LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cancer survivors Christina Applegate, Patrick Swayze, Sheryl Crowe, cyclist Lance Armstrong and dozens of other celebrities "stood up" to battle the disease in a charity television fund-raiser on Friday.n a rare collaboration across three rival U.S. television networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC -- Hollywood stars came together to appeal for millions of dollars to speed up research and send cancer to the history books.

Many of those taking part had lost relations to cancer or had the disease themselves. Applegate, 36, star of TV comedy "Samantha Who?" recently had a double mastectomy. Swayze, 56, best known for his role in the movie "Dirty Dancing," was diagnosed earlier this year with pancreatic cancer.

"Tonight is a historic collaboration of three networks and the cancer community," said former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston.

"We are all here tonight because we believe we can make our dream of curing cancer come true, because in our world, the boy gets the girl, the hero defeats the villain and cancer is no more," she said.

One person every minute in America dies of cancer, according to CBS News anchor Katie Couric, whose husband died of colon cancer.

The one-hour, commercial free "Stand Up To Cancer" special highlighted advances in research in gene therapy and promising alternatives to debilitating chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

It also promoted early detection programs, including a short "Simpsons" cartoon about Homer Simpson having a colonoscopy.

Singers Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Fergie and Leona Lewis performed a new charity single "Just Stand Up," whose proceeds will go to the cause.

Viewers heard the stories of dozens of Americans with cancer, as well as video-taped pledges from presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama to work to beat the disease.

Celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon Osbourne and Jack Black manned phone banks taking calls and donations from viewers around the nation.

The organizers, who have formed the Web site standup2cancer.org (http://www.standup2cancer.org), have not said how much money they hope the telecast will raise.

Only rarely do major U.S. networks agree to broadcast programs simultaneously during the lucrative prime time evening hours. One of the exceptions was a celebrity fund-raiser for the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks, which was shown across 31 cable and broadcast networks.

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - She has domestic turmoil and tabloid-fodder romance in her past, but Kellie Pickler just wants people "to get to know me through my music." It's fitting, then, that the "American Idol" alumna's sophomore album, due September 30, is self-titled. Pickler's debut album, "Small Town Girl," debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart in November 2006 and has sold 783,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and featured the singles "Red High Heels," "I Wonder" and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind."

That release was something of a rush job, completed while Pickler was on the "American Idol" tour. The new RCA album, Pickler says, is "a lot more 'me' because we had the time to make it 'me."'

The first single, the advice-laden and inspirational "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," is No. 28 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Pickler, who co-wrote five songs on the new album, calls her songwriting "honest." "It's like you're reading one of my journals."

For example, "Somebody to Love Me" comes from "the darkest time of my life," says Pickler, who has spoken in the past about her father's addictions and jail sentence. "It's really personal. Every time I write a song it gives me closure in that part of my life."

"One Last Time," which Pickler calls "my favorite song I've ever written," is another personal revelation. "Writing has been the most healing out of anything I've ever done," she says. "Just writing it down on paper is so much better than going to the therapist."

Pickler wrote the you-should-have-kept-me-when-you-had-the-chance "Best Days of Your Life" with gal pal Taylor Swift when the two were on tour with Brad Paisley last year. Swift adds harmony to the tune.

Pickler, who will appear at the Canadian Country Music Awards September 8 in Winnipeg, will co-host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" that same night with Swift and "Dancing With the Stars" dancer-turned-country-singer Julianne Hough on ABC. She also will hit the road with headliner Sugarland and Ashton Shepherd when that tour kicks off September 13 in Asheville, North Carolina.

Reuters/Billboard

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tobey Maguire and "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi plan to reunite for the fourth and fifth installments of Columia Pictures' comic book franchise, dispelling speculation that a new actor would play the crime-fighter. "The studio never considered any other actor. Tobey was our only choice and the only person we've discussed the role with," said studio spokesman Steve Elzer.

In hopes of containing costs, Columbia is considering shooting the films back-to-back starting in fall 2009, much like New Line did with "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which filmed simultaneously for 274 days. Laura Ziskin, who will produce with Avi Arad, had said she would like to aim for a May 2011 release for "Spider-Man 4," nine years after the original movie's debut.

Jamie Vanderbilt ("Zodiac") is writing the screenplay.

"Spider-Man" is Columbia's most successful movie franchise; the first three films have grossed $2.5 billion worldwide.

The Sony-owned studio declined comment on what villains might appear in the next two films or whether Kirsten Dunst would reprise her role as Mary Jane Watson, though it is hoped she will follow Maguire's lead and return.

Sony also has stepped up development of the "Spider-Man" spinoff "Venom." Topher Grace played Venom in 2007's "Spider-Man 3," but it's unclear whether Sony would cast him for the "Venom" feature or bring in new talent.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Charlize Theron were among the celebrities who appeared at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion.They walked the red carpet Friday night at Radio City Music Hall amid a media circus angling for glamour shots of other stars including Fergie, Rihanna, Chris Brown and the "Gossip Girl" gang.

Brown, the R&B heartthrob, soaked up all the attention with a smile as he showed off his dapper ensemble of a black vest and shirt, gray pants, shiny shoes and diamond stud earrings.

"To be a musician and a great entertainer, you have to be a trendsetter. To be a trendsetter, you have to know fashion — and I have fun with it," explained the singer, who later changed into khakis and a black shirt and scarf for a performance of his hit song "Forever."

The event will air Tuesday in a two-hour special on CBS. Proceeds will benefit Stand Up To Cancer, a program established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money for cancer research.

Stand Up To Cancer held a live telethon that aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS on Friday night.

