Entertainment
Columbia University Celebrates Kathryn Bigelow, Its Big Oscar Winner
82nd Academy Awards Oscar Winners
You knew it was unavoidable: Colleges claiming Oscar winners the day after the glamorous event. And who can blame them? Why else would they have a 'Famous Alumni' section on Wikipedia?
Matt Damon
Green Zone
Matt Damon & Greg Kinnear in Green Zone
Director Paul Greengrass delivers a skillfully made package, but this feels like a too-soon proposition. Green Zone is partly real and partly outlandish in its wishful thinking. An Army officer hunting for WMDs in 2003, the fictional Miller (Matt Damon) knocks heads with everyone in Baghdad.
Mia Wasikowska
Alice in Wonderland
Mia Wasikowska & Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland
Director Tim Burton's new extravaganza won't be for everyone. It's a little rough for preteens, and it doesn't throw many laughs the audience's way, but along with 'Sweeney Todd,' this is Burton's most interesting project in a decade. Wonderfully well-chosen actress Mia Wasikowska plays Alice, and Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter.
Pink Flies High at the Grammys
Liz Smith
In some ways, I thought the Grammys belonged to Pink. Ten years after her initial surge to fame with 'Get This Party Started,' the soulful-voiced blonde, had one of those classic gasp-inducing performances -- I've rarely seen or heard anything as astonishing as Pink's rendition of 'Glitter.'
Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins
The Wolfman
Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman
Someone or something is on the loose in late-1800s England, slaughtering Gypsies and good, upright English folk. When a famous Shakespearean actor (Benicio Del Toro) is attacked and begins showing signs of trouble, it's his father (Anthony Hopkins) who takes care of him, though he seems strangely interested in letting 'the beast' run free.
J.D. Salinger: Artist Who Never Wanted to Be an 'Idol'
Mitch Albom
When someone told me J.D. Salinger had died, I jokingly asked, 'How do they know?' It was dark humor and a tad disrespectful. But I was trying to be complimentary. Salinger, who was even more passionate about his privacy than his writing, had managed, at age 91, to die a legend in both areas.
Ultimate HDTV HD Television Buying Guide
David LaGesse
We studied the hundreds of HDTV flat-panel television sets that plastered walls at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and have distilled a quick guide to today's key options
Television - TV Vets Assess Sitcoms
Brian Lowry
David Lee -- part of the creative trio that launched 'Wings' and 'Frasier' -- left television in 2004 finding a nifty second act in his first love, the theater. Lee agreed to discuss TV's current comedy landscape, which has seemingly taken several welcome turns.
Mel Gibson
Edge of Darkness
Mel Gibson & Ray Winstone in Edge of Darkness
Mel Gibson plays a detective bent on revenge after his nuclear-researcher daughter is murdered. This entertaining thriller, a compressed two-hour version of a six-hour 1985 British TV miniseries, also features Ray Winstone as an assassin/fixer/philosopher who quietly becomes the most intriguing character.
Duhamel & Bell
When in Rome
Kristen Bell & Josh Duhamel in When in Rome
In Rome for her sister's wedding, a tightly wound woman (Kristen Bell) drunkenly scoops out of a magic fountain a handful of coins tossed in by lovelorn tourists who become her magic stalkers, smitten without knowing why. These suitors keep turning up back home and throwing plot obstacles in the way of our heroine after she meets a charming sports columnist (Josh Duhamel).
Will Conan O'Brien Jump to Fox
Brian Lowry
Now, with his 'The Tonight Show' tenure complete, Conan O'Brien could very well be heading back to the latenight Fox slot he left behind two decades ago -- but this time as host. It's far from a slam-dunk solution for O'Brien, however.
Brendan Fraser & Harrison Ford
Extraordinary Measures
Brendan Fraser & Harrison Ford in Extraordinary Measures
This fact-based drama concerns a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. marketing exec, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser), whose two kids contracted a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Racing against time to finance the development of a cure, Crowley's plight became a story of dedication, inspiration and not taking "no" for an answer. Harrison Ford plays the scowling, antisocial researcher who may hold the key to the kids' survival.
