Entertainment Never Ends!

"Fantastic Four" surfs to No. 1 spot at box office

2007-06-18T19:59:00.000+08:00

Mon Jun 18, 7:17 AM ET

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" caught a wave of moviegoers to the No. 1 spot at the weekend North American box office, according to studio estimates as of Sunday morning.

The sequel to the "Fantastic Four" outperformed its predecessor, and will have a three-day gross of $57.4 million for its distributor, 20th Century Fox, said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of distribution for Fox.

In July 2005, "Fantastic Four" grossed $56 million in its first three days for 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp..

"We did fantastically, pun intended," Aronson said. "The silver lining is that it outperformed the first one. It worked from Fairbanks to Fort Lauderdale and everywhere in between. It worked in big cities. It worked in small towns."

Fairbanks is in Alaska and Fort Lauderdale is in southeast Florida, spanning most of the North American market where the movie was shown on 3,959 screens that averaged $15,000 per location, Aronson said.

The live-action flick based on the Marvel Comics series pits the four superheroes against an intergalactic surfing menace who was also part of the Marvel Comics catalog many baby boomers grew up reading.

Fox deliberately made a film that would be rated "PG" rather than the more-restrictive "PG-13" to capture more of the family dollar.

"Yes, we made a concerted effort to make this more of a family film and that's reflected in its performance, no doubt," Aronson said. "We cast a very wide net."

Aronson predicted a continued strong showing this week, which is the first full week of summer vacation for many North American schoolchildren.

Dropping from the top spot to No. 2, with an estimated three-day gross of $19.1 million, was "Ocean's Thirteen," released by Time Warner Inc. unit Warner Bros. Pictures. The third film in the series teaming George Clooney and company with director Steven Soderbergh has a 10-day gross of about $69.8 million, said Dan Fellman, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros.

'KNOCKED UP' WORD-OF-MOUTH

The surprise of the weekend may be that Universal Pictures' comedy "Knocked Up" remained a strong No. 3 in this third week of distribution by the General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal unit.

"Knocked Up" will take in an estimated $14.5 million Friday-to-Sunday and has so far grossed $90.5 million, according to Paul Dergarabedian of Media by Numbers.

"'Knocked Up' is holding really well," said Dergarabedian. "It only dropped 26 percent in its third weekend. That's really incredible. Usually movies drop more like 50 percent this far along.

"That means it's getting very strong word-of-mouth. It's an alternative to the summer-style blockbusters."

Other than the top-grossing movie, the only other wide release that premiered over the weekend, "Nancy Drew," was No. 7, near what industry analysts had predicted. It will gross $7.1 million Friday-to-Sunday, said its distributor, Warner Brothers.

The No. 4 spot went to Walt Disney Co.'s "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," the third of the Pirates series starring Johnny Depp, at $12 million and a gross of $273.8 million. The film is in its fourth week of release.

Sony Pictures' animated "Surf's Up" was No. 5 in its second week at $9.3 million and a 10-day total of $34.7 million. Sony Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp ..

And No. 6 was one-time blockbuster "Shrek the Third" from DreamWorks Animation SKG, which will take in $9 million and has a total gross of $281.5 million. It is in its fifth week of release.

Madonna Makes Like Angelina?

2006-10-05T11:11:00.000+08:00

Wed Oct 04, 8:48 PM ET

Most people return home from trips abroad with snow globes and Toblerone. Needless to say, Madonna is not most people.

'The Material Girl' may or may not have gotten in touch with her maternal side Wednesday as conflicting reports surfaced as to whether or not she adopted a child shortly after arriving in Africa on a humanitarian mission to help the region's impoverished AIDS orphans.

Officials in Malawi confirmed to Reuters earlier today that Madonna adopted a one-year-old boy, selected from a group of 12 children that adoption officials had meet with the pop star.

"She asked us to identify boys only, which we have done after visiting four orphanages in Lilonge," Andrina Mchiela, the secretary for the Ministry for Gender and Child Welfare, told reporters, per the wire service.

Mchiela said that the "Hung Up" singer and husband Guy Ritchie had originally planned on adopting a girl, but changed their mind two weeks ago. The name of the boy was not released.

Possibly because he never existed.

Madonna's longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg, denied the adoption report to E! News, saying the singer has not made any additions to her family.

"I can confirm Madonna is in Malawi on a private visit," Rosenberg said. "Despite reports stating otherwise, she has not adopted a baby boy.

"She is building an orphanage and child-care center and is involved in other initiatives geared toward helping children orphaned by AIDS through the Raising Malawi organization."

While the couple had never spoken publicly about plans to adopt, Mchiela told Reuters that the government had already exempted the twosome from Malawi's ban on nonresidents filing for adoption.

However, Mchiela was later quoted by the Associated Press saying Madonna and Ritchie would be subjected to the same adoption process as everyone else, requiring an 18-month waiting period before being able to take a child home.

The non-adoption news could explain the absence of Ritchie, 37, from the trip. He's apparently with the couple's bona fide brood, son, Rocco, 5, and daughter Lourdes, 9, who Madonna had with personal trainer Carlos Leon.

New mother or not, Madonna is doing plenty to help the children of Africa.

In August, Madonna spoke to Time magazine about her increasing desire to help the Africa's more than 12 million orphans, a promise she apparently kept her word on.

"For the last few years--now that I have children and now that I have what I consider to be a better perspective on life--I have felt responsible for the children of the world," she said.

"I've been doing bits and bobs about it and I suppose I was looking for a big, big project I could sink my teeth into."

She arrived with a 10-strong entourage in Malawi Wednesday morning to make good on her promise, launching six large scale projects designed to help underprivileged children in the country.

The pop star is expected to travel to the electricity-free village of Mphandula Thursday, where construction on Raising Malawi, an education and feeding center that broke ground two months ago. The center is expected to feed and educate up to 1,000 Malawi children.

Madonna also announced plans to raise at least $3 million for the region, with the funds going toward the center as well as setting up additional economic, food and health programs for the area.

She is also financing a $1 million documentary about the region's orphans and met with Bill Clinton about bringing low-cost medicine to residents.

Madonna, who tried to draw attention to the humanitarian problems facing Africa via her controversy-courting mock-crucifixion during her recent Confessions world tour, is the latest celebrity to join the cause.

