Winehouse's Late Appearance For Husband's Trial & other

Natalie Portman - Portman Shooting Charity Clip In Rwanda

Actress NATALIE PORTMAN has reportedly visited Rwanda to shoot a clip promoting a new village for children orphaned by the 1994 genocide in the African country.

The Israeli-American star arrived in the central African nation earlier this week (begs02Jun08) to shoot the video, which is set to be aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show in the coming weeks, according to Israeli media reports.

An official close to the ministry of culture says, "The American film star is currently in Rwanda shooting a film on the genocide."

The Jewish-funded Rwandan community, due to be inaugurated in August (08), will be modelled along the lines of Israeli youth villages created for orphaned Holocaust survivors.

Approximately 800,000 people were massacred in Rwanda in 1994.

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KISS say they're like 'herpes'

Kiss have said they're not planning on finishing anytime soon.

Speaking before their gig at Download tonight (June 13) the quartet said they still love getting dressed up too.

When asked if they still enjoyed wearing the get-up they wear on stage Gene Simmons said: "We get to wear our mummy's heels."

The band admitted it's important to keep fit too when wearing those outfits and Stanley added: "Well nobody wants to see a fat guy in tights."

The band, who take to the stage at 8.45pm (BST) tonight, also said the show wouldn't disappoint.

Paul Stanley said: "We go for knockouts every night."

The band were adamant that they wouldn't stop performing anytime soon either and joked: "We're like herpes I guess."

Keep up with this weekend's (June 13-15) festival action as it happens on NME.COM. For news, pictures and blogs keep checking the NME.COM's Isle Of Wight Festival page and NME.COM's Download Festival page for live coverage from both sites.

Jun 13, 2008 at Donington Park, Castle Donington -
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Cryptic response to Newman cancer reports

Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman, responding to a flurry of unconfirmed reports he is gravely ill with cancer, has issued a terse, cryptic statement on his condition.

"Newman says he's doing nicely," his spokesman, Jeff Sanderson, said in a message emailed to Reuters and other media outlets in answer to queries about the cancer reports.

Reached by telephone in his Los Angeles office, Sanderson declined to elaborate or give further details.

"This is what I got from him. He says he's doing nicely, and this is the statement I wanted to share with you, and that's what I have," Sanderson said. "I spoke to his office. . .. this is the statement that came directly from him."

According to numerous media accounts circulating on TV and the internet since Monday, Newman, 83, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and was undergoing out-patient treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.

A spokeswoman for Sloan-Kettering said she had no information about whether Newman was a patient there.

Newman announced just over a year ago he was essentially retiring from a half-century career in acting because of his age.

Last month, he stepped down as director of a stage production of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut, citing unspecified health issues.

Newman's wife of more than 50 years, actress Joanne Woodward, is a co-artistic director of the playhouse.

Newman, who appeared in some 60 movies, made his name portraying brooding characters in films like "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof," "The Hustler" and "Hud" – roles that all won him Oscar nominations.

The blue-eyed performer enhanced his superstar status later by playing winking rogues and anti-heroes – such as the title character in "Cool Hand Luke," an outlaw in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and a suave con man in "The Sting."

He earned nine Academy Award nominations in all, but his only Oscar win was for best actor in the 1986 film "The Colour of Money," portraying the same pool shark, Fast Eddie Felson, he had played when he was nominated in 1961 for "The Hustler."

Newman also enjoyed successful side endeavours as an auto racing driver and the creator of a line of food products, Newman's Own, that bore his name and face on their labels and donated all its earnings to charity.

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Universal acquires 'Dragonology' rights

Leonard Hartman to write and exec produce adaptation

Universal has acquired the film rights to the children's book series "Dragonology," setting Leonard Hartman to write and executive produce the adaptation.

The faux nonfiction books by Dugald A. Steer are based on the conceit that dragons actually exist as revealed by the Victorian dragonologist Ernest Drake. An underlying theme is that dragons should be studied and revered in the same way as any rare species.

Hartman's fantasy adventure take revolves around a group of dragonologists who go on a globetrotting quest to keep a corrupt man from taking control of the world's dragons and using them to wipe out humanity.

The first book, devised and published in the U.K. in 2003 by Templar and in the U.S. by Candlewick Press, has sold more than 2.8 million copies worldwide in 32 languages. Subsequent titles, from books on tracking and taming dragons to a code-writing kit, have brought the total sales for all "Dragonology" titles to 5.7 million, according to its publisher.

Templar recently signed a licensing agreement with video game producer Codemasters, which will see "Dragonology" adapted into Nintendo Wii and DS games.

Hartman most recently penned the script for Universal's "Fury," which is in development, and he wrote the short "Gray Matter." He is repped by ICM and Flashpoint Entertainment.

Universal senior vp production Jeff Kirschenbaum is shepherding for the studio.

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Foo Fighters Wembley shows set for cinema screening

Foo Fighters' Wembley Stadium shows are set to get a special cinema screening.

Footage of the two gigs, which took place on June 6 and 7, will be screened at 50 Vue cinemas in the UK.

"These Wembley shows have been the most incredible experience of the band's entire career," explained a spokesperson for Foo Fighters. "They've never played bigger or better for a more insanely huge and appreciative crowd. It was an unforgettable occasion for everyone onstage and off."

The show saw Foo Fighters joined onstage by members of Led Zeppelin.

For details of the screening locations and tickets go to Myvue.com.

We Are Scientists announce North American tour

We Are Scientists have announced a tour of the US and Canada in support of their second album �??Brain Thrust Mastery�??.

The record was released earlier this month in the US and is the follow up to 2006�??s �??With Love And Squalor�??.

The jaunt kicks off at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on July 1, wrapping up in Newport, KY on August 10.

The dates are:

Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre (July 1)
San Diego, CA The Casbah (2)
Pomona, CA Glass House (3)
Sacramento, CA The Blue Lamp (5)
San Francisco, CA The Independent (6)
Portland, OR Berbati's Pan (8)
Seattle, WA Neumo's (9)
Toronto, Ontario Wakestock Festival (27)
Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's (29)
Cambridge, MA Middle East (30)
Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg (31)
New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (August 1)
Washington, DC Black Cat (2)
Columbus, OH The Basement (3)
Detroit, MI Magic Stick (4)
Indianapolis, IN The Music Mill (5)
Madison, WI High Noon Saloon (6)
Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater (7)
Chicago, IL The Abbey (8)
Newport, KY Southgate House (10)

By our New York staff.
Find out more about NME.

Jul 15, 2008 at Somerset House, London -
Aug 30, 2008 at Royal Jersey Showgrounds, Trinity -
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Winehouse's Late Appearance For Husband's Trial

Amy Winehouse made a brief appearance at her husband Blake Fielder-civil's trial in London on Monday - after turning up four hours late. Fielder-Civil's trial on charges of perverting the course of justice relating to a previous charge of grievous bodily harm kicked off on Monday at the capital's Snaresbrook Crown Court. Winehouse turned up at the courthouse just after 2pm (Gmt) to support her spouse, who has been behind bars at London's Pentonville Prison since November . Wearing a spotted blue shirtdress and cream Christian Louboutin heels, the Rehab singer sat alone in the court's empty front row and constantly blew kisses and mouthed "I love you" to her beau, who was sat behind a glass wall. But after sitting through less than two hours of opening statements, Winehouse got up to leave, before turning to Fielder-Civil's direction and saying, "I love you, you're fit (gorgeous)", as she walked out of the courtroom. The case continues.

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