Horacio Camandule
Gigante
Horacio Camandule & Leonor Svarcas in Gigante
I don't know if Adrian Biniez ever wrote a song about a stalker when he was with the Argentinean band Reverb, but that's how Biniez's first feature-length film project, Gigante, turned out: like a catchy three-minute pop ballad, expanded artfully into an 84-minute ode to the fine line separating the shy-but-girlfriend-worthy loner from the genuine sociopath.
Dwayne Johnson
The Tooth Fairy
Dwayne Johnson & Ashley Judd in The Tooth Fairy
Dwayne Johnson stars as a minor-league hockey player known as The Tooth Fairy for his ability to knock his opponents' teeth all over the rink. The real tooth fairies do not approve of him, so he's lifted off to Fairyland, where Julie Andrews oversees his stint as a real tooth fairy whose wings sprout at inconvenient times.
- The Book of Eli
- The Lovely Bones
- The Spy Next Door
- The White Ribbon
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
- Daybreakers
- Youth in Revolt
- Leap Year
- The Joy of Singing (Le Plaisir de Chanter)
- The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
- It's Complicated
- Sherlock Holmes
- Nine
- A Single Man
- Crazy Heart
- Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
- Police, Adjective
- La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet
- TV's Best for 2009: Can't Pick Just 10
- Avatar
- All-Star Cast Brings Big Guns to director Rob Marshall's 'Nine'
- Did You Hear About the Morgans?
- The Young Victoria
- Broken Embraces
- Cloud 9 (Wolke Neun)
'Tony Hawk: Ride' - Wii
'Tony Hawk: Ride'
Russ Fischer, Crispy Gamer
I've fallen off 'Tony Hawk: Ride' 100 times already. This version of the never-ending skateboarding franchise comes packed with a life-size fake skateboard to use as a controller, but it might as well be a bucking bronco.
'James Cameron's Avatar: The Game'
'Avatar: The Game'
Evan Narcisse, Crispy Gamer
Unlike many tie-in games, 'James Cameron's Avatar: The Game' doesn't transpose the movie's plot into game form. What it does do is offer up the same core themes with different characters
More Videogaming & Video Game Reviews ...
Invictus
Invictus
Morgan Freeman & Matt Damon in Invictus
This stately, impressive film from director Clint Eastwood is anchored by its actors. Morgan Freeman plays South African president and revolutionary game-changer Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon plays rugby captain Francois Pienaar. In the South African rugby team's long-shot chances for a victory in the 1995 World Cup Final, Mandela sees a grand opportunity.
Princess & the Frog
The Princess and the Frog
Anika Noni Rose & Bruno Campos in The Princess and the Frog
How can a good-looking animated feature with a Randy Newman song as kicky as 'When We're Human' end up being just sort of ... all right? Featuring Disney's first African-American princess, this movie lacks for nothing in setting and atmosphere but comes up short where it counts: the characters.
Zac Efron & Claire Danes
Me and Orson Welles
Zac Efron & Claire Danes in Me and Orson Welles
A real charmer, 'Me and Orson Welles' is the work of a director who takes nostalgia, romantic possibility and the theater seriously, without being a pill about it. Richard Linklater's film version of a Robert Kaplow novel tells a fairy tale based in fact. Strolling the Manhattan theater district one day in 1937, the story's fictional protagonist stumbles into Orson Welles and is hired to appear in Welles' modern-dress revival of 'Julius Caesar.'
George Clooney
Up in the Air
George Clooney & Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air
For a movie set in a sour economy, 'Up in the Air' is very crafty about lobbing to the sweet spots of all concerned. It is smooth as glass, destined for a big audience and many awards. George Clooney stars as a well-tailored hatchet man for an Omaha firm.
