- Title: VARIOUS: SHOWBIZ Review of the Year 2008 / YEARENDER Part 2
- Date: 17th December 2008
- Summary: MALAWI (FILE - APRIL 17, 2007) (REUTERS) MADONNA WITH ADOPTED SON DAVID BANDA AND LOURDES
- Embargoed: 1st January 2009 12:00
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- Reuters ID: LVA20BEPC02CKNUFOFZBQBCF1KOO
- Story Text: 2008 saw the passing of some legends of film, literature, fashion and music.
To name just a few, two-time Oscar nominee Roy Scheider, best known for his roles as a small-town police chief in "Jaws" and his portrait of famed choreographer Bob Fosse in "All That Jazz," died on February 11 aged 75.
Scheider died of complications from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells, at the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Other notable performances from Schieder included Gene Hackman's police partner in the 1971 crime drama "The French Connection," which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, Jane Fonda's pimp in "Klute," "Marathon Man" as Dustin Hoffman's older brother, and in "Still of the Night" opposite Meryl Streep.
Academy Award-winning actor and Hollywood legend Charlton Heston passed away at the age of 84.
Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, the family said in a statement.
The actor, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar for the title role in "Ben Hur," in which he did many of his own chariot race stunts, had announced in 2002 that he was suffering from symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Other famous film roles for Heston including biblical blockbuster "The Ten Commandments," in which he played Moses, and the sci-fi cult classic, "Planet of the Apes."
Heston was well known for his politically conservative lifestyle, and served as leader of the National Rifle Association, the gun-rights lobby group, from 1998 to 2003. It was this high profile conservative position that prompted Michael Moore to conduct the now famous interview with Heston for the 2002 documentary on gun rights "Bowling for Columbine."
Pioneering science fiction writer and visionary Arthur C. Clarke, best known for his work on the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey", passed away in his adopted home of Sri Lanka. The 90 year old died of respiratory complications and heart failure doctors linked to the post-polio syndrome that had kept him wheelchair-bound for years.
Clarke was one of the first to suggest the use of satellites orbiting the earth for communications, and in the 1940s forecast that man would reach the moon by the year 2000 -- an idea experts at first dismissed as rubbish.
When Neil Armstrong landed in 1969, the United States said Clarke "provided the essential intellectual drive that led us to the moon".
Clarke wrote around 100 books and hundreds of short stories and articles, and wanted to be remembered foremost as a writer.
Acclaimed British actor Paul Scofield, famed for his Oscar-winning portrayal in "The Man For All Seasons", died aged 86 of leukemia.
Hailed as one of the great British actors of his generation and awarded an Oscar for his haunting performance in "A Man For All Seasons,"
the fiercely private thespian had shunned the limelight and gave several unforgettable performances in his varied career, with some of his most recent films being 1994's "Quiz Show" and 1996's "The Crucible."
A music legend hailed for being one of the original artists to give birth to modern Rock and Roll, singer and guitarist Bo Diddley, died of heart failure at the age of 79.
Diddley who had suffered from a heart attack last year August and a stroke three months later had been living and undergoing rehabilitation at his home in Archer, Florida.
With his signature rectangular guitar, Diddley was credited as one of the musicians of his time who practically invented a new genre of music by making the transition from blues to rock and roll.
The rock pioneer influenced musical icons of future generations including Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones and U2.
Speaking of legends, Paul Newman, whose brilliant blue eyes, good looks and talent made him one of Hollywood's top actors over six decades has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 83.
Newman appeared in some 60 movies, including iconic classics like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Hustler," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and "The Sting." He earned nine Oscar nominations for acting and won the best actor honour for 1986's "The Colour of Money."
Famed for his philanthropy as well as his acting, Newman was married to Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward for more than 50 years, and had successful side careers as an auto racing driver and creator of a line of food products, Newman's Own, that bore his name and face on their labels.
The "Newman's Own Foundation," took profits from that company and sponsored numerous charitable organisations. Newman also founded his "Hole in the Wall" Camps, which provided fun summer breaks for children around the world suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Oscar-winning soul singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Hayes who, along with Al Green, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, was one of the dominant black artists in the early 1970s, died in Memphis on Sunday, his friend and former manager, Onzie Horne, said. Hayes was 65.
