Scarlett Johansson Biography

Scarlett I. Johansson (born November 22, 1984)is an actress and singer of American and Danish citizenship.Johansson rose to fame with her role in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and subsequently gained critical acclaim for her roles in Ghost World, Lost in Translation (for which she won a BAFTA), and Girl with a Pearl Earring, the latter two earning her Golden Globe Award nominations in 2003.

On May 20, 2008, Johansson debuted as a vocalist on her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, with cover versions of Tom Waits songs.


Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from the Bronx. Johansson's parents met in Denmark, where her mother lived with Johansson's maternal grandmother, Dorothy, a former bookkeeper and schoolteacher. Johansson has an older sister, Vanessa, who is also an actress; an older brother, Adrian; a twin brother, Hunter, also an actor; and a half-brother, Christian, from her father's re-marriage.

Johansson grew up in a household with "little money" with a mother who was a "film buff". Johansson began her theater training by attending and graduating from Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2002. She attended P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village for elementary school.



Johansson began acting during childhood, after her mother began taking her to auditions.She made her film debut in 1994's North. After appearing in several films during the late 1990s, including a very brief appearance in the Mandy Moore video for her single "Candy", Johansson garnered praise and widespread attention for her performance in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and 2001's Ghost World.


She won the "Upstream Prize" for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in 2003's Lost in Translation. The same year, she was nominated for two Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes, one for drama (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and one for comedy (Lost in Translation). She was also nominated for Best Actress for both films at the BAFTAs, and won Best Actress for Lost in Translation.

Johansson was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2004.In the same year, she starred in the films The Perfect Score, In Good Company and A Love Song for Bobby Long, the last of which earned her a third Golden Globe Award nomination. Johansson was involved for a short time with the film Mission: Impossible III, but was not officially cast because of scheduling conflicts, although a falling out with the film's star, Tom Cruise, had been both widely reported and publicly denied.She was replaced by Keri Russell.

In July 2005, Johansson starred with Ewan McGregor in Michael Bay's The Island, making her debut as a female lead in a mainstream action film. In the same year, she starred in the Woody Allen-directed drama Match Point, which opened in December. Johansson received her fourth Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role, but lost to Rachel Weisz.

Johansson's next film, Scoop, another collaboration with Allen, was released on July 28, 2006. The same year, she appeared in Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia, a film noir shot in Los Angeles and Bulgaria. Johansson has noted that she was a De Palma fan and had wanted to work with him on the film, even though she thought that she was "physically wrong" for the part.Her reviews were mixed: CNN.com noted that Johansson "takes to the pulpy period atmosphere as if it were oxygen," whereas the Kalamazoo Gazette referred to Johansson as "miscast."



On January 14, 2006, Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live. Also in 2006, Johansson starred in a short film directed by Bennett Miller and set to Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down...", released to promote Dylan's album, Modern Times.[15] Johansson also appeared in the Christopher Nolan thriller The Prestige, which opened on October 20, 2006. She made a return appearance on Saturday Night Live on April 21, 2007, during which she dueted with Andy Samberg for a version of Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About."


Johansson next appeared in 2007's The Nanny Diaries, starring alongside Laura Linney, and 2008's The Other Boleyn Girl, opposite Natalie Portman and Eric Bana.She has filmed her third Woody Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in Spain.

Johansson has signed on for three new projects. She was cast as the femme fatale Silken Floss in Frank Miller's noir comedy adaptation of Will Eisner's comic The Spirit. The film has completed production and will be released in US theaters on December 25th, 2008. She will also portray Mary, Queen of Scots in a film scheduled to begin production in March 2008,and appear as a pilates instructor in He's Just Not That Into You, with Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Justin Long. The film is directed by Ken Kwapis and produced by Barrymore.



In 2005, Johansson was considered for the role of Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End revival of The Sound of Music, though the role ultimately went to newcomer Connie Fisher after she won BBC's talent show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?Released May 8, 2006, Johansson sang the track "Summertime" for Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars, a non-profit collection of songs recorded by Hollywood actors. She also performed with The Jesus And Mary Chain for a special Coachella Reunion Show in Indio, California in April 2007.

In 2007, she appeared as the leading lady in Justin Timberlake's music video for "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around," nominated in August 2007 for video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards.



In the summer of 2007, Johansson spent about a month in Maurice, Louisiana recording an album at Dockside Studio, a rural 12-acre (49,000 m2) complex. The album consists of one original song and ten cover versions of Tom Waits songs.It was produced by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and features David Bowie, members from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Celebration.The record, entitled Anywhere I Lay My Head was released on May 20, 2008, through Atco/Rhino Records,amid a negative "critical consensus, stretching from comments on Gawker.com to the pages of The New York Times."Reviews of the album were mixed to somewhat positive.Criticisms include her sub-par Ann Wilson-style vocal abilities and the perceived failure to add a new dimension to the well-established classics she chose to cover. Conversely, some critics found it to be surprisingly alluring,brave in its eccentric selection,and even brilliant.The album was named the '23rd best album of 2008' by NME.

In December of 2008, TwentyFourBit.com reported Johansson plans to follow-up Anywhere I Lay My Head with an album of all original music, telling MTV, “I don’t think I’d do covers, so it’d be a project that I have to dedicate myself to. I feel like that’s something for the future.”

Johansson does not discuss her personal life with the press, saying "it's nice to have everybody not know your business." This has not stopped Johansson from sharing "select" opinions and personal details.Johansson's ex-boyfriend (and member of the band Steel Train), Jack Antonoff, wrote lyrics that refer to Johansson in the song "Better Love."Antonoff alludes to Johansson in the song "2 O'clock." She has been linked to many famous men, including Derek Jeter, Benicio del Toro, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and her Black Dahlia co-star Josh Hartnett. They dated for about two years until the end of 2006, with Hartnett citing their busy lives as the reason for the split.She dated Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds,and on May 5, 2008, it was reported that the two were engaged.



On September 27, 2008, Johansson and Reynolds were married at a quiet ceremony outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Johansson has expressed a concern about the potential conflict between the nature of human beings and the concept of monogamy. However, she has also stated "contrary to popular belief... [I am] not promiscuous" and that she works "really hard" when she's in a relationship "to make it work in a monogamous way."She gets tested for HIV twice a year, and has said "it's part of being a decent human" and it is "disgusting" and "irresponsible" when people do not do so.

Johansson is close to her twin brother Hunter, and often gives him advice on women and dating.

She has criticized the media and Hollywood for promoting an image that causes unhealthy diets and eating disorders among women, saying "that being ultra-thin is not sexy at all. Women shouldn't be forced to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body images that the media promote."

Johansson appeared on the cover of the March 2006 issue of Vanity Fair in the nude alongside actress Keira Knightley and world-renowned fashion designer Tom Ford. In March 2006, she topped the U.S. edition of FHM's poll of the sexiest women alive (in the UK edition Johansson was third). In 2007, Maxim named Johansson #3 in their Hot 100 issue.In November 2006, Johansson was named "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire.In February 2007, she was named the "Sexiest Celebrity" of the year by Playboy.

