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06-08-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SASHA: Youngest Obama turns 8 in Paris; First Family gets their sight seeing on as crowds cheer.
*Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and children Malia and Sasha were the toast of Paris over the weekend as the family greeted supporters, went shopping, toured local landmarks and on Sunday celebrated Sasha's eighth birthday.
The family reunion in France followed a six-day trip abroad that took President Obama to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Germany. The tour included a speech to Muslims on Thursday and a trip to a Nazi concentration camp a day later. On Saturday, he marked the 65th anniversary of the Allied invasion at Normandy, then, returned to Paris where the First Family stayed at the U.S.
ambassador's residence and spent time as tourists.
The foursome began Sasha's big day on Sunday with an early visit to the Pompidou Centre of modern art in Paris shortly after 9 a.m. - before it opened to visitors. The family went to the top of the museum, which has one of the best views of the whole city.
Their whirlwind tour of Paris began early Saturday evening at the 12th century Notre Dame cathedral, where Obama lit a candle and listened to a children's choir. The family spent more than an hour touring the cathedral, considered one of the finest examples of French gothic architecture.
The crowd outside, kept some 200 yards back behind barricades, started cheering wildly when Malia and Sasha, on their first trip with dad since he became president, waved from a balcony high on the iconic building.
Next, the family – minus one of the daughters – went out for a two-hour dinner at the old-style "La Fontaine de Mars," a moderately-priced establishment dating back to 1908 that prides itself on its "family atmosphere" and south-eastern French food. Thousands of cheering Parisians lined bridges over the River Seine as the motorcade made its way from the cathedral to the restaurant.
Police blocked off the quiet narrow street and avenues surrounding the eatery, while inside, "the atmosphere was very relaxed," a waiter told AFP. "There were five of them ... they said they had a wonderful meal and the president was extremely nice to the staff."
Obama chose roast lamb, while his wife, one of the girls and two guests -- "a U.S. writer and a fifth person" -- went for beef fillets.
Security was tight at all stops, with sharpshooters in place at Notre Dame -- located on Ile de la Cite, an island in the heart of Paris on the River Seine -- and helicopters hovering overhead.
Obama flew home solo on Sunday while the girls stayed behind with Mom and Grandma for more sight seeing. The president touched down at Andrews AFB on Sunday afternoon and headed straight to the golf course after a brief stop at the White House to change clothes.
KELIS VENTS ABOUT CHEATING VIA TWITTER: Singer lashes out about philanderers, as well as 'sub par tricks that participate in the cheating.'
*Kelis is dropping mad hints that her estranged husband Nas was stepping out on her before they split.
The R&B singer, currently expecting her first child with the rapper, took to her Twitter page (@iamkelis) recently to share her thoughts on two-timers. In four successive tweets on June 4, she wrote:
1:41 p.m. This lovely day I would like to touch on cheaters. Super brief!
Why be cowardly why not go after what you really want? Do peopl know what
1:43 p.m. They want? Probly not which just goes into know and respecting ones self. Also we can discuss whores I mean the nasty sub par tricks that
1:46 p.m. Participate in the cheating. Well let me say this, both parties that are gross. And in reality they deserve each other
1:47 p.m. All the scum bag coward husbands and the less then impressive sluts unite! You can all go down in flames together! Hooray!
Kelis filed divorce papers on April 30 citing "irreconcilable differences" for the break-up after almost six years of marriage. The battle for child support and custody of the unborn baby has already started, with Nas urging a judge to deny his ex cash for the child before it's even born.
BET PICKS UP 'WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW': Program will air on cable network in addition to syndicated telecasts.
*BET has picked up cable rights to "The Wendy Williams Show," a forthcoming daily talk program featuring the New York-based disc jockey hosting celebrities, spreading gossip and discussing topical issues, reports Variety.
The cable channel has yet to announce a timeslot for the show, which will run day and date with the syndication telecasts set to air in the daytime and early afternoon beginning July 13.