Horne told Reuters that he had spoken to Hayes' wife, who confirmed that Hayes was found unconscious at his home, and rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The deep-voiced performer reached his commercial peak in 1972 when he won an Academy Award for his No. 1 hit "Theme from 'Shaft,'" an irresistibly urgent mix of wah-wah guitars and hi-hat cymbals spiced by the famous line, "They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother-/Shut your mouth!"
Younger generations might also recognise his voice as that of Chef from the animated series "South Park."
Hayes allegedly quit the series because it ridiculed his adopted faith of Scientology.
MILESTONES Music legend Prince celebrated his 50th birthday on June 7.
The U.S. musical maestro behind songs such as "Little Red Corvette", "1999" and "When Doves Cry".
Known for his funky sound and flamboyant style, he has sold an estimated 80 million albums world wide during his 30 year career and has acted in films, including "Purple Rain", which accompanied his 1984 album of the same name and won an Oscar.
Iconic singer, songwriter, record producer, and movie maker and actress Madonna also celebrated her 50th birthday on August 16.
Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958, the third of eight children in a devout Italian-Catholic family.
The pop Diva, who began her career as a modern dancer, had her first big breakthrough in 1984 when she signed a record deal and made her first two big hits 'Like a Virgin' and 'Holiday'. Those two songs along with many of her early singles, including 'Material Girl', and 'Into the Groove' have become synonymous with iconic 80's music hits.
In 1985 she married Hollywood wild boy Sean Penn, the couple later divorcing in 1989 after a turbulent marriage.
Her performance as the wife of Argentine President Juan Peron, Eva Peron, that earned her critical recognition as a leading lady.
Madonna reportedly begged director Alan Parker to give her the biographical role in his musical 'Evita' and the part won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture in 1996.
Guinness World Records list her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time and the top-earning female singer with an estimated net worth of over 400 million U.S. dollars, having sold over 200 million records world-wide And you'd never guess it by looking at him, but Mickey Mouse turned 80 on November 18.
The iconic cartoon character, whose look has evolved through the years, is still the enduring symbol of the Disney brand. Co-created by Walt himself, and originally named Mortimer, Mickey first graced the silver screen in 1928
"Steamboat Willie" where his profile and personality were decidedly more rat-like than the loveable mouse of today.
In the years that followed, Mickey would stay busy, starring in feature films and on television, enjoying a cult following through the Mickey Mouse Club and overseeing the development of the Disney brand, which includes films, networks and theme parks.
One of the most star studded birthday celebrations of 2008 wasn't for a celebrity, but one of the most revered political and civil rights leaders of our time.
Celebrities practically lined up for a chance to honour Nelson Mandela on his 90th birthday with a concert at London's Hyde Park.
Amongst those present were Amy Winehouse, Will Smith, Annie Lennox, Bono and Jonny Clegg just to name a few.
Mandela attended along with nearly 50 thousand others and in his speech spoke of a concert held in london 20 years ago calling for his freedom and release from prison.
He told the crowd that it is now time for a new generation to fight for the freedom of all and using the motto of the 46664 Campaign one more time, told Hyde Park that the ability to make a difference is in their hands.
CELEBRITY JUSTICE Many celebrities spent 2008 in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Actor Wesley Snipes, star of the "Blade" movie series, was found guilty of three misdemeanours by a U.S. court for failing to file tax returns, but was acquitted of more serious charges of tax fraud and conspiracy.
Snipes had been charged with six misdemeanour counts of failing to file tax returns and felony counts of tax fraud and conspiracy, and could have faced up to 16 years behind bars.
Snipes' lawyer, Robert Bernhoft, said the actor didn't file his tax returns because he was waiting for the Internal Revenue Service to answer his inquiries about the need to file them, and always stood "ready to pay and file," but that he got no response.
Smiling broadly as he emerged from the Ocala courthouse, Snipes replied "it does feel good, it feels great" when asked about the verdict.
But the actor was to receive a shock when the court made an example of him by handing down the maximum possible sentence - 3 year sin prison.
No stranger to the courts herself, feisty supermodel Naomi Campbell was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service by a West London court for kicking and spitting at police officers after going "berserk" on an aircraft last April.
