Showbiz: American Wedding takes the cake

American Wedding, the third film in the American Pie comedy franchise, took the cake at the North American box office in its first weekend, while Hollywood power couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck ate humble pie with one of the biggest flops of the summer.

Studio estimates show American Wedding sold US$34.3 million ($58.7 million) worth of tickets. Last weekend's champion, the family comedy Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, slipped to No 2 with $20.1 million for the three days.

At the other end of the charts, Lopez-Affleck effort Gigli (pronounced Jhee-lee) pulled in just $3.8 million, tying at No. 7 with the blockbuster cartoon Finding Nemo.

Perhaps disproving the adage that no publicity is bad publicity, the marketing for the $54 million-budgeted Gigli was hobbled by breathless media coverage of the couple's glamorous real-life exploits, said Tom Sherak, a principal at the film's producer, Revolution Studios.

"We couldn't separate the movie from their real lives," he said. "You don't look at them as actors in this movie. You look at them as Jen and Ben."

Rounding out the top five were Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl at No 3 with $19.1 million, followed by Seabiscuit with $17.5 million and Bad Boys II with $12.7 million.

Top gun actors

Actors Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel are among the New Yorkers licensed to carry a loaded gun, police records show.

However, some stars - including Joan Rivers and action-movie star Steven Seagal - were rejected when they applied to have their gun licences renewed by New York City police this year, the New York Post reported.

Police said only that Rivers had an "incident" on her record. She was reportedly in a fight with a car-rental clerk last year but was not charged.

Police declined to say why Seagal was turned down. His permit was a premise licence - which allows gun owners to keep their weapons unloaded and locked in a safety box when they travel.

Rap mogul gets jail term

Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was slapped with a 10-month prison sentence after a parole board found he struck a Hollywood nightclub valet.

Knight, who has been jailed since June 27, faced a maximum sentence of a year in prison for the parole violation. He had been credited for time spent behind bars, said Bill Sessa, a spokesman for the Board of Prison Terms.

The sentence comes even after the alleged victim, Mehdi Lazrak, 25, said outside the hearing that Knight never struck him.

"I never said I was hit by him," Lazrak said. "I don't know how police got that idea."

Abbey Shilleh, owner of the California Parking Services valet company, said outside the hearing that Knight "definitely was not involved with the incident".

Meanwhile, police think Knight may be the ultimate target of a series of deadly gang shootings, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Four of the eight people killed in slayings that stretch back to 1997 were close associates of Knight. Investigators have warned Knight to be cautious. "Word on the street is there's a hit out on Suge Knight," Detective Michael Caouette of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said.

Vain name for price

If you really want to know who Carly Simon was thinking about when she wrote You're So Vain, prepare to get out your cheque book. Simon, 58, tells People magazine she plans to auction off the answer ... but there's a catch: the winner has to sign an agreement never to tell anyone.

The song, which was a No 1 hit in 1973, has been rumoured to be about Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor. Simon has steadfastly refused to reveal the identity of the song's subject until now. The auction will raise money for Martha's Vineyard Community Services.

Britney comeback

After a rough period following the break-up from long-time love Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears is embracing the spotlight again.

She's being eyed as a possible Daisy Duke in the movie version of The Dukes of Hazzard, reports Ananova.com, with Ashton Kutcher (Dude, Where's My Car?) and Paul Walker (2Fast, 2Furious) also being tipped to star as good ol' boys Luke and Bo Duke.

The Dukes of Hazzard ran on TV from 1979 to 1985.

Spears, 21, has been on a self-imposed break from performing but is expected to release her fourth album this year.

Timberlake rubbished

Pop hunk Justin Timberlake's appearance at Canada's Sars benefit concert this week left crowds so unimpressed, they pelted him with garbage.

The Toronto show started off on a low point for the NSync frontman when a concert-goer's sign questioning the singer's sexuality made it to the video screens for about 15 seconds. Timberlake took to the stage seemingly aware of the crowd's bad mood and said, "This will be over before you know it".

During his mini-set of Cry Me a River, Senorita and Rock Your Body, Britney Spears' ex sang away while dodging water bottles flung by the audience and wincing at less-than-playful jeers.

Then he left the stage for more crowd-pleasing acts, including the Guess Who, Rush, AC/DC, and the Rolling Stones. When Mick Jagger invited him onstage for a performance of Miss You, more bottles were thrown. Keith Richards angrily motioned to the crowd to show Timberlake a little respect.

- AGENCIES