Paramount

UPDATE: Contrary to an earlier online report, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences hasn't "banned" Sacha Baron Cohen from attending the Oscars in anticipation of the actor making an appearance on the red carpet as "The Dictator," but the organization has made it clear that such publicity stunt shenanigans aren't welcome.

"We haven't banned him," an Academy spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. "We're just waiting to hear what he's going to do."

Deadline first reported that the "Hugo" star had been banned from attending the ceremony for fear that he would be using the red carpet as a platform to promote his upcoming comedy about a crass totalitarian leader hellbent on keeping democracy out of his country.

"We don't think it's appropriate," the Academy spokesman said of the prospect of Cohen "hijacking" the red carpet to plug his movie. "But his tickets haven't been pulled. We're waiting to hear back."

Whether Cohen is banned or not, this kind of "quality control" definitely counts as another sign that the Academy is hoping for a nice, safe, uncontroversial ceremony, a desire that was made apparent with bringing back the entertaining but rather vanilla Billy Crystal as host after Eddie Murphy dropped out of the gig following Brett Ratner's exit as one of the show's producers.

We're waiting to see what Sacha Baron Cohen has to say about this ... or, rather, what he does about this.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

In his various guises as Ali G., Brüno and Borat, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has confused and annoyed people from Newt Gingrich to the entire country of Kazakhstan.

Remember how well his appearance at the MTV Movie Awards as Brüno went over? Yeah. We do, too.

Now rumor has it that he's planning to debut his newest character, General Aladeen from the upcoming comedy "The Dictator," during the Oscars. But will the Academy stand for it, or will they play him off stage?

Cohen will be at the Oscars as part of the "Hugo" crew, which is nominated for Best Picture. Martin Scorsese is also up for a little gold man, and in total, the film has 11 nominations under its belt. (Cohen plays the station inspector who, in one scene, rather memorably shares a bath with his Doberman).

Both "Hugo" and "The Dictator" are distributed by Paramount, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor has expressed his desire to the studio. However, the trade magazine's source at the Academy reports "the show's producers have not been informed of any Cohen plans." Sounds like they have been now!

Deadline is reporting that their source says, "We would hope that every studio knows that this is a bad idea. The Red Carpet is not about stunting." (It's not clear if Cohen would like to prank the red carpet or appear as Aladeen at the ceremony as well).

And what a stunt it would be. The politically charged satire positions General Aladeen alongside Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il as one of the "great" dictators, and in one spot shows him riding a camel down Fifth Avenue and referring to America as "the birthplace of AIDS."

Looks like "The Dictator" will be an equal opportunity offender, but will it soar like "Borat" or sink like "Brüno?" And will that have anything to do with this rumored appearance at the Oscars? Paramount hasn't released an official statement yet, but since the film is opening in May, this would be a prime time for such an eyeball-catching caper.

Let's forget about the Academy, though. What would Marty say?

Originally published on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 at 11:01 a.m. ET.

According to Jennifer Aniston, "nude" does not qualify as "news."

Aniston and her "Wanderlust" co-star Paul Rudd appeared on MTV First to discuss their raunchy new comedy about a suddenly unemployed Manhattan couple who move to a commune inhabited by people who don't really see a need for clothing most of the time. In staying true to the film's premise, the Hollywood superstars stepped up to the plate and stripped for the camera.

Aniston's purported nude scene has been the subject of much hullabaloo in leading up to the film's release, but the "Horrible Bosses" star has waved off the scene.

"Big deal," she said. "At that point we had been shooting for two months, two-and-a-half months, and the amount of things we were asked to do that we were just, 'All right' ... at that point it was, like, putting on my shoes."

Or, rather, taking off her shoes.

You can watch the full interview with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd (and watch them introduce an exclusive, never-before-seen clip from "Wanderlust") when MTV First: Wanderlust airs on MTV on Wednesday, Feb. 22 starting at 7:56 p.m. ET.

They say timing is everything. Lucky for Amanda Seyfried, that time is now.

Time for what, you ask? Time for the "Gone" starlet to be anointed with her very own Hot People Looking Hot gallery, that's what!

After bursting onto the Hollywood scene in 2004 with "Mean Girls," the 25-year-old has dazzled us with her romantic features in, well, romantic features. Needless to say, we're totally psyched to see her running scared in "Gone."

And, yeah, we're also totally psyched for the excuse to celebrate her gorgeousness with a gallery. Enjoy!

Getty Images

Hey guys, remember "Die Hard?" It was awesome in the '80s, cool in the '90s and not too bad in the '00s either. Well, don't look now, but it's back to conquer another decade — and it's going to do it with a vengeance.

No, Fox isn't remaking the 1995 threequel "Die Hard with a Vengeance" — but according to SlashFilm, they just tapped "Spartacus: Vengeance" star Jai Courtney to co-star opposite Bruce Willis as John McClane's son in the upcoming fifth "Die Hard" film, "A Good Day to Die Hard." Yippie-ki-yay?

For those of you who lost track of just what the heck was going on in John McClane's world, we last saw the bald badass in 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard," where he was trying to save his daughter (and, oh yeah, the free world) from a nutjob played by Timothy Olyphant.

That daughter was played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who since has gone on to become uber, thanks to films like "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." So will Courtney's star also rise thanks to his new role as McClane's similarly put-upon (and previously unknown) son, who apparently needs to be rescued from a Russian jail?

It's hard to say just yet, though no doubt Fox is hoping fans will love Courtney enough for him to take over the franchise from the aging Willis.

Either way, one thing is for sure. This franchise really is dying hard.

Getty Images

Fans of Whitney Houston may be able to see recently deceased star again sooner than they might think, even without the benefit of a trip to the other side.

"Californication" star Meagan Good told E! Online that prior to Houston's death, she and the star were in discussions to have Good play the "I Will Always Love You" singer in a film adaptation of her life.

"We were fairly in the beginning stages," Good announced on Monday night. "We were supposed to meet today actually."

While the young actress may have the right combination of looks and acting talent to portray the pop icon, when it comes to the vocals, Good would never try to live up to Houston's standard.

"I don't think we've ever had a singer in history that I remember that could sing like her," said Good. "Plus, when people see someone's life story they want to hear that person's voice because they connect with it, in their spirit and their soul. So you would have to use her voice."

As for how the movie might change in light of Houston's tragic death earlier this month, Good hopes that the film will portray the star in a positive light as an entertainer and friend.

"For anybody spending time around Whitney, she's so much fun. She's got just like a sassy attitude and is very funny and funky," said Good. "My feeling is because she has the film 'Sparkle' coming out and she's brilliant in it and she looks beautiful and healthy, my feeling was that's how we should end the movie—as a new beginning for her."

View Gallery »

Image Entertainment

Last year, some of Hollywood's biggest stars appeared in a series of horror/thrillers from Image Entertainment, but for whatever reason, the movies never really got much attention. You might have heard of Dennis Quaid and Aimee Teegarden's murder opus "Beneath the Darkness," but what about Hilary Swank in "The Resident?" Or Richard Gere and Topher Grace in "The Double?" No?

Well, don't worry, because these films might have flown under the radar when they were in theaters, but we're going to make sure they get their due on Blu-ray — and we want to start by giving you copies of them for free right now.

Here's a quick rundown on the films in question. "Beneath the Darkness" (which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD in stores on Feb. 28) stars Quaid as an upstanding citizen who has a dark secret: He's actually a murdering a-hole. This is definitely not the cuddly Quaid you're used to.

"The Double" plays against expectation as well, with Gere playing a secret agent who may have one too many secrets, while "The Resident" features Swank facing off against an obsessed and deranged landlord (the always cool Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

We could go on, but we don't want to spoil things for you, especially since we're about to give you all three Blu-rays so you can watch them yourself and spread the word. And all you need to do in order to become one of the three lucky fans who will receive this epic Blu-ray three-pack  is enter your name in our giveaway. That's it.

Hollywood's coolest secret is out ... and we want to share it with you. Good luck, y'all.

To enter, just shoot us an email at NextMovie@MTV.com and include your name, address, birthdate and be sure to copy and paste the following statement:

"By sending this email, I accept and agree to: (1) the Official Rules of the 'Beneath the Darkness' Blu-ray Prize Pack Giveaway and (2) MTV Networks’, a division of Viacom International Inc., Nextmovie.com Terms of Use and Privacy Policy."

The contest runs from now until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 1, 2012. Entrants must be at least 13 years old and reside in the U.S. Click here for complete rules and further details.