Following a successful four-market, six-week preview last summer on the Fox Television Stations in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit, the one-hour entertainment talk show - distributed by Debmar-Mercury - will premiere simultaneously on TV stations covering more than 95 percent of the United States and BET.
"After two solid quarters of growth at BET, we're thrilled that 'The Wendy Williams Show' will be joining our line-up in July to strengthen the network's momentum," said Barbara Zaneri, Executive Vice President Programming Strategy, Scheduling and Acquisitions, who negotiated the deal for BET Networks.
LIL WAYNE RECORDS 'KOBE BRYANT' TRIBUTE: Song talks about his dominance on the court.
*Rapper and ESPN blogger Lil Wayne released a new song on Wednesday honoring No. 24 of the NBA Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Titled "Kobe Bryant," the track opens with clips of former ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith and others praising the player's domination of the game.
In his rap, Wayne calls the athlete “King Bryant” and draws comparisons between himself and the Laker. Listen to the entire track here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4_Fdy-ECyw
JAY-Z TO RELEASE 'BLUEPRINT³' ON 9/11: Day marks 8-year anniversary of first 'Blueprint' release, which went unnoticed due to terrorist attacks.
*Jay-Z has chosen September 11 as the release date for his long-awaited new album "Blueprint³," which will be distributed by Roc Nation via Atlantic Records.
The original "Blueprint" disc was released on that date eight years ago, when terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. took over the headlines. The album, however, still managed to top the charts and sell 2 million copies.
That set the stage for 2002's "The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse,"
which also debuted at No. 1 and sold 4 million copies.
News of "Blueprint³'s" 9/11 release was first leaked via Twitter by Atlantic Records' VP of rap promotions Sam Crespo. The official announcement was expected to come late Sunday at the Summer Jam concert in Giants Stadium sponsored by New York's Hot 97.
Meanwhile, Hot 97 debuted a track from the new album on Friday.
Titled "D.O.A.," or "The Death of Auto-Tune," the Kanye West-produced song takes issue with the current overuse of the enhanced vocal device popularized by T-Pain and used heavily by West himself on his latest album, "808s and Heartbreak." (Listen to track here:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/?id=1613391)
According to MTV.com, Jay called into Funkmaster Flex and Mister Cee at Hot 97's studios to explain that the song is taking aim at artists who use Auto-Tune as a crutch. He also compared the fad to wearing throwback sports jerseys back in the day: Everybody started to wear them and they got played out.
"I think I said something important," he said, adding that he spoke out "only on the aspect of moving [the conversation] forward," and elaborated about who he was not going at.
"The guys who did it, did it great," he explained. "T-Pain, he does great melodies. If you listen to Kanye, great melodies. If you listen to [West's] 'Say You Will' or 'Heartless,' great melodies. [Lil Wayne and T-Pain's] 'Lollipop' was a fantastic melody. Everybody can't do it. Let them guys do it. They got their little niche, let's move on. That's just my opinion. I don't know if everybody feels the same way."
The Brooklyn MC said his intention with the record was to "draw [a] line in the sand."
Jay — who gave a surprise performance in Los Angeles with Eminem on Monday — kicks off his tour with Ciara in Las Vegas on July 3.
Jay-Z "D.O.A."
SERVICES SET IN CHICAGO FOR KOKO TAYLOR: Funeral for Queen of the Blues to be held at Rainbow Push Coalition headquarters.
*Funeral services for legendary blues singer Koko Taylor will be held in Chicago later this week, according to a statement released from her label Alligator Records.
Visitation will be held Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Rainbow Push Coalition headquarters, located at 930 East 50th Street. A funeral will be held Friday at 6 p.m., at the same location.
Taylor died Wednesday (June 3) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about two weeks after surgery to stop gastrointestinal bleeding.
She earned worldwide acclaim during her long career and was known as the "Queen of the Blues."
TCA NOMINATES 'NO. 1 DETECTIVE AGENCY': HBO's Jill Scott series earns nod for best new program. 'The Shield' leads list.
