Pink Floyd wins lawsuit with EMI over downloads

************************************************** Pink Floyd wins lawsuit with EMI over downloads ************************************************** Pink Floyd won a legal battle Thursday against 'EMI' that prevents the band's long-time record label from selling individual songs online. Sir Andrew Morritt, chancellor of Britain's High Court, ruled that Pink Floyd's contract forbids 'EMI' from breaking up the band's albums without its permission, according to a spokeswoman for the British judicial system. 'EMI' had argued that the stipulation only applied to physical albums, not online sales. The group's contract reportedly contained a clause to "preserve the artistic integrity" of their albums. The band has traditionally resisted selling individual songs from their "concept albums", which are meant to be listened to from beginning to end. Pink Floyd, best known for the classics The Dark Side of the Moon****** and The Wall,****** has become one of 'EMI''s most lucrative contracts since it was first signed in 1967. "We're huge fans of Pink Floyd whose great catalog we have been representing for more than 40 years and continue to represent exclusively and internationally", 'EMI' said in a statement. According to 'EMI', the case has been going on for "well over a year" and most of the issues have already been resolved. However, the record company added that there are "further arguments to be heard" and it expects the case to go on "for some time". A spokeswoman for the law firm representing Pink Floyd said the band does not have a comment at this time.

Corey Haim prolonged tragic Hollywood tradition

************************************************** Actor Corey Haim dies at 38 ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Corey Haim's story is sadly familiar in Hollywood: A teen talent who discovered drugs as he tasted his first success and whose personal problems increased as his star-power faded. Haim died Wednesday at 38, another chapter in Hollywood's tragic history of careers ravaged by drugs. Brittany Murphy's career was rebounding when she died at 31 in December from pneumonia and prescription drugs. River Phoenix was 16 when he starred in Stand By Me and 23 when he died of a drug overdose outside a Hollywood nightclub. Haim died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. His mother called paramedics after he collapsed while getting out of bed at his apartment. Haim started working in TV commercials at 10 and was a big-screen heartthrob at 15. The star of 1987's The Lost Boys****** discovered drugs while making that movie. "I was working on Lost Boys when I smoked my first joint", he told the British tabloid 'The Sun' in 1994. "I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack". Haim said he went into rehab and was put on prescription drugs. In 2007, he told 'ABC''s "Nightline" that drugs hurt his career. "I wasn't functional enough to work for anybody, even myself", he said. "I wasn't working". Haim had returned to the spotlight in recent years, appearing in the A&E reality TV show The Two Coreys with The Lost Boys co-star Corey Feldman. The show was canceled in 2008 after two seasons. Feldman later said Haim's drug abuse strained their working and personal relationships. Haim was ill with flulike symptoms before his death, and police said he was taking over-the-counter and prescription medications. An autopsy will determine his cause of death. There was no evidence of foul play. "He could have succumbed to whatever (illness) he had or it could have been drugs", police Sgt. William Mann said. "He has had a drug problem in the past". Feldman said he wept when he learned Haim had died. "This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend", Feldman said in a statement. Troy Searer, an executive producer of The Two Coreys, said Haim's "heart and his potential were only outmatched by his demons". Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction-medicine specialist and star of VH1's drug-treatment reality programs "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House", said the lure of Hollywood attracts many potential addicts. "There's a higher incidence of addiction among celebrities", he said. "It's not the Hollywood-ness. It's the fact that addicts show up in Hollywood and addicts are likely to die". Pinsky added: "Young Hollywood only reflects what's going on in the culture at large". Jennifer Gimenez, an actress and recovering drug addict and alcoholic who appears on "Sober House", said Hollywood's ultra-competitive environment can lead some people to seek escape in substances. "I don't feel like Hollywood takes you down", she said. "I just feel like it co-signs it a lot". Gimenez found success at 14 as a model and suddenly had to shoulder adult-sized responsibilities. Add the pressure of working in a competitive industry, and a person predisposed to addiction succumbs, she said. Successful actors are not immune to the dangers of addiction. Heath Ledger was poised for superstardom when he overdosed in 2008 at age 28. He posthumously won the Oscar the following year for his work as the Joker in The Dark Knight.****** Haim's career outlook had been improving in recent months, and his neighbors told reporters the actor was looking healthier and getting stronger. He had a role in the 2009 Jason Statham action flick Crank 2: High Voltage and was making appearances to support his new film American Sunset, billed on his Web site as the first film he had starred in "since he left the business on a sabbatical". Haim's agent Mark Sterling and producers of American Sunset did not immediately respond to calls for comment. Searer said he last spoke to Haim about six months ago, when the actor "seemed incredibly positive". "He had done a few smaller films and things seemed to be on the upswing for him", Searer said. Haim, however, seemed sadly prophetic when he was interviewed by 'CNN''s Larry King in 2007, calling himself "a chronic relapser for the rest of my life". R.I.P. Corey Haim !

