Daily Variety articles from October 2009, page 5

Daily Variety archives from October 2009

Trendy, yet eco-friendly: events at Marrakesh House can be a green's dream.(ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT)(Chris Paine)
October 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The greenest event is no event at all; just everybody stay at home," says "Who Killed the Electric Car?" director Chris Paine. "But," he adds, "I'm not a purist like that." Paine, in fact, is a regular fixture on...

Venue update.(V PLUS: EVENT PLANNER'S GUIDE)
October 20, 2009... You've got the who, what, when and why of the event sorted out, but the where can often prove a bit more challenging. Venues open and close about as often as the red eye flies from L.A. to New York. Variety checked in with some of the most...

The other essentials.(V PLUS: EVENT PLANNER'S GUIDE)
October 20, 2009... FOOD AND DRINK WOLFGANG PUCK CATERING Says event producer Ben Bourgeois, "When the menu calls for California cuisine, Wolfgang Puck is definitely our go-to source for a celebrity chef. Any time he's personally involved, it brings a certain...

Geek scream dream.(V)(Scream Awards)(Brief article)
October 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Greek Theater in Los Angeles turned into the "geek" theater Saturday when Spike TV hosted the fourth annual Scream Awards. Attended largely by costumed fanboys,...

Cirque 'Kooza' palooza.(V)(Brief article)
October 20, 2009... Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza" premiered Friday in Santa Monica, drawing just about every Westside VIP and their kids. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pierce Brosnan and his brood of all ages sat in the front row, as did Dylan McDermott and his little...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a laugh with Kelsey Grammer and her husband.(V)
October 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a laugh with Kelsey Grammer and her husband, Brad Hall, at the after-party in Santa Monica.

Matt Groening, Morgan Spurlock and David Silverman join Bart and Lisa Simpson at "The Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror and 20th anniversary party.(V)
October 20, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Matt Groening, Morgan Spurlock and David Silverman join Bart and Lisa Simpson at "The Simpson" Treehouse of Horror and 20th anniversary party Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Beastly B.O. boost: 3 good perfs power frame.
October 19, 2009... Warner Bros.' "Where the Wild Things Are" topped the domestic box office in a wild and woolly October weekend that saw a number of films thrive, driving ticket sales up as much as 40% over the same frame last year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Execs: piracy is biz's primo peril.
October 19, 2009... Piracy is the entertainment industry's biggest menace, according to two of showbiz's most prominent players--Disney CEO Robert Iger and WME co-topper Ari Emanuel. Iger sounded the alarm Saturday during his keynote address to the daylong...

Helmer makes a 'Living'.
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scott Derrickson ("The Day the Earth Stood Still") has been tapped by Lakeshore Entertainment to direct suspense thriller "The Living." Lakeshore topper Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi will develop and produce, while...

'Tourist' sets trip.(The Tourist)(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is in negotiations to direct Angelina Jolie and Sam Worthington in "The Tourist," which puts the Spyglass on track for a February production start and a likely 2011 release. Studios are already beginning to...

SAG shuffle ends scuffle.(Screen Actors Guild)
October 19, 2009... Is SAG's hardline faction beginning to soften? In a 71% vote, SAG's national board on Sunday approved the appointment of David White as the guild's permanent national exec director. That margin of approval means that at least a few members of...

Little consolation in consolidation.
October 19, 2009... TALK TO ANY CEO THESE DAYS and you get the same message: A major period of consolidation looms for the entertainment industry. But some voices in the wilderness are starting to ask: Does any of it make sense? The portents are clear: Comcast...

Clooney adds to Rome's glitz.(George Clooney at the Rome Film Festival )(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Rome Film Festival kicked into high gear over the weekend as George Clooney and Richard Gere provided a welcome infusion of Hollywood star power while tubthumping two of the Eternal City extravaganza's biggest...

U.K. antes up for film center.(National Film Center )(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Friday that the government is committing 45 million [pounds sterling] ($73 million) toward creating a state-of-the-art film center on London's South Bank by 2015. The National Film Center has been in...

