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15 JANUARY 2008.- THE HARRIS POLLDropping off the list this time around: Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, George Clooney and Harrison Ford. The movie poll was conducted between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12 and based on a sample of 1,114 U.S. adults. Here's a recap of Harris' 2008 favorite TV and movie stars polls.
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Source: E! Online) |
15 JANUARY 2008.- AND OUR FAVOURITE MOVIE STAR IS...
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Click Here to enlarge image |
16 JANUARY 2008.- DVD, 2007 A GREAT YEAR FOR MOVIES
"APOCALYPTO"
Source: Great Falls Tribune
Mainstream movies made a triumphant comeback in 2007 in terms of bringing integrity and originality back to the forefront.
Rather than relying on remakes or sequels, as has been the industry crutch for the past couple of years, Hollywood fed audiences a healthy dose of original ideas.
Family men were in large supply. One was a Mayan slave who just wanted to live long enough to save his family, while a father in San Francisco wanted to hold on long enough to get a job to support his son.
Giant, robotic, shape-shifting toys ruled. Frightening depictions of the future included everything from a sterile human race to an absurdly idiotic one. One writer ended up in a possessed hotel room, while another played puppet-master to a seemingly real person.
It was one of the most rewarding years I can remember in terms of sheer quality. With the constant flow of outstanding movies coming from all directions, it's exciting to think about what movies I will see in 2008 that I haven't even heard of yet.
As is the case this time of year, I have compiled a list of my favorite DVD releases from the previous year. The ninth annual A-Pat-emy Awards winners follow.
10. "Grindhouse"- I have to admit, when I saw the trailer that featured a woman with a machine gun for a leg, flying through the air, I vowed not to waste my time on this. Turns out, it's a groundbreaking double feature of "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" that has just as many laughs as it does stunts. Although the two movies were released separately on DVD, they were intended to be viewed together and thus count as one release here.
9. "1408"- It's really tough to pull off a unique and suspenseful thriller these days, and "1408" is as good as they come. John Cusack gives his best performance to date as Mike Enslin, a writer caught in a nightmare that doesn't have an end in sight.
8. "Transformers"- If this list was based on best theatrical movies of the year, this one would be much higher. Although it lost some of its luster in the transition to the small screen, it's still a wild ride where humans are mere playthings to giant, shape-shifting robots.
7. "Pursuit of Happyness" - If they didn't advertise this as a true story, you wouldn't believe it. One of the all-time greatest motivational movies that illustrates what a person can accomplish if he doesn't give up. If he wasn't already considered a top dramatic actor in Hollywood, Will Smith surely placed himself there after this performance.
6. "Apocalypto"- An awesome tale about a capsule of time in a Mayan's life. Gruesome at times, "Apocalypto" is "Dances With Wolves" meets "Rambo." Adding the interpretation of Mayan language to the mix was a brilliant move on the part of director Mel Gibson.
5. "Smokin' Aces"- Although no one can truly emulate the directing style of Quentin Tarantino, "Smokin' Aces" can be considered an ode to that type of filmmaking. Guns-a-blazin' and a hilariously twisted story, "Smokin' Aces" was one of the big surprise hits of the year.
4. "Idiocracy"- Released early in the year, this tale of a future where idiots rule doesn't seem that far-fetched. Credit "Beavis & Butthead" creator Mike Judge with giving us a look at a distant society where science most certainly doesn't rule and the president is named after Mountain Dew.
3. "300"- One of the best fighting films of all-time, "300" isn't about quick shots of acrobatic aptitude. The fight scenes are slowed, very graphic and intense. Featuring a tale of mythological proportions, "300" took a real story of the Spartan Battle of Thermopylae and melded in Frank Miller's graphic novel interpretation.
2. "Pan's Labyrinth"- This is not a fairy tale for youngsters. Mexican director Guillermo del Toro has thrown his name in the mix as one of the most important directors today. At times moving along like a Tool video, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a heart-wrenching tale of a young girl escaping her grim existence through her imagination.
1. "Superbad"- Many movies have been made about the awkward teenager's plight to be accepted. This one puts the awkward teenager in the spotlight and makes them look unexpectedly cool. Nonstop laughs abound as the movie of the year follows one night in the lives of some of the most hopeless teens in movie history.
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"APOCALYPTO" |
Mainstream movies made a triumphant comeback in 2007 in terms of bringing integrity and originality back to the forefront.