As an added bonus, all entrants will be signed up for the fun and useful UpNext newsletter. As an UpNext subscriber, you'll receive daily updates on the hottest releases, events and merch from the world of movies.

Lionsgate

Some say there's no such thing as an original story these days, especially in Hollywood. Any time a movie hits the mainstream, someone somewhere finds a way to call it a knock-off.

Author Suzanne Collins has been more than willing to lay her list of "The Hunger Games" inspirations on the table — the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Roman gladiator games, the Vietnam and Iraq Wars, and her work on the reality TV series "Survivor" ... Sounds like a good recipe. Still, we can already smell the "Battle Royale" comparisons brewing.

Yes, "Battle Royale" also involves kids being forced to fight to the death, but we saw enough major differences between the two to be sure in advance that "The Hunger Games" is in a league all its own.

The Audience

In "The Hunger Games," the audience — basically the entirety of Panem with special regard for citizens of The Capitol — is an active and very developed part of the story. Families, as a form of punishment and deterrence, are forced to watch as their children are conscripted and made to fight one another to the death. On the flip side, it's also a show for those whose kids aren't involved. The entertainment factor of the Games becomes influential in how they are officiated (and played).

In "Battle Royale," though, the audience consists simply of one sour teacher and a gaggle of silent soldiers. Any outsider involvement is almost completely unaddressed.

Lionsgate

The Preparation

Much of the story of "The Hunger Games" is about preparing for the fight. For days, the tributes are shown off to the crowd, given assessments and training and access to former game tapes. Half the book is devoted to what goes on before they hit the arena. It's about putting on a good show, after all. "Battle Royale," on the other hand, offers almost no attention to that factor. The kids think they're going on a class trip, and bam! They're gassed and wake up to fighting instructions.

The Competitors

The competitors in "Battle Royale" are almost all seventh grade students from the same class. Some are siblings, some soon-to-be-former best friends. Much of the tension revolves around the fact that these children know each other.

Not so in "The Hunger Games," wherein participants are selected with a complicated system of entries and televised ceremonies. A boy-and-girl pair is chosen from each of the nation's 12 districts. Their ages, sizes, backgrounds and strengths vary, and alliances are thin at best because there's very little history between most of the tributes.

Anchor Bay

The Weapons

With the exception of the District 3 boy's little mine field creation, the weapons doled out in "The Hunger Games" are fairly old school — knives, spears and Katniss' favorite bow and arrow set. The hand-to-hand combat element is intense, whereas in "Battle Royale," there are guns, guns, and more guns all over the place. Also, the "Battle Royale" kids fight in an abandoned town, so shelter and food (and internet access?) are abundant.

The Justification

The reasoning behind the Capitol's decision to effectuate The Hunger Games is a big part of the story. The districts are being punished for an uprising against the Capitol which occurred some decades before. The message is that the government of Panem will not tolerate insubordination by its districts, and it has utter control over them, even the lives of their children. With "Battle Royale," it's just a bloody way to keep kids in school.

The Heroine

Katniss represents something in "The Hunger Games." She's fierce and determined, and she knows she'll have to fight in order to win. Her victory carries consequences for the Capitol. In "Battle Royale," the central girl Noriko is very meek and reserved. Her survival is dependent on others defending her.

The Love Triangle

"Battle Royale" does have a teeny bit of a love triangle, but it's short-lived and unexplored at best. With "The Hunger Games," however, the romantic entanglement of Peeta, Katniss and Gale is a major attraction of the story.

The Villain

There are several villains presented in "The Hunger Games" – President Snow, the Capitol's citizens and their insensitivity to the lives of those in the districts, humanity's bloodlust at large. In "Battle Royale," we really only get to know one: a middle school teacher who's having a nervous breakdown. There's a hint of the government's involvement in passing the law which allows the battle to exist, but it gets very little play in the movie.

After all this, we're just sayin'. We think any similarities are a coincidence and no, "The Hunger Games" a not just some rip-off of "Battle Royale." Tell us what you think in the comments.

And, if you haven't seen "Battle Royale," it's coming out on Blu-ray on March 20.

View Gallery »

Amanda Bell is a young adult book-to-film enthusiast and has made a name for herself as a fan-friendly, informative and dependable source. In addition to being the District 14 columnist for NextMovie, she runs the popular Twilight Examiner column. Keep tabs on her on Twitter.

Getty Images

Last year, the Academy Awards wanted to attract a broader and younger audience. Unfortunately, they did not go with my suggestion of adding new categories that "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" would be sure to win. That would have definitely attracted the Twi-hard tween crowd, whom advertisers everywhere are trying to get their greedy paws on.

Instead, the Academy went with adding 10 movies to the Best Picture category, which allowed more populist films to be included; and they made James Franco and Anne Hathaway the hosts. We can all agree both choices were disasters, right? Younger viewers didn't care if "Toy Story 3" was nominated for Best Picture. It already had "Best Animated Feature" locked up anyway. And they especially didn't care if "127 Hours" was nominated. Plus, the Hathaway-Franco hosting combo made us all want to cut our arms off with a pocket knife, just to distract from the pain in our ears.

Owing to last year's failure, the Academy has seemingly given up on attracting a youth viewership. They incorporated an advanced metrics system that even Jonah Hill's character from "Moneyball" wouldn't understand for picking Best Picture nominees, and ended up with nine. They also panicked when Eddie Murphy pulled out as host and went with old Mr. Faithful, eight-time host Billy Crystal. Do younger viewers even know Crystal? Not unless they have him in their death pool this year.

Also Check Out: 2012 Oscar Predictions

So, in my second selfless attempt to help the film industry's biggest night mean a flying s**t to younger viewers, I'm pleading with them to incorporate at least one of the following categories as a last-minute bonus to the show. It's a surefire way to increase tween viewership, who would otherwise be playing video games or awkwardly dry-humping in the bedroom while their parents are distracted by Billy Crystal's witty eye-rolls and musical numbers.

Best Supernatural Feature

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
"Super 8"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (no way that kid is a mere mortal)

WINNER: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"

Summit

Best Supernatural Sequel

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
"Paranormal Activity 3"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

WINNER: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"

Best Vampire Performance

Robert Pattinson in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Colin Farrell in "Fright Night"
Christopher Mintz-Plasse in "Fright Night"
Katja Lundgren in "Sun Shadows: Faithful Kiss"

WINNER: Katja Lundgren! Just kidding. It's Robert Pattinson.

Best Non-Vampire Performance in a Supernatural Role

Taylor Lautner in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Alex Pettyfer in "I Am Number Four"
Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
Jennifer Lawrence in "X-Men: First Class"

WINNER: Taylor Lautner

Also Check Out: Male Twi-Hard Reviews the "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" DVD

Best Human Performance in a Supernatural Film

Kristen Stewart in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Katie Holmes in "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark"
Emile Hirsch in "The Darkest Hour"
James Franco in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

WINNER: Kristen Stewart (in her last year eligible for the category!)

Summit

Best Peformance in a Supernatural Redemption Role

Julia Jones in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Patrick Wilson in "Insidious"
Alan Rickman in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
Michael Fassbender in "X-Men: First Class"

WINNER: Julia Jones

Best Use of CGI For Monsters

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
"The Smurfs" (I'm terrified of those things)

WINNER: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"

Best Use of Colon in a Film Title

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"
"Captain America: The First Avenger"
"Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star"
"Battle: Los Angeles"

WINNER: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1"

And that's the show. Thanks for tuning in, folks!

Parting Note: I don't want to hear any bitching from you Potter-heads for leaving your movie out of Best Supernatural Feature. I included your movie plenty in other (less prestigious) categories.

Also, I'm still waiting for offers from the Academy as an Oscars consultant. You already know my demands: a private "Twilight" screening room and a job title that includes the word "vampire."

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a “Twilight” humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here and follow him on Twitter.

Columbia

You've read the blogs, you've watched the movies, you've studied the box office reports and now you think you're finally ready for the 2012 Academy Awards. But how well do you really know this year's best movies?

There's only one way to find out: By playing the brand new Oscar edition of our game, What the Diff?!

Here's how it works: We've taken still photos from this year's most acclaimed Oscar nominated films -- and then we've totally messed with them. Your job is to restore a little sanity to Hollywood (good luck with that) by figuring out what the differences are between our before and after photos.

Simple? Well, we'll see how simple you think it is once the clock starts ticking and you're furiously searching for George Clooney's missing cufflink before that relentless buzzer goes off.

So check it out and test your Oscar knowledge. Because this year, the diff... is in you.

Movie characters may seem more glamorous than you and me, but they've gotta eat. And you know who eats a lot in movies? Brad Pitt. And unlike the rest of us, even in comic moments, he looks good doing it (shocker).

Pitt does a fair amount of eating in his Oscar-nominated turn as Billy Beane in "Moneyball," but he chows down so much in so many movies, we're starting to wonder if the actor just gets hungry on set and brings his lunch into the scene with him.

Movies Included (Click to Buy):

Troy | Mr. and Mrs. Smith | Moneyball | Ocean's Eleven | Johnny Suede | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | The Devil's Own | Inglorious Basterds  | Across the Tracks | Cutting Class | Kalifornia | Spy Game | Meet Joe Black | Sleepers | Seven Years in Tibet | The Mexican | Seven | Ocean's Twelve | Interview with the Vampire | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Ocean's Thirteen  | The Tree of Life

More NextMovie Mashups

Hearing People Scream in Space
Drunk People Are Hilarious

NextMovie

Another Academy Awards, another nomination for Meryl Streep, this time for channeling legendary British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." It's just the latest bravura performance from Streep, who has played Julia Child, a fashion editor based on Anna Wintour, a Polish survivor of the Holocaust and union activist Karen Silkwood -- not to mention a Danish writer, a nun and a grieving Australian mother. Plus, she once costarred with Roseanne Barr.

Is there anything Meryl Streep can't do? Clearly the answer is "no."

So why couldn't our First Lady of Cinema play former First Lady Hillary Clinton? Or even some of the most esteemed and notorious men in history? Leave it to Old Red Jalopy to envision Meryl Streep in every biopic ever to be made. Cue seven more Oscar nominations.

More NextMovie Originals

View Gallery »

Getty Images

That smile. Those eyes. That devil-may-care attitude. Sure, ladies love him -- but who wouldn't be lost in the wily, sardonic sea that is "Wanderlust" star Paul Rudd, the guy who put the "man" in "bromance"?

Having first caught our eye in Amy Heckerling's "Clueless" in 1995, this former bat mitzvah DJ has always had charm to spare and the kind of non-threatening good looks that headliners are made of. Despite featured roles in hit movies like "The Cider House Rules" and "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet," not to mention practically becoming the unofficial seventh friend as Pheobe's husband on "Friends," it took Rudd nearly a decade to truly enter the bro-sphere with a little watershed film called "Anchorman."

In the 2004 Will Ferrell newsroom comedy, 1970s-era crazypants antics reigned among members of the Channel 4 News Team, including the stylish one of the group, Brian Fantana (Rudd).

DreamWorks

"I know what you're asking yourself, and the answer is yes, I have a nickname for my penis," said Fantana. "It's called the Octagon, but I also nicknamed my testes -- my left one is James Westfall and my right one is Doctor Kenneth Noisewater. You ladies play your cards right, you just might get to meet the whole gang."

Rudd played the mustachioed Fantana's over-the-top bravado to absolute perfection, so much so that you could practically smell the crockpot of testosterone through the screen … or was that Sex Panther by Odeon?

Rudd solidified his standing as the American male's hetero lifemate the following year, helping Steve Carell get some action in Judd Apatow's "40-Year-Old Virgin." In 2007's "Knocked Up" he played Leslie Mann's fantasy baseball-loving husband, who takes the journey with slacker Seth Rogen of going from manchild to grown-up despite having a good decade on Rogen.

All three of these movies made Rudd a bona fide member of the Frat Pack, as well as an all-star MVP in the Apatowverse, to the point where he was actually the alternate choice to play the Adam Sandler role in "Funny People."

He's not just a fave of the Apatow clan, though, as evidenced by his longtime association with "The State" alum David Wain, who wrote and directed Rudd in several hit comedies including "Role Models" and "Wet Hot American Summer." It was the latter cult summer-camp film that made men want to carve their names with his on a tree after one of the all-time classic scenes, the infamous cafeteria temper tantrum.

View Gallery »

This week our mancrush will reteam with Wain for the communal comedy "Wanderlust" (costarring Jennifer Aniston), and later this year he'll reprise his "Knocked Up" role alongside Mann in Apatow's nonquel "This Is Forty." Will he continue to be an outstanding comedic actor while also getting the opportunity to show off those dramatic chops we know he has? Will he keep flashing that smile that makes men and women melt in equal measure?

A great quote from a 2003 EW interview pretty much sums up why Rudd is a guy's guy who makes the kind of movies we actually want to watch: ''I'd like to have the acting equivalent of Elvis Costello's or Tom Waits' career -- navigating a life where art and commerce don't have to go together.''

Universal

Lust may be one of the seven deadly sins, but from where we're sitting, it kind of all depends on what you're lusting after.

Coveting thy neighbor's nanny? Bad. Coveting our amazing new "Wanderlust" giveaway prize package, which includes a Jennifer Aniston/Paul Rudd DVD Prize Pack?

Well, let's just say the confession booth is going to be really crowded after this one.

That's because Aniston and Rudd have proven time and time again that they are two of Hollywood's premiere rom-com stars, with "Wanderlust" — which opens this Friday and features the pair as a couple who unexpectedly find themselves living in a hippie commune — only being the most recent example.

So to celebrate their latest achievement, we're giving away both a "Wanderlust" t-shirt and the ultimate Aniston/Rudd DVD pack, which includes copies of the Rudd hits "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Roles Models" as well as the Aniston vehicles "The Break-Up" and "Love Happens." And all you have to do to win is read the rules and enter your name in our free giveaway.

Lust: It's not so bad after all, now is it?

To enter, just shoot us an email at NextMovie@MTV.com and include your name, address, birthdate and be sure to copy and paste the following statement:

"By sending this email, I accept and agree to: (1) the Official Rules of the 'Wanderlust' Giveaway and (2) MTV Networks’, a division of Viacom International Inc., Nextmovie.com Terms of Use and Privacy Policy."

The contest runs from now until 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Entrants must be at least 13 years old and reside in the U.S. Click here for complete rules and further details.

As an added bonus, all entrants will be signed up for the fun and useful UpNext newsletter. As an UpNext subscriber, you'll receive daily updates on the hottest releases, events and merch from the world of movies.

Disney

If you're confused by the Oscars, we don't blame you. With 24 different categories and somewhere between three and nine nominees for each category, that's like, what, four hundred thousand nominees to keep track of? It's a lot to ask of a busy movie fan on the go.

But before you put yourself in the hospital worrying about it, relax. We have the perfect solution: A printable Oscar ballot. With just one click of a button, you can print out our handy chart, which lists every nominee in every category on one page, making it easier than ever for you and your friends to pick the winners on Oscar night.

No worries, no stress, just all the magic of the Oscars boiled down to one page of printable movie magic. Looks like the first winner this Oscar season is you.

Click the image to enlarge and print:

Getty Images

Screenwriting efforts like "Jennifer's Body" may not have set the world on fire, but Academy Award-winner Diablo Cody was officially back in our good graces after the awesomeness that was "Young Adult."

According to The Playlist the "Juno" scribe may be winning our favor once again by casting Nick Offerman in her upcoming directorial debut, formerly titled "Lamb Of God."

It is unknown what part has been offered (get it?) to Offerman, best known to fans of NBC's "Parks & Recreation" for rocking that mustache as libertarian man's man/Parks Department head Ron Swanson.

Cody's story follows a "Christian girl (Julianne Hough), who survives a plane crash but is left with horrific burns. With her faith gone, she travels to Las Vegas in order to experience the more sinful side of life, and befriends Loray (Octavia Spencer), a craps dealer, and William (Russell Brand), a bartender."

Holly Hunter plays Hough's evangelical mom from hell, and the currently-sans-title film will lens this spring. Knowing Cody it will no doubt feature quips aplenty, despite the semi-serious nature of the plot.

Offerman will also have plenty of time to shine next month with character roles in major comedies "21 Jump Street" (alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum) and Will Ferrell's Spanish-language telenovela saga "Casa De Mi Padre."

Sony

A cardinal rule of moviemaking has always been, "Show. Don't tell."

And no one knows this truth to be more paramount than the Costume Designers Guild — these are the people who turn Rooney Mara into Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Radcliffe into Harry Potter. In other words, they've got some serious skills that go far beyond sewing, which is why last night's Costume Designers Guild Awards brought out some of Hollywood's brightest stars to celebrate some of cinema's most eye-catching achievements.

Hosted by funny girl Jane Lynch, the awards ceremony honored costume design excellence by handing out awards in seven categories divided among film, television and commercials.

