Hollywood Highlights

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Beyonce’s “Obsessed” beats the competition at the Box Office

The multi-talented Beyonce has a movie hit to add to her string of accomplishments. The new stalker thriller, “Obsessed,” ran over the competition to land in the number one spot at the Box Office this weekend. “Obsessed” debuted with a hefty $28.5 million. In this psycho-drama a sexy office temp, played by Ali Larter, becomes obsessed with Beyonce’s Los Angeles investment […]
Saturday, April 25, 2009

Stage and TV actress Bea Arthur dies at 86

Photo: Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times (2001) Veteran actress of stage and TV, Bea Arthur, died today in Los Angeles. Arthur was truly one of a kind. She carried her tall frame proudly and with a deep voice and sharp wit, could deliver some of the best comedy one-liners ever.   Arthur acted on stage in local theater as well as on Broadway. She won […]
Saturday, April 25, 2009

TV talk show host Jay Leno out of the hospital and headed back to work

Photo: NBC Funny guy Jay Leno will be back cracking jokes and talking to guests at “The Tonight Show” desk come Monday. Leno was reportedly released from Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank yesterday. The late-night show host started feeling badly on Thursday and drove himself to the hospital. Leno’s personal representative told the People website: “They had him […]
Friday, April 24, 2009

Successful screenwriter making his mark as a novelist

        Writer Derek Haas has had great success scripting movies for Hollywood. Haas co-wrote “3:10 to Yuma” (2007,) a remake of the classic western film based on acclaimed author Elmore Leonard’s short story with the same title. Along with his partner, Michael Brandt, Haas wrote the screenplay for “Wanted” and several major scripts in development like “The A-Team,” “Beverly Hills Cop IV,” and “The Thirteenth Hour.” Now Haas is creating […]
Thursday, April 23, 2009

“Tonight Show” taping canceled; Jay Leno goes to the hospital

There will be a rerun in “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” television slot tonight, because the taping this afternoon had to be canceled. The host, Jay Leno, reportedly became ill and drove himself to  Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. KNX 1070 newsradio is reporting Leno may be suffering from a bout of food poisoning. The veteran entertainer is said to be resting in a hospital […]
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Angelina Jolie to star in new movie thriller based on best selling novel series

Best selling author Patricia Cornwell’s popular book sleuth/medical examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta ,is headed to the big screen. Angelina Jolie is on board to play the fictional crime solver in a suspense thriller based on the 16-book series, which began with “Postmortem”(1990).  The latest, “Scarpetta,” came out last December.  Cornwell once worked as a newspaper reporter and a computer analyst […]
Monday, April 20, 2009

Preparations underway for SAG membership vote on tentative deal

After months of on again /off again talks and tons of haggling and sniping, the members of the Screen Actors Guild will soon get the opportunity to vote on a contract deal. Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors approved a tentative agreement with the Big Studio producers by a narrow 53 to 47 vote. SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture […]
Sunday, April 19, 2009

New comedy/fantasy “17 Again” tops Box Office

Teen heartthrob Zac Efron scored big at the Box Office this weekend with his new comedy/fantasy, “17 Again.” The film is about a thirtysomething guy who gets a second shot at his life when he magically becomes 17 again. Young movie fans, especially teenage girls, stormed the theaters propelling the film into the number 1 spot with an estimated $24 million. “17 Again” also stars Matthew […]
Friday, April 17, 2009

A tentative agreement in the Screen Actors Guild labor dispute

Hollywood is buzzing over the tentative agreement announced today by the Screen Actors Guild and the big studios. After almost 10-months of fighting over contract issues and tons of behind the scenes drama at SAG, there’s now a two-year deal, however, some hurdles still remain to be cleared before it’s a done deal. Both the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture […]