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(CNN) -- ... thanks to a "Seinfeld" writer whose father had made Festivus a quirky household tradition, a 1997 episode of the famed sitcom popularized the peculiar day. To hear it from Frank Costanza, the character played by Jerry Stiller, the December 23 observance calls for little more than the erection of an aluminum pole, the airing of grievances and the demonstration of feats of strength -- which preferably culminate in wrestling down to the ground and pinning the head of the household. For at least eight years, Julianne Donovan, 35, has been hosting Festivus parties in the Kansas City,...

TMZ.com is reporting. An investigator's notes also indicated that the bedroom nightstands held "large amounts" of medication prescribed to Murphy, her husband, mother and "unidentified third party names." The drugs included Topamax, an anti-seizure drug that prevents migraines; Methylprednisolone, an anti-inflammatory; Fluoxetine, which treats depression; Klonopin and Ativan, both anti-anxiety meds; Carbamazepine, which treats diabetic symptoms and bipolar disorder; Ativan, an anxiety med; the pain relievers Vicoprofen and Hydrocodone; Propranolol, used to treat hypertension, and to prevent heart attacks; the antibiotic Biaxin and vitamins. The notes say, "No alcohol containers, paraphernalia or illegal drugs were discovered." Murphy seemed happy in...

It's not even David Tennant's final episode, yet "Doctor Who" is making history for BBC America. "Waters of Mars," the latest "Doctor Who" special that had originally aired at the end of November in the United Kingdom, attracted 1.1 million viewers for BBC America Saturday, marking that cable channel's best primetime numbers ... ever.

Brittany Murphy's husband and mother made a frantic attempt to revive her before paramedics arrived ... this according to notes written by an investigator from the L.A. County Coroner's office. And, there were a shocking number of strong prescription meds on Brittany's nightstand. TMZ has reviewed the documents, written by Investigator Blacklock. According to his notes, Brittany Murphy "had been complaining of shortness of breath and severe abdominal pain" for 7 to 10 days prior to her death. According to the notes, Murphy went into the bathroom at around 7:30 AM Sunday and shut the door. A half hour later...

With another beautiful TV Housewife, Connie Hines, passing away, it's once again to ponder the age old question of who was the most beautiful TV housewife in the golden age of Television. You remember those days, before the rabid left took over and gave us crap like Will and Grace, Desperate Housewives, and Tila Tequila. My top 5, in no particular order. 5. Jeannie - the one and only Barbara Eden 4. Samantha - the incomparable Elizabeth Montgomery 3. Donna Reed - from the Donna Reed Show 2. Lucille Ball - quite stunning in her younger days 1. Laura Petrie...

Connie Hines, an actress who portrayed Carol Post, whose husband Wilbur was the only person who could talk with Mister Ed in the 1960s television show, has died. She was 79. Hines died Friday at her home in Beverly Hills from complications of heart problems, said Alan Young, her "Mister Ed" costar. "I lost a great friend. She was always joyous," Young said Monday. In the show, which ran from 1961 to 1966 on CBS, the Posts moved into a rambling country home and found a horse in their barn. The center of the show became the banter between Young...

Simon Cowell’s brother Tony made a bold statement during his weekly podcast, saying that his famed judge sibling will be leaving the U.S.’s biggest television show, American Idol, at the end of 2010. “Meanwhile, Simon prepares for a new season of Idol—or should I say, his last season of Idol,” Tony said during a segment. He continued: “OK, I will. Because it is. As I sit here with my family in the sunny Caribbean, a press statement is being prepared, which will confirm what everyone expected: Simon will leave Idol at the end of 2010 to concentrate on bringing the...

Lately the news has not been good - understatement of the year. If you can spare two hours to have a "mood enhancing" moviegoing experience - please go see "Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock.

Brittany Murphy died early this morning after she went into full cardiac arrest and could not be revived, multiple sources tell TMZ. She was 32. A 911 call was made at 8:00 AM from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack, the Los Angeles City Fire Department tells TMZ.

Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy has reportedly died in Los Angeles. Murphy, 32, went into full cardiac arrest and could not be revived, entertainment website TMZ reports. An emergency call was made about 8am Sunday morning (3am today AEDT) from husband Simon Monjack's home, the Los Angeles Fire Department was quoted as saying. She was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but pronounced dead on arrival. Murphy was born in Atlanta and began acting as a young teenager in a series of television appearances. Her breakthrough role was in the 1995 teen hit Clueless alongside Alicia Silverstone. She went on to...

Since I am a certified sci-fi geek and most science fiction movies are quite bad this habit unfortunately forces me to watch a large number of bad movies. It’s one of my little perversions. I have just watched the most expensive B-movie ever made, the US$ 237 million Avatar by director James Cameron, famous for having produced films such as The Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens and Titanic. Briefly summed up I would say that while it is visually spectacular, as is everything Mr. Cameron makes, Avatar has to be one of the most anti-Western and especially anti-white Hollywood movies I...

