Witch claims to have folk hero’s skull

Atlanta Journal

A long-sought Australian relic — the head of bandit folk hero Ned Kelly — has (allegedly) been discovered in the cupboard of a New Zealand witch,according to reports.

The witch seemed apologetic when turning over the skull, saying “I have treated it with respect; I haven’t lit candles in it or drunk red wine out of it or anything bohemian like that.”

Anna Hoffman, 74, told New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday newspaper that a uniformed security guard had given her the skull at a family dinner 30 years ago while she was on holiday in Australia.

“We got talking about skulls and the next day he turned up with this skull. He said it was Ned Kelly’s skull, and told me to ‘put it in the bottom of your bag and wrap it up’.”

Australia, if history is correct, was once loaded with scoundrels like Ned Kelly, who, in the late 1800s, made a name for himself robbing banks and killing police officers. He was captured after a shootout and later hanged. His body was thrown into a mass prison grave.

The prison closed in 1929 and Kelly’s body was dug up and his head stolen. It was later found and put on display, but someone stole it (again) in 1978,

A developer dug up the prison site in 2009 and DNA was used to identify Kelly’s body. Now, Kelly’s ancestors want to give the former bandit a proper burial.

Scientists, being leery of the arcane pursuits, aren’t buying the witch’s story.

Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine spokeswoman Deb Withers said the chances of the head being legit are a “long shot.”

Sam Raimi Blocks Unauthorized 'Evil Dead' Sequel

Hollywood Reporter

Sam Raimi has prevailed in his effort to stop a production company from releasing an unauthorized sequel to his classic horror trilogy The Evil Dead.

OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

Comic-Con 2012: 'Oz' Director Sam Raimi Reflects on the 'Thousand Mistakes' He Made in 'Drag Me to Hell'

Sam Raimi Sues Over Rights to 'Evil Dead' Sequel

In May, Renaissance Pictures -- formed in 1979 by Raimi, producer Robert Tapert and actor-producer Bruce Campbell for the purpose of making the first Evil Dead film -- sued Award Pictures, which was in the midst of making Evil Dead 4: Consequences. The movie was alleged to be interfering with Raimi's plan to make his own sequel for Sony Pictures and FilmDistrict.

After the lawsuit was filed, Award Pictures and its president Glenn MacCrae failed to respond in court.

VIDEO: 'Bourne Legacy' Star Rachel Weisz Calls 'Oz' Director Sam Raimi 'Graceful, Sweet and Mischievous'

MacCrae tells The Hollywood Reporter he still plans to challenge, but because of the nonresponse thus far in court, a California federal court last week entered a default judgment that permanently enjoins Award Pictures from using the "Evil Dead" trademark or using marketing materials that might confuse the public into believing that Award has rights to the title.

The fight over "Evil Dead" rights erupted in part because of Raimi's ambivalence until late.

In preparing Evil Dead 4, Award Pictures went to the trademark office and argued that since Raimi's first film came out in 1981, his company exhibited a lack of control over it, allowing it to be used as titles in 20 other motion pictures. Additionally, Award pointed to Raimi's comment in a 2000 book that he would never do a sequel as proof that the "Evil Dead" trademark was abandoned.

Renaissance challenged that assessment in a federal lawsuit.

Raimi's company then attempted to put proceedings at a trademark trial board on hiatus pending the outcome of the civil lawsuit. Award objected, saying it was having difficulty finding legal representation to defend the claims in federal court because IP lawyers were asking for tens of thousands of dollars in retainer fees to handle the case.

Award said paying lawyers wouldn't be a problem if Renaissance hadn't interfered wtih Evil Dead 4. Until then, MacCrae's company purportedly had a multimillion-dollar financing deal with Anchor Bay, which was "destroyed" by "fraudulent claims of ownership of the rights to The Evil Dead."

Regardless, the inability to retain a lawyer in time to answer Renaissance's lawsuit paved the way for a judge's decision to grant by default a permanent injunction.

MacCrae now says he has hired a lawyer and that his company "is very definitely contesting Renaissance’s lawsuit." But the question is whether it comes too late. The fight might continue, but for now, Raimi has gained the clear advantage and succeeded in getting a court order that curtails Evil Dead 4. Meanwhile, Raimi has wrapped production on another Evil Dead film that he didn't direct but produced with others.

