Stars set Obama speech to music

A speech by US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been set to music by a series of celebrity supporters.

Actress Scarlett Johansson and jazz legend Herbie Hancock sing lines in the music video, created by Will.I.Am from pop group Black Eyed Peas.

The rapper was inspired to create the song, Yes We Can, after the Democratic candidate spoke in New Hampshire.

"That speech effected and touched my inner core like nothing in a very long time," Will.I.Am said.

The result was produced in two days and has been watched by millions of internet users.

Others participants include R&B singer John Legend, rapper Common, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, CSI star Adam Rodriquez and Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger.

Obama approval
Will.I.Am explained: "It was as if he was talking to and defending everything that made me who I am.

"I took that speech, and I wanted everyone else to be inspired by that speech as I was."



It has gone down well with Mr Obama.

The candidate has had it posted on his website and personally recommended it to journalists following his campaign.

But Will.I.Am said Mr Obama's team has not been in touch personally: "They have more important things than to be contacting me to say thank you.

"If they had time to call me, I'd be panicking."

Four years ago, the Black Eyed Peas supported Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

Meanwhile, songs by rocker John Mellencamp have been dropped from Republican contender John McCain's events after the musician's publicist questioned their use.

"Are you sure you want to use his music to promote Senator McCain's efforts?" asked Bob Merlis.

"Logic says that the facts might prove to be an embarrassment, were they to be circulated widely," he added.

Mellencamp had supported John Edwards for the Democratic nomination until he dropped out.

Ledger's Death Caused By Accidental Overdose

Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills, the New York City medical examiner's office said Wednesday.

"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine," the office said in a short statement.

"We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications."

Hydrocodone and oxycodone are painkillers. Diazepam is an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold under the brand name Valium; alprazolam is also an anti-anxiety drug sold under such names as Xanax. Temazepam, sold under such names as Restoril and Euhypnos, is a sleeping agent. Doxylamine, an antihistamine, can be obtained over the counter as a sleep aid.

Ledger died January 22 at an apartment in Lower Manhattan. The Oscar-nominated Australian actor, best known for his role as a stoic, closeted cowboy in the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain," was 28.


Police reported finding several prescription medications in the room but no illegal drugs.

CNN has learned the Drug Enforcement Administration has requested the toxicology and prescription records related to Ledger's death. The DEA requested the records Wednesday from the New York Police Department and the medical examiner's office after the release of the report detailing the cause of death, according to a law enforcement source who asked not to be identified by name or agency because the request concerns an active investigation.

The DEA confirmed it will look into anything suspicious concerning Ledger's death. "We will investigate any leads in respect to this," DEA spokesman Garrison Courtney said while declining to provide any specifics. "In any case, we look to see whether prescription drugs were illegally obtained or whether it was through proper channels."

An autopsy done on the actor January 23 was inconclusive

In a statement released through Ledger's publicist, Ledger's father, Kim, said Wednesday: "While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."

The family added, "Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful."

Ledger had talked about his difficulty sleeping after back-to-back roles as a Bob Dylan figure in "I'm Not There" and the Joker in "The Dark Knight," part of the "Batman" series that is due out this summer.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told The New York Times in November. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."

In the hours leading up to Ledger's death two weeks ago, a housekeeper, identified as Teresa Solomon, arrived at the apartment about 12:30 p.m., a police source with knowledge of the investigation said.

She saw Ledger lying on a bed face down with a sheet pulled up around his shoulders and heard him snoring, the source said.

Masseuse Diana Wolozin arrived at the apartment about 2:45 p.m. to give Ledger a massage, according to the police source. About 15 minutes later, when he had not come out of the bedroom and the door remained closed, she went in, saw him lying in bed and set up a massage table.

She shook Ledger, but he did not respond, so she used his cell phone to call actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a friend of Ledger's, in California, the source said.

Wolozin told Olsen that Ledger was unconscious, according to the police source.

Olsen reportedly told her that she would call private security people in New York.

At 3:26 p.m., Wolozin called 911 and told authorities Ledger was not breathing. While on the phone with dispatchers, Wolozin tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Ledger, but he was unresponsive.

