CHICAGO (AP) — Oprah might want to nail down her furniture. Tom Cruise is scheduled to return to “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” nearly three years after a couch-jumping appearance that spawned countless YouTube parodies and late-night jokes.

The two-part show will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Cruise’s booty-shaking turn in the film “Risky Business.” Friends and colleagues will surprise Cruise with taped messages honoring his work in movies, according to a statement Thursday from Harpo Productions.

Winfrey will interview Cruise from his home in Telluride, Colo., for the first show on May 2, which will cover his “family, his life and the future,” Harpo said. Then on May 5, Cruise will appear in Winfrey’s Chicago studio.

Cruise became the butt of jokes after a May 2005 appearance on Winfrey’s show, where he repeatedly jumped on the talk-show host’s couch, saying his love for then-new girlfriend Katie Holmes was “beyond cool.”

Cruise and Holmes became parents in April 2006 with the birth of their daughter, Suri, and married in Italy in November 2006.

The infamous 2003 photographs taken by American soldiers in the Abu Ghraib prison are the heart and soul – and blood and guts – of Errol Morris’s new documentary “Standard Operating Procedure.” Equal parts condemnation, crime procedural, and philosophical dissertation, it features interviews – in many cases for the first time on film – with five of the seven military police (MP) indicted for their actions at the prison. None are camera-shy.

Lynndie England, who can be seen taunting and humiliating Iraqi prisoners suspected of terrorism in some of the more notorious photos, is undoubtedly the most recognizable of the interviewees. Only 20 at the time, she served as private first class with the 372nd MP Company, and she speaks, in a low monotone, as someone who has moved only fitfully beyond the trauma of those days. (She was sentenced to three years in prison and is currently on parole.) Like most of the other people who are interviewed, she behaves as if what happened in 2003 was a dream from which she has not entirely awaked.

But Ms. England is unlike the others in that, from moment to moment, her camera presence is highly variable – chameleonlike. Waifish one moment, hard-bitten the next, she’s an enigma within the larger enigma of what exactly happened in Abu Ghraib and who, ultimately, is responsible for the gross injustices perpetrated there.

There are many other memorable testimonies in the ironically titled “Standard Operating Procedure.” Sabrina Harman, whose photographs of the horrors and humiliations inside the prison were instrumental in alerting the world to what was going on, was also a willing bystander.

On the soundtrack we hear her letters home, written while she was stationed in Abu Ghraib to her domestic partner; her flat intonations accentuate her bewilderment at the nightmare she found herself in.

Javal Davis – a guard on the night shift, who, like Harman, was sentenced to six months in prison – can look back on the events there with the confounded perspective of someone who no longer recognizes the person he was inside that caldron.

These interviewees have a creepily all-American, boy/girl-next-door quality, but Morris is not simplistically indicting them as bad apples. His movie is, rather, an indictment of the war itself, or more specifically, of the ways in which it has been carried out as evidenced by Abu Ghraib – a prison that some believe to be in clear violation of the Geneva Convention because it is arguably situated in the middle of a war zone. Inside, the food was contaminated; MPs were outnumbered 100 to 1.

Ms. Harman recounts her experience taking pictures, which are shown on screen, of Manadel al-Jamadi, an Iraqi prisoner who had been surreptitiously tortured to death.

Her photographs were responsible for bringing this crime to light and yet Harman was threatened with prosecution for taking the pictures even though, according to Morris, no Central Intelligence Agency operative has ever been charged or convicted in connection with the murder.

The overwhelming impression left by “Standard Operating Procedure” is that the grunts took the fall for the malfeasance, sanctioned at the highest levels, of their superiors.

And then there is Morris’s outrage at what Americans, in the name of defending liberty, perpetrated: including the killings and the use of attack dogs in the prison to intimidate detainees. In the end, no useful intelligence came out of Abu Ghraib anyway.

Morris has his artsy side, he’s overfond of reenactments, and parts of “Standard Operating Procedure” play out like a discourse on the “meaning” of the photographic image. He may fancy himself a philosopher but his truest instincts are in the realm of nuts-and-bolts police blotter-style detection.

At this late date there is little that is factually revelatory about his film, but as a human document of what people are capable of in wartime, it’s indispensable.

Carly Smithson’s surprising elimination could have blasphemy as explanation.

Carly may have made a wrong choice when she decided to perform the title song from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the 1970 rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

The play has been causing much controversy since its debut, and the release of the film version in 1973, has generated lots of buzz among Christians, who said the portrayal of Jesus was an offensive one.

