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Japanese director embraces horror

2005-04-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

When Hideo Nakata was looking for a way to break into Hollywood, he wanted to avoid the types of horror movies with which he made his name back home.

The original Japanese Ringu and Ringu 2, psychological thrillers about a cursed video that kills its viewers within seven days, were huge successes.

The Hollywood version of The Ring starred Naomi Watts and was an international hit in autumn 2002.

But Nakata wanted to get away from horror to escape the "inevitable" comparisons between his Japanese and Hollywood creations, he tells the BBC World Service's The Ticket programme.

"Ironically, it turned out I directed The Ring 2," he says of the new US version of the sequel he originally made in his home country in 1999.

I would call it 'quiet horror'

Hideo Nakata
"But at the same time, I feel very happy because I was trying very hard to make a movie there [Hollywood], and I thought the script itself was very interesting."

Nakata is one of the directors who have helped establish a new wave of Japanese psychological horror that relies more on the viewer's mind to create terror than graphic or gory visuals.

That style has not been lost in his first Hollywood movie, he says.

"I would call it 'quiet horror'. It's quiet in terms of soundtrack, and subtle in terms of images."

In such subtle films, ghosts would appear and do little but stare "with sad, vengeful eyes", he says. "That's scary enough."

"That's the way we would think the ghost in the movies would look - more natural, more believable, more than a ghost or evil existence attacking the character.

Now a Western audience is more patient, more tolerant of quiet expressions in horror movies

Hideo Nakata
"It used to be a little bit boring for a Western audience, but now a Western audience is more patient, more tolerant of quiet expressions in horror movies."

Watts also stars in The Ring 2, together with child actor David Dorfman, who plays her son.

Nakata says The Ring 2 has a very different story to Ringu 2.

"It's almost a love triangle," Nakata adds. "Whereas Ringu 2 is about a bunch of people who have to deal with the curse of the tape."

Nakata will make a new version of Hong Kong horror The Eye
Nakata will stay in Hollywood for his next project, another remake of an Asian psychological horror - The Eye, originally from Hong Kong.

But he hopes to be back in Japan next year to make another traditional ghost story.

"I would like to explore the possibility of doing another kind of movie," he adds.

"I have directed two documentary movies and straight drama, but unfortunately those type of movies are not as famous as my horror."

The organisers of the Oscars are taking legal action against three companies they claim sold tickets to February's award ceremony without permission.

2005-04-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says a pair of tickets was offered for sale for $30,000 (£15,900).

In a complaint filed at Los Angeles Superior Court, the Academy claimed the sale was a breach of security.

It said the "glamorous" event was a potential target for terrorists and celebrity stalkers.

Strictly limiting tickets to invited guests would help ensure the event's security, the Academy added.

Organisers also claimed offers to buy and sell tickets diminished the exclusivity of the movie world's most prestigious event.

Damages

They are seeking damages and court orders barring the businesses and individuals concerned from selling tickets and press passes for future Academy Award ceremonies.

Los Angeles company Musical Chairs, VIP Getaways of Long Beach and StubHub Inc of San Francisco have been named in the legal action, along with a limousine driver. Those named were unavailable for comment.

Academy spokesman Leslie Unger said all tickets were "non-transferable" and legal action to curb past unauthorised ticket sales had been successful.

Tickets for the Academy Awards, which are distributed by lottery, have a face value of up to $700 (£370) a pair.

Recipients are obliged to sign acknowledgements saying they will not sell or give away their passes.

Cosby hits back over sex claims

2005-03-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

Police recently said Cosby would not face charges - but the unnamed woman is now expected to pursue a civil action.

"Looking back on it, I realise words and actions can be misinterpreted by another person," said Cosby, 67.

"I'm not saying that what I did was wrong, but I apologise to my loving wife," he told the National Enquirer.

The actor added his wife had "stood by my side for all these years" and said he was sorry "for any pain I have caused her".

I am not going to give in to people who try to exploit me because of my celebrity status

Bill Cosby
"These allegations have caused my family great emotional stress," he said.

The woman, who lives in Ontario, reported allegations of sexual misconduct to Canadian authorities, stemming from an incident in January 2004.

The comedian, best known for his role in the hit sitcom The Cosby Show, denied the allegations.

'Take advantage'

He said he did not know why the woman was making the accusations but told the magazine: "I am not going to give in to people who try to exploit me because of my celebrity status."

He also said: "Sometimes you try to help people and it backfires on you and then they try to take advantage of you. People can soil you by taking advantage."

Cosby's spokesman confirmed the TV star was interviewed by the magazine.

After Cosby's son Ennis was murdered in 1997, The National Enquirer offered a $100,000 (£52,000) reward that led to the arrest and conviction of the killer

Few were surprised when Hilary Swank won the best actress Oscar for her role as a determined female boxer in Million Dollar Baby.

2005-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

After all, the 30-year-old star from Lincoln, Nebraska, had already picked up a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award and a slew of other prizes for her fiercely committed performance.

Swank put on 19lbs (9kg) of muscle and trained over four hours a day to play Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's drama.

And her hard work and determination has once again endeared her to the Academy's voters.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether Swank will be able to forge a lasting career out of this second dose of Oscar glory.

The auspices are far from promising judging from the obscurity that followed her first best actress win five years ago.

Swank's portrayal of cross-dressing youth Brandon Teena in 1999 drama Boys Don't Cry made her an overnight celebrity.

But her subsequent roles in period piece The Affair of the Necklace, sci-fi flop The Core and psychological thriller Insomnia hardly capitalised on her newfound fame.

Indeed, had she not been hired to promote Calvin Klein underwear in a major advertising campaign, it is possible she might have dropped off the radar altogether.

Plans to portray Dominica's Carib Indians as cannibals in the sequel to hit film Pirates of the Caribbean have been criticised by the group's chief.

2005-02-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Carib Chief Charles Williams said talks with Disney's producers revealed there was "a strong element of cannibalism in the script which cannot be removed".

The Caribbean island's government said Disney planned to film in Dominica.

The Caribs have long denied their ancestors practised cannibalism. Disney was unavailable for comment.

"Our ancestors stood up against early European conquerors and because they stood up...we were labelled savages and cannibals up to today," said Mr Williams.

About 3,000 Caribs live on the island of Dominica

"This cannot be perpetuated in movies."

Shooting on the sequel is expected to begin in April, with hundreds of Dominicans applying to be extras in the movie.

Lack of understanding

About 3,000 Caribs live on the island of Dominica, which has a population of 70,000.

Many Caribs were killed by disease and war during colonisation up to the 1600s.

Mr Williams said he had received support from indigenous groups around the world in his efforts to have cannibalism references removed from the film.

But he admitted there were some members of the Carib council who did not support the campaign.

He said some did not "understand our history, they are weak and are not committed to the cause of the Carib people".

The first Pirates of the Caribbean film took $305m (£162m) at the box office in the US alone.

The cast and crew are to work on two sequels back-to-back, with the first to be released in 2006.

Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodovar has resigned from the Spanish Film Academy after a row over voting procedures for its annual awards.

2005-02-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

He also criticised the way the academy choses which film will represent Spain at the Oscars.

Almodovar's latest film Bad Education lost out to Alejandro Amenabar's The Sea Inside for the Oscar nomination.

The Sea Inside scooped 14 awards at Spain's top ceremony The Goyas whilst Bad Education failed to win anything.

Despite achieving international acclaim, including a British Bafta nomination, Almodovar's Bad Education was only nominated for four Goyas, Spain's national film awards.

Meanwhile Amenabar's euthanasia drama The Sea Inside walked away with a record tally of awards including best film and best director.

Unfavourable

A member of the academy for 17 years, Almodovar resigned alongside his brother Augustin, who produces many of his films.

In a statement from their production company El Deseo, the brothers said they disagreed with new voting procedures which meant artists could only be nominated for awards by members of their own profession.

Agustin Almodovar told state radio: "We think that the current voting system is seriously unfavourable to certain films like ours and means very important people or work are left out."

Almodovar's 2002 film Talk To Her won an Oscar for best original screenplay, following his previous win for 1999's All About My Mother in the best foreign language film category.

Rapper Eminem has denied Elvis his fourth number one of the year, after his song, Like Toy Soldiers, stormed to the top of the singles charts.

2005-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

The track claimed the top spot ahead of The King's latest re-release, Are You Lonesome Tonight.

It is the fifth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of Presley's birth.

Almost Here, the duet from former Westlife star Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem, went in at number three.

Charity single

Like Toy Soldiers, from Eminem's Encore album, is sampled from Martika's 1980s hit Toy Soldiers.

It takes a swipe at hip-hop feuds and follows the success of Just Lose It.

Last week's number one, Elvis's It's Now or Never, slipped 13 places to number 14, but all five of his re-released songs are in the Top 40.

One World Project Tsunami fundraiser, Grief Never Grows Old, slipped four places to number eight.

Featuring Cliff Richard and Boy George, the song was written by former DJ Mike Read.

In the album charts, Athlete's latest offering Tourist claimed the top spot, toppling the Chemical Brother's Push The Button Down, which fell to number six.

Lifetime Achievement Award For Leonardo DiCaprio

2005-02-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

At the age of 30, Hollywood heart-throb, Leonardo DiCaprio was presented the "Platinum Award" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday.

The award, created to commemorate the festival's 20th anniversary, recognizes DiCaprio's "exceptional career," according to Roger Durling, festival director.

DiCaprio is currently starring in the critically acclaimed film The Aviator, portraying the eccentric Howard Hughes. He won the Best Actor award (Drama) at the Golden Globes 2005.

Victoria Wood has attacked comic Sacha Baron Cohen for his character Ali G's "horrible" brand of "victim" humour.

2005-02-01T03:23:00.000-08:00

Baron Cohen is known for his spoof interviews with public figures On his Channel 4 show Da Ali G.

He has as targeted the likes of Tony Benn and Judge James Pickles and taken his show to the US.

But Wood likened his act to "laughing at lunatics". "I find the endless setting up of 'victims' tiresome," she told Radio Times magazine.

She told the Radio Times magazine: "What I can't bear is something like Ali G, where half the people involved don't know what's going on.

"With so many good writers and good performers, it's a shame people can't just write a script and have other people learn it."

It's all got to be done by duping and it's horrible

Victoria Wood
On his show, Baron Cohen asked Judge Pickles: "Is it all right to murder someone if they call your mum a slag?"

He also left Mr Benn temporarily speechless by saying: "Do you think people strike just 'cos they is lazy?"

Wood added: "It's all got to be done by duping and it's horrible, like laughing at lunatics."

Antique sketch

Wood rose to fame after winning the talent show New Faces in 1973, with her signature style of songs and stand-up.

Her latest project is a West End musical adaptation of her spoof soap opera Acorn Antiques, which opens at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 9 February.

The musical, which is written by Wood and directed by Trevor Nunn, reunites the cast of the original sketch first seen on television nearly 20 years ago.

Julie Walters and Wood herself share the role of Mrs Overall, while original cast members Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston also star.

"I didn't write it with the intention of having that cast," said Wood.

"It never occurred to me they'd want to be in it, and I certainly didn't want to be in it myself. I just wanted to write a musical and thought I'd get people from musical theatre.

"But when I mentioned it to Julie at my 50th birthday, she immediately said, 'Fantastic!' and once she'd agreed to do it, the others agreed, too."

Actress Sharon Stone has collected $1m (£530,000) to fight malaria in five minutes at an impromptu fund-raiser.

2005-01-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Basic Instinct star pledged some of her own money to buy nets to protect against bites from mosquitoes carrying the deadly disease.

She then implored others at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to do the same and about 30 delegates responded - one man promised $50,000 (£26,475).

Actress Angelina Jolie was also there, and called Stone's act "wonderful".

Jolie, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, said: "We can all contribute in our own way."

'Just stand up'

The 46-year-old actress made her plea at a conference on African poverty after it was revealed that 150,000 children were dying of malaria every month because they did not possess protective bed nets.

"I'd like to offer you $10,000 to buy some bed nets today," Stone told Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who was on the panel.

"Just stand up. Just stand up. People are dying in his country today, and that is not okay with me," Stone told the delegates.

The money will go to the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.

The nets, which are a simple way of protecting against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, can be purchased for about $7 (£3.70) each.

Actress Nicole Kidman has won a restraining order against two paparazzi photographers who she claims left her fearful of leaving her Sydney mansion.

2005-01-28T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Oscar-winning star took action against Jamie Fawcett and Ben McDonald after a bugging device was found outside her home earlier this week.

Lawyers for the pair denied allegations they had planted the device.

The Australian actress is currently in Sydney to film her latest movie, Eucalyptus, with Russell Crowe.

Kidman was prompted to take action following a reported high-speed car chase with members of the paparazzi in Sydney last weekend.

Public figure

According to local newspaper the Daily Telegraph, the incident involved paparazzi driving through red lights and on the wrong side of the road in pursuit of Kidman's vehicle.

Lawyers for Mr Fawcett and Mr McDonald denied that the pair were involved in the chase.

Kidman sought the "apprehended violence" orders - normally used in Australia in cases of domestic violence and similar incidents - after being advised to do so by local police.

"Nicole would like to make it clear that she acknowledges she is a public figure and that reporters and photographers have a job to do and she respects that," said Kidman's publicist Wendy Day.

"However, these are specific actions against two individuals who, over a period of time, have caused her to feel threatened, intimidated and unable to leave her home without fearing for her safety."

Magistrate Lee Gilmore, who issued the restraining order at Waverley Local Court in Sydney, said she understood the photographers were entitled to earn a living but there had to be limits to their behaviour.

"Miss Kidman says she's willing to put up with some of it, but it's gone beyond that," she said. "I do believe the allegation in relation to the driving is a serious issue."

Kate Winslet is being tipped for Oscar

2005-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

If she makes it onto the Oscar shortlists for both films, it will mark the fourth and fifth time that the actress has been up for one of the coveted statues.

So far, Winslet has been nominated for best supporting actress twice, for Sense and Sensibility and for playing the young Iris Murdoch in Iris, while she netted a best actress nomination in 1997 for the multi-Oscar winning Titanic, ultimately losing out to Helen Hunt for As Good As It Gets.

But of course she is no stranger to the red carpet, having scored a whole batch of awards and nominations over the past decade.

Cult British group Portishead have revealed they are writing their third album, their first in eight years.

2005-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Founding member Geoff Barrow told BBC 6 Music the record was well on the way to being completed.

"We're actually into it as we speak. We took some time off for Christmas, but generally we're doing another record," Barrow told the digital radio station.

News of their album plans comes after confirmation the Bristol band will play a tsunami charity show next month.

Potishead will play alongside fellow Bristol band Massive Attack at Oxfam's Tsumani appeal, held at the Bristol Academy on 19 February.

Barrow said he was surprised people thought the band, who won a Mercury Music Prize in 1995 for their debut album Dummy, had split up.

Influential group

"We've just had our heads down really, we've never actually broken up, or parted, or whatever.

"So for us it just seems, even though we haven't played for years, we still see each other and write - we just haven't released a record for a long time."

Portishead will not play any new material at next month's concert, which will feature singer Beth Gibbons playing with an acoustic backing.

Other acts appearing include Liverpool band The Coral and former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant.

Portishead became an international success and a deeply inflential band despite their scant recorded output.

Dummy was a critics' favourite in 1994, hailed for its blend of menacing sounds and hip-hop beats married to old soul samples.

The follow up, Portishead, was released three years later.

New York pop group Scissor Sisters had the UK's best-selling album of 2004 after overtaking rock band Keane's sales on the last day of the year.

2005-01-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Scissor Sisters' self-titled debut CD sold 1,594,259 copies in 2004 - 582 more than Keane's Hopes and Fears.

Scissor Sisters, whose hits included Comfortably Numb, Laura and Mary, have mixed a hip club style with pop tunes.

Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits was the year's third biggest-seller, followed by Maroon 5, Katie Melua and Anastacia.

US R&B star Usher's Confessions was sixth, with Norah Jones, Snow Patrol and pop-opera group Il Divo also in the top 10.

UK'S TOP ALBUMS OF 2004
1. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
2. Keane - Hopes and Fears
3. Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane
4. Katie Melua - Call Off the Search
5. Anastacia - Anastacia
Source: Official UK Charts Company
Half of the top 10 was made up of British acts - with the other half coming from the US.

The Scissor Sisters' surge was so unexpected BBC Radio 1 named Keane as the top-seller in a rundown on New Year's Eve.

The top two artists, virtually unknown at the start of 2004, were both signed by the UK arm of music giant Universal.

Universal Music UK chairman Lucian Grainge said: "It's a fantastic result, but what is most special is that the two biggest-selling albums of the year are both from brand new UK-signed artists."

Dido topped the UK's album sales in 2003 and 2001, with Robbie Williams taking the crown in 2002.

Actor Jude Law has become engaged to actress Sienna Miller after proposing to her on Christmas Day.

2005-01-05T05:19:00.000-08:00

The 32-year-old actor met Miller, 23, on the set of last year's movie remake of Alfie. No wedding date has been set.

Law earned Academy Award nominations for his roles in The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain, and stars in new romantic drama Closer.

He has three young children by his ex-wife, British fashion designer and actress Sadie Frost.

'Top achiever'

Frost was granted a divorce from Law in October 2003 after six years of marriage, citing "unreasonable behaviour" on his part.

Law proposed to Miller as they spent Christmas together in England, their spokesperson confirmed.

American actress Miller played Nikki in Alfie, who was charmed by Law's title character. She also appeared in last year's gangster movie Layer Cake and TV series Keen Eddie in 2003.

Last week Law was entered into the 2005 edition of Debrett's People of Today, which lists Britain's top achievers, and he was named "sexiest man alive" by US magazine People.

The Mike Nichols-directed Closer, in which Law stars alongside Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen, has earned five Golden Globe nominations.

Hello! magazine has challenged a court ruling which forced them to pay more than £1 million in damages to Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas.

2004-12-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

Lawyers for the publication admitted that they had used snatched photos of the couple's wedding to spoil rival OK's exclusive coverage of the event.

But James Price QC told the Court of Appeal on Monday this was not unlawful.

A judge ruled last year that Hello! had breached the film stars' rights of confidence and awarded the damages.

Zeta Jones and Douglas were awarded £14,600, while OK! magazine was awarded more than £1 million due to commercial damage inflicted on its coverage.

Caught

Mr Price, representing Hello! magazine, told the Law Lords hearing the case that the practice of "spoilers" was common in the publishing world.

"We are in the position that if you are going to compete in this industry you have to publish spoilers," he told the court.

"But what happened to Hello! was that it was caught by a law which said 'stop it' retrospectively," he added.

Zeta Jones and Douglas claimed for "personal distress"

Mr Price also argued that spoilers could give the magazine in question an advantage.

"One can get a promotional boost from very obviously inferior pictures of an event in a competing publication," he said.

Mr Price added that the High Court judge who made the ruling against Hello! said that OK! had lost 1.4 million sales from the spoiler.

But Mr Justice Lindsay had also accepted that a spoiler could have the effect of increasing the sales of a magazine with an exclusive contract.

Mr Price said this made his original findings "manifestly unsustainable".

Challenge

If the Appeal Court challenge is successful, then both OK! and the Douglases stand to lose their damages.

OK!, meanwhile, is challenging a ruling that entitled it to only 75% of its legal costs for its case against Hello!

The cost of the case so far has been estimated at £4 million.

Actress Zeta Jones, 35, had said in the original hearing that she and her 60-year-old husband accepted the OK! deal after turning down a higher offer from Hello! magazine.

The actress had added how she felt "devastated, shocked and appalled" when she realised her wedding ceremony had been gatecrashed by uninvited photographers, prompting the legal action.

The current hearing, scheduled to last up to five days, was adjourned until Tuesday.

The early buzz of Oscar success has begun to circulate around the dark dramatic comedy Closer, starring Jude Law and Julia Roberts

2004-12-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

The film's title is deliberately ambiguous as Closer is all about love, sex and betrayal.

It plunges to extreme depths in its use of sexually-explicit language and explores the tangled web of emotions that we all, supposedly, experience at some point in our lives.

Set in contemporary London and directed by Mike Nichols, the film follows the entwined relationships of four people - their lies, jealousies and fantasies.

Roberts, Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen play the principal characters.

The story has already won many accolades for its stage production. Patrick Marber's drama debuted in London in 1997.

The honesty in it means that you can come out of it hopefully having felt something and learned something

Jude Law

It won the Laurence Olivier/BBC Award for Best New Play and the London Critics Award. The subsequent Broadway production was nominated for a Tony Award.

The theatrical structure of the piece, based on a series of powerful vignettes, has been mimicked in the movie.

'Shock tactic'

Owen's character, a doctor, falls in love with a photographer played by Roberts - only to have her lured away by a besotted obituary writer, played by Law.

The characters could be variously described as enthralling, pitiful or simply real.
Clive Owen and Natalie Portman make up the film's troubled quartet

"It's got an honesty to it," says Law. "It certainly doesn't need a warning sticker. I think the honesty in it means that you can come out of it hopefully having felt something and learned something - that's a positive."

Much of the vulgar language comes in a scene involving an Internet chat room.

"When people start talking - it's so shocking it's so dark, you tend to think that that's being presented as a shock tactic to upset," Owen explains.

She's incredibly smart and savvy and knows what she's doing and keeping that relaxed and open in front of the camera is incredibly difficult

Clive Owen on Julie Roberts

"It's a very human very intelligent, witty piece of writing. If you're a guy or a girl of a certain age with any sort of emotional history you've been through some of those scenes - you've been in that place."

Portman plays an erotic dancer who completes the love-struck and cheating quartet. It was a role, she says, that required some research.

"I read a lot and went to a few strip clubs and took a few lap dancing lessons, pole dancing lessons.

"It's dark but the way people behave is funny, it's funny to recognise and funny to relate to. People shouldn't think it's two hours of fantasy fun."

Co-star praise

Roberts, who gave birth to twins last weekend, missed the ritual publicity blitz associated with the movie.

Portman learned from the experience of her older co-stars

Her performance in Closer has attracted some of the best reviews of the Oscar-winner's career and Roberts appears to be heading for another Academy Award nomination.

"I had a great time working with Julia," Law says. She was great fun, incredibly professional. I think she's magnificent in the film."

"She's so cool and down to earth and fun and funny and smart," adds Portman. "She was so sweet to work with. I learned a lot watching her act because she really knows what she's doing."

Owen says he was also "hugely impressed" by Roberts.

"She's one of those actors that makes it look so easy. She's incredibly smart and savvy and knows what she's doing and keeping that relaxed and open in front of the camera is incredibly difficult."

Greek lawyers have indicated they have no plans to take legal action against the makers of film epic Alexander, after viewing an advanced screening.

2004-12-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Lawyers were upset by suggestions in the film, which opens across Greece on Friday, that Alexander was bisexual.

They argue there is no historical evidence supporting claims that the Macedonian leader had male lovers.

"Fortunately it was not what we had feared. The people can go and see the movie," said lawyer Giannis Varnakas.

"There is a kiss that can be interpreted in many ways, but we have avoided the worst," added Mr Varnakas.

The group of 25 lawyers had claimed the film was "not a true depiction of Alexander's life", and wanted this made clear to cinema-goers.

Irish actor Colin Farrell plays the Macedonian leader

They had requested a disclaimer at the start of the film warning audiences that it was not historically accurate.

However director Oliver Stone said there was a historian on set to ensure accuracy.

The lawyers' leader, Mr Varnakos, denied homophobia was the motive behind their action.

"We would have reacted the same was if the issue didn't involve homosexuality," he said.

"We just don't want a distortion of historical facts."

The film opened in the US last week to a slew of negative reviews. It will be released in the UK on 7 January.

Titanic director James Cameron has said his next film will be a futuristic 3D movie called Battle Angels, which will take two years to make.

2004-11-28T13:47:00.001-08:00

The sci-fi movie will be set in the 26th Century and filming is expected to start next spring. No casting announcement has been made yet.

"It's going to be a combination of live action and computer graphics," he said.

The film will be based on a series of graphic novels created by Japanese artist Kishiro.

It will feature 1,500 visual effects shots using the 3D cameras Cameron used to shoot Imax film, Ghosts of the Abyss.

Cameron's 1997 film Titanic won 11 Academy Awards, included best director and best film.

His other movies include Aliens, True Lies and The Terminator.

Earlier this year he picked up an honorary doctorate from the University of Southampton - the city was the Titanic's home port.

Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth attended the British premiere of new film, Beyond the Sea, in London's Leicester Square on Thursday.

2004-11-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Spacey, 45, wrote, directed and starred in the film, inspired by the life of 1950s croooner Bobby Darin.

"This is my tribute to someone I think was a remarkable talent," said Spacey, who, as Darin, sings all 18 songs on the film soundtrack.

Bosworth, 21, plays Darin's wife - real life Hollywood actress Sandra Dee.

"I knew absolutely nothing about Bobby Darin before this film, but now I'm a huge fan," said Bosworth, who attended the premiere with British boyfriend Orlando Bloom.

Dream role

"There is darkness and tragedy in the story, and it was a dream for me to land this part."

Actress Sandra Dee continues to live in Los Angeles as a virtual recluse, but has given her approval to the biopic.

Spacey was joined at the screening by members of Westlife

"She called me last week and said she loved it," said Spacey, who was joined at the premiere by members of the boy band Westlife.

Spacey, a double Oscar-winner, has long been fascinated by the story of singer Bobby Darin.

The voice behind Mack the Knife, Dream Lover and Beyond the Sea, fought childhood illness to become one the biggest stars of the 1950s, but died aged 37 from the heart condition that had troubled him all his life.

"Bobby Darin was one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, and yet, because he died young, he's been kind of forgotten," said Spacey at the premiere.

"Making this film was the most fun I've ever had in my entire life."

The movie also stars British actors Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn, as Darin's mother.

Director Oliver Stone's historical epic Alexander has failed in its bid to conquer the box office, entering the US film charts at number six.

2004-11-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

The swords and sandals blockbuster, rumoured to have cost more than $150m (£79m) to make, earned just $13.5 (£7m) over three days at the US box office.

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the film opened on Wednesday, bringing its total takings to $21.6m (£11.4m).

Top of the box office for a second week was action movie National Treasure.

The family adventure, starring Nicolas Cage, took $33.1m (£17.m), ahead of animated comedy The Incredibles - now in its fourth week in the charts - which took $24.1m (£12.7m).

Critics heaped scorn on the film, including Farrell's hairdo

Last week Oliver Stone's film met with scathing reviews from US critics.

The film stars Irish actor Colin Farrell as one of history's most celebrated leaders - a relentless and arrogant warrior who conquered much of the known world by the age of 25.

In particular, its portrayal of Alexander as a bisexual has met with a hostile reception and the threat of legal action from Greek lawyers.

"Though the battles have the blood-and-sinew bravado you expect from Oliver Stone, this three-hour buttnumbathon is hamstrung by a hectoring grandiosity," wrote one reviewer in Rolling Stone magazine.

Others poured scorn on Farrell's bleached hair and Angelina Jolie's unwieldy accent, which Variety called "a combination of Mata Hari and Count Dracula" .

But novelist Gore Vidal defended the film, saying it was "barrier-breaking" for its frank depiction of bisexuality.

Angelina Jolie plays Alexander's mother Olympias

In Sweden last Thursday, to pick up a lifetime achievement award at the Stockholm International Film Festival, Stone expressed the hope that Alexander might be better appreciated in Europe.

"One of the reasons I am being honoured here is Europeans tend to see me a little differently than they do in the US," said the director behind JFK, Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July.

He added Alexander "was not an easy movie, but then I've never made easy movies".

Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has been praised by police for "very courageously" tackling a burglar who stole jewellery from his house.

2004-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

The singer grabbed an intruder who then jumped 30ft (10m) from a first floor window as the star gave chase at his Buckinghamshire home on Monday.

"I acted on impulse," Osbourne said. "In hindsight, it could have been a lot worse. It could've got really ugly."

A £100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to a conviction.

His wife Sharon, who called the police, said her wedding rings were taken from her bedside table as she slept.

I always take them off and put them beside my bed and that's where they were, right beside me

Sharon Osbourne on her wedding rings
The Osbournes' appeal
The heavy metal star said he could have met the same fate as late Beatle George Harrison, who was repeatedly stabbed in a break-in in 1999.

"I could have been badly injured or shot or anything," Osbourne said. "I just thank God that no-one got injured."

He added he was glad the intruders were not hurt. "I wouldn't want anyone to get injured."

The singer did not want to talk in detail about his actions but when asked whether he would do the same again replied: "Is the Pope a Catholic?"

The incident happened at 0400 GMT on Monday in Chalfont St Peter.

Detective Inspector Paul Miller of Thames Valley Police said it appeared a man used a ladder to get into the house through a first floor bedroom window.

"Whilst selecting items of jewellery, the burglar was disturbed by Ozzy who very courageously tackled this burglar and pursued him from the house," he said.

Ozzy said he was "just coming to grips" with what had happened and his opinion of the UK had been lowered after 12 relatively trouble-free years in the US.

If I choose to make an investment for my kids... that's my business and I worked for every God damn penny

Sharon Osbourne
"We lived in Los Angeles where people get shot every day and have been trailed by lots of different stalkers - and yet we come back to England and I'm very disappointed."

At a press conference on Wednesday, Sharon Osbourne gave details of nine stolen items.

They included a diamond wedding ring and two handmade wedding bands Ozzy gave her when they renewed their vows two years ago.

She said she wished she had worn them at night. "I always take them off and put them beside my bed and that's where they were, right beside me on my bedside table."

Also taken were a pearl necklace and a sapphire bought as an investment for their daughters described by Sharon as "one of the only 24-carat sapphires that is absolutely pure".

Sharon Osbourne said her sapphire was "absolutely perfect"
A daisy chain necklace that was a 20th anniversary present and a Franck Muller watch Sharon said was one of only 10 made were also stolen.

She expressed her anger at the person who "hasn't worked and wants to take what's yours".

"But the thing is, we worked for everything. I came from Brixton. Ozzy came from not a very nice part of Birmingham and everything we've got we have worked our arses off for."

"If I choose to make an investment for my kids in whatever way I choose to make it, that's my business and I worked for every God damn penny."

Ozzy also lamented two years in which the family has been plagued by problems, including his critical injury in a quad bike accident, his wife's colon cancer, their childrens' drug problems and now the burglary.

Police say the intruders escaped in a large vehicle, possibly a van
On Sunday night, the Osbournes had been celebrating the birthday of singer Sir Elton John's partner David Furnish.

Police described the intruder as well-built, about 5' 10" tall and said he was wearing a ski-mask, a light-coloured jacket and trainers.

They believe he may have injured himself when he jumped from the window. There is no description of his accomplice.

Police think the pair were driving a large vehicle, possibly a van, and are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen one leaving Chalfont St Peter at speed.

Police appealed for public help to find the perpetrators and stolen items on 0845 8 505 505 or 0800 555 111.

British film star Jude Law has been named as the "sexiest man alive" by People magazine in the US.

2004-11-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

The 31-year-old, who most recently starred in a remake of Alfie, has succeeded Johnny Depp to the title.

"His warmth is what makes him sexy and it radiates through his eyes," said Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, Law's co-star in Cold Mountain.

Previous recipients of the accolade have included Mel Gibson, Sean Connery, Richard Gere and Ben Affleck.

Rachel Weisz, another one of Law's female co-stars from the wartime epic Enemy At The Gates, also praised his eyes as the most captivating she has seen.

Naomi Watts, who appeared with Law in one of his latest projects I Heart Huckabees, said the actor is "the most beautiful man who ever walked the Earth".

'Supernatural'

Law managed to stave off competition from fellow actors Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, Matt Damon and Bruce Willis and R&B star Usher.

The editors of People magazine, who compile the sexiest countdown, singled out Law for "supernatural good looks and supersize talent".

Law has become a major film star in recent years, picking up Oscar nominations for his roles in last year's Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr Ripley (1999).

He divorced actress Sadie Frost in 2003 and is now involved with Sienna Miller, his co-star in the remake of Alfie.

The sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary has topped the international box office in its opening week, taking $26.7m (£14.4m) outside the US.

2004-11-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

The Edge of Reason, starring Renee Zellweger in the title role, opened in 36 countries, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Second at the global box office was A Shark's Tale, taking $6.7m (£3.6m) to take its total to $138.5m (£77.7m).

Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere's Shall We Dance? was the third biggest film.

The Incredibles, which is currently number one in the US, opened in seven countries, with takings of $5.8m (£3.1m).

Bridget Jones had a strong opening in Australia, where receipts totalled $4.3m (£2.3m). This was a 125% increase on the first film, but this is mainly due to the weakened dollar.

The film was also number one in the UK, Netherlands, Poland and Croatia.

It took £10m in the UK in the first three days, toppling The Grudge from the top spot.

The critically-acclaimed French film A Very Long Engagement, starring Audrey Tautou, was number one in France, taking $5.1m (£2.7m).

And the spoof Seven Dwarves continued to reign in Germany and Austria.

Actor Tom Hanks is being lined up to star in the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code.

2004-11-17T04:11:00.000-08:00

Director Ron Howard, who won an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, said Hanks was the man he wanted to play Professor Robert Langdon in the thriller.

"Tom is an exciting actor to watch thinking," Howard told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, Hanks' animated Christmas tale The Polar Express set a $2.1m (£1.1m) record for the biggest opening at Imax cinemas in the US.

The film, which was shown on the giant screens of 59 Imax cinemas, beat the previous records of movies including Harry Potter and the Matrix sequels.

"We're extremely pleased in terms of its absolute performance in Imax," said co-chief executive Brad Wechsler.

"We've set a new weekend record for us, we've had a ton of sold-out shows and our advance sales to consumers have been great."

The Da Vinci Code has been a bestseller around the world

The film, which is said to have cost $270m (£189.3m) to make, was directed by Forrest Gump's Robert Zemeckis with Hanks as an executive producer.

But The Polar Express failed to make a dent in the fortunes of the Pixar/Disney adventure The Incredibles which has remained at the top of the box office chart.

Publishing phenomenon

Hanks is one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, with his presence in a movie almost guaranteeing box office success.

Hanks' representatives confirmed he was in negotiations to work on The Da Vinci Code, which would see him once again team up with Howard, who directed Hanks in Splash and Apollo 13.

The book by Dan Brown has become a publishing phenomenon, consistently topping book charts in the UK and US.

The proposed movie adaptation would almost certainly be a hit, with or without Hanks.

"We probably don't need his (Hanks') status from a box-office standpoint, but he gives Langdon instant legitimacy," said Howard.

A writer is seeking $5m (£2.79m) in damages after alleging that Sony Pictures stole the idea behind the Jennifer Lopez movie Enough.

2004-10-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

New York writer Allyson Turner said she gave Sony the idea in script form.

In the 2002 movie Lopez plays a waitress who flees from, and eventually kills, her abusive husband.

