Archive for February, 2010

Jackson doctor expected to be charged on Monday

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 6, 2010 by mymorningjoe

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Los Angeles prosecutors on Monday plan to file a criminal case in the death of Michael Jackson that is expected to include a charge of involuntary manslaughter against the singer’s doctor.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said on Friday details of its case would be released on Monday, and gave no further details.

But sources close to the case said Dr. Conrad Murray, Read more »

Robin Williams loses $6 million lawsuit

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 5, 2010 by mymorningjoe

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Robin Williams has fired blanks in his lawsuit against an independent producer over an alleged $6 million (3.8 million pound) deal to star in “Cop Out” (formerly titled “A Couple of Dicks”).

Williams’ loan-out company Fiat Risus sued Gold Circle Films in October 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming the actor was hired to star in the action-comedy before Gold Circle put the movie on ice. Williams said he had a “pay-or-play” deal, meaning he would be paid even if the movie did not get made.

Warner Bros. made the film with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan and will release it February 26. Read more »

Avatar sells more tickets than Titanic

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 4, 2010 by mymorningjoe

James Cameron’s Avatar has sailed past his blockbuster Titanic to become number one on the all-time US domestic box-office chart.

Avatar climbed to $US601.1 million ($A678.29 million) domestically on Tuesday, putting it a fraction ahead of the $US600.8 million ($A677.95 million) haul for Titanic.

With more than $2 billion worldwide, Cameron’s sci-fi sensation shattered the global box-office record of $US1.84 billion ($A2.08 billion) held by Titanic last week.

Avatar still has plenty of box-office life left. It passed $US600 million ($A677.05 million) domestically on its 47th day of release.

Back in 1998, Titanic was at barely half that amount – $US311 million ($A350.94 million) – after its 47th day in theatres.

Factoring in today’s higher admission prices, Titanic still has sold more tickets than Avatar.

Time Warner profit up, dividend raised

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 3, 2010 by mymorningjoe

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Time Warner Inc reported stronger quarterly profit and slightly higher revenue courtesy of hit movies like “Sherlock Holmes” and “The Hangover,” and it became the second major media company in as many days to raise its dividend.

Time Warner, slimmed down since spinning off both Time Warner Cable and AOL last year, posted fourth-quarter net income of $627 million, or 53 cents a share, reversing a year-earlier net loss of $16 billion, or $13.41 a share, that included a host of impairment charges. Read more »

Orlando Bloom to star in “Good Doctor”

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 2, 2010 by mymorningjoe

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Orlando Bloom will play the lead in “The Good Doctor,” an indie drama for which Michael Pena, Troy Garity, Courtney Ford, Taraji P. Henson, Rob Morrow and J.K. Simmons are in negotiations to co-star.

Bloom also is one of the producers of the Lance Daly-directed picture. The script by John Enbom (“Veronica Mars”), described as a Hitchcockian thriller, centres on a frustrated doctor trying to impress his superiors and colleagues. When an 18-year-old patient, admitted for a kidney infection, provides him with the esteem he so craves, the doctor tampers with her treatment to keep her at the hospital with him. Read more »

Detained Americans say they had good intentions in Haiti

Posted in Conversation Piece on February 1, 2010 by mymorningjoe

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) — Ten Americans detained and accused of child trafficking in Haiti after they allegedly tried to bus 33 children into the Dominican Republic insist their effort was an attempt to get the children to a shelter.

But Haiti’s prime minister said Sunday that the group was kidnapping the children.

“From what I know until now, this is a kidnapping case,” Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN. “Who is doing it — I don’t know. What are the real objectives or activities — I don’t know. But that is kidnapping and it is more serious because it’s involving children,” he said. Read more »

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