Ghent fest digs Desplat.
October 19, 2009... Alexandre Desplat was named film composer of the year at the World Soundtrack Awards at Saturday night's closing ceremony of the Ghent Film Festival. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The French composer was honored for his work on "The Curious Case...

Broadcast skeins find one screen isn't enough: Tweets and Web feeds keep TV fans engaged.(V PLUS: ENTERTAINMENT & TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT)
October 19, 2009... The major TV networks still rely on broadcast as their primary venue, even as the Internet lures away a growing portion of the audience that want social interaction, not just passive viewing. Even the remaining viewers are likely to be...

Platform plethora: beyond DVD and TV, pics now play many screens, in as many as 250 formats.(DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION)
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A movie used to enjoy a second life on DVD. Now that has exploded into third, fourth, fifth and more lives on digital platforms as studios adjust to the new ways people watch movies outside of theaters. In addition...

Silicon speed demons.(EMERGING TECH: THE GPU REVOLUTION COMES HOME)
October 19, 2009... Back in the days when personal computers touted their speed as a selling point, they took that number from the central processing unit, or CPU, the "brains" of the computer. Graphics processing units, or GPUs, were an optional add-on, not a part...

'Diaries' pair set to tackle 'Rust'.(The Motorcycle Diaries' Walter Salles and Jose Rivera directs and pens American Rust)(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... Scott Stuber has acquired screen fights to "American Rust," the debut novel from Philipp Meyer. "The Motorcycle Diaries" duo of Walter Salles and Jose Rivera are attached to helm and pen the script, respectively. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Fox in hunt for 'Dog' show.
October 19, 2009... Fox is developing a project inspired by the work of "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan. Wilmer Valderrama is set to star. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Details are still being ironed out, but it appears that Valderrama would play the character based on...

Screen gems goes for laffs.(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... Screen Gems has acquired "The Black Phantom," a spec comedy by first-time scribes Dave Lease and Megan Hinds. Deal comes with Doug Aarniokoski attached to make his directing debut. Will Packer will produce under his Rainforest Films banner....

Volunteer virtues: Nets join in service push.
October 19, 2009... The centerpiece of Entertainment Industry Foundation's "I Participate" campaign to encourage volunteerism kicks off today with the major nets devoting a week of programming and PSAs to the effort. The "Tune-In Week" portion of the campaign,...

Gauls gush over helmer.
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I consider France my second home," Clint Eastwood said Saturday night as he became the first recipient of the Prix Lumiere at the inaugural Grand Lyon Film Festival in the city that gave birth to the cinema. ...

Couple faces charges.(Richard and Mayumi Heene)
October 19, 2009... The "balloon boy" incident that commanded much of the nation's attention Thursday appears to have been an elaborate PR stunt. Authorities are alleging that a Fort Collins, Colo., couple concocted a plot to manipulate the news media to further...

The peacock puzzle: Murdoch, Malone keep eyes on NBC U.
October 19, 2009... If NBC Universal doesn't fall into Comcast's lap, there may be other suitors for the giant entertainment company. News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch and Liberty Media chief John Malone both said they were eyeing NBC U but weren't in any...

TV gets more mobile.(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... Mobile digital TV is a step closer to reality, boosting the hopes of TV stations that they'll soon be able to generate new revenue by beaming their signals to cell phones, laptops and other mobile devices. On Friday, mobile TV cleared a key...

AFI Fest ties down 'Ribbon'.
October 19, 2009... Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner "The White Ribbon" will replace "A Prophet" at the AFI Fest. Switch was made due to a change in the release date for "A Prophet," which Sony Pictures Classics will bow on Feb. 12. "White Ribbon," another...

Shingle lifts exec to prez.(Alan Ett Creative Group's Jonathan Axelrod )(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... Alan Ett Creative Group has upped veteran TV executive Jonathan Axelrod to president and chief operating officer. Axelrod, who joined the entertainment company four months ago as COO, has spearheaded an overall restructuring of AECG....

