Superiorpics.com: Entertainment News Friday, March 21, 2008

DENCH LEADS TRIBUTES TO LATE ACTOR SCOFIELD

DAME JUDI DENCH has led the tributes to late Oscar-winning actor PAUL SCOFIELD who died on Thursday (20Mar08).

DAME JUDI DENCH and PAUL SCOFIELD

The English star of screen and stage - who won an Academy-Award in 1966 for his portrayal of Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons - died after a long battle with leukaemia. He was 86.

Dench - who starred with Scofield in Kenneth Branagh's 1989 Oscar-winning film Henry V - was shocked to hear the news, stating, "He was a great friend and a great man."

Revered British actor Simon Callow has described Schofield as "one of the greatest actors in the world".

He adds, "He had a charisma, a hypnotism, a kind of spell that he cast on an audience, which was an extraordinary thing to negotiate as a young actor. He was an absolutely towering actor."

Famed for his distinctive voice, Scofield rejected the offer of a knighthood on three occasions, but was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of The British Empire) in 1956 and became a Companion of Honour in 2001.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

BEST DENIES LOHAN SEX VIDEO

Irish model CALUM BEST has laughed off reports he stars in a sex tape with LINDSAY LOHAN which has been leaked on the internet.

Lindsay Lohan and Calum Best leaving Kaberet Club at 4am, London, England - 21.11.06

The son of Northern Irish soccer legend George Best was at the centre of a sex tape scandal after British tabloid The Sun reported the video had appeared on the internet, after Best sent the clip to "close friends".

The footage emerged on Thursday (20Mar08), allegedly showing the Mean Girls star performing a sex act on Best - who she dated briefly in 2007.

But the 27-year-old's representative says, "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's not Calum in the tape."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

ADELE SIGNS DEAL TO BREAK AMERICA

British soul sensation ADELE is getting set to break America - after signing an exclusive deal with Columbia Records to release her debut album 19 stateside.

Adele at 2008 BRIT Awards - Arrivals at Earls Court, London, England - 20.02.08

The Brit Award winner - who scooped an award at this year's (08) ceremony for the artist "most likely to make it big in 2008" - will release her LP in America this summer (08).

The 19-year-old has enjoyed huge success in the U.K. after her debut album went straight to the top of the charts in January (08), following her first single Chasing Pavements which peaked at the number two spot.

The singer - who was a student at U.K.'s BRIT school for performing arts alongside singing stars Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Kate Nash - is currently completing a short tour in the U.S.

A representative from the singer's U.K. label XL Recordings says, ""She wants to work it properly, and put in time there. People are really excited about her over there."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

FERGIE; 'I'M NOT PREGNANT'

BLACK EYED PEAS star FERGIE has dismissed rumours she is expecting her first child with fiance JOSH DUHAMEL.

Fergie aka Stacy Ferguson at The 50th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Centre - Arrivals, Los Angeles, California - 10.02.08

The singer - real name Stacy Ferguson - sparked speculation she was pregnant after flaunting a more shapely figure while dining out with her beau at Hana Sushi in Santa Monica earlier this month (Mar08).

But the 32-year-old's representative has laughed off the reports, insisting the star is "not preggers".

Duhamel's spokesperson also denied the pregnancy tales, explaining, ""It's not true. She is not pregnant."

Fergie has spoken out on her plans to settle down before, insisting the only thing she is considering nurturing is her next solo project.

She says, "I want a marriage and family on the one hand, and on the other hand, I want to do another solo album, one where I can have time to sit in the studio and really nurture it."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

CAREY: 'I'M AN ICON FOR OUTCASTS'

MARIAH CAREY is glad she suffered hardships in her youth - because her turbulent childhood has made her an icon for social outcasts.

The Heartbreaker diva claims her mixed-race heritage meant she wasn't accepted by her peers as white or black - but hopes her meteoric rise to fame will allow bi-racial fans to see their own potential.

She tells U.S. magazine Parade, "I felt very much like an outcast when I was younger. No matter where I went, there was always this sense of not really falling into place or into one category.

