ST. LOUIS (AP) — The heirs of the late "Wizard of Oz" actor Mickey Carroll have sued his caretaker for control of his assets.
Carroll, one of the last surviving Munchkins from the beloved 1939 film, died in suburban St. Louis on Thursday at age 89.
Four months before he died, Carroll signed papers turning over control of his assets to caretaker Linda Dodge. Relatives estimate he left an estate of more than $1 million.
They claim Dodge and others took advantage of the actor in the throes of dementia and that he wasn't competent to sign the papers.
Dodge denies the claims, calling the disagreement a "family squabble."
The family has asked a probate judge to freeze the assets and appoint a caretaker for them.
by the associated press
ABrite
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jimmy Fallon a college graduate after 15 years
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — He's a comic, actor, "Saturday Night Live" veteran and "Late Night" talk show host.
Add one more thing to Jimmy Fallon's resume: College graduate.
Fallon, 34, finally got his bachelor's degree Saturday, 14 years after he left an upstate New York college to pursue his comedy career.
The television and film star picked up his degree in communications and spoke to graduates at Saturday's College of Saint Rose commencement.
"There's always going to be someone out there like that movie critic, who doesn't believe in you or who thinks your head is too big or you're not smart enough or whatever," Fallon told the graduates. "But those are the people you need to ignore, and those are the times you need to just keep doing what you love doing."
Fallon was a Saint Rose student from 1992 through 1995, studying computer science before switching to communications. In the second half of his senior year, he left the Albany college to pursue a show business career. He was one semester short of graduating.
He earned his degree after presenting college officials with a portfolio of his work in TV and film, which satisfied remaining credits.
More than 800 students attended the ceremony and received degrees from the school. There are more than 28,000 Saint Rose alumni.
by the associated press
Add one more thing to Jimmy Fallon's resume: College graduate.
Fallon, 34, finally got his bachelor's degree Saturday, 14 years after he left an upstate New York college to pursue his comedy career.
The television and film star picked up his degree in communications and spoke to graduates at Saturday's College of Saint Rose commencement.
"There's always going to be someone out there like that movie critic, who doesn't believe in you or who thinks your head is too big or you're not smart enough or whatever," Fallon told the graduates. "But those are the people you need to ignore, and those are the times you need to just keep doing what you love doing."
Fallon was a Saint Rose student from 1992 through 1995, studying computer science before switching to communications. In the second half of his senior year, he left the Albany college to pursue a show business career. He was one semester short of graduating.
He earned his degree after presenting college officials with a portfolio of his work in TV and film, which satisfied remaining credits.
More than 800 students attended the ceremony and received degrees from the school. There are more than 28,000 Saint Rose alumni.
by the associated press
'Star Trek' has $76.5M opening weekend
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Star Trek" beamed itself up to the top of the box office, earning $76.5 million in its opening weekend.
Paramount Pictures had estimated that the movie would make about $50 million for the weekend, but figured that strong reviews helped carry it to the bigger opening.
Director J.J. Abrams' reboot of the beloved sci-fi franchise made $72.5 million from Friday through Sunday, plus $4 million just in pre-midnight screenings Thursday, the studio said Saturday. That cumulative figure includes a record $8.2 million in IMAX showings.
"Star Trek," which reveals the back stories of Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, is an unusual blockbuster that pleased critics, too, receiving 96 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes Web site.
"Last year 'The Dark Knight' and 'Iron Man' both were embraced by critics as incredible filmmaking as well as big action-adventure movies. This one has been even better reviewed," said Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore. "You look at the level of critical response and the audience reaction, we definitely feel like the movie is set to play into Memorial Day and into the summer."
Moore said he expected the movie, which had a $140 million budget, should gross over $200 million total this summer, even with competition like "Terminator: Salvation" coming on May 21 and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" arriving in theaters July 15.
Abrams got it right, he said, by appealing to both hardcore "Star Trek" fans as well as moviegoers who may not have been familiar with the 1960s television series and the many movies and TV spin-offs it spawned. It stars Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, and features an appearance by Leonard Nimoy as an older version of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock.
"It just shows you how talented he is and what a great movie he made," Moore said.
"Star Trek" also beat the $6.3 million record "The Dark Knight" set in its opening weekend on IMAX screens last year.
"The DNA of this movie and the DNA of the `Star Trek' franchise work perfectly together and are very much a complement to what IMAX has accomplished," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "IMAX was a company that had a sort of older-school, older-fashioned approach to things and we hipped it up and reinvented ourselves, if you will. That's precisely what J.J. Abrams and Paramount did with 'Star Trek.'"