About her religious affiliation, Johansson says: "That's a very personal question. I would rather not answer." She celebrates a "little of both" referring to Christmas and Hanukkah. She dislikes when celebrities thank God or Jesus in their award acceptance speeches. She described herself as Jewish when she was talking about Woody Allen. "I just adore Woody," she says. "We have a lot in common. We're New Yorkers, Jewish. We have a very easygoing relationship."

Johansson is a Global Ambassador for the aid and development agency, Oxfam. On March 14, 2008, a UK-based bidder by the name of Bossnour paid £20,000 for a 20 minute date with Johansson on an online auction for Oxfam on eBay. The bidder paid for a hair and make up treatment and the chance to accompany Johansson on her July premiere of He's Just Not That Into You.

She is a fan of the children's television show SpongeBob Squarepants. She supplied the voice of Mindy the Mermaid in The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie.

Together with Michael Caine, she co-hosted the 2008 Nobel Peace Concert.

Valkyrie Movie Preview

VALKYRIE - Teaser Trailer

Valkyrie is a 2008 historical thriller film set in WWII Nazi Germany. The film is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Tom Cruise. It depicts the July 20, 1944 plot of German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and marks the re-teaming of Singer and producer/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise portrays the leader of the plot, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.

Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of Stauffenberg's family because of the actor's practice of Scientology, though German newspapers and filmmakers gave support to the film to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg's plot. The filmmakers of Valkyrie initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany, but they were later given leeway to film in locations pertaining to the film's story, such as Berlin's historic Bendlerblock.

The film changed release dates from as early as June 27, 2008 to as late as February 14, 2009. The changing calendar and poor response to United Artists's initial marketing campaign drew criticism about the studio's viability. After a positive test screening, Valkyrie was ultimately released on December 25, 2008. United Artists renewed its marketing campaign to reduce its focus on the star Tom Cruise and to play up director Bryan Singer's previous credentials. The film will open in Germany on January 22, 2009.

Premise
Based on a true story.

During World War II, German Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is severely wounded in Africa, and returns home to Nazi Germany. Stauffenberg helps conceive Operation Valkyrie, a plan approved by Adolf Hitler which, in order to manage turmoil within Germany, would implement a shadow government in the event of the Nazi Führer's death.

The Colonel eventually joins the German Resistance and becomes part of the July 20 plot, a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler and execute Valkyrie in order to take control of the country and make peace with the Allies. Stauffenberg finds himself taking on not only the responsibility of leading the coup, but also the task to assassinate Hitler himself, a plot, that if fails, could have deadly consequences for Stauffenberg, his family, and the other members of the coup

Starring
Tom Cruise
Christian Berkel
Kenneth Branagh
Kevin McNally
Carice van Houten
Bill Nighy
David Schofield
Terence Stamp

Transformers 2 : Revenge of the Fallen Preview

Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen



Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an upcoming science fiction film due for release on June 26, 2009. It is the sequel to 2007's Transformers, which was the first live action Transformers film. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg return respectively as director and executive producer, while Shia LaBeouf reprises the role of Sam Witwicky, the human caught in the war between Autobots and Decepticons. The film introduces many more robots and the scope has been expanded to numerous countries.

The main hurdle in getting the film produced was overcoming the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, as well as possible strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. Bay met his shooting date with the help of previsualization and a scriptment by his writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and series newcomer Ehren Kruger. Shooting from May to October 2008 predominantly took place in the United States, including the majority of scenes set in outside countries, a minimum of which was conducted in those actual nations.

Premise
Roberto Orci described the film's theme as the robots confronting "being away from home", with the focus between the robots and humans "much more evenly balanced". The tone will be similar to the first film, but "the stakes will be higher"(with a more global sensibility), and there will be more focus on the science fiction elements. Orci also said "we'll be better at modulating [the humor] this time". Structurally, the plot will be "more organically interconnected in that TF1 had the structure of three story lines coming together at Hoover. TF2 will have a different structure." When asked about the pyramids in the film, Orci stated "they're really old. And oddly, though most people consider them tombs, no bodies have ever been found

Will Smith Biography

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968)is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He is one of a small group of people who have enjoyed success in three major entertainment media in the United States. Newsweek has called him the most powerful actor on the planet.Smith has been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammys.

Smith rose to fame as a rapper under the name the Fresh Prince in the late 1980s. Smith's most notable television role was that of William "Will" Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In his film work, his notable roles include Agent J in Men in Black and its sequel, Men in Black II, Detective Del Spooner in I, Robot, Muhammad Ali in Ali, Detective Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys and its sequel, Bad Boys II, as well as his role in the blockbuster Independence Day and more recently as Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness with his son Jaden Smith and as Robert Neville in I Am Legend with his daughter Willow Smith. He is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office as well as being the only actor to have eight consecutive films open at #1 on the domestic box office as a Lead Actor. If Lakeview Terrace is included (a film which he only produced) he has 9 consecutive films opening at #1



Smith, an African American,was born and raised in West Philadelphia and Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer.He was raised Baptist. His parents divorced when he was thirteen.Smith's charming and sly demeanor in school resulted in the nickname "Prince", which eventually turned into the "Fresh Prince". While still in his teens, Smith began rapping and eventually began collaborating with Jeff Townes (a.k.a. D.J. Jazzy Jeff), whom he met at a party. He attended Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was born with Smith handling the rhymes and Townes overseeing the mastery of mixing and scratching – the combination was a pop and hip-hop hit during the 1980s and early 1990s.

While it is widely reported that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he never applied to MIT,although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there.According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."



Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime." They gained critical acclaim for winning the first ever Grammy in the Rap category (1988). He had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Gulf War song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.

was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him. The show was successful and launched his acting career. Smith set himself the goal of becoming "'the biggest movie star in the world'," studying box office successes' common characteristics. Although he made a notable dramatic film debut in Six Degrees of Separation while still appearing in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith's film career took off with his role in the buddy cop action film Bad Boys (1995) along with co-star Martin Lawrence.

After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ended May 20, 1996, Smith began a successful solo music career while simultaneously starring in a series of films. The first two films were hugely successful summer blockbusters: Independence Day (1996), in which he played a fearless and confident fighter pilot, and Men in Black (1997), where he played the comic and confident Agent J against Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan Agent K. Smith's acting in Men in Black won critical praise. He originally rejected the lead role in Men in Black, but wife Jada Pinkett Smith coaxed him into acceptance. The two films established Smith's commercial reputation as a bankable star whose appeal across age, race, and gender lines could "open" a film at the box office, a reputation Smith would begin to term a "Big Willie Weekend". In 1998 he starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State which had a seemingly far-fetched plot at the time but has become more and more plausible as the 'surveillance society' becomes more of a reality. Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West. Despite the failure of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith would have achieved.[13] Smith then went on to gain leading roles in several box office successes including Men in Black II, Bad Boys II, Hitch, and I, Robot.



