Ledger Apartment Back Up For Rent
The New York rental apartment Heath Ledger died in has been put back on the market, the New York Post reports.
Three weeks after the actor was found dead in his bed after accidentally overdosing on prescription drugs, the Broome Street, Soho pad he had rented since September for approximately $22,000 per month is being offered up.
The vast apartment is 10 times the size of many Manhattan homes, with 4,400 square feet of floor space, and features three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an office, laundry room, wood-burning fireplace, kitchen and balcony.
Sources said that it is now being offered for around 25,000 a month.
A real estate agent told the New York Post: "You don't wait around in a hot rental market like this. As ghoulish as it sounds, people will rent that place in a heartbeat, especially when the vacancy rate is below one per cent."
Toronto rockers The Band won't reunite for special Grammy
Canadian-American rock group The Band is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on Saturday, but the occasion won't include a reunion among the surviving members.
Keyboardist Garth Hudson says he'll be there in Los Angeles with songwriter Robbie Robertson, but said that Arkansas-born drummer and singer Levon Helm won't be coming.
Helm hosts a regular musical jamboree, the Midnight Ramble, in Woodstock, N.Y., and is referring to Sunday's show as the "Gramble Ramble," in honour of the Grammys.
Hudson and his wife, Maude, were among past and present Canadian nominees who mingled poolside at the official residence of the Canadian consul general earlier this week in a celebration of Canadians at the Grammys.
This year, 15 Canadians stand to win trophies when the 50th annual Grammy Awards celebration gets underway Sunday.
Leading the pack is indie darling Feist, who snagged four nominations, including for the coveted best new artist title and best pop vocal album.
Jazz crooner Michael Bublé and pop star Nelly Furtado each have two nominations, while Arcade Fire, Rush, Nickelback and Emerson Drive each have one. Veterans Joni Mitchell, Howard Shore, Loreena McKennitt and John Gora are also up for one trophy each.
St. Catharines, Ont., polka king Walter Ostanek got his 20th Grammy nomination this year and has won three times.
Ostanek approached singer-poet Leonard Cohen for an autograph during the celebration, which also featured guests such as Carole Pope and actor Alan Thicke.
Canada's role in the music industry's most prestigious bash has been far from slight, with the very first live Grammy telecast masterminded by Quebec-born television producer Pierre Cossette.
The acclaimed TV guru ran the show for 35 years starting in 1971, ushering the industry gala from a series of taped specials called The Best on Record in the '60s to the star-packed extravaganza it eventually became.
Now 84, Cossette said it was a struggle to convince people to air that first show, which saw Simon and Garfunkel take record, album and song of the year for Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Carpenters crowned best new artist.
"I had a hard time selling the show after I got it because the networks didn't want a show that had to do with Haight-Ashbury and guys with hair down to their ankles and lipstick and all of that whole scene," recalled Cossette, who was born in Valleyfield, Que.
"Rock 'n' roll hadn't even entered the picture then. Rock 'n' roll in those days was Jackson 5, so that slowly evolved. We kept adding new things and the next thing you know, it's where it is today."
The early shows largely focused on U.S. acts, but gradually grew more diverse, said Grammy publicist Richard Mann, whose company Alfred Haber, Inc., helps distribute the show globally.
'Great shining lights'
"Musically, Canada is recognized a lot more for Grammy Awards nowadays and certainly over the last decade than it used to be," said Mann
Over the past nine years, Canadians have received an average of 18 Grammy nominations a year, with an average of one in four taking home trophies, according to Grammy statistics.
Leonard Cohen, who appears on this year's Grammy-nominated disc by Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters, said he's watched with pride as Canadian artists have grown in stature internationally over the years.
"Canadians have always had a very significant place in popular music," said Cohen, who stopped by the party with partner Anjani Thomas on his arm.
"There's always been very great shining lights and it continues from generation to generation. There's good wine in every generation."
Here Comes Mike Judge to ABC
ABC has picked up an animated series from "King of the Hill" co-creator Mike Judge, even though not a word has been written yet.
The network has ordered 13 episodes of an animated comedy called "The Goode Family" from Judge ("Office Space," "Idiocracy") and fellow "Hill" veterans John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. The show is being produced by Media Rights Capital, which recently signed an interim deal with the Writers Guild that will allow scripting on the show to begin.
It hasn't yet, however -- ABC bought the show based on a pitch, the showbiz trade papers report. In a normal year, that would be a pretty rare occurrence, but the writers' strike is causing networks to shake up the way they order new product.
"The Goode Family" will tell the story of a family that's obsessed with doing the right thing, politically, socially and otherwise. It being a comedy, their good intentions tend to have unforeseen consequences.
