Ray Charles, who has won a string of posthumous Grammy Awards, belonged to a pioneering generation of artists that had a huge influence on the course of rock and pop music. His sound encompassed so many styles blues, gospel, jazz, rock 'n' roll, even country and had a real impact on the nascent UK beat and R B scenes. Compared in stature to Elvis Presley by some commentators, Charles' songs cast their spell on such 1960s stalwarts as Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood, Eric Burdon and Van Morrison. His influence has extended to contemporary artists such as Norah Jones, with whom he recently recorded a duet. If James Brown was the godfather of soul, then Ray Charles was indisputably one of its founding fathers. Along with Sam Cooke, he was instrumental in bringing together the gospel fervour of the deep south Baptist church with the "devil's" music of R B to pave the way for a new generation of soul artists. Without Charles, it is hard to imagine the tear stained Atlantic R B sound of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett. He was also a talented jazz composer, arranger and band leader, playing at the Newport Jazz Festival and Carnegie Hall and recording with noted jazz musicians such as Milt Jackson and David "Fathead" Newman. Unfortunately, he also shared another trait common among many jazz artists of the era that of heroin addiction, which led to him being arrested in 1965. His string of 1950s Atlantic R B successes included songs that would be covered by the first generation rock 'n' roll greats, including I've Got A Woman (Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley) and Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Eddie Cochran). After the exuberance of his 1959 signature song What'd I Say, Charles turned towards a more pop oriented style, recording Hoagy Carmichael's sentimental string ballad Georgia On My Mind, and the upbeat Hit The Road Jack. He also won acclaim in the country arena with his interpretations of Hank Williams standards such as Your Cheating Heart and You Win Again. More than 40 years after its release, his 1962 ABC album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is still regarded as a classic. His version of Don Gibson's I Can't Stop Loving You topped the pop and R B charts in the US. In 1972, he made a rare foray into protest songs with his album A Message from the People. On it, he took a stand on poverty and civil rights echoing similar recordings of the era from progeny such as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. More than 20 years later, he would embrace contemporary production with his 1993 album My World, which featured hip hop beats although Charles claimed at the time not to know what hip hop was. Among the tributes that poured in from all sections of the music world when Charles died aged 73 in June 2004 was one from his friend, the producer Quincy Jones, who described him as a "brother in every sense of the word". "There will never be another musician who did as much to break down the perceived walls of musical genres as much as Ray Charles did," he said. Former Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, who sang on 1960s hits such as Come Tomorrow and Sha La La, said Charles was one of his heroes. "I'm quite sure my own writing was influenced by him," he told BBC News Online. "I would put money on the proposition that Ray Charles will have an influence on music forever."


Proposals to open a museum dedicated to Jimi Hendrix are flailing because of a row over the home of his late father. The run down house in Seattle has already been moved wholesale once and local authorities are now demanding it be moved to another site. Hendrix supporters hoped to turn the home into a museum for the guitarist. "The mayor is going to go down as the mayor who destroyed Jimi Hendrix's house," said Ray Rae Marshall of the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation. The foundation moved the building, in which Al Hendrix lived between 1953 and 1956, when the land it was built on was to be developed for housing in 2002. Now the City of Seattle wants its new plot to be used for development, giving a deadline of 22 February for the home to be moved. Mr Goldman said the authority had promised the house could remain on its new site and be turned into a memorial and community centre. Seattle officials said no such deal had been offered. "We never said, 'You can own this property,'" said John Franklin, chief of its operations department. "From our perspective, it was a temporary situation. We have not threatened to demolish the house. We've simply asked that they have to move it." Now Mr Goldman is calling for the authority to pay to move the building to Seattle's central district, where Hendrix grew up. Janie Hendrix, the guitarist's stepsister, said the family were still hoping the guitarist would be honoured by having a road named after him. "That's something my father really wanted to see," she said. "It would be nice if we didn't have to fight for everything to get it." Hendrix was widely considered one of the most important guitarists of his time. He died of drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.


MPs have urged the BBC to give watchdogs more freedom to scrutinise how 2bn in licence fee money is spent. The Public Accounts Committee called for the National Audit Office to be given a "free hand" to investigate how the BBC offers value for money. Although six areas are to be opened up to scrutiny the audit office should have more power to choose what it investigated, the MPs said. The call was made in a report into the BBC's Freeview digital service. "Our aim is not to rewrite the storyline of EastEnders but simply to ensure that the BBC is as accountable to parliament as any other organisation spending public money," said the committee chairman, MP Edward Leigh. "The BBC's spending is not subject to the full independent scrutiny, and accountability to parliament. "Parliament requires television owners to pay a licence fee and expects the comptroller and auditor general, on behalf of parliament, to be able to scrutinise how that money, over 2 billion a year, is used." A BBC spokeswoman said: "We share the committee's interest in ensuring the public money we receive is spent well. Though in its infancy, we think the arrangements with the NAO are working well and should be given time to mature." The report said the Freeview digital service has had an "impressive" take up since its launch but the BBC must still dispel confusion about the service. The committee found the BBC had succeeded in ensuring subscription free access to digital channels following the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002. But the fact that one in four homes could not access Freeview remained a problem. The report said that while gaps in the coverage were largely due to landscape issues, there was need for detailed explanations on the Freeview website and on promotional literature as to why it was not available in specific areas. The government has proposed switch off of the analogue television signal, with 2012 the most recently proposed date. The BBC launched Freeview in 2002 as an alternative to satellite subscription services such as Sky, to allow its digital channels such as BBC Three and News 24 to be seen. There have been an estimated five million Freeview set top boxes sold since the launch and prices have fallen considerably. The corporation plans to spend up to 138m on Freeview before 2014 to ensure people can receive the service throughout the UK, and are aware of it.


George Michael is to perform live at London's Abbey Road studios as part of a BBC Radio 2 special next month. The session, which will broadcast on 18 December, will also see him talk about how his biggest hits came about. Michael's appearance is part of the station's Sold on Song initiative, which explores the art of songwriting. The station also confirmed that Chris Tarrant will be hosting a one off New Year's Eve programme. He left London's Capital FM this year after 17 years. The former breakfast show host who attracted some of the highest ratings in Britain, despite only broadcasting to London will offer his own individual take on the year in the two hour show. "This should be great fun," Tarrant said. "I've had a fantastic year and I know that lots of other people have as well. I'm definitely looking forward to being on Radio 2." Other Christmas specials from Radio 2 include singer Jamelia hosting a Christmas Day concert from the London Community Gospel Choir, while actor Christopher Lee will read Fireside Tales from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, E Nesbit and Ambrose Bierce. Comedian Harry Hill will host a spoof nostalgia show on Christmas Day, while singer Jamie Cullum will perform a live concert for the station.


