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Andrew Symonds 'wins' Celebrity Splash

Former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds performed a dive any soccer player would be proud of to win the the reality series Celebrity Splash.

He is also likely to be the only winner of Celebrity Splash as the show's grand final drew a paltry 650,000 viewers to rank 15th on the night, one spot below Ten News at Five.

The show launched on April 29 to a respectable audience of 1.3 million, backing that up with a respectable 1 million viewers the following night. It sank to 821,000 viewers for the first semi-final, which saw the second semi-final dumped from the schedule with the episode merged with last night's final which was also moved to a lower profile timeslot.

Symonds accomplished a challenging half twist off the 10m platform to win the Seven Network series from Tamsyn Lewis, Koby Abberton and Derek Boyer on Thursday night.
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"It's rewarding to win because it was quite challenging and difficult at times, especially mentally," Symonds said after taking out the title.

"This makes all the effort and all the pain worthwhile."

Boyer, who was eliminated in the first round, returned to replace veteran TV star Denise Drysdale in the semi-final.

It was the second time Boyer was called in as a replacement after initially joining the series to fill in for the injured Laura Csortan.

The former Gladiator star and Abberton advanced to the grand final after defeating model Nick Bracks and Adam Richard in the semi final.

Besides the celebrities showing off their diving skills, judges and Olympic champions Greg Louganis and Matthew Mitcham wound back the clock.

The pair performed their first ever dive together - a flying front one-and-a-half somersault pike.

For any keen-eyed (and long suffering) viewers who spotted a rogue individual leaping into the pool in the background of the show's final shot as host Larry Emdur bid Australia farewell. Seven have confirmed it was Pauly Fenech, a non-finalist, who nonetheless sat pool-side for the duration, unable to resist the urge to take a final dive.

Source  http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/andrew-symonds-wins-celebrity-splash-20130517-2jq2b.html

Twitter Acquires Music Service We Are Hunted

Twitter confirmed Thursday it had acquired We Are Hunted, a San Francisco-based music startup that tracks the most popular songs across the Internet and social media.

"While we are shutting down wearehunted.com, we will continue to create services that will delight you, as part of the Twitter team," We Are Hunted wrote on its website. "There's no question that Twitter and music go well together. Artists turn to Twitter first to connect with fans, and people share and discover new songs and albums every day. We can't wait to share what we've been working on at Twitter."

The acquisition announcement follows news in March that Twitter plans to release its own music app. At the time, CNet reported that the micro-blogging social network was about to release an application dubbed Twitter Music designed to help people find new music.

Launched in Brisbane, Australia in 2009, We Are Hunted is a music discovery service that scours the Web to find trending songs and artists (the company recently relocated to California). Its dynamic playlists, or charts that can be streamed in sequence, are a reflection of what people are talking about and streaming online. The service skews toward underground music -- the default chart is the Emerging Chart -- but We Are Hunted also has a Mainstream chart that is usually filled with popular songs from a variety of genres.

It appears the We Are Hunted brand will be retired and Twitter will launch a standalone app using the acquired technology. A post at WeAreHunted.com explains that the website is being shut down and all user accounts will be deleted. All that's left of the website is an announcement of the acquisition and a field where users can enter their email address or user name to retrieve songs they have favorited on the service. No information was given on the future of the popular We Are Hunted app for Spotify (it was still operational Thursday evening).

Evidence of the existence of an app came Thursday in two tweets  by Ryan Seacrest. One of the tweets said the app "shows what artists are trending, also has up and coming artists." The app could be released on iOS by the end of March, according to CNET.

Twitter's foray into music has the potential to be one of the world's most popular music apps and destinations for music discovery. The service passed the 200 million active user mark in December and has over 500 million registered users worldwide. Music identification apps Shazam and SoundHound have more than 300 million and 130 million registered users, respectively.

Source  http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1557293/updated-twitter-acquires-music-service-we-are-hunted

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart living together

Actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are reportedly living together again.

Stewart moved into her own home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles after the couple split last year, and even though they later reconciled, they remained in separate houses until he returned from filming in Australia this week.

