News For Friday Aug 29, 2008 News For Friday Aug 29, 2008

Entertainment Entertainment

Freeman in 'good spirits' after car crash surgery - Added 3 weeks ago

Morgan Freeman is doing well after surgery to reconnect nerves and repair damage to his left arm and hand following a car wreck Sunday night, his publicist said. The surgery Monday night "lasted approximately four and...

Newly discovered Beatles tape sells for $23,000 - Added 3 weeks ago

A newly discovered tape of The Beatles laughing and chatting during an early recording session has sold for about $23,000, an auction house reported Tuesday. Cameo Auctioneers said the reel-to-reel tape was recorded in...

Prime-Time Nielsen ratings - Added 3 weeks ago

Prime-Time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for July 28-Aug. 3. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses...

Rapper signs deal with The Orchard - Added 3 weeks ago

Lil Jon, who was in musical limbo after his longtime record label TVT Records went bankrupt earlier this year, has reached an agreement that frees him from his TVT obligations while entering into a new venture with...

Judge rules Snipes must reimburse government - Added 3 weeks ago

Actor Wesley Snipes must reimburse the government in prosecution costs for his tax conviction. According to court documents, U.S. District Court Judge William Terrell Hodges ruled last week the action film star must...

Sega capitalizes on Olympics with 'Beijing 2008' - Added 3 weeks ago

!!-- pobj:NY377-0804081239 -->!!-- pobj:NY378-0804081240 -->!!-- pobj:NY379-0804081240 -->The Beijing Olympics are about to get under way. And thanks to NBC and its assorted networks and Web sites, you'll be able to...

Kelsey Grammer checks out of hospital in New York - Added 3 weeks ago

Kelsey Grammer is returning home after being hospitalized in New York. The 53-year-old actor, who suffered a heart attack in June, had checked himself into an undisclosed hospital the last weekend in July as a...

`Dark Knight' shoots to $400M mark in record time - Added 3 weeks ago

Add another entry for "The Dark Knight" in Hollywood's record books: The Batman sequel has climbed past $400 million at the box office in just 18 days, the fastest pace ever, a studio executive said Tuesday. As of...

Melissa Lawson wins NBC's `Nashville Star' - Added 3 weeks ago

A Texas mother of five is the new "Nashville Star." Melissa Lawson beat fellow finalist Gabe Garcia on Monday night for the title on the country music reality series. Shawn Mayer came in third. The 32-year-old Lawson...

Report: More UCLA staff saw celebs' health records - Added 3 weeks ago

More than 120 workers at a Los Angeles hospital looked at celebrities' medical records and other personal information without permission between January 2004 and June 2006 _ nearly double the number initially reported...

Official: Olsen seeks immunity in Ledger probe - Added 3 weeks ago

Federal investigators want to question Mary-Kate Olsen about how Heath Ledger got two powerful painkillers that contributed to his accidental overdose death, but she's refusing to talk without immunity, a law...

Dallas Opera co-founder Rescigno dies in Italy - Added 3 weeks ago

Nicola Rescigno, the co-founder of the Dallas Opera and one of Maria Callas' favorite conductors, has died at a hospital in Italy, officials said Tuesday. He was 92. Rescigno died Monday of complications following...

Iggy Pop, Stooges' gear stolen after Montreal show - Added 3 weeks ago

A rental truck containing Iggy Pop and the Stooges' equipment was stolen after a concert in Montreal. Stooges road manager Eric Fischer says the 15-foot truck stolen Monday contained all the group's instruments and...

The gang's back: Werewolves, vampires and all - Added 3 weeks ago

"Breaking Dawn" (Little, Brown and Company, 754 pages, $22.99) by Stephenie Meyer: The heartbreakingly beautiful vampires, loyal werewolves and emotionally torn humans are back for one last round in "Breaking Dawn," the...

Co-founder of Dallas Opera dies at 92 in Italy - Added 3 weeks ago

The co-founder of the Dallas Opera has died at a hospital in Viterbo, Italy. Nicola Rescigno was 92. Jonathan Pell, the Dallas Opera director of artistic administration, says he received a phone call Monday afternoon...

`Traveling Pants' lose some magic in sequel - Added 3 weeks ago

Yes, the pants still exist, but now they're covered in patches and jewels and etched with the memories and dreams of the four young women who've been wearing them. And they still travel _ to New York and Vermont, Turkey...

