Main Page                                                 Archives

BOTTOMLINES

Kylie Minogue wants an Oscar (Go To Top)

     Washington: Pop diva Kylie Minogue is taking a break from her successful music career to don greasepaint for the big screen, as she is desperate to win an Oscar. Kylie rose to fame in 1986 by playing Jason Donovan's partner in popular TV soap 'Neighbours', and starred in a series of not-so- successful films including her 1994 debut in 'Street Fighter'. However, the 'Slow' star's small role as the Green Fairy in Baz Luhrman's 'Moulin Rouge', and her voice-over work for forthcoming animated film 'The Magic Roundabout' have inspired Kylie to chase her acting dreams, after her 'Showgirl' tour comes to an end. "Acting was always my plan. I'd love to get an Oscar. I got the part in Neighbours then turned to music, and suddenly 18 years had gone by. I've got to do something in a film I'm really proud of," rate the music quoted Kylie as saying. "No one's said, 'She's a terrible actress,' they've just said, 'God, she's chosen some turkeys,' so I think it hasn't been proven yet," added the stunning beauty.

Hitchcock tops most deserved director for Oscar poll (Go To Top)

     London: The late Alfred Hitchcock has topped a poll carried out by British channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) of directors who most deserved to win an Oscar but never did. According to the BBC, Hitchcock got six nominations for his films including 'Psycho' and 'Rear Window' but never won an Academy Award. He was followed by 'Goodfellas' director Martin Scorsese and 'A Clockwork Orange' director Stanley Kubrick. 'Pulp Fiction' star Samuel L Jackson and 'Striptease' beauty Demi Moore were named the actor and actress who most deserved Oscars. "The poll shows an encouraging amount of support and loyalty from the UK public for many British actors and filmmakers," said a TCM spokesman.

      Top 10 directors who most deserved Oscars are as follows: 1. Alfred Hitchcock 2. Martin Scorsese 3. Stanley Kubrick 4. Ridley Scott 5. Tim Burton 6. Ingmar Bergman 7. Spike Lee 8. Mike Leigh 9. Howard Hawks 10. Roberto Rossellini

Orlando Bloom set to bloom as Oscar presenter (Go To Top)

     New York: Hollywood heartthrob Orlando Bloom will make his first Oscar show appearance as a presenter at the 77th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 27, according to Zap2it. The actor captured the hearts of young girls worldwide as prince Legolas in Peter Jackson's award-winning "Lord of the Rings" films and has also won acclaim for his role as Paris in the epic drama Troy.

Brit TV actor Yates, to Direct 'Harry Potter 5' (Go To Top)

     Washington: Amidst speculations about who is going to direct the fifth Harry Potter movie Warner Bros. have confirmed that British TV actor David Yates will take charge of the new movie. According to Zap2it.com, Yates will most likely begin shooting "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in late 2005/early 2006 from Michael Goldenberg's script. "Phoenix" centers on the boy wizard as he enters his fifth year at Hogwarts and the highs and lows of adolescence. As he struggles with puberty, doubts and fears, he must also contend with frighteningly prescient dreams, ridicule and a tyrannical headmistress. "Not only does (David) have tremendous passion for the world of Harry Potter, but he is a great director with a keen visual sense who fills every frame with humanity and compassion for his characters," producer David Heyman, was quoted as saying.

Jolie, fans top choice to hook up with Pitt (Go To Top)

     Sydney: Barely a week after Hollywood's most beautiful couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split, fans are already trying to hook up the two with other partners. According to the Sydney Morning Herald a survey conducted by Internet Service Provider AOL voted Angelina Jolie as the perfect new partner for Brad Pitt while fans of Aniston want to see her team up with Hollywood star Tom Cruise. Cruise came top of a list of potential partners for the ex- Friends star, followed by J-Lo's ex-fiance Ben Affleck and Alexander star Colin Farrell. After Jolie, voters would like to see the Troy star Pitt romancing Spider-Man actress Kirsten Dunst. While Nicole Kidman came third, followed by Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger and singer Kylie Minogue.

Charles to take Camilla for dinner with the Bushs (Go To Top)

     London: Britain's Prince Charles plans to take his long-term companion Camilla Parker Bowles on a visit to the US. As part of the protocol the couple would also be visiting the White House, according to the Daily Mail. It will be his first state visit to the United States since Princess Diana's death seven years ago. The couple are expected to meet President Bush and his wife Laura at a private dinner. But Mrs Parker Bowles will be "unofficially" accompanying the Prince, so it is not thought she will be invited to the White House. It will be seen as one of the sternest tests of public acceptance of Mrs Parker Bowles. "It would not be inconceivable that Camilla would meet the Bushes but it would have to take place at a private function, not at an official level," a source was quoted as saying. The Prince's campaign to win acceptance for Camilla has been heavily focused for years on conquering public opinion in America, which he believes was largely responsible for turning Diana into an icon.