*HBO's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," starring Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose as gumshoes in Zimbabwe, was nominated for best new program by the Television Critics Association.
The group's annual TCA Awards will take place August 1 in Pasadena, California, and will be hosted by E! personality Chelsea Handler.
FX's "The Shield" leads the pack with four nominations, including program of the year. Among networks, NBC received a leading 11 nominations for "30 Rock," "The Office," "Saturday Night Live" and other shows.
HBO earned six nominations in addition to "No. 1 Ladies" and dominated the movies and miniseries category.
For program of the year, critics favored serialized dramas, nominating the final season of Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica,"
ABC's "Lost," AMC's "Mad Men," FX's "The Shield" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
50 CENT SETTLES SUIT AGAINST ENGINEERING FIRM: Details not released regarding agreement.
*Rapper 50 Cent has reached a settlement in his lawsuit against an engineering firm over repairs and renovations to the Connecticut estate he purchased from boxer Mike Tyson in 2003, a court official said Friday.
Details of the settlement, confirmed by Linda Cohn, deputy chief clerk at Hartford Superior Court, were not made available to the public, according to the Associated Press.
The case went to trial Tuesday, and the entertainer testified his lawyers hired the firm to inspect the property before he bought it. He said that BVH came up with an estimate of about $500,000 for needed repairs, but that he ended up spending $6 million.
Lawyers said that about $3 million of that was spent on maintenance repairs that should have been included in the firm's estimate, and that the rest was spent on additional improvements.
BVH's lawyer, Michael Byrne, argued his client shouldn't be liable for the difference because 50 Cent wanted "extravagant and costly upgrades."
The firm was to make a visual inspection to determine how much it would cost to repair the roof, decks, driveway and other aspects of the property. A contractor hired by BVH to conduct the 2003 inspection, John Wilcox Jr., testified Tuesday that there was no intention to provide an inaccurate estimate, and he wasn't given enough time to do a comprehensive review. He also said the mansion was built with inexpensive materials.
50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, sued in 2006. He put the mansion up for sale in 2007 for $18.5 million and allowed the MTV show "Cribs" to film an episode to show off the details of the 19-bedroom, 37-bathroom property. The home includes a recording studio and a nightclub that features a swing dangling from the ceiling.
There were no buyers, and 50 Cent said Tuesday that the house is no longer for sale.
CBS TAPS PEAS SONG TO PLUG SHOWS: Network borrows 'I Gotta Feeling' to promote fall programming.
*CBS has made a deal with the Black Eyed Peas to use the group's upcoming single "I Gotta Feeling" in their summer marketing campaign, which kicked off last night during the telecast of the 63rd annual Tony Awards.
CBS will use the as-yet-unreleased track for the next few months to promote its fall schedule, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The upbeat song carries the refrain "I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good (good) night" and was one of Entertainment Weekly's recent picks for "song of the summer."
"We were looking for a positive message to lead our summerlong promotional campaign," said Ron Scalera, executive vp and creative director at CBS Marketing Group. "The Black Eyed Peas know how to make hits, and we know their music can help us make some hits of our own."
For an accompanying tagline, the network is extending "Only CBS," the slogan it created to sway advertisers during upfronts, to become part of its consumer campaign.
STEVIE, ALICIA, LATIFAH BOOKED FOR 'MANDELA DAY': Annual tribute concert to take place July 18 in New York.
*Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, TLC, Aretha Franklin and Wyclef Jean are among the artists scheduled to perform at the July 18th "Mandela Day" concert to honor former South African President Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday.
The celebration will take place at New York's Madison Square Garden and include more than two-dozen musicians who find the humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner an inspiration.
France's First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is scheduled to be in attendance, along with other confirmed performers Dave Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Jesse McCartney, and The Soweto Gospel Choir, as well as several African musicians such as Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Chris Chameleon, Freshlyground, Emmanuel Jal, Loyiso, Sipho Mabuse, Vusi Mahlasela, Thandiswa Mazwai and Suzanna Owiyo.
