Theron, Penn films to premiere in Toronto

The Toronto International Film Festival will host the world premieres of "Battle in Seattle," starring Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson, and Sean Penn's "Into the Wild," organizers said.

The festival, which runs from September 6 to September 15, also has booked North American premieres for the latest films from Andrew Dominik, Todd Haynes, Joe Wright and Paul Haggis, each of which are scheduled to bow first at the Venice International Film Festival (August 29-September 8).

Theron's boyfriend, Stuart Townsend, makes his directing debut with "Battle in Seattle," which recounts the 1999 clash between demonstrators and police amid the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle. Joshua Jackson, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez and Channing Tatum round out the cast.

Penn's "Into the Wild" is a fact-based portrait of a young man who gives up all luxuries to live in the Alaskan wilderness. The movie stars Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt and Vince Vaughn, and is due for a late-September theatrical release via Paramount Vantage.

Other titles include Dominik's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," the Brad Pitt crime drama from Warner Bros. Pictures, and Brit director Wright's "Atonement," a classic British romance drama from Focus Features that stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

Also due here is Haynes' "I'm Not There," a Bob Dylan-inspired movie starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger, set for a November release by the Weinstein Co.; and Paul Haggis' "In The Valley of Elah," a Warner Bros. September release about parents, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon, who attempt to find their son after he returns from the war in Iraq.

Bollywood star Dutt jailed for six years

An Indian anti-terror court on Tuesday sentenced Bollywood movie star Sanjay Dutt to six years in jail for illegal weapons possession in connection with serial bombings in Mumbai in 1993.

The sentencing immediately sent shockwaves through the song-and-dance film industry, which has long been accused of links to Mumbai's criminal underworld.

Dutt was convicted last year of buying guns but was cleared of the more serious charge of conspiracy in connection with the attacks, which killed 257 people at injured at least 800 others.

The "Black Friday" bombings were allegedly staged by Mumbai's Muslim-dominated mafia in retaliation for deadly Hindu-Muslim clashes and the demolition of a mosque by Hindu extremists.

"Sanjay was not a minor at that time. Acquiring a weapon of this nature suggests the character of the person, and is contrary to the law," anti-terror judge Pramod Kode said as he read out the sentence to a packed courtroom.

The hugely popular Dutt, known for his tough guy roles in Indian cinema, faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He has already served 18 months on remand in the mid-1990s, and had requested that he be allowed to stay free on probation.

In a further blow to the actor, the court refused to allow him to remain free on bail pending his appeal to the Supreme Court. He was also fined 25,000 rupees (620 dollars). He was taken into custody in Mumbai's dingy Arthur Road jail.

"I made a mistake 14 years ago... Pray for me," said Dutt, 48, who was trembling after hearing his sentence.

Dutt was the highest-profile figure connected to the 1993 bombings case, and Tuesday's hearing wrapped up more than a decade of legal proceedings that have resulted in 100 convictions.

Of those convicted, 12 were given death sentences and 20 others got life sentences.

The alleged masterminds of the blasts, Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, have been on the run since 1993. Indian investigators say they were aided by Pakistan's intelligence service but Islamabad has denied any link.

Dutt has always maintained his innocence, arguing that he had bought a Kalashnikov assault rifle to protect his family from sectarian violence.

But chief prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told reporters that this was "not good enough an excuse."

"Dutt is a good actor and a celebrity, but this does not give him a licence for illegal action," he added, saying the superstar had been given a "fair trial."

In recent months, the burly Dutt has been filming non-stop to close out his existing filming contracts.

Dutt, son of a politically prominent Hindu father and a Muslim mother honoured for her acting, has long been tagged Bollywood's original "bad boy" by taking on roles as gangsters and anti-heroes, and an off-screen life wracked by drug abuse and two failed marriages.

In recent years his star has risen with the hugely popular "Munnabhai" films, in which he plays a wisecracking mobster trying to turn over a new leaf.

In the second of the series -- "Carry on Munnabhai" -- the ghost of Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi steers Dutt's character onto the path of righteousness and true love, all the while dispensing old-fashioned lessons about honesty.

Bollywood was meanwhile in shock over the verdict.

Actress Kirron Kher said she was "shocked and saddened," arguing Dutt "has suffered enough for 14 years (and) he has been exemplary in behaviour."

Film producer and director Mahesh Bhatt said the sentencing was a "body blow."

"I cannot say the sentence was not fair... (but) six years is too strong," he said.

This Just In

By Steve

Bonds Wins Tour de France, Considering Run for the Roses

(July 26, 2019 – Paris, France) Astonishing sports history was made today when Barry Bonds, major league baseball’s controversial all-time home run king, broke through at the finish to win the 106th running of the Tour de France. Bonds, who celebrated his 56th birthday last week, was a last-minute and unexpected entry in the world’s most famous bicycle race, but easily outdistanced the competition to come away with the prized yellow jersey.

“I always liked bike riding,” said bonds after the 2,200 mile (3,540 km) race, while sipping on champagne at the Arc de Triomphe. “I’d been riding with my grandkids in the park recently, and I felt good, felt strong. Then I got a chance to meet some of the guys who ride in this race every year, and right away I knew they were my kind of people. So I gave it a shot.”

Bonds, who faced a deluge of questions – and a federal grand jury – about possible steroid use during his pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record in 2007, once again refused to address rumors of steroid use in this year’s Tour.

“You guys are stuck on the same old [stuff],” he said, his voice rising. “You’re like a broken record. Get off it, you’re old news, find a new story, man.”

Bonds, who finished his major league career in 2008 with a total of 775 home runs, had been living in seclusion at his Maui home until recently, but hinted that sports fans may not have heard the last of him. “There may be more to come, depending on how my knees are feeling after this. In fact, I’m giving serious consideration to running in the Kentucky Derby next spring.”

Saving Opera From Itself

By Drew

Thought it was time to write about something other than the morbid subject matter we've been getting from Mitchell lately, so here's a link to a provocative Heather MacDonald piece on the cultural debasement of opera, or as she puts the question, "Can the Met stand firm against the trashy productions of trendy nihilists?"

The "Met" in question is the Metropolitan Opera, of course. And like it or not, that is the gold standard for opera in this country, and in much of the world. With such an exaulted position comes responsibilities, and expectations. And the question MacDonald asks, indeed the one all music lovers should be asking, is whether the Met, under second-year general manager Peter Gelb, will withstand the invasion of Regietheater, or "Director's Theater," that is becoming ever more prevalent in opera today.

This is not a new topic for us at this blog; we've discussed many times the seemingly insatiable urge some producers and directors have to put their own unique stamp on an established piece of art. Many (if not most) times this takes the form of political ideology that is being superimposed over the composer's original vision. Take these examples MacDonald cites:

The Spoleto Festival USA, for example, has presented the usual masturbating Don Giovanni; a recent Rossini Cenerentola (Cinderella) in Philadelphia featured a motorcycle and large TV screens projecting the characters’ supposed thoughts; City Opera mounted a Traviata in the 1990s that ended in an AIDS ward.

There's more, of course, as MacDonald details. What they all have in common though is this desire to send a message, to impose something on the audience whether they like it or not. Most times in a free market, the audience can send a message by coming disguised as empty seats. But, as MacDonald notes, "even when audiences stay away in droves—and 'sometimes in those productions you could shoot ducks in the auditorium and not hit anyone,' says [American baritone Sherrill] Milnes—the managerial commitment to Regietheater usually remains firm.'

This is not to say that all artists, or even most of them, go along with this rubbish. MacDonald cites comments from German soprano Diana Damrau on her performance in the Bavarian State Opera's Rigoletto, set (I kid you not) on the Planet of the Apes:

“I fulfilled my contract,” she says scornfully. “This was superficial rubbish. You try to prepare yourself for a production, you read secondary literature and mythology. Here, we had to watch Star Wars movies and different versions of The Planet of the Apes. . . . This was just . . . noise.”

There are others who fight against this trend, but as Pinchas Steinberg, chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony and former principal guest conductor of the Vienna State Opera, says, "You need courage to oppose it. . .People start to say: ‘You can’t work with this guy, he creates problems.’?” (Which, I wonder, may have something to do with those formers in Steinberg's titles.)

MacDonald's article goes into great detail to explain the forces and dynamics at work in this takeover of classic art, but I feel the need to provide one more long excerpt that says much not only about opera and art, but our own culture in general:

The defining characteristic of the sixties generation and its cultural progeny is solipsism. Convinced of their superior moral understanding, and commanding wealth never before available to average teenagers and young adults, the baby boomers decided that the world revolved around them. They forged an adolescent aesthetic—one that held that the wisdom of the past could not possibly live up to their own insights—and have never outgrown it. In an opera house, that outlook requires that works of the past be twisted to mirror our far more interesting selves back to ourselves. Michael Gielen, the most influential proponent of Regietheater and head of the Frankfurt Opera in the late seventies and eighties, declared that “what Handel wanted” in his operas was irrelevant; more important was “what interests us . . . what we want.”

And so here we are. By all means, check out MacDonald's article in full. In addition, check on our roundtable discussion of art and politics, which begins here. MacDonald has some scornful words for Peter Sellars, a favorite of the Minnesota Opera (which explains a lot), and by clicking here you can see some of what we've had to say on that subject. And Judith talked about the another production from the Berlin Opera which raised a few hackles , Mozart's Idemeneo, here.

Lest we end on such a pessimistic note however, MacDonald does point out encouraging signs at the end of her article. Gelb's groundbreaking innovations, such as broadcasting Madam Butterfly in Times Square, have brought energy to opera. The Met's opera moviecasts have proven a smash. By the end of the past season, the Met's remaining productions were all sold out. And as for the audience, as MacDonald notes, "young and middle-aged adults already appear to make up a surprisingly high percentage of patrons. They are coming to see not a twisted rewriting of the great works, but the thing itself, drawn to what opera promises: sublime musical beauty and human drama." The question she asks, and we ask, is what the future holds for the Met. To paraphrase a long-ago campaign motto of a forgotten presidential candidate, it takes courage - does the Met have it?

