Evangeline Lilly about to be killed out of Lost

Is it rumors? is it true? one minute it is "Confirmed as true" the next, "she is definatly staying" Why the mixed messages and who is sending them? Then again is anyone really dead in Lost? 

Loch is dead. or is he? The writers have brought the show to a point where they can kill of anybody and then change thier mind. But I hope they keep here - She is damn pretty!

Evangeline Lilly plays a big part on Lost, specifically the part of the pretty girl who can’t convey emotion too well.

But no actor is safe on Lost. Just look at what the show did to Charlie. Or Mr Eko. Or that moany bloke who blew himself up with dynamite. Any Lost character can bite it at any point - and recently there’s been speculation about Evangeline Lilly getting the chop soon.

But relax, because Evangeline Lilly’s rep has denied everything, hinting that she’ll stay on Lost until the last episode, when the smoke monster will kill her. Oh, spoiler alert.

As Lost gets progressively sillier and sillier with each new episode - oh, there’s Jin in the past! Oh, Locke’s resurrected himself! Oh, Jim Robinson from Neighbours seems to be the baddie now! - Evangeline Lilly’s role has never been so important.

Because, regardless of how brain-crampingly intellectual Lost gets, it’s a safe bet that every six weeks or so we’ll get an episode about Evangeline Lilly whining and looking a bit arsey and getting off with Jack or Sawyer or Anonymous Policeman Husband Number One or Ben. Oh, spoiler alert. Anyway, Evangeline Lilly’s episodes always ground Lost when it threatens to get all out of hand.

Which is why it was so weird that reports started emerging yesterday stating that Lost was going to kill off Evangeline Lilly and that she was already looking for other work. Zap2it reported:

Rumor has it, Kate might not live “ever after” at all. Solid sources tell me exclusively that Evangeline Lilly is auditioning for pilots … pilots that are intended to launch this fall. And Ms. Lilly’s people apparently told producers she will be available. Say wha–??

Now, obviously it’d be a gigantic shock if Lost killed off Evangeline Lilly before the final episode next year. Although, having said that, we’ve already compiled our top three favourite ways that we’d like to see Evangeline Lilly leave Lost:

1 - Kate realises that her mother is Sabrina The Teenage Witch’s aunt and realises her destiny lies not in enigmatic time-travelling mysteries, but having a best friend who’s a sarcastic animatronic cat and pretending to be a schoolgirl until she’s obviously in her mid-forties.

2 - Kate kills herself when Jack and Sawyer, sick of her constantly playing with their emotions, gay up and deliberately bum each other in front of her.

3 - Kate has it off with so many men that she develops a severe case of bacterial vaginosis and she’s clubbed over the head by Richard Alpert because it stinks so much.

However, it looks like those three options will have to remain firmly in the realm of disturbing internet fan fiction, because Evangeline Lilly’s rep has issued a statement claiming that any rumours of her leaving Lost before it finishes have no validity whatsoever.

So it looks like Evangeline Lilly will remain a part of Lost right up until the end, then. Unless, you know, someone spikes her juice with vodka and she gets arrested for DUI. Because if she does that she’ll definitely be killed straight away just like Mr Eko and Michelle Rodriguez and that other one. Oh, spoiler alert.

'Slumdog' celebrations fill Mumbai's crowded slums

As happy as I am for the cast of 'Slumdog' I can't help but wonder is this rich America clearing its own conscience. There are a 100 million starving people there - but at least we gave them an Oscar. We did our bit. I don't wish to detract from the performances and efforts of every one involved you all did a fantastic job, but are you being rewarded for the wrong reasons?
Congratulations Slumdog Millionaire.

MUMBAI, India – In the narrow lanes behind the Mumbai train tracks, the slum's first Oscar party turned into a raucous celebration of two hometown heroes, complete with Bollywood dance moves and squeals of joy from old friends.

Every time the big-eyed girl who calls this slum home appeared on TV, her friends gawked, beamed, shouted — and danced.

Rubina Ali, 9, was plucked from the tin roof shack she shares with her parents and six siblings in this squalid Mumbai slum to star in "Slumdog Millionaire," the darling of this year's Academy Awards.

Her friend and neighbor, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, was also chosen for the film, and both were flown to Los Angeles to watch "Slumdog" nab eight Academy Awards, including the Oscars' highest honor for best film.

Crowds gathered around the few television sets in the slum and it took barely a minute for word of each award to spread through the slum's winding lanes.

"It seems like happiness is falling from the sky," said Sohail Qureshi, a neighbor who said he had watched Rubina grow up.

The Bandra slum could not be farther from the Hollywood glitz, stretch limousines and designer dresses of the Oscars.

Azhar lives in a lean-to made of plastic tarpaulins and moldy blankets. Rubina's home is perched above an ocean of trash. Dirty train tracks and a clogged highway form the slum's borders.

Hordes of journalists descended on the neighborhood Monday. TV tripods straddled the thin stream of sewage outside Rubina's home while rows of satellite trucks idled outside a usually sleepy tea stall.

"Normally, no one talks to us and no one comes here, but now everyone is here," Mohammed Ismail, Azhar's father, said before a bouquet of flashing bulbs.

If the Oscar excitement brought a sheen of glamour to the community, it vanished Monday shortly after the final award was announced.

The journalists left, the dancing stopped and life pressed on as always. The sweatshop men hunched over humming sewing machines. Squatting children relieved themselves by the train tracks. Mothers washed their dishes in murky water.

"I am poor," Fakrunissa Sheikh, 40, said inside her lean-to next to Azhar's.

About 65 million Indians — roughly a quarter of the urban population — live in slums, according to government surveys. Health care is often nonexistent, child labor is rampant and inescapable poverty forms the backdrop of everyday life.

Although everyone from the local butcher to the prime minister called the Oscar coup a proud day for the country, "Slumdog Millionaire" was hardly a phenomenon with Indian audiences.

"Hit in the West, flop in the East," read a front page headline in DNA's Sunday newspaper. The film was a tough sell in Indian movie theaters because it was largely in English, featured few giant stars, and skimped on the dance numbers.

Many people here also objected to its gritty portrayal of India, as well as its title, which some took as derogatory. The film sparked protests in Mumbai and at least one north Indian city by slum residents who said the movie demeaned the poor.

"No one can call me a dog," Sheikh said Monday. "I work very hard."

A widow and mother of seven, Sheikh is a housekeeper who said she earns 600 rupees (US$15) a week.

She said the movie has been good for the families of Azhar and Rubina, but that her days are as difficult as ever.

"Look at my house," she said, pointing to the walls made of rags and the mud floor covered with a thin plastic tarp. "What has changed?"

The "Slumdog" filmmakers said they wrestled with the complications of working with children from impoverished families. Danny Boyle — who won the Oscar for best director — and producer Christian Colson decided to help Azhar and Rubina by securing them spots in Aseema, a nonprofit, English-language school in Mumbai.

