Bill Murray: A Career in Three Stages

Flashback Five - The Moviegoer's Guide to Getting Out of a False Arrest

2009-07-24T16:31:00Z

If you haven't touched a television or newspaper in the past few days, you may have missed the story about Harvard prof Henry Louis Gates Jr., who was arrested for trying to break into his own house. (Thanks, neighbors!) And now, with even President Obama weighing in on the fray, what better time to look back on the cinema's long history with false arrests? Read on for inspiration as to the best methods of resistance -- but remember, you didn't read it here.

1. The Hurricane (1999)
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was falsely accused of a triple homicide and imprisoned for twenty years, both in real life and in this riveting biopic. Carter was unable to prove his innocence, and instead tapped out a book about his experiences, which eventually led to his release and exoneration. Gates might not have enough material for a book, but we can certainly look forward to an intelligent, scholarly critique. Probably not the smartest person to racially profile, Cambridge police.

2. The Green Mile (1999)
This sad Frank Darabont drama explores the flip side of what can happen when a man is falsely accused: As an innocent man arrested for rape and murder, gentle giant John Coffey (Michael Clark Duncan) doesn't have it in him to resist, and things are never the same. There's a valuable lesson here though: If you happen to have a flair for curing brain tumors and bringing mice back to life, as Coffey does, by all means use it to get those sadistic guards on your side!

3. The Crucible (1996)
Arthur Miller's classic play about wrongful accusation got a sexy updating in 1996 featuring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. When a case of love potion-creating in 1692 is mistaken for Satan-y witchcraft, an entire town gets up in arms accusing each other of making deals with the Devil. Though the play and movie are metaphors for McCarthyism, one of the basic lessons of the movie is, "look at the facts," something that certainly could have prevented Gates from being arrested in the first place.

4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Tim Robbins is arrested for the murder of his wife and sentenced to consecutive life sentences in the movie that is probably first in moviegoers minds when they think of the phrase "false arrest." Robbins goes quietly, but he's unable to defend himself due to circumstantial evidence, and instead breaks verrrry slowly out of prison using a tiny rock hammer and a Rita Hayworth poster. Surely a life in academia would have given Gates the patience to attempt a similar feat.

5. The Fugitive (1993)
If there's another movie that's first in moviegoers' minds when they think of "false arrest," it's probably Harrison Ford in this big screen adaptation of the Fugitive TV show. Ford instantly goes on the lam, kicking off a high-octane manhunt that culminates in Ford standing on the side of a dam shouting, "I didn't do it!," followed by Tommy Lee Jones' law-man responding, "I don't care!" In this scenario, all Gates would have had to do is jump off his porch (far less cinematic), but there would be no reason for him to do that in the first place because, you know, it was his house and all.

]]> Honorable Mentions:

1. Les Miserables (1995) - Liam Neeson portrayed a non-singing, non-dancing Jean Valjean who submits to arrest and a fifteen-year prison sentence in the 1995 adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel. Is stealing a loaf of bread to feed your children an arrestable offense? Yup, it is.

2. Demolition Man (1993) - Sylvester Stallone is accused of killing a school full of hostages, when it was really Wesley Snipes the whole time! He's sentenced to cryo-prison, which according to the movie's timeline, we all won't have to worry about until 1996. Oh, wait.

3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) - Kirk and McCoy are put on trial for assassinating a Klingon Ambassador, and are sentenced to life imprisonment on an ice planet, in a clear case of seghism. That's Klingon for racism!

4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - Roger Rabbit responds to being handcuffed to Bob Hoskins the way any Toon would... By morphing his arms. He just pulls those pesky cuffs right off.

5. The Running Man (1987) - Military man Arnold Schwarzenegger is falsely accused of killing civilians and forced to play the titular deadly televised game show. He responds by ramming an airplane into... Well, everyone.

Talk Forum and Comments - What You're Saying

2009-07-24T16:00:00Z

AMCtv.com awards the Talk forum commenters quoted in our weekly "What You're Saying" post with prizes like a Breaking Bad poster or a Breaking Bad T-shirt (limit one per person).