Winners included:

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" for Excellence in Contemporary Film - Trish Summerville

"W.E." for Excellence in Period Film - Arianne Phillips

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" for Excellence in Fantasy Film - Jany Temime

"Glee" for Outstanding Contemporary Television Series - Lou Eyrich and Jennifer Eve

"Boardwalk Empire" for Outstanding Period/ Fantasy Television Series - John A. Dunn, Lisa Padovani

"Downton Abbey" for Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Mini Series - Susannah Buxton

"Swiffer: 'Country Dirt Cowgirl'' for Excellence in Commercial Costume Design - Roseanne Fiedler

In addition, stunner Kate Beckinsale received the Lacoste Spotlight Award (we're not sure what that is either, but it sounds cool), costume designer Marlene Stewart nabbed the Disaronno Career Achievement in Film Award, and Lou Eyrich (yes, the "Glee" guy) snapped up the Career Achievement in Television Award.

Now let the official countdown to the Oscars begin!

View Gallery »

MGM

When Chicken Little runs around screaming the the sky is falling, everyone pretty much ignores her. If only she had a cool video blog featuring Daniel Craig.

Get excited, people, because the first video report from the set of the new James Bond movie "Skyfall" has just hit YouTube and while the sky may be falling, expectations are rising thanks to some sweet new clips that prove Craig is still seriously foxy loxy.

"Skyfall," of course, is the long awaited 23rd entry in the venerable action franchise. It's also the third installment of the Craig reboot era, but while the first two films were huge box office hits and critical darlings, production on "Skyfall" was delayed indefinitely due to legal issues. For a while it appeared as if the entire Bond series may have finally come to an abrupt and sad end.

Now, though, they're finally in the process of filming "Skyfall" and, from the sounds of it, Mendes (who previously won an Oscar for directing "American Beauty") couldn't be more thrilled. Check out the video and see just why Mendes thinks this might be the coolest movie he's done yet:

Lionsgate

We're now officially very close to the start of the "Games."

"The Hunger Games" don't officially commence until March 23, but you can buy your tickets to one of the most anticipated movies of the year, like, right now. You don't have to wait in any line, either -- just click here to be among the first people to witness the opening of the "Games."

Advance ticket sales isn't the only bit of District business today. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) and other cast members will soon be embarking on the eight-city National Mall Tour of "The Hunger Games," which kicks off on Saturday, March 3. If you live in the Districts of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Chicago or Minneapolis, you can meet the Tributes, participate in Q&As and enter giveaways to win "Hunger Games" Gear.

The full schedule for "The Hunger Gales" National Mall Tour is below. "The Hunger Games" begin in just a little over four weeks!

Saturday, March 3 - Los Angeles
Where?: Westfield Century City
Who Will Be There?: Gary Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth

Tuesday, March 6 - Atlanta
Where?: JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
Who Will Be There?: Liam Hemsworth, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi, Amandla Stenberg and Jack Quaid

Wednesday, March 7 - Phoenix and Chicago
Phoenix:
Where?: Scottsdale Fashion Square
Who Will Be There?: Liam Hemsworth, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi and Jack Quaid

Chicago:
Where?: Westfield Fox Valley
Who Will Be There?: Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jacqueline Emerson

Thursday, March 8 - Miami and Dallas
Miami:
Where?: The Westfield Broward
Who Will Be There?: Jennifer Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig and Amandla Stenberg

Dallas:
Where?: Galleria Dallas
Who Will Be There?: Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jacqueline Emerson

Friday, March 9 - Minneapolis
Where?: The Mall Of America
Who Will Be There?:  Jennifer Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig, Amandla Stenberg, Josh Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jacqueline Emerson

Saturday, March 10 - Seattle
Where?: The University Village
Who Will Be There?:  Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson

MTV Geek

We scour the interwebs for the coolest movie news and more so you don't have to ...

How can any desk be complete without a Katniss Everdeen action figure guarding it? NECA Toys is set to unleash a ton of "Hunger Games" merchandise, including their signature style of incredible action figure goodness -- check out all of the wonderful toys on display at MTV Geek.

Speaking of "The Hunger Games," there's a relatively less violent kind of contest going on where you can win a copy of Suzanne Collins' book signed by Katniss Everdeen herself, Jennifer Lawrence! Enter for your chance to win at The Hob.

When are these guys gonna get a shot at one of those golden statues? The Playlist spotlights five actors who are overdue for an Oscar nomination: Steve Buscemi, Guy Pearce, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Daniels and John Turturro.

In other District news, Elizabeth Banks admits to MTV Rough Cut that she "secreted out" her desire to play Effie Trinket in "The Hunger Games" rather early in the casting process -- and her "Seabiscuit" director Gary Ross signing on to direct the movie certainly didn't hurt her chances, either.

Europa Ventures has sent six astronauts from space programs throughout the world on a three-year journey to Jupiter's fourth moon, Europa, to confirm the existence of liquid oceans that could possibly sustain life. Watch the progress of the crew as they approach their destination -- and get closer to the release date of the sci-fi thriller, "Europa."

And some people just get candles (or spankings!). In honor of "Twilight" star Ashley Greene's 25th birthday, The Fab Life takes a look at her 25 shortest hemlines.

You know that Idris Elba is the star of "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance." But did you also know that he's an ambassador for the upcoming London Olympics?

Elba takes his position of ambassador very seriously and believes in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He's also been concerned about all of the "fat journalists" who ask "lazy questions" that he's been encountering while doing publicity for both "Ghost Rider" and the Olympics -- enough that he's taken it on himself to start a hardcore workout and training program especially for people like MTV's own Josh Horowitz.

It's not easy to train with Idris Elba. Watch as he pushes Josh to his physical, emotional and mental limits in sprinting, wrestling and fencing on MTV After Hours.

Getty Images

Michael Fassbender's penis is having a huge year and it seems like scheduling the actor is going to get even harder in the near future.

The star, who became a household name with his leading role as a tortured sex addict in Steve McQueen's 2011 drama "Shame," is starting 2012 with two big projects on the horizon.

Rope of Silicon reports that the Irish actor will star in Ridley Scott's "The Counselor," the script for which was penned by Cormac McCarthy.

The script, which is rumored to have the same gritty, ultraviolent feel audiences have come to expect from the "No Country For Old Men" author, centers on a lawyer (Fassbender), who gets in over his head when he tries his hand at the drug game. While no studio is currently backing the project, big stars including Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, and Jeremy Renner are being courted to play the movie's villain.

While filming begins May 1, just over a month before Scott's "Prometheus," also starring Fassbender, hits theaters, the actor has found time to tackle yet another leading role. According to IFTN, Fassbender will take on the lead role in "Public Enemies" scribe Ronan Bennett's "Cuchulainn," the story of a mythical Celtic warrior of the same name.

Until filming starts on the flick, Fassbender can be seen in "Prometheus," due in theaters June 8, and Steve McQueen's "Twelve Years a Slave," scheduled for release in 2013.

Tumblr

Scandal has struck the Oscars as "The Artist" star Jean Dujardin has been caught sleeping around.

And by "scandal," we mean "a hilarious internet meme." And by sleeping around, we mean literally sleeping thanks to this series of doctored photos showing the French star dozing in a variety of unexpected places. Seriously, Jean, most people at least wait for the Oscar telecast to begin before they fall asleep!

Here's some quick background for you: Last week, during a luncheon for Oscar nominees, someone took a snapshot of Dujardin catching some quick shuteye -- and he just happened to be leaning on George Clooney's shoulder while he was doing it. And that was enough for a whole cottage industry to be spawned courtesy of the instant web sensation Jean Sleeping On People, which shows, well, exactly what you would expect with a name like that.

So check it out -- and be prepared to be shocked at Dujardin's uncanny ability to sleep through some of the craziest encounters in Hollywood history:

Swap breadcrumbs for Skittles and gingerbread for marijuana, and you begin to get a feel for "Black Forest: Hansel and Gretel & the 420 Witch," a weed-laced horror comedy in which a witch (Lara Flyn Boyle) tempts teens into her home with pot, then eats them.

Next Movie headed to Stage 4 of Sunset Gower Studios to talk to the cast and get an exclusive first look at the first of three Hansel & Gretel films coming out in the next year.

"Black Forest" will be released April 20, naturally. "All we’re saying in this film," Molly C. Quinn (who plays Gretel) says, "is that if you smoke pot you run a higher risk of getting eaten by a witch."

ABC

Though they're both gifted comedic actors with a talent for taking on multiple personas within a film, not to mention alliterative names, Mike Myers and Kevin Kline have never performed together… until now.