A British author has had the film rights to her children's bestseller snapped up for a seven figure sum, with Ridley Scott set to direct. Michelle Paver's Wolf Brother, a fantasy set 6,000 years ago, is the first in a planned series of six books. Film studio Fox has bought the rights for around 4m ( 2.13m) for Scott's company Scott Free to develop. The director said he was "thrilled" with the project. "Wolf Brother is an enchanting book," he said. Paver, who lives in London and previously worked as a lawyer, began writing the book in 1982 while studying biochemistry at Oxford University. She was an established author of love stories when she turned the work in progress into a children's novel. It was published in 2004, with Paver earning an advance of 5m ( 2.8m) the highest sum ever paid for a debut children's book. Wolf Brother tells the story of Torak, a 12 year old hunter who lives in the forest. After his father is killed he teams up with a wolf cub and sets out to rid the forest of an evil force. Paver is currently writing the second book in the series. "Michelle Paver lives and breathes the worlds she writes about," said a spokesman for the author. "I've told her about the film deal but at the moment she is writing the second book and her mind is 6000 years away deep in the primeval forest."


Oscar winner Andrea Arnold has been congratulated by the UK Film Council, the organisation which partly funded her project. Arnold's film Wasp won the best live action short film award on Sunday. "The UK Film Council spends millions of pounds of lottery investment on short filmmaking in Britain every year," said chief executive officer John Woodward. "It certainly pays off when you see new film makers winning such prestigious awards," he added. Wasp, which was commissioned by the Film Council and Channel 4, beat films by fellow UK nominees Gary McKendry and Ashvin Kumar to the prize. It stars actress Nathalie Press, who appeared in the Bafta winning drama My Summer Of Love, as a single mother who is forced to take drastic action when she is invited on a date and is unable to find a babysitter to look after her four daughters. The film has already won over 30 other international awards including the Sundance Short Film Prize. Arnold, from Dartford in Kent, described her victory as "truly overwhelming. I'm really not used to this kind of thing," she said, after receiving her Oscar from actor Jeremy Irons. "Thanks to everyone who worked on this the beers are on me when we get home." The director was one of only two British winners on the night, the other being Sandy Powell, who won the costume design Oscar for her work on The Aviator.


British film director Sir Alan Parker has been made an officer in the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest cultural honours. Sir Alan received his decoration in Paris on Wednesday from French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. "You have explored the possibilities of film with an immense talent," Mr de Vabres said as he presented the award. Parker praised French films, saying: "Hollywood, which created modern cinema, uses it only as a commodity." He told the minister: "I am honoured to be thus distinguished by France, the flag carrier of cinema throughout the world." Sir Alan's films include Oscar winning Fame plus Midnight Express and The Commitments. A founding member of the Director's Guild of Great Britain, he is a former chairman of the UK Film Council and on the board of the British Film Institute. "Through your work and your campaigns, you have shown us how the artist occupies an essential place in our contemporary society," Mr de Vabres said. "Through your dreams which you show us, through the links that you weave, you question the world through the mirror of your work." He also cited the director's 2003 film The Life of David Gale, in which Kevin Spacey played a man on Death Row, as proof of his "veritable artistic commitment against the death sentence".


The National Gallery, home to some of the UK's greatest artworks, has seen a big jump in visitor numbers. Five million visitors made the London gallery which houses treasures like Raphael's Madonna of the Pinks the UK's most visited museum in 2004. It recorded a 13.8% rise in numbers and was the country's second most visited tourist attraction, behind Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Charles Saumarez Smith, the gallery's director, said he was "delighted". He said the number of visitors through the doors had boosted figures to pre 11 September 2001 levels. Mr Saumarez Smith added that the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square, where the gallery is located, and strong temporary collections throughout 2004 had led to the strong performance. "Our 2004 exhibition programme of El Greco, Russian Landscape in the Age of Tolstoy and Raphael: From Urbino to Rome was particularly strong and exceeded all targets," he said. "The exceptional quality of the paintings in our permanent collection is also huge draw for the public. "The expectations of today's visitors are higher than ever and we have kept pace with their demands." Mr Saumarez Smith said he was confident the gallery could maintain the attendance. "With important exhibitions of the work of Caravaggio, Stubbs and Rubens in place for 2005, I am confident that the gallery is set for another highly successful year," he added. The figures were prepared by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva). It found that the figures had been boosted by an increase in Europeans travelling to the UK on budget airlines. Popular cultural tourist spots such as the Tate Modern and the Natural History Museum all recorded increases of more than 10% in visitor numbers compared with 2003. But for legal or confidentiality reasons some Alva members did not submit figures for 2004, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Madame Tussauds and Alton Towers. Alva director Robin Broke said: "Visits from Western Europe were up by 10% and from North America by some 9% compared to 2003, while numbers from the rest of the world rose 20%. "European figures were helped by the rapid growth of low cost flights to Britain from Europe, especially from new EU countries."


Rock 'n' roll legend Elvis is set to top the UK singles chart on Sunday, 27 years after his death. The re release of hit song Jailhouse Rock was out selling X Factor winner Steve Brockstein's cover of Against All Odds by 2,000 copies on Tuesday. If the record does make the top spot, it will be Elvis' 19th UK number one. The last time he topped the charts was with the remix of the little known song A Little Less Conversation, which was number one in June 2002. If Jailhouse Rock does reach number one on Sunday, it will be the 999th in the history of the UK pop charts. The song first topped the charts in 1958. Chart analysts say Elvis could score the 1000th number one as well. His record One Night will be released the following week, followed the week after by A Fool Such As I, as part of his record company SonyBMG's new Elvis campaign. It has called it "the most ambitious singles release campaign in the history of the UK record industry".


Hollywood stars including Spike Lee, Burt Reynolds and Oscar nominee Alan Alda have paid tribute to actor Ossie Davis at a funeral in New York. Veteran star Ossie Davis, a well known civil rights activist, died in Miami at the age of 87 on 4 February 2005. Friends and family, including actress Ruby Dee his wife of 56 years, gathered at the Riverside Church on Saturday. Also present at the service was former US president Bill Clinton and singer Harry Belafonte, who gave the eulogy. "He would have been a very good president of the United States," said Mr Clinton. "Like most of you here, he gave more to me than I gave to him." The 87 year old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in Florida, where he was making a film. Police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. Davis made his acting debut in 1950 in No Way Out starring Sidney Poiter. He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee, starring in seven Lee films including Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of activist Malcolm X, recalled the famous eulogy delivered by Davis at her father's funeral. "Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes," she said, quoting the man she knew as Uncle Ossie. "Ditto." "Ossie was my hero, and he still is," said Aviator star Alan Alda, a family friend for over forty years. "Ossie was a thing of beauty." "I want so badly someday to have his dignity a little of it anyway," added Burt Reynolds, Davis's co star in the 90s TV comedy Evening Shade. Before the midday funeral, scores of Harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to Davis. "It is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom, his humour, his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought," said Belafonte, himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with Davis for over 60 years. "But how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did."