Rubina's parents were thrilled with Boyle and his team.

"Whatever a parent could have done, they have done much more than that," Rafiq Qureshi said during the run-up to the awards.

Neighbors said they were nothing but happy for the child actors.

"It's Rubina's fate," said Mohammed Muzzammil, 22. "We don't want anything from her success."

Rubina's best friend Saba Qureshi wants something, however — lots of stories and pictures from Los Angeles.

"My eyes couldn't believe that I was seeing Rubina in America," said Saba, who led her sisters in Bollywood dance numbers throughout the morning. "She looked like an angel."

"When she comes back," Saba said, "we will have the biggest party."

Ben Stiller as Joaquin Phoenix at the Oscars

This is fantastic, not only is it hilariosly funny but it also adds to the mystery of Joaquin Phoenix. Has he realy lost his mind? is it a spoof? if it is, why is Ben Stiller spoofing the spoof? to add to the confusion..? I persume Joaquin wasn't at the Oscars himself? Anyway, this clip is hilarious:



Oh, and congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire for the Oscar

Oscar night - last chance.

Ok, the celebs are arriving on the red carpet as I am typing, so this is your last chance to read up and impress your friends with your knowledge of the Oscar ballot and your ability to pick a winner.

If you are out of the Oscar loop this year, don't worry. You don't have to see the nominated movies and performances to pick the Academy Award winners. You just have to know something about the past and have a sense of the present media buzz.

If you have seen many of the nominated pictures, remember to set aside your own preferences. Instead, imagine yourself as a Hollywood actor. They make up the largest voting segment of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Actors like movies that employ a lot of actors. They are suckers for comeback performances and revere indelible characterizations. They appreciate the difficulty of making a critically acclaimed movie on a small budget as well as the hardship of making a blockbuster with a cast of thousands.

So, before tonight's Oscar party, check out the official oscar ballot and squint like Clint Eastwood as you check out our prediction tips.

Best Actor
The nominees: Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler").

Tip: Vegas odds are on Mickey Rourke.

Richard Jenkins' moving portrayal of a lonely widower was overshadowed by the performances of leading men in movies released later in the year. Sean Penn won the Screen Actors Guild award, which makes him the favorite to take home the Academy Award. On the other hand, Vegas oddsmakers are picking Rourke. Penn's portrayal of a gay politician earned him a batch of trophies, but Rourke's fellow actors will identify with his up-and-down career and reward him for his emotional comeback performance as hard-luck wrestler Randy "the Ram."

Best Actress
The nominees: Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("The Changeling"), Melissa Leo ("Frozen River"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt"), Kate Winslet ("The Reader").

Tips: Traditionally, the winner of this award has no previous wins in this category. Films related to the Holocaust often collect Oscars.

Despite the fact that Streep already has two Oscars (one for leading actress and one for supporting), she's still a top contender because she won a SAG award for her portrayal of a protective, suspicious nun in "Doubt." Streep has a record 15 Oscar nominations but will not win her third Oscar this year.

Jolie, Hathaway, Leo and Winslet have never won an Oscar for best actress. The winner will be Winslet, who has six career Academy Award nominations. Streep won an Oscar for the Holocaust-related movie "Sophie's Choice"; Winslet will win her first Oscar for playing Hannah Schmidt, a former German guard at a Nazi prison camp.

Best Supporting Actor
The nominees: Josh Brolin ("Milk"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt"), Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight"), Michael Shannon "Revolutionary Road").

Tip: This category will defy trends because of Ledger's unforgettable, last performance as the Joker in 2008's blockbuster hit.

Normally, the youngest actor doesn't win this category. But Heath Ledger, who died of an accidental overdose at age 28 in January 2008, is the odds-on favorite for a posthumous Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress
The nominees: Amy Adams ("Doubt"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Christina Barcelona"), Viola Davis ("Doubt"), Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler").

Tip: First-time nominees in this category usually win.

That means Adams, who played a young nun, and Tomei, who played a stripper, are not likely to win. Adams was previously nominated for a supporting part in "Junebug," and Tomei was nominated twice in this category, winning for a role in "My Cousin Vinny."

Cruz was hilariously tempestuous in Woody Allen's movie. Although she was nominated in the Best Actress category previously, she's a newcomer in this category. She has momentum and luck on her side. Mark your ballot for Cruz.

Best Picture
The nominees: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

Tip: If the movie has swept previous awards, look for it to take home the top Academy Award.

"Slumdog Millionaire" won the Golden Globe, an ensemble award from the Screen Actors Guild and the best picture award from the Producers Guild of America, which knows something about making a movie. Unless the movie's buzz has peaked and is on the downslide, it should be a shoo-in as Best Picture.

Best Director
The nominees: Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Stephen Daldry ("The Reader"), David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon"), Gus Van Sant ("Milk").

Tip: Most of the time, the director of the movie that wins the Best Picture Academy Award also wins the directing prize.

The winner of the Directors Guild Award also is a good indicator. With that in mind, look for British filmmaker Danny Boyle to make an Oscar speech.

Best Animated Feature
The nominees: "Bolt," "Kung-Fu Panda" and "WALL-E."

Tip: Big box-office and major buzz herald the winner.

If Hollywood doesn't give the animated feature Oscar to "WALL-E," which many contend deserved a spot on the Best Picture ballot, fans should storm the red carpet.

Best Visual Effects
The nominees: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man."

Tip: I doubt if you need one, but here it is: The splashiest, most technically awesome work in a box-office hit is usually recognized.

There was no movie bigger last year than "The Dark Knight," and it got snubbed for Best Picture.

Best Cinematography
The nominees: "The Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

Tip: Choose the cinematographer who won the American Society of Cinematographers' prize.

Mark your ballot for Anthony Dod Mantle of "Slumdog Millionaire." Besides the ASC prize, he won the best cinematography award from the British Academy of Film and Television.

Best Costume Design
The nominees: "Australia," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Duchess," "Milk," "Revolutionary Road."

Tip: One word — corsets.

Period movies usually win this category. Since all five films take place in the past, choose the one with elaborate wigs, fancy hats and bulging bosoms.

"The Duchess."

Best Makeup
The nominees: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

Tip: Pick the movie that will get shut out of other prizes, including Best Picture.

The voters will throw "Benjamin Button" a bone for the makeup artistry involved in making a baby look freakishly old and Brad Pitt look homely.

Best Song and Best Score
Tip: Both music Oscars will go to the Best Picture winner.

"Slumdog Millionaire."

Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
Tip: The Writers Guild Award winners will also win the Oscars.

The WGA recently handed its original screenplay prize to Dustin Lance Black for "Milk" and gave the adapted screenplay award to Simon Beaufoy for "Slumdog Millionaire."

With Landmark Trial Half Over, Pirate Bay Crew Celebrates Early Victories

This is an interesting story to anyone who has ever shared a file over the internet. It seems a massive cock-up on the prosecutions side to prepare a trial for three years and after day one of the actual trial drop half of the charges, only realizing now he has not got enough evidence?

