Stephen J. Cannell is the brains behind the hit TV shows, The A-Team, 21 Jump Street and The Rockford Files to name just three. But, he’s also a successful author as well.

The producer has penned an average of a novel a year – and now he’s upping the ante.

Cannell has been asked to churn out one book every nine months, which is a pressure he’s both used to and thrives on.

He’s about to release The Pallbearer, the ninth installment of his Shane Scully stories due out later this month, but it’s only one in a series of three more books on the docket in short order.

No writer’s block for Cannell, who sticks to a firm schedule budgeting in time each morning to work on his novels. He does it all and somehow manages to get eight hours of sleep a night.

And he still makes time for his friends, which include his Rockford Files star, James Garner, who suffered a stroke in May 2008. Garner is doing better Cannell tells HollywoodOutbreak.com – aside from a major challenge with arthritis.

Cannell is hoping we haven’t see the last of Garner on the screen, but he is in enormous pain. So much discomfort that a few months back Garner cancelled a stage performance of A Christmas Carol.

How Cannell makes so much time for his pals is a mystery considering his dance card is so full. In addition to his novels, there are movie versions of The A-Team, Rockford Files and 21 Jump Street in production right now.

Click onto media bars for:

An update on Cannell’s new novel, The Pallbearer.

How Cannell budgets in his writing time.

How actor James Garner is doing post stroke.

Why he hopes James Garner will continue acting.

Cannell’s novel, The Pallbearer hits store shelves March 16th.

Farrah Fawcett and Robert Duvall in a scene from the 1997 film, "The Apostle."

It’s two days after the Academy Awards and fans of Farrah Fawcett are voicing their anger. The beef? They’re miffed that the Charlie’s Angels star wasn’t included in the memorial of stars and industry folk who died in the past year.

The Academy’s official word is that Fawcett was more of a TV star than movie actress, but Michael Jackson made the cut Sunday night - and he was primarily known for his music. However we all remember him in The Wiz.

As long as we’re keeping score, Beatrice Arthur and Gene Barry were also absent from the memorial. Both stars did make a minimal amount of movies. For one: Arthur played Vera Charles in the forgettable version of Mame, co-starring opposite Lucille Ball - and Barry’s most notable flick was the 1953 version of War of the Worlds.

Fawcett starred in a few exceptional films like Extremities (1986) The Apostle (1997) and Dr. T and the Women (2000).

It’s a crummy day for Michael Moore. What should have been a good morning has turned into a contentious one for the filmmaker.

His documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story is out on DVD, which means the flick could find a whole new audience via home entertainment. So what’s wrong?

Moore is being interviewed by radio jocks across the nation today, which has proved to be unnerving.

OK, so I caught him at a time when he probably should have taken a break, but thems are the breaks for both of us.

Capitalism: A Love Story hasn’t made near the money of let’s say, Fahrenheit 9/11 ($119,194,771), Bowling for Columbine ($21,576,018) or even Sicko (24,540,079), but it has done respectable numbers for a doc, roughly $14 mil domestically, $16 million worldwide, which Moore points out is on par with this year’s Best Picture winner, The Hurt Locker ($14 mil domestic, $21 worldwide). More important than money - the flick is his favorite.

The filmmaker was hoping to open up a dialog with this film and it did – positive and negative. Now he’s eager to keep the momentum going with the DVD release. One thing he’s not prepared to do is a dog and pony show to insure that happen. Moore will let the film, which has sparked anger in some, praise from others, speak for itself.

Click onto media bar for:

Michael Moore’s opinion of the current state of radio.

Why Michael Moore thinks Capitalism: A Love Story is the basis for all his other movies.

How Michael Moore knows his film strikes a chord with viewers.

Why Michael Moore considers his flick a success despite the less than anticipated box office take.

Capitalism: A Love Story is on DVD store shelves.

The top 8 guys perform on tonight’s American Idol on Fox at 9 pm et/pt.

So tell us what you think. Does this seem to be a better movie than New Moon?

The full Trailer will be released Friday morning.

For recent The Twilight Saga: Eclipse news click on the links below:

Pictured right to left: Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, who starred the A&E series together "The Two Coreys."

Former child star, Corey Haim was found dead of what is suspected to be an overdose. Reports say the actor, who had battled substance abuse for years, was found unresponsive in an Oakwood apartment near Burbank. He was rushed to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank and pronounced dead around 3:30 a.m. this morning. Haim was 38 years old.

UPDATE: LAPD Officer Martinez explains to HollywoodOutbreak.com that the police got the call of Haim’s death from St. Joseph Medical Center, alerting law enforcement that the hospital had an unnatural death. This is a standard procedure.

Haim’s body is at the Coroner’s office, Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie confirms to HollywoodOutbreak.com, and an autopsy is pending an investigation, which is currently underway.

20th Century Fox TV and Fox appear ready to end the long-running hit after this season, the show’s eighth.

Studio and network execs declined comment — but it’s believed that the final decision will be made in the next day or two. Move is not a huge surprise, but still reps the end of an era for Fox.

“24″ helped usher in Fox’s ratings surge in the 2000s, as the franchise — along with “American Idol” and “House,” among other series — led the network to the No. 1 spot in the adults 18-49 demo.

But the cost of producing “24″ has continued to increase, while ratings have dipped. A one-time critical darling, “24″ has also received its share of knocks from critics this season.

The studio is said to be considering shopping “24″ to other nets — but given the thriller’s age and pricetag, it’s believed interest from other outlets will be limited.

Yet even as the bell tolls for “24″ in primetime, the franchise is far from dead. Sutherland and the “24″ team have been keen on adapting the show as a feature film, and have made major strides in recent months toward making that long-term goal a reality.

Twentieth Century Fox’s film side recently hired scribe Billy Ray (”State of Play,” “Flightplan”) to pen the script for the feature version (Daily Variety, Feb. 8.)

Ray’s pitch, which takes Jack Bauer to Europe, was a hit with Fox execs and producers of the high-concept television series.

Script is said to have come through “24″ star Sutherland, who’s also an exec producer on the series.

Such a move into the features world was considered impossible while production continued on the TV series — given that “24″ takes much of the year to produce, with its feature-like shooting schedule. But with the show expected to end its run, the ability to focus on a movie could now finally be in sight.

“24″ was created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow, while exec producer Howard Gordon runs the show through his Real Time Prods. banner.

Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment produces the show along with 20th Century Fox TV.

Sutherland has starred throughout all eight seasons as Jack Bauer, a federal agent and member of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (and who has saved the world several times over). “24″ made noise for its real time format, in which all 24 episodes take place as consecutive hours in the same day.

Although it was developed before the attacks of 9/11, the show, which bowed Nov. 6, 2001, in many ways began to mirror the changed world, given real-life fears over terrorism and debates over torture methods. Skein’s depiction of an African American president was seen as a ground-breaking precursor to the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

The show has won the Emmy and the Golden Globe awards for drama, while Sutherland has scored both an Emmy and a Globe for actor. “24″ has also received Emmy Awards for writing and directing; last year, Cherry Jones won an Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.

This season’s edition of “24,” which takes place in New York, stars Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jones, Anil Kapoor, Annie Wersching, Katee Sackhoff, Mykelti Williamson, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Diamantopoulos and John Boyd.

Other exec producers include Evan Katz, David Fury, Manny Coto, Brannon Braga, Brad Turner, Alex Gansa and Grazer.