Emergency personnel arrived seven minutes later, according to the police source, at about the same time as a private security person summoned by Olsen.

The medical technicians performed CPR on Ledger and used a cardiac defibrillator, but their efforts were in vain and he was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m. By then, two other private security people summoned by Olsen had arrived as well as police.

His former fiancée, actress Michelle Williams, has asked the public to respect the need for her, the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, and others "to grieve privately."

"My heart is broken," Williams said in a statement issued last week via her publicist. "I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up in the best memories of him."

Condolences poured in from Ledger's friends and co-stars.

"He was a wonderful guy, he was a wonderful actor, he had a wonderful future ahead of him, and I liked him," said actor Eric Roberts, who worked with Ledger in "The Dark Knight."

Colleagues on Terry Gilliam's film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," which Ledger had been shooting in England, said the actor apparently had been suffering from a respiratory ailment in the days before he died.

Christopher Plummer told Entertainment Weekly that Ledger had a "terrible, lingering bug in London, and he couldn't sleep at all. We all -- I thought he'd probably got walking pneumonia."

Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball."

But Ledger was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's film about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned Ledger a best actor Oscar nomination.

Michael Clayton Movie Review

Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter responsible for the Bourne movies, makes his feature film directorial debut with the intense and riveting drama, Michael Clayton. Gilroy does a fantastic job of creatively exposing the shady underbelly of the corporate world in his engrossing rookie directing effort. George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton deliver award-worthy performances in this conspiracy thriller that takes full advantage of the current political climate to lay out a compelling and hauntingly realistic tale.

The Story

Michael Clayton (Clooney) is the guy you turn to when you need things fixed or hushed up in a hurry. Clayton weaves his magic behind the scenes at the huge law firm of Kenner, Bach & Leeden where he makes anything that could damage any of the firm’s clients simply fade away.

Clayton hides well the fact thats he’s begun to feel repulsed by what his job entails. And while he’d just as soon tell these scummy corporate bigwigs where to go, he continues performing the job the firm expects of him while loathing himself for doing it. His displeasure is just barely contained beneath the surface when he’s called out of a poker game to take care of a hit-and-run accident. Arriving at the driver’s home, Clayton reels off the client’s options while obviously struggling to hide his distain for the man who clearly believes he’s entitled to special treatment due to his connections -- and money.

But that’s just the set-up for the main story of Michael Clayton which is the potential settlement of a $3 billion class-action suit that’s been dragging on for half a dozen years. The firm’s lead litigator assigned to the case, Arthur Edens (Wilkinson), has snapped. Edens has stopped taking his manic-depressive meds, as evidenced by a bizarre strip tease he does while in the middle of a deposition. Edens has come to the conclusion that the class-action suit against his client, the agrochemical giant U/North, has merit. Hundreds of people have died as a result of using weed killer from U/North, and Edens believes U/North should be held accountable.



Clayton’s called upon to rein in Edens, a man he respects, admires, and knows well. At the same time as Clayton’s assigned to watch over Edens, a pair of ‘investigators’ are hired by Karen Crowder (Swinton), the in-house lawyer for U/North and one of the most power-hungry beasts in the corporate jungle. Unfortunately for Clayton, Edens has become a man obsessed with getting the truth told – damn the consequences.
The Cast

Let’s face it. To say George Clooney is aging gracefully is a gross understatement of facts. The man appears to be eternally, youthfully handsome, even with grey streaks and a few wrinkles. However in Michael Clayton, Clooney disguises the boyish charm that works so well for him in so many different films behind the mask of a man resigned to the fact he’s basically sold his soul to the devil.

Tom Wilkinson spouts crazy gibberish as he passionately renounces the legal firm he’s dedicated his adult years to serving. Every little bit of torment Wilkinson feels as a lawyer who’s representing the wrong side of a lawsuit is clearly evident on his face and in his voice. Wilkinson delivers an amazingly powerful performance and one that sticks with you long after the credits roll. Swinton’s equally as mesmerizing as a woman you wouldn’t want to cross ever in life.


