20 Years After Oscar: Silence of The Lambs Holds Up, Jack Palance Not So Much

I have no idea how this concept eluded me for two years, but there it is: The 3rd annual 20/20 Awards were announced recently, honoring the best films of 1991 after two decades worth of distance and hindsight. Great idea - even though the event turned out just about as anticlimactically as this year's real thing. That's what happens when Oscar apparently gets it right. To wit, the Silence of the Lambs once again swept the major categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay (Adapted), claiming five "Felixes" on the night and leading the way among an unprecedented eight "Odd Couples" to win both Oscars and Felixes. (HA! Cute.) Alas, '91 Supporting Actor Jack Palance and Supporting Actress Mercedes Ruehl were overthrown by John Goodman (Barton Fink) and Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise). Find the full list of winners below. Congrats to all! (* denotes an Oscar winner) BEST PICTURE THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST DIRECTOR Jonathan Demme THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST ACTOR Anthony Hopkins THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST ACTRESS Jodie Foster - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR John Goodman - BARTON FINK BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Geena Davis THELMA & LOUISE BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Callie Khouri THELMA & LOUISE* BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Ted Tally THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST FOREIGN FILM DELICATESSEN BEST DOCUMENTARY HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKERS APOCALYPSE BEST SCORE Wilson Pickett THE COMMITMENTS BEST SONG Until The End Of The World UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD BEST EDITING Conrad Buff, Mark Goldblatt, Richard A. Harris TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Lun Yang RAISE THE RED LANTERN BEST ART DIRECTION Dennis Gassner - BARTON FINK BEST COSTUME Valrj]ie Pozzo di Borgo DELICATESSEN BEST MAKEUP THE ADDAMS FAMILY BEST VISUAL FX TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY* BEST SOUND DESIGN TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

ABC's 'Middle' nets syndie purchase

'The Middle'Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution has offered off-internet privileges to ABC sitcom "The CenterInch to ABC Family along with a wide range of TV station groups, the studio introduced Tuesday. "Middle," which stars Patricia Heaton, will premiere both in broadcast and cable in nov 2013. Series is presently in the third season on ABC, where it anchors the Alphabet's giant Wednesday selection. "We're inside a new golden age for sitcoms both around the broadcast systems and distribution," stated WBDTD leader Ken Werner. "Our station partners recognized in 'The Middle' a compelling player that will energize their sitcom blocks in 2013 and beyond." Stations that bought "Middle" comprise 92% from the U.S. TV audience including Tribune, Sinclair, CBS, Newport, Belo, Cox, Local TV, Pappas, and Weigel. Executive producers of "Middle," that is from Blackie and Blondie Prods. in colaboration with WBTV, are Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Nat Faxon Lands Title Role In Fox Comedy Pilot Ned Fox Is My Manny

Nat Faxon is around the hot streak. The actor-author, who just won an Oscar on Sunday for co-writing The Descendants along with his writing partner Jim Rash and Alexander Payne, just showed up the title role opposite Abby Elliott in Foxs single-camera comedy pilot Ned Fox Is My Manny (formerly Ben Fox Is My Manny), directed by Mike Kasdan. The project, from author Dana Fox, 20th TV and Chernin Entertainment, concentrates on an uptight single mother Kate (Elliott) whose aimless older brother Ned (Faxon) moves straight into help raise her daughter (Maggie Manley). Co-starring inside the pilot is Lucy Punch. Faxon, repped by Innovative and Principato-Youthful, can be a familiar face (and voice) at Fox. He co-starred round the network’s short-were living comedy Happy Hour and contains voiced figures on animated comedies The Cleveland Show and Allen Gregory. Faxon’s writing partner Rash can also be around the primetime comedy series, he co-stars on NBC’s Community.

