Talk with Stars Tonight, and Assist Haitian Relief in the Process

If you've been watching any of the major networks the past few days, then you're already aware of the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relieftelethon airing on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, COMEDY CENTRAL, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Espanol, HBO Latino…and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic.
A who's who of superstars are manning the phones tonight, so this is a wonderful opportunity to connect with a celebrity and let them know that you want to do something to help the ravaged Haitian country and its people.
Below is the official press release for the event…which is underway now…
"Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," today announced that some of the biggest names in film, television, and music will be working the phones and taking donations from Los Angeles during tonight's broadcast. "Hope for Haiti Now" will air on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT.
The lineup of superstar operators includes (in alphabetical order): Ben Affleck, Tim Allen, Jennifer Aniston, David Archuleta, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Drew Barrymore, Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Russell Brand, Benjamin Bratt, Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler, Chevy Chase, Kristin Chenoweth, Sacha Baron Cohen, Common, Cat Cora, Bradley Cooper, Daniel Craig, Cindy Crawford, Penelope Cruz, Billy Crystal, John Cusack, Eric Dane, Ellen DeGeneres, Fran Drescher, Michael Clarke Duncan, Zac Efron, Jenna Elfman, Colin Farrell, Andy Garcia, Mel Gibson, Tyrese Gibson, Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Taraji P. Henson, Dijmon Honsou, Vanessa Hudgens, Randy Jackson, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Michael Keaton, Anna Kendrick, Greg Kinnear, Jane Krakowski, John Krasinksi, Jessica Lange, Taylor Lautner, Daniel Day Lewis, Jared Leto, Justin Long, Rose McGowan, Ewan McGregor, Toby Maguire, Ricky Martin, Katharine McPhee, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Jack Nicholson, Keke Palmer, Holly Robinson Peete, Tyler Perry, Chris Pine, Jeremy Piven, Jeremy Renner, Tim Robbins, Ray Romano, Jeri Ryan, Meg Ryan, Zoe Saldana, Adam Sandler, Nicole Scherzinger, Gabourey Sidibe, Kimora Lee Simmons, Russell Simmons, Christian Slater, Steven Spielberg, Molly Sims, Ringo Starr, Charlize Theron, Ashley Tisdale, Marisa Tomei, Amber Valleta, Sofia Vergara, Mark Wahlberg, Joe Walsh, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Olivia Wilde, Rainn Wilson, Robin Williams, Reese Witherspoon, and Noah Wyle.
"Hope for Haiti Now" will begin accepting donations at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT on Friday, January 22 via the following methods:
Online: HopeforHaitiNow.org
Phone: 877-99-HAITI
Text: Text "GIVE" to 50555
Mail: Hope For Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation, 1201 West 5th Street, Suite T-700, Los Angeles, CA 90017
"Hope for Haiti Now" will feature Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, as well as President Bill Clinton, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, and Muhammad Ali.
"Hope for Haiti Now" will also include performances by Wyclef Jean, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Emeline Michel and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Beyonce, Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in London.
"Hope for Haiti Now," will benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation, and the newly formed Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be split among each organization's individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief. With the exception of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, each partner organization was selected for its history of operation and collaboration within the NGO community in Haiti.
The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Facebook, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. "Hope for Haiti Now" will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide. "Hope for Haiti Now" will be available non-exclusively to all terrestrial radio stations around the globe and SIRIUS XM Radio as a one time only radio broadcast via the MTV Radio Network and Westwood One.
Based on production needs and venue sizes, all "Hope for Haiti Now" studio locations will be closed to the media. Photos, pool video footage and talent interviews from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be serviced to news outlets immediately following the event.
"Hope for Haiti Now" is produced by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions, in collaboration with Viacom's MTV Networks and George Clooney.

Mainstream Press Deriding ‘Trekkies’

Despite the fact that the new Star Trek film is being largely embraced by those in the mainstream press — and, frankly, also by mainstream moviegoers — there seems to be an element of the media who still derive joy from deriding fans; perpetuating the negative and cliched stereotypes that Trek fans have endured for the past few decades.
TrekMovie founder Anthony Pascale notes that he has been contacted by a number of local, national and international media organizations to give quotes and do interviews on what he thinks of the new Star Trek film and how it is playing with fans. While the majority of outlets are typically interested in an honest appraisal, it seems others have an altogether different agenda—one of deciding that 'Star Trek' should still be mocked and looking to fix the evidence around their predetermined agenda (and we thought only Dick Cheney did that sort of thing).
Below, Pascale discusses his firsthand experience.
"…just this morning alone I have been contacted by ABC Good Morning America and NBC News, and both of them wanted to me to help provide a fan to put on camera to talk about how Trek fans as a whole are against this film. When I talked to producers for both, neither wanted to hear that those fans were only a small part, and in fact one producer (from NBC) hung up on me when I told him I thought it would be disingenuous for them to report that Trek fans as a whole were against this movie. I suggested to both that they could have two fans on with opposing views or at least represent the ‘negative’ fan as being part of just a segment of Trek fandom, but those suggestions fell on deaf ears. Our friend and star/producer of Star Trek Phase II James Cawley tells me that he has also turned down multiple mainstream media requests to attack the new movie."
Pascale is quick to point out that not all the corporate media types are so narrow-minded, a good example being the recent cover article from Newsweek, which you can see below. Nevertheless, it is interesting — and frankly, disturbing — to see how members of major corporate media are only interested in reinforcing dogma as opposed to doing what media is supposed to do: report both sides of the story.
Of course, this isn't just about Star Trek. One wonders what other stories are being so irresponsibly covered by mainstream media.

