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Comic-Con 2010 is finally over, and we've got the blisters, sore throats and random swag to prove it. But Comic-Con is all about news and surprises, of course, and this year's convention had plenty in store. From the reveal of the 'Avengers' cast to the announcement of Linda Hamilton as Chuck's mom on 'Chuck,' here are the 10 biggest stories -- five from movies and five from TV -- that had fans buzzing.


The 5 Biggest Movies Stories at Comic-Con

1. The 'Marvel' panel lives up to the hype.
By far the most anticipated panel of Comic-Con was that of Marvel Studios, which promoted a lineup of 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Thor,' though it was widely expected that there would also be a "secret" presentation at the end announcing the cast of 2012's 'The Avengers.'

The first two panels alone were enough to make fanboys froth at the mouth: After a teaser trailer depicting Captain America (Chris Evans) in his suit hurling his shield toward the camera, director Joe Johnston showed a scene featuring Hugo Weaving as Red Skull -- despite the fact that the movie's only been shooting for a week. (The footage was so rough, it still had time codes at the bottom.) The 'Thor' trailer was longer, with a fantasy/historical/action feel, a strong romantic storyline between Thor and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and ... Hemsworth shirtless.

Then the big reveal. The screen went black, Samuel Jackson's voice narrated a trailer tease for 'The Avengers' as the title treatment appeared, and the cast came out on stage: Jackson (Nick Fury), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), and the three previously missing pieces of the puzzle in Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo "reprising" (or more accurately, replacing Edward Norton in) the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, and Joss Whedon as the movie's director. Those people lucky enough to be in the room had never felt prouder to call themselves geeks.

2. 'Scott Pilgrim' screening wows the fans.
There'd been a lot of buzz around Edgar Wright's adaptation of the comic-book series 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,' and Universal had a huge presence at Comic-Con, including a Scott Pilgrim Experience which allowed fans to customize t-shirts or make flip books of themselves and their friends. (Note: We made a flip book ourselves, and we think it's hilarious.) The movie, which stars Michael Cera as a guy who has to defeat seven evil exes to win the girl of his dreams (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), had its premiere on Thursday night, and it proved to be quirky, unusual and fun, with highly stylized effects that mimic aspects of video games and comics. While it remains to be seen how the movie will fare with general audiences, the fans went crazy for it, and certainly there was no better place to see the movie than in a packed theater at Comic-Con. Fans who stuck around were treated to a special performance by the indie band Metric.

3. Han Solo and James Bond, together at last.
Jon Favreau, with two 'Iron Man' films under his belt, already has plenty of cred at Comic-Con; so when he came out to present the panel for his sci-fi Western 'Cowboys and Aliens,' there were enthusiastic cheers for him alone. Then he brought out the cast: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell ... and, making his surprise Comic-Con debut, Harrison Ford, who was escorted by police officers and handcuffed in apparent reference to the man who, at a previous panel, had stabbed someone in the eye with a ballpoint pen (though it was later reported that the Ford stunt had actually been planned earlier, as a joke that he was being forced to appear against his will). The crowd exploded. Han Solo and James Bond -- plus Indiana Jones -- on a panel together? Madness!

4. 'Tron' footage and party takes fans back to the future.
Comic-Con has been a major showcase for 'Tron: Legacy' ever since the first trailer debuted there three years ago. As expected, the film, which opens in theaters this December, was highlighted both in a packed panel -- where eight minutes of footage was shown, including a scene in which Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is taken into the game and has his outfit put on him by four "Tron girls" -- and a buzzed-about party at Flynn's Arcade, which had been done up to look like an abandoned arcade and a futuristic nightclub, complete with people in skin-tight costumes who wandered through the crowds with vacant looks on their faces. (In attendance at the party were stars Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain and director Joe Kosinski.)

5. Warner Bros. panel shows new 'Harry Potter' footage, but 'Sucker Punch' gets the buzz.
Although 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is one of the biggest movies of the fall, there wasn't much hype surrounding that panel, with only one cast member (Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy) in attendance. But the terrific extended footage from Part 1 of the film went over big -- the scenes, which showed a heightened intensity as the series draws to a close, included Harry and Ron fighting in the tent, a shot of Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, a glimpse of the seven Harrys, and Hermione firing her wand -- and there's hope that at next year's Comic-Con, the full cast will appear to promote the final film.

Next came the 'Green Lantern' panel, and if fans were disappointed that the footage didn't show Green Lantern in his suit, Ryan Reynolds' charm more than made up for it. In what must have been the most endearing moment of this year's Comic-Con, the actor responded to a young fan's question about the oath by reciting it from memory ("In brightest day, in blackest night ..."), then growling out the end, "Beware my power ... Green Lantern's light!" while holding up the Green Lantern ring on his finger. He also signed a comic book for the fan, whose day, presumably, had just been made.

But the biggest buzz coming out of the Warner Bros. panel was for Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch,' a fantasy-action film with an all-female cast that includes Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung and Jena Malone. The footage from the movie, which is about a young woman (Browning) who attempts to escape from an insane asylum before she is lobotomized, looked stylish and explosive; but we can't describe it better than our friends at Cinematical, who tweeted, "OMG Sucker Punch is Tarantino meets Final Fantasy meets your most erotic fetish dream."

The 5 Biggest TV Stories at Comic-Con

1. Linda Hamilton is Mama Bartowski on 'Chuck.'
'Chuck' fans, you have your mother. Yep, after months of speculation the cast and crew revealed Hamilton's role on 'Chuck' and more about the upcoming season and its various guest stars -- the Old Spice guy (!) -- at their Comic-Con panel. Turns out Linda Hamilton called up series creator Josh Schwartz about the coveted role. Cool, huh?

2. 'Supernatural' stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki spill details on season 6.
One of The CW's most popular shows is sticking around past its original five-year plan and we sat down with the stars and creators to find out what's up with Sam and Dean.