Oh well, good luck to the boys anyway.

STOCKHOLM -- As the landmark trial of The Pirate Bay wrapped up its first week Friday, the prosecutor fought to tie the last two defendants to the daily operation of the world's most notorious filesharing site.

Four defendants in all are accused of contributory copyright infringement for allegedly deliberately facilitating the making available of copyrighted works to the public. Establishing intent is crucial for a crime to have been committed under Swedish law, and the prosecutor and civil plaintiffs have tried to show that the overriding purpose of The Pirate Bay is to encourage unlawful sharing of copyrighted material.

With the Pirate Bay trial half over, the defendants have reason to be hopeful. First, the government stunned observers on Tuesday by dropping half the charges in the joint criminal-civil prosecution, resulting in a partial acquittal. And despite aggressive questioning by the prosecutor and a battery of entertainment industry lawyers, defendants Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Fredrik Neij stuck to the story that the sole purpose of The Pirate Bay is to let internet users transmit whatever material they want.

Warg and Neij were never public people, and that showed in their sometimes awkward testimony. But Friday's first witness, Peter Sunde, aka Brokep, is The Pirate Bay's official spokesman, and he's accustomed to the spotlight. He wore a grey hoodie as he took the stand to defend the website, even as he sought to distance himself from its operations.

The first questions posed to Sunde by prosecutor Hakan Roswall focused on his ideology, prompting Pirate Bay supporters in the blogosphere to cry foul. Referring to the open-culture activist organization that founded The Pirate Bay the prosecutor asked: "Is it correct that the Pirate Bureau discusses copyright and is critical of copyright as it is today?"

"What is your personal opinion on copyright?" the prosecutor followed up.

When recording industry lawyer Peter Danowsky asked the same question later, Sunde fired back. "That is a political question," Sunde said. "Is this a political trial or a legal trial?"

Danowsky's answer: "In what way is copyright a political question?"

Danowsky then produced printouts of news articles on The Pirate Bay, pointing out statements made by Sunde. One exhibit came from a 2006 Wired.com article, from which Danowsky read the last paragraph aloud: "We're also into educating people about the consequences of piracy. We're teaching them how to do it."

Sunde said that he meant that The Pirate Bay educates people about filesharing in general. He quoted the paragraph before to show that his statement was a response to MPAA, which claimed that it was "educating people about the consequences of piracy and getting involved."

Likeable with a boyish face, Sunde can argue with die-hard enemies on TV and still carry a winning smile while his opponent resorts to cursing. He testified Friday that he was "only" a media contact for the website, and that he never actively participated in the acts charged by the prosecutor --namely, "organizing, systematizing, programming, financing or running " Pirate Bay. But Danowsky confronted Sunde with e-mail printouts taken in the 2006 police raid, which seemed to show that Sunde was more involved than he's acknowledged.

Carl Lundström, a wealthy 48-year old businessman, has a far more tenuous connection to the site, and he did not face any ideological questions on the stand. The prosecutor tried to tie Lundström to The Pirate Bay as a "co-owner," but Lundström claimed that he has only sold hosting and internet services to the site's operators.

Fredrik Neij, one of the young defendants, was hired by Lundström's CTO as a network technician in 2004, while Neij was already running the then-tiny filesharing site.

Lundström admitted giving The Pirate Bay's crew moral support and sympathy, but said he'd rejected becoming a business partner with them, finding the prospect too legally risky. "I didn't want to get into potential illegal things when I had 50 employees," he stated.

The court adjourned for the weekend, with testimony set to resume Tuesday afternoon. Among the scheduled witnesses is John Kennedy, the chairman of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries - the international version of the RIAA. The trial is expected to wrap up at the end of next week. The three civilian law judges, and a fourth professional judge, will decide the defendants' guilt or innocence by a majority vote. In the event of a tie, the professional judge's vote will prevail.

Friday night, Sunde will play DJ at a party arranged by the Pirate Bureau. Stockholm's digerati are expected to turn up to show support for The Pirate Bay.

'Slumdog' kids ready for the Oscars

Even if they don't win an Oscar this is proving to be a real rag-to-riches story. I realy hope it does change the lives of these kids and its not just conned out of them by someone else. Also the film has great so I hope to see them all acting in the future. But then again since I don't get to see that many Bollywood productions I will probably never see them again. Oh well, Good Luck


Two of the child actors from hit film "Slumdog Millionaire" are expected on the red carpet at Sunday's Oscars, experiencing riches and glamour a world away from their lives in Mumbai's shantytowns.
But who wins a coveted golden statuette under the bright lights of Hollywood's Kodak Theatre is largely immaterial for Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who plays the young Salim, elder brother of the film's central character Jamal.

He has more pressing concerns. The city authorities recently razed his family's neighbourhood.

"My hope is that we'll be able to get a house to live in," the boisterous 10-year-old told AFP TV at the tarpaulin-covered lean-to he now calls home before leaving for the United States.

"Slumdog Millionaire" has captivated audiences around the world with its rags-to-riches tale of true love lost and found, sweeping the board at the Golden Globes and Britain's BAFTAs, and bagging 10 Oscar nominations.

But concerns have been expressed that Azharuddin -- Azhar to his friends -- and nine-year-old Rubina Ali, who plays the younger version of Jamal's love interest Latika, still live in poverty in the sprawling slums.

There have also been court petitions and protests about the use of the word "slumdog" for being derogatory to slum-dwellers, as well as criticism of Western portrayals of Indian poverty.

About half of Mumbai lives and works in the patchwork of communities of precariously-built brick houses, bamboo and corrugated iron-roofed huts, many without running water and surrounded by open sewers and garbage dumps.

"Slumdog" director Danny Boyle, producer Christian Colson and others involved in the film insist that no offence was intended in the title and that they are providing for the two children.

Azhar and Rubina are currently attending an English-medium school for underprivileged children and a trust fund has been set up for them until they are 18. They also get a monthly stipend.

But the money Azhar earnt for filming has already gone to daily expenses, said his father, Mohammed Ismail Mohammed Usman, who sells cardboard to eke out a living.

"The only thing that happened was that I became well-known because of my son. That's it. Nothing else changed. My kid became a hero and I'm living like a zero. This is my shack," he said.

For India's film industry, Sunday's Oscars ceremony provides a chance to showcase the best of the country's talent, the chief executive of Fox Star Studios Vijay Singh told AFP.

It could also see the acclaimed composer A.R. Rahman, dubbed the "Mozart of Madras," become only the second Indian after filmmaker Satyajit Ray to win an Oscar.

Ray was given an honorary award just weeks before his death in 1992. Rahman is up for three awards in the best musical score and song categories.

Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, who plays the quizmaster in "Slumdog," said the British film with a cast of actors virtually unknown in the West was on a par with the 1982 epic "Gandhi," which won 11 Oscar nominations and eight awards.