Gwyneth Paltrow recently appeared in the well-intentioned but widely mocked print ad for KeepAChildAlive.org, with the tagline: "I am African." George Clooney toured Sudan's Darfur region last month for a documentary of the war-torn region and has urged the UN Security Council to intervene with peacekeeping troops.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who are arguably at the forefront of the charitable movement, announced last month that they'll donate $2 million to the humanitarian organizations Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders. After their daughter Shiloh was born in Namibia, they also donated $300,000 to local hospitals.

Judge Orders Bobby Brown Arrested

2006-10-03T10:03:00.000+08:00

Mon Oct 02, 6:53 PM ET

Being Bobby Brown ain't easy these days. A family judge ordered the singer arrested if he steps foot in Massachusetts after Brown failed to show for a hearing Monday over delinquent child support payments.

Brown's attorney said it's a "very difficult time" for Brown, 37, whose tumultuous marriage to Whitney Houston is coming to an end. She filed for a legal separation earlier this month.

"Whether or not he's going through a divorce doesn't negate the fact that he still owes child support relative to his two children that he had prior to his marriage," said Norfolk Probate and Family Court Judge Paula Carey.

Kim Ward, of Stoughton, the mother of two of Brown's children, says Brown owes two months' support, or $11,000.

In June 2004, Brown was sentenced to 90 days in prison for missing three months of payments. That sentence was immediately suspended after Brown made back payments totaling about $15,000.

Brown's attorney, Phaedra Parks, would not say where Brown, a Boston native, is currently living.

"It's just a very difficult time for him, as you can well imagine," said Parks, an Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer. "The media is very aware of this very public divorce that's going on right now. It's unfortunate we find ourselves back in Boston on this matter."

Brown gained fame as a member of New Edition and for his 1988 hit solo album.

Jackson's Custody Battle Cease-Fire

2006-10-02T12:38:00.000+08:00

Sun Oct 01, 9:06 PM ET

All's well that ends well…we guess.

Attorneys representing Michael Jackson and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, announced Friday that the pair have settled "all the issues" in their ongoing custody battle, preventing the need for further squabbling.

"We're still dealing with the details but it addresses all of the disputes between the parties," Rowe's lawyer, Marta Almli, told the Associated Press. "I can't say anything about the terms of the settlement but I don't think it would have happened if both parties didn't agree it was appealing to both of them."

Neither Almli nor Jackson's attorney, Michael L. Abrams, elaborated on what their clients' agreement entailed or whether it included a resolution to both physical custody and monetary issues.

Since Jackson was rung up on child molestation charges in 2003, Rowe has been seeking to reinstate her rights to visit their two children, nine-year-old Prince Michael Jackson Jr. and eight-year-old Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, after giving up custody in 2001. She filed a petition seeking $195,000 for legal fees and $50,000 for living expenses in July. Jackson was ordered to shell out $60,000 earlier this month.

"I think both parties are satisfied," Abrams said Friday. "[Jackson] seems to be satisfied with the result."

Rowe and Jackson tied the knot in 1996 and were officially divorced by 2000. When she relinquished her parental rights the following year, the former nurse said she wanted to "forever give up any and all rights pertaining to the children because I believe that by doing so, it is in the children's best interest." But…

"Everything changed," Rowe said in a declaration after requesting temporary custody in 2003. In addition to the charges filed against her ex, she cited Jackson's association with members of the Nation of Islam, a group whose leader she feared was anti-Semitic.

"I am Jewish, as are--by definition--my children," Rowe said. "I worried about how my children would be treated by these new advisers to Michael."

And that was before Neverland was boarded up and the kids were shipped off to Bahrain.

NAACP Not Seeing Red over "Survivor"

2006-09-14T08:17:00.000+08:00

6:59 PM ET

Turns out, reinstituting segregation on a national television show isn't something the NAACP is quite ready to get behind.

Though the civil rights group has certainly waited long enough to point it out.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has finally spoken out on Survivor: Cook Island's much ballyhooed gimmick to split tribes ethnically when the reality show's 13th season kicks off Thursday night.

"Concerning the new season of Survivor, whether we like the concept or not--and for the record, we do not--it is premature to judge the show purely on conjecture," the organization said in a statement.

"We will judge the show on what we see, and we will monitor the public response."

While the advocacy group can hardly be faulted for issuing its wait-and-see statement, the last-minute timing of the release, particularly for an otherwise outspoken institution, is rather curious.

Several conspiracy-ready critics believe the low-key rapprochement came because of an existing relationship between the NAACP and CBS--the group's president, Bruce Gordon, is a longtime member of the network's board.

Gordon denied his corporate ties influenced the NAACP's reaction. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, he said the public outrage over the racial division was disproportionate to the show's standing in pop culture and a "distraction" to "larger and more important" and more relevant issues.

"I decided not to get caught up in a knee-jerk reaction," he told the paper. "I wanted to think about it, to explore what made sense.

"There are countless race abuses that exist in the entertainment community every day. For the media to give airtime to the format of a TV show when it is silent on the absence of African-Americans on Sunday morning news shows is shameful." (Gordon failed to mention that those Sunday shows get a fraction of the audience of Survivor, which is a Top 10 ratings machine.)

For its part, CBS issued a statement saying the network and show producers "appreciate the NAACP reserving judgment"--something many TV critics, New York City council members and even Rush Limbaugh were unable to do.

Survivor mastermind Mark Burnett, who has taken credit for the season's controversial move, repeated the network's sentiment.

"I would encourage anyone to follow this lead and watch at least a few episodes to get a clear picture of how the dynamic will play out," he said.

The NAACP's decision to actually watch the new season before fully condemning it is a move host Jeff Probst urged reporters to take in a conference call last week.

"Not thinking it's a good idea is a fair and valid opinion," he said of the show's decision to split the tribes into white, black, Asian and Hispanic tribes. "But there are people who have no idea what they're condemning and are using it as a platform for their own agenda.

"All I'm saying is you have to recognize you're condemning our show before you see it and that is not fair or just. Keep that megaphone in your right hand for the finale and tell us if it's what you thought it would be or if it wasn't a little bit inspiring."

Probst, who has perhaps unwittingly become the face of the controversy, also reiterated that the premise's intention was not to cause a national uproar.

"It wasn't a situation where CBS said, 'Okay, we're out of ideas, guess we gotta do this,'" he said. "The time was right for the idea...[The media are] painting this picture of a room full of white guys that's just not the case."

Still, despite all the controversy surrounding the new season, Probst backs the installment as "one of the five best we've ever had."

"At the very least we'll promote discussion, which is what we're doing now," he said.

Survivor: Cook Islands kicks off at 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS.