"Rob is living at Stewart's. He considers it his home, Stewart's there, their dogs are there and most of his stuff is there. He considers Stewarts' home, his home too. I guess his home is where is heart is. And right from the get go Kristen made it clear that it was also his home," contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying.

Their friends believe the enforced separation while Pattinson was working on The Rover in Australia was a good thing as it has brought them closer.

"Again they have been inseparable since Pattinson's gotten back. I think the distance did them good. He isn't showing any signs of needing any sort of space from her, that's for sure," the source added.

"Stewart is confident that her relationship With Pattinson is stronger than ever and has no problem whatsoever with Pattinson wanting to take things slow. They have been together pretty much non-stop since he's been back. He has just only arrived, but the first person he wanted to see and spend time with is Stewart," the source added.

Hacked off the system: Logie votes audit comes after Underground actor's joke

A fringe actor's bid to influence the Logies Award voting may have had the desired effect after organisers started a random audit.

TV Week and market research company Roy Morgan have been conducting the voting and for the Logies nominees which ended on February 13.

During the voting period Jordan Raskopoulos, who had a supporting role in Underground: The Julian Assange Story on Network Ten, held the Logies up to ridicule on an online forum.
Jordan Raskopoulos.

Raskopoulos played Julian Assange's hacker buddy Trax and also appeared in the 2008 series Stupid Stupid Man.
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In attempting to influence the online voting for the Logies to claim Most Popular Actor, Raskopoulos said he would reward those who voted for him by letting them write lines of his acceptance speech.

However, an audit is underway of the voting and emails are believed to have been sent to selected individuals on Friday asking them to verify their vote and personal details.

They have until today to respond.

A TV Week spokeswoman says if there are any discrepancies during the collation of votes, an audit is conducted.

The magazine would not confirm if voting for Raskopoulos had set off alarm bells.

"The data is collated by Roy Morgan, audited by Ernst & Young, and all votes are scrutinised," the spokeswoman said.

"Where there is uncertainty about the legitimacy of a vote, numerous methods are employed to determine the vote's validity, and email is amongst them.

"If Roy Morgan haven't received a response by the deadline, other methods are used to scrutinise the legitimacy of the vote.

"Unfortunately, Roy Morgan can't share the verification methods with you, for privacy reasons."

Immediately after Raskopoulos made his bid to win online votes, Ten sought to distance itself from the fringe actor and said it "in no way endorses Jordan's campaign or comments".

In the online forum Raskopoulos included a draft of his speech, where he quoted from Lord of the Rings and Monty Python, and also promised to "lick Richard Wilkins" if the opportunity arises.

Source  http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/hacked-off-the-system-logie-votes-audit-comes-after-underground-actors-joke-20130219-2eoah.html

Entertainment attorney Mike Novak dies at 57

Mike Novak, one of Detroit's top entertainment attorneys, died Sunday of a heart attack at his Grosse Pointe Shores home. He was 57.

Novak was Bob Seger's attorney for decades, and the singer was hit hard by the loss.

"I never knew a better guy," Seger said Monday, "and I know a lot of people. Just a truly good, good guy. He was always positive, my lawyer forever, and one of my best friends. He should have had a lot more years. Life isn't fair."

Novak was a clerk for Seger's attorney Patrick Freydl in the 1980s. When Freydl moved to California, Novak started working directly with Seger and his manager Punch Andrews.

"He's always been like a little brother to me. I mean, the guy was in our office every other day," Seger said. "He was our consigliere. We asked him about everything."

Novak also represented many radio clients as an attorney/agent, including WRIF-FM's morning team Drew and Mike.

The lifelong Detroiter attended Our Lady Queen of Heaven school in Detroit and was president of the class of 1973 at Detroit's Osborn High School. He received a bachelor's degree in film studies from New York University and, in 1980, earned his law degree from Wayne State University.

Film publicist Ken Droz met Novak when he was the attorney for Detroit promoter Brass Ring Productions in the 1980s. Droz remembered him as "a really fine attorney; he would never try to poach a client. Very high integrity."

"He was a true mensch," Droz said. "Always offering to help someone if he could, be it a musician, filmmaker, journalist, artist, friend or whatever."

In the 1970s, before he went to law school, Novak played drums in several blues bands, including the Progressive Blues Band, alongside former Detroit News reporter Lowell Cauffiel. Cauffiel recalled Novak's generosity.

