Nicole Kidman Does Tokyo
Nicole Kidman Does Tokyo
She's a huge movie star with a Country Music star as a husband and a baby on the way. Nicole Kidman is at the top of her game.
The "Moulin Rouge" actress was spotted at a photocall today (Wednesday) for her movie "The Golden Compass." And it's clear that the Japanese people love her.
Nic wore an avant-garde black semi-see-through dress with furry-fluffy shoulder accents and the beginnings of a cute baby bump.
The 40-year-old actress explained the delicate balance between work and kids during a recent interview. "My Bella and Connor are 13 and 15. So they have seen the film [The Golden Compass] and they loved it...my child inside won't see the film for a long time. But I think once you have children you want to balance the work you do because they give up so much of you to your work. So occasionally you want to make films that they can take their friends to, they can go to the premiere of… that they celebrate."
nd Kidman said being pregnant gives her a new perspective on her travels. "I have been to Tokyo quite a few times. But this is the first time I have been to Tokyo pregnant. I am very glad to be here this way."
Fropki
Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman Hit the UK
Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman Hit the UK
With less than two weeks until their new movie "The Other Boleyn Girl" hits theaters, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman are racking up mega frequent flyer miles on their promotional trail.
Having just spent some time in Germany and Spain, these two lovely ladies touched down in London, England for the film's UK premiere.
This evening the Cinema & Television Benevolent Fund hosted a glitzy event at the Odeon Leicester Square. And there was plenty of eye candy for the paparazzi to capture on film.
Scarlett turned heads everywhere she walked in a shiny silver one-shoulder gown, while Natalie added some color to the evening's festivities in a burgundy dress with matching sash. These girls are the consummate media darlings wherever they go!
Fropki
Jennifer Love Hewitt: One Hot Hostess!
Jennifer Love Hewitt: One Hot Hostess!
When planning an Oscar party, every little detail is of the utmost importance. And the folks over at the "The Envelope Please" shindig made a great call in asking Jennifer Love Hewitt to host their evening for the fourth year in a row.
The gig took place at Los Angeles hot spot The Abbey and it wasn't just about beautiful people getting together for cocktails and a gourmet dinner. They had a higher purpose.
Reportedly, the event benefited the AIDS Project Los Angeles, and has raised over $1.2 million over the years for the charity. And executive director Craig E. Thompson had nothing but good things to say about the event.
"Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the strike and the Oscar telecast, the importance of this annual event has never diminished for APLA and the people we serve," said Craig E. Thompson, executive director of APLA, which is now in its 25th year of operation. "This evening has become one of the top fundraisers of the year for our organization and we are more excited than ever to roll out the red carpet for all our friends and guests on Oscar night."
Jennifer Love Hewitt looked positively perfect in a white one-shoulder (there it is again!) gown, complete with her fiancé Ross McCall. She told press how much she was looking forward to the party.
"Gathering with friends to watch the Academy Awards is one of my favorite traditions, and I am honored to join APLA's supporters once again for a great evening at The Abbey. We are looking forward to a memorable event with entertainment, food, and friends, and most importantly, a chance to raise much-needed funds for an important organization."
Miley Cyrus at the 2008 Academy Awards
After days of rehearsals and months of planning the Academy Awards are finally here. And it wouldn't be a proper Oscar shindig without some fabulous red carpet royalty showing off for the shutterbugs.
Miley Cyrus began her journey from the arrival area into the Kodak Theatre wearing a sexy, sassy red dress and turned heads wherever she went.
Part of the fun of Oscar night is seeing how the stars choose to express themselves with their glamorous ensembles, and the Hannah Montana star definitely scored an A+!
With so much talent in one location, it's no wonder Hollywood's elite pull out all the stops to outshine each other on this glitzy evening.
Marion Cotillard Wins Best Lead Actress Oscar
Marion Cotillard Wins Best Lead Actress Oscar
An Oscar statuette is the most coveted prize in acting. So it comes as little surprise that Marion Cotillard was nearly ecstatic after picking up Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in La Vie En Rose.
The 32-year-old Frenchwomen broke down in tears when her name was announced - having a tough time gaining her composure as she took the podium.
Handed the award by past Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Marion attempted to say: "Thank you life! Thank you love! It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The win at the Academy Awards follows trophies collected by Marion at the Golden Globes and the British BAFTAs
Valentine's Day at Katsuya
Valentine's Day at Katsuya
Last Thursday was Valentine's Day, and it seems the hot spot for celebrity romantic celebrations was none other than Katsuya Restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Just ask Elisha Cuthbert, Nicole Scherzinger, and Christina Milian.
Elisha looked positively lovely as she made her way into the celebrity-laden sushi restaurant wearing a black multi-layer belted mini-dress and that cute short blonde 'do.
Nicole Scherzinger "loosened up her buttons" at the Hollywood hotspot, donning a tank top/long skirt combo completed by some killer leather motorcycle boots.
And never one to be left out, Christina Milian looked festive in a red off-the-shoulder satin dress, topped off with a crushed velvet stole.
Enjoy the pictures of Elisha, Nicole and Christina at Katsuya (February 14).
Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush's All-Star Getaway
Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush's All-Star Getaway
Later on tonight, the world's best basketball players will take center court for the NBA All-Star game in New Orleans. And, as with any big sporting event, celebrities are sure to be nearby.
Leading up to the big game, Fropki spotted Kim Kardashian and her Saint boyfriend Reggie Bush at Zo & Magic's 8-Ball Challenge Valentine's party.
Wearing a luscious red and black cocktail dress, Kim and her football playing boyfriend schmoozed it up with basketball legends including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Julius Erving.