More performers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.
N'DOUR UP IN HARLEM: Senegalese singer wows NY crowd at arts festival; screens new documentary about controversial 'Egypt' CD.
*Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, who sparked controversy among fellow Muslims worldwide with one of his albums, performed at an arts festival in New York over the weekend aimed at spreading a deeper understanding of Islam.
"I want to show the true face of Islam — a religion in which people can dance, even enjoy," the artist told the Associated Press over lunch in Harlem, where children mobbed him with adoration in the streets. "People don't have to associate Islam with fear and sadness. Why is that the only image of Islam in the media?"
A new documentary about the singer's ups and downs following the release of his CD "Egypt" opens in U.S. theaters on June 12. It was screened Saturday evening before his hourlong sold-out live show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, capped by a frenzied dancing ovation from the audience, according to the AP.
On Friday in Brooklyn, the 49-year-old entertainer opened the "Muslim
Voices: Arts And Ideas Festival" of 100 artists from 23 countries. Their 10-day program ranges from Arabic cinema, Indonesian dance and African music to film and other visual arts.
The documentary "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love" follows the controversy that tagged N'Dour after the release of "Egypt," which won a Grammy in 2005.
"When I listened to 'Egypt' I was moved, because he grew up listening to the (late) Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoum, the voice of the Muslim world,"
said Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who directed the documentary. "And he wanted to celebrate Islam in Senegal as a peaceful, tolerant culture."
At the time in N'Dour's native West Africa, some stores returned copies of the album, radio stations refused to play it and sales were poor compared with those of his previous releases.
N'Dour said he hopes the documentary will help him "to break a taboo subject — that Islam is what the extremists do."
SAMUEL L. TRACKING DOWN 'PIRATE WHISPERER': Actor to star in real life story of well-connected former seaman.
*Samuel L Jackson is behind one of several Hollywood movies based on the current piracy problem off the coast of East Africa.
The actor will star in a film about Andrew Mwangura the quiet 47-year-old founder of the non-profit East African Seafarers' Assistance Program with seemingly unrivaled contacts with maritime groups, ships, ports and even pirates around east Africa.
When Jackson ventured to Kenya to meet with Mwangura – nicknamed the "Pirate Whisperer" – he was dodging both local authorities and well-connected criminals who were chasing him for exposing the international links of a wave of hijackings afflicting the busy international shipping routes off Somalia.
"I said I was in trouble, come back again when the coast is clear,"
Mwangura told Reuters in an interview at Mombasa port.
Himself a former seaman, Mwangura breaks news time and time again on seizures and releases of ships by Somali pirates, revealing details of ransom payments in what has become a multimillion dollar business.
He is a hero to seamen, but a pain for the pirates' financiers, said to be sitting in Nairobi, Dubai and London, managing the business by calls to the gangs' satellite phones. There are strong suspicions that officials in the region could be involved, and Mwangura has not been shy of saying that.
Now Jackson and filmmaker Andras Hamori have secured the rights to his life story -- but getting a chance to sit down and talk scripts has been more difficult than expected.
Mwangura fears he may be attacked by criminals unhappy with the light he shines on their activities. But he is in contact with the filmmakers, and ready to collaborate with the project.
At first, the father-of-two was hesitant. "I'm not a movie actor, I don't want to spoil their movie," he said.
The filmmakers reassured him that they just wanted to capture the real Mwangura for their story. Experts will shadow him for a couple of weeks to get the feel of his mannerisms.
He says he has no time to watch films and still has not seen a Samuel L Jackson movie. But he hopes the film project will help to raise public awareness of seafarers, the "forgotten people" as he calls them, who keep sea trade alive.
FREEMAN'S MANDELA FILM GETS A PREMIERE DATE: Eastwood-directed pic to open in December.
*Warner Bros. has announced Dec. 11 as the opening date of its Clint Eastwood-directed film "Invictus," starring Morgan Freeman in the role of South African president Nelson Mandela.
