financing backing from JPMorgan Securities -- are expected to announce the funding of systems to be rolled out by New York-based Digital Cinema Implementation Partners. Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark formed DCIP more than a year ago, but it has taken until recently to get a majority of the major studios to sign off on so-called virtual print fee (VPF) agreements to fund the digital rollout. Under the deal, studios will pay a majority of the roughly $100,000 per system in hardware and installation costs to install digital-cinema equipment in theaters operated by the biggest theater chains. That will facilitate not only digital projection in the converted auditoriums but potentially 3-D exhibition as well, if the theater owners take on the extra, more modest expense for 3-D installations on their own. Through VPFs, studios agree to pay for several years' sums equal to the print costs they would have incurred had the auditoriums not been converted to digital projection. Eventually, digital distribution will save studios millions annually. Warner Bros. and Sony aren't expected to be on board with the DCIP agreement by the time it's announced. But they likely also will agree to consortium VPFs before long, according to a source familiar with the studio discussions. DCIP chief and exhibition vet Travis Reid was unavailable for comment. But it's broadly expected that DCIP will announce a deal with the first four major studios sometime before the October 13 start of the ShowEast convention of theater owners in Orlando, Florida. One lingering concern sure to stimulate lots of talk at the conference is the question of how regional circuits and mom-and-pop exhibs will pay for their digital conversions. Some have suggested that smaller-fry exhibitors could be driven out of business unless they somehow manage to clamber onto the digital bandwagon. In addition to representing a gateway technology for 3-D exhibition, digital projection facilitates the implementation of TV-like advertising on movie screens. Regal and other chains are already reaping big boosts in revenue by using such ads to supplement or replace old-fashioned advertising slide shows. Digital cinema has been considered an inevitable development in movie exhibition for years. Haggling between the studios and theater owners has stalled a big rollout of movie-quality equipment. Regal, in the meantime, spent heavily to install more basic digital projectors to show commercials before feature presentations in its theaters. The looming DCIP agreement is expected to result in the installation of upward of 3,000 digital systems in its first year of implementation. Those are likely to be sprinkled among major and midsize markets nationwide.
 
THE SIMPSONS GET INTO DODGE [E! Online, 9/28/08]
Homer Simpson meet Matt Dillon. No, not that Matt Dillon. Come Sunday, September 28, The Simpsons turns 20 seasons old, thereby tying Gunsmoke as the longest-running comedy or drama series in TV history. Don't think this fact has escaped the powers that be in Springfield. "You know, I hate to admit it," Simpsons executive producer Al Jean told reporters in a press-conference call this week. "We actually do count episodes." As such, Jean doesn't need to be told that The Simpsons, standing at Episode No. 420 going into Sunday's season premiere, has a ways to go to catch Gunsmoke in terms of sheer output of adventures. The Western, which came into the world as a radio drama, produced about 635 prime-time episodes between 1955 and 1975. "They used to do 40 [episodes] a year," Jean said, "so that's a tough one." Less tough is the task of leaving its mark. The show's characters, says author and TV historian Ed Robertson, are simply "ubiquitous." For those unfamiliar with the still-running TV Land reruns, Gunsmoke revolved around the goings-on in dusty Dodge City, where Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) kept the law. While a classic Western and a postmodern animated comedy about a fractious clan seem to make for an odd couple in the record books, they arguably share a certain trait. If Homer Simpson isn't the perfect father, then, Robertson says, Matt Dillon wasn't the perfect hero.  "Matt Dillon wasn't so much a gunslinger as a man with a gun and a job to do," Robertson says. Jean thinks Homer and crew's relatability is the key to the show's success. Relating how last year's Simpsons movie made even more money overseas than here, Jean said, "There are families everywhere you go, and there are families like the Simpsons. I've been in places like Italy, and they say, oh, yeah, there's a guy in the kitchen—he's just like Homer." Sunday's historic season opener will find Homer taking up bounty hunting, and wife Marge taking up employment at an erotic bakery. In short, the family's still got spunk. Awarded its 10th career Emmy this month for Outstanding Animated Program and still a solid ratings performer for Fox, The Simpsons seems to be nowhere near its end. Most key to the show's future, said Jean, was the voice cast's new four-year deal, which was finalized over the summer. Somewhat safely assuming The Simpsons is picked up for a 21st, Gunsmoke-surpassing season, don't expect Homer, much less Bart, to show their real ages. Ever. "In terms of the basic template of the show, my goal is always to return it to where it started," Jean said, adding: "Bugs Bunny never turned 80."
 
TURKISH FILM WINS SAN SEBASTIAN'S TOP PRIZE [CBC, 9/28/08]
Turkish film Pandora's Box won the Golden Shell award for best film at Spain's San Sebastian Film Festival on Saturday, September 27. Pandora's Box was directed by Yesim Ustaoglu and filmed in the Turkish countryside. Ustaoglu's fourth film, it tells the story of three middle-aged siblings in Istanbul who are forced to become reacquainted when their mother disappears. Old tensions emerge as they search for her and they come to realize that they know little about one another. Ninety-year-old French actress Tsilla Chelton, one of the film's stars, also jointly won the festival's best actress award for her role as a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease. She shared the award with U.S. actress Melissa Leo, who played an abandoned mother in Frozen River. Argentina's Oscar Martinez won the best actor prize for his role in El Nido Vacio (The Empty Nest), which also took the best cinematography award. The festival named Britain's Michael Winterbottom best director for his drama, Genova. And Meryl Streep – nominated 14 times for an Academy Award and twice an Oscar winner for best actress (Sophie's Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer) – was presented with an honorary lifetime achievement award. The 59-year-old American actress said she was far from calling it a day when asked by a reporter if film offers were dwindling, Agence France-Press reported. "I'm not done," she said. "There are interesting stories for people of every age … Every time I thought I would retire, things kept coming."
 
LEGENDARY ACTOR PAUL NEWMAN DIES AT AGE 83 [AP, 9/27/08]
Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" — and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83. Newman died Friday, September 26 after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends. In May, Newman had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues. He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice." Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting." He sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer," and Newman directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie." Newman had two daughters, Susan and Stephanie, and a son, Scott, from a previous marriage to Jacqueline Witte. Scott died in 1978 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. After his only son's death, Newman established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children. Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.
 
DAVE MATTHEWS HELPED PRODUCE NEW PALAHNIUK FILM "CHOKE" [AP, 9/27/08]
Dave Matthews has acted in a few films, but the Grammy-winning musician has been playing a behind-the-scenes role in Hollywood of late — that of film producer. The singer of his namesake band co-founded ATO Pictures and has served mostly as a silent partner. But in the company's latest film, "Choke," the musician was adamant that ATO do more than help finance the film. "I felt very strongly about us being connected to the project. ... I loved the script," Matthews told The Associated Press during a phone interview Friday, September 27 before performing with his band in the Brazilian city of Manaus. "Choke," which was released Friday by Fox Searchlight Pictures, is an adaptation of a novel from "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk. The film, which stars Sam Rockwell, is about a sex addict named Victor Mancini who likes to pretend he's choking in restaurants to garner strangers' sympathy and then fleece them. When Mancini isn't doing that, hooking up with fellow sex addicts or working at a historical theme park, he's trying to cajole the truth of his paternity from his mentally ill mother. Matthews doesn't appear in the film, but he championed it once he read the script and the book. "What Chuck manages to do is make an unusual story not unusual, and I think the film makes that (as well)," Matthews said. "There's a very sweet story at the core of it: This young man's struggle to find out who he is." Last year, ATO produced "Joshua," a film about a musical child whose family life dramatically alters once his baby sister is born. Matthews wrote the song that the child character croons as the film draws to a close. For "Choke," Matthews worked on planning and supporting the movie. "My involvement was much more in discussing how to get the film done ... (being) really more of a cheerleader," he said. The opening of "Choke" comes as Matthews and his bandmates work to wrap a tour only weeks after the untimely death of LeRoi Moore, the band's saxophonist and arranger, and one of its founding members. Moore died Aug. 19 in Los Angeles of complications stemming from a June 30 accident near Charlottesville involving an all-terrain vehicle. He was 46. "I think it will be a long time before we'll go through a night without him being very present on stage with us when we're performing, in both happy and sad ways, I suppose," Matthews said. The band is scheduled to perform a few more dates in South America before returning home to continue work on a new album Matthews hopes will be ready for release early next year.
 
"EQUUS" STARRING DANIEL RADCLIFFE, OPENS ON BROADWAY [AP, 9/26/08]
By now, Daniel Radcliffe has his role in "Equus" down cold. But he still had a case of the jitters before taking the stage for the play's Broadway opening. "It was funny because tonight I didn't expect to be nervous because we've done all the previews, we've had all the critics here," Radcliffe said after Thursday's performance, September 25. The "Harry Potter" star said there's an advantage to being nervous. "The jitters should be there 'til the last night of performing — because the jitters are what get you on stage," he said. "It's the nerves that make it exciting and vital and make every show different." Radcliffe earned rave reviews for his performance in the London production of the Tony-winning play. His portrayal of a disturbed teenager who blinds six horses requires him to appear naked onstage — a departure from his G-rated image as the boy wizard in the big-screen adaptations of J.K. Rowling's best-selling fantasy novels. Radcliffe stars opposite Tony Award winner Richard Griffiths, who portrays his character's psychiatrist at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre — as he did in London. Radcliffe — wearing a blue suit that enhanced the color of his icy blue eyes — posed for photographs with Griffiths and other "Equus" cast members before the company headed into the opening night celebration, held at a large party room inside a Chelsea Piers building on Manhattan's west side. Much fuss has been made over Radcliffe's nude scene in the play. The media attention made no sense to the celebrity crowd who saw the show Thursday night. "If it's in the play, if it's in the story, if it's necessary, then it's right," said Kathleen Turner, who once briefly doffed her clothes as Mrs. Robinson in the stage version of "The Graduate." As for Radcliffe, "The fact that he's willing to learn and risk is all to his credit," Turner said. Actress Lili Taylor said she was excited to see Radcliffe and Griffiths in the play, and doesn't consider the nudity to be any more shocking than it was it was when "Equus" debuted on Broadway in 1974. "If it is, I think we have to grow up a little bit," she said. Other famous theatergoers included Dominic Cooper, Judith Light, Glenn Close, Haley Joel Osment and James Lipton, host of Bravo's "Inside the Actor's Studio." Cooper, now co-starring with Keira Knightley in the film "The Duchess," appeared with Griffiths in the Tony-winning play "The History Boys" and its film adaptation. "I dropped by (the theater) today and wrote some ridiculous scrappy little message to Richard in desperation for a ticket," Cooper said.
 
SPIELBERG 'TO MAKE CHOCKY FILM' [BBC, 9/26/08]
Steven Spielberg's film company DreamWorks has acquired the rights to the science fiction novel Chocky, according to reports. Trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter said Pollinger, the UK agency which handles the literary estate of the late author John Wyndham, agreed the deal. Chocky is about a boy who appears to have an imaginary friend, but is actually taken over by alien entity. Oscar-winning director Spielberg's credits include ET and Jurassic Park. Chocky is a 1968 novel written by Wyndham, the British science fiction writer best known for The Day of the Triffids.
 
OPRAH PIPES UP FOR "PRINCESS"; DEPP MAD ABOUT "ALICE"; CARS 2 FAST-TRACKED
[E! Online, 9/25/08]
Who better to pass down one of the all-time pieces of woman-to-woman wisdom than Oprah Winfrey? The daytime chat queen has signed on to lend her larynx to The Princess and the Frog, it was announced today, September 24 at the Walt Disney Studios' Showcase, a presentation of the studios' upcoming projects. The Mouse House's next hand-drawn offering set in New Orleans and featuring Anika Noni Rose as the lovelorn Princess Tiana, who learns that sometimes you have to kiss a frog or two before you find Mr. Right. Winfrey, already a mama bear to millions and previously the woman behind animalistic characters in Bee Movie and Charlotte's Web, will voice Eudora, the mother of the first black princess in Disney's long line of lunchbox- and pj's-ready royal heroines. Randy Newman has penned six new songs for the 2-D film, which is due out Christmas Day next year. Disney and Pixar chief animation officer John Lasseter made the announcement at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Speaking of casting coups, Disney also announced that Johnny Depp has come onboard Tim Burton's live-and-CGI reworking of Alice in Wonderland as the unbirthday-celebrating Mad Hatter, the Hunter S. Thompson of Wonderland's tea-party set. This will be Burton's eighth time directing Depp. Lasseter also revealed that, contrary to recent trends in the economy- and strike-battered biz, Cars 2—the sequel to the 2006 blockbuster—is ahead of schedule and will be zooming into theaters in 2011, a year earlier than planned. A Cars Toon, a series of Cars-themed animated shorts featuring some of the sidekick characters from the movie, will also be screening in theaters, as well as airing on the Disney Channel. "You’ll see them everywhere,” Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook said. “We’re going to keep this Cars thing going."
 
CASH RECORDING TO BE RELEASED WITH NEW DOCUMENTARY [AP, 9/25/08]
An unreleased recitation by Johnny Cash will be available as part of a new documentary examining Cash's views on America. In "I Am The Nation," the deep-voiced singer personifies the country with references to important events and people in American history. The recording was discovered in Cash's personal belongings after his death. It will be released as part of "Johnny Cash's America," a documentary airing Oct. 23 on the Biography Channel.  The companion DVD/CD package on Legacy Recordings will be available Oct. 28, 2008. The documentary features interviews with Bob Dylan; Al Gore; Snoop Dogg; Sheryl Crow; Steve Earle; Kris Kristofferson; Loretta Lynn; Merle Haggard; U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; Tim Robbins; Vince Gill; Cash; his sister, Joanne; and his children, John Carter Cash and Cindy Cash. In the film, Cash, who was outspoken on social issues, discusses the political process and the two parties. "The whole film and soundtrack are poignant for what's going on in the political climate right now," said Charlie Dougiello, a spokesman for the project.
 
"I AM LEGEND" PREQUEL GETS THUMBS UP [E! Online, 9/25/08]
Warner Bros. Pictures have finally confirmed that the prequel of "I Am Legend", "Untitled I Am Legend Prequel", is in the works. According to Variety, the studio have set the project in motion as the film's star Will Smith, who is returning as Dr. Robert Neville, and director Francis Lawrence are reportedly going to collaborate once again for the new project. The script for the prequel will be penned by D.B. Weiss and is based on a detailed outline that was hatched over the past few months by Smith, Lawrence and producers, Akiva Goldsman and James Lassiter. It will center its story on the final days leading up to wiping up of the New York population by the man-made virus. "I Am Legend" itself is Lawrence's sci-fi horror film based on Richard Matheson's novel of the same name. Telling the story about the lone survivor in the world that has been infected by incurable virus, the flick starring Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan has opened first on the box office with $77.2 million and since its release on December 14, 2007, it has collected $584 million worldwide.
 
PHILLY'S ARDEN GIVES VOICE TO "GEE'S BEND" [Playbill, 9/24/08]
Eleanor Holdridge directs Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's award-winning play "featuring three determined women and interwoven with gospel music." It's "a deeply personal story of family, self-discovery and artistic expression" that "coincides with the exhibition of 'Gee's Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt,' at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on display now through Dec. 14." The American Theatre Critics Association recently recognized Elyzabeth and her work with the 2008 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award for an emerging playwright. The Arden cast includes Edwina Findley as Sadie; Kayla Moses Baxter as Nella; Marjorie Johnson as Alice and Alice's daughter, Asia; and Barrymore Award nominee Kes Khemnu as Macon. Walter Dallas returns to the Arden as the music director for Gee's Bend. Opening is Oct. 15, 2008. According to Arden, "Gee's Bend spans more than 60 years and three generations of women and embraces their stories of joy and heartbreak. The story begins in 1939. Born into poverty and hardship, Sadie Pettway, learned to quilt at her mother's side. While it was a domestic responsibility to quilt, the women of Gee's Bend also turned to quilting as a comfort from the harsh realities of racial indignities, spousal abuse, isolation, and despair." The women of Gee's Bend and their quilts inspired playwright and Alabama native Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder to tell their story on the stage, and the play was commissioned by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. She was embraced by the quilters, who openly shared their stories and history, asking only one thing of Wilder, "just write it honest." According to production notes, "Gee's Bend is a small rural community nestled into a curve in the Alabama River southwest of Selma, AL. It was the site of cotton plantations, primarily the lands of Joseph Gee and his relative Mark Pettway, who bought the Gee estate in 1850. After the Civil War, the freed slaves took the name Pettway, became tenant farmers for the Pettway family, and founded an all-black community nearly isolated from the surrounding world. The five-mile long peninsula was eventually and slowly acquired by the descendants of the slaves that used to belong to the plantation's owner." The Gee's Bend creative team includes set designer Marjorie Bradley Kellogg, lighting designer Les Dickert, costume designer Alison Roberts, sound designer Chris Colucci and stage manager Stephanie Cook. Arden Theatre Company is located at 40 N. 2nd Street, Old City Philadelphia. For tickets call (215) 922-1122 or visit www.ardentheatre.org
 
CRYSTAL SHAWANDA, EAGLE & HAWK TOP NOMINEES FOR ABORIGINAL MUSIC AWARDS
[CBC, 9/24/08]
Country singer Crystal Shawanda and Winnipeg rockers Eagle & Hawk each have a leading five nominations for this year's Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Eagle & Hawk, an alternative rock group, are nominated for best group, best album for Sirensong and best single and best songwriter for the title song Sirensong. The group, which won a Juno in 2002, is scheduled to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra next year. Shawanda, of Wikwemikong, Ont., has made a splash in Nashville and on the Canadian country scene with her chart-topping debut album Dawn of a New Day. She's nominated for best album, best country album, best female singer, best video and best single. The Ojibwa singer's surname, Shawanda, translates to "dawn of a new day." She is competing against Vancouver's Christa Couture and Savona, B.C.'s Farah Palmer for best female artist. Shawanda and Eagle & Hawk will vie for the best album honours along with Tanya Tagaq, the Inuit throat singer nominated for her album Auk-Blood. Tagaq, a native of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, who has been filling concert halls for her unusual performance with strings group Kronos Quartet, has nominations for best traditional female singer and best album cover. Red Power Squad of Morinville, Alta., and Lester of White Rock, B.C., have been nominated for best group. The nominees for best male artist are: Mitch Daigneault of Battleford, Sask.; Main Event of Barrie, Ont. and Jace Martin of Ohsweken, Ont. Nominees for best rap artist: 7th Generation, from Penticton, B.C.; Feenix, from Edmonton and Wabs Whitebird of Toronto. This year's ceremony adds several new awards, including categories for best original score and best hip-hop music video. The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, in their 10th year, will be given out Nov. 28, 2008 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
 
"NOTORIOUS" PRESENTS TEASER TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/24/08]
A teaser trailer for Fox Searchlight Pictures biopic "Notorious" has come out for fans enjoyment. It opens with the voiceover from Notorious B.I.G. himself describing about his hopes 10 years from the day he speaks and where he thinks he'll be. Then, it is followed by the display of the rapper's life from his childhood to the fast lane. The short footage also teases B.I.G.'s mother, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Faith Evans. Highlighting the short life of Christopher Wallace a.k.a. B.I.G., "Notorious" is to chronicle the journey Wallace experiences throughout his life from his life in the streets of Brooklyn to his rise to stardom when he used his narrative talent to tell about violent life on the streets. Dubbed to be one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time, B.I.G. was shot to death on March 9, 1997. In this drama flick, Jamal Woolard stars as the titular character. He is supported by multiple award winner Angela Bassett as B.I.G.'s mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Diddy, Antonique Smith as Evans, Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur, Anwan Glover as Snoop Dogg, Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim and others. It will hit the big screen on January 16, 2009.
 
IDENTITY OF CHEVY CORVETTE IN "TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" UNCOVERED
[Aceshowbiz, 9/24/08]
The questions surrounding the silver Chevy Corvette which has appeared in the production of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has been answered. Bringing an update report, TFW2005 let out that the Hasbro Licensing Summit 2008 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia unearthed the identity of the mysterious concept car as Sideswipe. Sideswipe is one of the initial crew of Autobots who crash-landed on Earth million years ago. In the animated series, he is being reformatted into Lamborghini sports car. Apart from the Chevy Corvette, Hasbro Licensing Summit also revealed that Ravage, Soundwave's partner-in-crime, will be making its appearance in the "Transformers" sequel and it is described to be "having a very raw beast mode". A sequel to the hit 2007 film "Transformers" about two clashing robot clans on Earth, "Revenge of the Fallen" is directed by Michael Bay and will see Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro reprising their roles once again. In this sequel, the heroes will be facing a stronger and more powerful villain, the Fallen, who forces them to bring back their foe Megatron to defeat him. The flick is due for June 26, 2009 release.
 
"HAIRSPRAY" SEQUEL EN ROUTE, QUEEN LATIFAH SAID [Aceshowbiz, 9/24/08]
Queen Latifah has backed the foregoing report about the sequel treatment of hit 2007 comedy musical "Hairspray". Sharing her insight on the matter to MTV News, the actress/hip hop artist stated that she has recently got an e-mail about the sequel saying, "I got an e-mail from people connected to the last movie. It said: 'Keep your ears peeled.'" Further, the 38-year-old also mentioned that her character Motormouth Maybell will return to the follow-up movie alongside the other original characters and she is up for it. Though noting further that she doesn't have a clue on the possible storyline, she insisted that Adam Shankman and John Waters are developing the material. "I don't know what he's writing or what the concept is," she claimed. "But I'm glad they're doing another 'Hairspray,' and I'm glad he's writing it." Back in late July, it has been reported that "Hairspray 2" is planned. New Line Cinema have inked a deal with the film's creator John Waters signing him in to write down the sequel's script. The studio are also expecting director/choreographer Adam Shankman, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and Tony-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman to come back and work their magic on the second movie. Telling the story of Tracy Turnblad, a pleasantly plump high school student turned TV dancing show star, "Hairspray" was based on the Tony Award-winning 2002 Broadway musical of the same name. Released on July 20, 2007, it stars John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Brittany Snow and Zac Efron. Ever since its release, the flick has grossed $200.6 million worldwide.
 
"AMERICAN DAD!" PREVIEWS SEASON 4 PREMIERE [Aceshowbiz, 9/24/08]
With season 4 premiere lurking in the corner, FOX have let out a sneak peek into the new season of "American Dad!" through a video preview. The footage exposes that Francine is packing her bag and planning on leaving the house. Then, it flashes back to the time when Haley went through her puberty and the chaos she put her parents into during the time. In the end, it is revealed that Francine's emotional state is triggered by the fact that Steve is going through puberty. Season 4 of "American Dad" will be kicked off on Sunday, September 28, at 9:30/8:30c on FOX with the airing of episode 4.01 entitled "1600 Candles". The episode tells that Steve announces he is finally going through puberty. Having experienced the pains of having a teenager in the family, Stan and Francine put aside plans for Roger the Alien's 1,600th birthday and try to go through their fears with experimental medicine. Created by Seth MacFarlane, the satirical American animated series resolves around Stan Smith, a CIA agent based in Langley Falls, Virginia, and the various stumbling-block he has to encounter with his immediate family. The characters in the show are voiced by Seth, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane and Dee Bradley Baker.
 
KANYE WEST DEVELOPING "HIP HOP MEETS THE MUPPETS" SHOW [Aceshowbiz, 9/24/08]
Together with Comedy Central, Kanye West is developing a muppets show that has the essence of hip-hop. Deriving the idea from his "Champion" music video where instead of appearing in person he uses his muppet version, the show is tentatively called "Alligator Boots" and is aimed to be premiered in 2009. For the project, West has teamed up with fellow rapper Rhymefest and Comedy Central icon Daniel Kellison as the executive producers of the pilot that has reportedly been shot and will run for half an hour. The idea of the show is to have different celebrity hosting each episode, very much like the concept that was employed by the original Muppet Show. Kanye will host the pilot, and supply the music as well. "Alligator Boots" is a production of Jackhole Prods, the same company that owns "Jimmy Kimmel Live". It is also supported by Adam Corolla who is behind Comedy Central's puppet show "Crank Yankers".
 
TORONTO AUTHORS FESTIVAL FOCUSES ON "LUCK OF THE IRISH" [CBC, 9/24/08]
The Pen Canada benefit that opens this year's International Festival of Authors in Toronto will feature Canadian screenwriter Don McKellar interviewing Booker Prize-winning author Roddy Doyle. Doyle, the Irish writer of The Commitments, A Star Called Henry and The Woman Who Walked into Doors, is also a dramatist and screenwriter. McKellar, who won a Tony Award for his part in writing The Drowsy Chaperone, was screenwriter and co-star of the movie Blindness. The gala is a benefit for Pen's work defending freedom of speech and helping writers in exile. The international festival, scheduled for Oct. 22 to Nov. 1, 2008 in Toronto, has a focus on Irish writers, with 16 slated to read or be interviewed. Among them are: Anne Enright, who won a Man Booker prize for The Gathering; Novelist, poet and playwright Dermot Bolger; Eugene McCabe, author of Death and Nightingales and Crime novelist John Connolly. Colm Tóibín will moderate a discussion on Irish literary tradition and the modern policies that have kept Irish writers at the forefront of international literature. One of the highlights of the festival will be an interview with Farley Mowat, the Canadian author of Never Cry Wolf and Sea of Slaughter, who is writing a new memoir that he says is his final book. Another veteran writer, Josef Skvorecky, Czech-born author of The Engineer of Human Souls, is to give a reading from his new novel Ordinary Lives. There also will be a focus on writers from Quebec, with novelists such as Impac Dublin award winner Rawi Hage, Neil Bissoondath, Pan Bouyoucas, Hélène Dorion and crime writer Louise Penny to appear. Dozens of other Canadian and international writers will be participating in the 11-day festival. Other events: Philosopher and critic Mark Kingwell interviews Don Thompson about contemporary art and his book The $12 Million Stuffed Shark; Bill Douglas interviews cover designer Chip Kidd and graphic artist Lynda Barry; A panel of New York Review of Books and Guardian journalists discusses the U.S. election; Readings by authors shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award for Literature. There are also readings devoted to children's books, crime books and travel books. IFOA goes on the road this year to Hamilton, Burlington and Parry Sound, all in Ontario.
 
D.J. CARUSO OFFERS NEW TWIST FOR "Y: THE LAST MAN" [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Though adapted from Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's comic book series of the same name, "Y: The Last Man" will be presenting fans with several fresh twists. To First Showing, director D.J. Caruso has revealed that one of the changes would show a deeper connection between Yorick and Ampersand. "One big change is that we put in a 'ticking clock' with Yorick and Ampersand," Caruso said explaining further, "and I separated them, and Yorick starts to get a little sick when Ampersand's not with him. I felt like we needed some kind of ticking clock so it wasn't just a boy and his monkey." Though offering several changes, the filmmaker insisted that the movie will open like its original book. "Initially it'll open very similar to what you know in the opening book basically, with Yorick and Beth," he stated. In the montage of when it's all happening, we do see what happens in China, we do have little vignettes of things that are happening all over the world." "Y" follows the story of the last man on Earth. Centering its story on a young amateur escape artist Yorick Brown, the film will follow his journey to Australia to find his girlfriend after a mysterious plague roamed Earth killing every single Y chromosome mammal leaving Brown and his Capuchin monkey Ampersand to be the only mammal male on the planet. The movie eyes Shia LaBeouf to play the leading man and Alicia Keys to portray Agent 355.
 
SNEAK PEEK TO "PRISON BREAK" 4.06: BLOW OUT [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
A sneak peek to the episode 4.06 of "Prison Break" is out. After visiting the Treasury Department in the last episode, Michael and his entourage will be drawn to a racetrack when pursuing the other key card holder in the episode called "Blow Out". Meanwhile, Mahone gets caught with something priceless and Agent Self continues in pursue of Wyatt. T-Bag on his own accord, starts to figure out Whistler's code. "Blow Out" will be aired on FOX on September 29 at 9:00 P.M. In the mean time, a scoop on Michael's condition has been suggested after he was seen having a nosebleed in the beginning of the fourth season. According to some sources, the nosebleed is not intended to kill Michael but rather will be part of the show's biggest mystery this season. It has something to do with his mother's history, which reportedly will be unveiled on episode 7 aka next two weeks (October 6, 2008).
 
MICHAEL PHELPS' CAMEO IN THE SPOOF OF "GREY'S ANATOMY" [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Olympic Gold medalist Michael Phelps showed some acting skill in the spoof for "Grey's Anatomy". As part of 60th Primetime Emmy Awards pre-show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" presented a segment called "Big Night of Stars" where Jimmy shows a footage where he appears with Michael in a parody of the medical drama. In what apparently looks serious at the beginning, the so-called trailer to the show's new season is inserted with a scene where a new doctor, played by Michael, is introduced as Dr. McSwimmy. Striking a difference, the newbie walks in the hall of Seattle Grace Hospital in tight swimming trunk and no shirt on. The show's cast Justin Chambers aka Dr. Dr. Alex Karev and Eric Dane, aka Dr. Mark Sloane appear on the segment with Michael. The new season of "Grey's Anatomy" will air on Thursday, September 25, 2008 on ABC at 9:00 P.M.
 
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY CONSIDERED FOR "THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED" [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Words are Keira Knightley's new film project, after her portrayal of controversial Duchess of Devonshire in "The Duchess", will be another period piece romance, "The Beautiful and the Damned". According to Hollywood Reporter, the English starlet is encircling the leading lady role as tempestuous Zelda Sayre by involving in a negotiation for the part. If Knightley indeed took the role of Sayre, this would continue her entanglement with period movies. She has recently starred in "Duchess", which came out on September 19, in World War I drama epic with James McAvoy "Atonement" and in Alessandro Baricco's adapted novel "Silk". Before those, she has also played Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen's adaptation "Pride and Prejudice". Having "The Notebook" director Nick Cassavetes attached to helm the project, "Damned" is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel of the same name. The story is believed to be revolving around Fitzgerald and his lover Sayre. Though living what seems to be a perfect life, the relationship between the two is infested by jealousy and acrimony.
 
REVIEW: IRAQ TALE "LUCKY ONES" WALLOWS IN ARTIFICE [AP, 9/23/08]
Soldiers might be clamoring to re-enlist if they all saw as much action in their homecoming as the threesome in "The Lucky Ones." Returning to combat could seem like a picnic in comparison with the tumult these three endure once back on U.S. soil. "The Lucky Ones" is the latest casualty in Hollywood's unsatisfying parade of war-on-terror dramas, a movie built on improbabilities. Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams and Michael Pena manage occasional moments of humour and pathos as three wounded Iraq War veterans on an impromptu road trip across America. But mostly, the screenplay by director Neil Burger and co-writer Dirk Wittenborn forges a false camaraderie by hurling the three lead players into perpetual artificial situations. The stark documentary style of "The Lucky Ones" is a complete turnabout from the classy, surreal look of Burger's last film, "The Illusionist." However, that tale of magic and sleight of hand is much more plausible than his farfetched take on Iraq War homecomings. "The Lucky Ones," a Lionsgate release, is rated R for language and some sexual content. Running time: 104 minutes. Two stars out of four.
 
STUDY: SERIES TV SHOWING MORE GAYS, LESBIANS [AP, 9/23/08]
Broadcast television will have 16 gay and bisexual regular characters in prime-time series this fall, more than double the seven of a year ago, a new study has found. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said it was a positive sign of networks making their shows more representative, although more work needed to be done. These characters accounted for 2.6 percent of all the regular characters in TV series, up from 1.1 percent last year and 1.3 percent in 2006, according to the study, released Monday, September 22. GLAAD President Neil Giuliano singled out Fox for having five such regular characters this fall, considering there were none a year earlier. The character Thirteen on "House" is bisexual, while the new "Do Not Disturb" has a gay man. None of the 126 regular characters on CBS shows are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, GLAAD said, and only one recurring character — Brad on "Rules of Engagement" — is gay. ABC will have seven characters that are either gay men or bisexual women this fall, NBC will have three and the CW will have one, according to GLAAD. A total of 19 recurring characters, those who appear only time to time, fit the category, GLAAD said. That's up from 13 a year ago. The number of regular characters fitting the definition fell from 40 to 32 on mainstream cable networks, a count that doesn't include the gay-oriented networks Logo and here! There were no lesbians among the regular characters, according to GLAAD. But there are five bisexual women, including the characters of Callie Torres and Erica Hahn on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." "As the networks gradually add characters from all backgrounds and all walks of life to prime-time programming, more and more Americans are seeing their LGBT friends and neighbors reflected on the small screen," Giuliano said. The lobbying group has been monitoring the presence of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters on TV for four years.
 
"THE HILLS" SPIN-OFF GETS GREEN LIGHT [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
MTV will bring "The City", "The Hills" spin-off, into materialization. Recently, E! News has confirmed the earlier speculation on the development of the reality series spin-off mentioning that the pickup has been done within the last two weeks, though the publication didn't specifically note when exactly. The new series will be focused on the life of Lauren Conrad's friend and former work colleague in Teen Vogue and The People's Revolution, Whitney Port, in New York City where she now works for fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. It is said that the show will be kicking off its shooting soon as a source was quoted by E! saying, "They will start shooting immediately." Meanwhile, "The Hills" itself follows the drama in the life of Conrad and her friends, including Heidi Montag and Audrina Patridge, in Los Angeles after Conrad leaves her homes in Laguna Beach, California. The show is currently undergoing its fourth season. It is aired every Monday at 10:00 P.M. on MTV.
 
"MADEA GOES TO JAIL" PREMIERES FIRST TEASER [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Tyler Perry has let fans get a sneak peek into his forthcoming comedy "Madea Goes to Jail" though a new teaser trailer. Less than a minute long, the video focuses on the arrest of Mabel "Madea" Simmons by a band of police. Though surrounded by the authorities from land and air, she still makes the effort hard for them. Inspired by Perry's play of the same name, "Goes to Jail" focuses its story on Madea whose trouble-making act puts her behind bars. This time, she will come to the rescue of Candy, a fellow inmate who becomes the subject of bully by a large woman named Big Sal. Starring Perry as Madea, the film also stars Keshia Knight Pulliam, Vanessa Ferlito, Sofia Vergara, Derek Luke, Keke Palmer and others. "Goes to Jail" is the second Madea's film after "Madea's Family Reunion". The Lionsgate Films comedy flick is also directed/co-produced/penned by Perry. It has been set to be outed on February 20, 2009.
 
PREVIEW OF "TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES" 2.04: ALLISON FROM PALMDALE
[Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" preview 2.04 has been made available. The episode will be called "Allison from Palmdale" and aired on Monday, September 29 on FOX at 8:00 P.M. Cameron temporarily loses her memory due to a software glitch. She goes missing from the Connors and is taken in by a street kid named Jody. Cameron and Jody end up at a halfway house where Cameron meets with a social worker who uncovers some of Cameron's distant memories. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison seeks information about the past of new CEO of ZeiraCorp, Catherine Weaver. Recently it has been reported that the show is struggling to lift its rating and to anticipate that, the writers have brought in a new character to be the love interest of Derek. Rumour has it, Stephanie Jacobsen who played in "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" as Kendra Shaw has been cast.
 
U.K. TRAILER OF "BRIDE WARS" DEBUTS [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
An international trailer of "Bride Wars" has been released. Telling the story of two best friends who clash with one another because of one wedding plan mistake, the over two minutes footage opens by revealing how close Liv and Emma are, then it chronicles how the friendship between the two gradually takes turn to the worst it can possibly be. Best friends since childhood, Liv and Emma are always there for each other supporting one another in good times and bad times. When they get engaged within a few hours of one another, together they plan their weddings which will take place at their dream wedding location, the Plaza Hotel. But, one big mistake will put the friendship to its ultimate test as neither one of them will step aside for the other's happiness. Pairing up Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as the two best friends in war, "Bride Wars" is directed by Gary Winick from the script by June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. It features also Candice Bergen, Kristen Johnston and Chris Pratt among others. The Fox 2000 Pictures flick is coming out January 9, 2009.
 
STARS GLAM UP FOR "MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA" NEW YORK PREMIERE [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
On Monday, September 22, evening, Touchstone Pictures had held a special celebration for "Miracle at St. Anna". Rolling down the red carpet in front of Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, the studio presented a star-studded event for the New York premiere of their upcoming drama film welcoming A-listers from cast member Kerry Washington to rapper Swizz Beatz. Attending the special screening were most of the cast ensemble, including Derek Luke, John Leguizamo, Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy, Robert John Burke, Omar Benson Miller, Valentina Cervi and Walton Goggins. Also joining the stars were the behind-the-lens crew, such as director Spike Lee, screenwriter James McBride and composer Terence Blanchard. Apart from stars and crew, other celebrities coming to the event included director Martin Scorsese, filmmaker David Lee, "Mirrors" actress Paula Patton, "Ugly Betty" star Eric Mabius, basketball player Reggie Miller, Wesley Snipes and former "America's Next Top Model" Yaya DaCosta. Inspired by the August 1944 Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre, "Miracle" is a drama movie based on an acclaimed novel by McBride. The movie set for September 26, 2008 release focuses on the four African-American soldiers of the 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division who are stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II, as they risk their life to save an Italian boy.
 
PREVIEW OF "ONE TREE HILL" 6.05: YOU'VE DUG YOUR OWN GRAVE [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
The sneak peek to episode 6.05 of "One Tree Hill" has been given. The audience will be given a rather more thrilling story plot in the September 29 episode called "You've Dug Your Own Grave, Now Lie in It". The sneak peek mainly sees Hayley and Jamie, both in the middle of corn field. Haley who has been investigating the disappearance of Dan, accidentally puts Jamie's life in danger and learns the truth about Dan. Meanwhile, Peyton learns a dark secret about her new recording artist and Nathan gets an offer from a professional basketball team. While last week's episode "Bridge Over Troubled Water" has been marked with some visions of Quentin, it has been hinted that there will be more of this dead character in the episodes to come. According to Robbie Jones at Les Deux, "There's more Quentin to come".
 
PREVIEW OF "HEROES" 3.03: ONE OF US, ONE OF THEM [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
One of the biggest secrets was outed on the two-hour premiere of "Heroes" last night on September 22 and a sneak preview of what happens next has been outed. The promo of episode 3.03 titled "One of Us, One of Them" is available, revealing what Angela Petrelli plans to do after revealing that she is the biological mother of the villain, Sylar. The episode as previewed on the video, will see Peter's attempt in finding out why Claire becomes bad in the future and Niki trying to jump off a building while her status is being searched by Traci Strauss. But perhaps the most anticipated continuation is that the story of Angela who told Sylar that he is a Petrelli. Angela told Sylar to be "strong for what's to come". The episode will be aired on NBC on Monday, September 29 at 9:00 P.M. Regarding Sylar being their sibling, the show's cast Milo Ventimiglia who portrays Peter and Adrian Paser who plays Nathan shared out their thoughts to Kristin of E!. "We just kind of turned and looked at each other and said, 'Well, there's not really room.' We both had the same thought, the same words, and we love Zach, and we love the idea of the character and everything, but there just wasn't room between the two of us!" Milo said and added by Adrian who said, "We were thinking, 'There's no room in the womb! No room at the inn!' But finally we said, 'Zach, we love you and we'll take you in.'" Speaking of the future relationship between Peter and Sylar, Milo hinted "We do have a couple of scuffles."
 