Fans this week kept themselves busy talking about their favorite moments from Season 2, making predictions for Season 3 and debating whether Walt has lost the audience's sympathy.

"The best moment of Season 2... I actually have two favorites: when Tuco's thug doesn't want to bury their 'co-worker' in the junk yard because "it's just not Christian," and when Tuco's uncle started ringing that darn bell to communicate with Tuco. We laughed so hard! I love how Breaking Bad can be so dark one minute and then has you cracking up the next." -- JDimer

"The best moment from Season 2 was Jesse saving that kid from his disgusting junkie parents. That entire episode showed just how destructive drugs can be, and that they affect more than just their users. It also showed that Jesse can do good things for people when his parents or Walt aren't constantly putting him down." -- Jack92

"The one development that will really be interesting will be the plane crash investigation, which will lead to a more intense look at the death of Jesse's girlfriend. What was going to be just a junkie that died in her sleep will now become a huge case and a real hard look at Jesse. The biggest question is going to be who will attempt to kill Walter: Gus or the lawyer so he can keep 400k that he has? My guess will be both will try to kill Walter and Jesse." -- kevin o

]]> "Walt has been kicked out by Skyler so Walt takes his money and rents a small place. Soon after Jesse detoxes he needs a place to to live as well.... Wouldn't that be great, a whole season of Walt and Jesse living together? They would be fighting over stuff like Walt smoking up all of Jesse's weed. Jesse does the laundry and by accident washes a red shirt with their whites, turning everything pink. (Is that a pun of some kind?) Walt gets mad cause the only thing in the house to eat is Funyuns... I think you get the idea." -- Blue Runner

"Let's not send Walt to damnation so quickly. His character is more complicated than that. When he went to talk to Jesse, he had no idea that a junkie could choke to death on their own vomit. It took him by surprise and Walt doesn't DO surprises. He wants a nice neat logical world where everything turns out as expected -- just like a chemistry formula." -- WalkerColt

Log onto the Talk forum to join in any of these conversations or start a Breaking Bad topic of your own.

Short and Tweet - Brief Reviews for Movies Released July 24

2009-07-24T14:30:17Z

• In the Loop
Abrasively profane comedy about how war is made is over-the-top funny... and quite foul.
For the full review, click here.

• Orphan
Talented actors shoulder the burden of trying to ground a thriller that cribs shamelessly from The Good Son and Joshua.
For the full review, click here.

• G-Force
What, you were expecting a movie about crime-fighting, talking guinea pigs to be good?
For the full review, click here.

• The Ugly Truth
Ugly indeed. Rom-com fails, giving us two hateful characters to try and root for.
For the full review, click here.

• The Answer Man
Self-help is the setting in this Sundance fave, but ultimately it's a tired rehash of Capra.
For the full review, click here.

For up-to-the-moment movie reviews short and tweet, subscribe to the AMC Filmcritic Twitter feed.

TheVillageWiki.org Invites Theories and Input

2009-07-24T14:15:44Z

If you're wondering what The Village is all about, you're not alone. The writer behind The VillageWiki.org has started an open investigation and he's searching for people who can help him make sense of what he's uncovered so far.

The wiki is set up so you can post your own theories and work collectively to determine what's likely fact and what's largely bunk.

We've posted one of the images above that apparently was labeled, "Scan of The Village: New Arrivals. Two's Perspective. File for C." Information anyone?

Click here to go to TheVillageWiki.org.

It's a Mad House!

2009-07-24T13:26:33Z

If you, like me and some other Maddicts who shall remain nameless, are around the bend over MM, take a look at my floorplan of the Draper home. Here's the link: http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu170/mambodeb/?action=view¤t=floorplan.jpg
I'll post the link again in my comment below with some descriptive commentary. Lord help me! :-)

Oh My God ......Could we use some comic relief......

2009-07-24T06:00:43Z

This..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l31MSpojWTA

And this......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jn3KCZEqxc

JUST SAYIN'......