Jay Baruchel has carved out a descent career playing geeks, most notably in the TV series Undeclared, Knocked Up, and Million Dollar Baby (where he plays a boxing geek who gets pummeled by Anthony Mackie!).  He plays a dweeb once again in the romantic comedy She’s Outta My League, but this time he’s playing a dude who’s dating a really hot girl named Molly (Alice Eve).  In the film, Kirk (Baruchel) is a security agent at the Pittsburgh airport who is a bit insecure when Molly sees him more than a friend, and it doesn’t help that his friends are incessantly teasing him about his new girlfriend.  Speaking of airports, although Baruchel doesn’t have any mile high stories, he does recall a rather miserable time he had…with a turkey sandwich.(CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR JAY BARUCHEL)

The long rumored item that Paula Abdul will take part in Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of The X-Factor has gained further traction, as Cowell readily admits that he is rather close to his former American Idol colleague.  With Cowell on his last year on Idol, expect him to spend the next TV season ensuring The X-Factor’s success and possibly bringing Abdul back in the spotlight.  The top eight girls perform on tonight’s American Idol at 8 pm et/pt. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR SIMON COWELL)

It’s inconceivable that Ben Stiller would ever have to worry about his status in Hollywood, but he realizes that as one gets older, the roles for an actor are not as plentiful unless you are one of the top A-listers. In a perfect world, Stiller wants to be working well into his 70s like director/actor Clint Eastwood; and in his opinion, a big part of remaining relevant in Tinseltown is to have control behind the camera. Stiller has directed such hit films as Tropic Thunder and Zoolander (he’s also helming and staring in the Zoolander sequel), will next be seen in the comedy/drama Greenberg. In the following clip, Stiller talks about why he wants to emulate Eastwood’s illustrious caraeer. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR BEN STILLER)

One would think that any guy in his right mind would show country star Carrie Underwood a great time on a first date.  However, even this former American Idol champ has had her share of bad dating experiences, and she recalls a miserable outing at the movies. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR CARRIE UNDERWOOD) 

It’s the final season of Lost, and unfortunately John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) is dead and his body is inhabited by the smoke monster (aka Jacob’s lifetime enemy).  Will John Locke, who has spent the past several years trying to find purpose in his life, finally find his true calling.  Or is he, for lack of a better word (or pun), lost??  A new episode of Lost airs tonight on ABC at 9 pm et/pt. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR TERRY O’QUINN)

Movies on DVD

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a professional hatchet man who travels the country firing people. When his own company begins cost cutting and limiting his travel schedule, Bingham convinces his bosses to have the woman in charge of downsizing accompany him on the road. The movie received multiple Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Actor for Clooney and Supporting Actress for both Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick.

Special Features: Deleted scenes and filmmakers’ commentary.

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire is a story surrounding a lonely, overweight teen whose been abused and impregnated by her father. Mo’Nique won the Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal as Precious’ neglectful mother and Gabourey Sidibe was nominated in the Leading Actress category for her performance in the title role.

Special Features: Audio commentary with director Lee Daniels, From Push to Precious featurette, A Precious Ensemble featurette, Oprah and Tyler: Project of Passion featurette, a conversation with author Sapphire and director Lee Daniels, deleted scene: The Incest Survivor Meeting, audition: Gabourey Sidibe, reflections on Precious.

The Stoning of Soraya M. is not an easy film to watch. Set in 1966 Iraq, the film centered on Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel), a man whose car breaks down in a remote village. A conversation begins between Sahebjam and Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who tells him the story about her niece, Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), whose arranged marriage to a tyrant has a disastrous ending.

Special Features: Audio commentary with director and co-writer Cyrus Nowrasteh and co-writer Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, audio commentary with film/crew, exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette: The making of the Stoning of Soraya M., theatrical trailer.

Old Dogs stars Robin Williams and John Travolta as friends whose lives are turned upside-downside when their wind up in charges of a twins.

Special Features: Bloopers, deleted scenes, audio commentary by director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay and writers David Diamond and David Weissman.

TV on DVD

In Plain Sight: Season Two features a U.S. Marshall (Mary McCormack) who relocates witnesses who are in a federal witness protection program.

Special Features: Gag reel, deleted scenes, In My Humboldt Opinon commentary with executive producers David Maples and Paul Stupin, Who’s Bugging Mary? commentary with the series lead actors Mary McCormack and Frederick Weller, A Friend in Need commentary also with McCormack and Weller.

Greek: Chapter Four is the ABC Family series about a high school geek (Jacob Zachar) looking to change his image in college.

Special Features: Bloopers, Greek recap, At World’s End, How Do You Sleep? music video by Jesse McCartney, plus audio commentaries.

Matt Houston: The First Season starred Lee Horsely as successful detective Matt Houston whose cases usually involve murder.

Special Features: Episodic promos.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Complete First Season is the series about an average housewife (Kate Jackson) who winds up helping – and falling for – a spy (Bruce Boxleitner).

Special Features: Twenty-one episodes on five discs.

He may cause the average teenage girl’s heart to flutter, but Twilight’s Robert Pattinson admits he’s not a sappy, dreamy eyed romantic. But there is a catch, Pattinson is not afraid of romance, just don’t expect him to be a candy and flowers guy.  But if watching Titanic or Gone with the Wind pulls your heart strings, then Mr. Pattinson, who will next be seen in the chick flick Remember Me, might be up your alley.  And by the way, don’t ever call Remember Me a chick flick in front of Edward Cullen!! (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR ROBERT PATTINSON)

Best Director Kathryn Bigelow backstage with Barbra Streisand during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 7, 2010. credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

It was good to be Kathryn Bigalow Sunday Night. The Hurt Locker filmmaker won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture of theYear. Bigalow just became the first female ot win the dfirecting honorand yet backstage she ws praising her ex-husband, James Cameron, who was nominated in the same categories as Bigalow for his moneymaking dynamo, Avatar.

Sandra Bullock won her first Academy Award for her Leading Role in The Blind Side. Bullock was probably more surprised than anyone else by the Oscar, claiming it came “out of left field.”

Jeff Bridges was giddy accepting his Leading Actor Oscar for his role as a hard-living, Country Music musician in Crazy Heart. The actor comes from a Hollywood family as the son of Lloyd Bridges and brother of Beau Bridges. And it was obvious how important family is to Bridges as he accepted the award.

Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique backstage during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 7, 2010. credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Mo ‘Nique was the favorite to win the Academy Award in the Supporting Actress category. And apparently Hattie McDaniel’s family expected it as well. McDaniel was the first black actress to take home the Oscar in that category for her performance as Mammy the house servant in the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind. As a tribute to the Oscar winner, Mo ‘Nique wore clothing similar to McDaniel’s dress from the Awards that year and a hair bobble on loan directly from the McDaniel family.

The competition was stiff, but Christoph Waltz continued his winning streak with the Academy Award for Actor in a Supporting Role. Waltz spent most of the time backstage gushing about his Supporting Actor win IN GERMAN. However, when he did speak English it was to remark how he never expected any recognition when he took on the role of the killer Nazi in Inglorious Basterds.

We give the Academy Awards show itself a B in terms of moving swiftly. It really didn’t go much faster than previous telecasts. However, the hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were great choices. They kept the humor on target and moving in a forward direction.

Best Actor Jeff Bridges backstage during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 7, 2010. credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Click onto videos for:

1. Kathryn Bigalow’s praise for James Cameron.

2. Jeff Bridges explaining how his wife and daughters keep him grounded.

3. Why Sandra Bullock never expected to win a Leading Actress Oscar.

4. Why Christoph Waltz believes you should not act to win awards.

5. Mo ‘Nique detailing the choices she made in fashion to honor 1939 Supporting Actress Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel.

The list of winners is as follows:

Best Picture

The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers

Directing

The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow

Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

Actress in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Actress in a Supporting Role

Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Animated Feature

Out on the arrivals line, Ed Asner, who is the voice of Carl Fredericksen in the animated feature, Up told HollywoodOutbreak.com to “vote smart and vote often.” Apparently the voting members of the Academy agreed because Up took the statue for Animated film.