"He never sent a bill to me when I was struggling," said Cauffiel, a writer/producer in Los Angeles. "My son Johnny got an offer for a two-record deal for his band, and Mike handled it without charge. He would just say, 'Catch me later, when you hit the big time.'"

For many of his clients, there would never be a big time, but Novak worked on their behalf anyway.

The attorney had many enthusiasms, including golf. "I loved playing golf with him," Seger said. "He turned me on to every course I play! The one I play down in Florida, he told me about that one. He's so interwoven into my whole life."

Along with his independent practice, Novak was counsel with the Troy firm Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton P.C.

He is survived by his wife, Loretta Ames, a sister and two brothers.

Visitation will be 2-9 p.m. Thursday at Verheyden Funeral Home, 16300 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park.

On Friday, visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. and a funeral mass will follow at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul's on the Lake Catholic Church, 157 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms.

Source  http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130129/OBITUARIES/301290357/Entertainment-attorney-Mike-Novak-dies-57?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Entertainment|p

'I'm ready': Jackman jokes about becoming Bond

Hugh Jackman is ready to don a tux and sip a martini with the Aussie screen star joking that he is willing to wait for his chance to play famous fictitious British spy James Bond.

Jackman, 44, said he was too busy playing Wolverine in the X-Men series in 2006 when he was approached to take on the 007 part.

The good thing about Daniel [Craig] is he's, what, 62 now, isn't he? He's falling apart at the seams. 

Instead Briton Daniel Craig, 44, got the gun and has now made three Bond films - Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012).

"At the time it was wrong for me, but when I saw Daniel in the movie I thought maybe I should have been more interested, because it was great," Jackman told British newspaper The Sun.

 

"But I am great mates with Daniel. When he was in Australia we caught up and, you know, no one could have played Bond better."

But the Sydneysider has not given up on the chance to serve Her Majesty's secret service and took a swipe at his mate's unflattering physique.

"I will just wait," he quipped. "The good thing about Daniel is he's, what, 62 now, isn't he? He's falling apart at the seams. So I just keep telling him, 'I'm ready, whenever you want to let him (Bond) go, I'm ready.'
"The good thing is I have also got a British passport."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/im-ready-jackman-jokes-about-becoming-bond-20121207-2az9b.html#ixzz2ELZylbFU

Taylor Swift to present top gongs at the ARIA's

SUCCESS may be the best revenge for heartbreak but Taylor Swift's lovelorn anthems have created an elite fan club of the world's top songwriters. 

Swift, who is in Australia to perform at the ARIA awards on Thursday, said she sought out the world's hitmakers to help her compose the songs for her multi-platinum smash record Red.

But it turned out they were already lining up to work with her, including Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and Swedish legend Max Martin.

One of the first to approach her for a studio session was British balladeer Ed Sheeran, who has also penned songs for One Direction's two records.

''I decided I need to learn more and as a 22-year-old musician, I wanted to go and do almost like an apprenticeship with Max Martin and Shellback and Ed Sheeran and (Snow Patrol's) Gary Lightbody,'' she said.

''I heard Ed's music for the first time when I was on tour in Australia last year and when I got home I told my management I wanted to write with him and it turned out Ed and I were reaching out to each other at the same time.''

She met Lightbody through the ginger-haired hitmaker.

''Ed and I had hung out with my friends having jam sessions and singing Snow Patrol songs and he knew I was a huge fan.

''Then one day he asks if his friend Gary could come by and Gary Lightbody came by and listened to the song Ed and I had written and he said he wanted to work on the record too.

''And then I passed out.''

Swift somehow manages to keep herself together and not pass out when she enters the public eye.

Yet she said that big smile and poised grace is practised rather than perfection.

''To be honest, nothing ever really gets to feel normal about the massive amount of attention when you walk onto a red carpet, all the bright flashes and screams,'' she said.

''You get better at pretending like it's normal to you but it never feels like something that is just another Wednesday.

''It's always going to feel like 'Don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up.''

Swift said she is channeling the Mad Men style of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn in the vintage floral dresses which have become her uniform since releasing Red.

