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News WWE
RAW 1000th Episode Screens In Australia today; Movie, Hollywood, Celebrity and
Casino News - 25th July 2012 WWE
RAW 1000th Episode Screens In Australia today; Movie, Hollywood, Celebrity and
Casino News; The Dark Knight Rises, The Wolverine, Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel
Games... Pro wrestling
fans down under in Australia - are you ready? The WWE RAW 1000th episode screens
today at 2.30pm EST on FOX8. Most of the modern day wrestling legends who helped
make RAW as great as it is will be appearing. Today's Media Man agency report
also offers up news and info on comic book movies and games associated with 'The
Dark Knight Rises', 'The Wolverine' and 'Amazing Spider-Man'. Then we check out
the Australian casino scene, and pick up a bit of political and celebrity news
for good measure. Keep checking the news website portal daily for some of the
most superior news coverage on the internet. WWE
Boss Vince McMahon on his WWE; (Q&A interview)... As
the 1,000th episode of "Raw" approaches, the wrestling king offers his
thoughts on professional wrestling aka "sports entertainment" (The Hollywood
Reporter). Vince
McMahon has the final say at the WWE. He is the chairman and CEO of World Wrestling
Entertainment, and his wife, Linda, is running for the U.S. Senate from Connecticut.
McMahon, 66, is preparing for the 1,000th episode of USA flagship live show Raw,
the longest-running episodic primetime program in the U.S. Raw, which reaches
more than 600 million homes worldwide and contributed massively to the network's
$340 million in revenue from live and televised entertainment in 2011. Today they
kick of with adding a third hour and becoming the most interactive show in pro
wrestling, and in just about any other medium or genre. THE
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: You started on USA, moved to another network and then returned
to USA
Vince McMahon: We became the No. 1 show on USA. And they wouldn't
be No. 1 right now in primetime if not for Raw. We switched one time to what became
the Spike network and became the No. 1 show there. We have proved that we can
pretty much make TV networks. THR:
WWE and your performers have started using Twitter more. McMahon:
Back in the early days, our performers elicited a response -- a boo or a cheer.
Today, we use all this social media. We are going to do Tout, in which the WWE
just invested. With that, you get a 15-second video shout-out that goes straight
to our TV programs. Beginning with the 1,000th show, people can participate in
terms of the types of matches and what actually happens on air. It will be the
most interactive TV programming in the world. THR:
Over the years, you had ups and downs. You had the Monday night ratings wars with
WCW, for example. McMahon:
Ted Turner was a bit of a battle [when he bought the World Championship Wrestling
circuit]. Ted was part of Time Warner; that was difficult to compete with. But
perseverance is extremely important in life and in business. The other guys got
tired of traveling each and every week to do TV. They just didn't have the same
passion we do. They were working for a paycheck. It was only a matter of time
until they burned out. THR:
Why has so much of your talent, like The Rock, gone on to film careers? McMahon:
Our talent is taught not to be prima donnas, to be on time and know their lines.
And quite frankly, people in Hollywood, once they see what we do, they are amazed.
Our talent doesn't demand the biggest trailer or a certain amount of grape juice
or whatever the hell it is. Our talent is extremely flexible and knows how to
act, so it's a logical extension for them. THR:
UFC gets big pay-per-view numbers. How do you stack up against them? McMahon:
We're in show business, they are a sport. Their ratings are abysmal. They are
in the pay-per-view business, and they do reasonably well there. We just set a
record for WrestleMania. We had 1.3 million buys for this year's WrestleMania,
and our pay-per-view numbers for our shows have been up 30 percent since then.
So, we are looking pretty good. THR:
Are you going to watch the Olympics? McMahon:
I consider our business the Olympics, and it doesn't just happen every few years,
but every night. My favorite part will be the closing ceremonies. That means the
Olympics are over, and everyone will settle down and Raw, Smackdown! [on Syfy]
and WWE will have more prominence. STORY:
ION Enters Pro-Wrestling Ring with 'WWE Main Event' WRESTLING
ROOTS Dwayne Johnson/The
Rock: The third-generation wrestler began his film career with The Mummy Returns.
Next: G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Fast and the Furious 6. Stacy
Keibler: Keibler wrestled and managed WWE stars, then placed third on Dancing
With the Stars. And, oh yeah, she's been dating George Clooney since 2011. "Stone
Cold" Steve Austin: McMahon's beer-swilling adversary appeared in The Expendables.
Hulk Hogan: He's acted in Rocky III, starred on his own reality show and done
voice acting for Robot Chicken. Freddie
Prinze Jr.: The She's All That star and WWE fan was hired to help create Raw storylines
in 2008. He has guest-hosted on the show as well.
WWE Triple H Talks Talent...
Promoting
this coming Monday's historic 1000th episode of Raw, Paul Levesque, also known
as Triple H, addressed a number of topics including Randy Orton's ongoing sixty-day
suspension for his second violation of WWE's Talent Wellness Program. Orton,
who hails from St. Louis, Missouri, the site of Monday's show, will be unable
to appear due to the suspension. Though Levesque won't divulge what Orton did
wrong, he notes "The Legend Killer" will be back once the suspension
concludes. "It
is important to remember that all of our wrestlers are human but they also have
to be accountable," Levesque says of Orton's suspension. As
WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, Levesque's corporate
role is to discover tomorrow's Superstars. He admits it's a struggle. "We're
trying to teach them to be the Stone Colds and the Undertakers of tomorrow, but
the one thing we can't teach is charisma," said Levesque. "You can teach
people to do moves and create story lines and the psychology of what we do, but
you can't teach someone to be the Rock. It's an innate ability to walk into a
room and have everyone pay attention. Put aside the athleticism and what happens
in the ring, what our business is really about is connecting with people emotionally.
If you are emotionally connected to your character, then people will want to see
you. It's true in Hollywood and movies. You don't have to be the best actor, just
be a presence." Triple
H, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin created on-screen personas
"fans loved, hated or loved to hate" on Raw in the late '90s. Levesque
feels they were the first stars of reality television. "Every
guy we have, whether it's me, whether it's the Undertaker, whether it's John Cena
playing the character John Cena, is a performer," said Levesque. "What
we did is very much the beginning of reality television. 'Jersey Shore,' whether
people want to believe it or not, is a scripted kind-of show. They don't give
them every single word, but they give them premises and they set things up. It's
not a documentary where you follow them around brushing their teeth. And that's
what we are we blur that line and that's what people find intriguing." Levesque
also offers insight on The Rock and Kane's on-stage personalities, WWE's decision
to make their shows "PG" television, critics denouncing wrestling as
"fake," and more.
WWE Raw Supershow - What To Expect On The Broadcast Live in St. Louis, Mo,
USA
The three-hour
WWE Raw era will start with a new signature WWE open capturing WWE through the
years. Rapid-fire
clips of memorable moments throughout Raw's history - Vince's "Bret screwed
Bret" speech, Shawn Michaels losing his smile, Edge retiring, Ric Flair retiring,
and Triple H tributing Eddie Guerrero. A
video package focusing on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels
and and Bret Hart becoming friends again. Vince
McMahon to welcome and thank the fans. DX
reunion with most members. The
Rock to address the WWE Title. Brock
Lesnar accept Triple H's Summerslam Challenge? Daniel
Bryan and A.J. to get married. WWE
champion C.M. Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Title 1
-- World Hvt. champion SHEAMUS & REY MYSTERIO & SIN CARA vs. CHRIS JERICHO
& DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Vickie Guerrero) & ALBERTO DEL RIO 2
-- JACK SWAGGER vs. BRODUS CLAY (w/Mick Foley) 3
-- IC champion CHRISTIAN vs. THE MIZ -- Intercontinental Title match Charlie
Sheen via Skype to talk wrestling and "anger management". 4
-- HEATH SLATER vs. LITA
The Undertaker returns to RAW.
5 -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title match
*special
thanks to our friends at WWE, Pro Wrestling Torch, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
and Wrestling Inc in assisting with this report.
New X Men, Wolverine 2 Film Revealed Possible New Viper Actress...
New
X Men, Wolverine 2 film revealed possible new Viper actress. According to a new
report from Collider, talks with Jessica Biel to play character Viper in the new
Wolverine 2 flick, did not workout,so now, this new Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova
is currently in talks to play Viper instead. Its also reported that Svetlana
is expected to close a deal with the studio pretty quickly. The
character of Viper is said to be of Eastern European decent, and has a complex
relationship with Wolverine that includes, at one point, a sham marriage. Svetlana
is mostly known for her work in Russia, but she appeared last year in the espionage
flick Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. On
location work on The Wolverine will be done in Japan, while stage work will be
shot in Australia in August. The movie stars: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki
Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Brian Tee, and is scheduled
to hit theaters on July 26th,2013. Stay tuned.
Wolverine sequel: Jessica Biel out...
Just
days after Jessica Biel was announced to play Viper in the forthcoming Wolverine
sequel, The Wolverine, it has emerged that the actress has now walked away from
the project after contract talks broke down. James
Mangold has taken the reins for this installment with Hugh Jackman returning to
play the titular title role. It will hopefully stay faithful to the Chris Claremont/Frank
Miller series which sees Wolverine transported to Japan in one of his darkest
storylines. Biel
had been cast as Viper, a character who has a tempestuous relationship with Wolverine/Logan,
including blackmail, a forced marriage and the odd wound both physical
and mental. Viper is also known as Lady Hydra, a high ranking officer in the Hydra
network, but this may not be referenced in The Wolverine as the rights to Hydra
are with Disney/Marvel Studios and Hydra was used in Captain America: The First
Avenger. The Wolverine
has had a bumpy ride so far getting to the big screen, with Darren Aronofsky leaving
the project very early on. This caused a delay in filming, which then grew as
Hugh Jackman had commitments to film Les Miserables. Its
another setback for the production that commences in Australia this August before
filming on location in Japan. Sources say that Fox are now talking to other actors
about the role as they look to move quickly to replace Biel. The
film is scheduled for release July 2013.
Marvel Entertainment movies; Thor, Spider-Man boost popularity of online slot
games...
The Media
Man agency reports that Marvel comics themed games such as Amazing Spider-Man,
Thor, Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk have received a boost thanks to recent
and upcoming movie releases tied in with Marvel Entertainment. For the gaming
world that Excelsior! (as Marvel legend Stan Lee would say). Check em out at PartyCasino.com,
as featured across the Media Man network.
Comic Book Movies News Update...
DC
Comics: Director
and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino will soon be scripting for DC Comics. The announcement,
made at San Diego Comic Con, was nothing short of cryptic, and we are waiting
on more details to be divulged.
Marvel Comics:
The
Marvel NOW! Point-One teaser sequentially revealed the heroes that will be strongly
implicated in the special issue to be released this Fall. The characters are Nick
Fury, Jr., Cable, Ant Man, Loki, Wiccan, Miss America, Nova and Starlord.
Film and Television:
Dreamworks
recently entered a bidding war for Classic Media film and television rights to
properties like He-Man, Godzilla, Voltron, Turok, Dick Tracy, Archie, Rocky and
Bullwinkle, and many more. Marvel
Studios is investigating the leak that uncovered the production of a Guardians
of the Galaxy film weeks before the film's planned announcement at San Diego Comic
Con. The Dark
Knight Rises has reportedly earned $162 million at the box office in its opening
weekend despite tragedy. The gross puts TDKR third behind Marvel's The Avengers
and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II, both of which had inflated
grosses due to 3D ticket sales.
O'Neill formally takes over as Echo chairman - 23rd July...
Australian
Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill has officially taken over as chairman
of casino operator Echo Entertainment Group's board. Mr
O'Neill takes over from John Story who stepped down on June 8 following a campaign
to remove him by James Packer, head of rival casino operator Crown. Mr
O'Neill, a non-executive board director and chief executive of the Australian
Rugby Union, subsequently assumed the role of Echo's acting chairman. His
appointment received Mr Packer's support. Mr
Packer, seeking a presence in the lucrative Sydney gaming market, wanted to to
increase his influence on Echo, which holds the city's sole casino licence. Crown
took a 10 per cent holding in Echo. Echo
operates The Star in Sydney, the Jupiters casinos on the Gold Coast and in Townsville,
and the Treasury casino in Brisbane. Crown
operates the Crown casino in Melbourne and the Burswood casino in Perth.
Steven Spielberg Wants Chris Hemsworth for Robopocalypse...
Aussie
actor Chris Hemsworth was a relative unknown Stateside only a couple years ago,
but he has become the go-to guy for roles requiring a handsome badass who fights
inhuman threats. Hemsworth has battled Frost Giants in Thor and alien invaders
in The Avengers as Thor and Thor's wicked brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston),
in both movies and trolls as the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman,
and it looks like he will soon be battling robots for director Steven Spielberg
in Robopocalypse. The
three-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker has been trying to put together an
adaptation of Daniel H. Wilson's best-selling novel of the same name since before
the book was completed, and now it seems he's finally ready to start moving forward
with it. According to Deadline, Spielberg recently met in secret with Hemsworth
to discuss starring in the movie and has chosen him to lead the resistance against
the artificial intelligence Archos, which seeks to annhiliate the human race. Further
details on the adaptation are scarce at this point. Goddard wrote the initial
screenplay adaptation of his book, but Deadline reports that Kario Salem (The
Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) has been hired to rewrite Goddard's script.
Here's the synopis of the book from Random House's website: Not
far into our future, the dazzling technology that runs our world turns against
us. Controlled by a childlike yet massively powerful artificial
intelligence known as Archos, the global network of machines on which our world
has grown dependent suddenly becomes an implacable, deadly foe. At Zero Hour
the moment the robots attack the human race is almost annihilated, but
as its scattered remnants regroup, humanity for the first time unites in a determined
effort to fight back. This is the oral history of that conflict, told by an international
cast of survivors who experienced this long and bloody confrontation with the
machines. Brilliantly conceived and amazingly detailed, Robopocalypse is an action-packed
epic with chilling implications about the real technology that surrounds us. It's
the robots' world, we just live in it...for now. Random
House also has a one-minute video short set in the world of Robopocalypse on its
site. The director of the short, Stephen Lunsford, is no Spielberg, but the short
is worth watching solely for the creepy, child-like voice of Archos declaring
itself humanity's god. Robopocalypse
will be a joint Dreamworks-Fox production distributed by Disney. It is slated
for release on April 25, 2014.
Hugh Jackman echoes sorrow over massacre...
Australian
actor Hugh Jackman has expressed his sadness following the mass shooting at a
US screening of The Dark Knight Rises. 'All
I can echo is the sorrow I feel for the families, the community, for everybody,'
he says. 'It's
an issue that goes way beyond, obviously beyond acting, beyond film or anything
like that. 'This
is just a tragedy on a level that we have experienced in Australia many years
ago in Tasmania and it's devastating and I can't comment on (it) anymore than
as a human being and my feelings for those people involved.' Jackman
was speaking in Sydney at a press conference on Tuesday for his new film The Wolverine,
alongside its director, James Mangold, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Jackman
was sporting a red right eye, but it wasn't because of training for the action
movie, but rather 'a very energetic game of tag with my kids', which he thinks
burst a blood vessel. Jackman
says it wasn't easy getting back into shape for the part, particularly coming
from his last role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. 'That
was a particular challenge because Les Mis, I had to start at 83 kilos and I finished
at about 97 kilos by the end of the movie,' he says. 'We
did have a holiday recently, but it was more like boot camp for me. But the kids
and Deb (his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness) were happy.' Shooting
of The Wolverine is scheduled to start in Sydney on July 30, after a number of
setbacks for the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Last
March, director Darren Aronofsky left the project, and Mangold stepped in to replace
him. Then the shoot, which was originally meant to be in Japan, was postponed
last October because of weather conditions. Mangold
says The Wolverine is based on a series of comics that detail the mutant's journeys
in Japan and he refuted reports that Jessica Biel had turned down the lead role
of Viper. 'The
story couldn't be more of a fantasy frankly, in terms of what I was reading, so
it was nothing more than a list of people we were considering and still are,'
he says. Jackman,
who has played Wolverine now in five different movies over the past 12 years,
says he takes the movies on one at a time. For
The Wolverine, he saw the screenplay and was sold. 'I
feel like a golfer, always looking for a hole in one and I thought this was the
best script we've had,' he says.
Hollywood declares box office truce after massacre...
