(China Daily) Ashlee Simpson hosted a Winnie the Pooh-themed baby shower on Saturday.
The 'Outta My Head' singer - who is due to give birth to her first child later this month - celebrated with 35 guests, including singer-and-actress sister Jessica Simpson, her mother Tina, actress Emmy Rossum and Nicole Richie, who brought her 10-month-old daughter Harlow.
A source at the shower - which was briefly attended by Ashlee's husband, Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz - said: "She was glowing and insanely happy. Pete was so excited too!"
Guests enjoyed a feast of chicken and mashed potatoes, crab cakes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, jicama salad with grapefruit and a bumblebee-shaped cake before Ashlee was given several gifts, including several outfits from Kitson Kids and a mini-Burton snowboard suit and matching gear.
Ashlee's friends and family were only given the time and location, Los Angeles Bel-Air hotel, early on Saturday morning in order to keep it secret.
The hotel's Palm Room was decorated with yellow and orange roses, and guests were given gifts appropriate to the shower's theme.
A source revealed: "They were given jars of honey, Pooh's favourite food, with custom-made labels that said 'Baby Wentz' and 'Thank You For Celebrating My Life' on them.
"The girls were also given bracelets that had a big bumble bee on them."
Actress Anne Hathaway, star of the film "Rachel Getting Married" poses at the film's premiere in Beverly Hills, California September 15, 2008. [Agencies]
(China Daily) Anne Hathaway's mystery boyfriend has finally been identified.
The actress admitted she was dating someone last month but refused to give any details. However, it has now been revealed she is romancing American actor Adam Shulman.
Adam confirmed he is in a relationship with Anne at a screening for her new movie 'Rachel Getting Married', saying: "We met through mutual friends. I came to support Anne. We've never been to New Orleans before - it's our first time."
Anne's reluctance to talk about her budding romance is said to be partly down to the fact Adam, 27, was already in relationship when they met.
Friends of Anne, 25, are delighted she has finally found happiness following the demise of her relationship with Raffaello Follieri, who was recently sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy.
One said: "Adam is everything Raffaello wasn't. He's sensitive and kind to a fault. I think Anne may have found a kindred spirit."
Last month, Anne admitted she was excited about her new relationship, saying: "This guy I know in Los Angeles is kind of doing it for me right now. You know when you don't know someone very well… you just meet them and you're like, 'Wow, you really have it going on'."
(China Daily) Pamela Anderson loves living in a trailer.
The former 'Baywatch' actress - who was forced to temporarily relocate her family while her house is being renovated - was surprised to discover she enjoyed the freedom of being in a mobile home.
Pamela - who has two sons, 12-year-old Brandon and 10-year-old Dylan, with ex-husband Tommy Lee - is quoted by website Absolute Now as saying: "I live in a mobile home and I love it. It's my favourite thing in the world. I have two homes but I can honestly say I would much rather live in a trailer than anywhere else.
"It's small but chic and perfect for me and the kids. We are so close to the beach and it's fun having to sit on bean bags and do our washing at the Laundromat."
Earlier this year, Pamela, 38, hosted an estate sale to clear her rented Malibu home of unwanted items, which also included broken light bulbs, a hot pink butt blaster exercise machine and various children's toys.
Fans of Pammie waited for hours to enter the public parking lot where the sale took place in a bid to catch a glimpse of their idol.
One buyer admitted: "I just wanted to see how rich people live."
Pammie also sold a new golf cart, several chocolate fondue fountains and a flat screen TV.
