Entertaining Posts: 10/27/11

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Charlie Sheen brings his "Anger Management" to FX

LOS ANGELES | Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:30pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Charlie Sheen, fired from his previous role on TV's "Two and a Half Men," will return to television in summer 2012, in his new "Anger Management" on FX, the network announced on Thursday.

The new sitcom, which had been previously announced but had yet to find a network, sees Sheen playing an anger management therapist who causes chaos in his patients' lives by using unconventional methods, the network said in a statement.

The new show is the latest in Sheen's bid to turn over a new leaf in his career after a turbulent year.

He was TV's highest-paid actor for his role as womanizing bachelor Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men," but was fired after a public dispute with the show and network executives at CBS, during which he lashed out at show creator Chuck Lorre. He was replaced by actor Ashton Kutcher.

Sheen ranted against his old employers and posted videos on the Web in which he bragged about his "winning" ways and the "tiger blood" he had running through in his veins.

All of that came after a year in which he found himself in legal trouble and in rehab for drug and alcohol use.

More recently, the star has seemed contrite. He settled a lawsuit with the "Two and a Half Men" producers, and appeared on TV talk shows admitting he was out of control. took to the stage at the Emmys -- TV's highest awards -- and said to the "Men" cast and crew, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for the upcoming season."

"Anger Management," in which Sheen retains a significant ownership stake, is loosely based on the 2003 film of the same name starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. FX has ordered 10 episodes, and production will begin in early 2012.

"We think that Bruce Helford, Joe Roth and Charlie Sheen have come up with a wonderful, hilarious vehicle for Charlie's acting talents, and a character we are very much looking forward to seeing him play," said John Landgraf, President and general manager of FX Networks, in a statement.

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

Jackson dependent on painkiller, trial expert says

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:02pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson was dependent on a painkiller that he received in large, regular shots, along with Botox treatments, in the months before his death, a Los Angeles court heard on Thursday.

But in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, stemming from Jackson's 2009 overdose death, addiction specialist Dr. Robert Waldman could not say unequivocally whether he believed the singer was addicted to the painkiller.

Waldman was testifying as an expert witness for the defense as it neared wrapping up its case. The claim by Murray's attorneys that the "Thriller" singer was addicted to the painkiller Demerol and that he engaged in "doctor shopping" is a central part of the defense strategy.

Murray has admitted to giving Jackson nearly daily doses of the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid at the singer's Los Angeles mansion, and medical examiners found that was the chief cause of his June 25, 2009, death.

But Murray's attorneys argue that the physician was unaware the singer was getting shots of Demerol from a Beverly Hills dermatologist, and that it hampered Murray's efforts to get him to sleep.

Waldman said side-effects of Demerol withdrawal included anxiety and insomnia.

According to medical records presented on Thursday, Jackson received 900 milligrams of Demerol over three days in May 2009, from dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein.

Klein's records show he also gave Jackson Botox and Restylane for wrinkles and excess perspiration for several months in 2009. Waldman described the Demerol shots as "stiff doses" that were not needed with skin treatment injections.

"I believe there is evidence that he was dependent on Demerol," Waldman said of Jackson, adding the pop star was "possibly" addicted to the painkiller.

LAST WITNESS

But during an aggressive cross-examination by prosecutors, Waldman could not say for certain that Jackson was addicted to the drug. He also acknowledged that he was not officially certified as an addiction specialist.

Dependence is characterized by a physical need for a drug, while addiction is more serious because it also involves a person continuing with destructive behavior and use of a substance, despite bad consequences, Waldman said.

Dr. Paul White, a leading expert on propofol who is expected to be the defense's last witness, undercut prosecutors' attempts on Thursday to show Murray acted dangerously by combining sedatives with propofol in his treatment of Jackson.

"In anesthesiology, it's what we do every day," White told the jury. "We're polypharmacists. We combine drugs to achieve better effect, with less medication."

White also said it seemed unusual that Jackson would have died from the relatively small dose of 25 milligrams of propofol that Murray told police he injected into the pop star hours before he stopped breathing.

