“YouTube may offer movie rentals - Seattle Times” plus 4 more

YouTube may offer movie rentals - Seattle Times
Man who fell into lion’s den has sore back - Boston Globe
The fall movie season has a bounty of offerings - Detroit News
Hancock (movie) - Chicago Tribune
Rumer Willis Excited For New Movie - Showbizspy.com

YouTube may offer movie rentals - Seattle Times

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 12:12 AM PDT

YouTube is in talks with some of the major Hollywood studios about allowing the giant video site to rent movies to consumers.

YouTube and the studios are still working out the details of the deal, such as what consumers would pay and how soon after films are released in theaters they would be available on the site.

But the service could be up and running by the end of the year, said a source familiar with the matter.

YouTube, owned by Google, declined to comment on or confirm the negotiations, which were first reported in The Wall Street Journal.

"While we don't comment on rumor or speculation, we hope to expand on both our great relationship with movie studios and on the selection and types of videos we offer our community," YouTube said in a statement.

A deal would seem to make sense for both YouTube and the studios. YouTube is the dominant online video site, with a huge audience that the studios presumably would love to reach.

Of the 158 million U.S. Internet users who watched an online video in July, 76 percent tuned into one of Google's sites, typically YouTube, according to comScore.

And of the 500 minutes the average Internet user spent watching online videos last month, 200 were spent watching videos on YouTube or other Google sites.

But YouTube is facing a number of challenges. The site has been famously unprofitable for Google to date. That's partly because of the cost of housing the millions of videos stored on it.

But it's also partly because the company has had a difficult time running ads on the vast majority of videos on the site.

Meanwhile, over the past year, YouTube's share of the total minutes consumers watch online has fallen, thanks in part to Hulu, a video site that only offers professionally produced TV shows and movies.

The service would be similar to the digital movie-rental services offered by Amazon.com and Apple's iTunes in that consumers would rent movies a la carte, rather than pay a monthly subscription as they do for Netflix.

That said, the two sides haven't come to an agreement yet whether consumers would only be able to stream the movies or whether they would also be able to download them so that they could watch them in places that lack an Internet connection.

Similarly, the two sides haven't reached an agreement on whether consumers would be able to rent the videos on devices other than their PCs.

YouTube has been striking deals with a variety of device makers to get its service on mobile phones, such as Apple's iPhone, and living-room devices, such as TiVo's DVRs.

Google agrees to FTC request

WASHINGTON — Google has agreed to draw up a separate privacy policy for its digital library in response to a request from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The concessions come amid a growing outcry among critics who believe a class-action settlement with U.S. authors and publishers will give Google too much insight about the books that people are reading online.

In letters and statements released Thursday, the FTC emphasized it will closely monitor how Google protects the privacy of readers accessing its digital library.

The settlement giving Google the digital rights to millions of out-of-print books protected by copyright is the subject of intense debate.

A court deadline to protest or support the agreement has been extended from Friday to Tuesday morning.

The Associated Press

Android picked for Sprint phone

NEW YORK — Sprint Nextel is releasing a phone sporting Google's Android software on Oct. 11.

That would make Sprint the second U.S. carrier to get on board with Google's entry in the "smart" phone field.

The Sprint phone announced Thursday will be The Hero, a touch-screen phone similar to the myTouch 3G, which T-Mobile USA launched last month. It doesn't have a physical keyboard.

The Hero will cost $180 after a $100 mail-in rebate when signing a two-year contract.

Motorola has said it will have two Google Android phones on the U.S. market before the holidays, and Verizon Wireless has confirmed it will sell one of them, but hasn't said when. Samsung has also said it is making an Android phone.

