Entertaining Posts: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Mel Gibson settles for $750,000 with Grigorieva

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:54pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Mel Gibson will pay the mother of his 22 month-old daughter $750,000 and get joint custody of the child, ending a bitter custody and financial dispute that badly damaged his Hollywood career.

The "Braveheart" director and his former musician girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva agreed to a settlement detailed in a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing on Wednesday following a more than year-long war of words.

Judge Peter Lichtman banned both Gibson and Grigorieva from writing books about their relationship, which unraveled in early 2010 amid accusations of violence and extortion.

"I would like to thank your honor for bringing this matter to a reasonable conclusion," Gibson told Lichtman at Wednesday's hearing.

Grigorieva, who had been seeking millions of dollars from the Oscar-winning actor, thanked Lichtman for "the tremendous help to resolve this situation."

The acrimony between the couple became public a year ago when taped phone calls were leaked online in which Gibson was heard ranting, cursing and insulting Grigorieva.

The leak appeared to have been aimed at putting pressure on the actor to increase an initial settlement offer to Grigorieva that was reported to be around $15 million. Los Angeles prosecutors later decided against charging Grigorieva with extortion.

In March, Gibson admitted slapping Grigorieva during an argument and was sentenced to three years probation.

The widely-heard tapes further tarnished a reputation damaged by Gibson's 2006 anti-Semitic tirade following a drunk driving arrest in Malibu.

His manager quit, he lost a cameo role in "The Hangover: Part Two" because other people refused to work with him, and the release of his movie "The Beaver" was delayed and ultimately flopped at box offices in May.

Gibson, who was once estimated to be worth $900 million after a string of hit movies like "Lethal Weapon" and "The passion of the Christ", reached a private settlement with his wife Robyn in June that wrapped up their divorce after 28 years of marriage.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Rapper T.I. released from prison, sent to halfway house

ATLANTA | Wed Aug 31, 2011 1:23pm EDT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I. was released from a federal prison in Arkansas on Wednesday and will spend the next month in a residential transition facility, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman said.

The Atlanta entertainer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was sentenced in October 2010 to serve 11 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing the drug ecstasy.

In 2007, T.I. faced a possible 30 years in prison on federal gun charges after he was arrested the same day he was due to have starred at the Black Entertainment Television awards, where he had been nominated for a series of honors.

A judge eventually sentenced him to just one year in jail after he pleaded guilty and agreed to do 1,000 hours of community service, warning young people about the dangers of drugs and gangs -- work for which he was widely praised.

At his sentencing last year, T.I. acknowledged he violated the terms of his probation when police stopped him for a traffic violation in Los Angeles on September 1 and found drugs in his car.

"I screwed up. I screwed up big time and I am sorry," the rapper told U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell during the sentencing.

Federal prisoners typically spend the last portion of their sentences in Residential Reentry Centers, formerly called halfway houses, said prisons spokesman Edmond Ross.

Prisoners normally are assigned to centers in or near their hometowns, he said.

T.I.'s career began as a rapper in 2001 but he then branched out into other areas of the music and film industry, finding success both as a producer and actor.

(Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Greg McCune)

Robert Downey, Jr. and wife expecting first child

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George Clooney explores dirty politics in Venice film

By Mike Collett-White

VENICE, Italy | Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:52am EDT

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - George Clooney explores the dirty side of politics in "The Ides of March," the opening movie at the Venice film festival in which an aide to a presidential candidate learns how dispensable ideals can be.

The Hollywood heartthrob directs and acts in the behind-the-scenes look at a U.S. Democratic primary race, and the world premiere on Wednesday ensures a star-studded red carpet to kick off the 11-day cinema showcase.

Clooney, returning to the theme of politics after directing the 2005 black-and-white picture "Good Night, and Good Luck," played down its relevance to Washington today.

"I don't actually think of this as a political film," the 50-year-old told reporters after a press screening, at which there was muted applause.

"I figure you could literally put this in Wall Street, you could put it pretty much anywhere and it's all the same sort of issues -- it's issues of morality ... of whether or not you are willing to trade your soul for an outcome."

He went on to express sympathy for President Barack Obama, whose job he said he did not envy.

"As for running for president, look, there's a guy in office right now who is smarter than almost anybody you know, who's nicer and who has more compassion than almost anybody you know and he's having an almost impossible time governing.

"Why would anyone really volunteer for that job?"

The Ides of March features Ryan Gosling in the central role of press attache Stephen Myers, a devoted employee to Clooney's governor Mike Morris.

Both characters emerge as morally ambivalent figures faced with stark choices as Myers becomes embroiled in a high-stakes game of sex, power and horse-trading in a critical look at the reality behind political rhetoric.

WASHINGTON IS "VICIOUS"

Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Myers's boss and Paul Giamatti his rival, with Evan Rachel Wood rounding off the main cast as an intern with a dangerous secret.

Giamatti commented on what he saw as a poisonous atmosphere in American politics today.

"Certainly right now Hollywood seems like Candyland compared to Washington," he said. "I mean Washington is so vicious now that it makes Hollywood look like a children's party."

The Ides of March takes its inspiration from Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North," itself loosely based on the 2004 Democratic primary campaign of Howard Dean.

While it may prove popular in the canal city where Clooney is a favorite and movies critical of America tend to strike a chord, its reception in the United States where it hits theatres in October is less certain.

Early reviews were generally positive, with Britain's Daily Telegraph giving it four stars out of five.

The evening gala screening marks the opening of the August 31-September 10 event, which promises eagerly awaited movies and A-list stars who will hope the Venice launch puts them in the frame for awards next year.

Thousands of journalists and fans have descended on the Lido island to catch a glimpse of their idols and bring the glamour of the world's oldest film festival to a global audience.

The roll call of celebrities expected this year includes Clooney, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and pop superstar Madonna.

Among the hotly anticipated titles are "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" starring recent Oscar winner Colin Firth and Gary Oldman and Briton Andrea Arnold's take on the Emily Bronte novel "Wuthering Heights."

Outside the main competition of 22 films, Madonna brings her second feature film "W.E.," a drama loosely based on American divorcee Wallis Simpson whose relationship with Britain's King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.