3. 'The Walking Dead' have risen.
AMC's new zombie series has been generating a ton of buzz both at Comic-Con and in the overall TV world. At the convention zombies roamed around to the delight of the audience. We've got news in a roundup here and even more panel coverage here. The show is based on a Robert Kirkman-penned comic book series based in Los Angeles, but the series was filmed in Atlanta ... leaving one fan at the panel very angry.

4. 'Glee' tackles 'Rocky Horror.'
You may have heard of this little show called 'Glee.' Well, it's back for a second season, tackling Britney Spears episode centered on the scene-stealing cheerleader, Brittany. Plus, the kids are going to do 'Rocky Horror'! For more tidbits, including new romantic pairings, check out our panel coverage.

5. 'Dexter' debuts a killer season 5 trailer.
'Dexter' always seems to make quite the impression on everybody, not just the anti-hero's victims. This year, fans were treated to a very memorable season 5 trailer. We have the trailer and are so excited! What do you think, 'Dexter' fans?

Source: Moviefone

Over the years, whenever I've stopped by the Warners lot to interview Clint Eastwood, I've always been struck by how much his Spanish-style studio bungalow felt like a home away from home, down to the little parking space right by the front door. The whole domestic image is especially appropriate, since Eastwood has been making movies regularly at Warners since he directed "The Outlaw Josey Wales" there in 1976, when Gerald Ford was president, Harvey Weinstein was promoting rock concerts in Buffalo and some of Warners' top young executives were still in diapers.
Eastwood is just one of a host of filmmakers that have what you might call special relationships at the studio, which under the aegis of Warner Bros. Picture Group President Jeff Robinov has been especially aggressive in courting a new generation of gifted filmmakers.

The biggest payoff, of course, came this weekend with the release of Christopher Nolan's "Inception," which not only was the weekend's top-grossing film, making more than $60 million, but has created shock waves all across Hollywood, serving as a reminder to cautious studio bosses that a strikingly original film could compete at the height of the summer moviegoing season with all the usual sequels and remakes and other franchise fodder.

But would Warners have made "Inception," which cost $160 million to produce and even more to market, if Nolan hadn't earned the trust of Warners' top brass after making a string of well-received films at the studio, including the critically beloved "Insomnia" (bankrolled by Alcon Entertainment but distributed by Warners) as well as the mega-hits "The Dark Knight" and "Batman Begins"?

"I don't know if we would've made 'Inception' without already having the relationship with Chris," Robinov told me over the phone Monday. "But he is so compelling and so good in a room that we were willing to bet on him making 'Batman Begins' at a time when all he had made was 'Memento' and 'Insomnia.' And you could argue that we took an even bigger risk of betting on him with 'Batman Begins,' since we had so much riding on that film, which was an effort to reboot one of our biggest brands.

"But to make a studio successful, you always have to believe in talent and that often requires taking a certain leap of faith with filmmakers, which is easier to do if you've enjoyed a certain level of success together."

Warners is the studio most invested in filmmaker relationships. In addition to Nolan and Eastwood, it has longstanding relationships with Steven Soderbergh, who since 2000 has made all but one of his major studio films at Warners, and Zack Snyder, who has two upcoming films on the Warners slate after making "300" and "Watchmen" at the studio. Rob Reiner, whose "Flipped" is due out from Warners next month, hasn't made a film away from Warners since the mid-1990s.

But Warners isn't alone. Even though the age of the studio system, when actors and filmmakers were under long-term contracts to studios, is long over, most studios still have steadfast relationships with key filmmakers whose work often reflects the studio's vision of itself. Sony's Amy Pascal, who loves films about complicated romantic relationships, has enjoyed a close creative alliance with James Brooks, whose "Everything You've Got," is due out from Sony this fall.

Brooks hasn't made a film outside of Sony since 1987's "Broadcast News."
Universal, which has a particularly good track record at making irreverent comedies, has a close rapport with Judd Apatow, who has made all three of his films as a director at the studio.

Universal also has a strong relationship with Paul Greengrass, who has made all four of his U.S. studio films at Universal, including two of the studio's series of "Bourne" thrillers. Paramount has a close relationship with J.J. Abrams while Shawn Levy, one of the top comedy directors in the business, has made five of his last six films at 20th Century Fox. Fox, of course, is also the home of James Cameron, who has been there longer than even Rupert Murdoch, having made all his films (outside of "The Terminator" series) there since "Aliens" in 1986.

It's not even unusual for filmmakers to outlast their original studio patrons. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which flopped at the box office this weekend, was directed by Jon Turteltaub, who may not have a lot of critical cachet but definitely has Disney staying power.

While the studio has had a complete turnover in its executive ranks, Turteltaub is still alive and kicking, having made eight straight films at Disney (including the hit "National Treasure" films) dating back to 1993's "Cool Runnings."
Why do studios keep such close ties with filmmakers even after the executives who originally brought them in have been sent packing? Keep reading.

"Believe it or not, there is still such a thing as an institutional memory in Hollywood," says "Erin Brockovich" producer Michael Shamberg, who is producing Soderbergh's next Warners film, "Contagion," which shoots in the fall. "Most of the studios have either inherited or adapted a lot of the old studio practices.
Once a director has made a lot of money for a studio, they're eager to keep that director in the fold. That's just good business practice. And if you're a filmmaker, if all things are equal, you want to stay at the same place, where you have executives that you know and trust and are comfortable with."
It's no secret that Warners has the most top filmmakers in its fold because, unlike some studio bosses, Robinov actually recognizes that the true source of creativity on a film derives from the filmmaker, not meddling studio executives.
"We're just a filmmaker-driven studio," Robinov says. "It doesn't mean that it's always going to be easy or that things are always going to work out as we'd hoped. But every movie needs a strong vision and the people that have the most exciting and interesting and accessible vision possible are the filmmakers. So they are the ones we want to build a long-term relationship with."

