NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ – Mobli, the popular visual-social media platform, announced today that Houston Texan's running back Arian Foster will be a new member to their already very popular roster of celebrities athletes and tastemakers. Users will be able to subscribe to Fosters's private channel on Mobli's versatile platform that he will use to keep his followers up to date with images and video. He will also post moments from this weekend's upcoming Super Bowl weekend. He will be sharing videos and photos from the stadium.

To view Arian's Mobli channel, visit http://www.mobli.com/arianfoster.

"Mobli is the perfect tool for me to share my on the field and off the field experiences with my fans," said Foster.

"We are very big fans of Arian at Mobli. We're really looking forward to Arian's personal video and photos coming up during this big Super Bowl weekend. Where else could you experience the Super Bowl from the eyes of one of the top running backs in the league," said Moshiko Hogeg, Mobli's CEO. "He will be showing his fans the exact experience he's getting through his eyes. This is what Mobli is all about."

About Mobli:

Mobli, where users can share moments and see the world through other people's eyes, is a real-time, visual-social media platform, made up of subject-based channels such as people, places and topics. Mobli is the leading photo and video sharing application on the Android platform, and has seen significant celebrity adoption, providing its users with an intimate connection with otherwise inaccessible personalities such as Lance Armstrong, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Arquette, Ethan Suplee, Andre Berto, Rudy Gay, Jaime King, Stephen Curry, Angela Simmons, Carisa Rosario, Tierra Lee Soleil Moon Frye, Paris Hilton and many others.

Mobli Announces Arian Foster Joining New Video and Photo Sharing Platform

Demi Moore was all smiles at the Creative Artists Agency pre-Golden Globes party on Friday night (13Jan12) as she rubbed shoulders with old pal and fellow Kabbalah follower Madonna.

The two stars were among the super-celebrity guests who attended the Soho House bash in West Hollywood.

Knight & Day co-stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx and Michael Fassbender were spotted at the event, where Madonna and Moore spent a good part of the evening deep in conversation with their agents.

The party was one of the first official events Moore has attended since the break-up of her marriage to Ashton Kutcher last year (11).

The Los Angeles Times reports DiCaprio spent much of the party with Orlando Bloom and his supermodel girlfriend Miranda Kerr.

Also spotted at the exclusive bash: Robert Downey Jr., Robert DeNiro, Diddy, rocker Axl Rose, Sean Penn and top couple Salma Hayek and Francois Pinault.

Demi Moore – Moore & Madonna Chat It Up At Star-Studded Agency Bash

12:19 p.m. | Updated Among the things the Bagger did not expect to see in the lead-up to the Golden Globes: Dennis Kucinich and Kim Kardashian in the same room; Bono selling his guitar; Hillary Clinton giving a shout-out to Sean Penn and the Arcade Fire.

But all of that and more happened on Saturday night, at a gala dinner organized by Cinema for Peace, a benefit for Haiti two years after its devastating earthquake. Mr. Penn, a founder of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, earned a humanitarian award for his work in that country, and was offered the job of ambassador at large by the Haitian foreign minister. “I do accept,” Mr. Penn said from the stage, so that he can change being called, well, you probably have an idea “to ‘hey, Mr. Ambassador.’”

Along with Representative Kucinich (whose wife, Elizabeth, is on the board of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization) and Ms. Kardashian (whose future husband may be on some sort of board, possibly a surfboard somewhere), the event drew an impressive roster of celebrities: Demi Moore and her daughter Rumer Willis; Melanie Griffith; Leonardo DiCaprio; George Clooney; Julia Roberts; Orlando Bloom; Mel Gibson; James Gandolfini; Garry Shandling; Salma Hayek and François Pinault; Hilary Swank; Josh Brolin and Diane Lane; Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning writer of “Milk” and this season’s “J. Edgar”; and the Bagger’s pal Felicity Jones, who was excited at seeing her first auction.

It was, we admit, a pretty exciting auction: among the lots was Bono’s customized guitar, which sold for nearly half a million dollars to the Irish singer Damien Rice, who also performed. With a donation from Oprah Winfrey, who in a video message offered to match any contributions up to $2.5 million, the event raised $5 million.

Hillary Clinton, whose counselor and chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, was honored with an award, also appeared in a video, thanking Mr. Penn and Arcade Fire, the Montreal indie band, for their contributions to the relief effort. (“Arcade Fire is probably the only band to receive praise from Paul Krugman,” she noted, which is not exactly true.) Bill Maher served as an emcee, and he kept the right tone, hopeful and slightly acerbic. “I think 2012 is the year we’re going to get Haiti back on its feet,” he said onstage. “And next year, Detroit!”

(He also didn’t waste an opportunity to riff on awards season topics. “Cynical people say you can’t wear a dress and project strength,” he said, “but J. Edgar proves them wrong.” Mr. Clooney, he hoped, would win a prize this weekend. “Because without awards,” Mr. Maher said, “there is no light in his life.”)

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for J/P Haitian ReliefWin Butler took to the tabletops on Saturday.

But the most electrifying moments came courtesy of Arcade Fire. The band, led by Win Butler and his wife, Régine Chassagne, who is Haitian, have been donating a few dollars from every ticket to Haitian relief efforts. “We’re just a stupid indie rock band from Montreal, and just from that initiative, we’ve been able to raise millions of dollars,” Mr. Butler said from the stage, when the band received an award. “It’s really a mistake to think of Haiti as a place where an earthquake happened to it,” he added. “The earthquake really revealed what was happening there.”

At the end of the night, Arcade Fire performed a few songs, including “Haiti.” With just his wife and Marika Anthony-Shaw on violin accompanying him, Mr. Butler unplugged his guitar and wandered around the room as he played, clambering atop the dinner tables still covered with silverware and glasses. The seated guests cheered him on. It was an unplanned moment, he told the Bagger afterward – at awards shows, he said, you have to shake things up.

The evening was so full of good spirits that no one wanted to leave, a rarity for a benefit dinner. After it ended, guests hung out in a hallway outside the ballroom, drinking and (in Mr. Penn’s case) smoking. Onstage, Mr. Butler had called on the crowd to simply collaborate in offering help. “Everyone just talk to each other,” he said, “and try to magnify each others’ efforts.” On Saturday night, they did just that.

Ambassador Sean Penn and the Arcade Fire at a Benefit for Haiti

Perhaps the greatest testament to the marriage between hip culture and basketball was documented in celluloid. Basketball Diaries actually started as personal memoir cum novel by author, poet, musician, and erstwhile junior basketball star Jim Carroll. The novel chronicles his exploits as a teenager whose life teeters between the physically-uplifting game of basketball and the mind-altering world of the counterculture. The novel is set in the Big Apple. It gives a graphic snapshot of a small town teenage basketball star who is just starting to develop an awareness of the bleak realities of the 70s. Details of his exploits in the urban hardcourt go side-by-side with his misadventures in the tough streets of New York.

