Daily Variety articles from November 2006

Daily Variety archives from November 2006

Screeners back in action.
November 1, 2006... To send or not to send--that has been the Oscar-screener question for the past three years. In olden times--i.e., before 2003--studios stroked the egos of film-makers by mailing out DVD screeners for a slew of pics with slim awards hopes....

Buyers going for the globe: int'l intrigue awaiting.
November 1, 2006... As the 27th American Film Market kicks off today in Santa Monica, even hardened vets are realizing that the past 26 years' experience is not going to provide any easy answers about what global audiences want. Buyers and sellers of films...

D'Works reworks homevid plans.(DreamWorks Animation)
November 1, 2006... Direct-to-video is no longer part of DreamWorks Animation's plans. Company on Tuesday said it is shifting "Puss 'n Boots," a planned "Shrek" spinoff that was going to be released on DVD in 2008, into a theatrical release, which likely...

Siblings built for 'Speed'.(Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski to direct movie)
November 1, 2006... In their first directing effort since "The Matrix" triilogy, Larry and Andy Wachowski will helm "Speed Racer" for Warner Bros. The brothers, who are penning the script, reteam with producer Joel Silver, their accomplice in "The Matrix"...

Stones roll to Scorsese.(Martin Scorsese begins shooting of documentary on the Rolling Stone)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Paramount will release Martin Scorsese's documentary on the Rolling Stones, which he began shooting this week. Hong Kong- and Amsterdam-based Fortissimo Films will handle international sales. Production got under way Sunday with...

China cleans up pic plots.
November 1, 2006... China's film biz may be forced to censor itself or submit to tougher regulations after the Propaganda Ministry warned that local pics have too much swearing and concentrate on divorce and love affairs. A document read out by management to...

Don't watch CBS, brought to you by NBC.(Tuning In)
November 1, 2006... AT THE RISK OF RUINING one of TV's grand illusions, here's a news flash: On political discussion shows, people are encouraged to argue. Conflict and confrontation are the life's blood of cable chat, which is why dueling representatives are...

Fortune calls CNN's serwer.(Andy Serwer appointed as managing editor of Fortune magazine)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... CNN "American Morning" business anchor Andy Serwer is leaving his regular gig on the show to become managing editor of Fortune magazine. Serwer, an editor-at-large at the mag and its "Street Life" columnist, has served as business anchor...

Praisers pick Tassler.(Nina Tassler awarded television showman of the year)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Hollywood union publicists have selected CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler as television showman of the year. Kudos will be presented at the 44th annual Publicists Awards Luncheon on Feb. 7 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. "Nina...

Academy will fete pic editor.(Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences honors film editor Dede Allen )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Film editor Dede Allen will be honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in New York on Nov. 7. The night will highlight her career through film clips and feature a conversation with Allen, directors Sidney Lumet and Arthur...

Thesp lands in future.(Ewan McGregor to be cast in "Franklyn")(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Ewan McGregor has signed on to star in "Franklyn," a futuristic British movie by first-time writer-director Gerald McMorrow, to be produced by Jeremy Thomas. Hanway Films will handle worldwide sales for the project, which will shoot next...

The Situation.(Movie review)
November 1, 2006... A Shadow Distribution release of a Red Wine Pictures production. Produced by Liaquet Ahamed, Michael Sternberg, Neda Armian. Directed by Philip Haas. Screenplay, Wendell Steavenson. Camera (color, widescreen), Scan Bobbit; editor, Curtiss...

As 'Times' change, others eye venue.(Inside Moves)(market research of television programs)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Legiters are already speculating about what show will go next into the Brooks Atkinson--the Broadway house whose current resident, the Twyla Tharp-Bob Dylan tuner "The Times They Are A-Changin'," took a critical drubbing after its Thursday...

GreeneStreet moves exec.(GreeneStreet Films moves Ariel Veneziano to Los Angeles)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... GreeneStreet is continuing its western expansion, moving international topper Ariel Veneziano to L.A. to join recently relocated production chief Tim Williams. Veneziano will concentrate on the third-party projects the company handles for...