After Nolan had struck pay dirt with "The Dark Knight," everyone in town was throwing juicy projects at the filmmaker's feet. "But Chris hadn't found anything that quite landed with him," recalls Robinov. "So he went back to working on 'Inception,' which he'd started seven or so years ago. When it was done, his agent, Dan Aloni, said that Chris wanted to offer it to us first, out of respect for the relationship."

In Hollywood, respect for the relationship is a two-way street, especially when the filmmaker has just directed one of the top-grossing films of all time. Robinov and Warners chief Alan Horn immediately read Nolan's script and met with the filmmaker. "We asked a lot of questions and he had answers for all of them," says Robinov. "We wanted to know whether people would be able to understand where they were--in terms of the different subconscious levels and dream states. But Chris knew exactly where he was going, narratively and digitally. We agreed on a budget and Alan greenlit the movie right there in the room."

In the relationship game, not every bet pays off. Insiders have predicted that Baz Luhrmann, after the failure of "Australia," may make his next film elsewhere after having directed all of his U.S.-made films at Fox. Warners has hedged its bets in the past, famously forcing Eastwood to find outside financing for films like "Mystic River" and "Million Dollar Baby" before the studio pitched in with part of the budget. Night Shyamalan was an integral part of the Disney family until then-production chief Nina Jacobsen told the filmmaker she had problems with his script for "Lady in the Water." Insulted, Shyamalan left the studio in a huff, taking the film to Warners, where it bombed.

It's easy for relationships to flourish when everything is going smoothly. The true test comes when a film tanks. Studios often blame the filmmaker while filmmakers often blame the studio's marketing efforts. So the real test of Warners' belief in its filmmakers doesn't come so much with Nolan, who has something of a Midas touch, but with a filmmaker like Soderbergh, who has delivered both hits (the "Oceans Eleven" series) and misses ("The Good German" and "The Informant!").

Referring to those last two films, Robinov says: "They weren't necessarily all that accessible, but they were really interesting to us on an artistic level. And if you want to send a message to the creative community that you're willing to try to do different things, then you actually have to try to do different things. That's the bet we make and it always starts with the filmmakers."

 

After eight months of swordfighting on the set of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," star Andy Whitfield had a real battle to fight, with Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

So of course, when Zap2it caught up with Whitfield at Comic-Con in San Diego, our first question was about how he's feeling now that he's cancer-free.

"Amazing," he says immediately. "I feel better than ever, like, seriously, I feel like I'm 10 years younger. I had a good rest."

Whitfield is back in training for Season 2 of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which will begin shooting three months from now. Since he only had one month to prepare for Season 1, he's not concerned, despite the fact that he does 90% of his own stunts.

Taylor Momsen, eyes coated in thick rings of her trademark black eyeshadow, writhes and contorts on a table in a scene reminiscent of the Last Supper. She throws food, smashes glasses, and crawls off the table wearing little more than a leotard and a pair of clear heels.

The scene is from the just-released music video for a song called "Miss Nothing," but it has people saying a lot about the 16-year-old singer.

Momsen (most well known for playing Jenny Humphrey on TV's "Gossip Girl") takes obvious pleasure in shocking people with an aggressively sexual persona. But as the frontwoman for the Pretty Reckless, playing today at the West Palm Beach stop of the Vans Warped Tour punk rock festival, she insists she's just telling stories.

"It's the way I live, I grew up looking at rock stars. It's in my blood," Momsen says. "I think aggression scares people. But if you're scared, you're feeling something. Yeah, there's loud guitars and drums. The reaction, it's really kind of sad."

To Momsen (who will turn 17 on Monday), rock 'n' roll is rock 'n' roll, no matter how old she is.

"It's like we're living in the '60s again. Haven't we already all seen this? This has already happened." She sounds exasperated. "Scantily clad clothing? It's amazing that it's shocking again, scaring people now, again."

As for her public Twitter fight with celebrity gossip Perez Hilton, "That's just tabloids … People ask me about my life and try and create controversy and I'll say what I say."

If she's itching to get rid of a previous era's idea of 16-year-old girl behavior, she has a fonder feeling for that era's music. Momsen described the Pretty Reckless as "the only real rock band on this tour" and says they shun modern sounds almost completely, listening to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles on the bus.

"I'm trying to reinvent and bring back rock 'n' roll," she says. "I listen to the greats. I try to better myself."

The band's first full-length album, "Light Me Up," is set for release Aug. 31. She credits the chaos of Warped Tour – playing six days a week, at different times and stages every day – with allowing the band to find its musical zone.

"You sound different every day, and there's so much trying to adapt. It's a very punk, get-up-there-and-hope-you-can-hear-yourself kind of tour. If you think playing every day is hard, I don't know why you're in a band," she says. "I'm not a diva or a prima donna, I'm the opposite."

She doesn't mind all eyes on her in the "Miss Nothing" video, though.

"The song is telling an ambiguous story about a lover dying, and I'm depicting Mary Magdalene, and Jesus just died. It's about not being able to live without a lover. It's Mary Magdalene's last supper, it's my last supper, because I can't live," Momsen explains.

"But it's just a video," she says, and starts to laugh.

Entertainment Weekly's movie critic, Owen Gleiberman, lamented in his column that he feels like he is the only one who just "doesn't get" this week's No. 1 box office smash, the sci-fi action thriller 'Inception.' It's just not true, Owen. You're not alone in being dazzled by Christopher Nolan's special effects, plot filled with trickery and Marion Cotillard's soporific French accent, but still scratching your head and saying WTF?!?!

The WTF factor is going to be box office gold for 'Inception,' since moviegoers will be seeing this film once and then again and maybe again, to try to unravel the intricacies of the sometimes complicated plot twists.
"'Inception' is going to turn out to be like a cinematic rubik's cube -- audiences won't be able to put it down," says New York Daily News film critic Joe Neumaier.

Taken at face value, the plot is simple. Leonardo DiCaprio is able to enter other people's dreams and steal their thoughts. A fugitive from American law desperate to clear his name to return to his family, he embarks on a mission to plant rather than steal a thought in the mind of the heir to a large corporate conglomerate.

