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12-18-06 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
LOVE AND ‘HAPPYNESS’ AT THE BOX OFFICE: Will Smith makes African American fathers proud in new No. 1 movie.
*Will Smith is back atop the box office heap with his latest film, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which pulled in $27 million according to studio estimates on Sunday.
The movie, based on the story of Chris Gardner’s autobiography detailing his journey from homelessness to Wall Street – all while caring for his young son – is particularly a favorite among African American fathers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"It's been a long time since a movie has touched me like this. I saw a lot of myself in him," said Fatin Dantzler, who is half of the R&B group Kindred the Family Soul. The 33-year-old watched a screening of the film at Philly’s Ritz Five last week with his 7-year old son, Aquil.
"Unfortunately, this isn't what we see most times," Dantzler told the paper. "Art often depicts reality and the reality Hollywood directors see is what most people see in the media, black men in negative roles. Good black fathers don't see themselves on the news."
"The good images are hard to find," Kofi Asante, director of resource center Philadelphia Comprehensive Center for Fathers, told the newspaper.
"Most of what we see are shows of brute force with mack daddies or drug dealers. We are scholars, we are musicians, we are teachers...we are in every position that's vital to the American existence and more of that needs to be shown."
Last weekend’s No. 1 movie, Mel Gibson's Mayan saga "Apocalypto,"
tumbled to sixth place with $7.7 million. “Happyness” also beats newcomers “Eragon,” in second place with $23.45 million, and “Charlotte’s Web,” No. 3 with $12 million.
OPRAH TO INVADE PRIMETIME WITH TWO REALITY SHOWS: Both will test the ability to change lives for the better; plus other Oprah news.
*It was only a matter of time before Oprah Winfrey would haul her firepower from daytime television into the hours after sunset.
Her company, Harpo Productions, announced Friday that it is working on two prime-time reality shows for ABC, tentatively titled "Oprah Winfrey's The Big Give" and "Your Money or Your Life."
According to a joint release from Harpo and ABC, "The Big Give"
hands money and other resources to 10 people and challenges them to help others in a way that tests the players' ingenuity and passion. The winner will get to live out their "wildest" dream.
Winfrey employed a similar format to replace her annual “My Favorite Things” giveaway this year on her daytime talk show. She gave members of her studio audience $1,000 gift cards and implored them to find ways to help as many people as possible.
"Your Money or Your Life," which is currently in development, features families who are confronted by a crisis and must change or risk being "consumed by disaster.” An "expert action team" will be dispatched each week to help the family overcome its crisis through a "total money and life makeover."
Both programs, which have yet to announce an airdate, come three months after Harpo announced the formation of a new television development group for alternative shows, Tim Bennett, the company's president, said in a statement. A Harpo spokeswoman said Winfrey planned to appear in at least one of the two new series, but her exact role had yet to be decided.
Winfrey’s previous dips into primetime television were through TV movie projects produced by Harpo Films, including “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” “Amy & Isabelle” and “The Wedding.”
*In other Oprah news, the episode of her daytime talk show featuring less-than-truthful author James Frey was the third most TiVo’d moment of 2006, according to a new poll commissioned by the DVR company. Katie Couric’s last day on NBC’s “Today Show” placed first, while Mel Gibson’s offbeat interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer after his DWI in Malibu came in at No. 2.
*In still more Oprah news, she was just crowned the World’s Best Celebrity Dog Owner for 2006, according to a three-month online poll by readers of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines. The TV host owns five dogs, supposedly each with their own nanny. She also popularized the revolutionary canine training methods of Cesar Milan, known as “The Dog Whisperer,” on her show. Winfrey replaced 2005 winner, singer Joss Stone. Giving Britney Spears a run for her title as the World’s Worst Celebrity Dog Owner was tennis star Serena Williams, who polled high after she denied owning her Pit-Bull, Bambi, when the dog bit a security guard earlier this month in Florida.
STEVE HARVEY ON TOM JOYNER ABSENCE IN L.A.: Comic’s competitor dropped from his former station KKBT; ‘I don’t gloat and revel in stuff like that.’
*Steve Harvey, host of the Premiere Radio Network's syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, spoke to EUR’s Lee Bailey over the weekend about the removal of The Tom Joyner Morning Show from Los Angeles radio station KKBT-FM (100.3 The Beat).
“That’s really sad. That’s really a sad thing that’s happened over there to The Beat,” says Harvey, who hosted mornings at the Radio One station from 2000 to 2005 before leaving and eventually being replaced by Joyner.
