Family upset over photos of Carradine's body

Actor David Carradine at the 60th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards in California, January 26, 2008.[Agencies]

LOS ANGELES- The family of late actor David Carradine is "profoundly disturbed" by photos published in Thailand that are said to be of Carradine's naked body hanging in his Bangkok hotel room, according to family attorney Mark Geragos.

Geragos said a statement from the actor's brother, Keith Carradine, shows that the family will take legal action against people or media outlets that publish the photos "for invasion of privacy and causing severe emotional distress."

The Thai-language newspaper Thai Rath published photos that show the body of Carradine, who died on June 3 in Bangkok where he was filming a new movie called "Stretch."

Mystery has surrounded his death following initial reports that he had committed suicide -- claims his family has denied repeatedly.

On Saturday, Geragos said Carradine's family had asked the FBI to look into the death.

The family has hired a forensics pathologist to examine the actor's body when it is returned to the United States.

Thai newspapers said the body left Bangkok on Saturday, which Geragos confirmed at the time. The body is expected to arrive in Los Angeles as early as Sunday.

A maid found Carradine hanging in the closet of his hotel suite at Bangkok's plush Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel.

With coroners awaiting results of toxicology tests, Thai media pointed to suicide or accidental autoerotic asphyxiation as possible causes of death.

Thai officials have said it could take several weeks before the results of an autopsy performed in Bangkok are released.

Carradine starred in the mid-1970s U.S. television show "Kung Fu" and the more recent "Kill Bill" movies,

taken from : China Daily

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A difficult 'Message'

Cast members Zhang Hanyu (left) and Zhou Xun promote the upcoming spy thriller "The Message" in Beijing on June 7, 2009. [Photo: Tungstar/xinhuanet.com]

Top Actresses Pass on 'The Message' 'The Message' Trailer Award-winning Chinese actress Zhou Xun says she had suffered emotional breakdown while trying to portray her role in the WWII espionage film "The Message".

"I often felt exhausted, and literally collapsed several times," the Asian Film Awards' best actress said Sunday at a press conference in Beijing, where producers announced October 1, China's National Day, as the film's release date.

Calling "The Message" the most challenging film she has ever been involved in, Zhou says much of the time she had to rely on alcohol and sleeping pills.

The pressure was also felt by other crew members, according to co-director Gao Qunshu.

Difficulties mainly come from the incomplete scripts. "The Message", set in Japanese-occupied China in 1942, tells a story of a Japanese spy chief trying to identify a Chinese agent, Lao Gui, from a gathered group of suspects. Zhou Xun's character, a code-breaker named Gu Xiaomeng, is among them.

To ensure the film's biggest attraction, the actor who plays Lao Gui has been kept under wraps and is not in the script. Zhou Xun says like their characters, the actors were always guessing who Lao Gui was while trying to fit in the story.

Gao Qunshu and Kuo-Fu Chen, who are co-directing the film, have reportedly prepared several versions of the ending, and will decide Lao Gui's impersonator when they edit the film, based on each actor's performance.

"The Message", produced by leading entertainment producer Huayi Brothers, is the company's tribute to the 60th birthday of the People's Republic of China.

taken from : China Daily

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George Clooney moving in with waitress

George Clooney is to move in with his new cocktail-waitress girlfriend.

The Hollywood hunk - who has been dating 23-year-old Lucy Wolvert for two months - is reportedly so smitten with the blonde beauty he wants to move her into his Los Angeles mansion so he can see her everyday.

According to the MailOnline website, a source said: "They've started out casual, but things are moving fast and she's told friends they're planning to spend a large part of the summer together. She's talking about moving in with George in Los Angeles which is pretty amazing considering they've only known each other a couple of months."

The couple reportedly first got together while George was filming his forthcoming movie 'Up In The Air' in Miami Beach, Florida.

However, friends of Lucy's are concerned the 48-year-old actor - who reportedly flies to see her in Miami every weekend - will break her heart.

