Daily Variety articles from October 2006

Daily Variety archives from October 2006

Weinsteins book tome, pic plans.(Hachette Book Group)
October 2, 2006... The Weinstein Co. has found a home for its book imprint and inked a spate of film deals to solidify its slate for next year. TWC is signing a deal to bring its book imprint to Hachette Book Group's Little, Brown and Warner Books labels. ...

Fox boosts Atomic mass.(Fox Atomic)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Newly launched Fox Atomic is sending two more films before cameras, rounding out the label's forthcoming slate. Launched late last year, Fox Atomic is targeting genre pics that skew young and can be produced on modest budgets. Its slate so...

'Season' in the sun: Sony toon's $23 mil clips 'Guardian'.
October 2, 2006... Sony Pictures Animation's debut pic, "Open Season," shot to No. 1 over the weekend, bringing in family auds to the tune of $23 million. "Open" had been projected to be in a tighter battle for first place with Disney's "'The Guardian,"...

O'seas on 'World' whirl.(foreign box office)
October 2, 2006... Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" showed significant traction in Europe, winning the weekend at the foreign box office with a solid $12.3 million at 2,690 playdates in 20 markets. "WTC," which topped Adam Sandler's "Click" by $1.5...

Royal rivals duke it out in art arena.(Movie earnings)
October 2, 2006... The specialty film sector saw an infusion of new product over the latest frame as Miramax's "The Queen" and Fox Searchlight's "The Last King of Scotland" vied to rule the arthouse scene. Fox subsid released "The Last King of Scotland" on...

HBO's 'Suburban' assault.(Feelgood Fiction)
October 2, 2006... HBO is developing a U.S. take on "Suburban Shootout," the Blighty cult comedy hit from Feelgood Fiction that's been described as a cross between "Desperate Housewives" and "Kill Bill." American scribe Michelle Ashford ("Boomtown") has come...

H'wood's lofty losers pay a heavy price.(The Back Lot)
October 2, 2006... Cinephiles increasingly look back on the '70s as a golden era of filmmaking, but here's one reason why the studios looked good then: If a movie turned out badly, its distributor simply didn't release it. The turkey would be allowed a quiet...

Pix on half-shell in San Sebastian.
October 2, 2006... SAN SEBASTIAN Bahman Ghobadi's "Half Moon" and Martial Fougeron's "Mons fils a mot" shared the top Golden Shell at the 54th San Sebastian Intl. Film Festival, which closed Saturday. Jury prexy Jeanne Moreau's announcement of "Half Moon's"...

Wright: piracy costs go beyond H'wood.(Bob Wright)
October 2, 2006... Declaring that most corporate and public officials don't yet fully appreciate the threat of piracy and counterfeiting, NBC Universal topper Bob Wright issued a call to arms to a range of business and industry leaders at a high-profile...

Burrell in 'Drunk' tank.(Ty Burrell to act in Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... American thesp Ty Burrell ("Fur") will join Stephen Dillane in "Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?," the latest from Caryl Churchill ("Cloud Nine," "Top Girls") at London's Royal Court Theater. Two-hander, about a dysfunctional relationship...

Eileen Atkins and Imelda Staunton will star in "Them Came a Gypsy Riding," the new play by Frank McGuinness ("Someone Who'll Watch Over Me") bowing at London's Almeida in January.(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Eileen Atkins and Imelda Staunton will star in "Them Came a Gypsy Riding," the new play by Frank McGuinness ("Someone Who'll Watch Over Me") bowing at London's Almeida in January. Play follows the revelation of a family secret at the...

Dylan Baker, Brian d'Arcy James and Joanna Gleason are among the cast of "The Cartells," a live-action spoof of Aaron Spelling-style soap operas by Douglas Carter Beane ("The Little Dog Laughed").(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Dylan Baker, Brian d'Arcy James and Joanna Gleason are among the cast of "The Cartells," a live-action spoof of Aaron Spelling-style soap operas by Douglas Carter Beane ("The Little Dog Laughed"). Presented by the Drama Dept. and new...

Time Warner exec VP Olaf Olafsson is the new chairman of the board at Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company.(LEGIT BITS)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Time Warner exec VP Olaf Olafsson is the new chairman of the board at Off Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company. TW bigwig, also a novelist, has been a member of Atlantic's board for the past three seasons. Olafsson takes the reins just as...

