CUPERTINO, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced that new movie releases from major film studios and premier independent studios are available for purchase on the iTunes(R) Store (http://www.itunes.com) on the same day as their DVD release. New releases and catalog titles will be available from 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios. Movies purchased from iTunes can be viewed on an iPod(R) with video, iPhone(TM), Mac(R) or PC or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV(R), with new releases priced at $14.99 and most catalog titles at $9.99.

     “We’re thrilled to bring iTunes Store customers new films for purchase day-and-date with the DVD release,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We think movie fans will love being able to buy their favorites from major and independent studios.”

     New releases available for purchase on the iTunes Store this week, concurrent with their DVD release, include “American Gangster” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” Other popular titles now available for purchase include “Juno,” “Cloverfield,” “I Am Legend,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

     The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over six million songs, 600 TV shows and over 1,500 films including 200 in stunning high definition video. With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as new iTunes Movie Rentals, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, the ability to turn previously purchased tracks into complete albums at a reduced price, and seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, the iTunes Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.

     Pricing & Availability

     Movie purchases and rentals from the iTunes Store for Mac or Windows require iTunes 7.6.2, available as a free download immediately from http://www.itunes.com. iTunes movie purchases and rentals require a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. iTunes Movies are available in the US only and are $9.99 (US) for library title purchases and $14.99 (US) for new release purchases and $2.99 (US) for library title rentals and $3.99 (US) for new release rentals, and high definition rental versions are priced just one dollar more with library title rentals at $3.99 (US) and new release rentals at $4.99 (US). Short films are available to rent for 99 cents (US). Movies can be previewed, purchased and watched on iPod classic, iPod nano with video, iPod touch, iPhone and on a widescreen TV with Apple TV.

     Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

     (C) 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Movie star Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years imprisonment last night for his “brazen defiance” of the US taxman.

The 45-year-old Hollywood actor, who has starred in films including Blade, White Men Can’t Jump and Demolition Man, was given the maximum sentence possible after prosecutors described him to a court in Ocala, Florida, as a “truly notorious offender.” He did not have to go to prison immediately but must surrender to custody at a later date.

Snipes sat expressionless as the sentence was handed down. Asked if he had any reaction, he spread his arms and shrugged. One of his lawyers, Carmen Hernandez, complained: “Mr Snipes was sentenced because he’s Mr Snipes.”

The decision by US District Court judge William Terrell Hodges came two months after a jury convicted Snipes on three counts of willfully failing to file federal tax returns from 1999 to 2001.

The court heard yesterday that Snipes dodged $15 million (£7.5 million) in tax through a campaign in which he concealed millions offshore, falsely applied for tax refunds and bombarded the Internal Revenue Service with frivolous correspondence that threatened government employees, railed about extortion and used twisted legal interpretations to back his claim that taxation was unlawful.

“For nearly a decade, Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment,” the prosecuting attorney, Robert O’Neill, told the court in a sentencing memorandum. “In the defendant Wesley Snipes, the court is presented with a wealthy, famous and inveterate tax scofflaw. If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant.”

Okay this is only about the coolest thing ever.  I don’t even remember how I stumbled upon the Mixwit site, but miraculously I did… Quick gist of it is this… Go to the site, use their search tool to find any assorted music tracks you can possibly think of.  Then select the cassette design (stay with me here people - it’s a cassette.. you DO remember those ancient relics right?)  Anyway, select your tracks, design your tape and viola, here you go.

I’m still stuck in my ONCE phase, so of course those were my tracks of choice… I’m actually really surprised that I enjoy the music as much as I do.  It was one of those that the instant I heard the first few notes of ‘Falling Slowly’ I was utterly and completely hooked.  Even on the more raw/gritty songs that normally would grate on my last nerve… love ‘em. 

Actually, I’ve never been a big fan of movie soundtracks for the sheer reason that they are too hit or miss… however, i wouldn’t mind also poking around to see if I can find some tracks from my other guilty pleasure, Dan In Real Life… yep, hooked on the movie and was hooked on the music from that flick as well.  Go figure.  Either soundtracks are getting better, or i’m just getting old and less picky… well, old anyway…

Louis Leterrier, director of the upcoming The Incredible Hulk, downplayed to SCI FI Wire reports of a creative rift in the post-production phase between actor/screenwriter Edward Norton (who plays Bruce Banner) and Marvel Studios.

“It’s so unsettling, because it’s not true,” Leterrier said in an interview on April 19 at New York Comic Con. “Listen, when you have problems [on a film], you learn what to do. Everyone comes to an agreement where everyone agrees to say it was one thing or it was another thing. But [this controversy] is not a real thing, so I am saying one thing and [producer] Kevin [Feige] will say another thing, because it’s a non-issue.”

Entertainment blogger Nikki Finke first reported that Norton and Marvel clashed over the film’s tone and direction. Not so, Leterrier said. “Edward is working on the movie, and we are working here,” he said. “It’s a non-issue. You know what’s real is that it gives that woman, Nikki Finke, too much power, and everybody is falling into what she is saying. It’s sad and weird.” (Finke did not respond to a request for comment from SCI FI Wire.)

Asked if he found it difficult to work with Norton, Leterrier said “No.” “For example, I never, ever heard about the [rumored] Edward Norton problems [with director Tony Kaye] on American History X,” he said. “That movie was amazing, and in France we just judged the movie. I speak to Edward every day. I can show you my iPhone, which has Edward Norton written all over it. We speak daily. He is very proud of the movie and is very involved. I wish he was here.”

Exceprt From: SciFi.com