Chinese Films Seek to Rival Hollywood

Look out, Hollywood, the Chinese box office is on course to set new domestic records. The question now is how to keep that upward direction going.
After a record $630 million take last year, the Chinese film industry is on pace to rake in $800 million in 2009. However, at an occasionally contentious panel last Sunday, leading filmmakers in the region suggested the business still needs to grow in sophistication, reports Variety.
Speaking at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, Yu Dong, head of the Polybona distribution group, said the industry only has "limited kinds of movies." He added that the next five to six years will be critical.
"The market has developed but outsiders will come in soon—like the arrival of Hong Kong directors. Also Hollywood, which was initially scared but now sees opportunities for co-production," said Yu at a forum entitled, "Made in China: What Kind of Films Does the Domestic Market Want?"
If ticket sales are any indication, what they want are more films like Crazy Stone, a Guy Ritchie-ish heist flick, and City of Life and Death, a drama about the Nanjing massacre. Both films' directors — Ning Hao and Lu Chuan, respectively — were on-hand at Sunday’s panel, and belong to a select group of mainland Chinese helmers known as the "100-Million Club", which consists of directors whose films have made more than 100 million yuan ($15 million) in China.
But another panelist, art house filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai, criticized directors who go for commercial appeal.
"These films have all made more than 100 million yuan at the box office but as directors they fail," he said. "People say I should switch to commercial films but I want to stick to art. I believe in art and I believe in culture."
"I’m thinking of a greater good," said Wang, whose In Love We Trust won a Silver Bear for screenplay at Berlin last year.
The growing influence of Chinese films abroad has been helped by improved distribution. However, critics say Chinese filmmakers need to do less multi-tasking — they are often producer-distributor-helmer rolled into one — if they are going to have increased success abroad.
But Lu Chuan said the real problem is focusing on international film festivals instead of domestic audiences.
"Filmmakers are working in a changed market. Instead of deliberately separating art and commercial films, we should follow what the audiences want. The market is growing up and audiences are maturing,"he said.
"Arthouse and commercial films are in there together. What we acutely need in China are films like The Godfather or Apocalypse Now."

Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin Will Co-Host Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast.
"We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars," said Shankman and Mechanic. "Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event."
"I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin," said Martin.
"I don't play the banjo but I'm thrilled to be hosting the Oscars—it's the opportunity of a lifetime," said Baldwin.
Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint. He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, most recently at the ceremony in February when he appeared with Tina Fey. He is currently touring with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his latest album "The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo." In 1977 and 1978 Martin won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording. He earned a third Grammy in 2001 in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category. In 2007 Martin earned a Kennedy Center Honor.
Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in The Cooler. That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show. Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on the comedy "30 Rock," a role for which he has won two Emmys (in 2008 and 2009). Baldwin earned a Tony nomination in 1992 for his performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Will 3-D Television Really Transform Home Entertainment?

We've been hearing a lot of talk in recent months about 3-D television, and how it is going to transform the home entertainment experience. The latest news in that trend comes from Toshiba and RealD, who have announced that they are set to cooperate in bringing 3D technology to Toshiba TVs, including support for the stereoscopic RealD Format, as Toshiba advances development of REGZA TVs able to deliver HD quality 3D content.
According to Toshiba, the companies will also work together on technology for active eyewear compatible with Toshiba 3D-enabled displays. I'll have a few thoughts about this in a moment, but first, here's the release:
"Toshiba plans to introduce 3D into our REGZA line-up of Full-HD LCD TVs in 2010, and we are delighted to work with RealD, the clear leader in the industry," said Masaaki Osumi, President and CEO, Digital Media Network Company, Toshiba Corporation. "Home viewing is fast moving toward the total immersion offered by 3D, and Toshiba is determined to be in the vanguard in delivering this experience."
"3D is opening new opportunities for home entertainment and we look forward to collaborating with Toshiba to bring an unmatched 3D experience to their products," said Michael V. Lewis, Chairman and CEO of RealD. "RealD 3D technology has revolutionized cinema and the RealD Format promises to deliver a similar premium entertainment experience to the home utilizing today's existing HD infrastructure."
The RealD Format is a proprietary version of a side-by-side 3D format that multiplexes a left eye and right eye 3D image stream into a single channel for delivery of HD 3D content to any 3D-enabled display type – plasma, LCD or DLP. The RealD Format uses a unique set of proprietary filters and other technologies making it compatible with today's HD infrastructure for high quality 3D delivered via cable, satellite, packaged media or the Internet.
So is this the next great leap, as Hollywood and electronics manufacturers suggest? I submit not. If you've seen Avatar, then you know that the 3-D used in the film was little, if any, better than other recent 3-D films. Moreover, there's that little matter of the glasses. As long as the 3-D experience requires glasses, the format will never enter the mainstream, in the opinion of this writer. Glasses have a way of adding depth, but causing one to lose the cinematic scale, as well.
So will this be an expensive failure for Toshiba and other companies, then? It's hard to say for sure. Certainly 3-D films are less likely to be pirated; a likely incentive for the studios. But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you could walk into a Best Buy in six years and pick up a "new" 3-D TV at cut-rate prices.
Now if you'll excuse me, the 1950s are calling…they want their fad back.

