Britney dating Bollywood choreographer!!!

London (ANI): Popstar Britney Spears is reportedly dating Bollywood dance instructor Sandip Soparrkar, who choreographed her raunchy 'Womanizer' video. Apparently, the 27-year-old flew to Jodhpur for a romantic three-day Christmas break with Sandip who is a pin-up in his native India.

The couple has been dating for three weeks. The Mirror has learnt that the couple even exchanged homemade pressies under the tree. A source said: "It's early days but their romance is going from strength to strength. Britney and Sandip tried to keep their reunion in India hush-hush as they're determined to have a relationship just like any other couple.

"Sandip is very down to earth and keeps Britney grounded. He's also quite spiritual and sensitive, which is a side of him she adores. For Christmas, Sandip or Sandy as Britney calls him presented her with a traditional Indian sari. She wore it during a candlelit dinner. The pair were whispering and giggling all night. Sandy ordered local delicacies including chicken tikka and a cottage cheese curry. Britney was nicking the dough balls from his plate. It was really cute."

Britney, who met Sandip at a party thrown by Madonna earlier this year, is spending the New Year back in Los Angeles.
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Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in

Bollywood King: SRK goes on power trip

Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been labeled the world's biggest movie star by the US based magazine Newsweek. SRK has been rated among the 50 most powerful people in the world along with Sonia Gandhi, Dalai Lama and many more.

SRK has been ranked 41st in the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek.

King Khan is ahead of international biggies including Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama and Jim Rogers among others.

Newsweek described Shah Rukh as the 'King of Bollywood' and applauded his secularism. The magazine quoted "Khan makes devoutly secular films where love trounces bigotry".

"I've never thought of myself as that special. I just thought I'm a mere actor who is doing his job. But this is quite amazing. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I just have maintained that I have already got much more than I deserve, so I need to be returning back by doing more work," said SRK.

"I tell everyone; don't give me numbers, only telephones have numbers. Don't give me stars, only hotels have stars so I'm neither of the two. I just try and do my best and work as hard as I can do and entertain people. I've always like sports. So I've always said that if I do any kind of social work. Socially relevant work more than social work it will be towards sports in India," he said.

With his latest release Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi winning the audience over, SRK indeed is the King of Bollywood.
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news

Bedtime Stories: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell and Russell Brand

The Walt Disney Pictures adventure comedy Bedtime Stories stars Adam Sandler as Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handyman whose life is changed forever when the bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew (Laura Ann Kesling and Jonathan Heit) -- left in his care by his sister Wendy (Courteney Cox) -- start to mysteriously come true. On hand to try to curb the madness and help with the children is Wendy’s responsible friend Jill (Keri Russell) and Skeeter’s friend and sidekick Mickey (Russell Brand). As the stories get wackier and wilder, Skeeter attempts to take advantage of the phenomenon, incorporating his own aspirations into one outlandish tale after another, but it’s the kids’ unexpected contributions that turn his life upside down.

Funnyman Adam Sandler, a father of two young children, recently spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine, along with co-stars Keri Russell and Russell Brand, about making his first family film.

MediaBlvd Magazine> Adam, because you’re a dad, was Bedtime Stories a personal movie for you? Was it inspired by wanting to tell your kids stories on the big screen?

Adam Sandler> Matt Lopez wrote a great script. I read it and I must say that the thing that stood out the most was the gumball scene. I do have kids now. I’ve always wanted to do a family movie. I loved that, every Sunday night, we’d watch a Disney movie with Kurt Russell. I was a big fan of Kurt Russell, growing up. I always wanted to be the modern-day Kurt Russell.

Keri Russell> You are. You’re so alike.

Adam> I live in his old house. I have his old muscles. And, he has a very Semitic look, just like me. No. I loved Lopez’s script. I thought it was sweet. And, I knew Adam Shankman was there to bring a great visual and creative look. He has great style. He’s a great man. A lot of times, the kids end up seeing my movies anyways, but some of their mothers yell at me and tell me I have corrupted their child and influenced them to pee on walls, so I wanted to make sure that I did one movie in my career that mothers hug me for. This could be it.