Fashion Rocks provided a live feed to the fundraising show of a performance of more than a dozen divas — including Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield, Fergie, Rihanna and Cyrus — who gathered on stage to sing their new charity song, "Just Stand Up." Theron and fellow Oscar winner Hilary Swank introduced the ladies' collaboration.

Bedingfield said she lost her grandmother to the disease several years ago, and was thrilled to share the spotlight with the other singers.

"This is the first time we're all together singing the song," she said backstage. "It was really special. It was really like a sisterhood, like a bond. ... We're all used to being the stars — the only star in the room — and it was really nice I think that everyone could just come together and really support each other."

Other performers included Timberlake, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Duffy, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas.

A highlight was Timberlake and Beyonce's sizzling duet of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," which channeled the soulful sound of the classic song's original singers, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Stars mingled and sipped cocktails backstage in the green room, where Leighton Meester of the CW teen drama "Gossip Girl" and her actor-beau Sebastian Stan hung out before she introduced Duffy's performance of "Mercy."

Meester's "Gossip" co-star Chace Crawford chatted up actress Hayden Panettiere, who embraced her rock-star side in a silver Ferragamo minidress and black heels.

"I usually try to mix class and then really funk it out," Panettiere said of her personal style. "It's rock meets class. I try — not always succeed, but I try."

NEW YORK - Designers at New York Fashion week heard London calling — from 1975.The looks of the London youth movment in the years when mod morphed into punk dominated runways Saturday in the second day of spring previews. Short skirts and tight pants kept the skinny profile fresh, paired with — what else? — edgy black.

Charlotte Ronson played on the theme to a crowd that included Lindsay Lohan in a denim corset dress with bright blue pumps, sitting with the designer's sister, Samantha.

Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville were taken with the era after watching the Anton Corbijn film "Control" about the British band Joy Division. Their collection Friday wasn't the only ones inspired by the era's nonconformity, and the Fashion Rock concert featured a tribute to punk led by Fergie.

The look was in contrast to another emerging trend at the Bryant Park tents: easy, vacation-bound elegance. New York Fashion Week runs through Sept. 12, with more than 100 shows over eight days.

LACOSTE

Lacoste broke down its new collection into three different types of crocodiles, playing off the brand's famous logo: the silver croc, the sporty croc and the hipster croc.

Designer Christophe Lemaire brought the silver type to the Mediterranean, offering long, relaxed button-front dresses over a retro mailot or crocheted bikini for the daytime, and a sexy halter top with a plunging V-neck paired with wide-leg linen gauchos for the evening. Men got an update of the "sweat suit" — a tailored jacket-trouser set in a casual cotton fabric.

The palette was sepia tones of brown, dusty pink and off-white, the same colors used for the stripes of an adorable sportier tennis dress with a lace-up neckline. Shorts for women were super-shrunken, while the men's shorts hit the mid thigh.

The silhouette got even smaller with the more urban styles, inspired by the mod 60s. "Slim-fit cuts are the rule rather than the exception in this new line," the designer said.

NICOLE MILLER

Nicole Miller aimed to demonstrate with her spring collection that cheerfulness and sophistication are not mutually exclusive.

The vibe at her show Friday night at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was playful — thanks to a color palette that ranged from teal to coral and prints inspired by the good-luck symbols from voodoo flags. She said she wanted to capture the passion of the street during Carnival.

Dresses are Miller's specialty and she didn't disappoint with draped silhouettes that followed an emerging trend of casual elegance. The best ones included a scarf-print jersey one, a purple racer-back gown and a green-yellow linen viscose gown with one strap beaded with crystals.

On some pieces, though, Miller went overboard with fabric, putting a giant ruffle on the shoulder of tops that she called spirit wings. Also, cropped harem pants with too-roomy thighs and a tight band just below the knee would be hard for any woman without model legs to pull off.

ERIN FETHERSTON

Erin Fetherston floated her newest collection down the runway, mining both the daytime and nighttime skies with a theme of "east of the sun and west of the moon."

The first outfit on the runway Friday night was a stunner: an asymmetrical white chiffon tank, "sunburst" jacquard pants in yellow and white with extremely exaggerated wide legs and a shimmery sequin sash. It sent the tone for one ethereal outfit after another — most of which married sexiness and femininity in white or light, pastel colors. There also was a beautiful watercolor-style print that mixed blue, blush, light yellow and green.

But the gimmick went too far with silhouettes that mimicked the clouds with giant puffs of fabric, sometimes on the shoulder, sometimes on the hem, and, worse, sometimes around the hips.

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LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears may not sing at MTV's Video Music Awards, but Christina Aguilera will. Aguilera will join other top-name performers, including the Jonas Brothers, T.I., Pink, and Kid Rock, host Russell Brand announced Thursday.

Speaking to reporters on the backlot of the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Brand bantered with Aguilera, who emerged from a limousine, and rapper T.I., who shimmied down a fire escape on a street made to look like New York.

"It's going to be, actually, bloody exciting," Brand said of the awards show, which will celebrate its 25th year on Sunday.

Brand, an English comedian largely unknown to U.S. audiences, displayed his brand of humor that can best be described with one British word: cheeky.

During Thursday's presentation, he described the Jonas Brothers as "God's favorite virgins" and racily commented on Aguilera's physique.

Aguilera touted her upcoming appearance as her first televised performance since giving birth to son Max in January.

The comedian also poked fun at himself, saying that bulldozers were working overtime to keep his wild mane of hair in check.