Steven Soderbergh promises an all-star cast including Damon, Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Law and Paltrow in "Contagion," about a lethal airborne virus that spreads panic.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Free drama of popular protest rocks London stage

Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:37am EDT

(This story contains graphic language)

By Barbara Lewis

LONDON (Reuters) - The spirit of the Arab Spring has found theatrical expression, with the help of one of Britain's celebrated iconoclasts, at a venue next door to the capital's mayor.

Mark Ravenhill, made famous by his 1990s debut play "Shopping and Fucking," has written a modernized version of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's "The Mother," which examines an early 20th-century protest that has taken on contemporary force.

In keeping with Brecht's popularism, there is no entry charge and by the end of the season on September 4, this fable of uprising against oppressive authority will have been performed to more than a quarter of a million people for free.

"There is renewed interest in what happens when people protest and demonstrate," Ravenhill told Reuters of his decision to revive the play.

Ravenhill's first play Shopping and Fucking stirred controversy because of its sexually violent content, but was hailed for its expose of rampant consumerism and as a prime example of the British "in-yer-face-theater" of the 1990s.

Since then, he has worked on a range of projects, including sell-out performances at this summer's Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, and he is writing a libretto for an opera to be staged in Oslo.

For Ravenhill, Brecht has particularly wide resonance and could speak to the Middle Eastern and North African countries that have protested against their governments, beginning with uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt at the start of this year.

"Brecht's plays really travel. They have a fable-like quality," said Ravenhill. "You can really imagine an Arab audience understanding The Mother."

In addition to providing the text, Ravenhill will act one of the play's characters for the final performances of the season.

UNCONVENTIONAL CONTEXT

For him, The Scoop open-air theater next to London Mayor Boris Johnson's City Hall headquarters on the south bank of the River Thames was a particularly appropriate venue.

"It was written to be taken outside the conventional context," said Ravenhill of The Mother, in which a mother, initially politically neutral, becomes a forthright champion of the socialist cause.

"The idea it is totally free creates a really special atmosphere. You get a different audience and you get a different attitude."

The London-based Steam Industry Free Theater Limited, producer of the performances, said the audience has included many who have never before been to the theater, which can be a middle-class bastion.

Provided it can continue to drum up funding in a climate of deep cuts, especially to the arts, the Steam Industry will next year celebrate its 10th season of delivering critically acclaimed free theater at The Scoop.

"There's not a penny available yet there's the expectation we will pull something impressive out of the bag," said Phil Willmott, artistic director of the project.

So far, he said pockets of sponsorship and public donations had been enough for the free theater to keep going "by the skin of its teeth."

Next August's plan to stage the "Oresteia" trilogy, written by Aeschylus, to a non-paying audience many of whom will probably know little about classical Greek drama, could be the most ambitious project yet.

It will again be highly topical as it will coincide with London's 2012 hosting of the Olympic Games, another pillar of classical Greek culture.

The trilogy celebrates "the ethos from which the games were born with the epic Greek drama cycle of the people," said Willmott.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Angelina Jolie dismisses talk of marriage, babies

LOS ANGELES | Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:35pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie has dismissed ongoing speculation about marriage and more kids with her partner Brad Pitt, telling Vanity Fair in an interview published on Tuesday that there are "no secret wedding plans."

The Oscar-winning actress revealed details of her upcoming wartime romance film, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," which she directed. She told Vanity Fair magazine that she feared stepping behind the camera for the first time.

"I've never felt more exposed. My whole career, I've hidden behind other people's words," Jolie said. "Now it's me talking. You feel ridiculous when you get something wrong."

The actress, who penned the script during a two day quarantine period when she had the flu, said she had Pitt read it over first. "He called and said, 'You know, honey, it's not that bad,'" Jolie told the magazine.

The story follows a couple's love affair during the Bosnian war, and Jolie made sure to get the script as accurate as possible by sending it to reporters and writers of Serbian and Bosnian nationalities who had experienced the war.

"I was gauging the accuracy...If they said no, I wouldn't have done it," she said.

But the movie did cause controversy last year when the leader of a woman's group in Sarajevo urged city officials to ban shooting the film in Bosnia. She complained that the love story was offensive because it was between a Bosnian woman and Serbian man.

At the time, Jolie said she hoped people would withhold any judgment until that had seen the film, which is expected to hit theaters in December of this year.

The "Salt" actress told Vanity Fair that she took the helm as director because the script "was something I didn't trust out of my hands." And she revealed how directing the film changed the way she perceived acting.

"Brad thinks I'm going to be a nightmare," joked Jolie, who won her Oscar for supporting actress in "Girl, Interrupted."

"I had such a good experience he thinks I'm going to be impatient with directors, which I already am. I get impatient with people working on a film that have their head in their hands like it's the most complicated thing in the world."

She said Pitt was very supportive of the film and offered suggestions, but she wasn't sure he was the best person from whom to take advice.

"He'd come in and say what he liked or what he didn't understand. Like any woman, I would listen to most of it and fight a few things. He's been so supportive. But it's hard to separate the person that loves you from the critic, so I don't think he's a fair judge."

Jolie cast many unknown actors in the film, which she felt was important for authenticity.

"It couldn't be anyone else. It's their story. It was important that they were willing to do it. If none of them were willing, I wouldn't have made it," said the actress.

And as for its ultimate success or failure, Jolie leaves it up to the audience to decide, hopefully in a good debate.

"People will judge for themselves. I think if you make a good movie people will walk away arguing," she said.

(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Kids of 9/11 get a voice on TV as 10th anniversary looms

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:23pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lucas Brody was just 10 years-old when he watched the Twin Towers fall to the ground one block from his New York home on September 11, 2001; Caitlin Langone was 12 when her police officer dad died that day trying to rescue people from the scene.

Millions of other children in the United States were not born in 2001, or were too young to remember -- still less comprehend -- the traumatic events of September11.

But as the United States prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with an onslaught of TV specials, children are finally being given a voice and a chance to ask pressing questions.

"It's a story that is not often heard -- 9/11 from a children's perspective. It tends to have been overlooked," said Janice Sutherland, producer of "Children of 9/11", to be broadcast on NBC on September 5.