ABC (via Hollywood.com) thought Kline, Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner for "A Fish Called Wanda," could use a little lesson in etiquette so as not to manhandle his poor, mistreated gold guy, so they brought in Sir Cecil Worthington (Myers).

Sir Cecil proceeded to give his willing pupil a masters course in how to carry, store, and care for his statue with proper respect. With his penchant for outlandish mnemonic devices and tossing Kline the occasional mini-Snickers bar, the rigorous Brit managed to tame the "Wild Wild West" star.

If this video is any indication of what's in store for us on Sunday night's Academy Awards broadcast, we could be in for a night to remember…

Warner Bros.

Party: noun, 1. a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, entertainment, etc. Example: "The new comedy 'Project X' is about a wild party gone completely out of control thanks in part to a viral video."

Party: adjective, 2. What you are going to do once you win our brand new, totally awesome "Project X" free giveaway. Example: "Dude! I just won the NextMovie 'Project X' giveaway! Let's party!"

Any questions?

That's rhetorical, of course, because we know you've got at least two questions: How do you enter and what's the loot? Well, entering is easy like Sunday morning; all you have to do is check out our legal deets and then drop us a line if you meet the technical requirements. And the loot is fantastic, with the grand prize winner bringing home a sweet and ultra-rare custom "Project X" skateboard in addition to a pile of other swag.

So check out "Project X," which arrives in theaters on March 2 courtesy of the producers that brought the world "The Hangover," and check our our free giveaway. Because we're about to redefine what it means to be a winner — and the party starts right now.

One Grand Prize Winner Will Receive:

• Extremely Rare Custom "Project X" Skateboard
• "Project X" Black Gnome Tee
• "Project X" Tumbler
• "Project X" Disposable Camera
• "Project X" Screen Wipe

One First Prize Winner Will Receive:

• "Project X" Black Gnome Tee
• "Project X" Tumbler
• "Project X" Disposable Camera
• "Project X" Screen Wipe

To enter, just shoot us an email at NextMovie@MTV.com and include your name, address, birthdate and be sure to copy and paste the following statement:

“By sending this email, I accept and agree to: (1) the Official Rules of the 'Project X' Giveaway and (2) MTV Networks’, a division of Viacom International Inc., Nextmovie.com Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.”

The contest runs from now until 4 p.m. ET on Monday, March 5, 2012. Entrants must be at least 13 years old and reside in the U.S. Click here for complete rules and further details.

As an added bonus, all entrants will be signed up for the fun and useful UpNext newsletter. As an UpNext subscriber, you'll receive daily updates on the hottest releases, events and merch from the world of movies.

Also, be sure to check out the official movie site and Facebook page for all the movie details and look for "Project X" in theaters on March 2.

Summit

"Beautiful girl, lovely dress, where she is now I can only guess." It's not just a Violent Femmes lyric, it's also a movie called "Gone" starring that big-eyed beauty Amanda Seyfried.

In this taut thriller, Seyfried plays Jill, a young woman still suffering PTSD from a kidnapping she survived. Her sister Molly comes to live with her, and when Molly vanishes, Jill has to try to track her down, possibly from her previous attacker. Where's Molly? She's gone, daddy, gone.

1. She can't hear him, but the cop inside the squad car is yelling, "I LOVED 'LETTERS TO JULIET'! CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?!"

2. And now a scene from this week's "Law & Order: Pretty Victims Unit."

3. Wes Bentley looks awfully shifty in these clips, but they'd never cast him as a bad guy, right? Right?

Fox

Do you enjoy movies? Do you like winning free loot? Do you think you know more film trivia than your average Tom, Steven and Marty? Are you, to put it bluntly, a playa? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, then have we got a deal for you, because starting today we're launching our Award Week Trivia Giveaway -- and the internet will never be the same.

That get your attention?

Here's how this shindig is going to work: Every day, beginning today, we're going to post a trivia question on our Facebook page, which we just know you've already liked and bookmarked. It's the in thing. Once you have liked the page, you just email the correct answer to the trivia question to nextmovie@mtv.com and you'll be entered in our daily drawing to win a $25 gift card from AMC.

And there's more: On Sunday night, we'll be posting a trivia question every hour, giving you multiple chances to win that day's $25 gift card. Then, to cap off the award season, we'll be holding our super grand prize drawing, with everyone who has correctly answered a trivia question eligible to win a whole Year of Free Movies from AMC in the form of a $299 gift card.

Sorry , Hollywood. This year, the biggest award winners are going to be the fans themselves.

p.s. Read the legal mumbo jumbo for details on how exactly to format your entry. It's important, dawg. From the legalese: send an email to NextMovie@mtv.com and include your (i) name, (ii) mailing address, (iii) date of birth (iv) and the correct answer to the daily Trivia Question(s) and (d) copy...  and paste the statement below in bold exactly as it appears in order to agree and acknowledge that you have accepted these Official Rules and the terms of Sponsor’s nextmovie.com Privacy Policy and Terms of Use:

By sending this email, I accept and agree to: (1) the Official Rules of the “Academy Awards® Trivia Giveaway” sponsored by NextMovie” and (2) NextMovie.com’s Terms of Use [http://www.nextmovie.com/terms-of-use/] and Privacy Policy [http://www.nextmovie.com/privacy-policy/]

p.p.s. We're sure you've already downloaded the totally free NextMovie Trivia Challenge app to your iPhone or iPad, right? Delve into our new array of movie questions. If you make it through the current challenge, don't get complacent: We're adding new questions every week, so you never know when the game is up.

The Weinstein Company

The unofficial theme of the 2012 awards season could be "Vive la France," with the French-helmed "The Artist" picking up dozens of awards and going into Oscar night with 10 nominations, second only to 11 nods for "Hugo."

The movie has picked up wins for director Michel Hazanavicius and leading man Jean Dujardin at the BAFTAs, Critics Choice, Directors Guild and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as a multitude of trophies for the film, its score, art direction, editing and costumes. It's not just picking up steam, it's a veritable awards locomotive.

Also Check Out: 2012 Oscar Predictions

With "The Artist" positioned so strongly for the Academy Awards, and its key players, including nominated costar Bérénice Bejo, being French (even though the film was shot entirely in Los Angeles, where it is set during the dawn of the talkies), we decided to take a look at the roster of other French talent that has broken out of the foreign film category to become part of Oscar history.

The Women

Not surprisingly, French actresses have fared the best, going all the way back to Claudette Colbert in the 1934 comedy classic "It Happened One Night," for which she took home an Oscar. She plays a runaway heiress who takes the bus from Miami to New York, thinking it's the safest way to travel. Clark Gable is a struggling reporter who recognizes her at the bus station and decides to go along for the ride. Initially, it's all friction between them, but naturally, amour smoothes the way.

Columbia Pictures

Colbert won the love of Academy voters as well in 1935 and in 1944, with best actress nominations for "Private Worlds" and "Since You Went Away." Leslie Caron picked up a nod for 1953's "Lili," but it wasn't until 1959 that another French actress snatched the trophy for best actress, and that was Simone Signoret for "Room at the Top."

Caron and Signoret each won additional nominations in the 1960s, as did Anouk Aimée for the poignant 1966 relationship movie "A Man and a Woman." The beautiful Isabelle Adjani won the first of her noms for the riveting "The Story of Adele H." in 1975 and scored another one in 1989 for "Camille Claudel." Oscar voters decided Marie-Christine Barrault was worthy of a nomination for her lead role in the 1975 French marital infidelity drama "Cousin, Cousine."

In 1993, Catherine Deneuve, whose face has graced a thousand magazine covers and ads for Chanel No. 5 and L'Oreal Paris,, scored a best actress nod for "Indochine," set in French colonial Indochina in the 1930s. Deneuve has appeared in dozens of films since 1959, including a vaunted role in 1983's "The Hunger" as part of a love triangle with Susan Sarandon and David Bowie -- and she even took a shot at American television with an appearance on "Nip/Tuck" in 2006.

The charming romance film "Chocolat" (2000), set in a repressed, small French town, earned a best actress nomination for its leading lady Juliette Binoche. She had already earned Oscar gold in the supporting actress category in the landmark 1996 drama "The English Patient" opposite Ralph Fiennes, who was nominated for lead actor.

Marion Cotillard, most recently seen in roaring '20s garb with Owen Wilson in last year's "Midnight in Paris," holds a special piece of Oscar history. In 2007, she became the first French actress to win the leading statuette for a French-speaking role, playing chanteuse Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."

In addition to Bérénice Bejo and Binoche, the only other French actress to be nominated in the supporting category was Colette Marchand for her role in the 1952 version of "Moulin Rouge."

