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‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ opens Friday in theatres and everyone is talking about Kristen Bell in the Sex Wars scene. Check out the video below.

Kristen Bell is Sex Wars Scene

The scene features Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) and ex-boyfriend Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) dueling it out in bed. The two are in different hotel rooms separated by a very thin wall. The scene starts when Bell attempts to make Segel jealous by mounting her boyfriend, played by Russell Brand, and giving an audible performance of a lifetime. Segel answers with a one man rendition of his own on top of Rachel Jansen, played by Mila Kunis. It’s billed as the “crazy, hilarious and unforgettable “SEX WARS” scene, which is a little over the top, but it’s worth watching. Check out the scene below.

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POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!

Heath Ledger died on January 22, 2008, and since then rumors and stories have been swirling trying to get to the bottom of the shocking and sudden death of Ledger. Was he taking prescription drugs? Was he suffering from depression?

Heath Ledger as the Joker

Now we have a new theory. A source on the set of “The Dark Knight” says that Ledger was having some personal troubles, but instead of seeking professional help, he masked his troubles with his movie character, the Joker. And this source says that Ledger took it too far.

“Heath refused to talk to anyone out-of-character. If you tried to communicate with him normally instead of the Joker, he would just ignore you. He would often come to the set to hang out even on his days off in character, freaking everyone out. Toward the end of filming, he was warned by people that he’d gone too far, but it was almost like he couldn’t connect with those who cared for him anymore.”

It’s as if Ledger had completely transformed himself into the Joker. When the movie releases nationwide on July 18, 2008, audiences might struggle seeing Heath is such a life-like role. In fact, producers are already cutting scenes. (Here’s the spoiler …) Test audiences became distressed after seeing the Joker in a body bag, so Warner Bros. might delete a few of the scenes that will distress audiences of the non-test variety.

See more photos of Heather Ledger as the Joker and the trailer for “The Dark Knight” below.

Photos and Video

There’s quite a selection of new DVD releases this week. Another Oscar contender is making the transition from silver screen to small screen, as well as a few other movies that look interesting. Here are your DVD releases for April 15, 2008. At least there’s something to take your mind off the fact that it’s tax day.

Juno

Juno

Everyone remembers “Juno” from Oscar season, and if you missed it, here’s your chance. A clever comedy about love and hope in the world of high school, which sometimes isn’t so lovely or hopeful, “Juno” tells the story of a pregnant teen dealing with her newfound situation. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner star in this instant classic which also features music by the Moldy Peaches (a great band). Set your Netflix queue people, because I’ve only met one person who didn’t like this movie, and those are pretty good odds.

Lars and the Real Girl

Oh, Ryan Gosling, where have you been all my life. He is an amazing actor who can go from playing a self-loathing Jewish teen (”The Believer”) to a drug-addicted basketball coach (”Half Nelson”). Now he’s a boy who is struggling with some personal issues, and he copes by dating a blow-up doll named Bianca, who he met “on the internet”. When the his therapist convinces everyone to just go along with the charade, it makes for an interesting movie. And this is the only movie I’ve ever seen that didn’t have a bad review on Rotten Tomatoes.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

When two brothers find themselves strapped for cash, they come up with a plan to solve their problems. Unfortunately, the jewelry store they target is their parents’, and the whole thing goes horribly wrong. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Marissa Tomei star in this dramatic thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. The New York Times calls it “a chronicle of destruction … [without] a single decent human being in the whole movie.” And even though that’s the case, the reviewer loved it.

Also releasing this week on DVD is “Alien vs. Predator”, which I feel no need to tell you about it. Because if you don’t know what it’s about, then you shouldn’t be seeing it anyway.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Throughout his career, Daniel Day-Lewis has delivered some of the most memorable, brilliant, and unique performances in recent cinematic history.