The Departed.(Movie review)
October 2, 2006... A Warner Bros. release of a Plan B/Initial Entertainment Group Vertigo Entertainment production in association with Media Asia Films. Produced by Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Graham King. Executive producers, Roy Lee, Doug Davison G. Mac Brown,...

'Betty' turns heads: laffer lures auds to ABC.(Ugly Betty)
October 2, 2006... One week after "Grey's Anatomy" shook things up on Thursday, the net's one-hour comedy "Ugly Betty" opened to quite attractive numbers, keeping the Alphabet narrowly on top for the night among young adults. While ABC edged out CBS in...

NBC cops crime drama.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... NBC is developing a pilot from scribe Rand Ravich about a cop who uses a Zen-like approach to capture criminals. "Life," from NBC Universal TV Studio, follows the story of a cop who's wrongly imprisoned. He's eventually released and...

'Watching' woos Web surfers.(Nobody's Watching)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence is taking to the Internet again in his efforts to get his 2005 comedy "Nobody's Watching" greenlit to series. Lawrence and fellow exec producers Neff Goldman and Garrett Donovan are officially launching Web...

Loewy lands consultancy deal at MPD.(Victor Loewy, Motion Picture Distribution)
October 2, 2006... One of the nastiest scraps to hit the Canadian film scene in recent years received a storybook ending as outspoken distribution impresario Victor Loewy and Motion Picture Distribution reached a settlement. Deal makes Loewy, the former MPD...

Web pix in murky waters on standards.(news ANALYSIS)
October 2, 2006... Indie director Greg Joyce wanted to dip a toe into Internet distribution earlier this year. So he uploaded to Google Video "Working Stiff," his feature-length comedy about the adult film industry, planning to charge a few dollars per...

Eric Dane.(Players)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Eric Dane ("X-Men: The Last Stand") will join the cast of "Grey's Anatomy." Thesp first appeared on the skein last year as plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan; he'll continue the role. Dane's TV credits include "Charmed" and "Gideon's...

Kelly Preston ("Broken Bridges") and Stuart Lafferty ("One Tree Hill") have been cast in 20th Century Fox's "Death Sentence.".(Players)
October 2, 2006... Kelly Preston ("Broken Bridges") and Stuart Lafferty ("One Tree Hill") have been cast in 20th Century Fox's "Death Sentence." Pic stars Kevin Bacon as a father out for revenge after gang members attack his family. Preston will play the...

Keir O'Donnell.(Players)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Keir O'Donnell ("Wedding Crashers") will star in indie "Havoc," a thriller by writer-producer-director Robert Lynn that will be filmed in one continuous, unbroken shot. Thesp next will be seen in "Flakes," "After Sex" and "Noise." He also...

Al Faris.(Players)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Al Faris ("Sleeper Cell") has booked a recurring role on "24." Thesp next will be seen in indie "American East" with Tony Shalhoub and in a guest role on "The Shield." His credits include "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Jarhead."

Paul Schulze.(Players)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Paul Schulze ("24") will recur as an assistant district attorney on Fox's "Justice." Thesp also will guest this fall on "Shark" and in a two-hour seg of "The Closer" slated for December. His credits include "The Sopranos."

Marcus Giamatti.(Players)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Marcus Giamatti ("Judging Amy") has booked a recurring arc on HBO's new series "Tell Me You Love Me." He also recently shot a guest lead on "Crossing Jordan."

China seeds 'Flower': Norway, Iran plant their Oscar entries, too.(The Curse of the Golden Flower)
October 2, 2006... Zhang Yimou martial arts epic "The Curse of the Golden Flower" is China's candidate for the foreign-language Oscar nomination, while helmer Joachim Trier; "Reprise" is Norway's hopeful. "Flower" was long the favorite to win the support of...

Spike gets amped up.
October 2, 2006... Lee Tergesen and Tony Curran will star in the Spike TV series pilot "A.M.P.E.D." from exec producers Frank Spotnitz and Vince Gilligan. Fox 21 and Brightlight Pictures are producing the drama about a group of Minneapolis police officials :...

'Blade' doesn't cut it.(television programs)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Spike TV has driven a stake into "Blade." Viacom cabler will not renew the vampire actioner for a second season, ending its first attempt at a one-hour drama. Despite a promising start, "Blade" failed to hold an audience over its...

