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Famed Publicist Warren Cowan Dies At 87
15 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Warren Cowan, whose Rogers and Cowan public relations company has represented many of Hollywood's leading luminaries and the music industry's best-selling recording artists over more than a half century, died Wednesday of cancer at age 87. His clients included Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Gene Kelly, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Steve McQueen, Cary Grant, Sylvester Stallone, Ronald Reagan, The Doors, Elton John, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Michael Jackson.

Movie Reviews: 'Son of Rambow'
2 May 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone has given his endorsement to the British film Son of Rambow [sic], which opens today (Friday) in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The film concerns two boys in the 1980s who discover a video of First Blood and go about making their own version of the movie. Stallone told today's Los Angeles Times that when he first heard about Rambow he "assumed it was going to be a very broad and stylized joke-a-minute comedy at Rambo's expense." But he thought otherwise after he saw it. "The fact that it was so heartwarming is the result of brilliant filmmaking by its creators," Stallone said. Nevertheless writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith disclosed that it took an extraordinary amount of time to obtain the necessary permission to use clips from the Stallone movie in theirs. They said they used the delay as an opportunity to preview the film at film festivals, where "it wasn't being judged on whether it was doing anything at the box office, it was purely whether we made a film that worked. I can't tell you how satisfying that was," Jennings said. Initial reviews have been positive if not enthusiastic. Manohla Dargis in the New York Times calls it "a likable, lightly sticky valentine to childhood." To Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times, it's "a dewy-eyed, plaintive, unafraid-to-be-adorable exercise in stylish nostalgia." And Claudia Puig in USA Today describes it as "surprisingly charming."

Everhart Arrested For Drunk Driving
29 April 2008 (WENN)
Actress/model Angie Everhart has been arrested for drunk driving - just days after splitting from longtime love Joe Pesci. The 38-year-old was arrested shortly after 2am last Thursday in Los Angeles after failing a sobriety test. According to Tmz.com, Everhart persuaded police officers to allow her to use the toilet in a nearby restaurant before taking the test, which she subsequently failed. She is also reported to have refused to take part in any chemical testing because she claimed her attorney had told her not to. The Denial star was held on $15,000 bail but was released later that day. She is due in court on May 15. It hasn't been a good seven days for Sylvester Stallone's ex - last week, Pesci ended his engagement to Everhart, nine months after proposing. The couple had been together for seven years.

Stallone Shows Up For Jury Duty
15 April 2008 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has become the latest star to sign up for jury duty in Los Angeles. The Rambo star showed up at an L.A. courthouse early on Monday and was introduced to other potential jurors in an upcoming wrongful termination trial. Madonna and Steve Carell have both been involved in jury call-ups in recent months - Madonna was given a pass, while Carell had to serve.

Shandling Testifies at Pellicano Trial
14 March 2008 (WENN)
Comedian Garry Shandling became the first celebrity to take the stand at disgraced private investigator Anthony Pellicano's wiretapping and bribery trial on Thursday. Shandling told the Los Angeles federal court hearing Pellicano was involved in a "spin campaign" to assassinate his character during a late-1990s legal dispute between the funnyman and his ex-manager Brad Grey. Shandling testified that he was disturbed to learn his personal records had been looked at four times in unauthorized police database searches in 1999. Prosecutors allege Pellicano bribed a Los Angeles police sergeant to carry out these checks. At the time, Shandling had filed a $100 million lawsuit against Grey, who is now the head of Paramount Studios, accusing him of taking too much commission from TV hit The Larry Sanders Show. The lawsuit was eventually settled for $10 million. While looking at the background check documents, Shandling told the court, "This bothers me as much as the first time I saw this. It's a creepy feeling. It was a spiritual test to get through." Sylvester Stallone and Chris Rock are on the list of 127 potential defense witnesses who may take the stand during Pellicano's trial. Pellicano, who is representing himself, has pleaded not guilty to charges, including conspiracy and police bribery, in a 111-count indictment. The 63-year-old private investigator is alleged to have collected information on celebrities for his clients to use for threats or blackmail.

Stallone & Rock Named in Pellicano Witness List
7 March 2008 (WENN)
Action man Sylvester Stallone and comedians Chris Rock and Garry Shandling have been named among a list of potential witnesses in the trial of disgraced private investigator Anthony Pellicano. The stars are just some of the celebrities who allegedly had their phones bugged or names illegally checked against police databases on the order of Pellicano. The spy has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in a 111-count indictment, including charges of conspiracy and police bribery. He is alleged to have been collecting information on celebrities for his clients to use for threats or blackmail. The prosecution's extensive witness list, baring 127 names, was unveiled on Wednesday as jury selection was completed in the case. However, Stallone, Rock and Shandling may not be summoned to appear in court as it is unclear just how many of the witnesses will actually testify, a note made by U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer. The trial is set to begin with opening statements on Thursday in a Los Angeles court. Pellicano, 63, will represent himself against the charges.

Celebrity Trial of the Decade Begins
6 March 2008 (StudioBriefing)
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has released a list of possible witnesses who may testify in the trial of former private investigator Anthony Pellicano. They include such celebrities as Keith Carradine, Farrah Fawcett, Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, and Sylvester Stallone. Also on the list are former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch, attorney-to-the-stars Bert Fields, Paramount chief Brad Grey, director John McTiernan, Universal President/COO Ron Meyer, former CAA Chairman and Disney President Michael Ovitz, Craig Stevens, the former Beverly Hills cop who allegedly performed wiretapping services for Pellicano, and former New York Times reporter Bernard Weinraub. Although 127 names were included on the government's list, Judge Dale Fischer remarked at one point Wednesday that she couldn't imagine that all of them would be called to testify. Jury selection was quickly completed by Wednesday afternoon, and the prosecution was due to present its opening argument this morning (Thursday).

Stallone Anxious To Testify Against Ex-Private Eye
21 February 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone said Wednesday that he doesn't "want to be left out" of the court proceedings against former private eye Anthony Pellicano, who has been accused of illegally wiretapping several movie stars while they were involved in litigation. In an interview with the Associated Press, Stallone said that he was not surprised to learn that his phone conversations had been monitored. "In this town, nothing seems as it is," Stallone told the A.P. "There's so much skullduggery." The wire service says that Stallone's calls were intercepted in Feb. 2002 while he was involved in a $17.3-million lawsuit against his former business manager, who, he said, gave him bad advice to hold on to his stake in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain. The suit was later settled.

Rambo Is No Hero in Burma
5 February 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Bootleg copies of Sylvester Stallone's latest Rambo movie are popping up all over Myanmar (Burma), despite efforts by authorities to prevent the film from being circulated, Reuters reported today (Tuesday). In a report from Yangon, the wire service said that the movie, in which the country's military junta is portrayed as the enemy, is "fast becoming a talking point among a population eager to shake off 45 years of military rule." Reuters indicated that a paraphrased line from the movie, "Live for nothing, die for something," has become a rallying cry within the country and has buoyed the resolve of opponents of the military regime.

Movie Reviews: 'Rambo'
25 January 2008 (StudioBriefing)
Kevin Crust in the Los Angeles Times gives Sylvester Stallone's Rambo one of several so-so and/or grudgingly complimentary reviews. "Rambo hits his stride in the film's second half, meting out justice in an unjust world and ultimately the movie works best when warbling its out-of-tune greatest hits." (Indeed, the film has the greatest number of hits of any Rambo movie -- a professor of national security studies at Ohio State counted 236 killings.) Besides, Crust says, "There's something oddly touching about Stallone's march down memory lane." Stallone was the writer and director of the movie, as well as its star, and Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle acknowledges that he provides "a straight-ahead action film that makes the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan look like a debutante ball. It's 90 minutes of flying, dismembered limbs and explosions of blood, but give the man credit. Stallone can do action. If you want action and nothing but, here it is." A.O. Scott in the New York Times compares the Rambo character to the "samurais and gunslingers" of classic films and concludes, "Mr. Stallone is smart enough -- or maybe dumb enough, though I tend to think not -- to present the mythic dimensions of the character without apology or irony. His face looks like a misshapen chunk of granite, and his acting is only slightly more expressive, but the man gets the job done. Welcome back." But Kyle Smith in the New York Post headlines his review "RAMBOLONEY!" and concludes: "Needlessly violent? No, Rambo is needfully violent. Johnny R. is a man constructed of violence. He can no more do without firing arrows into skulls than a lady poet can do without her yoga. The psychological effects of his métier might be worth considering, but Stallone isn't interested in anything but the next explosion." Several critics predict that the movie should perform well at the box office. The Los Angeles Daily News's Glenn Whipp writes, "Interestingly, the relative absence of this kind of action movie in recent years makes the new Rambo something of a curio that will satisfy genre enthusiasts whose taste for (first) blood cannot be quenched by costumed pansies like Spider-Man." But Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer predicts that modern-day audiences are likely to be disappointed. Calling it a "slab of action porn," she advises that anyone interested in such stuff should "buy the video game. With its first-person-shooter perspective and gun-and-run narrative, this one's for the PlayStation crowd."

Rambo, Charging Back Into Theaters, Faces Monster
25 January 2008 (StudioBriefing)
This weekend will provide a box-office test of whether the public will turn out to see a 61-year-old former action star in a role that he first made popular as a much younger man. Sylvester Stallone first introduced the character of John Rambo in 1982 in the movie First Blood. He last appeared as the character in 1988, helping rebels in Afghanistan oust the Soviet Union. (In the interim most of those rebels turned against the U.S.) "Hopefully, what our advertising has done is introduce Rambo to a whole new generation of younger males," Lionsgate distribution chief Steve Rothenberg told today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times. The question among box-office analysts was whether it could top Cloverfield, which had a spectacular opening last weekend. While Rambo is expected to take in $15-20 million, that figure would merely come close to equaling what Cloverfield would bring in if its ticket sales fell by 50 percent. It's also being challenged by the debuting comedy Meet the Spartans, a spoof of last year's 300, which has also been garnering considerable buzz in recent weeks. (Spartans was not screened for critics.)