E-mail: eriq.gardner@thr.com; Twitter: @eriqgardner

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ABC orders 'S.H.I.E.L.D' pilot from Joss Whedon

**Anyone else glad it didn't say FOX in the header;-)

Entertainment Weekly

Joss Whedon might be coming back to TV. ABC has ordered a pilot from Marvel TV executive produced by Whedon titled S.H.I.E.L.D.

The project is set in the same universe as Whedon’s Avengers film and follows the law enforcement group headed by Nick Fury. The pilot will be written by Whedon and his brother Jed, along with Maurissa Tancharoen. Deadline reports that Whedon also might direct the pilot too.

In the Marvel universe, S.H.I.E.L.D stands for which stands for the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division). Production on the pilot is expected to begin ASAP.

Just Because I Can...Doctor Who Funnies!!! Happy Sunday Everybody!!!

World News - South Africa: Witchcraft only way to flee brutality for striking slum city miners

The Australian

NO one really lives at the Lonmin mine in Marikana. The residents are immigrants, men who have left their families in search of a livelihood, if not riches, on the road paved with platinum that leads to this British-owned mine in South Africa.

Goats, scrawny dogs and chickens wander the dirt roads. There is electricity but only communal water taps.

The police shooting that killed 34 miners during a strike for better pay last Thursday has underscored the brutality faced by workers and exposed their dire living conditions: many live in shacks at the foot of some of the world's richest platinum reserves.

Ian Buhlungu, 47, rents a corrugated iron and wood hut in a shantytown on a dusty plain outside the mine. He has no running water and uses a pit toilet. "I want to be with my kids but I can't," said the widower, whose wife died of tuberculosis two years ago.

Like thousands of others, he travelled far to earn enough to feed his daughter and twin sons, left behind in the care of his family in the rural Eastern Cape. "People who are not educated get a low salary and can't afford to feed their families," he told AFP.

That many of the men are barely educated was tragically shown when the wildcat strikers believed stories that police bullets would not hurt them because they were dosed up on traditional South African medicines. Survivors of last week's shooting said a witchdoctor had been selling potions he promised would make them invincible. "We knew their weapons would not work on us as the inyanga (traditional healer) who arrived during the week told us so," Nothi Zimanga, one of the strikers, told South Africa's Daily Dispatch newspaper. He said the men who charged through teargas into a line of policemen armed with assault rifles and pistols had made ritual cuts across their bodies and smeared a black substance into the wounds for protection.

They were told the medicine would stop bullets - if they always charged forward and never looked back, Mr Zimanga said.

A fellow striker, Bulelani Malawana, said he was offered the concoction for 1000 South African rand ($115). He declined. "After they got the muti (medicine), people were so aggressive. They just wanted to fight," he said.

That was a significant sum - about a week's wages - for most of the 3000 rock-drill operators camped on a hill outside the Marikana mine to demand better pay.

The strikers said their 4000-rand monthly pay from Lonmin was too little to live on. It was better, they said, to starve at home than toil in a hellish mineshaft. Africa's largest economy was built on cheap black labour, workers harnessed to extract deep reserves of gold, platinum and diamonds. During apartheid, minority white rulers forced black South Africans to live in areas far removed from white cities, without job prospects, forcing them to become migrant workers in the mines living in tough conditions.

"A hundred years after mining began in this country, we still have the lifestyle of people above the ground that we had at the turn of the century," analyst Adam Habib told AFP. "The levels of inequality in our society, 18 years after our transition ... the lives of workers on the ground have not changed."

In a front-page commentary, The Sunday Independent noted: "Most Marikana mineworkers live in a slum city, the epicentre of our social and moral breakdown and a fuse for violence."

The Times

World News - Kenya: House Committee Wants Witchcraft Law Enforced

AllAfrica

A House committee wants the government to enforce the Witchcraft Act to deter people in the Coastal region from practising witchcraft. A joint committee on National Security and equal opportunity also wants leaders in the region to prioritise the sensitisation and continued persuasion of the indigenous people against embracing retrogressive, negative and harmful traditional practices.

These are some of the recommendations contained in the report of the committee tabled in the House yesterday by Nominated MP Mohammed Affey. The report is a result of investigations ordered by House Speaker Kenneth Marende. Marende directed the committee to conduct an inquiry into the activities of the Mombasa Republican Council and investigate their grievances.