Dozens of other TV documentaries, interviews and looks back at the attacks deal with everything from the recollections of then-President George W. Bush to the ongoing health problems of Ground Zero rescue workers, the hunt for Islamic militants and even how dogs helped victims recover from the catastrophe.

"Children of 9/11" follows a year in the lives of 11 kids who lost parents in the attacks on New York, Washington D.C, and in Flight 93 that was forced down in Pennsylvania.

In another program at youth-oriented channel Nickelodeon, award-winning journalist Linda Ellerbee lays out the facts for 6-14 year-olds who don't have first-hand recollections in the Nick News special "What Happened?: The Story of September 11 2001" airing on Thursday.

Many adults still find it too painful to relive that day and its graphic TV news footage. But Ellerbee, 66, said the "noise around the 9/11 anniversary is going to be too loud for kids to ignore -- and they'll get a lot of misinformation."

"IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS"

"I believe we needed to put together a show explaining in simple clear terms just what happened on that day, what happened next and how people felt about what happened," Ellerbee said. "Ignorance is not bliss; ignorance is dangerous."

In a third program, ABC News will report on the lives of the Florida children to whom Bush was speaking when he got news of the attacks.

According to a study carried out for Nickelodeon by the Harrison Group and Harvest Research, 92 percent of kids as young as 8-11 are aware of the importance of 9/11. But their information is sometimes wildly at odds with the facts.

"I heard that on 9/11, 500 planes disappeared into the air," one young girl told Nick News. Others thought the Islamic militant hijackers were Hindus, or came from Japan.

The Nick News show, airing on September 1, does not show film of the hijacked planes smashing into the World Trade Center but it advises youngsters to watch with a parent. Educational and other materials are available online in partnership with the American Psychological Association.

"Children of 9/11" producer Sutherland said she was used to hearing adults talking losing children, but not the reverse.

"Most of them felt an incredible sense of responsibility for the surviving parent, and a fear of what would happen if they lost that parent...It is something they have had to deal with on their own." she said.

Caitlin Langone, now 22, was in school when a teacher told her class about the attacks. Like many of the children in the new shows, she had no idea that her father was involved.

Until taking part in "Children of 9/11", Langone said she had never seen her experiences reflected in the public domain.

"I felt this documentary was my opportunity to tell my story in my own words. I hope it gives people a better understanding. I hope it makes 9/11 more personal and more real for them," Langone said.

Both the NBC and Nick News programs have a hopeful message. Sutherland said "Children of 9/11" is ultimately life-affirming because it shows children at their most resilient.

The Nick News special recalls the efforts of firefighters, and rescue workers, and reminds children of the unity that swept the United States in the weeks immediately after 9/11.

And it features the message "We will survive".

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Red carpet out for star-studded Venice film festival

By Mike Collett-White

VENICE, Italy | Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:40am EDT

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - The red carpet is out and builders are putting the finishing touches to the Venice film festival venue ahead of Wednesday's glitzy opening, when George Clooney's political drama "The Ides of March" has its world premiere.

The 2011 edition of the world's oldest film festival promises a rich lineup of eagerly awaited movies and A-list stars, many of whom will hope the high-profile launch puts them on the road to awards early next year.

For the next 11 days, the Lido island across the water from Venice hosts the toast of global independent film making, as well as thousands of journalists and paparazzi who come to follow their every move.

Festival director Marco Mueller is looking forward to a program that suggests Venice can still compete with Toronto's cinema showcase, which overlaps for several days and is a cheaper alternative for Hollywood studios.

"It is a program that tells you how much support we get from the artists, the film makers ... and it proves that Venice really stands as a major platform to create a special kind of visibility," Mueller told Reuters.

Donning their tuxedos along with Clooney on Wednesday will be co-stars Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman, followed later in the festival by Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and pop superstar Madonna.

"I don't recall a time when so many people have been so excited by a line-up and that is across the board," said Jay Weissberg, film critic for Hollywood trade publication Variety who is a Venice festival regular.

The lineup of 22 competition films and dozens more eclipses 2010's low-key event, and Venice is aiming to repeat the success of 2008 when it launched "The Hurt Locker" which went on to win six Oscars including best picture.

POLANSKI ABSENT

Among the most hotly anticipated titles is "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," an adaption of John Le Carre's spy novel starring recent Oscar winner Colin Firth as well as Gary Oldman and John Hurt.

Other standout titles in competition include Briton Andrea Arnold's take on the Emily Bronte novel "Wuthering Heights," U.S. director Ami Canaan Mann's "Texas Killing Fields" and William Friedkin's "Killer Joe."

In "A Dangerous Method," Canadian David Cronenberg explores the rivalry between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud as a young woman (Knightley) comes between them.

Roman Polanski worked on the screenplay for his latest movie "Carnage," featuring Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz, while under house arrest in Switzerland last year.

The 78-year-old was eventually freed after the Swiss authorities decided not to extradite him to the United States, where he is still wanted for sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977 in Los Angeles.

"Yes, of course, I think ... if he leaves France it's only to travel to Switzerland and Poland so of course when I met with him and told him how much we love the film ... it is sad that he is not here," Mueller said.

"But three out of his four lead cast will be here and that will create a sensation because it's really a sensational film."

Acclaimed Russian director Alexander Sokurov brings "Faust" and Hong Kong's Johnnie To presents "Life Without Principle," a story touching on the economic crisis and its effect on ordinary people.

Outside the main lineup, Madonna makes her second foray into feature films with "W.E.," a drama loosely based on divorcee Wallis Simpson whose relationship with Britain's King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.

Egyptian documentary "Tahrir 2011" covers the revolution and overthrow of the old regime, Philippe Faucon explores radical Islam in "La Desintegration" and Al Pacino plays himself and King Herod in "Wilde Salome."

Steven Soderbergh promises an all-star cast including Damon, Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Law and Paltrow in "Contagion," about a lethal airborne virus that spreads panic.

(Additional reporting by Hanna Rantala, editing by Paul Casciato)

Nancy Grace, Chaz Bono among "Dancing" cast

LOS ANGELES | Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:57pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Legal commentator Nancy Grace, Cher's daughter Chaz Bono and basketball player Ron Artest are among the celebrities taking part in the new season of "Dancing with the Stars," the network behind the show said on Monday.

