A new online contest is offering more than two million in prizes to wannabe screenwriters and filmmakers. Launched last week Amazon Studios , is backed by online retailer, Amazon.com, which has a first look deal with Warner Bros. The Amazon Studios’ website claims it,”… will award  a combined $2.7 million in our first year’s worth of monthly and annual contests for the best scripts and movies. There is no charge to participate.”

If you are eager to break into Hollywood, this sounds like a terrific deal. But is it really? A lot of debate on the Internet — specifically–over on Deadline.com, where there’s a post about some Hollywood screenwriters warning newbies to beware of this project. Also, more than 100 comments on this post — some from writers who are desperate to get a deal and are willing to give up important rights to get it. This will be a dilemma for some writers and filmmakers — a no brainer for others.

NASA challenged the pros on the reality show ”Top Chef” to come up with a tasty dish that could be freeze-dried and sent into space for the astronauts to enjoy. The popular Bravo TV show  “Cheftestants” for this seventh season took up the challenge in the Wednesday, September first episode.

Angelo Sosa won the cook-off with his ginger lacquered short ribs with pea puree, pickled mushrooms and horseradish crème fraiche. In a news feature on the NASA website, officials explained why they consider food a top priority in the space program: “Crew members continually say that when they’re in such an unfamiliar environment so far away, food is one of the main things that reminds them of home.”

Following nutritional guidelines set up by NASA scientists, the menu for the space crews has 180 food and beverage items including beef tips with mushrooms, chicken fajitas, shrimp cocktails, coffee, orange juice and lemonade.

The NASA cooks will soon be whipping up Sosa’s dish and adding it to that menu. Oh, for winning the challenge Sosa gets a brand new Toyota Avalon and a chance to attend one of the final two space launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.   

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the last voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery set for November first, 2010. A few months later, the final flight of Endeavour on February 26, 2011.

NASA is offering the public some opportunities to take part in these historic space missions. One is the “Fly Your Face in Space” or you can send just your name into orbit program. Check out the details here. The second, is a chance to either vote on or submit a tune as a wake song for the astronauts on the final missions. For contest information  click over to the really cool  NASA Space Rock website.

Actress Lindsay Lohan gets another break

Today a Beverly Hills judge ordered Actress Lindsay Lohan to do 67-days of supervised probation at home. Lohan was released from in-patient treatment at UCLA yesterday afternoon. This is the newest twist in Lohan latest troubles with the law, which include a 90-day jail sentence and 90-day rehab stint for a probation violation. Lohan served only a fraction of that time in both places. Details on The Wrap.  

Actress wins guest appearance on daytime TV soap

Photo: PRNewsFoto/ Procter and Gamble/ George Desota -- Aspiring Actress Jennifer Jean wins guest appearance on "As The World Turns"

 Jennifer Jean’s star is rising. The actress is the new “Brighten Bay Idol,” after winning an online talent search sponsored by Cheer/Procter & Gamble.  The contest kicked off last January with a call for audition tapes from talented thespians  on the Brighten Bay website.

Jean, a California native and former school teacher, has appeared in TV commercials, an independent film, numerous improv and sketch shows, according to a PR Newswire press release. 

Jean appears as Nurse Greta in the August 30th episode of the long running soap. It’s her first big break: “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that my favorite detergent brand, Cheer, would help catapult my acting career,” said Jean in the press release. “But starring in one of the final episodes of ‘As the World Turns’ is definitely going to be a turning point for me. I’m so grateful to all of the voters who chose my audition tape and can’t thank Cheer and ‘Brighten Bay Idol’ enough!”

 ”We were all blown away by Jennifer’s performance and are excited to help develop her acting career,” said Tara Murphy, Cheer brand manager.

Last December, CBS canceled “As The World Turns.”  So after 54 years and 13, 858 episodes,  the final installment of the daytime soap opera airs on September 17, 2010.

 ”The Expendables” still beating the competition at the Box Office

“The Expendables,” still packing them in at movie theaters this week. . The Sylvester Stallone project won the box office shoot-out for the second week in a row with a take of  $17 million.  The action flick continued to out pace the competition on Monday and and Tuesday picking up  an additional $4 million or so, to bring it’s 11-day domestic total to $69.3 million.

In second the new vampire movies spoof, “Vampires Suck,” with $12.2 million. Jenn Proske and Matt Lanter star in the horror comedy about a teenaged girl who falls for a mysterious guy at school who happens to be a vampire.

Julia Robert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”  landed in third with $12 million,. Fourth went to the new urban comedy, “Lottery Ticket,” which picked up $10.6 million  weekend. Bow Wow and Ice Cube star in this film about a young man living in the projects who wins a lottery and has to safe guard  his winning ticket from predators over a holiday weekend.

Rounding out the top five, the comedy action film, “The Other Guys” with $10 million.