At the age of 32 in My Left Foot (1989), Daniel Day-Lewis won his first Oscar for playing the true story of Christie Brown – a quadriplegic who becomes an accomplished artist and writer all by using his lone functional limb. In 1992, Lewis played in The Last of the Mohicans as an adopted orphan reared by Mohawks. In 2002, Lewis received another Oscar nomination for playing Bill “The Butcher” Cutting in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. While I did enjoy Gangs, everything else in the movie played a distant second to Lewis’ performance as The Butcher. Of course, then there was his universal praise in 2007 for playing Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.

Lewis takes all of his roles very seriously and on the screen you can tell that he gives himself completely to the roles he chooses. When he accepted his Oscar for There Will Be Blood, he referred to his wife as “Mrs. Plainview.” Of course, unlike many of his successful peers, Lewis is very patient with the roles he chooses and only averages a film once every 15 to 24 months. Between 1992 and 2007, Lewis has played in exactly 8 films. One of those films was in 1997 where Lewis played another Danny in The Boxer. In the film, Danny Flynn is a hometown favorite who is released from prison after 14 years for some IRA related activities that he had little or nothing to do with. He comes home to a town that is sick of fighting and a group of local strongmen that do not appreciate Danny’s desire to live a life of peace. Overall, the film was good and Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance was solid, however, this one falls short compared to the amazing roles with which he has spoiled us. For now, Daniel Day-Lewis is not slated for any new films, but I am sure that once he comes out of his typical hiatus, he will move us with another unforgettable performance.

Click here to see an interview with Daniel Day-Lewis on the Arsenio Hall Show and SNL’s Bill Hader in “There Will Be Milkshakes for Old Men.”

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It’s a pretty lame movie Friday if you ask me, but only two more months until those summer blockbusters start rolling into town. Here are this week’s new movie releases: “Prom Night”, “Smart People”, and “Street Kings”.

Smart People

“Prom Night”

There’s never a better setting for a scary movie than prom night; maybe that’s why they’re doing the film for the second time (the first one was released in 1980). The girls are looking good and can’t run well in tight dresses and heels. The guys are drunk and are thinking about getting into their dates pants. It’s a great combination for any serial killer looking to catch a few victims. In “Prom Night”, Brittany Snow plays a senior girl who is ready to move on from a tragic past, but some characters from yesteryear just won’t leave her alone. Make sure that popcorn isn’t too full, because there’s sure to be boogey men jumping out of dark corners and boyfriends accidentally scaring their girlfriends.

“Smart People”

The producer of “Sideways” brings you this clever comedy about learning how to be happy. Dennis Quaid plays a college professor who’s accident brings together his daughter, played by Ellen Page, his adopted brother, played Thomas Haden Church, and his physician/former student, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. The film tells the story of an out-of-touch father who realizes it’s time to turn life around. It looks pretty clever and heartwarming, and the cast is fairly well-rounded. After her success in “Juno”, Ellen Page might make this movie a break-out all my herself.

“Street Kings”

Oh, Keanu Reeves, this is not your come back. What’s funny is while I was watching the preview I was thinking to myself, this really looks like “Training Day” - remember the one with Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington - and then the movie voice guy says, “from the producer and director of ‘Training Day’.” The plot goes a little like this: Keanu’s partner is killed, and he makes it his mission to find the killers, but he has to stay within the confines of the law while he does it. Bring on the justice … and the bad reviews.

See the trailers for the movies below.

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Lindsay Lohan offered to appear completely nude, a full frontal shot, in a scene for her upcoming indie film ‘Florence,’ but the producers turned her down. They only want a topless Lindsay Lohan.

Lindsay Lohan Nude Movie Scene

It looks like Lindsay’s most recent naked photo shoot for New York Magazine has encouraged her to keep taking off her clothes, only this time she gets paid. She did that Marilyn Monroe inspired spread for free, but Lindsay is getting $75,000 to play this role of a (topless) nymphomaniac waitress.