The following day, Alyssa Milano took to the bench alongside the likes of Bill Walton, Terrell Owens and Master P, helping with coaching duties in the McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
From here, the 57th NBA All-Star Game airs at 8 pm tonight (February 17) on TNT, where there's sure to be even more star power in the stands!
In the meantime, enjoy the pictures of Kim, Reggie and Alyssa enjoying NBA All-Star weekend.
Oscar Red Carpet stunners!
Dad Fights "Brazen" Attempt to Move Brit Case
Dad Fights "Brazen" Attempt to Move Brit Case
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Despite some adamant claims to the contrary, Britney Spears' troubles are still very much an L.A. story.A U.S. District Court judge has given attorney Jon Eardley—the latest legal eagle enlisted by the "Toxic" songstress to battle her father's conservatorship status—until Feb. 29 to provide a legitimate reason to remove the case from Los Angeles to federal court. (View the order.)
A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for Mar. 17.
Sam Lutfi's publicist filed a petition to transfer the case Feb. 14 on behalf of the New York-based Eardley. The complaint alleged Britney's civil rights had been trampled by the court's refusal to properly investigate her family's claims that she's unfit to manage her finances, choose what company to keep and make various other decisions regarding her welfare.
Michael Sands, acting as spokesman for both Lutfi and Eardley, said last week that he had filed the documents before a court commissioner extended Jamie Spears' temporary conservatorship until Mar. 10, thereby making the action null and void.
Meanwhile, an L.A. Superior Court spokesperson said Friday that all Britney business remained under their jurisdiction.
"Jon Eardley is very happy that the judge will look at the explosive documentary evidence in the Britney Spears conservatorship railroad," Sands told E! News Tuesday.
This is a very positive step that the judge is concerned. Jon Eardley will have court papers filed by Feb 29th...This is the first step in the victimization of Britney Spears by LA Superior Court."
But just in case Eardley can come up with an argument to sway U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez, Britney's father has cooked up plenty of reasons to block the switcheroo.
Jamie Spears' camp—arguing that Britney isn't capable of hiring counsel and, therefore, Eardley is "an attorney without a client"—filed a motion Tuesday objecting to Lutfi & Co.'s "brazen—but vain—attempt to strip a probate court of jurisdiction before it could enter Orders" prolonging the conservatorship. (View the motion.)
Eardley's "well-pleaded allegations" do not present an issue of federal law, the filing states, adding that any charges on Eardley's part that Jamie Spears "supplements" his daughter's medication "disregards the fact that the Probate Court has not granted Mr. Spears medical powers and that medications therefore do not fall within the scope of the conservatorship."
In response to Eardley's contention that Britney's "unenviable status of having virtually no privacy in her life" and her "suffocating confinement" at the hands of her conservators could affect the effectiveness of her treatment, the conservators argue, once again, that the probate court did not grant Jamie authority over the troubled pop star's medication.
"Because there is no logical relationship between Britney's fame and the alleged federal interest to be addressed," Eardley's concerns about Britney's medical treatment under her father's care are a moot point.
The conservators are also asking that Eardley foot the bill for this latest round of attorneys' fees because he "lacked any reasonably objective basis" for filing the removal request.
But it's the fact that Britney was previously ruled incapable of hiring her own lawyers that will likely prove the largest obstacle to sending the case to federal court.
"In Britney's case, the commissioner revoked her power to retain her own legal counsel," Kevin Whittaker, a San Francisco-based litigation attorney, who's not involved in the Spears case, told E! News last week. "Oftentimes, the conservatee can retain their own legal counsel. This wasn't the case with Britney. So the new attorney's claim to be her legal counsel will be found invalid."
A reason why Jamie's camp is arguing that papers filed on her behalf listing Eardley as counsel of record don't amount to a hill of beans.
Jamie and attorney Andrew Wallet were named temporary conserators of Britney's multimillion-dollar estate on Feb. 1, the day after she was admitted to UCLA Medical Center's psych ward for evaluation.
Although Britney was spotted dining out with her dad in Hollywood over the weekend, sources close to her have said she is anxious to extract herself from his legal grip.
She has not met with Eardley in person, Sands said, but they have spoken several times, and sources close to the situation have said Britney has been in contact with Lutfi—through an intermediary.
Lutfi, who has continued to avoid being served with the Spears family's restraining order against him, "is at war with Jamie," a Spears insider told E! News Friday. "This is his first strike."
Kristin Chenoweth ready for Oscar stage
Kristin Chenoweth ready for Oscar stage
LOS ANGELES - Sets are being built. A stretch of Hollywood Boulevard is closed. Rehearsals have begun. With the writers strike finally in the rear-view mirror, round-the-clock preparations are under way for Sunday's Academy Awards.On Tuesday, Oscar's head honchos traded their offices at the Kodak Theatre for seats inside the landmark Capitol Records building, where conductor Bill Conti and his 61-piece orchestra practiced the year's nominated songs. Joining them was Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and singer Marlon Saunders, who are set to perform "That's How You Know" from the movie "Enchanted."
Chenoweth, a Tony Award winner and film and TV star, said it's "nerve-racking" to prepare for the Oscar stage.
"It's the biggest audience I've ever had," the 4-foot, 11-inch performer with the outsized voice told The Associated Press. "I've played many of the famous concert halls in the world but this is something altogether different. I'm just going to try to perform the song and make it about the music and not get too nervous."
Her nerves didn't show during the rehearsal. The diminutive star even warmed up with an operatic aria that drew applause from the orchestra's brass section, which filled half the room. The other half held the strings section and 16 backup singers. Conti wielded his baton from the center as Chenoweth and Saunders donned headphones inside individual glass booths.
Show producer Gil Cates and director Louis J. Horvitz, along with associate producer Michael Seligman and talent coordinator Danette Herman, watched from soft sofas in the adjacent mixing room. The song was recorded so the singers could get a sense of their performance when backed by the orchestra.
"I have one bad note," Chenoweth confessed as she finished a take. "I had a big crack."
She listened to the playback and cringed when she heard the offending note. They tried it again.
"Very good. Very good," Cates told her. "I just love hearing you sing. It's superb."
Chenoweth smiled and curtsied in response.
She was invited just weeks ago to perform the song and had to learn it in a hurry. The composer and writer, Steven Schwartz and Alan Menken, who are nominated for three of their "Enchanted" tunes, are colleagues of hers from Broadway.
"If they're happy, I'll be happy," she said.
But first she's got to deal with those nerves.
"I'm trying to think of it like another gig, even though I know it's not the Met or Carnegie Hall. It's the Oscars and it's several billion people," she said, pretending to gag at the overwhelmingness of it all.
"I'm really excited about my dress and I'm really excited about the whole night. Of course I'm rooting for anything from 'Enchanted' to win."
Mary J. Blige to perform at Oscar party
Mary J. Blige to perform at Oscar party
LOS ANGELES - Two longtime AIDS activists are seeking to make beautiful music together on Oscar night: Mary J. Blige will join Elton John on stage for a duet at John's AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party SundayElton John is one of the most inspirational musicians and philanthropists in this industry for me," Blige said in a statement Tuesday. "I respect him with all my heart, and it is truly a pleasure to be performing with him on such an important night as we look to raise awareness and vital funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS."
John's annual Oscar party has raised more than $15 million over the past 15 years. Blige's AIDS-awareness efforts date back to 2000, when she worked with MAC Cosmetics on its Viva Glam fundraising campaign.
Britney Spears Shops Miss Sixty with Mom
Britney Spears Shops Miss Sixty with Mom
It was shopping time for Britney Spears, as the Gimme More singer ventured out to Miss Sixty on Melrose with her mother Lynne and a friend on Tuesday afternoon.
Britney, who was escorted by bodyguards, made a change of clothes into something more pleasing before being led out of the trendy shop and heading off to Millennium Dance studios.
Meanwhile, the most recent development in the battle over Britney tells that her father, Jamie Spears, tried to fire her business manager after he provided her with a car in violation of a court order.
According to press reports, "Papers filed in a Los Angeles court state Howard Grossman had been asked to deliver a car to Jamie Spears, who has temporary control of the star's estate. But the 26-year-old was seen driving around Los Angeles shortly after being released from a psychiatric ward."
In response, papa Spears responded: "The temporary co-conservators have lost all confidence in their ability to work with Mr Grossman."
So far, Mr Grossman has refused to confirm or deny whether he has been relieved of his duties.
Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman: Sister Act
Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman: Sister Act
The Today Show studios got a special treat this morning as Scarlett Johansson showed up to do a little press for her upcoming film.
Joined by co-star Natalie Portman, the "In Good Company" actress chatted about "The Other Boleyn Girl," slated to open February 29th.
Johansson confessed, "I came to the project originally because Natalie was attached to it and I desperately wanted to work with her. I'd been a fan for so long and how many opportunities do you have?"
Portman gushed, "That's why I was so excited to do it. It's so rare to get to work with someone you admire so much and who is in your same age range. It's such a great opportunity to get to see how this actress that you love works up close. I got to watch how she prepares and got to have her as a scene partner."
With the mutual admiration society contained within, "The Other Boleyn Girl" is definitely worth a try.
Scientists find 'Devil Toad' fossil
Scientists find 'Devil Toad' fossil
WASHINGTON - A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armor and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago — intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil ToadBut its size — 10 pounds and 16 inches long — isn't the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature's bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live half a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography.
The discovery, led by paleontologist David Krause at New York's Stony Brook University, was published Monday by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This frog, if it has the same habits as its living relatives in South America, was quite voracious," Krause said. "It's even conceivable that it could have taken down some hatchling dinosaurs."
Krause began finding fragments of abnormally large frog bones in Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, in 1993. They dated back to the late Cretaceous period, roughly 70 million years ago, in an area where Krause also was finding dinosaur and crocodile fossils. But only recently did Krause's team assemble enough frog bones to piece together what the creature would have looked like, and weighed.
The largest living frog, the Goliath frog of West Africa, can reach 7 pounds. But Krause teamed with fossil frog experts from University College London to determine that Beelzebufo isn't related to other African frogs.
It seems to be a relative of South American horned frogs, known scientifically as Ceratophrys. Popular as pets, they're sometimes called pacman frogs for their huge mouths.
Like those modern frogs, Beelzebufo had a wide mouth and powerful jaws, plus teeth. Skull bones were extremely thick, with ridges and grooves characteristic of some type of armor or protective shield.
The name comes from the Greek word for devil, Beelzebub, and Latin for toad, bufo (pronounced boo-foe).
The family link raises a paleontology puzzle: Standard theory for how the continents drifted apart show what is now Madagascar would have been long separated by ocean from South America during Beelzebufo's time. And frogs can't survive long in salt water, Krause noted.
He contends the giant frog provides evidence for competing theories that some bridge still connected the land masses that late in time, perhaps via an Antarctica that was much warmer than today.
Heather Graham Takes In G Star Show
Heather Graham Takes In G Star Show
As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City rages on, the celebrity presence in the Big Apple has been overwhelming. And Heather Graham was certainly not one to be left out this season.
The "Boogie Nights" actress has been laying low lately, but surprisingly showed her face at Gotham Hall to attend the G Star fashion show.
Graham wore a show-stopping combination of a sheer, see-through top over a black bra with a denim skirt, black leather boots and a trench coat.
For some reason, the "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" actress had a blank stare as she posed for the paparazzi. Of course, all those flashbulbs can get pretty annoying!
