Movie News
1. Jackman makes surprise appearance at Comic-Con, announces Stan Lee cameo in 'Wolverine' film
By SANDY COHEN - July 25, 2008
SAN DIEGO (AP) _ The creator of "X-Men" bumped into Wolverine at Comic-Con.After happy introductions between Stan Lee and Hugh Jackman, the actor announced that Lee would make a cameo in the upcoming 20th Century Fox movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," due out next May."Don't tell anyone," Jackman...
2. Anticipated 'Watchmen' aims to answer this summer's blockbuster superhero films
By SANDY COHEN - July 25, 2008
SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Zack Snyder is standing inside a 9,000 pound, tanklike metal pod in the center of the crowded Comic-Con floor. He nonchalantly points out the features of the Owl Ship, a real-life version of the flying vehicle from the award-winning graphic novel "Watchmen.""The Owl Ship's got to...
3. Pitt-iful: Police say camouflaged paparazzi, bodyguards, fight at Jolie-Pitt chateau in France
By JOHN LEICESTER - July 25, 2008
PARIS (AP) _ It sounds like a scene from "Fight Club."French police say camouflaged paparazzi who managed to get onto the grounds of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's chateau in southern France on Thursday fought with the Hollywood couple's guards. Both the paparazzi and the Jolie-Pitt's head of...
4. Mia Farrow calls for global pressure at Olympics to end China's support for Myanmar junta
By Associated Press - July 25, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Mia Farrow said Friday the world should use next month's Olympic Games as a platform to demand that China end its support for Myanmar's junta.China is Myanmar's most important ally, providing economic, military and other aid while Western nations shun the military-ruled...
5. 'Twilight' fans camp overnight for an early look (and a good scream) at the anticipated film
By SANDY COHEN - July 24, 2008
%meta(topic:01005000;ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:movies;%)SAN DIEGO (AP) — If you haven't heard of "Twilight," ask a teenager. The best-selling young-adult book isn't bound for the big screen until December, but fan frenzy for the film practically took over Comic-Con on...
6. Amy Adams engaged to acting-class sweetie and fellow actor Darren Legallo
By Associated Press - July 24, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Now Amy Adams' love life is "Enchanted," too. The Oscar-nominated Adams is engaged to fellow actor Darren Legallo, her publicist, Cari Ross, confirmed Thursday. Ross did not immediately provide further details.The couple reportedly met in acting class in 2001, and plan to tie the...
7. At the Movies: capsule reviews of 'Step Brothers' and other films opening this week
By The Associated Press - July 24, 2008
Capsule reviews of films opening this week:"American Teen" — Nanette Burstein's documentary doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know about high school. It can be a rough time, even if you're pretty and popular. Kids divide themselves into cliques. They can be mean to each other....
8. Movie Review: Good to see Mulder and Scully, but new 'X-Files' leaves little to believe
By CHRISTY LEMIRE - July 24, 2008
The makers of the new "X-Files" movie have done themselves a disservice in coming up with the elongated title, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe." Really, it just invites a whole bunch of bad jokes which, unfortunately, are justified.It's easy to imagine how they might go: I want to believe another "...
9. Judge's ruling prompts Craigslist to reveal who posted ad offering Oscar tickets for sale
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY - July 24, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A judge's ruling has brought the organization that hosts the Academy Awards a step closer to discovering how tickets to this year's show got online.An attorney for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that the organization has learned the identity of a...
10. Movie Review: 'Step Brothers' is several steps below previous Will Ferrell comedies
By CHRISTY LEMIRE - July 23, 2008
The title is "Step Brothers." You know, because there are two of them.But Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are essentially playing the same person, which is the movie's fundamental, irreparable flaw.As 40-year-olds who've never left home and are forced to share a bedroom when their parents get...