The show on ABC pairs celebrities with professional dancers and makes the couples compete for support from a panel of judges and viewers at home.

Grace is a tough talking legal commentator on the CNN cable spinoff HLN, who generated controversy this year for saying "the devil is dancing" after the acquittal of Casey Anthony in Florida on charges of murdering her 2 year-old daughter.

But Grace will be doing her own dance on the show, alongside a cast list that includes former talk show host Ricki Lake, Los Angeles Lakers player Ron Artest and Chaz Bono.

Chaz Bono is the only child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono who recently underwent a female-to-male sex change which was chronicled in the TV documentary "Finding Chaz".

Another child of celebrity participating this year is singer and actress Chynna Phillips, who is the daughter of the John and Michelle Phillips from 1960s group The Mamas and the Papas, ABC said.

The other celebrities putting on their dance shoes this season will include actor David Arquette, who is the former husband of Courteney Cox, and style expert Carson Kressley.

Rounding out the list is Iraq war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez; George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis; former "The Hills" cast member Kristin Cavallari; Rob Kardashian, 24, the brother of reality TV stars Kim, Kourtney and Khloe; and soccer player Hope Solo.

The "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity cast was officially announced on Monday evening during the ABC reality show "Bachelor Pad." The new season begins on September 19.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Monday, August 29, 2011

"Lost" star Matthew Fox accused of assaulting bus driver

By Kim Palmer

CLEVELAND | Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:13pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Matthew Fox, the star of the TV shows "Lost" and "Party of Five," was detained here over the weekend by police investigating reports he had assaulted the female driver of a party bus.

Fox, who is in Cleveland filming an adaptation of the James Patterson novel "I, Alex Cross," allegedly attempted to board the bus early Sunday morning along with the members of the bachelor party that had rented the vehicle.

Heather Bormann, 29, was driving the bus and says she "confronted" Fox as he attempted to get on with the other passengers.

Bormann told Reuters she didn't recognize Fox, 45, as a member of the group or as a famous actor and warned him three times to get away from the door.

"I told him he was trespassing," she said. "He never once said anything. He just looked at me with his mouth open -- then he leaned in and started swinging on me."

Bormann told police Fox hit her in the chest and stomach before she hit him back to defend herself. She said it took three men to pull Fox away from her and that an off-duty police officer detained him until the police came.

Fox was put in a patrol car by police but was eventually released to "a friend" and took a taxi to his hotel, according to the police report.

Bormann said one of the officers asked her if she knew "who he is?" She said she responded, "Yeah, the guy who assaulted me."

Bormann, a single mother of three, said nothing like this has happened to her before, and that she has a strained wrist and plans to file assault charges on Tuesday.

"I don't care that he is a celebrity," Bormann said. "Assault is against the law."

Efforts to contact Fox at the hotel where he was believed to be staying were unsuccessful.

(Editing by James B. Kelleher and Jerry Norton)

Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV" falls short with critics

By Sabrina Ford

NEW YORK | Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:12pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Lil Wayne released his newest album, "Tha Carter IV," just after midnight on Monday to huge media hype following MTV's Video Music Awards, but early reactions show the record falling short of high expectations from fans and critics.

After several delays, "Tha Carter IV," hit digital music retailers at midnight, almost immediately following Lil Wayne's rowdy, rocked-out performance at VMAs.

The MTV honors show, where trophies are handed out in categories for best video among others, annually draws top stars in music and is a key promotional stop for singers trying to boost sales. Sunday's show drew a record 12.4 million viewers to the network, up from 11.4 million last year.

Fans watched Beyonce reveal she was pregnant with her first child, Lady Gaga dressed in male drag, Jay-Z and Kanye West perform a song from their new record "Watch the Throne," and the late singer Amy Winehouse remembered in a moving tribute.

Wayne closed out the show with his top 10 hit "How to Love," which with Weezy's crooning vocal, sounds as much R&B as hip-hop, and he performed "John," remixed over Black Sabbath's rock tune "Iron Man."

The crowd went crazy, and the show likely was a key factor in helping lift the album's 19-track deluxe edition, featuring an exclusive bonus track, to a fast start at No. 1 on iTunes.

Wayne's label mate and protege Nicki Minaj tweeted her support with a simple, "Buy the Carter IV."

Veteran rapper Busta Rhymes, who is featured on the album, was in a more celebratory mood tweeting that Wayne had "smashed the Vma's KRAZZZZYYYYYY!!!" Adding, "By the way CARTER 4

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW!!!"

Critics, however, were not so enthusiastic.

HARD TO TOP 'CARTER III'

"Tha Carter IV" is the ninth studio album from the New Orleans rapper born Dwayne Carter, but the fourth in his career-defining Carter series.

Wayne, aka Weezy, released two albums last year, "I Am Not a Human Being" and his rock experiment, "Rebirth." Neither album came close to the first-week sales of 1 million copies for 2008's "Tha Carter III" whether due to a break from formula or to Wayne's being unavailable to promote the records while serving an 8-month stint for a weapons charge.

Billboard.com wrote that Wayne's most recent effort may have had unrealistically high expectations, saying in its review that "Tha Carter IV" "is not a bad album," but adding that it may be "may be more easily digested and supported by those largely unfamiliar with Weezy's antics and unaware of his previous highs (pun intended)."

Rollingstone.com gave the album a respectable 3-1/2 out of 5 stars but admitted, "Weezy doesn't have the same speed-demon intensity he had five years ago."

In its review, HiphopDX.com noted that more attention was being paid to a new lyrical jab Lil Wayne took at rap impresario and music mogul Jay-Z, who was a featured guest on "Tha Carter III," than on the album's music.

"The fact that most of us have spent a week debating what the fallout will be from Wayne's Jay-Z diss on "It's Good," instead of the album's wins, was probably a bad omen," HiphopDX.com wrote.