The source continued: "Lucy is totally smitten with George and he's drawn to her in a passionate way. Everyone's just hoping it lasts and she doesn't get her heart broken."

The aspiring model has reportedly already been warned to be more discreet about the blossoming romance after she gossiped about George's bedroom techniques with friends.

The source added: "Besides being an amazing lover, Lucy says George is a true gentleman who really knows how to treat a lady."

Last year, George ended his year-long relationship to other cocktail waitress Sarah Larson.
taken from : China Daily

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Obama, in another first, named "power" celebrity

President Barack Obama shakes hands with well-wishers at Hradcanske Square in central Prague April 5, 2009.[Agencies]

NEW YORK – U.S. President Barack Obama is the first sitting head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, with his many magazine covers and best-selling books blurring the line between politics and celebrity.

The president came in at No. 49 on the annual list released on Wednesday -- which ranks celebrities based on their earnings and mentions in the media -- after he made $2.5 million last year from his two best-selling books.

"Obama is hands-down the most famous person in the world," said Lacey Rose of Forbes magazine. "His historic presidential run helped him sell more than a million copies of his books; he landed on many magazine covers."

"There is a real interest in him as a president, a family man, a celebrity," she said.

Obama is the first African American to be elected U.S. president.

Former President Bill Clinton, who left office in 2001, appeared on the Forbes list in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

Topping the list is actress Angelina Jolie, followed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey, then singers Madonna and Beyonce Knowles, making this the first year all top four spots were taken by women, Forbes said.

Cast member Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive on the red carpet for the screening of the film "Inglourious Basterds" by director Quentin Tarantino at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival May 20, 2009. [Agencies]

Singer Madonna arrives at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in February 2009 in West Hollywood, California.[Agencies]

During the past year, Jolie made $27 million, Winfrey $275 million, Madonna $110 million and Knowles $87 million. While Jolie's earnings pale in comparison to the other women's, her constant presence in magazines propelled her to the top spot.

"She is in the dialogue of pop culture nearly every day," Rose said. "There is such an appetite for her relationship with Brad Pitt, her children, her philanthropic activity."

Madonna rose from No. 21 last year, after her 'Hard Candy' tour was the top-grossing international tour of 2008. She also remained in the media spotlight due to her divorce from director Guy Ritchie and her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi.

Golfer Tiger Woods came in at No. 5 with estimated earnings of $110 million, singer Bruce Springsteen nabbed No. 6 with an income of $70 million and director Steven Spielberg took seventh place after bringing in $150 million, Forbes said.

Actress Jennifer Aniston jumped to the No. 8 spot from No. 17 last year, after earning an estimated $25 million from two Hollywood movies, endorsement deals and royalties from her syndicated TV series Friends. She was also a regular in the media due to her former relationship with singer John Mayer.

taken from : China Daily

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Eddie Murphy pulls rank

Eddie Murphy made his seven-year-old co-star cry.

The 'Beverly Hills Cop' funnyman joked he had to let Yara Shahidi know who was in charge when they filmed 'Imagine That'.

He quipped: "I grabbed her and I said, 'Look don't you think just because you're so cute that you're going to be running things.'

"Then she started crying and I knew I had the set in control."

Despite worrying about be outshone by Yara, Eddie was impressed by the talented youngster.

He said: "You get 3,000 adorable seven-year-olds it's just impossible to pick somebody. They went through all the process until they got to the best little actors. She was the all around solid, natural actress that had all the stuff that you can't teach a person."

The father-of-eight also revealed he has a crush on American First Lady Michelle Obama.

He said: "I've been married, and for me to get married again, someone is going to have to be really exceptional. An extremely exceptional lady is going to have to come around... a Michelle Obama-type. She's taken, but Barack, you better act right!"
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Zac Efron's female film role

Zac Efron poses for photographers as she arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Hangover" at Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California, June 2, 2009. [Agencies]

Zac Efron wants to wear women's clothing.

