PR-Inside.com Entertainment News

LIZA MINNELLI is planning a spectacular return to the big screen, by writing a new movie for herself to star in.
The 60-year-old isn’t ready for a biopic yet - instead she’s planning a musical extravaganza modern day version of her hit CABARET, set in New York City. She told fans at a public London screening of her classic concert Liza With A Z last night, "It’s going to be set in a club in New York in a very famous part of the city. It’s about a group of people seeking answers through cabaret. It’s going to be great." Liza will star in the film herself, playing the owner of the cabaret club.
Fans of the diva who can’t wait for that, have her cameo in THE OH IN OHIO, in which she plays a saucy sex therapist, to look forward to.

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Comedian/actor BILLY CONNOLLY has turned his back on Los Angeles and his native Scotland for life on sunny Mediterranean island Gozo.
The funnyman decided to scale back and enjoy the simple life when his wife PAMELA ANDERSON bought a yacht and set sail for the Maltese Islands.
He says, "Gozo’s a wee island off Malta and it’s kind of agricultural, it’s quiet, I sail my boat, play my banjo, read books, smoke cigars.
"My wife bought a big yacht. I had three houses and she bought this (boat)…
she went through a kind of mid-life, desperate cry for help thing and sailed off.
"I really couldn’t bear the weight of the whole exercise - the three houses and the big yacht, so I sold one of the houses." But Connolly insists he’ll always keep a home in Scotland - even though he can’t bear the brutal winters in his baronial house in the Grampians.
He adds, "The winter’s, like, a year long… You know what Scotland needs? A bit more global warming. You should share the global warming around."

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STANLEY TUCCI has replaced DYLAN McDERMOTT in renewed TV medical drama 3LBS to lighten up a troubled medic.
McDermott played ambitious neurosurgeon DR DOUGLAS HANSEN in a pilot episode of the drama last year (05) but producers felt the project was too dark, and now Tucci will step into the role.
The show, titled for the weight of the average human brain, also features former SEX & THE CITY star CYNTHIA NIXON as Hansen’s wife.

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ASHTON KUTCHER stunned America on Thursday night (28SEP06) by showing off snapshots of his bottom.
The PUNK’D star and his wife DEMI MOORE spent recent nights out in Washington DC sightseeing when Kutcher decided to bare his bum to ABRAHAM LINCOLN and the other stone dignitaries.
He says, "Demi was taking the picture and we were out there and I just wanted to see how good their security was. It’s not very good. Nobody stopped me from mooning the monuments."

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British actor LESLIE GRANTHAM has revealed he attempted suicide three times after pictures of him exposing himself were published in the British media two years ago (04).
The 59-year-old actor was written out of popular UK soap opera EASTENDERS after the images, taken from a webcam feed in his dressing room, hit the press.
Grantham reveals in his forthcoming autobiography LIFE AND OTHER TIMES, "I tried to lie my way out of the situation instead of facing up to it like a man.
"Things got so bad I tried to kill myself. Now I’m just trying to get on with my life."

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RUSSELL CROWE unveiled a bronze statue in honour of late screen wildman RICHARD HARRIS in the iconic actor’s native Ireland this weekend (29SEP06).
The Antipodean movie star, who first met the star on the set of 1999 blockbuster GLADIATOR, paid tribute to Harris’ friendship and wisdom at the ceremony in Kilkee, County Clare.
Crowe said, "Richard was a great guy and he was a very good friend.
"I met Richard at a time in his life when he was probably reflective of what he had done over the time he had spent on the planet. He very kindly passed a lot of wisdom on to me." The sculpture portrays the HARRY POTTER actor playing racquet-ball, which is what the Limerick-born star used to love to do whenever he holidayed in Kilkee.
Harris passed away in 2002 aged 72.

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Welsh star CHARLOTTE CHURCH has been granted a second series of her controversial chat show in a staggering £1.2 million ($2.4 million) deal, even though her ratings have slumped.
The VOICE OF AN ANGEL hitmaker attracted a flood of complaints with her UK TV series on Channel 4, not least because of her strong language and lack of experience.
More than 2.1 million curious viewers tuned in to watch her first show last month (SEP06), by the following week they had fallen to just 1.7 million.
And although her foray onto the small screen has failed to rival much-loved BBC presenter JONATHAN ROSS - who also hosts a chat show on Friday nights - her network are determined to support her.
A Channel 4 insider says, "We didn’t expect her to beat Jonathan Ross in her first series.
"But she has hosted a cracking series and has a decent share of the Friday night audience."

