• With the Sundance Film Festival (which begins Thursday) celebrating its 25th anniversary, founder Robert Redford let it be known that he thinks there are too many film festivals out there. As founder of the annual Newsdesk International Film Festival and Chili Cookoff, I beg to differ.
• A feud is brewing between Michael Bay and McG, the action-meisters behind this summer's blockbusters Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Terminator: Salvation. Bay launched the first salvo on his website, accusing McG of ripping off his "giant robots smashing stuff" movie. McG fired back, reminding us that giant robots were around long before Bay's Transformers. Now if only Uwe Boll would challenge them both to a boxing match!
• Heath Ledger's mother revealed that the late actor's Golden Globe award will go to his daughter Matilda, Ledger's father added that the honor was "bittersweet."
• Seth Rogen is premiering his latest comedy Observe and Report at this year's SXSW festival. Observe, which Rogen stars in this summer along with Judd Apatow's Funny People, finds Hollywood's hottest funnyman playing a mall cop who butts heads with actual police officers. Wait, is Rogen stepping on Kevin James' turf?
• Despite reports in several media outlets, SAG Chief Negotiator Doug Allen reportedly has not been ousted from his position in the tense union meetings currently taking place. Could this signal the end of strike talks, or stir up more trouble?
• Everyone (under the age of 13) is buzzing about High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens auditioning for the Twilight sequel New Moon, which will be released a mere year after its predecessor. Well, at least they don't have to worry about the cast getting too old.
• Hollywood loves to ride a trend, so it makes perfect sense that they would start throwing a ton of money at movies about the global financial crisis. Among the movies in development are a long-rumored Wall Street sequel, and Baz Luhrmann's Depression-era Gatsby film. Whether this will be audiences' idea of escapism in the coming years remains to be seen.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Inauguration to be shown in movie theaters
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
BIZ
Court delays video-on-demand decision
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
SAG strike vote hangs in balance
from Hollywood Reporter by By Jay A. Fernandez and Andrew Salomon
The majority of the Screen Actors Guild's 71-member national
board gathered in
SAG's Doug Allen out as negotiator
Film News: Board taking steps to table strike vote -- After
lengthy closed-door sessions on the first day of the board's two-day emergency
meeting, the Screen Actors Guild's Doug Allen has been removed as the guild's
lead negotiator in contract talks with the majors but will retain his role as
national executive director.
FilmNation buys GreeneStreet division
from Hollywood Reporter by By Gregg Kilday
FilmNation, the international sales and distribution company launched last year by former Weinstein Co. exec Glen Basner, has acquired GreeneStreet Films' international sales arm.
SUNDANCE
Redford says there are too many film festivals
from Reuters: Entertainment News
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Sundance Film
Festival, which kicks off in
Sundance Survival Guide: Eats, Drinks, and Other To-Dos
from 2009 Sundance Festival | News
Aside from the 200-plus films being screened this year, the
Festival and
Real Stories: How Politics Affect Art
from 2009 Sundance Festival | News
Over the course of the last few months, I've spoken to many
talented filmmakers, and I've been surprised to see so many common
characteristics between documentary and narrative storytellers. It's made me
think about the definition of story itself and the difference between reality
and fiction. It's made me sure that documentaries have emerged from their
historic reputation as "academic" or "too good for you" to
share equal billing with narrative feature films.
More Adventureland Video Clips
from /Film by orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com)
Miramax has premiered new footage from Adventureland
on AICN and MySpace. Greg Mottola's new film premieres at the
2009 Sundance Film Festival next week, and we can't wait to see it.
Carmelo Anthony named executive producer of movie based on Mike
Tyson
from Google Alerts - "sundance film festival" by Examiner.com
-
The film will premier in
Injecting
a Taste of the Flush and Flashy '80s Into Sundance
from NYT > Movies
"The Informers," a film of Bret Easton Ellis
stories, swims against the tide.
Photos: At Sundance, where art, science and film collide
from Google Alerts - "sundance film festival" by
The screening rooms at the Sundance Film Festival--kicking
off in
Early
Look at 'The Winning Season' Through the Film's Clip
from Google Alerts - "sundance film festival"
This movie has been included in 2009 Sundance Film
Festival line-up but no worldwide screen date has been suggested.
from Google Alerts - "sundance film festival"
STRATHAM -- Timberland recently announced it will be the
official footwear and outerwear sponsor of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
on Jan. 15-26 in
MOVIES
Once an underdog, `Slumdog' is now a heavyweight
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By JAKE COYLE
Sequels, prequels, remakes lead 2009 pack
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By DAVID GERMAIN
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hollywood boldly goes where we've all
been before in 2009, with dozens of sequels, prequels, remakes, updates and
adaptations based on books, video games and toys....
Actress: Hudgens auditions for 'New Moon'
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Cate Blanchett Eager To Find Director For 'Cancer Vixen'
Adaptation
from MTV Movies Blog by Larry Carroll
Imagine that you're an actress not even forty years old, and you've already
been nominated for the Oscar four times, won it once, and worked alongside
everyone from Steven Spielberg to Leonardo DiCaprio to Peter Jackson and many
others. Where does Cate
Blanchett go from here?