The
Hollywood studio behind the Batman movies has decided not to publish weekend box
office figures after the Colorado theatre massacre. Twelve
people were killed and 58 injured when a gunman dressed in full body armour opened
fire at a packed midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises in Denver. James
Holmes, 24, was taken into custody outside the cinema after the attack. He is
in solitary confinement and is due in court on Monday morning. Within
hours of the attack, Warner Brothers had cancelled the movie's Paris premiere,
which was to have been accompanied by a press junket with the cast and crew including
director Christopher Nolan and main star Christian Bale. The
company also cancelled red carpet events for the film in France, Japan and Mexico,
although screenings will go ahead as planned. Warner
Bros has now confirmed it will not publish weekend takings - a form of crowing
about box office success - until Monday. This
was despite the fact that unofficial figures cited by industry daily Variety suggest
that it made $US75 million on Friday alone, the third biggest opening day ever
at the US box office. The
move was swiftly followed by major Hollywood rivals including Disney, Fox, Sony,
Lionsgate and Universal. After
initial radio silence from most of the cast and crew, Nolan issued a statement
lamenting the "senseless tragedy," and expressing "our profound
sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community". On
Saturday Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne aka Batman, also expressed his sadness. "Words
cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the
pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them,"
he said in a statement. In
a separate move Warner Bros scrambled to pull a trailer for another film, Gangster
Squad, including a scene in which mobsters shoot at theatre audiences. (AFP)
Christian Bale: My Heart Aches for Victims
The
film is expected to be among the most lucrative movie openings and possibly contend
with the record $207.4 million brought in by "The Avengers." "The
Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale said Saturday that his heart goes
out to the victims of the Colorado shootings, a tragedy that brought Hollywood
studios together in a rare show of solidarity as they opted to give the weekend
box-office a rest. "Words
cannot express the horror that I feel," Bale, who plays the caped crusader
in the film, said in a statement. "I cannot begin to truly understand the
pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them." Meanwhile,
Sony, Fox, Disney, Universal, Fox, Paramount and Lionsgate said Saturday that
they are joining "Dark Knight Rises" distributor Warner Bros. in withholding
their box-office numbers for the weekend. Warner
Bros. announced Friday that it would forgo the usual revenue reports until Monday
out of respect for the victims and their families in the Aurora, Colo., shooting
that killed 12 and wounded 58 at the midnight show of "The Dark Knight Rises"
earlier in the day. The
other studios said they also would not report numbers until Monday. Box-office
tracking service Rentrak, too, said it would not report figures this weekend. Sunday
box-office estimates are a weekly routine for Hollywood, with studios jostling
for bragging rights as the No. 1 movie and always aiming to break revenue records. Before
the shooting in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater at a midnight screening of the
new Batman film, the box-office performance of "The Dark Knight Rises"
had been eagerly anticipated. The film is expected to be among the most lucrative
movie openings and possibly contend with the record $207.4 million brought in
by "The Avengers." But
that now appears unlikely, even though "The Dark Knight Rises" earned
$30.6 million from midnight screenings alone. Hollywood trade publications Variety
and Hollywood Reporter reported estimates of roughly $75 million to $77 million
for the film on Friday, based on box-office insiders. That
would put it on track for somewhere around $165 million for the weekend. Such
a total would be the second highest weekend opening ever, after "The Avengers." Any
projections, though, are bound to be rough approximates given the atypical nature
of the situation. Many of Friday's tickets were presold before the shooting. Moviegoers
making their way to theaters also faced increased security and, in some places,
bag checks. AMC Theaters, the country's second-largest movie chain, said it would
not allow costumed fans or face-covered masks into its theaters. Warner
Bros. rushed to react to the tragedy, immediately canceling a Friday night premiere
in Paris. On Saturday, it also canceled the other remaining red-carpet extravaganzas
in Mexico City and Tokyo. The
studio, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., also moved to pull trailers from its
upcoming film "Gangster Squad" from theaters. The trailer of the film,
which stars Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling in a ruthless war between Los Angeles police
and the mob, includes a scene of mobsters firing into a crowded movie theater
from behind the screen. Christopher
Nolan, the director of "The Dark Knight Rises" earlier responded to
the tragedy, expressing his sorrow for the victims and their families. Said
Nolan: "The movie theater is my home and the idea that someone would violate
that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating
to me."

News Wrestling
News Media: Hogan, Flair, WWE, CM Punk, McMahon, Jim Ross, Cena, Rock, Kevin Nash...
- 12th July 2011 James
Bond 007 News - 11th July 2011 Gambling
On Australian Vice: Casinos, Tobacco, Underbelly, Murdoch And More - 9th July
2011 Media
Man Entertainment News; Marvel Entertainment; Paramount Pictures, Casinos, James
Bond, WWE - 7th July 2011 James
Packer - Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest Indigenous Employment Tag Team - 6th
July 2011 PartyCasino,
PartyPoker
And Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment News - 1st July 2011 Marvel
Entertainment, DC Comics; Warner Bros, Marvel Comics Et United In Spirit By Death
Of Gene Colan; Friendly Rivalry Continues - 28th June 2011 Australian
And Asia Pacific Gaming And Gambling News - 28th June 2011 Wrestling
News Media: Wrestling Legends Update, WWE, Australia, Movies and more - 19th June
2011 Casinos
To Host Pro Wrestling Talk By Hulk Hogan And Friends - 22nd May 2011 Australians
Still Biggest Gamblers In World - 22nd May 2011 Pro
wrestling legend Randy 'Macho Man' Savage dies in car accident, by Greg Tingle
- 20th May 2011 News Crown
Casino Braces For TV Week Logies; Katy Perry On Despite Lawsuit, by Greg Tingle
- 29th April 2011 Australia's
night of nights - the TV Week Logie Awards are to hit James Packer's Crown Casino
- The Palladium to be exact, and security is to be on high alert as Katy Perry
is to perform despite a lawsuit against ACP Magazines for story she says is not
true. And, security and Crown Casino powers that be have banned mobile devices
in response to last years Twitter-Gate, where one writer was fired for inappropriate
Tweets. Will plastic handcuffs be required and will any footballer players or
guest run a muck? Media
Man with the calm before the storm that is forecast to hit the TV Week Logies
at James Packer's most famous casino... Crown
Casino Expects Huge TV Week Logies Night; Show Must Go On Despite Katy Perry Lawsuit... James
Packer, Australian gambling and media king loves this event - certainly the positives
it brings his world famous Crown Casino in Melbourne - home of the original real
life and TV Underbelly (in with a slight chance of a Logie we hear). On
the 1st of May Australia and the world will know who the Logies winners will be,
and there's going to be plenty of news and gossip stemming from the prestigious
event also. 'The
Teenage Dream'... call her what you will (but we are not sure on the Russell Brand
statue these days before you ask us) has her scheduled performance confirmed at
the Logies On Sunday evening. Not even her lawsuit against ACP Magazines...publishers
of TV Week is going to slow down this runaway train. Parry
who arrived in about 56 hours ago in Melbourne for her down under tour, has fired
off a lawsuit to ACP's women's gossip mag NW claiming it falsely reported that
Perry married for six months to Russell Brand (star of Arthur and all round bloody
funny chap)... has been having an affair with record producer Benny Blanco. It's
implied it was more than a fling. Her
writ, lodged in the Victoria Supreme Court against ACP Magazines, said: "By
reason of the publication of the article, the plaintiff (Perry) has been gravely
injured in her reputation and feelings (and) has suffered distress, embarrassment
and humiliation." The
suit, lodged on Wednesday, has put a shadow over the Logies Awards since ACP -
the main partner of the event - is reportedly remunerating Perry in the region
of $300,000 to perform on the big night. The
publishing firm may even have to more if Perry's suit is successful. Her label
EMI Music yesterday confirmed the pop singer was still due to perform. ACP
spokesman Peter Holder said: "ACP or Nine Entertainment Co have not been
served with any court documents as yet and have no comment to make." It's
understood NW executive editor Corrine Barraclough flew to Melbourne yesterday
to consult with lawyers.
FOXTEL Stars To Invade Logies; Tipped To Win Big...
FOXTEL
TO SHOWCASE ITS BIGGEST EVER LINEUP OF STARS AT THE 2011 TV WEEK LOGIE AWARDS
FOXTEL stars will light up the stage and red carpet at the 2011 TV Week Logie
Awards, to be held at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne this weekend. The cast
of the much-anticipated Tim Wintons cloudstreet (showcase) will be in attendance,
including Stephen Curry also presenting an award on the night Todd
Lasance, Essie Davis, Geoff Morrell and Huge Johnstone-Burt. cloudstreet will
premiere on Sunday, May 22. Justine Clarke, Silver Logie nominated actress and
star of Tangle (showcase) will also attend TVs night-of-nights, as she prepares
to commence production on the third season of the hit drama series in Melbourne.
Host and Executive Producer of Australias Next Top Model (FOX8), Sarah Murdoch,
will present an award at the ceremony and will be joined on the red carpet by
Australias Next Top Model judge, Charlotte Dawson, as production commences
on Series 7 of FOXTELs most-watched series. Gorgeous model Tahnee Atkinson,
winner of Series 5 of Australias Next Top Model returns to the Logies stage
for the second year in a row to present the winners with their Awards. Megan Gale,
the new host of Project Runway Australia (Arena), will grace the red carpet in
a custom-made gown by Project Runway mentor and red carpet divo Alex Perry. The
fashion reality series recently wrapped production in Melbourne and will premiere
on FOXTELs Arena channel in July. Megan will also take the stage to present
an award on the night. Nominated for Most Outstanding Sports Coverage, FOXTELs
own Matt Shirvington, Tiffany Cherry and James Bracey will represent the team
from FOXTELs coverage of the XIX Delhi Commonwealth Games and will be joined
by superstar athletes Geoff Huegill and Liesel Jones. In 2011, one of the most
tumultuous years in political history, SKY NEWS has received a nomination for
its coverage of Election 2010 in the Most Outstanding News Coverage category
and representing Australias News Channel will be Political Editor, David
Speers, Senior Political Reporter, Kieran Gilbert and Political Reporter Ashleigh
Gillon. One of the biggest ratings hits of 2010, Grand Designs Australia (The
LifeStyle Channel), has received a nomination in the viewer voted Most Popular
Lifestyle category. Host Peter Maddison will attend the 52nd annual Awards, alongside
LifeStyle stable mate Sarah Wilson. For the second year in a row, the hosts of
Nickelodeons Camp Orange: Castle Mountain, Luke Joseph Ryan and Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd
will rock the red carpet in celebration of their nomination for Most Outstanding
Childrens Program. Three of the most photographed and beautiful woman on
Australian TV host of Cricket Superstar (FOX8) Lee Furlong, host of Dating
in the Dark (FOX8) Laura Dundovic and MTVs Erin McNaught will add
some glamour to the red carpet. From the new Movie Extra series Small Time Gangster,
lead star Steve Le Marquand and Sacha Horler are also on the guest list this Sunday
night. Rounding out the guest list are the stars of FOX8s hot new reality
series WAG Nation, who are leaving their ball-playing men at home for a night
of glitz and glamour. Shoe designer Terry Biviano, fiancée of NRL Sydney
Roosters player Anthony Minichiello; event planner Lynette Bolton, wife of AFL
Sydney Swans player Jude Bolton; fashion boutique owner Jackie Spong, fiancée
of AFL Carlton Blues player Jarrad Waite; promotions manager Jana Peterson, long-term
girlfriend of NRL Cronulla Sharks player John Williams; and flight attendant Chantelle
Raleigh, girlfriend of NBL Gold Coast Blaze player Adam Gibson will all attend
the Logies. TV
Week 2011 Logie Awards... And
the nominations are: TV
WEEK GOLD LOGIE Most Popular Personality on Television Adam Hills
(Spicks And Specks, ABC1) Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network Ten) Chrissie
Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Jessica Marais (Packed To The Rafters, Channel
Seven) Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine Network) Rebecca Gibney (Packed To
The Rafters, Channel Seven) TV
WEEK SILVER LOGIE -- Most Popular Actor Callan Mulvey (Rush, Network Ten)
Don Hany (Offspring, Network Ten / Tangle, Foxtel [Showcase]) Erik Thomson
(Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Hugh Sheridan (Packed To The Rafters,
Channel Seven) Michael Caton (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) TV
WEEK SILVER LOGIE -- Most Popular Actress Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network
Ten) Jessica Marais (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Margot Robbie
(Neighbours, Network Ten) Rebecca Gibney (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven)
Zoe Ventoura (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) TV
WEEK SILVER LOGIE -- Most Popular Presenter Adam Hills (Spicks And Specks,
ABC1) Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Hamish Blake (Hamish &
Andy 'Specials', Network Ten) Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine Network) Shaun
Micallef (Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, Network Ten) MOST
POPULAR NEW MALE TALENT Charles Cottier (Home And Away, Channel Seven)
Eddie Perfect (Offspring, Network Ten) Firass Dirani (Underbelly: The Golden
Mile, Nine Network) Manu Feildel (My Kitchen Rules, Channel Seven) Ryan
Corr (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) MOST
POPULAR NEW FEMALE TALENT Chrissie Swan (The Circle, Network Ten) Emma
Booth (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine Network) Hannah Marshall (Packed
To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Julie Goodwin (Home Cooked! With Julie Goodwin,
Nine Network) Poh Ling Yeow (Poh's Kitchen, ABC1) MOST
POPULAR DRAMA SERIES Home And Away (Channel Seven) Neighbours (Network
Ten) Offspring (Network Ten) Packed To The Rafters (Channel Seven)
Rush (Network Ten) Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Nine Network) MOST
POPULAR LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Good News Week (Network Ten) Hey
Hey It's Saturday (Nine Network) Sunrise (Channel Seven) Talkin' 'Bout
Your Generation (Network Ten) The Circle (Network Ten) MOST
POPULAR LIFESTYLE PROGRAM Better Homes And Gardens (Channel Seven) Domestic
Blitz (Nine Network) Getaway (Nine Network) Grand Designs Australia (Foxtel
[The Lifestyle Channel]) Ready Steady Cook (Network Ten) MOST
POPULAR SPORTS PROGRAM Before The Game (Network Ten) The Footy Show (AFL)
(Nine Network) The Footy Show (NRL) (Nine Network) The Matty Johns Show
(Channel Seven) Wide World Of Sports (Nine Network) MOST
POPULAR REALITY PROGRAM Dancing With The Stars (Channel Seven) MasterChef
Australia (Network Ten) The Biggest Loser Australia (Network Ten) The
Farmer Wants A Wife (Nine Network) The X Factor (Channel Seven) MOST
POPULAR FACTUAL PROGRAM Bondi Rescue (Network Ten) Bondi Vet (Network
Ten) RPA (Nine Network) Undercover Boss Australia (Network Ten) Who
Do You Think You Are? (SBS) Most
Outstanding Nominees TV
WEEK SILVER LOGIE -- Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie
Hawke (Network Ten) Packed To The Rafters (Channel Seven) Rake (ABC1)
Rush (Network Ten) Sisters Of War (ABC1) Underbelly: The Golden Mile (Nine
Network) TV WEEK
SILVER LOGIE -- Most Outstanding Actor Erik Thomson (Packed To The Rafters,
Channel Seven) Hugh Sheridan (Packed To The Rafters, Channel Seven) Jason
Gann (Wilfred, SBS) Richard Roxburgh (Hawke, Network Ten) Richard Roxburgh
(Rake, ABC1) TV
WEEK SILVER LOGIE -- Most Outstanding Actress Asher Keddie (Offspring, Network
Ten) Catherine McClements (Rush, Network Ten) Claire van der Boom (Sisters
Of War, ABC1) Justine Clarke (Tangle, Foxtel [Showcase]) Kat Stewart (Offspring,
Network Ten) GRAHAM
KENNEDY AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING NEW TALENT Emma Booth (Underbelly: The
Golden Mile, Nine Network) Firass Dirani (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Nine
Network) Richard Davies (Offspring, Network Ten) Ryan Corr (Packed To
The Rafters, Channel Seven) Sarah Snook (Sisters Of War, ABC1) MOST
OUTSTANDING NEWS COVERAGE "Afghanistan Rocket Attack" (Ten News)
"Election 2010" (Sky News) "Laurie Oakes Election Leaks"
(Nine News) "New Zealand Mine Disaster" (Seven News) "Pakistan
Floods" (ABC News) MOST
OUTSTANDING PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORT "Brothers In Arms" (Sunday Night,
Channel Seven) "Hey Dad..! Scandal" (A Current Affair, Nine Network)
"Iraq's Deadly Legacy" (Dateline, SBS) "Smugglers' Paradise"
(Four Corners, ABC1) "The Condemned" (Dateline, SBS) MOST
OUTSTANDING LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM Hamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage:
Great Britain & Ireland (Network Ten) Luke Nguyen's Vietnam (SBS)
Spicks And Specks (ABC1) Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (Network Ten) Yes
We Canberra! (ABC1) MOST
OUTSTANDING SPORTS COVERAGE 2010 AFL Grand Final (Channel Seven) 2010
Melbourne Cup (Channel Seven) Rugby League - 2010 State Of Origin - Game One
(Nine Network) The Ashes 2010 First Test - Day One at the Gabba (Nine Network)
XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (Foxtel) MOST
OUTSTANDING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM Camp Orange: Castle Mountain (Foxtel [Nickelodeon])
Dance Academy (ABC3) Dead Gorgeous (ABC3) Hi-5 (Nine Network) Prank
Patrol (ABC3) MOST
OUTSTANDING FACTUAL PROGRAM Bondi Rescue (Network Ten) Miracle in the
Storm (ABC1) RPA (Nine Network) Such Is Life: The Troubled Times Of Ben
Cousins (Channel Seven) Trishna & Krishna: The Quest For Separate Lives
(Channel Seven)
Shane Bourne To Host Logie Awards...