The Bottom Line

Michael Clayton may be his first film as a director, but here’s hoping it’s not Gilroy’s last. As a director, Gilroy has shown great skill and restraint in being able to patiently allow his story to unfold, without drawing things out or rushing the plot along. Gilroy also doesn’t play down to his audience. He assumes we’ll figure things out as the film moves along, and he’s correct in that assumption because he’s done a great job of crafting an intelligent script and then handing it over to actors who allow themselves to be completely absorbed in their characters. It’s a dialogue-heavy film and some of the scenes might have played out as too wordy had they not been delivered by actors of Wilkinson, Clooney and Swinton's talent.

The fall has become synonymous with serious George Clooney films. Of the lot – Syriana, The Good German, Good Night, and Good Luck – Michael Clayton is the best of the bunch. Fully fleshed-out characters, dynamic performances, and a compelling story add up to a smart must-see thriller.

GRADE: A-

Michael Clayton was directed by Tony Gilroy and is rated R for language including some sexual dialogue

Atlanta Offers Heartbreaking Stories On ‘Idol’

One auditioner lives in his car, while another lost recently lost her father

You may have noticed an emphasis on heart-wrenching stories during this year’s “American Idol” auditions. And in that regard, Atlanta did not disappoint.

The contestant most people will be talking about is Josiah Leming. The 18-year-old from Morristown, Tenn., has been living in his car for months, but his family had no idea — they thought he was staying with friends. That’s probably no longer true, assuming there are any televisions within driving distance of his hometown.

Leming was confident before the judges, telling Simon Cowell, “I can win because I have more ambition and more motivation than you’re ever gonna meet in an 18-year-old.” He also looked to buck a trend by singing an original composition, which has worked approximately zero percent of the time in the past.

His result, however, was different. Even though the judges were flummoxed by his British accent when he sang, he’ll get the chance to abandon his car for a nice hotel room in Hollywood, at least for a night or two. “You’ll never regret this. I guarantee it. Not a day in your life,” Leming said, taking the early lead as a fan favorite should he reach the final 24.

Then there was Asia’H Epperson, whose father was killed in a car accident while she was driving to her “Idol” audition. The 18-year-old said that she’d just called him half an hour before his death to tell him she was on her way to audition. “It was kind of hard,” she said. “But he’s here with me today and it’ll be ... it’ll be good.”

The singing was actually not that good, as Epperson changed her song at the last minute to “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes. That’s a tough song to sing well and, under the circumstances, it was too big for her voice. Of course, once she told the judges the reason she was changing things up was to honor her father, and related the story of how he died, their hearts melted and they sent her through to Hollywood.

“I like you. And that was tough. That was tough. You sang that very well. Well done,” Simon said.

“I thought you were excellent. The circumstances were unbelievable, but you worked it out,” Randy Jackson agreed.

And, the topper: “I think your dad would be very proud of you,” courtesy of Simon. The only thing better would have been a quick cut to a commercial for tissues for the audience to cry into.

From beauty queens to rockin’ nurses
Leming and Epperson may have been the best stories, but numerous others from Atlanta took full advantage of their airtime and made it through to Hollywood.

Brooke Helvie came to the auditions wearing her crown from the Ms. South Florida Fair. Ordinarily that only leads to merciless mocking and an early hook from the judges, but the 18-year-old was fully aware of that danger, saying that her goal was to prove to Simon that pageant girls can sing.

And sadly enough for Simon, she could. Her cover of the Jackson 5’s “Who’s Loving You” got her three yes votes. But as soon as she left the room, Simon called her “possibly the most annoying person I have ever seen in my life. I actually didn’t want her to sing well.”

On the other hand, Amanda Overmyer was not crowned Ms. Anything, and doesn’t appear to be a candidate to enter a beauty pageant anytime soon. The 22-year-old from Indiana was one of the many hopefuls this season looking to take on the role of “Idol” rocker, and had the requisite blasé attitude. She insisted that she was satisfied working as a nurse. “I’m happy either way. It’ll just be a matter of whether they dig it or not,” she said.