Snipes Court Hearing Begins
15 January 2008 (WENN)
Movie star Wesley Snipes kicked off his tax fraud and conspiracy trial in Ocala, Florida on Monday. The Blade star's legal team interviewed almost 70 potential character witnesses as jury selection began. The bizarre list of names included boxing legend Muhammad Ali, moviemaker Spike Lee, Sylvester Stallone and Snipes' White Men Can't Jump co-star Woody Harrelson. Snipes, 45, stands accused of conspiring to defraud the U.S. of millions of dollars in 2000 as part of a conspiracy scheme with co-defendants Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile, and then failing to file tax returns. Opening arguments in the trial are expected to start on Tuesday. Snipes faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted. He recently failed in his bid to move proceedings from Ocala, after insisting the townsfolk were racist, and he wouldn't be able to get a fair hearing. Before appearing in court, Snipes took part in a vigil with the leaders of several predominantly black churches, who then followed the actor to court.

Stallone Arrested in Japan?
14 January 2008 (WENN)
Action star Sylvester Stallone recently ran into trouble with authorities in Japan, after he was found in possession of growth hormones - according to his ex-fiancee Janice Dickinson. The former supermodel alleges Stallone was taken into custody after being caught with the same muscle-building drug he was convicted for possession of in Australia last February. Following that incident, he was formally convicted on charges of importing a prohibited substance in May and was ordered to pay nearly $10,000 in fines and legal costs. And Dickinson claims Stallone is still up to no good. She tells the New York Post's gossip column Page Six, "Stallone was recently arrested in Japan for growth hormones." Dickinson recently revealed on a TV show that Stallone took the drugs to boost his body during their relationship in the early 1990s, and even claimed he once injected her in the arm when she was asleep - allegations Stallone has vehemently denied. But Dickinson is adamant she is telling the truth, and is demanding an apology for him branding her a 'liar'. And she has threatened to reveal all about the Rambo actor's past if he refuses to do as she asks. She adds, "If he doesn't shut his big mouth, I'm going to really tell everybody what he did to me. If he doesn't retract calling me a liar, I'm going to really talk - and he doesn't want that, so he'd better make nice..." The couple was engaged in the early 1990s, but Stallone ditched her when a Dna test proved he wasn't the father of her daughter Savannah. A representative for Stallone has declined to comment on Dickinson's latest allegations.

Nielsen in Rehab
19 July 2007 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone's statuesque ex-wife Brigitte Nielsen has checked into rehab in North Hollywood following a family intervention. New husband Mattia Dessi was among those who begged the Danish model/actress to seek help for alcoholism, according to the National Enquirer. Nielsen reluctantly checked into the Cri-Help facility on July 9. Insiders tell the publication Nielsen has been fighting a serious alcohol problem for years. She appeared drunk on American reality TV show The Surreal Life in 2005. A source says, "It took an ultimatum from her family to get through to Brigitte - either she gets help or she loses her loved ones' support." Nielsen's manager, Ryan Glasglow, confirms the actress is in rehab, stating "Brigitte's getting the help she needs and has a positive attitude about her recovery."

Stallone Defends Himself Over Drug Controversy
1 June 2007 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone insists the supplement which landed him in trouble with Australian customs in February is one he needs to take regularly to repair damaged muscles and tendons. The Rocky Balboa star was fined $2,450 last month after he was caught in possession of vials of a human growth hormone, which is an illegal substance in Australia, at Sydney Airport. But he insists the banned growth hormone, Jintropin, is something he has to take on a regular basis - just to get through the day. Stallone, 60, states, "I abused my body so much throughout my career that I am literally held together by glue. The stuff I took thickens the bones and reinforces the tendons."

Stallone Fined for Banned Drugs
21 May 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has been fined just $2,450 for bringing banned body-building drugs into Australia earlier this year. The Rocky Balboa actor showed enough remorse during his trial to escape the maximum penalty of $18,136, according to Deputy Chief Magistrate Paul Cloran. However, Cloran ordered Stallone, who was not in the Sydney court for sentencing, to pay the prosecution costs of $8,244 as well. Last week Stallone apologized for bringing banned growth hormone Jintropin into Australia in February. He was detained at Sydney airport by customs officials who seized his luggage and later raided his hotel room and private jet in search of the substance.

Stallone: "I Made a Terrible Mistake"
17 May 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has apologized for bringing banned growth hormone Jintropin into Australia. The Rocky Balboa actor was detained at Sydney airport by customs officials in February. They seized his luggage and later raided his hotel room and private jet in search of the substance. In a letter read on Tuesday to Sydney's Downing Center Local Court, Stallone said, "I made a terrible mistake. Not because I was attempting to deceive anyone but I was simply ignorant of your official rules. It was a hard-learned lesson and an eye-opener that the world is a complex society, and knowing the rules of your intending destination is of paramount importance. I wish to express my deepest remorse and again apologize." If convicted, the actor faces a fine of $22,000. He is due to be sentenced on Monday. The growth hormone at the center of the legal case is alleged to reduce body fat, build muscle, remove wrinkles and provide a range of anti-aging benefits.

Stallone Pleads Guilty to Banned Drugs Charges
15 May 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone has pleaded guilty to bringing banned bodybuilding drugs into Australia earlier this year. The actor today admitted to two charges of possession of the human growth hormone during a promotional visit for Rocky Balboa in February at Sydney's Downing Center Local Court through his lawyers, as he was not required to appear at the hearing. Upon arrival down under on February 16, the actor and his entourage were detained for several hours for packing what was believed to be a human growth hormone, with officials later searching Stallone's hotel room and private jet for illegal substances. Stallone initially told Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph the incident was a "misunderstanding" and that reports of him transporting steroids were "totally hot air," however Australian customs officers said they found five boxes of growth hormone Jintropin in Stallone's luggage on his arrival from the U.S. If found guilty, the actor faces a fine of $22,000 - avoiding a maximum penalty of $91,600 for the offences because the case is being heard in a local court. The growth hormone at the centre of the legal case is alleged to reduce body fat, build muscle, remove wrinkles and provide a range of anti-ageing benefits.

Stallone Bans Australian Media From Press Conference
2 May 2007 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has banned the Australian media from an upcoming press conference to launch his Rocky Balboa movie on DVD after falling foul of the country's drug laws. The movie star was charged with drugs charges in Sydney earlier this year after he was allegedly caught importing 48 vials of an illegal human growth hormone. And now he's getting his own back on Australian's media members, who poked fun at him during the controversy - he has vetoed their press passes. Several Australian journalists were scheduled to attend the Los Angeles press conference later this month, but have been informed they won't be allowed to cover the event. A publicist from 20th Century Fox, the company organizing the press conference, reveals Australian media are no longer welcome. A spokeswoman says, "I've just received word that unfortunately we will not be sending any Australian media to attend the Stallone junket due to his impending court case." It is believed Stallone pulled the plug because he didn't want to answer questions about his drug charges.

Stallone Offers Medical Evidence in Drug Case
25 April 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone has provided an Australian court with medical documents after he was charged with illegally importing performance drugs into the country. The Rocky star was caught in possession of vials of a human growth hormone at Sydney Airport in February - which is an illegal substance in Australia. Stallone was not present at the court hearing yesterday and is yet to enter a plea. His lawyer, John Chicken, says, "We're certainly seeking to move to a resolution." The case was adjourned until May 15 to allow customs to examine medical material. If found guilty, he faces a large fine.

'A Christmas Story' Director Killed in Car Crash
5 April 2007 (WENN)
Director Bob Clark, who helmed the modern holiday classic A Christmas Story and was the writer-director-producer of the Porky's films, died in a car crash with his son on the Pacific Coast Highway early Wednesday morning; he was 67. According to police reports, Clark's car was hit head-on around 2:30am by an SUV that swerved into Clark's southbound lane; Clark and his 22 year-old son, Ariel, were pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver, who was driving without a license, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and is to be booked for gross vehicular manslaughter. The director of the 1974 cult horror film Black Christmas as well as the 1980 Jack Lemmon drama Tribute (which nabbed Lemmon a Best Actor Oscar nomination), Clark scored a major box office success in the early '80s with the teen sex comedy Porky's, a surprise hit that he wrote, directed and produced which became the highest-grossing film of 1982 and one of the highest-grossing films ever in Canada. Clark went on to helm the sequel, Porky's II: The Next Day, a year later, but it was another 1983 film that would become his most memorable. Based on humorist Jean Shepherd's short story collection In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story was the nostalgic and humorous tale of a young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) growing up in the 1940s who yearned for the ultimate Christmas gift, a Red Ryder BB gun. Also starring Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon, the comedy (which Clark directed, co-wrote and produced) was a modest success in its initial box office run but gained a strong and steady following through the next two decades, becoming a TV staple during the holiday season and a consistent seller on DVD. Clark's other films included the Dolly Parton-Sylvester Stallone comedy Rhinestone, Turk 182!, From the Hip, and the two Baby Geniuses movies. Recently, there had been talk of Howard Stern producing a remake of Porky's, and Clark had begun development on a remake of one of his first films, the horror movie Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff

'A Christmas Story' Director Bob Clark Killed in Car Crash
4 April 2007 (WENN)
Director Bob Clark, who helmed the modern holiday classic A Christmas Story and was the writer-director-producer of the Porky's films, died in a car crash with his son on the Pacific Coast Highway early Wednesday morning; he was 67. According to police reports, Clark's car was hit head-on around 2:30am by an SUV that swerved into Clark's southbound lane; Clark and his 22 year-old son, Ariel, were pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver, who was driving without a license, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and is to be booked for gross vehicular manslaughter. The director of the 1974 cult horror film Black Christmas as well as the 1980 Jack Lemmon drama Tribute (which nabbed Lemmon a Best Actor Oscar nomination), Clark scored a major box office success in the early '80s with the teen sex comedy Porky's, a surprise hit that he wrote, directed and produced which became the highest-grossing film of 1982 and one of the highest-grossing films ever in Canada. Clark went on to helm the sequel, Porky's II: The Next Day, a year later, but it was another 1983 film that would become his most memorable. Based on humorist Jean Shepherd's short story collection In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story was the nostalgic and humorous tale of a young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) growing up in the 1940s who yearned for the ultimate Christmas gift, a Red Ryder BB gun. Also starring Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon, the comedy (which Clark directed, co-wrote and produced) was a modest success in its initial box office run but gained a strong and steady following through the next two decades, becoming a TV staple during the holiday season and a consistent seller on DVD. Clark's other films included the Dolly Parton-Sylvester Stallone comedy Rhinestone, Turk 182!, From the Hip, and the two Baby Geniuses movies. Recently, there had been talk of Howard Stern producing a remake of Porky's, and Clark had begun development on a remake of one of his first films, the horror movie Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff

Stallone To Face Charges?
13 March 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone will reportedly be charged in an Australian court today in relation to his run-in with customs officials last month. Stallone had his luggage, private jet and hotel room searched by local authorities in February - banned substances were said to have been taken from the cases of the actor's entourage. The 60-year-old has since claimed the incident was simply a "misunderstanding." Officials have refused to comment on what charges Stallone will face when the case is filed at the Downing Center Local Court in Sydney, but the actor/filmmaker will not be required to attend as long as he is represented by a lawyer.

Stallone in Steroid Scandal?
21 February 2007 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone may be in trouble with Australia authorities over what is reported to be banned bodybuilding substances. The actor was in Sydney for the Australian opening of Rocky Balboa on Friday night, when he was stopped by customs officials after a routine X-ray detected something suspicious. The actor and his entourage were detained for several hours, causing them to miss the film's premiere, for packing what was believed to be a type of human growth hormone. On Monday officials searched his hotel room and private jet for illegal substances, just three days after seizing the banned substances at the airport. Richard Janeczko, the national investigations manager for the Australian Customs Service, told Sydney's Daily Telegraph, contraband items were seized, but refused to reveal any details. Stallone, 60, initially told the newspaper the incident was a "misunderstanding" and that reports of him transporting steroids were "totally hot air." When Australian officials arrived at the Park Hyatt hotel to issue the actor with a summons to answer charges on the prohibited substances, Stallone and his entourage were allegedly seen throwing things out the windows of their hotel room. According to the Telegraph, a search of the room allegedly resulted in additional evidence being seized. The actor was cleared to leave the country on Monday, but an investigation will continue. A spokesperson for the Customs Service adds, "There is a range of options we can pursue in these circumstances. The investigation is ongoing, and we are aware of Mr. Stallone's travel movements. The material has to be identified, and we have to look at all the options and the evidence before deciding what action to take." Penalties for possession of such items in Australia can range from fines up to $110,000 or up to five years in jail.

Stallone's Private Jet Searched
20 February 2007 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone's private jet and hotel room were searched by Australian customs officials yesterday, three days after they seized banned substances from his entourage's luggage. The Hollywood tough guy arrived in Australia on Friday to promote his latest movie Rocky Balboa, when his and his entourage's baggage was seized, and detained for several hours. The Rambo star had earlier claimed the incident "was a misunderstanding." However, officials are still examining substances collected from Stallone's entourage to determine whether further action will be taken.

Stallone Detained at Sydney Airport
19 February 2007 (WENN)
Actor Sylvester Stallone was detained for several hours at Sydney Airport on Friday, after officials found "prohibited items" in his luggage. The Hollywood tough guy arrived in Australia to promote his latest movie Rocky Balboa, when his and his entourage's baggage was seized. Australian Customs Service national investigations manager Richard Janeczko says, "As a result of having their luggage x-rayed, a number of prohibited items were seized by customs. Mr. Stallone was allowed to continue with his party and our investigations are continuing." After being detained for a number of hours, Stallone was allowed to leave. He explains, "That was just a misunderstanding."

Box-office Blahs at Christmas
26 December 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Like the holiday stockings hanging at the fireplace, the Christmas box office turned out to be pretty much a mixed bag. Although some studios revised their estimates for the Friday-to-Sunday period, they did not release final figures nor estimates for Monday, Christmas Day, when two new films, the horror flick Black Christmas and the musical Dreamgirls, were added to the mix. There were no break-out hits. The debut of the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum led the list with $30.9 million over the three-day period, in line with analysts' predictions but well off Stiller's best opening: $46.1 million for Meet the Fockers in 2004. Sylvester Stallone's return as Rocky Balboa after 16 years, did OK business with about $12.2 million, after earning $9.7 million on Wednesday and Thursday, as it finished in third place -- a performance that would seem to indicate that audiences were not as impressed with Stallone's comeback as the critics were. Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness dropped to second place with $14.9 million, 43 percent below its opening take a week ago. The biggest drop, however, was registered by the fantasy flick Eragon, which plunged 70 percent in its second weekend to $7.1 million, to place sixth. Another new film, We Are Marshall, failed to attract an audience, as it opened with just $6 million. Playing in just five theaters, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima debuted with $89,000, an average of $17,800 per theater.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Night at the Museum, 20th Century Fox, $30,880,000, (New); 2. The Pursuit of Happyness, Sony, $14,874,000, 2 Wks. ($53,304,000); 3. Rocky Balboa, MGM, $12,220,999, (New); 4. The Good Shepherd, Universal, $9,925,000, (New); 5. Charlotte's Web, Paramount, $7,693,000, 2 Wks. ($26,530,000); 6. Eragon, 20th Century Fox, $7,101,000, 2 Wks. ($37,596,000); 7. We Are Marshall, Warner Bros. $6,080,000, (New); 8. The Nativity Story, New Line, $5,198,000, 4 Wks. ($32,512,000); 9. Happy Feet, Warner Bros. $5,131,000, 6 Wks. ($159,099,000); 10. The Holiday, Paramount, $4,877,000, 3 Wks. ($34,977,000).

Stallone Vs. Stiller
22 December 2006 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa came out swinging on Wednesday, pummeling the competition with a take of $6.4 million in its debut, but the real contender for the box-office championship over the holiday weekend doesn't even enter the ring until tonight (Friday), when the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum opens. Two other potent challengers also enter the fray: We Are Marshall, based on events surrounding the 1970 plane crash that killed the Marshall University football team, and The Good Shepherd, the Robert De Niro film about the early days of the CIA, while Dreamgirls, about a Supremes-like female pop group expands to 852 theaters. Most box-office analysts are betting on Museum to win with about $35-40 million, followed close behind by the latest Rocky sequel, which, they say, is due to take in about $30 million.

Movie Reviews: 'Rocky Balboa'
20 December 2006 (StudioBriefing)
When it was originally announced, the decision to make yet another Rocky movie with Sylvester Stallone playing the character he created 30 years ago was almost universally hooted. "Critics are going to have a field day with it," was the general consensus. Well, as it turns out, the reviews for Rocky Balboa are pretty good. Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times writes: "Rocky Balboa is not the embarrassment many expected it to be. It's actually the best Rocky movie since the original -- a fitting and triumphant final chapter for one of the most iconic characters in the history of motion pictures." Similarly, Stephen Holden in the New York Times writes: "Surprisingly Rocky Balboa, is no embarrassment. Like its forerunners it goes the distance almost in spite of itself." Claudia Puig in USA Today quotes Rocky himself: "Who wouldda thunk?" And Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star has this take on the film's accomplishment: "Satisfying in the end because it's not nearly as bad as it could have been, Rocky Balboa succeeds mostly because it does what the character does: gets through without falling flat on its ass." The film may also resurrect the faded career of Sylvester Stallone, other critics observe. "Defying all odds," Michael Wilmington writes in the Chicago Tribune, Stallone's movie "comes close to a knockout."

Dickinson Injured In Hit-and-Run Accident
14 December 2006 (WENN)
Supermodel-turned-reality TV star Janice Dickinson was left concussed and shaken up after the vehicle she was in was caught up in a hit-and-run accident. The former girlfriend of Sylvester Stallone and Jack Nicholson was driving along a section of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles with her assistant and stylists on Tuesday night when a truck struck their vehicle and pushed them into the median - and then drove off. According to news website Tmz.com, Dickinson hit her head in the accident and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. She was later released.

Rocky Statue Returns to Museum of Art Steps
8 September 2006 (WENN)
A larger-than-life statue of Sylvester Stallone as movie boxer Rocky Balboa is to stand proudly near the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania. The site featured in the first Rocky film and has become a tourist attraction ever since as film fans clamber up the steps with the Rocky theme ringing in their ears and salute the heavens at the top of the flight. Despite objections from snooty museum bosses, who insisted the statue wasn't artistic enough to stand before the building, the city's Art Commission approved a plan on Wednesday to place the bronzed Rocky there. The statue, donated to the city by Stallone in 1982, has been stored in a warehouse for years after it was removed from the museum steps - its first home. For a time it stood proudly in front of the Spectrum Sports Arena in South Philadelphia. And city officials aren't wasting time in returning the statue to its first home - a dedication ceremony is planned for today.