Brand laced his remarks "bloody" and "'ell" and a few words that are unprintable. But he also kept the buzz going about the VMAs, an awards show known for creating infamous pop culture moments. Almost as a footnote, he noted that Kanye West has signed on to close the show with a performance.

West has apparently mended his volatile relationship with MTV.

Last year, he famously promised not to return to the VMAs during a tirade he threw after losing in all five categories he was nominated for. The year before, he crashed the stage at the MTV Europe Awards after not winning for best video.

Brand, for his part, seems willing to deliver what MTV has described as a show that will be heavy on music and mischief.

Grabbing a megaphone, Brand led reporters through the Paramount backlot, delivering them at a soundstage where Kid Rock exploded on stage — in a pair of white slippers — for a rehearsal.

He also praised Spears, who will open the show, but won't be performing. She could leave the backlot with more than she arrives with on Sunday. Spears has been nominated for three VMAs, including for video of the year for "Piece of Me."

And a strong performance by her could erase some of the sting from her much ballyhooed performance of "Gimme More" at last year's show.

There was no mention Thursday of Michael Jackson, who promoters have tried to lure to the show.

But the show already seems chock-full of two of the elements producers have promised: music and mayhem.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Anthony Edwards, one of the original stars of the NBC hospital drama "ER," will return to the landmark TV show in November in flashback scenes playing his now-deceased character of Dr. Mark Greene. He will share scenes with actress Angela Bassett, previously announced as a new addition to the "ER" cast for the show's upcoming 15th and final season, the General Electric Co.-owned network said on Thursday.

Edwards, 46, first appeared in the 1994 "ER" pilot episode and stayed with the show until his long-suffering character, the chief attending physician, finally succumbed to brain cancer at the end of the eighth season in May 2002.

The actor has appeared in more than 20 movies, most recently playing a detective in the serial killer drama "Zodiac."

NBC revealed little of his planned "ER" return except to say it would be occur an episode titled "Heal Thyself," slated to air on November 13, and would involve a series of scenes with Bassett "that will feature other characters from the show's past."

The groundbreaking series, set in the emergency room of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital, was the top-rated drama on U.S. television for several years during the height of its run.

But the show, which won the Emmy as best drama series in 1996, has slumped in the ratings in recent years.

An NBC spokesman said the episode with Edwards would begin shooting next week, but declined to say who else might be returning to the show in that installment.

The network and producers already have announced that one of Edwards' original "ER" co-stars, Noah Wyle, will reprise his role as Dr. John Carter in four episodes this coming season.

There was still no word on whether the biggest star to emerge from the original cast, George Clooney, might return for a last "ER" hurrah. He left the regular cast in 1999 to pursue his movie career full time. But he returned for a surprise cameo in May 2000 marking the departure of actress Julianna Margulies from the show after six seasons.

Bassett, 49, Oscar nominated for her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the 1993 film "What's Love Got to Do With It," will join the show this season as a tough attending physician.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Stroll around Manhattan's Union Square these days, and you come across billboards touting the start of the fall TV season with promotions for the likes of "Heroes," "The Mentalist" and "Private Practice." But an evergreen -- the '90s hit sitcom "Seinfeld" -- has stolen the spotlight here, not with a billboard but with a bus. The show may have ended its primetime TV run a decade ago, but Sony Pictures Television expects one of TV's most valuable franchises to extend its longevity in syndication, on DVD and in new media -- and now with a 26-city "Seinfeld Campus Tour."

The "Seinfeld" bus entertains with show memorabilia and video highlights. Fans can try out a "Seinfeld" DVD game and get their picture taken with cutouts of the show's stars. Crucial to reaching young fans is the presence of laptops that show off the MySpace and Facebook pages for "Seinfeld."

In a cross-promotional effort, visitors also have an opportunity to win Sony Video Walkmans and digital cameras by playing games with a "Seinfeld" twist.

"The show is every bit as compelling today as it was during its original run," said Robert Oswaks, president of marketing at Sony Pictures Television, which has the domestic rights to the show.

Sony wouldn't say how much it's spending on the bus tour, which started a few weeks ago, or what the financial benefit could be. But Oswaks said that the tour of colleges and other locations -- Union Square is a backyard for New York University students -- is about cultivating the next generation of "Seinfeld" fans in the interactive ways they prefer rather than through traditional magazine ads and the like.

"There are tens of millions of college students who were toddlers when the show was on the air and still kids when it went off the air," Oswaks said, pointing to the 70 million-strong "millennial" demographic of 10- to 28-year-olds.

After nine seasons on NBC, the final episode of "Seinfeld," in May 1998, drew 76 million viewers. The show won 13 Emmys, and remains a top 5 show in syndication.

The sitcom also has done strong DVD business, selling more than 9 million DVDs in the U.S. and, according to Home Media Research, reaping an estimated $456 million in revenue.

Among the dozens of fans checking out the bus early Thursday was Michael, 14, who was turned on to the show by his parents. "It's just like reality and really funny," he said. He then got an autograph from his favorite "Seinfeld" character, "Soup Nazi" Larry Thomas, who was on hand.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

TORONTO (Reuters) - The curtain rose on the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night with romance "Passchendaele" playing to a packed theater and starting a 10-day parade of films and stars at one of the world's top movie gatherings In keeping with tradition, the event opened by shining its spotlight on a Canadian movie, but Hollywood invades in the days ahead with the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and even Paris Hilton in town.

Before the festival ends on September 13, more than 300 films will screen here as filmmakers hope to gain attention that earns box office bucks and movie fan buzz ahead of Hollywood's upcoming Oscar season. Last year's Toronto darling, teen pregnancy comedy "Juno," went on to win wide acclaim.