Mo'Nique, Waltz win supporting-acting Oscars

************************************************** ************************************************** Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz win supporting-acting Oscars ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Villainous roles snatched the supporting-acting prizes Sunday at the Academy Awards: Precious****** co-star Mo'Nique****** as a contemptible mother and Inglourious Basterds****** co-star Christoph Waltz****** as a sociable Nazi fiend. Both performers capped remarkable years, Mo'Nique startling fans with dramatic depths previously unsuspected in the actress known for lowbrow comedy and the Austrian-born Cristoph Waltz leaping to fame with his first big Hollywood role. "I would like to thank the academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics", said Mo'Nique, who plays the heartless, abusive welfare mother of an illiterate teen (Gabourey Sidibe, a best-actress nominee in her screen debut) in the Harlem drama "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire". Mo'Nique added her gratitude to the first black actress to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel, the 1939 supporting-actress winner for Gone With the Wind. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to", she said, adding thanks to Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, who signed on as executive producers to spread the word on Precious after it premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival. Precious also won the adapted-screenplay Oscar for Geoffrey Fletcher. "This is for everybody who works on a dream every day. Precious boys and girls everywhere", Fletcher said. Waltz's award was presented by last season's supporting-actress winner, Penelope Cruz***, who gave Waltz a kiss as he took the stage. "Oscar and Penelope. That's an uber-bingo", Waltz said. Though a veteran stage and TV actor in Europe, Waltz had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood before Quentin Tarantino cast him as the prattling, ruthless Jew-hunter Hans Landa in his World War II saga. "Quentin with his unorthodox methods of navigation, this fearless explorer, took this ship across and brought it in with flying colors, and that's why I'm here", Waltz said. "This is your welcoming embrace, and there's no way I can ever thank you enough". The Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker****** won its first three categories, including original screenplay for Mark Boal, who spun a story about the perils and pressures of a U.S. bomb unit in Iraq. The science-fiction blockbuster Avatar****** won for art direction and cinematography, beating The Hurt Locker for the latter. The Hurt Locker won out over Avatar for sound editing and sound mixing. With nine nominations each, The Hurt Locker and Avatar came in tied for the Oscar lead. The evening's last two categories, best director and best picture, mark the two films' main rivalry, which is spiced up by a personal connection between The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow****** and Avatar director James Cameron******. They were married from 1989-91. Cameron took the directing prize at the Golden Globes, but Bigelow earned the top honor from the Directors Guild of America, whose recipient almost always wins the same award at the Oscars. If it happens, Bigelow would be the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to win best director. Screenwriter Mark Boal thanked Bigelow, calling her an "extraordinary and visionary filmmaker", and dedicated his Oscar win to the troops still in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with those who did not make it home. Mark Boal also affectionately recalled his father, who died a month ago. Up****** earned the third-straight Oscar award for Disney's 'Pixar' Animation, which now has won five of the nine awards since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added a category for animated features. The film features Ed Asner providing the voice of a crabby widower who flies off on a grand adventure by lashing thousands of helium balloons to his house. "Never did I dream that making a flip-book out of my third-grade math book would lead to this", said Up director Pete Docter. 