"Sir Richard Attenborough did a great service to Mahatma Gandhi, his legacy and our country by making 'Gandhi.' But the kind of frenzy 'Slumdog' has evoked in the US is far bigger," he told the Hindustan Times daily Friday.

"It's like a tidal wave, a movement... almost historic."

For the winners, Oscar success brings fame and sometimes huge fortune. For Azhar, the stakes are much higher.

"Other people will see me in this film -- big, big people. If another good director sees me, then they may take me. This film will be very useful to me," he said.

Police photo of Rihanna leaked on the internet

Harrowing, or is it. Most pictures of celebreties out makeup look pretty bad, with dark circles around thier eyes and blemished skin. Im not saying Chris Brown didn't knock her about, but maybe it's not as bad as this picture portrays - you be the judge.

A harrowing image of Rihanna with deep bruises on either side of her forehead, blackened areas around her eyes and what appears to be blood at the corners of her mouth was posted Thursday night on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com.

The picture matches descriptions of a police photo taken after the "Umbrella" singer's alleged assault at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown on Feb. 8, the morning of the Grammys.

Police declined to deny its authenticity but issued a stern statement.

"The LAPD does not and will not release any victim's photos. It's that simple. We have not," said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jason Lee.

Brown, 19, was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats while the Grammys carried on without his scheduled appearance. He was released on $50,000 bail.

Police never identified Rihanna, who turns 21 Friday, as Brown's alleged victim, saying only that an unidentified woman was "visibly injured" when they responded to a 911 call and found her battered and alone on a street in Hancock Park.

Barbados-born Rihanna, a striking beauty regularly photographed with a megawatt smile, has not confirmed the assault publicly but is cooperating with police, a music industry source told the Daily News

Brown issued a statement of apology and said he would seek counseling.

The Los Angeles District Attorney is expected to review the case before Brown's March 5 court date and make a decision on formal charges.

Jade Goody, British Reality Star, Dying Of Cancer On TV

I say - Good on ya Jade! I myself cant stand the woman, but media addiceted as I am I will be following the story. And if anyone cared enough about my death to pay me millions of dollars for the story - I would be cashing in too, for my family. It´s a tragic story but hopfully her kids will benefit from it and also get to choose thier own involvment with the media.

LONDON — A brash British reality show star whose ups and downs captivated the nation is approaching her death the same way she has lived _ on television.

Dying of cervical cancer that has spread to her liver and bowels, 27-year-old Jade Goody sees no reason to turn the cameras off now.

Her first foray into the spotlight was in 2002, when she lost at strip poker on Britain's version of "Big Brother." She went on to write her autobiography, star in fitness videos, release a perfume and appear on "Celebrity Big Brother," where she was accused of racism and bullying a Bollywood star, Shilpa Shetty.

To make amends, she went to India last summer to star in its version of "Big Brother." It was there _ in a shocking diagnosis captured on television _ that she found out about her cancer.

Bald and pale from chemotherapy, pictures of Goody have since been daily fodder in the British press. She says the publicity and profits made from selling her story will help her sons, 4-year-old Freddie and 5-year-old Bobby Jack, and raise awareness of cervical cancer.

On Thursday, a television show documented the weeks before she learned she only has months to live. On Sunday, the cameras will roll at her wedding to 21-year-old boyfriend, Jack Tweed _ recently released from prison after serving time for assault and wearing an electronic monitor. Goody will take her vows in a designer dress donated by Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed.

While neither are scheduled to air in the U.S., video clips of her wedding shopping spree and cancer battle _ including one where she breaks into sobs as she stares at her balding head in her bathroom mirror _ have been widely viewed on YouTube. Photos of the nuptials are to be printed in OK! magazine, which along with television deals are believed to have earned Goody $1.4 million.

Her actual death is not expected to be televised or photographed, her publicist said.

People will say I'm doing this for money," Goody told the Sun tabloid earlier this month. "And they're right. I am, but not to buy flash cars or big houses. It's for my sons' future."

Some have said Goody should spend time with her family rather than staying in the spotlight. But most have also praised her commitment to her sons and her effort to draw attention to the need for regular Pap smears, which can catch cervical cancer in its early, treatable stages.

"I may have questioned the wisdom of Jade treating the media as confidantes in her final days," wrote Allison Pearson in the conservative Daily Mail. "But I have nothing but respect for her decision to accumulate enough money for the boys to enjoy the very best education."

The media, who are now so firmly in Goody's corner, were not always so kind. She was ridiculed for being vulgar, uneducated and crass; even after her cancer diagnosis, it was suggested she was capitalizing on her illness to regain the public's affection.

From the beginning, Goody's tortured childhood provided kindling for reality TV. She grew up in a tough part of London, the daughter of drug users. Her father, who served time in prison, died from a drug overdose.

With her in-your-face attitude and willingness to share the tawdriest details of her life, the buxom brunette both fascinated and repelled Britain. Her lack of education sometimes made her an object of ridicule, such as when she asked where the English region of East Anglia _ less than a two-hour drive from London _ is located, and pronounced it "East Angular."

"She's a kind of product of our time," said her publicist Max Clifford. "I suppose, when I started out, it was all about talent, but Jade was the one who proved that you don't need to have talent to be someone in Britain today. She's famous for just being herself."

There was admiration, even from the prime minister, for Goody's sheer determination to make a better life for herself.

"It's very sad and indeed tragic that someone so young has got this deadly disease of cancer and it's very sad indeed that the treatment that has been given has not been successful," Gordon Brown said Wednesday at his monthly news conference.

"I think everyone has their own ways of dealing with these problems and her determination to help her family is something that we've got to applaud," he said. "I wish her well and I wish her family well and I think the whole country will be worried and anxious about her health."

The Guardian newspaper _ which appeals to the left-leaning intelligentsia _ weighed in on Goody's decision to publicize her impending death, praising her for confronting her mortality.

"The ostentatious rituals of mourning and public graveyards of earlier eras are not part of modern life," it said in an editorial. "Today, mortality is as finite as before, but has somehow been marginalized."

In Bermondsey, the neighborhood near London Bridge where Goody grew up, residents still consider her one of their own. Nearly all support her choice to stay in the spotlight.

"She's like one of us. We all feel for her. It's not fair," said 40-year-old Janine Stacy, a special education teacher. "It's totally her choice."

Clifford said that Goody may consider doing other deals after the wedding. "We are in discussions to do a final documentary ... She's very keen to do it, providing she's well enough," he said.

'American Idol' selects first 3 finalists

I havn't actually seen this years Idol contestants. but is it not getting a bit boring? Its the same thing over and over, with Simon Cowell insulting people, trying to get a reaction out of people.

Borinng!

Tatiana Del Toro had something else to cry about. The emotional 28-year-old crooner from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was one of nine "American Idol" semifinalists sent packing Wednesday. Del Toro, whom judge Simon Cowell called a "drama queen" after her performance Tuesday, bawled after she wasn't selected to continue in the "Fox" singing competition.

