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Sandwich named after Seinfeld
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a sandwich named after him.

Contactmusic.com reports that the sandwich is known as Jerry Seinfeld's Comedy Special and is created by the New York City café Peanut Butter and Co. Its menu is almost entirely devoted to peanut butter. 

The sandwich consists of a toasted bagel, some peanut butter, a bit of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon. 

Seinfeld was present for the dedication and wrote a small forward for the café's cookbook. The sandwich, he wrote, helped him get through his early days when he was a struggling comic in the 1970s. 

He added that he has been a peanut butter nut since he was a kid.

Ford keeps politics private
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) Veteran actor Harrison Ford refrains from talking about his politics in public because he thinks it is uncouth for people to share their thoughts with people at large.

According to contactmusic.com, Ford was a Vietnam War conscientious objector. He is often asked on his opinion of the Iraq war and about George W. Bush, but he feels it is best to stay quiet on these topics.

He says: "I grew up in the mid-west. You don't ask what a person's religion is, you don't ask what their politics are, you don't ask how much money they make and I pretty much still have that attitude about it. It is none of anybody's business and I don't advantage anyone by telling them what my personal politics are... 

"The arguments are much too subtle to be entered in that way, to my mind. There are things that I think are happening in he world that are egregious mistakes but I am only operating out of my own box and I don't have any expertise. I am a voter... I have one vote, that is all I should have."

He also doesn't want people to think that since he opposed the Vietnam War he is a pacifist. "I was a conscientious objector in the Vietnam War, but I didn't have an option, that was just the way I felt."
 
Jackson finally feels he is movie star
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) Actor Samuel L. Jackson has finally come to terms with his status as a movie star after putting his hands in cement outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater.

According to contactmusic.com, Jackson's hand impressions will now be a permanent fixture at the Hollywood tourist attraction. He says: "You are putting your hands down and you can see the names of other people in front of you and around you as you are doing it. 

"It gave me a great sense of pride and speechlessness to know that I was right alongside Hollywood icons like James Cagney. Even more interesting than that, I think I am like the seventh African American to do it, so it's pretty important."

He adds: "I am always saying, 'I am not a movie star, I am an actor. I just happen to be an actor who is very popular.' But the hands and feet ceremony was one of the things you watched when you were growing up. The kind of people who were doing it represented what Hollywood was in the largeness of your popularity and Hollywood stardom. That is a more elite kind of club than the Academy Award club. It makes you admit to yourself, 'OK, maybe I am a movie star'."

McKellen slams homophobic Hollywood
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) Actor Sir Ian McKellen has attacked Hollywood's continuing homophobic attitude towards openly gay stars.

According to contactmusic.com, McKellen is one of the most high profile openly gay actors. He said the industry's old-fashioned ideologies make it extremely difficult for homosexual stars to come out. 

He praised the Oscar-nominated gay cowboy love story "Brokeback Mountain" for its gay theme, but insists Hollywood needs to examine its views on sexual equality and also learn from the more open-minded attitudes on Broadway in New York.

McKellen spoke at the Berlin Film Festival where he received a lifetime achievement award. He said: "The film industry is very old fashioned in California. It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor, who wants a film career, to be open about his sexuality. And, even more difficult for a woman if she is lesbian. It is very distressing to me that that should be the case. It is not true of actors on the other side of the American continent, on Broadway, where people are very at ease with being open and honest."
 
West's breakdown featured in new single
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) The new single "Touch The Sky" by Kanye West features a mini-nervous breakdown, which he suffered when he was a struggling musician. 

According to contactmusic.com, West raps about how he felt when his music was not selling. He said: "I had one nervous breakdown I talk about on 'Touch The Sky', when I busted out crying. My girlfriend and I were in a room together, listening to the first Lil' Kim CD, 'Hard Core' I would listen to Lil' Kim, then listen to my beat - another Lil' Kim song, then my beat."

He added: "It sounded like the same calibre to me, but I couldn't sell a f**king beat. And I just stood next to that stereo and busted out crying and shaking. I didn't have control of my emotions. It didn't make any sense. I was living in New York, 600 miles away from home, and had $300 in my bank account."
 

Love book sparks legal spat with father
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 13 (IANS) Singer Courtney Love's father Hank Harrison says he will sue his daughter if she alleges he gave her drugs as a baby in her upcoming autobiography "Dirty Blonde".

According to contactmusic.com, Harrison is angry that Love's claims of a mistreated childhood will appear in her forthcoming journals and will be published by Faber and Faber. He claims that his daughter could not have remembered what happened to her when she was three years old despite also admitting she has a photographic memory.

He says: "Courtney is a brilliant artist with a photographic memory and a mass of talent. She can also be a mean bitch - although I put a lot of that down to her mother. I have been told she was given a $1 million advance for her book. I know she has told other people I gave her drugs when she was three years old, which she cannot possibly remember and is absolutely untrue as I was an anti-drugs counsellor in the 1960s. But I fear what she might write now to make the book sell."

Gurinder Chadha traces roots in BBC series
By Prasun Sonwalkar, Indo-Asian News Service 

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Prominent filmmaker Gurinder Chadha will trace her roots in India in the forthcoming episode of the popular BBC series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" 

The series has featured prominent British individuals including the feisty BBC presenter-writer Jeremy Paxman.

During a two-week shoot for the episode, Chadha journeyed from Kenya to India and Pakistan, tracing her ancestors back 4,000 years to the plains where Alexander the Great fought one of his last battles.

Chadha was brought up in Southall, London, the daughter of a shopkeeper father who changed jobs several times.

Her father came to England from Kenya in 1961 but found he had to shave off his beard and remove his turban to become a postman. "Sikhism is in my heart, not my hair," he declared in the face of the hostility and racism he encountered.

Chadha, who now divides her life between London and Los Angeles, said: "As far as I was concerned, I always knew when to be Indian at home or English when with my friends or down the street.

"But when I go to India it makes me realise how English I am. To me it's a foreign land and I've never found a part of India that I feel I really belong to."

The episode featuring Chadha will be telecast on BBC2 Feb 15.
 
Freeman thrilled being Mandela's choice
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Actor Morgan Freeman was honoured when asked by former South African president Nelson Mandela to portray him in a film.

Freeman has been working on a new movie adaptation of the Mandela biography "Long Walk to Freedom", reported contactmusic.com. 

According to freeman, there was more to Mandela than most people realise.

"Well, he didn't ask for me, but when he was asked whom he would like to play the role, he did use my name, yeah. I met him on a number of occasions and I told him I was thrilled he wanted me to be him. 

"The first thing you notice about him is his dedication to his country and the depth of his character, his soul, and that he offers so much of himself. The negative side is the heaviest part, the sense of loss - his mom is dead, his children. Nobody knows this side of him," Freeman maintained.

Pearce's success led to stress
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Australian actor Guy Pearce blames his meteoric rise in Hollywood for causing his mental breakdown in 2001.

The 38-year old actor was exhausted after filming "Memento", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and "The Time Machine", according to contactmusic.com. He then began to isolate himself from the world.

He said: "I'd been working a lot and things gradually built up. It got to the point where I was only comfortable on my own. I hated everything and everyone - except my wife, of course. I kept thinking, 'God, I've got to do something about this. Maybe there's a whole load of s**t from my childhood that needs sorting out.'"

Pearce then returned to Australia and put himself through a programme of therapy and spent a month studying Buddhism in a remote wooden hut. 

He adds, "I needed a long lie-down. I just tried to sort myself out."
 

Clooney unsure of Oscar success
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Hollywood actor-director George Clooney has doubts if he would win any Oscars because his "Good Night, and Good Luck" may not surpass "Brokeback Mountain".

Clooney is up for awards for the Best Supporting Actor and Best Director for the film. "Good Night, and Good Luck" is also in the competition for the Best Picture and three other awards. 

"Brokeback Mountain" is up for eight awards.

Clooney said: "I don't think we are going to win any. There has been a lot of 'Brokeback Mountain' stuff, we should have made them cowboys."
 
Stone rebuffs cleavage display
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Actress Sharon Stone is disgusted by the generous display of cleavage on Hollywood's red carpets.

Stone, who appeared nude in such hits as "Basic Instinct" and "Sliver", believes other parts of the naked body are much sexier than breasts. She is surprised by the amount of attention given to breasts, according to contactmusic.com.

She said: "You look around at women's dresses that are so low cut, you can see acres of boobies. Frankly, I find the acres of shoved-up booby so much more horrifying than a calm bit of walking across the room nude."
 
Paltrow rejects blockbusters
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow has vowed never to star again in a big budget Hollywood movie, saying she would rather spend time with her family.

