The New York Times column “Modern Love” is hooking up with Lifetime Television.  A TV series based on the column got a pilot deal at the cable network, according to deadline.com

The “Modern Love” TV series will use real stories from the newspaper column to create episodes that explore the state of modern relationships. The pilot will begin shooting this summer. Deadline has more on the genesis of the newspaper column and how it got a TV deal.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Group of volunteers involved in ballot processing and counting for the General Municipal Election in the basement of Burbank City Hall April 12, 2011. One of only two media photos of this process on election night.

What went down in the basement of Burbank City Hall on the night of  the Municipal General Election, Tuesday, April 12, 2011? Inquiring minds want to know. The recount request for the City Council race in that election has B-town buzzing and even folks in Sacramento talking, Oh, City Hall officials are  apparently worried about something and are trying to sink the recount at every turn.

Here’s the latest on the election recount drama. The recount request was filed jointly by Burbank resident George Marciniw and the election watchdog group,  Protect California Ballots , on Wednesday, April 20. That night, the first media report about the recount appeared on this blog. The next morning, Marciniw suddenly got cold feet and not only wanted to withdraw his name, but axe the entire recount request.

Retired UCLA Professor and founder of Protect California Ballots, Judy Alters,  picks up the rest of the drama, in this  Q and A.
1. What happened to George Marciniw?

ON THURSDAY MORNING HE CALLED ME TO SAY THAT, FOR PERSONAL REASONS, HE DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH WITH THE RECOUNT “PROTEST” REQUEST. HE HAD ALREADY CALLED MS CAMPOS WITH HIS DECISION AND SHE ASKED HIM TO SUBMIT HIS WITHDRAWAL REQUEST IN WRITING.  I ASKED HIM TO WAIT AN HOUR UNTIL I COULD FIND ANOTHER BURBANK CITIZEN TO STEP UP AND SUBSTITUTE FOR HIM SINCE I, WITH PROTECT CALIFORNIA BALLOTS, WAS PART OF THE REQUEST. WE DID NOT WANT CANCEL THIS RECOUNT.

2. The formal recount request was submitted to the Burbank City Clerk on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. How long do city officials have to respond and give you a date for the start of the recount?

THEY HAVE 7 DAYS TO RESPOND TO US AS TO WHEN THEY WILL CONDUCT THE RECOUNT.  THE RECOUNT DATE IS UP TO THEM.

3.  In order to keep the recount request alive three Burbank residents stepped up, right?

YES, YOU AND KEVIN AND LINDA MULDOON STEPPED UP TO SUBSTITUTE FOR GEORGE IN REQUESTING THE RECOUNT.

4. Why do you believe this substitution is legal? You contacted state officials, right?

I CALLED AND SPOKE TO CA DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE LOWEL FINLEY WHO VERIFIED THAT WE HAD 24 HOURS TO SUBMIT A SUBMIT SUBSTITUTE NAMES.  WE SUCEEDED IN FINDING THE PEOPLE AND MEETING THE DEADLINE.

5. Why do you believe a recount of the Burbank City Council race of April 12, 2011 is a good idea?

BACKGROUND:  IN AN ELECTION IN A  DEMOCRACY, BALLOTS AND THE VOTES ON THOSE BALLOTS MUST BE COUNTED IN PUBLIC.  EVERYONE MUST SEE AND KNOW THAT THE VOTES ARE COUNTED ACCURATELY.

ANY ELECTION RESULTS, ANY VOTES COUNTED ON A COMPUTER ARE NOT COUNTED IN  PUBLIC.  NO ONE CAN SEE IF THE VOTES ARE COUNTED CORRECTLY OR KNOW IF THE TOTALS ARE  ADDED CORRECTLY.  THE SOFTWARE IS PROPRIETERY =SECRET.  THAT IS IRRELEVANT SINCE BALLOTS MUST BE COUNTED IN PUBLIC!!!!!!