Turner's lawyer Gregory Danenberg said it was "a clear-cut case of copyright infringement". Sony was not available for comment on the federal court case.

'Convinced'

Turner said she became aware of Sony's alleged plagiarism after friends congratulated her on having her idea developed into a Jennifer Lopez movie.

A subsequent viewing of Enough convinced Turner that the film was an adaptation of her script, she said.

"The storyline, dialogue, scenes, costume props, and idiosyncratic characteristics of the characters in both works are uncannily parallel and lead to a single inescapable conclusion," said Danenberg.

"Sony Pictures' apparent belief that it could come away from this unscathed is truly stupefying."

French electronic music maestro Jean Michel Jarre lit up China's Forbidden City on Sunday with a spectacular sound and light show.

2004-10-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Jarre treated the crowd in central Beijing with his signature synthesized music, against a laser light show.

Images and colours were projected onto huge inflated white cylinders, cones and spheres over Tiananmen Square.

Jarre's concert, which also featured the Beijing Symphonic Orchestra, opened the Year of France in China.

It was beamed live across China on three Chinese television stations and was also watched on large television screens in the central Wangfujing and Xidan shopping centres in Beijing.

Jarre opened the concert with soloist Cheng Lin

Jarre opened the concert with a collaboration with soloist Cheng Lin who played her erhu - a traditional Chinese stringed instrument.

He played classics like Oxygene as 600 projectors were used to bathe the historic Wumen Gate in light blues or oranges as images of Paris and Edgar Degas paintings flashed across the screens.

"I'm very happy to be back on the streets of Beijing and on Tiananmen Square which belongs to you," Jarre told the crowd before playing his final number of the night, Tiananmen.

"I would like to dedicate this last piece to the values of my country that are liberty, fraternity and equality."

Jean Michel Jarre first played in China in 1981, becoming one of the first western musicians to be given permission to perform in the country.

'Extraordinary' stage

More than 15,000 people watched the opening of the concert at Wumen Gate.

The concert ended in Tiananmen Square after Jarre was transported by motorcycle to the southern end of the square.

"We have never seen or heard anything like this in Beijing. It is just great, the music is good the stage design was extraordinary," said concert-goer Shi Lingling, who was on Tiananmen Square with her friends.

"This was a very modern concert, not only did you have the electronic music, but you had all the lights and the images," said Zhang Xuejiao, a Beijing medical worker, who saw the concert with her daughter.

Hip-hop duo OutKast are leading the field for the MTV Europe Music Awards, with five nominations including best group and best song, for Hey Ya.

2004-10-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

US R&B star Usher has nominations in four different categories.

Mercury Music Prize winners Franz Ferdinand collected three nominations, the most for a British act.

The awards will be staged at Tor Di Valle in Rome on 18 November, with Eminem, Beastie Boys and Maroon 5 all confirmed to perform.

Other artists who will be performing live on the night include Nelly, Usher, Gwen Stefani and The Hives.

OutKast enjoyed huge success at the US MTV Video Music Awards held in Miami in August, picking up four awards.

Among their five nominations at the European awards are best video for Hey Ya and best album for Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below.

Seven artists have been nominated in three categories, including the newly-wed Britney Spears for best pop, best female and best song for Toxic.

Anastacia, Beyonce Knowles, Jay-Z and Maroon 5 are also up for a trio of awards.

British contenders

Among Franz Ferdinand's nominations are best new act, best UK and Ireland act and best alternative act.

The Glasgow band won the breakthrough award at the Miami ceremony for their single Take Me Out.

British R&B singer Jamelia has also been nominated in the best new act category, following on from her triple success at the UK's Music of Black Origin Awards.

Other British artists nominated include Robbie Williams for best pop and Muse and The Prodigy for alternative act.

Competing for the best group title alongside Outkast will be the Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, D12 and Maroon 5.

Alicia Keys, Anastasia, Avril Lavigne and Beyonce feature alongside Spears in the best female contest.

Last year's big winner at the MTV Europe Awards, which were held in Edinburgh, was Justin Timberlake, who walked away with three trophies.

Mel Gibson Not Pleased with Praying Fan

2004-10-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Like the platypus and Carrot Top's career, this story proves that God has a sense of humor.
Zap2It.com says "Passion of the Christ" director Mel Gibson has received a restraining order against a homeless man who wants Gibson to pray with him.

Zack Sinclair allegedly sent Gibson letters detailing his prayers and his "Passion" viewing habits. He's been charged with six misdemeanor counts, including trespassing on Gibson's property.

Gibson obviously wasn't swayed by Sinclair's efforts, but that's understandable since Sinclair's work was clearly half-assed. If he really wanted to pray with Gibson he would have presented five proof of purchase labels from "Passion" DVDs. -- Mac

Destiny's Child Lovin' McDonald's

2004-10-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Destiny's Child is crazy in love with McDonald's.

The bootylicious R&B trio has signed on to be the latest face of the fast food giant, taking over for Justin Timberlake in the "I'm Lovin' It" campaign.

The ladies will rep the company in a series of commercials and restaurant merchandise, and the Golden Arches will in turn sponsor the group's 2005 world tour. Destiny's Child will also make some special charity appearances for Ronald McDonald House and other McDonald's related charities.

"We're lovin' the chance to work with McDonald's and know that together we'll create lots of fun and cool surprises," Destiny frontwoman Beyoncй Knowles said in a statement Wednesday. "McDonald's shares our passion for music, so we can't wait to start connecting to our fans."

Mickey D's chief marketing officer Larry Light said the company couldn't be more thrilled with the partnership. "We believe this appeals to kids, and when kids are happy Mom is happy," he told Reuters.

The commercials, starring Beyoncй, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, are slated to air in coming months. The tour, dubbed Destiny Fulfilled and Lovin' It, kicks off this spring and will hits locations like Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Canada and their native USA.

Timberlake, meanwhile, will make his final McDonald's appearance in Toronto this week before passing on the torch to the ladies, though versions of his "I'm Lovin' It" track will continue be featured in ads.

Here's hoping this re-teaming of the chart-topping threesome will be smooth sailing. Already, lead singer Beyoncй ripped a leg muscle while working on a dance number for an upcoming two-hour ABC special intended to promote Destiny Fulfilled, the latest album from the recently reformed band.

Sir Elton John has accused Madonna of cheating fans by miming on stage, while collecting a Q Award for songwriting.

2004-10-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

As he collected his Classic Songwriter prize in London on Monday, he criticised live award nominee Madonna.

"Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot," Sir Elton said.

Muse won best live act while the Red Hot Chili Peppers won best act in the world and Roxy Music took the Lifetime Achievement award from Q magazine.

Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's US press agent, denied that the star used lip-synching when performing live.

"Nor does she spend her time trashing other artists," she said.

"She sang every note on her Re-invention tour live."

Elton John said his comments would mean he would no longer be on Madonna's Christmas card list.

But Ms Rosenberg added: "Elton John remains on her Christmas card list where he is nice.... or naughty."

Click here to see the winners in full

While collecting the award, Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry expressed support for his pro-hunt protester son, Otis.

The 21-year-old invaded the House of Commons with four friends last month in protest over the government's bill to ban fox-hunting.

"I would like to dedicate this award to my brave son Otis," said Ferry, whose speech was met with muffled boos.

Keane's Hopes and Fears was named best album, Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out won the best video prize and Razorlight were named best new act.

Triple Mobo winner Jamelia took home the best single award for See It In A Boy's Eyes, written with Coldplay's Chris Martin.

The Grosvenor House Hotel music magazine event was attended by musicians including U2, the Pet Shop Boys and Elvis Costello.

Sir Elton's outburst came after he branded Taiwanese photographers "rude, vile pigs" at an airport last month.

Back to top

Q Award winners 2004:

Best new act - Razorlight

Best producer - Mick Jones (for the Libertines)

Best live act - Muse

Best video - Franz Ferdinand (Take Me Out)

Q Merit Award - Shane McGowan

Best single - Jamelia (See It In A Boy's Eyes)

Q Innovation and Sound Award - Human League

Q Inspiration Award - Pet Shop Boys

Best Album - Keane (Hopes and Fears)

Best Act in the World Today - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Q Classic Songwriter award - Sir Elton John

Q Icon Award - U2

Q Lifetime Achievement Award - Roxy Music

Alleged Zeta-Jones stalker hearing delayed

2004-10-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

A Los Angeles bail hearing Monday for Dawnette Knight, accused of stalking and threatening actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, was delayed until Oct. 13.

Knight, currently being held in $1 million in bail, has pleaded not guilty to one felony count of stalking and 24 counts of making criminal threats, reported KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Her attorney, Richard P. Herman, said he is going to ask that his client be released on her own recognizance. We all know that she's no threat to anyone, he said. It's real hard to live in L.A. and stalk somebody who lives in Bermuda.

In July, Zeta-Jones testified that receiving letters describing how she would supposedly die as President John F. Kennedy, Manson Family victim Sharon Tate or O.J. Simpson's ex-wife left a left a psychological mark.

This has affected me and it will affect me the rest of my life, the Welsh actress married to actor Michael Douglas testified. I felt like a ticking time bomb.

Britney's `Mississippi` magic recipe for marriage

2004-10-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

The wedding march and the confetti showers are finally over, and newlywed pop diva Britney Spears is now ready to settle into married life in her sprawling 6.9 million dollar mansion in Malibu, California.
The eight-bedroom bungalow, reportedly won Britney over because of its beautiful landscaping complete with a creek, trees and overgrown greenery, which reminded her of a rural Mississippi house.

The house also boasts of an outdoor kitchen, a spa and a gym.

"Britney and Kevin have a brand new beautiful home which they are going to be moving into. Besides being a gorgeous house, the location is actually what we love about it most. It reminds us of the kind of landscaping you would find in rural Mississippi with the creek, trees and overgrown greenery," Rate the music quoted Britney's mother Lynn, as saying

The mother of murdered rap artist Tupac Shakur has released a documentary which she claims tells the real story behind her son's life and death.

2004-10-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Tupac: Resurrection is described as being about the rapper, shot dead in Los Angeles in 1996, "in his own words."

The rapper's mother, Afeni Shakur, told BBC World Service's Outlook programme that the film - which predominantly features interviews and personal conversations recorded with Tupac - was about helping understand his work.

"In all of the times since he's been gone, people are always trying to explain and understand him, what he was about and what he meant," Ms Shakur said.

"This documentary was made so that my family and I could feel comfortable that Tupac had had the opportunity to speak for himself.

"I just don't think that anybody explains Tupac better than Tupac."

Drive-by shooting

Tupac was one of the most prolific and controversial rappers - making his major success with the album Tupacalypse Now - but accused of lyrics that glorified violence and misogyny.

A number of documentaries about him have been made since his death at the age of 25 - including one by the British film-maker Nick Broomfield.

Rapper Snoop Dogg argues that "when he spoke it you knew it was real"
At the time of his murder, almost exactly eight years ago, he was at the height of his popularity.

He was killed in a drive-by shooting for which no-one has ever been convicted. But Ms Shakur stressed she did not know - or care - who had killed him.

"I do not know, and spend not one iota of energy feeling a need to know," she said.

"It's irrelevant. I can't imagine what it would do for me to know. I truly believe that vengeance is the Lord's. I truly believe whoever murdered my son, God will deal with that. For me, I just don't need to know."

A number of releases have been made since Tupac's death - he is a bigger-selling posthumous artist than Elvis Presley.

Later this year a new album of Tupac's songs will be released.

Ms Shakur said one of the reasons she backed these releases - including the new documentary - was so that people could hear what his lyrics actually said.

In particular, she stressed her son did not use derogatory terms towards women.

"The problem with people who think Tupac is famous for calling women 'whores,' is that they haven't, unfortunately, listened to his music," she argued.

"What they've listened to is someone who's said that's what his music does."

'The darkest woman'

She said that in releasing Tupac's music and work, people would be able to see this for themselves.

"Why would I care what anyone says about Tupac, when Tupac can say things for himself?" she stated.

The East-West Coast rap rivalry is usually blamed for Tupac's death
"He can speak for himself, his work speaks for itself. If my son didn't have that work, I would feel very bad. But my son's work argues against any of that stuff that they say.

"You hear Tupac saying to women on welfare, 'Keep your head up.' He says 'the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice' because he's speaking to the darkest woman, who is most aggrieved, most stepped on."

Ms Shakur recalled that the last time she had seen her son was five days before he was shot.

"He was talking to his sister as an older brother, and telling her how proud he was of her," she said.

"My heart was so full, because a mother just wants - that's all she wants, her children to love and appreciate each other."

Bono, lead singer with the Irish rock band U2, has urged Labour to "get real" and deal with the problems of world poverty and the Aids crisis.

2004-10-01T03:18:00.000-07:00

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the global development stage, he said praising their achievements.

But he urged the pair to "finish what they started" and end world poverty.

Britain had a real chance to effect change when it took up the G8 presidency next year, he said.

HAVE YOUR SAY
Irish rock singers have a better grip on Africa's poverty than our politicians

David Hazel, Fareham, UK

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If a rich country "with the reins of power in its hands" could not lead the fight against world poverty then critics who called him "Labour's apologist" would be right, he said.

The star and global campaigner called for action to combat the spread of Aids and ease Africa's debt burden.

He praised the government's decision to increase its contribution to the global fight against HIV/Aids but said there was more to do.

"I'm fond of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They are kind of the John and Paul of the global development stage, in my opinion.

"But the point is, Lennon and McCartney changed my interior world - Blair and Brown can change the real world."

"It's not about charity it's about justice," he said reminding delegates of the thousands dying in Africa for the lack of medicines available in high street chemists in the UK.

'Continent in flames'

He told delegates the fight against world poverty was a cause as noble as when their grandparents fought the Nazis.

It's not about charity it's about justice

Bono

Bono pushes the right buttons
He went on: "Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.

"Because there's no way we can look at Africa - a continent bursting into flames - and if we're honest conclude that it would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else.

"Anywhere else. Certainly not here. In Europe. Or America. Or Australia, or Canada.

"There's just no chance."

Mandela

He continued: "You see, deep down, if we really accepted that Africans were equal to us, we would all do more to put the fire out.

"We've got watering cans; when what we really need are the fire brigades."

His speech focused on the work of his Debt, Aids, Trade Africa (Data) organisation as well as his backing for a campaign called Make Poverty History.

Bono is the latest in a string of high-profile speakers from around the world to address the annual gathering in recent years, following on from Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai.

The singer has been a long-time campaigner on the need to fight the spectre of Aids in Africa and recently spoke at both the Republican and Democrat party conventions in the US.

He has also been instrumental in the Drop The Debt campaign, which wiped out millions of pounds of international debt owed by Third World governments.

His campaigning work - which he fits in alongside a busy rock career that sees his band release their 14th album in November - has led to calls from several quarters for him to be considered for a Nobel Prize for humanitarianism.

British singer Jamelia and US hip hop star Kanye West were the big winners at the Music of Black Origin (Mobo) awards on Thursday night.

2004-10-01T03:17:00.000-07:00

The pair were both named winners in three categories at the ceremony held at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Jamelia was awarded UK act of the year, shared with Dizzee Rascal, as well as winning best single for Thank You.

The ceremony was overshadowed by protests following the exclusion of two artists over homophobic lyrics.

Other winners on the night included Usher, who won best R&B act, and Jamie Cullum for best jazz artist.

Kanye West's accolades included best hip hop artist, best producer and best album for College Dropout, although he not present to collect the awards.

Among those he beat for the best album title were Jay-Z, Outkast, Usher and Joss Stone.

Banners waved

Jamelia's third win was best video for See It In A Boy's Eyes, a track that was written by Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Speaking about her win for the autobiographical single Thank You, she said: "This is probably the most important and significant one for me to win because this is a single that really means a lot to me."

OutRage! defends the right of artists to criticise homosexuality, but free speech does not include the right to commit the criminal offence of incitement to murder

Peter Tatchell, Outrage!

In pictures: Mobos 2004

Ahead of the awards there had been accusations from the gay rights group Outrage! that the Mobos supported homophobic artists.

Jamaican reggae stars Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel were eventually dropped from the nominations after protests over anti-gay lyrics of their early songs and their refusal to apologise for them.

On the night about 30 protestors from the Black Music Council waved banners in support of the two ousted artists, reading "Defend Reggae Music" and "Enraged by OutRage!"

They also booed the celebrities as they arrived at the Royal Albert Hall.

Outrage! campaigner Peter Tatchell, who was not at the ceremony, said he was "appalled" at the actions of the Black Music Council.

"OutRage! defends the right of artists to criticise homosexuality, but free speech does not include the right to commit the criminal offence of incitement to murder," he said.

"The Mobos are to be congratulated for dropping Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel."

Janet Jackson was on hand to present an award to Anita Baker

Following the dropping of the two acts there were just two artists left in the reggae category, which was eventually won by Sean Paul who beat Toots and the Maytals.

Ceremony host Pharrell Williams pulled out just days ago and was been replaced by actor Mos Def.

Lifetime achievement

Stars including Beyonce Knowles, Outkast and Usher all turned down invitations to attend the awards.

But Janet Jackson was on hand to present a lifetime achievement award to Anita Baker.

Lemar was the only UK artist nominated for best R&B act but this was won by US singer Usher.

The best world music act was taken by Brazilian Bebel Gilberto, the daughter of guitarist and vocalist Joao Gilberto and singer Miucha.

The gospel award was won by UK five-piece group Raymond and Co.

The UK radio DJ category was won by Jigs of Choice FM while Manny Norte picked up best UK Club DJ.