Paltrow, who is pregnant with her second child, is horrified by the film industry's passion for blockbusters. She insists that the gap between independent art house projects and studio blockbusters is widening uncontrollably, according to contactmusic.com

She said: "Hollywood films these days are just so bad. They used to be kind of good like 'Top Gun' or something, but now they're just terrible. So I can't imagine leaving my daughter for 14 hours and doing something like that. It's hard because I think the movie business is getting so polarised. 

"On the one hand, you've got these tiny little art house movies that are the kind of things artists want to do, but they don't pay you any money to be in them and nobody goes to see them. Then you have these horrible behemoth things on the other side that seem to be getting more extreme."
 

Lee blasts Mississippi flag
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 12 (IANS) Controversial filmmaker Spike Lee has appealed to Mississippi residents to change their state flag since he thinks it is offensive. 

Lee criticised the red, white and blue design during a speech at University of Mississippi's Black History Month celebration, contactmusic.com reported. 

He said the confederate part of the flag was a reminder of the negative side of the state, in particular the violent, racist activities of the Ku Klax Klan.

He said: "You've gotta do something about that flag. I know people say its representative of history. Well, so is the swastika. Start waving the swastika around and see what happens. I know the school has distanced itself from the flag and I commend you for that. I'm talking about the state flag."
 

Bono baffled with Grammy Win
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Rocker Bono is still surprised by the popularity of the song "Vertigo", because he believes the song had no right to be a hit.

Bono confessed that he felt he cheated the system at last year's Grammy award ceremony after winning the award for Best Rock Perfromance, according to contactmusic.com. He no longer makes any bets on who would win at the Grammys after winning the prize. 

He says: "I don't know how that (Vertigo) became a hit... To make that a hit, you need the weight of a giant corporation. A lot of people heard it through the ipod commercial... When you have got a guitar riff like that it's punk rock, they don't want to play it on the radio."
 
Doherty says he is not encouraging drug abuse
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Troubled rock star Pete Doherty has criticised reports that he got away lightly over drug possession charges, saying he poses no threat to society.

After many arrests for drug-related offences, Doherty was finally sentenced to a 12-month community order and a drug rehab programme, reported contactmusic.com. But he is angry at criticisms that he should be made an example. 

He said: "I am not selling drugs to anyone's children, I am not encouraging - and I never will encourage - anyone to take drugs." 

He admitted that it would be difficult for him to stay clean but also promised to try his best. 

"It's difficult but I would rather be outside with no smack than inside prison with no smack. I want to keep off crack and heroin," he added.
 
Lohan finds new love interest
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Singer Lindsay Lohan has found a new man in the form of singer and songwriter Ryan Adams.

Lohan, who was romantically linked with actor Jared Leto, has supposedly been quietly dating Adams for a month, according to In Touch magazine. 

A friend says: "She is spending all her free time with him. She has been staying at his Greenwich Village (New York) apartment almost every night. She thinks musicians are sexy and she is a fan of his music."
 
Freeman's film to hit theatres, cyberspace at same time
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Actor Morgan Freeman is all set to create history by making and starring in a feature film that will be released in theatres and on the Internet on the same day.

The movie titled "10 Items or Less" is the first film to be made by his production company ClickStar, according to contactmusic.com. 

Actress Paz Vega will co-star and director Brad Siberling will direct the venture. The movie will be released in theatres first and viewers would be able to download it from the ClickStar website by clicking "buy".

Freeman says: "This kid came up with Napster, and before that, none of us thought of content protection. The studios are not going to do it until someone proves it will work. So that's what we will do."
 
Accident brings Ledger and Williams closer
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) The stars of "Brokeback Mountain" - Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams - are crediting a sledding accident on the set of the movie for starting romance between them.

The two realised they had deep feelings for each other very early on after the accident brought them together, reported contactmusic.com. 

Williams says: "I look at this hill and it's enormous. I can't believe they are going to let us do it (sled) and not use stunt doubles. 

"I was screaming in pain. It was so embarrassing - they had to cut off my pants to see if my knee was broken. That was my first day of work - having my pants cut off and then being dragged down a hill (on a stretcher) behind a snowmobile," she adds.
 
Lee blasts hip-hop culture
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Spike Lee, the director of such acclaimed films as "Malcolm X", has criticised hip hop culture for making pimps and strippers role models for young blacks.

Lee made these comments during a question and answer session with students from the University of Mississippi, reported contactmusic.com. 

He said: "When I was growing up, I didn't know any guys who wanted to be a pimp. I didn't know any girls who wanted to be a stripper. We looked up to those who were smart. These days if you speak one sentence without being profane, then you are not black. 

"If you are not in the corner smoking a joint, drinking a 40, holding your privates, you are not ghetto, you are not from the streets, you are not gangster. Thinking like that, that's genocide. The infatuation with being a gangster is madness."
 
West thinks he should be in the Bible
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Arrogant rapper Kanye West thinks he should be a character in the Bible and is calling for a revised edition of the Bible.

West won three Grammy awards and feels he would be a groit (West African storyteller) in a modern Bible, according to contactmusic.com. 

He says: "I bring up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them. I am an inspirational speaker. I changed the sound of music more than one time...For all those reasons, I'd be a part of the Bible. I am definitely in the history books already."
 
Stefani blames pregnancy for poor performances
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 11 (IANS) Singer Gwen Stefani feels she was cheating fans with her less than good performances on her recent tour because of her pregnancy.

Stefani was five months pregnant when she performed her last show and she knew she wasn't performing her best, according to contactmusic.com. 

She said: "All I could think of was being on the tour and being pregnant but not being able to tell everyone and not really feeling like myself. 

"I found out I was pregnant right before I went on tour and I was like, 'No, I have nine costume changes and high heels and bathings suits.' I just wanted to say, 'You don't understand, I am really sick, and wanting to be like, `You guys, you don't understand...' I was four-and-a-half months pregnant the last show. It was a little bit ridiculous," she said.

She confessed that she was nervous about becoming a mom for the first time.

"I don't know what it's gonna be like to be a mom, so I have to figure that part out," she said.
 

Leicester attracting Indian film industry
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 10 (IANS) The unassuming town of Leicester in Britain with a large number of Gujarat-origin residents is fast becoming a focus for the Indian film industry for shooting, distribution and post-production.

Authorities in the East Midlands town and the University of Leicester have undertaken several projects to promote the region as a destination for the Indian film industry.

One of the recent films shot in Leicester was actor John Abraham's first film, "Is Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon".

Now Dipesh Majithia, a local film promoter who opened a Raj Kapoor-themed restaurant recently, has secured the British distribution rights of "Fight Club", a new film produced by Salman Khan and Sohail Khan Productions.

Majithia has organised a premiere for the film when leading actors, including Dino Morea, Suniel Shetty and Dia Mirza, will be present. The film will be released in Britain Feb 17, with premieres planned in Feltham, Birmingham and Leicester.

The move will strengthen Leicester's credentials as the Bollywood capital of Britain. The East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) funded the Leicester: European Capital for Indian Cinema project to explore partnerships that organisations in Leicester and the East Midlands region could forge with India's film and creative industries.

Research carried out at the University of Leicester, where the first Bollywood film was shot in the East Midlands, has highlighted the potential of the city and region to cater for Bollywood.

Dipesh said: "This is a thrilling opportunity to watch a much-awaited Bollywood film and to meet with the stars themselves. It will place Leicester firmly on the Bollywood map as a city where films are loved and promoted. 

"Indian films have done very well in Britain - in many instances exceeding box office takings in India and have climbed into the UK top 10 on many occasions. 

"'Fight Club' is a lavish musical extravaganza with action and romance and has an all star cast so expectations are high that it will do well at the box-office."

Other stars in the film include Zayed Khan, Rahul Dev, Ritiesh Deshmukh, Aashish Choudhary, Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora and Neha Dhupia.
  

Jackson shows support for Tamahori
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 10 (IANS) Oscar nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson has become the latest celebrity to show support for the disgraced director Lee Tamahori.

Tamahori was arrested for posing as a drag prostitute in Los Angeles last month, contactmusic.com reported.

Jackson had worked with Tamahori on "XXX: State of the Union" and says that the scandal will do nothing to lessen his position as a top director. 

Jackson says, "Nobody got hurt and that's the important thing. Guys are guys and people are people. If 'Brokeback Mountain' can be the best movie of the year then that means Lee can continue to direct as long as he wants to."

Coretta Scott King was Roberts' godmother
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 10 (IANS) Coretta Scott King, the late civil rights leader and wife of Rev. Martin Luther King, had helped pay for the hospital bills at the birth of actress Julia Roberts, it has been revealed.

According to contactmusic.com, Coretta, who died Jan 31 after suffering from ovarian cancer, took the secret that she paid for the bills of Roberts' parents to the grave. 

The incident happened in 1967 after King became friends with Roberts' parents when they agreed to give Roberts drama lessons.

A family source says King rushed to help the family when she heard about the labour and insisted that she pay for the bills as a way of saying thank you for the family's kindness towards black children in Atlanta. 