Dances With Wolves Kindly Asks You (Again) to Give Peace a Chance

2009-07-24T04:01:00Z

Sometimes, a movie's just a movie. But in some cases, a movie's message endures long after awards season has come and gone. With America working hard to make nice with the countries we've been busy bombing in recent years and certain Asian dictators flexing their nuclear muscle, there's no better time to check back in with Dances With Wolves for a glimpse of "what could be" if everyone would just put down their rockets and gather 'round the campfire for steaming buffalo meat.

]]> Of course, the United States has never been a country content to confine itself to boundaries. After bursting free from Europe's seams, America continued to spread like a disease, rolling out from the swamps and sea grass of the east coast to the sun-scorched plains of the West and beyond, much to the chagrin of the native inhabitants who didn't know from "manifest destiny." And then Americans created a movie genre to tell that story: The Western. Kevin Costner's winning 1990 epic Dances With Wolves, alights on the American frontier and tells the story an insightful man who actually wants to get to know those natives, instead of battling them. Shocking stuff! It's a movie that, given our perpetual presence beyond our borders, will never lose relevance. Where is today's frontier? In our imaginations, pretty much...

Back in 1863, Costner's character, whose white-man name is Lieutenant John Dunbar, "has always wanted to see the frontier before it's gone." Union hero, he's won the right to the post of his choosing, so he sets up shop in an old military fort in South Dakota. It's not long before the Sioux Indians living nearby come to understand his genuine outreach and take him in as their own. (Leading them to an elusive herd of buffalo helps Dunbar's standing.) The Sioux give Dunbar the name "Dances With Wolves" because of the rapport they observe between him and a wild canine who hangs at his side.

Dunbar's openness, generosity, and live-and-let-live vibe is in stark contrast with the lewd, violent behavior of all other white folks in the movie. In the film's only war scene, his fellow soldiers lazily avoid confrontation with the confederates, and Major Fambrough (Maury Chaykin), who greets Dunbar when he's reporting for duty, is a mean alcoholic who says, "I've just pissed in my pants, and no one can do anything about it," before gamely shooting himself in the head. The white men spend their time indiscriminately blanketing the landscape with a tidal wave of bullets. Even in Dunbar's era, diplomacy was for sissies.

Impressive, soaring shots of the beautiful American countryside accompany the inspiring love story between John Dunbar and his lady love Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell), underscoring that Dunbar is the white man we're meant to relate to, and his openhearted journey depicts the real America. The United States doesn't bring bullets to the frontier. We bring food and tolerance and peace. Don't we?

Of course, in the twenty years since Costner's movie swept the Oscars the United States has met our new frontiers, most recently in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, with both weapons and outreach. Perhaps revisiting John Dunbar's story can serve as an inspiration -- both of how powerful a friendly approach can be, and also of its limits.

Mary Robinette Kowal - The Ten Chickiest Fantasy Flicks

2009-07-24T04:00:29Z

When it comes to genre stereotypes, fantasy is divided into two diametrically opposed categories: One is targeted at 14-year old boys and depicts white men dominating helpless females (and their heaving bosoms) with phallic weaponry. The other is more girl friendly, dominated by fairies, lace and unicorns. And since I've never seen a stereotype I haven't wanted to poke at, let's take a look at the latter. You want girly? These fantasy chick flicks are calculated to have men running away screaming.

10. Sliding Doors (1998)
This one barely makes the cut because I actually know a number of guys who like it -- but only because of the multiple universe theory. What I like is how the parallel story lines of Helen's (Gwyneth Paltrow) life give me two chick flicks for the price of one. In the first, I get the story of new love. In the second, I get the story of a failing relationship. Both are tear-jerkers and yet the movie still manages a happy ending. Ah, romance.

9. Splash (1984)
With a chick flick of her tail, Darryl Hannah shows that mermaids, too, can deliver sappy endings. Allen (Tom Hanks) spends his entire life obsessed with the ideal woman, who just so happens to be a mermaid. No one else can measure up to her, which is how chicks want their dates to think about them. Then she shows up and he gets to live with her happily ever after -- if he gives up everything and lives under the sea. Nice devotion, but I like a little more give and take in my flicks.