C-cup shapes are women's favourites (Go To Top)

     London: :More women are opting for a breast enhancement surgery now than ever before with most going in for a C cup. New figures reveal a 55 per cent leap in the number of breast enlargement ops in the UK last year - to a record 3,731. Harley Street consultant plastic surgeon Adrian Richards said: "The trend is definitely for bigger boobs but women also want a more rounded, voluptuous look." But it's not just women who are increasingly going under the knife. Record numbers of men are also having cosmetic surgery, according to figures released today by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. The most popular op for men is a nose job, followed by ear- pinning and eyelid surgery.

Women today are becoming more like men (Go To Top)

     London: If Henry Higgins were alive today he would have got the answer to his question "Why Cant A Woman Be More Like A Man?" that he asked in the classic film 'My Fair Lady'. A new research has revealed that the modern 21st century women have more in common with their menfolk than ever before. According to The Independent, the research by Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in Britain, provides a bird's eye view of women's public and private lives in today's Britain, charting dramatic changes in education and employment. The report reveals that today's empowered and liberated woman likes to go out for drink with her friends, is probably trying to quit smoking, likes to drive herself and is increasingly likely to spend much of her life in boardroom rather than the bedroom. Women are also doing better than men, especially at school and university. Women are more mobile than ever before with a third reporting that driving is their main form of transport and 61 per cent holding a full driving licence. Even the difference in life expectancy, 80 years compared with 76 for men, is predicted to narrow over the next 25 years. "Life in general for women now means a lot more stress. There is little difference between the lives of men and women and both end up doing almost the same things. Except that women have to juggle a lot more than men have to," the report quoted Beatrix Campbell, a prominent feminist writer, as saying.

Splitsville for Christian Slater and Ryan Haddon (Go To Top)

     London: If rumours are to be believed, Actor Christian Slater has a split from his wife Ryan Haddon. According to the sources, Ryan was finding it difficult to continue staying in England and wanted to take her children back to the US. But Slater, on the other hand, wanted to stay there to pursue his career. "Christian loves England but Ryan never really felt at home. They are both very sad," The Sun quoted a source as saying. Slater's spokesman, however, said that the couple is having a "trial separation". Meanwhile, Slater has moved out of the family's London home into a flat in Buckingham Gate, Westminster.

Lonely Mariah Carey spends $2850 to airlift her pooch (Go To Top)

     London: Loneliness and Mariah Carey, it seems, don't mix! According to The Sun, Mariah was feeling very lonely in Los Angeles immediately after shifting from New York for her video shoot, that she forked out a staggering 2,850 dollars to fly her dog, Jack Russell to keep her company. According to an insider, "Mariah felt the only thing that could comfort her was Jack. So he was flown in later the same day." Fears of her forthcoming music demo getting disturbed by recent floods had forced her to move from a Hollywood Hills apartment to Los Angeles' Peninsula Hotel.

Arnie could be stripped of Austrian citizenship over execution (Go To Top)

     Washington: One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Austrian countrymen is reportedly angry with him for breaking the spirit of Austrian law as an American governor. The New York Daily News quoted a leading Austrian politician, Peter Pilz, as saying that Governor Schwarzenegger should be stripped of Austrian citizenship because he allowed a convict's execution for killing two women in California. Capital punishment is not allowed in Austria and state-sanctioned death is illegal. Arnold is in a fix; his adopted countrymen Americans are chanting Hero Arnie whereas home countrymen Austrians are shouting Zero Arnie.

Researchers reveal where Mona Lisa was conceived (Go To Top)

    London: Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa has captivated the heart of art connoisseurs for centuries and now researchers have discovered the workshop where Da Vinci may have painted his famous work. According to the Discovery News Service, a team of researchers from Italy's Military Geographical Institute says that they have discovered Leonardo's workshop in an old friary, in the heart of Florence. The workshop was hidden in a part of a building that once belonged to the friary of the Santissima Annunziata, which the institute later took over. It contains frescoes containing "impressive associations" with other examples of Leonardo's work, said Alessandro del Meglio, Roberto Manescalchi and Maria Carchio, the researchers who made the discovery. "The workshop has been long sought. It was always there, all we had to do was look," Manescalchi added. "Various historic sources, such as the 16th century book Lives of the Artists by the artist and art historian Giorgio Vasari, tell us that Leonardo stayed at the Santissima Annunziata monastery," Manescalchi concluded. Researchers feel that it was at the monastery that he may have met his muse Lisa Gherardini, the original Mona Lisa, whom he painted between 1500 and 1504. "This is an important discovery, as it opens up new perspectives for studies and hypothesis on the Florentine context in which Leonardo worked," researchers said.