Topic: Heath Ledger

Cocaine a factor in Whitney Houston drowning, says LA coroner

Whitney Houston drowned but heart disease and chronic cocaine use were contributing factors, according to the Los Angeles Coroner's Office. The exact amount of cocaine in Whitney Houston's body will be revealed in two weeks.

Academy Awards: Which Best Picture nominee won at the box office?

Nine films will be vying for the Best Picture trophy at the 84^th Annual Academy Awards, taking place Sunday at 8 pm. The Best Picture Oscar won’t be announced until late in the evening, but when it comes to the box office, clear winners and losers have already emerged. While there was no runaway blockbuster among this year’s Oscar nominations, the films nominated ran the gamut in terms of profitability: Some made back nearly four times their filming budgets, while others failed to break even. Here’s all nine Best Picture nominees, ranked according to profit margin. Box office numbers are based on worldwide earnings. Can you guess which film was the best bang for its buck?

10 romantic movies for Valentine's Day

Check out these 10 movies for the holiday

The Artist and The Descendants big winners at Golden Globe awards

Golden Globe winners, including 'The Artist,' and 'The Descendants,' are likely now to be frontrunners for the Oscars. Meryl Streep won best actress for 'The Iron Lady.'

'The Dark Knight Rises' Batcave rumors and plot hints from Gary Oldman

'The Dark Knight Rises' may feature a Batcave upgrade and Gary Oldman mentions a 'Harvey Dent Act'

'The Dark Knight Rises' will be his last Batman film, says Christian Bale

'The Dark Knight Rises' is previewed by actors Christian Bale and Gary Oldman

Why it's so hard to win the war against US oxycodone epidemic

Oxycodone dispensers are protected. Abusers are hard to ID. And the drug claims more lives than cocaine, heroin, meth.

Will Facebook trounce Netflix?

Warner Bros may start offering streaming videos through its Facebook page. Can Netflix and Hulu handle the competition?

Academy Award nominees include Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush for 'The King's Speech'

Academy Award nominees were announced Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Christian Bale, and Helena Bonham Carter are also Academy Award nominees for acting.

Batman, Lovecraft, and sequels, oh my!

Batman's 'Dark Knight Rises' is still awaiting a Bat foe. Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's, 'At the Mountain of Madness' is in slow gear. But many sequels are in the works, including Benji, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Batman 3 to be released in 2012; 'The Joker' will not return, however.

Batman 3 is scheduled for a July 2012 release but the director of the Batman 3 said 'The Joker' will not be included.

Michael Jackson: Prescription drug abuse a major lesson

Michael Jackson died a year ago from a physician-administered anesthetic. More than 20,000 people die each year from prescription-drug overdoses, some of whom get drugs from more than one doctor.

Entertainment Weekly names Homer Simpson the greatest character in 20 years

Homer Simpson beat out Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer for top spot in Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 best film and television characters created in the past two decades.

Conrad Murray: Michael Jackson case and celebrities' doctors

Prosecutors say they'll file charges Monday against Dr. Conrad Murray in the death of pop star Michael Jackson. The case focuses attention on how celebrities like the late Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, and Brittany Murphy may get special treatment from physicians.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: movie review

‘The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus’ leaps deep into fantasy and mortality when a magician makes one final bet.

Controversy flourishes at Toronto film fest

Michael Moore's latest, along with a spotlight on films from Tel Aviv, brings out the protesters, while others swoon over Clooney.

Are you happy? Facebook wants to know.

Facebook attempts to measure the nation's overall mood.

Michael Jackson and prescription drugs: a window on a broader US issue?

Although no official determination about his death has been made, the case is shining new light on the widespread abuse of doctor-prescribed drugs.

At Cannes, vivid and violent films figure prominently

While the famed festival kicks off with Disney-Pixar's 'Up,' other titles are far less fanciful.

Etc.

Aussiewood reinvents itself

In push to create more international hits, Australia's film industry is reorganizing and offering hefty rebates for new productions.

Review: 'The Dark Knight'

The latest Batman movie is a relentlessly bleak take on the comic book, with a superb performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker.

Monitor Picks

Five things we think you'll like, including Martin Amis's peek inside a Russian Gulag, a TV documentary on Australia's parrots, and films to remember Heath Ledger by.

Monitor picks

From 'Get Smart' to the new 'Indiana Jones,' here are five 2008 movies we think you'll really like.