I love this little bench from www.benches.com

This is a very busy week for me. I’m attending a writers’ conference and will be away from the computer for a while. I will be back blogging in a few days.

No joke.  “The Dark Knight” has leaped over the $300 million mark without slowing down one bit.

“The Dark Knight” continued to break-records and dominate the domestic box office over the weekend. The Batman sequel grabbed the title of best second weekend ever with a $75.6 million haul to hold onto the number one spot at the box office.  That pushed the film’s domestic total to $314.2 million and the superhero flick is still going strong.

“The Dark Knight” crossed the $300 million mark in 10 days beating the 2006 record set by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” which took 16 days to clear that milestone.

In second place, the debut comedy, “Step Brothers” with an estimated gross of $30 million. The movie stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.  It is followed by the musical “Mamma Mia” in third with $17.9 million bringing its total to $62.7 million.

Coming in a disappointing fourth, “The X-Files: I Want to Believe” with a measly  $10.2 million.  And in fifth, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” with an estimated $9.4 million pumping up its three week total to $60.2 million.

Over the weekend, SAG’s National Negotiating Committee got some heavyweight support from the union’s National Board of Directors.

On Saturday, July 26 the board passed a resolution reaffirming the importance of jurisdiction over all new media productions as well as residuals for all made-for-new media programs. The resolution passed unanimously 68-to-zip.

This is a vote of confidence for the SAG negotiators who have championed these issues. The union negotiators claim the producers’ “final offer” lagged in these areas therefore, they rejected it.

In a press release on the SAG website, SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen praised the resolution and the National Board of Directors for getting behind it.

Meanwhile, the reaction from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was totally hard-line. On the AMPTP   website, there is a July 26 statement defending its “final offer.”

The statement begins with an ominous prediction. “The continued refusal of SAG’s negotiators to accept AMPTP’s final offer means that actors will continue to work indefinitely under the expired contract.”

Stalemate, I believe, is still the best word to describe the state of these actor contract talks.

A man pauses to reflect near a gravesite during the March 30 public visitation at struggling Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale. This visitor is one of the lucky ones. He managed to find the grave marker or at least the general area he was looking for despite the thick layers of wild grasses, weeds, and debris.

I have been to two recent visitations at this 124-year-old neighborhood cemetery. Each time, I have spotted eager and diligent visitors cleaning the gravesites, markers, and headstones. A job that should be handled by the cemetery owner, Moshe Goldsman. However, the maintenance of the grounds has been haphazard at best for months now.

Grand View has fallen on hard times, brought on by mismanagement and legal problems that date back to 2005. That’s when a state investigator discovered human remains at the cemetery had been improperly handled.

Despite the less than ideal situation, visitors show up whenever Grand View opens its gates to the public. Those gates will be open again this Sunday, July 27 from noon to 4 p.m.

Then, it’s back to court for a status meeting before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr who will determine if or when there will be additional visitation dates.

Tyler Perry          Tobey Maguire

A number of film deals announced this week. Here are some that caught my attention.

Tyler Perry signs a new three-year first-look deal with Lionsgate for at least three more films. Lionsgate has distributed five Perry films starting with “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” in 2005.

The prolific filmmaker has “The Family That Preys,” coming out in September.

According to Lionsgate, Perry films have grossed nearly $250 million at the box office and sold more than 25 million units on DVD.

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A sequel to the musical “Hairspray” is headed to the Big Screen. New Line Cinema has made a deal with “Hairspray” creator John Waters to write the treatment with plans for a mid-July 2010 film release.

The studio hopes to bring back the original cast, that includes John Travolta, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Allison Janney.

The first “Hairspray” movie grossed more than $200 million worldwide.

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Actor Tobey Maguire is about to take on a different kind of hero. Maguire, famous for playing the movie version of the web-slinging comic book character “Spider-Man,” has signed on for Universal’s “The Crusaders.”

Maguire will portray Jack Greenberg, a young lawyer fresh out of law school who got involved in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. Greenberg joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund headed at the time by future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Greenberg and Marshall were on the legal team that won the historic 1954 Supreme Court case that ruled racial segregation illegal in American schools and other public facilities. The case is called Brown vs. the Board of Education. The decision inspired civil rights struggles across the country and around the world.

More on these deals at www.variety.com

“The Dark Knight” continues to surpass expectations. On Monday, the Batman sequel’s record-breaking domestic weekend box office got bumped up from $155 million to a mighty $158.3 million. “The Dark Knight” is racking up other records as well to go along with the biggest opening ever for a three-day weekend.

