'Dark Knight' star Christian Bale asks for privacy over assault allegations

July 24, 2008 - 6:05 am

BARCELONA, Spain - "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale is asking for privacy in allegations he assaulted his mother and sister in a London hotel.

In his first comments since the allegations were made public, the Welsh-born actor says the incident is a "deeply personal matter."

Bale ...

Lucy Liu joins Samuel Jackson in 'Afro Samurai: Resurrection'

July 24, 2008 - 6:02 am

SAN DIEGO - Lucy Liu is set to embrace her inner warrior.

The 39-year-old actress will lend her voice to "Afro Samurai: Resurrection," a two-hour sequel to the animated series starring Samuel Jackson, Spike TV announced Thursday.

Liu will play Sio, a seductive and sadistic mastermind ...

Sony challenges Amazon, opens up e-book Reader to other booksellers

July 24, 2008 - 9:59 pm

NEW YORK - With the market for electronic books still relatively sleepy, Sony Corp. is trying a new tack: untethering the latest model of its e-book reading device from its own online bookstore.

On Thursday, Sony will provide a software update to the Reader, a thin slab with a six-inch ...

50 Cent sues Taco Bell, says it used name in 99 Cent ad without permission

July 23, 2008 - 6:57 pm

NEW YORK - Rapper 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent.

The rapper says in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Mexican-themed chain features him in an ad asking ...

Balthazar Getty says he's separated from his wife

July 23, 2008 - 6:55 pm

NEW YORK - Balthazar Getty says he's separated from his wife and is embarrassed by recent photos of him kissing a topless Sienna Miller in Italy.

"The breakdown of a marriage is a very difficult and painful experience, especially when children are involved," Getty, 33, told The Associated ...

2 eagles named by Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus to be set free

July 23, 2008 - 5:23 pm

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. - Two 14-week-old American bald eagles named by Disney star Miley Cyrus and her country singer father, Billy Ray Cyrus, will be released into the wild Thursday at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The American Eagle Foundation has released more than 90 eagles ...

Group of dissident actors challenges SAG leaders in election

July 23, 2008 - 5:22 pm

LOS ANGELES - A group of actors dissatisfied with stalled contract talks plans to run for seats on the Screen Actors Guild's board of directors.

The 31 actors are campaigning under the name Unite for Strength and are challenging the leadership of guild president Alan Rosenberg. They object ...

Christian Bale mum at 'Dark Knight' premiere in Barcelona, Spain

July 23, 2008 - 5:21 pm

BARCELONA, Spain - Christian Bale swept into Barcelona on Wednesday night to attend a glittering Spanish premiere of "The Dark Knight," appearing calm as he greeted fans a day after reports surfaced that his mother and sister had accused him of assault.A 15-car motorcade delivered Bale and his ...

Ethan Hawke and wife welcome daughter Clementine

July 23, 2008 - 4:27 pm

NEW YORK - Ethan Hawke and wife Ryan Shawhughes are the new parents of a baby girl.

"Clementine Jane Hawke was born on Friday ... in New York City," Hawke's publicist Mara Buxbaum told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday. The couple were married last month in New York. Hawke, 37, ...

Comics, film and figurine fans flock to Comic-Con in San Diego

July 23, 2008 - 4:19 pm

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The most passionate Spider-Men, Storm Troopers, Harry Potters and other pop-culture fanatics are headed south for their annual pilgrimage. Comic-Con, the biggest comic-book convention in the United States, begins Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center.

More than ...

Lingo Media showcases subsidiary Speak2Me on Chinese TV competition

July 23, 2008 - 3:48 pm

TORONTO - A Canadian-owned company is about to take centre stage in China as part of a high-profile "American Idol"-inspired television show searching for the best English-speaking Chinese resident.

Lingo Media Corp. (TSXV:LM), which makes English language tutorials, announced Wednesday ...

'At the Movies' saves its aisle seat, for now

July 23, 2008 - 3:05 pm

CHICAGO - Richard Roeper, fresh off announcing that he was leaving the balcony of "At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper," may have put it best.

Hours after word of his departure, he posted on his Twitter feed: "With all the old footage and the person-on-the-street interviews, it's like ...

Neil Young documents antiwar 'Freedom of Speech' tour in film

July 23, 2008 - 3:03 pm

NEW YORK - Not every musician will make a film that features a fan facing him from a concert audience with two arms raised, middle fingers extended - more than one fan, in fact.

Neil Young was singing protest songs on a "Freedom of Speech" tour with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham ...

New DVD releases include 'Shine a Light,' 'Never Back Down'

July 23, 2008 - 3:01 pm

Selected home-video releases:

"Shine a Light"

It sounds like a match made in rock 'n' roll heaven: The Rolling Stones and Martin Scorsese, who blazed trails when he loaded his early film "Mean Streets" with a hip rock soundtrack and made the great rock documentary "The Last Waltz." ...