Director Peter Jackson announced yesterday that British actor Martin Freeman will play the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. Freeman is best known to Americans for playing Tim Canterbury in the British version of "The Office." The character Tim, a mild-mannered salesman who is drolly aware of his job's pointlessness, is the U.K. version of Jim Halpert.

Freeman, at the very least, looks the part of Bilbo: boyish, unassuming, short with a decidedly British expression. "Hobbit" fans, however, wonder if Freeman can carry a dramatic movie. He was at ease starring in the underrated "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and he proved more than capable with short cameos in "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz" and "Love Actually." But those, like "The Office," are comedies. Falling in love with the receptionist is one thing; fighting off trolls, goblins and giant spiders is another.

Continue Reading...

Microsoft's Xbox, of course, has featured disc-less streaming since 2008. The company signed an exclusivity clause with Microsoft, forcing out Sony and Nintendo of the online movie sector. Or so they thought. In a move to circumvent the legal restrictions on software sharing, Netflix provided a similar service on the PS3 and Wii but one -- and here's where Netflix got creative -- that required a disc. Different software, no legal bind. The discs were provided for free, and instantly, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' dream of being "on all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the Internet TVs" was jumpstarted.

Continue Reading...

Oh yeah! It's because Paramount Pictures has made offers to director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, master of the gratuitous explosion scene himself, to follow up their 1986 classic "Top Gun." Furthermore, the rumor mill is whispering that Tom Cruise has agreed to reprise his role as Maverick, providing it's not too "obvious." Initial reports say a cameo as a flight instructor, a la Tom Skerritt as Viper, is a no-go. Let's just hope another homoerotic volleyball scene in skintight jeans isn't in the "too obvious" category.

Tabbed to pen the script is Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects"), who recently impressed Hollywood fat cats with a screenplay for the "Wolverine" sequel.

Continue Reading...

Rescuers will first perform a test run, sending the empty capsule down and up the bore hole. A rescuer will then enter the capsule, traversing the hole multiple times "taking some measures." After which, at the bottom, he will aid the first miner into the capsule, which will then be sent to the surface. A second rescuer will travel down the hole, where a second miner will ascend. From there, the two rescuers will continually send the remaining miners to the surface.

Traveling at 1 meter per second, the trip from the bottom to the top is estimated to be between 10 to 15 minutes. The descent is expected to take 25 to 30 minutes.

After 12 hours, two additional rescuers will be sent down to provide help and rest for the first rescuers.

Continue Reading...

It's a fun game. But I never thought to play it with "Back to the Future."

Turns out Michael J. Fox was not the first choice to play Marty McFly. In the Blu-Ray edition of "Back to the Future: The 25th Anniversary" (released Oct. 26), it is revealed that the movie execs initially went with actor Eric Stoltz, better known as Lance, the robe-wearing, adrenaline-injecting drug dealer whose wife has "all the metal shit in her face" from "Pulp Fiction." Stoltz was five weeks into the shooting of "Back to the Future" when director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis made the decision to change his lead actor.

Continue Reading...

While still in its developmental stage, the network's focus is described as "music, pop culture and lifestyle oriented" -- which, uh, sounds a lot like the E! network, where Seacrest executive produces and co-anchors "E! News" as well as produces "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Seacrest and Co. assure that the new channel will not compete against E!, but instead will look similar to FUSE, featuring original series, exclusive interviews, video blocks and live concerts.  Again, how is it different?

Continue Reading...

Snyder, of course, was at the helm of the hyper-stylized "300" and "Watchmen." Will he bring "Superman" to similarly high heights?

Continue Reading...

A recently published study by Swiss researchers shows that prolonged exposure to a baking laptop can result in what doctors call "toasted skin syndrome." In one instance, a 12-year-old boy developed a "sponge-patterned" discoloration on his left thigh. It was later discovered that for several months he participated in daily, hours-long computer-game sessions. In 2007, a Virginia law student suffered similar skin patches that left doctors stumped -- until they learned she worked six hours a day with a computer propped on her lap. These are two of 10 laptop related cases reported in the last six years, so there's no immediate need for telethons.  But with the growing number of kids opting for "World of Warcraft" instead of outdoor activity, "toasted skin syndrome" could be an imminent epidemic, alongside obesity.

Dr. Kimberly Salkey, who treated the Virginia law student, says "toasted" skin cells resemble skin cells with long-term sun damage.  The skin darkening, researchers say, is harmless but can be permanent and in rare cases can cause damage leading to skin cancer.

The lesson: Don't let hot stuff touch your skin. Place your laptop on your desk. Budding epidemic solved.

Continue Reading...

The new 2,048-pixel capacity -- more than twice the previous resolution -- should have acne-ridden teenagers around the world cowering. With the original limit of 720 pixels, blemishes were veiled behind blurry, grainy, red-eyed images, and uglies everywhere took comfort in this safety net.  Not anymore. Now there's nowhere to hide.

Also improved is the site's photo viewer and uploader, all of which is aimed at enhancing the "experience" of image browsing. Odio also points out that, "unlike on many other online services" -- cough Flickr cough -- "you don't need any kind of premium or paid account."

Continue Reading...

Continue Reading...

E! Online reports that Paltrow is talking with close friend and "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy about a possible two-episode appearance. If things fall into place (let's cross our fingers), Paltrow will play a substitute teacher who develops into Will Schuester's (Matthew Morrison) love interest -- a role Murphy wrote expressly for Paltrow.

