JANET JACKSON, TOBY KEITH, JESSICA SIMPSON AND KATHY GRIFFIN WERE AMONG A LINEUP OF STARS IN AN ABC SPECIAL SALUTE TO THE TROOPS. THE TWO-HOUR BROADCAST SUNDAY CALLED "AMERICA UNITED: IN SUPPORT OF OUR TROOPS" FEATURED ENTERTAINERS PERFORMING AT MILITARY BASES IN THE U-S AND AROUND THE WORLD, AS WELL AS INTERVIEWS WITH THE TROOPS.

AFTER BOMBING BIG TIME LAST YEAR, BRITNEY SPEARS WAS BACK ON THE ANNUAL MTV MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS. SPEARS KICKED OFF THE SHOW-- BUT SAVED THE SINGING THIS TIME.

EVEN KANYE WEST---- WHO VOWED NEVER TO PERFORM ON THE SHOW AGAIN AFTER LOSING IN ALL FIVE CATEGORIES HE WAS NOMINATED IN LAST YEAR---MADE A COMEBACK.

A RATHER LACKLUSTER FIELD MADE FOR THE WORST WEEKEND BOX OFFICE IN FIVE YEARS. NICOLAS CAGE, STARRING AS A JADED ASSASSIN IN "BANGKOK DANGEROUS" DEBUTED AT NUMBER 1 WITH JUST UNDER 8 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT ENDED THE THREE WEEK REIGN OF "TROPIC THUNDER" WHICH CAME IN A CLOSE SECOND WITH 7-AND-A-HALF MILLION.