'30 Rock' cast talk show

(CNN) -- After narrowly avoiding getting the axe following its 2006 debut, Tina Fey's "30 Rock" went on to win 14 Emmys and 12 Screen Actors Guild Awards, establish a cult following, and spawn more catchphrases than Frank (Judah Friedlander) has trucker hats.

After seven seasons, fans of the NBC series aren't the only ones struggling to say goodbye to Liz Lemon and "TGS."

CNN caught up with some of the cast members ahead of the series finale to find out what they'll miss the most. They shared their favorite "30 Rock" moments, what props they pinched from the set, and the ways in which Fey's masterpiece of a sitcom changed comedy forever.

On the cast:

Tracy Morgan ("Tracy Jordan"): I was working with some of the best people in show business. Great actors like Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin and Jane (Krakowski) and Jack (McBrayer). Those are some of the better actors in show business. It's like playing for the Chicago Bulls. When you're playing with Michael Jordan, you don't have any other choice but to get better.

I love Jack. Jack was the kindest, most sincere, generous person around me. He always treated me kindly and with respect and I love him for that.

Grizz Chapman ("Grizz"): Tracy and I were pretty good friends before "30 Rock." The chemistry you see on camera -- that's what it is. What you see on camera -- that's just friends, so that's why it comes across so well on TV.

Kevin Brown ("Dot Com"): (Grizz and I) met at the audition. I'm rarely around people that are bigger than me. So when I see someone bigger than me, that gets my attention.

Jack McBrayer ("Kenneth Parcell"): We were so lucky to have so many incredible guest stars. Tim Conway in season two was one of my comedy legends from way back. It was a sincere honor working with him, and just chatting with him on set. He was a class act.

Scott Adsit ("Pete Hornberger"): I've worked with these people a long time -- seven years. But I also knew a good deal of them before that. ... I've known Tina since '93 or something. ... I've known McBrayer almost as long, from Second City. And there are people on the crew that I've worked with on other things. So it's sad, but I feel like it was nice that we had our time, as well. It's rare that you get to work with people you love even before the project starts.

The sad thing is just leaving our friends and breaking up this ... group that's been together all these years. We know each other so well that jumping into something else and something new is exciting, but not as cozy.

Judah Friedlander ("Frank Rossitano"): We did something and we finished it -- it's an awesome feeling. It's a bummer that you won't get to work with a lot of the people anymore. But I was happy. It was a great experience and I look forward to other great experiences -- Tina's next project, Alec's next project, Jane's next project, I'm looking forward to seeing what they do. I'd love to work with any of them again. That'd be great. That goes without saying.

On changing comedy:

Adsit: (The show) kind of opened the door for really dense comedy. A DVR comedy is what I would call it, in that it goes by so quickly, and all the jokes are so densely packed one on top of the other, that you almost have to rewind to catch everything. I have friends who say they watch the show but are constantly rewinding it because they're laughing through the next three jokes.

So maybe we're training the world to think faster. That'll be our legacy.

On the props they pinched from the set:

Morgan: I took my TJ chain. ... I wouldn't wear it off the set. I don't want to confuse people.

Adsit: Pete has a prop mug on his desk, and he sometimes holds it, which is apparently made by one of his kids and he feels really obligated to use it. ... It's big, yellow and bulky and ugly and has cracks in it. We never see this, but in my mind he's always cleaning up from all the leaks in it. So I plan to take that home.

On working with Tracy Morgan:

Brown: Tracy is a wild child. But he is tamer now than he was when we first met.

Tracy Morgan off camera is the most entertaining person you ever want to be around. Tracy doesn't go to the clubs -- he does his show between scenes. He's loud and hilarious and gets everyone's attention, and keeps us cracking up.

He goes off script all the time. He goes off script because he never looked at the script!

Morgan: If I didn't read the script, I wouldn't have been able to do my lines. I read the script all the time. Every day. It's just that (Brown) never saw me reading the script. I like to have fun. ... I come from a stand-up background and the first three letters in the word funny are fun. So I always had fun with it and I guess I made it look easy. I made it look like I wasn't reading the script.

On memorable on-screen moments:

Adsit: I don't know how often I repeated it on the show, but it seems to be the one that people mention to me on the street, which is just yelling the name Hornberger in a moment of meek victory. I think Pete got some ridiculous little victory over Jack and yelled "Hornberger!" It may have happened once or twice more. ... That seems to be Pete's catch phrase.

If I can be the symbol of meek victory for the rest of my life, that'll be something. That'll be a meek victory for myself. Hornberger!

McBrayer: I was so happy that they were able to come up with anything for Kenneth. It could easily be this one-trick pony that got played out very quickly. They managed to stretch it out for a while and hopefully not make people hate it too, too much -- all 13 people who watched the show.

There's one episode where they make me Tracy's assistant essentially. That was an important episode because they realized Kenneth and Tracy have a good dynamic. Another one where he was playing poker with Jack -- they discovered Jack may despise Kenneth but also like him.

I can tell you the ones I wasn't excited about were exterior shots in the middle of winter. I'm not a big fan of winter in the first place. I think they decided early on for the most part, Kenneth would never wear an overcoat. Really?!

Brown: The one I enjoy the most is a scene I did with Tina Fey, and she was trying to get the condo next door to her. She had me pretend to be her boyfriend, astronaut Mike Dexter. I am supposed to intimidate her neighbor to get him to move out. It turns out he is a gay hipster cop. He attacks me from behind, and beats me with a billy club and throws the cuffs on me -- that was a fun moment, getting to work with Tina Fey.

Chapman: My favorite episode would definitely be "Midnight Train to Georgia," when we got to show off a different side with our singing and dancing. Also the episode when we had to go into the woods and save Tracy in the woods, and he shot off the back of the car. That was a good one also.

Morgan: A favorite moment for me is when they said "Action!" the very first shot that we did of the pilot. The second best moment was when we got the back nine (episodes). ... That meant we were going to be around for a little while.

On how this gig has changed everything:

Brown: The show has changed my life. As an actor, it's one of those things where there are trained actors who have been working at this craft for decades, and they'll never get the exposure I got. It definitely changed everything for me.

McBrayer: It is rare for a great show to last that long. I know how good I got it. I realize how high the bar has been set. I know something like this may never happen to me again. But I just want to work on fun projects with fun people, and I think I'm going to be just fine.

Morgan: Obviously the show was good for my career. As far as my life, my life is different from my career. My life is good because I'm alive.

Friedlander: I didn't plan to do a sitcom. I don't think I watched a sitcom since "Family Ties." My plan was always stand-up and doing movies. "30 Rock" came along and I thought, all right, this films in New York and I'm in New York, and I was a big fan of Tina Fey. I thought, "Oh, she's doing a show, I'll audition for that." I wound up getting it and it was a great experience.

Chapman: I'm very thankful for everything I experienced this seven years, and if I don't do anything else in TV, you can't take that away from me. You can't take away that Liz Lemon is my boo, you can't take that away.

On life after "30 Rock":

Tina Fey ("Liz Lemon"): I really hope "30 rock" has a long life in syndication. I look forward to another generation of nerds finding it and enjoying it.

McBrayer: The most emotional part of the (last) show for me was the two weeks leading up to it -- you realize this is the last time I will wear a page uniform, this is the last time I will have this catering -- that kind of stuff. The last two weeks in anticipation of the end were worse than the actual end.

(Next up,) I'm in "Wander Over Yonder," a cartoon for the Disney Channel.

Brown: Grizz and I have some show concepts that only make sense that we do together. We're working on a comic book together and a couple of reality show concepts together. Grizz and Dot Com were indelibly connected in television history.

Friedlander: I'm always doing stand-up around the country with more big projects on the way.

Chapman: "Lucky NMber" with Method Man.

Adsit: I am doing a cartoon series for Fox called "High School USA."

Via: '30 Rock' cast talk show

Lohan rushes to make court

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan, previously described as being too ill to make the trip, was on a Tuesday evening flight to Los Angeles to make a court hearing, a source close to the actress said.

Earlier Tuesday, it was believed that Lohan, 26, was staying in New York. Her longtime lawyer, Shawn Holley, has asked the judge to release her from the case.

New York lawyer Mark Heller, who is not licensed to practice law in California, was flying to Los Angeles to represent Lohan on Wednesday. According to the source, Lohan decided to appear in court.

A Los Angeles judge ordered the actress to appear in court on a probation violation charge and accusations that she lied to a police officer about a car crash last summer.

Lohan's convoluted path through the legal system began with a drunken driving arrest nearly six years ago, but her struggles with drugs and alcohol have sent her to five rehab facilities for 250 days since January 2007.

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Heller filed a doctor's note with the court saying Lohan was too ill to make the cross-country flight this week.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner may have noticed tabloid photos published Tuesday purporting to show Lohan shopping in New York over the weekend -- with no apparent signs of illness. Sautner has taken note of tabloid reporting of Lohan's exploits and excesses in past hearings, advising her to "live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work."

Lohan knew she had to be in California and had the responsibility to make the trip with time to spare. A previous judge issued a bench warrant for her arrest when Lohan missed a hearing, claiming she was stuck in France because her passport was stolen.

