‘Sex’ loses zing but still lures fans

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Cast members pose for photographers at the premiere of “Sex and the City 2” in Leicester Square, London May 27, 2010. — Reuters pic

NEW YORK, May 28 — “Sex and the City” may have lost the scandalous story lines and antics that once left fans both shocked and delighted, but box office experts and devotees predict that won’t stop fans flocking to the movie sequel.

Women around the world are prepping their wardrobes for cocktail nights out and planning brunches and beauty treatments timed to watch Carrie Bradshaw and her three gal pals return in “Sex and the City 2,” that began its worldwide roll-out yesterday and opens in more than 30 countries by next week.

Similar to the first movie, many US reviews have been less than flattering. USA Today called it a “mortifying mess”, New York magazine “an epic eyesore,” and the Los Angeles Times said “the satire is sagging, the irony’s atrophied and the funny is flabby.”

A few reviews were more positive. The Hollywood Reporter, for one, said the sequel has “more cutting edge humour” than the first film and for “the core audience, there will be no complaints about too much of a good thing. This picture is going to be a smash.”

The first movie about four New York City women dealing with life and love raked in more than US$415 million (RM1.3 billion) worldwide, and box office watchers expect solid ticket sales.

“Even if the movie is terrible, women don’t care,” said Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. It’s an event...and I think for a lot of women, this is their ‘Star Wars.’ These are the characters that they love.”

Weeks before the debut, advance tickets were snapped up with more than 50 per cent of early online ticket sales going in blocks of four or more, said Dergarabedian, “which means women are going in groups, they’re making a girls night out of it, and that’s music to the studio’s ears, no question about it.”

Many women long ago planned shopping trips and other outings around the film, and to them reviews don’t matter.

“The show is not supposed to cure cancer. It fulfils that fantasy of what New York City is to the people who don’t live (here) and what it can be for those of us who do,” said 39-year-old New York resident Monica Lozano.

In fact, screenings taking place just after midnight yesterday, raked in US$3 million, according to studio estimates.

The sequel, distributed by Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros, sees a return to celebrating the friendship of the four main characters — Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha — who reflect on marriage and motherhood, leaving behind their families for an unlikely extravagant holiday in Abu Dhabi.

Supporting characters from the TV series, such as Carrie’s former boyfriend Aidan, appear in the sequel, and stars from Liza Minnelli to Miley Cyrus make cameo appearances.

And, of course, on display are many glamorous outfits that are sure to tantalise women everywhere who love fashion.

Much of the “Sex and the City” success is owed to the idea that it made women believe there was no reason to be embarrassed about feeling good about your body and flaunting it, said Elle Magazine’s fashion director Anne Slowey.

The show had a “phenomenal influence on the fashion industry,” she said. “And it’s a lot of fun. That’s the bottom line. Fashion is fun. ‘Sex and the City’ is fun. It’s the perfect marriage.”

Cast members and trend experts said the influence of the franchise on pop culture has been nothing short of incredible since the groundbreaking TV series first aired in 1998.

“It’s beyond anything that I could have hoped, dreamed for, pondered,” Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie) told Reuters. — Reuters

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‘Glee,’ Stones eye top of albums chart

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Dianna Agron poses at the premiere of the second season of “Glee” in Los Angeles April 12, 2010. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, May 21 — It’s “Glee” versus the Glimmer Twins on next week’s US pop album chart, as the latest release from the TV series vies for top honours with the reissue of the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street.”

Industry gurus think the “Glee: Showstoppers” soundtrack will debut at No 1 on the Billboard 200, selling perhaps 80,000 to 100,000 copies by week’s end on May 23 — enough to unseat current champ Justin Bieber. Rankings will be released on Wednesday.

The cast of “Glee” notched its first No 1 recently with “The Power of Madonna,” when that seven-song mini-album arrived in the penthouse with 98,000. “Showstoppers” is the third proper full-length soundtrack from the hit Fox TV show. The first two volumes arrived in quick succession last November and December.

But another album looking for a high placement on the Billboard 200 next week is the Stones’ 1972 album “Exile on Main Street,” which is being reissued with rare bonus tracks.

There’s a chance that the set — which spent four weeks at No 1 on the chart that year — could give the “Glee” album a run for its money for No 1 next week. The set was co-produced by the Glimmer Twins, the nom de plume of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Other sets expected to debut high on the Billboard 200 next week include Black Keys’ “Brothers,” Band of Horses’ “Infinite Arms,” Nas and Damian Marley’s “Distant Relatives” and LCD Soundsystem’s “This Is Happening.”