They dug it. Overmyer continued the Janis Joplin revival from auditioners this season, choosing to begin her performance with “Mean Woman,” and the judges ate it up. “I think you’re authentic and real, and I love you,” Paula Abdul said. The rock ’n’ roll nurse, as Randy put it, sailed through to Hollywood.

Alexandrea Lushington is only 16, and brought her 93-year-old great-grandmother to the auditions. That has to be a record for the widest age disparity in one room in the history of the show, but at least they sent the whole family home happy by cheerfully sending her to the next round.

Joshua Jones also made it through, but probably won’t need to take more than a couple of days off from his job as a glass cutter. Though he sang well, the judges were disturbed by his “demonic” eyes and finally had him sing with his back to them. “It’s something we should have done to Clay Aiken years ago,” Simon said, though he still proved to be Jones’ lone no vote.

Two seats away from fame
Among those who didn’t make it was J.P Tjelmeland. His hook to get before the judges was that two years ago, he sat two seats away from Carrie Underwood when she began her route to stardom. But after his second chance in Atlanta, it looks like that will always remain his claim to fame.

“I am not that bad. Was I that bad?” he asked the judges.

“My pen has more charisma,” Simon replied.

Eva Miller was shocked that she didn’t make it. The judges were shocked that her performance wasn’t just an act to get on television. Falling down while dancing to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton will do that.

But Nathan Hite was the most memorable of those who didn’t move forward. Hite, 16, is repeating ninth grade in Savannah, Ga., presumably because he doesn’t spend nearly as much time on his homework as he did coming up with witty rejoinders to the judges’ criticisms.

After Hite finished, Simon dismissed it by calling it “a bedroom audition.”

“Does he keep this written down on a piece of paper or something?” Hite asked.

“Do you want to be a smartass, or do you want to listen?” Simon responded. And it went downhill from there.

When Ryan Seacrest asked Hite what Simon meant by the “bedroom audition” comment, Hite responded “Maybe it’s the fact that I refused to spoon with him so he wouldn’t let me through.”

In fact, Simon said that it sounded like someone singing along to a record in their bedroom with the door closed, proving the long-uttered parent’s lament true. Teenagers just don’t listen.

Q&A: Hollywood writers' strike

The Golden Globe Awards ceremony has been scaled down to a one-hour press conference as a result of a strike by US film and TV writers.
Why have writers taken industrial action, how is it affecting the industry - and what will it mean for the Oscars?


WHO IS ON STRIKE?

The 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the official union representing writers in the film, TV and new media industries.

The last major WGA strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks, costing the industry an estimated $500m (£250m). The current writers' strike began on 5 November 2007.


WHY ARE THEY STRIKING?

Writers want a new contract with film and TV studios that would give them more money when their work is sold on DVD or downloaded or streamed online.



The previous contract expired on 31 October and the two sides have not been able to agree a new deal.

Writers receive payments, called residuals, every time something they have written is repeated.

They also get a small residual when their work is sold on DVD - currently around 0.3% of each DVD sold.

The WGA had been seeking to double the amount its members receive from DVD sales, but had agreed to lower demands.

No agreement could be reached about payments for shows made available online. As a result, talks collapsed in December.


WHAT DO THE STUDIOS SAY?

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents production companies and studios, says writers are already compensated for digital downloads.

It has also said a deal on internet streaming was on the table when the strike began, and that it is too early to judge how successful digital distribution will be.


WHO HAS BEEN AFFECTED?

Late-night talk shows, which rely on writers for their scripts and jokes, were the first to go off air in November.

Production has been stopped on all sitcoms and prime-time dramas - such as Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and The Office.

A number of high-profile film projects have also been sidelined, with the strike putting thousands of off-camera crew out of work.


HAS ALL PROGRAMMING BEEN HALTED?

The WGA reached an interim agreement with David Letterman's production company in December, which meant his show came back on air complete with writing team.



A similar agreement was reached with Tom Cruise's film company United Artists, the Weinstein Company, and other independent producers

Film studios producing Rambo, Saw 5 and The Incredible Hulk are among other companies to reach a deal with striking screenwriters.

Meanwhile, many TV networks are looking at different ways of filling their schedules - using content such as reality TV, news, repeats and imported programmes.