The success of the novel that goes beyond its hipster niche provided the impetus for its film adaptation in 1995. The film version of the novel may have discarded down some graphic scenes, but it nevertheless toned down its heavy content that was deemed by some critics as morally unacceptable. The controversy may have been sparked by the dark drug-addled theme of the film augmented by graphic depictions of illicit substance abuse. But the worst is yet to come. After the Health High School shooting in 1999, the film became the target of a $33 million lawsuit. The bloody fantasy sequence that goes inside actor Leonardo DiCaprio– who portrays Jim Carroll in the movie— was blamed as the impetus behind the shootings committed by a 14-year old boy against members of a prayer group.

Despite the controversy, the novel and the film have triumphed as a masterful work that transcends time and genres. It provided a brave and truthful dissection of urban America in the 70s. Basketball Diaries, whether the film adaptation or the original novel, confronts the realities of an era scarred by the machine gun-riddled images of Vietnam, the alienation of a disenfranchised youth in the 70s, the death of the peace-and-love rhetoric of the 60s, and of course, old school street ball.

Aside from his yearning to find his true identity in a world suddenly cloaked by the veil of conformity, Jim, the novel and the film's antihero, tries desperately to assert his being through his love of basketball. Compared to other inspirational sports films, this one is set amidst a backdrop of a rotting urban setting wallowing in a limbo of lust, addiction and hopelessness. The charm of the film can be attributed to this, well, peculiarity. Jim is the man due to his perseverance to assert his being even in the most adverse conditions. Using basketball as his primary vehicle, he maintains his interest in exploring life albeit the decay that reeks of his environment.

Much has been said about the Basketball Diaries. But if there is one thing that fails to come out of its critics' pen, it must be the triumph of a man to find his soul in a world that is continuously numbed by the rigidity of modern life. Like the last few seconds of a tight basketball match, you have to nail that crucial shot, no matter what it takes.

Family time: Blake Lively and boyfriend Ryan Reynolds having Thanksgiving Dinner in Utah in November

The mystery person added the caption: 'Thanksgiving dinner table! Johnson's [sic] and Livelys.' 

The snap was taken last month at the Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast in Utah, which is owned by Lively's sister Robyn, and her husband, actor Bart Johnson.

Couple: Lively and Reynolds at dinner

The two couples are shown sitting at the table, on the side nearest the wall.

Johnson, 40, who appeared in the High School Musical films, is the third from the left. He is sitting next to his wife Robyn, who is next to the 24-year-old Gossip Girl star.

Reynolds, 35, is sitting on the other side of his girlfriend – his co-star in the Green Lantern.

The Hollywood couple were spotted kissing each other in Utah that weekend. 

Johnson's mother Charlene runs the bed and breakfast full-time but heowns it despite living in Los Angeles with his wife and threechildren.

The photograph of the celebrity couples surrounded by family and friends is a grainy one but it clearly shows a relaxed Lively and Reynolds.

The Canadian actor divorced actress Scarlett Johansson earlier this year, while his blonde girlfriend had a summer fling with J Edgar star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Co-stars: Lively and Reynolds at the Hollywood premiere of their film the Green Lantern in June this year

Ryan Reynold meets Blake's 'Lively' family as they share festive dinner

The cameras aren't here, but there is an A-list cast: Clint Eastwood, 81, TV and movie veteran and Oscar winner for directing "Million Dollar Baby" and "Unforgiven," and Leonardo DiCaprio, 36, former child star who still is trying to get rid of his baby face and play roles that are markedly different from himself. The scene is the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, just off Rodeo Drive, a place the recession missed. Lurking behind the scenes is J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI director who turned that organization into the top law enforcement body in the world but also used its power for his own political and personal power games. The three are forces in "J. Edgar," which opened in local theaters this weekend. This is not the first film about Hoover. "The Private Files of J. Edger Hoover," starring Broderick Crawford, was released in 1977. "J. Edgar Hoover" in 1987 starred Treat Williams. "The FBI Story," an episodic movie that hailed the efficiency of the bureau, starred James Stewart. In this version, DiCaprio plays Hoover from 1924 to 1972. The director and star have agreed to talk to us, but, as you'll see, don't always give complete answers. Why is the film called "J. Edgar?" Clint: "I didn't want it to be confused with either the president or the vacuum cleaner." Were there scenes that required more than, say, three takes? Leo: "There were scenes that required eight or 10 takes, or more. Clint moves amazingly fast. There is a lot of preparation, but when you start shooting, he moves quickly from one scene to the next. Sometimes the makeup required a bit of a slowdown, but Clint expects you to plant your feet and speak the truth. And get on with it." Clint: "I have a reputation as being a one-take director, but it's hard to live up to it." Leo, it is rumored you cut your salary from the usual $20 million to around $2 million to play this role. What is so fascinating about J. Edgar Hoover? Leo: "The challenge of trying to figure him out. It was hard for me to accept the concept that he gave up his entire life for his country. At least, that's the way he saw it. He saw communism as a terrorist invasion. He reinvented police investigation. He was feared. He became a political dinosaur. His tragedy was, perhaps, that he stayed around too long. To play all that is a challenge that needs to be met. I think I understand what drove him. You could say he was a patriot, but at the same, to me, his methods were deplorable." Why was it decided to tell the story in a nonlinear way? Clint: "It was the only one to touch all the bases. After much consideration, it was decided that the story had to be told by Hoover himself — through his eyes. The audience has to know that's what we're seeing, but we have to let them know that this should be questioned. That's a tricky thing to do. We're not saying this is the way it was. This is the way he sees it. We have the Lindbergh case, the civil rights movement, world wars. And we had a budget." The film goes to the public with big questions of how it will approach the man. What do you think is the result? Clint: "I wanted to maintain a good deal of ambiguity. I had a great deal of respect for the FBI and for Hoover from childhood. There were comic books about the G-men. He changes from the '30s to the '70s. I wanted to keep that mystery, and we do, but while still putting a light on it. As I get older, I think it's fine to just leave people alone. Not everything has to be exposed and analyzed." What surprised you most about Hoover? Clint: "What a political animal he was. He was much more into politics than I suspected. I like the scene when he curtly speaks to Bobby Kennedy. He knew his power, and he wasn't going to give it up easily." Leo, as a celebrity, you face losing your own privacy. Do you think this affected Hoover's life? Leo: "Hoover couldn't do the same job today he did then. We live in a different world. His absolute power and ability to control forces enabled him to get things done, but at what price? It is now required that the director of the FBI can serve for only 10 years. That was brought about because of him." Clint, how do you approach aging and the fact that you are making more films now than ever? Clint: "So far, OK. We live in a society that tries to put perimeters around people and rush them into retirement. I don't buy that. If you're doing the job, you're doing it." While you have won Oscars for directing, you've never won for acting. It is rumored you will return to acting soon. Clint: "I am going to play an older dude, the father in a father-and-daughter relationship, in a movie to be called 'Trouble With the Curve.' I'm trying to avoid grumpy old men roles, which is about all they tend to offer. I'll avoid them. I was going to next direct "A Star Is Born" with Beyonce, but that has been delayed because she is pregnant." What is your take on Hoover's sexual preference, Leo? Leo: "He left everything to Clyde (Tolson, Hoover's protege) when he died. I think he lived life as he needed to maybe find someone to love. But I think he cared, most of all, for the bureau and for his power in shaping America." What are you doing next? Leo: "I'm doing a remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby,'" co-starring Carey Mulligan as Daisy and directed by Baz Luhrmann, currently filming in Australia.