A family friend says: "Julia was touched and surprised when she found out. Coretta is one of the reasons Julia uses her millions to help charities working with young children projects to save the environment."
 

Oldman might be axed from Potter movie
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 10 (IANS) Actor Gary Oldman is unlikely to return to the Harry Potter series after reports that he has been surprisingly axed.

Oldman, who plays Sirius Blackin in the series, has yet to sign on for a third film even though filming for the next one - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" - has already begun, contactmusic.com reported.

The actor's manager says: "You will be shocked to learn there are no plans for Gary to appear in the film. To say we are puzzled is an understatement at the very least! We are left with no choice but to pursue other employment for him."

The spokesperson for the studio, Vanessa Davis, says: "With any film the priority is confirming the cast who will be on the set from the outset."
 

Jay-Z might make comeback
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 10 (IANS) Rapper Jay-Z, who had announced his retirement when he became president of Def Jam records, is rumoured to want to make a comeback.

According to pagesix.com, an insider for the Grammys says, "The big gossip of the Grammys is about Jay-Z. After saying he was going to retire when he became president of Def Jam so he wouldn't compete with other artists on his label, he has a record coming out in June. 

"To make matters worse, Dr. Dre is producing the record, which is huge because Dre hasn't produced an album in years. Dre is on rival label Interscope, and while Def Jam and Interscope are both under the Universal umbrella, people have their noses out of joint. This album will be huge. His ego is so big he can't not release an album. He is a president of a label and should not be doing this."
 
Spears says she made a mistake
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 10 (IANS) Pop singer Britney Spears has defended her decision to drive through heavy Malibu traffic with her baby son on her lap but also accepts that she made a mistake.

Spears drew criticism from family groups when she drove away from photographers with her son Sean Preston sitting on her lap. She insists she had to speed away for her safety, according to contactmusic.com.

She says, "It is what it is... I made a mistake. Being put in the situation that I was in it was kinda bad, with the paparazzi." She adds, "Last week my mom (and I), we went out and they just kind of were really on us bad, so you do instinctively what you need to do."
  

Beyonce embarrassed with dictionary reference
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) Singer Beyonce is horrified she created the term 'bootylicious', which is now in the dictionary.

According to contactmusic.com, she wrote the song about big behinds but is now embarrassed that the phrase has caught on to become such a worldwide sensation. 

She says: "I am not very proud of that. It is in the dictionary - it's crazy. I wrote the song, but I wish there was another word I could have come up with if I was going to have a word in the dictionary. I don't know what it says (officially) in the dictionary, but my definition (of bootylicious) is beautiful, bountiful and bounce-able."

Holmes might be stay-at-home mom
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) Actress Katie Holmes, who is pregnant with Tom Cruise's baby, might be a stay-at-home mom.

According to newsweek.com, Cruise reportedly wants Holmes to focus on being a wife and a mother and not her career. He also wants her to avoid the spotlight for a while. 

Cruise told a friend, "I have got Katie tucked away so no one will get to us until my child is born and until I want them to."

Cruise also doesn't want a repeat of his marriage to Nicole Kidman. They adopted two children and also took care of their careers. 

He added: "I said (Katie's) life from now on was going to be about being a mother. I am not giving her the chance to turn into another Nicole." 
 
Jackson song rumours dismissed by Vatican
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) Pop singer Michael Jackson's supposed role in the musical release of the late pope John Paul's prayers has been downplayed by the Vatican.

According to contactmusic.com, Vatican officials are insisting they only wanted to include Jackson's vocals. Jackson was reported to have agreed to set the 24 prayers and chants to music. But the Millennium Music Society's Father Giuseppe Moscati is now saying that Jackson will be excluded from the project because of the child abuse trial last year even though he was found innocent.

He says: "It would be very difficult for the Vatican to accept the project. Although he has been absolved by the courts - Jackson's image cannot be put alongside that of the pope. At this point, I am hoping to find a producer, a serious professional, in the United States who would want to join the project and who has contacts with professional singers."
 
Moby slams Bush
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) Musician Moby has slammed US President George W. Bush for abandoning the country's youth in favour of funding further military action.

According to contactmusic.com, Moby is upset by Bush's decision to cut spending on education and health funds in favour of military improvements and is determined to draw attention to Bush's spending habits.

He says: "Have you looked at Bush's proposed budget? It's a mess - increases go to defence and military procurement. Just about everything else is cut. $10 billion cut from child services and health. Billions cut from education."

Samuel reveals Oscar voting secret
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 9 (IANS) Actor Samuel L. Jackson has revealed a secret about his voting for the Academy Awards.

According to pagesix.com, Jackson was speaking to Fox News' Bill McCuddy while promoting "Freedomland". He admits his wife as well as his servants helps in the voting. He says that's the way it is with most of the tallies in Hollywood. 

He said: "The maid has watched them (the nominees), the cook's probably watched a lot of them, the nanny has too. And they go by and put their check marks down on the ballot because they know you are not going to do it. And then the assistant goes by - 'Oh, it's time for the ballot to go in. Oh, he hasn't filled this in. (Checking boxes) I like this, I like this,' and they send it in."

When pressed further on how exactly it is done in Samuel's house he said: "I generally go down the ballot and look and see if any of my friends are nominated and I vote for them. Then I leave the ballot there for my wife to vote for all the other films that she watched that I knew I wasn't gonna watch - like the chick flicks or the flicks that I thought were gonna put me to sleep. I trust her opinion. And then we send the ballot in."
 
McAdams backed out of naked shoot
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 9 (IANS) Actress Rachel McAdams got too nervous when she showed up to pose naked for a new Vanity Fair photospread.

According to hollywood.com, McAdams' nervousness cost her a spot on the cover. She was invited to pose naked with British actress Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson but pulled out at the last minute. The issue's artistic director was designer Tom Ford. 

Ford says: "She felt that she'd be fine with it and then she got there and she realised that she really wasn't, and that was fine... She just asked if she could be excluded from the cover." 

He adds: "I said to them, 'When you are 70 you are gonna look back and say, 'Thank god for this picture - look how amazing I was'."
 
Irons blames manners for marriage failure
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) British actor Jeremy Irons blames English etiquette for his failed marriage with Julie Hallam, saying he went through the ceremony only because he did not want to "appear rude".

According to contactmusic.com, Irons married Hallam in 1969, but their marriage was annulled later in the same year. He is now with Sinead Cusack and they are celebrating their 28th year of marriage.

Speaking of Hallam he says: "Oh, she was lovely but we shouldn't have got married. I think I was trying to please her mother. I got married because I didn't want to appear rude."
 
Holloway stole to survive
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 9 (IANS) "Lost" star Josh Holloway stole food and scammed free rides on trains just to survive while waiting for his big break.

According to contactmusic.com, Holloway moved to Europe at the start of his career and had to endure some very difficult years.

He says: "I was starving actually for the first couple of years. I was stealing food and jumping trains in Italy. I travelled all over Europe but I ended up living in Bologna and speaking only Italian. It was very strange."

Holloway lived in Europe for around three years and gained success only as a model before he returned to the States. He adds: "I came back to New York before going to LA. I didn't know what to do, so I tried acting."
 
'Godzilla' composer Akira Ifukube dies at 91
Indo-Asian News Service

Tokyo, Feb 9 (DPA) The "Godzilla" theme composer Akira Ifukube died Wednesday night in Tokyo of multiple organ failure. He was 91.

Ifukube, best known for his music for "Godzilla" (1954), was self-taught in music composition and wrote screen music from the 1950s. His more than 300 works include "Gembaku no ko" (Children of Hiroshima) in 1952 and Daimajin series starting in 1966.

Born in Hokkaido, Ifukube graduated from Hokkaido University. He served as the president of the Tokyo College of Music between 1976 and 1987.

Ifukube received a Person of Cultural Merit, one of Japan's highest honours, in 2003.
 
U2 dominates Grammy music awards
DPA

Los Angeles, Feb 9 (DPA) Irish super rock group U2 picked up a leading five trophies, including album of the year for "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", at the Grammy music awards here.

U2's other wins Wednesday night included song of the year and best rock performance for "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own", best rock album for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and best rock song for "City of Blinding Lights".

"Being in a rock band is like running away with the circus except you always think you're gonna be the ringmaster," said U2 frontman Bono. "You don't expect that on more than a few occasions you may look like the clown, the freak."

Punk group Green Day walked off with the coveted record of the year prize for their song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" while John Legend, who had eight nominations, was named best new artist of the year and also snagged best R&B album for his platinum debut, "Get Lifted".

Soul diva Mariah Carey set the early pace at Wednesday's Grammy awards at the ceremony at Los Angeles' Staples Center as she picked up three honours, her first win in the prestigious award in 16 years. 