11. Comic-book lovers, collectors, gamers and film fans flock to Comic-Con
By SANDY COHEN - July 23, 2008
SAN DIEGO (AP) _ The most passionate Spider-Men, Storm Troopers, Harry Potters and other pop-culture fanatics are headed south for their annual pilgrimage. Comic-Con, the country's biggest comic-book convention, begins Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center.More than 100,000 people a day &#...
12. Together again: Ferrell, Reilly reunite as modern comedy duo with 'Step Brothers'
By DAVID GERMAIN - July 23, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Bob Hope and Bing Crosby might be on the road to nowhere if they tried to team up today the way they did in old Hollywood.Today's funny folks reunite now and then, like Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in "Step Brothers," a follow-up to their 2006 comedy "Talladega Nights: The...
13. Trust everyone: Mulder, Scully, series creators believe in 'X-Files' audience
By DAVID GERMAIN - July 22, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Some Mulder and Scully fans were dubious when the title for the new movie based on their favorite TV show was announced: "The X-Files: I Want to Believe."How, the skeptics wondered, could the two former FBI agents be anything but true believers after years of encountering aliens,...
14. Gillian Anderson: Getting into character for X-Files movie was harder than expected
By Associated Press - July 20, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Gillian Anderson says getting back into Dana Scully's character for "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" was harder than she expected."It was a little odd," Anderson told Newsweek for its July 21 issue. "It was more disconcerting than I anticipated. I expected it to be a breeze. But I...
15. Angelina Jolie leaves hospital in Nice, France, where she gave birth to twins
By JENNY BARCHFIELD - July 19, 2008
PARIS -- Angelina Jolie has left the building. Oh, and so have the twins. Before dawn Saturday, the Hollywood superstar and her newborn twins left the French Riviera hospital where she gave birth a week ago, the hospital said in a statement. "The mother and her babies...
16. Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault call off their engagement
By Associated Press - July 18, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) _ Salma Hayek has called off her engagement to businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, her representative said Friday.The couple announced their plans to wed in March 2007, and welcomed a daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, several months later."We are sad to announce the engagement of...
17. Honor Marie Warren has a cool name _ unlike her famous mama, Jessica Alba
By Associated Press - July 16, 2008
%meta(topic:01005000;ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:movies;%)NEW YORK (AP) — One reason Jessica Alba named her baby daughter Honor was that she felt her own was pretty bland. "I was always irritated that my name was Jessica," the 27-year-old actress tells OK! magazine."Come on, it's...
18. Schwarzenegger names Bo Derek to board overseeing horse racing, betting in California
By Associated Press - July 15, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named actress and animal rights activist Bo Derek on Tuesday to a state commission overseeing horse racing. Derek, 51, was appointed to fill one of two vacant posts on the California Horse Racing Board, a position...
19. Danish film about cop wins Czech festival prize
By Associated Press - July 12, 2008
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The Danish film "Terribly Happy" has won the top prize at the 43rd International Film Festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary.Director Henrik Ruben Genz's film contains elements of horror and western genres and centers on the story of...
20. Verne Troyer reaches settlement that prevents distribution of actor's sex tape, records show
By Associated Press - July 11, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Actor Verne Troyer has settled a lawsuit he filed against a porn broker after the defendant agreed not distribute a sex tape depicting Troyer and a former girlfriend, court documents filed Friday show.Troyer filed a $20 million lawsuit against porn broker Kevin Blatt, distributor...
21. Hollywood power couple ends lawsuit
By Associated Press - July 11, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- A Hollywood power couple are ending their lawsuit against a security firm over a break-in at their Bel-Air home.Attorneys for "The Exorcist" director William Friedkin and former Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing petitioned Wednesday for the case's...
22. Hollywood urges kids to spurn tobacco
By Associated Press - July 11, 2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Hollywood to kids: Our movies glamorize smoking, but don't start yourself.Six major studios will include anti-smoking announcements on millions of DVDs of motion pictures that include scenes with tobacco use.The public service announcements will appear on films rated G, PG and...