Clint Eastwood and Leo DiCaprio Take Aim at FBI's Feared Enforcer – HispanicBusiness.com

Following are Susan Granger's reviews of the latest movies in area theaters:

Masterfully embodied by Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar Hoover was the most powerful man in America as the iconic, if paranoiac, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years. Serving eight presidents through three wars, he used evidence gained from surveillance to try to blackmail Roosevelt, Nixon, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, while shrewdly manipulating the media to support his ruthless pursuit of Communists and gangsters.

"No one freely shares power in Washington, D.C.," he maintained. "Information is power."

Dominated by his possessive mother, Annie (Judi Dench), intoning, "You're destined for greatness," ambitious Hoover methodically organized the Library of Congress cataloguing before he moved into law enforcement, where he founded the FBI, fighting fiercely to introduce fingerprinting and other scientific methodology, establishing his own set of professional policies and procedures. Crime-fighting was his passion; secrets were his weapons.

The most pivotal case in Hoover's career was the abduction of celebrated aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby, which led to Congress making kidnapping a federal offense, as Hoover established a framework for collecting and testing forensic evidence from a crime scene and popularized the "G-Man" image.

A dapper, self-aggrandizing, megalomaniacal, right-wing ideologue, Hoover was also an isolated, emotionally repressed, sublimated homosexual whose small circle of trust included his devoted secretary, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), and dutiful, observant companion, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer).

It's uncanny how Leonardo DiCaprio breathes life into unblinking, eccentric conviction, delivering an enigmatic, powerhouse performance while receiving terrific support from Dench, Watts and especially Hammer ("The Social Network"), the great-grandson of industrialist/art collector/philanthropist Armand Hammer.

Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") has written a sensitive, nuanced screenplay, filled with flashbacks, which Clint Eastwood meticulously transforms into a riveting, eye-opening character study, covering Hoover's career from the so-called Bolshevik invasions in 1919 through his death in 1972 at age 77 — speculating about the Machiavellian essence of his relationships. Yet Eastwood, like J. Edgar, never forges an emotional connection.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "J. Edgar" is an inscrutable, ambivalent 8 — with Leonardo DiCaprio emerging as a definite Oscar contender.

After the exploits of this intrepid feline adventurer (voiced by charming Antonio Banderas) were acclaimed in "Shrek 2," a picaresque spin-off for the supporting star seemed inevitable.

Designed as a prequel, this fairy tale/nursery rhyme-based plot revolves around the backstory of Puss and a glib egg named Humpty Alexander Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), who became childhood "brothers" in the Spanish orphanage of San Ricardo, maternally run by Senora Imelda (voiced by Constance Marie). Growing up, they dreamed of finding those magical beans that would lead them up the Beanstalk into the giant's fortress in-the-clouds, where Mother Goose guards her precious child, the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.

Years later, as now-notorious, debonair Puss in his signature plumed hat is trying to steal the genuine beans from avaricious Jack & Jill (voiced by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris), he unexpectedly encounters a sultry, slick-fingered, feline femme fatale, Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek), who is after the same treasure. As the two of them join manipulative Humpty Dumpty — who has a jealous, duplicitous streak — in their mutual quest, there are numerous double-crosses and betrayals, along with a flamboyant flamenco-dancing interlude in the Cat Cantina.

Behind-the-scenes, "Shrek" animators were inspired by Antonio Banderas' suave performance in "The Mask of Zorror" (1998), so they modeled Puss to play off Banderas' Spanish background, marking a literary departure from the traditional French concept created by Charles Perrault's 1697 "Master Cat"/"The Booted Cat." Writer Tom Wheeler amplifies a revenge-and-forgiveness story he devised with Brian Lynch and Will Davies, as lead animator Patrick Mate and his staff, directed by Chris Miller, generate the stylish computerized visual elements.

Film aficionados may recognize the voice of San Ricardo's official commandante and the mysterious Moustache Man as belonging to filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Puss in Boots" prowls in with a swaggering 7. It's furry, frisky, family-friendly fun. And you don't have to pay extra for the 3-D, since the 2-D version is just as good.

"THE THREE MUSKETEERS"

Alexander Dumas would scarcely recognize this latest incarnation of his swashbuckling tale, what with its airborne CGI galleons and armed Milady who secures rappelling apparatus within her corset.

The prologue begins in 17th century Venice, where sardonic Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), good-humored Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and astute Aramis (Luke Evans) team up with intrepid Milady DeWinter (Milla Jovovich) to steal blueprints for a war machine from Leonardo DaVinci's Vault. But they're betrayed by Milady, who delivers the plans for the dirigible/sea-faring galleon to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) and then allies herself with scheming Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz).

A year later, the cocky, young son of a Musketeer, D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman), is traveling to Paris to become one of the elite soldiers sworn to protect France's foppish, teenage King Louis XIII (Freddie Fox). En route, eye-patch'd Capt. Rochefort (Mads Mikkelsen), the leader of Richelieu's Guards, mocks his horse, Buttercup, earning D'Artagnan's eternal enmity. D'Artagnan later joins up with disillusioned Athos, Porthos and Aramis — who feel they're obsolete and in search of a cause — and he becomes smitten with lovely Constance (Gabriella Wilde), lady-in-waiting to the Queen (Juno Temple). As the plot thickens, there's in an unlikely escapade in which Milady steals the Queen's diamond-studded necklace as part of Richelieu's diabolical plan to provoke war between England and France.

Written by Alex Litvak ("Predators") and Andrew Davies (TV's "Pride and Prejudice," "Little Dorrit") and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, it's dazzling in its opulent, expensive, 3-D extravagance but the crass concept lacks substance, the vapid characters are never individualized, and the dialogue is so stilted that the Three Musketeers seem transformed into The Three Stooges. Even the Hong Kong-inspired but badly edited swordfights lack tension and suspense. Perhaps one should know that actress Milla Jovovich is married to the director, and they've made millions from their "Resident Evil" franchise.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "The Three Musketeers" is a hammy, campy 5, concluding with the threat of a sequel as a British armada sailed toward France.

MOVIES: 'J. Edgar,' 'Puss in Boots' & 'The Three Musketeers'

One of the many things that director Quentin Tarantino is known for is putting together great casts for his movies; even for some of the smaller characters he has, such as Mike Myers in Inglourious Basterds for example. It sounded strange when first reported, but worked out great in the final product.

Perhaps not quite as strange as that particular casting, it's being reported that Tarantino has chosen Sacha Baron Cohen for a small role in his upcoming movie, Django Unchained.

Baron Cohen is currently in negotiations for the role, which would see him playing an "off-kilter gambler" who at one point purchases the wife of Django (Jamie Foxx), who's teamed up with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to find his long-lost love.

The actor joins a cast that includes Foxx, Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kurt Russell, Don Johnson, RZA, and Anthony LaPaglia.