"It's up to America," she told host Ryan Seacrest before the results. "It's up to the power of love."

No tears were shed by the first three finalists of season eight: Alexis Grace, the soulful 21-year-old single mother from Memphis, Tenn.; Michael Sarver, the beefy 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas; and Danny Gokey, the spikey-haired 28-year-old church music director from Milwaukee. The trio received the most viewer votes.

Recent widower Gokey overwhelmed the judges with Mariah Carey's "Hero" at the conclusion of Tuesday's ho-hum performance episode. They were also impressed with Grace's take on Aretha Franklin's "Never Loved a Man," comparing her to first "Idol" Kelly Clarkson. Sarver, who sang Gavin Degraw's "I Don't Wanna Be," received a mixed reaction from the panel.

"I think if you get through, it's because people like you," Cowell told Sarver on Tuesday.

Next week, 12 more semifinalists will vie for three spots in the competition's top 12, but Del Toro and the other dismissed semifinalists, such as Anoop Desai and Ricky Braddy, may have another chance. After the first nine finalists are selected by viewer votes, the judges will pick the last three finalists following a wild card round March 5.

The Simpsons' new opening sequence

Check out the new Simpsons opening sequence as it aired in HD last night.
It's pretty cool. There are a lot more charachters added and they will probably shorten it later but here it is in all its yellow tanned glory



After 20 years the Simpsons have changed their opening sequence. Tonight the show had its premier in HD and with it brought the first revamp of the main titles since 1989.

While some of the old parts remain (Bart still writes on the chalk board, Lisa still saxes her way out of music class, and Homer still throws radioactive material down his shirt) most of it has changed to catch up on 20-seasons worth of character additions. Apu's octuplets now appear in the opening as do Maggie's nemesis, the unibrow baby, and the crazy Texan millionaire, all added since the original sequence was created.

As a side note to fans, check out Marge's groceries, they have changed to include tomacco juice, and Mr. Sparkle detergent.

All-Star Shaquille O'Neal pops and locks with Jabbawockeez

Check out Jabbawockeez featuring Shaq on the NBA All-Star reserve selections player introduction. This guy is huge. Poping and locking.

Shaquille O'Neal highlighted the NBA All-Star reserve selections this year by moving past Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Jerry West into second place in league history with his 15th All-Star appearance. As a small token of his appreciation, he danced with the season one champs of America's Best Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez, during player introductions.

The Pirate Bay trial to begin in Sweden

It's a landmark trail, but is ot going to make any diffrance to filesharers around the world? - I think not. The lawsuit is against the creators of the site not against the site itself. so even if they do get fined or even inprisoned (highly unlikely) the thepiratebay.org will still exist and people will continue to download stuff of the internet. or off each other computers in this case. 

File-swappers are expected to be keeping their eyes on a court in Sweden this week as a landmark copyright-infringement trial gets under way.

The four men behind the popular file-sharing site The Pirate Bay go on trial Monday in Stockholm, accused of helping millions of Internet users illegally download protected movies, music, and computer games. The defendants--Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi and Carl Lundström--face up to two years in prison and a fine of 1.2 million kronor ($143,529) if convicted of being an accessory and conspiracy to break Swedish copyright law.

Two of the defendants insisted during a Webcast news conference in Stockholm on Sunday that their site was legal and that the trial's outcome would have no impact on the site's ability to operate.
"What are they going to do about it? They have already failed to take down the site once. Let them fail again," Gottfrid Svartholm Warg said, according to highlights of the event printed by TorrentFreak. "It has its own life without us."

The Sweden-based BitTorrent indexing site has defiantly linked to pirated copies of films, TV shows, music videos, and other content while often boasting that it ignores Hollywood's requests to remove them. While The Pirate Bay does not host any unauthorized content, the site is accused of facilitating piracy by directing its some 22 million users to protected movies and music.

A civil claim brought by a group of media giants is also being heard with the prosecution. The plaintiffs--Warner Bros. Entertainment, MGM Pictures, Columbia Pictures Industries, 20th Century Fox Films, Sony BMG, Universal, and EMI--seek 120 million kronor ($14.3 million) in compensation for lost revenues.

The Pirate Bay has already weathered several attempts by the governments of Sweden and the United States to shut down the site. Yet, this is likely the largest civil challenge the Web site has ever faced.
"It does not matter if they require several million or one billion. We are not rich and have no money to pay," said Peter Sunde, another defendant. "They won't get a cent."
John Kennedy, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, said in a statement that the case was about protecting the interests of the artists.

"The criminal prosecution of The Pirate Bay is about protecting creators from those who violate their rights and deprive them of their deserved rewards," Kennedy said. "The Pirate Bay has hurt creators of many different kinds of works, from music to film, from books to TV programmes. It has been particularly harmful in distributing copyrighted works prior to their official release. This damages sales of music at the most important time of their lifecycle."
Prosecutors expect the trial to last 13 days.

Rihanna's Father Takes His Turn with the Press

This story will not go away. Now their parents are having their say. Nobody cares!! Well actually a lot of people do I guess. Thats why this story continues to sbore high in search engine polls. So who am I to argue..

Earlier, we told you what Chris Brown's father, Clinton Brown, had to say about the Grammy-night incident between his son and girlfriend Rihanna. Clinton Brown told People magazine his son was "very remorseful" and would "take from this situation and learn from it." Now, Rihanna's father is speaking out to People.

In an interview with the magazine, Rihanna's dad, Ronald Fenty, says he was stunned when he first heard about the incident between his daughter and Chris Brown. "I didn't believe it," Fenty said.

Speaking about Brown, he said, "You think you know somebody, but you really don't."

Fenty confirmed that Rihanna has been in her native Barbados. As for her condition, Fenty said, "There is some bruising. She will be alright. I think so."

He said he hoped his daughter would move on from her relationship with Brown and use the experience to help other women who may be victims of domestic violence. "At some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world."

Fenty said they last time he saw the couple they seemed happy. "I don't know what went wrong," he said.

A sentiment that's been shared by many this past week

Slumdog Millionaire and The Dark night are Oscar favourites

I saw Slumdog Millionaire only a couple of nights ago and Batman I saw last year. I wasn't that impressed with any of them. Slumdog was alright. Infact it was quite good. But thats it "quite good" isn't good enough for an Oscar, then again they do love there underdog stories...

Batman was too long and the only thing that keept me watching was Heath Ledger. Great performance. Tradgic loss and If they give him an Oscar it will detract from his performance. Ony because he is dead they'd give him an Oscar for voicing a Pizza hut commercial and in the case of Dark night he deserved an Oscar not cause he's dead but because it's one of his finest bits of acting ever. Did that come across right?