The Oscar-winning actress will feel right at home with the musical numbers. Paltrow starred in 2000's "Duets" as a habitual karaoke-goer (she even recorded a song with co-star Huey Lewis, minus the News; see below), and plays a fallen country music star in the forthcoming "Country Strong."

Continue Reading...

Entertainment company SEE Virtual Worlds announced today that it will publish "Planet Michael," a video game devoted to the life, music and philanthropic efforts of the King of Pop.

The game will be a massively multiplayer online game (an MMO for those in the know) similar to "Everquest," "Starcraft" and the wildly popular "World of Warcraft," immersing players in a unique and fully interactive environment. A virtual Neverland, "Planet Michael" will be inspired by the scenes of MJ's most beloved music videos, including, rumor has it, an altruistic area based on "Heal the World" and possibly a darker, leather-clad "Bad" land.

Continue Reading...

Baron Cohen, of "Borat" and "Bruno," is slated to portray Freddie Mercury, frontman of the band Queen, in a coming film. The untitled movie will focus on the period leading up to the band's career-defining performance at Live Aid, the famed multi-venue charity concert held in 1985. Peter Morgan, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "Frost/Nixon" and "The Queen," is currently working on the script.

Continue Reading...

John Mayer broke up with Twitter today, deleting his account and giving up custody of more than 3.7 million followers. The split was cold and abrupt, shocking friends and family and particularly those in the media.  Mayer explained Tuesday through a representative: "With the Battles Studies Tour now at a close and a return to the studio planned, John has discontinued his Twitter account."

The "I don't have time to give you the attention you deserve" routine is convenient, and granted, Mayer's focus will likely be consumed by his forthcoming album, but the writings were already on the wall. His relationship with Twitter was contentious from the start, bordering on verbal abuse. "It's inherently silly and it's inherently dumb," Mayer said in a 2009 interview with E! Online. "If you really think that Twitter is the pathway to spiritual enlightenment, well … it's one step away from sending pictures of your poop."  (Ike Turner and Joe Jackson -- wherever they are -- are blushing.)

Continue Reading...

No cars were given away (wah-wah), but she did the next best thing. Winfrey announced to the 300 audience members -- each chosen by producers as her most devout followers, including a rabid fan from Alberta, Canada, who claims she has watched over 5,500 hours of "Oprah" -- that they will be joining the Big O on an eight-day, all-expenses paid trip to Australia, or, as Oprah would call it, Austr-ALIAAAAAAAAAHH.

The heads of all 300 in attendance proceeded to explode like a hydrogen bomb in a massive cry of hysteria, which has become somewhat of a hallmark of the show. (See: Oprah's favorite things.)

Immediately after the announcement, a mock jet was pushed onstage amid cascading confetti, and out came John Travolta, who, previously in the show, was voted the all-time favorite guest. (Somewhere, Tom Cruise is going berserk on a couch).

Continue Reading...

For the majority of his recent career, it seems the 32-year-old actor has been typecast as either a gay man or a "hey, maaaaan" out-of-it pothead. Talk about range.

So adept is Franco at both roles that it has prompted rumors of his performances being more than fiction.

"Everyone thinks I'm a stoner, and some people think I'm gay because I've played these gay roles," Franco says in an interview with Advocate. "It's not true. I don't smoke pot. I'm not gay. But on another level, there's something in me that is able to play roles like that in a way that's convincing."

That last bit was a nice example of "backdoor bragging." But is it bragging if it's true?

The movie industry seems convinced of Franco's acting chops -- regardless of his real-life proclivities.

Continue Reading...

The pop star was throwing water balloons before his sold-out show at the Maryland State Fair on Sunday and reportedly pelted two state troopers who were on hand for crowd control. One of the balloons hit an officer's gun holster, soaking him from the waist down, and a second bounced off another officer's chest without bursting.

The state troopers were ready to discipline Bieber, 16, but Bieber quickly retreated to his trailer while his bodyguard interjected and successfully dissuaded the officers.

Continue Reading...

"I'm sorry Taylor," West wrote early Saturday.

It was simple, to the point, and that alone probably would've sufficed … but the floodgates were open, baby, and West kept going and going. "I've hurt, I've bled, I've learned. I only want to do good. I am passionate, I am human, I am real. I wish I could meet every hater," West went on.

He didn't stop there. "If you google Asshole my face may very well pop up 2 pages into the search." At least he wasn't so hard on himself as to say he'd be the top result.

Continue Reading...

It's the latest in a long line of jaw-dropping outfits for Gaga. Always pushing the sartorial envelope, she's worn every style and accessory you could think of -- and almost everything you couldn't even imagine. No one pulls off futuristic bubble-wrap or bondage mistress or nude quite as seamlessly as the recently minted Queen of Twitter.

But is sirloin such a great look for her? And besides, raw meat is sooooo last decade.

Continue Reading...

Trouble is, the purse looks an awful lot like the one she so proudly posted on Twitter.

On July 15, the heiress bought herself a designer purse, and in a post-retail bliss, uploaded a picture of the glittering handbag on Twitter.  "Love My New Chanel Purse I got Today. :)," Hilton wrote.

Not sure she loves it anymore.

Continue Reading...