Rachael Ray

Rihanna and Brown Fuel Dating Rumors

R&B stars Rihanna and Chris Brown have fuelled reports they are secretly dating, after they were snapped frolicking together on vacation in Jamaica.

The pair, who have been linked for months, spent last weekend at a romantic retreat on the Caribbean island.

They both jetted to Jamaica from Rihanna’s native Barbados so the “Umbrella” star could perform at the Smile Jamaica Africa Unite Bob Marley concert in St.
Mary on Saturday.

Photographs show them cuddling in the pool, and eyewitnesses reveal they have been inseparable.

One tells Pagesix.com, “They were smooching in the pool. They were playfully making out and he was kissing her on the neck.

Australia Images

Australia (2008 )Images

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie: Jolie’s surprise tribute to Eastwood leaves festival crowd gasping

Angelina Jolie left the crowd gasping at the Hollywood Film Festival Awards Gala with her surprise arrival to honour director Clint Eastwood.

The stunning actress presented the Oscar-winning director with the ‘Director of the Year’ trophy for ‘The Changeling’, which saw her in the lead role.

The mum-of-six, who recently returned from her philanthropic trip to Afghanistan, told the audience that Eastwood was an icon to many while being an inspiring leader at the same time.

“There are some people in this business that are icons, and we often wonder if, when we meet them, they’ll live up to what we imagine them to be,” people magazine quoted the mum-of six as saying.

She said: “And Clint Eastwood in person is even better.”

“He is a great leader. And I certainly would follow him anywhere.”

Quantum of Solace (2008) Celebrities

 

Angelina Jolie Photo Gallery

 

Jennifer Aniston

 

Golshifteh Farahani

Golshifteh Farahani

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Plot: Lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) look to solve their respective cashflow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Traci Lords, Jason Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Craig Robinson, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson, Tyler Labine, Tom Savini, Kenny Hotz, Ricky Mabe
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Year of Release: 2008

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Living Proof’ Beats Breast Cancer

HOLLYWOOD, CA (upcominghollywoodmovie.com) 10/18/2008 – In the television movie ‘Living Proof’, Harry Connick Jr. stars as UCLA doctor Dennis Slamon, a doctor who helps save the lives of more than 400,000 women from breast cancer. Slamon has devoted his life to finding treatments for breast cancer, developing the wonder drug Herceptin.

“There are many songs of inspiration, thanks and encouragement for people in need,” says Harry Connick Jr. At the age of 13, Connick lost his mother to cancer.

Connick wrote and orchestrated “Song for the Hopeful”, which he sang with gospel singer Kim Burrell. “This is a song for people confident in their knowledge of something better to come,” says Connick. “They are hopeful. They are faithful.” ‘Song for the Hopeful’ is featured in the movie and on Connick’s upcoming album, ‘What a Night! A Christmas Album’, releasing November 2008.

‘Living Proof’ tells the story of Dr. Dennis Slamon and some of his cancer patients. Bernadette Peters stars as a retired art teacher and the first woman in Slamon’s drug trial to be saved by Herceptin. Regina King stars as a young fashion designer diagnosed at age 30. Her breast cancer goes into remission, but it comes back. She’s told she only has four months to live. Both stories are inspiring.

There are others who play a pivotal role in getting Herceptin approved. Angie Harmon stars as Lilly Tartikoff, who pushes to get money for research. She’s instrumental in getting Revlon involved in the fight against breast cancer and founded the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer.

“Since the introduction of the drug, it’s had a dramatic response for the women who respond to it,” says Dr. Dennis Slamon. “Not all women respond, but the ones who do seem to do very well. We now have long-term survivors in this subtype, which we never had before.”

‘Living Proof’ is based on the book by Robert Bazell. “In Bob’s book and in the movie, they talk about a couple of patients who really did very well, who are out now 11 or 12 years with no evidence of the disease, “ says Slamon. “So we think it’s been very effective. That’s gratifying.”

“Robert Bazell’s book is all about the whole development of the drug,” says Slamon. “I think that the story is about a lot of people who are involved in that, including and most importantly the patients who were involved in the testing of that drug. I think, in that sense, it’s a broader story than beyond just me.”