BOX OFFICE: Act Of Valor #1 With $24.7M Weekend, Good Deeds $16M, Wanderlust And Gone Blast

SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM, second UPDATE:Correctly enough for Oscars Sunday, it’s another up weekend for your eighth straight week this season.Common moviegoingis at $135M, the whopping +24% over a year ago.Clearly, Hollywood is ecstatic (though not within the prospect at sitting using the interminable Academy awards only to watch Harvey Weinstein gloat). Relativity’s R-ratedAct Of Valor has stayedNo. 1all weekend. It’s the the Bandito Brothers and sisters’ individually funded low-budget U.S. Navy fighting pressure taleusing actual Shuts from a geniune script by Kurt Johnstad (300). (FYI, there's a novelization of the script, Tom Clancy Presents Act of Valor, put together by Dick Couch and George Galdorsi and released in paperback by Clancys author. Relativity acquired the rights for the project last June for $13 million together with a $Thirty Dollars million in prints and advertising commitment -the finest money taken proper care of a finished film by getting a mystery cast in individuals days.But Relativity didn’t spend $30M on P&A. That may have been the studio’s minimum legal commitment nevertheless it spent a lot more. Ryan Kavanaugh et al got 4 wildely pricey Super Bowl game day ads. Yes, 4. That cost between $12M-14M alone (though Relativity claims it absolutely was $6.5+M). Educated guess is that they spent $45M-$50M total to hawk this actioner. Yes, they acquired domestic rights for reasonable and strongly pre-offered foreign. And, yes, your financial allowance only agreed to be $12K. Seems like Relativity will recoup. Marketing-wise, Relativity launched a hostile 400 screening type in over 40 areas incorporated in amulti-pronged strategy that spoke to gamers, action fans, sports fans, ethnic audiences, new bands fans, patriots, military, women, as well as the belief-based community. It absolutely was about individual to individual then now: audiences are submission by supplying it an ‘A’ CinemaScore. Also getting an ‘A’ CinemaScore from audiences was Lionsgate’s advantageous romantic dramaGood Deeds. It seems sensible middling for your Tyler Perry movie — does he clone them? — which was only playing by 50 %,132 locations. Butthen people films where he doesn’t crossdress as Madea (and offendwith that stereotype) earn less. Nevertheless it’s right in line with Lionsgate anticipation and, besides, your financial allowance only agreed to be $15M. Like them or else, this can be yet anotherof author, director, producer Perry’ssoap operas specific to his core fans. But is Tyler an amazing enough thesp tocarry a movie virtually by themselves or possibly a sizable enough draw to feature only himselfon the film poster? Not always.(And I believe that this fearing his approaching portrayal of imaginary crimefighter Alex Mix.) Universal’s alleged comedyWanderlustbombed worse compared to studio expecte: lousy trackingfor this R-rated nonsense had indicated the film would open below $10M.Audiences gave it a typical’B-’ CinemaScore. The mix of Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd shown toxicto moviegoers. FYI: this greenlight was the studio’s payback to Heroines director David Wain and and also the creative partner Ken Marino and mogul/producer Judd Apatow. Sadly your financial allowance was $30M that's cheap by any standard except each time a pic flops this badly.Sad, really, because Aniston’s flack-from-hell Stephen Huvanepulled out all the nauseating stops by benefiting from her personal existence — of course. Also tanking is Summit’snot-so-thrilling Gone starring Amanda Seyfried which acquired basically a ‘C+’ CinemaScore.This really is really the most recent back to back of stinkers for the studio that's now part of Lionsgate.Really the only very good news is always that, using the structure in the deal with producersLakeshore Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment andother parties, the studio features a internet possibility of only $2 million. Bear in mind that children round the Colonial lost of college a couple of days ago so family holdovers Warner Bros’ Journey 2 and Disney’s The Important Thing Information On Arrietty held strong — no less than until Universal/Illumination’sDr. Suess toon The Lorax opens next weekend. The brand new the new sony’s The Vow passed the $100M domestic mark this 3rd weekend out since the first Screen Gems film to ever hit $100M. Here’s the most effective Ten (order according to weekend grosses): 1. Act Of Valor (Relativity) NEW [3,039 Theaters] Friday $9, Saturday $9.4, Weekend $24.7M 2. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds (Lionsgate) NEW [2,132 Theaters] Friday $5.3M, Saturday $6.7M, Weekend: $16M 3. Journey 2 3d (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,350 Theaters] Friday $3.2M, Saturday$6.4M,Weekend $13.4M,Cume $76.7M 4. Safe House (Universal) Week 3 [3,052 Theaters] Friday $3.1M, Saturday $5.0M, Weekend $11.3M, Cume $98M 5. The Vow (Screen Gems/The brand new the new sony) Week 3 [3,038 Theaters] Friday $3.2M, Saturday $4.5M,Weekend $10M, Cume $103M 6. Ghost Driver 2 3d (The brand new the new sony) Week 2 [3,174 Theaters] Friday $2.3M, Saturday $4.1M,Weekend $8.8M (-60%),Cume $37.8M 7.This Means War (Fox) Week 2 [3,189 Theaters] Friday $2.7M, Saturday $3.9M,Weekend $8.5M (-51%),Cume $33.5M 8. Wanderlust (Universal)NEW [2,002 Theaters] Friday $2.1M, Saturday $2.9M,Weekend $6.6M 9. Gone (Summit)NEW [2,186 Theaters] Friday $1.6M, Saturday $2.1M,Weekend $5.0M 10. Secret Arena Of Arrietty (Disney)Week 2 [1,522 Theaters] Friday $1M, Saturday $2.1M,Weekend $4.5M (-30%),Cume $14.6M