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Heller filed a letter signed by Lohan with the court earlier this month saying she was dismissing Holley, a well-respected Los Angeles lawyer, and hiring Heller, whose reputation was marred in 1994 when the state supreme court suspended him from practicing law for five years.

California Bar rules require an out-of-state lawyer to have a licensed California lawyer sponsor him. The lawyer who is sponsoring Heller's application to represent Lohan in California reactivated her license this month; it had been inactive for 17 years.

If Judge Sautner rejects Heller's request to represent Lohan, she could require Holley to remain on the case. Or the sponsoring lawyer, who has little courtroom experience, could be left with the case.

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Good representation and a receptive judge are important for Lohan's freedom. She could be ordered to spend 245 days behind bars if found in violation of her probation for her shoplifting conviction. The charge of lying to a police officer could also carry jail time.

Wednesday's hearing is to deal with issues ahead of a trial set for next month.

Lohan has appeared in court at least 20 times before four Los Angeles judges. She has been found in violation of probation five times and sentenced to a total of six months in jail. Still, she spent less than two weeks behind bars in her six trips to the Los Angeles County jail. Measures to relieve jail overcrowding led to her release after just hours in all but one of those visits. Lohan did spend 35 days confined to her Venice, California, home.

Lohan also served about 67 days of community service, mostly working at the L.A. County morgue.

Via: Lohan rushes to make court

Rihanna on Chris Brown

(RollingStone.com) -- Rihanna has opened up like never before about getting back together with her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown, and what it means for her public image.

"I decided it was more important for me to be happy," she tells contributing editor Josh Eells in the new issue of Rolling Stone, out Friday, February 1.

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"I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I'd rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it."

The couple's public reconciliation comes less than four years since Brown assaulted Rihanna the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards. Brown pleaded guilty to assault and performed community service, but he remains on probation.

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"When you add up the pieces from the outside, it's not the cutest puzzle in the world," Rihanna says. "You see us walking somewhere, driving somewhere, in the studio, in the club, and you think you know. But it's different now. We don't have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about s***. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don't want to lose that."

And Rihanna says that if Brown were ever to display a hint of his past behavior towards her, she is ready to walk.

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"He doesn't have the luxury of f*****g up again," she says. "That's just not an option. I can't say that nothing else will ever go wrong. But I'm pretty solid in the knowing that he's disgusted by that. And I wouldn't have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility."

See the original story on RollingStone.com.

Via: Rihanna on Chris Brown

'Star Wars' Episodes delayed

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The release of 3-D versions of "Star Wars" Episodes II and III, previously planned for next fall, have been postponed while Lucasfilm focuses on new episodes, the company said Monday.

"Given the recent development that we are moving forward with a new Star Wars trilogy, we will now focus 100% of our efforts on "Star Wars: Episode VII" in order to ensure the best possible experience for our fans," Lucasfilm said.

The revised 3-D release plans will be announced "at a later date," it said.

The announcement comes three months after Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion and just days after it revealed that J.J. Abrams has been signed to direct the next Star Wars episode.

"Star Wars: Episode VII" is set for release in 2015.

Via: 'Star Wars' Episodes delayed

Police: Gunfire triggers rapper's crash

Los Angeles (CNN) -- "Teflon Don" rapper Rick Ross crashed his silver Rolls Royce into an apartment building after he heard gunfire along a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, street Monday morning, police said.

"The driver of the Rolls Royce attempted to drive away from the direction of the shots being fired and lost control of the vehicle, striking a nearby apartment building," Fort Lauderdale Police Detective DeAnna Garcia said.

Ross and a female passenger were not hurt by the wreck or the gunshots, Garcia said.

"The suspects fled from the area prior to police arrival," she said.

The incident, however, called attention to threats against the artist's life made in a street gang's videos and posted online in recent months.

"We're pulling up on you," a man who identified himself as a member of the Gangster Disciples warned in one of the videos. "Whatever city, whatever state, the pressure on."

Several videos purporting to be from Gangster Disciple members in several states -- including Georgia, North Carolina and Florida -- appeared on YouTube late last year demanding that Ross pay a fee to them for his use of the Star of David, which they claim as a gang symbol, and a reference to one of their founders in his music and marketing.

"You got to cut the check," one video said. "Tell your boss man he got to get that check, or all you in trouble."

"We need that cash right now," another said.

Ross, 37, whose albums include "Teflon Don" in 2010 and "Deeper Than Rap" a year earlier, told south Florida radio station 99 Jamz last month that he was not intimidated by the threats.

"Ain't never no checks getting cut," he said. "I don't play those games. I consider that extortion."

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Ross did cancel his North Carolina shows last month just days after a video appeared online threatening his life if he performed there.

"Never was it due to any threats," he told the radio station. Instead, he canceled because "the promoter wasn't really handling his business."

Ross wanted to make certain that listeners understood he was not frightened. "Don't ever get it twisted, Ricky Ross is the boss," he said.

The death threats are not the only challenge to Ross. A former drug lord and gang leader is suing in a Los Angeles court, accusing him of stealing his name and reputation.

"The reality is I want justice done," the original Ross wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "I know that he took his name and image from my life and believe he is unfairly profiting off my story."

Ricky "Freeway" Ross was serving a prison sentence a decade ago when rapper William Roberts, who previously worked as a Florida correctional officer, adopted "Rick Ross" as his stage name, according to the lawsuit.

"This rapper and his labels clearly knew of my name and story, and have tried to suck out the lifeblood without license," the former drug lord said. "I have my own use for my intellectual property and did not need this confusion created."

More recently, the rapper has been using the name "Ricky Rozay."

The rapper and his record label have not responded to CNN's request for comment.

Via: Police: Gunfire triggers rapper's crash

SAG winners talk their future

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Although Daniel Day-Lewis appears on track to win the best actor Oscar next month, he suggests his win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday may actually hurt his chances.

"There's a good chance I won't," Day-Lewis said backstage at the SAG Awards.

His riveting portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" has been honored with the Golden Globe and SAG best actor awards. While those awards are often predictive of the Oscar best actor winner, Day-Lewis is downplaying his chances.

"I think members of the Academy love surprises, so the worst thing that can happen to you is some kind of expectations," he said. "I think they'd probably be delighted if it was anybody else."

Day-Lewis would be the first male actor to win three best actor Oscars. He won previously for "My Left Foot" in 1989 and "There Will Be Blood" in 2007.

'Argo' glows

Other Oscar races grew murkier with Sunday's SAG awards, including for best picture. While "Lincoln" might have been a favorite at the start of Hollywood's awards season, its prospects of taking the top Academy honor were dimmed with Ben Affleck's "Argo" winning the SAG best film award, just two weeks after taking the Golden Globe.

"There was absolutely no way that I thought we'd win this award," Affleck said backstage Sunday.

Affleck directed and starred in "Argo," a movie centered on the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

While his film now appears to be a frontrunner for the best picture Oscar, Affleck was not nominated for best director. The best film and best director Oscars usually go hand in hand.

"I didn't get nominated as a director and I thought 'Well, okay, that's that,' you know, and then I remembered I was nominated as a producer which is pretty exciting," Affleck said.

"So I've kind of gone at it with that approach. I don't know what's going to happen. Who knows? Nothing may happen, but it's a wonderful opportunity to be on the ride and I'm really excited."

Lawrence's post-Oscar playbook

Jennifer Lawrence was ill when she won a best actress in a comedy film at the Golden Globes two weeks ago, but she told reporters backstage Sunday that she's feeling a lot better thanks to a "lot of medication" and a better inhaler.

Lawrence glowed after she was handed the best actress SAG award for her role in "Silver Linings Playbook."

At just 22, Lawrence is the youngest person ever to have been nominated twice for a best actress Oscar, the first being in 2010 for "Winter's Bone."

Asked backstage what she might say to a 14-year-old Jennifer Lawrence if she could talk to her, she said she would never reveal her future success.

"I would've said, 'You're going fail, so don't be so full of yourself.'"

Lawrence has plans to relax after the Hollywood awards season ends with the Academy Awards next month. "I'm going to go to an island somewhere and not telling anyone where I'm going. That's my plan."

Cranston's all-in approach

Bryan Cranston carried home two SAG Actor awards Sunday, one for film and another for television work. His role as a CIA agent in "Argo" gave him part of that film's ensemble SAG award. He was also handed the best actor in a TV drama for "Breaking Bad," in which he plays a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a meth manufacturer.

Backstage, Cranston said he tries to discourage young actors, telling them a career takes "total dedication" to succeed.

"I say that if you can be happy doing something else, anything else, go do that, go do that," Cranston said. "Because in order to be an actor you need to totally commit. Absolutely, you can't put your big toe in.

"When I was 22 years old, I said this is what I'm going to do. If it means that when I'm 40 or 50 or 60 I'm sharing an apartment with someone and sleeping on a couch, that's what I'm going to do. So, it was all in. I had no backup plan. And in a way, it makes you hungrier and more aggressive to find those projects and to keep your eye on the prize."

Tina Fey's future

Television comedy pioneer Dick Van Dyke, who was given SAG's Lifetime Achievement Award Sunday, told reporters backstage that his secret to success was luck.