British director Marc Forster (L-R), Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko, actor Daniel Craig and Swiss actor Anatole Taubmann pose at the red carpet for the German premiere of the latest James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' in Berlin, November 3, 2008. The movie opens in German cinemas on November 6.[Agencies]
British actor Daniel Craig and his partner Satsuki Mitchell arrive for the German premiere of the latest James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' in Berlin, November 3, 2008. The movie opens in German cinemas on November 6.[Agencies]
Swiss actor Anatole Taubmann kisses Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko at the red carpet for the German premiere of the latest James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' in Berlin, November 3, 2008. The movie opens in German cinemas on November 6.[Agencies]
British actor Daniel Craig and his partner Satsuki Mitchell arrive for the German premiere of the latest James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace' in Berlin, November 3, 2008. The movie opens in German cinemas on November 6.[Agencies]
British actor Daniel Craig signs autographs as he arrives for the German premiere of the latest James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" in Berlin November 3, 2008. The movie opens in German cinemas on November 6.[Agencies]
Title : Bolt Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy and Animation Release Date: November 21st, 2008 (wide) Distributors: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Production Co.: Walt Disney Feature Animation, Stormcoast Pictures Studios: Walt Disney Pictures Produced in: United States Starring: John Travolta, Susie Essman, Miley Cyrus, Mark Walton Directed by: Chris Williams, Byron Howard Produced by: John Lasseter, Clark Spencer, Lisa M. Poole Official website : http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/bolt/ Synopsis :
For super-dog BOLT (voice of John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions: a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino, Bolt discovers he doesnt need superpowers to be a hero.
Movie Review:
By Michael Rechtshaffen
Bottom Line: It might not be best in show, but Disney's latest dog picture is still fetching Those Beverly Hills Chihuahuas might have run their course, but a Hollywood White Shepherd efficiently marks his territory in "Bolt," an animated adventure about a canine action hero who's inadvertently shipped from his studio to the East Coast.
Although it will never be mistaken for Pixar pedigree, this genial production is a notable step up for Walt Disney Animation Studios and the first to fall under the creative guidance of Pixar's John Lasseter. With easy-on-the-ears voice work from John Travolta and Miley Cyrus and easy-on-the-eyes digital 3-D (it's Disney's first animated effort to be conceived and designed from the outset with the format in mind), the film should handily tickle its target audience, especially at the select venues equipped to hand out those 3-D glasses.
Setting the dimensional stage with an extended action sequence that shows off the fresh technology, the story-within-the-story kicks in revealing TV superdog Bolt (Travolta) to be unaware that his villain-chasing studio environment is really all make-believe.
When he's accidentally shipped to New York, Bolt embarks on a cross-country quest, convinced that his person, Penny (Cyrus), remains in the clutches of evil back on that Hollywood soundstage.
Although his superpowers would appear to be on the fritz, he receives assistance from his two traveling companions: Mittens ("Curb Your Enthusiasm's" Susie Essman), a world-weary street cat, and Rhino (Mark Walton), a starstruck, plastic ball-encased hamster.
Serving as the feature debut for both co-directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard, the longtime Disney Animation employees keep things moving along at a pleasant visual clip.
It still would have been nice to see the script, credited to Williams and Dan Fogelman ("Cars"), have more of a comedic punch, with fuller character quirks and complexities to go along with the enhanced visual dimension.
The generic story line also follows an all-too-traveled path, sharing plot points with Disney's recent "101 Dalmatians" direct-to-DVD sequel.
But there's a terrific tenderness in Travolta's performance, while Cyrus and company (also including Malcolm McDowell as the diabolical Dr. Calico and James "Inside the Actors Studio" Lipton stretching -- or maybe not -- as a pompous director) are similarly effective.
And because they had him in the recording studio, anyway, the producers coaxed Travolta into singing an end-credits duet with Cyrus, the sweetly innocuous "I Thought I Lost You."
Title : Quantum Of Solace (2008) Also Known As: Bond 22 Logline: James Bond infiltrates a drug ring that is flooding Britain with heroin Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller, Adaptation and Sequel Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min. Release Date: November 14th, 2008 (wide) MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content. Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing Production Co.: Danjaq Productions, EON Productions Studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group Filming Locations: Europe, Tuscany, Italy Produced in: United States Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Jesper Christensen, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright , Neil Jackson , Joanna Whitney , Tim Pigott-Smith , Rory Kinnear , Anatole Taubman , Fernando Guillén Cuervo , David Harbour , Olga Kurylenko , Gemma Arterton Directed by: Marc Forster Produced by: Anthony Waye, Callum McDougall, Barbara Broccoli Official Website : http://www.007.com/
Synopsis :
QUANTUM OF SOLACE continues the high octane adventures of James Bond (DANIEL CRAIG) in CASINO ROYALE. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (JUDI DENCH) interrogate Mr White (JESPER CHRISTENSEN) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined. Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (OLGA KURYLENKO), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (MATHIEU AMALRIC), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation. On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (JOAQUIN COSIO). Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land. In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene’s sinister plan and stop his organisation.
