We’ve known that Hollywood legend and American cultural icon has been battling cancer for quite some time now. Still, his passing away has caused ripples of emotions all throughout the country and even the rest of the world. Paul Newman, a man looked up to by many, passed away at 83.

AFP writes:

Paul Newman, a Hollywood legend and American icon beloved for his piercing blue eyes and roguish charm, has died after losing his fight with cancer, his family said Saturday. He was 83.
Newman, whose health had been the subject of intense speculation ever since photographs of him looking frail and gaunt appeared in the press in June, passed away on Friday, a spokeswoman said.

A devastatingly handsome leading man who appeared in scores of Hollywood classics, Newman’s death relegated the US presidential election and Wall Street’s financial meltdown to second place in news bulletins Saturday.

“Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special,” Newman’s daughters said in a statement.

“Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity.”

Tributes began flowing in from around the globe, with friends, co-stars and celebrities hailing an “exemplary life.”

Robert Redford , Newman’s friend and co-star in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting,” led the emotional outpouring.

“There is a point where feelings go beyond words,” the 72-year-old said in a statement. “I have lost a real friend. My life — and this country — is better for his being in it.”

Though some of today’s generation may not know much about this man, those if us who witnessed his life and his work will certainly remember him for the man he was.

Hollywood isn’t just all about glitz, glamour, and drama. Indeed, much like other entertainment capitals in other countries, Hollywood has its share of humor. One of the most famous comedy bars in this part of the world is The Laugh Factory.

The Laugh Factory is located right smack on Sunset Strip and has been there since 1979. Founded by Jamie Masada, this comedy club has been a big hit since its opening. Jamie Masada is no stranger to comedy. According to him, it was actually love at first sight – and his first sighting of a comedy show was when he was 6 years old. And what was it that made him fell in love? An episode of The Three Stooges. Enough said.

The Laugh Factory has welcomed and featured comedians of note. The honorable list includes names such as Dante, Michael Richards, Bob Saget, Carlos Mencia, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Dunham, Jerry Seinfeld, Derrick Cameron, Brad Williams, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Paul Rodriguez, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Louis CK, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook, Nick Cannon, Sunda Croonquist, Troy Thirdgill, Max Dolcelli, and Roseanne Barr.

I don’t know about you but if I were to visit Hollywood, I wouldn’t miss this comedy bar for the world. Think about it, walking up and down the streets of Tinsel Town will tire you out eventually. Shopping in the glitzy areas just might drain your pockets. Riding tour buses can be exhausting. What better way to end your day by spending several hours just sitting around with your favorite drink and listening to other people try to make you laugh and forget all your worries?

We should have seen this coming. For each movie released, each show produced, and basically anything that happens in Hollywood, critics are all up and about and ready to share a piece of their mind with the general public. So why should the recent Emmy Awards be any different? Interested in what the critics have to say? Here are some of the more interesting bits.

As Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times said, “If we come away with nothing else from this year’s Emmys, let us all agree that having a host with some experience actually entertaining people is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. The show never quite recovered from its unforgivably bad opener or its less-than-useless hosts.

I would agree if I were a winner and I was not allowed to speak more than 2 seconds – which happened quite a lot this time around.

Frazier Moore of the AP recalled, “There have been boring, listless and otherwise ham-handed Emmy broadcasts among the past 59. Sunday’s Emmycast was all of those things. But ‘The 60th Primetime Emmys’ also seemed an inadvertent homage to the 100 days of the Hollywood writers strike last season, when the shows that were able to continue demonstrated what TV without writers is like.

Still doubt the important role that writers play in Hollywood? Watch the Emmys and doubt no more.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun said, “While it was exciting to see history being made, as entertainment, the telecast emceed by five reality hosts was without a doubt one of the worst in history. It was tedious from the moment Tom Bergeron (‘Dancing with the Stars’), Howie Mandel (‘Deal or No Deal’), Jeff Probst (‘Survivor’), Heidi Klum ( ‘Project Runway’) and Ryan Seacrest (‘American Idol’) hit the stage and did 12 minutes of chatter about not having an opening monologue or remarks. The segment ended with two of the reality guys ripping off Klum’s tuxedo to reveal a skimpy showgirl outfit. Yawn. The boredom was momentarily relieved only a couple of times.”