"I've been so lucky," Van Dyke, 87, said. "Luck has a lot to do with it, being in the right place at the right time, having someone seeing you when you happen to be particularly good."

Tina Fey, who won the TV comedy actress SAG award for a fourth time Sunday, said backstage that she will be busy making movies with the end of "30 Rock" this month. Fey flies to London in March to make a Muppet movie, followed by a film with Steve Carell -- "Mail Order Groom" -- this summer, she said backstage.

Her television career is not over though. Fey has a deal with NBC to develop new shows, she said.

Fey, who is known for a dead-on impression of Sarah Palin, praised Julianne Moore's portrayal of the former GOP vice presidential nominee in HBO's "Game Changers." Moore was given the best actress in a TV movie or miniseries SAG award.

Via: SAG winners talk their future

'Hansel and Gretel' box office

(EW.com) -- This weekend, "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" hunted down the No. 1 spot at the box office with $19 million from 3,372 theaters. Although "Hansel and Gretel" can hardly be called a fairy-tale success at this point, it proved far more bewitching than fellow newcomers "Parker" and "Movie 43," which were left with only bread crumbs in their sad debut frame.

Paramount and MGM spent $50 million to produce "Hansel and Gretel," which was shot in 2011 and originally scheduled to be released in March 2012. Distributor Paramount moved the film's release to this month to capitalize on star Jeremy Renner, whom the studio hoped would blossom into a true box-office draw following "The Avengers" and "The Bourne Legacy." (It also seems likely that "Hansel and Gretel" got placed in January due to its poor quality January tends to be a dumping ground for studios' stinkers.) Whether or not Renner had anything to do with it, the date change proved at least somewhat effective "Hansel and Gretel" outgrossed the last supernatural fantasy with Hunter in the title, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," which staked a weak $16.3 million in its debut frame.

3-D showings of "Hansel and Gretel" accounted for 55 percent of its weekend gross, while IMAX made up 11 percent of the total. Due to its R rating, the Grimm tale played primarily to older audiences 57 percent of crowds were above the age of 25, and 55 percent were male. Audiences issued the film a lukewarm "B" CinemaScore grade, so it seems unlikely that Hansel and Gretel will achieve strong word of mouth. Fortunately for Paramount (the studio suffered a rough winter with Jack Reacher, The Guilt Trip, Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away, and Rise of the Guardians which passed $100 million this weekend), the film has already earned $35.8 million from international territories representing about 40 percent of the overseas market.

Last weekend's box office champ, Mama, dropped 55 percent into second place with $12.9 million. With $48.7 million after 10 days, Universal's $15 million horror entry has officially surpassed Gangster Squad as 2013s highest grossing release. Of course, that will change faster than you could say "Iron Man 3," but it's an impressive performance nonetheless.

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Two Oscar contenders finished in third and fourth place with almost identical weekend grosses not to mention almost identical totals. "Silver Linings Playbook" dropped by an incredibly small 7 percent in its 11th weekend to $10 million. Weinstein's $21 million drama continues to benefit from great word of mouth. And with $69.5 million so far and another month until the Oscars still to go, director David O. Russell's Playbook is on track to finish above $100 million. "Zero Dark Thirty," meanwhile, fell by a steeper 38 percent to $9.8 million and $69.9 million total in its sixth weekend. The $40 million Sony drama will need to notch better holds if it wants to join fellow Best Picture nominees Argo, Lincoln, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, and Life of Pi in the $100 million club.

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Jason Statham's annual action misfire "Parker" lived up to its low expectations, finishing in fifth place with $7 million from 2,224 theaters. FilmDistrict's shoot-em-up, whose budget was in the $35 million range, didn't get any boost from costar Jennifer Lopez, who proved unable to attract viewers outside her go-to rom-com genre. Parker opened short of Statham's last three leading efforts, Safe ($7.9 million debut), Killer Elite, ($9.3 million), and The Mechanic ($11.4 million), and it will likely finish below $20 million domestically. Between Parker, The Last Stand, Broken City, and Gangster Squad, January has been a difficult month for non-fantasy gun-driven violence. But at least audiences enjoyed Parker it earned a "B+" CinemaScore grade.

1. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters -- $19.0 million

2. Mama -- $12.9 million

3. Silver Linings Playbook -- $10.0 million

4. Zero Dark Thirty -- $9.8 million

5. Parker -- $7.0 million

See the original story at EW.com.

Via: 'Hansel and Gretel' box office

Sundance stars asked to regift

(CNN) -- For the 10 days of the Sundance Film Festival, Utah's Park City is transformed into Swag City. Celebrities are gifted with everything from laptop computers (courtesy Lenovo) to moccasins (Minnetonka), headphones (Monster), boots (Ugg) and wireless chargers (Duracell).

Alicia Keys, Naomi Watts, Daniel Radcliffe and Allison Janney were among the stars who picked up Samsung Galaxy products, gratis. And Sears handed out winter gear to the likes of Tim Daly and Dermot Mulroney.

With so much gifting going on, it's not uncommon on the streets of Park City to see celebrities (or, more often, their assistants) toting armfuls of goods.

But this Sundance has witnessed a new phenomenon: famous faces giving away the very things they've just received for free.

Rally.org partnered with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation on a "reverse gifting" suite on Main Street, where stars were encouraged to donate their newly acquired freebies to benefit the victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Actor Jason Isaacs surrendered a pair of True Religion jeans he'd just received. He admitted that he didn't feel entirely comfortable accepting swag in the first place.

"You come to a festival like this and people give you stuff, which is very lovely," he said. "I always feel very guilty."

January Jones, who stars with Isaacs in the Sundance movie "Sweetwater," said she won't take swag as a matter of principle. With no freebies to donate, she instead signed a snowboard to be auctioned for Sandy relief.

Down the street from the "reverse gifting" suite, stars could accept swag knowing they would not be the sole beneficiaries of that largesse.

Sean John, one of the brands featured in a gifting lounge created by Talent Resources, announced that for every coat it gave to a celebrity, it would donate another coat to the charity New York Cares. Coats given to Octavia Spencer, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge and Paris Hilton (to name a few) resulted in items being donated to those in need.

But in the end, only a small percentage of the swag handed out at Sundance is likely to wind up benefiting charities, whether it's New York Cares or the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

A publicist for the Rally.org reverse gifting lounge conceded that donations this year were modest.

"We didn't get too many of the high-dollar donations we were looking for," the publicist wrote in an e-mail.

She attributed the underwhelming response to it "being the first year (for the reverse gifting lounge) and an idea that came together shortly before Sundance."

Via: Sundance stars asked to regift

Robin Roberts returns to 'GMA' studio

(EW.com) -- Robin Roberts has returned to the set of "Good Morning America" -- but isn't making her TV return just yet.

She arrived at the Times Square studio at 5 a.m., ABC reports, for her first in a series of dry runs before returning to her anchor role. "My doctors want me to see how many people I actually come in contact with. How my body reacts to the stimulation, that's code word for stress, of being in the studio environment," she explained. "My skin is very sensitive and so we have to see how it reacts to the studio lights. My vision is still a little blurry from the treatment. All of this is getting better day by day so that is the next step."

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This is the next phase of recovery for Roberts, who had a bone marrow transplant in September to treat myelodysplastic syndrome, and has been off the air since the end of August.

Last week, Roberts said in a video interview with the "GMA" team that she hopes to be back in the anchor chair sometime in February. "I have a date in mind that is very important to me," she said. "But I will ultimately listen to what my doctors say and what they recommend."

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: Robin Roberts returns to 'GMA' studio

'Escape From Tomorrow' buzzes

(CNN) -- Princesses transformed into ghouls. Psychedelic teacup rides. Simulated suicide. The world's most famous theme park turned into a vomitorium.

And you thought this was the happiest place on earth.

In "Escape From Tomorrow," the most buzzed-about movie out of this year's Sundance Film Festival, director Randall Moore presents Disney World as a dystopian hellscape and uses it as the backdrop for a descent into madness. Jim White (Roy Abramsohn) is on holiday with his wife and two children when he learns he's been fired from his job. As he reels from that news, his mental state progressively worsens as he and his family navigate the park.

Shot in black and white, Disney's "attractions" become nightmarish specters as perceived by White's unstable mind.

Now The Walt Disney Co. is weighing whether to quash the film or to let it slide -- not so much because of the disturbing imagery, but rather the way Moore made his movie. In an audacious act of filmmaking, he shot it almost entirely at Disney World and Disneyland -- all without Disney's knowledge or permission.

After a screening of the film at Sundance, Moore answered questions from an enthusiastic audience, hinting at how he pulled off his cinematic subterfuge.

Avoiding detection by Disney security took "a lot of planning," he said. "We were careful and cautious and tried not to draw too much attention to ourselves. But planning was the main thing."

Abramsohn said shooting in such a stealthy fashion "was scary. ... It was exciting and fun."