Paris Sings Opera

Paris Hilton really is singing a new tune.

The career trajectory of the briefly down-and-out heiress is back on the upswing, with Hilton set to take on her first acting gig since busting out of the big house last month, signing on to star in a new, seemingly genre-defying futuristic musical thriller.

Repo! The Genetic Opera is set in 2056 and centers around a mysterious plague that threatens the survival of the human race, which hinges on the financing of an expensive organ transplant. Veteran thesp Paul Sorvinio stars as the organ-transplant tycoon, the film's bad guy, while Hilton stars as his daughter.

E! Online senior editor Marc Malkin first reported Hilton's musical news last week.

"I've been rehearsing every day—seven hours a day," Hilton told Malkin at a Feed the Models, Save the World fundraiser. "We're just in the studio. We're doing dance and singing. We go shoot next month in Toronto.

Hilton remained mum on the plot of the movie at the time, though did deem it a "very cool and unique project."

More details emerged Monday in Variety.

Hilton and crew will sing tunes in the flick ranging from opera numbers to modern rock. The film also stars Alexa Vega and is set to be directed by Saw helmer Darren Lynn Bousman.

"This movie has become my life," Bousman told Variety. "I have auditioned at least 30 actresses for this role—Paris came in and owned it. She is this role."

Neither singing nor acting is a new endeavor for the 25-year-old, though Repo! The Genetic Opera will mark her first effort at combining the two talents.

Hilton has previously starred in the maligned big-screen horror remake House of Wax and has given cameos as herself in Raising Helen and Zoolander. Last year, she released her debut album, simply named Paris, that sold more than 600,000 copies. It spawned the modest Top 20 single, "Stars Are Blind."

As it is, the hotel namesake is already looking to add to her musical oeuvre and avoid the sophomore slump, telling E! Online earlier this month that she's already hit the studio in advance of a second album.

"I'm already working on my new record," she said. "I've been in meetings with Scott [Storch] and we've been working on it."

Hilton said she and Storch, who in addition to working on her previous album has been behind hits for Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera and 50 Cent, had already logged several weeks in the studio.

There's no word on when the new album will hit stores. Repo! The Genetic Opera is on track for a 2008 release.

Urvashi denied Casting couch

“I've never had to think about the casting couch.” Urvashi Sharma
Urvashi Sharma much like Preity Zinta, Amrita Rao and Shahid Kapoor is the newest entrant to step onto the Kumar and Ramesh Taurani launch pad to fame. Before films, Urvashi appeared in the advertisements of Ponds, Garnier and Globus thus making her a recognizable face. Much to our surprise, the actress clarified before the interview that she would only respond in Hindi so Indiatimes Movies brings you the translated interview.

Why did you avoid giving interviews before the release of Naqaab?
This was the company's idea; Tips Movies has a different way to promote each of their newcomers. They had a strategy for me, they called me the mystery woman since we were doing a suspense film.

Tips Movies had earlier launched Preity Zinta and Amrita Rao both of whom are from advertising backgrounds, you must feel very privileged?
I'm certainly glad to be with them, it's important to be with a good company. Tips Music had opened the door for Preity, Amrita and even Shahid Kapoor. I feel my association with them will bring me good fortune.

Did you always want to be a movie star?
Well yes, I always wanted to be an actor, but I wanted to start with modelling first to see how well I would do there.

You've got an 8 film contract with Tips, can you tell me about your future projects?
Oh no, it would be too early to start talking about that now.

Ramesh and Kumar Taurani are very overprotective of you, why is that?
They were not being overprotective of me, instead they were concerned about me. They wanted to make sure that I made the right step. I would say they cared about me and they wanted to ensure that I had a good journey.

Bobby Deol is said to be quite an introverted guy, did you both get along?
Oh we are both Punjabi - we are Punjab da puttars! Bobby has always been nice to me; in fact Akshaye has also helped me out. They didn't dismiss me just because I was a newcomer; in fact they were patient with me when I had to give retakes.

Do you think of advertising as a good platform for getting into acting?
It is definitely a way of getting into the film industry. I took up modelling and I saw it as a stepping stone for me to get into acting.

Have you ever encountered the casting couch?
I've always been with the right kind of people at the right time. I was first with Elite while I modelled and now I'm with Tips for acting. Both of them are very professional organisations. For a newcomer it's very important to keep good company, that's why being in this profession I've never had to think about the casting couch.

What do you think about girls like Mallika Sherawat, Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra who use their sex appeal to propel themselves into the limelight?
Every actress should show their strongest asset whatever they feel it is, if wearing less clothes works for them then so be it. At the end of the day, it is their personal choice.

Would you ever consider stepping into their shoes?
I really just want to be known as a good actress whether I wear a burkha or less clothes.

Tom Snyder, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

Before there was Charlie Rose, there was Tom Snyder.

Tom Synder, like Dick Cavett, provided an adult alternative to Johnny Carson. Whereas Carson was content to entertain and amuse his audience (a job at which he was brilliant), Tom Snyder often tried to provide something more. Snyder was host of "The Tomorrow Show," the program which followed Carson in the 70s. At the outset it ran for one hour, from 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. in the East. Seated against a primarily black backdrop, without a studio audience, Snyder would go one-on-one with a single guest in interviews which would often run for the entire hour. They could be penetrating or frivolous, but there was always something intimate about these interviews, as if Snyder and his guest were having their conversation in your living room, with you as

Unencumbered by an audience in the studio, Snyder would often break down the barrier between himself and the viewers at home, speaking directly to them, sharing his infectious laugh with them, not afraid to try something absurd (here I recall “Sink the Titanic” night) or different (his six-hour mini-marathon on July 3-4, 1975, to commemorate the start of the year-long bicentennial celebration). Synder was, by turns, egocentric, engaging, frustrating, fascinating, pompous and self-effacing, but he was seldom boring. (Dan Aykroyd’s parody of him on the early SNL was always a favorite.) He was a frequent target of critics, and wasn’t afraid to fire back.

Besides being a talk-show host, Snyder was also a newsman, anchoring the local news in LA before moving to NBC, where he often filled in on the nightly news and inaugurated the prime-time “newsbrief” that provided, in the pre-CNN days, an update on the headlines since the evening news.

Snyder’s downfall began in 1980, when Carson cut back to an hour from 90 minutes. NBC sought to fill the gap by adding 30 minutes to Snyder’s show and, more disastrously, adding Rona Barrett as co-host of what was now known as “Tomorrow Coast-to-Coast.” The move was an utter failure – there was absolutely no positive chemistry between Snyder and Barrett – and the show never recovered, eventually being replaced by David Letterman.

That appeared to be the end of Tom Snyder, and many were glad of it, having sickened of his grating personality. But Snyder was not quite done yet, returning to host an overnight radio show before coming back to television with a Tomorrow-like show on CNBC. Eventually, he made a triumphant comeback on CBS in 1995 as Letterman’s hand-picked choice to host the "Late Late Show" that followed Letterman. Snyder held down the slot for three years before leaving, this time having the last laugh on his critics.

In those pre-PC 70s, Synder was invariably surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke during his interviews, and one would not have been surprised to hear that it was lung cancer that had finally done what the networks couldn’t quite accomplish. However, it was instead chronic lymphocytic leukemia which claimed him on Sunday, at the age of 71, a true television original.

Ingmar Bergman, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

It seems somewhat pretentious to write an obit on someone as great as Ingmar Bergman, who died today at 89. Writing a piece like that is travelling on a slippery slope - you start discussing the man and his films, and the next thing you know you're offering deep, meaningful interpretations, discussing autobiographical and existential overtones, and sounding like every pompous college graduate you've ever known, dressed in a black turtleneck and tweed jacket and offering incredibly erudite opinions on film theory, all the while burying the knowledge that in reality your opinion is no better, no worse than anyone else's.

That he was great isn't something that really should be in dispute, although the word pretentious was often used with regard to his films as well. And they were often dark, challenging stories that operated on multiple layers, using symbolism and language to convey the innermost aspects of the human condition. (There, see how easy it is to slip into that mode?) Bergman was not to everyone's taste, but then neither is Jack Black.

So we're not going to attempt to explain Bergman here. Bergman himself did it about as well as anyone could, in a 1971 interview with Dick Cavett, in which he talks about his youth and gives candid appraisals of his films (and, at one point abruptly shifts gears and starts interviewing Cavett).

Rather, take this as an opportunity to go out and watch a Bergman film and find out what all the shouting was about. The Seventh Seal is a personal favorite, and you're likely to find it either incredibly brilliant or amazingly self-indulgent (or, perhaps, both). A warning, though: if you're contemplating suicide anytime soon, best to stay away from The Silence or Cries and Whispers; better, instead, to go with The Magic Flute or Smiles of a Summer Night, which showed that Bergman did have a lighter side. (Even he admitted many of his dark movies were too much for him to take.) Rent them on Netflix, or check Turner Classic Movies for the inevitable film tribute that should be coming shortly.

Love him or hate him, there's no doubting that Bergman was a giant, a master of what one piece referred to as "serious filmmaking." It's a quality that's in short supply today, as movies pander to adolescents real or imagined, always looking for the next smash 'em up, blow 'em up blockbuster. While Bergman was making films, we could always be assured that there would be something out there that offered us a chance to think, to reflect, to discuss in the coffeehouse after the theatre had gone dark.

And when the giants like Bergman go, it gives us an opportunity to reflect, to realize once again that while the screens and the theatres may be larger, the movies are much, much smaller.