'Pixar' has a likely contender in the wings for next Oscar season with this summer's Toy Story 3, reuniting voice stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The country-music tale Crazy Heart****** won for original song with its theme tune "The Weary Kind". The song category typically comes late in the show, after live performances of the nominees that have been spaced throughout the ceremony. Oscar producers tossed out those live performances this time in favor of montages featuring the songs and footage from the films they accompany. The Hurt Locker and Avatar lead an expanded field of 10 best-picture nominees. Either movie would represent a first at the Oscars. Cameron's Avatar would be the only science-fiction film ever to take home the best-picture prize. While war films have done well at the Oscars, Bigelow's The Hurt Locker would be the first winner centered on the war on terror, a subject that has stirred little interest among movie audiences shell-shocked by news coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan. The other eight films competing for best picture: the football drama The Blind Side******, the sci-fi thriller District 9******, the British teen tale An Education******, the World War II saga Inglourious Basterds******, the Harlem story Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire*** ***, the Jewish domestic chronicle A Serious Man******, the animated adventure Up******, and the recession-era yarn Up in the Air******. Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin opened the show with playful ribbing of nominees, including Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, Woody Harrelson, Mo'Nique, James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. They also made note of Oscar organizers' decision to double the best-picture category from five films to 10. "When that was announced, all of us in Hollywood thought the same thing. What's five times two ?" Steve Martin said. Leaders of the Academy widened the best-picture category from the usual five films to expand the range of contenders for a ceremony whose predictability had turned it into a humdrum affair for TV audiences. Oscar ratings fell to an all-time low two years ago and rebounded just a bit last year, when the show's overseers freshened things up with lively production numbers and new ways of presenting some awards. The overhaul continued this season with a show that farmed out time-consuming lifetime-achievement honors to a separate event last fall and hired Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as the first dual Oscar hosts in 23 years. Audience darling Sandra Bullock****** is the best-actress favorite for The Blind Side******, which brought her the first Oscar nomination of her career. Jeff Bridges******, nominated four times previously without a win, looks like a lock for best actor for the country-music tale Crazy Heart******. Both Bullock and Bridges already had won other awards this weekend. At Friday's Spirit Awards honoring independent film, Bridges earned the best-actor prize for Crazy Heart. On Oscar eve Saturday night, Bullock won the worst-actress prize at the Razzies for her romantic comedy flop All About Steve******. A good sport about her worst-actress nomination throughout awards season, Bullock was a rare winner who showed up to accept her Razzie, tugging a little red wagon full of DVDs of All About Steve for the Razzies audience. **************************************************

