[January 08, 2006]

UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News

(UPI Newswraps Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)'Hostel' tops U.S. box officeHOLLYWOOD, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Hostel, distributed by Lions Gate, grossed $20 million its debut week, boxofficemojo.com estimated Sunday.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made $15 million for a total box office of $247 million.

King Kong made $12 million for a total box office $192 million, while Fun with Dick and Jane made $12 million for a total box office of $81 million and Cheaper by the Dozen made $8.3 million for a total box office of $66 million.

Munich made $7.4 million for a total box office of $25 million, while Memoirs of a Geisha made $6 million for a total box office of $39 million and Rumor Has It made $5.8 million for a total box office $35 million.

Brokeback Mountain made $5.7 million for a total box office of $22 million and The Family Stone made $4.6 million for a total box office of $53 million.

Pink and Carey Hart marryPAPAGAYO, Costa Rica, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Rocker Pink and motocross racer Carey Hart have gotten married in Costa Rica.

Lisa Marie Presley was among the 100 or so guests witnessing the ocean-side ceremony Saturday, People magazine reported.

We just love the beach, so we knew we wanted it to be at the beach, Pink told the magazine.

Pink, born Alecia Moore, met Hart at the 2001 X Games, People said. They were engaged last June when Pink held up a sign as Hart roared past her during a Mammoth Lakes motocross race.

After seeing his girlfriend with signs saying Will You Marry Me? and I'm serious! Hart scrapped the race and said yes, People said.

Pink, 26, and Hart, 30, will spend their honeymoon snowboarding.

Utah cinema deep-sixes 'Brokeback'SANDY, Utah, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A suburban Salt Lake City cinema owned by Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller has canceled its opening of Ang Lee's critically hailed Brokeback Mountain.

Director Ang Lee's R-rated gay western was supposed to open Friday at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah, but would-be moviegoers were greeted with a sign at the ticket window saying: There has been a change in booking and we will not be showing 'Brokeback Mountain.' We apologize for any inconvenience, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Neither theater management nor Miller returned calls from the newspaper.

Brokeback's distributor, Focus Features, issued a statement blasting the deplorable business practices of this one theater.

Given the gigantic grosses already being posted in Salt Lake City for 'Brokeback Mountain,' this is their loss, the statement said.

The Utah Film Critics Society has named Brokeback Mountain the year's best movie, named Lee best director.

The movie has seven Golden Globe nominations is considered a front-runner for the upcoming Academy Awards.

N.Y. councilman wants Sony to pay for adsNEW YORK, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Sony PlayStation Portable ads spray painted on New York buildings have drawn the ire of a City Council member who claims they are nothing but vandalism.

Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. says the graffiti-style ad campaign is illegal, even though the artwork appears on legitimate outdoor advertising locations. He says it encourages vandalism, the New York Post reported Sunday.

Vallone is demanding Sony remove the ads and donate $20,000 to the city's anti-graffiti programs.

Children are impressionable, and if they see a wall with graffiti on it and they don't know that it's done with permission, it could very well lead to them believing that it's OK for them to do it, he said.

The ads have no words, they simply depict cartoonish characters licking, straddling and doing other strange things with their handheld games.

A Sony spokeswoman defended the campaign, saying the ads appear in areas where the public has seen advertising and it's how we're using the space that's different.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: