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NEWS
ARCHIVES FOR: JANUARY 2004
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Model-Turned-Actress
Joins 'Communication Breakdown' Cast
Thursday,
January 29, 2004
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Twenty
year old Aubrey
Goss, a fresh-faced model who's appeared in ads for Birkenstock and Wicked
Weasel bikinis, has joined the cast of "Communication
Breakdown." She'll play the role of Lurleen, disc jockey Kash Flagg's
"biggest fan." The film marks the on-screen debut of Goss, who was
recently featured in Shutterbug Magazine.
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Dance Legend Ann Miller
Passes Away
Friday,
January 23, 2004
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Ann
Miller, who danced her way into the hearts of the country in the 1940's and
50's, has passed away at age 81. She performed in many well-known MGM
productions, including "On the Town," "Easter Parade," and
"Kiss Me Kate." Miller got her start in show business in the
early 30's by showcasing her legs and fast-tapping dance ability. She was
notice by studio officials at RKO and signed to appear in their 1937
production of "New Faces of 1937." Miller next appeared as an acting
hopeful in "Stage Door," with Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers,
Lucille Ball and Eve Arden. One of her most memorable roles came well
into her 60's, as she starred opposite Mickey Rooney in "Sugar
Babies." The show was performed over 1,700 times on Broadway and
reportedly before each show, Miller spent an hour rehearsing her dance
numbers.
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Scholars
Debate 'Nazi UFO' Theory
Friday,
January 23, 2004
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Did
Hitler commission the first UFO? That's the debate that's raging among many
World World II historians and science experts. It seems that new information
has come to the forefront regarding the work of Austrian inventor Viktor
Schauberger, leading many people to believe that the scientist, long thought
to have died peacefully in his sleep, may have been murdered as part of an
American government cover-up. Schauberger's early plans, which bear an
incredible resemblance to the mysterious "foo fighters" spotted by
Allied pilots during the war, are believed to have been the basis for U.S.
black projects initiated in the Nevada desert known as Area 51. Schauberger
was brought to the United States to work for the American government following
the war. Many believe that the "alien invasion" craze which began in
the 1950's was created by military operatives as a disinformation campaign to
keep the secret saucer program hidden.
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Fans Fight
to Free Tommy Chong From Prison
Friday,
January 23, 2004
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Legendary comic Tommy Chong, one half of the counterculture
duo Cheech & Chong, remains in prison as a movement to free him builds
momentum. The actor, who appeared in such films as "Up in Smoke" and
"Far Out Man," was sentenced to nine months is prison after being
arrested by DEA agents for selling water pipes on the internet. Chong has
already served three months of the sentence. Click here for more info...
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Howard Stern
Invades the Magic Kingdom
Thursday,
January 22, 2004
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In yet another sign of the Apocalypse, Disney-owned ABC has
signed "The King of All Media" Howard Stern to host his own prime
time interview special. If the show, which will air this coming spring, does
well, expect to see a lot more of the shock jock on the network, which is
desperate to shake things up after its latest ratings dip.
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Must-See
Music Video Now Online
Thursday,
January 22, 2004
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Ever so often, a music video comes along that has to be
seen to be believed. If you're not all about the happiness and the joy after
watching this clip, then we hate to tell ya...you probably don't have a pulse.
Check it out. You'll thank us later. Click here to watch the video...
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Art
Garfunkel 'Feeling Groovy' And Stopped By Police
Thursday,
January 22, 2004
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Singer
Art Garfunkel, one half of the legendary duo of Simon and Garfunkel, was
stopped by police this past Saturday after his limo was detected speeding
through Hurly, New York (about 55 miles southwest of Albany). When the officer
approached the vehicle, he smelled marijuana and later found a small amount of
the substance in one of Garfunkel's jacket pockets. The 62 year old rock 'n
roll icon was charged with simple possession and ordered to appear in court on
January 28th. The fine carries a maximum penalty of $100. Garfunkel can
respond to the charges by mail if he desires. Garfunkel's record label, Legacy
Recording, was not immediately available for comment.
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Justice Jabs
Jacko
Friday,
January 16, 2004
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Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville lambasted
accused pop pedophile Michael Jackson in court today after the singer thumbed
his nose at court instructions to show up on time. The self-proclaimed
"King of Pop" and "lover of children" held up proceedings
for more than twenty minutes, prompting the judge to admonish the entertainer.
"Mr. Jackson, you have started out on the wrong foot here,"
explained Melville. "I want to advise you that I will not put up with
that. It's an insult to the court and will not be tolerated." Jackson
later moonwalked for his fans outside the courthouse.