Affey, who was the joint chair of the committee with Fred Kapondi, tabled the report in the House yesterday in which the committee recommends that the government accelerates land adjudication and issuance of title deeds to legitimate land owners at the coast. The committee also wants the government to hasten the enactment and implementation of the Community Land Bill in order to address the perennial land ownership and the management questions in the region.

"The government must facilitate the identification and settlement of genuine landless squatters in the coast region and set a re-caveat for a reasonable duration to stem hurried sale of land," the report says. The committee further wants the ministry of education to constitute a task force to investigate and ascertain the emergent causes for the steady deterioration and disinterest in embracing formal education in the coast region.

The committee wants the government to intensify investigations on alleged sponsors of the MRC with a view to swiftly bringing them to account on crimes related to promoting illegal activities, including incitement to violence.

Angelina Jolie Embraces Her Inner-Witch, and Inner-Mom

Slate

The news that Angelina Jolie's daughter, 4-year-old Vivienne, will appear with her mother in the live-action movie Maleficent, in which Jolie plays the titular sorceress, has already sparked a predictable array of nepotism jokes. And while I'm sure Vivienne got a massive leg-up because of who her parents are, there's also something awfully fun about seeing Jolie play both with her public image as a practitioner of the dark arts, and her private life as a mom.

For more than a decade, Jolie has been saddled with a witchy reputation, one that wasn't based in Hollywood diva behavior but in small acts that assumed great proportions in the public mind. When she married co-star Jonny Lee Miller, Jolie took her vows in a T-shirt emblazoned with his name written in her own blood. And after she and actor Billy Bob Thornton wed, they famously wore matching necklaces with vials of each other's blood. Gossips tutted about a smooch Jolie laid on her brother at the Academy Awards, and the actress ran through the list tabloid-sating provocations, dating actress Jenny Shimizu, discussing her history of self-mutilation comfortably in public, and talking about BDSM with a fluency that would set E.L. James a-scribbling.

Taken together, all of the above combined to paint a portrait of a powerfully alluring woman with deep uncertainties about herself and her choices. When Brad Pitt divorced Jennifer Anniston to be with Jolie, now his fiancee after seven years and five children together, the romance provided a narrative that seemed to solidify Jolie's public image. In the pages of gossip rags she was an enchantress, a creature of blood and sex, qualities never entirely erased by her eventual transformation into mother of three children by Pitt and three others by adoption.

Which is why it's so awesome that Jolie is starrng in a children's movies as a witch, rather than as a princess or a warrior. Witches may bear the weight of public disapproval, but the hero often needs them at the beginning of the journey, and the adventure often involves the hero learning to see the world with some of the wisdom and disappointment that inform the witch's perspective. But even in movies with badass princesses like Brave's Merida, the witch who gets consulted halfway through the story is a wizened own crone with a fondness for whittling. Outside the sympathetic librettos of Stephen Sondheim, witches don't really even get much of a chance to compete for the title of hero.

So I've loved seeing Jolie don horns and fly around in harnesses in set photos from Maleficent. And I'm even more excited that she'll be bringing her daughter to work with her. The movie's a reminder that we should consider sympathizing with the witches a little bit more frequently. And Vivienne's appearance is a joke on all the people—including Jolie's father, Jon Voight— who suggested Jolie was an unfit mother. Witches don't just lock adorable blonde princesses in towers. Sometimes, they give birth to them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tim Burton (54)!

Words don't even describe how much we love you!  Maybe an interpretive dance???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Rupert Grint (24)!!!!

**Now I don't feel dirty admitting that he is HOT!  HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

This is proof that there is a God, She is Good and is obviously Ginger:-)

Have a great day everybody!!!

Enjoy!!!

Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie' to Open BFI London Film Festival

The Hollywood Reporter

Walt Disney Pictures

The filmmaker's Disney-backed black and white stop-motion 3D animation will make its European bow in October.

LONDON -- Tim Burton's animation Frankenweenie will open the 56th BFI London Film Festival, marking the movie's European premiere.

Burton's black and white, stop-motion animated film in 3D, backed by Disney, will herald the British festival's opening Oct. 10.