8. Legend (1985)
Lusciously filmed so that each frame looks like Romantic period art, Legend has the innocent and beautiful heroine running around the woods in a lacy white dress chasing unicorns. Without getting the dress dirty! Or mussing her hair! Did I mention unicorns? For full disclosure: I could only watch the first 40 minutes -- in five minute installments -- before needing to run from all the twee. The presence of goblins is the only thing keeping this flick from a higher ranking.

]]> 7. If Only (2004)
What a weeper this one is. Like Sliding Doors, it shows you two ways a life can go -- though not in parallel. It plays into the whole depressing idea that your love will only really understand you after you're dead. So halfway through the movie Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) gets hit by a car. With a chance to live the day over again, her boyfriend, Ian Wyndham (Paul Nicholls) realizes what a treasure he has and ends up dying in her place. I'm sorry. Do we really need to romanticize this notion?

6. Penelope (2006)
This one is like Beauty and the Beast in reverse... or Shrek in forward. One of those "six of one" scenarios. What I like about it is that it's very focused on accepting people they way they are. This is important, because Penelope (Christina Ricci) has a pig's snout. What keeps the movie from the Top Five is that to get a happy ending it romanticizes class distinctions, since Penelope can only break the curse if "one of her kind" accepts her. Boo.

5. Ella Enchanted (2004)
Let me sum this one up for you: OMG! A Prince! OMG! I don't have a thing to wear! OK, there's a tiny bit more to it than that, but it's about as fraught with teenage angst as you can get and still maintain some fantasy cred (and nab the fifth spot). There's a sweet coming of age story in here, and Ella (Anne Hathaway) makes a strong and appealing female lead. And yes, it has the requisite happy ending that chicks flicks require.

4. Enchanted (2007)
I'll admit it: This one made me cry in the chickiest, flickiest way imaginable. I mean, you've got a princess in modern day New York who sways a confirmed cynic into believing in romance. Everyone gets married with happy endings galore. And singing rodents! And Ooh! There's fashion in this one, too: Pretty dresses, a trip to the salon and a ball! What more could a girl possibly want? Keep reading and you'll find out.

3 .City of Angels (1998)
Your boyfriend is a fallen angel. If the premise alone isn't enough to drive all the men out of the room, check out this sappy dialogue: "I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it." Sniff. Hand me a hanky. You can just see all the chicks in the audience looking woefully at their dates and wondering why they can't find true romance like that. At least, they would if their dates were still around.

2. The Lake House (2006)
The biggest component of a fantasy chick flick is that something must prevent perfect lovers from being together. In this case, it's a two year gap in time. This leaves Kate (Sandra Bullock) free to pine for her love without ever realizing that he's Keanu Reeves. You've also got the wildly improbable happy ending that chick flicks crave: She saves him from CERTAIN DEATH, and then manages to bridge the gap in time. Then Kate lives happily ever after. With Keanu... OK, so it's almost a happy ending. What you really need is...

1. Kate and Leopold (2001)
So Kate (Meg Ryan) is this hot career woman, you know, and then, oh my God, she meets this hot guy Leopold, Duke of Albany (Hugh Jackman) who is totally hot and a time traveller. And did I mention hot? And he's like, you know, from 1876 so he's all like, really good with words and chivalry and stuff. He opens doors for her. If you want a fantasy that lets you have your career and your beefcake too, this is the number one flick for you.

Mary Robinette Kowal is the winner of the 2008 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and a professional puppeteer. Her first novel Shades of Milk and Honey is being published by Tor in 2010.

Daily Scan for 07.24.09 - Cameron Promises IMAX Revolution, Spidey Turns 600

2009-07-24T04:00:16Z

• It seems like only yesterday he first slung through the streets of Brooklyn, but Spider-Man has reached his 600th issue. Happy sexcentennial Spidey!

• Some more shots of Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor and what appears to be a brand new (but still police box) Tardis.

• James Cameron talks Avatar at this year's Comic-Con, claiming it's the movie that will define IMAX as the next evolution of cinema.