"I moved around a lot when I was growing up, so nobody knew me and I was never one thing or the other. Being biracial, I didn't really have somebody to look at and say, 'Okay, this person is exactly the same as me, and they're out there.'"

And the singing sensation claims she will never grow up - so as to never forget the struggles she went through to become successful.

"A lot of kids have said that to me, 'Until you put your first record out, I didn't feel like there was anybody that was the same as me.' People who don't feel like they fit in can identify with me. I promised myself when I was a little girl that I would never forget what it felt like to be a kid. I never wanted to grow up and be out of touch with what that feels like."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

MAMMA MIA NEW TRAILER

In Theaters July 18, 2008

Dominic Cooper as Sky and Amanda Seyfried as Sophie

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper
Synopsis: Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the feature-film adaptation of the beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 160 cities and 8 languages around the world. Bringing the timeless lyrics and melodies of iconic super group ABBA to movie audiences, Summer 2008 is the season for Mamma Mia!

The three women who created the worldwide smash stage hit—global producer Judy Craymer, writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd—repeat their roles in bringing this joyful, musical story to the big screen. The Mamma Mia! film is produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman.

Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper join Streep in this celebration of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads.

An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Streep) is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited daughter she's raised alone. For Sophie's wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)—from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own.

On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna's past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA's songs from "Dancing Queen" and "S.O.S." to "Money, Money, Money" and "Take a Chance on Me," Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

Watch The Trailer

Official Site

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

MCCARTHY TAKES CARREY BACK HOME

JENNY McCARTHY treated boyfriend JIM CARREY to a trip to her native Chicago, Illinois, which included a visit to her childhood home.

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy at Dr. Seuss Horton Hears A Who! Premiere - Red Carpet, Los Angeles, California - 08.03.08

The current owners of the place didn't have a clue who the couple on their doorstep were - and gladly agreed to let them wander round McCarthy's old home.

The actress said, "I took him (Carrey) in my old bedroom, my basement - where I had my first kiss from my first boyfriend."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

RODMAN SERVED IN AUSTRALIA

Colourful former sports star DENNIS RODMAN is in the middle of another legal wrangle after he was served a subpoena to appear in court during a poker game in Sydney, Australia.

i>Dennis Rodman at 50 Cent Superbowl Party hosted by Paris Hilton, Scottsdale, Arizona - 31.01.08

The former Chicago Bulls basketball star, who was briefly married to Carmen Electra, was partying with friends at the Star City casino when he was served on behalf of an Australian businessman on Thursday (20Mar08).

Details of the suit, which required Rodman to appear in a U.S. court upon his return to America, are unknown.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

ACTRESS LAYEVSKA DIAGNOSED WITH LIFELONG STRESS DISORDER

IN THE TIME OF BUTTERFLIES star ANA LAYEVSKA has been diagnosed with stress-related hyperthyroidism.

Ana Layevska at 22nd Annual Imagen Awards at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California - 28.07.07

The Russian-born 26-year-old, who has become a TV star in Latin America, will have to treat the condition for the rest of her life, according to internet reports.

Layevska reveals she was diagnosed last autumn (07) after suffering "very strong heart palpitations" while working out.

She says, "I realised in the gym that my heart was beating at 180, 190 (beats per minute), which is a lot. I thought it was normal. I hadn't been feeling well, but I didn't know why I was feeling that way.

"I think it came from excessive stress."

The actress adds, "The thyroid is a gland that, in my case, is three times bigger that normal and produces more than normal amounts of thyroid hormone.

"As a result, my metabolism and my body have to work three times as hard."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

QUAID TWINS OVERDOSE HOSPITAL IS FINED

California regulators have fined a Los Angeles hospital $25,000 (GBP12,500) for giving overdoses of a blood-thinning drug to three children, including DENNIS QUAID's newborn twins.

Kimberly Quaid and Dennis Quaid at World Premiere of 'Vantage Point' held at the Lowe's Lincoln Square Theatre, New York City, USA - 20.02.08

Following an investigation, the California Department Of Public Health concluded the failure of staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to follow their own procedures resulted in incorrect doses of Heparin being administered to children.

The report rules the overdoses were "preventable medication errors".