TV
actor Shane Bourne will host the 2011 Logie Awards. In a statement announcing
who would be the host, TV Week said Bourne "promises to deliver what he does
best" at the 53rd Annual Logie Awards on May 1 at Melbourne's Crown Entertainment
Complex. "I am genuinely thrilled to be involved in TV's night of nights,"
Bourne said. "It's an honour to be following in the footsteps of such television
luminaries as Bert Newton et al - and the timing couldn't be better. "I've
always enjoyed myself immensely at the Logies, and since the chances of a nomination
coming my way this year look pretty slim, I figure it's not a bad way of making
sure I score an invitation." Bourne currently stars in the Seven Network
drama series City Homicide, but is also known for his comedic roles. Most recently,
he hosted the popular show Thank God You're Here and was a regular on Hey Hey
It's Saturday for many years. Thank God You're Here won a Silver Logie for most
outstanding comedy in 2007. Bourne was also nominated for the most outstanding
actor Logie in 2003 for his leading role in medical drama MDA. This year's Logie
nominees will be revealed on April 3. Critics are at the read to praise or pan
Bourne. Will Twitter-Gate strike again at Crown Casino. Don't blink!
Crown Casino Gorilla's Will Have Plastic Handcuffs; Last Resort To To Use On Patrons
Or Special Guests...
We've
confirmed that Crown Casino security will have plastic handcuffs (and other measures)
at the ready for patrons or special guests who get out of hand. We are not certain
if someone attempting a Tweet on a mobile device falls into that category, but
punters, don't tell us we didn't warn you. Spin or tap your thingo to win or lose.
Enjoy the Logies and don't do anything we wouldn't do. Good luck to all. *The
writer owns shares in Crown Limited News Australian
And Hollywood Gambling TV Movie News, by Greg Tingle - 10th April 2011 Australian's
Kerry Packer and Ita Buttrose In New Cleo TV Show... Gambling
and media fans. You won't have to wait much longer. The late Kerry Packer (played
by actor Rob Carlton) will be returning to Australian TV screens (and internet).
Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo, promises to be a quality production that will
also show some of the more intimate details of the relationship between the late
Packer and Ita, as well as show us a bit of our mate, Jack Thompson (in a Cleo
spread no less). Jack is understood to be pleased with the choice of model just
quietly. Yeah, we're going to get some nudity boys and girls. The telemovie stars
Asher Keddie as Ita Buttrose and will tell the story of the magazines' rise in
the Australian media circa 1970s. The viewer will also get some solid insight
into the lives of Packer and Buttrose. What do our friends at the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation have to say about it? "In early 1972, 30 year old journalist
and editor, Ita Buttrose (Asher Keddie) and 35 year old Kerry Packer (Rob Carlton),
heir to what was then Australia's most ruthlessly powerful and influential publishing
family, got together to create a magazine that became one of the most dramatic
sensations in Australian publishing history. CLEO went on to help define women,
Australia and the relationship between the two." Buttrose, who first cemented
her place as the magazine's editor, was a consultant on the production. "If
there was a supposed affair it didn't happen in this timeframe. I have no idea
if there was, we didn't raise it with her," said producer John Edwards. A
2007 feature article by The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Packer - Buttrose:
"He soon proposed marriage and, despite rumours to the contrary, she accepted
him. But she was less committed to the idea of marriage than he was. She already
had one failed marriage behind her," we were told. That marriage to Alasdair
Macdonald produced Buttrose's two children, Ben and Kate. "After Ita accepted
Kerry's proposal, Kerry told his wife Ros, who knew about the affair anyway. She
threatened to take half his wealth and deny him custody of his children, Gretel
and James. Kerry found himself weighing up the loss of half of his riches and
the loss of his children and finally had a change of heart. He didn't want to
lose either." Actor Carlton says he approached the role of Packer with "an
equal dose of terror and exhilaration. Like most encounters with Kerry Packer,
I'm told". The two-part telemovie will go to air at 8.30pm, Sunday 17 April
(and) the same time on Monday, 18 April, on ABC1. News media is speculating is
the son of the late KP, James Packer, may get any positive spin offs or PR's from
the telemovie which is being touted to be the talk of 'Sin City' Sydney, and perhaps
even across Australia, such is the interest in Packer and Buttrose. Buttrose is
managed by the Harry M. Miller Group, and Packer is well... not easy to get in
touch with, but the right approach to Crown Casino directly can sometimes work
wonders. No, please don't ask us for more information on how to, and no, we don't
manage them either, but offer online profiles on the two for folks who are interested.
From the leaks we've got on Paper-Cuts so far; 4 out of 5 stars. "It's 1972.
Skirts are up, pants are down". Spin to win with Cleo, the telemovie, not
the slot! Boardwalk
Empire On Australia's Foxtel ... Tonight's
the night if you have pay tv service Foxtel. The much hyped Boardwalk Empire continues
it's dream run on Australian screens. We're 3 episodes in now and the storyline
is awesome. We hear that tonight a fella... a bad guy arrives in hospital, giving
a shit load of problems for corrupt Atlantic City treasurer Nucky Thompson (Steve
Buscemi). Thompson's bro Eli, the city sheriff (Shea Whigham), to make sure the
witness dies in hospital. Michael K. Williams (The Wire's Omar) plays Chalky White,
a black leader. It's a bit like a Yankee version of Underbelly, but most critics
say the acting and production is much better than the Aussie equivalent. No offence
Firass Dirani or John "Vulcan" Seru. Just saying. Boardwalk
Empire official website 'Gotti:
Three Generations'; Travolta... The
flick stars John Travolta as the leader of the legendary and notorious Gambino
crime family is: "Gotti: Three Generations." Film spokesman Steve Honig
confirmed the title Saturday and says the biopic about "Dapper Don"
John Gotti will be shot on a budget of roughly $75 million this year. Honig says
details would be released April 12 at a news conference in New York, where the
project will be filmed. An insider spoke on condition of anonymity. It will be
produced by Marc Fiore and directed by Nick Cassavetes. The infamous mob leader
died in prison in 2002. His son, 47-year-old John "Junior" Gotti, sold
film rights to Fiore last year for an undisclosed figure. Sylvester
Stallone Movie And Casino Industry Hotshot To Do Rambo Style Fashion... Living
legend Stallone reckons he has what it takes for men's fashion. The 64-year-old
actor is working on his own clothing line, inspired by his two iconic characters
in "Rambo" and "Rocky,". The collection, set to debut in 2012,
will fall under his new men's lifestyle brand Sly Inc. and will feature "looks
for the rebel and the gentleman." "I thought the time is now,"
Stallone said. "I've lived a life where I know what has worked and what hasn't
worked. Clothing is the first step to building a character." According to
Sly Inc. president Michael Henry, the collection, to be sold in mid-tier department
stores like Macy's, will first debut with jeans, shirts, outerwear and watches,
and will then follow by eyewear, fragrance, shoes and grooming products. Stallone,
who recently starred in "The Expendables" with Jason Statham, Mickey
Rourke and Steve Austin, said the idea to start his own line came up when he lost
45 pounds between "Rambo 2" and "Rambo 3." "Nothing fit
so I started buying custom clothing," he said."I found out I really
like this world." He added, "I pay a great deal of attention to the
way I dress. When men learn to put things together, they start taking care of
themselves better." I hope that what worked for me will work for others,"
he said. "I really believe I have an understanding of the male psyche on
all levels. I want to expose people to things that will work and this is the apropos
time. I'm not experienced in this field, but we have the proper team to move this
vision along." Snoop
Dogg Does 'Sin City' Sydney's Star City; Official Presser... Not
only is SNOOP DOGG a living legend in hip-hop, he is also one of the greatest
rappers and pop culture icons of our time. In a musical career spanning over two
decades, Snoop has amassed an impressive discography consisting of ten solo albums
and has sold tens of millions of albums worldwide. He has scored acting roles
in over 40 movies, featured in his own reality show and has endorsed numerous
pop culture brands. Its his natural appeal to both the hood and Hollywood
that has allowed Snoop to stay tremendously relevant through the years. Since
bursting into our consciousness alongside famed producer Dr. Dre on the 1992 classic
The Chronic, Snoop has remained a constant force in hip-hop and a
household name around the world. With 18 Top 20 singles in Australia, including
3 number ones, NELLY is a Grammy Award winning artist that has been topping the
charts for over 10 years. With a genre-defying discography, its easy to see why
Billboard Magazine recognized Nelly as the #3 artist of the decade (2000-2009).
Hailing from St. Louis, Nelly first burst onto the scene with the massive worldwide
hit Country Grammar, and continued to consistently return to the charts
with hit after hit including Hot in Herre, Dilemma and
Over & Over. Nelly became a rapper capable of crossing practically
all boundaries from the Dirty South to MTV and everything in between. With 21
million album sales under his belt, Nelly is also a successful actor and entrepreneur,
owning two clothing lines, Apple Bottoms and Vokal, plus the energy drink Pimp
Juice. Nellys latest album 5.0 is out now featuring the hit
single Just A Dream which peaked at #3 on the Aria Charts. *Snoop
Dogg has also appeared in various film and TV shows such as Scrubs, Old School,
Bigg Snoop Dogg: Raw 'N Uncut Vol. 1, Snoop Dogg: Drop It Like It's Hot, "Snoop
Dogg's Father Hood", Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents: The Adventures of Tha Blue
Carpet Treatment, Snoop Dogg: On the Record with Fuse, Snoop Dogg: On the Record
with Fuse - The Lost Tapes, Doggy Dogg: Smokefest 1996 Tour Video, Hood of Horror,
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, Gang of Horror, Bigg Snoop Dogg's Puff Puff Pass
Tour, Youth Authority: California and Snoopadelic Films Presents: Welcome to tha
House - The Doggumentary DVD. News Asia
Pacific Mega Gambling News Update, by Greg Tingle - 9th April 2011 Newcastle
NSW War Pokie Laws... New
poker machine restrictions proposed by Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie will
"annihilate" pubs and clubs in the Hunter, leaving hundreds out of work,
ClubsNSW Newcastle councillor Jon Chin says. Clubs Australia is launching a $20
million advertising campaign on Monday in an attempt to prevent the introduction
of mandatory pre-commitment technology for all poker machines. Banjo, a John "Singo"
Singleton company is behind the campaign. Mandatory pre-commitment requires pokies
users to commit to a spending limit before they begin gambling. Once they reach
that limit they will be unable to gamble again until the following day or longer,
depending on what restrictions the player sets for themselves. Chin said the cost
of implementing the new technology in the Hunter region would surpass $100 million.
This figure did not include the 40% in revenue clubs would experience once the
restrictions were imposed, he said. "This means Hunter clubs will lose another
$100 million, making it impossible for us to sustain our businesses," he
said. Australian Hotels Association Hunter sub-branch vice-president Bruce Woods
said there was no evidence to suggest the restrictions would discourage people
from gambling. "This won't help pathological gamblers at all but it will
lead to a loss of jobs," he said. "We support the clubs' campaign against
this, it will affect pubs just as much as clubs". Online
Gaming Strong Growth In Asia... Online
gaming industry has grown into a $US3 billion business that provides a good standard
of living to migrant workers in Asia who play games all day and sometimes, all
night! Virtual currency is all the rage, it sometimes gets sold to punters abroad
for cash. A World Bank study demonstrates an emerging industry in which firms
seeking to boost their brands' popularity pay low-skilled workers overseas to
become their Facebook fans or Twitter followers. The study, Knowledge Map of the
Virtual Economy, is the World Bank's first in-depth look at the impact of online
gaming and social media in the developing world. Vili Lehdonvirta, a co-author
of the report, advised that the bank should not pour its money into the industry,
because he said the deal making violated some of the game publishers' terms of
service and was cheating. Known in the business as "gold farming", the
game-playing boomed in the early 2000s with games like World of Warcraft and has
evolved considerably. Labourers in Asia spend numerous hours each day advancing
through levels of an online game, picking up gold, swords and gems that enhance
a game player's status. Then gaming studios, which employ the players, sell those
virtual goods to online retailers. Next step, the retailers sell on those goods
to more than 120 million players globally, many of them in Europe and North America,
who don't want to play the games day and night to gather their own. The bank's
report indicates that online gaming has a positive impact in Asia because 70%
of the industry's revenue remains in the gaming countries, with most of that money
going to the gaming studios. Compared with the $US70 billion coffee market...in
which only a tiny fraction of the revenue remains in the bean-growing countries...the
gaming industry had a "much better development impact", the report states.
A report survey checks out on a group of 26 players and studio managers that offers
a rough, yet rare demographic look at their lives. Most of the players work out
of studios in China, in Beijing or Changsha, capital of Hunan province. They earn
an average wage of $US2.70 an hour, $US1 more than Beijing's minimum wage for
part-time factory work. "The larger point is that online gaming is often
viewed as exploitation, Lehdonvirta said. "Certainly it's not a dream career,
but the players are not at sweatshop levels." The gaming studios keep about
60% of the industry's $US3 billion in revenue. Readers, would you like to be a
prize gather for the gaming studios on that level of pay? Better not answer! Samoan
Casino Proposal Has Social Concerns For Kiwi, Samoan Locals... All
these places have land based casinos - Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, Macau, Melbourne
and just maybe soon - Apia in Samoa. Some business folks have earmarked it as
a future gambling destination, and Kiwi group, the Problem Gambling Foundation
of New Zealand, is advising against it, citing social harms of a casino will outweigh
any economical benefits that the Samoan government will hope to achieve. In an
admission of the dangers of gambling, the proposed casino in Apia will attempt
to bar locals by only allowing the holders of foreign passports to gamble. Problem
#1... many locals have duplicate passports, so getting in to a casino for locals
may not be that hard, and don't even bring up the subject of fake ID. Will the
region get a land based casino? Stay tuned for updates. Clubs
Australia War On Gillard Labor Government Re Pokie Laws... Clubs
Australia has declared "open warfare" on the Gillard government, preparing
a $20 million media campaign to try to stop laws to limit how much punters can
spend on poker machines. Last year "Tasmanian Devil" (MM satire) independent
MP Andrew Wilkie backed Labor to form a minority government in return for a clampdown
on the use of poker machines. Now, the lobby that represents clubs and pubs is
wrestling and punching back, with a media blitz targeting Wilkie and Prime Minister
Julie Gillard. Both Wilkie and Gillard are in big trouble in the popularity polls,
with Labor set to lose the next federal election, following their NSW loss, where
it was bloody and crimson mass. Billboards, a website, beer coasters and more
It's war on nationwide. The campaign has been criticised as misleading for claiming
punters will need a licence to gamble. Clubs Australia executive director Anthony
Ball rejects that. "What we do know is that everyone who plays a poker machine
will need to register and obtain a card, and then insert it into a poker machine
and set a binding limit. There needs to be player tracking, because how else does
the machine know what the player is doing? It will have your private details and
your gambling history on it. Now if that's not a licence, I don't know what is."
Under Wilkie's master plan, gamblers would have to nominate a dollar figure for
how much they are prepared to lose before they start gambling, a scheme known
as "mandatory pre-commitment". Wilkie wants the law in place by 2014
and he has the backing of South Australian independent Senator Nick 'Mr X' (MM
satire) Xenophon. Senator Xenophon describes the Clubs Australia campaign as a
"joke". "This industry is willing to spend $20 million of tax-break
money that they get from community clubs - effectively taxpayers' monies, indirectly
- to peddle lies in terms of a campaign where they haven't even seen what the
final report will say. Whether it's $20 million or $200 million, this mob can
spend as much as they like, but they can't spin that they are causing enormous
damage out in the community. There are 300,000 Australians who either have a severe
gambling problem because of poker machines, or are already showing the signs of
one." Proposed
Pokie Laws With Cost 10,000's of Aussie Jobs... Clubs
Australia advise the changes will cost jobs. They want it to be a voluntary scheme
and have rejected a government request to hold off on the ad war. "It will
cost jobs, for the simple reason that asking Australians to sign on to this licence
to gamble will mean they'll do something else," Mr Ball said. "They'll
go and gamble online where none of these controls exist, or they they'll go to
the TAB - they won't do it at the club.Even the proponent of this, Andrew Wilkie,
is saying that this will cost up to 40% of revenue." It's all hot fodder
in Aussie Parliament too. Liberal Steve Ciobo sits on the joint committee on gambling
reform, which has been hearing arguments pro and con against a mandatory pre-commitment
scheme. "The committee was charged by the Labor party with the responsibility
to look at a roll-out of pre-commitment," he said. "But Coalition members
will be putting in a dissenting report because the evidence is clear that it's
going to cost jobs, it's going to cost investment, and I'm concerned based on
the evidence that it will make problem gambling potentially worse." The committee
is due to report in the next few weeks. The states and territories have until
the end of May to decide if they will agree to the Wilkie-led reforms. If they
refuse, the Commonwealth believes it has the power to introduce overriding legislation
to impose a national scheme. The pokie industry has shown the willingness to wrestle
all the way to the next election, and perhaps even beyond. It's the lovers VS
the haters. Who will win, and when will the final victor emerge. Stay tuned. Sky
City Entertainment Group Stocks Fall From Sky... Sky
City Entertainment Group, the casino and hotel operator, fell 0.9% to $3.41 amid
media reports that overseas competitors were looking to hire the 500 staff made
redundant or on leave without pay due to the closure of the Christchurch Casino.
