News Briefs

Displaying 4311 - 4320 of 6816

Thursday, Jul. 6, 2017

State asks full court to review "Making a Murderer" ruling

In this March 3, 2006, file photo, Brendan Dassey, is escorted out of a Manitowoc County Circuit courtroom in Manitowoc, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File

MADISON, Wis. (AP) --

State attorneys have asked a full federal appellate court to review a ruling overturning the conviction of a Wisconsin inmate featured in the "Making a Murderer" documentary.

Brendan Dassey was sentenced to life in 2007 after he told detectives he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape and kill Teresa Halbach.

A federal judge overturned Dassey's conviction in 2016, ruling investigators took advantage of his young age and cognitive disabilities to coerce the confession. A three-judge panel from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in June.

State attorneys filed a motion with the 7th Circuit on Wednesday asking all 12 of the court's judges to review the case. The court rarely grants such reviews but the state argued the panel's decision upends long-accepted police interrogation techniques.

Wednesday, Jul. 5, 2017

Daniel Dae Kim: Contract dispute behind "Hawaii Five-0" exit

In this June 12, 2016, file photo, Daniel Dae Kim arrives at the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) --

Daniel Dae Kim said his decision to leave "Hawaii Five-O" stemmed from a contract dispute.

In a Facebook post, the actor said he and CBS were unable to agree on contract terms, so he made the "difficult choice" to exit the series.

Kim, who played Chin Ho Kelly on the crime drama reboot, said the "path to equality is rarely easy," without elaborating. He was traveling Wednesday and unavailable, a spokeswoman said.

The departures from the show of Kim and Grace Park, who played Kono Kalakaua, were reported last week. Both had been with the show since it debuted in 2010 with Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan as, respectively, lawmen Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams.

"Daniel and Grace have been important and valued members of 'Hawaii Five-0' for seven seasons," CBS said in a statement Wednesday. "We did not want to lose them and tried very hard to keep them with offers for large and significant salary increases."

The More

Wednesday, Jul. 5, 2017

John Singleton's "Snowfall" tells birth of crack cocaine in L.A.

This image released by FX shows Malcolm Mays as Kevin, from left, Damson Idris as Franklin Saint and Isaiah John as Leon on FX’s new series “Snowfall.” The first season premieres Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Mark Davis/FX via AP)

By Jonathan Landrum Jr.

ATLANTA (AP) --

Filmmaker John Singleton says a recent drive through a section of south Los Angeles helped inspire his new FX television series "Snowfall."

The Oscar-nominated writer-director says seeing security bars on every window and huge metal gates surrounding each home reminded him about when residents in the area first took measures to guard their house to prevent home invasions during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic.

"Snowfall' tells the story of how crack cocaine was birthed in the L.A. inner city in 1983. The first season premieres Wednesday on FX at 10 p.m. EDT.

Singleton says crack cocaine caused a negative ripple effect that's still ongoing problem.

Monday, Jul. 3, 2017

L.A. jury finds man guilty of killing movie executive

This file photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows the late 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department via AP, File)

By Christopher Weber

LOS ANGELES (AP) --

A jury found Monday that a drug dealer crushed the skull of a movie studio executive who had been having an affair with his wife, burying him in a shallow desert grave that would go undiscovered for two years, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court jury rejected first- or second-degree murder but convicted John Creech, 44, of voluntary manslaughter for the beating death of Gavin Smith, 57, a 20th Century Fox distribution executive, five years ago.

Smith's wife, Lisa Smith, cried in court when she heard the not-guilty murder verdicts before the manslaughter verdict was read.

Smith also played basketball at UCLA under John Wooden on the 1975 team that brought the legendary coach his 10th and final title in the last year of his career. Prosecutors displayed a picture of him in his uniform during their closing argument.

Prosecutors said Creech killed Smith because Smith was having an affair with Creech's More

Monday, Jul. 3, 2017

Portugal nixes claim director Terry Gilliam's film harmed convent

In this file photo dated Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, movie director Terry Gilliam arrives for the screening of his movie 'The Zero Theorem' at the 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, FILE)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) --

Portuguese authorities have rejected a television program's claims that one of the country's most cherished historic monuments was damaged during the shooting of a film by director and former Monty Python star Terry Gilliam.

The General-Directorate for Heritage says an investigation has found that the 12th-century Convent of Christ suffered only "insignificant" damage during a recent location shoot for "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote." The report published Monday said a program by public broadcaster RTP alleging wider damage "lacked rigor and revealed a lack of scientific knowledge."

