Entertaining Posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

Stephen Colbert aims comedic political ad at Iowa

LOS ANGELES | Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:44am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Stephen Colbert is putting his political action committee cash to work with advertisements that mockingly endorse Texas Governor Rick Perry ahead of an Iowa straw poll this week on the other Republican presidential hopefuls.

The tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign is the first that Colbert has launched since the Comedy Central comedian won approval in June from the Federal Election Commission to form his "Super PAC."

In a pair of advertisements unveiled on his Super PAC website this week ahead of the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday, Colbert jokingly urges Iowans to write in the name of Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is not listed on the ballot, but to misspell it as "Parry."

"I called dibs on Rick Parry a long time ago," Colbert said in a comedic statement that lauds the staunchly conservative governor for his "tough talk" and "cowboy boots."

The comedian who masquerades as a conservative commentator on his late-night program "The Colbert Report" but has espoused liberal causes seems to have made a well-timed choice for his satirical endorsement.

On Thursday, a Perry spokesman confirmed he will seek the 2012 Republican nomination. Perry's official announcement is planned for Saturday.

Colbert joked that he wants Iowans to write in "'Parry with an 'A' for America, with an 'A' for Iowa."

It was unclear where the advertisements have appeared aside from Colbert's Super PAC website. But a statement from the organization said that at least one commercial has begun airing "across the greater Des Moines metroplex."

The advertisements say they are paid for by Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, the official name of the Colbert Super PAC, or political action committee.

SuperPACs are amped-up PACs that have arisen following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2010 that made it easier for entities like corporations and unions to pour money into political campaigns.

Colbert's creation of his PAC is aimed at mocking the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

But some legal commentators have said that it could also make it easier for candidates who work for major media companies -- such as Colbert's employer Viacom Inc -- to use those corporations to further their political careers.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis. Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Glenn Close to get lifetime award at Spanish festival

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

James Cameron gives Hollywood 3D advice: try harder

By John Gaudiosi

RALEIGH, North Carolina | Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:53pm EDT

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Since director James Cameron's "Avatar" raked in $2.8 billion at global box offices, Hollywood has flooded theaters with wave after wave of 3D movies, but some industry watchers wonder if theatergoers are now drowning in it.

While a few of this summer's 3D movies crossed the $1 billion global box office mark, there's been a backlash from the media and moviegoers over the poor quality of some 3D films that are converted into the medium instead of filmed in it.

Cameron believes Hollywood needs to make some changes to win back fans. He and partner Vince Pace have been busy working on their "Avatar" sequels and collaborating with filmmakers like Michael Bay ("Transformers") and Kevin Tancharoen ("Glee: The 3D Concert Movie") to help bring better 3D experiences to theaters. Those films have used the Fusion 3D camera system that Cameron and Pace designed for "Avatar."

Cameron talked to Reuters about the current and future 3D landscape, how some theater owners are hurting the 3D business, and why Hollywood may soon be offering movie-goers discounts for 2D movies, in this exclusive interview.

Q: Why the backlash after all the big 3D movies that have been released?

A: "I think the media has overplayed the so-called 'backlash.' If you look at total revenue, it's not an issue. There are more 3D movies than there have ever been before. So they're tending to divide the marketplace, but the total revenue for 3D has consistently grown since it started four or five years ago.

Q: What do you think Hollywood needs to do to get the public engaged in 3D movies from a creative perspective?

A: "This is a good moment for Hollywood to acknowledge that they have to try harder to maintain the idea that 3D is a premium experience. We can't take cheap routes to offer a 3D title in the marketplace. I'm not a big fan of 3D conversion because I think it produces what I call 2-and-a-half-D. It doesn't have the depth of native 3D that's actually been photographed in 3D. Post conversion tends to be a little harder on the eyes and not give you a good depth experience. The audience is reacting and they're saying, 'Wait a minute, I'm paying a premium price for a ticket and I'm not getting the added value that I wanted from 3D.'"

Q: So, then, where are we headed?

A: "Two things are happening. One, 3D is not as exotic as it once was and people are realizing they shouldn't go see a movie just because it's 3D. When it was exotic, people would go see anything in 3D. Two, there are more 3D movies out there. People are more selective about what they see in 3D based on the movie itself, the story, the actors...I always predicted this would happen as 3D finds its rightful place just as color did, just as sound did."