Sacha Baron Cohen is best known as the man of many faces and voices from Da Ali G Show, which resulted into two films based on his characters: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and Brüno. He's also appeared in Madagascar, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and upcoming titles Hugo and The Dictator.

[Source: Heat Vision]

'Borat' Star Sacha Baron Cohen Lands Small Role In Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained'

Reviews from wire and online sources. Showing at these locations:

5 — Gulf Coast Cinema 5

James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent provide some of the voices in the computer-animated 3-D holiday tale about Santa Claus’ youngest son, who borrows his dad’s high-tech gift-delivery technology for a personal project. PG (C, G, 5)

The great Martin Scorsese directs his first 3-D movie — and his first family-friendly film — with this story about an orphan in 1930s Paris (Asa Butterfield) who uncovers a mystery linked to George Melies, the legendary pioneer of the birth of cinema. Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from “Kick-Ass”), Ben Kingsley and Sasha Baron Cohen co-star. Features some of the most extraordinary 3-D effects ever filmed. PG (G)

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the rest of Jim Henson’s indelible creations return for more big-screen glory. Amy Adams and Jason Segel are some of the humans sharing the screen. PG (C, G, 5)

A sneak preview will be held at the Grand on Saturday.

Those adorable dancing penguins are back. Just try and resist them. PG (C, G, 5)

Filmmaker Tarsem Singh (“The Cell,” “The Fall”) brings his inimitable style to this recounting of the legend of the Greek peasant Theseus (Henry Cavill) and his war against the tyrannical King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke). Looks an awful lot like “300.” R (C, G, 5)

The life and times of original FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) are explored in this controversy-baiting biopic from director Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (“Milk”). R (C, G)

Adam Sandler pulls double duty in this comedy about an advertising executive (Sandler) who dreads an annual visit: A Thanksgiving visit by his twin sister (also Sandler). Katie Holmes and Al Pacino co-star for Sandler’s usual director of choice, Dennis Dugan (“Grown Ups,” “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”). PG (C, G, 5)

The feline swashbuckler (voice by Antonio Banderas) from the “Shrek” movies gets his own 3-D adventure. PG (C, G, 5)

Brett Ratner directs an all-star cast with this crime caper about workers at a luxury condominium plotting to take back the pensions stolen by a Wall Street plunderer. Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sibide, Casey Affleck and Alan Alda partake in the high jinks. PG-13 (C, G)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 HHH

The first half of the concluding chapter in the ongoing story of a high-school girl (Kristen Stewart) and the vampire (Robert Pattinson) she loves finally digs into the horror roots inherent in the scenario. Director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “Kinsey”) classes up the franchise with the best-looking “Twilight” picture to date. Also: There will be blood. PG-13 (C, G, 5)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas HH1/2

Six years after their previous adventures, the pothead pals (John Cho and Kal Penn) have grown apart and lead unconnected lives. That all changes, though, with the arrival of a package in the mail marked “High Grade.” R (C)

Movie grid for Nov. 25

Photo Source: Celebrity-Gossip

With Gucci as a sponsor, it was no surprise to see many of the guests wearing the label. The best of the red carpet came courtesy of Gucci frocks on Camilla Belle, Amy Adams, Zoe Saldana, and Kate Hudson. Camilla and Zoe dazzled in metallic fringe dresses. But, in the hairstyle department, Zoe Saldana fared better than Camilla Belle. Amy Adams looked lovely in a blush-colored Gucci gown. And Kate Hudson's gold Gucci dress could have been a winner if it fit her better, and if her shoe and clutch choices were less matchy-matchy.

Kate Bosworth was in fine form at the LACMA Art and Film Gala. Although the actress opted out of wearing Gucci, she did choose a charming, lace dress by Erdem, which she paired with Jonathan Kelsey heels, a Christian Louboutin clutch, and a bouffant updo.

Celebrity-Gossip has more pictures of Kate Bosworth, Kate Hudson, and more at the gala.

Camilla Belle, Kate Bosworth: LACMA Art and Film Gala Glamour

I loved Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's blockbuster, Titanic, and I knew their inherent electricity together would charge their latest collaboration in Revolutionary Road, directed by Kate's husband, Sam Mendes.

The film is set in the mid 50's when people still smoked cigarettes in their business offices, and is based on a novel (published in 1961) by Richard Yates. We follow two characters, Frank Wheeler and his wife, April, as their life together takes unexpected turns.

Kate could be the emotional doppelganger of poet and novelist, Sylvia Plath, who was so distraught by having children and being forced into the mold of mother and housewife, her last act of defiance was to place her head in an oven with the gas turned on. Kate and Frank have two children together but there are hints throughout the movie that April would rather have committed her talents to acting. Clearly there is little to no support of that. Still, the 50's family structure – of working father, two boisterous kids and the role of model homemaker – do not fit into April's scheme of things. So when Frank agrees to her carefully-considered plan to move the family to Paris, where she will take on a position as secretary while Frank discovers his true talents, April is ecstatic. There is a bright, new feeling to their relationship as they inform neighbors and coworkers of their plan to move to Paris. The Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf portion of their life appears to be far behind them. Now, like a pair of giggling teens, they are delighted to be moving forward in the same direction.

But the Frank who is willing to drop out of the company where his father before him worked for decades (and whom nobody at the firm seems to remember) is now irresistible as an asset to his bosses who make him an offer he cannot refuse, to stay put. Of course April, who is the voice of reason through all this, cannot comprehend that the bottom has just fallen out of her big plan – even after she's purchased their airline tickets and started packing. On top of all that, she is pregnant with no desire to carry a third child to term, in the Revolutionay Road home to which she has already said goodbye.

In an interview published in Ploughshares in 1972, author Richard Yates said, During the Fifties there was a general lust for conformity all over this country, by no means only in the suburbs – a kind of blind, desperate clinging to safety and security at any price, as exemplified politically in the Eisenhower administration and the Joe McCarthy witchhunts. Anyway, a great many Americans were deeply disturbed by all that – felt it to be an outright betrayal of our best and bravest revolutionary spirit – and that was the spirit I tried to embody in the character of April Wheeler. I meant the title to suggest that the revolutionary road of 1776 had come to something very much like a dead end in the Fifties.

Many of us tend to think of the 50's as the good old days, but not in terms of a woman's right to choose whether or not to have a family. And yet, how is the 21st century now any different? People still feel they must cling to what they have and not take any chances to change their circumstances. Most pregnant women as depicted in current media choose to have the baby. Juno, in a break-away film chooses to have the baby and give it away. Back in the real world, a humanitarian doctor by the name of George Tiller is murdered by a so-called right-to-lifer (if that isn't an irony, then what is?)

When asked about the theme of his book, Yates told the interviewer, If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy. If we humans could only walk a mile in our neighbor's shoes (as my dad was once fond of saying), we might surprise ourselves at how similar we really are in wanting our lives to be comfortable yet remarkable.

Only a few in the Philippine entertainment business have enjoyed a durable and consistently stellar career as that of Ricky F. Lo, Philippine Star entertainment editor, a host of the top-rating weekly GMA-7 show biz talk show "Startalk," and the country’s most popular, much-sought after and most credible entertainment columnist.