Harvey parted ways with Radio One after attempts to syndicate his program nationwide fell short of expectations. Radio One soon partnered with Harvey’s main competitor Joyner to syndicate the Tom Joyner Morning Show on KKBT – until news last week that Joyner’s program would be dropped in yet another format change at the station.
“I don’t gloat and revel in stuff like that,” Harvey continues.
“It’s just really sad what has happened to that station. The Beat was once a heritage station, and for it to be happening like this right now, it’s a sad day. I wish [Radio One CEO and Owner] Alfred Liggins and Cathy Hughes the absolute best and I hope they can turn that situation around. They’re a black-owned business and I always want that to be a success for them.”
“I would’ve loved to have remained a part of [Radio One] because we had plans of growing it in a great way,” Harvey added. “But it wasn’t in everybody’s plan. So now we’re on our own and doing it differently. But we’re not gloating. We’re surprised at it.”
JAMIE FOXX LEADS POWERFUL ‘DREAMGIRL’ CAST
Academy Award Winner shows his mean side.
By Kenya M Yarbrough
*Oscar winner Jamie Foxx stars in the upcoming film “Dreamgirls” along with the star power of Eddie Murphy, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, and Danny Glover. In the film, Foxx plays Curtis Taylor Jr, a shady used-car salesman who becomes the manager of an up-and-coming girl group and grows to be a pretty ruthless record man.
“Curtis is the American Dream,” Foxx said of his character. “The capitalistic version; the ‘by any means necessary’ version.”
Some called the portrayal “lecherous” and even Oprah Winfrey remarked that she just didn’t like Foxx being so mean in regard to his portrayal as Curtis. But Foxx said that it was important that he be a strong villain in the film.
“I think that it was important to play Curtis unforgiving and relentless so they would have somewhere to go. Everybody has a Curtis in their life. You can think of a person that told you, ‘You ain’t gonna make it or you ain’t gonna do this’ and you wanted to make it because of that,” he said. “That’s what Beyonce, Eddie and Jennifer had to get away from. The persona of Jamie Foxx and the character are different.”
The character Curtis has the goal of getting black artists to crossover into the mainstream and he works to make that happen by any means. Foxx explained that his character, whose counterpart in reality is considered as the legendary Berry Gordon of Motown, was more of an amalgamation of record execs he’d heard of or crossed in his recording career than that of Gordon.
“Curtis is this guy that I met when I was doing my record. I took some of those elements to show what Curtis was about. And it’s not necessarily what Berry Gordy was about,” Foxx clarified. “I have to set that record straight. Berry Gordy, at that time, did things that nobody was doing. He was doing etiquette classes and thought in order to get this black music played in a white world, we gotta be eloquent with that; we have to be gentleman and ladies.”
Foxx’s character starts out as “good: in the fact that he genuinely is working for the greater good of black artists in general. But as the popularity of the group grows, so does his industry envy and his drive to succeed.
“In [the record] business, when you see those overbearing managers or people that can deliver the dream, but can’t execute it. That’s what Curtis was. He was like, ‘Wow, I’ve done all this, but I don’t get the screams from the girls and the accolades,’” he said. “Curtis was calculating and that was the journey. That was really important for me.
The actor continued that even in his singing parts, he was determined to make sure his character stayed more of the cold and dry part as manager. He explained that when he recorded his songs, he told the producers that he only wanted to record once – to make sure his songs were noticeably “dry.”
“When we went into this movie, I told [director] Bill Condon, ‘The thing that scares me is that if you do a musical, how is that going to make sense in a movie. The drama has to be really real and the character that’s really real is Curtis. He doesn’t have to sing; he doesn’t have to dance,” he said.
While Foxx was left out of the recent Golden Globe nominations (Murphy, Knowles, and Hudson were nominated), critics are still heralding his performance. The actor agreed that it is newcomer Jennifer Hudson who steals the show and Foxx is more pleased than threatened by the Hudson hub-bub. In fact, he too was moved by the starlet’s performance.
“When Jennifer Hudson sang her song, and they had the camera on me first and they were telling me to get it together because I was supposed to look mean, but my face was getting hot. It just blows you away. We did it six or seven times for me to get myself together. Even the people with the cameras were wiping their eyes. I don’t’ think anybody looks at it that way,” he said in regard to this being Jennifer Hudson’s movie. “Look at Beyonce’s career. Look at Eddie's career. Look at what I’m doing. It’s great to see that happening and now you’ve got somebody else that’s going to be another force.”
“Dreamgirls” opens Christmas Day in theaters nationwide. For more on the film, check out www.dreamgirlsmovie.com.
ROSARIO DAWSON’S DATE RAPE FILM TO HIT THEATERS: Disturbing drama picked up domestically for spring opening.