But fans can expect something with a little more bling when she rocks up to the ARIA Awards on Thursday night where she will be performing as well as presenting the major gongs.

Of course there will also be a lot more red lipstick, with Swift sharing the tips on how to keep it off your teeth.

''There's a trick to it. You put it on, blot one time, powder your lips and blot again, reapply the red lipstick and then cover with a tissue again and power through the tissue,'' she said.

Source  http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/taylor-swift-to-present-top-gongs-at-the-arias/story-e6frf9hf-1226524441447

Google fined $208,000 in defamation suit

Google was ordered to pay Aus$200,000 (US$208,000) in damages to an Australian man on Monday after a jury found the internet giant defamed him by publishing material linking him to mobsters. 

Milorad Trkulja, an entertainment promoter who is now 62, was shot in the back in 2004 in a crime that was never solved.

He accused Google of defaming him with material he said implied he was a major crime figure in Melbourne and had been the target of a professional hit.

Searches of his name brought up references to the city's gangsters including crime boss Tony Mokbel and a now defunct site called "Melbourne Crime" chronicling gang-related incidents.

Google denied publication in the Supreme Court of Victoria, saying it had innocently disseminated material published by others, and also disputed that the material conveyed the defamatory implications claimed by Trkulja.

But a jury ruled in his favour, finding the internet firm had been on notice and failed to act on the issue from October 2009, when Trkulja's lawyers wrote to them demanding action over the "grossly defamatory" content.

Judge David Beach ordered Google to pay Trkulja Aus$200,000, likening their role in publication to a library or newsagent, which have "sometimes been held to be publishers for the purposes of defamation law" in Australia.

"Google is like the newsagent that sells a newspaper containing a defamatory article," Beach said in his judgement.

"While there might be no specific intention to publish defamatory material, there is a relevant intention by the newsagent to publish the newspaper for the purposes of the law of defamation."

Beach said the jury was "entitled to conclude that Google Inc intended to publish the material that its automated systems produced, because that was what they were designed to do upon a search request".
Trkulja, who argued that his reputation was central to his work and had been seriously damaged by the defamatory material, had already won Aus$225,000 from Yahoo in an earlier case on the same matter.
 

Source  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/internet/Google-fined-208000-in-defamation-suit/articleshow/17190254.cms

River Phoenix's final film to be shown at last

Nearly two decades after his much publicised death, actor River Phoenix's last movie Dark Blood, which co-stars Australian actress Judy Davis, will premiere at a Dutch film festival.

"Dark Blood by director George Sluizer will premiere on Thursday evening, September 27 at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht," a statement on the festival's website announced.

The Dutch director had finished four-fifths of the movie when Phoenix, playing one of the three main roles, collapsed and died of a drug-induced heart-failure outside a Hollywood nightclub on October 31, 1993.

The 86-minute film was left unfinished until 80-year-old Sluizer's deteriorating health prompted him to restart post-production two years ago, his daughter Anouk Sluizer said.

It was finished in January this year.

"My father is ill and he decided to resume the movie's post-production after almost 20 years," she said, adding "he had shot about 81 per cent and there was enough material to make a suspenseful movie."

Dark Blood tells the story of Boy (played by Phoenix), a young widower who retreats into the desert to live a reclusive life after his wife died as a result of nuclear testing.

He saves a stranded couple on their second honeymoon, only to keep them hostage as he fell in love with the female lead character (played by Davis), according to a statement published on the Netherlands Film Festival's website.

Because of Phoenix's death, Anouk said: "My father had to find a creative solution, about which I cannot say much as there is an element of surprise."

Phoenix died aged 23 and at the time was regarded as one of the most promising rising young actors of his generation, together with his peers including Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

His death at the time was compared to that of another silver screen legend James Dean, who perished in a car crash in 1955 at the age of 24.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/movies/river-phoenixs-final-film-to-be-shown-at-last-20120803-23jtd.html#ixzz22TjNie7b

Crown application signals Packer can bide time before Echo takeover bid

JAMES Packer's Crown has signalled it is in no rush to make a full takeover bid for rival casino group Echo Entertainment after amending its application to up its stake in the takeover target to a specific limit. 