WHY ARE AWARD CEREMONIES AFFECTED?

The Golden Globes - the most prestigious ceremony after the Oscars - was replaced by a press conference last month after the Screen Actors Guild, representing Hollywood stars, said its members would not cross picket lines planned by writers.

There are also fears that the Oscars, due to be held on 24 February, could also be affected, but Academy Awards president Sid Ganis has said there is "no doubt" the ceremony will take place.

He said that "things are looking very, very good now" for the gala amid reports of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the dispute.

The lower-profile Critics' Choice Awards on 7 January remained largely unaffected because the ceremony was not covered by contracts disputed by the WGA.

And the Grammys will go ahead as normal on 10 February after the WGA agreed to let writers work on the show.

The guild said it wanted to offer support to musicians also facing challenges getting "compensation for the use of their work in new media."

In the UK, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain - which showed support for the WGA with a London rally - said it had no plans to picket the UK equivalent of the Oscars, the Baftas, also on 10 February.


WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

Concerted efforts are being made behind the scenes to bring the dispute to an end. At the beginning of February a "breakthrough" was reportedly reached during informal talks between writers and production companies. Talks to hammer out a deal continue.

In the meantime, technicians and production staff continue to suffer, with stoppages putting hundreds of crew members out of work.

US viewers can expect a rise in unscripted shows if the stand-off continues.

The situation is being monitored closely by others within the business - directors' and actors' contracts with studios and producers expire in June.

The Directors Guild of America has agreed a new deal on royalties on internet downloads which, in effect, doubles the rates its members currently get. Its members are due to vote on this contract.

Negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild have yet to begin. Any deal with writers could influence negotiations.

Oscars Boss Says Show Will Go On

Academy Awards president Sid Ganis has said there is "no doubt" the Oscars ceremony will take place despite the threat posed by the writers' strike.
He said that "things are looking very, very good now" for the 24 February gala amid reports of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the dispute.

Industry newspaper Variety reports the strike could end as early as next week as talks to hammer out a deal continue.

But it added that there was still work to be done on the agreement.

'Brightest light'

The Hollywood Reporter says that US television networks are preparing for the end of the dispute in a bid to put their strike-hit schedules back on track.

It will take most comedy and drama series four to six weeks to return to TV screens once industrial action is over.

Some dramas, including NBC's Heroes, could resume production during the summer and make a return at the beginning of the autumn.

There is a possibility that some networks will record as many shows as possible in case of a resumption of strike acitivity, the Hollywood Reporter added.

Mr Ganis, who was speaking at a luncheon to honour this year's Oscar nominees, said that the circumstances of the strike were "beyond our control", but the awards would go ahead.

"The Oscar exists to shine the brightest possible light on you and your work, and it would be such a terrible shame, through no fault of yours and no fault of ours, if the current conditions prevented us from shining that brightest possible light," he was quoted as saying in the Hollywood Reporter.

If an agreement meets with the approval of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), a vote to call of the strike - now in its fourth month - is likely to proceed.

The two sides made progress regarding internet and DVD payments for writers' work at the weekend, the Associated Press said.

Hannah Montana has topped the North American box office

Teen pop star Hannah Montana has topped the North American box office with the new 3D film of her recent tour.
Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds shows actress Cyrus, 15, as herself backstage and onstage as her Disney pop star alter-ego Montana.

The film took $29m (£14.7m) beating newly-released horror film The Eye - $13m (£6.6m) - into second place.

Romantic comedy 27 Dresses was third with $8.4m (£4.3m). Pregnancy comedy Juno was fourth with $7.5m (£3.8m).

Last week's number one, Meet the Spartans - a spoof film parodying Greek warrior epic 300 - dropped to number five, taking $7.1m (£3.6m) compared with the $18.7m (£9.4m) it took last week.

The new Rambo film, meanwhile, dropped from its opening week second place to sixth with $7m (£3.5m).

The Hannah Montana movie was helped to the top spot by higher admission prices charged by cinemas because of the 3D format.

The film was shown in just 683 cinemas compared with the 2,436 cinemas showing second-placed The Eye.