*Rosario Dawson, last seen starring in “Clerks II” and the big screen adaptation of Broadway’s “Rent,” is producing and starring in a violent date-rate drama that has just been acquired by City Lights Pictures for domestic release in the spring.
Titled “Descent,” the actress plays a college student slowly recovering from a brutal date rape. While trying to rebuild her life, she decides to take revenge on her attacker (Chad Faust) in a manner described as "equally shocking, controversial and graphic" by City Lights CEO Danny Fisher, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Fisher said he was ready to distribute the film unrated or with a commercially damaging NC-17 rating because he was unwilling to make edits that would diminish the power of the material.
"This is not a revenge thriller, and we're not planning to market it as such," Fisher told the Hollywood Reporter. He plans to network with rape and women's organizations to spread awareness of the film’s subject matter, and launch a strong Internet campaign, including a presence in online support groups.
The script for “Descent” was written especially for Dawson by its director Talia Lugacy, a longtime friend of the New York actress. Two of Dawson's "Rent" co-stars, Tracie Thoms and Wilson Jermaine Heredia, appear in supporting roles.
MIJAC ADDS SECOND, CHEAPER, TOKYO MEET & GREET: Singer pushes back scheduled ‘Christmas Party’ and tacks on less pricey event.
*Michael Jackson’s planned Dec. 19th “Premium Christmas Party” in Tokyo has been rescheduled to March 8th and renamed “Premium V.I.P. Party,”
but the price tag still holds at an outrageous 400,000 yen ($3,428) per person.
According to a press release, the new date of the pricey shindig also comes with 100 more available “platinum” level tickets, which allows fans to “meet and greet” Jackson and have a photo taken with the superstar.
If you can’t swing 400,000 yen, a more affordable "Fan Appreciation Day" will be held on the following day with tickets priced at 15,000 yen.
This event will allow fans to view a show of dancers performing to Jackson's hit songs while the star watches from a V.I.P. area.
As previously reported, the “Premium V.I.P.” event is to feature dancers, gospel singers, a band and Jackson watching the festivities from his special area. The singer himself will not perform, but he is scheduled to make some brief remarks.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Pursuit of Happyness
Down on His Luck Vet Goes from Broke and Homeless to Successful Stockbroker in Inspirational Bio-Pic
by Kam Williams
*In 2003, the ABC-TV newsmagazine 20/20 ran a story about an honorably-discharged, Navy veteran who had fallen on such hard times that he ended up homeless and struggling to survive by his wits on the streets of San Francisco.
In the heartbreaking segment, Chris Gardner recounted how, after being abandoned by his wife, evicted from his apartment, having his account frozen by the IRS, and having his car repossessed, he and his five year-old son soon bottomed-out with no hope in sight.
The two ended up eating at soup kitchens, sleeping in church shelters and subway stations, and bathing in public bathrooms, until the frustrated father finally figured a way to extract them from their dire circumstances.
But like the hero of your typical Horatio Alger story, Gardner pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, starting out as an intern at a leading stock brokerage firm. He then parlayed that position into his own entrepreneurial venture and, as the founder of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, built the multi-million-dollar financial services empire which still bears his name today. After watching the aforementioned 20-20 episode, actor Mark Clayman approached Gardner about gaining the rights to turn his rags-to-riches tale into a major motion picture.
The upshot is a crowd-pleasing production called The Pursuit of Happyness, one of those uplifting, overcoming-the-odds "miracle" movies which seem to be released every year around Christmastime. This inspirational bio-pic features Will and Jaden Smith, as Chris and Chris, Jr., respectively. The real-life father-son duo has no trouble generating screen chemistry, here, being already rather relaxed with each other, quite naturally. And as it turns out, Jaden is just as likable and as charismatic as his famous father.
Thandie Newton co-stars as Chris' fed-up ex, Linda, and the cast also includes Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer Simpson) as Alan Frakesh, the Dean Witter executive who gives Chris his shot at redemption, as well as Reverend Cecil Williams and Chris Gardner, himself, in cameo appearances. But make no mistake, this is a Will and Jaden Smith vehicle, their characters' plight contrasting sharply with the array of spectacular Bay Area locales employed as backdrops.
The movie takes its title, complete with misspelling, from the name of the Chinatown daycare center where Chris drops off his little boy each weekday until what little money he has left runs out. At the point of departure, we find Chris putting in long hours as a door-to-door salesman of an obsolete bone-density machine of not much interest to doctors. Meanwhile, his equally-exhausted spouse is holding down a trio of minimum-wage, part-time positions, yet the couple still can't seem to make ends meet.