And Britney's Baby Makes Two...

2006-09-13T22:10:00.000+08:00

09/12/2006 9:00 PM, E! Online
Joal Ryan

The onetime chart-topper gave birth to her second child, a boy, about 2 a.m. Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital, a source confirmed to E! News.

The newborn--name not yet known--weighed in at 6 pounds and 11 ounces, per the National Enquirer, which was first out with the nursery news.

Spears endured her labor day at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Us Weekly said.

Up until Tuesday, the singer's baby boy was a baby girl, at least according to stork watchers, who confidently predicted an XX-chromosomal bundle of joy named Jailynn for the performer.

The XY-equipped offspring is the second for Spears and husband Kevin Federline in the past 12 months. Their firstborn, Sean Preston, arrived last Sept. 14.

Reports of the latest Spears-Federline production were rampant Tuesday, fueled by Enquirer and Us Weekly website postings. As of late Tuesday afternoon, the couple's camp still had not formally confirmed or denied the stories, although Spears' father, Jamie, was indirectly quoted as telling Access Hollywood that he'd seen the new baby.

An even more prolific procreator than Spears, Federline is now officially the father of four, including two from a previous relationship with former Moesha actress Shar Jackson.

On average, the 28-year-old Federline has fathered a baby every seven years. If one throws out his presumed prepuberty years, the aspiring rapper and penny proponent has averaged, from age 13 on, one child tax credit every 3.75 years.

Spears, 24, announced her latest pregnancy in May on the Late Show with David Letterman. In June, she showed off her pregnancy, bare stomach and all, on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.

Spears' first year as a mother was marked by paparazzi-driven controversy--and more than one visit from social workers.

In February, the "Oops" singer was scrutinized for driving an SUV with son Sean Preston on her lap. In April, she and Federline were quizzed about a reputed head injury to the baby. No formal investigation was opened, and Spears and Federline were not deemed responsible for the injury--said to have occurred in an accidental fall from a high chair.

"I can't go anywhere without someone judging me," Spears told NBC's Matt Lauer in June.

The baby-in-the-lap-while-driving thing, the Louisiana-born singer explained, was an old Spears family tradition: "We're country."

Spears, once a teen pop queen thanks to "...Baby One More Time," "Sometimes," and more hits, hasn't released an album of new material in nearly three years. She won her lone Grammy in 2004 for Best Dance Recording for "Toxic."

Dutch Priest Charged in Madonna Threat

2006-09-09T08:10:00.000+08:00

2:43 PM ET

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Amsterdam prosecutors said Friday a 63-year-old priest has confessed to phoning in a fake bomb threat to a Madonna concert in the Dutch capital city last week.

"He was hoping to stop her from performing her famous 'crucifixion' act," prosecution spokesman Robert Meulenbroek said, referring to a scene in the 48-year-old pop star's latest show.

The scene, a mock re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ, offended some Christians during earlier concerts in Italy and Germany. Two Amsterdam concerts went ahead as planned on Sunday and Monday, despite a handful of protesters.

Meulenbroek said it was likely prosecutors would seek a community service punishment for the priest, since it was very likely this was his first such offense.

The priest was arrested almost immediately after making the threat Sunday, since he used his home phone to make it, and he called an emergency services number where the call was automatically traced.

The priest was brought before a judge Friday and has been released pending judgment, Meulenbroek said. "We take bomb threats seriously, but in this case it was clear very quickly that it was not real," he said.

Madonna's "Confessions" tour next stops in Japan on Sept. 16.

___

On the Net:

http://www.madonna.com

'Wild World' Singer to Release New Album

2006-09-08T07:09:00.000+08:00

The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens will release his first pop album in 28 years this fall.

Stevens, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam in the late 1970s, has signed with Atlantic Records in conjunction with his Ya Records label, it was announced Thursday.

"I feel right about making music and singing about life in this fragile world again," the 58-year-old singer-songwriter said in a statement. "It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross."

The album, "An Other Cup," is set for release in November. His last studio album was 1978's "Back to Earth."

"Yusuf's new songs are as moving and timeless as the classics that inspired a generation," Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman said in a statement. "His spiritual quest is one of the most extraordinary stories of our time a life journey marked by courage, devotion and transformation."

The London-born singer had a string of pop hits in the 1960s and '70s including "Here Comes My Baby," "Wild World," "Peace Train" and Moonshadow." After converting to Islam, he changed his name and left the music world.

His charity, Small Kindness, provides aid to orphans and families in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq, among other regions.

___

On the Net:

Yusuf Islam: http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/yi2/index.html

Paris Hilton Arrested for DUI

2006-09-08T06:32:00.000+08:00

By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

1 hour, 1 minute ago

LOS ANGELES - For most celebrities, getting smacked with a DUI is an instant image crisis. For
Paris Hilton, it could be a career boost.

"Paris Hilton being arrested just makes her more famous," said veteran publicist Michael Levine. "She has devoted her entire adult life to appearing to be the princess of parties."

Hilton's publicist, Elliot Mintz, confirmed the star's festive nature Thursday: "She's been known to have a drink or two."

Hilton was arrested by Los Angeles police officers in Hollywood early Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence. During the arrest she was briefly handcuffed. Hilton was booked at LAPD's Hollywood station at 1:43 a.m. and released shortly afterward, said Nick Velasquez, a spokesman for the city attorney's office.

This is Hilton's first drunken-driving arrest, Mintz said, adding that he doesn't expect the incident to hurt her image.

"The people who enjoy Paris as a comedian or actress on TV or as a singer on her CD , a woman who seems to have captured the imagination of so many people, I don't know if this is going to have any impact on them one way or another," he said. "But, of course, she regrets what took place."

Hours after her release, Hilton defended herself to radio host Ryan Seacrest during his Thursday morning show on local station KIIS-FM.

"It was nothing," said Hilton, 25.

The singer, actress, handbag designer and heiress to the Hilton hotel-chain fortune said she was "starving because I had not ate all day" and possibly "speeding a little bit" in her Mercedes-Benz SLR on her way to grab a bite.

"I was just really hungry and I wanted to have an In-N-Out burger," said the one-time pitchwoman for Carl's Jr.

Hilton, who made her singing debut last week with the release of her eponymous CD, said she spent Wednesday filming a music video and having dinner with her sister, Nicky, and some friends before heading to a charity event sponsored by rocker
Dave Navarro.

Hilton said she had "one margarita" at the event.

Just last month, she told the Los Angeles Times that she "doesn't like the taste of alcohol."