The 21-year-old actor is so desperate to star alongside girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens in upcoming film 'Sucker Punch', he would consider cross-dressing.

Zac told E!: "I think it's an all-girl movie. But if there's any way to be in that film, I'd do it. I'd play a girl if I had to." Vanessa, 20, is thrilled to be starring in the action movie, which also stars Abbie Cornish and will be directed by 'Watchmen' director Zach Snyder.

Speaking on the red carpet of the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night (31.05.09), she gushed: "I'm so stoked about it. I kept telling everyone, 'I want to do an action film'. But they were like, 'Maybe in a few years.' So I'm like, 'Ha, in your face. I am doing one now!' " While Vanessa is shooting her first fight scenes in Montreal, Canada, Zac is in Los Angeles filming scenes for the next series of TV show 'Entourage'.

The teen heartthrob was spotted with the programme's film crew at the Niketown store in Beverly Hills yesterday morning (02.06.09).

A source said: "He was filming a scene and talking on his cell phone. None of the other 'Entourage' cast was there. He was really nice and friendly." Lil Wayne, LeBron James, Tom Brady and Aaron Sorkin will also appear as themselves in the TV show's sixth season, which is due to air later this year.
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Baron Cohen MTV landing was staged, writer says

Sacha Baron Cohen, wearing a jockstrap and wings, lands on Eminem as bodyguards try to remove him at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles May 31, 2009. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES - Actor Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous bare buttock landing in Eminem's face at the MTV Movie Awards was a rehearsed stunt, according to one of the show's writers.

And another report on Tuesday suggested the Detroit rapper wasn't the first choice target of the British provocateur to promote his upcoming movie "Bruno."

The victim was to have been celebrity heiress Paris Hilton but she declined, Life & Style magazine said on its website.

The Eminem incident quickly became the most talked about highlight of a live two-hour television show that pushed the boundaries of taste and language.

Baron Cohen, clad in white feather wings and a jockstrap, swept from the air on a harness and landed face down in the lap of Eminem, who was wearing a microphone and sitting in the audience. On TV, the rapper was then shown leaving the building, in what MTV said was "a heated rage."

But writer Scott Aukerman, who worked with the show's presenter Andy Samberg, wrote in a blog posting on Monday that the "the Bruno/Eminem incident was staged."

"That's all anyone wants to talk about, so let's get it out of the way. They rehearsed it at dress (rehearsal) and yes, it went as far as it did on the live show then," Aukerman wrote. The posting has since been removed.

MTV has declined to comment and both Cohen, who plays a gay Austrian fashionista in his July movie "Bruno," and Eminem, who released an album last month, have remained silent.

The MTV Movie Awards show drew a bumper 5.3 million viewers -- the largest audience for the annual event since 2004. MTV said the Bruno/Eminem clip was streamed more than 800,000 times on the MTV.com website in the 24 hours after Sunday's show.

taken from : China Daily

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Paris Hilton looks for a friend in Middle East

Paris Hilton poses at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles May 31, 2009. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES- Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton is bringing her reality show search for a new best friend to Dubai, where her hard-partying style will be reined in a notch to accommodate Middle East sensibilities, the production company behind the series said on Tuesday.

Production on the latest version of "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" will begin later this month in Dubai and take 17 days, Ish Entertainment said.

As in the U.S. and British versions of the program, the show will revolve around a group of contestants trying to win Hilton's affection and the title of her "best friend forever," or "BFF" to use text-messaging lingo.

"We're very aware we are not making the same show we would make in Los Angeles," said Ish co-founder Michael Hirschorn.

Despite the high alcohol content often found in similar reality shows, Hirschorn said that to respect the local mores of Dubai, alcohol may be nixed from the program.

He added that the idea for the show intrigued him.

"I was excited about the sheer, 'Oh my God, what's going to happen' factor," Hirschorn said.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp will distribute the show internationally, and the program will likely air in Arab countries and possibly in the U.S. on cable channel MTV or on the TV Guide Network, which is owned by Lions Gate.