Up Pete Docter

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Hurt Locker Written by Mark Boal

Film Editing

The Hurt Locker Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Foreign Language Film

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) Argentina

Documentary (Feature)

The Cove Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

Documentary (Short Subject)

Music by Prudence Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

Music (Original Score)

Up Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Live Action)

The New Tenants Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Short (Animated)

Logorama Nicolas Schmerkin

Makeup

Star Trek Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

Cinematography

Avatar Mauro Fiore

Art Direction

Avatar Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

Costume Design

The Young Victoria Sandy Powell

Sound Editing

The Hurt Locker Paul N.J. Ottosson

Sound Mixing

The Hurt Locker Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

Visual Effects

Avatar Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

82nd Academy Awards Producers Adam Shankman (left) and Bill Mechanic (right) with Academy President Tom Sherak at a press conference held on Friday, March 5, 2010, on the red carpet. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 which will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Photo credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

It’s ain’t easy putting together an Oscar show. Just ask  producers, Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic as well as Award presenter Sigourney Weaver, who want you to know they have a healthy new respect for those producers who came before them. However,  this is not going to be your parents’ Academy Awards.

The trio understands that they have to appeal to the traditionalists out there, but they’re also courting the Tweet generation who want a whole heap of fun delivered up in that three-plus hour telecast.

They admit their nerves were frayed up until now, but at this point their surrendering to the gods of television and are hoping for the best.

Both producers have made careful choices from the music to the set design and they’re convinced every expensive decision will be up on the screen.

Weaver is excited to be returning to the Academy Awards as a presenter. Her latest pic, Avatar is sitting pretty to win at least some of the nine nominations its received and it could very well take the statues for Best Picture and Best Director.

The Awards themselves are enough to set a star on edge, but nothing like the endless red carpet line, which Weaver says seems to be getting longer every year.

Click onto the video for an update on the Oscar telecast as well as the rigors of the arrivals line from Adam Shankman, Bill Mechanic and Sigourney Weaver.

The Oscars begin Sunday with a pre-show at 5:00 p.m. PT. The actual Awards ceremony begins 5:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live from the Kodak Theatre on ABC.

AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: President Barack Obama (L) is interviewed by John Walsh (R) for the 1,000th episode of AMERICA'S MOST WANTED airing Saturday, Maarch 6 (9:00 PM-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson Photo courtesy of: The White House

America’s Most Wanted is celebrating its 1000th episode tonight and John Walsh could not be more proud of the work they do.

In the 20-plus years that the show has been on, AMW has helped capture 1108 criminals.

Click onto the video below to hear how John Walsh learned how to work on TV and AMW’s most recent captures.

Tonight AMW’s special guest is President Barack Obama.

America’s Most Wanted airs Saturday night, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

Joico educator, Adrianna De Los Reyes tells HollywoodOutbreak.com how to get red carpet-worthy hair in time for the Oscars. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Adiranna De Los Reyes tells HollywoodOutbreak.com that getting lush, beautiful red carpet-worthy hair requires choosing your products smarly. As an educator for Joico hair products, Reyes says there are simple ways to keep your hair shiny, silky and looking like a star.

Click onto the video for the techniques to washing, conditioning and flat-ironing your hair with a minimum of damage from Adrianna De Los Reyes.

Celebrity makeup artist, Carol Shaw, creator of Lorac cosmetics. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Wanna look like an Oscar-nominated star? Makeup artist to the stars, Carol Shaw has a line of cosmetics she has designed for her celebrity clients.

That list of women includes Nicole Kidman and Rita Wilson, but Shaw tells HollywoodOutbreak.com that her line works on any woman looking for star style.

Click onto video for how you too can get that Oscar look from Lorac founder, Carol Shaw.

Check out the series of pics to see how the area has changed since the street closures last Sunday night…and welcome to the madness and excitement of all things Academy Awards.

Oscar will be fully uncovered by Sunday. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Just one of the areas designated for press and the stars as they walk the red carpet. Notice the fan bleachers on the left. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Barricades are up on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard to insure the construction goes on without interruptions. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Note the overhead covering to keep stars dry all the way down the arrivals line. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Hollywood Boulevard is undergoing a transformation to all things "Oscars." This is the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave., The first stop for the stars on the arrivals line. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Every year fresh cut flowers adorn the entrance to the Kodak Theatre. Someone has to arrange it perfectly for the stars. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Unbounded imagination has always been a strongpoint in director Tim Burton’s work, and Alice in Wonderland is no exception.  Fans looking for a purist take on Lewis Carroll’s classic story may be disappointed, this film is Alice journeying into a 3D Wonderland that filled with Burton’s eye-catching visuals and underrated sense of humor.  Alice (luminous newcomer Mia Wasikowska) is no longer a child, and as a 19-year-old she forgets that Wonderland was her refuge from her relatively mundane world.  Forced into an arranged marriage, Alice refuses to fade into rigid structure of Victorian society and follows a rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen) down a hole which leads her to an entirely different universe.

At first, she doesn’t remember Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), nor even the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp, in his most outlandish Burton performance yet).  It’s up to Alice to take down the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and restore the kingdom to the Queen’s more saintly sister, the White Queen (Anne Hathaway).  But for Alice to defeat the Red Queen, she must reclaim her inner child and believe that fantasy and reality can co-exist.  The Mad Hatter, who is completely off his rocker, is Alice’s closest partner-in-crime, and the future of Wonderland lies in their hands. 

As a visual experience, Alice in Wonderland fails to disappoint, and only once has Burton completely failed at making a film a viscerally interesting watch (anyone recall Planet of the Apes).  But a little heart and resonance would have been more welcome amidst all the wonderment, Burton’s Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, and Big Fish proves that the right pinch of humanity can go a long way. Still there is much pleasure to be had from Alice in Wonderland, as watching a Tim Burton movie in 3D, or for that matter, watching any Burton flick, should be worth the price of admission. 

Alice in Wonderland is not a remake of the Lewis Carroll classic, but rather a continuation of the story years later. Where 19-year-old Alice returns to Wonderland, reunites with the resident oddballs and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The visuals – like in all Tim Burton flicks – are stunning. The story…not so much. Certainly not as inventive as the look of the pic.

The script was written by Linda Woolverton, who did a fine job with the animated version of Beauty of the Beast – but that was nearly 20 years ago. And, of course, Burton has again tapped Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter for the wacky roles of the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen, respectively. The rest of the cast includes Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Crispin Glover as Stayne Knave of Hearts and Mia Wasikowska in the lead role of Alice.

Brooklyn’s Finest revolves around three unconnected Brooklyn cops who wind up at the same deadly location. Too bad that location slaps them down in the land of every cop film cliché imaginable. The movie stars Richard Gere as the world-weary cop close to retirement, Don Cheadle as the policeman having trouble with his loyalties between law enforcement and the bad guy, Ethan Hawke as the Italian cop with a wife and seven children he’s protective of and Wesley Snipes as the larger-than-life drug dealer. In short, Brooklyn’s Finest is reduced to a hack opera without a song.

Stuart Weitzman Shoes latest Oscar collection. Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com.

Every year Stuart Weitzman unveils his Oscar collection of shoes. And in the past there has been one special number that costs a mint.

One million, $2 million worth of diamonds is not unheard of on his heels, but this season, Jane Weitzman tells HollywoodOutbreak.com that they just didn’t feel it was appropriate considering the economic climate.

Jane Weitzman, the shoe designer’s wife, gave us an exclusive look at the new collection - including a stunning, thigh-high boot with oodles of crystals on it.

Click onto the video to check out what’s new in Oscar designs  from Stuart Weitzman Shoes.

To love a Steven Soderbergh movie is to understand that, at times, cinema should push one’s expectations of visual narrative. He’s a rather ambitious director, and by taking chances with such films as Che (breaking the film into two epic parts, never letting the viewer into the mind of Che Guevera), Solaris (a man’s obsession over his dead lover masked as a sci-film), The Good German (a homage to the black and white flicks Casablanca and The Third Man) or The Girlfriend Experience (casting porn star Sasha Grey to anchor a high-def shot flick about a high-priced escort), Soderbergh has garnered his share of devotees and detractors.

With The Informant (Warner Home Video, 108 minutes, R), the bespectacled filmmaker continues to gamble (a trait he possessed long before his Ocean’s Eleven franchise) and almost hits a home run.