TAYLOR SWIFT TO DEBUT "WHITE HORSE" ON "GREY'S ANATOMY" [Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
Taylor Swift announces that her new single entitled "White Horse" will be launched on Thursday night, September 25 during the premiere of "Grey's Anatomy" season five. "Finding out I have a song in 'Grey's Anatomy' was one of the very few times in my life I've broken down crying out of happiness," Taylor says.  Speaking of the big night, the country singer shares her excitement, saying that her dream to perform on the show has finally come true. "That show is my biggest obsession and my longest relationship to date. Ha! I'm so happy, I don't even know what to do with myself," she adds. "White Horse" is a song where Taylor narrates about someone that she dreams on but has never become hers. "It talks about falling in love and the fairy tales that you are going to have with this person," the singer states. "Then there is that moment where you realize that it is not going to happen. That moment is the most earth shattering moment." Another single, that will appear in Taylor's sophomore studio effort, "Fearless", is called "Love Story". The song has been released earlier this month and peaked at number 18 in Billboard Country Hot Singles chart and reached at number 8 in Billboard Digital Hot Songs chart. However, fans will not get access to purchase her second album until November 11, 2008.
 
JAMES BOND WON'T UTTER HIS CLASSIC CATCHPHRASE IN "QUANTUM OF SOLACE"
[Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
In "Quantum of Solace", James Bond's fans will be missing out one of the signature Bond movies' lines, the superspy agent classic self-introduction "Bond, James Bond". According to the Independent, the agent 007's trademark catchphrase has been dropped off from the film because it doesn't work out like what the filmmakers expected. Mentioning that the cutting off of the one-liner has been blessed by the important people involved, director Marc Foster explained that actually the line has been written in the script. "There was a 'Bond, James Bond' in the script," he said. "There are several places where we shot it as well, but it never worked as we hoped." "I just felt we should cut it out, and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson [the film's producers] agreed, and Daniel [Craig, who plays Bond] agreed, too," he then added. "It's nice to be open-minded about the Bond formula. You can always go back to them later on." Additionally, the helmer also noted that another catchphrase eliminated from "Quantum" is "shaken not stirred", the one used when Bond orders up his Martini. Apart from the catchphrase omission, Foster has also confirmed that "Quantum" will be the shortest Bond movie in terms of its running time, as reported by MI6 News. The high-octane action flick is said to be having a runtime of 106 minutes. The last Bond movie getting under 2 hour screening time was Pierce Brosnan's 1997 "Tomorrow Never Dies" (116 minutes), while the shortest Bond flick ever hitting the big screen so far was 1964's "Goldfinger" (110 minutes). To be distributed by Columbia Pictures on November 14, 2008, "Quantum" resolves around the adventures of Bond in a manipulative and dangerous mission of uncovering the truth behind the organization which blackmailed his former lover Vesper while fighting the urge to avenge his broken heart. It is scripted by Robert Wade, Neal Purvis and Paul Haggis. It is Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond after "Casino Royale". In it, he will be joined by Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko as Camille, Gemma Arterton as MI6 Agent Fields, Mathieu Amalric as the lead villain Dominic Greene, Judi Dench as M and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter among others.
 
NEW FILM DOCUMENTS CREATING OF BEATLES "LOVE" [AP 9/23/08]
The director of a new documentary that chronicles the creation of the Beatles and Cirque du Soilel's "Love" show calls his film an "emotional journey" that manages to reveal something new about music's most documented band. "All Together Now," which will be released on DVD Oct. 21, 2008, features the surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, as they worked together to oversee the development of "Love." "We got to talk to all these people not just about creating the show but about the Beatles," director Adrian Wills said in a recent interview. "Because they were in an emotional frame of an experience, they were really candid with us." "Love," a Las Vegas theatrical spectacle that made its debut two years ago, features the reworked music of the Fab Four for the psychedelic show. The idea for "Love" came about through a friendship between Harrison and Cirque du Soilel founder Guy Laliberte, but Harrison died before their plans could be realized. McCartney, Starr and the widows then banded together to realize Harrison's vision. That helped make the creative process more poignant, said Wills. "The film was kind of like looking at the Beatles as a family, and there were all these kind of family members who (while) they might have been estranged from each other at times, and had gone through, like any other family, hard times and good times together, but now they were coming back together because one of their loved ones had fallen," he said. The films also captures McCartney and Starr as they reminisce with George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer who helped re-imagine the Beatles' music for the show with son Giles. "You not only get a real glimpse into the creative process of how this show was made, but you get a real glimpse into who these people are," said Wills. Though the DVD is being sold exclusively at Best Buy and at the "Love" show, the film will be shown at select theaters nationwide Oct. 20, 2008.
 
TOM FORD HOOKS UP WITH FIRTH, MOORE AND BELL? [E! Online, 9/23/08]
Fashion prince Tom Ford is finally going to see his dream come true. The former Gucci designer is putting the final touches on his directorial debut of the movie adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel, A Single Man. Sources reveal exclusively to me that it looks like Colin Firth will star as a gay college professor who deals with the sudden death of his lover. The character is helped in his efforts by a lifelong female friend and one of his students. Firth's rep tells me "he's in discussions" but it's not a done deal. Julianne Moore will play the friend while Jamie Bell has signed for the student role, my sources say. The story takes place in 1962 in Los Angeles.  No studio is attached to the project, but Ford plans to begin filming in L.A. in November. Ford announced in November that he acquired the movie rights to the novel. The look will be pure Ford. One source says, "It should be very cool with all those '60s cars and great midcentury homes." After leaving Gucci in 2004, Ford spoke publicly about wanting to get into directing. He also started his namesake men's fashion line last year.
 
FRESH IMAGES OF POSSIBLE NEW MEGATRON IN "TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN"
[Aceshowbiz, 9/23/08]
A slew of new images has exposed what could be Megatron's new alternate mode in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". Put up by Latino Review, the scanned photos revealed the tank form of the baddie in line of its possible robot mode which was let out previously. Observing the pictures further, Latino pointed out that the image could be Megatron since on one pic in the lower right area, it can be seen the word Megatron with giant Toy logo. The photos display Megatron from different angles and can be seen via Latino Review. On other "Revenge of the Fallen" news, writer Roberto Orci has claimed that there will be no triple changers in the "Transformers" sequel. "Talked about it. Does a combiner count? We figure a triple changer is a good idea for part 3," he said as quoted by TFW2005. He also noted that it is certainly possible that fans will see more of the bickering between Megatron and Starscream. TFW2005 also reported that the possibility of Optimus Prime combining with another robot or even his trailer has been talked about by the writing team. Meanwhile, IESB mentioned that ET's Mark Steines has been given the exclusive first look for the sequel's shooting in White Sands New Mexico. The video is available on-line. Due to be released on June 26, 2009, "Revenge of the Fallen" comes from director Michael Bay and the screenwriting team of Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Orci. It follows the story about two clashing robot clans on Earth. This time, the heroes will be facing a stronger and more powerful villain, the Fallen, which forces them to bring back their foe Megatron. Starring Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, the human friend of the friendly alien robots Autobots, the flick is also supported by Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and many others. It is still currently undergoing its production.

 
NEW CHANNEL OFFERS CANADIANS MORE HBO SHOWS [CBC, 9/23/08]
A new pay channel with a slate of HBO programs never before seen on this side of the border is to be launched in Canada in October. Astral Media and Corus Entertainment are jointly launching a channel that will be known as HBO Canada, they announced Monday, September 22. It will be available at no extra charge to those who already subscribe to the Movie Network and Movie Central. HBO is the U.S. network Canadians most often say they would like to see offered in Canada. But the federal broadcast regulator has blocked attempts to launch U.S. pay channels, such as HBO and USA Network, in Canada saying Canadian players are not well enough developed to withstand the competition. The Movie Network and Movie Central already carry a large slate of HBO programs such as Entourage, True Blood and Flight of the Conchords. But Corus and Astral said this will be the first chance for Canadians to get programs such as Real Time with Bill Maher, Def Comedy Jam and Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger. The network will also carry older HBO series such as OZ and Da Ali G Show, movies Gia, The Late Shift and If These Walls Could Talk and older miniseries including From the Earth to the Moon and Angels in America. "For years, HBO's dramatic programming has been available on The Movie Network and Movie Central. But even with all of the HBO titles we offered, Canadians still wanted more," John Riley, president of Astral Television Networks, said in a release Monday. HBO, backed by Time Warner, will have no business interest in the new channel, but Astral Media and Corus Entertainment have expanded their long-term programming deal with the U.S. network. HBO Canada, like all other Canadian stations, will be required to carry Canadian content, and that will include the series Durham County and Terminal City. TMN, owned by Astral, is available only in eastern Canada while Movie Central, owned by Corus, is available in western Canada.
 
FLASHPOINT SET FOR SOPHOMORE SEASON ON BOTH SIDE OF THE BORDER [CBC, 9/23/08]
U.S. network CBS has renewed Toronto-set police drama Flashpoint for a second season, following the show's renewal by its Canadian broadcaster last month. Flashpoint, a co-production that airs on CTV in Canada, stars Canadian actors Enrico Colantoni and Hugh Dillon as officers in an elite tactical unit of the Toronto police force. Though CBS originally launched it in the typically slow Friday evening slot this summer, executives eventually moved "Flashpoint" to the higher-profile Thursday night spot — where the much-touted '70s suburban drama "Swingtown" was doing poorly. The fast-paced, character-driven police drama — which was created and written by Canadian actors Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern — held its ground with audiences during the Olympics and steadily gained numbers afterward. "Flashpoint shows that the summer can be a great place to launch shows and experiment with different forms of programming — including international co-productions," said CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl, according to industry newspaper Hollywood Reporter. "It's great to go into next year with another proven performer on the bench ready to go." CTV renewed the show in late August, saying production is slated to begin on a second 13-episode season in early 2009.
 
WARNER BROS LOSE "HARI PUTTAR" CASE [BBC, 9/22/08]
A court in the Indian capital Delhi has rejected a lawsuit filed by Hollywood company Warner Bros against the makers of a Bollywood film Hari Puttar. The makers of the blockbuster Harry Potter films said the title of the Indian movie was too similar. The court said Warner Bros could have brought the case three years ago and said readers could easily distinguish Hari Puttar from Harry Potter. The court decision means the film can now be released in India. Mirchi Movies, the makers of the Bollywood film, said Hari Puttar had no connection with the Harry Potter  movies. Mirchi told the court that Hari was a popular Indian name, and Puttar meant "son" in Hindi and Punjabi. "The case has been dismissed. The court said that Warner Bros had known the title of the film since 2005 and had delayed bringing the case to court until the last moment," lawyer Pratibha Singh was quoted by news agency AFP as saying. The Delhi High Court also said that consumers who read the Harry Potter books, written by JK Rowling, were sufficiently educated to know that Hari Puttar was different, the agency quoted the lawyer as saying. Hari Puttar tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who moves to England with his family and becomes involved in a plan to save the world. The film is due to be released across India on Friday 26 September 2008. It was meant to hit Indian cinemas on 12 September, but its release was pushed back because of the court case.
 
RACHEL BILSON SET TO STAR IN "WAITING FOR FOREVER" [Aceshowbiz, 9/22/08]
Rachel Bilson has been picked up to play the female lead in James Keach's romantic drama, "Waiting For Forever". Produced by Trevor Albert and James, the movie is set to go into production at the end of September in Salt Lake City. Off a script by Steve Adams, the upcoming big screen mainly speaks of a young man who's happy without a job and decides to spend the rest of his life with his love, a 25-year-old Hollywood actress who is played by Rachel. Unfortunately, there hasn't been any announcement yet concerning the actor that will play the male lead. Rachel was last seen in "Jumper" landing the part of Millie Harris. After that, she has appeared in one of the segments from upcoming film, "New York, I Love You", which is scheduled to hit the theaters next year, on February 13, 2009.
 
FIRST TRAILER OF DISNEY'S "BEDTIME STORIES" [Aceshowbiz, 9/22/08]
Adam Sandler's latest flick "Bedtime Stories" has just got its first trailer. Telling the story of a harried architect whose life turns upside down after the bed time stories he tells his niece and nephew begin to come true, the Walt Disney Pictures film is slated to be released on Christmas day (December 25) this year. Whatever the kids come up with each evening before the bed, the handyman has to survive in real life, be it gumball rain, kicked by a dwarf or set on fire. But as suggested by his friend, he started making use of the phenomenon to gain him some advantages. "Bedtime Stories" is directed by "Hairspray" helmer, Adam Shankman, and supported by a sterling cast including Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Courteney Cox, Teresa Palmer and Russell Brand.
 
NICOLAS CAGE ON-BOARD SUPERNATURAL "SEASON OF THE WITCH" [Aceshowbiz, 9/22/08]
Nicolas Cage has teamed up again with his "Gone in 60 Seconds" director Dominic Sena to tackle a new project unlike they have done previously. Both of them are up for "Season of the Witch", a supernatural-themed thriller that will be produced by Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media and Atlas Entertainment. Cage in particular will play a knight in the 14th century who guards a girl who is highly-suspected as the witch who causes the Black Plague. His and his companions' objective is to get the girl to a mountain abbey of monks who specialize in exorcising demons. Production will begin in early November in both Austria and Hungary. Taking the seats as producers are Charles Roven and Alex Gartner, the former who backed up Cage's "City of Angels".
 
FULL TRAILER OF "REVOLUTIONARY ROAD" [Aceshowbiz, 9/22/08]
After only a sneak preview, DreamWorks finally give the full length trailer of "Revolutionary Road". This would be the first movie that reunites Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as a couple after the highly-acclaimed "Titanic" in 1997. Adapted from Richard Yates' 1961 novel of the same name, "Road" resolves around Frank and April Wheeler whose marriage appears to be so perfect. However, beneath that, each of them struggles with the frustration of not being able to be fulfilled in the relationship or their respective careers. Frank eventually throws himself to alcohol and affair while April mourns the demise of her desire to be an artist. Jealousy and arguments follow thereafter and their relationship is tested as it deteriorates with each passing day. Also starring Kathy Bates and David Harbour, "Revolutionary Road" will arrive in theaters on December 26, 2008.
 
"MAD MEN," "JOHN ADAMS" MAKE EMMY RECORD BOOK [Reuters, 9/22/08]
Two period dramas set 200 years apart in American history -- "Mad Men" and "John Adams" -- claimed a place in the Emmy record books on Sunday as U.S. television's highest honors were presented in a ceremony rife with political undertones. "Mad Men," the critically acclaimed new AMC series set in New York's advertising industry at the cusp of the 1960s social revolution, became the first show from a cable network other than HBO to win the Emmy for best drama. Meanwhile, HBO's seven-part story of the nation's second president, "John Adams," finished the evening with 13 Emmys, the most ever by a miniseries, surpassing the previous record of 11 set in 2004 by HBO's adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Angels in America." Emmy voters also repeated history by crowning a parody of the TV industry itself, "30 Rock," as best comedy series for a second straight year, while another NBC workplace satire, "The Office," was snubbed for a third year in a row. The difference this year was that "30 Rock" also brought its two stars, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, along for the ride. Fey was named best actress in a comedy as the harried head writer of a TV variety show, a role loosely based on her experience on "Saturday Night Live." Baldwin won the prize as best comedy actor for playing her venal, egotistical boss. Fey, the show's creator and producer, also won for best writing on a comedy series. The series came away with seven Emmys in all, second only to the tally for "John Adams." "We're very grateful to be up here again and so grateful to have survived into our third season," Fey said on stage of her show, which has struggled to build an audience. On the drama side, five-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close was named best actress, as widely expected, for portraying a ruthless trial lawyer on the new FX legal series "Damages." But in the night's biggest upset, the Emmy for best actor in a drama went to Bryan Cranston for starring on another new cable TV show, AMC's "Breaking Bad," as a terminally ill high school teacher who cooks crystal methamphetamine. Cranston, who previously played the dad on the long-running Fox family sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle," noted the disparity between his Emmy honor and the small viewership of his show -- something many Emmy winners this year had in common. "We're on a small network, not a lot of people see it, so hopefully this will bring some attention to us," he said backstage. "John Adams" was the biggest winner overall with 13 awards, including best miniseries. The prize for best actor in that category went to its star, Paul Giamatti, best known on the big screen for playing a sad-sack wine enthusiast in "Sideways." Co-star Laura Linney was named best actress in a miniseries for playing Abigail Adams, the wife of the patriot who helped organize the American revolution and succeeded George Washington as president.
 
CRIME PAYS FOR SAMUEL L. JACKSON AT BOX OFFICE [Reuters, 9/22/08]
Samuel L. Jackson ruled the North American box office for the second time this year, while moviegoers largely ignored three other new releases as overall weekend sales resumed their downward spiral. According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, Jackson's cop thriller "Lakeview Terrace" sold a modest $15.6 million worth of tickets during its first three days of release. It barely surpassed the $14 million opening for Jackson's 2006 bomb "Snakes on a Plane." But Screen Gems, the distributor of the $20 million film, said the three-day tally was at the upper end of its expectations. Screen Gems is a low-budget division of Sony Corp. Jackson plays a vindictive cop who makes life hell for his new neighbors. Reviews were mixed, even though it was directed by Neil LaBute, the filmmaker behind such edgy dramas as "In the Company Of Men." The 59-year-old actor was last at No. 1 with the sci-fi action movie "Jumper," which opened with $27 million in February and finished with $80 million. As for the other three rookies, the Lionsgate romantic comedy "My Best Friend's Girl," starring Kate Hudson and Dane Cook, opened at No. 3 with $8.3 million; the MGM cartoon "Igor" was No. 4 with $8 million; and Paramount/DreamWorks' Ricky Gervais comedy "Ghost Town" was No. 8 with $5.2 million. Last weekend's champ, the Coen brothers' comedy "Burn After Reading" slipped to No. 2 with $11.3 million. The Focus Features release, which stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt, has earned $36.4 million after 10 days, and should end up in the $50 million range, the studio said. Focus Features is a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal. Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is privately held. DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures are units of Viacom Inc.
 
B-52 CRASH ROMANTIC DRAMA [Reuters, 9/22/08]
Miramax has signed on for "Muchas Gracias, Bob Oppenheimer," a period romantic drama inspired by the potentially catastrophic crash of an American B-52 bomber in 1966. The project draws from the true story of Palomares, Spain, where in 1966 a B-52 crashed and released more than 1,000 tons of nuclear material. Television series creator Bob Dolan Smith ("Grace Under Fire") wrote the first draft of the screenplay, with a new draft now being written by Daniel Taplitz, whos is also working on the intergenerational drama "Man on a Train" for Miramax.
 
RICHARD GERE, DIANE LANE REUNITE IN STORMY ROMANCE [Playbill, 9/21/08]
Judging from the part of the ad that says, ". . . from the author of 'The Notebook,"' you might suspect that this particular Richard Gere-Diane Lane reunion isn't going to be the torrid affair that was 2002's "Unfaithful," and of course you'd be quite right. Based on the novel of the same name, "Nights in Rodanthe" is typical Nicholas Sparks fare -- a weepy romance dealing with love, death and other unstoppable forces of nature -- that has been turned into a tasteful melodrama courtesy of the easy chemistry between its two leads and a generally restrained touch from Tony-winning director George C. Wolfe in his feature debut. Warner Bros.' September 26 release should have little trouble hitting its target audience of mature women, generating respectable autumn currency. Once again set in the author's beloved North Carolina, this time on the state's windswept Outer Banks, the film finds Lane's Adrienne trying to decide whether she should take back her unfaithful husband (Christopher Meloni) after a seven-month estrangement. She'll theoretically have plenty of time for contemplation over the weekend while managing the Rodanthe inn belonging to her best friend (Viola Davis). Despite it being the off-season, she finds herself with a solitary guest in Gere's Paul, a preoccupied surgeon who doesn't seem daunted by the threat of an advancing hurricane. Suffice it to say, Adrienne won't be holding Paul to the posted check-out time. Very much a throwback to those nicely appointed "women's pictures" of the 1950s, the production benefits from Wolfe's theatrical background, artfully layering on the moody atmospherics as the gracefully aging Lane and Gere are encouraged to allow their natural instincts to be their guides. It's still going to make most guys want to dive into their popcorn, but they'll at least be able to appreciate the striking cinematography by frequent Pedro Almodovar collaborator Affonso Beato and the rustic charm of veteran production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein's weather-worn sets.
 
PLAYBILL.COM's THEATRE REVIEW [Playbill, 9/21/08]
Opening this week was Beast, the new Michael Weller piece at New York Theatre Workshop. Jo Bonney staged the "fever dream in six scenes" about two maimed Iraq War veterans, one of whom may be a member of the walking dead, who wander the nation in search of a sense of purpose, and end up confronting George W. Bush himself at his ranch in Crawford, TX. Critics said the premise was adventurous, but that the promising play didn't quite live up to its promise. Others said it was memorable enough that its flaws could be forgiven. .  . . .CSC debuted its new production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, directed by Brian Kulick and starring Mandy Patinkin as Prospero. Reviews were largely favorable, applauding Patinkin's dominating performance, though criticizing the production's inconsistent tone and some mundane staging. . . . In Chicago, the Goodman Theatre's world premiere musical, Turn of the Century was set to begin previews Sept. 19. This show would be significant enough if it only starred Rachel York and Jeff Daniels (who apparently can sing), or if it were only the next work from Jersey Boys writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. But it's also directed by the reclusive and hard-to-hire Broadway legend Tommy Tune. So it's going to get as much scrutiny as would any Broadway show. Turn of the Century "tells the story of a modern cabaret duo Dixie Wilson (York) - an aspiring chanteuse who can't catch a break with a gig or a guy - and Billy (Daniels), her sexy cocktail pianist ["sexy cocktail pianist"?] who knows the songs and loves the ladies. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve 1999, the century turns, but in the wrong direction: the duo is catapulted back in time, before the hit songs of the 20th century have been created." 
 
"FANTASTIC FOUR 3" GETS GRIMMER AND GRIMMER [Aceshowbiz, 9/21/08]
Hope for the development of "Fantastic Four 3" has once again being put out. Taking his turn to comment on the possibility of "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" sequel being materialized, Michael Chiklis pointed out even further to MTV News suggesting that the movie project may not see the light after all. Nevertheless, unlike his co-star Chris Evans who insisted earlier that the third film won't be pursued, the actor, who played Ben Grimm in "Fantastic Four" and its sequel, won't call the movie 100% off. "As long as a company has your signature in place and they have a right of first refusal, that right may be exercised."
 
J.K. ROWLING BACKS LABOUR PARTY WITH BIG CHEQUE [AP, 9/21/08]
It sounds like Harry Potter will vote for the Labour Party when the boy wizard is old enough to cast a ballot. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling made a rare foray into Britain's bruising political battles Saturday, donating $1.8 million to the struggling Labour Party and accusing the rival Conservatives of discriminating against poor parents trying to work their way out of poverty. In a statement that referred back to the days when she was struggling to feed and cloth her family, Rowling said Prime Minister Gordon Brown has worked hard to reduce child poverty while Conservative chief David Cameron has proposed tax changes that would hurt working single parents. "I believe that poor and vulnerable families will fare much better under the Labour Party than they would under a Cameron-led Conservative Party," said Rowling, who has become one of the world's richest and most successful authors with the unprecedented appetite for Harry Potter stories. The Labour Party opens its annual conference trailing the resurgent Conservatives by more than 20 points in most opinion polls with an election due within two years. Brown, who is trying to quash a rebellion from some members of his own party, thanked Rowling for the donation, which comes at a time when the Labour Party is saddled with extensive debts. He said he was "delighted" with her help. Rowling has generally stayed out of the political frays, but she appears to have been upset by Conservative tax plans that she said would increase benefits for married couples without helping single parents. "David Cameron's promise of tax perks for the married is reminiscent of the Conservative government I experienced as a lone parent," she said. "It sends the message that the Conservatives still believe a childless, dual-income, but married couple is more deserving of a financial pat on the head than those struggling, as I once was, to keep their families afloat in difficult times." British newspapers this year estimated Rowling's wealth at $1 billion.
 
FALARDEAU'S "IT'S NOT ME" WINS TWO AWARDS AT ATLANTIC FILM FESTIVAL [CBC, 9/21/08]
A Quebec tragi-comedy about how a 10-year-old boy reacts when abandoned by his mother has won the award for best Canadian feature at this year's Atlantic Film Festival. Philippe Falardeau's film C'est pas moi, je le jure (It's Not Me, I Swear ) was given the award Friday, September 19 in Halifax. Actor Antoine L'Écuyer, playing the mischievous Leon, a character original created by novelist Bruno Hébert, won the award for best actor. Passage, John Walker's film about Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition and the British coverup that followed it won two awards — best director for Walker and best cinematography. Down to the Dirt, a feature directed by Justin Simms based on the novel by Joel Hynes, was named best Atlantic feature. Simms and co-writer Sherry White won the award for best original screenplay. Best actress was Karen LeBlanc playing the nurse of Nurse.Fighter.Boy, a moody debut feature by Toronto's Charles Oliver. The award for best Canadian short was given to Montreal filmmaker Denis Villeneuve for Next Floor, which has also won a best short award at the Cannes Film Festival. Other winners at the Atlantic Film Festival: Best Atlantic Short: Bedroom by Jordan Canning; Rex Tasker documentary award: Norm by Kent Nason and Teresa MacInnes; Best art direction: Growing Op by Taavo Soodor and Alan MacLeod; Best editing: Treevenge by Jason Eisener; Best sound design: For Wendy by Jacquelyn Mills and Andreas Mendritzki; Best Original Score: Outside Afghanistan by David Christensen; Best Canadian documentary: That's My Time by Adamm Liley.
 
AFTER 18 MONTHS, "HOUNDDOG" HOWLS INTO MOVIE THEATRES [Reuters, 9/21/08]
In 2007, "Hounddog" went to the Sundance Film Festival carrying a controversy that made it the hottest ticket in town, but it left that January after getting a cold shoulder from film distributors and critics. But now, "Hounddog," starring young Dakota Fanning, is howling again with Friday's debut in U.S. theatres roughly 18 months after its difficult Sundance premiere, and few people are as happy as its writer and director Deborah Kampmeier. The girlhood drama kicked up a fuss even before it premiered at Sundance, the top festival for U.S. independent cinema, because religious and conservative groups objected to Kampmeier's use of then 12-year-old Fanning to depict a child rape. There was no body double. The outcry, coupled with some negative reviews, sent distributors scurrying for the doors instead of ponying up the cash for the right to release a coming-of-age drama starring a top child actor who captured hearts in films such as Steven Spielberg'ss "War of the Worlds." "It was painful, some of the responses," Kampmeier told Reuters in a recent interview. "A lot of people were projecting their own agendas on this film that had nothing to do with it. "No one wanted to see the film again" after the festival, she added. Kampmeier said the version shown at Sundance 2007 was rushed through editing to get a version finished in time to be screened. She knew there were ways to make it better, and refused to let the experience put her or "Hounddog" down. So, she went back to the editing room and spent nine months cutting each scene in ways that enhanced the performances and making one key change to the story's structure. "Hounddog" tells the story of a spirited 12 year-old girl named Lewellen (Fanning) growing up in the rural south with just her father. She has an interest in music and like many girls in the 1950s, Lewellen idolizes Elvis Presley. She even does a mean impersonation of the rock 'n' roll singer. But on a dark and stormy night, she runs into trouble with a teenage boy. The event serves as a turning point for young Lewellen. She must learn to cope with what happened, eventually overcome it and try to return to a normal life.
 
BATTLE SCENE IN "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" OMITTED TO AVOID REPETITION
[Aceshowbiz, 9/21/08]
While conducting interviews for his new film "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", producer David Heyman has offered some reasons and explanations to answer several "Harry Potter" fan sites' questions over "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Through it, it is revealed that the battle at Hogwarts and Dumbledore's funeral have to be eliminated to avoid repetition as well as provide the right ending to this sixth film. Explaining his reason for the battle omission to Snitch Seeker, the filmmaker spelled out, "The reason why we left out the Battle at Hogwarts is because we have a battle at Hogwarts in the Seventh film and we are avoiding repetition." He then added on Dumbledore's funeral scene, "Dumbledore's funeral was something that I really loved and is a fantastic part of the book and part of me would have loved it in the film. But we decided that while we loved it that what we came up with was the right ending for the film that we had made." Heyman also gave time to address the impact of characters cut to the last two installments of "Harry Potter" franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" and "Part II". "Inevitably there will be certain things that we will probably have to introduce and emphasize in the Seventh film," he answered The Leaky Cauldron's question. "Before we read the Seventh book there had been things in the earlier films that we had not realized how important they were." "There was an example in the Fifth film when we were considering cutting Kreature but Jo [Rowling] said to me..."I wouldn't do that if I were you"...She didn't tell us why, but she said we would be advised to keep him. And of course in the Seventh book Kreature is an important character. It has been a while, for example, since we have seen Dobby and I suspect we are going to have to make more of Dobby in Seven than we might have done. I think we have done a pretty good job of what we need in terms of the plot." The written scripts of all the Q&A with Heyman can be read at Harry Potter's Page. Dealing with a darker matter than previous "Harry Potter" films, "Half-Blood Prince" resolves around the ever growing threat built by the evil dark wizard, Lord Voldermort, to the wizarding world. Being the only one who has survived his attack years before, Harry accompanied by his two loyal friends, Ron and Hermione has to prepare for his ultimate battle while the walls that used to keep him and his friends away from danger may not be a safe haven anymore. The sixth movie adaptation from "Harry Potter" book by J.K. Rowlings, it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Helen McCrory and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. The flick coming out on July 17, 2009 is directed by David Yates and written by Steven Kloves.
 
SEVEN CLIPS INTRODUCING "LITTLE BRITAIN USA" CHARACTERS [Aceshowbiz, 9/21/08]
Weighing on the success of "Little Britain" in U.K., comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams develop the sketch comedy for its US version and name it "Little Britain USA". The first season will kick off Sunday, September 28 on HBO at 10:30 P.M. and seven clips have been released to give introduction to the characters. With the tag "Bringing Class, Culture and Dignity to USA", the States version will also see Lucas and Walliams portraying various different characters in new sketches along with new characters. American celebrities slated to make guest appearances are Vivica A. Fox, Paul Rudd, Sting, Rosie O'Donnell, and Sarah Chalke among others. Among the iconic roles making cameos are cross dresser in denial Emily Howard, teenager with horrible attitude Vicky Pollard and British prime minister Sebastian Love. Meanwhile, the newbies introduced in the series are two hyper-masculine gym buddies Mark and Tom, the eight astronaut to go to the moon Bing Gordyn, a little girl with the mouth of a truck driver Ellie-Grace, and Phyllis who listens to her King Charles Spaniel. "Little Britain USA" is produced by Simon Fuller and shot both inside and outside a studio in L.A. The outdoor segment is helmed by Michael Patrick Jann while the indoor session which will have a live audience is directed by "Friends" alumnae, David Schwimmer.
 
STEPHEN CHOW HAVING DOUBLE ROLE IN "THE GREEN HORNET" [Aceshowbiz, 9/20/08]
The speculation about Stephen Chow taking the role of Kato in "The Green Hornet" has been confirmed. On Friday, September 19, Columbia Pictures have let out a press release announcing that the 46-year-old has been tapped to take the role once made famous by legendary Bruce Lee. What makes it even more interesting, the man behind hit action comedy "Kung Fu Hustle" has also joined the project as the helmer. About his joining in the project, Chow commented, "I'm excited to be taking on The Green Hornet - obviously, I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true. I'm grateful to my friends at Sony. I'm looking forward to working with Seth [Rogen], Evan [Goldberg], Neal [Moritz], and the team at Sony, and I'm eager to get started."  Comedian Seth Rogen who serves as the co-writer and co-executive producer for the film as well as the star revealed that Chow has been the team's first choice as the Hornet's sidekick as well as the man behind the project's lens. An adaptation of WXYZ's radio show created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, "Hornet" centers on Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher by day and masked vigilante known as "Green Hornet" by night, and his adventures in fighting crimes. Slated for June 25, 2010 release, the flick is also penned by Rogen's writing partner in "Knocked Up", "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express", Evan Goldberg, and produced by Neal H. Moritz.
 
PLAYBILL.COM's THEATRE REVIEW [Playbill, 9/20/08]
A Tale of Two Cities, the unloved child of the fall Broadway season, opened on Sept. 18 and, predictably, got no love from the critics. The new musical by Jill Santoriello (well, sorta new - she's been working on it for decades) was called lumpen, mediocre and a throwback to the operatic mega-musicals of the 1980s. Many an uninspired critic riffed on the famous "Best of times, worst of times" line from the Dickens novel. That is, when they weren't riffing on the "Far, far better thing" line. (Honestly, guys, I know you aren't paid a lot, but surely you can dredge up something wittier than that.) The show's one distinguishing aspect, most agreed, was the performance of James Barbour as Sydney.
 
DREAMWORKS COMPLETES DEAL WITH RELIANCE ADA [Reuters, 9/20/08]
The principals of DreamWorks SKG have signed a long-expected deal with Reliance ADA Group of India to establish a new $1.2 billion film company, allowing the studio co-founded by director Steven Spielberg to leave Paramount Pictures. The deal between DreamWorks and the Mumbai-based entertainment, financial and telecommunications conglomerate caps two years of speculation and feuding between Spielberg and his DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen with the brass of Viacom Inc's Paramount. DreamWorks had no immediate comment on formation of the new film company, which two sources close to the deal valued at $1.2 billion. The transaction was confirmed on Friday, September 19 in a statement by Paramount, saying it had waived "certain provisions" from its original deal with DreamWorks "to clear the way for the DreamWorks principals and their employees to join their new company without delay." Under the deal, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, Reliance will invest about $500 million in equity, while J.P. Morgan Chase & Co will provide $700 million in debt toward the new venture. The basics of the deal were first reported in June, but the fine points of the agreement have been under negotiation until this week, sources told Reuters. With the deal completed, it is expected the DreamWorks principals will turn their attention to finding a partner to distribute roughly six DreamWorks films a year. Spielberg has long ties to General Electric Co's Universal Pictures, which is widely regarded as a leading choice to release DreamWorks future pictures. But no deal with Universal is known to have been reached. Reliance is an Indian conglomerate with operations in telecommunications, financial services and energy, though it has more recently branched out into show business. The deal between DreamWorks and Reliance comes as financing in Hollywood has become increasingly tight due to the credit crisis on Wall Street. In turning to Reliance, DreamWorks wins access to a stable source of financing, while Reliance stands poised to use the partnership to expand its reach into the U.S. movie market. Reliance, which is controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, in May signed deals with eight Hollywood production houses run by A-list actors, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
 
"SCUD STUD" SETTLES WAR SUIT [E! Online, 9/20/08]
The Scud Stud has fired his last shot. Arthur Kent, the former NBC journalist whose genial good looks and unflappable live reports in the first Gulf War earned him the best nickname in TV news, has settled his lawsuit against the producers of Charlie Wilson's War for allegedly using portions of one of his old news reports without permission. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. But Kent, now with skyreporter.com, said he was "pleased" the two sides reached a resolution. "I brought these actions only to uphold the copyright protection of my work, my voice, and my archive, and to make clear that I do not endorse the account of historical events conveyed by the movie," Kent said in a statement. Charlie Wilson's War, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, chronicles the true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks) who covertly funneled weapons to the Mujahedeen following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. The movie was produced by Universal, which owns NBC and used its archive footage of a 1986 Kent report on the war. A rep for the studio declined to comment.
 
BIDDING WAR ON "WAR HEROES" LAUNCHED [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
Giving a nod to the possibility of "War Heroes" getting a big screen adaptation, Mark Millar announced in his official site, MillarWorld.tv, that his latest comic book series has been making its way around Hollywood. He wrote, "I was in London working (and hanging out with some MW buds) over the last couple of days, but War Heroes officially went out to the studios yesterday after a few weeks of informal chats." Sharing further, the artist behind "Wanted (2008)" original comic book suggested that with the rights are now being pitched out, the movie project is most likely to move on. "Pretty much all the big guys in town are going in for this and things should really start moving in the next couple of days," he noted. "After weeks of informal chats (we wanted to wait until issue two was actually in print and they had either script or full plot for the remaining issues) we're really going to move  now." In its previous report, Slash Film revealed that Miller has described his "War" series to be "Full Metal Jacket meets The X-Men". The story is set a couple of years in the future when John McCain has just won the election and the war in the Middle East has grown even more. The fact pushes them to resort to superpower pills that turn ordinary soldiers into superhumans. On other adaptation project, Millar's other comic book, "Kick-Ass", has also being developed for the big screen. The movie about an ordinary teenage boy who decides to be a real life hero is directed,co-scripted and co-produced by Matthew Vaughn and stars Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. It is expected to be released in 2009.
 
"INDIANA JONES 5" NOT CLOSE TO FRUITION [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
"Indiana Jones 5" is more likely far from being developed. While promoting for the DVD/Blu-ray release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" on September 17, Karen Allen slammed down the idea that another "Indiana Jones" film has been officially discussed. Quoted by Sci Fi Wire, the actress who portrays Indy's love interest Marion Ravenwood gushed, "Not really. No. I mean, except for fans and, you know, I've had a lot of people say, 'Is there going to be another one?' But no, not officially." She then threw back the question to the press asking, "Do you know something I don't?" Despite dishing out that the possibility on next "Indy" sequel has been raised, Allen confessed that she would love to join the franchise if future installment is indeed being pushed forward. "I would say [I'm] very open to it," she said. "You know, this was a delightful experience, and, yeah. I would welcome it." On the last "Indiana Jones" flick released, "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" teamed up once again director Steven Spielberg with the franchise's star Harrison Ford in the latest daring adventure faced by the whip-cracking adventurer. Supported by a line of cast ensemble, including Allen, Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett, it debuted first on the box office making nearly $127 million on its first four-day screenings and went on to collect $783.3 million worldwide.
 
THIRD "AFTER DARK HORRORFEST" PUSHED BACK [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
The third annual After Dark Horrorfest '8 Films to Die For' event has been postponed. Reported firstly by Shock Till You Drop, the horror film festival featuring eight independent horror movies from After Dark Films is now scheduled to be kicked off on January 9, 2009 and wrapped up on January 15, 2009. The new dates put the special event to be started a week after its original plan on January 2 to 9, 2009. Putting the revised dates aside, the organizers of the event have revealed where Horrorfest takes place, letting out the 30 cities which have been selected for the event. The list include Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Washington, DC and New York. The rest of the city listing can be read at Horrorfest's official site. So far, five horror films have been enlisted on the line-up of '8 Films to Die For'. They are "The Broken", "Slaughter (2009)", "Perkins 14", "The Butterfly Effect: Revelation" and "From Within". Other movies to take the remaining three vacant slots have yet to be announced. In the meantime, the submission for the third Miss Horrorfest will still be opened until October 17.
 
BRETT RATNER UP FOR "CONAN" REBOOT [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
Rumour has it Brett Ratner may be directing the newest version of "Conan". According to Dread Central, production company Nu Image Films have been offering the "X-Men: The Last Stand" helmer a position behind the lens for this reboot project. Nevertheless, there is yet any confirmation over the speculation. Prior to Ratner's directing rumour, a list of filmmaker names has been put out for the possible helmer position. Those who have been lined up for the role included "Die Hard" helmer John McTiernan, "Hitman" helmer Xavier Gens, "Grindhouse" co-director Robert Rodriguez as well as "Halloween" remake helmer Rob Zombie. "Conan" has been reported to be fast tracked since the studio producing it brought in Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain to rewrite the script earlier. The action adventure film for Lionsgate Films is produced by Boaz Davidson, George Furla, Joe Gatta, Avi Lerner and Fredrik Malmberg. Slated for 2009 release, it allegedly eyes Gerard Butler as the potential lead actor.
 