De Niro & Barrymore
Everybody's Fine
Robert De Niro & Drew Barrymore in Everybody's Fine
It's a relief to see Robert De Niro giving an honest, effective starring performance in a project that does not stink. How long has it been? This Americanized remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 'Stanno Tutti Bene' is gracefully acted by a good cast.
Maguire & Gyllenhaal
Brothers
Tobey Maguire & Jake Gyllenhaal in Brothers
This gripping film is an honorable addition to the tradition of homefront war stories. The stars playing the brothers of the film's title, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, have been effective in much of their respective screen work, but their best stuff here is the their best stuff to date.
Jennifer Lyons
Transylmania
Jennifer Lyons & Oren Skoog in Transylmania
Ten college 'types' set off for a semester of study at Romania's Razvan University, which is actually a castle where students occasionally disappear. Might the vampires who once ruled the roost be to blame?
Catalina Saavedra
The Maid
Catalina Saavedra & Mariana Loyola in The Maid
A spiky social comedy from Chile, Sebastian Silva's 'The Maid' features a marvelous, moon-eyed actress, Catalina Saavedra, as a sphinx-like servant who has lived, worked and, slowly, calcified for a bourgeois Santiago family for 23 of her 41 years.
The Movie Star Deluxe - Elizabeth Taylor
Liz Smith
YOU SEE, she didn't care about being a star. She cared about living a certain way. It was what she was used to. And she lived that grand life with Burton and thought they'd have it forever. That's what was most important to her: to have a great companion in her great life ... it was all about being with him. That's all that really mattered.
Oscarcast Challenged By More Nominations
Brian Lowry
Widening the Academy Awards field to 10 contenders for 2009 was hailed and criticized on various fronts, with some seeing the expanded roster as a crass, grade-inflating attempt to provide more populist appeal -- thus boosting the audience's rooting interest and, presumably, the kudocast's ratings.
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga: New Moon
This much-anticipated sequel is actually pretty good -- a tick better than the first 'Twilight,' which wasn't bad, either. The second film in the series is bigger, better in the effects and more vibrant visually.
Nicolas Cage & Eva Mendes
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Nicolas Cage & Eva Mendes in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Director Werner Herzog's delirious new movie is a true feat of daring and one of the craziest films of the year. The drug-abusing cop has been relocated from New York to New Orleans, and in place of Keitel's fits of anguish, Herzog has found his ideal interpreter, a performer whose truth lies deep in the artifice of performance: Nicolas Cage, at his finest
Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson
The Messenger
Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
A decorated Army soldier (Ben Foster) with post-traumatic stress disorder is assigned to the Casualty Notification program, meaning that he and a fellow officer (Woody Harrelson) must deliver news of a fallen soldier's death to family members. This pungent little chamber piece offers a full yet delicate range of emotions, and it humanizes its characters so that polemics are left in the background.
Sandra Bullock & Tim McGraw
The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock & Tim McGraw in The Blind Side
Based on a book by Michael Lewis, this film fumbles a true story of an African-American product of the Memphis projects who ended up at a Christian school and in the care of a wealthy white family, then went on to NFL glory. The star is Sandra Bullock, whose character is conceived as a steel magnolia with a will of iron.
Dwayne Johnson & Justin Long
Planet 51
Dwayne Johnson & Justin Long in Planet 51
The big joke here is that an alien has 'invaded' a suburban town. The alien is us, a NASA astronaut (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) who touches down and bounces out with his American flag, only to realize he's interrupting an alien barbecue. This is a good-looking movie; it's just low on laughs.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Pirate Radio
Philip Seymour Hoffman & Bill Nighy in Pirate Radio
With nearly 60 classic cuts, this may be the coolest music video masquerading as a movie ever. It's hard not to feel the love as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans and others in the groovy ensemble spin this mostly tall tale of the English Parliament's fight to crush rock radio and the rogue broadcasters who went to sea to keep it afloat
John Cusack
2012
John Cusack & Chiwetel Ejiofor in 2012
'2012' samples everything from 'Earthquake' to 'The Perfect Storm' to 'The Towering Inferno' to the Bible. John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson are among the actors pushing along whatever 'story' you can find here.