Jackie Chan promotes Beijing Olympics
Hollywood Kung Fu star Jackie Chan will take time out this year to promote the Beijing Olympics, so he saddled up for a video to promote equestrian events.
While Kung Fu may be more his thing, Chan happily pulled on his horse riding boots and hard helmet to publicise Hong Kong's fringe Olympics role this summer, with Beijing having switched equestrian events to the city after it failed to establish a disease-free zone for horses.
"See you in Hong Kong 2008, Olympic equestrian co-host city," said Chan while holding the reins of a dark former racehorse called "Fortune Tycoon," as the cameras rolled at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Beas River country club, which will host some of the former British colony's Olympics equestrian events this summer.
Hong Kong will be one of only a handful of cities to host Olympics events outside of Beijing this summer. The north-eastern city of Qingdao is another and will host a few watersports events.
As a goodwill envoy for the Beijing Olympics, Chan has devoted himself this year to promoting the Games, and has taken part in activities including running the Olympic torch in Greece and recording an Olympics countdown song.
He's also appeared in prominent Olympics-themed commercials for credit card giant Visa, alongside Chinese basketball star Yao Ming.
Spielberg shuns away Beijing Olympics
Steven Spielberg is ending his involvement as an artistic adviser for the Beijing Olympics.
The American film director made the decision yesterday, hours after actress Mia Farrow and several humanitarian groups assailed him for working with the games' Chinese organisers.
At issue for both Farrow and Spielberg is China's close relationship with Sudan, where thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the Darfur region.
China buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports. In turn,China sells weapons to the Sudanese government and has defended Khartoum in the UN Security Council.
Spielberg already had sent a letter urging President Hu Jintao to use China's influence during the Olympics to help the situation in Darfur.
Thus,the chapter of the involvement of a genius of an artist with China,gets closed.
Christensen unhappy with Hollywood
Hayden Christensen of Star Wars fame is unhappy with the overwhelming ambition in Hollywood to get ahead. Sourecs quoted him as saying,"I would say I have an ambition, but not an ambition that fits with any sort of greater endeavour, you know? You might achieve a lot but I gauge it by the experience I have on set. It's such a struggle to protect your integrity and dignity in this industry."
"They really want to attack your morality and your beliefs. They need you to give up a certain part of yourself before they'll initiate you into 'stardom'. I've always been kind of a hermit. I find my joy in the little things they want to take away from me. Prior to all this, I took pleasure from being the observer. Now I'm the observed," he said.
The actor has bought a farm and is busy setting it up.
"I got the farm about a year ago and just really turned my hand to it. Organic farming interests me. Although so far I've only planted a small vegetable patch but I definitely want to get the pigs, cattle and horses.", he added.
Christensen said, "It's a new endeavour and I'm not very good at it yet but I'm trying to figure it out. I'm learning new things and it's a great challenge. It's also really pleasurable. There's throwing the dirt around, getting your hands dirty and watching things grow."
Shah Rukh is on for television
Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, who started his career as an actor with TV serial Fauji, says that whatever he has achieved in life is all because of television.
"I started my career with television. I am what I am today because of TV. I owe my life to the small screen and stage," King Khan said.
"It is a welcome change to see the way television has evolved over two decades. There is an amazing change in TV programmes both quality-wise and technically. In fact, films and media (print and electronic), everything has changed," he said.
"Earlier, when we used to go for press conferences there used to be hardly five cameras. Today the count is more than the fingers on your hands," reminisced the star.
He was in the capital Tuesday to promote a new quiz show, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain, to be telecast on STAR Plus, which he will host.
The show, based on international TV show Are you Smarter than a Fifth grader?, will have adult participants contesting to win a whopping Rs.50 million.
Asked if he himself is smarter than a fifth grader, SRK quipped: "I am not as smart as a fifth class student, otherwise I wouldn't have been an actor."
So how was Shah Rukh as a student? "I was very naughty and was nearly suspended once from school but my parents never pushed me very hard. They always said that I must do enough (in studies) so that they are not ashamed. And I did fair in life!"
"I remember my teachers said that I have a devil's smile. Every time I played a prank, I used to smile with dimples on my cheeks and they would let me go. But I was punished many, many times," he added.
Commenting on whether he would like his son Aryan and daughter Suhana to take part in any reality show, he said: "I don't want that for my children, being Shah Rukh Khan's son and daughter should not become an achievement."
"I prey to god and hope when they grow up they achieve something on their own," he said.
Knightley has no marriage plans
British actress Keira Knightley has ruled out marriage in the near future because she believes she can look after herself.
The 22-year-old star of Pirates of the Caribbean is involved in a steady relationship with her boyfriend Rupert Friend. Contactmusic.com reports that she is following her mother's advice to not depend on a man for financial and emotional needs.
"I'm from a very liberal upbringing. My mum's like, 'No, you get a job, you support yourself, never look to a man to support you.' I think getting married and having children would be lovely. But not right now or really any time soon," she said.
McConaughey to be a dad
Matthew McConaughey is going to be a dad.
The actor's publicist Alan Nierob confirmed that McConaughey and his girlfriend, Brazilian model Camila Alves, are expecting a baby. Nierob said McConaughey is "excited."
McConaughey made the announcement on his website.
"Got some blessed news... a celebration of life and bounty... a newborn conceived... yes, my girlfriend Camila and I made a baby together," McConaughey wrote.
The actor said Alves' three-month pregnancy was going well.
"We are stoked and wowed by this miracle of creation and this gift from God, and so excited for the adventure that will come in raising this child, being a mother and a father," he said.
McConaughey goes on to say, "wish us the best, keep us in your prayers, and God bless evolution."