SkyCity owns a 50% stake in the business. Casino
Bouncer Thought Disabled Bloke Was Drunk... A
South Australian man with deasiese cerebral palsy says he was refused entry to
the Adelaide Casino because the bouncer thought he was drunk. Mark Thiele was
on a big night out with friends when he attempted to enter the casino, but was
refused by a bouncer aka "gorilla". Thiele says the bouncer mistakenly
thought he was drunk, but the casino is sticking by its decision. "I had
said to the man that I wasn't a drunk, I was crippled," said Thiele, talking
about his rejection on 7.30 South Australia. "He had said to me he was convinced
I was intoxicated even though we said that I had only had a few drinks earlier
on in the evening. "So I can't see why I was singled out and everybody else
in my party wasn't. There was no difference between any of us besides the obvious.
It's a mystery to me really." Last month, he and his friends had walked to
the casino from the city's Hindley Street entertainment strip a few blocks away.
Thiele has trouble moving his body and for him, walking distances is a big effort.
His mate Aaron Nettlebeck says the casino bouncer did not understand. "Walking
that sort of distance does get very, very sweaty over that sort of short period.
It was a bit infuriating that it happened like that after such a nice evening."
Thiele says he has not had a problem at venues until now. "For the vast majority
it's never been a problem. Bouncers that I've come into contact with have been
understanding and even let me skip the line a few times just to put me at ease,"
he said. "Obviously it's a stamina thing that I can't walk these long distances
and stand in lines and all of these things." He says he is considering lodging
a complaint with the commission or under South Australia's liquor laws.The casino's
general manager, David Christian, has offered an apology of sorts. "It was
certainly not our intention that Mark would have felt discriminated against and
I'm sorry that he does feel that way," he said. But he is defending the actions
of his staff. "They believe that they made the right call. I would believe
that with the calibre we have and the training we put into our security officers,
and the level of management that oversees it, that they would be right most of
the time." New
Zealand Christchurch Casino Workers Hurting From Earthquake Financial Aftershocks... Financial
and emotional aftershocks are still be felt by the casino sector after a series
of earthquakes that rocked the Asia Pacific - Japan and New Zealand region. Christchurch
Casino workers are feeling disappointed and even depressed after having failed
attempt to get a bigger redundancy payday.In excess of 500 formally happy and
motivated casino employees were offered redundancy at the central Christchurch
casino last weekend, which was badly damaged in the February 22 quake and has
stayed closed ever since the act of mother nature. Anyone who wants to stay at
the casino will be paid their holiday pay as either a weekly amount or in a "lump
sum". Simply put, they will remain as employees of the land based casino
on leave without pay until the the gambling den opens again. The SFWU (Service
and Food Workers' Union), which reps for 100 plus casino workers, has a meeting
with the casino's managers on Thursday. SFWU strategic industry boss Len 'Razor'
(MM tag) Richards said workers were sombre but firm in their desire about securing
a more attractive redundancy package. The union power that be were also asking
for continued pay for employees that choose to stay on until the casino opens
again. However, he advised management was not prepared to increase the amount
of redundancy pay for staff, but did agree to request for a government wage subsidy.
Due to a private insurance deal and policy in place, the land based casino has
not relied upon the $1.5 million government subsidy available for quake-affected
businesses. Richards stated that the union has contacted earthquake recovery minister
Gerry Brownlee to request assistance to help pay workers who remain employed.
SkyCity, half owner of the famous Christchurch Casino, has projected a $130 million
plus profit this year. It's not known how much financially the quake cost Christchurch
Casino or SkyCity. Christchurch Casino top sheep er top dog...chief executive
Brett 'Ask Him' (MM satire) Anderson said about 70% of employees have indicated
they will stay with the company rather than take the offered redundancy. He said
a number of employees are also being offered jobs offshore. Anderson elaborated
"I'm getting phone calls from Australia looking for our people and likewise
all over New Zealand, and a few of them have spread their wings. More than a few
have gone over to the Gold Coast. It's a lot warmer, it's a lot more stable, you
can swim in the sea, the pay rates are better." Anderson said he still does
not know when the casino will reopen.Employees have a deadline until Monday to
decide whether they will take the redundancy package or stay on. Yep, it's the
money or the box. Workers who have not contacted the company by showdown at 5pm
on Monday will be deemed to have left their jobs and will be paid out a four-weeks-notice
payment, along with their annual leave entitlements. Casino workers, did you get
that. D Day is approaching. A
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com spokesperson said "In the current global
economy anyone with a decent job should be grateful, especially in the casino
or gaming sector. Well done to Christchurch Casino management for doing their
utmost to assist in their difficult times. Employers will always want to ask for
more... its in the nature. Land based casinos generally remain popular around
the world so good staff will always be in demand." Media
Man and Gambling911 wish all parties well with their dealings, and hopefully some
win - win - wins will still be possible. States
Probe Sports Betting Ads... Aussie
states are uniting to consider a crackdown on an explosion in advertising of sports
betting, Victoria's Gaming Minister says. Michael O'Brien last night revealed
the betting blitz on sport was being examined by the Council of Australian Governments.
"There is growing concern at the extent to which is becoming inseparable
from the coverage of major sporting events. Kids are being exposed to it constantly
just by watching the footy or cricket," he said.AFL chief executive Andrew
Demetriou said the league had expressed its concerns to stadium managers. Goal
posts, boundary line fences and scoreboards at the MCG and Etihad Stadium have
been plastered with ads from bookmakers. Demetriou said the alarm was raised during
last year's Brownlow Medal telecast. "There seemed to be an enormous amount
of (gambling) advertising after each break," he told press. O'Brien said
the AFL, which enjoys lucrative sponsorship arrangements with gambling giants,
could take responsibility through its media and stadium deals. "It may be
that there's an opportunity for this influence to be exercised to ensure the promotion
of sports betting isn't allowed to detract from family-friendly objectives of
(such) sports," he said. This week, former Demon Daniel Ward revealed in
the the newspapers his battle with gambling. "It's always in your face,"
he said of the ads. "It's like being a drug addict and an advert comes on
saying, 'The first 50 people to ring will get a free bag of marijuana'." Hawkins
Former Ms Univervese Lookalike Kahili Blundell Wins Ralph Swimwear Title At Star... Sin
City Sydney babe Kahili Blundell has snatched the Ralph Australian Swimwear Model
of the Year comp. The Crows Nest bikini super babe bested more than 2000 babes
from all over Australia and Kiwi land to grab the coveted title at Sin Sydney's
Star City Casino on Thurday. "I feel more than special right now, I'm blown
away and so honoured to be given this position," Blundell said. "I was
expecting him to call another number and I stood there thinking 27, is that me?
"It's also my boyfriend's birthday, but I realised it was me and I was shivering."
The 21-year-old Jennifer Hawkins lookalike works as a personal assistant and dabbles
in makeup artistry in her spare time. Blundell says modelling has been tough,
slogging it out for 3 years. "Since November I've been training every week
for this, thinking about it every night," she said. "I've been brought
up to eat very healthy, so I don't have too much trouble doing that, but I definitely
exercise a lot. I've been working very hard so thank god it's all paid off."
The comp saw the 38 finalists strut their stuff in catwalk parades. Sex bikinis
were all the rage. A select group of a bakers dozen were picked, then reigning
champ Emmi Moore handed over her sash and championship title to Blundell. "I've
been doing this for three years now and this is exactly what I've been dreaming
and hoping for," Blundell said. "I'm open to any opportunity and I love
challenges. I've obviously done well in the bikini field, so I might just continue
on this track for a little while." Burlesque babe Sina King from Underbelly
home Melbourne snatched runner-up while second runner-up went to 21-year-old writer
- journo type Tiffany Baker from Fremantle in Western Australia. Australian
Boxer Katsidis To Fight Guerrero In MGM Grand Casino Las Vegas Bloody Sunday... Down
under's Australia's Michael Katsidis and his opponent in Sunday's (AEST) interim
lightweight world-title fight at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Casino, America's Robert
"The Ghost" Guerrero, also have powerful stories. Guerrero's world was
crushed big time circa 2007 when his wife, Casey, was diagnosed with leukemia.
The Californian gave up boxing, giving up his world-title, so he could be by Casey's
side and stay close to their young children as she underwent a bone-marrow transplant.
Things are now looking up for Guerrero. "Casey has been cancer free for almost
a year now," 28-year-old Guerrero, the number one ranked lightweight in the
world and a former featherweight and super featherweight champion, said. Last
year Katsidis' was having a dream run. The likable 30-year-old blokefrom Toowoomba
celebrated his first wedding anniversary with wife Kumiko. He loved being a dad
to their one-year-old daughter Kalia and was preparing for the biggest bout of
his career, a world-title fight in Las Vegas against Mexican legend Juan Manuel
Marquez. Things quickly went downhill when five weeks before the Marquez fight
he learned his 31-year-old brother, champion Australian jockey (horse racing)
Stathi Katsidis, had passed away. Just days later Katsidis' longtime trainer,
Brendon Smith, received two more bad news calls. Smith's nephew got paralysed
from the chest down in an accident and one of the trainer's former boxers passed
away. "We got it all within three weeks and just before the Marquez fight,"
Smith said. Katsidis and Smith made the call to keep training at their Thai boxing
camp and take on Marquez at the MGM Grand Casino, a match that would be voted
the Fight of the Year after Katsidis floored Marquez to the mat in the third round.
Marquez guts and balls by getting up and pounding Katsidis so badly ref Kenny
Bayless ended the match in the ninth round, giving Marquez a ninth round technical
knockout victory. On the eve of the Guerrero fight, Katsidis and Smith, who kept
quite before the Marquez bout, finally opened up about their personal tragedies.
Katsidis did not sleep two days before the Marquez fight. "He was emotionally
spent before he got in the ring and to do what he did under the circumstances
was incredible," Smith said. "I believe if something doesn't kill you
it only makes you stronger," Katsidis said. Guerrero has 22 knockouts in
his 27 professional victories. "This is truly a fight for boxing fans,"
Guerrero, who has a 28 win (18 KO), one loss professional record, said. "You
are going to see two guys go at it and give it their all." The winner of
the match will be named the interim World Boxing Association and World Boxing
Organisation lightweight champions. Promoter 'Golden Boy' Oscar De La Hoya has
named the MGM card "Action Heroes", with another Mexican legend, Erik
Morales, fighting Argentina's exciting welterweight contender Marcos Maidana and
in another welterweight battle, Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi VS Jose Miguel Cotto.
The matches will be broadcast live in Australia on Sunday from 11am AEST by Main
Event pay-per-view. "For a boxing card, sounds like it will be value for
money for a bit of a change", said a Media Man insider. News Underbelly
Gets Average TV Viewership In February..., by Greg Tingle It
had to happen eventually. The TV Underbelly series numbers have done down. The
third Underbelly telemovie 'The Man Who Got Away' came out in 9th for the night
with just over a million viewers for Channel 9. It was beaten black and blue (pardon
the pun) in its timeslot by a new episode of 'Bones' on Channel 7, which snatched
1.148 million. Seven's 'My Kitchen Rules' was champion of the night with an massive
1.457 million viewers. Sydney:
St Ives Gets Gunshots For Underbelly TV... The
residents were instructed not to be alarmed by machine guns before scenes from
series of a couple of Underbelly takes were shot in an otherwise quite St Ives
street. Filming took place at two homes in Waterhouse Ave. Underbelly: A Tale
of Two Cities is set in the years from 1976 to 1986. Series on-set manager Chris
Wheeler said the street was a good reflection of houses from this period. "St
Ives shows the 70s and 80s style for the series in the most beautiful way,"
he said. Residents were informed of filming via a letterbox drop. In the letter,
location manager Carl Wood said: "The production of Underbelly in Sydney
(rather than Melbourne) is considered to be something of a coup for Sydney, and
the NSW Government is right behind the project." The prequel cast includes
Peter OBrien, Roy Billing, Asher Keddie and Matt Newton. Boardwalk
Empire: International Bonus - Atlantic City Roaring 1920s: Crime, Gambling, Prostitutes,
The Works... Enter
Atlantic City in the 1920s when prohibition was introduced and alcohol became
illegal, everybody partied big time. Dancing, champagne, beer, the best food.
County Treasurer, Enoch Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) was living
large. Nucky was a real life character in Atlantic City who rose to power as one
of the citys leaders who became a racketeer running bootlegging, gambling
and prostitution. HBOs new drama series is a fictionalised version inspired
by actual events in a book by writer Nelson Johnson. Its a backdrop to themes
of corruption, vice and larger-than-life characters. Buscemi has the lead TV role.
Screenplay is by Sopranos writer Terence Winter. It has Martin Scorsese directing
its first episode. Mark Wahlberg is also a producer. Nucky is a complex man. To
the masses and media he condemns alcohol to the Womens Temperance League
while secretly commandeering backroom deals of booze smuggled and sold at inflated
prices, all going strong under the federal law of Prohibition. He was the king
in Atlantic Citys own underbelly, acquiring wealth via organised crime.
Buscemi nailed this role, even snatching a Golden Globe for his efforts. The other
key characters in the opening episode include Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) Nuckys
former protégé, who is tempted to work for the Feds, and Margaret
Schroeder (Kelly Macdonald) a wife who is beaten by her husband and turns to Nucky
for help. In a city of liars, cheats and fornicators, she serves as the symbol
of virtue. The production values of Boardwalk Empire are awesome. The Art Direction,
Costume and Cinematography are outstanding. There are lavish sets and the attention
to detail is world class. Scorseses use of period music hits the right tone.
Theres nothing quite like hearing a 20's ditty warbling on an old gramophone
while an unlucky person gets whacked. Boardwalk Empire premieres 8:30pm Sunday
March 27th on Australian pay television via Showtime. If you have pay TV, you
owe it to yourself to tune in. Yes, most critics think its better than 'Underbelly'
also, but you be the judge, jury and executioner. Crown
Casino Teams Up With NRL's Melbourne Storm... Melbourne
are expecting a cyclone size backlash as the latest National
Rugby League club to link with a gambling establishment after confirming Crown
Casino as their new major sponsor. In a massive deal snatcher for a club which
last year was disgraced after being stripped of all points and two premierships
during the salary cap scandal, the Storm unveiled Crown as their front jersey
sponsor on Friday. Melbourne chief executive Ron Gauci agreed there would be criticism
of the club's link with gambling. However he defended the arrangement and said
Crown offered a home for Storm supporters, which the club had not had since it
joined the competition in 1998. All Storm after-match and mid-season functions
for members will be held at Crown. The casino believes the sponsorship will boost
their exposure interstate. "I think you'll have those that wish to comment
but I think we need to emphasise what it is that we wanted out of the relationship
and that is a home for our supporter base," Gauci said. "If you think
about what Crown has to offer as an entertainment complex ... this is a great
place to consolidate those activities." The Storm lost major sponsors Host
Plus and ME Bank in the wake of last season's scandal. Gauci said the new sponsorship
delivered a message of confidence in the Storm ahead of the 2011 season. "I
think it does deliver us a substantial message to the marketplace, and for the
club it's very important to have an organisation as big a Melbourne icon as Crown
is to support the club. It delivers a magnificent message about the confidence
the corporate world has in Melbourne Storm and our future direction." The
Storm joined South
Sydney as the second NRL club to have a gambling establishment as their major
sponsor, while Penrith have renamed their home ground Centrebet Stadium and Manly
will also have the Centrebet logo on the back of their jumper. Yes, NRL ramped
up links to gambling are all the rage. A rumour has started that igaming kings
PartyGaming
want into Australia and would accept an NRL jersey, shorts or even stadium deal.
The firm is known for its well known and respected PartyCasino,
PartyPoker and World
Poker Tour brands, which have a strong following in Australia, other parts
of the Asia Pacific, such as New Zealand. Party is also looking to ramp up sports
betting services in the Asia Pacific region. Melbourne's announcement also comes
in the same week as Ryan Tandy, who left the Storm midway through last season
to join Canterbury, was arrested and charged as a result of an ongoing police
investigation into "irregular betting" on a match between the Canterbury
Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys last August. Dennis Watt, rugby league general
manager with News Limited, who own the Storm, defended the arrangement between
a gambling establishment and a sport sold as a family game. "I can speak
for Crown as an integrated entertainment, retail complex. It is very much reflective
of the heart and soul of Melbourne and it's a great relationship for us to have
and I don't see a conflict for the relationship the Storm have sought here."