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Actor Ron
O'Neal Dies
Friday,
January 16, 2004
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Blaxploitation superstar Ron O'Neal, who played Youngblood
Priest in the "Superfly" series, has died in Los Angeles at the age
of sixty-six. The star, who also directed one of the cult classics
("Superfly TNT") had been waging a long battle with cancer. O'Neal's
resume included more than 50 appearances in film and television, including
such credits as "Hill Street Blues," "Brave New World,"
"Beauty and the Beast," "Red Dawn," "The Wayans
Brothers," "Living Single," and "The Greatest American
Hero." O'Neal's last film was 2002's "On the Edge," co-starring
with Fred Williamson, Gary Busey, and rapper Ice T.
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No Clowning
Around: Bozo's Legacy In Dispute
Friday,
January 16, 2004
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There
is no question that Bozo belongs in the Clown Hall Of Fame. What is in dispute
is which individual who wore the facepaint should be honored by that hallowed
institution. Larry Harmon, who owns the rights to the character, has been
in conflict with those who say that the original man who portrayed the lovable
clown was Pinto Colvig. A recording star for Capitol Records in the mid
1940's, Colvig died of lung cancer in 1967. He first appeared as Bozo the
Clown on KTTV in Los Angeles in 1949, hosting a local children's show. Harmon
claims that he was selected as the first TV Bozo after auditioning for the
role in 1952. The International Clown Hall of Fame (located in Milwaukee) has
removed Harmon's plaque from public display and plans to replace it with one
for Colvig.
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Must 'She' TV
Friday,
January 16, 2004
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Showtime
has announced a new program called "The L Word," which will focus on
the lives of lesbians. The show is from Ilene Chaiken, whose past credits
include working on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air" and the 1996 Pamela
Anderson movie "Barb Wire." Heading up the cast is
"Flashdance" star Jennifer Beals, playing Bette, a museum director
in a long-term relationship with Tina (played by Laurel Holloman). Other
notable cast members include Pam Grier ("Jackie Brown") and Ossie
Davis ("Miss Evers Boys"), who are featured as Bette's half sister
and father respectively. Showtime leapt to the forefront of gay programming
four years ago when they unveiled the bawdy all-male "Queer as
Folk," which returns in April. "The L Word" premieres this
Sunday at 10 pm eastern time.
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Gibson Christ Movie to
Open Wide
Thursday,
January 15, 2004
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The
controversial film entitled "The Passion of the Christ" by Mel
Gibson will be distributed to approximately 2,000 independent theatres
sometime next month. The film depicts the last hours in the life of Jesus and
has been a major source of discussion among religious groups over the past
couple of years. Some claim that the film is anti-Semitic, unduly tying the
death of Christ to Jewish culprits, while Catholic and Protestant groups have
argued that the movie is pretty much on target. In fact, Pope John Paul
attended a screening in December giving the movie a "Papal thumbs
up." His comment was "the film is as it was."
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Thieves Sail Away With
Rare Yacht
Thursday,
January 15, 2004
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A
yacht valued at $750,000 was recently reported stolen from a Charleston, SC
marina. The 18 foot boat, which weighs 47,000 pounds and has a 75-foot
mast, was the second of its hull class ever built and the only one docked
in North America. The owner, Glen McIntosh of Atlanta, was said to be
"incredulous about the case." According to an FBI report, the yacht
was last seen around January 7th and there were no witnesses to the crime.
Featured in many prominent magazines all over the world, the vessel was well
known in the sailing world. Authorities believe the craft may have been
taken to open waters in the Southern Hemisphere. Chuck Laughlin, the
owner of St. Brats Yachts, the marina from which the boat was stolen, said
"you can hide an aircraft carrier in the ocean and that boat is capable
of going around the world."
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FCC Chairman
Wants to Ban the F-Word
Wednesday,
January 14, 2004
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Michael Powell, the Chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission, has gone on record as saying he wishes to ban the word "the
F-word" from all government-licensed television and radio stations. This
in the wake of a previous ruling in which the FCC ruled that U2 lead singer
Bono did not violate commission rules when he used the word during the 2003
Golden Glove Awards (since he didn't describe "sexual or excretory organs
or activities") Any ban on "the F-word" would not effect cable
channels such as HBO or FX.
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'Communication
Breakdown' Director Talks About His Stalker
Tuesday,
January 13, 2004
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Like Steven Spielberg, Writer/Producer/Director
Richard
O'Sullivan has had to deal with a crazed stalker. Only in his
case, it was someone he once called a friend. In part two of this exclusive
interview, O'Sullivan talks about his dealings with a former associate whose
dark past revealed itself with shocking results, and how he's fighting back
against a criminal who was actually protected by the FBI. Click here
to read the interview...