Attorneys for Murray, whose specialty is cardiology, claimed in opening arguments last month that Jackson caused his own death by giving himself an extra dose of propofol without Murray's knowledge. But the defense has yet to address that point as it lays out its case in detail.

The doctor, who has pleaded not guilty, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)

Justin Timberlake goes rogue for "In Time"

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:53pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Justin Timberlake may be riding a new wave of movie stardom as his new film, "In Time," sees its release in theaters on Friday, but the singer-dancer-actor still thinks he's an ordinary man.

Timberlake takes the lead role in the sci-fi, action thriller in which director Andrew Niccol takes audiences into a world where time has become the monetary currency.

"I found it (the movie) to be very provocative and it made me ask a lot of questions about myself, some of it which I still haven't come up with the answers for, but I like when a movie does that," "The Social Network" actor told Reuters.

In a world where everyone stops physically aging at 25, Timberlake's character, Will Salas, often finds himself with just 24 hours to live, in which he must find ways to earn time in order to prolong his life.

"I admired Will, I hope I would fight back the way he does," said Timberlake. "I've never gotten to play a character that I wanted to be like, I don't think, so I was eager to run in his shoes."

The 30-year-old "Sexyback" singer has been in the public eye since childhood as lead singer of boy-band juggernaut N*Sync in the 1990s, before shedding his child-star image to become a Grammy-winning solo artist and Hollywood heartthrob. Yet, he doesn't see himself as all that different than the kid who was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

"I think I've always looked at myself as an ordinary guy who gets to be in extraordinary situations," said the actor.

"Extraordinary" is an understatement. He has conquered pop music, moved into fashion and is doing his best to become a Hollywood movie star. He's doing a good job of it, too.

Timberlake has managed his ascendancy carefully, working in supporting roles in high-profile, low-budget movies like "Alpha Dog," voicing a role in animated "Shrek the Third," then breaking through in a key role in last year's award-winning "The Social Network."

This year, he starred in comedy "Bad Teacher" and alongside Mila Kunis in romance "Friends With Benefits." Timberlake is now setting his sights on being an action hero with "In Time."

FIGHTING TIME, SAVING WORLD

The world of "In Time" sees 'time' bartered for goods and services. Time can be given, received and stolen just by people locking arms with each other.

When Timberlake's character, Will, is given a windfall of 'time' from a wealthy person, he finds himself fighting against social boundaries and injustice in a city where inhabitants are segregated by time zones according to their level of wealth.

"The concept is pretty extreme and it's hard to take that idea and actually ground it to a point where you can actually do it and make it relevant to our society," said "Mamma Mia" actress Amanda Seyfried, who plays his love interest Sylvia.

The film has been compared to 1997's "Gattaca," which Niccol directed and 1998's "The Truman Show," which Niccol produced, both films presenting a future world that doesn't veer too far from present day.

"Andrew has this ability to toss you into another world, but in a world where you see the metaphors of what's happening today and right now," said Timberlake.

The film's themes of wealth inequality may resonate with some present day audiences, and Timberlake found it "serendipitous" that the release of "In Time" coincided with the Occupy Wall Street protests taking place across the U.S.

"I would put Will in the 99 percentile that are protesting Wall Street and Occupy LA," said the actor, adding that the film also addressed the multi-billion dollar beauty industry.

The film has received mixed reviews ahead of its release. Variety's Peter DeBruge found that it took advantage of Timberlake's action-hero potential, but the director was "incredibly surface-oriented" in addressing the themes.

The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy said Timberlake "capably carries the film but a glint of true rebelliousness, of a slightly unhinged element in his character's makeup, could have nudged the performance to another level."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Steven Tyler says was sober in hotel room fall

NEW YORK | Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:18pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler said on Thursday he was sober when he fell in the shower in his Paraguay hotel room earlier this week.

Tyler, who received stitches to his face and broke his teeth in the fall on Tuesday, told NBC's "Today" show that he was suffering from "Montezuma's revenge," or stomach flu.

"I passed out," the rocker and "American Idol" judge told Matt Lauer in a telephone interview from Argentina, where he is continuing an Aerosmith tour.

"I was in the shower and I got nauseous, and I started to get sick and I fell on my face. I just passed out," he said.