Stallone Settles 'Rocky' Battle
10 August 2006 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has settled his legal battle with a former heavyweight boxer who claimed he was the inspiration behind the Rocky movies. Chuck Wepner was always acknowledged by Stallone as the inspiration behind zero to hero fighter Rocky Balboa - Stallone began to work on 1976 movie Rocky after he watched the boxer narrowly lose to world champion Muhammad Ali in 1975. The New Jersey club fighter was plucked from obscurity by promoter Don King. But Wepner sued in 2003, claiming Stallone failed to honour promises of payments and used his name to help promote his movie franchise. Stallone countered, claiming Wepner had already received financial reward from the movies by making public appearances as "the real Rocky." Last week, lawyers for Stallone and Wepner filed notice in Newark US District Court that the lawsuit has been settled out of court. Stallone is currently filming Rocky Balboa, the sixth movie in the series, which is set for release later this year.

Fight Goes On for Stallone's 'Rocky' Statue
7 August 2006 (WENN)
A bronze Rocky statue is on the ropes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania because city officials can't decide where to put it. The likeness of Sylvester Stallone's movie boxing champ was dedicated to the city by the movie star in 1982, but dignitaries still can't decide where the statue's permanent home should be. And a campaign to erect the larger-then-life statue at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps has fallen flat because snobby museum bosses insist the piece isn't artistic enough. A spokesman for the city Art Commission says, "It's a prop." The commission has suggested the search should continue to find a permanent home for Stallone's statue. Stallone, himself, who will return with a sixth Rocky film later this year, has been fighting to find the statue a suitable home after learning it had been placed in storage.

Jeweler to the Stars Sues Dickinson
20 July 2006 (WENN)
Former model-turned-reality TV star Janice Dickinson is being sued by celebrity jeweler Neil Lane after allegedly borrowing gems for a photo shoot and never returning them. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Lane claims Dickinson, the former girlfriend of Jack Nicholson and Sylvester Stallone, was loaned diamond earrings and a turquoise, pearl and gold necklace, among other things, valued in total at $88,000. Lane says that Dickinson has failed to return the loaned jewelry, claiming the items were either lost or stolen - a story the jeweler's insurance agents found "dubious."

Nielsen Weds Husband No. 5 for Second Time
10 July 2006 (WENN)
Actress Brigitte Nielsen wed her Italian bartender fiance Mattia Dessi for the second time on Saturday. The couple was originally married in a Caribbean beach ceremony in March 2005, but the union was invalid because the Red Sonja beauty was still married to husband number four Raoul Meyer. The 48-year-old Dane exchanged vows with Dessi, who is 15 years her junior, on the Mediterranean island of Malta, with Ivana Trump as her witness. Her children also attended the ceremony. Nielsen was married to Sylvester Stallone for two years between 1985 and 1987.

Rock Hired Private Eye Pellicano
26 April 2006 (WENN)
Comedian Chris Rock hired Hollywood detective Anthony Pellicano to find incriminating information on a woman who filed a paternity claim against him. The private eye allegedly searched confidential criminal databases for incriminating information on Hungarian model Monika Zsibrita, according to court records. Rock's spokesperson, Matt Labov, confirmed Monday that the comedian's representatives had hired Pellicano, after the model alleged she was pregnant with Rock's child in 1999. Rock was separated from his wife when he met Zsibrita and two subsequent DNA tests revealed that he was not the child's father. Labov said that Pellicano, at the time he was retained, had an "excellent reputation" as an investigator and that no one associated with Rock had any idea he would illegally access police files, as federal authorities have alleged. Labov explains, "No one from our camp would have ever knowingly entered into an agreement with Pellicano to do anything illegal." Zsibrita is planning to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles, alleging that her civil rights were violated because her confidential records were turned over to Pellicano. According to her lawyer, Neville Johnson, "She is very upset to learn that her privacy was violated in various ways." Pellicano, 61, is currently behind bars awaiting trial for the illegal wiretapping of powerful Hollywood stars, including actors Sylvester Stallone and Keith Carradine, comedian Garry Shandling, and producer Aaron Russo. He has pleaded not guilty.

Carradine Sues Alleged Wiretapping Villain
27 March 2006 (WENN)
Actor Keith Carradine has filed a civil lawsuit against Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano after discovering he was among the stars named in a wire-tapping scandal. Carradine and his fiancee claim the actor's ex-wife, Sandra Will Carradine, conspired with the investigator and communications company employees to illegally tape phone conversations. In court papers, the Nashville star alleges Pellicano and his ex used "malicious and illegal tactics" to gain leverage in divorce proceedings after he split from his wife in 1993. The actor has hired top attorney Mark Geragos to fight his case, but his ex-wife's lawyer feels sure a jury will sympathize with his client. Peter Knecht says, "She was being a good mother, trying to find out how to get support for her kids. Her motives were neither evil nor sinister." Carradine is one of 12 people, including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Garry Shandling, who were alleged victims of Pellicano and his associates. The investigator has been indicted on charges of illegal wiretapping.

Stallone: "I Didn't See Ellen Choke"
23 March 2006 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has defended his failure to rescue choking actress Ellen Barkin in an Los Angeles restaurant earlier this month - insisting he didn't realize she was in trouble. The Big Easy star almost died from suffocation at the posh Sunset Tower Hotel's Tower Bar, when Hollywood agent Kevin Huvane saved her with the Heimlich maneuver. But the action hero insists he was unaware of the desperate situation. He says, "I had no idea Ellen was in the restaurant. If she was coughing or dying, she was doing it politely. I would have been more than happy to reach down her throat or squeeze her hard. Sat there dumbfounded? Please! I would have rallied round - just to avoid paying the bill."

Kidman "Questioned by FBI Over Wiretapping"
17 March 2006 (WENN)
Nicole Kidman was reportedly questioned by the FBI over private detective Anthony Pellicano's alleged, illegal wiretapping. A recording of the Cold Mountain actress talking to her ex-husband Tom Cruise was found in Pellicano's office in 2002, reports gossip site PageSix.com. The recording was made shortly after the golden couple announced they were splitting in February 2001. During their divorce, Cruise hired Los Angeles matrimonial lawyer Dennis Wasser - who had often used Pellicano's services - while Kidman was represented by New York lawyer Bill Beslow, who consulted private detective Richie Di Sabatino. Sabatino admits he was stunned to hear Kidman had allegedly been taped, saying, "We swept her phones and put on an encryption device, so she couldn't be wire-tapped. We tried to keep one step ahead. (The tapes the FBI heard) was probably from Tom's phone. Pellicano used to tap his own clients. They (Cruise and Kidman) settled quietly and relatively fast, and nothing came out except for one story in the National Enquirer, which was Pellicano's tabloid of choice." Pellicano, 61, pleaded not guilty last month to charges of racketeering, interception of electronic communications and other offences in a Los Angeles court. Besides Kidman and Cruise, Pellicano has also been accused of tapping the phones of Sylvester Stallone, Keith Carradine and producer Aaron Russo.

Pellicano, Six Others Indicted in Hollywood Wiretap Conspiracy
7 February 2006 (StudioBriefing)
A 60-page indictment was unsealed Monday against private detective Anthony Pellicano, who was one day shy of completing a 30-month sentence for illegal possession of explosives, charging him with conspiring to wiretap, blackmail, and intimidate numerous Hollywood figures. He was ordered held without bail. Six others were also named as co-conspirators, including former LAPD Sgt. Mark Arneson and telephone company employee Rayford Turner. However, Pellicano was singled out as the leader of the conspiracy, saying that he acted on behalf of clients who included "entertainment celebrities and executives, attorneys and law firms." Today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times observed that many of the alleged victims, including Sylvester Stallone and Garry Shandling, are persons who battled clients of famed show-business attorney Bert Fields, whose "shadow," said the newspaper, "looms over the case." Fields himself commented to the newspaper, "It's something I want to stay out of. I try to keep practicing law and not pay a lot of attention to it." A partner in Fields' law firm commented, "If Mr. Pellicano engaged in any illegal activity, he did so without their or the firm's knowledge or authorization." In its report, the Times observed, "Although the indictment does not specify which cases Pellicano was working on, names cited in the charges read like a road map leading to Fields and his firm."

Stallone Holds Open Audition for 'Rocky VI'
5 December 2005 (WENN)
Producers working on Rocky Balboa, the fifth Rocky sequel, held an open audition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday which attracted hundreds of hopefuls. Sylvester Stallone, who was Oscar-nominated in 1976 for his leading role and screenplay for the original Rocky movie, has already started filming in Las Vegas, Nevada. And when filming switches to Rocky's hometown Philadelphia next year, producers have set aside a role for a local aspiring actor because they want the film to be as authentic as possible. Casting director Diane Heery says, "They want the character and personality of Philadelphia. We're looking for the face to the story of Philadelphia. We're looking for real people."