And a comical trending topic emerged on Twitter Monday with the hash tag, ThingsBetterThanTheCarterIV. The answers offered ranged from a colonoscopy to "Watch the Throne."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Chaz Bono, Ryan O'Neal said to be among "Dancing" cast

LOS ANGELES | Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:06pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chaz Bono, actor Ryan O'Neal, celebrity legal commentator Nancy Grace and one of the Kardashians are expected to be among the celebrities taking part in the new season of "Dancing with the Stars."

The cast for the new season of the ABC television show is due to be announced on Monday evening. But according to an apparent leak on Twitter, Rob Kardashian, 24 -- the brother of reality TV stars Kim, Kourtney and Khloe -- will be one of those putting on his dance shoes.

Kim Kardashian, the most famous of the siblings, competed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2008 but disappointed with an 11th place finish.

Chaz Bono, the only child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, recently underwent a female-to-male sex change which was chronicled in the TV documentary "Finding Chaz".

According to the tweet posted by DWTSGossip, the other contestants will include George Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, actor David Arquette -- the estranged husband of Courteney Cox -- former "The Hills" cast member Kristin Cavallari, former talk show host Ricki Lake, singer and actress Chynna Phillips, Iraq war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez and basketball player Ron Artest.

The celebrity cast will be officially announced on Monday during the ABC reality show "Bachelor Pad." The new season begins on September19.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant: Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

Sunday, August 28, 2011

MTV video awards honor Britney Spears, Katy Perry

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:28pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Lady Gaga opened the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday dressed in drag and singing her "You and I" while Britney Spears and Katy Perry took awards, but it may be Beyonce who stole the show.

The R&B singer whose hits include "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" appeared visibly pregnant as she showed up on the red carpet outside the show, posing for photographers and outlining a baby bump with her hands under her long gown.

Beyonce, who is married to rapper Jay-Z, avoided reporters waiting to ask whether she is pregnant. For years, her fans and the media have speculated whether and when the pair might have a baby.

Lady Gaga, who showed up last year at the MTV video awards in a dress made of raw meat, did an about face this year, opening the program in a man's dark suit and T-shirt as her male alter ego, Joe Calderon who gave the audience a lecture in just who Gaga is -- high heels, wild hair and crazy costumes.

"When she gets on stage, she holds nothing back," Calderon said.

Lady Gaga then launched into a version of "You and I," backed by a group of dancers and legendary rock guitarist Brian May of Queen. She danced on her piano and spewed beer from a bottle into the air in celebration.

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) annually give out honors for the top music videos and performances to singers and bands, and each year, audiences can count on at least one surprise.

Beyonce's picture-perfect baby news will likely be this year's unexpected event.

EARLY WINNERS

But awards are the focus of the night and the first winner was Spears for best pop music video "Till the World Ends."

The pop star took the stage and seemed surprised, saying she hadn't expected to win and thanking her family and fans.

Along with Spears, Foo Fighters picked up an early honor for best rock video with "Walk," and Nicki Minaj picked up the "Moonman" winner's statuette for her "Super Bass." Katy Perry and Kanye West were named best collaboration with "E.T."

Another major award still to come is best new artist, and Tyler, The Creator figures prominently in that race, too, alongside Wiz Khalifa with "Black and Yellow," Kreayshawn for "Gucci Gucci," Foster the People with "Pumped Up Kicks," and Big Sean (featuring Chris Brown) for "My Last."

British singer Adele with her chart-topping song "Rolling in the Deep" is vying for the top award, video of the year, against Katy Perry ("Firework"), Bruno Mars ("Grenade"), the Beastie Boys ("Make Some Noise") and Tyler, The Creator ("Yonkers").

Early performances included a duet by Jay-Z and Kanye West, singing a song from their new album, "Watch the Throne."

Other singers still to come include Lil Wayne, and there will be special tributes to Britney Spears and late soul singer Amy Winehouse.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Paul Simao)

Beyonce shows off baby bump at MTV video awards

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MTV fans await annual VMA show outrageousness

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:18pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It wouldn't be the MTV Video Music Awards without a little controversy, and even before Sunday night's program, a Twitter war broke out between Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and the show's producers.

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) annually give out honors for the top music videos and performances to singers and bands, and each year, audiences can count on at least one surprise. Last year, it was Lady Gaga in her dress made of raw meat, and in 2003, the famous kiss shared by Britney Spears and Madonna.

So far, 2011 has not disappointed -- and the show hasn't even started. It gets underway Sunday night at 9 p.m. EDT.

Saturday, Levine tweeted his distaste for MTV, which rose to prominence in the 1980s as a television channel showcasing musicians and videos but in recent years has lured viewers mainly with reality TV program such as "Jersey Shore."

"The VMAs one day a year when MTV pretends to still care about music. I'm drawing a line in the sand ..." Levine posted on Twitter, adding an expletive.

Never one to miss an opportunity for a chance to exploit controversy, MTV tweeted back. "Soooo you'll be tuning in at 9/8C (9 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CDT) tomorrow right? ..."

Levine eventually toned down, tweeting "i may be a pop singer. but every once in a while the angsty teenager in me just blurts out some raw honesty. it's a reflex."

Competing for some of the VMA's top awards on Sunday night will be a who's who of the world's top music stars.

British singer Adele with her chart-topping song "Rolling in the Deep" is vying for video of the year against Katy Perry ("Firework"), Bruno Mars ("Grenade"), the Beastie Boys ("Make Some Noise") and Tyler, the Creator ("Yonkers").

Featured performers include Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga and Chris Brown, among others, and there will be a tribute to late soul singer Amy Winehouse.

Finally, there was widespread Web buzz on Sunday that rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West will put in a "surprise" performance and sing from their new album, "Watch the Throne."

(Editing by Paul Simao)

Singer Tom Jones cancels concert, denies heart scare

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"The Help" shines again at top of box office

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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva settle child custody

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Friday, August 26, 2011

Def Leppard pours "Mirrorball" of sugar on fans

By Shadia Ismail

TORONTO | Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:35pm EDT

TORONTO (Reuters) - It may be difficult to believe that after three decades of rocking hard -- 65 million albums sold and hundreds of packed concerts -- Def Leppard hadn't released a standalone live album until this year.

As the bandmembers put it, "Mirrorball: Live and More" came together without much advance planning, and owes its existence, at least partly, to them leaving their old record label which, the group thinks, may unleash a new burst of creativity.

