Warren Sapp Arrested for Battery

NFL standout and Dancing With the Stars season 7 runner-up Warren Sapp was arrested Saturday accused of attacking his girlfriend of two years at Miami Beach's Shore Club hotel.

Police were dispatched to the hotel after Sapp's girlfriend, not named by authorities, called to report the 5 a.m. attack around noon. She was later taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center and treated for a swollen knee and bruising on her neck.

According to Miami Beach police spokesman Detective Juan Sanchez, the victim told police she and Sapp got into an argument in their hotel room about her hanging out with other men earlier that evening. The woman alleged that the football star choked and pushed her down on a couch during the argument.
Sapp told police he was helping her off the couch when she fell backward and hurt her leg. "Mr. Sapp did volunteer when we approached him and asked him to come back for questioning," Sanchez told The Sun-Sentinel.

See the entire story here.

Andrew Shue and Amy Robach Wed

Andrew Shue and Today anchor Amy Robach are officially married.

Andrew, 42, and Amy, 37, swapped vows in an afternoon ceremony this past Saturday at The Lighthouse at New York City's Chelsea Piers.

Amy joked on Friday's episode of Today that anchor Natalie Morales "set us up, so I have Natalie to thank for the whole thing." She added jokingly: "So, if it doesn't work out, it's your fault."

The Forgotten Helps Find Remains of Missing Girl

(Full story here)

The last time Stephanie Clack saw older sister Paula Beverly Davis they were sharing a pizza at a Kansas City-area restaurant and talking about getting tickets to a Bon Jovi concert.

Later that night, she heard from a friend that Davis had gone missing.

The story of what happened to 21-year-old Davis began unfolding for Clack in October when a relative called her after watching an episode of The Forgotten and seeing a public service announcement for the Web site NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. The Department of Justice recently launched the Web site that's a repository for unidentified remains and missing persons.

Clack, 36, [went to the Web site and] punched in some of her sister's information and came up with about 10 possible matches.

"I was looking for characteristics she had that nobody else would know," she said. "Then I saw the one with the rose and the unicorn [tattoos], and I knew we had found her."

Davis' unidentified remains were buried in Montgomery County, in a grave with no name, no headstone. DNA testing has confirmed that the Jane Doe in Ohio was Paula Beverly Davis.

After finding Davis, her family faced another task: bringing her remains back to Kansas City. Her relatives didn't know how they would afford an expected $5,000 to have the body exhumed, cremated, sent to Kansas City and buried. Clack, who lives in Lone Jack outside Kansas City, was recently laid off from a toy store and her husband is also unemployed.

Then she got a call from NamUs, saying that the cast and crew of The Forgotten, including actor Christian Slater and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, had offered to help.

Pneumonia, Prescription Drugs Killed Brittany Murphy

The Los Angeles County coroner says Brittany Murphy died from pneumonia but prescription drug intoxication was also a factor.

The coroner released its results Thursday.

Spokesman Craig Harvey says the primary cause of Murphy's death was pneumonia, with secondary factors of iron-deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication. Harvey says the drugs ingested were all prescription medications.

Harvey declined to say more about what types of drugs were involved. He says those details will be released in about two weeks when a complete report is ready.

Murphy died Dec. 20 at age 32 after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. Her mother and husband have said that the actress didn't abuse prescription medications or have an eating disorder.

And the Nominees Are ...

The nominees for the 82 Academy Awards were announced this morning, and this list is as follows:

Actor in a Leading Role
* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role
* Matt Damon in “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role
* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role
* Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Directing
* “Avatar” James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Best Picture
* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)
* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Animated Feature Film
* “Coraline” Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
* “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction
* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography
* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design
* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Documentary (Feature)
* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)
* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing
* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film
* “Ajami” Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
* “Un Prophète” France
* “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup
* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)
* “Avatar” James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
* “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)
* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)
* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)
* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects
* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Kristen and Dax Engaged

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are engaged.

Kristen's publicist, Marcel Pariseau, confirmed the couple's engagement but said Monday that no other details are available.

The 29-year-old Kristen and 35-year-old Dax appear in the romantic comedy When in Rome.

"We Are the World" Redux — To Benefit Haiti

(from the Associated Press)

Twenty-five years after star-studded anthem "We Are the World" (group pictured) raised millions of dollars to aid famine relief in Africa, celebrities of a different generation are set to gather tonight to re-record the charity tune to benefit Haiti.

Among those scheduled to perform on the revamped track are Akon, Jason Mraz, Bono, Wyclef Jean, Carlos Santana, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Toni Braxton and Lady Gaga. The session will be held at the same recording studio where the original was cut — the historic A&M complex in Hollywood.

Quincy Jones, who produced the 1985 anthem, announced last week that he planned to redo the song to benefit recovery from the deadly Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.

Rip Torn Arrested for Breaking Into Bank

(from the Associated Press)

UPDATE:

Rip Torn was so intoxicated when he broke into a Connecticut bank carrying a loaded gun that he thought he was home, taking off his hat and boots and leaving them by the door, according to court records.

The 78-year-old actor was wearing the same battered boots Monday when he was arraigned on several charges after spending the weekend in a police holding cell near his hometown of Salisbury, in northwestern Connecticut.

"The history here is clear that there's an alcohol issue that needs to be addressed," his attorney, A. Thomas Waterfall, told Bantam Superior Court Judge John W. Pickard on Monday.

Torn is charged with criminal trespass, carrying a gun without a permit, carrying a gun while intoxicated, burglary and criminal mischief. His case was transferred to a court in Litchfield that handles more serious cases because of the weapons charges.

He remembers nothing of that night, Waterfall said Monday after the arraignment.