Bullock, 'Transformers' make Razzies worst list

************************************************** Bullock, 'Transformers' make Razzies worst list ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Sandra Bullock warmed up for the Academy Awards with a stop at the Razzies to collect a dubious honor: a worst-actress prize for her romantic comedy flop All About Steve***.*** Bullock****** swung by the Razzies on the eve of her expected triumph at Sunday's Oscars, where she is considered the favorite to win best actress for The Blind Side******. If she wins Sunday, Bullock will be the first person to win an Oscar and a Razzie over the same weekend. "I think this is an extraordinary award", said Bullock, who had promised throughout awards season that if she won the Razzie, she would accept it in person. "And I didn't realize that, in Hollywood, all you had to do was say you'd show up, and then you'd get the award. If I'd known that, I would have said I was appearing at the Oscars a long time ago". Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen****** was picked as last year's worst picture and won two other Razzies, worst director for Michael Bay and worst screenplay for Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Bay and his team probably will not lose any asleep over it. Though reviled by critics, Transformers took in $402.1 million domestically, No. 2 on the 2009 box-office chart behind Avatar. Bullock, who also shared the Razzie for worst screen couple with All About Steve co-star Bradley Cooper, was the first acting winner to show up at the Razzies since Halle Berry won worst-actress for Catwoman five years ago. As she took the stage, Bullock pulled a little red wagon filled with DVDs of All About Steve, saying she was giving a copy to everyone in the audience of about 300. Bullock implied that many Razzie voters had not actually seen the movie but cast ballots for her hoping to get her to show up at the awards. Bullock said if they watched the DVD — "I mean really watch it" — and decided it was not the worst performance of the year after all, then she would come back next year and "give back the Razzie. ... then we'll go drink afterwards". The worst-actor Razzie went to siblings Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas for Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. The Jonas' pal Miley Cyrus, star of Hannah Montana: The Movie, lost the worst-actress category to Bullock. But her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, was named worst supporting actor for the big-screen Hannah Montana. Sienna Miller received the worst supporting-actress Razzie for the action tale G.I. Joe. Will Ferrell's action comedy flop Land of the Lost had come in tied with Transformers for the Razzies lead with seven nominations, but it was nearly shut out in every category. Once ballots had been counted from the roughly 650 Razzies voters, Land of the Lost was tied for the group's worst remake, rip-off or sequel prize. Razzies founder John Wilson, who always votes last, gave the tie-breaking vote to Land of the Lost. "It really did stink and I thought, well, it ought to get something, because it is a very bad movie", Wilson said. Razzie voters also made worst-of-the-decade picks, with John Travolta's science-fiction debacle Battlefield Earth winning worst picture. Among all-time Hollywood dreck, Battlefield Earth is "like the 800-pound mongrel gorilla in the room", Wilson said. "It's one of my favorite type of bad movies. It's so bad, it's entertaining, in ways that the people who made it had no idea it would be". Paris Hilton was chosen as the decade's worst actress for movies such as The Hottie and the Nottie and Repo: The Genetic Opera. Eddie Murphy, a 2009 Razzie nominee for Imagine That, was named the decade's worst actor for such bombs as The Adventures of Pluto Nash, I Spy and Meet Dave.