Then, in short order, Chris is beset by more tests than Job in the Bible, losing everything near and dear to him except his son. Yet despite being down, he is never embittered by his predicament, even maintaining his sense of humor and quick wit during his Dean Witter interview when Mr Frakesh asks how he should explain hiring a man not wearing a shirt to superiors.
"He must have had on some really nice pants," Chris responds without missing a beat, exhibiting a charm reminiscent of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Expect to laugh as much as you cry during this touching tearjerker.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
PG-13 for profanity.
Running time: 116 minutes
Studi Columbia Pictures
EALY, BRAUGHER, EJIOFOR, OKONEDO EARN GLOBE NODS: TV attention also includes ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Ugly Betty.’
*Lost among the Golden Globe glare of "Dreamgirls'" five nominations were the television programs receiving award consideration during announcements last Thursday in Beverly Hills.
Michael Ealy picked up a Best Actor, Miniseries or Movie nod for his starring role in Showtime’s “Sleeper Cell.” He’ll face Andre Braugher of FX’s cancelled series “Thief” in the category. Braugher already earned an Emmy Award for the role earlier this year.
HBO’s "Tsunami: The Aftermath" netted Miniseries or Movie acting nominations for both of its stars, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sophie Okonedo. The Brits play a young couple whose child goes missing in the catastrophic Asian tsunami.
Shonda Rhimes’ “Grey’s Anatomy” earned four nominations: Best Drama, lead acting bids for Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo, and a supporting nod for Katherine Heigl.
Fellow ABC series “Ugly Betty” earned a Best Series Musical or Comedy nomination, and an acting nod for its young star, America Ferrera.
Here is the full list of Golden Globe TV nominations:
Series, Drama
"24," Fox; "Big Love," HBO; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC; "Heroes," NBC; "Lost,"
ABC
Actress, Drama
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"; Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"; Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"; Ellen Pompeo, "Grey's Anatomy"; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Actor, Drama
Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"; Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Bill Paxton, "Big Love"; Kiefer Sutherland, "24"
Series, Musical or Comedy
"Desperate Housewives," ABC; "Entourage," HBO; "The Office," NBC; "Ugly Betty," ABC; "Weeds," Showtime
Actress, Musical or Comedy
Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives"; America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"; Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"; Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Actor, Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"; Zach Braff, "Scrubs"; Steve Carell, "The Office"; Jason Lee, "My Name is Earl"; Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Miniseries or movie
"Bleak House," PBS; "Broken Trail," AMC; "Elizabeth I," HBO; "Mrs. Harris,"
HBO; "Prime Suspect: The Final Act," PBS
Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Gillian Anderson, "Bleak House"; Annette Bening, "Mrs. Harris"; Helen Mirren, "Elizabeth I"; Helen Mirren, "Prime Suspect: The Final Act"; Sophie Okonedo, "Tsunami, The Aftermath"
Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Andre Braugher, "Thief"; Robert Duvall, "Broken Trail"; Michael Ealy, "Sleeper Cell: American Terror"; Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Tsunami, The Aftermath"; Ben Kingsley, "Mrs. Harris"; Bill Nighy, "Gideon's Daughter"; Matthew Perry, "The Ron Clark Story"
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie Emily Blunt, "Gideon's Daughter"; Toni Collette, "Tsunami, The Aftermath"; Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy"; Sarah Paulson, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"; Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie Thomas Haden Church, "Broken Trail"; Jeremy Irons, "Elizabeth I"; Justin Kirk, "Weeds"; Masi Oka, "Heroes"; Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
MUHAMMAD ALI, THE FIRST RAPPER?: New book explores how champ’s gift of gab mirrored his gift of jab.
*A new book on the verbal prowess of Muhammad Ali, titled "Ali Rap:
Muhammad Ali the First Heavyweight Champion of Rap," contains nearly 300 pages of quotes from the boxer, compiled by editor, George Lois.
Lois told the Associated Press he has always wanted to condense Ali's many sayings and memorable utterances into a "small, fat book — like a Bible or a Quran."
Presented chronologically, "Ali Rap" takes the reader from the boxer’s Kentucky childhood, through his historic fights against Sonny Liston, Joe Lewis and George Foreman — and finally to his current struggles with Parkinson's disease.
Chuck D of the rap group Public Enemy recently hosted an “Ali Rap”
special on ESPN, which also included Rakim, Ludacris, Doug E. Fresh, Fab 5 Freddy, Jermaine Dupri and MC Lyte.
"He was able to engage his social surroundings into his whole persona.
That's what hip-hop was able to do — to be an antenna for social reflection," Chuck told AP. "He's one of the few black people to get on TV in the '60s and speak their minds — thank God — and also back up what he talked about."