The Dark Knight is the box-office behemoth with the deceased acting front-runner whose name everyone knows. Slumdog Millionaire is the out-of-nowhere surprise with a cast no one ever heard of before.
Thursday's Academy Awards nominations could set up a duel between those two rarities: One a superhero saga so esteemed that it has lifted the comic-book genre into best-picture territory, the other a tiny tale whose rags-to-riches theme mirrors the film's rise to success.
On the one-year anniversary of Heath Ledger's death, he is expected to earn a supporting-actor nomination for his feverish performance as Batman's archenemy, the Joker, in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight."

Ledger has been the solid favorite throughout awards season. The film had been considered a longshot in other top categories, but it has gained momentum for best picture, director and screenplay as it grabbed across-the-board nominations for awards from one Hollywood guild after another.
"Slumdog Millionaire" leaped onto the awards radar as it premiered at film festivals late last summer, while "The Dark Knight" was soaring beyond the half-billion mark at the domestic box office.

Directed by Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" became a darling of critics, and the film has climbed to nearly $50 million at the box office playing in narrow release compared to the theater blitz of "The Dark Knight" and other studio blockbusters. It swept its four categories at the Golden Globes, including the prize for best drama.

"The Dark Knight" continues the story Nolan started with "Batman Begins," starring a top-name cast that includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman.

"Slumdog Millionaire" features a cast of unknowns in the story of a youth rising to fame and fortune after terrible hardships on the streets of Mumbai, the heart of India's Bollywood film industry.

Other best-picture contenders could include two films about fallen political figures: the Richard Nixon drama "Frost/Nixon" and the Harvey Milk tale "Milk." Also in the running are the Roman Catholic drama "Doubt," the marital tragedy "Revolutionary Road" and the romantic fantasy "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Frank Langella as Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" and Sean Penn as the slain gay-rights pioneer in "Milk" are likely best-actor nominees.

Kate Winslet has a shot at two nominations, best actress for "Revolutionary Road" and supporting actress for the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader." Winslet won both prizes at the Golden Globes.

Among other acting prospects are Winslet's "Titanic" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio for "Revolutionary Road," Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett for "Benjamin Button," Anne Hathaway for the family drama "Rachel Getting Married" and Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams for "Doubt."

The Oscars also might offer a classic Hollywood comeback story. A pariah for years because of bad-boy behavior that wrecked his career, Mickey Rourke has returned to grace with the sports drama "The Wrestler," which earned him the Globe for best dramatic actor.

Oscar nominees are chosen in most categories by specific branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, such as actors, directors and writers. The academy's full membership of about 6,000 was eligible to vote for best-picture nominations and can cast ballots for the winners in all categories at the Oscar ceremony itself.

The 81st Oscars will be presented Feb. 22 in a ceremony airing on ABC from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

This year's Oscars already present a departure from previous shows. Rather than a comedian, such as past hosts Billy Crystal, Chris Rock or Jon Stewart, the emcee this time is Hugh Jackman, star of the "X-Men" flicks and a Tony Award winner for best actor in a musical.

Juaquin Phoenix on the Late Show with David Letterman

This one is definatly a wind-up.. There is no way this is serious, he is promoting something.. or maybe just having a laugh at David Letterman's expence. Either way it's hilarious to watch.
Has anybody seen or heard anything about this rap career? Me thinks its all a big hoax. A viral hoax. Enjoy the video:

Dave: "Joaquin, I'm Sorry You Couldn't Be Here Tonight"

If you thought Joaquin Phoenix was bizarre before, his behavior during an interview on the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Wednesday didn't do much to dispel the notion that the actor, at times, isn't all there.

In by far one of the weirdest interviews Letterman has ever conducted, Phoenix appeared detached, aloof and at times irritated during a seven-minute sit-down that had the audience rolling and Letterman searching for some way to get meaningful answers.

Was it all possibly a put-on by the talented actor? Not likely. It's hard to imagine anyone going in front of a national television audience and purposely making himself look that bad. But then again, Hollywood is Hollywood. One never knows.

Phoenix came out dressed in all black, with long hair, a shaggy beard and wearing dark shades, sort of like a Blue Brothers get-up on steroids.

Letterman started out by saying it had been three years since Phoenix had been on the program. The veteran host started in playfully on the actor's beard, asked if it was comfortable or itchy. Phoenix seemed completely aloof and unaware that Letterman was even talking to him. Letterman asked if the beard was comfortable.

"I'm okay with it, but now you're making me feel weird about it," Phoenix said.

Letterman then joked that he can't possibly be the first person to make him feel weird about it, to which the 34-year-old star of such films as "Gladiator" and "Signs," said, "No, I guess not."

Phoenix scratched the left side of his face and Letterman pointed out that's what he was referring to. Is the beard uncomfortable? Phoenix said the scratching was just a nervous tick.

Letterman then lauded Phoenix for his new movie, "Two Lovers," that he stars in alongside Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow. Phoenix, however, seemed completely detached, like he didn't realize Letterman was speaking to him.

"Oh yeah, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw," Phoenix said after a long pause and adjusting his shades.

Letterman told Phoenix he loved the movie and his acting. Phoenix just replied, "Thank you."

At that point the audience was beginning to catch on that something just wasn't right with the entire interview. Laughter began to dictate Dave's questions. Phoenix, however, seemed unfazed by the whole thing, lost in whatever world he was currently occupying.

After a long pause, Letterman, clearly puzzled by Phoenix's lack of focus in the interview, got in one of the best zingers of the conversation.

"So what can you tell me about your days with the Unabomber?"

Phoenix just stared into space.

Later, Letterman said he hoped after Phoenix took some time off from acting, as he had said he plans to do to pursue a music career, he would reconsider and return to the big screen because, Letterman said, Phoenix is one of the best actors in Hollywood.

Phoenix didn't reply, even as the audience members encouraged him with cheers and applause.

Letterman continued his prodding and asked Phoenix what he plans on doing while taking a sabbatical from acting.

"Well, I've been working on my music," he said through a stutter.

Letterman then praised Phoenix for his work in the Academy Award-nominated flick "Walk The Line" and asked if that style of music is something Phoenix wants to pursue.

"No, no … I do more of hip-hop music," he replied.

The audience snickered and Phoenix looked generally surprised and said, "What is that, a joke?" He then looked at Letterman and said, "What do you have them on? What do you gas them up with?"

Phoenix later uttered a simple "yes" when asked if it was fun to act alongside "Two Lovers" co-star Isabella Rossellini.

Letterman then asked Phoenix if he has any fun stories to tell the audience. Again, Phoenix looked lost, as if he didn't understand the question.

Letterman asked the actor to keep the "Late Show" in mind when his new hip-hop career takes off because "we want to be there."

"Well, I'd love to come on this show and perform," Phoenix said, setting the stage for some of the most uncomfortable moments of the interview.

Letterman quickly responded, "You know that seems unlikely," to huge laughs.

Phoenix tried to say he's seen some of the other guests perform, as if to say if you'd give them the chance why not me? But Letterman quickly segued into something else.