"He's a very nice person, a very friendly individual. Obviously this is a serious event, so we will deal with it as we go on," Waterfall said.

Torn never brandished the weapon when the officers confronted him, according to Waterfall and the court records, and has no history of violence. His permit to carry a firearm in Connecticut had expired in October 2007.

***************************************

Actor Elmore "Rip" Torn has been charged with breaking into a Connecticut bank and carrying a loaded handgun while intoxicated.

State police say the 78-year-old Salisbury resident was arrested Friday night after police found him inside the Litchfield Bancorp with a loaded revolver.

The "Men in Black" actor has been taken into custody and booked on charges including burglary and possession of firearm without a permit. He is being held on $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a Monday appearance in Bantam Superior Court.

Last year, Torn was given probation in a Connecticut drunken driving case and granted permission to enter an alcohol education program. He also has two previous drunken driving arrests in New York.

TCM Announces "The 15 Most Influential Movie Soundtracks" List

Here is the list, in chronological order:

King Kong (1933) – Composer: Max Steiner
Historians disagree over who wrote the first fully symphonic film score, but most credit Max Steiner for either the 1932 Polynesian romance Bird of Paradise or the legendary King Kong. Certainly the latter film established Steiner as one of Hollywood’s top composers and demonstrated how much an original score could enhance a film’s emotional hold on its audience. When penny-pinching executives at RKO insisted Steiner score the film with stock music, the film’s co-director, Merian C. Cooper, reached into his own pocket to provide $50,000 for the score.

Alexander Nevsky (1938) – Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Composer Sergei Prokofiev started working on his Alexander Nevsky score while the picture was still in the editing stage. Prokofiev and Soviet auteur Sergei Eisenstein built the montages together, with the director even adjusting his editing to fit the score, particularly for the famous half-hour battle on the ice that would inspire such later films as Spartacus and The Empire Strikes Back. Prokofiev and Eisenstein’s collaboration would inspire such later director/composer teams as Alfred Hitchcock/Bernard Herrmann and Steven Spielberg/John Williams. Eisenstein had hoped to record the score for this legendary epic with high-fidelity techniques he had observed in Hollywood. But when Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin rushed the film into release prematurely to help foster anti-German sentiments, the recording was substandard. A year after the film’s premiere, Prokofiev turned his score into the 40-minute Alexander Nevsky Cantata.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Eerie and haunting, the score Bernard Herrmann created for The Day the Earth Stood Still set the style for future science fiction films, from It Came From Outer Space (1953) to Blade Runner (1982). Although Miklos Rozsa in Spellbound (1945) introduced Hollywood to the electronic instrument known as the Theremin, Herrmann was the first to use it to create an all-electronic score. He did so by combining two Theremins with electronic organs, vibraphones and amplified strings, among other instruments. The jarring sounds perfectly captured the anxieties underlying this tale of a UFO landing in the middle of Washington, D.C. Herrmann also recorded on multiple tracks, long before stereophonic sound was widely used in Hollywood. He even played some cues backwards to create an unearthly masterpiece.

Blackboard Jungle (1955) – Music Adaptor: Charles Wolcott
MGM brought Hollywood into the rock ‘n’ roll era with Blackboard Jungle. In search of the kind of music teens like the film’s potential delinquents were listening to, director Richard Brooks borrowed a few records from star Glenn Ford’s son Peter. When Brooks heard Bill Haley and his Comets perform “Rock Around the Clock,” he found the perfect theme song, which also became the first rock song ever used in a Hollywood feature. Thanks to Blackboard Jungle, the song hit #1 on the Billboard charts, eventually selling 25 million copies and becoming what Dick Clark called “The National Anthem of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

The Man With the Golden Arm (1955) – Composer: Elmer Bernstein
When producer-director Otto Preminger set out to buck the Hollywood system, he went all the way. Not only did Preminger challenge the censors by tackling the then-forbidden topic of drug addiction, he also defied the blacklist by hiring the politically suspect Elmer Bernstein. Bernstein suggested that jazz was the perfect musical style to reflect leading man Frank Sinatra’s battle with addiction. From the trumpet riff over the titles to a jittery motif as Sinatra falls back into drug abuse, The Man with the Golden Arm was the first Hollywood film with an all-jazz score, setting the style for future films set in the urban jungle of crime, drugs and despair. Bernstein himself would return to the jazz score for The Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and A Walk on the Wild Side (1962), before staking a claim on Americana with To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), widely considered one of the best film scores of all time.

Psycho (1960) – Composer: Bernard Herrmann
It seems only natural that one of the most iconic sequences in film history – the shower scene from Psycho – should be accompanied by one of the screen’s most iconic musical cues. Bernard Herrmann’s screeching violins have taken on a life of their own in the years since they heralded Marion Crane’s death. Like John Williams’ Jaws theme, they have become an instant signifier of menace, quoted in everything from Psycho’s many imitations to episodes of The Simpsons. Originally, director Alfred Hitchcock wanted to use a jazz score and show the shower scene in silence. Herrmann showed him a better way to generate suspense, impressing the master so much that Hitchcock doubled the composer’s salary. Later, Hitchcock said, “Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Musical Director: George Martin; Songs: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
With its mix of pop rock and kaleidoscopic visuals, the first Beatles movie set the tone for the swinging London films of the 1960s, inspiring everything from romantic comedies to social dramas to spy films. Synergy had been an important factor in musical careers since Bing Crosby used his movies, radio show and records to sell each other in the ‘30s. In the ‘50s, Hollywood developed starring vehicles for rockers like Elvis Presley and Fabian. But it was the Beatles who found the perfect wedding of visual and musical styles, thanks in no small part to Richard Lester’s rapid cutting, hand-held camera effects and Alan Owen’s pseudo-documentary script. Scenes cut to the rhythms of songs like “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “This Boy” paved the way for the MTV generation.