Movie Review :
From Time Out London Revenge is a dish best served cold. Which, along with mean and lean, is how Daniel Craig plays 007 in Marc Forster’s slightly disappointing, furiously-paced, hi-tech, slash-and-burn sequel to the more leisurely, luxurious first ‘reboot’, ‘Casino Royale’. James Bond – you’ll have to remember his Christian name as the arrogant cad neglects to announce it – is grieving the loss of lover and betrayer Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). You’d best remember the plot – and Lynd’s necklace – of the earlier film, too, as director Forster throws us immediately, eye-smackingly into the frenetic activity and globe-traversing travel that is the angry, increasingly unorthodox, ‘soul-destroyed’ world-saving agent’s way of dealing with betrayal, grief and loss. Eight minutes of highly impressive, parallel-edited, SFX-assisted, stunt-laden action are up before the ears, eyeballs and brain get their first momentary repose. Before then, our hero chases down Mr White in the Aston dodgem-car through Alpine tunnels. Cough or blink and you’ll miss how our bold spooks link the last film’s Le Chiffre to bug-eyed faux environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a destabiliser of US backyard governments with a laughable, pudding-basin haircut-ed sidekick. Almost immediately, he hops, skips and jumps across Siena’s roofs and the horse-loving, harlequin-ed Palio crowds – and we soon follow Bond ‘running wild’ from the palatial villas of Italy to the slums of Haiti, the neo-Reifenstahl opera houses of Vienna, and the menacingly beautiful, otherworldly moonscapes and deserts of Bolivia. So much dash, flash and thrill – so many boat chases, tight rope-dangling fight scenes, bi-plane dogfights, architectural flourishes and flat-table computer displays – there’s scant time left for character, let alone, story, fun, seduction, humour or wit. You can sense the older, traditionalist viewers wanting to go home early to take their nostalgia pills. True, there are some cute one-liners – presumably the product of Paul Haggis’s polish of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade’s screenplay taken from producer Michael G Wilson’s first inspirational treatment and itself repeatedly pencil-marked by Forster and Craig. Also, new Bond Woman Olga Kurylenko is impressive as 007’s Latin helpmeet Camille. But, strange for a supposedly ‘humanising’ franchise, Craig’s Bond comes dangerously close to being a cipher himself: only a ‘Bourne’-again, action superhero could perform his physical feats. It’s a cynical movie, too: half the Brit agents are double and all the US spies seem untrustworthy – save Felix Leiter, of course, whom the excellent Jeffrey Wright reprises in arguably the film’s sole sympathetic, low-key performance. (Though, intriguingly, Judi Dench’s ‘M’ has gone all maternal – couldn’t she be renamed ‘SM’, for Surrogate Mum?) Okay, maybe real life is, pace Hobbes, brutal, nasty and short – like this movie. But can’t we sneak in the odd moment for some occasional quiet conversation, maybe even a leisurely martini or a game of baccarat, even if we can’t afford luxury rail travel or – God forbid – some protracted, guiltless sex? Go on, Bond, next time, indulge yourself a little more. We like to watch.