LUKE PERRY SAYS NO TO APPEAR IN "90210" [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
Luke Perry has said "no" to returning as Dylan McKay in "90210". The excitement of his character as the father of Kelly Taylor's son is toned down after he said that he won't appear in the spin-off show. It was revealed on the Tuesday (September 16) episode of "90210" that Dylan had hooked up with Kelly after "Beverly Hills, 90210" ended and that they have one son together named Sammy. They, however separated four years before the spin-off took off, although Kelly is still very much in love with him. Fans have since expected Perry to have actual cameo in "90210" especially after Jennie Garth, the actress who portrays Kelly, said that there may be more surprises in store. To The Deadbolt, the actor said, "That would be a no," when asked on the possibility of coming back as Dylan by the site's columnist Troy Rogers. Perry also made references that Dylan is in the hands of The CW, the network that broadcast "90210", saying "They own the name and likeness". Previously, the show's executive producer Gabe Sachs said that they did not approach Perry when deciding to bring back the character but he said that there might be a possibility of the actor making a cameo in future episodes. "90210" aside, Perry is still active on small-screen, making a cameo on the new season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". The episode called "Trials" will see him playing the role as a parent who is under investigation for child abuse. The tenth season will air on NBC on Tuesday, September 23 at 10:00 P.M.
 
BRITNEY SPEARS TO PERFORM "WOMANIZER" ON "THE X FACTOR" [Aceshowbiz, 9/19/08]
Britney Spears is reportedly approached by "The X Factor"'s judge, Simon Cowel, to perform her new single, "Womanizer", on the hit ITV1 show in December. An insider from the reality TV show says, "Everyone is thrilled. To have Britney involved is a massive coup." The insider, furthermore, reveals that people expect Britney to send the rating high in the air with her highly-anticipated music comeback. "They expect ratings to go through the roof when her performance airs," the insider adds in a statement. Previously, her label, Jive/Zomba Records, have announced that the "Toxic" hit maker will sing the new songs from her upcoming album "Circus" on her 27th birthday, December 2. Britney's management team give no comment referring to the rumour. In related news, Britney reportedly auditions dancers for her "Womanizer" music video. The gossip started to flow when the singer appears in Hollywood's International Dance Academy earlier this week.
 
30 ROCK: OPRAH GUEST STINT A DONE DEAL [E! Online, 9/19/08]
NBC announced today that superstar TV-show host Oprah Winfrey shot her guest stint on 30 Rock this past Saturday, September 13 at Silvercup Studios. As was  originally reported when the news broke that she was in talks to do the show, Oprah will be playing herself in scenes opposite Emmy nominee Tina Fey. Tina Fey said regarding today's announcement: "Oprah is very funny in the episode, and we are beyond grateful to have her.  Also, I would like to announce that we are officially best friends." But will Oprah appear as Liz's best friend as Tina had hoped? Only I can tell you the details... According to sources close to the series, when it comes to the show, Oprah will definitely not be playing Liz Lemon's BFF. Instead Liz and Oprah will have a chance meeting and they then spend an extended period of time together, during which Liz entreats Oprah for her assistance with some personal problems. (As do we all, really...) I would love to tell you more but don't want to ruin the end-of-episode twist. "30 Rock" was nominated for record 17 Emmys this season, including Best Comedy Series. The show also received seven nods for outstanding guest-star work. And from the sound of it, if this turns out as well as it should, Oprah could very well add another prime-time Emmy to her already groaning-with-gold trophy case.
 
DOLLY PARTON REWORKS "9 TO 5" FOR FIRST MUSICAL [Reuters, 9/19/08]
Almost 30 years after starring in the movie "9 to 5" and writing its hit theme song, country star Dolly Parton's first stage musical gets its world premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday before heading for Broadway. Parton, 62, wrote 17 new songs for "9 to 5: The Musical" -- a comedy set in 1979 about three female office workers who turn the tables on their sexist, male boss. Despite having 26 hit singles and writing the classic "I Will Always Love You," "9 to 5: The Musical" is Parton's first stab at writing lyrics and music for a full stage musical. "I found it more enjoyable than I thought. You have more freedom than when you write a song ... usually it's a couple of verses and chorus and a bridge and you have to keep it down to about three minutes in order to get radio play," Parton told Reuters on Thursday, September 18. "I just wrote until I said what I felt the character should say. I was very pleased it came out as good as it did because I wasn't sure if I could even do it," she said. The musical is closely based on the hit movie that grossed $103 million at box offices and starred Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as scheming office workers. The movie was written several years before the phrase "the glass ceiling" became widely used to reference career barriers facing women in the workplace, but Parton said she believed the story of revenge and female friendship remains appealing. "I think people will always hate their boss and think of ways to get back at them. And still in the workplace, there are people trying to keep you down," she said. Parton's role as a sexy but harassed secretary is played in the musical by Megan Hilty. Allison Janney, best known for the political TV drama "The West Wing," makes her musical theater debut taking the role played in the movie by Tomlin, and Stephanie J. Block assumes the Fonda role. The show will head to Broadway in March 2009, which is considered a mark of success for any musical. Still, Parton confessed to a case of nerves before the Los Angeles debut. "You never know what's going to make it. It's up to your audience. They are the ones who are going to say if they like it or not," she said.
 
CHASING WILD HORSES DOCUMENTS PHOTOGRAPHER'S OBSESSION [CBC, 9/18/08]
Roberto Dutesco has worked for years as a fashion photographer in New York City for magazines such as Vogue, Maxim, GQ and Vanity Fair. But the Romanian-born photographer also has another passion — the wild horses of Sable Island. Halifax filmmaker Matt Trecartin chronicled Dutesco's obsession in the short film Chasing Wild Horses, which will screen Saturday, September 20 at the Atlantic Film Festival. Dutesco, in Halifax earlier this week, said he became fascinated with the horses of Sable Island in the early 1990s. "They reminded me very much of the supermodels I used to photograph," he said in an interview with CBC News. He described the horses as curious and affectionate, as well as beautiful. In the 1990s he saw a National Film Board documentary about Sable Island, a protected area 300 kilometres southeast of Halifax that people cannot visit without special permission from the Canadian Coast Guard. Since then, Dutesco has travelled to the island five times. Dutesco said he set out from his camp each day, not knowing where the horses would be, and then would catch sight of them trotting toward him "as curious about me as I was about them." Their presence also helped him after a frightening experience on the island. "On my last journey as I was walking back towards the camp I stepped in some quicksand … I got myself out of it and as I was walking back … about 10 different horses, all of them came to me. My heart was still beating fairly fast because of what had just happened — and they all came to me and surrounded me and I could feel their breath all around and the mist and the midnight sky. That was such an incredible gift," he said. Director Trecartin spent long hours with Dutesco on Sable Island, recording his interaction with the horses. Dutesco himself narrates the documentary. His photos of the horses have been shown around the world and can be seen at his Soho gallery in New York City. The film, backed by Arcadia Entertainment of Halifax, will also be shown at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival on Sept. 25, 2008.
 
"PUSHING DAISIES" 2.01 SNEAK PEEK: 'BZZZZZZZ!' [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
The new season of "Pushing Daisies" has been given a sneak peek through a clip of its first episode, "Bzzzzzzz!". The clip will see a spokesmodel for a cosmetic company stung to death with horrible spots all over her body. Ned, who has the ability to resurrect the dead, wakes up the woman who is badly stung in the corpse room. Led by the incident, Chuck then goes undercover to investigate the honey-based cosmetic company and discovers that there's more complicated politics inside the office, mainly concerning the relationship between the founder Betty Bee and the new owner, Woolsey Nicholls. Meanwhile, Ned can't stand her growing independence, or the fact that she wants to move out of his apartment. In other developments, Lily spirits Olive off to a nunnery so she won't spill Lily's deep, dark secret. "Bzzzzzzz!" will be aired on ABC on October 1 at 8:00 P.M..
 
FINAL SET OF 60th PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS PRESENTERS [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
The concluding band of celebrities to handout kudos at the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards has been announced. Among the A-listers agreeing to join the festivities are "Grey's Anatomy" stars Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh, "Sex and the City" actress Cynthia Nixon, "30 Rock" lead man Alec Baldwin, and one of "Lipstick Jungle" principal cast Brooke Shields. Other television thesps confirmed to present the winged-lady statuettes include Glenn Close, Craig Ferguson, Sally Field, Ricky Gervais, Martin Sheen, Kathryn Joosten and Glynn Turman. In addition, audience will be seeing the pairing-up appearances by comedians, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, and TV stars, Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White. "These are our last group of presenters, and I have to say that we are thrilled with the caliber of talent that will be presenting Emmys at this year's show," explained Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich when announcing the last batch of presenters. "Tune in on Sunday to see the vast array of celebrities that best represent the last 60 years of television on our stage." The 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards will be aired live from Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 21, 2008, starting on 8 P.M. to 11 P.M. ET/PT on ABC. It will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, Tom Bergeron, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Jeff Probst. In addition, among the nominees competing for the recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming are "30 Rock", "Pushing Daisies" and "Dancing with the Stars".
 
A SLEW OF "THE SPIRIT" FRESH PICS COME OUT [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
A fresh supply of "The Spirit" images has been unraveled by Slash Film. Sent by the site's reader by the name of Christopher M, most of the pictures are a close-up look into individual character from The Spirit himself to Commissioner Dolan and female rookie cop Morgenstern. The collection of photos also let out for the first time a shot of what seems to be Plaster of Paris. Apart from those characters, the pics also exhibit Octopus, Sand Saref and Dr. Ellen Dolan. Moreover, some of the pictures look like to be a cut from the film's scene, like the one in which Ellen and Spirit are buttoning up their clothes when the commissioner walks into the examination room, and the other one where Spirit is tied up in a chair while the scantily clad Paris is swinging her blade toward him with full force. Adapted from a comic strips series by Will Eisner, "Spirit" centers on a rookie cop by the name of Denny Colt. Returning from the dead, he poses as a masked hero seeking to sweep off criminals from Central City, including his foe, Octopus. Along the way, he meets a line of women seducing him out of his track for their own goals. Coming from the creator of comic book series "300" and "Sin City", Frank Miller, the Lionsgate Films flick stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes and Sarah Paulson, and is supported by Dan Lauria, Stana Katic and Paz Vega. It will come out on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008.
 
"MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL" RECEIVES TWO BRAND NEW CLIPS [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
Two clips and one featurette from Howard Deutch's "My Best Friend's Girl" are coming out in support of the promotional effort for the romantic comedy. One of the clips entitled "Novelty Dildos" displays leading character Kate having a girl talk with her roommate, while the other one called "Dirty Houdini" focuses on Tank telling a bunch of boys about 'dirty houdini'. Meanwhile, the featurette brings viewers deeper into the story. It plays out never before seen footage from the film as well as explains each character and the plotline from the point of view of the film's stars as well as its producer Josh Shader. It also shows behind-the-scene footage revealing the on-the-set filming of the romantic comedy. "Best Friend's Girl" tells the story of Tank, Alexis and Dustin. Tank is a master in offending women hired to make women realize that their former boyfriends are the best they can get. Alexis is a smart, beautiful and headstrong ex-girlfriend of his best friend, Dustin. When the two meet after Dustin asks Tank to lure Alexis back to him, it seems that everything he does to make her sick of him does not work and the worse out of it, they become attracted to one another instead. Starring Dane Cook as Tank, Kate Hudson as Alexis and Jason Biggs as Dustin, "My Best Friend's Girl" is a comedy romantic film from director Howard Deutch and screenwriter Jordan Cahan. Featuring also Alec Baldwin, Lizzy Caplan and several others, it will be available in the big screens this coming Friday on September 19, 2008.
 
HBO VAMPIRE SERIES "TRUE BLOOD" RENEWED FOR SECOND SEASON [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
Going from 1.4 million in its first airing to 1.8 million in the second episode, "True Blood" will be renewed for a second season. The new HBO TV series about vampires living with human being, will get its second season production in 2009 in Los Angeles and its air date in summer that year. President of Programming Group and West Coast Operations, Michael Lombardo said, "We are absolutely thrilled that the critics and our viewers have embraced "True Blood." He added a complimentary to the series' creator, saying "Alan Ball has done it again made an addictive series that is unlike any other." "True Blood", starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, is based on the book by author Charlaine Harris called "Southern Vampire Mysteries". Lombardo continued, "I am thrilled to be able to continue to work with such a talented group of writers, cast and crew to explore the characters and world created by Charlaine Harris in her novels. It really is a joy to go to work every day and I couldn't be happier to be back home at HBO." "Mine", the next episode of "True Blood" will air on Sunday, September 21 at 9:00 P.M. Sneak peek is online.
 
"90210" JENNIE GARTH SPEAKS ON THE CHOICE OF DYLAN AS HER SON'S DADDY [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
It was revealed on Tuesday, September 16 episode of "90210" that the father of Kelly's four-year-old son Sammy is Dylan McKay and Kelly's depicter, Jennie Garth gave an interview to People, talking about what the future may hold for her character after the revelation. To the publication, Garth said that there may be "more surprises in store" awaiting in the coming episodes that have something to do with Dylan. Asked about how the team came up with the choice of having Dylan as the father, Garth admitted that "it was very confusing" but thought that the reason was because "Kelly and Dylan had such a passionate relationship in the past. Their relationship was so heated. It was kind of undeniable." She added that there was also a 50 per cent chance initially that Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) could be the father. With Dylan's name brought back to life, the burning question lies on whether its actor Luke Perry will sign to make a cameo. On this Garth shared, "I would love to work with Luke again. I love him dearly. And I also would love to work with Jason again. It's a great question for the producers. I would be nothing but totally happy to have either of them there." "90210" is a spin-off to the popular '90s show "Beverly Hills, 90210" that is broadcast by The CW. Introducing a bunch of new Beverly Hills youngsters, several characters from the original series such as Brenda Walsh and Nat Bussichio are brought back with a new story plot.
 
FULL TRAILER OF "INKHEART" DEBUTED [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
Lionsgate Films have premiered the full-length trailer of "Inkheart". Considerably longer than the first trailer, the brand new footage invites viewers to imagine the magical adventure awaiting, teasing with more glimpses into the adventure fantasy film before the movie itself makes its way to the theaters on January 1, 2009. A timeless adventure tale of imagination, "Inkheart" centers its story on 12-year-old Meggie Folchart, a daughter of a gifted man named Mo. When Mo's ability to bring characters from books to life by reading the books aloud causes him to be kidnapped by a fable book's villain, it is left to Meggie to save him, putting her in a magical adventure that she has only read about in books. Starring Brendan Fraser and Eliza Bennett as the father-daughter duo, Mo and Meggie, "Inkheart" is based on Cornelia Funke's novel of the same name. Directed by Iain Softley and adapted by David Lindsay-Abaire, it also stars Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis and many others.
 
SNEAK PEEK FROM THE NEW SEASON OF "PRIVATE PRACTICE" [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
A scene from the new season of "Private Practice" has been given. The drama series focusing on one of "Grey's Anatomy" alumni, Dr. Addison Montgomery, will open its second season with an episode called "A Family Thing" on Wednesday, October 1 on ABC. The clip is taken from the part where Addison has a conversation with her love interest, Dr. Pete Wilder during a coffee break. The episode will also tell on how Addison is tested in her friendship to Naomi who conceals the practice's financial problems. Meanwhile, Violet wonders what secret Cooper is keeping from her, while Cooper himself has to decide whether or not to reveal a medical secret to a patient. Starring Kate Walsh, Tim Daly and Audra McDonald among others, the news season of "Private Practice" will run for at least 24 episodes.
 
"SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK" TRAILER PREMIERES [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
The first trailer to Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut "Synecdoche, New York" has been uncovered via Yahoo. Providing introduction to the characters, the footage focuses on Philip Seymour Hoffman's character Caden Cotard and the problems he is dealing with. The drama film from Sony Pictures Classics follows Cotard, a theater director in Schenectady, New York, whose life seems to be dreary. Struggling with the women in his life and his mysterious condition which shuts down each of his autonomic functions, he buries himself in a new project, striving to create a theatrical masterpiece inside an enormous abandoned warehouse. Featuring also the likes of Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Hope Davis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dianne Wiest, "Synecdoche" has been screened at the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival as one of the In Competition movies. Directed, penned and produced by Kaufman, the screenwriter of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", it gets its limited release on October 24, 2008.
 
JADA PINKETT SMITH TO MAKE "TIME" FOR TNT [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/18/08]
Jada Pinkett Smith is returning to television in TNT's drama pilot "Time Heals." She will play a strong but caring director of nursing at Charlotte Mercy Hospital in North Carolina, a single mother who always puts others first. The actress will also serve as an executive producer alongside the project's writer, John Masius. As a procedural with a strong female character at the center played by an A-list actress, "Time" fits nicely with TNT's crime dramas "The Closer," starring Kyra Sedgwick, and "Saving Grace," starring Holly Hunter. Pinkett Smith co-starred on the NBC comedy "A Different World" for two years before moving to features. Currently in theaters playing a lesbian in "The Women," she recently wrapped her writing and directorial feature debut, "The Human Contract."
 
ACTRESS ROSE McGOWAN RAPPED FOR PRO-IRA COMMENTS [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/18/08]
The producers of the IRA drama "Fifty Dead Men Walking" have taken the unusual step of distancing themselves from incendiary comments made by the film's star, Rose McGowan. The actress caused a stir at the Toronto Film Festival last week when she said she would have joined the Irish Republican Army had she lived in Belfast during the Troubles. She said she could understand why people turned to violence during that time in Northern Ireland. The movie is based on the life of double agent Martin McGartland, who infiltrated the IRA. Jim Sturgess plays McGartland as a young Catholic man in Belfast moving up the ranks of the IRA as he feeds information to his British Special Branch handler (Ben Kingsley). McGowan, whose father is Irish, plays a strong-willed IRA leader. In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter, the producers said they "regret any distress" that McGowan's comments may have caused "to people of Northern Ireland and particularly those who were victims of or caught up in the shocking events that existed during the conflict." They added: "Ms. McGowan's views were private ones, and as such they greatly saddened the film's producers." Her views, said backers HandMade Films International, Future Films and Brightlight Pictures, "are not shared nor endorsed by anybody associated with the production or creative elements of the film." Added the film's Canadian director, Kari Skogland: "Rose's personal opinions of Northern Ireland do not reflect the perspective of the film in any way. Our goal was to present an even, non-judgmental point of view so the audience could follow the path of an informer with empathy no matter what the politics."
 
HSM3 CAST TOLD: BRING YOUR BIG-SCREEN GAME [E! Online, 9/18/08]
Okay kids, no more slacking off. The first two High School Musicals were totally made-for-TV, but High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a real movie, in real theaters, on big screens and everything. That means stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale had to step up their game, according to the film's director Kenny Ortega. "They'll say that I pushed them harder in what we laid out for them," Ortega told E! News this week. "They really raised the bar on themselves. I think it's the finest acting, definitely the best production and a great finale to the trilogy." Ortega also spilled that he's tweaking the final print—but you'll have to chase him around the world to see the first screening. "I'm just a few weeks away from being finished," he said, "I'm going to have the movie under my arm on [Sept.] 27th, traveling to Europe to show it for the first time." You coming? Otherwise, Senior Year opens for the rest of us Oct. 24, 2008.
 
NICOLE KIDMAN GLOBE-TROTTING FOR "THE EIGHTH WONDER" [Aceshowbiz, 9/18/08]
"Australia" star Nicole Kidman is moving on with a new film project, "The Eighth Wonder (2010)". The 41-year-old has been reported to be attached to star as well as produce the action adventure movie from "Mr and Mrs Smith" screenwriter Simon Kinberg. Still, what character Kidman will be portraying is yet to be shared out. Though much details of the storyline is closely guarded, it is said that the story will resolve around an archaeological discovery that sets off a globe-spanning race. Kinberg who is also touted to direct the movie is said to pen the script in fall. On the film itself, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) described that the film produced also by Laurence Mark is aimed to be "a character-driven, treasure-hunting thriller". THR also noted that Kidman and Kinberg supposedly should team up years ago when the Hollywood actress was set to topline "Mr and Mrs Smith" written by the scribe. However, due to Kidman's scheduling conflicts, she has to back out from it. They had since been looking for another project to work on together. Putting "Wonder" aside, Kidman will next be seen in epic drama "Australia". Co-starring Hugh Jackman under the direction of Baz Luhrmann, she is portraying an English aristocrat who is forced to join forces with a rugged cattle drover in a journey across hundreds of miles of the continent's unforgiving terrain to save the land she inherited. The flick's release date has been pushed back two weeks and now slated for November 26 release.

MILEY CYRUS HEADING TO NEW NICHOLAS SPARKS' ADAPTATION [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
"Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus will be teaming up once again with Disney. According to Variety, the 15-year-old starlet has been tapped by the mouse house to topline in an untitled film, "Untitled Nicholas Sparks/Disney Project", which will be developed by bestselling author Nicholas Spark to be her starring-vehicle. Reportedly, this movie project which plot is kept under wraps is aimed to aid Miley in her transition to an older role like what "A Walk to Remember" has done to pop singer-turned-actress Mandy Moore in 2002. It will be produced by Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot from Disney-based Offspring Entertainment, while Miley's mother Tish Cyrus will serve as the executive producer. Commenting on Miley's involvement in the project, the author of "The Notebook" revealed that his past work has helped to intrigue her and her family stating that they "were very familiar with the work I've done in the past. That played a role in this project coming together." On Miley's other big screen project, she has completed the shooting of her upcoming small screen adaptation "Hannah Montana: The Movie" since July 2008. Starring as the titular character in the film, Miley is supported by Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Earles, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Vanessa Williams and many more. The Disney flick resolves around Miley Steward, an ordinary teenager living a double life as teenage singing sensation Hannah Montana. In it, it will be told that Stewart deals with her overwhelming success as Hannah and tries to find once again what is really important in life by going back to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee. The movie will hit the theaters on May 5, 2009.
 
"TRICK 'R TREAT" TO OPEN 2008 SCREAMFEST [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
"Trick 'r Treat" has been given the honor to be the opening movie for 2008 Screamfest Horror Film Festival. The Michael Dougherty's directorial feature film debut will be kicking off the U.S. largest horror film festival on October 10 with its screening at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood followed by a Q&A session with Dougherty. Produced by Bryan Singer, Alex Garcia and Dan Harris, the flick starring Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Leslie Bibb among others highlights on the scary consequences of dismissing a tradition. The anthology movie follows a suburban couple, a principal with a serial killer attitude, a young woman dressed as little red riding hood, a group of pranksters and a cantankerous old hermit when they each experience how scary a Halloween can be. 2008 Screamfest Horror Film Festival runs from October 10 to 19, 2008 at Mann's Chinese 6 Theaters. Several other entry movies apart from "Trick" include "Dance of the Dead", "Martyrs", "The Burrowers", "Parasomnia" and "Splinter". Moreover, the finalists of 2008 Screenplay will be announced on Tuesday, September 30, 2008.
 
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WINS "BIG BROTHER 10" [AP, 9/17/08]
Dan Gheesling schooled everyone on "Big Brother 10." The sneaky 24-year-old high school teacher from Dearborn, Mich., won the voyeuristic CBS reality show's $500,000 prize Tuesday, September 16 after outlasting 12 other contestants inside a makeshift house on a Studio City soundstage. Gheesling was unanimously voted the winner by the show's jury, made up of the past seven evicted houseguests. "My personality traits will play into my strategy and make this an easy summer for me," Gheesling told The Associated Press before going into the house in July. Gheesling bested runner-up Robert "Memphis" Garrett, a 25-year-old Los Angeles bartender, who earned a $50,000 second-place prize. During the fourth week of competition, the pair formed an unstoppable secret alliance, dubbing themselves The Renegades and plotting to evict their fellow "Big Brother" houseguests. Los Angeles waitress Keesha Smith was also voted "favorite juror" by viewers and won a $25,000 prize.
 
TOM CRUISE WRECKS "SHREK" RUMOURS [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
Sorry to disappoint you Shrek fans, but Tom Cruise won't be heading to the swamp for the next go-round in the green-guy franchise. Despite a flurry of stories on the Web over the past two weeks, Cruise is not—repeat, not—a candidate to voice the villain in Shrek Goes Fourth for DreamWorks Animation. "As of today, there is no truth to the Tom Cruise-Shrek 4 rumor," rep Jeff Raymond tells E! News without further explanation. The ogre rumours went into overdrive after first surfacing Sept. 4 on the movie blog cinemablend.com, which claimed to have received an email from an unnamed studio insider stating Cruise was being considered for the role. That report took off in the blogosphere, eventually getting picked up in mainstream publications, including one of the Los Angeles Times blogs, which gave it even more traction. And voilà, Cruise's camp stepped up to debunk the Shrek story. DreamWorks declined to comment. What exactly is the Top Gunner doing next? He certainly has plenty of options. After wrapping the World War II thriller Valkyrie, due out in December, Cruise could join Ben Stiller in The Hardy Men, a comedy envisioning the sibling sleuths all grown up. Cruise and his United Artists also just snapped up the rights to the true-crime thriller The Monster of Florence as a possible starring vehicle. That film chronicles a three-decade serial-murder spree in the Italian city. One film he won't be doing is Edwin Salt. Cruise had been considering the film but ultimately passed on the role of a CIA officer mistaken for a president-assassinating Russian spy. The part is now reportedly being refashioned for Angelina Jolie. As for Shrek Goes Fourth, the film will feature the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy. It's currently in the early production stages and expected to hit theaters in 2010.
 
MOVIE BUFFS CAN WIN BLEACHER SEATS FOR 2009 OSCARS [AP, 9/17/08]
Stargazers seeking an up-close glimpse of Hollywood's royalty can win seats on Oscar night along the red carpet. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday, September 16 that 300 bleacher seats will be up for grabs in an online lottery. Beginning at 9 a.m. PDT Monday, movie buffs can enter for a chance to win a seat in front of the Kodak Theater for the Oscars scheduled for Feb. 22, 2009. The lottery runs through 9 p.m. Sept. 28, 2008. Applicants can register for up to four seats at www.oscars.org/bleachers. In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have applied online for the bleacher seats.
 
PARIS HILTON FINDS "PAPARAZZI-READY" BEST FRIEND [Reuters, 9/17/08]
Paris Hilton launched a television show to look for a new best friend who was hot, loyal and "paparazzi-ready" -- and she says she found exactly what she was looking for. Hilton, 27, the millionaire socialite, said some 300,000 Americans applied to take part in the reality series "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" (Best Friend Forever), which begins airing on September 30, 2008 on MTV. The 16 women and two men selected to compete had to perform a series of challenges to be Hilton's new BFF, including how to look hot on a rollercoaster and making a commercial for one of her fashion products. She has now picked a winner with whom she said she has struck up a real, off-screen friendship. "The person who won is now my best friend. We hang out. Yeah, we're really friends," Hilton told Reuters on Tuesday, September 16. "We've been having barbecues and hanging out at the house. The winner and I have been pretty low-key so far, because it is top secret right now," she said. Hilton said the TV show prepared the contestants for life in Hollywood and hectic red carpet events, parties, and product launches -- all under the constant glare of photographers. "In my life you can get photographed at any time. You never know when paparazzi are going to be hiding around the corner. So my friend needs to be paparazzi-ready," she said. In her real-life friendships, Hilton says she values trust more than looking hot and says it was fun to meet people on the show who were not as jaded as the usual Hollywood crowd. "They (the contestants) were so excited. We went on a private jet to Las Vegas and they had never been on a private plane. It was nice to really show them things they maybe never could do in their life. They were really appreciative and so sweet," Hilton said. As for her own qualities as a friend, Hilton said she was loyal, good at keeping secrets, truthful and generous. "I will always tell you the truth. If you ask me if I like your outfit, if I don't, I'll say I don't. I'm a lot of fun. I love showing my friends my world and enjoying life," she said. Hilton starts filming a second series of the show, this time set in England, next month and expects her new "friends" to be very different. "London is my favorite city in the world. I love their accents, their attitude. They are so real, they are not fake. I feel that everyone in LA wants to be famous but in London it's more about business."
 
"EAGLE EYE" THROWS RED CARPET PREMIERE IN HOLLYWOOD [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
In anticipation of their latest thriller's theatrical release on September 26, DreamWorks SKG have rolled down its red carpet to celebrate the L.A. premiere of "Eagle Eye". The special screening event was held at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday, September 16 and was made merry with the streaming in of the Tinseltown's A-listers. The star-studded extravaganza mostly saw the movie's cast ensemble from Michelle Monaghan and Rosario Dawson to Shia LaBeouf, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis. Additionally, joining LaBeouf on the red carpet was his "Transformers" co-star Megan Fox. Aside from her, other celebrity guests making special appearance on the red carpet included Kristin Cavallari and Maria Bello. A race-against-time thriller from "Disturbia" director, D.J. Caruso, "Eagle" centers around two ordinary people who get stuck in a conspiracy they know nothing about. Hunted by the authority and forced to do the unimaginable by a mystery woman, they must find a way to prove their innocence before everything goes against them.
 
SIX NEW CLIPS FROM "HEROES" SEASON 3 [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
With the new season of "Heroes" coming around the corner, NBC have released a number of clips from the popular TV series. Chronicling each of the characters' fate, the six clips will see what happen in the present, the past and the future of the 'ordinary people with special ability'. The clips include scenes where future Claire holds gun against future Peter, Hiro running his father's company and complimented by Ando, Nathan taken to the hospital, Sylar breaks into Claire's home in attempt to steal her ability, Suresh feeling like giving up his research but prevented by Maya, and when Hiro meets speedster named Daphne. In addition of the six clips, NBC have also provided a behind the scene of the new season, mainly on the taking of first and second episodes. The third season of "Heroes" will be divided into two major parts, "Villains" and "Fugitives". The former will consists the first 13 episodes while the latter take the remaining twelve. "Villains" will be kicked off with a special episode called "Clip Show" that holds the first two seasons recap and interviews with the cast at the season premiere party. It will be followed by the first episode "The Second Coming". The third season will be opened with a two hour run on Monday, September 22 starting at 9:00 P.M.
 
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF "THE WOLFMAN" AT HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHT [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
The month of horror is literally weeks away and with that in mind, a rare first look into forthcoming horror thriller "The Wolfman" is going to be debuted. Taking part in Universal Studios Hollywood's 2008 "Halloween Horror Night", the sneak peek will be presented as part of the theme park's unique "Terror Tram". Set for the attendees riding along the "Terror Tram: The Nightmare Tour", the footage from Joe Johnston's classic 1941 horror reboot is said to be screened on the tram's LED screens towards the end of the ride. On the ride itself, it is noted that "Terror Tram" will take the attendees on an unforgettable experience that brings them from the studio's infamous landmarks, such as the Bates Motel and Psycho House, to the tortured landscape of "War of the Worlds". "Halloween Horror Nights" will be kicked off on Friday, October 3 and will continue on consecutive weekends until Saturday, November 1, 2008. Putting forward the theme of "Live Your Worst Nightmare", it will start nightly at 7:00 P.M. and is promised to create Southern California's most intense Halloween experience. Tickets to this terrifying event can be obtained at Universal Studios Hollywood's official site. Inspired by 1941 horror film from producer/director George Waggner, "Wolfman" is set in the late 1880s and follows Lawrence Talbot, a haunted-by-his-past nobleman who is forced to go back to his family estate and meet his estranged father after his brother vanishes. Seeking to find his brother and his murderer, he soon finds out a horrifying secret cursed upon him. The movie slated for April 3, 2009, stars Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and others.
 
NEW CLIPS FROM "AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL" TRANSFORMATION EPISODE [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
Tonight (September 17), The CW will air the transformation segment of "America's Next Top Model" and a bunch of new clips from the episode has been given out. Focusing on one contestant named Clark, one of the clips shows the 19-year-old going through extreme makeover from a blond to a brunette. Clark is given more volume with extensions and her hair is dyed dark brown. Another model, Isis is given straight weave, and she is featured on the second clip where the photo shoot takes place in Malibu. The third clip shows the models in the judging room, particularly when Elina is called forward. The episode which is titled "You're Beautiful, Now Change" and will air at 8:00 P.M., is featuring supermodel and designer Susan Holmes appearing as guest star, accompanying the models during the photo shoot.
 
"ROLE MODELS' GETS ITS RED BAND TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
Universal Pictures have presented movie lovers with a brand new red band trailer of "Role Models". Unlike its trailer which focuses on introducing the two main characters as individuals, this restricted video previews Danny and Wheeler as friends stuck in the same situation and must rely on each other to get past the mentorship program given to them as punishment for their ill behavior. Danny and Wheeler are energy drink company representatives. While sarcastic Danny works as the company spokesman, charming Wheeler takes the inspirational mascot part. Having a bad day with their job, they top it off by crashing a company truck on an energy drink-fueled bender causing them to choose either to go to jail or do 150 service hours of a mentorship program. Taking on what they believe to be the easiest way out from jail, they choose the latter and take on the 'Sturdy Wings' program to much of their surprise. Teaming up Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Bobb'e J.Thompson and Elizabeth Banks, the Universal Pictures film is directed by David Wain from the script by Wain, Rudd, Ken Marino and Timothy Dowling. The comedy flick is coming out on November 7, 2008.
 
ROBOT MODE OF MEGATRON IN "TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" EXPOSED [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
A slight hint to the possible new form of Megatron in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has been let out through a leaked image. Shared out by 2005 Boards Member S250, the new robot mode of the Decepticon's once fallen leader sports what looks to be an advance canon on his right arm and tank treads for his boots. Though it is still unclear whether this concept art is a fan-made or the original one, it seems to enforce the previous rumour that Megatron may be taking a tank alternate mode observing from the tank treads. Painted in silver, the pic also exposes that the baddie's left arm is badly damaged. The image of possible new Megatron can be seen via TFW2005. From the man who brought "Armageddon" and "Bad Boys" franchise, Michael Bay, comes a second "Transformers" movie. Set for June 26, 2009 release, it stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas and Rainn Wilson. Undergoing its production since early June, the action fantasy film written by Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci centers the story on the battle between Autobots and their new strong enemy, the Fallen.
 
ANOTHER PREVIEW OF "ONE TREE HILL" 6.04 PLUS A CLIP [Aceshowbiz, 9/17/08]
Following the next week sneak peek attached to the third episode, another preview for "One Tree Hill" 6.04 has been given along with a clip. The episode will be called "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and the preview is focused on the affair between Deb, Nathan's mother, and Skills. In the preview, Deb is caught in the act while kissing Skills and the secret relationship was almost discovered by Nathan while Deb was naked in a swimming pool with Skills. The clip meanwhile, takes the scene where Carrie meets Deb in the park and Deb sharing her personal turmoil to Carrie. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" will be aired on The CW on Monday, September 22 at 9:00 P.M., following the second season of "Gossip Girl". 
 
"CHOKE" IS A "DIRTY-MINDED SATIRICAL-PSYCHOTIC COMEDY" [Aceshowbiz, 9/16/08]
"Choke" is in large part about sex. And sex addiction. And sexual compulsion. (And did I mention sex?) And Sam Rockwell plays Victor Mancini, who's at the heart of it all.  The Chuck Palahniuk novel adaptation movie, directed by Clark-Gregg has released several trailers in support of the drama comedy. The clips are rated 'R' and from the looks of it, it lives up to its rating. Though some of the scenes compiled within can be considered vulgar and profane, it still delivers smart and hilarious footages from the dark comedy movie. The trailer also helps to get the idea about the story of the film starring Sam Rockwell, Kelly Macdonald, Brad William Henke and Anjelica Huston. The recipient of 2008 Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Prize for a dramatic work by an ensemble cast, "Choke", follows the story of Victor Mancini, a sex addicted med-school dropout who tricks people by pretending to be choked in restaurants to get fund for his mother's care at a private mental hospital. While trying to get help for his addiction, he falls in love with his mother's beautiful physician, but soon discovers that he couldn't perform with the woman he actually likes. His days become more complicated when one day his increasingly deranged mother reveals that she hides Mancini's father identity forcing him to race against time to uncover the truth before it is gone forever. The Fox Searchlight Pictures film will open in theatres across the country on September 26, 2008.
 
RUMER WILLS TAKING MAC TAYLOR PART IN "CSI: NY" [Aceshowbiz, 9/16/08]
Rumer Willis is going to guest appear in "CSI: NY". The starlet who has recently starred alongside Anna Faris in "The House Bunny" will be tackling a character whose name coincides with the lead character Mac Taylor, played by Gary Sinise, on the series' 100th episode. In the episode to be aired on November 19, she will be one of a serial killer's targets only because her name is Mac Taylor. Apart from this "CSI: NY" part, she has also been set to star in the October 12 episode of another television series "Army Wives". There, she will be portraying the wife of a soldier who is injured in Iraq. In the meantime, "CSI: NY" special episode will see the joining in of new detective, portrayed by Julia Ormond, and the return of hip-hop artist Nelly as a club owner who is also a confidential informant to the forensic scientists. Praising the rapper's acting, executive producer Pam Veasey said, "He's a great actor. He really stepped up." The second spin-off of CBS show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is going to enter its fifth season on Wednesday, September 24. Featuring Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo, Anna Belknap, Eddie Cahill and many others, it chronicles the investigations done by a team of New York City Police Department forensic scientists in solving murder crimes.
 
IMBD.COM ALLOWS FREE FILM, TV VIEWING [Reuters, 9/16/08]
Amazon.com said on Monday, September 15 that its subsidiary, Internet Movie Database, would allow users to watch feature films and TV shows for no charge on its website, imdb.com. Over 6,000 titles will be available, the company said, citing recent episodes of popular television shows like "24" and "Heroes" or classic films like "Some Like It Hot." IMDB also said that the first episodes of new fall television shows like "Lipstick Jungle" and "30 Rock" will be available for free viewing before their first air date. Amazon, best known as the global online retail giant, has been pursuing deals to increase its footprint into digital media. The company already offers downloadable films and television shows from almost all the major Hollywood studios and television networks on its own website.
 
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX" GETS PREMIERE IN GERMANY [Reuters, 9/16/08]
A film tracking the rise and fall of the Red Army Faction, a group of left-wing militants suspected of killing dozens of prominent West German figures in the 1970s and 1980s, has its premiere in Munich on Tuesday, September 16. The documentary-style thriller is a graphic account of one of the darkest chapters in post-war Germany and has already been picked as Germany's entry for Best Foreign Language Film for Hollywood's 2009 Academy Awards. Produced by Bernd Eichinger, best known for "Downfall" in which he fuelled controversy with his human portrayal of Hitler's last days, "The Baader Meinhof Complex" is based on a bestseller book by Stefan Aust. Aust and the filmmakers say they have paid close attention to detail, including the number of bullets used in each assassination, and tried to make an authentic account of the movement without glorifying the militants. The film, believed to be the most expensive film ever made in Germany, opens at cinemas across the country on September 25, 2008. The Red Army Faction is suspected of murdering 34 people, mainly senior figures in the West German establishment, between 1970 and 1991. "If you move from the romantic idea ... into terrorism, you should realize you are kissing goodbye to your own inflated ideas of ethics," Stefan Aust, author of the book, told Reuters. "I believe they realized the lowliness of their doings," said Aust, a former editor of Der Spiegel newsweekly. Also known as the "Baader-Meinhof Gang" after founders Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, the Red Army Faction grew from the left-wing student protest and anti-Vietnam war movements in the late 1960s. Its members were angry with their parent's generation who had lived through the Nazi era and had gone on to live capitalist, and -- as they viewed it -- middle-class lives. Figures killed by the group included Dresdner Bank head Juergen Ponto and federal prosecutor Siegfried Buback. The peak of the group's campaign of terror was the 1977 kidnapping of industrialist Hanns Martin Schleyer whom they held hostage for over a month. Eventually he was executed; the identity of the faction member who shot him remains a mystery. Some 26 members died during their campaign and many were sentenced to long prison terms. Baader and Meinhof were caught and committed suicide in prison. In 1998, the Red Army Faction said it was giving up its struggle and disbanded. Many members have now been released and are working as teachers, accountants and journalists, some under new names. "The brilliant performance by the cast and the extraordinary adaptation of the story allows a view of the early 1970s in the West Germany without glorifying the perpetrators," said a jury appointed by German Films to select its entry for the Oscars.
 