TLC seeks end to Jon's media blitz.
October 19, 2009... TLC has gone after Jon Gosselin for breach of contract. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Complaint, filed Friday morning in Montgomery County, Md., Circuit Court, accuses the former star of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" of breaching both a morals clause and...

Scion set to leave WWE ring.(Shane McMahon )(Brief article)
October 19, 2009... World Wrestling Entertainment is down one more McMahon. Shane McMahon is stepping down as executive VP of global media at the company on Jan. 1 to "pursue outside ventures." The news comes after Linda McMahon, his mother, stepped down as...

Bold, odd lot have affinity.
October 19, 2009... Bold Films and Odd Lot Entertainment have merged their foreign sales operations to form Affinity Intl. The move, anticipated for several weeks (Daily Variety, Sept. 3), unites the film companies of two billionaires--Odd Lot's Gigi Pritzker,...

The Stepfather.(Movie review)
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Screen Gems presentation of a Maverick Films/Imprint Entertainment/Granada production. Produced by Mark Morgan, Greg Mooradian. Executive producers, Meredith Zamsky, J.S....

Amelia.(Movie review)
October 19, 2009... A Fox Searchlight release of a Fox Searchlight and Avalon Pictures presentation. Produced by Ted Waitt, Kevin Hyman, Lydia Dean Pilcher. Executive producers, Ron Bass, Hilary Swank. Co-producer, Don Carmody. Directed by Mira Nair. Screenplay,...

The Rebound.
October 19, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Warner Bros. release of a Film Department presentation of a Process production. Produced by Bart Freundlich, Mark Gill, Robert Katz, Tim Perell. Executive producers, Michael Goguen, Nell Sacker. Co-producer, Lori...

The Emperor Jones.(Theater review)
October 19, 2009... The Emperor Jones (Irish Repertory Theater; 140 seats; $65 top) An Irish Repertory Theater presentation of a play in one act by Eugene O'Neill. Directed by Ciaran O'Reilly. Sets, Charlie Corcoran; costumes, Antonia Ford-Roberts; lighting,...

Hansel and Gretel.(Theater review)
October 19, 2009... (New Victory Theater; 70 seats; $35 top) A Catherine Wheels Theater Company presentation, in association with Brunton Theater, of a play in one act by Catherine Wheels Theater Company. Directed by Gill Robertson. Set, Karen Yennent; costumes,...

Rickman's 'Creditors' billed for Brooklyn.(Legit Bits)(Alan Rickman)
October 19, 2009... Alan Rickman's Donmar Warehouse production of August Strindberg's "Creditors" will see a New York run as part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music's 2010 spring season. First staged in London in October 2008, David Greig's adaptation of the 1888...

A 'Wild' rumpus: WB pic takes on new fare, holdovers.
October 16, 2009... Warner Bros. is getting in touch with its wild side with Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are" entering the frame at 3,735 locations. The live-action fantasy stars newcomer Max Records as the boy who runs away to a realm populated by talking...

'Moon' tunes build buzz.
October 16, 2009... After last year's "Twilight" pic yielded a blockbuster soundtrack, there was no shortage of established and emerging acts eager to contribute tunes to the next installment, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." All the songs on the "New Moon"...

E-Blast targets fanboys.
October 16, 2009... Events like Comic-Con have proved that fanboys are a captive audience and often the first to feverishly follow the latest projects Hollywood has to offer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gareb Shamus, the owner of five...

Indie shift for thesp.
October 16, 2009... Will Ferrell will star in "Everything Must Go," an independently financed film that marks the feature directorial debut of commercials director Dan Rush. Production will start in March. Film will cost under $10 million, a decided from...

AMPTP stays the course.(Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers)
October 16, 2009... The key players for the next round of guild contract talks are now in place. With another complex set of labor negotiations looming, the majors opted for stability by promoting Carol Lombardini to prexy of the Alliance of Motion Picture &...