Goldfinger (1964) – Composer: John Barry
With the third James Bond film, Goldfinger, composer John Barry helped carry the screen’s most popular and long-lived series beyond box office success. He created a musical soundtrack and hit song (the first of many for the Bond films) that dominated the charts for months. As in two earlier films, Barry used Monty Norman’s James Bond theme, which he had first arranged for Dr. No (1962). This anticipated such other iconic character themes as those in The Pink Panther and Rocky. Barry also mirrored the action perfectly, going heavy on the brass to reflect the film’s metal-obsessed villain. Barry capped it all with the title song, the first of three in the series sung by Shirley Bassey. Her chart-topping performance set the standard for future Bond films.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Composer: Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone scored Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965), but it was their third film together that brought Morricone international fame. His spare arrangements, like the film’s two-note opening theme based on a hyena’s cry, as well as his use of such unconventional instrumentations as the ocarina, gunfire and wordless vocals, created a distinctive, frequently imitated style. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was also the first film on which Leone and Morricone developed the main themes before shooting started. Leone would play the music while shooting, helping the actors to find performing rhythms in sync with their character’s musical motifs and even developing camera movements in time to the score.

The Graduate (1967) – Composer: Dave Grusin; Songs: Paul Simon
Mike Nichols invented a new way to score a movie when he decided to use previously recorded songs from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for this 1967 tragicomedy about aimless youth. Although Nichols hired Simon to write three new songs for the film, most of the score consists of earlier hits like “The Sounds of Silence” and “Scarborough Fair.” The only new song, “Mrs. Robinson,” was originally written as a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt and wasn’t even finished when the duo recorded it for the soundtrack. The music helped The Graduate strike an emotional chord with Simon & Garfunkel’s many young fans. The music provided, in historian Sam Kashner’s words, star Dustin Hoffman’s inner monologue. Nichols’ use of the songs to underscore mostly silent scenes anticipated the development of music videos and inspired many filmmakers, most notably John Hughes (Sixteen Candles) and Cameron Crowe (Say Anything).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Musical Consultant: Patrick Moore; Music Editor: Frank J. Urioste
Rockets revolve in space to the tune of Johann Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” waltz; light streams reflect on an astronaut’s helmet as he plummets through space to the otherworldly music of Gyorgy Ligeti; the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly to the thundering brass of Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra. These are some of the most famous weddings of visuals and music in film history, and they happened by accident. Stanley Kubrick had commissioned a score for his 2001: A Space Odyssey from Alex North, with whom he worked on 1960’s Spartacus. But during filming, the director used classical recordings to set the mood, then incorporated them for a scratch track when MGM’s executives requested a sample reel. The results were so spectacular that Kubrick decided to use a new type of film score composed entirely of commercial recordings of classical music. With 2001’s success, the classical score became a cinema staple, something Kubrick himself would return to for A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Barry Lyndon (1975).

Shaft (1971) – Composers: Isaac Hayes and J.J. Johnson
From the first bars of the title theme – featuring rapid rhythm on the hi-hat cymbal and the trademark “wah-wah” guitar of funk music – the audience for Shaft knew it was in for something different. Not only did the film re-set film noir conventions in the inner city, but Isaac Hayes’ score created the sound that would dominate the blaxploitation genre. Some historians have even cited his title theme, with two and half minutes of instrumentals preceding Hayes’ vocals, as an influence on the development of disco. Beyond producing a hit album – the first double album of original film music from an R&B star – Shaft and its chart-topping theme made Hayes the first black Oscar® winner in one of the music categories (and in any category other than acting). This opened the door for future winners like Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie while creating an iconic theme that’s probably better known than the film that inspired it.

American Graffiti (1973) – Music Coordinator: Karin Green
With scenes written to feature rock classics from the likes of Billy Haley and His Comets, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, and The Platters, George Lucas’ coming-of-age comedy introduced nostalgia to the screen as never before. The film used its golden oldies soundtrack to re-create the early ‘60s, contributing to what Roger Ebert called “a brilliant work of historical fiction.” Lucas modeled his script on his memories and his own vintage record collection. When the cost of music clearances for the 43 songs he wanted left no money for a traditional score, American Graffiti became the first film to boast a music coordinator rather than a composer. Its success launched a wave of nostalgia that would inspire the TV series Happy Days and films like Grease and Animal House.

Saturday Night Fever (1977) – Composers: Barry, Maurice & Robin Gibb and David Shire
When John Travolta strode down the New York streets at the opening of Saturday Night Fever, the music and visuals captured a generation’s drive to “feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ and we’re stayin’ alive.” The juxtaposition of the Bee Gees’ lyrical, rhythmic songs with the working-class angst of Tony Manero and his friends make the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever one of the most powerful in film history. Thanks to a combination of perfect timing and astute marketing (this was one of the first films to use cross-platform marketing, so the soundtrack album and movie sold each other), the music achieved iconic status. For years after the film’s release, popular songs like “How Deep Is Your Love” and “If I Can’t Have You” dominated the airwaves and record charts, and the hit soundtrack was the world’s best-selling record album.

Star Wars (1977) – Composer: John Williams
Before John Williams signed on for Star Wars, director George Lucas was planning to use classical music in the fashion of 2001: A Space Odyssey. But when Lucas’ friend Steven Spielberg convinced him to go with Williams, the composer gave him a rich blend of familiar musical styles, with a title theme inspired by Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s intro to King’s Row (1942) and leitmotifs inspired by Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst and even Benny Goodman (the model for the Cantina Band). The result went on to be voted the greatest score of all time by members of the American Film Institute. Thanks to Star Wars, movie-going was once again a feast for the ears, paving the way for more lush, romantic scores from the likes of James Horner (Titanic), Ennio Morricone (The Mission) and Williams himself (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List).