The fact that the "Star Trek" haul improved from $26.8 million on Friday to $27.4 million on Saturday is a good sign, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
"Sometimes you will see a movie drop big-time," Dergarabedian said. "What this 'Star Trek' is going to have is legs, a rare commodity in this world where every week there's a new blockbuster."
As expected, last week's top film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," came in at No. 2 with $27 million. The prequel to the "X-Men" franchise, starring Hugh Jackman as the mutant who slices and dices his enemies with his metal claws, has made nearly $129.6 million in two weeks.
"It's the same weekend drop as ('X-Men: The Last Stand'), the last one. That tends to be what fan-based movies do," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox. "To have $130 million in the first 10 days is sensational. We think we withstood the attack of 'Star Trek,' if you will, and will settle into a long, successful run."
The week's other new wide release, the stoner comedy "Next Day Air," came in at sixth place with $4 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Star Trek," $72.5 million.
2. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," $27 million.
3. "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," $10.45 million.
4. "Obsessed," $6.6 million.
5. "17 Again," $4.4 million.
6. "Next Day Air," $4 million.
7. "The Soloist," $3.6 million.
8. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $3.4 million.
9. "Earth," $2.5 million.
10. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $2.4 million.
by the associated press
Paramount Pictures had estimated that the movie would make about $50 million for the weekend, but figured that strong reviews helped carry it to the bigger opening.
Director J.J. Abrams' reboot of the beloved sci-fi franchise made $72.5 million from Friday through Sunday, plus $4 million just in pre-midnight screenings Thursday, the studio said Saturday. That cumulative figure includes a record $8.2 million in IMAX showings.
"Star Trek," which reveals the back stories of Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, is an unusual blockbuster that pleased critics, too, receiving 96 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes Web site.
"Last year 'The Dark Knight' and 'Iron Man' both were embraced by critics as incredible filmmaking as well as big action-adventure movies. This one has been even better reviewed," said Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore. "You look at the level of critical response and the audience reaction, we definitely feel like the movie is set to play into Memorial Day and into the summer."
Moore said he expected the movie, which had a $140 million budget, should gross over $200 million total this summer, even with competition like "Terminator: Salvation" coming on May 21 and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" arriving in theaters July 15.
Abrams got it right, he said, by appealing to both hardcore "Star Trek" fans as well as moviegoers who may not have been familiar with the 1960s television series and the many movies and TV spin-offs it spawned. It stars Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, and features an appearance by Leonard Nimoy as an older version of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock.
"It just shows you how talented he is and what a great movie he made," Moore said.
"Star Trek" also beat the $6.3 million record "The Dark Knight" set in its opening weekend on IMAX screens last year.
"The DNA of this movie and the DNA of the `Star Trek' franchise work perfectly together and are very much a complement to what IMAX has accomplished," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "IMAX was a company that had a sort of older-school, older-fashioned approach to things and we hipped it up and reinvented ourselves, if you will. That's precisely what J.J. Abrams and Paramount did with 'Star Trek.'"
The fact that the "Star Trek" haul improved from $26.8 million on Friday to $27.4 million on Saturday is a good sign, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
"Sometimes you will see a movie drop big-time," Dergarabedian said. "What this 'Star Trek' is going to have is legs, a rare commodity in this world where every week there's a new blockbuster."
As expected, last week's top film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," came in at No. 2 with $27 million. The prequel to the "X-Men" franchise, starring Hugh Jackman as the mutant who slices and dices his enemies with his metal claws, has made nearly $129.6 million in two weeks.
"It's the same weekend drop as ('X-Men: The Last Stand'), the last one. That tends to be what fan-based movies do," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution for 20th Century Fox. "To have $130 million in the first 10 days is sensational. We think we withstood the attack of 'Star Trek,' if you will, and will settle into a long, successful run."
The week's other new wide release, the stoner comedy "Next Day Air," came in at sixth place with $4 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Star Trek," $72.5 million.
2. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," $27 million.
3. "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," $10.45 million.
4. "Obsessed," $6.6 million.
5. "17 Again," $4.4 million.
6. "Next Day Air," $4 million.
7. "The Soloist," $3.6 million.
8. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $3.4 million.
9. "Earth," $2.5 million.
10. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $2.4 million.
by the associated press
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Star Trek’ is flying
LOS ANGELES — They have Leonard Nimoy and all the trappings, gadgets and crew members of the starship Enterprise.