WE IN PROTECT CALIFORNIA BALLOTS WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAND COUNT ONE ENTIRE RACE TO CHECK OUT THE ACCURACY OF OUR ELECTRONIC MACHINE COUNTED VOTES.  WE HAVE STUDIED THE ACCURACY OR BETTER STATED, INACCURACY, OF OUR BALLOTS IN LA COUNTY.  THE “AUDIT” FOR OUR ELECTIONS IS 1% OF PRECINCTS SO MS CAMPOS HAND COUNTED ONE PRECINCT.  NO CITIZEN WITNESSED THE HAND COUNT OF THAT ONE PRECINCT.  MS CAMPOS SHOWED ME THE TALLY SHEETS FOR THAT PRECINCT AND TOLD ME IT MATCHED THE MACHINE COMPLETELY.

BURBANK USES THE SAME COMPUTER COUNTING SYSTEM USED IN LA COUNTY.  WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO RECOUNT THIS BURBANK CITY COUNCIL ELECTION OUR GROUP SAID YES. WE KNOW NOTHINNG ABOUT THE CITY OR ITS ISSUES.  IT IS PART OF OUR WATCHDOG FUNCTION. OUR PREVIOUS RECOUNTS WERE FOR ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE PRECINCTS IN SAN DIEGO AND LA COUNTIES.  HERE WE CAN OVERSEE A RECOUNT OF ONE ENTIRE RACE.

###

For more information on Protect California Ballots and/or to donate to the cost of this Burbank City Council race recount go here.

Well-known comedian/radio personality Steve Harvey’s book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, And Commitment,” was a huge bestseller. The self-help guide debuted at number one on the New York Times hardcover advice list the week of February 9, 2009.

The relationship book, from a male perspective, was aimed at black women, but it struck a cord with women of various ethnic backgrounds. Following in the steps of its best selling predecessor, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” — “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” is being turned into a movie — that’s what has sparked this latest controversy.

Actor Kevin Hart has signed on for the lead role in, “Think Like A Man,” with production due to start in July, according to deadline.com  Screen Gems’ is producing this comedy about a self-help advisor who’s great at his job — but struggling with problems in his own marriage.

Now that the book has been out a while, some are seeing it as not so positive. Harvey’s recent drama with his ex-wife has many questioning the caliber of his relationship  advice. Some of the commenters on the deadline post speak out about different aspects of the controversy.

Locally, Harvey’s popular radio program, “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” has been on a couple of Southland stations. Since August of 2009, the show has held a slot on the R&B and gospel station, KJLH, 102.3 FM, owned by music superstar Stevie Wonder.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Promotional poster for the book "Chuck Fries Godfather of the Television Movie A History of Television."

Prolific television producer, Chuck Fries, was in the spotlight recently at the Burbank public library sponsored “An Evening with Hollywood Movers & Shaker.” The event on March 22, drew a crowd to the Buena Vista Library.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- The spotlight on television producer Chuck Fries drew a crowd to the Buena Vista Library in Burbank March 22, 2011

Fries was introduced by popular radio personality and disc jockey, Rick Dees, who has the #1 rated internationally syndicated radio show, “Rick Dees Weekly Top 40.”

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Radio personality Rick Dees gives the thumbs-up after introducing TV producer Chuck Fries at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank March 22, 2011

Chuck Fries has produced over 100 movies for television. His credits include a wide variety of films like, “She Waits” (1972), “The Secret Night Caller” (1975),”Cat People” (1982), ”Sins of the Father” (1985), ”Flowers in the Attic” (1987),”The Case of the Hillside Stranglers” (1989), “Troop Beverly Hills”  (1989),  “Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean” (1990), and “The Initiation of Sarah” (2006).

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- (l-r) Producer Chuck Fries, moderator/senior editor The Hollywood Reporter Alex Ben Block, actor Dorian Harewood at the Buena Vista Library Burbank March 22, 2011

Actor Dorian Harewood talked about working in the Fries fact-based TV film, “The Ambush Murders”(1982).