Branson: I'm no mile-high club virgin

LONDON (AFP) - Richard Branson, the Virgin Atlantic airline chief, lifted the lid on how he joined the mile-high club in a plane toilet, in interview extracts released Sunday.

The British entrepreneur said it was "every man's dream," adding that he had to wipe handprints off the toilet mirror following the high-flying high jinks.

The 57-year-old knight also admits to having tried cocaine, ecstasy and Viagra, in the forthcoming edition of GQ monthly men's magazine.

"I was sitting in economy on a Freddie Laker flight, next to this very attractive lady, as we headed to Los Angeles," said the boss of Virgin Atlantic.

"We got chatting and it went a bit further. And it was every man's dream, to be honest. I was about 19," the tycoon boasted.

"I remember getting off the plane and she turned to me and said, 'Look, it's slightly embarrassing but I am meeting my husband at arrivals, would you mind holding back a bit.' But it was a memorable flight.

"The problem with plane loos generally is that they are very small, and the acrobatics can't take too long because there's no room and people start banging on the door," Branson explained.

"What I remember vividly is seeing four handprints on the mirror as we finished, and thinking I'd better wipe them off."

Branson's Virgin airline has made no bones about using sex to sell seats. It has used slogans including "Hello gorgeous," "Love at first flight," "You never forget your first time," "More experience than the name suggests," and "Extra inches where it counts."

Speaking about his experiences with the virility drug Viagra, Branson said: "I had to tie something around my trousers for the rest of the next day to make sure nothing showed."

He admitted: "I took ecstasy once... but it didn't have a massive effect on me."

Of cocaine, he added: "I suspect I've tried it, yes."

And he said Keith Richards, the hell-raising Rolling Stones guitarist, was the "first person to teach me how to roll a joint.

"I haven't tried skunk (a strong variety of cannabis), I have smoked cannabis though. I went with my son on his gap year, for God's sake. We learnt to surf and had some nights where we laughed our heads off for eight hours."

The Virgin Group chairman joked he would be good at Tantric sex, "but I keep dropping the book."

Branson has combined canny business sense with a gift for self-promotion, and his goings-on have long fascinated British media.

Newspapers have recently linked the flamboyant businessman's daughter Holly with Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne.

But Branson insisted the pair were "just good friends" and his daughter marrying the prince would be "a dreadful idea."

He said: "Nothing against William, but the life the royals lead, and the responsibilities that go with it are very difficult."

Wish I'd Written That

By Mitchell

Hopkins: Ben, I want y'to see some cards I"ve gon 'n' had printed up that ought t'save everybody here a whole lot of time 'n' effort, considering the epidemic of bad disposition that's been going around lately. "Dear sir: You are without any doubt a rogue, a rascal, a villain, a thief, a scoundral, and a mean, dirty, stinking, sniveling, sneaking, pimping, pocket-picking, thrice double-damned, no good son-of-a-bitch" - and y'sign y'r name. What do y'think?

Franklin: I'll take a dozen right now!

Stephen Hopkins to Benjamin Franklin in 1776, by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards

[You know, if bloggers just adopted this idea, it could save everyone a lot of time and effort...]

Pitt and Jolie Plan Berlin Move

HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are planning to move to Berlin, Germany, so they can bring up their children out of the limelight.

According to reports, Pitt is growing concerned about the health of his partner, who has been photographed looking unwell and underweight.

He also wants their children--Maddox, 5, Pax, 3, Zahara, 2, and baby Shiloh--to grow up in Europe.

Britain's Daily Mirror claims Pitt told a friend, "I want Angelina to settle down somewhere out of the limelight. She's lost a lot of weight recently and our plans are strictly to do with our move to Berlin.

"She wants to leave acting and support me with this. We also don't want our kids to go to school in Hollywood--it will be best if they can go to school in Berlin. We love the city.

"Berlin is so quiet and balanced, away from paparazzi."

Pitt already has one home in the city and is planning a second, which he is designing with his architect friends Thomas Willemeit, Lars Krueckeberg, and Wolfram Putz--who renovated his Los Angeles home.

Pitt says, "Design and architecture has always been my dream. I very much see my future in this, not the film industry.

"We bought one beautiful house in Berlin, and another one I am trying to design myself close to Potsdam.

"I have signed the contracts with two of my German partners and the contract starts in September 2008. I cannot wait."

Vidya Balan becomes sexy

From the very Indian woman in Parineeta to quite a hep look in Heyy Babyy... Planning to shut your critics?
"Heyy Babyy is a fun film and it was fun working on the look and putting it all together. I was nervous at first when my character was explained to me. I had inhibitions of being this glam Western girl, but I soon realized that everything has to do with the way you do it, and how you go about with it."

So fashion designer Manish Malhotra made your life easier?
"Yes. He has done some fabulous things for his heroines. This is the first time I am working with Manish and I was so happy to work with him, particularly on this movie. Hopefully, my look will debunk this myth, that only the classical Indian look suits me."

Has Vidya become more fashion conscious today?
"Actually, yes! I'm not that fashion conscious, but I do know of the basic trends doing the rounds. Also, I never browsed fasion magazines and still don't. But after discussing clothes with Manish, I have to admit that I am more fashion conscious now than I ever was."

The tag line of Heyy Babyy informs us that you make your three co-actors – Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan and Ritesih Deshmukh cry. Do you like to make men cry?
"My previous co-stars have all made me cry on screen till now, so it's my turn this time. I'm glad I am making up for the several crying scenes I have done to date. Also I make all those three actors cry, so that's thrice as much vasooli.

Your favourite song from the film Heyy Babyy ...
"It has to be 'Jaane Bhi De'. It's such a hummable song."

Do we see you groove then, and indulge in some hardcore dancing?
"A little bit. But that for me is hard-core, since I haven't quite danced before."

Richie Sentenced to Four Days in Jail

HOLLYWOOD - Troubled socialite Nicole Richie has been sentenced to four days in jail after pleading guilty to driving under the influence.

The 25-year-old was sentenced on Friday morning in Los Angeles Superior Court, where she was supported by her boyfriend, Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden.

Richie was arrested on Dec. 11 when she was found driving her Mercedez Benz the wrong way down California State Route 134 highway in Burbank, California.

After failing a field sobriety test, Richie admitted to having smoked marijuana and taken a Vicodin painkiller.

In court on Friday, Richie was fined $2,048 and ordered to complete a 21-day alcohol education course. She has also been placed on three years probation.

Richie must serve her time in either the City or County Jail before Sept. 28.

The Superior Court Commissioner warned Richie she had put lives at risk during the incident and if she drove under the influence again and killed someone, she could be charged with murder--not manslaughter.

Richie was previously convicted of driving under the influence in 2003.

In recent weeks, Richie has been rumored to be pregnant with Madden's baby, although neither has confirmed or denied the report.

Bollywood's hot item numbers up

Item numbers were the forte of the queens of oomph, Helen and Aruna Irani.

Now, there are a new breed of girls like Malaika Arora-Khan, Yana Gupta and Koena Mitra, who don't need to be vamps to gyrate to hot item numbers.

Always an integral part of Bollywood, today almost every actress is doing it.

Regardless of the films' fate at the box office, the song usually becomes a rage with the audience. Sushmita Sen's Dilbar created a flutter though the film (Sirf Tum) sank into oblivion. Likewise, Yana Gupta shot to fame with Babuji in the Vivek Oberoi starrer Dum.

So be it Shilpa Shetty's Main Aai Hoon UP Bihar Lootne (Shool), Urmila Matondkar's Chamma Chamma (China Gate), Bipasha Basu's Beedi (Omkara), Aishwarya Rai's Kajra re (Bunty Aur Babli) or more recently Mallika Sherawat's Mehbooba (Aap Ka Surroor), item songs are here to stay.

Broken Families: How Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Sided With Hendrick Motorsports

By Bobby

I wrote this to Cathy of Alex recently, and after thinking about it, I have written something that matters about broken families.

In the recent deal by race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, one of the more important stories of this issue has not been discussed as it should have been discussed.

Since the free-love society of the 1960's, we have seen an unfortunate scene of broken marriages, and family conflicts caused by such broken marriages. The Earnhardt family has been the scene of broken
marriages, on two different generations of Earnhardts, affecting three different generations of the family. Three of the four Earnhardt children were byproducts of such corruption by Dale Earnhardt, Sr, and one of those has has developed a broken family himself.

Dale Earnhardt's first marriage was to Latane Brown when he was just 17, and it only lasted from 1968 until 1970. This marriage produced Dale's first child at 18, Kerry (born 1969). This marriage ended just one year after Kerry's birth. Brown married another man, who adopted the young Kerry, who rarely saw his biological father until he was 16. Kerry himself married young and with his first wife, had two children, Jeffrey and Bobby. Jeffrey Earnhardt is now racing in the NASCAR Grand National East Series, recently racing in Elko (MN) for the Grand National East-West Shootout, for Andy Santerre. Kerry divorced too early and married another woman, and the blended Earnhardts are Kerry (with Bobby and Jeffrey), wife Rene (who has a daughter, Blade), and also their daugher Kayla.

Dale Earnhardt's second marriage was to Brenda Gee, from 1971 until 1977. This marriage lasted longer, but too ended in divorce, after two children, Kelley (now the Mrs. Jimmy Elledge) in 1972, and the eponymous Dale Jr. in 1974. Gee, the daughter of famed race car constructor Robert Gee, has a sister, Sandra, who married racing mechanic Tony Eury, in another marriage that failed.

In 1983, Charlotte-area automobile dealer Joseph Riddick Hendrick III joined forces with Robert Gee to form All Star Racing to field a Pontiac Ventura for the Mello Yello 300 Late Model Sportsman (now Busch Series) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt drove the car to victory, the first of over 200 wins for what is now Hendrick Motorsports.