Matt Damon gives one of 2009’s most overlooked performances as corporate whistle blower Mark Whitacre, a biochemist turned high-powered exec at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) who worked with the FBI (here represented by Scott Bakula and Community’s Joel McHale) and blew the lid off ADM’s price fixing scheme with their various competitors.

In the Blu-ray’s audio commentary, Soderbergh explains that his decision to turn the non-fiction story into a comedy was rooted in his desire avoid comparisons to The Insider. He could have easily shot The Informant in a more dramatic, conventional style like Erin Brockovich; and if he followed suit the house money would have gone to Mr. Damon netting a Best Actor nod.

It’s also a nice touch giving comedians Tom Papa, Tom and Dick Smothers (yes, the Smothers Brothers), Tony Hale (who acquits himself well as Whitacre’s dedicated lawyer), and Rick Overton a crime comedy to chew on. And yes, Damon gaining 30 pounds for the movie and sporting the most annoying mustache since Emilio Estevez’s facial hair foray in Stakeout is commendable.

However, Soderbergh’s decision to employ prodigious composer Marvin Hamlisch to score his film, though an interesting touch, doesn’t work. Hamlisch’s score, meant to heighten comedic effect, is too overpowering, giving the impression that The Informant is a bit too cutesy for its own good. The score has the emotional gravitas of the opening theme of Love, American Style, and though it’s probably what Hamlisch intended, it’s definitely a unnecessary in The Informant.

What saves the movie from sheer mediocrity is Soderbergh’s arresting visual style. He turns what is essentially a talking-head movie into a compelling enough experience. Whitacre, a fan of John Grisham and Michael Crichton novels, envisioned himself as a white knight in the price fixing scandal, even though he was an embezzler and a chronic liar who suffered from bipolar disorder. Much of the film’s comedy comes from Whitacre’s internal dialogue, which serves as the quasi-voiceover that runs throughout the movie. It’s easy to see why Damon loved the part; Whitacre is a man of contradictions who ends up deceiving everyone - maybe even himself.

Scott Bakula provides standout work as FBI agent Brian Shepard, a guy who is also looking out for Whitacre’s best interests, even when Whitacre threatens him with a rather ridiculous lawsuit.

Special features on the Blu-ray release include the aforementioned audio commentary from Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (who adapted the Kurt Eichenwald book The Informant: A True Story) plus six minutes of deleted scenes. Much of the commentary delves into the director’s creative choices behind The Informant (this reviewer had no idea he shot much of the film in available light) and he elaborates on why directing a comedy was much more freeing for him after the exhaustive journey he took with Che.

One deleted scene has Whitacre talking to the FBI agents and possibly taping them in the process, much to their befuddlement. Final Judgment: The Informant is worthy of a Blu-ray purchase if you’re a fan of Soderbergh (even though he’s done more memorable commentaries before, most notably in The Limey with screenwriter Lem Dobbs and Point Blank with Director John Boorman) - and watching deleted scenes is your bag.

As a film, The Informant could have been a first rate outing for Soderbergh sans the campy Hamlisch score and if the filmmaker didn’t fully commit to the picture being a comedy. There’s so much drama and resonance behind The Informant to be had, and really, that’s no laughing matter.

GREY'S ANATOMY - ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" stars Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres. (ABC/BOB D'AMICO)

Sara Ramirez has been enjoying the storyline for her character Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy.

The actress says the gay relationship between Callie and Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) has been nothing but rewarding.

Though she knows there are some who aren’t happy about any gay characters on TV, Ramirez is only getting positive feedback from fans of the show.

Click onto media bar for Ramirez’ description of the fan reaction to her character.

 Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursday nights, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

New York has been a good luck charm to Wesley Snipes, thanks to his memorable work as drug lord Nino Brown in New Jack City as well as his supporting turn in the Christopher Walken crime drama King of New York.  Now after several years of cinematic obscurity, Snipes is back on the big screen (and in the Big Apple) with Brooklyn’s Finest, director Antonine Fuqua’s (Training Day) latest foray into the cop world.  Snipes has been starring in movies financed internationally, and much of his work has gone straight to DVD.  The Blade actor explains the “new playing field” of today’s movie business. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR WESLEY SNIPES)

THE OFFICE -- "The Delivery, Part 1" Episode 618 -- Pictured: (front, l-r) Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor, Jenna Fischer as Pam Halpert, John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, Steve Carell as Michael Scott -- Photo by: Justin Lubin/NBC

Pam and Jim (Jenna Fischer, John Kransinski) are about to become parents in - and I do mean in The Office.

Pam goes into labor and delays going to the hospital because Jim and she want more time together in the hospital.

The Office star, Steve Carell – with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek – wants fans to ready themselves for the big event, which could get graphic.

And turning serious – within reason of course – the actor explains why this is the episode fans have been looking forward to since the start of the sitcom.

Click onto the two videos for info on tonight’s episode of The Office…through the usual perspective of Steve Carrel.

 The Office airs Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Former American Idol finalist Adam Lambert’s music is hard to put in a little box, and his debut album “For Your Entertainment” is a gumbo pot of catchy pop rock that, thanks to Lambert’s innate swagger, is far from boring.  As for his favorite song on the album, Lambert doesn’t get into any specifics (although this writer loves Lambert’s addictive track “If I Had You”).  (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR ADAM LAMBERT)

MERCY -- "I Have A Date" Episode 114 -- Pictured: (l-r) Alison Sweeney as Becky Sorenson, James LeGros as Dr.Dan Harris -- Photo by: Nicole Rivelli/NBC

Alison Sweeney is one busy woman. Not only is she a regular on the daytime drama, Days of Our Lives, but the actress also hosts the primetime reality show, The Biggest Loser. And tonight she guest stars as a woman receiving emergency treatment at Mercy Hospital on the breakout series, Mercy.

Her busy schedule takes some serious juggling, Sweeney tells HollywoodOutbreak.com. However, she admits it’s important to striking while the iron is hot.

Sweeney is used to being the veteran performer on the set, having spent many years on Days, but being the new kid on the block in an established series was more fun than she expected – plus she got to plant a hefty lip-lock on series star, James LeGros.

Click onto four media bars for:

Why Alison Sweeney said yes to Mercy.

Alison Sweeney explaining her character on Mercy.

The differences between being a veteran as opposed to guest starring on a TV show.

How Alison Sweeney balances her workload.

Mercy airs 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- "P.C." Episode 1114 -- Pictured: (l-r) Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler, Kathy Griffin as Babs Duffy -- Photo by: Will Hart/NBC

Tonight Kathy Griffin makes her guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU as a local activist helping detectives Benson and Stabler (Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni) after a lesbian from the community is found dead.

This is new territory for the comedienne who is used to going for the jugular to get laughs rather than playing it straight. Still, she discovered that giving meaning to someone else’s words has a satisfaction of its own.

The episode was a surprise for Mariska Hargitay, too. The actress not only had a few emotional hurdles of her own to jump over – but watching Griffin negotiate that sensitive territory was impressive.

Click onto the two videos for:

Kathy Griffin’s dramatic turn on SVU.

Mariska Hargitay’s reaction to tonight’s show.

Law & Order: SVU airs 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

THE MARRIAGE REF -- 103: Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld, Eva Longoria Parker -- Pictured: Jerry Seinfeld -- Photo by: Patrick Harbron/NBC

Jerry Seinfeld didn’t have to look far for ideas for his new reality show on wedded bliss, The Marriage Ref. The series brings together a number of stars to offer up their advice for couples struggling through tough times.

Seinfeld apparently spent endless hours discussing the joys of marriage with his buddy, series host, Tom Papa.

Click onto video for the birth of The Marriage Ref from Jerry Seinfeld.

The Marriage Ref airs Thursdays, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Jeremy Renner, who is nominated for an “Oscar” in the Leading Actor category, stars in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment). Photo credit: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment.