Smith is one of only two hip-hop artists to receive an Oscar nomination in an acting category[specify] (Best Actor, Ali, 2001), for his portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, in the biopic. He was again nominated for Best Actor Oscar for his role in another true-life movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, where he played Chris Gardner in his rags-to-riches story.

Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith created the UPN (later CW) sitcom All of Us, which was loosely based on their lives. The show debuted on UPN in September 2003 and aired there for three seasons before moving to The CW in October 2006 for one more season. The CW cancelled All of Us in May 2007.

Smith appeared as himself in Jersey Girl delivering the Silent Bob speech that appears in nearly all Kevin Smith movies. The lead character's situation is due to the claim, "Will Smith is just a rapper."

Smith also released a string of hit singles, often associated with his most recent film, throughout the late 1990s. The most notable of these were his #1 hit theme song "Men in Black", the #1 hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (which made jiggy a catchphrase for a while in 1998), and a cover of "Just the Two of Us", an affectionate message to his young son. His first two solo albums went platinum, but his third, on Columbia Records, was a sales disappointment compared to his past efforts, and after a quick Greatest Hits release that was almost not advertised at all, he was dropped by the label. He signed a recording contract with Interscope Records and released the successful Lost & Found in 2005. The album was propelled solely on the smash hit single, "Switch", which appealed to the mainstream a la "Summertime". The single stayed atop the charts for months and returned Smith to the forefront of hip-hop.

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span.On July 2, 2005, Smith served as host for the Live 8 concert in his native Philadelphia in front of an enormous crowd, and later performed a set with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith appeared at Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards in 2005 performing "Switch", as well as the Black Entertainment Television awards in 2005. He appeared in the second game of the NBA Finals (San Antonio vs. Detroit) performing "Switch" in 2005. Smith also made a special appearance in the reality talent contest show "Indian Idol", when he visited India.

Smith was considered for the role of John Smith in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith; Brad Pitt eventually received the role.He was also considered for the role of Willy Wonka in the remake of the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.

Smith was recognized on December 10, 2007, at Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans.



Smith appeared in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews,its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique".Smith is developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, which he will star as Taharqa.

President-elect Barack Obama stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election.

On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008

Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just The Two Of Us". Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign, who appeared as his daughter in "I Am Legend" (born 2000). Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc.,a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son.

Smith has been consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. Smith and his family reside on Star Island (Florida) in Miami, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Philadelphia. Smith donated a large amount of money to assist Katrina victims.[citation needed] Smith donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.



Smith has said he has studied multiple religions including Scientology and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. He and his wife are close friends of prominent Scientologists Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, which has led to rumors that Smith is also a Scientologist. Although Smith has said, "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious."and, "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different",he has denied having joined the Scientology Church, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths."After Jada made the film Collateral with Cruise in 2004, the couple donated USD$20,000 to Scientology's literacy campaign, called HELP, The Hollywood Education and Literacy Program, which is the basis for Scientology's home-schooling system.After finishing work on the film Hancock, Smith gave crew members gift cards for a Scientology personality test at any Church of Scientology center as a wrap present, despite the fact that initial personality tests given by the organization are usually free.The tax returns from his charitable organization, The Will Smith Foundation, indicate that in 2007, the Foundation donated $122,500 to the Church of Scientology

Merry Christmas!!!

The Elephant King

The Elephant King Trailer

Explores the twisted symbiosis between two American brothers--one domineering and nihilistic, the other guileless and introspective--as they binge on drink, drugs, and women in an exotic land. A domineering mother dispatches her young, introverted son Oliver off to Thailand to do everything he can to lure his reckless, older brother back home to the U.S. to face pending fraud charges. Oliver finds the intoxication of Thailand hard to resist, especially when it has a face as alluring as Lek's. As Oliver falls deeply in love for the first time, Jake slips deeper into despair, and the seams of their relationship begin to come undone. When the true extent of Jake's decadence and self-destruction is revealed to Oliver, he is forced to decide whether he will save his brother's life or his own.

Will Smith - Seven Pounds

Seven Pounds Trailer

Seven Pounds is a drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino. Will Smith stars as a man who will change the lives of seven strangers. Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Barry Pepper also star. The film was released in theaters on December 19, 2008.

Plot
The movie starts out with the main character, Ben Thomas, (Will Smith), making a 911 call to report a suicide. When dispatch asks the identity of the victim, Ben responds, "I am." Then goes through a series of flashback stories to show how he got to that point.

Early in the story, Ben is shown on the phone trying to start a fight with a blind telemarketer and pianist named Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson). Despite attempts by Ben to infuriate him, Ezra does not fight back while taking some of Ben's stinging abuse and then hangs up the phone. Ben then recites the names of seven people from a list that was shown before his call to Ezra.

The movie then flashes back to the start of Ben's journey. He is an IRS agent who uses his position of power to get close to people and learn more about them. First, he meets Stewart Goodman (Tim Kelleher), a man who needs a bone marrow transplant. Goodman runs a nursing home, and upon his trip there, Ben realizes that Goodman is very cruel to his patients. He forced an old lady to take a drug against her will, and punished her by not letting her take a bath or shower. Ben angrily confronts Goodman about this and storms out. Goodman thinks all he is losing is time to pay his medical bills.

Ben then visits his friend Holly and with her help, he finds Connie, who is being abused by her boyfriend. He tells her he can drastically change her and her children's lives, but she refuses his help. Ben seeks out another friend of his, who is on dialysis, and donates one of his kidneys.

Ben also seeks out Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a woman whose heart is failing. He finds Emily at the hospital and follows her to her room. He observes her and another young patient named Nicholas, who also needs a bone marrow transplant. After Emily confronts Ben, he tells her he is from the IRS and that she hasn't paid her taxes because of her mounting medical bills. With time, Emily and Ben start a relationship. Ben asks the hospital staff about her survival chances and is told that, given her blood type, Emily only has a 3-5% chance of finding a matching donor.

One rainy night, Ben is confronted by his brother, who is actually the real Ben Thomas. Will Smith's character's name is really Tim. Tim stole his brother's identification in order to use the IRS badge to find the people he's been looking for. After learning Emily's prognosis, he goes back to his apartment and makes the very same 911 call seen at the beginning of the movie. He fills the tub with ice water, climbs in and then drops in a box jellyfish. As the jellyfish stings him, the events in his life that prompted his suicide are shown. While riding in a car with his fiancée, he gets an email/text from work. While looking at his cell phone, he drifts into another lane and into oncoming traffic. The ensuing wreck kills his fiancée, as well as six other people who were riding in the bus his car hit. Because of Tim, seven people died. This is the list that Tim was reciting after his heated conversation with Ezra. There are also constant flashes to newspaper clippings he's collected of these seven innocent lives.

With the reason for Tim's suicide explained, the paramedics arrive and take him to the hospital, where he dies. Emily receives his heart via a transplant. This is the reason why he fills his tub with ice water; in order to properly preserve his heart after his death.