Tyler, 63, said he "woke up with the water running on me wondering where the hell I was," at which point his tour manager phoned the American embassy for help with a hospital.

Asked whether he might have fallen off the wagon, the rocker, who has been public about struggles with substance abuse, said "people thinking that is natural and normal."

But Tyler said he had flown last night from Paraguay and had just arrived in Argentina hours earlier.

"And if anybody knew anybody that used substances, they wouldn't be up the hour after having a talk with Matt Lauer."

Asked flat out whether being "clean and sober" was the issue in the fall, Tyler replied "No, it's not the issue."

But he added "I get that people think that."

Tyler said his injuries would not affect the tour, noting that he went on stage on Wednesday and "pulled myself up by my boot heels."

He said he wore dark glasses for the first song, then took them off to show his battered-looking face, and the crowd roared its approval.

"Not only did I break my face, but the next night we broke the house record," he quipped.

Two years ago, Tyler broke his shoulder after falling off the stage during a U.S. concert, forcing the group to scrap the rest of its North American tour and aggravating tensions within the band.

Tyler has signed up for a second season as a judge on the TV singing contest "American Idol," and he published a tell-all memoir this year called "Does this Noise in My Head Bother You?"

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Jill Serjeant)

Casey Anthony, Marilyn Manson top list of creepy celebs

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:41am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Casey Anthony, the Florida mom acquitted in July of killing her child, has been voted the No. 2 creepiest celebrity, closely following shock rocker Marilyn Manson, according to a poll released on Thursday.

Anthony, 25, was voted 57 percent 'creepy' to Manson's 69 percent in a survey conducted by E-Poll Market Research ahead of the U.S. Halloween holiday on October 31.

America's fascination with crime is evident on the list, as Anthony is closely followed by former football player O.J. Simpson who was famously acquitted of murdering his ex-wife in 1995. He earned third place with a 56 percent creepy rating.

"Anybody people think has committed a crime, whether they are guilty or not, are going to be disliked, and Casey Anthony and O.J. Simpson are disliked," said Gerry Philpot, president and chief executive of E-Poll Market Research, which tracks people's popularity in the media.

Rounding out the top five creepiest celebrities are returning entries from last year, "The Hills" reality star Spencer Pratt and 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman, who made headlines in 2009 when she gave birth to octuplets.

Pratt and Suleman also earned the lowest E-Poll "E-Scores," which represents their overall marketing effectiveness and takes into account their negative portrayals in the media. The lower the E-Score, the more disliked the celebrity is.

While Anthony, Simpson, Pratt and Suleman are ranked on negativity, some of the top scorers find it good to be creepy.

Singer Manson, for one, has made a career of seeming rather odd to some with his gothic-inspired black clothing and heavy makeup. Yet, that is exactly what his fans like.

Eccentric director Tim Burton was eighth on the list given his creepy films such as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and Burton is well-liked by the public with an overall E-Score of 81.

"Tim Burton puts on a look and plays it up, and his movies are eerie and creepy but also entertaining fun," said Philpot.

Burton is tied with 75-year-old director Woody Allen, who despite positive press in recent years, is still remembered for the scandal surrounding his 1997 marriage to Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, 33 years his junior.

Former "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen, who made headlines this year with public rants against his former bosses on the hit CBS comedy, was voted 34 percent 'creepy,' tying for sixth place with former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was infamously involved in a prostitution scandal in 2008.

E-Poll surveyed 1,100 people who ranked celebrities between 1-100, with the lowest scores highlighting celebrities that were more negatively portrayed and disliked. The 'Creepiest Celebrities' list is derived from the survey as voters selected 'creepy' from 46 attribute options for each celebrity.

Following is a list of the top 10 "Creepy" celebrities in order and their percentage of creepiness.

1) Marilyn Manson..69 pct

2) Casey Anthony...57 pct

3) O.J. Simpson....56 pct

4) Spencer Prat....49 pct

5) Nadya Suleman...41 pct

6) Charlie Sheen...34 pct

6) Eliot Spitzer...34 pct

8) Woody Allen.....31 pct

8) Tim Burton......31 pct

10) Jesse James.....30 pct

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)