Jocelin Donahue
The House of the Devil
Jocelin Donahue & Greta Gerwig in The House of the Devil
This is a fine little old-school thriller set in the 1980s. A cash-strapped college student (Jocelin Donahue) accepts a babysitting job at a scary old Victorian home, but once she arrives, she discovers there's no baby to sit; her charge is the unseen mother of a lanky pair of creeps (Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov).
Tony Jaa
Ong Bak 2
Tony Jaa & Primrata Dej-Udom in Ong Bak 2
Tony Jaa, Thailand's biggest action hero, returns to inflict more damage in 'Ong Bak 2: The Beginning. ' Given its title, you might expect that this film has some connection to the original 'Ong Bak' of a few years back, but you would be wrong.
Gabourey Sidibe
Precious
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
Precious is an exceptional film about nearly unendurable circumstances, endured. The story is about a teen living in 1980s Harlem, raped by her barely glimpsed father, abused by her unfathomably cruel mother. Precious is illiterate but bright, and she switches to an alternative school where she comes under the life-saving tutelage of Ms. Rain. There'll be an Oscar nomination or two in this film's near future
Jim Carrey & Gary Oldman
Disney's A Christmas Carol
Jim Carrey & Gary Oldman in Disney's A Christmas Carol
Disney's A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens -- demoted!), is an extravaganza of colliding intentions. But just when you're ready to give up on it, Zemeckis reminds you that he's capable of true visual dynamism, enhanced but not wholly dictated by the digital landscape he so clearly adores. Plus, Jim Carrey is good as Scrooge
George Clooney & Ewan McGregor
The Men Who Stare at Goats
George Clooney & Ewan McGregor in The Men Who Stare at Goats
Here's a quirky comedic drama about one of the stranger aspects of the modern U.S. Army: a time when certain high-ranking officers felt that the New Age techniques and beliefs of the counterculture could transform military practice as we know it. Director Grant Heslov is unable to make "Goats" a completely successful film, but it's still worth watching because it provides a showcase for a group of actors
Milla Jovovich & Elias Koteas
The Fourth Kind
Milla Jovovich & Elias Koteas in The Fourth Kind
Milla Jovovich plays a Nome, Alaska, psychotherapist whose sleep-deprived patients tell her chilling, cryptic stories of owls and abduction when she puts them under hypnosis. The conceit that director Olatunde Osunsanmi milks is an interview between the director and the 'real' Dr. Abigail Tyler
Adam Goldberg & Marley Shelton
(Untitled)
Adam Goldberg & Marley Shelton
The new comedy "(Untitled)" wanders the exhibition spaces, lofts and performance venues of Manhattan, eavesdropping on the narcissistic mutterings of a group of artists, bohemians and poseurs. This is a tale of two brothers. Adrian (Adam Goldberg) devotes his sour life to forbiddingly atonal music. Brother Josh (Eion Bailey) is the opposite: no standards but lots of money in the bank.
Cameron Diaz & James Marsden
The Box
Cameron Diaz & James Marsden in The Box
A man arrives at a suburban couple's home, having previously placed a mysterious item at the couple's doorstep. The man (Frank Langella) tells the woman (Cameron Diaz): Push the button on this thing, and you'll get rich, but someone in the world will die as a result. Langella is just right -- a little menacing, a little comforting. Everything else is not quite right, or not in the least right.
Mariah Carey - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Mariah Carey - This 'Imperfect Angel' Knows What Love Is
Liz Smith
"ALL MY life, my saving grace, the thing that kept me steady, was listening to music; on the radio, on records or my mother's singing." That's the famously voluptuous singing superstar Mariah Carey, with whom I had a brief conversation the other day. I was the last of Mariah's duties that long afternoon; she'd given about 19 interviews to promote her new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel."
