Entertainment News

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Oliver Stone has landed a distribution deal with independent studio Lionsgate to get an upcoming film about President George W. Bush into U.S. theaters in October, shortly before the presidential election.

NEW YORK - Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city's other landmarks: Carrie's stoop, Charlotte's gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend's face.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc said on Friday that "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski will make a movie version of "BioShock," its hit video game about an underwater utopia gone disastrously wrong.

PORTLAND, Maine - Glenn Close's signature characters have boiled a bunny, plotted the skinning of Dalmatian puppies and, more recently, helped arrange the killing of a pet dog to leverage a balky witness.

NEW YORK - Rapper Foxy Brown has pleaded guilty to menacing a neighbor with her cell phone last year. She avoided jail based on time already served.

LAS VEGAS - Toni Braxton's return to the stage on the Las Vegas strip has been pushed back for at least another month.

PHOENIX - DMX was arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges following an overnight raid on the rapper's house Friday, authorities said.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Rap star DMX was arrested on Friday on suspicion of drug possession and animal cruelty after two searches of his home allegedly turned up weapons, drugs, dog carcasses and abused pit bulls.

YONKERS, N.Y. - The queen of hip-hop soul is establishing a foundation to help women develop careers and gain self-confidence.

ATLANTA - Even though Raven-Symone can now add movie producer to her long list of accomplishments, some people still perceive her as just a little girl.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Youth-oriented cable television network MTV said on Friday it will air a new reality game show called "The Phone" to be executive-produced by pop star Justin Timberlake.

ATLANTA - Even though Raven-Symone can now add movie producer to her long list of accomplishments, some people still perceive her as just a little girl.

NEW YORK - Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city's other landmarks: Carrie's stoop, Charlotte's gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend's face.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mindy Grossman is very particular about what makes it to air on the HSN cable retail network she helms, down to the blouse worn by a presenter.

LOS ANGELES - Near as Lee Pace can tell, the best way to scare audiences away is to tell them how good something is.

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - After Warner Bros. absorbed New Line as an in-house production label in February, industryites wondered which Warners specialty unit would remain, Warner Independent Pictures or Picturehouse. The answer came Thursday: Neither.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television is recovering from one labor strike and could face another, it's contending with digital video records, competing with new media, and trying to lock up advertising dollars in a rotten economy.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After months of negotiations, Stephen McPherson has inked a new multiyear deal with ABC to continue as entertainment president.

NEW YORK - French cosmetics giant Lancome and Uma Thurman are wrangling over the use of her name and image in an advertising campaign.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Concert promoter Live Nation reported a smaller quarterly loss on Thursday as revenue rose, helped by acquisitions and increased ticket sales.

NEW YORK - He can't sing and he can't dance, but Gabriel Byrne can charm — and he did while portraying the chivalrous King Arthur in "Camelot."

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - A failed cinematic experiment notable mainly for its fine starring performance by a pre-"Juno" Ellen Page, "The Tracey Fragments" provides more evidence (not that any was needed) that an extensive use of split-screen visuals is far more irritating than arresting.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The cliches fly faster than the bullets in "Vice," a B-movie with loftier affectations and all the gritty authenticity of Cheez Whiz.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A mean-spirited streak is creeping into studio-manufactured rom-coms these days -- you know, where someone wants to sabotage his best friend's wedding. This escalates in Fox's "What Happens in Vegas," a film that views marriage as a combat sport.

NEW YORK - Picture two young people trying to enjoy their wedding night in the bedroom right next to the groom's parents, and you'll get an idea of the frustrating yet touching comedic premise of Ayub Khan-Din's warmhearted play, "Rafta, Rafta ...," currently in a New Group production at off-Broadway's Acorn Theatre.

BERLIN (Reuters) - The first screen portrayal of Dracula was so eerie, some critics asked whether the actor himself could be a vampire. But since his death, little has been done to resurrect Max Schreck's reputation -- until now.

1."Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Little, Brown)

Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback

1. "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Little, Brown) (F-H)

FRANKFURT, Germany - Bertelsmann AG, the owner of book publisher Random House, said Thursday that its first-quarter loss narrowed significantly from last year as the higher euro and a drop in sales at its book and music clubs crimped earnings.

Music director Rob Fisher says Ralph Burns was one of the reasons why it was easy for Encores! to say "yes, yes" to No, No, Nanette.

Fans of Broadway's new comedy The 39 Steps can view the show's source material - Hitchcock's old black-and-white picture - at home on May 12.

More tech time is necessary to launch the world premiere of the musical Saved, so the first preview on May 9 has been canceled, Playwrights Horizons announced.

I've never been one to make Tony Award predictions. To me, it's a game for chumps, bloviators and people with a penchant for embarrassing themselves publicly. (Sounds like a fair characterization of drama critics, actually.) But I'll make an exception here and put forth one prediction about the 2008 nominations, which will be announced on May 13: Glory Days will not be among the honored.

Tony Award winner Elizabeth Ashley, a veteran actress of plays by the late Tennessee Williams, will talk about his life and work in a post-show chat at the May 10 matinee performance of The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, at the Clurman Theatre in New York City.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actress Uma Thurman sued Lancome on Friday, seeking $15 million from the French cosmetics company, accusing it of using her name and face in advertisements after her contract had expired.