The Traffic actor and his wife Kimberly's babies Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace were given almost fatal overdoses of the injectable anticoagulant in November (07) - Cedars-Sinai staff gave the babies 1,000 times the normal 10-unit dose of Heparin shortly after they were born to a surrogate mother.

The Quaid twins have since recovered from the incident.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

ELVIS GOES VINYL WITH NEW ALBUM

British rocker ELVIS COSTELLO is to release his new album on vinyl only.

ELVIS COSTELLO

The Oliver's Army hitmaker's new release, Momofuku, will come with a voucher which will enable fans to download the album for free.

The new record is released at the end of April (08).

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

LL COOL J NOT CONVINCED JAY-Z WAS A GREAT BOSS AT DEF JAM

Rapper LL COOL J has stirred up trouble with his former record label boss, JAY-Z, by insisting the departing Def Jam president failed his artists.

LL COOL J and JAY-Z

The rap veteran has one more Def Jam release on his contract before he quits the label too.

But, before he leaves, he's keen to let the industry know what he thinks about the 99 Problems hitmaker.

Speaking out about the music mogul in Sister 2 Sister magazine, LL Cool J says, "It's been a great business for him, but it has been not so great for a lot of the artists that were there (at Def Jam) previously.

"We have to be very careful when we talk about it because, for some strange reason, his fans... start thinking, like, you're hating when you're just being real."

LL Cool J allso suggests Jay-Z was only given the Def Jam top job because the label's top executives wanted "to show the world that they still cared about hip-hop and they felt like giving him the job would show the world that."

Jay-Z quit his post as president of Def Jam Records in December (07) and was alleged to be planning to start his own venture on another label.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

PERU'S OPRAH QUITS

Top Latin American TV host LAURA BOZZO has quit her popular talk show following a scandal involving an underage guest.

Bozzo was accused of paying a minor to discuss her sexual abuse on the show, prompting an outcry in her native Peru, where her programme, Laura en accion, was a big hit.

The show has since been taken off the air and now Bozzo has resigned from the network behind the programme.

But, in a statement, the defiant TV personality says, "This isn't the end of me, though. I will keep working in countries where the talk show airs.

"Next week, I'm travelling to Argentina to finalise a television offer."

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

INJURED AUDIENCE MEMBER SUES OPRAH WINFREY SHOW

A woman is suing THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW after she allegedly suffered serious injuries during a stampede to locate prime seats at the taping of the talk show.

Orit Greenberg claims she was pushed down a flight of stairs by other Oprah audience members as they rushed into Harpo Studios in Chicago, Illinois in December 2006.

Greenberg, who filed her complaint in Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois on Wednesday (19Mar08), alleges she and an "excess number of patrons" assembled in a waiting room before the show, and were then told to enter the studio and sit "where they wanted".

At that point, she claims Winfrey's fans "rushed the gate" to the studio.

Greenberg accuses Winfrey's production company Harpo of failing to adequately control the crowd, reports website TMZ.com.

After suffering "severe and permanent injuries" from the incident, Greenberg is seeking over $50,000 (GBP25,000) for medical care and other damages from Harpo and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008

CANDLEMASS ROCKER JAILED

Swedish rocker MATS BJORKMAN has been sentenced to serve two years behind bars for grand theft.

The Candlemass star was found guilty of stealing CDs from a Stockholm distribution warehouse as part of a lengthy scam involving the guitarist and others.

Suspicions were raised in November 2005 when a music company spotted a discrepancy in Bjorkman's reported sales. A subsequent investigation uncovered evidence that someone had manipulated the warehouse computer on 301 occasions, according to website Blabbermouth.net.

Bjorkman initially denied the charges against him, but his accomplice, Stefan Hakansson, has admitted his role in the theft and has implicated his colleague.

The guitarist stated in court that he didn't understand why Hakansson 'lied' about his involvement in the theft scheme, suggesting it might be because Hakansson was trying to protect others.

But, based on the evidence, the court concluded that Hakansson had no reason to lie about Bjorkman's role in the scheme and determined that prison was the appropriate punishment for both men.

Source: WENN

| Friday, March 21, 2008