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Producer Chuck Fries, moderator/senior editor The Hollywood Reporter Alex Ben Block, Ava Fries at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank March 22, 2011

Chuck’s wife, Ava, joined him on the platform to discuss her experience as a producer of the film, “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989).

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Spider-Man made a brief appearance at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank March 22, 2011

The web slinger, Spider-Man, dropped in to remind folks that Fries produced the TV series “The Amazing Spider-Man” (1977-1979) and the TV movie ”Spider-Man Strikes Back” (1979).

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Producer Chuck Fries signed copies of his book at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank March 22, 2011

The book, “Chuck Fries Godfather of the Television Movie  A History of Television,” was released last fall.

 Tom Hanks takes on real-life hero role

 The high-seas drama of cargo ship Captain Richard Phillips and the Somali pirates is headed to the big screen. Actor Tom Hanks is reportedly on board to play Phillips, according to deadline.com

Back in April of 2009, Captain Phillips traded himself as a hostage to the pirates to save his crew. Phillips was later freed in a daring rescue by U.S. Navy Seals. More on Hanks and this project on Deadline.

John Wayne photo book coming soon

The family of the late actor John Wayne has decided to share some rare photos with the world. A soon to be published John Wayne photo book will include, pictures from the family archives as well as snapshots from some of the 175 films Wayne appeared in, according to the publishing site, Galleycat.

Along with the photos, the book will include comments from relatives, friends and co-stars. It will be published by powerHouse books sometime this fall.

More spec screenplay sales

Screenwriter Scott Myers is tracking the spec screenplay sales. Myers says the spec, “The Last Drop” by Brandon and Phillip Murphy, is the 17th to get bought this year. The eight spec to get snatched up this month. Myers has more on the sale of “The Last Drop” and the spec script market over on his Go Into The Story blog.

 It’s not easy being the first to break through social and professional barriers, especially back in the turbulent sixties. Nevertheless, someone has to step up, take the risks, suffer the insults and the rejections, and Belva Davis did that to become the first black female television journalist/anchor in the western United States. Davis tells her incredible story of rising from the projects of Oakland to become an award winning television reporter, known around the world, in her new book out today.

“Never in My Wildest Dreams: A Black Woman’s Life in Journalism,” was written with Bay Area journalist, Vicki Haddock. In this memoir, Davis looks back on her incredible career, which includes covering such important stories as the 1964 Republican Convention, where she was verbally and physically assaulted, to the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, to the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic to the 9-11 terrorist attacks and to the historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States in 2008.

Davis continues to observe and cover some of the major stories of the day for one of the nation’s top PBS stations, KQED.  

Along her journey, Davis has traveled the world and met cultural and political icons like Frank Sinatra, Malcolm X, Alex Haley, Black Panther leader Huey Newton, and Cuba’s Fidel Castro. Entertainer Bill Cosby says this about the pioneer journalist: “Belva Davis was someone who sustained us, who made us proud …  She was the first woman of color that many viewers came to know and trust, and she met that challenge with integrity and dignity and grace.”    

I went from a proud fan watching Davis on television to a young journalist inspired and mentored by her. In fact, a co-worker at a station in San Jose, my first job after college, recommended me to Davis and that led to my first real television newsroom job at KPIX in San Francisco. I moved up quickly from production assistant to writer and to producer of the noon news, where one of my co-anchors was the legendary Belva Davis. In a short time, I was off to Southern California for a position as a newswriter/occasional field producer at KNBC-TV. I never forgot the lessons learned working with Davis at KPIX.

Photo credit William V. Moore --- Belva Davis, Author/Reporter/ TV News Host

Today Davis launches a book tour for “Never in My Wildest Dreams” with appearances in San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Chicago, New York, and here in Southern California: including stops at Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena on February 28, Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City on February 27, and Eso Won bookstore in Los Angeles on March 1.

