In ‘Creed II,’ Dolph Lundgren Happy With Better Lines

November 22, 2018

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Being cast as the villain Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” launched Dolph Lundgren’s acting career. But he had a brainier path if that didn’t work out. The 61-year old actor holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering and was on a Fulbright scholarship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when Stallone cast him as Drago for the 1985 “Rocky” sequel. Lundgren doesn’t regret trading academia for those red boxing trunks with the gold stripes, though he wishes his character had a few more coherent lines. “It felt really surreal, ...

Composer Ludwig Goransson Is Having Best Year Ever

November 22, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — He’s had his hand in two of the year’s biggest pop culture moments — with the film “Black Panther” and the song “This Is America” — but unlike Michael B. Jordan or Childish Gambino, Ludwig Goransson can easily walk down the street like a regular dude. At just 34, the talented and skilled composer from Sweden is having the best year of his career. He completed the film score for the uber-successful “Black Panther,” even traveling to Senegal for three weeks to learn about African music and work with local musicians. He earned three nominations at ...

Joe Perry Cancels Tour After Hospital Visit

November 22, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joe Perry has canceled his fall tour to take time off after recently being hospitalized with breathing problems. The Aerosmith guitarist’s publicist said in a statement Tuesday the 68-year-old will take the rest of the year off. He had expected to return to the road starting Nov. 30 through Dec. 16. Perry felt short of breath after a guest performance with Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden in New York. Paramedics backstage gave Perry oxygen and used a tracheal tube to clear his airway before taking him to the hospital. Perry had joined the 69-year-old ...

Children End Effort To Contest Campbell’s Wills

November 22, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three of country singer Glen Campbell’s children have dropped their fight to contest the validity of two wills that exclude them from any inheritance. The Tennessean reported the siblings agreed on Monday to dismiss their complaint. A legal filing in Davidson County Probate Court did not say why. Travis, Kelli, and Wesley Campbell contested the singer’s capacity to agree to the 2001 and 2006 wills that omit them. The siblings had contended that their father, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was subject to undue influence. A 2006 will was filed by ...

‘Dogs’ Serves Up The Human Bond

November 22, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — In these heated and oft-difficult times, do we need dogs more than ever? Do we need to rescue them, let them run free, accept their precious help with our most trying physical challenges and revel in their licks and loving nudges? Filmmakers Glen Zipper and Amy Berg think absolutely yes. They worked together on the new Netflix Original docu-series “Dogs,” which dropped last week. “We’re in undeniably divisive times right now. We’re all searching for something that everyone can agree on and dogs are probably about as close to that as we get,” said ...

‘Ralph’ Sequel Has Strong Female Characters

November 21, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ralph Breaks the Internet” may star an arcade bad guy with powerful hammer-like fists, but the animated sequel is also packing a punch with strong female characters. Sarah Silverman, who returns as the voice of Vanellope von Schweetz, credits Disney for including more impactful female roles in the new film, which comes out Wednesday. Her character is one of the leading ladies, along with new cast members Gal Gadot’s Shank and Taraji P. Henson, who plays Yesss. “I love it,” said Silverman, an outspoken comedian known for advocating for women’s rights. ...