AP Entertainment NewsBrief at 7:41 a.m. EST

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Biden seeks video game industry input on gunsWASHINGTON (AP) _ Looking for broader remedies to gun violence, Vice President Joe Biden is reaching out to the video game industry for ideas as the White House seeks to assemble proposals in response to last month's massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. Biden is scheduled to meet with video game representatives Friday as the White House explores cultural factors that may contribute to violent behavior.

Affleck, Argo win big at Critics' Choice AwardsLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Hours after a surprise snub in Academy Award nominations, Ben Affleck won best director and his film "Argo" was named best picture at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards. Affleck, whose film was nominated for seven Oscars including best picture but not best director, accepted the award Thursday night at the Broadcast Film Critics Association's 18th annual awards in Los Angeles, joking as he took the trophy that he'd "like to thank the Academy." Top talent lined up for Obama's inaugural eventsWASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama is drawing an A-list of performers for his inaugural festivities, including a massive gala expected to draw more than 35,000 revelers. Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, Usher, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley are among the stars planning to sing at Obama's inaugural galas Jan. 21 and a children's concert on Jan. 19. Also signed up are Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and the cast of "Glee." South African musical creates a 1950s fantasyHARTBEESPOORT, South Africa (AP) _ Do you remember your first kiss If you have a few years under your belt, maybe you stole it in the back of the movie theater, the projector whirring in the darkness. Or rather, back of the "bioscope," a word for the cinema in South Africa in the old days. The fantasy world of "Pretville," a Grease-style film musical in the Afrikaans language, celebrates 1950s Americana, the thrill of first love and foot-tapping classics that evoke innocence and discovery.

Warner wins legal victory for control of SupermanSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Superman belongs to Warner Bros., according to the latest legal victory granting the film and television studio complete commercial control of the lucrative Superman franchise. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals unanimously ruled Thursday that the heirs of Superman's co-creator Jerome Siegel must abide by a 2001 letter written by the family's attorney accepting Warner Bros.' offer for their 50 percent share of Superman. Though the five-page letter was never formalized into a contract, the appeals court said it was still binding.

Spielberg's in at Oscars, Bigelow, Affleck are outBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ Steven Spielberg had a great day at the Academy Awards nominations, where his Civil War saga "Lincoln" led with 12 nominations. It was not so great for Kathryn Bigelow, Tom Hooper and Ben Affleck, whose films did well but surprised _ dare we say shocked _ Hollywood by failing to score directing nominations for the three filmmakers.

Montreux Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs diesGENEVA (AP) _ Claude Nobs, the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival, whose passion for music and artistry introduced generations of legendary musicians to international audiences on the Swiss stage, has died. He was 76. The Jazz Festival said Nobs, a native of Montreux, died Thursday after sustaining injuries from a fall while cross-country skiing in nearby Caux-sur-Montreux on Christmas Eve. He was taken to the hospital and fell into a coma from which he never recovered.

Major Judaica collection to be auctioned in NYCNEW YORK (AP) _ Philanthropist and former Wall Street money manager Michael Steinhardt began collecting objects of Jewish history and culture three decades ago, eventually amassing a collection of manuscripts, textiles and art worth millions of dollars. Now, the 72-year-old wants to sell his more than 500-piece collection so others can enjoy it.

Victims' relatives sue Rivera's company over crashLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Relatives of four passengers killed last month with Jenni Rivera in a plane crash in Mexico filed a lawsuit against Rivera's company Thursday alleging the singer was negligent when she hired a faulty Learjet 25. The civil lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court seeks unspecified financial compensation from Jenni Rivera Enterprises. It claims Rivera picked the aircraft owned by Las Vegas-based Starwood Management and should have known the state of the plane and the pilots' status.

Kimmel's pot jokes earn invite from Calif. collegeARCATA, Calif. (AP) _ Humboldt State University in California has invited Jimmy Kimmel to deliver the school's commencement address after he joked about its marijuana research program. The host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" devoted a segment of his late-night show to poking fun at the new academic program, which the university says is probably the first dedicated to examining marijuana through the lens of disciplines such as geography, politics and economics.

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