Bieber’s “My World 2.0.” sold 60,300 copies during the week ended May 16, the second-lowest sales tally for a No 1 album since tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan started keeping data in May 1991. — Reuters

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Gene Simmons says KISS costume prevents ‘grinding’

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LOS ANGELES, May 15 — KISS bassist Gene Simmons yesterday denied brushing up against a make-up artist and “grinding” against her, saying his codpiece-style stage costume made that impossible.

Simmons’ legal team filed court papers in Los Angeles asking a judge to declare that accuser Victoria Jackson has suffered no harm from the star of costume rock and reality television.

Simmons’ lawyers said Jackson has threatened to sue over the “alleged assault that never occurred” unless he pays her US$185,000 (RM590, 613).

The dispute stems from a November 2009 appearance Simmons and fellow band member Eric Singer made on the ESPN television show “SportsCenter”.

Jackson has stated in a letter to Simmons, 60, that he hugged and “grinded” her in a hallway at ESPN studios in Los Angeles, when he was there for “SportsCenter.”

But Simmons’ lawyers say Jackson’s grinding allegations are “implausible if not impossible” because he was in his KISS costume with a codpiece that sits over the groin.

KISS began its career in the 1970s and scored hits with “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Simmons has since become a reality TV star on “Gene Simmons: Family Jewels”.

An ESPN spokesman said the company was not involved in the lawsuit. — Reuters

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Oliver Stone targets banks in ‘Wall Street’ sequel

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Douglas and LaBeouf in a scene from ‘'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’. — Reuters pic
LONDON, May 8 — Director Oliver Stone turns his sights on the US banking system later this year in the sequel to “Wall Street,” his examination of 1980s excess, with Michael Douglas reprising his Oscar-winning role as Gordon Gekko.

While in the 1987 film Stone cast the unscrupulous corporate raider Gekko as the bad guy, it is the big banks which are the villains of “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” to be unveiled at the Cannes film festival later this month.

“The original ‘87 movie was about these bandits (like Gekko) who came into the system,” the three-time Oscar winner told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“It wasn’t about the system itself, it did not question the banks. The investment banks were not playing the same role back then,” he added.

According to Stone, in the real world Gekko’s role was taken on by hedge fund managers and then by investment banks, something he opposes.

“Banks used to be boring, and there’s something to be said very strongly for keeping them that way,” said Stone, who has a reputation for tackling tough themes from the Vietnam war to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the 9/11 attacks.

He referred to the so-called “Volcker rule” proposal in the United States which aims to limit proprietary trading by banks.

“(This) is what our movie is a lot about, trading for themselves, for profits for themselves, and not for their clients. They (the banks) have lost their agentary function which was their original purpose,” said Stone.

While addressing serious issues, Stone stressed that “Wall Street 2” was chiefly a piece of entertainment.

“I wouldn’t have headed into this thing unless I could have made it exciting,” he explained.

“I think one of the things I’ve been able to do over the years is take arcane subject matter ... and make it accessible and entertaining and the kind of movie where you want to know what happens next and which is suspenseful.”

Hitting theatres on Sept 24, the movie stars Shia LaBeouf as Jake Moore, a successful trader who is in a relationship with Winnie (Carey Mulligan), Gekko’s daughter.

Frank Langella plays Moore’s mentor whose investment bank is stuck with billions of dollars in toxic debt, and Josh Brolin portrays Bretton James, who seeks to take over the business for a fraction of its worth.

Gekko is out of jail, where he served time for securities fraud, and promoting his new book “Is Greed Good?” while at the same time seeking a rapprochement with his daughter.

Stone said he was not interested at first when he heard that Douglas and producer Edward Pressman were keen to return to Wall Street in 2006.

“I was lukewarm to the idea because I wasn’t that interested in the celebrity culture of wealth. There was a draft written and it didn’t work out for me.”

But after the financial crash of 2008, the project became more attractive, particularly with the sub-plot of Gekko’s relationship with his daughter thrown in.

Stone said he believed that the movie, from News Corp unit Twentieth Century Fox, would not have been made were it not for the success of the original Wall Street.