Douglas honoured for acting, production work in Aspen

2004-10-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas was honoured Wednesday for his contributions to film, which would have been confined to off-camera work had he listened to those around him early in his career.

``The business was telling me, why act? I was totally acceptable as a producer, but not (as an actor). I quietly resented it,'' Douglas said during an on-stage conversation with Aspen Filmfest host Joel Schumacher.

``People said, why do you want to act? I thought I had something to say,'' he said.

Douglas was given the festival's ``Independent By Nature Award'' for his work as an actor and producer. The ceremony was held at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, a mountain hamlet in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Douglas, 60, initially made his mark in Hollywood behind the scenes, producing films such as ``One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' and ``The China Syndrome.''

Douglas went on to become an Academy Award-winning actor, starring in such films as ``Romancing the Stone,'' ``Wonder Boys'' and ``Fatal Attraction.'' He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in ``Wall Street.''

Aspen Filmfest Executive Director Laura Thielen said it was the versatility of Douglas' work that stood out, saying he has acted in ``every conceivable type of movie, bending and blending genres to reinvent them.''

Highlights from Douglas's career were shown during the event. The award, a silver aspen leaf belt buckle, was crafted by Aspen silversmith Jim Hayes.

Beyonce is injured practicing dance steps

2004-10-01T03:15:00.000-07:00

Beyonce tore her right hamstring rehearsing dance moves with Destiny's Child, and her injury could delay some of the group's planned activities.

"She overdid it," said Yvette Noel-Schure, a Columbia Records spokeswoman. "We're all keeping our fingers crossed that, because she's young and healthy, it heals fast."

Beyonce was treated Tuesday by a private sports-injury specialist, who advised her to undergo a short-term physical rehabilitation regimen. She is able to walk, but was advised to steer clear of dancing and other strenuous physical activity for approximately one week.

Destiny's Child's new album, "Destiny Fulfilled," is set for release Nov. 16.

James Bond fans will have to wait until at least 2006 for the next 007 film.

2004-10-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

James Bond fans will have to wait until at least 2006 for the next 007 film. Variety reports film studio MGM had hoped to have the 21st edition of the spy franchise out in November 2005, but have now scrapped those plans.

The failure to hire a director and a leading man made it impossible to meet the planned November 18, 2005, release date.

Now, 2006 is the most likely release date, although Tom Cruise's third instalment of Mission Impossible may ultimately play a factor in the scheduling. It is set to come out in 2006 as well.

`Catwoman` Halle draws no purrs from Gwyneth Paltrow

2004-09-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Gwyneth Paltrow has not very flattering things to say about Halle Berry's performance in Catwoman, hinting that she could have played the role of the feline superwoman in a better and more convincing way.
Paltrow revealed that she was very keen to play Patience Phillips, but is now relieved that she agreed to star in upcoming action movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow instead.

The Shakespeare in Love star went on to say that she reached this conclusion after watching Halle's 'uninspiring performance' in Catwoman.

"I did this film because it was something completely different. Although, there is something incredibly appealing about Catwoman, being that woman and playing that part," Ananova quoted Paltrow as saying.

"At the time I really wanted the role. But if I was going to take something on, I wanted it to be something that nobody had ever seen or done. And if it was going to fail, it was going to fail, but I wanted to take that risk and not be in a standard Hollywood adventure. After seeing Catwoman, I thought the character and movie were unoriginal," added the blonde beauty.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law attended the UK premiere of their new film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, on Monday night.

2004-09-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

The red-carpet event in Leicester Square was Paltrow's first London premiere since the birth of her baby daughter, Apple, in May this year.

In the film she plays a reporter who joins forces with a heroic pilot, played by Law, to save the world.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow has already topped the US box office.

I wanted Jude in the film and he has a great chemistry with Gwyneth

Sadie Frost, co-producer

The £38m film also stars Angelina Jolie - who was not at the premiere - as feisty eye-patch wearing fighter pilot Franky Cook, and Irish actor Sir Michael Gambon.

Set in 1930s New York, the sci-fi thriller was made without sets or location and filmed entirely against a blue screen.

Computer graphics were used in post-production to add the background and other images.

Paltrow, who celebrates her 32nd birthday on Tuesday, said: "It's a difficult technique but it was actually fun. You've just got to use your imagination."

Evil villain

Law added: "At first it was tricky and it was difficult to keep a straight face then we got used to it."

Film legend Laurence Olivier also appears in the film - 15 years after his death.

He is resurrected as villain Dr Totenkopf through the use of old film footage and computer wizardry.

Law's ex-wife Sadie Frost - who was also at the Leicester Square premiere - co-produced the film.

Film adventure

Frost said: "I haven't seen Gwyneth since she had her baby so it will be great to catch up.

"I wanted Jude in the film and he has a great chemistry with Gwyneth. I'm glad that we got him."

Paltrow plays an intrepid reporter who joins forces with her ex-boyfriend (Law) to save the world from a mad scientist.

As reporter Polly Perkins and pilot Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan, the pair fight giant robots in the fantasy adventure.

'T4' Producers Hope Schwarzenegger 'Will Be Back'

2004-09-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

He has his hands full as governor of Kah-lee-forn-ee-ah, but producers of the next "Terminator" movie are talking to Arnold Schwarzenegger in hopes that he'll be back for at least a small role, a spokesman for backers of the film said on Friday.

Fourteen months after "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" had its premiere, development of "T4" is in full swing with the same producers aiming to start shooting next year, said Dennis Higgins, a spokesman for financing partner Intermedia.

Talks also are under way with "Terminator 3" director Jonathan Mostow to return for the next sequel, and he is overseeing the draft of a script by writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris, who shared screenplay credits on the last film, Higgins said.

The "Terminator" series ranks as one of the most successful film franchises ever. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," grossed more than $500 million worldwide after its 1991 release, while "T3" generated $430 million at the global box office.

One question producers have is whether Schwarzenegger can tear himself away from the demands of state government long enough to return as the virtually indestructible, lead-slinging cyborg from the future.

The Austrian-born actor-turned-politician clinched a record $30 million salary to reprise his signature film role in "T3."

"We're certainly talking to Arnold and his people," Higgins said. "He obviously has a day job that he has to take into consideration. But we're talking to him."

A source close to the production acknowledged that it was unlikely that Schwarzenegger would be available to star, but said producers hoped that he could play a "minor role."

Schwarzenegger's personal financial advisor Paul Wachter said, "It is not even on our radar screen ... Arnold is signing bills." He did not rule a possible cameo appearance but added, "Is it is realistic that while he is in office, he takes a starring role? Hardly."

Schwarzenegger, who assumed office as governor in November, has said he would put his Hollywood career on hold while in office and focus on the business of the state.

Britney's dad got a shock on her wedding day!

2004-09-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Pop diva Britney Spears' father Jamie got the biggest shock of his life on September 18 when his daughter turned an engagement party into a surprise wedding ceremony.

Jamie had turned up at the private home in Studio City, Los Angeles, for Britney's engagement party, but didn't read the surprise invitation that he received upon his arrival properly, and was thoroughly confused when people started congratulating Kevin Federline.

"My dad said, 'Why is everyone congratulating Kevin?' I said, 'Daddy, did you read the invitation?' He said yup. I said, 'You might want to read it again," rate the music quoted Britney's brother Bryan, as saying.

Britney Spears Is Not A Girl, Not Yet A Married Woman

2004-09-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Did she or didn't she? In a war of celebrity gossip mags of a magnitude that hasn't been seen for some time, Us Weekly and People magazine are running conflicting stories speculating on the validity of Britney Spears' weekend wedding.

According to Us, the seemingly spur-of-the-moment wedding was a hoax, designed to throw celebrity photographers off the trail of the real wedding so that Spears and her man, Kevin Federline, could successfully sell exclusive wedding photos to People. People, on the other hand, are saying that the small weekend ceremony was the real deal.

Either way, it does appear that Spears and Federline are not yet legally married. Spears admitted to People that the couple has not yet filed their marriage license, but that they plan to next week. She told the magazine that while she may not yet be able to change her driver's license to Britney Federline, "in a spiritual sense, we're married… I believe you also marry in your heart and that means much more than a piece of paper." Federline also spoke to People, mimicking his "wife" perfectly: "This was such a spiritual connection for us… No piece of paper can capture what I feel."

Hmm, sounds suspiciously like Brandy's fake marriage to producer Robert Smith, which she called "a spiritual union and a true commitment to each other" despite the fact that the two were also not legally hitched.

While no one knows for sure if the Spears-Federlines are just too lazy to file their paperwork or if they're still planning a huge fairytale ceremony, the most important factor has been taken care of. Both People and Us Weekly confirm that the prenuptial agreement has indeed been signed.

Drugs charges follow Macaulay Culkin arrest

2004-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Actor Macaulay Culkin has been charged with illegal possession of marijuana and a controlled substance after his arrest last week.

Culkin was charged on Monday in Oklahoma with one misdemeanour count of possession of marijuana and one misdemeanour count of possession of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax without a prescription.

A trial date has yet to be set but Oklahoma law enforcement officials said it was unlikely the 24-year-old would face prison if convicted.

Culkin was arrested on Friday after police stopped a speeding car in which he was a passenger.

Officers said they found him in possession of 17.3 grams of marijuana and prescription drugs he apparently obtained without a prescription.

Britney Not Legally Married Yet?

2004-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are still not legally married despite a weekend ceremony that was such a surprise not even the parents and bridesmaids knew they were going to a wedding.

Jess Cagle, People magazine senior editor and contributor to The Early Show,
"A lot was complicated because they moved up the date and next week, they’re going to file all of the paper work," he said.

So they’re not legally married now? "Not yet, although they have sort of followed everything by the book and that is the next bump in the story that you’re going to see: The wedding was a fake. It’s really not."

Spears was able to keep the wedding a surprise, Cagle said, because "she kept her mouth shut." In fact, it was such a surprise that Federline’s children, including his daughter who was supposed to be a flower girl, were at Disneyland and couldn’t be there for the wedding.

"The mother, the sister, the father. They showed up at the house. It was not an engagement party that they had been invited to, but a wedding," Cagle said. People magazine will have exclusive photos of the wedding in its Friday issue.

Cagle described it as a classic affair with the bride wearing a tasteful, white $26,000 designer gown.

"All of the groomsmen and the bridesmaids had had their clothes fitted the week before so those clothes were secretly brought to the house," Cagle said. "They said, 'Surprise, we’re getting married, here are your clothes. Get in them.'"

The sweatsuits that had been described and pictured in the media were worn at the party that followed the wedding, Cagle said. “Everyone had beautiful clothes during the ceremony. After the ceremony, Britney had put on something else and then before they all went out partying later after the reception, they all put on juicy sweats."

Also untrue are reports of a cash bar at the reception. "I think after they all went out to a club, maybe some people paid for their drinks,"
Cagle said. "However, they did get a drink free at the house after the reception."

Spears reportedly was reluctant to require Federline to sign a prenuptial agreement as her advisers had recommended. "She has agreed on a pre-nup with Kevin and they have signed their marriage license," Cagle said.

Spears, who has spent some time with Federline’s two children, already has said she wants to to become a mother fairly soon. Cagle says she also is considering changing her name to Britney Federline.

A host on children's show Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow has been criticised for wearing a T-shirt bearing a sexual innuendo.

2004-09-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dominic Wood wore a top bearing the phrase "Morning Wood" while presenting the BBC One morning show in March.

The presenter said he wore the shirt because his name was Wood and the show was broadcast in the morning.

But media regulator Ofcom said it was clear the phrase had a sexual meaning that breached programme regulations.

The matter was resolved after the BBC agreed to vet the presenters' clothing before each show, which is aimed at eight to 12-year-olds.

"Producers always do take care but on this one occasion, it slipped through the net," a BBC spokesman said.

Britney Spears ties the knot in secret ceremony

2004-09-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

In her second surprise wedding this year, Britney Spears, 22, married Kevin Federline, 26, Saturday evening, a spokeswoman for the singer's record label confirmed Sunday.

This time, the pop princess donned a tiara instead of a trucker hat for a small, secret ceremony in a private home in Studio City, Calif.

On Jan. 3, Spears got hitched to childhood chum Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. That marriage, characterized by Spears' camp as "a joke (taken) too far," was annulled 55 hours later.

Among about 20 stunned family members at Saturday's nuptials: Spears' own mother, Lynne. According to Access Hollywood, which spent Saturday afternoon with Spears' mother and little sis Jamie Lynn, the family was preparing for an engagement party. Jamie Lynn died her hair back to her natural brown hue and neither were expecting the bride- and groom-to-be to exchange vows.

The five-minute wedding was held at 7:30 p.m. at the home of the tailor that created the bridal party's tuxedos, according to Star magazine's Web site. Star reports Spears wore a strapless white dress by designer Monique L'Huillier, with long veil and tiara, and she carried a bouquet of pink and white roses. Five bridesmaids and the maid of honor wore burgundy dresses and carried red roses. The groom and his groomsmen wore black tuxes. Entertainment Tonight reports they were on hand outside the home when the party broke up in the wee morning hours.

Invitations for an Oct. 16 wedding near Santa Barbara had already been mailed, according to Star, but that event is now being billed as a post-wedding party for the newlyweds' friends and family.

Spears gave no hints of wedding jitters in the days before Saturday's ceremony. She was in New York most of the week to launch her perfume, Curious, and catch a performance of the Broadway show, Wicked! The bride-to-be flew to Boston Friday to check out the Onyx Hotel, according to a Friday post on britneyspears.com by the singer's mother.

The only family event Lynne was anticipating in her Friday posting was a wrap party for Jamie Lynn's Nickelodeon show, Zoey 101.

No word on whether the couple are heading on a surprise honeymoon, too. Spears and Federline, a backup dancer on one of her earlier concert tours, met at a Hollywood club in April and fell fast for each other. In June, they announced their engagement with intentions of marrying this fall. Most reports pointed to a November wedding.

Madonna's Pilgrimage Plea for World Peace

2004-09-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Pop diva Madonna today called for world peace at a conference on Jewish mysticism – a highlight of her five-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Israel hopes the star – the biggest pop celebrity to visit in years – will revive tourism battered by four years of Mideast violence, and government officials were on hand at a Tel Aviv hotel to share the spotlight, the glory and the photographs.

Madonna, wearing a low-cut dress with a black and white leopard pattern, said she was hesitant to come to Israel ”after seeing so many news reports about terror attacks” and reading State Department travel warnings.

“I realise now that it is no more dangerous to be here than it is to be in New York,” she told the gathering.

At the gala event, an Israeli children’s choir and a Palestinian sang to the gathering of more than 1,000 people. Israeli Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra presented Madonna with a small gift and praised her for coming to Israel.

Ezra told Israel TV that he looked forward to sitting next to her at dinner and hoped “she will say nice things about us”.

Tourism officials hope the singer’s well-publicised visit to Israel will calm fears that have kept many potential tourists away from the Holy Land, despite its religious and other attractions.

Speaking without notes, Madonna said the people she met during her five-day Holy Land trip “have one thing in common – we want to create peace in the world.

“We want to put an end to chaos and suffering,” she said, “but most of all we want to put an end to hatred with no reason.”

The singer said she was not representing a religion. Rather, she said: “I’m here as a student of Kabbalah. A Kabbalist sees the world as a unified whole. A Kabbalist asks why.”

While many Israelis welcomed the singer and her entourage, others were uncomfortable with the mission.

Over the years, observant Jews have considered Kabbalah a powerful, even potentially dangerous undertaking to be tackled only by the most qualified and learned men. Now, many Orthodox Jews reject the adoption of Kabbalah by non-Jewish pop figures as a desecration of the holy.

Earlier today, Madonna went to the Kiryat Shaul cemetery outside Tel Aviv to visit the grave of a famous Jewish mysticist.

Guarded by police, Madonna and husband, Guy Ritchie, walked past rows of tombstones to the grave of the Kabbalist sage Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag.

Polish born Ashlag is the renowned author of the Sulam, the ladder, a commentary on the core Kabbalistic text, the Zohar. He died in 1954.

Madonna, wearing jeans, a black and grey checked sweater with a matching cap and a large diamond encrusted letter E on a chain to symbolise her adopted name Esther, spent more than an hour inside the stone mausoleum, placing candles on the tomb, praying and chanting.

Led by a rabbi, Madonna and her small entourage recited blessings over food and wine, drank from small plastic cups and circled the raised stone grave. Toward the end of the ceremony, Madonna wiped tears from her eyes.

Adherents of Jewish mysticism believe that praying at the graves of sages can help achieve one’s wishes. Millions make pilgrimages every year to the more than 100 of these burial sites across the Holy Land, praying for health, children or to find a mate.

Pop star Madonna has visited Judaism's sacred Western Wall in the dead of night, to avoid being mobbed by waiting photographers.

2004-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

But the singer, who is on a spiritual quest to the Holy Land, only glimpsed the wall from her car and did not go down to the site during Sunday's visit.

Earlier, she made a midnight pilgrimage to a Jerusalem cemetery and held a ceremony at the grave of a Jewish sage.

The Kabbalah devotee began her five-day visit to Israel on Wednesday.

Celebrity following

The singer and her family have joined 2,000 fellow Kabbalists from the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre to celebrate the start of the Jewish New Year.

Kabbalah is a type of Jewish mysticism that has a growing celebrity following.

But Madonna, who recently adopted the Hebrew name Esther and wears a trademark Kabbalah red string on her wrist, has insisted she is serious about her belief in the Jewish mysticism.

