Mounties bust fake DVD scam in Montreal
The RCMP have seized thousands of counterfeit DVDs of popular American TV shows and arrested eight people suspected of masterminding a black-market scam to sell the videos.
Mountie investigators raided an undisclosed Montreal location Tuesday where they found thousands of illegal DVD copies of shows like The Six Million Dollar Man and Ally McBeal, as well as 200 DVD burners.
Eight people were arrested and face several fraud charges under the Canadian Criminal Code and Copyright Law.
The RCMP believe the DVDs were burned in Montreal and sold widely across North America through several internet sites.
The counterfeit DVDs were sold at market prices which led buyers to believe they were purchasing original copies.
Canada's national police force warned consumers to be vigilant when buying DVDs online. Counterfeit versions are typically of poorer quality, the RCMP said at a press conference Wednesday.
People who believe they've bought counterfeit versions can contact the RCMP at 1-514-939-8307, or the Canadian Association of Film Distributors at 1-800-363-9166.
Rowling says she's considered another Potter novel
Author J.K. Rowling says she has considered writing another Harry Potter novel, although fans may have to wait another 10 years.
The bestselling author of the teen wizard series has hinted in an interview with Time magazine that she has had "weak moments" in which she's thought of writing an eighth book.
"If — and it's a big if — I ever write an eighth book, I doubt that Harry would be the central character. I feel I've already told his story," she said.
"But these are big ifs. Let's give it 10 years."
The seventh instalment of the wizard-in-training books — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — came out in July. It instantly became the fastest-selling book of all time, with more than 15 million copies purchased within 24 hours.
Rowling's six previous Harry Potter books sold more than 325 million worldwide.
Rowling, who Time positioned at No. 3 in its Person of the Year list, is thought to be working on an adult novel.
The 41-year-old writer hit the headlines in October after revealing that one of Harry Potter's main characters, Albus Dumbledore, is gay.
She told an audience of fans in New York City that as a young man, Dumbledore had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald, who later became a rival.
Rowling said her novels are really a "prolonged argument for tolerance."
The film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, is due for release late next year.
Canseco plans sequel to tell-all doping book: reports
NEW YORK (AFP) - Retired slugger Jose Canseco, who unveiled steroid doping by Major League Baseball stars in a 2005 book, plans a sequel to his tell-all memoir "Juiced" that promises to add names to the sport's shame.
The New York Daily News and New York Post reported Sunday that Canseco's lawyer, Robert Saunooke, said the former Oakland A's star has signed a publishing deal.
Canseco hopes to have the new book available for sale when the season opens in March at Tokyo and promises to plug what he considers holes in the Mitchell Commission report that linked more than 80 men to performance-enhancing drugs.
"It will be an unjaundiced view, without the rose-colored glasses that (Mitchell's report) obviously put on," Saunooke said.
The book has a working title of "Vindicated" but actual vindication for the once-bulky slugger is unlikely even given the massive scope of the doping plague that has tainted the past decade's results in America's pastime.
"Juiced" was Canseco's confession of dope cheating and named Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi as steroid takers, helping to spark hearings before US lawmakers in which McGwire refused to deny doping while under oath.
More hearings before US lawmakers are planned in January but without players being involved, diminishing the importance and drama that can be expected given prior threats and inaction when applying pressure to baseball officials.
'Treasure' tops weekend at $35.6 million
LOS ANGELES - Fortune-seeker Nicolas Cage, lonely guy Will Smith and a pack of talking chipmunks ended Hollywood's year on a happy note. Cage's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" was the No. 1 movie for a second weekend with $35.6 million, followed by "Alvin and the Chipmunks" with $30 million and Smith's "I Am Legend" with $27.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Those hits along with a solid crop of other holdovers and new movies that opened Christmas Day capped a year-end hot streak for Hollywood, whose business soared the last few weeks after a sluggish fall.
"It's being spread among three or four key movies, then another six or seven or eight below that, which is great," said Mark Zoradi, president of the motion-picture group at Disney, which released "National Treasure."
The top 12 movies took in $169.2 million, up 18 percent from the final weekend of 2006, when "Night at the Museum" led the box office with $36.8 million.
Hollywood will finish the year with record revenues of about $9.7 billion, up from the previous best of $9.45 billion in 2004, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
Since prices are higher, the revenue represents actual admissions that were up only a fraction over 2006's and fell well short of modern Hollywood's record of 1.6 billion tickets sold in 2002.
With the holidays falling on Tuesday, many people have been taking five-day weekends, a boost for the movie business. Many students are off from school until next week, too.
"It's turned into like a two-week-long weekend for the movie industry," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.
"National Treasure," a sequel with Cage chasing historical clues to find a legendary city of gold, raised its domestic total to $124 million.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks," from 20th Century Fox, lifted its haul to $142.4 million. The Warner Bros. hit "I Am Legend," with Smith as a plague survivor who may be the last man alive, has climbed to $194.6 million.
Opening with huge numbers in limited release was Paramount Vantage's "There Will Be Blood," starring Daniel Day-Lewis in a tale of greed and violence during California's oil boom in the early 20th century. Playing at just two theaters in New York City and Los Angeles, "There Will Be Blood" took in $185,525 over the weekend and $309,703 since opening Wednesday. It expands to the top 10 markets Friday.
"There Will Be Blood" joins other films of violence and misdeeds such as "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and "Michael Clayton" aiming for top honors at the Academy Awards. All scored well in this month's Golden Globe nominations.
Oscar campaigner Harvey Weinstein, who delivered such best-picture winners as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago" while at Miramax, said he hoped his feel-good drama "The Great Debaters" would stand out for awards consideration among all the blood-soaked fare. The Weinstein Co. release, distributed by MGM, took in $6.3 million over the weekend and $13.5 million since opening on Christmas.
A Golden Globe nominee for best drama, "The Great Debaters" features director and star Denzel Washington alongside Forest Whitaker in a story of a black debate team in the 1930s South.
"We're late, but we're hoping we can get that last best-picture spot" for the Oscars, Weinstein said. "The other movies are pretty bloody, but this is an uplifting American story."
Oscar nominations come out Jan. 22.
Other films that debuted on Christmas had solid weekends. "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem," a sci-fi horror sequel from 20th Century Fox, took in $10.05 million, raising its total since opening day to $26.9 million. Sony's Loch Ness monster fantasy "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" grossed $9.2 million and lifted its sum to $16.8 million.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Wednesday.
1. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," $35.6 million.
2. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $30 million.
3. "I Am Legend," $27.5 million.
4. "Charlie Wilson's War," $11.8 million.
5. "Juno," $10.3 million.
6. "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem," $10.05 million.
7. "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," $9.2 million.
8. "P.S. I Love You," $9.1 million.
9. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," $8 million.
10. "Enchanted," $6.5 million.