Dinosaurs interact with humans on 'Primeval' - Added 3 weeks ago

Dinosaurs can be challenging co-stars. Especially when you can't see them. "Basically it's a man in a very colorful jumpsuit with something attached to a long pole going, 'It's swooping, it's swooping, it's coming...

'Dark Knight' still soars with $42.7M weekend - Added 3 weeks ago

Bruce Wayne continues to add to his millions. "The Dark Knight," the blockbuster about the rich guy and his crime-fighting alter-ego, led the box office for the third weekend with $42.7 million. "The Mummy: Tomb of the...

Key `Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe is moving on - Added 3 weeks ago

A key "American Idol" producer who's guided the top-rated TV show since its debut is leaving the job as the Fox juggernaut faces the challenge of staying on top in its eighth season. Nigel Lythgoe is negotiating a...

People publishes first photos of Brangelina twins - Added 3 weeks ago

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt say their four previous children are adjusting just fine to the arrival of a twin brother and sister last month, with cupcakes and "Dora the Explorer" to help ease the transition. Jolie and...

Broadway gets ready to celebrate 'White Christmas' - Added 3 weeks ago

Get ready to celebrate "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" on Broadway. A stage version of the celluloid classic will play New York this holiday season, Nov. 14-Jan. 4 at the Marquis Theatre. "It's a quintessential...

Union says back-channel talks held with studios - Added 3 weeks ago

The Screen Actors Guild says back-channel talks are under way with Hollywood studios on a contract to replace the one that expired on June 30. The guild's executive director, Doug Allen, sent an e-mail message to...

`Pineapple Express' tastes familiar - Added 3 weeks ago

The formula is pretty familiar by now in these Judd Apatow-produced comedies. A couple of buddies get into trouble, and as they try to bumble their way out of it, their friendship only grows stronger. Some clever...

Official: Mary Kate Olsen silent on Ledger OD - Added 3 weeks ago

Federal investigators want to question actress Mary Kate Olsen about how Heath Ledger got two powerful painkillers that contributed to his accidental overdose death, but she's not talking, a law enforcement official...

Alexander Solzhenitsyn made history by writing it - Added 3 weeks ago

At a time when government reports ask whether Americans care about reading anymore, the legacy of Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn reminds us that books can matter as much as life and death. Solzhenitsyn, who died...

Dessay, Fleming among Opera News Award winners - Added 3 weeks ago

This year's Opera News Awards are going to sopranos Natalie Dessay and Renee Fleming, mezzo Marilyn Horne, baritone Sherrill Milnes and composer John Adams. Adams' compositions include "Nixon in China" and "The Death...

Actor Morgan Freeman is injured in car accident - Added 3 weeks ago

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is in a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday after being seriously injured in a car accident near his home in Mississippi. Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Stringer said...

Jamaican artist Christopher Gonzalez dies - Added 3 weeks ago

Christopher Gonzalez, whose expressionistic sculptures and paintings earned him a reputation as a pioneer in Jamaican art, has died, according to a longtime family friend. He was 65. The acclaimed Jamaican artist died...

Million-selling opening for vampire series finale - Added 3 weeks ago

Harry Potter is still king, but the final book of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series did manage a million-selling debut. "Breaking Dawn," the fourth of Meyer's sensational teen vampire series, sold 1.3 million copies...

BMI to honor the Jacksons at annual Urban Awards - Added 3 weeks ago

There's a possibility for a Jacksons reunion of sorts _ the brothers are set to be honored as BMI Icons at its annual Urban Awards next month. So far, all the brothers, with the exception of Michael, have confirmed...

Paris Hilton's mom takes offense at McCain's humor - Added 3 weeks ago

Paris Hilton's mother doesn't share John McCain's sense of humor. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, said last week that his campaign ad mocking Democrat Barack Obama with images of Hilton and singer Britney...

Christina Applegate treated for breast cancer - Added 3 weeks ago

Christina Applegate is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but the disease was caught early and the actress is expected to fully recover, her publicist said. The Emmy winner's cancer was detected through an MRI...

Rhythmic croaking of frogs heard on new CD - Added 3 weeks ago

An animal expert at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has released a CD of the rhythmic stylings of Nebraska's native frogs. Herpetologist Dennis Ferraro says frog songs are all about attracting a mate. Male frogs...

Rapid growth for Spanish-speaking news - Added 3 weeks ago

On an evening its rivals were preoccupied with Christie Brinkley's divorce and the capture of a Brooklyn murder suspect, New York's WXTV led its local news with a story about graffiti saying "Get out of the USA" painted...