McConaughey, a Texas native, has appeared in such films as The Wedding Planner and Sahara and was People magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' in 2005.
His latest film Fool's Gold is due to be released next month.
Roberts children unlike her
Actress Julia Roberts is hoping her three children will at least inherit some of her personality traits because she doesn't think they look anything like her.
According to sources Roberts thinks they look like her husband Danny Moder, her mother and her sister.
She said, "I have a good looking husband, so we're alright."
Roberts added, "There is still hope (for some of her traits) in their personalities. We still hope there will be some sass passed down. No brown eyes, but some attitude."
Moscow premieres film on Putin
Controversial Russian film A Kiss - Off the Record premiered in Moscow on Monday.
The film is the life-story of a politician that very much resembles that of the Russian leader, but at no point does it mention Putin's name.
The main character speaks German, lives in Saint Petersburg and has a secretive job. He goes on to marry a stewardess, becomes the father of two daughters and is elected President - all details which tally with Putin's own life.
But the filmmakers remain ambiguous about the correlation between the storyline and real life events, claiming it's just a movie about a woman who fell in love with a politician, rather than a romantic tale about the Russian leader.
They claim that it is a love story first of all, not a documentary.
"Of course there are certain facts in our movie which coincide with the life of our leader, but we tried to focus not on the life of a leader as the life of a politician. We were interested in the other side of the story", film producer Anatoly Voropaev said.
"It's about a woman, about her love, about her man.", said Darya Mikhailova, who plays the president's wife.
One of the premiere guests Natalya Serebrovskaya from Saint Petersburg, who knew Vladimir Putin when he worked in the Saint Petersburg's Mayor Office, said the main character very much resembles the acting president.
The movie was shot from 2002 to 2003 in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Dresden and Berlin, and it was already completed five years ago.
There have been rumours that the Kremlin delayed the release. A Kiss - Off the Record will be distributed only on DVD on 14 February.
The movie was shot from 2002 to 2003 in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Dresden and Berlin, and it was already completed five years ago
Atonement bags best film at BAFTA
Atonement, the film adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel, was named Best Film at the star-studded BAFTAs, Britain's showpiece movie awards.
Daniel Day-Lewis was named Best Actor for his role in There Will Be Blood, and French actress Marion Cotillard was the surprise winner of the Best Actress award for "La Vie En Rose", in which she played singer Edith Piaf.
The British Academy Film and Television Arts awards took on increased importance this year, after a writers' strike in the United States reduced the Golden Globes, traditionally the second-biggest film awards after the Oscars to a mere news conference.
Overall, though Atonement, a romantic drama about life and love in World War II, had been nominated in 14 categories, it managed to win only two, with the other coming in the Production Design category.
While Day-Lewis was the favourite to win the Best Actor gong, Cotillard's victory meant Julie Christie, for Away From Her, and Keira Knightley, for Atonement, left empty-handed.
The former was favourite to win.
Cotillard's award comes after she won a Golden Globe for the same performance, and the 32-year-old has also been nominated for an Oscar.
La Vie En Rose finished with four awards -- it also won in the Music, Costume Design and Make-up categories, with Cotillard having to play Piaf as a 19-year-old and, eventually, as a frail woman who died aged 47.
Mumbai Murmur: Sanju Baba to become Sanju Papa
Mumbai: A day after Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt married his long-time girlfriend Manyata in Mumbai, newspaper reports on Tuesday suggested that Manyata is pregnant with Dutt's child.
Mumbai's Midday newspaper quoted an industry insider, who is close to the Dutts as saying that the couple went ahead with the wedding hurriedly "because they have a more special announcement to make shortly." And that explains the need for Monday's formal shaadi, the newspaper claimed.
On Sunday, Manyata deliberately showed up at an event teeming with media, with sindoor in her maang, sparking media speculation about her marriage with Sanjay.
Surprisingly, Sanjay Dutt's immediate family was nowhere to be seen at his wedding on Monday. His sister, Priya Dutt, when contacted, said she had not been informed or invited for the wedding.
“Maybe he needed to formalise the relationship. He has been going on with Manyata for more than a year. I didn’t know about the wedding. We wish him all the happiness especially after all he has been through,” Priya said.
The couple, incidentally, formalised their relationship with a court marriage in Goa, earlier this month. The Hindu marriage ceremony, which started around noon on Monday, concluded around 1700 hours IST.
Obama sweeps 3 states, Huckabee takes 2
Obama sweeps 3 states, Huckabee takes 2
WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama swept the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington state Saturday night, slicing into Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's slender delegate lead in their historic race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Illinois senator also won caucuses in the Virgin Islands, completing his best night of the campaign.
"Today, voters from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the heart of America stood up to say 'yes we can'" Obama told a cheering audience of Democrats at a party dinner in Richmond, Va.
He jabbed simultaneously at Clinton and Arizona Sen. John McCain, saying the election was a choice between debating the Republican nominee-in-waiting "about who has the most experience in Washington, or debating him about who's most likely to change Washington. Because that's a debate we can win."
Clinton preceded Obama to the podium. She did not refer to the night's voting, instead turning against McCain. "We have tried it President Bush's way," she said, "and now the Republicans have chosen more of the same."
She left quickly after her speech, departing before Obama's arrival. But his supporters made their presence known, sending up chants of "Obama" from the audience as she made her way offstage.
Obama's winning margins ranged from substantial to crushing.
He won roughly two-thirds of the vote in Washington state and Nebraska, and almost 90 percent in the Virgin Islands.
Nearly complete Louisiana returns showed Obama with 57 percent of the vote, to 36 percent for the former first lady. As in his earlier Southern triumphs in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, Obama, a black man, rode a wave of African-American support to victory in Louisiana. Clinton won the white vote overwhelmingly.