Also on Monday, the film earned $24.6 million — that’s the best gross ever for a non-holiday Monday. “The Dark Knight” broke through the $200 million barrier on Tuesday and rung-up more than $18 million for screenings yesterday.

While there are folks like me who have not braved the crowds to see “The Dark Knight” — some fans already are planning to see it again.  So more millions ahead for this flick.

Over the weekend, the demand for “Dark Knight” tickets sparked a thriving re-sale market on places like craiglist.org — mostly for the popular IMAX theaters. I did a random survey on craigslist Los Angeles from Friday to Sunday. I found “Dark Knight” ticket prices averaged $15-$30 each to a high of $40-$50 each.

Meanwhile, there is some real-life family drama for “Dark Knight” star Christian Bale. The actor’s mother, Jenny Bale and sister Sharon Bale, claim he assaulted them at a hotel in London on Sunday night. They reported their allegations to police. The actor, who is on tour promoting “The Dark Knight,” was arrested, questioned by police, and released on bail.

The 34-year-old actor has denied the assault allegations. Today, there are some juicy tidbits about Bale and the incident in an exclusive story on the website of the British tabloid, The Sun.

The WNBA wasted no time in dealing with the bench-clearing brawl between the L.A. Sparks and the Detroit Shock on Tuesday night. A free-for-all fight is not unusual in male sports; however, this is the first time in memory it has happened in the WNBA.

Today, WNBA President Donna Orender slapped 10 players and an assistant coach with game suspensions. In a statement on the WNBA website Orender called the brawl “… inexcusable and in no way indicative of what the league stands for. We hold our players to a very high standard and these suspensions should serve notice that the behavior exhibited at the end of Tuesday’s game will not be tolerated.”

Here’s the list of suspensions.

DETROIT SHOCK

Forward Plenette Pierson — four games for starting the fight and escalating the altercation.

Assistant Coach Rick Mahorn — two games for escalating the altercation. (I think this guy got off easy. Mahorn should have been suspended for the rest of the season, at least, for shoving Lisa Leslie to the floor.)

Center Kara Braxton — one game for leaving the team bench area during the altercation.

Forward Tasha Humphrey — one game for leaving the team bench area during the altercation.

Guard Elaine Powell — one game for leaving the team bench area during the altercation.

Forward Sheri Sam — one game for leaving the team bench area during the altercation.

L.A. SPARKS

Guard Shannon Bobbitt — two games for leaving the team bench area and becoming physically involved in the altercation.

Guard Murriel Page — two games for leaving the team bench area and becoming physically involved in the altercation.

Center Lisa Leslie — one game for throwing a punch.

Forward DeLisha Milton-Jones — one game for throwing a punch.

Forward Candace Parker — one game for throwing a punch.

Oh, and here’s an update on Shock player Cheryl Ford. She suffered a knee injury during the last minutes of the game Tuesday and apparently that injury was aggravated during the melee. Ford is out for the season.

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Today WNBA officials reportedly are investigating the bench-clearing melee at The Palace of Auburn Hills, last night. It happened during the final seconds of the televised game between the L.A. Sparks and Detroit Shock.

It started when Sparks’ Candace Parker and Detroit’s Plenette Pierson got tangled up and tumbled to the hardwood. Parker and Pierson got into a scuffle. Players from both benches rushed over, among them Lisa Leslie.

That’s when Leslie was apparently pushed to the floor by Shock Assistant Coach, Rick Mahorn. Leslie was unharmed, however, a Shock player Cheryl Ford may have injured her knee in the fracas and was taken away in a wheelchair.

Now, I understand how tempers get hot in an aggressive game of hoops, even for the women.  So if a player or two throws a punch, pulls some hair or just screams and shouts I can handle that. The problem I have with this rumble is the involvement of the Shock assistant coach, a bear of a man, shoving Leslie. Hey dude, you’re supposed to be a calming force!

When the referees finally gained control of the situation, they ejected Rick Mahorn, Candace Parker, Delisha Milton-Jones, and Plenette Pierson.

I think Mahorn should be slapped with a heavy fine, suspension, and maybe even a ban from the league. I believe his actions stepped way over the line of professionalism. Also, what about that rule, a guy doesn’t push a girl?

By the way, the Sparks won the game 84-81.

A lot of comments, more than 150, about the fight and some photos at http://www.latimes.com

Calling all amateur and professional filmmakers! Dorchester Publishing and book trailer producer Circle of Seven Productions are looking for some top-notch book trailers based on novels in the Shomi series.

The book series is Dorchester’s line of speculative romances. According to Dorchester executive Brooke Borneman, the Shomi books have received comparisons to films like “Blade Runner” and “The Matrix.”

Best-selling novelist Stephen King has agreed to select the best trailer, which will be shown at a movie premiere in New York as well as in the market where the winner lives.

King has had a relationship with Dorchester since the publisher put out his pulp fiction crime novel, The Colorado Kid, in 2005.

Story today at http://www.publishersweekly.com

“The Sounds of Summer” concert series in Burbank continues on Tuesday, August 12, with America’s Premier Doo-Wop Group, The Alley Cats.

Bring a picnic, bring a blanket or a lawn chair for an evening of fun.

The concert kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Northwest Branch Library, 3323 West Victory Blvd.

Call 818-238-5640 for more information. Contributed by Louise Paziak, Publicity Maven for the Burbank Libraries.

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It’s official.  NBC Executives announced today that long-time “Tonight Show” host and funnyman, Jay Leno will be signing off on Friday, May 29, 2009. Leno’s replacement, “Late Night” talker Conan O’Brien will take over the “Tonight Show” desk the following Monday, June first.

NBC has made no secret of its plans to dump Leno for O’Brien. Industry watchers as well as “Tonight Show” fans have debated the move for sometime. No one really knows what will happen. We will have to wait and see if the “Tonight Show” audience will embrace O’Brien like they did Leno when Johnny Carson retired in May of 1992.

Unlike Carson’s departure, Leno’s is not voluntary. Leno reportedly is being courted by other networks and syndicators to start-up a new show of his own. NBC is said to be making offers in hopes Leno will stay. Meanwhile, comedian Jimmy Fallon is waiting in the wings to be the next “Late Night” host.

NBC co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff made the big announcement at a Television Critics Association meeting in Beverly Hills today.

Do they have a good plan? The NBC Executives are convinced they do. However, it will be up to the TV fans of those shows to determine if the switching of the talk show hosts is a turn-off or a turn-on.

In about 10 months, TV fans will vote their pleasure by continuing to watch those shows or flipping the channel. It’s as simple as that.

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“The Dark Knight” is the new king of the box office. The Batman sequel became the event movie to see this weekend. The film rolled right over the competition for a money haul estimated at a staggering $155.4 million for the highest weekend opening ever.

“The Dark Knight” snatched the title from the previous winner, “Spider-Man 3″ which opened at $151.1 million in May 2007.

More later on “The Dark Knight” and the weekend box office.

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The first day out of the gate, the new Batman movie exploded and raced into the record books. “The Dark Knight” opened yesterday and Warner Bros. says the film earned an estimated $66.4 million. That’s a new single-day box office record!

Another film headlined by a comic book crusader, “Spider-Man 3″ set the previous record of $59. 8 million, last year.

“The Dark Knight” has a good chance of crashing through some other records as well this weekend. The demand for this film is phenomenal. Advance ticket sales are booming and the lines at movie theaters just keep getting longer. On top of praise from the critics, the buzz about “The Dark Knight” is growing louder as more people see it and rave about it.

“The Dark Knight” is playing at 4, 366 theaters across the nation.

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The new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” starring Christian Bale opens today and it has all the makings of a box office mega-hit.

Interest in this follow-up to “Batman Begins” has been running high for months. Then the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger in January at the age of 28 ramped up interest even more. Ledger reportedly gives a powerful performance as Batman nemesis, The Joker.

News stories are coming out today about huge advance ticket sales and long lines at early morning screenings of “The Dark Knight.” Some analysts are suggesting this Batman sequel could propel weekend box office grosses into the record books.

More on the opening of “The Dark Knight” and box office numbers to come.

Mystery author Bruce Cook with a fan at a book signing.

Love mysteries and exotic locales, then check out this event tomorrow, July 19, at the Buena Vista Branch Library in Burbank from 2-4 p.m.

A panel of mystery authors will discuss their books, as well as the fun and problems of setting their plots and crime scenes in far away places.

On the panel will be Eric Stone (Grave Imports), Aileen Baron (The Gold of Thrace), Patricia Wynn (The Motive from the Deed), Gay Toltl Kinman (Death in Covent Garden), and moderator Bruce Cook (Blood Harvest).