 

In the latest twist in the battle for control of Echo, which owns The Star in Sydney and three casinos in Queensland, Crown today said it was seeking approval from regulators to acquire up to 25 per cent of Echo.

While the amendment has been accepted by the regulators, no decision to grant Crown's application has been made.

A statement by Crown today said: "If Crown is eventually granted approval to increase its ownership in Echo to up to 25 per cent, then Crown would not be able to acquire additional Echo shares such that Crown's ownership would increase above 25 per cent without first making another application."

That application "would then be subject to further investigation and ultimately a determination by regulators", Crown said.

Crown's application today came after Perpetual yesterday won approval to acquire up to 15 per cent of Echo, in decisions by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority and the Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming.

Under Echo's constitution, no party can own more than 10 per cent of the company without regulatory approval, and potential predators Crown and Malaysia's Genting are awaiting the nod from the state watchdogs to move beyond that limit.

Today's move marked the first time Crown has specified a shareholding target, unlike Perpetual, which is understood to have applied for up to 15 per cent.

In early sharemarket trading today, Echo shares slid 2 cents to $4.28, while Crown gained 3c to $8.50 in a broadly positive market.

Nomura analyst Nick Berry yesterday told The Australian that the regulators may only approve potential bidders to up their stake in Echo in increments, so as to assess whether they are adequately capitalised to take over Echo's casinos.

While Genting's and Crown's appetite for a full bid for Echo are unclear, several analysts have questioned Crown and Mr Packer's desire and financial ability to launch a $3.3 billion-plus takeover of Echo. A full bid would also be a departure from Genting's corporate strategy.

Crown applied to the regulators to move beyond 10 per cent in March, ahead of Genting last month, pointing to a drawn out process for approval. Crown today said the regulators have not made a decision to grant's Crown's amended request.

It comes as Genting chief KT Lim and his corporate lieutenants seek meetings in Australia this week with the NSW and Queensland regulators. Observers said the Genting moves were not surprising, given the group recently acquired 9.9 per cent of Echo.

Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Wilson told clients today: "We view the receipt of the regulatory approval by Perpetual Investment Management to increase its shareholding in Echo from 10 per cent to 15 per cent to be instructive for Crown and the Genting Group as to timing and process.

"Perpetual's application took about eight months to be approved and we believe those of Crown and Genting could take a similar amount of time. Based on this timeline, this would imply an October 2012 approval for Crown and February 2013 for Genting."

But Mr Berry pointed out that any predator for Echo could still bid for Echo in the meantime, subject to regulatory approval to up their holding beyond 10 per cent.

While Perpetual has reduced its holding to below 5 per cent, to reap some of the stock's recent gains, the fund manager is understood to have not ruled out buying back in and could again emerge as a key player in any corporate activity.

Source  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/crown-bid-signals-packer-can-bide-time-before-echo-takeover-bid/story-fn91v9q3-1226416503730

Australians failing to warm to Paul Henry's show

Ratings for the Australian Breakfast programme fronted by former TVNZ broadcaster Paul Henry are continuing to slide.

Channel Ten's Breakfast programme launched in February with 51,000 viewers, compared with the 300,000-plus who tune in to rival shows Today on Channel Nine and Sunrise on Channel Seven, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

By March Breakfast's audience dropped to around 45,000, but has since regularly dropped to below 30,000 - twice falling to a paltry 22,000 viewers.

However, Channel Ten's director of news and current affairs and former TVNZ executive Anthony Flannery, told the Herald the key to the show's success was giving Henry "more time to be himself".

Breakfast is mostly unscripted and has three presenters instead of two.

Henry left TVNZ's Breakfast show in 2010 after a furore erupted over comments he made about former Governor-General Anand Satyanand and Indian politician Sheila Dikshit.

He has continued to stir controversy across the ditch when he made "sick" remarks about asylum seekers including a suggestion they could live in linen cupboards earlier this year.

Source  http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/australians-failing-warm-paul-henry-s-show-4928732

Cummins blow for Australia

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins is expected to be out of action until at least mid-January after his heel injury was more serious than first thought.

The 18-year-old suffered the problem during the second Test against South Africa - but Cummins still managed figures of 6-79 and hit the winning runs.

Cummins was initially expected back in time for the second Test against New Zealand, which starts on Friday.

