Daily Variety articles from June 2008

Daily Variety archives from June 2008

Blaze clips Universal backlot: vault, Kong caught in backdraft.
June 2, 2008... Two popular Universal Studios backlot shooting locations--New York Street and the "Back to the Future" courthouse square--went up in smoke Sunday during a ferocious predawn blaze that also incinerated the King Kong amusement park attraction and...

Tuner's gone with the wind.(Theater review)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Tomorrow is not another day for the musical version of "Gone With the Wind," which will close June 14 after a short West End run marked by blistering reviews from London critics. Trevor Nunn's production of the tuner will have played 79...

Cher shares Vegas jackpot.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Any concerns that Celine Dion couldn't be replaced as a marquee Las Vegas attraction have disappeared. Cher and her Caesars Palace stablemate Bette Midler have instantly joined the list of hottest attractions in...

Ladies have their way with Indiana Jones.
June 2, 2008... In an unprecedented takeover of the box office by women, Warner Bros. and New Line's "Sex and the City" grossed an estimated $55.7 million--racking up the best opening ever for an R-rated comedy and beating holdover "Indiana Jones and the...

HBO sees skein in new Leight.
June 2, 2008... "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" exec producer Warren Leight is close to sealing an overall deal with HBO. The pay cabler is seeking to sign Leight to a writing and producing deal with an eye toward his becoming involved in the shrink skein...

Bridge connecting thesps.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ethan Hawke, Sinead Cusack, Richard Easton, Josh Hamilton and Rebecca Hall will join Simon Russell Beale in the acting company for the initial two offerings of the Bridge Project, the series of transatlantic legit...

Guy tries Emmy twist.(Inside Moves)
June 2, 2008... They're animated series, but they're also half-hour comedies. Shows like "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" have long been forced to choose a side each Emmy season, leaving no one satisfied. Until now. The folks behind "Family Guy" have...

Will H'w'd give peace a chance?
June 2, 2008... I DON'T THINK ALAN ROSENBERG set out in life to play the "heavy," but he certainly is sliding into that role. Now that AFTRA has made its deal at the bargaining table, it's up to SAG to decide whether the town will see further combat or...

Mixed-martial arts strikes blow for CBS.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mixed-martial arts has helped CBS bring some young viewers to broadcast television on a sleepy Saturday night. The increasingly popular sport made its network debut Saturday night with the first of four planned...

Upfront aggression: ABC. Turner amp up first round of deals.
June 2, 2008... Upfront advertising sales activity began to percolate over the weekend, and the major networks are preparing for the onslaught of dealmaking on advance blurb commitments for the 2008-09 season that will hit in earnest this week. There was...

Banner banks on Niles novel.(Steve Niles' "Wake the Dead")(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Holding Pictures has acquired rights to Steve Niles' graphic novel "Wake the Dead" and set James V. Hart to write the script and Jay Russell to direct. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Niles wrote the graphic novel "30 Days of Night." ...

Shingles spin comic 'Orbit'.("Final Orbit")(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Platinum Studios has teamed with Valhalla Motion Pictures to turn the thriller comicbook "Final Orbit" into a feature film. Russell Gewirtz ("Inside Man") will write the script. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Valhalla chair Gale Anne Hurd and...

Think's bills pile up: promo firm Mammoth sues for fees.
June 2, 2008... Adding to ThinkFilm's legal woes, Mammoth Advertising, a Brooklyn-based company handling promotion and ads, has filed a lawsuit against the beleaguered distrib and its parent, David Bergstein's Capitol Films, for failing to pay $428,295 in...

Opera warms to 'Truth'.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Al Gore's book and bigscreen warning on climate change, "An Inconvenient Truth," is being made into an opera. Italo composer Giorgio Battistelli's interpretation will play at Milan's Scala in 2011. Battistelli, a former artistic chief...

Leelee Sobieski.(Players)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Leelee Sobieski has landed a role in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. She'll play the last girlfriend of bank robber John Dillinger, played by Depp. Sobieski was last seen...

Ben Vereen.(Players)
June 2, 2008... Ben Vereen has joined the cast of Hallmark feature "An Accidental Friendship," starring Chandra Wilson. His recent credits include a guest-starring role on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Holiday in Bryant Park." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Jesse Williams.(Players)
June 2, 2008... Jesse Williams has signed on to Antoine Fuqua's "Brooklyn's Finest," alongside Richard Gere and Don Cheadle. Williams will next star in "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2" and will also appear in upcoming episodes of ABC Family's...