• io9 discusses the whole problem of unfilmable books: Are there unfilmable books? Yes, but that's never stopped Hollywood from making them anyway.

]]> • My second favorite scifi blog on the net, SF Signal, celebrates its sixth birthday with a round-up of the year in scifi. 2009 has been a good one so far.

• It's the end of the day, all the Stormtroopers are tired, but Vader still has it in him to drop some M.C. Hammer.

• Hide Your Arms posts a list of over 201 fashionable Star Wars t-shirts and hoodies to squeeze your torso into this coming year.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Ultimate Fan Quiz

2009-07-24T04:00:15Z

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was a smash hit in 1969 and continues to win fans with its mix of raffish charm and Old West bravado. Who was originally cast as the Sundance Kid, opposite Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy? Robert Redford (Sundance) attributes his success in cards to what? Take the quiz and see. Take Quiz Â»

To challenge yourself with more movie trivia, try our Super Movie Quiz.

Check out Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, playing tonight on AMC at 8PM | 7C and tomorrow at 2:45PM | 1:45C Click here for the full schedule.

Orphan Review - When Bad Kids Happen to Good People

2009-07-24T04:00:12Z

When I see subtle, gifted actors in schlocky movie duds, I can't help but wonder why they signed on in the first place. In this instance, I'd like to think Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga mistook Orphan for a psychological thriller rooted in domestic trauma, rather than a messy hodgepodge of creepy kid cliches.

But as it stands, these terrifically talented actors bravely shoulder the burden of trying to ground a movie that teeters between the howlingly hackneyed (cue the screeching soundtrack and shots of spooky corridors) and the ham-fistedly gory. Lovers of cooing pigeons and kindly nuns, be warned: Expect the worst and you won't be disappointed.

]]> Orphan puts its bloodstained cards on the table from the opening sequence: Kate Coleman (Farmiga) relives the loss of her third child in a nightmare of looming doctors, diabolical medical instruments and, ultimately, the stillbirth of a ghoulish, gore-streaked baby. Kate and her husband John (Sarsgaard), who already have two children -- adolescent Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and a hearing-impaired younger daughter, Max (an excellent Aryana Engineer) -- elect to deal with their grief by adopting a 9-year-old. In Orphan's world, there's no need to trudge through bureaucratic red tape, submit to intrusive interviews and background checks or wait for years to adopt a child from an overseas orphanage. Healthy foundlings, dressed in prim gray pinafores and housed in white Colonial mansions, are there for the picking. Kate and John gravitate towards weird little Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a Russian girl who rekindles the hope that this damaged family can indeed welcome a new child into their lives.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax) doesn't play coy: Viewers are privy to Esther's murderous glances and fits of rage from the start, which means the only real suspense comes from wondering when the trusting Coleman clan will wake up and smell the lighter fluid. Esther intimidates her new siblings into silence, gives Kate the cold shoulder and cozies up to John, who takes Esther's side when Kate begins to suspect that Esther isn't at all what they imagined. Though this family triangle peaks in the movie's first 45 minutes, the movie takes another hour to get to Esther's inevitable unmasking and Kate's subsequent exoneration. It fills most of that time exploring the ways in which a pre-teen can ominously remove sharp household items from a kitchen drawer.

The treachery of children is a compelling theme, explored in works as different as The Bad Seed and Shakespeare's King Lear. Orphan had the potential to be a startling, thoughtful thriller rooted in dark themes: The unsavory guilt produced by resenting your own children, the stresses of adoption, maternal rage, Oedipal jealousy, and parental favoritism. And it could have done it all with without sacrificing genre demands for pint-size sociopathy and little bloodied hands either! If only its childish id hadn't thrown a tantrum and gotten its wish for more gore and less insight. The end result cribs shamelessly from movies like The Good Son and the recent Joshua (in which Farmiga stars as a similarly wild-eyed mother), but delivers neither the visceral shocks of the former nor the social commentary of the latter.