Randy Quaid’s Felonious Flight Comes to an End

Whatever happened to Randy Quaid? The Oscar-nominated actor — known for such films asBrokeback Mountain, Independence Day and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — has gone off the rails in recent years, running afoul of the law in incidents ripped straight from the pages of Bizzaroworld.
Most recently, arrest warrants were issued for the couple after they reportedly failed to show up for a court hearing in Santa Barbara, Calif., on allegations they were squatting in the guest house of a Montecito home they once owned in the 1990s. Quaid's 47-year-old wife Evi was also charged with resisting arrest.
Last month, the couple were released from a West Texas jail after being arrested for allegedly skipping out on a $10,000 California hotel bill.
It seems their flight has finally come to an end in Vancouver, where both were arrested Friday on outstanding warrants from the United States.
They were scheduled to appear at a detention-review hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board on Friday afternoon.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver police got a call for assistance on Thursday and while checking the identities of a man and woman, learned they were wanted on outstanding warrants.
Vancouver police turned the couple over to the Canada Border Services Agency.
Meanwhile, Duane Chapman — better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter — had been warning Quaid that he was going to track the actor down and bring him to justice. "I hope Randy Quaid and his wife are watching right now," Chapman said the Lopez Tonight show on Thursday.
"We're announcing he has the chance to call authorities and turn himself in—and at least do it for your wife and for how you were raised. If not, the Chapman family is coming after you."
Chapman said it was time for him to intervene in Quaid's life and try to set him on the straight and narrow.
"There's something going on in his life. You know him and I know him too. He's not the same guy, so we need to do an intervention, Dog style."
It's nice to know that Quaid has a humanitarian in his corner. Meanwhile, something tells us that the Quaids won't be skipping again anytime soon.
We're betting a movie-of-the-week is already in the works.

Happy 98th Birthday, Joe Simon!

The names Joe Simon and Jack Kirby are widely regarded as legendary in the context of comic book history. Either in collaboration or independently, these men were responsible for creating some of the best-known superheroes. Starting out in the earliest days of comics, they also wrote and illustrated a multitude of titles that covered every major comic book genre.
Today, October 11, marks the 98th birthday of Joe Simon. Without his wonderful work with Kirby and other collaborators, we wouldn’t be eagerly anticipating The Avengers or enjoying many of the other blockbusting superhero movies that have become a staple of modern cinema. At CinemaSpy we wanted to mark Simon’s birthday with a look back at some of his pioneering work. Without question, his contribution to the rise of comic books as a popular and respected form of art and entertainment helped to set the stage for the multifaceted superhero franchises that enthrall the world today.
Simon and Kirby (whose real name was Jacob Kurtzberg) were born in New York in 1913 and 1917, respectively. The early years of their work coincided with the so-called Golden Age of Comics and their contribution to that period and beyond was enormous. Some of their earliest collaborations came at Marvel Comics’ predecessor Timely Comics, where they created Captain America (first published in 1941). Later they would contribute – individually or as a team – to the creation of other publications and characters, including the magazine Sick and the iconic superheros The Hulk, The Fantastic Four and X-Men. They would also work for Marvel’s chief rival, DC Comics, producing various titles that included the popular Boy Commandos.
The seemingly boundless energy and creativity of Simon and Kirby ensured that they were also responsible for producing many characters that are less well-known today. Those creations are nonetheless charming footnotes in the annals of comic book history. They include Stuntman, Fighting American, The Fly and the supernatural superhero The Vision. Some of these had more verve than substance, but they were essential to the development of superheros in general and reflect an age more interested in adventure than angst. Simon and Kirby didn’t restrict themselves to heroes, either. They effectively invented the romance comic book and contributed, with varying commercial success, to the science fiction, horror, war, western and humor genres.
In his introduction to Titan Books’ The Best of Simon and Kirby, Joe Simon recounts personal anecdotes of his early meetings with Kirby (who sadly died in 1994) and their subsequent collaboration. His comments show clear affection for his former partner. Of a young Kirby he says, “[he] was twenty-two years old, short and handsome, a slave to the Chinese danish.” He says that when he first saw Kirby’s art he felt that he would be proud to add his name to it. He also describes how Kirby was put to work during World War Two “painting clinical watercolors of patients’ frostbitten feet.”
The superhero characters, as represented in The Best of Simon and Kirby, are not as sophisticated as those in many of today’s graphic novels. Moreover, the Western tales reflect an age when historical accuracy was of less concern than entertainment value, the romance and horror stories are tame and the pre-spaceflight sci-fi is imaginatively absurd.
The fabulous artwork that accompanied some of Simon and Kirby's early works, as illustrated in The Best of Simon and Kirby.Simon and Kirby’s early works are no less enjoyable for being dated, though. Indeed, the characteristics that would be considered weaknesses today only highlight the historical significance of the pair’s entire portfolio. Their vintage works are indicative of the age in which the stories were written and of the market they were written for. These comics were intended as uplifting escapism, particularly during World War Two and the Cold War. In those days they served to keep up spirits and promote patriotism. Captain America and Fighting American were particularly potent symbols when their fists were flying at Nazi and Soviet agents.
Because early comic book stories had to be short, the writers sometimes had to resort to incredible leaps of happenstance in order to get the heroes where they needed to be. They were similar, therefore, to the B-grade movies that were popular in the years that the stories were published. This approach ensured, however, that the tales were dynamic and exciting . Those qualities were enhanced by the dramatic illustrations and striking colors that grace their pages.
Simon and Kirby’s early works might not be well known to the generations of children that flock to multi-million dollar comic book movies like The Avengers. Yet, they have all the color and vibrancy of today’s feature films without the need for high-definition and 3D. Those qualities ensure that they will always be timeless.