In the pre-telecast ceremony, Carey won best contemporary R&B album for "The Emancipation of Mimi", best R&B song for "We Belong Together" and best female R&B vocal performance for the same tune.

Soul legend Stevie Wonder won the award for best male pop vocalist, with Kelly Clarkson winning the corresponding female category and best pop vocal album.

Kanye West won two prizes in the rap categories, for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and "Gold Digger"; and Alison Krauss & Union Station won for country collaboration with vocals and for country instrumental.

Other winners included Damian Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob, who won best reggae album and best urban/alternative performance for "Welcome to Jamrock", his breakout album and hit of the same name.

Bruce Springsteen won for best rock vocal performance for "Devils and Dust" and 90-year-old guitar legend Les Paul won the Grammy for best pop instrumental performance. Other veterans in the limelight were Burt Bacharach who won a Grammy for best pop instrumental album and Tony Bennett who won best traditional pop album. 

The Grammy's are regarded as the most prestigious music awards in the US music world and winning one of the major categories can significantly boost record sales.

The ceremony also contained political references. At the end of his performance Bruce Springsteen said "Bring 'em home" in reference to the troops in Iraq. Bacharach also talked about the motivation for his political album "At This Time".

"I never like to be lied to by a girlfriend or agent and certainly not the president of the United States," he said.

The ceremony also honoured seminal British rockers David Bowie and Eric Clapton with Lifetime Achievement Awards along with country icon Merle Haggard, late bluesman Robert Johnson and late comedy innovator Richard Pryor.

The line up featured a joint performance by Madonna and the virtual band the Gorillaz and intriguing collaborations matching Mary J. Blige with U2, Keith Urban with Faith Hill, Jamie Foxx and Kanye West, and Christina Aguilera and Herbie Hancock.

Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Sugarland and Ciara were also on the show-bill, while the list of presenters included Destiny's Child, James Taylor, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Matt Dillon, Tom Hanks, Terrence Howard, Queen Latifah, and Ludacris.

Indo-Asian News Service

Indian entries don't win Grammy
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 9 (IANS) Indian hopes were dashed at this year's Grammy with none of the three contenders - Asha Bhosle, Anoushka Shanakar and Lama Tashi - winning an award.

The 48th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Wednesday night saw popular Irish rock band U2 walking off with five awards, including album of the year for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb".

Veteran Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle and sitarist Anoushka Shankar had been pitched against each other in the best contemporary world music album category. 

Anoushka Shankar's "Rise" and Asha Bhosle's collaborative album "You've Stolen My Heart" with "Kronos Quartet", featuring songs of her late husband and music composer R.D. Burman, were entered in the contemporary world music section. 

Lama Tashi, a 38-year-old Buddhist Monk from Arunachal Pradesh who was nominated in the spiritual music category, also lost out. His album "Tibetan Musical Chants" had been shortlisted.

However, Anoushka had some reason to cheer as she became the first Indian ever to perform at the awards.
 
Carey prepared for breakdown reports
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 8 (IANS) Pop star Mariah Carey sat down for seven and a half hours straight and read every press clipping about her nervous breakdown.

According to contactmusic.com, Carey knew exactly what was being said about her. Carey took a few days off in 2001 after a torturous schedule. The media then reported that she suffered a nervous breakdown. 

She says: "They all said I'd had a nervous breakdown, but people don't recover from a nervous breakdown three days later. Any time you say 'breakdown' people are going to think you went crazy. I was physically exhausted - I was physically depleted to the point of collapsing."

Ford and Bettany clash over character name
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 8 (IANS) Actors Harrison Ford and Paul Bettany clashed on the set of "Firewall" because Bettany wanted to change his character's embarrassing name - Bill Cox.

According to contactmusic.com, Bettany pleaded to change his name to something more ordinary but Ford disagreed and demanded it to be left as it was. 

Bettany says: "I thought we should change it and he thought I was being childish and immature. But I have been proven right. It's become a real problem for me when I am publicising the movie because people inevitably ask the question, 'Do you have to like the villain to play him?' And my answer is going to employ the words 'I like Cox' at some point and that is difficult for me."
 
Gilliam enraged with movie treatment
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 8 (IANS) Acclaimed director Terry Gilliam is enraged with the Weinstein brothers over the treatment meted out to his 2005 movie "The Brothers Grimm".

According to pagesix.com, the movie was one of the last to be released under the leadership of Harvey and Bob Weinstein of Miramax. Gilliam was shocked to find that with just a month to go before its release, Miramax had still not come out with a release campaign. 

He said: "Miramax was a big organisation and things would happen very quickly. But by the time 'Grimm' was released, the backup had all gone. The company bosses would snap their fingers and nothing would happen. They (the Weinsteins) seemed to be trapped in their own exit. They walked away with a lot in their pockets, but many films were abandoned. That's disgraceful. I hope Bob and Harvey are spending their pocket money happily."

But the film did not receive much critical acclaim and performed modestly at the box office. Gilliam added: "All I can say is, we made some noise. The film is at $103 million at the moment, so we are not a flop. It just didn't do what it should have done. In almost every country in the world where the Weinsteins or Disney is not involved, it opened at number one. That is the irony."
 

Alba tops Playboy sex list
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 8 (IANS) Actress Jessica Alba has topped a new list of sexy stars, which has earned her a Playboy magazine cover.

According to contactmusic.com, Alba joins the likes of Jamie Pressly, Jenny McCarthy, Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Eva Longoria and Paris Hilton on the magazine's new 25 Sexiest Celebrities list.

Alba appears on the cover as 'Sex Star of the Year' but others are featured in varying states of undress inside the issue. 

Other women appearing in the magazine are Mariah Carey, Ziyi Zhang, Beyonce, Carmen Electra, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston.
 

Ruffalo investigated for assaulting photographers
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 8 (IANS) Police officials in California are investigating actor Mark Ruffalo after allegations that he assaulted photographers at his friend Chris Penn's funeral.

According to hollywood.com, Ruffalo and Chris Penn's brother Sean Penn were allegedly involved in a spat with a photographer outside the Holy Cross Cemetery and Mortuary. Ruffalo supposedly seized the photographer's video card out of his camera and refused to give it back. 

An official in the Culver City Police Department said his department has taken note that the photographer was on private property without permission. No charges have been filed yet.
 
Diana crash caused by laser beam?
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 8 (IANS) The crash that killed Diana, princess of Wales, and her lover Dodi Fayed was supposedly caused by a laser beam flashed into the eyes of the driver.

Contactmusic.com reports that the witnesses have told British detectives that they saw a motorcyclist point a laser into the eyes of chauffeur Henri Paul, which caused the Mercedes to crash inside the Pont De L'Alma tunnel in Paris, France.

One witness said he saw "an enormous radar-like flash of light". This new evidence supports the theories Diana, Al Fayed and Paul were assassinated by the British Secret Service on behalf of Britain's royal family. 

The laser beam plot came into focus when French medics from the hospital where Diana died claimed that she was pregnant at the time of the crash. Theories abound that Diana and her lover were killed to avoid embarrassment at her having a Muslim child. 
 
US celebrity detective indicted for racketeering
DPA

Los Angeles, Feb 7 (DPA) Celebrity private detective Anthony Pellicano has been indicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges stemming from his alleged attempts to obtain confidential information about stars like Sylvester Stallone.

Pellicano, who was charged together with an ex-Los Angeles police officer and five others, pleaded not guilty Monday. Trial was set for April 4, the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to prosecutors, the group wire-tapped Stallone and accessed confidential police records for prominent people and celebrities, including comedians Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon, New York Times reporter Bernard Weinraub and former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch.

Pellicano, 61, has worked for a galaxy of Hollywood stars, such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Stallone. High-profile lawyers and agents also have enlisted Pellicano's services, the 60-page indictment said.

"Defendant Pellicano was responsible for securing clients who were willing and able to pay large sums for the purpose of obtaining personal information of a confidential, embarrassing, or incriminating nature regarding other individuals, including opponents or witnesses in criminal or civil litigation who became the enterprise's investigative charges," the indictment alleged.

Indo-Asian News Service

 
Madsen surprised Ford with screen kiss
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) "Sideways" star Virginia Madsen was so desperate to kiss actor Harrison Ford in the new movie "Firewall' that she smooched him on the first day of filming itself.

According to contactmusic.com, Madsen was handpicked by Ford himself to his play his wife in the movie. She wasted no time in letting him know how grateful she was and also just how much she liked him.

She says: "I kind of snuck the kiss in there; he didn't know that I was gonna do it. It was my first day on the set. I thought I'd just go for it." 

Director Richard Loncraine liked the spontaneous kissing scene and kept it in the movie. But neither he nor Ford agreed to put in more passion in the movie as Madsen insisted.

She adds: "I demanded deeper kissing but they wouldn't go for that. I just thought we don't have an opportunity to embrace in this movie and I wanted to see a marriage. I didn't want to just be the screen wife in the background."
 