However, team doctors have now discovered a bone stress problem which will keep Cummins sidelined until the new year and mean he will miss the start of the series against India.

Source http://www1.skysports.com/cricket/news/12175/7356896/Cummins-blow-for-Australia

Leonardo DiCaprio splits from Blake Lively while in Sydney

THE whirlwind, transcontinental romance between Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively has ended.

And Lively is reportedly already on the rebound.

Sources say the sexy blonde is picking up with her Green Lantern costar Ryan Reynolds, after the pair spent the weekend together in Boston where Reynolds is filming his next project, according to the Boston Herald.

Lively, 24, and Reynolds, 34, dined together last Friday and the actress was spotted going grocery shopping Saturday, apparently to stock up the fridge for her new love.

The pair met in 2010, filming the superhero flick, while Reynolds was still married to actress Scarlett Johansson.

Reynolds and Johansson, 26, officially divorced this July.

Representatives for Lively and DiCaprio, who is in Sydney filming The Great Gatsby, told US Weekly the pair would "remain friends" despite their relationship coming apart.

The pair at first tried to keep their affair under wraps but they were spotted getting cosy at the Cannes Film Festival in May, shortly after the Titanic star split from his supermodel girlfriend Bar Refaeli.

After the star-studded movie fest, DiCaprio, 36, and Lively, 24, travelled along the French Riviera before stopping in Italy.

The Gossip Girl star then returned to her home base of New York, where she was photographed bike riding with DiCaprio.

Lively then came for a visit to Australia to celebrate her 24th birthday while DiCaprio worked on his title role of Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the great American novel.

Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/leonardo-dicaprio-splits-from-blake-lively-while-in-sydney/story-e6frf96o-1226159202896

Russians love Raymond. Da?

Just ask Phil Rosenthal. Having struck comic gold with Everybody Loves Raymond in the US, this writer-director assumed his hit sitcom about a dysfunctional US family had global appeal.

"I had to assume that," he says, on the line from New York. "Our show was about families and we all have families. It's a universal subject. But when I got to Russia, that wasn't necessarily true."

Exporting Raymond - a laugh-out-loud highlight at the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival - is about Rosenthal's attempt to make a Russian version of Raymond.

Cameras follow him to Moscow's decidedly insalubrious TV studios and from his first meeting there is a gaping cultural divide.

A scriptwriter wonders why Ray (renamed Kostya) is bossed around by women. A costume designer imagines a wardrobe big on bling. And when Rosenthal asks for a live studio audience, he is told there are no chairs.

"I was very shocked at how hard it was going to be," Rosenthal admits.

Even when he visits the famous Moscow Art Theatre in the hope of "borrowing" one of its best actors, he is stonewalled by the company's tsar-like chief.

"Nothing was manipulated," he insists.

But Rosenthal can take comfort knowing new versions of Raymond are taking root in India, Egypt, Israel and Poland.

Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/russians-love-raymond-da/story-fn7euh6j-1226099671206

Jolie tops list of Hollywood's richest women

Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker have topped the list of Hollywood's highest paid actresses, with each earning an estimated $US30 million ($28 million) this year, according to Forbes magazine.

Forbes's blogger Dorothy Pomerantz, said Jolie's success stemmed from her ability to handle action, drama and directing, and her fortunes were boosted by earnings from In the Land of Blood and Honey, Salt and The Tourist.

Parker's fortune, on the other hand, was almost exclusively tied to the success of Sex and the City, said Pomerantz.

Trailing behind Jolie and Parker were Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who each earned $US28 million. Julia Roberts came fifth on the list with $US20 million in annual earnings.

"Aniston has had more than her share of flops, like 2009's Management, which earned less than $US1 million at the US box office. But lately, even films that looked like they were going to flop [The Bounty Hunter and Just Go With It] have turned out to be hits," said Pomerantz.

Less fortunate was Witherspoon with How Do You Know earning only $US50 million on a budget of $US120 million.

The annual list is made up of earnings estimates suppled by agents, lawyers, producers and other industry insiders.

Overall, the top 10 female earners made a total $US218 million between May 2010 and May 2011, said Forbes.