MediaBlvd> Which genre of the fantasies did you most enjoy doing? Had you always wanted to be a cowboy, a spaceman or a gladiator?

Adam> I looked great in the cowboy hat. I think I was fantastic in the leather pants, in the space scene. I really looked good in the Gladiator costume too. I had my broken ankle for two months of the shoot. I was playing basketball with my nephew and I broke my ankle. Shankman wasn’t happy, but I can handle pain. A lot of times, when I would finish a scene and Shankman would scream cut, in exhaustion, I would fall into Russell’s arms.
Source: http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine

Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 trailer

In Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 players become new recruits in Jillian's boot camp where they enroll in a unique training program composed of challenging fitness tests and an ever-changing series of workouts.

Players choose their workout from four types-Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb-and set the intensity to light, medium or hard for a duration between 10 and 60 minutes.

By completing exciting Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board motion-based challenges that range from crossing monkeybars to climbing ladders and rowing, players can also unlock lifestyle and fitness video tips from Jillian.

Players can even track their progress based on calories burned and workout intensity.

In addition, a Competitive Party Mode lets two players race against each other through entertaining individual challenges or through the entire Physical Training course to earn the winning time.
Source: http://www.3news.co.nz/News

'Slumdog Millionaire' in Time magazine's top 10 movie list

British filmmaker Danny Boyle's critically acclaimed "Slumdog Millionaire", about an Indian game show starring Anil Kapoor and Dev
Slumdog Millionaire
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Patel, has featured in Time magazine's top 10 movies list of the year.

"Slumdog Millionaire", which stands on the seventh position on the list, is based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A". Set in Mumbai, the film revolves around a slum kid who wins a jackpot on a quiz show called "Kaun Banega Crorepati".

Topping the Time magazine's list is animated film "Wall-E".

"Slumdog Millionaire" received critical acclaim post its limited release Nov 12. Also, it wowed audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as the Telluride Film Festival.

Recently, the film's music director A.R. Rahman won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score.

Within the first week of its release in the US, "Slumdog Millionaire" grossed $418,000 in six cities, registering the highest average of any movie during the first weekend.
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

‘Chandni Chowk To China’ to premier in Los Angeles

Warner Bros., which has come together with R S Entertainment and Orion Pictures to make ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ is positive that the film would get a huge release all over. Not just would it have a wide release in India, it will also have a truly international release across the globe while being the biggest ever in US when it comes to a Bollywood flick.

Confirms Warner Bros India country manager Blaise Fernandes, "For us, ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ is not a film which would be restricted to the Indian shores. We are treating it as any other international film and will be taking it across the globe. In US alone, we are making sure that it is the biggest ever Bollywood release. The scale at which we will be unleashing the flick there, while beginning with a premiere at none less than Los Angeles, will be unprecedented."

In India as well, the banner has plans for an extraordinary release. "We are aiming for a 1400 screens release for ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ in India", reaffirms Blaise.

A wide release like this makes sense still it would be the first major release of 2009. At the moment, only ‘Horn Ok Pleassss’ has been singled out as a release on 9th January and the probability of it arriving on the same day is dicey as well. Moreover, with a 16th January release, ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ would have given ‘Ghajini’ enough space to make money after it's 25th December release. A three week gap would have made audience hungry while asking for more and by that time ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ would be all set to satiate the appetite.

Earlier this year, ‘Singh Is Kinng’ too was released at 1400 screens in India alone. In 2007 and 2008, Akshay Kumar films have been fetching huge releases in not just India but also overseas, hence making him a formidable force. While in India, he is pretty much neck to neck with Shah Rukh Khan, in overseas too he is gaining quite a name for himself after Shah Rukh as well as Hrithik Roshan who have enjoyed a steady market there. When asked what prompted the makers of ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ to premiere the film in Los Angeles, Akshay Kumar quipped in his trademark tone, "Arrey bhaiyya, the producers are Warner Bros. here. And if they would have belonged to Nepal, we would have held the premiere there too. No questions asked!"

Well, of course, when it comes to Akshay Kumar, there indeed are no questions asked! For the records ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ is being released across Japan, Germany and Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway. In addition, there are also efforts being made to premiere the film in New York, London, Dubai, Mumbai and Delhi apart from Los Angeles.
Source: http://www.screenindia.com/

Hollywood calling

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London's tony Park Lane is the kind of pricey restaurant dealmakers go to when they want to shake hands on a really big one.

