Drake, B.o.B., Lex Luger, UMPG Win Big At BMI Urban Awards; Snoop Dogg Honored

Drake took home his first songwriter of the year award during the BMI Urban Awards held Friday, Aug. 26. at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.our editor recommendsDrake debuts 'Marvin's Room' video amidst Universal drama (Video)Lil' Wayne, Drake to Release Collaborative Record STORY: Warren G. on Nate Dogg's Death: 'I Still Think About Him Every Day' B.o.B. and Lexus "Lex Luger" Lewis also made history as the youngest-ever BMI Urban Award recipients in their categories. B.o.B. won the crown for song of the year ("Nothin' on You" featuring Bruno Mars); Luger was named producer of the year. And Snoop Dogg received the BMI Icon award at the annual ceremony, hosted by BMI president/CEO Del Bryant and Catherine Brewton, VP, writer/publisher relations, Atlanta. PHOTOS: MTV VMAs: Best and Worst Moments Also during the ceremony, which celebrates the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year's most-performed BMI R&B/hip-hop songs, Universal Music Publishing Group claimed publisher of the year honors with 13 of the most-performed songs. Those titles include "Airplanes," "Love the Way You Lie," "Deuces" and "Bottoms Up." Among the seven songs that helped Drake earn songwriter kudos are "Bedrock," "Find Your Love," "I Invented Sex" and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)." Also honored were BMI's top urban producers: Polow Da Don, Daniel "Kane Beatz" Johnson, R. Kelly and Kanye West. The highlight of the evening was the Icon salute to Snoop Dogg. Wiz Khalifa jumpstarted the proceedings with his cover of the rap pioneer's "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang." Among others who performed Snoop Dogg classics during the musical tribute were Warren G, The Game, Akon and Nas. Then Dr. Dre paid tribute to Snoop Dogg in a heartfelt speech before the man of the hour joined Bootsy Collins and Charlie Wilson onstage for an energetic rendition of "What's My Name?" Snoop Dogg joins such previous Icon honorees as George Clinton, the Jacksons, James Brown and Willie Nelson. Related Topics Snoop Dogg B.o.B. Drake

Scribe Maria Maggenti To Reboot Dirty Dancing

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has set Maria Maggenti to script the Dirty Dancing remake thathas Kenny Ortega mounted on direct. Ortega was the choreographer from the 1987 Emile Ardolino-helmed film in regards to a spoiled youthful girl who summer season together with her trendy family in an establishment within the Catskills and falls deeply in love with the resident dance instructor. Because Lionsgate has fast-monitored the film and hang a director, it was employment lots of authors wanted. Maggenti first got it after scripting Monte Carlo for Fox and New Regency. Since that time, she scripted an adaptation of Before I Fall and it is completing I'm Memory, also for Fox 2000 and New Regency. The author’s repped by APA and Madhouse Entertainment. Lionsgate is wishing to recapture a few of the financial miracle from the original, a sleeper hit that because of its time was among the most lucrative independent films seen, costing $six million and grossing $213.95 million worldwide. It had been produced by Vestron, that could not get its act together and mobilize a follow up before crapping out. Lionsgate launched Artists 2004 follow up,Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, but didn’t make that film and it has began on your own and gone to the initial.

Perry Wins Top Recognition at VMAs Winehouse, Warrior spears Get Touching Tributes Beyonce Announces Pregnancy?

Britney Warrior spears It had been a evening of large claims as Rhianna outfitted just like a guy, Britney Warrior spears received a soaring tribute and Beyonce alluded to being pregnant throughout the MTV Video Music Honours. Take a look at arrivals about the MTV VMA black carpet Gaga opened up Sunday's show in drag, using tobacco, delivering a monologue before you take towards the piano and belting out her song "We.Inch Later within the evening, she presented the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to Warrior spears following a homage that incorporated her hit tunes "Crazy," "Toxic," and the one which began everything, "Baby Again.Inch The happy couple then introduced Beyonce to the level, who gave a show-preventing performance of "Love on the top." However it was the finish from the routine which had fans screaming when she undid her shirt revealing a belly band, alluding to some baby bump. Obviously there have been also honours passed out. Rhianna won the inaugural Best Video having a Message and finest Female Video, both for "Born By Doing This." Tyler the Creator was crowned Best New Artist and also the top award for Video of the season visited Katy Perry for "Firework." The evening also featured a tribute to Amy Winehouse from Russell Brand with never-before-seen footage from her recording with Tony Bennett along with a performance by Bruno Mars. The entire listing of those who win: Best Rock Video: Foo Martial artists, "Walk" Best Male Video: Attacking Young Boys, "U Smile" Best Stylish-Hop Video: Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass" Best Collaboration: Katy Perry and Kanye, "E.T." Best Female Video: Rhianna, "Born By Doing This" Best Video having a Message: Rhianna, "Born By Doing This" Best Pop Video: Britney Warrior spears, "Up until the World Finishes" Best New Artist: Tyler the Creator, "Yonkers" Video of the season: Katy Perry, "Firework"

Nick Ashford of Ashford & Simpson Songwriting Duo Dies (Video)

Nick Ashford, who wrote many Motown classics with his wife Valerie Simpson, died Monday. He was 70.Related Topics•Obituaries His longtime friend and former publicist Liz Rosenberg told the Associated Press that Ashford died in a New York City hospital. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths He had been suffering from throat cancer and had undergone radiation treatment. Among the songs Ashford & Simpson penned are "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand." He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Ashford & Simpson sing their '80s hit "Solid" in the video below. < Related Topics Obituaries

Toronto International Film Fest: George Clooney, U2, Brad Pitt and Salma Hayek Among Attendees

TORONTO -- Awards season has arrived with the Toronto International Film Festival rolling out its all-star roster of Hollywood actors and directors for its upcoming 36th edition.our editor recommendsNick Stahl, Scott Speedman Lead Canadian Movie Lineup at Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival Raises Volume With Rock DocsHollywood Stars to Bring Personal Bodyguards to Toronto International Film Festival Brad Pitt, George Clooney, James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Salma Hayek and Viggo Mortensen will be backing a flurry of Hollywood and indie movie bows in Toronto, as will Keira Knightley, Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Michelle Yeoh, Ewan McGregor and Abbie Cornish. They aren't the only stars to have their publicists and stylists running around for days in preparation for TIFF's September 8 to 18 run. Also coming in search of Toronto cameras are members of the irish rock band U2, Neil Young, Glenn Close, Hugh Laurie, James Gandolfini, Jane Fonda, Ethan Hawke, Tilda Swinton, Jason Reitman, Albert Brooks, Gerard Butler and Jon Hamm. The paparazzi will also be getting poses on the red carpet from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Antonio Banderas, Willem Dafoe, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Emily Blunt, Erin Brockovich, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Laurie and Jane Fonda. And homegrown Canadian stars like Ryan Gosling, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen and Christopher Plummer will also be looking to turn heads in Toronto, as will local directors Jean-Marc Vallee, Sarah Polley, Eric Canuel, Mary Harron, Deepa Mehta and Lea Pool. There should also be sparkly numbers worn in Toronto by Joely Richardson, Selma Blair, Jennifer Hudson, Juliette Lewis, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Robin Wright, Megan Fox, Michelle Williams and Mira Sorvino. Also donning their best threads are veteran directors Cameron Crowe, Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant, Joe Schumacher, Jonathan Demme, Bobcat Goldthwait and Davis Guggenheim, who will open TIFF on September 8 with his U2 documentary. Other international filmmakers that are Toronto-bound include Werner Herzog, Michael Winterbottom, Geoffrey Fletcher, the Dardenne brothers, Janine Fung, Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Luc Besson, Chantal Akerman, Darrell Roodt, Dain Said and Emmanuelle Millet. And the red carpet in Toronto will also be rolled out for Juliette Binoche, Kyle MacLachlan, Luke Kirby, Nicolas Cage, Oliver Platt, Sam Neill, Sarah Silverman, Terrence Howard, Akshay Kumar, Emile Hirsch, Ewan McGregor and Freida Pinto. Related Topics Toronto International Film Festival Brad Pitt George Clooney Glenn Close Salma Hayek International