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'Communication
Breakdown' Star Guests on 'One Tree Hill'
Tuesday,
January 13, 2004
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Meredith Sause, who plays radio exec Amanda
Byrne in the upcoming film "Communication
Breakdown," will appear on the
popular WB show "One Tree
Hill" during ratings sweeps. The
actress, who also fronts the band My
Little Phony, will play a young nurse
named Molly in the episode which airs in
February. "One Tree Hill"
stars Chad Michael Murray
("Dawson's Creek,"
"Gilmore Girls"), Hilarie
Burton (MTV's "TRL"), and the
legendary Barry Corbin ("War
Games," "Northern
Exposure").
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Spaulding
Gray Reported Missing
Tuesday,
January 13, 2004
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Spaulding
Gray, the actor/writer who co-founded
the experimental Wooster Group theater
in New York during the mid 1970's, has
been reported missing according to
Tuesday's edition of the New York Times. Police
are combing the Southampton, New York
area (where Gray resides), looking for
the missing actor. Gray, who appeared in
such films as "The Killing
Fields" and "Swimming to
Cambodia" has been treated for
depression in the past and even tried to
commit suicide in 2002. Rockwell
Gray, the actor's brother, said that he
last saw his sibling around Christmas. "He
wasn't in a happy place," said
Rockwell. "But that didn't
seem too unusual. He had been
somewhat depressed for some time." The
actor's wife, Kathleen Russo, refused to
discuss the disappearance of her husband
as she awaited further information from
the authorities.
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'Bridget'
Jonesin' For Some Royal Lovin'
Tuesday,
January 13, 2004
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Actress
Renee Zellweger says she wouldn't mind
dating a member of the British Monarchy
next. The 34 year old star of the
mega-hit "Bridget Jones'
Diary," who just recently broke up
with alternative rock icon Jack White
(of the White Stripes), says that dating
Prince William, who is all of 21, would
be nice. Zellweger, who has appeared in
such flicks as "Cold Mountain"
and "Empire Records," had
previous relationships with such
notables as George Clooney and Jim
Carrey.
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Bertolucci Film Gets
NC-17 Rating
Tuesday,
January 13, 2004
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For
the first time in six years, a film
released in the United States will carry
the NC-17 rating from the M.P.A.A.
(Motion Picture Association of America). The
film is called "Dreamers" and
is the uncut version of Bernardo
Bertolucci's original movie entitled
"The Dreamers." The film
is being distributed by Fox Searchlight
Pictures, a specialty division of 20th
Century Fox. The story revolves
around a brother and sister in 1968
France who, after being left home alone
by their vacationing parents, decide to
invite a young American teenager into
their home. The trio then become
entangled in a series of emotional and
sexual situations that test the
boundaries of their mental stability. The
last major film that garnered an NC-17
rating was the 1997 MGM release entitled
"Bent," the story of gay life
during the Nazi régime of World War II
Germany.
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'Communication
Breakdown' Band Featured in Magazine
Monday,
January 12, 2004
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The band Always Sunday, who will appear
in the upcoming "Communication
Breakdown" (playing themselves
oddly enough), are glowingly reviewed in
the most recent issue of Performing
Songwriter magazine. Writer Heather
Johnson puts the band in the same league
as artists like Jeff Buckley, Coldplay,
and the Pixies, and echos director Richard
O'Sullivan's praises, calling the
group's current album, Beautiful
Disgrace, "a gem." Always
Sunday consists of Trent
Dabbs, Winn
McElroy, Dean
Clement, and Chip
Burr.
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Wayne Brady
Show Cancelled
Friday,
January 9, 2004
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Disney-owned
Buena Vista Television announced
Thursday that they were pulling the plug
on "The Wayne Brady Show" due
to low ratings. The ratings for the
program which garnered Emmy Awards for
Best Talk Show and Best Talk Show Host
last year had dropped to an average of
1.0 during the current season. The show
will continue production through May and
will air through the balance of the
season. Speculation as to another
reason for the cancellation is Buena
Vista's commitment to another talk show
for next season, this one hosted by
former "Taxi" star Tony Danza.
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Frank
Sinatra Trademark Infringement Case Settled
Friday,
January 9, 2004
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The
family of legendary singer Frank Sinatra
has announced that it has reached a
settlement in a lawsuit stemming from an
unauthorized Las Vegas tribute show. In
a statement released by Mark Lee, a
lawyer working for Sinatra Enterprises,
a permanent injunction was issued
against Jeffrey Kutash and his company
(Main Event Inc.) effectively shutting
down all future performances of the
tribute show entitled "The Main
Event." Also, an undisclosed -
but "substantial"- amount of
damages were awarded to the Sinatra
family. The late singer's daughter,
Tina, disclosed that the family had
filed the lawsuit to help preserve her
father's legacy. The suit alleged that
although the show was billed as an
"unauthorized" biography, the
word "unauthorized" was in
such small print that the general public
would be misled and confused. Similar
action had been taken against an earlier
Sinatra tribute show co-produced by
former TV star David Cassidy.