As he does on "King of the Hill," Judge will also provide voices for some of the characters on "The Goode Family."
ABC's recent history with prime-time animation has been spotty, to say the least. The network last tried its hand at the genre with "Clerks," which lasted only a few weeks in the summer of 2000; prior to that, it aired the first season of "The Critic" in 1994-95.
Oscar-spurned "Atonement" stars bid for BAFTAS
LONDON (Reuters) - Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, stars of the romantic drama "Atonement" who were overlooked in the race for Oscar glory, are hoping the British Academy Film Awards will offer rich compensation on Sunday.
The wartime epic about lovers torn apart by a family betrayal is hot favorite to land the Best Film prize -- but its two stars could be in for yet another disappointment after being passed over in the Hollywood nominations.
For Daniel Day-Lewis, playing an oil prospector in "There Will Be Blood," and veteran Julie Christie, acclaimed for her portrayal of an Alzheimer's sufferer in "Away From Her," are strongly fancied to scoop top BAFTA acting honors.
Both are also leading contenders when the Oscars, whose build-up has been overshadowed by a bitter writers' strike, are handed out in Hollywood on February 24.
Day-Lewis won a Best Actor Oscar in 1989 for his moving performance as a cerebral palsy victim in "My Left Foot." He famously stayed in character on set even when the cameras were not rolling.
Christie, one of the famous faces of the "Swinging Sixties," won an Oscar in 1965 for playing a model who slept her way to success in the London fashion scene. She also appeared in the classic films "Doctor Zhivago" and "Don't Look Now."
"Atonement," a homegrown favorite with BAFTA's 6,500 voting members, is up for Best Film against Ridley Scott's "American Gangster," the Coen Brothers' acclaimed "No Country for Old Men" as well as "The Lives of Others" and "There Will be Blood."
Organizers say the red carpet BAFTA show at London's Royal Opera House has attracted an impressive array of American TV networks, eager to generate some much needed show business hype in the run-up to the Oscars.
When the BAFTA nominations were announced in January, it looked as if it might end up as the movie industry's one and only big night of the year -- but Oscar night prospects now look much more positive amid signs the writers' strike could be resolved.
The British box office, often dominated by a heavy diet of Hollywood blockbusters, is in rude health.
Cinema-goers in Britain and Ireland spent 904 million pounds ($1.78 billion) in 2007, up eight percent on the previous year.
Seven of the top 20 films, led by "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," were British productions. That was up from just three home-grown hits in 2006.
Kids Choice Awards announces nominees
LOS ANGELES - A big green ogre elbowed aside Miley Cyrus — but just barely — in the race to secure the most nominations for the Nickelodeon cable network's 21st annual Kids Choice Awards.
The film "Shrek The Third" received a leading four nominations, including one for favorite animated movie. The other three were for favorite voice from an animated movie. They went to Mike Meyers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Shrek's wife, Fiona, and Eddie Murphy as Shrek's loyal sidekick, Donkey.
Pop superstar Cyrus was a force all her own, being nominated for favorite female singer and favorite female actress while her television show "Hannah Montana" received a favorite TV show nomination. The 15-year-old star won the favorite TV actress award last year.
Jack Black, who hosted the Kids Choice Awards two years ago, is returning for this year's March 29 broadcast.
The show, at which awards presentations are almost secondary to raucous appearances by celebrities and the wait to see who among them gets doused in gooey green slime, will be broadcast live on the Nickelodeon cable channel. Viewers can go online beginning March 3 to cast their votes for nominees.
The following is a complete list of nominees:
Movie: "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Are We Done Yet?," "The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "The Transformers."
Male Movie Star: Ice Cube, Johnny Depp, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Eddie Murphy.
Animated Movie: "Shrek The Third," "Bee Movie," "Ratatouille," "The Simpsons Movie."
Female Movie Star: Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Kirsten Dunst, Keira Knightley.
Voice From an Animated Movie: Cameron Diaz, Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld.
Song: "Beautiful Girls" (Sean Kingston), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie), "Don't Matter," (Akon), "Girlfriend" (Avril Lavigne.)
Male Singer: Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Soulja Boy, Justin Timberlake.
Music Group: Boys Like Girls, Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, Linkin Park.
Female Singer: Beyonce, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys.
TV Show: "Drake & Josh," "Hannah Montana," "iCarly," "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."
Reality Show: "America's Next Top Model," "American Idol," "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," "Deal or no Deal."
Television Actress: Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana"), Emma Roberts ("Unfabulous"), Jamie Lynn Spears ("Zoey 101"), Raven-Symone ("That's So Raven").