At the end of the movie, it is revealed that Tim's brother, the real Ben Thomas, also needed a double lung transplant and that's what got 'Ben' started in donating his organs. He also donated part of his liver to an ailing woman, Holly, who is shown earlier in the movie. Emily cries hearing this news. She decides to seek out Ezra. When she finds Ezra, he is playing the piano at a big event with a children's choir performing behind him. He is no longer blind. Ben gave him his eyes. Gone are Ezra's blank blue eyes; now he has 'Ben's dark brown eyes. Ezra realizes who Emily is and as tears roll down her face, they embrace and the movie ends.

Tim Thomas had decided long ago to commit suicide and decided to donate his organs, but only to 'good' people who were deserving of such a gift. Hence, Tim tempted Ezra to get angry and discovered he was a good man. Tim refuses to help and did not donate his bone marrow to the caretaker Stewart Goodman, because he was a 'bad' man.

The seven people Tim helps are Emily Posa (to whom he gives his heart), Ezra Turner (to whom he gives his eyes), Ben Thomas (to whom he gives his lung), Holly (to whom he gives his liver), Connie (to whom he gives his house), Nicholas (to whom he donates bone marrow) and George (to whom he donates a kidney to in order to get off dialysis). Hence the title of the movie is finally revealed: 'Ben' Thomas donates seven pounds of flesh in order to seek redemption for the seven innocent lives he took that rainy night.

Starring
Will Smith
Rosario Dawson
Woody Harrelson
Michael Ealy
Barry Pepper

Megan Fox

Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress and model. Fox's career in modeling and acting began with her winning several awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She began her acting career with the film Holiday in the Sun (2001), later appearing in the films Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Crimes of Fashion, and the TV series The Help (all 2004). She is well known for her roles on the television series Hope & Faith (2004) and in the 2007 live-action film Transformers

Fox has Irish, French and Native American ancestry.She was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to Macey Tonachio, former Roane County, Tennessee Tourism Director, and Frank Fox. She grew up in nearby Rockwood, Tennessee.She was born as Megan Denise Foxx, with two X's in the last name, but changed it once she entered show business. She has one older sister.Fox began her training in drama and dance at the age of five in Kingston, Tennessee. She attended a dance class at the community center there, and was involved in Kingston Elementary School's chorus and the Kingston Clippers swim team. At age ten, after moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, she continued her training. She attended Morningside Academy, a private Christian school in Port St. Lucie during her middle school years and finished her high school education at St Lucie West Centennial High School in Port St. Lucie

By age sixteen, Fox's talent created new opportunities for her in the entertainment world. She began acting and modeling upon winning several awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.


Fox made her film debut in the 2001 film Holiday in the Sun as the spoiled heiress Brianna Wallace and rival of Alex Stewart (Ashley Olsen). She then landed guest appearances on Ocean Ave., What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men and The Help from 2003 to 2004. In 2004, Fox starred in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen alongside Lindsay Lohan. She was subsequently cast in her first recurring role in a television series on Hope & Faith, in which she portrayed Sydney Shanowski from 2004 through 2006.

Fox's big break arrived when she acquired the lead female role of Mikaela Banes in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, based on the toy and cartoon saga of the same name. She played the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character Sam Witwicky. In June 2007, Fox was cast in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring alongside Jeff Bridges, Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst. The character Fox portrayed is that of a young Hollywood starlet getting her first taste of fame. The film premiered in October 2008.

She is also signed on for two more Transformers sequels.
Fox has appeared in a five page spread for the November 2005 issue of the popular men's magazine FHM. She also posed for the March 2007 issue of FHM, the June 2007 issue of GQ,the July 2007 issue of Maxim, and the September 2007 issue of Arena. She was voted the Sexiest Woman in the World by FHM magazine in 2008, beating out Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba.Megan is also on the cover page for the Maxim October 2008 issue and the GQ October 2008 issue. Fox is represented by The Gersh Agency.

Fox will star opposite Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody in Diablo Cody's second feature film titled Jennifer's Body, which is due to be released in 2009. She was cast in October 2007.While filming the sequel of Transformers, Michael Bay, the movie's director, ordered the actress to gain 10 lbs, stating that he "does not like skinny girls.

Fox has been outspoken in her self-identification as a bisexual. In a frank interview with GQ Magazine, Fox said that she fell in love with a female stripper when she was eighteen and used the experience to illustrate her belief that "...all humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes."

Since 2004, Fox has been involved with actor Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame. They had been engaged to be married, but later separated after Megan claimed to be too young for such a commitment.

Fox has seven tattoos, including a poem on her ribcage, a symbol for strength on her neck, Green's name on her hip, a bull's eye on her lower back, a pink flamingo on her upper thigh, and a picture of Marilyn Monroe's face on her right arm. She also has one on her right shoulder that says "We will all laugh at gilded butterflies," a line from Shakespeare's play King Lear

Pride and Glory

Pride and Glory is a 2008 American crime drama film directed by Gavin O'Connor and starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell. The film was released on October 24, 2008 in the United States.

Premise
Ray Tierney (Norton) is a New York City police officer who is part of a multi-generational police family. Tierney investigates a troublesome case that involves his older brother and brother-in-law, compelling the family to choose sides between their blood and the New York Police Department

Cast
Edward Norton plays Ray Tierney
Colin Farrell plays Jimmy Egan
Jon Voight plays Francis Tierney Sr. Nick Nolte was originally cast in the role, but after a chronic knee injury became too severe, he was unable to perform and was replaced by Voight.
Noah Emmerich as Francis Tierney Jr. Emmerich had previously starred in Gavin O'Connor's Tumbleweeds and Miracle



Pride and Glory Trailer

Jessica Alba

Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981)is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994). Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel (2000–2002).Alba later appeared in various films including Honey (2003), Sin City (2005), Fantastic Four (2005), Into the Blue (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Good Luck Chuck both in 2007.

Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted AskMen.com's number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007.She also appeared on the cover of Playboy, which was followed by a lawsuit, which was later dropped.Alba has won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress (TV) for her acting in the series Dark Angel

Alba was born in Pomona, California to Catherine Alba (née Jensen) and Mark Alba. Her mother is of Danish and French Canadian descent and her father is of Mexican American descent (both his parents were born in California). She has a younger brother, Joshua. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi, and Del Rio, Texas before settling back in California when she was nine years old.

Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies; she suffered collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4-5 times a year, a ruptured appendix, and a tonsillar cyst. This isolated her from other children at school because she was in the hospital so often that no one knew her well enough to befriend her.She has also acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood.Her health improved, however, when her family moved to California. She graduated from high school at age 16,and subsequently attended the Atlantic Theater Company.

Alba expressed interest in acting since the age of five. In 1992, the 11-year-old Alba persuaded her mother to take her to an acting competition in Beverly Hills, California whose grand prize was free acting classes. Alba won the grand prize, and took her first acting lessons. An agent signed Alba nine months later.Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two-month job in a leading role when one of the prominent actresses dropped out.

Alba appeared in two national television commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child. She was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into television in 1994 with a recurring role as the vain Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack.She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the television series Flipper.Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.

In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S..After Alba graduated from high school, she studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet.

Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa.

Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the FOX sci-fi television series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, the series starred Alba, and ran for two seasons until 2002, earning her critical acclaim as well as a Golden Globe nomination.Alba later revealed that she had suffered from an eating disorder while in preparation for Dark Angel.

Alba's most notable film roles have included an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City and as the classic Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four, of which movie critic Mick LaSalle said that her performance while talking for long periods of time was on "shaky ground". She then appeared in its sequel, in Into the Blue later that year, and Good Luck Chuck a few years later.Alba went on to host the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code.

In 2008, Alba appeared in her first horror-film role in The Eye, a remake of the Hong Kong original.In February, she hosted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences's Science and Technical Awards. Later in the year, she starred in The Love Guru.She has signed on to star in An Invisible Sign of My Own to be released in 2009.

Alba has been represented by talent agents Patrick Whitesell and Brad Cafarelli

In 2006, readers of Askmen.com voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women,while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their "Top 100", after Lindsay Lohan.Both GQ and In Style had Alba on their June covers,and in May, after eight million votes, FHM (UK and USA editions) named Alba the winner as "2007’s Sexiest Woman in the World".Alba continues to be regarded as one of the world's most attractive women, being named to Maxim's Hot 100 in 2008.

Alba has been well-received in popular culture. She received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress and Saturn Award for Best Actress (TV) for her role in Dark Angel. She has frequently appeared on Maxim's Hot 100 list. In 2006, Alba received an MTV Movie Award for "Sexiest Performance" for Sin City.

Her acting has also drawn criticism, however, as she was nominated for a 2007 Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her performances in Awake, Good Luck Chuck, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. She was also nominated for the same award in 2005 for her performances in Fantastic Four and Into the Blue.

On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner, who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported.

Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her, commenting, "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman."In the interview, Alba said she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects. Alba also maintains a strict no-nudity clause in her contract. She was given the option to appear nude in Sin City by the film's directors, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, but declined the offer, saying, "I don't do nudity. I just don't. Maybe that makes me a bad actress. Maybe I won't get hired in some things. But I have too much anxiety".She remarked of a GQ shoot in which she was scantily clad, "They didn't want me to wear the granny panties, but I said, 'If I'm gonna be topless I need to wear granny panties

Robert Pattinson

Robert Thomas-Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor, model, and musician, best known for playing Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Twilight, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer, and Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Pattinson was born in London, England. His mother, Clare, worked for a modeling agency, and his father, Richard, imported vintage cars from the U.S. He became involved in amateur theatre through the Barnes Theatre Company. After some backstage experience there, he took on acting roles. He caught the attention of an acting agent in a production of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and began looking for professional roles. Since then he has performed in an amateur version of Macbeth at the Old Sorting Office Arts Centre, as well as trying his hand at modeling.



He had supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs in 2004, and in director Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted, and only appear on the DVD version. In May 2005 he was slated to appear in the UK premiere of The Woman Before at the Royal Court Theatre, but was fired shortly before the opening night and was replaced by Tom Riley.
Later that year he played Cedric Diggory in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Consequently, he was named that year's British Star of Tomorrow by Times Online. He also has more than once been touted as the next Jude Law.
Pattinson appeared in the advertising campaign for Hackett's Autumn 2007 collection. Pattinson plays Edward Cullen in the movie Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling novel of the same name, which was released on November 21, 2008 in North America. According to TV Guide, Pattinson was initially apprehensive about auditioning for the role of Edward Cullen, fearful that he wouldn’t be able to live up to the “perfection” expected from the character.

He has lead roles in the the forthcoming feature films Little Ashes, in which he plays Salvador Dalí, How To Be, a British comedy, and the short film The Summerhouse. In January he will begin filming a project called Parts Per Billion,which he calls "one of the most lyrical scripts that I have ever read in my life".

Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American film actress and former child model. Although she has been working in the film industry since she was a teenager and catapulted to fame on the basis of her appearances in films like Labyrinth and Career Opportunities, she did not receive wide exposure for her work until the 2000 drama Requiem for a Dream, and the 2001 biopic A Beautiful Mind, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.



Connelly was born in the Catskill Mountains, New York, the daughter of Eileen, an antiques dealer, and Gerard Connelly, a clothing manufacturer who worked in the garment industry. Connelly's paternal grandparents were of Irish and Norwegian descent, respectively, while her maternal grandparents were Jewish, their families having come from Russia and Poland. Connelly was raised in Brooklyn Heights, near the Brooklyn Bridge, and attended St. Ann's School, except for four years the family spent living in Woodstock, New York. One of her father's friends was an advertising executive, who suggested that she audition at a modeling agency.
At the age of ten, her career started in newspaper and magazine ads, then moved to television commercials. These led to movie auditions and her first film role was as "young Deborah Gelly", a supporting role in Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America, filmed mostly in 1982 when she was eleven. She next starred in Italian horror-director Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985) and in the coming-of-age movie Seven Minutes in Heaven.

Connelly became a star in her next picture, the fantasy Labyrinth (1986), playing Sarah, a teenager who wishes her baby brother into the world of goblins ruled by goblin king Jareth (David Bowie). The film disappointed at the box office, but gained a following among fantasy fans. Connelly starred in several obscure films, such as Etoile (1988) and Some Girls (1988). The Dennis Hopper-directed The Hot Spot (1990) was not a success, either critically or commercially. Another film, Career Opportunities, was more successful and is considered a teen cult classic. It and Hot Spot threatened to typecast her in the "sexpot" stereotype with both films emphasizing her voluptuous figure, particularly Hot Spot, which contained her first topless scene. It would be the first of seven movies in which she appeared nude. Connelly was featured on the cover of Esquire in August 1991, as part of the "Women We Love" feature. She appeared alongside Jason Priestley in the Roy Orbison music video for "I Drove All Night" in 1992. Connelly began studying English at Yale, and two years later transferred to Stanford.

The big-budget Disney film The Rocketeer (1991) similarly failed to ignite Connelly's career; after its failure, she took some time off from acting. The 1996 independent film Far Harbor played her against type and hinted at a much broader range than she had previously shown. Connelly began to appear in smaller but well-regarded films, such as 1997's Inventing the Abbotts and 2000's Waking the Dead. She played a collegiate lesbian in John Singleton's 1995 ensemble drama, Higher Learning. The critically favored 1998 science fiction film Dark City afforded her the chance to work with such actors as Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Ian Richardson, and Kiefer Sutherland. Connelly revisited her ingenue image, although in a more understated way, for the 2000 biopic Pollock, in which she played Jackson Pollock's mistress.



Connelly's big breakthrough was the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream. Connelly starred alongside Jared Leto and Marlon Wayans as heroin addicts on the edge of a breakdown. The film firmly established her as a serious actress. Connelly next starred in Ron Howard's film A Beautiful Mind (2001), essaying the role of Alicia Nash, the long-suffering wife of the brilliant, schizophrenic mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. (played by Russell Crowe). The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Connelly a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her appearance in A Beautiful Mind led to a featured article in Time magazine.

