Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/40-glocc-sues-the-game-over-street-fight/
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Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Disney's 'Oz' bewitches box office with $80M debut
This film image released by Disney Enterprises shows James Franco, as Oz, left, and the character Finley, voiced by Zach Braff, are shown in a scene from "Oz the Great and Powerful." (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises)
This film image released by Disney Enterprises shows James Franco, as Oz, left, and the character Finley, voiced by Zach Braff, are shown in a scene from "Oz the Great and Powerful." (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises)
This film image released by Disney Enterprises shows the character China Girl, voiced by Joey King, left, and James Franco, as Oz, in a scene from "Oz the Great and Powerful." (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises)
This film image released by Disney Enterprises shows James Franco, left, and Michelle Williams in a scene from "Oz the Great and Powerful." (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises, Merie Weismiller Wallace)
This film image released by Disney Enterprises shows a scene from "Oz the Great and Powerful." (AP Photo/Disney Enterprises)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Oz the Great and the Powerful" clicked with moviegoers.
Disney's 3-D prequel to the classic L. Frank Baum tale "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" debuted in first place and earned $80.3 million at the weekend box office in the U.S. and Canada and $69.9 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"Oz" tells the origin of James Franco as the wizard with Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as the trio of witches he encounters after crashing in the mystical realm of Oz.
The updated take on "Oz," which was directed by original "Spider-Man" trilogy mastermind Sam Raimi, was a gamble that looks like it will pay off for the Walt Disney Co. The film reportedly cost $200 million and opened a week after "Jack the Giant Slayer," another big-budget 3-D extravaganza that reimagines a classic tale, flopped in its opening weekend, debuting with $28 million at the box office.
"Oz" was also golden overseas. The film conjured up $69.9 million from 46 foreign markets, including Russia and the United Kingdom. "Oz" could follow in the footsteps of Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," another costly 3-D film, which opened on the same weekend in 2010 and went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
"'Oz' is the shot in the arm that the industry needed," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "We had six consecutive weekends where the box office was down. As a result, we're at a 12-and-a-half percent deficit year-to-date on box office revenues versus last year. Not a lot of movies have worked. There have been several underperformers."
In its second weekend, "Jack" stomped out second place behind "Oz" with $10 million, dropping 62 percent since its opening weekend. It earned just $4.9 million overseas. "Jack," based on the Jack and the Beanstalk fable, was directed by Bryan Singer and stars Nicholas Hoult and Ewan McGregor.
The only other new release this weekend, the FilmDistrict revenge drama "Dead Man Down" starring Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace, opened in fourth place with $5.3 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday:
1. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $80.3 million. ($69.9 million international.)
2. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $10 million. ($4.9 million international.)
3. "Identity Thief," $6.3 million.
4. "Dead Man Down," $5.3 million.
5. "Snitch," $5.1 million. ($4.7 million international.)
6. "21 & Over," $5 million.
7. "Safe Haven," $3.8 million.
8. "Silver Linings Playbook," $3.7 million. ($6 million international.)
9. "Escape from Planet Earth," $3.2 million.
10. "The Last Exorcism Part II," $3.1 million.
___
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "Oz the Great and Powerful," $69.9 million.
2. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $11.2 million.
3. "A Good Day to Die Hard," $9.1 million.
4. "Mama," $6.3 million.
5 (tie). "Beautiful Creatures," $5.8 million.
5 (tie). "Les Miserables," $5.8 million.
6. "Silver Linings Playbook," $6 million.
7. "Jack the Giant Slayer," $4.9 million.
8. "New World," $4.8 million.
9. "Snitch," $4.7 million.
10. "Boule et Bill," $4.1 million.
___
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.
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HTC One accessories on sale ahead of UK launch
The HTC One may not yet be on sale anywhere in the world, but that hasn't stopped the official OEM accessories arriving. UK retailer, Clove Technology, has already received stocks of three accessories for the forthcoming new hero device from HTC.
First up is the 'Double Dip' hard shell case. Made of a soft touch polycarbonate, the phone slides into the main portion of the case then the 2 differently colored caps snap on at each end keeping the One nice and secure. It also seems to offer a slight lip around the front edges, so as to give a little extra protection when placed face down. The Double Dip costs £14.99.
There's also a pack of 2 screen protectors, which do pretty much what you'd expect them too. Specific to the device, these cost £6.00
And last, but by no means least, the official HTC One car dock. Of all smartphone accessories, a good car dock is one often coveted by many users. HTC had some pretty nice car docks in the past, and this latest shouldn't disappoint either. When the phone is docked, bluetooth automatically activates so as to connect to your in-car bluetooth system. The design is somewhat unique too, with the actual cradle only covering the lower half of the phone. It's not the cheapest item at £44.99, but it's surely a fine way to utilise your new HTC One in the car. Full details and some early snaps of all three can be found at the source link below.