"It grosses me out," she said.

Hilton told Seacrest that police stopped her for speeding. An LAPD spokeswoman said Hilton was driving erratically.

"Officers observed the vehicle driving in an erratic manner so they pulled the car over," officer Marjan Mobasser said Thursday.

Hilton's blood-alcohol level was .08 percent — the minimum to warrant an arrest, Mintz said.

According to a national research study, a 137-pound woman would need to consume three alcoholic drinks in one hour on an empty stomach to reach a .08 blood-alcohol level. The 5'8" and fashionably slender Hilton likely weighs much less than 137 pounds.

She described the arresting officers as "really nice."

"There was a lot of paparazzi around so I think they were trying to make a statement," she told Seacrest. "Everything I do is blown out of proportion and it really hurts my feelings."

Hilton is expected to be arraigned Sept. 28, said Velasquez of the city attorney's office. Penalties for a first drunken-driving offense typically include a fine, probation, an alcohol-rehabilitation program, license suspension and "other DUI-related conditions" such as community service, he said.

LAPD officials said they will not release Hilton's arrest report or her mug shot.

The maximum penalty for a first misdemeanor DUI offense is a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

This isn't the first legal problem for the blonde heiress.

In February, a Superior Court judge ordered Hilton to stay away from event producer Brian Quintana after he claimed she shoved him on at least three occasions and badmouthed him.

A month earlier, actress and diamond heiress Zeta Graff filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against Hilton claiming that Hilton spewed "vicious lies" to the New York Post about an altercation the two had in a London nightclub.

In November, Hilton was a passenger in a silver Bentley that a companion drove into the back of a large commercial truck, scratching the hood of the car. The mishap was captured on videotape. Cameras were also rolling when Hilton's Range Rover backed into a car in a parking garage in June.

Hilton was just a pretty party girl and everyday heiress until a sex-tape she made with an ex-boyfriend surfaced in late 2003. That made her a cyberspace novelty and instant tabloid favorite. Hilton's reality TV series "The Simple Life" debuted shortly afterward.

In 2004, Hilton released her book, "Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose." She appeared in episodes of television's "The O.C." and "Veronica Mars" and had a role in the 2005 horror flick "House of Wax."

Hilton released a perfume bearing her name in 2004. Earlier this year, Hilton unveiled her cell-phone video game, "Diamondquest." She'll follow that with a line of Paris Hilton purses and cosmetics.

Hilton's string of boyfriends has also kept her in the news. She was engaged for several months to Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis before dating another Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos III. She has also been linked to former University of Southern California football star Matt Leinert, who recently signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.

Recently, Hilton announced she had taken a vow of sexual abstinence.

"Desperate" Marcia Gets Maternal

2006-09-07T08:09:00.000+08:00

By Sarah Hall

2 hours, 4 minutes ago

Time for Bree Van de Kamp to start shopping for that perfect maternity outfit. ;)

Desperate Housewives star, Marcia Cross is expecting her first child with her stockbroker husband Tom Mahoney, her rep confirms to E! News. The baby is due in April 2007.

The twosome wed in June after getting engaged in August 2005.

While there's no word on whether the pregnancy will be written into Bree's story line this season, we do know Wisteria Lane's most uptight denizen will soon be getting busy behind bedroom doors.

Much to ABC's dismay, a leaked clip from an upcoming episode showing Cross' character engaging in a steamy mattress romp with new love interest Orson (
Kyle MacLachlan) surfaced on YouTube last week.

The network reacted by having the unauthorized clips yanked from the site.

It was unclear how the top-secret footage made its way online, but ABC denied speculation that the leak was an inside job meant to boost interest in the show after a less than stellar second season.

Whether the clip actually did serve to boost interest will soon be revealed.

The third season of Desperate Housewives premieres Sept. 24.

No State Funeral for Croc Hunter

2006-09-07T07:31:00.000+08:00

By Sarah Hall

4:13 PM ET

As the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin made a name for himself around the world. But at the end of the day, he was just an "ordinary bloke."

In the first public remarks from Irwin's family since his death on Monday, his father, Bob Irwin, said the family would probably decline the Australian government's offer of a state funeral for his son because Irwin would not have wanted the fuss of such a formal proceeding.

"The state funeral would be refused because he's an ordinary guy, he's just an ordinary bloke," the elder Irwin said at a press conference at Australia Zoo Wednesday.

"He wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke."

Irwin, 44, was killed after he was hit in the chest by a stingray's barb Monday while filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.

Video footage of the TV star's last moments reportedly showed him yanking the poisonous barb from his chest before he lost consciousness.

Officials who reviewed the footage as part of the investigation into Irwin's death said there was no evidence he had antagonized the stingray in order to make it lash out.

Dressed in his son's signature khaki shorts and shirt, Bob Irwin offered emotional recollections of the man he called "my best mate ever."

"I'm a lucky, lucky guy that I've had the opportunity to have a son like Steve," he told reporters.

"Steve and I weren't like father and son. We never were. We were good mates."

Irwin's body was flown from Cairns to the Sunshine Coast by charter plane on Tuesday. Funeral arrangements will most likely not be announced for several days, according to Irwin's friend and manager, John Stainton, who was with him at the time of his death.

Mourners continued to flock to the zoo by the thousands Wednesday, adding flowers and written messages to a makeshift memorial to Irwin at the gate.

Irwin's widow, Terri Irwin, has yet to speak publicly about her husband's death. However, on Tuesday, she used the internal intercom service at Australia Zoo to thank staffers for their support.

"She was really choked up. She basically said how grateful she was for the support from all the staff," Michael Hornby, the executive manager of Irwin's charity, Wildlife Warriors, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"She was extremely upset and did not talk for long. But she wanted to thank staff for helping the family hold themselves together; and the fact that she was thinking of other people at such a distressing time is simply amazing."

Irwin's father vowed that he would help Terri continue his son's work at Australia Zoo until his children, eight-year-old Bindi and two-year-old Bob, were old enough to take over some of the responsibility.

"Steve will want his work carried on," he said.

Your Chance To Be Just Like Cher

2006-09-06T20:26:00.000+08:00

By Jeremy Lovell

10:21 AM ET

Reuters Photo: Cher performs her last show of her three year long farewell tour to a sold...

LONDON (Reuters) - Fashion icon and award-winning singer and actress Cher is clearing her Malibu home of its Gothic contents and reshaping her life in a giant garage sale.