He echoed the views recently expressed by NRL chief executive David Gallop that
the association between sport and gambling "is as old as sport itself".
"Gambling's a part of the Australian way of life, part of our character and
our history," he said. "We advocate moderation, we know that problem
gambling affects less than half a per cent of the population. "You've got
two million problem drinkers, four million smokers, over nine million Australians
suffering levels of obesity which are also big social issues." A
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
spokesperson said "The Crown Casino - Melbourne Storm sponsorship deal looks
to be a match made in heaven. Crown has world class facilities and entertainment
is the name of the game. Entertainment takes many forms, be it football, burlesque,
television, rock bands or slot machines aka one armed bandits. Crown Casino can
do it all. Already this deal has generated national and international headlines,
and yes, we are helping spread the word to our friends in the U.S and Canada.
Gambling911, CAP, GWPA and Poker News Daily are just a few outlets that we expect
to run the story. It's balanced and positive coverage all the way, instead of
the agenda driven gaming hater stuff you read from time to time. Chalk up more
browny points for Crown's James Packer and his world class team at Crown, and
good on the NRL and The Storm for seeing the golden opportunity and moving it
into high gear. I never thought I would say this again after last season's scandals,
but Go The Storm!" Australian
Betting Limited 'Bullet Proof' NOT! Says Maker Aristocrat... A
card-based system forcing pokie players to set betting limits isn't a "bullet
proof" solution to problem gambling, poker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure
Ltd says. Aristocrat, representing over 60% of the Australian pokies market, is
instead proposing a machine-based system that lets gamblers set time and/or betting
limits. But the proposal was met with some opposition when Aristocrat executives
appeared before a joint federal parliamentary committee hearing in Sydney on Friday.
The committee is investigating the idea of a pre-commitment scheme using smart
card or other technology to force pokie players to set limits on their gambling.
It follows a controversial commitment from Prime Minister Julia Gillard to Tasmanian
"independent" (so to speak - has seen to be bias and preduduce against
those liking a punt) MP Andrew Wilkie to introduce such a scheme across the country
in return for his support of her Labor government. "As a company, we acknowledge
that there is a problem out there," Aristocrat general manager of corporate
affairs Kristene Reynolds told the hearing. "For us, coming here today is
to come to the table and be part of that solution." The company's managing
director in Australia and New Zealand, Trevor Croker, said card-based systems,
which have been used in other countries, can be manipulated by problem gamblers.
"It is not a bullet proof solution. People do swap cards and have been able
to use multiple cards," he said. "I think finding the complete solution
is going to be a very difficult outcome. "It should not be something we don't
aspire to, but it will be very difficult, from what we see in those (other) markets."
Aristocrat will soon trial a new slot machine that features opt-in pre-commitments,
allowing users the option to set themselves spending or time limits. These machines
could be ready for mass production from the end of 2012, and phased in as part
of the normal machine replacement cycle, Croker said. But with the average cost
of a pokie at $25,000, Labor MP Stephen Jones questioned the Aristocrat executives
on the cost effectiveness of such a solution. "It would be good for Aristocrat,
I can see that. But it's a very expensive solution to the problem, isn't it?",
he asked. Aristocrat general manager of design and development Justin Brown said
smaller venues could be given longer to replace their machines, while newer models
may only require a software upgrade, at a cost of about $3,000. Mr Wilkie, the
committee's chairman, also questioned the motives of Aristocrat's proposal. "I
can't help feeling an element of commercial self interest in your advice to the
committee here," he said. Further questioning resulted in the Aristocrat
executives conceding their machine-based proposal would not prevent problem gamblers
from simply switching machines or venues once they had reached a pre-committed
loss or time limit. The hearings continue in Canberra and Hobart later this month.
In Australia the machines are often known as pokies or poker machines, in the
U.S - slots, and much of Europe - Fruit Machines or Fruities! Queensland's
Sunshine Coast A Big Winner For Lottery Sector; Punters To Win Homes Via BoysTown
Gambling... It's
steal from the rich to give to the poor! Ok, not exactly, but read on and you
will get the drift soon enough. The Sunshine Coast has long been regarded as a
prize location by local residents, but now a range of national and state lottery
organisations are taking notice. BoysTown Lotteries recently unveiled a million-dollar
home in Buderim as its latest prize home offering. Located at 22 Orme Rd, the
home is part of a prize package worth more than $1.5 million. It is arguably one
of Buderims most beautiful homes, according to BoysTowns general manager
fundraising Keith Coventry. "Our previous lottery prize home was in Nerang
(Gold Coast) and the one before that was in Rainbow Bay (Coolangatta). Now we
find ourselves in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast. When deciding on a prize home,
we look at the property itself and then the desirability of the location and the
features of the area," Coventry said. "I think the thing about Buderim
is that you are close to the beach, but you also have those great views over the
ocean and the coastline. I guess you get the best of both worlds. "The Buderim
home has been particularly popular and the retail sales have been very strong."
Yet another contender in the Coasts prize pool is a home in Mount Coolum,
raising funds for the Mater Foundation as part of the Mater Prize Home Lottery.
Also sporting a million-dollar price tag, the home is located at 47 Boardwalk
Blvd in Coolums Boardwalk Estate. Twin Waters is the site of Surf Life Saving
Lotterys prize home, which is valued at more than $750,000. The three-bedroom
home at Lot 4 Ameen Cct comes with $41,832 in furniture and electrical, along
with 12 months paid council rates. Coventry said funds raised from the BoysTown
lottery would assist the Kids Helpline service, which was in particular demand
since the recent floods. "Kids Helpline is certainly taking a lot more calls
from kids who are worried about the impacts of the floods, or who have been affected
by the floods. A lot of people are seeking assistance with the mental health aspects
of this natural disaster, so I think that is certainly going to be the focus of
much of our fundraising over the coming months." The money raised from Mater
lotteries help funds medical research teams and the purchase of life-saving medical
equipment, as well as supporting patients and families. Surf Life Saving lotteries
assist Surf Life Saving clubs around the country. Aussies, feeling lucky. Go on,
give them a go, and you know the money is going to a good place, if you don't
happen to win. Mind you, feel welcome to check out the slots, poker, bingo and
other casino games showcased on the portal also. BoysTown Lottery will set you
back a bit, while at AustralianSportsEntertainment.com partners like PartyGaming,
many games can be played for free or for money. The choice if yours. Hours of
entertainment for young and old - just kidding, check legalities but most counties
insist you are at least 18 years old to gamble, and that includes from lottery
to poker to slots, ok crew! Clubs
Australia VS Productivity Watchdog: Dog Fight; Bark Worse Than Bite?... Clubs
Australia will today accuse the nation's productivity watchdog of making a mathematical
error in its claim that problem gamblers are responsible for 40% of poker machine
revenue. AustralianSportsEntertainment.com spokespersons and investigators have
been disputing the "problem gambling" numbers for almost 2 years! The
figure of 40% is being used by anti-gambling politicians aka "gaming haters"
to try to justify new limits on gambling the Gillard government has pledged to
introduce to maintain the support of independent MP Andrew Wilkie in the hung
parliament. Clubs Australia is fighting a mandatory precommitment scheme that
would force pokies players to set a limit on how much they intend to spend before
they start gambling. It claims the scheme will cost clubs and pubs $2.5 billion
nationally and cost thousands of jobs if it turns off casual gamblers from having
a punt, throwing a couple of bucks down the throat of an "one armed bandit",
whilst often sinking a cold Aussie beer at the same time (not that we endorse
it). Beer can change ones thinking, but you likely knew that already Jack! Politicians
backing the reform have seized on a claim in the Productivity Commission report
that problem gamblers contribute 40% of pokie revenue to justify the crackdown.
Clubs Australia president Anthony 'On The Ball' Ball will tell a parliamentary
inquiry in Sydney today the figure is "highly contentious" and "inaccurate".
In his opening address to the inquiry he will say that the Productivity Commission
claims there are 95,000 problem gamblers who play the pokies and spend on average
$21,000 each year on the machines. When multiplied together, this comes to a total
of $1.995bn, and this figure represents just 16.8% of the $11.9bn total expenditure
on poker machines. "These are not our numbers. These are the figures from
the commission," Ball will say. "Therefore the vast majority of gambling
revenue comes from recreational gamblers." The Productivity Commission used
a range of different methods to calculate the amount spent by problem gamblers
and found both problem and recreational gamblers underestimated how much they
spent on gambling each year. The 40 per cent figure was not derived from multiplying
the number of problem gamblers by the amount they said they spent each year but
was derived from a range of surveys that looked at what gamblers actually spent.
Clubs Australia will tell the parliamentary committee the proposed mandatory precommitment
scheme is a "massive infringement of people's individual rights". "There's
a vast difference between making the pre-commitment available to any player who
wants to use it, and forcing anybody who wants to play a gaming machine to register,
obtain a device and provide personal details or fingerprints in order to be able
to play," Mr Ball plans to tell the inquiry. Australian
Gambling Enquiry: Traditional Gamblers Heading Online For Slots, Poker, Roulette
Et Al; Problem Gamblers VS Problem Child Government Policy?... Using
hi-tech to force pokies players to set betting limits would drive gambling addicts
online in the masses and divert resources away from helping problem punters, a
Senate inquiry has heard. The inquiry, chaired by Tasmanian federal independent
MP Andrew Wilkie, is investigating the concept of a pre-commitment scheme using
smart card or other technology to force all pokies players to set limits on their
gambling. Clubs Australia, the peak body for registered clubs in the nation, on
Friday told the joint parliamentary committee inquiring into the issue it had
reservations about the proposal in its current form. Clubs Australia executive
director Anthony Ball said more research was needed on how effective it would
be. "There is very little good research out there about whether this proposal
or any others are going to work," he told the inquiry in Sydney. "There
are a multitude of gambling opportunities. The strategy must not be to drive (problem
gamblers) online ... The strategy must be to find these people, get them the right
treatment and turn their lives around." He said state regulations on gambling
were sufficient and that a 'one-size-fits-all' policy should not be applied across
all states. Clubs Australia president Peter Newell said the three main issues
regarding the scheme were cost, whether it would reduce problem gambling and the
consequences of implementing it. He said the system failed to work in Norway,
and instead drove problem gamblers to the internet. Five million Australians would
play the pokies in any given 12-month period and the system would only drive away
recreational players, who represented the "vast majority" of gambling
revenue, he said. "As a recreational gambler myself, I am disturbed that
there are people who think I need assistance in determining how I spend my money,"
he said. "Mandatory pre-commitment fails to provide what problem gamblers
need most and that is treatment, and in doing so, diverts attention and resources
away from treatment. Problem gamblers will still gamble in the mandatory pre-commitment
system. They are addicted. But recreational gamblers will walk away from pokie
machines." Newell said the system would be expensive and difficult to implement
across 197,000 machines nationwide, taking years and billions of dollars to do
- forcing clubs to close and costing thousands of jobs - with no indication as
to how effective it will be. It's man VS machine; The People VS The Government,
and The Government VS The Gaming Industry. News media and website portals just
keep lapping up the action resulting in a readership jackpot bonanza. News Australian
Celeb News: Media, Casino And Gaming Celebs, by Greg Tingle - 29th January 2011 G'day
punters, celebrities, journos, high rollers - casino whales, gambling millionaires
and billionaires, poker sharks, entertainment news junkies, media tycoons, politicians,
insiders, outsiders, legal eagles,... one and all. You know who you are. Seems
just about everyone is a celebrity, or knows a celebrity these days. God know
the poker world is full of them. This is our Aussie celebrity special, featuring
Aussie celebs from the world of media, gaming, poker and more, and even a few
ring-ins for good measure. Media
Man and Gambling911 with celebrities you love to love, and even a couple you
love to hate... Shane
Warne...And Liz Hurley... Warnie
and Liz look to be in love, with each other and with Twitter. The spinner is hanging
out for a game of poker or "poke her" with Liz, almost begging for Hurley
Burley to come down under for a face to face. The couple have taken to Twitter
like ducks to water. Warne and Hurley's developing romance is good fodder out
for their almost half a million Twitter followers. They are now publicly planning
her trip Down Under. The poker - fashion babe might be in Australia within weeks.
Hurley has been tweeting about her new parrot, Ping Pong. "I'm getting jealous
of ping pong! Think it's time you left ping pong alone for a while & come
visit me in Australia," Warne tweeted. "No need for jealousy SW, she's
not getting any cuddles or kisses!" Hurley replied. The model brunette is
teaching the parrot to talk and Saints fan Warne has urged her to teach it the
St Kilda club song. "Don't forget advance Australia fair !!!! In tune too
please ping pong . . . Ps organized kangaroos and koalas for your trip,"
he wrote. The affair between the former spinner and the movie - poker babe went
public in December and the pair were busted on a romantic weekend in LA earlier
this month. Both have bounce back, and judging by the Tweets, can't wait to bounce,
fly and play together. Is it an Aussie expression... a bird in the hand is worth
two in the bush? Never mind. Tweet me at twitter.com/mediamanint Russell
Crowe: Ex Kiwi (On Defending His South Sydney Rabbitoh's Star City Casino Deal)... "The
football club is a completely different organisation from the leagues club. We
don't have any control over what the leagues club does; they run their own game."
Crowe
then went on to defend the move by pitching Star
City as primarily an entertainment precinct and putting forward society benefits
from gaming revenue, of which there is some truth in. Entertainment is the name
of the game, and its broken into sub sectors. "This is an entertainment venue
in general; it's not just about gaming. Let's get real about this situation; we're
living in a state where they're telling us that the revenue from poker machines
is paying for our hospitals. What we're talking about here is about a connection
between two organisations that are all about entertainment, that are all about
the future of Sydney." Souths chief executive Shane Richardson seconded the
views put forward forward by NRL chief executive David "Gambling" (MM
satire) Gallop this week that the association between sport and gambling "is
as old as sport itself". "Let's be honest no sport in the world could
ignore it, we're not holier than thou, the NFL, the English Premier League, wherever
it is, there's gambling. As David Gallop said all along, it's going to be there,
it's a major part of what sport is whether we like it or not and we've got to
be part of it to have some sort of control over it." Crowe did concede that
his own personal beliefs on gambling were at odds with the deal and recognised
that problem gamblers were an issue of concern. "I don't like them (pokies).
I'm not a fan of them; I've made that clear in the past. "But in life I am
a gambler. The fact that I took on South Sydney underlines that." Media Man
and Gambling911 congratulate both the Rabbitohs, Crowe and Tabcorp's Star City
for taking a bet on this. Life is a gamble, just don't let it get the better of
you, and always have fun... on and off the field. Work hard and play harder! Julian
Assange... He
is possibly Australia's most notorious public figure in a strange sort of way.
Hero or Villain? Guess it depends on who you ask. If you ask Prime Minister Julia
Gillard we think you know the answer! This weekends' The Australian newspaper
fueled rumours that the James
Bond franchise might like to have an Assange type in an upcoming flick. The
journo penned...Ian Fleming could have turned the WikiLeaks boss into a villain
in a James Bond novel. Given the pervasiveness of the Bond myth, it is no surprise
that Assange, like Osama bin Laden before him, should be likened to a Bond villain.
He has been labelled many things both positive and negative, from champion of
free speech to cyber-terrorist. Perhaps the strangest, and for many fans of popular
culture most glamorous, epithet applied to Julian Assange is that of Bond villain.
Moreover, it is an epithet that has found widespread media acceptance. The connection
has been made in blogs and especially tabloid newspapers, and equally it has surfaced
in such diverse publications as Britain's The Guardian, The Financial Times and
the US's The Washington Post. The most conspicuous parallel between Assange and
the fantasy world of Ian Fleming's James Bond involves the Bond villain's lair.
The WikiLeaks
HQ, known as the Pionen data centre, is a remodelled Swedish nuclear bunker set
in a granite mountain face. Special thanks to Simon Caterson at News Limited.
We like your work mate. Elle
Macpherson... The
once former flame of Brit gambling tycoon Damian Aspinall has got busy again as
of late. Elle
Macpherson and Cate Blanchett were guests at the major bling event for the
Portofino range at a dinner in Geneva yesterday. They were joined by Lost's Matthew
Fox - looking heavier and a bit ratty in a Brad Pitt-style Catweazle beard - plus
Kevin Spacey, Ronan Keating and more. We're sure it was a fun event. And we're
sure all received a special gift. Damian
Aspinall (James Packer Mate) To Sell Aspinall's Casino In Britain Following Bad
Luck!.. Damian
does business with Australia's James
Packer, but its possible that soon that may come to an end. The Brit has had
relationships with glamorous women, including the TV presenter Donna Air, Elle
Macpherson and Naomi Campbell. He confirmed the scale of the clubs debts
but said it was not unusual for a casino business. He said: You are talking
about a business that has £250 million a year drop (the money staked by
its clients). So it is a bit circular. You are looking at unlucky years. That
is the business we are in. Anyone in the business with high value VIP tables
will have years when you do well and years when they dont do well because
it is volatile." Asked about the houses performance last year, he added:
Thats completely normal. You are talking about a volatile business.