Expanding his reach: int'l homevid czar segues into prexy role.
October 16, 2009... Veteran international homevid executive Dennis Maguire has been named president of Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment Worldwide, a post that has been vacant since division topper Kelley Avery's exit from the studio in May. [ILLUSTRATION...

'Good Guy' now taken.(Roadside Attractions' The Good Guy)
October 16, 2009... Roadside Attractions has acquired "The Good Guy" and plans to release the comedy-drama in March. "The Good Guy," written and directed by Julio DePietro, stars Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, Anna Chlumsky and Bryan Greenberg. The film, which...

Auds tuck into FX's 'Nip'.
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Basic cable ratings heavyweight "Nip/Tuck" began its sixth season looking fit Wednesday night. FX drama drew 2.9 million viewers, a 16% increase over last season's average. In the 18-49 demo, 1.9 million tuned in. ...

Holders grab onto Gravity.(Mark and Christine Holder's Holder Management merges into Zero Gravity Management)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mark and Christine Holder are melding their literary and talent management company Holder Management into Zero Gravity Management, the Los Angeles-based lit management company formed in 2003 by Eric Williams. Mark...

Gotham noms set to go viral.
October 16, 2009... Film critic A.O. Scott will be reading out the nominees for this year's Gotham Independent Film Awards via a live webcast on Monday at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST. IFP, the indie filmmaker support org behind the New York-based kudo show, has...

Bye Bye Birdie.(Theater review)
October 16, 2009... (Henry Miller's Theater; 1,023 seats; $136.50 top) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Roundabout Theater Company presentation of a musical in two acts with book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams. Directed and...

The Lady With All the Answers.(Theater review)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Cherry Lane Theater; 179 seats; $51 top) A Cherry Lane Theater presentation of a play in two acts by David Rambo. Directed by BJ Jones. Set, Nell Patel; costumes, Martin Pakledinaz; lighting, Nicole Pearce; sound,...

'God' squad changes: replacement quartet waits in wings.(LEGIT)(God of Carnage)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... The powerhouse quartet waging domestic war every night in Tony-winning play "God of Carnage" will be a hard act to follow, but producers have announced a replacement cast, stepping into the Broadway production mid-November. Christine Lahti,...

Dillane set to lead Bridge brigade.(LEGIT)(Stephen Dillane)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... Stephen Dillane will head the ensemble for year two of the Bridge Project, the joint legit venture from Sam Mendes' Neal Street Prods., the Old Vic under artistic director Kevin Spacey and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Campbell the 'Pride' of U.K.(LEGIT)(Alexi Kaye Campbell's The Pride )(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... Alexi Kaye Campbell has won U.K. national playwriting prize the Whiting Award for "The Pride," his examination of changing attitudes toward sexuality over 50 years. The play, which premiered at the Royal Court in November in an SRO production...

Foster ready to 'Whistle'.(Legit Bits)(Sutton Foster in Anyone Can Whistle)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... Sutton Foster will star as Nurse Fay Apple in the Encores! revival of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' little-seen 1964 cult musical, "Anyone Can Whistle." Foster's Broadway credits include lead roles in "Thoroughly Modem Millie."...

Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut).
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Docu; IFC, Sun.-Fri. Oct. 18-23, 9 p.m.) Produced by Eagle Rock Film Prods. in association with IFC and Bill and Ben Prods. Series producers, Bill Jones, Ben Timlett; executive producers, Terry Shand, Geoff Kempin;...

Occupation.(Television program review)
October 16, 2009... (Movie; BBC America, Sun. Oct. 18, 8 p.m.) Filmed in Northern Ireland and Morocco by Kudos Film and Television and the BBC. Executive producer, Derek Wax; producer, Laurie Borg; director, Nick Murphy; writer, Peter Bowker; camera, David Odd;...

Law Abiding Citizen.(Book review)
October 16, 2009... An Overture Films release presented with the Film Department of a Warp Film production in association with the Evil Twins. Produced by Lucas Foster, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Mark Gill, Kurt Wimmer, Robert Katz. Executive producers, Neil...