Horovitz launches N.Y. lab.(LEGIT BITS)(New York Playwrights Lab, Israel Horovitz)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Scribe Israel Horovitz ("Park Your Car in Harvard Yard") is launching a Gotham producing venture. The New York Playwrights Lab debuts in the spring with a production of Horovitz's "The Secret of Mme. Bonnard's Bath," about two modern-day...

Ludacris leaps to TV: rapper takes shot at 'Fame' on the N.(MTV Networks Inc. Nickelodeon)
November 1, 2006... Rapper-actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is making the leap into television, inking a deal with Nickelodeon teen network the N to exec produce weekly drama "Halls of Fame." Cabler has greenlit development on the project--described as "Fame"...

MSNBC lifts talent from sibling web.
November 1, 2006... Six days before the midterm elections, MSNBC is beginning to look a lot like NBC, with Brian Williams, Tim Russert and Andrea Mitchell taking anchor shifts at the cabler as part of its "Decision 2006: Battleground America" coverage. Net is...

ABC off to hot start.(market share of television channels)
November 1, 2006... A short World Series prevented Fox from tasting victory for the first time last week as ABC and CBS again finished on top in the ratings wars. As they have for each of the first six weeks of the season now, the Alphabet prevailed among...

ESPN scores with 'MNF'.(market share of television channels)
November 1, 2006... Sports-media experts ragged ESPN without mercy more than a year ago when it agreed to pay a staggering $1.1 billion a year for the rights to "Monday Night Football." The ratings are now in for the first October of "MNF" on ESPN, and the...

Nielsen primetime ratings report.(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... Total Viewers Nielsen Primetime Ratings Reps Oct. 23-29, 2006 abc Monday 7.11 8:00 Wife Swap (R) 6.90 8:30 (7.18) ...

AFM screening guide.(Calendar)
November 1, 2006... NOV. 1 8:30 a.m. Suite Dreams (Pony Canyon) Broadway 1 8:45 a.m. El Cantante (Voltage) AMC 7 Sea Without Exit (Shochiku) Monica 2 9 a.m. My Son (Celluloid Dreams) AMC 2 Dementia (DeAPlaneta) AMC 5 Family Hero (UGC...

Class of 3000.(Television program review)
November 1, 2006... (Series; Cartoon Network, Fri. Nov. 3, 8 p.m.) Produced by the Tom Lynch Co. and Moxie in association with Cartoon Network Studios. Executive producers, Thomas W. Lynch, Andre "3000" Benjamin; supervising producer, Joe Horne; producer,...

Passing Strange.(Theater review)
November 1, 2006... (Berkeley Rep Roda Theater, Berkeley, Calif.; 401 seats; $61 top) A Berkeley Repertory Theater and the Public Theater presentation of a musical in two acts with music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, lyrics and book by Stew. Created in...

The Last Escape (Ostatnia Ucieczka).(Theater review)
November 1, 2006... (Mum Puppettheater, Philadelphia: 80 seats; $25 top) A Mum Puppettheater presentation of Wroclawski Teatr Lalek's play in one act by Aleksander Maksymiak, based on the novels of Bruno Schulz. Directed and designed by Aleksander Maksymiak....

International weekend box office.(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... International Weekend Box Office Reported Percent Box Office Change Weekend ending ...

Horror pair teaming for Spanish pic.(World News)(Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza to direct thriller "REC")(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Two of Spain's horror film specialists, Jaume Balaguero ("Darkness," "Fragile") and Paco Plaza ("Romasanta," "Second Name") have re-teamed to co-direct experimental thriller "REC." Produced by Julio Fernandez, prexy of Barcelona-based...

Ankling socks Sony U.K. plan.(World News)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Sony Pictures' ambitions to build a production arm making shows for the British market have received a blow with the departure of drama topper Mike Dormer. Dormer, who joined the combo 18 months ago, quit on Friday as director of scripted...

Japan's B.O. bounty: 'Pirates' chest weighs in at $85 mil.(World News)(Box office sales)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" topped [yen] 10 billion ($85 million) in Japan on Oct. 25, its 95th day of release, to become the country's box office leader, according to distrib Buena Vista. The Japanese market has now...

Russian exhib boost drives admissions.(World News)(Russian exhibition gets boost in growth of multiplexes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Rapid growth in the Russian exhibition sector is driving a massive hike in admissions, according to U.K.-based Dodona Research. The number of modern cinemas in Russia, with updated, multichannel sound, projection equipment and seating, has...