“Lindsay doesn’t care that she’s getting paid peanuts. She just wants to remind people that she can act and she’s worth hiring. She said it would be no problem to appear nude.”

Will this movie help Lindsay top what she accomplished in the 2007 Golden Rasberry Awards? You can see more Razzie award-winning video of Lindsay Lohan stripping below.

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In the second season of one of my favorite shows when I was in high school, Picket Fences , a new D.A. was elected to the small town of Rome, Wisconsin. Don Cheadle played in 35 episodes as D.A. John Littleton, and he immediately drew me in as a very likeable and warm character.

In a time when TV was still a distant second to the silver screen, Cheadle made a smooth transition and has played memorable roles ever since. He played an undercover agent in the Oscar winning Traffic (2000), he was hilarious as an explosives expert with a Cockney accent in Ocean’s Eleven (2001), he was part of another ensemble Oscar winning picture in Crash (2004), he was nominated for an Oscar in the awe shocking Hotel Rwanda (2004), and he played in a movie that was both sweet and sad with Adam Sandler in Reign Over Me (2007).

In 1999, Cheadle played in a lesser known made-for-TV movie, A Lesson Before Dying. Set in the deep South in the 1940s, an African American (played by Mekhi Phifer) is wrongly accused with murder, and his attorney’s only defense to keep him from being sentenced to death is that the black man’s worth is that of a hog and it would be absurd to put a hog on the electric chair. Don Cheadle plays a teacher who helps the young man find his dignity so that he can walk as a man before his life is meaninglessly ended.

This movie was subtly powerful and tragically beautiful. Yes, it was made-for-TV, but it won numerous awards including an Emmy for Outstanding Made for Television Movie. After watching A Lesson I realized two things about Don Cheadle. One, he is very good working with others and he does not need the spotlight. Ensemble movies typically do not work because there is not enough room for all the stars to shine, but Don Cheadle consistently plays in amazing ensemble movies. Second, his characters are always very warm, endearing, and comforting, and if I were behind bars and on death row, I know who I would want my teacher to be.

I think it would be wrong to write about Don Cheadle and not mention his tireless humanitarian work to stop the genocide in Darfur. Here are links to www.1800genocide.com and a CNN article about his efforts.

Click below to see a trailer for Cheadle’s documentary Darfur Now and to view an interview with him regarding Darfur and the 1800Genocide.com organization.

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Rosie Perez and John Leguizamo co-star in an upcoming movie called ‘The Take.’ In the film, the two share a sex scene that Perez is describing as “akward.”

Rosie Perez and John Leguizamo Akward Sex Scene

Rosie says the “akwardness” stems from the fact the two are such good friends.

“It was in the sex scene between husband and wife that things started to go bad. … It was the hardest scene, very difficult,” she said. “I respect him so much and he respects me so much. I know his wife, he knew my husband and introduced me to my boyfriend. It was very awkward. Like brother and sister having to do a sex scene.”

In the film, Leguizamo plays a armored-truck driver and Perez plays his wife, Marina de la Pena, who struggles when their marriage becomes difficult after Feliz (Leguizamo) is shot in an East LA heist. Felix faces a difficult recovery and becomes a very angry person.

After the two worked their way through the scene, Perez admits “in the end, it was one of the best intimate scenes I’ve done.”

It sounds like this movie has had a lot of intense moments. In just the first two days of filming police were called after a gun was pulled on caterers, the set was shut down, and the eight-year-old playing Leguizamo’s son was fired.

“We had to fire the kid who was playing my son because he sucked… He’s gonna be traumatised for life (but) it was either the movie or his future.”

‘The Take’ opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles. You can see more pictures of Rosie Perez below.

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The new DVD releases run the gamit from Oscar winning, to suspense thriller, to mockumentary comedy, to family film, to political commentary. And here they are, your new movies for the small screen that are releasing tomorrow, April 8, 2008. There’s almost too many to count.