Author: Wally Hammond 007 Quantum Of Solace - Official Theatrical Trailer [HD]
Title : Slumdog Millionaire Genres: Art/Foreign, Comedy, Drama, Adaptation and Teen Running Time: 2 hrs. Release Date: November 12th, 2008 (limited) MPAA Rating: R for some violence, disturbing images and language. Distributors: Fox Searchlight Pictures Production Co.: Celador Films, Film4 Filming Locations: Mumbai, India Produced in: United Kingdom Starring: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto Directed by: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan Produced by: Paul Smith (XVI), Tessa Ross, Francois Ivernel Official website : http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/
Synopsis :
Jamal is a poor, bright-eyed youth who mischievously gets in and out of scrapes with his even more rambunctious older brother, Salim. In a horrifying turn of events, the two youngsters' lives change in front of their eyes when their mother is viciously killed during a riot. Alone, they turn to the streets, becoming "slumdogs." A ray of sunshine comes into their lives when they befriend another orphan, the feisty young girl Latika, and soon the three are inseparable. Adventure follows as the trio learns to survive the cutthroat life of contemporary India—but at least they have each other. Years later, Jamal appears on India's version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Amazingly, he finds himself in the position of winning more and more prize money as the answers to the questions keep tumbling his way. But how can a "slumdog" with no formal education know the answers to these questions? Suspicions are raised, and Jamal quickly learns that the game show will be his biggest life test.
Movie Review :
By J.D. McNamara
ust like an actor taking different roles to avoid being typecast, Danny Boyle continually reinvents himself as a filmmaker. That is of course, precisely why he is such an exciting filmmaker. Each of his films is a total original in its own way, yet they all have that same edgy flare which has come to define his work. The drug laced drama Trainspotting put him on the map, the zombie-slasher 28 Days Later kept him there, and the stunning sci-fi thriller Sunshine solidified his place as one of the most malleable talents in the industry. What type of rabbit will he next pull from his hat? Ever the experimentalist, Boyle has remained true to his genre-jumping nature by taking us straight into the beating heart of modern India for his latest film, Slumdog Millionaire. Set in the ghettos of Mumbai, Slumdog follows the story of Jamal (Dev Patel), a poor but big-hearted boy who, along with his slightly erratic brother Salim, is forced to fend for himself from a very young age. Bouncing from city to city and seemingly always avoiding trouble by the slimmest of margins, the brothers and their “Third Musketeer”, Latika (Frieda Pinto), live their lives in a perpetual state of survival, fighting to exist from one minute to the next. As the years pass and the colorful events of their lives lead the three friends along separate paths, they lose touch and settle into somewhat normal lives. Jamal finds himself on India’s version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, and in a position he surely never thought possible: answer one question and win millions of dollars. But when the powers that be deem it impossible for a “slumdog” without an education to advance so deeply into the show, he faces the ultimate question: are you lucky, are you cheating, or is it truly your destiny? As Jamal’s past comes hurtling back to him in waves of bittersweet memories, he is confronted by the toughest test of his life; one that will not only affect those closest to him, but also the nation and culture which defines him. Slumdog is a magnificent film, because Boyle paints a true and genuine portrait of a India’s cultural society using the unlikeliest of stories as his canvas. It’s irrelevant whether Jamal wins any money on the show, thus it doesn’t matter if it’s even a plausible event. Yet the way in which Boyle weaves Jamal’s tale around the gripping suspense of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire infuses the film with a palpably intense energy and atmosphere. His young and mostly unknown cast is exceptional, as they work from a tightly written script. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy’s writing calls for sequences of romance, friendship, action, humor, despair, betrayal and greed, and Boyle captures the essence and mood of each scene with impressive scope and clarity. Whether it’s a dizzyingly effective sequence of canted camera angles or a dazzling handheld take, Boyle’s style is composed of countless intangibles. With Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle has done it again. He’s made a film ‘ drastically different from anything in his filmography, yet done as such a high level that it he’s been perfecting this particular genre for years. Slumdog Millionaire is surely one of the year’s best cinematic experiences, and the standing ovation it received at my Toronto International Film Festival screening was well deserved.
U.S. actress Reese Witherspoon, wearing a kimono, poses for photographers during her visit to Japan as goodwill ambassador to UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), in Tokyo June 11, 2008. [Agencies]
(China Daily) Reese Witherspoon's svelte figure is down to a revolutionary exercise class called YogaHop.