The Associated Press

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Man who fell into lion’s den has sore back - Boston Globe

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 10:31 PM PDT

State Police say a man who fell 30 feet into a pit being used as a lion's den on a movie set for "The Zookeeper'' at Franklin Park Zoo remained hospitalized yesterday. Police identified him as Arnold Milfort, 27, of Boston. Authorities initially said he was a teenager, based on his appearance. Milfort's brother, Beral, said doctors told him that his brother's injuries are not serious, but that he has a sore back. His brother did not tell him how he fell. Police say a production worker told them Milfort got onto the set by falsely claiming he was a zoo employee. Milfort has not been charged.

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The fall movie season has a bounty of offerings - Detroit News

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 12:40 AM PDT

Tom Long

And now things get interesting.

After the bombast of summer and the slouch that accompanies the start of school, fall approaches with the year's most interesting movie schedule mix.

You've got Oscar contenders ("Precious," "Amelia," "The Road," "Bright Star") popping up alongside disaster movies ("2012") and horror flicks ("Zombieland," "Saw VI"). You've got surefire blockbusters -- think anybody will go see "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"? -- as well as holiday fare ("Disney's Christmas Carol").

Of course you've got movie stars galore strutting their stuff: Bruce Willis in the sci-fi "Surrogates," Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant," Cameron Diaz in "The Box" and George Clooney in "The Men Who Stare at Goats."

And don't forget Michael Jackson, making his farewell appearance in the concert-rehearsal film "This Is It."

Of special interest to Michigan folks will be three movies with local ties. Drew Barrymore's "Whip It" and the Michael Cera teen sex comedy "Youth in Revolt," both shot in Michigan, arrive in October, as does Michigan homeboy Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story."

You've got to admit, fall won't be boring.

Read on for the schedule as it stands now, although dates (and ratings) can change at a studio's slightest whim.

Tom's five to watch

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Nov. 20): This sequel was rushed out in a year, with a new director. Will it hold together?

"Capitalism: A Love Story" (Oct. 2): Michael Moore always shakes things up. Can he keep a two-hour documentary on the economy entertaining?

"The Invention of Lying" (Oct. 2): Ricky Gervais is the only person on Earth who can lie, and he's loving it. A delicious premise that seems to fit Gervais perfectly.

"Zombieland" (Oct. 2): Woody Harrelson blasts the living dead in a comic horror flick. What's Abigail Breslin doing in this movie? Can't wait to find out.

"The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (Nov. 13): Hipster director Wes Anderson tries animation, with George Clooney, Meryl Streep and other luminaries doing the voices. Will his quirk work here?

Wednesday

"9" (PG-13): In this animated adventure-fantasy, a group of small creatures struggles to survive in a threatening, post-apocalyptic world.

Sept. 11

"Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself" (PG-13): Taraji P. Henson stars as a hard-drinking nightclub singer who has to take on some troublesome relative kids, but in struggling with them she learns about herself. Yes, Madea's in it.

"Sorority Row" (R): Sorority sisters inadvertently kill one of their own, but then an avenging spirit comes back to make them pay in bloody ways. Rumer Willis stars; Bruce, talk to that girl.

"Whiteout" (R): Kate Beckinsale is a detective trying to find a murderer in Antarctica before winter hits and things go dark for months.

"The September Issue" (PG-13): This documentary follows famed Vogue editor Anna Wintour as she puts together a high-style tour-de-force.

Sept. 18

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (PG): Lots of sharp folks -- Anna Faris, Bill Heder, Andy Samberg -- lend voice to this 3-D kids tale about a town where it rains food.

"Jennifer's Body" (R): Let's get this out of the way: MEGAN FOX. She's starring as a demon high school killer in this script from Diablo ("Juno") Cody. Also starring Amanda Seyfried.

"Love Happens" (PG-13): Or at least it does if you're Jennifer Aniston and you're in a movie with Aaron Eckhart. He's a therapist, she's a florist, you bring the hankies.

"The Informant" (R): Steven Soderbergh directs Matt Damon in this story of an agri-business whistleblower who turns out to have a few problems of his own.

"The Baader Meinhoff Complex" (R): A film about the violent German radical group that rose up to protest pretty much whatever there was in the '70s.