With a voice cast including Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short,Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder, the movie details the story of a boy who brings his dog back to life after his faithful companion dies unexpectedly.

In a first for the festival, the opening night screening and red carpet will go live from the Odeon Leicester Square to BFI Imax and 30 screens across the U.K., in partnership with American Express and Disney.

The studio plans to roll out the film across the U.K. from Oct.17.

Burton, Ryder, Short, O’Hara, Landau and producer Allison Abbate and executive producer Don Hahn are all expected to attend the opening night gala, organizers said.

Frankenweenie marks the first animated film Burton has directed for Disney.

The screenplay is by John August, based on an original idea by Burton.

BFI head of exhibition and festival director Clare Stewart described Burton's film as "funny, dark and whimsical" which "playfully turns the Frankenstein story on its bolted-on head."

She said it was a "perfect choice of opener" for her first festival in charge of the program as "it’s a film that revels in the magic of movies from one of cinema’s great visionaries."

She said: "Tim Burton has chosen London as his home city and hundreds of talented British craftspeople have contributed to this production."

The movie was produced in London's East End at 3 Mills Studios.

The British capital will also play host to "The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition."

It runs Oct. 17-21 and will be free to the public at the Southbank Center in London.

It includes an insight into the stop-motion animation process, original sketches drawn by Burton and props, sets and puppets.

The 56th BFI London Film Festival runs Oct.10 through 21.

LOST’s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Lands Villain Role in THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Collider

Mr. Eko is heading to Asgard.  Lost star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has joined the cast of the sequel Thor: The Dark World as one of the film’s villains.  Christopher Eccelston is already set to play the film’s primary baddie, Malekith the Accursed, the ruler of the Dark Elves, and Tom Hiddleston is also set to return as the meddlesome Loki.  Now Variety reports that Akinnuoye-Agbaje will be playing Algrim the Strong, a character from the comics who was the most powerful among the Dark Elves.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje is best known for playing Mr. Eko on ABC’s Lost.  The fan-favorite character only lasted a short while, as the actor was unhappy with having to move to Hawaii for the production and asked to be written off the show. For more on the Algrim character, and how he figures intoThor: The Dark World, hit the jump.  Beware, possible minor spoilers for the Marvel sequel follow. 

Per Variety, Akinnuoye-Agbaje will be pulling double duty in Thor 2 as he’ll be playing two versions of the same character.  In the comics, Malekith coerces Algrim into battling Thor, only to be betrayed and injured by Malekith.  Algrim then heals and is transformed into an even more powerful being called Kurse, who is said to be twice as strong as Thor.

So it appears that Chris Hemsworth is gonna have his hands full in the Thor follow-up.  Production is getting underway imminently in London, and we recently reported that Kat Dennings will be returning alongside Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgardand Rene Russo.  Thor: The Dark World opens on November 8th, 2013.

Angelina Jolie's daughter Vivienne lands first film role in Maleficent at the tender age of four

Daily Mail 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter Vivienne has landed her first film role.

The four-year-old is set to follow in her parents' footsteps after Angelina helped her get her first acting gig, playing her on-screen daughter in Maleficent.

Scroll down for video

Star in the making: Angelina Jolie's daughter Vivienne will play her on-screen child in Maleficent

Disney today confirmed she has been cast in the movie, which is set for release next year. 

She will be portray the child version of Princess Aurora, the character being played by Elle Fanning.

A source told The Sun newspaper: 'Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share, and Viv is a natural.

'The other kids are now nagging Ange and Brad to land them roles.'

On set: Angelina filming Maleficent in the UK earlier this year

Salt actress Angelina persuaded producers that her daughter was perfect for the role in the reworking of classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty.

Brad and Angelina have six children together, Maddox, 11, Pax, eight, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

However, this is not the first time that one of their offspring has graced the big screen. 

Shiloh had a cameo role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button as Brad and Cate Blanchett's daughter when she was 10-months-old. 

Vivienne will be filming scenes with Angelina in the UK this summer.

VIDEO: Vivienne lands her first acting role!... 

What Are Your Favourites? The Ten Best Episodes of the Rebooted Doctor Who

Paste

Next month, Doctor Who embarks on one of its greatest leaps through time with the premiere of its eighth season, which will carry the venerable British science fiction show to its 50th anniversary next year. But some fans of the Doctor who live in New York will be getting a sneak peak of “Asylum of the Daleks” this Saturday, along with a Q&A with cast and crew.

