Wesley Snipes ordered to jail on tax chargesOn Friday, a judge ordered actor Wesley Snipes to begin serving a prison sentence for tax-related charges. According to legal documents obtained by CNN, the judge ruled that "The Defendant, Wesley Trent Snipes, is ordered and directed to surrender himself for execution of sentence upon receipt of notice from the United States Marshal or the Bureau of Prisons as to where, when and to whom he should report for that purpose." Prosecutors had argued that, for almost a decade, the actor avoided paying income taxes to the tune of millions of dollars and he was convicted of three misdemeanor counts of failing to file tax returns and sentenced in 2008. In July of this year, a federal appeals court denied actor Snipes' claim that his three-year prison sentence for tax evasion was "unreasonable." In rendering his decision Friday, the judge wrote " The Defendant Snipes had a fair trial; he has had a full, fair, and thorough review of his conviction and sentence by the Court of Appeals; and he has had a full, fair, and thorough review of his present claims, during all of which he has remained at liberty. The time has come for the judgment to be enforced." What the critics are saying about 'Potter'The seventh installment of the “Harry Potter” franchise is one of the most anticipated movies of the decade, and, as predicted, Radcliffe and the gang have racked up quite a few rave reviews. “You don't make $5.7 billion in theatrical revenue, however, by being cavalier about your source material and the watchword for the ‘Potter’ series in general, and this film in particular, is making the audience feel like it's in safe hands,” Los Angeles Times Film Critic Kenneth Turan writes. Love was in the air on 'Big Bang Theory'It finally happened. For those who swear that there is an undercurrent of something special between Raj and Howard, Thursday night’s kiss on “Big Bang Theory” trumped even the fake revitalization of Penny and Leonard’s relationship. Sure it was cute to see the latter pair pretend to be a couple for Penny’s dad’s sake, but I so enjoyed watching Raj bond with Howard’s girlfriend, Bernadette. Since he has scored a girlfriend, Howard can’t seem to be without her so he naturally invited her along while he and Raj attempt to discover a new planet. More change coming to 'American Idol'New judges aren’t the only changes coming next season on “American Idol.” Speaking to TVGuide.com, producer Nigel Lythgoe said there will be some new challenges in the upcoming season including eliminating the top 24 rounds, and contestants having to market themselves and make the best music video. Lythgoe, who is returning this season after having taken up duties on another hit fox show “So You Think You Can Dance,” said he’s happy to see the show go straight to the top 12 rather than dawdle with eliminating folks from the top 24. The beginning of the end for 'Harry Potter'It has been nearly 10 years since the first "Harry Potter" movie hit the big screen. The schoolboy wizard and his friends cast a spell on us muggles (that's non-magical folk to those unfamiliar with the series), taking us through numerous rides on their broom sticks, and introducing us to a world of magic, spells, witchcraft, mystical creatures and the ultimate battle between good and evil. We watched as these characters and the actors who play them grew up before our eyes. And now the magic of Potter-mania is slowly disappearing into thin air. Soon it will be a thing of the past. But it will never been forgotten. Want to live in Nicole Kidman's apartment?That will be $45,000 a month, please. Nicole Kidman is renting out her "extraordinary, high-floor residence" in New York's West Village. According to the New York Times, the property was bought for Kidman by her sister in 2003 and is one of the properties Kidman has lived in with her husband, country singer Keith Urban. Past neighbors of the couple's condominium included Hugh Jackman and Calvin Klein. But it's the description on Halstead Property's site that has us drooling with real estate envy: Oprah wows crowd with 'Ultimate Favorite Things'Today is the day Oprah fans look forward to the other 364 days of the year: “Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things” special! Because it’s the farewell season of the mega talk show, many thought this would be a massive blowout … and they were right. This year it’s a two-day “joy filled frenzy” with a “humongous twist guaranteed to curl your candy canes,” and Day One definitely didn’t let me down. Winfrey shared her favorite things with an audience of people who have given back to their families, communities, and the world. New trailers: Cowboys, aliens, cars and moreSome major league talent is involved in "Cowboys & Aliens." Not only is it based on a 2006 graphic novel whose title alone is begging for a film adaptation, it's directed by "Iron Man's" Jon Favreau and produced by Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg. And if that's not enough, it stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. The first half of the trailer, released earlier this week, plays like a Western, but then - you guessed it - the aliens arrive, mostly confusing and frightening everyone, except for Craig, who seems to be able to communicate with them, or even fight them off with a device on his wrist. Whether this is the next "Men in Black" or "Wild Wild West" is anyone's guess. The movie comes out July 29, 2011. If that's not enough aliens for you, there's also the trailer for "Battle: Los Angeles," out in March. Similar to the recent release "Skyline" (with a bigger budget), this one plays more like an urban war movie. Comparisons will almost certainly be made to "Starship Troopers" as well, though this one is set in the present day. It stars "The Dark Knight's" Aaron Eckhart and "Avatar's" Michelle Rodriguez. Finally, after the blockbuster success of "Toy Story 3," you just knew there were other Pixar sequels on the horizon, and the next is "Cars 2." This time, Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy's automotive altar egos are off on an adventure filled with international intrigue. If any movie mentioned in this blog post is destined to be a smash hit, this is it. It arrives on June 24, 2011. What do you think of the latest crop of trailers? Share your thoughts below. Dane Cook on BroadwayHe's a comedian, so we thought Dane Cook was joking when he tweeted this late Thursday: "I promised unexpected twists & turns right? I'm making my debut on Broadway this spring In the Neil LaBute play Fat Pig. Beyond excited." Turns out, the stand-up sensation was serious. Cook will be expanding his acting career with the role of Carter in LaBute's "Fat Pig" on Broadway this spring. Didn't know Cook even had an acting career? You must have missed the blockbusters "Good Luck Chuck" with Jessica Alba and "My Best Friend's Girl" with Kate Hudson. (It's ok, us too.) All kidding aside, "Fat Pig" is a critically-acclaimed project that should put Cook's natural comedic talent to good use. The show tells the story of Tom, played by Josh Hamilton, a bachelor who falls for plus-sized beauty, Helen. Tom is happy in his new relationship until the cruel jokes of his friend Carter (Cook) and an ex-girlfriend, force him to question his values. You could be the next SupermanThe search for Superman has begun! According to Deadline.com, Warner Bros. is "casting a wide net" to find the perfect actor to wear the son of Krypton's signature "S" shield in producer Chris Nolan's upcoming "Superman" reboot. Insiders say the studio is seeking an actor between the ages of 28 and 32, and that the chosen one will likely be a relative unknown or possibly from a TV series. |
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Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.
Nigel Lythgoe previews 'Idol' finale, big 'SYTYCD' changes http://t.co/Yz1CLtGo 9:56 pm UTC, May 22 2012
The Buzz Today http://t.co/wsKXZ36d 9:42 pm UTC, May 22 2012
Estefan on playing mom in 'Glee' finale http://t.co/8xnuP34d 9:42 pm UTC, May 22 2012
John Mayer says his 'Shadow Days' are over http://t.co/kANCHuhU 8:04 pm UTC, May 22 2012
'Bad' reissued in deluxe edition http://t.co/sslu1VIz 6:41 pm UTC, May 22 2012
Marquee's lists to follow:
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