The nation’s largest cable company, Comcast, announced  a sweeping deal today with four new minority-owned network with some famous names like Earvin “Magic “Johnson, Sean “Diddy”Combs, and filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez. Comcast did not suddenly decide to reach out to minorities. The deal was part of the conditions of last month’s controversial approval by the government of that mega-merger of Comcast/NBC Universal.

The Comcast press release, states the four proposals were selected from a field of over 100. Comcast agrees to distribute the selected networks on its cable systems between April 2012 and January 2014. Two of the networks have major African American owners and the other two,  have Hispanics as the majority owners.

Here are brief descriptions of the four networks:

Aspire: Headed by entrepreneur and NBA Hall of Famer, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, in partnership with GMC TV. “Aspire will be a network that encourages and challenges African-Americans to reach for their dreams and will appeal to all generations. Aspire will celebrate our heritage, our groundbreaking achievements and the fearless talent that has shaped American culture. I’m most excited about Aspire creating opportunities for the new voices, new visions and the next generation of storytellers,” according to “Magic” Johnson.

REVOLT: Project from superstar and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs and MTV veteran Andy Schuon. Combs says, “… REVOLT will be live, like all great moments in television history.  REVOLT will also be immediate, like today’s social networks…”

El Rey by Hollywood movie director Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures executives John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa. ”We are passionate about creating a wildly entertaining destination that we can be proud of by appealing to both Latino and mass market audiences,” said Robert Rodriguez and CEO of FactoryMade Ventures John Fogelman.

BabyFirst Americas proposed by Spanish language television veteran Constantino “Said” Schwarz. Constantino “Said” Schwarz, CEO and Chairman BabyFirst Americas explains, “BabyFirst Americas aims to bring the essential academic building blocks for kindergarten readiness into the home, making it accessible for families all across the U.S.”

David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation,“Comcast is committed to delivering programming that reflects the interests of our customers, and we look forward to integrating these great networks into our rich programming line-up.”

Wanted extras for TV crime drama  

Extras needed for upcoming filming in Los Angeles. The posting on craigslist says the film shoot involves bank, museum, and jewelry/mall scenes. They reportedly need around 40 males 18-60, and 40 females 18-60 background work.  All ethnicities, character types , and  non-union are encouraged to apply. This is a paid gig.  Call 323-468-7365 for an appointment – pre-auditions/interviews: Tues. 2/21 & Wednesday 2/22.

For more details check out the craigslist posting here.

The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens has job openings

A head gardener, curator, and development associate are just some of the positions listed on the organization’s website.  Job responsibilities, qualifications, and details on how to apply here.

Another opening with the Dodgers

 The baseball organization is looking for candidates interested in the position of ticket seller. Deadline to apply is a week from today, February 27, 2012. More details on the Dodgers website .

Photo from http://www.whitneyhouston.com

Today the entertainment world and music fans around the globe are mourning Whitney Houston — a phenomenal talent with a voice like no other.  The pop superstar was found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room yesterday afternoon.  She was 48. Details of her death are still sketchy. The Los Angeles Times has extensive coverage on its website. Also, photos, videos, and more on the official Whitney Houston website.  

Houston was once a powerhouse in the music industry as well as a succesful movie producer and actress, then personal struggles with addiction and erratic behavior derailed her career. Recently, there were indicators  the singer was attempting to clean up her act and was on the road to a comeback. Houston was in the Southland this week taking part in the events,  leading up to today’s 54th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The silent French film, “The Artist,” begins the week with some extra Oscar heat. Last Saturday the feature, about an aging silent male film star and and a rising young actress, picked up the top trophy at the 23rd Producers Guild Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. In the past two years, the winner of the PGA honor for the best produced motion picture has gone on to win the Best Picture Academy Award. Last year, “The King’s Speech” — in 2010 “The Hurt Locker.”

Here are some of the big winners:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

 ”THE ARTIST”
Producer: Thomas Langmann

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

“THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN”
Producers: Peter Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:

“Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece) (PBS)

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:

“Modern Family” (ABC)
Producers: Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Jeffrey Richman, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:

“Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Producers: Eugene Kelly, Howard Korder, Stephen Levinson, Martin Scorsese, Rudd Simmons, Tim Van Patten, Terence Winter

A complete list of the winners on the Producers Guild of America website.