Marshall hoofing it to CAA.
June 2, 2008... Rob Marshall has signed with CAA. Marshall, who built his career at ICM, leaves as he is preparing to direct "Nine" for the Weinstein Co. Daniel Day-Lewis will star with Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Marshall Loren, Nicole Kidman and...

Lego Indiana Jones.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A LucasArts presentation of a game developed by Traveller's Tales for the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. Reviewed on Xbox 360. Rated E 10+. $30-$50 The videogame industry may need a new...

Cher.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (The Colosseum, Caesars Palace. Las Vegas: 4,296 seats: $250 top) Presented by AEG Live. Opened May 6, 2008; reviewed May 31. As entertainment packages go, Cher has set a new standard for Las Vegas...

REM.(Concert review)
June 2, 2008... (Hollywood Bowl: 17.376 seats: $125 top) Presented by Hewitt/Silva. Band: Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Bill Rieflin, Scott McCaughey. Also appearing: the National, Modest Mouse. Reviewed May 29, 2008. Many critics and fans...

The Mole.
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Series: ABC. Mon. June 2, 10 p.m.) Produced by Stone & Co. Entertainment. Executive producers, Scott A. Stone, Clay Newbill: co-executive producers, Leslie Garvin, Rabih Gholam, Jeff Krask; supervising...

The Cure.(Concert review)
June 2, 2008... (Hollywood Bowl: 17, 376 seats; $135 top) Presented by Hewitt/Silva and KROQ. Band: Robert Smith. Jason Cooper, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson. Also appearing: 65daysofstatic. Reviewed May 31, 2008. Over the Cure's nearly 30-year career,...

House, Divided.(Theater review)
June 2, 2008... (Adrienne Theater: Philadelphia: 106 seats: 527 top) An InterAct Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by Larry Loebell. Directed by Seth Rozin. Sets, Dirk Durossett; costumes, Susan Smythe; lighting, Peter Whinnery; sound....

Showbiz stocks: Friday, May 30, 2008.
June 2, 2008... Showbiz Stocks Friday, May 30, 2008 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg % Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 2.15 -.09 -51.9 AcmeCm ...

Joseph Pevney.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Joseph Pevney, who directed some of the best-loved episodes of the original "Star Trek" television series, died May 18 in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 96. Pevney directed 14 episodes of the 1960s series, including "The City on the Edge of...

Mitch Mullany.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Comic Mitch Mullany died May 25 in Los Angeles from a diabetes-related stroke. He was 39. Born in Oakland, Calif., Mullany started his standup career in the Bay Area and then appeared on "The Wayans Bros." as White Mike. He starred in his...

Lawrence Roman.(Obituaries)(Obituary)
June 2, 2008... Screenwriter-playwright Lawrence Roman, who wrote films including "Under the Yum Yum Tree" and "Final Verdict," died May 18 from a stroke complicated by kidney failure in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 86. Born in Jersey City, N.J., Roman...

Sandy Howard.(Obituaries)
June 2, 2008... Sandy Howard, who produced classic Western "A Man Called Horse" and more than 70 other films, died Friday in Woodland Hills, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 81. Born in the Bronx, Howard started in show business as...

John Phillip Law.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... John Phillip Law, the strikingly handsome 1960s movie actor who portrayed an angel in the futuristic "Barbarella" and a lovesick Russian seaman in "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," died May 13 in Los Angeles. He was 70. ...

Fred Haines.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Director and Oscar-nommed screenwriter Fred Haines died May 4 in Venice, Calif., after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 72. With director Joseph Strick, Haines co-wrote the screenplay for 1967's "Ulysses," based on the novel by...

Gordon Crowe.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Theatrical producer, agent and impresario Gordon Crowe, whose projects ranged from the original Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of "Oh! Calcutta," "Scuba Duba" and "Lovers and Other Strangers," to touring prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn,...

Brits head for exit: L.A. screenings reflect market shifts.(World News)
June 2, 2008... After a slimmed-down L.A. Screenings this year, British program buyers are predicting a quiet summer for deahnaking--and a possible shift in buying patterns, which could hit studios in the pockets. Buyers returned to Blighty empty-handed...

Match lights up pic sales.(World News)
June 2, 2008... Cologne-based the Match Factory saw business bustling at last week's Cannes Film Festival, with major titles such as Un Certain Regard winner "Tulpan" and competition screener "Waltz With Bashir" ratcheting up a slew of sales. ...

Toei rides big run for 'Aibo'.(World News)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... "Aibo" (Partners), Seiji Izumi's hit cop thriller distributed by Toei, will extend what is becoming a record B.O. run. Based on a high-rated TV Asahi drama series, the pic opened strong on May 1 and topped the box office for the Golden Week...