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY EYES HULK ROLE [Aceshowbiz, 9/16/08]
Having been rumoured to line up for Captain America part in "The First Avenger: Captain America" earlier, Hollywood hunk Matthew McConaughey recently let out that he prefers to portray Hulk if he is given the choice. Revealing the matter to MTV News, he said, "My favorite one growing up has already been done twice and that was The Incredible Hulk." Apart from talking about which superhero he is inclined to tackle, the two-time co-star of actress Kate Hudson in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Fool's Gold" indicated that he has no idea of him being speculated as potential Captain America depicter. Said to be surprised by the rumor, he further added that he was not a big comic book reader, but added that Captain America is "a super cool name". McConaughey's latest project is "Surfer, Dude". The S.R. Bindler's comedy tells the story about free-spirited longboarding soul-surfer experiencing character crisis when the waves go flat and he is forced to expand into Virtual Reality Video Games and Reality TV. Starring also Alexie Gilmore, Sarah Wright, Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson, it has been screened in limited theaters across the country on September 5. Meanwhile, on the Captain America role, the part of the Marvel's red, white and blue superhero has previously been linked to other Hollywood stars, Leonardo DiCaprio as well as Will Smith. However, Smith's possible participation on the project has quickly been denied when Marvel allegedly stated that they have yet to have any conversation with Smith over the part.
 
"TWILIGHT" NEW SCENES VISUALIZING THE CULLENS' BACK STORY [Aceshowbiz, 9/16/08]
Providing more details to the extra scenes shot a while back, "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Kellan Lutz open up to MTV News and confirm that the reshoots are indeed flashbacks. At 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, they noted that the scenes will help to explain the background story of the Cullen family. About it, Pattison revealed, "The reshoots are basically flashbacks that can go [along with] big voiceovers. Well, not voiceovers, but big scenes that give the exposition and back story of the Cullens." Giving out more, Lutz confessed that it is the visualization of the old peace treaty made by a family of vampires and the Quileute Indian tribe saying, "It's more about the treaty, and really summarizing what that really is." Lutz who portrays Emmett Cullen further pointed out the difference of the novel and the movie because of the reshoots. He confessed that instead of showing Bella listening to Quileute Jacob about the peace treaty, the new scenes will provide viewers with the actual treaty footage insisting, "we are actually showing the scenes from back in the day...what actually went on. That's so when it's mentioned, people actually have a sense and a vision of really what it was about and whose territory was where." Aside from filming the new footages, redo was also done for meadow scene, the kiss in Bella's bedroom and Edward Cullen's performance of "Bella's Lullaby" in the Cullen house. On the Lullaby's reshot, Pattison let out that his composition has to be replaced saying, "We reshot the 'Bella's Lullaby' scene with a different piece of music." "I heard my original one the other day, and I really liked it. I was kind of depressed afterwards, but I like the new one as well. The new one I didn't write; the composer Carter Burwell did it. The new one fits in with the rest of the score, whereas my one was completely random, so unless you want a five-minute scene of just me playing the piano, I guess it's kind of irrelevant." A feature film adaptation to Stephenie Meyer's bestselling novel of the same name, "Twilight" resolves around seventeen-year-old Isabella 'Bella' Swan, a newcomer to the small town of Forks, Washington, and her mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen, who later she finds out to be a 108-year-old vampire. In each other, they find what they have been looking for. Hence, the unlikely relationship blossoms. But, when other vampires learn about the romance, Bella's life is put in grave danger. Now, Edward has to fight for the girl he loves before losing her forever. From a script by "Step Up"'s Melissa Rosenberg, the movie is directed by Catherine Hardwicke and produced by Karen Rosenfelt, Greg Mooradian and Wyck Godfrey. It stars also Kristen Stewart, Cam Gigandet, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed and many more.
 
PREVIEW OF "TRUE BLOOD", EPISODE 1.03: MINE [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
HBO's new series "True Blood" have folded its first two episodes and is moving towards the third one which will be called "Mine". The September 14 edition provides the next week chapter where bar girl Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is trapped with Bill Compton's (Stephen Moyer) vampire friends. Vampires Malcolm, Diane and Liane get a hold of Sookie but retreat after Bill saves her. Back at Merlottes, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) and Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) come to the rescue of Sookie also in a bar fight. Sam himself is seeking a remedy to his loneliness while Tara is dealing with her alcoholic mother. Jason, meanwhile, turns to Lafayette, Merlottes' cook, for help with his problem. "True Blood" is the latest from "Six Feet Under" creator Allan Ball, that tells about years when Vampires and human being can live together due to synthetic blood invented by a Japanese scientist. Sookie who has the special ability to listen what's inside people's head, is drawn to Bill who came to her town with no clear reason. "Mine" will air on Sunday, October 21 at 9:00 P.M.
 
"XXX" SECOND SEQUEL ON THE LINE [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
Words are Columbia Pictures are looking forward to do another sequel of "XXX" which is tentatively entitled "XXX: The Return of Xander Cage". Said to be in talks with producer Joe Roth for the sequel's possibility, the studio allegedly plan to team up once again the film's original lead actor, Vin Diesel, and helmer Rob Cohen. According to Variety, Diesel and Cohen have agreed to come back for the new project although no deal has been signed yet. Diesel will once more take on his Xander Cage character, law-breaking extreme sports enthusiast-turned-government agent. In the first sequel, "XXX: State of the Union", which stars Ice Cube and directed by Lee Tamahori, Cage has been reportedly killed in Bora Bora leading to his replacement by imprisoned former U.S. Navy SEAL Darius Stone as the XXX. "XXX" is a 2002 action movie that has been marketed as a modern James Bond style film. Starring Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson and Asia Argento, the flick has become a hit collecting as much as $142.1 million nationwide and $277.4 million worldwide. Following its success, a sequel is made for 2005 release. But, the reception was poor as it only managed to bring in $71 million worldwide.
 
"GOSSIP GIRL" eps. 2.05 SPOILER: THE SERENA ALSO RISES [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
A spoiler to the fifth episode of "Gossip Girl" season two has been given. The chapter which will be called "The Serena Also Rises" and aired on September 29, 2008 will take place during the Fashion Week where all the dramas and conflicts continue despite the hectic schedule. Blair who in particular should be busy due to her involvement in Waldorf Design, decides to sabotage her mother's fashion show as an expression of anger. Her mother, Elanor listened to the suggestion given by intern Jenny to give Serena and her new socialite friend, Poppy Lifton the front row seats of the show. Dan is exploring his friendship with Chuck and finds a downside to it, while Lily is digging on a secret that her new husband Bart has been holding. Recent casting news suggests that Wallace Shawn will portray a new character in the show named Cyrus who will be the father of Serena's new boyfriend, Aaron. In the book version, Cyrus will eventually marry Blair's mother.
 
JACK WHITE UPSET OVER "QUANTUM OF SOLACE" PROMOTIONAL VIDEO [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
Jack White of The White Stripes is reportedly unhappy when the song that he has penned with Alicia Keys is used for Coca Cola promotional campaign. "Jack White was commissioned by Sony Pictures to write a theme song for the James Bond film 'Quantum of Solace', not for Coca Cola," Jack's spokesperson recently says.  Furthermore, according to the statement issued by the publicist, Jack is mainly upset because the song titled "Another Way to Die" has been leaked before its official release date that reportedly coincides to the movie's premiere on October 29, 2008. "We are disappointed that you first heard the song in a co-promotion for Coke Zero, rather than in its entirety," his representative adds. The ad itself contains no vocals from the two singers and features only an instrumental version of the song against a James Bond animation. Beside advertising the soft drink, the video is also a cross-promotion for the Bond film as a part of the deal between Coca-Cola and Sony Entertainment that has re-branded Coke Zero as Zero Zero 7. Elsewhere, Jack and Alicia have reportedly shot a music video for the new theme song in Toronto on September 8. Alicia was at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her new film "The Secret Life of Bees" while Jack was there for his documentary film "It Might Get Loud".
 
ROBERT De NIRO AND AL PACINO WANT TO PLAY SISTERS [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
Known to portray many tough guy roles, Hollywood veterans Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are looking forward to be able to play women in comedy movie. In an interview with British radio station Heart, the two revealed that for their next film project, they would love to dress up as the opposite gender and act up as sisters. Opening up on the subject, Pacino stated, "It's a great idea. That could be something for us to work on. Robert has done some great and very successful comedy movies and he's made the transition really well, without a problem. He was amazing. He's invented himself over again and that takes a very special talent." On similar note, De Niro added, "We could do that, I like the idea. We could play sisters. That could happen...who knows?" De Niro and Pacino have recently collaborated on Jon Avnet-directed crime drama "Righteous Kill" where they play New York City police detectives on the brink of retirement who are forced to revisit their previous case after similar murder crime which they thought they have solved years earlier befalls. The movie is the pair's first big screen together after Michael Mann's 1995 cop drama "Heat".
 
FULL WINNERS OF 2008 CREATIVE ARTS EMMY AWARDS [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
The world-famous cartoon series, "The Simpsons", has been awarded the highest honor as the Best Half-Hour Animated Show at this year's Creative Arts Emmy Awards for their 19.09, entitled "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind". Announced on September 13, the achievement has marked the TV show's big wins for tenth time during a prime time aired on FOX. The episode in which "The Simpsons" receive the awards, focuses on the story of Homer Simpson, who is heavily drunk during a winter. Unable to deal with the situation that he considers as disaster, Homer decides to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge. Back to the Emmy awards, another animated television series, which receives the Emmy's prize is "Imaginationland". The Central Park's show is awarded the Best One-hour Animated Program. However, the Saturday's top winner at the event is HBO's mini series, "John Adams", which stars Paul Giamatti and claims eight awards out of 23 nominations, including Best Costumes for a Mini series, Movie or Special. Full list of Creative Arts Emmy Awards winners can be found online. Meanwhile, the main ceremony of the Emmy Awards itself will be held on September 21, 2008, revealing the recognition of excellence in American prime time television programs.
 
EXTENDED SCENE CLIP OF "THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL"  OUTED [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
As promised by Fox earlier, an exclusive first look at "The Day the Earth Stood Still" extended scene has been viewed on small screen on Sunday, September 14, and now the seven minutes long clip can be enjoyed also by those who missed it out. Providing more detailed look into the movie, the clip seems to serve as an elaboration of the previously-released teaser, displaying Helen Benson's role in the government's secret investigation and revealing footage before Klaatu is brought to the questioning room. Focused on the concerns of man against nature rather than man against man like in the original film, "Earth Stood Still" resolves around the humanoid alien which arrivals on Earth triggers a global commotion as governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind his appearance. It is written by David Scarpa and put Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm and others as the stars. Principal photography has been taken in Vancouver, while the movie itself will be released on December 12, 2008.
 
NEW CLIP FROM "FRINGE" EPISODE 1.02: THE SAME OLD STORY [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
New Clip FroThis week, "Fringe" will touch a horrific case and a clip from the episode has been given. The clip for the second episode which is called "The Same Old Story" shows how a woman starts off not pregnant until she's dead giving birth to the strange baby.  The young woman has just finished having sex with her partner in a motel when suddenly she feels something moving in her belly. Screaming in pain, she is taken to the hospital by her boyfriend who abandons her in front of the building. Visibly not knowing what happened, she dies on the operating table and the surgeons instinctively try to save the baby by performing a C-section. When they take the baby out of the womb, the doctors are shocked to find how fully-formed the baby is and how fast it grows to an 80 year old in just a matter of minutes. FBI agent Olivia and his team then are brought in to investigate. "The Same Old Story" will air on Fox on Tuesday, September 16 at 09:00 P.M.
 
"TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES" EPISODE 2.02 SNEAK PEAK [Aceshowbiz, 9/15/08]
A spoiler for this week's episode of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has been given through the release of a clip. Putting Derek (Brian Austin Green) in conversation with an injured Sarah (Lena Headey), the video is a sneak peek to episode 2.02 which is titled "Automatic for the People". Following the Sarkissian attack and Derek's allies with Charley Dixon; Sarah, Derek and Cameron team up to investigate a nuclear power plant. ZeiraCorp CEO Catherine Weaver meanwhile, goes on with her new project which is under her new division of the technology company. John in the mean time, makes a new friend. Aired on Fox tonight (September 15), "Terminator" enters its second season with additional cast Shirley Manson of rock band Garbage who plays Catherine.
 
"VISITOR" NABS TOP NOD AT FRENCH FILM FEST [Reuters, 9/15/08]
Thomas McCarthy's immigration drama "The Visitor" won the top prize at the 34th Deauville Festival of American Film Sunday, September 14. The surprise arthouse hit brings a sharply critical view of U.S. immigration policy in a tale about a New York economics professor who finds that two illegals have moved into his apartment. In collecting his Grand Prix trophy, McCarthy underlined the political intent of his latest movie, saying that he "believes in the power of art to effect change." The runner-up Jury Prize went to Lance Hammer's drama "Ballast," which depicts the effects of a suicide on two neighbors in the Mississippi Delta. The International Critics Award went to the pedophile drama "Gardens of the Night," directed by Damian Harris. Star wattage was dim during the 10-day festival on the Normandy coast, but things picked up during the closing stages with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen in town for the premiere of Harris' second directorial outing, the Western "Appaloosa." Kevin Spacey, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, William Hurt and Maria Bello also put in festival appearances.
 
COENS' "BURN AFTER READING" IGNITES BOX OFFICE [Reuters, 9/15/08]
"Burn After Reading," a screwball spy comedy from Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, fired up the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, helping overall sales rebound from the five-year low plumbed a week earlier. "Burn," whose cast includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich, opened at No. 1 after selling an estimated $19.4 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada, distributor Focus Features said. The three-day tally set a new record both for the Coens and for Focus, the arthouse arm of General Electric Co's NBC Universal unit. It also represents the first No. 1 for Focus. The brothers' previous best was "Ladykillers" with a $12.6 million opening in 2004. Three other new releases followed, all within their respective studios' expectations: prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry's latest domestic saga "The Family That Preys" at No. 2 with $18 million; the Robert De Niro-Al Pacino cop drama "Righteous Kill" at No. 3 with $16.5 million; and a critically maligned remake of the 1939 distaff drama "The Women" at No. 4 with $10.1 million. Critics were hardly more enthused about the other new releases, including "Burn After Reading," the Coens' first release since they won the best picture Oscar in February for the Texan drama "No Country For Old Men." Focus distribution president Jack Foley said the Coens' success with "No Country" combined with "the Brad factor" to put "Burn for Reading" over the top. The studio made a strong play for women, who accounted for about half the audience. In fact, the weekend was a bonanza for women, with female moviegoers snapping up about 80 percent of the tickets for both Lionsgate's "The Family That Preys" and Picturehouse's "The Women," said their respective studios. Overture Films' "Righteous Kill," only the second film in which De Niro and Pacino share screen time after 1995's "Heat," played strongly across all adult demographics, said Kyle Davies, the studio's executive VP of theatrical distribution. Overture is a fledgling unit of Liberty Media Corp's Starz Media. Nicolas Cage's thriller "Bangkok Dangerous," tumbled to No. 8 with $2.4 million. The 10-day total for the Lionsgate film stands at $12.5 million.
 
MORE PHOTOS OF "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" UNCOVERED [Aceshowbiz, 9/14/08]
Harry Potter's Page has posted more photos from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". This time, the new images take a glimpse into Neville Longbottom as he sits near a window in the Gryffindor room, a sneak peek at Daniel Radcliffe when he is shooting for a scene on the movie's set as well as Entertainment Weekly's photo shot of the three leading actors, Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Dealing with a darker matter than previous "Harry Potter" films, "Half-Blood Prince" follows Harry Potter in his sixth year at Hogwarts. With Voldermort's strength growing stronger and stronger each day, the wizarding world and Potter are preparing for the impending battle as the walls that used to keep him and his friends away from danger may not be a safe haven anymore. The sixth movie adaptation from "Harry Potter" book by J.K. Rowlings, it stars also Matt Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Helen McCrory and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. The flick coming out on July 17, 2009 is directed by David Yates and written by Steven Kloves.
 
"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" WINS TORONTO FESTIVAL PRIZE [Reuters, 9/14/08]
"Slumdog Millionaire," a tribute to Mumbai and a story about a dream, won the top award at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday, September 13 ending a low-key event where many studios kept their best movies away. The winning film, directed by Britain's Danny Boyle, opens in U.S. theaters on November 28, 2008. It tells of a teenager from the Indian slums who wins a chance of becoming a millionaire in a television game show. The film received an enthusiastic reception from the Toronto audience, and actress Freida Pinto accepted the Cadillac People's Choice Award on Boyle's behalf. "There are a lot of firsts for me in this," she said. "It's my first premiere, my first time dealing with the press, and now it's my first award. "'Slumdog Millionaire' is a film about an underdog who believes in something." The Toronto festival, where the top award is chosen by the public rather than by industry experts or other insiders, opened on September 4 with "Passchendaele," a romance set partly in the mud-filled trenches of World War One. It closes on Saturday with a gala performance of "Stone of Destiny," the story of Scottish nationalists who seek to reclaim the Stone of Scone from London's Westminster Abbey. But critics were underwhelmed with many of the movies on offer, and Hollywood was clearly holding some of its top Oscar contenders back for later in the year. "It was a difficult year," film festival chief executive Piers Handling told the final reception. "People felt that some of the films they took up last fall did not perform that well, so there was a sense of slight gloom and depression." Other winners at the end of the festival included "Hunger," about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, and "Disgrace," a father-daughter story based on the bleak Booker prize-winning novel from South African writer J.M. Coetzee. The top prize at last year's festival was won by Russian mob movie "Eastern Promises," which went on to win a best actor Oscar nomination for Viggo Mortensen.
 
MADRID HONOURS OSCAR-WINNING SPANISH DIRECTOR [AFP, 9/14/08]
Spain's Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodovar was to be honoured Saturday at Madrid's third annual all-night cultural event with a concert based on music from his films. The concert would be one of more than 170 by nearly 300 artistes scheduled to take place in the capital overnight from Saturday to Sunday as part of the "Noche en Blanco" or "White Night" event. Officials said Almodovar was being honoured because he had set 11 of his films in the Spanish capital including "All About My Mother," which won the Oscar for best foreign film in 2000. Last year's event attracted about 1.5 million people.
 
"HAPPY-GO-LUCKY" PREVIEWS FOUR NEW CLIPS [Aceshowbiz, 9/14/08]
Four brand new clips from indie comedy "Happy-Go-Lucky" have been revealed. Compiled into one video player, the clips display Poppy in four different situations. The first showcases Poppy in what seems to be a date with Tim, the next two present her having her driving lesson with grumpy Scott, while the last puts her in a flamenco dance class. Poppy is an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who sees situation she encounters through a positive glass. Having an unsinkable sense of optimism, she looks at a recent incident where her bike is stolen as a chance for her to take driving lesson. Yet, instead of getting an enthusiastic driving instructor, she is attended by Scott, who is completely opposite of her. Faced with this fuming, uptight cynic on weekly basis and worsened by even more challenging environment, including a fiery flamenco instructor, her bitter pregnant sister, a troubled homeless man and a young bully in her class, she soon finds that keeping her happy spirit is a challenge. All of this negative combination leads her to view the life's question of "glass half full or half empty". To be opened in limited theaters on October 10, "Happy-Go-Lucky" has been screened at the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival which runs from September 4 to September 13. Directed and scripted by Mike Leigh, it has brought its leading actress Sally Hawkins a 2008 Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear for best actress. It is also supported by Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman, Andrea Riseborough, Sinead Matthews, Kate O'Flynn and Samuel Roukin.
 
FIRST TRAILER OF "DOUBT" CREEPS OUT [Aceshowbiz, 9/14/08]
"Doubt", a movie adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize winning play, has shared out the first look into the Miramax Films drama through fresh trailer. Providing a clue to what the movie is all about, the compilation of footages let out sneak peak into the main characters played by Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Set against the backdrop of a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, the film highlights on a difficult decision faced by Bronx Catholic school principal. Suspecting that Father Flynn is sexually-abusing a black student, Sister Aloysius confronts him on the matter but the priest denies the accusation. Having no witness and no evident on the matter, she continues to pursue for the truth, putting a young nun in the middle of the tense confrontation. Addressing religion, morality and authority, "Doubt" is helmed and adapted by playwright John Patrick Shanley who is known also for his feature film works in "Moonstruck" and "Congo". Shot in various areas of Bronx and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in New York City, it also sees Viola Davis, Lloyd Clay Brown, Joseph Foster and Bridget Megan Clark as the cast ensemble. The flick will have its limited release on December 12, 2008.
 
DEALS AND FILMS BEING NEGOTIATED [E! Online, 9/13/08]
Universal has pacted with Sid and Marty Krofft to make a live-action feature film based on their trippy '70s kid show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, about an on-the-lam sea monster who hangs out with two kids in their clubhouse. The Kroffts are in full comeback mode, having sold Sony the live-action rights to H.R. Pufnstuf, and Will Ferrell leading the big-screen Land of the Lost, coming next June. • New Line Cinema has acquired the rights to the bestselling novel How to Be Single from Sex and the City writer-producer Liz Tuccillo about five women battling it out on the New York dating scene. The movie will be produced by Drew Barrymore's Flower Films but no word yet whether she will star. • Fox TV Studios has begun production on Persons Unknown, the first TV offering from Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects). The serial mystery centers around seven strangers who wake up in a desert town monitored by ubiquitous security cameras. McQuarrie will executive produce along with his wife, Heather. Shooting starts Oct. 27, 2008 in Mexico. • VH1 has greenlighted an untitled reality series following soap-opera hunk Antonio Sabato Jr. on a quest to find love à la Bret Michaels. The erstwhile Melrose Place heartthrob will put contestants through a series of tests, like re-creating a steamy love scene or skydiving in a gown, in hopes of finding his partner. Guess it beats online dating. • Audrina Patridge is becoming a Foxy lady, with a guest stint on the network's new sitcom Do Not Disturb, on Sept. 17, 2008, followed by an appearance three days later on MADtv.
 
COURT DELAYS "HARI PUTTAR" FILM RELEASE [Reuters, 9/13/08]
A court in India has postponed the release of a film entitled Hari Puttar, after complaints from the makers of the blockbuster Harry Potter films. Hollywood company Warner Bros has filed a lawsuit against all parties involved in the production and distribution of the Hari Puttar film. It has been quoted as saying the the title of the Indian movie is confusing. Mirchi Movies, the makers of the Bollywood children's film, have denied the accusations. It told the BBC that India's Hari Puttar had nothing to do with the Harry Potter wizard movies, to which Warner Bros owns the rights. Mirchi says that Hari is a popular Indian name, and Puttar means 'son' in Hindi and Punjabi. The Indian film tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who moves to England with his family and becomes involved in a plan to save the world. The Indian production house says the name of their film was registered in 2005. But the legal proceedings mean that scheduled release of Hari Puttar has been postponed. It was meant to hit cinema halls on Friday, September 12, 2008, but has now been pushed back to the end of this month.
 
"CHORUS LINE" DOC TAKES "LITTLE STEP" TO BIG SCREEN [Reuters, 9/12/08]
"Every Little Step" is best described in a way unlike few  movies before it. The film is a documentary, within a documentary. The description doesn't stop there, either, because "Every Little Step," which debuted earlier this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, is no "talking head" documentary with only sobering interviews from experts on a given subject. There is singing, dancing and tales of hopes and dreams of young performers shooting for stardom -- just like the musical on which the film is based, "A Chorus Line," which was created by Michael Bennett and ran on Broadway for 15 years. "Michael always said that if there was ever going to be a movie (of the musical) ... it should be a documentary," "Every Little Step" co-director James Stern told Reuters. One reason for that is because "A Chorus Line" was -- still is -- its own real-life tale of making it on Broadway. Hence the description: a documentary within the documentary. "Every Little Step" trains its cameras on the backstage casting for the 2006 Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line," which was created by Bennett from tapes he made of a 12-hour talking session with New York City dancers on a winter day in 1974. Convinced there would be a story about their experiences, Bennett set about creating "A Chorus Line," which became a smash hit and a Tony award-winning production in its day. In the original show, on a spare stage, unknown singers and dancers talk about themselves, and what emerges is a human tale on what it means to struggle to achieve a goal -- any goal. "Every Little Step" premiered here to a standing ovation, and Donna McKechnie, an original cast member and Bennett's wife, told the audience it was a great tribute to her husband.
 
DIRECTOR JIM SHERIDAN EYES "CLAUDIUS" [Reuters, 9/12/08]
Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan will direct an adaptation of the classic novel "I, Claudius," which is best known as the basis for the 1976 BBC miniseries that starred Derek Jacobi as the stuttering Roman emperor. Robert Graves' 1934 novel recounts the internecine plots and counterplots surrounding Claudius, who ruled from 41-54 A.D. Born into a murderous, imperial family, he used his cunning mind and rivals' misjudgment to not only survive but eventually become one of Rome's greatest emperors. It went on to be adapted into a 1937 film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Charles Laughton. Sheridan will write the screenplay with longtime collaborator Nye Heron. It will be produced by indie financier Relativity Media. The tale of Claudius has long intrigued Hollywood, and rights to the book were won last year in a heated bidding war by producer Scott Rudin, with Leonardo DiCaprio and "The Departed" writer William Monahan attached. That deal ultimately fell through. Sheridan, known for dramas such as "In America" and "My Left Foot," worked with Relativity on his latest movie, the upcoming "Brothers" starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman.
 
CLOSE-UP IMAGES OF "FLASH OF GENIUS" CARS [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
A series of pictures from the forthcoming "Flash of Genius" has been brought forward. They are focused on the two cars, the brown Ford and the blue Continental Mark, used in the Universal Pictures drama starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham and Dermot Mulroney. The images display the cars from several angles and in different situations in the film. Robert Kearns is a college professor as well as a part-time inventor. Marrying the love of his life and having six kids, Kearns lives his version of the American Dream. When one day he invents intermittent windshield wiper, he thinks that he has struck the gold. But, he soon finds out the harsh reality of business as he is shunned off from his creation by auto giants. Refusing to be ignored and silenced, he takes the corporate titans into a battle nobody thinks he could win. Directed by Marc Abraham, "Genius" is based on a New Yorker story of same name written by John Seabrook. The film is adapted by Phillip Railsback and produced by Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber and Michael Lieber. It is due to be outed in theaters across the country on October 3, 2008.
 
TWO NEW CLIPS FROM "SUPERNATURAL" EPS. 4.01: LAZARUS RISING [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
In anticipation of the new fourth season of "Supernatural", The CW have released two clips from the new episode "Lazarus Rising". Entitled "Surprise", one of the videos shows the comeback of Dean from the dead, a literal meaning to the episode's title. Dean comes knocking on Bobby's door, much to the hunter's shock. Somehow, Dean who was obliged to a contract with demon Lilith in the May season finale, is still alive and manages to dig his way out of the grave. Bobby, who finds it hard to believe, grabs a knife and lunges it to Dean. He only believes that Dean is not a form of demon when Dean slashes his arm to reveal red blood. Meanwhile, on the second clip, Dean and Sam are introduced by Bobby to a hot psychic Pamela who has a history of nearly successful in summoning the yellow-eyed demon, Azazel. "Lazarus Rising" was written by the series creator and executive producer Eric Kripke and directed by executive producer Kim Manners. It will air on Thursday, September 19 at 9:00 P.M. ET.
 
TRAILER OF CLINT EASTWOOD'S "CHANGELING" ARRIVES [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
"Changeling", a thriller mystery from Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood, has recently put out its trailer. Focusing on Angelina Jolie's character, Christine Collins, the brand new video opened with an introduction of the story from Collins' point of view. The compiled clips following that chronicle bits of what the mother of a missing boy has to go through to find and get her son back. On one Saturday morning in 1928, Los Angeles, Christine says goodbye to her son, Walter Collins, and goes to work. When she arrives home later that day, she finds out that Walter is no longer there, he is declared missing. Search party is formed and months of uncertainty passes by. Still, her son is nowhere in sight. One day, a boy claiming to be her son is returned to her. Yet, she knows in her heart that he is not her son and her real son is still out there somewhere. Based on the real event happening in L.A. from 1928 to 1930 in which an infamous kidnapping and murder case led to the uncovering of Los Angeles Police Department corruption, "Changeling" is supported by John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Colm Feore and Amy Ryan among others. It has been premiered at the 61st Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2008 to positive reviews, and is set for nationwide release on October 31 following a limited release on October 24, 2008.
 
"L WORD" ALUMNA JOINING "GREY'S ANATOMY" AS INTERN [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
Seattle Grace Hospital will get a couple of new interns in the fifth season of "Grey's Anatomy". Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello heard a scoop that "The L Word" alumna Janina Gavankar will play a role in the series, so will "Cold Case" guest-starring actor Brandon Scott. While the insider claimed that "nothing's been decided yet", producers reportedly are still considering on how big the roles they will play in the show. Thus, they will begin their parts as recurring players. Scott, allegedly will portray a character deemed "junior McDreamy". The new season starts Thursday, September 25 on ABC. Katherine Heigl who was rumored to be out from the project said in an interview with OK! magazine that her character, Dr. Izzy Stevens, will still be in the show but she hopes Izzy to have a brain tumor. Gavankar is most notable for her role as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in "The L Word". While Papi vanished after season 3 without explanation, she is confirmed to appear in the sixth and final episode of the lesbian show.
 
"PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE" A FIRST RATE THRILLER [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
A gangster movie done as a biopic, "Public Enemy Number One (Part One: The Origins)" shoves France's most notorious criminal on to the screen with propulsive action and swagger. No one asks you to like the guy; just strap on your seat belt for a wild ride into the audacious. The protagonist is Jacques Mesrine, and the star is dashing Vincent Cassel. The film is based on a memoir Mesrine wrote in prison shortly before he escaped. He lived at least nine lives before being gunned down by police in 1979 in the center of Paris. It's indeed so rich a life that director Jean-Francois Richet designed the project for two films shot over nine months. The first film, "Origins" -- the French title is that of Mesrine's autobiography, "L'instinct de mort," or "Death Instinct" -- opens next month in France. However, U.S. distributor Senator Entertainment is thinking about jamming the two parts together and releasing them as a single film. Without having seen the second film, I can still say: Bad idea. The first film is a terrific gangster flick with broad-stroke characterizations, reckless action and nerve-jangling music. For the second film, entitled "The Legend," Richet promises a psychological thriller. Taking a hatchet to the two films will only deprive American audiences of the full flavor of Richet's portrait of raw power.
 
MARIAH CAREY MOVIE SET FOR DECEMBER RELEASE [Aceshowbiz, 9/12/08]
Seven years after her disastrous movie headlining debut "Glitter," pop star Mariah Carey will return to theaters in December. Vivendi Entertainment has acquired all domestic rights to the road trip drama "Tennessee," which premiered at this spring's Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The quiet -- and at times moody -- drama centers on two lower-middle class brothers (Adam Rothenberg, Ethan Peck) who take to the road to resolve their economic and health challenges. Along the way they meet a waitress (Carey) whose dreams of a singing career have been dashed by a bad marriage. Though not a musical, director Lee Daniels' film features Carey performing the original ballad "Right to Dream," which she co-wrote with Willie Nelson. "Glitter," a widely panned musical drama, earned just $4.3 million at the North American box office in fall 2001. She had a cameo role as herself in this summer's comedy "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."
 
"BEVERLY HILLS COP IV" PLAY IT AGAIN WITH EDDIE MURPHY [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
There are two things most people remember about the Beverly Hills Cop movies: Eddie Murphy as Detective Axel Foley and the flick's Grammy-winning theme song. Well, when Beverly Hills Cop IV goes into production, director Brett Ratner promises both will be back. "It's a whole new interpretation," Ratner tells me. Composer-producer Harold Faltermeyer's synth-pop theme will get an update, but not too much. "Why change that song?" Ratner says. He goes so far as to say that one of the "biggest problems" with director Michael Mann's movie adaptation of Miami Vice with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in 2006 was the missing iconic theme song. "I said to [Mann], 'Why didn't you have it?' " Ratner says. "He said, 'We're doing something new.' That's like doing Mission Impossible without the theme song." Production on BHC IV will reportedly begin next year with a 2010 release date, or 25 years after the first installment of the franchise. Ratner is also busy putting together a DVD about the music videos he's directed for people like Madonna, Jessica Simpson and Miley Cyrus, to name a few. "They're interviewing all the singers I've worked with," Ratner says. "I'm worried."
 
FULL LIST OF SPIKE TV's "SCREAM 2008" NOMINEES ANNOUNCED [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
On Wednesday, September 10, Spike TV has revealed their full list nominees for the 3rd Annual Scream Awards entitled "Scream 2008". From the announcement, it is revealed that the hit summer blockbuster movie "The Dark Knight" has led the pack with an astounding 21 nominations from The Ultimate Scream to Most Memorable Mutilation category. Aside from collecting gongs for its installment, "Dark Knight" has also brought in nods for its cast and crew. Four of the Warner Bros. Pictures action movie' lead cast ensemble, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger and Maggie Gyllenhaal, have been receiving counts for Best Superhero, Best Villain, Best Actor and Actress, while helmer Christopher Nolan is up for Best Director and Best Screamplay, the latter he gets along with Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer. Though dominating the list, "Dark Knight" still has to battle tough competitions since other multiple nominees include "Iron Man", "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", "Cloverfield", "The Incredible Hulk" and "Wanted (2008)". "Iron Man" receives 14 nods, "Golden Army" gets 13 gongs and "Cloverfield" is nominated for 9 categories. Meanwhile, "Hulk" and "Wanted" are neck-in-neck with 6 nods each. The award show, which winners are determined through online voting at Spike.com, will be taped on Saturday, October 18 at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, while the event itself will be aired on Spike TV at 9:00-11:00 P.M. ET/PT three days later on Tuesday, October 21 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). Additionally, the host, presenters and musical performers are set to be unearthed shortly. A complete list of the nominees may be seen at Spike.com.
 
PROMOTIONAL PHOTOS OF "UGLY BETTY" EPISODE 3.02 [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
Several promotional photos from episode 3.02 of the new season of "Ugly Betty" have been shared. Among the piles, there's a shot of womanizer Daniel and his newly-discovered son Daniel Jr. (guest star Julian de la Calle) that will give him quite a headache in the custody battle. Daniel will be trying hard to keep his son in the United States "Filing for the Enemy" will see Betty being wooed by Wilhelmina to be her assistant at Mode as Wilhelmina is about to launch her first issue as an editor. Hilda is getting deeper in her romance with her son's coach, Diaz, while Christina is digging deeper into her husband's true motives. The episode will be aired on October 2 on ABC at 8:00 P.M. ET. It follows "The Manhattan Project" that will mark the beginning of the third season on September 25, 2008 and show Alexis' co-operation with Wilhelmina to promote the new issue of Mode, much to the dismay of Daniel and Claire.
 
CLIP FROM "GOSSIP GIRL" EPISODE 2.03: THE DARK NIGHT [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
"Gossip Girl" episode 2.03, "The Dark Night", gets its preview through a brand new clip. Featuring Serena (Blake Lively) and Dan (Penn Badgley), they are seen strolling casually on a park before Dan is personally confronted by three young girls. A citywide blackout has caused several twist of stories for the characters. Serena and Dan are trapped in an elevator and forced to deal with their unspoken problems while Blair is having doubts with her relationship to Marcus. On the other hand, Chuck is very much in love with Blair. Nate is still trapped in the middle between choosing Vanessa and Catherine. "The Dark Night", airing Monday, September 15, will be followed by "The Ex-Files" where Serena will meet someone new as her love interest.
 
THE TRAILER OF JAMIE FOXX's "THE SOLOIST" DEBUTED [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
The Soloist, a musical drama movie from DreamWorks, has welcomed its first trailer. Promoting the based-on-true-story movie, the video focuses on the unlikely bond of friendship built between Steve Lopez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless and schizophrenic musician. Telling the story of a journalist in the middle of writer's block and a musician who lost his way, "Soloist " follows Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez as he discovered an amazing talent, Ayers, on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Finding out that Ayers, played by Jamie Foxx, is actually a musical prodigy specializing in playing the violin and the cello but becomes homeless after developing schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School, he decides to write about him. From the director of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement", Joe Wright, comes a feature film about the redemptive power of music. Scripted by Susannah Grant and produced by Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff, the flick will be making its way to the theaters on November 21, 2008.
 
NEW CLIP FROM EPISODE 1.02 OF "PRIVILEGED" [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
A brand new clip has been let out for the September 16 episode of  The CW's new series "Privileged". The clip shows pivotal character, Megan Smith, in a party talking to her best friend Charlie Hogan who secretly is in love with her. In the episode which will be called "All About Honesty", Megan will also be faced with a sibling conflict between her and her sister Lily. Megan who is on the verge of upgrading her social status in the glamorous Palm Beach, refused to admit that Lily is her sister when Laurel pointed Lily as a person inappropriately dressed. Later on Megan will have an argument with Lily that leads Laurel to find out the truth. Meanwhile, Rose is broken-hearted after finding out that her ex-boyfriend Max has moved on with another girl in the party. Megan and Rose's sister Sage try to find out ways to lift up Rose's spirit. Privileged is based on the Alloy Entertainment book "How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls" by best-selling author Zoey Dean. It is aired every Tuesday on The CW after "90210".
 
"TRANSFORMER: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" HAVING GORILLA-LIKE DEVASTATOR [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
Words are the coming in of Devastator in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has been confirmed. On Wednesday, September 10, Transformers fansite TFW2005 has let the information out sharing further the fact that the gigantic baddie will be having lots of upper body strength similar to a gorilla. Other than that, the site also revealed that this destructive foe of Autobots will be formed by the merging of seven Constructicons, instead of six which is its original formation in the comic book series. Noting that Devastator will need seven construction vehicles to be built up, it further let out that the vehicles will not all colored in green, several of them will be having red and yellow colors. Additionally, TFW2005 wrote that the Long Haul concept art made by Josh Nizzi is legitimate. A sequel to the hit 2007 film "Transformers" about two clashing robot clans on Earth, "Revenge of the Fallen" is scheduled to come out on June 26, 2009. Directed by Michael Bay, it will see Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro reprising their roles once again supported by a line of newcomers, including Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and Matthew Marsden. The story will be focused on the battle between Autobots and their new enemy, the Fallen. Faced with a stronger and more powerful villain, Autobots were forced to bring back their fallen foe, Megatron, in aiding them to defeat him. "Revenge of the Fallen" is scripted by Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
 
"THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL" TO PREMIERE EXTENDED SCENE ON TV [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
The re-imagining of Robert Wise's classic 1951 black-and-white sci-fi film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still", is going to tease movie lovers with an extended clip. The exclusive first look at the extended scene will be aired at Fox on Sunday, September 14, starting on 8:00 P.M. ET/PT. A part of Fox Sunday Night Thrill Ride, the previewing of the clip will be the first to be filling up the two-hour slot. It will be followed by a preview of "24: Redemption", a television movie of "24" set to be broadcast in November. Then, topping the two, Fox will present an encore screening of "Fringe" season premiere ended with an exclusive preview of the first four minutes of the series' second episode. On other "Earth Stood Still" news, it has been reported that the Scott Derrickson-directed movie will be getting its IMAX release on the same day it hits the conventional theaters across the country on December 12. The simultaneous release report came out right on the heel of Warner Bros.' decision to delay the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from November 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009. Focused on the concerns of man against nature rather than man against man like in the original film, "Earth Stood Still" resolves around the humanoid alien which arrivals on Earth triggers a global commotion as governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind his appearance. It is written by David Scarpa and put Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, Kathy Bates and others as the stars. Principal photography has been taken in Vancouver.
 
