'Final Destination' No. 1 for 2nd week
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- "The Final Destination" held the No. 1 spot for two weekends in a row with more than $12.43 million in estimated U.S. box office receipts.
No. 2 was "All About Steve" with $11.2 million.
All estimates are from Box Office Mojo.
"Inglourious Basterds" was No. 3 with more than $10.84 million; "Gamer" was No. 4 with $9 million; "District 9" was fifth with $7 million; "Halloween II" sixth with more than $5.6 million.
"Julie & Julia Sony" was seventh at $5.2 million; "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" was a close eighth with $5.1 million; "The Time Traveler's Wife" was ninth with more than $4.21 million.
"Extract" rounded out the top 10 with more than $4.18 million.
Concert industry weathering U.S. recession
DETROIT, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. concert industry is still going strong amid the ongoing recession as some fans simply wait until the last minute to purchase tickets, analysts say.
Rick Franks, Detroit head of the Live Nation promotional group, said while U.S. residents may be avoiding vacations and major purchases because of the economic downturn, concerts ticket sales remain strong, The Detroit News said Saturday.
"People still support great music, and they want to get out," Franks said. "People have given up the new flat screen, maybe they don't go to Florida with the family, but for four or five hours of escapist entertainment, they're still doing one-night vacations at my shows."
Palace Sports and Entertainment President Tom Wilson agreed the concert industry remains strong, but said there have been slight sales declines for shows not featuring a big name performer. "I think our feeling is, after experiencing this for a summer and having it happen on so many shows, it's telling us, '(Sales are) coming, just wait for it.' And that is a hard way to do your business," he told the Detroit News.
Gosselin kin fall prompts ambulance visit
WERNERSVILLE, Pa., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star Jon Gosselin said Sunday an ambulance was called to his family's home in Wernersville, Pa., after a fall by his grandmother.
Gosselin said through the social networking service Twitter his grandmother, who was not identified, fell in the family's driveway Saturday and was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries, People magazine reported.
"Just to clear up any faulty reports: My grandmother did in fact fall in my driveway but she'll (be) fine," Gosselin said. "Thank you for all of the concerned calls."
The fall apparently came during a Gosselin "family day" Saturday, another Tweet from Gosselin said.
"Family Day!" Gosselin said in a Saturday message. "Kids got to play with their grandparents, great grandparents ... so great to see so many generations together."
People magazine said the family gathering comes as Gosselin and his estranged wife Kate are sharing custody of their eight children amid marital problems.
Leary foundation got poor financial rating
NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- A watchdog group says a charitable group started by U.S. actor Denis Leary received one of the worst 2007 financial ratings among 92 celebrity non-profits.
Joanne Reisser, vice president of development for the watchdog group Charity Navigator, said the Leary Firefighters Foundation had a $50,000 deficit in 2007 and received one star for its poor financial performance, the New York Post said Sunday.
"Basically, they're living hand-to-mouth," Reisser said of the foundation's performance. "You can't sustain something like that for long."
Reisser praised the Leary foundation's goal of helping fire departments by providing money and equipment, but recommended financial changes to improve such efforts.
"They have a huge vision, and that's wonderful, but the revenue stream needs to match it," she said.
The Charity Navigator's financial ratings are based on various factors ranging from a group's financial sustainability to its fundraising efficiency, the Post said.
Leary, 52, plays a brave New York firefighter in the FX series "Rescue Me."