Barbra Streisand, Still Pitch-Perfect After All These Years
Liz Smith
Barbra Streisand's voice has not suffered much over the years, despite the fact that she doesn't exercise those golden vocal chords. She has admitted to some last-minute warm-ups right before recording or beginning a tour, but otherwise, she just opens her mouth and out come those famous tones, ravishing, if inevitably matured and deeper.
In Theaters: Movie Reviews
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson's This Is It
Produced with the cooperation of the Jackson estate, "This Is It" has no interest in telling the full story of anything, or the crumbling state of anyone. Director Kenny Ortega -- Jackson's partner in staging the London concert that never came to fruition -- is simply trying to suggest in some detail what sort of overstuffed career retrospective Jackson was attempting
Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard
An Education
Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard in An Education
Novelist Nick Hornby's screenplay for British journalist Lynn Barber's memoir sands a few edges off the corners of its heroine's story, yet the film is awfully charming. It bops along with so much esprit and lively acting.
Hilary Swank & Richard Gere
Amelia
Hilary Swank & Richard Gere in Amelia
This Amelia Earhart biopic isn't a bad movie, but it's distressingly ordinary for such an extraordinary subject. Played by an aptly cast and game Hilary Swank, Earhart becomes a checklist of Historical Legend accomplishments
Astro Boy Anime Movie Feature
Astro Boy
Freddie Highmore & Kristen Bell in Astro Boy
Astro Boy first appeared in a Japanese comic in 1951. His adventures led to a '60s Japanese TV series, then to the first of the American spin-offs, and now "Astro Boy" hits the big screen. I wish the film version of "Astro Boy" provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity. With the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage
John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit
John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit in Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
In this campy vampire flick, the truce between vampires who sip, leaving humans a little weaker but none the wiser, and those who gorge, leaving death and destruction behind, comes to an end. This is an adaptation of the frothy kids book series by Darren Shan.
- Where the Wild Things Are
- The Damned United
- Law Abiding Citizen
- New York, I Love You
- Couples Retreat
- A Serious Man
- Good Hair
- Free Style
- Capitalism: A Love Story
- The Invention of Lying (3 Stars)
- Zombieland
- Whip It
- The Boys Are Back
- Big Fan
- Paranormal Activity (2 1/2 Stars)
- Fame
- Bright Star
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- The Informant
- Jennifer's Body
- Love Happens
- The Burning Plain
- 9 Animated Feature Movie Review
- Whiteout
- The September Issue
- Taking Woodstock
- All About Steve
- Extract
- World's Greatest Dad
- My One and Only
- Inglourious Basterds
- Post Grad
- Shorts
- Fifty Dead Men Walking
- X Games 3D: The Movie
- Bandslam
- District 9
- Ponyo
- The Time Traveler's Wife
- The Goods: Live-Hard. Sell Hard
- Julie & Julia
- A Perfect Getaway
- Paper Heart
- Adam
For more Movie Reviews & Trailers visit our Movies Section (Click Here)
Is It Legal to Copy a DVD?
David LaGesse
Consumers are accustomed to copying music disks to their computers, making it easy to transfer them to portable MP3 players like the iPod. Many wonder why they can't do the same with movies on DVD. Two recent court rulings nixed novel approaches that sought to make it easy and legal for consumers to copy DVDs to computers and elsewhere. Here's a quick guide to what the courts have said, what it means to consumers
Who was Michael Jackson
Victor Davis Hanson
When Michael Jackson tragically died two weeks ago, millions were shocked. The wonder, though, is not that the troubled pop-music megastar died at the relatively young age of 50 under regrettable circumstances, but that he was able to live as long as he did
Michael Jackson, Gone Too Soon
(M. Ryder)
Remembering My Michael Jackson
Liz Smith
Here's how I want to remember Michael -- not as the mega-star, not as Wacko Jacko, but as a lovely boy whom I got to know a bit during the filming of "The Wiz" when he was 16. He was shy -- surprisingly so, for somebody who was already a show biz veteran, and a star.
