Greyhound boss barks back at Baldwin
DALLAS, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The chief executive officer of Greyhound says he was "disheartened" by negative remarks actor Alec Baldwin made this week about his bus company.
Baldwin recently was asked to leave an American Airlines flight after he refused to stop playing an online game and was allegedly rude to staff.
He later railed against the airline in a statement to the Huffington Post, criticizing the airline for its "filthy planes, barely edible meals, cuts in jet service to less-traveled locations."
"One of the big changes, in my time, is in the increase of the post-9/11, paramilitary bearing of much of the air travel business," he added. "There are many now who walk the aisles of an airplane with a whistle around their neck and a clipboard in their hands and they have made flying a Greyhound bus experience."
The head of Greyhound said he took umbrage with the comparison.
"I was disheartened to hear about the comments you made regarding our company," Greyhound President and CEO Dave Leach said in an open letter to the "30 Rock" star.
"I'm the first to admit that Greyhound has had some challenges in the past, so I understand that you probably were basing your comments on that alone. But we've made so many changes in recent years to significantly improve the travel experience. My guess is you've never traveled with us, but I ask you to give us a try for a number of reasons and see for yourself that we're really a great way to travel."
Leach went on to say the company recently added to its fleet hundreds of new buses with more legroom, leather seats, power outlets and free WiFi.
"I think you especially would find the latter two amenities exciting, because we don't require our customers to turn off their electronic devices … ever," Leach's letter said. "You could, therefore, play 'Words with Friends' during your entire trip and nobody would give you any grief over it. As a matter of fact, we have a Facebook page, so if you wanted to start a 'Words with Friends' game with us, just 'Like' us and we'd be more than happy to take on the challenge."
Leach also noted Greyhound "is an American icon, a proud company that many people depend on to get them to their destinations -- the same people who watch your films and TV show."
First full-length film shot on smartphone
BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- San Francisco radio personality Hooman Khalili says he has shot the first feature-length film on a smartphone to be released in a theater.
Starring Gena Rowlands, "Olive" is set for release in Los Angeles next week. The movie was made for less than $500,000, using a Nokia N8 cellphone, with a high-resolution camera adapted with a 35mm lens to give added depth of field, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported.
"Technology is moving so quickly and cellphones are really going to be the thing that does everything eventually," Khalili told the newspaper. "They already do so much, and in January 2010 I came up with this idea and I saw there was nothing out there that existed. This is groundbreaking technology. You know someone is gonna be first, and there's something special about being first. And, yeah, our lens might be big and clunky, but this is how first generations of new technology are."
Rowlands, 81, is the wife of late independent filmmaker John Cassavetes. She is best known for her work in the film "A Woman Under The Influence."
"I sent her the script, and she said to me: 'I read six scripts a week and I maybe do one movie a year. This script is so good, (but) I need you to convince me to do this movie.' So I sat there, and for an hour-and-a-half I poured my heart out to her. She did it, not for the money. She (is) an independent spirit, and she liked the fact that it was the first cellphone movie," the Telegraph quoted Khalili as saying.
Jay-Z plans Carnegie Hall fundraisers
NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Rapper Jay-Z is to headline a pair of concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall to raise money for his scholarship foundation and the United Way.
"It's every artist's dream to play a venue as legendary as Carnegie Hall," the New York-born hip-hop mogul said in a statement Thursday. "The fact that I can use the arts and my talent to benefit the education of the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and great thinkers makes for a legendary night. I'm proud to be a part of the continuing work of United Way of New York City and expanding the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation."
The shows are to take place Feb. 6-7.
"United Way is dedicated to helping low-income New Yorkers build better lives, and we know that the greatest antidote to poverty is education," said Gordon J. Campbell, chief executive officer of United Way of New York City. "For more than 20 years, we have been active in early childhood centers and public schools, working with educators, families and students to address barriers to success inside and outside the classroom. We are so pleased to partner with Jay-Z and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation, who share our belief that every child deserves a great education."
Jay-Z's real name is Shawn Carter.
Asner headed back to 'Hawaii Five-0'
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Ed Asner is set to reprise his role of August March, the character he played in the original "Hawaii Five-0," in an upcoming episode of the remake, CBS said.
Footage from a 1975 episode in which Asner's character is introduced will be used in the new installment. It will show March as an up-and-coming smuggler. Now a reformed man after serving 30 years in prison for murder, March lives on Oahu and is approached by the Five-0 to assist on a smuggling case, the network said in a synopsis.
"It is thrilling to, for the first time, merge the original 'Hawaii Five-0' and our new show by having the classic, versatile and award-winning actor Ed Asner reprise his role of August March, a character Mr. Asner first played 36 years ago. There is no better way to form a bridge between our reboot and the original series," Executive Producer Peter Lenkov said in a statement.
The new version of the show is in its second season, and stars Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Masi Oka.
Asner is best known for his work on the TV shows "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Lou Grant."