“It was still that name that drove it. It’s ironic to say that we created ... a sort of franchise, but it does help enormously around the world.” — Reuters

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Prosecutors oppose release of Polanski transcripts

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Polanski remains under house arrest in Switzerland. — Reuters pic
LOS ANGELES, May 7 — Prosecutors in the sex crime case of Roman Polanski said yesterday they oppose a defence request seeking the release of documents the film director’s lawyers say would aid his fight against extradition.

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said similar requests have been denied three previous times.

“The defendant ... obviously running out of options to avoid extradition, makes completely baseless and reckless allegations apparently orchestrated as part of a public relations campaign, rather than being premised on any legal or factual foundation,” Walgren wrote in his court filing.

Last week, Polanski’s California attorneys asked the court to release sealed transcripts of a deposition by a former Los Angeles prosecutor. The lawyers argued that those transcripts will prove the request to bring him back to the United States was based “upon false and materially incomplete statements.”

A judge is expected to hear arguments in the case on Monday.

Polanski, 76, is under house arrest in Switzerland waiting to learn if officials there will return him to Los Angeles to face sentencing in the more than 30-year-old sex crime.

In 1977, the director of “Rosemary’s Baby” pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles, but he fled the United States in 1978 when he believed the judge, who has since died, would sentence him to more time in jail than he had already served. — Reuters

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Hollywood eyes another RM12 billion summer

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LOS ANGELES, May 6 — Four billion dollars over four months, four years in a row. Those are figures that might make the ego of “Iron Man” Tony Stark swell even bigger.

But the US$4 billion (RM12 billion) is what Hollywood’s studios will be aiming to collect at box offices during their lucrative summer film season that kicks off on Friday, starting four straight months of some of the year’s biggest movies and biggest stars.

The show begins with “Iron Man 2,” about defense industry billionaire Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) who builds an ultra high-tech suit that serves as a weapon. It will be followed by nearly 100 more films including a pair of remakes of 1980s titles “The Karate Kid” and “The A-Team.”

Before the season ends in September, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will battle evil in “Knight and Day,” Russell Crowe rob from the rich to give to the poor in “Robin Hood,” the ladies of “Sex and the City 2” will go shopping in Abu Dhabi, and Jake Gyllenhaal will wield a mighty sword in action-packed Jerry Bruckheimer flick “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

“When you really sit down and think of how Bruckheimer works, he knows a really successful movie like this has to focus on a really succesful story,” Gyllenhaal told Reuters, talking about the producer of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

Yet in the past it has been action and adventure that have boosted summer ticket sales. Last year’s No. 1 summer flick, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” helped push the 2009 season’s ticket sales to just under US$4.2 billion.

Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com believes this year’s box office takings will top that figure, nudged along by nine sequels and seven 3D films, including “Shrek Forever After” and “Toy Story 3.”

“With the 3D component, we could have another record-breaking summer in revenue,” he said.

Bring on the popcorn

But for fans, the season is less about the money — unless they’re talking popcorn and sodas — and more about movies.

Through the first half of the summer, Hollywood’s studios usher at least one major release into theaters each week, culminating on June 30 with “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” starring heartthrob Robert Pattinson as vampire Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as the love of his immortal life, Bella Swan.

The first two movies in the “Twilight” series took in a combined US$1.1 billion but the second, last November’s “New Moon,” took its knocks from fans for being a bit too slow and moody. “Eclipse,” directed by horror moviemaker David Slade, promises to be dark and action-packed.

“The biggest (challenge) is keeping the series fresh and exciting — for actors, for the crew but most importantly for the audience,” said producer Wyck Godfrey. “A new filmmaker brings a new vision.”

On the romance front on May 14 comes comedy “Just Wright” starring Queen Latifah as a physical therapist training a suave basketball player and “Letters to Juliet,” in which Amanda Seyfried portrays an American tourist who finds love in Italy.

They are followed one week later by the first 3D movie of the summer, “Shrek Forever After,” the “final chapter” in the series about the gentle, big green ogre and his princess Fiona.

3D films have had a major impact on box offices this past year (see “Avatar”), and Dergarabedian, for one, thinks they will be a big factor in the summer box office when children pack theaters while school is out.

“Clearly they are going for that kid audience,” he said. “3D really matters to kids.”

Comedies abound too, with titles such as the “Saturday Night Live” spin-off “MacGruber” and madcap rock ‘n’ roll film “Get Him to the Greek” starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill.

June 11 has been dubbed “80’s week” by fans because action adventure “The A-Team” and action drama “The Karate Kid” go head-to-head, seeing which film can out-action the other.