The Newsdesk 07.24.09 - Cameron Will Screen Avatar Preview in Theaters; Depp Hits Comic-Con

2009-07-24T04:00:01Z

• James Cameron announced plans to screen fifteen minutes of Avatar at select IMAX and 3D theaters in August. A 24-minute clip from the film also screened to a rapturous crowd at Comic-Con.

• Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con to talk about Alice In Wonderland and 3D movies with director Tim Burton. Meanwhile, Robert Zemeckis discussed how he wants to make nothing but creepy motion-capture films.

• The Tron sequel is now called Tron Legacy. Isn't the legacy of Tron a lot of terrible video game movies?

• The late Heath Ledger was remembered at Comic-Con at a panel for his final movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

• The first trailer for The Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, has been released. Can audiences handle more than one cautionary post-apocalyptic tale this fall?

]]>
BIZ

Upfront Deals Start to Get Done

from Advertising Age - MediaWorks by bsteinberg@adage.com (Brian Steinberg)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- After weeks of delays, TV's upfront marketplace is beginning to move, with the five broadcast networks all writing some business, according to media buyers.

Officials: U.S. wins WTO case

from Hollywood Reporter by Associated Press

The U.S. has largely prevailed in a trade dispute with China over restrictions on the sale there of American CDs, DVDs, books and computer software.

FESTIVALS

Adrian Grenier to present 'Victoria'

from Variety.com

Legit News: Fringe fest scheduled to run Aug. 15-22 -- "Entourage" thesp Adrian Grenier will present New York Fringe Festival entrant "Victoria and Frederick" at the 2009 event, where it is skedded to run Aug. 15-22 at the New School for Drama.

Comic-Con: Next Wave Of DC Motion Comics Announced - Get Your First Look At 'Superman: Red Son' Here

from Splash Page by Brian Jacks
At a Comic-Con panel today, Warner Bros. announced three more additions to their Motion Comics line, which previously saw "Watchmen" being adapted in numerous chapters. The projects on the docket include Mark Millar's "Superman: Red Son" (an alternate timeline tale where Superman landed in Communist Russia rather than Smallville, Kansas), "Batgirl: Year One" and "Batman: Black and White Collection 2."

Fans Howl & Growl For 'New Moon' Cast At Comic-Con

from Access Hollywood - Movies

"New Moon" stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart - with jet-black hair for her "Runaways" role as rocker Joan Jett - and Taylor Lautner caused a fan firestorm as the famous threesome kicked off the 40th anniversary of Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday.

Johnny Depp Ignites A Fan Frenzy With Surprise Comic-Con Appearance

from Access Hollywood - Movies

Johnny Depp sent fans into a frenzy with a surprise appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego on Thursday.

Almodovar, Solondz pics in Toronto

from Hollywood Reporter by By Etan Vlessing

Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" and Solondz's "Life During Wartime" will have their North American debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Jay-Z Replaces Beasties at All Points West

from Music Festival Junkies

All Points West just announced in a press release that Jay-Z will be headlining the July 31st show In a precedent-setting move for American music festivals, ALL POINTS WEST MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL organizers have just confirmed the U.S. festival debut of JAY-Z.

FILM

Daily Box Office: Wednesday, July 22, 2009

from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tops Wednesday's box office with $7.5 million

'Eternal Sunshine' director to do 'Green Hornet'

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By MIN LEE

HONG KONG (AP) -- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" director Michel Gondry has replaced Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow as director of the Columbia Pictures adaptation of the TV series "The Green Hornet," a studio spokesman said Thursday....

Amy Adams On 'Julie & Julia': 'I Could Eat As Much As I Wanted'

from Access Hollywood - Movies

In "Julie & Julia," Amy Adams plays a blogger who cooks through the recipes of Julia Child - and it was a role she could really bite into.

Jeff Bridges returns to world of TRON, now in 3D

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Jeff Bridges promises the new "TRON" is just as groundbreaking as the 27-year-old original....

Production begins on 'Drawn Together' film

from Entertainment News - UPI.com
NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- Comedy Central says production has begun on "The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie," the big-screen adaptation of its U.S. animated "reality" series.