Ricky reached another milestone in his long and colorful career when he became a legal permanent resident of the United States of America (USA) by virtue of a visa that adjudged him an Alien of Extraordinary Ability by the US immigration service. An Alien of Extraordinary Ability (EB-1) is a special category of immigrants who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their chosen field, from the arts to the sciences. Hands down, Ricky Lo fits that category to a T.

Several times a year, Ricky flies to Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and other entertainment capitals in the world. His exclusive features, profiles, reviews and interviews from these travels list like the Who’s Who in entertainment past and present: Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Liam Neeson, Anthony Hopkins, Collin Farrell, Will Smith, Toby Maguire, Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Denzel Washington, Ricky Martin, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Matthew Broderick, Pierce Brosnan, Keannu Reeves, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Chan, Jodie Foster, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Kevin Spacey, Penelope Cruz, Robin Williams, Robert Downey Jr., Vin Diesel, Tommy Lee Jones, The Bee Gees, Beyonce Knowles, Lindsay Lohan, The Rock, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger, Martin Lawrence, John Woo, Ang Lee, and Ron Howard.

His most recent interviews include actor Rowan Atkinson a.k.a. Mr. Bean; singers Tony Bennett, Michael Bolton, Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus, David Archuleta; TV star Tyler Lockwood ("The Vampire Diaries"), and "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" stars Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart.

Lo has won several awards for his features and columns, was honored as Best TV Host for his show "Showbiz Stripped," and received international recognition through the 2006 Global Excellence Award for Media and Journalism.

Atty. Jemela Nettles, who helped process Ricky’s immigration papers, personally served the certificates to Ricky when he flew to Los Angeles, California last month, not in his usual mantle of frequent-flying journalist, but now as a green card holder.

Needless to say, winning acceptance in that elite company involves clearing several tough hurdles. Thankfully, like the Olympic sport, it is a quick race, where results are achieved much faster than ordinary visas. But it is an intense undertaking that merits a special kind of lawyer in the person of Atty. Nettles.

Dubbed the "Attorney to Extraordinary Talent," Atty. Nettles has processed the EB-1 (extraordinary-ability) visas of actress Lorna Tolentino, fashion designer Oliver Tolentino, composer Vehnee Saturno, and singers Mon David, Marco Sison, Miguel Vera, April Boy Regino, Ladine Roxas, Jolina Magdangal, Dingdong Avanzado, and Jessa Zaragosa. Today, Atty. Nettles is helping several other famous artists obtain their EB-1 visas.

The award-winning immigration lawyer has also obtained first O-1/P-1 (artist/group) visas for Karylle, Mark Herras, Kris Bernal, Paolo Santos, Camille Pratts, John Pratts, Jed Madela, Aria Clemente, Rey Kilay, La Diva, Aegis, Paolo Santos, La Bacci, Pola, Vivorah, Jose Manalo, Mahal at Mura, Camille and John Pratts, Black Pearl Band, and Prime Note Ensemble.

Her usual star-studded clientele also include top entertainers Eddie Katindig, Edgar Mortiz, Tirso Cruz III, Rico J. Puno, Willie Nepomuceno, Arnel Ignacio, Rufa Mae Quinto, Ara Mina, Toni Gonzaga, Kempee de Leon, K Brosas, Christian Bautista, Wendell Ramos, Mark Herras, Rhian Ramos, Christine Reyes, Kris Bernal, Carla Abellana, Pauleen Luna, Gladys Guevarra, Poca, Osang, Teri Onor, Pooh, and Bugoy Drilon; and leading groups Eraserheads (her first celebrity client) and Wrecklo.

Atty. Nettles explains the EB-1 visa is not only for celebrities or entertainers. Anyone who has excelled in his chosen field — sports, arts, sciences, academia, business, media — is eligible for a green card. To qualify, Atty. Nettles said, the applicant must have been practicing his craft for a length of time sufficient enough to demonstrate "sustained national or international" acclaim.

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Ricky Lo recognized for his ‘extraordinary ability’

Wednesday Nov 23 2011

Naomi Campbell has been named the editor-at-large of the German and Russian editions of Interview magazine.

The British supermodel will meet "outstanding personalities" as part of the new job, a press release explained. She will conduct long interviews which will then feature in the new versions of the iconic publication.

"Naomi is one of the rare personalities who is recognised throughout the world for her tremendous contribution to the fashion and creative world as well as her philanthropic contributions through Fashion For Relief," Executive Chairman Bernd Runge said.

Naomi has already got to work as part of her new job.

She's penned the introduction for the December edition of the Russian magazine. It features Leonardo DiCaprio on the front cover, and will be available to buy from November 25.

Her first work for the German version of the publication will be included in the edition which goes on sale on January 20. T

he model has completed some question and answer sessions thought to be with big name stars, but the details haven't been released at the moment.

Naomi Campbell becomes magazine editor

Stars Who Started In Horror Movies

The major studio releases are theAdam Sandler comedy Jack And Jilland the Clint Eastwood/Leonardo DiCaprio biopic J. Edgar. Both of those movies are terrible in very differentways, so you'll want to watch the two and a half hour Danish apocalypse movie if you wantto see something new and decent. I can understand if that sounds toointimidating for cinematic escape, so other than that it might be worthchecking out A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas again. That stoner Christmas comedy is pretty damnfunny and if you're part of the target audience and viewed it properlyprepared, you probably don't remember much of it anyway.

The Good: Melancholia

Controversial Danish director Lars Von Trier returns withhis latest exercise in misery, this time getting full-on apocalyptic with themost appropriately titled movie of his career, Melancholia. The film is an undeniably powerful and compellingwork, but it's oddly split down the middle into two very different movies thatsplit at the halfway mark to sit awkwardly next to each other.

The first movie is almost a black comedy about anunbelievably awkward wedding that causes a family to snap and lay all of theirawkward secrets bare. Think of it as a wedding video variation on Thomas Vinterberg's (another Danish dogme veteran) Festen. The second movie cuts the sprawling cast down to four and focuses ona few days spent anticipating a possible apocalypse caused by the planetMelancholia crashing into earth (hmmm…I wonder if there is any symbolism goingon there).

The first film is excellent with Von Trier gleefullydismantling a seemingly idyllic wedding ceremony with sadistic comic glee anda large ensemble including the likes of Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland,Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgard, and Udo Kier all deliveringdevilishly funny and raw performances. If Melancholia had ended there, it would have been one of VonTrier's best films. Unfortunately he keeps going and the second movie is arelentlessly depressing and brooding apocalyptic fantasy that's interesting,but feels a little easy and redundant for Von Trier.

The director is very good at metaphysical misery as heproved in Antichrist, but has done it sooften now that the second half of Melancholia feels like he's going through the motions ratherthan building on the incendiary family drama he slowly heat up to a boil in thefirst half. Melancholia is a strongeffort worth seeking out for the performances alone, but it's also sadly aschizophrenic project that would have worked better if Von Trier had focused onone of the two threads that tickled his imagination rather than trying to cramthem both into the same epic tale of depression.