“I think all patients who have breast cancer, all patients who have any kind of cancer, should look at clinical trials,” says Salmon. “Patients never get anything less than the best available care and frequently get something that may be better, just by virtue of being on a clinical trial and having to be monitored so closely and so carefully. So I think there are a lot of advantages to seriously looking at a clinical trial and participating.”

“There’s a lot going on in clinical research,” says Slamon. “Unfortunately, in the world of cancer, maybe three to four percent of patients go on clinical trials when maybe twenty percent or more are eligible. I think the public being aware of the fact that there are these things out there, testing these new and hopefully effective treatments, is an option. The positive thing in all of this for me, in terms of having ‘Living Proof’ out there, is that it’s going to give the public a view that there is effective research going on.”

Living Proof stars Harry Connick Jr., Bernadette Peters, Regina King, Angie Harmon, Amanda Bynes, Tammy Blanchard, Jennifer Coolidge, John Benjamin Hickey, Swoosie Kurtz, Paula Cale Lisbe, Amy Madigan, and Trudie Styler. Renee Zellweger is one of the producers.

‘Living Proof’ is part of Lifetimes 14th annual Stop Breast Cancer For Life campaign for October. That includes an original PSA Campaign, online and video-on-demand content, and community outreach and advocacy for bipartisan legislation to end “drive-through” mastectomies. There’s an in-depth viewer’s guide at www.myLifetime.com, with information about clinical trials, early detection of breast cancer, and ways to get involved in community efforts to eradicate breast cancer. Three breast cancer awareness Lifetime Original Movies are being made available as video-on-demand, including the Emmy-nominated ‘Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy’.

‘Living Proof’ is definitely worth watching. It will bring tears to your eyes, so have tissues handy. The movie also gets the word out about Herceptin and the new testing their doing to see if it will help save others with different cancer. You’ll also see the bureaucracy of medical testing, why it takes so long for new cures for cancer to be ready.

Screenwriter Vivienne Radkoff tries to incorporate the medical with the emotional, but doesn’t find the type of good balance of say, ‘Gray’s Anatomy’. Sometimes the movie jumps around so much you felt a little lost. You miss parts of the patients’ lives that show what this cure really means to them.

‘Living Proof’
Network: Lifetime
TV Premiere: Saturday, October 18, at 9pm (ET/PT)
Internet: Streamed in its entirety on Lifetime’s site, myLifetime.com, beginning on Sunday,

Celebrities Pop the Cork for GQ Gentlemen’s Ball

NEW YORK (Hollywood Today) 10/17/08 – Vertiginous heels, silky ties and camera flashes—the glitz and glamour was all for a good cause at the GQ Gentlemen’s Ball on Wednesday night at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom. Stars were dressed to impress, as they highlighted their commitment to education, opportunity, mentorship, health and the environment. GQ magazine and The Gentlemen’s Fund hosted the gala, which featured a myriad of celebrities there to show their support for various benevolent endeavors.
Proud of his skull-themed moccasins, GQ’s “Better Men Better World Search” winner Blake Mycoski was hounded by eco-friends. They swooned over his organic lifestyle (he lives on a sailboat) and charity/business.
He spoke of his business model, “Buy a TOMS shoe and a pair is given to a child in need,” which has brought him both philanthropic and financial success. Mycoski told onlookers he was accompanied by his “favorite endangered species on earth, my girlfriend, Maggie [Grace].” The belle, formerly of ABC’s “Lost,” was looking regal in a silky gray dress and towering, skin-colored high heels.

 

Between the flank steak and the petit four desserts, singer Usher stepped out to speak about The Alliance for Climate Protection, garnering cries of approval from adoring females in the audience.

 

Comfortable in his tux, Mark Wahlberg spoke of The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, whose goal is “to provide inner city kids opportunities to learn and have fun, working with summer camps and other youth foundations.”
Canadian basketball player Steve Nash was congratulated for his work with disadvantaged children. The Steve Nash Foundation focuses on helping improve underprivileged youngsters’ health and personal development.