Following a trend set by rock star Elton John, Cher is selling off nearly 800 items from stage costumes to gem encrusted jewelry, works of art, furniture and even a huge Hummer car in an auction expected to raise more than $1 million.

"This is a lot more than a garage sale. Apart from the dresses and jewels there are Old Masters and architectural drawings," said Darren Julien of Julien's auctions.

"She has a huge following. She is an icon. Her career in song, stage and screen has spanned nearly four decades," he told Reuters as some of the items went on show in London Monday ahead of the sale in Los Angeles on October 3-4.

The sale is being jointly organized by Sotheby's New York office and Julien's of the United States.

Among the items on show are several dresses by star designer Bob Mackie, white and yellow gold rings and necklaces and a book of architectural drawings by 19th century Gothic Revivalist Augustus Pugin.

Cher, born Cherylin Sarkisian in May 1946, first hit fame alongside Sonny Bono with the 1965 hit "I got you babe," and her roller-coaster career has been echoed by her turbulent and often front-page private life.

OSCAR WINNER

An Oscar nominee for "Silkwood" and winner for "Moonstruck," she has also won a Grammy, an Emmy and been awarded Best Actress by the
Cannes Film Festival and won three Golden Globes.

But she is probably equally well known for her willowy body and contour-hugging flamboyant dresses.

"She decided a while ago that she wanted to sell off a few things and change her style, and it grew from that to this collection of some 200 gowns and costumes and nearly 800 items in total," Julien said.

"She is redecorating her home, going for a Moroccan-Tibetan look and selling the Gothic revival items," he added, noting that the mannequins supporting the dresses had to be especially made because of Cher's special figure.

But not all the money from the sale at the Beverly Hilton will go back into Cher's home, an undeclared but "substantial" portion will go to a range of charities that she supports, Julien said.

And it is not as though she needs the money -- in 2002 the Rolling Stone magazine estimated her personal wealth at $600 million.

Rosie's 'View' debut

2006-09-06T06:59:00.000+08:00

12:49 PM ET

By Gina Serpe

For Rosie O'Donnell, The View looks great.

After more than four months of nonstop hype and speculation, O'Donnell made her daytime television comeback Tuesday as moderator of The View, kicking off a day of returns as two of the most high-profile TV personalities make their highly anticipated homecomings to the airwaves.

Since O'Donnell was tapped to replace the Today show-bound Meredith Vieira in April, much has been posited of O'Donnell's debut: Had the onetime Queen of Nice turned mean? Would Star Jones Reynolds be hung in effigy? Were there any remaining vestiges of that ill-conceived Flock of Seagulls hairdo?

As it turns out, it's no on all counts.

Surprisingly, O'Donnell's much-heralded return to daytime lacked the pomp and circumstance many expected, with her inaugural hour playing out relatively low-key.

Aside from the compulsory hoots and hollers when the new foursome--O'Donnell, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters--entered the studio, it was on to chat as usual.

"What's all the fuss about?" O'Donnell asked before introducing herself. "My name is Meredith Vieira and welcome to The View.

"It's my first day on The View, I'm in the Meredith chair and it's exciting," she said, before assuring the audience a kinder, gentler O'Donnell had returned.

"I had that crazy haircut that scared America to death," she said. "I've been taking my medication."

She also pointed out that while the longstanding object of her affection, Tom Cruise, may not approve of her meds, he nonetheless sent her an enormous bouquet of flowers to herald her arrival.

It was then on to the Hot Topics segement, but not without a little exchange between Behar and O'Donnell.

"And you all thought I was going to have problems with Elisabeth," O'Donnell said.

She also proved to be her old giveaway-loving self when, in lieu of flinging Koosh balls into the crowd, she handed out miniature cruise ship figurines to the audience--representing the two-day cruises everyone would be receiving.

"This is just the beginning," she said.

Of course, it wasn't all about O'Donnell.

Jessica Simpson, fresh off a week of canceled TV gigs and an unsuccessful performance on the Today show Friday, was the debut guest for the show's 10th season.

Simpson reportedly agreed to appear as a favor to O'Donnell, who regularly slotted the pre-Newlyweds singer on The Rosie O'Donnell Show before Simpson was a household name. That, and to plug her new CD.

And get grilled on her dating habits.

"I'm actually not dating John Mayer," she said, disputing the People magazine cover story. "They put these quotes saying I'm in love. He's my friend, I've known him a couple years."

But despite the success of O'Donnell's first day on the job, not all things Rosie are just peachy.

Before her first day on the job, O'Donnell already managed to irk the boss, courtesy of a posting to her blog on Rosie.com.

Last month, the newest View cohost took issue with, of all things, the show's seemingly innocuous TV promos for the 10th season, which play off O'Donnell's musical theater background with the ladies singing and dancing about "shaking up The View."

"I saw the new view promos/found myself/in the position/i loathe the most/powerless," she wrote in her trademark style.

Walters, however, didn't appreciate the poetic critique.

"I didn't like the blog," she told Newsweek. "I'm counting on Rosie's intelligence and sensitivity and humor. This is, after all, an entertainment show. It is based on people who like each other and are having a good time, not on people who are arguing and unhappy."

O'Donnell, however, scoffed at the report during the Hot Topics segment of the show Tuesday, saying she knew Walters wasn't upset because she likely never even saw the post.

"She doesn't know how to get on Internet Explorer, what are they talking about?" O'Donnell said. "I was nervous and emotional...[Now] I'm ecstatic."

It may be a moot point anyway.

Walters told the news magazine shortly after the interview that she received flowers and a note from her newest charge apologizing for the incident.

"Barbara, I only want the promos and the show to be great," it read. "And I love you. Love, Ro."

Walters told the magazine she will be hiring a fifth cohost once O'Donnell has settled in.

Crocodile Hunter's Death Caught on Video

2006-09-05T20:03:00.000+08:00

3:15 AM ET

Steve Irwin was videotaped pulling a poisonous stingray barb from his chest in his last moments of life, officials said Tuesday, as tributes poured in for TV's "Crocodile Hunter."

Police said there was nothing suspicious about Irwin's death and no evidence he provoked the animal. Irwin, 44, was stabbed through the heart on Monday while snorkeling with a stingray during filming of a new TV program on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

John Stainton, Irwin's manager who was among the crew on the reef, said the fatal blow was caught on videotape, and described viewing the footage as having the "terrible" experience of watching a friend die.

"It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone," Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin's body was taken for an autopsy.

Queensland state police were holding the tape as evidence for a coroner's inquiry a standard procedure in high-profile deaths or those caused by other than natural causes.