Celebrity Q&A, Jan. 29

Q: I really enjoyed Jaden Smith’s performance in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Does he have any more projects coming up? — Shirley K., Lady Lake, Fla.

A: The 11-year-old son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith wowed audiences with his dramatic performance in the 2006 tearjerker. Next up for Jaden is the remake of the 1984 martial-arts classic, “The Karate Kid,” which opens this June. Jaden plays the role of Dre Parker, a young boy who moves to China with his mother (played by Taraji P. Henson) and is bullied by kids at school. Dre seeks help from Mr. Han (played by Jackie Chan), a maintenance man who is secretly a kung fu master.

Q: What is the name of the young actor who played the main character in the movie “Witness,” and has he been in any other movies? What is he doing now? — Patricia H., Newport, Tenn.

A: Lukas Haas, 33, played the young Samuel Lapp, an Amish boy who witnesses the brutal murder of an undercover police officer in a railway station restroom. Lukas has since played characters on the big and small screen, including the feature films “Mars Attacks!” “Everyone Says I Love You” and “Material Girls,” and TV shows “24,” “Entourage” and “Criminal Minds.” He recently wrapped the movie “Inception,” a big-budget sci-fi thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page. It’s scheduled for release in July.

Q: I love the SOAPnet show “Being Erica,” and am anxious for its return. When does Season Two start? — Avis S., Venice Fla.

A: Season Two of the Canadian time-traveling dramedy started Jan. 20. Just like the first season, in every episode, Erica Strange (played by Erin Karpluk) goes back in time to relive a regret from her past in order to come back and make a positive change in her present. I spoke recently with Erin, who gave me some clues as to what to expect this season: “The show is much sexier and edgier this season, and more forward-thinking. Erica uses what she has been learning and applies it in her own life, and also uses it to try to help others.”


Q: What happened to the show “Find My Family”? Will it be coming back, and if so, when? I love that show. — Carrie F., Englewood, Fla.

A: The reality show “Find My Family,” which features reunions of long-lost family members — usually one member was given up for adoption and now wants to find his/her birth family, or vice versa — debuted on ABC in late November. The show is slated to return this year; however, according to a representative for the show, no decisions have been made as to exactly when.

Check this Web site often, as I’ll keep readers posted on the status of the show as soon as I hear something. You also can find lots of other up-to-the-minute celebrity news and interviews on the site.

Q: My family and I watched “Four Christmases” on DVD during the holiday and thought it was absolutely hilarious, especially Vince Vaughn (as usual). What does he have coming up next that we can enjoy him in? — Faith D., via e-mail

A: First, a big congratulations is in order for Vince: The consummate bachelor, who has been linked to actresses Jennifer Aniston and Joey Lauren Adams, got married on Jan. 2 to real-estate agent Kyla Weber in a small, private ceremony in Vince’s hometown of Lake Forest, Ill. His upcoming professional projects include the feature films “Sunny and 68,” “Realtors” and “The H-Man Cometh.” Hmmm … I wonder if he met his wife while researching his role in “Realtors”?

Q: I saw Richard Chamberlain in a movie years ago about an airline pilot who crashed up north (based on a true story) and had to survive the cold weather until help came. Do you remember it, and is it out on DVD? — Cate, via e-mail

A: You’re thinking of a made-for-TV movie called “Ordeal in the Arctic,” which originally aired in 1993 on ABC. The film is an adaption of the nonfiction book “Death and Deliverance,” and it also starred Catherine Mary Stewart and “Thirtysomething” alumnus Melanie Mayron. While production of the DVD has been discontinued by the manufacturer, copies can be found online at sites like amazon.com and ebay.com.

Q: I watched “Panic Room” with Jodie Foster the other night, and I wondered if that was Dwight Yoakam playing one of the robbers? He looked older, but his voice sounded just like Dwight’s. — Linda K., Columbus, Ohio

A: That was indeed the country singer-turned-actor playing the part of Raoul, the most lethal of the band of robbers who threaten Jodie and a young Kristen Stewart in the 2002 thriller. If you like what you saw in “Panic Room,” you can also catch Dwight in “Hollywood Homicide,” “Wedding Crashers” and “Four Christmases,” to name just a few of his acting projects.

Q: What has “That Thing You Do” actor Johnathon Schaech been up to lately? I haven’t heard much about him since his divorce from the wonderful Christina Applegate. — Holly J., via e-mail

A: He’s been busy falling in love. Johnathon, 40, popped the question to actress Jana Kramer, 26. The two met while filming the 2008 thriller “Prom Night.” They got engaged on Dec. 22 in Schaech’s hometown of Edgewood, Md. This will be the first marriage for Jana, who presently plays Alex Dupre on the CW’s “One Tree Hill.” She previously played Portia Ransom on the new “90210.”

Q: I am already upset to learn that Oprah Winfrey will be ending her show in 2011, and now I hear that Tyra Banks is ending her talk show as well. Is it true? — Wilma W., Madison, Wis.

A: What you’ve heard is indeed true. Tyra recently announced that the current fifth season of “The Tyra Show” will be the final season. She does, however, plan to stick with “America’s Next Top Model” and has plans to form a movie-production company. Of her time spent hosting the popular gabfest, Tyra stated, “I’ve been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past five years.”

J.D. Salinger Dies at 91

(from the Associated Press)

J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.

Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's longtime literary representative, Harold Ober Agency. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H.