Both the Broadway show and subsequent productions based on it were harshly condemned by several religious groups, who protested in front of the theatre during the first Broadway show. The play was even banned in South Africa for being “irreligious.‿

The opera mostly focuses on Christ’s relationship with Judas, and is sprinkled with contemporary slang and ironic innuendos to modern life, featuring many intentional anachronisms.

Judas is a very controversial character in Webber’s opera not only because he betrays Jesus, but because he leaves the impression that he was not actually guilty of betrayal and only played the role he was supposed to, in a divine plan he could not control. He has an offensive and criticizing attitude toward Jesus during the entire play.

“The idea of the whole opera is to have Christ seen through the eyes of Judas, and Christ as a man, not as a God,” Tim Rice was quoted as saying.

But Christians do not want to see Jesus as a man, nor do they want to see Judas as anything other than a traitor, and they certainly hate the subtle allusion of a love relationship between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Moreover, how could the betraying Judas dare to accuse Jesus of anything? Not to mention the fact the play ends with Jesus’ crucifixion, not saying anything about the resurrection…

So, with all these controversial issues behind the (brilliant, if I may say) opera, Carly Smithson might be the first “American Idol” contestant to be voted off for blasphemy.

But Smithson herself has another explanation for her departure. In a conference call yesterday, she told reporters she thought that one of the reasons she was voted off the show was the fact she was a woman.

“Women vote for this show,” Smithson said, as quoted by the New York Daily News. “It’s obvious they vote for the boys. The boys are adorable [and] are charming the females a lot. I definitely feel that the girls had more of a struggle this year with trying to get the popularity vote.”

However, Smithson said she was not bitter for leaving the show. She said she was proud and not at all upset.

“It definitely feels a lot greater going out sixth this year than it would have any other year,” she said. “I’m cool. I’m so happy. I feel like I’ve just been given the greatest gift ever.”

On the occasion of Carly’s departure Wednesday night, after the voting results were revealed, Simon apologized for a compliment he had given Carly the night before.

“I apologize for giving you a compliment last night, the kiss of death,” he said. “You can leave with your head held high.”

And so she did.

She is probably aware that she will be more successful outside the show that she was as a contestant. Even though her previous experience in the music industry was a failure, she is hopeful her performances during the show will push her career forward.

“I’m free now to go make a record, and start writing and be with my husband, and hang out in the real world,” she said, quoted by E!Online. “Because the Idol bubble is kind of weird.”

Marcel Langenegger tries to trick the public into watching his latest sexy thriller by advertising big actor names instead of a good story. It is unsure why Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams agreed to star in the film, but it is a sure thing they will not be too proud of it. 

McGregor has a boring role that does not allow him to reveal his true acting qualities, interpreting Jonathan McQuarry, a rather shy and dull corporate accountant, with no family, friends or social life. Surprisingly, he befriends a successful attorney and playboy named Wyatt, who oddly seems to be looking for friends duller than himself. 

After meeting Wyatt, Jonathan’s life changes completely and he enters a mysterious circle of people interested in anonymous one-night stands, a luxurious sex club called “The List.‿ Things seem to go great for Jonathan until he meets a sad, blonde beauty, played, of course, by Michelle Williams. He falls head over heels in love with her, and when she warns him she would complicate his life, he appears not to be scared of such a cliché and is willing to accept any complications. Too bad for him. Obviously, this is where the thrilling part starts, with Jonathan’s life getting messed up after the mystery blonde is kidnapped. 

All in all, a film where the sex scenes are non-erotic although Williams looks at her best, the climax is non-thrilling and the characters are stereotypical: the blonde beauty, the bad guy and the good (and silly) guy. Probably because director Langenegger comes from the world of TV commercials, the film lacks warmth and passion and it has instead the cold glow of a magazine’s cover. 

If anyone is still interested in seeing it, even if only for the actors, the film opens Friday.  Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams, Natasha Henstridge, Charlotte Rampling 

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams, Natasha Henstridge, Charlotte Rampling Director: Marcel Langenegger 

Rating: R for sexual content, language, brief violence and some drug use 

Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes 

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Wesley Snipes called on famous friends to vouch for him, highlighted his clean criminal record and even wrote the government $5 million in checks — all in an effort to convince a judge that his conviction on tax charges should cost him nothing more than home detention and some public service announcements.

None of it worked. The “Blade” actor was ordered to do hard time.

Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for failing to file tax returns, the maximum penalty — and a victory for prosecutors who sought to make an example of the action star.

Snipes’ lawyers had spent much of the day in court offering dozens of letters from family members, friends — even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington — attesting to his good character. His attorneys recommended he be given home detention and ordered to make public service announcements because his three convictions were all misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record.