Experts have said the stingray may have felt trapped between the cameraman and the TV star. Irwin, the popular host of "Crocodile Hunter," rose to fame by getting dangerously close to crocodiles, snakes and other beasts.

But Queensland Police Superintendent Michael Keating said there was no evidence Irwin threatened or intimidated the stingray, a normally placid species that only deploys its poisonous tail spines as a defense.

Stainton said Irwin was in his element in the Outback, but that he and Irwin had talked about the sea posing threats the star wasn't used to.

"If ever he was going to go, we always said it was going to be the ocean," Stainton said. "On land he was agile, quick-thinking, quick-moving and the ocean puts another element there that you have no control over."

Parliament took a break from the business of running the country to pay tribute to Irwin, whose body was being flown home Tuesday from Cairns. No funeral plans were announced but state Premier Peter Beattie said Irwin would be afforded a state funeral if his family agreed.

Irwin's American wife Terri, Bindi and their son Bob, almost 3, returned late Monday from a trekking vacation in Tasmania to Australia Zoo, the wildlife park where the family lived at Beerwah in Queensland's southeast.

At the park, hundreds of people filed past the entrance laying floral bouquets and handwritten condolence messages. Khaki shirts a trademark of Irwin were laid out for people to sign.

"Mate, you made the world a better place," read one poster left at the gate. "Steve, our hero, our legend, our wildlife warrior," read another. "I thought you were immortal. How I wish that was true," said a third.

The park opened Tuesday because it was what Irwin would have wanted, said Gail Gipp, an animal health employee.

Irwin was propelled to global fame after his TV shows, in which he regularly wrestled with crocodiles and went face-to-face with poisonous snakes and other wild animals, were shown around world on the Discovery Channel.

The network announced plans for a marathon screening of Irwin's work and a wildlife fund in his name.

"Rarely has the world embraced an animal enthusiast and conservationist as they did Steve Irwin," Discovery Networks International President Dawn McCall said in a statement.

Experts differed on the number of human deaths caused by stingrays anywhere from 3 to 17 though they agreed that they were extremely rare.

____

Associated Press Writer Dennis Passa contributed to this report from Beerwah, Australia.

"Desperate" Sex Hits YouTube, ABC Freaks

2006-09-05T12:32:00.000+08:00

1:14 PM ET

By Gina Serpe

Having fans type "Desperate sex" into their Web browsers was apparently not the sort of grassroots marketing campaign ABC was hoping for to hype one of its top shows.

The Alphabet Net is calling foul after a rough cut of a sex scene from the upcoming season of Desperate Housewives was leaked on YouTube, nearly a month before the steamy footage was
slated to air.

"We are looking into the unauthorized clips of Desperate Housewives on YouTube and will be having them taken down," an ABC rep said Friday.

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PNG Q3 2006
The time-stamped, though fully edited, clip runs just over a minute and was made available by two separate YouTube posters--or at least by a YouTube devotee with more than one screen name--last Sunday. As of Friday morning, only one of the posts remained watchable. (The scene is still available by searching YouTube for the TV couple's fan-generated nickname, "Brorson.")

The scene features Bree (Marcia Cross) and new boy-toy Orson (Kyle MacLachlan) in bed, with the underwear-clad housewife protesting her partner's attempt to give her oral sex.

"I don't do that," she says. "I'm a Republican."

"I'm a Libertarian," Orson replies. "I believe in minimizing the role of the state and maximizing individual rights. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Orson then disappears offscreen, while the camera cuts to a shot of a running faucet filling up a sink containing dirty dishes. As the sink runneth over, well, so does Bree.

Pirated though the clip may be, it's not quite the first look its buzz would suggest. The climactic portion of the scene, without the pesky 50-or-so seconds of foreplay, is included in an official promo for the show's third season released earlier this month by the network.

ABC insists that no one at the network purposely leaked the footage in an attempt to goose interest in the show after what critics, fans and even producers agreed was a sophomore slump.

But, as pointed out by Variety, many industry types expressed disbelief that such top-secret footage could have been spread by a production assistant or other low-level staffer, suggesting that the leak was an intentional promotional ploy, rather than a confidentiality breach.

"If it's in-house, you have tight controls over who has access to [the footage]," an unnamed network production veteran told Variety. "And if it's an outside facility, they can't afford a leak. They know if there's a leak, they're [fired]. I'm suspicious."

In any case, while pirated footage is nothing new for the Internet, the steamy Housewives scene may mark the first time an unaired TV segment has made it online--a development that's already making the suits sweat.

"Can you imagine the resolution to a cliffhanger being put out there?" an unidentified network executive told the trade paper. "It could be a really big problem."

Since the leak surfaced, there have been various reports claiming the scene, or at least its most salacious bits, had been removed entirely from the episode and was leaked online to drum up fan support to have the clip reinstated.

Regardless, there are still plenty of unseen scenes primed to air. Desperate Housewives kicks off its third season Sept. 24.

Meet...Aly and AJ

2006-09-05T04:15:00.000+08:00

The end of August may have featured a tabloid murder's unexpected return, the threat of tropical trouble, and the stinging barbs of "fascism." But let's look on the bright side. If you're under 17, female, and eternally devoted to Aly and AJ, life is good.

This sister pop act is sizzling in Search and on TV screens across the country. On August 17, the girls appeared on "America's Got Talent" to the zealous cheers of tweens and Regis Philbin. On August 21, the duo led MTV's "Cribs" on a tour of their mega-mansion, and the next day searches on their names spiked into our top 650 movers. Their time may have come. So, public, say hello to Aly and AJ...

Getting to know: Aly and AJ
Whose real names are: Alyson and Amanda Joy Michalka
Who are they: sister singing/songwriting duo
Who they want to be: hard rock versions of the Olsen twins
They started singing: in church
They're now singing: on a glitzy national tour
Hot music videos on Yahoo! Music: "Chemicals React" and "Rush"
Percentage of searchers from the under-17 set: 70%
Percentage of searchers from shrieking, heart-thumping, oh-my-God-I-love-them females: 84% (think we're exaggerating?)
Searchers really, really love Aly and AJ in: Wisconsin, Utah, and Colorado
But who do they love more: Aly's buzz spiked 14% this week, while her sis saw a lone 6% rise. Sorry, AJ.
Most popular related searches: "aly and aj chemicals react lyrics," "aly and aj lyrics"
Prospects for long-term Buzz: The way things are going for these blonde songstresses, mighty possible.