Finally, in those first two months before the U.S. Independence Day holiday on July 4, plenty of low-budget and independently-made movies will screen in theaters.

Among the more buzzed-about titles are documentaries “Babies,” “Restreppo” and “Casino Jack and the United States of Money,” as well as Sundance drama “Winter’s Bone” and comedy “Cyrus.” — Reuters

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Lars von Trier casts Dunst in ‘Melancholia’

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LOS ANGELES, April 17 — Since Penelope Cruz left Melancholia to jump aboard Pirates of the Caribbean’s next instalment, Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man, Marie Antoinette) will take the lead role in the next film of Lars von Trier (Antichrist).

A sci-fi disaster film that will shoot July through September in Southern Sweden will bring together Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist), Kiefer Sutherland (Monsters vs. Aliens) and Charlotte Rampling. Stellan Skarsgaard (Angels and Demons), Alexander Skarsgaard and Udo Kier are also cast.

Dunst will star next in All Good Things with Ryan Gosling. Her short film “Bastard” will premiere at the Tribeca Film Fest and be screened at Cannes.

Kiefer Sutherland, star of the hit US television show 24, which ends this season, may see a film version of the series. Rampling appears next in Never Let Me Go with Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley. — afprelaxnews.com

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Polanski victim no right to intervene, says prosecutors

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Polanski absconded in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, April 17 — Prosecutors yesterday urged a California appeals court to deny a bid by the victim in Roman Polanski’s sex crime to have the decades-old case against the film director thrown out.

In court documents, prosecutors said Samantha Geimer, who was 13 years old when unlawful sex charges were brought against Polanski in 1977, has “no right or authority to dictate the outcome of a criminal case.”

Geimer has long sought to end the long-running legal case, arguing that she has become a victim of the battle to bring the fugitive director to justice.

“Samantha Geimer was first victimized by Polanski. Whatever harm was done to her 33 years ago by Polanski is now a memory. Samantha Geimer is currently victimised by the judicial system in the maintenance of a prosecution, stale of fact and devoid of current purpose,” her lawyer argued in court papers.

Geimer was an aspiring child model in 1977 who went to a Hollywood house for a photo-shoot with Polanski. Now a mother of three children who lives quietly in Hawaii, she publicly forgave the director in 1997.

Polanski, now 76, pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor but fled California in 1978 before being sentenced because he thought the judge at the time would make him spend more time in jail than he had agreed to in a plea bargain.

The Oscar-winning director of “The Pianist” was arrested in Switzerland in September last year on a US warrant and is currently under house arrest in Switzerland.

Swiss officials have said they are awaiting the result of US legal proceedings before deciding whether to extradite him.

Prosecutors have demanded Polanski return to California for sentencing, which could see him spending years in jail.

But Polanski’s Los Angeles lawyers are trying to have him sentenced in his absence to the 42 days he already served in 1978 for a psychiatric evaluation. They have also claimed judicial misconduct in the original case. — Reuters

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‘Designing Women’ actress Dixie Carter dies

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Hollywood actress Dixie Carter seen in this file photo with her husband, Hal Holbrook. - Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, April 11 — Actress Dixie Carter, who played an outspoken liberal on the sitcom “Designing Women” and received an Emmy nomination for a guest role on “Desperate Housewives,” has died, according to TV gossip show “Entertainment Tonight.” She was 70.

Details about the time, place and cause were not immediately known.

“This has been a terrible blow to our family,” actor Hal Holbrook, Carter’s husband since 1984, was quoted as telling “Entertainment Tonight.” “We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy.”

“Designing Women,” which ran on CBS for seven seasons from 1986, revolved around the lives of four women and a man at an interior design firm in Atlanta. Carter’s sharp-tongued character, Julia Sugarbaker, was an advocate of liberal causes and women’s rights.

In 2007, Carter received an Emmy nomination for a stint as the devious mother-in-law of Marcia Cross’ character, Bree Hodge, on “Desperate Housewives.”

The Tennessee native also appeared in the 1980s sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” towards the end of its run, playing the wife of Conrad Bain’s character Philip Drummond. The role was later assumed by Mary Ann Mobley after it switched networks.