As the world continues to ponder the death of Brittany Murphy, many are curious as to exactly who her husband Simon Monjack is. While there's still absolutely no evidence to suggest he played a part in her death, many people and media outlets both past and present are raising a suspicious eye towards the British screenwriter. Monjack -- who penned and produced 2006's 'Factory Girl' -- wed Murphy in 2007 in a small, private ceremony at their house that seemed to come out of nowhere. The couple never announced their engagement, and hardly ever made public appearances together. Their nuptials...

Do As I Say proves that Al Gore is a phony and a fraud that does not practice what he preaches, as well as uncovering blatant hypocrisy and double standards of so many other leading liberals. Al Gore won a Nobel Prize and an Oscar warning us about the catastrophe we will cause if we don't reduce our carbon footprints - but he travels the world in his private jet and racks up $30,000 in energy bills every year at his Nashville mansion. Al Gore parades around the globe condemning humans for causing global warming and destroying the earth. He...

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators centre Mike Fisher confirmed Monday morning that he is engaged to country music star Carrie Underwood. He spoke about the impending nuptials at the morning skate, ahead of his team's game against the Boston Bruins. "It's true," Fisher said. "We're both obviously excited and very happy and so, exciting times for sure." A wedding date hasn't been set. Fisher said he popped the question Sunday, but he wouldn't go into any more details. He has been reluctant to speak about the relationship in the past. But according to a family friend, Fisher, 29, popped the question...

Geraldo Rivera has told Fox News honcho Roger Ailes he'll quit if Ailes hires Lou Dobbs, according to a well-placed source. Rivera, who has blasted the nativist Dobbs for his "slander" against Latinos, tells us, "I never threatened to quit." But he did let Ailes know he wouldn't welcome working with the man who has called him a "cowardly liar." Says Geraldo: "The last time I checked, no one here was talking to the a-—." Still, Ailes is said to be considering Dobbs for the Fox Business Channel. "The trouble is Dobbs wants too much money – like $8 million...

Saw Avatar tonight in 3D at the 4:20 showing. I was split between disgust with the "message" and curiosity about the CGI and 3D, and the latter won out. ( SPOILERS BELOW ) The 3D works very well, with only occasional funky edges to it in some of the busier scenes. I had read about people getting sick from it, and I did feel a little funny after just a few minutes of watching some of the 3D previews, but I got used to it after that. In the beginning of the movie I felt a lot of "Gee, this...

Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy has died in Los Angeles. PHOTOS: Life and times of Brittany MurphyMurphy died at 10.04am on Sunday, Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre Spokeswoman Sally Stewart said. She would not provide a cause of death, or any other information. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devon Gale says crews responded to a call at 8am on Sunday from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to British screenwriter Simon Monjack, who is married to Murphy. TMZ claims Murphy's mother discovered the actress unconscious in the shower. She was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but pronounced dead...

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Heroes actress Ali Larter seems set to join Joshua Jackson in the new $130 million adaptation of Gerry Anderson's 1970s UK sci-fi series UFO, announced last July. In an exclusive interview with forbiddenplanet.com, UFO director Matthew Gratzner discussed the casting of Col. Virginia Lake, played in the original series by British actress Wanda Ventham.

I really enjoyed the responses from last week's "What Are Your Favorite Movies Made Before 1950?" thread (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2406295/posts). So here's another movie topic - favorite foreign language films of any era. (Hey, we need a pleasant distraction from the debacle going on in DC!) If you know the date or even decade of the film and the language, please include it. Thank you and enjoy!

Sandra Bullock has beaten TV's favorite vampires to top Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year list. The star of hit 2009 films The Proposal and The Blind Side beat the cast of True Blood to the top spot, while Lady Gaga came in third. Also making the top 10: Taylor Swift, Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds, American Idol star Adam Lambert and moviemaker James Cameron.

It seemed like a good idea to hire Conan O'Brien to host "The Tonight Show" as Jay Leno's replacement. But O'Brien's huge ratings didn't follow him to his new home, and now, PopEater is reporting that NBC executives are already having conversations about replacing him.