Based on the John Carlin book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation," the film follows Mandela's attempt to use the
1995 Rugby World Cup to heal his nation following his release from prison, the fall of apartheid and his election as president of South Africa.
Matt Damon portrays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team.
The film was to be titled "The Human Factor," but Eastwood instead opted to name it "Invictus" after a short poem of the same name often recited by Mandela. "Invictus," penned by William Ernest Henley, speaks to the will to survive in the face of adversity.
OPRAH VS. NEWSWEEK: Talk show host releases statement regarding cover story accusing her of promoting 'wacky cures.'
*An extreme close-up of Oprah Winfrey looking angry graces the cover of Newsweek magazine this week with the headline, "Crazy Talk: Oprah, Wacky
Cures & You.”
The article (http://www.newsweek.com/id/200025) by Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert suggests she uses her influence to promote certain health remedies that could be dangerous to viewers.
Subjects discussed on the show that have led to the criticisms include actress Jenny McCarthy insisting vaccinations caused her son's autism, and a segment in which a Winfrey viewer admitted swallowing 60 supplements a day.
But the media mogul, who was just listed as the second most powerful celebrity by Forbes magazine, insists she is merely opening topics up for discussion.
"For 23 years, my show has presented thousands of topics that reflect the human experience, including doctors' medical advice and personal health stories that have prompted conversations between our audience members and their health care providers," Winfrey said in a statement responding to the Newsweek article. "I trust the viewers, and I know that they are smart and discerning enough to seek out medical opinions to determine what may be best for them."
OBAMA BITS: Digital TV switch; would-be assassin caught; Michelle's Gap tee; 'Office' star witnesses Broadway date night.
*President Obama says folks who still get their television reception through rabbit ears need to hurry up and get a converter box before the big digital switch on June 12. "I want to be clear: there will not be another delay. I urge everyone who is not yet prepared to act today, so you don't lose important news and emergency information on June 12," Obama said in a statement. "I encourage all Americans who are prepared to talk to their friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they get ready before it's too late." A converter box costs between $40 and $80. The Commerce Department offers $40 coupons through its Web site at www.dtv2009.gov.
*Authorities captured 36-year-old Daniel James Murray on Friday following a nationwide manhunt that followed his alleged threats to kill President Obama. The upstate New York native, who owns at least eight guns, told a manager at Utah's Zions First National Bank in St. George on May 27 that he was about to kill the president. While attempting to withdraw
$12,698 from his savings account, he didn't have proper ID and said the following when a bank employee asked him to produce it. "Not to be disrespectful, but if I don't get this money, someone is going to die."
After receiving his money, Murray added: "We are on a mission to kill the President of the United States," according to a complaint. Residents in Rexford used to call Murray the "Cape Man" - a moniker he earned by walking through his former neighborhood wearing a black cape and muttering to himself.
*Michelle Obama wore a $10 Gap striped t-shirt for her lunch with Nancy Reagan last week and suddenly it's the must-have item of the moment, according to People. The First Lady paired her white boucle Michael Kors skirt with the Gap tee and coordinating floral cardigan, which also retails at the Gap for $25. The Gap striped t-shirt is available here (http://bit.ly/xl4dc), and her Gap floral cardigan is available here
(http://bit.ly/kq8YY).
*Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam the secretary on NBC's "The Office,"
went to see "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" on Broadway last Saturday at the same time as the Obamas. The actress -- in NYC this summer shooting the indie film "A Little Help" -- wrote on her MySpace page that she and her boyfriend "had horrible seats, but we didn't care because we got to see a play with the President! Security around the theater was intense," she added, noting that they had to walk through a metal detector, get patted down and walk past a canine unit. "They blocked off the street around 7:30 p.m. People with tickets to the show had to wait down the block until after the President had arrived to the theater." The President "was on time - even a little early - which I found impressive. Once he was settled, they let us load into the theater. Once inside, we took our seats up in the balcony. The President and First Lady went to their seats just before the curtain went up. Everyone in the theater stood and applauded." After the play ended, "the President and First Lady made a quick exit." Fischer concluded, "I'm not sure what we'll do this weekend, but I can't imagine it can top seeing a play with the President."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Foreman III; Pine meets with Denzel; Diddley Plaza; Kobe's ex-maid; Seymour's attacker; Tyrese apologizes; Jolie's letter; OWN hires Hunter.
