CULTURE

Violence and theft. Not words one would normally associate with Leona Lewis, the squeaky-clean winner of The X Factor, who went on to stunning worldwide success with her debut album, Spirit.

When organizers for the independent film world's Spirit Awards unveil nominees for its honors this coming Tuesday, they will be doing more than just singling out top movies in the low-budget, art house arena.

Movie flops aren't just about losing money. Yes, big budgets that go bust are one consideration. But flops are also about lofty expectations dashed and high profiles brought low. They trigger embarrassing catcalls from the peanut gallery and a general whoever-thought-that-was-a-good-idea-in-the-first-place bewilderment.

French film director Luc Besson, known worldwide for blockbusters like The Big Blue and The Fifth Element, says his movies face the toughest criticism at home where they are seen as not quite French enough.

Major department stores in the U.S. such as Macy's, JCPenney and Sears kicked off Black Friday deals on Friday including big discounts on fine jewelry.

Hollywood wild child Lindsay Lohan is staying on as artistic adviser at fashion house Emanuel Ungaro despite her debut collection being panned by critics, President and Chief Executive Mounir Moufarrige said on Tuesday.

Swiss authorities will not release Roman Polanski into house arrest at his luxury Alpine chalet until Monday at the earliest as bail conditions still have to be met.

Singer Bob Dylan reminisces about Christmas past, turkey dinners and his favorite holiday songs in a rare interview in a magazine for homeless people.

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert on Wednesday admitted he got carried away during his racy American Music Awards performance, as furor over his singing and dancing stoked a wider controversy in the U.S. gay community.

Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels, is generating a large amount of Oscar buzz this season and getting a push from executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

Dancing With The Stars champion Donny Osmond on Wednesday ranked his win on the television show at the top of his career achievements, saying his entire body hurts after weeks of grueling rehearsals.

The queen of daytime will interview the president of the United States during an ABC holiday special that brings together Oprah Winfrey andBarack Obama.

Even before the U.S. economy headed south over a year ago, many U.S. women eschewed clothing purchases for themselves, given tight budgets, a clampdown on credit limits and merchandise that offered little dazzle.

U.S. music retailers are realizing a dream week with Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream ringing cash registers far beyond expectations and Adam Lambert's album stirring sales after his sexually charged TV performance.

One hundred years ago, a wealthy couple built a mansion in Hollywood and installed a speaking tube allowing them to order a Scotch whisky from their servants -- a handy trick, but nothing compared to what the home's later occupants would conjure up.

When tickets for Phish's Sunday night (November 22) show in Syracuse, N.Y., went on sale back in October, all 6,700 of them were gone in 15 minutes -- and with good reason. The last time Phish performed at the War Memorial arena was November 1994. Local fans were ready for another show, and the band was certainly ready to give it to them.

Adam Lambert admitted that he got carried away on his performance at the American Music Awards last Sunday yet he did not issue an apology.

Taylor Lautner, New Moon's new heartthrob, posed for a set of striking pictures in Malibu, California for the December issue of Rolling Stone magazine which hits stands Thursday.

But a wave of new ships ordered during the boom times are now coming on line and that will put pressure on rates, a boon for bargain-hunting passengers but not so much for cruise line earnings.

There's no doubt that The Twilight Saga: New Moon will rise to the top of the domestic box office again over the coming long holiday weekend.

Donny Osmond danced his way to victory on Tuesday, winning the 9th season of the hit ABC television show Dancing With the Stars after wowing the judges with his irrepressible determination and final tango.

Adam Lambert's racy public outing as a solo artist at Sunday's American Music Awards has grabbed headlines and helped send downloads of his debut album soaring worldwide.

New Zealand's Peter Jackson takes a break from blockbusters with The Lovely Bones, an adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestselling novel about girl who is brutally raped and murdered and who looks down on her family from heaven.

A nude photo of film director Roman Polanski, who is now being held in a Swiss prison, and his wife Sharon Tate taken shortly before she was brutally murdered, will be sold at an upcoming auction where it could fetch more than $10,000, organizers said.

Director and comic actor Tyler Perry, whose films include the recent I Can Do Bad All By Myself, has given $1 million to the NAACP in the largest gift ever by a single person to that civil rights group.

The Recording Academy on Tuesday added songs by James Brown, Bob Marley, the Beach Boys, Louis Armstrong and others to its Grammy Hall of Fame, bringing the total number of titles in the collection to 851.

Regis Philbin will be taking a leave of absence from his long-running ABC daytime talk show to undergo a hip replacement surgery.

The British public would like to see Swedish band ABBA reform more than any other act, according to a survey.

Australian businesses are being urged to be more vigilant about preventing sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace during the Christmas party season when alcohol and pent-up grievances could prove a heady mix.