ITV Worldwide taps brand chief.(UNITED KINGDOM)
June 2, 2008... Former Sony, Time Warner and Disney marketing maven Gustavo Antonioni has been appointed global brand director at ITV Worldwide, the U.K. terrestrial giant ITV's distribution division. Also a former licensing chief for Marvel, he will be...

Springer turns on TV.(GERMANY)
June 2, 2008... German publishing group Axel Springer has joined forces with consumer electronics giant Philips to introduce a global Personal TV system that allows viewers to tailor TV channels to their specific preferences. The technology, set to be...

NBC U taps int'l exec.(FRANCE)
June 2, 2008... NBC Universal has expanded its international channels team by tapping Leonor Grandsire for the newly created role of managing director of NBC Universal Global Networks, France, effective immediately. Grandsire spent more than a decade in...

Karlovy Vary jury set.(World News)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Helmer and film scholar Ivan Passer will preside over the main prize jury at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Passer will be joined by thesp Brenda Blethyn, Israeli helmer Ari Folman, producer Ted Hope, Czech...

Helmer tops Sarajevo.(World News)
June 2, 2008... Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan will head the jury at this summer's Sarajevo Film Festival. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ceylan, whose "Three Monkeys" won him best director last week at the Cannes Film Festival, will head a jury that...

Scott Elrod ("Men in Trees") and Cameron Richardson ("12 Miles of Bad Road") have joined the cast of Leah Sturgis' "Hard Breakers," lensing in Hollywood.(Players)
June 2, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Scott Elrod ("Men in Trees") and Cameron Richardson ("12 Miles of Bad Road") have joined the cast of Leah Sturgis' "Hard Breakers," lensing in Hollywood. Elrod's credits include "CSI: Miami" and "Desire."...

Brien Perry.(Players)
June 2, 2008... Brien Perry will star in dark comedy "Possessions," alongside Trent Ford and Autumn Reeser. His recent credits include "April Moon" and "October Road."

'Indiana' stays big on o'seas map.(WORLD WATCH)
June 2, 2008... "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" stayed socko at the weekend's international box office with $71.5 million at 8,439 playdates in 60 territories, while "Sex and the City" wowed foreign fans, drawing $39.2 million at 3,537 in...

Hot questions: U stews over blaze on lot.(Universal Studios)
June 3, 2008... As Universal sifts through the ashes, the question now is whether much of the damage from Sunday's big blaze, which has been ruled an accident, could have been prevented. Universal has a great deal of experience dealing with the impact of...

Clock's ticking on SAG negotiations.(Screen Actors Guild)
June 3, 2008... Is there a way for SAG to save face? Negotiations between SAG and the majors resume this morning after a three-day recess. The sides return to the bargaining table amid pervasive uncertainty as to whether they can bridge the significant...

'Sigma' sets scribe pair.(The Sigma Protocol)(Art Marcum and Matt Holloway)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Universal has put the adaptation of Robert Ludlum's "The Sigma Protocol" on the front burner. The studio has hired "Iron Man" scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway to pen the screenplay based on the late author's final novel. Universal has...

Simpsons cast ready to speak up.
June 3, 2008... "The Simpsons" cast have sealed a four-year deal that hands them more "D'oh" and solidifies the animated hit's landmark 20th season. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Production on the show has been delayed for several months as voice actors and...

Stalled tuner has tough 'Work' ahead.(Kathleen Marshall)(Nice Work if You Can Get It)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall and a team of producers have withdrawn from "Nice Work if You Can Get It" the Broadway-bound Gershwin tuner starring Harry Connick Jr. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Broadway Across America, the road...

Bart blogs.(VARIETY.COM)
June 3, 2008... Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart has launched a blog. Check out Peterbart.com or link from the Variety.com homepage. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Lull in B'way season: pre-summer frame slumps.(LEGIT)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Broadway took a tumble last week, with total cume falling roughly $3.2 million to around $17.6 million for 34 shows reporting. With estimates for "Young Frankenstein," which fell $165,000 to $797,000, the tally came...

'Xanadu' skates across the Pond.(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... "Xanadu" is gearing up for a London incarnation, aiming to rollerskate onto the West End in spring 2009. David Ian ("Grease") and John Gore (owner of Key Brand Entertainment) will produce the Brit staging, leading a team that also will...

Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin and Mary-Louise Parker are among the thesps lined up to present Tony Awards during the 62nd annual kudos ceremony June 15.(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Liza Minnelli, Daniel Radcliffe, Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin and Mary-Louise Parker are among the thesps lined up to present Tony Awards during the 62nd annual kudos ceremony June 15. Marisa Tomei, Laura Linney, Brooke Shields, Kristin...

