Box Office
1. "King Kong," $31.4 million.
2. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," $30.1 million.
3. "The Family Stone," $23.5 million.
4. "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," $14.8 million.
5. "The Family Stone," $10.9 million.
6. "Memoirs of a Geisha," $10.2 million.
7. "The Ringer," $8.4 million.
8. "Rumor Has It," $7.5 million.
9. "Wolf Creek," $5.9 million.
10. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," $5.7 million.
AP
© Parker, Longoria Stopped by Police
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker was cited for impeding traffic and failing to produce a valid Texas driver's license during a traffic stop in which "Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria was his passenger, police said.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Oprah's Jet Grounded After Striking Bird
Oprah Winfrey's private jet was forced to return to the city airport after its windshield was cracked in a collision with a bird, officials said.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Character Actor Vincent Schiavelli Dies
Vincent Schiavelli, the droopy-eyed character actor who appeared in scores of movies, including "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Ghost," died Monday at his home in Sicily. He was 57.
http://news.yahoo.com/© White House Aids Playboy Playmate in Court
Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith has an unusual bedfellow in the Supreme Court fight over her late husband's fortune: the Bush administration. The administration's top Supreme Court lawyer filed arguments on Smith's behalf and wants to take part when the case is argued before the justices. The court will decide early next year whether to let the U.S. solicitor general share time with Smith's attorney during the one hour argument on Feb. 28. Smith, a television reality star and native Texan, plans to attend the court argument.
http://news.yahoo.com/© 'Monday Night Football' Ends 36-Year Run
Al Michaels turned to Frank Gifford, patted his former broadcast partner on shoulder and said simply: "I can't thank you enough."
http://news.yahoo.com/© Elton, Furnish Spend Honeymoon in Venice
Sir Elton John and David Furnish are honeymooning in Venice after tying the knot in a civil union ceremony in Britain last week, Italian news reports said.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Actor Renfro Accused of Bid to Buy Heroin
Actor Brad Renfro, who broke into movies at the age of 12, has been charged with a felony count of attempting to possess heroin after being arrested in a Skid Row police sting.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Don Johnson, Wife Expecting a Baby
Don Johnson and his wife, Kelley, are expecting their third child. The baby is due around May, Johnson's publicist, Elliot Mintz, said Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Foxy Brown Forced to Apologize in Court
Rapper Foxy Brown was handcuffed, threatened with jail and made to apologize Friday after she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue in the direction of a judge who asked her to stop chewing gum.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Laura Dern, Ben Harper Wed in Los Angeles
Laura Dern and her longtime musician boyfriend Ben Harper were married Friday in a sunset ceremony filled with Christmas decorations, the magazine US Weekly reported on its Web site.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Mike Myers and Wife Decide to End Marriage
"Austin Powers" star Mike Myers and his wife, Robin Ruzan, are ending their 12-year marriage, a spokeswoman said Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Howie Day Pleads Innocent to Air Rowdiness
Howie Day was arrested at Logan International Airport for rowdy behavior on a Boston-bound flight after he became intoxicated from a mix of alcohol and a sleeping pill.
http://news.yahoo.com/Reuters
© Vietnam to drop Glitter child rape charge-lawyer
Vietnamese police will formally charge British glam rocker Gary Glitter with child molestation and drop an additional charge of child rape, his Vietnamese lawyer said on Monday. Police have said medical tests on girls who alleged they had had sex with the 1970s rock icon, who was arrested last month, led them to look into the more serious charge of raping children which can carry the death penalty. "The investigation has ended and the charge will still be the initial one, while additional issues were not raised by investigators, probably because of a lack of evidence," Glitter's lawyer Le Thanh Kinh said.
http://news.yahoo.com/© Cyndi Lauper to make Broadway debut in 2006
Pop star Cyndi Lauper will make her Broadway debut next year in "The Threepenny Opera," playing the prostitute Jenny in the satirical musical about a highwayman and his sweetheart. It is due to start previews in March for an opening on April 20, 2006, the producers said in a statement on Friday.
http://news.yahoo.com/Hollywood Reporter
© Weiss exits Fuse
Rob Weiss has vacated his post as head of entertainment at music-centric network Fuse, sources said.