The 2011 WGA screen award nominees

The Writers Guild of America today announced its nominees for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen in 2010. Here are some of the big screen nominees:

Original Screenplay

• Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight
• The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures
• Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.
• The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features
• Please Give, Written by Nicole Holofcener; Sony Pictures Classics

Adapted Screenplay

• 127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy; Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston; Fox Searchlight
• I Love You Phillip Morris, Written by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra; Based on the book by Steven McVicker; Roadside Attractions
• The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich; Sony Pictures
• The Town, Screenplay by Peter Craig and Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard; Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan; Warner Bros.
• True Grit, Screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Based on the novel by Charles Portis; Paramount Pictures

The full list is here. The WGA screen awards will be handed out on Saturday, February 5, 2011, at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

Producers Guild of America 2011 award nominations

The Producers Guild of America announced the nominations for its 2011 PGA awards in television and motion pictures today. The film list includes some familiar award nominees: “Inception,” “Black Swan,” “The Social Network,” “The Town,” and  “True Grit.” Go here for the complete list.  The 22nd Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony is set for Saturday, January 22, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.  

Oprah Winfrey’s new TV network goes live

That talk- show- diva- now- network-mogul, Oprah Winfrey, launched her own cable television network on New Year’s Day. One million viewers turned in, according to deadline.com

You can get an idea of the kind of programming Oprah is offering by visiting her OWN website. This is a terrific looking site, packed with all sorts of stuff — including hundreds of comments from viewers and Oprah fans about the new network. Check it out here.

New Year’s weekend Box Office

New Year’s weekend Box Office turned out to be very much like Christmas weekend –  slow and very unexciting. Attendance was done at movie theaters during those two weekends not because of the bad weather, but most liekly due to the weak slate of films — not one in the top five is a real “gotta see” type film or blockbuster.

The comedy sequel, “Little Fockers,” held onto the number spot with a weekend tally of $25.7 million. The western-remake with awards buzz, “True Grit,” held remained in second place with $24.4 million.

The fantasy,”Tron:Legacy,” landed in third again with $18.7 million, followed by the animation, “Yogi Bear,” in fourth with $12.3 million, and fifth earning $10.2 million, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

Google leaped into the ebook market in a big way today. The Internet search giant launched Google eBooks and is now the largest ebook provider in the world. The site boasts about having ”… nearly 3 million free ebooks and hundreds of thousands of titles …” that are for sale at the Google eBookstore.

The Google blog says Google eBooks was designed to be “open” — meaning it’s compatible with a number of devices —from laptops to smart phones to e-readers — but not Amazon’s Kindle.  Google is out to challenge the leaders in the online book market — Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

The highly anticipated Google eBooks site, a venture that began as Google Editions, is available only in the U.S. now — but international editions are planned for next year.

Photo from www.charlottecarter.com -- Author Charlotte Carter in the batting cage ready to slam a homer, September 2010

Author Charlotte Carter is a mother of two and grandmother of five, but you’d never say she’s over the hill. Not with the activities Carter is involved in. The talented SoCal writer and ardent volunteer, has had more than 50 romance, mystery, and inspirational novels published.

A few years back, I was the moderator for a writers/authors group in Burbank and Carter was a guest speaker a couple of times. An experienced workshop facilitator, Carter has  participated in writers’ events at the Burbank library as well.

Carter’s newest book, “Montana Hearts,” hits store shelves today. It’s an inspirational romance about a transplant recipient who meets and falls in love with a rancher whose late wife donated the heart that saved her life.

Carter has another uplifting novel, ” Big Sky Reunion,” set for release next May. More details about her books on her blog,  Charlottecarter.com.  Also, on the site you can read about Carter’s other interests including her enthusiasm for sports, passion for the outdoors, and love of a funny line — she does stand-up comedy, too!

 Yes, Charlotte Carter is a one of kind inspiration.

Photo: Cliff Watts/People -- Actor Ryan Reynolds

Today People Magazine announced it’s Sexiest Man Alive 2010. The lucky hunky guy, Actor Ryan Reynolds. Besides his good looks, Reynolds has a lot of other things going for him these days. He’s married to Actress, Scarlett Johansson, and his acting career is on a roll.

