News

Nerene Virgin, the actress, news presenter, anti-racism advocate and educator known for her work on the beloved Canadian kids TV show Today’s Special, has died. She was 77.

Virgin died Jan. 15 at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario, her family said. No cause of death was provided.

“Nerene achieved remarkable success, captivating audiences with her versatile performances that showcased both depth and authenticity,” Tvo, Ontario’s public broadcaster, said in a statement. “She has left an indelible mark on many who grew up watching the show and on everyone she encountered and who had the privilege of working with her.”

“She just wanted to be remembered for the fact she was so genuine and wore different hats. She could do anything she wanted,” her husband, Alan Smith, said in an interview with CBC News: The National on Saturday.

During the early 1980s, Virgin became a breakout star playing the character of Jodie,...

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (Aapi) Heritage Month in May, Fox’s free streaming service Tubi has curated a container of titles that highlight Asian American voices from its catalog. The collection features Academy Award nominees, films from female and male Asian American directors, Sundance Film Festival selections, documentaries, and titles that prominently feature Aapi stories, actors, and actresses.

Films

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2007) – Directed by Wayne Wang (Joy Luck Club)

Bitter Melon (2018) – Directed by Hp Mendoza

Children of Invention (2009) – Sundance Film Festival selection

Chu and Blossom (2015) – Featured in the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Go Back to China (2019) – Starring comedian Anna Akana, written/directed by Emily Ting

I Will Make You Mine (2020) – Directed/written/produced by Lynn Chen, produced by Emily Ting

Love Arcadia (2014) – Featured in the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Miss India America (2015) – Featured in the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film...

From Edward Snowden to Miley Cyrus, the most viewed stories of 2013 on the Guardian website varied in seriousness and style

So that was 2013 – the year that Nelson Mandela died, the Pope resigned, Syria spiralled further into chaos and Miley Cyrus licked a hammer. But what were the stories that most gripped Guardian readers? Clue: they weren't all about Margaret Thatcher.

Based on the number of visits to each page, here are the most viewed stories of 2013 on theguardian.com. Figures are correct as of 20 December 2013; we have not listed multiple articles on the same topic.

In the news

1) Edward Snowden: The whistleblower behind the Nsa revelations

Monday 10 June 2013

"My name's Ed Snowden, I'm 29 years old. I work for Booz Allen Hamilton as an infrastructure analyst for Nsa in Hawaii." With those words, the young whistleblower revealed he was the source of the biggest intelligence leak in the history of America's National Security Agency,...

As Spike Lee's Kickstarter page starts to look like a bargain basement intent on getting rid of all of the promotional materials for Spike Lee's impressive oeuvre, he's just crossed his $1,250,000 goal today, with five days left to go. As we reported earlier, Lee's campaign initially turned many of his fans off, but as time went on, he got the hang of the platform. Read More: Spike Lee Does the Right Thing: The Seven Ways He Revamped His Kickstarter Campaign Throughout the campaign, Lee insisted that very little about the film's actual content would be revealed; he instead relied on his reputation as a filmmaker that pushed boundaries -- and buttons -- in the film industry and regularly helped out his students at the Nyu film school. In recent days, Lee has been spotlighting individual rewards that people should take note of in a "Today's Special" component of his Kickstarter page.

Like many of you, I've always had a bit of an obsession with pop culture and celebrities. Growing up in the New York area, I was always going to concerts and signings in an attempt to get up close and personal with some of my favorites.

About two years ago, I turned the fascination into a full-time hobby … and have since met more celebrities than I can even remember — Robert Pattinson, Emma Watson, Carey Mulligan and George Clooney among them. Now, the fine folks at NextMovie have tasked me, Professional Fan Girl, with recounting my run-ins with movie stars and sharing my adventures at premieres, awards shows, etc. with you.

I didn't waste any time getting my meet-and-greet on. Today's special: "Twilight" starlet Ashley Greene as she filmed a guest appearance on ABC Television's "Pan Am" in Manhattan today.

So how does a girl celebrate her latest film bringing in an estimated $500 million worldwide?...

Ho-hum. Another day, another lack of real "Hunger Games" casting news.

Like us, the folks at MTV News are all starving for word as to who will play Katniss and crew in Gary Ross' adaptation of the hit young adult series. Thankfully, they're filling that void with snack-like morsels from starlets who may or may not -- but, in most cases, really want to -- have something to do with the upcoming production.