Campbell hurled abuse at the captain of a British Airways flight, which was waiting to take off from Heathrow Airport when one of the 38-year old's bags went missing.
When police officers arrived to escort her from the plane for the disturbance, Campbell lashed out, accusing them of targeting her because she was black.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer, one count of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew.
She was was also ordered to pay compensation to each of the two police officers she assaulted, the aircraft captain and to pay fines and costs totalling more than 2,000 pounds.
Campbell has already had experience of community service: in March 2007 she served her court ordered service by mopping floors and cleaning toilets at the New York City Sanitation Depot. That order was for assaulting her house maid with a mobile phone.
She was also ordered to attend anger management classes at that time.
In another incident with a telephone in 1998, Campbell assaulted an assistant, Georgina Galanis.
The model agreed in 2000 to plead guilty to the assault in exchange for expressing remorse and paying Galanis an undisclosed amount of money and attending anger management classes It was still a harsher punishment than handed down to "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" heartthrob, Gary Dourdan.
Dourdan, 41, had been stopped by police in the desert resort town of Palm Springs, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, after he was found asleep in the driver's seat of a car parked on the wrong side of the road.
Admitting to being in possession of cocaine and ecstasy, Dourdain enrolled in a treatment program which resulted in the charges against him being dropped.
Few stars made as many visits to court as Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty.
The 29 year old eventually ended up Wormwood Scrubs prison in west London for breaching the terms of his probation, but was released after serving 29 days of a 14-week sentence.
Doherty had been in and out of court in recent months in connection with his well-publicised battle with drug abuse.
At a court hearing in October he admitted a string of drug and driving offences, but escaped jail when he was handed a suspended four-month prison term.
Also known for his work with "The Libertines" the troubled rocker had pleaded guilty to driving illegally while in possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis.
Doherty has hit the headlines over his relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, although the pair are no longer together.
But celebrities appearing in court weren't always in trouble.
Actress Uma Thurman arrived at a New York City court on Thursday (May 01) to take the stand against her alleged stalker Jack Jordan.
Jordan, 37, is accused of harassing Thurman's family with e-mails, loitering for hours on the steps of Thurman's Manhattan apartment, and visiting her trailer on a movie set.
In e-mails, Jordan called the "Kill Bill" star "the love of my life, which I have never met" and said only he could make her happy.
In June he was sentenced to 3 years probation and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.
Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal was also ordered by a court to undertake a drug treatment program and pay a small fine for trying to buy crack cocaine on the streets of New York City.
At 10, O'Neal became the youngest person to win a competitive Academy Award for her supporting role in "Paper Moon," in which she starred along with her father, Ryan O'Neal.
Meanwhile R&B star R. Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges finding he did not make an explicit videotape showing him having sex with an underage girl who called him "godfather."
The 41-year-old Kelly, whose given name is Robert, could have faced a sentence of up to 15 years in prison on 14 counts of child pornography.
The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated about six hours over two days before delivering the not guilty verdict on all counts.
The 26-minute videotape featured explicit sex acts and was handed over to police by a Chicago newspaper reporter in 2002. It had circulated widely on the underground video market.
And the latest incarnation of Batman, actor Christian Bale, had to face allegations of assault made by his mother and sister in relation to an incident at his London hotel suite.
The Welsh-born performer, 34, spent several hours at a London police station before being released without charge.
Shamed U.K. rock star Gary Glitter sparked outrage in his home country upon his return from Vietnam where he had been serving a jail sentence for sexually abusing minors.
Just days before Glitter returned, the UK government announced plans to tighten the laws to control the movement of convicted child sex offenders with possibility that pedophiles could be banned from travelling for up to five years.
And the year saw one of the most anticipated legal rulings of recent times was handed down in London.
A decade after they were killed an inquest finally ruled the deaths of Princess Diana and her lover Dodi al-Fayed.
The inquest found that they were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of their chauffeur and paparazzi photographers pursuing them into a Paris road tunnel. The jury reached their decision after deliberating for four days in a case that had sparked world-wide media interest.
On the evening they died, Diana and Dodi fled from the back entrance of the Ritz Hotel in Paris in a futile effort to avoid swarms of paparazzi photographers.
They pursued the couple on high-powered motorbikes into the Alma tunnel and took pictures of the dying princess in the wrecked Mercedes after it smashed into pillar 13.