Letts sets FME deal.(World News)(Fremantle Media Enterprises signs deal with Don Letts)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Fremantle Media Enterprises has signed an exclusive first-look deal with cult U.K. music docu helmer Don Letts. Pact gives FME rights to develop and exploit program ideas created by Letts across TV, homevid and ancillary. Letts won a Grammy...

Finance honcho quits Intermedia.(Christian Bohmer quits Internationalmedia)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Christian Bohmer has ankled as finance chief at IM Internationalmedia, the German parent of Intermedia, after only seven months, effective immediately. Company said Tuesday that Internationalmedia chief exec Martin Schuermann and Sascha...

Seeing the future.(UNITED KINGDOM)(Andrew Hildebrand joins Future Film Group)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Andrew Hildebrand has joined Future Films as managing director of its London office. Hildebrand was previously head of commercial and business affairs for Michael Kuhn's Qwerty Films. He took time out from Qwerty earlier this year to exec...

'Silence' is golden.(EUROPE)("Into Great Silence" bags European Film Academy award)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Philip Groning's "Into Great Silence," which explores the lives of monks in a Carthusian monastery in the French Alps, has drawn the European Film Academy's documentary feature nod. Prize will be presented at the European Film Awards...

Showbiz stocks, Tuesday, October 31, 2006.(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... Showbiz Stocks Tuesday, October 31, 2006 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 10.64 ...

From the Army Archerd archive.(Bob Evans)(Robert Vaughn)(Claudia Cardinale)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Aug. 8, 1966 GOOD MORNING: Bob Evans, who made the jump from the garment bizness to acting to film producing, now takes on the chores of production boss of Paramount's European pic program. He was to have produced two films at 20th, "The...

Hallmark exec folding cards.(Paul FitzPatrick resigned from Hallmark Channel )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Paul FitzPatrick has resigned as chief operating officer and exec VP of the Hallmark Channel. FitzPatrick temporarily assumed chief exec duties when the net's former prexy-CEO, David Evans, resigned in May. Hallmark parent company...

TW smiling wide: B.O. slide fails to damage uptick.
November 2, 2006... Time Warner profit nearly tripled last quarter, with the film studio a lone laggard. But execs hope Warner Bros.' tepid box office run has ended with "The Departed" and touted a handful of late '06 releases including "Happy Feet" and "Blood...

Kung fu's latest kick.(Allen and Albert Hughes to direct the big screen adaptation)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Directors Allen and Albert Hughes will square off in "Kung Fu," the big screen adaptation of the 1970s TV series for Warner Bros.-based Legendary Pictures. Cory Goodman ("Priest") is rewriting the script. Thomas Tull, Scott Mednick and Jon...

Rogue devours 'Castlevania'.(Rogue Pictures signed distribution agreement with Crystal Sky Entertainment for distribution of movie)
November 2, 2006... Universal Pictures genre label Rogue has boarded Paul W.S. Anderson's Dracula project "Castlevania," a $50 million vidgame adaptation produced and co-financed by Crystal Sky Entertainment. Rogue will distribute the pic in North America and...

Trib propels paper chase.(Tribune Co.)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Take heart, David Geffen. The Tribune Co. has decided to accept bids for its individual media properties, including the Los Angeles Times. Trib made that call after deciding that the bids it had received from private equity groups for the...

Roberts hooks yarn.(Julia Roberts to star in "The Friday Night Knitting Club")(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Julia Roberts will topline family drama "The Friday Night Knitting Club" for Universal, with Roberts and Christine Peters producing. Roberts will produce through her Red Om production company and Peters through her CFP Prods. shingle....

'Inside' team takes another U turn.(Spike Lee, Brian Grazer to make the sequel of "Inside Man")(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Spike Lee and Brian Grazer are developing a sequel to "Inside Man" for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. Lee is still in negotiations on a helming deal for the project, but he's already working with the original's writer,...

Sixty Six.(Movie review)
November 2, 2006... (U.K.) A UIP (in the U.K.) release of a Universal Pictures, Working Title Films presentation, in association with StudioCanal, of a [WT.sup.2] production, in association with Ingenious Film Partners 2 LLP. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric...