"The Catcher in the Rye," with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of modern adolescence. The Book-of-the-Month Club, which made "Catcher" a featured selection, advised that for "anyone who has ever brought up a son" the novel will be "a source of wonder and delight — and concern."

Enraged by all the "phonies" who make "me so depressed I go crazy," Holden soon became American literature's most famous anti-hero since Huckleberry Finn. The novel's sales are astonishing — more than 60 million copies worldwide — and its impact incalculable. Decades after publication, the book remains a defining expression of that most American of dreams: to never grow up.

Salinger was writing for adults, but teenagers from all over identified with the novel's themes of alienation, innocence and fantasy, not to mention the luck of having the last word. "Catcher" presents the world as an ever-so-unfair struggle between the goodness of young people and the corruption of elders, a message that only intensified with the oncoming generation gap.

Novels from Evan Hunter's "The Blackboard Jungle" to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep," movies from "Rebel Without a Cause" to "The Breakfast Club," and countless rock 'n' roll songs echoed Salinger's message of kids under siege. One of the great anti-heroes of the 1960s, Benjamin Braddock of "The Graduate," was but a blander version of Salinger's narrator.

"'Catcher in the Rye' made a very powerful and surprising impression on me," said Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon, who read the book, as so many did, when he was in middle school. "Part of it was the fact that our seventh grade teacher was actually letting us read such a book. But mostly it was because 'Catcher' had such a recognizable authenticity in the voice that even in 1977 or so, when I read it, felt surprising and rare in literature."

Read the entire story here.

Zelda Rubinstein, of Poltergeist Fame, Dies at 76

(from the Associated Press)

Zelda Rubinstein, the 4-foot-3-inch character actor best known as Tangina, the psychic who tries to calm a family inhabiting a haunted house in the 1982 horror film "Poltergeist," has died. She was 76.

Her agent, Eric Stevens, tells the Los Angeles Times that Rubinstein died Wednesday at a Los Angeles hospital. Stevens says she recently suffered a heart attack.

Rubinstein made her film debut in the 1981 comedy "Under the Rainbow" and went on to roles in "Sixteen Candles," ''Southland Tales" and the TV show "Picket Fences." She returned for both "Poltergeist" sequels.

The Pittsburgh native also appeared as the mother figure in a high-profile mid-1980s AIDS public awareness campaign and was an outspoken activist for the rights of little people.

Ugly Betty to End Run in April

(From Variety)

ABC's "Ugly Betty" is strutting off the primetime catwalk.

"Ugly Betty" will close its doors this April with a series finale, the network confirmed on Wednesday. Decision to end the show's run was announced to "Ugly Betty's" cast and crew this morning.

Show still has four episodes left to produce this season -- and series exec producer Silvio Horta now plans to use that opportunity to tie up loose ends and wrap things up.

"We've mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty's final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion," Horta and ABC Entertainment Group chairman Steve McPherson said in a joint statement. "We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell."

ABC ordered 20 episodes of the show this season. Alphabet likely plans to keep the show running straight through the beginning of April, when the finale is tentatively scheduled to run.

Heroes Star Busted for DUI

(from the Associated Press)


Heroes actor Adrian Pasdar has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk and veering across lanes on a West Los Angeles freeway.

A California Highway Patrol report says Pasdar was pulled over shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday after officers saw his Ford F-150 truck doing 94 mph and straddling two lanes on Interstate 405.

The 44-year-old actor was booked for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says he was taken to county jail and released at about 8:30 a.m. on $15,000 bail.

Pasdar plays Nathan Petrelli on NBC's Heroes. He's married to Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines.

A message left for his agent wasn't immediately returned.

File This Under "No Duh!"

John Edwards is coming clean. The politician has finally admitted that he is the father of Frances Quinn — the two-year old daughter of Rielle Hunter, a campaign videographer with whom the married Edwards had an affair.

The former North Carolina senator and Democratic presidential candidate released a statement to NBC's Today Show acknowledging his paternity, and his commitment to supporting the young girl, known as Quinn.

"I am Quinn's father," the confession begins. "I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace."

Edwards, 56, has been married to Elizabeth Edwards for nearly 33 years. The couple had four children together; their eldest, son Wade, died tragically in a 1996 car accident. In August 2008, Edwards admitted his extramarital affair with Hunter (whom he met while campaigning for a 2008 presidential bid), but consistently denied being the father of her child.

Trailer Time — the '80s Movie Remake Edition!!

Let's do the timewarp again: This spring and summer is bringing us some serious reboots of '80s faves. Check it out.

Here's the trailer for Clash of the Titans (sorry Harry Hamlin and co., but these special effects kick your special effects' ass!). At 1:42, check out the quick glimpse of Medusa — she gave me nightmares when I was a wee one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcdP8YAW-8A

And here we have The A-Team ("There is no Plan B."):

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808402981/video/17565315

OK, I was skeptical at first, but the trailer for the Karate Kid remake looks good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMsZM-MNI1A

Can you handle all the old-as-new nostalgia?

Charlie Daniels Suffers Mild Stroke

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (BNO NEWS) -- Country music icon Charlie Daniels, 73, suffered a mild stroke while snowmobiling in Colorado last Friday, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Daniels, who is best known for his number one country his The Devil Went Down to Georgia, was initially taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango before being airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in Denver. Daniels was released on Sunday after which he returned to his home in Colorado, where he has been on vacation since late December.

A spokesperson said there are no plans to cancel any concert dates, and said he is doing well and looking forward to beginning The Charlie Daniels Band 2010 concerts on February 27 in Ft. Pierce, Florida and February 28 in Brooksville, Florida.