Zenescope buying into horror tale.(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... Las Vegas lounge singer and former "Full House" thesp Brian Evans has sold his comicbook series "Horrorscope" to Zenescope Entertainment. Zenescope, headed by Ralph Tedesco, is a growing Philadelphia-based indic comicbook and graphic novel...

Jeff Rothberg.(Obituaries)
October 16, 2009... Writer-producer Jeff Rothberg died of cancer Oct. 9 in Los Angeles. He was 52. Rothberg wrote and produced the films "Hiding Out," "Bogus" and "A Simple Wish." In a career that spanned almost three decades, his writing credits also include...

Bob Westmoreland.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... Make-up artist Bob Westmoreland, best known for his work on "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "1941" and the TV show "Hill Street Blues," died of cardiac arrest Oct. 6 in Kauai, Hawaii. He was 74. Westmoreland worked on more than 19 films...

Al Martino.(Obituaries)
October 16, 2009... Crooner Al Martino, who followed a string of middle-of-the-road pop hits with a small but attention-getting role as the mobbedup singer Johnny Fontane in two of Francis Ford Coppola's "Godfather" films, died Tuesday. He was 82. Martino died...

Showbiz storks: Thursday, October 15, 2009.
October 16, 2009... Showbiz Storks Thursday, October 15, 2009 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg Avid AVID ... 14.99 -.13 +37.4 Blockbstr BBI ... ...

Laff institute uses comedy playbook to coach clients.(IMPROV EVERYWHERE)
October 16, 2009... While his colleagues prepped for Chicago-based improv empire The Second City's 50th anniversary celebration this December (festivities that include an "SCTV" reunion), SC president and COO Tom Yorton was thinking about your mom. As one of the...

Mainstage mainstays: coveted roles in club's signature sketch show have launched many careers.(GOLDEN TOUCH: SECOND'S BEST)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During orientation sessions at The Second City's Los Angeles training center, artistic director David Razowsky makes it a point to draw the line between training center and Mainstage alumni. "Any training center...

Most likely to succeed.(V PLUS: THE SECOND CITY AT 50)
October 16, 2009... Despite a number of new comedy schools to compete with (including the Upright Citizens Brigade and Chicago's Annoyance Theater), The Second City remains a fountainhead for talent. Here's a sampling of the comedy enterprise's latest breakouts: ...

10 milestones in SC history.(V PLUS: THE SECOND CITY AT 50)
October 16, 2009... DEC. 16, 1959 Founded by a former U. of Chicago improv troupe, The Second City Theater opens its doops at 1842 N. Wells St., Chicago. In 1967, it moves a few blocks south to 1616 N. Wells, where it remains to this day. [ILLUSTRATION...

Working Title pays big for laffer pitch.
October 16, 2009... In the third big money pitch deal this week, Working Title paid high six figures against seven figures for an untitled concept comedy that Allan Loeb will write as a star vehicle for Ryan Reynolds. Working Title bought the project out of its...

Anjelica Huston.(Tenpercenteries)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WME has signed Anjelica Huston. She can be seen next in "When in Rome" with Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. She continues to be managed by Jaclyn Bashoff.

Michael Trucco.(Tenpercenteries)
October 16, 2009... Michael Trucco ("Battlestar Galactica") has signed with UTA. The thesp most recently landed a holding deal with NBC after his perf in the comedy pilot "Man of Your Dreams." He continues to be managed by McKeon/Myones Management. ...

Adam Hicks.(Tenpercenteries)
October 16, 2009... Adam Hicks ("How to Eat Fried Worms") has inked with ICM. Hicks can still be seen on Disney XD's skein "Zeke and Luther." He is co-represented with Coast to Coast Talent.

Innovative Artists has signed thesps Timothy Busfield ("West Wing") and Swoosie Kurtz, ("Pushing Daisies") for representation.(Tenpercenteries)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Innovative Artists has signed thesps Timothy Busfield ("West Wing") and Swoosie Kurtz, left, ("Pushing Daisies") for representation. Busfield's past credits include "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "Entourage" while...