The 'Walk The Line' star, who has been showing off her slim physique in a series of tight dresses, is following a new spiritual workout programme invented by her personal trainer Matthew Reyes. Matthew said: "Most people think yoga is all granola and hippies, so I love to explain how YogaHop is not like that. Imagine all the benefits of Hatha Yoga, then add chart music that will have you bouncing into the poses."
Reese, 32, has also taken her boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal along to a couple of the 90-minute classes, which she tries to attend two to three times a week.
Matthew added to Hot Stars magazine: "Reese needs to stay looking great and be physically strong. There is quite a bit going on in her life so time is precious. She sees YogaHop as a one-stop-shop for all her body, mind and emotional needs.
"Reese is a fantastic student and has been an inspiration for many to embrace my yoga style as a means for fitness without needing a gym."
Cast member Elizabeth Banks attends the premiere of the film "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" in Los Angeles October 20, 2008.[Agencies]
(China Daily) Sex was an endless topic of conversation for the characters in director Kevin Smith's 1994 breakthrough hit Clerks, but in his new movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno, sex is more than talked about, it's on display.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno debuts in overseas theatrer this week and is likely to be labeled as Smith's most sex-filled movie yet in a career that is long on topics of sex, raunchy humor and scatology.
His 1997 film Chasing Amy tells of a woman who had sex with two men. Dogma (1999) has a demonic character made of excrement.
In Clerks, a woman mistakenly has sex with a dead man in the dark and its sequel, 2006's Clerks II, features a show involving a donkey - enough said.
Still, Smith said sex is not the point in Zack and Miri. Love is. The director uses sex as a way to explore human lives and relationships.
"For me, a character is fully explored when you can really get your head around them, when you know a bunch about them," Smith said.
"And there's no better way of knowing a person than knowing what their sex life is."
Zack and Miri (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) are not porn stars - at least not until their dead-end jobs leave the platonic friends with no electricity or running water in the apartment they share in frigid Pittsburgh.
So, they enlist the help of some eager exhibitionists to make an amateur porn movie they believe will earn them enough money to lessen their predicament. Zack and Miri promise each other that having sex on camera will not ruin their friendship, but making a porno movie proves to be more emotionally complicated than they expect.
"The movie definitely lives up to its title. Zack and Miri do indeed make a porno," Smith said. "But that being said, the movie's not really about it."
"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" director Kevin Smith
'PORNO' TOO HOT?
Still, it took some convincing to get the Motion Picture Association of America to see the movie the way Smith does. The MPAA represents major Hollywood studios, and its ratings are used as a way to classify the content within a film.
In the case of Zack and Miri, it was initially rated NC-17, which means no children 17 years-old and under are permitted.
Very often that rating has swayed some viewers and advertisers to think a film is, in fact, pornographic, even though it is not in the eyes of the MPAA ratings board.
Smith agrees some scenes "push the edge of the envelope" as to what could be considered porn, but he appealed the rating.
Eventually, it was reduced to R," which means people 17 and under can see it if they are accompanied by an adult.
Rogen, 26, fresh off the success of his marijuana-themed summer hit Pineapple Express and the 2007 sex comedies Knocked Up and Superbad, - all rated R - said he never understood why Zack and Miri almost received an NC-17.
"I honestly feel like if people saw it they would have been like, 'This is NC-17?'" Rogen said.
"And they would have been disappointed ... I know enough about movies to know we're not doing anything that hasn't been done in movies rated PG-13."
Advertising the film, which is being released by The Weinstein Co, has proven tricky.
Officials in Philadelphia, for instance, declared their bus stops off-limits to ads because the film's story involved pornography, and TV spots are airing as just Zack and Miri without "make a porno" being spoken along with the title.
"I'm stunned that people have that big of an objection to the word," Smith said.
"Porno is not a bad word, it's a word that describes something. It's a word that describes a genre or a field of filmmaking," he said.
Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones attends the red carpet premiere of her latest movie "Death Defying Acts" at the State Theatre in Sydney March 10, 2008.[Agencies]
(China Daily) Catherine Zeta-Jones gets "upset" if she doesn't have food.
