Arctic Monkeys win top Brit Awards
LONDON - Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney set their recent troubles aside to steal the show Wednesday at the Brit Awards, the British music industry's most prestigious prizes.
Rockers Foo Fighters and British bands Take That and Arctic Monkeys were all double winners at Britain's equivalent of the Grammys.
Although she wasn't up for any awards, troubled jazz-pop diva Winehouse received a rapturous reception when she appeared to perform "Valerie" with Brit-nominated collaborator Mark Ronson. She followed that up with the sultry ballad "Love is a Losing Game" from her breakthrough album "Back to Black."
Winehouse, who appeared composed and confident, urged the crowd at London's Earl's Court arena to "make some noise for my Blake." Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is in prison awaiting trial for assault and lying to police.
Winehouse, 24, has had a tumultuous 12 months since she was named best female British act at last year's Brits. She won five Grammys earlier this month - a rare high point in a year of erratic behaviour, cancelled concerts, tabloid headlines and a spell in drug rehab.
McCartney, who has spent the last week in court trying to settle his acrimonious divorce from Heather Mills, closed the show with a crowd-pleasing medley of hits, including "Hey Jude" and "Live and Let Die" - a song he co-wrote with his late first wife Linda.
Accepting a lifetime achievement award, the former Beatle said: "I just think British music is the best."
Grown-up boy band Take That took the British single of the year prize for its song "Shine" and also was named best live act. The band - which split in 1996 but reformed a decade later minus original member Robbie Williams - joked about its advancing years.
"I'm 37 years old, I've got an arthritic knee," band member Jason Orange said. "We stand before you bruised and battered, but dead chuffed (pleased)."
The spiky pop quartet Arctic Monkeys was named British group of the year and also took the British album of the year prize for "Favourite Worst Nightmare."
Performer-producer Ronson, who has worked with Winehouse, Christina Aguilera and Jay-Z, was named British male solo act.
"I've never felt so British or male in my entire life," said Ronson, who divides his time between New York and London.
The British female solo artist trophy went to singer-songwriter Kate Nash - like Winehouse, a former student at the London arts academy the Brit School.
Beirut-born, London-raised Mika, whose flamboyant vocal style has been likened to Queen's Freddie Mercury, was named British breakthrough act.
Kanye West and Kylie Minogue were named international solo acts of the year, a category which featured two Canadian nominees, Calgary-raised Leslie Feist and Vancouver's Michael Buble.
Foo Fighters took prizes for international group and international album of the year for "Echoes Silence Patience & Grace," beating out Montreal's Arcade Fire and their CD, "Neon Bible."
The show, hosted by rock elder statesman Ozzy Osbourne and his family, was largely full of surprises or expletive-laden slips of the tongue.
The Osbournes took the stage accompanied by jets of flame and sat on thrones between two stages intended to reflect the two faces of British music - punk and glam.
Performers at the show included Kaiser Chiefs, Minogue and R & B star Rihanna, who sang her song "Umbrella" with British band Klaxons.
The awards are run by the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., an industry association. Most winners are selected by a vote of more than 1,000 industry members, including representatives from record companies, the media, retailers, record producers, disk jockeys and promoters.
The British single, British breakthrough act and British live act prizes are decided by public phone or online voting.
6 million music singles selling on eBay for minimum $3M bid
An astounding music collection of 3.3 million record albums and CDs representing every genre of American music is up for sale on eBay until Thursday evening.
Paul Mawhinney, owner of the Record Rama Sound Archives in Pittsburgh, Penn., is selling off what he calls "The World's Greatest Music Collection" — as a whole — with a starting bid price of $3 million US.
"This is my life's work," the 69-year-old music enthusiast told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
"I've had a lot of people that wanted it, but they didn't have the right kind of capital."
Mawhinney wants to sell his collection due to his failing health — he has diabetes — as well as a desire to spend more time with his five grandchildren.
The collection contains musical treasures such as an unreleased, untitled Rolling Stones album of early singles — only 300 copies were made — as well as 15 copies of the first edition of Elvis' Christmas Album from 1957.
The majority of the collection is vinyl, with about 300,000 CDs, and includes acetates, eight tracks and LPs in every speed.