Jeremy Renner has changed since starring in The Hurt Locker. He has an Academy Award nomination in the Leading Actor category, but more than that he has a different perspective on the soldiers risking their lives everyday.

Because of his newfound understanding of what military personnel endure, he’s heading out in the fall with the USO to meet the soldiers personally – and to thank them for their service.

And there are scenes that still run his blood cold – even though he was there when those on-screen moments were shot. For instance a sequence involving a suicide bomber that hit way too close to home.

And Renner is using the film as an educational tool for his own family, to help them understand what sort of sacrifice the brave men and women are making.

Make no mistake about it, the actor knows what a lucky man he is to have landed one of the most enviable roles of the season.

Click onto media bars for:

How Jeremy Renner’s views have changed about the military.

Which scene that had the strongest effect on the actor.

How he showed the film to his family educate them about the sacrifice the military makes.

Why the roles was important for Jeremy Renner.

The Hurt Locker is out on DVD in time for fans to revisit the action again prior to the Academy Awards.

The Oscar telecast broadcasts live, March 7th, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Cast photo from the pilot episode of TV Land’s first original scripted sitcom series, “Hot in Cleveland,” starring Jane Leeves, Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli and Wendie Malick (L to R). Photo courtesy of TV Land.

TV Land has chosen the cast for their first original sitcom, Hot in Cleveland. Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick play three mature L.A. women who are best friends.  Their lives are changed forever when their plane – headed for Paris – unexpectedly lands in Cleveland, where they end up planting themselves in their new home.

Not only do they have to adjust to living under one roof, but they also have to contend with the feisty caretaker of the property, played by Betty White.

TV Land has order 10 episodes of the series that is set to begin airing in June of this year.

Meryl Streep and Robert Osborne on the red carpet at the 81st Annual Academy Awards® at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Credit: Erik Ovanespour / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Film historian, Robert Osborne will once again greet the guests on the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards. It’s the fifth time that Osborne has chatted it up with the stars on the arrivals line - and those conversations are broadcast loudly for the fans in the coveted bleacher seats along the carpet.

Osborne has a long relationship with the movies and the Oscars. His columns have been a mainstay for the Hollywood Reporter, but he is also the author of the Academy’s 80 Years of Oscar, the official history of the Academy Awards. Osborne’s other gig is the primetime host of Turner Classic Movies.

The Oscars are awarded March 7th at the Kodak Theatre and will be broadcast live on ABC beginning 5:00 p.m. PT, 8:00 p.m. ET.

Many of you know that TV shows and movies regularly cycle in and out of the Hulu service. When a show is about to cycle out, we try our hardest to ensure that users who have subscribed to the show or have episodes of the show in their queue are notified in plenty of time so that they can catch up before the series sunsets. But typically we don’t recognize these expirations in any larger way than that, as it’s a fairly regular occurrence. Today, though, I want to recognize a couple of our favorite shows that are leaving the service for now, shows that we love so much that we simply can’t let them go without a more public and fond farewell.

The shows I’m referring to are The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, as well as a handful of library shows, all from Comedy Central. The team at Comedy Central have been great partners for us, and our users have been extremely vocal and passionate about how much they love what the Comedy Central folks are doing.

In the past 21 months, we’ve had very strong results for both Hulu and Comedy Central, in terms of the views and revenue we’ve generated, thanks to a couple of key trends. First, more and more of our viewers have voted with their time by making these shows a regular part of their day. And second, we’ve driven steadily increasing revenue per view as advertisers voted with their budgets to take advantage of innovative ad formats and very strong advertising effectiveness. After a series of discussions with the team at Comedy Central, though, we ultimately were unable to secure the rights to extend these shows for a much longer period of time.

So for now, these shows are rotating off the service — or more specifically, at 11:59 p.m. PST next Tuesday, March 9th, these shows will come down from Hulu. We encourage all of you to watch them at TheDailyShow.com and ColbertNation.com, either by going there directly or by searching on Hulu to help you get there. In the meantime, we are continuing to talk to the Comedy Central folks about a number of opportunities. They’re a great team and I’m confident that we’ll be working with them in multiple ways in the future … so stay tuned and know that we are scouring the earth for more great content for you.

"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)_A Voltage Pictures Production_Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, producers. Credit: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has formally announced that if The Hurt Locker takes the big prize at this year’s Oscars, look for three out of four of the film’s producers to be at the podium.

The organization has denied attendance to the 82nd Academy Awards® as a penalty for violating Academy campaigning standards.

Nicolas Chartier apparently went a little – actually a lot overboard by emailing members of the Academy soliciting votes. That’s not what caught the Oscar peeps’ attention though. He also took potshots at one of the other nominated films. That’s a big no-no in polite circles and especially with the Academy. Hench the heave-ho.

Still, Chartier should consider himself lucky. The Academy could have just as easily rescinded his nomination, but the committee stopped short of doing that - although it was a consideration.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7th, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

WHITE COLLAR -- Pictured: (l-r) Willie Garson as Mozzie, TIffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke, Tim Dekay as Peter Burke -- Photo by: David Giesbrecht/USA Network

We’re heading into the home stretch on the cable series White Collar. The season finale is set for next week and according to Willie Garson, who stars and Mozzie, a man on the fringe of the law, there will be answers…just none that he’s willing to admit.

For those of you out there who have wondered how Mozzie hooked up with the sketchy group he does business with, well, that too may be on the agenda for the finale…along with the origins of Mozzie’s eccentric name.

Click onto the two media bars for:

An update on the season finale of White Collar from Willie Garson.

Info on Mozzie’s name and his notorious friends.

White Collar airs Tuesdays, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network. The season finale is set for March 9th.

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- "P.C." Episode 1114 -- Pictured: Kathy Griffin as Babs Duffy -- Photo by: Will Hart/NBC

Kathy Griffin is appearing on Law & Order: SVU as a local activist helping detectives Benson and Stabler (Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni) with a case involving a murdered lesbian.

Griffin is primarily known for her comedy timing, but Mariska Hargitay was pleasantly surprised by her dramatic skills…and her fearless confidence.

Click onto video for the working relationship between the actors on the set of SVU from Mariska Hargitay.

Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

LOST – Emilie De Ravin returns to the island on "Lost," which airs TUESDAYS, 9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/MARIO PEREZ) EMILIE DE RAVIN.

While Claire’s (Emilie De Ravin) storyline on Lost was essentially MIA last year, she’s back for the show’s final season. This time out, however, Claire is not the co-dependent mother with sensitivity issues. With her baby Aaron missing (actually Kate took him!), Claire has transformed herself into a vengeful jungle survivor determined to find her child. De Ravin talks about how Claire has changed in the Lost universe. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR EMILIE DE RAVIN)

Lost airs tonight on ABC at 9 pm et/pt.

Although Robert Pattinson’s smoldering eyes and James Dean posturing has won him over a legion of fans, one wonders if his success mainly lies in the Twilight and Harry Potter franchise. Pattinson gets his shot with the romantic drama Remember Me playing a ne-er do well in New York who finds solace in the arms of a quirky girl (Emilie de Ravin). Pattinson talks about why he believes Remember Me is, for lack of a better word, memorable. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR ROBERT PATTINSON)

The movie, co-starring Pierce Brosnan, opens nationwide March 12th.

JOHNNY DEPP IS MAD AS A HATTER

One expects Johnny Depp to let his imagination run wild whenever he decides to act in a Tim Burton film, and he definitely doesn’t hold back as The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Playing such eccentric characters as Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka, and Sweeney Todd makes Depp one of Hollywood’s most intriguing, and unpredictable actors. He’s essentially a man on a tightrope once again as The Mad Hatter, and he talks about his process of creating something new without resorting to his old tricks. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR JOHNNY DEPP)

Alice in Wonderland opens nationwide Friday.

Parenthood premieres tonight on NBC at 10 pm et/pt.

Movies on DVD

2012 didn’t really need a story to quite literally destroy the world – on camera that is. But the story revolves around the Mayan prediction of the Earth ending in the year 2012. John Cusack stars as a divorced father trying to insure that not all mankind is killed when the prophecy comes true.