At least 11 actors have played the title role of the whimsical Timelord who travels the cosmos in a vehicle that resembles a blue police box—a mid-century English artifact that would’ve been long forgotten were it not for the show. Thanks to low budgets and poor video quality, most of the early seasons are real eyesores, but Russell T Davies’ 2005 revival brought Doctor Who into the 21st century with sci-fi spectacle, humor and an irrepressible spirit that puts Star Trek and Star Wars to shame. Here are the Top 10 stories—some in two-parts—since Davies and subsequent show-runner Steven Moffat regenerated the Doctor.

10. “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances”
The best of the Doctor’s adventures in Earth’s history involve London, especially in times involving the 20th century’s wars. This intriguing outing with Christopher Eccleston’s ninth doctor envisions London during the Blitz, haunted by an apparition resembling a small child in a gas mask. These episodes significantly introduce John Barrrowman as “omnisexual” Captain Jack Harkness, who’d anchor the spinoff series Torchwood. Eccleston, with his black leather jacket, crewcut and enormous grin, makes a likable, underrated Doctor, and it’s a shame the revived show didn’t really take off until after he left.

9. “The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone”
Moffat took inspiration from the relationship between the movie Alien and its sequel Aliens for this action-oriented return of The Weeping Angels. Smith hits his stride as The 11th Doctor and the story features one nail-biting set piece after another. The two-parter also marks the return of Alex Kingston’s mysterious, swashbuckling River Song (introduced in “Silence in the Library,” also terrific), who may be one of the strongest and most appealing characters in TV science fiction.

8. “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End”
Speaking of space opera, Davies’ delivered his most sprawling story when the Daleks, the Doctor’s pepperpot-shaped adversaries, relocate the planet Earth as part of a scheme to destroy reality. The Doctor and Donna engage in interstellar mystery to find it while practically every companion and family member in the show’s continuity take on the invaders. Occasionally Davies’ season finales push The Doctor into over-the-top, messianic directions, but “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End” features spectacular adventure as well as a heartbreaking turn of events for a beloved character.

7. “A Good Man Goes to War”
The show’s most thrilling pre-credits montage ever leaves the viewer with goosebumps, and the pace never lets up from there. The 11th Doctor and Rory (Arthur Darvill) rescue kidnapped Amy from intergalactic bad guys in a dizzying space opera that introduces fascinating new villains and intriguing allies (including a Sapphic, reptilian humanoid who may have killed Jack the Ripper). Filled with Monty Pythonesque quips and thrilling action scenes, “A Good Man Goes to War” concludes by revealing the identity of Alex Kingston’s beloved character River Song. The follow-up, “Let’s Kill Hitler,” doesn’t quite follow through, but that’s no knock on “Good Man.”

6. “Gridlock”
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams wrote for Doctor Who during the beloved Tom Baker’s stint as the Fourth Doctor, and the show has retained a penchant for outlandish sci-fi satire. “Gridlock” floats the giddiest premise when The 10th Doctor and companion Martha Jones visit the dystopian city of New New York and discover a population that lives in their vehicles in traffic jam that has lasted for decades and involves only inches of travel per day. Featuring oversized monsters and breezy jokes, “Gridlock” takes a surprisingly poignant detour when the city’s commuters unite to sing the old-school hymn “The Old Rugged Cross.”

5. “A Christmas Carol”
The revived Doctor Who has made a tradition of Christmas specials, with this one from 2010 generating the most laughter and tears. When planetary plutocrat Karzan Sardick (Michael Gambon, a.k.a. Professor Dumbledore) refuses to thwart a potential disaster, the 11th Doctor uses the TARDIS and Charles Dickens’ premise to engineer a change of heart. The episode embraces the show’s cheeky sense of humor—Dickens’ original, of course, did not involve a flying shark—and deserves to be watched every year alongside the best holiday specials.