QUINCY OFFERS FATHERLY ADVICE TO NICOLE RICHIE: Longtime family friend blames her troubles on media frenzy.
*Quincy Jones is now weighing in on the downward spiral of “Simple Life” star Nicole Richie, the daughter of his close friend and music colleague, Lionel Richie.
The super producer blames the 25-year-old’s recent DUI arrest and other personal turmoil on the pressures of being in the public eye.
"You get caught up in the peer pressure and the hoopla – it's a media frenzy. It's insane. Success doesn't help," Jones, 73, told People Thursday at a benefit performance of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy's new musical, The Bayou Legend, in Los Angeles.
He continues: "I try to tell the young kids there are two cardinal
rules: You should approach creativity with humility and have your success with grace. It's a gift from God. You don't deserve it. You are a vehicle of a higher power. Don't abuse it."
Jones, who goes way back with Nicole, remembers a time when her goals were less superficial.
"I adore Nicole," he said. "I've known her since she was a baby. She's a very smart girl. When she was younger she worked eight hours a day for eight years to become an Olympic figure skater. She's a very talented girl."
WYCLEF’S EMPLOYEE KIDNAPPED, THEN FREED IN HAITI: Gunmen let TV news producer go out of respect for artist and his charity.
*An employee of Wyclef Jean’s Telemax television station in Haiti was kidnapped at gunpoint on Thursday Nov. 30 and held for $250,000 ransom, but was freed three days later out of respect for Jean and his efforts to rebuild the country.
According to Allhiphop.com, Bidthlerson Brutus became the latest in a rash of kidnappings for ransom in Port-au-Prince when he was taken from in front of his house, which is near the headquarters of Telemax.
Wyclef and his Yele Haiti charity had arrived in Haiti on Nov. 30 with the United Nations' World Food Programme agency for a one-week festival to promote artistic and cultural development in the country. After the kidnapping, Jean performed in front of 20,000 fans and pleaded for Brutus'
safe return. He also called for the kidnappings to stop so that the Haitian economy could develop.
News media network SOS Journalistes-Haiti negotiated Brutus' release.
According to the Haitian Times, captors released the SOS member because of their support for Wyclef and his work on behalf of the impoverished nation.
"We freed the journalist after considering how much effort Wyclef is doing to help our sisters and brothers in the forgotten ghettos," said a captor who called himself the "Commander" and has three children himself. "I don’t like what I’m doing, but I don’t think I have an alternative for the time being. …Sometimes I really want to stop...I wish I could have a normal life. We also have feelings."
Prior to Wednesday's incidents, 10 children have been reported as kidnapped since November. Two were killed by their captors.
DVD REVIEW: Little Miss Sunshine
Dysfunctional Family Road Flick Arrives on DVD
by Kam Williams
*This remarkable road comedy revolves around one of the most comical assemblages of dysfunctional screen characters in recent memory.
The story centers on the desperate, cross-desert caravan of the Hoover clan to drive from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach in time for 7 year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) to represent the State of New Mexico in the Little Miss Sunshine Beauty Pageant.
The storyline has shades of Robin Williams' RV, since Olive's father, Richard (Greg Kinnear) has a work-related reason to embark on the adventure, though that is where the similarities start an end with that relatively funereal bomb. Rah-rah Richard, an overbearing optimist deep in denial, has written a self-help book and is consumed with worry over whether or not it is going to be published.
Meanwhile, the responsibility of managing their troubled, intergenerational family falls to his practical wife, Sheryl (Toni Collette). There's irascible grandpa (Alan Arkin), who was kicked out of his retirement community for snorting heroin. Then there's gay Uncle Frank (Steve Carell), who was just recently released from a mental institution after slitting his wrists over unrequited love. The couple's 15 year-old son, Dwayne (Paul Dano), is a miserable misanthrope who has taken a vow of silence. And chubby Olive seems a tad too unpolished in pageant p's & q's to compete against girls groomed for the title.
Nonetheless, this motley crew piles inside the cramped quarters of an unreliable VW bus to embark on one very eventful, if bittersweet sojourn to Southern California. Along the way, these endearing oddballs actually manage to win you over while keeping the laughs coming with their kooky behavior.
Despite the neverending deluge of calamities, the Hoovers persevere, arriving just in time for Olive to take to the stage, for a tearjerker of a finale.
A wonderful message movie, warts-an-all!
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sex, expletives, and drug use.
Running time: 101 minutes
Studi Fox Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, four alternate endings with optional commentary by the directors and scriptwriter, a music video by DeVotchka, and theatrical trailers.
FILM/TV BITS: ‘Day Break’ done; Hip Hop Cox; Smith’s Globe nod; Whitaker nominated again; J.Lo denies Scientology rumors.