Oxygen populates 'Campus'.(Campus Ladies)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Megan Mullally, Scan Hayes, Jason Alexander, Penny Marshall, Beverly D'Angelo, Mo'Nique, Rob Corddry, Jeff Garlin and Rob Riggle will guest star in the upcoming second season of Oxygen's original comedy "Campus Ladies." Alexander and...

Friday Night Lights.(Television program review)
October 2, 2006... (Series; NBC, Tues. Oct. 3, 8 p.m.) Filmed in Austin, Texas, by Imagine Television and Film 44 in association with NBC Universal Television Studio. Executive producers, Peter Berg, Jason Katims, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Sarah Aubrey;...

From Florida to Frankfurt: Spinoff's not only an Eye opener but a global phenomenon.(V PLUS: 'CSI: MIAMI': 100th EPISODE)
October 2, 2006... Creator Anthony Zuiker was meeting" with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS topper Les Moonves, all glowing over the success of "CSI," but, also, pondering how to expand the franchise beyond its original premise. Las Vegas had been the...

Older and wiser, post-'NYPD' Caruso matures.(David Caruso)
October 2, 2006... His flaming red hair exploded off of every newspaper and magazine cover in 1993. when David Caruso was the breakout star of the new TV season in the ABC cop drama "NYPD Blue." Even before it aired a single episode. Steven Bocheo's "Blue"...

Khandi Alexander.(Quotebook)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... What's your favorite thing to do in Miami? "Walking along the beach. I like the fact that it feels so multicultural. With all these different cultures, it reminds me of New York by the watch." What doesn't the public know about David...

Miami nice: bold locations, rich production values seduce auds.(V PLUS: 'CSI: MIAMI': 100th EPISODE)
October 2, 2006... When it comes to romance, "CSI: Miami's" Horatio Caine (David Caruso) may be one of the unluckiest men on television. His first flame, Det. Megan Donner, left the force unexpectedly and in last season's finale, his new wife was murdered only...

Donahue schooled by TV's elite class.(Ann Donahue)(Interview)
October 2, 2006... To get the TV production low-down from higher-ups like Steven Bochco, Jerry Bruckheimer, Stephen J. Cannell, David E. Kelley, David Milch, Steven Spielberg, Darren Star and John Wells would cost a hefty tuition in any school of cinema or TV....

Working-class neighborhood: f/x team is housed next to writers, ensuring efficient turnarounds.(V PLUS: 'CSI: MIAMI': 100th EPISODE)
October 2, 2006... Bringing in feature-film-quality visual effects on a television production timetable and budget is never easy, but "CSI: Miami" has found a fresh way to make it happen. "What makes us unique is that our visual effects department has gone...

Rex Linn.(Quotebook)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... What's your favorite thing to do in Miami? "I don't know if it's my favorite, but dining out is in the top two. Miami has one of the best restaurant scenes on the planet. They have a complete variety, and there's such a mixed culture in Miami...

Emily Procter.(Quotebook)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... What's your favorite thing to do in Miami? "It's all things beach-related, and I love to swim with dolphins in their natural habitat. It was something just so wonderful to be under the water and have that kind of company." What doesn't the...

Jonathan Togo.(Quotebook)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... What's your favorite thing to do in Mianfi? "Go to the pool. There's so much toplessness that goes on at the pool, it's insane. Miami is sort of a place that doesn't have a lot of rules." What doesn't: the public know about David Caruso?...

John Ferguson.(Theater review)
October 2, 2006... (Mint Theater: 96 seats, $45 top) A Mint Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by St. John Ervine. Directed by Martin Platt. Set, Bill Clarke: costumes, Mattie Ullrich; lighting, Jeff Nellis; sound, Lindsay Jones; production...

Employee of the Month.(Movie review)
October 2, 2006... A Lionsgate release of a Lionsgate and Tapestry Films production. Produced by Andrew Panay, Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy, Joe Simpson, Barry Katz, Brian Volk-Weiss. Executive producers, Michael Paseornek, John Sacchi, Michael Burns. ...

Wynton and Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives.(Concert review)
October 2, 2006... (Frederick P. Rose Hall, Rose Theatre, Lincoln Center; 1,231 capacity; $120. top) A presentation of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Musicians:Wynton Marsalis, artistic director/trumpet; Wycliff Gordon, tuba / trombone; Vincent Gardner, trombone;...