She visited the grave of the Kabbalist sage Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag with her husband, film-maker Guy Ritchie, at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery, just after midnight on Sunday.

Polish-born Ashlag, who died in 1954, is the renowned author of the Sulam - the ladder - a commentary on the core Kabbalistic text, the Zohar.

Madonna spent more than an hour inside the stone mausoleum, placing candles on the tomb, praying and chanting.

The entourage, led by a rabbi, recited blessings over food and wine and drank from small plastic cups

After the visit, they moved on to the Western Wall - a part of Judaism's holiest site where the biblical temples once stood - but Madonna stayed in the car.

Religious values

At the site she received a mixed welcome from young worshippers, with some chanting: "She has no right to be here."

Some have opposed Madonna's visit and involvement in Kabbalah, charging that the raunchy, materialistic values the singer has promoted in the past are contrary to religious values.

But others welcomed her visit and said she had deprived herself of a spiritual experience by remaining in her vehicle.

Hadass Chen, who came to see the singer, said: "Why did she not come out of the car, we were waiting for her.

"You don't feel the vibe if you don't touch the wall."

The world's largest collection of Jimi Hendrix rock memorabilia, believed to be worth more than £8m, goes on display in London on Friday.

2004-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of unseen pictures, film footage and original recordings will be exhibited at the revived Marquee Club in central London over the weekend.

The venue is one of the first places Hendrix played in the UK.

The items are part of a collection amassed by fan Bob Terry, which is due to be sold off in 2005.

Mr Terry collected memorabilia for almost 40 years after seeing Hendrix play live in 1967.

The exhibition at the Marquee Club is just one-fifth of the £15m collection, which Mr Terry sold for personal reasons in 2003 to an anonymous American buyer.

The exhibition has footage of the star playing at Woodstock, the Isle of Wight and Monterey, where Hendrix memorably held up a burning guitar sealing his reputation as a rock 'n' roll legend.

HENDRIX ON SHOW
2-300 hours of footage
More than 1,000 photos
1,200 slides
3 guitars
47 reels of personal tapes

Following his Monterey performance, Hendrix fame grew selling millions of albums in the US where he played to packed venues.

Hendrix died in London in 1970, just four years after he arrived in the city and set the music world alight with his revolutionary style of guitar playing.

"The collection covers every aspect of Jimi's life," Ted Owen, co-founder of auction house Cooper Owen told BBC News Online last month.

"He was like a hurricane when he hit London - and influenced the likes of Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, John Mayall and Steve Winwood."

"The exhibition will show how Hendrix came to dominate the scene."

Nicole Kidman is Australia's richest young woman.

2004-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

Nicole Kidman is Australia's richest young woman, BRW magazine says in its list of the country's top earners under age 40. The actress, 37, has an estimated worth of $108 million, the magazine said. She came in fourth over all but was the highest-ranked woman on the list. No. 1 was the mobile phone magnate John Ilhan, 39, with $210 million.

Jerusalem - Two bodyguards protecting Madonna on a spiritual retreat in Israel have been arrested after putting two photographers in hospital.

2004-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

The bodyguards hit the photographers as they tried to snap the 45-year-old American superstar at her Mediterranean seafront hotel in Tel Aviv, the radio said.

The self-proclaimed Material Girl, a keen aficionado of the ancient Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah, arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a three-day retreat, which began with a traditional blessing ceremony to welcome in the Jewish New Year.

Madonna turned to Kabbalah in 1997 after coming into contact with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre which, according to its website, offers a path to spiritual enlightenment through an eclectic mix of Orthodox Jewish tradition, visualisation and positive thinking.

Two months ago, she took the Hebrew name Esther and is now reportedly observing the Jewish sabbath, although she has not converted to Judaism.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of sensitive information relating to the Beckhams' security arrangements.

2004-09-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

The details were stored on a computer, which was allegedly stolen from a company which used to protect the England footballer's family.

The computer files are said to contain details of David and Victoria Beckham's DNA and fingerprints.

Maps and photographs of their home in Hertfordshire may also be in them.

Personal mobile numbers for the celebrity couple and immediate family are also listed, according to an article in Saturday's Sun newspaper.

It claims the computer was taken from a Leeds-based firm, which used to provide security for the couple and their two young sons.

The computer was recovered and handed over to South Yorkshire Police.

A force spokesman has confirmed that two men have been arrested in connection with allegations of theft and blackmail.

They have been released on bail, pending further inquiries.

The Beckhams recently announced they are expecting their third baby in March.

David Beckham has faced criticism over his form in recent months, with a disappointing Euro 2004 and some questionable performances for England.

He was on the losing side as Real Madrid were trounced 3-0 by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday.

But he did score one of his trademark free kicks to secure a 1-0 win over Numancia last weekend.

Actor Will Smith met Nelson Mandela on Thursday after agreeing to become an ambassador for his Aids campaign.

2004-09-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

The star met Mr Mandela in South Africa after the country's 86-year-old former president offered him the role to help educate young people around the world.

Smith said he would "humbly, gratefully and aggressively" answer the call.

Beyonce Knowles and Missy Elliot have also donated proceeds from their concerts to the campaign, named 46664 after Mr Mandela's old prison number.

Smith, who is promoting his latest film I, Robot in South Africa, said he first talked about the issue with Mr Mandela during a previous visit to the country four years ago.

Mr Will Smith, you have demonstrated here that you are a leader

Nelson Mandela
"I was saying to Mr Mandela 'I am an actor, I make rap music that's what I do, what can I do?'

"He said 'you have to understand the power that you have and the hope that is created by what you do.'"

Smith said the last time he met Mr Mandela, he became "so fired up" he was ready to quit his job.

Mr Mandela said in a statement he was convinced the Men in Black star would help spread awareness of HIV/Aids to those most at risk.

"His ability to inspire us will encourage the world's young people to stay HIV negative in order to achieve more," he said.

'Concrete actions'

But Mr Mandela also urged world leaders to make "personal commitments and concrete actions" in the fight against HIV/Aids.

He said: "They will be faced with tough decisions and they must come up with bold and innovative responses.

"This is what leaders are for and the Aids epidemic will test their leadership skills to the limits.

"Mr Will Smith, you have demonstrated here that you are a leader, and we are honoured to have you associated with 46664."

Other celebrity supporters of the 46664 campaign include Bono, Peter Gabriel and Sir Bob Geldof.

Former child star Macaulay Culkin has been arrested in the US on drug possession charges.

2004-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

The 24-year-old actor was jailed on charges of possessing marijuana and a dangerous controlled substance without a prescription, police said.

He and another man were arrested after the car they were travelling in was pulled over in Oklahoma City on Friday.

Culkin, best known for his role in the film Home Alone, was later released after paying a $4,000 (£2,230) bond.

Speeding

A report from Oklahoma County Sheriff's office said authorities confiscated about 17 grams of marijuana from a vehicle in which Culkin was a passenger.

Officers also found 16 milligrams of prescription medications used to control anxiety and seizures, it said.

Their vehicle had been stopped by officers for driving at 70 mph in a 60 mph speed zone and for making an improper lane change.

Captain Jeffrey Becker of the Oklahoma City Police Department said in a statement that police officers, who were given permission to search the car, found marijuana and $3,000 (£1,675) cash in a bag that Culkin said belonged to him.

State charges

Culkin was also allegedly carrying pills, later identified as Xanex and Clonzebam, in his pocket, and admitted that he did not have a prescription for them, the statement added.

"Culkin was transported to the Oklahoma County Jail and booked on the state charges of possession of a controlled dangerous substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana, and a municipal charge of possession of marijuana," it said.

Both men were later released. Culkin's publicist, Michelle Bega, declined to comment.

Culkin was one of the highest paid child actors of all time when he starred in two Home Alone films in 1990 and 1992.

The alleged stalker of actress Catherine Zeta Jones stunned a courtroom yesterday by hinting that she had an affair with Michael Douglas.

2004-09-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Student Dawnette Knight told a judge that the Welsh film star's husband also gave her money.

The 32-year-old, who was recently deemed fit to stand trial despite taking a drug overdose in custody, has previously admitted being infatuated with Douglas.

But yesterday she told a pre-trial hearing in Los Angeles that he gave her £1,400, which police found in her purse, and suggested a romance between her and the Fatal Attraction star.

Zeta Jones's lawyer, Jay Lavely, dismissed the claim, saying: 'It doesn't deserve comment.'

During the raid last year, Knight told detectives she had so much cash on her 'because I was going to pay my bills'.

When Debra Archuleta, prosecuting, asked her where she got the money from, she replied 'Michael Douglas' - and began laughing out loud to herself in court.

Knight claimed police asked about her alleged affair with the 59-year-old actor.

'I said I'm not here to ruin anybody's marriage and he's married,' she added.

Zeta Jones, 34, says she received a string of death threats over 18 months.

Knight faces 25 counts of stalking her and making threats against her family. She denies the claims. If convicted she could be jailed for up to 19 years.

Jessica Simpson As Daisy Duke A Match Made In Heaven

2004-09-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

The hottest news for adolescent male teens and middle-aged men is that Jessica Simpson, singer and ditzy reality star, will make her acting debut as Daisy Duke in the feature film adaptation of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' alongside Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville.

Now I will admit that I watched the television series, as much to watch Catherine Bach in her Daisy Duke shorts as to see the General Lee jump over creeks and hit the dirt ramps. The show, detailing the exploits of Bo and Luke Duke against the evil Boss Hogg, was one of those mind-numbing necessities of growing up in the early eighties - a chance at escapism involving hot cars and hot, wholesome women.

So what better person to take over the role than the reigning queen of hotness and wholesomeness - Jessica Simpson. With her singing career taking off with her marriage to Nick Lachey and their suprise reality hit Newlyweds, Simpson has become the epitome of ditzy blonde and sensuous celebrity.

Now she must show us that she can act. Or does she?

Sir Paul McCartney has sacked his publicist of 15 years, Geoff Baker.

2004-09-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

The former Beatle said he made the move because the "professional standards" of Mr Baker, a longtime friend as well as PR man, had fallen in recent months.

Sir Paul also denied what he said were "particularly sad" claims that his wife Heather wanted Mr Baker out.

Mr Baker, a former newspaper reporter, had dealt with Sir Paul's music and Beatles developments over the years. He declined to comment.

His behaviour has not reached the professional standards I had come to expect

Sir Paul McCartney
In a statement, Sir Paul said: "I find it very sad that after years of friendship, my publicist Geoff Baker and I are parting.

"Over the past few months, his behaviour has not reached the professional standards I had come to expect from Geoff and it is with regret that I am forced to end our relationship.

He added: "It is particularly sad that he has chosen to attempt to implicate my wife Heather in this business and I can say now that she has had absolutely nothing to do with this.

"In fact, she has always been a great supporter of his.

Assault allegations

"This is purely between Geoff and myself and I am sad to see it end in this way."

In September last year, Sir Paul "jokingly" sacked Mr Baker after an incident during a visit to David Blaine's box on London's South Bank.

Mr Baker, admitted he had "stupidly" tipped off a photographer about the visit. Sir Paul had sacked him on the spot but later reinstated him.

Police investigated allegations of assault following an alleged fracas with a photographer at the scene, but no proceedings were brought due to a lack of evidence.

R&B singer Usher leads the field for the American Music Awards, picking up four nominations.

2004-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Following closely behind are OutKast and Kanye West, who have been nominated in three categories each.

Usher's nominations include best male artist and favourite pop/rock and soul/R&B album for his worldwide best-seller Confessions.

The awards will be handed out at a ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on 14 November.

The show will once again be presented by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

The American Music Awards (AMA) are seen as the biggest rival to the Grammys.

Last year, organisers shifted the ceremony from January to November to avoid clashing with the Grammys.

Ten recording artists have picked up two AMA nominations each, including Jessica Simpson, Prince and Sheryl Crow.

OutKast have been nominated for their highly acclaimed double album Speakerboxx/The Love Below, which has sold more than 5.3 million copies.

Public vote

The album, which showcases the individual talents of members Andre 3000 and Big Boi, collected the best album award at the Grammys.

Kanye West, a top producer as well as a recording artist, has been nominated for favourite new artist and favourite rap/hip-hop performer.

The nominees were picked by CD sales and airplay, and the winners will be chosen by a poll of 20,000 people.

Others in contention for awards are rapper Jay-Z, jazz singer Norah Jones, R&B artist Alicia Keys and country stars Martina McBride and Kenny Chesney.

Competing in the eclectic favourite male pop/rock category are Usher, Lenny Kravitz, Michael McDonald and opera crossover star Josh Groban.

But there is no room on the nomination list for last year's big winners 50 Cent and Jennifer Lopez.

Coldplay singer Chris Martin joined US band REM on stage at the climax of Oxfam's Make Trade Fair benefit show in Hammersmith, London, on Tuesday.

2004-09-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

The British star joined REM's Michael Stipe on vocals for Man on the Moon during their "surprise" headline set.

The event also featured Jamelia, The Thrills, actress-turned-singer Minnie Driver and comedian Ricky Gervais.

Coldplay have been big supporters of Make Trade Fair, which calls for reform of world trade laws to reduce poverty.

"I was introduced to the idea of fair trade because I'm a massive Coldplay fan, so I'd like to thank Chris Martin," Stipe told the crowd.

Speaking at a press conference before the event, Driver said fair trade was "not the sexiest of campaigns".

But the Oscar-nominated actress - whose debut album is released in October - said musicians had "a great platform to educate and encourage kids to take an interest in what's going on globally".

"I don't think kids know poverty is the most preventable cause of death in the world, and trades will go a long way to alleviate it," she said.

"It's brilliant to actually do something, not just talk about it. To get off your arse and do something is great."

Her sentiments were echoed by Jamelia, whose set included a cover version of the Blondie song Heart of Glass with Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell.

"It's a worthy cause to be supporting, and if there are a few people who find out among themselves about this, then that would be a good thing," said the 22-year-old R&B star.

The Make Trade Fair Live event followed on from Oxfam's Fair Play concert in 2002, which saw Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher and Ms Dynamite perform on stage.

This year's concert was compered by TV presenter Dermot O'Leary.

Singer Madonna arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a spiritual pilgrimage to mark the Jewish New Year.

2004-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

The singer and her family will join 2,000 other students of Kabbalah, a type of Jewish mysticism taught regardless of religion.

The profile of Kabbalah has been growing in the past year, largely due to Madonna's involvement.

The trip could be controversial, as her itinerary includes a tomb in Bethlehem, on Israeli-occupied Palestinian land.

Thousands of police have been drafted in for the group, with details closely guarded because of security fears.

Jewish graves

The singer is expected to visit graves of Jewish sages in northern Israel, as well as the Western Wall in Jerusalem and Rachel's Tomb, the traditional burial place of the biblical matriarch, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

"These are energy vortexes," explained Rabbi Shaul Youdkevitch, head of the Kabbalah Center in Israel.

Having stars in the country is a wonderful way to show the world the wonders of our nation

Rami Levi
Israel Tourism Ministry
"It is known among Kabbalists, among people that study Kabbalah, that you can go there and recharge yourself with positive energy."

Pro-Palestinian activists are planning to protest if Madonna does visit the shrine in Bethlehem.

During her trip, she will also give a speech at an event bringing together Israeli and Palestinian children, supported by Kabbalist scholar Michael Berg.

Mr Berg said: "We need to honour these heroic and courageous children.

"A gathering of this magnitude can have the power to diminish the volatile gap between Israeli and Arab communities to help the people recognise that love is stronger than hate and peace is the focus for the future."

Red bracelet

More usually known for her raunchy outfits, Madonna's interest in Kabbalah became public when she was spotted wearing its traditional red string bracelet.

Since then, a string of high-profile celebrities including Britney Spears and Courtney Love have been seen sporting the bracelet.

The number of centres dedicated to the faith is continually growing, particularly in the US, where there are centres in many major cities. There are also centres in London and Paris.

On Sunday, Israeli Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra is expected to give Madonna an ancient oil lamp and a coin from the Byzantine period.

"There's no question having stars in the country is a wonderful way to show the world the wonders of our nation," said Rami Levi of Israel's Tourism Ministry.

Jennifer Aniston is set to be the first Friend to appear on Matt LeBlanc's spin-off show Joey.

2004-09-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood actress has been spotted in full make-up heading for the Warner Bros lot where the comedy is filmed.

A source says: "Matt wanted at least one of the old gang to appear in his first season on Joey and he and the producers decided it should be Jen.

"She couldn't wait to get back on the old Friends stage. She did her thing and spent the rest of the day hanging out with Matt."

Sir Elton John is auctioning off part of his extensive photographic collection including work from some of the most well-respected photographers.

2004-09-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sir Elton began collecting photographs in 1991 and it is now considered one of the leading private collections.

He decided to sell off some of them in order to diversify his collection.

Among the items on sale at Christie's in New York on 14 October are works by Edward Steichen, Robert Mapplethorpe and Ansel Adams.

Among the 4,000 photographs in Sir Elton's collection are 20th Century modernist works and contemporary images.

"A periodic assessment of any collection is a productive and necessary exercise," said Josh Holderman, Christie's international director of the Photographic Department.

"The sale of certain acquisitions from time to time often proves a very useful endeavour, ensuring the collection's continued integrity."

Flamoboyant wardrobe

Highlights include Ansel Adam's Tetons and Snake River, which has an estimated high of $45,000 (£25,0285), a print by sculptor Constantine Brancusi, expected to reach $15,000 (£8,345).

Works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn and John Dugdale are also included in the sale.

There are also two prints of Sir Elton John taken early on in his career by British fashion photographer Norman Parkinson.