He said over a 10-year period Aspinalls
was winning 18 per cent of the money gambled at its tables. But he added: You
have years when you do nine per cent and years when you do 24 per cent.
The most recent available accounts for the club are for 2009 and Mr Aspinall said
the club was now doing better. He said that despite his plan to move away from
the elite clubs founded by his father such businesses would not die out. I
think there is a future. You have got to be grown up about those sorts of investments.
You lose £10 million one week, and win £8 million the next. It is
part of the business. When you lose these amounts it is a knock for the casino
concerned, but you have weeks like that. We also had a week where we won £11
million in six days. It is big numbers these days. The winners could be three
people over a number of days, it can be one person in one night. There are plenty
of players all over the world who have won and lost that sort of money in a night." Mel
Gibson... American
law enforcement sources say Summit Entertainment which is distributing Aussie
Mel's upcoming movie, "The Beaver" - gave Mel the final cut of the movie
on DVD. Mel
screened it at his home, and at 10:45 AM put the DVD in his mailbox so a courier
could pick it up and return it to Summit. The DVD was rumoured to go missing in
action, not Mel! Hugh
Jackman... Hugh
Jackman, Oprah
Winfrey, Halle Berry and Marisa Tomei Among Oscar Presenters...Tony Award
winner and previous Academy Awards host Hugh Jackman will be part of this year's
Oscar ceremony, according to the Associated Press. Jackman will be a presenter
at the 83rd Academy Awards. Other presenters currently include Sandra Bullock,
Jeff Bridges, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry and Marisa Tomei. Academy Awards for
outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented Feb. 27 at the Kodak Theatre
at Hollywood & Highland Center. The awards will be televised live by the ABC
Television Network beginning at 8 PM ET. James Franco and Anne Hathaway will co-host
this year's ceremony. Jackman, who was seen on screen in "X-Men Origins:
Wolverine,"
earned a Tony Award for his work in the Broadway musical The Boy From Oz. He is
also known for his film roles in the "X-Men"
trilogy, "Someone Like You," "Swordfish," "Kate and Leopold,"
"Van Helsing" and the recent "The Fountain" and "Happy
Feet" (in voice). His stage credits also include Trevor Nunn's staging of
Oklahoma! at Britian's National Theatre and award-winning work in productions
of Sunset Boulevard and Beauty and the Beast. John
Travolta...(As John Gotti)... Travolta
was at Amici restaurant in Brentwood a few nights ago. He wasn't giving much away
about taking the role. But Marty Ingels, Executive Producer of the movie was much
more direct, stating Travolta will play the lead role in the movie, "Gotti."
Leaks tell us James Franco has been approached to play John Gotti, Jr. Bang! Hit
us up for an update soon. David
Gyngell... Gyng
is tipped to be very shortly flying to the U.S to test the waters re the upcoming
float on the stock market on his CVC. Nine
Entertainment's private equity owners will assess the health of the local
equity and advertising markets this month. After which, they will decide the date
for a $5 billion listing of the television, magazine and digital group. According
to market sources, Nine's owner, CVC Asia Pacific, is yet to decide on the listing
date although most observers expect the debt-laden group to test the waters as
soon as April if global equity markets remain relatively strong. Management, including
newly installed chief executive David Gyngell, will travel to the US next month
to gauge the interest of potential offshore investors. Celebrity
Poker Pros: Tyron Krost And Stewart Scott: Celebrity Stars Going Down In Ratings;
Direct Response To Poor Showing In Aussie Millions 2011... These
couple of poker celebs were on fire at some point, but lately a shower has been
thrown on their parade. Both are former Aussie Millions champs - Krost from last
year, Scott from 2009. Fellas, time to win some big games again or you might not
even be thought as celebs any more. Start performing or might those sponsorship
deals with PartyGaming's
PartyPoker.com dry
up? Van
Marcus... Poker
pro Van Marcus, currently in Melbourne for Aussie
Millions, is the chap who has his red rare Ferrari
nicked from the Crown valet parking last year, in a story that generated massive
international headlines. In the past days Marcus has been seeing driving around
Melbourne in what looks to be the same card, but this time reportedly with a hot
blonde or brunette in the passenger seat. Hows the ride girls? Australian
Chris Hemsworth Plays Father To Thor; Anthony Hopkins Is Thor!... The
Aussies and Brits are teaming up again in film, thanks to our friends at Marvel
Entertainment. The industry is abuzz for Aussie Hemsworth and Brit Hopkins. Hopkins
has portrayed so many notable characters from history, literature, and the arts,
that its no surprise we will see him in yet another role of stature. In
this years hotly anticipated Paramount
Pictures and Marvel
Entertainment epic adventure Thor, he will be Odin, the major god of Norse
mythology, and father to Thor, (played by Australian Chris Hemsworth). The film
is based on the Stan
Lee comic book version, and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Excelsior! Marvel
Entertainment: Don't just buy the comics and watch the movies, play the games
at PartyGaming. May the power of Thor be with you. James
Packer And Co... Marketing
and gaming advisers to James
Packer have leaked that they see merit in having an Aussie Millions branded
online slot game. They saw the popularity of Cleopatra and Sinatra in an online
environment, and well as PartyGaming's World
Poker Tour slot in land based casinos. They have not confirmed a Kerry Packer
themed slot game, with some concerns it may be a uncomfortable proposal for one
or two of the Packer family, however many punters and insiders think that Kerry
would have loved the idea, and further would have loved the concept that a slot
game will his likeness via tribute slot would actually make Crown
Limited money. PartyGaming,
WMS
and IGT
are keen to talk turkey with Crown Limited with their online plans, which may
also compliment what's in store for the further development of Packer 50% owned
Betfair.
Who is tipped to the the contract? We
think PartyGaming,
based on their strong US land based casino deals, ink still drying over the last
few days, but you will just have to keep watching the space. As
they say on TV, I'm a celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here! *Media
Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company.
Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered *the
writer owns shares in Crown Limited and Ten Network Holdings News Australia
Day Special, by Greg Tingle - 26th January 2011 G'day
and Happy Australia Day everyone. Ok, we know some of you punters, journos, high
rollers - casino whales, entertainment news junkies, politicians, insiders, outsiders
and legal eagles are from across the globe are not Australia, nor have ever been
down under, but you get the idea. Did you know that some indigenous Australia's
call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'! That's because most history books show that
Captain James Cook and his crew invaded Australia on this day in 1988. They are
known by a new names including the First Fleet, while some aborigines will always
think of them and murderous mongrels, who stole their land and pride. It's easy
for many of us to get the point of the blackfellas (affectionate). Media
Man and Gambling911
with a bush tucker bag full of Australian gambling, casino, poker, media and sports
news. Fair winds... Queensland
Banana Bender State: Pub Pokies And Online Pokies Becoming More Popular?... One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in 'The Sunshine State'. It's understand
that punters might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning really big, lotto
- millionaire style, but they just keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another
dime in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested" close to $2 billion
last year as the punters passion for the slots maintained its fever pace. The
total pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down on the previous year,
it was the third year consecutively the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also
learned that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time record. Now, this
is important - those numbers Do Not take into account the rabid take up and roll
our of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting over the global medium
- the internet. Overall, Queenslanders spent $7 million less on pokies than last
year and $28 million less than in 2008, but it still works out at in excess of
$150 million every month down the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the throats of the one armed bandits.
August was also the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more than $173 million
lost. Pokies remain by far the most popular games for punters in Australia, bringing
in most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms of gambling down under
each year. Some insiders think that the reduction in official spending was more
a sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based gambling. Concentrating
on pokie figures, it appears Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout 2010. Tassie
'Devil' Gambling Tycoon Devilish Quotes... David
Walsh from Tasmania was such a big hit with the readership we thought we would
dig up a few more of the red hot 'The Devil's' quotes, that are too good not to
share. First a refresher...Art and gambling do mix, at least that's the experience
of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell, Australian artist Gina Sinozich,
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
(bodypaint and burlesque "fetish") and Tasmanian gambling whale - tycoon,
David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh. You will pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname
by us later. We like you David, ok mate. Tasmania's most famous or infamous gambling
figure, millionaire, David Walsh yesterday gave us a peak into his art exhibit...the
biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery in Tasmania, if not the Asia Pacific.
The $110 million Museum of Old and New Art is nestled on the banks of Hobart's
Derwent River. Quotes
By The Tasmanian Devil!... "FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll." "I
think formal curation is a form of mental masturbation." "I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names. Most of the works are by people
most people haven't heard of and still won't have heard of because there's no
wall labels." "I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends up looking like a pale version
of the National Gallery of Victoria". "Subversive
adult Disneyland". "Please
see reception if you are planning a pool party or a ritualistic orgy." "It's
the opportunity to mess with your head. I like the idea of people having a couple
of beers and looking at the art, having a couple more and changing their mind." "Just
a privileged guy with a megaphone" "Its
like a rich mans soap box. Im standing on my soapbox and Im
shouting my views like they mean something." "Ill
take all the popular stuff out. And if you go to the toilet two or three times
well recommend a good urologist." My
brother once said about me that Id rather be outside a barrel pissing in
than inside the barrel pissing out. Im anti this idea that we know what
were doing with certainty. I kinda think that most things that are good
happen to people largely by accident, but then they start looking for explanations.
You see the views of rich, successful people on television, and they tell you
why they got rich and successful; they dont interview all the people who
went through the same process and didnt. I think most things are complete
crap. I want to show that you can be fortunate without believing that your fortune
was anything other than fortune." "There
are so many things we do that we hide from. We hack open cows and eat their guts
but we compartmentalise that away from our lives so we can pretend its not
happening. And on a larger, more important scale, if each of us acted individually
to say OK, we f
ed up the atmosphere, it is our personal responsibility,
humanity would behave in a very different way." "One
of the things about having money is that
I feel a bit of guilt and a level
of privilege, and it seems to be an obligation to do something, and since art
is what Ive been doing....but it wasnt really like that. It was: I
bought this small gallery, bought a bigger one, and gradually it became something
of this scale. Its become a lot more serious endeavour than I intended it
to be. Theres a bit of thumbing my nose at the establishment and trying
to bypass academia, but mainly I just wanted it to be a bit of fun. And it is.
And it will be." "The
gambling is all a computer thing that is going on right now". Website Museum
of Old and New Art Queensland:
Cairns Reef Hotel Casino Poised To Raise Big Bucks For Flood Relief On Australia
Day... Punters,
let's all spare a thought for those who have been attacked by the floods on Australia
Day. Numerous events are being planed around Australia, from 'Sound Relief' to
and initiative from the Cairns Reef Hotel Casino 'Bring on the Sun' It will be
one of the biggest events on the Australia Day calendar for the city and all funds
raised will go to the Premiers Flood Relief Appeal. There's a good old fashioned
sausage sizzle, competitions and female performers including the Marlins
cheer squad. "The whole idea is slanted towards the female performer,"
entertainment manager Bruce Stewart said. "Weve got an eclectic blend
of female artists coming to perform as well." Cazalys, El Mundo Tapas Bar
and the Marlin Coast Bowls Club will also host events to raise money for flood
victims. Cairns Regional Council will hold events across the region, including
the ever-popular celebrations on the Esplanade. Mayor Val Schier said the council
was expecting a good attendance as usual with residents keen to get outside and
celebrate our sunburnt country in the green and gold. "Even last year when
it poured, a huge number of people came to the Aussie breakfast; we expect the
same will happen this year, rain, hail or shine. It is one of those days where
people can come together as a community and help celebrate why it is great to
be an Australian. We live in a fantastic country and it is good for people to
get out and enjoy it." Pubs and clubs will also get into the Aussie spirit
with a number of activities on offer. Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club has
a patriotic, fun-filled day planned with activities that pay homage to Australias
heritage such as the much-anticipated pie-eating competition. "Everybody
is welcome to come along and have some fun while tucking into our Aussie selection
of meat pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian music by DJ Danny from
Millennium Sounds," director of sales and marketing Darlene Holdsworth said. Events Join
the celebrations Paradise
Palms Resort and Country Club Australia Day celebrations Whats on: Australian
menu served from noon in Restaurant 59, pie-eating and thong-throwing competitions
start at 1.30pm. Pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian music on offer
at the resort. Time: 12pm. Entry free. Bring on the Sun at Cairns
Reef Hotel Casino Whats on: Entertainment, sausage sizzle, raffles,
jumping castle and more with all proceeds going to the Premiers Flood Relief
Appeal. Time: 2pm. Entry free.
Shane Warne And Poker Mates Get VIP Star Treatment At Australian Open Tennis Sunday
Night...
The
spinner got there at 8pm hoping to get star VIP treatment for 14 of his closest
mates. In the mix was was Joe Hachem, who he had earlier caught up with at the
launch of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament at Crown Casino. Warne requested
an escort (no, not that type silly) when he arrived and posed mostly for photographs
with his sunglasses on. He also spent time in Andy Roddick's player's box during
his loss to Swissman Stanislas Wawrinka. It been a big couple of days for "poker
her" for the legend, playing rendezvous with Liz Hurley in LA. He is expected
to play in the second round of the poker tournament and could face off against
Gary Ablett Jr and Jeff Fenech tomorrow. Blett made it through to the second round.
Australian Financial Review Goes Gaga For Lady Gaga; Gets Facts Wrong (We Think)...
It
took us a few months of going through newspapers but we finally found the AFR
to make a slip up, and its a doozy....An article reads "the complex will
have a few upmarket bars, including one on the roof, and an events theatre to
house live acts think Lady Gaga as well as awards nights."
With Gaga's level of popularity she would require a much larger venue than Star
City. Earlier this year, she - they played two concerts at the Sydney Entertainment
Centre, capacity 12,000 or thereabouts. Do the math. Australia's
Kylie Minogue To Do The Colosseum At Caesars Palace Las Vegas: Aphrodite Live... Mark
is down Kylie fans the word over. She's doing Ceasers Sunday May 22, 2011 8pm
Melbourne: Aussie Joker Comedian Performs At Packer's Crown; Raises Cash For Flood
Relief...
Melbourne
folks at Crown Casino recently enjoyed 'The Jokers Comedy That Rocks' at Crown
Casino. James Packer's casino donated all proceeds from last Friday nights
show to Queensland flood victims. Organiser William Leitch has happy with the
way things went and showcased an evening with some of the citys top stand-up
artists, including Brad Oakes, Christine Basil and Greg Fleet. It's understood
he got close to 150 people to come along, and he may be invited back on upcoming
Friday nights.
Top 100 ASX Listed Companies Respond To Flood Cry For Help; Gambling And Gaming
Industry Steps Up; Mining Firms and Banking Bastards Lead Charge...
1.
BHP Billiton: $1.3 million (in addition, matching employee donations) 2.
CBA: $1.35 million 3.
Westpac: $1 million 4.
ANZ: $1 million 5.
NAB: $1 million 6.
News Corp: $500,000 and Blue Ribbon campaign 7.
Rio Tinto: $1 million ($700,000 to Premier Relief, $300,000 to Emerald community) 8.
Wesfarmers: $7.5 million (plus $3.5 million from Coles customers) 9.
Telstra Corp: up to $1 million by matching staff contributions (so far $338,000;
is also supplying phones and free calls to people affected) 10.
Woolside Petroleum: $122,395 (corporate + employees) 11.
Woolworths: $6.9 million (matching customer donations in Woolies, Big W, Dick
Smith dollar for dollar) 14.
Fortescue Metals: Matching staff donations dollar for dollar 15.
CSL: $250,000 16.
QBE Insurance: not releasing a statement 17.
Origin energy: $1 million 18.
Macquarie Group: $200,000 (combined staff and company effort with fundraising
activities continuing both here and overseas) 19.
AXA Asia Pacific: No response 20.
Santos: $500,000 plus use of helicopters and vehicles for clean up. Also $50,000
for flooding in WA 21.
Coal and Allied Industries: (see Rio Tinto) 22.
AMP: $250,000 + matching employee contributions to WA flood appeal up to $250,000 23.
Suncorp Group: $100,000 (staff and customers have donated $1.5million) 24.
Foster's Group: $500,000 25.
Brambles: No response 26.
Leighton Holdings: No response 27.
Orica: No response 28.
Oil Search: No response 29.
Stockland: Donated $250,000 to the Premier's flood relief appeal, another $30,000
to the Mayoress Rockhampton regional flood appeal and are matching employee donations
dollar for dollar 30.
Coca. Cola Amatil: No response 31.
Amcor: No response 32.
Westfield Retail Trust: No response 33.
IAG: No response 39.
Crown: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have committed to matching all donations
as well as staff contributions 52.
Tabcorp Holdings: $1 million 78.
Tatts Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for the Queensland flood appeal
where all profits will go to the Premier's Flood Appeal. They ran the same thing
in Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires. It will run on Wednesday 2 Feb
in Queensland and is expected to raise $200,000. In addition, another donation
will be made from the unclaimed prizes fund of an as. yet undecided amount 79.