Comic book veteran Stan Lee is to team up with producer Robert Evans to create a movie featuring a new superhero. Foreverman will focus on a character who has to face problems in everyday life as well as using his special powers to save the world. Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the film, have revealed few details about the project but say it has the potential to spawn a series of films. Lee is best known for his work on Spider Man and The Incredible Hulk. He is collaborating on the script with screenwriter Peter Briggs, who penned the recent comic book adaptation Hellboy. "We believe it to be truly a whole new franchise," said Gill Champion, president and chief executive of Lee's POW! Entertainment. "In this world where people are looking for something different, Stan's idea was to create a concept not seen before to become an evergreen franchise for Paramount." Many of Lee's other creations, including X Men and Daredevil, have been turned into films in the past five years. However, the Spider Man series has been the biggest box office hit, with the 2002 original and its 2004 sequel taking almost 1.6bn ( 857m) worldwide. A third Spider Man film is scheduled for release in 2007. Another Marvel Comics adaptation, The Fantastic Four, will be released in cinemas this summer.


Germaine Greer has criticised Celebrity Big Brother's "bullying" of housemates after quitting the reality TV show. She said "superior" bullying tactics, like making housemates cold and hungry, could encourage playground bullying. She also condemned the "complete irresponsibility" of adding Brigitte Nielsen's former mother in law Jackie Stallone to the house on Monday. Nielsen had panicked that if she reacted badly it could harm her access to her children, Greer said. The feminist writer and broadcaster said Big Brother had behaved "like a child rather than a parent" by taunting contestant John McCririck after denying him a cola drink. "I thought it was actually demonstrating the role of taunting in the playground and there are so many children whose lives have actually been destroyed by taunting in the playground," Greer said. She also said that her fellow housemates had publicity seeking "agendas". "I had no idea who would be in here and it's wrong for me to present myself in the same context as they are." Media observers had been surprised by Greer's initial decision to join the third celebrity version of the Channel 4 reality TV show, given that she has written critical articles about the format in the past. As she packed her suitcase to leave the house she told fellow housemates: "I'm leaving over specific issues, but best for everyone if I don't discuss them. "I have a problem with decisions, I make them fast and when I make them, I stick to them." Greer had earlier failed to persuade other contestants to stage a naked protest against Big Brother. Other celebrities to walk out of a reality show TV include Sex Pistol John Lydon, former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook and ex E17 singer Brian Harvey who all left I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. Previous Big Brother housemates to leave before their time were Sunita Sharma and Sandy Cumming from the third series of the non celebrity version of the show. VOTE Was Germaine Greer right to leave Celebrity Big Brother? Yes No Results are indicative and may not reflect public opinion Happy Mondays dancer Bez is now 2 1 favourite to win the show, followed by Blazin' Squad singer Kenzie at 5 2 and actor Jeremy Edwards at 4 1. Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said that the series was still "wide open", adding that the last 24 hours had also seen a rush of bets on McCririck slashing his odds to 8 1. DJ Lisa I'Anson is the outsider with odds of 40 1, while Jackie Stallone, who joined the house on Monday, is also one of the less popular housemates at 20 1. The first eviction of the series has now been postponed after Greer's exit unexpectedly reduced the number of competitors. The eight remaining contestants are competing for a 50,000 prize, to be donated to the charity of their choice, if they survive a series of public votes. For every 50p vote cast by viewers by telephone or text during the programme's run, 9p will go to a tsunami charity appeal.


US rock band REM have been forced to cancel concerts after bass player Mike Mills was taken to hospital suffering from "severe flu like symptoms". The band were forced to cut short Monday night's show in Sheffield, and have cancelled Tuesday's Glasgow date. Mills could "hardly stand up, let alone play", said an REM spokesman, who added he is now "resting" in hospital. The remainder of the band played a short acoustic set on Monday. Tuesday's gig has been rescheduled for 15 June. Those who had a ticket for the show in Glasgow are being advised to retain their ticket stub so they can attend the new date. The band's spokesman said that they would review their remaining dates on a "day to day basis", based on doctors' advice to Mills. "Obviously we all want Mike to get better, and clearly we all want to play the shows. Rest assured we will do so as soon as possible," he said. The band were still hopeful they would be able to make their Wednesday date, added the spokesman. REM played accoustic versions of their hits Losing My Religion, I've Been High, Leaving New York and The One I Love to the Sheffield Arena audience on Monday. The band had originally been scheduled to play four dates in the UK as part of a world tour. In 1995 former drummer Bill Berry collapsed in Switzerland while the band was on tour, having suffered a ruptured aneurysm. He made a full recovery, only to leave the band two years later.


Hollywood is preparing for the biggest night in the film world's calendar, the 77th Academy Awards, on Sunday. A host of stars are expected to grace the red carpet outside Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre, including Johnny Depp, Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio. British actors in attendance include nominees Clive Owen, Imelda Staunton, Kate Winslet and director Mike Leigh. The Aviator leads the shortlist, but critics believe the night may belong to Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby. A recent poll of US pundits found Eastwood's boxing drama had become the new favourite to win best film over the Howard Hughes biopic. If the 74 year old does win, he will become the oldest person ever to be named best director at the ceremony. UK critics still favour The Aviator for best film, but believe the best director title will generate a close fought battle between Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. Scorsese has never won the best director prize, despite four previous nominations for films including Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Gangs of New York. Eastwood has won best director once before, for Unforgiven in 1993. Most experts predict the twice nominated Jamie Foxx will win best actor for his portrayal of singer Ray Charles, while Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton looks likely to lose out in the best actress field to Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. The UK's highest hopes remain with Clive Owen, who has scooped both the Golden Globe and the Bafta for his supporting role in Closer. Actor and comedian Chris Rock will host the event, which will be broadcast with a seven second time delay to allow censors to cut out any unsuitable content. "We have the bleep machine ready, but bleeps will be used as needed," producer Gil Cates told reporters. However, he added that he strongly disapproved of the growing tendency to censor live broadcasts on US TV. He also played down fears that Rock, who is known for using strong language in his stand up routines, might cause controversy on the night. The 40 year old comic has already promised not to swear live on air during the show. "Chris has a sense of humour and everything he says is really said humorously," Cates said. "You need a movie star and someone who is a stand up comic so they can deal with the vicissitudes of the show." Security will also be tight, with police employing a system to detect sarin nerve gas. "We are pulling out all the stops," said John Miller, chief of counterterrorism at the Los Angeles Police Department. The show is "a symbol of American culture and has the potential to be a high visibility target," he added. Meanwhile, organisers have erected a canopy over the red carpet following an outbreak of torrential rain in Los Angeles over the past week. Cates said the covers would be removed if the threat of wet weather receded. Details have also emerged of the contents of this year's gift bags, which are given to nominees and presenters on the night. This year's bags will include a gift certificate for a luxury beach resort, a pair of mink eyelashes and a kitchen set with a year's supply of tea and coffee. The event will be televised by the ABC network from 1700 local time (0100 GMT), and on Sky Movies in the UK from 0130 GMT.