Source http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/luxury/jolie-tops-list-of-hollywoods-richest-women-20110706-1h21h.html?from=smh_sb

Mad Bastards actor jailed for stabbing death

An Aboriginal woman who starred in the newly released Mad Bastards film has been jailed for three years for stabbing to death her drunk and abusive partner in a case of life imitating art.

Roxanne Maree Williams was pregnant with her second child when she took a large butcher's knife and thrust it once into the chest of her partner Joseph Anthony Johnston in their Wyndham home on May 15 last year.

Williams tried resuscitating Mr Johnston and immediately called police and paramedics, who rushed him to the local hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The pair already had a seven-year-old daughter together and in November last year she gave birth to their second child while being held in custody at Bandyup Prison over his death.

Williams pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter and yesterday Supreme Court Justice Michael Murray sentenced her to three years jail to be backdated to when she was first incarcerated in May.

He has granted her the opportunity to apply for parole which means she could be released as early as her child's first birthday, which is when the baby would be expected to be taken from her to be raised outside the prison.

In sentencing Justice Murray acknowledged the rave review Mad Bastards director Brendan Fletcher gave Williams, saying: "He speaks highly of Ms Williams and her qualities in a way which gives the court some confidence for her future, that she may be able to complete successfully the process of rehabilitation upon which she has embarked."

In an act of life imitating art Mr Johnston was stabbed during one of his rages, which was fuelled at the time by nine beers and 10 tequila shots. The film depicts the violent and alcohol-fuelled dysfunction in Kimberley communities.

Justice Murray said in considering the seriousness of the case he could not put a value on the life that was taken but did acknowledge Williams had been subjected to years of abuse by her partner, who "under the influence of alcohol and other illicit substances, he was a man whose frustrations with life and the raw deal that he had received bubbled to the surface, and it expressed itself in quite savage violence at times".

"If he commenced the violence, it was often without reason, and he would persist in it, and she was afraid. I think her fear was fear with some real cause," Justice Murray said.

He said whatever the cause of the argument that night, her fear for further reprisals that may also jeopardise her unborn child made her fearful that she could not escape.

"She did not threaten him defensively with the knife, she went to him and she stabbed him. The stab wound was a single stab wound," he said.

"The deceased was immediately disabled and dropped to the ground.

"I think on all the evidence it is clear that Ms Williams' remorse was instant. She endeavoured to resuscitate him.

"She knew that she would have to deal with the police in relation to the matter and she did not run but she sought to have the police engaged. That is all very much to her credit."

Source http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/imad-bastardsi-actor-jailed-for-stabbing-death-20110506-1ebqx.html?from=watoday_sb

Kate Middleton and Princess Diana - worlds apart

From the moment Prince William put his mother's sapphire and diamond ring on Kate Middleton's finger, comparisons between his wife-to-be and the late princess Diana became inevitable.

More than a decade after Diana's death, the "People's Princess" remains adored and the new royal bride will be measured against the young, shy blonde who captivated the world at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.

The royals are understandably wary of comparisons between the two women, and William himself insisted soon after the engagement that "no one is trying to fill my mother's shoes".

Diana's marriage was a famously unhappy union which broke down amid infidelity on both sides, ending in a bitter divorce and then tragedy, when the princess died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

It is not a tale to comfort a nervous bride, but fortunately, commentators see more differences than similarities between the two women.

Despite her lack of aristocratic blood, Kate will be far better prepared than Diana ever was for royal life when she walks down the aisle of Westminster Abbey on April 29.

"Kate's been very carefully groomed, it's been a long process over a period of time and she's got people around her who understand the modern media.

"She knows exactly what she's getting," said Max Clifford, a top British PR man who has represented many celebrities.

Kate and William have been together for eight years, whereas Diana was courted for just six months. In fact, Kate has been waiting so long for her boyfriend to pop the question that the press dubbed her "Waity Katy".

But Clifford says the length of time puts their relationship on a strong footing, saying "William seems to be totally in love with her and vice versa".

The young couple have had a very modern courtship.

They lived together while at St Andrews University in Scotland, where they met, and in recent months Kate has stayed with William on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where he works as a helicopter search and rescue pilot.