"DARK KNIGHT" PLANS RE-RELEASE FOR OSCAR PUSH [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/11/08]
Batman wants an Oscar. To be precise, Warner Bros. wants a statuette -- or 10 -- for "The Dark Knight." So the studio plans to re-release its blockbuster Batman sequel in January, the height of Academy Awards voting season. "It's just a matter of bringing it back as a reminder for people," a studio insider explained. Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman acknowledged ongoing talks with Imax execs over the prospect of restoring the Christian Bale starrer to some giant-screen venues in January. It's uncertain if "Dark Knight" also will reappear in conventional venues at that point. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film's huge commercial and critical success has spurred talk of possible Oscar nominations for its director, producers and cast -- most specifically Bale's co-star, Health Ledger, for the late actor's edgy performance as the Joker. To date, "Dark Knight" has rung up about $512 million domestically and $440 million internationally, including more than $55 million in Imax grosses. A pre-Oscars re-release would help assure its topping $1 billion worldwide. But with the title set to hit DVD in December, it's now apparent anyone hoping the Batman sequel would soar to "Titanic" heights will be disappointed. "Dark Knight" already ranks as the second-highest-grossing movie ever, after "Titanic's" phenomenal $1.84 billion -- a mix of $600.8 million in domestic box office and $1.24 billion in foreign coin registered in 1997 and 1998.
 
"PASSCHENDAELE" ABSENCE AT CALGARY FILM FEST MIFFS LOCAL CREW [CBC, 9/11/08]
Passchendaele kicked off Toronto's film festival to great fanfare last week, but the absence of the First World War drama from Calgary's upcoming event has some of the city's film workers miffed. The film has a significant Alberta pedigree: the provincial government invested more than $5 million in the $21-million production and much of it was shot last year in and around Calgary — the birthplace of the movie's writer, director, co-producer and star, Paul Gross. "A lot of our crew put their heart and soul into that movie. It was a tough, tough [shoot] under arduous conditions," Tom MacRae, a representative from Calgary film technicians' union IATSE local 212, told CBC News. "People were really proud of the fact they worked on a Canadian production, so I think they're very disappointed it's not going to be at [our] festival." The first chance most Albertans will get to see Passchendaele will be upon its limited Canadian theatrical release on Oct. 17, 2008. Luke Azevedo, Calgary's commissioner of film, television and creative industries as well as a member of the Calgary film fest board, said CIFF organizers did try but were ultimately unable to secure the film. "Are we happy about it? No," Azevedo said. "We did attempt, in many ways, shapes and forms, to get it here for the festival, but it just wasn't possible." The Calgary International Film Festival runs September 19-28, 2008. Last week, organizers unveiled a slate of more than 220 films to screen at this year's event, set to open with the Canadian co-production Blindness and close with the comedy Bard Got a Room.
 
BEHIND-THE-SCENE VIDEO OF "DEXTER" SEASON 3 [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
Before season three of "Dexter" is premiered on Showtime, a behind-the-scene video of the forthcoming season has been unraveled. Introducing the new season as the time when the rules are changed, the video compiles the season descriptions from the series' executive producer Clyde Phillips, leading man Michael C. Hall and other cast members, including Julie Benz and Jennifer Carpenter. The two-minute long video reveals what to expect from the serial killer working as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. Based on Jeff Lindsay's novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter", the series resolves around the life of Dexter Morgan. Looking like a perfect guy, he has one deathly secret. He is as a serial killer, murdering people who got away with horrible crimes. In the meantime, the new season will kick off on Sunday, September 28, 2008.
 
"THE ITALIAN JOB" SEQUEL PLAUSIBLE TO BE SHELVED [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
"The Brazilian Job", a planned follow up to 2003 crime thriller "The Italian Job", may not be happening after all. According to EW's Insider Blog, Seth Green, one of the first film's cast members, has put up the suggestion saying, "That's been listed as 'In Production' for over four years, and maybe you'll print this and someone will actually stop saying that!" On the holding up of the sequel, Green blamed it on a series of turnover happened in Paramount. "There are a couple of scripts that have been written, but in the last six years since we made the movie," he explained, "Paramount's hierarchy has changed hands four times and it's never seemed to be a priority for the studio to make the movie." He then added, "You would think that they would make the movie. There's enough of a fan outcry for it, but we just haven't been able to get the studio to greenlight it." "Brazilian Job" initially was scheduled to be released in 2007. It is said to be getting most of its original cast ensemble, especially Jason Statham and Charlize Theron, to reprise their roles once again, though it was mentioned earlier that Mark Wahlberg won't be signing back until the script was finished. Scripted by David Twohy, it is expected to be helmed once more by F. Gary Gray.
 
PARIS HILTON LIGHTS UP TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) [Reuters, 9/11/08]
It's not easy being Paris Hilton, always being photographed by the paparazzi doing things as mundane as ordering a hamburger at a drive-in. "Paris, Not France," a new documentary about the life and business of being Hilton, debuted on Tuesday, September 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much fun being the 27-year-old global celebrity. The movie from director Adria Petty, daughter of rocker Tom Petty, shows Hilton at work on red carpets and at home with her family and friends. Petty spent a year documenting Hilton's life and came away with an insider's view. Hilton, derided by some as a spoiled rich kid with little real talent but adored by her loyal fans, is given largely sympathetic treatment in the film. She talks openly about her infamous sex tape, growing up in the media glare and her critics and fans. Petty follows Hilton as she promotes various products that bear her name such as perfume, movies, television shows, a book and album. Everything she does comes under the glare of the media spotlight and the business of being Hilton seems to carry on non-stop. In one scene, a makeup artist prepares Hilton for a public appearance -- while she's asleep. Interviews with her parents Rick and Kathy Hilton, sister Nicky and others such as Donald Trump and feminist Camille Paglia provide commentary on the most famous member of the family that founded the Hilton hotels chain. Before Tuesday's screening began, Petty thanked Hilton, who was in the audience, for her "humor, wit, trust and taking me on the most incredible journey of my life." Accompanied by her boyfriend, rocker Benji Madden of the band Good Charlotte, Hilton smiled. With only that gesture, a burst of camera flashes went off. But when the lights came up after the 85-minute documentary, the pair scurried out a side door without waiting for the director's question-and-answer session that is common after public screenings at the Toronto film festival. When Hilton emerged outside, festival volunteers linked hands to provide a human fence from fans jockeying to catch a glimpse her. Not one to disappoint, Hilton did what she does best: stopping briefly, signing a few autographs, posing for cameras but not saying much. Then, she quickly faded into the Toronto night.
 
EXCLUSIVE CLIP BRINGS FIRST LOOK INTO "THE BURROWERS" [Aceshowbiz, 9/11/08]
Lionsgate Film have presented a brand new clip from "The Burrowers". Reeling in a first look into the horror film, the clip lets out how a man is being attack at night by an acid spitting monster. Though the footage doesn't really display the monster, it can be seen that it paralyzed its victim first before dragging him along. Set in Dakota territories in 1879, "Burrowers" tells the story of a group of men becoming a prey of something more than human. When a family is brutally abducted at night, an Irish immigrant, a naive teenager, an ex-slave and a pair of aging Indian-fighters are gathered together to form a rescue team. Expecting to encounter great dangers of the Old West, they are faced with an even more terrifying situation as a gruesome species is stalking their every move. Directed and written by J.T. Petty, the horror thriller will be making its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival sometime next week before celebrating its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin on September 21, 2008. Set to be premiered on DVD in April 2009, it will also be screened at Screamfest in October. The movie stars William Mapother, Clancy Brown, Sean Patrick Thomas, Laura Leighton, Alexander Skarsgard and others.
 
CANADIAN DOCS-IN-PROGRESS RAKE IN $338,000 IN FUNDING [CBC, 9/11/08]
"Act of God" a Canadian documentary film project directed by Genie Award-winning director Sarah Polley, Jennifer Baichwal and Kevin McMahon are among 12 projects chosen to receive a total of $338,000 in grants and no-interest loans from Canwest-Hot Doc Funds. Established in April by Canwest Global Communications Corp. and managed by the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the funds consist of a $3-million completion fund and a $1-million development fund to provide Canadian documentary filmmakers with financial support at critical stages in their projects. A total of 124 projects were submitted for consideration for the fund's first disbursement. Six completion grants totalling $258,000 have been awarded to the following projects: Act of God, Cat Ladies, Last Train Home, Love at the Starlite Motel, Rosebud and Waterlife. Six no-interest loans totalling $80,000 were awarded to the following projects: The Stories We Tell, Dark Chocolate, Offender Families - Forgiving Murder in the Family, Reena Virk, Residential Schools and Twinsterhood. The deadline for the next disbursement of Canwest-Hot Doc Funds is Oct. 15, 2008. Applications will be available later this month at hotdocs.ca. Recipients will be announced in November.
 
DOLLY PARTON: BROADWAY AND BUBBLEGUM [E! Online, 9/11/08]
Dolly Parton wrote all the songs for the new 9 to 5 musical, but that doesn't mean the show has an all-country playlist. In fact, the musical's book writer Patricia Resnick (she also wrote the original movie) says "Backwoods Barbie" is the only country number in the entire show. "The rest of the score is somewhere between pop and Broadway," Resnick said at last night's Outfest and American Cinematheque screening of the 1980 flick at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. For those 9 to 5, the original comedy starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as three coworkers who decide to take revenge on their "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot" boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman). Parton has been working on the Joe Mantello-directed musical for about four years. Previews of its world premiere, starring Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Marc Kudisch, begin tonight at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre. Ms. Parton wrote more songs for the show than they could ever use. "Dolly said she's going to release a whole CD of the ones that got away," Resnick said. While Resnick said everyone is focused on getting the stage show up and running (it moves to Broadway in the spring), she added that a movie of the musical adaptation could be a possibility. "I certainly would like it to be more on the Hairspray model than the Producers model," she said with a laugh. Meanwhile, just around the corner from the screening, a new art show at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery will be opening on Friday. Dollypop, co-curated by Steven Corfe and yours truly, features dozens of works inspired by—you guessed it—the country-music legend. World of Wonder has staged similar shows around Britney Spears and Madonna. Among the visual candy this time round is an original piece by New Yorker illustrator Robert de Michiell, Jason Kronenwald's portrait made from chewed gum and a painting by Bubbles the Artist (aka Friends theme-song writer Allee Willis). Dollypop runs through October 8, 2008.
 
LONDON FILM FESTIVAL SNAGS BOND PREMIERE [CBC 9/11/08]
The world premiere of the new James Bond film will be held at the London Film Festival Oct. 29 for an invitation-only crowd including Prince William and Prince Harry. On the same evening, Quantum of Solace, Bond's 22nd movie adventure, will have a public screening for a paying audience at London's Odeon West End cinema, two days before it opens commercially around the world. The announcement of the Bond premiere coincides with the release of a second trailer for Quantum of Solace, six weeks ahead of the film's arrival in UK cinemas. The two-minute taster contains excerpts from previously unseen action sequences and shows Daniel Craig's 007 and Dame Judi Dench's M discussing revenge. New Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is also featured in the trailer, which introduces the film's French villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). It's the first time a new Bond movie has been featured in the lineup, but there's more to the 52nd London Film Festival, which runs Oct. 15 to 30, 2008, than the Quantum of Solace exclusive. The festival's full program was announced Wednesday, September 10 and boasts 15 world premieres, 189 feature films and 108 shorts from 43 countries. Benicio Del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Omar Sharif, Liam Neeson and Penelope Cruz are among the celebrities who are expected to attend. As was previously announced, the festival kicks off with the world premiere of director Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. The film is based on the acclaimed Peter Morgan stage play and won't hit commercial cinemas until January 2009. It stars Michael Sheen, who plays journalist David Frost, and Frank Langella, who plays former U.S. president Richard M. Nixon, reprising roles they played on stage in New York and London's West End. Frost/Nixon is just one of a number of titles to take their inspiration from real-life figures. Oliver Stone's biopic of U.S. President George W. Bush, W, will have its European premiere Oct. 23. Josh Brolin plays the second President Bush as a hard-drinking, frivolous college student whose life is turned around after he finds God. The cast includes James Cromwell as George Bush Senior and Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice. The festival also includes Che, Steven Soderbergh's two-part portrait of Che Geuvara; Hunger, a drama about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands by director Steve McQueen; and Gonzo, a documentary about the late writer Hunter S. Thompson by director Alex Gibney. The lineup includes the festival's strongest roster of British titles in more than a decade, among them new offerings from Michael Winterbottom (Genova), Danny Boyle and Richard Eyre (The Other Man). Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire will close the festival.
 
SHORTER CHE WINS NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION DEAL [CBC, 9/11/08]
A slimmed-down version of Steven Soderbergh's lengthy biopic Che has won a North American distribution deal. IFC has agreed to release the 4.5-hour film in cinemas in Los Angeles and New York in December, a move that will allow it to qualify for the Academy Awards. "To have somebody say, 'We get it, we like it, we think this is a commercial movie, we're going to push it really hard.'... That's nice to hear after people saying, 'There's no way that we're going to release this movie, you're out of your minds,'" a relieved Soderbergh said in Toronto after signing the deal. He had drawn criticism for the length of the film about the young socialist revolutionary, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier in the week. Soderbergh also had been unable to get U.S. investment because of filming the biopic in Spanish. Star Benecio del Toro drew praise for his performance, but the film got a lukewarm reception at festivals where it has played. Soderbergh first screened it in Cannes in May, but has since cut 11.5 minutes out of the picture.
 
GLORIOUS NYC LAWSUIT FOR "BORAT" FILMMAKERS [AP, 9/10/08]
A New York judge has tossed out lawsuits brought by a driving instructor and two etiquette school teachers who said the makers of the movie "Borat" deceived them. Judge Loretta Preska says all three accepted money and signed agreements releasing the filmmakers from liability. She noted in a Sept. 3 ruling the agreements said the plaintiffs consented to appear in a "documentary-style" movie. In the 2006 film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen plays an uncouth and anti-Semitic journalist traveling the United States in pursuit of Pamela Anderson. Cohen often fools people with his gag interviews. Lawyers for the plaintiffs haven't returned phone messages seeking comment.
 
PART FOR WILLIAM SHATNER IN "STAR TREK" WAS WRITTEN [Aceshowbiz, 9/10/08]
William Shatner, the actor who has portrayed Captain Kirk in the original "Star Trek" television series, actually had a part written for him in new "Star Trek" film. The fact was let out by director/producer J.J. Abrams when he opened up to AMC about the actual plan for the star, "It was very tricky. We actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, it didn't quite feel right." Explaining about the problem the filmmakers have to face, the creator of "Alias" added, "The bigger thing was that he was very vocal that he didn't want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly, which, frankly, he deserves."  "The truth is, the story that we were telling required a certain adherence to the Trek canon and consistency of storytelling. It's funny - a lot of the people who were proclaiming that he must be in this movie were the same people saying it must adhere to canon. Well, his character died on screen. Maybe a smarter group of filmmakers could have figured out how to resolve that." Few weeks back, Abrams had put the speculation on Shatner making a special appearance in the Paramount Pictures film to rest. At the time, he stated that the only cast member from the original films reprising his role in "Star Trek" is Leonard Nimoy, who will once again return as Mr. Spock. The eleventh feature film of the famed sci-fi movie, "Star Trek" stars Chris Pine, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and many else. It will resolve around Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members during their years at Starfleet Academy. Scripted by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, it will be released in theaters on May 8, 2009.
 
NEW "ROBOCOP" SET NOWHERE RECOGNIZABLE [Aceshowbiz, 9/10/08]
The new "RoboCop" project may not take place somewhere in today's America, let alone in the present-time Detroit. At the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival, director Darren Aronofsky hinted the point saying to MTV News, "I don't think it's set anywhere that's recognizable." Though giving out bit of information about the set which is most likely to be a city of the future, the director of 2008 Golden Lion recipient "The Wrestler" only explained briefly on the factor attracting him to the film and refused to talk further about the project until the script is finished. "It's an interesting landscape," he said. "But we've got to get a screenplay. We're deep in it. But there's not much to say until there is a screenplay." Contrary to the circulating rumor, the film's producers have stated that "RoboCop" would be a reimagining of the film about the murdered cop re-created as a super-human cyborg instead of a direct sequel. Producer Mike Medavoy has also noted that the film slated for 2010 release is most likely to be rated 'R' like the previous installments.
 
THE RIDDLER AND PENGUIN CASTING RUMOUR CONFIRMED [Aceshowbiz, 9/10/08]
"The Dark Knight" actor, Michael Caine, has provided a ray of light in the midst of circulating rumors around the next possible foes for Batman and the actors who will play them in the next movie installment of the dark superhero. To MTV's Splash Page, the actor who played Alfred Pennyworth said that the studio have indicated that they want to cast Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Penguin. At the 2008 Toronto Film Festival while promoting "Is There Anybody There?", he spoke out about how he learned about what the studio have in mind. While Caine's statement on the casting of the villains seems to be confirming the widespread rumour, the studio have yet to offer any clarification or affirmation on the matter. Nevertheless, Depp himself has denied that he is up for the baddie role earlier in an interview with a Florida radio show insisting that he knows nothing about it, though admitting that the part would be "a fun gig". On the other hand, Hoffman and his camp have remained mum on the subject so far. Said to be tentatively entitled "The Caped Crusade", the sequel to the record-breaking "The Dark Knight", has been hit with many speculations on its possible baddies. While many predicted that the most likely villains presented are The Riddler and Penguin, some speculated that Catwoman may have a part as well suggesting that Cher and Angelina Jolie are lining up for the role. The filming allegedly is scheduled to begin in Vancouver early 2009.
 
'SCRUBS" OFF-LIMIT FOR NBC STARS OKA AND LANCASTER [Aceshowbiz, 9/10/08]
Due to respective commitments to the production house where their TV shows are under, "Heroes" star Masi Oka and "Chuck" actress Sarah Lancaster won't return as guest stars of "Scrubs". It has been months since NBC that own the right to "Heroes" and "Chuck" lost the sitcom "Scrubs" to ABC. NBC officially ban Oka and Lancaster from recurring their roles in the series that will open a whole new chapter next year in spring. On the decision, "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence accommodates his disappointment, saying "They (Oka and Lancaster) wanted to do it, but NBC said no. Typical classy stuff," and adding "But (they) should not have been part of that fight. It felt kind of petty to me." Oka played Franklin, a nerdy Japanese laboratory assistant who had his first appearance in first season while Lancaster portrayed Lisa, an attractive young blonde who ran the Sacred Heart Gift Shop in season 2. The initial plan was to have all the stars to appear in the season finale of the upcoming season 8. Those guests already on board of the finale are Amy Smart, Nicole Sullivan and Tom Cavanagh. "It was very emotional," an industry insider told Entertainment Weekly. "It should be an incredible finale." Lawrence once released a statement that the show will stem up to at least 9 seasons despite the main stars' departures. Zach Braff announced that he would end his participation at the end of the eight cycle and Judy Reyes hoped to continue works in feature films and on Broadway.
 
SPIELBERG RIPPED OFF HITCHCOCK CLASSIC: LAWSUIT [Reuters, 9/9/08]
Steven Spielberg and major Hollywood studios stole the plot from Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1954 film "Rear Window" in making last year's "Disturbia," a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday, September 8 said. Dreamworks, its parent company Viacom Inc, and Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal, are accused of copyright infringement and breach of contract for making "Disturbia" without first obtaining permission from the copyright holders, the suit said. Spielberg is credited as executive producer of the film, which grossed about $80 million at the U.S. box office, and is named as a defendant. According to the lawsuit, filed by the Sheldon Abend Revocable Trust, the basis for Hitchcock's 1954 film was "Murder from a Fixed Viewpoint," a short story by Cornell Woolrich. Hitchcock and actor James Stewart obtained the motion picture rights to the story in 1953. The lawsuit argues that Dreamworks should have done the same. "What the defendants have been unwilling to do openly, legitimately and legally, (they) have done surreptitiously, by their back-door use of the 'Rear Window' story without paying compensation," the lawsuit said. A spokesman for Spielberg declined to comment. Representatives of Viacom and NBC Universal were not immediately available for comment. According to the lawsuit, "Disturbia" and the "Rear Window" story are "essentially the same." Both are murder mysteries beginning with a man who, while peering from his window, witnesses strange behavior in the home of his neighbor. The protagonist in all three of the works behaves in essentially the same way, interacts with similar characters and the plot unfolds in basically the same way, the lawsuit said. "In the Disturbia film the defendants purposefully employed immaterial variations or transparent rephrasing to produce essentially the same story as the Rear Window story," the lawsuit said. In reviewing "Disturbia," the New York Times called it "a kind of adolescent 'Rear Window."' The Toronto Star newspaper called it "a rip off with wit."
 
ACCLAIMED DRAMA "THE WRESTLER" TIFF's FIRST MAJOR PURCHASE [CBC, 9/9/08]
An all-night bidding war for Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler ended in Toronto Monday, September 8 with Fox Searchlight and Remstar Media Partners winning U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for the film, touted as a triumphant comeback for Mickey Rourke. A packed theatre greeted the Toronto film festival premiere of "The Wrestler" on Sunday night, at which Aronofsky called his star "a fragile, beautiful human being." A day earlier, "The Wrestler" had taken the top prize at the Venice film festival, where critics hailed the bloody, brutal but soulful movie, as well as Rourke's vulnerable performance as a broken and battered professional wrestler long past his prime. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. According to trade papers Variety and Hollywood Reporter, buyers rushed out of Sunday's night's screening to offer producers their bids and theatrical release proposals for "The Wrestler". The movie is also among the TIFF selections now generating Oscar buzz, along with Jonathan Demme's family drama "Rachel Getting Married", which has the usually sunny Anne Hathaway playing against type as a recovering drug addict attending her sister's nuptials. Other films that have been well-received by Toronto audiences at the festival's mid-way point include Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, the sweet Michael Cera comedy Nick 'n Norah's Infinite Playlist and More Than a Game, an inspirational documentary that charted now-NBA star LeBron James's high-school basketball team. Among Canadian entries at TIFF, raunchy slacker comedy Control Alt Delete is among those to score a distributor: Maximum Films purchased worldwide distribution rights on Sunday, September 7, 2008.
 
SECOND SEASON OF "TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES" TOUCHES THE GREY MATTER [Aceshowbiz, 9/8/08]
The brand new second season of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", one to watch this week, will open with explosive and full-action sequences packed with CG animation. But as a balance to that, in the weeks to come, it will also pick up episodes that are not as high-octane, taking audience to a journey deeper into the character's mind. Introducing its sophomore cycle, Fox said that the season will show that "life for the Connors intensifies as their relationships are challenged and the present and the future begin to become one." In line with that executive producer Josh Friedman noted, "There's the people who really come for the action, there's people who really come for the characters, and then there's the large Venn diagram in the middle, which is the people who want both. And I think those are the ones that ultimately, I think, are the most pleased consistently because they'll get one or the other during the week." The new season that airs tonight (September 8) at 8:00 P.M. will also see a batch of new characters including Catherine Weaver (played by Garbage's Shirley Manson) who will be the CEO of Zeira Corp and Riley (Leven Rambin) who serves as the new mate of John (Thomas Dekker). The first episode which is titled "Samson and Delilah", will deal with the aftermath of Sarkissian's attack, and focus more on Agent Ellison allies with Charley Dixon. It will also put John in the position where he will lead the future rebellion but have to prevent the androids from the future from killing him. Sarah (Lena Heady) tells John, "If you die, they win."
 
WILL SMITH TAKING "THE LAST PHARAOH" CROWN [Aceshowbiz, 9/8/08]
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith, may next be seen as the titular character in "The Last Pharaoh". Eyeing to put the project to fruition for quite sometime, the Hollywood actor has reportedly managed to persuade "Braveheart" writer Randall Wallace to work on his film's script through his company, Overbrook Entertainment.  With Wallace on-board the project, Smith is one step closer to star as Taharqa, the Nubian pharaoh who was involved in a battle with the Assyrians to claim the throne of Amun-Ra and ruled over Egypt from 690BC to 664 BC. Through Overbrook, he is also attached to co-produce "Pharaoh" along with James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz.  "Last Pharaoh" is said to resolve around the battle between Taharqa, a member of Egypt's 25th dynasty, and Esarhaddon, Assyrian leader who seeks to invade Egypt. The war between the two ignited in 677 B.C. and lasted even until the death of Esarhaddon. Though this epic drama project is entitled "Last Pharaoh", Taharqa was not the last Pharaoh of Egypt. In reality, the last Pharaoh is Cleopatra VII.
 
FOUR MORE CHARACTER POSTER OF "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR" SHARED [Aceshowbiz, 9/8/08]
Walt Disney Pictures have let out another batch of "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" character posters. In tone of the movie's poster, the images are focused on four of the main characters, Gabriella Montez, Ryan Evans, Taylor McKessie and Chad Danforth, in their graduation robes and completed with the stars' signatures. Aside from those one-sheets, a Russian poster of the gang has also been put forward. It gathers up the six leading characters in their prom outfits. Once again highlighting on the drama in the lives of America's favorite high school students, the first of the "HSM" franchise to be brought to the big screen will take the East High high-schoolers, especially Troy and Gabriella, to their senior year and showcase the difficulties they experience as well as the choices they have to choose when faced with their future. Starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman, the Wildcats will be staging their last musical numbers revealing their fear, hopes and experiences on October 24, 2008.
 
"BANGKOK DANGEROUS" REACHES No. 1 IN SLOW WEEKEND [AP, 9/8/08]
The Nicolas Cage action-thriller "Bangkok Dangerous" needed just $7.8 million to take the top spot at the box office in what was the slowest movie weekend in five years, according to studio estimates released Sunday, September 7. The total weekend box office gross was expected to reach just $66 million, slightly less than the $66.7 million reported for the same weekend in September 2003. "We had no strong holdover from Labor Day Weekend to boost the box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers. "Bangkok Dangerous," a remake of a 1999 Asian movie that opened on 2,650 screens, performed within Lionsgate's expectations, said Steve Rothenberg, the studio's vice president of distribution. "We're going to make a profit on it," he said. "We lucked out. No one was going against it." Coming in second was "Tropic Thunder," the DreamWorks-Paramount combat comedy starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. It earned $7.5 million in its fourth week of release, good for No. 2 after three weeks in the box office top spot. Its cumulative total is $96.8 million. In third place was Sony/Columbia's frothy comedy "The House Bunny" with $5.9 million, giving it a cumulative total of $37 million after three weeks. Rounding out the top five films was "The Dark Knight," in fourth place with $5.7 million, and Overture Films' espionage drama "Traitor," with $4.7 million. The weekend results brought "The Dark Knight's" cumulative total to $512 million, second only to "Titanic." Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
 
RICKY GERVAIS SEES DEAD PEOPLE IN "GHOST TOWN" [Reuters, 9/8/08]
Ricky Gervais sees dead people. And he has found them to be a demanding bunch in his new movie "Ghost Town" as they clamor for help and attention from the only man who knows they're there. That man is antisocial dentist Bertram Pincus (Gervais), who hates chit-chat, doesn't like the living much, and now, after a colonoscopy gone wrong, suddenly starts seeing ghosts. The romantic comedy, which also stars Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni, provides a first leading role on the big screen for Gervais, who made his name as David Brent in the British comedy TV series "The Office" and won critical acclaim for his HBO TV series "Extras." A master in deriving comedy from awkward social situations, Gervais makes the transition to the big screen with a series of droll one-liners. Pincus is hardly a grown-up version of the young Cole Sear from 1999's "The Sixth Sense," played by Haley Joel Osment, whose line "I see dead people" has become a part of pop culture and movie history. In fact, "Ghost Town," is about as far from a supernatural thriller like "Sense" as a comedy can get and unlike Sear, who is haunted by ghosts, Pincus sees his rough exterior softened. Before accepting the "Ghost Town" role, Gervais told reporters he had a few rules: no nudity or kissing because "no one wants to see that," no shots of him talking to himself alone in a room, "because no one does that." And he promised Koepp he would probably ruin at least 30 percent of the scene takes by giggling through them. Gervais said he knew he lacked big screen experience and he initially was nervous about acting alongside stars such as Kinnear, but now that it's done, he thinks he has a future. "I'd like to play a bad guy, like the worst person ever," he deadpanned. "Hannibal Lecter, but with less moral conscience" "Ghost Town" opens in U.S. theaters on September 19, 2008.
 
"RENT" TO BRING DOWN THE CURTAIN ON BROADWAY RUN [AP, 9/8/08]
Broadway prepared to say goodbye Sunday to "Rent," 12 years and 5,124 performances after it first became a rock musical with a message for theatergoers of all ages. "There's mixed emotions, but it's time," said Allan S. Gordon, one of its producers. The show, book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, was born off-Broadway in triumph and tragedy. Larson died of an aortic aneurism after its final dress rehearsal in January 1996. He was 35. "It was the most shocking thing," Gordon recalled. "I still can't believe Jonathan is dead. All you need is one (big hit), and he had that. I don't miss what he didn't write. I feel bad that he isn't here to enjoy what he did." Larson's tale of free-spirited artists and street people in a gritty drug- and AIDS-plagued East Village of the early 1990s touched several generations. Rave reviews propelled "Rent" to Broadway where the musical opened the following April at the Nederlander Theatre, a house often shunned by producers because it was on the wrong side of 42nd Street. The show, inspired by Puccini's "La Boheme," found a ready-made audience in young people. Its fanatical supporters were nicknamed "Rentheads," and many of them saw the show after the musical instituted a same-day, front-row ticket price of $20. The plan proved so popular that it was changed to a lottery format to accommodate the demand. Yet the show's fans were more than just young theatergoers. "It's 80 percent the traditional audience," Gordon explained. "'Rent' was not defined by age. It attracted a wide spectrum of people. People of all ages love it. That's why it survived." Survived and thrived — winning Tonys, Obies and the Pulitzer Prize for drama as well as grossing more than $280 million during its Broadway run. Millions more were made from national tours and foreign productions that performed on six continents. A film version, using much of the original cast, was released in 2005. All Broadway shows have a finite life, a beginning and, no matter how successful, an end. Even "Cats" closed, and, one day, so will "The Phantom of the Opera." But what made "Rent" stand out and be embraced by so many people? But it's not the end of "Rent," according to Gordon. Another tour starts in January for some 30 weeks with several members of the original cast. Plus a new cinecast of "Rent," filmed in High-Definition video by Sony Pictures during the musical's last performances, will be shown in movie theaters in the United States and Canada for four days (Sept. 24-25 and Sept. 27-28, 2008). Check thehotticket.net website for locations. "'Rent' is recorded for history, so it's not like it's disappearing off the map," Gordon said. "Hmmm, maybe I should bring back a revival next year."
 
SPIKE LEE OFFERS BLOOD, HOPE IN WORLD WAR TWO FILM [Reuters, 9/8/08]
Filmmaker Spike Lee was focusing on the past when he made a movie about oft-forgotten the role of black soldiers in World War Two, a war film with both blood and schmaltz set in Tuscany. But the way the United States has changed since then makes the movie relevant for the present too, said Lee, who proudly sported an Obama T-shirt as he introduced "Miracle at St Anna" to the Toronto International Film Festival this week. The movie, filmed mostly in Italy, and partly funded there, tells the story of four members of the all-black 92nd Division Buffalo Soldiers who are stranded behind enemy lines during the U.S. army's push up the Italian peninsula. At times violent, at times touching and at times pure saccharine, the film highlights both the camaraderie of the four soldiers and the tensions between them, and the ugly racism that they faced at home and from their white commanders. While Lee has focused on race in a string of movies from "Do the Right Thing" up to "Inside Man," and "When the Levees Broke," he insists America has moved well away from the racism in this latest film, where his soldier heroes are sent to the back door of a Louisiana bar while Nazi prisoners of war guzzle ice cream sundaes inside. "There has been a seismic movement in this country," Lee told Reuters, noting that even a few years ago, Barack Obama could not have won the Democratic nomination for president. "I'm trying to change the world for the better, and entertain at the same time."
 
CLINT AND SPIKE, "ARE COOL"
Lee made headlines earlier this year when he complained that director Clint Eastwood had ignored the role of African Americans in his twin movies about the battle of Iwo Jima, "Flags of our Fathers" and "The Battle of Iwo Jima." But he insisted on Sunday, September 7 that the spat had been overdone. "Clint Eastwood and I are cool ... it's not an issue," he said. "He believes what he believes, and I believe what I believe, and that's that. There's no malice toward him." "Miracle at St Anna" is Lee's first movie filmed outside America, and the first that is filmed in three languages, with actors from America, Italy and Germany. Fleeing from the Germans after a bloody battle, the American solders stumble across a wide-eyed Italian boy, played by first-time child actor Matteo Sciabordi, and the child's own past becomes a symbol for the pointless cruelty of war. "It's an African-American-Italian neo-realist film," Lee said. He said "Miracle" had been hard to finance, despite the $184 million global box office take for thriller "Inside Man," which starred Clive Owen as a bank robber carrying out the perfect heist, and Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the detectives who try to outsmart him. "It's hard to get funding and it's no different with this film, and that's been the story from the beginning," he said. "It's not a comic book, super hero stuff, and also you don't have a big star attached -- it's not a good environment for these type of films to be made, so we are very happy to be here," he said separately at a festival news conference. "It's a miracle that this film got made." "Miracle at St Anna," distributed by Walt Disney Co unit Touchstone Pictures, opens in North America on September 26, 2008.
 
STAR OF SILENT SCREEN AND TALKIES ANITA PAGE DIES [CBC, 9/8/08]
Anita Page, an actress who appeared with the likes of Buster Keaton, Joan Crawford and Lon Chaney, has died at age 98. The actress died early Saturday morning, September 6 in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, revealed actor Randal Malone, her longtime friend and companion, on Sunday. Page's daughter Linda Sterne said her mother was close friends with stars such as Marion Davies and Jean Harlow. "She was the best mother I could have," Sterne said. "She was wonderful." Page's career spanned more than eight decades, starting in 1924 when she appeared as an extra. Four years later, she played the doomed bad girl in Our Dancing Daughters with Crawford. The film would boost their careers and spawned two sequels: Our Modern Maidens and Our Blushing Brides. Also in 1928, the New York-born Page starred opposite Chaney in While the City Sleeps, and the next year, she co-starred in The Broadway Melody, which marked the first talking picture to win an Oscar for best film and is considered the first true movie musical. Variety wrote in 1929 that Page "is also apt to bowl the trade over with a contribution that's natural all the way, plus her percentage on appearance.... She can't dance, [but] the remainder of her performance is easily sufficient to make this impediment distinctly negligible." Shortly after, Page appeared in two of Keaton's sound films: Free and Easy (1930) and Sidewalks of New York (1931). She went on to star with Walter Huston in The Easiest Way (1931) and Night Court (1932). Page would also win acclaim for her portrayal of a prostitute in Skyscraper Souls (1932). She was briefly married to composer Nacio Herb Brown, but the marriage was annulled within a year. Page stopped acting in 1936 when she fell in love with Herschel House, a navy aviator. The couple married six weeks later. Page found a new role in playing the officer's wife in Coronado, a city peninsula in the San Diego Bay, and had two daughters, Linda and Sandra, with Brown. After House died in 1991, Page returned to acting, and in 1994, she appeared in the suspense thriller Sunset After Dark. More recently, she had a cameo in the horror film Frankenstein Rising, due out later this year.
 
PITT PLAYS DUMB IN COENS' "BURN AFTER READING" [AP, 9/7/08]
Brad Pitt has wanted to work with the Coen brothers for ages. Then he got wind of the birdbrain they had written for him to play. "I've been knocking on the brothers' door for a few years, so I was really happy when they called me," Pitt told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, September 6, a day after Joel and Ethan Coen's comedy "Burn After Reading" premiered there. "Until I read the piece, and I was real upset," Pitt jokingly added. Pitt's character, an ignoramus in way over his head on a blackmail scheme, is among a gaggle of boneheads caroming about in "Burn After Reading," whose cast includes his and the Coens' frequent collaborator George Clooney, plus John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins and Joel Coen's wife, Frances McDormand. Opening in theaters Friday, the movie casts Pitt and McDormand as fitness trainers who stumble on a disc containing classified documents and try to extort cash from the ex-CIA analyst (Malkovich) who was the origin of the leaked data. Pitt plays the goof to the hilt, his character's inept attempts at cloak-and-dagger intrigue providing some of the movie's biggest laughs. "The leading man role is usually the guy who's got the answers, figures things out and defuses the bomb within seconds and is always experienced. And all of that's pretty good for the ego sometimes. But it's more fun playing guys who make the wrong choices, have limited experience and make presumptions," Pitt said. Wearing fitness club shorts and T-shirt, with his hair teased into a puffy tower with a blond streak, Pitt also toyed with his movie star looks in "Burn After Reading." "We had kind of a competition going on the set as to who had the most ridiculous hair, and I think you may have won, Brad," co-star Swinton, whose character has a strange, swirled hairdo herself, said at a festival news conference alongside Pitt, the Coens and Malkovich. "We were all going in for that Javier Bardem prize," Swinton said, referring to the odd page-boy hairdo Bardem wore in last year's Coen brothers crime thriller, "No Country for Old Men." In an interview with The Associated Press a day earlier, the Coens said Pitt's hairdo was a happy accident. Ethan Coen said they had figured that as a gymnasium worker, the character might have a crew cut. "Just by accident, Brad had done a commercial or photo shoot or something where his hair had been streaked, and he went in for a fitting for wardrobe for this with this kind of leftover hair, so we went, 'Oh, how about that?'" Ethan Coen said. Pitt has tended toward action and drama, including "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" a tale due out late this year adapted from an F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages backward from old age toward infancy. Aiming for laughs with "Burn After Reading" did not seem out of place to Pitt, though. "I feel I've been doing comedies for years, but maybe they weren't so funny," Pitt said. Pitt, who has worked with Clooney on "Ocean's Eleven" and its two sequels, was asked if he might work again with romantic partner Angelina Jolie. Their relationship began after they co-starred in the action hit "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." "Angie and I, we're working together everyday, I can guarantee," Pitt said.
 