By that time, Dale Earnhardt had dated, and found another woman in his life, Teresa Houston, the daughter of local racer Hal Houston (Hal's brother Tommy was another driver -- started the first 360 Busch Series
races in the series, 1982-94). This marriage lasted over 18 years until Dale's death in 2001. They had one daughter, Taylor Nicole.

When considering the troubles of a blended family, and custody issues that permeated the Earnhardt family because of the excessive number of marriages and divorces, and the children from the Earnhardt family coming from different women, it should be known that Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kelley Earnhardt Elledge both have the same mother, the current Brenda Gee Jackson.

Obviously, when Dale Earnhardt Jr was less than three years old when his parents divorced, there will always be the conflict between father and mother. With custody issues always being there, Earnhardt probably shared more time with Gee than Earnhardt in the early days. Gee's father Robert (who died in 1994) was a noted chassis fabricator, and her brothers Robert Jr. and Jimmy (now at JR Motorsports) also were involved as they grew into the Gee chassis shop, where many NASCAR teams in the had their chassis
rebuilt.

Children were more likely to side with their mother, especially when their father was absent-minded and because of divorce, was unable to see him often.

When Gee fell ill with terminal cancer, Hendrick didn't forget his first employee, and supported Gee's grandchildren, which include Dale J and Kelley, and even Tony Eury Jr. (mother Sandra is Brenda's sister).

So it seemed Dale Earnhardt Jr and Hendrick Motorsports is not an issue of just one person, but the legacy of how one man helped his grandfather, and a grandson repaying the man who helped his late grandfather. It seemed he had gravitated towards his mother's side of the family – JR Motorsports has the three Gees (Brenda, Jimmy, Robert Jr) working for the team, and Rick Hendrick admitted that in Junior, he saw the same thing as he could see in his uncles, and his late grandfather.

So it seems Dale Earnhardt Jr, after all of these years, has seen how his mother has been a bigger influence than his father. His grandfather's friend gave him a shot to join a team that started with his grandfather and a Charlotte car dealer's dream, and led into six Daytona 500 wins and ten NASCAR championships.

Bill Flemming, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

Perhaps he wasn’t one of the most famous voices in sports, but we should take a moment to say a word about Bill Flemming, who died last week at 80. You probably would have recognized Bill Flemming if you saw him on TV; He was most familiar as one of the original announcers on Wide World of Sports, where he did everything from golf to auto racing to cliff diving. For many years he hosted ABC’s Sunday wrapup of the week in college football. He called a few big games himself, most notably (I believe) Michigan’s 1969 victory over Ohio State in one of the great upsets in college football. Many probably remember him as part of the team with Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson, when he would introduce the starting lineups and report from the sidelines during the game. Here in the Midwest, he was familiar as the voice of the Big Ten Basketball Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons.

As Hadleyblogger Steve mentioned at the watercooler yesterday, Bill Flemming was a familiar, comforting presence, a recognizable voice whether he was covering surfing in Hawaii or cycloball in Germany. He was a thorough professional on the air, a refreshing contrast to the standup wannabees that populate ESPN nowadays. He will be missed.

Eva Longoria Ousts Mischa Barton At BEBE

Eva Longoria has just been named the new face for the fashion designer label BEBE. Fresh off the heels of her fairytale wedding to NBA superstar Tony Parker, it appears that the Desperate Housewives actress has taken the next step up the ladder on her rise to the top.

The first glimpse that Eva’s fans are getting of her as the new face of BEBE is for an upcoming ad campaign. The ad features Eva dressed in a black and white swimsuit and heels that definitely make her stand out.

As with almost every opportunity in the glamour world, one person’s success comes at the expense of another. And that is exactly what happened at BEBE. Mischa Barton was the previous face of the company, as she had been signed while skyrocketing to fame on the hit TV show The OC. However, Mischa’s career has recently had a few stumbles and it appears that BEBE has decided to trade up in the celebrity endorsement game.

As you look at the ad campaign pictures, it is readily apparent why BEBE chose Longoria as the celebrity to showcase their products to the public. With nothing but blue sky in front of her, it’ll be interesting to see what challenge Eva takes on next.

Anne Hathaway Ditches Good Girl Image

If you were under the impression that Princess Diaries actress Anne Hathaway was a goody-goody, you may want to cover your eyes. She’s dispelling those notions in a recent interview with Marie Claire magazine.

The Havoc star says that she doesn’t mind shedding her clothes for the camera. “I don’t actively search for (movies) that I can get naked in. It’s not the most fun requirement of the job, but nor is it something that I would ever NOT do a job because of. It is what it is. Some people choose not to do it on moral grounds; I think that’s a shoddy argument.”

In fact, Hathaway went topless in both Havoc and Brokeback Mountain, but turned down the lead role in Knocked Up because, “it was going to show a v****a – not mine, but somebody else’s. And I didn’t believe that it was actually necessary to the story.”

Hathaway enjoys making people cringe by sharing how “not a prude” she is. “I love (the band) Peaches. When people are all like, ‘Do you think you have a squeaky-clean image?’ I’m like, ‘Could a squeaky-clean girl know all the lyrics to ‘Teaches of Peaches’? I mean, my favorite song is called (Eff) the Pain Away.’”

Beyoncé falls during Florida gig

Beyoncé has shown even divas have their off days after taking a tumble during a show in Florida.

The Crazy in Love singer was making her way down a flight of stairs of stage before dropping face first in front of the crowd as she performed her song Ring the Alarm.

But she quickly bounced back up and continued with the performance, like the consumate professional she is.

She's the second Destiny Child to suffer a fall during a performance in recent weeks.

Kelly Rowland was performing in Nigeria earlier this month before collapsing on stage as a result of dehydration.

She was taken to a nearby hospital before being given the all-clear.

Poetry Wednesday

By Judith

If you're a history buff, especially if you're interested in the Revolutionary War period, Boston is an amazing place to be. Not only can you see where the Boston Tea Party took place, the homes of Paul Revere and John Adams, and the tombstone of Samuel Adams, you can stand on the spot where the Boston Masacre happened and climb the stairs of Fanueil Hall to the room where the Revolution was discussed, debated and fomented. John Adams was one of the most tireless supporters of the cause of liberty and independence, but today is almost an afterthought, hidden in the shadows of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin.

To commemorate our recent trip to Boston and a visit to the home of John Adams, I offer today another song lyric. This is from the musical play 1776. At this point in the story, Adams has doggedly been trying to convince the Congress of the need to declare independence and now begins to wonder if he's the only one who can see what needs to be done. Some of the words come from Adams himself, adapted nicely by Sherman Edwards. Here's "Is Anybody There?"

"Is anybody there?
Does anybody care?"
Does anybody see what I see?

They want me to quit,
They say, "John, give up the fight!"
Still to England I say:
"Good night forever, good night!"

For I have crossed the Rubicon,
Let the bridge be burn'd behind me!
Come what may, come what may...
Commitment!

The croakers all say
We'll rue the day,
There'll be hell to pay in
Fiery Purgatory!

Through all the gloom,
Through all the gloom, I can
See the rays of ravishing light and
Glory!

Is anybody there?!
Does anybody care?!
Does anybody see
What I see?!

I see
Fireworks!
I see the Pageant and Pomp and Parade!
I hear the bells ringing out!
I hear the cannons' roar!
I see Americans, all Americans,
Free! For evermore!

How quiet...
How quiet the Chamber is...
How silent...
How silent the Chamber is...

Is anybody there-?

Does anybody care-?

Does anybody see - what I see?

Celebrities Showing their Body Tattoos

Drew Barrymore

The array of tattoos Drew Barrymore possesses displays the actress’ wild streak। With tattoos of a cross on her ankle, a butterfly under her belly button, angels on her back, a blue moon with smile and star on her right foot and flowers on the inside of her left hip bone - all these works of body art together tell the tale of this little rebel।

Lindsay Lohan

The ‘Mean Girls’ star seems to have just began her tattooing career। She got herself a tattoo on her lower-back that says ‘La Bella Vita’ which means Life is Beautiful… we wonder she was referring to the film? She also has a tattoo ‘Breathe’ which is inked in white, it’s said that is a John Lennon tribute। And strangely she’s also got herself a reddish tattoo on the back of her neck with a “?” mark। Well, thinking about the motivation behind that tattoo just leaves us full of question marks।/left]

Pamela Anderson

Amusingly true, Pamela had tattooed the name of her husband Tommy Lee on her finger। But after their split she changed Tommy to Mommy। Further more, Pamela believes tattoos have a story to tell it makes you wonder what story hers’ conveys। If there’s a lesson in this, it’s that you’re better off tattooing the names of your children - at least they’ll stick around!

Anna Kournikova

Anna got herself a tattoo of the sun on the lower back। The tennis player then attempted to have it covered during her matches by concealing it with a tape। But a slip up during one of her matches sent photographers into a clicking frenzy। Luckily for her, the sports authorities didn’t mind the young Russian’s body art stating that it was a personal choice।

Death and Life

By Drew

I didn't note the passing last week of opera tenor Jerry Hadley, mostly because he was someone who was never completely on my radar. (Other than the fact that he shared the last name of our distinguisted managing editors, and I have been assured that he is no relation to the Hadleybloggers.) Sure, I noticed the story that he was suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, that his odds of survival were remote, and that his life had been on a downward slide for some time.