But it's not that simple at all. There's an angry dead wife who haunts Leo's dreams and a crackpot team of dream infiltrators, whose roles in the process are more confusing than the guys from 'Ocean's 11.' Then there's the entire concept of "inception," dreams and reality in general that would make Freud give himself a sedative.

Among Gleiberman's WTF questions were the following:

"When you're inside one dream level, what's happening, at the same moment, in the dream level above it? Does its significance vanish? Has it ceased to exist? Since various people are occupying the same dream, who's determining, at any given instant, what happens in that dream? Why does one person have more sway than the next? And why did everything, on all the dream levels, look like bits and pieces of the same action movie? What are the rules, and therefore the strategies?"

Each of these queries is entirely valid. But those questions exist for a reason, a business reason. Each question means a new conversation generated by the moviegoer about their confusion. That conversation can inevitably lead to someone else buying their own ticket to the movie to see what all the fuss is about (and prove that they are smart enough to answer these outlying questions).

"The WTF factor increases audiences' curiosity -- but it has to seem fun and not like work. 'Mulholland Drive' was a critical success and a limited release, but didn't have that 'fun' factor.' 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' did this art house-wise, and, of course 'The Matrix' did it on a mainstream level," Neumaier explained.

"The water cooler factor with 'Inception' is that people want to suss it out with their coworkers who saw it, and that makes the uninitiated curious about what all the fuss is. And that will help drive box office sales."

And it will also lead the original moviegoer back to the theater (because you just can't wait for the DVD -- these questions will be harder to answer on the small screen) leading to a high percentage of repeat ticket sales. The repeat business seems to be coming as a combination of the movie's puzzling plot coupled with its overall quality.

"The mind-bending puzzle movies certainly have a mixed track record. For every 'Sixth Sense' ($293 million a the box office), there's a 'Fight Club' ($37 million at the box office)," explained Box Office Mojo President Brandon Gray. "A better example is 'The Matrix.' The first 'Matrix' had a lot of repeat viewing and the second one did not. The second one tried to inject a lot of pseudo-philosophy and people ended up being turned off by it. It can swing both ways. It depends how satisfying the movie is in general. It can't just be confusing."

But 'Inception' seems to have hit that sweet spot of satisfying and yet confusing that draws moviegoers back again and again.

Now excuse us, we have to get in line (for the second time) for tonight's showing.

Like a lot of you we’ve spent most of the weekend thinking about one thing: Inception. You can see our attempt to explain what’s going on the movie here but before you can even begin to guess at director Christopher Nolan’s intentions or what happens after the movie’s mind-blowing final sequence, you’ll need a clear idea of all the levels of Inception.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a helpful visual aid. Here it is, an illustrated guide to the five levels of Inception:

SPOILER WARNING: What follows should only be viewed by people who have already seen Inception. It contains heavy, critical spoilers which will impact your viewing of the film. If you haven’t seen Inception yet, stop reading and don’t come back until you do.

- "It sounds strange but I only want to be like my friends, and they don't have millions to spend. I want to do what they do, so if they go to the movies, I go too. I want to have a normal life, even if it's not easy. Going to college and having a close family has kept me grounded".
- "I have so much money I don't know what to do with it. I got a laptop and a Toyota Prius, and that's the most expensive things I've bought".
- "I've realized I want to be an actress... for now".
- "It's amazing what my life has become There's times when I don't understand this happened to me. I've never been sure of wanting to do this, especially compared to Daniel and Rupert. I didn't know I wanted to be an actress, I was discovered out of nowhere. Just because it happened doesn't mean it's been the best thing for me".
- "It would've been stupid to not go to school. School keeps me in touch with reality. You can't be a good actress if you're crazy!".

It's pretty hard to forget August Diehl in one of the truly great scenes of "Inglourious Basterds." Brad Pitt sure didn't.

When it came time to casting a husband for Angelina Jolie in "Salt," the star's real-life husband piped in and suggested the excellent Diehl.

"Brad had said what a strong actor he was," director Phillip Noyce tells PopcornBiz. "And we were looking for someone with no baggage. We wanted a fresh face -- to keep the audience off guard."

The careful observer will recall that there is actually some baggage. Diehl is such a menacing presence in his beer hall scene of "Basterds," that he's really hard to forget.

But he's almost unrecognizable in "Salt." Amazingly, he does a 180 degree temperament turn -- playing a sensitive, warm husband apparently truly devoted to the study of spiders and his wife. Diehl actually has very warm smile lines on his face, an expression he didn't use at all in "Basterds."

"Yes he was quite ruthless in 'Basterds,' " says Noyce. "But if you're wearing a swastika emblem that gave you a lot of power."

And in "Salt" the actor was able to portray "the innocence and temperament of the man that Salt falls in love with."

"He's just a great actor," says Noyce. We couldn't agree more.

The question is, which is the real Diehl?

It’s been a while since things went rather quiet at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the wake of several canceled projects, awkward renamings, and general confusion and lack of direction. All that remained on the studio’s animated slate were this year’s Tangled, next year’s Winnie-the-Pooh, and Reboot Ralph – the computer animated film that has mutated from ex-Disney artist Sam Levine’s Joe Jump. It left the animation community wondering… what’s next?

Word has started to emerge that the gears are turning at Disney once more. King of the Elves, a fantasy based on a story by Philip K. Dick, was originally scheduled for a 2012 release before development was scrapped. Happily, allegations have recently emerged that work has resumed on this project. Even better is the recurring rumor that the film has been retooled as a traditionally animated feature, giving Disney’s artists something meaty to work on after Pooh.

Animation fans were further intrigued recently when word emerged, most notably on the Animation Guild blog, that a new project had been greenlighted for development. Note that this is only a go for development, not production, and that innumerable projects have traveled that road without making it to theaters. But if this is a project new to development, and not a revived concept like Elves or the still-dormant Snow Queen, what could it be?