The Help, Rise of the Planet of the Apes Beat Four New Films

Russell Armstrong and Taylor Armstrong Russell Armstrong will be cremated and his ashes will be divided between his family and his wife, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Taylor Armstrong, People reports.Bravo President: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be re-edited before airingContrary to reports, Armstrong's lawyer, Ronald Richards, tells the magazine that there was never any conflict between Armstrong's family and his wife over his final arrangements."It's my understanding that Taylor has indicated to Russell's nephew that Russell's family can take most of the remains back to Texas," Richards says. "They have a family cemetery there. ... She also wants some of his remains, so I'm assuming she will agree to cremate him."Andy Cohen: We're looking at how to proceed with Real Housewives of Beverly HillsRichards had no update on the family's funeral plans.Armstrong committed suicide last week, forcing Bravo to re-edit footage from the new season of Real Housewives, which was set to premiere Monday, Sept. 5. The network has not yet decided whether to postpone the premiere.

Jean-Claude Van Damme hits UK to shoot UFO

Writer and director Dominic Burns has revealed how he got Jean-Claude Van Damme to star in his British sci-fi movie UFO: he emailed the actor's wife.Burns admits he was surprised by the response, telling BBC News he was "astonished when the star agreed to play the role."Van Damme will play a retired military advisor in the movie and according to the director the muscles from Brussels is looking forward to seeing Derby."We heard he once visited the city to take part in some sort of martial arts display for about an hour but then headed off. He'll be here for a little longer this time," Burns said.UFO begins shooting in Derbyshire this week and also features Sean 'son of Pierce' Brosnan.

First Trailer for 'A Very Harold & Kumar three dimensional Christmas': More Hijinks, Less Plot

Yesterday, we introduced the first photo of 'A Very Harold & Kumar three dimensional Christmas,' which featured Harold (John Cho), Kumar (Kal Penn) and Neil Patrick Harris (themself) outfitted like figures from 'The Nutcracker.' Today, we provide you with the first trailer for that follow up. We know the plot from the film, which features our stoner heroes needing to replace a Christmas tree following the one owned by Harold's family "rises in smoke." A clip does not reveal that -- actually, it does not really show much else except Harold and Kumar shooting Father Christmas lower along with other marijuana-related hijinks. Browse the trailer for that approaching comedy below. [via Yahoo! Movies]