Even at this point I'm not really writing about his career; rather, what caught my attention was the recent pair of posts by Terry Teachout on Hadley's life, career and death. In particular is this piece from today in which Teachout defends his frank appraisal on Hadley, which apparently upset quite a few people. (Teachout quotes one of Hadley's fans who "went so far as to call me 'disgusting' twice in the same e-mail, which I believe is a personal record.) Teachout's sin, sofar as one can call it that, is that he was honest in his appraisal of Hadley's career and decline:

". . . the reason for much of the anger can be summed up by a Latin tag: De mortuis nil nisi bonum. The wise man is slow to quarrel with proverbs, but I'm afraid I must trump that one with a snippet of Shakespeare. He that dies pays all debts--including the debt of discretion that is owed to him, insofar as it's ever owed to a public figure who voluntarily chooses his status. My own view of the matter is to be found in the published sayings of Nero Wolfe:

'Marko was himself headstrong, gullible, oversanguine, and naïve. He had--'

'For shame! He's dead, and you insult--'

'That will do!" he roared. It stopped her. He went down a few decibels. "You share the common fallacy, but I don't. I do not insult Marko. I pay him the tribute of speaking of him and feeling about him precisely as I did when he lived; the insult would be to smear his corpse with the honey excreted by my fear of death.' "

Ah, this is an interesting question. I've never believed in the practice of sanctifying the dead, of overlooking their faults and suddenly finding virtues where previously none had existed. We see it happen too many times, even with the walking dead such as Muhammad Ali - we forget that Ali was a lightning rod for controversy in his prime; and somehow that does him a disservice, for it removes any true meaning from his acts. Anyone can stand up for a fancy or a whim, but if you're going to take a controversial tack on something you'd better be prepared to suffer the consequences, which can add to their stature. (Ali was also a jerk at times, with his cruel taunting of opponents; and it's probably a good idea to recall that emotional episode from a few years back in which he was given a replacement for his lost 1956 Olympic gold medal, and recall that the reason it was lost was that he supposedly threw it in the Ohio River to express his disgust with America.)

But I digress. We were not talking about Muhammad Ali, not really; nor were we really speaking of Jerry Hadley, even though that's how I started things. No, we were talking about the dead, and our obligation to them. Having read both of Teachout's pieces (the other one is here), I can't fault him. He was, I thought, fair and honest, and related what could be cruel facts about Hadley's life without showing needless cruelty of his own.

But what gives me pause - not with Teachout, but with the subject he raises - is our own obligation to speak of the dead. It reminds us periously of detraction, that is, the act of revealing previously unknown faults or sins of another person to a third person. We find an even better definition in the Catholic Encyclopedia, which describes detraction as "the unjust damaging of another's good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the defamer."

Note that there is no distinction here made as to whether or not the charge is true - in fact, detraction specifically proceeds from the assumption that it is. (As opposed to calumny, which presupposes the charge is false.) So, even if the charge is true, one is under specific restrictions to be careful about it. (There are exceptions, of course; if you want to read more about it, go here.)

So anyway, the point of this is that we have to be careful of one's reputation in death, as we do in life. Remember the hubbub about CBS' Ronald Reagan movie of a few years ago, when so many people felt it an unwarranted attack on a man (still living at that time) incapable of defending himself? In our respect for the dead, we accord them the same dignity that they had in life. And perhaps, the eagarness with which a society that often degrades the living seeks to disparage the dead is doing just that.

Beckhams get starry welcome-to-LA party

LOS ANGELES - David Beckham attracts Hollywood stars the same way he draws defenders on the soccer field. In large numbers.

A glittery array of actors and entertainment world luminaries turned out Sunday for what was billed as an official welcome-to-Los Angeles party for the international soccer icon and his wife, Victoria Beckham.

With Tom Cruise and Will Smith playing co-hosts for the invitation-only bash at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary gallery, the guest list was long and deep.

Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer were among the first to arrive. Brooke Shields was there. Eva Longoria showed up, followed by "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller, who managed the Spice Girls pop group that made Victoria Beckham famous.

Wesley Snipes and Quincy Jones came to welcome the soccer star, as did Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy stopped to pose for the throng of international paparazzi.

The Beckhams arrived with Cruise, accompanied by his wife, Katie Holmes, and Smith, with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Cruise flew in from Germany, where he is shooting his newest film, "Valkyrie."

For the British Beckhams, it was a taste of classic Hollywood. A red carpet was rolled out at the entrance. A small army of police patrolled streets for blocks, keeping gawkers at a distance. There were limousines and TV cameras by the dozen. Helicopters thumped overhead.

Inside, the warehouselike venue was transformed with couches, elaborate lighting and floral arrangements into a glittery nightclub. Music blared.

Beckham, hindered by a nagging ankle injury, played only 12 minutes in his debut Saturday as a Los Angeles Galaxy player. The Galaxy lost to Chelsea 1-0, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the sold-out crowd, whose cheers were so loud Beckham admitted to being "a little bit embarrassed at times."

`Chuck & Larry' has box-office edge

In this photo provided by Universal Pictures, actors Adam Sandler, left, Jessica Biel, center, and Kevin James attend a special screening saluting New York Firefighters of 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry', in New York,

LOS ANGELES - Two guys named Chuck and Larry edged out a teenager named Harry at the weekend box office. Adam Sandler and Kevin James' comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" overcame bad reviews to debut ahead of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," according to studio estimates Sunday. But they were close enough that there was a slight chance rankings could change when final weekend figures come out Monday.

Universal reported that "Chuck & Larry" took in $34.8 million, while Warner Bros. reported "Order of the Phoenix" at $32.2 million. Other studios were tracking "Chuck & Larry" in the $33 million range, which could make the No. 1 movie too close to call.

"I think it'll be decided Monday morning," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros.

Universal head of distribution Nikki Rocco said the weekend was no contest.

"I'm not going to underestimate Adam Sandler and his fan base in the middle of summer," Rocco said. "We're by far the No. 1 film."

New Line's musical "Hairspray," featuring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah in an adaptation of the Broadway smash, opened a strong No. 3 with $27.8 million.

Hollywood had a solid weekend no matter which movie ends up No. 1. The top 12 movies took in $147.6 million, up 3.5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was No. 1 with $35.2 million.

To report weekend numbers, studios use actual grosses from Friday and Saturday and make estimates for Sunday based on past performance of similar movies. Being the first report on weekend business, the estimates draw more audience attention than Monday's final figures, so the No. 1 spot Sunday is a coveted position.

"These estimates are in some ways more important than the final Monday figures," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "They're often the first impression and for some people maybe the only impression they have of the box office for the weekend."

"Chuck & Larry" stars Sandler as a firefighter who poses as a gay partner for a widower colleague (James) so his pal can maintain life insurance for his kids.

The movie followed the usual pattern for Sandler comedies: Critics trashed it but loyal fans turned up.

"The beauty of Adam Sandler is his fan base adores him, and he delivers on comedy," Universal's Rocco said. "Adam is a star, and I can tell you we know we're on the way with another $100 million movie for Adam."

"Order of the Phoenix," which debuted at No. 1 the previous weekend, raised its domestic total to $207.5 million.

Fellman said the movie lost some business this weekend because of the mania over Saturday's publication of J.K. Rowling's final book in the fantasy series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

"They wanted to get that book Saturday, lock themselves in the house and read it, because they didn't want their other friends by Monday telling them who made it and who didn't," said Fellman of Warner Bros.

"Hairspray" follows the musical adventures of a tubby teen (newcomer Nikki Blonsky) who sets out to racially integrate a TV dance show in the 1960s. The stage musical on which it is based was in turn adapted from John Waters' 1988 cult flick.

Women made up just over two-thirds of the "Hairspray" audience, said David Tuckerman, head of distribution for New Line. The studio hopes good word of mouth will keep the crowds coming and bring in more men in subsequent weekends, Tuckerman said.

"We knew getting the guys on opening weekend was going to be difficult. We knew `Chuck & Larry' would get the guys and we wouldn't," Tuckerman said.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's sci-fi tale "Sunshine" opened to big numbers, pulling in $235,477 in 10 theaters. Directed by Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later"), the film stars Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh as members of a space crew trying to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years from now.

"Sunshine" expands to about 400 theaters Friday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," $34.8 million.

2. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," $32.2 million.

3. "Hairspray," $27.8 million.

4. "Transformers," $20.5 million.

5. "Ratatouille," $11 million.

6. "Live Free or Die Hard," $7.3 million.

7. "License to Wed," $3.8 million.

8. "1408," $2.6 million.

9. "Evan Almighty," $2.5 million.

10. "Knocked Up," $2.3 million.

Mayor Won't Proclaim Ike Turner Day

Mayor Won't Proclaim Ike Turner Day

Ike Turner will have the stage, but not the day, when he performs in St. Louis in September.

Mayor Francis Slay has turned down a request to make Sept. 2 "Ike Turner Day." The 75-year-old singer is scheduled to perform that day at the Big Muddy Blues Festival.

Cathy Smentkowski, an aide to Slay, said that when the request "was brought to the mayor's attention, he did not feel comfortable issuing it." She declined to elaborate.

"We were only looking to celebrate his contributions to the music industry. Many entertainers have checkered pasts," festival director Dawne Massey told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He helped put St. Louis rhythm and blues on the map."

Turner's past troubles include a 17-month stint in jail on a 1990 drug conviction.

He was depicted as a violent and abusive husband in "What's Love Got to Do With It," a 1993 movie about ex-wife Tina Turner's life. In his 1999 autobiography, he disputed the movie's characterization of him.

Once a fixture of the nightclubs around St. Louis, Ike and Tina Turner met at a show in East St. Louis, Ill. They married and toured together before ending their tumultuous relationship in the late 1970s.

Bridget Brennan, executive director of the St. Louis Healthy Marriage Coalition, was among those who didn't want the mayor to honor Turner.

"We believe there is a zero tolerance for any kind of violence," Brennan said. "We would not want to honor someone who has publicly stated they have hit their wife."

Scott M. Hanover, a manager at Thrill Entertainment Group, which represents Ike Turner, said it was a "shame" that Turner's troubled history still follows him.

"People are living in the past," Hanover said. "They don't know the man I know. This ain't 1962."

Turner won a Grammy for his 2006 album, "Risin' With the Blues."

