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[Mohamad]

Crystal loses boyfriend, along with “American Idol” title

May 27, 2010 17:47 EDT
American Idol | boyfriend | Crystal Bowersox | Lee DeWyze Loser. Double Loser.
Turns out Crystal Bowersox, the “American Idol” season front-runner, lost more than the coveted title this week.
On the morning of Tuesday night’s performance finale, Bowersox and her boyfriend split up and he headed back to their Toledo, Ohio hometown as she prepared for the biggest night of her life.
Just a month ago, Bowersox had dedicated Shania Twain’s marriage-themed song “No-One Needs to Know” on the show to her sweetheart, adding that she was hoping “he’ll man up one of these days”.
“Big Tony…he went home. He wasn’t cool with the lifestyle,” Bowersox told “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest on his L.A radio show on Thursday “I didn’t break up with him…it was a mutual thing.”
“It’s cool though, we’re both logical, grown adults,” the dreadlocked single mom added. “He’s a small town guy and that’s fine. I’m a small town girl, but I want this. I want this more than anything, this career, this lifestyle. I didn’t think he was up for it…he didn’t think he was up for it.”
The split didn’t seem to have affected Crystal’s performance . “Idol” judges felt she out-classed rival Lee DeWyze with her three songs on Tuesday, and the 24 year-old Bowersox told Seacrest her boyfriend’s departure “set that fire to my belly”.
If Bowersox felt cheated at Wednesday’s result after having been tipped for weeks to win the contest, she was hiding it well.
“I knew Lee was going to win and people seem to be surprised by that, but I just had a feeling. As I said before, I couldn’t be happier for him. He deserves every minute of this,” she told reporters after Wednesday’s show.
” I just had this strange sense of peace and calm. I’ve been that way through the whole season if you haven’t noticed, I’m just mellow. And I was willing and ready and happy for whatever the outcome was. We both win. It’s not winner, loser. It’s winner, non-winner, or whatever you want to call it. But both of us are going to have very successful careers and we’re going to be friends for a long time.”
Asked what she had learned from being on “Idol”, the famously homespun Bowersox laughed and said; “That I can walk in heels!”
Should Crystal feel cheated? And why did America choose another white, male, guitar-player as its “Idol” for the third year in a row

[Mohamad]

Gary Coleman dies after brain hemorrhag

Gary Coleman has died





Showbiz Week: Gary Coleman dies

Actor Gary Coleman arrives at the 6th Annual TV Land Awards in Santa Monica, California in this June 8, 2008 file photo.
Credit: Reuters/Chris Pizzello




LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former child star Gary Coleman, who shot to fame on TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" but suffered personal troubles as an adult, died in a Utah hospital on Friday, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.
Entertainment | People
Coleman gained stardom as the sharp-talking Arnold Jackson, adopted son of a wealthy New Yorker, in the hit sitcom that aired on U.S. television from 1978 to 1986 and in syndication around the world. His line "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?," addressed to his brother on the series, became a pop culture catchphrase.
But when the show was taken off the air, Coleman saw his Hollywood star fade, and he found himself suffering through financial, legal and domestic problems.
"We are very sad to have to report Mr. Gary Coleman has passed away as of 12:05 p.m. Mountain Time," (6:05 gmt), his manager, John Alcantar, said in a statement.
Alcantar said Coleman was removed from life support, and "he passed quickly and peacefully" surrounded by his wife and other close family members.
The diminutive Coleman, who suffered from a congenital kidney disease that halted his growth, was hospitalized Wednesday night after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage at his home in Santaquin, Utah. Media reports said he had fallen and hit his head.
On Thursday, he was conscious and lucid in the morning, but in the afternoon his condition worsened. He slipped into unconsciousness and was placed on life support at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.
"Gary is now at peace, and his memory will be kept in the hearts of those who were entertained by him throughout the years," Alcantar said.
Indeed, many Hollywood stars responded by taking to social networking site Twitter, with celebrities from Janet Jackson, who guest-starred on "Diff'rent Strokes," to Ashton Kutcher and Kim Kardashian offering thoughts and prayers.
"I'm at a loss for words upon learning of Gary Coleman's passing. I want to remember him as the fun, playful, adorable and affectionate man he was," Jackson tweeted.
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Born February 8, 1968, in Zion, Illinois, Coleman was an adopted son who suffered a condition known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, an autoimmune disease that alters the kidneys. As a result, Coleman stopped growing at a height of 4 ft. 8 in. and underwent two kidney transplants in his life.
But his size, coupled with his age, made him the perfect fit for the role of the funny, sassy and often emotional Arnold Jackson on "Diff'rent Strokes."
The show revolved around a 12-year-old girl and her rich white father, who adopted the two black sons of his housemaid after she died. Arnold was 8 years old and his brother, Willis, was 12 when they came to live with the Drummonds in an upscale Manhattan apartment.
Coleman's cute face and smart mouth -- he played the role of young Arnold when, in fact, he was roughly 10 to 18 years old -- quickly put him at the center of the show. He made millions of dollars from "Diff'rent Strokes" and from guest appearances on TV talk shows and other programs. U.S. cable television channel VH1 ranked him No. 1 among a list of "100 Greatest Kid Stars."
But Coleman never recaptured his fame after the show ended. As an adult, much of his work went straight to video, and he became a symbol of faded Hollywood stardom.
In 1989, he sued his parents and former manager for mishandling his finances, and for a time he worked as a security guard. In 2003, he made a failed bid to become governor of California in a recall election that eventually saw Arnold Schwarzenegger become the chief executive of the state.
Coleman also suffered legal troubles. In 1998, he was charged with assault after hitting a woman who asked for his autograph in one of several instances of disorderly conduct.
Just this past January, he was arrested in Utah on a charge of domestic violence. But he and his wife remained married.

[Mohamad]

Life after "American Idol" opens up for Lee and Crystal

Talk of the Town: Elton in Morocco

Finalists Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze await the winners announcement from host Ryan Seacrest onstage at the American Idol Grand Finale 2010 in Los Angeles, May 26, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Vince Bucci/Fox/PictureGroup/Handout




LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "American Idol" winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox said on Friday they look forward to their new lives after finishing the hit TV show, and they both described being on "Idol" as exhausting work.
Entertainment | Television | Music
DeWyze, whose win over Bowersox earlier this week came as a surprise to some "Idol" watchers, said performing on the singing contest is great, but it can be tough to work.
Each performance has to be about a minute and a half, and often "Idol" contestants must sing in genres, such as country or soul, they would not normally attempt.
"I'm just excited to get on the big stage and put on a performance, put on a show without time limits, without judging," DeWyze told reporters on a conference call.
DeWyze beat Bowersox when the tally of votes from viewers was revealed in the season finale of "American Idol" on Wednesday. As a result, he wins a guaranteed recording contract, but Bowersox is also expected to get a record deal, just like past runner-ups.
DeWyze said that by the time contestants reach the final weeks of "Idol" they are exhausted from the mental stress of the show, but "not in a bad way."
Bowersox, a single mom with a 16 month-old son, had a similar take on her "Idol" experience.
"It's a hard process, people don't realize how grueling the show is," she said in a separate conference call.
DeWyze, 24, said he likes to listen to music by Ben Harper, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden and Kings of Leon, and he wants to record an album with a "folk rock kind of alternative vibe to it."
"I want it to be very earthy but at the same time be able to reach out to a lot of different people," he said.
Bowersox, also 24, said that for her part, she looks forward to recording "simple songs that people can relate to, enjoy and hopefully learn something from, through my experience."
The Ohio native has revealed she and her boyfriend, Tony Kusian, split up the morning of her final Tuesday night performance, when she had to compete for votes and the "Idol" crown.
"Tony's been my rock through all of this, he's been there for me and he's been amazing and I've got a great amount of respect and love for him," she said. "And it was a mutual thing. He's a small town guy and wants a simple, quiet life and I respect that of him."
Bowersox was asked if she and DeWyze would ever date, because they seem to get along.
"Oh no, that wouldn't happen," she said. "Lee's like a brother to me, I love him dearly but not that way."
DeWyze grew up outside Chicago, and he said that he loves hanging out with friends at the city's bars, going to see a ball game and strolling through the arts district.
As it happens, Bowersox has spent a lot of time in Chicago. She lived there for five years and would perform in the city's subways.