In addition to her 85-year-old husband, Carter is survived by her daughters from her first marriage, Mary Dixie and Ginna, “Entertainment Tonight” said. — Reuters

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‘Date Night’ takes early lead at box office

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(Left-Right) Cast members Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Common, and Leighton Meester pose for photographers as they arrive at the premiere of 'Date Night' in New York City. - Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, April 11 — “Date Night,” a romantic comedy starring sitcom staples Steve Carell and Tina Fey, narrowly claimed an early lead at the weekend box office in North America, according to preliminary sales data issued today.

The 20th Century Fox film earned US$9.3 million (RM31.6 million) during its first day of release across the United States and Canada on Friday, just ahead of last weekend’s champion “Clash of the Titans” with US$8.4 million, said tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

The studios will issue estimates for the three-day period this morning, and Warner Bros.’ “Clash of the Titans” could well repeat at No 1 if male youngsters outnumber the couples targeted by “Date Night.” Both are on track to earn in the mid-US$20 million range for the weekend.

“Date Night” stars Carell (“The Office”) and Fey (“30 Rock”) as a suburban couple pursued by crooks in a case of mistaken identity. The film was directed by Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) and generally liked by critics.

“Clash of the Titans,” the latest action film to jump on the lucrative 3D bandwagon in the wake of the success of “Avatar,” has earned US$92 million after its first eight days. Friday sales slid a hefty 68 per cent from opening day, in line with expectations for the epic.

Rounding out the top five were former champion “How to Train Your Dragon” with US$7.1 million in its third weekend of release; and the Miley Cyrus drama “The Last Song” (US$3.6 million), and filmmaker Tyler Perry’s sequel “Why Did I Get Married Too?” (US$3.5 million), both in their second weekends.

20th Century Fox is a unit of News Corp, and Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

“How to Train Your Dragon” was produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc and released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. “The Last Song” was released by Walt Disney Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co. “Why Did I Get Married Too?” was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. — Reuters

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‘Kumar’ goes from White House back to Hollywood

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Penn attends the premiere of “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” in Los Angeles April 17, 2008. — Reuters pic

WASHINGTON, April 4 — Nine months after leaving Hollywood for the White House, the actor Kal Penn is returning to Tinseltown to reprise his most famous role, as the marijuana-loving “Kumar” in the raucous “Harold and Kumar” feature film comedies.

As Kalpen Modi — Kal Penn is his stage name — the 32-year-old actor has been working in the Obama White House since July as an associate director of public engagement.

The magazine “Entertainment Weekly” reported on its website on Friday that Penn was leaving to make a new Harold and Kumar movie, this one with a Christmas theme, which might be shot in 3-D.

Penn, who had campaigned for US President Barack Obama, took a big pay cut to work in his administration after starring in “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” and playing a leading role on the medical-mystery television drama “House.”

The writers of “House” cleared Penn’s schedule to take his new job in Washington by having his character abruptly commit suicide last year.

One of the few Indian-American actors to make it big in Hollywood, Penn has said he was inspired to get involved in politics partly by his grandparents, who marched with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the White Housee was declining comment, saying Modi “has no announcements to make about his tenure here at this point.” — Reuters

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Maldives to host Akon’s aborted Sri Lanka concert

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LOS ANGELES, April 3 — The Maldives stepped in to offer US rap star Akon (pic) a replacement concert after his scheduled appearance in Sri Lanka was scuttled by protesting Buddhist monks.

“We are very happy he is planning to come and perform,” President Mohamed Nasheed’s press secretary Mohamed Zuhair told AFP by telephone from the atoll nation.

Akon’s Colombo concert scheduled for April 24 was blocked after monks complained about his “Sexy Bitch” music video featuring women in bikinis dancing around a pool. A Buddha statue was visible briefly in the background.

Akon’s agent, American Talent, was not immediately available for comment, but the concert in the capital Male is reportedly planned for April 23.

Sri Lanka’s tourism minister Achala Jagoda said Colombo could not issue a visa to the Grammy Award-nominated star because the video “was insensitive to Sri Lanka’s (Buddhist) cultural heritage.”

The cancelled show, which was reported to have sold out with tickets priced at 25,000 rupees (220 dollars), also attracted criticism from thousands of Sri Lankans on Facebook and blogs.

Majority-Buddhist Sri Lanka projects itself as a secular country but is highly sensitive to the use of religious images for commercial purposes. — AFPrelaxnews.com

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Jackson doctor fights to save licence

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Murray (left) listens during his arraignment Feb 8, 2010. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, April 2 — Attorneys for Dr Conrad Murray, the physician charged with involuntary manslaughter in pop star Michael Jackson’s death, filed court papers yesterday seeking to keep his California medical licence.