Conductor Marcello Viotti, director of Venice's famous La Fenice Theatre, has died in Germany at 50. Viotti, director of La Fenice since 2002, conducted at renowned opera houses worldwide including Milan's La Scala and the Vienna State Opera. His time at La Fenice coincided with its reopening in 2003 after it was destroyed by fire in 1996. He fell into a coma after suffering a stroke during rehearsals for Jules Massenet's Manon last week. He conducted some of the best orchestras in the world including the Berlin Philharmonic and the English Chamber Orchestra. Viotti was born in Switzerland and studied the piano, cello and singing at the Lausanne Conservatory. His career breakthrough came in 1982 when he won first prize at the Gino Marinuzzi conducting competition in Italy. Viotti established himself as chief conductor of the Turin Opera and went on to become chief conductor of Munich's Radio Orchestra. At La Fenice Viotti was widely acclaimed for his production of the French composer Massenet's Thais and some of his other productions included Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. The last opera he directed at La Fenice was Massenet's Le Roi de Lahore. Viotti's debut at the New York's Metropolitan Opera came in 2000 with Giacomo Puccini's Madame Butterfly, followed by La Boheme, La Traviata and Fromental Halevy's La Juive. Giampaolo Vianello, superintendent of the Fenice Theatre Foundation, said: "I am filled with extreme sadness because, other than a great artist, he is missed as a friend a main character in the latest joyous times, during the rebirth of our theatre." Viotti's last public performance was on 5 February when he conducted Vincenzo Bellini's Norma at the Vienna State Opera.


The film world and media may be wild about the Oscars but cinema goers and the TV viewing public are sick of watching award ceremonies, according to some LA film critics. Bob Strauss, from the LA Daily News, thinks there are just too many televised gatherings of stars showering praise on each other. He came up with a colourful but unprintable description for these glitzy events, which roughly translates a "celebrity love in". This echoed the views of Oscars host and comedian Chris Rock, who whipped up a media storm for saying he rarely watched them, calling award shows "idiotic". "As Chris Rock accurately said, they're about celebrity and fashion," Mr Strauss said. The recent Grammy music awards proved to be a ratings loser, and it seems Oscars organisers are determined not to go the same way. Recently announced changes to the ceremony include lining up all five nominees on stage before announcing the winner. Unsurprisingly, this prompted press speculation that the changes were aimed at boosting flagging advertising revenue. But Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger maintained the Oscars only generated excitement outside the industry when a blockbuster, such as Titanic or Lord of the Rings, was nominated. The near constant flow of US film awards, representing directors, actors and producers' guilds, also means "few surprises" are left by the time the Oscar ceremony is upon us, he said. A quick scan of the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News bears this out speculation about who will win seems to have ground to a halt. On Thursday, the Times simply printed a picture of the plastic tents going up outside the Kodak Theatre to protect the red carpet from rain. Variety and the Hollywood Reporter have also kept their focus firmly on industry related news, while in the UK bets have closed on the best actor category, with Ray star Jamie Foxx a dead cert to win. Screen International's US editor Mike Goodridge thinks 2004's films have simply not grabbed the public's imagination. "Film makers haven't produced films that people adore this year," he said. "They adored Saving Private Ryan for example people loved it and it made a ton of money. "2004's films could be a reaction to 9/11 there was a realisation in America that things might not be so rosy after all. "Audiences don't necessarily want to see darker films such as Million Dollar Baby, Aviator and Finding Neverland, which end with casualty." As to whether Rock could pep up the awards, the critics were not hopeful. Mr Strauss doubted whether Rock would make an impact, but added: "I'm all for lower ratings though there are far more important things going on than the Oscars." Mr Karger said the comic might boost younger viewers, but Mike Goodridge thought Rock's humour could prompt America's conservative states to switch off. So despite all this, did the critics have any views on who would win? "Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby affected people emotionally, which is why it will beat Aviator, which was about technical artistry not feelings," Mr Karger said. "Eastwood has it in the bag," added Mr Strauss. "Oscar voters often vote with their hearts not their heads." And Mr Goodridge said best film and director were between Martin Scorsese's Aviator and Million Dollar Baby. Mr Karger, whose favourite film of the year was Mike Leigh's abortion drama Vera Drake, stayed upbeat about the awards despite his other comments. "I hope this is the year for small films to triumph," he said. "After all, it's still one of the biggest TV events of the year."


Women in the UK film industry earn less than their male counterparts despite being better qualified, according to a study released on Wednesday. Only 16% of women earn more than 50,000, compared with 30% of men. Women make up a third of the workforce. The research was carried out jointly by the UK Film Council and industry training body Skillset. It also found that women in the industry were less likely than men to be married or have dependant children. The study, which claims to be the most in depth so far conducted, found 60% of women in the film industry hold degrees, compared with 39% of men. Whilst 17% of men in the industry had no qualifications, this was true for only five per cent of women. In the lower salary bracket, 35% of women earn less than 20,000 a year, compared to only 18% of men. The research found very few women worked in the camera, sound, electrical and construction departments, but they made up a majority of those working in make up and hairdressing. UK Film Council chief executive John Woodward said: "Whilst the UK has benefited hugely from its highly qualified film production workforce there are still many barriers facing people who want to get in and stay in the industry." "Developing the film production workforce must be underpinned with a commitment to diversity as well as training." The workforce is largely focused around London, with 78% in the industry based in the capital and the south east of England. The industry depends heavily on word of mouth, with 81% being recruited in that way. In total, only five percent of the workforce is made up of ethnic minorities, although in London the figure rises to 24%. The necessity of completing unpaid work experience to get into the workforce has also shot up, from 5% before the 1980s, to 45% after 2000.