Dodi's father, luxury store owner Mohamed al-Fayed, had accused Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip, Diana's former father-in-law, of ordering British security services to kill her and stop her marrying a Muslim and having his baby.
Henri Paul, the chauffeur, was an employee of the Ritz Hotel, owned by Fayed. Paul died in the crash.
It was delayed for 10 years because Britain had to wait for the French legal process and then a British police investigation to run their course before it could begin. Both police inquiries concluded the crash was a tragic accident caused by Paul being drunk and driving too fast.
The inquest, estimated to have cost up to 20 million U.S. dollars and stretched around the globe with witnesses heard by video link from France, the United States, Nigeria, Kenya and Australia.
Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling successfully independent U.S.
publisher RDR Books, which plans to publish "The Harry Potter Lexicon," a 400-page reference book written by Steve Vander Ark and based on his popular fan Web site.
Rowling told a New York court that the demands of the case had caused her to halt work on a new novel.
A lawyer for RDR books claimed the book by Vander Ark, a librarian who had spoken at Harry Potter conferences in several countries, would promote Rowling's series and not hurt her sales.
But Rowling said she had plans to write her own Harry Potter encyclopaedia, which would include material that did not make it into the novels, and donate the proceeds to charity.
A federal judge permanently blocked publication of that reference guide. He also awarded Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. 6,750 US dollars in statutory damages But only recently Vander Ark announced he would be publishing a different, unauthorised, version of his Harry Potter Guide.
FILM It was a huge year for film in Hollywood, despite the 100 day strike by screenwriters which almost brought the Tinsletown to it's knees, costing up to two billion dollars in losses according to some estimates The situation was serious enough for the annual Golden Globe Award ceremony in Los Angeles to be cancelled at the height of the strike amid fears that presenters and nominees would boycott the event in a show of solidarity with the Hollywood writers.
The usual gala ceremony scrap the usual gala ceremony in favour of an hour long "press conference" to be carried live by NBC News.
The strike already had already brought production to a halt on all scripted prime-time TV series and derailed several high-profile movie projects, idling thousands of behind-the-camera workers in the worst labour clash to hit Hollywood in two decades.
But the Oscars The Coen Brothers reigned at the 2008 Awards, with their film "No Country For Old Men" winning best picture, as well as best director and best adapted screenplay.
Jarvier Bardem also earned a Best Supporting Actor statuette for his chilling portrait of a psychopathic killer in the film, which came as no surprise, given that the 38-year-old Spanish actor won virtually every movie award that season for his performance Also no surprise was Best Actor Oscar winner, Daniel Day Lewis, who was picked to win for his performance in "There Will Be Blood"
Tilda Swinton's Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the legal thriller "Michael Clayton" on the other hand was considered a major upset.
Academy watchers had tipped "American Gangster's" Ruby Dee or "I'm Not There's" Cate Blanchett to scoop the prize.
Marion Cotillard won the Academy Award as Best Actress for her portrayal of legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose" to become the first French performer since 1960 to earn an Oscar in the category, and rounding out the foreign sweep of the major acting awards at the American event.
Already Looking ahead to the next Academy Award ceremony and Australian actor Hugh Jackman has been named as host to the show in a departure from the tradition of picking U.S. comedians to front Hollywood's most prestigious night.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which hands out the world's top film honours, said Jackman, 40, star of the romantic epic "Australia," will host the televised ceremony for the first time.
The actor, who also starred in the three "X-Men" movies and is an award-winning musical theatre performer, has hosted Broadway's Tony awards three times and last month was named 2008's "sexiest man alive" by People magazine.
The choice heralds a new direction for the 81st Oscar ceremony after recent years of falling TV ratings: typically, the program has been hosted by U.S. comedians, and in recent years, show organizers have experimented with a variety of hosting styles ranging from political satirist Jon Stewart, to edgy Chris Rock and popular Ellen DeGeneres.
The famous opening monologue has been axed for the 2009 show in favour of a stronger element of music and dance.
The February 2008 three-hour plus broadcast, hosted for the second time by Stewart, hit a low 32 million U.S. viewers and entered the record books as the least-watched Oscars ever - still making the telecast annually one of the most watched U.S. television shows.