Connelly starred in two films in 2003: Hulk and House of Sand and Fog. Hulk was something of a box office disappointment, but afforded Connelly the chance to work with noted director Ang Lee. House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III, was reminiscent of much of her independent film work of the late 1990s. Connelly appeared in the 2005 horror film Dark Water, which was based on a Japanese film. In 2006, Connelly appeared in two films, both of which were nominated for multiple Academy Awards. She played a major role in an adaptation of the novel Little Children alongside Kate Winslet. Although her role as Kathy Adamson is very important in the novel, director Todd Field gave her character less screen time, instead focusing on the characters played by Winslet and Patrick Wilson. She also played a journalist in Blood Diamond opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. She next appeared in Reservation Road with Joaquin Phoenix, which was given a limited release in the fall of 2007.
Connelly will next appear alongside Keanu Reeves in the 2008 remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still, followed by a small independent thriller with her husband Paul Bettany, and will have a small role opposite Drew Barrymore in He's Just Not That Into You.

Connelly is a vegan. She is married to actor Paul Bettany (born 1971), whom she met while working on A Beautiful Mind. The couple's son, Stellan (named after actor Stellan Skarsgård), was born on August 5, 2003. His godfather is the actor Charlie Condou. She also has a son, Kai (born 1997), from her relationship with photographer David Dougan.
She is the face of Balenciaga[clarification needed]. She will be the new face for Revlon cosmetics.

Gran Torino : Clint Eastwood's Film

Gran Torino is an upcoming drama film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. Eastwood stars as a racist Korean War veteran who catches a Hmong boy trying to steal his 1972 Gran Torino. The film features a predominantly Hmong cast and will be released in 2008 in North America with a limited release scheduled for December 12. Gran Torino will have a wide release on January 9, 2009.

Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), a racist Korean War veteran, becomes increasingly unhappy at the influx of Hmong people to his neighborhood. After he catches Tao (Vang), a teenage Hmong neighbor, attempting to steal his 1972 Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation, the boy is forced by his tradition-oriented family to work for Kowalski in penance. Estranged from his children and grandchildren, and having just lost his wife, Kowalski gradually becomes friendly with Tao and his family, learning about Hmong culture. He attempts to protect Tao and his sister Sue (Her) from the gang.


Gran Torino Trailer

Yes Man : Jim Carrey

Yes Man (2008) Official Jim Carrey Movie Trailer

Yes Man is an upcoming 2008 American comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and starring Jim Carrey. The film is based on the true story and 2005 biography 'Yes Man' by British humorist Danny Wallace. Production began in Los Angeles, CA in October 2007.



Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is challenged to say yes to everything that comes his way in his life for one whole year, leading to a series of comic events.

Madagascar : Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the 2008 sequel to the 2005 motion picture, Madagascar. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and was released on November 7, 2008; the film was distributed by Paramount Pictures. The sequel starts as prequel, showing a small part of Alex's early life, including his capture by hunters. It soon moves to shortly after the point where the original left off, with the animals deciding to return to New York. They board an airplane on Madagascar, but crash-land in Africa, where each of the central characters meets others of the same species; Alex is reunited with his parents. Problems arise, and their resolution occupies much of the remainder of the movie. The film stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer and Andy Richter. Also providing voices are Alec Baldwin, will.i.am, Bernie Mac, Sherri Shepherd. The previous title was "Madagascar: The Crate Escape", which was featured on a trailer with Ben Stiller.

Plot
In the past, Alex (Ben Stiller) the lion lived in Africa with his father Zuba (Bernie Mac), the pride's alpha lion, and mother Florrie (Sherri Shepherd), along the rest of the pride, including Makunga (Alec Baldwin), who always wanted to be the leader. One day Alex—known as Alakay to his parents—is captured by poachers after his father turns away for a moment because of Makunga. Zuba chases after his captured son, but Alakay's crate falls into a nearby river and drifts off to sea. Alex is then discovered, found washed ashore in New York, were he is put in the zoo, named Alex, and later becomes an idol to many New Yorkers, also making friends with a young zebra, a hippo, and a giraffe.

The film cuts to the four heroes saying goodbye to their lemur friends while taking off in a plane to New York, along with King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), the chimpanzees, and Mort (Andy Richter) who did not get into the plane on time, but hangs on to the wing outside as they take off. Over the country, they run out of fuel and crash land "safely" in the African plains. The penguins, who controlled the flight say it might take 6 to 9 months to rebuild the plane, and so Alex, Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman (David Schwimmer) take off to find any help. However, the chimpanzees find help. The animals encounter a tourist car, with New Yorkers sitting in it. Alex recognizes the old lady "Nana" that kicked his butt at the train station, and they engage in a brawl, nevertheless the old lady beats Alex again. Later the humans are carjacked by the penguins as they execute "Operation Tourist Trap" for extra supplies to rebuild the plane. However, as they make their getaway, Nana is awoken in the back seat by their "rock n' roll racket" (Boston's "More than a Feeling"). The penguins toss her through the windshield without much ceremony, and then, realizing she isn't dead, reverse the Land Rover and hit her again. Nana, apparently uninjured, leads the rest of the humans off to make camp, saying she doesn't want to stay out in the open because she's "too old too die."

Alex and the rest meet up with a giant group of animals including other lions, hippopotamuses, giraffes and zebras and more. There Alex is reunited with his father and mother. Marty meets an enormous pack of zebras that sound exactly like him, Gloria falls for a hippo named Moto Moto (will.i.am) whose name means "Hot, HOT"; he makes Melman jealous, because he has deep feelings for her. The giraffe becomes the witch doctor for other giraffes so he can stop his species from dying in holes. Before Alex can join the pride he must complete a challenge, which is scheduled the next day. Makunga now has the chance to become the alpha lion by tricking the returning son.

The next day, Alex is told by Makunga that he should choose an opponent called Teetsi, and so he does and the entire pride gasps as the lion walks up to Alex, and Teetsi appears to be a gigantic beefed up lion. Alex mistakes the challenge as a dance off, and he is easily defeated. Zuba is forced to give up his role as the alpha lion and give it to Makunga and the lion is both confused and angry after Alex tells him he was a star unlike a king. After Zuba insults Alex saying that he isn't a "real" lion, he walks off offended and depressed. Marty becomes angry at Alex because he mistook him for another zebra, and Melman argues with Gloria after she says she is going out on a date with Moto Moto that night. Melman is too shy to admit his feelings to Gloria, but Julien attempts to teach Melman how, and so the giraffe takes off to find Gloria and Moto Moto. He is still to scared, and Gloria thinks it is just an apology and she accepts and then Melman tells Moto Moto to take great care of Gloria in case of the future he is sure she might have. Meanwhile the lost humans including Nana meet up with another group of people who were carjacked as well and they find a camp site and they worship Nana for her great leadership. Mort washes up to the shore (because he fell off the plane when it was about to crash) and he is chased by a shark.