Sir Elton is no stranger to clearing out his possession, regularly selling-off clothes from his flamboyant wardrobe for charity.

He also sold all the fixtures and fittings from his London home in order to redecorate.

Ramblers may not be welcome on parts of pop star Madonna's £9 million estate, but a group of Quakers say they are.

2004-09-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

A Quaker burial ground, visited by local members for centuries, lies amid the 1,132-acre Ashcombe Estate, on the Wiltshire/Dorset border.

Madonna partly won a challenge to rules allowing ramblers on to her estate, but the Quakers say she has not tried to block them.

Quaker Audrey Acton said: "We have had no obstruction from Madonna."

The 60-strong Shaftesbury Preparative Meeting scatters ashes of the dead, during funerals, at the historic site.

Safe place

It also stages a pilgrimage and worship gathering there every 10 years.

The next one is scheduled for 2010.

In 2000, there were around 200 Quakers, many of whom had come from other meetings in the area.

Madonna is said to be "OK with that", according to a member of the group.

The burial site on the land, which belongs to Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie, was established in 1663 when the then-owner of the estate, William Fry, became a Quaker.

At the time, Quakers were being persecuted and had no other safe place to lay their dead to rest.

Ms Acton, a member of the Quaker group in Shaftesbury, said: "We are not interested in Madonna's estate as such, we are only interested in the burial ground."

In June, the Ritchies won their bid to prevent ramblers from walking across most of their estate.

They claimed at a public inquiry in May that their human rights would be infringed.

The Planning Inspectorate ruling means walkers are not able to go within sight of the couple's home, sitting in the estate's grounds.

A spokesman for the pop star said he was unable to comment on any land issues.

One of the best known black personalities on British TV said yesterday that 'gangsta' street culture was a 'deadly virus'.

2004-09-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

One of the best known black personalities on British TV said yesterday that 'gangsta' street culture was a 'deadly virus' that was destroying a generation of African-Caribbean boys.
BBC sports presenter and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks said there was a direct link between films and rap music glorifying violence and the drift of black boys away from education and into crime and violence.

'There is an epidemic out there, and it is killing some of our children. Do you think there could be a correlation between this and the growing dissipation of our cultural values?' he said.

Crooks's passionate plea to the black community to tackle the issue of gangsta street culture was delivered to 2,000 delegates attending the third London Schools and the Black Child conference to discuss the increasing crisis of black children's underperformance in the education system. Addressing himself directly to young black men, Crooks said: 'As for the youngsters in our community who think they are gangsters; grow up. You are pathetic. You are not gangsters or clever. You are kids and it's time to impose zero tolerance.'

He continued: 'Street culture will become a deadly virus ripping indiscriminately through our next gen eration, robbing millions of their potential.'

Crooks said his strict Jamaican parents had instilled in him a respect for decent family values. 'In my day it was only the rude white boys who did not go to school. We were too afraid.'

His words were echoed by outspoken Labour MP Diane Abbott and Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. Abbott, who has organised the conference for the past three years, told The Observer : 'It is important to understand just how seriously we are taking this problem. Two thousand people turned out for this event on a Saturday morning.

We are talking about a lost generation.'

Phillips told the gathering of parents, teachers and educationalists: 'Our girls and especially boys face exclusion, denigration; they face failure, they face destruction.

'For every boy from our community at a university campus today, there are two in jail. That is the measure of the crisis we face.'

Phillips also argued that the Commission for Racial Equality should survive as a separate anti-racist body. He said government plans to merge it with bodies responsible for gender and disability rights were misguided.

Phillips and Crooks both defended Abbott's decision to take her son out of the state system and send him to the exclusive City of London boys' school.

Phillips invoked the words of black civil rights leader Malcolm X by saying black parents had to fight for the survival of their children 'by any means necessary'.

An opinion poll conducted by Mori for the Greater London Authority found that 55 per cent of Londoners believe the teaching profession should reflect the city's ethnic diversity, while 29 per cent disagreed.

Last year the proportion of black teachers in London was 2.9 per cent. The latest figures for school pupils show that 19.5 per cent are black. The proportion of all non-white pupils in London was 43.5 per cent, while ethnic minority teachers made up 7.4 per cent.

A report commissioned by the London Development Agency to tie in with the conference reported that 70 per cent of African-Caribbean pupils left school with fewer than five high-grade GCSEs.

The report concluded that low teacher expectations played a major part in the underachievement of black children and that black pupils found they were encouraged by black teachers.

NEVE: MY FILM'S TOO HOT FOR DAD.SEXY Neve Campbell failed to attend a screening of her new film because she was too embarrassed to sit next to her dad

2004-09-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

When Will I Be Loved, in which she plays a woman offered cash for sex, was screened at the Toronto Film Festival last Thursday.

Her dad Gerry is now a drama teacher in Canada but still has relatives in Glasgow. The 30-year-old actress says she fed her brother alcohol before he watched a screening of the film with her.

She added: 'I had to decide whether I was going to invite my father.

'My dad can come but I won't be there, 'cause I can't sit next to him and watch love scenes.'

Telephone bills show that a woman accused of stalking Catherine Zeta-Jones called a hotel where the actress was staying.

2004-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sheriff's Detective Rodney Wagner told Los Angeles Superior Court Dawnette Knight's bills showed she had called.

Ms Knight's fingerprints were also found on letters with death threats sent to Ms Zeta-Jones, Wagner said.

She has denied stalking and 24 counts of making criminal threats against the Oscar-winning actress.

Prison sentence

A judge is decide on Monday after the preliminary hearing whether enough evidence exists to send Ms Knight to trial.

The court has already found that she is mentally competent to stand trial after a pre-trial hearing was adjourned two months ago when she took an overdose of barbiturates.

Ms Knight has protested her innocent. She has also apologised to Ms Zeta-Jones and her husband, actor Michael Douglas, for upsetting them.

Unemployed Ms Knight, who is in custody, was arrested on 3 June at her home. If convicted, she could face up to 19 years in prison.

It is alleged she made the threats against Ms Zeta Jones over an 18-month period because she was obsessed with Mr Douglas.

Fans of Shakespeare are getting the chance to thumb through some of the earliest copies of the Bard's plays.

2004-09-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

The British Library is putting online 93 high-resolution digitised copies of 21 of Shakespeare's plays.

The texts date from Shakespeare's lifetime and are pamphlet editions of plays prepared to be sold after performances had finished.

The printed works show how the text evolved and cast doubt on the idea of definitive versions of his plays.

Textual history

"The quartos were cheaply produced and would have been available for as little as sixpence," said Moira Goff, head of British Collections 1501-1800 at the British Library.

ONLINE QUARTO TEXTS
Hamlet
Henry IV Part 1
Henry IV Part 2
Henry V
Henry VI Parts 2&3
Henry VI Part 3
King Lear
Love's Labour's Lost
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Othello
Pericles
Richard II
Richard III
Romeo and Juliet
The Taming of the Shrew
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida
The Two Noble Kinsman

As such the editions were prepared during Shakespeare's life and they are likely to be more authentic versions of the plays than the First Folio editions that were published seven years after the Bard's death in 1616.

The texts of the plays are thought to be the closest versions to the way that the plays were actually written and performed.

"Given that Shakespeare left no manuscripts behind, the quartos are as close as we are able to get to what he actually wrote," said Ms Goff.

"They take us behind the First Folio and different quarto versions of the plays provide clues to Shakespeare's own revisions of his works."

Copy control

The quarto editions are thought to be Shakespeare's working drafts, copies for rehearsals or records of versions remembered by actors.

Quartos were not produced in large numbers because they were not very popular or profitable.

Many of the quartos featured in the online collection are from collections amassed by King George III and 18th century actor David Garrick.

The different versions of plays show that some of the most famous lines in the Shakespearean canon changed from one performance to another.

For instance Hamlet's famous line: "To be, or not to be, that is the question" appears in a quarto from 1605. However in an earlier edition produced in 1603 it is written as: "To be, or not to be, I there's the point".

The 21 plays featured on the website include many of Shakespeare's best known works including King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Love's Labours Lost, Romeo and Juliet and Othello.

Accompanying the online collection is background material, essays by Shakespearean scholars, commentaries, images and sound clips.

Tools on the site allow scholars to compare different versions of the same play to track textual changes.

The Pet Shop Boys will unveil their new soundtrack to the 1925 film Battleship Potemkin at a "unique" free concert in London's Trafalgar Square

2004-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

The pop duo will perform the soundtrack with the Dresden Sinfoniker orchestra to accompany a screening of the film.

Singer Neil Tennant said: "We liked the idea that we were going to take something made in the 1920s and put contemporary electronic music to it."

He told BBC One's Breakfast that the 73-minute work includes two new songs.

Battleship Potemkin has influenced many artists and film-makers
The show is part of a season of events taking place in the square organised by Mayor Ken Livingstone and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

"The ICA approached us because they knew we had a background of using film with our music - our first tour, for example, was directed by Derek Jarman," said Tennant.

Sergei Eisenstein's classic tells of a sailors' revolt in 1904, and has been a major influence on film-makers and artists.

Tennant said he was a fan of Soviet and Russian films after studying history at college.

"The director, Eisenstein, said that he wanted there to be a new soundtrack to the film every 10 years to keep it fresh," Tennant said.

He also said he and musical partner Chris Lowe were keen to discover "whether we could write an hour and a quarter of continuous music".

Tennant said the new Pet Shop Boys' soundtrack "changes the way you see the movie", emphasising its "modernist quality".

"It's really exciting in London that you have got an event you can turn up and see the premiere of a new work," he said. "It's really a completely unique event."

Artists influenced by Battleship Potemkin include Francis Bacon, who said he was haunted by the screaming mouth in the film and was inspired to use it in his own work.

Robert De Niro has rebutted claims he should not be granted Italian citizenship because his portrayal of Mafia men damages the country.

2004-09-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

The part-Italian actor defended the parts, saying: "The characters I play are real. So they have as much right to be portrayed as any other characters."

His citizenship ceremony was postponed after objections from US-based group the Order of Sons of Italy.

But despite their outcry, the event is now due to go ahead in Rome in October.

The protesters had ignored scores of other parts he had played in his career, the 61-year-old star said.

I'm very proud and honoured to be asked to be a citizen

Robert De Niro
Besides roles such as Mafia boss Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, De Niro has played Italian-Americans in Goodfellas, Once Upon A Time In America and Mean Streets.

His other acclaimed movies include Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter and Meet the Parents.

De Niro was born in New York after his great-grandparents emigrated to the US from Ferrazzano, in Italy's central Molise region, at the end of the 19th Century.

He has damaged their image by constantly playing criminal roles that tarnish their reputation

Joseph Sciame
The Sons of Italy
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, he said: "I'm part Italian, part Dutch, part French, part German and part Irish, but I probably identify more with my Italian side than any other parts.

"Italy is such a great and wonderful country, I'm very proud and honoured to be asked to be a citizen."

The Sons of Italy group's president Joseph Sciame wrote to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to complain about De Niro receiving the award.

He wrote: "He has done nothing to promote the image of Italians. He has damaged their image by constantly playing criminal roles that tarnish their reputation."

Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Supermodel warriors and a creature in a kilt

2004-09-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

So there are these two supermodels, decked out in survivalist-dominatrix gear.

And one model cheekbones to the other as she checks her pistol: "We're running out of ammo."

The first one, the veteran of these Resident Evil movies, glowers and puckers up. She's the star. She's the narrator. She's the one who said, "We thought we had survived the horror. But we were wrong!" in the opening. She locks and loads, because the star never runs out of ammo.

The things a girl has to do to escape the rigors of the catwalk.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse isn't the end of moviegoing as we know it. Not good or even competent, not bad enough to be funny, the scariest thing about it may be this piece of info about the audience -- the trailer was downloaded 8.5 million times last fall.

There's no stopping Evil. But it's worth a try.

Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, the security specialist trapped in a bio-weapons experiment gone horribly wrong in Resident Evil. She's been kept on ice by her mutlinational employer. She's revived because the residents of "The Hive" have escaped and devoured Raccoon City.

What kind of nitwit screenwriter names his fictional movie town "Raccoon City"? The guy who went on to direct Alien vs. Predator, Paul W.S. Anderson, that's who.

The dead aren't staying dead. (Yes, George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead, came up with the "original" story.)

A few live folks are trapped in town. There's the hottie cop (Sienna Guillory of Love, Actually), the company mercenary (Oded Fehr of The Mummy), a "colorful" black pimp (Mike Epps) and a TV anchor who blubbers idiotic lines like "There's still no explanation for this unexplained wave of violence."

Then there's Alice. Bad Alice. Cold-eyed, trigger-happy Alice. Jovovich, the L'Oreal model turned action heroine, hurls herself into this. You've got to respect her work ethic.

The gang has a mission -- rescue the daughter of the scientist who devised this epidemic. They face flesh-eating zombies that nobody ever calls zombies and gargoyle-like super-monsters and one mother of a creature dressed in a leather kilt.

Yeah, a kilt.

Thomas Kreschmann is the actor who escaped East Germany by hiking over the mountains into the West only to be typecast as generic German villains by Hollywood. He plays the heartless head of the Umbrella Corp. Fehr wears a lot of armor and shoots a lot of guns and tries not to look bored.

Guillory, a younger version of The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss, is pretty cool in her tube top, commando boots and miniskirt. She matches Jovovich round for round, cheekbone for cheekbone.

But they're all just clocking in and doing the devil's work here. That would be Alexander Witt, a longtime second-unit director who brings no wit other than his surname to the enterprise. He's all about the gallons of gore and the gunfire and the editing that makes the models look like real bar brawlers.

Zeta-Jones Stalker Ruled Competent

2004-09-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Dawnette Knight, the woman accused of stalking actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, was declared mentally competent Wednesday to continue criminal proceedings.

Things came to a halt in July when Knight overdosed on barbiturates while in jail. The court ordered the 33-year-old to be checked out by a psychiatrist, who concluded that Knight understood the charges against her and could assist in her own defense.

The defendant faces 24 counts of stalking Zeta-Jones via threatening phone calls and letters over an 18 month period. Her lawyer, Richard Herman, said Wednesday that his client’s pill popping was the result of an emotional day in court the day before, during which Zeta-Jones testified and read out portions of Knight’s letters.

"She basically needed a break so that she could compose herself,” Herman told reporters. “At the time when we called the break, she was having difficulty coping with the pressures of the hearing.

The preliminary hearing is expected to resume Thursday.

Kidman, Bacall take Birth to Normandy

2004-09-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Film diva Nicole Kidman, 24 hours after dazzling the Venice film festival even if her new movie did not, was set for another star turn at yet another celebration of cinema on Thursday, this time in the French seaside resort of Deauville.

Kidman's latest oeuvre, Jonathan Glazer's "Birth", is in competition at Deauville's annual festival of American cinema. Accompanying Kidman will be screen legend Lauren Bacall, who plays her mother in the film.

In "Birth", Kidman's character, Anna, decides to remarry ten years after the death of her beloved husband. But her world is turned upside down when a ten-year-old boy claiming to be her dead husband's reincarnation walks into her life.

The film got mixed reviews - in the form of boos and applause - when presented in Venice, but Kidman seems to have held audiences enthralled.

Also showing at the northern resort on Thursday was Joshua Marston's "Maria Full of Grace," a much-praised portrayal of a young woman who elects to transport illegal drugs to New York in order to escape an impoverished, dead-end existence in Colombia.

Closing out the day's screenings was "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the much-anticipated second feature film by Michel Gondry starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.

TV Sex Affects Teens

2004-09-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Children who watched a lot of TV with sexual content were about twice as likely to start having intercourse during the subsequent year as those with little exposure to televised sex, researchers found.

High exposure to TV sex among those age 12 to 17 also was linked with a lower but still substantially increased risk of starting non-intercourse behavior, including passionate kissing and oral sex, the researchers found. Even shows that only refer to sex but don't depict it had the effect, they found.

"Exposure to TV that included only talk about sex was associated with the same risks as exposure to TV that depicted sexual behavior," said Rand Corp. behavioral scientist Rebecca Collins and colleagues.

From innuendoes to depictions of intercourse, sex is pervasive on TV, present in about two-thirds of all shows other than news and sports, and teens watch an average of three hours of television daily, previous research has shown.

TV thus "may create the illusion that sex is more central to daily life than it truly is and may promote sexual initiation as a result," the researchers said.

"When they're watching it for three hours a day, it really does become their social world. Those characters are people they identify with and pay attention to," said Collins, the lead researcher.

TV sex rarely deals with negative aspects most teens aren't prepared to deal with, including unwanted pregnancy, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, she said.

That "sends kids the message that everybody's having sex and nobody's thinking about responsibility and nothing bad ever happens," Collins said. "You don't see the fade to black, the couple has sex, and the next morning says, 'You gave me an STD.'"

The study appears in September's Pediatrics, released Tuesday.

The results are based on nationwide telephone surveys of 1,792 adolescents queried in 2001 and again in 2002. Parental consent for participation was obtained before the interviews.

The researchers devised a list of 23 popular shows that on average featured abundant sexual content. Programs the researchers considered high in sexual content included "That '70s Show," "Friends" and "Sex and the City" - all popular with teens.

Participants then were asked how often they watched those 23 shows. They also were asked whether they engaged in various sexual activities; results were compared from the two surveys.

The number of teens who reported having had intercourse climbed from about 18 percent to 36 percent. The number who'd had sexual experiences other than intercourse climbed from 62 percent to 75 percent, Collins said.