The 82nd Academy Awards: Who Will Win, Who Should Win, and Why ?

************************************************** The 82nd Academy Awards: Who Will Win, Who Should Win, and Why ? ************************************************** ************************************************** Yep, it's that time of year again: time to see who'll top the worst-dressed list, who'll deliver the sappiest acceptance speech, and just how many trophies The Hurt Locker will take home. But, there's a big difference between who'll win and who should. Don't forget to tune in to the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, airing on Sunday on 'ABC'. ************************************************** Best Picture*** Nominees: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air*** Who Will Win: The Hurt Locker*** Who Should Win: Inglourious Basterds*** Why: Only three films have a legitimate chance of winning Best Picture: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds. But because Avatar’s mastermind, James Cameron, and Inglourious Basterds' writer/director, Quentin Tarantino, and distributor Harvey Weinstein are all hated by hordes of Academy voters, the Kathryn Bigelow-directed war drama will take home the evening’s top prize. ************************************************** Best Director*** Nominees: James Cameron (Avatar), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)*** Who Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow*** Who Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow*** Why: Bigelow’s meticulous and mesmerizing work, accompanied by her Directors Guild victory, will result in history being made as the Academy finally honors its first-ever female Best Director winner. ************************************************** Best Actress*** Nominees: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)*** Who Will Win: Sandra Bullock*** Who Should Win: Carey Mulligan*** Why: Newbies Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe would both have had a great shot at taking home gold had they been nominated in different years; but they weren’t, and as a result, they’ll cancel each other out. Helen Mirren, on the other hand, never had a shot. She got her trophy a few years ago for her role in The Queen. Oh, and nobody saw The Last Station. So, we’re down to first-time nominee Sandra Bullock and sixteen-time nominee and two-time winner Meryl Streep. In the closest race of the evening, Sandra will edge out Meryl for two reasons: she’ll probably never receive another nom, and Meryl will be back in the mix again next year. ************************************************** Best Actor*** Nominees: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up in the Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)*** Who Will Win: Jeff Bridges*** Who Should Win: Colin Firth*** Why: Despite Firth's heartbreaking performance and Clooney’s award-worthy work, Bridges will have to make room on his crowded mantle for his very first Oscar. Voters love him; he’s won every major award leading up to Sunday; and with four previous noms, everyone feels that it’s simply his turn to take home the trophy. ************************************************** Best Supporting Actress*** Nominees: Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Mo’Nique (Precious)*** Who Will Win: Mo’Nique*** Who Should Win: Mo’Nique*** Why: With Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick splitting the vote and Penelope Cruz out of contention, it comes down to first-time nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal and fellow newcomer Mo'Nique. While a few critics think Mo’Nique’s polarizing personality could hurt her chances coming down the home stretch, there's really no doubt in my mind that she’ll emerge victorious and deliver a mag'nifique acceptance speech come Sunday. ************************************************** Best Supporting Actor*** Nominees: Matt Damon (Invictus), Woody Harrelson (The Messenger), Christopher Plummer (The Last Station), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)*** Who Will Win: Christoph Waltz*** Who Should Win: Christoph Waltz*** Why: Let's be honest: Christoph Waltz gave one of the best supporting performances in recent memory. And with minimal competition from his fellow nominees, the 53-year-old Austrian actor will easily waltz away with his first, much-deserved Oscar. ************************************************** Best Original Screenplay*** Nominees: The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal), Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino), The Messenger (Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman), A Serious Man (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen), Up (Bob Peterson and Pete Docter)*** Who Will Win: The Hurt Locker*** Who Should Win: Inglourious Basterds*** Why: Inglourious Basterds could give The Hurt Locker a run for its money, but Mark Boal will triumph over Quentin Tarantino and the equally deserving Coen brothers. Best Picture nominee Up doesn’t have a shot; and The Messenger’s nomination was a victory in and of itself. ************************************************** Best Adapted Screenplay*** Nominees: District 9 (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell), An Education (Nick Hornby), In the Loop (Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche), Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher), Up in the Air (Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)*** Who Will Win: Up in the Air*** Who Should Win: An Education*** Why: In an effort to prevent Up in the Air from being shut out on Oscar night (which could very well happen), Academy voters will likely award Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for their timely script … unless they hand they statue to Nick Hornby, prohibiting An Education from also going home empty-handed. ************************************************** Best Animated Feature*** Nominees: Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, Up*** Who Will Win: Up*** Who Should Win: Fantastic Mr. Fox*** Why: Not only is Up a fan favorite, a critical darling, and a box-office behemoth, it’s also only the second animated film in history to be up for Best Picture. As a result, it’s guaranteed to topple the four other films, giving 'Pixar' its third consecutive win in the category, following in the footsteps of WALL-E and Ratatouille. ************************************************** Best Documentary Feature*** Nominees: Burma VJ; The Cove; Food, Inc.; The Most Dangerous Man in America; Which Way Home*** Who Will Win: The Cove*** Who Should Win: Food, Inc.*** Why: Despite the fact that Food, Inc. was the most fascinating film of 2009, bet on The Cove to bag the Oscar. The tragic dolphin-hunting doc has swept the pre-Oscar soirees, and its producers have been campaigning harder than just about everyone in Hollywood, except for Harvey Weinstein and that guy who tried to trash Avatar’s Best Picture chances.