Would you believe… Jack and the Beanstalk? That’s what I’m hearing, at least. As part of Disney marketing’s panicked flight from all things female in the wake of Princess and the Frog’s underperformance, the next animated film to go into development at Disney is a “boy” film.
Haven’t we seen that before? Some dude with mouse ears? In Fun and Fancy Free? Ah, well.
You should consider this information ultra-dicey at the moment, but some rumors are too good not to share. And remember – while I definitely trust my source, things change on the ground all the time. Is that CYA? You bet, but it’s also true.

Have you heard anything about Jack and the Beanstalk? If so, shoot me an email…

UPDATE: This is apparently director Chris Buck’s new project, following the cancellation of Snow Queen. Again, please remember that being greenlighted for development is not the same as getting the go-ahead for production.

Source

Move over Tru Blood! Jones Soda presents the official drink of Sunnydale's vampire slayers.

This just in! If you're one of the thousands of thirsty Comic-Con attendees heading to the convention center tomorrow and you happen to be a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan, listen up! Jones Soda, purveryors of fine fantasy-themed beverages, such as Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering sodas (ahh! The taste of carbonated red mana!) have got a new vampiric brew on tap for you here at San Diego Comic-Con.

Starting tomorrow morning, look for Jones Soda trucks driving around the Gaslamp district, dispensing Buffy The Vampire Slayer soda! We've got a preview of two of the flavors, "Dawn's a Centaur! Root Beer" and "Giles' Grape Potion." For more info on these beverages straight out of the Sunnydale High cafeteria vending machine, head to Jones Soda's official site. We'll surely be downing these tomorrow on our way into the Whedon/Abrams panel!

As A Designer With A Unisex Line!




Are you going to scoop up one of her creations?

While most people in their 80’s like to spend their days relaxing, Betty White is busy with her bustling career! In fact, according to WWD the star even added a new title to her resume — fashion designer. Betty has teamed up with Jerry Leigh Apparel to create unisex tees and hoodies that feature a black and white image of Betty and her name. Available in August, the creations will range from $28-$48 and the hoodies feature washable ear buds and a jack to plug into iPods and MP3 players. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Morris Animal Foundation where Betty is a trustee. As if you needed a reason to proudly sport Betty on your chest!

If you emerged from the cinema after watching Vanilla Sky pretending you understood, you can finally own up.

Film enthusiasts have voted the 2001 Tom Cruise film the most confusing of all time.

And if you understood the twists and turns of Donnie Darko, complete with sleepwalking, time-travel and premonitions, here’s a reason to feel pleased with yourself.

It was voted third in the list of baffling cinema experiences, chosen by more than one in ten.

You may be surprised to find the mind-bending Matrix Revolutions only in fourth.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, starring Kate Winslet, and two of Stanley Kubrick’s films, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange also made the list.

Helen Cowley, of Lovefilm rental, which conducted the survey, said: ‘It’s clear dreaming is the biggest cause of confusion for viewers.

‘Switching from reality to dream sequences pulls the wool over our eyes.’


Top Ten
1 Vanilla Sky

2 Mulholland Drive

3 Donnie Darko

4 The Matrix Revolutions

5 Memento

6 Twelve Monkeys

7 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

8 2001: A Space Odyssey

9 Revolver

10 A Clockwork Orange

Lance Gross is on the cover of the recently created Bitchie Life digital magazine. He talks about being single, his relationship with Eva Marcille, and the dating scene. But who really gives a shit, you're just here for the pictures.

On his relationship with Eva Marcille
“I will never have a public relationship like that one again. A lot of the reasons why we were so open was because we thought if we put it out there, then people aren’t going to speculate and make up their own stories. But it kind of backfired on us because everybody felt like they were in our relationship. They felt entitled to know all the information. So, I will never do that again.

On Open Relationships
Open Marriages doesn’t make sense to me. Why even get married? Maybe I just had a good example in my life. My mother and father have been together 43 years and I never witnessed my dad getting cussed out by my mom because he’s creeping and vice versa. They had a loving relationship, somewhat comparable to the Huxtables. I don’t even see the point in getting married if you are going to have an open relationships or be swingers. It’s crazy to me but I guess its different strokes for different folks

Lindsay Lohan is expected to be released from a Lynwood jail on Aug. 2, serving only 14 days of her 90-day sentence, according to a Sheriff's Department booking document.

Until now, Sheriff's Department officials have said they were not sure how many days Lohan would spend behind bars. Even though the judge called for 90 days, overcrowding in the jail typically means that inmates only serve 25% of their sentences, sometimes less.

The booking document lists Aug. 2 as the "projected release date." A Sheriff's Department spokesman could not immediately reached for comment. It's possible Lohan could serve more time because judge ruled out work release or electronic monitoring in the probation-violation case.

Officials said Lohan was completely cooperative when she was looked into the Century Regional Detention Facility on Tuesday morning.

After the booking, Lohan entered the jail's triage, where she was to receive a standard medical and psychological evaluation, Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told media members gathered outside the jail.

State guidelines for handling prisoners would apply to the actress, although "people with notoriety are kept away" from the general jail population for security purposes, he said.

At the Beverly Hills courthouse where Lohan surrendered shortly after 8:30 a.m. to begin serving her time, her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, said the actress had completed court-ordered alcohol education classes and accepted her jail term.
"She is scared, as anyone would be, but she is resolute," Holley said. "She asks for prayers and support. ... She has accepted responsibility."

Although earlier there had been confusion over which attorney would represent Lohan in court, Holley said Robert Shapiro, who at one point had said he was Lohan's new attorney, was only a consultant to the actress.

Comic-Con reveals exclusive poster art for the upcoming Marvel movies, ‘The First Avenger: Captain America‘ and ‘Thor.’




SOURCE

Lindsay Lohan has taken on the role of adult film legend Linda Lovelace in the upcoming flick Inferno, which will start production after Lohan has completed her 90-day jail sentence and 90 days in rehab.

RadarOnline.com has learned the that fans will see a lot more of the actress following her release from jail, when she channels the Deep Throat star to the max and bares all in a sexy full frontal nude scene.

