'The Artist,' 'Take Shelter' Dominate Spirit Award Nominations

With five nominations each, the quiet movie "The Artist" and also the apocalyptic drama "Take Shelter" centered the nominations for Film Independent's Spirit Honours, that have been introduced Tuesday.Nominated for the best script were Frederick Cedar plank for "FootNote," Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Tom McCarthy for "Win, Win,"Mike Mills for "Beginners,"Phil Johnstonfor "Cedar plank Rapids" and can Reiser for "50/50."Within the documentary category, noms visited "An African Selection," "Bill Cunningham NY," "The Interrupters," "The Redemption of General Butt Naked" and "I Was Here."The Spirit Award concentrate on American-made features created using what it really calls "an economy of means," generally budgets under $20 million.The 27th annual honours ceremony is going to be held February. 25 by the pool in Santa Monica and broadcast by IFC.For additional about this story, read Back Stage's Behind the curtain blog. The Hollywood Reporter

Disney dabbles in Babble

Disney is walking up its efforts towards the court parents for the company's various products by purchasing Babble Media, a platform more than 200 influential mother authors.Financial the offer, made through Disney Online, were not revealed, but Babble, which has created a market in concentrating on hipster parents, will finish up a part of Disney Interactive Media Group's Moms and Family portfolio just like a leading website for moms and families.Babble was co-founded by Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman in 2006 its authors publish on subjects including pregnancy, daycare, health, food, family activities additionally to lifestyle subjects for instance home, fashion and family products.The business which is 40-person staff will remain located in NY. Site was once possessed by Nerve Media."Parents' associations with Disney are founded in tales, and Disney's best tales are about families," mentioned Brooke Chaffin, senior V . p . of moms and family, Disney Interactive Media Group. "We're feeling that Babble and Disney can harness the power of storytelling to determine, entertain and empower parents everywhere."Due to the greater than 3.9 million mother blogs that work with the U.S., it's not surprise that Disney has extended courted that community, inviting the higher active authors to film premieres, the D23 confab and theme park attraction launches, along with other occasions to market all-things Disney.Babble is visited by 4 million uniques each month and contains grown 100% each year since it competes focusing on a single sites like CafeMom (which Disney had considered purchasing), Parents.com, NBC's iVillage and Manley & Johnson's BabyCenter.Babble will finish up a part of Disney Interactive since the Mouse House is planning to relaunch its Disney.com site next fall. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Lawsuit Says Patti LaBelle Threw Water And Cursed At Woman, Tot In NYC Lobby Run-In

First Published: November 14, 2011 9:02 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Patti LaBelle attends the premiere of For Colored Girls at Ziegfeld Theatre, NYC, October 25, 2010NY, N.Y. -- R&B diva Patti LaBelle hurled curses and half a bottle of water at a woman and her 18-month-old daughter after a dust-up over parenting in an apartment building lobby, according to a lawsuit filed Monday and the familys lawyer. LaBelles publicists and lawyer didnt immediately respond to Kevin and Roseanna Monks lawsuit. The couple live in a Manhattan building where the Grammy Award-winning singer stayed for a time while appearing in the Broadway musical Fela! last year, said the Monks lawyer, Samuel L. Davis. He said LaBelle chastised Roseanna Monk for letting the toddler take some steps away from the mother as she grappled with some luggage and a car seat in the buildings lobby on the afternoon of Nov. 11, 2010. After Monk scooped up the child and told LaBelle it was none of her business, the singer threw water on them from a bottle she was carrying and then launched into an obscenity-filled tirade, he said. When the child started wailing, Roseanna Monk made a remark to LaBelle, and the singer charged at her and tried to hit her, Davis said. The Monks filed a complaint with police; no arrests were made. The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, comes five months after a U.S. Military Academy cadet sued LaBelle over a Houston airport scuffle with her bodyguards. He said they attacked him for no reason in March 2010. She countersued the cadet, saying he tried to get into her limousine and was drunk and using racial slurs, which he denied. Davis said Roseanna Monk had asked LaBelle for an apology and a donation to a childrens cancer charity but was rebuffed. The Monks feel someones got to teach her even a diva cant attack and frighten and assault regular people in the building, their lawyer said. LaBelles singing career has spanned more than four decades, two Grammys and several hits, including the 1974 disco smash Lady Marmalade. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Alcon Entertainment Expands Film Output: Becomes Passive Financiers For Lionsgate

Santa Monica, CA, November 10, 2011 LIONSGATE and Alcon Entertainmenthave agreed to co-finance the Lionsgate feature WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOURE EXPECTING. The two companies will be equally sharing the production and marketing costs on the film. The announcement was made jointly by Lionsgates Co-COO and Motion Picture Group President, Joe Drake, with Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Alcon Entertainment. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOURE EXPECTING is scheduled for release on May 11, 2012. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOURE EXPECTING will be Alcons first investment outside of Warner Bros., where Alcon has a long-standing distribution relationship. Alcons participation as passive financiers of the project signifies the Companys strategy to generate additional film output, and as such Johnson and Kosove will not take producer credits Said Drake of the partnership, This co-financing deal is ideal for both of us because it aligns our interests; there is a true sharing of risk capital including P&A on films that we both see great value in making. This deal provides a way for Lionsgate to pursue risk mitigation while allowing Alcon to have broader access to commercial content beyond the product they develop themselves. Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said jointly, We are very excited to be investing in this terrific project. We have immense respect for the many business successes Lionsgate has had throughout their history.

