Actors Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and James Caan were some of the big Hollywood names to attend a special cermony in Havana on Thursday for fellow actor Benicio del Toro. The Hollywood Reporter says a guild of Cuban artists and writers presented del Toro with the International Tomas Gutierrez Alea Prize in honor of his portrayal of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in the Steven Soderbergh movie Che. The actors’ visit is considered a diplomatic exception to the long-standing U.S. trade embargo against the country, during which most Americans have been banned from visiting or doing business on the island.
Archive: July 2009 (1-10 of 322)
Jul 31
2009
11:32 PM ET
Jul 31
2009
11:12 PM ET
Madonna writes about personal faith for Israeli paper
Pop superstar Madonna has added the title of newspaper correspondent to her already-long list of celebrity accomplishments, having written an article about her religious beliefs for Yediot Ahronot, Israel’s biggest daily newspaper. According to the AP, the Material Girl’s byline in today’s edition of the paper details her involvement in the Jewish mystical faith known as Kabbalah, which she claims led to a personal spiritual awakening. The piece comes in advance of the singer’s Sticky & Sweet tour, which will hit the region in September.
Jul 31
2009
10:13 PM ET
Boston U. grad student to pay $675K for illegally downloading, sharing music
A Boston University graduate student has been ordered to pay four record labels $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing online music by such artists as Nirvana, Green Day, and Smashing Pumpkins, according to the AP. Today’s ruling came a day after Joel Tenenbaum of Providence, R.I. admitted in federal court that he downloaded and distributed more than 800 songs between 1999 to 2007, 30 of which were the specific focus of a recording industry lawsuit. Tenenbaum –whose lawyer plans to appeal the ruling– says he intends to file for bankruptcy if the verdict stands.
Jul 31
2009
09:43 PM ET
Michael Jackson: Ex-doc warned singer about drug use
One of Michael Jackson’s former physicians claims he tried to warn the pop star about the dangers of using the powerful anesthetic propofol, according to People. A lawyer for Dr. Allan Metzger –an L.A.-based rheumatologist who was Jackson’s doctor prior to 2003– claims his client told Jackson about the dangers of using the sedative during a visit to the singer’s home in April. Investigators believe Jackson was given propofol the night before his death by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, one of four doctors whose offices have been searched in the ongoing probe into the singer’s death.
Jul 31
2009
08:39 PM ET
'Futurama' voice actors cut fresh deal with Fox
Five members of the original cast of the Fox animated series Futurama are returning for the series’ reboot, thanks to a deal just sealed with 20th Century Fox TV. Variety is reporting that Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, Billy West, and John DiMaggio will continue to provide their character voices for 26 new episodes of the animated Matt Groening sci-fi comedy, which will start airing on Comedy Central in 2010. Word of the deal comes less than a month after Fox put out a casting call for replacement actors. In a joint statement issued tonight, Groening and co-producer David X. Cohen said: “We are thrilled to have our incredible cast back. The call has already gone out to the animators to put the mouths back on the characters.”
More Futurama from EW:
Futurama fans (mostly) have reason to rejoice
Jul 31
2009
07:31 PM ET
Police chiefs in Parker-Broderick surrogate mother case arraigned today
The two Ohio police chiefs accused of breaking into the home of the woman who gave birth to Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s twins were charged July 31 with multiple felonies, including burglary, according to the AP. Chiefs Barry Carpenter and Chad Dojack are accused of entering the eastern Ohio home of Michelle Ross in May to allegedly steal and sell items that would have identified her as the surrogate mother for the acting couple’s twin daughters, who were born on June 22. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Jul 31
2009
07:00 PM ET
Pope Benedict XVI to sing on new album
A classical album featuring the voice of Pope Benedict XVI will be released worldwide this November, according to USA Today. British record label Geffen UK/Universal –home to such artists as Aerosmith, Beck, Snoop Dogg and Neil Young– licensed the use of the Pope’s voice from Vatican Radio, which records the head of the Roman Catholic Church’s Masses, prayers, and recitals. On the album — the Pope’s first — Benedict will speak and sing various passages and prayers in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French, and German. Proceeds from the album, which also features eight original pieces of classical music, will help supply musical education for underprivileged children.
Jul 31
2009
05:42 PM ET
Amazon sued for deleting e-books from its Kindle device
A 17-year-old student is suing Internet giant Amazon.com for deleting his e-book copy of George Orwell’s 1984 –along with a series of electronic notes he’d written– from his Kindle device, according to the AP. In mid-July, Amazon deleted copies of Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm from users’ Kindle devices because it was discovered that those particular electronic editions were pirated (affected customers received a credit on their accounts). But high school student Justin D. Gawronski and adult reader Antoine J. Bruguier filed a lawsuit on July 30 in Seattle, claiming the Internet company never told its customers that it “possessed the ability or right to remotely delete digital content purchased through the Kindle Store.” Gawronski was nearly halfway through reading 1984 for a school assignment when both the novel and his personal notes vanished from his Kindle.
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