New York Post
Sightings: BRUCE Springsteen Christmas shopping at Ralph Lauren on Madison.
© BRUCE Springsteen, who rarely allows his music to be used in TV or movie soundtracks, has licensed no fewer than nine songs to the cop show "Cold Case" for an episode next month. The episode, to be called "8 Years," is about an unsolved murder in a cricle of four high school friends. It airs Jan. 8. The story follows the surviving three kids into adulthood as cops try to figure out who killed the murdered classmate.
http://www.nypost.comDaily News
© New Year's bash goes Hollyweird
The hottest New Year's Eve party in Tinseltown is - where else - on the streets of New York. On Paramount's studio lots designed to look like the Big Apple, Angelinos can ring in 2006 with ex-"Baywatch" babe Pamela Anderson and gyrate to the music of the red-hot Pussycat Dolls. Organizers say they hope to make the party the answer to New York's famous Times Square street party. "L.A. has never had an event or a place to be on New Year's Eve. This is the first," says Matthew Gavin of Hardball Productions, which is putting on the Anderson-hosted bash called "Gridlock." http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/378019p-321150c.html
USA Today
© The year in music: Kanye led the way in 2005
CD sales may have slumped, but skyrocketing paid downloads and file-trading showed that, more than ever, music was on everyone's mind, on their computers and in their iPods. USATODAY's Edna Gundersen, Steve Jones, Elysa Gardner, Brian Mansfield andKen Barnes sift through 2005's best, worst and most absurd musical milestones. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2005-12-26-year-in-music_x.htm
© A bouquet of baby names
With the birth of daughter Violet, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have added to a list of celebrity kids with botanical names. "I think Violet is the perfect name," says Garner's Alias pop, Victor Garber. "I've always liked flower names because flowers are so beautiful, and so are baby girls." USA TODAY plays amateur botanist and presents a bouquet of celebrity baby names.
http://www.usatoday.com/New York Times
© Viacom Comes to the Great Divide, and Calls It a Path to Growth
As Viacom prepares to be divided into two separate entities, the question of whether founder Sumner M. Redstone will sell off assets persists.
http://www.nytimes.com/© The Net Is a Boon for Indie Labels
Exploiting online message boards, music blogs and social networks, independent music companies are making big advances at the expense of the four global music conglomerates.
http://www.nytimes.com/© Nerds in the Hood, Stars on the Web
An unmenacing rap video about cupcakes and "The Chronicles of Narnia" that aired on "Saturday Night Live" last week has become a phenomenon on the Web.
http://www.nytimes.com/© Unconventional Queen Hit Still Rocks After 30 Years
"Bohemian Rhapsody," one of rock's most unconventional pop hits, endures even now as fans observe the song's 30th anniversary.
http://www.nytimes.com/© Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me?
WHEN the thousandth issue of Rolling Stone magazine rolls off the presses in May, its cover will feature an elaborate three-dimensional homage to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Drawing inspiration from the lineup of celebrities whose images graced that seminal Beatles recording, the magazine will tip its hat to the trove of musicians, entertainers and politicians who have inhabited its pages since its founding in 1967. "It's going to be a version of the past 40 years of people who have influenced us and are part of our Gestalt, our zeitgeist," said the magazine's founder, publisher and editor, Jann S. Wenner, his feet propped atop a table in his sleekly appointed corner office in Midtown Manhattan. "It's Richard Pryor and Jimmy Carter and it's Billy Joel and it's Bono and the Beatles and the Stones and Ike and Tina Turner and Madonna and Prince. It's the big family."