That's where Fox Filmed Entertainment Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos, Fox STAR Studios India CEO Vijay Singh, and producer-director Vipul Shah met earlier this month before announcing to the media Fox Star Studio's first of a series of co-production and acquisition partnerships in Bollywood.

At about $25 million for two films over the next 18 months, it's small change for a Hollywood studio whose parent company made $28.7 billion in revenue last year.

But a small step for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is a giant leap in the ongoing love affair between an embattled Hollywood where revenues are plateauing and a cash-rich Bollywood with a growing domestic market.

Part of the increased interest from Hollywood is because despite efforts to dub their films in Hindi, running a blitzkrieg marketing them, and even going big with the release (for instance Sony is releasing over 600 prints of the new Bond film, Quantum of Solace), foreign movie revenues have not grown.

As Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, puts it, "They've realised they need to be a long-term player here and build relationships." So though Murdoch may have been the prime mover in the West's chalo India strategy, having bought Star TV in 1993 from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing, he is not the only media mogul to look east.

Akshay Kumar (left) and Deepika Padukone in Chandni Chowk To China

American majors are not new to Indian television but Hollywood is just waking up to Bollywood's potential, having put down $100 million in it cumulatively so far.

Walt Disney, after several false starts, including one bitter fallout with Indian Premier League's current hero, Lalit Modi, back in the days when he was chairman of Modi Entertainment Network, is a strategic investor in UTV with a 32 per cent stake bought for $200 million.

Apart from that, it has a three-animation movie deal with Yash Raj Films, the first of which, Roadside Romeo, releases this month. Viacom, apart from its interests in television, has a joint venture with TV18 in the Indian Film Company (IFC), which last year raised $112 million at London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market.

IFC is also in negotiations with CIT, a middle market lender that has done substantial deals in Hollywood, for a $150-million line of credit. That's not all. Warner Bros is waiting for the release of its first coproduction in India with Ramesh Sippy Entertainment and Orion Pictures, the extravagant Chandni Chowk to China, even as Sony Pictures Entertainment is recovering from the tanking of its first Hindi film, the $8-million Saawariya, and has announced a co-investment deal with Eros International.

Walt Disney has signed a three-animation movie deal with Yash Raj Films

And, oh yes, big shots from talent agencies such as the powerful CAA and the pedigreed William Morris have made several rounds of movie producer offices in Bandra and Andheri.

Add to that interest from a whole range of banks and hedge funds which are in the market for co-production deals, though less so after the global meltdown, and clearly everyone seems to want a piece of the India action.

Not because of Hollywood movie revenues in India certainly, which even in the best of times are not more than 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the total annual box-office revenue, compared to 88 per cent in a nation like Britain, but also because of the domestic market, which sells 3.7 billion tickets, compared to just 1.4 billion in the US.

The revenues currently from India may seem puny, but the studios and film funds are betting on an India of the future where ticket prices will be more than the current average of 20 cents (the US average is $6), where there will be more than 12,000 screens, and where there is huge potential of growth of the home video market (which currently contributes 8 per cent to the market, compared to over 40 per cent of the total revenue in the US).

As Sanford Panitch, president of the newly established Fox International Productions, puts it, "Hollywood studios will become the force for transparency in India." They will also, he believes, be able to raise the bar on scriptwriting and visual effects. Or as an agent at William Morris puts it, "Bollywood will make more westernised movies but in the Indian genre, culture and language."

Chris Rock (centre) in I Think I Love My Wife

Is it any wonder then that News Corp chairman Murdoch, Walt Disney chairman Bob Iger and Time Warner Chairman and CEO Richard Parsons have officially declared India to be the winner in the India vs China debate for Hollywood?

In 2005, Parsons, while speaking at a lunch with the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, called China "a very tough market for a media and entertainment company. It's hard to make long-term investments if you don't exactly know what the playing field is going to look like."

Globalisation is the order of the day in Hollywood. Disney, whose businesses range from movies to theme parks and resorts, made almost a quarter of its $35.5 billion revenues outside North America last year.