Gifts, parties and celebs: L.A. readies for Oscars

************************************************** ************************************************** Gifts, parties and celebs: L.A. readies for Oscars ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – Hollywood is in full-on Oscar mode. The red carpet has been laid out in front of the Kodak Theatre, topped with a plastic sheet in case of rain. Traffic is snarled. Tourists are flocking to Hollywood & Highland to see a bit of the Academy Awards preparations and snap photos of themselves with giant Oscar statues. The theater itself buzzes with activity, as rehearsals continue from morning until night, with the occasional celebrity quietly stepping in to practice presenting the coveted golden guy. It's Oscar week, and Tinseltown is all aflutter. Here's the latest: ************************************************** GETTING CREATIVE: Dana Delany, Kathy Najimy, Ty Burrell and Rachael Leigh Cook were among the celebrities who recorded public service announcements for the Creative Coalition Friday at Haven 360, an Oscar-week suite comprising gifting, parties and support for the arts. Creative Coalition co-president Tim Daly is directing the public service announcements, which show stars singing the ABC's, as part of the organization's lobbying efforts to increase funding for arts education in public schools. The videos will be presented at the Creative Coalition's Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. next month, along with a companion book, "Art & Soul", that features portraits of actors and their handwritten messages about what art means to them, Daly said. "This is about keeping the arts in education", he said. "Kids learn their letters by singing. The arts make learning interesting and fun". Haven 360 guests were also treated to hand massages from Olay, gifted with 'Elle' jewelry and invited to peruse Backstage Creation's "celebrity retreat", where they could pick up a free $5,000 trip to Moorea, Botox and Juvederm treatments worth $900 from celebrity surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, and luxury luggage from Dooney & Bourke. ************************************************** NOT YET READY FOR THEIR CLOSE-UP: Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin ****** seemed relaxed as they stepped out together on the Kodak Theatre stage Thursday to run through their lines for the show. The two looked out into a sea of placards showing where the stars will sit on Sunday. They laughed with each other and goofed around with show workers. At one point, Baldwin appeared to give a piggyback ride to Oscar producer Adam Shankman. The two hosts chatted with the stand-ins and dancers and enthusiastically approached their rehearsal when suddenly Baldwin looked troubled after seeing himself on a big-screen monitor at the back of the room. "We look so pale", he said to Martin. "We're not in makeup", Martin said. "This is the way we actually look". "Well who wants to see that ?" Baldwin quipped. ************************************************** WOMEN IN FILM: From actresses and producers to sound engineers and film editors, female Oscar nominees celebrated their achievements Thursday at Women In Film's third annual pre-Oscar party. Held at a home in tony Bel Air, the intimate cocktail party honored women's contribution to the film industry and urged women on both sides of the camera to inspire the next generation of female filmmakers. Oscar-winning producer and host Cathy Schulman toasted the year's nominated women, but said "the fight remains a big fight for women in film". Only seven percent of the year's 250 top films were directed by women, she said. Still, the mood Thursday was festive, as on-camera nominees mingled with their behind-the-camera counterparts. Sound-editing nominee Gwendolyn Yates Whittle smiled as she talked about attending a flurry of Oscar events this weekend. Nominated "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe chatted with Tracee Ellis Ross. Also celebrating were Nia Vardalos, nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme, Angie Harmon, Viola Davis and Michelle Rodriguez. ************************************************** FANCY FOODS: The Academy Awards Governors Ball will be set in an art-deco nightclub drenched in bronze and purple, from the tablecloths and napkins to the custom-made outfits on the wait staff and orchestra. "It will be a very, very grand, elegant evening", says Cheryl Cecchetto, producer of the official Oscars after-party, held at Hollywood & Highland's grand ballroom. Chef Wolfgang Puck is preparing dinner for the ball's 4,600 guests, and he gave the press a preview Thursday of what's on the menu. There are bite-size Kobe beef burgers, topped with tomatoes and pickles so tiny that a chef used tweezers to artfully assemble each appetizer. Guests can also nibble on ahi tuna cones and Oscar-shaped smoked salmon finished with caviar before the main course: "A twist on the old classic chicken pot pie", Puck says. For dessert there will be chocolate Oscars of all sizes, along with various cakes and fancy pastries. It will take more than 300 chefs and 600 waiters to serve the post-show meal. "Preparations are going fantastic", Puck says. "We are ready". The custom-made outfits for the Governors Ball wait staff and all-female orchestra are new this year, designed by Jeffrey Kurland, governor of the academy's art directors' branch and an Oscar-nominated costume designer. Also new this year: A special engraving area where Oscar winners can have their names affixed to their just-won statuettes, which are marked only by a serial number when they're presented on stage. ************************************************** AN OSCAR EDUCATION: Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan ****** already knows what it's like to stand on the Kodak Theatre stage. The 25-year-old star of "An Education" came to the theater Thursday to practice presenting on the big show. Wearing a blond pixie haircut, a black blazer and slacks, Mulligan was surrounded by stand-ins posing as presenters and winners. She ran through her lines, passed out prop Oscars, then disappeared through one of the theater's back doors.