http://www.nytimes.com/LA Times
© Rising rapper doesn't bother with bling
For Rhymefest, blue is the collar of choice. "People ask me, 'Are you a gangsta? A pimp? A don?' " says Rhymefest, the new Midwestern rapper whose work with Kanye West has caught the pop world's ear. " 'How are we gonna market you?' " It's only natural that people want to define this MC whose debut album will be released in March: He co-wrote West's Grammy-winning song, the anthemic "Jesus Walks."
http://www.calendarlive.com/msnbc.com
Looks like getting hitched isn’t mellowing Elton John. The Rocket Man blasted Madonna as a “miserable cow” for refusing to sing at the celebration of his civil union. Elton John and his longtime companion David Furnish have entered into a legal partnership, as is now allowed in the U.K. At a cabaret “hen night” the evening before, John called the event “one of the greatest things in my life,” though he took pains to complain that Madonna had been approached about the performing at the event. “Madonna, the miserable cow, wouldn’t do it,” he said. “David asked her three times.” Former pals Madonna and Elton John had a very public falling out after John accused her of lip synching at concerts. “I'm sure he said it with great affection,” Madonna's spokeswoman told the Scoop. “Madonna wishes Elton and David all the best, I'm sure. She's on holiday with her family.”
Johnny Knoxville is trying to write a book, but the muse keeps deserting him. “I’ve started writing a novel, but when you hear about an actor writing a novel, you want to shoot yourself,” the “Dukes of Hazzard” star told Maxim mag. “I would like to go back to writing, but whiskey always gets in the way. I ruined myself on Tennessee whiskey by the time I was 15. Whiskey usually brings out the best or worst in me.” . . . .Sharon Osbourne, who not long ago got breast implants, has decided to downsize.
MTV
© Gwen Stefani Confirms Pregnancy While Onstage In Florida
Gwen Stefani confirmed reports of her pregnancy Wednesday night while onstage at her final U.S. tour stop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. "I want you to sing so loud that the baby hears it," the 36-year-old singer told the Bank Atlantic Center crowd during a sing-along to her song "Crash." She patted her famous-but-expanding midsection at the end of the show. Though word of her pregnancy broke Tuesday, her label reps had refused to confirm it.
© A 100-year-old historic home in Olympia, Washington, owned by Courtney Love has been put up for public auction to pay off debts in a foreclosure case. According to The Associated Press, the house on 13 acres was bought by Love eight years ago and was most recently occupied by the sister of her late husband, Kurt Cobain. Love owes about $367,000 on the home, including the loan balance and legal fees. According to documents filed in a lawsuit over the property, Love stopped making mortgage payments on the property in December 2003. Love can hold onto the house if she pays off the debts before the public auction on January 6.
Billboard
© Bruce Springsteen's celebrated 1982 album, "Nebraska," will be performed in its entirety by a host of notable artists next month as part of the New York Guitar Festival. Dubbed the Nebraska Project, the event will serve as the kick-off for the Guitar Festival, which will open Jan. 14 at the World Financial Center Winter Garden. A different artist will perform each album track, beginning with Michelle Shocked on the title cut and also including the National ("Manson on the Hill"), Martha Wainwright with Marc Ribot ("Highway Patrolman"), Meshell Ndegeocello ("Up All Night") and Dan Zanes with Vernon Reid ("State Trooper"). Other performers set to appear are Jesse Harris ("Atlantic City"), Chocolate Genius ("Johnny 99"), Laura Cantrell ("Used Cars"), Mark Eitzel ("My Father's House") and Kevn Kinney with Lenny Kaye ("Reason To Believe"). Additional instrumental interludes will be provided by Ribot, Gary Lucas and Harry Manx. "Nebraska" was previously the subject of a 2000 Sub Pop tribute album that featured Johnny Cash, Aimee Mann, Ben Harper, Ani DiFranco and Los Lobos, among others. The New York Guitar Festival, which runs through Feb. 8, will feature 60 artists at seven venues, including Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Jorma Kaukonen and Taj Mahal.