Reynolds is getting some buzz for his upcoming role as the superhero, Green Lantern. The Warner Bros. movie is due out next June. Checkout the Green Lantern website and new trailer here.

More on Reynolds and People’s selection of some other sexy men on its website.

Publishing superstar, Janet Evanovich, has made a bundle off  of her popular Stephanie Plum mysteries, and is now out to  hook up with some fresh talented co-authors.

Number 17 in the Plum series titled, “Smokin’ Seventeen,” is due out next year. The wacky world of former lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, is headed to the big screen as well. Katherine Heigl reportedly has signed on to play Stephanie in the movie version of the first book, “One for the Money.”

Evanovich has written more than 40 books. Recently, she landed a huge multi-million dollar deal with Random House. So Evanovich is not hurting for money, nevertheless, she is eager to revive a co-author program she established several years ago.

In a recent interview with  Media Bistro, Evanovich described the program this way: “We would like to have, maybe three or four co-authors that we’re working with and bringing them out in hard cover. It’s one of those situations that if you find the right person, everybody wins. There are tons of really good writers out there, but for one reason or another, they just have not had the support that allowed them to build audiences. So, for these writers out there, it gives them an opportunity to get a much larger market. If somebody’s interested in being part of our co-author program, they should contact my son, Peter Evanovich or they can send me a letter. My post office box is on all my book covers.”

Maybe the New Jersey born writer has not forgotten her own struggle. It took her 10 years to get published.  When asked in a Barnes & Noble interview for advice for writers looking for that big break, Evanovich said: “Don’t give up, continue to grow, eat some Cheez Doodles and drink some beer.” Hmm, I would of course throw in some chocolate, either way, it  sounds like a good plan.

 Writers around the world are pounding computer keys or scribbling as fast as they can in notebooks — as part of the annual Write A Novel in a Month project. It kicked off today and writers have until November 30 to produce 50,000 words — that’s a short novel of 175 pages. Last year, 165,000 writers reportedly took the challenge and 30,000 were victorious.

This popular creative writing venture is run by a non-profit, which has a host of sponsors this year including Amazon.com. The word count of 50,000 words is a lot, but I know writers who have taken this challenge and achieved that goal.

Organizers admit the project  emphasizes persistence and output, rather than the details of the novel writing craft. However, for those who have been procrastinating about writing “that novel” this is consider a good “kick-in-the-pants” to get cranking.

More details and a ton of support and encouragement here.  By the way, you have to be patient, the  National Novel Writing Month website is getting heavy traffic today so it’s a bit sluggish.

The world’s leading publisher of women’s fiction, especially romance, says it’s “hungry to find talented new writers for Harlequin Books” In a PR Newswire release,  Harlequin announced it’s hosting a five day “So You Think You Can Write” event starting next Monday, November first, to “discover aspiring new authors.”

Harlequin Enterprises Limited produces books for women at the rate of over 110 titles per month. It publishes more than 1,100 authors from around the world.  Also, Harlequin books are sold in 115 international markets and in 32 languages.

Harlequin is pitching this event as multifaceted with podcasts, blogs, and discussions with successful authors and more than 50 of its editors reportedly looking to buy books from new writers. If you think you have the, ah, write stuff, check out the details here.

 Hot Hollywood Movie Deal

I thought it was a bizarre combination when the novel came out last spring: President Abraham Lincoln and vampires. No matter. Hollywood is hot to take this property to the big screen. Several studios were bidding on the project, but over the weekend, 20th Century Fox came out the victor, according to Nikki Finke & Mike Fleming over at Deadline.com.

Los Angeles Author Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” has our 14th President taking out the blood suckers and their slave-owning allies, in revenge for a vampire killing his mother. Oh, it’s going to be made in 3D. Wow! More on the deal at Deadline.com

WGA announces awards for New Media writing

The Writers Guild of America awards ceremony next February will include two new categories: Writing Original New Media and Writing Derivative New Media.  WGA-West President John Wells explained the need for the additions in a news release: ““New media writers play an essential role in entertaining, educating, and engaging audiences in the digital arena. These new awards pay tribute to their talents and to the diversity of work being done under Writers Guild contracts.”