In all, the Democrats scrapped for 161 delegates in the night's contests.
In incomplete allocations, Obama won 72, Clinton 40.
In overall totals in The Associated Press count, Clinton had 1,095 delegates to 1,070 for Obama, counting so-called superdelegates. They are party leaders not chosen at primaries or caucuses, free to change their minds. A total of 2,025 delegates is required to win the nomination at the national convention in Denver.
McCain flunked his first ballot tests since becoming the Republican nominee-in-waiting. He lost Kansas caucuses to Mike Huckabee, gaining less than 24 percent of the vote. Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, got nearly 60 percent of the vote a few hours after saying, "I majored in miracles, and I still believe in them." He won all 36 delegates at stake.
Huckabee also won the Louisiana primary, but fell short of 50 percent, the threshold necessary to pocket the 20 delegates that were available. Instead, they will be awarded at a state convention next weekend.
McCain won the third Republican race of the night, Washington's caucuses. None of the state's delegates will be awarded until next week.
For all his brave talk, Huckabee was hopelessly behind in the delegate race. McCain had 719, compared with 234 for Huckabee and 14 for Paul. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at the national convention.
The Democrats' race was as close as the Republicans' was not, a contest between Obama, hoping to become the first black president, and Clinton, campaigning to become the first female commander in chief.
The two rivals contest primaries on Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, all states where Obama and his campaign are hopeful of winning.
Preliminary results of a survey of voters leaving their polling places in Louisiana showed that nearly half of those casting ballots were black. As a group, African-Americans have overwhelmingly favored Obama in earlier primaries, helping him to wins in several Southern states.
Obama was gaining about 80 percent of the black votes statewide, while Clinton was winning 70 percent support among whites, the exit poll showed.
One in seven Democratic voters and about one in 10 Republicans said Hurricane Katrina had caused their families severe hardship from which they have not recovered. There was another indication of the impact the storm had on the state. Early results suggested that northern Louisiana accounted for a larger share of the electorate than in the past, presumably the result of the decline in population in the hurricane-battered New Orleans area.
McCain cleared his path to the party nomination earlier in the week with a string of Super Tuesday victories that drove Romney from the race. He spent the rest of the week trying to reassure skeptical conservatives, at the same time party leaders quickly closed ranks behind him.
His Kansas defeat aside, McCain also suffered a symbolic defeat when Romney edged him out in a straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference meeting across town from the White House.
The day's contests opened a new phase in the Democratic race between Clinton and Obama.
The Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses in 22 states, which once looked likely to effectively settle the race, instead produced a near-equal delegate split.
That left Obama and Clinton facing the likelihood of a grind-it-out competition lasting into spring — if not to the summer convention itself.
With the night's events, 29 of the 50 states have selected delegates.
Two more — Michigan and Florida — held renegade primaries and the Democratic National Committee has vowed not to seat any delegates chosen at either of them.
Maine, with 24 delegates, holds caucuses on Sunday. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia and voting by Americans overseas are next, on Tuesday, with 175 combined.
Then follows a brief intermission, followed by a string of election nights, some crowded, some not.
The date of March 4 looms large, 370 delegates in primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Mississippi is alone in holding a primary one week later, with a relatively small 33 delegates at stake.
Puerto Rico anchors the Democratic calendar, with 55 delegates chosen in caucuses on June 7.
If Super Tuesday failed to settle the campaign, it produced a remarkable surge in fundraising.
Obama's aides announced he had raised more than $7 million on line in the two days that followed.
Clinton disclosed she had loaned her campaign $5 million late last month in an attempt to counter her rival's Super Tuesday television advertising. She raised more than $6 million in the two days after the busiest night in primary history.
The television ad wars continued unabated.
Obama has been airing commercials for more than a week in television markets serving every state that has a contest though Feb 19.
Clinton began airing ads midweek in Washington state, Maine and Nebraska, and added Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia on Friday.
Theron dances way to Hasty Pudding award
Theron dances way to Hasty Pudding award
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Before Charlize Theron could pick up her Woman of the Year award, she had to prove she was worthyThat meant dancing to disco music, striking modeling poses and wooing someone wearing an elephant suit and a pink sparkly bra — all to delight of the cast members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals at Harvard University, the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe. Theron's efforts landed her a gold-colored pudding pot.
"I hope you all know I'm a high school dropout. I just thought I'd be clean with you guys," Theron said Thursday.
Actor Christopher Walken is to receive the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award on Feb. 15, prior to the opening night performance of "Fable Attraction."
The awards are given each year to performers who have made a "lasting and impressive contribution" to the world of entertainment.
"She's done so many different projects, she has such a range, she's someone we can look up to," said Talisa Friedman, a spokeswoman for Hasty Pudding.
Theron, 32, led a parade through Harvard Square as part of the festivities that precede the annual roast. She said after the parade that she plans to put her award to practical use.
"I'm going to make a stew, then I'm going to eat it," she said.
She also talked about one of her latest projects, "Battle in Seattle," a movie written and directed by her longtime boyfriend, Stuart Townsend.
"It's really impressive when you're dating somebody for eight years, then all of a sudden they do something that you never thought they could do, and then they do it really well. He's a really talented writer and director. I really loved working with him."
Avril Lavigne vacations in Miami, denies pregnancy rumors
Avril Lavigne vacations in Miami, denies pregnancy rumors
While on break from her hectic life of touring and recording, punk rocker Avril Lavigne felt the urge to fly out for a little time at the beach with husband Deryck Whibley and a few close friends.
The When You're Gone singer was spotted out earlier today. walking the sandy shoreline and frolicking in the pool with a gal pal at their Miami Beach resort.