Yet even for a franchise that grew to six TV series and 10 previous movies, J.J. Abrams’ "Star Trek” is the wildest makeover ever to Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a future in which humans have overcome their own squabbles and set out to make new enemies among the stars.
Everything that came before in the "Trek” universe used Roddenberry’s 1960s series as a launch point, so subsequent movies and shows formed a consistent history of the 21st to 24th centuries.
Using a tried-and-true "Trek” trick — the alternate reality — Abrams and company found a way to give Captain James Kirk, First Officer Spock and their pals a new beginning and wide-open future.
"The key to this movie was to be inspired by, embrace and honor everything that’s come before, but with the first scene in the movie, we say we are going somewhere else,” Abrams said. "It eliminates that prequel dilemma of having it be just exposition because you know who lives and dies and how it plays out.
"This history has not been written, so it is beginning anew, and it is existing concurrent with the ‘Trek’ that fans love.”
The filmmakers have sleekly updated the sets, costumes, props and effects. But fans will recognize the overall look, from the silhouette of the Enterprise to the gold, blue and red uniforms that are a throwback to the quaint outfits Nimoy, William Shatner and their ’60s co-stars wore.
The new faces include Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Fans will recognize a key player from the classic "Trek.” Nimoy returns as the older Spock, pursued through time by a vengeful Romulan (Eric Bana) aiming to wipe out the human-led Federation.
Abrams, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and their collaborators hit on an intelligent design to resuscitate the franchise, Nimoy said. The last movie, 2002’s "Star Trek: Nemesis,” was a flop, and the prequel series "Enterprise” was canceled in 2005 amid dwindling ratings.
Yet Nimoy thinks the franchise is back where it was in 1982, when "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” provided a creative makeover after "Star Trek: The Motion Picture” proved visually dazzling but dramatically sterile.
"After the first film, I felt that ‘Star Trek’ was a beached whale, and the second movie put it back in the water,” Nimoy said. "This film hopefully will do the same thing.”
Many key players, among them Abrams, Pine and Quinto, were not "Trek” fans growing up.
They hope the movie might have similar success as "Iron Man” and "Transformers” — sci-fi adventures with a devoted core of fans whose audiences swelled to blockbuster numbers.
"I never wanted to watch ‘Star Trek’ because I always felt alienated from ‘Star Trek.’ I always felt it was not my world. It was the fans’ world. The fans had built this kind of impenetrable wall around their beloved series,” Pine said. "J.J.’s come in and broken that wall down a little bit, and I’m hopeful ‘Star Trek’ will be open to a whole new generation of fans ... different types of people who never felt they would be fans.”
A day after he saw the new movie, the son of "Star Trek” creator Roddenberry said it did what it should do — broaden the appeal while staying true to his father’s vision.
Hard-core fans might object, but "if you look at it from a business point of view, you want to bring in that whole new audience,” said Eugene "Rod” Roddenberry, whose mother, Majel Barrett, had recurring roles in several "Trek” installments. "You have to strike a balance, and I think J.J. did a ... good job.”
What would Roddenberry’s father, who died in 1991, think of it? "He would have probably said to J.J., ‘You did it right. You brought it into 2009 the way it should be done,’” his son said.
by the associated press
Yet even for a franchise that grew to six TV series and 10 previous movies, J.J. Abrams’ "Star Trek” is the wildest makeover ever to Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a future in which humans have overcome their own squabbles and set out to make new enemies among the stars.
Everything that came before in the "Trek” universe used Roddenberry’s 1960s series as a launch point, so subsequent movies and shows formed a consistent history of the 21st to 24th centuries.
Using a tried-and-true "Trek” trick — the alternate reality — Abrams and company found a way to give Captain James Kirk, First Officer Spock and their pals a new beginning and wide-open future.
"The key to this movie was to be inspired by, embrace and honor everything that’s come before, but with the first scene in the movie, we say we are going somewhere else,” Abrams said. "It eliminates that prequel dilemma of having it be just exposition because you know who lives and dies and how it plays out.
"This history has not been written, so it is beginning anew, and it is existing concurrent with the ‘Trek’ that fans love.”
The filmmakers have sleekly updated the sets, costumes, props and effects. But fans will recognize the overall look, from the silhouette of the Enterprise to the gold, blue and red uniforms that are a throwback to the quaint outfits Nimoy, William Shatner and their ’60s co-stars wore.
The new faces include Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Fans will recognize a key player from the classic "Trek.” Nimoy returns as the older Spock, pursued through time by a vengeful Romulan (Eric Bana) aiming to wipe out the human-led Federation.