*George Foreman III won in his professional boxing debut, stopping Clyde Weaver at 1:16 of the first round Saturday night at Coushatta Casino Resort in Louisiana. Foreman, the 26-year-old son of two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman, floored Weaver with a left hook to the chin. Earlier, the 6-foot-5, 236-pound Foreman knocked Weaver (0-2) down with a left hook to the body. "It feels good to know all the torture my father put me through paid off," Forman said. The elder Foreman, who is his son's manager and trainer, didn't watch the fight, choosing to let his hand-picked corner team guide his son.
*"Star Trek's" Chris Pine is in negotiations to star opposite Denzel Washington in "Unstoppable," the forthcoming Tony Scott-directed drama for 20th Century Fox. Pine took "Unstoppable" over several other post-Trek offers after a dinner Tuesday night with Washington and Scott, according to Variety. Production will begin in August for a summer 2010 release. Pine's reps are working out a deal for him to play a young conductor who jumps into a locomotive with an experienced engineer (Washington) in chase of a runaway train that carries a cargo of toxic chemicals. The drama reunites Scott and Washington, whose latest effort, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," opens June 12.
*A plaza in downtown Gainesville, Fla has been renamed for late rock 'n' roll legend and former resident Bo Diddley. Officials honored him Friday by unveiling a mural and renaming the downtown space the Bo Diddley Community Plaza, reports the Associated Press. Diddley, who died in June 2008, lived in Archer, a few miles southwest of Gainesville, and played at the plaza in 2006. His grandson Garry Mitchell thanked the city at the ceremony, and he and other family members gave city officials one of Diddley's guitars.
*Kobe Bryant's former maid Maria Jimenez, who is suing the Los Angeles Lakers star and his wife over abuse claims, has wife over abuse claims, has filed papers in Orange County Superior Court in response to a filing laaiming that a confidentiality agreement she signed upon her hiring bars her from talking about her case to the press. According to TMZ.com, Jimenez's new filing cites California's anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) statute, "which states Maria has the right to run her mouth, despite a confidentiality agreement she signed with the Bryants," TMZ wrote.
*Janice Thibodeaux -- the lady accused of assaulting the ex-girlfriend of Simon Cowell several weeks ago after a taping of "American Idol," has pleaded guilty to battery, according to TMZ.com. The assault charge was dropped. Thibodeaux received 36 months probation, has to complete 20 days of labor and has the option to go to anger management or to have 36 hours of psych evaluation. She has to report back to court on July 16 for a progress report. Terri Seymour, Cowell's ex, filed for a restraining order against Thibodeaux shortly after the incident.
*Tyrese Gibson has apologized for changing the lyrics to the National Anthem to praise the Los Angeles Lakers before their Game 5 against Denver in the Western Conference Finals. The singer was booed when he replaced the line "our flag was still there" with "our Lakers were still
there." View his apology to TMZ.com cameras here: http://bit.ly/CjY0M
*Angelina Jolie has written a new article for Time magazine, calling for more action to end the crisis in Darfur. On Friday, members of the United Nations Security Council will learn the results of the International Criminal Court's Darfur investigation.
"The evidence the prosecutor has presented is clear and compelling," Jolie writes, pointing out that "millions of people have been displaced" and "hundreds of thousands have been killed." Read her entire letter here:
http://bit.ly/GXUzN.