Moore stands by disgraced Tamahori
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) Actress Julianne Moore is standing by director Lee Tamahori after he was arrested for posing as a drag prostitute in Los Angeles last month.

According to contactmusic.com, Moore is set to work with Tamahori in "Next" and says she will not pull out of the movie because of the scandal. She says: "I feel bad for him. I think the experience was probably pretty upsetting and humiliating and he's been very, very brave about it." 

The former "James Bond" director was caught in Los Angeles after he solicited an undercover cop while dressed as a woman. He was arrested in Hollywood when he approached the cop who was in his car, entered the vehicle and offered to perform a sex act for money.
 

Basinger-Baldwin battle continues
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 7 (IANS) It was torture to be married to Kim Basinger, says Alec Baldwin according to the latest court papers.

According to pagesix.com, the couple is preparing to go back to court later this year to re-evaluate the custody of their 11-year-old daughter Ireland. A friend of Baldwin says: "Alec is extremely frustrated by the seemingly never-ending efforts by his ex-wife to make life as difficult for him as possible". 

Basinger, who has custody, recently fired a state appointed therapist who kept deciding custody disputes in favour of Baldwin. 

The therapist said he had never seen a case before where a mother denied requests for visits changes from the father. Basinger had also scheduled Ireland's baptism while Baldwin was working in Europe. Since there were no other friends around, she made the gardener and housekeeper the godparents of the child.

Police official blames 'CSI' for better murders
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) Hit TV show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is under attack from a top Los Angeles detective, who says it is giving criminals tips on how to avoid getting caught.

According to contactmusic.com, Capt. Ray Peavy, who heads the Los Angeles Police Department's murder division, admits there are fewer clues at crime scenes these days. He blames the TV show for making better killers out of ordinary people. 

He says murderers are now using bleach to destroy evidence, covering car sets with blankets to reduce the risk of blood stains and even removing bullet shell casings from murder scenes. He claims all these tips have been picked up by killers from the show.

He says: "They are actually educating potential killers. Sometimes I believe it may even encourage them when they see how simple it is to get away with it on television."

Gyllenhaal might join 'Batman'
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) Star of "Brokeback Mountain" Jake Gyllenhaal will reportedly star as district attorney Harvey Dent of Gotham City in the next "Batman" sequel.

According to contactmusic.com, Gyllenhall will play the good lawyer who transforms into his alter ego, Two-Face, in the third film and Paul Bettany might join in as the Joker. Batman teams up with Harvey Dent to destroy the joker in the sequel. The Oscar winning actor Tommy Lee Jones had earlier played Harvey Dent in "Batman And Robin".

Director Chris Nolan will return along with Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine for the sequel.
 

Pitt turns down a million dollars
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) Actor Brad Pitt has turned down $1 million from a British firm to appear at a German film awards ceremony because he did not like the sponsor. 

According to ananova.com, the organisers of the Golden Camera Film Awards in Berlin confirmed that a British firm agreed to step in at the last minute after Pitt demanded the charity donation. Pitt told the organisers that the money be given to his fiancée Angelina Jolie's foundation for orphan children. But he pulled out at the last minute because he did not like the British sponsor.

Spokesperson for Golden Camera, Beate Wedekind, confirmed the story and said: "It is all completely true, but I cannot comment on it any more than that. I cannot say who the sponsor was, as it is confidential." 

She added that everyone at the event was disappointed that Pitt refused to turn up especially since he had agreed to attend it if the money was agreed upon.

Personal spokesperson for Pitt, Cindy Guagenti, said: "Brad Pitt was in Berlin before and after the award ceremony as part of a personal business trip. I do not want to say any more about it."

John blames marriage for musical failure
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 7 (IANS) Sir Elton John blames the pressure of his wedding celebrations and the hectic Las Vegas schedule for the dramatic failure of his musical "Lestat".

According to contactmusic.com, John entered into a civil partnership with his long-term love David Furnish in December. He acknowledged that his recent working style had not been very good. 

He says: "It is frustrating that I can't get there more often. I haven't been as helpful as I could be. But when the show is in New York, I'll be on the East Coast working in Atlanta, so I'll be popping in and out. Any excuse to come to New York!"

East Europe is new Mecca for movie business
DPA

Bucharest, Feb 7 (DPA) A winning combination of scenic locales, low costs and budding filmmakers has turned around the moribund movie business in central and eastern Europe which has emerged as the new global production location.

The movie industry across the region was almost wiped out by the collapse of communism 16 years ago. With state finances drying up and faced with a deluge of Hollywood films, the industry battled to find a new footing. 

But now an almost unlimited range of locations and low costs has helped to turn the region into one of the most favoured destinations for the global movie business. European Union membership has also reshaped financing of filmmaking.

With labour costs in Romania, for example, about 80 percent of what they are in many nations, the movie business' relentless search for cheaper production sites means that it has been zeroing in on these countries in recent years.

As a result, this has turned parts of the region into backdrops for films ranging from World War II action dramas, through to the American Civil War, Dickensian England and 1970s Germany.

Renowned Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola has recently been filming his new movie "Youth Without Youth" in both Romania and Bulgaria. And America's king of creep David Lynch has been on location in Poland to shoot his latest movie, "Inland Empire".

Once a showcase for films from this region during the communist era, the Berlin Film Festival has in recent years also helped to charter the renaissance of movie making in countries such as Russia, Hungary, Romania and Poland.

This year's festival, one of the most prestigious events on the international movie calendar, will show the first Bosnia-Herzegovina movie to be competing at a major film festival.

The movie, "Grbavica" - called after a settlement in Sarajevo which was occupied by Bosnian Serb forces in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina - illustrates the suffering of a Bosnian Muslim woman who gives birth to a child after being raped by a Serb soldier.

"When I first met a group of young girls from eastern Bosnia, 14- and 15-year-olds, and when I heard what happened to them, I was so shocked and afraid," said Jasmila Zbanic, the film's director. 

Also included in this year's line up of festival films from these states are Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu's "Legaturi bolnavicioase" (Love Sick), which is a coming-to-age story about three young people.

Famed Polish director Feliks Falk's "Komornik" (The Collector), which tells the story of a debt collector, has also been selected for the festival as also Latvian director Laila Pakalnina's short film "Udens" (Water).

Leading Polish cinematographer Janusz Kaminski has been selected to join this year's Berlinale jury. A two-time Oscar-winner, Kaminski's list of credits includes "Schindler's List", "Amistad", "Saving Private Ryan" and "War of the Worlds". He also did the camerawork on Steven Spielberg's latest work, "Munich".

However, one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Eastern European cinema has been in Russia where the industry struggled to survive the nation's transition to a market economy and to establish a new role in the Hollywood-driven post-Soviet cinematic revolution.

But now as a new sense of prosperity takes hold, millions of Russians have been filing into cinemas across the country to see their homegrown blockbusters. In 2005, box office returns for Russia and Ukraine were $349 million, of which $100 million came from Russian films.

Indo-Asian News Service

Rare Beatles images recovered
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) A huge collection of unseen photographs of The Beatles has been discovered on the set of their 1965 movie "Help".

Contactmusic.com reports that 500 images, which have been published in the new book "Now These Days Are Gone", were found at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Photographer Michael Peto bequeathed the entire archive to the institution after his death in 1970.

Editor Robbie Elson says: "The pictures are so extraordinary because of the access. You just wouldn't get such unstaged and candid pictures of pop stars these days. Unfortunately, a lot of these pictures are a mystery, Michael Peto was not an archivist and left us very little information with his work. 

"I found it almost impossible to believe that someone took all these pictures of the biggest band in history and did not mention them to anyone. We think Peto was commissioned by a paper but no one ever printed them. The mystery remains."
  

Crow bounces back from breakup for charity
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) Heartbroken rocker Sheryl Crow has bounced back from her broken engagement to cyclist Lance Armstrong to model for a charity fashion show.

Contactmusic.com reports that Crow joined other singers like LeAnn Rimes, Lindsay Lohan, Lee Ann Womack, Christina Milian and the band The Black Eyed Peas at the Red Dress Collection show at New York Fashion Week, which was organised by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
 
Jackson in Neverland pay dispute
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) Pop superstar Michael Jackson is embroiled in a pay dispute after his staff at Neverland ranch alleged he hasn't been paying their wages.

According to contactmusic.com, the workers claim Jackson, who now lives in Bahrain, owes them around six weeks' salary. 

Chef Rudy Lozano, who has to now work at a fast-food stall after hours to support his family, says: "A lot of people have been struggling to make ends meet. There are 180 families with incomes depending on the ranch." 

Jackson's child abuse case last year revealed he had run up a debt of $265 million.
 