Abrams, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and their collaborators hit on an intelligent design to resuscitate the franchise, Nimoy said. The last movie, 2002’s "Star Trek: Nemesis,” was a flop, and the prequel series "Enterprise” was canceled in 2005 amid dwindling ratings.
Yet Nimoy thinks the franchise is back where it was in 1982, when "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” provided a creative makeover after "Star Trek: The Motion Picture” proved visually dazzling but dramatically sterile.
"After the first film, I felt that ‘Star Trek’ was a beached whale, and the second movie put it back in the water,” Nimoy said. "This film hopefully will do the same thing.”
Many key players, among them Abrams, Pine and Quinto, were not "Trek” fans growing up.
They hope the movie might have similar success as "Iron Man” and "Transformers” — sci-fi adventures with a devoted core of fans whose audiences swelled to blockbuster numbers.
"I never wanted to watch ‘Star Trek’ because I always felt alienated from ‘Star Trek.’ I always felt it was not my world. It was the fans’ world. The fans had built this kind of impenetrable wall around their beloved series,” Pine said. "J.J.’s come in and broken that wall down a little bit, and I’m hopeful ‘Star Trek’ will be open to a whole new generation of fans ... different types of people who never felt they would be fans.”
A day after he saw the new movie, the son of "Star Trek” creator Roddenberry said it did what it should do — broaden the appeal while staying true to his father’s vision.
Hard-core fans might object, but "if you look at it from a business point of view, you want to bring in that whole new audience,” said Eugene "Rod” Roddenberry, whose mother, Majel Barrett, had recurring roles in several "Trek” installments. "You have to strike a balance, and I think J.J. did a ... good job.”
What would Roddenberry’s father, who died in 1991, think of it? "He would have probably said to J.J., ‘You did it right. You brought it into 2009 the way it should be done,’” his son said.
by the associated press
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Allison Iraheta said she won't play `Idol' favorites
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Allison Iraheta said Thursday she enjoyed the role of little sister to the guys on "American Idol" and refused to pick a favorite among them.
Iraheta, 17, of Los Angeles, who was eliminated from the Fox TV singing contest Wednesday, said her fans must decide about shifting support to remaining finalists Kris Allen, Danny Gokey or Adam Lambert.
On the air, Iraheta seemed to have bonded with Lambert, 27, of San Diego, sharing the same bold taste in fashion and, this week, even the same hair stylist. Their duet on Foghat's "Slow Ride" drew praise from the judges.
But Iraheta gave all the men credit for acting as her supportive — if teasing — big brothers.
"It was so fun. They'd pick on me. They'd have an argument (and say), `Stay out of this, you're only 12 years old,'" she said. "It's the love. It's so cool. ... It's like a family."
"They would really stand up for me," she added, and help with song choices.
Iraheta said she appreciated that the judges, in their weekly reviews, deemed her "different."
"I really like that because I stayed true to myself," she said. She wouldn't have changed her final performance, of Janis Joplin's "Cry Baby," even though the judges declared it the wrong choice.
She also relished having finally answered judge Simon Cowell's assessment of her as boring and not talkative enough.
"I'm not really the kind of person who talks back," she said. But when Cowell advised her to beg for the audience's vote, "I felt it was the perfect time to stand up for myself," she said.
She said the contestants were thrown off balance Tuesday by a pre-show accident that left the stage manager injured. But they got word the woman was doing better and "we just had to go on with the show."
The teenager, who said she's been home-schooled and is close to completing her high school education, will go on the road this summer as part of the national "American Idol" concert tour. Iraheta, who sang in Spanish as a child, said she'd like to have the chance to do that again.
Although she won't be named the newest "American Idol," she said she's taking heart from the successful career of a past fourth-place finisher on the show, Chris Daughtry, who performed on the show this week with his band.
"If he's done well, and he didn't have to make it all the way to the top, it gives me a chance," Iraheta said.
The finale is May 20, when either Gokey, 29, from Milwaukee; Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark., or Lambert will take the crown and a record contract.
by the associated press
Iraheta, 17, of Los Angeles, who was eliminated from the Fox TV singing contest Wednesday, said her fans must decide about shifting support to remaining finalists Kris Allen, Danny Gokey or Adam Lambert.
On the air, Iraheta seemed to have bonded with Lambert, 27, of San Diego, sharing the same bold taste in fashion and, this week, even the same hair stylist. Their duet on Foghat's "Slow Ride" drew praise from the judges.
But Iraheta gave all the men credit for acting as her supportive — if teasing — big brothers.