"Charlie and his family appreciate and are grateful for everyone's thoughts and prayers during this time," the spokesperson added.

Survivor Open Casting Call

CBS and Sears today announced the launch of a first-of-its kind Survivor “Casting Call” contest*. One lucky fan will win a trip to Los Angeles to audition in front of the Survivor casting team for a spot on an upcoming season of the popular CBS reality series. After nearly 10 years, Survivor remains a top 20 show in viewers and top 15 in the coveted adult 18-49 category, continuing to dominate its time period in all key ratings measures.

Entries and Top Ten Selection – From Monday, January 18 through Sunday, February 21st, fans can upload 30-second to 60-second videos of themselves explaining why they think they could win the game. The top 10 entries will be selected by the Survivor casting team.

Voting and Winner Selection – On Monday, February 22, voting on the 10 selected videos will be opened to the general public. Fans can vote for their favorite submissions up until Friday, March 5th. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to audition for a spot on the show.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., 18 (or age of majority) and older. Void where prohibited. Entry Period ends at 11:59:59 PM PT on Feb. 21, 2010. Contest ends at 11:59:00 PM PT on March 5, 2010. For Official Rules and more information about the contest go to: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/casting_call/

Former Survivor Contestant Succumbs to Breast Cancer

Jennifer Lyon, a contestant on Survivor Palau, has died at age 37, according to UsMagazine.com. Lyon finished in fourth place in the reality competition's tenth season, which aired in 2005.

A former nanny, Lyon was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at age 33 in 2005, and spoke to Us Weekly about the news and her eventual decision to get a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy. "I was completely shocked and overwhelmed," Lyon told Us at the time. "I felt fine that day; in fact, I've been healthy my entire life."

Read the entire story here.

Mel Brooks Featured Guest of TCM Classic Film Festival in April

(Press Release)

Legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is set to be a featured guest at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April. As part of the festivities, TCM will partner with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as they honor Brooks with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame*, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. Brooks will also introduce a festival screening of his first feature film, The Producers (1968), which earned Brooks an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.

“Mel Brooks is one of the funniest men in the world today, and he has made life much happier for all of us, thanks to The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and so many of his other movie comedies,” said Robert Osborne, who will be on-hand at the festival as its host. “We’re very pleased he’s going to join us at the TCM Classic Film Festival and look forward to toasting him in celebration of his well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

Director, producer, writer and actor, Mel Brooks 2001 smash hit Broadway musical The Producers—winner of a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards®. Three of those (Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Musical), along with two Grammy Awards® (Best Musical Show Album and Best Long-Form Music Video), went to Brooks himself. He recently followed it up with the successful Broadway production of Young Frankenstein, which won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Brooks began his distinguished career during television’s Golden Age as a writer for Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows in 1951. In 1955, 1956 and 1957, he received Emmy® nominations (with others) for Best Comedy Writing for Caesar’s Hour. In 1952, Brooks wrote sketches for Leonard Sillman’s Broadway smash-hit revue New Faces of 1952, and in 1957, together with Joe Darion, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical Shinbone Alley, which starred Eartha Kitt. In 1962, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical All American, starring Ray Bolger.

In the ‘60s, Brooks teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform The 2000 Year Old Man albums, which became immediate bestsellers. In 1960 and 1961, Brooks and Reiner received Grammy nominations for Best Spoken-Word Comedy for 2000 Years and for Best Comedy Performance for 2000 and One Years, respectively. In 1997, Brooks and Reiner teamed up again for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000. Both a book and CD were released, the CD winning a Grammy in 1998 for the Best Spoken-Word Album, Comedy.

Brooks wrote and narrated The Critic, a short satire on avant-garde art films, which received the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1964. In 1965, he teamed up with Buck Henry to create Get Smart, the long-running television show starring Don Adams. Brooks, along with others, received an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy-Variety in 1967 for The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special. In 1968, he wrote and directed his first feature film, The Producers, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, which earned him an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. He then went on to create a remarkable string of hit comedies: 1970, wrote, directed and acted in The Twelve Chairs; 1974, co-wrote, directed and acted in Blazing Saddles and was nominated, along with John Morris, for Best Title Song, “Blazing Saddles”; 1974, co-wrote and directed Young Frankenstein; 1976, co-wrote, directed and starred in Silent Movie; 1977, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in High Anxiety; 1981, wrote, directed, produced and starred in History of the World, Part I; 1983, produced and starred in To Be or Not to Be; 1987, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in the hit sci-fi spoof, Spaceballs; 1991, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Life Stinks; 1993, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Robin Hood: Men in Tights; 1995, co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Dracula: Dead and Loving It; and 2005, co-wrote and produced The Producers, the film version of his Tony-winning 2001 Broadway musical and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, “There’s Nothing Like a Show on Broadway.”

For three successive seasons, Brooks won Emmys for his role as Uncle Phil on the hit comedy show Mad About You. His visionary film company, Brooksfilms Limited, founded in 1980, has produced some of America’s most distinguished films, among them David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, David Cronenberg’s The Fly, Graeme Clifford’s Frances, Richard Benjamin’s My Favorite Year and David Jones’ 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.

Last year, commemorating his lifelong contributions to American culture, Brooks was named among the most recent recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.

About the TCM Classic Film Festival
The TCM Classic Film Festival, which is set to take place in Hollywood April 22-25, 2010, will be a landmark celebration of the history of Hollywood and its movies, presented in a way that only TCM can, with major events, celebrity appearances, panel discussions and more. The four-day festival will also provide movie fans a rare opportunity to experience some of cinema’s greatest works as they were meant to be seen – on the big screen. TCM will announce additional special events, guests and programming in the weeks and months ahead. The central hub for the festival will be Club TCM, located inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Roosevelt, which served as the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony, will be the official hotel for the festival. Only passholders will be allowed entry into Club TCM, which will include a festival lounge, panel discussions, social events, a boutique and poolside screenings. Event locations include Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre.