In a "director's statement" included in press materials for the film, Moore describes the origins of his film:

"Heavily influenced by various strange outings I endured as a boy with my father -- who at the time lived in Orlando, Florida -- 'Escape From Tomorrow' is my personal attempt to make sense of what felt like a very artificial childhood, brought on by our cultural obsession with these fake, manufactured worlds of so-called fantasy."

He adds, "I think the film is really about defining the word 'escape' and how so many American households seek it out in a yearly pilgrimage to a materialistic Mecca."

It's a small, small dysfunctional world after all, in Moore's depiction.

The director said he succeeded in making his film without tipping off Disney largely because of advances in camera technology. It's now possible to shoot high-quality video with what looks like, to the uncritical eye, a digital SLR camera.

"(Digital) SLR's had just hit the market at that point," Moore said. "So we had the Canon 5D Mark II we could bring into the park and look like a tourist."

Moore shot for 10 days at the Disney parks in Orlando, and for two weeks at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. (He filmed additional scenes off Disney property on a soundstage in Los Angeles and at a hotel in the LA area.)

His crew and actors went unnoticed by Disney, until near the end of filming.

"We almost got caught once. ... We were shooting in the entrance of the park and we had to do a few takes and basically they thought our team was just paparazzi and we were shooting a famous family (entering the park)."

Moore said Disney security pulled his actors aside and demanded to know why they had entered and then re-entered the park within a seven-minute period.

He said his crew took advantage of a passing parade to scatter while Abramsohn and his co-star, Elena Schuber, struggled to explain themselves.

Abramsohn said he felt like he was "acting for his life." He said he told Disney security he and his "family" entered and then quickly left the park because they needed to reapply sunscreen.

While his interrogator was temporarily distracted, he hid his microphone and mini tape-recorder -- used to record dialogue -- in his sock. If that had been discovered, the game would have been up.

"It was very scary that day," Abramsohn admitted.

Although Moore and company escaped Disney's notice then, the company now knows about them all too well.

At the Sundance Q&A, an audience member claimed, "Disney is furious and they are going to sue."

That may or may not be true. Disney told CNN "(We) are aware of the film" but "are not commenting at this time."

Moore seems resigned to a possible lawsuit from Disney that might keep the film from ever being seen by the wider public, but he described "Escape From Tomorrow" as a passion project that he could not step away from, despite the legal risks.

Via: 'Escape From Tomorrow' buzzes

Sundance 2013 deal report

(EW.com) -- Yes, the Sundance Film Festival is a temple to the glory of independent film and the purity of the art of cinema and blah blah blah. But it is also a vital marketplace for indie distributors to find the next blockbuster "Little Miss Sunshine," or acclaimed "Beasts of the Southern Wild," or wildly overpriced "Happy, Texas."

More than halfway through, Sundance 2013 has already proven to be one of the biggest deal-making festivals in recent memory, producing several major sales of movies that will either go on to become some of the buzziest films of the year, or, you know, not. We'll update this space with additional deal reports throughout the week ahead. Here are the highlights so far:

FEATURE FILMS:

"Prince Avalanche," David Gordon Green's offbeat comedy starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch as Texas traffic-line painters,went to Magnolia Pictures for an undisclosed amount. [EW]

"Kill Your Darlings," which stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young Allen Ginsberg and examines how a 1944 murder brought together the young college students who would become the voices of the Beat generation, was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, reportedly for about $2 million. [THR]

"Lovelace," starring A manda Seyfried as the famous adult film star of the 1972 box-office phenomenon Deep Throat, closed a reported $3 million deal with RADiUS -- TWC for its U.S. distribution rights. [Deadline]

"Don Jon's Addiction," written, directed, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a porn addicted lothario, sold for $4 million to Relativity Media, with a reported $25 million promotional commitment. [EW, Deadline]

"The Way, Way Back," a coming-of-age comedy starring Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, and Maya Rudolph, and written-and-directed by The Descendants' Oscar-winning scribes Nat Faxon and Jim Rash sold for a whopping $9.75 million to Fox Searchlight. [THR, Deadline]

"Austenland," a comedy starring Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge about a resort where everyone behaves as if they're in a Jane Austen novel, sold to Sony for just over $4 million, with Sony Pictures Classics handling U.S. distribution. [THR]

"Fruitvale," starring Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) and Octavia Spencer in a docudrama about the last day in the life of a man who was killed at a San Francisco subway station on New Year's Eve, sold to The Weinstein Company, for just over $2 million. [Deadline]

"The Spectacular Now," about a romance between an outgoing high schooler (Project X's Miles Teller) and his shy classmate (The Descendants' Shailene Woodley), sold to A24 for low seven figures. [Deadline, Variety]

"Concussion," about a lesbian housewife (Robin Weigert, from HBO's Deadwood) who begins to lead a double life after she's hit in the head with her son's baseball, sold to RADiUS-TWC, for low seven figures. [EW]

"The Look of Love," a biopic of British adult establishment proprietor and publisher Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan), sold to IFC Films for an undisclosed sum. [Variety]

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES:

"Inequality for All," in which former Labor Secretary Robert Reich examines the shrinking American middle class and explains what it means for the country's future, sold to RADiUS-TWC for an undisclosed sum.

"Twenty Feet From Stardom," about the lives of backup singers, sold to RADiUS-TWC for an undisclosed sum. [EW]

"Pussy Riot A Punk Prayer," about the Russian punk protest band famously arrested and imprisoned after an anti-government demonstration in a Russian church, sold to HBO Documentary Films for an undisclosed sum. [EW]

"Blackfish," about how the practice of keeping killer whales in captivity may have led to the death of a Sea World trainer by a killer whale called Tilikum, sold to CNN Films and Magnolia Pictures for an undisclosed sum. [Deadline]

"The Summit," about how 11 experienced mountain climbers either died or went missing during the same 48 hour period near the summit of K2 (the second highest mountain peak in the world), sold to AMC Networks' Sundance Selects for an undisclosed sum. [Deadline]

"Dirty Wars," about the covert war on terror, sold to AMC Networks' Sundance Selects, for an undisclosed sum. [Deadline]

"History of the Eagles," from director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) that's either about the history of the regal bird or the famed rock band (hint: it's the latter, just want to be sure you're paying attention), sold to pay-cable network Showtime for an undisclosed sum. [Deadline]

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: Sundance 2013 deal report

'Dr. Phil' show renewed

(EW.com) -- If you love Dr. Phil, you're gonna get a lot more of him.

His syndicated talk show has been renewed by stations in 77% percent of the country through the 2016-17 season. That will take the self-help strip through its 15th season.

The show airs on 13 CBS-owned stations, including in the top 5 markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Kate Winslet in talks for 'Divergent' role

"I'm excited to continue my dynamic partnership with Leslie Moonves and my CBS family," Dr. Phil McGraw said in a statement. "We've certainly got the best O&O group in the business. My staff and I have never been more passionate about the work that we are doing at the "Dr. Phil" show, and we take very seriously the faith and confidence that our viewers continue to show by bringing us into their homes each day. This renewal gives us the endorsement to continue to do the work we do, telling compelling stories for years to come."

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: 'Dr. Phil' show renewed

Films look for SAG boost

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The drama that is Hollywood's awards season reaches its midpoint Sunday night with the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild honors -- the only industry awards that solely recognize performers.

Will Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" regain its best picture front-runner status lost when Ben Affleck's "Argo" won at the Golden Globes two weeks ago?

Who will take the best actor SAG trophy -- "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis or Hugh Jackman for "Les Miserables"? Both men won best-actor Golden Globes this month.

The SAG Awards, which are decided exclusively by actors, are distinguished from the Globes, which are chosen by a group of about 80 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The five film SAG awards traditionally set the stage for the Oscars, voted by about 8,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to be handed out four weeks later.

The SAG ceremony at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles also includes eight primetime television categories, a followup to the Globes and last fall's Emmys.

The live telecast aired on TNT and TBS should offer emotional moments, especially when Carl Reiner and Alec Baldwin present television legend Dick Van Dyke with the SAG 49th Life Achievement Award.

The race for best picture

A win by "Lincoln" or "Les Miserables" in SAG's top category -- officially known as "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" -- would create important buzz for the film in the Academy Awards best-pic battle. "Les Miserables," a big-screen adaptation of the smash Broadway musical, was given the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical movie, although "Lincoln" lost to "Argo" in the Globe's best drama film competition. If "Argo" upsets again this weekend, it could influence Oscar voters when they cast ballots next month.

Best lead film actor

"Lincoln" and "Les Miserables" also hold center stage in the race for best lead actor after the Globes. Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrayed Abraham Lincoln, and Hugh Jackman, who acted and sang as Jean Valjean, claimed the best-actor Globes for drama and musical films, respectively. Their SAG competitors are Denzel Washington for "Flight," Bradley Cooper for "Silver Linings Playbook" and John Hawkes for "The Sessions."

Best lead film actress

This category pits Jessica Chastain, who played the CIA analyst who helped track down Osama bin Laden in Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty," against Jennifer Lawrence, nominated for the romantic comedy "Silver Linings Playbook." Chastain and Lawrence won the best drama and comedy actress Globes, respectively. Naomi Watts, who played a mother who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in "The Impossible," is also in the running for the SAG and Oscar best actress honors. Marion Cotillard -- "Rust and Bone" -- and Helen Mirren -- "Hitchcock" -- round out the SAG competition but were not nominated for an Oscar.