But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a “history of contempt over a period of time” for U.S. tax laws, and granted prosecutors the three-year sentence they requested — one year for each of Snipes’ convictions of willfully failing to file a tax return from 1999-2001.

“In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors,” Hodges said.

Snipes apologized while reading from a written statement for his “costly mistakes,” but never mentioned the word taxes.

“I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance,” Snipes said. He said his wealth and celebrity attracted “wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat.” He called himself “well-intentioned, but miseducated.”

Snipes surprised the court before Hodges handed down the sentence by offering the government three checks totaling $5 million in unpaid taxes over several years, money the government first denied but then accepted. Prosecutors called it “grandstanding” to avoid jail time, and a mere down payment on the actor’s still-undetermined multimillion dollar tax bill.

The action star of the “Blade” trilogy, “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Jungle Fever” and other films hasn’t filed a tax return since 1998, the government alleged. Snipes and the IRS will work in future civil proceedings to determine his full tax liability, plus interest and penalties.

Snipes was the highest-profile criminal tax target in years, and prosecutors called for a heavy sentence to deter others from trying to obstruct the IRS. The government alleged Snipes made at least $13.8 million for the years in question and owed $2.7 million in back taxes.

Snipes was acquitted in February of five additional charges, including felony tax fraud and conspiracy. Co-defendants Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn were convicted on both those counts. Kahn, who refused to defend himself in court, was sentenced to 10 years, while Rosile received 54 months. Both will serve three years of supervised release. Snipes will serve one year of supervised release.

Snipes and Rosile remain free and will be notified when they are to surrender to authorities. Defense attorney Carmen Hernandez signaled in court that Snipes would pursue an appeal.

Kahn was the founder of American Rights Litigators, and a successor group, Guiding Light of God Ministries, that purported to help members legally avoid paying taxes. Rosile, a former accountant who lost his licenses in Ohio and Florida, prepared Snipes’ paperwork.

Snipes maintained in a years-long battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to “tax protesters” who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn’s group, the government said Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.

Prosecutors sought to justify the maximum sentence by raising those and other details from the IRS investigation, as well as a tax loss even for years in which Snipes was acquitted of failing to file a return. Such “relevant conduct” is allowed by law for a judge’s consideration at sentencing.

Criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare — usually the cases are handled in civil court, where the government has a lower burden of proof. Prosecutors said Snipes’ case was important to send a message to would-be tax protesters not to test the government.

Snipes’ lawyers said he was no threat to society, and called four character witnesses Thursday, including television’s Judge Joe Brown, who incited applause from the gallery by suggesting Snipes was no different than “mega-corporate entities” that legally avoid taxes.

Hodges twice halted the proceedings to quiet the crowd, threatening to clear everyone out if they made another outburst.

Defense attorneys Hernandez and Daniel Meachum said Snipes was unfairly targeted for prosecution because he’s famous. Meachum called prosecutors “big game hunters,” selectively prosecuting the actor while Kahn’s 4,000 other clients remained free.

Hodges was not swayed.

“One of the main purposes which drives selective prosecution in tax cases is deterrence,” the judge said, while denying it had anything to do with his sentence. “In some instances, that means those of celebrity stand greater risk of prosecution. But there’s nothing unusual about it, nor is there anything unlawful about it. It’s the way the system works.”

LONDON (AP) — Amy Winehouse was arrested on suspicion of assault Friday following reports that she scuffled with two men during a wild night out, Sky News television reported.

The 24-year-old soul diva, who recently entered rehab after years of erratic behavior and canceled concerts, arrived at a central London police station to answer questions relating to the alleged incident, her representatives said.

Police didn’t directly confirm that Winehouse was in custody, saying only that a 24-year-old woman was being held on suspicion of assault. British authorities don’t usually name suspects until they have been charged.

Winehouse didn’t say anything to assembled photographers and cameramen as she walked into the station late Friday afternoon. Sky News said she would spend the night in custody.

A man was quoted in tabloid newspapers as saying he was hit by Winehouse when he got in her way while she was playing pool at a bar in the Camden neighborhood and then head-butted another who was trying to hail her a cab in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Winehouse and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested in the Norwegian city of Bergen in October and held overnight on charges of drug possession. A video of her allegedly smoking crack hit the Internet shortly before she won five Grammys this year for her critically acclaimed album “Back to Black.”

She was arrested in London in December on suspicion of attempting to interfere with a court case involving Fielder-Civil, but earlier this year police said prosecutors were no longer pursuing the affair.

Fielder-Civil faces charges of perverting the course of justice stemming from a case in which he is accused of assaulting a barman.