“Jumping the Broom, “The Help, “Pariah,” and Tower Heist” among the films receiving multiple nominations for the 43rd NAACP Image Awards. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization. The Image Awards celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, film, and literature as well as honoring individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.  The nominees were announced yesterday.

Here are the major film nominations for the 43rd Image Awards:

Outstanding Motion Picture

“Jumping the Broom”

“Pariah”

”The First Grader”

“The Help”

“Tower Heist”

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Eddie Murphy “Tower Heist”

Laurence Fishburne “Contagion”

Laz Alonso “Jumping the Broom”

Oliver Litondo “The First Grader”

Vin Diesel  “Fast Five”

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Adepero Oduye “”Pariah”

Emma Stone “The Help”

Paula Patton “Jumping the Broom”

Viola Davis “The Help”

Zoë Saldana  “Colombiana”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Anthony Mackie “The Adjustment Bureau”

Charles Parnell “Pariah”

Don Cheadle “The Guard”

Jeffrey Wright “The Ides of March”

Mike Epps  “Jumping the Broom”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Bryce Dallas Howard “The Help”

Cicely Tyson “The Help”

Kim Wayans “Pariah”

Maya Rudolph “Bridesmaids”

Octavia Spencer “The Help”

For the complete list of nominees go to the NAACP Image Awards website. The winners will be announced during a live broadcast on NBC, February 17 . The show begins at 8 p.m.

The entertainment industry’s awards season is in full bloom. This past week, the Directors Guild of America released a slew of its nominations for television, feature films, and documentaries.

Here are the nominees for the prestigious outstanding directorial achievement in feature films for 2011.

Woody Allen  “Midnight in Paris”
Fifth nomination. He won in 1977 for “Annie Hall”
David Fincher “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Third nomination.
David Hazanavicius “The Artist”
First nomination.
Alexander Payne  “The Descendants”
Second nomination.
Martin Scorsese  “Hugo”
Ninth nomination. He won this award in 2006 for “The Departed”

The DGA Award for feature film directing is a pretty good barometer for who is going to walk away with the Academy Award for Best Director. The DGA Awards began in 1948 and since then, only six times has the DGA Award winner not picked up the Best Director Oscar as well.

The winner will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards gala later this month on Saturday, January 28 at The Grand Ballroom in Hollywood.

For the DGA Award nominees in television go here and for documentaries here.  Also, the winners in these categories will be announced at the DGA Awards dinner and ceremony on January 28.

“Little White Corvette”  — Action/comedy screenplay by Michael Diliberti reportedly sold in a deal worth a cool million bucks to GK Films. It’s about money-strapped siblings who set out to peddle a load of cocaine discovered in the trunk of their late father’s white corvette. Diliberti wrote the story with David Branson Smith. Script is on the Black List 2011, a collection of unproduced screenplays favored by Hollywood executives. Emma Stone is attached to star and will executive produce along with Diliberti. Both Stone and Diliberti are repped by WME. Stone is managed by Anonymous. Diliberti managed by New School Media.

“Cult”   — A mystery crime drama from sci-fi writer/producer, Rockne S. O’Bannon, has been greenlighted by the CW Network. TV series revolves around an inquisitive female production assistant on a popular TV show called “Cult,” who teams up with a journalist blogger to investigate copycat crimes which appear to be perpetrated by zealous fans of the show. In a strange twist in the deal, the CW ordered the pilot after rejecting it six years ago. O’Bannon is the creator and executive producer of the sci-fi series “Farscape.”

The Writers Guild of America has put out the rest of its list of nominees for 2012 awards. Yesterday, the WGA West and East, revealed the nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the big screen during 2011.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

50/50, Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment

Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Pictures

Midnight in Paris, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Win Win, Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight

Young Adult, Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants, Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures

The Help, Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures

Hugo, Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures

Moneyball, Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures

Nostalgia for the Light, Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films

Pina, Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects

Position Among the Stars, Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Documentary Films

Senna, Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

The winners will be honored on Sunday, February 19, 2012, during simultaneous ceremonies in Hollywood and New York.

The Producers Guild of America’s list of best motion picture producer nominees of 2011 include some of the year’s most talked about films. Yesterday, the PGA released the names of the nominees for the Producer of the Year Award in theatrical motion pictures, animated theatrical motion pictures, and in long-form television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were releaved by the Guild last month.

Here are the nominees for The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann

BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend

THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin

THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green

HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese

THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

Also, Steven Spielberg will received a special honor — the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures. All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced later this month, on January 21, during a gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

More of the nominees and selected award winners  here on the PGA website.