And only last month, Iger said, "the best way for Disney to grow in markets such as India, China and Russia is for those markets to have a sense of ownership". As for Murdoch, he has repeatedly pointed out the advantages of India's rule of law, despite it being an "imperfect democracy".

Source: http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in

Slumdog wins three awards at BIFAS

London (PTI): Slumdog Millionaire, an English movie based on the award-winning novel of Indian Diplomat Vikas Swarup, won three awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAS) ceremony here.

The story of the Danny Boyle's film featuring Anil Kapoor revolves around a Mumbai teenage boy who astounds all by doing well on 'Kaun Banega Karorpati', Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire quiz show.

The film won the award in the category of best film, best director and best newcomer (for its British lead actor).

The former artistic director of the Royal Court theatre, Boyle, was talk of the night and is already on many pundits' Oscar prediction lists.

Earlier, he has directed films like Trainspotting showing Edinburgh heroin addicts and The Beach in which Leonardo DiCaprio played the main role.

The young lead actor of Slumdog Millionaire, Harrow-born Dev Patel, best known to British audiences as Anwar in E4's Skins, won the best newcomer award.

The film tells the story of a Mumbai street child. As he does well on the quiz show, flashbacks chronicle his life, the realities of which Danny Boyle does not flinch from showing.

Boyle's film, a third of which is spoken in Hindi opens in the UK on January 9 but has already down well on the festival circuit and opened to fantastic reviews in the US.
Source: http://www.hindu.com/

Movie Review: ‘Twilight’ (2008)

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Twilight

Twilight is a film fueled by online fan fervor as fans of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling teen-vampire franchise took to the Internet to talk about the upcoming film adaptation. The media was late to catch on to the obsession, but once they did Twilight was all anyone could talk about due to the short-term attention boost it brought to any outlet willing to dedicate space to the story. Shopping mall riots, online insanity and crying 14-year-olds denied access to my screening of the film all come with the territory. The only question is: Is it worth it?

Regardless of quality Twi-hards, as the obsessed fan base has come to be known, will enjoy this film no matter what. It’s their favorite characters brought to life on the big screen and that alone is enough for them. Where the film goes wrong they can just fill in the blanks. Will that stop them from recognizing the film really isn’t all that good? I don’t think so, it just won’t matter. Because, the fact is, Twilight is not a good movie. It assumes too many in the audience have read the book of which the film is based, and as a result will leave the uninitiated scratching their heads with boredom. To that effect, it will have the same impact on the people that have read the book but don’t have a crush on the film’s male lead, Robert Pattinson playing Edward Cullen, the embodiment of the perfect man. Edward’s only flaw is that he is a vampire, but if I am reading the metaphor correctly this is actually a good thing because every girl wants an overprotective boyfriend that only wants to suck the life out of you. As long as he is “beautiful” and shimmers in the sun like white diamonds the rest doesn’t matter.

The adjective laden descriptions of Edward are not as heavy handed and sappy as they are in Meyer’s novel, but his early inability to cope with being in the presence of Isabella “Bella” Swan (Kristen Stewart) is downright laughable, just ask the audience I saw the film with as they were laughing nearly 50% of the time as Edward’s face twists and contorts into looks of extreme constipation and clenched fists as Bella enters the room. Long staring matches between villains and friends become old hat and the film dissolves into something of an inside joke that only the truly obsessed seem in on.

Ultimately the story of Bella Swan as she moves from Phoenix, Arizona to the small town of Forks, Washington mirrors the book almost too well as much of Meyer’s writing is dedicated to lust filled longing glances as Bella, the human prey, is drawn to Edward as much as he is drawn to her. Her motives, instead of being filled with lust as they were on the page, now seem to be choices made out of pure stupidity and naiveté. This is where the film relies on the source material far too much as those that have read the story of Edward and Bella already know the relationship’s motivations and will see through the onscreen melodrama, but those unaware folk will be left in the dark.