 

Thunderous applause sounded for Forest Whitaker. The actor, who played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film “The Last King of Scotland,” has become intimately involved with the Hope North Mentor campaign, which raises money to fund a 40-acre Ugandan campus dedicated to helping refugees, orphans and escaped child soldiers get a better education.  The actor/producer described the center as a “true sanctuary for young people whose lives have been stolen by civil war.”

 

While the guests emptied their flutes of Chandon, luscious prize packets were put up for the different charities, including VIP passes for an Usher concert, tickets to a Phoenix Suns game featuring Nash, a visit to the set of HBO’s “Entourage,” a game of golf with Wahlberg and a studio tour with music producer Timbaland. The silent auction was a sellout and a great success.

 
As a special treat to thank all the participants, singer Keri Hilson and Timbaland hopped on stage to perform their duet, “The Way.” Once the energetic performance was over and the clicking heels had begun to patter away, Usher and his clique went to meet with singer Ne-Yo to continue the celebration at stylish event space Gotham Hall.

Madonna Spreads her “Filth and Wisdom” with Style

NEW YORK (Hollywood Today/RushPRNews) 10/17/08–- On the tail of the recent divorce announcement of pop queen Madonna and film director Guy Ritchie — following months of rumors about her liaison with star Yankee third- baseman, A-Rod — the Material Girl makes her directorial debut in the off-beat film “Filth and Wisdom” that hits theaters across North America today.

“Filth and Wisdom” is the story of three roommates who delve into the dark side of city life, trying to make a name in London. The film boasts a jamboree of eclectic characters turn social misfits; the pill-popping pharmacy assistant; a wannabe ballerina forced through poverty to work at a lap-dancing club; and a Ukrainian punk-poet who earns a few bob humiliating masochists while wearing ex-Soviet military garb in his ratty bedroom.

Following its premiere the film received promising reviews from the London Times saying; “Madonna has done herself proud” and “Her film has an artistic ambition that has simply bypassed her husband, the film director Guy Ritchie”. According to its distributor IFC Films, “Filth and Wisdom is every bit as erotic and playful as it is poignant and touching, revealing the universal struggles we all face in our pursuits of happiness.”

The film, written by Dan Caden is also co-written by the pop singer and stars Eugene Hutz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. Filmed on location in London last year, it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival nine months ago, receiving mixed reception from critics.

But not everyone has jumped on board that train yet. A critic at the Telegraph described the film as “not an entirely unpromising first effort” but added “Madonna would do well to hang on to her day job,” while another Brit critic says “”Filth and Wisdom is a good-humored, averagely average vanity project” and “a cheap and cheerful comedy,” but states that “Madonna simply cannot direct actors.”

But will bad reviews be the downfall to the pop singer’s future film projects? Don’t count on it. Captivating the world with her many personas and her wild productions, Madonna’s success has been unparalleled with an estimated 250 million albums and 150 million singles sold world-wide; founding her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and also music publishing, television, merchandising and book-publishing divisions.

Most likely, she will go down in history as one of the greatest divas of postmodern pop, involved in charitable causes, including volunteering with organizations that help orphans in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, by providing water, food, medical care and schooling. Not to mention the greatly controversial adoption of her Malawian son David, finalized last year.

This is a tough cookie. No matter what the critics say, it is likely that fans will stick by her side.

Release Date: 17 October 2008 (USA)
Rating: Film is not yet been rated
Distributor: IFC Films

Sally Hawkins Makes Happy-Go-Lucky Oscar Bid

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 10/18/08 — “Trust is ultimately rewarding,” said actress Sally Hawkins. Her passion for acting in preparing for this latest cinematic role in ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ with director Mike Leigh and cast is unmistakable. Hawkins performance as “Poppy” in ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ may bring her cinemas most coveted award, the Oscar for best actress. At least that’s the inside scoop amongst some of Hollywood’s toughest film critics. Hawkins may have tough competition with Anne Hathaway’s performance as “Kym” in ‘Rachel Getting Married.’

