Jamie Foxx’s new production deal

Actor Jamie Foxx has hooked-up a new production deal with Writer/Producer/Director, Deon Taylor. No Brainer Films reportedly will be scouting for films and TV projects under $10 million. Details over on Deadline.com

Lady Gaga & her fans invade Staples Center

Photo:Kirk McKay/Los Angeles Times -- Two of the many fans who dressed in Lady Gaga-style for the singer's concert at Staples Center in L.A., August 11, 2010

Pop sensation, Lady Gaga, wraps up a two-concert gig at Staples Center tonight. Some of the fans at last night’s concert showed up in Gaga-inspired outfits. More photos and a review of Gaga’s Monster Ball show on the Los Angeles Times website.

Billy Idol still rocking

A flash from the past, 80s Rocker Billy Idol, can still put on quite a performance. Last night Idol took to the stage for two shows at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. Inland SoCal Music Blogger, Vanessa Franko, was there and posted a review on her AudioFile blog today. Franko’s got Idol concert photos, too. Also, Idol is set to rock that same venue again at a sold-out concert tomorrow.

“Show Me the Polyester”

If you look great in polyester and dig rock singer/songwriter, Jackson Browne, here’s a contest for you. Browne is touring the U.S. right now with musician David Lindley. Apparently, Browne and Lindley are sporting flashy polyester shirts on stage during their performances this summer.

The duo is encouraging fans to show-off their best eye-catching polyester shirts in a photo contest going on at the “Show Me the Polyester” website, according to a PR Newswire press release. Fans have until August 25 to upload photos of themselves wearing  polyester shirts to the site. One winner will get a travel package to New York City and two-front row seats for the duo’s Beacon Theatre concert on September 14, 2010.

The latest release from  Browne and Lindley is “Love is Strange,” a 2-CD set of a tour they did in Spain back in 2006.

Profits soar for Disney, the other big studios, and the networks

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G — Disney Studios in Burbank

The money is rolling in for Disney, which this afternoon reported third quarter profits leaped 40%. Disney is not the only entertainment giant enjoying a good year. Despite the bad economy, other studios and the networks are doing well, too. Nikki Finke over at Deadline.com asks why so many folks in the entertain biz are out of work with this kind of upbeat financial picture in Hollywood? Check out Finke’s post here.

“The Other Guys” shoot to the top of the Box Office 

The action-comedy, “The Other Guys,” won the weekend domestic Box Office and is continuing to rake in the dough at theaters.  “The Other Guys” debuted with $35.5 million to become the number one film in the country. On Monday, the teaming of Will  Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as wantabe- hero  New York City detectives earned nearly $5 million more at theaters. 

After three weeks at in the top spot, the dreamscape sci-fi flick, “Inception,” dropped to second collecting $18.5 million– bringing its four-week domestic total to around $227 million. The new dance movie, “Step Up 3D” boogied into third place with $15.8 million. Adam Sevani and Alyson Stoner star in this third installment of the Step Up trilogy, where the battle of the dance moves to the college arena. 

Rounding out the top five, the spy thriller “Salt” with $10.9 million and the comedy, “Dinner for Schmucks” with $10.3 million.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- The entrance to The Walt Disney Studios on South Buena Vista in Burbank

 Actor Rob Lowe reportedly part of the group that bought Miramax

Miramax, a hot commodity in Hollywood, has been sold to a group of investors led by Billionaire/Construction Magnate, Ronald Tutor. The price tag — somewhere between $600-$675 million. The announcement came out yesterday. Late today, The Wrap reported that Actor Rob Lowe is among the investors.

The prestigious Miramax library includes such films as “My Left Foot”  (1989), “Pulp Fiction”(1994), and “Shakespeare in Love” (1998).  The Wrap has several reports on the deal and the behind the scenes drama.

President Obama’s appearance generates the best ratings ever for “The View”

Thursday’s edition of “The View” is now historic for two reasons. President Barack Obama’s appearance was the first ever on a daytime talk show by a sitting president. Also, the show’s rating went through the roof.  

Obama’s chit-chat with the ladies of “The View” was  reportedly watched by an average of 6.6 million viewers — the most ever for the talker.