The WGA will be accepting submissions through November 23, 2010. Details on eligibility and the new awards on the WGA -West website.  

More on the Facebook movie

“The Social Network,” the new movie about Facebook, is the number one flick in the nation. Also, now there’s growing Oscar buzz surrounding the movie. Deadline has that as well as a tidbit about how the screenwriter of the film, Aaron Sorkin, collected a cool $3 million for his work. Who says screenwriting doesn’t pay the bills?

Catching up on …

Some good obits and remembrances of some recently departed celebs over on the  Los Angeles Times website – among them, Actor/Artist Tony Curtis and  TV Producer/Author Stephen J. Cannell.  Cannell was not only a great talent, but a generous writer who was willing to share his knowledge and experiences with other scribes.  I heard Cannell speak to writers’ groups a couple of times — and each time he was terrific.

 Lindsay Lohan’s brother speaks out

Reports are out that troubled Actress, Lindsay Lohan, has voluntarily entered rehab. This will be the fifth time around for Lohan. Her brother, Michael Lohan Jr., says his sister is “fully committed” to making rehab work this time.  Also, he blamed Lohan’s past failures at getting clean on “leeches” in her social circle. More on the People website.

Heroic pilot’s story optioned by Hollywood producers

Photo: Gary Friedman/ Los Angeles Times -- Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and wife Lorrie at the Rose Parade in Pasadena on January 1, 2010

  Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s incredible story is going to be a movie. Captain Sully became a hero on January 15, 2009, when he landed a crippled U.S. Airways jetliner, like a glider, on the Hudson River saving the crew and 155 passengers on board.

Captain Sully was the Grand Marshal of the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. Also, he wrote his memoir, “Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters,” with Jeffrey Zaslow. Hollywood Producers, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall  have teamed up with Flashlight Films to option the memoir and develop it into a movie. More details on The Wrap.  

Actor Gene Hackman’s new book

Gene Hackman is going solo for his new novel. The actor has signed a deal with Pocket Books for a western set in 19th century New Mexico, according to GalleyCat. He’s co-authored three other westerns.

Hackman has appeared in nearly 100 films. He won the Best Actor Oscar for the “French Connection” (1971) and Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in “Unforgiven” (1992). Hackman is such a good character actor that it’s said he’s worth watching even in a bad movie.

Hackman  new western, “Jubal’s Bounty,” is due out next July.

Comcast’s Steve Burke replacing Zucker

It didn’t take long for NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker’s replacement to be announced.  No surprise, one of the key players in the Comcast/ NBC Universal deal, Steve Burke, is taking over Zucker’s job. Burke is Comcast’s chief operating officer. Interesting these changes are happening before the Comcast/NBC Universal deal gets final approval from the Feds. Read more on The Wrap.

The new drama, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” rolled right over the competition this weekend to become the number one film in the country. This sequel to the 1987 film, “Wall Street,” collected an estimated $19 million at the domestic Box Office.   

Oliver Stone directed both the original and the sequel. “Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps” picks up 23 years after the original with Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gekko out of prison and reformed. Douglas won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “Wall Street.” In the sequel, Gekko tries to warn Wall Street right before the 2008 financial meltdown. The cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, and Carey Mulligan.

In second place, a new 3D animation, “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” with around $16.3 million. The film is based on an adventure fantasy book series by Kathryn Lasky.

“The Town”, last week’s number top film, fell to third place earning an estimated $16 million. The teen comedy, “Easy A”  landed in fourth with about $10.7 million.

Rounding out the top five, the new romantic comedy, “You Again” with an estimated $8.3 million. Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, and Betty White star. The film is about a young woman who discovers her older brother is about to marry the girl who bullied her in high school.

 Lindsay Lohan back on the streets

Photo: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times -- Lindsay Lohan heading to court in Beverly Hills , September 24, 2010

 After a freaky Friday that included court drama and a short stay in jail, Actress Lindsay Lohan is a free woman once again. After failing a court-ordered drug test, Lohan appeared in a Beverly Hills court yesterday. True to his word, Judge Elden Fox, sent her to the slammer for 30 days without bail.

