The Blog at Guess The Gross

ANNA NICOLE SMITH DIES AND I'M GOING TO HELL FOR THIS

For those who haven’t heard, Anna Nicole Smith died Thursday (February 8) after collapsing at the Hard Rock Hotel in Seminole, Florida.

The first thought I had upon hearing this news was, how long until the requisite Law and Order episode?

Synopsis: A Hollywood starlet collapses in a hotel and dies just days after being named in a class action suit against her and a diet drug company she represented. While the investigators initially think that it was suicide or a heart attack brought on by the drugs she used over the years, they dig a little more and find out that she was poisoned by the vice president of the drug company because she knew too much.

When you see the promo on NBC in a few months -- maybe the big season-ender of Law and Order since this is a juicy enough "ripped from the headlines" case -- remember who told you came up with the idea first.

Technorati Tags: News, Television

ASPIRING FILMMAKERS CAN FULFILL DREAMS ON THE LOT

Aspiring filmmakers can take the first step towards fulfilling their dreams of becoming a Hollywood director by applying to participate in FOX’s new reality competition series, On The Lot. To enter, applicants over 13 years of age must submit a self-directed short film, up to five minutes in length to thelot.com. The submission period ends February 16.

Hundreds of video submissions are already read to be viewed and critiqued on the newly expanded Web site. In addition to series info and application forms, the website also offers movie news and box office results, as well as message boards, personal blogs and photo galleries.

The program is executive-produced by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg and will give aspiring filmmakers from around the world the chance to earn a million-dollar development deal at DreamWorks.

The competition will air over two nights weekly, with a one-hour "Film Premiere" episode followed the next night by a half-hour "Box Office" results show.

Once the submission period ends, the entries will be winnowed to a group of 16 filmmakers and the finalists will be brought to Hollywood, where they will be divided into teams and will begin the journey toward their big break.

Every week, the hopeful filmmakers will produce short films from a chosen genre, running the gamut from comedies to thrillers, personal dramas to romance, sci-fi to horror. They’ll have access to the best resources the industry has to offer - professional writers, cast and crew, and possibly even Hollywood celebrities.

After the teams have battled time frames, budgets and all the usual chaos that goes along with filmmaking, their films will debut and be critiqued in front of a live audience during the "Film Premiere" episode. Judges will include a high-ranking motion picture executive, a prominent film critic and a succession of well-respected guests, such as directors who are experts in the week’s featured genre.

But the filmmakers ultimately will be judged by the harshest critics of all the public. It will be FOX viewers whose votes determine which films should be left on the cutting-room floor. On each "Box Office" results show, the director whose feature garners the fewest votes will be sent home.

The competition continues and directors are eliminated until only the most talented filmmaker is anointed the winner and heads to DreamWorks, to be met by Steven Spielberg and shown to his or her new office ... On The Lot.

Technorati Tags: Film, News, Television