The actress - who has two children with husband Michael Douglas - admits she gets angry if she misses meal time.
She said: "I'm pretty easy-going, which comes from all those years of doing theatre. I'm not a grandiose movie star at all, but I do like to know when lunch is going to be. "It's really important because I get the shakes when my blood-sugar levels start to drop. If I don't get food when I should, I get upset."
Catherine, 39, also revealed her children, eight-year-old Dylan and five-year-old Carys, know never to cross her because she can be strict.
She added: "I've realised that you can actually say what you need to say and people can tell a lot from my tone of voice. My kids know when I raise my finger or do 'the eyes' that I mean business. I don't put up with much. I'm kind to everybody. But if you cross me, you know."
(China Daily) Heidi Klum uses chocolate-flavoured lip balm to satisfy her sweet cravings.
The German supermodel often longs for chocolate cake from her homeland, but has discovered a secret weapon to curb her desires.
She is quoted as saying: "I love chocolate. I have a chocolate lip gloss that tastes like a German chocolate cake. It is very good. It tastes so good that I constantly have to lick my lipstick off and re-apply."
Heidi isn't the only supermodel who has confessed to secret cravings. Last year, Milla Jovovich revealed she embarked on a desperate search for bone marrow when she was pregnant with her daughter Ever Gabo.
The Ukrainian-born beauty said: "I was craving bone marrow one day, and I scoured the whole of Paris searching for the leg of a cow. When I finally found what I was looking for, I cut it in half, digging out the yellowish substance, slathering it all over bread."
Zac Efron, left, and Vanessa Hudgens, cast members of the new film High School Musical 3: Senior Year pose for photographers prior to a news conference in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008. The complete cast of High School Musical 3 will attend late Thursday the Mexican premiere of the movie.[Agencies]
(China Daily) Hollywood made audiences repeat senior year. Disney's "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" hauled in $15 million to remain the top movie for the second straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in a big-screen sequel to the Disney Channel TV movies, "High School Musical 3" raised its 10-day total to $61.8 million.
Debuting at No. 2 with $10.7 million was the Weinstein Co. comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as pals who do a skin flick to dig themselves out of debt.
Lionsgate's horror sequel "Saw V," the latest tale about psychokiller Jigsaw, slipped from second place to third with $10.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $45.8 million.
Expanding nationwide after a weekend in limited release was Clint Eastwood's "Changeling," which took in $9.4 million to finish at No. 4. The Universal Pictures drama stars Angelina Jolie as a single mother victimized by police who botched the investigation into her missing son.
Freestyle Releasing's "The Haunting of Molly Hartley" debuted with $6 million to come in at No. 5. The movie stars Haley Bennett as a traumatized teen who finds fresh terror at her new school.
"RocknRolla" — the latest from Madonna's soon-to-be-ex-husband, Guy Ritchie — was a dud as it expanded from limited to nationwide release. The crime romp featuring Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton took in just $1.8 million, finishing well outside the top 10. Madonna and Ritchie announced their separation last month.
After a big surge the previous weekend, Hollywood revenues plunged. The top 12 movies took in $75.2 million, off 38 percent from the same weekend last year, when "American Gangster" opened with $43.6 million and "Bee Movie" debuted with $38 million.
Non-scary movies were hurt with Halloween falling on Friday. "High School Musical 3" did just $1.7 million on Friday, but it rebounded with $8.2 million Saturday. "The target audience was out collecting candy or trick-or-treating Friday, but Saturday came back like a monster," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.
Likewise, "Zack and Miri" opened with only $2.2 million Friday but pulled in $4.8 million Saturday. The movie also faced some audience resistance over the racy subject matter and the word "Porno" in the title.
"I would anecdotally speculate that that hurt us," said Steve Bunnell, head of distribution for Weinstein, which had trouble placing ads because of the movie's title and themes. "We were surprised that we ended up with the controversy. We thought everybody in America would understand that it was a joke."
The film has nudity but is tame compared to hard-core adult films. Yet the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America initially slapped it with an NC-17 rating, the kiss of death at the box office.
