Rings' takes top DVD Awards
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The special edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" won seven awards at the seventh annual DVD Awards, Daily Variety said Tuesday.
New Line Home Entertainment's extended DVD won for best of show and several technical categories, including authoring design and PC support.
The Walt Disney Co. won an award for best DVD-premiere movie ("The Lion King 1 1/2") and an authoring design for the 2003 release of "The Lion King." Disney also picked up awards for the video presentation on "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," and for restoration on "Alice in Wonderland."
Fox picked up awards for "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (major theatrical) and "The Simpsons 4th Season" (TV series). Fox's "Alien Quadrilogy" won for best multi-disc collection.
DVD Award winners are chosen by a panel of journalists and technicians. The event served as opening-night ceremonies for the Entertainment Media Expo conference in Hollywood.
Actor Gerald McRaney has tumor removed
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A malignant growth was removed from actor Gerald McRaney's lung, but doctors said the Hollywood star's cancer was detected at its earliest stage.
McRaney, star of TV's "Major Dad" and "Simon & Simon," is expected to remain at the hospital for a few days before returning to his Los Angeles home, Entertainment Tonight reported Tuesday.
The tumor was found when McRaney, 57, went to the doctor for an exam before having minor knee surgery.
The actor reportedly is a longtime smoker.
McRaney, married to actress Delta Burke, is to star as a Beverly Hills, Calif., tycoon in the upcoming WB series "Commando Nanny."
Francis Bacon fortune spent by companion
LONDON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Francis Bacon's companion squandered most of the acclaimed 20th century British artist's $20 million estate on high living, it was reported Tuesday.
The net worth of Bacon's estate, a decade after the artist's 1992 death at age 82, is now less than $2 million because of the lavish lifestyle of John Edwards, Bacon's sole heir, Britain's Telegraph said.
Edwards reportedly spent the inheritance on homes for his parents and other family members, a farm for himself in Suffolk, England, and extravagant parties.
Edwards died of cancer last year in Thailand where he had lived for the past nine years in a penthouse apartment in Bangkok. He was 63.
At the time, some experts speculated Bacon's estate could have grown to a value of $30 million.
Probate records show, however, the estate to be worth approximately $5 million, but reduced to $1.3 million after liabilities.
Edwards left his estate to the John Edwards Charitable Foundation, a trust set up by Edwards a year before his death to promote Bacon's work.
Film academy to offer free DVD players
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will offer members free DVD players to view screeners this awards season, The Hollywood Reporter says.
The players will be set up to play specially encrypted DVD copies of movies being promoted for Academy Award consideration. However, the paper said many studios remain skeptical about whether the anti-piracy tactic would work -- and no studio publicly acknowledged Monday it plans to manufacture encrypted DVDs.
The plan is based on use of a technology developed by Cinea, a subsidiary of Dolby Inc. Cinea proposed in June the academy adopt the new technology, with Cinea underwriting the cost of the DVD players.
The Reporter said the academy is making plans to send the players to its members in October, but members can opt out of the plan in September.