Martin's clueless Clouseau is back on the case
from USATODAY.com Movies - Top Stories
Steve Martin reprises the role of French Inspector Jacques
Clouseau inPink Panther 2, opening Feb. 6.
Possible 'Moonlighting' reunion film?
Film News: Hathaway talks up possible 'Breakfast' role --
Has it really been 20 years since one of the most brilliant, sexy and funny TV
shows ever went off the air? I do mean "Moonlighting," which launched
the career of Bruce Willis and rescued the career of Cybill Shepherd.
TELEVISION
Taylor Swift to guest star on CBS drama 'CSI'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- CBS says pop star Taylor Swift will
appear on an episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
Hilary Duff Heading To Fox Sitcom
from Billboard News - All by Nellie Andreeva, The Hollywood Reporter
Singer/actress Hilary Duff is attached to play a young
lawyer in a Fox sitcom that might be described as a legal version of
"Doogie Howser, M.D."
Smallest TV audience in years watches Globes
from MSNBC.com: Television
The Golden Globes awards ceremony reeled in the big stars, but not much of a
television audience.
'Grey's': Melissa George leaving!
from EW.com: Today's Latest Headlines by Michael Ausiello
Golden Globe nominee (for ''In Treatment'') reveals to
Michael Ausiello: ''My last day of work is Tuesday''
from EW.com: TV
Michael Ausiello confirms exclusively that Gregory Michael (''Dante's Cove'') will play Calvin's new love interest
'24' recap: Jack's back (and so is...)
from EW.com: TV
After an almost two-year hiatus, season 7 kicks off with D.C. intrigue, jetliners in danger, and the return of another familiar face
TNT orders Ray Romano's 'Men' to series
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
The pickup season at
'Barely Legal' passes the bar at NBC
from Hollywood Reporter by By Nellie Andreeva
NBC has picked up for development "Barely Legal,"
a half-hour comedy based on the true story of Kathleen Holtz, who in November
2007 passed the notoriously difficult California bar at age 18 to become the
state's youngest lawyer.
'Conchords' tunes take off online
from The Hollywood Reporter - Music by By Jonathan Cohen, Billboard
HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" returns Sunday for Season 2, and this time around, fans will be able to purchase music from each episode the day after it airs.
MUSIC
Bono, Bruce, Beyonce To Play Inaugural Concert
from Billboard News - All by Jessica Letkemann, N.Y.
Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Bono and more than a dozen other
music stars will kick off Barack Obama's presidential inaugural festivities by
performing at the opening celebration at
U2 To Play New Single At BRIT Awards
from Billboard News - All by Andre Paine,
U2 will play its new single, "Get on Your Boots,"
at the BRIT Awards ceremony on Feb. 17 at
Loretta Lynn busy with two albums
from Reuters: Entertainment News
Adele on Working With Jack White: "Even If He Slapped Me,
It Would Have Been Cool"
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Rolling Stone
Never let it be said that Jack White has no soul -- the White
Stripe famously recorded the theme to Bond film Quantum of Solace with
Alicia Keys, but before he did that he made plans to record with British
soulster Adele.
Motown Records Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Daniel Kreps
Today marks the official 50th anniversary of Motown Records, and members of some of the label's most famous acts were on hand in the Motor City to help kick off what will be a year-long celebration for the famed label
50 Cent Disses Kanye West and Lil Wayne as "Before I Self
Destruct" Release Date Approaches
from Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Daniel Kreps
You can tell 50 Cent
has a new album coming out when he hits the radio and starts beefs with other
rappers for absolutely no reason.
Lady GaGa jumps to top of U.K. singles chart
from The Hollywood Reporter - Music by By Paul Sexton, Billboard
Lady GaGa mirrored her current Billboard Hot 100 success by
moving to the top of the new
Survey: More Americans reading literature
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
Victim in Polanski case urges dismissal
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ... by By LINDA DEUTSCH
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The woman who was raped by fugitive director Roman Polanski three decades ago when she was 13 lashed out at the Los Angeles County district attorney's office on Monday, saying she is being victimized again by prosecutors' focus on lurid details of what happened to her....
Gandolfini stars on B'way in 'God of Carnage'
from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...
Amy Winehouse's husband seeks divorce
Drummer Blake Fielder-Civil is trying to kick his Amy
Winehouse habit now that he's seen photos of the singer cavorting with another
man in the
Ryan O'Neal sentenced to drug rehab
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 (UPI) --
from Entertainment News - UPI.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Brazilian supermodel Gisele
Bundchen and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady have made it official
by getting engaged, sources told People Monday.
Britney's Facebook requires a Harvard grad
from MSNBC.com: Gossip
Looks like Britney Spears' people are advertising on a Harvard-only job board to find someone to manage the singer's social-media presence.