Most Popular New Shows

2006-09-05T04:05:00.000+08:00

Fall TV: Most Popular New Shows
America's Next Top Model

1. America's Next Top Model

2. Heroes

3. Vanished

4. Jericho

Singer Pete Doherty Sentencing Postponed

2006-09-04T23:12:00.000+08:00

By KATIE FRETLAND, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 43 minutes ago

LONDON - Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty skirted a jail sentence Monday when a judge ordered him to continue rehabilitation and complimented one of his songs.
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The 27-year-old singer, smartly dressed in a black suit, white shirt and blue, gray and black stripped tie, appeared for sentencing on five counts of possessing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and cannibis.

Fans overflowed out of the public gallery at Thames Magistrates Court, and were reprimanded by the judge for being noisy.

The singer from east London, was arrested in April possessing less than two grams each of heroin, cannibis and cocaine just three hours after he was sentenced to two years of community service for previous drug offenses. The drugs were found in the vehicle he was in and at his east London home.

Doherty was arrested again on Aug. 7 with a crack pipe and small amount of crack cocaine, and pleaded guilty on Aug. 18 to all five counts.

District Judge Jane McIvor deferred sentencing until Dec. 4, and told Doherty he would not go to jail if he adheres to his rehabilitation program, continues to be employed and commits no other offenses.

"At this stage it would be counterproductive and simply take you away from society for a matter of weeks and would undo the hard work that a lot of professionals have put in," McIvor said.

McIvor noted that Doherty had tested negative for heroin in two tests last month and also passed a check for cocaine.

She told Doherty his song "The Blinding" is a "good tune."

"I obviously want my life back really," Doherty told reporters after his court appearance.

Before being whisked away by security, he said he had "mixed feelings" about the judge's decision because he "wants to be trusted" and the Priory clinic where he has been in rehabilitation is too expensive.

The singer gained fame with his previous band, the Libertines, and as the on-off boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss.

He made his first public appearance since starting rehabilitation last month performing at a London concert called "Get Loaded in the Park" on Aug. 27.

Tom Woolridge, 17, a fan outside the court, said the sentence was fair, and that Doherty's music is better when he's "clean for a change."

Doherty's drug habit gained international attention after a British tabloid printed pictures of Moss allegedly using cocaine at a music studio where Doherty and his band were recording. Moss was not charged.

Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) Killed by Stingray

2006-09-04T15:54:00.000+08:00

David Williams
September 4, 2006 - 4:55PM

Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died from a stingray wound while filming off north Queensland.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, the 44-year-old was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!"

The Queensland Police Service issued a statement saying Irwin collapsed after being stung at Batt Reef, Low Isles, off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.

"Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest," said local diving operator Steve Edmondson, whose Poseidon boats were out on the Great Barrier Reef when the accident occured.

"He probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury," he said.

Police said that, after the attack, Irwin's crew called for medical treatment at 11am and the Queensland Rescue Helicopter responded with a doctor and paramedic on board.

Puncture wound

Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Irwin's family had been advised and Irwin's body was being flown to Cairns.

It is believed his American-born wife Terri was trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania when the accident happened.

Police in Tasmania say she had been told.

The Irwins have two children, a daughter, Bindi Sue, 8, and a son, Robert Clarence, usually known as Bob, 3.

The Irwins married in 1992 - the same year Irwin made a one-off documentary, The Crocodile Hunter, which later became a world-famous TV series and movie.

When asked if he had ever heard of anyone dying from a stingray barb, Matthew Hurley, general manager of Quicksilver Group, whose company has taken tours to Low Isles for 26 years, said: "No, definitely not.

"We've never heard of or been involved with anything like that."

Ross Coleman, acting director at at University of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, told smh.com.au it was "quite rare" for someone to die from contact with a stingray and he couldn't recall hearing of another incident.

Stingrays were "dangerous if provoked", he said.

"As a recreational diving instructor you hear of people getting injured by standing on them ... but they rarely die."

'The zoo will go on'

Irwin's wife Terri would not close down the zoo, predicted Jim Dalrymple, whose local irrigation firm helped maintain the water supplies to Irwin's Australia Zoo in Beerwah on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The zoo is the biggest local employer with 550 staff, Mr Dalrymple said.

"I managed an irrigation business in Beerwah and had occasions where I served Steve personally.

"Terri would ring to say Steve was on his way down to the shop, can you stay open. It was usually on a Saturday afternoon when Steve needed something and got caught short. He was always so thankful.

"I think the zoo will go on," said Mr Dalrymple, who also owns the local Beerwah Motel.

"I don't think Terri would let it close down. She's too passionate to change Steve's wishes. But he's irreplaceable."

Trouble over croc feeding with son

Irwin won a global following for his daredevil antics but also triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile at his Australian zoo.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA'' campaign.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said.

The Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.

Irwin came 20th last year in BRW magazine's top 50 entertainers.

The magazine said the hugely popular Crocodile Hunter spent most of 2005 filming and launching his new television series, New Breed Vets, to appear on the pay-TV channel Animal Planet.

In February, Irwin received an award from Tourism Australia for his contribution to tourism.

Over the last 12 months, he has also expanded his Australia Zoo wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast.

Pop star Justin Timberlake last month recalled visiting the zoo on his Australian 2004 tour.

"I know he got a lot of flak, but there's something in that dude's blood, he's like one of those animals," Timberlake told the Courier Mail newspaper.

"We got in the cage and he said, 'I want to show you how the crocs hunt.' All of a sudden it pops out of the water, we jump back, it came up on the land and he saw how its temperament was and he told us to step back.

"He's like Dr Dolittle, for real. He knows what those crocodiles are thinking."

- smh.com.au and AAP

Always Kidman the Kidder . From Cannes to Camus!!