Writer-director Kevin Smith talked it down to an R rating on appeal.
James Bond got off to a big start overseas in advance of the U.S. debut of the super-spy's latest adventure, with Sony's "Quantum of Solace" taking in $38.6 million in Great Britain, France and Sweden.
"Quantum of Solace" opens in 57 more countries this week and arrives in U.S. theaters Nov. 14. The film picks up where 2006's "Casino Royale" left off, with Bond (Daniel Craig) out for payback over his lover's death.
Hollywood blockbusters rarely open weeks in advance of their U.S. premiere, but the Bond franchise does a huge ratio of its business overseas. "Casino Royale" took in 72 percent of its $600 million worldwide total outside the United States, said Mark Zucker, Sony's president of international distribution.
"Bond is like a national hero in the UK," Zucker said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," $15 million.
(China Daily) From the looks of it, there's not much clowning around in Britney Spears' Circus...despite the "Come one, come all!" lettering and primary-color palette.
Here lies the cover of the pop princess' sixth studio album, which boasts the No. 1 single "Womanizer" as its first track and will almost certainly help the reinvigorated songstress start her 27th year off right when it drops Dec. 2 amid birthday wishes and intense scrutiny. And with song titles like "Lace and Leather" and "Kill the Lights," it appears as if the video for "Womanizer" barely scratched the surface of the kind of sexcapades Britney's all up into now.
Coming on the heels of the record-breaking, chart-topping single—which gave Spears the biggest digital debut of any female artist since Nielsen SoundScan started keeping track—Zomba Label Group has revealed that Circus' title track will be the next single released to whet your appetite for the main event.
Check out the complete track list and decide whether you're planning to partake in Brit's big-top adventure:
LONDON (Reuters) - Job security and marriage to an accountant beat adventure and an exciting Bond-style boyfriend for most British women, a new survey said.
PARSHIP, Europe's largest matchmaking service for singles wanting a committed relationship released results of the poll on the same week as the latest Bond film "Quantum of Solace" had its royal premiere in London.
But results showed that although British women may fantasize about a glamorous James Bond-style romance, in reality they prefer job security, an accountant boyfriend and marriage over a high-octane adventure.
Only one in four people said they would leap at the chance to take up the offer of a round-the-world trip from a boyfriend/girlfriend of just four months, according to a poll of 13,000 Britons by online dating service PARSHIP.com.
"Whilst an all-expenses paid year-long adventure certainly has some appeal, it seems that for most people this would only be pure fantasy," said Victoria Lukats, psychiatrist and PARSHIP's dating expert.
"Even in this hypothetical situation, perhaps even imagining the perfect partner in the scenario, the people who would openly throw caution to the wind are in the definite minority."
The number of people who said they would accept the global trip, increased to more than half of the women surveyed (52 percent) if they believed their boyfriend would guarantee their job, accommodation and financial security on their return.
The majority of people surveyed (55 percent) said they wouldn't risk their job or give up their social life for a relationship of just four months' standing. However, if their partner proposed marriage, one in three - 32 percent of women and 29 percent of men - would say yes to a lifetime of commitment.
British women are also more likely to be impressed with a bunch of flowers, a nice restaurant, a weekend away, than by a fabulous adventure, the poll showed.
It turns out that British women in general don't rate James Bond-style qualities as particularly attractive in a man.
More than half saw the appeal of a groomed, toned body. But only 39 percent were attracted to ruthlessness, 35 percent to a dominating personality, 22 percent by an alpha male, 13 percent by a high earner/over-achiever and 49 percent by a male protector.
A mere six percent could tolerate a womanizer.
PARSHIP.com, the largest premium online matchmaking service in Britain, is specifically for people who are serious about forming a lasting relationship and is built on a rigorous personality profiling test that determines compatibility.
(Reporting by Paul Casciato, editing by Patricia Reaney)
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Whether she's exposing her erotic side on the 2002 "Stripped" album or emulating pinup dolls in videos like "Candy Man" and "Ain't No Other Man" from "Back to Basics" in 2006, Christina Aguilera has continually reinvented herself.