Concert tour of "Star Wars" to kick off in October

from Reuters: Entertainment News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A concert version of "Star Wars", featuring a live symphony orchestra, huge screens, film clips and a traveling exhibit, will kick off a North American tour in October with plans to go global in 2010, organizers said on Thursday.

"Women In Trouble" Finds Distribution

from indieWIRE News

Screen Media Films has acquired the U.S distribution rights to Sebastian Gutierrez's "Women in Trouble."

Robert Zemeckis Talks 'A Christmas Carol,' A 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' Sequel At San Diego Comic-Con

from MTV Movies Blog by MTV Movies Team
Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis showed off Disney's new 3-D motion capture technology that will be used in November's release of "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey.

Movie Review | 'In the Loop': War of Words, Misspoken and Spun

from NYT > Movies by By A. O. SCOTT

"In the Loop" is a sharply written, fast-talking, almost dementedly articulate satire on modern statecraft.

Movie Review | 'Shrink': Physician, Drug Thyself: Psychiatrist in Hollywood

from NYT > Movies by By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Like smog settling over Los Angeles, a creeping sense of anomie haunts the Hollywood power players and parasites sidling nervously through "Shrink."

TELEVISION

Obama press conference draws 24.7 million

from The Live Feed by hollywoodreporter

President Obama's fourth primetime press conference since taking office drew 24.7 million viewers across 11...

Fox sits out Obama event; 'Dance' wins night

from Hollywood Reporter by By James Hibberd and Nellie Andreeva

Fox benefited from declining to air President Barack Obama's news conference Wednesday night, with "So You Think You Can Dance" rising to top the night in the adults 18-49 demographic.

Jon Stewart: Most trusted anchor?

from EW.com: TV

By Adam Markovitz
That's what an unscientific online poll from Time says; he gets Adam Markovitz's vote -- how about yours?

T.R. Knight on why he left 'Grey's Anatomy'

from CNN.com - Entertainment

Fans were shocked when T.R. Knight made the surprising decision to leave "Grey's Anatomy," the hit medical drama that launched him to fame.

Rogan, Apatow set for 'View' interview

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow have agreed to make their first appearance on the U.S. daytime chat show "The View," ABC announced.

Diddy to star in new MTV reality series

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- U.S. hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to star in the new reality series "Making His Band," MTV announced.

Heidi Montag To Perform At Miss Universe Pageant

from MTV News

The 'Hills' star and aspiring singer is set to perform at the competition, which airs August 23 on NBC.

MUSIC

'Feeling' No. 1 on the U.S. record chart

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

LOS ANGELES, July 23 (UPI) -- The Black Eyed Peas's "I Gotta Feeling" is No. 1 on the U.S. record chart, Billboard.com reported Thursday.

Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward Supergroup Announces Tour

from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Matt Kiser
Indie supergroup Monsters of Folk has announced plans for a fall tour, kicking off October 13 in Vancouver, BC, before hitting 16 cities across the U.S.

Judge approves deals to reprint `Moonwalk'

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has approved a deal that will bring Michael Jackson's autobiography, "Moonwalk," back to store shelves....

Nas ordered to make $44K monthly payments to Kelis

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By ANTHONY McCARTNEY

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A judge has ordered Nas to pay Kelis nearly $44,000 in monthly support for the near future, a day after the "Milkshake" singer gave birth to the divorcing couple's baby boy....

Amy Winehouse goes on trial for assault

from CNN.com - Entertainment

Singer Amy Winehouse went on trial Thursday on charges that she assaulted a woman at a London charity ball last year.

Taylor Swift Says Working With Jack White Would Be 'Really Awesome'

from MTV News

'I love his writing and I think he's an amazing player,' Swift says of wanting to work with the White Stripes frontman on her next album.

Whitney Houston Credits Daughter, Clive Davis For Comeback

from MTV News

Singer was happy just being a mom when Davis suggested new album, I Look to You.