4. “Family of Blood/Human Nature”
Pursued by malignant aliens called the Family of Blood, The 10th Doctor hides out by transforming in mind and body into a teacher at a 1913 boarding school, with no inkling of his real identity. When the Family tracks him down, The Doctor must choose between resuming his lonely duty as Earth’s champion, or experiencing human life and love with a fellow teacher (Spaced’s Jessica Hynes). The potential humor of a horde of shambling scarecrows besieging the school takes a dark turn when the episode links the likely fate of the schoolboys to the coming of World War I.

3. “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang”
When Moffatt took over as show runner, he retained Davies’ concept of the Doctor as a “lonely god” but heightened his parallels with the many whimsical heroes of English storybooks—without lowering the show’s dramatic stakes. Matt Smith ends his first season as 11th Doctor with a story in two sharply dissimilar chapters. “The Pandorica Opens” delivers a portentous sci-fi adventure involving Stonehenge and familiar faces from The Doctor’s rogue’s gallery. “The Big Bang” pivots to time-travel slapstick, and then culminates with a touching bittersweet climax hinging on The Doctor’s relationship to companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

2. “Turn Left”
Unlike “Blink,” this “Doctor-lite” episode hinges on viewer familiarity with the show’s recent history. Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, a recurring player on The Office), the 10th Doctor’s most formidably comic companion, experiences an alternate reality in which she never saved The Timelord’s life, leaving the Earth defenseless in the face of cosmic calamities. Davies’ script offers a downbeat-but-fascinating perspective on the consequences of Earth-threatening disasters, from the point of view of ordinary bystanders. “Turn Left” features one of several great supporting turns from Bernard Cribbins as Donna’s grandfather Wilf, and sets up the fourth season finale “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End.”

1. “Blink”
One of the most popular Doctor Who installments in the show’s history, “Blink” provides a rare example of a show’s best episode also being the best gateway for newcomers. David Tennant’s 10th Doctor barely even appears in it: instead, “Blink” follows Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan in a one-off appearance as a young Londoner at the center of bizarre events involving time travel, DVD Easter eggs and terrifying, statue-impersonating aliens called The Weeping Angels. With great jokes and puzzle-box plotting, “Blink” provides an ingenious variation on the traditions of British horror.

Kat Dennings Back For THOR 2!!

Ain't It Cool News

The Kidd here...

I was in the middle of something yesterday when this news came down from Deadline that Kat Dennings would be returning to the Marvel Movie Universe as Darcy Lewis in THOR: THE DARK WORLD. 

But now that I've got some free time at the moment, and the opportunity to go searching through pics of Kat Dennings, I just wanted you to be informed.

This shouldn't come as any surprise, as most cast members in the Marvel flicks sign on with multi-pic options should the studio feel the need to keep their characters involved. Therefore, expect to see Dennings side by side with Natalie Portman again as we make our way through Phase 2. 

-Billy Donnelly

"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"

BillyTheKidd@aintitcool.com

Follow me on Twitter.

How one eBay witch will cope with sorcery ban

Fox News (Yes, that Fox News;-)

Spells are big on eBay. Today you can bid on more than 41,000 spells to rid yourself of acne, regain lost loves and shower yourself with wealth. But time is running out.

Beginning Sept. 1, eBay will not accept listings for spells, potions or psychic readings. And just for good measure, curses, hexes, prayers and healing sessions have been blacklisted. All advice and work-from-home opportunities have also been eliminated.

The company said in its policy update that it has discontinued these categories because transactions often result in issues between the buyer and seller that are difficult to resolve.

'Our clients are very different than most eBay buyers ... we help them with their spiritual, and emotional needs.'

- Anonymous eBay 'witch'

But a seller of spells tells a different story. She agreed to speak with TechNewDaily as long as she could remain anonymous. "I called eBay within a minute of seeing that message," she said by email. "I was told, 'We are trying to change our image, we do not want to be seen as a flea market.'"

The woman said that she and thousands of others have never had a formal complaint filed against them. Her eBay store has a positive rating of 99.8 percent and is an eBay top-rated seller, TechNewsDaily confirmed. On her profile page the seller says that all spells are cast within 48 hours of purchase, and if you are not satisfied with your spell within 5 days, she will recast the spell free of charge.

"Our clients are very different than most eBay buyers, they are repeat buyers, and we help them with their spiritual, and emotional needs," said the woman, whose spells range in price from $7 to $20. She has moved her listings to ArtFire, an artist collective marketplace similar Etsy but much smaller than the mega-crafters site.