His solo "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" albums were just around the corner. He was still the brilliant lead singer of the Jackson Five -- a group that never would have gotten off the ground had it not been for Michael's unique talents.
Academy Awards Expand Oscar Best Picture Nominations to 10
Timothy M. Gray
And the winner is... well, actually there are lots of winners with the decision to broaden the best-picture Oscar race to 10 films. The board's decision to double the category to 10 nominees "may make it more interesting and less cloistered," said Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Sid Ganis at a press conference Wednesday morning.
TELEVISION
Discovery Channel explains Nitty-Gritty of Dirty Jobs
Liz Wolgemuth
Throughout the course of the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs", Mike Rowe, 47, has parachuted into incredibly dirty jobs, including coal miner, shrimper, and even skull cleaner, paying tribute to the value and integrity of manual laborers as he sloshes around in knee-high nastiness right beside them. A recent interview with Mike Rowe about Dirty Jobs ...
NBC Puts a Royal Spin on Latenight
Brian Lowry
Most of Craig Ferguson's audience was doubtless mystified when he used his opening segment to ridicule NBC's press release proclaiming Conan O'Brien "the new king of late night."
Fresh Reality TV Shows Try to Find Spot on Crowded Sked
Finding a spot is the big challenge right now for first-season reality TV programs. After all, there are only so many hours in the day to watch television, and viewers tend to be loyal to their favorite show, even if it's a little long in the tooth.
'Breaking Bad' -- Am I the Only Person Watching This Great TV Show
Liz Smith
After having its maiden run shortened by the writer's strike, 'Breaking Bad' recently capped a breathtaking second season that delved deeper into the show's world of moral ambiguity and unintended consequences," writes Variety's pundit Brian Lowry.
81st Academy Awards - 2009 Oscar Winner & Nominees
"Slumdog Millionaire"
Leads the Way
8 Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire
In much the same manner that the film captured the hearts of movie-goers, "Slumdog Millionaire" captured the hearts and votes of the Academy garnering 8 Oscars in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Daily Comics & Your Favorite Comic Strips Online
Popular & Classic Comic Strips Online
Your favorite comics strips Animal Crackers, Annie, Bound & Gagged, Brenda Starr, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy, Broom-Hilda, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Gil Thorp, Housebroken, Loose Parts, The Middletons, Pink Panther, Raising Hector, Sylvia, 9 to 5, Bliss, Bottom Liners, Love Is..., Pluggers all online at ComicStripNation.com
BBC world music DJ Gillett dies
BBC Radio 3 DJ Charlie Gillett, renowned as a champion of world music, has died aged 68 after a long illness, his family confirms.
Bullock no-show scuppers premiere
The UK premiere of The Blind Side is scrapped after its Oscar-winning star Sandra Bullock pulls out of the event, organisers say.
Net piracy takes 'toll on jobs'
The growth of illegal file-sharing could cost European countries 1.2m jobs and 240bn euros by 2015, an industry report says.
New record deal for Jedward
X Factor finalists John and Edward Grimes have switched record labels after just one single, it is announced.
Family scatter Painting's ashes
The ashes of the late Norman Painting, best known for playing Phil Archer in BBC Radio 4's The Archers, are scattered in a private ceremony.
Tube Banksy work regains its halo
A Banksy poster that was censored for use on the Tube is restored by an unidentified graffiti artist.
BBC triumphs at TV awards
The BBC wins 18 prizes out of 25 main categories at the RTS Awards, including best soap for EastEnders.
Corey Haim laid to rest in Canada
A private funeral service is held in Toronto for actor Corey Haim following his death at the age of 38 last week.
Krankies back after panto tumble
The Krankies return to pantomime in Glasgow for the first time since "Wee Jimmy" almost died in an on-stage accident.
Record estimate for Picasso work
A painting owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Art Foundation should fetch at least £40m when it is sold in June.