Murray’s attorneys argue that the doctor could be deprived of an adequate legal team if the state suspends his license and he cannot practice medicine and pay his bills.

“He is, without fear of overstatement, hanging on by a thread,” his attorneys Ed Chernoff and Joseph Low wrote.

Murray, who has offices in Houston and Las Vegas, is not seeing any patients in California. But the cardiologist’s attorneys said he could face the loss of his license in Nevada and Texas if California suspends him and the other states follow suit.

“His ability to pay for his own defence depends almost entirely on his ability to continue to treat patients in Nevada and Texas,” they said.

The filing came in response to a request by California authorities this month to have a judge suspend Murray’s license.

A representative for California Attorney General Jerry Brown could not be reached for comment. His office has sought the suspension under a law that mentions state agencies’ right to “protect the interests of the public.”

Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February, and he pleaded not guilty at a court hearing. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Authorities have ruled the main cause of Jackson’s death was an overdose of the powerful anaesthetic propofol, and they accuse Murray of providing that drug to the pop star.

Murray is free after posting bail of US$75,000 (RM248,000), but a judge barred him from giving any patient an anaesthetic, or from leaving the United States.

A hearing in the case is set for Monday, when a judge could set a date for a preliminary hearing at which evidence would be presented in open court.

Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, after losing consciousness at a palatial Los Angeles home where Murray was his personal physician. The singer’s 1982 “Thriller” is the world’s best-selling album. — Reuters

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Oprah defamation case goes to trial

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LOS ANGELES, March 17 — Whenever the media cover Oprah Winfrey litigation — whether it be with poets, flight attendants, physical trainers, or diet pill makers — it’s usually with an air of dismissiveness. She is a billionaire media personality and can hire the best lawyers — who is going to beat her in court?

Larato Mzamane, former headmistress of Winfrey’s South Africa-based Leadership Academy of Girls, might have a better-than-usual chance. A jury will soon determine whether the talk-show maven defamed Mzamane.

In 2007, a group of students at Winfrey’s school accused dorm parents of sexual abuse. Winfrey (left) was intimately involved with the school and met with Mzamane, who was soon put on administrative leave pending an investigation. At the time, Winfrey released a public statement saying that “(n)othing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy. I will do everything in my power to ensure their safety and well-being.”

Later, Winfrey said she had “lost confidence in (Mzamane’s) ability to run this school. And therefore, she will not be returning to this school.”

Mzamane sued for defamation, false light and infliction of emotional distress. Winfrey then sought to have these claims dismissed on summary judgment.

But on Monday, in a 126-page decision, a Pennsylvania district court allowed the defamation and false light claims to go to trial, ruling there’s “sufficient evidence in the record to satisfy the clear and convincing evidence standard for actual malice.”

Being associated with Oprah Winfrey has pluses and minuses, legally speaking.

On one hand, the judge found Mzamane to be a limited public figure largely on the basis of her involvement with Winfrey, which means a much higher burden for proving a defamation claim.

On the other, the judge seems to acknowledge the extraordinary power that Winfrey yields over the minds of the public. “The criticism of Plaintiff’s job performance emanating from Winfrey, when received by the average listener, implies the existence of some undisclosed facts since it is reasonable to presume that Winfrey, as Plaintiff’s superior, would be knowledgeable as to the substance of Plaintiff’s job performance.”

Winfrey’s lawyers tried to present her statements as opinion, but the judge believes that without extreme discretion, she’s being reckless. — Reuters

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Ralph Fiennes filming ‘Coriolanus’ in Serbia

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BELGRADE, March 11 — After two years struggling to win funding amid the global financial crisis, actor Ralph Fiennes (picture) said yesterday he would start filming his directorial debut of a Shakespeare tragedy next week in Serbia.

Filming of “Coriolanus” will start in Belgrade on March 17 in the country’s highest profile movie project in decades, and is expected to last two months, the British actor told Reuters in an interview.

In the movie, Fiennes also plays the leading role of Coriolanus, a Roman general who betrays his native city Rome and allies with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius for revenge.

“Shakespeare is always examining in his plays how society functions ... he always looks at the fallibility of leadership,” he said in Belgrade, which is still emerging from wartime isolation under nationalist leadership in the 1990s.

“We see the necessity for the strong leadership, but also how the human element can corrupt leadership.”