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Former BAYWATCH star DAVID HASSELHOFF has tried his luck with another sexy journalist, just days after flirting outrageously live on air with British GMTV host JENNI FALCONER.
Showbiz columnist SUZANNE KERINS, who writes for British tabloid the Sunday Mirror, was presenting Hasselhoff with the Guinness World Record for Most Watched Man on TV at London’s posh Claridges Hotel, when the 54-year-old attempted to wow the young reporter with his charm.
The Hoff told her, "I was falling asleep on GMTV until I saw Jenni. Wow, she was beautiful! "But look at you, Suzanne. I’m looking at your legs - I like your legs and I’m just loving your toes." Upon presentation of the award, Hasselhoff cheekily insisted, "Let’s celebrate, Suzanne, with a kiss - on the lips of course!"

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Critically panned French movie MON FILS A MOI (MY SON) was announced as the winner of the prestigious Golden Shell award at Spain’s San Sebastian International Film Festival yesterday (30SEP06) - to a chorus of boos.
Film critics made thumbs-down gestures, and some even cried, "No, no!" when MARTIAL FOUGERON’s work was awarded the top prize.
News of the second recipient of the Golden Shell, HALF MOON by Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker BAHMAN GHOBADI, was received more favourably.
Mon Fils A Moi also picked up another gong - the film’s star NATHALIE BAYE won Best Actress, while Spanish star JUAN DIEGO was awarded the prize for Best Actor for his role in VETE DE MI (LEAVE ME).
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Argentine film EL CAMINO DE SAN DIEGO (THE WAY TO SAN DIEGO), by CARLOS SORIN.
US moviemaker TOM DICILLO won the Best Director trophy for his movie DELIRIOUS, which was also honoured with the Best Screenplay prize.

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Hollywood actor MATT DAMON helped Boston, Massachusetts police carry out a raid on a crack den as part of research for his role in new MARTIN SCORSESE film, THE DEPARTED.
In the new movie, Damon plays a mobster who infiltrates the police force as an informer for his crime syndicate.
The BOURNE IDENTITY star plays down his part in the raid, saying, "I didn’t go in until they cleared the house and I was in the back with my bulletproof vest on.
"But I got an idea of the violent and aggressive world my character is in.
"All I knew about the state police up to then was limited to the times I’d been pulled over for speeding!"

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THE ARCTIC MONKEYS’ debut single I BET YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR has topped a poll as the favourite student anthem of all time.
The punk-inspired tune beat out competition from THE KILLERS’ MR BRIGHTSIDE and KAISER CHIEFS’ rousing hit I PREDICT A RIOT, which took second and third place respectively.
The survey, conducted by British magazine the NME’s Student Guide, consulted over 200 student DJs.
FRANZ FERDINAND’s TAKE ME OUT came fourth, while older hits including THE SMITHS’ THIS CHARMING MAN and JOY DIVISION’s LOVE WILL TEAR US APART made it into the top ten.
NME student editor DAN SILVER says, "Its no surprise that the Arctic Monkeys have taken the top spot - I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor is a worthy winner always guaranteed to pack any Student Union bar with revellers. "It’s great to see some old classics can still work their magic too."

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WU-TANG CLAN member GHOSTFACE KILLAH refuses to succumb to record company bosses’ demands to adopt a more radio-friendly stage name.
Born DENNIS COLES, the rapper’s sinister pseudonym originates from a Kung-Fu movie, and in the early days of the group, the look was completed with a white mask.
He says, "The reason I quit the mask thing, is, it was like, when I was doing shows with the mask on, people couldn’t really hear what I was saying." Coles was briefly known just as Ghostface, a move suggested by his producers at Def Jam Records. However, the nickname was dropped with this year’s (06) release of his album FISHSCALE.
"It always (really) was Ghostface Killah."