[Mohamad]

Pop star Ke$ha sued by former managers in NYC

AP – In this May 15, 2010 photo, Ke$ha is seen backstage after her performance at the 102.7 KIIS FM?s Wango … By JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 28, 8:08 pm ET

NEW YORK – Ke$ha's former managers say the pop star squeezed them out of her career under pressure from hit songwriter Dr. Luke, but her lawyer said Friday she simply exercised her rights to fire the managers when they didn't perform.

Ke$ha, who had the No. 1 song in the country with "TiK ToK" earlier this year, signed up with ex-managers DAS Communications Inc. when she was an up-and-comer in 2006. Their agreement called for her to pay the New York-based firm 20 percent of her music income, but it gave her the option of ending the relationship if DAS didn't get her a major-label record deal in a year, according to a copy of the contract attached to a lawsuit DAS filed Wednesday.

A year later, there was no deal. DAS says Ke$ha waived the deadline, and the firm went on to line up a deal for her with Warner Bros. Records in 2008 — until Dr. Luke interfered with that arrangement and "induced, intimidated and convinced Ke$ha" to cut ties to DAS in September 2008.

She ultimately signed with RCA/Jive Label Group, which released her first album, "Animal," in January. Dr. Luke co-produced it.

The lawsuit, filed in state court in Manhattan, seeks more than $14 million in damages from her and $12 million from Dr. Luke, who won songwriter of the year at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Pop Music Awards last month. No representative or phone number for him could be found.

Ke$ha's lawyer, Charles Ortner, said she was entitled to end her relationship with the firm, headed by David Sonenberg. He has worked with Paula Abdul, Meat Loaf and others.

"This lawsuit seeks to require her to pay him commissions on her RCA/Jive record deal that he had nothing to do with, long after she terminated him in writing," Ortner said.

Recorded messages Friday evening at the offices of Warner Bros. Records and RCA/Jive's parent company, Sony Music Entertainment, said they were closed for the Memorial Day weekend.

Dr. Luke, born Lukasz Gottwald, wrote five of the top hits of 2009, including Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold," Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" and Flo Rida's "Right Round."

[Mohamad]

Cameron says BP turned down offer to help on spill




Film director and Lightstorm Entertainment Chairman James Cameron answers a reporter's question during a news conference after he delivered a keynote address titled ''Renaissance now in imagination and technology'' at the Seoul Digital Forum 2010 May 13, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Jo Yong-Hak