Gilliam has previously called the allegations "ignorant nonsense."

The convent was a stronghold of the Knights Templar, a Christian military order founded in 1119, and is classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Sunday, Jul. 2, 2017

Facebook drone could one day provide global internet access

In this Wednesday, June 21, 2017, photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the Facebook Communities Summit, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) --

A solar-powered drone backed by Facebook that could one day provide worldwide internet access has quietly completed a test flight in Arizona after an earlier attempt ended with a crash landing.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's long-term plan for the drone, called Aquila, is to have it and others provide internet access to 4 billion people around the world who are currently in the dark.

"When Aquila is ready, it will be a fleet of solar-powered planes that will beam internet connectivity across the world," he wrote Thursday on Facebook.

The drone's second flight was completed in May at Yuma Proving Ground, The Yuma Sun reported (http://bit.ly/2tzuWhB ).

The drone flew with more sensors, new spoilers and a horizontal propeller stopping system to help it better land after the crash in December. It was in the air for an hour and 46 minutes and elevated 3,000 feet (910 meters).

The More

Friday, Jun. 30, 2017

Jerrod Carmichael exits "Carmichael Show" after 3 seasons

This June 18, 2017, file photo shows actor Jerrod Carmichael posing for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Transformers The Last Knight' in London. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) --

Jerrod Carmichael says he's leaving "The Carmichael Show," ending it after three seasons.

The comedian announced his departure from the NBC sitcom Friday.

NBC released a statement from NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt and President Jennifer Salke saying they were "enormously proud" of Carmichael's show and its combination of family sitcom elements with relevant social issues.

The 30-year-old co-creator and star wrote in a statement that he got to make a show that he loves with his friends, which is something he'd wanted to do since he was 13. He says he is now looking forward to other opportunities. He announced last year that he is writing a book that will be published by Random House.

Friday, Jun. 30, 2017

Czech film festival opens with awards for Affleck, Thurman

In this Thursday, May 18, 2017 file photo, actress Uma Thurman poses for photographers during the photo call for the Un Certain Regard jury, at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

PRAGUE (AP) --

An annual international film festival in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary is kicking off with awards for Oscar-nominated actress Uma Thurman, Academy Award winner Casey Affleck and film composer James Newton Howard.

Affleck, who won his first Oscar this year for his role in "Manchester by the Sea," and Thurman, nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for best supporting actress in "Pulp Fiction," will both receive the festival president's award Friday on the opening night of the festival's 52nd edition.

Howard, who created music for over 130 movies — including "The Hunger Games" and "Batman Begins" — will be honored for his outstanding contribution to world cinema.

The festival's grand jury will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe, at event that runs through July 8.

Thursday, Jun. 29, 2017

Motion Picture Academy elects 2017-'18 Board of Governors

Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS

LOS ANGELES --

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the results of this year’s Board of Governors election.

Those elected to the Board for the first time span the Actors, Cinematographers, Costume Designers, Directors, Executives, Public Relations, Short Films & Feature Animation, Sound and Writers branches of the Academy.

Those first-time electees are:

Whoopi Goldberg, Actors Branch
Mandy Walker, Cinematographers Branch
Isis Mussenden, Costume Designers Branch
Wynn P. Thomas, Designers Branch
Kimberly Peirce, Directors Branch
David Linde, Executives Branch
Christina Kounelias, Public Relations Branch
Thomas R. Sito, Short Films and Feature Animation Branch
Teri E. Dorman, Sound Branch
Larry Karaszewski, Writers Branch

Incumbent governors reelected to the Board include:

Lora Kennedy, Casting Directors More

Thursday, Jun. 29, 2017

Canceled Netflix series "Sense8" to return for 2-hour finale

In this Monday, Feb. 2, 2015 file photo, filmmaker Lana Wachowski attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Jupiter Ascending" at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) --

The fans have spoken, and the canceled Netflix series "Sense8" is coming back next year for a two-hour final episode.

Netflix and show co-creator Lana Wachowski said Thursday that fan clamor inspired the show's return. Netflix had announced earlier this month that "Sense8" was not renewed for a third season.

The series features global settings and an international cast exploring their mysterious mental link.

Wachowski said in a Facebook post that the "passionate letters, the petitions, the collective voice that rose up" in support of the show ultimately helped resurrect it.

A Netflix representative confirmed the Facebook post and released a statement Thursday saying, "We decided to give Sense8 fans the ending they totally deserve."