*ABC has yanked the Taye Diggs drama “Day Break” from its Wednesday lineup, effective immediately. The series was scheduled to finish its freshman run on Dec. 27, but the ratings were so dreadful that the network couldn’t wait that long. According to Variety, the show will be replaced by repeats of unspecified comedies.
*Courtney Cox will reportedly star in a new film as a southern socialite who becomes obsessed with hip-hop. According to Contact Music, the former “Friends” star will play the posh mother of a hip-hop dance student, who discovers she's also got a few moves of her own. As for doing her own dancing in the film, Cox says: "I have moves. I don't have those moves, but I'll learn them."
*Jada Pinkett Smith tells People magazine that she was the one who informed her husband Will of his best actor Golden Globe nomination for “The Pursuit of Happyness.” "I woke him up this morning and told him," she told the magazine at the Guggenheim Museum's Artist's Ball in New York City Thursday night. "For him, it's not that awards are extremely important, but it's nice to have some recognition from your peers. These are people who watch lots of movies that think he did a good job, so he's excited. We all are. It's a good time for our family."
*Forrest Whitaker has picked up another best actor nomination for his role as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.” The latest comes from the London Film Critics Circle, which also nominated the British movie for Best Film.
*Actress Jennifer Lopez has denied rumors that she is in the process of converting to Scientology through her newfound friendships with famous Scientologists Tom Cruise and “The King of Queens” star Leah Remini. In the past two weeks, Cruise and Holmes have socialized with Lopez and her husband Anthony on at least three occasions, but J.Lo’s rep insists Scientology isn't their common interest. But then again, Lopez's spokesperson tells
IMDB: "I have no knowledge of this, but I probably wouldn't have a comment on it if I did."
MUSIC BITS: Prince, Studdard on New Year’s Eve; Beyonce still tops Billboard; Pastor Troy arrested; T.I. tops Vibe poll; C-Murder’s book; Justin’s ‘Moment.’
*Prince is scheduled to perform at his Las Vegas nightclub for New Year’s Eve, but it’ll cost $1,000 for a ticket. According to TMZ.com, the price includes a six-course meal with "Sake Cilantro Cured Salmon complemented with Wasabi Cream and Salmon Pearls, and a tantalizing Center Cut Filet Mignon & Pine Valley Ranch Organic Lamb Chop, Corn Bisque with Diver Scallops, Petite Asparagus, Pomme de Terre" and more. After dinner, ticket holders will take in the concert from a VIP table and ring in the New Year with a set of commemorative champagne glasses.
*“American Idol winner Ruben Studdard will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a performance at "Gospel Goes Classic," a free concert in Hawaii organized by Word of Life. Members of the Honolulu Symphony are also expected to play, as well as other special guests. Studdard recently released his latest album “The Return,” which reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart.
*Beyonce tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a second straight week with her latest single “Irreplaceable.” The track, from her new album “B’Day,” is also the tally's greatest airplay gainer for the sixth consecutive week, the first to achieve that distinction since 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" in 2005. "Irreplaceable" also sits at No. 1 on the Pop 100 for a second week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a third.
*Rapper Pastor Troy, born Micah Levar Troy, was arrested in Georgia last week for an alleged probation violation. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the artist was in the midst of an interview at radio station Hot 107.9 when police were called and told he was wanted in Fayette County. The cops rolled up to the studios and took the 29-year-old into custody. A spokeswoman for the Fayette Sheriff's office said the Atlanta based performer is currently on probation for lack of insurance and driving with a suspended license.
*A new poll in Vibe magazine has crowned rapper T.I’s “What You Know” the Song of 2006. The track beat out Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” (No. 2), Rick Ross’ ‘Hustlin’” (No. 3), Justin Timberlake’s “My Love” (No. 4), Jim Jones’
“We Fly High” (No. 5), Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” (No. 6), Cham’s “Ghetto Story” (No. 7), The Game’s “It’s Okay (One Blood)” (No. 8), The Clipse’s “Mr. Me Too” (No. 9) and Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’ High” (No. 10).
*C-Murder, currently on house arrest in New Orleans, has penned a new novel titled “Death Around the Corner” about his life behind bars. The rapper tells Vibe magazine: "A lot of people don't know I was an honor student (in jail). I've read about 500 books since I've been locked up. I started feeling the flow and how different authors express themselves... One of my favorite authors, Dean Koontz, wrote a book on how to write a novel.
That was crucial. I liked how he put his words." Miller reveals his first novel took him two years to complete. He adds, "I wrote everything by hand in notebooks and then mailed them out to be typed up on a computer." The artist was serving a life sentence for a 2002 murder before being put on house arrest. A new trial on the charges begins in February.