Hope for Haiti Now to Air Friday, Jan. 22

NEW YORK, NY; LOS ANGELES, CA; and LONDON, ENGLAND (JANUARY 19, 2010) – Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, today announced its lineup of superstar musical performances. The global telethon will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in a newly added London location. All musical performances will be available for purchase for $.99 per song through the Apple® iTunes® Store beginning Saturday, January 23, with all proceeds benefiting Haiti relief funds managed by “Hope for Haiti Now” charities.

In addition to musical performances, Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, “Hope for Haiti Now” will feature more than one hundred of the biggest names in film, television, and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and United Nations World Food Programme have joined the list of relief organizations that will benefit from “Hope for Haiti Now,” which also includes Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yele Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from “Hope for Haiti Now” will be split evenly among each organization’s individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief.

“Hope for Haiti Now” will be the most widely distributed telethon in history, both internationally and across media platforms. The two-hour telethon will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, and CMT on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT. “Hope for Haiti Now” will also air on newly added networks including PBS, TNT, Showtime, COMEDY CENTRAL, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic.

The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. "Hope for Haiti Now" will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide. “Hope for Haiti Now” will be the first U.S.-based telethon airing on MTV in China. Facebook and Twitter have signed on as official social media partners to help drive donations and tune-in to the telethon.

Conan to Leave NBC; Receive Hefty Payment

(Read the entire story here.)

The NBC-Leno-Conan war is close to ending, according to a knowledgeable source. According to the outlines of a settlement, Conan O'Brien will leave NBC and the network will make an as-yet unspecified payment. The comedian will be free to appear elsewhere on television well before his contract expires, despite earlier threats from NBC that it would prevent him from working anywhere else.

There is still opportunity for the negotiation to fall apart, but clearly, at this point it is in NBC's interest to put an end to this dismal episode.

Julia Ormond Seeks Justice in The Wronged Man

Julia Ormond (pictured — all photos credit Quantrell Colbert/Lifetime Movie Network) stars in The Wronged Man, a new Lifetime Movie Network film premiering January 17 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Based on the real-life story about paralegal Janet "Prissy" Gregory (Ormond) who crusaded to exonerate Calvin Willis (The 4400's Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), a felon convicted of raping a young girl. As a result of Gregory's determination and staunch belief in Willis' innocence, he was finally released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary after serving 22 years for a crime he did not commit.

This compelling story made headlines in 2003 as yet another example of the problems with the justice system and how vital DNA evidence is to making a case. At the time, Willis was the 138th convict freed due to DNA evidence (the number is now up to 249). The case was greatly helped by the involvement of the Innocence Project (innocenceproject.org).

I caught up with Julia recently to discuss her latest project.

When you first read the script for The Wronged Man, did it just hit you right away that you had to play the part of Prissy Gregory? What was it about her that drew you to the character and to the movie itself?
The story is so terrific. I’d heard of the Innocence Project before, but this movie really drove it home to me how important the organization is for someone who has had a wrongful conviction. Prissy herself is all about doing the right thing, even though she is not qualified. For her, it’s a reluctant journey. She finds it easier to fight for someone else than herself. I mean, I’d love to do more comedy, but I just find it compelling to participate in stories that compel you to do something, to act.

What do you hope the audience comes away with after watching this?
I think the figure is something like 40,000 people in American jails have been wrongfully convicted. I wanted to tell the story of an individual, where people can relate to it one-on-one.

This film really makes you look twice at the justice system, just the fact that it was so difficult to get Calvin a new trial. And much of it was difficult to watch. Did this film make you angry?
I know from visits to detention centers I’ve done in the past that it really affects those who don’t have means. I was floored! Justice shouldn’t be an accident — it should serve everybody, with or without means.

As a wife and a mother, how could you relate to her struggle to keep doing what was right for Calvin, but also to not neglect her family life?
This is the age-old question for me. But I feel that everything she does is for her son. In the process, she doesn’t quite achieve the right balance (of work and family), but her son does understand the bigger picture. She doesn’t want her son to see her sit back and not do something about a wrong she sees being committed.

Did you get to meet Prissy to research for the role? Do you meet Calvin?
I spent time with Prissy. It was amazing — she is a wonderful person. She is very grounded about having a movie made about herself, and she is very funny. She knew it wouldn’t be completely accurate (for the sake of storytelling), but she said, “I don’t think the world is ready for an accurate portrayal of me anyway.”

What are some qualities about Prissy that you admire, and are they some that you share with her?
Because of what is going on in her own life, she channels her energy to fight for someone else. I like how tough she is — the barriers go down; the barriers go back up. She is a person with a wounded past. The temptation is to shut down, but she still has hope. She believes the world can right a wrong.


There are moments during her journey where she felt she was the wrong person to do it, but her gut told her she had to do it. I could relate to that.

I love that you are equally comfortable in just about any genre, whether it be on stage, on the big screen, the small screen … is there any format you prefer, or do you like to mix it up?
I really enjoy mixing it up. I wish I could do more theater, but that is a difficult schedule to have with a 5-year-old. The last time I did it was eight years ago. You use slightly different muscles, but you are still exercising.