WE orders 'Hair Divas: Hollywood'

'Hair Divas: Hollywood'WE has greenlit the reality series "Hair Divas: Hollywood."From professional producers JD Roth, Todd Nelson, DJ Nurre and Heidi Dahmen of Eyeworks USA, show will focus on hairstylist Kimberly Kimble and her eccentric employees who concentrate on the coiffures of exclusive clients inside a Hollywood salon.Internet has bought eight episodes. Production is presently on-going.Suzanne Gladstone professional produces for WE. Cabler does well while using second season of "Braxton Family Values," that's calculating just beneath millions of audiences per episode. This can be a 56% increase from season one. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

'Darkover' books pitched as Tv show

The famous sci-fi "Darkover" books may soon morph right into a television series. Producers Ilene Kahn Energy and Elizabeth Stanley have guaranteed the privileges to author Marion Zimmer Bradley's famous books and also have already pitched the project to 1 cabler and therefore are making presentations to others too. The series could be according to Bradley's 20 books, most of which detail the colonization on the new planet in which the occupants begin their very own species. "The books have a big fan following through the sci-fi and fantasy towns worldwide and Marion Zimmer Bradley was a motivation to along with a nurturer of numerous notable speculative fiction authors," stated Kahn Energy. Bradley's estate first thought the "Darkover" books would best be modified like a theatrical film, but Kahn Energy and Stanley convinced the estate that TV would be a more viable option. Kahn Energy is really a former professional at Cinemax, where she created telepics "Gia" and "Stalin," among several others. Stanley includes a sci-fi and horror background, with creating credits on "Trailers From Hell" and "The Dark Path Stories." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Thornton's on the highway again

Russia invades Hollywood by 'Car' Billy Bob Thornton is co-writing and pointing "Therefore We Drove," a road movie the filmmaker describes as "ethereal."The tentatively entitled "Drove," now being scripted by Thornton and the longtime writing partner Tom Epperson, is among the first as high as six under-$20 million features to spring in the new $120 million film fund created by Alexander Rodnyansky's AR Films and Geyer Kosinski's Media Talent Group.Both fund and "Drove" were developed throughout producing tonight's Berlinale competition world premiere, "Jayne Mansfield's Vehicle," the producers' initial collaboration and Thornton's first narrative helming effort in greater than a decade. ("Vehicle" wasn't area of the fund.)Rodnyansky, who's creating alongside Kosinski, stated he hopes to get the very first draft in March and aims to begin a U.S.-based shoot sometime this season.InchI discovered the storyline amazing. It is a pretty new mixture of genres to place into one movie," stated Rodnyansky, who heard the "Drove" plotline at length from Thornton around the "Vehicle" set. "It's according to his personal encounters in lots of ways.InchThornton stated the film is all about "a man who's on the journey and accumulates this girl on the way, and what goes on for them. It comes down to the question of existence: 'What is? Where will i easily fit in?A "An insider stated the film is partially inspired by Thornton's wild and well-recorded relationship with ex-wife Julia Roberts, which Rodnyansky confirmed.The storyline happens all over the U.S., with stops in La, the South and also the deserts of recent Mexico and Arizona.Thornton stated he's received several distribution offers for his 2011 doc feature on Willie Nelson, "The King of Luck," since its SXSW premiere, but he's ready for just one having a theatrical release.Rodnyansky just established AR Films U.S., a production and purchasers arm produced together with "Vehicle" professional producer Sergei Bespalov's production/sales outfit Aldamisa Entertainment, and finally plans for doing things for presales on all his productions (including AR/MTG features) and outdoors projects.AR and MTG intend to announce more films using their fund within the coming days. Sales for "Vehicle" are now being handled by WME Global and Hyde Park in the EFM.Thornton is repped by WME and Media Talent Group. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Runaway cow heads to bigscreen

The storyline of the runaway cow that smashed with an electric fence and steered clear of to freedom within the Bavarian hillsides this past year is which makes it towards the bigscreen.Animation producer Max Howard, Munich's Papa Loewe Filmproduktion, Torsten Poeck of Munich financing outfit Clou Partners and U.K.-based author-producer Kirsty Peart have became a member of as much as make the animated bovine adventure, "Cow away from home,Inch slated for any 2014 release.Elevated with an Austrian farm before she was torn from her calves and offered for slaughter, Yvonne the irate cow handled to leave and elude her captors for 3 several weeks, outwitting expert trackers outfitted having a helicopter and warmth-seeking equipment.The producers are working together using the Stomach Aiderbichl animal sanctuary in Bavaria, where Yvonne now lives peacefully and far in the slaughterhouse. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at erectile dysfunction.meza@mannaa.de

Pilot Season: Roseanne Reunion! John Goodman to Star in NBC's Roseanne Barr Comedy

Roseanne Barr, John Goodman Roseanne and Serta John Goodman are finally getting back! Goodman has became a member of the cast of Barr's new NBC pilot Downwardly Mobile, TVGuide.com has learned. Pilot Season: NBC accumulates eight comedies, including ones from Roseanne Barr, Jimmy Fallon Written and executive-created by Barr, the pilot brings the Roseanne star to series television because the proprietor of the rv park and surrogate mother to any or all the figures who live there. Goodman, whose recent credits include Damages, Treme and Community, will have the resident renovator around the property. John Argent and Roseanne's Eric Gilliland will also be attached as executive producers. For pretty much ten years, Barr and Goodman described husband and wife Roseanne and Serta Conner on ABC's Roseanne.

Pilot Season: Max Thieriot Scores Lead in ABC's Roland Emmerich Drama

Max Thieriot Max Thieriot has showed up charge in Roland Emmerich's untitled drama pilot for ABC, Deadline reviews.The project occur in NY through the 2012 presidential race. Throughout this time around around, Carter (Thieriot), a young astrophysics student, finds out his future lies not inside the section of science, but roughly paradise and hell. Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) has furthermore been cast as Carter's girlfriend.Pilot Season: ABC orders drama pilot from Independence Day directorThieriot, which has came out inside the films Nancy Came and Jumper, can next be viewed internally within the Finish in the Street, which hits theaters in April.Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012) written the script with 2012 film author Harald Kloser and may direct the pilot. He'll executive-produce with Mark Gordon (Criminal Minds) and Nicholas Pepper.