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

The Oscar-winning movie “There Will Be Blood” was interesting and entertaining, but it left me hanging a little when I saw it in the theater. Nonetheless, Daniel Day-Lewis was completely deserving of his Best Actor Oscar. Because honestly, no one drinks your milkshake like Daniel Plainview. See one of the funniest SNL skits of 2008 after the jump, where the oilman drinks everyone’s milkshake.

Oh, the plot. Day-Lewis is an oilman in the early 1900’s whose quest for money and power shakes the lives of everyone in his path. When he is tipped off to the possibility of oil in Little Boston, Plainview and his son H.W. head west, and along the way tell the story of love, hope, community, belief, family, power and greed.

Reservation Road

Also on the dramatic side, “Reservation Road” is a film about two men’s reactions to a horrible accident. After Mark Ruffalo hits Joaquin Phoenix’s son with his car, he leaves the scene as the boy dies. During the course of the movie, Ruffalo’s character has to come to terms with what he’s done, while Phoenix’s character has to come to terms with the loss of his son. The movie follows the quest of Phoenix’s character as he seeks the man who killed his son and didn’t let anyone know about it. Although it sounds intriguing with some power-hitters in the line up (not only is there Ruffalo and Phoenix, but Jennifer Connelly joins the cast), the reviews were generally on the down side, calling the film “disappointing” and “clanking”, to name a couple.

Lions for Lambs

Another movie with an all-star cast is “Lions for Lambs”. This political drama stars Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Redford plays a professor trying to inspire a young university student by telling him the story of two of his brightest alumni. Meanwhile, across the country, Cruise is a senator who thinks he’s found a way to make peace in the Middle East. Streep is the reporter who is sent to break the story. Their three worlds become entwined as the story unfolds. A movie to make you think, and a refreshingly different take from the myriad war films coming out these days.

Walk Hard

In the comedy arena this week, there’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”. John C. Reilly plays Dewey Cox, a musical man who makes his way to fame and fortune while overcoming some humorous misadventures along the way, which include sleeping with 411 women, marrying three times, and having 22 kids and 14 step-kids. It’s sure to inspire at least a laugh or two.

Also releasing this week are “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep”, a family film about the Loch Ness monster, “The 11th Hour”, Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary on the environment, and “Resurrecting the Champ”, a movie about a washed up boxer who sells a good story, starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson.

See the trailers of the movies below and the SNL millkshake skit.

Videos

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Lion King and it had been quite some time since I had experienced the circle of life. So, I finally made good on a promise to my little nephew to watch the movie with him, and aside from having a fantastic time, something amazing jumped out at me. When the super cool Rafiki, played by Robert Guillaume, presents Simba to all of the wild by holding him over a cliff, I could not help but have a flashback of Michael Jackson dangling his infant child over a fifth floor hotel balcony in Berlin.

Jackson later apologized for his terrible decision:

“I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children.”

I am convinced that Jackson, who is a huge Disney fan and lives in a warped child-like fantasyland, was inspired by The Lion King to pull that stupid move. Jackson felt as if Prince Michael II, like Simba, is the son of a king. Then, I ran across this rumor on the Internet where the first teasers for The Lion King mentioned Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones would do the music. Well played Disney, well played.

Another sign that Michael Jackson is a fan of The Lion King, and that he is cuckoo for Coco Puffs, is this article about him putting wigs on his well-adjusted children and taking them to the The Lion King on Broadway. I love that he introduces his children as Paris, Prince, and Blanket. And by love, I mean deeply disturbed.

Click below to watch the opening scene of The Lion King where Simba is presented, a clip of Jackson dangling Prince Michael II over a fifth floor balcony, and a clip of Michael Jackson winning the father of the year award.

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‘Sex and the City’ is set for release May 30, 2008 and the girls have posed for some promotional photos. The women range from age 42 to 51-years-old but don’t look a day over 35 in the pictures. They must be thankful for photoshop drink a lot of water. See the pictures below.

