Hollywood wants permission to block video to some TV hardware
Wall Street Journal Jun 12, 08 3:27 PM CDT
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Hollywood is asking the government to let it control what movies HDTV watchers can see based on what hardware they’re using. Studios don’t want pre-DVD releases going over analog cables, where they can be illegally copied. In return, they’re offering to release new movies in HD on cable and satellite TV before DVD, reports the Wall Street Journal .
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Harrison Ford, Bo Derek on board with World Bank effort to preserve habitats
CNN Jun 10, 08 11:39 AM CDT
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Actors Bo Derek, Harrison Ford, and Robert Duvall helped the World Bank kick off a tiger-preservation campaign yesterday in Washington, CNN reports, with efforts to save the endangered species' habitats atop the list. Derek, who works with the US State Department to fight trafficking, says the tiger initiative should stem "loss of habitat" and "demand for their body parts, mainly in Asia."
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Fabulous turnout gets studios eyeing female demographic
Variety Jun 7, 08 10:20 AM CDT
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The studios were wowed by the huge turnout for Sex and the City , and a slew of sisterly imitations could follow, Variety reports. Movie executives have been leery of chick flicks in the past, and they still hold doubts about projects with slim crossover potential. But with four other femme-centered pics in last week's top 10, Hollywood's glass ceiling could be closer to shattering.
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"Two and a Half Men" star and real estate investor tie knot in small LA wedding
People May 31, 08 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Charlie Sheen wed real estate investor Brooke Mueller last night in Los Angeles, People reports. “They’re well matched and incredibly happy,” said a friend of the newlyweds. Mueller, 30, and Sheen, 42, exchanged vows before 60 family and friends. This is the third marriage for the Two and a Half Men star and the first for Mueller, who’s “hoping to get pregnant very soon,” the friend said.
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Iconic bachelor
splits with cocktail waitress galpal
In Touch May 28, 08 5:21 PM CDT
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George Clooney and Sarah Larson are splitsville after a year of dating, inTouch reports today. "He just didn't want to be tied down," a friend of 29-year-old Larson said, claiming that Clooney, 47, has moved out of his Los Angeles home, and the former Las Vegas cocktail waitress packed up her things. The actor's rep gave People the standard no-comment.
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Director mixed art, commerce in classic American films
New York Times May 26, 08 8:48 PM CDT
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Oscar-winning filmmaker Sidney Pollack died of cancer today at age 73 in Los Angeles, the New York Times reports. His career, defined by classics like Tootsie and Out of Africa , spanned an era when directors wrangled stars and battled studios to make artful yet commercial films. He later grieved that mainstream movies are good only by "accident" in today's Hollywood.
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Film may nab Memorial Day record with $126M
Variety May 25, 08 5:43 PM CDT
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Indiana Jones whipped his box office rivals this weekend with the second-best Memorial Day debut ever, Variety reports, grossing $126 million. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian finished second with $23 million; Iron Man showed no signs of rust in third, earning $20.1 million; and What Happens in Vegas and Speed Racer wrapped up the top five.
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Anti-drug advocates fret over 420-friendly new releases
Christian Science Monitor May 20, 08 1:26 PM CDT
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Production of cannabis-centric films is hitting a high, reports the Christian Science Monitor . Once pigeonholed with Cheech and Chong and low-budget cult films such as The Big Lebowski , movies that feature pot-smoking characters now tend toward mainstream frat-house humor. This summer alone will see four marijuana-tinged releases, including the Judd Apatow-produced Pineapple Express .
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'Ultimate problem solver' Pellicano faces hefty term after racketeering conviction
Los Angeles Times May 15, 08 4:17 PM CDT
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Celebrity private detective Anthony Pellicano was found guilty today of 76 of the 77 charges he faced, including racketeering, wire fraud, and illegal wiretapping, the Los Angeles Times reports. Pellicano, 64, could face a life sentence after prosecutors won conviction on charges he illegally threatened and placed several prominent celebrities under surveillance at the behest of his clients.
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Leading ladies play
second fiddle in
Hollywood this year
Los Angeles Times May 15, 08 2:54 PM CDT
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Where have all the Hepburns gone? Today's thirtysomething leading ladies are being cast in "handbag" roles, writes Rachel Abramowitz in the Los Angeles Times. Juicy parts are scarce this year for actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz as popular tastes move toward bromantic comedies that appeal to men. Instead, the stars play girlfriends, shrews, or bland sidekicks.
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Quick-thinking actress gets plate number of the car that hit her
Los Angeles Times May 13, 08 1:32 PM CDT
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Drew Barrymore was on the receiving end of a hit-and-run accident in West Hollywood yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. The actress was unharmed, and even managed to tail her assailant and snag his license-plate number. Police are looking for the driver.
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Iron Man shows no signs of rust
Variety May 11, 08 4:32 PM CDT
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Speed Racer stalled in its weekend box office debut, banking just a fifth of its $100 million budget and allowing Iron Man to maintain top spot and earn another $50 million. Racer ran neck-and-neck with the comedy What Happens in Vegas , which also scored $20 million. Made of Honor and Baby Mama complete the top 5.
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With transition to digital helping trim cost, high-end movie business looking up
USA Today May 7, 08 9:43 AM CDT
(Newser)
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IMAX, the format synonymous with a high-end, big-screen movie experience, is poised for a Hollywood comeback as spectacular as anything in theaters, USA Today reports. With new digital projectors trimming costs dramatically, IMAX will increase North American venues 80% by the end of 2009—and movie studios are getting on board, trusting the format with the likes of Speed Racer and The Dark Knight this year.
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