$28.5 million offer fell through
Mawhinney almost sold the collection nine years ago, getting an offer of $28.5 million US in 1999 but the deal collapsed when the internet company went bankrupt.
He's tried to sell it to American institutions, such as the Library of Congress, but to no avail, as funding always seems to fall through.
Mawhinney says he'd like the collection to be available to the public, which is a proviso of the sale. "I want the history of American popular music to be available for future generations," he told The Toronto Star.
The buyer is required to either donate the collection or create a public space for people to access it. His eBay posting also mentions that there are "many thousands of duplicate copies, which could be sold individually on the collectibles market to recoup a substantial part of the purchase price."
Mawhinney says more than 80,000 people have visited his eBay page. The auction will be stopped on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. PST. Mawhinney has vowed to re-list should there be no bids.
The seller does have a couple of bonuses for whomever buys the collection.
He's offering his services for six months to the buyer to help organize the thousands of albums and CDs. In addition, the buyer also inherits more than $100,000 worth of antique recording and listening devices.
Saturn Award Nominees Announced, 300 Scores Big
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has announced it’s 34th annual nominations for the Saturn Award.
Leading the nominations this year is 300, with a stunning 10 nominations in various categories. Close behind is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with 9, and Sweeney Todd with 8.
They’re more than just movies though. They also hand out awards to television and even DVD. Lost and Dexter lead the television nominations with 7 and 5 nominations each. Check out all of this year’s nominees in the massive, complete Saturn Award nomination list below:
FILM NOMINATIONS
Best Science Fiction Film
Cloverfield (Paramount)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (20th Century Fox)
I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
The Last Mimzy (New Line Cinema)
Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Transformers (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Best Fantasy Film
Enchanted (Buena Vista)
The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Buena Vista)
Spider-Man 3 (Sony)
Stardust (Paramount)
Best Horror Film
30 Days of Night (Sony)
1408 (The Weinstein Co.)
Ghost Rider (Sony)
Grindhouse (The Weinstein Co.)
The Mist (The Weinstein Co.)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film
3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate)
300 (Warner Bros.)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Live Free or Die Hard (20th Century Fox)
No Country for Old Men (Miramax)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage)
Zodiac (Paramount)
Best Actor
Gerard Butler (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Cusack (“1408”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Will Smith (“I Am Legend”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Actress
Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
Ashley Judd (“Bug”) (Lionsgate)
Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Naomi Watts (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Belen Rueda (“The Orphanage”) (Picturehouse)
Carice van Houten (“Black Book”) (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”) (Lionsgate)
James Franco (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) (20th Century Fox)
Alan Rickman (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
David Wenham (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Supporting Actress
Lizzy Caplan (“Cloverfield”) (Paramount)
Marcia Gay Harden (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Lena Headey (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Rose McGowan (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Alex Etel (“The Water Horse”) (Sony)
Freddie Highmore (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Josh Hutcherson (“Bridge to Terabithia”) (Buena Vista)
Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Dakota Blue Richards (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (“The Last Mimzy”) (New Line Cinema)
Best Direction
Tim Burton (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Frank Darabont (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)
Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Zack Snyder (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Writing
Roger Avary, Neil Gaiman (“Beowulf”) (Paramount)
Brad Bird (“Ratatouille”) (Buena Vista)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Michael Goldenberg (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Gordon, Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Logan (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Best Music
Tyler Bates (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Jonny Greenwood (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Nicholas Hooper (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Mark Mancina (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Alan Menken (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
John Powell (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)
Best Costume
Colleen Atwood (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Ruth Myers (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Penny Rose (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Sammy Sheldon (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Jany Temime (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Wilkinson (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Make-Up
Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, Jake Garber - (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Davina Lamont - (“30 Days of Night”) (Sony)
Ve Neill, Martin Samuel - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Peter Owen, Ivana Primorac - (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Shaun Smith, Mark Rappaport - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Best Special Effects
Tim Burke, John Richardson, Paul Franklin, Greg Butler - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier - (“Transformers”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris, Trevor Wood - (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, John Frazier - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Scott Stokdyk, Peter Nofz, Spencer Cook, John R. Frazier - (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Chris Watts, Grant Freckelton, Derek Wentworth, Daniel Leduc - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Best International Film
Black Book (Sony Pictures Classics)
Day Watch (Fox Searchlight)
Eastern Promises (Focus Features)
Goya’s Ghosts (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
The Orphanage (Picturehouse)
Sleuth (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Animated Film
Beowulf (Paramount)
Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista)
Ratatouille (Buena Vista)
Shrek the Third (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
The Simpsons Movie (20th Century Fox)
Surf’s Up (Sony)
TELEVISION NOMINATIONS
Best Network Television Series
Heroes (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
Journeyman (NBC)
Supernatural (CW)
Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series
Dexter (Showtime)
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel)
Stargate SG-1 (Sci Fi Channel / MGM)
The Closer (TNT)
Kyle XY (ABC Family)
Saving Grace (TNT)
Best Presentation on Television
Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Sci Fi Channel)
The Company (TNT)
Fallen (ABC Family)
The Family Guy: “Blue Harvest” (Fox)
Masters of Science Fiction (ABC)
Shrek the Halls (ABC)
Tin Man (Sci Fi Channel)
Best International Series
Doctor Who (Sci Fi Channel)
Torchwood (BBC America)
Meadowlands (aka Cape Wrath) (Showtime)
Jekyll (BBC America)
Life On Mars (BBC America)
Robin Hood (BBC America)
Best Actor on Television
Matt Dallas (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Matthew Fox (Lost) (ABC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter) (Showtime)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman) (NBC)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) (Sci Fi Channel)
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)
Best Actress on Television
Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer) (CBS)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) (TNT)
Evangeline Lily (Lost) (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) (TNT)
Best Supporting Actor on Television
Michael Emerson (Lost) (ABC)
Greg Grunberg (Heroes) (NBC)
Josh Holloway (Lost) (ABC)
Erik King (Dexter) (Showtime)
Terry O’Quinn (Lost) (ABC)
Masi Oka (Heroes) (NBC)
Best Supporting Actress on Television
Jaime Alexander (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) (Showtime)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) (ABC)
Jaime Murray (Dexter) (Showtime)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) (NBC)
DVD NOMINATIONS
Best DVD Release
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Starz / Anchor Bay)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix) (Image)
Driftwood (Image)
The Man From Earth (Anchor Bay)
The Nines (Sony)
White Noise 2 (Universal)
Best Special Edition DVD Release
Big (Extended Edition) (Fox)
Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary – Blu Ray) (Sony)
Death Proof (Grindhouse Presentation: Extended & Unrated) (Genius)
Pan’s Labyrinth (Platinum Series) (New Line)
Troy: Director’s Cut (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)
Best Classic Film DVD Release
Alligator (Lionsgate)
The Dark Crystal (Sony)
Face/Off (Paramount)
Flash Gordon (Universal)
The Monster Squad (Lionsgate)
Witchfinder General (MGM)
Best Collection on DVD
The Godzilla Collection (Classic Media)
The Mario Bava Collection (Vol. 1 & 2) (Anchor Bay)
The Sergio Leone Anthology (MGM)
The Sonny Chiba Collection (BCI / Eclipse)
Stanley Kubrick (Warner Home Video Directors Series) (Warner)
Vincent Price (MGM Scream Legends Collection) (MGM)
Best Television Series on DVD
Eureka (Season 1) (Universal)
Heroes (Season 1) (Universal)
Hustle (Complete Seasons 2 and 3) (BBC Warner)
Lost (The Complete Third Season) (Buena Vista)
MI:5 (Volumes 4 & 5) (BBC Warner)
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (BBC Warner)
Best Retro Television Series on DVD
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (Volume 1: The Early Years) (Paramount)
Count Dracula (BBC Mini-series 1977) (BBC Warner)
Land of the Giants (The Full Series) (Fox)
Mission Impossible (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)
Twin Peaks (The Definitive Gold Box Edition) (Paramount)
The Wild Wild West (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)
Report: Strike Cost $2.5 Billion
Lesson learned from the recent writers' strike: The pen is costlier than the sword.
A report released Wednesday by Jack Kyser, the chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., has revealed that the three-month walkout by film and TV writers took a heavier toll on Tinseltown's bottom line than predicted—$2.5 billion in lost show business.