With the November 11 release of "Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits," the 27-year-old singer is reinventing old hits.
The album, which will be sold exclusively in Target, includes new versions of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful," titled "Genie 2.0" and "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)," respectively, plus the new songs "Keeps Getting Better" and "Dynamite." Staples such as "Dirty," "Come On Over" and "Hurt" also appear. Produced by longtime collaborator Linda Perry, the new and remixed tracks all feature "futuristic sounds with beats driven more toward dance music," Aguilera says. "This time around, I'm playing with this superhero element based on the fact that fans have grown up with me since I was 17 and have continually supported my changes throughout the years."
"Keeps Getting Better" is already selling well online. It sold 144,000 copies in its debut frame the week of October 5; its four-week sales total is 331,000. A Peter Berg-directed video premiered October 27 on iLike and the music social networking site's Facebook application, making Aguilera the first major artist to use iLike for a video premiere.
The album -- which follows recent Target exclusives with John Legend, Carrie Underwood and the Jonas Brothers -- will be available in standard and deluxe editions, the latter including a DVD of videos for all the tracks on the album.
"I can't even believe what I was able to call it -- time really flies," Aguilera says. "I constantly change my image. I'm a very visual artist and am constantly trying something new. Luckily, from what I can tell from reading letters and conversing with them when on tour, my fans love and are always open to my love for change. It's a really gratifying moment for me and such an opportunity to be free and let go."
Beyond marking Aguilera's first decade in the business, "Keeps Getting Better" serves as a sneak preview for her next studio album, which she says will arrive in summer 2009 and will be produced mostly by Perry.
"With my last album, I had music that was very '20s, '30s and '40s, and was very detailed and part of a very specific genre and sound," Aguilera says.
"But with this new album, I wanted to go in a completely opposite direction -- a very futuristic, robotic sound and computer-sounding vocals. I'm experimenting with my voice in ways I've never done before, almost like a technical, computer-generated sound, which is different for me because I'm the type of vocalist that just belts. I'm always inspired by new things because I get bored."
Italian director Giacomo Battiato (L) sets up a scene with actor Dimitrije Ilic, playing Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic, during the filming of "Resolution 819" in an undated publicity photo. "Resolution 819", a film about the Srebrenica massacre in the last months of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, won the top prize at the Rome film festival October 31, 2008. A French production directed by Battiato, the film tells the story of a policeman sent by United Nations' highest court to investigate the disappearance of 8,000 men and boys from the Bosnian town after it fell to Bosnian Serb forces. REUTERS/Jerome Prebois/Handout
ROME (Reuters) - "Resolution 819," a film about the Srebrenica massacre in the last months of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, won the top prize at the Rome film festival Friday.
A French production directed by Italy's Giacomo Battiato, the film tells the true story of a policeman sent by the U.N.'s highest court to investigate the disappearance of 8,000 Muslim men and boys from the Bosnian town after it fell to Bosnian Serb forces.
The film spares the audience little of the harrowing evidence the policeman gathers over the years on the slaughter in what was supposed to be a U.N. safe area.
That evidence served as the basis for the indictment for genocide of Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, who was arrested in July. His wartime commander Ratko Mladic, also indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, is still at large.
The title refers to a 1993 U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an end to armed Serb attacks on Srebrenica.
"Resolution 819" won the prize for best film awarded by members of the public. The critics' award went to "Opium War," by Afghan director Siddiq Barmak, about the strains between ordinary Afghans and Western troops fighting the Taliban.
"I think the public shared my point of view, and that is the anger, the pain toward the worst war since World War Two, a war that happened before our eyes," Battiato said at the awards ceremony.
Ukrainian Bohdan Stupka, a former culture minister, scooped the best actor prize for his portrayal of a wealthy oligarch in need of a heart transplant in "With a Warm Heart," a grotesque Polish comedy.
Italy's Donatella Finocchiaro won the best actress award for her performance as a female mafia boss in Italy's "Galantuomini."
(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; editing by Michael Roddy)
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