• A Fan of ‘Loot,’ with thanks

    My very sincere thanks to the author, columnist and resident British wit Christopher Hitchens for offering an endorsement of my upcoming book. Here’s what he has to say: "Sharon Waxman’s Loot is the most instructive as well as the most intelligent (and the most entertaining) guide through the labyrinth of antiquity and the ways in…

  • The Dailies – June 25, 2008

    Stars step up for SAG67 actors — including Jack Nicholson and Ben Stiller — back campaign opposing AFTRA pact ratification Spielberg investigates "39 Clues"DreamWorks acquires rights to 10-book multimedia adventure series Coldplay immune to music biz slump"Viva la Vida" sales break iTunes record

  • Hollywood’s Slow-Go

    The LA Times’ Claudia Eller and Richard Verrier have a story today that pulls together what I’ve been hearing for weeks, namely that work in Hollywood has crawled to a near-halt in anticipation of a possible actor’s strike. Green-lighting has dwindled to a trickle, and the creative community across the board is tightening its belt,…

  • The Dailies – June 24, 2008

    Madonna machine in trouble?Poor ticket, album sales raise eyebrows over $120 million Live Nation deal Strike threat worries HollywoodProduction slows in anticipation of walkout by actors Imus in new racial controversyReborn radio host calls comments "sarcastic" Nokia takes full control of SymbianCellphone maker revs up for fight with Apple, Google Google tackles obscenityData from the…

  • Carell: Overexposed. Myers? Over.

    Steve Carell ought to check his media profile: no matter how well "Get Smart" did this weekend, the guy is dangerously close to overexposed. Between "The Office," the advertising glut on "Get Smart," the DVD for "Evan Almighty" and the media lovefest that surrounds him, there’s only so much Steve Carell that anyone can take.…

  • The Dailies – June 23, 2008

    Mark Burnett, IMG in talksReality TV titan Mark Burnett is looking to sell at least half of his production company to IMG for a rumored price of $250 million. Rambo to lead Bollywood’s US invasionSylvester Stallone is set to star alongside Indian actors and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the most expensive Bollywood production of all time,…

  • Reality Bites: Hypocrisy in Greece

    The debate over restitution of treasures from antiquity is only rarely troubled by facts, but recently some have emerged to embarrass the Greek government, and spark a response. Tourists and travel companies have been complaining that too many ancient sites, including Delphi, where the famed oracle sat upon Mount Parnassus, or Delos, the island where…

  • The Dailies – June 20, 2008

    Swan song for Live Nation bossMichael Cohl, the man who negotiated rich deals with Madonna and Jay-Z, is exiting the stage as Chairman of Live Nation, leaving behind a flagging stock price and a company riven with internal conflict. Spielberg running up the Jolly Roger?DreamWorks has landed itself a big pile of Indian treasure —…

  • DreamWorks Keeps Movin’

    The latest news that DreamWorks is close to a deal with the Indian media and entertainment conglomerate, Reliance ADA, to raise $500 to $600 million in production financing makes sense. It was a logical move in the wake of Universal’s position in negotiations last year that it would distribute, but not fully finance, the mini-studio.…

  • The Dailies – June 19, 2008

    Is Geffen still the ‘G’ in DreamWorks SKG?David Geffen is staying out of DreamWorks rumored deal with India’s Reliance behemoth. But Spielberg and Katzenstein may well want this pit bull on their side. Variety reports that the Indian company, valued at $100 billion, is built on a background of sibling rivalry, between owner Anil Ambani…

  • Wedding Bells

    Wonderful photos by Jonathan Alcorn of the first same-sex wedding in Beverly Hills yesterday. Longtime couple Diane Olson and Robin Tyler celebrate at the Beverly Hills courthouse. More here.

  • The Wackness is Wack

    Who and what in Hollywood has sapped me of my desire to go out and see movies? Can it be that decade-plus of ass-widening, cornea-burning hour upon hour of movie-going obligations? As a reporter, I was a prisoner of the medium. The days when I could RSVP to a screening and then walk out without…

  • Sudden Loss

    Rest in Peace, Tim Russert.

  • Welcome New Readers

    Especially all you from Page Six!

  • Serious News: Indian Abuse Ignored For Decades. Why?

    Will anyone notice Ian Austen’s story today, buried in the NYT’s Foreign section, about Canada formally apologizing to the country’s Native Americans, for forcing them into residential schools where they were physically and sexually abused? This is major news. Canada has apologized, and agreed to pay nearly $2 billion in reparations. It will establish a…