Factors that increased the likelihood of having intercourse included being older, having older friends and getting poor grades. But even considering those factors, television still remained a strong influence, the researchers said.

Many youngsters start having sex during their teen years, and previous data show that 46 percent of high school students say they've had intercourse. But many say they wish they'd waited longer to have sex, and television might be among factors influencing them to become sexually active too soon, the researchers said.

Liliana Escobar-Chaves, a researcher at the University of Texas School of Public Health, said the findings illustrate the importance of parents viewing and discussing TV with their kids, and of encouraging TV writers to depict sex responsibly.

The latter effort is a focus of The Media Project, a Los Angeles-based advocacy program that works with TV networks to include accurate and responsible sex images in programming.

"We want kids to look at television with an educated eye," said Melissa Havard, the group's director.

One example is an HIV/AIDS effort the group has collaborated on with media giant Viacom, whose properties include CBS and MTV. In the past year and a half, Viacom has produced 22 shows with positive HIV messages, including a "Star Trek" episode in which Vulcans had to deal with the stigma of having an AIDS-like disease, said Viacom spokesman Carl Folta.

But while acknowledging that television "certainly can make an impact," Folta was skeptical of the study results.

"I don't think television makes anybody do anything," Folta said. It's just one of many factors that influence young people's lives, he said.

The Venice Film Festival has been hit by a number of gaffes including Al Pacino ending up with no seat at his own movie premiere.

2004-09-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

A computer glitch has been blamed for producing 200 too many tickets for the screening of The Merchant of Venice.

Pacino eventually got a place a few rows from the front, but the delay pushed back the premiere of Finding Neverland to 2am.

Organisers say the festival has fallen victim to its own success.

The Venice Film Festival has grown enormously this year, attracting more of Hollywood's big players who have chosen to premiere their films there.

"We have put a Ferrari engine in a small, old Fiat 500 car," said Davide Croff, president of the Venice Biennale, which oversees the festival.

Organisers admit there have been bigger crowds than anticipated, while many studios have demanded their films be shown in the first five days of the 11-day event.

'Never going back'

There has also been a problem with outdated infrastructure.

Pacino's problems with finding a seat meant the screening of The Merchant of Venice was 70 minutes late, pushing back the already tight schedule.

"In my entire life as a producer I've never seen anything like this at a festival, and for this reason I'm never coming back to Venice,", Merchant co-producer Michael Lionello Cowan told La Nuova newspaper.

But Merchant of Venice producer, Barry Navidi, said the situation resolved itself without too much problem.

Quentin Tarantino has selected rare Italian movies to showcase
"Even though there were a number of difficulties and a chaotic situation for the premiere, Al Pacino was delighted and happy that so many people wanted to see this movie," Navidi told news agency Cinecitta News.

The larger-than-life boss of Miramax, Harvey Weinstein, was less than thrilled that the premiere of his movie Finding Neverland was pushed back to early morning.

"Welcome to the breakfast screening of Neverland," Weinstein joked to the audience.

"This morning (festival director Marco) Muller will be serving the croissants and I'll be teaching him the meaning of 'timing'.

'Movie geek dream'

"Then I'll drown him in the lagoon, with his feet encased in cement."

Meanwhile, Quentin Tarantino has flown into Venice to present a retrospective of eclectic Italian films, along with Gremlins director Joe Dante.

The unusual selection, under the banner Italian Kings of the Bs, includes Cannibal Holocaust, Orgasm and The Big Gundown.

"To actually see them all in Italian, restored and in their original form, it's a movie geek dream," said Tarantino.

Michael Moore plans to enter Fahrenheit 9/11 as best picture, rather than best documentary, at the Academy Awards.

2004-09-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

The film, which slams President George W Bush's war on terror, has become the highest grossing documentary.

But Moore said he hoped to have the film aired on television before November's presidential election to reach "as many Americans as possible".

According to Academy rules, this would invalidate its entry in the documentary category, but not for best film.

Moore said, for him, the "real Oscar" would be President Bush's defeat and added he "had not given up trying" to get the film broadcast on television before the election.

I told my crew who worked on the film, let's let someone else have that Oscar

Michael Moore

He said: "Although I have no assurance from our home video distributor that they would allow a one-time television broadcast - and the chances are they probably won't - I have decided it is more important to take that risk and hope against hope that I can persuade someone to put it on TV, even if it's the night before the election.

"Therefore, I have decided not to submit Fahrenheit 9/11 for consideration for the Best Documentary Oscar.

"If there is even the remotest of chances that I can get this film seen by a few million more Americans before election day, then that is more important to me than winning another documentary Oscar."

Moore won the best documentary Oscar in 2003 with anti-gun culture film Bowling for Columbine.

'Propaganda'

The deadline to submit Fahrenheit 9/11 for the documentary category was last Wednesday.

Moore added: "I told my crew who worked on the film, let's let someone else have that Oscar."

He also said he wanted to be "supportive of my team-mates in non-fiction film", including documentaries such as Super Size Me and Control Room.

"It's not that I want to be disrespectful and say I don't ever want to win a [documentary] Oscar again," Moore said.

"This just seems like the right thing to do... I don't want to take away from the other nominees and the attention that they richly deserve."

Fahrenheit 9/11, which also attacks President Bush's policy on Iraq, has been cheered by Democrats but has enraged supporters of the president, with some calling it "propaganda".

Moore, who was an unofficial speaker at the Democratic convention in Boston in July, was booed last week by delegates at the Republican convention in New York.

Author JK Rowling has given fans a brief preview of the next instalment of the Harry Potter book series.

2004-09-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Visitors to her website had to play a darts game and crack a code to read two lines of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The first revealed line read: "He looked rather like an old lion."

Rowling is still writing the sixth instalment, which will prelude the final Harry Potter novel in which he will face enemy Lord Voldemort.

Mystery prince

The second line read: "There were streaks of grey in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp."

The website did not explain who was being described or from which section of the novel the extract was taken.

The book's title refers to a "half blood" - a character in the fantasy series who has a non-wizard for a parent.

Rowling has not revealed the identity of the "prince" in the title or the book's publication date.

Actors Al Pacino, Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp have attended the Venice Film Festival amid complaints that Hollywood films dominate the event.

2004-09-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

The stars promoted their latest movies at the ongoing 11-day festival.

Anti-capitalist protesters have set up a Global Beach camp nearby to denounce the prevalence of Hollywood stars and the cost of screenings.

Actor Tim Robbins and author Naomi Klein will join the protest on Monday, the Independent on Sunday reported.

'More Shakespeare'

Al Pacino launched his big screen version of The Merchant of Venice at the festival.

The 64-year-old stars as Shylock in director Michael Radford's $30m (£17m) production, and Pacino called for more Shakespeare plays to be made into films.

"In the theatre you are watching it as it happens and listening to the words," he said.

"But in a movie you have the opportunity to cut away, to go in for close-ups, to bring in a different dynamic to a scene."

Kate Winslet attended a premiere of Peter Pan film Finding Neverland with co-star Johnny Depp on Saturday.

Depp - who plays author JM Barrie in the movie - was asked if, like Peter Pan, he would like to stay young forever.

"Nowadays, it's all a question of surgery, isn't it?" the 41-year-old actor said.

"No, of course the notion is beautiful - the idea of staying a boy or a child forever. But I think you can. I've known plenty of people in their later years who were like little kids, had the energy of little children, the curiosity and fascination.

"But I think it's great fun growing old. I think it's great."

Cannes rival

Tim Robbins' film of his satirical play Embedded is being screened at the festival, along with The Take by anti-globalisation campaigner Naomi Klein.

The 61st annual festival opened on Wednesday as dozens of protesters picketed the premiere of Tom Hanks' movie The Terminal.

They parked a car made to resemble a pirate ship outside the cinema where the film was being screened.

Protesters object to the change in direction taken by the world's oldest film festival, which this year is attracting a Hollywood A-list crowd to rival that of France's Cannes Film Festival.

The event sees 21 films competing for the Golden Lion grand prize, which was won last year by Russian film The Return.

This year's entrants include a mix of art house movies and blockbusters such as Vanity Fair and Nicole Kidman's Birth.

Actor Peter Fonda will receive the first Gary Cooper Spirit of Montana Award, to honour his contribution to film and his ties to Montana.

2004-09-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Fonda starred in 1969 film Easy Rider and is a resident of the US state.

Fonda said he was honoured to receive an award named after 1950s star Gary Cooper, whom he knew through his actor father, Henry Fonda.

"He was a great Westerner - his bearing, everything about him," Fonda said of Cooper.

Oscar nomination

"When I found out he was from Montana, I thought, 'Well, that's why'."

Fonda, 65, was nominated for an Oscar for his leading role in 1997 movie Ulee's Gold.

The brother of actress Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda's daughter Bridget has starred in films such as Jackie Brown and Scandal.

He will receive the award from actor and fellow Montana resident Jeff Bridges during the Hatch Audiovisual Arts Festival, taking place in Bozeman, Montana, from 9-12 September.

A judge has refused to reduce Michael Jackson's $3m (£1.67m) bail on child molestation charges.

2004-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

In a written ruling, Judge Rodney Melville cited the pop singer's vast wealth as the reason for not reducing his bail.

He also mentioned a previous alleged plan by Mr Jackson to take his accuser's family to Brazil "against their will".

Mr Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to 10 child abuse charges.

'Financial incentive'

In the ruling, which was made public on Wednesday, Judge Melville, of Santa Barbara County Superior Court, also said Mr Jackson had the ability to hire private jets and had frequently travelled outside the US.

He added a secret grand jury transcript "provides detailed evidence" that Mr Jackson tried to arrange for the family of the boy he is accused of molesting to travel to Brazil, and family statements indicated "this was being done against their will".

According to the ruling, Mr Jackson planned to join them in Brazil.

"Assuming this evidence to be true, it demonstrates both the seriousness of the crime and the manner in which defendant handles situations perceived to be difficult," the ruling said.

Judge Melville wrote that "no amount less than $3m would provide a financial incentive to return and appear for hearings and trial".

Criminal record

Mr Jackson is due to stand trial in January 2005.

He has pleaded not guilty to committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.

Mr Jackson's lawyers had cited his charitable contributions, lack of criminal record and ties to Santa Barbara County in seeking the bail reduction.

Judge Melville acknowledged Mr Jackson lack of prior record, but said this was "partially offset" by previous allegations of child molestation, a reference to a 1993 criminal investigation that never led to charges.

Lawyers on both sides are under court orders not to speak to the media about details of the case before the start of the trial.

Stars of the big screen are expected in Venice this week for the start of the annual film festival.

2004-08-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Reese Witherspoon, Denzel Washington and Scarlett Johansson are all expected to attend.

Venice is often seen by film critics as the start of the Oscar campaign.

The festival - which starts on Wednesday - runs until 11 September and features a number of films about the terror attacks.

They include Wim Wenders' Land of Plenty - a critical look at post-11 September America - and The Hamburg Cell, a movie about the hijackers involved in the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks will kick off the festival with The Terminal - a romantic comedy with Catherine Zeta Jones about a traveller stranded by political upheaval in his own country for nine months in a New York airport.

Later, Nicole Kidman will attend the screening of her reincarnation picture, Birth, while Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie and Will Smith will be in town to promote their voice-overs in the animated Shark Tale.

Marco Muller, the festival's new director, said: "Every day will have at least a couple of 'glamour' moments.

"I want this to be an audience's festival, with cheering as though it were a stadium."

Arthouse fans and film critics are not likely to be disappointed either, with 170 films and shorts from 28 countries showing in competitions and special events.

Lifetime achievement

A total of 21 films will vie for the coveted Golden Lion prize in the main competition, including Birth by Jonathan Glazer, starring Kidman as a woman convinced that a 10-year-old boy is her dead husband reincarnated.

Other contenders include Mar Adentro, a true story about a paralyzed Spaniard's attempts to end his life, from The Others director Alejandro Amenabar and Mira Nair's adaptation of Thackeray's 19th-century novel Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon.

The Golden Lion jury is headed by British director John Boorman and includes actresses Scarlett Johansson and Helen Mirren.

The awards will be handed out on 11 September at a ceremony hosted by Sophia Loren.

Portuguese film veteran Manoel de Oliveira, who will present his O quinto imperio in the special events section, will receive a special Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.

He will also be joined by US producer/director Stanley Donen, who directed Singin' in the Rain in 1952.

Golden Lion 2004 contenders:

Mar Adentro (Alejandro Amenabar)
Vanity Fair (Mira Nair)
Vera Drake (Mike Leigh)
Promised Land (Amos Gitai)
Palindromes (Todd Solondz)
Land of Plenty (Wim Wenders)
L'Intrus (Claire Denis)
Le Chiavi di Casa (Gianni Amelio)
Howl's Moving Castle (Hayo Miyazaki)
Birth (Jonathan Glazer)
Lavorare con lentezza (Guido Chiesa)
Café Lumière (Hsiao-hsien Hou)
Haryu insaeng (Kwon-taek Im)
Stray Dogs (Marziyeh Meshkini)
5×2 (Cinq fois deux) (FrançoisOzon)
Delivery (Nikos Panayotopoulos)
Ovunque sei (Michele Placido)
Udalionnyj dostup (Svetlana Proskurina)
Tout un hiver sans feu (Greg Zglinski)
Shijie (Zhangke Jia)
Rois et reine (Arnaud Desplechin)

Hip hop star Jay-Z leads the nominations for this year's MTV Video Music Awards which take place in Miami on 29 August.

2004-08-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

The rapper is up for six awards including best male video and best rap video for the track 99 Problems.

Beyonce, No Doubt, Usher and Outkast all have five nominations and British bands The Darkness and Franz Ferdinand are both up for two awards.

Kanye West and Usher will perform live at next month's ceremony.

Rock bands Jet, Hoobastank and Yellowcard will also appear. The host of the show is still to be announced.

Jay-Z's other nominations are for best video, best choreography, best direction and best editing.

British hopefuls The Darkness are up for best new artist and best rock video for I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand are nominated in the MTV2 award and breakthrough video categories for their hit single Take Me Out.

The group were recently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

The MTV ceremony at the American Airlines Arena is expected to get a television audience of about one billion viewers.

Outkast's number one single Hey Ya received nominations for best video, best hip hop video, best art direction and best special effects.

Justin Timberlake and Beyonce Knowles won three awards at last year's event at New York's Radio City Music Hall - as did British group Coldplay.

Rap star Missy Elliott took the main award, best video, for her song Work It, which was also named best hip-hop video.

MTV Awards 2004: The winners

2004-08-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

The full list of winners for the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards:

Best video
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Also nominated: D12 - My Band
Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Britney Spears - Toxic
Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris - Yeah

Best male video
Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris - Yeah
Also nominated: Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Prince - Musicology
Justin Timberlake - Senorita
Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down

Best female video
Beyonce - Naughty Girl
Also nominated: Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Jessica Simpson - With You
Britney Spears - Toxic

Best group video
No Doubt - It's My Life
Also nominated: D-12 - My Band
Good Charlotte - Hold On
Hoobastank - The Reason
Maroon 5 - This Love

Best rap video
Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Also nominated: 50 Cent featuring Snoop Dogg and G-Unit - P.I.M.P
D-12 - My Band
Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins - Get Low
Ludacris - Stand Up

Best R&B video
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Also nominated: Beyonce - Me, Myself and I
Brandy featuring Kanye West - Talk About Our Love
R Kelly - Step in the Name of Love
Usher - Burn

Best hip-hop video
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Also nominated: Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Chingy featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg - Holidae Inn
Nelly featuring P Diddy and Murphy Lee - Shake ya Tailfeather
Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down

Best dance video
Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris - Yeah
Also nominated: Beyonce - Naughty Girl
Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Missy Elliott - I'm Really Hot
Britney Spears - Toxic

Best rock video
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
Also nominated: The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Evanescence - My Immortal
Hoobastank - The Reason
Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit

Best pop video
No Doubt - It's My Life
Also nominated: Hilary Duff - Come Clean
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Jessica Simpson - With You
Britney Spears - Toxic

Best new artist in a video
Maroon 5 - This Love
Also nominated: The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
JoJo - Leave (Get Out)
Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

MTV2 Award
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Also nominated: Elephant Man - Pon de River
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Modest Mouse - Float On
Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx - Slow Jamz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Viewer's Choice
Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit
Also nominated: Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within
Good Charlotte - Hold On
Simple Plan - Perfect
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

Breakthrough Video
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Also nominated: Modest Mouse - Float On
New Found Glory - All Downhill From Here
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down
White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Best direction in a video
Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Also nominated: No Doubt - It's My Life
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Best choreography in a video
Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama
Also nominated: Beyonce - Naughty Girl
Missy Elliott - I'm Really Hot
Sean Paul - Like Glue
Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris - Yeah

Best special effects in a video
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Also nominated: Incubus - Megalomaniac
Modest Mouse - Float On
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Best art direction in a video
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Also nominated: Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name
No Doubt - It's My Life
Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Best editing in a video
Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Also nominated: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
Simple Plan - Perfect
White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Best cinematography in a video
Jay-Z - 99 Problems
Also nominated: Christina Aguilera - The Voice Within
Beyonce - Naughty Girl
No Doubt - It's My Life
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Cruise meets with French minister

2004-08-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Actor Tom Cruise has met with a French government minister while in Paris to promote his new film.
The star, who will attend the French premiere of the thriller Collateral on Monday, had an hour-long meeting with Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

The pair are believed to have discussed Franco-American relations, which were damaged last year by France's opposition to the Iraq war.

Cruise was met by local photographers as he arrived at the ministry.

Third child on way for Beckhams

2004-08-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Victoria Beckham is pregnant with her third child, it has been announced.

