Michael Jackson pleads not guilty
SANTA MARIA, Calif., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson pleaded not guilty Friday in a child molestation case that drew hundreds of fans and journalists to a small courtroom in Santa Maria, Calif.
Fans cheered Jackson when he arrived at the courthouse, but he got a stern reception in court from Superior Judge Rodney S. Melville after arriving 20 minutes late.
"You have started out on the wrong foot here," the judge told Jackson. "I want to advise you that I will not put up with that. It's an insult to the court."
Jackson is charged with seven counts of lewd acts with a child under 14 and two counts of giving the child an intoxicating agent in February and March of 2003. The name of the alleged victim is under court seal, but various media reports have identified the boy as a cancer patient who had been seen in documentary footage shot at Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
Jackson has acknowledged sharing a bed with adolescent boys, but he has denied having sexual contact with them.
He arrived at the courthouse with an entourage that included his attorney, Mark Geragos, and family members Janet, Jermaine and Tito. Several members of the Nation of Islam provided security for the entourage.
Fans outside the courthouse carried signs, including one that said "Michael Is Innocent" and another that said "Leave Him Alone" -- a reference to Jackson's song called "Leave Me Alone."
Actor Spalding Gray spotted on ferry
NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- A credible witness said he saw Spalding Gray on the Staten Island Ferry Saturday night near the time the actor reportedly disappeared from his home.
Gray, a manic depressive who has attempted suicide at least three times, was seen by a Staten Island man going home from work at around 7 p.m., the New York Post reported Friday.
Police believe the man because he knew Gray's movie and stage work.
Gray, 62, also was seen on the ferry the night before he disappeared, said his wife, Kathie Russo.
Billy Doyle, a ferry worker, called Russo to tell her about her husband's odd behavior Friday night on the ferry.
"I was told by a police officer that not only did Billy see Spalding twice, but two security officers saw him and escorted him off the boat," Russo said.
Doyle also saw Gray "a couple of weeks before that. ... He was concerned because Spalding seemed agitated," Russo said.
Gray, whose acclaimed work includes the autobiographical "Swimming to Cambodia," tried to jump from the ferry in September, but a friend stopped him.
David Spade in for '8 Simple Rules' cast
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- David Spade's guest starring role on ABC's "8 Simple Rules" as Katey Sagal's nephew has turned into a full-time gig, network officials announced.
Spade, who originally signed on for three episodes to play C.J., widow Cate Hennessy's (Sagal) nephew, will become a permanent cast member, Zap2it.com reported Friday.
Spade is the second cast addition since the sudden death in September of star John Ritter, who played the dad on the comedy.
James Garner, who also guest-starred initially, became a series regular playing Cate's dad, Jim.
Spade's character, C.J., first appeared on the show last week. Although his intentions are generally good, he tends to attract trouble and offers less-than-sound advice to Cate's three kids.
Following a six-year run on "Saturday Night Live," Spade played office assistant Dennis Finch on NBC's "Just Shoot Me" for seven seasons. He earned an Emmy nomination for the role in 1999. His other credits include "Joe Dirt," "PCU" and "The Emperor's New Groove."
Anti-Hollywood ads begin airing in Spain
MADRID, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The Spanish film industry has launched an ad campaign encouraging Spaniards to frequent native films over Hollywood imports, Madrid's EFE reported Friday.
The ads, sponsored by the Federation of Associations of Spanish Audio-Visual Producers, or FAPAE, and will air from Jan. 19 to Feb. 5 in movie theaters and on several television networks throughout the country.
The slogan for the campaign, which includes three short television-type commercials, is "Come see us right away ... Spanish cinema."
"Our film industry is not anti-anything, but it wants to occupy its own space," said FAPAE President Pedro Perez.
He also said the ads are aimed at "proving that (Spanish filmmaking) has its own identity, which is different from that of other more powerful film industries."
Spain's film industry has experienced significant revenue losses in recent years. According to the latest figures, revenue dropped 32 percent from 2001 to 2002, from $138 million to $94 million.
FBI enters case of pirated Oscar tapes
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The FBI confirmed that it is involved with the case of pirated Oscar screener tapes showing up on the Internet, according to Friday's Hollywood Reporter.
Illegal copies of four films that have appeared on the Internet, Sony Pictures' "Something's Gotta Give," Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Last Samurai," 20th Century Fox's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" and Fox Searchlight's "thirteen," have been identified as screeners.
"Screeners" are copies of films provided to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences intended for use by members to make Oscar voting decisions. Screeners are coded and stamped with "for your consideration."
According to multiple studio sources, the pirated tapes have been traced to Carmine Caridi, a member of the actors' branch of the Academy.
The studios have turned over information to both the Academy and the FBI, sources said.
"We are looking into it," FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley said, providing no further details.
The Academy has vowed to remove from its roster anyone found guilty of piracy and will leave prosecution for copyright infringement to the film studios.
Stars line up to present Golden Globes
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Dozens of A-list stars will be presenters at the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony, the group that hands out the honors has announced.
Kim Cattrall, Chris Cooper, Kristin Davis, Queen Latifah, Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker join previously announced Jim Carrey, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman and Renee Zellweger as presenters at the ceremony to be telecast live on NBC on Jan. 25 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Danny DeVito and Sharon Stone will present Michael Douglas with this year's Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field."
The Golden Globe Awards will be seen in more than 150 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements.
