'Dark Knight' sweeps People's Choice Awards
LOS ANGELES Holy, People's Choice Awards, Batman! "The Dark Knight" soared away with every trophy it was nominated for Wednesday at the 35th annual fan-favorite CBS ceremony. The caped crusader flick won five awards, including favorite cast, superhero, action movie and on-screen matchup for Christian Bale's Batman and the late Heath Ledger's Joker.
"On behalf of all of the cast from the movie, thank you very much to the fans," said Bale. "Here's to Heath."
The CBS ceremony was hosted by Queen Latifah and returned to the Shrine Auditorium for its typical star-studded live show format, following last year's writer's strike-friendly, pre-taped program. Stars such as Adam Sandler, Kate Hudson, Robin Williams, Hugh Laurie and Reese Witherspoon showed up to accept thier awards at the slightly subdued ceremony.
"It's such a great way to start the new year," Witherspoon, the "Four Christmases" star who won an Oscar in 2005 for portaying June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," said as she accepted her award for favorite female movie star. "A couple years ago, I won a great award for singing in a movie. This year, I won an award for having a baby throw up on me."
Other recipients selected by Internet voters in categories spanning movies, television and music included "Dancing With the Stars" as favorite reality show, Carrie Underwood as favorite female singer, "House" as favorite TV drama, Brad Pitt as favorite leading man, Angelina Jolie as favorite female action star and Ellen DeGeneres as favorite talk show host.
"I wish I could share this with you," DeGeneres told the audience while clutching her trophy on stage. "I could throw it on the ground and smash it into a million pieces, and give each one of you a little piece of it, but that's violent, and that's probably why you voted for me, because I'm not violent."
Here's a complete list of winners:
FILM
Movie: The Dark Knight
Family Movie: WALL-E
Action Movie: The Dark Knight
Movie, Comedy: 27 Dresses
Movie, Drama: The Secret Life of Bees
Independent Movie: The Secret Life of Bees
Cast: The Dark Knight (Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal)
Male Movie Star: Will Smith
Leading Man: Brad Pitt
Male Action Star: Will Smith
Female Movie Star: Reese Witherspoon
Leading Lady: Kate Hudson
Female Action Star: Angelina Jolie
Onscreen Matchup: Christian Bale & Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Superhero: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman
TELEVISION
Drama: House
Comedy: Two and a Half Men
Animated Comedy: The Simpsons
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show: Heroes
Competition/Reality Show: Dancing With the Stars
Game Show: Deal or No Deal
Male TV Star: Hugh Laurie
Female TV Star: Christina Applegate
Female Drama Diva: Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on The Closer
Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres
Scene-Stealing Guest Star: Robin Williams on Law & Order: SVU
Female Drama Diva: Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson on The Closer
New TV Drama: The Mentalist
New TV Comedy: Gary Unmarried
MUSIC
Male Singer: Chris Brown
Female Singer: Carrie Underwood
Group: Rascal Flatts
R&B Song: "No One" by Alicia Keys
Pop Song: "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
Rock Song: "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock
Country Song: "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood
Hip-Hop Song: "Low" by Flo Rida, featuring T-Pain
Combined Forces: "No Air" by Jordin Sparks, featuring Chris Brown
Song From a Soundtrack: "Mamma Mia" by Meryl Streep, from Mamma Mia!
MISCELLANEOUS
Funny Male Star: Adam Sandler
Funny Female Star: Tina Fey
Star 35 & Under: Carrie Underwood
Ghostbusters are coming to Blu-ray in June!!
One of the most anticipated catalog releases, the original Ghostbusters is celebrating it's 25th Anniversary and getting ready for the new video game from Atari.
The DVD and game will come the same day and the disc will include audio commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuck, deleted scenes, storyboards, the featurettes The Making of Ghostbusters, Interviews with Cast and Crew and SFX Team.
These features come straight from the DVD release, but the Blu-ray will include Slimer Mode - whatever it is, it sounds awesome.