Fiennes branded cheat by Romanian singer
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) British actor Ralph Fiennes has been branded a "cheat" by Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan who claims he has been having a two-year affair with her behind the back of his long-term love Francesca Annis.

According to contactmusic.com, Fiennes and Annis, who have been together for almost a decade, have been regarded as one of the closest couples in Hollywood. Crisan claims Fiennes has been using her to alleviate his loneliness and sexual frustration. 

She says: "He wanted me to be there for him whenever he needed to talk, wanted a cuddle or to make love. Twice he told me he loved me... He was already with someone. He was a cheat."

Fiennes allegedly left a message a few weeks ago saying, "I want some physical contact. I might be able to see you. I may come to London in the next couple of weeks."

 
Stars contribute to Clinton's campaign
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) Hollywood stars, including Paul Newman, Reese Witherspoon and Nancy Sinatra, have contributed thousands of dollars to US Senator Hillary Clinton's political campaign.

According to contactmusic.com, Hillary, wife of ex-US president Bill Clinton, is fundraising for the Democratic Party and plans to use approximately $17.1 million for a presidential bid. 

Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward both donated $2,000, Reese Witherspoon gave $1,000 along with Edie Falco and Danny Devito. Talk show host Jerry Springer gave the most with $4,200 while Nancy Sinatra gave a modest $200.

 
Hoffman sees Capote's romantic turmoil
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) Philip Seymour Hoffman, the star of "Capote", believes late author Truman Capote's personal feelings towards Kansas prisoner Perry Smith extended to romantic depths.

According to contactmusic.com, Capote had developed a connection with the prisoner in 1959 during extensive interviews that he used for his book "In Cold Blood".

Hoffman, who received an Oscar nomination for the role, says: "I think Truman was personally genuinely attracted and genuinely smitten with Perry Smith. I think he was in love with him. And the tragedy is that the ambition was burning him up from inside about the need to have his man die in order for the book to be complete."
 
Knightley danced for thugs
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) British actress Keira Knightley was horrified after filming her sexy lapdance in "Domino" because the street gang her character was trying to disarm was made up of real-life thugs.

According to contactmusic.com, Knightley had no idea she was gyrating in front of real-life criminals, which included the violent gangster Eddie Hernandez. She said: "All of them acted like gentlemen. But it was bl**dy frightening afterwards." 

However, director Tony Scott was convinced that most actors would be too good looking to play the parts.

He said: "You can't find faces like that in Hollywood."

 
Elton John defends show
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 6 (IANS) Rocker Elton John has come to the defence of his critically mauled musical "Lestat" but admitted the show needs "a lot of work".

According to contactmusic.com, the show received bad reviews in San Francisco but John still seems optimistic that the show will be a success by the time it reaches Broadway. 

He says: "We have a lot of work to do, I am not going to deny that. There are problems in the first act, we are going to have a new beginning and a new ending and some minor characters are going to bite the dust. We certainly ran into problems in San Francisco. But I think we can sort them out. It is a f***ing painstaking process, but I am confident we can do it. 

He also admits he was upset by certain reviews. 

He says: "I did read one review that said I have obviously been watching 'The Phantom Of The Opera, 'Les Miserables' and 'Jekyll And Hyde'. Well, thank you very much. I nearly killed myself. Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?"
 
Horror provides top distraction from American football
DPA

Los Angeles, Feb 6 (DPA) The remake of a contrived 1970s horror film was the top money-maker at North American box offices on a weekend when cinemas are largely forgotten amid the hype of the Super Bowl championship of American football.

"A Stranger Calls" grossed $22 million in its debut for the three-day weekend, according to preliminary studio estimates released Sunday.

The film portrays a baby-sitter harassed by an anonymous telephone caller, leading up to a purported surprise when police eventually trace the calls to their origin.

Last weekend's top film and runner up, the Martin Lawrence sequel "Big Momma's House 2" and the Emma Thompson vehicle "Nanny McPhee", fell to second and third place respectively, with Friday to Sunday revenues of $13.4 million and $9.9 million. Both comedies debuted last week.

In its ninth weekend in theatres, the controversial gay cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain" lassoed $5.7 million. The film's total revenue is now nearly $60 million.

Fifth place went to the animated "Hoodwinked", a rendition of the well-worn tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" with $5.3 million, in its fourth week. Actresses Glenn Close and Anne Hathaway provide the major voices for the film.

The rest of the top 10 films were: monster-action movie "Underworld" in sixth place with $5.1 million in its third week, interracial romantic comedy "Something New" debuting in seventh place with $5 million, boxing drama "Annapolis" in eighth place with $3.5 million in its second week, Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" in ninth place with $3.4 million in its 12th week, and the true story "Glory Road" about a pioneering all-black basketball team in 10th place with $3 million in its fourth week.
 
Indo-Asian News Service

 
Pearce doesn't want to be Cruise
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Australian actor Guy Pearce says he doesn't want to reach the level of fame like Tom Cruise because he wants to keep his private life out of the spotlight.

According to contactmusic.com, Pearce finds being in the public eye uncomfortable and is puzzled why Cruise would encourage the media to mob him. 

He says: "The natural assumption that, as an actor, you want to become Tom Cruise just doesn't make any sense to me at all. There is a part of me that is very private, and I really struggle with feeling self-conscious."
 
Aniston has baby plans
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Actress Jennifer Aniston says she wants to have children next year.

According to ananova.com, Aniston is reportedly dating actor Vince Vaughn after she divorced Brad Pitt. 

She said: "I hope to be on the road to having a family in the next year. I have said this before, but I just like being in a partnership. Ideally, I'd like to have a couple of children, but who knows. That is part of the unknown that I like."

She also wants to become a film producer. 

"I want to produce this movie I fell in love with. I don't want to say the name because I don't want to jinx it. I haven't felt this excited and passionate in a long time. The movie is already in the works, and hopefully we'll get it made some time this year."
 
Ledger leaving Australia for good
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Australian actor Heath Ledger has decided to leave his country for good after paparazzi squirted him with water pistols during the premiere of "Brokeback Mountain".

According to Contactmusic.com, Ledger has a home in Brooklyn, New York, and in Bronte, a suburb of Sydney. He has decided that New York is the best place for him to settle down with his girlfriend Michelle Williams and their daughter.

He says: "Bronte is scaring me. I don't feel like living there any more. It is a shame, because I obviously love it. You don't want to go with your wife and kids down to the beach and swim when there are 10 people photographing you. It really is awful so... that is keeping me away from Australia."
 
Johansson clears romance rumours
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Actress Scarlett Johansson has quashed rumours about her purported romance with singer Richard Archer, saying she has never even met him.

Ananova.com quoted Johansson as saying: "It is not even anywhere close to being true. I have never met him and until all this started I'd never heard of him." 

In recent weeks Johansson has been spotted with actor Josh Hartnett, who co-stars with her in the upcoming movie "The Black Dahlia". The pair is reportedly together. 

 
Mom beat Beyonce as a kid
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Singer Beyonce Knowles says she will not turn into a diva because her mother beat her when she behaved badly as a rising star.

According to contactmusic.com, Beyonce admits her mom hit her only once and that was when she was behaving like a brat. 

She says: "I was 15 and we had a single, 'NO, NO, NO', and it went to number one and I thought I was grown up. I was singing in a record store, ignoring her when she was talking to me. 

"I was being defiant and she slapped me in my face, which she has never done in her life. She said: 'You better listen to me when I talk to you. Don't think that you can do that now that you have a number one single.'

"I was so embarrassed and shocked because I'd never got a spanking before but that was the best thing she ever did. From that moment on I never went there and it put me in my place before it started."
 
Elijah Wood wanted 'Kong' role
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Elijah wood, star of the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy, wanted to star in "King Kong" movie but he had to abandon the plan because his fellow stars were too busy.

Contactmusic.com reports that Wood was in discussion with director Peter Jackson about the trio of hobbits making a cameo appearance in "King Kong" but co-stars Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd were busy working on other projects.

He says: "We conceived of trying to get the hobbits in the film, maybe some sort of cameo appearance and getting stomped on by a giant foot. We never got to do it because Dom was busy on 'Lost', and Billy was working."
 
Parker hates America's obsession with celebrity
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 5 (IANS) Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has slammed American culture's obsession with celebrity which diverts the public away from other important political and social issues.

Parker believes that people worship screen stars because they want to share in their wealth and beauty, contactmusic.com reports. She says this destroys the imagination of a generation. 

She says: "I think this insatiable appetite for the shallow tidbits of celebrity culture is just a distraction from getting involved politically and questioning our leaders. All we talk about now are 'celebrities'." 

 
Jolie almost walked out of shallow Hollywood
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Actress Angelina Jolie plans to quit Hollywood for motherhood and had once considered walking away permanently.

Jolie, who is now dating Brad Pitt and has just returned from her first official job visiting refugees as a UN ambassador, thought she would never be able to smile for cameras again and make appearances, according to contactmusic.com. 