PALOS VERDES Calif (Reuters) - Film director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron said on Wednesday that BP Plc turned down his offer to help combat the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Entertainment
"Over the last few weeks I've watched, as we all have, with growing horror and heartache, watching what's happening in the Gulf and thinking those morons don't know what they're doing," Cameron said at the All Things Digital technology conference.
Cameron, the director of "Avatar" and "Titanic," has worked extensively with robot submarines and is considered an expert in undersea filming. He did not say explicitly who he meant when he referred to "those morons."
His comments came a day after he participated in a meeting at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington to "brainstorm" solutions to the oil spill.
Cameron said he has offered to help the government and BP in dealing with the spill. He said he was "graciously" turned away by the British energy giant.
He said he has not spoken with the White House about his offer, and said that the outside experts who took part in the EPA meeting were now "writing it all up and putting in reports to the various agencies."
The film director has helped develop deep-sea submersible equipment and other underwater ocean technology for the making of documentaries exploring the wrecks of the ocean liner Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck some two miles below the surface.
'REALLY SMART PEOPLE'
Cameron suggested the U.S. government needed to take a more active role in monitoring the undersea gusher, which has become the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
"I know really, really, really smart people that work typically at depths much greater than what that well is at," Cameron said.
The BP oil spill off the U.S. Gulf Coast is located a mile below the surface.
While acknowledging that his contacts in the deep-sea industry do not drill for oil, Cameron said that they are accustomed to operating various underwater vehicles and electronic optical fiber systems.
"Most importantly," he added, "they know the engineering that it requires to get something done at that depth."
Among the key issues that Cameron said he is interested in helping the government with are methods of monitoring the oil leak and investigating it.
"The government really needs to have its own independent ability to go down there and image the site, survey the site and do its own investigation," he said.
"Because if you're not monitoring it independently, you're asking the perpetrator to give you the video of the crime scene," Cameron added.
Cameron made two documentaries about the wreck of the Titanic as well as the blockbuster 1997 movie "Titanic" using a small fleet of specially designed remotely operated underwater vehicles. He said his qualifications are not based on his background as a movie director but on his years of involvement in the deep-sea industry.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic, with additional reporting by Jill Sergeant)

[Mohamad]

Sick John Mayer cancels Europe shows, heads back to U.S.




John Mayer performs during memorial services for pop star Michael Jackson in Los Angeles July 7, 2009.
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni




LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Illness has forced singer John Mayer to cancel his shows in Amsterdam, Madrid and Manchester, a statement on his website said on Wednesday.
Entertainment | Music | People
The "Say" singer was due to play a concert in Amsterdam on Wednesday, followed later this week by another show in that city and performances in Madrid and Manchester.
But he is returning to the United States although no details of his illness were available. "A full recovery is expected under a doctor's supervision," his website said.
Mayer, 32, is the bluesy singer of songs such as "Waiting on the World to Change" and "Daughters".
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

[Mohamad]

• Adam Lambert promises "***y" but "tasteful" show
• Gary Graff

Adam Lambert performs at the 2010 Wango Tango concert in Los Angeles in this May 15, 2010 file photo.
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni




DETROIT (Billboard) - Adam Lambert promises that it will be safe for anyone who was offended by his ***ually charged performance of "For Your Entertainment" at the 2009 American Music Awards to check out his Glam Nation tour.
Entertainment | Music | People
"I definitely think they'll be comfortable," Lambert said of fans who will see him on the tour, which begins Thursday (June 3) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. "That was kind of an artistic experiment, the AMAs. I learned a lot from it. I learned what my limitations are. I learned what my audience wants to see. The (Glam Nation) concert definitely is ***y, but I feel if anyone thought (the AMA performance) was not tasteful, this is tasteful."
The 2009 "American Idol" runner-up told Billboard.com that his show is "visually inspired by turn-of-the-century New Orleans ... a kitschy, glam, voodoo, crystal ball, black magic kind of look (with) a lot of psychedelic, classic rock visual references. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Keith Richards -- those are the people who have inspired the look and the feel of the show. I had fun with the projectionist and my costume designer and ... (the show) has its own little world."
Lambert said the concerts will have a theme. "From the top of the show I'm inviting the audience to take a journey with me into this emotional and thematic world," he said. "At the beginning it's more about seduction, venturing into the unknown and taking chances -- mystery and intrigue and ***iness. The midpoint of the show really explores heartbreak and vulnerability and honesty, and then the latter half of the show is celebration and joy and love and connection."
Lambert also promised "a surprise cover (song) or two," as well as a mid-show acoustic section that he said "will vary from night to night, week to week."
With the tour, Lambert remains focused on his 2009 debut album, "For Your Entertainment," which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in November and has spawned three singles -- the title track, the top 10 hit "Whataya Want From Me" and the currently rising "If I Had You" -- as well as a "Remixes" set in April. He said working on his next album is "a little ways off. I think that in the new year, after January, I'll probably get to start working on it. At this point my focus is really on continuing to put out singles from ('For Your Entertainment') and this tour."
He acknowledged that he's collaborated with singer Nikka Costa on "possible future music," but did not elaborate.
As for figuring out his career approach these days, Lambert referred to advice he received from Madonna. "She basically said you can't pay attention to all the extraneous crap. You can't listen to the critics. You can't be affected too much by what people want. You have to keep your eye on the prize, and even though your attention and your goal is to entertain people, you have to kind of follow your own instincts. That's what I've really been working at. And I think that I've come to a great space of late on how to achieve that and what my goals are, and just coming from a positive, productive place. I feel like that's the best I can do."