Cruise Recruits Hollywood PR Guru To Replace Sister
8 November 2005 (WENN)
Tom Cruise has parted ways with his publicist sister 20 months after giving her the job over his longtime PR Pat Kingsley. Lee Anne DeVette has dealt with her brother's romance with Katie Holmes and his controversial comments about Scientology and psychiatry during her time as his press officer. Cruise has replaced his sister with top Hollywood PR man Paul Bloch, who also serves as co-chairman for publicity powerhouse Rogers & Cowan and represents movie stars John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone, Billy Bob Thornton and David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, among others. However, DeVette will continue to work alongside her brother as the full-time caretaker of his charity work. In a statement, the movie star says, "Lee Anne has done a wonderful job on behalf of me and Cruise-Wagner Productions over the last few years, but she has always expressed a desire to oversee and expand the day-to-day activities of my charitable endeavors." DeVette adds, "I know how important Tom's charitable goals are to him, and I look forward to assisting in raising the profile of the good works that he does on behalf of children's health issues, mentoring, literacy and other social reforms."

Stallone To Make New Rambo Movie
31 October 2005 (WENN)
Movie hardman Sylvester Stallone is making a fourth Rambo movie, seventeen years after the last film was made. The news comes shortly after Stallone announced plans for a sixth Rocky film in 2006. Rambo IV will see former Vietnam veteran John J. Rambo retired into a quiet life until he gets involved in the case of a missing child. The movie will be shot between Mexico and the United States. Filming is scheduled to start in the spring.

Sony To Bring Back Rocky
18 October 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Rocky is planning to make a comeback after 15 years in retirement. Sony, MGM, and Revolution studios announced Monday that they are working with Sylvester Stallone on a sixth Rocky movie that the actor will write and star in. They said they are planning to release he film next year, thirty years after the premiere of the original Rocky.

Stallone Fights To Get Roy Jones Jr. in the Ring
18 October 2005 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone is sparring with boxing champ Roy Jones Jr. because he wants the fighter to sign up for his Rocky VI movie. The movie star wants the heavyweight champ to play fictional champion Mason 'The Line' Dixon in the film, which Stallone will write, direct and star in. Meanwhile, Stallone has an initial title for his sixth Rocky film - Rocky Balboa. Shooting is scheduled to begin in December in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the film is slated to be released next November. The movie star insists Rocky fans will see a few familiar faces in the movie: "People that were in the first movie, that you didn't think much about, are back - really minor characters are now major characters."

Arnie Stuns at Stunt Awards But It's Tarantino's Big Night
27 September 2005 (WENN)
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stunned fans at the Taurus World Stunt Awards in Hollywood on Sunday night when he showed up to present pal, stuntman icon Vic Armstrong, with a Lifetime Achievement prize. Movie veteran Armstrong, whose film credits include Raiders Of The Lost Ark and War Of The Worlds, took a break from making Mission: Impossible 3 with Tom Cruise to accept his honor. Schwarzenegger's Planet Hollywood pal Sylvester Stallone also made an appearance - to pick up the night's Honorary Action Star award and movie-maker Quentin Tarantino took home the award for Best Action Movie Director. Meanwhile's Tarantino's fight sequence between Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill Vol 2 claimed the fifth annual prize's Best Fight honors, while the film's stand-ins Zoe Bell and Monica Staggs took home the Best Stuntwoman prize.

Stallone's Notorious BIG Film Gets the Go-Ahead
5 July 2005 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has chosen to take his Notorious BIG biopic to the small screen after signing a deal to debut the controversial movie on America's HBO network. The Rocky star's long-awaited film - based on the murder of the rapper - was initially intended for a cinematic release. According to website StalloneZone.com, the film, in which Stallone is to play Los Angeles Police homicide Detective Russell Poole, will now air on HBO. Stallone's character Poole probed the rapper's still-unsolved murder and became the first investigator to suggest that crooked cops with ties to rival rap label Death Row Records might be mixed up in the his 1997 murder. Poole later quit the force, claiming former Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks and other department heads had squashed his efforts to probe cop corruption and the truth about Biggie's slaying. The Notorious BIG's death has become a hot issue in Los Angeles in recent weeks as legal experts lock heads at the rapper's wrongful death trial.

Stallone Says He'll Return as Rambo
31 May 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone, who was once one of Hollywood's top earners but who has seen his last three starring features go straight to video, is teaming up with prolific low-budget producer Avi Lerner, whose movies mostly go straight to video -- this time for a revival of his Rambo character. "I've signed the deal and I have the old headband, machine gun and bow and arrow ready to go," Stallone, 58, said in a statement announcing his deal with Lerner, whose Bulgaria-based Nu Image/Millennium Films purchased the Rambo rights from Miramax for an undisclosed figure. "It's a franchise," said Lerner, "If [Rambo] No. 4 works, then you have a No. 5." Rambo No. 3 was released 17 years ago.

Schwarzenegger "Suspects Stallone of Nazi Smear Campaign"
25 May 2005 (WENN)
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suspects his former rival Sylvester Stallone of leading a secret 1980s campaign to give the Terminator star a reputation as a Nazi sympathizer, according to a new book. The two Hollywood action stars were bitter enemies in 1988, after Schwarzenegger enjoyed an affair with Stallone's ex-wife Brigitte Nielsen and accused the Rocky actor of hiring publicity agents to save his image. And in new book Fantastic: The Life Of Arnold Schwarzenegger, biographer Laurence Leamer claims Stallone sought vengeance by telling British journalist Wendy Leigh that Schwarzenegger's Austrian father helped round up Jews during the Holocaust and that Schwarzenegger was a "secret admirer of Hitler". Leigh claims Stallone paid her legal fees and covered her settlement to the Austrian actor, after he sued Leigh for libel when she published Stallone's alleged comments in a book. And although Stallone insists he did not contribute to Leigh's controversial tome, Leamer claims Schwarzenegger "reluctantly" confirmed he still believes Stallone worked to smear him as a fascist sympathizer, reports America's New York Daily News newspaper. The pair have since settled their differences and are firm friends again.

Caprice and Janice To Star in New 'Surreal Life'
1 April 2005 (WENN)
British model Caprice, Pink's biker boyfriend Corey Hart, and Sylvester Stallone's ex Janice Dickinson will be among the stars of the upcoming new series of US celebrity reality show The Surreal Life. The trio will join shamed former baseball player Jose Canseco, Salt-n-Pepa star Sandi Denton, actor Bronson Pinchot and reality TV diva Omerosa Manigault-Stallworth when the fifth season of the bizarre show debuts in September. In the show, which is now in production, a group of celebrities are taped 24 hours a day while living together in a Hollywood Hills mansion. Former Surreal Life stars have included Verne Troyer, Flavor Flav, Brigitte Nielsen and Vanilla Ice.

Stallone Believes His Show Is Not Responsible for Suicide
22 February 2005 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone refuses to accept his upcoming reality TV show The Contender is to blame for the apparent suicide of promising boxer Najai Turpin. Turpin, a contestant on the Rocky star's boxing reality show, shot himself last week, to the astonishment of both producers and his fellow contenders. And while Stallone, who attended Turpin's funeral with Sugar Ray Leonard on Friday, is shocked by the incident, he doubts his show is linked to the tragedy. He says, "This unfortunate occurrence seems to have nothing to do with boxing but other personal issues that we really don't know much about." Stallone says Turpin's presence will remain throughout the series, which is set to premiere in America on March 7. The actor adds, "I loved this man. I loved what he stood for. He was incredibly brave. When he was with his child, you saw the child in him come out."

Not a 'Contender'?
9 February 2005 (StudioBriefing)
In what MediaWeek described as "a sign of almost no confidence for the series," NBC has moved the Mark Burnett/Sylvester Stallone reality series The Contender to a tough Sunday-night period (8:00 p.m. where it will face CBS's Cold Case and ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) from its previously planned berth at 8:00 p.m. Wednesdays, where it would have faced ABC's hit drama Lost. NBC said that it plans to move American Dreams, which currently occupies the Sunday spot, to the Wednesday period. The debut of The Contender is set for March 7. A second episode is due to air on March 10, and a third, in the regular Sunday-night time slot on March 13.

Stallone's Mom Boosts His DVD Sales
20 January 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone, who once made a movie titled Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, has received a big boost from his mom following her appearance on the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother. (She was quickly booted off.) The British retail chain Woolworth's said today (Thursday) that sales of Sylvester Stallone's movies in its stores increased some 300 percent last week while Internet sales of the films rose 150 percent. A spokesman for the chain said, "The name Stallone has been big news for the past couple of weeks and that has affected sales of all Sly's films."

Stallone Promises Fans a 'Rambo IV'
18 January 2005 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has promised fans of his Rambo franchise they can expect another installment of the all-action series - even though he's nearly 60. Stallone, who is currently 58 years old, is holding talks with movie bosses about resurrecting the 80s blockbusters, which centered on a violent, disillusioned Vietnam veteran. He says, "We're in the kitchen and we're cooking. I've had meetings about this and it looks good. We'll see what we come up with."

Stallone's Mother a Surprise 'Big Brother' Guest
12 January 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Producers of the British version of Celebrity Big Brother have stoked controversy by adding Sylvester Stallone's mother to the eight original housemates who began living together under 24-hour camera coverage last Thursday. The arrival of Jacqueline Stallone, who gave her age as 71 (her son is 58), was presumably intended to set off sparks between her and another celebrity housemate, actress Brigitte Nielsen, who was Mrs. Stallone's daughter-in-law from 1985-1987. At the time, Mrs. Stallone said that she wished for an earthquake and that her daughter would fall in the crater. Instead, her entrance resulted in the exit of another celebrity housemate, feminist author Germaine Greer, who said that she couldn't abide watching Mrs. Stallone torment Nielsen. Greer, who had been publicly critical of such reality shows in the past, said in the show's "diary room," "If you take my advice, you'd get me out of here fast. I didn't expect this level of squalor either physically or mentally. I shouldn't have done it. I hate making mistakes."