'Lockergate' ?: Producer apologizes for e-mails

************************************************** Lockergate ?: Producer apologizes for e-mails ************************************************** LOS ANGELES – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering action against a producer of "The Hurt Locker" who sent multiple e-mails urging academy members to vote for his movie in the Oscar best-picture race and "not a $500 million film" — an obvious reference to close-competitor "Avatar". The e-mails by Nicolas Chartier, one of four nominated producers for "The Hurt Locker" and who put up the financing to make the front-running film, violated the academy's rule against sending mailings that "attempt to promote any film or achievement by casting a negative light on a competing film or achievement", according to academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger. The initial e-mail was sent Feb. 19 and obtained by The 'Associated Press'. Subsequent e-mails, posted by the 'Los Angeles Times', showed Chartier giving more specific instructions, asking Oscar voters to rank "The Hurt Locker" at No. 1 and "Avatar" at No. 10 on this year's preferential ballot for the newly expanded best-picture category. "Hurt Locker" distributor 'Summit Pictures' said in a statement it was "completely unaware of any e-mails that were sent until we were alerted by the academy earlier this week". Chartier, after being confronted by 'Summit' executives, worked with the studio and the academy to craft an apology for his actions, said 'Summit' spokesman Paul Pflug. "My naivete, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a first-time nominee is not an excuse for this behavior and I strongly regret it", Chartier wrote in an e-mail obtained by The 'Associated Press'. "Being nominated for an academy Award is the ultimate honor and I should have taken the time to read the rules". "Avatar's" distributor, '20th Century Fox', declined comment on the e-mails, as did director James Cameron or anyone connected with the 3-D sci-fi sensation — Hollywood's biggest modern blockbuster but so far second to "The Hurt Locker" in this season's movie award derby. The motion picture academy itself will hold off on announcing how exactly it plans to discipline Chartier until Oscar voting closes at 5 p.m. PST on Tuesday. The academy's Unger refused to speculate on what action might be taken. Possible measures include public censure, taking away Chartier's Oscar tickets, and the unlikely option of removing "The Hurt Locker" — about a bomb-disposal unit in Iraq — from best-picture consideration, according to several academy members familiar with the situation. The members spoke on the condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to comment about the matter. It's also possible that if "The Hurt Locker" wins, the academy won't extend membership to Chartier, like it does to most newly minted Oscar winners, the members said. With Oscar ballots due Tuesday, the controversy surrounding Chartier's actions may have little effect on the March 7 Academy Awards because most voters have already mailed in their ballots, said one of the academy members. But that hasn't stopped Hollywood insiders from bandying about heated opinions referring to Chartier's e-mails as everything from harmless enthusiasm to egregious politicking that should result in the film's disqualification. As one academy voter put it, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject: "If The Hurt Locker doesn't win best picture, I wouldn't want to be that guy. They'll be pointing at him". In addition to Chartier's e-mails, "The Hurt Locker" is also facing complaints — just now surfacing, though the movie was released last June — from veterans and active soldiers over the accuracy of its combat scenes. Late-in-the-game controversies surrounding Oscar front-runners are nothing new. When Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" was up for several Oscars in 2003, a transcript from the grand jury testimony of Polanski's 1977 sexual assault case was published on a Web site. Polanski still won the Oscar for best director. A year earlier, rumors circulated that schizophrenic mathematician John Nash, the subject of Ron Howard's "A Beautiful Mind", harbored anti-Semitic beliefs. The movie ended up winning four Oscars, including awards for picture, director and adapted screenplay. And, similar to this year's e-mail controversy, 'DreamWorks' ran ads in 2004 quoting critics touting Shohreh Aghdashloo's supporting actress performance in "House of Sand and Fog" over that of Renee Zellweger in "Cold Mountain". That campaign backfired, too, with Zellweger winning the Oscar. "I suppose I'm just naive, but I've always chosen to believe that academy members vote solely on the basis of merit", says film historian Leonard Maltin. "I do know some academy members, and they are very conscientious about their vote. They distance themselves from any jockeying of position and name-calling". ************************************************** ***Kathryn Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker has recently won BAFTA 2010 for best director. ************************************************** http://news.yahoo.com/video/entertainment-15749636/getting-to-know-kathryn-bigelow-18310975 ************************************************** Getting to Know Kathryn Bigelow - "The Hurt Locker" director could be the first female director to win an Oscar.