Devon singer Joss Stone and rock band Muse won coveted Brit awards during the event's 25th anniversary. Seventeen year old Stone, from near Cullumpton, won two awards: best British female act, and best urban act out of three award nominations. Muse, whose members met in south Devon, beat Franz Ferdinand, Jamie Cullum, Kasabian and The Libertines for best British live act. The band has sold about two million records worldwide. After beating Amy Winehouse, Jamelia, Natasha Bedingfield and PJ Harvey to the best British female prize, Joss Stone said: "I don't know what to say. I don't like doing this at all. I'd like to thank my family for being really supportive and everybody that made my record with me." "I don't even know what to do right now. Thank you all you guys for voting for me, I feel sick right now." Viewers of digital music TV channel MTV Base voted Stone the winner in the best urban act category. Ms Stone also performed her song Right To Be Wrong, backed by a gospel choir, at the 25th award ceremony at London's Earls Court. Her second album Mind, Body Soul reached number one in the UK charts last October and went straight into the US charts at number 11. The teenager also has Grammy nominations in the US, normally dominated by home grown acts. Born Jocelyn Stoker, the Devon diva started her career in a BBC talent programme, and was then discovered at a New York audition by a US record executive, Steve Greenberg. Indie Rock group Muse consists of Matthew Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard who met in their early teens in Teignmouth, south Devon. Dominic Howard said of winning: "We love playing live, it's very important for our band. So to win something like this really feels great." The trio met aged 13 and formed the band Gothic Plague, changing its name to Fixed Penalty, Rocket Baby Dolls and finally Muse. The band released its first self titled EP in 1998. The third studio album, Absolution, was released in 2003, providing the hit singles Time Is Running Out, Hysteria, and Butterflies And Hurricanes.


A major distributor of pirated DVDs of Bollywood films has been sent to prison for three years. Jayanti Amarishi Buhecha from Cambridge was found guilty of two trademark offences last month, and sentenced at Harrow Crown Court, London, on Tuesday. Buhecha, who made 26,000 per month from his illegal trade, was called "one of the biggest Bollywood pirates in the UK" by the sentencing judge. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) worked for two years on the case. An operation was launched against Buhecha in 2002 after complaints were received about his activities. The judge in the case, which lasted seven days, said that "a heavy penalty was called for because of the enormous damage Buhecha caused to legitimate business". Fake DVDs were manufactured in Pakistan and Malaysia and sold on wholesale to shops by Buhecha, who traded in conterfeit DVDs in 2002 and 2003. In December 2002, he was stopped in his car by trading standards officers, who uncovered 1,000 pirated DVDs and faked inlay cards printed with registered trademarks. Despite being arrested and bailed, Buhecha was caught a second time at the end of 2003. His home and a lock up in Cambridge were found to contain 18,000 counterfeit DVDs and further faked inlay cards. Buhecha was previously a legitimate distributor of Bollywood films, but was suspended and sued by his employers for dealing in illegal copies of Bollywood classic Mohabbatein. Legitimate Bollywood film distributors have hailed the conviction as "a major boost". Bollywood music and film suffers piracy at the rate of 40%, which is more than that suffered by mainstream productions. The BPI welcomed the news of the prison sentence, but warned there are plenty of other active counterfeiters of Bollywood films. The organisation's anti piracy director David Martin said: "The problem simply will not disappear with Buhecha. Others and more will take his place, so it's vital that keep up our efforts in this field."


More than 14 million people saw "Dirty" Den Watts killed off on Friday, marking EastEnders' 20th anniversary, according to unofficial figures. Den's death came 16 years after he was supposedly shot in 1989. But he came back to the show in September 2003. The audience for BBC One's one hour special averaged 13.7 million and peaked at 14.2 million in the last 15 minutes, overnight figures showed. Den died after being confronted by Zoe, Chrissie and Sam in the Queen Vic. If the ratings are confirmed, the episode will have given the soap its highest audience for a year. The overnight figures showed almost 60% of the viewing public tuned into EastEnders between 2000 and 2100 GMT, leaving ITV1 with about 13%. "We are very pleased with the figures," a BBC spokesman said. "It shows viewers have really enjoyed the story of Den's demise." The show's highest audience came at Christmas 1986, when more than 30 million tuned in to see Den, played by Leslie Grantham, hand divorce papers to wife Angie. Two years later, 24 million saw him apparently shot by a man with a bunch of daffodils by a canal. More than 16 million viewers watched his return in 2003. The show's ratings have since settled down to about 12 million per episode. Grantham hit the headlines in May after a newspaper printed photographs of him apparently exposing himself via a webcam from his dressing room. He also allegedly insulted four co stars. He apologised for his "deplorable actions" and "a moment's stupidity".


Ronnie Corbett has joined fellow comedy stars Victoria Wood and David Jason in attacking the declining standards of British television programmes. Speaking to the Radio Times, the Two Ronnies star said there is too much bad language and reality TV. "You get fed up watching shows with not much care and love," he complained. Corbett, soon to reunite with Ronnie Barker for a new Two Ronnies series, also criticised quiz shows like the BBC's They Think It's All Over. "It's just laughing at each other and thinking, 'Aren't we clever?'" said the 74 year old comedian. Corbett is the latest comedy star to bemoan the "dumbing down" of modern TV programmes. In an interview published in the Radio Times in January, Victoria Wood slated comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for his character Ali G's "horrible" brand of "victim" humour. "With so many good writers and good performers, it's a shame people can't just write a script and have other people learn it," she said. And last week Only Fools and Horses star David Jason criticised British TV for being "too safe and too cheap". "We've got to be careful not to dumb down for the audience," he said. "They shouldn't be sitting at home on the sofa vegetating." Corbett said he and Barker were always mindful of their family audience while making The Two Ronnies. "Our material was good natured," he said. "We knew what would upset the average man in the street. "There's a lot of swearing on TV today. They even have documentaries with the f word." Corbett goes on to criticise "reality programmes where they put people in a house for a fortnight and film them doing everything". The Two Ronnies ran from 1971 to 1987 and attracted 17 million viewers at its peak. Its bespectacled stars will return later this year in The Two Ronnies Sketchbook, which will combine classic sketches with newly recorded material. Corbett claims he and Barker differ from today's celebrities in that they did not allow their success to go to their heads. "We were never temperamental, fractious or walked out slamming doors," he said. "We were fussy though," he added. "We wanted everything done properly."


The parents of a 13 year old girl are suing US supermarket giant Wal Mart over a CD by rock group Evanescence that contains swear words. The lawsuit, filed in Washington County, alleges Wal Mart deceived customers by not putting warning labels on the cover. Trevin Skeens alleges Wal Mart knew of the offending word because it had censored it on its music sales website. Wal Mart said it was investigating the claims but had no plans to pull the CD. Wal Mart has a policy of not stocking CDs which carry parental advisory labels. Mr Skeens said he bought the Anywhere But Home CD for his daughter and was shocked to hear the swearing when it was played in their car. "I don't want any other families to get this, expecting it to be clean. It needs to be removed from the shelves to prevent other children from hearing it," said Mr Skeens of Brownsville. The lawsuit seeks to force Wal Mart to censor the music or remove it from its stores in Maryland. It also seeks damages of up to 74,500 ( 38,660) for every customer who bought the CD at Maryland Wal Marts, and also naming record label Wind Up Records and distributor BMG Entertainment in the legal action. "While Wal Mart sets high standards, it would not be possible to eliminate every image, word or topic that an individual might find objectionable," Wal Mart spokesman Guy Whitcomb told the Herald Mail of Hagerstown.