Heroism and Nobility

By Drew

A couple of weeks ago I linked to James Bowman's site, in which he was providing introductions to a movie series called The American Movie Hero he was hosting at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington. To this point, he's offered four movie classics that in some way all deal with heroism - Sergeant York, Sands of Iwo Jima, High Noon, and this week's entry, The Searchers.

You might notice that these four movies are dominated by two stars: Gary Cooper and John Wayne. Unquestionably heroic figures, and yet as Bowman points out, the heroes they play are as different as the stories in which they appear.

Relevant to our times, I find the most interesting discussion to come from Bowman's commentary for the Cooper western classic High Noon. I'm trusting you're all familiar with this story; if not, go here for the synopsis. But here Bowman brings into the discussion an element that resounds to the uncertainty and moral struggle we face - the question of violence, and when (indeed, if) good men are allowed to resort to it in defense of a greater good:

Amy [Marshal Kane's wife, played by Grace Kelly] replies: "I’ve heard guns. My father and my brother were killed by guns. They were on the right side but that didn''t help them any when the shooting started. My brother was nineteen. I watched him die. That’s when I became a Quaker. I don’t care who’s right or who’s wrong. There's got to be some better way for people to live." There’s the eternal plaint of the intellectual: fighting and killing is so horrible that there must be some way around it, if only we were smart enough to find it. "There’s got to be some better way for people to live." For there not to be is almost literally a thought unthinkable for the intellectual, as much a denial of who he is and what he believes as running from a fight is for Marshal Kane [played by Cooper].

It is a form of utopianism and one which a lot of people, then as now, would base on Christian principles. Dr. Mahin, the Minister played by Morgan Farley seems to want to do this, but he hasn’t quite got the face to do it in front of the Marshal, whose need is so desperate: "The commandments say ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ but we hire men to go out and do it for us. The right and the wrong seem pretty clear here. But if you're asking me to tell my people to go out and kill and maybe get themselves killed, I''m sorry. I don''t know what to say. I'm sorry." In other words, it’s your job — and it’s your job precisely because we don’t want it to be ours. That’s a great line in the mouth of a clergyman: "The right and the wrong seem pretty clear here," though somehow what to do about it doesn’t seem clear at all. It’s just like Grace Kelly saying "there’s got to be some better way." Even the most unmistakable and obvious moral realities can be ignored if you can make yourself believe in an alternative world where they don’t exist.

It's one thing for us to discuss morality in the lab, Bowman is saying, but it's another thing altogether when you're out of the controlled experiment and into the real world. This has always been one of the purposes of art, to bring us out of our elements and allow us to view reality from a different perspective. And while the answers sometimes are easier when presented this way, just as often they cause us to look at our own world with a level of discomfort.

However, as Bowman continues, there's something else unsettling about High Noon, and that's the idea of one man standing alone against evil. "But it’s also a big temptation, especially for a civilization like ours which has been infected with the virus of utopianism. For the utopians are also trying to live in that world elsewhere."

[Spoiler alert ahead]

There is something, Bowman writes, about the ending to High Noon that's not quite right. Having successfully won the showdown with the bad guys, Kane - disgusted with the cowardice of the townsfolk, fed up with the whole thing - throws his badge in the dirt and leaves the town. Someone once wrote that High Noon was the most requested movie of Presidents, and with that ending it's not hard to understand. All leaders must feel that way at times, as if the ingratitude of the public both compels them to risk their own lives in defense of an ideal that only they seem to appreciate, and then repels them from the very people whom they've saved.

But, as Bowman says, one must keep in mind that High Noon, written by the blacklisted writer Carl Foreman, is often seen as an allegory of the McCarthy era, which means that the townspeople represent the American public, remaining silent during the so-called "witchhunt" of the 50s, while the brave writers courageously stood alone against the big bad McCarthy. Bowman wonders if this is what John Wayne sought to combat in Rio Bravo, his supposed answer to High Noon (this I did not know), which insisted the fight against evil was a "collaborative and not a solo effort."

So where are we at the end? Certain that heroism exists, and that sometimes it entails nobility as well. Equally certain that the right decisions are seldom easy, that idealists often lack a sense of realism, and that the real world is a harsh one. But ultimately, I think, Bowman reminds us that life is not and was not meant to be solitary. "No man is an island," Donne writes, and this is an important lesson to remember. What starts out as heroism can often morph into isolation, egomania, paranoia, tyranny. An essential part of the human experience is that we not deny humanity. Christ may have died scorned by the masses and deserted by the apostles (save one), but the women still wept at the foot of the Cross. He was not alone and, no matter how it may sometimes seem, neither are we. There will always be good men who fight evil, and we should neither be despairing nor egotistical enough to imagine that we are the only ones.

Lohan surrenders to police in May crash

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -Lindsay Lohan turned herself in to face charges of driving under the influence in connection with the Memorial Day weekend hit-and-run crash that sent her into rehab.

Accompanied by her attorney, the 21-year-old actress surrendered at the Beverly Hills Police Department Thursday afternoon to be fingerprinted and photographed, Officer Brian Ballieweg said.

Lohan's blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was above California's 0.08 percent legal limit, Ballieweg said. He wouldn't disclose how high it was. She is also faces a misdemeanor charge of hit and run, he said.

Lohan was released on her recognizance. A court date was scheduled for August 24.

A message left early Friday with her publicist was not immediately returned.

Lohan and two other adults were in her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 convertible when she lost control and crashed into a curb and shrubs on Sunset Boulevard on May 26, police said.

Lohan got into a second car and was driven to a hospital in Century City for minor injuries, police said. The others in her car were not hurt.

Officers received a 911 call about the accident and traced her to the hospital.

Last week, Lohan checked out of a rehabilitation center after more than six weeks. It was her second stint in rehab this year. She said in January she had checked into rehab for substance abuse treatment.

The surrender was first reported by TV's "The Insider."

Fame Junkies – Volume 11: Having Your Own Celeb BFF

He just makes you feel so very comfortable.

She just brightens your day with her smile.

Do you ever have the uncanny feeling that Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts is an actual friend of yours? This is no coincidence. For years, Hollywood producers have looked for actors that have "best friend" appeal to star in their movies. Consider the case of Tom Cruise.

In my youth, I can remember watching the movie Risky Business and thinking offhandedly that Joel Goodsen, the character played by Tom Cruise, would be a great friend to have. According to the movie’s producer, Steve Tisch, this inspired feeling was no coincidence.

Tisch, a tall man with a strong sailor’s jaw and closely cropped graying hair was about to share some secrets of the trade with me. During his many years in Hollywood, he’s earned a reputation as successful producer of movies such as: Forrest Gump, Snatch, American History X and Risky Business.

Perhaps more than anything else, however, Tisch is known as the producer who ‘discovered’ mega-celeb Tom Cruise.

As Tisch recalls it, he and his partner Jon Avnet had spent months looking for the perfect actor to play the lead in the movie Risky Business. One day Tom Cruise walked into his office--and almost instantly, Tisch knew that he had found his actor. Tisch insists that the secret to Cruise’s magnetic appeal is the fact that, on top of being a heartthrob, he is almost universally ‘likeable.'

"Unlike many other talented actors who have emerged over the last twenty years, Tom Cruise will get the girl in the audience; but he will also get the husband or the boyfriend, because they want to be his pal. The girls love him; but the guys aren’t threatened by him. That’s key. Cruise is cool--but not so cool that he would ignore you. He is endearing, charismatic, warm and funny, without ever being threatening. You would let this guy drive your girlfriend home after school. What it comes down to is that this is a guy who you’d want to bring home and introduce as your new best friend."

What’s really interesting is that the "celebrity best friend effect" may be enhanced or intensified when we--the viewers--are feeling lonely or alienated. Indeed, a recent study by professor Jean Twenge at San Diego State University suggests that we use celebrities as a coping mechanism when we can’t or don’t expect to connect with others.

In Twenge’s study, a group of college students was given a personality test. Unbeknownst to the students, Professor Twenge never actually used the test results to determine ‘what’ student was ‘which’ personality type. Instead, she and her colleagues then randomly divided the college students into two basic groups. The first group, which was called the "Future Belonging" group, was told that their personality tests foretold a future with a strong network of friends and loved ones. The second group, which was called the "Future Alone" group, was essentially told to expect a life of loneliness and isolation.

After receiving this mixed bag of news, all of the student subjects were given a choice: They could either spend the next few minutes filling-out a health questionnaire to then, right afterwards, receive valuable feedback about their physical health--or they could simply read People magazine or Entertainment Weekly. Overall, the members of the "Future Alone" group were more than twice as likely to choose the celebrity magazine option than did the "Future Belonging" group. So, although one would be inclined to think that the "Future Alone" students would be intimidated by the predicted ‘reality’ of being unaided later in life--and would thus choose an option where they’d benefit from knowledge about their physical health, they chose otherwise.


In this and other related experiments, Twenge concluded that our relationship with celebrities, like our relationships with family members, offers us a special coping mechanism to ward off feelings of loneliness and aggression. According to her, this possibility really became clear to her when, in another study, she asked her subjects to write an essay on their favorite celebrities. Time and again she was struck by the warm, personal tone of these essays.

Based on both Twenge’s and Tisch’s information, it became quite clear that celebrities help fill the gap of a much-needed comfort zone, generally provided to us by good friends, who will ‘always be there’--and upon whom we can depend. The celebrity needs to feel as if they’re within our reach.

From the expressive essays Twenge received from her subjects, she ultimately concluded, "It didn’t sound like they were talking about celebrities," she told me. "It sounded like they were talking about their best friends from the third grade."

Twenge’s observation struck me as quite funny because I was actually eight years old when Risky Business debuted. So, in a manner of speaking, I suppose Tom and I have been best friends since the third grade.

This was adapted from the new book, Fame Junkies. Read the hot, page-turning exposé that everyone in Hollywood is talking about! Purchase a copy of FAME JUNKIES for a discounted price on Buy.com right now.