U.S. "WRESTLER" ROMANCE TAKES VENICE PRIZE IN BIG WIN FOR MICKEY ROURKE [CBC, 9/7/08]
Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler has nabbed the top award at the Venice Film Festival. The film, starring Mickey Rourke, was handed the Golden Lion on Saturday, September 6 at the end of the 11-day festival. German director Wim Wenders, head of the seven-member jury, was full of praise for Rourke: "This is for a film with a truly heartbreaking performance in the very sense of the word, and if I say heartbreaking, you know I am talking about Mickey Rourke." Aronofsky's movie, running in contention with 20 other films, concerns a retired wrestler who strikes up a romance with an aging stripper played by Marisa Tomei. The American director's previous films have included Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain. Russia's Aleksey German won the award for best director for Bumaznyj soldat (Paper Soldier), about the early days of the space program in the Soviet Union. Italian Silvio Orlando captured best actor for his role in Pupi Avati's Il Papa' di Giovanna (Giovanna's Father), which chronicles a father's relationship with his troubled adult daughter. And Dominique Blanc of France won best actress for playing jealous woman in L'Autre (The Other One), directed by Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic. Teza, by Ethiopian director Haile Gerima, picked up both the special jury award and best screenplay. American actress Jennifer Lawrence was named best emerging actress for her role in The Burning Plain, appearing alongside Oscar winners Kim Basinger and Charlize Thero. The Wrestler marked a triumphant return for Rourke, 51, whose star has dimmed considerably since his golden days of the 1980s when the actor had a string of hits including Diner, Angel Heart, Rumblefish and the infamous 9½ Weeks. Rourke says Aronofsky was brutally honest with him before hiring the actor, who has led a life of violence and run-ins with the law. Rourke even briefly returned his original career, boxing, during the 1990s. "[Aronofsky said] 'I have a film I want to do with you. But you have to listen to me, you must never disrespect me, you can't go out every night — and I can't pay you either,'" Rourke told BBC News. His performance wowed critics, who placed him in the running for the best actor prize.
 
"24" PRODUCTION SHUT DOWN [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Golden Globe award-winning action drama, "24", will stop its filming for more than two weeks. On Friday, September 5, the 20th Century Fox have confirmed on the shutting down of the production grounding the decision on giving filmmakers time to rethink the direction and rewrite the script. The work stoppage will be done after the completion of episode 18 on September 15 and the shooting is expected to resume on October 9. The idea of the hiatus has come from "24" executive producer Howard Gordon because he is concerned with the direction of the season's final six episodes. Though the production will be halted for quite a while, it has been stated that the shutting down of filming won't affect the series' season 7 launch in January 2009 since it was already ahead of schedule. This is not the first time the production for season 7 is being stopped. Back in December 2007, the filming was shut down due to the writers strike. Before season 7 will get its air time, Fox will be presenting viewers with a 2-hour season 7 prologue entitled "24: Redemption". The television movie starring Kiefer Sutherland will serve to be the bridge between seasons 6 and 7 and is set to be broadcast on November 23, 2008. It will be set partially in Southern Africa where Bauer finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find a peaceful place.
 
"ME AND ORSON WELLES" PREMIERED AT 2008 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Me and Orson Welles, Cinetic Media-produced movie, has lighted up the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 5 with its premiere. Holding the special event at Ryerson Theatre, Toronto, the world premiere saw the attendance of Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Hugh Dancy and director Richard Linklater. Gossip Girls reported that Efron arrived to the first full screening event along with his co-star Danes. On the evening, the "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" lead man was dressed in a brown suit completed with a white button-up shirt, skinny brown tie and a pair of wingtip shoes, while Danes wore dark blue mini dress. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, "Me and Orson Welles" tells the story of Samuels, a teenager who gets the chance to make his big break when he is hired to star in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar, but soon learns the horrible secret of show business. The film which is slated to be outed in 2009 was shot in the Isle of Man, London and New York over February, March and April 2008.
 
"SOUL MEN" DEBUTS FIRST TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
The first trailer to Dimension Films latest drama comedy, "Soul Men", has arrived. Focusing on revealing the dynamic between Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac, the trailer highlights on two estranged backup soul-singers, Louis and Floyd, as they travel across the country together once again, experiencing misadventures and reliving the pain of betrayal along the way. Telling the reunion story of the two remaining members from the popular 70's soul band, The Real Deal, "Soul Men" centers on Floyd Henderson, a retired business man, and Louis Hinds, an ex-convict. When the two find out that their band's lead singer Marcus Hook has recently passed away, they decide to make a musical tribute for their late friend. Taking a road trip to the Apollo Theater for the cause, the estranged duo soon falls into a series of adventures that forced them to realize that they still have the music in them. A Malcolm D. Lee-directed film, "Soul Men" is one of the last movies in which comedian Mac and soul singer Isaac Hayes star. The two passed away in unrelated circumstances on August 9 and August 10 respectively. Mac's cause of death has been blamed on complications of pneumonia, while Hayes' was due to a stroke. Meanwhile, the movie itself will be released on November 14, 2008.
 
NEW "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE" PHOTO REVEALED [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Fans are treated with another new image from the sixth installment of "Harry Potter" franchise, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Posted by Snitch Seeker who claimed to get the picture from an anonymous email, the photo captures the moment when Harry, Arthur, Ginny, Tonks, and Lupin are standing amidst a field of reeds during the battle outside the Burrow. Dealing with an impending war atmosphere around the wizarding world, "Half-Blood Prince" has been said to be darker than previous movies. When asked about his comment on how scary the new movie will be while attending "The Duchess" London premiere on Wednesday, September 3, the actor who portrayed the evil Lord Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes, confessed, "I haven't seen it yet so I'm not sure if it's scarier than the others." Directed by David Yates from the script by Steven Kloves, the Warner Bros. film puts up Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Tom Felton and many others as the cast ensemble. It has been pushed back from its November 21, 2008 release to July 17, 2009. In this flick, dark wizard Voldermort has expanded his terror, even to the safest haven of all, Hogwarts. Though Harry is suspecting that the danger now is lurking from within the stone wall and Dumbledore is preparing him for the worst that will ultimately strike them, he and his friends are sidetracked as they try to unfold the mystery behind the nickname 'Half-Blood Prince'.
 
HELLBOY'S DEL TORO SIGNS MAJOR FOUR-PICTURE DEAL [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro has inked a giant four-picture deal with Universal studios that will keep him busy for more than 10 years. Del Toro said he saw the agreement as "the renewal of my marital vows with Universal." The director is likely to start work first on the Charles Dickens-inspired novel, Drood, according to Variety. Written by Dan Simmons and due to be published 2009, the novel offers a fictional interpretation of the life of Charles Dickens as he prepared to write his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Prior to that, however, del Toro is already set to direct two films based on The Hobbit and other J.R.R. Tolkien works. The 43-year-old helmer could spend about four years on those movies and will devote himself exclusively to Universal after that. Del Toro — whose current movie Hellboy II: The Golden Army is still on screens — is slated to remake Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. "Guillermo is in the most prolific time of his life," said Donna Langley, Universal's president of production. "We came out the other side of some tough conversations with a stronger bond and sense of long-term commitment." "Slaughterhouse Five", in which a prisoner in a German POW camp during World War II travels through time and space, was previously filmed in 1972. Del Toro's previously acclaimed films include The Devil's Backbone and 2006's Pan's Labyrinth, which captured three Academy Awards including best art direction and cinematography.
 
CONSERVATIVE MINISTER ANNOUNCES $1.13M GRANT TO VANCOUVER THEATRE [CBC, 9/7/08]
The Arts Club Theatre Company has won a $1.13-million grant from the federal Department of Canadian Heritage toward renovations of the Granville Island Stage. The Vancouver-based theatre company is attempting to raise $5.6 million for capital spending and an endowment fund. With the funding announced Friday, September 5 by Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, $2.3 million has been raised. Arts Club artistic managing director Bill Millerd said there is a need for additional rehearsal space since the Stanley Theatre opened. The company plans to renovate its lobby and box office, increase rehearsal space, install an elevator and upgrade production equipment. The Granville Island Stage has not been renovated since 1979. The Arts Club Theatre Company, now in its 45th season, tours shows through B.C. and operates two Vancouver theatres — the Stanley Theatre and the Granville Island Stage — which are also used by other arts groups.
 
ALBERTA FILM INDUSTRY GETS $14M BOOST [CBC, 9/7/08]
After years of government cuts, Alberta's film industry is getting a one-time shot of $14 million from the province. Friday's (September 5) boost to Alberta's Film Development Program, which provides funding for film and TV projects shot and produced in the province, brings the 2008-09 budget for the program to almost $34 million. "This investment will allow us to meet our current commitments to the industry, while also ensuring we can continue to attract world-class projects," said Lindsay Blackett, minister of culture and community spirit, in a news release. A new funding model for the program is being developed to find a long-term solution that ensures Alberta is competitive with industry incentives offered by other jurisdictions, said the province. Film and television production increased by 10 per cent each year since 2003-04, said the province. In 2005-06, the industry generated about $165 million of economic activity in Alberta. After years of cuts to the arts, the Alberta government is trying to shore up its support for the province's arts community. Sept. 6 marks the first-ever Alberta Arts Day, where people across the province are being encouraged to take part in the showcase of Alberta artists, performers and writers.
 
JIM CARREY'S "YES MAN" GETS AUSTRALIA TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Following the earlier released teaser, an Australian trailer of Jim Carrey's upcoming comedy "Yes Man" has come out. Unlike the teaser which focuses on the word 'Yes', the new video exposes what Carrey's character is saying yes to from learning Korean to road skating downhill. Living an ordinary life, Carl Allen is seeking for thrill in his life. For that, he enters himself to a self-help program which principle is to say yes to everything and anything. Though reluctant of doing so initially, he slowly grabs the idea and sees his life being transformed in amazing and unexpected ways. But, soon he discovers that his new life principle has its own drawbacks. Based on the true story and 2005 Scottish humorist Danny Wallace's biography of the same name, "Yes Man" also stars Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Molly Sims and Danny Masterson among others. Coming to theaters on December 19, 2008, it is directed by "The Break-Up" helmer Peyton Reed and written by David Iserson.
 
LIVE-ACTION "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE" CONFIRMATION DEBUNKED [Aceshowbiz, 9/7/08]
Despite Kevin Eastman's previous confirmation on the making of brand new live-action movie about the four ninja turtles, "Untitled New TMNT Project", recent report has suggested that the news holds no truth in it. Writing a response to Eastman's remark, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writer Stephen Murphy wrote in his blog, The 5th Turtle, that it is "complete nonsense and entirely untrue". Prior to this reaction, Murphy has also squashed Playmates Toys' claim about the same matter which led to Playmates to change their statement writing, "Following the success of the TMNT theatrical release in 2007, Mirage Licensing is in negotiation with several companies about a new TMNT movie for release in 2010." Commenting on the revised words, he further stated that he "can wholeheartedly confirm" the statement, but still noted that the new film is most likely to be coming out in 2011. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" is originated from Mirage Studios' well-known comic book about a group of anthropomorphic turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, trained to be skilled Ninja warriors by their sensei, Master Splinter. It was created by Eastman and his friend Peter Laird, but was later revamped by Ryan Brown and Stephen Murphy when Eastman and Laird decided to hand it over to Mirage. Meanwhile, on the CG-animation version of the ninja turtles, "TMNT", the Kevin Munroe-directed movie has been released on March 23, 2007. It follows the four mutant brothers who have grown apart since the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder as they have to work together as a solid team when an army of ancient creatures are summoned to take over the world.
 
VENICE REMEMBERS STEEL FACTORY DEATHS IN TWO FILMS [Reuters, 9/6/08]
"Is my face burnt? I don't want to die!" shouts a steel worker engulfed in a fire last December at a ThyssenKrupp plant in northern Italy, shortly before dying with six of his colleagues. His screams, recorded in a phone call made by fellow workers to the emergency services, can be heard in "The Germans' Factory," one of two documentaries about the workplace deaths premiering at the Venice film festival. "Are they burned or are they charred?" the emergency services operator chillingly asks. "The Germans' Factory" uses interviews with the victims' families, colleagues, the fire brigade and the prosecutor investigating the case to describe the inferno in which the seven workers burned to death in the early hours of December 6, 2007. Some were working on regular night shifts, others were doing overtime to top up a monthly salary of less than 1,500 euros. One was just passing by to greet his colleagues before returning home. Fellow workers who tried to save them say the fire extinguishers were empty and that safety standards in general at the Turin factory, which was being dismantled to be relocated in central Italy, were inadequate. That charge is denied by ThyssenKrupp, which earlier this year reached a 13-million euro compensation deal with the families. A Turin prosecutor has asked for six of the factory's executives to be sent to trial. "Thyssen's seven dead were a rude awakening that brought us back to reality," director Mimmo Calopresti said in production notes. "A nightmare made of danger, flames and employees, workers who still to this day risk their lives." The tragedy, one of the deadliest work accidents in Italy in recent years, shocked the country and prompted the government to tighten job safety legislation, so far with limited effect. Hardly a day goes by without newspapers reporting deaths at work, and a recent survey by research institute Eurispes said 1,170 people died in Italy in 2007 while doing their job -- almost twice the number of murders and far more than in other European countries. The second documentary screened in Venice was "ThyssenKrupp Blues" by Pietro Balla and Monica Repetto, a project which started before the accident and follows nearly one year in the life of one of the factory's laid-off workers.
 
"BEES" TAKES OFF AT TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/6/08]
Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed Civil Rights-era novel "The Secret Life of Bees," about a troubled South Carolina teen who finds redemption in an unlikely place, has been turned into an affecting ensemble piece that's destined to generate a fair share of awards-season buzz. Nicely adapted and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Love & Basketball"), the Toronto International Film Festival premiere really takes flight on the wings of its powerhouse female-centric cast headed by Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and, especially, Sophie Okonedo. At least a couple of those performances are certain to resonate particularly strongly ahead of the film's October 17 release, which, along with sturdy word-of-mouth, should give Fox Searchlight a head-start in its kudos campaigning. Fanning, who so far seems destined to avoid that awkward teen phase, is as impressive as ever in the role of Lily Owens, a 14-year-old who must cope with tremendous guilt feelings over the death of her mother as well as daily castigation at the hands of her cold, abusive father (Paul Bettany). Ultimately fleeing with her caretaker, the strong-willed Rosaleen (Hudson), the two find sanctuary in a big Pepto Bismol-pink house belonging to successful bee farmer August Boatwright (Queen Latifah) and her two sisters -- the independent June (Keys) and the delicate, childlike May (Okonedo). Director-screenwriter Prince-Bythewood maintains for the most part a firm grip on the material, careful not to overplay potentially tricky, big dramatic sequences. But though that admirable restraint occasionally comes across as tentativeness in other parts of the film, she succeeds in coaxing uniformly lovely performances from her honey of a cast. Queen Latifah shines as the calming nurturer of the three sisters, while Keys proves to be as commanding a presence in front of the camera as she is behind a piano. And while Hudson, though in a less substantial role, continues to make good on her Oscar-winning "Dreamgirls" promise, it's Okonedo who movingly steals the show as the Boatwright sister who tragically carries the weight of the world on her fragile shoulders. Having previously been nominated for an Oscar for her turn opposite Don Cheadle in "Hotel Rwanda," it would be surprising if Okonedo's achingly poignant performance didn't earn her a return ticket.
 
BLOOD RED CARPET FOR VAMPIRE SERIES "TRUE BLOOD" PREMIERE [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Presenting their latest novel adaptation for television series, HBO rolled down a blood red carpet in front of The Cinerama Dome in Hollywood to celebrate the L.A. premiere of "True Blood". The special first screening event was held on Wednesday, September 4, three days before the series will be aired for the first time on September 7. The evening celebration saw mostly the stars of the series that include Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Ryan Kwanten, Jim Parrack, Sam Trammell and Rutina Wesley. Aside from the stars, series creator Alan Ball and Southern Vampire Mysteries books author Charlaine Harris were also in attendance. Produced by HBO in association with Your Face Goes Here Entertainment, "True Blood" tells the story where humans and vampires live a co-existing life in a small Louisiana town after Japanese-made synthetic blood, "TruBlood", are available for purchase. The series centers its plot on a telepathic waitress named Sookie Stackhouse who falls in love with one of the vampires.
 
ROBERT DE NIRO BOWS OUT FROM "EDGE OF DARKNESS" [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Drama thriller "Edge of Darkness" has just lost one of its star players with Robert De Niro's departure. The 65-year-old bailed out from the adaptation movie days after he arrives on the set in Massachusetts due to creative differences. On his sudden change of heart, his spokesman explained, "Sometimes things don't work out; it's called creative differences." In the movie, De Niro has actually been signed to portray CIA officer Darius Jedburgh who is sent to clean up the evidence in the murder of a young woman. Because principal photography has been started since August 18, director Martin Campbell will have to settle with the shooting around De Niro's character until the filmmakers find his replacement. Adapted from 1985 BBC television series by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell, "Darkness" centers its story on Boston Police Department's homicide detective, Thomas Craven, who investigates the murder of his daughter, Emma. Along the way, he uncovers Emma's secret as well as corporate cover-up and government collusion. The flick produced by GK Films stars Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Shawn Roberts, Bojana Novakovic, Wayne Duvall. It is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2009.
 
LADIES EXTRAVAGANZA AT "THE WOMEN" HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Picturehouse Entertainment have thrown a premiere for their latest comedy movie, "The Women", at Mann Village Theater, Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 4. Like the movie which is flooded with amazing all-girl cast ensemble, the special event was dominated with women from director/writer Diane English to "American Pie" actress Tara Reid. The red carpet event was attended by most of A-listers who star in the remake film, including Meg Ryan, Debra Messing, Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman and Debi Mazar. Aside from those actresses, "All About Eve" actress Celeste Holm and "Ugly Betty" villain Vanessa Williams were also seen strolling down the red carpet. Though the event seemed to be a ladies night, it doesn't mean that men were out from the picture for the night. Joining the celebration with their wives were two Hollywood big names, Warren Beatty and Will Smith. A modern adaptation of Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 play, "Women" is a reboot of the 1939 George Cukor-directed film of the same name. It tells the story of clothing designer Mary Haines who seems to be living a perfect life in her friends' eyes. But, when her friends find out that Mary's husband is cheating on her, their close-knit friendship is put to the ultimate test. It is due to be released on September 12, 2008.
 
"GHOSTBUSTERS 3" MOVING FORWARD [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
"Ghostbusters 3" is most likely to be well on the way as Columbia Pictures have hired scribes for their newest comedy fantasy project. On Thursday, September 4, Variety reported that the production company have picked up "The Office" writers/co-executive producers, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, to pen the script. Reportedly, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky are expected to design the film to be a platform for the original cast, consisting of Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, to be teaming up once again as the ghost exterminators. The pair have recently collaborated with Ramis for his directed comedy "Year One" by providing the script. Earlier, one of "Ghostbusters" original actors, Aykroyd, has hinted on the possibility of the third movie being pushed forward. To E! Online, the comedian said, "Two sharp young writers in Hollywood are purported to be writing the sequel. It would be the third movie now. If I could get Seth [Rogen] and Judd [Apatow] to be a part of it, that would be a dream. Absolutely." The original "Ghostbusters" movie was Columbia's highest grossing film ever until "Men in Black" and "Spider-Man" came along and was also the biggest grossing film of 1984 with the overall domestic sales of $238.6 million. It follows three misfit parapsychology research professors who were kicked out of Columbia University. Looking for another way to make their living, they provide services for professional paranormal investigations and eliminations.
 
TNT DEVELOPING SPIN-OFF TO "THE CLOSER" [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Golden Globe Awards winning television show "The Closer" will have its spin-off in production. TNT have announced that they have ordered for a script for the spin-off which will be penned by the creator/executive producer James Duff. In the new project, Duff will be assisted by co-executive producers Adam Belanoff and Michael Berchem. No clue yet as to which character from the cop drama series the spin-off will focus on, or whether it will chronicle only one or the whole cast altogether. According to Hollywood Reporter, industry insiders said that it may be titled "The Fixer". "The Closer", starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, has won several acknowledgments since its first season in 2005, becoming the most-watched series premiere on ad-supported cable. It is currently rolling its fourth season which will run for 15 episodes.
 
COBRA COMMANDER SEEN AS TWISTED CHARACTER IN "G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA" [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
More details from the upcoming "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" have been shared and this time it is about the meanest of the baddies, Cobra Commander. Providing more information about this character, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told MTV News that Destro's boss will be portrayed as an intricate character saying, "As we see it, he's a very twisted character. As the backstory evolves, you discover why his personality [is like that]." Contrasting the masked character played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt with Heath Ledger's Joker, di Bonaventura noted that unlike Joker who takes control of his background, Cobra's past will be unveiled in the movie. "I thought what was great in 'The Dark Knight' was that Heath kept telling you different stories [about his past] so you never knew what it was, and they were all spooky and crazy," he said. "[In our film] you get to see it, and you get to understand what's happened to this guy." Furthermore, the producer also revealed that there will be some changes done to the mask used by this villain. "We'll see Cobra Commander in the Cobra mask [but] it will not be like the show," he confessed. "I found some of the [mask] aspects a little KKK for me so we tried to steer away from that image. We thought that might be a little much." And for the voice of the character, he insisted that the filmmakers will stick with Gordon-Levitt to get the menace out of the character. Based on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy franchise, "Rise of Cobra" is helmed by Stephen Sommers from the script by Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods. It stars Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Brendan Fraser, Ray Park, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols and Christopher Eccleston among others. The production took place in Downey, California and Prague's Barrandov Studios, while the movie itself is set for August 7, 2009 release.
 
SHIA LaBEOUF BEING INTERROGATED IN INTENSE "EAGLE EYE" CLIP [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
A fresh clip from intense thriller "Eagle Eye" has been unearthed. The short new footage highlights on two major characters, Jerry Shaw played by Shia LaBeouf and Thomas Morgan portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton, in a scene where Shaw tries to explain to the authoritative figure that he has been framed as terrorist, but his effort is met with serious threats from Morgan. Returning home after his successful twin brother is mysteriously dead, Shaw is greeted with a suspicion of him being a member of a cell plotting to assassinate a politician. Still, he is not alone. Rachel Holloman, a single mother, has also been pulled into the similar situation. Now, together, they must find a way to prove their innocence and uncover the identity of the woman who seems to know their every move. A race-against-time thriller, "Eagle Eye" centers around two ordinary people who get stuck in a conspiracy they know nothing about. Starring also Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Michael Chiklis, it is directed by "Disturbia" helmer D.J. Caruso from the script by Hillary Seitz, Dan McDermott and Travis Wright. The DreamWorks action flick comes out on September 26, 2008.
 
AFTER DARK HORRORFEST ADDS "FROM WITHIN" [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Phedon Papamichael's thriller "From Within" has been announced to be the latest horror film selection to be included in After Dark Horrorfest III's line-up of the "8 Films to Die for". Outed on Wednesday, September 3, by After Dark Films' CEO Courtney Solomon, it will be joining the other previously-selected movies, "The Broken", "Slaughter (2009)", "Perkins 14" and "The Butterfly Effect: Revelation". Sharing his excitement upon knowing that the film starring Elizabeth Rice, Thomas Dekker, Kelly Blatz, Laura Allen, Adam Goldberg and Rumer Willis has become the fifth film on the list, producer Adrian Butchart stated, "We've been fans of the After Dark Horrorfest '8 Films to Die For' series since it blasted onto the scene two years ago. We feel that we are in great company this year since the films look to be the best yet. We are delighted to have 'From Within' take part in the latest installment." Having been premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival back on April 25, "Within" which is scripted by Brad Keene resolves around a series of suicide occurring in a small community of Grovetown. As people around her continue to die a gruesome death, 18-year-old Lindsay goes to investigate the mystery and discovers that she is next in line. It is produced by Butchart and Chris Gibbin and co-produced by Josh Beane, while John Moshay and Bumble Ward served as executive producers.
 
JONAS BROTHERS TO START FILMING NEW TV SERIES "J.O.N.A.S!" [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Signing on for their own Disney television series "J.O.N.A.S!", band of brothers Jonas Brothers are prepping themselves to start filing the project September later this year. Talking about the series in an interview with Ellegirl magazine, they address on such details, as the plot and their feeling on having the series in their pipeline. Being asked by the magazine's Meredith Stebbins during an exclusive interview about what people can see on the "J.O.N.A.S!" show, Joe Jonas said the TV series will be about him and brothers Kevin Jonas and Nick Jonas "as a band but dealing with normal things like trying to take out the trash and not get hounded by fans." He went on adding, "It's going to be a funny show, and it's going to be a great cast." Joe, furthermore, also revealed that writers of the series are currently working on the script and he and his siblings will start filming in mid-September soon after they complete their sold out tour, the "Burnin' Up" tour. "I'm really excited," so he told Ellegirl magazine. "J.O.N.A.S!", which stands for Junior Operatives Networking As Spies, was initially planned to tell about the boy band living a double life as spies, but Kevin has previously stated that the original concept has been changed. "Everyone knew it was going to be about spies, and that's changed a little bit, I guess, 'cause in the course of the last two years, the band has changed a little bit. We're going to be the Jonas Brothers going through life - like, going to school, but still being the Jonas Brothers," he explained. Discussing about "J.O.N.A.S!" with Ryan Seacrest on his KISS-FM radio show, the trio claimed that the series will be more like HBO's comedy series "Flight of the Conchords." They didn't mention the series' release date though.
 
FILMMAKING FULFILLS PERSONAL CURIOSITIES: DEEPA MEHTA [CBC, 9/6/08]
Deepa Mehta says she doesn't seek controversy. Still, the acclaimed Canadian director acknowledges that the stories she's drawn to are often of the "serious filmmaker" ilk. "I don't even see myself as an activist. It's the story that intrigues me," said Mehta, whose latest film Heaven on Earth debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, September 6. Her latest work tells the story of an Indian-born Punjabi woman who faces spousal abuse after immigrating to Canada for an arranged marriage. "If the story is about something that I'm intensely curious about, whether it's about widows in India or whether it's about abuse in Canada, that's in a way how I'm fulfilling my own curiosity and desire for more knowledge about why this happens," she told CBC News. But the Toronto-based Mehta, whose last film, Water, netted her an Oscar nomination for best foreign film, said she doesn't specifically set out to engender change with her films. "I don't say I'm gonna change people's lives. I hope it affects them, but it's not what I sit down to do," she said. "I don't walk around thinking of myself as an important filmmaker. I think of myself as a filmmaker who is struggling to tell stories about topics that I care for and hope they get there and people embrace them —or discard them, as the case may be." A TIFF fan herself, Mehta said she is looking forward to relaxing after her gala debut on Saturday by attending screenings of films she's interested in, including Firaaq, The Stoning of Soraya M. and The Good, The Bad, The Weird. But she is set to launch right into her next project, an adaptation of Azar Nafisi's memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran. "I'm quite thrilled about it. I'm really lucky. It's a book that I've always admired," Mehta said. "We start writing on the 12th. There's no point in even thinking I'll have a restful time [after the festival]," she added, laughing.
 
PROTESTERS, FILMMAKERS DECRY ARTS CUTS AMID TIFF EVENTS [Aceshowbiz, 9/6/08]
Amid the glamour and frenzy of Toronto's just-started film festival, arts supporters and members of the filmmaking community took brief turns in the spotlight to protest recent cuts to arts and cultural programs. Across from the red carpet at the festival's opening night gala screening of Passchendaele on Thursday night, September 4, a small group hoisted signs protesting the Harper government's decision to cancel programs amounting to more than $40 million. However, their target — Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who had been expected to attend the gala — did not make an appearance. Though it has become somewhat of a custom for a federal minister to attend the Toronto festival's opening gala and deliver a brief speech, there was no such representative at Thursday's screening. Still, Passchendaele producer Niv Fichman felt the protesters — some with signs that read, "FUND THE ARTS NOT WAR" chose the wrong venue to air their grievances. "Sometimes it's appropriate and sometimes it's not. We just felt yesterday it was not. [With "Passchendaele"] we were honouring our troops in World War One and through the ages into Afghanistan. It just wasn't appropriate," Fichman told CBC News on Friday morning. In the proper setting, he continued, both he and filmmaker Paul Gross "would have been out there happily protesting with them. We believe in what they're doing, but we just wouldn't do that [on the night of the gala]." The cuts were also on the minds of other filmmakers attending the festival. "We have, at this festival, a crisis before us, which is a serious erasure of our funding in this country," director Patricia Rozema said at the Canadian Film and Television Production Association's Producers Awards presentation on Thursday afternoon. She urged her colleagues, if presented with an opportunity to "get in front of a microphone" in the coming days, to speak out against the arts cuts and emphasize the importance of film to Canada's culture. "We have to say that it is important. Films are the public art form of our era, the popular art form. They are our campfire. They are how we understand each other," she said to applause from the largely industry crowd gathered. Sandra Cunningham, chair of the CFTPA, also referred to the cuts. Revealing that the association's board has approved the $10,000 annual producer's prize for another five years, Cunningham pointed out that making the announcement was a pleasure "in a climate of uncertainty for the future, where I suppose the only real certainty is budget cuts to the arts."
 
FRANKENSTEIN, JEKYLL RESURRECTED [E! Online, 9/5/08]
As if Hellboy and Hobbits weren't enough to keep him off the streets, Guillermo del Toro has literally scared up some more work. The fantastical filmmaker has been tapped by Universal to helm remakes of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, per Variety, along with a big-screen adaptation of Charles Dickens' final novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood simply titled Drood, and a new take on Kurt Vonnegut's cult novel Slaughterhouse-Five. The Oscar-nominated helmer, who is currently prepping the Hobbit films with Peter Jackson, will most likely begin with Drood, a murder mystery that Dickens never completed. Universal has also committed to another del Toro dream project, a big-screen version of horrormeister H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. Del Toro will also produce two films for the studio, an adaptation of David Moody's apocalyptic tome Hater and Crimson Peak, a gothic romance del Toro co-wrote with his Mimic collaborator Matthew Robbins. The Oscar nominee also hopes to do one more installment in his Hellboy series, but given his jam-packed slate, fans shouldn't expect it anytime soon, since he's now booked up at least through 2017!
 
TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) GETS OFF TO A ROMANTIC START [Reuters, 9/5/08]
The curtain rose on the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night with romance "Passchendaele" playing to a packed theater and starting a 10-day parade of films and stars at one of the world's top movie gatherings. In keeping with tradition, the event opened by shining its spotlight on a Canadian movie, but Hollywood invades in the days ahead with the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and even Paris Hilton in town. Before the festival ends on September 13, more than 300 films will screen here as filmmakers hope to gain attention that earns box office bucks and movie fan buzz ahead of Hollywood's upcoming Oscar season. Last year's Toronto darling, teen pregnancy comedy "Juno," went on to win wide acclaim. But Thursday belonged to Canadian actor Paul Gross, who wrote, directed and starred-in "Passchendaele," a love story set against the backdrop of Canadians fighting in World War I. "In the end, love is all that can counter the implacable brutality" of war, Gross told the opening night audience. Beyond the romance, "Passchendaele" explores class and ethnic clashes in the country and serves up a healthy amount of Canadian patriotism. Gross told Reuters that seeing his movie selected for opening night at a festival that has long promoted Canadian filmmakers was particularly gratifying. "This film took an uncommonly long time to get around to making, and hundreds of people were involved," he said of the labor of love that took more than 15 years from idea to movie. "This is a great tribute to the people involved.
 
HOLLYWOOD INVASION
But even as the red carpet rolled out for the Canadians, British director Guy Ritchie on Thursday also screened his newest gangster movie "RocknRolla," starring Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven of TV's "Entourage" and rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. And the "RocknRolla" cast will not be the only Hollywood stars in town. Oscar-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen ("No Country for Old Men") screen a new comedy "Burn After Reading," starring Pitt and Clooney, telling the story of a gym instructor who tries to blackmail a former CIA agent. Fourteen year-old Dakota Fanning, who won the hearts of moviegoers as a child actor in films such as "War of the Worlds," grows up in front of audiences in coming-of-age tale, "The Secret Life of Bees," and directors including Spike Lee and China's Wong Kar Wai also bring their movies to Toronto. Hilton, who has earned a reputation for grabbing the media spotlight, did it again on Thursday when a report in the New York Post said she had asked festival organizers to cancel two screenings of a documentary about her, "Paris, Not France," in favor of just one showing that would garner greater attention. Festival organizers and a Hilton spokesman were not immediately available to comment, but the filmmakers released a statement saying that "for a variety of reasons -- which we are unable to discuss -- the film will be screened only once." Meanwhile, audiences looked forward to upcoming movies ranging from 18th century romance "The Duchess" with Keira Knightley to cop drama "Pride and Glory" starring Colin Farrell and Edward Norton -- all leading to the festival's final gala film, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird."
 
TOM'S NEW FLICK "VALKYRIE" SECRETLY CRUISING INTO THEATRES [E! Online, 9/5/08]
Tom Cruise may be coming to a theater near you sooner than you think. Valkyrie, Cruise's upcoming flick about the real-life failed attempt by high-ranking German officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler, has been screen-tested for regular ol' moviegoers in Nevada, I'm hearing. The audiences weren't aware of what they would be seeing because they had been blindly solicited to attend a free movie at their local multiplex. In other words, a test screening could be happening in your neighborhood sometime soon (except, of course, if you live in major cities like Los Angeles or New York, where studios rarely test because audiences in those areas tend to be much more critical and not exactly in tune with the all-important Middle America moviegoers). I'm told most of the audiences were really diggin' the flick. "They liked it," a source says. "Most people said it was a suspense thriller." As you may have heard, the Bryan Singer-directed flick, which also includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson, has been hit with some bad buzz because its original June 2008 release date has been moved at least three times. But in the end, the movie will be released Dec. 26, 2008, a date traditionally reserved for films believed be good enough to scoop up some awards. An Industry awards-campaign veteran explains, "Usually, any movie like Valkyrie that's released at that time, they think they have a shot at an Oscar. It's hard to tell because of everything surrounding Valkyrie, but Tom could be feeling it will do well during awards season."
 
"GHOST RIDER 2" GOING CONTINENTAL [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
The bike-riding flaming skull may be crossing to other continent in "Ghost Rider" sequel. Sharing out ideas for "Ghost Rider 2", Nicolas Cage revealed that Johnny Blaze will possibly be seen traveling around Europe for his new adventure saying, "We talked about going international with that character, taking him into Europe, going on a motorcycle tour through Europe." Talking at a conference call for his up and coming film "Bangkok Dangerous" about the discussions he had with studio executives three months ago, the Academy Award-winning actor further revealed that in the new journey, his damned character may have some connection with Catholic Church. "He's connected with the Church, if you can believe that," he explained. "So it sort of has elements to it that are very much in the zeitgeist, like Da Vinci Code and things like that." Adapted from Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog's comic book series, the 2007 "Ghost Rider" is starred by Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley and Sam Elliott. Blazing into the theaters on February 16, 2007, the superhero flick directed by Mark Steven Johnson debuted atop the weekend box office with $45.3 million and has since snagged up to $228.7 million worldwide.
 
"L WORD" TO HAVE SPIN-OFF STARRING LEISHA HAILEY [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
Stemming out from the popular gay TV show by Showtime, "L Word", is a spin-off starring Leisha Hailey. Very much like Joey having his own show after "Friends" ended in 2004, the spin-off will center its story around one of "L Word" characters, Alice Pieszecki. The pilot script for the not-yet-titled spin-off will be tackled by the "L Word" original creator and writer Ilene Chaiken, while the filming is scheduled to start in December. No clue yet on how the story will go or whether it will pick up where "L Word" left off. Alice is a journalist of L.A. Magazine who created the chart containing the names of women both gay and non-gay and how they are related to each other. The sixth and final season of the series has been in production since summer this year and will begin airing on January 4, 2009.
 
"24" HAVING ELISHA CUTHBERT AGAIN [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
Elisha Cuthbert is confirmed to reprise her old role as Kim Beau in FOX's action drama television series entitled "24". Michael Ausiello recently says, "Cuthbert has inked a deal to reprise her role as Jack's lightning rod of an offspring for a season-ending arc that will no doubt trigger a new round of wholly outdated and painfully unfunny cougar jokes." Elisha is indeed set to appear at the end of the season, which shows that the fictional character Kim will return without her old boyfriend C. Thomas Howell by her side as their relationship has ended. Instead of having a new lover, Kim will bear a child. The seventh season will begin in January 2009. Elisha has played in the TV series during the first three seasons and returned for a brief stint during the fifth season. Outside the real-time show, she has starred in movies including "The Girl Next Door" and "Captivity".
 
"SHREK GOES FOURTH" VILLAIN TO BE VOICED BY TOM CRUISE [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
Rumour has it that Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has been considered for a part in "Shrek Goes Fourth". According to Cinema Blend, the 46-year-old may be on the run to voice one of the villains in the next installment of the Ogre comedic tale. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the truth in Cruise's participation has yet to be proven. "Shrek Goes Fourth", the fourth installment of the hit animation movies from DreamWorks, has been said to be dealing with the origin story of the titular character. Allegedly, it will have its four main actors, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, back to fill in their characters' voices. The flick is slated for May 21, 2010 release. Meanwhile, Cruise has recently made a cameo appearance in the successful comedy movie from Ben Stiller, "Tropic Thunder" which was opened in theaters on August 13, 2008. The husband of actress Katie Holmes will next be seen starring as the main character in controversial World War II drama thriller "Valkyrie" which is scheduled to be released on December 26, 2008.
 
"NATIONAL TREASURE 3" POSSIBLY HEADING SOUTH [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
Words are "National Treasure 3 " is going to take place in the South. Fueling up the speculation over where the franchise's third installment will take place, Nicolas Cage, the leading man in both of the first "National Treasure" movies, has revealed to MTV News, "There's been talk about doing it in the South, maybe in New Orleans." Though Cage has suggested a particular location place for Benjamin Franklin Gates' new adventure, the truth of the matter is still questionable. Previously, an article on JimHillMedia.com has lit up a possibility that Gates and his family may be exploring even further south as they are speculated to go to Easter Island and beyond to find the legendary Atlantis. The last "National Treasure" flick to have been released in theaters was "National Treasure: Book of Secrets". Standing tall for three weekends in a row at the #1 box office chart, the sequel directed by Jon Turteltaub and starred once again by Cage, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha raked in nearly $220 million from its domestic sales ever since it was debuted on December 21, 2007.
 
LINDSAY LOHAN'S "LABOR PAINS" TRAILER OUT [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
"Labor Pains", the comedy movie from Lara Shapiro, has just got a trailer. Giving out the first look into Lindsay Lohan's first major lead role after her unsuccessful thriller "I Know Who Killed Me", the promotional video also displays former "American Idol" finalist Kevin Covais as her co-worker, Chris Parnell as her nasty boss and Cheryl Hines as her supportive friend. Telling the story about a young girl who would do anything to keep her job, "Pains" centers on Thea, an assistant working on a publishing house. Though hating her boss due to his meanness, she could not afford to lose the job. When one day she is about to get fired, she lies to her boss that she is expecting. Now, she has to make everybody believes that she is pregnant. The flick has been shot starting on June 9, 2008 and wrapped out on July 16, 2008, but it is slated to be released in 2009.
 