Meanwhile, for all of you Avril fans, there's a behind-the-scenes special that premieres tonight on MTV (surely to be rerun at numerous later dates).
According to reports, "Cameras followed Lavigne on a whirlwind trip to Mexico for an awards ceremony and a short series of concerts last October. There are a couple of cute scenes with Avril and her mom, who made the trip to Mexico, too."
Hayden Panettiere Plays Hero to Whales
Hayden Panettiere Plays Hero to Whales
Continuing her saga to "Save the Whales Again," Hayden Panettiere was spotted in Washington D.C. yesterday doing some press.
The Heroes babe looks to be the perfect spokesperson for the cause, with the perfect mixture of a sweet and innocent look, and a fierce philanthropic agenda.
And she totally looked the part, with a conservative grey skirt, and an equally-as-conservative black sweater. The next thing you know, she'll be Barack Obama's running mate!
By virtue of her position, Hayden got to hang with the likes of Nick Rahall and ex-Presidential candidate John Kerry. Not too shabby!
Hulk Hogan in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
Hulk Hogan in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS - Despite competition from the Super Bowl, thousands of revelers lined up along streets Sunday as New Orleans wrapped up a big Carnival weekend with another day of parades leading up to Tuesday's finale.A second round of gunfire that marred Saturday night's parade did not appear to deter Sunday's merrymakers.
"It's a family party in this area," said John Wilson, 47, who was cooking burgers along the uptown parade route. "We come every year and have never had a problem."
Five people were shot Saturday night shortly after the Endymion parade had passed nearby. Two teenagers were arrested. Police said the suspects and possibly two of the victims had been arguing. The injuries were not life threatening.
It was the second time during the big Carnival weekend that gunfire broke out on a parade route. On Friday night, a man was shot in the arm out along a parade route, police said.
On Sunday, dozens of police were visible on almost every block of the uptown parade route.
The atmosphere was relaxed, children sat atop ladders to catch beads, and people strolled the streets laughing and talking, many with food or drinks in hand.
Crowds lined historic St. Charles Avenue before dawn, setting up tents and setting out lawn chairs for the duration.
Four parades rolled through the city before Bacchus, one of the "Super Krewes," with almost three dozen glitzy floats, 36 bands and Hulk Hogan as the celebrity monarch.
"We came for the duration," said David Segueria, 22, who was setting up a 32-inch television along with his barbecue pit and generator. "Can't be better than this, Bacchus and the Super Bowl.
"I don't have to move until a streetcar comes through and that won't be until after midnight," he said.
Like Segueria, many intended to combine the parade and the game. Televisions dotted the street, but not everyone intended to stay.
"I'm going home for the game," said Patrick Wadkins, of Jefferson, La., who had been out since 6 a.m. "I may not get to see it though. When you start on bloody Marys at nine and beer at noon, you may not be awake by kickoff."
As darkness fell, Joe Nicholas and his friends dragged themselves away from their television set as Hulk Hogan, wearing a gold, sleeveless vest, red, knee-length tights and a black headscarf tossed doubloons to the crowd.
Jessica Alba: Pregnancy is Relaxing
Jessica Alba: Pregnancy is Relaxing
If you have been terrified of getting pregnant someday, take a listen to Jessica Alba. The expecting star reports that it's really not all that bad.
The "Good Luck Chuck" actress told press, "Being pregnant is kind of like a sedative. Everything's just chill. I don't get as anxious about things. Like right now, a movie coming out, you know over-analyzing everything. And now I'm just kind of like [shrugs]. I got something else going on."
With her recent engagement to Cash Warren, and a seriously booming movie career, Alba says that being pregnant is the icing on the cake. "It's quite a blessing and it couldn't be more perfect timing."
Now the only obstacle standing in her way is breastfeeding. Reportedly, she's had a few nightmares about it. Has someone told her about the whole labor process yet?
Spice Girls cut short world tour
Spice Girls cut short world tour
The Spice Girls are cutting short their reunion world tour, blaming "family and personal commitments".
The UK band said they would end their tour in Toronto on 26 February, with planned shows in Beijing, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires being axed.
The shows had been originally scheduled for January but were postponed after the London leg of the tour was extended and will not now be rescheduled.
Reports had suggested a lack of interest in some of the cities.
The Spice Girls tour kicked off in Vancouver on 2 December and has also taken them to cities in the US, Spain and Germany.
'Phenomenal demand'
A spokesman for the group said: "Sadly, the tour needs to come to an end by the end of February due to family and personal commitments for Emma, Geri, Mel B, Melanie C and Victoria.
"It was announced in June that, as well as the Europe and the US, the girls planned to visit Australia, China, South Africa and Argentina.
Really sorry if we didn't get to see you this time round. We all have other commitments in our lives now, but who knows what will happen next
Spice Girls' statement
"Due to the phenomenal demand for tickets in the UK and the US, along with the touring logistics for such a massive production, it was not possible to fit everything in."
A statement from the group thanked fans for coming to the shows, saying: "It was all so mad the first time round, so we've really been able to appreciate it properly this time.
"There have been so many highlights and good times that we know it will be hard to be apart after Toronto.
"Really sorry if we didn't get to see you this time round. We all have other commitments in our lives now, but who knows what will happen next."
At the peak of their fame in the 1990s, the girl group sold 55 million albums and had nine UK number one hit singles.
They reformed last summer and the tour marked the first time all five had performed together since 1998.
Lutfi: Helping Britney a "Moral Obligation"
Lutfi: Helping Britney a "Moral Obligation"
Los Angeles (E! Online) - No one else may understand why he has given Britney Spears his undivided attention, but manager Sam Lutfi hasn't given it a second thought. When it comes to being by Spears' side during this obvious time of need, Lutfi exclusively told E! News' Ryan Seacrest he feels "like I have a moral obligation."