The Bad: Jack And Jill

Adam Sandler's interminable bad comedy streak continues thisweek with Jack And Jill, a film in whichhe portrays a twin brother and sister. I suppose some people out there muststill find the sight of a man in a dress funny, but at this point that's reallynot enough of a gag to hinge a whole movie around.

It certainly doesn't helpthat Sandler's lady lead is possibly the most irritating character that he'sever created, defined entirely by a whiny voice that should irritate theaudience even more than the characters in the movie after a few minutes. As inall Sandler productions, the laziness and glorified stupidity of the project issupposed to be part of the joke. In the three-minute SNL sketch that might befunny, but stretched out to 90 minutes, it's gag-inducing.

The closest thing the movie has to a saving grace is aridiculously over-the-top performance from Al Pacino as himself. The film isabout Sandler's character Jack's struggle to land Pacino in a Dunkin' Donutscommercial and how Pacino inexplicably falls for Jill, despite her distaste forthe Oscar-winning thespian.

Pacino's over-the-top performance offers themovie's few laughs and it would be tempting to view it as a parody of theoveracting he's sadly become known for, but in a project this stupid that kindof satirical insight just can't be assumed. The film is almost worth sluggingthrough for the hilariously cheesy Dunkin Donuts rap that Pacino performs atthe end. However, in the age of YouTube that'll be online soon and that willsave you $12 and an hour and a half of frustrated boredom.

It's a shame Adam Sandler movies continue to make money despitehow increasingly lazy he's become as both a writer and performer. Grown Ups was not only Sandler's worst film, but also by farhis most financially successful. Audiences are encouraging him to make staleconcepts by continuing to buy tickets for his comedy trash regardless of howawful it gets. If you want Sandler to be funny again then, for the love of god, do notgo and see Jack And Jill.

Trustme, you don't want to experience that comedic agony or encourage Sandler tocontinue to lower the bar for what passes as a mainstream Hollywood comedy. Weall deserve better than this and Sandler is capable of more whenever he canbother to try.

The Hoover: J. Edgar

Film awards season ain't too far away, so from now until NewYear's we can expect to see the Hollywood studios release all of their overblownawards movies hoping for a shot at Oscar glory. This week we're treated to thisyear's inevitable superstar biopic with Leonardo DiCaprio playing thecrossing-dressing FBI pioneer J. Edgar Hoover under the direction of Hollywoodroyalty Clint Eastwood.

On paper, that sounds like a can't-miss awards movie.Yet, despite all of the talent involved and the compelling subject matter,the movie misses the mark in a big bad way. It's one of those biopics thattries to cram in as many events of the subject's life as possible rather thanattempting any insight into the character. You'll come out of the movie with aless clear impression of the controversial Hoover than you had going in, withonly dime store psychology and awkwardly hidden sexuality to chew on.

The movie skips nimbly throughout time to show as manyevents from Hoover's life as possible, but any sense of the actual man isboiled down to two biopic clichés. Hoover had an overbearing mother whoinstilled a work ethic in her son, but no compassion, and he was a closetedhomosexual with a longstanding unrequited lover in his assistant/confidant(Armie Hammer). The mother material amusingly plays like a toned down versionof Psycho with political blackmailsubstituted for murder and tearful cross-dressing standing in for a psychoticpersonality swap.

It's a far too simplistic psychological crutch to takeseriously, but even worse is how Eastwood handled the closest thing the filmhas to a love story. Rather than showing a secret affair, Eastwood makes itseem as though the two men never actually consummated their love. They merelyspent every waking our together without getting into that icky gay sex stuff.This aspect of the movie shows how conservative Clint Eastwood really is. He'sclearly willing to include the homosexual material for the sake of awardspandering, but can't find it in himself to actually depict any happy gay love.I could understand taking that approach 30 years ago, but these days it'sdistractingly old fashioned.

DiCaprio is decent in the central role, but he's hampered bysome of the worst old age makeup I've ever seen. Given all of the major namesinvolved with the movie, it wouldn't have been a challenge to get a decent makeup effects budget, but instead they lazily slapped a bunch of rubber onto theactor's faces and said, "Good enough." That ethos seems to define the approachto the movie as a whole. It's professionally made, but slapped together withoutany personality or insight. It's as if everyone involved made the movie becauseit sounded like a good idea, rather than committing to a project they wereactually passionate about.

In the end, the project offers little more thanawards pandering and should disappear into obscurity almost instantly. Don'teven bother giving it a shot even if you're a major fan of DiCaprio andEastwood or are fascinated with J. Edgar Hoover. No matter what you go intothis movie expecting, I can assure you that you'll be disappointed.

This Week In Film: The Good, The Bad, and The Hoover

Quentin Tarantino continues to fill his upcoming film, Django Unchained, with a sprinkling of his regulars and a great many excellent actors you'd never expect to play in his universe.

For example he's just cast the RZA, who scored both Kill Bill films for Tarantino, in a small role as a mean slave named Thaddeus. That makes sense. Making less sense, but equally awesome, are the additions of Misty Upham (who held her own against eventual Oscar-winner Melissa Leo in Frozen River) as a bar owner named Minnie and Without a Trace's Anthony LaPaglia as an evil Australian who buys slaves to fight. Both of those actors haven't worked with Tarantino before so they, along with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gerald McRaney and M.C. Gainey, go to show how boisterous, and meticulous, the director is casting every single role in his anti-slavery "Southern." There's more after the jump.

Variety broke the casting news of the RZA and Upham while Deadline broke the news of LaPaglia. In the latter story, the actor revealed his character is the brother of a character that'll be played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, confirming that previously rumored casting.

In case you haven't been following for the past few months, Django Unchained is the story of Django, a slave (Foxx) who is trained in bounty hunting by a German ex-dentist (Christoph Waltz). The two ultimately seek to free Django's captured wife (Washington) from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio). Along with all the names mentioned above, Samuel L. Jackson will also be in the mix along with Tom Savini, Dennis Christopher and possibly Kurt Russell and Michael K. Williams. Both have been rumored to have roles.

Filming is set to start fairly soon and we'll finally get to see this epic cast all together spewing Tarantino's pulpy dialogue  Christmas 2012.

RZA, Misty Upham and Anthony LaPaglia Join Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained'

It's debatable whether or not J. Edgar Hoover's life is deserving of an epic biopic, or even if his private life secrecy and historical adventures leading to his legacy are worthy movie making material. What is not in question is Clint Eastwood's directing capabilities and Leonardo DiCaprio's acting chops. Both are nearly flawless. Writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk) also delivers a sharp script, which magically keeps a two-hour film from dulling or dragging and cinematographer Tom Stern utilizes techniques that demonstrate an attractive, nearly black-and-white style. And while the subdued nature of Edgar's sexuality, bigotry, highly sought public eminence and corruption/extortion occasionally clashes with what many audiences might hope to see examined, it's still an exquisitely made piece.

