Society Directory

Pope Says He Was 'On the Other Side' After Shooting (Reuters)
Reuters - In a new book, Pope John Paul recalls that after a near-fatal shooting in 1981 he was "already on the other side," but says that before losing consciousness he felt confident he would survive.

Paul Smith's Teenage Inspiration (Fashion Wire Daily)
Fashion Wire Daily - Fashion Wire Daily February 18, 2005 - LONDON - Paul Smith's women's collections used to feel like staid showroom presentations. Open with tailoring and work wear, move into casual weekend territory, then onto the evening attire: done. This time was refreshingly different. Ten years after its launch Paul Smith Women has found its groove and become a fully fledged fashion label with a definite identity, rather than a minor accompaniment to the menswear line.

Sold-Out Hit 'Thom Pain (based on nothing)' Extends Off-Broadway; Fall Tour Possible (Playbill)
Playbill - The critically-lauded, sold-out American premiere of Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing) starring James Urbaniak has extended its Off-Broadway run through July 3.

Attorneys General Want to Know What 'No' Means (Reuters)
Reuters - Thirty-six state attorneys general are now investigating whether video rental chain Blockbuster's new "no late fees" policy deceives consumers.

S. African Film Wins Top Prize at Berlin (AP)
AP - The South African film "Carmen in Khayelitsha," which sets Georges Bizet's opera against the hardship of a modern-day township, won the Berlin International Film Festival's top award Saturday.

Art Experts Hold Mock 'Da Vinci' Trial (AP)
AP - Art experts and conservative clerics are holding an unusual "trial" in Leonardo da Vinci's hometown aimed at sorting out fact from fiction in the "The Da Vinci Code" after many readers took the smash hit novel as gospel truth.

Smith's Dating Advice: Play to Strengths (AP)
AP - Fresh from the No. 1 debut of his first romantic comedy, "Hitch," Will Smith has a little advice for that all-important first date. "Competence is first and foremost," Smith said Friday as the movie screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. "You want to be seen doing something well."

'Contender' Suicide Leaves Questions (AP)
AP - Plucked from a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia, Najai Turpin tried to emulate the "Rocky" story and rise from unknown boxer to inspirational star fighter.

Destiny's Child Embarking on World Tour (AP)
AP - Destiny's Child is embarking on a world tour — and heading out straight through the golden arches. The R&B trio will kick off a 16-country, 72-city tour April 9 in Hiroshima, Japan, the group announced. The tour, "Destiny Fulfilled ... and lovin' it," is sponsored by McDonald's.

Madonna Sues Her Art Consultant Over Painting
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pop star Madonna is suing her longtime art consultant Darlene Lutz, claiming she is owed $265,000 for a painting that the adviser sold.

Charles' Grammy Sweep Is Sweet Music to Concord
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - The day before the Grammy Awards, as Concord Records president Glen Barros' stomach was twisted in knots, he remembered a conversation he had had with Ray Charles.

Pope Says He Was 'On the Other Side' After Shooting
WARSAW (Reuters) - In a new book, Pope John Paul recalls that after a near-fatal shooting in 1981 he was "already on the other side," but says that before losing consciousness he felt confident he would survive.

ABC Includes Paid Interviews in Jackson Special
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ABC News on Friday defended its decision to include paid interviews from a British TV documentary mixed with its own original reporting in a prime-time special about Michael Jackson and his relationships with young boys.

Will Smith Proves He's a Knock-Out Kisser
BERLIN (Reuters) - Hollywood hunk Will Smith is a knock-out kisser.

Beyonce Booked for Big Night at the Oscars
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Beyonce may not be nominated for any Academy Awards, but she will be the main musical attraction at this year's Oscars ceremony. The singer will perform three of the five tunes nominated for best original song.

Rapper 50 Cent Under Pressure After Smash Debut
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - A rumor rampant on the Internet in January had 50 Cent undergoing emergency surgery at USC Medical Center. Why? Supposedly, one of the Lamborghini doors on his Cadillac Escalade slammed down, severing his left hand.

Web Site Prints What It Says Are Jackson Transcripts
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Smoking Gun Web site on Friday published 1,903 pages of what it said were the sealed grand jury proceedings that led to the indictment of pop star Michael Jackson on charges of child molestation last year.

South African 'Carmen' Wins Top Berlin Film Prize
BERLIN (Reuters) - An exuberant film that transports Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen" to a South African township and translates the libretto into Xhosa won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival Saturday.

Bellow, Marquez Among Booker Nominees (AP)
AP - Nobel laureates Saul Bellow, Gunter Grass and Gabriel Garcia Marquez were among 18 finalists announced Friday for the first ever Man International Booker Prize, a lifetime achievement award worth around $115,000.

Jack White Happy to Work With Lynn Again (AP)
AP - Jack White of the White Stripes said that if he had another chance to work with Country Music legend Loretta Lynn, he would. "Everything else would be put on hold," he said in an interview with AP Radio. "Everything. Eating, Sleeping...everything."

Pedophile Film Ends Hard-Hitting Berlin Festival (Reuters)
Reuters - A disturbing Danish film about a man accused of pedophilia and incest brought the curtain down on the Berlin Film Festival's main competition Friday, in keeping with a program that has not shirked painful themes.