"It Might Get Loud" (PG): Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White discuss the power and beauty of electric guitars in this documentary.

"Flame & Citron" (not rated): A thriller about two resistance fighters in Copenhagen in 1944.

Sept. 25

"Fame" (PG): You know the song, you know the story, but dig the supporting cast: Debbie Allen, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mulally and Bebe Neuwirth! It's an NBC sitcom reunion!

"Bright Star" (PG): Director Jane Campion ("The Piano") explores romance and innocence in the story of poet John Keats (Ben Wishaw) and his next-door-neighbor sort-of girlfriend (Abbie Cornish).

"Pandorum" (R): Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster wake up on a space ship with no memories, and then bloody things start to happen around them.

"Surrogates" (tbd): Bruce Willis is a detective looking for a murderer in a world where everybody lives through their identical-looking robots.

"The Boys are Back" (tbd): Clive Owen stars as a sportswriter who becomes a single parent following a tragedy. From director Scott Hicks ("Shine").

"Five Minutes of Heaven" (not rated): Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt star in this thriller about two men from opposite sides of the "troubles" in Ireland who find themselves involved in a reality show years after reconciliation.

Oct. 2

"Whip It" (PG-13): Drew Barrymore directs, Ellen Page stars in this Metro Detroit-shot flick about a small town Texas beauty contestant who finds freedom as a Roller Derby girl.

"Zombieland" (R): Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson are on the run from zombies, and somewhere along the way they pick up Abigail Breslin.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" (tbd): Michigan filmmaker Michael Moore takes on America's latest financial woes as well as the very economic system we live by. Think it will be controversial?

"The Invention of Lying" (PG-13): Ricky Gervais stars as the only man capable of lying in a world in which everyone tells the truth. Cheeky idea.

Oct. 9

"Couples Retreat" (tbd): Vince Vaughn leads a varied cast -- Kristen Bell, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis -- in this story of a bunch of couples who go to a resort only to find out therapy is mandatory there.

"More Than a Game" (G): This documentary follows future NBA star LeBron James' high school basketball team over a seven-year journey.

Oct. 16

"Where the Wild Things Are" (PG): Director Spike Jonze will attempt to wring an entire movie out of a slim picture book with about two plot turns and three paragraphs worth of words. Then again, it's Spike Jonze.

"Law Abiding Citizen" (R): Gerard Butler orchestrates a series of murders from his jail cell, Jamie Foxx is the prosecutor out to stop him.

"The Road" (R): Viggo Mortensen plays a father leading his son through a grueling, post-apocalyptic world in this adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel.

"The Stepfather" (PG-13): Penn Badgley returns from military school to find his mom (Sela Ward) has hooked up with a guy (Dylan Walsh) who seems too good to be true.

Oct. 23

"Amelia" (PG): Hillary Swank stars as ocean-hopping aviator and default proto-feminist Amelia Earhart. With Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor.

"Saw VI" (tbd): The gory series that just keeps on giving -- blood, that is -- returns again to capitalize on the Halloween holiday. Does anybody even know what's going on in terms of story? Does anybody care?

"Astro Boy" (PG): This animated fantasy focuses on a young robot with a plethora of super-powers, in search of his real self and then compelled to come home to save the day. Voiced by Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as a slew of other notable stars.

"Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" (PG-13): A 14-year-old boy stumbles into a freak show and accidentally sets off a war between vampire clans. Happens all the time.

"Good Hair" (PG-13): Chris Rock looks into the hairy reality behind "good" and "bad" hair in this documentary about African-American styles. With Maya Angelou, Ice-T, Nia Long, Vanessa Bell Calloway, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Kerry Washington and others.

Oct. 28

"This is It" (tbd): The quickly cobbled together tapes of Michael Jackson's final rehearsals for his planned comeback tour.