Leno To Auction Off Harley for Tsunami Victims
5 January 2005 (WENN)
American chat show host Jay Leno is to auction off a Harley Davidson motorbike signed by stars like Nicole Kidman and Matt LeBlanc to raise funds for the tsunami relief effort in Asia. The effort is the second time Leno has teamed up with Harley Davidson bosses to raise cash for charity - Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Sylvester Stallone were among the stars who signed a bike the TV star auctioned in 2001 to raise cash for the victims of September 11 and their families. Leno will ask all his upcoming guests to sign the bike before selling if off and handing over all profits to the Red Cross International Disaster Relief program.

Charity Promoter Admits He Paid Payola to Celebrities
15 November 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Former charity-event promoter Aaron Tonken has admitted that he doled out millions of dollars in payola to A-list celebrities and politicians in order to entice them to appear at fund-raisers. During an interview on Friday night's ABC magazine show 20/20, Tonken maintained that celebrities rarely appear at such events without recompense. "Absolutely not," he said in an interview taped before he began serving a five-year sentence for fraud. "They want to be paid." He added: "My bill at Cartier was a million dollars," he said. "I was handing out Hawaii trips like someone would hand out their business cards, to these celebrities and their hangers-on." Among those who received large direct or indirect payoffs from Token, ABC reported, were Arnold Schwarzenegger, Suzanne Somers, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Lance Bass, Paul Anka, and former President Gerald Ford.

Stallone's 'Get Carter' Voted Worst Remake
2 November 2004 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone's 2000 reworking of the Sir Michael Caine crime thriller Get Carter has been voted the worst film remake of all time in a new poll. In a survey of 2,000 film fans by DVD rental company Screenselect.co.uk, a majority voted the Rocky star's version was abysmal compared to the 1971 classic. Unfortunately for Jude Law, the recently-released Alfie film - another Caine remake - was also slammed and came in at number six in the poll. The Anne Heche-starring 1998 version of the Psycho horror film followed Get Carter at two and this year's flop Thunderbirds entered at three. The top ten also included Point of No Return at four, Charlie's Angels at five, Planet Of The Apes at seven, Starsky And Hutch at eight and Cape Fear at nine. Surprisingly 2001 blockbuster Ocean's Eleven came in at ten, despite most film reviews lauding the George Clooney film as better than the 1960 original.

Tatum O'Neal: Ryan's a Useless Grandfather
13 October 2004 (WENN)
Tatum O'Neal has blasted her father Ryan O'Neal on national TV again - by insisting he's a hopeless grandfather. The actress appeared on America's Oprah show yesterday to promote her explosive memoirs A Paper Life, but the interview quickly turned into another rant about her dad. After attacking him for his violent rages, O'Neal said, "I would love nothing more than my dad to sit here and say, 'I'm sorry, Tatum...' I'm sorry that he didn't see my oldest son graduate from high school. My eldest son, I just drove him to college and he doesn't even know he graduated. On September 23, my son just turned 17. He didn't call him. These are the kind of things that Ryan is not a part of." O'Neal was also critical of her father's long-term on-off partner Farrah Fawcett, for ignoring her and her 13-year-old brother Griffin when she fell for their dad. O'Neal added, "The problem is I had a 13-year-old brother that was crashing into Sylvester Stallone's car. They excluded both of us and he (Ryan) said, 'You take care of your brother.' They're forgetting part of the story. And then he knocked out Griffin's teeth and then he sent Griffin to rehab. They're forgetting the whole part of the story."

Stars Owed Cash by California
12 October 2004 (WENN)
Mick Jagger, Ben Affleck and Maria Shriver are being urged to make their way to California and claim a check - because they're owed unclaimed cash by the state. The stars are on a list of more than 6 million "lost" Californians who qualify for a cut of the $3.9 billion held by the state's bureau of unclaimed property. When a company owes someone money but can't find them - or when a bank account is inactive for three years and the owner can't be reached - the funds must be turned over to the state's unclaimed property division. The cash then stays with the government, unless it's claimed by the owner or their heirs. Jagger is eligible for $919, Shriver is owed $258 and Affleck has $1,598 waiting for him. Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Lopez, Bonnie Raitt, Adam Sandler, Quentin Tarantino, Drew Barrymore, Little Richard, Sylvester Stallone and the late Marlon Brando are also owed cash by the state from studio.

Suit Against Stallone Given Go-Ahead
30 September 2004 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone's bid to throw out a lawsuit against him by former heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner has been rejected by a New Jersey judge. Wepner, 65, bought the suit against Stallone, claiming he based his hit Rocky movies on his life. US District judge Katharine S Hayden will allow a trial to proceed on Wepner's claim that Stallone inappropriately used the boxer's name to promote the movies. But the judge dismissed Wepner's two other claims - that Stallone was unjustly enriched by trading on Wepner's life and that Wepner suffered because he relied on promises Stallone made to compensate him. Wepner, who lives in Bayonne, New Jersey, was dubbed 'the Bayonne Bleeder' after he was plucked from obscurity and lost a 15-round bout to pugilist Muhammad Ali in 1975.

Stars Sign Confidentiality Agreements for Stallone's Show
27 August 2004 (WENN)
Mel Gibson, William Shatner and James Caan are among a host of stars who have had to sign confidentiality agreements after viewing tapings of Sylvester Stallone's new boxing reality show. The Contender, in which 16 fighters compete for a $1 million prize with mentoring from Stallone and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, is due to debut in November. And those who attended the first three segments of the 15-episode show in a 300-seat arena in Los Angeles - including Mr T, Elliot Gould and Tony Danza - have had to sign agreements not to disclose the outcome of any of the bouts. Bosses of the NBC show are currently locked in a bitter battle with rival Fox show The Next Great Champ to stop block its September debut.

Let the Battle Begin
16 July 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Fox Television Entertainment President Gail Berman leveled a counterpunch Thursday at her opposite number at NBC, calling NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker's charges that Fox was ripping off programming from other networks "baseless ... outrageous and unacceptable." "Ideas are not copyrightable," Berman told TV critics in Los Angeles. The network exec, who announced that fox planned to air the reality series The Next Great Champ after NBC bought the Mark Burnett/Sylvester Stallone-produced The Contender, told TV critics in Los Angeles: "Just like scripted programming, the unscripted world has reached a point where multiple projects with similar themes are being pitched simultaneously. Fox has always been aggressive and noisy. We have the ability to reach quickly and defy the competition." Fox is expected to beat NBC to the punch with The Next Great Champ, although a date for its premiere has not yet been set. It also has said it plans to air another reality series, Trading Spouses, which has been compared with NBC's forthcoming Wife Swap.

Stallone & Cruise Give Olympics Star Power
17 June 2004 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise thrilled sports fans and star spotters in California yesterday when they took turns carrying the Olympic torch from the coast to Downtown Los Angeles. Stallone kicked off proceedings at Venice Beach at 9am and the torch was carried through Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Hollywood and Downtown before Cruise closed proceedings at Dodgers Stadium before the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game with Baltimore Orioles. Stallone admits his morning run on the beach brought back memories for him: "The last time I was on this beach, I was running with Apollo Creed (in Rocky)." Along the route, the torch also passed through the Los Angeles Coliseum, Hollywood Boulevard, Beverly Hills and Staples Center among other landmarks. Comedienne-turned-chat show host Ellen DeGeneres was also among the 15 runners who took part in the torch relay - she ran through West Hollywood. The torch will make other stops in America and Europe before reaching the Olympic Games for the opening ceremony in Athens, Greece, on August 13.

Stallone Plans To Sock MGM with a Lawsuit
27 April 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone is planning to sue MGM for allegedly reneging on an agreement to produce Rocky VI, and then refusing to allow him to shop the script for the film to other studios, the New York Post reported today (Tuesday) in its "Page Six" column. The newspaper also reported that Stallone is furious about MGM's plans to produce a boxing reality show that it is billing as "just like Rocky," while Stallone himself has sold his own reality boxing show The Contender. An MGM spokesman told the newspaper: "We own the name and the rights to 'Rocky,' and can do what we want with it. [Stallone] has no basis for a lawsuit."

Stallone Trying for Fourth Child
4 March 2004 (WENN)
Rocky star Sylvester Stallone is enjoying life as a father so much, he and wife Jennifer Flavin are now trying for a fourth child. The 57-year-old actor admits he's "more in love than ever" with 35-year-old Flavin, and they're eager to add another offspring to their brood. He says, "When I first met Jennifer, she was just 19 years old. She was totally unlike any woman I ever met before, and it was love at first sight." Their relationship hit a turning point when their first daughter, Sophia, was born in 1996 with a serious heart defect, requiring immediate surgery to save her life. He tells American magazine the Star, "That really made us the parents we are today." Since then, they've had two more girls - Sistine, five, and Scarlet, 21 months - and they're looking forward to a new addition. Stallone adds, "Expect an announcement any day now!"

'Gigli' Likely To "Win" Big
27 January 2004 (StudioBriefing)
There wasn't a raised eyebrow in the crowd when the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation announced that the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez bomb Gigli led its worst-picture list for 2003 with nine nominations, including worst picture and worst screen couple. Other movies making the worst-picture list: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, From Justin to Kelly, and The Real Cancun. Winners will be announced at what the Foundation called "ultra-low-budget ceremonies" in Santa Monica, CA, scheduled for the morning of February 28, the day before the Oscars. Among the actors in the "worst supporting" category was Sylvester Stallone for Spy Kids 3-D. It marked Stallone's 30th nomination in 24 years, a record.