23. Review: `Dark Knight' nearly lives up to the hype
By CHRISTY LEMIRE - July 11, 2008
%meta(topic:ap_topic:general entertainment;subtopic:reviews;%)It's difficult to separate the movie from its mystique. Even under ordinary circumstances, "The Dark Knight" would have been one of the most hotly awaited movies of the summer blockbuster season. The loss of Heath Ledger to an...
24. Jackie Chan museum planned in Shanghai
By Associated Press - July 11, 2008
HONG KONG -- Jackie Chan's Web site says construction has begun on a museum for the action movie star in the Chinese financial capital Shanghai.A statement published Friday says the 54-year-old attended a ceremony marking the start of work earlier this week...
25. Spike Lee takes Jackson to task for Obama comments
By LYNN ELBER - July 10, 2008
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Spike Lee says the Rev. Jesse Jackson's crudely phrased criticism of Barack Obama won't affect the Democrat's campaign, which the filmmaker expects to succeed at bringing "seismic" change to the world. "I don't think his (Jackson's) comments...
26. Bruce Lee museum in old home proposed
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
HONG KONG -- A developer who owns Bruce Lee's old home in Hong Kong lobbied the government Thursday to turn the property into a museum.Yu Pang-lin met Thursday with Hong Kong's commerce and economic development secretary about his plans for the two-story house, currently...
27. Publicist: Ethan Hawke has married girlfriend
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
NEW YORK -- Ethan Hawke has married girlfriend Ryan Shawhughes, the actor's publicist said Thursday. The couple, who are expecting a baby, were married last month in New York City, Mara Buxbaum said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "No further details are...
28. Downey does Sherlock with Holmes mystery
By Associated Press - July 10, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Robert Downey Jr. is trading Iron Man's metal suit for Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker hat.Downey is following his action blockbuster "Iron Man" with the title role in "Sherlock Holmes," a mystery drama based on Arthur Conan Doyle's detective and an upcoming...
29. `Clone Wars' orbits Hollywood for Aug. 10 premiere
By Associated Press - July 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- George Lucas is revisiting familiar space in the heart of Hollywood to unveil his new "Star Wars" adventure.The animated tale "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will have its world premiere at the Egyptian Theatre along Hollywood Boulevard on Aug. 10, five days...
30. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long end relationship
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Justin Long and Drew Barrymore have ended their romance, the actor's publicist said Tuesday. "I just wanted to confirm that, yes, they did break up," Carrie Gordon told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that the couple remain friends. Gordon...
31. McConaughey, girlfriend welcome baby boy
By Associated Press - July 8, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Matthew McConaughey's longtime model girlfriend, Camila Alves, has given birth to the couple's first child, a 7-pound, 4-ounce boy.Alves, 24, gave birth Monday night in California and named the child Levi, McConaughey's publicist, Alan Nierob, said in an...
32. Nicole Kidman gives birth to baby girl
By Associated Press - July 7, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A spokesman for Keith Urban says Nicole Kidman gave birth to a baby girl Monday morning in Nashville.Paul Freundlich says Sunday Rose Kidman Urban weighed a little over 6 pounds. He says Urban was by his wife's side, and mother and baby are very well.
33. How's `Hancock' stack up among movie twists?
By DAVID GERMAIN - July 6, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- A Will Smith movie packs in millions of people over Fourth of July weekend. No surprises there.Yet Smith's "Hancock," the tale of an anti-social boozer who happens to be a superhero, comes with an abrupt plot twist, one that has divided critics and the...
34. Brangelina twins will always have Nice
By COLLEEN BARRY - July 4, 2008
NICE, France -- They'll always have Nice.Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's soon-to-be-born twins will always be considered honorary citizens of Nice, regardless of whether they opt to obtain French citizenship, the mayor of Nice said Friday.The Hollywood super couple have...