© Having made a name for herself as something other than wrestling legend Hulk Hogan's daughter on the VH1 reality show "Hogan Knows Best," budding pop star Brooke Hogan continues to work on her debut album. "We have a lot of people that are interested, but we're just trying to find the right deal," she tells Billboard.com. So far, Hogan has collaborated with an impressive list of producers, including Jazze Pha, Steve Morales, Manuel Seal, Jonte Austin and Damon Elliott ("It's like a cross between OutKast and Gwen Stefani," Hulk says of the tune Brooke worked on with the latter).
© Mariah Carey notches her 17th No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 this week as "Don't Forget About Us" ascends one rung to the top of the chart. Carey and Elvis Presley are now tied for second place among artists with the most No. 1 hits in the rock era. Carey also becomes the only artist to post two No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 in 2005.
© Pop/rock act Train will return Jan. 31 with "For Me, It's You," its first new studio album in two-and-a-half years. The 13-track Columbia release was produced by longtime collaborator Brendan O'Brien and is led by the single "Cab," which is No. 23 in its fifth week on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart.
© Synth-pop veterans the Pet Shop Boys and Erasure are readying new albums for release in the spring. First up will be Erasure's "Union Street," which is due April 3 internationally via Mute, with a North American street date yet to be confirmed. The Pet Shop Boys will follow on April 17 with the Parlophone set "Fundamental."
© Three people were stabbed early the morning of Dec. 21 at a Manhattan club that was hosting a record release party for a new collection of duets featuring slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. Detectives also were investigating a shooting near the Exit club that occurred around the same time. It was unclear if the two incidents were related. Authorities could not confirm reports that the party was attended by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Notorious B.I.G.'s mother, Voletta Wallace. The two co-produced the new "Duets" record, which pairs the rapper's vocals with Eminen, Jay-Z and other top artists.
© Legendary Irish rock act the Pogues will visit North America for the first time in years this spring. The nine-show tour will begin with a March 9-10 stand at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club and will feature the classic Pogues lineup of Shane McGowan, Philip Chevron, Jem Finer, Darryl Hunt, Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken, Terry Woods and James Fearnley. March 16-19: New York (Nokia Theatre)
© Britney Spears filed a $20 million libel lawsuit Dec. 19 against celebrity magazine Us Weekly, charging it published a false story reporting she and her husband, Kevin Federline, made a sex tape and were worried about its release. The lawsuit seeks $10 million in libel damages and $10 million for misappropriating Spears' name and image to promote sales. It also seeks unspecified punitive damages.
© With Destiny's Child having called it a career this fall, group member Kelly Rowland has quickly dived in to work on her next solo album. Among the collaborators on the as-yet-untitled Columbia set are songwriter Sean Garrett and Solange Knowles, the younger sister of Rowland's Destiny's Child cohort Beyonce.
© P.O.D. has revealed the track list for its new, Glen Ballard-produced studio album, "Testify," due Jan. 24 via Atlantic. First single "Goodbye for Now" is No. 20 this week on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart; its accompanying video was shot last month in Los Angeles with director Meiert Avis (U2, Avril Lavigne).
AllHipHop.com
© Will Smith Wins Rights To Domain Name From 'Barney Rubble'
Rapper/actor Will Smith has won the rights to the domain name willsmith.tv, after the original owner failed to respond to Smith’s claims of abuse of the domain on the internet. The domain willsmith.tv was registered by “Barney Rubble” of Vancouver, British Columbia in November of 2004. In October of 2005, Smith filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum, one of the world's leading providers of alternative dispute resolution solutions.
http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5190 © Brand Nubian's Sadat X Busted On Gun Charge In Harlem
Sadat X of Brand Nubian was arrested in Harlem, New York on gun charges Thursday (Dec. 22). According to police, the incident started when Sadat X, born Derek Murphy, flashed a pistol at a group of teens in Harlem on 158th and Broadway. Police said the rapper brandished a 40-caliber Beretta handgun and told the group of teens he was looking for a man with braids. He also allegedly threatened to “kill everybody.”
http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5187 Rolling Stone
© The Who will launch a world tour this summer that will bring the band to North America for its first extended trek in nearly four years. "We plan to visit the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia and also South America," manager Bill Curbishley says.