But she will also comply with eBay's policy by recasting her spells into beads, dolls and jewelry.

"After September 2012, you will be purchasing the bead, doll or jewelry, not the spell," she said.

She also pointed out what she believes is unfair treatment of those who practice witchcraft. 

"We cannot sell any items with spirits, souls or anything attached to them. However, holy water will be allowed," she said. "To me, this feels like a witch hunt, literally."

Copyright 2012 TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! Sam Claflin Is Finnick: 'Catching Fire' Finds Its Charming Tribute

Huffington Post

"Catching Fire" has found its Finnick Odair. Lionsgate confirmed earlier rumors that "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" actor Sam Claflin will play the exceedingly good looking tribute from District 4.

Claflin had long been believed to be the frontrunner for the role, though Taylor Kitsch was reportedly also considered. The actor will star alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who are reprising their roles as Katniss and Peeta, respectively.

Odair's role is the most consequential addition to the second installment of the series. The movie is based on the second book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Francis Lawrence will direct.

More information on the race to casting is available in our earlier coverage. "Catching Fire" lands in theaters on Nov. 22, 2013. The full press release follows the gallery of Claflin's new friends.

SPOILERS - That's a new look for you Doctor!

Matt Smith dons a top hat as he films Christmas special which is set in the 1890's

Daily Mail

People may still be excited about going on their summer holidays, but for Doctor Who, it's Christmas already.

Matt Smith was spotted filming scenes for the festive episode in Bristol late last night (Monday) and it seems that he's gone back in time.

Wearing a large top hat and an old-fashioned suit, the actor was transported back to the 1890's along with his co-star Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Scroll down for video

New look: Matt Smith sports a very large top hat as he films the Doctor Who Christmas special in Bristol yesterday (Monday)

Looking the part: Smith and his co-star Jenna-Louise Coleman were dressed in the appropriate attire for the 1890's setting

The 29-year-old star appeared to be in good spirits as he sported a huge grin while strolling around on set.

It seems it's also going to be a white Christmas in the Doctor's world as members of the crew were seen using snow machines to create a Winter wonderland look.

Corn Street and St. Nicholas market were transformed into the streets of the 1890's and included horses and carts as well as several extras who were dressed similarly to Smith.

Happy guy: Smith was seen laughing and joking as he sat around in between takes on set

Getting along well: Jenna-Louise Coleman has replaced Karen Gillan in the popular BBC1 show

It's only August! The 29-year-old actor was certainly in the festive mood as he stood in front of the camera

Coleman was also wearing the appropriate attire in the form of a dark red basque dress and pointy boots.

The brunette actress appears to be settling into her new role rather well following upcoming departure of Karen Gillan.

Filming of the Christmas special began at 9pm and was expected to finish at around 5am today (Tuesday) and traders received a memo letting them know that St Stephen's Street and St Nicholas Street would be out of bounds.

Lynn Andres, owner of Guy Fawkes hair and beauty salon in St Nicholas Street, said the filming seemed to have been a success.

She said: 'They left quite a bit of snow behind. I think they'll clear it up later. They are just wrapping up. I spoke to one of the lighting guys and he said it seemed to have gone well.

Long day: Filming is said to have begun at 9pm and lasted until 5am

Walking in a Winter wonderland: Crew members were seen using a snow machine on the outdoor set

Crew members transformed Corn Street and St. Nicholas market to look like the 1890's

'I'm a great Doctor Who fan, I have been since I was a child. I've followed it all the way through, since it was black and white. It's quite exciting. It's a lovely part of town, a great place to film. It's absolutely fantastic,' she added.

A Doctor Who Christmas Special has been shown every year since 2005 and this year will see Neve McIntosh return as Madame Vastra the Silurian alongside Dan Starkey as Strax.

Life On Mars actress Liz White was also spotted on set as well as Silent Witness star Tom Ward, who has already been confirmed for the festive special.

Richard E Grant will also appear in the upcoming episode which has been written by showrunner Steven Moffat.

Last year the annual episode was the third most-watched programme on Christmas Day last year, after soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street.

Feeling tired? The acting pair must have been knackered as they filmed through the night

Nice guy: Smith spent time talking to waiting fans and signing autographs

Mode of transport: A horse and cart was also spotted on the set

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