Stargate Goes Up For Sale…in Pieces

Want a piece of Stargate Command? CinemaSpy has learned that after hosting 14 years of Stargate production in Vancouver, Bridge Studios is to be the stage for a saddening sell-off of objects from the three series that made up the live-action parts of the franchise: Stargate: SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and SGU: Stargate Universe. The event will take place this coming Friday and Saturday.

Production on the Stargate franchise came to end after 17 seasons earlier this year following the regrettable cancellation of Stargate Universe and the permanent shelving of scripts for proposed spin-off movies from SG-1 and Atlantis. Universewas effectively killed in December 2010 when the US channel Syfy decided not to renew it for a third season due to poor ratings.
Despite the efforts of Brad Wright, a co-creator and executive producer on all three series, no replacement broadcaster could be found to allow production of SGU to continue in the form of movie follow-ups. Fan groups are still campaigning to save the show but it is virtually impossible to revive with the recasting of actors, dismantling of sets and now the sell-off of relics from all three series.
The ‘liquidation sale,’ conducted by Maynards, will include props, costumes, furniture, set decorations, memorabilia and other items from the three shows. It will take place at Bridge Studios’ FX Stage at 2400 Boundary Road in Burnaby, British Columbia on June 17 and 18. We’ve reproduced the advertisement below.

What has Monalisa got up her sleeve?

If the gist reaching the ears of Society Plus has a good stink to it the estranged Nollywood top actress and Glo ambassador, Monalisa Chinda’s lonely nights may just be coming to an end.
That is, if she’s not already wallowing in it already. Before you start running your mind rag, this is not about her publicised Henry guy, who many felt was ample enough to soothe the pains left by her ex, Dejo Richard, this is a new guy on the block who happens to be in the trade too.
The gist is that Monalisa has got a thing for this matinee dude, called Joseph Benjamin, who got his big break as a sidekick presenter on MTN Project Fame West Africa Season II.
This guy who now features on a soap ‘Tinsel’ running on Dstv is said to be in with the actress on a more than business tango unlike the “Tango With Me” flick he shot with Genevieve Nnaji. The word is that these two are running like rug rats and might already be doing what the minks do.
The public got a hint of what might have been brewing between this two when they were all over each other at the launch of ‘Jara’ an Mnet television flick to showcase the behind-the-scene lifestyle of Nollywood stars.
Both Monalisa and Joseph could not just live it down as they snuggled and giggled, nestling so close together all evening.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Presenter, Frank Edoho's Marriage Break Up Latest!

Wife moves out of home over inability to pay rent.
Sells off Lexus Jeep to make ends meet.
Contrary to his public posture, sources have reaffirmed that celebrated presenter of must watch television programme, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Mr Frank Edoho has indeed abandoned his family.
And not only this, fresh information has it that he has also stopped providing for his broadcaster wife, Kathrine and their three children.
He is said to have adopted this stance for close to a year now.
Information at our disposal revealed that Edoho had carefully masked the development from the public based on the after effect it might have on his job.
The promoters of his claim to fame, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire had warned him about any negativity about his person rubbing off their show.
He is widely seen as the face of the show all over town. It was their insistence that made him recalled his wife in the initial celebrated bust up that the couple later denied. There were talks of replacing him as presenter of the show before he bowed to the demand of the promoters of the show.
His present action of moving out of his matrimonial home and stopping all allowances due to the family for about a year is said to have started taking it’s toll on the wife and their three children.
Kathrine is said to have sold off the Lexus jeep her husband bought for her over inability to maintain it and part of efforts to make ends meet towards the end of last year.
In other to keep up appearances, she was said to have opted for another Jeep- though of lesser grade- identified as a Pathfinder.
She is said to have survived all these while on support from close knit family and friends in the know and her earnings as an employee of the Nigerian Television Authority.
But these efforts are evidently barely able to sustain her and the children.
Recent development has it that Kathrine has moved out of the home abandoned by Edoho over inability to continue paying the house rent.
The house located inside Chevron estate is said to go for around 3-4 million Naira per annum.
Unconfirmed sources described her new location as on ‘Abraham Adesanya’.
Further investigation revealed that as marriage break up generates increased public awareness by the concerned parties have started wading into the matter to patch things up before irreversible factors make the change in the marriage permanent.
Edoho, now living in a new apartment is said to be resisting the move- while maintaining public stand of just an everyday disagreement in the marriage.
The immediate reasons that resulted in the current state of the marital union are yet to be established.