*Justin Timberlake is participating in a competition sponsored by the Recording Academy that allows unsigned talent the chance to perform with the singer at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 11. “My Grammy Moment” is taking submissions through Jan. 3 in the form of an a cappella version of one of the following songs by: Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," Faith Hill's "Breathe," Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It," Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love," Aretha Franklin's "Respect," and, for the fellas, "Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father" or Timberlake's own "Cry Me a River." The entrants will be judged by a blue-ribbon committee comprising singers, songwriters, producers and other industry VIPs.
ITTY BITTY BITS: HarperCollins fires O.J. editor Judith Regan; Trump will reportedly fire current Miss USA.
*HarperCollins has fired Judith Regan, head of the ReganBooks publishing imprint that was attempting to release O.J. Simpson’s book “If I Did It.” "Judith Regan's employment with HarperCollins has been terminated effective immediately," HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman said in a statement late Friday. "The Regan publishing program and staff will continue as part of the HarperCollins General Books Group."
*It won’t be made official until Tuesday, but TMZ is reporting that the reign of Miss USA Tara Conner is over, and African American runner up Tamiko Nash (Miss California) will inherit the crown. The New York Post quotes a doorman at pageant boss Donald Trump’s New York building as stating: “She does not live here anymore. She is not allowed on Trump property. I don't think it was her choice, really." The Miss USA Organization said Thursday that they are "evaluating" Conner's "behavioral and personal issues" in order to decide how they will go forward with her reign. Conner’s 21st birthday is today, however, she’s been spotted at New York nightclubs doing some underage partying with such company as Travis Barker, MTV’s Damien Fahey and Ryan Seacrest.
SPORTS BITS: Basketbrawl at Madison Square Garden; Michael Vick sets a record; woman in Duke lacrosse scandal pregnant.
*The NBA is due to hand down punishment today for the big basketbrawl that erupted with 1:15 left in Saturday’s game between the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. (See footage below.) All 10 players on the court were ejected from the game after a flagrant foul of the Nuggests’ J.R. Smith from New York’s Mardy Collins sparked the melee. Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, the NBA’s leading scorer, faces an automatic suspension for throwing a sucker punch, while Smith and New York's Nate Robinson will be penalized for their fight that spilled into the stands. Denver ended up winning the game123-100.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92LNvuRKVf4
*Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick surpassed Bobby Douglass'
34-year-old season record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in Saturday night's 38-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Vick had an 11-yard run with 10 1/2 minutes left to break Douglass’ 34-year-old record of 968 yards with the Chicago Bears in 1972. Vick wound up with 990 yards, though he hurt his groin in the second half and finished the game on the bench. "It means a lot," Vick said of his personal feat. "It's something I can tell my kids. When they're sitting around talking football with their classmates, my son and daughter will be able to say, 'This is what my daddy accomplished.' It means more than anything. I'm disappointed we didn't get the win, but it's a milestone."
*The 28-year-old college student who accused three Duke lacrosse players of rape has reportedly given birth last week. Fox News and WRAL-TV in Raleigh reported that she gave birth Thursday night. News of her pregnancy comes as a complete surprise, as there were no reports of her condition in the months that this case has been in the headlines. The development came hours after defense lawyers filed a motion saying the woman misidentified alleged attackers in a photo lineup that was 'an incoherent mass of contradiction and error.' As reported last week, DNA testing found genetic material from several males in the accuser's body and her underwear, but none from any member of the lacrosse team.
ARTISTS GIVE BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Nelly, Trick Daddy, Keyshia Cole, Beyonce/Mathew Knowles catch the holiday spirit.
*Trick Daddy will distribute food and toys to Miami youth in the second part of his Trick Luvs Da Kids Foundation’s 4th annual Christmas Toy Drive. The first part was scheduled for Saturday at Miami's Moore Park. The next gathering is to take place Dec. 23 at the city's Gould Park. Pitbull and Mobile Mike will provide entertainment.
*Rapper Nelly, the CEO of the women's clothing line Apple Bottoms, will be donating clothes to the Allie Mae Williams Multi Service Center, an organization that provides shelter to women and their children who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina. Today from 2-4 p.m., Daphne LaSalle, winner of the Apple Bottoms' model search 2006 and Louisiana native, will distribute Apple Bottoms outerwear and apparel to the women and children at Allie Mae Multi Service Center (222 Oretha Castle Hallie Blvd). Nelly will call in to radio station Q93 to wish the group Happy Holidays.