“There will be full frontal nudity,” director Matthew Wilder exclusively told RadarOnline.com of Lohan’s role in the film. “But it will not be cinematic nudity – it will be more violent nudity.

“It’s not a porn movie, it’s an artistic movie about a porn star,” Wilder told RadarOnline.com. “We will not see Lindsay performing oral sex, but there could be some clever play with black boxes or other cinematic tricks that the viewer may see.”

SOURCE: radaronline

Roberto Pattinson and Tom Sturridge were spotted driving around in an old Chevy - July 17th, 2010

July 17 - Britney and Jason out for some shopping in Santa Monica

It may have to do with that sinking-ship film (and all his dead wives).



by Ramin Setoodeh

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most respected actors of his generation (he’s 35), so why is he always so pissed off in the movies? It’s not for lack of admiration. Last year, Zac Efron and Chace Crawford were separately asked whose careers they’d like to emulate, and they both confessed their man crushes on Leo. A few weeks ago, The New York Times singled out DiCaprio as the rare star who escaped his tween past to become a real actor, as a kind of comfort to Twilight’s Robert Pattinson. The Guardian threw its weight behind a Brit in Harry Potter, asking: “Is Rupert Grint the new Leonardo DiCaprio?”

He might be, because the old Leo has clearly moved on. DiCaprio got his start on TV’s Growing Pains, earned an Oscar nod for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and then achieved titanic stardom in 1997 in a movie about a sinking ship. But then, instead of trading on his heartthrob looks, he leveraged his box-office muscle to work with A-list directors including Danny Boyle, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, and now Christopher Nolan. For those of you counting at home, Inception is the third movie in a row in which DiCaprio’s crazy wife suddenly dies. (The other two: Revolutionary Road and Shutter Island, which, from the first shot, echoes Inception so closely it’s odd that DiCaprio made both films back to back.) DiCaprio’s career has been engineered to make audiences forget Titanic, but he has swung so far in the other direction that he has alienated the female fans who made him a star. That’s undoubtedly the idea, though that doesn’t make it a good one. He seems interested only in characters who project a certain kind of masochism, and misogyny. His best film of the decade, The Departed, featured a nearly all-male cast. He was nimble in Catch Me if You Can, but that was in 2002, the last time we saw DiCaprio in a comedy.

That’s not to say that DiCaprio should stay away from dramas, but he would help himself tremendously if he lightened up, costarred with an actress like Reese Witherspoon, or at least did a movie where his wife survives until the closing credits. What’s worse: DiCaprio has spawned a whole generation of actors who are so serious they’re making movies only for people on antidepressants. Efron dropped out of the Footloose remake to do Charlie St. Cloud, about a guy who talks to the ghost of his dead brother. Pattinson’s first post-Twilight movie, Remember Me, took place on September 11. Daniel Radcliffe took a break from Harry Potter to get naked with horses in Equus, and Shia LaBeouf, Tobey Maguire, and Jake Gyllenhaal are in some kind of mega–scowling contest. That leaves us with one heartthrob who isn’t afraid to play to his strengths, and his abs. Can Taylor Lautner actually act? The jury is still out, but he’s getting $7.5 million per movie. As the rare Hollywood hunk who isn’t afraid to smile, he deserves it.

Opening his new film on the same weekend he debuted The Dark Knight two years ago, director Chris Nolan again scored with critics and fans with Inception.

The brain-twister raked in $60.4 million, according to studio estimates. While some analysts had projected an opening as high as $70 million, the bow establishes Nolan as the thinking man's action filmmaker.

"He's a star for us," says Dan Fellman of Warner Bros., which released Inception and touted Nolan as much as star Leonardo DiCaprio. "It's clear there's no kind of movie he can't make, and make well."

Inception was a labor of love for Nolan, who worked more than a decade on the story of a thief who specializes in stealing thoughts. Nolan's earlier movies, from Mementoto The Prestige, turned tidy profits despite having more twists than pretzels. But not enough to convince a studio to produce his special-effects-driven thriller.

That changed after Dark Knight, which became the third highest-grossing film ever with $533 million and prompted Warner Bros. to open its checkbook to Nolan. Now the director is working on the Batman sequel, which he'll write and direct, and a Superman film, which he'll produce, Fellman says.

The film marked DiCaprio's best debut, eclipsing this year's Shutter Island, which opened to $41.1 million. The picture also scored with Imax audiences. While the gargantuan screens account for less than 1% of the USA's screens, Imax accounted for 12% of Inception's business.

"For all the fuss over 3-D, this is a 2-D movie that is doing terrific business," says Imax's Greg Foster. "And people see Chris' movies more than once. We're not moving this out of theaters anytime soon."

The animated Despicable Me dropped a healthy 42% from its opening to take second place with $9.4 million. The comedy has done $118.4 million in two weeks.

Nicolas Cage's Sorcerer's Apprentice couldn't conjure up much business, opening to a middling $17 million. The movie has done $24.5 million since its opening Wednesday.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was fourth with $13.5 million, followed by Toy Story 3's $11.7 million.

Ticket sales surged 10% over the same weekend last year, though attendance remains down by 2% from last year.

Final figures are due Monday.

SOURCE

A tank top and jeans? What would Chuck Bass say?

Gossip Girl hunk Ed Westwick welcomed the Marlon Brando comparisons when he was spotted wearing a Brando tank top while walking around Paris earlier this week. While we all adore Brando we are a wee bit more excited to catch a glimpse of Ed's muscular arms and many tattoos in the revealing tank top. Get us two tickets to the gun show!

The 23-year-old British actor sported dark denim jeans, a red rosary necklace, and dark brown loafers as he walked to the Gossip Girl's Parisian set to film some smooch scenes with French actress Clemence Poesy.

Lindsay Lohan is scared of jail -- not because of the other inmates ... not because the food is crappy .... but because she cannot stand being alone and thinks jail will push her over the edge.