No air date has been set for the show starring Hilton, who has never before been to Dubai.

Hilton, 28, is the daughter of Rick and Kathy Hilton of the Hilton hotel family, and is a favorite of the paparazzi everywhere. Her show "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" began last year on MTV and was soon followed by a British version.
taken from : China Daily

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Britney Spears' MTV meltdown revealed

Britney Spears allegedly binged on tequila shots moments before her disastrous performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.

The 'Toxic' singer - who had months earlier entered rehab after shaving her head - had been planning her routine at the prestigious event for months to prove to the world she had fully recovered from her personal problems.

However, insiders have now revealed she wasn't mentally ready to perform and was drunk when she went out on stage.

In his new book 'Britney: Inside the Dream', writer Steve Dennis claims: "Britney herself managed to ruin the most important performance of her life. Hours before the show, her anxieties raged. She decided it was a good idea to start drinking tequila shots to calm her nerves - one after the other."

Britney's fragile mental state was also reportedly tested when her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake came into her dressing room to wish her luck.

Dennis revealed in the book: "Justin was cool and couldn't have been friendlier, but that wigged her out more."

Her preparations descended into chaos when Britney allegedly refused to let celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves attach her hair extensions.

When Britney told Ken to leave, her staff began desperately searching for other hair extensions - which were needed because her natural locks were still very short - and they had to quickly find some from her hotel's salon.

When the mother-of-two did appear on stage - dressed in an unflattering black underwear set and fishnet tights, after reportedly refusing to wear the agreed more flattering one-piece - she looked dazed, forgot some of the lyrics to her song 'Gimme More' and barely joined in with the dance routines.

The performance was ridiculed by many critics and the book claims Britney - who was going through a messy divorce and custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline - was in tears for 45 minutes after leaving the stage.

The months after her chaotic comeback saw her lose custody of her two young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.

In January 2008, was taken to a psychiatric ward after holding Jayden hostage in her home.

She has since turned her life around and at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards she looked a picture of health and collected two prizes.

She is currently performing in 'The Circus Starring Britney Spears', her first concert tour in five years.
taken from : China Daily

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Braless Lily Allen's wardrobe malfunction during video shoot

Poster girl: Elegant Lily Allen

Yesterday she was unveiled as the face of one of Britain's most prestigious art galleries. But Lily Allen's elegant image didn't last too long.

Today the singer was back to her usual ways with a cheeky wardrobe malfunction - albeit in a resplendent full-length gown. The outspoken songstress was left a little over-exposed in the backless, shimmering gown as she popped out of filming a video for her latest single, 22.

Lily was on a cigarette break and chatting to crew when she made a boob and her gown gaped open to reveal that she was not wearing a bra.

Ironically, as the poster girl of the National Portrait Gallery, artist Nadav Kander urges the viewer to 'take another look' at people in the public eye.

Over-exposed: The singer suffered a wardrobe malfunction while on a break from shooting a video clip for her new single 22

It reveals that Lily was training to be a florist when her music career took off in 2006.

But fans of The Smile singer will not be surprised by her latest antics.

She is no stranger to showing off her body. The 24-year-old singer has been pictured topless on beaches from Jamaica to Thailand, France and the Carribean.

And earlier this year, she confessed to sending a topless text to Kaiser Chiefs' frontman Ricky Wilson. She also bared her 'third nipple' on Dutch TV.

During the shoot, she sported a sleek, dark bob with a blunt fringe near Covent Garden, London. The video will feature more than 20 dancers. Lily is in the middle of a hectic schedule. She has just returned from playing at the NRJ music tour in Nice, France, and is preparing for the next leg of her tour.

It will take her to Japan and Australia, where she has a guest role in Melbourne-based soap Neighbours, before returning to the UK for a summer of festivals. Her new album, which is her second, debuted at number one in the UK charts and was in the top five Stateside.

taken from : China Daily

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Brad wipes Pitt-s

Brad Pitt saves time by freshening up with baby wipes rather than showering.