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O'Sullivan
NBC Spots Now Online
Thursday,
January 8, 2004
Two of the public service announcements
written for NBC's "The More You
Know" series by Lost Colony's
Richard O'Sullivan (the director of the
upcoming "Communication
Breakdown") are now online. The
clips, featuring Christopher Meloni
("Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit") and Goran Visnjic ("E.R."),
deal with the topic of family
togetherness and are among the spots the
network is currently airing during its
2003/2004 season. Click here to
watch...
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Willie Repoley Joins
'Communication Breakdown'
Wednesday,
January 7, 2004
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Acclaimed Shakespearean pro William
V. Repoley has joined the cast of "Communication
Breakdown," taking on the role
of earnest DJ Cary Martin. The
actor/musician, who gigged at the
International Shakespeare's Globe Centre
in London, amazed director Richard
O'Sullivan with how much he was like
his character: "Both are stand-up
guys, have mucho personal integrity, are
true to themselves but are willing to
give the other guy the benefit of the
doubt. It's a perfect fit and
Willie brings an honesty to the material
that elevates it even more. We're
thrilled to have him aboard."
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Hollywood
Composers Engaged In Bitter Split
Tuesday,
January 6, 2004
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Two
of Hollywood's most well-known musical
composers are now embroiled in one of
Tinsel Town's most bitter splits. Hans
Zimmer and Jay Rifkin, who collaborated
on such mega-hit movie scores as
"The Lion King," have filed
lawsuits against one another, sparking a
most un-amicable dissolution of their
partnership. Rifkin fired the first
salvo last month when he accused Zimmer
of trying to take over their music
studio. Zimmer's counter suit charges
Rifkin with embezzling money to pay for
what Zimmer claims is an extremely
lavish lifestyle. The two had been
partners since working together on
the soundtrack for the 1988 Dustin
Hoffman/Tom Cruise smash, "Rain
Man."
The
duo was also in charge of the Media
Ventures Entertainment Group.
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Rock Legend
Shot by Robber
Monday,
January
5,
2004
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The lead singer and songwriter for Hall
of Fame rock band The Kinks was shot in
the streets Monday while trying to
apprehend two thieves who stole his
companion's purse. Ray Davies, 59, whose
influence inspired the punk movement of
the 70s, was walking with a woman in New
Orleans when the robbery occurred. He
took off after the crooks, one of whom
then proceeded to fire a bullet into the
icon's leg. The Kinks are best known for
such songs as "Lola" and
"You Really Got Me" (later
covered by Van Halen). Davies was
formerly linked to Pretenders frontwoman
Chrissie Hynde, whom he shares a child
with.
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Everybody's a Critic
Sunday,
January
4,
2004
Film publicist Jeff Luce joins the
family of Lost Columnists, asking the
question, "When did everyone
suddenly become Roger Ebert?" Click
to read the column...
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Blair Peery
Joins 'Communication Breakdown'
Sunday,
January
4,
2004
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Film veteran Blair Peery has joined the
cast of the upcoming comedy
"Communication
Breakdown"
filling the role of wicked radio station
owner Scott McCormick. Peery made his
film debut in 1977, appearing alongside
country singer David Allan Coe in the
controversial "Buckstone County
Prison," a film that was so violent
it had to battle the Motion Picture
Association to maintain an R-rating. He
was last seen in the Farrelly Brothers'
"Shallow Hal."
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Oops!
Britney Spears Gets Married
Sunday,
January
4,
2004
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Pop
star Britney Spears got married Saturday
to childhood friend Jason Alexander (no,
not George from "Seinfeld") at
a private ceremony in Las Vegas. The
22 year old singer reportedly walked
down the aisle as a practical joke (presumably
after large quantities of alcohol were
served) and plans to quickly annul the
marriage. It is not yet known if the
marriage was consumated.
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Lost Colony
Announces Comic Book Division
Friday,
January
2,
2004
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As
it gears up for work on two projects in
2004, Lost Colony Entertainment has
announced the launch of its own comic
book line. The first two titles from the
new LCE division will be project
tie-ins, depicting characters featured
in the upcoming feature comedy "Communication
Breakdown" and the proposed
fantasy series "Breach
of Heaven." Printed and
released initially as promotional
material (for distributors, media
outlets, etc.), the comics will also be
made available to the public online. LCE
hopes to release a full-fledged comic
series devoted to "Communication
Breakdown" following the
release of the movie. The debut issue,
penned by Dan
Lashley & John
Michael Burgess, will feature the
artwork of Mike Gregory.
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