LONDON (AFP) - Tony Blair has been advising his successor Gordon Brown on how to win the next general election, The Times' political editor said Friday after interviewing the former British prime minister's wife.

CLEARWATER, Florida (Reuters) - The son of wrestler and reality TV star Hulk Hogan was sentenced to eight months in jail on Friday for causing a car crash that seriously injured his passenger.

CHICAGO (AFP) - Six years after R. Kelly was charged with filming himself having sex with a girl as young as 13, the rhythm and blues superstar's child pornography trial began Friday with jury selection.

PHOENIX - DMX was arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges following an overnight raid on the rapper's house Friday, authorities said.

LONDON (Reuters) - Young designers competing to get noticed by fashion labels can now launch their careers online through the fashion world's answer to the social networking Web site MySpace.com.

New York - Just in time for summer blockbuster season, with comic book-based movies such as "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" taking over the collective imagination, comes the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Superheroes" at the Costume Institute, a look at the intersection of fashion and the fantastic and the transformative power of costume as it relates specifically to popular superhero characters.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Dueling fashion divas have nothing on the ongoing tug-of-war drama between NBC Universal and the Weinstein Co. over the cable hit "Project Runway."

Los Angeles - Cameron Diaz was all smiles at the red carpet premiere of her new comedy "What Happens in Vegas" at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood Thursday night, in her first public appearance since the unexpected death of her father Emilio on April 16.

New York - Ecologically-conscious modes of activism have been getting a steady boost from the fashion set. Now Brazilian designer Carlos Miele has stepped in with his effort, a series of t-shirts featuring unique designs by some high profile fashion and entertainment figures being sold at his stores to benefit the Rainforest Foundation-US.

DEAR ABBY: I have been reading your column most of my adult life, but I don't ever remember seeing any letters from people who are just afraid of life.

DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law -- I'll call her "Irene" -- refers to our 3-year-old daughter, "Amber," as "sexy." When she buys clothing for Amber, she will say, "This is sexy." When Amber was younger and would pull up her dress in play, Irene would say, "Are you trying to be sexy?" Luckily, when it has happened, Amber either didn't hear or remember her comments.

DEAR ABBY: May I offer a response to the letter from "Petite's Mom in Salem, Va." (Feb. 25), whose daughter "Claire" is the target of rude comments due to her size?

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been informed that a family headstone has been purchased, and our share is $2,000 -- each. This was never discussed among the family members. The cemetery is located out of state. My husband is in the military, and we had planned to use the military cemetery where we live for a small fee. We think the family was rude and presumptuous planning for our deaths.

DEAR ABBY: For the last three years I have been dating this girl, "Annie," whom I love very much. We're both 18, and I am starting college in the fall and plan to go into the military.

05/09/2008 - DEAR MARGO: For more than a year, I have been dating an emergency room doctor who works with her ex-fiance.

05/08/2008 - DEAR MARGO: My husband of a year, "Michael," is everything a partner should be: generous, caring, supportive, intelligent, easygoing and optimistic.

05/02/2008 - DEAR MARGO: Longtime reader, first-time writer.

05/01/2008 - DEAR MARGO: I'm 34 years old, married for 16 years.

04/25/2008 - DEAR MARGO: I have a delicate problem. My children are adopted, and time after time people make comments in front of them that I feel the need to correct.

Creators Syndicate - Last week, I ran out to the supermarket in my wife's station wagon and noticed that the tank was empty. I stopped off to fill it up, and while the gas was running, washed all the windows with the little squeegee thing they have. When I heard the gas pump click off, I turned and glanced at the pump, and nearly had a heart attack right there in the self-serve lane. The little red numbers blinked at $57.

Creators Syndicate - Pronouncing himself "thrilled" with his recent spate of media appearances, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright announced today that he will launch his own 24-hour channel that will feature nothing but himself all day long.

Creators Syndicate - About a year and a half ago, I came up with a brilliant idea. My wife worked at home as a journalist, but her home office was located in a cramped little room at the back of our house. It was cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and too close to kids, distractions, and, as she pointed out, me.

Creators Syndicate - The Democratic race for president has descended to "a level of meanness and acrimony that is damaging to American politics," the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said today.

Creators Syndicate - Around our house, we have a division of labor that's common in most American families. My wife does some things she's better at, like laundry, while I do some things I'm not better at, like fixing faucets and killing bugs.

LOS ANGELES - She's not just fast. She's very fast.

CHICAGO - Jury selection began Friday in R. Kelly's long-delayed child pornography trial.

PHOENIX - DMX was arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges following an overnight raid on the rapper's house Friday, authorities said.

NEW YORK - After all this time, you don't associate Jeff Probst with traffic gridlock, yowling sirens, or office towers crowding the sky.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A judge in Florida says the 17-year-old son of wrestler Hulk Hogan should serve eight months in jail for reckless driving. Nick Bollea was led off to begin his sentence immediately after Friday's ruling. He will be on five years' probation and lose his driving privileges for three years.