The Entertation Index: August 3

Amazon, Lawsuit Against — The online bookseller is currently the subject of a class-action lawsuit headed by a seventeen year-old high school student after Amazon erased copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, along with any notes which readers may have transcribed, from electronic Kindle devices without notice. I can sympathize with this; the other day I woke to find that an actual Barnes & Noble employee had broken into my house to take back my paperback copy of Marley & Me, leaving discarded lowfat caramel latte cups all over the place.

Link: Amazon Sued Over Kindle Deletion of Orwell Books (AP)

Comic Books — Beware fans of the inked page; the next installment of your favorite graphic series may be secretly funded by New Line Pictures. Variety reports that studios, finally sensing the demographic tie-in between comic book and movie audiences, are using comics to promote and correlate with with upcoming feature films. So that issue number one of Confessions of a Shopaholic probably isn’t worth as much as you think.

Link: Comic Books Promote Upcoming Films (Variety) 

Deal, Let’s Make a — CBS has announced the return of the Monty Hall classic Let’s Make a Deal to the network’s daytime lineup, this time with host Wayne Brady. Choose your own joke here: a.) CBS execs said they loved the classic, and think it will be even better with mediocre improvised song parodies, b.) The hosting job ties in nicely with Wayne Brady’s current “Please, please love me. I’ll do anything” comedy tour, or c.) The deal CBS has made with the comedian is already being heralded as a “zonk.”

Link: “Let’s Make a Deal” Will Return, Wayne Brady Will Host (L.A. Times)

Insurance, State Farm — The uber-insurance firm is spending a great deal of its advertising budget these days to associate itself with high-profile Hollywood celebrities, including Teri Hatcher, Josh Duhamel and Denzel Washington. After hearing this news, Jennifer Aniston’s people promptly began spreading rumors to gossip trades that the starlet was seen canoodling with State Farm Insurance at posh L.A. eatery Sona.

Link: Stars Aren’t Shy to Shill for This Brand (Hollywood Reporter)

King, Stephen — The best-selling author has announced plans to sell the first 1,500 copies of his new novel Under the Dome to buyers at $200 apiece. Simon & Schuster executives say the ploy is an effort to “[fight] back against the disappearance of the book as an object.” Because selling them at for $200 is going to help that a lot. Here’s a spoiler: You will be disappointed that you paid $200 for a 2009 Stephen King novel.

Link: Stephen King’s Newest Book “Under the Dome: ” the $200 Edition (Wall Street Journal)

Mia!, Mamma — The Daily Mail ran a very interesting story written by an inhabitant of Skopelos, the Greek island featured in the 2008 Abba musical Mamma Mia!, detailing the droves of tourists who flock to the island each year to see the locales featured in the film. The author also references nearby Kefalonia, which she claims was ruined by those enamored with 2001’s Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Skopelos also — waaaait a minute. Someone actually watched Captain Corelli’s Mandolin?

Link: How the Feelgood Movie of 2009 has Ruined the Greek Paradise Island of Skopelos (Daily Mail)