Tackles Cancer With Laughter, Dynamic Performances

But while most films dealing with the tender subject seem to focus on older audiences, this one slyly plays off the notion that most young adults think they are impervious to all of life’s cruel twists and turns. “50/50” gives a younger generation a sucker-punch of bittersweet humor to tell an uplifting, but ultimately frightening story.
Directed by Jonathan Levine (“The Wackness”) and based on a true story, “50/50” follows 27-year-old Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) whose perfectly normal and successful life crumbles to chaos when he finds out he has a unique form of spinal cancer.
Screenwriter Will Reiser focuses on the emotional effects of having cancer and how it affects all surrounding relationships from family to work to sex, splitting the film down the middle as half tear-jerker and half side-splitting comedy.
Providing both pain and comfort for Adam are his uncompassionate girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), who provides just as much heartache for him as his disease. Funny man Seth Rogen plays Adam’s larger-than-life pal who uses Lerner’s situation to hook up with single women and gets the two into some off-kilter situations. Rogen’s comic relief is hilarious, albeit occasionally excessive, and wonderfully counters the severity of Adam’s dilemma
The scenes between Adam and his mother (Angelica Huston) are particularly moving. The mother-son relationship is rocky at best and the tug-of-war between the characters brings out some of the best acting moments in the film.
Rounding out the film is Anna Kendrick’s sweet performance as Adam’s newbie therapist, whose inexperience helps the two face cancer together with fresh, young eyes.
The film never veers hard to either side of comedy or drama, maintaining a delicate balance between the two. Whenever the film feels like it may enter ‘after-school-special’ territory, it course corrects with some vulgar humor, usually at Rogen’s expense. Gordon-Levitt’s nuanced performance, especially, keeps the film grounded and realistic. The “3rd Rock From the Sun” star has come a long way and may see gold come awards season.
“50/50” certainly plays to Seth Rogen’s typical audience and the profanity may not be for everyone, but peppered among the scenes of crude dialogue and pot smoking is an inspirational and uplifting drama of a young man’s journey to embrace all that life, good or bad, throws his way.

Bitter war between Helen Prest Ajayi and Nike Osinowo-Soleye

One story that is making the rounds in the Lagos social circle is about an alleged bitter war between former Miss Nigeria and ageless beauty,Helen Prest Ajayi and her erstwhile protégé and ex Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria pageant,Nike Osinowo-Soleye.
According to the gist,the two women do not see eye to eye and each of them in recent time,has been bad mouthing the other.
Those who peddle the gist,claim that the issues stems from a seeming”lack of respect” for her elders on the part of Nike Oshinowo-Soleye.
Those who hold this view,claim that years ago,Nike was a protégé of Helen Prest Ajayi,who is one of the most evergreen Miss Nigeria pageant winners.
As they put it,it was Helen Prest that persuaded Nike,who was then living in England to return to Nigeria to contest the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria crown which she (Nike) won at the time.
The gist peddlers say her victory,was also with the aid of the former Miss Nigeria who groomed and guided her through the processes that saw her tops.
Years later however,they claim that Nike,”grew wings” and was claiming equality with Helen Prest who incidentally is also five years or more older than her.It was this equality claim that tore the two erstwhile pals apart and started their unending war.
But even as they battle each other,a lot of celebrity women in their circle are already taking sides.Many say Helen Prest Ajayi is a little envious of Nike Oshinowo whom they claim dwarfs Helen Prest and is perhaps Nigeria’s most acclaimed and most celebrated beauty queen ever.
They allege that with her(Nike’s) achievement,Helen Prest should not expect her to be perpetually crawling to her even if it was she who pushed her into returning to contest the MBGN years ago.But Helen Prest’s supporters are saying that despite Nike’s popularity,that she lacks the sterling quality of a real queen.
They also claim that she is disrespectful and should kowtow to Helen Prest as her elder and erstwhile mentor.They claim that Nike has no substance to her persona except the media hype that follows her.
This they say is why she has fallen apart with all her friends including Erelu Dosunmu,Doyin Abiola,Biola Okoya and Nkiru Anumundu.

