Archive for February, 2008

Britney Spears Steps into Dance Class As Teacher

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

britney spearsBritney Spears has class – dance class, that is.

The 26-year-old singer – who’s in the midst of a custody battle over her own kids, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 – logged some quality kiddie time Monday, teaching dance an hour-long dance lesson to a group of six children.

“The class was amazing,” Robert Baker, director of the Millennium Dance Complex, says.

In addition to choreographed routines to vintage Madonna songs “True Blue” and “Material Girl” and “Holiday,” Spears – wearing ripped fishnets, red boy-shorts and a blue top – also allowed her pupils to free-style dance.

“She even played age-appropriate games in a circle, pretending to be a choo-choo train,” Baker said. “Britney was just amazing with the kids and everyone ended up having a blast. At the end of the hour class, all the kids hugged Britney and she seemed very happy.”

Kids ‘Thrilled’
The kids, aged 4 to 7, were selected from the studio’s junior program. “The parents gave their permission,” Baker said. “They were thrilled. One parent summed it up: ‘It’s a once in a lifetime event.’”

Well, maybe not. Spears had so much fun, “She asked to please teach a class tomorrow,” said Baker, a longtime Spears friend. “We plan to put together a group of about 20 kids for her.”

After the class wrapped up at 7 p.m., Spears – who has rehearsed at Millennium three times since Friday – spent another hour and a half working on a dance routine for her single “Hot as Ice.”

“She seems very focused about getting back into her old life,” said Baker. “[She’s] focusing her energy on creating and dancing.”


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Fox Sues Warners Over ‘Watchmen’

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

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Just as Zack Snyder wraps production on Watchmen and gets ready to bring it all together into an alternate universe, superhero showcase, 20th Century Fox is getting litigious. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the company is preparing to battle Warner Brothers "over the rights to develop, produce, and distribute" the film based on the uber popular graphic novel.

On Friday, Fox sued, claiming it holds all the rights. They say that between '86 and '90 they "acquired all movie rights to the 12-issue DC Comics series and screenplays by Charles McKeown and Sam Hamm." In '91, there was a quitclaim to Largo Int., but Fox retained "exclusive rights to distribute the first motion picture." Then, Largo dismantled, and the rights went to producer Lawrence Gordon. "Under a 'turnaround agreement' between Fox and Gordon, the producer agreed to pay a buy-out price to Fox if he entered into any agreement with another studio or third party to develop or produce Watchmen, among other things." They say that neither Gordon nor Warners paid out.

Got all that straight? In other words, Fox said they had the rights and that producer Lawrence Gordon and WB didn't honor it like they should have. I imagine WB will do what they can to wrap this up quickly, and not let it interfere with the March 6, 2009 release date. At least, I hope so. Otherwise, they might get some masked vigilantes on their tails.
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Kathleen Turner Strikes a Nerve with Nicolas Cage

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

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Twenty-one years ago, Francis Ford Coppola made Peggy Sue Got Married. It was a strange fantasy comedy, one that scored itself some Oscar nominations and starred Kathleen Turner and Coppola's nephew, Nicolas Cage. There's already been talk of how Cage was difficult on set. The actor himself admitted last year to Conan O'Brien that he based Charlie's strange and distracting voice on Gumby, and how his uncle and the studio almost fired him over it.

Now there's more word about his behavior during that production, and he's really not happy with it. In her upcoming book, Send Yourself Roses, Turner discusses her time with Cage during the film, and while the book has yet to hit shelves, the BBC reports that a "defamation, libel, and slander" case has been filed by Nicolas in London's High Court. What has got him so worked up, especially since he already admitted to being difficult?

According to The Daily Mail (via American Superstar), she wrote that Cage was "absolutely determined to prove that he wasn't there as the result of nepotism." And followed it up with: "Oh, that stupid voice of his and the fake teeth! Honestly, I cringe to think about it. He caused so many problems. He was arrested twice for drunk-driving and, I think, once for stealing a dog. He'd come across a chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket."

So -- was he just a bratty and difficult nephew on set, or was he some wacko who stole chihuahuas? Who knows? It still sounds entertaining. Turner's book is scheduled to hit shelves this month, and also features dirt on Burt Reynolds and Christie Brinkley (the latter of which sounds like Spider-Man, without crime-fighting as an excuse for no-shows).
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Britney’s Dad Didn’t Trust Her Manager

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Britney SpearsJamie Spears got permission to fire daughter Britney Spears’s business manager after complaining the manager didn’t follow directions and failed to turn over documents, court papers show.

The allegations are contained in a motion filed Feb. 7 by probate court attorneys for Jamie and Britney Spears. The motion was granted, allowing Jamie to fire manager Howard Grossman.

“The temporary co-conservators believe that they cannot trust Mr. Grossman to follow instruction,” says the motion, made public Monday.

The motion alleges that when Spears was released from a psychiatric hospital, Grossman arranged for her to meet with visitors and attorneys in violation of court orders.

Grossman could not be reached Monday for comment. He previously said that he didn’t understand why the conservators would want to fire him.


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Amy Winehouse Is On Road to Recovery

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Amy WInehouseWhen it comes to Amy Winehouse’s progress in rehab, her mother Janis Winehouse is pleased – and relieved.