Other new features include the new featurette Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car, a car phoot gallery and a 32 page screpbook. BD-Live features are also included.
Stay-Puft in 1080p. What more can you ask for? The Blu-ray arrives on June 16th.
Report: Springsteen To Play Inaugural Event
The Washington Post is reporting that Bruce Springsteen will perform at Washington D.C.'s National Mall on Jan. 18 as part of the Barack Obama inauguration festivities. The performance will be free and open to the public.
Springsteen was a vocal Obama supporter, playing benefit shows in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, as well as appearing at a rally with the President-elect in Cleveland.
Springsteen's new album, "Working on a Dream," is due Jan. 27 from Columbia. With the E Street Band, he will perform at the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show on Feb. 1 in Tampa.
Simon Pegg and Robert Weide Ask Fans NOT to Buy Their Movie on DVD
Its typical for movie stars and directors do interviews and press to promote the release of their latest movies on DVD, but actor Simon Pegg and director Robert B. Weide are asking fans NOT to buy the Region 1 DVD of How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. Its not a marketing gimmick, reverse psychology or anything like that Weide and Pegg made big compromises in the final cut of the film under the belief that cut material would eventually materialize on the DVD release.
In any movie, there are a number of scenes that get cut in an effort to keep the film from running too long. Some are of little consequence, but others are important scenes that are very painful to lose. In this instance, there were a few scenes that I fought hard to keep, but eventually acquiesced with the knowledge that at least theyd be available on the DVD. Well, not so in the U.S, says Weide in an official press release. Simon and I worked very hard to make sure the DVD would be packed with bonus material. The British distributors (Paramount) solicited our input and included all of the extras. Sadly, the American distributors (MGM/Fox) locked us out of the process and managed to leave off most of the bonus material.
The deleted scenes (with optional commentary), audio commentaries, a gag reel, and video diaries are included on the Region 2 release, but are completely missing from the Region 1 (US) release of the DVD. Weide explains that once he discovered the bonus material was omitted from the U.S. DVD, he was told by the American distributors that they wanted to include the special features, but had trouble clearing it. Weides response? It boils down to sloppiness and apathy. All of the material was absolutely cleared for all territories. There were just too many cooks in the kitchen and the left hand failed to communicate with the right hand. The ball was gently placed in those hands, and they dropped it.
Weide reports that he sent numerous e-mails to those charged with integrating the bonus material, offering to clear up any problems or questions they might run into along the way. The responses I received were somewhat dismissive, until they finally wrote me saying thank you they had all the material in hand. I later found out they never obtained it. If they had told me the truth, I would have had the tapes on their desk within 24 hours. Weide says that by the time the truth was revealed, MGM told him that The ship had sailed, meaning the DVD replication had already taken place, and there was no going back.
Mickey Rourke Wrestling With Iron Man 2
Fresh from the The Wrestler's ring, Mickey Rourke might next be putting the hurt on Robert Downey Jr.
The rebuzzworthy actor is in talks to play one of the villians in the upcoming Iron Man 2, which is scheduled to start shooting this spring, studio sources confirm to E! News.
Tony Stark's new nemesis is another techno-mad arms dealer, this time a Russian who battles our hero in a nuclear-powered suit of armor. Early speculation about the heavily guarded, Justin Theroux-penned script suggests that the character will be Crimson Dynamo, of Marvel Comics fame.
Also in line to play a foe, according to the Hollywood Reporter, is Charlie's Angels baddie Sam Rockwell, who might be suiting up as Justin Hammer, a rival billionaire industrialist.
The already anticipated sequel is slated for a summer 2010 release, with Gwyneth Paltrow back as Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle taking over for Terrence Howard as Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes. Jon Favreau is once again directing.
Meanwhile, Rourke is certainly a hot commodity as we roll into red-carpet season, having been nominated for a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his role as a washed-up wrestler looking to make amends for a life ill-lived in the aptly titled The Wrestler.