Fairfax Media: Matching staff donations 100.
Seek: Reported it had made a donation to the Premier's Flood Appeal but chose
not to disclose how much Brisbane:
Flood Relief Money Gets Spend On Pokies, Vice - Piss Up At Pubs... It's
been reported in a number of Queensland newspapers that the $1000 flood relief
grants that went to many good folks in Granville are being used to feed slots
and buy piss (beer) rather than food and necessities. Two Maryborough publicans
say that in some instances the answer to that is yes, and they are disgusted.
One of the publicans was so incensed by the misuse of flood relief money she telephoned
Fairfax Media to complain. "A man came in bragging about how hed got
the $1000 payout because he told Centrelink he was stuck in Granville but
he was here the whole time. It makes me sick that people are openly admitting
theyve got the money for nothing, while there are people whove died
or lost everything." She said Centrelink should have screened the applications
more carefully to make sure only people who were genuinely in need received the
cash. Another pub owner said his one armed bandits had not stopped buzzing since
the grants became available. "We were quiet during the actual floods but
this weeks been totally different. The pokies and the bottle shop have been
going non-stop." Yeah, Aussie continue to love a punt, rain, hail, shine
or flood! Aussie
Millions Game 8 Results... The
London based chap took down the $1,100 8 game mixed event title at Crown Casino
in Melbourne adding AUD$23,800 to his almost $1.2 million in career tournament
earnings. He entered the final table as the short stack, but managed to grind
his way to victory and nudge away Australia's Bruno Portaro for the victory. The
event marked Ashby's 8th final table appearance at the Aussie Millions that includes
a side-event win back in 2005 and a seventh-place finish in the main event in
2009. Ashby also won his first WSOP bracelet this summer in the $1,500 7 Card
Stud event and went well in the $10k H.O.R.S.E. for his biggest career score of
$378,027. The 2011 Aussie Millions $1,100 8-Game Mixed event drew 68-players and
paid the final 7. Here
are the results: 1 Richard Ashby AUD$23,800 2 Bruno Portaro AUD$16,320
3 Casey Kastle AUD$10,880 4 Daniel Ospina AUD$6,800 5 Oliver Gill AUD$4,760
6 Dane Coltman AUD$3,400 7 Paul Ravesi AUD$2,040 Aussie
Main Event Day 1b: PartyPoker And Full Tilt Poker Players Feel The Pain... PartyGaming's
PartyPoker and Full
Tilt Poker's powers that be likely won't be celebrating. Ok, they got news coverage
and exposure, but its because their players are out. Yep, history maties. Full
Tilt went well on Day 1a but Day 1b was rooted. Many of the big name pros went
down for the count as locals stepped up. 209 players entered the Crown Poker room
but after 7 levels of play, 80 remained. David Oppenheim, Annette Obrestad, Carlos
Mortensen, David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Steve Yea, Andy Bloch and Gus Hansen
were some of the Full Tilt players who died. Other casualties included Luke Santo,
Raj Ramakrishnan, George Moussa, Michael Pedley, Graeme Putt, Martin Comer, Dennis
Huntly, Jamie Pickering, Bruno Portaro, Casey Kastle, Ben Savage and Tim Marsters.
2005 World Champion Joe Hachem (tweeting he struggled with jetlag following a
recent trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.) Defending champ, 2010 Aussie
Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (PartyGaming's PartyPoker
pro went down too). A new champ will be crowned in 2011 with plenty of Aussies
still in contention. The field kicked off with Jeff Rossier in the lead with 154,900,
closely followed by Michael Ottobra (143,400) and Martin Drewe, After winning
the Opening Event last week and going deep in another event, Drewe is now set
in the chip leaders in the Main Event after getting to 136,100. Jay SEABEAST
Kinkade did nicely with 128,700, Haibo Chu (113,900), Manny Stavropoulos (85,600),
Sorel Mizzi (74,400), Michael Egan (61,100), Kent Hunter (56,400), Jeff Lisandro
(55,000), Eric Assadourian (50,300), Scott Montgomery (49,200), Chris Ferguson
(45,400), Lee Nelson (30,200), Neil Channing (28,800), Roland de Wolfe (26,100),
Aleks Brkovic (24,600), Jackie Glazier (21,900), Grant Levy (18,300), Gary Benson
(10,500) and Mel Judah (7,200) amongst those who will return on Day 2. The 3rd
and final flight of the 2011 Aussie Millions Main will commence Tuesday with another
strong field and a few big names expected. Even Van Marcus will front up. Van,
is your Red Ferrari safe this time mate? We're looking for more good fodder to
write about. How about do a publicity stunt and make world wide headlines ago.
Maybe someone at Crown Casino - Crown Limited might be open to it. Stanger things
have happened... like Ferrari's getting stolen on site, casino fights and a man
getting stuck in the Crown Casino kitchen grease vacuum. Aussie
Millions Event #9 Day 1b: Rossiter In Front... It
was down to business with players investing AUD$10,600 to buy in all with the
goal of becoming the 2011 Aussie Millions Champion. 7 seven levels of play, and
the 209-player field went to 80. Jeff Rossiter is in front with 154,900. Martin
Drewe, 2011 Aussie Millions Event #1 winner with 136,100 - now 3rd on the leaderboard.
Australian Jay Kinkade is on 128,700, and European Poker Tour mainstay Jeff Sarwer
sits 5th with 120,500. Randy "nanonoko" Lew has 110,000 and Gavin Griffin
101,700 in 9th ninth and 10th place. Sorel Mizzi, Jeffrey Lisandro, Eric Assadourian,
Team Full Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker Red Pros Scott Montgomery and
Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, and Lee Nelson have also all made it to Wednesday's
Day 2, but it was touch and go for some of them, testing the skill VS luck debate.
Full Tilt Poker $25,000 Shootout Invitational winner David Oppenheim, Annette
Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen, Andy Bloch, David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Gus Hansen,
Joe Hachem, and David Steicke all had to say goodnight nurse. PartyGaming's -
PartyPoker Tyron
Krost was eliminated in a hand VS Gavin Griffin where his Ace-Queen couldn't best
Griffin's Aces. The 3rd and final Day 1 flight commences Tuesday in Melbourne,
Australia at 12:30 p.m. local time. Getting
board of poker yet? If so, try your luck er skill at Baccarat or Craps. If your
more into luck, check out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna Gold
and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming
also have, or will soon get, a World
Poker Tour themed online slot game. We recommend punters open an account with
PartyCasino, PartyGaming
and World
Poker Tour, just to have all based covered. Party appears to still be the
most popular online casino brand in Australia despite big efforts by the likes
of 888. Marvel
slot games are forecast to be some of the most popular of this year with Captain
America and Thor
tipped to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of choice, good luck, and let
us know how you go guys and girls. Spin to win. Take
the time to research and learn games before placing down money Media
Man, Casino News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world leading
websites that cover the sector and act as central points to games, news, reviews
and more. Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us in the forum. If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have
fun. *Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911 *Media
Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company.
Gaming is just one of a dozen sectors covered News Aussie
Celeb News; James Bond Casino Icon Connection, by Greg Tingle - 29th December
2010 Season's
Greetings punters, entertainment news junkies, one and all. Today we have a look
at the latest from Aussiewood and Hollywood powerhouses James Bond, with a Bondi
Beach twist, Marvel Entertainment (go Wolverine)..we love you Hugh, Spider-Man,
Underbelly and more.. Media Man http://www.AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
and Gambling911 with your celebrity and
entertainment news fix, just in time for the New Year. Ho Ho Ho!... MGM
Emerging from Bankruptcy; Wants To Produce James Bond 23... MGM
Studios is emerging from bankruptcy with a $500 million line of credit, and its
first Xmas wish is to produce James Bond #23, rumoured to be directed by Sam Mendes
and starring Daniel Craig (again), despite many leaks saying that means it will
be a gay Bond (for real), if you follow. The
James Bond franchise has long been a fav of casino and gambling lovers, with Casino
Royale being the top pick for most punters. MGM
Studios has been going through the wars as of late, with the filing of bankruptcy
hanging around their neck. Their massive financial troubles led to the delay of
not only The Hobbit, directed by New Zealander Peter Jackson, but also James Bond
23 starring the Daniel Craig. The
studio just underwent a giant restructuring and was able to acquire $500 million
worth of credit from financial powerhouse JP Morgan, a good lot of which will
likely be spent on the sequel to Quantum of Solace. MGM is expected to partner
with Sony for co-financing, as it has done a few times previously with Casino
Royale and Quantum of Solace. Bond
fans, did you know that 2012 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. No (1962),
the very first James Bond movie ever, which makes it bloody good timing to release
a new Bond movie. The studio will be attempting to secure and shore up its cast,
director, and screenplay for the new movie in very short order. The
studio had previously announced that Peter Morgan, and frequent Bond collaborators
Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, would be penning a draft of Bond 23. Purvis and Wade
have worked on every James Bond flick since The World Is Not Enough, and that
includes Die Another Day, Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace - the last two
of which were rewritten, to some extent, by Paul Haggis. Rumors
have been flying for months have indicated that Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary
Road) is leading the pack to direct the new movie. Now, Mendes is not a filmmaker
known for his action style skills. He did however direct Road to Perdition, co-starring
none other than Daniel Craig. As
of press, James Bond will not be film in 3D. Oh, did we mention AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
is the agent and manager for John Seru who played bad guy Gabor in Bond's 'The
World Is Not Enough'. In Nine's 'Underbelly' Seru placed Kiwi Steve in the following
episodes: Alpha and Omega, The Good Lieutenant, Hurt on Duty (2010), Saving Face
and Women in Uniform. MGM
is still technically under bankruptcy protection for a couple more months. Marvel
Entertainment's The Avengers: New Mexico Connection... Marvel
Entertainment's biggest film project of all time is is now New Mexicos biggest
film production ever as 'The Avengers' confirms its 2011 shooting locations. Thor
not only hits off the summer movie season of 2011, but it sets up events that
will culminate in the Marvel superhero team-up epic, The Avengers, the following
year. With story elements of Thor taking place in New Mexico, and the production
shooting in Santa Fe and Galisteo, its of little surprise to see Marvel
Studios returning once again for their biggest project ever. New
Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Marvel Studios officially announced the agreement
making The Avengers the single largest film production in the states history.
The current schedule has Joss Whedons The Avengers shooting in New Mexico
between April and September of next year, using both Albuquerque Studios and of
course, the beautiful and vast surrounding locations that so many other major
Hollywood flicks have used. The
Avengers also is set to shoot action in Michigan and New York but production will
primarily take place in New Mexicos largest city Albuquerque. Governor
Richardson talks to local economic benefits to New Mexico: "In addition to
being our biggest production to date, The Avengers will be the most technologically
advanced and will provide cutting-edge training opportunities for our crew
Im announcing this as a Christmas present of sorts to the people of New
Mexico. This is a perfect example of the incredible job creation, economic impact
and global visibility this industry has brought our state over the past eight
years, and of the need to keep it moving forward." So
Marvel heroes fans, be looking out for Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson. Thor
opens May 5, 2011; The First Avenger: Captain America hits July 22, 2011 and The
Avengers is scheduled to debut May 4, 2012. Spider-Man:
Broadway No Match For Movie; Spidy Fans Disappointed; Would Rather Play Spider-Man
Games And Play Dress Up... The
new and much talked about Spider-Man musical has another problem stuck in its
web. Sick to death of waiting for the problematic Broadway show to officially
open, critics for two mainstream news companies released early and negative reviews
of the $65 million musical, which won't officially open until February 7. Writing
for Bloomberg News, the influential financial news wire service, veteran critic
John Simon slammed the show as "an unfocused hodge-podge of story-telling,
myth-making and spectacle that comes up short in every department. A few good
songs would help, in which department the show is sorely lacking," Simon
wrote in the review late Sunday night. Like most rock stars, Bono and The Edge
havent a clue about writing for the theatre." The
U2 legends wrote the score for the show, which was directed by Lion King helmer
Julie Taymor. Both
Simon and Newsday's Linda Winer defended their premature reviews on the grounds
that the show was charging full ticket prices in some cases more than $200 a seat
for the performances, and that the opening date had been pushed back twice. Winer
called the show's infamous high-flying acrobatics "exciting and scary, in
a circus way" but dismissed the second act as "weak." Simon
was also impressed with the flying scenes: "An hour of anticipation for about
90 seconds of exhilaration," he wrote. Would
you believe four actors have been injured during the show's rehearsals, including
a horrible injury to lead aerialist Chris Tierney last week. Critics
almost never publish their reviews of productions before the official opening
night. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has pushed back its debut twice. The
New York Times said in a posting to its arts blog that it would not review the
show until the official opening. Media
Man loves Marvel Entertainment, Spider-Man and U2, but this project does not sound
good. Sorry guys. Underbelly
TV Movie Legal Problems... Network
Nine may be forced to shelve forever one of its Underbelly telemovies because
of legal action in the state of New South Wales. Tell
Them Lucifer Was Here, the first of 3vtelemovies being made under the Underbelly
Files title, tells the story of the 1998 murders of Victoria cops Rod Miller and
Gary Silk. After
a probing investigation by the Lorimer Task Force, Bandali Debs and Jason Roberts
were found guilty of the double murder in 2003. Debs was sentenced to life in
prison, Roberts to 35 years. The
subject seemed relatively safe... for true crime. Reader may recall the first
Underbelly could not be screened in Victoria. However,
anything that identifies "Debs" could be a bit no go zone in NSW. On
September 24, the Victorian Government Solicitor applied to the Melbourne Magistrates
Court to have Debs transferred to a NSW prison for questioning over the death
of a Sydney prostitute 15 years ago. Debs's
lawyer, Michael De Young, did not oppose the application, saying his client maintained
his innocence and was confident of being acquitted and returned to Victoria. New
South Wales Police have been trying for 2 years to question Debs...also was convicted
in 2007 of the 1997 murder of 18-year-old sex worker Kristy Harty...and reckon
they have enough evidence to link him to the killing. The
transfer order was granted by the court, but Debs had 14 days to appeal the decision. Channel
Nine has 3 options: rush the Silk-Miller telemovie out before NSW police have
laid any charges that might arise from the interview; release the telemovie in
all states bar NSW if charges are laid; or hold off for a national release until
any case has been heard. Nine
has has yet to comment on this matter. Underbelly
#4 To Hit Aussie TV... A
4th Underbelly series to screen in 2011 promises to showcase the birth of organised
crime in Australia. Based
in Sydney in the roaring 1920s, Underbelly Razor tells the story of the bloody
battle between "vice queens" Tilly Devine and her rival Kate Leigh. The
Nine Network are calling it their most "ambitious and daring" Underbelly
series yet. It
will be joined by 3 Underbelly telemovies - Tell Them Lucifer was Here, Infiltration
and The Man Who Got Away...which were announced earlier in the year. Aussie
Poker Celeb King Shane Warnie Tag Team With Wolverine Hugh Jackman In Cricket
Nets; Jackman Hit In Balls (Almost) In Lead Up To Boxing Day Ashes Test... The
tag team led the celebrity contingent to the Melbourne Cricket Group for the prestigious
Boxing Day Test. 'Our Hugh' got hit in the balls by a Warnie spinner, so it seemed,
but he had a cup on, perhaps taking safeguards, after getting hit in the eye with
a foreign object at his Oprah Winfrey grand entrance via way of flying fox a couple
of weeks ago. Wolverine Jackman joined other famous mugs in the crowd, including
Opposition Leader Tony 'The Bruiser' Abbott and veteran English talk show king
Sir Michael Parkinson aka 'Parkie'. Premier Ted Baillieu and wife Robyn also tagged
along, as did Eddie "Everywhere" McGuire, Cathy Freeman and Molly Meldrum.
In a smart and rather cunning move, just outside the MCG sports stars and entertainment
biz celebs tag teamed a game of cricket which raised money for the McGrath Foundation.
The foundation ambassador Lee Furlong joined ex-cricketers Justin Langer and Michael
Slater, Glen Moriarty, Kris Smith and Guy Sebastian at the friendly game. Earlier,
Shane Warne made one of his very first public appearances since the "Hurley-burley",
acting as host for his fav Shane Warne Foundation's annual Boxing Day breakfast
at Crown. Warne mate, James Packer, attended, along with wife Erica in a show
of support. Singer Leo Sayer also entertained to an appreciative crowd that included
Glenn Robbins, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Aaron Hamill and Bill Brownless. A great
day was had by all, as best we can tell. Aussie
Poker Celeb Shane Warne And UK Sort Liz Hurley: Come Down Under And Come In Spinner?... Is
Liz Hurley coming to Australia? Getting spotted at Heathrow Airport sent press
into a frenzy and created munch speculation she will keep her date with Warnie.