“We were honored to have President Obama on ‘The View.’ The ratings indicate that our show continues to break new ground. ‘The View’ has proven to be an important stop for political candidates and is appointment television for our loyal audience who value our opposing views,” Barbara Walters, the co-executive producer and one of the show’s hosts, is quoted as saying on TV by the Numbers website.  Also, Walters returned to the show yesterday for the first time since having heart surgery.

And a first for the “Black Eyed Peas”

Super successful rockers, the” Black Eyed Peas” keep racking up the accolades. The latest involves the SoCal band’s single, “I Gotta Feeling,” which has become the first digital download to pass the 6 million mark.

The song is from the group’s Grammy-winning album, “The E.N.D,” which has sold more than 7 million worldwide.  “The E.N.D.” won a 2009 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. Also, it’s the first album in two decades to deliver five top ten hits.

In a PR Newswire press release band members reacted to their latest milestone:

“I am so proud to be leading our industry with 6 million digital sales,” said will.i.am. “It means so much for the future of the music industry.”

This is an incredible accomplishment for us,” said Taboo. “Of all the exciting news that has happened to us over the past year, reaching this 6 million mark with ‘I Gotta Feeling’ stands out as one of our proudest achievements.” “Congratulations to all the people behind the scenes who made this happen, and most of all the fans – they are the best!” added Fergie.

Meanwhile, the “Peas” are on the final leg of their “The E.N.D. World Tour 2010.” As of June, the 100-date tour has raked in nearly $50 million and it’s not over until August 23. 2010 is shaping up to be one heck of year for the “Peas.” More on what’s happening with the “Peas” on their website.

Late Night TV host, Jay Leno, will soon be heading down South to perform a benefit for some victims of that devastating Gulf Coast oil spill. The host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” will take to the stage in a theater at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,  next month, on Saturday, August 21.

“It’s great to be able to do shows like this,” Leno said in a PR Newswire press release. “We did it for flood victims in Iowa; we did it for auto workers in Detroit; we did it for victims of Katrina and others. We tell a few jokes and help out people.”

Proceeds from ticket sales, which range from $40  to $150, will go to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Mississippi Oil Spill Recovery Fund.

Meanwhile, work on the damaged BP oil well and other spill operations in the Gulf have been halted due to the approaching Tropical Storm, Bonnie. The April 20 explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which  killed 11 workers, unleashed a massive oil spill that has caused an environmental and economic disaster in the Gulf Coast region. The cost is in the billions of dollars. More on Bonnie and the Gulf Coast on CNN.

Bristol Palin to marry Levi Johnston

That Palin family – never out of the media spotlight for long. The latest news,  Bristol Palin is engaged to former boyfriend and father of her son, Levi Johnston. The couple broke the news to US magazine, which posted the exclusive story and some photos on its website today. The Palins really like US magazine. Remember, Sarah Palin on the above US cover with the couple’s son, Tripp, back in 2008?  

Online vampire book sells to major publisher

Photo from www.martaacosta.com

San Francisco Bay Area Author Marta Acosta has a thing for vampires. Acosta sold her latest fang book by posting it on the website scribd. The YA novel, “The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove,” got tons of reads and was bought recently by Tor Books. GalleyCat has the scoop on how Acosta’s novel scored with online readers and the sci-fi fantasy publisher.

 Tribute to Dennis Hopper

“Dennis Hopper Double Standard” now showing in The Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles. Celebs like Liv Tyler, Diane Keaton, and Reese Witherspoon turned out for the opening party last Saturday, for this exhibit showcasing the art career of the late, Dennis Hopper. The actor/artist died last May,after a battle with prostate cancer.                                                                                                                            
Vogue website has more on the star-studded affair. The MOCA site has details on the exhibit, which runs through September 26.

Michael Jackson  (August 29, 1958 — June 25, 2009)

Kudos, flowers, tears, and memories are being shared around the world today for Legendary Entertainer, Michael Jackson, on this the first anniversary of his death.  Like millions of his fans, first I was shocked and then saddened, when reports of Jackson’s death were confirmed on June 25, 2009.

Later, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office would rule the singer’s death a homicide from a drug overdose. Jackson’s personal physician, Cardiologist Conrad Murray, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with his death. Today, the singer’s father, Joe Jackson, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Murray. Details in a CNN report here.

At the time of his death, the pop superstar was in the Southland rehearsing for a series of “This Is It” concerts. The poster for the first leg of that tour in the UK is shown above.