Special Features: Deleted scenes, alternate ending, Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic featurette, commentary with Writer/Director Roland Emmerich and Co-Writer Harald Kloser, Time For Miracles Music Video by Adam Lambert.

The original Clash of the Titans starring Harry Hamlin is making its way to shelves just in front of the release of the remake. Love the Kraken? How about Medusa? Yeah, this flick is a perfect example of why studios turned to expert, Ray Harryhausen for their special effects needs.

Special Features: A conversation with Ray Harryhausen, myths and monsters gallery, plus the theatrical trailer.

Hayao Miyazaki fans should enjoy Ponyo, an animated feature dealing with the friendship between a 5-year-old boy and a goldfish princess who is longing to be human. This one is a must-have on Blu-ray for Anime enthusiasts.

Special Features: The World of Ghibli - visit Ponyo in this extraordinary interactive experience, Enter the Lands - meet the characters and hear the story of the movie, Behind the studio - discover the film’s inspiration through documentaries, including all-new interviews with Hayao Miyazaki, meet Ponyo - disc introduction with the producers, plus storyboard presentation of the movie.

Where the Wild Things Are is the film adaptation of the Caldecott-winning children’s book of the same name. The movie is visually stunning n the hands of quirky Director Spike Jonze.

Special Features: Series of Where the Wild Things Are shorts by Lance Bangs.

TV on DVD

Dog lovers unite! Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: Season 4, Volume 1 is making its way to store shelves. Love that patron of pooches.

Special Features: The 100th episode of Dog Whisperer, up-aired segments: the monster of Manhattan & co-worker dogs, plus a bloopers reel.

Hell’s Kitchen Season 2 features the uber-angry Gordon Ramsay, who demands perfection and when contestants fail they get burned royally by the chef. All that mayhem in a three-disc set – who could ask for more?

Tell us your thoughts.

One of Richard Gere’s more memorable performances was as a crooked cop who butts heads with Andy Garcia in the 1990 flick Internal Affairs. Twenty years later, he’s back with the police drama Brooklyn’s Finest, a movie which is directed by Training Day filmmaker Antoine Fuqua.  The movie, co-starring Training Day’s Ethan Hawke, opens Friday, and Gere gives us his thoughts on the price cops pay on a daily basis. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR RICHARD GERE)

Before 24 landed on his doorstep in 2001, Kiefer Sutherland’s film career was pretty much going in the tank with films like The Cowboy Way, Beat, Break Up, and Ground Control essentially relegated to late night cable fodder. But it’s 2010, and 24 has given Sutherland steady work for almost a decade and the chance to headline the films The Sentinel and Mirrors. There is also a 24 movie in the works, and although he really can’t put it into words, Sutherland realizes that he has gleaned a bit of information from the Fox series. Just what that is, well…that’s anybody’s guess. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR KIEFER SUTHERLAND)

Jack Bauer tries to save the U.S. once again on 24, which airs Monday at 9 pm et/pt.

Beverly Hills, CA — Past Oscar winners Kathy Bates, Barbra Streisand and Charlize Theron will join former Oscar nominees Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah and John Travolta as presenters at the 82nd Academy Awards®, telecast producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic announced today. Collectively the group has earned 16 nominations and won four Academy Awards.

Bates won an Academy Award® for her lead performance in “Misery” (1990). Streisand won Oscars® in 1968 for her lead performance in “Funny Girl” and in 1976 for the Original Song “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born).” In 2003 Theron received an Academy Award for her lead role in “Monster.”

Downey earned Oscar nominations for his lead performance in “Chaplin” (1992) and his supporting role in “Tropic Thunder (2008). Both Jackson and Queen Latifah received nominations for their supporting roles in “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “Chicago” (2002), respectively. Travolta earned nominations in the lead acting category for both “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) and “Pulp Fiction” (1994).

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

THE CAST OF FOX’S SMASH SHOW “GLEE” HITS THE STAGE

IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, PHOENIX AND CHICAGO THIS MAY

Special Presale To American Express Cardmembers Starts March 5; Tickets Go On Sale To General Public Friday, March 12 for the Phoenix Date and Saturday, March 13 for Los Angeles, New York & Chicago

In an unprecedented live event, Twentieth Century Fox Television and “Glee” co-creator Ryan Murphy are bringing the hit television show to concert stages this spring.

Beginning Wednesday, May 18 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, “Glee” stars Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Mark Salling (Puck), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Heather Morris (Brittany), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike) and Dijon Talton (Matt) will perform in a singing and dancing celebration of the Golden Globe Award winning show.

 The four-city exclusive engagement, “Glee Live! In Concert!,” is a unique concert experience conceived by Murphy that will include live performances of some of the show’s most memorable musical numbers including its anthem “Don’t Stop Believin,” fan favorites “Somebody To Love” and “Jump” and hits “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “Sweet Caroline.” 

 “The response of the fans to our little show has been so immediate and so gratifying, we wanted to get out and thank them live and in person,” commented Murphy. “And what show lends itself more to a concert than ‘Glee?’ We can’t wait to take this show on the road and the actors couldn’t be more excited to perform live for audiences in these four cities.”

 “This has been such an extraordinary year for ‘Glee’ and I can’t think of a better way to finish up the first season than performing live on stage with the cast,” commented Michele, a Broadway veteran. Added Monteith, “This show has changed my life in so many ways. If you had told me a year ago that I’d be performing classic rock songs in concert theaters around the country, I would never have believed you. We are psyched!”

 2010 Glee Live! In Concert! dates:

May 18 Phoenix, AZ                 Dodge Theatre

May 20 Los Angeles, CA         Gibson Amphitheatre

May 21 Los Angeles, CA         Gibson Amphitheatre

May 25 Chicago, IL                  Rosemont Theatre

May 26 Chicago, IL                  Rosemont Theatre

May 28 New York City, NY       Radio City Music Hall

May 29 New York City, NY       Radio City Music Hall

Select tickets will be available to American Express cardholders in an exclusive pre-sale beginning March 5; tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, March 12 at 10 a.m. for the concert in Phoenix, and Saturday, March 13 at 9:00 AM for the concerts in  N.Y.C. and 10:00 AM for L.A. and Chicago. Tickets will be available via www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000 or at any Ticketmaster Outlet. Tickets will be available at the Dodge Theatre, Gibson Amphitheater and Rosemont Horizon Theatre box offices as well. Ticket prices range from $89.50-$39.50. “Glee Live! In Concert!” has also teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of fan ticket packages for the show, including premium seats, parties and more. For more information, please visit “Glee” at www.gleetour2010.com

“Glee” returns with a host of new episodes on Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and the cast will begin production on Season Two of “Glee” following the tour. The show boasts winning ratings, critical acclaim, a rabid fan base of “GLEEks,” two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads. GLEE has won a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy. The series has received two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series and the American Film Institute named “Glee” one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year.

Law & Order airs Monday Nights on NBC

Photo credit: Greg Gorman

Stop relying on stylists, says jet-setting author, Jackie Collins. The novelist is flat-out tired of seeing the stars dolled up for the award shows, dripping with jewels and wearing gowns that aren’t theirs and never will be.

Collins would like to see individuality on that red carpet this year instead of the string of the walking, talking advertisements celebrities have become in recent years.

Click onto media bar for:

Why Jackie Collins wants to see stars rid themselves of stylists.

Collins new novel, Poor Little Bitch Girl is currently heating up store shelves.

Kathryn Bigelow’s character study, The Hurt Locker has gotten nothing but rave reviews and attention since its debut last summer. And now the filmmaker is the darling of the industry thanks to a heap of awards and nomination including the nod for Best Picture and Director for the upcoming Oscar Awards.

It’s all about telling stories for Bigelow and she humbly credits world events (i.e. war) with the public reaction to her movie. We, of course, believe it’s her stellar skills, which she’s demonstrated time and again - though the material in the past never really quite measured up to her abilities (Blue Steel, Point Break, K-19 The Widowmaker).