However within hours, Lohan’s lawyer got another Los Angeles Superior Court judge to reverse the bail ruling. Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, pointed out defendants convicted of misdemeanors are allowed bail under the law. Sometime before midnight, Lohan walked free on $300,000 bond.

Did Lohan get a break because she’s a celebrity? Folks are debating that today. The way I see it, the major difference between Lohan and the average inmate in Los Angeles County jail is the money to pay for lawyers and to post bail.  The Los Angeles Times has more on the debate here.  

Jay-Z’s memoir and hip hop decoder

Business Mogul/Hip Hop Artist, Jay-Z, has a book coming out. It’s a memoir and a decoder for 36 of Jay-Z’s songs — which provide an intimate look at his art, according to the publishing site Galleycat.

The printed and e-book formats of “Decoded” include illustrations and lyric analysis as well as the autobiography content. “Decoded” goes on sale in mid- November, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

 NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker on the way out

No surprise, NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker is leaving the network. Zucker made the announcement himself in a company memo yesterday. NBC is in fourth place and who can forget Zucker’s orchestration of the Conan O’Brien/Jay Leno financial/public relations disaster.

Zucker apparently got the word from Comcast that once it’s deal to buy NBC is official, he would be getting the boot. Unlike most NBC employees who lose their jobs at the network and barely score chump change, Zucker will probably get one of those multi-million-dollar executive parachutes. More on Zucker’s departure at The Wrap.

Madonna sued over “Material Girl”  clothing line

Entertainer, Madonna, has launched a “Material Girl” clothing line with daughter, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. Oops!  L.A. Triumph, claims it’s been selling clothes under that label since around 1997 and at some of the same high-ended retailers involved in the new Madonna deal.

This week, the California company sued Madonna. More details in a story on The Los Angeles Times website.

Dr. Laura’s controversial farewell

In the wake of a controversy over her use of the N-word on the air, Conservative Radio Talk Show Host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger,  announced she would pull the plug on her program at the end of the year. Dr. Laura made the surprise announcement on CNN’s “Larry King Live.”

Dr. Laura says she’s taking the drastic step because she wants  her  ”… First Amendment rights back.” Not everyone is buying that reasoning — here’s a good post about it all on The Wrap. Dr. Laura’s radio program can be heard locally on KFWB News Talk 980. 

Oh, click here for Dr. Laura’s blog where she talks about the controversy, her apology, and the support she’s getting from Sarah Palin.

Betty White’s new two-book deal

UPDATED:  Sunday,  August 22, 2010                                                                                                                                                       

 Actress Betty White has another Emmy to add to her collection. White won number  seven last night for best guest actress in a comedy series for her hosting of a “Saturday Night Live” episode, back in the spring.

That award winner was announced during the creative arts section of the 62 Annual  Primetime Emmy Awards, at the Nokia Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.  The winners in some of the major Emmy categories will be announced on a broadcast next Sunday, August 29, 2010, on NBC. 

Actress Betty White is 88-years-old and has a career that’s on the upswing. The Emmy Award-winning actress has gained new fans with her appearance in a hit Super Bowl TV commercial back in February, then in May as a guest host on NBC-TV’s, “Saturday Night Live,” and now she has a role on cable network TV Land’s popular series, “Hot in Cleveland.”  This week it was disclosed White has sealed a two-book deal with G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

The first book, “Listen Up,” will be about life lessons learned during White’s many years in Hollywood. It’s due out in hardcover next spring. By the way, she has been nominated for 20 Emmy Awards and has won six — including two for her role in the 1970s ”The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and one for starring in the hit 1980s series, “The Golden Girls.”

The second book, “The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends” will showcase stories and photographs of White and her friends at the Los Angeles Zoo – scheduled to hit the market in 2012.