Pattinson and Stewart aren’t a horrible match in this picture, but both had very hard roles to pull off due to the film’s dedication to the amateurish dialogue lifted from the novel. No one could have pulled off such sappy and mundane discussions, but it does improve as the film moves forward and each become more comfortable as their characters, but only to the point the dialogue becomes a bit more - “real?”

The best performances come from the supporting cast, primarily Bella’s father, Charlie, played by Billy Burke. Charlie, along with a few of Bella’s human friends at school are the only actors with believable roles. None of the actors playing the vampires seem comfortable in their character’s skin, except perhaps, Rachelle Lefevre (one of the baddie vamps) whose role is so limited giving her any kind of credit is really a stretch.

The special effects are extremely weak and have the feeling of a made-for-TV movie and the direction of Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) feels as if it is done by a fangirl just as in love with the characters as the target audience. Long tracking shots and 360-degree camera pans focusing on ineffectual scenes of nothingness do zero for an audience just waiting for something to happen. It’s impossible to project the emotional status offered up in Meyer’s novels on film without something to keep the audience watching. Fans of the book may enjoy nearly two hours of Edward gazing, but those unfamiliar with the original story will just be left yawning.

Source: http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/

Intimacy - the Best Stress Buster for Couples

Results of a recent study have said that couples who hug and kiss have lower stress hormone levels in their bodies especially if they are married.

The week long Swiss study by researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, of 51 German couples who were mostly married checked the cortisol levels in their saliva. Cortisol, a hormone in the body, also responsible for several stress-related changes in the body, is secreted by the adrenal glands, has been termed “the stress hormone” because high levels of it are secreted during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. Small increases in cortisol have positive effects on the body like helping in proper glucose metabolism and regulation of blood pressure. Higher levels of cortisol are seen in the morning with its lowest levels at night.

The study found that the couples who reported having more physical contact either from holding hands, sexual intercourse or just kissing and cuddling had lower levels of cortisol. Even couples who had more work related stress cut down on their cortisol levels by displays of affection and intimacy.

Beate Ditzen of Zurich University, who conducted the research said intimacy seemed to improve the hormone levels by boosting the mood. She stressed that it was not intimacy per se that was needed but couples finding things they could do together that would create positive feelings for each other. The definition of intimacy differs from couple to couple and Dr Ditzen said. "This means that there is no specific behavior that couples should show in everyday life. Rather, all kinds of behavior which couples themselves would consider intimate... might be beneficial,” the expert added.

Source: http://www.topnews.in/healthcare

The Hollywood Reporter Announces Annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast Celebrating Its 17th Power 100: Women in Entertainment Issue

LOS ANGELES, Nov 10, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Hollywood Reporter today announced its Annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast, celebrating its Power 100: Women in Entertainment issue. The event will take place on Friday, December 5 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Emmy Award-winning actress Glenn Close will receive the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, honoring a woman who has been a pioneer in the entertainment industry. She joins past recipients Barbara Walters, Meryl Streep and Jodie Foster.

The special event is held in conjunction with the publication of The Reporter's annual "Power 100: Women in Entertainment" special issue, honoring the top 100 women in the motion picture and television industries. Since its inception 16 years ago, the annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast is again presented and sponsored by Lifetime Networks, which includes Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network, the top two channels for women.

"Glenn Close is a prolific actress who has achieved a great deal of success in every acting arena. She's an Emmy Award winner and multiple Academy Award nominee, a Tony and Golden Globe winner whose accomplishments go far beyond her accolades," said The Hollywood Reporter Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Guider. "She is a consummate practitioner of the acting craft. With her dedication to the New York independent film community and her long association with the Sundance Institute, the industry doesn't have a more dedicated advocate than Glenn Close."

This year's program will include a much-anticipated Q&A with Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal, Disney Media Networks co-chairman Anne Sweeney and Harpo chairman Oprah Winfrey, moderated by Guider. In addition, Oscar-nominated actress Sigourney Weaver will be a featured speaker.

In addition to Lifetime, this year's breakfast is held in association with Mikimoto. Teleflora is also a participating sponsor.

The event will begin at 8am with a champagne reception sponsored by American Women in Radio & Television, followed by the breakfast program, which will include Lansing's presentation of the Leadership Award to Close, a welcome by Lifetime Networks President & CEO Andrea Wong and remarks by Weaver followed by the Q&A panel. Spanx is the gifting room sponsor.
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news

Cop proposes Bipasha in Kashmir

Bipasha Basu is in Kashmir shooting for Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa but huge crowds and marriage proposals are getting in the way of her work. A unit member from Lamhaa says, "Bipasha is one of the biggest crowd pullers we've ever seen. She's been shooting in strife-torn Srinagar for the last two weeks and wherever she goes sex appeal draws huge crowds."

Local cops and BSF personnel are providing security for the shoot, and accompany the actress and the crew everywhere. On one such occasion, one of the cops covering the shoot got so smitten by Bip's persona that he walked up to her and proposed in front of the cast and crew!"

The source adds that Bipasha was stunned. "Initially, she was flustered. Though Bipasha is used to men getting over-enthusiastic around her; normally, boyfriend John Abraham is around to handle awkward situations. This time, Bipasha had to deal with it herself. After her initial hesitation, she turned to him and politely but very firmly turned down his proposal.
She told the guy that John was in her life and they both loved each other very much." The guy stood there bemused till the unit's security staff took him away.

Bipasha, who is still shooting in Srinagar, says, "The proposal is something silly. I don't really want to talk about it. I am here to work and not to get marriage proposals from cops. I wish they understood that."

Bipasha, who plays a Kashmiri girl in Lamhaa, adds, "Things are still not normal here. The Kash-miris are very sensitive and simple people and I think, because of the state of affairs for years, they take time to trust people. So we have a few problems when we go to shoot but hopefully after Wednesday's press conference, we will get their support and help during the shoot. The film is very real and my director is passionate."

Bipasha had last visited Kashmir when she was six years old but she's enjoying herself all over again. "I'm happy to be here even though it's a very sensitive area because it's such a beautiful place. But you see cops everywhere. Being an actor, it's not easy for me to go anywhere without security but that happens in all cities and Srinagar is not any different. I would like to feel it's normal." Bipasha has a wish for the people of Kashmir. She says, "I wish them peace and prosperity that they deserve. I hope we can film here peacefully."
Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood

Hollywood already in holiday mode

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood's year-end boxoffice smorgasbord tends to be equal parts HomeTown Buffet and Four Seasons champagne brunch.

From the animated sequel "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," which opens Friday, to the Christmas prestige film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," diverse releases crowd the final two months of 2008.

Data service Nielsen EDI defines the holiday season -- one of five on the box office calendar -- as running from the weekend before Thanksgiving through the frame after New Year's, i.e. November 21 to January 4. But three sessions before Turkey Day, distributors are already lining up their most prized releases.

To wit: DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" sequel, which is getting a head start now rather than waiting for the holiday.

"It's a movie that feels like it should play strongly all the way through Thanksgiving vacation," says Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore, whose studio distributes DreamWorks Animation releases.

Next Friday boasts what will likely be one of the fourth quarter's biggest releases: the James Bond thriller "Quantum of Solace," from Sony and MGM. The Daniel Craig starrer is considered a lock to play strongly well into December, especially considering its huge U.K. opening, much like Sony's November 2006 Bond opener "Casino Royale."

Two weeks from now, over the November 21 frame, wide openers will include the season's biggest teens-and-tweens title, "Twilight," from newbie distributor Summit. Based on a series of high school vampire novels, the potential franchise-starter could sink its teeth into some serious business if the marketplace matches its prerelease Internet hype.
Source: http://ca.reuters.com/article

Barack Obama wins the presidential US election

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday night congratulated his Democratic rival Barack Obama on the latter's projected victory inthe presidential election.

According to ABC News, Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, is projected to have won 338 electoral votes, far exceeding the 270 minimum votes needed to win the presidency.

In a speech after conceding defeat, McCain urged all Americans to join him in congratulating Obama on his projected victory in the presidential election.

"I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him leadus through the many challenges we face," McCain said before his supporters in Phoenix, Arizona.

McCain's running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, was standing beside him, with tears in her eyes.

With his projected victory, Obama will become the country's 44th president.