This Just In

By Steve

Mid-Level Accountant Bemoans Office Card "Sameness"

HAMMOND, IN -- Frank Smelman, an accountant at Lardlakes Industrial Supplies, has complained to his fellow employees for what he calls "the lackluster and half-hearted" efforts they put in to his recent birthday card that circulated around the office for their signatures.

"I swear they put exactly the same stuff in there they did last year, almost like they just xeroxed it," said Smelman, who has been at Lardy's for a little over 14 years. "At first, I was really touched by their sentiments: 'Best wishes for a good year...nice working with you...happy birthday and many more to a nice guy.' I thought, 'what a great place to work, with people who really care about you.' But then I started comparing it to what they'd written last year, and there was practically no difference. C'mon, you think there'd be something else to say, something original, after all these years of working with these people. It's all so impersonal, like they hardly know me.

"There's such a sameness to the whole thing, you almost wonder if it's worth the effort," continued Smelman, who is considering going to his firm's Human Resources Department to report his complaint. "Why do they even go to the trouble of buying a card?"

Smelman sees it as a part of a bigger trend. "You see it in the other cards people sign, too," he says. "The funeral cards, the congratulations for promotions, things like that. People just seem to be going through the motions when they sign these things, and it gets very depressing. Almost makes you want to go work in another office somewhere."

Poetry Wednesday

By Judith

Zbigniew Herbert (1924 -1998) was considered one of the great poets of modern Poland. He fought against the Nazis in World War II and was an outspoken anti-Communist following the war (which could have cost him a Nobel Prize).

His education in the Humanities, as well as his scorn for political liberalism, can be seen in many of his poems, such as The Return of the Proconsul. In this we can see allusions to Rome in the time of the Caesears (as we would also with many of his poems, such as The Divine Claudius and Transformations of Livy), but I think it would be foolish if we didn't read this poem also as a reflection of Herbert's opposition to the totalitarianism of Polish Communism for, as he once said, "The word is a window onto reality."

The Return of the Proconsul

I've decided to return to the emperor's court
once more I shall see if it's possible to live there
I could stay here in this remote province
under the full sweet leaves of the sycamore
and the gentle rule of sickly nepotists

when I return I don't intend to commend myself
I shall applaud in measured portions
smile in ounces frown discreetly
for that they will not give me a golden chain
this iron one will suffice

I've decided to return tomorrow or the day after
I cannot live among vineyards nothing here is mine
trees have no roots houses no foundations the rain is glassy flowers smell of wax
a dry cloud rattles against the empty sky
so I shall return tomorrow or the day after in any case I shall return

I must come to terms with my face again
with my lower lip so it knows how to curb scorn
with my eyes so they remain ideally empty
and with that miserable chin the hare of my face
which trembles when the chief of guards walks in

of one thing I am sure I will not drink wine with him
when he brings his goblet nearer I will lower my eyes
and pretend I'm picking bits of food from between my teeth
besides the emperor likes courage of convictions
to a certain extent to a certain reasonable extent
he is after all a man like everyone else
and already tired by all those tricks with poison
he cannot drink his fill incessant chess
this left cup is for Drusus from the right one pretend to sip
then drink only water never lose sight of Tacitus
take a walk in the garden and return when the corpse hasbeen removed

I've decided to return to the emperor's court yes I hope that things will work out somehow

Mendes, Mara & Milla Bare All for Magazine Spread

Mendes, Mara & Milla Bare All for Magazine Spread

HOLLYWOOD - Eva Mendes, Kate Mara, Joss Stone and pregnant Milla Jovovich are among the stars baring all for a provocative new Jane magazine shoot.

The ladies agreed to disrobe for a series of sexy snapshots in the publication's upcoming "Body" issue.

Actress Mendes, who appears topless on the cover, covering her breasts with pink flowers, admits she was honored to be asked to appear in what will be Jane's final issue.

She says, "It's such a girl-friendly magazine and I feel completely honored to be on the cover and just really comfortable in my skin... I worked really hard for my body and I'm really happy with it."

Eva Mendes

Young, talented and beautiful, Latino actress Eva Mendes rose to stardom on sheer luck and timing. Just five years prior to her starring role in “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003), the sequel to the unexpected hit, “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), Mendes wasn’t even thinking about an acting career, much less actively pursuing one. But fortune shined it’s light on the energetic actress, and with her passion and zest for life, seized the moment and never looked back....

Full Biography

Young, talented and beautiful, Latino actress Eva Mendes rose to stardom on sheer luck and timing. Just five years prior to her starring role in “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003), the sequel to the unexpected hit, “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), Mendes wasn’t even thinking about an acting career, much less actively pursuing one. But fortune shined it’s light on the energetic actress, and with her passion and zest for life, seized the moment and never looked back.
Born on March 5, 1978 in Miami, Mendes moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was two years old. Of Cuban descent, her parents fled the island in 1959 before the revolution, but ultimately split when Mendes was ten. Her mother worked as an accountant to support the family, and was very strict on Mendes and her three elder siblings. Mendes later attended Cal State Northridge where she majored in marketing, though she wasn’t terribly interested in the subject.

Then a stroke of dumb luck changed her life forever: her neighbor—a photographer—took a photographs of her at a garage sale. When the photographer was applying for a job, a casting agent noticed the pictures of Mendes and asked to meet her. Mendes was called into their office and was soon cast in her first movie, the straight-to-video release “Children of the Corn V: Field of Terror” (1998). The experience wasn’t a good one for Mendes: her performance was, according to her, “horrific.”

Determined not to let her career be defined by a cheesy horror flick, Mendes joined a few acting classes and spent the next few years in serious study of her craft. Along the way, she landed a few roles in commercials and music videos, including Will Smith’s “Miami” and Aerosmith’s “Hole in My Soul.” Mendes also continued to appear in less awful movies, including “Night at the Roxbury” (1998), starring SNL regulars Will Farrell and Chris Kattan, and “Urban Legends: Final Cut” (2000), with Jennifer Morrison and Matthew Davis.

Her break-out role, however, was in the critically acclaimed “Training Day” (2001), starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington. Though her role as Washington’s girlfriend was small, it was memorable; in a film revealing the acting chops of its lead actors, Mendes revealed something a bit different: her entire body. Mendes went on to appear in Steven Seagal’s comeback actioner, “Exit Wounds” (2001), co-staring rap star DMX. She also had a supporting role in “All About the Benjamins” (2002), a diamond heist comedy starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps. Then came her star turn in “2 Fast 2 Furious”, co-starring Paul Walker and Tyrese.

Mendes played a U.S. Customs agent who recruits Walker and Tyrese to ensnare a drug kingpin. Her flare for action led Paul Rodriguez to cast her in the third installment of his Mariachi trilogy, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” (2003), in which she played a duplicitous Mexican Federale to Johnny Depp’s rogue CIA agent. Then the actress reunited with Washington for director Carl Franklin’s thriller “Out of Time” (2003), playing the estranged wife of Washington’s Florida chief of police whose life falls apart when he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. To top off her career, Mendes became a spokesmodel for Revlon. As she became more a presence in the pop culture, her on-screen profile rose as well with her winning starring role as Will Smith's love interest, a gossip reporter unknowingly falling for a relationship consultant she's also pursuing a story about, in the romantic comedy "Hitch" (2005).

In the dark romantic comedy “Trust the Man” (2005), Mendes delivered a strong supporting performance as an old college friend who engages in an affair with a man (Billy Crudup) trapped in a dysfunctional relationship with a longtime girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal) looking to start a family. Mendes raised her profile significantly with the blockbuster comic book adaptation “Ghost Rider” (2007), playing the childhood sweetheart of a superstar stunt motorcycle rider (Nicolas Cage) who made a deal with the devil to protect his loved ones and finds himself paying his due by being unwillingly transformed into a flame-skulled bounty hunter of rogue demons. She then retreated the low-budget confines of “The Wendell Baker Story” (shot in 2005; released in 2007), the directorial debut of brothers Andrew and Luke Wilson about a good-hearted conman (Luke Wilson) who—after being released from prison—finds a job at a nursing home, only to lead a spirited rebellion against the home’s evil nurse (Owen Wilson).


Kate Mara

As a child, actress Kate Mara knew American football like the back of her hand, but after developing an infatuation with acting, opted to pursue a career away from her distinguished sports pedigree. A petite redheaded beauty – equal parts football and theater maven – she began her career in minor TV and film roles, but came to prominent recognition with a mix of intense action-heavy work, most notably on Fox’s “24” (2001- ), and in sensitive film dramas such as “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and “We Are Marshall” (2006)....

Full Biography

As a child, actress Kate Mara knew American football like the back of her hand, but after developing an infatuation with acting, opted to pursue a career away from her distinguished sports pedigree. A petite redheaded beauty – equal parts football and theater maven – she began her career in minor TV and film roles, but came to prominent recognition with a mix of intense action-heavy work, most notably on Fox’s “24” (2001- ), and in sensitive film dramas such as “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and “We Are Marshall” (2006).
Mara was born on Feb. 27, 1983 in the Westchester County, New York town of Bedford. There, she was raised along with three siblings – older brother Daniel, younger sister Patricia and younger brother Conor – by the parents of an NFL dynasty. Mara’s father, Chris Mara, was a VP of player evaluation for the New York Giants. Her grandfather, Wellington, owned the team, which her great-grandfather Tim originally founded. On her mother’s side, Mara’s great-grandfather, Art Rooney, was equally established in the sport, having founded the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a childhood that was anything but ordinary, Mara’s Sundays were often spent in a family routine of church followed by football games at Giants Stadium – before many of which, the teenager was often called upon to sing the national anthem. At the age of nine, Mara informed her mother she wanted to act after becoming enthralled with a performance of “Les Miserables.” Her interest in musicals, which her mother aided through trips to Broadway, only grew. She had acted in a school play, but in 1997, at age 14, her mother – after persistent prodding – agreed to help her land an agent. This led to Mara’s first professional job that year on NBC’s “Law & Order” (1990- ).