Aramid Ing. sues Relativity Media

Sonys 21 Jump Street is part of the slate deal stated inside the suit filed Wednesday by Aramid Entertainment Fund. KavanaughMolner Alleging fraud and breach of contract among other charges, an early on backer of Relativity Media is suing the business over a great investment in the major co-financing arrangement using the new the new sony Pictures.In the suit filed in La Superior Court Wednesday, investment group Aramid Entertainment Fund is accusing Relativity of enabling fellow defendant Fortress Investment Group to fraudulently sign up for a Relativity-arranged slate deal in the new the new sony. Complaintant is seeking restitution and damages having a minimum of $44 million. Relativity reps did not immediately respond to a request comment.The floridly written suit opens by proclaiming this can be "the most effective heist tales ever told inside the movie business." Within the accusations of wrongdoing, the suit takes particular are equipped for Relativity topper Ryan Kavanaugh.Aramid's issues arise from a great investment it created in Beverly I, a slate financing deal that Relativity arranged in the new the new sony in 2007. The suit claims that Relativity in those days suggested the sale as "a great equalizer between slate traders as well as the art galleries, using Citibank to help solicit bankers for your $555 million arrangement."People bankers eventually incorporated Aramid, a great investment company introduced by chairman and co-founder David Molner that has backed entertainment content since 2006. Company alleges this year, Fortress approached Aramid about purchasing numerous its entertainment assets, including its little bit of the Beverly I deal. Fortress eventually passed, and Aramid claims in the courtroom documents the hedge fund used "personal dataInch about Aramid's possibilities to buy out Citi's position inside the Relativity offer a lower cost. In line with the suit, Fortress also talked about an early on termination in the slate arrangement, a thing that Aramid claims made its investment useless. The business further claims that Fortress wouldn't are actually able to getting Citi without Relativity, which Aramid states acquired $14.5 million due to its cooperation. Films stated inside the suit include Sony's "Anonymous," "21 Jump Street" as well as the approaching Adam Sandler pic "I Dislike You Father," which has since been retitled "That's My Boy."Suit alleges that Relativity elevated too big too rapidly, proclaiming that their unprofitable purchases of Rogue Pictures and Overture Films introduced with a massive overhead its finances couldn't sustain.The players in Wednesday's suit read as being a legal wager on six amounts of separation.Molner has spent couple of years fighting financier David Bergstein in Federal personal personal bankruptcy court over possibilities in the web of Bergstein-introduced film companies. That web eventually twisted Fortress, which tried to recuperate profit the Bergstein shingles. And people companies had various organizations to sometime Bergstein business partner Ron Tutor, who aided lead several traders inside their effective purchase of Miramax from Disney this season. Bergstein also aided advise Tutor throughout that bid, which pitted Tutor's investment group against rival bidders Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Fortress backed the Weinsteins because bid, along with recent Relativity investor Ron Burkle. Wednesday's suit states that Fortress reported its concentrate on the Miramax bid while you reason it could not purchase Aramid's entertainment assets. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

The Biz: Will These Shows Sink or Frolic in the water?

David Caruso As mid-season shows debut over the following three several days, it'll be crunch time for many series that were not tearing within the Nielsen charts. This is exactly what network affiliates say will be the shows round the bubble as professionals use set their agendas in May. ABCA second-year ratings fade may mean you are prepared to pull a sheet inside the Dana Delany-introduced Body of Proof. Because the network bought one more episode of Pan Am to have the ability to possess a hold on the cast until May, its probability of returning next fall are as likely becoming an airport terminal terminal going an entire day without any flight delay. Comedy Happy Being doesn't execute a champion retaining charge-in within the mighty Modern Family, but ABC parent Disney posseses an possession stake inside the show which is a well known within the network's entertainment division - so a pickup for the next several weeks are thought a lock. And fan fave Cougar Town will get your final shot for renewal whether or not this is effective within the new Tuesday time period beginning February 14. CBSIt may finally be feet-tag time for CSI: Miami or CSI: NY. David Caruso's Miami will get its first extended period round the bench beginning April 15, as CBS tries out New you are able to city 22 inside the Sunday-at-10pm time slot. Both shows receive bubble status for renewal, with survival based on how strong the network's new drama development will come in. A Gifted Guy may also be on existence support, getting a run in the later 9pm slot vulnerable to decide its fate. Round the comedy side, Make the most of Schneider's new comedy, Make the most of, is doing a trustworthy job of retaining its Large Bang Theory lead-in. If CBS decides to develop to four comedies on Thursday, it's a shoo-straight into return. An eight-comedy CBS schedule could be also very good news for Rules of Engagement. The CWIt might be tough to produce a situation for coming back Gossip Girl, 90210, Nikita or Ringer based on ratings alone. Nevertheless the revenue created by deals to stream the shows over Hulu and Netflix will finish up a considerable area of the process in determining which shows return, along with distribution deals and foreign sales as well as the possession stakes that CW partners CBS and Warner Bros. have included. "Money is the completely new metric," states one insider. FoxNBC Universal, the studio making House, remains ready hope that Fox can get another season in the aging series, a money machine in distribution. But word is always that star Hugh Laurie has the capacity to proceed. Terra Nova, while pricey, is lucrative for Fox, but network professionals were disappointed inside the writing of Season 1 and possess postponed creating a eco-friendly light. The strong early performance of Alcatraz and solid sampling for Touch (the Fox Monday selection for future years?) could choose to maneuver on simpler. The network reaches an adverse balance with Fringe on Fridays and merely needing to pay a considerably lower license fee towards the studio, Warner Bros., can help to conserve it. You'll find rumblings that Fox has the capacity to close the lid on round the animated American Father Raising Hope may also be not just a slam dunk to return for just about any third season. NBCNBC has bought 13 comedy aircraft aircraft pilots for next season, proof it's clearly set on approaching with implies that provides greater than the niche audiences it's been drawing. The producers of ratings-challenged freshmen crop Whitney, Up With The Evening and so are You There, Chelsea? will have to produce a situation that they may grow once they get yourself a Season 2. Community fans should relax as NBC will most likely order more cases of the cult fave to produce the comedy attractive for distribution. The world co-production deal for your Firm handled to obtain cheaper for NBC in comparison to typical network drama. Nevertheless the network just moved it to Saturdays at 9pm beginning February 11 to produce way of the completely new drama Awake. So chances are it'll get thrown from court. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Marc Forster Conjures The War Magician