Evil Dead: The Musical.(Theater review)
November 2, 2006... (New World Stages: 499 seats: $66 top) A Jenkay, Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment, Just for Laughs Live presentation of a musical in two acts with book and lyrics by George Reinblatt, music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris...

The Milliner.(Theater review)
November 2, 2006... (East 13th Street Theater; 166 seats; $45 top) A Directors Company presentation in association with Milliner Prods. of a play in two acts by Suzanne Glass. Directed by Mark Clements. Sets, Todd Edward Ivins; costumes, Gregory Gale;...

XM, Sirius unite in song rights challenge.(XM Satellite Radio Inc., Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. challenge claim by SoundExchange)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... In a rare moment of solidarity, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio challenged a claim Wednesday by SoundExchange that they should pay more for music rights. A deal between the satcasters and the nonprofit org that licenses music...

Blockbuster tries new tack.(introduces Total Access plan)
November 2, 2006... Blockbuster fired on Tuesday one of its bigger shots yet against Netflix, announcing a plan to allow customers of its online service to return movies in stores. Service will allow customers to immediately clear their rental queue when they...

Steiner entertains illusions.(David Steiner, Grand Illusions Entertainment)
November 2, 2006... Gotham real-estate magnate David Steiner is joining the world of feature-film production, investing in and becoming a partner at Jonathan Sanger's Grand Illusions Entertainment shingle. Steiner, who helped found the bustling Steiner Studios...

Disney lands No. 1: 'Hannah' on top of chart.(Disney Channel)
November 2, 2006... For Disney's music units, what were once surprises are now sure bets. The studio has scored its third chart-topper this year as the soundtrack to the Disney Channel's Saturday show "Hannah Montana" sold 281,000 copies in its debut session....

Salmi MTV's digital chief.(Mika Salmi replaces Jason Hirschhorn)
November 2, 2006... MTV Networks has found its new digital guru. Mika Salmi--founder and CEO of online media company Atom Entertainment, which Viacom bought in August for $200 million--has been tapped prexy of global digital media for MTV Networks. Though...

GE topper talks growth.(Jeff Immelt)
November 2, 2006... Jeff Immelt paid a visit to CNBC headquarters on Tuesday, and it wasn't to appear on "Squawk Box." The GE topper makes periodic visits to all areas of the NBC Universal empire, but this employees-only town hall took on additional meaning...

Jason Patric.(cast for Paul Haggis new movie "In the Valley of Elah")(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Jason Patric ("The Alamo") will join Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron in Paul Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah," which will be distributed domestically by Warner Independent Pictures. The drama begins filming Dec. 4 in New Mexico, financed by...

Terrence Mann.(contracts with Sci Fi Channel)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Terrence Mann has been added to the cast of Sci Fi Channel's "The Dresden Files." He'll play the confidant of Harry Dresden (Paul Blaekthorne). Thesp's credits include Broadway's "Les Miserables," "Cats" and "Beauty and the Beast," as...

Payola pressures: senator urges FCC to clarify loopholes.(Federal Communications Commission)
November 2, 2006... A key lawmaker has pressed Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin J. Martin for answers regarding the agency's ongoing investigation into payola. In a letter sent Wednesday to Martin, Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wisc.) asked the...

Law & Order.(Television program review)
November 2, 2006... (Series; NBC, Fri. Nov. 3, 10 p.m.) Filmed in New York by Wolf Films in association with NBC Universal Television Studio. Executive producers, Dick Wolf, Matthew Penn, Peter Jankowski, Nicholas Wootton, Walon Green; co-executive producers,...

Exec's future bright.(Simon Horsman appointed as CEO of Future Films USA)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... British financing and production outfit Future Films has named Simon Horsman CEO of its new U.S. operation, based in Los Angeles. Horsman was previously VP and general counsel of online comparison-shopping service PriceGrabber.com. ...

'Time' for a re-release.(Wong Kar Wai's "Ashes Of Time- Redux")(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Fortissimo Films has picked up international sales to Wong Kar Wai's reworked version of "Ashes of Time," the arthouse helmer's venture into the martial arts genre. Original pic, released 12 years ago, featured a starry cast of Hong Kong...

Firth berth in 'Genova'.(Colin Firth cast by Michael Winterbottom for new movie)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Colin Firth will star in helmer Michael Winterbottom's contempo ghost story "Genova," set to shoot next spring. Firth plays a recently widowed man who travels to Italy with his teenage daughters in search of a fresh start but can't escape...

Showbiz stocks: Wednesday, November 1, 2006.(Statistical table)
November 2, 2006... Showbiz Stocks Wednesday, November 1, 2006 Name Tkr PE Last AccessIT AIXD ... 10.93 AcmeCm ACME ... 5.19 Actvsn ATVI ... ...

Running out of trust: Canuck pols set to close tax loophole.(World News)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Canuck pols are plugging the tax loophole that allowed entertainment companies, including "CSI" producer Alliance Atlantis and exhibitor Cineplex Entertainment, to spin off all or some of their assets into tax-exempt income trusts. Income...

Huelva fest open to frosh filmmakers.(32nd Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... With seven debut features and four second movies, the competition at the 32nd Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival is opening up to a new generation of Latin American filmmakers. The world preem of tuner comedy "Por que se frotan las...

Willis to man Brit Mentorn.(John Willis to head U.K. indie Mentorn)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... British TV topper John Willis, who recently left the BBC after becoming frustrated by a wave of cuts in his department, will take over as head of U.K. indie Mentorn. Willis, who has held key positions at Blighty's Channel 4 and WGBH...

Chen's green nom a surprise in China.(Chen Kaige nominated for Green Chinese award)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Chinese helmer Chen Kaige, who was fined 90.000 yuan ($11.250) in May for damaging a scenic spot while shooting martial arts epic "The Promise," is the surprise nomination for a Green Chinese award for raising environmental awareness. The...

Mipcom effort spurs Brit biz.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... British independent TV producers estimate they generated business worth more than 7 million [pounds sterling] ($13 million) as a result of a sales initiative launched at last month's Mipcom trade show in Cannes. The 33 producers based at...

Singapore exchange bars voting.(Richard Li Tzar-kai, Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... HONG KONG -- The Singapore Exchange has barred Richard Li Tzar-kai from voting on the $1.17 billion sale of his 23% stake in media and telco operator PCCW. Ruling came after the exchange said it had not received a guarantee that Li...

Kinowelt ups voting rights.(WORLD NEWS)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Following its 50% takeover of insolvent distrib Intertainment earlier this year, German producer-distrib Kinowelt has increased its voting fights in the company from 11% to 30%. Kinowelt acquired the remaining voting rights from former...

Turning on the 'Charm': VH1, Mo'Nique plan 'Flavor' spinoff.("Charm School" to be made soon)
November 2, 2006... VH1 has come up with another flavor for its megahit "Flavor of Love" franchise, greenlighting production on the Mo'Nique-hosted skein "Charm School." Spinoff will take 20 of the most camera-friendly female contestants from the first two...

AFM becoming an Asian occasion.(American Film Market, Independent Film & Television Alliance)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Asian companies are responsible for the significant growth at this year's American Film Market. The number of Asian firms with suites at this year's AFM is 61, up from eight just five years ago. "The growth story is mostly from...

'Lives' gets Capitol coin.(Capitol Films, The Best Time of Our Lives)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Capitol Films will finance and handle worldwide sales on "The Best Time of Our Lives," starring Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan. Shooting's set to start in the spring in Wales. Capitol's introducing the project to distributors at the...

TV & cable production chart.
November 2, 2006... PRODUCTION CHART KEY Abbreviations: SUPR EXP-Supervising executive producer(s); EXP-Executive producer(s); CO-EXP-Co-executive producer(s); SUPR PROD-Supervising producer(s); PROD-Producer(s); CO-PROD-Coproducer(s); DlR-Director(s);...

American, but abroad-minded: lineup of unspoolings reveals an increasingly foreign array of pix.(American Film Institute Festival)
November 2, 2006... One of the ironies seldom noted about the American Film Institute's AFI Fest is how the Hollywood-based event has put a major emphasis on presenting non-American films. That may become a bit more noticeable this year, as the fest--in its 20th...