2006-09-03T20:35:00.000+08:00

Nicole Kidman raised a few eyebrows in London when she laughed loudly from the audience during Albert Camus' tragedy Caligula. With an Oscar, a Fashion Icon Award and speculation swirling around a possible Cruise-Cruz breakup, Nicole Kidman seems to be having the last laugh. But MSNBC.com reports Kidman attended the play at London's Donmar Warehouse - where, coincidentally, she once took off her clothes in The Blue Room - and shocked other theatre-goers by reportedly laughing loudly throughout the production. Everyone was delighted to see Nicole in the audience, but most people were rather surprised by her response to the performance. Kidman's guffawing became so rowdy that the play's leading man, Michael Sheen, heard her onstage. "I was surprised and a bit worried at the amount of laughter that I heard," Sheen told the Telegraph. "I don't think Camus actually intended it to be funny. After all, it is a tragedy." Meanwhile, Kidman will not play Katharine Hepburn or Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's upcoming The Aviator, about the life of Howard Hughes, The New York Post's Liz Smith reports. Nicole met with Scorsese because she was anxious to work with one of the all-time greats. But she is committed to Mr Smith and The Stepford Wives and regretfully had to pass. Cate Blanchett will play the Great Kate, while Kate Beckinsale takes on Gardner and pop queen Gwen Stefani plays Jean Harlow. Leonardo DiCaprio will stretch his acting chops as the brilliant and weird younger Hughes.

Smoking Kidman sparks controversy. So what? Australian actress Nicole Kidman has raised the ire of anti-smoking groups by lighting up a cigarette during her press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. Footage was beamed around the world yesterday of Kidman lighting up at the annual event while promoting her new movie, Dogville. The Oscar-winning actress was immediately admonished by the film's Danish director Lars Von Trier, but Kidman shrugged her shoulders and kept smoking. It appears Kidman has smoked for years, with newspaper reports dating back to 1994 saying she had been spotted smoking. Anti-smoking groups today said the image of Kidman smoking was a free advertisement for the tobacco industry and glamorized the habit." Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) chief executive Anne Jones said Kidman was perpetuating the image that smoking was associated with glamour, independence and success." It's worth millions to the tobacco industry to have celebrities smoking," she told AAP." It's unfortunate that she smoked at a media conference that potentially went to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Ms Jones said she would write to Kidman's Australian publicist highlighting the actress's responsibilities as a role model to millions of young women. " She does have a right to smoke, but what I'm just saying is that smoking in front of millions of people contains this unfortunate association between smoking and glamour and success," she said. "I will leave it to her to decide how she wants to use that information. "I think given her role model status it would be really greatly appreciated by health groups and maybe parents in general if she didn't smoke in such a way." Six thousand Australian women die each year from smoking-related illnesses, and 21 per cent of all Australian women over the age of 18 smoke. Australian Democrats Senator Lyn Allison said tobacco use cost $21 billion a year in Australia and Kidman should use her position to discourage smoking. "Many of Nicole Kidman's fans are young women and they have particularly alarming rates of addiction to tobacco," she said. Senator Allison called on the federal government to fulfill i ts promise to introduce legislation requiring all films depicting smoking to carry a warning.

Jackson to Reunite With Landis

2006-09-03T17:06:00.000+08:00

Pop superstar MICHAEL JACKSON is in reunion talks with film-maker JOHN LANDIS to direct his comeback video. The 48-year-old famously worked with THE BLUES BROTHERS director Landis on the famous promos for his hits THRILLER and BLACK OR WHITE. And Jackson, who was acquitted of child molestation charges last year (05), is hoping Landis' magic touch will make his return from the wilderness a success. Landis says, "I talked to him last month. He was in Bahrain or some bizarre place. It was a business thing we had to talk about. "Michael is a genius. He's obviously an eccentric but he really has a great talent."

Malaysia's #1 Singer - Siti Nurhaliza

2006-09-03T15:18:00.000+08:00

Siti Nurhaliza binti Taruddin was born on the 11th January 1979 at Kampung Awah, Temerloh, Pahang. As a kid, she was labeled a "tomboy" because of her active attitude and her preference to boyish looks. When singing was wanted to be a policeman like her father. Her family was tight on finance and she helped her mother selling "kuih" all around the village. During these days, her will to help her family grew day by day.

Her mother was her mentor into bringing her up to the image of the well-behaved Malay girl. She started to sport a more feminine look when she started school. Siti's family performed traditional shows and other performances for marriages and other special events. Siti was given a chance at 12 to sing traditional and folk songs like her mother did. She performed numerous in-house performances and her talent built up day by day.

She went to Sekolah Menengah Clifford, Kuala Lipis, Pahang for her secondary education. Siti was an active sportsgirl during her schooldays. She represented the school in netball and other sports such as field hockey, handball and volleyball. She was well loved by her colleagues and teachers for her fine behaviour.

Siti got herself into singing seriously when she actively participated in many local competitons. She won the Merdeka Day Singing Contest in 1991 and the another contest during the Karnival Lipis. In Form Four, Siti contested in the Juara Bintang HMI 1995 singing contest sponsored by RTM. She captured the sight of the famous composer, Adnan Abu Hassan during the quarter finals. He tutored Siti during the short period of time and gave tips and tricks of vocal performance. She won the contest.

She then got her contract drawn with Suria Records, where Adnan was a director. She had a tough time on her first album because she got to manage her time between her career and her education, since she was bound to sit for the SPM exams in 1996. Her first album was self-titled - Siti Nurhaliza. Siti have a soul-capturing unique voice and also a unique style of vocalization. She got a rep of being an ethical and punctual celebrity. She refuses to be photographed with any male without any reasonable purpose due to fear of controversy, "fitnah" and bad rep. With this personality plus her special vocal plus a fine, cute looks, she was bound to be the singer of the millenium.

Siti went on further expanding her wings internationally and improving herself greatly by the years. Maybelline was convinced enough with Siti's credibility and style to grant her a position as a spokesperson for the internationally renowned cosmetics company. Maybelline TV advertisements instantly was done by Siti Nurhaliza and Siti paced up to their marketing and promotions. Lately, Siti had also accepted the Red Crescent Society of Malaysia to be their patron.

Siti Nurhaliza can not be only called a singer. She is a social icon of the Malaysian society. She is Siti Nurhaliza by name and nobody is Siti Nurhaliza other than she.

Victoria Beckham Talks About New Book

2006-09-03T14:54:00.000+08:00

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has revealed details about her new style and fashion book called 'That Extra Half An Inch'.

The book, which will be published later this year, is described as a "revealing and practical" guide to "fashion, beauty and style".

Beckham said: "I've always been a girls' girl. And I know from experience that making the very best of yourself is something any woman can do."

"I was never the six-foot-tall pin-up. I've always been the girl next-door who got lucky," she said.

"I've come a long way in the last 10 years, but this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do. It's just to share some of what I've learned."

Let's Having Fun Here..!

2006-09-03T13:29:00.000+08:00

Hi there..

Let's talk about entertainment world here..

Who's your favourite artists, latest gossips, new films and many more..!

Hope you'll enjoy your surfing on this site..!

Regards,

FS