Television Actor: Drake Bell ("Drake & Josh"), Josh Peck ("Drake & Josh"), Dylan Sprouse ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"), Cole Sprouse ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody").
Cartoon: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Ed, Edd and Eddy," "The Simpsons," "SpongeBob SquarePants."
Male Athlete: Tony Hawk, Shaquille O'Neal, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods.
Female Athlete: Cheryl Ford, Danica Patrick, Serena Williams, Venus Williams.
Video Game: "Dance Dance Revolution," "Guitar Hero," "High School Musical: Sing It!", "Madden NFL '08."
Book: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume One: The Long Way Home," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Harry Potter series," "How to Eat Fried Worms."
Writers strike could see last chapter
LOS ANGELES - The now 3-month-old Hollywood writers strike could enter its final chapter Saturday when guild members gather in Los Angeles and New York to consider a proposed contract.
If writers respond favorably, the walkout that has devastated the entertainment industry could end as soon as Monday. Writers were wavering between hope and skepticism as they prepared to learn details of the deal for the first time.
"The feeling is relief and optimism and excitement," said Hilary Winston, a writer for the NBC sitcom "My Name Is Earl."
Still, she couldn't shake her lingering anxiety.
"I hope this deal made this three months worth it," she said.
Writer Erik Oleson, who watched a deal for a TV pilot fall apart during the strike, was reserving judgment.
"I'm not going to drink the Kool-Aid and accept a bad deal. I'd rather continue the strike," Oleson said. "We saw a press release but what matters is the fine print."
If members show strong support for the deal, the union could quickly lift its strike order, allowing dozens of TV shows to return to production and putting thousands of actors, crew members and others back to work.
An end to the strike might also salvage the Feb. 24 Academy Awards show, which is now facing a possible boycott by writers and sympathetic actors. The writers union has given a picket-free pass to Sunday's Grammy Awards.
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, have not publicly commented on the proposed contract because of a joint media blackout.
Michael Eisner, a former Walt Disney Co. chief executive, told CNBC the proposed deal was good enough to end the strike.
"It's impossible the writers will turn it down," said Eisner, whose successor at Disney, Robert Iger, was among the studio chiefs who helped shape the proposal with leaders of the writers guild.
The most contentious issue in the talks was residual payments for TV programs and movies distributed on the Internet.
"Within the next five years, most American televisions will be connected to the Internet. The shows and movies you watch on your TV will be downloaded or streamed," the union said in its strike fact sheet.
Some accounts suggest the proposed deal involving the 12,000-member union and the world's largest media companies improves on a contract agreement reached last month by studios and the Directors Guild of America.
Directors won several key concessions on new media, including payments for downloaded TV programs and movies based on a percentage of the distributor's gross.
The writers guild, however, has been seeking 2.5 percent of distributor grosses from Internet-delivered projects — about three times what the directors guild got in its deal.
Writers also balked at the maximum $1,200 flat fee that studios agreed to pay directors for streamed, ad-supported programs.
Writers won't vote Saturday on the proposed contract but will have a chance to voice their support or opposition at the closed meetings.
An e-mail circulated by a strike captain urged pro-deal members to attend so union leaders wouldn't hear only from opponents.
Other e-mails to guild members said a favorable response by writers would be followed by a Sunday meeting of the guild negotiating committee to consider lifting the strike order and scheduling a formal membership vote by mail.
"I hope Monday is when this town gets going again," Winston said. "If it's not Monday, I'll take Wednesday."
Warren Leight, an executive producer in New York for NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," doesn't think writers will be swayed by high-profile colleagues who have trumpeted the directors deal as a solid template for writers.
"If the deal works, everyone is ready to go back to work. But it has to be discussed by 10,000 people, not by 30 show runners and wannabe A-listers," Leight said.
Among the show runners — industry slang for executive producers in charge of a series — who lauded the directors deal was John Wells, whose credits include "ER" and "The West Wing." He termed it, "Very good. For writers, for directors, for the future."
A quick end to the walkout might result in TV viewers seeing a more new episodes of their favorite shows this season. A script takes about three weeks to write and about 40 working days to produce, so it could take as long as two months for the first new shows to air, Leight said.
But once a production has scripts and is up and running, episodes are worked on concurrently and an hour-long show can be produced within eight days, he said. That could allow an hourlong drama to return with perhaps a half-dozen new episodes, and a half-hour comedy to squeeze in as many as seven new shows for the rest of the season.
Networks, however, are likely to pick and choose among shows, with low-rated newcomers less likely to get deals for more episodes than a series like "Grey's Anatomy," which has a big, faithful audience.