When Fox News executives went looking to replace Brit Hume last year, they had to find someone to take over for their franchise newsman, the staid and steady Washington hand whose arrival in 1996 had conferred instant legitimacy on the upstart network. But the network turned not to another Hume, not a traditional anchor-desk presence or deep-voiced TV vet, but to Bret Baier — sunny, serious, self-deprecating and approachable. Eight years ago, he was holding down the network’s bureau in Atlanta. Today, he steps before the camera every weekday to anchor Fox News’s “Special Report” one-hour news program. Count Hume...

ames Cameron decade long production of Avatar finally came to the big screen on Friday. With the cutting edge technology and 3D special effects, Cameron tried to bring the alien world of Pandora from his mind's eye to the movie theater.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced the finalization and release of the “Blu-ray 3DTM” specification. The specification, which represents the work of the leading Hollywood studios and consumer electronic and computer manufacturers, will enable the home entertainment industry to bring the 3D experience into consumers’ living rooms on Blu-ray Disc, the most capable high definition home entertainment platform. “Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman, BDA Global Promotions Committee. “We believe this demand...

Battle Royale: When Movie Robots Fight TV Robots BY Sam Ashurst Jun 1st 2009 11:11AM To celebrate Terminator Salvation rolling into cinemas, we've decided to bring together the baddest and saddest 'bots in movie and telly history for a big metal scrap. These bad-ass bags of bolts can't wait to brawl - so we're going to step out of the way and toss the terrible twosomes into the ring, and see which metallic maniac makes it out operational.

A family spends Christmas Eve in jail. First broadcast on Monday December 19, 1960 on CBS. "Christmas Story" is the eleventh episode in season one. Features Elinor Donahue singing: "Away in a Manger" Will Wright as Ben Weaver. "Christmas Story" is scheduled on TVLand 8:30PM December 24 and 11AM December 25 (Eastern time) Part OnePart TwoPart Three

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 2 minutes and 44 seconds. Pretitle Sequence “This Never Happened to the other Fellar” Maurice Binder’s Title Sequence The Real James Bond, George Lazenby (Born 09-05-1939) Diana Rigg (born 07-30-1938) as the Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo Telly Savalas (01-21-1922 – 01-22-1994) as Ernst Starvo Blofeld Rest of the Cast Gabriele Ferzetti as Marc-Ange Draco - Head of the Union Corse, a major crime syndicate and Tracy's father Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt - Blofeld's henchwoman who takes part in his quest to try and eliminate Bond. Bernard Lee as M - Head of...

Simon Cowell could be leaving "American Idol" at the end of the season and starring in an American version of his British hit music show, "X Factor," starting in 2011, according to reports. Cowell, whose "Idol" contract expires in May and who has been in talks with Fox since last summer, is preparing to announce the new arrangement with Fox early next year, the Times Of London reports. The future of "Idol" would be thrown into serious doubt if the show's indisputable star leaves, it would appear. Officials from Fox, "Idol" and Cowell's own company yesterday refused comment. "X Factor"...

Click here for the new trailer!

I used to watch Good Morning America. I switched to Today. For two days. (7 minutes or each hour on TV those shows, then entrainment, celebrity, a boo hoo story, and a consumer scare, eh alert). No thanks. Now I search out mt own news

On this day in 1969 , Tiny Tim marries Victoria Mae Budinger on the tonight show.

Red carpet veteran, Nicole Kidman usually looks immaculate. But as she walked into the New York premiere of her latest film Nine last night, it appeared the Australian actress had suffered a 'make-up malfunction'. It seemed the 42-year-old's make-up artist hadn't blended her cosmetics perfectly as loose white face powder was clearly visible on her nose and under her eyes

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced the launch of a 64 gigabyte (GB) embedded NAND flash memory module, the highest capacity yet achieved in the industry. The chip is the flagship device in a new line-up of six embedded NAND flash memory modules that offer full compliance with the latest  e•MMCTM standard, and that are designed for application in a wide range of digital consumer products, including smartphones, mobile phones, netbooks and digital video cameras. Samples of the 64GB module are available from today, and mass production will start in the first quarter of 2010. The new 64GB embedded device...

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Both of the new NCIS episodes tonight featured Muslim Marines victimized by bigoted Christian Marines (or ex-Marines). Is it mere coincidence these two plot-lines come 5-6 weeks after Ft. Hood? I can't help but wonder what an average TV drama's time-span is between the script begin written and the airing date.

The show is only half over tonight so there's still hope this will turn around. So far, a poor innocent Muslim (US Military Solider) was killed in cold blood, the reason will of course be because he was muslim. When Ducky gave his diversity speech about "perhaps we should spend more time seeing what we have in common rather than killing each other" I nearly puked. Let's look at reality, a muslim walked in and opened up on his fellow soldiers. They are doing all the cold blooded killing, not us. I think Navy NCIS is off my list. Let's...