Source: Clove Technology
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/1DxZ6CiCQsI/story01.htm
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
Salma Hayek: Avon Communications Awards 2013 ... - Just Jared
Salma Hayek attends the 2013 Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out Against Violence Against Women on Thursday (March 7) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
The 46-year-old actress helped announce new grant awards for winning communications materials, ?selected from among the best examples submitted to the Communications X-Change, an innovative digital global communications library featuring content from more than 30 countries.?
Salma recently shared the contents of her purse with Us Weekly.
?My bag looks more like a makeup case than anything!? she said. ?I have a beauty line at CVS, Nuance Salma Hayek, and I carry a lot of products. I?m often on the go all day, so I like to keep things with me.?
25+ pictures inside of Salma Hayek at the 2013 Avon Communications Awards?
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Source: http://www.justjared.com/2013/03/07/salma-hayek-avon-communications-awards-2013/
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EBRD signs first loan agreement on energy efficiency improvement in Azerbaijan
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Source: http://www.centralasiatimes.com/index.php/sid/213068567/scat/929bcf2071e81801
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In a rising economy, politicians look for credit
FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, specialist Donald Civitanova, right, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, specialist Donald Civitanova, right, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Increased hiring, lower unemployment, stock market on the rise. Who gets the credit?
It's a hotly debated point in Washington, where political scorekeeping amounts to who gets blame and who gets praise.
Following Friday's strong jobs report ? 236,000 new jobs and unemployment dropping to a four-year low of 7.7 percent ? partisans hurriedly staked out turf.
"Woot woot!" tweeted former White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee. "With 12 million still unemployed?" countered Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's spokesman, Don Stewart.
When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks.
"From a policy standpoint, this is being driven primarily by the Fed," said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo.
Yet to some, Washington deserves little recognition.
"Economies recover," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and now head of the American Action Forum, a conservative public policy institute. He acknowledged the Fed's monetary policies halted the initial free fall by the financial industry, but he said the economy has had to catch up to the Fed's low interest rates.
"It took a long time for the housing market for them to matter and for the auto market for them to matter," Holtz-Eakin said. "So I don't think that's a policy victory."
If Democrats are eager to give President Barack Obama acclaim for spurring the recovery with an infusion of spending in 2009, there are just as many Republicans who will claim his health care law and his regulatory regimes slowed it.
If there is common ground among economists, it is that the next step in fiscal policy should be focused on reining in long-term spending on entitlements programs, particularly Medicare, instead of continuing debates over short-term spending. But such a grand bargain has been elusive, caught in a fight over Obama's desire for more tax revenue and Republican opposition to more tax increases.
Obama and some Republicans are trying to move the process with phone calls and a dinner here and a luncheon there. Next week, the president plans to address Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate in separate meetings.
Who gets credit does have political consequences. A strong economy would create more space for Obama to pursue other aspects of his second-term agenda. But it's an important question for the long term, too, because if the recovery is indeed accelerating it could validate the policies that the Obama administration and the Fed put in place.
Hiring has been boosted by high corporate profits and by strength in the housing, auto, manufacturing and construction sectors. Corporate profits are up. Still, it might be too soon to declare victory. While the recovery may be getting traction, the U.S. economy is not yet strong.
Economic growth is forecast to be a modest 2 percent this year. Unemployment, even as it drops, remains high nearly four years after the end of the Great Recession, with roughly 12 million people out of work.
Last year's early months also showed strong job gains only to see them fade by June.
March could prove to be a more telling indicator as the economy responds to a third month of higher Social Security taxes and as across-the-board spending cuts that kicked in March 1 begin to work their way through government programs. Economists say anticipation of the cuts already caused a downturn in the fourth quarter of last year as the defense industry slowed spending. The Congressional Budget Office and some private forecasters say the coming cuts could reduce economic growth by about half a percentage point and cost about 700,000 jobs by the end of 2014.
"My view is that aggressive monetary and fiscal policy response to the recovery has been a net positive," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.
But referring to the automatic cuts, he said, "Fiscal policies have turned from a very powerful tailwind to a pretty significant head wind." And, he added, "the economy is going to be tested again in the next few months."
Obama has been distancing himself from the potential consequences of the automatic cuts, even though he signed the legislation that put them in place. Initially, they were designed to be so onerous that it would force all sides to work out a long-term deficit-reduction and debt-stabilization package. But that agreement never materialized.
If the recovery has been slow, White House officials argue, it is because Republicans have been unwilling to yield to Obama's demands for deficit reduction that combines tax increases and cuts in spending.
Vitner, the Wells Fargo economist, argues that if anyone deserves credit for the recovery, it is the American public and American businesses "for being able to tune out all the noise that's coming from Washington."
"It's remarkable," he said, "that in the face of so much political uncertainty we've been able to see the growth that we have."