The water hole is dried up the next morning, and all the animals panic because they will die of thirst. Makunga doesn't know what to do, but Julien suggests a sacrifice to the volcano so the water could return. Melman decides to volunteer as the sacrifice. Gloria is completely surprised by this, and tries to talk Melman out of it, but then she realizes he is doing this is impress her and sharing his complete feelings about her. Alex finds Marty and the zebra forgives him, and they leave the nature reserve to try and find the reason why the water supply is gone. They find a dam built by the humans blocking the river to the plains. They are ambushed, Alex is captured, and Marty escapes to tell that his friend has been caught. Zuba gets the message and he chases after him. Melman declines the sacrifice to stay with Gloria, and the zebra arrives to tell them about Alex's capture. They then show up at the plane as it is completed and it flies off above the jungle.

The humans are spit roasting Alex above the fire alive, but Zuba arrives in the nick of time. Nana attempts to kill Zuba and Alex with a gun, but Alex shows the humans his famous dance moves, and soon enough they recognize the lion as Alex from back at the zoo. Zuba shortly joins in the performance. Nana is impressed, but then points the gun at Zuba and pulls the trigger, but the bullet is deflected by a big bucket lowered down by the plane carrying the rest of the group. The lions enter and they fly off, but before leaving the campsite, they destroy the dam and the water washes back to the pride, who are almost dying from thirst. At the volcano, Mort arrives still pursued by the shark, which falls into the volcano lava (Maurice making a joke about wondering if the gods like seafood). The lemurs look down into the plains finding the water returning and making them think the sacrifice worked. Makunga is removed from the throne (after Alex tricks Nana into attacking him), and Zuba and Alex are now the alpha lions.

Now that the water is back, the animals can live in peace without Makunga living there anymore. The penguins and chimps decide not to stay as they take off back to New York, and the Skipper is married to the bobble-head hula doll seen from the plane sequence. Now part of the pride, Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, Julien, Mort and Maurice dance off to their new home along with Zuba and Florrie.

Cast

• Ben Stiller as Alex
  
• Chris Rock as Marty and other zebras
  
• David Schwimmer as Melman
  
• Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria
  
• Sacha Baron Cohen as Julien
  
• Cedric the Entertainer as Maurice
  
• Andy Richter as Mort
  
• Bernie Mac as Zuba
  
• Alec Baldwin as Makunga
  
• Sherri Shepherd as Florrie
  
• will.i.am as Moto Moto
  
• Elisa Gabrielli as Nana
  
• Tom McGrath as Skipper
  
• Chris Miller as Kowalski
  
• Christopher Knights as Private
  
• John DiMaggio as Rico
  
• Conrad Vernon as Mason
  

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Teaser Trailer

Australia (Hugh Jackman & Nicole Kidman)

Australia is an Australian epic romance film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The screenplay was written by Luhrmann and screenwriter Stuart Beattie, with Ronald Harwood. The film is a character story, set between 1939 and 1942 against a dramatised backdrop of events across Northern Australia at the time, such as the bombing of Darwin in Australia during World War II. Production took place in Sydney, Darwin, Kununurra, and Bowen. The movie was to be released on 13 November 2008 in Australia[1] and 16 November 2008 in the United States;[2] however, Fox announced that it had pushed back the release dates in both Australia and the United States to 26 November 2008,[3] with subsequent worldwide release dates throughout late December and January 2009.



Plot
In 1939, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels from England to northern Australia to force her husband to sell a cattle station. Her husband is murdered shortly before she arrives, with suspicions that he was killed by an Aboriginal elder, "King George" (David Gulpilil). The actual murderer is a white man, Neil Fletcher (David Wenham), trying to gain control of Ashley's cattle station "Faraway Downs", so that Lesley 'King' Carney (Bryan Brown) can have a cattle monopoly in the Northern Territory, which will give him negotiating leverage with an Australian army officer, Captain Dutton (Ben Mendelsohn). The childless Lady Ashley is captivated by a young half-caste boy, Nullah (Brandon Walters), who was born to an Aboriginal mother and a white father. When Lady Sarah sees Fletcher mistreating the Aborigines, she fires him and decides to try and run the station herself. She persuades her husband's Drover (Hugh Jackman) to take the cattle to Darwin for sale. Drover, a white man, is friendly with the Aborigines, and therefore shunned by many of the other whites in the territory. It is revealed that he had married an Aboriginal woman, but she had died after being refused medical treatment in a local hospital because of her race.
Drover leads a team of six other riders, including Lady Sarah, Drover's Aboriginal brother-in-law Magarri (David Ngoombujarra), Nullah, and the station's accountant Kipling Flynn (Jack Thompson), to drive the 1,500 cattle to Darwin. They encounter various obstacles along the way, including the death of Flynn. However, Lady Sarah and Drover develop a romance, and she gains a new appreciation for the Australian territory. After they successfully deliver the cattle, Lady Sarah, Nullah, and Drover live together happily for two years. However, Fletcher kills Carney and marries Carney's daughter Cath Carney, takes over his empire, and then continues to menace Lady Sarah.
Nullah is drawn to perform a walkabout, but is instead captured by the authorities and sent to live with other half-caste children on Mission Island. Lady Sarah vows to rescue him, but first works as a radio operator during the escalating war. When the Japanese attack the island and Darwin in 1942, Lady Sarah fears that Nullah was killed, and Drover and Nullah hear (mistakenly) that Sarah was killed. The Drover rescues the children from the island, and when they sail back into port at Darwin, Nullah plays his harmonica with the tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the film The Wizard of Oz. Lady Sarah hears the music, and their family is reunited. On the way back to Faraway Downs, King George calls for his grandson, who returns to the outback with his grandfather.

Cast

• Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, an English aristocrat who inherits the cattle station Faraway Downs in Australia
  
• Hugh Jackman as an (unnamed) Australian drover who helps Lady Sarah Ashley move the cattle across the property
  
• David Wenham as Neil Fletcher, a station manager who plans to take Faraway Downs from Lady Sarah Ashley
  
• Jack Thompson as Kipling Flynn, an alcoholic accountant who enjoys a luxurious lifestyle
  
• Bryan Brown as King Carney, a cattle baron who owns much of the land in northern Australia
  
• Brandon Walters as the drover's assistant Nullah, a young boy who helps drive the cattle for Lady Sarah Ashley
  
• David Gulpilil as King George, a magic tribal elder
  
• Essie Davis as Cath Carney, wife of Neil Flecther and daughter of King Carney
  
• Ben Mendelsohn as Captain Emmett Dutton
  
• Barry Otto as Administrator Allsop, the Queen's representative in the Northern Territory
  
• David Ngoombujarra as Magarri, the Drover's colleague and friend
  

Australia 2008 Movie Official Trailer

The Day The Earth Stood Still - TRAILER

The Day The Earth Stood Still - TRAILER

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 science fiction film, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, the film updates Cold War themes like nuclear warfare to the more contemporary issue of global warming. It will be released in conventional theaters and IMAX screens on December 12, 2008.