*Former NBC exec Jamila Hunter has joined OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network as the burgeoning cable channel's new head of programming, reports Variety. Hunter, who officially starts June 10, fills the void left by the departure earlier this year of Robin Schwartz. Hunter most recently served as senior VP of alternative and digital programming at NBC, where she worked on Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming "The Marriage Ref," as well as this summer's "Great American Road Trip" and the adaptation of the BBC's "Have I Got News for You." During a previous stint at NBC, she also worked on the launches of "Fear Factor," "Last Comic Standing" and "The Apprentice." Before that, she was VP of comedy development at 20th Century Fox TV. Hunter also spent time at Bravo, helping relaunch the channel after NBC acquired it. It's that experience -- helping launch a femme-centric channel with alternative fare
-- that likely led to the hiring at OWN.
EVENT CALENDAR/THEATER BITS: Lathan on ABFF Jury; LL hosting Fashion Delivers event; 'Bodyguard' musical; 'Ruined' extended again (Oprah Tweets review); Domingo replaces Jones.
*In addition to roles alongside Matthew Broderick in the upcoming "Wonderful World" and FOX's "The Cleveland Show," actress Sanaa Lathan will serve as president of the 2009 American Black Film Festival's (ABFF) Grand Jury. The ABFF celebrates independent films by and about people of color and will be held in Miami, from June 24-27. Lathan said in a statement: "I've had the pleasure of attending the festival over the years, and have been so impressed by the work they do to nurture and encourage our up-and-coming filmmakers. The world of independent film is key to pushing the boundaries of our industry, and I find lately the films that excite me the most are coming out of the film festivals. I look forward to helping discover and showcase the future artists of Hollywood."
*Grammy award-winning artist and designer LL Cool J will host Fashion Delivers' second annual Pay It Fashion Forward event on June 18 at New York City's hotspot M2 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Five fashion industry vanguards will be honored for being positive influences on their communities and the environment. Tickets will be sold in advance at www.fashiondelivers.org.
Additionally, for each ticket sold, Earnest Sewn jeans will be donating a pair of jeans to support the relief efforts of Fashion Delivers California Campaign, a national effort to aid those most negatively affected by the global recession.
*A musical stage adaptation of Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner’s
1992 film collaboration The Bodyguard, which turned the song “I Will Always Love You” into a bestselling single, is in the works, according to London’s Daily Mail. British producer David Ian is rumored to be negotiating stage rights from original film star and co-producer Costner, though no official details have been confirmed. The Bodyguard adaptation is eyeing a 2012 bow in London. The film, which was nominated for two Academy Awards (for Best Original Song for “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You”), grossed over $410 million worldwide. Earlier in this spring, there were rumors that pop star Rihanna was in talks to star in a film remake of the original opposite GI Joe leading man Channing Tatum.
*Manhattan Theatre Club has extended the off-Broadway production of Lynn Nottage’s Ruined for the seventh time at New York City Center Stage I.
The play, which won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize, will now run through August 2, directed by Kate Whoriskey. As of August 2, Ruined will have played 22 previews and 198 regular performances, making it the longest running production at Stage I since the 1992 production of Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart. After seeing Ruined, Oprah Winfrey sent the following Twitter on June 6: "Just saw RUINED.... OMG..... EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON STAGE WAS OUTSTANDING.... Boo-hooing next to Jane Fonda had to borrow tissue."
*Colman Domingo, one of the stars of the 2008 Broadway musical Passing Strange, will replace Orlando Jones in the role of The Wizard for the final six performances of the upcoming Encores! staging of the hit 1970s musical The Wiz. Jones will leave the production early to shoot his new ABC TV-series "Crash Course," with Domino playing the part from June 29 to July 5. Domingo portrayed several roles in Passing Strange and will reprise those roles in the upcoming Spike Lee film. The Wiz also stars Ashanti, LaChanze, Joshua Henry, James Monroe Iglehart, Christian Dante White, Tichina Arnold and Dawnn Lewis. Performances are scheduled to start at City Center (130 West 56th Street, New York) on June 12.
FIRST U.S. BLACK FEMALE RABBI ORDAINED: Alysa Stanton of Ohio will serve predominantly white Congregation in Greenville, N.C.