The Men

Not a single Frenchmen has been nominated for supporting actor in the history of the Academy Awards, and only four -- including Dujardin this year -- have ever been accorded the honor of being recognized as lead actor material, though none has claimed the trophy as his own.

Orion Classics

The legendary Maurice Chevalier was nominated in 1929 and in 1930. More than 30 years passed until Charles Boyer was nominated for his role in the 1961 film "Fanny," and it was another 20 years until the Oscar leading man nod went to Gérard Depardieu for "Cyrano de Bergerac," in which he spoke only Francais.

French directors have a somewhat stronger track record at the Oscars, and Hazanavicius (pronounced Hazana-vee'-shus) is well-positioned to follow in the footsteps of Roman Polanski -- yes, he's French -- who won for directing the 2002 masterpiece, "The Pianist."

Polanski is on the short list of French-born directors who've been on tap for Best Director two other times, for "Tess" (1980) and "Chinatown" (1974). Several of the other French directors so honored as nominees are cinéaste gods to many, with a list that includes Jean Renoir, Claude Lelouch, Édouard Molinaro, Francois Truffaut, Louis Malle and Barbet Schroeder.

Disney / Weinstein / Paramount

The annual Academy Awardsis the biggest event in Hollywood, and we're counting down to the February 26 ceremony with daily polls on all the nominated movies and actors.

The pundits have their predictions about who's going to win at this year's Oscars, but forget them and those persnickety old Oscars voters. Here's YOUR chance to vote on who and what you think deserves to win.

Let's start with the biggest category of them all. Vote and let us know: Which movie will you be rooting for to win Best Picture?

PREVIOUS: Who should win Best Director? >>

MGM

"Mystery Science Theater 3000" guru Mike Nelson referred to "Road House" as "the single finest American film," but what really gives the saga of Patrick Swayze's super-bouncer James Dalton that extra punch?

Probably all the punching, as evidenced by a new video that properly catalogs, indexes and files "Every Face Punch in Road House!"

Is that listed under "F" for "Face" or "P" for punch? Try "X" for "X-cellence in violence."

Dalton is the Tai Chi-practicing peacenik who takes occasional detours from pacifism to rip a dude's throat out or knock some sense into every redneck in the world. With his two fists of iron, this 1980s relic tough guy and his mentor Wade Garrett (Sam Elliot) manage to clean up Missouri bar the Double Deuce but good, and make "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" look like a dance recital in the process.

Red Letter Media, the maniacs responsible for the famous feature-length review of "The Phantom Menace," compiled this video possibly in tribute to the late Ben Gazzara, or perhaps because we all needed a reminder that "pain don't hurt."

Getty Images

Orlando Bloom is more than just a pretty face. Though yes, he's definitely that too. But this dark and dreamy thesp has just signed on for a meaty role alongside Djimon Hounsou in the crime drama "Zulu."

Helmed by Jerome Salle (the force behind "The Tourist"), the flick will be adapted from the novel by Caryl Ferey.

The story follows two Cape Town police officers (Bloom and Hounsou, of course) tasked with investigating the murder of an 18-year-old girl who happens to be the daughter of a member of the championship-winning Springboks rugby team. Soon, however, the investigation goes far beyond this single murder to reveal ties to the country's apartheid past.

Sounds like these two may have bitten off more than they could chew.

Word on the street is that Salle has enlisted his regular writing partner Julien Rappeneau to help adapt the story, which means it's more likely than not that this will prove to be the best project either Bloom or Hounsou has been involved in in awhile.

According to Indie Wire, lensing is slated for this July, so we hope these two guys have started prepping. It sounds like this thriller's going to be a wild South African ride.

View Gallery »

Getty Images

Award-winning English actress Thandie Newton seems just as comfortable in an action picture as she does in a drama. After being drained by Brad Pitt's vampire in "Interview With a Vampire," Newton went on to win accolades for her performances in "Beloved," "Mission: Impossible II," "The Truth About Charlie" and "Crash." More recently, Newton portrayed Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone's "W." and earned praise for her role in Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls."

We caught up with Newton in Los Angeles as she was promoting her second movie with Perry, "Good Deeds," which opens in theaters on February 24. Newton plays a janitor struggling to care for herself and her young daughter when a friendship with a successful businessman (Perry) changes the course of her life. The well-spoken actress was eager to talk about the deeper meaning behind the inspirational film.

"Good Deeds" is your second Tyler Perry film. Are you officially his new muse?
We have a very easy rapport. There is lots of ad-libbing and spontaneous lines, and I'm not like that normally! I'm usually very prepared and clear about what I'm going to do. It was the same as in "For Colored Girls" -- I was so involved in what I was doing that I would go off page. The scenes that I have with Tyler are very playful and I would look forward to them because we just spark off each other really well.

Your character, Lindsey, is homeless and her daughter is taken away from her to be put into foster care. As an actress, what were you thinking about to get yourself into that state of panic and despair?
I just imagine if I were in that situation. It flows and you can get there if it is believable. What's so awful about the movie is that this is a very current issue for a lot of people, particularly right now. When one problem occurs -- for her, it was the death of her husband -- it does tend to snowball. As soon as you slip off that ladder, to get back on it again is really hard. You see it now with the homeless, people not making their mortgage payments, Wall Street and all these wars.

Lindsey doesn't see any of this coming, which is why she tries to pretend it is not happening to people around her. She's still in shock from the fact that her husband is dead when her kid gets taken away. She doesn't have time to adjust to life before the next thing happens and the next thing. It's like trying to dig yourself out of an avalanche with a spoon. That's what she is faced with.

Lionsgate

The wealthy Wesley, played by Tyler Perry, and janitor Lindsey are from two different worlds but connect somehow. How important is it for us to try to understand people whose lives are very different from our own?
It's very important because it concerns your life. If we go around rejecting other people based on face value, we are going to miss out. Every single human being has a story to tell and is fascinating. How many times have you sat in a cab and allowed yourself to talk to the driver because -- let's face it -- that could be the last half hour of your life? We don't appreciate every moment because we think there are bags of moments to piss away in the future.

Secondly, we're social beings and rely on each other. The success of our species is communication. Once humans could communicate, we could bring down that mammoth or track that tiger. Now we've got these amazing skills for communication but we are disconnecting from one another. I'm talking about the importance of communication that allows us to be progressive and help each other.

Do you think Wesley and Lindsey have a future together? Do you think about what happens to your characters after the end credits?
It depends. If I've had a good time on the movie, I'll think about it for a while. I tend to think about it from the audience's point of view, so I'll think about the different possibilities for the characters. Of course, I've got my own opinion about what might happen to Lindsey and Wesley, but I don't want to set that in stone because people tend to look to the actors or the writers to have final say about what happens to the characters. In a way, it's better to let the audience decide for themselves. Conversations after movies tend to happen when you leave things open for interpretation.

Is there any character you have played that you enjoyed so much that you wish you could play her again on-screen?
I really enjoyed my character in "For Colored Girls" very much. I loved how she didn't give a s**t and she'll say whatever is on her mind. I'd like to explore her coming to an understanding about her dysfunctional behavior, but I don't think Tyler is going to want to do a "For Colored Girls 2."

Also Check Out: Tyler Perry's "Good Deeds" Trailer Is Its Own Reward

You have been a chameleon that moves effortlessly between high-society characters and a janitor like Lindsey in "Good Deeds." Do you consider yourself a character actress?
What's great about the work that I do is that I get to try out all these different things, and I have a lot of say about how a character ends up. I like experimenting and trying new things because I do think I'm a character actor at heart. I get leading-lady status because that's just the way it goes if you're attractive, and it's pretty pragmatic, but what I love is transforming.

I feel that about a lot of actors like Jude Law -- a very beautiful man -- when he plays character roles like in "The Road to Perdition" or "Contagion." As an actor, I'm excited by the ability to throw away the preoccupation with aesthetic beauty and just get into the gristle of the character. I'm very grateful that I get the opportunity with a role like in "Good Deeds" to throw away the push-up bra and just get real.

Do you think we will see you collaborate with Tyler Perry in the future?
I think you will see us work together again. "Good Deeds" calls on all my strengths, and I was happy to have the challenge of playing this character and the problems that she goes through.

Lionsgate

We scour the interwebs for the coolest movie news and more so you don't have to ...

Are we going to get the further adventures of Hit-Girl after all? According to Heat Vision, comic creator Mark Millar says he and director Matthew Vaughn will be shooting the sequel to "Kick-Ass" sometime this summer.