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U2 guitarist THE EDGE stunned former THE SKIDS frontman RICHARD JOBSON when he contacted him about recording his 1970s punk track THE SAINTS ARE COMING - and the Scottish rocker was convinced he was the victim of a prank call.
U2 and GREEN DAY were keen to rerecord the anthem as a charity track for the victims of 2005 disaster Hurricane Katrina, and wanted to invite Jobson to London’s famous Abbey Road studios to join them.
Jobson recalls, "I was so sure somebody was taking the p**s. I was saying, ‘Yeah, right, okay, sure.’ "The Edge was quite startled by how blase (impassive) I was. Then it began to dawn on me - with deep embarrassment - this was The Edge." Jobson, now a successful film-maker, was soon put at his ease by the charming axeman. "He said, ‘You know, good work never dies, it just goes to sleep for a while until somebody wakes it up.’ "That’s all I needed to hear. It made me feel so proud."

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Gospel composer JOHN W PETERSON has died of cancer. He was 84.
Peterson, who wrote more than 1,000 hymns since 1939, passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on Wednesday (20SEP06).
Born in Lindsborg, Kansas, the songwriter served in the war as a transport pilot, before graduating from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Moving to Pennsylvania to serve as music director of Singspiration, a sacred music publishing company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he later went on to become president of the organisation, and settled in Scottsdale in the 1970s.
He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1986 for his contributions to the genre.
Peterson is survived by his wife of 62 years, MARIE, three daughters and a sister.

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Eighties rock giants GENESIS are reforming a decade after lead singer PHIL COLLINS left the group to focus on a solo career.
Collins, MIKE RUTHERFORD and TONY BANKS will reunite next year (07) to embark on a tour of the US and Europe. In their heyday, the group sold more than 130 million records worldwide with hits such as TURN IT ON AGAIN, I CAN’T DANCE and INVISIBLE TOUCH, and are still one of the Top 30 biggest-selling music acts of all time.
A friend of Collins tells, "The band really want to get it on again.
"They always remained friends and just thought it was time to begin again, especially since Phil’s break-up with (third wife) ORIANNE has left him with time on his hands." A spokesman for the group says, "Genesis were huge in Britain and America and there remains a lot of affection for them.
"And the tour is likely to make them millions."

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Rock matriarch SHARON OSBOURNE was so desperate for male attention when she first moved to Los Angeles, she confesses she considered ‘paying’ for sex.
The reality show star was overweight when she left the UK for LA during the 70s, and found it impossible to compete with the identikit blonde Hollywood stereotypes.
She says, "Being fat in LA in the seventies- forget it.
"Everybody had their tennis gear on, they were blonde and they had open top cars.
"I never got a date. Nothing. I was young, free and single, and fat. There were no gentlemen waiting to open the door for me, they were slammed back in my face.
"I never got laid, I was desperate. I would have paid for it."

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Brave British pop singer KATIE MELUA is preparing to perform at the bottom of the North Sea in her bid to set a new world record for the world’s deepest underwater concert.
The bizarre gig will kick off tomorrow (02OCT06) on an oil rig more than 300 feet (91 metres) below the surface.
The show will be watched by an audience of rig workers on the Statoil Troll platform in the North Sea, Europe’s biggest off-shore gas field. The intrepid star says, "I can’t wait. If it comes off it will be a world record for the deepest ever underwater gig, which will be pretty cool." Her spokeswoman adds, "Katie and her band have undergone full medical examinations and will undertake strict emergency training prior to the event." A Guinness World Records adjudicator will attend the gig, which will be broadcast on Norwegian TV.

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British pop star GERRY RAFFERTY had to be cajoled into a wheelchair and escorted by police to a rehab clinic after reportedly indulging in a 10-hour drinking marathon on a transatlantic flight.
The BAKER STREET songwriter was travelling from his home in America to Inverness, Scotland last month (SEP06) when he allegedly became so inebriated, he had to be taken off his executive AirMed plane and checked into Beechwood House, a clinic run by the Church of Scotland.
RUPERT DENT, managing director of AirMed, tells British newspaper The Mail on Sunday, "Mr Rafferty has flown with us many times before.
"His behaviour on the flight was impeccable but when we arrived the friend who was supposed to be meeting and looking after him refused to do so.
"It was then that police were called."

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