L.A. Times - Entertainment News

Some Oscar hopefuls aren't up to the gold standards of their past
Guild honors Kathryn Bigelow as best director for 'The Hurt Locker'
'Winter's Bone' wins grand jury prize for drama at Sundance
Actor Rip Torn charged with breaking into Conn. bank while drunk and carrying a loaded gun
The path to success is no longer labeled
Hollywood's romance with Rome
Live review: Dave Matthews, Elton John, Wilco and more pay tribute to Neil Young

Some Oscar hopefuls aren't up to the gold standards of their past

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 05:57 PM PST

Some pundits might be tempted to conclude that the movie business is healthier than ever. Take a closer look.

Guild honors Kathryn Bigelow as best director for 'The Hurt Locker'

Posted: 31 Jan 2010 12:22 AM PST

It is the first time a woman has won the award.

'Winter's Bone' wins grand jury prize for drama at Sundance

Posted: 31 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

Writer/director Debra Granik's mystery-tinged tale also receives prestigious screenwriting award. The U.S. documentary prize goes to 'Restrepo' and the world category winner is 'Animal Kingdom.'

Dark films, particularly those that engage with social and political themes, dominated the Sundance Film Festival awards Saturday night.

Actor Rip Torn charged with breaking into Conn. bank while drunk and carrying a loaded gun

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:02 PM PST

SALISBURY, Conn. (AP) — Actor Elmore "Rip" Torn has been charged with breaking into a Connecticut bank and carrying a loaded handgun while intoxicated.

The path to success is no longer labeled

Posted: 31 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

Hunting for a record deal won't cut it anymore. Modern bands are focusing more on the Internet, looking for film soundtrack opportunities and piggy-backing album sales on designer T-shirts.

One in a series of occasional articles

Hollywood's romance with Rome

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

The Eternal City has loomed large in various love-centered comedies and dramas, most recently 'When in Rome,' starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.

The Eternal City has loomed large in various love-centered comedies and dramas, most recently 'When in Rome,' starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.

Live review: Dave Matthews, Elton John, Wilco and more pay tribute to Neil Young

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 11:59 AM PST

Young is hardly the oldest guy in pop music, yet something about his music is primordial.

L.A. Times - Entertainment News

Video: 'Avatar' and the future of acting
Getting ready for Grammy night
Preview review: 'Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps'
Kings of Leon: Pop's unlikely royal family is back at the Grammys
Time Warner's Bewkes gets raise of up to $3.25 million
Odds of Hollywood finally making a 'Catcher in the Rye' movie: Less than zero
Videos: Diane Birch, still in her pre-disco stage
Layoffs to hit CBS News next week
Oprah Winfrey Network buys its first documentary, 'Family Affair'

Video: 'Avatar' and the future of acting

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 04:26 PM PST

On Tuesday, the Academy Awards nominations will be announced, and it's a good bet that no film will have its name called out more than "Avatar."

On Tuesday, the Academy Awards nominations will be announced, and it's a good bet that no film will have its name called out more than "Avatar."

Getting ready for Grammy night

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

Performers including Pink, Jamie Foxx and T-Pain are put through their paces in the lead-up to Sunday's extravaganza.

In this era of award show proliferation, it's hard not to smirk at the "once-in-a-lifetime" advertising campaigns for shows such as the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on CBS Sunday night. Beyoncé is up for 10 Grammys this year and you have to suspect that back at the home, the trophy room is the most cluttered corner -- well, except for the walk-in shoe closet.

Preview review: 'Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps'

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:01 PM PST

While a newly released trailer for "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" doesn't give much away, it does drop us right back into the fast-paced, "Greed is good" world of executive Gordon Gekko.

While a newly released trailer for "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" doesn't give much away, it does drop us right back into the fast-paced, "Greed is good" world of executive Gordon Gekko.

Kings of Leon: Pop's unlikely royal family is back at the Grammys

Posted: 31 Jan 2010 12:00 AM PST

With a gospel foundation and a kitchen-sink mentality, the musical kin have cobbled a sound that has something for everyone. 'Use Somebody' is a huge hit that's inspired many covers and they have fou

Caleb Followill will be trembling in his black leather ankle boots when the Record of the Year prize is announced tonight at the Grammy Awards. "Use Somebody," the hugely popular power ballad by Kings of Leon, is nominated in that category and three others. That gives the 28-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist four chances to get up on stage and choke. ¶ "Our family gets to see it. That's the only reason I go to the Grammys," said Followill during a wine-soaked interview at Giovanni Ristorante, across the street from his recently purchased Nashville luxury apartment, a week before the awards ceremony. ¶ Family is important to Followill; the other members of the Kings are his older brother Nathan on drums, his younger brother Jared on bass and his cousin Matthew on guitar. "The Grammys are a scary place for me. I fight panic attacks, so it's not a fun time for me. If we win and we have to go up there and talk I probably won't say a word. I won't be able to." ¶ Followill is given to declarations like this one, somehow both modest and a bit overblown. They complement his persona, which persuasively melds the hedonistic bravado of macho guitar slingers with the insecurities of sensitive indie-rock types. ¶ Kings of Leon has become the emblematic band of the new decade by resurrecting the sound and spirit of rock's classic era for a generation that doesn't view the music as necessarily heroic or transformative. Combining the blues strut of the Rolling Stones with the jitters of post- punk bands like Joy Division and, more recently, the reach of U2, the Kings of Leon do what great pop does -- they transcend any specific root or subculture to make something universal. And "Use Somebody," with its churchy chorus and what Caleb calls its "double meaning" of mercenary lust melting into loneliness and soul hunger, was a perfect anthem for a troubled year like 2009.

Time Warner's Bewkes gets raise of up to $3.25 million

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:58 PM PST

The recession isn't thinning Jeff Bewkes' wallet.

The recession isn't thinning Jeff Bewkes' wallet.

Odds of Hollywood finally making a 'Catcher in the Rye' movie: Less than zero

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:00 PM PST

Hollywood never had a chance to make a movie out of J.D. Salinger's delightful "The Catcher in the Rye," though it wasn't for lack of trying.

Hollywood never had a chance to make a movie out of J.D. Salinger's delightful "The Catcher in the Rye," though it wasn't for lack of trying.

Videos: Diane Birch, still in her pre-disco stage

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:08 PM PST

The soul singer has been playing to a new audience, opening for Nick Jonas on his club tour.

The soul singer has been playing to a new audience, opening for Nick Jonas on his club tour.

Layoffs to hit CBS News next week

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:38 PM PST

The budget tightening is expected to affect every newscast, including "60 Minutes," the network's crown jewel, although that show will likely suffer minimal losses.