Rather than relying on remakes or sequels, as has been the industry crutch for the past couple of years, Hollywood fed audiences a healthy dose of original ideas.
Family men were in large supply. One was a Mayan slave who just wanted to live long enough to save his family, while a father in San Francisco wanted to hold on long enough to get a job to support his son.
Giant, robotic, shape-shifting toys ruled. Frightening depictions of the future included everything from a sterile human race to an absurdly idiotic one. One writer ended up in a possessed hotel room, while another played puppet-master to a seemingly real person. It was one of the most rewarding years I can remember in terms of sheer quality. With the constant flow of outstanding movies coming from all directions, it's exciting to think about what movies I will see in 2008 that I haven't even heard of yet.
As is the case this time of year, I have compiled a list of my favorite DVD releases from the previous year. The ninth annual A-Pat-emy Awards winners follow.
10. "Grindhouse"- I have to admit, when I saw the trailer that featured a woman with a machine gun for a leg, flying through the air, I vowed not to waste my time on this. Turns out, it's a groundbreaking double feature of "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" that has just as many laughs as it does stunts. Although the two movies were released separately on DVD, they were intended to be viewed together and thus count as one release here.
9. "1408"- It's really tough to pull off a unique and suspenseful thriller these days, and "1408" is as good as they come. John Cusack gives his best performance to date as Mike Enslin, a writer caught in a nightmare that doesn't have an end in sight.
8. "Transformers"- If this list was based on best theatrical movies of the year, this one would be much higher. Although it lost some of its luster in the transition to the small screen, it's still a wild ride where humans are mere playthings to giant, shape-shifting robots.
7. "Pursuit of Happyness" - If they didn't advertise this as a true story, you wouldn't believe it. One of the all-time greatest motivational movies that illustrates what a person can accomplish if he doesn't give up. If he wasn't already considered a top dramatic actor in Hollywood, Will Smith surely placed himself there after this performance.
6. "Apocalypto"- An awesome tale about a capsule of time in a Mayan's life. Gruesome at times, "Apocalypto" is "Dances With Wolves" meets "Rambo." Adding the interpretation of Mayan language to the mix was a brilliant move on the part of director Mel Gibson.
5. "Smokin' Aces"- Although no one can truly emulate the directing style of Quentin Tarantino, "Smokin' Aces" can be considered an ode to that type of filmmaking. Guns-a-blazin' and a hilariously twisted story, "Smokin' Aces" was one of the big surprise hits of the year.
4. "Idiocracy"- Released early in the year, this tale of a future where idiots rule doesn't seem that far-fetched. Credit "Beavis & Butthead" creator Mike Judge with giving us a look at a distant society where science most certainly doesn't rule and the president is named after Mountain Dew.
3. "300"- One of the best fighting films of all-time, "300" isn't about quick shots of acrobatic aptitude. The fight scenes are slowed, very graphic and intense. Featuring a tale of mythological proportions, "300" took a real story of the Spartan Battle of Thermopylae and melded in Frank Miller's graphic novel interpretation.
2. "Pan's Labyrinth"- This is not a fairy tale for youngsters. Mexican director Guillermo del Toro has thrown his name in the mix as one of the most important directors today. At times moving along like a Tool video, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a heart-wrenching tale of a young girl escaping her grim existence through her imagination.
1. "Superbad"- Many movies have been made about the awkward teenager's plight to be accepted. This one puts the awkward teenager in the spotlight and makes them look unexpectedly cool. Nonstop laughs abound as the movie of the year follows one night in the lives of some of the most hopeless teens in movie history.
19 JANUARY 2008.- CRICKET
WOW!!! WE WANT TO SEE IT!
Source: www.smh.com.au
THE cricket will be played on a modest oval in suburban Los Angeles, but the players in this Ashes contest are anything but ordinary.
Picture this: Russell Crowe as wicketkeeper, Mel Gibson in first slip, Steve Waugh directing the action, and Mike Whitney shaking up England openers Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. To add to the magic, England's boy wizard Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe will be there too.
Next on the English batting order is the great all-rounder Ian Botham, followed by glamour boys Jude Law and Robbie Williams.
In the VIP tent, John Travolta, Kylie Minogue, Harrison Ford and Olivia Newton-John eat meat pies and sip cold Australian beer.
The game, dubbed the G'Day USA Hollywood Ashes Twenty20 match, will take place tomorrow on a community sports field in the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley.