Genevieve, Omoni Oboli Lose Out At AMAA Awards 2011

Nollywood actors Jim Iyke, Mike Eze Ruonye, Ini Edo, Aki, Joke Silva, Kate Henshaw and others
The seventh Edition of the Annual African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has come and gone. The Prestigious award ceremony took place at the Gloryland Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Saturday, March 26, 2011 and was well attended by various Nigerian movie stars including Mike Ezeruonye, Majid Michel, Joke Silver, Jim Iyke, Kate Henshaw, Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki), Ini edo among others.
Notable performances on the night includes African pop duo P-square who wowed the audience with their dance routines.
Congolese movie ‘Viva Riva’ which initially led with 13 nominations received the most awards on the night; an outstanding number of six awards were for Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director (Djo Tunda Wa Munga) , Best Actor in Supporting Role (Hoji Fortuna), Best Actress in Supporting Role (Marlene Longage) and Best Film.
Surprisingly, Nigerian star actresses Genevieve Nnaji and Omoni Oboli who were up against each other in the Best Actress in Leading Role category for the movies ‘Tango with me’ and ‘Anchor baby’ respectively, both lost out to Manie Malone for the movie ‘Viva Riva’.
However, Nigeria bagged five awards on the night. They include Edward Kagutuzi in the movie ‘Mirror Boy’ for Best Young actor, ‘Inale’ for Best Soundtrack, ‘In America: The Story Of The Soul Sisters’ by Rahman Oladigbolu for Best Film for African Abroad and ‘Aramotu’ for Best Costume Design and Best Nigerian Film by Niji Akanni.
Best Film
Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Congo)
Best Director
Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga
Best Actress In Leading Role
Amake Abebrese – Sinking Sands
Best Actor In Leading Role
Themba Ndaba – Hopeville
Best Actress In Supporting Role
Marlene Longage – Viva Riva
Best Actor In Supporting Role
Hoji Fortuna – Viva Riva
Best Young Actor
Edward Kagutuzi – Mirror Boy
Best Child Actor
Sobahle Mkhabase (Thembi), Tschepang Mohlomi (Chili-Bite) And Sibonelo Malinga (Khwezi) – Izulu Lami
Best Film In African Language
Izulu Lami – Madoda Ncayiyana (South Africa)
Best Nigerian Film
Aramotu – Niji Akanni
Best Screenplay
Sinking Sands
Best Editing
Soul Boy
Best Cinematography
Viva Riva
Best Achievement In Sound
Shirley Adams
Best Visual Effects
A Small Town Called Descent
Best Soundtrack
Inale
Best Make Up
Sinking Sands
Best Costume Design
Aramotu
Best Production Design
Viva Riva
Best Film For African Abroad
In America: The Story Of The Soul Sisters – Rahman Oladigbolu (Nigeria/USA)
Best Diaspora Short Film
Precipice – Julius Amedume (UK)
Best Diaspora Documentary
Stuborn As A Mule – Miller Bargeron Jr & Arcelous Deiels (USA)
Best Diaspora Feature
Suicide Dolls – Keith Shaw (USA)
Best Documentary
Kondi Et Le Jeudi Nationale – Ariana Astrid Atodji (Cameroun)
Best Short Documentary
After The Mine – Diendo Hamadi & Dinta Wa Lusula (DRC)
Best Short Film
Dina – Mickey Fonseca (Mozambique)

Bare Escentuals Inspires Beauty Into Action With Its First-Ever Global Platform

San Francisco (September 2, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — Launching this September, Bare Escentuals (www.BareEscentuals.com) unveils its first-ever global creative platform and marketing campaign. Rooted in the company’s 35-year history, ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ amplifies the core belief that beauty can change the world, both by inspiring positivity and activating women to put beauty into action.
Playing off the notion, Pretty is. Beauty does.™ Bare Escentuals celebrates and gives emphasis to the influential power of beauty as more than meets the eye. By going beyond the surface visage, Bare Escentuals builds upon its heritage as an unconventional beauty brand, recognizing the opportunity to give women a voice and to champion the individual stories that represent their own ‘force of beauty.’
“Celebrating women isn’t new for us; it’s who we are and what we do. It’s always been more than a philosophy, it’s really our DNA,” explains Leslie Blodgett, Executive Chairman of Bare Escentuals. “We have a responsibility to not just tell a singular story of beauty, but rather share in the collective spirit of women around the globe.”
The new global platform is a natural extension to the brand and pays tribute to the millions of women that have established Bare Escentuals as the original community brand, that is as much about peer-to-peer community as it is about beauty products. A true testament to Leslie Blodgett’s legacy of fostering genuine personal relationships, ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ is the next evolution of the brand’s commitment to engage women in real, open and honest dialogue and will serve as a call-to-action to further ignite the conversation around beauty.
The first iteration of ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ will kick off in North America in early September and will roll out to international markets in Spring 2012, where each campaign will evolve from region to region. Supported by integrated marketing efforts, the campaign creative will feature five women, each personifying a ‘force of beauty’ as identified during a blind casting held in late summer. Recognizing that beauty is not solely defined by a physical manifestation, the methodology behind the blind casting is meant to highlight the symbolic relationship between confidence and beauty, demonstrating that it’s the effect of confidence on the world that is the hallmark of true beauty.
Bare Escentuals ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ Global Brand Campaign
The global campaign will be supported by TV, print, digital and social marketing efforts throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. The campaign creative is designed to elicit a social discussion around beauty and motivate women into action, summarized by such taglines as, “Pretty is what you are. Beauty is what you do with it.”
“We wanted ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ not only to be relevant, but also tangible for women around the world,” commented Simon Cowell, Global CMO for Bare Escentuals. “We acknowledge that there is real power and potential in beauty and it’s our role to inspire women and serve as advocates to showcase the cultural impact beauty can have on humanity.”
With a large scope for interpretation, Bare Escentuals partnered with the photographer Rankin to inject soul into the print campaign, and director Gregory Maya for fifteen and thirty second TV spots and webisodes. Both were tapped to breathe life into the ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ anthem and bring a sense of authenticity and sincerity to the campaign by capturing an honest expression of inner beauty. To uphold this mandate for authenticity, Bare Escentuals intentionally chose to leave in the distinguishing characteristics of each woman appearing in the creative and all signs of life that represent their experiences to further add value and integrity to the campaign.
“This level of truthfulness became critical for us as we continued to ideate on this campaign,” noted Cowell. “‘Be a Force of Beauty’ really sums up our brand anthem and pays tribute to the legacy we’ve already established and also carries us into the future as we continue to expand our global footprint.”
bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow Fall 2011
The empowering message behind ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ augments the less-is-more approach of Bare Escentuals’ award-winning bareMinerals product line. Made with healthy, good-for-you ingredients, Bare Escentuals introduces bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow, a new innovative concept in solid mineral technology for Fall 2011. Created through a unique cold-pressed method, the formula combines a proprietary SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex with powerful antioxidants, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber to deliver anti-aging benefits, including depuffing and antioxidant protection for a softer, smoother, revitalized eye area. Formulated without parabens, binders, fillers, and chemicals, bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow delivers on this less-is-more approach with a high-performance product that delivers beautifully smooth, vivid, long-wearing color with the added bonus of incredible skin-renewing benefits.
Pure, intense, provocative color—from high-impact drama to sublimely subtle—these are shades that inspire a thousand stories. There’s a narrative behind every bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow palette, deep meaning in every vibrant shade, and boundless beauty in the blendability. Introducing fifteen one-of-a-kind duos and four quads, each conceptual palette takes the guesswork out of makeup artistry with complementary shades that work seamlessly together for endless blending options to illuminate the eyes.
bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow will first appear in ‘Be a Force of Beauty’ creative this October 2011 to mark its official launch in North America, followed by a global roll-out in Spring/Summer 2012.