Top of the Pops has turned to the star of Elvis Presley musical Jailhouse Rock after the late rock legend scooped the UK's 1,000th number one single. Mario Kombou, who plays the Presley role on stage, will sing One Night on Friday's BBC One show as producers are unable to use Presley video footage. It is his second number one in a row. The show used Presley photos last week. Presley will feature in the charts for several more months as all 18 of his original UK chart toppers are reissued. A Top of the Pops spokesperson said: "It's a very special number one as it's the UK's 1,000th. "We wanted to pay tribute to Elvis in the best way we knew how, so we thought getting a professional would be the best way for Top of the Pops to do that." Kombou is likely to appear on the show again next week as the next Presley re release, A Fool Such As I, is on course to give him his third number one in three weeks. Kombou plays Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock the same role Presley played in the 1957 film of the same name.


The director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is to remove references to God and the church in the movie. Chris Weitz, director of About a Boy, said the changes were being made after film studio New Line expressed concern. The books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God. "They have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti religiosity," Weitz told a His Dark Materials fans' website. Pullman's trilogy has been attacked by some Christian teachers and by the Catholic press as blasphemy. Weitz, who admitted he would not be many people's first choice to direct the films, said he regarded the film adaptation as "the most important work of my life". "In part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life," he told bridgetothestars.net. The award winning trilogy Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass tell the story of Oxford school child Lyra Belacqua. She is drawn into an epic struggle against the Church, which has been carrying out experiments on children in an attempt to remove original sin. As the books progress the struggle turns into a battle to overthrow the Authority, a figure who is God like in the books. Weitz, who directed American Pie and About A Boy, said New Line feared that any anti religiosity in the film would make the project "unviable financially". He said: "All my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as I can. "But there may be some modification of terms." Weitz said he had visited Pullman, who had told him that the Authority could "represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual, whether it be religious, political, totalitarian, fundamentalist, communist, what have you". He added: "I have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece, but they may appear in more subtle guises." There are a number of Christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of God, but Pullman has denied his books are anti religious. His agent told the Times newspaper that Pullman was happy with the adaptation so far. "Of course New Line want to make money, but Mr Weitz is a wonderful director and Philip is very supportive. "You have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of Bush's America,"


The last film to be made by the slain Dutch director Theo van Gogh, called 06/05, has been premiered in The Hague. Members of Van Gogh's family and celebrities attended the screening of 06/05, based on the murder of the anti immigration politician Pim Fortuyn. Van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam six weeks ago. A Dutch Moroccan man suspected of radical Islamist links has been charged. The killing, and Fortuyn's death in 2002, convulsed the Netherlands. Many Dutch people have questioned their country's self image as a peaceful, tolerant nation in the wake of the murders, which triggered heated debate about immigration. An animal rights activist was sentenced to 18 years in prison last year for killing Fortuyn. Earlier this year, Van Gogh made a film accusing Islam of promoting violence against women. It caused outrage among Muslims and death threats were made against him. The film 06/05 will become available on the internet on Wednesday and go on general release in Dutch cinemas in January. Van Gogh's movie mixes real images of the day of Fortuyn's murder with a fictional plot about Dutch intelligence services conspiring to silence the politician. The story unfolds through the eyes of a freelance photographer who unwittingly takes pictures revealing the involvement of Dutch authorities in Fortuyn's murder. Photographer Jim de Booy then goes on the run from secret service agents who burgle his home and threaten his family.


The History Boys by Alan Bennett has been named best new play in the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. Set in a grammar school, the play also earned a best actor prize for star Richard Griffiths as teacher Hector. The Producers was named best musical, Victoria Hamilton was best actress for Suddenly Last Summer and Festen's Rufus Norris was named best director. The History Boys also won the best new comedy title at the Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Partly based upon Alan Bennett's experience as a teacher, The History Boys has been at London's National Theatre since last May. The Critics' Circle named Rebecca Lenkiewicz its most promising playwright for The Night Season, and Eddie Redmayne most promising newcomer for The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? Paul Rhys was its best Shakespearean performer for Measure for Measure at the National Theatre and Christopher Oram won the design award for Suddenly Last Summer. Both the Critics' Circle and Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice award winners were announced on Tuesday. Chosen by more than 11,000 theatre fans, the Theatregoers' Choice Awards named US actor Christian Slater best actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Diana Rigg was best actress for Suddenly Last Summer, Dame Judi Dench was best supporting actress for the RSC's All's Well That Ends Well and The History Boys' Samuel Barnett was best supporting actor.


Japan's box office received a 3.8% boost last year, with ticket sales worth 211bn yen ( 1.08bn). The surge was led by animated movie Howl's Moving Castle, which took 20bn yen ( 102m) to become the biggest film in Japan in 2004. It is expected to match the 30.7bn yen ( 157m) record of Hayao Miyazaki's previous film Spirited Away. Japan Motion Picture Producers figures showed that 170 million cinema admissions were made in Japan in 2004. The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, was the biggest foreign movie hit in Japan last year, taking 13.8bn yen ( 70.7m). It was followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Finding Nemo and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The second highest grossing Japanese film was romantic drama Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World, followed by Be With You and Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation. Japanese films accounted for 37.5% of Japan's box office total last year, with foreign films taking the remaining 62.5%. This represented a 4.5% gain for the proportion of Japanese films in 2004 compared to 2003. The number of Japanese films released rose to 310 in 2004 from 287 the previous year. Sales of movies on DVD and video amounted to 497bn yen ( 2.54bn) for the year.


Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour has been named a winner of a BBC Radio 3 World Music Award. His album Egypt won the critics' award for album of the year, while the best newcomer accolade went to Argentine Chango Spasiuk. Winners were chosen from ten categories to reflect different continents. A special Poll Winners concert, hosted by Eliza Carthy and Benjamin Zephaniah will take place at The Sage in Gateshead on 5 March. The concert will be broadcast on Radio 3's World Music Day the following evening and will feature performances by many of the award winners. It will also include the announcement of the Audience Award, chosen by Radio 3 and BBC World Service listeners, alongside BBC Four viewers. Winner in the Africa category was Malian desert blues band Tinariwen, formed from the nomadic people of the southern Sahara. Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes and flamenco singer Diego El Cigala, responsible for critically acclaimed album Lagrimas Negrasmusic, won an award in the "boundary crossing" category. Each winner will receive a specially commissioned sculpture entitled Planet by Anita Sulimanovic who won a competition to design the award. Highlights of the Poll Winners Concert, to be held at The Sage, Gateshead, will be televised on BBC Four on 11 March.