The three disc collection features live recordings of some of Def Leppard's greatest hits such as "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Rock of Ages," and "Photograph." It has three new tracks, including anthem "Kings of the World", and a behind-the-scenes DVD. But a live album was never atop of the bands to do list.

"The band's focus has always been on writing and recording new songs," guitarist Vivian Campbell told Reuters. "It just never seemed appropriate for us to do a live record. It wasn't something that we sat down and thought, 'We are going to put out a live album in 2011.' It just sort of happened."

Instead of playing one concert and recording it, or taping a series of shows and picking the best one for the album, Campbell and his bandmates -- singer Joe Elliott, lead guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick Savage, and drummer Rick Allen -- picked the songs singularly from separate performances so the fans got the best of the best.

"In a way it was sort of like cheating...but it made it more relaxed for us because we never once thought that we were recording," said Campbell.

NEW CREATIVE ENERGY

"Mirrorball" is Def Leppard's initial release as an independent act after finding themselves without a major label for the first time after 30 years with Universal Records.

Campbell sees that factor as a positive, creatively, because it should force the band to put out singles more frequently in keeping with trends in the recording industry that has performers releasing individual songs via download.

"I really don't see the point in putting out a 10 or 12 song album anymore. It's kind of like sticking our toes in the water, being independent, but that's the way that the industry is now. I do believe that the album is dead," he said.

And like so many bands in these days of declining CD sales and the fewer dollars that comes with it, Def Leppard is now touring through North America to connect with their fans.

In addition to the album, rock photographer Ross Halfin has published "Def Leppard: the Definitive Visual History," a photo anthology chronicling the band's three decades of rock.

The band also is part of the "Rock the Cradle" series which features lullaby renditions of rock classics. "Dreamin with Def Leppard" is a 12-song compilation that features lullaby versions of their greatest hits such as "Love Bites" and "Animal". Recreating songs in different ways shows listeners just exactly what a good tune truly is, Campbell said.

"It's interesting to hear how songs can morph and how they can be given different clothes. I think that's the indication of a good song, if you can restyle it and do it in a different genre. I'm glad to say that many Def Leppard songs stand up to it."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Judge rules Jackson trial jury will not be sequestered

LOS ANGELES | Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:06pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The jury in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor will not be sequestered, despite a request by defense lawyers who expect the case to be "the most publicized in history."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled against removing the jurors from their homes during the four- to six-week trial starting in September, citing the estimated $500,000 cost and saying he had "tremendous faith" in the jury system.

"I do not find sequestration to be the answer in this case," Pastor said at a hearing on Thursday. "I expect that the jurors will follow the high road."

Jury selection is due to start on September 8 for the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, with opening statements expected on September 27.

Murray, who was at Jackson's side when he died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, is accused of delivering a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to the pop star as a sleep aid, and then failing to monitor him properly.

Murray could face up to four years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defense team has suggested that Jackson, 50, could have given himself a larger dose of the drug while the doctor was out of the singer's bedroom. They have argued that massive expected media coverage of the trial could jeopardize the doctor's right to fair trial.

"There is reasonable expectation that Dr. Murray's trial will be the most publicized in history," Murray's lawyers wrote in their request for jury sequestration.

Pastor said he would give strict instructions to the jury to avoid reading or watching media reports of the trial, and said they would be eating their meals in the jury room during the court day to restrict their exposure to the public.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Michael Jackson crowned king of MTV VMAs: poll

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES | Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:13am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - King of Pop Michael Jackson is gone, but he is not forgotten -- not by MTV Video Music Award voters.

Two days before the widely-watched awards show, MTV on Friday released a poll of the top moments chosen by voters in the program's nearly three decades with Jackson singled out for most iconic and best pop performances for a medley of songs he sang in 1995.

Jackson singing and dancing to "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Scream," "Beat It" and "Smooth Criminal" picked up 57 percent of the vote for most iconic performance, beating the likes of Madonna with "Like a Virgin" in 1984 and Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" from 2009.

The "Thriller" singer, who died in June 2009 from a drug overdose, also got the nod for best pop performance with the same medley, again topping artists including Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, TLC and his own sister, Janet Jackson, who performed a tribute to Michael the year he died.

MTV annually gives away awards for best videos in what has become one of its most-watched telecasts. Last year's VMAs were seen by 11.4 million viewers, its biggest audience since 2002.

Perhaps more important than awards and stars, the program is known for its sometimes impromptu, often planned, outrageous moments that grab headlines around the world.

Last year, Lady Gaga showed up in a dress made completely of raw meat. Two years ago, Kanye West jumped onstage and grabbed a microphone from a stunned Taylor Swift to tell audiences that Beyonce, not Swift, should have won one award.

But where outrageousness is concerned, nothing beats the kisses shared among Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 show. It was voted the most outrageous moment of the VMAs history with 53 percent of the votes from some 15 million total ballots cast online.

The infamous kiss, during a performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," beat out the fight between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee in 2007, Howard Stern appearing as Fartman and Diana Ross jiggling Lil Kim's breast at the 1999 show.

In fact, the flashy purple pantsuit Lil Kim wore, which left one breast exposed except for a pasty over her nipple, was picked by 39 percent of voters as the wildest outfit ever worn to the show, beating Lady Gaga's meat dress and Britney Spear's black leather biker ensemble from 2002.

Other results of the MTV poll, which also looked at best videos of the 1980s, 90s and 00s, as well as top performances in hip hop and rock, can be found at newsroom.mtv.com.

The VMAs air on Sunday, starting at 9 p.m.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Star-studded Venice festival gets movie mojo back

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON | Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:35am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The Venice film festival has rediscovered its movie mojo this year, putting high costs and growing competition from Toronto aside to provide a line-up full of hotly anticipated titles and big Hollywood stars.

George Clooney, a regular favorite on the Lido island where the world's oldest film festival is held, kicks off the glamorous 11-day event on Wednesday with "The Ides of March," a political drama which he also directed.

His cast includes Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman, part of a roll-call of A-listers that includes Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and pop superstar Madonna.

"There's a nice Hollywood contingent which is composed of directors and stars like Clooney who appeal to a very broad range of both festival insiders and the general public," he said. "But it is more than just Hollywood."