In 1919, Attorney General Mitchell Palmer (Geoff Pierson) conducted his raiding of Bolshevik communists and anarchists, aided by a young John Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), who experienced a quick rise through the ranks to become head of the anti-radical division of the primitive Bureau of Investigation. By 1924, Hoover became the acting director, slowly building the unit's power, authority, jurisdiction, scientific aptitude and overall crime-fighting effectiveness. Federal laws, counter-intelligence, fingerprinting, and centralized information gathering allowed the FBI (officially formed in 1935) more respect and veneration. His involvement with the gangster wars and bank robbers of the 1930s, the public's eventual admiration and recognition of the FBI as heroes, the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Great Depression, and Kennedy assassination are all touched upon – but just as many details are excluded as included.

In his unequaled dedication to the bureau, J. Edgar's personal life suffers – in this film, his homosexuality, friendlessness, illegal surveillance collections, and blackmail attempts are confirmed, as his controversial private dealings are dissected. Each of these contentions is handled with delicacy, preventing any single aspect from overwhelming the whole of his career. Eastwood clearly isn't seeking out shocks. The masterful performances are what stand out the most, with strong supporting roles by Armie Hammer as forbidden love interest Clyde Tolson, Naomi Watts as faithful secretary Helen Gandy, and Judi Dench as his proud yet restrictive mother Annie.

One of the more interesting angles to Hoover's life is that his impact on history isn't so notorious that it's common knowledge (despite at one time being revered as the most powerful man in the world). This film sheds light on the formation, progression and evolvement of the FBI, its battles with governmental opposition, and Hoover's suspected accumulation of secrets and confidential files concerning prominent political leaders. It serves as educational more often than electrifying, although the truths and revelations are cursory at best. Ironically, this tasteful approach to a tumultuous existence may be the film's greatest criticism. And since the movie spans several decades, extensive makeup effects are used to age each of the primary characters (seamlessly edited time shifts are frequent and unnecessary); while this element will probably garner Academy Award attention, the extremeness is hard to take seriously. Seeing DiCaprio as a hunched, wrinkled, fatter elder is far more distracting than convincing (this goes twofold for Hammer in his later years, who resembles Pruneface from Dick Tracy).

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)

Starting This Week

"IMMORTALS" (Premiere 10) A young man fights to prevent a tyrannical king from destroying the Greek gods. Action fantasy with Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke and John Hurt. R. 110 minutes. Not reviewed.

"J. EDGAR" (Premiere 10) The life story of J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI. Dramatic biography with Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts. R. 137 minutes. HHH

"JACK AND JILL" (Century 12) A man suffers through a Thanksgiving reunion with his twin sister. Comedy with Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino. PG. Not reviewed.

"TAKE SHELTER" (Century 12) A young father questions his sanity after having apocalyptic visions. Drama with Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain and Shea Whigham. R. 120 minutes. Not reviewed.

Continuing

"CONTAGION" (PC-6) An outbreak of a lethal disease threatens humanity. Action thriller with Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Jude Law. PG-13. 105 minutes. Not reviewed.

"COURAGEOUS" (Century 12) Four police officers embrace their roles as fathers. Drama with Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel and Kevin Downes. PG-13. Not reviewed.

"DOLPHIN TALE" (Premiere 10) A boy becomes friends with an injured dolphin. Family film with Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr. PG. 113 minutes. Not reviewed.

"FOOTLOOSE" (PC-6) A young man moves to a town where dancing has been banned. Comedic drama with Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough and Dennis Quaid. PG-13. 113 minutes. Not reviewed.

"THE IDES OF MARCH" (Century 12) A young political staffer is exposed to dirty politics. Drama with Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. R. 101 minutes. Not reviewed.

"IN TIME" (Premiere 10) In a future where aging can be stopped, people steal time from each other. Sci-fi thriller with Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy. PG-13. 109 minutes. Not reviewed.

"JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN" (PC-6) A British agent fights a group of assassins. Adventure comedy with Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West. PG. 101 minutes. Not reviewed.

"MONEYBALL" (Premiere 10) A baseball manager uses new methods to find talent. Biographical drama with Brad Pitt, Robin Wright and Jonah Hill. PG-13. 133 minutes. HHH

"PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3" (Century 12) A pair of young girls make an invisible friend. Horror with Katie Featherston, Sprague Grayden and Lauren Bittner. 84 minutes. Not reviewed.

"PUSS IN BOOTS" (Century 12, Town & Country) The story of the swashbuckling cat before meeting Shrek. Animated adventure/comedy with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis. PG. 90 minutes. HHH

"REAL STEEL" (Premiere 10) A man tries to find the next robot boxing champion. Action sci-fi with Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and Dakota Goyo. PG-13. 127 minutes. H½

"RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES" (Westwood) Genetically modified apes stage a revolution against man. Action sci-fi with James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto. PG-13. HH½

"THE RUM DIARY" (PC-6) An American takes a freelance journalism job in Puerto Rico during the 1950s. Adventure drama with Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart. R. 120 minutes. HH½

"THE SMURFS" (Westwood) An evil wizard chases a pack of tiny blue people into New York City. Animated comedy with Hank Azaria, Katy Perry and Jonathan Winters. PG. 86 minutes. Not reviewed.

"TEXAS KILLING FIELDS" (Century 12) Two cops investigate a series of murders. Crime drama with Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chloë Grace Moretz. R. 105 minutes. Not reviewed.

"THE THING" (Town & Country) A monster attacks scientists at a research base in Antarctica. Horror with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen. R. 103 minutes. Not reviewed.

"THE THREE MUSKETEERS" (Premiere 10, PC-6, Town & Country) A youth and a trio of musketeers must stop a conspiracy to seize the French throne. Action adventure with Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen and Ray Stevenson. PG-13. 110 minutes. HH

"TOWER HEIST" (Century 12, Town & Country) The victims of a Ponzi scheme plot to rob the man who conned them. Action comedy with Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck. PG-13. 104 minutes. Not reviewed.

"A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS" (Century 12) A pair of stoners have a holiday adventure. Comedy with Kal Penn, John Cho and Neil Patrick Harris. R. 90 minutes. Not reviewed.

"WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?" (PC-6) A woman reviews all the men she's dated in her life. Comedy with Anna Faris, Chris Evans and Ari Graynor. R. 106 minutes. Not reviewed.

Our rating system

Four stars (HHHH) signify it's a don't-miss movie. Three stars (HHH) mean the movie comes highly recommended. Two (HH) designate average fare. One (H) means the movie is not recommended. For a movie with no redeeming or social values, we'll alert you with a Bomb! rating.

Movies this week 11/10/2011

The American Film Institute has released its complete schedule including Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings for AFI FEST 2011.

The highlight of the festival is expected to be the world premiere of Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which will launch the event. The Centerpiece Galas include Luc Besson’s “The Lady,” “My Week With Marilyn” starring Michelle Williams, “The Artist,” “Carnage” and Steve McQueen’s “Shame.”

This year's Guest Artistic Director is Pedro Almodovar who will be on hand to present a 25th anniversary screening of “Law of Desire,” the first film made by his production company, El Deseo.

Among the 11 Special Screenings are Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia,” “Pina,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin”, and “Butter” starring Jennifer Garner.