Hollywood writers nominate best film scripts
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) Hollywood screenwriters on Wednesday named nominees for 2008's best film scripts with a few surprises among the movies vying for honors ahead of the industry's highest awards -- the Oscars in February.
The Writers Guild of America nominated for best original screenplay "Milk," written by Dustin Lance Black and telling of the life of slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, along with Robert Siegel's "The Wrestler," which looks at the life of a faded sports star.
Those writers will be joined by veteran Woody Allen with romantic comedy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," brothers Joel and Ethan Coen for another comedy, "Burn After Reading," and Tom McCarthy with immigration tale "The Visitor."
In the best adapted screenplay category, the Writers Guild nominated Eric Roth for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," about a man who ages backward, John Patrick Shanley with sex abuse drama "Doubt" and Simon Beaufoy for "Slumdog Millionaire," which tells of a young Indian man who competes to win a fortune on a television game show.
Joining those film writers in the adapted screenplay group are brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan for their Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," and Peter Morgan with "Frost/Nixon," which recounts the interviews by British TV host David Frost of disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon.
Nominees for awards from the Writers Guild often provide industry watchers with clues as to which films will compete for Oscars, the world's top movie honors, because many guild members also belong to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Oscars.
Next on the list guild nominations will be the Directors Guild of America with its honors for film direction.
While several Writers Guild-nominated movies such as "Milk," "Slumdog" and "Benjamin Button" have enjoyed high profiles in early critical and other honors, "Burn After Reading," and "The Visitor" have stayed mostly out of the race.
Writers Guild nods could cause Academy voters to give those two a second look. Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22.
In addition to best original and adapted screenplay, the Writers Guild also named nominees for best documentary writing. Competing in that arena will be Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker for "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story," Alex Gibney with "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson," Brett Morgen for "Chicago 10," Johnny O'Hara for "Fuel" and Ari Folman with "Waltz with Bashir."
The Writers Guild Awards will be given out on February 7 in Los Angeles. The Oscars are given out on February 22.
Ken Burns adding a 10th inning to 'Baseball'
LOS ANGELES Filmmaker Ken Burns is adding a tenth inning to his nine-part "Baseball" documentary series that aired in the '90s on public television.
PBS said Wednesday that the new film, titled "The Tenth Inning," will air in spring 2010, along with a rebroadcast of the original nine-part "Baseball" documentary series that debuted in 1994. Meanwhile, the series is running Tuesday nights on the new MLB Network.
The new film will track baseball history from 1993 through 2008, beginning where the original series ended, and feature interviews with Felipe Alou, Joe Torre and other baseball figures.
Brad Pitt says he was faithful to Jennifer Aniston
LOS ANGELES Brad Pitt is extracting himself from the tabloid love triangle: The actor says his relationship with current flame Angelina Jolie began sometime after splitting from Jennifer Aniston.
In October, Jolie revealed that she and Pitt fell in love while making the 2005 film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." In November, Aniston called Jolie's comments "really uncool," because she was married to Pitt while the movie was in production.
Pitt sets the record straight in a story posted on W magazine's Web site Wednesday, defending both women and insisting that his relationship with Jolie didn't begin until after he and ex-wife Aniston split in 2005.
"Jen is a sweetheart," Pitt tells the magazine for its Jan. 20 issue. "I think she got dragged into that one, and then there's a second round to all that Angie versus Jen. It's so created.
"What people don't understand is that we filmed ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") for a year. We were still filming after Jen and I split up," he continues. "Even then it doesn't mean that there was some kind of dastardly affair. There wasn't. I'm very proud of the way that it was handled. It was respectful."
Pitt says he and Aniston "still check in with each other."
"She was a big part of my life, and me hers," he says. "I don't see how there cannot be (that). That's life, man."
The 45-year-old Pitt, who has six children with Jolie, was nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award for his starring role in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Jolie was nominated for those same awards for her starring turn in "Changeling." Aniston can currently be seen in the family film "Marley & Me."