I used my pc to record this program and then cut this part out to share with everyone.There may be folks who are offended by this but it is not my intention to do so.Some of you may not know who Andrea Bocelli is and for them .. Be prepared to be "WOWED"!Merry Christmas EveryoneTurn up the volume BOCELLI

Gone With The Wind was the only novel written by southern authoress Margaret Mitchell, who based the novel on a compilation of Civil War stories and imagination. The book swept readers’ interest, and soon the story became one of the most anticipated movie adaptations. After months of production, hundreds of rewrites, direction changes, and yards of dress material and film reels, the completed film premiered in Atlanta on December 15, 1939. While many anticipated films fizzle, and many hits are eventually forgotten, Gone With The Wind remains as beloved a film as book, but what has caused the movie to...

Long before the film was in the can, there were worrying signs. Early reports suggested that the re-imagined Sherlock Holmes would not be wearing a deerstalker, nor would he be sucking pensively on a Meerschaum Calabash. We already knew that this most quintessential of English characters was to be played by an American – and that the director had not made a great film for almost a decade. ................................ Ritchie has turned Holmes into a rock-and-roll roué resembling a young Keith Richards. He is an inveterate drug abuser and lives in decadent squalor; yet he is also a master of...

The nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globes were announced on Tuesday morning (December 15), bringing recognition to both newcomers and long-established Hollywood talents. "Up in the Air" received six total nods, followed by "Nine" with five and "Avatar" and "Inglourious Basterds" with four each. In the television categories, "Glee" topped all others with four nominations, followed by several programs with three nods, including "30 Rock," "Big Love" and "Dexter." In the Motion Picture - Drama category, James Cameron's "Avatar" and Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" will face off against Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker" and "Precious," a...

America’s most famous dysfunctional cartoon family, The Simpsons, this week marks two decades of making the world laugh while offering alternative television therapy to millions of fans. The now distinctive yellow characters of Homer, Maggie and their children, the intellectually-challenged Bart, his smart sister Lisa and pacifier-sucking baby Maggie first burst onto American TV screens on December 17, 1989. Over the past 20 years, they have entered into the national and global consciousness as an icon of television entertainment. The Fox network show’s influence on popular American culture was highlighted when The Simpsons were idolized on US postage stamps earlier...

Hollywood actor and director Mel Gibson's next directing project will be an as-yet untitled film about Vikings, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, "Variety" reported on Monday. Gibson is to direct DiCaprio in an untitled period drama set during Viking times, according to the film industry bible, which reported that veteran script writer William Monahan also has signed on to the project.

Well, I think I’ve been fairly calm and forgiving of Law and Order for about fifteen years. Living outside of the U.S. has certainly helped in more ways than one. Out of sight, out of mind. Law and Order has, for years, been just a press of the remote away from non-existence.owever, recent events have Law and Order just begging for my reassessment. I hardly expected my old television series to be the clown act that leads the American viewing audience into an increasingly predictable pile of hard left propaganda. Why?Dick WolfDick Wolf is basically a follower of usually high-level...

Friday nights might not be too hot when it comes to network television, but it might be because viewers are heading to cable instead. Syfy's fall one-two Friday punch of "Stargate: Universe" and "Sanctuary" earned season renewals late Sunday, confirming what many observers had predicted would happen all along thanks to strong ratings from both shows. In fact, both SGU and "Sanctuary" even beat out network programming more than once, including the Joss Whedon series "Dollhouse" on Fox, which has since been cancelled.

Nine months after bringing the pilot episode to DVD, and just weeks from its highly-anticipated debut, Syfy president Dave Howe told reporters Monday the network was going to release a censored version of the pilot online so that anyone with an Internet connection can watch it for free. The move is a bold one for Syfy, and Howe admitted to Airlock Alpha that it could make the audience tuning in for the same episode in January smaller than reality.

Close your eyes and make a Christmas wish. What's the best present you can imagine a network could put in your virtual Christmas TV stocking? How about the final original episodes of Dollhouse and Sanctuary for the year, a Vampire Diaries marathon, 20 Pixar Short Films and ... something many of us have been waiting for ... one of the final Doctor Who specials starring David Tenn

“Invictus” means “unconquered.” The poem of that name, by 19th century Scotsman William Ernest Hensley, is said to be Nelson Mandela’s favorite. As the title of Clint Eastwood’s new film, which opened last week in the U.S., the word has a dual significance. Mandela, played to perfection by Morgan Freeman, claims that it helped carry him through his 27 years of incarceration at the hands of the Apartheid. When Mandela writes out the verses and gives them to Springbok team captain Francois Pienaar --- another perfect portrayal, this by Matt Damon--- they become the symbol and inspiration for the South...

One of my favorite TV shows is "House" but on the last episode, I started to feel a little uneasy the way the show may be developing. The relationship between Wilson and House seems to be getting a little TOO intimate for me. When Wilson underwent liver surgery to save the life of one of patients, House tried to talk him out of it because it may kill him. Wilson wanted House to be there when he was operated on. House said he didn't want be there because he didn't want to see him die..."I'd be all alone" Now, I...