With no grandstands, sight screens or boundary fence, LA's Leo Magnus Cricket Complex, a favourite place for locals to walk their dogs, is definitely not Lord's or the MCG.
"If we've got Braveheart and the Gladiator on our side we'll be sweet," said Waugh, referring to his two Oscar-winning teammates, Gibson and Crowe.
It will be Waugh's first cricket game since retiring in 2004 but he said Crowe has him pumped and ready to shake off the cobwebs.
"We've exchanged messages on the phone and we've talked a little about it and he wants to know if he's first or second change," Waugh said. "I'll let the Gladiator do what he wants."
Organisers of the highly successful Australia Week G'Day USA festival - designed to promote Australia in the US - added the celebrity cricket match to this year's already glamour-filled schedule. The response from celebrities and cricket stars from Australia and England was phenomenal.
Organisers have been reluctant to release an official list of players signed up to play, but if the whispers around the close-knit Australian community in LA are correct, it will be an interesting day's cricket.
Other celebrities expected to pad up for Australia are Shannon Noll, Cameron Daddo and chef Curtis Stone. There is also speculation Shane Warne may play.
Australia may have Waugh as captain and Whitney in the team, but England will probably go into the game as favourites with a few Test players as secret weapons.
Simon Jones, the tall Welsh-born right-arm fast bowler who took 18 wickets in the 2005 Ashes series, will lead the English attack.
If ageing rockers Jagger and Stewart fall quickly, England's batting will be bolstered by dashing right-hander Kevin Pietersen and Twenty20 all-rounder Robert Key.
Waugh thinks Radcliffe, with or without his magic wand, could be the dark horse.
"I know Robbie Williams is a big soccer fan and I'm not sure about Jude Law, but I know Daniel Radcliffe loves his cricket so I'd say he'd be the danger man," Waugh said.
The game takes place 12 hours after the sold-out G'Day USA Ball at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel, where guests have paid up to $US20,000 ($22,841) for a table and will drink Penfolds wine and feast on a dinner overseen by Neil Perry.
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WOW!!! WE WANT TO SEE IT! |
THE cricket will be played on a modest oval in suburban Los Angeles, but the players in this Ashes contest are anything but ordinary.
Picture this: Russell Crowe as wicketkeeper, Mel Gibson in first slip, Steve Waugh directing the action, and Mike Whitney shaking up England openers Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. To add to the magic, England's boy wizard Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe will be there too.
Next on the English batting order is the great all-rounder Ian Botham, followed by glamour boys Jude Law and Robbie Williams.
In the VIP tent, John Travolta, Kylie Minogue, Harrison Ford and Olivia Newton-John eat meat pies and sip cold Australian beer.
The game, dubbed the G'Day USA Hollywood Ashes Twenty20 match, will take place tomorrow on a community sports field in the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley.
With no grandstands, sight screens or boundary fence, LA's Leo Magnus Cricket Complex, a favourite place for locals to walk their dogs, is definitely not Lord's or the MCG.
"If we've got Braveheart and the Gladiator on our side we'll be sweet," said Waugh, referring to his two Oscar-winning teammates, Gibson and Crowe.
It will be Waugh's first cricket game since retiring in 2004 but he said Crowe has him pumped and ready to shake off the cobwebs.
"We've exchanged messages on the phone and we've talked a little about it and he wants to know if he's first or second change," Waugh said. "I'll let the Gladiator do what he wants."
Organisers of the highly successful Australia Week G'Day USA festival - designed to promote Australia in the US - added the celebrity cricket match to this year's already glamour-filled schedule. The response from celebrities and cricket stars from Australia and England was phenomenal.
Organisers have been reluctant to release an official list of players signed up to play, but if the whispers around the close-knit Australian community in LA are correct, it will be an interesting day's cricket.
Other celebrities expected to pad up for Australia are Shannon Noll, Cameron Daddo and chef Curtis Stone. There is also speculation Shane Warne may play.
Australia may have Waugh as captain and Whitney in the team, but England will probably go into the game as favourites with a few Test players as secret weapons.
Simon Jones, the tall Welsh-born right-arm fast bowler who took 18 wickets in the 2005 Ashes series, will lead the English attack.
If ageing rockers Jagger and Stewart fall quickly, England's batting will be bolstered by dashing right-hander Kevin Pietersen and Twenty20 all-rounder Robert Key.
Waugh thinks Radcliffe, with or without his magic wand, could be the dark horse.