Photo: Raul Roa/ Glendale News-Press —  Fans gather in front of the Holly Terrace today, the mausoleum where Jackson was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale

 Locally, some fans came from as far away as England, Scotland, Japan, and Australia to either visit the entertainer’s star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood or his grave site at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

Family members, including Janet Jackson, and brothers Jermaine and Tito, visited Jackson’s crypt at Forest Lawn Glendale this morning. Some photos of Jackson’s family and the fans are on The Burbank Leader and Glendale News-Press websites.

Also, the Stevie Wonder-owned Southland radio station, KJLH, is paying tribute to Jackson all weekend long by playing his music and remembering his life and legacy. I’ve been listening off and on throughout the day and evening — how cool– to groove to some of the old hits and album cuts I have never heard before. You can tune your radio to 102.3 FM or listen live on the KJLH website here. 

Photo: Samantha Appleton/White House — Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder performed their number one hit single from 1982, “Ebony and Ivory,” at a White House concert honoring the former-Beatle, last night.

President Barack Obama presented Entertainer, Paul McCartney, with the nation’s highest award for extraordinary contributions to American music and culture in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2010.

In honoring McCartney , the president said: “And it’s fitting that the Library has chosen to present this year’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to a man whose father played Gershwin compositions for him on the piano; a man who grew up to become the most successful songwriter in history — Sir Paul McCartney.”

Some of the other artists on hand to give props to McCartney at the White House bash Jerry Seinfeld, the Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Herbie Hancock, Elvis Costello, Jack White, and Corinne Bailey Rae. More about the event on The White House blog.

Oh, the amazing concert from this celebration is scheduled to be broadcasted on PBS stations nationwide, July 28, 2010 at 8 p.m. EDT.

Sunflowers for the King of Pop  

Photo: Lisa Burks/Freelance photographer — A generous flower merchant donates hundreds of sunflowers to brighten the Glendale crypt of Michael Jackson

The late King of Pop’s tomb is now filled with a huge collection of sunflowers — thanks to Jason Levin who runs a San Diego company called Sunflowerguy.com. On Friday, May 14, Levin loaded up a truck with 15-hundred happy face sunflowers and drove to Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale to deliver the special gift. 

Levin’s company is known for donating bunches of what the website calls “the happiest flower on Earth” to good causes. So it’s no surprise, that Levin took action after hearing a report that Jackson’s ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, was asking fans to send sunflowers to brighten the resting place of the legendary entertainer.  Apparently, the sunflower was Jackson’s favorite flower.

Local writer/photog Lisa Burk was there when Levin unloaded 30 large containers of gorgeous flowers at the Great Mausoleum Holly Terrace. Later, Forest Lawn personnel carried the flowers inside to Jackson’s crypt.

Photos: Lisa Burks/Freelance Photographer — Dozens of containers filled with hundreds sunflowers  are shown outside the tomb of the late Superstar Michael Jackson 

Burks has more great flower photos here.  Also, you can check out Burks’ posts on Michael Jackson and his fans on her website.

A great line from Director/Actor/Producer Woody Allen

At 74, filmmaker Woody Allen has slowed a bit, but he’s still in the entertainment business. Allen and some of his cast from his latest movie, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” are at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, this weekend.  

Sharon Waxman of The Wrap is in Cannes and was there yesterday when Allen made this comment about the final curtain call: “My relationship with death is the same, “ he quipped at the news conference after the film’s first screening. “I’m strongly against it.”  

Waxman has more on Allen, his film, and the festival here.

The final launch of Atlantis

Photo courtesy NASA TV: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on its final mission from Kennedy Space Center on Florida last Friday, May 14

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is on its farewell mission. Atlantis blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday, May 14, with a six member crew and supplies for the International Space Station. Atlantis is scheduled to come home on Wednesday, May 26.  

It will be end of the line for Atlantis, after 25 years and more than 115 million miles. Details and updates on the last space journey of Atlantis on the NASA website. 

Adventures in gardening and yard care

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Master Gardener Jessica Craven gives instructions on composting to a workshop at the Burbank Recycle Center on May 1, 2010

I’m in a compost groove: recycling garbage into a rich organic soil amendment in a compost bin. Actually, I’m just getting started with this whole composting thing. The Burbank Recycle Center dropped off my compost bin last Thursday. On May first, I attended a free one-hour composting workshop at the Burbank Recycle Center on South Flower Street with around 50 adults and 10-12 youngsters.