Teen Choice Awards winners - Added 3 weeks ago

Winners from the 10th annual Teen Choice Awards: _ Choice Movie Action Adventure: "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." _ Choice Movie Drama: "Step Up 2: The Streets." _ Choice Movie Chick Flick: "27 Dresses." ...

Jonas Brothers, 'Gossip Girl' score teen awards - Added 3 weeks ago

"Gossip Girl" has six more reasons to say OMG. And so do the Jonas Brothers. Both the sudsy CW show about a group of tawdry prep-school students and the squeaky clean boy band swam away with multiple surfboard trophies...

Bernie Mac hospitalized in Chicago with pneumonia - Added 3 weeks ago

Bernie Mac is in a Chicago hospital with pneumonia. His publicist, Danica Smith, says in a statement that the 50-year-old comedian is responding well to treatment and should be released soon. He remained hospitalized...

Monday Movie Buzz: Bale's Batman voice too much? - Added 3 weeks ago

Though "The Dark Knight" has been a bona fide cultural event, boasting rave reviews and boffo box office, it hasn't been immune to criticism. Some have quibbled with its political undercurrents, and others have...

Rapid growth for Spanish-speaking television news - Added 3 weeks ago

On an evening its rivals were preoccupied with Christie Brinkley's divorce and the capture of a Brooklyn murder suspect, New York's WXTV led its local news with a story about graffiti saying "Get out of the USA" painted...

`Dark Knight' grabs $43.8M more, nears $400M total - Added 3 weeks ago

Even an army of the undead could not dislodge Batman from his box-office perch. The Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" hauled in $43.8 million to rank as Hollywood's top movie for the third-straight weekend, fending...

Cusack calls 'Shanghai' unique opportunity - Added 3 weeks ago

Known for alternating between mainstream Hollywood and independent films, John Cusack says his latest movie "Shanghai" is a rare middle ground between the two genres. Speaking at a set visit in Bangkok on Saturday, the...

Madonna returns to Michigan roots to show her film - Added 3 weeks ago

She might be known worldwide as the Material Girl, but there's more than a little of the small-town Michigan girl left in Madonna. The pop superstar arrived in this northern Michigan resort town Saturday to introduce...

Renowned Argentine artist Perez Celis dies at 69 - Added 3 weeks ago

Perez Celis, a prestigious Argentine muralist, painter and sculptor, died Saturday. He was 69. Perez, who suffered from leukemia, died at the Otamendi sanitarium in the capital, Buenos Aires, the Argentine news agency...

Annie Lennox urges women to invigorate AIDS fight - Added 3 weeks ago

Annie Lennox says complacency threatens to slow the fight against AIDS. The singer-songwriter is participating in the international AIDS conference in Mexico City this week as an ambassador for Oxfam. On Saturday, she...

Bernie Mac hospitalized in Chicago with pneumonia - Added 3 weeks ago

Bernie Mac is in a Chicago hospital with pneumonia. His publicist, Danica Smith, says in a statement that the 50-year-old comedian is responding well to treatment and should be released soon. He remained hospitalized...

LaBeouf lawyers: Left hand 'crushed' in wreck - Added 3 weeks ago

Shia LaBeouf could have a long road before him as he recovers from the accident that crushed his hand, his lawyer says. LaBeouf, 22, was injured in a late-night crash last Sunday in West Hollywood that flipped his...

Salman Rushdie threatens to sue ex-guard over book - Added 3 weeks ago

Author Salman Rushdie is threatening to sue a publisher over a book by a former bodyguard that he says portrays him as cheap, nasty and arrogant and depicts his police guards as drinking on duty. Rushdie's lawyer, Mark...

Lindsay Lohan fires back at police 'gay' remark - Added 3 weeks ago

Lindsay Lohan said Friday that police have no business getting involved in her personal life, a day after the police chief explained that the paparazzi were no longer an issue _ in part because the 22-year-old actress...

LaBeouf lawyer asks for witnesses to accident - Added 3 weeks ago

Shia LaBeouf could have a long road before him as he recovers from the accident that crushed his hand, his lawyer says. LaBeouf, 22, was injured in a late-night crash last Sunday in West Hollywood that flipped his...

Full text of statement from Labeouf lawyer - Added 3 weeks ago

Full text of statement released Friday by Michael Norris, a lawyer for "Transformers" actor Shia LaBeouf: ___ "As you know, Shia was involved in a traffic collision last Sunday. He and his passenger were struck by...