Captain Fantastic planning fund-raising performance

New York — Elton John will perform today at Radio City Music Hall in a benefit concert for The Juilliard School and London’s Royal Academy of Music.

The concert will feature John and his band performing with a full symphony orchestra conducted by James Newton Howard and made up of young musicians from both schools.

Proceeds will support scholarship programs and promote their joint artist programs.

The evening will include a special appearance by Renee Fleming.

Imelda Marcos loses lawsuit

Manila, Philippines — A Manila court rejected a lawsuit by former first lady Imelda Marcos to keep a documentary about her flamboyant life off the country’s movie screens.

Marcos, 75, claimed she approved “Imelda” as a school project and not as a commercial movie. She also said it was full of “malice, inaccuracies and innuendoes.”

Judge Maria Cristina Cornejo denied Mrs. Marcos’ petition Monday, saying that contrary to her claims, she had signed a permission document to release the film.

Sandra Coronel, a lawyer for producer Ramona Diaz and distributor Unitel Pictures Inc., said the court order means the film can be shown in the Philippines.

ESPN, Espen to meet

Newaygo, Mich.– Espen Allen Blondeel will appear on the cable sports network he was named after.

A crew from ESPN traveled last week to this western Michigan city to film 4-year-old Espen and his parents, Chad and Alisha Blondeel. Espen and other ESPN namesakes are to appear Sept. 6 on a two-hour special celebrating the network’s 25th anniversary.

The network says it knows of at least 11 children named for ESPN, including one whose name is just that — ESPN. Variants include Espn, Espen and Espyn (a girl).

“They’re coming out of the woodwork now,” ESPN spokesman David Nagle told The Grand Rapids Press.

Espen Blondeel, born Jan. 26, 2000, is believed to be the first baby named after the network.

Eastwood, Spielberg to make film

New York — Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg reportedly are joining forces to bring the World War II battle of Iwo Jima to the big screen.

According to TV Guide, Eastwood will direct an adaptation of the book “Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima” for Spielberg’s company, DreamWorks.

The book was written by James Bradley — whose father was one of the six soldiers who raised the flag at Iwo Jima — and Ron Powers.

The battle of Iwo Jima in February-March 1945 was crucial for both sides. The Volcano Islands, which include Iwo Jima, were 700 miles south of Tokyo and part of the capital prefecture — thus the first part of Japan proper to be invaded.