AIDS charity raises $1 million, reviving "dead" celebs

LOS ANGELES | Mon Dec 6, 2010 8:21pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It took longer than many thought -- and comedians had a laugh at their expense -- but singer Alicia Keys and her celebrity friends raised $1 million for an AIDS charity and, with it, lived to tweet again.

Keys and her Keep a Child Alive charity co-founder Leigh Blake on Monday said their widely-followed "digital death" campaign reached its $1 million goal after pharmaceutical entrepreneur Stewart Rahr pitched in $500,000.

At stake, along with raising funds to help millions of children and families living with AIDs in Africa and India, were the digital lives of celebrities who vowed to stay off social networking websites Twitter and Facebook until the $1 million was raised.

The celebrities included Justin Timberlake, Ryan Seacrest, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Usher. Their campaign launched on World AIDS Day, December 1, amid great fan fare with the expectation it would quickly reach its goal.

After all, the celebrities all have millions of fans. Lady Gaga boasts 7.3 million followers on Twitter, alone. Justin Timberlake has 3.6 million, and Seacrest has 3.7 million.

Problem was, it took longer than many celebrity watchers thought, and as donations reached only $100,000 then $200,000, the stars became the butt of jokes on the Web, TV and radio. Their popularity -- or lack thereof -- was questioned, as was their fans' desire to keep them digitally dead.

But on Monday, the stars emerged from their coffins.

"So stoked to be back on twitter! Special shout out to Stewie Rah Rah for his generous donation," Seacrest tweeted.

"I'm back from the dead! Thank you all so much for your donations and contributions! I have missed u all so much!!!," Kardashian posted on Twitter.

For its part, Keep a Child Alive said, "although we never expected to raise $1 million overnight, we are completely blown away that we were able to achieve our goal in less than a week." The group said more than 3,600 people contributed.

Rahr owned and operated a New York-based pharmaceutical distribution business that he recently sold. He learned of Keep a Child Alive earlier this year, the charity said.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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Depp, Jolie bring old Hollywood glamour to "The Tourist"

By John Irish

PARIS | Mon Dec 6, 2010 2:03pm EST

PARIS (Reuters) - If there were a perfect recipe for a hit movie, an Oscar-winning director setting the magnetic Johnny Depp and the mesmerizing Angelina Jolie against a Parisian and Venetian backdrop would surely do it.

"The Tourist," an action romance thriller, is the first foray into Hollywood for Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who came to prominence four years ago scooping an Oscar for best foreign film with "The Lives of Others."

Based loosely on French movie "Anthony Zimmer," the German director and screenwriter's Hollywood entry recalls Tinseltown's older traditions with beautiful sets, an elegant wardrobe and quirky dialogue, while keeping a European style.

"Some people say the glory days of the Hollywood era are over and that we don't have people like Humphrey Bogart or Lauren Bacall," von Donnersmarck told Reuters ahead of the film's premiere on Friday.

"Of course we do. We have people like Depp, who are even cooler than Bogart, and Angelina Jolie, who is Betty Davis and Marilyn Monroe all in one."

Depp's character is a nerdy mathematics teacher who gets embroiled while on holiday in a web of deceit spun by Jolie's vulnerable femme fatale and chased by a dogged English detective played by "Da Vinci Code" bad guy Paul Bettany.

"I've done a number of things where these characters are considered a little bit out (of the ordinary), so I wanted to see what I could do with a normal guy put into radically intense situations with various ticks," said Depp, 47, whose character puffs constantly on an electronic cigarette.

DRESSED TO KILL

Hollywood studio Columbia Pictures brings together Depp and Jolie for the first time, but according to von Donnersmarck their fame didn't get in the way of filming. The pair had never met before making the film together.

"It doesn't matter if the actors are incredibly famous or not known outside, the work is the same," said the Russian literature and philosophy fan, who speaks five languages.