Whitney Houston: Tour great, despite bad reports

************************************************ Whitney Houston: Tour great, despite bad reports ************************************************ NEW YORK – Though video postings of her recent performances in Australia have been less than flattering, Whitney Houston says her tour is going great — and she's in great health. Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, released a statement Thursday, saying: "Whitney is in great health and having a terrific time on her tour and with her fans". She said more than 9,000 people attended Houston's show in Brisbane and more than 12,000 were at Acer Arena in Sydney. "Her fans were dancing and singing along with her and Whitney appreciates their support", Foster said. That view contrasts with news reports quoting disgruntled fans who complaining about the star's voice and performance. Video snippets of Houston struggling to hit notes in concerts in Sydney and Brisbane have circulated widely on 'YouTube' and other outlets. The 46-year-old, who is one of pop's all-time best-selling artists, staged a comeback last year with her first album in seven years, "I Look to You". It debuted at the top of the album charts. During her hiatus from music, she battled drug addiction and ended a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown. But as she returned last year, she declared herself healthy and free from substance abuse. This is Houston's first tour in years. It started in February in South Korea and will take her to Europe until at least May. Foster said there currently are no plans for a United States tour. ************************************************ ************************************************ Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and former fashion model. A relative of several prominent soul singers, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing at her New Jersey church as a member of a junior gospel choir at age eleven. After she began performing alongside her mother at night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by 'Arista' Records label head Clive Davis. Houston released her debut album Whitney Houston in 1985, which became the best-selling debut album by a female artist at the time of release. Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on 'MTV' enabled several African-American women to follow in her success. Following her marriage to singer Bobby Brown, Houston appeared in her first starring role in the feature film The Bodyguard in 1992. The film's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, Houston's remake of the 1974 Dolly Parton song "I Will Always Love You", became one of the best-selling singles in music history. Houston continued to star in feature films and contributed to soundtracks including Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). After the release of her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with 'Arista' Records in 2001 for a historic $100 million. She subsequently released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney the following year with One Wish: The Holiday Album being released in 2003. Amidst widespread media coverage of personal and professional turmoil, Houston's marriage to Brown ended in 2006. Houston is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. She is ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.), with 55 million certified albums. She has been listed by 'Rolling Stone' magazine as one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. ************************************************ ***WHITNEY HOUSTON - I Will Always Love You (Divas Live, 1999)[7'10] ************************************************ ***WHITNEY HOUSTON - I Have Nothing [4'48] ************************************************ ***WHITNEY HOUSTON - Saving All My Love For You [3'57] ************************************************ ***WHITNEY HOUSTON - All At Once (1987) [5'27] ************************************************ LATEST NEWS ************************************************ ************************************************ Whitney Houston's 'Nothing But Love' Tour Off To Rocky Start ************************************************ Whitney Houston's return to the stage has been plagued with sub-par vocals since her performance on Good Morning America in August to promote her latest album, I Look To You. Unfortunately, the singer once praised for her exceptional vocal talent was still struggling with singing live Monday when she opened her "Nothing But Love" world tour in Australia. According to a review of the concert, Houston needed to take a break two songs into the show. She reportedly coughed through songs, and at one point had her brother take the lead. When Houston attempted to sing her most notable hit, "I Will Always Love You", she stopped mid-song to get a drink of water. She ruined the song's popular high note, sounding like a bad 'American Idol' audition contestant. Concertgoers were said to have walked out of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Australia's 'Channel 7' interviewed several angry patrons, who described the show as "the worst concert I've ever gone too", "disgraceful", and "definitely not worth $165". Houston's publicist released a statement Thursday responding to the critics. "Whitney is in great health and having a terrific time on her tour and with her fans", the rep said, 'AP' reports. "The spokesperson said that Houston's Brisbane show had more than 9,000 attendants, and the Acer Arena in Sydney welcomed more than 12,000". "Her fans were dancing and singing along with her, and Whitney appreciates their support", the spokesperson added. Back in November, I blogged that Houston should keep on performing to rebuild her chops. Considering her battles with drugs, it has clearly taken a toll on her voice. I hope her condition improves. I admire her confidence. But it is going to take some time for her to recover. ************************************************ ************************************************