But Thursday belonged to Canadian actor Paul Gross, who wrote, directed and starred-in "Passchendaele," a love story set against the backdrop of Canadians fighting in World War I.

"In the end, love is all that can counter the implacable brutality" of war, Gross told the opening night audience.

Beyond the romance, "Passchendaele" explores class and ethnic clashes in the country and serves up a healthy amount of Canadian patriotism.

Gross told Reuters that seeing his movie selected for opening night at a festival that has long promoted Canadian filmmakers was particularly gratifying.

"This film took an uncommonly long time to get around to making, and hundreds of people were involved," he said of the labor of love that took more than 15 years from idea to movie. "This is a great tribute to the people involved."

HOLLYWOOD INVASION

But even as the red carpet rolled out for the Canadians, British director Guy Ritchie on Thursday also screened his newest gangster movie "RocknRolla," starring Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven of TV's "Entourage" and rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. And the "RocknRolla" cast will not be the only Hollywood stars in town.

Oscar-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen ("No Country for Old Men") screen a new comedy "Burn After Reading," starring Pitt and Clooney, telling the story of a gym instructor who tries to blackmail a former CIA agent.

Fourteen year-old Dakota Fanning, who won the hearts of moviegoers as a child actor in films such as "War of the Worlds," grows up in front of audiences in coming-of-age tale, "The Secret Life of Bees," and directors including Spike Lee and China's Wong Kar Wai also bring their movies to Toronto.

Hilton, who has earned a reputation for grabbing the media spotlight, did it again on Thursday when a report in the New York Post said she had asked festival organizers to cancel two screenings of a documentary about her, "Paris, Not France," in favor of just one showing that would garner greater attention.

Festival organizers and a Hilton spokesman were not immediately available to comment, but the filmmakers released a statement saying that "for a variety of reasons -- which we are unable to discuss -- the film will be screened only once."

Meanwhile, audiences looked forward to upcoming movies ranging from 18th century romance "The Duchess" with Keira Knightley to cop drama "Pride and Glory" starring Colin Farrell and Edward Norton -- all leading to the festival's final gala film, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird."

(Additional Reporting by Ka Yan Ng)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A year after vowing never to perform on the MTV Video Music Awards again, hip-hop star Kanye West will close the show's 25th annual ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday, joining a lineup that includes Christina Aguilera and the Jonas Brothers, organizers said.
The outspoken rapper was upset by his treatment at last year's show, when his performance was relegated to a small stage in the Las Vegas venue.

West also failed to win any prizes, and accused the music cable network of exploiting Britney Spears, who inadvertently stole the show by badly lip-synching and dancing to her new tune.

The faded pop star will again open the show this year, but she will not perform.

"She will be ... doing something so mind-bending, it'll probably make you want to start families with each other in a random, possibly Mormon, way," the show's host, English comedian Russell Brand, joked during a press preview at the Paramount Pictures lot where the ceremony will be held.

He was joined at the preview by Aguilera, who will be making her first televised performance since giving birth to a baby boy in January.

Another performer, rapper T.I., was also on hand at the preview. The trio posed for photographs before Aguilera walked to a waiting limousine and sped off.

Brand described Disney teen idols the Jonas Brothers as "God's favorite virgins," and suggested that their request to be introduced at the event by teen country starlet Taylor Swift was "a decision made from below their sexy little waists."

In recognition of the ceremony's silver anniversary, Brand said MTV would pay homage to the show's storied past. In particular, Katy Perry, the singer of the summer's biggest hit "I Kissed A Girl," will cover Madonna's "Like A Virgin."

"There's a lot of virginity and lesbianism, let me tell you that, going on at the show," said Brand.

Other previously announced performers include R&B singer Rihanna and Detroit rocker Kid Rock, who allowed the media to watch him rehearse his big new hit "All Summer Long."

Separately, MTV announced that videos by West, Death Cab For Cutie, Erykah Badu, Gnarls Barkley and White Stripes won early awards in the professional categories.

Gnarls Barkley's "Run" was honored for art direction and choreography," while Badu's "Honey" won for direction, Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart" for editing, the White Stripes' "Conquest" for cinematography," and West's "Good Life" featuring T-Pain for special effects.

Spears is among the high-profile nominees on Sunday, with bids for video of the year, female video and pop video, all for her tune "Piece of Me."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Mary Milliken)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lingerie creator Heather Thomson got a jump-start on the New York Fashion Week, turning to some of the city's best pole dancers to display her new line of Yummie Tummie underwear on Thursday. Clothes designers will present their spring collections at the annual fashion show that opens on Friday along catwalks under tents in New York's Bryant Park.

Thomson chose a novel way to promote her lingerie. She held a competition of dancers who perform gymnastics-like routines on brass poles at some of Manhattan's poshest strip clubs and picked eight to model her Yummie Tummie Shapewear.

The lower level of the West End Cafe near Times Square was transformed into a gentlemen's club where the dancers -- four at a time -- climbed the poles and turned upside down, this way and that, wearing long-line tank tops and camisoles.

The models represented a cross-section of skin colors and body sizes -- from "AA" bra cups to "C" and up.

"Every woman of every size deserves sexy lingerie that can be worn underneath her clothes or that's meant to be seen," Thomson told Reuters during her fashion show.

Her Shapewear line, which has received rave reviews from Oprah Winfrey, among other style mavens, is designed to smooth women's midsections with the help of a little microfiber plus trendy colors and trims.

The line is sold by specialty apparel shops and higher-end fashion retailers, including Henri Bendel, owned by Limited Brands, and Bloomingdale's, owned by Macy's Inc, the department store operator.

