Saddam Hussein Scheduled for Execution This Weekend; How Hollywood Fared in 2006; Filmweek
Saddam Hussein Scheduled for Execution This Weekend
Saddam Hussein will be executed in Baghdad no later than this afternoon (Pacific time), according to an Iraqi judge authorized to attend his hanging. Some reports say he is now being transferred from U.S. custody to Iraqi authorities, believed to be one of the last steps before he is to be hanged. The Pentagon said today that U.S. forces in Iraq are braced for any violence that may follow the execution. Ted Chen speaks with reporters on the ground in Baghdad: Newsweek's Scott Johnson, and Mark Kukis of Time.
How Hollywood Fared in 2006
After a string of less-than-stellar year end tallies, Hollywood's major film studios are showing a 3–5 percent rebound in domestic box office takes for 2006. Six of the twelve highest grossing films of the year were sequels, with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest coming in at #1 for 2006. Ted Chen discusses how Hollywood fared in 2006, both economically and critically, with Alex Ben Block of Hollywood Today, Nicole Sperling of The Hollywood Reporter and Jeffrey Lyons, co-host of NBC's Reel Talk. Then, Kathleen Milnes of The Entertainment Economy Institute weighs in on what it all means for those employed in Hollywood's film industry.
Filmweek
Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, Andy Klein of CityBeat, and Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, discuss this week's new releases, including Notes on a Scandal, Pan's Labyrinth, Miss Potter, Arthur and the Invisibles, The Dead Girl, Factory Girl, Perfume, The Tiger and the Snow, and Rules of the Game.