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Lohan’s ‘Killed Me’ sets worst-film record

SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) — Lindsay Lohan received an exclamation point on her terrible 2007 at the 28th annual Golden Raspberry Awards on Saturday morning, with her film I Know Who Killed Me earning a record eight Razzies — including three for Lohan herself.

I Know Who Killed Me, a thriller the Razzie organizers described as a cross between the ‘Hostel’/'Saw’ genre of ‘teen torture porn’ and … the old ‘Patty Duke Show,’ picked up Razzies for worst director, worst screenplay, worst excuse for a horror movie, worst remake or rip-off, worst screen couple (Lohan’s portrayal of two identical-looking characters), worst actress (two trophies for a tie between Lohan and Lohan) and worst film of the year.

I Know Who Killed Me’s achievement surpassed — if that’s the correct word — the seven Razzies won by Showgirls (1995) and Battlefield Earth (2000).

Eddie Murphy, whose Norbit was up for eight Razzies, also won three awards — worst actor, worst supporting actress and worst supporting actor.

Murphy is the Woody Allen of our awards, noted the Razzie presenters, observing the comic actor had been nominated as a writer as well as a performer.

I Know Who Killed Me and Norbit won all but one Razzie category. That last honor, worst prequel or sequel, went to Daddy Day Camp, a follow-up to a Murphy vehicle, Daddy Day Care, that substituted Cuba Gooding Jr. for Murphy in the lead role. (And we all know how high his standards are, the presenters said of Murphy.)

The Razzie show, which moved to the Abracadabra Theater at Santa Monica’s Magicopolis complex after several years at a Hollywood theater, led off with a tribute to its 10 a.m. start time, Good Morning Razzie Day, a parody of Hairspray’s Good Morning Baltimore.

The show also got in knocks at the writers strike, the Golden Globes and Daddy Day Camp star Gooding, who was described as having a career trajectory only a masochist could envy. See highlights from the show

Among the Razzies’ losers: the Adam Sandler film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which was nominated for eight Razzies and won zero, making it the Turning Point (0-for-11 at the Oscars) of the Golden Raspberries.

It shows that even Adam Sandler has a hard time catching up to Lindsay Lohan or Eddie Murphy when they’re at their worst, Razzie creator John Wilson told CNN.

Though, he added, I thought Rob Schneider would win over Murphy for best supporting actor.

Both performers played cliched Asian characters in their respective movies.

But, in general, it was Lohan’s show, with the actress and I Know Who Killed Me steamrolling over competition that included Bratz: The Movie, Who’s Your Caddy?, Epic Movie, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Diane Keaton in Because I Said So and Jessica Alba in Awake, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck.

Wilson was asked if he was surprised that Lohan did so well, given that she may have earned some sympathy from Razzie voters given her rough 2007, which included two arrests, three stints in rehab and community service.

Wilson said that though Lohan was in another 2007 stinker, Georgia Rule, she was actually decent in that film and the Razzie voters left her alone, admitting that — given her Razzie haul — that’s small compensation.

Neither Lohan nor Murphy was present to accept their bounty of awards, despite e-mails and phone calls from Wilson requesting their attendance. But he wasn’t surprised by their absence, he said.

It’s not the kind of awards show where they’re likely to show up, he said. E-mail to a friend

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Llodra wins Rotterdam Open title

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Michael Llodra of France won the Rotterdam Open title by defeating Swede Robin Soderling 6-7 6-3 7-6 in Sunday’s final.

Llodra’s triumph capped a hectic period, coming in the 23rd match of a year in which so far he has had only a week off.

By contrast Soderling was playing in only his second tournament in the past six months after a wrist injury kept him idle until last week’s event in Marseille.

It was a completely unexpected final at a tournament which featured Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Lleyton Hewitt.

All the seeded players were out after two rounds, the first time such a thing has happened at an ATP event for two years.

Llodra triumphed in two hours, eight minutes and joins Murray as a double-title winner this season, after his success in Adelaide at the start of the year.

It’s been an unbelievable week for me, said the 58th-ranked Llodra, who claimed the Wimbledon doubles title last summer and reached the Australian Open doubles final in January.