35. Spielberg group gives $1M to Pa. Jewish museum
By Associated Press - July 3, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- A foundation created by Steven Spielberg is giving $1 million to the National Museum of American Jewish History.The money from the Righteous Persons Foundation will go toward a new, five-story museum building being built in Philadelphia.With the donation,...
36. Judge: Snipes can travel abroad for movies
By Associated Press - July 2, 2008
OCALA, Fla. -- Wesley Snipes will be allowed to leave the United States to work on two movies while his lawyers appeal his tax convictions. Federal judge William Terrell Hodges on Wednesday approved the actor's motion to travel to London and Bangkok, Thailand. Snipes...
37. Jolie goes to hospital to give birth to twins
By Associated Press - July 1, 2008
PARIS -- Angelina Jolie has gone into the hospital in the south of France where she expects to give birth to twins.Nadine Bauer, a spokeswoman for the Lenval Hospital in Nice, said Jolie is fine and that everything is going well. She said the actress' admittance to the...
38. Hospital: `Impossible' to see inside Jolie's room
By JOHN LEICESTER - July 1, 2008
PARIS -- The hospital where Angelina Jolie will give birth says it has covered the windows of her room with a special material to prevent paparazzi from taking pictures of the actress and her partner, Brad Pitt. The Lenval hospital in Nice in southern France said...
39. Heath Ledger's hometown to name theater after him
By Associated Press - July 1, 2008
PERTH, Australia -- The Australian hometown of the late actor Heath Ledger named a theater in his honor Tuesday for his commitment to acting. The $87 million, 575-seat Heath Ledger Theater in Perth is a fitting tribute because Ledger was always supportive of other young...
40. Western extras play bit parts in new Egyptian film
By PAUL SCHEMM - June 30, 2008
CAIRO, Egypt -- A motley group of foreigners -- English teachers, students of Arabic, even a journalist -- gathered on a recent chilly night in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, brought together by a love of cinema, curiosity and a furtive hope of catching a glimpse...
41. Will Smith's kids see `daddy being mean' in film
Associated Press Writer - June 29, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Will Smith usually plays the hero in his summer blockbusters. But in "Hancock," he drinks, swears, mouths off -- and goes to prison.Smith's role as a superhero-gone-bad could be jarring to some moviegoers -- but not his children and wife Jada Pinkett...
42. Strike 2? Hollywood braces for actor walkout
By DAVID GERMAIN - June 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood loves a good sequel, but here's one it could do without: Another union strike just months after the town got up and running again from a devastating walkout by writers.The contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion...
43. Publicist: Thurman engaged to financier Busson
By Associated Press - June 27, 2008
NEW YORK -- It's official: Uma Thurman will marry financier Arpad "Arki" Busson. "I can confirm she is engaged," Thurman's representative, Stephen Huvane, told The Associated Press in an e-mail. Huvane didn't immediately respond Monday when asked for further...
44. TMZ allowed to repost portion of actor's sex tape
By Associated Press - June 27, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The woman in a sex tape featuring Verne Troyer -- best known for his role in the "Austin Powers" movies -- says she allowed celebrity Web site TMZ to broadcast snippets of the tape.Troyer's ex-girlfriend, Ranae Shrider, signed a declaration filed in...
45. Mom of alleged Lohan sister 'wanted it exposed'
By DERRIK J. LANG - June 27, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- The father of a 13-year-old girl who may be Lindsay Lohan's half-sister said the family went public with the story after Lohan's father, Michael, repeatedly refused to provide support.The Montana girl's family is looking into legal options to pursue once...
46. 'Dark Knight' pads weekend haul, finishes with record-breaking $158.4 million debut
By Associated Press - May 14, 2007
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Bruce Wayne just keeps getting richer."The Dark Knight," the crime saga about vigilante Batman and his wealthy alter ego Wayne, debuted with a record $158.4 million, according to final weekend numbers Monday. That was up $3.1 million from studio estimates of $155.3 million a day...
