Tarantino sells debut novel rights

Reservoir Dogs film director Quentin Tarantino has sold the publishing rights to his debut novel.

Kill Bill, the tale of a bride who goes on a killing spree after being shot at her wedding reception and spending nine years in a coma, is due for publication by Talk Miramax Books in the autumn.

Tarantino is also due to direct a film based on the novel, starring Uma Thurman, Daryl Hannah and Lucy Liu.

Tarantino said: "I'm moving away from screenplay format, keeping what I do like of the form and throwing away what I don't."

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Germany in Eurovision poll spot

Germany's Eurovision Song Contest entrant has become the favourite to win this year's event.

Corinna May, who is blind, is 7-2 favourite to win with her song, I Can't Live Without Music, according to UK bookmaker William Hill.

Pop Idol star and UK entrant Jessica Garlick has been pushed into second place, at 5-1, with her entry, Come Back.

Garlick was William Hill's previous joint favourite, at 6-1, alongside Estonia, last year's winner and this year's host.

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Video trade to honour Stallone

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone is to due to be crowned Action Star of the Millennium.

The actor is expected to accept the title in person at the opening ceremony of the US Video Software Dealers Association Convention on 16 July in Las Vegas.

The award comes on the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of his film First Blood.

"I'm very, very humbled," Stallone told the magazine Video Premieres - noting that the award would not be presented for another 1,000 years.

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Ex-Nirvana duo seek tests on Love

The two surviving members of the seminal grunge band Nirvana have said they want late singer Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl said mental incompetence is causing Love to make bad business decisions - namely, to block the release of previously unheard material.

Their lawyers cited Love's refusal to allow the release of a track called You Know You're Right as grounds for removing her from the partnership that controls the band's catalogue.

Love's lawyers, however, said there is "not a shred" of evidence that she is mentally incompetent.

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Madonna's 'doubt and weakness'

Madonna has revealed she is plagued by insecurity and self-doubt despite the image of her "charmed life".

The singer spoke of her feelings in a candid open letter in her fanzine, Icon.

"I am rich and famous. I have a great career. I have a talented and gorgeous husband and two beautiful children," she wrote.

She added: "But you would not be looking at the whole picture if that was all you could see. I too have my moments of doubt and weakness."

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Ex-Casualty star tackles The Rock

Former Casualty actor Steven Brand can be seen doing battle with global wrestling star The Rock in his first major movie The Scorpion King, released across the UK on Friday.

Brand, who played Adam Cooke in Casualty, stars as fierce warlord Memnom in the prequel to The Mummy Returns which sees him pitted against The Rock's character Mathayus.

And, despite the 18st, 6ft 5ins frame of The Rock - whose real name is Dwayne Johnson - Brand declared he had not been intimidated by the encounter.

"He was great to work with, he's as sweet as a pussycat, a real gentle giant," Brand said.