The 45-year-old actor - who raises six children with partner Angelina Jolie - is often so busy caring for his family he doesn't have time to wash.

Brad's 'Inglourious Basterds' co-star Eli Roth revealed: "He shared that when you're sweating and don't have time to take a shower, you just take a baby wipe and rub it under your armpits.

"He said to be on set, 'I've got six kids. All you've got to do is just grab them and have a couple of quick wipes under the pits. Man, I'm getting peed on all day. I don't have time to take a shower.' "

Brad shared his time-saving tip with Eli when they were filming a scene together for the new movie, during which Brad was shocked to discover his co-star hadn't had time to bathe.

Eli, 37, explained to People magazine: "Brad said, 'Damn, you're ripe.' I said, 'I didn't have time to shower.' He said, 'Baby wipes, man, baby wipes.'

"I thought that was the greatest tip. My character is called the Bear Jew. If I ever started to smell like a bear, I would just use a couple baby wipes under the armpits, and it made it safe for everyone else to act around me."

Eli loved working with Brad, who he believes is the "biggest movie star in the world".

He explained: "He taught me a lot of acting tricks. We all wanted to ask him about his old movies like 'Fight Club' and 'True Romance', and he was so cool to talk about all that stuff with us. Right from the first day, we were all a little shy. But then somebody asked him about '12 Monkeys' and he talked about everything."
taken from : China Daily

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Tired talent star Susan Boyle admitted to clinic

"Britain's Got Talent" contestant Susan Boyle returns to her home in Blackburn in West Lothian, Scotland, April 21, 2009.[Agencies]

LONDON - British singing sensation Susan Boyle was admitted to a London clinic suffering from emotional exhaustion after being beaten in the final of the "Britain's Got Talent" TV contest, judges on the show said on Monday.

Dowdy and unglamorous, Boyle seemed an unlikely star when she first appeared on the show in April, only to stun the judges and become a global Internet sensation with her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables."

Boyle, 48, had been heavily backed to win the competition after clips of her earlier appearance were downloaded nearly 200 million times.

But after coming in second on Saturday, doctors were called to her London hotel and suggested she go to a clinic for rest, "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan told U.S. celebrity news outlets on Monday.

"Susan is completely and utterly exhausted," Morgan told U.S. celebrity television show "Extra."

"I think she's found this whole roller coaster ride of the last seven weeks overwhelming ... and she's gone somewhere now that she can find the peace and the quiet to get some sleep, to eat properly and get over what has been an astonishing time in her life."

Morgan said he had spoken to Boyle and did not think she had suffered a breakdown.

Despite expectations that Boyle would make a fortune from her talent and instant fame, there has been concern among show organizers about her ability to cope with pressure.

Boyle, who was starved of oxygen at birth leading to minor brain damage, has been pursued by the world's press since early April and broke down in tears repeatedly ahead of the final.

"She didn't sleep. She wasn't eating. I saw her just before she went onstage, they were doing their rehearsals and I arrived...She told me she felt tired and sick with nerves, and she was worried she was going to be sick," judge Amanda Holden told "Inside Edition."

Nearly four million Britons phoned in to choose a winner, and street dance troupe Diversity won 24.9 percent of the vote ahead of Boyle's 20.2 percent.

Morgan said Boyle may have lost because of overkill in Britain. "I think it was a bit too much for some people in Britain...They just got a bit bored, a bit irritated by the whole mania surrounding Susan," he said.

Boyle's financial future has been seen as secure despite coming second, as "Britain's Got Talent" creator Simon Cowell and his Syco music label were widely expected to sign her up for an album. There has also been talk of a Hollywood movie.

Morgan said he did not think Boyle would go back to her sheltered life. "My prediction is she'll have a number one selling album around the world in the next four or five months."

taken from : China Daily

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Sade at work on first album in nine years

NEW YORK– Sade Adu, the reclusive "quiet storm" soul signer who takes notoriously long breaks between releases, has regrouped with the band that bears her name and is recording her first album of new material since 2000's "Lovers Rock," Billboard.com sources confirmed.