Reasons to Be Pretty.(Theater review)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Lucille Lortel Theater; 198 seats; $59 top) An MCC Theater presentation, by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation, of a play in two acts by Neil LaBute. Directed by Terry Kinney. Sets, David...

Broadway top 10: May 26-June 2.(LEGIT)
June 3, 2008... Broadway Top 10: May 26-June 2 Week's Show Net Receipts (Theater)(Prod. Category) Potential Prev Week's $Change (Seats) Net Receipts Net...

Pitt's lap of luxury: thesp teams to design hotel in Dubai.
June 3, 2008... Brad Pitt has been bitten by the Dubai real estate bug. Thesp is part of a team of consultants designing an 800-room, five-star hotel in the emirate, it was announced Monday by U.A.E.-based property developers Zabeel. L.A.-based...

'Family' business at ITV.
June 3, 2008... ITV has given a pilot order to Caryn Mandabach's U.K.-based production shingle for a single-camera comedy, "Adam's Family." Mandabach, former partner in Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Co., has been focused on working the two-way street that...

Nantucket fest adds to lineup.(GOTHAM FILMS CLIPS)
June 3, 2008... William H. Macy and Paul Rudd have been added to the lineup of the Nantucket Film Festival's 13th annual edition, running June 19-22. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Macy joins Time Magazine critic Richard Corliss for the In Their Shoes event...

Diddley a rock pioneer.(Bo Diddley)(Obituary)
June 3, 2008... Bo Diddley, the rock 'n' roll pioneer whose name is synonymous with a five-note beat and whose style influenced popular music for decades, died Monday of heart failure. He was 79. Diddley, born Otha Elias Bates in McComb, Miss., had a heart...

Lionsgate in transport.(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Lionsgate has spirited away domestic and Canadian rights to the third "Transporter" movie starring Jason Statham ("Crank"). Actioner also stars Robert Knepper ("Prison Break") and returning cast member Francois Berleand ("Place Vendome")....

Len, Asleep in Vinyl.(Theater review)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (McGinn/Cazale Theater; 108 seats; $50 top) A Second Stage Uptown presentation of a play in one act by Carly Mensch. Directed by Jackson Gay. Set, Wilson Chin; costumes, Jessica Ford; lighting, Matthew Richards;...

Did the American Songbook Really End in 1965?
June 3, 2008... (Theresa L. Kaufmann Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y; 917 seats, $60) A 92nd Street Y presentation of Lyrics and Lyricists. Director and host, Andrea Marcovicci. Music director, Shelly Markham. Musicians: Lisa LeMay, Larry Saltzman, Jered Egan,...

Amadeus.(Theater review)
June 3, 2008... (F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theater, Madison, N.J.; 308 seats; $53 top) A Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey presentation of a play in two acts by Peter Shaffer. Directed by Joe Discher. Set, Dick Block; costumes, Maggie Dick; lighting, Matthew...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of May 30-June 1.
June 3, 2008... Weekend at the B.O. RENTRAK THEATRICAL $168.3 million May 30-June 1, 2008 vs. last year vs. last year -2% 25% Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: Theater, city (circuit) ...

Host race wide open: broad group of reality emcees finally gets a trophy, but who wins it is anyone's guess.
June 3, 2008... They're probably TV's most underappreciated performers--but the TV Academy is finally giving reality hosts their due. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nearly a decade after reality TV began its primetime domination, the org voted this year to...

Hubbub over nonfiction faking finally fizzles.(SCRIPTING THE UNSCRIPTED)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It has been more than two years since the Time magazine expose "How Reality Fakes It" officially entered the term "frankenbiting" into the broader national lexicon. Still, reports of unscripted series allegedly...

Like danger dudes? This Beers' for you: 'Ice Road Truckers' is guru's latest skein to successfully showcase colorful characters and their perilous gigs.(SPOTLIGHT: THRILL OF THE CHILL)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Approached by History Channel exec VP and g.m. Nancy Dubuc with the proposition of adapting a 2000 installment of "Modern Marvels" about the men who haul heavy equipment over perilous ice roads in northern Canada,...

Acad voters avoid the voyeuristic: star-in-a-fish-bowl series proliferate, but Emmy love remains hard to come by.(TRENDS: CELEB REALITY)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blame it all on Ozzy Osbourne. Until MTV's "The Osbournes" turned into a smash hit, reality sudsers like "The Real World" were reserved for ordinary people. If celebrities allowed cameras in their lives, it was...

Maturing aud tastes lay waste to new skeins.(POSTMORTEM REPORT)
June 3, 2008... Julia Child, one of TV's original reality stars, taught us the secrets to scrumptious French cooking: Keep it simple, keep it fresh. It's a tip today's reality-show creators would be wise to follow, yet often ignore: * CBS' complex,...