"It was so fun. They'd pick on me. They'd have an argument (and say), `Stay out of this, you're only 12 years old,'" she said. "It's the love. It's so cool. ... It's like a family."
"They would really stand up for me," she added, and help with song choices.
Iraheta said she appreciated that the judges, in their weekly reviews, deemed her "different."
"I really like that because I stayed true to myself," she said. She wouldn't have changed her final performance, of Janis Joplin's "Cry Baby," even though the judges declared it the wrong choice.
She also relished having finally answered judge Simon Cowell's assessment of her as boring and not talkative enough.
"I'm not really the kind of person who talks back," she said. But when Cowell advised her to beg for the audience's vote, "I felt it was the perfect time to stand up for myself," she said.
She said the contestants were thrown off balance Tuesday by a pre-show accident that left the stage manager injured. But they got word the woman was doing better and "we just had to go on with the show."
The teenager, who said she's been home-schooled and is close to completing her high school education, will go on the road this summer as part of the national "American Idol" concert tour. Iraheta, who sang in Spanish as a child, said she'd like to have the chance to do that again.
Although she won't be named the newest "American Idol," she said she's taking heart from the successful career of a past fourth-place finisher on the show, Chris Daughtry, who performed on the show this week with his band.
"If he's done well, and he didn't have to make it all the way to the top, it gives me a chance," Iraheta said.
The finale is May 20, when either Gokey, 29, from Milwaukee; Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark., or Lambert will take the crown and a record contract.
by the associated press
Sutherland charged over head-butt claim
NEW YORK (AP) — Kiefer Sutherland was charged with misdemeanor assault Thursday for allegedly head-butting a fashion designer at a Manhattan nightclub.
The star of Fox television's "24" reported to a lower Manhattan police station in a Lincoln Town Car alongside his lawyers, but he did not speak to reporters.
Sutherland, 42, was interviewed by investigators, given a ticket, ordered to appear in court June 22 and released on his own recognizance. The minor charge is akin to a speeding ticket.
But the case could create another major legal hassle for Sutherland, who served 48 days in jail on a drunken-driving charge in California last year.
The designer, Jack McCollough of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, claims Sutherland attacked him after an argument, leaving him with a cut on his face. The incident happened about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Detectives were planning to question actress Brooke Shields as a witness because she was at the trendy SoHo nightspot SubMercer, in the basement of the Mercer Hotel, where the altercation took place. Drinks at the ultra-hip club cost around $15.
No decision has been made on whether the charge will affect Sutherland's probation for a drunken-driving conviction in Los Angeles, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Sutherland pleaded no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was sentenced to 30 days, in addition to 18 days for violating probation in a 2004 drunken-driving arrest.
Representatives for Sutherland, Shields and McCollough did not return several calls seeking comment.
Sutherland, who plays dashing federal counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on "24," won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best actor, and has been nominated multiple times for his work on the wildly popular show. His gritty portrayal of the counterterrorism agent has made Bauer an iconic character.
The current season — the show's seventh — finds Bauer scrambling through Washington to save the world from its latest bad day. Sutherland also has signed on for an eighth season. The show airs on Mondays.
by the associated press
The star of Fox television's "24" reported to a lower Manhattan police station in a Lincoln Town Car alongside his lawyers, but he did not speak to reporters.
Sutherland, 42, was interviewed by investigators, given a ticket, ordered to appear in court June 22 and released on his own recognizance. The minor charge is akin to a speeding ticket.
But the case could create another major legal hassle for Sutherland, who served 48 days in jail on a drunken-driving charge in California last year.
The designer, Jack McCollough of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, claims Sutherland attacked him after an argument, leaving him with a cut on his face. The incident happened about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Detectives were planning to question actress Brooke Shields as a witness because she was at the trendy SoHo nightspot SubMercer, in the basement of the Mercer Hotel, where the altercation took place. Drinks at the ultra-hip club cost around $15.
No decision has been made on whether the charge will affect Sutherland's probation for a drunken-driving conviction in Los Angeles, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Sutherland pleaded no contest to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was sentenced to 30 days, in addition to 18 days for violating probation in a 2004 drunken-driving arrest.
Representatives for Sutherland, Shields and McCollough did not return several calls seeking comment.
Sutherland, who plays dashing federal counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on "24," won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best actor, and has been nominated multiple times for his work on the wildly popular show. His gritty portrayal of the counterterrorism agent has made Bauer an iconic character.
The current season — the show's seventh — finds Bauer scrambling through Washington to save the world from its latest bad day. Sutherland also has signed on for an eighth season. The show airs on Mondays.
by the associated press
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