A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage they have inflicted on their own planet. Klaatu himself already has a negative opinion of humans, and when barred from speaking to the United Nations, he decides they shall be exterminated so the planet – with its rare ability to sustain complex life – can survive. It is up to Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith) to convince Klaatu humans are worth saving: but it may already be too late



Cast

• Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, an alien messenger in human form. Reeves dislikes remakes, but was impressed by the script, which he deemed a reimagining. He enjoyed the original film as a child and became fonder of it as an adult when he understood how relevant it was, but liked this interpretation because it lacked the contradictory message of Klaatu "laying down the law  almost as though the alien had the bigger stick". Reeves acknowledged his Klaatu is "inverted" from the original, starting "sinister and tough" but becomes "more human", whereas the original was "more human than human" before revealing his "big stick" in his ending speech.He compared the remake's Klaatu to the wrathful God who floods the world in the Old Testament, but is gentle and forgiving by the time of the New Testament. At Reeves' insistence, the classic line "Klaatu barada nikto" was added to the script after initially being omitted.He spent many weeks advising the script, trying to make Klaatu's transition from alien in human form to one who appreciates their emotions and beliefs subtle and nuanced. Derrickson said although Reeves would not use actions "that are highly unusual or highly quirky", he nevertheless "keeps you aware of the fact that this being you're walking through this movie with is not a human being".
  
• Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, a famed astrobiologist at Princeton University who is recruited by the government to study Klaatu. Connelly was Derrickson's first choice for the part. She is a fan of the original film and felt Patricia Neal's original portrayal of Helen was "fabulous", but trusted the filmmakers with their reinterpretation of the story and Helen, who was a secretary in the original.Connelly emphasized Helen is amazed when she meets Klaatu, as she never believed she would encounter a sentient alien like him after speculating on extraterrestrial life for so long. Connelly was dedicated to understanding her scientific jargon, with Seth Shostak stating she did "everything short of writing a NASA grant application".
  
• Jaden Smith as Jacob, Helen's rebellious eight-year old stepson. His conflict with his stepmother was worsened by the death of his father, and initially dislikes Klaatu, believing he is a potential stepfather. Jacob replaces the character of Bobby (Billy Gray) from the original, and his relationship with Helen was written as a microcosm of how Klaatu comes to see humanity – the aliens sees their cold and distant relationship as proof positive of normal human behavior, and their reconciliation forces him to change his mind. Smith said he found Jacob difficult to play because he felt the character an "opposite" of his personality. Smith had met Reeves before on the set of The Matrix sequels with his mother Jada Pinkett-Smith.
  
• John Cleese cameos as Professor Barnhardt, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who specializes in the evolutionary basis of altruism. Helen takes Klaatu to him to further change his mind. The role was the most difficult to cast, and eventually the filmmakers decided to approach Cleese, noting "Who would you rather make the argument [to Klaatu] for mankind than John Cleese?" Stoff had met Cleese a few times beforehand and had noted his intellect. The actor was surprised the filmmakers were interested in him, and decided playing a dramatic role would be easier than to play a manic, comedic one at his age. He was often reminded to speed up his dialogue so Reeves would not appear in sync with normal human speech patterns. Cleese said he is not interested in extraterrestrial life because he often philosophizes about the purpose of life and why humans are distracted by trivial matters. Cleese had experience writing equations he did not understand, as he had spoken Russian in A Fish Called Wanda without knowing its meaning. The crew enjoyed working with Cleese and were sad when he finished his part.
  
• Jon Hamm as Dr. Michael Granier, a NASA official who recruits Helen into his scientific team investigating Klaatu. Granier is fascinated by Klaatu, but is torn between his official obligation to detain the alien and protect his country. Hamm acknowledged science fiction was a niche genre when the original film was made, and that it used science fiction to make topical issues more approachable. Hamm had the same feelings for this remake.Originally, Hamm's character was French and named Michel. Although he is interested in math and science, Hamm found his technical dialogue difficult and had to film his lines repeatedly.
  
• Kathy Bates as Regina Jackson, the United States Secretary of Defense. Bates had only two weeks to film her scenes, so she often requested Derrickson act out her lines so she would directly understand his aims for her dialogue, rather than interpret vague directions
  

Kristen Stewart Biography

Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American film and television actress. She is known for roles in the films Twilight, Panic Room, Zathura, In the Land of Women, The Messengers, Catch That Kid, and the critically acclaimed Into the Wild.

Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she also currently lives with her family. Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who worked for Fox. Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a scriptwriter who came from Australia. She attended school until the seventh grade, and continued her education by correspondence. She has an older brother, Cameron. Stewart is an avid surfer and guitar-player; a fan of rock music, her favorite bands include U2, Radiohead, The Beatles, The Specials, Laura Marling, Green Day, Nirvana and Beck. Kristen confirmed to Vanity Fair that she is currently dating actor Michael Angarano.

Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas show. Stewart's first role was a short, nonspeaking part in the Disney Channel TV production The Thirteenth Year.She subsequently appeared in the independent film The Safety of Objects, where she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart had a role in the major Hollywood film Panic Room, playing the sullen, diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie Foster). While the film received mixed reviews, Stewart garnered positive notices for the role.
After Panic Room's success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, Cold Creek Manor, playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone's characters; the film generally failed at the box office. Her first starring role followed, in the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid, opposite Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu. Stewart also played the role of Lila in the thriller Undertow. To date, Stewart's most critically acclaimed role may be in the television film Speak (2004), based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, thirteen at the time of filming, played high school freshman Melinda Sordino, who stops almost all verbal contact after being raped and who deals with enormous amounts of emotional turmoil. Stewart received great praise for playing the character, who had only a few speaking lines, but kept up a dark-witted commentary inside her head throughout the film.
In 2005, Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura, playing the role of Lisa – an irresponsible older sister of two little boys, who turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space by playing a board game. The movie received praise by critics, but Stewart's performance didn't garner much media attention as it was noted that her character is immobilized during most of the movie. The following year, she played the character Maya in Fierce People, directed by Griffin Dunne. After that, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller movie The Messengers. The movie was successful commercially, however, it received highly negative reviews by critics.
In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in In the Land of Women, a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and O.C. star Adam Brody. The movie, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart starred in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation film Into the Wild. For her portrayal of Tracy – a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless – Stewart received generally positive reviews. Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy, sensitive performance", and the Chicago Tribune noted that she did "vividly well with a sketch of a role." Meanwhile, Variety magazine's critic Dennis Harvey commented skeptically, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way." After Into the Wild, Stewart had a cameo appearance in Jumper and also appeared in What Just Happened, which was released in October 2008. She also co-stars in The Cake Eaters and The Yellow Handkerchief, both independent films that have only been screened at film festivals.
On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan in the movie Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire/human romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She stars alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008. Twilight was released domestically on November 21, 2008.
During a radio interview with Big O and Dukes of WJFK 1067, Jason Mewes stated that he is doing a movie called K-11 with Stewart and Nikki Reed, also of Twilight. The film, which is being directed by Stewart's mother, takes place in a dorm of the LA County Jail, and will feature both Stewart and Reed as male characters.