"I'll keep you in our Rolodex," Letterman said to huge laughs.

Letterman, as he customarily does with guests on his show, asked Phoenix to help set up the clip he was about to show. Phoenix had no idea and took exception to Paul Shaffer's laughing. "Are you ------ kidding? Are you serious with that maniacal laughter? I don't know what the clip is."

Letterman explained it was a clip with Paltrow, to which Phoenix said, "You're doing fine." Letterman fired back, "That's high praise, coming from you."

That response clearly irked Phoenix, who tried to get an explanation from Letterman for his sarcasm. The host said, "Relax. We're having fun."

"I'll come to your house and chew gum," Letterman added.

Phoenix took the gum out of his mouth and put it under Letterman's desk.

Letterman closed the interview by saying, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight."

Phoenix smiled a bit, looked down and said, "He's funny. He's a funny dude."

Jeremy Lusk X-Games Crash Video

Here we go again, cureing our morbid facinations with watching other people hurt them selfs in the hope that we might witness a fatality. Well, we got what we wanted.. How does it feel? I feel sick, yet I will watch it again.

And for the same reason the freeway comes to a stand still every time there is an accident because of people slowing down to catch a glimps. Jeremy lusk is becoming famous not for being a great athlete but for dying on youtube. Vultures!

What a sad day. What is to be a happy event turned into disaster when Freestyle motorcross rider Jeremy Lusk sustained head injuries during the X-Knights event in Costa Rica. Performing Seatgrab Indian Backflip Jeremy Lusk lost control and crashed. He died as a result. Jeremy Lusk is only 24 years.

He was brought to the hospital, in the ICU at the Calderon Hospital San Jose but did not make it. He died February 9,2009.

It must have been very painful for Jeremy's family, his parents, his wife Lauren Lusk, and for his fellow riders and his fans. Lusk won the X Game gold in the FMX event and silver in Moto X best trick in the year 2008. More impressively was that Jeremy Lusk was named FMX rider of the year and appeared in the Transworld Motocross Magazine in this January 2009 Issue.

Bar Refaeli in Sports Illustrated swimsuit 2009

Man alive.. Forget Barack Obama, stimulus plans or bush fires in Australia - this is what the internet is really for - lightly clad women. And men ofcourse, don't want to come across sexist.
Googles image search is going to get a lot of hits on Ms Refaeli me thinks..
Now do I lable this as sport, Israel or fashion? I think I'll just stick to entertainment. Sorry.       I wonder if she voted today?

NEW YORK – The world knows a lot more about Bar Refaeli today than it did yesterday, including where her tiny tan line falls. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit unveiled the 23-year-old Israeli, who has been romantically linked to Leonardo DiCaprio, as a first-time cover girl on Tuesday.

This gig, more than top fashion or entertainment magazines, can be career-altering as it puts a model's face (not to mention, her fantastically toned body) in front of millions of eyeballs, appealing to both men and women, sports fans and fashionistas.

It's the cover that matters most, says SI group editor Terry McDonell, but each model — 19 for this issue — gets an equal shot at the cover. Refaeli wears a string bikini by Missoni — and the strings on the bikini bottom are being tugged south.

"The cover has to reflect the athleticism and sexiness of the culture. This photo is modern, her hair and swimsuit look natural. You see her freckles. Her body is amazing and she looks intelligent," McDonell said.

It's also purposeful, he noted, that the models have healthy, sometimes curvy, figures. "A skinny waif won't work here."

McDonell, along with Swimsuit editor Diane Smith and SI creative director Steve Hoffman, sifted through 90,000 photos this year. In consumer testing, it's inevitable that the raciest one is the favorite, but that's not the one that lands on the front. "There are marketplace considerations," McDonell explained. "I want to be at the front of the store, not the back."

"This is the one I felt the most comfortable with," said Refaeli, who twice before was featured on the inside pages of the magazine. "You have the beach, blue water and a body. That's it. I liked that the top of the suit was on."

You can be sexy without revealing too much skin, said veteran supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, who first appeared on the Swimsuit issue cover in 1970 — and then again in 1975 and 1983.

That shot happened at the end of a full day shooting in Hawaii, and she was cold. Someone gave her long-sleeve top to warm her up and when the photographer asked her to take it off, Tiegs refused — and she wouldn't take off her sunglasses either, she recalled. That photo, she said, really captured a moment, though.

"I remember walking by the newsstand and seeing I was on the cover and picking up a copy or two. That was the celebration then. ... But I'm still signing covers for fans," Tiegs said.

SI's swimsuit issue began in 1964, when February marked the low point of the sports seasons. The NFL ended in December, there were no national televised hockey games and the NBA had only a half-dozen teams. After putting safe-driving tips and dog shows on the cover, SI decided to put an attractive female on the cover and call it a "skin-diving story," recalls Smith.

It was popular from the start, but Smith thinks it was Tiegs' cover that made it a phenomenon. However, it was Kathy Ireland in a white strapless bikini in 1989 that remains the best-selling cover.

"I've done many, many, many different covers in the fashion world ... but never had as big a splash as Sports Illustrated," said Heidi Klum, the cover model in 1998. "I went to `(The Tonight Show with Jay) Leno,' the morning shows in New York and LA — it was a huge thing — suddenly I became a household name," she said.

But more than the fame, Klum said she appreciates from SI the professionalism shown to a relatively untested model wearing next to nothing. "I had wanted it to be so good. I'd arch so hard ... but they'd say, `Look sexy with your eyes. Don't overpose. Be yourself and have fun.'"

There's a balance between wholesome and sexy the editors are always straddling, without ever being sleazy, Hoffman said.

The magazine spends an average of three days shooting each model, each with an average wake-up call of 4:30 a.m. because the light is best at dawn, and have about 10,000 bathing suits to choose from.

And even with the outfits so small, SI spends an average of $2,000 in overweight baggage fees per location.

"The logistics are horrifying ... but the Swimsuit issue is probably the healthiest of all the Sports Illustrated franchises, and it's good to be with things that work, especially these days," said McDonell.

The Annual 2009 Grammy award winnners

The 51st annual Grammay awards have been and gone. Did you watch it? did you agree. do you care? Like the Oscars is it not just a nother way for the industry to pat its own back and say: Well done, we did it again, dispite the evil threat of thePirateBay and filesharing internet pirates around the world we made a couple of billion dollars! 

Anyhow, it makes a good show though.. And Coldplay are great.. 

Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite band Coldplay racked up serious statue numbers at last night's 51st annual Grammy Awards.

The British band won for Best Rock Album, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

They celebrated their win with a medley performance of their songs "Lost" and "Vida La Vida", accompanied by esteemed rapper Jay-Z, a friend of lead singer Chris Martin and his wife Paltrow.

Another big winner, proving that old dogs can learn new tricks, was ex-Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant.
His album with Allison Krauss, Raising Sand, won three Grammys including Best Album.

