U.S. actor Bill McKinney, who played a sinister and sadistic mountain man in the 1972 classic "Deliverance" and acted in several Clint Eastwood films, has died aged 80, his family said.

McKinney, whose character in the disturbing movie sodomized one of four city friends whose weekend river trip descended into a prolonged nightmare, died of cancer of the esophagus, said a statement on his Facebook page.

British director Mike Leigh will chair the jury of next year's 62nd Berlin film festival, one of Europe's top cinema showcases, organizers said Friday.

The 68-year-old veteran film-maker, a master of bittersweet realism in hits such as "Secrets and Lies" and "Happy-Go-Lucky", will lead a panel vetting contenders from around the world for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to promote the fourth installment of his blockbuster Mission: Impossible series.

Sporting a big grin and sunglasses, the actor who is on a worldwide promotional tour for the movie, told reporters in the Indian capital he was "very excited to be here" as cameramen jostled to film him.

The National Board of Review picked Martin Scorsese's 3-D "Hugo" as the year's best film, an unusually kid friendly choice sure to add further intrigue to the Oscar hunt.

The group also picked Scorsese as best director for his whimsical film about an orphan who lives in a 1930s Paris train station. It's the director's first film in 3-D but one in which the adventure leads back to the early days of cinema and the wondrous films of French filmmaker George Melies.

The private world of Michael Jackson, fiercely shielded by the superstar in life, was exposed in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray. But rather than suffering harm from revelations of drug use, experts say Jackson's legacy and posthumous earning power will survive any damage done and could actually grow after he was portrayed as a victim of a money-hungry doctor.

Jackson died before he could launch a series of highly anticipated comeback concerts in London as he tried to regain the towering status he enjoyed when he released the "Thriller" album in 1983.

A Swedish woman claiming to be Elvis Presley's long-lost daughter has filed a $130 million lawsuit against his estate and relatives for defamation and emotional distress.

Lisa Johansen, 43, claims she was the true daughter of the "King of Rock and Roll" and was forcibly exiled to Sweden after her father's 1977 death out of fears she would be kidnapped. She also says she was replaced by "imposter" Lisa Marie Presley and that the singer's wife Priscilla Presley was her mother.

From the colorful, couture frocks worn during her two weddings with actor Richard Burton, to the dazzling ruby and diamond Cartier jewelry set, a gift from her third husband, film producer Mike Todd, "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor" on display at Christie's auction house in New York tells a passionate story, spanning seven husbands and nearly five decades.

"(Through the collection) you can see that all the men were really, really fundamentally in love with her," said Orianne Collins, a jewelry designer and Taylor aficionado who hosted a preview of the exhibition Thursday before it opens to the public on Saturday.

A Mondrian dress by iconic French designer Yves Saint Laurent was snapped up on Thursday, star lot of a vintage sale held half a century after his fashion house was founded.

Sold for 30,000 pounds (35,000 Euros, 47,000 dollars) the dress was part of a capsule collection of nine Saint Laurent pieces, dating from 1962 to 1970, at a Christie's clothing sale stretching from the 18th century to the 1980s.

U.S. rapper Kanye West has won the most nominations for next year's Grammys, followed closely by British singer Adele, continuing her awards success despite recent health woes.

West was nominated Wednesday in seven categories for the music industry's top awards, to be given out February 12, while Adele got six nods -- including three of the key categories -- as did Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars.

Doctors treating George Michael say the ex-front man for the pop group "Wham!" is making progress as he recovers from pneumonia.

Doctors Gottfried Locker and Christoph Zielinski say the 48-year-old Michael remains hospitalized nonetheless. They say in a statement that he "needed intensive care because of the seriousness and spread of the infection."