Thomson, a celebrity stylist, previously worked with Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy, to mold his Sean John line of clothing before branching out on her own. She has also worked with Jennifer Lopez on her Sweetface brand.

(Reporting by Jan Paschal; Editing by Anthony Boadle)

KABUL, Afghanistan - Jude Law is visiting Afghanistan to promote peace in the war-ravaged country.Together with director Jeremy Gilley, the Oscar-nominated Law has returned to Afghanistan to help maintain momentum for Peace Day — an annual day on Sept. 21 urging a global cease-fire and nonviolence.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted Peace Day in 2001, following a lobbying campaign by Gilley which he documented in the film "Peace One Day."

"When I left Kabul last year, I was hugely moved not by the conflict that I have read so much about, but by the people's courage and the people's sense of hope," Law told reporters in Kabul on Monday.

"It seemed that they really want to make this day, the Peace Day, work. And they did," Law said. "People recognize the day, because they recognize that lives could be saved."

Noted for his roles in movies such as "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain," Law helped Gilley produce his second documentary film, called "The Day After Peace."

The documentary, which also features former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, the Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Annie Lennox and Jonny Lee Miller, charts the way Peace Day can be used as a focus for lifesaving activity, Gilley said.

Law said the movie "was the most important film I have been part of."

Law and Gilley, who arrived in Kabul on Sunday, are to meet President Hamid Karzai, top NATO and U.N. officials, and members of the aid community.

Last year, they traveled and filmed in treacherous areas of eastern Afghanistan to help promote the day, on which they hope weapons will fall silent, allowing help to reach those most in need.

Gilley said in Afghanistan over 1.4 million children were able to be vaccinated against polio on Peace Day as a result.

"The world celebrates so many days that often separate and segregate us ... and yet there is none that ties us all together," Law said.

He said ordinary Afghans, who marched and prayed as they marked Peace Day last year, are among the film's stars.

"It is Peace Day's commitment to take this film as a message from people of Afghanistan to the rest of the world," he said.

The visit coincides with one of Afghanistan's most violent periods since the ouster of the Taliban from power in 2001. More than 3,700 people — mostly militants — have died as a result of the war this year.

Law said that even as Kabul has become more dangerous, hope among its people has remained surprisingly high.

If "it is possible here, it is possible everywhere," Gilley said.

___

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

NEW YORK - A seat in front of the television — rather than a backyard barbecue — was the place to be on Labor Day with fast-breaking news stories about Hurricane Gustav and head-turning revelations about GOP vice presidential choice Sarah Palin.Everyone expected a busy day as it dawned. Yet neither of Monday's two big stories unfolded as anticipated, giving the coverage more intrigue.

"Make no mistake, it's been a wild day here," NBC's Brian Williams said, shortly after climbing a ladder on a levee to peer into New Orleans' Industrial Canal.

The consensus at the top of network evening news programs was that the hurricane spared New Orleans the brutal punch the city had feared. Gustav's broad expanse still tested news organizations trying to grasp the big picture while following developments community by community.

The Republican Party, at its national convention in St. Paul, Minn., had already set aside most of its opening night schedule because of the hurricane. The GOP bid to focus attention on hurricane relief was cast aside when John McCain's running mate revealed that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant.

During one whiplash-inducing stretch late Monday afternoon, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer switched from a report on Palin's daughter to a weakening levee in Lousiana's Plaquemines Parish, to Laura Bush's speech to convention delegates and back again to the levee.

Blitzer was anchoring CNN's hurricane coverage from the convention floor. John King's computer video board, usually used to call up mock electoral vote tallies, instead was showing aerial maps of Louisiana levees.

Williams, ABC's Charles Gibson and CBS' Katie Couric all anchored their evening newscasts from New Orleans. The broadcast networks had set aside one hour in prime time to follow opening night of the convention but quickly shifted to devote most of that time to the hurricane.

Gustav drew the extraordinary attention because of the damage done to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The comparison was a constant theme; Al Roker even mistakenly called this year's hurricane "Katrina" while discussing the projected path on the "Today" show.

It was the typical breathless hurricane scenes on TV: correspondents trying to deliver information while barely being able to stand in high winds and stinging rain. They worked in areas that officials had been urging people for two days to evacuate.

At one point as they stood on a bridge, Fox News Channel's Geraldo Rivera and a camera crew spotted a man in the water in the Industrial Canal.

"There's a person in the water!" Rivera shouted.

"Oh, my God!" someone said off camera.

The camera focused on a man in a life jacket trying to secure a loosened tank that had been banging against the side of a boat. The camera watched as the man, securely tethered to a lifeline, was pulled back onto a boat with his job complete.

The Weather Channel, particularly hurricane expert Steve Lyons, spoke with a calm authority. There was a sense its meteorologists were delivering hurricane trivia from a lifetime of knowledge rather than some quick study.

On the convention floor, the networks carried speeches by Laura Bush and Cindy McCain urging delegates and viewers to donate money to hurricane victims. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were both scheduled to speak on the convention's first night — which some McCain loyalists weren't all that eager to see anyway — but they stayed away from St. Paul because of the storm.

MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell said the new schedule represented the GOP "trying to rebrand itself as a party that knows how to respond to a natural disaster."

The Bush administration's perceived disorganization following Katrina sent the president's approval ratings spiraling, and they haven't recovered.

"It's quite an effort by the Republican convention to adapt to new circumstances," said MSNBC's Chris Matthews. "I've never seen this before, where a party has completely reworked its agenda to meet an immediate national need, in this case a hurricane."

