newsmakers

newsmakers

Hollywood’s holidays start out glumly

LOS ANGELES

The holiday spirit is eluding Hollywood, which has stumbled through its worst two weekends of 2011 at a time when business usually starts to pick up as big year-end releases approach.

Overall domestic revenues are expected to come in below the dismal $81 million haul a week ago, which had been the low weekend so far this year. This looks like Hollywood’s worst total in more than three years, going back to the weekend after Labor Day in 2008, when overall grosses finished below $70 million.

The star-filled romance “New Year’s Eve” led this weekend with a weak $13.7 million debut. The cast includes Hilary Swank, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Jonah Hill’s comedy “The Sitter” opened at No. 2 with just $10 million.

To date, ticket receipts are down about 4 percent this year compared with last, while attendance is off 5 percent. With a handful of high-profile, big-budget films set to open around Christmas — including “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” and “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” — it remains to be seen whether business will level out with or exceed sales from 2010.

‘Billy the Kid’ PBS film explores Hispanic link

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

His mythical exploits and jail escapes made this son of Irish immigrants one of the nation’s most famous Old West outlaws. Yet fewer know that the man widely known as Billy the Kid was a central figure in a violent, Irish-English land war in New Mexico, and was beloved by Mexican-American ranchers who felt discriminated against by racist white bankers and land thieves. And the Kid’s end came only after he refused to abandon his Mexican-American teen girlfriend.

Despite hundreds of stories covering his life, the PBS series “American Experience” will air a new documentary in January. Filmmaker John Maggio said this documentary will focus less on Billy the Kid the legend and more on Billy the Kid the human being.

Obamas attend Christmas event

WASHINGTON

The Obamas are celebrating the holiday season with musical stars Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green and Jennifer Hudson at the annual “Christmas in Washington” concert.

President Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, daughters, Malia and Sasha, and mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, are attending the concert to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center.

The concert of Christmas carols and songs is taking place at the National Building Museum. Comedian Conan O’Brien is hosting the benefit.

Other entertainers include Victoria Justice, the Band Perry and local choirs.

The concert will be broadcast Friday on TNT.

‘Descendants’ leads LA critics’ awards

LOS ANGELES

George Clooney’s family drama “The Descendants” has been chosen as the year’s best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, whose prizes are an early influence on the way to the Academy Awards.

Among other honors announced Sunday, Michael Fassbender’s breakout year earned him the best-actor award for four films: “Shame,” “X-Men: First Class,” “A Dangerous Method” and “Jane Eyre.”

The critics group passed over big Hollywood names to bestow its best-actress prize on Yun Jung-hee for the South Korean drama “Poetry.”

Christopher Plummer won supporting actor for “Beginners,” while Jessica Chastain was picked as supporting actress for half a dozen films, including “The Tree of Life,” “The Help” and “Take Shelter.”

“Tree of Life” was the best-picture runner-up and earned the directing honor for Terrence Malick.

CBS political talk show expanding to 1 hour

NEW YORK

The CBS Sunday political talk show “Face the Nation” will soon match its rivals in length.

Anchor Bob Schieffer said Sunday that the show will become an hour in April. It currently airs for a half an hour.

Both of its competitors, NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week,” are already an hour in length. CBS is making the change at a time “Face the Nation” has been doing well in the ratings.

Schieffer didn’t mention it, but it’s not entirely certain the change will be permanent. CBS News President David Rhodes says the extended length will last at least through the political conventions next summer, and then be evaluated.

Baldwin apologizes to himself on ‘SNL’

NEW YORK

Posing as the airline pilot of the flight he was kicked off of, Alec Baldwin apologized to himself on “Saturday Night Live.”

The actor appeared on the sketch program’s “Weekend Update” on Saturday night to lampoon Tuesday’s incident, in which he was kicked off an American Airlines flight for refusing to stop playing a mobile phone game before takeoff.

As a Southern, mustachioed airline pilot, Baldwin issued an apology for the incident. The joke, though, was how obvious the ploy was.

The actor referred to himself as an “American treasure” who was playing “a word game for smart people.”

“Weekend Update” host Seth Meyers repeatedly questioned the thinly veiled performance, asking Baldwin, “Are you sure this is the right way to handle this?”

Associated Press