The Hollywood award season is in full swing.  Today the Hollywood Foreign Press Association released its list of nominees for the 69th annual Golden Globes. “The Artist,” “The Descendants”,  and “The Help” got the most film nominations. All three films have Oscar buzz.

Check out the Golden Globes website for a complete list of the nominations. The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony is next month, January 15,  5 p.m. on NBC.

Some lucky thespians are celebrating nominations for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards . The nominees were announced yesterday in West Hollywood and leading the film field “The Help” and “The Artist.” Toping the  TV list, “Broadwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Modern Family.”

The Los Angeles Times has extensive coverage here. The winners will be announced during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which  will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS Sunday, January 29  5 p.m. from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Movie fans turned out in a big way for the latest in the “Twlight” film series this weekend, which debuted with an estimated $139 million. ”The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1,” the first part of the final and fourth installment of the romantic fantasy, captured the number one spot at the box office and is now the top movie in the country.

In “Breaking Dawn” young lovers, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) marry, but things get complicate really quick when Bella becomes pregnant and the vampire baby she’s carrying threatens her life. The film is based on the final book of the blockbuster series by Stephenie Meyers. Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote the screenplay for the previous films, is the writer of this script as well.

Another new flick the animated sequel, “Happy Feet Two,” danced into second with an okay $22 million debut. In third the fantasy drama, “Immortals,” with around $12.2 million, followed closely by the Adam Sandler comedy, “Jack and Jill,” with $12 million. Rounding out the top five, the animated feature, “Puss in Boots,” earned about $10  million.

The confusion surrounding the 84th Academy Awards ceremony has cleared and the big event appears to be back on track today. Late yesterday, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced entertainer Billy Crystal would be hosting next February’s Oscar telecast. Here’s the official press release.

Beverly Hills, CA (November 10, 2011)– Producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer have announced that Billy Crystal will serve as host for the 84th Academy Awards. “I’m thrilled to welcome Billy back to the Oscar® stage,” said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak. “He’s a comic legend and Oscar icon, and it feels good to have him back where he belongs.”

Commented Grazer, “Like so many others, I’ve been eager to see Billy host again. It’s very gratifying that he agreed to do it with Don and me at the helm.”

Said Mischer, “With Billy, we’re moving forward with one of the greatest hosts in Oscar history. His return to the Oscars® is, in a sense, a celebration.”

This will mark Crystal’s ninth time as host. Only Bob Hope has hosted more Academy Awards presentations, with 19 ceremonies between 1940 and 1978. Crystal last hosted the Academy Awards in 2004.

“Some of the best moments of my career have happened on the Oscar stage. I am thrilled to be back there. Actually, I am doing this so that the young woman in my pharmacy will stop asking me my name when I pick up my prescriptions,” said Crystal.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

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The Oscar telecast is the biggest event in Hollywood. The 84th Academy Awards ceremony is not until next February, but there is already plenty of real life drama surrounding it. The spark in a firestorm of controversy was lit over the weekend by movie director Brett Ratner who made an anti-gay slur and resigned on Monday as the producer of the upcoming Oscar broadcast because of it. The Los Angeles Times website has the back story on that here.

Ratner decision to step aside prompted actor/comedian Eddie Murphy to bow out as Oscar host. In a statement released by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences today, Murphy said,”… I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”

Late today, The Academy announced Oscar winning producer Brian Grazer would be taking over as the producer of the prestigious award show: “”Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars…”

“It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career,” said Grazer in that announcement. In 2001, Grazer won a Best Picture Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind.” His numerous film credits include “Apollo 13,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “8 Mile,” and current projects “Tower Heist,” and “J.Edgar.” This will be his first time as producer of the Oscar telecast. The Academy Awards will be televised live on February 26, 2012 in more than 200 countries around the world.

“The Help” got a boost to number one at the domestic box office with a weekend estimate of $20 million. The comedy-drama is about a young southern white woman and her relationship with the black “help” during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer star.

“The Help” is based on the 2009 bestselling novel of the same title by Kathryn Stockett. The film’s budget, $25 million. In two weeks, it has made around $71 million and is getting some Oscar buzz as well.

After two weeks at number one, “Rise of the Apes,” fell to number two with around $16.3 million. Followed in third place, by the fourth installment of the “Spy Kids” movie series, which generated about $12 million. “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World” stars Jessica Alba and Joel McHale.