5 best Brad Pitt performances

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Choosing Brad Pitt's five best performances was tough, but getting a chance to look back on his career was a joy.
Ever since his breakout role as the sexy and mysterious drifter J.D. in "Thelma & Louise" (1991), Pitt has repeatedly proven that he's so much more than just a pretty face. He's shown a knack for choosing meaty, intelligent films and working with the most respected directors, which has allowed him to explore every facet of his versatile talent.
This week he stars in "Moneyball" as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, a role that lets him be both charismatic and vulnerable. It's some of his best work; here are five other examples:
— "Fight Club" (1999): The first rule of Brad Pitt is, it's impossible not to talk about Brad Pitt. He's larger than life here, mythological almost, as Tyler Durden, the leader of the secret fight club and the key to Edward Norton's salvation — or so he initially thinks. Sinewy and swaggering, Pitt radiates sexy masculinity in an almost primal way. The fact that he also challenges the men who follow him on emotional and psychological levels makes him not just charismatic but downright frightening. This is one of several films Pitt has made with director David Fincher — and you might put "Se7en" or "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" on your list of his top performances — but this is the one that stands out most for me.
— "The Tree of Life" (2011): Between this and "Moneyball," Pitt is having a pretty great year. But the performances come in two films that couldn't be more different. Terrence Malick's hypnotic meditation on family, memory and the origin of life itself is full of mesmerizing imagery. But it also allowed Pitt to do some of the best work of his career as a husband and father of three in 1950s Texas. Pitt makes the character an intimidating figure, a capricious mix of toughness and tenderness. His actions may seem questionable, even abusive at times, but you get the sense that he's questioning, struggling, trying to figure out how to be the best man he can be without abandoning his traditional notions of manhood.
— "Inglourious Basterds" (2009): He's pretty much doing a bad impression of George W. Bush here — campy but irresistible — and it is always such a joy to watch him let go and goof off. Pitt tops a tremendous ensemble cast in Quentin Tarantino's daring, revisionist World War II saga as the twangy Tennessean Lt. Aldo Raine. He's the leader of a band of Jewish American soldiers who hunt Nazis with the goal of not just killing them but scalping them and sometimes carving swastikas into their foreheads. He offers a rousing mix of aw-shucks earnestness and slam-bang bravado.
— "Burn After Reading" (2008): Part of the beauty of Pitt is his willingness to toy with his own beautiful image. In the Coen brothers' comedy, he steals every scene he's in — and nearly walks away with the whole movie — as an overgrown child of a gym trainer whose bungled schemes get him in way over his head. Just his name alone, Chad Feldheimer, makes him sound like a first-class doofus, and one look at his blonde-streaked pouf tells you not to take him, or the film, too seriously. But Pitt brings an innocence to the role that makes him irresistible rather than obnoxious; with the shadow of superstardom looming so large, it's easy to forget he can be funny.
— "Snatch." (2000): Pitt went even deeper to play a weird, wild comic character here, going so far as to speak in an accent that made him completely unintelligible — but that's what made the performance hilarious. Guy Ritchie's comedy is full of his typically colorful characters, assorted British low-lifes and eccentrics. But Pitt steals the show as an Irish gypsy boxer who speaks in such a quick, mangled way, even the Brits can't understand him. In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview, he said he came up with the gibberish in a panic at the last minute when he couldn't quite nail the character's accent. But as with everything else, he made it look effortless.