"I know Robbie Williams is a big soccer fan and I'm not sure about Jude Law, but I know Daniel Radcliffe loves his cricket so I'd say he'd be the danger man," Waugh said.
The game takes place 12 hours after the sold-out G'Day USA Ball at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel, where guests have paid up to $US20,000 ($22,841) for a table and will drink Penfolds wine and feast on a dinner overseen by Neil Perry.
19 JANUARY 2008.- G DAY USA: AUSTRALIA WEEK IN THE US 2008
This January, the best of Australian culture, fashion, food and business will be celebrated in Los Angeles and New York with the largest annual foreign country promotion in the United States - G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008.
G'Day USA is actually one of Australia's largest trade and investment promotions anywhere in the world and Advance is excited to once again be involved with it.
G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008, includes Australian celebrities and businesses such as food & wine products, trade and investment professionals, film and art experts, star athletes, fashion designers and tourism experiences coming together in more than 25 events from Los Angeles to New York. Activities are in Los Angeles from January 17-21 and New York from January 21-26. Australian in-store promotions will be held at Bristol Farms [LA] and Citarella [NYC] stores and an online auction, the Great Aussie Auction.
G'Day USA: Australia Week promotes Australia in a series of events that are open to the public to demonstrate that Australia is a unique place to visit with an innovative, sophisticated and vital economy. G'Day USA will open in Los Angeles on January 16 with the Aussie Youth Festival at a local college campus. The following day introduces an energy and climate change symposium entitled The Road to Renewables. On January 19, Los Angeles hosts G'Day USA's signature event, the Australia.com Icon Gala Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel where Kylie Minogue will be honored for her contribution to the entertainment industry and Award-winning director Phillip Noyce will receive the Excellence in Film Award. Fellow Australian, Olivia Newton John is scheduled to perform on the evening and celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck will share the kitchen with Australian chef Neil Perry to create an Aussie dinner featuring fresh ingredients flown in from Australia. On Monday, January 21, the Los Angeles portion of G'Day USA comes to an end with the Melbourne Australia CEO Golf Day, a golf tournament hosted by famed Australian golfer Ian Baker Finch.
The opening event in New York will be the Queensland Government Walk on the Wildside Benefit Dinner on January 22 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This event will be held in partnership with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and attended by Terri and Bindi Irwin in order to raise the profile of their global foundation and to honor the original wildlife warrior, Steve Irwin.
On January 23, Advance has worked with the Australian State Governments to produce a day long symposium - Innovation Day - presenting Australian innovation and investment potential to US business and industry executives. There will be an Innovation Shoot Out in the morning with our six state finalists, followed by a Cocktail Reception in the evening. Advance is also happy to support two other Innovation Day events - the CSIRO Open Forum, and ANU: The Energy of Asia.
January 24 features Australia Walkabout Planet Oz which will focus on Australia's eco and World Heritage tourism experiences and Australian fashion designers will be showcasing their collections at the Fashion Showroom Event from January 23-25. On January 26, guests will attend G'Day USA's closing event, the Merino 200 Jacob's Creek Australia Day Black Tie Gala which will honour Australian actor Julian McMahon.
Australian celebrity chefs, Shannon Bennett, Luke Mangan, Neil Perry and Hollywood chef Wolfgang Puck will bring Australian cuisine to the palates of G'DAY USA participants. Each will incorporate their own signature native twist on their menus with fresh ingredients flown in from Australia.
And for those that can't make the events in Los Angeles and New York, the Great Aussie Auction will run from January 17 until February 15, with more than 20 unique eco-tourism experiences on offer.
For more information about events including complete descriptions, locations and how to purchase tickets, please visit www.australia-week.com.
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW! THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THE CRICKET...BAD GUYS, VERY BAD GUYS
G'Day USA is actually one of Australia's largest trade and investment promotions anywhere in the world and Advance is excited to once again be involved with it.
G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008, includes Australian celebrities and businesses such as food & wine products, trade and investment professionals, film and art experts, star athletes, fashion designers and tourism experiences coming together in more than 25 events from Los Angeles to New York. Activities are in Los Angeles from January 17-21 and New York from January 21-26. Australian in-store promotions will be held at Bristol Farms [LA] and Citarella [NYC] stores and an online auction, the Great Aussie Auction.