The attempted reboot of  “Conan the Barbarian” fell flat, coming in fourth with an estimate $10 million. This new telling of the mythical warrior Conan’s revenge story features Jason Momoa in the starring role. In two earlier film versions, “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) and “Conan the Destroyer” (1984) a rising action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, played the lead character.

Rounding out the top five, the aninmated family film, “The Smurfs” with somewhere around $8 million. Final box office numbers out tomorrow.

A New York congressman is calling for an investigation into what kind of “cooperation” the Obama administration provided for a movie about the take down of 9-11 terrorist mastermind, Osama bin Laden. Director Kathryn Bigelow is partnering with screenwriter Mark Boal on this bin Laden film.

Apparently, the filmmakers are being accused of getting “special access” and classified information –  allegedly including data on the Navy Seal Team 6 raid which resulted in the death of bin Laden.

Today Deadline.com posted reaction from Bigelow and Boal, declaring they have received help from officials in three administrations: Clinton and Bush are the other two.  Also on the site, a letter from Congressman Peter King detailing the allegations, which started with a recent column in the New York Times.

Last year, Bigelow won best director for “The Hurt Locker.” Boal took home best original screenplay for that Iraq drama.  More on the controversy swirling  around their latest film here.

“Captain America: The First Avenger” remains at the top of the box office today. Over the weekend, the Marvel comic book-inspired movie  debuted with a mighty $65 million. That’s the best superhero film weekend opening so far this summer.

On Monday, “Captain America” held onto its title as the number one flick in the country, by scoring $7.7 million. Yesterday, another top performance by the patriotic crusader with the film earning $7.8 million.  It stars Chris Evans as the physical weak, but strong in heart patriot, Steve Rodgers, who gets transformed into the super soldier Captain America during World War II. 

Here’s the rest of the weekend’s top five.  “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ slipped to second after only one week in the number one spot — with $47.4 million.  New romantic comedy, “Friends with Benefits” collected $18.6 million — good enough for third place. Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis star as a couple of wanta-be friends/business associates who try to keep their relationship light, but end up falling for each other.

The sci-fi actioner, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” lands in fourth with $12 million, and in fifth, the comedy “Horrible Bosses” with $11.8 million.

The long-awaited film featuring the patriotic superhero, Captain America, finally hit movie screens today. “Captain America: The First Avenger” reportedly earned around $4 million at midnight screenings — besting “Green Lantern” and “Thor” for those early shows.

“Captain America,” which stars Chris Evans as the Marvel-comic- book inspired shield -wheeling hero, could be on track to make $60 million this weekend. Question is does the red, white, and blue crusader have enough power to boot the kid wizard, Harry Potter, from the number one spot? Ticket buying movie fans will make the call. More box office results later.

A magical opening weekend for the final installment in the Harry Potter movie series. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2″ has broken all kind of records since opening to huge audiences at midnight screenings last Thursday.  Yesterday, its  estimated weekend take at the domestic box office was a gigantic $168. 5 million. The actual numbers were released today — and the Harry Potter finale did even better than expected — it pulled in $169.1 million for  a new all time weekend record.

Here are the top five grossing weekend movie openings

1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2″  —– $169.1 million

2. “The Dark Knight” —– $158.4 million

3. “Spider-Man 3″ —– $151 million

4.”The Twilight Saga: New Moon” —– $142.8 million

5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” —– $135 million

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2″ shattered the record for midnight shows with $43.5 million and for the biggest opening day — with $92.1 million last Friday.  Talking about ending on a high note.

Harry Potter easily captured the crown for the number one film in the country from the sci-fi action hit “Transformers 3″ — which was a distant second with $21.3 million. Rounding out the top five at the box office, the adult comedy, “Horrible Bosses” $17.7 million,  the family comedy “Zookeeper” $12.3 million, and the animated sequel “Cars 2″ $8.4 million.

Movie audiences are really wild about Harry — as in Harry Potter and the finale of the popular novel-based movie series. Tons of Potter fans stayed up late last night  — to catch the first showings of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2.”  In fact, the eighth installment of the series reportedly earned $43.5 million at the domestic box office during those midnight screenings. That blows away the previous record  of $30 million set by “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” back in June 2010.

Internationally, this Harry Potter flick is cleaning up at theaters as well.  Deadline.com has an extensive report on those numbers.