Whitney Cummings juggles 2 shows this season

NEW YORK (AP) — So far, Whitney Cummings is halfway to having a great autumn. She co-created and co-produces the show "2 Broke Girls," which premiered Monday to 19.2 million CBS viewers. What could make this season her best ever is if her eponymous NBC sitcom, of which she is also executive producer, does well, too.

The 29-year-old comedian said she doesn't feel like she's competing with herself so far — especially because they're on different nights, with the CBS show airing Mondays and "Whitney" showing on Thursdays.

"You know, that's funny," she tells the Associated Press.

"I don't really think we're competing, and they're two different shows, although both of them I'm incredibly proud of," she says.

"2 Broke Girls" follows the adventures of two waitresses who meet and become roommates. Her partner behind the show is Michael Patrick King, who also directed and wrote for "Sex and the City."

"I don't think anybody's better at making comedy about women in New York, so I can't wait to watch both of them," Cummings says.

"Whitney" is a relationship ensemble show that has drawn comparisons to "Friends."

"That's a huge compliment," she says.

"The characters on 'Friends' were all really funny and had their own thing and were all very specific and fully developed. ... That was always my goal. Each character should be able to have a spinoff show, you know."

Cummings grew up on a steady diet of television and honed her comedic chops by watching sitcoms like "Three's Company" and "The Cosby Show." She's best known for her standup and her appearances on Chelsea Handler's late-night show on E, "Chelsea Lately."

She says fans of her comedy will hopefully see it in her character on "Whitney."

"There's no difference between me and my comedy and my character, solely because I'm lazy," she jokes. "It's important people who do know me from my standup recognize me on the show. That's what got me here."

"Whitney" premieres Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

Memorable quotes from the Primetime Emmy Awards

　　LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heard at the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards:
"Modern Family was this close to being animated. That's how much we didn't want to work with kids." — "Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan acknowledging the child actors on the show as he accepts the award for outstanding comedy series.
___
"We are showing the world that there's absolutely nothing wrong in a relationship between an old man and a hot young woman. Looking around this room, I see many of you agree." — Steve Levitan, co-creator of "Modern Family," as he accepts the award for outstanding comedy series.
___
"It was delightful working on 'Mildred Pierce.' I got to have sex with Kate Winslet many, many times. (Looking at Kate Winslet in the audience.) Thank you for allowing me to insert myself into your world of Mildred."— Guy Pearce, as he accepts the award for supporting actor in a mini-series, "Mildred Pierce."
___
"I love being your good wife and I'm so grateful you have no political aspirations." — Julianna Margulies to her husband, as she accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in drama series "The Good Wife," in which she plays a politician's wife.
___
"Welcome back to the 'Modern Family' award show. We've decided to throw them into the drama category and see what happens." — Host Jane Lynch, upon returning from a commercial break after "Modern Family" sweeps the first slate of awards.
___
"There's Betty White. She's the reason we start the show at 5 p.m. on the West Coast." — Host Jane Lynch as she opens the show, referring to the 89-year-old White's age.
___
"Katie Holmes is in the audience. I'd love to say something funny about her but I'm scared of her husband" (Tom Cruise) — Host Jane Lynch, as she opens the show.
___

"Real life handed us the stories. My children walked in on my wife and I while we were in the act...Thank you to my somewhat satisfied wife and to my three traumatized children." — "Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan, accepting the award for writing on comedy series.

loses equivalent of one Olsen Twin

Kirstie Alley, 60, long the butt of fat jokes, has finally shut up her critics. The “Dancing with the Stars” contestant has lost a jaw-dropping 100 lbs.
“I feel like I’m back in my element,” Alley told Entertainment Tonight. “I honestly didn’t even realize what I looked like.”
PHOTOS: Kirstie’s Weight Ups and Downs.
The former “Fat Actress” said she now fits into a teeny-tiny size 4. “Before ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ I bought these dresses from size 14 to 4,” she explained. “(They were) all the same dress, and I said, ‘You know what I really want? I really wanna be in this dress in a 4!’”
The now-skinny star even sashayed down the catwalk for designer Zang Toi during New York’s Fashion Week on Tuesday.
“I’ve known Zang since 1993,” Alley explained. “He just has the most beautiful clothes, period.”
While Alley lost the equivalent of one Olsen Twin, she’s not planning on going under the knife to remove any excess skin.
PHOTOS: Weight Yo-Yo Stars.
“I haven’t had plastic surgery,” said Allley. “Here’s the reason: People do plastic surgery to make you look younger. I don’t think it makes you look younger. I like it can make you look weirder.”

Even though she has a face and figure women half her age would envy, Alley says she isn’t looking for Mr. Right — she’s looking for Mr. Right Now. “This is what I think about sex,” Alley declared. “I think its fun to hookup every night for six months… Then it’s time to move on!”