The group is in the studio through June. Sony has not set a release date but hopes to put the record out by the end of 2009.

"She is in the studio and the album will come when it is ready," a source at Sony told Billboard. "You don't wait for years for one and then rush it."

Sade's longtime bandmate Stuart Matthewman, a.k.a. Cottonbelly, also confirmed that new material is in the works, but he said the project is still in its "early days" and won't be close to finished until "later in the year."

Last week, rumors of a new Sade album surfaced when the official-looking website sade2009.com went live with a message claiming a release date of November 24 for a new album. The source at Sade's label denied any connection to that site. "We do not know where that fan site could have got that release date from, but it is 100 percent not true."

Billboard contacted the site's owner, who insisted that the release date was "official." Since his response, however, the site's posting has been updated with a correction: "The date above has been changed, a representative from Sony confirmed the new date to be unknown. Please check back for the update on Sade's album release."

No details about Sade's new music have yet been revealed, but one artist may already have heard snippets: Maxwell, a fellow Sony recording artist and longtime friend and collaborator with Matthewman, who will soon release a new record of his own after a multiyear hiatus. The R&B singer sent a message to fans in March via his private Facebook page in which he indicated that he'd heard some of his labelmate's new recordings. "Trust me, it's so monolithic it'll shake you in your shoes!" he wrote.

Sade's 2000 release, "Lovers Rock," sold 3.9 million copies in the U.S., and her previous album, 1992's "Love Deluxe," sold 3.4 million. Since her 1985 debut, "Diamond Life," Sade has sold nearly 17 million units in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

taken from : China Daily

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Lindsay Lohan's weighty role

Lindsay Lohan has been ordered to gain weight for her new movie.

The 'Mean Girls' actress - who has been looking worryingly thin since her break-up from girlfriend Samantha Ronson - was told by producers of 'The Other Side' to pile on the pounds because the part requires it.

A source told America's Star magazine: "Producers want Lindsay looking like a normal, healthy girl, not a skeleton. So they ordered her to rest up and eat more. They refuse to risk her dropping out of the movie because of her problems."

Lindsay landed the role in the comedy earlier this month, her first big-screen outing since 2007's flop 'I Know Who Killed Me'.

Commenting on her casting, the film's director David Michaels said: "Lindsay's very aware of people's perceptions of her. She's really committed to doing what she has to in order to change that."

The 22-year-old actress recently complained the attention her personal life attracts is harming her career.

She said: "When I was a kid, I thought movie stars were people who wanted to act in great movies. It's all I ever wanted to do, but I've become this girl who's seen as someone who parties, who wants to be photographed all the time, isn't focused and can't be on time. That's not true."

taken from : China Daily
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Diversity "gobsmacked" by UK TV talent show win

Winners of British television contest "Britain's Got Talent", Diversity, pose for photographers at a news conference in London May 31, 2009.[Agencies]

LONDON- Street dance troupe Diversity said on Sunday it was still in shock after beating runaway favorite and Internet sensation Susan Boyle in the final of the popular "Britain's Got Talent" television contest.

Boyle, 48, had been heavily backed to beat nine other finalists late on Saturday after clips of her first appearance on the show in April were downloaded nearly 200 million times and she was hailed the world over as a superstar.

The Scottish spinster who joked she had never been kissed and who challenged people's notion of what a celebrity should be came second behind Diversity in a final which attracted a peak audience of 19.2 million people in Britain.

Although the average viewing figure will be lower, at its peak the ITV show commanded 72 percent of the total television audience.

Nearly four million people phoned in to choose a winner, and Diversity won 24.9 percent of the vote ahead of Boyle's 20.2 percent. Saxophonist Julian Smith was third with 16.4 percent.

The 11 dancers, led and choreographed by 20-year-old Ashley Banjo, had been the bookmakers' sixth favorite to win before the show, and said on Sunday the result was still sinking in.