Film makers from around the world will descend on the canal city from August 31 to September 10 to showcase their movies, and attend a whirlwind of photocalls, press conferences, interviews and parties.

Blockbusters rarely feature, but a slot in Venice is coveted by lower-budget U.S. productions for the exposure it brings and because it acts as the unofficial launch of the annual awards season ending with the Oscars.

Venice overlaps with the Toronto film festival, regarded by Hollywood as a cheaper alternative and featuring many of the same movies, but Venice director Marco Mueller has put together a program that should eclipse 2010's worryingly low-key edition.

SPIES, ROYALTY, POVERTY, DISEASE

Among the most eagerly awaited titles is "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," an adaption of John Le Carre's spy novel starring recent Oscar winner Colin Firth as well as Gary Oldman and John Hurt.

The film, directed by Sweden's Tomas Alfredson, is one of 22 in the main Venice competition, and has already won the blessing of the British author whose "The Constant Gardener" also made it to the big screen.

"It's not the film of the book," Le Carre said in remarks carried on his website.

"It's the film of the film, and to my eye a work of art in its own right. I'm very proud to have provided Alfredson with the material, but what he made of it is wonderfully his own."

In "A Dangerous Method," Canadian David Cronenberg explores the rivalry between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud as a young woman (Knightley) comes between them.

Roman Polanski worked on the screenplay for his latest movie "Carnage," featuring Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz, while under house arrest in Switzerland last year.

Acclaimed Russian director Alexander Sokurov brings "Faust" and Hong Kong's Johnnie To presents "Life Without Principle," a story touching on the economic crisis and its effect on ordinary people.

Outside the main lineup, Madonna makes her second foray into feature films with "W.E.," a drama loosely based on divorcee Wallis Simpson whose relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication in 1936.

Steven Soderbergh promises an all-star cast including Damon, Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Law and Paltrow in "Contagion," about a lethal airborne virus that spreads panic.

(Editing by Steve Addison)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Esther Gordy Edwards, founder of Motown Museum, dead at 91

DETROIT | Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:52pm EDT

DETROIT (Reuters) - Esther Gordy Edwards, the sister of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and the driving force behind the museum that continues to preserve the label's legacy, has died at age 91.

The Motown Historical Museum, which Gordy Edwards founded in 1985, announced her death on Thursday.

Gordy Edwards, who died on Wednesday, held a number of positions in her brother's legendary company, including director of Motown's Artists Personal Management Division, where she helped guide the careers of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells.

In the 1970s, Gordy Edwards was the first woman to serve on the board of the Detroit Bank of the Commonwealth and the first woman elected to the board of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, according to the Museum's website.

Her late husband, George Edwards, was an accountant who help manage Motown's finances and served in the Michigan state legislature.

The museum Gordy Edwards founded, located on Grand Blvd. in the row of single-family homes that housed Motown's original headquarters and recording studios, is one of Detroit's most popular tourist destinations.

One of the highlights of the museum is Studio A, Motown's first recording studio, which was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from 1959 until 1972.

Studio A is where Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and the Jackson Five recorded many of their hits.

(Writing by James Kelleher; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Winehouse album sets UK chart record after death

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, all smiles in public

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:15pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One day after a magazine claimed that their marriage was in trouble, Hollywood super couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith appeared together in public Wednesday, smiling broadly for cameras and fans.

Their brief walk down a sidewalk outside a restaurant in the wealthy enclave of Malibu followed a story published online Tuesday by In Touch Weekly magazine saying the pair, who have two superstar children, were headed for a separation.

That story was attributed to an unnamed "insider" and was followed by a public denial in a statement issued on behalf of the Smiths.

"Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact," the pair said in the joint statement.

But the rumors persisted Wednesday with singer Marc Anthony, who co-stars with Jada Pinkett Smith on TV show "Hawthorne" and who recently split up with singer Jennifer Lopez, surfacing in reports as a possible suitor to his TV co-star.

In Malibu, Will Smith was asked by a reporter for celebrity news website TMZ.com to comment on the "ridiculous rumors" in the media, and Smith answered, "you just did."

(Reporting and Writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Toxicology leaves Winehouse death riddle unsolved

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON | Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:44pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Toxicology results released to the family of singer Amy Winehouse this week raised almost as many questions as they answered, experts said Wednesday, keeping the cause of the "Rehab" singer's death a mystery.

The Winehouse family issued a statement Tuesday saying no illegal substances were found in the 27-year-old's system following her death at her north London home on July 23.

The absence of banned drugs may come as a relief to her father Mitch, given Winehouse's history of drug and alcohol addiction and rampant speculation about the role narcotics may have played in her shock passing.

"This doesn't make me feel the loss of my daughter any less, but we are pleased to be able to set the record straight to a certain extent," he told British tabloid, The Sun.

Yet the statement did not specify whether there were any legal drugs found and said "alcohol was present, but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death."

Adding to the confusion was the fact that the toxicology results were given to the family and not made public in their entirety, allowing them to protect her legacy.

Addiction experts and toxicologists said the information released Tuesday did little to solve the riddle of Winehouse's death. While the cause could become clearer at a full inquest to be held on October 26, even then it could be assessed as "undetermined."

"Combinations of perfectly legal substances can be lethal," said Jeremy Clitherow, a community pharmacist based in Liverpool, northern England, who specializes in addiction.

"You would have to look at the wording (of the toxicology report). You'd have to see the report rather than the paraphrased version. We can't speculate."

DEATH BY WITHDRAWAL NOT NORMAL

Mitch said during his funeral address that he believed Winehouse had conquered her drug addiction three years ago but was trying to deal with a drinking problem.

One early report, quoting unnamed family sources, suggested the singer's relatives suspected alcohol withdrawal was the cause. Rather than quitting drinking gradually, it said, Winehouse suddenly stopped.

However, the presence of alcohol in her system when she died, coupled with stories in both the Sun and Mirror tabloids that she had been drinking in the days before her death, have led to doubts that she died from quitting.

Clitherow believed that while possible, the "cold turkey" theory was improbable based on his experience.

"It is very unusual for people to die from alcohol withdrawal," he said. "You can get delirium tremens (DTs), but normally you survive."

Moreover, the Winehouse family statement did not specify how much alcohol was in her system and what sort of impact it may have had on her overall health at the time she died.

"It seems unusual to say that alcohol was present but not be able to say what sort of effect that quantity may have had," toxicology expert Graham Mold said, adding that the confusion may be caused by different levels of alcohol at different "sites" in the body.

Adding to the uncertainty, Winehouse had suffered health scares in the past which could have worsened her condition.

Mitch said in 2008 that his daughter had developed the lung condition emphysema "in its early stages," and that Winehouse had been warned she would die if she continued to smoke drugs.

"If she doesn't go back to drugs, then she can lead this magnificent life," he said at the time, when Winehouse was 24. "We are praying that that's what Amy really wants. She seems resolute."

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Jackson concert organizers reach out to unhappy fans

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:47am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The organizers of a controversial Michael Jackson Tribute concert said on Tuesday they were going ahead with the event, but they offered disgruntled fans the chance to air their concerns in a global conference call.

"We are 100 percent going ahead. We will continue to announce names for the line-up. We are moving forward and now we will try to address issues that have been raised by fans," Juliette Harris, a spokeswoman for Global Events Live told Reuters.

Harris said members of verified Jackson fan clubs will be invited to take part in a conference call on Tuesday, August 30, in which promoters of the October 8 tribute in Wales will try to allay their concerns.

Some 35 Jackson fans clubs have called for the tribute concert to the "Thriller" singer to be called off, saying it is "doomed to fail." They are unhappy with confusion over charitable donations from ticket revenue, the timing of the concert during the involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles of Jackson's doctor, and the invitation (now withdrawn) to rock band Kiss.

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons has in the past called Jackson a child molester. The pop singer, who died in Los Angeles in June 2009 at age 50, was acquitted of all charges in a 2005 child sex abuse trial.

Attorneys for Jackson's estate have also expressed concerns about the tribute, which is supported by the singer's mother Katherine and several of her children, but not by Jackson brothers Jermaine and Randy Jackson.

Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Smokey Robinson, as well as several British acts will perform Jackson songs along with their own material at the tribute. Beyonce will also beam in a cover version of one Jackson hit by satellite.

Harris said many more performers would be announced shortly. She said she had not seen the open letter from the fan clubs but organizers want to respond in next week's conference call to some of the issues that have surfaced.

Tickets for the show at the 75,000-seat Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, range from 55 pounds to 240 pounds (about $90-$390) and go on general sale on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

A Minute With: Katie Holmes on "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"

By Iain Blair

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:30am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It sounds like a latter-day version of "The Odd Couple" -- petite, American actress Katie Holmes (Mrs. Tom Cruise) paired with portly Mexican writer/director Guillermo del Toro, a gothic horror film devotee known for "Hellboy" and "Blade" franchises.

But their new film together, "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" which hits theaters on Friday, is anything but a comedy in the vein of "The Odd Couple."

Rather it is a serious scare-fest that also stars Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison and an army of evil little creatures who invade an old house and terrorize its occupants.

Holmes and del Toro recently sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, what scares them (and Tom), and why people get a kick from being afraid in movie theaters.

Q: Katie, are you a big horror fan?

Holmes: "Yes, I like classic horror films. But I'm not a big slasher, gory type of horror film fan."

Q: So I assume if this was full of slashing, you would have been be a little less eager.

Holmes: "Right, and I don't think it would have Guillermo's name on it."

Del Toro: "No. The movies I've tried to produce, write and direct, I'm very proud to say as far as I can remember I've never written a female victim, a scream queen or a part like that. I always try to create very strong female characters, in many cases stronger than the guys. Certainly in 'Don't Be Afraid.'"

Q: What's the secret to a really effective horror film?

Del Toro: "I think characters, good characters. The scares of course are necessary but it's the human characters."

Holmes: "I agree. You have to be able to relate to the people and relate to the world and be invested in them. And then, suddenly as an audience member, you are those people going through it -- and what would you do?"

Q: So what scares you?

Holmes: "People who like to take the wind out of your sail because there's a lot more they're doing. If they're doing that to your face then they're doing more. So that scares me more than, like, a monster."

Del Toro: (laughs) "Politicians -- a lot. They are so deranged, especially these days. And human pettiness. Oh my God that's scary. It's so horrifying. I've seen a UFO, and I've heard ghosts twice -- once in New Zealand and once in Mexico, but those are not the scariest things. The scary things are real things like every day."

Q: Katie, has Tom seen this?

Holmes: "Oh yes. He saw it before I did, like a year before."

Q: So what did he think?

Holmes: (laughs) "Well, he had to watch another movie afterwards in order to go to sleep because he was so scared. I'm not sure what he watched. (laughs) Maybe 'The Sound of Music'?"

Del Toro: "I think it was that Adam Sandler comedy, '(You)Don't Mess With The Zohan'."

Q: You have to protect your character's daughter in the movie. Does having your own daughter affect the way you approach a role like this?

Holmes: "I think being a mom myself, when I read my character and I saw the journey she takes and how we see her make sacrifices for her child -- I think I didn't understand that until I became a mom.

"Just how much you love this person. You will do anything for that person, and you have strength you didn't know that you had, which is what I like about my character. So I think that being a mom definitely gave me much more insight to this character."

Q: But you might not feel that way about sacrifice when Suri becomes a teenager.

Holmes: (Laughs) "I don't know. I think she's pretty special."

Q: Why is it that people loved to be scared so much? Do you like to be scared at movies?

Holmes: "I do and I like to be affected when I watch a film. And when you watch a scary movie and it's well done it does take you on that roller coaster and you do feel exhausted after but in a great way. I think it's more than entertainment. It's a relief and it's a release, and it's what entertainment and performance is and screenwriting and storytelling is supposed to do. We're supposed to identify and feel something from it."

Del Toro: "I think we live in a regimented world where we don't experience a lot of the emotions we need almost at a mammalian level, and you need a release for this thing. So a horror movie or a roller coaster, you scream and you get the thrill of that in a regular situation."

(Editing by Mike Collett-White)