Yet it was still overshadowed by the news about Palin's daughter. The Alaska governor has also hired a lawyer to represent her in an investigation over the firing of her public safety commissioner.

The networks' reporting on Palin's daughter was subdued. They covered Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's statement that the news shouldn't be part of the campaign. The stories refrained from criticizing Palin's family, and Fox's Brit Hume said he talked to a prominent religious conservative who said many people he knew would appreciate that her daughter has decided to keep the baby.

"She's getting a free pass from all the delegates," said NBC News' Chuck Todd.

This Labor Day at least, Jerry Lewis had plenty of competition for attention.

VENICE (Reuters) - Blame it on the Hollywood writers' strike, the weak economy, or just plain bad luck. Whatever the reason, the 2008 Venice film festival has been described as one of the weakest in recent years, and, as it reaches the halfway stage on Monday, needs more hits to light up the main competition.

"What the festival has shown is that 2008 is simply a bad year for film," said Jay Weissberg of trade publication Variety.

"The overall impression here is one of disappointment and everybody is desperate for a really good film in competition."

The annual event on the picturesque Lido waterfront attracts the world's biggest movie stars and most accomplished film makers, and has earned a reputation for kicking off the awards season that culminates in the Oscars.

This year the stars have been thin on the ground and there has been little buzz about lead performances. More importantly, critics say, the movies on show have been generally poor.

Of the 21 films in the main competition that vie for the coveted Golden Lion at a prize ceremony on Saturday, two Japanese entries are in the running for the top award that has gone to an Asian director for the last three years.

Animation master Hayao Miyazaki's adaptation of the "The Little Mermaid" is the favorite so far, showing the 67-year-old has lost none of his energy and imagination.

"Miyazaki's 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea' is a refreshing thirst-quencher in a thus far dry lineup," said Deborah Young of the Hollywood Reporter.

Also popular was cult director Takeshi Kitano's "Achilles and the Tortoise," while Italian entry "BirdWatchers" -- about a confrontation between natives and wealthy white farmers in Brazil -- was warmly applauded at a press screening on Monday.

It is one of four movies from Italy in the main competition.

"The Burning Plain," the directorial debut by Mexico's acclaimed screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, divided critics, but Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger won plaudits in lead roles.

HOLLYWOOD-LIGHT?

Festival director Marco Mueller has been under scrutiny this year for what some journalists call a Hollywood-light lineup.

He did ensure A-listers George Clooney and Brad Pitt were on the red carpet for the opening film, the out-of-competition "Burn After Reading" by the Coen brothers, but since then the star power has dimmed.

Some critics said that to focus on stars was to miss the point of the world's oldest film festival.

"Film festivals are about cultural diversity and curiosity, about seeing new things and discovering new trends, so I think the criticism of the selection is a bit unfair," said Manuela Grassi, who covers the festival for weekly magazine Panorama.

Nonetheless, Mueller faces growing competition from the Toronto film festival, which starts a few days after Venice and is seen by major studios as a cheaper alternative to the canal city for promoting films and generating awards buzz.

Actresses have so far stood out more than actors, notably Nina Hoss in German drama "Jerichow" and Dominique Blanc in French entry "L'autre" ("The Other One").

Three more U.S. films have yet to screen, including "Rachel Getting Married" by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme and starring Anne Hathaway and Debra Winger.

Kathryn Bigelow directs Iraqi drama "The Hurt Locker," a year after Brian De Palma's "Redacted" stunned audiences in Venice with its brutal reconstruction of events from the war, and Mickey Rourke stars in Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler."

(Editing by Matthew Jones)

MELBOURNE (Billboard) - AC/DC fans in Australia are stocking up on the hard rock band's back catalog in preparation for the October 18 release of its first album in eight years. Five of the Australian act's albums returned to the local chart this week. They were 1975's "TNT" at No. 47, 1979's "Highway To Hell" at No. 61, 1976's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" at No. 62, 1986's "Who Made Who" at No. 74 and 1990's "Razor's Edge" at No. 92.

The 15-track "Black Ice" hits Australian shelves three days ahead of its exclusive Wal-Mart release in the United States.

AC/DC will also feature heavily at the second Adelaide International Guitar Festival, which kicks off November 29. It will start with an attempt to set a new world record with 1,800 guitarists simultaneously playing the riff to the act's signature tune "It's a Long Way to the Top."

Reuters/Billboard

MILAN (Reuters Life!) - Giorgio Armani will design his first villas for a $1.85 billion gated community development in Egypt that is just two hours' drive from Cairo, the Italian fashion designer said on Wednesday. Emaar Properties is building the 9.9 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.8 billion) gated community at Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay, on 1,544 acres of what Armani described in a statement as "the best stretch of beach on the north coast" of Egypt.

The villas will be up to 500 square meters in size and with up to four bedrooms, each with its own pool.

Armani, best known for his classic, flowing clothing lines and penchant for black, said the villa designs would be "taking the 'Live with Armani' philosophy to Egypt."

Armani, along with several other designers such as fellow Italian Versace, is branching out of clothing into areas such as interior design and home furnishings as they attempt to maximize the value of their brands across continents and class.

The villas' architecture will be "based on the functionality and aesthetics of volume, light and surface."

All the villas will feature automated security systems, temperature and drapery control, lighting and air-conditioning.

Armani said he used "elements that capture the serenity and calm of beach-front living" in the designs.

The 6.5 million square meter gated community includes a beach resort, marina, golf course and hotels.

Armani has already designed a hotel in Emaar's Burj Dubai development, including guest rooms, restaurant and spa as well as luxury apartments.