The 71-page study, dubbed the Economic Forecast Report, concluded that the writers' strike, which started Nov. 5 and ended last week, resulted in millions of dollars in lost wages for the cast and crews of shuttered film and television productions.
The strike's impact alone on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual Golden Globes Award ceremony cost the Industry upwards of $60 million, including lost advertising dollars and missed promotional opportunities by studios looking to boost their prestige pictures ahead of this Sunday's Oscars.
Despite solid gains at the domestic and global box office in 2007, as well as last week's deal in which scribes won concessions for royalties from content streamed over the Internet, Kyser and his analysts expressed concern that the devastating economic effect of the protracted strike could lead the Screen Actors Guild to dig in its heels when its own contract is up on June 30.
It's widely expected that the actors will follow the template forged by the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America in their new accords with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
However, Kyser's report said another strike wasn't out of the question, as SAG leaders are still "talking tough" about their negotiations.
Given how the work stoppage has thrown the scripted TV season for next fall into chaos, leaving many of its members scrounging for work, the union may hold out for a better revenue-sharing deal than the ones obtained separately by writers and directors.
The guild may seek to make up the shortfall in DVD sales, per the report. Sales remain flat this year, after suffering a steep 3.4 percent drop last year to $16 billion.
But with stars like Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro leading the charge, several key members of the Screen Actors Guild have urged the union to initiate early talks with the alliance to head off the possibility of another walkout.
While another strike would be grim news, the economic forecast for Los Angeles County for 2008 already predicts continued job losses in the manufacturing, information service and construction sectors due to the fallout from the strike.
Hasbro, Universal pact may produce Monopoly movie
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hasbro Inc on Wednesday said it signed a six-year deal with Universal Pictures for the film company to make at least four movies based on well-known games like Monopoly, Battleship, Candy Land and Ouija.
The first movie from the deal is to be released in either 2010 or 2011, with Universal releasing at least one film per year thereafter, the companies said.
Universal pictures is part of NBC Universal, which is 80 percent owned by General Electric Co and 20 percent by France's Vivendi.
Amy Winehouse to perform at Brit Awards
LONDON - Mika, Leona Lewis and Take That were the front-runners for Wednesday's Brit Awards, the British music industry's most prestigious prizes.
But much of the anticipation focused on an artist who isn't nominated for any awards — Amy Winehouse. The troubled soul diva, who scooped up five Grammys last week, was due to perform alongside superproducer Mark Ronson on his reworking of The Zutons' "Valerie." The song, from Ronson's album "Version," is nominated for best British single.
Organizers would not confirm reports Winehouse also planned to sing one of the hits from her breakthrough album "Back to Black."
Winehouse, 24, has had a tumultuous 12 months since she was named best female British act at last year's Brits. Her five Grammys — which include record of the year for her autobiographical single "Rehab" — was a rare high point in a year of erratic behavior, canceled concerts, tabloid headlines and drug allegations.
Winehouse spent two weeks in a rehab facility before her Feb. 10 appearance at the Grammys. She performed by video link from London because of a holdup in obtaining a U.S. work visa.
The Brits usually attract a sprinkling of international stars as well as top British acts. Scheduled performers at Wednesday's ceremony, hosted by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, include Kaiser Chiefs, Kylie Minogue and Rihanna.
The nominated acts are a mix of the new and the nostalgic. Take That — who split in 1996 but reformed a decade later minus original member Robbie Williams — were nominated in four categories: British group, British live act, British album for "Beautiful World" and British single for "Shine."
Mika also had four nominations, including British male solo artist, British breakthrough act, British album for "Life in Cartoon Motion" and British single for "Grace Kelly."
Lewis, winner of the TV talent contest "X Factor," was in the running for British female solo artist, British breakthrough act, British album for her debut "Spirit" and British single for "Bleeding Love."
Ronson, the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Kate Nash each have three nominations.
Paul McCartney, who has spent the past week in court trying to settle his acrimonious divorce from Heather Mills, was due to perform and receive a lifetime achievement award.
The awards are run by the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., an industry association. Most winners are selected by a vote of more than 1,000 industry members, including representatives from record companies, the media, retailers, record producers, disk jockeys and promoters.
The British single, British breakthrough act and British live act prizes are decided by public voting by phone or online.