Best supporting actor in a film

All five supporting-actor nominees already own acting Oscars, including Tommy Lee Jones, who is nominated for his portrayal of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens in "Lincoln." The others in this well-stocked SAG category include Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays a spiritual leader in "The Master," Alan Arkin, for his role as a Hollywood film producer in "Argo," Robert De Niro for "Silver Linings Playbook," and Javier Bardem for his role in "Skyfall," the latest James Bond movie. Bardem is the only one in this category not also competing for an Oscar this year.

Best supporting actress in a film

Anne Hathaway, honored with the Globe for best supporting actress for her performance in "Les Miserables," faces tough competition for the SAG and Oscar awards from Sally Field, who portrayed first lady Mary Todd Lincoln in "Lincoln." The other nominees are Helen Hunt for "The Sessions," Nicole Kidman for "The Paperboy" and Maggie Smith for "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."

Primetime Television

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

Kevin Costner, "Hatfields & McCoys"

Woody Harrelson, "Game Change"

Ed Harris, "Game Change"

Clive Owen, "Hemingway & Gellhorn"

Bill Paxton, "Hatfields & McCoys"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

Nicole Kidman, "Hemingway & Gellhorn"

Julianne Moore, "Game Change"

Charlotte Rampling, "Restless"

Sigourney Weaver, "Political Animals"

Alfre Woodard, "Steel Magnolias"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"

Louis C.K., "Louie"

Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"

Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Amy Poehler "Parks and Recreation"

Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"

Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

"30 Rock"

"The Big Bang Theory"

"Glee"

"Modern Family"

"Nurse Jackie"

"The Office"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Claire Danes, "Homeland"

Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"

Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story: Asylum"

Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"

Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"

Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"

Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"

Damian Lewis, "Homeland"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

"Boardwalk Empire"

"Breaking Bad"

"Downton Abbey"

"Homeland"

Via: Films look for SAG boost

Why The Beek should be on TV

(CNN) -- Now would be an appropriate time to cue up that GIF of Dawson bawling his eyes out.

The last few years have been a nostalgic whirlwind with Angela Chase on "Homeland," Zack Morris on "Franklin and Bash," and Felicity Porter on the new FX drama "The Americans." Even Cory and Topanga are coming back to us.

But for fans of "Dawson's Creek," there's now a glaring hole in the TV landscape.

ABC has pulled James Van Der Beek's "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" from the schedule, leaving eight episodes of the acerbic comedy unaired. (Not to mention that Pacey's, er, Joshua Jackson's "Fringe" just came to an end after five seasons on Fox.)

This just isn't how it's supposed to work out for The Beek.

Having made a name for himself as Dawson Leery on the WB drama, fans came to know -- and love -- Van Der Beek as the sensitive guy next door. Later, a slew of guest appearances in various series, "Funny or Die" sketches and the hilarious Van Der Memes Tumblr introduced the world to a different side of the actor. If it's even possible, our feelings for him grew stronger.

So in April 2011, when Van Der Beek began starring as a single, self-obsessed version of himself on "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," it felt like the universe finally got it right.

Here's why old and new fans, alike, can't bear to part with James Van Der Beek on TV:

- On "Apartment 23," Van Der Beek is in on the joke, poking fun at himself in the most charming way. He's up for anything, be it learning a choreographed routine for his character's turn on "Dancing with the Stars" or riding a horse sans pants as People's (pseudo) Sexiest Man Alive.

- He even announced the sitcom's cancellation with grace via Twitter, followed by, "And please, no bashing ABC. While I'm sure no one there would say they think they nailed it when it came to programming Apt23 this year ... You've got to give ABC props for ever picking us up in the first place. They took a shot at something original & edgy. I respect them for it." Same old sensitive Dawson.

- "Apartment 23" takes advantage of Van Der Beek's roots, and reminds fans of how obsessed they were with "Dawson's Creek," which is hilarious in and of itself. The show toyed with the idea of organizing a "Creek" reunion in an October episode aptly titled "A Reunion..." Busy Philipps, Frankie Muniz and Mark Paul-Gosselaar all guest-starred as fictional versions of themselves. What other show can do that? And it's all because of The Beek.

- He'll next reprise his role as Simon, Robin's loser ex-boyfriend, in an episode of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." He doesn't consider himself to be above cameo appearances that require him to sport a bald cap and gut.

Via: Why The Beek should be on TV

Fox pulls 'Ben and Kate'

(EW.com) -- Fox is pulling "Ben and Kate" from its schedule. Yes, both of them!

The move comes after ABC blinked first, yesterday yanking its lowest-rated Tuesday comedy, "Don't Trust the B- in Apt. 23.," and doubling down on "Happy Endings." Now Fox is shuffling its Tuesday comedy block, removing Ben and Kate and instead airing two episodes of "Raising Hope" starting next week.

Fox says the remaining "Ben and Kate" episodes will air at some point (there are six left). Given "Ben and Kate's" ratings, the move wasn't a surprise (if anything, some were shocked the show received an order for additional episodes last fall). This isn't one of those decisions where you say, "The network didn't give it a chance."

'Mad Men' season 6 premiere: April 7

Doubling up on "Hope" through February will make room for the return of Hell's Kitchen, which will now launch March 12 at 8 p.m. and lead into "New Girl" and "The Mindy Project." The network emphasized these changes should not be taken as a bad sign for Hope, noting they plan to give the comedy a one-hour season finale following American Idol on Thursday, March 28.

'New Girl' react: Murder, he wrote?

Even when including seven days of DVR playback, "Ben and Kate" averages only 3.1 million viewers and a 1.5 rating this season. Fellow Fox newcomer "Mindy Project" has fared better, with 3.8 million and a 2.0 rating. Returning comedy "Raising Hope" ties Mindy with 4.5 million and a 2.0 rating. While sophomore sensation New Girl tops them all with 6 million and a 3.3 rating. Over on ABC, "Apt. 23" has 3.6 million and a 1.5 rating while "Happy Endings" has 4.5 million and a 1.7. If you're wondering how NBC's Tuesday comedies stack up, "Go On" has 7.5 million and a 2.9 rating; "New Normal" averages 5.8 million and a 2.4.

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: Fox pulls 'Ben and Kate'

R & R Hall of Fame performers

(CNN) -- Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera and John Mayer will be among the presenters and performers at the 28th annual Rock and Rock Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum announced Wednesday.

Hudson and Aguilera have been tapped to perform in honor of new inductee Donna Summer, who died last year.

In December, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the queen of disco was part of the 2013 class of inductees, which also includes Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Albert King.

For King's induction, Mayer will speak and also perform along with Gary Clark Jr. Mayer's been on the mend after having another surgery to remove recurrent throat granuloma, and he just recently sang in concert for the first time in nearly two years at a benefit in Montana.

Fans of Rush will see their favorite group finally get their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due, with Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters inducting the band. Another Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Don Henley, will induct Newman.

More details on additional presenters, performers and special guests are to come. Tickets will go on sale for the general public at 10 a.m. PT February 1.

Via: R & R Hall of Fame performers

Shakira has a baby boy

(CNN) -- You might think of Italy's fashion capital when you hear the word Milan, but pop singer Shakira and soccer star Gerard Pique say that isn't what they had in mind when they named their baby boy.

Milan Pique Mebarak was born at 9:36 p.m. Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain, according to an announcement posted on Shakira's website. Mebarak is Shakira's seldom-used surname.

"The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification," the announcement said.

The 35-year-old Colombian singer first revealed her pregnancy in September, canceling a scheduled weekend concert appearance at a music festival in Las Vegas.

Last week, a black-and-white photo on her website showed a pregnant Shakira, wearing a bikini top, standing beside her 25-year-old boyfriend, who plays for Spain's FC Barcelona.

The couple called for donations to UNICEF as part of a "world baby shower" for them to raise money for gifts such as polio vaccines, therapeutic food and rehydration salts "for the benefit of babies everywhere."

While their son isn't on the soccer field yet, on Tuesday, Shakira's website said, "Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth."

Milan, the couple's first child, weighed approximately 6 pounds, 6 ounces.

Via: Shakira has a baby boy

Chastain takes top box office

(EW.com) -- Jessica Chastain is having a moment.

Not only did the red-headed Oscar nominee win a Golden Globe last weekend for her work in "Zero Dark Thirty," which forced her to take a night off from her Broadway run yes she's starring in Broadway's "The Heiress" during the thick of awards season but she's now achieved something few actors have ever managed: she currently holds the number one and number two movies at the box office.

Chastain's latest vehicle, "Mama," crushed the competition over the three-day weekend with a whopping $28.1 million. Universal, who produced the PG-13 film for only $15 million, opened "Mama" in 2,647 theaters, where it earned a terrific $10,624 average.

The horror title played very well with young women 61 percent of viewers were female, and 63 percent were below the age of 25. Unfortunately, most of those audiences weren't overly enthusiastic about what they saw, issuing "Mama" a lackluster "B-" CinemaScore grade.

