AP Entertainment Digest for Thursday, July 2, 2020
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THURSDAY, July 2
UPDATES with VIRUS OUTBREAK VANILLA ICE, OBIT-DOWNS
VIRUS OUTBREAK VANILLA ICE — Vanilla Ice has indefinitely postponed a Texas concert that was drawing fierce criticism because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 1990s rapper with the hit single “Ice Ice Baby” was scheduled to play a lakeside concert just outside Austin on Friday. The owner of the restaurant hosting the show said Thursday that it has been postponed due to the rapper’s concerns for the health of his fans and himself. Only 84 tickets had been sold. By Jim Vertuno. SENT: 470 words, photo.
OBIT-DOWNS — Hugh Downs, a near-constant presence on television from the 1950s through the 1990s, has died at age 99. His family said Downs died of natural causes Wednesday night in Scottsdale, Arizona. Downs was a host of the ‘Today” show on NBC, worked on the “Tonight” show when Jack Paar was in charge, and hosted the long-running game show “Concentration.” He co-hosted the ABC newsmagazine ‘20/20’ with Barbara Walters. By Media Writer David Bauder. SENT: 770 words, photos.
FILM-THE OUTPOST — The stars of “The Outpost,” which depicts a fierce battle between U.S. and Taliban troops in Afghanistan, say they set out to tell an authentic story about real soldiers and the challenges they face in war zones. The shoot started out with its own hurdle: star Scott Eastwood’s broken ankle, which required changing the shooting schedule and some painful moments for the actor. By Louise Dixon. SENT: 800 words, photos, video.
BRITAIN-JOHNNY DEPP — A British judge has rejected an attempt by tabloid newspaper The Sun to quash a libel suit brought by actor Johnny Depp over an article claiming he abused his ex-wife. Depp is suing the newspaper’s publisher and editor over a 2018 article claiming the actor was violent and abusive to Amber Heard. By Jill Lawless. SENT: 376 words, photo.
TURKEY-HAGIA SOPHIA — A state attorney has recommended that Turkey’s highest administrative court reject a request to turn Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia, a cathedral-turned-mosque that now serves as a museum, back into a place of Muslim worship. The 6th-century structure was the Byzantine Empire’s main cathedral before it was changed into an imperial mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. SENT: 408 words, photos.
COMMUNITY LIBRARIES-ALBUQUERQUE — The city of Albuquerque and a Wisconsin-based group have agreed on a new initiative to encourage residents to build “Little Free Libraries” throughout the region as public libraries and bookstores remain under restrictions due to the pandemic. By Russell Contreras. AP Photos. UPCOMING: 400 words.
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REVIEWS
FILM REVIEW-HAMILTON. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT Monday: 900 words, film stills.
FILM REVIEW-THE TRUTH. By Film Writer Jake Coyle. Upcoming: 700 words by 6 p.m. Thursday, film stills.
FILM REVIEW-JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE. By Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. SENT Tuesday: 660 words, film stills.
MUSIC REVIEW-JOE ELY. By Steven Wine. SENT: Thursday: 201 words, album cover image.
MUSIC REVIEW-PAUL WELLER. By Pablo Gorondi. UPCOMING: Thursday. 300 words, album cover image.
BOOK REVIEW-ONE LAST LIE By PAUL DOIRON. Reviewed by Bruce DeSilva. SENT Monday: 320 words, cover image.