G'Day USA: Australia Week promotes Australia in a series of events that are open to the public to demonstrate that Australia is a unique place to visit with an innovative, sophisticated and vital economy. G'Day USA will open in Los Angeles on January 16 with the Aussie Youth Festival at a local college campus. The following day introduces an energy and climate change symposium entitled The Road to Renewables. On January 19, Los Angeles hosts G'Day USA's signature event, the Australia.com Icon Gala Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel where Kylie Minogue will be honored for her contribution to the entertainment industry and Award-winning director Phillip Noyce will receive the Excellence in Film Award. Fellow Australian, Olivia Newton John is scheduled to perform on the evening and celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck will share the kitchen with Australian chef Neil Perry to create an Aussie dinner featuring fresh ingredients flown in from Australia. On Monday, January 21, the Los Angeles portion of G'Day USA comes to an end with the Melbourne Australia CEO Golf Day, a golf tournament hosted by famed Australian golfer Ian Baker Finch.
The opening event in New York will be the Queensland Government Walk on the Wildside Benefit Dinner on January 22 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This event will be held in partnership with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and attended by Terri and Bindi Irwin in order to raise the profile of their global foundation and to honor the original wildlife warrior, Steve Irwin.
On January 23, Advance has worked with the Australian State Governments to produce a day long symposium - Innovation Day - presenting Australian innovation and investment potential to US business and industry executives. There will be an Innovation Shoot Out in the morning with our six state finalists, followed by a Cocktail Reception in the evening. Advance is also happy to support two other Innovation Day events - the CSIRO Open Forum, and ANU: The Energy of Asia.
January 24 features Australia Walkabout Planet Oz which will focus on Australia's eco and World Heritage tourism experiences and Australian fashion designers will be showcasing their collections at the Fashion Showroom Event from January 23-25. On January 26, guests will attend G'Day USA's closing event, the Merino 200 Jacob's Creek Australia Day Black Tie Gala which will honour Australian actor Julian McMahon.
Australian celebrity chefs, Shannon Bennett, Luke Mangan, Neil Perry and Hollywood chef Wolfgang Puck will bring Australian cuisine to the palates of G'DAY USA participants. Each will incorporate their own signature native twist on their menus with fresh ingredients flown in from Australia.
And for those that can't make the events in Los Angeles and New York, the Great Aussie Auction will run from January 17 until February 15, with more than 20 unique eco-tourism experiences on offer.
For more information about events including complete descriptions, locations and how to purchase tickets, please visit www.australia-week.com.
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW! THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THE CRICKET...BAD GUYS, VERY BAD GUYS
20 JANUARY 2008.- G'DAY GALA IN LA
SORRY, Mel Didnīt Want to Light up G'Day red carpet in LA
Mel Gibson waxwork at Madame Tussaud's in London, England
Source:The West (Australia)
Kylie Minogue scorched the red carpet in Hollywood and then lived out a childhood fantasy.
Australia's pop princess watched her idol Olivia Newton-John perform songs from the Grease and Xanadu movies and then John Travolta presented her an award.
"Tell me this isn't happening," Minogue told the 1,200 guests inside Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel for the G'Day USA black tie ball.
"John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John! I'm eight years old again and back in Melbourne."
Minogue was the star attraction at the event, with Travolta, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Terri and Bindi Irwin, and Australian sports stars including former cricketers Steve Waugh and Mike Whitney in attendance.
Australian director Phillip Noyce also was honoured at the event, with Ford presenting his award.
Noyce directed Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
Minogue and Noyce were honoured for "significant contributions in their industries and for excellence in promoting Australia in the US".
Rock stars Sting and Bono sent their best wishes to Minogue in a video presentation.
"Like any man on the planet, I'm not immune to your iconic beauty," Sting said in his message.
Individual tickets to the ball cost a minimum of $US300 ($A342), with big spenders including Hollywood studio and music industry executives shelling out up to $US20,000 ($A22,845) for a table.
The 1,200 seats for the event sold out just days after going on sale.
G'Day USA has grown from a week of events in Los Angeles in 2004 to this year's two week festival spread across the US, with major tourism, trade, film and sporting events and balls in LA, New York and Houston.
The LA ball has nudged its way into Hollywood's peak party period - Oscar season - matching the glamour film industry shindigs with plenty of Aussie star power.
Last year, the G'Day Ball in LA honoured Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe and the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.
Other honourees include Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Anthony LaPaglia, Mel Gibson, Olivia Newton John, Hugh Jackman and INXS.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban met at a G'Day Ball.