10 Publish TCA Broadcast Buzz Shows

Ernest M. Brown/Getty ImagesZooey Deschanel Here's the issue with buzz -- it's almost indefinable. We all know without a doubt there's good buzz and bad buzz. There's additionally a great chasm between critical buzz and fan buzz. But for this column's sake -- searching at a few of the critical buzz implies that arrived on the scene from the lately came to the conclusion Television Experts Association summer time press tour -- there'll without doubt be debate. As with, "I certainly didn't add any buzz to two Broke Women," etc. View it by doing this. Plenty of experts spoken about Prime Suspect and Pan Am and Playboy Club and many others. Is the fact that buzz? Well, within the situation of Playboy Club, I don't think it's a stretch to express the excitement was bad. Chatter about Pan Am was mostly static -- wondering whether or not this works rather than whether or not this was bad or good. I'd say no definitive buzz hovered around Pan Am. Within the situation of Prime Suspect, lots of experts hate it, others think it's very good like a procedural but they are disappointed it's calling itself Prime Suspect, because it bears very little resemblance towards the original (I'd put myself within the latter category). Among the good stuff, however, about checking in on buzz following the TCA press tour has ended, would be that the periods all of us attended for that individual series each had the possibility to include or detract positive vibes. It's definitely not a science, however when you get all of the stars and designers/producers about the stage to area questions, you receive a feeling of if the cast has chemistry that could be missing within the pilot or when the producers have idea where they're going (or any concept of how badly the mucked in the pilot to begin with). Television Experts Association Press Tour: THR's Complete Coverage Keeping all that in your mind, listed here are 10 broadcast series (or special offers) that produced buzz at TCA, in no particular order significantly. Simply by premiere date. (I'll file another column on cable series soon.) Ringer:CW (Sept. 13, 9 p.m.). This series was created for CBS, however the network, which adds merely a slim amount of series each fall, made the decision against it but desired to find room for this on sister network CW. It starsSarah Michelle Gellar playing twins, each with disparate pesonalities. When one dies, another assumes her identity. Company, there's a large twist or two at the office here. As with every drama aircraft pilots, several episode to preview gives a far more accurate representation, but Ringer adds some gravitas towards the CW also it's nice to possess Buffy back. Up Through The Night:NBC (Sept. 14. 10 p.m.). It was a truly funny pilot starring Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph, written and produced by Emily Spivey (Parks and Entertainment). Even though pilot has been reshot to provide Rudolph another job (and perhaps a larger role), the core is Arnett, who provides a wonderfully less strained, more naturalistic performance compared to his last series and Applegate, whose comic timing is particularly sharp here. New Girl:Fox (Sept. 20, 9 p.m.)Zooey Deschanel = adorable. That's all. No, wait. The show can also be funny, mostly because she's dorky and vulnerable and funny like a lately single girl who moves along with three men. X Factor:Fox (Sept. 21. 8 p.m.). Welcome to another mammoth unscripted series. It's Simon Cowell (and, yes, Paula Abdul) but offers to be something other -- meaning various and better -- than The American Idol Show. Wager from this at the peril. The phrase buzz. Person of great interest:Cbs television studios (Sept. 22, 9 p.m.). The way a series produced by Jonathan Nolan (Reminder, the Batman/Dark Dark night franchise) and executive created byJ.J. Abrams doesn't get buzz is nearly impossible. Starring Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson, the show taps in to the dangers -- and options -- of publish 9/11 privacy issues and just how the federal government can abuse individuals but two males may use the eavesdropping permanently. A thriller shot in New You are able to with procedural elements, meaning whether it will get traction it will likely be on CBS for any very long time. Terra Nova:Fox (Sept. 26, 8 p.m.). Perhaps probably the most over-blown drama from the fall, this genre series set 85 milion years previously melds technology using the Jurassic era and lots of CGI (and Steven Spielberg's title attached). It's either likely to go large, as Fox needs, or go back home. Suburgatory:ABC (Sept. 28, 8:30 p.m.). Lost within the critical stomping from the ABC fall schedule is jewel, a really funny sitcom having a breakout star, Jane Levy, who plays a teenage girl from New You are able to City uprooted by her single father when he finds condoms in her own room (they weren't hers) and fears the large city is making her develop too quickly. Ah, however the and surrounding suburbs are hell. A genuine surprise that will get a plumb Wednesday time slot. Prohibition:PBS (March. 2, 3, 4 check local entries) Another bit of question by Ken Burns, the very first installment is definitely an intriguing wake-up call to everything you thought you understood relating to this country's relationship to alcohol (and banning it) but didn't. We experts get excited whenever we eat our vegetables plus they taste great. American Masters: Gem Jam Twenty:PBS (March. 21 check local entries). Yes, you will get out all your Gem Jam on PBS jokes the following and that we won't mock you for the simplicity of them. But this Cameron Crowe biopic with two decades of film, the majority of it unseen, is actually likely to rock your world, even when you threw in the towel on Gem Jam in early years. American Masters: Seriously Funny: The Comic Art of Woodsy Allen(November. 20, 21 check local entries). Three's a trend, people. All hail PBS for approaching with a few greatly spoken about content about this press tour. Written and directed by Robert Weide (Curb Your Enthusiasm, among many more), this documentary has got the approval and participation from the infamously publicity/camera shy Allen and will probably be essential viewing. (Incidentally, it's a functional title and that i hope it changes, however the clips we had were fantastic). Email: Tim.Goodman@THR.com Twitter: @BastardMachine ABC TCA J.J. Abrams Steven Spielberg Will Arnett Woodsy Allen Zooey Deschanel NBC CBS Gem Jam FOX The CW TCA Summer time Press Tour 2011 PBS

