Michael Moore is taking America's temperature again.

Eloise, the Plaza hotel's most famous fictitious resident, has officially returned to the storied landmark following a $400 million renovation — with a portrait of the mischievous 6 year old prominently displayed near its famous Palm Court dining room.

Sean Penn may be president of the Cannes Film Festival jury — but don't expect any buttoned-up presidential behavior from the Hollywood rebel.

The Cannes Film Festival usually starts with a movie that's light and goes down easy. So Wednesday's dark, apocalyptic opening film seemed a puzzling choice — even to the movie's director.

CANNES, France, May 14 (Reuters) - A grim Brazilian drama about society's descent into anarchy launched the Cannes film festival on Wednesday, and politics dominated the opening news conference held by jury president Sean Penn.

Michael Moore is taking America's temperature again.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has begun work on a "searing and provocative" follow-up to his 2004 political documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," with plans to release it next year, producers said Tuesday.

CANNES, France, May 14 (Reuters) - Hard-hitting Brazilian film "Blindness" gets the Cannes film festival under way on Wednesday, kicking off 12 hectic days of movies, publicity and late-night revelry in the Riviera resort.

Indiana Jones managed to retrieve the trinket he was after in the opening moments of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." He pretty much wrecked everything else in the ancient South American temple where the little gold idol had rested for millennia.

SALZBURG, Austria, May 13 (Reuters) - "The Sound of Music", one of Hollywood's greatest money-spinners, will scale new heights when the original von Trapp family villa near Salzburg opens as a hotel in July.

Drew Barrymore was involved in a hit-and-run accident, but instead of staying put, she followed the other driver and took down the license plate number.

Four artists have been nominated for this year's Turner Prize, awarded annually to a British artist under the age of 50.

Rounding up a lot of the usual suspects, the Cannes Film Festival presents a lineup from an illustrious if somewhat predictable gang of regulars, including Clint Eastwood, Steven Soderbergh, Woody Allen, Atom Egoyan and Wim Wenders.

CANNES, France, May 13 (Reuters) - The world's biggest film festival kicks off in Cannes on Wednesday, bringing Hollywood A-listers, obscure arthouse directors, international media and fans together for 12 party-packed days on the French Riviera.

May 13 (Reuters) - Cannes film festival, the world's biggest, opens on Wednesday with "Blindness", a movie by Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles. It ends on May 25. Following are some key facts about the festival.

Dwight Yoakam will make his 24th appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" this week, breaking the record for most musical performances by any artist.

California's highest court ruled that a prosecutor who helped in the making of "Alpha Dog" may remain on the death penalty case on which the film is based.

Dwight Yoakam will make his 24th appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" this week, breaking the record for most musical performances by any artist.

A TV movie about the life of Holocaust hero Irena Sendler, who died Monday at age 98 in Poland, is being readied for production and will air next season on CBS.

Indiana Jones better get his alibi ready. A large crystal skull similar to those at the center of the upcoming Harrison Ford movie was recently stolen from a New Age store, puzzling employees in part because of the laid-back nature of shop regulars.

Jimmy Fallon's eighth-grade yearbook at St. Mary of the Snow in Saugerties, N.Y., listed him as "most likely to take over for David Letterman."

Warner Bros.' "Speed Racer" downshifted to third place in its debut weekend with $18.6 million in box-office receipts while Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" kept a lock on first with $51.2 million in ticket sales.

LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - Getting Hollywood actors paid for their smallest performances -- video clips on the Internet -- is shaping up as one their biggest sticking points in stalemated contract negotiations with major studios.

Warner Bros.' "Speed Racer" downshifted to third place in its debut weekend with $18.6 million in box-office receipts while Marvel Studio's "Iron Man" kept a lock on first with $51.2 million in ticket sales.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pulitzer Prize-winning play "August: Osage County" and musicals "Young Frankenstein" and "Xanadu" nabbed the top Outer Critics Circle awards Monday ahead of U.S. theater's top honors, the Tonys.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - In his latest film, Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro portrays a man who is very much in the news himself these days -- Cuban President Raul Castro.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If there is one thing director M. Night Shyamalan enjoys, it is spooking audiences with his supernatural movies, and he promises his June release, "The Happening," will be the scariest ride yet.