(Reporting by Jo Winterbottom; editing by Patricia Reaney)

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Bachelorhood? Fuhgeddaboudit Sopranos star James Gandolfini married former model Deborah Lin on Saturday in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, People magazine is reporting.

The intimate 20-minute ceremony was held at the island's Central Union Church. A harpist played the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" as the bride walked down the aisle in a white, Italian lace gown.

Gandofini's best man was his 8-year-old son, Michael, from his first marriage to Marcy Wudarsk, which ended in 2002 after four years. The three-time Emmy winner was also briefly engaged to Lora Somoza in 2004.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Batman's rich alter-ego Bruce Wayne has added half a billion dollars to his riches. "The Dark Knight" on Sunday became the second movie in Hollywood history to top $500 million at the domestic box office, raising its total to $502.4 million, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros. The film hit that mark in just over six weeks, half the time it took "Titanic," which reached $500 million in a little more than three months. "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster, remains No. 1 on the domestic charts with $600.8 million.

Despite its brisk pace, "The Dark Knight" is not expected to approach the total for "Titanic," which put up smaller numbers week after week but lingered at the top of the box office for months.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said he expects "The Dark Knight" to finish at about $530 million, though it could reach $550 million if business persists as strongly as it has.

"I keep raising the number because it just keeps holding better than expected," Fellman said.

"The Dark Knight" will climb to about $505 million by Labor Day, the conclusion of Hollywood's busy summer season. That amounts to nearly one-eighth of Hollywood's overall summer revenue of $4.2 billion, which edges the previous summer record of $4.18 billion set last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Factoring in today's higher admission prices, "The Dark Knight" would need to take in about $900 million to match the number of tickets sold by "Titanic."

Labor Day weekend was generally sleepy at theaters, with a rush of new movies failing to find much favor with audiences. Through Sunday, Paramount's comedy "Tropic Thunder" remained No. 1 for the third straight weekend with $11.5 million.

The 20th Century Fox sci-fi thriller "Babylon A.D." with Vin Diesel debuted in second place with $9.7 million, while Overture Films' espionage drama "Traitor," starring Don Cheadle, opened at No. 5 with $7.9 million.

Premiering at No. 7 was Lionsgate's spoof flick "Disaster Movie" with $6.2 million. MGM's campus comedy "College" opened well outside the top 10 with $2.1 million.

The top 12 movies took in $75.2 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Halloween" opened with $26.4 million.

"This is kind of an inauspicious end to a really incredible summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "We limped past the finish line."

NEW YORK - As she inspected the stage where she would later address the Democratic National Convention, a look of recognition flickered across Hillary Rodham Clinton's face when she peered out to see who had asked how she was. "Good! Glad to see you," she called out to Kevin Frazier of "Entertainment Tonight."

She always enjoys seeing him, Clinton added. It was such a paydirt moment that the syndicated newsmagazine used it at the top of its show last week — not once but twice. When you cover celebrities, there's nothing better than letting viewers know that a celebrity recognizes you.

And who are bigger celebrities this year than the people seeking the presidency?

The turf for magazine shows like "ET," "Access Hollywood" and "The Insider," usually more interested in Angelina Jolie or Lindsey Lohan, has expanded from red carpets to campaign rallies. The new interest is evident in all the convention coverage.

Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Obama was a key moment in turning the attention of these shows to politics, said Bill Carroll, an expert in the syndication market for Katz Television. "Wherever the celebrities are, that's where the celebrity magazines are going to be," he said.

Richard Dreyfuss, Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman and Anne Hathaway were among those interviewed at the convention last week. Yet the shows weren't simply star-struck. When nearly 40 million people watch Barack Obama's acceptance speech, it's more than a celebrity issue.

"You have to tap into the water-cooler stories that the people are talking about," said Charles Lachman, executive producer of "Inside Edition." "If you don't, you won't have much relevance for your viewers."

Obama's campaign feels like it's reliving the glamour of the Kennedy years, said Rob Silverstein, executive producer of "Access Hollywood" "That's an attraction for us," he said.

The programs are one more stop on a long media road for presidential contenders, who are expected to show they have a sense of humor on the "Tonight" show or "The Daily Show." The syndicated newsmagazines reach 4 million to 5 million people each day, offering generally painless, puffery — although there are pitfalls. Obama said he regretted it soon after allowing his children to sit in on an "Access Hollywood" interview.

With the more serious campaign issues addressed on network newscasts that usually run in the same evening hours, the newsmagazines must look for something different.

Hence a voiceover like this for Maria Menounos' report on "Access Hollywood" last week: "Is there an Obama celebrity backlash? We investigate."

One "Inside Edition" story last week had Les Trent standing in a backstage elevator to report on how Clinton had been "trapped" there. Actually, it couldn't move for a moment because it was overloaded and some passengers had to get out.

The newsmagazine convention reports included a vertigo-inducing travelogue that shifted from the silly to the serious to the barely consequential in a matter of seconds. A celebrity will give a sound bite, a designer will comment on Clinton's fashion choices, Jimmy Carter will talk about convention memories and there will be tape of some of the speakers' big applause lines.

Michelle Obama will walk by, barely breaking stride, say into a microphone that Clinton "did an outstanding job today" and it will be touted as an interview.

Three newsmagazines showed pictures of Clinton aides holding up different-colored dresses on the convention stage before deciding which one would look better with the bright blue backdrop.

The less celebrity-driven "Inside Edition" looked back on the car accident that killed vice presidential candidate Joe Biden's wife and daughter, noting that Biden has speculated publicly that the driver of the truck that hit his family could have been drinking when there's been no evidence of that.