Chastain's other entry, "Zero Dark Thirty," fell only 28 percent in its sophomore weekend of wide release to $17.6 million, which brought the Osama Bin Laden huntdown's total to $55.9 million. Controversy continues to boost the Kathryn Bigelow-directed drama's profile, but great word-of-mouth seems to be playing just as big of a role in "Zero Dark Thirty's" success.

'Norbit' Effect: 9 Oscar killers?

It's fair to say that Chastain's presence in both "Mama" and "Zero Dark Thirty" had little to do with each film's successful box office performance. Neither was marketed on her appeal, and yet, that doesn't take away from her achievement.

"Silver Linings Playbook" performed very nicely in its nationwide expansion. Upon jumping from 810 to 2,523 theaters, "Playbook" increased 126 percent to $11.4 million, which brings its total to $55.3 million so far. (Kudos to the Weinstein Co. for its deftly executed platform strategy. If they had opened "Silver Linings Playbook" in wide release, as planned, we almost certainly wouldn't be talking about it 10 weeks later.) In the month leading up to Oscar season, good word-of-mouth may continue to carry "Silver Linings Playbook" to a total as high as $100 million.

'Mythbusters' vs. zombies: Can you help?

In fourth place, Warner Bros.' crime drama "Gangster Squad" fell 47 percent to $9.1 million, giving the $60 million Sean Penn/Josh Brolin action flick an unremarkable $32.2 million total after ten days.

Still, "Gangster Squad's" second weekend was better than the debuts of new releases "Broken City" and "The Last Stand," which both flopped out of the gate.

Fox's $35 million "Broken City," which stars the usually reliable Mark Wahlberg alongside Russell Crowe, drew only $9.0 million worth of tickets from 2,620 theaters, while Lionsgate's $45 million "The Last Stand," an Arnold Schwarznegger film, fared even worse with a puny $6.3 million. Both films played primarily to older male audiences (who are also seeing "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Gangster Squad"), and they may have cannibalized each other over their first three days.

1. "Mama" -- $28.1 million

2. "Zero Dark Thirty" -- $17.6 million

3. "Silver Linings Playbook" -- $11.4 million

4. "Gangster Squad" -- $9.1 million

5. "Broken City" -- $9.0 million

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: Chastain takes top box office

Walters hurt in fall

(CNN) -- Longtime ABC News personality Barbara Walters was being treated for a cut on her forehead Sunday after a fall in Washington, the network said.

Walters, 83, suffered the cut after falling on a stair Saturday evening while visiting the British ambassador's residence, ABC News Senior Vice President Jeffrey Schneider said in a statement.

"Out of an abundance of caution, she went to the hospital to have her cut tended to, have a full examination and remains there for observation," Schneider said. "Barbara is alert (and telling everyone what to do), which we all take as a very positive sign."

Walters spent two decades as co-host and correspondent for ABC's news magazine show "20/20." She still reports on occasion.

Via: Walters hurt in fall

'American Idol' ratings down

(EW) -- The only real question was: By how much?

Fox's "American Idol" returned Wednesday night to its lowest-rated and least-watched regular season premiere telecast ever (the first season aired during the summer and generally isn't counted). "Idol" delivered 17.9 million viewers and a 6.0 adults 18-49 demo rating.

That's down 19 percent from last year's opener, which was the previous lowest-ever record-holder.

The numbers also mean last night's "Idol" premiere will not be the most-watched entertainment show this week Tuesday's "NCIS" had 22.9 million viewers. This is the first time another series was seen by more viewers than "Idol" during its regular season premiere week.

Fox was braced for worse. Last year "Idol" was down an unprecedented 24 percent after the network launched "The X Factor" in the fall. This fall had both "X Factor" and NBC's powerful "The Voice," so competition show burnout by the time "Idol" opened seemed likely. "Idol" still managed to rank as the top-rated singing show premiere this season.

'American Idol': Let's predict the ratings

Fox's "American Idol" has been largely on a downward trend since 2009 due to the reality mega-hit getting older and facing a broadcast landscape that's increasingly crowded with singing shows. High-profile new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban have made for plenty of fun headlines, but media insiders know they're sandbags on the levy.

Last night I predicted (rather accurately as it turned out) that "Idol" would return down 18 percent in the adult demo. Oddly enough, the only new judge in "American Idol" or "X Factor" history that ever seemingly outright prevented a premiere ratings decline was a celebrity who lacked real music industry experience Ellen DeGeneres in 2010.

Viewers had mixed reactions to the premiere. To some, having the feel-good show focus on Carey vs. Minaj sniping was a turn off. "If what we can look forward to [this season] is the immature, catty, out of control, ridiculous diva banter/bashing we won't be tuning in for long," one reader wrote on my "Idol" premiere ratings prediction post last night.

'American Idol' season premiere recap: Mean Girls

While EW's "Idol" recapper Annie Barrett summarized, "By the second hour of NYC auditions, Nicki had completely taken over the panel shouting out directions to the contestants and always speaking first. You know, it's generally fine if someone feels the need to do that. Compared to the autopilot judging on 'The X Factor' and even 'Idol' last season, I am thrilled to have someone in the driver's seat, and beyond ecstatic that all four judges appeared to be awake and even [gasp!] interested in what was happening. The question is whether millions of American Idol viewers will accept and enjoy that our season 12 chauffeur appears to be a rainbow sherbet wig enthusiast."

Other shows: The CW's "Arrow" actually managed to improve a tenth of a point from its last telecast despite a winter hiatus and "Idol" competition. "Supernatural" was up a tick too. ABC's comedy block was down slightly across the board, though "Nashville" improved a tick. "Criminal Minds" was down 10 percent, while "CSI" was up a notch.

See the full story at EW.com.

Via: 'American Idol' ratings down

'Fringe' cast bids farewell

(CNN) -- After 100 episodes of alternate universes, monsters and shape-shifters, Fox's "Fringe" is coming to an end on Friday night.

It's set to receive a proper send-off, too, thanks to the efforts of fans who fought for the show through five seasons of time slot changes and dwindling ratings.

Members of the cast, who had been with the show from the first episode, spoke to CNN about their favorite "Fringe" moments, their favorite guest stars and those final days on the set. Plus, that all-important question: Will fans be satisfied with the series finale?

On filming the finale:

Anna Torv ("Olivia Dunham"): "We knew it would be our last season, and part of that meant that we were able to appreciate it as we were doing it. There were lots of little moments of reflection throughout the last couple of months."

Lance Reddick ("Phillip Broyles"): "What caught me by surprise was how emotional I got (shooting the final episode) -- not about the show, per se -- but about the people. So that was kind of intense."

Joshua Jackson ("Peter Bishop"): "For me it was a feeling of joy -- when they called that final wrap and you see the faces of the people you did four or five years with, you think this is something we all did together. There's what I hope is a really good scene between John and myself in the finale, in the lab, fittingly. And there was a feeling like, 'Wow, that's the last time we will play father and son, in this room that has been such a part of our lives for these last five years.' "

Torv: "I went down to see John Noble's last scene. He was doing a scene in the lab that I wasn't in. I got to sit back and watch Walter for the last time and that kind of made me sad, because John and Walter were such a beautiful fit. Just to think 'Ah! John is never going to breathe life into him again,' was kind of sad."

John Noble ("Walter Bishop"): "It's unbelievable to go out on our own terms. Unheard of in this industry to be able to finish a story off in the way that we have. I'm just seriously grateful to the network and studio for giving us the chance."

Jasika Nicole ("Astrid Farnsworth"): "I have watched way too many shows on television that started out wonderfully and then seemed to continue on a downward spiral once it reached its peak. I am thrilled to have taken part in a show that knew what both its ending and beginning looked like, and never tried to overextend itself."

On lessons learned:

Jackson: "The whole experience of 'Dawson's Creek' was new to me. I knew intellectually it was a big deal to have a show run for five-and-a-half years. But this time around, I think I had a much deeper understanding of just how difficult it is to get a show to run. This show, in particular, kept on defying all the odds."

On their favorite moments:

Noble: "The most fun (version of Walter) to play was the simple old Walter who was just a scattered genius with no social graces and completely inappropriate. That was the most fun. I had a lot of affection for 'Walternate,' who was originally very hard to get accepted by audiences and ultimately was."

Nicole: "My favorite episodes were the ones when all the doppelgangers got to meet each other. I loved how each character had a different experience when they saw their 'other' for the first time. They were beautifully written and beautifully performed."

Torv: "I was so grateful that they really stuck it out with the different universe. It was so fun, it was like a different show. It was great to play this lighter character (Fauxlivia) after being with Olivia for two years at that point."

Reddick: "My most memorable scene -- Well, there was the scene where Nina kisses Broyles. That was pretty cool. Blair Brown's a good kisser so that was great -- But my most memorable scene was this season, the reunion scene under the bridge. That moment when I see Olivia again and she calls me by my first name."

Jackson: "The thing I will miss the most is that father-son dynamic with Walter and Peter."

On the guest stars:

Noble: "To share the floor with (Christopher Lloyd and Leonard Nimoy) was amazing for me, because they're such iconic figures in themselves. And Orla Brady is an amazing actress, she played my wife."