Sources close to Lindsay tell us Lindsay is climbing the walls because of the prospect of jail. We're told she can't stand being confined to small spaces, and she can never be alone.

It's so bad that when Lindsay flew back from France in May, she asked a friend to fly from L.A. to Paris, just so she would have someone to fly home with her.

As we first reported, if Lindsay is locked up at Lynwood -- Paris' ol' stomping ground -- she'll be placed in a cell by herself ... and she doesn't think she can take it.

Credit: mediocrechick

When Lady Gaga took the stage at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night, she managed not to discuss the town's recently departed superstar LeBron James. But she did announce to the sold-out crowd that earlier in the day, she had written a brand-new song that was destined to be a hit.

"I wrote a #1 record in Cleveland," she told her throngs of little monsters, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, adding that she had skipped a private tour of the city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to work on the song in her tour bus recording studio.

Earlier in the day, she took to her Twitter account to proclaim the same thing, writing, "Emerging from studio coma. Voted no visit to RockNRoll Hall of Fame, rather write a hit that puts me in it."

Gaga didn't actually play the song in question, but she did rip through a rousing version of "You and I," the new song she premiered at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball last month and has been performing at Monster Ball stops ever since. In theory, it's all leading up to Gaga's much-anticipated new album, which, according to a recent Rolling Stone interview, is totally finished but won't be released until "early next year."

Gaga also told the magazine that she plans on getting the title of the album tattooed on her body and then releasing the photo at midnight on New Year's Eve.

"That a woman created Bella's man-worshipping, abuse-excusing pathology is baffling – luckily strong heroines abound elsewhere"



So. Twilight Eclipse. Wolfboy Jacob lurks nudely, rudely, buffly, looking ever-ready for some lupine tussling out yonder. Vampire Edward appears to be struggling with constipation. And Bella, how goes it with her? Do you know, I can't remember. Who is she? Nobody. What does she do? Nothing. Where is she without men? Nowhere. Want to know what Bella's secret power is? It's the power of negation. She's such a deadzone of psychic antimatter that supernatural mojo doesn't work on her. Other characters' magical skills simply dissolve when they encounter the sullen ringfence of her anticharisma.

Bella's passivity, the oppressiveness of her boyfriends (presented as protectiveness), the fetishisation of female victimhood and the unstinting justification of the guys' abusiveness have spurred a strong feminist backlash against the books – a backlash which I fully support. Part of our sense of disturbance and bafflement is that while all the misogynist elements of Twilight are detectable in mainstream arts and the media, they are rarely created by women.

Why would a dynamic, creative, prolific and talented woman like Stephenie Meyer write a protagonist as useless as this? Why would she create bullying males and set them up as love objects? Do young women despise themselves so much that the very best they can fantasise about is trailing around after not one but two bullies? It's puzzling. I grew up obsessively reading adventure novels by Tamora Pierce, the Worst Witch series and all sorts of bronze breastplate Amazonian guff. The women in these books bristled with chagrin and energy, as did their lovers, allies, enemies and friends. How could publishing have taken such a drastic backwards step in just 15 years?

It hasn't, actually. It's just that Twilight's broad success has eclipsed (sorry) the really interesting work for young-adult readers. As even the most cursory Amazon trawl will demonstrate, there are countless women writing brilliant heroines and nuanced heroes and supporting characters, without Bella's insipid man-worshipping, abuse-excusing pathology. The most exciting series out now is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Based around a lethal survival game with teenaged participants, these punchy, fierce books come barrelling off the shelves, all plots blazing. Be warned, they are too exciting to be read in bits. You'll finish them, panting with adrenaline, and want to run around the block throwing the pages into the faces of passers-by.

The characters in Justina Robson's science fiction/cyberpunk novels are foul-mouthed, ripped, funny, tough and chippy, as befits their dystopian settings, where anything bad might happen at any moment. The same goes for the paranoid heroine of Ann Aguirre's space fantasy novels, as well as the complex and enthralling Serrano space opera series by Elizabeth Moon, Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars and Crossroads series and Trudi Canavan's swords-cloaks-and-psychics novels. Patricia Briggs and Sheri S Tepper are also worth a dose to get Twilight's whiny wolves out of your system. Not all these authors are writing specifically for readers in their late teens – but book lovers in their age bracket will get hooked nonetheless.

I've saved the best for last. The prolific, erudite and consistently brilliant Celia Rees is justly renowned for her dizzyingly inventive plots, redolent of everyone from Angela Carter to Shakespeare. Sovay and Witch Child are two of her best-known books in the younger market, but she has written countless more, all equally breathtaking.

The same goes for Helen Dunmore. Dunmore is one of England's finest living writers, as her recent highly praised adult novel, The Betrayal (the sequel to the bestselling The Siege), proved. Her Ingo series invents a dark aquatic realm of haunted mermen and appropriately protean, shifting temptations and nightmare-challenges. If you want true literary genius, read Jeanette Winterson's young-adult novels, a stunning new facet of her career which began with Tanglewreck. They're too clever for me to summarise.

Finally, a secret favourite about which I will say little: the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. A powerful witch queen is prophesied to come and save the world – or is it that she'll destroy the world? Who is this interloper? Is she a fraud? Does anyone actually want her? And what is she up against? … Look, just read them. Now.

So, back to Twilight. How does it compare? As Bella might say: whatever.

Stephanie Pratt can definitely relate to troubled party girl Lindsay Lohan. Back in October, the Hills star was busted for DUI after leaving a Hollywood bash. The 24-year-old, who has admitted to drug and alcohol addiction in the past, spent 30 days in a rehab facility and was subsequently sentenced to three years of probation.

At Tuesday's series finale party for her MTV hit, Pratt offered advice for Lohan, who is to report to jail July 20 for a probation violation related to her own 2007 DUI. "When I got in trouble again, instead of spiraling, I took it as a positive and I was on trial," Pratt told UsMagazine.com.