Will Smith's first romantic comedy, Hitch, has topped the North American box office for a second weekend. Smith plays a New York "date doctor" with love worries of his own in the movie, which took 31.8m ( 16.8m). It held off a strong challenge from the new Keanu Reeves sci fi thriller Constantine which opened at number two with 30.5m ( 16.1m) Constantine, based on the Hellblazer comics, stars Reeves as an exorcist who must send Satan's minions back to hell. Two family films came next in the chart, with Wayne Wang's comedy Because of Winn Dixie, about a young girl and an abandoned dog, in third position with 10.85m ( 5.73m). Comedy adventure Son of the Mask, came in at number four with 7.7m ( 4.1m), just ahead of Oscar favourite Million Dollar Baby at five. Smith's comedy will be the first US movie released this year to top the 100m ( 52.7m) mark. It's success continues a strong trend of Hollwood movie going this year with figures for the popular President's Day weekend 13% greater than last year. Oscar contenders The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and wine tasting comedy Sideways, both held onto positions in the top 10.


Mary Poppins star Dame Julie Andrews watched the hit stage version of her classic film at a charity performance in London's West End. It was the first time Dame Julie, who shot to fame as the nanny in the 1964 Disney movie, had seen the musical, staged at the Prince Edward Theatre. She watched Laura Michelle Kelly, 23, reprise the role on stage. The show has been one of the West End's hottest tickets since opening in December, winning two Olivier Awards. Kelly was named best musical actress at last month's ceremony and the musical also won best choreography. But Kelly said she was "very nervous" about meeting Dame Julie because she was "my absolute hero". The gala performance saw Dame Julie, 69, return to the theatre where she had her first starring role in a performance of Humpty Dumpty in 1948. The Mary Poppins musical has been masterminded by theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Richard Eyre with choreography by Matthew Bourne. Sir Cameron said he hoped the production, which cost 9m to bring to the stage, was a blend of the sweet natured film and the original book by PL Travers. Proceeds from Thursday's show will go to charities including Absolute Return for Kids (Ark), international relief agency Operation USA and drama school Lamda.


Cat Deeley has resigned as host of ITV1's Saturday morning children's music show CD:UK after six years. The 28 year old host who also presents Stars In Their Eyes said she wanted to concentrate on new television projects. "I've had a great few years, met some really incredible people and been given some wonderful opportunities," the presenter said. Deeley will host her last show on 5 March and guest presenters will stand in until a replacement is found. The long running presenter said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CD:UK team and all the viewers that have watched, supported the show and let me gate crash their Saturday morning. "Whilst obviously I am really sad to say goodbye, I'm immensely excited about the future." Deeley formerly co hosted SM:tv, the children's show which airs before CD:UK on a Saturday morning, alongside hit presenters Ant and Dec. She won a Children's Bafta award for best presenter in December 2001 and also fronted BBC One's Fame Academy series.


Star Trek fans have taken out a full page ad in the Los Angeles Times in an attempt to persuade TV executives not to scrap Star Trek: Enterprise. Made by the UPN TV network, the latest spin off from the hit sci fi show is due to end in May after four series. But fans around the world have pitched in to pay for the advert, which had the headline "Save Star Trek". They are also asking the Sci Fi Channel to pick it up from UPN and will stage a rally in Los Angeles on 25 February. The advert described the Star Trek franchise as a "cultural icon". Enterprise stars former Quantum Leap actor Scott Bakula as Captain Archer and is set before the original 1960s Star Trek series. "Captain Archer and the crew of the NX 01 need your help to continue their journeys!" the advert said. It also included a cut out coupon for fans to send to UPN's parent companies Paramount and Viacom plus the Sci Fi Channel. It also urged supporters to join the rally outside the Paramount studios. Fan website Trek United is hoping to raise 32m ( 17m) from donations by the end of March to pay for a fifth series. More than 23,000 ( 12,000) has been pledged so far, according to the site. The 98th and final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise will air in the US on 13 May. The fourth series has averaged 2.9 million viewers per episode half the amount it got in its first series. Star Trek: Enterprise began in 2001 following other Star Trek spin off series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.


Leading actor Edward Fox is one of the men behind plans to reopen a Swansea theatre thought to be Wales' oldest. The star of film and TV hits Day of the Jackal and Edward and Mrs Simpson has joined forces with Swansea born actor director Terry Palmer. They will set up a charity to raise money to buy the Palace Theatre, and hope to reopen it to audiences in summer 2006. It is estimated that 500,000 is needed to buy the Grade II listed building. The Palace Theatre, which will be known as The Pavilion Repertory Theatre, was sold to an undisclosed bidder at auction 13 months ago for 340,000. Before that it had been used as a nightclub for 10 years. Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins, who was born in nearby Port Talbot, made his professional debut there, and Charlie Chaplin and Lily Langtry have also trodden its boards. Fox told the South Wales Evening Post that after visiting the theatre he was surprised by its beauty. "A lot of money needs to be spent on it, but all the bones are there it just needs a beautiful skin," he said. "To call it a jewel is not an over estimation. There are not many theatres left like this. "The hope for the immediate future is that we can attract enough people to come forward to allow it to prosper," he told the newspaper. Fox first found fame in the 1960s. One of his most memorable roles was as an assassin in the Day of the Jackal in 1973, and he won a TV Bafta as the Prince of Wales in 1980 for Edward and Mrs Simpson. He was brought on board to save the theatre by Mr Palmer, a long standing friend of 40 years. "Two years ago I decided to return to Swansea and do something for the city," said Mr Palmer. He said he was excited by the idea of running the Palace as a charity where young actors could develop, and with an annual Shakespeare festival in the summer. "If in five years' time the theatre can function in all areas without me, I shall be well satisfied having helped to create a vital living theatre for the city," he added. Keith Poulton, a business adviser from Swansea, has already committed an undisclosed amount of money to the project. "We need at least 75,000 to secure a deposit on the building and we've only got two months to do that," said Mr Poulton. "A few benefactors have expressed their interest and Mr Fox is going to give it an awful lot of time," he added. Last year, roads around the theatre were cordoned off when masonry from its roof fell onto a car, but engineers said they were happy that it was safe.