Oct. 30

"Youth in Revolt" (R): Michael Cera stars as a sexually frustrated teen trying to lose his virginity in this Michigan-made raunch comedy.

"Gentleman Broncos" (tbd): A young author (Michael Angarrano) sees his story get ripped off by a fantasy novelist (Jemaine Clement) and then turned into a movie.

"New York, I Love You" (R): A bunch of famous directors and a bunch of famous movie stars band together for this intertwined series of stories about how grand New York is. Next up: "Detroit, I'm Scared of You."

Nov. 6

"Disney's Christmas Carol" (tbd): Yet another retelling of Scrooge's tale, this one in 3-D, starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

"The Fourth Kind" (PG-13): Milla Jovovich stars as a psychotherapist (the line starts here) whose patient interviews somehow prove there are space aliens among us. Does anybody really doubt that anymore?

"Pirate Radio" (R): Richard Curtis ("Love Actually") offers this story of a pirate radio station rocking out off the coast of England in the '60s.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" (tbd): Only George Clooney could get away with a title like that. He plays a guy investigating psychic powers for the U.S. military. With Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

"The Box" (PG-13): Somebody gives Cameron Diaz a box with a button and says if she pushes the button she'll receive $1 million, but somebody somewhere will die. Does she push the button? (If not it's going to be one short movie.)

Nov. 13

"2012" (tbd): Uh-oh, here comes disaster director Roland Emmerich and he says the world is going to end in three years. Buy that Mercedes now. Starring John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt and Thandie Newton.

"The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (tbd): Director Wes Anderson takes his quirky ways into animation with this Roald Dahl story of a fox (George Clooney) who falls back into his nasty chicken-thieving ways.

"The Young Victoria" (PG): Emily Blunt plays the young queen as she meets up with Prince Albert (assumedly not in a can) in this prestige production that also features Rupert Friend, Jim Broadbent and Paulo Bettany.

"The Messenger" (R): Ben Foster plays an Iraqi vet who returns home and takes up death notification duties alongside Woody Harrelson (he's everywhere). Also stars Samantha Morton, so something's definitely up here.

Nov. 20

"Precious" (nyr): A harsh portrait of one teen girl's life in the ghetto, dealing with parental abuse, rape and the welfare society. Starring Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (tbd): The vampire leaves, the wolf steps in, the vampire comes back, sorry wolfie. There, we've ruined it for you.

"Planet 51" (PG): Dwayne Johnson voices an animated astronaut who lands on a planet only to find it inhabited by little green people who seem to think they're in "Happy Days."

"The Blind Side" (tbd): The story of a homeless African-American kid taken in by a white couple (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw) who grows up to be a football star.

Nov. 25

"Old Dogs" (PG): Robin Williams and John Travolta team up as confirmed bachelors who suddenly are in charge of two kids. Hijinks ensue, with the help of Seth Green.

"Ninja Assassin" (R): A ninja raised by a secret clan turns against the organization when it kills his friend. Starring Rain. Uh, Rain who?

tlong@detnews.com (313) 222-8879

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Hancock (movie) - Chicago Tribune

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:20 AM PDT

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Rumer Willis Excited For New Movie - Showbizspy.com

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 01:52 AM PDT

Rumer Willis was so excited when she finished filming her new movie, she had to phone her famous father and tell him.

The 21-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore acts out a violent turn in new horror movie Sorority Row, and Rumer instinctively thought of her Die Hard dad as she got trigger happy .

"I'm actually really excited about doing this," says Rumer. "I called Dad after I did it and I was like, 'Dad, I felt so badass when I did this.'

"I would love to do more stuff like that. It's so much fun, but I was definitely a little nervous."

Rumer recently revealed that she has always had better relationships with men — because girls don't like her.

"Girls don't like me very much — I'm not sure why," she said. "I've always gotten along better with guys.

"You do a movie with some girls, then later you're all auditioning for the same parts and it starts getting catty, but we're all unbelievably supportive of each other."