Mantel on Orange Prize longlist
Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel is longlisted for this year's Orange Prize for Fiction for her historical novel Wolf Hall.
Folding plug wins design accolade
A folding plug is named as the overall winner at this year's Brit Insurance Design Awards, ahead of a collection by late fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
Edinburgh Festival plans 'new world' theme
The modern-day culture of the "new world" will be explored in this year's Edinburgh International Festival.
Oops! Red faces after adult channel airs on children's TV
US TV bosses apologise after preview clips of the Playboy channel were accidentally played out on two children's channels in North Carolina.
Keys and Peas launch World Cup
Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas are to perform at a concert in South Africa that will officially kick off this year's World Cup football tournament.
Jackson in 'biggest' record deal
The estate of Michael Jackson agrees a deal worth $200m (£160m) with the record label Sony, US reports say.
Abba receive Hall of Fame honour
Abba are inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with British band Genesis and reggae master Jimmy Cliff.
Orbital book Glastonbury return
Orbital sign up to headline the Glastonbury's Other Stage for the festival's 40th anniversary, 16 years after a legendary gig at Worthy Farm.
Alice stays top of UK box office
Fantasy film Alice In Wonderland remains top of the UK and Ireland box office for the second week in a row.
Segel 'to star in Muppets movie'
Forgetting Sarah Marshall star Jason Segel is to star as the lead human actor in the new Muppets film, according to reports.
Winslet and Sam Mendes split
Actress Kate Winslet and her film director husband Sam Mendes have split up, their lawyers announce.
Cotillard receives French honour
Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard receives one of France's highest cultural honours at a ceremony in Paris.
Spooks star 'cast as Luther King'
British actor David Oyelowo is to play Martin Luther King in Precious director Lee Daniels' next film, according to reports.
Corrie family to join Kyle show
One of Coronation Street's most dysfunctional families are set to appear in the 1,000th episode of the Jeremy Kyle Show.
Strictly star Cassidy is pregnant
Former EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Cassidy announces she is pregnant with her first child.
Ads 'exaggerated climate change'
Two government press adverts aimed at raising awareness of climate change are banned for overstating the risks.
In Pictures: Royal TV Society Awards
The stars attend this year's Royal Television Awards, which took place on Tuesday night in London.
Behind the veil
Letters by reclusive author JD Salinger go on show
Winslet split
Film couple's career and marriage in profile
The good girl
Why Jennifer Aniston won't strop
Gomp/arts
Children's bedrooms turned into shoeboxes
Bourne again
Spy director and star reunite on thriller Green Zone
Big Bang
The struggle of keeping a car going on coffee beans
BBC News | Entertainment | UK Edition
Get the latest BBC Entertainment news: breaking news, views and analysis on celebrities, music, film, theatre, TV and radio plus audio-video content.
Your Favorite Comic Strips Online
Daily Comics & Your Favorite Comic Strips Online
Your favorite comics strips Animal Crackers, Annie, Bound & Gagged, Brenda Starr, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy, Broom-Hilda, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Gil Thorp, Housebroken, Loose Parts, The Middletons, Pink Panther, Raising Hector, Sylvia, 9 to 5, Bliss, Bottom Liners, Love Is..., Pluggers all online at ComicStripNation.com
2009 OSCAR NOMINEES 81st Academy Awards
2009 Academy Award Oscar Winners
2009 Best Picture Oscar Nominations
2009 Best Animated Feature Oscar Nominations
2009 Best Lead Actress Oscar Nominations
- Kate Winslet in "The Reader"
- Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"
- Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"
- Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"
- Meryl Streep in "Doubt"
2009 Best Lead Actor Oscar Nominations
- Sean Penn in "Milk"
- Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor"
- Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"
- Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
- Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"
2009 Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominations
- Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
- Amy Adams in "Doubt"
- Viola Davis in "Doubt"
- Taraji P. Henson in "Benjamin Button"
- Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"
BROOM HILDA
HOUSEBROKEN
PINK PANTHER
9 TO 5