Q: Is the higher price of 3D tickets, especially in this economy, impacting box office?

A: "As time goes on over the next couple of seasons, it will be harder and harder to defend the premium pricing. Not because the quality is not being maintained, but because more and more films are being made in 3D and at a certain point the majority, meaning 51 percent or more of major movies will be made in 3D. When 3D is the norm, you have to give a discount for 2D movies. You can't charge a premium for 3D ones."

Q: Why do 3D films seem to be attracting bigger audiences internationally than domestically?

A: "The international audience is maybe less jaded about 3D. The exhibitors may be making sure that the quality of 3D on the screen is high, meaning correct light levels."

Q: What impact have the darker screens had on keeping people engaged with 3D in the U.S.?

A: "The quickest way to turn off an audience is with low light levels. This is something that the exhibitor has control over and the technology will allow for a bright picture. But the exhibitors have been turning the projection bulbs down to make them last longer, thinking that it's a savings that drops straight to their bottom line. What they hopefully are now realizing is that it's actually impacting their business in a bigger way by reducing the number of people going to watch 3D movies. There have been exit surveys, and the response to a 3D movie is consistently positive if the screen brightness is high, but if the screen brightness is low, some people say they would rather have seen it in 2D."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Kim Kardashian sues Old Navy over look-alike ads

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:26pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality TV star Kim Kardashian sued retailer Old Navy on Wednesday to force the clothing store chain to quit using a look-alike model in advertisements the celebrity claims hijack her fame.

Attorneys for the star of TV show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" on the E! cable network said in the lawsuit that Old Navy knew what it was doing when it launched the sales blitz in February using a woman with a striking resemblance to the fashion trendsetter.

"The infringing ads are likely to cause confusion, and have caused actual confusion, in the minds of the consuming public as to an association of Kim Kardashian with defendants' products and services," the lawsuit states.

Kardashian's suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Delaware-based Gap Inc, the parent company of Old Navy, which also was named. A representative for Gap could not be reached on Wednesday night.

Canadian-born entertainer Melissa Molinaro, who was featured in the Old Navy advertising campaign and has been singled out in some media reports for her resemblance to Kardashian, was not named in the lawsuit.

Advertisements for Old Navy starring Molinaro show her getting her nails done, walking her dog and dancing on a supermarket's checkout counter.

Kardashian, 30, is known for living her life in front of cameras, mixing celebrity glamour and her daily routine with her sisters on the TV show, as well as in magazines and other media. She first gained fame for appearing in a private sex tape that famously went public, but has transcended that notoriety to become a bona fide celebrity.

The lawsuit alleges unfair competition and violation of both the California common law right of publicity and the state's statutory right of publicity.

Kardashian is seeking a permanent injunction barring Gap and Old Navy from using her likeness in advertising, and an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

"American Idol" producer says Jennifer Lopez coming back

LOS ANGELES | Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:49pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It is not quite official, but it is pretty close. Singing star Jennifer Lopez will return as a judge on top-rated TV singing contest "American Idol," the program's lead producer said on Wednesday.

Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe, in an interview on "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's radio show, was asked whether Lopez would return for an 11th season, and he said yes.

"I believe we're still waiting for the official announcements, but I'm delighted to say that all three judges, along with the brilliant host of 'American Idol,' is back for the next season," Lythgoe told Seacrest.

Lopez returns to join longtime "Idol" judge Randy Jackson and rocker Steven Tyler, the Aerosmith frontman.

Her decision to rejoin the No. 1-rated U.S. TV show has been the source of much speculation in Hollywood since the singer said earlier this summer that she was undecided.

Indeed, just last week at a meeting of television critics in Los Angeles, top programing executives for the Fox network, which airs "Idol," were tight-lipped on the subject.

Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told reporters that he had no headline-making announcements -- "maybe like confirm Jennifer Lopez or something. No luck there."

Showbiz news web site TheWrap.com has reported that Lopez had already closed a deal that would pay her just over $20 million to return for the upcoming season, which will begin in January.

(Editing by Christine Kearney)