Yeah, come to think of it, 2004 was a pretty weak Oscar year. The Playlist lists the five worst Best Picture line-ups of all time, including the year where all we had to choose from was "Million Dollar Baby," "The Aviator," "Ray," "Sideways" and "Finding Neverland."

Stanley Kubrick definitely had his share of obsessions, and the price of orange juice was apparently one of them. Moviefone illustrates how nothing revealed the "2001: A Space Odyssey" director's singular intelligence -- nor his endearing humor and humanity -- more than budgetary decisions.

In "honor" of the Underwear Bomber, the man who tried to blow up a jetliner with his underwear bombs (yeah), Screen Junkies lists eight inept movie terrorists who were undone by their own silly schemes.

"Double the Action. Double the Terror. Double the D's." Even if it ends up never getting released, "Piranha 3DD" (pronounced "Three-Double-Dee," in case you've forgotten) at least has a couple of awesome posters on display at JoBlo.

Girls punch girls, guys punch girls, girls punch guys, fat guys punch skinny guys and skinny guys punch fat guys. In honor of the late Patrick Swayze and Ben Gazzara, and just because you need it, FilmDrunk serves up every single face punch from the B-movie cult classic, "Road House."

Givenchy

There's something about you, girl!

Liv Tyler reminds us that she is indeed the daughter of the frontman of Aerosmith as she shows off her own not-too-shabby set of pipes in a completely unexpected video for Givenchy perfume.

The "Incredible Hulk" star does an electronica (or something) cover of INXS' "Need You Tonight" in this extended commercial that proves she can carry a tune almost as well as the late Michael Hutchence, especially when backed up with sexy black-and-white cinematography and usually-unseen dancers who steal more than a few fondles and feels.

(Is this actually the first time we've heard Liv sing? Did she sing in "Empire Records" or "The Lord of the Rings" or, uh, "One Night at McCool's" or anything? Refresh our memory if you know.)

Anyway, we'll think you agree that this video smells good, and kudos especially for not changing the "There's something about you, girl" lyric to account for a female singer. Thanks to The Playlist for the find, by way of Showbiz 411.

Enderby Entertainment

"500 dollars is an awful lot of money for lying around in your underwear."

It's an at least semi-convincing argument for pursuing a career as an adult film model, and it's the only line that's said with something resembling passion and conviction in the trailer for "Cherry," director Stephen Elliott's mumblecore expose of the porn industry.

Ashley Hinshaw stars as Angelina (no symbolism in the name there, we're sure), a bored and disaffected teenage runaway who becomes a bored and disaffected porn model after running away to San Francisco, where she gets involved with a drug-addicted lawyer (James Franco), becomes the muse of an ex-porn star turned photographer (Heather Graham) and attempts to convince her mom (Lili Taylor) that she's actually just working as a humble (and fully-clothed) office temp.

The sleepy tone and performances make "Cherry" look like a companion piece to Gus Van Sant's low-budget exploration of the alienation that comes with celebrity, "Last Days," though not exactly in a good way -- Elliott might be mistaking emotional aloofness for a complete lack of personality. Still, Franco's always an amusing presence, and he manages to steal the trailer in just a couple of brief appearances; Graham also looks to be playing what could be seen as a middle-aged version of her Rollergirl character from "Boogie Nights," which is kind of interesting.

Anyway, watch the trailer (courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter) and decide for yourself whether "Cherry" is more than tiresome than titillating. The film recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and will hit theaters later his year.

Warner Bros.

This week: Leonardo DiCaprio plays the FBI's most enigmatic leader in "J. Edgar," Ben Stiller teams up with Eddie Murphy for "Tower Heist," a "Shrek" favorite spins off on his own in the animated "Puss in Boots," and Elizabeth Olsen escapes from a dangerous cult in "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

'J. Edgar'

Warner Bros.

Box Office: $37 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 44% Rotten
Storyline: This biographical drama directed by Clint Eastwood stars Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI for nearly 50 years. Hoover was admired as much as he was reviled, but behind closed doors he held secrets that would have destroyed him if they ever came to public light. Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench and Josh Lucas costar in this movie about the price of wanting the world to admire you.
Extras! DiCaprio and Eastwood join forces for the intimate portrait "J. Edgar: The Most Powerful Man in the World," which examines how Hoover's squeaky-clean image was at odds with his carefully concealed private life.
We Say: DiCaprio is utterly convincing as the FBI honcho and history buffs will appreciate the period details, but this ambitious 137-minute movie lacks cohesion and feels almost as long as Hoover's time in office.

'Tower Heist'

Universal

Box Office: $78 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% Fresh
Storyline: When building manager Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) discovers that the penthouse tenant (Alan Alda) has plundered the staff's retirement fund, Josh enlists the help of a small-time crook (Eddie Murphy) and assembles a team of rookie thieves (Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Michael Peña and Gabourey Sidibe) to get back what is rightfully theirs in this Brett Ratner-directed comic caper.
Extras! Both the DVD and Blu-ray have two alternate endings and some funny deleted and alternate scenes.
We Say: Even though the action is somewhat Looney Tunes in terms of believability, it's a gas to watch the talented cast -- especially Murphy and Stiller -- hone their individual skills for the outrageous heist.

'Puss in Boots'

DreamWorks

Box Office: $149 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% Fresh
Storyline: This animated spinoff prequel to the "Shrek" movies has Puss (Antonia Banderas) teaming up with Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) to go after two murderous outlaws in possession of magical beans that, according to legend, lead to a vast fortune.
Extras! "The Cat's Meow" is a six-part interactive featurette that is a purr-fect way to go behind the scenes. The movie is also available on Blu-ray 3-D if you want to take it to the next dimension.
We Say: We're not sure how many lives Puss has on-screen, but this frisky adventure will put a grin on the faces of "Shrek" fans longing for more.

'Martha Marcy May Marlene'

20th Century Fox

Box Office: $3 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Fresh
Storyline: The eponymous character (Elizabeth Olsen) escapes from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains and tries to reclaim a normal life with her family in this psychological thriller.
Extras! The Blu-ray's "Psyche of a Cult" offers some insight into how these groups manipulate young minds.
We Say: The haunting performance by Olsen might also have you looking over your shoulder to see if someone is watching your every move.

Also New This Week:

'Unforgiven: 20th Anniversary Edition' Blu-ray
'Weeds: Season Seven'
'Honey' Blu-ray
'Honey 2' Blu-ray
'The Son of No One'

Lionsgate

Think you have an eye for movies? Then you're totally going to love our movie photo game, "What the Diff?"

We've taken hot pics from big movies — including "The Avengers," "The Hunger Games" and "The Dark Knight Rises" — and added five twists to each shot. Your mission: Find and click on those little twists.

Your score depends on how quickly you can spot the "Diff" in each pic. When you're done racking up the points, you’ll be able to share your score with friends on Facebook.

And every week we'll add new photos from your favorite movies — old and new. So you'll need to be on your toes... on the regular.

Ready? It’s game time.

Lionsgate

For every winner who leaps up to thank the Academy, at least four nominees stay behind -- and with them, countless audience members wondering why their favorites failed to snag the big award. But there are times when everyone -- maybe even the winner -- believes the wrong name was read and the Oscar should have gone to... someone else.

We've picked 13 unlucky times the Academy made a huge, irreversible mistake, whether out of misguided loyalty to an actor-turned-director, fear of bestowing the Oscar to a violent or controversial film, or for no discernible reason at all (in no particular order).

'Ordinary People' Over 'Raging Bull' (Best Picture, 1980)

Paramount

Robert Redford's family drama beat Martin Scorsese's sweeping boxing epic in a decision that still leaves Oscar buffs shaking their heads in confusion. "Ordinary People" was a fine study of familial dysfunction, but its popularity arose largely from Redford in his directorial debut, and Mary Tyler Moore playing against type as an unfeeling mother. Not only did the film win, but Hollywood's golden boy also won the Best Director award (for his first film!), leaving the Manhattan maverick empty-handed for the first of five times. Scorsese wouldn’t win for another 26 years, with "The Departed" in 2006.

'Crash' Over 'Brokeback Mountain' (Best Picture, 2004)

Rarely does a film win Best Director and Best Screenplay but not Best Picture. We can only imagine Ang Lee's heartbreak after every film critic, Oscar pundit, and Las Vegas bookie predicted his tender cowboy love story would win the top prize... only to lose to an overrated directorial debut from screenwriter Paul Haggis. Some blamed "Brokeback"'s loss to homophobia, but more likely "Crash" benefited from its authenticity as an L.A. story and Haggis' popularity as the previous year’s screenwriting winner for "Million Dollar Baby."