Today's special: "Little Miss Sunshine" sweetie Abigail Breslin.

"It would be great [to be in the film]," she says. "The characters in it are very strong and very cool. It’s an amazing series."

For more of her thoughts, head over to Hollywood Crush.

Don't expect to see Winter's Bone, King's Speech, Toy Story 3, Never Let Me Go, and How to Train Your Dragon nominated for the WGA Awards. The Writers Guild of America have revealed the list of eligible films, and none of the previously mentioned highly acclaimed movies/screenplays are on the ballot. Before you get up in arms, you must realize that the guild's rules restrict nominations to productions aren't produced by WGA members or under WGA guidelines. Other films missing from the WGA ballot include Biutiful, The Ghost Writer, Nowhere Boy, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World and The Way Back. Of the animated feature films, Zack Snyder's Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole passed, while more highly acclaimed movies like Pixar's Toy Story 3 and DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon were deemed ineligible. Last year, several of the high-profile award contenders weren't eligible for WGA Awards,...

Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2147.

All's Faire In Love Rated PG-13 For some sexual content including references. Release Date: Tba 2011 Between Kings And Queens Rated PG-13 For violence, sexual content and drug material. Drive Angry Rated R For strong brutal violence throughout, grisly images, some graphic sexual content, nudity and pervasive language. Release Date: February 25, 2011 Easy Money Rated R For strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and some sexuality. Release Date: Tba 2011 The Hit List Rated R For violence and language. Ip Man 2: Legend Of The Grandmaster Rated R For violence. The Killing Jar Rated R For strong bloody violence, and for language. The Last Circus Rated R For brutal and bloody violence throughout, some strong sexual content, nudity and language. My Girlfriend's Back Rated PG-13 For brief sexual content and language. National Lampoon's Dirty Movie Rated R For pervasive crude sexual humor, strong language,...

With 10 days until Oscar, it's time for theme days. Today's special: Precious.

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to speak with director Lee Daniels of Precious fame. He was in the middle of a commute from one campaign destination to another. He's not running for public office but Best Director (though that's nearly our favorite sort of public office, don'cha know. What's more public than the Oscars?). From roughly October through February, the Oscar grind devours people: festivals, speaking engagements, parties, premieres, awards shows, travel. I imagine you get through it by way of adrenaline, the psychological boost of a coveted nomination from your peers (or the chance of one prior to January), and sheer force of will. A good sense of humor can't hurt. Daniels definitely had one, laughing at the connection glitches we had and riffing on misheard words that come with interviews on the go-go-go.

EastEnders actress Nina Wadia has revealed that some of her co-stars are "panicking intensely" over their involvement in tonight's live episode. Wadia, who plays battleaxe Zainab Masood on the BBC soap, told This Morning that there is currently a mix of nerves and excitement on the set of the long-running programme. Today's special instalment will mark the drama's 25th anniversary and feature the long-awaited reveal of Archie Mitchell's killer. Speaking of the challenge that the cast are facing, Wadia commented: "I'm not involved in the live episode but it's still nerve wracking and it's very exciting (more)...

Remember the 1987 fantasy-comedy "Mannequin" starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall? It was about a guy (MCarthy) who falls in love with a department store mannequin (that only he can see). Yes, I realize that sounds strangely similar to the plot of "Weird Science" and oddly, even the 1980s children's show "Today's Special."

In any event, it appears that "Mannequin" is the next film that producers want to update for the 2010s. Moviehole.com says that the newly reformed Gladden Entertainment is in early development to remake the film and that they are currently hunting for a writer and in talks with a studio.

Now, I won't lie. I loved "Mannequin" as a little kid (I was maybe 4 when it came out, so I first saw it on HBO a year later or so), but when I re-watched it a few years ago (during a James Spader-marathon), let's just say...

MyBand.co.in - events division held its first ever Music Concert - MyBand MyMusic featuring top 8 bands of the portal on 26 September 2009 at Rock Heights in Hyderabad. Targeted towards the youth of the city, the music show will have bands of various genres coming together and creating magical moments with their unmatched performance. The 6 hour concert will feature bands like Evergreen, Prosody, Rudrapassion, Today's Special , Ankur Tewari and Ghalat Family , Ek, Shor Bazaar and Almost September - all chosen through the portal. The show will be ticketed at Rs.100 only. ...