The singer and her husband England and Real Madrid football star David Beckham released a statement confirming their baby is due in early March next year.

The couple said: "This is fantastic news. We are both absolutely delighted. We are planning to have the baby in Spain."

The couple already have two sons Brooklyn, five, and Romeo who is two next month.

They have spoken on numerous occasions about their desire to have a large family.

They first met in 1997 and married in a lavish ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland months after Brooklyn's birth in 1999.

Affair allegations

Both have suffered career highs and lows in recent months.

Beckham secured a £25 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid last year but has endured a tough first season.

Rebecca Loos, 26, alleged she had an affair with the England football captain.

She worked for the SFX Group, the sports personality management company which looked after the Beckhams.

The allegations, which surfaced in April, were vehemently denied by Beckham who branded them "ludicrous".

He issued a statement saying: "The simple truth is that I am very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids.

"There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts."

Former Spice Girl Victoria, 30, has sealed her place as a fashion icon, but has struggled to find the same success with her solo pop career.

The couple own numerous properties, including a £2.5m mansion in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, and a £1.5m holiday home on the Cote d'Azur in France.

Crowe admits fight with bodyguard

2004-08-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Actor Russell Crowe admitted starting a fight with his bodyguard on a film set.
The star said he "took offence" when he thought Mark "Spud" Carroll was making an accusation about a conversation he was having with a female extra.

"Spud and I had a push around after work on a Friday night," Crowe wrote to Australian paper The Sunday Herald Sun.

"The misunderstanding arose when Spud came over to tell me what he thought other people in the room might have been thinking of my conversation."

The altercation happened at a drinks party on the set of The Cinderella Man - in which Crowe plays a boxer - about a month ago, he said.

- It doesn't surprise me that I'm overly sensitive to gossip and speculation

Russell Crowe

In the letter, the Oscar-winning actor continued: "I thought he was accusing me specifically of something and I took offence to it.

"It doesn't surprise me that I'm overly sensitive to gossip and speculation and heartily sick of other people's 'perceptions'.

"Spud was passing on other people's 'perceptions' and I shot the messenger."

He added: "Luckily for me, the sequences we were shooting required me to wear heavy post boxing make-up, so you couldn't tell."

- He did take a nip at my chest - I was trying to smother him at the time

Mark Carroll

Crowe said the extra was a friend of his and wife Dani, who "doesn't have any problem with me having a drink and a chat with the people I'm working with at the end of the week".

The actor said he and Carroll - a former Australian rugby league player - made up the next day.

Carroll, in a separate letter to the paper, denied reports that Crowe had bitten his ear.

"He did take a nip at my chest - I was trying to smother him at the time, so I can understand the move," he wrote.

"As for calling it a fight, believe me, we have done much more damage to each other playing touch footy."

Man Charged With Stalking Lavigne Parents

2004-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

A man accused of harassing Canadian pop singer Avril Lavigne's parents and violating a court order by trying to contact her has been charged with felony stalking.

Prosecutors say James Speedy's obsession began in 2003, when he started writing the teenage rocker. After finding out where her parents lived, he started writing them.

"He sent his letters by FedEx and complained when they were not answered," deputy prosecutor Janice Albert said in papers filed Friday in Snohomish County Superior Court. "He sent wine, photos, CDs and requests for contact. They never responded."

In a June 2003 letter to Lavigne's family, Speedy acknowledged that his behavior was comparable to a stalker's.

He called another letter a "courtesy notification" that he was in Lavigne's hometown of Ontario, promising not to drive by her parents' house, spy on them or do "anything creepy," Albert said.

In July 2003, Canadian police found Speedy parked in a car near the house, Albert said.

Despite a Canadian anti-harassment order, Speedy contacted Lavigne's agent this past March about a concert the teen rocker was to play in the Seattle area the following month. In one e-mail he said he would like to attend the event and 'knock fists' with" Lavigne, Albert said.

Speedy, who was released on bail after his April 7 arrest, is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 17. There was no telephone listing under his name in his hometown of Lynnwood.

MTV PUSHES THE ENVELOPE

2004-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

IT'S the stage where Diana Ross felt up Lil' Kim, Britney and Madonna swapped spit, Prince bared his butt, and Michael Jackson virtually molested his then-wife Lisa Marie.
But fallout from a certain MTV-produced Super Bowl performance by Michael's sister Janet may make this year's show a little more family-friendly than perhaps audiences would wish.

The 22nd annual MTV Video Music Awards kick off tonight at 8 from its massive new home at American Airlines Arena in Miami. The show, which has traditionally been held at smaller venues in New York or Los Angeles, will unfold on five different stages - and, for the first time, will have no host.

In another first, many of the attending celebrities will be delivered to the red carpet via luxury yachts - and, as expected, the stars and their handlers and entourages have been competing fiercely to outdo each other in extravagance.

Presenters and performers include the recently de-pierced Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, J.Lo and her former flame P. Diddy, Usher, Nelly, Dave Chapelle and Shaquille O'Neal, who was recently signed to the Miami Heat.

Among those hoping to be summoned to the stage by the presenters are Jay-Z (his "99 Problems" received the most nominations - six), Usher (who's up for five awards), and Beyonc‚, OutKast and No Doubt.

MTV's president, Van Toffler, who faced a firestorm of criticism after the Super Bowl "Nipplegate" scandal, isn't expecting any kind of repeat offense from this year's VMAs.

"At the end of the day, what Janet Jackson did at the Super Bowl didn't work for her," he said, "and the artists that we work with are professionals."

Toffler did, however, offer a tip that's good whether you'll be at the show itself or just watching it on TV.

"I would not be late to the show, especially in light of what happened last year," he said, referring to the girl-on-girl-on-girl kissing of Aguilera, Madonna and Spears.

"You never know what they're going to do or say," he added. "Our audience has come to expect of MTV, and this event, very unpredictable, compelling television. That is not going to change, regardless of the Super Bowl or the kiss."

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is to return to Broadway in the show that made her name 20 years ago.

2004-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Goldberg will star in her one-woman self-titled show at the Lyceum Theatre from 17 November.

The Oscar-winning star's original show premiered in October 1984, when it ran for 156 performances.

Goldberg has appeared on Broadway since then in revivals of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

She will try out her show in Philadelphia at the Merriam Theatre for a week from 13 October.

Preview performances of Goldberg's show in New York begin on 6 November.

The comedian won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in 1991 film Ghost. Other film performances include roles in The Color Purple, Jumpin' Jack Flash and Sister Act.

The actress has also voiced several cartoon film characters, including Shenzi in The Lion King.

Muppets' Flick to Include Tarantino

2004-08-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Blood-and-guts director Quentin Tarantino may be going soft. The "Kill Bill" and "Pulp Fiction" director will make a cameo appearance in a new ABC-TV movie featuring the Muppets and based on the classic tale "The Wizard of Oz," ABC announced Thursday.

The film, with the working title "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz," is set to begin production in Vancouver, British Columbia, next month and air in the coming TV season on "The Wonderful World of Disney."

Tarantino's role as himself is likely to be overshadowed by pop star Ashanti, starring as Dorothy, and Miss Piggy. The muppet will play three wicked witches and Glinda, Good Witch of the South.

Among other muppets, Kermit the Frog is the Scarecrow, the Great Gonzo is the Tin Man and Fozzie Bear is the Lion. Besides Ashanti as Dorothy, the film features actress-singer Queen Latifah playing Auntie Em.

Described by the network as a "madcap adventure," the project is based on Frank L. Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Judy Garland played Dorothy is the famed 1939 film version, while Diana Ross starred in 1978's "The Wiz."

Pop babe Britney Spears has enlisted the acting skills of her older brother Bryan for the video of her forthcoming single My Prerogative

2004-08-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

On the star's official website, Spears' mother Lynne reveals the Toxic singer has been filming the promo for her cover of the Bobby Brown new jack swing classic and has signed her 27-year-old sibling to star alongside her.

Spears cancelled the second North American leg of her Onyx Hotel world tour in June after she injured her knee during the video for another single, Outrageous.

After undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, Spears has been relaxing with her fiancé Kevin Federline in Hawaii and their Santa Monica, California home.

Lynne explains: "Britney's knee is slowly healing. She's starting to walk better and better each day. Currently, she's shooting her video for My Prerogative at the Paramour in Los Angeles.

"The video itself is going to be like none other. Since Britney's knee is unable to do choreography, the video is all about capturing gorgeous close ups and very subtle movement. It has an element of old Hollywood glamour and mystery - I think you'll love it.

"Please look for that good looking hunk of a son of mine in the video - he has a cameo right at the beginning."

The reported $7.2m (€5.9m) video is set to include a mock wedding scene and Spears crashing a car into a swimming pool.

Julia Roberts to dump movies for new role

2004-08-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

Julia Roberts is all ready to dump movies to concentrate on motherhood. In fact, she's throwing most plans out the window.

The "Pretty Woman" star, who is expecting twins this winter with husband Danny Moder, told Newsweek yesterday that she was beginning a "whole new life".

"I'm not planning anything. I can't imagine how big I'm going to get in the next three months, but hell, you just kind of play it as it comes, I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" she said.

The Oscar-winning actress has two films set for release in December: "Closer," directed by Mike Nichols and also starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen, and "Ocean's 12," the Steven Soderbergh-directed sequel to 2001's star-studded heist caper.

Of the somber "Closer," Roberts said: "I wouldn't think of me for this. And certainly, I wasn't Mike's first choice."

Nichols originally cast Cate Blanchett, but she had to drop out when she became pregnant.

Roberts, 36, and cameraman Moder, 35, met on the set of The Mexican four years ago and were married in 2002. The twins will be the first children for Roberts

Sacha Baron Cohen has been stirring up all kinds of trouble as Ali G

2004-08-25T02:44:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION assistants of high-profile network news stars: You and your bosses are simple prey for Sacha Baron Cohen — better known as goofy British rapper/TV host Ali G.

The latest newsman to fall victim to Ali G's inane questions is "60 Minutes" curmudgeon Andy Rooney, who lost his temper and tossed Ali G from his office while the rapper (who is white) accused him of being a racist — a sensitive subject with Rooney.

The surreal segment aired during the end credits on last Sunday's episode on HBO.

To land Rooney for the show, "Ali G" producers bypassed CBS News' usually cautious press department and contacted Rooney's assistant directly.

Rooney was sent an official-looking letter from what he believed was a "youth-oriented, educational, British show" and was asked to participate in an interview about pop-culture, says a network source.

Last spring, about three "reputable"-looking staffers from "Ali G" turned up at Rooney's office to set up their equipment. Minutes before the interview began, Cohen, in the guise of Ali G, bounded into the office — but didn't say a word until the cameras began to roll.

Instead of playing along, Rooney harped on Ali G's grammar — a hard-to-understand combination of British slang peppered with made-up street talk — and finally blew his top after getting hit with questions about "da media."

On "Da Ali G Show," Cohen hoodwinks unwitting guests into sometimes startling admissions with his in-depth portrayals of three characters: Ali G, Borat, a phony TV host from Kazakhstan, and Bruno, an openly gay fashion reporter from Austria.

Cohen's recent victims include a laundry list of recognizable names from media and politics including ABC newsman Sam Donaldson and Pat Buchanan.

A new film which breaks one of the last taboos of German cinema by portraying Hitler in a central role, has premiered in Berlin

2004-08-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

The Downfall, written and produced by Bernd Eichinger, follows Hitler's final days leading up to his suicide.

Rather than showing Hitler as a malicious dictator, it portrays him as a soft-spoken man with a human side.

It has caused controversy in a country still trying to come to terms with the events of World War II.

'Monster'

Dr Rolf Giesen, from the Film Museum in Berlin, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme the film had broken taboos in German cinema.

"It is not the first time that they have shown Adolf Hitler on the screen, but it is certainly the first time that they have tried to discover the human touch in that monster," he said.

"It is aimed at the generation who did not know about the terrors of World War II and national socialism.

"This youth will find it a fascinating insight in to the fatalism of evil.

"We have just seen Mel Gibson's Passion of The Christ, now we have the Passion of Adolf Hitler."

Art historian Isabel Marschall said: "I had very strong emotional reactions to the film. For me it was a little like a nightmare I couldn't get out of.

"I always try to be careful not to feel passion with the wrong person and I was very much aware of my emotions through the film."

Ms Marschall added she believed there was a danger in portraying the human side of Hitler on screen.

"I am pretty sure that there might be some people who are going to use this film in a way that will not necessarily be very positive for Germany," she said.

"But it is a very good film in many ways and it is just the time for this kind of film to come out."

Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled a dispute with an Ohio car company which used photos of him in an advertising campaign without his permission.

2004-08-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Fred Martin Motor Company agreed to pay a "substantial" sum to Schwarzenegger's Arnold's All-Stars, an after-school programme founded by the former actor.

The dealership also issued a written apology to Schwarzenegger, who is now the governor of California.

The adverts, placed in an Ohio journal, were from 1984 film The Terminator.

A quotation next to the photo suggested potential customers could "terminate early" on their existing car leases and buy or hire from Fred Martin instead.

Second success

Schwarzenegger sued the car company in 2002 for allegedly violating his right of publicity prior to the Californian governor elections.

The case was dismissed in June by a federal appeals court, which stated that California courts had no jurisdiction to hear it because the adverts were not shown in that state.

Schwarzenegger recently settled another action against a company which produced a "bobblehead" doll of him in a suit toting a gun.

He had objected to his image being used for the bobbing-head toy.

The settlement allowed Ohio Discount Merchandise to produce a figure of Schwarzenegger but without a gun.

Part of the profits also went towards Arnold All-Stars.

Organisers of the Athens Olympics have opened a new front in their battle to keep the Games clean, by declaring war on soft pornography.

2004-08-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Marketing officials have gone to court to demand the withdrawal from news stands of the latest Greek edition of Playboy magazine.

Headlines such as "2004 seconds of ecstasy" and "Go for a Sexathon gold" corrupts the Olympic image, they say.

The explicit take on the Olympics was described as a "brutal insult".

Playboy also contains headlines such as "Gianna's wild Rogge and Roll" - a reference to International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and Athens 2004 chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

It also sports a cartoon of the Olympic rings composed of condoms.

Top-shelf bestseller

An Athens 2004 spokesman confirmed that a legal challenge had come from the image rights and marketing department.

"The issue at stake here is the protection of the Olympic symbols," he said.

"There is nothing unusual about this type of action."

Greek Playboy's legal representative said the magazine had been flying off the shelves since the controversy.

"They did very good negative advertising for us... now we're sure that even the last remaining copies of the August issue will be sold," Stelios Michalopoulos told Agence France Presse.

Organisers' bid to "clean up" the controversial issue, comes amid the more serious business of ensuring athletes are drug free - with a record number of doping tests being performed at the Games.

In the run-up to the Olympics a number of athletes have posed, scantily clad, for men's magazines including Playboy, FHM and Maxim.

Trial opens in Bullock's suit over Austin lakefront home

2004-08-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Actress Sandra Bullock has been cheated out of her dream home and millions of dollars by shoddy construction and fraudulent billing, her attorney said Friday.
The star of the Speed movies and romantic comedies such as Miss Congeniality has been locked in a yearslong legal battle with the builder of a $6.5 million lakefront home she has never moved into.
The builder and architect, M.B. "Benny" Daneshjou, said Bullock and her father, John Bullock, still owe him money for the house on Lake Austin and that it's not the unlivable disaster she claims it is.

JENNA JAMESON AIRS HOLLYWOOD'S DIRTY LAUNDRY IN NEW BOOK

2004-08-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

Her new book, "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale" (ReganBooks), is a juicy tell-all confessional, where she spills all about the men - and women - she's bedded, dated, even just flirted with.

There are plenty of bold-faced names you'll recognize - from Tommy Lee and Bruce Willis to Cindy Crawford to Howard Stern and the "massively endowed" Marilyn Manson.

The rock provocateur's predilections for armpit-sucking and "cuddling" proved too much for the "world's most famous adult star," who estimates she's slept with 30 men and 100 women.

But wait, there's more: The endlessly diverting book - which just hit shelves this week - is also a tongue-in-cheek manual (pun intended), featuring sections listing the do's and don'ts of dating a porn star, achieving sexual arousal on the set and sample contracts for porn actors.

"It's all about being as honest as possible, and letting people know what's really going on in my life," says Jameson, who wrote the book with the help of ghostwriter-to-the-stars Neil Strauss.

Even as she dishes on who-did-what-to-whom in Hollywood, she offers up painful revelations about her own life - recounting her addictions to Vicodin and methamphetamine and getting raped and sexually assaulted.

And yes, there's plenty of sex: adulterous sex, drug-induced sex, filmed sex - and even the occasional bout of everyday lovemaking.

Paris Hilton's Lost Chihuahua Turns Up

2004-08-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton and her missing pet Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, have been reunited, Hilton's spokeswoman said Wednesday.
No further details were available, Gina Hoffman told The Associated Press.
Syndicated TV show "Extra" had earlier reported that Tinkerbell, who disappeared last Wednesday, was alive, but that no details on the dog's condition or where she had been found were available.
The 23-year-old hotel heiress, who has starred for two seasons on Fox television's "The Simple Life" with her friend Nicole Richie, had offered a $5,000 reward for Tinkerbell.
Posters for the pampered pet had been displayed all over the West Hollywood area.
It was unclear how the dog managed to get away from Hilton's Hollywood Hills home.
Tinkerbell - decked out in pink coats or puppy-sized sneakers - has made regular appearances on Hilton's reality show.