Lil' Wayne stomped home with four Grammys including Best Rap Album for Tha Carter III.
Brit singer Adele took home Best New Artist (as well as Best Female Pop Vocal), and dueted with Grammy winners Sugarland on her signature song Chasing Pavements.

Here's a list of the major winners:

Album of the Year: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Best Rap Album: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: John Mayer, "Say"
Record of the Year: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Please Read This Letter"
Best New Artist: Adele
Best Rock Album: Coldplay, Viva la Vida
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Rich Woman"
Song of the Year: Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group: Sugarland, "Stay"
Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
Industry Icon Award: Clive Davis
Best Rock Song: Bruce Springsteen, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
Best Metal Performance: Metallica, "My Apocalypse"
Best Hard Rock Performance: The Mars Volta, "Wax Simulacra"
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: John Mayer, "Gravity"
Best Alternative Music Album: Radiohead, In Rainbows
Best Pop Vocal Album: Duffy, Rockferry
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Adele, "Chasing Pavements"

Complete List of Oscar Nominations

So, Oscars Night is coming around, Feburary 21st I think. I thought Id Publish a complete list of Nominees for this 81st awars show. its long so bear with me..

NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction
"Changeling" (Universal) Art Direction: James J. MurakamiSet Decoration: Gary Fettis
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham BurtSet Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan CrowleySet Decoration: Peter Lando
"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael CarlinSet Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi ZeaSet Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography
"Changeling" (Universal) Tom Stern
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
"Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West
"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O'Connor
"Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" (Cinema Guild)A Pandinlao Films Production Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
"Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)A Creative Differences Production Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
"The Garden"A Black Valley Films Production Scott Hamilton Kennedy
"Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures)A Wall to Wall Production James Marsh and Simon Chinn
"Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films)An Elsewhere Films Production Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
"The Conscience of Nhem En"A Farallon Films Production Steven Okazaki
"The Final Inch"A Vermilion Films Production Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
"Smile Pinki"A Principe Production Megan Mylan
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"A Rock Paper Scissors Production Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
"Milk" (Focus Features) Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
"The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production - Germany
"The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
"Departures" (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
"Revanche" (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
"Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman Lyric by Peter Gabriel
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. RahmanLyric by Gulzar
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
(Paramount and Warner Bros.)A Kennedy/Marshall Production
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers

"Frost/Nixon"
(Universal)A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production
Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers

"Milk"
(Focus Features)A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production
Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers

"The Reader"
(The Weinstein Company)A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production Nominees to be determined

"Slumdog Millionaire"
(Fox Searchlight)A Celador Films Production Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"A Robot Communications Production Kunio Kato
"Lavatory - Lovestory"A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production Konstantin Bronzit
"Oktapodi" (Talantis Films)A Gobelins, L'école de l'image Production Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
"Presto" (Walt Disney)A Pixar Animation Studios Production Doug Sweetland
"This Way Up"A Nexus Production Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency)An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production Reto Caffi
"Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions)A La Luna Production Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
"New Boy" (Network Ireland Television)A Zanzibar Films Production Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
"The Pig"An M & M Production Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)"A Mephisto Film Production Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Richard King
"Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Tom Sayers
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
"Wanted" (Universal) Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
"Wanted" (Universal) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
"Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
"Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

James Whitmore dies at the age of 87

To be honest I couldn't place the name James Whitmore when I first read it. Maybe its just my generation, but I had to look it up on imdb.com - then I realised. Its Brooks Hatlen from The Shawshank Redemption - One of the greatest films of all time. Not to mention the other films in this article..

Rest in Peace Jimmy.


James Whitmore, the veteran Tony and Emmy award-winning actor who brought American icons Will Rogers, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt to life in one-man shows, died Friday. He was 87.

Mr. Whitmore died of lung cancer at his home in Malibu, said his son, Steve. He was diagnosed with the disease a week before Thanksgiving.

"He cared about acting; his whole life was dedicated to the theater and to movies," said actor David Huddleston, a longtime friend who appeared in Mr. Whitmore's 1964 movie "Black Like Me," and did a couple of plays with him.

James Arness, who appeared with Mr. Whitmore in the movies "Battleground" and "Them!," said Mr. Whitmore was "an actor's actor," adding that "it was always a treat to work with him."

Arness also remembered the "great intensity" Mr. Whitmore could bring to a role.

"When we wanted to get an actor to play a character who had that quality, Jimmy was the guy you'd think of," said Arness, who starred in "Gunsmoke," a TV series that Mr. Whitmore appeared on a number of times.

A stocky World War II Marine Corps veteran who bore a resemblance to Spencer Tracy, Mr. Whitmore earned early acclaim.

In 1948, he won a Tony award for outstanding performance by a newcomer in the role of an amusingly cynical Army Air Forces sergeant in the Broadway production of "Command Decision."

Mr. Whitmore's Broadway success brought him to Hollywood, where he received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor in his second movie, the hit 1949 World War II drama "Battleground," in which he played a tobacco-chewing, battle-weary Army sergeant.

He appeared in movies including "The Asphalt Jungle," "Them!," "Kiss Me Kate," "Battle Cry," "Oklahoma!," "Planet of the Apes," "Tora! Tora! Tora!," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Majestic."

A frequent guest actor on television, Mr. Whitmore also starred in three series: the 1960-62 legal drama "The Law and Mr. Jones," the 1969 detective drama "My Friend Tony" and the 1972-74 hospital sitcom "Temperatures Rising."

In 2000, Mr. Whitmore won an Emmy award as outstanding guest actor in a drama series for "The Practice," and he received a 2003 Emmy nomination in the same category for "Mister Sterling."

An avid flower and vegetable gardener, Mr. Whitmore also was known as the longtime commercial pitchman for Miracle-Gro garden products.

Although he starred in plays such as "Our Town," "Inherit the Wind" and "Death of a Salesman," Mr. Whitmore was best known for his three one-man shows: as Truman in "Give 'em Hell, Harry!," as Roosevelt in "Bully" and as Rogers in "Will Rogers' U.S.A."

The 1975 film of "Give 'em Hell, Harry!" earned Mr. Whitmore a best actor Oscar nomination.

Born in White Plains, N.Y., on Oct. 1, 1921, Mr. Whitmore later moved to Buffalo, N.Y., where he attended public schools until his senior year of high school, when he attended the Choate School in Wallingford, Conn., on a football scholarship.

He was a pre-law major on an athletic scholarship at Yale University but had to quit playing football after suffering two knee injuries.

Mr. Whitmore joined the Marines during his senior year in 1942 and served in the South Pacific. After his discharge, he eventually moved to New York City and used the GI Bill to study acting.

In 1947, he married his first wife, Nancy Mygatt, with whom he had three sons. They were divorced after 24 years. After Mr. Whitmore's second marriage in the 1970s, to actress Audra Lindley, he and his first wife were remarried but divorced after two years.


In addition to son Steve, Mr. Whitmore is survived by his wife, Noreen, sons James Jr. and Dan, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.