In a PR Newswire press release, White said she’s enjoying the new challenge: “Much as I love what I do for a living in show business, I love writing even more – so I am thrilled to be working on not only one new book but two of them.”  White is the author of five other books.

President Obama raises $1 million & snarls traffic in Southland  

It happens almost every time a U.S. President visits the Southland. The bad traffic situation gets worse. That’s what occurred today, when President Barack Obama dropped in for one of those high-ticket priced Hollywood -type fundraisers.

Obama reportedly raised $1 million dollars for the Democrats and the ire of some Southlanders over the traffic problems caused by his visit. Nice report and photo on the Los Angeles Times website.

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”

Photo: PR NewsFoto/Columbia Pictures/Merrick Morton -- Actress Rooney Mara

 Actress Rooney Mara has won one of the most sought after roles in Hollywood. Columbia Pictures announced today that Mara has been selected to star in the film version of  Stieg Larsson’s mystery blockbuster, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and the other two adaptations in The Millennium Trilogy. David Fincher will direct.

Since being published in the U.S., “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” has sold over 5 million copies. The Millennium Trilogy has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, according to a PR Newswire press release.

 All three books, including “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “THe Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest” currently are at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List.  The  Millennium Triology is considered a literary phenomenon.

Photo: PR NewFoto/Columbia Pictures/Merrick Morton -- Actor Daniel Craig

Also, Actor Daniel Craig is set to star in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” Deadline.com has more on the casting and the upcoming productions.

Sylvester Stallone king of the Box Office

Actor and Filmmaker, Sylvester Stallone, is hot again. Stallone co-wrote, directed, and starred in the number one film in country right now, “The Expendables.” The action flick about a group of mercenaries out to take down a South American dictator, debuted over the weekend with a winning $34.8 million.  The cast includes Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, and Jet Li as well.

“Eat Pray Love,” the move version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir about her adventures traveling the world, opened in second place with $23 million. Julia Roberts stars, but that was not enough for this chick flick to win the race to number one.

The action-comedy, “The Other Guys” grabbed third with  $17.4 million, the sci-fi thriller, “Inception” earned $11.4 million for fourth and rounding out the top five, the new action-comedy, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ” with $10.6 million. Based on a graphic novel, “Scott Pilgrim”  is about a 20-something musician who’s life chances dramatically when he falls for a mysterious woman. Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star.

Rosie O’Donnell gets new daytime talk show

Comedienne/Talk Show Host Rosie O’Donnell is headed back to daytime television on the new Oprah Winfrey Network. O’Donnell’s new talker will debut next year on OWN.

“Rosie is an undeniable talent who has captivated TV audiences for nearly 20 years,” said Oprah Winfrey in a PR Newswire press release. “She’s a true original, who brings her authentic voice, dynamic energy and pure passion to everything she does.”

“It’s an honor and a privilege to work with Oprah Winfrey on her network,” said Rosie O’Donnell. “I’m excited to be back on daytime television.”

O’Donnell has won six consecutive DayTime Emmys for Outstanding Talk Show Host.   “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” ran from 1996 to 2002.

Hollywood producers buy novel for $2 million-plus

Author Nicholas Sparks just scored a major Hollywood deal.  Movie rights for Sparks’ new novel, “Safe Haven,”were snatched up in a bidding war. The book plot centers on romance and a mysterious woman with a dark secret in a North Carolina town. The selling price – $2-$5 million.

“Safe Haven” publishes next month. Reviews and more on the novel up on the Barnes & Noble website.

Hollywood has had a love affair with Sparks’ romantic novels for some time. Several have been turned  into successful films including “Dear John” (2010) , and “The Notebook” (2004), and “Message in a Bottle” “1999.  Deadline.com has more on Sparks’ new deal.

Unauthorized bio of Angelina Jolie

Actress Angelina Jolie has a hot new movie out, “Salt.” In two weeks of release, the spy thriller has racked up about  $79 million at the domestic Box Office, but a new book about Jolie may be even hotter. The  Los Angeles Times has a review of “Angelina” by Andrew Morton. Check it out  here.