[Mohamad]

Court halts release of Jim Carrey film


Thu Jun 3, 2010 12:31am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A California District Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. release of the indie comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris," starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
Entertainment | Film
The Glenn Ficarra/John Requa film, about a married man who gets into a car crash, discovers he's *** and goes on a crime spree that eventually lands him in jail, was produced by French movie studio EuropaCorp, which licensed domestic rights to Consolidated Pictures Group.
The film premiered in 2009 at Sundance, where it received a warm but not overwhelming response. Buyers weren't exactly jumping at the difficult subject matter, but upstart distributor Consolidated took U.S. rights and planned to release it, first in February, then March, April, and then July.
However, the Luc Besson-backed EuropaCorp says it never got the full $3 million advance that Consolidated agreed to pay last year. An agreement between the two parties was amended in February to allow Consolidated to pay in three installments, but EuropaCorp says it still didn't receive any money.
In April, EuropaCorp rescinded its distribution agreement and filed a lawsuit against Consolidated alleging breach of contract and copyright infringement. The studio demanded the return of the movie and marketing materials. Gossip sites suggested they were looking for another distributor.
In response, Consolidated argued that EuropaCorp hadn't delivered the film on time, had breached its agreement by entering into distribution agreements with Virgin Atlantic and other airlines, and that its failure to pay wasn't a sufficient material breach. Consolidated requested a stay so it could hash out the dispute in an arbitration proceeding at the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA).
Now, in her decision, California District Court Judge Dale Fischer says EuropaCorp is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims and portrays the defendant's arguments as weak. As a result, the judge has granted EuropaCorp's request for an injunction provided it put up a $500,000 bond pending the ultimate outcome of the case. The dispute will now head to the IFTA arbitration, hopefully within the next two months, we're told.
"This was only a preliminary ruling pending a final determination by the arbitrator," says Consolidated's lead attorney, Robert Chapman. "We believe the arbitrator will find in favor of my clients."
According to EuropaCorp attorney Dale Kinsella, "No amount of spin from Consolidated can mask the fact that Europa persuaded a federal district judge that Consolidated breached the contract by never having paid a dime for this picture, and that they had therefore no right to claim to be a distributor or claim to distribute the film, period. Nothing in the judge's order in any way affects Europa's right to distribute the film from this point forward."
Regardless of the outcome, the film won't be in theaters next month as planned. In fact, the movie's website has disappeared, and October is now Consolidated's target release date, just in time for Oscar season

[Mohamad]

Oprah Winfrey among Minerva Award recipients

Wed Jun 2, 2010 9:46pm EDT




Oprah Winfrey gestures as she starts her charity walk called ''Live Your Best Life Walk'' in New York in this May 9, 2010 file photo.
Credit: Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Oprah Winfrey will be among the five women honored with this year's Minerva Awards by California First Lady Maria Shriver.
Entertainment | Television | People
The awards will be presented to the honorees on October 26 at the Women's Conference in Long Beach.
Created by Shriver in 2004, the Minerva Awards honor women "who serve on the frontlines of humanity." Winfrey will receive the award for her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa and the Oprah Angel Network.
Former Supreme Court judge Sandra Day O'Connor also has been chosen to receive the award, as have Operation Gratitude founder Carolyn Blashek; Oral Lee Brown, whose foundation assists high school students in Oakland, California; and Sister Terry Dodge, the executive director of Crossroads Inc., a residential program in Claremont, California, that offers support and counseling to women who have been incarcerated.
"This year's Minerva Award honorees are women who live with a deep sense of purpose and who are passionately dedicated to serving others," said Shriver. "These Minervas all identified problems and unmet needs in their communities and have worked tirelessly to solve them."