Looking to the box office, and without a doubt the latest Batman instalment, The Dark Knight at 512 million U.S. dollars domestically and 440 million internationally, including more than 55 million USD in Imax grosses. A pre-Oscars re-release would help assure its topping 1 billion dollars world-wide.
But with the title set to hit DVD in December, it's now apparent anyone hoping the Batman sequel would soar to "Titanic" heights will be disappointed. "Dark Knight" already ranks as the second-highest-grossing movie ever, after "Titanic's" phenomenal
84 billion dollar performance.
Harrison Ford proved he hasn't lost his touch in drawing a crowd "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" making a world gross to date (December 16) of more than 760 million USD.
Plenty of critics doubted that Marvel Comic book hero "Ironman" - or star Robert Downey Jr. - had enough box office pull to be a hit in 2008. The film's world-wide gross of more than 581 million dollars not only proved them wrong, but established Downey Jr. as a seriously bankable Hollywood leading man.
As well as reigniting ABBA fever, musical-turned-film Mamma Mia! established itself as one of the top ten earners of the year, with a gross of more than 571 million USD.
The film features songs by the Swedish group and stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård Four of the top ten movies for 2008 were animated comedies "Wall-E," "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," "Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" and "Kung Fu Panda" all making the grade.
MUSIC 2008 saw some landmark hits on the music charts.
Rapper Lil Wayne produced the biggest album seller of the year "Tha Carter III" with 2.7 million copies in the United States, one million copies alone during its first week, the best opening tally of the year. Digital stores played a big part in that success: His "Lollipop" single alone sold more than three million copies. Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, lead the field with eight Grammy nominations. His seven other nominations were in the rap field, including rap album and rap song, and he will compete against himself in two races.
After taking 2007 by storm with the tear jerking single "Bleeding Love", former reality show winner Leona Lewis stormed straight to the top of both the U.S. and British music charts with her debut album "Spirit". It became the fastest-selling debut album ever in both the United Kingdom and Ireland and debuted at number one on the United States' Billboard 200 album chart, making Lewis the first British solo artist to top the chart with a debut album.
British R&B diva Estelle also found success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean after travelling Stateside to collaborate with mentor producer and singer John Legend. She emerged with a gold record and number 1 in the UK on download sales alone with the catchy "American Girl", a duet with rapper Kanye West and produced by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. She won three awards in the UK's MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards including Best UK Female and is nominated for two Grammys for "American Boy".
Katy Perry's ode to bicuriosity "I Kissed A Girl" rode atop the charts in 20 countries including the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom and cemented the preacher's daughter as a new pop darling.
The single also tied the Beatles in July to become the longest-running No. 1 in the rock era for the singer's Capitol Records label.
GAMING The ever growing gaming industry pulled out some big guns during the year.
The always controversial Grand Theft Auto series released the fourth game in it's series, which performed up to expectations and beyond, with pre-orders before the game's release making it an instant record breaker selling 3.6 million copies on its first day of availability and setting another record with 6 million copies in the first week of availability.
Activision Blizzard's critically-acclaimed action/war epic Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gaming awards around the world.
Makers of the game walked away with five awards, at the Golden Joystick awards ceremony in London including the 'Ultimate Game of the Year', one of the gaming industry's most prestigious accolades. More than 850,000 votes were cast in total as gamers logged on in force to have their say in the world's biggest gaming awards.
The next Call of Duty instalment, "World at War," was voted Game to Watch for 2009.
Sony Corp's crown jewell for the year, "LittleBigPlanet," was another solid performer, despite a ten 10 day delay of release on what was one of the most anticipated games of the year.
The postponement on the game was to give designers time to remove potentially offensive background music in response to a single complaint. The puzzle-solving, community-based game, which lets users create virtual worlds and they can play and share what they build with other world-wide users, had the song 'Tapha Niang', contained expressions from the Koran.
Activision called the release of Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock their biggest launch ever and the ever popular franchise showed that it's co-operative crossover with hit musicians was still a winning formula for gaming and music fans alike as one of the biggest games of the year.
Other honourable mentions both critically and as blockbuster performers for 2008 included Konami's "Metal Gear Solid 2: Guns of the Patriots," Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," and Bethesda's "Fallout 3." - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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