Director Mike Leigh’s ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ may turn Hawkin’s into a household name with an Oscar nomination. The quirky, joyful, naïve Poppy takes Leigh’s film to a unique ending that may bring Hawkins to the red carpet glam. Hawkins recently won best actress for ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival, one of the world’s leading film festivals.

Although there are several Oscar contending films scheduled for release before the end of the year, Hawkins’ portrayal as someone who is oblivious to the troubled world around her was much more difficult than it looked. “She really has to be in the ball playing the character,” said director Leigh who felt Hawkins deserved the Oscar salute.

This is the third film Hawkins has performed for Leigh. The Oscar nominated director filmed Read the rest of this Upcominghollywoodmovie.com »

Jury Deliberates in Britney Spears License Case

 

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Today) 10/18/08 – The jury in the case involving entertainer Britney Spears allegedly driving without a valid license began to deliberate Friday night, and the determination of her guilt or innocence will depend on which state she’s considered a resident of—California or Louisiana.

 

If her peers decide Louisiana, Spears’ childhood home, she will be off the hook.  If they decide California, she will be in violation of a law requiring new residents to get a California driver’s license within 10 days and face possible, though unlikely, jail time of up to six months and a fine as large as $1,000.

 

Spears held a current Louisiana driver’s license on Aug. 6, 2007, when she hit a parked car, and her defense team has argued that since she pays income tax to that state, owns property there and is registered to vote there, she should not legally be considered a California resident.

 

The prosecution claimed that since Spears has lived fulltime in the Los Angeles area for several years and allegedly began, but did not complete, an application for a California driver’s license, she was actually a California resident, making her Louisiana license void.

 

The trial spanned only two days before jury deliberations began, including Friday, when Spears’ father, Jamie, testified.  He is currently the co-conservator of Spears’ estate—a position to which he was appointed on Jan. 31, following his daughter’s two hospitalizations for psychiatric evaluation.

 

An attorney for Spears originally attempted to delay the trial by claiming that since her personal and professional lives were still under the control of her father, she was not fit to stand trial—a claim that was rejected by the court.

Are you the No. 1 fan of Jessica Alba

A longtime favorite of frat boys and fan-boys alike, actress Jessica Alba started out in commercials before graduating to the small screen. Her turn as a pre-adolescent mean queen during the 1994-95 season of the children’s comedy series, “The Secret World of Alex Mack” (Nickelodeon, 1994-98), helped her land the role of Maya Graham for the first two seasons of “The New Adventures of Flipper” (Synd., 1994-2000). The young star’s big break came, however, in 2000 when writer-director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of over 1,200 candidates for the lead role in his futuristic sci-fi neo-drama, “Dark Angel” (Fox, 2000-02). An eye-pleasing presence on the silver screen since the mid-millennium, Alba picked up a few dubious credits early on in her career – most notably, the bittersweet urban music flop, “Honey” (2003). Alba luckily made a wiser choice, however, when she signed on to play Sue Storm – a.k.a. “The Invisible Girl” – in “Fantastic Four” (2005) – a role she subsequently reprised in 2007’s sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
Born in Pomona, CA on April 28, 1981, Jessica Marie Alba was the daughter of a Mexican-American father and a French-Danish mother. Alba’s early life was marked by a series of unfortunate physical maladies. In addition to asthma, Alba twice suffered from collapsed lungs, a burst appendix and had to endure pneumonia several times a year. This, on top of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, helped serve to isolate her from other schoolchildren. Luckily, her health eventually took a dramatically positive turn a few years later; an improvement Alba credited to her growing interest in acting. Signed by an agent by the age of 12, Alba made her screen debut with “Camp Nowhere.”

Alba went on to appear in two national TV commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney, which led to her landing a recurring role as the young snob, Jessica, in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series, “The Secret World of Alex Mack.” She then performed the role of Maya Graham in the first two seasons of the TV series, “Flipper” (also known as “The New Adventures of Flipper”). Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk and was a PADI-certified scuba diver – skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia. As the fresh-faced, enthusiastic and sweet Maya, the part would provide Alba a nice departure from her previous “mean girl” TV efforts.

