News & General Info

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Movie director Sidney Lumet: 1924 – 2011

One of the most respected and prolific film directors, Sidney Lumet, died today at the age of 86. Lumet lost a battle with lymphoma. He passed away in New York where he made many of his 40 films. Lumet’s credits include the classic “12 Angry Men” (1957), “The Pawnbroker” (1964), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976), and “Verdict” (1986). The Los Angeles […]
Saturday, April 9, 2011

A government shutdown is averted by 11th hour deal

After weeks of haggling and last minute wheeling-and-dealing, the powerful Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington , D.C. have reached a historic agreement. It happened last night, shortly before the government would have had to shut down for lack of a budget. The deal include a one-week funding extension, which quickly passed the Senate and the House. President Obama is expected to sign it today.The […]
Friday, April 8, 2011

Dodgers: New security measures for games and a fundraiser for beating victim

Los Angeles Dodgers owner, Frank McCourt, joined Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Los Angeles Police Chief, Charlie Beck, at a news conference today to unveil a new hard-line policy against disruptive fans. Mayor Villaraigosa said,” violence will not be tolerated” and that “public safety is number one.” Police Chief Beck praised the Dodger organization eagerness to embrace all of a series of […]
Friday, April 8, 2011

Lottery News: Mega Millions jackpot hits $44 million, a Southland ticket worth more than half a million bucks

A lot of money on the line in the Mega Millions lottery draw tonight. The jackpot is hovering at around $44 million. In last Tuesday’s game no one picked all of the winning numbers — but one Southland player got all but the Mega Ball correct. Tuesday’s numbers: 1, 19, 20, 31, 36 and the Mega Ball 9. That lucky SoCal Mega […]
Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Spec script market still sizzling

Toss another sold spec screenplay on the stack. “Wild Guns,” a western revolving around historic characters Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Sitting Bull, has sold to Warner Bros. Scott Myers over at the screenwriters’ site, gointothestory.com, is keeping a tally on spec script sales. Myers says,”Wild Guns,” is number 23. Last year, spec screenplay sells did not reach that number until sometime in June. T.S. Nowlin […]
Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Burbank campaign news: One week to the General Election

UPDATED: Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 — As of today four thousand ballots have been received at City Hall, according to Burbank City Clerk, Margarita Campos. The Burbank General Election is just around the corner — on Tuesday, April 12. In the primary a few weeks ago, I dropped my ballot off at City Hall on Election Day. This time, I […]
Monday, April 4, 2011

Crime Alert: Crackdown on distracted drivers

Texting behind the wheel or driving and talking on a hand-held cell phone are not just dangerous habits, they violate the law. California is sponsoring its first Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.  Starting today, Burbank Police will be joining law enforcement agencies throughout the Los Angeles area in cracking down on texting and illegal cell phone use by motorists. “We take the issue of […]
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Photo Gallery: Chuck Fries, Hollywood movie maker turned book author

Prolific television producer, Chuck Fries, was in the spotlight recently at the Burbank public library sponsored “An Evening with Hollywood Movers & Shaker.” The event on March 22, drew a crowd to the Buena Vista Library. Fries was introduced by popular radio personality and disc jockey, Rick Dees, who has the #1 rated internationally syndicated radio show, “Rick Dees Weekly […]
Sunday, April 3, 2011

“Hop” leaps to first place at the box office

Three new films grabbed the top spots at the box office this weekend. Out front and the new number one film in the country, “Hop,” with an estimated $38.1 million. The animated flick is a fantasy about a series of mishaps that almost derail Easter. The cast includes James Marsden, Russell Brand, and Hank Azaria. In second place, “Source Code,” debuted with $15 million. […]