Now the action director is hitting her stride and is taking in the well-deserved success - after over 30 years in the business.

Click onto media bar for:

Why Kathryn Bigelow credits the story for The Hurt Locker’s success.

Why she didn’t change a thing from conception to delivery of the film.

The Oscars are awarded Sunday, March 7th. The program will air live from the Kodak Theatre and broadcast on ABC.

For her very first novel Wench, Dr. Dolen Perkins-Valdez takes a real setting to weave together a story of slavery from a new perspective. Wench was inspired by a historical biography on civil rights activist, W.E.B. Du Bois entitled Biography of a Race (David Levering Lewis). A casual mention of Wilberforce University in that book, was the fertile ground for a new take on slavery and the relationships between the master and his property as well as the dynamics between the slaves.

Perkins-Valdez was surprise enough that the university was once a resort for slave owners and their slave mistresses, but she was also surprised that children born from the master/slave affair were sent to college.

Perkins-Valdez spares no one’s feeling as she presents the horrors of that period in time, but every detail is for a reason, not for the sake of shocking the reader. And despite her lead character being a slave, it is Lizzy who she most identifies with.

Wench could have easily become just another slavery story, but the author has carefully woven an intricate examination of the history of racial intermingling whether forced or coerced.

Click onto the three media bars for:

What surprised the author.

Who she identifies with most.

Why she held nothing back.

Although Taylor Lautner received tons of screen time for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the actor is even more excited for the release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.  Lautner, who can currently be seen in the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, talks why he is completely enamored with Eclipse’s story. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TAYLOR LAUTNER)

The Crazies is in theatres now.

Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com

The street closures in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards are set to begin this Sunday evening and will be in effect until Tuesday morning after the ceremony.

What that means for residents is a bit more traffic in the area – OK a lot more traffic in the area – but city officials will tell you it’s all worth the inconvenience. Certainly the shop owners will get a boon from the exposure.

The Kodak Theatre sits on Hollywood Blvd. between Orange and Highland Avenues so that is precisely where the streets will be blocked off to traffic.

It won’t happen all at once though. The first closure begins Sunday, February 28th, 10:00 p.m. PT allowing for the press risers, fan bleachers and pre-show stages to get erected directly on the path of the red carpet. Then the streets will reopen at 6:00 a.m. March 1st…for a bit. They’ll close again at 10:00 p.m. PT that same night and stay shut until Tuesday, March 9th, 6:00 a.m. PT.

Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com

The day of the Awards the Hollywood/Highland complex is shutdown – better yet, locked down - and without credentials the area is off limits. Shops in the complex take a hit financially during that time (the Academy doesn’t compensate for lost revenue), but they make it up in triplicate with all the free advertising from press outlets covering the enormous yearly event. And get this, the subway stop directly adjacent to the Kodak is bypassed from the time of the last train on Saturday night prior to Oscar Sunday and will not reopen until Monday, March 8th, 6:00 a.m. PT after the Awards. Yeah, movies are big business in this town and everyone rallies with the understanding of the long-term benefits to the industry (our biggest export by the way).

Fans can checkout the action – on foot anyway – but be advised, the day of the Oscars is set up like a fortress so getting anywhere near the theater within a six block radius is impossible without security clearance.

Photo: HollywoodOutbreak.com

Joan Rivers is returning to TV Land for a second season of the reality show, How’d You Get So Rich?

If you haven’t seen the series, Rivers goes into the homes and businesses of some of the wealthiest entrepreneurs dissecting exactly what it took to put them at the top of the financial heap. But more than that, she pries and asks all the questions we all want to know about their opulent lives.

Wanna see how the other half lives? How’d You Get So Rich? returns to the net May 5th, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on TV Land.

Director Kevin Smith’s view askew universe takes a higher profile turn with Cop Out, a movie which is a homage to such tongue in cheek buddy films like The Hard Way and Stakeout.  With Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan as the leads, Cop Out is Smith’s biggest studio film since….wait, has he actually made a big studio film??  With respect to Ben Affleck and in memory of the director’s father, Smith talks about why he shot Cop Out, which is now playing nationwide. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR KEVIN SMITH)

(CNN) — Has Carly Simon finally told the world the subject of “You’re So Vain”?

In a new version of the 1972 hit song from her album “Never Been Gone,” the singer whispers a name during an instrumental break. Played backward, the name is revealed to be “David.”

Simon, 64, gave an interview to Uncut magazine about the backward whispering, which prompted the U.K. tabloid The Sun to report that “David” is record executive David Geffen.

But Simon’s publicist disputed the theory.

“The man’s first name is David,” she told CNNRadio, “but it could be one of many Davids.”

The Sun’s theory revolves around the idea that Simon recorded the song to express displeasure at Geffen’s signing of a rival, Joni Mitchell, for his record label, Asylum Records. Simon wasn’t on Asylum, but her label, Elektra, merged with it in 1972, the year her album “No Secrets,” containing “You’re So Vain,” was released. Geffen was put in charge of Elektra/Asylum.

Simon has long played possum (to paraphrase one of her album titles) about the identity of the “You’re So Vain” character, who travels by Lear Jet to witness an eclipse and, cuttingly, “probably think[s] this song is about you.”

At one point she said he was a composite; other times she has maintained he has certain letters in his name. NBC executive Dick Ebersol paid $50,000 at a charity auction for the revelation and a live performance of the song.

Rumors have focused on Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger and Kris Kristofferson, among others. Beatty has said he believes it’s about him.

In a 2002 interview with CNN.com, Simon said that “You’re So Vain” wasn’t the only song about the man, whomever it might be. “There are always clues in other songs. The guy has repeatedly appeared in my songs,” she said.

Entertainment Weekly’s Simon Vozick-Levinson described the new theories as “speculative.” “There’s not that much evidence that the David she’s talking about is that David. … David is a very common first name and there’s any number of people she could be talking about.”

The interest is timely and promotional, of course: Simon recently announced a contest on her Web site, CarlySimon.com, inviting fans and filmmakers to create a music video using the original or new version of her song. She will screen all entries herself, select a winner and meet the filmmaker, whose winning entry will also be premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Whatever the answer is, Simon has been tickled that a song’s puzzle — now almost 38 years old — could still have such a hold on the public.

Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan is receiving his best notices in years thanks to director Roman Polanski’s first rate thriller The Ghost Writer.  In the film, Brosnan plays a disgraced former British prime minister living in America after being accused of war crimes across the pond.  Ewan McGregor is the ghost writer hired to pen the prime minister’s memoirs  and discovers he’s taken on a bit more than he can chew. Brosnan himself, who has had his share of tabloid stories and unauthorized biographies fall at his doorstep, is considering writing a memoir of his own. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR PIERCE BROSNAN)

Jeffrey Paul finishes Candace's makeup prior to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual fashion show held as part of the "Oscars Designer Challenge 2010." Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010. credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Fashion designers paraded their gowns down the runway, many with diamond, pearl and crystal accents for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kick-off of its yearly Oscar Fashion Preview.

Now get ready to vote because for the second time running the Academy is giving Oscar fans the opportunity to log onto www.oscars.org and cast a vote for the dress and model they’d most like to see appearing on the show, handing out trophies to the Academy Award winners.

HollywoodOutbreak.com caught up with Oscar’s Fashion Coordinator, Patty Fox, who explained who’s in the running in the competition, along with Designers Oday Shakar and Ari Sheuhmelian, who describe the inspiration for their dresses, landing them into the finalist category for the fashion competition.

Still, no gown is complete without jewels, so Martin Katz, of Martin Katz Jewelry loaned his creations to the designers to complement the dresses. And he’s tossed in a bit of color for those of us out there who love splashes of yellows, oranges, purples and blues.

Click onto video to hear the latest Oscar trends from the fashion and design masters.

You’ve only got until Monday, March 1st to vote, so check it out and make your Oscar-worthy selection.

The Academy Awards telecast airs live from the Kodak Theatre, March 7th on ABC.

The Twilight franchise has transformed talented and charismatic ingénue Kristen Stewart into a bankable Hollywood commodity, but don’t expect the actress to completely cash in on her success.  For the past two years, Stewart has used her Twilight success to star and promote such independent films as The Cake Eaters, Adventureland, and the new film The Yellow Handkerchief, and The Runaways.  The actress elaborates on how Tinseltown’s producers are jumping on the Kristen Stewart bandwagon. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR KRISTEN STEWART)

Does the world need another buddy cop film in 2010??  Apparently, director Kevin Smith, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan believe that genre is still ripe for genuine laughs.  Willis and Morgan talk about the people who should have a good time with their new film, which is garnering mixed reviews from critics.  (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW BRUCE WILLIS & TRACY MORGAN)

AMERICAN IDOL: Season 8 winner Kris Allen performs on AMERICAN IDOL, which aired Thursday, Feb. 25 on FOX. CR: Frank Micelotta/ FOX.

Kris Allen was back on American Idol Thursday night – not to be judge, but to rock the house – and to raise a little money in the process.

Proceeds from Allen’s performance of Let it Be on the show will benefit United Nations Foundation’s Haiti relief efforts via the Idol Gives Back Foundation.

The season eight winner actually traveled to Haiti and shared footage from that trip on the show. After the Idol performance Allen reflected on his trip to the region and seeing the toppled city firsthand. However, the spirit of the survivors was inspiring.

Click onto media bars for:

What Allen saw in Haiti

How the country may recover and actually be better than before the quake.

 How it feels to have his CD moving toward platinum status.

What it was like to step onto the Idol stage again.

 Allen’s cover of The Beatles tune Let It Be sells for $1.29 on iTunes!

Be careful what you drink…that’s the message of The Crazies, a horror pic surrounding a town where the residents go nuts, try to kill the remaining townsfolk, then die – all because of a toxin in the water supply. The sheriff tries to digest the situation…while keeping his family and two more townies safe. Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell and Joe Anderson star. Fans of the original George Romero flick will not be disappointed with this re-imagining of the film.

Cop Out stars Bruce Willis as a NYPD cop whose valuable baseball card is stolen. What does he do? Enlists the help of his partner (Tracy Morgan), who has his own problems, to track down the thief, who turns out to be a gangster with an obsession for memorabilia. Solid performances from the flick’s stars who often rise above the formula script.

NEW YORK – After turmoil that included public squabbling, threats of a lineup change and a rehab stint, Aerosmith is back and ready to rock.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have announced their “Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock” European summer tour — with Steven Tyler.

The band made the announcement Thursday. It also posted a video on its Web site in which Tyler, sitting with the rest of the band, jokes: “I just auditioned and I got the gig.”

“We’re coming your way and rocking your world! Look out because here we come,” he says as he looks at guitarist Joe Perry and the group breaks out in laughter.

Aerosmith, which has been one of rock’s enduring bands over the past three decades, has been in limbo since Tyler fell off a stage during an August concert in South Dakota, injuring himself and forcing the band to cancel the rest of their summer tour.

After that, Perry expressed anger that the group had been sidelined and said Tyler needed to get his act together. For his part, Tyler was quoted as saying he was interested in going solo, and soon the band was talking about replacing Tyler with another singer.

In December, Tyler checked in to rehab for a painkiller addiction, a problem he blamed on years of injuries suffered while performing with the band.

In an interview this week, bandmate Joey Kramer said: “Everything right now in Aero-land is very copacetic. … We will carry on and do what we do best.”

As far as their latest drama, he said: “The one common denominator that we still all have is that we all love to get up on stage and rock out, play music and bring joy to people. And we let the other drama, as of late, kind of filter itself out by the wayside and concentrate on more of what’s important, which is the playing and the business at hand.”

The band, best known for hits like “Walk This Way,” has a long history of discord and overcame heavy drug abuse in the 1970s and early 1980s, but has been a mainstay in rock since enjoying a revival more than two decades ago.

Their tour starts in Sweden on June 10.

Several months ago Mo’Nique received a bit of a backlash when she expressed her disinterest at promoting Precious to curry favor with Academy voters and film critics. But once awards season was in full bloom, she changed her upside down frown into a smile and has been quite the trooper, especially since the Oscars is right around the corner. Mo’Nique, complete with a new attitude, talks about the Oscar buzz behind her perofmrance. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR MO’NIQUE)

Former American Idol finalist Adam Lambert is still trying to regain the momentum he lost from his controversial American Music Awards performance last year.  With a voice and showmanship that rivals the late Freddie Mercury, Lambert should bounce back, and when he does he would love to work with a singer who doesn’t mind courting a bit of controversy himself.  Here’s a clue regarding Lambert’s dream collaboration: Ziggy Stardust!! (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR ADAM LAMBERT)

Over the years, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have collaborated on some of Hollywood’s most visually arresting and inventive films, most notably Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, and Sweeney Todd.  Now they are back to bring their spin to Alice in Wonderland, and Burton talks about the joy of his twenty year relationship with Mr. Depp. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR TO HEAR TIM BURTON) 

Alice In Wonderland opens March 5th

Rumors have circulated since the Hollywood auditions that Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell have clashed on American Idol.  Cowell tries to dispel the rumors of clashing with DeGeneres, although he admits that the pair are not exactly thick as thieves.  (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR BELOW TO HEAR SIMON COWELL)

American Idol airs tonight (8 pm et/pt) on Fox.

Jackie Collins latest potboiler is "Poor Little Bitch Girl." Photo credit: Greg Gorman.

The newest Jackie Collins novel, Poor Little Bitch Girl is all the sex, sizzle and intrigue expected from the famed author, but she has made some changes her readers will be surprised by.

Some of the story is told in a narrative, other parts are first person from the character Denver, who is about as ballsy as any number of her strong and successful women of the past.

And like any good Jackie Collins story, the cover of the book is equally important. Take a close look and you’ll see a woman’s mouth…wide open…preparing to eat something off her finger. It’s racy, but Collins laughs when asked about it. She claims her publishers were concerned that fans might misconstrue the intention. We say isn’t that the point? The mysterious treat? A finger-full of caviar, which Collins says is meant to be suggestive, but nothing we wouldn’t be happy to shove in our mouths.

The characters have fantastic names as in all the her stories, but the title is calculated as well, which in this case is an offshoot from a television series she was working on entitled Poor Little Rich Girls. Once she chose that name, it stuck.

And Jackie Collins fans, rejoice! We could very well see a movie about this latest adventure. In fact, she’s currently producing the film Paris Connection featuring one of her more popular characters, Madison Castelli, starring Trudy Styler (Sting’s wife).

In the past Hollywood hasn’t quite captured the steam of her books, but Collins hasn’t given up on movie versions of her stories. Now she just produces them herself to keep the integrity. However, Collins is convinced that Quentin Tarrantino could make her characters smolder on the screen.

Click onto the four media bars for:

Why Jackie Collins switched up the narrative to first person in the book.

Why the publishers freaked a bit by the cover of her book.

How she came up with the title Poor Little Bitch Girl.

Who she’d like to see turn her books into films.

For more on Jackie Collins log onto www.parisconnectionsmovie.com and to chat it up with the novelist check out her Twitter page @jackiejcollins.

Mike Medavoy has had his hand in over 300 films spanning over 30 years. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, Terminator, Silence of the Lambs…yeah, he had his hand in all of those flicks…and more.

Shutter Island is the newest pic on his endless list of credits and Medavoy claims hasn’t always been an easy road. However, working with a group like the team involved in Shutter Island…namely Director Martin Scorsese and Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, is just as exciting today as it was in the beginning of his career.

  Click onto media bar for the reasons why Mike Medavoy still loves his job.

Shutter Island took the top spot at the box office over the weekend bringing in $40-plus million.