Bowersox finds out her files were checked in Ohio (AP)

AP - "American Idol" runner-up Crystal Bowersox has learned that personal information on her was improperly checked in her home state of Ohio.

Japanese samurai movie pokes fun at tradition (Reuters)

Reuters - Prolific Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins" is a surprisingly conventional remake of a 1963 samurai movie, but he injects enough horror and humour to win over viewers at the Venice film festival.

Star-studded films vie for attention in Toronto (Reuters)

Reuters - Get ready for a high-stakes, star-packed game of musical chairs as the 35th Toronto International Film Festival gets under way Thursday.

Star-studded films vie for attention in Toronto (Reuters)

Reuters - Get ready for a high-stakes, star-packed game of musical chairs as the 35th Toronto International Film Festival gets under way Thursday.

Ben Affleck back in Boston with undercooked drama (Reuters)

Reuters - You can take the boy out of Boston, but Ben Affleck isn't done with his hometown.

Rapper Tempah leads MOBO award contenders (Reuters)

Reuters - English rapper Tinie Tempah is leading the way among contenders for this year's MOBO awards with four nominations including Best Newcomer and Best UK Act.

Discovery-Hasbro kids network faces challenges (Reuters)

Reuters - 10/10/10. That's the date when the kids TV market will get even more crowded with the launch of the Hub, a network joint venture of Discovery Communications and toy giant Hasbro.

Left for dead by MTV, music videos rebound on Web (AP)

AP - It wasn't long ago that the music video was on life support.

Pratt to Montag: Sorry for my outrageous behavior (AP)

AP - Former "The Hills" star Spencer Pratt is apologizing to his estranged wife, Heidi Montag, for acting out in their breakup.

Franzen live, and surprised, at Barnes & Noble (AP)

AP - Jonathan Franzen is still getting used to the attention.

Eminem set to open MTV Video Music Awards (AP)

AP - Eminem is not afraid to open the MTV Video Music Awards.

Final 4 acts advance on 'America's Got Talent' (AP)

AP - Three very different singers and a group of special-effects wizards got talent — and votes.

Colbert, VP Biden fete troops with hot dogs, beer (AP)

AP - A hot dog vending cart was wheeled back and forth. Cocktail waitresses hurried past with trays full of beer. Vice President Joe Biden led New York Yankees great Yogi Berra by the arm.

Former James Bond star doesn't care about 007 woes (omg!)

omg! - Reuters - The James Bond franchise may be in grave danger thanks to its studio's financial woes, but a former 007 actor is not too shaken up about it.

APNewsBreak: Spears' ex disputes abuse claims (AP)

AP - An attorney for Britney Spears' ex-husband called child abuse claims leveled at the singer by a former bodyguard baseless and motivated by money.

Briton Piers Morgan named Larry King replacement (Reuters)

Reuters - British television host Piers Morgan is to replace veteran CNN talk show host Larry King in January, bringing what is expected to be a more acerbic tone to the long-running prime time U.S. interview show.

Discovery, Hasbro ready Hub network for launch (Reuters)

Reuters - Discovery Communications and toy maker Hasbro Inc said on Wednesday their new joint-venture cable network The Hub, to launch next month, would target an under-served market of children aged 11 and younger.

He's a She: Sarah Ruhl's Take on Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando' Begins in NYC (Playbill)

Playbill -

Francesca Faridany, late of Broadway's The 39 Steps, plays the title role of an Elizabethan man who transforms into a woman in the Sept. 8 New York City premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Orlando for Classic Stage Company.

Disney hires new marketing guru for "Pirates 4" (Reuters)

Reuters - Disney has taken the unusual step of bringing in a consultant to handle the marketing of its fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, a move bound to raise questions about the marketing boss hired by the studio five months ago.

Spyglass signs letter of intent with MGM: source (Reuters)

Reuters - The founders of production company Spyglass Entertainment have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to take over management of financially troubled movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Spain's Alejandro Sanz among top Latin Grammy nominees (Reuters)

Reuters - Superstar Spaniard Alejandro Sanz and three other singer-songwriters from Mexico, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic led the field of contenders unveiled on Wednesday for the 11th annual Latin Grammys with four nominations each.

Sony Pictures to animate Marvel characters: report (Reuters)

Reuters - Sony Pictures Entertainment, a division of Sony Corp, will partner with Marvel Entertainment to animate characters such as Iron Man, X-Men and Blade in Japan and broadcast them worldwide, the Nikkei business daily reported.

Rockers Disturbed dethrone Katy Perry on album chart (Reuters)

Reuters - Alt-metal rock band Disturbed claimed its fourth No. 1 album on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday despite a hefty drop in first-week sales.

Venice film fest fights its corner as crisis bites (Reuters)

Reuters - A dearth of big Hollywood stars, Venice's notoriously high costs, fierce competition from Toronto -- this year's film festival on the Lido is fighting to keep its place on the map as one of cinema's most prestigious events.

Toronto filmfest hopes to buck up weak Oscar season (Reuters)

Reuters - It's normally a proving ground for movies hoping to make a splash during Oscar season, but in a 2010 film season that has been thin on critical successes, this year's edition of the Toronto Film Festival could grab an even bigger share of the spotlight.

Google to start TV service in U.S. this autumn (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc will launch its service to bring the Web to TV screens in the United States this autumn and worldwide next year, its chief executive said, as it extends its reach from the desktop to the living room.

Playboy board hires advisers to weigh Hefner bid (Reuters)

Reuters - The Playboy Enterprises Inc special board committee tapped to evaluate Hugh Hefner's offer to take the company private said on Tuesday it retained Raine Securities LLC and Kaye Scholer LLP as its financial and legal advisors, respectively.

David Westin resigning as news head at Disney's ABC (Reuters)

Reuters - ABC News President David Westin said on Monday he was resigning after 13 years, according to a memo he sent to employees that was released on the network's website.

Brazil battles image problems amid movie boom (Reuters)

Reuters - It was the middle of the night in Jardim Tiradentes, one of Sao Paulo's rougher neighborhoods. A two-man crew was waiting to film a police raid when chief inspector Rafael Correa Lodi broke the bad news.

Clooney outdraws "Machete" at holiday box office (Reuters)

Reuters - In the battle of the box office assassins, A-lister George Clooney barely mustered more firepower with his new chart-topper "The American" than the relatively unknown star of "Machete," as the summer moviegoing season wrapped feebly during the Labor Day holiday weekend.