Opening day: '2012' looking huge, 'Christmas Carol' holding strong 
The end of the world is going to do big business once again.
Sony Pictures' "2012," the latest disaster movie from director Roland Emmerich, appears headed toward an opening weekend gross of just over $60 million after it sold a studio-estimated $23.7 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada on Friday. That will make it Emmerich's second biggest opening ever, behind 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow," which had the advantage of launching Memorial Day weekend.
Combined with what's expected to be an even bigger performance in 105 foreign territories, "2012" could easily collect about $150 million or more worldwide this weekend, making it a major hit despite its hefty $200 million production cost.
Names & Faces: Stewart and Pattinson; Palin and Johnston; Eastwood and France
'New Moon,' old rumor
Are they or aren't they? It's a common refrain among celeb watchers -- especially among young, ardent fans of the "Twilight" saga. Because if Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who play the films' young lovers, are dating in real life . . . then "Twilight" is basically real, right?
If Stewart and Pattinson's ongoing subterfuge is any indication, we'll never know for sure. But hey, they've really got us hooked! And confused. Here, from the publicity ramp-up before sequel "New Moon's" Nov. 20 release, is what we know -- or think we know:
Balloon boy parents face sentence in December
FORT COLLINS (Reuters) - The parents of a Colorado boy whose apparent brush with death in a helium balloon transfixed millions pleaded guilty on Friday to staging a publicity-seeking hoax and will be sentenced next month.
Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor and will be sentenced on December 23.
The case has sparked outrage over the amount of money spent on a rescue attempt for the six-year-old child, dubbed "balloon boy," after live television images of the saucer-like homemade balloon soaring through the sky gripped the public.
Colorado parents plead guilty in balloon boy saga
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A Colorado couple who reported their son was aboard a runaway balloon could land in jail after pleading guilty Friday to charges they made up the story to generate publicity for a possible reality TV show.
Richard Heene appeared before a Larimer County District Court judge first, pleading guilty to a felony count of falsely influencing the sheriff who led the rescue effort during the 50-mile balloon chase that captivated a global television audience Oct. 15.
Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services. Prosecutors said she had a lower level of culpability and cooperated with authorities, telling investigators the balloon launch was a publicity stunt two weeks in the making.
Movie review: '2012' is a perfect disaster
If a film critic awards four stars to a movie directed by Roland Emmerich -- Hollywood's reigning king of catastrophe, the critically scorned director of "Independence Day" and "Godzilla" -- will the world come to an end? That's a question the ancient Mayans never asked, but it's the one facing me after the enormously satisfying, astonishingly accomplished, reprehensible-yet-irresistible "2012," the crowning achievement in Emmerich's long, profitable career as a destroyer of worlds.
Starting with the long-held misapprehension that the Mayan calendar picks 2012 as the date of humanity's doom, Emmerich fleshes out that bit of pseudo-history with some pseudo-science -- some nonsense about solar flares, and neutrinos heating the Earth's core -- and throws hundreds of millions of dollars and an expertly chosen cast at it. The result is a movie that takes the manifold guilty pleasures of such past Emmerich extravaganzas as "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow" -- not to mention the Emmerich-inspired "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact" -- and amplifies and expands them until they fill up 2 1/2 overstuffed hours.
"2012" takes the disaster movie -- once content simply to threaten the Earth with a comet, or blow up the White House -- to its natural conclusion, the literal end of the world.
Swift's trophy shelf expands after cmas
NASHVILLE -- Taylor Swift made history at the Country Music Awards on Wednesday night, becoming the youngest person to win entertainer of the year.
The tearful 19-year-old -- who led all performers with four awards, including album of the year -- cried as she accepted her trophy and said, "I will never forget this moment." No woman had won the award since Shania Twain in 1999.
Swift thanked the fans for their support of "Fearless," the top-selling album of the year. She also won video of the year for "Love Story." "You guys, this album is my diary and so to all the people who voted for me, this is a thank-you for saying you love my diary because that's the nicest compliment," Swift told the audience.
UPDATE 1-John King to replace CNN's departing Lou Dobbs
(Adds interim program arrangements)
LOS ANGELES, Nov 12 (Reuters) - CNN reporter John King willreplace controversial departing host Lou Dobbs in a newweeknight political program on the 24-hour cable news network,CNN said on Thursday.
The appointment of King, currently the chief nationalpolitical correspondent and host of Sunday political show"State of the Union," follows the abrupt resignation one dayearlier of Dobbs before the end of his contract in 2011.
Taylor's turn: Swift wins entertainer of the year
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — All four of the guys who lost to Taylor Swift for entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards made a tactical error: They asked the crossover sensation to open for them in their concerts.
Swift quickly shed her opener status and shook up the music world with an incredible year that included the best-selling album, a concert tour that sold out almost immediately and, now, a historic night at the CMAs that included becoming the youngest winner of the association's highest honor.
"Yeah, next year we're not going to take any opening acts out," Brad Paisley said jokingly.
cmas and acms are country cousins
Even the most die-hard country music fans have a tough time explaining the difference between the Country Music Assn. (CMA), which handed out awards Wednesday night, and the Academy of Country Music (ACM), which passes out honors every May. The only differences besides the dates are network affiliation and geography -- the CMA Awards air on ABC from Nashville while the ACM Awards are doled out on CBS from Las Vegas. Both awards are bestowed by industry organizations with many of the same voters and -- no surprise -- many of the same winners.
In the 45-year history of the ACM Awards, just 23 men and 24 women have won the vocalist prizes. And only 21 different acts have been named entertainer of the year. The CMAs are no different, with many of the champs there having won first at the ACM Awards or vice versa. Over 43 years, the CMA Awards have seen 23 men and 24 women take top vocal honors while 29 different acts have ranked as entertainer of the year.
Expect Taylor Swift -- who swept the CMAs this year with four wins including the coveted entertainer of the year title -- to do just as well at the next edition of the ACMs. At the CMAs, Swift beat three-time reigning entertainer of the year Kenny Chesney. His loss there was foretold by his defeat for the same award-- after four wins in a row -- at last May's ACMs, losingto Carrie Underwood.
Music Review Country Music Awards Attain New Levels of Inclusion
It’s safe to say that this is the first year in which the most important people at the Country Music Association Awards were an African-American man and a teenage girl, but so it went Wednesday night at the 43rd Annual Country Music Association Awards, celebrating a year that the world knocked loudly on country music’s door at the same time as it poked its head out of the bush.
But engagement is the only option, it was clear at this show, broadcast from the Sommet Center in Nashville Wednesday night on ABC, and hosted by the country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, for the second year. New faces abounded, dynasties came to an end, and cross-pollination was the new normal.
The phenom Taylor Swift swept the four categories in which she was nominated, including Entertainer of the Year, making her the first female artist to win that award since 2000.