AFI FEST 2011 will take place in Hollywood from November 3-10.

Below is the schedule of Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings via AFI:

GALAS:

J. EDGAR: As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. DIR Clint Eastwood. SCR Dustin Lance Black. CAST Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Judi Dench. USA. World Premiere.Thursday, November 3, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

THE LADY: Luc Besson tackles the inspiring true story of Burmese activist, leader and political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, exquisitely portrayed by Michelle Yeoh. DIR Luc Besson. SCR Rebecca Frayn. CAST Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett, Jonathan Woodhouse, Susan Wooldridge, Benedict Wong. France/UK.Friday, November 4, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

CARNAGE: Roman Polanski directs a dream cast of Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly in a razor-sharp, acidly funny comedy of ill manners. DIR Roman Polanski. SCR Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski. CAST Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly. France/Germany/Poland.Saturday, November 5, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: Michelle Williams gives a luminous performance as Marilyn Monroe, ably supported by Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench in this intimate portrait of the tragic Hollywood icon. DIR Simon Curtis. SCR Adrian Hodges. CAST Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench. UK. Sunday, November 6, 6:00 p.m., The Chinese

LAW OF DESIRE – An Evening with Pedro Almodóvar: An evening in celebration of Pedro Almodóvar and the 25th anniversary of El Deseo, the production company that he founded with his brother, Augustin Almodóvar; the event will consist of a conversation with Pedro Almodóvar and a screening of El Deseo’s first film, LAW OF DESIRE. DIR Pedro Almodóvar. SCR Pedro Almodóvar. CAST Eusebio Poncela, Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Miguel Molina. Spain.Monday, November 7, 7:00 p.m., The Chinese

THE ARTIST: Silence is golden in director Michel Haznavicius’ delightful and dialogue-less black-and- white feature about Hollywood’s bumpy transition from silent films to “talkies.” DIR/SCR Michel Hazanavicius. CAST Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle. France.Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., The Chinese

SHAME: In director Steve McQueen’s searing follow-up to HUNGER, Michael Fassbender delivers a fearless portrayal of a man spiraling out of control into sexual addiction. DIR Steve McQueen. SCR Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen. CAST Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie. UK. Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m., The Chinese

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

BUTTER: Jennifer Garner stars in this comedy about a Midwestern housewife who embarks on a ruthless campaign to conquer the world of competitive butter carving. DIR Jim Field Smith. SCR Jason A. Micallef. CAST Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Hugh Jackman, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Pruitt Taylor Vince. USA. Sunday, November 6, 6:30 p.m., Chinese 1

CORIOLANUS: In his directing debut, Ralph Fiennes masterfully adapts Shakespeare’s gripping tragedy about power, politics and pride into a bracingly modern and urgent political thriller. DIR Ralph Fiennes. SCR John Logan. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain. UK.Monday, November 7, 7:30 p.m., Chinese 1 and Tuesday, November 8, 1:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, EgyptianI MELT WITH YOU: Four friends gather for an annual birthday celebration in Big Sur and come face to face with the hard truths of who they have become. DIR Mark Pellington. SCR Glenn Porter (based on the story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington). CAST Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino, Sasha Grey. Canada/USA.Monday, November 7, 8:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Wednesday, November 9, 1:45 p.m., Chinese 1

INTO THE ABYSS: In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills. Like a modern IN COLD BLOOD, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory. DIR Werner Herzog. USA.Sunday, November 6, 5:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Monday, November 7, 1:15 p.m., Chinese 3

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME: On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. DIR/SCR Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass. CAST Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon. USA.Tuesday, November 8, 7:00 p.m., Chinese 1 and Wednesday, November 9, 2:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian

THE KID WITH A BIKE: Awarded the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this tale of redemptive love bares the Dardennes’ evocative signature style. CAST Cécile de France, Thomas Doret, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Egon Di Mateo, Olivier Gourmet. Belgium/France/Italy.Tuesday, November 8, 8:00 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Thursday, November 10, 11:00 a.m., Chinese 1

MELANCHOLIA: Denmark’s most celebrated and notorious filmmaker returns with a drama about depression, severely dysfunctional families and the end of the world. DIR/SCR Lars von Trier. CAST Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Cameron Spurr, Charlotte Rampling, Jesper Christensen, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Kiefer Sutherland. Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany.Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia.” Magnolia Pictures.Sunday, November 6, 8:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian and Tuesday, November 8, 3:15 p.m., Chinese 3

MISS BALA: Gerardo Naranjo’s haunting and elegant film tells the story of a beauty pageant hopeful swept up in the violent world of Mexico’s drug cartels. Naranjo is a graduate of the AFI Conservatory (AFI Class of 2001). DIR Gerardo Naranjo. DIR/SCR Gerardo Naranjo, Mauricio Katz. CAST Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernandez, James Russo. Mexico’s official foreign-language Oscar submission.Friday, November 4, 8:30 p.m., Rigler Theatre, Egyptian

PINA: Wim Wenders captures the world of choreographer Pina Bausch and her dance company in spectacular 3D with thrilling performances of many of her most famous works. DIR/SCR Wim Wenders. CAST Ensemble of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal. Germany/France. Germany’s official foreign-language Oscar submission.Saturday, November 5, 7:45 p.m., Chinese 1 and Monday, November 7, 4:00 p.m., Chinese 1

RAMPART: Woody Harrelson gives a ferocious performance as a dirty cop who is embroiled in the Los Angeles Police Department’s infamous Rampart corruption scandal. DIR Oren Moverman. SCR James Ellroy, Oren Moverman. CAST Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Ice Cube, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon. USA.Saturday, November 5, 10:00 p.m., The Chinese

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN: Tilda Swinton gives a career defining performance as Eva, a reluctant mother whose contentious relationship with her evil son sheds new light on the nature vs. nurture debate. DIR Lynne Ramsay. SCR Lynne Ramsay, Rory Stewart Kinnear. CAST Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller. UK.Wednesday, November 9, 8:00 p.m., Chinese 1 and Thursday, November 10, 4:00 p.m., Chinese 6

For more information, visit afi.com.

'J. Edgar' will premiere at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles next month

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves enjoyed an "intimate dinner" together at a Beverly Hills restaurant on Wednesday night (26 October).

The pair ate at top eatery Craig's but left separately to avoid being photographed together.

Sandra — who was wearing black jeans, a white T-shirt and a loose-fitting black sweater rounded off with zebra-print heels — slipped out the back door, while jeans and blazer-clad Keanu left via the main entrance before driving off in a Porsche car.

The pair have been friends since co-starring in 1994 movie Speed. They last appeared on screen together in 2006 movie The Lake House.

Sandra was recently romantically linked to Ryan Reynolds — who she starred with in 2009 movie The Proposal — but she insisted he was "just a friend".

The 47-year-old actress — who has an adopted son Louis — filed for divorce from her husband Jesse James in April 2010 after she discovered he had cheated on her with several women.

Ryan — whose ex-wife is Scarlett Johansson — is now dating actress Blake Lively, who previously had a five-month relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sandra on 'date' with Keanu