The BBC recently released the 20th anniversary special edition of the Traffik miniseries, which was your big break into showbiz. What were your thoughts when it was brought to the big screen in December 2000 (as Traffic), winning four Oscars and being nominated for tons of other awards?
That was an amazing first role. It was my first year out of drama school — I hadn’t done anything, really — and it jettisoned my career. When they released the movie, I was invited to the screening, and I didn’t really think much about it. Only when Michael Douglas appeared onscreen as the judge-turned-drug-czar did I realize, “Duh, this is a remake!” I really loved the movie. I thought it was a terrific adaptation of the miniseries.

Three More Jurassic Park Movies to Come

There will be more dinosaurs.

Joe Johnston, who directed the third installment of Jurassic Park, has revealed that a new movie will be closely followed by two more.

He told BoxOffice.com, "There is going to be a Jurassic Park IV. And it's going to be unlike anything you've seen. It breaks away from the first three — it's essentially the beginning of the second Jurassic Park trilogy. It's going to be done in a completely different way.

"If you think of the first three as a trilogy, No. 4 would be the beginning of a second trilogy. We just want to make them justified in their own right. We don't want to make sequel after sequel just because there's a market for it. We want to tell different, interesting stories."

Ricky Gervais Quits Twitter

Ricky Gervais took to his blog to explain why he quit Twitter (and I can't say that I disagree with a lot that he has to say). As you all know, Ricky will be hosting the 67th Annual Golden Globes this Sunday night

Ricky Gervais writes, "As you may know I've stopped with Twitter. I just don't get it I'm afraid. I'm sure it's fun as a networking device for teenagers but there's something a bit undignified about adults using it. Particularly celebrities who seem to be showing off by talking to each other in public. If I want to tell a friend, famous or otherwise what I had to eat this morning, I'll text them. And since I don't need to make new virtual friends, it seemed a bit pointless to be honest.

"I suppose it was meant to be a bit of a marketing tool for The Globes, but they are watched by 25 million people in America alone and maybe 300 million people world wide - tweeting about it would be a drop in the ocean. Also I've got the website and I don't have to restrict things to 140 characters. My tweeting was becoming like a tabloid version of this blog, and I couldn't even put important stuff like this up."

TNT Orders Second Season of Men of a Certain Age

TNT has renewed its critically acclaimed hit series Men of a Certain Age for a second season. The wry drama stars Emmy® winner Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), Emmy winner Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street, TNT’s Salem’s Lot) and Golden Globe® winner Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise). Men of a Certain Age currently airs Mondays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). TNT has ordered 10 episodes for the second season.

“Men of a Certain Age has been embraced by viewers and critics alike, making our decision to renew an easy one,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Men of a Certain Age blends insightful storylines, highly relatable characters and top-notch performances from Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. We look forward to continuing our wonderful relationship with everyone involved.”

Men of a Certain Age  explores the unique bonds of male friendship among three men approaching mid-life. The show focuses on Joe (Romano), a friendly, 40-something, slightly neurotic, recently separated father of two who had dreams of being a professional golfer but instead owns and runs a party store. He has two best friends: Owen (Braugher), an overstressed husband and father who is a car salesman at his dad’s dealership; and Terry (Bakula), an offbeat, handsome, intelligent and still-struggling-to-make-it actor.

Teddy Pendergrass Dies at 59

(from the Associated Press)

R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who was one of the most electric and successful figures in music until a car crash 28 years ago left him in a wheelchair, has died of colon cancer. He was 59.

Pendergrass died Wednesday in suburban Philadelphia, where he had been hospitalized for months.

The singer's son, Teddy Pendergrass II, said his father underwent colon cancer surgery eight months ago and had "a difficult recovery."

Before the crash, Pendergrass established a new era of R&B with an explosive, raw voice that symbolized masculinity, passion and the joys and sorrow of romance in songs such as "Close the Door," "It Don't Hurt Now," "Love T.K.O." and other hits that have since become classics.

Read the entire article here.

Check out this performance of "Love T.K.O." from his 1980 appearance on Soul Train:

Michael C. Hall Being Treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma

(from the Associated Press)

"Dexter" star Michael C. Hall is undergoing treatment for cancer and the disease is in remission, a spokesman said.

"I feel fortunate to have been diagnosed with an imminently treatable and curable condition, and I thank my doctors and nurses for their expertise and care," Hall, 38, said Wednesday in a statement.

The actor was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. The disease is considered highly treatable with the potential for full recovery.

Craig Bankey, a spokesman for the actor, said the cancer is in complete remission and Hall's treatment will continue as planned.

It's Rainin' Men Period Drama Montage

Breaking Dawn: One Movie or Two?

Hot on the heels of speculation that Summit wanted Breaking Dawn — the fourth and final installment in The Twilight Saga — to be broken into two movies, with author Stephenie Meyer adamant it be one movie, comes this statement from Stephenie herself:

Just a quick note on the subject of the Breaking Dawn film: there is no drama over whether the book should be one movie or two. My personal feeling is that it would be very difficult to cram the whole story into one movie (as I've said in many interviews previous to this), but if a great way of doing that surfaces, I'm all for it. Two or one, whichever way fits the story best is fine by me, and everyone I've spoken with at Summit seems to feel the same way. We're all excited to move forward on this, and we are slowly and surely getting there. I know people are anxious for news, and so sometimes gossip gets fabricated to stir things up, but there's no basis to this particular story.


Steph

I agree that this is a case of gossip writers making a mountain out of a molehill. Stephenie has always been about what is best for the story, and I always believed she would do the right thing when it comes to her Saga's finale. I do hope it is split into two films, as there is just entirely too much to try to cram into a two or two-and-a-half-hour movie. It is rare in this day and age for a writer to have so much control over his or her work, and I am happy to see that Stephenie is calling the shots when it comes to her intellectual property. I will leave it to Stephenie to do the right thing, and I look forward to seeing how this all plays out.