The glamour shifts to New York next week, where the Irwins and boxing legend Muhammad Ali are expected to attend a Queensland government benefit dinner for Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.
Actor Julian McMahon will be honoured at another sold out G'Day USA Ball at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with his Fantastic Four co-star Jessica Alba introducing him to 1,000 guests who also paid up to $US20,000 a table.
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SORRY, Mel Didnīt Want to Light up G'Day red carpet in LA
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Kylie Minogue scorched the red carpet in Hollywood and then lived out a childhood fantasy.
Australia's pop princess watched her idol Olivia Newton-John perform songs from the Grease and Xanadu movies and then John Travolta presented her an award.
"Tell me this isn't happening," Minogue told the 1,200 guests inside Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel for the G'Day USA black tie ball.
"John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John! I'm eight years old again and back in Melbourne."
Minogue was the star attraction at the event, with Travolta, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Terri and Bindi Irwin, and Australian sports stars including former cricketers Steve Waugh and Mike Whitney in attendance.
Australian director Phillip Noyce also was honoured at the event, with Ford presenting his award.
Noyce directed Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
Minogue and Noyce were honoured for "significant contributions in their industries and for excellence in promoting Australia in the US".
Rock stars Sting and Bono sent their best wishes to Minogue in a video presentation.
"Like any man on the planet, I'm not immune to your iconic beauty," Sting said in his message.
Individual tickets to the ball cost a minimum of $US300 ($A342), with big spenders including Hollywood studio and music industry executives shelling out up to $US20,000 ($A22,845) for a table.
The 1,200 seats for the event sold out just days after going on sale.
G'Day USA has grown from a week of events in Los Angeles in 2004 to this year's two week festival spread across the US, with major tourism, trade, film and sporting events and balls in LA, New York and Houston.
The LA ball has nudged its way into Hollywood's peak party period - Oscar season - matching the glamour film industry shindigs with plenty of Aussie star power.
Last year, the G'Day Ball in LA honoured Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe and the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.
Other honourees include Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Anthony LaPaglia, Mel Gibson, Olivia Newton John, Hugh Jackman and INXS.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban met at a G'Day Ball.
The glamour shifts to New York next week, where the Irwins and boxing legend Muhammad Ali are expected to attend a Queensland government benefit dinner for Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.
Actor Julian McMahon will be honoured at another sold out G'Day USA Ball at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with his Fantastic Four co-star Jessica Alba introducing him to 1,000 guests who also paid up to $US20,000 a table.
21 JANUARY 2008.- G'DAY BALL
G'Day USA Ball at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel
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G'Day USA Ball at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel |
21 JANUARY 2008.- HOLLYWOOD BIG HITTERS FAIL TO SHOW
Source: TNVZ
The dream scenario was to have Russell Crowe firing down bouncers at Jude Law and Robbie Williams in the final over of the inaugural G'Day USA Hollywood Ashes cricket match in suburban Los Angeles.
But Crowe was a no-show to the game.
Law, Williams, Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe had said they would play for the English team, but also did not turn up.
Oscar winner Mel Gibson did show, but opted to do the official coin toss and then retreat to the VIP tent sponsored by Qantas.
With or without A-List celebrity star wattage, organisers of one of the blue chip events of the Australia Week festival currently underway in the US did have a thriller ending to their 25-over celebrity cricket game between old rivals Australia, led by former test captain Steve Waugh, and England.
England, stacked with county and semi-professional players, needed one run to win with two balls left to claim the Hollywood Ashes trophy from the Australian team that included British Open golf champion Ian Baker-Finch, seven time women's world surfing champion Layne Beachley, and actor Cameron Daddo.
Beachley showed she was almost as handy with a cricket bat as a surfboard, smashing four runs off five balls.
The game came down to Aussie fast bowler turned TV personality, Mike Whitney, bowling the final over against England test batsman, Robert Key.
Key, sadly for the largely Australian crowd who enjoyed $US5 Boag's beers and Four'n Twenty meat pies - both hard-to-find commodities in the US - scored the winning run, guiding his team passed Australia's total of 182.
Key opened the batting and finished the game with 51 not out. Waugh - playing his first game of cricket since retiring in 2004, scored 40 runs off 26 balls, including one six that nearly wiped out Gibson in the VIP tent.
Waugh, 42, who travelled to the US with his wife and three children for the G'Day USA events and to hold a benefit for his charity, dismissed any thoughts of making a comeback to professional cricket.