Michael Moore's anti Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 has won best film at the US People's Choice Awards, voted for by the US public. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ won best drama, despite both films being snubbed so far at US film awards in the run up to February's Oscars. Julia Roberts won her 10th consecutive crown as favourite female movie star. Johnny Depp was favourite male movie star and Renee Zellweger was favourite leading lady at Sunday's awards in LA. Film sequel Shrek 2 took three prizes voted top animated movie, top film comedy and top sequel. In television categories, Desperate Housewives was named top new drama and Joey, starring former Friends actor Matt LeBlanc, was best new comedy. Long running shows Will and Grace and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation were named best TV comedy and TV drama respectively. Nominees for the People's Choice Awards were picked by a 6,000 strong Entertainment Weekly magazine panel, and winners were subsequently chosen by 21 million online voters. Fahrenheit 9/11 director Michael Moore dedicated his trophy to soldiers in Iraq. His film was highly critical of President George W Bush and the US led invasion of Iraq, and Moore was an outspoken Bush critic in the 2004 presidential campaign inwhich Democratic challenger John Kerry lost. "This country is still all of ours, not right or left or Democrat or Republican," Moore told the audience at the ceremony in Pasadena, California. Moore said it was "an historic occasion" that the 31 year old awards ceremony would name a documentary its best film. Unlike many other film makers, Passion of the Christ director Mel Gibson has vowed not to campaign for an Oscar for his movie. "To me, really, this is the ultimate goal because one doesn't make work for the elite," Gibson said backstage at the event. "To me, the people have spoken."


The 10 authors shortlisted for a Richard and Judy book award in 2005 are hoping for a boost in sales following the success of this year's winner. The TV couple's interest in the book world coined the term "the Richard Judy effect" and created the top two best selling paperbacks of 2004 so far. The finalists for 2005 include Andrew Taylor's The American Boy and Robbie Williams' autobiography Feel. This year's winner, Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, sold over one million. Joseph O'Connor's Star of the Sea came second and saw sales increase by 350%. The best read award, on Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's Channel 4 show, is part of the British Book Awards. David Mitchell's Booker shortlisted novel, Cloud Atlas, makes it into this year's top 10 along with several lesser known works. "There's no doubt that this year's selection of book club entries is the best yet. If anything, the choice is even wider than last time," said Madeley. "It was very hard to follow last year's extremely successful list, but we think this year's books will do even better," said Richard and Judy executive producer Amanda Ross. "We were spoiled for choice and it was tough getting down to only 10 from the 301 submitted."


Historians in Florida have discovered a 40 year old clip of a clean cut Jim Morrison appearing in a promotional film for his university. The 1964 film shows the Doors frontman, who died aged 27 in 1971, playing the part of a young man who had been rejected by Florida State University. Morrison is seen quizzing a college administrator on why he was refused. "But what happened? How come my parents and the state and the university didn't look ahead?" he is seen asking. "It's incredible. He's so clean cut and soft spoken," said Florida state archivist Jody Norman. "We know he was at Florida State University for a period of time and he did some acting when he was there," Norman added. The Doors were one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, with hits including Light My Fire and Riders On The Storm. Morrison was notorious for his wild lifestyle and was accused of exposing himself and simulating a sex act at a Miami concert in 1969. He was found dead in the bath of his Paris apartment and died from heart problems, aggravated by alcohol. A coroner recorded a verdict of death by natural causes and his grave at the city's Pere Lachaise ceremony has become a shrine for fans.


Russian drama The Return (Vozvrashchenie) has been named winner of the BBC Four World Cinema Award. The film tells the story of two adolescent boys who are subjected to a harsh regime when their strict father returns after a 10 year absence. Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, The Return previously won the 2003 Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was presented at an awards ceremony held in London on Thursday and hosted by Jonathan Ross. The winner was chosen by a panel which included X Files actress Gillian Anderson, critic Roger Clarke and Touching the Void director Kevin McDonald. Ross, who is the presenter of BBC One's Film 2005, was also involved in the deliberations. A shortlist of six films from around the world had been drawn up from which the panel chose. Other nominees included the Motorcycle Diaries, Zatoichi and Hero. A viewer poll saw director Zhang Yimou's martial arts epic Hero emerge as the favourite with 32% of votes cast. Tragedy struck the production of The Return when one of the young stars, 15 year old Vladimir Girin, drowned in a lake where some of the film's scenes were set. The winner of the World Cinema Award last year was the French animated feature Belleville Rendezvous


Tony Wilson, the music mogul who established the influential Factory Records in the 1980s, is to launch a new label convinced he has discovered his "third major band". Factory were the label of both Joy Division who became New Order after singer Ian Curtis committed suicide and the Happy Mondays. Now Wilson believes rap act Raw T signed to his F4 label, the fourth incarnation of Factory will "complete the hat trick". "Suddenly, when Raw T came into my life, I realised they are my third major band," he told BBC World Service's The Music Biz programme. The group are set to release their first single on 21 February, and follow it up with an album, Realise And Witness, in March. Wilson has twice tried to resurrect Factory which lasted for 14 years before folding but conceded these efforts had been "despondent and dismal experiences". But it has not put him off. "Of all the things I do in my life the most exciting thing I've ever done, and the thing I have most loved, is being part of a record company," he added. "The idea of working with brilliant young musicians, and being close to the centre of popular culture, is just the biggest thrill in my life." Wilson explained how his son persuaded him to go and see Raw T, but he had initially been reluctant saying he "detested" young British people rapping. "It's always inauthentic, it's always crass, it never really works for me," he said. "I went to see this group, Raw T which stands for Realise And Witness Talent and like everyone else in the room that night, we were utterly blown away." Wilson believes Raw T could be "to F4 as Joy Division were to Factory records". The story of Factory records which also owned the legendary Hacienda club in Manchester was told in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, in which Wilson was played by Steve Coogan. Wilson stressed that the independent music scene remained "as important" as it had been during the 1980s, when labels such as Factory and Rough Trade proliferated. He pointed out that Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes "perhaps the two most important bands since the millennium" were signed to indies. "I think that is a reflection of how useful and how powerful the indie philosophy is, and how bands prefer it," he added. "They can make more money that way it's a more generous relationship, and also it's a more understanding relationship. "I think independents are in a wonderful position at this moment in time."


Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has said that it will be up to four years before he starts work on a film version of The Hobbit. The Oscar winner said on a visit to Sydney there was a "desire" to make it, but not before lengthy negotiations. "I think it's gonna be a lot of lawyers sitting in a room trying to thrash out a deal before it will ever happen," said the New Zealander. The rights to JRR Tolkien's book are split between two major film studios. Jackson, who is currently filming a remake of Hollywood classic King Kong, said he thought that the sale of MGM studios to the Sony Corporation would cast further uncertainty on the project. The 43 year old was in the Australian city to visit a Lord of the Rings exhibition, which has attracted 140,000 visitors since it opened in December. The film maker recently sued film company New Line Cinema for undisclosed damages over alleged withheld profits and lost revenue from the first part of the Middle Earth trilogy. The Fellowship of The Ring from 2001 went on to make worldwide profits of 291 million ( 152 million). Jackson is thought to have secured the most lucrative film directing deal in history to remake King Kong, which is currently in production in Wellington. The picture, which stars Naomi Watts and Oscar winner Adrien Brody, is due to be released in December. Jackson has also committed to making a film version of Lovely Bones, based on the best selling book by Alice Sebold.