While a highlight may be Depp jumping over Venice's rooftops in just his pajamas, von Donnersmarck draws viewers in with an eye-catching Jolie dressed to kill in almost every other scene.

Jolie, known for performing daring stunts herself in films like "Salt" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," said she was a little "jealous" that Depp got all the action in The Tourist, but said getting to wallow in Grace Kelly-style elegance made up for it.

"We wanted something that was a pleasure and an escape that you wish Paris and Venice were and everyone feels this elegance for a moment," said Jolie, who uses an English accent for the role. "It felt like I was back in some of these old-time movies."

Adding to the classy flavor, Timothy Dalton, best known for playing suave secret agent James Bond in the late 1980s, makes a cameo appearance as a sort of secret service chief guiding an increasingly forlorn Bettany.

"I had a simple job in this ... you try to lend it a bit of weight, but somebody's got to do it," said the 39-year Bettany.

(Editing by Catherine Bremer and Paul Casciato)

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Fergie returns to 'New Year's Rockin' Eve'

LOS ANGELES | Mon Dec 6, 2010 2:16pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie will host the Hollywood portion of TV's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2011" for the second straight year in the star-filled celebration.

Dick Clark counting down the New Year celebration from Times Square in New York has been a key event on U.S. television for decades. Seacrest, the host of top-rated "American Idol" was brought in as host the year after the legendary announcer suffered a stroke in 2004.

Fergie will host the event from Los Angeles, where Drake, Jennifer Hudson, Ne-Yo, Avril Lavigne and the band Train will perform. The entire show, which airs on the ABC TV network, encompasses more than three and one-half hours of performances from both New York City and Los Angeles.

Other entertainers taking part in the Los Angeles segments, announced on Monday, are Willow Smith, Jason Derulo, La Roux, Mike Posner, Natasha Bedingfield and Far East Movement.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Oprah, Paul McCartney honored at Kennedy Center gala

By Jeff Mason and Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON | Mon Dec 6, 2010 12:00am EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and stars from the stage and screen honored talk show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Paul McCartney and other artists on Sunday for lifetimes of work in music, theater and television.

Country singer and songwriter Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman, and dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones filled out the list of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors, an annual celebration of the arts in Washington.

"Although the honorees on this stage each possess a staggering amount of talent, the truth is, they aren't being recognized tonight simply because of their careers as great lyricists or songwriters or dancers or entertainers," Obama said at White House reception before the ceremony.

"Instead, they're being honored for their unique ability to bring us closer together and to capture something larger about who we are -- not just as Americans, but as human beings."

Hollywood stars and other performers feted the five honorees, throwing in some humor along with words of praise.

"No one deserves this award more than Oprah Winfrey, but no one needs it less," comedian Chris Rock said to laughter from the audience.

He also poked fun at Winfrey's role in campaigning for Obama when he was a presidential candidate.

"He didn't get her a job, she got him a job," he said.

'THRILL OF A LIFETIME'

Obama quipped that McCartney had become "something of a regular here in the White House" and declared it the "thrill of a lifetime" that he sang Beatles song "Michelle" to first lady Michelle Obama earlier this year.

Obama said McCartney joked afterward that he was worried the performance would make him the first man to get punched while receiving the award.

"I will say he was a little emotive," Obama said. "You have nothing to worry about. I just recovered from my last tussle on the basketball court," Obama added, to laughs from the audience, referring to stitches he received in his lip after a recent accident playing basketball.

At the Kennedy Center, a fine arts venue dedicated to the memory of slain former President John F. Kennedy, Broadway grand dames Angela Lansbury, Carol Channing and Chita Rivera performed songs from Herman's lively musicals and country music singers Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow took to the stage to play Haggard's melodies.

Actress Claire Danes and playwright Edward Albee celebrated Jones' work.

The evening capped a two-day celebration of the five honorees. On Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted a separate celebration and had a few jokes of her own about the WikiLeaks scandal that has distracted her diplomatic corps.

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