"I took it as G-d was testing me... If [Lindsay] just does her time and gets the help, I see her having a great comeback. I really think to always keep a positive outlook on everything."

Still, although many predict Lohan will only serve a fraction of her 90-day jail sentence, a source says in the new Us Weekly that the actress is in "total denial" about her fate.

With more outrageous Mel Gibson material being released each and every day, the latest installment finds the actor berating his former flame with further insults.

Focusing on monetary matters, the "Lethal Action" star says that Oksana cost him $5 million already, adding that he “doesn't have any f**king money!”

Ranting and raving, Gibson professes, “F**kin’ user! You f**kin’ used me! I will never forgive you!”

Responding to the accusations, Grigorieva replies, "You're very mean," to which Mel angrily responds, "I’d like to show you what mean really is!"

To cap it all off, Mel then went after Oksana's parenting skills, fuming, “Look at yourself. And look what you’ve done. Look what you’ve f**king done! Look at your son. He’s a f**king mess. You f**king excuse for a mother. You’re a f**king bitch!”

The framed letter from President Obama hangs in the hallway outside Matt Weiner's office. "He wrote to say he enjoyed Season 3," the Mad Men creator says, giggling in disbelief. "He was congratulating me on my and the show's success, and I wanted to say, 'But wait, you're the successful person.'"

The president was merely speaking for the quality-TV nation. In three seasons, Mad Men has gone from being a cool retro diversion to one of the most stylish, seductive shows in TV history. Last season ended in a mushroom cloud of hope and despair. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his most trusted companions in advertising walked away from the Sterling Cooper agency to launch a risky start-up. But Don's personal life imploded as his wife, Betty (January Jones), slapped down divorce papers and flew off to Reno with political aide Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley). Last we saw, Don was moving to Greenwich Village to start over.

The Mad Men crowd is notoriously tight-lipped, but Weiner and several cast members agreed to tease what's ahead for Season 4.

"It might have been impulsive, but making this break from Don made Betty feel stronger and more powerful than she ever has," Weiner says. That doesn't mean she's any closer to asking "Who am I?," the theme that dominates the new season. As the show moves into the more turbulent part of the '60s, "all the characters are seeing consequences to their [past] actions," says Hamm, though not everybody's ready for the era's consciousness raising. Says Weiner, "There's a feeling on the writing team, about Betty, that she's a woman who will learn as little about herself as possible."

For more Mad Men Season 4 scoop, as well as an exclusive photo album featuring your favorite cast members, pick up this week's issue of TV Guide Magazine, on newsstands Thursday, July 15!

Fanboys of the world, get ready to go green. As all of Hollywood (and many a costumed nerd) gears up for next week’s Comic-Con convention in San Diego, EW provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of next summer’s highly anticipated superhero movie Green Lantern. Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot who becomes a ring-wearing intergalactic superhero in this massive sci-fi epic from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). Though Reynolds has prior experience in the superhero realm from his role as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, playing Green Lantern involved some major challenges, like getting hurled through the air on a wire at up to 60 feet per second to create the illusion of flight. “The first time you do it, you’re seriously considering an adult diaper,” Reynolds says. Still, he couldn’t resist the chance to play the beloved DC Comics hero, whose power ring can conjure virtually anything he can dream up. “Will and imagination are his superpowers,” Reynolds says. “We need a circus of Timothy Learys to think of things Hal would invent with his ring.”

Our opinion: We think he looks hot and WILL be a great Lantern.

HBO just released the official loglines for True Blood‘s five August episodes and, as per usual, they’re pretty damn spoilery.



Episode #31: ”Hitting the Ground”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 1
“Imperiled by Lorena (Mariana Klaveno), Sookie (Anna Paquin) goes to extremes in her attempt to save Bill (Stephen Moyer)—with unforeseen consequences. Sam (Sam Trammell) infiltrates a dogfighting ring to extricate Tommy (Marshall Allman) from his parents’ (J. Smith Cameron, Cooper Huckabee) greedy influence. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) heads to jail to uncover the truth about Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher); Summer (Melissa Rauch) makes a home-cooked play for Hoyt’s (Jim Parrack) affections; Debbie (Brit Morgan) vows revenge on Alcide (Joe Manganiello); Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) uses Hadley (Lindsey Haun) as bait to get information from Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood); Russell (Denis O’Hare) turns his back on the Authority, and on the Magister (Zeljko Ivanek).”

Episode #32: ”Night on the Sun”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Shaken and disillusioned, Sookie rethinks her relationship with Bill. Sophie-Anne takes up a new residence as Russell plots his next move. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Bill reconcile; Jason throws down the gauntlet in hopes of saving Crystal; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) gets a surprise visit from his mom, Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodard); Sam tries to keep Tommy in check; Merlotte’s gets a new waitress; Eric proves the depth of his allegiance to Russell. Sookie finds herself in a vulnerable position when Alcide needs to deal with a family emergency.”

Episode #33: “Everything Is Broken”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 15 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“With the ratification of the Vampire Rights Amendment at hand, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) detours to Fangtasia to confront Eric about the Magister’s disappearance. A grief-stricken Russell vows revenge against his foes, vampire and human. Awaking from a slumber, Bill uncovers the truth about Sookie’s true identity. Jason gets unexpected help as he goes up against Felton (James Harvey Ward) and Calvin (Gregory Sporleder). Sam is distressed by Tommy’s attitude; Tara (Rutina Wesley) encounters a new ally and an old tormentor; Hadley introduces Sookie to a new family member; Arlene (Carrie Preston) despairs about her future; Hoyt confronts his true feelings.”

Episode #34: ”I Smell a Rat”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face. Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V. Sam’s recent fit of rage triggers dark memories. Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly (Lauren Bowles) for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt. After communing with Talbot (Theo Alexander), Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.”

Episode #35: ”Fresh Blood”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Bill tries to earn back Sookie’s trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers. Knowing he’s no physical match for the King, Eric tempts Russell with the “ultimate vampire dream.” Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystal’s revelation. Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara. Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Holly’s help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons.”