Pedophile Film Ends Hard-Hitting Berlin Festival
BERLIN (Reuters) - A disturbing Danish film about a man accused of pedophilia and incest brought the curtain down on the Berlin Film Festival's main competition Friday, in keeping with a program that has not shirked painful themes.

New Documentaries Captivate Oscar Watchers
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Forget fictional movies "The Aviator," "Million Dollar Baby" and "Sideways," for many Oscar watchers 2004's best films are the documentaries.

Pope Describes 1981 Shooting in New Book (AP)
AP - Pope John Paul II for the first time publicly described the moments after he was gravely wounded in 1981, saying in his new book that he was fearful and in pain but had "a strange feeling of confidence" he would live.

Nicole Miller Launches “Nicole” for JCPenney (Fashion Wire Daily)
Fashion Wire Daily - Fashion Wire Daily February 17, 2005 - NEW YORK - Nicole Miller launched her new collection “Nicole,” for JCPenney, Wednesday evening at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City.

Firefighter: Blake's Anguish Seemed Real (AP)
AP - Robert Blake had his head in his hands and was moaning the night his wife was slain, a fire captain testified, saying the actor's behavior was normal for someone involved in a traumatic event.

Random House Joins Media Rush to Mobile Phones (Reuters)
Reuters - Following its brethren in the music, video game and television industries, book publisher Random House is venturing into the burgeoning market for delivering content over mobile phones.

Rock Says Time Delay a 'Safety Net' (AP)
AP - First-time Oscar host Chris Rock, a comedian known for his frequent use of expletives, says the five-second decency delay on the ABC show's Feb. 27 telecast will be a welcome "safety net."

PBS Warns of War Documentary Language (AP)
AP - At least two TV stations will show an uncensored documentary about soldiers in Iraq despite a warning from PBS that it can't insure stations against FCC fines stemming from bad language.

Spears Unhappy About Use of Honeymoon Pics (AP)
AP - Britney Spears says the veil has been lifted on her honeymoon, and she's not happy. Photos of Spears and her new husband, Kevin Federline, are on the cover of Us Weekly magazine under the headline: "Britney's Private Album!"

Prosecutor: Bill Cosby Won't Face Charges (AP)
AP - Bill Cosby will not face charges stemming from a woman's allegation that he fondled her at his suburban mansion after giving her medication that made her woozy, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Rwanda Films Give Contrasting Takes on '94 Genocide
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two feature films about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda use radically different techniques to portray savagery still barely imaginable to the outside world.

Kennedy Knickknacks Sell for Big Bucks in NY Sale
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lovers of Kennedy lore paid $5.5 million for some common possessions of former President John F. Kennedy and his family in an auction of art, furniture and other effects from their homes, Sotheby's said on Thursday.

Violent Video Games Spark Rising Debate on Bans
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California legislators are considering making sales of violent video games to minors illegal, joining a national debate about whether the industry should be left to regulate itself, like movie theaters -- and whether the bans will run afoul of free speech guarantees.

Actor Factor Can Swing Academy's Final Decision
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Over the next week, in the run-up to the 77th Annual Academy Awards, the Oscar prognostications will be flying fast and furious.

Fox, 'Idol' Overpowering Again in Wednesday Race
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "American Idol" came up big again Wednesday night, plowing through the competition at 9 p.m.

Boxoffice Preview: Hell and Hounds Chasing 'Hitch'
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With "Constantine," starring Keanu Reeves, Warner Bros. Pictures might have the goods to lure young males and their eager girlfriends to the multiplex this holiday weekend. But that film will be hard-pressed to slow the incredible momentum of Sony Pictures' romantic comedy "Hitch," starring Will Smith.

Jackson's TV Interviews Are Evidence -Prosecutors
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's "admissions" in a pair of TV interviews that he shared his bedroom with young boys help prove him guilty of child molestation and should be shown to jurors at his trial, prosecutors argued in court papers released on Thursday.

Phil Spector's Murder Trial Set for September
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Record producer Phil Spector will stand trial on Sept. 16 for the 2003 murder of a B-movie actress at his home near Los Angeles, a judge ruled on Thursday.

Rather to Host His Own Farewell Tribute on CBS
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - No sooner will Dan Rather bid viewers a final good night as anchor of the CBS Evening News than he will be back on the air to lead viewers through a retrospective of his 50 years in broadcast journalism.

Mark Thatcher to be asked about alleged coup masterminds (AFP)
AFP - British businessman Mark Thatcher will Friday be asked in court to shed light on the alleged masterminds of a botched coup plot in Equatorial Guinea, including oil tycoon Eli Calil and British novelist Jeffrey Archer.

Versace to Appear at AIDS Charity Gala (AP)
AP - Donatella Versace will present a fashion show and appear at the annual Life Ball, a charity gala dedicated to raising funds to fight AIDS.

Bad LANGuage: AP's Pop Culture Blog (AP)
AP - You know, Bad Language hasn't felt very good for the past two days, but we still manage to work. By work, we mean bitch about stuff. If we were a celebrity, we wouldn't have to do a damn thing. Like when Michael Jackson gets the flu — poof! — he doesn't have to attend court. Geez, we couldn't even get out of jury duty after that accident with the cow last summer. (Sorry again, Dairy Farmers of America!)

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