"THE DUCHESS" GLAMMED UP FOR WORLD PREMIERE [E! Online, 9/5/08]
On Wednesday, September 3, "The Duchess" has rolled down its red carpet in front of Odeon Theatre in Leicester Square, London to celebrate its world premiere. The special occasion was made merry with the attendance of the stars, Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes and Dominic Cooper, as well as director Saul Dibb and "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" author Amanda Foreman. Still, all of the attention of the evening was on the leading lady Knightley who was dressed in a strapless blue gown with lace accents on the neckline and hemline. Walking down the red carpet, she made time to casually chat and sign autographs for her fans waiting for her at the event. Looking just as fine as Knightley was the depicter of the Duke of Devonshire, Fiennes. Coming to the premiere, he wore a black suit, black polka-dot tie and black and white gingham pocket handkerchief. Meanwhile, other celebrity guests spotted at the event included Anna Popplewell, Charles Dance, Ian Holm and Rupert Friend. Chronicling the scandalous life of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, "Duchess" is based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the talked-about noblewoman who charms every man getting close to her but fails miserably in seducing her own husband. The Paramount Vantage film written by Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen will be released in limited theaters on September 19, 2008.
 
GUS VAN SANT'S "MILK" WELCOMES FIRST TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/5/08]
Focus Features have just released the first trailer of "Milk". Reeling in the first glimpses into their based-on-true-story feature film, the trailer is made in line of its tagline, "His life changed history, his courage changed lives". By that it means that the footage focuses on some of the main conflicts of the film, especially the social climate in late '70s. Providing viewers also with Harvey Milk's conflict with city supervisor Dan White and the threats to his life, the trailer let out the performances of Sean Penn as Milk, Josh Brolin as White, Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones, James Franco as Scott Smith and Diego Luna as Jack Lira. From the Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant comes the film about the later life and assassination of San Francisco city supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. One of two films about Milk, the flick is written by Dustin Lance Black and produced by Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen and Michael London. It is due to be released in theaters on November 26, 2008.
 
LEDGER VOTED TOP SUMMER MOVIE VILLAIN [Reuters, 9/4/08]
Heath Ledger's chilling portrayal of the Joker in Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" easily surpassed rivals to be named the summer's best movie villain in a poll released on Wednesday (Sept. 3). Australian actor Ledger, 28, who died of an accidental drug overdose six months before the July release of "The Dark Knight," won 95 percent of votes in a poll by AOL's Moviefone.com Web site. The Batman sequel, which has taken $505 million at the U.S. and Canadian box office alone, also won every category in which it was nominated for the end of summer season poll, including best sequel, best superhero movie, best action sequence and "movie most worth your cash." "'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' had all the hype going into the summer but when people saw 'The Dark Knight', they really responded in 'Titanic'-like proportions," said Moviefone editor Scott Robson. "Indiana Jones" -- the much-anticipated fourth movie in the lucrative franchise -- got only five percent of votes for best movie in the Moviefone end of summer movie poll. The poll got a total of 646,917 online votes. "Sex and the City" edged out "Mamma Mia" as best chick flick, while "Tropic Thunder" beat "Pineapple Express" 32 percent to 24 percent as the funniest comedy. Summer was no fun, however, for comic actors Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers. Murphy's "Meet Dave" came top of the "least worth your cash" category with 33 percent of votes, closely followed by Myers' vehicle "The Love Guru." "When you think what these guys were 10 years ago and you look at these two movies, you feel like the wheels have come off their careers," said Robson. It was the opposite story for Robert Downey Jr, who hit a career rock bottom in the early 2000s because of drug addiction. The actor won the "hottest summer leading man" and "best combined performance" category in the poll for his back-to-back roles as the superhero in "Iron Man" and for playing a black actor in "Tropic Thunder." "It shows that film fans can be a very forgiving lot as long as you put something great on screen," Robson said.
 
TORONTO FILM FEST (TIFF) INCLUDES SPIKE LEE, COENS MOVIES [AP, 9/4/08]
Sundance is about new talent and small, personal films. Cannes is about highbrow cinema and celebrity-watching. The Toronto International Film Festival is about movies, from splashy studio releases and potential Oscar contenders to obscure foreign flicks and the latest avant-garde experiments. North America's largest cinema showcase, the Toronto festival opens Thursday (Sept. 4) with a lineup that includes the Coen brothers' dark spy comedy "Burn After Reading" with George Clooney and Brad Pitt; Keira Knightley's historical saga "The Duchess"; Edward Norton and Colin Farrell's cop drama "Pride and Glory"; and the supernatural romantic comedy "Ghost Town," with Ricky Gervais, Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear. While the Cannes and Sundance festivals cater more to industry crowds and entertainment reporters, Toronto plays out in theaters throughout the city, with everyday movie-lovers making up a large part of the audience. "This is very much a festival designed for the public," said Piers Handling, festival director. "It's a very broad, inclusive audience and very wide-ranging in terms of the films, from the small, tiny experimental films through to edgier films through comedies and through to major studio films." Spike Lee said he got a stirring reception at Toronto two years ago with his Hurricane Katrina documentary, "When the Levees Broke." He hopes for the same this time with the World War II drama "Miracle at St. Anna," which plays Toronto in advance of its Sept. 26, 2008 theatrical release. "The people in Toronto really appreciate films," Lee said. "Toronto's a great vehicle, a great launch pad for the film to come out in the fall." Among other Toronto titles: The Iraq War homecoming drama "The Lucky Ones," with Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams and Michael Pena; the journalism tale "Nothing but the Truth," starring Kate Beckinsale in a story inspired by the Valerie Plame case; "Rachel Getting Married," with Anne Hathaway as an addict on leave from rehab for her sister's wedding; the adultery drama "The Other Man," with Liam Neeson, Laura Linney and Antonio Banderas; and the Paris Hilton documentary "Paris, Not France," the directing debut of Adria Petty, Tom Petty's daughter. With hundreds of critics and reporters on hand, the festival is a prime spot for filmmakers to get the word out about movies that lack a big studio marketing campaign, said Ed Harris, whose directing debut, "Pollock," played at Toronto in 2000, the film going on to win the supporting-actress Oscar for Marcia Gay Harden. Harris returns this time with the Western "Appaloosa, " which he co-wrote and directed. Featuring Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger, "Appaloosa" opens in theaters Sept. 19 after premiering in Toronto. The festival began in the 1970s to promote Canadian film, and continues to showcase homegrown works, including Thursday's opening-night premiere, the World War I saga "Passchendaele," directed by Paul Gross, who also stars.
 
INUIT STORY AUDIENCE FAVOURITE AT MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL [CBC, 9/4/08]
A Japanese film, Okuribito, by director Yojiro Takita, has won the top prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, but a film by Quebec filmmaker Benoît Pilon was the audience favourite. Okuribito, about a young cellist who returns to his hometown and gets a job as an undertaker after losing his job in an orchestra, won the Grand Prize of the Americas award at the closing ceremonies of the Montreal festival on Sunday (Aug. 31). Takita is a veteran of more than 40 films who showed his 2003 film When the Last Sword is Drawn at the Montreal World Film Festival. Pilon's film, about a Inuit man who is flown to a Quebec hospital to recover from tuberculosis in the 1950s, won a special Grand Jury Prize. Ce qu'il faut pour vivre or The Necessities of Life also was named the most popular film at the festival, an award voted on by the audience, and the most popular Canadian film.
 
"PEANUTS", "CHARLIE BROWN" ANIMATOR MELENDEZ DIES [AP, 9/4/08]
Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other "Peanuts" characters in scores of movies and TV specials, has died. He was 91. Melendez died of natural causes Tuesday (Sept. 2) at St. John's Health Center, according to publicist Amy Goldsmith. Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios and worked on Mickey Mouse cartoons and classic animated features such as "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia." He went on to animate TV specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was the voice of Snoopy, who never spoke intelligible words but issued expressive howls, sighs and sobs. Melendez was born in 1916 in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora. He moved with his family to Arizona in 1928 and then to Los Angeles in the 1930s, attending the Chouinard Art Institute. Melendez took part in a strike that led to the unionization of Disney artists in 1941, and later moved to Warner Bros., where he worked on Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck shorts. In 1948, Melendez left Warner Bros. and over the next 15 years worked as a director and producer on more than 1,000 commercials and movies for United Productions of America, Playhouse Pictures and John Sutherland Productions. At UPA, he helped animate "Gerald McBoing-Boing," which won the 1951 Academy Award for best cartoon short. Melendez met "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz in 1959 while creating Ford Motor Co. TV commercials featuring Peanuts characters. The two became friends and Melendez became the only person Schulz authorized to animate his characters. Melendez founded his own production company in 1964 and with his partner Lee Mendelson went on to produce, direct or animate some 70 "Peanuts" TV specials, four movies and hundreds of commercials. The first special was 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The show reportedly worried CBS because it broke so much new ground for a cartoon: It lacked a laugh track, used real children as voice actors, had a jazz score and included a scene in which Linus recited lines from the New Testament. However, the show was a ratings success and has gone on to become a Christmastime perennial. Melendez created Emmy-winning specials based on the cartoon characters Cathy and Garfield, and was involved in animated versions of the Babar the elephant books and the C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." He also was co-nominee for an Academy Award in 1971 for the music for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown." In all, his productions earned some 19 Emmy nominations, including six awards.Melendez is survived by his wife Helen; sons Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Adm. Rodrigo Melendez, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
 
EXPECT LOADS OF GADGETS IN "STAR TREK" [Aceshowbiz, 9/3/08]
Though still keeping close guards on the details of their film's plot, "Star Trek" filmmakers revealed that moviegoers will be presented with tons of gadgets when they embrace the eleventh movie installment of the sci-fi series. "We intentionally don't talk too much about the story," explained producer Bryan Burk, "but there's all the gadgets you could want." Director J.J. Abrams added, "It's one thing in 'Star Trek' to get all excited and freak out about communicators, but to them, it's like it's the new iPhone. These are just the tool they're using." Commenting on the plot without giving any spoiler, writer Roberto Orci noted that anyone who doesn't know anything about "Star Trek" can still enjoy the movie because it takes the story right from the beginning. "It's designed very much to be seen if you don't know anything about it," he said, "including the story of how they all met. It's finally, truly Star Trek Zero in a way. You don't have to know anything." From the producer of hit monster movie "Cloverfield" comes a new "Star Trek" movie chronicling the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members during their time at Starfleet Academy. It teams up young and old actors, like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy. Paramount Pictures will distribute the flick on May 8, 2009.
 
DEAN OF CANADIAN FILM COMPOSERS DIES AT 92 [CBC, 9/3/08]
New Brunswick-born composer, Eldon Rathburn, who wrote music for hundreds of films while working for the National Film Board in Ottawa died over the weekend at age 92. Rathburn became unofficially known as the "dean of Canadian film composers" during his three decades at the NFB and was himself the subject of a 1995 NFB documentary called Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot… He Scores. Rathburn was born in Queenstown, N.B., and later moved to Saint John, where he played in Don Messer's band before the legendary fiddler became a television folk icon. Rathburn started working for the National Film Board in 1947 and went on to score 250 short and feature films. He composed the soundtrack for the 1977 film adaptation of W.O. Mitchell's novel Who Has Seen the Wind. After retiring, he continued to compose, producing pieces such as the Ottawa Suite. Rathburn became a member of the Order of Canada in 1998. Jim Wright, a musicologist who is writing Rathburn's biography, said the composer wanted to be known for more than his film compositions. "He did find that being a film composer limited to some extent his ability to sort of stretch his musical language, so I think that was one of the other reasons that he really enjoyed exploring concert music, and chamber music in particular, later in his life." Wright, an assistant professor at Carleton University, said Rathburn also encouraged young new composers in the city and continued writing his own music into his 90s.
 
COURT SETS DATE FOR STUDIOS' "WATCHMEN" BATTLE [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/3/08]
The battle between Fox and Warner Bros. over the rights to the comic-book adaptation "Watchmen" took a big step toward resolution Tuesday (Sept. 2) when the federal judge presiding over the dispute set a January 6, 2009 trial date for the case. Warners is set to release "300" director Zack Snyder's big-screen version of the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic series March 6, 2009. But U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess said Fox should forgo any attempt to get a preliminary injunction against Warners to stop the release of the film because the issues were far too complex to be resolved on an interim basis, sources said. Instead, Feess told both sides to build a factual record and start expedited discovery and depositions immediately. Fox still could ask Feess to permanently enjoin Warners from releasing the film following the discovery phase. At issue is whether Fox still holds the rights to "Watchmen." The studio sued Warners in February for copyright infringement and interference with its contract rights under a 1991 agreement between Fox and Largo Entertainment producer Larry Gordon. Under that deal, Fox "quitclaimed" its right to "Watchmen" to Largo, with the understanding that if the production company proceeded with making a big-screen version, then the movie would be distributed by Fox. It later negotiated a "turnaround notice" with Gordon that established a buyout formula for the studio if Gordon wanted to buy out Fox's rights. But, according to Fox, Gordon failed to follow that deal. Gordon negotiated a quitclaim contract with Warners in 2006, which it claims gave them the rights to "Watchmen." But Fox contends it retains the rights because of Gordon's failure to buy out the studio's rights. Warners said Fox gave up its rights in 1991. Set in an alternate 1985 America, "Watchmen" follows the struggle of a group of costumed superheroes when they strive to watch over humanity while faced with a plot to discredit all past and present superheroes. Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matt Frewer, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Malin Akerman and many others, it is directed by Zack Snyder from the script by David Hayter and Alex Tse.
 
JENNIFER ANISTON'S "30 ROCK" PHOTO CAMEO [Aceshowbiz, 9/3/08]
Details of Jennifer Aniston's cameo appearance on NBC's "30 Rock" for an upcoming episode have been outed. On top of that, several behind-the-scene photos of her cameo on the hit TV series have been leaked to the web. Detailing on Aniston's upcoming guest spot on "30 Rock," NBC announced that her character will be a "free-spirited, 'Fatal Attraction' like stalker." She will star as Claire Harper, the former roommate of Tina Fey's character Liz Lemon, who shows up and begins to stalk Jack Donaghy, Alec Baldwin's character. "What a thrill to have Jennifer back on NBC on a Thursday night," Teri Weinberg, the Executive Vice President of NBC Entertainment, commented. "She is the perfect comedic talent to work with the Emmy-winning '30 Rock' cast. This promises to be a memorable, hilarious night of comedy." Fey, who besides starring in also serves as creator and executive producer of the series, expressed her praise for Aniston. The new season of "30 Rock", which is the third, premieres October 30, 2008 on NBC.  
 
NOSTALGIA CHANNEL TV LAND SEEKS YOUNGER VIEWERS [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/3/08]
TV Land, the cable channel that airs reruns of veteran shows for baby boomers, is launching a primetime programming block intended to pull in younger viewers. The Viacom-owned cable channel already has a slew of reality pilots from such producers as Mark Burnett ("Survivor") and Michael Davies ("Who Wants To Be A Millionaire") in the works. The block, "TV Land Prime," will target viewers in their 40s and 50s but cater specifically to people in their mid-40s, the network said Tuesday (Sept. 2). Debuting October 6, 2008, the block will feature such original programming as "High School Reunion," "She's Got the Look," "Myths & Legends" and upcoming series "The Cougar"; acquired series including "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Scrubs" and "That '70s Show"; and such theatrical releases as "Analyze This," "Titanic" and "Independence Day." All of TV Land's original programming, contemporary series acquisitions and movies will premiere solely in the block, which will air from 9 p.m.-midnight Monday-Friday. In addition, several pilots are under consideration for "TV Land Prime," including the romance-themed "First Love/Second Chance," the game show "What's in the Box," Davies' hidden-camera project "Make My Day," Burnett's "How Rich Are You?" and the career-themed "Now or Never."
 
NEW LIVE-ACTION "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES" CONFIRMED [Aceshowbiz, 9/3/08]
The rumour on the yet untitled live-action movie about the four ninja turtles, " Untitled New TMNT Project", has been confirmed. Responding to the speculation on the possible development of a new TMNT, Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" has let out verification in a message he posted at Heavy Metal Forum. There, the comic book artist wrote, "Yes, it is true. Although the CGI film did well enough to warrent a sequel, there has been much talk between Imagi and Warners to do a better 're-invention' (newest Hollywood buzzword) of the TMNT's, in a live action film - like what was done with Batman." Explaining further about the idea for the new project, he hinted that it may be dealing with the origin story of the mutant heroes. Aside from teasing the plot, he also revealed that there is possibility that Steve Barron, the director of the original 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", may return to tackle the project. "Back to basics, back to the origin and the intro of the Shredder, etc...there have been talks, trips to Northampton to talk to Mr Laird, and discussions with the original "first" TMNT film director Steve Barron to come back and do it right - but no official word yet...will keep you posted," he noted. Back on March 23, 2007, Warner Bros. Pictures have released the CG-animation version of the ninja turtles, "TMNT". Directed by Kevin Munroe, it tells that the four mutant brothers have grown apart since the defeat of their old arch nemesis, The Shredder. But, soon they have to work together as a solid team as an army of ancient creatures has been summoned to take over the world. Since its release, the flick has generated $95 million from its worldwide sales.
 
NEW POSTER AND TRAILER SCREENSHOTS OF "DRAGONBALL" LEAKED [Aceshowbiz, 9/3/08]
The trailer of live-action Japanese manga adaptation, "Dragonball", won't be coming out until October 17, 2008, but apparently fans do not want to wait any longer to get an idea about the promotional footage as the so-called screenshots from the trailer have been outed. The revealing stills are coming out along with newfound poster highlighting on Emmy Rossum's Bulma. The images cut out from the trailer showcase Justin Chatwin as Goku in action as well as in training with his master Roshi. Two of them also revealed for the first time the evil villain Lord Piccolo as portrayed by James Marsters. Most of the screenshots came in courtesy of Nerdorama, while the poster and one still in particular were brought forward by Dragonball The Movie. Based on the phenomenally popular Akira Toriyama's Japanese manga, "Dragonball" is directed and co-scripted by James Wong. Produced by Stephen Chow, the 20th Century Fox film will follow Goku's journey to fulfill his dying grandfather's wish, which is for him to train with Master Roshi to prepare him to protect the seven mystical dragonballs. It will come out on April 10, 2009.
 
"TO BE OR NOT TO BE" WILL NOW BEGIN LATER [Playbill, 9/3/08]
The production, which was originally scheduled to begin previews on Sept. 11, will now hold its first preview on Saturday evening, Sept. 13. Two performances will be missed to allow extra rehearsal time. After rehearsals began, there were two cast replacements. The play, based on the 1942 Ernst Lubitsch motion picture "To Be or Not to Be," will open as scheduled on Oct. 2 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the Biltmore) at 261 W. 47th Street. This is MTC's Broadway home. The not-for-profit also presents Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage I and II. The production, directed by Casey Nicholaw (The Drowsy Chaperone, Monty Python's Spamalot) features Peter Benson, Robert Dorfman, Steve Kazee, Peter Maloney, Jan Maxwell, Michael McCarty, Kristine Nielsen, Brandon Perler, David Rasche, Rocco Sisto, Jimmy Smagula, and Marina Squerciati.  The performance schedule is Sept. 13-14: Saturday at 8 PM. Sunday at 2 PM & 7 PM; Sept. 15-28: Tuesday at 7 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM; Sept. 29-Nov. 23: Tuesday at 7 PM, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM.
 
"MUMMY" DIRECTOR UNWRAPS NEW "TARZAN" [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/3/08]
The director of the first two "Mummy" movies is taking a swing at Tarzan. Stephen Sommers is in negotiations with Warner Bros. to bring a new version of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs creation "Tarzan, Lord of the Apes," to the big screen. The project was first announced two years ago with Guillermo del Toro attached to direct. But Sommers will get his shot now that Del Toro is committed to a four-year stint choreographing dwarves in New Zealand for the "Hobbit" movies. Over the decades, Tarzan has come in for any number of epic treatments, from John Derek's 1981 Jane-driven "Tarzan, the Ape Man," to the 1984 drama "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes," which famously earned pseudonymous screenwriter Robert Towne's dog, P.H. Vazak, an Oscar nomination. Disney released its take on the jungle king in 1999, replete with an incongruous (but Oscar-winning) Phil Collins soundtrack. Sommers and the project's screenwriter, Stu Beattie ("Collateral"), are developing an entirely new approach, though more details beyond that are being kept under wraps tighter than Tarzan's loincloth. With the "Mummy" movies, "The Scorpion King" and "Van Helsing," Sommers has become a connoisseur of the big-budget, effects-driven spectacle. He recently finished shooting "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra," which Paramount will release next summer.
 
MARK MILLAR'S TRILOGY PLAN FOR "SUPERMAN" REBOOT [Aceshowbiz, 9/3/08]
Following Warner Bros. Pictures' decision of having a remake instead of a sequel for their next "Superman" film, another interesting tidbit has come out suggesting that this new superhero movie may be made into a trilogy. In a recent interview with G4 TV, comic book author Mark Millar confessed that he has planned to make three new "Superman" films in the style of "Lord of the Rings". Noting that he has been approached by a director friend months earlier on the possibility of him writing the new "Superman" installment if "Superman: The Man of Steel" is put on the back burner, Millar responded by sharing his dream. "I've had this plan for like 10 years for a big three-picture Superman thing, like a Lord of the Rings epic, starting over from scratch again with a seven-hour Superman story," he said. "One to be released each year." Furthermore on the idea of the trilogy, the 38-year-old revealed that if everything goes as planned, the filming of the movies will begin sometime in Summer 2009. The complete interview of Millar about "Superman" as well as his other adapted comic book "Kick-Ass" and new comic "War Heroes" can be enjoyed via G4 TV.
 
"GREEK" GETTING 'CRUSH LANDING' ON SECOND EPISODE [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
Having to deal with 'Rebecca Situation' on the first episode of season two, "Greek" will see more drama on its second episode. In the episode entitled "Crush Landing", fans and viewers alike will be presented with the dilemma faced by Casey Cartwright and her best friend Ashleigh Howard when they realize that they have a crush on a same guy. Aside from focusing the story on the preparation for the ZBZ Crush Party, the new episode also shows how Casey's younger brother, Rusty, starts to question his educational choices and how he turns to his new RA, Max, to get some guidance for his problem. "Crush Landing" will be aired on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 and its sneak peek can be seen via Spoiler TV. A teen drama movie by Patrick Sean Smith, "Greek" follows the life of Casey and Rusty who takes part in Cyprus-Rhodes University's Greek system. Starring Spencer Grammer, Jacob Zachar, Amber Stevens and many others, the first season was kicked off on July 9, 2007 and wrapped up on June 9, 2008, while the second season has just started with its first episode broadcast on August 26, 2008.
 
VADIM PERELMAN LINING UP FOR 'POLTERGEIST' REMAKE [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
"House of Sand and Fog" helmer Vadim Perelman is one step closer to tackle the "Poltergeist" remake. Rumoured earlier that he has been considered to come aboard the reboot of the 1982 horror movie classic, the Academy Award-nominee has been confirmed to be in negotiations with MGM to helm the project. If he were indeed signed in, Perelman will be collaborating with screenwriters Juliet Snowden and Stiles White since the scribe pair have been hired weeks earlier to revamp the horror movie. On his other movie projects, previous report has noted that he has been attached to "Atlas Shrugged", an adaptation movie from Ayn Rand's novel starring Angelina Jolie. The original "Poltergeist" movie has been directed by Tobe Hooper and starred by Heather O'Rourke and Dominique Dunne among others. Centering the story on the haunting of a suburban family home by evil spirits, it was released on June 4, 1982 and is the most successful installment of the "Poltergeist" films.
 
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN LOOKING TO SELL ITSELF [Reuters, 9/2/08]
The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is exploring strategic options for its catalog tunes, including a possible sale of the company, the New York Post said, citing a source close to the situation. The New York-based entity is looking to sell itself to a number of potential buyers and seeking more than $325 million in an auction, the paper said. More than a half-dozen potential suitors -- including publishing arms of major labels and private-equity and hedge fund-backed collectors of music-publishing assets -- are putting the catalog's value at between $150 million and $200 million. Current indications are that bidding will top $250 million, sources close to the matter told the paper. The group's oeuvre includes the work of the late Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II -- the duo behind Broadway hits like "Oklahoma!" and "The King And I." Those looking at the assets say there are opportunities for new owners to make money by investing as producers in big-budget revivals of hits like "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music," the paper said.
 
MUSIC COMPANIES IN TALKS TO BUY SHOW TUNES CATALOGUE [Reuters, 9/2/08]
The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is in talks to sell its catalog of Broadway musical show tunes and standards to major music companies for between $150 million and $200 million, according to people familiar with the matter. EMI Music Publishing, Sony Corp's Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Vivendi's Universal Music Publishing and Warner Music Group Corp's Warner/Chappell Music Publishing are all looking over the catalog, which includes songs from shows including "The Sound of Music," "The King and I" and "South Pacific." The catalog includes over 3,000 songs by founder songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and nearly 100 other writers like Irving Berlin and Lorenz Hart. The company is said to be looking for more than $250 million, according to the people who spoke with Reuters on condition of anonymity. But several of these people expressed doubt that music company bids for Rodgers & Hammerstein would go higher than $200 million. The Rodgers & Hammerstein catalog has also attracted interest from hedge funds and private equity companies, which are attracted to song publishing assets as a source of regular cash flows through song licensing. Rodgers & Hammerstein spokesman Bert Fink declined to comment on the matter. Publishing companies can make new revenue from catalog assets by licensing show tunes for use in a range of outlets such as advertising, video and television, in a process known as synchronization. "This catalog has not been exploited to its full potential," said one person.
 
VAMPIRE NOVELS ADAPTED FOR HBO's "TRUE BLOOD" [AP, 9/2/08]
As fictional lovers go, bubbly blond Sookie Stackhouse and tall, pale Bill Compton are as massively mismatched as they come. After all, Sookie (Anna Paquin) is exuberantly human and Bill (Stephen Moyer) is, well, totally undead in HBO's flamboyant new vampire saga, "True Blood." "Bill is really genteel but that doesn't stop him from being blood-hungry," Moyer says of his menacing 173-year-old character in "True Blood," adapted for television by Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") from the popular series of Southern vampire novels by Charlaine Harris. "The tension between Bill and Sookie is quite palpable," Moyer says in between scenes in which the courtly vampire, who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, escorts his lady friend Sookie, a telepathic roadhouse waitress, home on a dark and eerie night. That sexually suggestive tension is key to "True Blood," premiering 9 p.m. EDT Sunday (Sept. 7). Like Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) in the classic vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows" (1966-1971), Bill has returned to his ancestral home, where he woos Sookie and tries to fit into human society. Like Frid's Barnabas, Moyer's Bill is an unresolved paradox — part seductive protagonist, part menacing monster. "He's not typically vampiric," says Moyer, who played a vampire in the Brit miniseries "Ultraviolet." No long black cape and ghoulish grin for Bill, who dresses yuppie-casual. "But we do get to see him sort of sex-starved at one point," Moyer says. "And there are moments when he is quite confrontational with other vampires, when other people are predatory with Sookie."  The events in the 12 episodes play out over a fast and furious two-week period, like they do in Harris' first vampire novel, "Dead Until Dark." As in the novels, Sookie's mysterious boss Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) is very much in evidence, keeping close to Sookie.
 
KNIFE SCENE CUT OUT FROM "LAKEVIEW TERRACE" [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
A gripping scene involving Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington and a knife has apparently been eliminated from the up-and-coming drama thriller "Lakeview Terrace". Report on the matter claimed that the particular footage has been put aside because Washington's character who supposedly should be the sane one looks like she is losing her mind. Confirming the matter, the "Ray" actress opened up about the scene where she threatens Jackson's character with a knife. "It got removed," gushed the 31-year-old. "Samuel L. Jackson follows me back into my house and I seduce him to the point where he is drawn in and then I threaten his life with a knife." She then explained further stating, "The producers felt like, at that point in the film, my character was the only sane one and they needed her to stay sane in the mix. She was losing it." Though the scene was chopped out, she has no regret shooting it. "But it was fun to shoot, to hold a knife up to Sam," so the New York-native said. On another news regarding "Lakeview", Jackson has recently expressed his disappointment over the lack of topless girls in a scene of the Screen Gems's flick. Complaining about the big bachelor party scene to ShowBizSpy, he revealed, "But it is a PG movie, so there aren't any titties. We have three strippers at the party, and none of them have their top off." Starring also Patrick Wilson, "Lakeview" resolves its story on a young couple who has just moved into their dream house only to meet with harassment from their next-door neighbour who disapproves of their interracial marriage. Getting sick of the neighbor's watchful eyes, the two plan to fight back but the action soon turns to tragedy. Directed by Neil LaBute, the movie is coming out on September 19, 2008.
 
BOYLE FILM "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" LEADS BUZZ AT TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL [Reuters, 9/2/08]
Film fans, directors, actors and industry executives mingled easily the past three days in this mountain town for the Telluride Film Festival where foreign films including director Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" gained strong buzz. The film industry each year looks to the four-day event -- which favors filmmaking over celebrity spotting -- to create early word of mouth for mostly independents films in the run toward Hollywood's award season and the Oscars. This year, talk in the theaters, bars and cafes where film lovers mixed with actors such as actors Greg Kinnear and Jeff Goldblum, author Salman Rushdie and directors David Fincher and Mike Leigh centered on the lack of American films selected. In the past, Telluride has paved the way for hits such as "Juno," to go onto box office success and critical acclaim. British director Boyle's new "Slumdog Millionaire" earned praise after it packed the larger festival cinemas with audiences who clapped and cheered as the credits rolled. Boyle, 51, told Reuters on Monday (Sept. 1) that America's current "conservative market," which favors blockbusters, meant initial audience reaction was important to spreading early word about his energetic, colorful film. The film tells of an orphan from the slums of Mumbai, India, on the verge of winning millions on India's television show "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." "For a film like this that doesn't have a particular star in it and is challenging in certain respects, somebody has to pick it up and say 'There, Go, Walk' . . . and this film festival has done that," said Boyle, who has directed movies such as "Trainspotting," "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine." "Driven by fantastic energy and a torrent of vivid images of India old and new, "Slumdog Millionaire" is a blast," said the review from showbusiness newspaper Daily Variety. The film is scheduled to be released on November 28, 2008 and will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Other films winning Telluride audiences included "Hunger," the feature debut of another British director, Steve McQueen. It tells of IRA member Bobby Sands' 1981 prison hunger strike. And a small Irish film "Kisses," about a young boy and girl escaping their Dublin slum, gained some following.  British director Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" also proved popular. Leigh is the acclaimed director of "Vera Drake" and "Secrets & Lies."  Other European films to attract favorable reaction included France's "I've Loved You So Long," Denmark's "Flame and Citron," Norway's "O'Horten" and Austria's "Revanche." U.S. writer and director Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected" starring Jeff Goldblum gained some favorable reactions, and "American Violet" -- starring newcomer Nicole Behaire as a young black mother struggling in a small Texan town -- gained some modest positive reaction. Film executives said repeating the success of last year's "Juno" or previous years' Telluride hits such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was not expected. "'Juno' and 'Crouching Tiger' are the kind of phenomenons that come very rarely, "said Michael Barker, Co-President of Sony Pictures.
 
DAUGHTERS CHOSEN TO RUN BAYREUTH FESTIVAL [BBC News, 9/2/08]
The daughters of outgoing Bayreuth Festival director Wolfgang Wagner have been chosen to run the German opera event after his 57 years at the helm. Half sisters Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier - great-granddaughters of the composer Richard Wagner - were named by Bavaria's culture minister. There had been a long-running battle over who would run the festival. Mr Wagner, 89, stepped down last week at the end of this year's event and had given his approval to the partnership. In 2001, he refused to step down in favour of Eva, his 63-year-old daughter from his first marriage, saying that he had a lifelong contract. Last year, his position changed following the death of his second wife Gudrun, mother of 30-year-old Katharina. Katharina organised the first live web broadcast and public viewing of an opera from Bayreuth this year - and has been credited with opening up the festival to new audiences. Bavarian culture minister Thomas Goppel said the partnership represented "both the future and the continuity of the festival". The sisters' appointment has put an end to a bid by another partnership to run the festival. Mr Wagner's niece, Nike Wagner, along with Paris Opera director Gerard Mortier, made a late application to take charge of the event. The first Bayreuth Festival, directed by Richard Wagner himself, was held in 1876.
 
'THE DUCHESS' TO GET RED CARPET TREATMENT [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
Before "The Duchess" hits limited theaters, the period drama film will be specially screened for the first time more than two weeks before its due date on September 19. Taking place at the Odeon Cinema in Odeon Leicester Square, the Paramount Vantage's period drama will roll down its red carpet to celebrate its London premiere on September 3, 2008. Though the list of the stars to attend the special event has yet unraveled, there is possibility that "Duchess" cast ensemble, including Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, is coming to join the celebration. The complete coverage of the premiere event will be reported after the stars and other celebrity guest tread the red carpet.  Based on the biography of the talked about Duchess written by Amanda Foreman, "Duchess" resolves its story on the outrageous life of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, as she charms every man getting close to her but fails miserably in seducing her own husband. Originally set to be helmed by Susanne Bier, the movie is directed by Saul Dibb and supported by Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper and Charlotte Rampling.
 
'BROTHERS BLOOM' WIDELY RELEASED IN 2009 [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
One of the selected movies to be premiered at the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival, crime comedy drama "The Brothers Bloom" has been scheduled earlier to get a December 19 screening time, but to the surprise of many the December release date has been listed as limited release. In further interesting tidbit, it is noted that the Rian Johnson's movie will not be released nationwide until January 16, 2009. Unearthed firstly in Rian's Forum, the changing of the schedule has been confirmed by Johnson himself. Posting a message as his response to the posted message, he wrote, "It's true. I'm sorry I didn't post it earlier, it was all very hush hush and still being talked out, I actually didn't think they were going to release it until next week."  "There were a few reasons for the move: October and November are crowded as hell, it's a tough tough market, especially for a smart unique film like ours, and we'd have a week or two at the most to sink or swim. Whereas concentrating on a couple markets for awards consideration in December, then pushing the wide in the more open January slot just seemed like a better use of resources." More on his comment can be read at Rian's Forum. The new wide release date will put the Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo-starrer film on a milder competition as it will face Paul Rudd-starring comedy "I Love You, Man" and James McTeigue-directed action film "Ninja Assassin" among others. Meanwhile, its limited release lines the flick alongside Will Smith's "Seven Pounds", Universal Pictures' animation "The Tale of Despereaux" and Jim Carrey's "Yes Man". Directed and scripted by Johnson, "Brothers Bloom" tells the story of two brothers who can be considered as the world's greatest con men. Making their living from swindling others' fortunes, the two schemed one last elaborate plot to lure a beautiful and eccentric heiress into their con. But, the matter gets complicated when one of the brothers falls in love with the woman they scam.
 
'THE WRESTLER' WAITING FOR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SONG [Aceshowbiz, 9/2/08]
As posted on his blog, "The Wrestler" director Darren Aronofsky says that he is waiting for Bruce Springsteen to finish a song which will be featured in his upcoming movie. "Bruce springsteen wrote a beautiful original song for the closing the film," Darren wrote. The Wrestler, which talks about an over-the-hill 1980s-era pro grappler who quits the business after a heart attack and moves in with a stripper to build a relationship with her son, was originally offered to public this weekend but the film has been held back as it is not ready yet. Part of the delay is down to the work of Bruce's unfinished touch. "It is difficult to rush him (Springsteen)," an insider named Vincent Maraval says. Bruce's new song, which is also titled "The Wrestler", is described as a wonderful acoustic music that captures the spirit of the movie. "Called THE WRESTLER it is a wonderful acoustic piece, makes me choke up every time I hear it," Darren continues writing. "He really captured the spirit of the film and mickey's character in the piece." Additionally, Wild Bunch, as financial supporter for the film, plan to debut Darren's movie later in Venice right after Bruce's song is finished. "Concurrent with Toronto, because they're waiting for Bruce Springsteen to finish his song for the movie's credits. Wild Bunch expects to sell The Wrestler at Toronto. It will also close the New York Fest," a songwriter, Anna Thompson, says.
 
SINGER-ACTOR JERRY REED DIES AT THE AGE OF 71 [AP, 9/2/08]
Grammy winning, songwriter and singer, Jerry Reed, who became a good ol' boy actor in car chase movies like "Smokey and the Bandit," has died of complications from emphysema at 71. His longtime booking agent, Carrie Moore-Reed, no relation to the star, said Reed died early Monday (Sept. 1). "He's one of the greatest entertainers in the world. That's the way I feel about him," Moore-Reed said. Reed was a gifted guitarist who later became a songwriter, singer and actor. As a singer in the 1970s and early 1980s, he had a string of hits that included "Amos Moses," "When You're Hot, You're Hot," "East Bound and Down" and "The Bird. "In the mid-1970s, he began acting in movies such as "Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds, usually as a good ol' boy. But he was an ornery heavy in "Gator," directed by Reynolds, and a hateful coach in 1998's "The Waterboy," starring Adam Sandler. Reynolds gave him a shiny black 1980 Trans Am like the one they used in "Smokey and the Bandit." Reed and Kris Kristofferson paved the way for Nashville music personalities to make inroads into films. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers (TV movies) followed their lead. Reed had quadruple bypass surgery in June 1999. Born in Atlanta, Reed learned to play guitar at age 8 when his mother bought him a $2 guitar and showed him how to play a G-chord. He dropped out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young. At 17, he signed his first recording contract, with Capitol Records. He moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s where he caught the eye of Chet Atkins. He first established himself as a songwriter. Elvis Presley recorded two of his songs, "U.S. Male" and "Guitar Man" (both in 1968). He also wrote the hit "A Thing Called Love," which was recorded in 1972 by Johnny Cash. He also wrote songs for Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and the Oak Ridge Boys. Reed was voted instrumentalist of the year in 1970 by the Country Music Association. He won a Grammy Award for "When You're Hot, You're Hot" in 1971. A year earlier, he shared a Grammy with Chet Atkins for their collaboration, "Me and Jerry." In 1992, Atkins and Reed won a Grammy for "Sneakin' Around." Reed continued performing on the road into the late 1990s, doing about 80 shows a year.  "When people ask me what my motivation is, I have a simple answer: Money."
 
IKE PAPPAS, WHO BROADCAST OSWALD DEATH, DEAD AT 75 [AP, 9/2/08]
Ike Pappas, a longtime CBS newsman who was a few feet from presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald when he was fatally shot and reported the chaotic scene live on the air, has died at 75. Pappas, who also covered major events like the Vietnam War and anti-war demonstrations at home, died Sunday (Aug. 31) in an Arlington, Va., hospital of complications from heart disease, his family said. A New York City native, Pappas was in Dallas after John F. Kennedy's Nov. 22, 1963, assassination, reporting for New York radio station WNEW, when police brought the manacled Oswald into the police station basement two days later to be transferred to the jail. He had just asked the suspect, "You have anything to say in your defense?" when someone shoved Pappas, a gunshot sounded and Oswald crumpled, mortally wounded. "There's a shot! Oswald has been shot! Oswald has been shot!" Pappas said on the air. "A shot rang out. Mass confusion here, all the doors have been locked. Holy mackerel!" "One of the wildest scenes I've ever seen," he said seconds later. The person who had elbowed Pappas aside turned out to be Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who was convicted of killing Oswald. Pappas told the story in testimony at Ruby's trial and later to the Warren Commission that investigated the Kennedy assassination. Born April 16, 1933, Icarus N. Pappas served in the U.S. Army, joined CBS News as a radio writer in 1964 and became a network correspondent in 1967. Besides the Vietnam War, he covered the 1967 Six Day War in Israel, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, the Kent State shootings in 1970, and coups in Greece, Bolivia and Chile, according to records provided by CBS. Based in Washington, he was assigned to cover the Pentagon, the CIA, labor and other beats. One of 200 CBS News employees laid off by the network in 1987, he formed his own video production company, known as Ike Inc., writing and producing TV documentaries for PBS and other outlets. In 1988 he made his film debut, portaying a reporter in the Paul Mazursky-directed comedy "Moon Over Parador" that starred Richard Dreyfuss. Pappas lived in McLean, Va. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; two sons, Theodore and Alexander; a daughter, Sarah Thomason; and two grandchildren.
 
