Film

Good morning, readers. Today is Friday, August 24. It's well known that Michael Berman, Rep. Howard Berman's brother, has had a key role in the congressman's political career. Rep.  Brad Sherman , his rival for a seat in a newly-drawn Valley congressional district, is now going after Michael, alleging he was overpaid for his consultation work . L.A. Times A firefighter sustained a minor injury while responding to a fire in Sun Valley , the Daily News reports.

The California Senate on Tuesday approved a two-year extension of tax credits for the film and television industry, providing $100 million annually through July 2017. "The film and television industry is critically important to the economic vitality of the Los Angeles area," said Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills). "This is an economic engine. It's critically uimportant that we send the right signal. " The tax credit, which will expire in 2015 if the bill approved Tuesday does not become law, was created because of concern about "runaway" film and TV productions that go to other states, many of which have lower costs and offer their own tax credits.

The California Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill that would preserve funding for the state's film and television tax credit. The Assembly voted 70-4 in favor of the bill, which extends funding for the program another two years, according to The Times . California allocates $100 million annually toward tax credits, which are doled out by lottery because of limited funds. Funding was due to expire next year. The film industry had been pressing for a five-year extension to show the state's commitment to the industry, which is being lured away by other states with strong incentives.

Good morning, readers. Today is Saturday, August 11. If you've jogged next to the Los Angeles river between Sherman Oaks and Studio City, you may have noticed a green walkway. The interesting part is that a nonprofit organization, Village Gardeners, minds the area . KCET Many creatives in Los Angeles have a man cave, that nostalgic space for storing comic books, video games and other cherished mementos from adolescence. But Peter Schink took it to a whole new level.

Warner/Chappell, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has acquired the copyrights of film scores from hundreds of Miramax movies, including  "Good Will Hunting,"  "The Cider House Rules," "Gangs of New York" and "Finding Neverland. " Terms of the deal, announced Tuesday morning, were not disclosed. The acquisition includes the publishing rights as well as the master recordings of scores in Miramax's entire catalog of more than 700 films. Continue reading > > -- Alex Pham, Los Angeles Times

Good morning, readers. Today is Sunday, July 22, 2012. Cal State Northridge has managed to keep its summer drama program for teenagers running, despite cuts to the campus. The program offers six weeks of acting, singing, dancing and improvising . Daily News A Sherman Oaks restaurant worker was shot and killed outside a business on Ventura Boulevard last month, but no suspects have been found . A $50,000 reward is now being offered. KTLA Miss Oregon 2012 Rachel Berry has given up her title and glistening crown after it was revealed she didn't move to the region by the cut-off date . She was a previous resident of Burbank.

And so the Christopher Nolan rendition of Batman - started in “Batman Begins” (2005) and continued in “The Dark Knight” (2008) - comes to an end, in “The Dark Knight Rises.” It stands proudly alongside its older siblings, as good as (or better than) “Batman Begins” and better than “The Dark Knight.” I realize I'm in the minority in considering the middle film as the weakest of the three, but - unlike the first and (I anticipate) the new entry - I have never once felt the impulse to rewatch it. Too many action threads being juggled and intercut in the final stretch, and - more heresy - an initially riveting performance by Heath Ledger that overstays its welcome.

The city of Santa Clarita continues to rake in millions of dollars each year through TV and movie filming, according to data that shows a recent increase in the economic impact of such projects. Officials recorded 909 film days and issued 372 permits in fiscal year 2011 to 2012, which represents a 4% increase in film days and an 8% increase in film permits compared with the previous fiscal year, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Film Office. The overall economic impact of local filming has increased from around $18,777,500 in 2011 to $21,141,500 - a rise of 13%, officials said.

Bob Hope Airport in Burbank has reopened its gates to Hollywood for the first time in more than a decade, after prohibiting film shoots there since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The tragedy put the nation's entire air transportation system on high alert. In the weeks and months after the attacks on New York and the Pentagon , security requirements put a heavy demand on the regional airport's staff. With safety the top priority, one of the restrictions that Burbank put into place at the time was a ban on all film production activity.

Warner Bros.  will need a new hero to invigorate its DC Comics brand on the big screen, now that director Christopher Nolan 's successful Batman trilogy comes to an end with next week's "The Dark Knight Rises. " Home to such superheroes as Superman , Batman and Wonder Woman, DC has struggled to find the same success on the big screen as its Walt Disney Co. -owned rival Marvel Entertainment - despite having a better known collection of characters.