Tom Cruise May Play Marvel Superhero 'Iron Man'
6 January 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Tom Cruise says that he remains interested in playing the Marvel superhero Iron Man. In an interview appearing in the British magazine Empire, Cruise said, "He's a fascinating character, but we've got to figure out how it's going to work. And everyone is doing a Marvel character these days. How do we make that new, create something fresh where it doesn't feel like, 'Oh, here comes another superhero story'?" The magazine commented: "If the deal comes off, Cruise will be the biggest star to don tights and a mask since Errol Flynn, unless you count Stallone's Judge Dredd, which we don't."

Ralph Fiennes & Uma Thurman Voted Worst Double Act
2 December 2003 (WENN)
The Avengers stars Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman have been voted the worst movie double act of all time, by critics at a British film magazine. The pair were universally panned when they appeared in box-office flop in 1998, and experts at Total Film deem Fiennes' performance "stiff" and Thurman's "robotic". In second place came the Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty pairing up in 1987's Ishtar, while Sylvester Stallone and Estelle Getty's Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot came third. Total Film's Ceri Thomas says, "There's a lot of competition for the worst film duo, but you have to go a long way to beat Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes. They look as if they've never even met before, just plonked on the set together on the day of the shoot and told to flirt. Completely unconvincing."

Stallone Questioned by the FBI
20 November 2003 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone has been dragged into a new investigation by the FBI, after allegations his phone was tapped by disgraced private investigator Anthony Pellicano. The movie tough guy has been questioned by federal officials in America over a now resolved 2002 legal spat with his former business manager Kenneth Starr. Stallone became involved in the alleged wiretapping case after one of Pellicano's staff revealed the shamed sleuth had asked him to find derogatory information on both the Rambo star and fellow Planet Hollywood investor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It has since been acknowledged by Starr's attorney Bert Fields that he often hired Pellicano's services, although Fields has denied he had any knowledge of Pellicano's alleged wiretapping. According to published reports, Stallone himself also hired the services of Pellicano, who is at the center of a grand jury investigation after agents raided his offices last year and found material indicating the private investigator had conducted extensive illegal wiretaps while working on cases for high-profile lawyers. Pellicano is already serving a 33-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to weapons charges.

Rocky "Inspiration" Sues Stallone
14 November 2003 (WENN)
Former boxer Chuck Wepner has gone ahead with his threat to sue Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone for using his name without permission to promote the Rocky films. Stallone is thought to have been inspired to write and star in the series of boxing films after witnessing underdog Wepner lose to legendary World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali in 1975 - but Wepner is upset he has n ever received any money from the franchise. In his lawsuit - which was filed at Jersey City, America's state Superior Court Wednesday - Wepner lays claim to some of the estimated $1 billion the five Rocky films have generated. His lawyer Anthony Mango says, "Stallone has been using Chuck's name and continues to this day in promoting the Rocky franchise without any permission or compensation. "It's one thing to base a movie on someone, which you can do. It's another to continually harp on the name for selling and promoting without any permission or compensation, which you can't do." Stallone - who allegedly made several unkept promises to compensate Wepner - has refused to comment on the lawsuit.

Clooney's Cameo Conflict
10 July 2003 (WENN)
George Clooney almost landed in a legal battle with movie studios Dimension Films over a cameo appearance he makes in the new Spy Kids sequel. The Ocean's Eleven actor was reportedly angry film makers tried to overplay his brief appearance in trailers for Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which stars Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone. A source tells American gossip site The Scoop, "He has a cameo in the movie, but he didn't want his image used in the previews. He said it was inappropriate and cheesy to overplay his very short appearance in the movie. Dimension was begging him but he was adamant. So lawyers were called in." It seems the matter has been resolved amicably - representatives for both parties insist the actor will appear in the trailers with his full approval.

AFI Picks Top Heroes, Villains
4 June 2003 (StudioBriefing)
At ceremonies Tuesday night, the American film Institute named the top 100 movie heroes and villains. The top ten on each list:

Heroes: 1. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), To Kill a Mockingbird; 2. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), Raiders of the Lost Ark; 3. James Bond (Sean Connery), Dr. No; 4. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), Casablanca; 5. Will Kane (Gary Cooper), High Noon; 6. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), The Silence of the Lambs; 7. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Rocky; 8. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Aliens; 9. George Bailey (James Stewart), It's a Wonderful Life; 10. T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), Lawrence of Arabia.

Villains: 1. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), The Silence of the Lambs; 2. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), Psycho; 3. Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones), The Empire Strikes Back; 4. The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), The Wizard of Oz; 5. Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; 6. Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), It's a Wonderful Life; 7. Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), Fatal Attraction; 8. Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), Double Indemnity; 9. Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), The Exorcist; 10. The Queen (voiced by Lucille LaVerne), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

WSJ Runs Tom King's Final Column
18 April 2003 (StudioBriefing)
The Wall Street Journal today (Friday) is publishing its final "Hollywood Journal" column by Tom King, who died suddenly last week at the age of 39 while visiting friends in Long Island, NY. The newspaper said that King died shortly after filing the column, which is headlined "Hollywood Bets on Retro" and begins: "The summer movie season is just around the corner. Box-office sales are surprisingly slow. Can an aging Sly Stallone, a graying Harrison Ford and a rusty Terminator save the day? In a curious move, Hollywood is going after its target audience of teens this summer with blockbusters that star middle-aged heroes, update winded franchises or cull source material from the days when baby boomers were young."

Stallone's Flick Set for Theatrical Release After All
4 March 2003 (WENN)
Rambo star Sylvester Stallone's new movie Shade is set to have a theatrical release - after much difficulty in generating any interest in it. The con-man caper has been slow to find a distributor, but Rko chief Ted Hartley says buzz around the movie is finally building. He says, "All of the foreign territories except two have now been sold, and the movie is going to turn the corner to profitability. We have four serious bids for domestic distribution. I think we're in good shape, and I think it's an important turn for Stallone." Website Aintitcoolnews.Com's correspondents have seen the flick and report, "Age has made Stallone's face fascinating - those basset hound eyes buried even further in that Shar-Pei landslide of skin, but with a rumpled dignity."

Actor Richard Crenna Dies at Age 76
20 January 2003 (WENN)
Actor Richard Crenna, the Emmy Award-winning television actor who also made a name for himself in movies as Sylvester Stallone's commanding officer in the Rambo films, died Friday of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles; he was 76. Crenna started his career in radio and television, appearing on the Burns And Allen radio show and later in two popular TV series, Our Miss Brooks and The Real McCoys. Crenna began pursuing a film career in the mid-`60s, appearing in The Sand Pebbles, Marooned and Wait Until Dark. After toiling in B-movies throughout the `70s, he made a resurgence with 1981's Body Heat, playing the duped husband of Kathleen Turner, and appeared a year later as Col. Samuel Trautman in First Blood, playing mentor to Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo, returning for the two hugely successful Rambo sequels. He also appeared in 1984's The Flamingo Kid, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, and spoofed his Rambo character in 1993's Hot Shots! Part Deux. Crenna continued working in television through the 90s, most recently appearing in the drama Judging Amy opposite Tyne Daly. Crenna is survived by his wife, Penni, and three children. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Shocking Rebecca Gets Wet & Saucy
14 October 2002 (WENN)
Stunning model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos is revealing all in the pages of the new Jane magazine - both physically and verbally. The X-Men star dons a sheer Chanel chiffon dress for the underwater shoot, which leaves nothing to the imagination, and then gets saucy in the pages of the style mag. In the Jane interview, Romijn-Stamos, 29, reveals her love for porn and the fact that she and actor husband John Stamos first made love at Disneyland - and revisit the resort on their anniversary every year for marathon sex sessions. She says, "We had just instant attraction, literally love at first sight. We first had sex at Disneyland and now we go every year for a week. It's bizarre." The actress gets in the mood for sex by watching celebrity porn - she has a DVD collection of underground films featuring today's movie superstars in early pornography roles. Her favorite features Sylvester Stallone, "His first movie was a porno."

Stallone May Revive Rambo
9 September 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Sylvester Stallone, who last appeared as Rambo in 1988, has told a news conference at the Deauville Film Festival in France that he may be bringing the character back to life in a new movie. "We're talking about doing another Rambo because I think it's time to combine action with politics," he said. Stallone has experienced a string of box-office flops in recent years, including Judge Dredd, which cost $90 million to make and earned just $35 million; Get Carter, which cost $40 million and earned $15 million; and Driven, which cost $72 million and earned $33 million.

Jack Nicholson Lied About Huston To Bed '70s Supermodel
23 August 2002 (WENN)
Jack Nicholson told '70s supermodel Janice Dickinson he was single in a bid to bed her - even though he was dating Anjelica Huston at the time. But Dickinson has got her own back after telling all about her love affair with the One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest star in a revealing new autobiography. The reformed hellraiser also brags about bedding leading men like Bruce Willis, Warren Beatty and Mick Jagger in her new book No Lifeguard On Duty, in which she also details her drug abuse and modeling career. And she admits some sexploits were earth-shattering, especially the magic moments she shared with Jagger. She reveals, "It was Greek gods in the skies exploding. There was lightning and thunder. It was cool." Nicholson was a great lover too - even though he lied about his relationship with then-girlfriend Huston: "I'm sorry Anjelica, but he made it very clear that they weren't together. It was a night of romance and he was Jack." Few stars come out of the memoirs favorably, but Dickinson still has a soft spot for Beatty: "He's a consummate gentleman, the smartest man I know." And she uses the book to apologize to Sylvester Stallone for dragging him through the law courts over the paternity of her son. She says, "There was a DNA test and it proved that Sylvester Stallone wasn't the father but according to when I ovulated I really thought he was. I made a mistake on that."