Reddick: "The second season, I walk in the makeup trailer and John Savage is right in front of me. I stopped and my eyes bugged out. And Christopher Lloyd, he's done so much brilliant work over the years. With him, it was like having a walking icon on the set. In this business, you often call people by their first name. But for him, it was always 'Mr. Lloyd.' It's funny because he's been on enough times that I forget, but of course, Leonard Nimoy (was a favorite)."

Torv: About Nimoy's response to Torv's impression of Nimoy's Spock in one episode: "He was very, very kind. Very kind."

On how the fans will receive the final episode:

Jackson: "A lot of TV, you can just turn off your brain and watch, but 'Fringe' always asked its audience to be more engaged than that, and at our very best, challenged the audience to think about the core ideas that (executive producers Joel Wyman and Jeff Pinkner) were putting into the show. There are experiences along the way that are things that I will probably remember for the rest of my life.

It is the passion of the fans that kept it going. Long, long past the time when it made economic sense, and certainly past the time where my cynical-actor-who's-been-around-self looked at it and went, there's no way this show is coming back. If it wasn't for that passion, the show would have died and it wouldn't have the proper ending that it's going to get this Friday. It's because of those experiences and because of those fans that we were able to finish up the show on the right note."

Nicole: "I think that the ending is beautiful, and perfect, and it couldn't be written any other way. I was surprised at the ending, but even so, I thought it was absolutely excellent. It's a roller coaster ride, and let's just say the ending doesn't exactly bring you back to where you decided to climb on."

Via: 'Fringe' cast bids farewell

Life after Jack the Ripper

(CNN) -- Unlike popular period drama "Downton Abbey," any chatting in "Ripper Street" takes place after a good brawl, in a brothel or over a dead body in the morgue -- not a cup of tea.

Teeth-jarring fights and the gruesome discovery of a "ripped tart" in the shadow-filled streets of London's East End are the first glimpses viewers have of BBC America's new crime drama, all set to the eerie soundtrack of a grating violin.

So if your favorite part of "Downton" is anticipating the war between former co-conspirators Thomas Barrow and Sarah O'Brien or Mr. Bates' violent side, this visceral series might be more your style.

Set in 1889, "Ripper Street" explores the gritty aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel. The H Division police force works tirelessly to keep chaos, and even more crime, from overtaking the streets.

Viewers will see the seedy side of London through three main H Division policemen, played by Matthew Macfadyen ("Pride and Prejudice," "Anna Karenina"), Jerome Flynn ("Game of Thrones") and Adam Rothenberg ("Alcatraz"). The eight-part series premieres at 9 p.m. ET Saturday on BBC America.

"Copper": Bringing 1864 New York to life, grit and all

Series creator and writer Richard Warlow ("Mistresses") wanted to tap into how the Jack the Ripper murders still resonate today. His goal, he said, was to show the ways the horrific crimes affected life in London, not to answer the mystery of Jack's identity.

"I was more fascinated by the London folklore, and the idea of a very old city like ours having this extra life that these stories give it," Warlow said. "Real things happen and then they become embedded in the mythic strata of our city. Rather than offer any solutions, what we're trying to show is the place where that myth first embedded itself."

He had to draw on a balance of research and his own imagination, creating a universe that feels new even for fans of Johnny Depp's "From Hell" or BBC's modern-day series take, "Whitechapel."

In another twist, Warlow didn't want to lead the series with well-known Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline, often the main character in other Ripper stories. Instead, he chose the real-life boss of H Division, Inspector Edmund Reid, played by Macfadyen.

"We wanted Reid to be a different kind of copper, somebody who was affected by the work he did, but that it didn't make him maudlin. Matthew gives you great presence, but at the same time, he gives you such soul, I think. He brings a solid sense of integrity about everything that he does."

Abberline is an integral part of the Ripper story, so he's included as a supporting character, portrayed "beautifully" by Clive Russell as a man that has been broken by something, Warlow said.

In the first episode, Reid talks about trying to move forward, and while they tried to do everything to find the Ripper, all that matters is that the murderer is gone. The Ripper is not going to own Reid's life anymore.

It is one of Warlow's favorite scenes.

"That felt powerful, not just for Reid, but it was a broader message for the whole show -- we're not going to get ourselves hung up on who Jack the Ripper is, but really concentrate on the streets that he influenced so much."

Immediately after the Ripper murders, sensationalism, fear and a desire for normalcy all swirled together in Whitechapel. The H Division Police Force's efforts to contain the hysteria is evident in the characters of Reid, his right hand man, Sgt. Bennet Drake (Flynn) and Capt. Homer Jackson (Rothenberg).

Jackson is an American in the distinctly British show, playing an ex-Pinkerton detective that's hiding in Whitechapel and living in a brothel, maintaining a contemptuous relationship at best with the madam, Long Susan. He has a taste for vice and a handy skill with early forensics as a former Army surgeon.

Jackson's character, like the others, is fraught with duality. Combined with Reid and Bennet, their conflict, friction and chemistry creates a compelling dynamic.

"He fits into the story by not fitting in," Rothenberg said. "In some ways, he can be a surrogate for the American audience looking at that time and place. At the same time, he represents their perception of America at the time -- he's the wild West."

Although he ambles around Whitechapel in his brown hat and green jacket with a six-shooter strapped to his waist, it was the mustache (he would never grow one for himself), and Warlow's larger-than-life concept of Jackson, that made things come alive for Rothenberg.

"Richard has a way of writing that puts you right there," he said. "I think it's a new voice that people haven't heard written for that time. Set design, costuming -- everything was conspiring to make you believe that's where you were."

The crew filmed the entirety of the show in Dublin, rather than London, and Warlow gives credit to production designer Mark Geraghty and costume designer Lorna Mugan for helping create the authentic edgy atmosphere of Whitechapel.

Today, there is little inspiration to be found in the office buildings that now cover the East End's historic streets, with the exception of a stray alleyway or two, but the finished product resembles what Warlow and his team imagined. The Victorian costuming is elegant, while the streets are cramped and dirty with notorious interludes and crime to be found in every alley.

"It was an insane time, in an insane area -- an intense pressure cooker," Rothenberg said of the era.

While London has evolved immensely from that infamous time, the cloak of its history is still tangible for visitors and residents alike, Warlow said. That's what he hopes to capture in "Ripper Street."

Via: Life after Jack the Ripper

'Gossip Girl Acapulco'

(CNN) -- Gossip Girl is heading south of the border.

Mexican producer Pedro Torres released details this week about his plans for "Gossip Girl Acapulco," a revamped Spanish-language version of the U.S. show, which ended its six-season run on the CW Network late last year.

The popular primetime soap gave viewers a glimpse of the "scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite" through the eyes of its title character, known for posting rumors online.

In the Mexican version, co-produced with Warner Brothers International Television Production, "the drama has become tropical without losing its essence," Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency said Thursday, citing Torres.

If cast photos released by the show's producers are any indication, the show's characters have different names, but similar looks to their U.S. counterparts.

The show won't hit the airwaves until later in the year, but the Mexican version of Gossip Girl is making her presence known -- where else? -- on social media.

Its Twitter page, @GGAcapulco , already has more than 4,000 followers.

Via: 'Gossip Girl Acapulco'

Review: 'The Last Stand'

Editor's note: This movie review may contain spoilers.

(CNN) -- The Governator is back! Retired from politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking a leaf out of his "Expendables" buddy Sylvester Stallone's book and setting out to prove that he can still kick butt at 65.

"The Last Stand" represents his first starring role in eight years, and it seems there's plenty more gas in his tank. The timing for a primed, pumped, itchy-trigger-finger shoot-em-up leaves something to be desired, no doubt, but with Nicolas Cage unaccountably AWOL this January, Arnie has the knucklehead R-rated action field pretty much to himself. What's more, "The Last Stand" brings it. If you park your brain outside, and double-park any misgivings about vicarious gun mayhem right alongside, it's passable fun.

It's a modern-day Western -- a souped-up and dumbed-down "Rio Bravo," if you will -- with Schwarzenegger making like John Wayne as border town Sheriff Ray Owens, the last man standing between a runaway bad guy (Mexican drug baron Eduardo Noreiga) and his freedom. Charting a spectacularly erratic 24-hour course, the movie juggles self-consciously hokey small-town comedy with slick (or at least semi-slick) high-tech chase scenes as the road-racing desperado leads Forest Whitaker and the feds on a merry chase through the Southwest in his prototype Corvette 01.

The auto action seems a transparent pitch to sell high-end sports cars and inject a little momentum in a movie that's equally content to dawdle over its morning coffee, shooting the breeze with amusing (or at least semi-amusing) supporting players like Ray's deputies, ornery Mike (Luis Guzman in the Walter Brennan role), bumbling Jerry (Zach Gilford), and sexy Sarah (Jaimie Alexander).

Johnny Knoxville gets unaccountably prominent billing for little more than an extended cameo as a guy named Dinkum, a screwy gun nut with a penchant for cavalier headgear. He's excruciating, but almost puppy-like he's so eager to please.

The same might go for director Kim Jee-woon, a talented Korean known for macabre ghost stories like "A Tale of Two Sisters," whacky adventures ("The Good, the Bad, the Weird"), and grisly cop thrillers ("I Saw the Devil").

His first U.S. effort is full of bold, broad comic book strokes -- some of them pleasingly original, like a car chase through a cornfield, the husks of corn thudding against the windscreens like oversized bugs. Listen to how he picks out the sound of a helmet rolling across the pavement. That's a filmmaker alert to his environment and the tools at this command. But there's just as much that's ham-fisted or tin-eared. At best these are stereotypes we might recognize from other B flicks. There's never a whiff of authenticity, except maybe when Harry Dean Stanton appears for a cruelly brief bit part as a cranky local farmer.

Via: Review: 'The Last Stand'

'American Idol' premiere ratings down

(EW) -- The only real question was: By how much?

Fox's "American Idol" returned Wednesday night to its lowest-rated and least-watched regular season premiere telecast ever (the first season aired during the summer and generally isn't counted). "Idol" delivered 17.9 million viewers and a 6.0 adults 18-49 demo rating.

That's down 19 percent from last year's opener, which was the previous lowest-ever record-holder.

The numbers also mean last night's "Idol" premiere will not be the most-watched entertainment show this week Tuesday's "NCIS" had 22.9 million viewers. This is the first time another series was seen by more viewers than "Idol" during its regular season premiere week.

Fox was braced for worse. Last year "Idol" was down an unprecedented 24 percent after the network launched "The X Factor" in the fall. This fall had both "X Factor" and NBC's powerful "The Voice," so competition show burnout by the time "Idol" opened seemed likely. "Idol" still managed to rank as the top-rated singing show premiere this season.

'American Idol': Let's predict the ratings

Fox's "American Idol" has been largely on a downward trend since 2009 due to the reality mega-hit getting older and facing a broadcast landscape that's increasingly crowded with singing shows. High-profile new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban have made for plenty of fun headlines, but media insiders know they're sandbags on the levy.

Last night I predicted (rather accurately as it turned out) that "Idol" would return down 18 percent in the adult demo. Oddly enough, the only new judge in "American Idol" or "X Factor" history that ever seemingly outright prevented a premiere ratings decline was a celebrity who lacked real music industry experience Ellen DeGeneres in 2010.

Viewers had mixed reactions to the premiere. To some, having the feel-good show focus on Carey vs. Minaj sniping was a turn off. "If what we can look forward to [this season] is the immature, catty, out of control, ridiculous diva banter/bashing we won't be tuning in for long," one reader wrote on my "Idol" premiere ratings prediction post last night.

'American Idol' season premiere recap: Mean Girls

While EW's "Idol" recapper Annie Barrett summarized, "By the second hour of NYC auditions, Nicki had completely taken over the panel shouting out directions to the contestants and always speaking first. You know, it's generally fine if someone feels the need to do that. Compared to the autopilot judging on 'The X Factor' and even 'Idol' last season, I am thrilled to have someone in the driver's seat, and beyond ecstatic that all four judges appeared to be awake and even [gasp!] interested in what was happening. The question is whether millions of American Idol viewers will accept and enjoy that our season 12 chauffeur appears to be a rainbow sherbet wig enthusiast."

Other shows: The CW's "Arrow" actually managed to improve a tenth of a point from its last telecast despite a winter hiatus and "Idol" competition. "Supernatural" was up a tick too. ABC's comedy block was down slightly across the board, though "Nashville" improved a tick. "Criminal Minds" was down 10 percent, while "CSI" was up a notch.

See the full story at EW.com.

Via: 'American Idol' premiere ratings down

Dear Abby advice columnist dies at 94

(CNN) -- Pauline Phillips, better known to millions of newspaper readers as the original Dear Abby advice columnist, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, her family said Thursday.

She died Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 94.

Phillips' columns were published in an era when newspaper readers began to prize straight-talking, pithy advice about marriages, children, jobs -- just about anything that troubled people.

Phillips wrote under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, shortened to "Dear Abby" in newspapers. "Abigail" was taken from the wise woman in the Old Testament and "Van Buren" was one of her favorite presidents.

The first Dear Abby column appeared in 1956, and Phillips solely wrote the advice feature until 2000, when she and daughter Jeanne began sharing the byline.

Jeanne Phillips took the column over full time in August 2002, when the family announced that Pauline Phillips had Alzheimer's.

"I have lost my mother, my mentor and my best friend," Jeanne Phillips said in a statement. "My mother leaves very big high heels to fill with a legacy of compassion, commitment and positive social change. I will honor her memory every day by continuing this legacy."

Pauline Phillips strove to say more with less. Her direct style was captured in her favorite Swedish toast, according to the column's syndication service:

"Fear less; hope more. Eat less; chew more. Talk less; say more. Hate less; love more."

What was your favorite Dear Abby advice?

Before the digital era of journalism introduced such notions as "crowd sourcing" of the public and computerized metrics on readership, Phillips assembled her Q&A columns from queries mailed in from readers. She was able to quantify her following by the number of newspapers who bought her columns -- and by how many readers spent money on a stamp to mail her a letter.

"Dear Abby" is the world's most widely syndicated column, having appeared in 1,400 newspapers with a daily readership of more than 110 million, the syndication service Universal Uclick said.

In another example of her following, Phillips held a survey in 1987 asking readers to send a postcard or note -- anonymously if they wanted -- about whether they cheated on their mates.

Almost 250,000 people responded within three months.

Her twin sister was also a famous advice columnist. Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer, who died at age 83 in 2002 of multiple myeloma, was the author of the newspaper column "Ann Landers."

Phillips, who was born July 4, 1918, in Sioux City, Iowa, ventured into journalism in 1955 at age 37. She called the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and told him she could write a better advice column than what the paper had.

Phillips was surprised when the editor agreed to interview her. She described herself as "an average, middle-aged housewife who had been happily married to the same man for 17 years and had reared two 'reasonably normal' teenagers," according to a statement by the syndicate.

She had never written professionally, though she studied journalism in college. But she asserted she could write an advice column "because all of her life she had been an amateur 'wailing wall without portfolio,' " the syndicate said.

Editor Stanleigh Arnold "wanted only to get this self-styled journalist out of his office, so he asked her to write sample replies to some previously published columns. She did, and the rest, as they say, is history," the syndicate said.

The first "Dear Abby" column appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 9, 1956, the same year it was first syndicated.

Phillips advocated "equal rights for women, minorities, people with mental illness and those who are physically challenged," and her column "promoted AIDS awareness and education, hospice care, the living will, organ donation and also raised awareness about gender apartheid suffered by women in Afghanistan," the syndicate said.

When asked of her greatest accomplishment, Phillips often stated: "Surviving."

In a 1990 interview with CNN's Larry King, Phillips explained the bottom line of dispensing advice:

"There is always an answer, even if it's say, look, pal, you can't change anybody but yourself. You got to play the cards that are dealt you and you have to live with this, do the best you can. But you got to accept what fate deals you," Phillips said.

She is survived by her husband of 73 years, Mort Phillips; daughter Jeanne Phillips; grandchildren, Dean Phillips, Tyler Phillips, Jay Phillips, Hutton Phillips; and two great-granddaughters, Daniela and Pia.

Via: Dear Abby advice columnist dies at 94

'Zero Dark ' director denounces torture

(EW.com) -- She has said it before. Now she's saying it again.

"Zero Dark Thirty" filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow has written at length in an essay published in the LA Times about the scenes of torture featured in the movie, insisting once more than "depiction is not endorsement."

The controversy has dogged the movie for weeks as politicians and pundits attacked the movie, which was based on screenwriter/producer Mark Boal's interviews with intelligence and military sources, for showing CIA agents beating and torturing suspects who later give up information that leads to Osama bin Laden.

In the essay, Bigelow declares herself to be a pacifist who abhors the so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" the movie shows, but says she felt obliged to put on screen the gruesome details of what was done in the name of counter-terrorism.

An excerpt:

"First of all: I support every American's 1st Amendment right to create works of art and speak their conscience without government interference or harassment. As a lifelong pacifist, I support all protests against the use of torture, and, quite simply, inhumane treatment of any kind.

But I do wonder if some of the sentiments alternately expressed about the film might be more appropriately directed at those who instituted and ordered these U.S. policies, as opposed to a motion picture that brings the story to the screen.

Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement. If it was, no artist would be able to paint inhumane practices, no author could write about them, and no filmmaker could delve into the thorny subjects of our time."

This comes at a critical time for the movie, which just opened nationally last weekend, coming in at first place with $24 million at the box office. It's also a strong contender for several Oscars, including best original screenplay for Boal, best actress for star Jessica Chastain, and best picture although Bigelow was snubbed in the directing category.

Her essay in the LA Times expresses things she has already stated several times. "I'm not sure I have anything new to add, but I can try to be concise and clear," she wrote.

Can this help at the box office? Does it need to if it's already faring well? Will this satisfy Academy voters who may be troubled by the criticism?

We'll see as it plays out. Right now, the only certainty is that sometimes in an echo chamber, you have to repeat yourself.

See the original article at EW.com.

Via: 'Zero Dark ' director denounces torture