A realistic shot: Variety's quick picks from critical faves, past contenders and buzzworthy first-timers.(V PLUS)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] REALITY COMPETITION SERIES The Amazing Race (CBS) Season 12 Emmy cred: The around-the-world parade has a hold on this category, winning the series award every year since the reality-competition...

Study sez Beeb pay is not extravagant.(World News)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Top talent at the BBC is not being paid more than the going rate, according to a report commissioned by the pubcaster's governing body, the BBC Trust. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The survey, conducted by consultants Oliver & Ohlbaum, said...

WB's Indian invasion: toon is latest move by studio.(World News)
June 3, 2008... Warner Bros. is to make its first animation feature in India following a deal with helmer Jyotin Goel and his Goel Screencraft shingle. Move is the latest of several Indian film deals announced by Time Warner units in the last year. ...

Gallic orgs slam rating.(World News)
June 3, 2008... PARIS -- France's Society of Film Directors and the Union of Film Journalists have reacted angrily to the Commission for Film Classification's decision to recommend an 18-and-over certificate for helmer-scribe Pascal Laugier's horror film...

Showbiz stocks: Monday, June 2, 2008.
June 3, 2008... Showbiz Stocks Monday, June 2, 2008 %Chg Name Tkr PE Last Chg YTD AccessIT AIXD ... 2.31 +.16 -48.3 AcmeCm ACME...

New York's top pics.
June 3, 2008... New York's Top Pics (based on location average for the weekend of May 30-June 1, 2008) Nat'l # N.Y. # N.Y. Rank Title (dist) Week of locs of locs avg/loc ...

L.A.'s top pics.
June 3, 2008... L.A.'s Top Pics (based on location average for the weekend of May 30-June 1, 2008) Nat'l # N.Y. # N.Y. Rank Title (dist) Week of locs of locs avg/loc ...

Cinemondo kicks off its third sesh with Tribeca Film Fest artistic director Peter Scarlet in the hot seat as host of the international film series.(GOTHAM FILMS CLIPS)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... Cinemondo kicks off its third sesh with Tribeca Film Fest artistic director Peter Scarlet in the hot seat as host of the international film series. Scarlet's co-curator is Link TV's Steven Lawrence, music and cultural programming veep. The...

Anime director Satoshi Kon is coming to Lincoln Center this month.(GOTHAM FILMS CLIPS)
June 3, 2008... Anime director Satoshi Kon is coming to Lincoln Center this month. The "Paprika" helmet will be the subject of a June 27-July 1 Film Society retrospective that includes a bigscreen showing of his television mini "Paranoia Agent," his theatrical...

Hollywood's Panda party.(V)(Kung Fu Panda)(Brief article)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All the classic elements of a kid-friendly premiere were on hand when DreamWorks Animation and Paramount launched "Kung Fu Panda" Sunday at the Chinese Theater. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A block of Hollywood...

MTV heats up kudos.(V)
June 3, 2008... HOLLYWOOD -- While MTV always tries to generate heat for its annual Movie Awards, an actual fire on the Universal Studios backlot was probably not what it had in mind. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Luckily, the blaze was contained as...

Clint Eastwood and Alan Horn at Thursday's Warner Home Video DGA reception.(V)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Clint Eastwood and Alan Horn at Thursday's Warner Home Video DGA reception for the release of the "Dirty Harry" film franchise

Mandalay topper Peter Guber and Wired magazine's Chris Anderson celebrate the launch of Anderson's new tome on Thursday.(V)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Mandalay topper Peter Guber and Wired magazine's Chris Anderson celebrate the launch of Anderson's new tome on Thursday in Los Angeles

The Rotary Club of Century City presented its humanitarian award to Sherry Lansing.(V)
June 3, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: The Rotary Club of Century City presented its humanitarian award to Sherry Lansing, pictured with club prexy Shahram Hazany, left, and her husband William Friedkin, at the Century Plaza Hotel on Thursday.

B.O. muscle men: Par's 'Iron,' Indy fire up summer.
June 4, 2008... Despite economic woes and tough comparisons with last year, the May box office stayed competitive with previous years and managed to create a new film franchise in "Iron Man." Through Memorial Day, box office revenues totaled roughly $780...

Hot Monday for 'Sex'.
June 4, 2008... "Sex and the City" grossed a lusty $5.5 million on Monday at the domestic box office, underscoring the lucrative weekday market for female-skewing films and the pic's unusually robust reach. Outside Memorial Day, the Monday gross is the...