Tuesday also marked the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history -- 21 months.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/

Sex and the Single Kid

So it’s the day before the election that will supposedly sweep away all vestiges of conservatism in American life and what do I find? The Washington Post carries a front-page story about TV contributing to teen pregnancy.

“Teenagers who watch a lot of television featuring flirting, necking, discussion of sex and sex scenes are much more likely than their peers to get pregnant or get a partner pregnant, according to the first study to directly link steamy programming to teen pregnancy.”

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, followed 700 12- to 17-year-olds for three years. Those who viewed the most sex-drenched TV shows were twice as likely as their peers to impregnate someone or get pregnant themselves

The Post interviewed the usual “experts” for reactions to the research. “We have a highly sexualized culture that glamorizes sex,” said Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association. Well now, there’s an understatement!

Look no further than the pages of the Washington Post itself. It features an almost-daily ad on Page Two that touts “Sex for Life” and features imagery of a man and woman with come hither looks. She dangles her bra over his shoulder. Recently, the Post saw fit (as did the New York Times and I’m sure many other “family” newspapers) to publish an obituary for that great cultural icon Jerry Gerard, whose contribution to the world was pornography like Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones. I don’t know about you, but I could have let him meet his Maker unheralded. Publishing an obit for a pornographer (remember when that was a dirty word?) is part of the general mainstreaming of pornography. You can order it at most hotels now. And so can your kids if they are in a separate room and you are not very careful. Sometimes the Playboy channel is offered without the necessity to order it by phone. Isn’t that grand for the kids who are in the adjoining room to mom and dad?

This sort of thing is not limited to liberal outlets, of course. We have XM radio in our car. The commercials that run on the Fox News channel seem to be about 50 percent for Viagra and other “performance enhancing” drugs. Aside from explicitly Christian and other religious entertainment (which is overly goody two shoes for my taste), inappropriate sexual content is everywhere — in music and music videos, in magazines (have you been to a supermarket checkout lately?), in video games, in movies, and on television.

Television is our national teacher. American children spend more time in front of the TV screen (an average of four hours daily) than at any other non-school waking activity. The Parents Television Council has reported that in 2005, Desperate Housewives was the most popular broadcast TV show among kids aged 9-12. Bill Cosby is so right: It’s so easy to use sex and profanity to get a laugh. How much more difficult to strive for genuine wit.

So the kids are utterly bombarded from the youngest ages with sexual messages. And with 54 percent of kids having a TV in their bedroom, most parents are clearly not shielding them. The PTC also reports that “46 (percent) of high school students in the United States have had sexual intercourse. Although sex is common, most sexually active teens (say they) wish they had waited longer to have sex, (suggesting) that sex is occurring before youths are prepared for its consequences. One case of an STD is diagnosed for every 4 sexually active teens.”
Source: http://article.nationalreview.com/

Meet Hollywood's hottest mums (+pics)

Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry are among the Hottest Mums in Hollywood according to a new list, but they've been beaten to the top spot by a surprise entry.

Jolie and Berry - who both gave birth earlier this year - join a host of star beauties in the list compiled by Fox News.com.

It was topped by blonde US TV presenter Kelly Ripa, who has three children with husband Mark Consuelos.

Tomb Raider star Jolie made eleventh place for "her amazing ability to balance being an activist, movie star and mum", while Halle came second as she "just seems to get better with age". Other entrants in the list included country singer Faith Hill in third place and new mother Jessica Alba, who was fourth.

Moore, who has three daughters with ex-husband Bruce Willis, was the oldest mother on the list, with Fox saying the 45-year-old star has "redefined the meaning of hot in your 40s".

Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Heidi Klum made sixth and seventh places respectively, with the rest of the list made up by actress Isla Fisher, who has a daughter Olive with Sacha Baron Cohen, Nicole Richie - who gave birth to daughter Harlow, her first child with Joel Madden, in January - and mother-of-two Gwen Stefani.

Fox News.com Top 11 Hottest Mums in Hollywood:
1. Kelly Ripa
2. Halle Berry
3. Faith Hill
4. Jessica Alba
5. Demi Moore
6. Cindy Crawford
7. Heidi Klum
8. Isla Fisher
9. Nicole Ritchie
10. Gwen Stefani
11. Angelina Jolie

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/