'Apes' Extinct in Indian Multiplexes Over Revenue Sharing Terms

8 Pro Tips for Setting the Indie World Aflame (With Just $17,000) from the Bellflower Crew

Among this year’s crop of true indie success stories — this summer’s Another Earth and Attack the Block among them — is Bellflower, a film described as “a love story with apocalyptic stakes.” Sweet and inventive — then brutal and utterly devastating — the debut feature from writer-director-star Evan Glodell was borne of over three years of sacrifice and dedication, DIY in spirit and in practice (as Glodell’s homemade flamethrowers, groundbreaking camera rigs, and the tricked out car dubbed Medusa attest). So how did this $17,000 micro-budgeted labor of love (and pain) wind up with a distribution deal and some of the buzziest word-of-mouth of the season? [Pictured above, L-R: Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes, Vincent Grashaw, Evan Glodell, and Jessie Wiseman - Photo credit: Getty Images] Bellflower, a gorgeously lo-fi cinematic gut-punch like nothing else you’ll see this year, is the intense tale of a Southern California slacker named Woodrow (Glodell) who, with his friend Aiden (Tyler Dawson), binge drinks, parties, and builds Mad Max-inspired mechanisms to “prepare” for the apocalypse — until his relationship with the charismatic Milly (Jessie Wiseman) triggers a chain of events that bring Woodrow’s world crashing down. After playing the Sundance and SXSW film festivals to strong raves and divisive reactions, Bellflower will be released by Oscilloscope this Friday in select cities. Glodell (who turns 31 this week) and co-stars Jessie Wiseman and Tyler Dawson sat down with Movieline before a special screening at L.A.’s New Beverly Cinema to discuss their long but rewarding journey with Bellflower and to share some of the lessons they learned over the course of seeing their self-financed indie passion project evolve into one of the most talked about releases of the year. 1. Don’t give up on making your film, and don’t put obstacles in your own way. Wisconsin native Glodell had been toiling away in Southern California for years, crewing on other people’s projects and making his own shorts, having written Bellflower based on a bad break-up. “It was bad, and afterwards I thought, I’ve never seen a film that shows what it’s like to go through anything remotely like this,” he explained. But fast-forward a few years, and he hadn’t yet made anything happen. “All of a sudden, five years went by in the blink of an eye… and I started getting really depressed. I was like, ‘Holy crap, I’ve been out here for how long? The whole reason I came out here, nothing has happened in that direction.’ It hit me; this was the turning point. I had to get back on track. This is what I had to do, at all costs. There are only two roads to go — one of them is something bad, and that’s not an option, and the other is to figure out how to make this project happen.” 2. Assemble a crew of dedicated, supportive collaborators who will commit to the long haul for little guaranteed reward. After spotting actors Dawson and Wiseman in plays, Glodell cast them in Bellflower and assembled a crew of like-minded filmmakers and former collaborators, many of whom contributed their own money to finance Bellflower over the years. That group, now comprising Coatwolf Productions, which is already planning to shoot a film by composer Jonathan Keevil next, stuck together through the long, sometimes frustrating process of making Bellflower. “Whoever could sort of stick it out and handle working with us would come back and work more,” Dawson said. “It’s a tough process, especially on a budget like ours. There were often times when you would just have a nervous breakdown, from lack of sleep and food and overworking, and you’d just be like, ‘Are we insane? What are we doing here?’” “For us as actors, once the cameras were rolling and were doing it, then we knew,” said Wiseman. “That’s what we wanted to do. When you’re doing the scenes and playing out this story that you love, that you guys all love, you get snapped back into why you’re doing it. 3. Be prepared to wear many hats. There’s no room for vanity here — everyone involved picked up second or third roles as needed. (Producer Vincent Grashaw went one step further; he stepped in to play a pivotal character in the film.) “If we were hiking out to do a crazy shot where we had to carry the equipment a mile and a half and there’s only ten people on set, you weren’t an actor,” Dawson recalled. “You weren’t driven over to set, you were carrying 20 lbs. of equipment out.” 4. Do what you have to do, guerrilla-style. Though they don’t condone bending or breaking the rules to others, the Bellflower crew went guerrilla style when needed. Permits, safety crews, insurance and the like? Didn’t have ‘em. “We can’t really condone that, but that’s what we did,” said Wiseman. Fiery stunts and homemade flamethrowers were at least “well researched,” according to Dawson. 