Kid Rock Collaborates with Lil Wayne, T.I. on New Album

from Paste Magazine

Lil Wayne's previous performances with Kid Rock at the VMAs and CMAs must have been an enlightening experience for both. Kid Rock is calling on Weezy again for another collaboration, this time one that will appear on the former's album, Billboard says.

ETC...

Vanity Fair Torturing Intern with Cable News

from mediabistro.com: TVNewser

Over four days next week, Vanity Fair intern Thomas Kaplan will be subjected by his bosses to 32 hours of cable news viewing in a small room. Each day, as a "cunning" form of "torture," he will watch a full slate of CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, or Fox News.

Ted Johnson: Brad Pitt's Foundation Seeks Stimulus Funds

from Entertainment on HuffingtonPost.com by Ted Johnson
Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation is among a consortium applying for federal stimulus money that could expand his effort to rebuild homes in New Orleans and also launch a project in Newark, N.J.

A 'Hero' Looks to Create Branded Content

from Advertising Age - Madison+Vine by ahampp@adage.com (Andrew Hampp)
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As actors such as Ashton Kutcher use their production companies to experiment with branded entertainment in front of the camera, others, including Milo Ventimiglia, are looking to go one step further by developing original web content with brands in mind.

Angelina Jolie visits displaced Iraqis

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Angelina Jolie on Thursday visited a settlement for displaced Iraqis in northwest Baghdad in her role as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR....

Tyler Perry's rags-to-riches tale

from CNN.com - Entertainment

Tyler Perry is known today as the first African-American to own a major film and TV studio. He's a pioneer whose own life story reads like a screenplay. Now a writer, actor, director and producer -- Perry's success grew out of a troubled home in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana.

'Addams Family' headed to B'way in 2010

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

NEW YORK, July 23 (UPI) -- "The Addams Family," a new stage musical starring Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane, is scheduled to open on Broadway next April, show representatives said.

Screamfest Call For Entries

2009-07-24T02:27:19Z

9th Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival & Screenplay Competition takes place Oct. 16th - 25th 2009 @ Grauman's Mann Chinese 6 at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood. The Call For Entries deadline is approaching for new horror feature films, shorts and feature length screenplays. FINAL Film and Screenplay submission deadline is August 15th.

Feature Film judges include producers Craig Perry (Final Destination) and Sean Cunningham (Friday The 13th, The Last House On The Left). Short Films will be judged by Clive Barker's Seraphim Films. Winning screenplay receives a $1,000 cash prize and Movie Magic software.

Screamfest showcases talented genre filmmakers and writers from around the world to the entertainment industry in order to help further their careers. Writers and directors have garnered representation, winning screenplays have been optioned and/or purchased by production companies and films have secured distribution as a result of Screamfest. As well four of our past Screamfest winning directors have now directed for Sam Raimi and others have been attached to studio films. Screamfest launches careers. Are you next?

For more info on Screamfest visit www.screamfestla.com

Screamfest is sponsored by Write Brothers, Baseline, and Zodiac Vodka

Screamfest Call For Entries

2009-07-24T02:25:38Z

For more info on Screamfest visit www.screamfestla.com

Screamfest is sponsored by Write Brothers, Baseline, and Zodiac Vodka

Peek-a-boo theme?

2009-07-24T00:43:28Z

I noticed that the winning entry for the recent "Win a Hoodie" sweepstakes mentioned Walt playing peek-a-boo with baby Holly. I hadn't remembered that specifically, but it does recall the famous episode this season titled "Peek-a-boo," where Jesse played the game with the little red-haired boy. "Peek-a-boo" turning up twice seems to indicate a theme. My theory is that "peek-a-boo," often played between an adult and a child, represents trust. The child comes to realize that when the scary person removes their hands and shows their face, it's going to be the person they've come to trust. This person isn't going to suddenly scare them with a whole new persona who may actually hurt them. This seems to be a central issue in the show - Walt vs. Heisenberg, etc. At what point has a person crossed the line and betrayed the trust of their famiy, friends, the world, by turning into that scary person? I would welcome discussion on whether I'm on the right track or not, any other "peek-a-boo" type scenes in the show, etc.