Mel Gibson did the official coin toss
Click here to see photos
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The dream scenario was to have Russell Crowe firing down bouncers at Jude Law and Robbie Williams in the final over of the inaugural G'Day USA Hollywood Ashes cricket match in suburban Los Angeles.
But Crowe was a no-show to the game.
Law, Williams, Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe had said they would play for the English team, but also did not turn up.
Oscar winner Mel Gibson did show, but opted to do the official coin toss and then retreat to the VIP tent sponsored by Qantas.
With or without A-List celebrity star wattage, organisers of one of the blue chip events of the Australia Week festival currently underway in the US did have a thriller ending to their 25-over celebrity cricket game between old rivals Australia, led by former test captain Steve Waugh, and England.
England, stacked with county and semi-professional players, needed one run to win with two balls left to claim the Hollywood Ashes trophy from the Australian team that included British Open golf champion Ian Baker-Finch, seven time women's world surfing champion Layne Beachley, and actor Cameron Daddo.
Beachley showed she was almost as handy with a cricket bat as a surfboard, smashing four runs off five balls.
The game came down to Aussie fast bowler turned TV personality, Mike Whitney, bowling the final over against England test batsman, Robert Key.
Key, sadly for the largely Australian crowd who enjoyed $US5 Boag's beers and Four'n Twenty meat pies - both hard-to-find commodities in the US - scored the winning run, guiding his team passed Australia's total of 182.
Key opened the batting and finished the game with 51 not out. Waugh - playing his first game of cricket since retiring in 2004, scored 40 runs off 26 balls, including one six that nearly wiped out Gibson in the VIP tent.
Waugh, 42, who travelled to the US with his wife and three children for the G'Day USA events and to hold a benefit for his charity, dismissed any thoughts of making a comeback to professional cricket.
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Mel Gibson did the official coin toss
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21 JANUARY 2008.- G'DAY, NEW PHOTOS!
Mel Gibson, PHOTOS and PHOTOS!
Click Here to see new pics
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Mel Gibson, PHOTOS and PHOTOS!
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22 JANUARY 2008.- PHOTOS AND PHOTOS
Click Here to see photos !
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Click Here to see photos ! |
23 JANUARY 2008.- MEL GIBSON LEADS TRIBUTE TO HEATH LEDGER
THE PATRIOT 2000
Source: Telegraph (UK)
Mel Gibson, the Hollywood star who was instrumental in helping Ledger move from small-time actor to big screen star, led tributes yesterday, saying the 28-year-old's death was "tragic".
"I had such great hope for him," said the Oscar-winning actor and director, who cast Ledger to play his son in the 2001 epic about the US war of independence The Patriot.
Mel Gibson cast Heath Ledger to play his son in the 2001 film The Patriot
"He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."
Nicole Kidman, the Australian Oscar winner said: "What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family."
The actor John Travolta, in Australia to attend a benefit dinner, described Ledger as one of his "favorite actors". "His abilities are rare...it's a tremendous loss. It's hard to be here celebrating Australia under these circumstances."
Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, also said he was greatly saddened by Ledger's death. "It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life.
"Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor."
Warner Bros, the film studio, said the entertainment industry had lost a "brilliant actor and an exceptional person."
"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news," Warner Bros chief Alan Horn and Warner Bros Picture Group president Jeff Robinov said in a statement.
"The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
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THE PATRIOT 2000 |
Mel Gibson, the Hollywood star who was instrumental in helping Ledger move from small-time actor to big screen star, led tributes yesterday, saying the 28-year-old's death was "tragic".
"I had such great hope for him," said the Oscar-winning actor and director, who cast Ledger to play his son in the 2001 epic about the US war of independence The Patriot.
Mel Gibson cast Heath Ledger to play his son in the 2001 film The Patriot
"He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."
Nicole Kidman, the Australian Oscar winner said: "What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family."
The actor John Travolta, in Australia to attend a benefit dinner, described Ledger as one of his "favorite actors". "His abilities are rare...it's a tremendous loss. It's hard to be here celebrating Australia under these circumstances."
Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, also said he was greatly saddened by Ledger's death. "It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life.
"Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor."
Warner Bros, the film studio, said the entertainment industry had lost a "brilliant actor and an exceptional person."
"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news," Warner Bros chief Alan Horn and Warner Bros Picture Group president Jeff Robinov said in a statement.
"The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
23 JANUARY 2008.- G'DAY VIDEOS
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