Dance Icon Cyd Charisse Dies at 86

Bad guys in 'Red Dawn' are now from North Korea

(NEWSER) - Here's a sign of how much Hollywood is salivating over the potential money to be made in China: MGM is digitally editing the Chinese bad guys in an upcoming movie to make them look like they're from North Korea instead, reports the Los Angeles Times . The move came not because China raised objections but because distributors got worried Beijing might take offense and shut the film out of its lucrative market. More»

New studio heads place bets on 'branded entertainment'

(NEWSER) - In previous downturns, the corporate owners of America's movie studios would cut Hollywood some slack. Not anymore: these days, the corporate suites of LA look like the aftermath of a slasher flick, with old hands kicked out at Disney, Universal, MGM, and Paramount. With DVD sales down 25% and easy financing a thing of the past, "there's been more change in the last 18 months than in the preceding 18 years," one exec tells the Los Angeles Times. More»

Films will replace slate lost when Paramount bailed in April

(NEWSER) - Showtime and the Weinstein Company have inked an exclusive 7-year movie deal, giving the pay TV network a replacement for the slate of films it lost when Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate decamped in April and teamed up to launch a rival network, Variety reports. Showtime had balked at what it called excessive license fee demands; all the CEO would say about the fee the Weinsteins will be getting is that it's "a price that is consistent with today's marketplace." More»

Singer took stage at pre-Grammy party

(NEWSER) - In her last public performance, Whitney Houston sang an impromptu tribute to young singer Kelly Price as fans went wild. Two nights later she was dead. Houston sang a few bars of "Yes, Jesus Loves Me" in a soulful, husky voice as fans screamed at a pre-Grammy party featuring Price and friends. Houston, who was at the Tru-Hollywood club with her daughter , appeared disheveled later that night, and had a cut on her wrist and what seemed to be blood on her leg, reports the New York Daily News . She reportedly clashed with former X-Factor star Stacy Francis after finding her chatting up Houston's boyfriend, Ray J. More»

A Hollywood money manager gives the details to 'New York'

(NEWSER) - "Very few" superstars live within their means, a Hollywood money manager tells New York . Cash, in particular, can spell bad news: "We had one guy go through $600,000 one year," the manager explains. "We try to get everything on a credit card: It helps track it." He gave the magazine details of one A-list actor's finances. Highlights:

• Total income: $15,912,000
• Cash spent: $175,000
• Fine art: $1,200,000
• Jewelry: $875,000