She says, "I came back and I had to present something at an awards ceremony and I was sure that I'm going to go and I'm just going to hate this; I'm just going to think that everybody's false and shallow and I don't want to go and get dressed up and everything. I really did think that was going to be my attitude and instead this funny thing happened - I think I just became more sensitive to all people. 

"I ended up seeing all the people on the red carpet as, 'God, they must just have spent hours trying to put themselves together, they think that's so important and they're so nervous because they want to get an award tonight.' I just felt for everybody in the room."

Jolie is now planning to take a break from her acting career and concentrate on her family. She added, "I'd love to adopt just a bunch of more kids, have a few and just be travelling and be home. I haven't worked much this year and it's been really nice."
 
Gervais shunned Da Vinci role
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) British comic Ricky Gervais turned down a small role in the upcoming "Da Vinci Code", having convinced director Ron Howard that he would ruin it.

According to contactmusic.com, Howard wanted Gervais to play the butler but Gervais says he is sick of watching cameos spoil good films. 

He says, "I was offered the part of the butler. I told director Ron Howard, 'I will ruin your film. The number of times I've sat down for a great film by a great director and a British actor pops up and ruins it for me. I don't want to be that bloke.'"
 
Madonna's special relationship with producer
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Madonna's friends say the singer has developed a "special working relationship" with producer Stuart Price.

Madonna regularly visits Stuart's Maida Vale flat and talks with him frequently on the phone, according to contactmusic.com. 

A friend says, "After all, they worked together very closely on her album. They enjoy each other's company and respect each other." Price worked with her on her latest album "Confessions On A Dance floor". 

She said, "I couldn't stop thinking about what fun it was to work with Stuart. It took me a minute to decide which boyfriend I wanted to have." 

People close to Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie dismissed reports that the marriage was in trouble. 

Guy's dad said, "My wife Shireen and I had supper with them a fortnight ago and it all seems to be very amiable. But they both work very hard, so they are both separate quite a lot of the time."

Madonna's publicist said, "There's no strain in Madonna's marriage. Her relationship with Guy is quite good. They're quite happy."
 
Harry's love interest found
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) An Irish Harry Potter fan, Evanna Lynch, will play his love interest in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" after she beat out around 150,000 hopefuls.

According to contactmusic.com, Lynch will play Luna Lovegood. Lynch is such a big fan of the Potter series that she named her two cats Luna and Crookshanks. She was even sent a signed copy of the book when she was too sick to attend a book signing.

Her father says, "Words cannot describe how happy she is."

 
Urban sings for Kidman
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Country singer Keith Urban sang about his feelings for actress Nicole Kidman at a cooking contest in Florida.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Urban shared his feelings by singing a song to Kidman. According to contactmusic.com, the song was "Brand New Man" by Brooks and Dunn and is about a drug addict whose life is transformed when he falls in love with the woman of his dreams.

Kidman listened to Urban sing, "I used to love 'em and leave 'em, I'd brag about my freedom... then I met you, now my heart beats true. Baby you and me together, feels more like forever." 

The couple has remained quiet about the relationship.

 
Theron says Brits won't win Oscar
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron says British actor Keira Knightley or Dame Judi Dench don't have a chance of winning an Oscar nor does she give herself a chance.

According to ananova.com, Theron says, "I love Reese (Witherspoon) and it's definitely her year, it feels like Felicity Huffman's year too. I think it's between those two." 

Though Theron has already won an Oscar for her performance in "Monster" in 2004, she doesn't seem too proud of the statue. She says, "It's hidden in my office. If I win another? I can't think about that."
 
Baldwin and Streep blast Democrats
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Actors Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep are upset with the Democrats in the US Senate for not blocking the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel Alito.

According to contactmusic.com, the Democrats only got 25 of the 41 votes required to delay the appointment. This made Baldwin and Streep doubtful of the traditionally liberal party's future. 

Baldwin says the problem is "chicken-s**t Democrats in the Senate. We have a bunch of budding Zell Millers (Georgia senator) down there. I loathe and despise him on a daily basis." 

Streep's nephew is going to war in Iraq and she has got depressed over the corruption in politics and the war in Iraq.

She says, "I'm so demoralised. I want a candidate to come out of nowhere and have no conflicts. I want major campaign reform. I want Jesus to come back and throw the moneylenders out. Everybody in the administration should have a kid in that conflict. Then they'll know how they feel about it."
 
Watts trying out Buddhism
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 4 (IANS) Naomi Watts, Hollywood actress and star of "King Kong", is converting to Buddhism after becoming obsessed with the religion while filming the new movie "The Painted Veil".

According to contactmusic.com, Watts feels drawn to the faith and has even taken up meditating and wearing Buddhist style beads on her wrist. 

She says, "I have some belief but I am not a strict Buddhist or anything yet. There was a lot of excitement and energy there."

 
Lance Armstrong, Sheryl Crow part ways
Indo-Asian News Service

Los Angeles, Feb 4 (IANS) Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and Grammy-winning singer Sheryl Crow have scrapped plans of their much-anticipated wedding and decided to split up, People magazine reported.

The couple released a joint statement to the magazine Friday, calling it quits after two years of dating and an engagement that lasted a little over five months. 

"After much thought and consideration we have made a very tough decision to split up. We both have a deep love and respect for each other and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this very difficult time," the statement said.

Armstrong, 34, and Crow, 43, shared a ranch in Austin and were planning to live there together after their wedding.

The couple met at a charity event in October 2003 and began dating soon. 

Rumours of trouble began surfacing around Christmas, but the couple insisted they were moving forward with wedding plans. 

Crow's album "Wildflower", released in September 2005, has been nominated for a Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award, while she has won a nomination for a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for the song "Good is Good."

Armstrong has won the gruelling Tour de France a record seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005. He had a dramatic recovery after doctors in 1996 diagnosed him with testicular cancer and gave a 40 percent chance of survival. 

 
Porn broker wants $20 mn for Paris Hilton items
DPA

Los Angeles, Feb 4 (DPA) An entrepreneur who peddles celebrity sex tapes is asking for $20 million for items that once belonged to celebrity heiress Paris Hilton, a news report said.

The items were sold for $2,775 at an auction in November when she failed to pay the bill to the storage facility where they were being kept, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

David Hans Schmidt, who is sometimes dubbed the "Sultan of Sleaze", says the items include photos of Hilton in various stages of undress, as well as 18 personal diaries recounting sexual escapades. Also included in the batch of items were computers, clothing, videos, furniture and sex toys, the paper quoted him as saying.

The report appeared days after Hilton claimed that some of her belongings had been "illegally seized" from the storage facility. Publicist Elliot Mintz said that due to a "bureaucratic foul-up" the items were improperly sold off to an unidentified buyer.

The publicist said Hilton is "incredibly upset and angry" and feels "victimised". He added that Hilton's lawyers are threatening legal action against anyone in possession of the items. Mintz said that Hilton may buy back the items but characterised the $20 million asking price as a "rather irrational request".

Indo-Asian News Service

As music industry morphs, Grammy keeps spotlight
By Andy Goldberg

Los Angeles, Feb 4 (DPA) The Grammy Awards - the music industry's equivalent of the Oscars - are notoriously hard to predict, probably because they are chosen by whimsical musicians.

The event will attract the world's premier divas, rockers, rappers and crooners at Los Angeles' Staples Centre Feb 8: Seminal British rockers David Bowie and Eric Clapton are to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards along with country icon Merle Haggard, late bluesman Robert Johnson and late comedy innovator Richard Pryor.

Even more exciting is the prospect of Madonna, 47, opening the 48th annual Grammy show in a joint performance with the Gorillaz - the virtual band that will appear in what is touted as a revolutionary 3D animated format.

Yet for all the great technology on display, organisers and participants will be keenly aware that their industry is at an unprecedented crossroads largely due to the impact of new technology. 

Album sales have dropped in four of the last five years largely due to the prevalence of file sharing technologies that have seen millions of music lovers download their tunes for free. In the last year legal download sites like iTunes have experienced phenomenal growth and grossed a total of $1.1 billion in sales, but industry revenues for the year were still down two percent.

Other technological challenges include the wide variety of entertainment options that are distracting attention from the music world. In addition, home recording technologies and websites like myspace.com are bypassing the traditional studio and marketing systems. All this sounds ominous for the industry, but illegal download levels are finally falling and the huge popularity of ring tones for cell phones is a sign of the opportunities that technology is presenting to the industry.

There is also still huge interest worldwide in the premier music award show in the US, and keen belief in the industry that it remains as relevant as ever.

The nominations race is led by Mariah Carey, Kanye West and newcomer John Legend all with eight apiece. Following them with six nods each are 50 Cent, Beyoncé, William of the Black Eyed Peas' and Stevie Wonder. Other notable nominees include Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Gwen Stefani and U2 (five each), and Common, Destiny's Child, Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Neptunes, Brad Paisley, Phil Tan and Gretchen Wilson (four). Paul McCartney is hoping that his three nominations yield his 14th Grammy.

Carey, West and McCartney will battle it out in the album of the year category, with "The Emancipation of Mimi", "Late Registration" and "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard". Also competing for the award is Gwen Stefani with "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" and U2's "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb".

Carey, West and the Gorillaz are considered favourites for the record of the year but face strong competition from Green Day and Stefani.

Legend is up for the best new artist award along with Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane and Sugarland.

Just as interesting as the awards are the 12 musical performances, including some intriguing collaborations, and an all-star tribute to soul icons Sly and the Family Stone.

Viewers will see R&B diva Mary J. Blige join U2 for the first time while country superstars Keith Urban and Faith Hill will also perform together.

Other collaborations include Oscar winner Jamie Foxx with Kanye West and Grammy nominees Christina Aguilera and Herbie Hancock, who will hit the stage for what is being touted as "an intimate performance".

Springsteen, Coldplay, Sugarland and Ciara are also scheduled to perform, while the list of presenters looks like a veritable who's who of entertainment royalty, including Destiny's Child, James Taylor, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Matt Dillon, Tom Hanks, Terrence Howard, Queen Latifah and Ludacris.


'Casino Royale' starts without Bond girl, villain
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Producers of "James Bond" are still on the lookout for a Bond girl even though the latest film "Casino Royale" has already begun shooting in Prague.

According to contactmusic.com, the pre-production on the film began last week without a leading lady and a villain. The writer of the movie revealed there was no Bond girl during a recent interview. 

He said: "They are talking to three to four girls right now. Every week I read that there is a new Bond girl, and I call them (the filmmakers) and they say, 'No, you idiot'."

Actresses Angelina Jolie, Rachel McAdams and Thandie Newton have all been considered for the role of the sexy Vesper Lynd in the new Bond movie.
 

Howard preparing for friendly battle
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Oscar nominee Terrence Howard is uncertain about his chances of winning an Academy Award because his friends Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are also nominated.

According to contactmusic.com, Howard believes he is the "underdog" in the category. 

While Howard has been nominated for "Hustle & Flow", Hoffman has got the nomination for "Capote" and Phoenix for "Walk The Line".

Says Howard: "I am still over the moon, and I ain't coming down. I didn't think it would happen. You just gotta think of the talent in this category - powerful pieces and powerful people. And three of them are real-life stories. 

"Philip Seymour Hoffman is my friend and Joaquin Phoenix is my friend. It is going to be a battle of friends up there. And we are going to be happy no matter who wins. I am hoping it is me! I don't mind being the underdog. I have always been the underdog. I am so looking forward to how they respond to our howling."
 
Ledger and Williams slept through nominations
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Hollywood couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams were too tired from looking after their baby to celebrate their Oscar nominations. 

Contactmusic.com reports that when the nominations were announced Ledger and Williams were too exhausted because their three-month-old baby had kept them up all night. Ledger and Williams have been nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively for their performance as husband and wife in "Brokeback Mountain". 

Ledger was notified by his publicist with the good news. He says: "We gave each other a little kiss and fell back asleep." 

He adds: "I never really have great expectations for my work or the movies I am in. It is a wonderful surprise."
 
Aniston says happiness doomed Pitt marriage
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston is convinced the failure of her marriage to Brad Pitt was karma for all the times they boasted of their happiness together.

According to contactmusic.com, Aniston now admits Gwyneth Paltrow was right when she criticised the couple for being too open to share their joy with the world. She says: "You know, she is right. She is absolutely correct. I feel like there is a graveyard of celebrity couples who have now learned their lesson. 

"You know, at the time, you go, 'Celebrate it - we are in love, and let's talk, who cares?' Part of that is true. It kind of became a bizarre feeding frenzy for a period there. It just got a little out of control, that's all. So you learn those lessons. It is just about learning what to keep sacred."
 
Pitt wants to star in 'ultimate' gay film
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Actor Brad Pitt wants to find a script that portrays the 'ultimate gay love story'.

According to ananova.com, a source told the Sun: "Brad has asked his people to find him a script to play a gay man. He wants it to be a story that appeals to both men and women and he wants it to be the edgiest work he is done. He's seen the critical acclaim that 'Brokeback Mountain' has won and he wants a piece of it."

The source added: "Brad knows it would be seen as shocking to take on a gay role because he is seen as such a heartthrob. But he has never shied away from taking on controversial films, and he has often chosen to do smaller, more challenging movies, rather than go for the big box-office smash."
 
Andrew Adamson to direct 'Narnia' sequel
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 3 (IANS) Andrew Adamson has been signed on to direct the "Narnia" sequel, "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian".

According to ananova.com, the main cast members are coming back along with producer Mark Johnson. A screenplay is yet to be written but production is set to begin and the film will be released in Christmas 2007. 

"Prince Caspian" is the second book in the seven-book series written by C.S. Lewis. The children in this book are pulled back into the land of Narnia after 400 years have passed since they left. They must now overthrow a king named Miraz and restore the rightful heir Prince Caspian to the throne.

 
Seagal to help rebuild New Orleans with movie
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 3 (IANS) Hollywood action star Steven Seagal is planning to shoot his new movie in the hurricane affected New Orleans in an effort to help the area.

According to contactmusic.com, Seagal fell in love with New Orleans when he launched his blues career there and now wants to help rebuild the place by shooting his movie, tentatively titled "Prince Of Pistols". 

Writer Joe Halpin, who has just returned from the city after scouting for locations, says: "I just left there after scouting a few locations. It is pretty sad. A lot of devastation. That is one of the main reasons Steven insisted on shooting it there - he wants to get some money back into the community."

He adds that the movie is a modern day tale of revenge. "There'll be lots of blues legends in it and it will feature some of Steven's own music."
 
David slams 'Brokeback Mountain'
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 3 (IANS) Larry David, co-creator of the TV show "Seinfeld", has bashed "Brokeback Mountain" in a satirical piece in the New York Times by slamming straight male viewers who refused to watch the movie because they don't want to see two gay cowboys in love.

According to contactmusic.com, David represents one of them and says: "Who is to say I won't become enamoured with the whole gay business? Let's face it there is some appeal there. I know I have always gotten along great with men. And gay guys always seem like they are having a great time. At the Christmas party I went to, they were the only ones who sang. Boy that looked like fun. 

"I would love to sing, but this weighty, self-conscious heterosexuality I am saddled with won't permit it. I just know if I saw that movie, the voice inside my head that delights in torturing me would have a field day. 'You like those cowboys, don't you? They are kind of cute. Go ahead, admit it, they are cute. You can't fool me, gay man. Go ahead, stop fighting it. You are gay! You are gay!' Not that there is anything wrong with it."
 
Madsen to star in fourth Indiana Jones film
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 3 (IANS) "Sideways" star Virginia Madsen impressed co-star Harrison Ford so much in their new movie "Firewall" that she is now expected to play the lead opposite him in the fourth instalment of the "Indiana Jones" series.

According to contactmuic.com, Madsen played Jones's wife in the new movie and admits they found chemistry on the set. Ford had picked her for the role. Madsen is now a clear favourite to play the leading lady in "Indiana Jones 4".

Ford says: "She was an absolute delight - professional, very talented and simply, very sweet. She also took what could have been a fairly one-dimensional damsel in distress role and added so many layers to it - there isn't many who could do that. 

"I'd work with her again in a heartbeat. I am actually hoping she'll come over for 'Indiana Jones'. We have talked about it."
 
Did Miller use Law?
Indo-Asian News Service

New York, Feb 3 (IANS) The on and off affair of Jude Law and Sienna Miller has churned many rumours - and the latest is that Miller might have used Law.

Pagesix.com quoted an insider on the set of her new movie "Factory Girl" as saying: "Sienna was never that crazy about him to begin with, but their affair made her a household name." 

The source added: "Sienna's mother, Josephine, who called Jude a bloody idiot when he cheated with her nanny, seems to be the engine behind the choo-choo train. The mother was overheard telling her, 'Jude was good for a while, but there are other fish to fry'."
 
Perry of 'Aerosmith' hopes to play in space
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Feb 3 (IANS) Guitarist Joe Perry of "Aerosmith" is hoping to play in outer space.

Contactmusic.com reports that Perry feels he has to top Ozzy Osbourne's famous performance in 2002 at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II. Perry is convinced a new standard would be set if his band plays in the Earth's atmosphere. 

He says: "I'd love to be able to play in space some day. That'd be wild. There is always something new to do, somewhere new to go. I mean, who'd have thought that after all this time Ozzy Osbourne would be playing in front of the Queen. That is some crazy s**t right there."