Madonna's 'W.E.' Pushed to Feb. 3 Release After Awards-Qualifying Run

Madonna's W.E. has joined a bevy of upcoming films that are opting for a one-week awards qualifying run before Dec. 31 but delaying their official release in theaters until after the new year in order to avoid the crowded year-end corridor.our editor recommendsMadonna in Harper's Bazaar: Dishes on 'W.E.,' Fashion, Power and the Cult of Celebrity (Poll)Madonna The Director Gets the Cover of December Harper's BazaarMadonna's Rumored New Single Leaked Online (Audio)Madonnas 'W.E.' Trailer Tells the Tale of Two Love Stories (Video)Toronto 2011: Madonna on Her New Film 'W.E,' Critics and Marmite Sandwiches (Audio)Toronto 2011: A Nervous Madonna Says She's Proving Herself All Over Again as a Film Director W.E. launches its qualifying run Dec. 9, when the film was previously scheduled to debut in theaters. But the fim's release date has been moved to Feb. 3, the Weinstein Co. confirmed Wednesday. PHOTOS: 7 Music to Movie Directors The switch in plans also is designed to take advantage of Madonna's widely rumored performance at the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. W.E., charting the love affair between Wallis Simpson and Britain's Prince Edward, who abdicated the throne in order to marry Simpson, is hardly alone in opting for an awards-qualifying run versus a full-blown release. Other titles doing the same include Albert Knobbs, Rampart, We Need to Talk About Kevin and Coriolanus, also from the Weinstein Co. Once a film plays in its qualifying run, usually in one or two theaters in Los Angeles, distributors can send out screeners to awards groups. PHOTOS: 20 Best and Worst Music to Movie Crossovers The practice is more popular than ever this year, largely thanks to the success of last year's Biutiful, which Roadside Attractions didn't officially open in theaters until Jan. 28 following a qualifying run in December. The film, which earned Javier Bardem an Oscar nomination for best actor, was able to benefit from awards attention as it rolled out in theaters, grossing $5.1 million in the U.S., a strong showing for a dark, foreign-language film. Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff's Roadside Attractions is using the same strategy for Albert Knobbs, starring Glenn Close in a much buzzed-about performance as a woman who pretends to be a man in 19th century Ireland. STORY: Madonna Defends Herself at London Premiere of 'W.E.' Indie distributors often lament the year-end glut of specialty films, which have to compete with each other for screens, as well as compete with the bigger studio tentpoles for attention from moviegoers. Email: Pamela.McClintock@thr.com Related Topics Madonna Oscars W.E. Oscars 2012

Monosodium glutamate can get boost but faces ring hurdles

NY's Madison Square Garden Co. saw a bump in the media biz last quarter that aided cancel out the closure of the fabled arena for just about any planned overhaul. However the organization could face an authentic squeeze in case your labor dispute is constantly scuttle National Basketball League games using the winter.Monosodium glutamate mentioned profit rose 11% to $21 million for your third quarter. Revenue fell 7% to $178 million.Monosodium glutamate has the NY Knicks and Rangers, the WNBA's NY Liberty as well as the Connecticut Whale minor league hockey team.A Garden arena and theater are dealing with an $850 million upgrade being completed phases through 2013. The initial phase was completed as well as the Garden reopened lately before the start of the NHL season.Revenue within the company's entertainment business, including Radio City as well as the Beacon Theater, fell 28% $28 million sports revenue dropped 22% to $29 million. Media revenue, the Monosodium glutamate regional sports systems and Fuse systems, rose 4% to $139 million. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

'Wanderlust' Trailer: Jennifer Aniston Gets Wild

It's been 13 years since Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd starred together in the often-forgotten "The Object of My Affection," and now they're reteaming for a romantic comedy of a different sort. In "Wanderlust," Rudd and Aniston play over-burdened NYers, who are forced to leave the city and look for a life elsewhere after Rudd's character loses his job. So the couple packs up and heads to Atlanta where a job waits for Rudd with his brother's company. They are soon back on the road again and find themselves stuck in a hippie commune, where things are generally a little more easy-going then they're used to. There they meet characters played by Malin Akerman and Aninston's real-life boyfriend, Justin Theroux. "Wanderlust" was directed by David Wain, the man behind the cult hit, "Wet Hot American Summer," which also starred Rudd. He co-wrote the script with fellow "The State" alum Ken Marino. "Wanderlust" hits theaters February 24, 2012.