DON LaFONTAINE, VOICE OF MOVIE TRAILERS, DIES AT 68 [AP, 9/2/08]
Don LaFontaine, the man who popularized the now loved-catch phrase, "in a world where..." and lent his voice to thousands of movie trailers, has died. He was 68. LaFontaine died Monday (Sept. 1) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications in the treatment of an ongoing illness, said Vanessa Gilbert, his agent. LaFontaine made more than 5,000 trailers in his 33-year career while working for the top studios and television networks. In a rare on-screen appearance in 2006, he parodied himself on a series of national television commercials for a car insurance company where he played himself telling a customer, "In a world where both of our cars were totally under water..." In an interview last year, LaFontaine explained the strategy behind the phrase. "We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to," he said of his viewers. "That's very easily done by saying, 'In a world where ... violence rules.' 'In a world where ... men are slaves and women are the conquerors.' You very rapidly set the scene." LaFontaine insisted he never cared that no one knew his name or his face, though everyone knew his voice. LaFontaine went on to work in the promo industry in the early 1960s. As an audio engineer, he produced radio spots for movies with producer Floyd Peterson. When an announcer didn't show up for a recording session in 1965, LaFontaine voiced his first narration, a promo for the film, "Gunfighters of Casa Grande." The client, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, liked his performance. LaFontaine remained active until recently, averaging seven to 10 voiceover sessions a day. He worked from a home studio his wife nicknamed "The Hole," where his fax machine delivered scripts. LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters. His funeral arrangements were pending.
 
MOROCCAN SET PHOTOS OF "PRINCE OF PERSIA" LEAKED [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
Less than a month after the photos of Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan came out, a bunch of new images are being posted by Korben. The newfound photos bring in the first look into the transformation of Ait Benhaddou into an ancient Moroccan set for the shooting of "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time". All the six pictures let out are focused on the uniquely designed Moroccan structures with its earth brown and blue colors. Exposing that the set is still under construction, most of the pictures are taken from the distant, giving the idea of how the sixth century Persia will look like in the video game adaptation. Focusing its story on the quest of an adventurous prince and his rival princess, "Sands of Time" follows Dastan, the Persian prince who ought to work together with feisty and exotic Princess Tamina in stopping a villainous ruler from possessing the Sands of Time which reversal power can destroy the world. Based on the popular 2003 video game published by Ubisoft, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced movie stars also Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. Due to be released on May 28, 2010, it has allegedly started shooting in Morocco at the beginning of July.
 
RUSSELL CROWE TO BE SHERLOCK HOLMES' SIDEKICK [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
Rumoured earlier to be considered starring as the titular character in Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes", Russell Crowe seems to be taking a different path on the casting for the forthcoming action project. Instead of taking the Holmes' role, the award-winning Australian actor is said to be going to pick up Holmes' sidekick role, Dr. Watson. An insider informed The Sun about the speculation stating, "Russell wants the part, Guy wants Russell. All they've got left to do is dot the i's and cross the t's." If these words are delivering the truth, it means that Crowe will support Robert Downey Jr. as the latter has signed to portray the leading character, Holmes, earlier. Actually, Crowe has been attached to the role of Sheriff of Nottingham in the twisted tale of Robin Hood, "Nottingham". However, the Ridley Scott-directed film for Universal Pictures has been reported to be put on hold indefinitely due to several problems, including the possible SAG strike and the script itself. To follow the adventure of the witty 19th Century detective, "Sherlock Holmes" is promised to be presented in a manner that fans have never seen the deerstalker capped detective as Holmes will be seen more as an action hero. The Warner Bros. Pictures' film will be produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Dan Lin and Susan Downey and is set for 2010 release.
 
NO RIDDLER PART FOR JOHNNY DEPP, THE ACTOR REVEALED [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
Johnny Depp, the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow of "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, is The Riddler no more. Comic Book Cynic has reported that in an interview with a Florida radio show, the 45-year-old Hollywood superstar has dished out the possibility of him being offered the part of Batman's nemesis for "The Dark Knight" sequel. Putting an end to the speculation while promoting the reunion gig for his band The Kids, Depp said simply, "Oh yeah, I heard about that. Not that I know of." Still, on imagining him playing the part, he confessed that the idea has tempted him for a while. "It seems like it'd be a fun gig for a while, yeah," he revealed. Depp has been rumored to be playing the part of Batman's villain who is obsessed with riddles, puzzles and word games not long after "Dark Knight" kicked off its amazing run at the box office. At the time, he has been said to be among the candidates for the possible "Batman 3" foes, including Philip Seymour Hoffman as Penguin and Angelina Jolie as Catwoman, the role which recently is being linked to Cher.
 
ANNE HATHAWAY'S THRILLER "PASSENGERS" TRAILER [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
The drama thriller from director Rodrigo Garcia, "Passengers", has just revealed its trailer. Focusing on the mystery lying behind one surviving passenger of a plane crash, the video lets out a unique and interesting footage from the Columbia Pictures' flick starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson. Claire Summers is a young therapist assigned by her mentor to provide counsels to ten survivors of a plane crash from which one surviving passenger, Eric, gets super powers. Intrigued by the secrets surrounding Eric, she builds up a relationship with him that soon takes a romantic route. But, as the romance blossoms, the survivors begin to vanish one by one. Using the script written by Ronnie Christensen, "Passengers" is supported also by Clea DuVall, Dianne Wiest and David Morse. It will be coming out in limited theaters on October 24, 2008.
 
"WANTED" SEQUEL TAKES LITTLE FROM COMIC BOOK [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
Confirming that he is working on developing a sequel to the surprising summer blockbuster movie "Wanted (2008)", Mark Millar shared a more interesting tidbit on "Wanted 2". In a recent interview with Newsarama, he revealed that the second movie will be a continuance from the first and it will make use of very little parts of the comic book. On his involvement on developing the material, he said, "What I will be doing is providing them with a very small amount of stuff for a story, and that will be used as a basic story that they can build from." Further on the possible plotline, Millar revealed that he will take little from the comic book that haven't been exposed in the first movie. "It will be some of the stuff that we didn't utilize from the first book for the movie - like chapters three and four - there will be some stuff from that, so in the loosest sense it will be based on the book, but only very little," so he claimed. Despite agreeing to work on the movie sequel, the graphic novelist revealed that he and comic book artist J. G. Jones won't be back to make the sequel of their 2004 miniseries, "Wanted". "I've got this reputation of being a total whore, and even when I'm adamant about something like this, people don't believe me, but there is nothing else coming from Wanted," he explained. "That six issues was the end. I love doing new stuff anyway - I get bored so quickly." Slated for 2010 release, "Wanted 2" screenplay is said to be written once again by screenwriter duo Derek Haas and Michael Brandt. Allegedly, it will put Terence Stamp's character, Pekwarsky, on a much larger role. The first "Wanted" movie stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie and has raked in as much as $258.3 million worldwide.
 
ANOTHER SET OF "HALF BLOOD PRINCE" IMAGES OUTED [Aceshowbiz, 9/1/08]
More and more photos from the highly anticipated sixth installment of "Harry Potter" movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", have been outed. After a slew of behind-the-scene images were presented earlier, two new photos are coming out in which one of them exposes the Burrow set. The behind-the-scene look into the Weasley family's residence which can be seen below highlights three "Harry Potter" main characters, the boy wizard Harry himself, his best friend Ron Weasley and Ron's sister, Ginny, as they are sitting on the couch laughing. Meanwhile, the picture posted on the news photo which is focusing on Harry and his foe, Draco Malfoy, supposedly couldn't be accounted new since it has been shown in Entertainment Weekly earlier. However, it is the high resolution version of it. Pushed back to July 17, 2009 release, "Half-Blood Prince" resolves around the ever growing threat built by the evil dark wizard, Lord Voldermort, to the wizarding world. Being the only one who has survived his attack years before, Harry accompanied by his two loyal friends, Ron and Hermione has to prepare for his ultimate battle while the walls that used to keep him and his friends away from danger may not be a safe haven anymore. Coming from the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" helmer David Yates, the Warner Bros. Pictures' flick stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton and many else. The script for David Heyman and David Barron-produced flick was provided by Steven Kloves.
 
BELGIAN DIRECTOR'S FILM BLASTED FOR TSUNAMI ANGLE [CBC, 9/1/08]
Some critics have condemned a film by Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz for using the 2004 tsunami as the backdrop to its plot. Vinyan had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend and it's drawing fire for being insensitive to the people who have suffered from the catastrophe, which claimed more than 200,000 lives in countries bordering the Indian Ocean. The horror story stars French actress Emmanuelle Beart and British actor Rufus Sewell as a couple who lose their son in the disaster but do not believe he is dead. The pair journey into the jungle of the Thai-Myanmar border to search for him and stumble into a world ruled by wild children. "I tried to be as respectful as I can," Du Welz told Reuters. At the start of "Vinyan", Du Welz references the disaster with a sequence of underwater images and muffled sounds. "I don't want to shock anyone who suffered from that terrible disaster. There is no footage from the tsunami." The Times of London newspaper interviewed a couple who lost a daughter in the disaster who say that turning tragedy into entertainment so soon was "outrageous." Beart begs to differ. "The story is that [a couple] lost their son," she told Reuters. "It happened in the tsunami but it happens in other ways and elsewhere." Reviewers have compared "Vinyan" to Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad's story about an adventure in the Congo that was adapted to the screen by Francis Ford Coppola as Apocalypse Now. It also takes a page from William Golding's Lord of the Flies, in which a group of children stranded on an island create their own vicious society.
 
'DARK KNIGHT' SWINGS PAST $500 MILLION MARK [AP, 9/1/08]
Batman's rich alter-ego Bruce Wayne has added half a billion dollars to his riches. "The Dark Knight" on Sunday (Aug. 31) became the second movie in Hollywood history to top $500 million at the domestic box office, raising its total to $502.4 million, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros. The film hit that mark in just over six weeks, half the time it took "Titanic," which reached $500 million in a little more than three months. "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster, remains No. 1 on the domestic charts with $600.8 million. Despite its brisk pace, "The Dark Knight" is not expected to approach the total for "Titanic," which put up smaller numbers week after week but lingered at the top of the box office for months. Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects "The Dark Knight" to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million if business persists as strongly as it has. "I keep raising the number because it just keeps holding better than expected," Fellman said. "The Dark Knight" will climb to about $505 million by Labor Day, the conclusion of Hollywood's busy summer season. That amounts to nearly one-eighth of Hollywood's overall summer revenue of $4.2 billion, which edges the previous summer record of $4.18 billion set last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers. Factoring in today's higher admission prices, "The Dark Knight" would need to take in about $900 million to match the number of tickets sold by "Titanic." Labor Day weekend was generally sleepy at theaters, with a rush of new movies failing to find much favor with audiences. Through Sunday, Paramount's comedy "Tropic Thunder" remained No. 1 for the third straight weekend with $11.5 million. The 20th Century Fox sci-fi thriller "Babylon A.D." with Vin Diesel debuted in second place with $9.7 million, while Overture Films' espionage drama "Traitor," starring Don Cheadle, opened at No. 5 with $7.9 million. Premiering at No. 7 was Lionsgate's spoof flick "Disaster Movie" with $6.2 million. MGM's campus comedy "College" opened well outside the top 10 with $2.1 million. The top 12 movies took in $75.2 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Halloween" opened with $26.4 million. "This is kind of an inauspicious end to a really incredible summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "We limped past the finish line."
 
AMERICAN PREMIERES AT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [CBC, 8/31/08]
Hong Kong director Johnny To's Sparrow and Chinese director Ying Liang's Good Cats will have their North American premieres at this year's Vancouver International Film Festival. The festival, known for its strong documentary complement and focus on East Asian cinema, released details of its lineup Thursday (Aug. 28).To, the director behind Election and Mad Detective, has created a light-hearted romance centred on a group of pickpockets who prosper in a large city in "Sparrow", which made its world premiere at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Ying, one of China's promising young directors, helms a satire of corruption and greed in contemporary China set to a rock beat in "Good Cats". The Cinemas of East Asia series features 27 international premieres, 18 North American premieres and one Canadian premiere. Other films in that series include: 24 City by China's Jia Zhangke, with an appearance by actress Joan Chen; High Noon, a coming-of-age story by Hong Kong's Heiward Mak; After School, a thriller from Japan's Uchida Kenji; mime-mime, from female director Sode Yukiko of Japan, the story of an independent woman; Altar, a prize-winning horror movie from the Philippines's Rico Maria Ilarde. The lineup includes films from Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Thailand. The festival annually awards the $10,000 Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema to new talent entering a first or second film. The Vancouver festival will present 100 documentaries this year, one third of all its films. Among the award-winning documentaries to be screened are Old Man Bebo, from Spain, which won the best new documentary filmmaker award at the Tribeca Film Festival, and Be Like Others by Tanaz Eshaghian, which won a jury prize in Berlin. New this year is a series called The Ark: Elements and Animals, which focuses on documentaries and features with an environmental theme. Sam Bozzo's documentary Blue Gold: World Water Wars will have its world premiere. The documentary about global demand for water is based on a book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke. The series also includes A Sense of Wonder, about the last days of Silent Spring author Rachel Carson. The Vancouver International Festival runs Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, 2008. The gala and special presentations have yet to be announced for the festival.
 
CIRQUE DEBUTS PERMANENT SHOW IN OPULENT MACAU HOTEL CASINO [BBC, 8/31/08]
Canadian-born phenomenon Cirque du Soleil has opened the doors on its first permanent production in Asia, premiering its new show Zaia in Macau on Thursday (Aug. 28). The latest show from the Montreal-based troupe debuted in a custom-built, 1,800-seat theatre inside the lavish Venetian Macau Hotel and Casino, one of several glitzy gambling havens built in the Chinese territory over the past few years. "The creative challenge is very interesting for us as this area has yet to be developed for its entertainment offers," Cirque president and CEO Daniel Lamarre said in a statement. "We are anxious for Asian audiences to discover this Cirque du Soleil production." The custom theatre and development of the show cost more than $150 million US, according to Cirque. The troupe has toured across East Asia, with stops including Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Taipei. As with its other resident shows in Las Vegas and Orlando, the 90-minute-long "Zaia" tells a story — in this case about a young girl who travels through space and returns to Earth — expressed through a host of impressive acrobatic performances infused with music, dance, theatre and drama. As such, the show's creators have faced many of the same challenges as with previous shows, "Zaia"'s acrobatic choreographer, Jeff Hall, said in an interview. "Most of these acrobats have never performed in theatre shows before," Hall said. "Zaia" features 75 acrobatic artists, 13 of whom are of Chinese descent. "They come from world-class competitions, they come from the Olympics. So you have to train them to be performers now and clearly that is what makes Cirque du Soleil the international company that we are. We treat our acrobats as performers, as artists." In recent years, an influx of Chinese and foreign investment has flooded into Macau as part of efforts to transform the once sleepy Portuguese colony into an international level tourist attraction and gambling destination. Gambling revenues in Macau exceeded those in Las Vegas in 2007. Cirque is slated to open another resident show, Zed by filmmaker François Girard, in Tokyo on October 1, 2008.
 
"LIVING IN EMERGENCY" DOCUMENTARY SHOWS TOUCH REALITY OF DOCTORS IN WAR [Reuters, 8/31/08]
A new documentary on aid workers in war zones shows the tough choices, dilemmas and limits faced by doctors providing emergency care in extreme conditions. Shot in 2005-2006 and presented at the Venice film festival, "Living in Emergency" follows four Western volunteers working in Africa for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the French-based aid agency which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Two are new recruits and two are experienced field workers in Liberia after its brutal civil war and in the lawless northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All struggle to cope with a crushing work load, the lack of adequate supplies, and the chaos and carnage around them. Using graphic footage of emergency surgery and frank interviews with aid workers, the documentary gives a powerful sense of what life in the field is really like for MSF doctors, and stays away from the sanitized images which are sometimes used to make humanitarian work easier for audiences to watch. "It was very clear from the beginning that we did not want to make some kind of 'cause documentary'. That's a genre like 'everything is going to be okay and here are the heroes'," director Mark Hopkins, who is a dual U.S. and British national, told Reuters in an interview. "They (MSF doctors) don't view themselves like that, they are humans. They are doing quite extraordinary stuff in crazy situations but ... it would be disingenuous to the actual reality of the situation to turn it into one of those standard cliches." The documentary shows the material constraints affecting the volunteers' work -- choosing which patient to treat first can mean deciding who will live and who will die, and often there are no other doctors with whom to share the responsibility. It also explores how their ideals, perspectives and motives are transformed over time by what they witness in the field, and how difficult it is too keep morale high amid the tension and frustrations. This is low-grade medicine. The things that we do are not as good as they could be," one of the volunteers says in the film. While most describe their work as a highly enriching experience, the stress and the exposure to the horrors of war can take a heavy toll. Chris Brasher, an Australian anesthetist who worked with MSF for nine years and is one of the doctors at the centre of the documentary, has now left the agency for a Paris hospital. "I was completely burnt out .... dreaming about burned bodies and dying people. I had trouble in my personal life maintaining my relationships. I was becoming aggressive," he said, adding it was very hard to readjust to normal life. He offered this advice to the thousands of people who every year apply to become an MSF volunteer: "To all those who think they are doing this for other persons and not for themselves, think again."
 
FRANK FILM "ZERO BRIDGE" LOOKS AT DAILY LIFE IN TROUBLED KASHMIR [Reuters, 8/31/08]
A new film set in Indian Kashmir seeks to go beyond stereotypes of the troubled region as either the idyllic backdrop to Bollywood movies or the subject of news reports and documentaries into the violence. "Zero Bridge," by U.S.-born Tariq Tapa in his directorial debut, is a low-key, partly-improvised drama about a rebellious Kashmiri teenager who turns to petty crime in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian part of the divided region. Dilawar, who lives with an illiterate uncle after his mother abandoned him, meets an attractive older woman Bani, and is faced with a dilemma when he realizes that in stealing her passport he has jeopardized her freedom and future happiness. The film maker, whose father is a Kashmiri Muslim, believes that in portraying the day-to-day challenges and frustrations of people living in Srinagar, his film could prove more political than any documentary or news bulletin. "If you could come to care about them by the end of the film then I think that that was in a way a more political act than (what) a well-meaning documentary could achieve," Tapa told reporters on Saturday in Venice, where "Zero Bridge" screened outside the main film festival competition. Tapa's own experiences shooting "Zero Bridge" in 2006 and 2007 reflect the level of suspicion in Kashmir. One of the offices he set up in Srinagar during the making of the film was attacked by an angry mob, incensed when they heard rumors that a foreigner was making a pornographic movie. He fled one attack on the back of a stranger's motorcycle, and was later detained by police investigating the claims about his project. Tapa spent weeks trying to iron out the misunderstandings. The director, who first visited Kashmir as a boy when his father took him to see relatives there before the visits stopped in 1989, cast his cousin in the main role of Dilawar and based Bani's tragic tale on another relative's real experiences.
 
CLUES TO 'SAW V' PLOT UNRAVELED VIA NEW PICS [Aceshowbiz, 8/30/08]
A slew of new pictures from the upcoming horror thriller flick "Saw V" has been unearthed. Exposed via a video footage sent by 'Burst' to Bloody-Disgusting, the newly outed photos share the first look into Tobin Bell's Jigsaw in the fifth installment of the horror franchise as well as give out hints on the possible story as they reveal where some of the victims are kept and some of the traps. Continuing the popular "Saw" franchise, "Saw V" is said to be following Hoffman, who looks like to be the last person alive to carry on Jigsaw legacy on making others grateful of their lives by putting them in lethal traps. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman is forced to go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends. Starring Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Julie Benz, Meagan Good, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, and many others, the Lionsgate Films' flick is directed by the production designer of the previous last three "Saw" movies, David Hackl, using the script from Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. It is expected to be outed on October 24, 2008. Pics are available online.
 
STUNTWOMAN KNOWN FOR "GONE WITH THE WIND" SCENE DIES [CBC, 8/30/08]
Hazel Warp, a skilled horsewoman who was Vivien Leigh's stunt double in Gone With the Wind, has died. She was 93. Warp died Tuesday (Aug. 26) at Evergreen Healthcare in Livingston, Mont., according to a spokesman for the home. As a Hollywood stuntwoman, Warp stood in for Leigh on the horse-riding scenes in Gone with the Wind, doubled for Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet and an Egyptian adventuress in Ben Hur. She was the stunt double who tumbled down the stairs of Tara in the famous "Gone with the Wind" scene when Scarlett O'Hara reaches out to slap Rhett Butler, loses her balance and falls. "I was black and blue for awhile," Warp said in a 2005 interview with the Bozeman Chronicle. "But I knew how to fall. The director said I spoiled them because I knew what to do. "Clark Gable told me I was going to break my neck. I said, 'I haven't yet.'"She also appeared as a stand-in for Leigh in Wuthering Heights, after Leigh insisted on having her as a stunt double. Warp was born Hazel Hash in Harlowton, Mont., in 1914, shortly after her Scots-Irish parents moved to the area. She was one of four children on the family farm and grew up loving horses. She rode to the one-room schoolhouse she attended up to Grade 9, when she quit school to train horses. In the 1930s, the family moved around the West and the daring Hash took up rodeo trick-riding. She got work as a stuntwoman after moving to California to follow one of her sisters. Montie Montana, a real-life cowboy turned actor and stuntman, helped Warp get work in the rodeos and films. Early films included Prisoner of Zenda, Julia Thayer and The Painted Stallion. "There was nothing she wouldn't do and nothing she couldn't ride," her brother Bob Hash said in 2005. "We thought it was tops." Warp said she loved everything about filmmaking. "I never will forget it," Warp said. "I liked it, everything about it. I just liked my work." She quit riding at age 38. Warp married James Wharton in June 1954 and moved to Virginia after his death in 1960. She returned to Bozeman in 1969 and married Lars Warp. He died in 1983.
 
ACTOR SWAPS ROLE IN SUICIDE DRAMA FOR PART IN MURDER MYSTERY [CBC, 8/29/08]
Actor Steven McCarthy has taken the lead role in the Toronto production of Norway.Today after Marc Bendavid was offered a role in the Murdoch Mysteries. Bendavid had been cast in the role of August, one of two characters who meet on the internet and agree to a suicide pact in the play by Czech-German playwright Igor Bauersima. But his role in the Gemini-nominated detective series "Murdoch Mysteries" conflicts with the stage production and he was forced to leave two weeks into rehearsal for "Norway.Today". McCarthy, a Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native who is founding member of Bill Glassco's Montreal Young Company, recently completed an international tour with "Revisited". Later in the fall, McCarthy is playing Horatio in Necessary Angel's production of "Hamlet". He will play opposite Ivea Lucs in "Norway.Today", a tragicomic work that has been described as Beckett for the web generation. The play has been translated into 25 languages since its German debut in 2000. The English translation is by Anna Kohler. "Norway.Today" is being presented by Theatre Smash, a small Toronto-based company that began operations in 2006 with an emphasis on bringing contemporary international works to Toronto stages. The company had a hit last year with Tiny Dynamite, in which McCarthy also had a role. "Norway.Today" runs Sept. 5 to 21, 2008 at Tarragon Extra Space.
 
JOHN LENNON'S TROUBLED ADOLESCENCE TO BE FILMED [Aceshowbiz, 8/29/08]
The story about the early years of the legendary member of The Beatles, John Lennon, is heading to the big screen. Entitled "Nowhere Boy", the movie will highlight the acclaimed singer/songwriter's troubled teenage as told by his half-sister, Julia Baird through her memoirs. Retelling his deeply personal account, the movie will provide a deeper look into his relationship with his mother who abandoned him and his Aunt Mimi who raised him with a strict authority. It will also show how Lennon find his only escape in music and art as well as in his friendship with Paul McCartney. Explaining the reason behind the choosing of the plot, director Sam Taylor-Wood said, "The women in John's early life truly shaped who he became and the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships are central to this film." "Boy" is scripted by Matt Greenhalgh and will be filmed on location in the star's hometown of Liverpool. Ecosse Films are producing the project in association with the U.K. Film Council. Meanwhile, the major role casting is said to be underway.
 
QUEENSWAY BRIDGE EXPLOSION VIDEOS FROM "TRANSFORMERS 2:" SET [Aceshowbiz, 8/29/08]
Several new footages of the ear-banging blast on the set of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" have made its way to meet fans' enjoyment. The videos give a better look into the Queensway Bridge explosive shooting if compared to the previously-outed shaking videos. The first two videos posted display one massive explosion happening on the same spot, but taken from different angles. They also expose before and after look on the filming's set. The third video provides a shot of a smaller blowout occurring  after Optimus Prime rides away. The last video presents the shooting which involved the silver centennial corvette concept car, Bumblebee, Optimus, Chevrolet Beats, Chevy Trax and Ironhide. Slated to be released on June 26, 2009, "Revenge of the Fallen" comes from director Michael Bay and the screenwriting team of Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It follows the story about two clashing robot clans on Earth. This time, the heroes will be facing a stronger and more powerful villain by the name of the Fallen and the new enemy forces them to bring back their foe Megatron to defeat him. Starring Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, the human friend of the friendly alien robots Autobots, the flick is also supported by Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and many others. The production was once shortly halted due to LaBeouf's car accident in late July. Videos are available online.
 
GERMAN STUDIO OFFERS TO EASE "VALKYRIE" EXTRAS PAIN [E! Online, 8/29/08]
The German studio that has helped Tom Cruise jump over the various hurdles involved in filming in Deutschland wants to help the actor avoid yet another big headache. The head of Studio Babelsberg AG, which is coproducing Valkyrie with Cruise's United Artists, said Thursday (Aug. 28) that it has proposed a settlement to 12 extras who want $11 million to cover injuries they say they suffered when a side panel of an old military truck they were riding in fell off. The 12 angry men, who reportedly were left with injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to pulled ligaments and broken bones, have sent a letter to United Artists demanding compensation and threatening legal action. Meanwhile, it was sister company Achte Babelsberg Film GmbH, that hired the extras, according to Studio Babelsberg president and CEO Charles Woebcken. He said that a full investigation of the incident revealed that an operator mishandled one of the truck's door-locking mechanisms but otherwise the vehicle was in full working condition. After they concluded their inquiry, the studio's legal department immediately tried to settle up with the dozen would-be plaintiffs. "In America, these things happen," he said, calling the $11 million appeal to United Artists a publicity stunt. "You have a different system in Germany. If you lose an arm, it's not worth a million dollars. This [is] a broken rib." A rep for Cruise said yesterday that the studio does not comment on pending or "threatened" legal matters. We'll find out Dec. 26, 2008 whether Valkyrie, based on a true story about a Nazi officer's failed plot to assassinate Hitler, was worth all the trouble it was to make.
 
WAINWRIGHT PARTS WAYS WITH MET OVER OPERA PROJECT [CBC, 8/29/08]
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has dropped plans to write an opera for the Metropolitan Opera after the New York opera company rejected his plan to write it in French. The Montreal-raised Wainwright has written most of the libretto for Prima Donna in French and says the language fits too well with the music to change it at this point. According to the the New York Times, Met manager Peter Gelb would have preferred a libretto in English. "Presenting a new opera that is not in English at the Met when it could be in English is an immediate impediment to its potential success with audiences," he told the Times. Wainwright was one of several pop and stage composers commissioned to write new works in English by the Met and the Lincoln Centre two years ago. He and the Met also parted ways over the timing of the opera. The Met, which plans several years out, could not fit the work into its lineup until 2014. "They work on that sort of scale. I wanted to get it out as soon as possible because I'm an impatient pop star," Wainwright told the New York Times. However, he praised the Met for its support in the early stages of his project. Wainwright says he is still working on Prima Donna and now has plans to premiere the work next July at the Manchester International Festival. He initially planned to translate the work, about an aging Paris opera star in the 1970s, into English, but now says he will leave it in French. Wainwright, the son of Canadian singer Kate McGarrigle and singer-actor Loudon Wainwright III, grew up in Montreal and began his career in that city's nightclub circuit. He has been working on the libretto for "Prima Donna" as well as touring in support of his most recent album, Release the Stars. The Met commissioned a total of 10 teams to write new operas at a cost of $2 million. Among the teams is one comprising composer Michael Torke, writer Michael Korie and Canadian director Des McAnuff. McAnuff is artistic director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Torke composed the ballet "An Italian Straw Hat" and the choral work "A Christmas Story" and Korie earned a Tony nomination as lyricist for "Grey Gardens". Their production will be workshopped in the first half of 2009.
 
VANCOUVER DANCE, SOUTH AFRICAN THEATRE IN HARBOURFRONT SEASON [CBC, 8/29/08]
Harbourfront's World Stage Festival of performing arts in Toronto will feature three world premieres in its 2008-09 season, including new dance from Vancouver's Crystal Pite and Montreal-based collective bluemouth.inc. Pite returns to the Toronto stage in November with Lost Action to World Stage, in which seven dancers from her company explore the threshold of what the human body can accomplish. Bluemouth, which has been workshopping its piece Dance Marathon in Montreal, will get audiences involved in the newly commissioned work at the world premiere at Harbourfront in February 2009. Dance marathons were a spectator sport and a way people attempted to make money during the Depression; this new work builds on that concept. Also in its world premiere is Hospitality 3: Individualism was a Mistake, a piece of theatre/dance by Montreal's PME-Art. The World Stage series brings ground-breaking performing arts works, many of them experimental, from around the globe to the Harbourfront stage. A full lineup was released Thursday (Aug. 28) for the Toronto-based festival. Danish dancer Kitt Johnson returns to Harbourfront for the first time in four years with Rankefod, a solo performance about the origin of the species, making its Canadian premiere. World Stage also includes a remount of Chapel/Chapter, from Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, which won a Dora Award earlier this year for outstanding dance production. Other festival highlights: The Spaghetti Western Orchestra from Australia, with renderings of composer Ennio Morricone's film classics; Afterimage, a choral work and theatre piece by Newfoundland's Artistic Fraud; Shakuntula, a work by 5th century Indian playwright Kalidasa coming to a Toronto stage for the first time; Tshepang, a disturbing and moving show by South Africa's Lara Foot-Newton. The season begins in October and extends to May 2009 at Harbourfront Centre.
 
NEW "BABYLON A.D." TRAILER SPOOFING SUMMER MOVIES [Aceshowbiz, 8/29/08]
"Babylon A.D." is making its way to the big screen this coming Friday, August 29, 2008, but before moviegoers head up to the theaters to check it out, a so-called official trailer to the Mathieu Kassovitz-directed/co-scripted action sci-fi has come out. Uniquely made, the video lampooned most of highlighted movies this summer from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to "Sex and the City" and "The Dark Knight". Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Melanie Thierry and Gerard Depardieu, "Babylon" tells the story of Toorop, a mercenary with a simple code "kill or be killed". Living in the time when world has turned into a war zone, he is hired to escort a young woman holding a big secret and her guardian from Eastern Europe to New York. When he gradually finds out that the woman is carrying the only hope for the future of mankind and everyone else wants to be the first to get it, he is forced to choose between putting his life on the line or doing his job.
 
KURT BROWNING JUMPS INTO JOB AS "WALK OF FAME" HOST [CBC, 8/29/08]
Former Canadian figure skating champion Kurt Browning will host Canada's Walk of Fame gala in September, the annual induction of new Canadian celebrities into the Toronto-based Walk of Fame. Browning, the first skater to land a quad jump in competition, is a four-time Canadian and world figure skating champion and had a professional career with Stars on Ice. He'll be joined by Sigourney Weaver, who will induct James Cameron, the director who guided her through Aliens and Avatar. Other personalities lined up for the Sept. 6, 2008 gala include comedienne Andrea Martin, supermodel Linda Evangelista and Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo who will honour NBA star Steve Nash. The inductees include: Musician and recording artist Bryan Adams, to be inducted by Evangelista; Supermodel Daria Werbowy, to be inducted by TV host Jeanne Beker;  Actor Michael J. Fox, to be inducted by actress Julie Bowen of Boston Legal; Actress Frances Bay, to be inducted by Gabrielle Miller of Corner Gas; Comedy troupe Kids in the Hall to be inducted by Martin. Singer k.d. lang also is to be inducted, but a presenter has not yet been announced. Adams and Fox received their nominations to the Walk of Fame in earlier years, but this is the first time they've been able to attend the induction ceremony. Colm Feore will present a segment to honour the late Norma and Douglas Shearer, who will be awarded the Canadian Legends Award, a new award given posthumously to Canadian pioneers in film, music, sport, arts and innovation. The Montreal brother and sister were Oscar winners in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s. The Walk of Fame recognizes Canadians who have excelled on the national or international stage in entertainment, sports and the arts, and produced work that has influenced Canadian culture.
 
'VENICE FILM FESTIVAL OPENS WITH HOLLYWOOD FLASH [AP, 8/28/08]
The Venice Film Festival opened Wednesday (Aug. 27) night with the premiere of the Coen brothers' dark comedy "Burn After Reading," giving a flash of Hollywood glamour to a festival lineup with a definite art house feel. The 21 films competing for the coveted Golden Lion at the festival, which runs through Sept. 6, 2008, will provide a snapshot of world cinema, with entries from Ethiopia, Turkey, Algeria and a Brazilian-Chinese production. While the lineup gives the impression of being light on celebrity-driven Hollywood fare — due both to the impact of last year's writers' strike and a late selection process for Cannes' springtime festival — festival director Marco Mueller said U.S. films are well represented. "Burn After Reading," starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton, is among another five American films being shown out of competition. The first U.S. film vying for the Golden Lion is Guillermo Arriaga's "The Burning Plain," starring Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger as a mother and daughter trying to forge a bond. The writer of "21 Grams" is making his debut as director. Darren Aronofsky will present "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke as a wrestler forced into retirement who strikes up a romance with an aging stripper played by Marisa Tomei. Jonathan Demme will be showing his "Rachel Getting Married" starring Anne Hathaway as a daughter whose return home for her sister's wedding brings out old tensions. Kathryn Bigelow is bringing "The Hurt Locker," an Iraq war drama portraying soldiers who defuse bombs in the heat of war. Also among the U.S. entries is Iranian-born Amir Naderi's "Vegas: Based on a True Story," about the family life of a compulsive gambler. Pitt picked up an award Wednesday that he won last year — the best actor's prize for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." German filmmaker Wim Wenders, whose credits include "Paris, Texas" and "Buena Vista Social Club," is heading this year's jury. "Burn After Reading" is Clooney's third film with the Coen brothers — completing what he called "his trilogy of idiots" after "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Intolerable Cruelty." The film is set within a spy story for no other reason than "we hadn't done one before," Joel Coen told reporters. "It could have been a dog movie or an outer space movie. We just kind of landed on a spy movie," he said.
 
'AEON FLUX' SCRIBES GO WITH 'BOYS' [Aceshowbiz, 8/28/08]
The scribbling pair of the sci-fi action starring Charlize Theron, "Aeon Flux", have been brought on board the comic book adaptation project, "The Boys". The two screenwriters, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, are now set to adapt the Dynamite Entertainment's comic book series to the big screen. Preparing the script for Columbia Pictures, they are expected to pen the story of a CIA squad known as "The Boys" and their adventures as they are given the mission to pay attention to the increasing numbers of superheroes. Aside from scripting this movie for Columbia, the pair is also working together on adapting Universal Pictures' "R.I.P.D." Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson, "The Boys" was originally published by Wildstorm in October 2006. The movie version will be produced by Neal H. Moritz and his Columbia-based Original Films. No particular director has been linked to this project yet.
 
HIT WITH OPPOSITION, "TOWELHEAD" STICKS WITH ITS TITLE [Aceshowbiz, 8/28/08]
Amidst Muslim leaders' demand of the retitling of "Towelhead", the Warner Independent Pictures' controversial drama stays firm with its chosen title. Rejecting the idea to make some changes in the naming of the film, its director/producer/writer Alan Ball reasoned that the title is important for the movie to be true to its original concept. Insisting that the title will be kept, Ball shared his point of view on the matter. "As a gay man, I know how it feels to be called hateful names simply because of who I am," he explained. "Therefore, I felt it was important to retain the title of Alicia Erian's novel, in which she so effectively dramatizes the pain inflicted by such language, something many people of non-minority descent never have to face." "I believe one of the unintended consequences of forbidding such words to be spoken is imbuing those words with more power than they should ever have, and helping create the illusion that the bigotry and racism expressed by such cruel epithets is less prevalent than it actually is, which we all know is sadly not the case." Earlier, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged Warner Bros. executives to rename the movie suggesting that it should be entitled "Nothing is Private", the title under which the movie was premiered at 2007 Toronto International Film Festival instead. Calling the title as "a racial and religious slur", CAIR noted that "the word is commonly used in a derogatory manner against people of the Muslim faith or Arab origin". Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Alicia Erian, "Towelhead" tells the story of a 13-year-old Arab-American girl who faces racism and hypocrisy both at school and at home while dealing with her sexual awakening. The title is taken from the nickname given to the girl by her foes. To debut in theaters on September 26, 2008, it features the likes of Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, Lynn Collins, etc.
 
ATLANTIC FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS LINEUP OF 254 FILMS [CBC, 8/28/08]
The Atlantic Film Festival opens in Halifax Sept. 11, 2008 with a slate of 254 films, including 70 from Atlantic Canada. Full details of the festival lineup — which will close with the Canadian premiere of Summerhood, narrated by John Cusack — were released Wednesday (Aug. 27). "Summerhood", the debut of Halifax filmmaker Jacob Medjuck, is the story of a nine-year-old boy's pivotal summer camp experience. Event director Lia Rinaldo says the festival is a chance to celebrate new talent moving into the film industry in Atlantic Canada. "The one thing that we are so excited about this year is the fact that we're presenting five dramatic first features from the region, which is almost unheard of — I don't think we've ever had a year with that many first features," she told CBC News. "And this really speaks to growth in the industry, the fact that there's this many people that are really launching the next level of their career." Other debuts by Atlantic filmmakers include Growing Op by Michael Melski of Halifax and a group of diverse short films from Cory Bowles, Jay Dahl and Jason Eisenor. The opening film, previously announced, is Blindness, the Canadian co-production that opened the Cannes Film Festival this year. Written by Canadian Don McKellar from the novel by Jose Saramago, it shows what happens when a new disease makes most of the world blind. Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal star. The 11 galas include: Adoration, a teen drama by Canadian director Atom Egoyan; Surveillance, a crime drama by U.S. director Jennifer Chambers Lynch; The Black Balloon, a family film by Australian Elissa Down; Une Conte de Noël, directed by France's Arnaud Desplechin and starring Catherine Deneuve; Otto; or, Up With Dead People, Bruce LaBruce's horror comedy; One Week, directed by Michael McGowan, in which Joshua Jackson makes a motorcycle trip from Toronto to Tofino, B.C; Patti Smith: Dream of Life, a documentary by first-time filmmaker Steven Sebring about the punk poet and music legend. Four movies, including Une Conte de Noël and One Week, are making their world debut. The Special Presentations series is bringing films such as Larry Charles and Bill Maher's Religulous, Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Canadian films Down to the Dirt and Real Time and Israel-German co-production Waltz with Bashir. Tickets go on sale Wednesday for the festival, which runs Sept. 11 to 22, 2008.

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