[Mohamad]

Are moviegoers tiring of sequels

Sarah Jessica Parker attends the Japan premiere of ''*** and the City 2'' in Tokyo June 1, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Michael Caronna




LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood still hopes to shake off early symptoms, but there is spreading concern that the summer box office will be plagued by a nasty case of sequelitis.
Entertainment | Film
Conditions are ripe: Studios have planted 11 sequels or franchise reboots in the fertile May-August span, up from nine last summer and seven from the 2008 season. Those that have opened so far have underwhelmed, with seasonal box office off by a double-digit margin and studio executives beginning to feel woozy.
Most recently, Warner Bros.' "*** and the City 2" was expected to outpace its 2008 predecessor and top the Memorial Day weekend. Instead, it lagged the original's bow dramatically and debuted with a tarnished bronze medal, trailing even Disney's disappointing "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." (A would-be franchise starter, "Persia" will need outsize international contributions to reach profitability.)
DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek Forever After" finished first in the frame. But that offered limited relief, as the Paramount-distributed four-quel missed consensus forecasts for its opening by a nauseating $30 million. Reaction to the latest disappointments came swiftly.
"There very well could be some burnout with moviegoers, who are looking for something new and fresh," a top studio executive lamented Tuesday.
'IRON' GLEAMS
Not everything has been doom and gloom. Summer's first "tentpole" release (a film counted on, as a guaranteed box-office success, to support the rest of a studio's slate), Paramount's "Iron Man 2," soon should top $300 million after initially disappointing those hoping the Robert Downey Jr.-starring action feature would kick-start the all-important season with a record bow.
But the desultory outings of "Shrek Forever" and "*** 2" have many seeing signs of franchise fatigue. "Watching the decline of '*** and the City 2' every day has really surprised us," another top industyite said.
The New Line-produced comedy-drama fetched $14.2 million in its first day of release Thursday but at least $2 million less each day since.
Still, it's possible to explain each picture's disappointment individually. Expectations of a summer-launching record opening by the "Iron Man" sequel probably were unrealistic, and the second-week traction by "Shrek Forever" suggests a run as leggy as that of most family movies. As for "*** 2," the TV series leading to the big-screen franchise ended a distant six years ago.
Film-specific explanations for box-office wobbles have some predicting smoother sailing through the balance of the sequel-filled summer. But it's too soon to tell if Hollywood can quell its box-office maladies before contagion spreads. The next sequel set to hit multiplexes is Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3," which nobody expects to have any difficulty generating impressive box office when it opens June 18. "The interest is immense," Disney distribution topper Chuck Viane said.
BOX-OFFICE 'ECLIPSE'?
Remakes such as Sony's "The Karate Kid," opening June 11, also will be watched carefully. But prerelease interest in the reimagined "Kid" appears high, and its comparisons with decades-old box-office figures won't be difficult.
So it's possible the best test of moviegoers' attitudes won't come until June 30, when Summit Entertainment sends out the "Twilight" threequel, "Eclipse." All signs point to enormous interest among the fanged franchise's young fan base. But could the vampire romance open well but still be deemed a failure?
Not bloody likely, said a distribution topper at a rival studio citing tracking data.
"Expectations can get out of hand, but I would put the 'Twlight' picture down for a $125 million opening right now," the industryite said. "That's huge."
Just not as huge as the opening posted by the franchise's first sequel: "New Moon" bowed with $142.8 million in November.
Rentrak data show summer box office is off 21 percent so far at $813 million. The season starts on the first Friday of May and got a one-weekend head start May 1 last year. Adding one weekend from the end of spring cuts this year's underperformance to 12 percent. But ticket-price inflation since last summer means admissions are off more significantly.