True World War Ii story reappearsFor his next trick, Quantum Of Solace director Marc Promote will pull The War Magician in the development hat, where it's been sitting getting dusty.Modified from David Fisher's book, Magician might be the real story of Jasper Maskelyne, who introduced stage miracle to warfare throughout World War Ii where he aided the Allies win through numerous daring and spectacular techniques. Among his accomplishments? Making the Suez Canal vanish, hiding the primary harbour of Alexandria's harbour and kidding General Rommel getting a phantom military, a move that introduced to his defeat. Maskeylene's techniques and inventions continue being used to this day.It's a compelling concept getting an excellent leading guy role at its center. Not surprising, then, that Tom Cruise clicked on up a few years back via his deal with Vital. Nevertheless it never found fruition before Cruise's contract fell through as well as the option continued the tome.Now Lonetree Entertainment gets the rights, and contains put Forster accountable for setting it up to existence. More often than not there's an chance Cruise could go back to star...Forster will next deliver zombie conflict chronicle World War Z to cinemas, though we'll need to hang about before the month of the month of january 2013 to find out that particular the following.

The Avengers Superbowl place teaser arrives online

For people people with without any fascination with pigskin-chucking, Marvel have released a teaser for Superbowl advert for your Avengers online. And brief since it is, there's still more recent and much more effective stuff inside to keep the fans excited.The teaser is completely dialogue-free, but demonstrates a few new clips of action, including Thor standing atop the Chrysler Building and Black Widow searching slinky.See the new teaser, below... Expect the whole trailer (and many likely many more besides) striking the internet following a Superbowl airs on Sunday 5 February. Meanwhile, Joss Whedon was recently part of an Avengers Twitter chat, and needed the opportunity to place people Spider-Guy whispers to bed mattress permanently. "There is no Spider-Guy cameo," mentioned Whedon. "Nevertheless the Avengers do turn off the dark." Intriguing...Tom Hiddleston appeared to become present, which he stood a handful of words to say on how Loki has changed for your Avengers. "More mischievous. More evil. More hubristic. More delusional. More damaged. More badass," he describes. That's that removed up then.The Avengers opens inside the Uk on 27 April 2012.

NetCoalition disavows antipiracy handout

The NetCoalition, the business of Internet the likes of Google, Yahoo and eBay which was instrumental in going back anti-piracy legislation in Congress, is disavowing a handout that went under its title and reprinted a tale from Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment blog mentioning to industry unions as "thugs." The tough rhetoric was a part of a publish that cautioned that despite the fact that the legislation was sidelined it's not dead, which the MPAA, the RIAA along with a "host of union thugs" could be persistent for making sure it got back in line. Galleries, record labels and many of the industry's guilds and unions backed the legislation, as did the AFL-CIO and also the Chamber of Commerce. Markham Erickson, professional director from the NetCoalition, released an argument Thursday by which he stated the coalition "neither authored nor approved your blog publish." But he stated that certain of their media consultants, Black Rock Group, prepared the handout "regarding the a look and feel before a conservative organization." "This will not have happened and that we are stunned and deeply sorry it did," Erickson stated. "Throughout our efforts on piracy legislation, we've stored our objections centered on policy instead of politics. We remain dedicated to achieving consensus on legislation to deal with the problem of online piracy. We notice that consensus is quite possible only if all of the parties are given respect. The occasions of yesterday don't have any place for the reason that effort and that we again sincerely apologize on their behalf.Inch Nevertheless, the campaign to prevent the legislation came from opposite finishes from the political spectrum. Many left-leaning public interest groups protested the legislation, but competitors also made efforts to interact Tea Party groups to rally from the legislation as the second illustration of government overreach. Your blog publish basically leaves the sense the legislation would be a Democratic-motivated effort to impress its donor base in Hollywood, when antipiracy legislation typically has attracted bipartisan support and, in the newest situation, has additionally stirred bipartisan opposition. Repetition. Lamar Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act in the home and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was its chief backer within the Senate, while competitors ranged from Repetition. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to Repetition. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