Friends of Hurley told the Pommie press she had dumped the cricket spin legend
after learning he had sent more than 100 sexy text messages to another woman behind
her back. Warnie is known for his ability to sent sexy texts that can get the
right response. Now it appears Liz may have reconsidered after attempts to stop
an imminent divorce and rekindle her relationship with husband Arun Nayar reportedly
failed. During her public flirtation with the spinner on Twitter, Hurley wrote
that she was keen to attend the January 3 "Pink Test," which supports
the Jane McGrath Foundation. Talk about a play on words "Pink Test",
got to love her form. Liz also told Warnie she would "definitely" make
an appearance on his Channel Nine chat show if she made it to Sydney. Sources
close to the Aussie spinner have said the cricketer was devastated after being
apparently dropped by Hurley, having previously confided his desire to marry her.
Both Hurley and Warne announced on Twitter that they had split from their respective
partners shortly after spending 2 delightful, fun filled nights together at a
luxury London hotel earlier this month and being papped kissing outside a restaurant.
Warne was last week caught in the outfield sending erotic texts, including, "I
want to see you riding me" to middle-aged Melbourne mum Adele Angeleri. In
an apparent attempt to win Hurley back after the messages were published in the
British tabloids he logged back on to Twitter to pen "No matter what anyone
says if you know in your heart
who cares what people think / say !!!"
Hurley was snatched in the airport mess at Heathrow, where snowy conditions caused
widespread cancellations from Saturday, leaving over 100,000 punters stranded,
having their patience tested. A fellow traveler said the swimwear model and well
loved celeb babe "looked nervous" as she attempted to blend in with
the crowd, wearing large sunglasses and dressing down. "She'd dressed down
and it was clear she wanted to be left alone," the witness told The Sun.
"She looked like a woman with a lot on her mind." Lizs office
refused to comment on her travel plans. Whatever the case, we wish Liz (and Warnie)
well on any of their upcoming travel plans. Betting
For Aussies On TV And Film Success: Not Yet... Many
Australia's remain pissed that they are not able to bet on financial outcomes
of upcoming TV shows and motion pictures. Passionate Aussies has been reading
reports filed by AustralianSportsEntertainment.com and Gambling911 on Box Office
betting exchanges, but none of the action has come to Australia, so us Aussies
can't be on it. We're not sure any Yankees of Canooks got to bet on outcomes either.
Sly, Arnie and Wall Street - when you read this, give us an update please. We
want to bet on movie and TV outcomes. PartyGaming and Virgin were rumoured to
have some interest in the concept, but nothing has eventuated from our probe as
yet. Oh, if you want to see the way Hollywood used to work, do yourself a favor
and rent or buy 'The Last Mogul', which told the career story of the late Lew
Wasserman. Oh, we heard you want a review, so here it is mates... The
Last Mogul: The Life And Times Of Lew Wasserman... For
the second half of the 20th century, Lew Wasserman was without question the most
powerful money man in show business, even if most people had no idea who he was.
Born in Cleveland, OH, in 1913, Wasserman started out booking music gigs for mob-controlled
clubs, and quickly became an agent for Music Corporation of America, which became
the most lucrative music agency in America. Funny that. As Wasserman rose through
the ranks at MCA, he established such innovative business practices as "packaging"
talent i.e: booking hot acts and artists only in a package deal with other artists
who were not as talented, to put it politely, and took the company into managing
acting talent in Hollywood, where he re invented the film industry forever by
negotiating a ground-breaking deal for James Stewart on the film Winchester '73,
which reduced the actor's up-front salary in favor of a cut of the movie's profits,
earning the actor a mint in the process. Under Wasserman's lead at MCA, the company
took over Universal Pictures, established the studio's television branch and made
it the most important production outlet in the business), created the hugely successful
Universal City studio tours, and expanded MCA's recording branch into one of the
biggest record companies in the world. Wasserman was also politically well connected.
Ronald Reagan was one of his early clients when MCA want Hollywood), and was reputed
to have some handy connections to organized crime. Wasserman was a secretive fellow
who did not give interviews or commit anything to writing if it could be avoided,
but he knew nearly everyone in show business. The Last Mogul: The Life and Times
of Lew Wasserman is a documentary that through interviews with his friends and
business associates beautifully showcases his remarkable career, from his childhood
in Ohio to his death in 2002. Yep, there's mob ties and such, but hey, that's
show business. Wrap
Up... Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? What films and celebs take your liking?
As Shane Warne says, 'How good was that?!". Have you been naughty or nice?
Did Santa give you what you had hoped for? What have you got planned for New Year's
Eve? Tell us in the forum. If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have
fun. *Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911 *Media
Man http://www.AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They
cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary
and analysis. News Aussiewood
- Hollywood Entertainment News, by Greg Tingle - 29th November 2010 Sylvester
Stallone Sex Film 'The Party at Kitty and Stud's' Sells For $400K on eBay... Sly,
The Italian Stallion himself, is back in action
erotic action, sort of...
The rights to a soft-porn film starring Sylvester Stallone four decades ago, was
sold on e-Bay for $412,100. The then strapped-for-cash star made his on-screen
debut in the 1970 film "The Party at Kitty and Stud's." Stallone played
Stud, a young man who, along with his oversexed lover Kitty, enjoys inviting various
women into their bed. The 71-minute movie was eventually renamed "The Italian
Stallion" by Bryanston Distributors after the actor became famous in "Rocky."
Now that the rights have been purchased (the owner has not yet been identified),
it's likely the film will be re-released, The Sun reported. In an interview in
the 1970s, Stallone, now 64, told Playboy that he was so poor that he had to take
the role. "It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the
endat the very endof my rope. Instead of doing something desperate,
I worked two days for $200." After filming "Rocky," the erotic
filmmakers tried to sell the movie back to Stallone for $100,000, but the actor
said he "wouldn't pay two bucks for it," according to AOL's Moviefone.
Last year MGM unsuccessfully tried to buy the flick. Sly, you've cum a long way
since then. U2
legend Bono Waits For Table At Australian Bondi Beaches' Icebergs... Bono
snuck into 'Sin City' Sydney on Saturday. He headed for a eat and a drink as he
often does when down under. The renowned Irish rock singer, who spent two weeks
at Sydney's Bungan Beach with his family in 2006 completely undetected, casually
strolled into Rose Bay nosherie Catalina on Sunday for a seafood feed with guitarist
The Edge (David Evans) and the eatery's owner, Michael McMahon. On Saturday night
he arrived unannounced at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar at Bondi Beach and like
a normal person waited or a table at the "no reservations" restaurant.
"He was having a red cocktail but didn't finish it because a table became
available," advised a deepthroat. No, not a Stallone type of deepthroat you
rascals. The U2 360 tour begins in Melbourne this Wednesday night. Avatar
Michelle Rodriguez Star Teams Up With Sea Shepherd In Perth... Hollywood
babe actress Michelle Rodriguez, star of Avatar, was in Fremantle supporting anti-whaling
activist group Sea Shepherd. Rodriguez has been aboard Sea Shepherds flagship
vessel MY Steve Irwin. The crew are replenishing supplies before heading to the
Southern Ocean in December. The trip, dubbed 'Operation No Compromise', will be
Sea Shepherds seventh mission into the frigid waters of Antarctica to attempt
to stop the slaughter of whales by Japanese "scientific researchers".
Among the crew are three Perth residents including former Labor Attorney General
Jim McGintys brother Kevin McGinty, Steven Bennett and Georgie Dicks. Captain
Locky MacLean said the crew are looking forward to having Rodriguez on board.
The group, which uses rather militant art of war tactics in its fight against
whaling, made headlines early this year when their stealth vessel the Ady Gill
was "cut in half" by Japanese whalers. This year, a new monohull fast
vessel called the Ocean Adventurer will replace the Ady Gill. SS are currently
seeking a large sponsor which would give them the naming rights to use 'Godzilla'.
Something like that. Sea Shepherds Australian Director Jeff Hansen said:
"It is great to see high profile people like Miss Rodriguez giving up their
spare time to help promote our fight to defend the whales being illegally targeted
in New Zealand and Australian waters". AustralianSportsEntertainment.com
lost good mate Peter Carrette this past weekend, approximately 48 hours after
doing photography at the Bondi Beach 'No Compromise' gig at Bondi Beach last Friday.
R.I.P Peter. We miss you mate. Darren
Aronofsky Explains 'The Wolverine' Aussie Hugh Jackman... If
you're wondering why "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofsky was hired
to tackle "The Wolverine" for 20th Century Fox, wonder no more. Aronofsky
himself has broken his silence on the "Wolverine" front in an extensive
interview with Movie City News. According to the filmmaker, his reasons for choosing
the "Wolverine" non-sequel as his next project are quite simple: in
the end, he just wanted to have a good time. "I'm just trying to have fun,"
he said. "I think, for the first time in my life, you know, every single
film that I've done so far I've been the only person in the room who wants to
make the movie. And, I kind of am excited about doing a film where actually everyone
wants to make it just to see what the experience is like and to see if I can do
what I do in that world." It's not like I'm going to change my process,"
he added. "I'm going to be working with the same team, and making, you know,
really trying to do something very, very different and see what happens."
During the interview, Aronofsky said that he's received a large amount of support
both from franchise lead Hugh Jackman and Fox Studios head Tom Rothman, joking
that Rothman "doesn't even know how gutsy it is" that he hired the outside-the-box
filmmaker for "The Wolverine." "I've been looking for a situation
where everything lines up really well. This just makes sense; I think I'm being
hired because of who I am. I'm not being hired to turn into someone. I'm being
hired to do what I do. I don't know if (Rothman) knows exactly what he's bought,
but we're definitely going to make something great, you know, but it will be very
different, and that's what I do. We're going to try and have a great time with
it." John
Travolta and Kelly Preston 'Overjoyed' With New Baby Benjamin; Travolata Not Gay... Living
legend and iconic star of Saturday Night Fever (the movies and the online slot
game), is delighted with his new baby, but very unhappy about the gay rumours.
Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston took to Travolta's website earlier this
week to announce the birth of their 8-pound, 3-ounce son, Benjamin Travolta. "We
are overjoyed to announce the arrival of our son, Ella's baby brother, Benjamin
Travolta. Born November23, 2010 in Florida, Benjamin is healthy and doing beautifully.
Thank you for the congratulations messages and wishes...we are beyond happy about
the newest addition to our family," the family said in the message. Travolta,
56, and Preston, 48, announced the pregnancy earlier this year, celebrating with
a dozen close friends at a shower held at their Los Angeles-area home. "This
baby is such a healing baby," a family friend told People magazine. The pregnancy
was the first bit of good news they had shared in a long time. "It's impossible
to keep a secret," they wrote in a statement on Travolta's website in May,
"especially one as wonderful as this." We want to be the first to share
this great news with everyone that we are expecting a new addition to our family,"
the online statement continued and like this week's update, was signed "Love,
John, Kelly and Ella." John Travolta's family has been dealt another blow
as reports emerge that he has been allegedly cheating on his wife...engaging in
"lewd sex acts with other men" as part of a "secret gay spa subculture."
Perez Hilton posted the story on his website along with a cover of the National
Enquirer, carrying the headline "John Travolta Caught In Cheating Scandal!
"John Travolta has been cheating on Kelly for years!" said Robert Randolph,
author of the memoir, You'll Never Spa in This Town Again. "And when the
details emerge, he's gonna make Tiger Woods look like a boy scout." John
has been married to Kelly Preston for 19 years, with the pair expecting their
third child this year. They lost their eldest son Jett in 2009 to an autism-related
seizure. WWE
Studios Films Flop At Box Office; Perform Well In DVD Rental Market... Entertainment
trade publication Variety published a report today on WWE Studios's new films
strategy "flopping" at the box office, but perhaps finding a market
on home video. Variety followed up on WWE's third quarter earnings report last
Thursday by noting WWE reported $3.8 million in revenue related to "Legendary,"
despite the movie drawing a measly $200,000 at the box office. WWE executive Jim
Connelly told Variety that WWE is banking on strong storefront marketing at retail
locations such as Walmart to help boost DVD and Blu-ray sales of their movies.
Variety also reported on WWE pushing their slate of movies to theaters simply
for marketing purposes before pulling the movies and releasing them on DVDs. That
was apparent with WWE Studios's theatrical release schedule for "Legendary"
and "Knucklehead." Related to the planned launch of the WWE TV Network
potentially in 2011, Variety reports that WWE is looking to their slate of movies
to serve as "more high-profile programming" on the new cable tele channel.
Going forward, Jim Connelly told Variety that WWE will be re-evaluating their
movie release schedule for 2011 as they begin to roll out the next slate of low-budget
movies in theaters with an eye on home video. Variety concluded: "For now,
it appears as if the future of WWE Studios will play out on the smallscreen." Aussie's
Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban To Appear On Oprah Winfrey Show Tomorrow; Australia
Catches Oprah - Oprah House Mania... Australian
actress Nicole Kidman and huby singer Keith Urban will be on The Oprah Winfrey
Show tomorrow. Urban has earlier confirmed that he would be performing in the
shows Ultimate Australian Adventure episodes to be filmed later this year. "Tomorrow,
two of the hottest Aussies are here! Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban! The countdown
to Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure starts now!," says a post on the
official Facebook page for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Keith Urban was in The Oprah
Winfrey Show earlier this November where he confirmed his performance at the much
anticipated episodes set to be shot in Sydney this December. Urban promoted his
sixth studio album Get Closer to in the United States. However, the Australia
singer did not comment on rumours that his wife Nicole Kidman will also be on
Oprah's Australian show. Tomorrow's episode might just confirm if Nicole Kidman
will indeed be a guest on December 14 and 15 at the Sydney Opera "Oprah"
House. Mad
Max Revamped Movie #4 Will Happen Says Aussiewood Insiders; Fury Road?!... Remember
the Aussie cult film classic that went on to mainstream...Max Max. They got to
#3, always with Aussie tough guy Mel Gibson in the lead as 'Max Rockatansky' aka
'The Road Warrior'. Filming will take place near Broken Hill, New South Wales.
Gibson will not be reprising his old role in Mad Max 4: Fury Road which will star
British actor Tom Hardy alongside Charlize Theron. In November 2006, George Miller
had stated that he still had full intentions to make Fury Road, telling the press
that he was considering doing the film without Mel Gibson, saying, There's
a real hope. The last thing I wanted to do is another Mad Max, but this script
came along, and I'm completely carried away with it." The film's screenplay
was co-written with cult British comic creator Brendan McCarthy, who also designed
many of the new characters and vehicles. Miller again confirmed his desire to
make another Mad Max at the 2007 Aurora film maker initiative. However, he did
say he thought Mel Gibson would not be interested in the film because he is too
old (not too nuts!) Billionaire
Branson To Launch Apple iPad Lifestyle Mag... Aussie's
live Branson and Virgin, so you'll love this...Word of Sir Dick's plans to publish
"Project" for delivery on iPads came shortly after media mogul Rupert
Murdoch hinted that his News Corp empire will soon publish a digital newspaper
for the hot Apple gadgets. News Corp, owner of The Australian, has been tight-lipped
about the project but 79-year-old mogul Murdoch acknowledged in an interview last
week that "The Daily" is in the works. Sir Richard said in invitations
to the press that "Project" themes will include entertainment, travel,
business, design, and international culture. The event in New York City on Wednesday
did not indicate whether "Project" would be provided as passenger reading
on flights. Billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard owns about half of Virgin Atlantic
airline with its aircraft that boast internet-age amenities such as power outlets
at seats and wireless connections to the web. He recently said that his Virgin
Galactic enterprise is on track to offer commercial space travel within 18 months,
and that space hotels are next on the drawing board. Yeah, we know, Branson has
appeared in films such as Casino Royale, Around The World in 80 days, and a good
spread of other movies and TV specials. If your going to be a media tart, you
might as well be very good at it. Lachlan
Murdoch Acquires Ten Network Stake, Joins Shareholder Aussie James Packer... Lachlan
Murdoch, son of News Corp. Chairman Rupert, has recently acquired a little over
half of James Packers stake in Ten Network Holdings Ltd. Packer bought a
17.88% stake, or 172.2 million shares, in the media group last month through Cavalane
Holdings Ltd. Murdoch, through Illyria Nominees Television Pty Ltd. has agreed
to buy 93.4 million shares for A$128.2 million, according to a regulatory filing
to the ASX (Australian Stock Exchange). The two gents will act in concert in relation
to the exercise of their votes, the statement said. Packer and Murdoch agreed
to join the board of Australias third-ranked television broadcaster last
month. Gina Rinehart, Australias richest woman, lifted her stake in the
company to 10%. Packer also owns 49% of Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd. which
in turn has 25% of Foxtel, down under's largest pay television operator. Media
Man Showcases Movies; Reviews... Want
more? Check out AustralianSportsEntertainment.com Movies here
and AustralianSportsEntertainment.com Movie Reviews here. Try
not to get square eyes. We're told PartyGaming still has the best movie blockbuster
themed slot games on the planet, but you be the judge, jury and executioner. The
AustralianSportsEntertainment.com has left the building. Google
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