“She’s on the road to recovery,” Mrs. Winehouse told the U.K. morning show GMTV, “and that’s what it’s all about.”

The mother added, “She’s definitely on the road back.”

The worried mom also thinks it was a wise decision for her daughter to perform at the Grammys via satellite from England rather than to leave rehab (where she has been since last month) and fly to Los Angeles for the ceremony – where she ended up winning five awards.

“I think it would have been too much for her because all of the traveling and flying there,” she said. “I mean seeing what the Grammys were like, I thought if Amy were there, she’d be a little girl lost in it.”

Then again, observed the mother, “It was a case of Amy couldn’t get to L.A., and my feeling was L.A. came to Amy.”

Stellar Night
Winehouse won five Grammys – including record of the year, song of the year and best new artist. She also rocked the crowd inside Los Angeles’s Staples Center with a live-via-satellite rendition of “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab.”

“We all felt, the family, well everyone that saw her felt that’s the best she’s performed, definitely,” said her mother.

Sunday night (actually Monday morning in the U.K.) Winehouse, 24, addressed the intimate crowd gathered at London’s Riverside Studios – including her mother, father Mitch and older brother Alex – and said, “I can’t believe I’ve won five awards. It’s a shame I couldn’t be there to accept the awards but I’m so proud and happy that I had the opportunity to perform for the Grammys in my hometown of London with my family and friends around me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Amy is as she is,” said Mrs. Winehouse. “There’s no sort of double standards – what you see is how she is. She’s a very, very genuine and sincere girl.”

‘She Looks Good’
Janis Winehouse also told GMTV, “As you saw, she looks good. She’s on the road to recovery.”

And a long road it’s been. “Where I know about addiction,” says Janis, “addiction is something that once it’s got hold of the person, it’s like whoa, you know – very hard to get the off.”

Mrs. Winehouse admitted the entire family had feared for Amy’s health. “She was sort of with it but not with it,” she explains. “She’s got a solid family and we’re all there for her,” she said.

“I was helpless because there was nothing I could do. Amy had to do it for Amy and that’s the way it is.”

As for what is still ahead, “She will see a therapist, and she will still be getting help,” says her mother, “because she still wants the help.”


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Joel Says Baby Harlow Is ‘Definitely a Mama’s Girl’

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Nicole RichieJoel Madden is in love with his new baby daughter, Harlow, and she is in love with her mother – at least for now.

She’s “definitely a mama’s girl,” the rocker said before a gig as a deejay at Prive Las Vegas on Friday. “Right now she needs mom because all she does is eat. I have a feeling that when she starts talking she’s going to be a daddy’s girl.”

Harlow Winter Kate Madden, who was born Jan. 11, is the first child for Madden, 28, and girlfriend Nicole Richie, 26.

The night in Las Vegas was the Good Charlotte singer’s first one away from his daughter, and the reason he agreed to deejay was because the club donated its door proceeds to the Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation, he said.

“It’s really hard being away from her. I think after having Harlow we are already in love with being parents,” he said. “It’s cool to watch Harlow with Nicole because they already have a real special bond. It’s cute. I have my own little bond with her too.”

As far as Madden’s bond with Richie, that’s stronger than ever too. “She’s a wonderful mother and she looks really hot already,” he said. “The girl is gifted, man. Women hate her because she looks good being pregnant and then has the baby and looks sexy. There’s something so attractive about her now. It’s a motherly glow.”


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DISH Network Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter 2007 Earnings Conference Call

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 12, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH), formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation, will host its fourth quarter 2007 earnings conference call on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008 at noon ET. The dial-in number is (800) 616-6729.

The Spiderwick Chronicles – Film Clip

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
  The Spiderwick Chronicles - Film Clip
From the beloved best-selling series of books comes “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what’s really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.
Directed by: Mark Waters
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn

Forbidden Kingdom – Trailer 2a

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
  Forbidden Kingdom - Trailer 2a
A 21st Century American teenager takes a spellbinding, dangerous journey into martial arts legend in the new action/adventure epic FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. Shot on location in China, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM marks the historic first-ever onscreen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR, DRUNKEN MASTER) and Jet Li (FEARLESS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA), and features the awe-inspiring action choreography of Wo Ping (THE MATRIX, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON). While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason (played by Michael Angarano - “24”, “Will and Grace,” LORDS OF DOGTOWN, SEABISCUIT) makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk (Jet Li). But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael A. Angarano, Crystal Liu, Collin Chou

Forbidden Kingdom – Trailer 2b

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
  Forbidden Kingdom - Trailer 2b
A 21st Century American teenager takes a spellbinding, dangerous journey into martial arts legend in the new action/adventure epic FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. Shot on location in China, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM marks the historic first-ever onscreen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR, DRUNKEN MASTER) and Jet Li (FEARLESS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA), and features the awe-inspiring action choreography of Wo Ping (THE MATRIX, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON). While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason (played by Michael Angarano - “24”, “Will and Grace,” LORDS OF DOGTOWN, SEABISCUIT) makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk (Jet Li). But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael A. Angarano, Crystal Liu, Collin Chou