Toys 'R' Us To Develop Merchandise for PBS Series
16 August 2002 (StudioBriefing)
In an unusual partnership, the Toys 'R' Us chain has agreed to develop a line of merchandise for a new, animated PBS show, Liberty's Kids, which is set to debut on Sept. 2. "To our knowledge, it is the first time a major retailer of this prominence has co-developed products for a children's entertainment property," Andy Heward, chairman of DIC Entertainment, the show's producer, said in a statement. Liberty's Kids concerns two teenagers who work in Benjamin Franklin's print shop during the revolution. Toys 'R' Us President Greg Staley commented, "We are excited to partner with such an important program as Liberty's Kids at a time when America truly values the freedoms we have fought for." Among those providing voices for the series are: Walter Cronkite (Benjamin Franklin), Warren Buffet (James Madison), General Norman Schwarzkopf (George Rogers Clark), Sylvester Stallone (Paul Revere), Michael Douglas (Patrick Henry), Dustin Hoffman (Benedict Arnold), Billy Crystal (John Adams), and many others.

Hollywood Pays Tribute to Steiger
11 July 2002 (WENN)
A host of top Hollywood stars including Sidney Poitier, Sylvester Stallone and Pierce Brosnan have paid tribute to late actor Rod Steiger. Steiger, who won an Oscar for his role in In the Heat of the Night, died yesterday at the age of 77. Norman Jewison, who directed Steiger in that film opposite Sidney Poitier, called him "one of the most creative actors I ever worked with." With Steiger's death coming less than a week after the passing of legendary director John Frankenheimer, Jewison said, "It is as though we are losing the lions from the arena. Rod was a lion of a man." Jewison, who also directed Steiger in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone union drama F*I*S*T and one of his last major film performances in 1999's The Hurricane, said Steiger was the "anchor" in any movie. He said, "I always tried to put him in every film I did because to me, he was like an anchor for the rest of the cast. He was so deeply committed." Poitier said his former co-star was a "quintessential actor" who, unlike the role he played in Heat of the Night, was "such a gentle soul." He added, "He will be remembered as one of America's great actors." Stallone, who in addition to F*I*S*T worked with Steiger on The Specialist, said, "Rod was one of the greatest actors of our time," while Brosnan, who starred with him in Mars Attacks! said, "'The legend' is now legend, and I'll miss him."

Sly Gets Bond Role In Ad
3 May 2002 (WENN)
Get ready for the shock of the year - Sylvester Stallone is playing James Bond. The Rocky star, who hasn't had a hit film for years, has donned the Bond gear for a new ad campaign for Italian meat company Citterio. Filmed onboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, Stallone dons scuba gear for one ad and tuxedo for another - to stop jewel thieves from escaping with their booty. But, although his character looks every inch 007, the punchline comes as he reveals he's called Bubi - proving you need a good name and a good image to get on in life.

Stallone Honored
23 April 2002 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone's action days might be over, but he's going to be recognized for his blockbusters at this summer's Video Software Dealers Association Convention. Stallone will be named Action Star of The Millennium at the convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, in July. The award comes on the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Stallone's First Blood, the film which launched the highly successful Rambo series.

Smoke Screen
12 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Four major cigarette manufacturers purchased product placements for their brands in 191 films between 1978-88, according to anti-tobacco crusader Dr. Stanton Glanz of the University of San Francisco. In a study released Monday, Glanz said that 48 of the movies had G or PG ratings. They included Who Framed Roger Rabbit, in which the classic cartoon character Betty Boop is seen as a cigarette girl selling R.J. Reynolds' Camels brand. The American Tobacco Company was able to have the name of its Lucky Strike brand flashed on the screen 25 times in five minutes during the original Beverly Hills Cop, Glanz said. Sylvester Stallone signed a five-film, $500,000 deal with Brown and Williamson, and Phillip Morris spent $300,000 to feature its Lark brand in License to Kill, according to the Glanz study. Such deals were voluntarily eschewed by the movie industry in 1990. Meanwhile, a report released Monday by the British medical quarterly Tobacco Control concluded that tobacco companies, in an effort to see smoking scenes included in films, worked throughout the 1980s and '90s to provide free cigarettes to actors and directors. However, MPAA chief Jack Valenti told today's (Tuesday) New York Times: "All of this is about what was happening 20 years ago. ... What's happening now? If you're a movie star, why do you need anybody to give you a pack of cigarettes?"

Cruise In Gear For Car Movie
12 March 2002 (WENN)
Tom Cruise is to get behind the wheel of a racing car again in a remake of cult classic Death Race 2000. The 39-year-old, who met his future wife Nicole Kidman whilst making 1990 racing movie Days Of Thunder, will produce and star in "Death Race 3000", a re-working of the 1975 B-Movie starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone. Director Paul Anderson says, "Tom plays Frankenstein, the best driver in the world. But he has that nickname because he's been in so many crashes. He's a little bit beat up. He's a little bit reckless."

Stallone Saves Pals Trapped In Elevator
21 February 2002 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone rescued actress Mira Sorvino and his wife Jennifer Flavin from an elevator. Stallone, 55, showed off his legendary muscles when he manually pulled up an elevator which was stuck between floors in Hollywood's new Kodak Theater, where the Academy Awards are being held next month. Sorvino and pregnant Flavin were among a group of people trapped in the backstage elevator at the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Love Rocks gig last Thursday. Stallone pulled off his Armani jacket and was able to lift the heavy load, before prying the doors open to release the elevator's captives. One passenger asked expectant Flavin, "Is he always like this?" to which a proud Flavin replied, "Yes, he is."

Stallone Sues Over Restaurant Shares
18 February 2002 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone is suing his former manager over shares the actor owned in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain. Stallone claims Kenneth Starr gave him bad advice over whether to sell his stock in the chain, and has filed a lawsuit for more than $10 million. Stallone insists Starr told him not to sell his shares, while telling others the restaurant chain was going bankrupt. The actor kept his stock and when he finally sold his interest in March 2000 - he received less than $300,000. Starr's spokesman Dan Klores says, "This suit is completely groundless."

Stallone Teaches His Daughter To Smile
13 February 2002 (WENN)
Sylvester Stallone taught his daughter Sophia to smile - because she seemed so miserable after having surgery to mend a hole in her heart. Little Sophia, who is now five, was just two months old when she had her heart repaired in Los Angeles. And though the operation was a complete success, movie action man Sly and his wife Jennifer Flavin fear the procedure might have taken away their baby's joy. Stallone says, "She was somewhat depressed for a while after the surgery. I don't know if it was just her personality or what, but she never smiled. She looked like Buster Keaton, the great stone face. There was nothing there. We started teaching her smiling and laughing lessons - we'd go 'Ha ha, ' and she'd just grunt back. But she learned by mechanical repetition on how to smile. Now you can't stop her." Now the Stallones's only problem with Sophia is regulating her diet, to make sure she doesn't weaken her heart with fatty foods. Flavin, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, says, "My daughter loves French fries, but we cook them in olive oil. She also loves whole milk but there's things you cannot not give your children - like ice-cream." Sly adds, "It's all within moderation. We're pretty strict. Our kids have oatmeal in the morning and they have a pretty spartan diet."

Basketball Lures The Stars
4 January 2002 (WENN)
Courtside at basketball games by the L.A. Lakers was the place to be for star-spotting over Christmas - with Brad Pitt, Sylvester Stallone and Richie Sambora attending big games. During matches against Sacramento, Toronto and Houston in the festive season, Hollywood golden boy Pitt treated a pal to courtside tickets and posed for candid photos with a female fan. Spin City star Heather Locklear and her husband Sambora, meanwhile, kissed and cuddled, as did Stallone and his pregnant wife Jennifer Flavin. Jennifer, who is expecting the couple's third baby, looked radiant and Sly couldn't keep his hands off her.

Sylvester Stallone Takes Part In Heart Campaign
15 November 2001 (WENN)
Hollywood action hero Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin are among a host of stars taking part in a campaign to raise awareness of heart disease. Sly, whose daughter suffers from a congenital heart disease, is taking part in the Pravachol Just For Your Heart Challenge, which kicked off this week with advertisements in a number of American publications. The campaign will move to radio and TV in February. Other luminaries taking part in the drive to help Americans reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke are Angela Bassett, Dana Carvey, Larry King and Disney chief Michael Eisner, all of whom have been personally touched by America's number one killer.

Stars To Appear In Ads For Cholesterol-Lowering Drug
13 November 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The pharmaceutical arm of Bristol-Myers Squibb has enlisted such stars as Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Dana Carvey and Angela Bassett to appear in a number of ads for their cholesterol-lowering drug Pravachol, the New York Times reported today (Tuesday). The ads will feature a questionnaire about the risk factors of heart disease and will urge people to visit their doctors and to look at the company's website for more information.

Brigitte's Lucky Escape
10 October 2001 (WENN)
Brigitte Nielsen escaped death after cancelling a flight on the plane which crashed at Milan's Linate airport. The statuesque star was booked to fly on the doomed Scandinavian Airlines jet Monday but pulled out at the last minute to appear on an Italian talk show. Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife said of her near death experience, "It's destiny."

Chic Charity From Hollywood Stars
2 October 2001 (WENN)
John Travolta, wife Kelly Preston, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Harrison Ford were among stars who attended a glittering benefit party at the home of hip producer Lawrence Bender. The stars paid $1,000 to party at Bender's posh Beverly Hills abode last month, with all proceeds going to a scholarship fund for the families of firefighters affected by the terrorist attacks. The evening's hosts included Vin Diesel, Sylvester Stallone, and Ellen Deg