Compost Expert & Master Gardener, Jessica Craven, taught the fundamentalists. The basic elements for producing compost are nitrogen, air, and moisture. Also, you need brown stuff (such as dried leaves, twigs), green stuff (like grass clippings, green leaves), kitchen scraps (all sorts of fruits, veggies, breads, paper towels, paper napkins, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags … etc).  

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Two compost workshop participants check out a sample of the finished product

Burbank residents in the class received free compost bins to store their brown and green stuff where it can “cook,” and microorganisms can turn the garbage into a dark, nutritious matter –  an excellent food for your yard, garden, and plants.

There are a lot of websites with information on different methods of composting and the assorted goodies that can be dumped into your mixture. By the way, more composting workshops will be held at the Sheridan Gardens Nursery on North Hollywood Way in Burbank next month. Call the Burbank Recycle Center for details and to RSVP (818) 238-3900.

Advance ticket sales for new “Twilight” movie

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” is set to hit theaters on June 30, but two online ticket outlets will begin selling advance tickets for the vampire romantic-fantasy at midnight, on Thursday, May 13, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Those ticket sellers are Fandango and MovieTickets.

“Eclipse” is the third film in the hot “Twilight” series. The first two movies, “Twilight” (2008) and “New Moon” (2009) together have made more than $1 Billion worldwide. The films are based on the bestselling book series by Stephenie Meyer. The author’s website says in “Eclipse” the young female protagonist, Bella Swan, is surrounded by danger and must decide between her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen, and her friendship with the werewolf, Jacob Black. Apparently movie fans are eager to see who wins Bella’s heart. Fandango did a survey of 14,000 people on the summer movie they wanted to see most — the winner, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”

Super Model/Talk Show Host Tyra Banks gets a book deal

More and more celebrities are scoring book deals. The latest to do so is Tyra Banks, who was a super model before becoming the successful host of the TV reality show, “America’s Top Model.” Banks’ three-book-series is a YA (Young Adult) fantasy called, “Modelland.” The concept blends “Top Model” with “Harry Potter.” The first book is due out next summer. More on Banks’ deal on the publishing site Galleycat.  

Legendary Entertainer Lena Horne remembered  

A true super star, Lena Horne, died Sunday night, May 9, in a New York hospital at the age of 92. Horne reportedly had been in poor health recently. The feisty entertainer is being remembered for her extraordinary talent and as a ground breaker, who paved the way for today’s Black performers. Here are two web posts about the appreciation of Lena Horne: one from The Wrap and the other, Los Angeles Times. Some great photos of Horne on both sites, too.

A lot of buzz about Comedian/Former “Tonight Show” Host Conan O’Brien’s appearance on “60 Minutes.” Excerpts from that interview popped up all over the Internet last week. Last night, Reporter Steve Kroft’s complete interview with the comic ran on that CBS News program.

And yes, O’Brien talked about the NBC mess, his road tour, his new show, and his feelings about Jay Leno. Nikki Finke’s deadline.com/Hollywood has the video and the transcript. Some funny and witty Conan moments in this interview.  Check it out here.  

Photo: Vanessa Franko/The Press-Enterprise 4/18/10 — Sly Stone on stage at Coachella

The unpredictable rocker Sly Stone did show at Coachella last night, but his appearance was a disappointment. Stone showed up late, which he is known to do, and did more jabbering than singing.  Music Blogger Vanessa Franko caught the Stone set and reports about it here. The Inland SoCal journalist has several posts and great photos from the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on her blog. 

I remember seeing Sly (Sylvester Stewart) Stone back when he could still rock the house and “…take ya higher.” Those were the good old days.  

Rock festival groove

Photo: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times  4/17/10

Music lovers groove to the beat at the huge Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival up in the Riverside County desert community of Indio today. The Los Angeles Times is reporting record-breaking crowds of 75,000 a day since the festival kicked-off on Friday, which included performances by Jay-Z and Beyoncé.  

Legendary rocker Sly Stone is scheduled to play the festival on Sunday. A notorious no-show, folks are wondering if Stone will make an appearance. Some of the other performers have been delayed or had to cancel because of that big volcanic ash cloud over Europe. More photos and article on the festival here.

A milestone at Dodger Stadium

Photo: Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 4/16/10

Dodger Andre Ethier belted his first-career grand slam during the second inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. Ethier was on a roll. He hit a homer in the first inning as well. Dodgers went on to beat the Giants 10-to-8 in the first of a three-game series.

Michelle Obama on tour

Photo: Samantha Appleton/White House  4/14/10

In her first solo international trip, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Mexico and Haiti this week. More photos of the first lady in Mexico on the White House website.  Dr. Jill Biden, the Veepee’s wife, joined the first lady for the trip. Click here for Dr. Biden’s White House blog post about their stop in Haiti. And more photos, too. 

Grammys at the White House

Photo: Pete Souza/White House 4/14/10 

President Obama and Country Music Star Garth Brooks shared a moment at the White House on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. In the Oval Office, Brooks was presented with the “Grammy on the Hill” award for his leadership in advancing the rights of music makers. Also, the president received his better-late-than-never 2007 Grammy for the best spoken word album for his bestseller, “The Audacity of Hope.”  

File Photo: Kodak Theatre in Hollywood

The stormy weather is out of here!  On Oscar Sunday, sunshine and maybe some partly cloudy skies, but very little chance of raindrops, according to weather reports. Southland temperatures will be cool — in the 50s and 60s today. The live ABC broadcast of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Before that, the red carpet coverage with the hype, the fans, the stars, and those fancy designer gowns. Bring it on!

UPDATE: A few raindrops and dark clouds in Burbank around noon. Hope that’s not a bad omen for the Oscar parade of stars on the red carpet a few hours from now.

Justin Timberlake & Cameron Diaz back together again?

They were once part of a hot Hollywood couple before splitting up a few years back, now Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are making a movie together. MTV.com is reporting that Timberlake just signed on as the male interest in a raunchy comedy called, “Bad Teacher.”

Diaz takes on the role of a foul-mouthed grade school teacher who gets dumped by her boyfriend and then goes after a co-worker’s guy, played by Timberlake. The script is by film/TV writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, co-executive producers of “The Office” sitcom.  Filming on “Bad Teacher” set to get underway this month in Los Angeles.

Spec script market heating up

stack of screenplays

More spec screenplays are being shopped this week. Spec Chaser is a great website for tracking specs. You can check out the loglines for thrillers, dramas, action-adventures, horror, sci-fi, supernatural specs, and yes, some comedies as well.

The spec that caught my eye today, “Stuck at 7″ by Jason and Geoff Hart. This is a family comedy about an irresponsible husband who finally has to grow up after his wife undergoes hypnosis, something goes wrong, and she gets stuck in the mind-set of a 7-year-old. The screenwriters are managed by Kathy Muraviov.

Spec Sale 

On Monday, the  Done Deal website reported another comedy spec, “The Escort,” sold to DreamWorks Pictures. The screenplay focuses on an unreliable flight attendant who is forced to escort a 14-year-old passenger to Boston after their plane gets grounded. The screenplay is by Justin Adler, a TV writer and producer, who is repped by Julien Thuan at UTA.   

Singer Sade Adu is a remarkable talent. After a 10 year hiatus, the British singer pops back on the music scene with “Soldier of Love.” The album debuted at number one on Billboard’s top 200 albums chart last week and remained there for a second consecutive week. In 25 years, this is only the singer’s sixth album. Apparently Sade, the name of the band and lead singer, believes in quality over quantity. In the group’s bio, the singer, who is a songwriter as well, says,“I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I’m not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand.”

After the release of “Soldier of Love” People Magazine is quoted as saying, “Sade remains the voice of comfort to the wounded heart.” I’ve heard the lead album track and it’s wonderful. “Soldier of Love,” the single, is moody, haunting, captivating and oh, so, Sade. Reviews, photos, and comments about this album and Sade on Amazon. More on the Sade website.

The Black Eyed Peas

Also local music stars, The Black Eyed Peas made history today. The Peas became the first group in 19 years to have three hits from one album go to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The single ”Imma Be” moved up two places to number one.

“Imma Be” is from the group’s hit album “The E.N.D.” which debuted at number one on the Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, last June. ”The E.N.D.” landed at number three this week after selling 65,000 copies. The album has sold two million in the U.S. so far.  