"I think I fell over," said Banjo. Diversity comprises three sets of brothers and friends aged between 13 and 25.

"I had my speech ready, you know, 'Well done Susan'," he told a news conference.

"Then they said 'Diversity', and honestly, my legs actually gave way. I'm really tall and there's a long way to fall. I hit the floor and honestly words can't describe how I felt."

Perry Kiely, who at 13 is the joint-youngest member of the troupe formed two years ago, said he was "gobsmacked."

Diversity wins 100,000 pounds ($160,000) and will appear at the Royal Variety Performance before the Queen.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY

How Diversity, and Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell, turn the success into cash remains to be seen.

Boyle's financial future is seen as secure despite coming second, as Cowell and his Syco music label are widely expected to sign her up for an album and there is talk of a Hollywood movie being made about her story.

"I don't think a street dance group, especially from the UK, has really come as far as we have," Banjo said.

"So I think there's really a chance that ... we can almost create our own path. However he (Cowell) wants to make money out of us he can do it, I suppose."

Banjo said Boyle had been gracious in defeat.

"She was so gracious about it, she said the best act won and behind (stage) she said she saw something special," he said.

"She was so nice about it. She has a great career. She's going to do really well anyway."

Despite expectations that Boyle will make a fortune from her fame and talent, there has been concern in the media and among show organizers about her ability to cope with pressure.

Boyle, who was starved of oxygen at birth leading to minor brain damage, has been pursued by the world's press since early April and, according to show judge Piers Morgan, broke down in tears repeatedly during the run-up to the final.

At one point she threatened to quit Britain's Got Talent, but showed few nerves as she sang "I Dreamed a Dream."

"You can walk away from this, win or lose, with your head held high, Susan," Cowell told her on the night.

taken from : China Daily

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Bare-butt 'Bruno' lands on Eminem at Movie Awards

Sacha Baron Cohen, in character as Bruno, is lowered into the audience during the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday May 31, 2009, in Universal City, Calif. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – Eminem apparently has flown the coop from the MTV Movie Awards after a close encounter with Sacha Baron Cohen.

In character as flamboyant fashion reporter "Bruno," Baron Cohen flew in above Sunday's award show audience on a wire — and in a pair of feathery white wings and his rear end mostly exposed.

But the comedian crashed into an overhead obstacle, and he was lowered into the audience — right into Eminem's lap, his bare hindquarters in the rapper's face.

Eminem seemed visibly upset at the mishap. Or was it a joke he was in on?

The rapper stormed out with his entourage in tow — and cameras rolling. In 2002, Sparks flew when the rapper was interviewed by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the MTV Video Music Awards.

taken from : China Daily

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Jolie hospitalized, released after head bump

FILE - In this May 20, 2009 file photo, Angelina Jolie arrives for a screening of the film 'Inglourious Basterds', during the 62nd International film festival in Cannes, southern France. [Agencies]

NEW YORK – A spokesman for Columbia Pictures says Angelina Jolie is back on the set of her latest movie after a brief trip to the hospital for a minor bump to the head.

Jolie sustained the injury Friday while filming an action sequence on Long Island in New York, where her upcoming thriller "Salt" is being shot.

Studio Spokesman Steve Elzer says the actress was taken to a local hospital, examined and released as a precautionary measure.

Elzer says she was back on the set Friday and production has resumed.
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"Smithsonian" atop overseas box-office pedestal

Actors (L-R) Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Ricky Gervais answer reporters' questions in the Smithsonian Castle during a news conference to discuss their new movie, "A Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" in Washington, May 15, 2009. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES - U.S. box-office leader "Up" dipped its animated toes in international waters during the weekend, but it was "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" that claimed the top spot overseas.

The family comedy from 20th Century fox, a sequel to 2006's "Night at the Museum," reaped $37.2 million from 9,000 screens in 100 markets.