5. Don’t fear pushing boundaries to play it safe. Many a young actress might have balked at the things Wiseman’s role called upon her to do — fearless nudity and live cricket-eating among them — but she took on those challenges head-on in the name of the film. “For me, that’s the kind of actress I am and I’m glad if it comes off as bold or courageous and not compromising. I mean, these guys were sitting in cars with gas tanks behind them, possibly going to die — I can’t take my bra off? I don’t know, we were all just like, whatever. And we wanted it to be real. And I knew that. You can’t cut any corners because it will throw you out of the story. That’s basically how I approached it.” 6. Don’t compromise your vision — and whatever you do, do not delete your hard drives! The Bellflower filmmakers didn’t let their financial constraints derail their overall vision; instead, they got creative. “We didn’t want to just make an indie movie that was limited to locations and dialogue, we still wanted to have these extravagant things,” Dawson said. “We wanted it to look a certain way. So we were sort of forced to creatively tackle those problems. There’s a whole amount of love that went in because we couldn’t just do it with money.” Meanwhile, an entirely different element gave Glodell pause during filming: Was Bellflower way too personal a project to share with the entire world? “Sometimes it feels way too personal to me,” Glodell admitted. “At the very end, when I feel like I’m letting people look into my mind and personality more than I want people to, there’s darker stuff and obviously people can abstract and analyze that if they want and go, ‘Oh, this guy’s fucked up. He’s been through some shit, and he’s got weird thoughts,’ whatever it is. I would get scared and wonder, ‘Am I putting too much out there?’ The whole time I was working on the movie, every couple of weeks I would wake up in the middle of the night and be like, ‘I need to delete my hard drives!’ I wanted to gather up my hard drives and smash them, but I never did.” 7. Manage your expectations and stay humble. When they first heard that Bellflower got into Sundance, Dawson recalls, “No one believed it. I didn’t tell anybody until I saw it officially announced.” The long, oft-delayed process on Bellflower and hopeful false leads on interest in the film taught him and Wiseman to manage their expectations of what might come. “Sundance was super exciting and we were all ecstatic, but I think there was a feeling among the group that that might just be it,” he said. “That was a big deal, but it could have just been the end of the road. I mean, there’s a hundred films, how did we even get in, we’re just going to go… and things just escalated from there. I think every step of the way you have to stay practical about it and not get your expectations out of control, and be humble. It’s like a tidal wave. You have to sort of let it pick you up and take you with it.” Wiseman echoed the sentiment. “After everything happens, you’re like, ‘Well, if this is the only thing, I’m stoked.’ If it was just Sundance, I’d be awesome. If we’d just got sold and gone to SXSW, we’re happy. If we just have one line around the corner at the New Beverly, that would be awesome.” 8. Keep it all in perspective. The biggest change Bellflower’s success has brought to their lives? “All my ex-girlfriends want to get back together,” joked Dawson. “The guy who stood me up at prom is Facebook messaging me,” Wiseman offered. But after years of struggling to break into Hollywood, it’s a stroke of good timing that has allowed them to process their first measure of success. “I’ve been an actor a long time, and you spend a lot of time thinking about what success would be and how it would feel, and I think a big part of you thinks it will validate everything in your life,” Dawson shared. “Once I am successful, then I’ll be happy, then this will happen… it’s been amazing and great, but you don’t wake up one day and everything’s solved.” “We had to get rid of our apartments and we’re subleasing, and on paper we’re losers right now,” Wiseman added. “But we have this great thing that, emotionally, keeps me grounded a little bit.” “We’re happy we’re not a bit younger, too,” Dawson continued. “There’s a time and a place when I think this group couldn’t have handled success. I think we would have just ripped ourselves and each other apart, so it’s been nice that we’re all mature enough to handle this well. It can be an interesting change — the attention and the dynamics in the group change. You see bands that get signed and they tear themselves apart before they even put out an album. For us, this has happened at an ideal time where we’re all grounded and we’ve become really close through it. We’re like a little family.” Bellflower opens in limited release Friday.