Meanwhile, the Peas are playing the first leg of their “The E.N.D. World Tour,” which is on the East Coast right now. The tour dates in Los Angeles are March 29 and 30 at Staples Center. More on the tour on the group’s website.

Music Superstar Madonna is set to direct her second motion picture, a romantic drama based on the real-life love affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Edward’s love for the twice-divorced Simpson prompted him to abdicate the throne and marry her in June of 1937. As you can probably imagine, the love affair created an international scandal. The pop diva is writing the screenplay for “W.E.” with her “Truth or Dare” (1991) documentary director, Alex Keshishian, according to several sources, including the website donedealpro.

The singer’s first effort as a feature film director, “Filth and Wisdom,” did not make a lot of waves nor money at the Box Office. The romantic drama about three roommates living desperate lives in a London flat opened back in October of 2008 and quickly disappeared. Madonna’s directorial debut scraped up only $22,406 at theaters, according to boxofficemojo.com

Actress Vera Farmiga is reportedly eyeing the lead role of Wallis Simpson in “W.E.” Farmiga is nominated for a best supporting actress Academy Award this year for her performance in, “Up in the Air.” No word yet, on who might play King Edward.

Female ticket buyers showed their power at the domestic Box Office once again this weekend as not one but two chick flicks landed in the top five. Leading the way and ranking number one, the new star-packed romantic comedy, “Valentine’s Day” with a huge debut of $52.4 million.   

V-Day is about couples and singles dealing with romance and the pressure of Valentine’s Day.  The cast include big name entertainers like Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, and Taylor Lautner.

Another new film debuted in second, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”  This fantasy adventure snagged about $30.1 million in movie theaters across the country. Logan Lerman stars as Percy, a teenager who discovers he’s the descendant of a Greek God and that sets him on a path of an exciting adventure.        

In third place, the new film version of “The Wolfman,” which earned around $30.6 million. Clearly, some moviegoers were looking for something with a bit more, ah teeth, this Valentine’s Day weekend and this horror thriller grabbed their attention. Benicio Del Toro plays an American who returns to the home of his birth in England because of urgent family business only to be bitten and cursed by a werewolf.

The mega-hit, “Avatar” is still pulling in moviegoers and landed in fourth this weekend. The alien adventure earned $22 million and after 9 weeks its domestic total stands at around $659 million. Rounding out the top five last week’s number one film, the romantic drama, “Dear John” with $15.3 million. In two weeks, this chick flick has raked in $53 million. Once again, chick flicks have proven wrong that old worn, Hollywood adage that quote, “women don’t go to movies.” 

Going back to mid-November of 2009, every number one hit at the domestic Box Office, not called “Avatar,” has been a chick movie, according to a recent article on thewrap.com. The article suggests we’re witnessing the rise of the female-driven blockbuster — something Hollywood executives cannot dismiss as a fluke. 

Photo: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times — Michael Jackson’s physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, escorted into the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles 02/08/10

The late MIchael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, is out on bail today after being charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the entertainer’s death last summer. Murray pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in a courtroom near Los Angeles International Airport yesterday. The doctor faces a maximum of four years in prison.

As a condition of his $75,000 bail Murray, a licensed cardiologist, is not allowed to prescribe heavy sedatives, especially propofol.  A coroner’s report released yesterday listed propofol, routinely used in major surgery, as a key factor in the death of the King of Pop on June 25, 2009. Murray is accused of administering a fatal dose of propofol to Jackson as a sleeping aid.

In the courtroom, media from around the world as well as members of the Jackson family. Murray is due back in court April 5, to set a date for a preliminary hearing. The Los Angeles Times has more on the Murray hearing and the coroner’s report on Jackson’s death here.

Photo: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times — La Toya Jackson, looking into the camera, is followed by her father Joe Jackson, wearing a hat, as both arrive at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles 02/08/10 

“The Blind Side” nominated for best picture

Some surprises when the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were announced in Beverly Hills today. It was pretty much a given that sci-fi epic “Avatar” and the gritty Iraq drama “The Hurt Locker” would be in the best picture category. However, eight other films made the cut as well including the provocative sci-fi thriller, “District 9,” and that heartwarming football drama, “The Blind Side.”  Both surprises and good examples of the kind of variety in the best picture category we like to see.  