Fiennes, who was nominated for Academy Awards for his roles in the “The English Patient” and “Schindler’s List,” said he chose Belgrade rather than better known locations in Eastern Europe because “there’s a spirit to Belgrade which I liked and responded to.

“There’s history in the stones and I needed the weight of a capital city,” he said. “There was an eagerness which was inspiring.”

In 2007, Fiennes first visited Belgrade where he teamed up with a local production house. It took him two years to secure funds, described by producer Colin Vanes as “a medium budget for a European movie.”

Fiennes said his project felt the pinch of the economic downturn: “Last year I thought I had funds and it fell away. It’s been a challenge.”

Most of the filming will be done in the Serbian parliament building and other locations in Belgrade, which offers settings from the Roman era, a medieval Serbian state and buildings destroyed by NATO aircraft during the 1999 bombing of then Yugoslavia.

Fiennes will direct a script by John Logan, who also worked on “Gladiator,” “The Aviator” and “The Last Samurai.”

The actor said he and Logan wanted to make the play — written 400 years ago — by using the original lines in a contemporary urban setting.

“Coriolanus as a play is thought to be difficult ... as the text is very dense,” Fiennes told Reuters.

“We’ve edited it quite aggressively and this is the case with Shakespeare adaptations, you have to lose a lot of text ... but the narrative lines of Coriolanus are very dynamic.”

Gerard Butler, who starred in “The Phantom of the Opera,” plays Afidius, and others in the heavyweight cast include Brian Cox and Vanessa Redgrave, who plays Coriolanus’ overbearing mother Volumnia.

Fiennes said his past acting role as the evil wizard Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” movies impacted casting of children, as some were afraid to meet him. — Reuters

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Jeff Bridges among Oscar gamblers’ top picks

2:02 PM / Posted by yusrizal / comments (0)

LOS ANGELES, March 5 — Those who are betting real cash on the Oscars have determined that “Crazy Heart’s” Jeff Bridges is a lock for best actor, so much so that most online bookies will require you to risk $6 just to win $1.

But if there’s an upset in that category, it will come from George Clooney for his portrayal of a frequent flyer in “Up in the Air,” and gamblers can get much better odds on him, as much as 13-1. Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker” is the long shot at about 28-1.

Gambling on the Oscars has become a tradition for some, and participants can check out the odds from several different options at a single Web site: EasyOdds.com.

While checking in with folks who are putting up real money is a sound strategy for those seeking help with their office Oscar pools, it’s not foolproof. After all, five years ago “The Aviator” was odds-on favourite for 2004’s best picture among Oscar gamblers, but “Million Dollar Baby” took the statuette.

This year’s best-picture pick among gamblers is “Hurt Locker,” but “Avatar” is so close among the odds-makers that it’s probably more accurate to call it a tie.

The same can’t quite be said for best director, where “Hurt Locker’s” Kathryn Bigelow is favoured over “Avatar’s” James Cameron by a bigger margin -- comparatively speaking. One site has Cameron at 3-1, while you’d have to wager $5 to win $1 on Bigelow.

Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side” is favoured over Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia,” though it is almost as close as the race for best picture.

Judging from where the money is flowing, the biggest surprises Sunday night would be if “Avatar” didn’t win for best visual effects or if Christoph Waltz did not win a best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of a twisted Nazi in “Inglourious Basterds.” One site requires a $40 bet on Waltz just to win $1.

Like director, picture and actress, both writing categories are also tight: In adapted screenplay “Up in the Air” is favoured over “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and in best original screenplay it’s “Basterds” over “Hurt Locker.” A couple of Web sites let you bet on which movie will earn the most Oscars. “Avatar” edges out “Hurt Locker,” and you can get 4-1 odds if it’s a tie. — Reuters

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Sarah Palin to pen book on American values

2:02 PM / Posted by yusrizal / comments (0)

NEW YORK, March 5 — Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (pic) will come out with a new book that is a “celebration of American virtues and strengths,” publisher HarperCollins announced on Thursday.

The as-yet untitled book by Palin, widely considered to be weighing a run for US president, will feature selections of readings that have inspired her and portraits of people she admires, the publisher said.

“She will also draw from her personal experience to amplify these timely (and timeless) themes,” HarperCollins said in a statement.

Palin’s first book, “Going Rogue,” has sold more than 2.2 million copies, HarperCollins said.

Palin ran unsuccessfully for vice president on the Republican ticket with presidential nominee Sen. John McCain in 2008. She was governor of Alaska at the time.