An ABC After-School Special entitled “Too Soon for Jeff” aired in 1996, starring Alba as a pregnant teenager and Freddie Prinze, Jr. as her overwhelmed boyfriend. Next, the actress could be seen in some memorable guest performances on television series, including playing a girl smitten with the captain’s young son on “Love Boat: The Next Wave” (UPN, 1998-99), a confused teen mother on a two-part episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210″ (Fox, 1990-2000), and the daughter of a police officer who identifies another officer as having indecently exposed himself to her in the CBS police drama “Brooklyn South” (CBS, 1998-99). Alba also starred in the little seen children’s comedy feature “P.U.N.K.S” (1998). The following year she was featured in two higher profile films – first playing a clique leader in “Never Been Kissed,” starring Drew Barrymore as a twenty-something reporter returning to high school for an undercover story; followed by “Idle Hands” (1999), a supernatural thriller starring Devon Sawa and Seth Green. In it, Alba was featured as Sawa’s love interest.

Alba’s career kicked into high gear in 2000 when she was cast as the genetically perfect Max on James Cameron’s post-“Titanic” (1998) TV series, “Dark Angel.” Her popularity skyrocketed along with the show’s success. In the first season, she was nominated for a Golden Globe and she won the TV Guide Award as Breakout Star of the Year – nevertheless, the very expensive series folded in 2002 despite its devoted core following. It would not be for naught, however. Following the conclusion of “Dark Angel,” Alba went public with her engagement to her co-star, Michael Weatherly – who played Logan Cale on the show – but, the celebrated twosome would subsequently break up in 2003.

Alba’s opportunities expanded along with her success, following the cancellation of “Dark Angel” – much of it to do with her smoldering Latina looks and toned body. In 2001, she became a spokeswoman for L’Oreal hair products – the Feria line of coloring –and in 2002, she starred in the low-profile film “The Sleeping Dictionary” as a South American woman who falls in love with a British colonialist who visits her village. Her first major bid toward big screen stardom came in the form of “Honey” (2003), a feast of Alba-fueled eye candy but otherwise undistinguished effort aimed at the MTV demographic. In the urban music-fueled film, she played a tough, sexy music video choreographer.

It was her next project that put her on the fan-boy map. In the visually arresting “Sin City” (2005) – directed by Robert Rodriguez and comic book creator Frank Miller – Alba played Nancy Callahan, a sultry, lasso-spinning pole dancer with an unexpected past in the segment, “That Yellow Bastard.” Following that sexy foray, it was announced that she was cast as Sue Storm – better known as the Invisible Girl – in the big-screen, big-budget adaptation of the classic Stan Lee-Jack Kirby Marvel Comic, “The Fantastic Four” (2005). Although Alba gamely tackled the role, her efforts were largely undermined by a lack of chemistry with co-star/love interest Ioan Gruffudd and the film’s wildly uneven quality. Alba’s third film of 2005, the underwater diving drama “Into the Blue” (2005) opposite Paul Walker, was distinguished primarily by its stunning scenery – primarily the gorgeous backdrop of the Bahamas – and Alba’s frequently bikini-clad body, which made her status as Hollywood’s breakout sex symbol of 2005 complete.

Next up were sequels to “Sin City” and “Awake” (2007), a thriller about a surgery patient (Hayden Christensen) who overhears a plot for his murder while under anesthesia. Alba reprised her role as the Invisible Girl in “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” and returned to comedy to star opposite Dane Cook as a clumsy penguin trainer in “Good Luck Chuck” (2007). She took star billing in the actioner “The Eye” (2008) a remake of a 2002 Hong Kong thriller about a blind woman who regains her sight, only to discover her visions are actually those of the past. In the spring of 2008, the 27-year-old actress gave birth to her first child, a daughter with husband Cash Warren, and remained in the news for the June release of “The Love Guru” (2008). The Mike Myers comedy about a mystical self-help figure co-starred Alba as his comic straight-woman and level-headed love interest.

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