LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - True to their reputation as
Hollywood nonconformists, brothers Joel and Ethan
Coen are bucking 80 years of Oscar tradition with a
rare joint nomination for directing "No Country for
Old Men." Having swept the film honors of
Hollywood's major talent guilds, including the
Directors Guild of America, the Coen brothers are
clear favorites to clinch the Academy Award for best
direction when the Oscars are given out this Sunday.
Directors Guild ratifies breakthrough contract
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood directors gave
their final stamp of approval on Wednesday to a
contract deal that helped pave the way for a
settlement of the damaging 101-day strike by
screenwriters against film and TV studios. The
three-year pact between the studios and the
Directors Guild of America (DGA) was endorsed by an
overwhelming majority of union members in the
ratification vote, conducted by mail.
Ending not yet written for screenplay nominees
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ten
screenplays will compete for two awards at the
Oscars on Sunday, and they couldn't be more
different. "That's what is so amazing about this
year," says Ronald Harwood, nominated for adapting
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." "It's so
diverse. And there isn't one front-runner, unlike
the year (1984) when I was nominated for 'The
Dresser,' when 'Terms of Endearment' got
everything."
Pop reigns supreme at Brit music awards
LONDON (Reuters) - Pop reigned supreme at the
Brit Awards on Wednesday as comeback kings Take
That, Australian star Kylie Minogue and Beirut-born
Mika scooped a clutch of top prizes during the
British music industry's biggest night of the year.
And it was the perfect chance for two stars to put
their worst nightmares behind them -- Amy Winehouse
shrugged off her drug woes to perform live and
former Beatle Paul McCartney won a lifetime
achievement award after a week in divorce court.
Movie fans give Oscar to "Juno": E-Poll/Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lighten up, Oscar voters.
If movie fans picked the best film this Sunday,
comedy "Juno" would eclipse grim front-runners "No
Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood,"
according to an E-Poll/Reuters survey. "Juno" star
Ellen Page, who plays a pregnant teen in the movie,
would triumph over Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The
Golden Age" for best actress, and Johnny Depp for
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
would edge out George Clooney in legal thriller
"Michael Clayton" among best actor nominees.
Judge denies attempt to move Britney Spears case
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal judge has
denied an attempt to move the conservatorship case
over the affairs of troubled pop star Britney Spears
to U.S. jurisdiction from a California court,
documents showed on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge
Philip Gutierrez ruled the claims "may not arise
under federal law" and indicated that not all
necessary supporting documents were submitted,
according to court papers.
All Hollywood studios now lined up behind Blu-Ray
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - All six major
Hollywood studios are now in the Blu-ray DVD camp, a
day after Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD and Blu-ray
became effectively the only next-generation game in
town. Paramount Home Entertainment quietly came
onboard via a statement issued Wednesday to The
Hollywood Reporter: "We are pleased that the
industry is moving to a single high-definition
format, as we believe it is in the best interest of
the consumer," the statement read. "As we look to
(begin) releasing our titles on Blu-ray, we will
monitor consumer adoption and determine our release
plans accordingly."
Foo Fighters savor Madison Square Garden debut
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Dave Grohl has
been leading the Foo Fighters for 13 years and was
part of another rather consequential band before
that, but he acted like a thrilled newcomer at the
group's debut Garden performance Tuesday. "Goddamn,
we're playing Madison Square f---ing Garden!" he
exclaimed at the beginning of the evening.
Greek tale of "300" brings Saturn smile
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With 10
nominations, the ancient Greek adventure tale "300"
led the list of nominees announced Wednesday for the
Academy of Science Fiction and Horror Films' 34th
annual Saturn Awards. "300" was nominated in the
best action/adventure/thriller category along with
"3:10 to Yuma," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Live Free
or Die Hard," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will
Be Blood" and "Zodiac."
Hong Kong's Edison Chen quits after sex scandal
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong singer and actor
Edison Chen said on Thursday he would step away from
the Hong Kong entertainment industry to "heal
himself," in his first public appearance since a sex
scandal broke. Hong Kong police said some 1,300
private shots of Chen in bed with at least half a
dozen female celebrities had been copied by the
staff of a computer repair shop from a faulty laptop
believed to belong to Chen, sparking off a media
frenzy.