*Keyshia Cole is spreading holiday cheer to her hometown of Oakland and the Bay Area with the purchase of $10,000 worth of toys from her local Target for the annual 106 KMEL radio Toy Drive. The toys will be distributed to many foundations between today and Dec. 24. Currently, the R&B songstress is working on her new album, to be released in the second quarter of 2007.
*Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment and Beyoncé Knowles'
Survivor Foundation joined forces with Houston-based Target Hunger to present its 5th Annual Christmas Carnival Extravaganza Saturday in Houston, Texas. The event featured rides, games and live performances from such rappers as 2 Much, J Xavier, Mic Little and DJ Energizer. Each child who attended the event received a full bag of groceries and a gift bag from Planet Toys.
ACHIEVEMENT BITS: B.B.’s Medal of Freedom; Snoop’s football league honors 7th grader.
*B.B. King and late Negro League Baseball pioneer John “Buck” O’Neill were among the nine Americans awarded the prestigious Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush Friday during a White House ceremony. The medal is the nation's highest civilian honor, recognizing achievement in public service, science, the arts, education, athletics and other fields. Bush said the recipients were "exceptional individuals who have gained great admiration and respect throughout our country." In handing King his award, Bush recalled: "It has been said that when John Lennon was asked to name his great ambition, he said, 'to play the guitar like B.B. King.’ Many musicians have had that same goal but nobody has ever been able to match the skill, or copy the sound of The King of the Blues."
*A youngster from the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) was to be awarded by Cutters Gloves, a sponsor and Official Glove of the SYFL and the Snooper Bowl. The company gave out its first “It's In Your Hands” Achievement Award to 7th Grader Cenyon Usher of Lawndale, CA during the SYFL All-Conference Game at Citrus College in Glendora on Saturday. Cenyon, a tight end, is described as “a hard worker who has never performed below a B in school.” He was awarded with a $1,500 scholarship fund, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to the Snooper Bowl -- this year held in Miami, FL at the Orange Bowl on Saturday, February 3, 2007. Snoop commented: "We couldn't do this without people like [Cutters] who believe in the SYFL. It's easy for a kid to join a gang -- we need to make it easier to play football. The SYFL is on to something so fresh and productive for our youth, and we are also all about helping the boys and girls off the field. We thank Cutters for being a part of it."
THOUSANDS MARCH IN NY TO PROTEST BELL SHOOTING: Sharpton leads group down Manhattan’s Fifth Ave.
*Rev. Al Sharpton, NAACP President Bruce Gordon and activist/singer Harry Belafonte were among the tens of thousands of people who marched silently pass the festive holiday displays on Manhattan’s Fifth Ave. Saturday to protest the fatal police shooting of 23-year-old Sean Bell three weeks ago on his wedding day.
"We're not coming to buy toys. We're not coming to buy trinkets. We're coming to shop for justice," Newsday quotes Sharpton as saying before the march began, reiterating the "Shopping for Justice" title he had labeled the protest. "Unless Santa Claus is going to bring justice, we don't want Santa Claus coming down the chimney this year."
Bell's friend and fellow shooting victim Trent Benefield led the march in a wheelchair pushed by Sharpton, who had locked arms with Bell's fiance, Nicole Paultre Bell, and her mother. Benefield, 23, held hands with his mother.
Other dignitaries on the march’s front line included Rep. Charles Rangel (D–Manhattan), the Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson and Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers.
The crowd reportedly grew to about 40,000 – too large for the one-lane route demarcated by police barricades, and the marchers were eventually allowed to fill the entire width of the roadway.
Bell, Benefield and Joseph Guzman, 31, had left the Kalua Cabaret strip club about 4 a.m. Nov. 25 when they were confronted by police, at least one of whom believed Guzman had a gun. Five officers fired 50 rounds on Bell's car, which had struck an undercover officer and an unmarked police van. All three men were unarmed.
The shooting is under investigation by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who will present evidence to a grand jury.
Earlier in the day, Sharpton attended the Harlem opening of "House of Justice," home to the National Action Network, Sharpton's civil rights organization. The old headquarters was destroyed in an electrical fire in January 2003.
"Marching is not designed to solve a problem. Marching is designed to expose a problem," Sharpton said, calling for congressional hearings, a federal review of police training, a special office in the Justice Department to prosecute police crimes and alcohol testing for undercover officers.
The crowd gave a standing ovation for Nicole Paultre Bell when Sharpton invited her to the stage.
"Today is my daughter's birthday," she said, referring to Jada, now 4, "and instead of shopping with Daddy, we're going to be shopping for justice."
Benefield -- whose son, Trent Benefield III, was born Thursday night
-- also came on stage to join Sharpton.
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