Eurydice.(Theater review)
October 2, 2006... (Yale Repertory Y/water, 480 seats. 555 top) A Yale Repertory Theater presentation of a play in one act by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Les Waters. Sets, Scott Bradley; costumes, Meg Neville; lighting. Russell H. Champa; sound, Bray Poor;...

Eric Clapton.(Concert review)
October 2, 2006... (Madison Square Garden; 17.400 seats; $154.50 top) Presented by Live Nation. Band: Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, Willie Weeks, Steve Jordan, Chris Stainton, Tim Carmon, Michelle John, Sharon White. Opened and reviewed Sept....

Scissor Sisters.(Concert review)
October 2, 2006... (Shrine Expo Hall, Los Angeles; 4,000 capacity; $35) Presented by Live Nation/KCRW-FM. Band; Jake Shears, Ana Matronic, Babydaddy, Del Marquis, Paddy Boom. Also appearing: Small Sins. Reviewed Sept. 28. 2006. For a band that tries so...

Moguls game tracks B.O.(Fantasy Moguls, online game, box office)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Looking to ride the success of fantasy sports sites, a pair of execs are launching a Hollywood version dubbed the Fantasy Moguls game this week. Matthew Berry and Brenda Spoonemore said the site will combine the booming popularity of...

Atheism in doc's sights.(Godless in America, documentary)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... British documentary helmer Leslie Woodhead is making a film examining what it is like to be an atheist in contemporary America. "Godless in America," produced by U.K. indie October Films for the BBC and the Sundance Channel in the U.S.,...

Pilots, hires boost Lion TV.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Lion TV, the U.S. arm of the British nonfiction TV producer, has ramped up its series production to 108 hours this year--a 50% jump from 2005--highlighted by pilot commitments from the Discovery Channel and WGBH Boston. Lion also has hired...

20th wins scrimmage for football tome.(Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)(Michael Lewis' The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game)
October 3, 2006... Twentieth Century Fox has won movie rights to Michael Lewis' latest book, "The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game," a look at the race for ever-bigger players in professional football, in a heated bidding war that pushed the price past seven...

Thesps pack for 'Tourist'.(Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams to star in The Tourist)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams are getting in bed for "The Tourist," a psychological thriller set in clandestine Gotham sex clubs. Production begins in New York on Oct. 13, with Marcel Langenegger making his feature...

Par's bank shot: studio gets $300 mil in prod'n coin.(Paramount Pictures Corp.)
October 3, 2006... Paramount has closed a $300 million film financing deal with international investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort for production coin that will fund 30 films for the studio. Deal, dubbed Melrose 2, includes projects from Par's film divisions...

Fox needs coasts most.(Fox Broadcasting Co.)
October 3, 2006... As baseball's postseason kicks off today, and fans start debates about dream matchups, Fox has a firm idea who it hopes is standing when the American League faces the National League: the Yankees and the Dodgers. To maximize the World...

Clock ticking for 'Deadline'.(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Feature scribes Larry Malkin and Chad Thumann are teaming with helmer Peter Berg for the reverse-time thriller "Deadline." NBC is developing the one-hour project, with NBC U Television Studio and Berg's Film 44 onboard to produce. Skein is...

Duo feels country Pride.(Terrence Howard and Craig Brewer to do a movie on Charley Pride)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... "Hustle & Flow" duo Terrence Howard and director Craig Brewer will move from rap to country, teaming at Paramount Pictures on a biopic of singer Charley Pride. Paramount closed a deal for life fights of Pride and wife Rozene. and rights to...

The Tiger's Tail.(Movie review)
October 3, 2006... (Ireland-U.K.) A Buena Vista release (in U.K. and Ireland) of a Merlin Films/U.K. Film Council/Irish Film Board production. (International sales: Moviehouse Entertainment, London.) Produced by John Boorman, Kieran Corrigan. U.K. producer,...

Brand Upon the Brain!(Movie review)
October 3, 2006... (Canada-U.S.) A Film Co. presentation. (International sales: Celluloid Dreams, Paris.) Produced by Amy E. Jacobson, Gregg Lachow. Executive producers, Jody Shapiro, Philip Wohlstetter, AJ Epstein. Directed by Guy Maddin. Screenplay,...