I could not have won this match a year ago, he said. I could never have expected to win two tournaments in two months. But I’m fighting more now on every point and that can change a match.

He received treatment on his back during the second set while leading Soderling by a break.

Soderling hit 22 aces and Llodra 15.

Soderling last won an ATP title three years ago in Milan, the second of his career, but he said his confidence had been boosted by this performance.

When I look back later, I will see it was a good week for me. There was just a small margin in the match, he played well on the important points, said the Swede. E-mail to a friend

found here.

Wenger retracts comments about Taylor

BIRMINGHAM, England — Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger has retracted comments calling for Birmingham defender Martin Taylor to be banned for life following his horror tackle on Eduardo on Saturday.

Taylor was shown a red card in the opening minutes of the 2-2 draw at St Andrews after his late challenge resulted in the striker suffering an horrific double compound fracture of his left leg.

Immediately after the game, in which James McFadden equalised from the penalty spot in injury-time, a furious Wenger said: This guy should never play football again. What is he doing on the football pitch?

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish and former manager Steve Bruce jumped to the defense of the player, who was described as distraught, and Wenger has now softened his stance.

It was a highly emotional afternoon and we were all shocked by the injury to Eduardo, said Wenger, who said the Croatian will definitely miss Euro 2008.

On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game in the heat of the moment.

The Gunners’ lead at the top of the table was trimmed to three points after their draw and Manchester United’s thumping 5-1 win away to Newcastle.

Theo Walcott’s double looked to have enabled Arsenal to overcome the sickening injury to Eduardo after just three minutes.

But McFadden, who had given the home side a half-time lead, levelled from the spot after left-back Gael Clichy was adjudged to have brought down Stuart Parnaby.

Immediately after the match, Wenger was livid about Taylor’s challenge. The tackle was horrendous and I think this guy should never play football again. He has got nothing to do on a football pitch, he said.

I’ve seen some bad tackles but they’re not always punished with broken legs. You only need to kill one person one time. You cannot accept that on a football pitch.

I feel the idea that to stop Arsenal you have to kick them has been going around for a long time. I knew it was coming.

Eduardo had an operation on Saturday evening and Wenger revealed. The season is over for him, maybe more than the season, the injury is very bad.

It was a massive shock for the team. Eduardo is a fantastic guy and for the players to see him in such pain and to see his leg in such a shape had an effect.

On Saturday night, Birmingham issued a statement defending their player.

The club are saddened that such a fantastic game of football has been marred by a serious injury sustained to Arsenal player Eduardo, they said.

But Martin Taylor is adamant there was no malicious intent in the tackle and he is deeply upset by the extent of Eduardo’s injury.

Having reviewed the incident, this (no malicious intent) is clearly the case. The club and Martin Taylor would like to send their very best wishes to the player for a speedy recovery. E-mail to a friend

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Girl saves siblings as fire destroys house

EAST ST. LOUIS, Illinois (AP) — As flames consumed her home and prevented her parents from rescuing her and two younger siblings, a quick-thinking 12-year-old girl saved the other children Saturday by kicking out a second-story window and helping them down, firefighters said.

Derrionna Adams then leaped 15 feet to safety, East St. Louis Fire Chief William Fennoy said.

She kicked the window out and stepped up onto the roof of the first floor and was able to pull her two siblings out, Fennoy said. This was a blessed day.

Velma Dorris, the children’s mother, and her husband, Bernard, were sleeping downstairs with three children when the fire started, authorities said. Smoke and flames kept them from reaching the children upstairs.

Meanwhile, oldest daughter Derrionna managed to guide her two siblings, a 9-year-old and an 8-year-old, onto the roof, Fennoy said.

Once outside, the 9-year-old boy, Dedeonta Neal, noticed his younger sisters were missing, not knowing they were safe with his mother. The boy went back inside the burning building to find them, suffering burns on his arms before exiting.

He and the others jumped 15 feet from the roof, Fennoy said. The boy broke his ankle in the fall, but the other five children were uninjured.

The house was destroyed before firefighters could put out the blaze. Firefighters suspect a space heater started it, Fennoy said.

Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. said the 12-year-old girl was mature beyond her years.

It is a tremendously courageous and wise way of dealing with the situation, Parks said. We also look at the courage of the young man, the 9-year-old, of wanting to go back in.

Parks said the brother and sister would be honored, as an example of what we all can be doing. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

found here.

Obama takes heat for skipping State of the Black Union

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — The annual State of the Black Union forum boasted a number of famous attendees in New Orleans on Saturday, but this year’s event received much more attention for who wasn’t there.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, was the only major presidential candidate to accept an invitation to attend.

Her rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, declined, as did Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Clinton told the crowd Saturday evening the country stands at a historic moment.

How many of our parents and our grandparents, and how many of us ever thought we would see the day when a woman or an African-American would be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, she said. Watch Clinton address the forum

But Clinton also acknowledged experiencing painful moments during the campaign, which she called very challenging and incredibly competitive.

The high stakes and historic nature of Sen. Obama’s candidacy and mine have invested this campaign with an intensity and an excitement seldom seen in the political arena, she said.

Meanwhile, Obama’s absence at the forum has prompted both controversy and a backlash against Tavis Smiley, the organizer of the event who has openly criticized Obama’s decision.

In a letter to Smiley earlier this month, Obama commended the forum for addressing important issues, but explained he needed to focus on his presidential run ahead of the critical March 4 primaries.

In the final stretch, I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum, Obama wrote.

That is why, with regret, I am not able to attend the forum. Watch the candidates stump in Texas

Smiley has been vocal about his disapproval of Obama’s decision.

I think it’s a missed opportunity on Mr. Obama’s part, Smiley told CNN. Now, I am not interested in demonizing him for his choice, but I do disagree with it. Watch a report on the controversy

But Smiley’s criticism has also prompted many people to come to Obama’s defense. The talk show host told The Washington Post he has been inundated with angry e-mails and even death threats.

I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It’s getting to be crazy, Smiley told the newspaper.

Several forum attendees seemed unfazed by Obama’s absence Saturday.

Personally, I don’t think it’s much of an issue, said Victor Reed. I’m standing behind him 100 percent.

Clinton probably was at the event because she needs it more than [Obama] right now, he added.

Another State of the Black Union attendee said many people at the forum wished Obama had come, but understood his reasons for declining the invitation.

It’s better for his campaign to be in Texas, said Tiffany Washington.

Some of the nation’s top black activists and politicians attend the State of the Black Union.

Smiley said he picked New Orleans as the 2008 host city to highlight the continued plight of its residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

We owe it to them, those who survived, those who are still struggling to rebuild their lives, Smiley said. We owe it to them to raise these issues louder than ever.

New Orleans continues to battle problems, including crime and lack of affordable housing. Entire communities still lack hospitals or emergency care.

Obama campaigned in the city before he easily won Louisiana’s Democratic primary on February 9, taking 57 percent of the vote.

In a question-and-answer session with Smiley at the State of the Black Union, Clinton was asked about remarks her husband made while campaigning for his wife in South Carolina, including his reference to Jesse Jackson having won primaries in the state during the 1980s.

Critics complained the remarks suggested that Obama’s success in that state would largely be based on his race.

In her answer, Clinton said many of the forum attendees knew her husband personally and knew his heart.

If anyone was offended by anything that was said, whether it was meant or not, whether it was misinterpreted or not, then obviously I regret that. But I believe our task is to go forward with the agenda that all of us agree upon. That is what I have done my entire life, on behalf of civil rights and women’s rights and human rights, Clinton said.

I believe strongly that there is a shared and common purpose that we all hold very dear, regardless of who you are supporting at this time for the Democratic nominee as president, she added.

It goes way beyond Barack and me. It goes way beyond politics. And I don’t think there is any doubt that I and Bill have been part of that common purpose and that struggle our entire adult lives.

At least one Louisiana lawmaker praised Clinton for being there when the region needed help.

I don’t support people just because they are black, said Democratic state Rep. Juan LaFonta.

I support people because they are qualified and committed to issues that affect my constituent base.
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