Since then, Palin resigned as governor and has made public appearances before such groups as the conservative “Tea Party” movement and on NBC television’s “Tonight Show.”

She also has been hired as a commentator on Fox News, where she recently said she was open to a possible White House run in 2012 but had not made up her mind.

The publisher, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp empire, did not disclose the amount of Palin’s advance for the new book. — Reuters

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Oprah helps chef fulfill Michelle Obama wish

1:16 AM / Posted by yusrizal / comments (0)

MIAMI (AP): When TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey recently asked her former personal chef what he wanted for his 50th birthday, Art Smith's first thought was a new treadmill.

Aim higher, she told him.

How about a check to help fund the sort of healthy eating programs for children another of his high profile clients, first lady Michelle Obama, recently called for? Done.

On Monday, during a party hosted by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, Smith says he'll formally announce the $250,000 donation from Winfrey to his Common Threads nonprofit.

"We're going to educate a lot of children about taking care of themselves," Smith said during an interview late Friday at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

"I'd like to take this money to create healthy programs for children that mirror the first lady's program," said Smith, who recently lost 90 pounds (40 kilograms) thanks to his own healthy eating reforms.

Earlier this month, Michelle Obama announced her "Let's Move" campaign, an effort to teach children healthier eating habits and to get better foods into school lunch programs.

Smith's program runs more than 20 afterschool programs around the country.

The programs teach children how to cook healthy, ethnically diverse foods.

"What an amazing birthday present that I can share with so many friends," Smith said.

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Gary Coleman suffers seizure on 'The Insider' set

12:37 AM / Posted by yusrizal / comments (0)

LOS ANGELES (AP): Gary Coleman suffered a seizure on the set of "The Insider" TV show on Friday and received immediate treatment from Dr. Drew Pinsky, who happened to be on set as well.

"The Insider" says on its Web site that Coleman was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

A publicist for "The Insider" declined to say what the former child star was doing on the entertainment program and referred inquiries to the show's Web site.

Coleman walked off "The Insider" during a visit to the show earlier this month. He was being interviewed about his arrest in Utah last year on domestic violence charges when he blew up, telling the attorney questioning him to "drown herself in the ocean" before he stormed off the set.

Coleman was briefly hospitalized last month after suffering a seizure. He has had two failed kidney transplants and been plagued by various health problems.

The 42-year-old actor is best known for his stint on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," which aired from 1978-86. Pinsky is a medical doctor and addiction specialist who stars on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."

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‘Hurt Locker’, ‘Up in the Air’ win key film awards

12:12 AM / Posted by yusrizal / comments (0)

LOS ANGELES, Feb 21 – Iraqi war film “The Hurt Locker” and corporate downsizing drama “Up In the Air” won honours from screenwriters on Saturday in the final, major Hollywood awards show leading up to the Oscars.

“Hurt Locker” writer Mark Boal won best original screenplay from the Writers Guild of America and “Up In the Air” claimed the prize for best adapted screenplay for co-writers Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman.

Reitman, who also directed “Up in the Air,” thanked several people including his father, producer Ivan Reitman, who he said read his first screenplay and said, “you know, you really got the goods.”

Boal similarly took to the stage and talked about being honoured to be a screenwriter and acknowledged the troops in Iraq with whom he had been embedded as a journalist before he wrote his screenplay about a group of men who defuse bombs.

They were the ones, Boal said, who showed him, “the tragedy and chaos and hellishness they face day in and day out.”

The Writers Guild represents film and television writers in the United States, and their awards are often seen as a key indicator on who will go on to win Oscars, the world’s top film honours, because many Writers Guild members also belong to Oscar organiser, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

So far this Oscar season, “Hurt Locker” has been honoured by guilds of film producers and directors and is considered a favourite for the best film Academy Award along with key rival, box office hit “Avatar,” urban drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” and “Up In the Air.”

Elsewhere in film categories, the Writers Guild gave its best documentary screenwriting award to “The Cove,” which details the slaughter of dolphins in Japan, and a lifetime achievement honour for film to writer/director Barry Levinson.

The Writers Guild also gives out honours for television and key awards in that area went to the writers of Madison Avenue advertising show “Mad Men” for best drama series and “30 Rock” for best comedy series.

Sitcom “Modern Family” took home two trophies for best new series and best comedy episode, and hospital programme “House” won the award for best drama episode. – Reuters

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