‘Sex and the City’ Promo Photos

“Their faces are all now really perfect when women of their ages would have some wrinkles and facial detail.”

I’m guessing Kim wishes they would’ve had the same photoshop artist when she shot this scene on the beach with Jason Lewis.

Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City

Regardless of what kind of work was done, the women look sensational in the promo photos. They continue to set the fashion standard, which was one of the biggest draws to watching the original series. Sarah Jessica Parker is, of course, at the forefront of their style (even if she was voted the unsexiest woman alive), and she can’t wait for the film to release.

“I’m very excited. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it but I’m hoping that it’s worth the wait.”

The biggest question still out there is how will the film end? Will Carrie and Mr. Big walk down the aisle? Audiences will have to wait and see which alternate ending makes the final cut.

You can see all the promo photos and the trailer for the film below.

Photos and Video

It’s that time again - new movies! This Friday is kind of a let down, but every weekend can’t be a blockbuster weekend.

Leatherheads

Leatherheads

“Leatherheads” looks like a “Down With Love”-type comedy, again starring Renee Zellweger, along with George Clooney and John Krasinski. But I was one of the few who enjoyed “Down With Love”, and I like the George-Renee chemistry, so I’ll be sneaking to see this one while the hubby is playing poker with the boys. The plot goes something like this: George Clooney’s football league is going under, but he recruits war hero hottie John Krasinski to save the day. But it’s not going to be that easy, because sports reporter Renee Zellweger is on the case and wants to find the holes in Krasinski’s war story. And of course, romance and hilarity ensue.

Nim’s Island

Jodie Foster and Abigrail Breslin star in this family-fun adventure film about an author (Foster) who has written creative adventure books but who rarely leaves the house. When Abigail, whose hero mirrors Foster’s main character, needs to find her father, the two cross paths and conquer Nim’s Island together. Though reviews have been mixed, most enjoy Jodie Foster’s comedic performance and think it’s fun for the whole family. One critic calls it “above average family entertainment.”

The Ruins

If you’re into horror flicks, “The Ruins” might be right up your alley. Like all these movies do, this one starts off sunny with some young kids on vacation. But the resort just isn’t exciting enough, so the kids go off the beaten path to explore some ancient ruins. When they unexpectedly find themselves atop a sacrificial temple, things go south. Very, very south. Jena Malone, who stars in the movie, says this horror film is unlike any other because the bad guy is you.

“It strips you down so you no longer have your cute little catechisms: how you like to paint your nails, who you are with your best friends, the jokes you acquire. You’re stripped down to your basic need of having water and the will to survive. What animal comes out of you in the midst of such deprivation?”

Stephen King called the book on which the movie is based “the best horror novel of the new century.” So if screams are your thing, this movie might be the one for you this weekend. And I like Jena Malone, so maybe I’ll break my freaky film boycott and check it out.

See the trailers for Leatherheads, Nim’s Island, and The Ruins below.

Videos

Jodie Foster is a woman of many talents, but who knew she could list video games among them. Apparently she loves Guitar Hero, and challengers her kids, Charles, age 9, and Kit, age 6, to a friendly game or two pretty often.

Jodie Foster

Of the family fun, Jodie says,

“Guitar Hero is big… We fight each other over it. I’m bad at it, but I’m still better than them. I have no musical ability. I tried in my life. I tried to learn the trumpet, that wasn’t so good. The good thing about Guitar Hero is you can just (press the buttons and) go ‘blue, green, green, green, blue, green, green…’”

The game is pretty addictive, but it gets tricky when you get to blue and orange. Who can move their fingers that fast? I just don’t get it.

But it’s no secret that celebrities are coming out of the woodwork for their love of video games. Spike recently hosted its 5th annual Video Game Awards, and the movie stars came out in droves.

See more photos of Jodie Foster and a video of Topher Grace discussing video games below.

Photos and Video