'Now 22' debuts on top of the charts
NEW YORK, July 19 (UPI) -- The hits compilation, "NOW! That's What I Call Music" debuts at No.1 on The Billboard 200 albums chart, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
The compilation album moved 398,000 units in the United States, 300,000 more than the No. 2 album.
Radiohead vocalist Thom Yorke's solo album, "The Eraser," comes in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart while Pimp C comes in at No. 3 with his album "Pimpalation," also taking No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Nelly Furtado's "Loose" falls to No. 4 and Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" holds tight at No. 5. Johnny Cash's "American V: A Hundred Highways" topples to No. 6.
The soundtrack to Disney's "High School Musical" ascends to No. 7 in its 27th week on the chart, switching places with Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang" now at No. 8.
Muse's "Black Holes and Revelations" is at No. 9 to mark its best week ever on the Billboard 200.
Rihanna's "A Girl Like Me" rounds off the top tier after a four spot drop to sit at No.10.
Overall CD sales were up 3 percent from the previous week, at 9.3 million units sold, but down 9 percent compared to the same week last year. There has been a 5 percent drop in sales for 2006 compared to 2005 at 288.9 million units sold.
Not Britney Spears' 'oops' this time
LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- The National Enquirer apologized to Britney Spears in its British edition for publishing two stories that said she and Kevin Federline had split.
The tabloid ran a story on June 5 with the headline, "Britney marriage is over!," a week later they published "Britney and Kevin: And now their divorce!," e! Online reported Wednesday.
After Spears' legal team in Britain objected to the claims the Enquirer issued a retraction and apology.
"Contrary to what our articles might have suggested, we now accept that their marriage is not over and they are not getting divorced. These allegations are untrue and we now accept Britney's position that the statements are without foundation. We apologize for any distress caused."
"The couple are very satisfied with the Enquirer's prompt and good-faith response," Spears' attorney Paul Tweed said, stating that the action was "a rare if not unprecedented gesture." He also said that the publication would not be sued.
CinemaNow offers burnable downloads
LOS ANGELES, July 19 (UPI) -- Online movie service CinemaNow Inc. will offer the first downloadable movies that can be legally burned to DVD Wednesday.
Four major studios and CinemaNow Inc. have come together to offer over 100 mainstream films that can be burned to a disc and played on almost any DVD player, with prices starting around $9 a movie, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Several studio executives also confirmed that they were holding talks with Apple to offer downloadable movies through Apple's iTunes Music Store.
A deal with Apple would help stabilize the Internet as a practical film distribution vehicle, said the Times.
CinemaNow is using relatively new anti-piracy technology that prevents a burned DVD from being copied. Because the technology isn't perfect, the first batch of movies being offered was described by Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff as what's left "at the video store when you arrive too late and the shelves are picked clean."
A few of the initial releases are, "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Barbershop" and "Scent of a Woman."
Actor typecast as a Nazi, dies at 89
LOS ANGELES, July 19 (UPI) -- Kurt Kreuger, a handsome Swiss-German actor often cast as a Nazi officer in World War II movies, who later became a realtor, died in Los Angeles at 89.
Kreuger was born July 23, 1916, in Michenberg, Germany, and was raised in Switzerland, the Los Angeles Times reported.
After studying to become a doctor in London and New York, he dropped out to pursue acting.
In the 1950s, he appeared in more than 20 films, including "Mademoiselle Fifi," his first major role.
Krueger's good looks made him 20th Century Fox's third most-requested male pinup photo, the 1992 edition of "Who's Who in Hollywood said." Although he tried to break free from his stereotyped image, he was frustrated by the studio.
When Krueger requested other parts, Darryl F. Zanuck reportedly answered, "What's your hurry? With your looks, you'll be good at 50."
He moved to Europe in the 1950s where he appeared in German films. His last film was "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre," released in 1967. After acting on television through the 1960s, he became a very successful realtor in Beverly Hills. He owned a second home in Aspen, Colo. where he skied until 2004.
An only child, Krueger never married.
