NEW YORK: A pristine first edition of the inaugural Superman comic book, originally costing just 10 cents, has sold at auction for a record-breaking $2.16 million.
The 1938 copy of Action Comics #1, in which Superman debuted, sold Wednesday, smashing a $1.5 million record set for a slightly less well-preserved copy of the first edition auctioned last year.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the rare item had belonged to actor Nicholas Cage, who lost it in a 2000 robbery, only for it to be recovered a decade later.
Auctioneers ComicConnect.com said it was “the most important comic book in the history of comics” and the “introduction of the archetype of all other heroes to come.”The comic’s cover features the red-caped superhero lifting a green car, while bystanders run in panic.
One reason for the unusually good condition of the book is that for 50 years it lay unnoticed tucked inside an old movie magazine.
LOS ANGELES: “The Artist,” a black-and-white homage to the era of silent movies, has a growing number of film insiders talking in Hollywood, where it is increasingly tipped as a leading Oscars hopeful.
The movie by French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius won best film and best director this week by the New York Film Critics Circle, lending weight to its hopes for the Academy Awards.
On the same day it secured a best picture nomination for the Independent Spirit Awards, another key pointer to who will vie for a golden statuette at the climax of Hollywood’s just-started awards season, in February.
Distributed by The Weinberg Company — a veteran Oscar-backer which produced last year’s Best Film “The King’s Speech” — it tells the story of silent film star George Valentin whose career is torpedoed by the arrival of the “talkies.”
As his fortunes plummet, a young dancer and actress who initially idolizes him — Peppy Miller, who catches his eye, and heart — is on her way up to Hollywood stardom in the new movies-with-sound era.
Without spoiling the plot, the climax brings the pair back together in a dramatic and touching finale.The terrier, Valentin’s constant companion throughout the film’s emotional roller-coaster ride, already scooped an unofficial award, the Palm Dog, in Cannes.
Film website Movieline this week launched a “Consider Uggie” campaign for the pooch to win more gongs.
“That he and his trainers have yet to receive so much as an honorary nod beyond the Palm Dog prize praising the year’s most noteworthy Cannes-ine (ahem) performance is an oversight worth correcting,” it wrote.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will announce Oscar nominees on January 24, while the winners will be announced at the annual Hollywood awards season-closing extravaganza on February 26.
The last two decades have seen Dubai reinvent itself from a small, poor and quiet fishing village located at the south of the Persian Gulf–Arabian Peninsula to a dazzling city with a vibrant urban life. How did this happen? Home to more than 200 nationalities – particularly those from the Indian subcontinent – the emirate’s choice to welcome expatriates has paid off.
Unlike the Gulf emirates that can count on petroleum wealth, Dubai has wound its way to prosperity by planning carefully and executing those plans methodically. Its airline and luxury construction have made it a popular destination for luxury tourism. Projects like the Burj al-Arab, the Palm Jumeriah and the Burj Khalifa, along with events like the world’s richest horserace – the Dubai World Cup – and the Dubai Shopping Festival, have sustained tourist interest and focused the world’s attention on the emirate.
Over the past few days the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has geared up to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The country is gripped by festive spirit and to mark this occasion, Pranay Gupte – a globally established author and foreign correspondent – has recently published his latest book, “Dubai: The Making of a Megapolis.” Gupte draws on his deep knowledge of the region and its leading personalities to trace the city-state’s extraordinary and fabulous journey through his book. And amidst the festivities, he chats to Dawn.com about his experience in Dubai.
Step aside, Kim! It’s time for your big sister Kourtney to take the spotlight for a moment. The eldest Kardashian sister is expecting her second child with beau of four years Scott Disick, Us Weekly confirmed in a scoop that will appear on the pages of the mag’s new issue.Disick, 28, says:That’s an interesting comment, especially considering the couple did nothing but bicker and talk about how the spark had gone out of their nearly five-year relationship during Sunday’s premiere episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York on E! The couple already has a son, Mason Dash, who’ll turn 2 on Dec. 14. They still have no plans to marry — much to the chagrin of Kourtney’s mother, Kris Jenner.
Kourtney and Scott’s baby news comes on the heels of a Glamour interview in which soon-to-be two-time divorcee Kim Kardashian confided fears she’ll never have children of her own.
Where in the world is Mindy McCready? Authorities in Florida would like an answer to that question as they search for the ’90s country singer and her five-year-old son.
McCready, 36, and her son, Zander, have officially been classified as missing by cops in Cape Coral, The Associated Press has learned. The Department of Children and Families filed a report on Tuesday night after McCready took Zander from her father’s home and never returned.
Mindy, whose once-promising career has been overshadowed by her legal woes, drug addiction, and suicide attemps, has visitation rights with Zander, but her parents retain physical custody of the boy. A Florida judge has ordered the Celebrity Rehab alum to bring Zander home no later than Thursday at 5 PM EST or risk having a warrant issued for her arrest.
Fat chance! Return the kid? Mindy says she’ll do no such thing. Why? Well, Zander isn’t “missing,” according to his mom. Check out what she wrote on Twitter last night.
Meanwhile, McCready told Access Hollywood in an e-mail today that she can’t possibly kidnap a child who “belongs” to her. Er — anyone want to take a stab at explaining the ins and outs of custodial law to Mindy?
When Mindy was hospitalized for trying to take her life with an overdose of prescription drugs, her mother, Gayle McCready, told Us Weekly that she feared that her troubled daughter suffered from an acute case of “Kardashianitis” — also known as “Fame-Whorism” in some circles.
When Mindy was hospitalized for trying to take her life with an overdose of prescription drugs, her mother, Gayle McCready, told Us Weekly that she feared that her troubled daughter suffered from an acute case of “Kardashianitis” — also known as “Fame-Whorism” in some circles.
Peter Ho Jun-tung is an American Taiwanese singer and actor. Ho was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Taiwan and Canada. He studied at Ontario College of Art and Design, and began his singing career after being offered a record deal in a karaoke bar.
Since his debut in 1998, he has released seven albums and has starred in over 25 films and television series, such as Wind and Cloud, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, One Meter Sunshine and The Young Warriors.
Ho also appeared in the tokusatsu film Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost as Leo, the first non-Japanese Kamen Rider. He attended Dominican International School in Taipei.
Ho started out as a model, he came well known after filming a television commercial as a reporter. In 1998, he released his debut album in Taiwan, and then also went to Hong Kong. Although it caught a lot of attention, his singing career did not become a success. Ho later moved on to acting in Chinese television dramas. He put most of his efforts in mainland China, but his debut in Japan yielded good results as well. Summer's Desire is Ho's first television series as a producer.
David Goggins is a Navy SEAL, who served in Afghanistan, and an ultramarathon runner. After several of his friends died in Afghanistan, Goggins began long-distance running to raise money. In 2005, Goggins entered the 24 hour race in San Diego and was able to run 100 miles in under 19 hours, despite never having run a marathon before. Since then, Goggins competed in many different long distance running events such as the Las Vegas Marathon and the Badwater 135 miler, where he placed highly. By November, 2008, Goggins had raised $200,000 for the soldiers' families.
In 2008 he was named a "Hero of Running" by Runner's World.