© Fresh off Ministry's Grammy nomination -- for Best Metal Performance for "The Great Satan" -- frontman Al Jourgensen is gearing up to drop new records by both the industrial powerhouse and his side project, the Revolting Cocks, this spring. Due out March 7th on Jourgensen's new imprint 13th Planet/Megaforce Records, Cocked and Loaded is the first Revolting Cocks record in more than a decade.
TV Show Lineups
Wednesday, December 28
David Letterman: Joaquin Phoenix, Sebastien Bourdais, Trisha Yearwood (R 11/15/05)
Jay Leno: Steve Martin, Tyler James Williams, Chris Brown (R 12/13/05)
Late Late Show: Chris Isaak, Sara Gilbert (R 12/16/05)
Conan O'Brien: Billy Bob Thornton, Patton Oswalt, the Hold Steady (R 7/19/05)
Last Call: Jon Favreau, Juliette & The Licks (R 11/30/05)
Daily Show: Pre-empted
Colbert Report: Pre-empted
Jimmy Kimmel: 50 Cent, Christopher Meloni, Morningwood (R 11/11/05)
The View: Caroline Rhea (R 10/4/05)
Regis and Kelly: Dakota Fanning, Ricky Martin & Amerie, Venus & Serena Williams, Jamie Oliver (R)
Ellen DeGeneres: Queen Latifah, Billy Joel (R 11/25/05)
Tony Danza: Naveen Andrews, Paula Deen, Shawn King (R 10/19/05)
Thursday, December 29
David Letterman: Jack Black, 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, Sinead O'Connor (R 12/12/05)
Jay Leno: Sarah Jessica Parker, Isaac Mizrahi, Bo Bice (R 12/5/05)
Late Late Show: Dennis Quaid, Malachy McCourt, Miranda Lambert (R 12/1/05)
Conan O'Brien: Steve Carell, Connie Nielsen, the Click Five (R 8/18/05)
Last Call: Jerry O'Connell, Liz Phair (R 12/1/05)
Daily Show: Pre-empted
Colbert Report: Pre-empted
Jimmy Kimmel: Roseanne Barr, Black Eyed Peas (R 10/17/05)
The View: 50 Cent, Joy Bryant, Linda Dano (R 11/11/05)
Regis and Kelly: Teri Hatcher, Raven-Symone, Daniel Radcliffe, sumo wrestling demonstration
Ellen DeGeneres: Donald Trump, Paul Reiser, Peter Falk (R 9/20/05)
Tony Danza: Camryn Manheim, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy (R 11/3/05)
Friday, December 30
David Letterman: Ellen Degeneres, the cast of Broadway's "The Color Purple" (R 12/16/05)
Jay Leno: Ron Howard, Rachael Ray, Brian Wilson (R 12/6/05)
Late Late Show: Jon Cryer, Amy Yasbeck (R 12/12/05)
Conan O'Brien: Matthew McConaughey, Jesse Eisenberg, Greg Behrendt (R 10/5/05)
Last Call: Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Jessica Kirson, Fall Out Boy (R 11/11/05)
Jimmy Kimmel: William Shatner, Kristen Bell, Staind (R 11/14/05)
The View: Gloria Estefan (R 12/14/05)
Regis and Kelly: 15th Annual Mom's Dream Come True show (R 05/02/05)
Ellen DeGeneres: Mariah Carey, Evangeline Lilly, 6-year-old music prodigy Marc Yu (R 11/18/05)
Tony Danza: Al Roker, Elmo, Leann Rimes (R 11/10/05)
Saturday, December 31
Saturday Night Live JON HEDER / ASHLEE SIMPSON