The newsmagazines are essentially interested in letting people learn a little of a potential president's personality, Lachman said.

"Access Hollywood" took advantage of being a corporate partner with NBC, using Tom Brokaw last week to give his opinion on the value of celebrity endorsements. The show also interviewed Luke Russert, son of the late Tim Russert, who's working for NBC News at the convention. Silverstein said he tried to hire the young Russert before he went to NBC.

From a campaign's perspective, the shows offer great attention, said Howard Wolfson, who was communications director of Clinton's campaign.

"Hillary was on these shows as much as we could get her on them," he said. "They have a large audience, and at least for some of the folks watching it, it's a main source of news and information."

Obama hasn't dealt with "Access Hollywood" since drawing some criticism for allowing his children to be interviewed on the show, Silverstein said. He suspects that the campaign will be back if they need to face some specific audience.

"You want to work with them in a way that's appropriate," Wolfson said. "You don't want to do interviews that are goofy or diminishing. But they have a great audience. And they probably aren't interested in talking to John McCain that much."

Not so, the producers said.

They'll be in St. Paul, Minn., for the Republican National Convention.

___

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In "The Duchess," actress Keira Knightley's latest period picture, a lavish melodrama of aristocratic foolishness and betrayal is designed around the colorful though not always happy life of an 18th century socialite. British filmmakers seem born to make these costume movies and make them well. "The Duchess" is no exception in this, though one would have liked a more modern appraisal of the subject, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.

A feminist eons before the word was invented, Georgiana established a salon devoted to the artists and politicos of her day and even campaigned for Whig party candidates despite not having the vote herself. But this movie, directed by Saul Dibb and based on a biography by Amanda Foreman, only notices these things insofar as they relate to her marital discord and an illicit affair. The movie doesn't seem to appreciate how modern she was.

Knightley captures all the wit, intelligence and high-born manners of a woman given little choice other than to pursue pleasure in a world engineered for and by men. Dibb, a sturdy but uninspired director, brings no Shekhar Kapur visual or dramatic flamboyance to the task of bringing Georgiana's life to the screen. So "Duchess" will satisfy those who enjoy costume dramas but not reach much beyond that audience.

The Paramount Vantage release opened Friday in the U.K., and then premiered Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival before its Los Angeles and New York bows on September 19.

The movie begins with the 1774 nuptials of Georgiana Spencer and a temperamentally unsuitable duke. (Ralph Fiennes does manage to somewhat humanize the loutish noble). The duke perceives his marriage to have the sole purpose of producing a male heir. Years of miscarriages and daughters pass before this happens, though. Meanwhile, Georgiana finds her feet as a celebrity and fashion plate, making her husband seemingly the only man in Britain who is not in love with her.

She even introduces into the household Lady Elizabeth Foster (a bright, alluring Hayley Atwell), who becomes her husband's mistress. For her part, the duchess dallies with handsome politician Charles Gray (Dominic Cooper of "Mamma Mia!"), causing a near scandal from which the family manages to recover.

The melodrama is a bit bloodless, though, figuratively and literally. This is a not-uninteresting chapter during an exciting time in British and European politics -- either the American nor French revolutions get mentioned -- but writers Dibbs, Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen find no way to connect us with these distant personages. Probably the most surprising thing to a modern audience is how aristocrats engage in the most intimate and embarrassing conduct in full view of servants who are treated as little more than furniture.

The producers have secured grand estates and stately homes for the movie's sets, and the English countryside looks as splendid as ever. Tech credits are superb.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Johnny Depp returned to his musical roots Friday night, reuniting with his old band The Kids for a fund-raiser in Florida. With his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, and their 9-year-old daughter, Lily-Rose, screaming in the crowd of 2,500, the Oscar-nominated actor strapped on a guitar and sang backup vocals during the power-pop group's 90-minute set.

The second annual Sheila Witkin Memorial Reunion Concert honors The Kids' late manager, who was well known in South Florida's music scene. All proceeds from the benefit go to the Dan Marino Foundation, which funds programs for children with special needs. The band also reunited in January 2007 for the same cause.

The 45-year-old actor joined The Kids when he was a high school student in Miramar, Fla., and moved to Los Angeles with them in search of a record deal. After the band broke up, Depp decided to pursue a career in acting.

Johnny and the boys are scheduled to rock out again tonight on day two of the benef

New York - Japan Fashion Week's Spring 2009 season of collections commences on Sept. 1, but for those New York residents unable to make the journey to Tokyo, Japan Fashion Week (JFW) organized a showcase of some of Japan's most promising emerging designers—Ato, Mikio Sakabe, Somarta, Ylang-Ylang, G.V.G.V., Mercibeaucoup and Ne-Net—at the newly opened Japanese-owned boutique Aloha Rag on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in New York. The designs on view offered a distinct sampling of the range of styles that will be present at Japan Fashion Week. From the humor and whimsy of Ne-Net (a printed sweatshirt dress had a hood that resembled bunny ears) to the bold, almost cartoonish work of Mercibeaucoup, to the couture finishing of Somarta modern elegance of Ato, JFW hoped that with the impressive selection they would bolster the visibility of Japanese fashion design in the U.S., and perhaps encourage more foreign press and buyers to travel to Tokyo for the collections in the future. Last season, JFW reported a 25 percent increase in the number of foreign media in attendance.

Another case in point of the increased awareness of emerging Japanese talent: Alongside the JFW mannequins and models at Aloha Rag, the store's own rack of pieces by Ylang-Ylang were on sale, an indication of the increasing availability of some of these Japanese designers stateside.