The Ben Stiller-starring movie opened at No. 1 in China, grossing $7.4 million from 818 screens, and finished first in at least 11 other territories, propelling its overseas gross past the $100 million mark to $106 million.

Its worldwide gross to date is $211.3 million.

After two weekends atop the international circuit, Sony's "Angels & Demons" finished a close No. 2 this round, grossing $32.9 million from 10,145 screens in 101 territories.

The follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code" ranked first in at least 14 markets, including Germany, where it tallied $4.8 for the weekend, and Japan ($3.2 million). Its overseas total stands at $251.7 million.

Like DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" before it, "Up," the 10th title from Pixar/Disney, opened in Russia before its domestic bow largely because of piracy concerns. It drew an animated $4.2 million from 560 screens, taking the No. 1 spot and marking the biggest weekend opening of a Pixar/Disney title in the territory.

The 3-D animation saga, centering on a septuagenarian (voiced by Ed Asner) whose house is lifted by multiple balloons to the wilds of South America, premiered May 13 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first animation title to kick off that event.

Opening overseas simultaneously with its domestic release was Mandate Pictures' "Drag Me to Hell." It screamed all the way to $4.4 million from a combined 700 screens in the U.K., Israel and France, said Mandate International, which is sharing overseas distribution with Universal. The tongue-in-cheek horror title from Sam Raimi finished at No. 2 in the U.K. and was No. 1 in the Paris area.

No. 3 for the weekend was "Terminator Salvation," which drew an action-packed $13 million from mostly Middle East and Asian markets. Sony, which is sharing overseas distribution with local distributors, said "Salvation" drew $8.6 million from 673 screens, finishing at No. 1 in the seven markets it handled. The international total so far for the fourth "Terminator" title stands at $23.1 million; its worldwide gross is $113.8 million.

Fourth overall was Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," which finished a month on the foreign circuit with an international cume of $170.1 million after an $8.1 million weekend from 5,000 screens in 104 markets. A delayed Mexico opening produced a decisive No. 1 market ranking with $4.4 million from 1,336 screens.

At No. 5 was Paramount's rejuvenated "Star Trek," which rocketed past the $100 million overseas mark ($101.5 million) thanks to an $8 million weekend from 4,869 situations in 59 markets. Its worldwide tally is $311 million.

taken from : China Daily

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Twilight's Pattinson and Stewart give peek at New Moon at MTV Movie Awards

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart to appear on the MTV awards this weekend.

VANCOUVER - There's going to be plenty of action — guaranteed to raise the blood lust of Twilight fans — at tonight's MTV Movie Awards.

First, the star-studded night will show the world the first glimpses of the Vancouver-shot New Moon sequel.

"Now we can reveal that the never-before-seen video that Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will be introducing on Sunday's live show is the movie's first trailer," MTV reported on its website.

And then there's the sensational, sensual smooch contest.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are up for MTV's Best Kiss award for their lingering lip lock in the original Twilight.

As if that wasn't enough, the MTV awards are a twitter with Twilight highlights.

Twilight has seven nominations, more than any other film at this year's awards, including:

• Best Movie

• Breakthrough Performance Male: (Pattinson and Lautner)

• Best Performance Female: (Stewart)

• Best fight (Pattinson and Cam Gigandet)

• Best Kiss
taken from : China Daily

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'New Moon' trailer shows Lautner become werewolf

Taylor Lautner arrives at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday May 31, 2009, in Universal City, Calif. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – "Twilight" fans hungry for a sneak peek at the next installment are getting a good one: The wolf.

During an exclusive premiere of the "New Moon" trailer at the MTV Movie Awards, fans saw Taylor Lautner's teen werewolf Jake transform instantly into a giant, menacing canine.

Lautner had to pack on some muscle for his role in the second installment, and it showed when he appeared shirtless to save Kristen Stewart's Bella from a threatening vampire in the clip.

Stewart, Lautner and costar Robert Pattinson introduced the clip Sunday night at the live telecast.
taken from : China Daily

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