worth the weight

It was a bittersweet season-three preem for the cast of Starz's "Spartacus: Vengeance" as they posed for pictures at the Cinerama Dome on Jan. 18 without lead actor Andy Whitfield, who succumbed to non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in September. "Replacing Andy was one of the most difficult things for everybody, not just professionally but personally. Everybody knew him and loved him," creator-scribe Steven S. DeKnight said about the actor who played the titular role in the first season. Fans were quick to embrace broad-shouldered Liam McIntyre, who takes on the role of Spartacus. "I didn't try and copy, I didn't try and mimic. I thought that would be a shadow of an already amazing performance," said the thesp. McIntyre's turn as the gladiatorial defector was not a lock, however. Originally, the Aussie actor was 45 pounds underweight. "He looked physically ill. I could have (beaten him up) at that weight," DeKnight said. "We put him on a workout retainer where he didn't have the job until he proved he could gain all the weight and look good." After the show's long hiatus, the crowd gasped and cheered at the blood sport onscreen that mirrored the cries for spectacular death in the arena. "They liked the blood and the gore. That's good to know going forward," DeKnight said at the Roman-themed afterparty at the Sunset Landmark. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Robert Downey Jr talks Iron Man 3

Amid all the hype for The Avengers, it's easy to forget that there is a third Iron Man film on the way. However, Robert Downey Jr still has Tony Stark on the brain, and is excited by the opportunity to make the best Iron Man movie yet..."I think that we have an opportunity with the third Iron Man to make the best of the three," he told Omelete, "and maybe one of the better superhero movies that's ever been made." "But I think we have to remember what made the first one good," he continues. "It was very character-driven. It was very odd. It was kind of outrageous. And so I think we have to have the courage to trust that the audience is really kind of cool, and smart."Oh Downey, you charmer. Meanwhile, the star also took the opportunity to discuss Tim Burton's rumoured Pinocchio project, which has seen Downey linked to the role of Gepetto. "I want to talk to him about it, yeah!," enthused the actor. "C'mon, it's Tim Burton!"Iron Man 3 is currently scheduled for a UK release on 3 May 2013, and if it can recapture any of the magic of director Shane Black's last collaboration with RDJ (the black crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), we should be in for a treat.

Situation Closed: Scientists Refuse Evidence of Foul Play in Dying of Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood Government physiques have determined no foul play was mixed up in dying of Natalie Wood, in line with the La Occasions.The analysis was reopened in November, nevertheless it has not switched up any new information suggesting the dying at 43 will be a homicide, William McSweeney, the sheriff's chief of detectives, mentioned Tuesday.Sheriffs reopen Natalie Wood dying situation, say Robert Wagner's not just a suspectMcSweeney added that he's doubtful more considering can alter the overall conclusion the actress' dying was any kind of accident.In November 1981, Wood drowned in the coast of Catalina Island, which scientists ruled any kind of accident. This Year, Wood's sister, Lana Wood, came out on CNN and pleaded with government physiques to reopen the problem. Wood mentioned she thought a quarrel between her sister and her husband, Robert Wagner, round the yacht's back deck preceded her drowning.Watch clips of Natalie Wood's moviesWood starred in Miracle on 34th Street and ongoing to produce Digital digital rebel Without any Cause, Splendor inside the Grass and West Side Story. She married Wagner in 1957. They divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972.

Sean Bonniwell dies at 71

Sean Bonniwell, lead singer in the sixties La garage-rock-band Music Machine, died of carcinoma of the lung on 12 ,. 20 in Visalia, Calif. He was 71. This rock band had the hit single "Talk Talk" in 1966. Music Machine was considered most likely probably the most original bands in the garage era and was an important precursor in the punk bands which will follow inside the seventies. This rock band started out since the Ragamuffins in 1965 but soon increased being known to as Music Machine because of its energetic undertaking style. By 1967, the crowd began to destroy up. They released one album "(Turn On) The Music Activity Machine," which featured "Talk Talk." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com