The other best picture nominees are the animated comedy, “Up,” the Nazi drama “Inglourious Basterds,” the British coming of age drama, “An Education,” the dark comedy, “A Serious Man,”  the teenage mother drama “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and the comedy/drama, “Up in the Air.”

Already there is controversy and competition underway for the best director and best picture Oscars. Kathryn Bigelow scooped up the best feature film director award from the DGA a few days ago and a number of other accolades, while James Cameron’s “Avatar” has been breaking all kinds of records at the Box Office and making a ton of money. Cameron and Bigelow were once married to each other. That adds an interesting twist to the Oscar race.

Also, Nikki Finke is reporting over on her Deadline.com Hollywood site about the behind-the-scenes drama over producer credits on some of the nominated films. In the past, the jockeying for  the chance to be on stage to pick up a best picture Oscar has turned ugly and in at least one case, ended up in court.

Here are the nominees in the other top categories: 

For best director: James Cameron “Avatar,” Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker,” Quentin Tarantino “Inglourious Basterds,” Lee Daniels “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air.”

For best actresses the Academy voters selected Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Helen Mirren “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education” Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” and Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia.”

Best actor nominees:  Jeff Bridges “Crazy Heart,” Colin Firth “A Single Man,”  George Clooney “Up in the Air,” Jeremy Renner “The Hurt Locker,” and Morgan Freeman for “Invictus.”

Best supporting actor: Matt Damon “Invictus,” Woody Harrelson “The Messenger,” Christopher Plummer “The Last Station,” Stanley Tucci “The Lovely Bones,” and Christoph Waltz “Inglourious Basterds.” 

Best supporting actress: Penélope Cruz “Nine,” Vera Farmiga “Up in the Air,” Maggie Gyllenhaal “Crazy Heart,” Anna Kendrick “Up in the Air,” and Mo’Nique “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

Best adapted screenplay: “District 9″ Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, “An Education” Nick Hornby, “In the Loop” Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, “Precious: Based on The Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Geoffrey Fletcher, “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

Best original screenplay: “The Hurt Locker” Mark Boal, “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino, “The Messenger” Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, “A Serious Man” Joel and Ethan Coen, “Up” Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, and Tom McCarthy.

For a complete list of the nominees click here.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards ceremony will be Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. 

King of Pop’s kids, Paris and Prince Michael Jackson, at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards — Photo by Michael Caulfield at WireImage.com from http://www.grammy.com

The artistry of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, loomed large over the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Sunday night, January 31. A nice star-studded musical tribute to the late superstar was followed by the appearance of his two oldest children on stage to accept the entertainer’s lifetime achievement award.

During his life, MJ was criticized for just about everything he did — including being a parent. However, those two adorable kids, Paris,11, and Prince Michael,12, would make any parent proud. Prince Michael declared they would carry on with their father’s love crusade. ”We will continue to spread his message and help the world.”

Beyoncé at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards — Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com from http://www.grammy.com

 It was a huge night for Beyoncé as well, who won an incredible six Grammys among them:  best female pop vocal performance for “Halo,” best female R&B vocal performance, and song of the year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it). The song of the year award is for songwriting. Yes, Beyoncé is not only a talented performer, but a skilled writer as well. The singer co-wrote, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it),” a very catchy ditty that folks were humming and singing for months. I dug it, too. 

Also, Beyoncé made Grammy history. She’s the first female to take home a half-dozen Grammys in one night.

 Taylor Swift backstage at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards — Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com from http://www.grammy.com

 Rising country star Taylor Swift was not far behind Beyoncé in the Grammy count. Swift took home four Grammys, including the night’s biggest award for album of the year for “Fearless.”  Swift won trophies for best country album, best country song, and best female country vocal performance for ”White Horse.” Swift is multi-talented as well. She co-wrote, “White Horse.”

Fellow “American Idol” alumnus and country star, Carrie Underwood, did not leave the Los Angeles’ Staples Center empty handed. Underwood and Randy Travis won the best country collaboration with vocals award for “I Told You So.” This Grammy goes to the artists who don’t usually perform together. Underwood and Travis were a perfect match for this bittersweet ballad. It’s one of the best duo performances in country, pop, or whatever. The song is one of my favorites from 2009.

For a great photo collection from the Grammys and a list of the major nominees and winners click here.