*Describing herself as the "new face of Judaism," Alysa Stanton became the first black female rabbi in the country during an ordination in Cincinnati, reports the Associated Press.
Stanton, of Blue Ash, was among 14 rabbis ordained Saturday at the Plum Street Temple. She will serve as rabbi of the predominantly white Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, N.C., beginning this summer.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on its Web site that Stanton said her goals are to break down barriers, build bridges and provide hope.
A native of Cleveland, she studied at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the oldest institution of higher Jewish education of Reform Judaism in the United States.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Hangover
Groom-to-Be Gets Lost in Vegas in Bawdy Buddy Flick
Film Review by Kam Williams
*With Doug (Justin Bartha) about to get married, his pals decide to throw a bachelor party to help him celebrate his tying the knot.
After assuring his anxious fiancée Tracy (Sasha Barrese) that they’re only going to drive from L.A. up to Napa Valley for a quiet evening of wine tasting, they borrow her father’s (Jeffrey Tambor) classic Mercedes convertible but instead head straight for Las Vegas because “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Each of Doug’s buddies is eager to enjoy a wild night on the town, since family man Phil (Bradley Cooper) finds his life boring, nerdy Stu (Ed Helms) has been henpecked for three years by a girlfriend (Rachael Harris) who beats him and Tracy’s troubled brother, Alan (Zach Galifianakis), is a registered sex-offender who isn’t allowed to come within 200 feet of a school or a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.
So, upon arriving, they check into a luxury suite at Caesar’s Palace where they share a toast “to a night none of us will ever forget.”
Unfortunately, that champagne is the only thing any of Doug’s groggy cronies can remember the next morning as they gradually awaken to the realization that he’s disappeared into thin air.
With their memories foggy, they look around the hotel room for hints as to what might have transpired. Stu is missing a tooth, Phil has a hospital bracelet on one of his wrists, and Alan finds a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom.
Without ever letting on exactly where they are, Phil calls Tracy to inform her that, “We’ve lost Doug.” When she reminds him that the wedding is in five hours, he matter-of-factly responds, “Yea, that’s not going to happen.” This is the urgent scenario established by The Hangover, a raunchy whodunit directed by Todd Phillips (Old School).
It’s just too bad that in the process of rapidly unraveling the multi-layered mystery the picture periodically pushes the envelope further than the average moviegoer is probably capable of stomaching. For this irreverent adventure essentially undermines itself via ill-advised departures into such taboo subjects as child molestation and date rape, all in search of a cheap joke.
The image of a pedophile playing with a baby’s genitals is so patently tasteless and offensive that is guaranteed to prevent many a viewer from enjoying the rest of the movie. The same can probably be said about the scenes featuring Mike Tyson who, let’s face it, is a convicted rapist who chewed-off an opponent’s ear in the ring. This might makes it hard to laugh at him here delivering a sucker punch or lying in bed with a blonde.
Nonetheless, that sobering disclaimer out of the way, there is still much to like about The Hangover. For most of Phil, Stu and Alan’s antics are hilarious as they follow clues around Vegas in a frantic search for the missing groom-to-be. En route, they have to deal with the prostitute (Heather Graham) Stu married in a drunken stupor, an irate Tyson who wants his tiger back, and a naked man (Dr. Ken Jeong) bent on revenge they find stuffed in the trunk of their car.
And all the while, Doug proves harder to find than Waldo.
Good (2 stars)
Rated R for graphic sexuality, nudity, pedophilia, drug and alcohol abuse and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 100 minutes
Studi Warner Brothers
To see a trailer for The Hangover, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmkDDmoODA
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." — Arthur C. Clarke
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 8: Actor Bernie Casey is 70. Actor-director Keenan Ivory Wayans is 51. Singer Doris Pearson of Five Star is 43. Singer Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone is 39. Rapper Kanye West is 32.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
*Black College Wire news service promotes the journalistic work of
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Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 8, 1968: James Earl Ray, alleged assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., captured at London airport. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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