At the age of 29, Kate also has considerable life experience compared to Diana, who was only 20 on her wedding day, 12 years younger than Charles. Just five months separate Kate and William, who is 28.

Diana had left school before finishing her studies and her work experience was limited to a stint at a nursery.

By contrast, Kate graduated with a degree in art history from a top university, although her jobs as an accessories buyer for a clothing brand and then for her family's party goods firm have been criticised as lightweight.

Kate also had a happier and more stable childhood than Diana, whose parents divorced when she was young. Kate is close to her mother Carole and sister Pippa, her maid of honour, and says her family is a major source of support.

Up to now, William's bride has also had a better relationship with the press, which hounded the late princess right up to the moment of her death.

Despite a rocky start following Kate's move to London after graduation, when photographers mobbed her every time she left the house, warning letters from lawyers and the palace have caused the media to back off.

Kate "is an intelligent girl. She has a good head on her shoulders and is so much older than Diana was and she knows William," said royal historian Hugo Vickers.

The royal family "must be delighted. She's cautious. She's very measured -- confidence is not quite the right word, but she is assured," he added.

Diana was beautiful, charismatic and almost universally loved, but she was also unstable and the explosive fallout of her split with Charles cast a pall over the royal family that is only now starting to lift.

She also overshadowed the other royals, staying firmly in the limelight even after the divorce through her charitable causes.

"Diana became far more popular worldwide than the royal family, and in this country -- she was the one everyone wanted to see, wanted to hear, wanted to be around," said Clifford.

The royals "would have learned from that", he said.

Kate has shown no sign of Diana's love of publicity, although only time will tell how far her careful plans survive the pressure of being a fully paid-up member of the royal family.

Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqEXHrt9ra9O_CkIsoPIBEVlkJXA?docId=CNG.77e54f793e67c67ebcf11ff9cd03e517.1d1

Dix climbs into Crawlspace

Production is underway on Crawlspace, a sci-fi thriller which marks the directorial debut of Justin Dix, head of Australian make up studio Wicked of Oz.

The story sees a group of elite soldiers break into a secret science research facility where they discover a woman who has had her memory wiped. It stars by Ditch Davey (TV's Underbelly Files) and Amber Clayton (TV's Three Rivers and Rush).

Production through Wicked of Oz, Maker Films and Wolf Creek Pictures sees Greg Mclean (Red Hill, Rogue, Wolf Creek), James Hoppe (Shadow Play, Blind Company, Summer Coda), Craig McMahon (Red Hill), Pete Ford (Storm Warning), Silvio Salom and Stephen Wools as executive producers and John Finemore (Shadow Play) and Nicholas Sherry as producers, with Steve Topic as co-producer.

Dix has various design, creature effects, make-up credits on Star Wars episodes 2 and 3, Red Hill and Rogue.

Filming of Crawlspace will take place at the Docklands Studios Melbourne (pictured) until the end of May.

Source http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/dix-climbs-into-crawlspace

1.3m watch Tassie Tiger eliminated

More than 1 million people tuned in to watch a contestant nicknamed the Tassie Tiger eliminated from reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules.

A panel of celebrity chefs voted Melanie and James Maddock, from Hobart, off the show on Wednesday night after their three-course meal was deemed inferior to that of fellow contestants Kane Lillywhite and Lee-Ying Chan, from Melbourne.

Viewers had dubbed Melanie Maddock the Tassie Tiger because of her catty critiques of other competitors' food.

The Seven show attracted an audience of 1.333 million viewers, making it the most-watched program on Wednesday night.

Seven had the four most-watched shows on Wednesday and had five of the top 10.

Seven News was in second place (1.190 million), Criminal Minds third (1.170 million) and Today Tonight fourth (1.144 million).

Long-running Seven soap Home and Away had 940,000 viewers and was in eighth place.

Nine had three shows in the top 10. Its news was the sixth most-watched show with 974,000 viewers.

A Current Affair was in ninth spot with 921,000 and matchmaking reality show The Farmer Wants a Wife just scraped into 10th with 919,000.

Ten and the ABC had one show each in the top 10.

Reality weight loss program The Biggest Loser attracted an audience of 978,000 putting it in fifth place and ABC News was in seventh spot with 945,000.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/24/3172723.htm?section=entertainment