"You meet her and she cries, and she begs you not to turn on her," Lutfi said in an emotional phone call to Seacrest, which took place at roughly 8:15 p.m. Thursday night. "You would do the same for any of your sisters. I have three sisters—I would do the same for them."
By becoming a near-permanent fixture in Spears' entourage in recent months, Lutfi has subjected himself to no end of scrutiny, not least of which with regard to what he's getting out of his involvement with the tarnished pop princess.
Despite tabloid reports to the contrary, Lutfi says she has never paid him, he has never sold any photos of her and he has "never accepted money from the media...not a dollar." Lutfi said that a "major magazine" once sent him a basket of food, but that he sent it back to the publication.
And while Spears' parents continue to cast doubt on him and object to his intervention in their daughter's life, they're the ones who are "incapable of telling the truth and incapable of sympathizing," Lutfi said, adding that "they're more concerned about money and their own image than Britney's condition."
"[I have] no more respect for the family," he said, adding that he's through trying to keep the peace.
Last night, Lutfi was again on the Britney beat, purchasing, per Spears' request, a cheeseburger and fries from In-N-Out burger, which he delivered back to the hospital. Spears, however, spent the night alone in her room.
Sources close to the situation previously told E! News that mother Lynne Spears was initially against Lutfi's plan to have Spears hospitalized. It was reportedly Lutfi who arranged with Spears' psychiatrist and her lawyers to have the 26-year-old transported early Thursday morning to UCLA Medical Center, where she underwent a psychological evaluation later in the day.
However, a source close to the Spears family has stepped up in defense of the villainized mother, saying she was of course concerned for her daughter but was never made aware of the severity of the situation.
"Lynne didn't know the extent of what was going on with Britney," the source told E! News. "She was really afraid and confused about what was going on. She was really concerned about the well-being of her daughter."
She's also concerned, the source said, about Lutfi's role in her daughter's life.
"Britney's mom wants to keep Sam Lutfi as far away from her family as possible. Sam has been saying mean things about Lynne Spears and they do not like each other."
She was admitted and placed under a 5150 hold, meaning the "Toxic" singer is a possible danger to herself or others.
The Spears family at first barred Lutfi from the hospital waiting room, but he was eventually allowed to enter.
"Lynne is glad Britney is being treated. This has always been her wish and Jamie's wish," a source told E! News earlier Thursday. "She just wishes that Sam wasn't the one in control and wants him to step aside. This is a family matter."
Sparks, Keys, Petty headline Super show
Sparks, Keys, Petty headline Super show
PHOENIX - She's just a rookie, and already Jordin Sparks is going further in the NFL than her fatherOnly 2 1/2 months after the youngest "American Idol" winner released her debut album, the teen is set to perform the national anthem Sunday at the Super Bowl. In nine years as a pro cornerback, pop Phillippi Sparks never reached the big game.
"I said, 'Dad, I'm singing at the Super Bowl,'" she said Thursday. "He said, 'At least one of us made it.'"
No surprise about which team she'll root for when the New York Giants play the New England Patriots. Her dad spent all but one season with the Giants.
"There definitely is a tie with them," the 18-year-old Sparks said. "I got to go for the underdogs."
Sparks considers herself a "huge, humongous football fan." Nine-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, who will provide the pregame entertainment, is less so — most of the time, anyway.
"Even I, who might think the Mighty Ducks and Penguins are playing, love the Super Bowl," Keys said. For the record, she's pulling for her hometown Giants.
Tom Petty, headlining the halftime show with his Heartbreakers, stayed neutral.
"I'm for everybody," he said.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, however, has a fan in Bill Belichick. In a light moment for him, the Patriots coach admitted he was sorry to miss Petty's performance and said he might play the band's CDs while preparing for the game.
"Well, it's never kept anyone from winning," Petty said.
Like previous halftime performers Prince, the Rolling Stones and U2, Petty's greatest challenge will come in whittling down his band's work into a tight set. They have a total of 12 minutes to perform, and that includes moving 56 carts on and off the field.
"There's this football game that has to go on," Petty said.
Petty grew up in Gainesville, Fla., and does root for the Gators. He also wasn't picking any political candidates, even though his "American Girl" was blasting during Hillary Clinton's recent campaign rallies in New Hampshire.
"We weren't aware of it, but we've heard about it," he said. "We're not endorsing any candidates. You wouldn't want to take a guitar player's advice."
Sparks lives in nearby Glendale — convenient, because the Super Bowl will be played there, at the University of Phoenix Stadium. She sang the national anthem before the Arizona Cardinals played their first regular-season game at the stadium in 2006, but the Super Bowl is in another league.
"For me, since my career has been a couple of months, it's way up there," she said.
Sitting next to Sparks, Keys looked forward to a European tour that begins Feb. 25. Coming off her album "As I Am," she also announced the dates and locations of her U.S. tour, starting April 19 in Hampton, Va., and ending June 18 at Madison Square Garden.
Before that, there's Sunday's performance.
The Oscars are almost upon us. One of entertainment's biggest nights is renowned for it's lavish ceremony, its A-listers and of course, its winners. And then there is the Red Carpet. Many have glided over it, wearing outfits ranging from the drop-dead gorgeous to downright weird.
Beyonce Knowles makes an entrance at last year's Oscars' in this chiffony gown with interesting detail along the collar, reminiscent of the Greek's simple flowy gowns.
Jessica Alba looks fantastic in this gorgeous gown as she arrives for the 2006 Academy Awards
Arriving for the 78th Academy Awards is Rush Hour's Ziyi Zhang, who looks very fetching in a black bodice and full skirt
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow looks very pretty in this satiny off-shoulder number during the 2005 event.