The Buena Vista Branch Library is at 300 N. Buena Vista Street.

Murder Abroad is sponsored by Sisters in Crime Los Angeles. I’m a member of that mystery group. This event notice was e-mailed to me by fellow member, Gayle Pool.

No new talks scheduled between SAG and the AMPTP, but the rumble over the actors’ contract flared up again today. This time the battleground was the Internet.

SAG sent out an e-mail titled, “It’s Not New Media – It’s Now Media” to its members explaining why the studio bosses’ final offer is not good enough. The e-mail from National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen explained why the so-called “new media template” worked for the DGA and the WGA, but not for actors. One reason, according to Allen is that “… the new media template negatively impacts actors … on residuals.”

Meanwhile over on the AMPTP website, the producers hammered SAG leaders for having the nerve to ask for a better offer in this shaky economy.  No mention in the statement of the robust business at the box office and the jump in spending of ad dollars on the Internet, this year. Also, the AMPTP ridiculed the contention by SAG leaders that the new media landscape has changed in the past six months.

The AMPTP claims its final offer has “… more than $250 million in increased compensation, groundbreaking new media rights, and pension and health protections that most Americans would envy.” The AMPTP points out that SAG members are continuing to work under an old contract, therefore, losing out on money and benefits.

Hmm, I’d call it a draw for today. Both sides got in some good punches. No telling where or when SAG and the AMPTP will come out swinging next.

The Primetime TV Emmy nominations were announced this morning. The biggest surprise — a very impressive showing by basic cable programmers. In fact, the HBO presidential series, “John Adams” received the most nominations of any program with 23.

Also, up for best drama series two first-year cable shows AMC’s “Mad Men,” and FX’s “Damages.” This is the first time cable has cracked the drama series category. “Mad Men” collected the most nominations of any drama with 16. “Damages” earned seven nominations including best actress for Glenn Close.

A full list of the nominees for the 60th Annual Emmy Awards is over at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website.

SAG and the AMPTP met for a few hours in a sidebar today, but apparently little progress was made. The meeting took place at 1 p.m. in AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks headquarters.

SAG sent out a very brief press release tonight – only about four lines. It stated both parties agreed to keep the contents of the meeting confidential. Still, a clue was reportedly dropped on where those talks stand.

In an article on its website tonight, Variety says both sides refused to discuss details, but the AMPTP revealed that no further meetings have been scheduled. That doesn’t sound promising.

Also on the AMPTP’s website Tuesday, the producers continued their hard line attitude by saying today’s meeting was just to listen to what SAG leaders had to say and nothing more. Like I said, not promising at all.

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Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody has sealed another script deal with movie mogul, Steven Spielberg. Cody is the blogger, former ad agency typist, ex-stripper, and ex-phone sex worker who wrote the screenplay for the movie, “Juno.”

It was Cody’s first script. ”Juno” won the gold statuette for best original screenplay at the 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony back in March. Since then Cody has been racking up the deals in Hollywood.

Today Variety described the new deal as an untitled comedy script for DreamWorks that is based on an original idea by the man himself, Spielberg. This will be the second time Cody and Spielberg will hook-up on a writing project. Cody wrote the pilot and is executive producing a Showtime series, “The United States of Tara,” which is also based on a Spielberg idea.

By the way, Cody’s real name is Brook Busey. Not a bad name, but it doesn’t grab you like Diablo Cody. Fine with me. If actors can change their names, so can screenwriters.

Photo courtesy Sheila Lowe

Handwriting expert and book author Sheila Lowe will be joining a panel discussion title “A Slight Case of Murder,” on Saturday, August 2 in Burbank. This event is presented by Sisters in Crime/LA, a local mystery writers’ group.

Lowe has parlayed 30 plus years of experience in the handwriting field into a very successful business with clients in the judicial system as well as private industry.

Also, her background came in very handy when Lowe created a mystery novel series with a sleuth named Claudia Rose who happens to be a forensic handwriting expert. The first book in the series, Poison Pen, is on bookstore shelves now. The second, Written in Blood,  is due out in September of 2008.

The “Slight Case of Murder” event will be held at the Buena Vista Branch Library, 300 North Buena Vista Street at 2 p.m. Other mystery writers on the panel will be Morgan St. James, Joan Del Monte, and Gay Kinman.

Call 818 238-5620 for further information.