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Friday, March 8, 2013
Unusual $50 million gift for writing at Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) ? The wife of billionaire real estate mogul Sam Zell is giving $50 million to support the University of Michigan's acclaimed graduate writing program. The donation, to be announced Thursday, is believed to be by far the largest ever gift to such a program, and comes at a time when most major gifts to higher education are supporting science, not the humanities.
Helen Zell, who earned her English degree at Michigan in 1964, has been supporting the Michigan program with smaller gifts totaling more than $10 million over more than a decade. Five long bookshelves, nearly covering an entire wall of her Chicago apartment, are filled with books written by the graduate program's faculty and alumni, she said, and she looks forward to adding more. Graduates include writers Elizabeth Kostova, Hanna Pylvainen and Jesymn Ward.
In a telephone interview, Zell described the new donation as an investment in some of the world's promising young poets and novelists, to ensure the books they have inside them get written, shared with the world, and allowed to work the unique magic of human self-reflection that literature offers.
"What I've watched happen with the introduction of the Internet and media and blogging, I almost feel like this part of our education is under siege," Zell said. "The ability of fiction to develop creativity, to analyze the human psyche, help you understand people ? its' critical. It's as important as vitamins or anything else. To me, it's the core of the intellectual health of human beings."
The gift ? the third-largest ever to the university ? comes from the Zell Family Foundation, where Helen Zell is executive director, and is in her name. Her husband, who endured a contentious tenure as chairman of media conglomerate Tribune Co., which he took private but then led into bankruptcy, is also a Michigan alumnus who has made substantial gifts to the university.
For aspiring writers, a spot in Michigan's graduate program is already akin to winning the lottery. Just 22 of roughly 1,000 applicants annually are accepted. Nationally, MFA students are among the most indebted, often borrowing six figures to pay for school then struggling to pay repay their loans. But Michigan covers tuition and offers a $22,000 stipend for students while they take classes their first year, then pays them for teaching during their second.
Most unusually for the field, all students receive a third, postgraduate year of support, including health insurance, to focus on their work. The bonus year, already funded by Zell, has been dubbed on campus a "Zellowship."
"Writers should be at their desk, not at Starbucks serving coffee," she said.
Kostova, whose debut novel "The Historian" rose quickly to No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list, and Ward, whose 2011 novel "Salvage the Bones" won the National Book Award, are among the program's better-known graduates. Pylvainen , whose first novel "We Sinners" won a Whiting Writers' Award last year, said the book might never have been written without the third-year fellowship.
There are no plans to expand the program, which Zell said might dilute its quality. Rather, the gift will essentially underwrite it in perpetuity, while offering flexibility for new projects.
"What happens next is you can write it in pen, as it were, that Ann Arbor is going to be one of the places in the country where some of the most important new writing is going to be happening as far into the future as you can see," said Michael Byers, director of the program, which will be renamed for Helen Zell.
American universities raised $31 billion last year, according to the Council for Aid to Education, but most of the giant, transformative gifts in recent years have provided either general support or targeted medical and scientific research. Recent large gifts include $100 million from The Grainger Foundation to the University of Illinois engineering school in January and $100 million in December to UCLA's medical school.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also recently announced a $350 million gift to Johns Hopkins University to support interdisciplinary research and student aid. Overall he has given more than $1 billion to the university, much of it focused on public health.
Gifts even approaching that scale for humanities programs like writing are exceptionally rare.
"The bigger donors tend to give these larger gifts to research or construction projects, more in the sciences," said Pam Russell, director of communications at CASE. But gifts to the humanities can go farther, in some ways, because the work is less expensive to support, and reflect "great confidence in these institutions" by donors.
Zell said her husband asked her over dinner more than a decade ago, when she had as yet done little philanthropy, what she might like to do for her alma mater, where she fondly recalled studying literature. That led to dinners and meetings with Michigan MFA faculty like novelist Nicholas Delbanco, where they talked ? only half-jokingly ? about building a program that could rival or surpass the famed one at the University of Iowa. It worked: Iowa and Michigan are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the most recent Poets & Writers magazine MFA rankings.
The latest gift reflects confidence not only in Michigan but "in the really vital and human mission of literature itself," Byers said. "More and more we are turning to art of one kind or another to make sense of what's going on around us. What's so glorious about Helen's gift is it allows for the making of art that would otherwise go unmade, we fear, and for the telling of stories that would otherwise go untold."
Certainly, Zell acknowledged, some writers are so driven they will find a way to publish no matter what.
But if given "a loamy garden," she said, many more "will also produce and will bear wonderful fruit."
___
Online: List of Michigan MFA alumni www.lsa.umich.edu/english/grad/alumni/MFA.asp
Follow Justin Pope at http://www.twitter.com/JustinPopeAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unusual-50-million-gift-writing-michigan-050218807.html
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