APA has signed Luke Barats and Joe Bereta, for representation.(Tenpercenteries)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... APA has signed Luke Barats and Joe Bereta, far right, for representation. They are best known for their comedic viral videos, which have garnered more than 100 million views online, and made them one of YouTube's most subscribed and viewed...

Fortitude talent agency has signed thesps Robyn Lively ("Murder.com") and D.B. Woodside ("2").(Tenpercenteries)
October 16, 2009... Fortitude talent agency has signed thesps Robyn Lively ("Murder.com") and D.B. Woodside ("2"). Lively was most recently seen on "30 Rock" and "Saving Grace" while Woodside was recently seen on TNT's "Hawthorne."

Life Is a Dream.(Theater review)
October 16, 2009... (Donmar Warehouse, London; 250 seats; 29 [pounds sterling] ($47) top) A Donmar Warehouse presentation of a play in two acts by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, in a new version by Helen Edmundson. Directed by Jonathan Munby. Sets and costumes,...

Leonard readies for 'Lie'.(Joshua Leonard )(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... "Humpday" thesp Joshua Leonard will make his feature directing debut and star in indic "The Lie." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Project is based on a T.C. Boyle short story that ran in the New Yorker last year, about a man who tells a lie to get...

London fest off to 'Fantastic' start.(World News)
October 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Times BFI London Film Festival got off to an animated beginning with the world preem of Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Wednesday night. Anderson was joined by voice talent George Clooney, Bill Murray and...

Greeks name int'l selection.(World News)(Thessaloniki Film Festival )(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... The Thessaloniki Film Festival announced the 13 foreign titles Thursday that will compete in its international competition next month. The 50th edition of Greece's top international movie showcase features a wide range of films from around...

Rome's photog flap: paparazzi protest settled for 'Triage' bow.(World News)(Rome Film Festival )(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... The Rome Film Festival kicked off Thursday with Bosnian helmer Danis Tanovic's wartime trauma drama "Triage" and a protest from paparazzi at the pic's daytime photo call. Stars Paz Vega and Christopher Lee were on hand to tubthump "Triage,"...

'Nicholas' boosting record Gaul haul.(World News)
October 16, 2009... France, Europe's biggest movie market, has a shot at recording its biggest B.O. year in modern times--thanks in part to a schoolboy. Through September, Gallic B.O. was up 3.4% over 2008, with 188.82 million tickets sold, according to...

Ghent fest honors Israeli pic 'Eyes'.(BELGIUM)
October 16, 2009... "Eyes Wide Open" by Israeli helmer Haim Tabakman has taken top honors at the Ghent Film Festival. Pic was commended by the jury for the mastery, measure and humanity of its storytelling. Jury added a special mention for Miraz Bezar's "Min...

Aud fond of 'Flash'.(SPAIN)
October 16, 2009... Sci-fi thriller "FlashForward" consolidated its standing as this season's hit U.S. rookie in Spain, notching a 13.9 share and 2.7 million primetime viewers Tuesday for its second week at broadcaster Cuatro. ABC'S drama edged down only...

Herbig's 'Hotel' key.(GERMANY)
October 16, 2009... Multihyphenate Michael Herbig, whose latest directorial work, "Vicky the Viking," has become Germany's biggest moneymaker so far this year, has boarded Leander Haussmann's upcoming black comedy "Hotel Lux." Produced by Bavaria Pictures, pic...

KenCen receives $5 mil tuner gift.(Legit Bits)(Kennedy Center)(Brief article)
October 16, 2009... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Kennedy Center has received a $5 million donation from arts patron Adrienne Arsht to support musical theater programming at the D.C. venue. The 10-year gift will help the center produce and present a wide variety of...

Toronto--The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has announced principal casting for its 2010 season.(Legit Bits)
October 16, 2009... TORONTO -- The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has announced principal casting for its 2010 season. Nikki M. James will reunite with Christopher Plummer, her 2008 co-star from "Caesar and Cleopatra," in "The Tempest," helmed by Stratford...