Mara continued to act while remaining a student at Fox Lane High School and, in 1999, had parts in both an independent and a studio film. As Jessica Chandler, the congresswoman’s daughter of “Random Hearts” (1999), she found her introduction to mainstream movie audiences while logging screen time in the smaller Sundance favorite “Joe the King” (1999). Continuing to appear in guest spots on television, by the time she was ready to graduate high school one year early, she had been accepted into New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, but ended up deferring for several years, as she was already working professionally.

Having racked up a slew of small screen guest appearances, Mara found her first lengthy recurring arcs in 2003. The roles provided a dramatic challenge – first, as she played a girl impregnated by her piano teacher on The WB’s “Everwood” (2002-2006), then as Vanessa, a lesbian teen engaged in a bisexual love triangle on FX’s plastic surgery drama “Nip/Tuck” (2003- ). That year, she also fulfilled her dream of hitting the professional stage, making her debut at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in John Guare’s “Landscape of the Body.” Despite her preference for the East Coast, Mara soon decided to head west to Los Angeles, looking to further pursue her onscreen prospects.

By 2005, Mara’s onscreen appearances had reached loftier heights. Though her role was small, she made an important late entry in the film “Brokeback Mountain” as Alma Del Mar Jr., the grown daughter of cowboy Ennis Del Mar, a character instrumental in helping tie the film’s emotional threads together. Playing her father, actor Heath Ledger was by then an elderly figure onscreen, but offscreen, Mara was barely four years younger than her co-star. The following year, she originated the role of Shari Rothenberg, a shifty CTU computer analyst/chemicals expert on Fox’s “24” (2001- ). Mara had the series audience appropriately hissing – the result of unenviably replacing fan favorite character Edgar Stiles. Though Sheri was pegged as somewhat villainous, Mara’s transition into the big screen summer film “Zoom” (2006) allowed her to play a heroine as the telekinetic teenager named Wonder.

Just after her grandfather, Wellington, passed away in late 2005, Mara read the screenplay for “We Are Marshall” (2006), the true story of a small West Virginia town decimated by the loss of its cherished college football team in a plane crash. She knew she wanted to be a part of the production, as she had been moved by the story’s message about the importance of adversity and of the sport itself to small town American life. Mara channeled her own grief into the role of Annie Cantrell, a cheerleading waitress whose fiancé was one of the fallen players.

It was her ability to tap into lost love that also came in handy when she was approached for Paramount Pictures’ “Shooter” (2007), which brought about her biggest leading role to date. It was a tough shoot, with Mara’s Sarah Fenn, a Marine spotter’s widow, coaxed into aiding his best friend in solving the truth behind a presidential assassination. The movie provided her with some physical challenges to go with the character drama – among them, a week filming exteriors perched high on a Canadian glacier. For the actress on the ascent, it was a fitting place to be.


Joss Stone

Milla Jovovich

An exotic beauty with high cheekbones, striking blue eyes and a saucy demeanor, Milla Jovovich started modeling as a child. By the time she was 12, she was photographed by Richard Avedon as one of Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World". The Kiev-born Jovovich segued to the big screen in the campy "Two-Moon Junction" (1988) and landed her first starring role as the turn-of-the-century young woman stranded on a South Seas island in "Return to the Blue Lagoon" (1991), the sequel to the 1980 Brooke Shields-Christopher Atkins box-office hit, "The Blue Lagoon"....

Full Biography

An exotic beauty with high cheekbones, striking blue eyes and a saucy demeanor, Milla Jovovich started modeling as a child. By the time she was 12, she was photographed by Richard Avedon as one of Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World". The Kiev-born Jovovich segued to the big screen in the campy "Two-Moon Junction" (1988) and landed her first starring role as the turn-of-the-century young woman stranded on a South Seas island in "Return to the Blue Lagoon" (1991), the sequel to the 1980 Brooke Shields-Christopher Atkins box-office hit, "The Blue Lagoon". After being wasted as Christian Slater's girlfriend in "Kuffs" and as Mildred Harris in Richard Attenborough's biopic "Chaplin" (both 1992), the actress found that most of her role in Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" (1993) ended on the cutting room floor. Discouraged, she briefly retired from acting to concentrate on her fledgling singing career.
In 1997, she returned to the big screen co-starring with Bruce Willis in the sci-fi thriller "The Fifth Element", directed by future husband Luc Besson. Two years later, before the marriage floundered, Jovovich played the Maid of Orleans for Besson in "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc", which failed to impress audiences or critics. Her performance as a whorehouse madam in 1880s California in "The Claim" (2000) also divided viewers, but she showed her game side when she sent up Eurotrash models as Katinka Ingabogovinanana in the Ben Stiller comedy "Zoolander" (2001). More obtuse was her turn in the indie "Dummy" (2002) playing a suburban punk rock chick and neighbor to an eccentric young man (Adrien Brody) who can only expresses his inner insecurities through his ventriloquist dummy.

Changing gears to more commercial minded fare, Jovovich became the big screen version of the video game heroine Alice for "Resident Evil" (2002), an action-horror-thriller that, despite critical drubbing, proved to be a box office success, allowing the actress to show her butt-kicking side, along with a titilating amount of skin (She also commenced a romance with writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson that led to an engagement). She would next appear in Bob Rafelson's little-seen noir wannabe "The House on Turk Street" (2002) opposite Samuel L. Jackson and the minor indie romantic comedy "You Stupid Man" (2002) before returning for the 2004 sequel "Resident Evil: Apocalypse."


Eva Mendes

Young, talented and beautiful, Latino actress Eva Mendes rose to stardom on sheer luck and timing. Just five years prior to her starring role in “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003), the sequel to the unexpected hit, “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), Mendes wasn’t even thinking about an acting career, much less actively pursuing one. But fortune shined it’s light on the energetic actress, and with her passion and zest for life, seized the moment and never looked back....

Full Biography

Young, talented and beautiful, Latino actress Eva Mendes rose to stardom on sheer luck and timing. Just five years prior to her starring role in “2 Fast 2 Furious” (2003), the sequel to the unexpected hit, “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), Mendes wasn’t even thinking about an acting career, much less actively pursuing one. But fortune shined it’s light on the energetic actress, and with her passion and zest for life, seized the moment and never looked back.
Born on March 5, 1978 in Miami, Mendes moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was two years old. Of Cuban descent, her parents fled the island in 1959 before the revolution, but ultimately split when Mendes was ten. Her mother worked as an accountant to support the family, and was very strict on Mendes and her three elder siblings. Mendes later attended Cal State Northridge where she majored in marketing, though she wasn’t terribly interested in the subject.

Then a stroke of dumb luck changed her life forever: her neighbor—a photographer—took a photographs of her at a garage sale. When the photographer was applying for a job, a casting agent noticed the pictures of Mendes and asked to meet her. Mendes was called into their office and was soon cast in her first movie, the straight-to-video release “Children of the Corn V: Field of Terror” (1998). The experience wasn’t a good one for Mendes: her performance was, according to her, “horrific.”

Determined not to let her career be defined by a cheesy horror flick, Mendes joined a few acting classes and spent the next few years in serious study of her craft. Along the way, she landed a few roles in commercials and music videos, including Will Smith’s “Miami” and Aerosmith’s “Hole in My Soul.” Mendes also continued to appear in less awful movies, including “Night at the Roxbury” (1998), starring SNL regulars Will Farrell and Chris Kattan, and “Urban Legends: Final Cut” (2000), with Jennifer Morrison and Matthew Davis.

Her break-out role, however, was in the critically acclaimed “Training Day” (2001), starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington. Though her role as Washington’s girlfriend was small, it was memorable; in a film revealing the acting chops of its lead actors, Mendes revealed something a bit different: her entire body. Mendes went on to appear in Steven Seagal’s comeback actioner, “Exit Wounds” (2001), co-staring rap star DMX. She also had a supporting role in “All About the Benjamins” (2002), a diamond heist comedy starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps. Then came her star turn in “2 Fast 2 Furious”, co-starring Paul Walker and Tyrese.

Mendes played a U.S. Customs agent who recruits Walker and Tyrese to ensnare a drug kingpin. Her flare for action led Paul Rodriguez to cast her in the third installment of his Mariachi trilogy, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” (2003), in which she played a duplicitous Mexican Federale to Johnny Depp’s rogue CIA agent. Then the actress reunited with Washington for director Carl Franklin’s thriller “Out of Time” (2003), playing the estranged wife of Washington’s Florida chief of police whose life falls apart when he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. To top off her career, Mendes became a spokesmodel for Revlon. As she became more a presence in the pop culture, her on-screen profile rose as well with her winning starring role as Will Smith's love interest, a gossip reporter unknowingly falling for a relationship consultant she's also pursuing a story about, in the romantic comedy "Hitch" (2005).

In the dark romantic comedy “Trust the Man” (2005), Mendes delivered a strong supporting performance as an old college friend who engages in an affair with a man (Billy Crudup) trapped in a dysfunctional relationship with a longtime girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal) looking to start a family. Mendes raised her profile significantly with the blockbuster comic book adaptation “Ghost Rider” (2007), playing the childhood sweetheart of a superstar stunt motorcycle rider (Nicolas Cage) who made a deal with the devil to protect his loved ones and finds himself paying his due by being unwillingly transformed into a flame-skulled bounty hunter of rogue demons. She then retreated the low-budget confines of “The Wendell Baker Story” (shot in 2005; released in 2007), the directorial debut of brothers Andrew and Luke Wilson about a good-hearted conman (Luke Wilson) who—after being released from prison—finds a job at a nursing home, only to lead a spirited rebellion against the home’s evil nurse (Owen Wilson).