News from the virtual world:

Indiana Jones better get his alibi ready.

It's been an odd year for musicals on Broadway. Big, ballyhooed shows fizzled with the critics, little ones earned cheers but not sold-out houses, and the toughest ticket turned out to be a nearly 60-year-old musical that has audiences swooning over lush, lyrical, good old-fashioned romance.

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are back -- The "Sex and the City" TV stars took to the big screen on Monday with the world premiere in London of their tales of love and high fashion in New York.

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are back -- The "Sex and the City" TV stars take to the big screen on Monday with the world premiere in London of their tales of love and high fashion in New York.

Actor Dennis Farina apologized for his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage.

Actor Dennis Farina apologized for his arrest at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage.

Actor Dennis Farina was charged with a felony Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage.

There is a legend that the ancient Maya possessed 13 crystal skulls which, when united, hold the power of saving the Earth — a tale so strange and fantastic that it inspired the latest Indiana Jones movie.

Actor Dennis Farina was charged with a felony Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on luggage.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dennis Farina, a former policeman who built a Hollywood career playing detectives, was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport for carrying a loaded gun on his way to board a plane, police said.

There is a legend that the ancient Maya possessed 13 crystal skulls which, when united, hold the power of saving the Earth — a tale so strange and fantastic that it inspired the latest Indiana Jones movie.

Jimmy Fallon will officially be given the keys to NBC's "Late Night" franchise following Conan O'Brien's exit.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dennis Farina, a former policeman who built a Hollywood career playing detectives, was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport for carrying a gun on his way to board a plane, police said.

"Speed Racer" was lapped in its opening weekend at the box office as "Iron Man" continued to fire its jets with $50.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Superhero movie "Iron Man" pounded the competition at North American box offices for the second straight weekend, landing at No. 1 with $50.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Following are the top 10 films at the North American box office for the three-day weekend beginning May 9, led by "Iron Man" for the second straight week, according to studio estimates compiled Sunday by Reuters.

LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) - Hollywood legends and obscure arthouse directors descend on Cannes from Wednesday for the world's biggest film festival that combines edgy cinema with A-list celebrities, glitzy parties and frenetic deal-making.

Vanessa Williams has received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Syracuse University, nearly 25 years after she dropped out to become the first black Miss America.

As a boy, Michael Conner Humphreys made a splash on the silver screen as "Young Forrest Gump." As an adult, he somewhat mirrored the life of his movie character: He joined the Army and fought in an unpopular war.

As a boy, Michael Conner Humphreys made a splash on the silver screen as "Young Forrest Gump." As an adult, he somewhat mirrored the life of his movie character: He joined the Army and fought in an unpopular war.

"No, No, Nanette" is one of those Broadway musicals that is the perfect combination of tap and tune — catchy songs and dance numbers guaranteed to get an audience giddy.

Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city's other landmarks: Carrie's stoop, Charlotte's gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend's face.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc said Friday that "Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski will make a movie version of "BioShock", its hit video game about an underwater utopia gone disastrously wrong.

Near as Lee Pace can tell, the best way to scare audiences away is to tell them how good something is.

After all this time, you don't associate Jeff Probst with traffic gridlock, yowling sirens, or office towers crowding the sky.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Oliver Stone has landed a distribution deal with independent studio Lionsgate to get an upcoming film about President Bush into U.S. theaters in October, shortly before the presidential election.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The planet's "happiliest" married man, Ashton Kutcher, was once a champion carouser until he met his wife five years ago and became a changed man.

Niko Bellic is richer than Tony Stark.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. television is recovering from one labor strike and could face another, it's contending with digital video records, competing with new media, and trying to lock up advertising dollars in a rotten economy.

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of April 28-May 4. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:

Mariah Carey really did get married to Nick Cannon in the Bahamas last week — and they have the tattoos to prove it.

Come on, now. You already know "What Happens in Vegas."

Jackie Chan and Jet Li's first movie together is a hit in China.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li's first movie together is a hit in China.

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 11-17:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. television is recovering from one labor strike and could face another, it's contending with digital video records, competing with new media, and trying to lock up advertising dollars in a rotten economy.

LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - He'll be back -- Hollywood strike or no strike!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg was elected as head of the nation's largest performers' union in 2005 on a pledge to take a tougher stance in labor talks than his immediate predecessor.

A Wall Street Journal reporter is sharing details about her experience as a juror in the Uma Thurman stalking trial, including some jurors' suspicions about whether her testimony was genuine.

LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - He'll be back -- Hollywood strike or no strike!

At age 82, it sounds like Mrs. Garrett is still teaching youngsters about the facts of life.

CHICAGO, (Reuters) - Hall of Fame rocker Rod Stewart is 63 years-old, but nowhere near retirement as he considers a wish list of future projects that include a movie, an R&B album, and maybe even a fling with country and western music.

Cablevision Systems Corp. is buying the Sundance Channel, a cable network founded by Robert Redford, for $496 million, the New York-area cable TV company announced Wednesday.

Some 100 miles from Malawi's capital, the dusty village of Lipunga has no movie theaters or video players, let alone electricity. But villager Yohane Banda has at least heard that Madonna's new documentary is meant to draw attention to this southern African country's poverty.

Hollywood producers on Tuesday temporarily broke off contract talks with the Screen Actors Guild, calling its demands regarding DVD sales and online content "unreasonable."

"Superbad" has supergood chances of winning a trophy at the MTV Movie Awards.

"Glory Days" is an eager pop-rock musical examining past, present and future — as seen through the eyes of four best friends, a quartet of guys who have returned home after their first year of college.

(Recasts first paragraph; adds details, comments from conference call, analysts)

A former mental patient obsessed with Uma Thurman faces up to a year in jail after a jury convicted him Tuesday of stalking and harassing the actress with a barrage of frightening advances.

Rocker Neil Young plans to release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs, a sign that the discs' capabilities are building appeal among musicians as well as movie studios.

The Jonas brothers will be shown in all their 3-D glory next year in a movie featuring footage from their upcoming "Burning Up" concert tour.

"Speed Racer" stars Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci are better known for smaller independent movies than summer blockbusters.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Turns out Christina Ricci, who has become a darling of independent film fans, isn't so 'indie' after all.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York jury convicted a former mental patient of stalking actress Uma Thurman Tuesday and a judge ordered him held for a psychiatric evaluation.

Nearly 25 years after leaving Syracuse University, Vanessa Williams will get her bachelor of fine arts degree this weekend.

Timbaland and the Neptunes are so dominant as producers, they can sometimes upstage the artist they're working with ... unless that artist is Madonna.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York jury convicted a man of stalking actress Uma Thurman on Tuesday and a judge immediately ordered him held for a psychiatric evaluation.

Stephen Colbert's use of the Internet to connect with fans earned the Comedy Central host special recognition as recipients of the annual Webby awards for Web sites and online achievements were announced Tuesday.

Entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone said Tuesday he has no objection to Tom Cruise starring in the next segment of the popular "Mission Impossible" movie series, despite cutting his relationship with the actor in 2006.

Will "Sex and the City" have a "Death in the City?" It's been a persistent rumor in cyberspace as the buzz kicks into overdrive for the film opening later this month.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Buoyed by the blockbuster success of "Iron Man" over the weekend, Marvel Studios Monday announced plans for a string of superhero properties, including an "Iron Man" sequel set for April 2010.

Fictional billionaire Tony Stark has made a fortune in Hollywood as the superhero adventure "Iron Man" pulled in $98.6 million domestically in its first weekend.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Buoyed by the blockbuster success of "Iron Man" over the weekend, Marvel Studios Monday announced plans for a string of superhero properties, including an "Iron Man" sequel set for April 2010.

M. Night Shyamalan says his new film, "The Happening," will terrify moviegoers.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The superhero mania that is invading American cinemas this summer has taken hold at one of the country's most distinguished art museums with an exhibit on how their colorful costumes have influenced fashion.

This weekend was just the beginning of Hollywood's Iron age.

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A movie set is one of the places Tom Cruise feels most at home.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York jury began deliberations Monday in the case of a man accused of stalking actress Uma Thurman and harassing her family.

"Iron Man" was pure gold at the box office.

(Adds cumulative box office for "Baby Mama", Marvel share price)