GMA News Online / Showbiz / Showbiz Abroad

Mark Wahlberg apologizes for 9/11 comments

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:12:46 +0800

LOS ANGELES - Actor Mark Wahlberg apologized on Wednesday for saying events may have turned out differently had he been on one of the planes that crashed on 9/11, after incurring the wrath of critics and one victim's widow.

Poland's Oscar hopeful revives ghosts of Holocaust

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:13:35 +0800

Polish director Agnieszka Holland will take her third shot at an Academy Award with a dark film that dwells on the ambiguous attitudes of her countrymen towards the Nazi Holocaust. Holland's 'In Darkness' recounts the World War Two exploits of Leopold Socha, whose efforts to help Jews evade capture by the Nazi forces in Poland led Israel's Yad Vashem institute to place him with the Righteous Among the Nations.

A Minute With: Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:10:16 +0800

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, starting ten days of movie screenings and providing the launching pad for some of the world's top low-budget features and documentaries at the largest U.S. gathering for independent filmmakers. The 117 movies to be screened at the festival held in the ski resort of Park City, Utah were selected from 4,042 features submitted, including 24 in competition.

Country music great Haggard hospitalized with pneumonia

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:02:48 +0800

Country music great Merle Haggard has been admitted to a Georgia hospital suffering from pneumonia and postponed the rest of his concert dates in January, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Haggard, 74, entered the Macon hospital on Tuesday night after he canceled a show in that Georgia city seven minutes before he was to take the stage because he was too ill to perform, said Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend.

John Mayer back in spotlight, strumming new guitar

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:59:06 +0800

When Grammy-winning singer John Mayer returns to the musical spotlight in 2012, he's going to let his guitar do his talking. And not just any guitar, it will be a new limited edition, 12-fret acoustic made by C.F. Martin & Co. Mayer and Martin & Co. will unveil the six-string guitar, of which only 25 will be made, on Wednesday at the National Association of Music Merchants annual gathering in Anaheim, California, south of Los Angeles.

Adele joins 'Titanic' in her 16-week chart reign

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:56:38 +0800

British singer Adele's multi-platinum selling album '21' scored its 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, entering an elite list of only five albums to cross the that mark in the past 20 years. '21,' which has been selling more than 100,000 copies each week for 33 weeks, joined the ranks of the soundtrack to the 1997 box-office phenomenon 'Titanic,' Whitney Houston's soundtrack to 1992 film, 'The Bodyguard,' country crooner Garth Brooks' 'Ropin' The Wind' and Billy Ray Cyrus' 'Some Gave All,' also in 1992, all of which crossed 16 weeks at No. 1.

LL Cool J to host Grammys

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:53:17 +0800

Rapper and 'NCIS: Los Angeles' actor LL Cool J will be the first official host of the Grammy Awards in seven years, the Recording Academy said on Wednesday. 'I'm thrilled to be a part of music's biggest night,' said the two-time Grammy award winning host.

Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis near split: report

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:50:13 +0800

Johnny Depp's 14-year romance with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis has hit the rocks, People magazine claimed on Wednesday, and the couple are living largely separate lives. In a cover story for this week's issue of People called 'Love Gone Wrong,' the celebrity magazine quoted several unnamed sources as saying the pair's relationship is nearing an end.

Judge clears Bruno Mars of cocaine charge

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:05:02 +0800

LOS ANGELES - A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday dismissed the cocaine possession case against pop star Bruno Mars after he successfully completed court-ordered drug education classes and community service, even exceeding the amount of hours he was told to serve.

Big Brother Brazil participant probed for rape

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:35:07 +0800

A participant in the Brazilian version of reality TV show 'Big Brother' is being investigated for suspected rape of a fellow housemate while she apparently was asleep during the program. Police on Tuesday questioned male model Daniel Echaniz, 30, who was shown in live images in bed with 23-year-old Monique Amin apparently having sex under the covers.

Iran cautious over Golden Globe film 'A Separation'

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:26:43 +0800

The Iranian government sounded a note of caution on Tuesday about the success of 'A Separation' which won a Golden Globe for best foreign film, saying gritty realist films favored by critics showed a skewed version of the Islamic Republic. While Iranian movie fans were thrilled to see director Asghar Farhadi receive the award from Madonna in a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, the Tehran government, which keeps a tight control on movie output, has shown less enthusiasm.

Silent film 'The Artist' leads BAFTA nominations

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:15:54 +0800

Silent movie 'The Artist' made itself heard on the awards circuit on Tuesday, leading the field with 12 BAFTA nominations. The French black-and-white comedy, a homage to the 'pre-talkie' era set in 1920s and 1930s Hollywood, was shortlisted for best film, actor, actress, director and original screenplay by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Lindsay Lohan 'doing it well' on probation, judge says

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:10:56 +0800

LOS ANGELES - Actress Lindsay Lohan, who is on probation after being convicted for drunk driving and theft, has made good on completing her court-ordered community service and therapy on time, pleasing a judge at a progress hearing on Tuesday.

Taylor Swift aims at Jake Gyllenhaal on new album?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:05:10 +0800

Taylor Swift says her new album will be about an 'absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak,' prompting speculation in the media that the latest subject of her songwriting skills may be her short-lived 2010 crush on Jake Gyllenhaal.

Thriller 'Contraband' nabs box office title

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:42:52 +0800

Adult thriller 'Contraband' starring Mark Wahlberg grabbed the weekend movie box office title, beating expectations with an estimated $24.1 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters. 'Contraband' added $1.5 million from seven international markets for a global opening-weekend debut of $25.6 million, distributor Universal Pictures said.