AFI Fest highlights.(V PLUS: AFI FEST/10 CINEMATOGRAPHERS TO WATCH; American Film Institute Festival)(Brief article)(Calendar)
November 2, 2006... WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1 Opening Night Gala: "Bobby" 7:30 p.m. (Grauman's Chinese Theater) THURSDAY, NOV. 2 Tribute: Penelope Cruz and "Volver" 7 p.m. (ArcLight Cinerama Dome) FRIDAY, NOV. 3 Centerpiece Gala: "Inland Empire" 9:30 p.m....

Rowdy AFI Fest precursor ignited L.A. film fire.(Gary Essert of Filmex Co.)
November 2, 2006... For those of us who literally grew up with Filmex--formally known as the Los Angeles Intl. Film Exposition--the reality that it began 35 years ago (Nov. 4, 1971) is a stunning sign of how the city's film culture has grown up, and also what it...

10 cinematographers to watch: emerging talents shed light on lens craft as high art.
November 2, 2006... MAXIME ALEXANDRE When a psychopath starts swinging a pickax, Maxime Alexandre knows what to do: Head for the blade. The 35-year-old cinematographer has a taste for point-blank horror; often delivering orgies of carnage shot at such close...

Deconstructing Harry: from westerns to war movies, Eastwood bucks myths.(Clint Eastwood)
November 2, 2006... TIP SHEET What: BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles Clint Eastwood will have no truck with heroes, and it's hard not to think that such lack of faith stems to...

Inner-city screening series opens eyes in Helen Keller Park.(British Academy of Film and Television Arts screens new releases)
November 2, 2006... Growing up, Marquise Ortiz, 15, of South Central Los Angeles, saw his local Helen Keller Park as gang property. Murders were the norm. Kids, keep out. Ortiz's after-school options were nil--the closest movie theater was 30-plus miles away. In...

Sorry, but Brits do it better, host says.(Stephen Fry)
November 2, 2006... After hosting the BAFTA Awards in London for the past six years, British actor-writer-director-comedian Stephen Fry travels to Los Angeles to emcee the org's American show. In light of his experience, Variety invited Fry to reflect on the key...

Poitier's field of dreams: activism trumps acting in civil-rights pioneer's endeavors.(Sidney Poitier)
November 2, 2006... As an Oscar-winning actor, film director and fervent civil-rights advocate, Sidney Poitier boasts a distinguished and justly lauded resume. What fans of the celebrated "Lilies of the Field" star might not realize, however, is that before his...

Idol Weisz: 'Fountain' star draws allure from Golden Era well.(Rachel Weisz)
November 2, 2006... Sometimes mere physical presence is enough to hold our attention. Rachel Weisz--with her raven hair, striking hazel eyes and cameo-soft features--is captivating, sometimes in spite of the material she's given to work with. She's not a...

'Breaking' talent: adaptation maestro Anthony Minghella returns to original screenwriting.(Breaking and Entering)(Interview)
November 2, 2006... After re-creating WWII Africa, midcentury European high society and Civil War America, Anthony Minghella's latest project, "Breaking and Entering," marks a break from a decade of epic literary adaptations and a return to original, more personal...

Lorenzo Lamas.(Concert review)
November 2, 2006... (Feinstein's at the Regency: 150 capacity; $60) Presented inhouse. Band: Joe Colella, Linc Milliman, Don DeMarco, Ken Hassler. Opened and reviewed Oct. 31, 2006. Runs though Nov. 11. In his Gotham club debut, Lorenzo Lamas acknowledged...

Dixie Carter.(appearing in television comedy)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Dixie Carter ("Designing Women") will guest star on "Desperate Housewives" in a multi-episode are beginning Nov. 12. She will play the mother to Kyle MacLachlan's character, Orson Hodge. Carter next lenses indie "Painting Me In" in...

Leonor Varela.(Players)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Leonor Varela ("Innocent Voices") has been cast in GreeneStreet Films' "Gary the Tennis Coach," helmed by Danny Leiner. Seann William Scott starrer is shooting in Austin, Texas. Thesp has also landed a starring role in Ambush Entertainment's...

Essie Davis.(Players)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Essie Davis has booked a role in "Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger" alongside Toni Collette and Keisha Castle-Hughes. Lightning Entertainment is selling the pic at AFM. Thesp's credits include recent London revivals of "A Streetcar Named...