So what do you think? Are the critics right on the spot?

Have you ever heard of the group Hollywood Heritage? It is a group that has been actively preserving the landmarks of Hollywood. It has been in operation for over 25 years and even though they may not be as well known as the other names in the industry, their work has certainly made a difference.

It was thus quite a surprise when the news came out that they have received an eviction notice. They have been calling the Wattles Mansion home for a while now but they have been told by the LA city government to move out! The LA Times reports:

Hollywood’s leading preservation group has been ordered out of the community’s most prominent historic estate for allegedly ignoring city rules and renting out the mansion for disruptive parties.

Hollywood Heritage has supervised the famed Wattles Mansion for 25 years under an exclusive agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The city purchased the mansion for about $2 million in 1968.

But parks officials say the nonprofit organization — known for its vigorous efforts to protect endangered structures from Hollywood’s early years — has failed to properly maintain the 101-year-old landmark. The group has also been accused of failing to turn over financial records related to weddings, film shoots and other special events at the mansion.

Nearby residents on dead-end North Curson Avenue complain that partygoers’ cars clog the street and block driveways. They say that loud, amplified music echoes through their hillside canyon on party nights.

If the allegations are true, then it is such a disappointing turn of events.

I would love to be present at this event but unfortunate me, I am but a mere mortal who cannot even think of affording the price tag. Tonight, a fundraising dinner for presidential candidate Barack Obama will be held in Beverly Hills, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to be exact. Attendees are to pay 28,000 US Dollars each. You might think that that is too high a price to pay for a dinner but this is no regular event.

For the whopping price tag, attendees can get to listen to Barbara Streisand AND donate to Obama’s campaign, in what is touted to be one of the most expensive elections to date. AFP has this report:

Oscar-winning singer and actress Barbra Streisand will perform at a glittering and lucrative Hollywood fundraiser for Democrat Barack Obama Tuesday, aides said.

The White House hopeful will host a dinner in Beverly Hills costing attendees 28,500 dollars each and
Streisand will then sing at a reception at the swanky Beverly Wilsher hotel, campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday.

Streisand supported Obama’s party rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries but is now backing the Illinois senator in his hard-fought campaign against Republican John McCain for the November 4 election.

Obama aides declined to say how many people were expected at the dinner and reception, nor which other stars might attend.

Politico.com said upwards of 250 high rollers would attend the events and they could raise nine million dollars, which would be the most amassed by any candidate in a single day.

That is a pretty good sum, I should say.

What? Isn’t it steeped enough in cash already? Yeah, I know, I was thinking the same thing initially. However, if you think about it, they do spend billions of dollars on big budget movies. This means that they need some sort of cash infusion before they can create more big budget films.

Well it seems that Hollywood has no problems in this regard. The news is that the oil rich country, United Arab Emirates, is continuing to infuse cash into the coffers of Hollywood. The LA Times reports:

Furthering the links between the United Arab Emirates and Hollywood, a venture controlled by the government of Abu Dhabi is launching a production company with a $1-billion-plus fund to make movies and digital content in partnership with three as-yet-unnamed Los Angeles producers and other international filmmakers.

Abu Dhabi Media Co., through a newly formed subsidiary called Imagenation Abu Dhabi, plans to make eight films a year over the next five years, primarily for the English-speaking market. Imagenation will announce the first of its production deals next week at the Toronto Film Festival. The U.S. companies plan to open offices in Abu Dhabi.

Imagenation will now also assume oversight of Abu Dhabi Media’s year-old entertainment partnership with Warner Bros., which has had little to show for itself since it was announced with fanfare last September.

The parties said at the time that they would each contribute to a $1-billion fund to produce films and video games.

That is a whole lot of money! Then again, I am sure we will all see the results in movies and video games. Keep the money coming in, guys!