Start Searching: Bill Murray is FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson

The initial picture of Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt has emerged within the behind the curtain of Hyde Park on Hudson, director Roger Michell’s tale in the great leader’s royal site site visitors (and concurrent extramarital dalliance) in 1939. “”I wouldn’t made it happen without him,” mentioned Michell in the extended “dance” to acquire Murray. “But carrying out a year of waiting, I received a great text nonetheless, ‘Yes, I’ll take action.’” And here you go. Chime together with your opinions carrying out a sort through the comfort nowadays’s Buzz Break. [photo via USA Today] · “Look, Andy Serkis, I’m to not imply that we’m getting Freida Pinto to cheat on Dev Patel with me at night. You mentioned that, not me.” Fake interviews don’t get much better than this. [Videogum] · Following a modest (at best) box-office performance in the its recent trifecta Don’t Hesitate in the Dark, Drive, as well as the Rum Diary, distributor FilmDistrict is getting together its methods to La, departing its much-respected boss Bob Berney round the outs in NY. He and also the wife/press guru Jeanne will remain consultants towards the organization, which next opens Jennifer Aniston’s pointing debut Inside the Land of Blood stream and Honey in December. [indieWIRE] · Listed below are five great short films culled from the inside five movies. [Nerve] · Possibly the most effective pop-culture petition since the one pleading Uwe Boll to retire now asks the Nfl to yank Nickelback since the halftime act through the Lions-Packers game on Thanksgiving Day. To wit: “Does anybody even like Nickelback? Is a few type of ploy to acquire people to depart their seats throughout halftime to purchase alcoholic drinks and credits? That is completely unfair to people individuals who bought tickets to the sport. No less than individuals watching in your house can mute their Televisions.” Greater than 30,000 people have registered — add your support now! [Change.org]

Fashion Slam: The Friday Five - Fall Fashion Strategies For You Type

First Launched: November 4, 2011 12:52 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Jada Pinkett Cruz poses inside a HawthoRNe within the Regent Hotel on December 8, 2009 in Berlin, GermanyCold weather styles might be tricky to tug offall people layers may add undesirable bulk! Tyra Banks typeF.com website is all about praising unique and personalized styles as well as the sites Fashion Expert Lilliana Vazquez, gives methods for the best way to dress five physique without searching like the Michelin guy. 1) Athletes: Jada Pinkett Cruz and Jennifer Lawrence are two good good examples of sports physique. With bigger shoulders and narrow sides, sports evolves is going for additional feminine silhouettes that accentuate the waist. Look for winter jackets that cinch and possess products. Sweater dresses may also be well suited for this physique. 2) Bottom Curvy: The widely used in the bottom curvy women are clearly Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. As you can tell round the red-colored-colored carpet, both of these women frequently accentuate their assets rather than hide them. Winter dressing options include mid-length flair dresses and skirts (which are popular this season), form-fitting jeans with fitted knitted garments and form-fitting column or sheath dresses. 3) Full-Figured/Curvy: Typically the most popular full-figured celebrity is clearly Melissa McCarthy. As made clear by her red-colored-colored carpet looks, Melissas flowy skirts with V line tops will be flattering. Dresses and clothes should accentuate rather than hide the curves. Try tunics cinched within the waist, and winter maxi dresses. 4) Shaped: We regularly see shaped figures like Sofia Vergara wearing fun dresses for your red-colored-colored carpet. Her new line from Sears offers ideas: Sprang and leather jackets, extended sleeve jerseys with plunging cleavage lines as well as figure-flattering sheath dresses. Getting a figure such as this, you might as well flaunt it getting a few body-adopting jersey dresses too. 5) Petite: Nicole Richie and Rachel Bilson are usually petite stars that are very fashion forward. No matter style, from Bohemian to glamorous, they always seem to decorate in body lengthening silhouettes. Skinny jeans with boots and sprang jackets getting a shawl really are a couple of of the faves. Theyre also frequently noticed in maxi dresses, minis, vests and knee-high boots. For further figure-flattering fall fashion tips, have a look at typeF.coms Be lured by You self-help guide to searching fabulous this season. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

FBI Classifies Juggalos as a Gang Threat

Juggalos, those wild and rowdy fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse, may be a little too wild and rowdy according to the FBI, which has just classified the group as a gang in the crime fighting organization's 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment.our editor recommendsCharlie Sheen Cheered, Booed, Pelted at Gathering of the Juggalos (Video)Insane Clown Posse on Gathering of the Juggalos: 'Charlie Sheen Has Never Seen Anything Like It' The report, first written about in Wired, details the level of threat from groups such as the Crips and Bloods, Mexican drug cartels, the Hell's Angels and skinheads, but the Juggalo threat is new. So far, the group, which is accused of exhibiting gang-like behavior and engaging in criminal activity, is only classified as a gang in Arizona, California, Pennsylvania and Utah. Although the FBI says they have engaged in gang activity in 17 other states. According to the report, "Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism however, open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity, such as felony assaults, thefts, robberies, and drug sales." Fans of the Insane Clown Posse generally wear face makeup, a trademark of the Juggalos. The report continues, "Many criminal Juggalo sub-sets are comprised of transient or homeless individuals, according to law enforcement reporting." They are most famous for their Gathering of the Juggalos, the annual four-day festival of concerts, wrestling matches, autograph sessions and artist seminars that takes place every August at Cave-In Rock, Illinois. Charlie Sheen made an appearance at the most recent gathering, where he was cheered, booed and pelted with garbage while on stage. Related Topics Insane Clown Posse