The Nine.(Television program review)
October 3, 2006... (Series; ABC, Wed. Oct. 4, 10 p.m.) Filmed in Los Angeles by Sunset Road Prods. in association with Warner Bros. Television. Executive producers, Hank Steinberg, Alex Graves; co-executive producer, K.J. Steinberg; producer, Perry Husman;...

Copying Beethoven.(Movie review)
October 3, 2006... (U.K.-Hungary) A Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (U.K.), Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 2 production. (International sales: Myriad Pictures, Santa Monica.) Produced by Kimmel, Michael Taylor, Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson....

A Man's Fear of God.(Movie review)
October 3, 2006... (TAKVA) (Turkey-Germany) A Yeni Sinemacilar (Turkey)/Corazon Intl. (Germany) production. (International sales: The Match Factory, Cologne/Munich.) Produced by Sevil Demirci, Onder Cakar, Fatih Akin, Andreas Thiel, Klaus Maeck....

Showbiz stocks: Monday, October 2, 2006.(Statistical table)
October 3, 2006... Showbiz Stocks Monday, October 2, 2006 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg % Chg AccessIT AIXD ... 9.40 -.07 -9.4 AcmeCm ACME...

Par pacts with TWC for U.K. pic rights.(Paramount Pictures Corp. and The Weinstein Co. sign deal)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Paramount has picked up all U.K. rights to eight movies from the Weinstein Co. Par has already released the first two pics under the deal--"Pulse" and "Clerks II"--via the U.K. arm of United Intl. Pictures, its theatrical joint venture...

Variety promotes 3 exex.(Rose Einstein, Brian Gott and Jennifer Glen )(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Variety has boosted the responsibilities of three execs. Rose Einstein has been promoted to senior VP and publishing director of the Variety Group. In her expanded role, Einstein will continue to oversee sales and marketing for Variety as...

BBC dazzled by 'Goldplated'.(BBC Worldwide Americas Inc.)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... BBC America, the U.S. cable channel operated by BBC Worldwide, is to co-produce three dramas. They are "Goldplated," an eight-part black comedy made with World Prods.; "After Thomas," a single film based on the true story of a family...

'Boys' buoys B'way: B.O. looks good for fall.(The History Boys)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Broadway seems to have shaken off its back-to-school doldrums a little early this year, with total grosses rising by more than $1.1 million to $15,076,630. Helping buoy this year's fall figures, of course, is a top ticket price of $110 for...

Big 'Brothers' for ABC.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc.'s Brothers and Sisters)
October 3, 2006... ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" held up well in its second outing on Sunday, helping the net keep pace with NBC's football for the night's demo lead. Family drama, which experienced some turbulence over the summer amid cast and exec producer...

Par Home Ent. taps Maguire.(Dennis Maguire joins Paramount Home Entertainment)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Longtime Buena Vista Home Entertainment exec Dennis Maguire has been named prexy of international for Paramount Home Entertainment. Maguire, who spent 23 years at BVHE, will report to Kelley Avery, prexy of worldwide home entertainment for...

IFC acquires Bocco.(Arianna Bocco joins IFC Films)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Arianna Bocco has ankled the Gersh Agency in Gotham to join IFC Films as veep of acquisitions and production. At IFC, Bocco will report directly to IFC Entertainment prexy Jonathan Sehring. She'll be charged with reeling in finished films...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of Sept. 29-Oct. 1.(movie industry)(Statistical table)
October 3, 2006... Film Box Office Wrap FOR THE WEEKEND OF SEPT. 29-OCT. 1 Ranking Reported This Last Weekend Pct. Week Week Title (Distributor) Boxoffice...

Top 10 films in Manhattan: for the weekend of September 29-October 1, 2006.(movie industry)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Top 10 Films In Manhattan For the weekend of September 29-October 1, 2006 % change vs. last Week Rank Wknd. B.O. Film (distributor) ...

Broadway top 10: Sept, 25-Oct. 1.(Statistical table)
October 3, 2006... Broadway Top 10: Sept. 25-Oct. 1 Week's Show Net Receipts (Theater)(Prod. Potential Prev Week's $Change Category) (Seats) Net Receipts Net...

Exclusives report: for the weekend of September 29-October 1, 2006.(movie industry)(Statistical table)
October 3, 2006... Exclusives Report For the weekend of September 29-October 1, 2006 NEW YORK NEW THIS WEEK Film Weekend (distributor) Circuit Theater,...

'Door' open to Oscar: 3 more also send entries.(World News)(Emanuele Crialese's Golden Door, Marwan Hamed's The Yacoubian Building and Daniel Burman's Family Law)
October 3, 2006... Emanuele Crialese's Ellis Island immigration drama "Golden Door" is Italy's candidate for a foreign-language Oscar nomination. Other submissions are Marwan Hamed's controversial drama "The Yacoubian Building," from Egypt; Daniel Burman's...

BT duets with Sony on musicvideos.(World News)(British Telecommunications PLC to launch BT Vision)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... British Telecoms giant BT has signed a deal allowing it to provide on-demand access to musicvideos from the record labels of Sony BMG on its next-generation TV service, BT Vision, due to launch next month. The videos also will be available...

Woodward on Pathe trail.(World News)(Pathe Distribution appoints David Woodward )(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Pathe has poached David Woodward from Icon to become sales director, U.K. distribution. He will replace Neil Marshall, who is leaving Pathe after six years to become director of sales at the U.K. arm of Warner Bros. Pictures Intl. ...

Internet speeds up global ad growth.(World News)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Global advertising growth is expected to accelerate in the next three years and exceed the growth rate of the past decade. That's according to leading advertising conglomZenithOptimedia, which predicts Internet advertising will break the...

'Road' rules Prix Italia.(World News)(The Road to Guantanamo)
October 3, 2006... Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitcross' "The Road to Guantanamo" and French pubcaster FR3's TV doc "The Battle of Chernobyl" claimed top prizes at the 58th Prix Italia. Produced by Andrew Eaton and Melissa Parmenter for Britain's Channel...

Fox, Canal plus add VOD.(World News)(video-on-demand, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Canal Plus and 20th Century Fox have struck a video-on-demand agreement allowing CanalPlay, Canal Plus' VOD service, to offer the studio's new releases and library titles. Non-exclusive agreement is the second VOD deal struck with a...

Golem takes Spain rights to 'Moon'.(World News)(Golem Distribucion to distribute Half Moon)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... Spain's Golem Distribucion has acquired all Spanish rights to Bahman Ghobadi's Kurdish road movie "Half Moon." Pic shared the top Golden Shell at the 54th San Sebastian Intl. Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday. Deal was closed at San...

Facing the Giants.(Movie review)
October 3, 2006... A Sony Pictures Entertainment Releasing release of a Destination Films, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sherwood Pictures presentation, in association with Carmel Entertainment and Provident Pictures, of a Kendrick Brothers production. Produced by...

A regal reception.(V)(The Queen at the New York Film Festival )(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... As flattering as it is, Helen Mirren is trying not to get carried away by the early Oscar buzz for her perf in the title role of Miramax's "The Queen." At the opening of the 44th New York Film Festival Friday at Avery Fisher Hall, thesp,...

New kids on the block.(Off Broadway's Second Stage Theater )(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... It was a "subUrbia" reunion at Off Broadway's Second Stage Theater when a new production of Eric Bogosian's 1994 play opened there Thursday. Martha Plimpton and Josh Hamilton, stars of the 1994 incarnation at Lincoln Center, and Parker...

Passports stamped.(V)
October 3, 2006... HOLLYWOOD -- At Macy's Passport fashion show, Sharon Stone was a woman on a mission: to raise a whole lotta coin for HIV/AIDS research. Serving as celebrity auctioneer, Stone strutted the runway in vintage Gucci on Thursday at Santa...

'Lessons' driven to succeed.(Variety's Screening Series unspooled Sony Classics, Jeremy Brock)(Brief article)
October 3, 2006... WHAT: Variety's Screening Series unspooled Sony Classics' Brit import "Driving Lessons" Sept. 26 at Hollywood's ArcLight. WHO: Thesp Julie Waiters, director-writer Jeremy Brock and producer Julia Chasman. Variety's Elizabeth Guider...

'Game' over for Focus?( Focus Features's comdey show taken off)
October 4, 2006... The Focus Features romantic comedy "A Little Game" imploded Tuesday with the abrupt exits of Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz and director Gabriele Muccino just a couple of weeks before its Oct. 19 start date. It's the third straight Carrey...