Al Pacino Over Denzel Washington (Best Actor, 1992)

The prize went to Pacino, for "hoo-ya”ing his way through an(other) over-the-top performance as a lonely blind man in "Scent of a Woman." The Academy was clearly granting a much-overdue statuette to Pacino, who was already 0-for-7 by that year. Perhaps they also thought that Washington, who already had a Best Supporting Oscar for "Glory," would go on to more award-worthy roles, or that his uncanny titular portrayal in Spike Lee's “Malcolm X” was too incendiary. Washington, like Pacino, eventually won a Best Actor ("Training Day"), but not, like Pacino, for his career-defining role.

'How Green Was My Valley' Over 'Citizen Kane' (Best Picture, 1941)

Film buffs revere the second as one of the greatest movies ever made; the first won Best Picture in 1941. At the time, though, the Academy loved John Ford, the director of the dramatic literary adaptation "How Green Was My Valley" (he went on to win four out of five directing awards) and all but sneered at the fiercely independent Orson Welles. That disdain made Welles’s singular masterpiece (the AFI has ranked it as the Greatest Movie of All Time, twice) one of the biggest losers in Oscar history -- it won just a single Oscar (Best Original Screenplay) from its nine nominations.

Tommy Lee Jones Over Ralph Fiennes (Best Supporting Actor, 1993)

Another example, harshly criticized, of voting for the career over the performance. Sure, we remember Jones' role as the determined Deputy U.S. Marshal in "The Fugitive," but we remember nearly every line, every gesture, and every squint of the eye Fiennes delivered as the sadistic Nazi officer Amon Goeth in "Schindler's List." Fiennes deserved the award just for his chilling "Today is history" monologue alone.

'Shakespeare in Love' Over 'Saving Private Ryan' (Best Picture, 1998)

Miramax

Miramax's ultimate upset has been attributed more to executive producer Harvey Weinstein's über-aggressive award machinations (remember "Chocolat"?) than the overall worth of John Madden's romantic period piece. It obviously stung (and stunned) the momentarily confused "Saving Private Ryan" director-producer Steven Spielberg and star Tom Hanks, since everyone expected the WWII drama's triumph. Twelve years later, we're still wondering what the sweet costume drama did -- as Hanks' Captain so memorably told Private Ryan -- to "earn this" award.

Judy Holliday Over Bette Davis AND Gloria Swanson (Best Actress, 1950)

To be fair, Judy Holliday's comedic performance as showgirl arm-candy in "Born Yesterday," had snob appeal (she had originated the role on Broadway), but fans are still mystified how she beat Bette Davis’s iconic performance in "All About Eve" or even Gloria Swanson's "I'm ready for my close-up" role in "Sunset Blvd." One possible explanation: evil, or should we say Eve-ish Anne Baxter, who demanded to compete as a Best Actress contender for "All About Eve," splitting the vote that should've cemented the award for Davis.

Gwyneth Paltrow Over Cate Blanchett (Best Actress, 1998)

Like the Best Picture award, Harvey Weinstein's marketing prowess probably gave Paltrow her win for playing William Shakespeare's beautiful muse. The studio chief even called Paltrow the "Muse of Miramax" during his acceptance speech, making it clear poor Cate Blanchett never really had a chance, even though she blew critics and audiences away as the young Queen "Elizabeth." Since then, Blanchett has shown the Academy its error, with four more nominations (including two the same year!) and one win, compared to Paltrow's none.

'Dances With Wolves' Over 'Goodfellas' (Best Picture, 1990)

Oscar voters love a good epic, but apparently not ones about New York gangsters. Instead, the Academy once again celebrated the successful transition of an actor-turned-director by completely shutting out Marty Scorsese (first in favor of Robert Redford then Kevin Costner 10 years later). Costner's tale of a Civil War officer who joins a Sioux clan has plenty of moving moments, but it’s since been criticized as being condescending to Native Americans. Nobody, on the other hand, disputes the brilliance of "Goodfellas," which Roger Ebert has praised by saying, "No finer film has ever been made about organized crime - not even 'The Godfather.'"

'Forrest Gump' Over 'Pulp Fiction' (Best Picture, 1994)

Paramount

As Forrest's mama said, "stupid is as stupid does," and looking back, the Academy's decision to pass over "Pulp Fiction" for Best Picture was predictable, perhaps even understandable, but still stupid. The voters -- especially older voters -- weren't keen on the ultra-violent, nonlinear musings on life, death, and anal rape in the criminal underworld of greater Los Angeles, but they had to know Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece was something they'd never seen before, so they threw him the consolation prize of Best Original Screenplay.

Mira Sorvino Over Kate Winslet (Best Supporting Actress, 1995)

It's not all that surprising, given the unpredictable nature of the Supporting Actress award, but it's in retrospect, as it was at the time, hard to understand why Sorvino's bubbly prostitute in Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite" beat out Winslet's first award-worthy performance in Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility." Even if you don't count what each actress went on to accomplish (Winslet became the youngest actress ever to garner five Oscar nods before finally winning for her sixth; Sorvino ... didn't), it's a puzzling selection.

Robert Donat Over Clark Gable (Best Actor, 1939)

Frankly my dear, we can't believe Gable's unforgettable role as the dashing Rhett Buttler in "Gone With the Wind" went unrecognized. Seventy years later, we’re still quoting Gable, while we’re googling who Robert Donat was, how his performance could have outshone Gable’s, and what "Goodbye Mr. Chips" was about (FYI, the titular octogenarian recalls his long career as a boarding-school professor). We'll grant that in 1939, Donat had more screen time than Gable, but seven decades later, Rhett Butler is an icon, and Mr. Chips is Oscar trivia.

Sean Penn Over Mickey Rourke (Best Actor, 2008)

You know how actors are supposed to remain stoic in the face of defeat? Mickey Rourke didn’t get the memo. He looked crushed after his multiple-award-winning comeback as the aged and lonely "The Wrestler" failed to earn him Hollywood's top prize. Penn, who had won five years earlier for "Mystic River," edged him out in the end for playing the beloved late Mayor of the Castro, Harvey "Milk." Rourke, a revelation in Darren Aronofsky's intimate drama, was probably unfairly docked points for his many years of self-destructive tabloid fodder.

Originally published Feb. 24, 2011.

Weinstein / Sony Pictures Classics / Paramount

PREVIOUS: Who should win Best Supporting Actor? >>

I am the Lorax! I speak for the trees,
Which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.

Dr. Seuss' hero of the environment has gotten his own movie adaptation and several Seuss-stars stepped out on the red carpet to celebrate the all-green Hollywood premiere, including Zac Efron (Ted), Taylor Swift (Audrey), Ed Helms (the villainous and until now faceless Once-ler), Rob Riggle (new villain O'Hare), Betty White (Grammy Norma) and, of course, Danny DeVito (the Lorax himself).

Grab some Truffula fruits and enjoy our gallery. "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" opens March 2.

Universal

This week's box office winner is still up in the air thanks to a three way virtual tie for first place, with "The Vow," "Safe House" and "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" battling it out for the top spot.

Holdovers "Safe House" ($23.9 million) and "The Vow" ($23.6 million) appeared to have a slight edge over newcomer "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" ($22 million), but with the figures still being estimates at this point, any one of the three could emerge victorious when all is said and done.

For the full weekend report, including strong showings from "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" and "This Means War," head to Hollywood.com.

Fox

There's just one week left before the Oscars and Hollywood is in full countdown mode, as some of the final industry awards of the year were handed out over the weekend, including the Cinema Audio Society Awards, the USC Libraries Scripter Award and the ACE Eddie Awards.

And once again, the big winners were "The Artist," "The Descendants" and "Hugo," cementing those films as the top movies of the year.

Really, did you expect anything different?

"The Artist," of course, is expected by most experts to win Best Picture and its victory at the 62nd annual ACE Eddie Awards -- which is held annually by the America Cinema Editors to recognize dudes named Eddie excellence in film editing -- did nothing to change that; according to The Hollywood Reporter, the silent film won the award for Best Edited Feature - Comedy or Musical, while "The Descendants" took home the prize for Best Edited Dramatic Feature Film.

"The Descendants" also took home the 24th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which specifically honors scripts and writers of literary film adaptations. As such, "The Artist" was not eligible (being an original work), but the field did include fellow Oscar hopefuls "Hugo" and "Moneyball."

"Hugo" wasn't entirely shut out over the weekend, however, as Martin Scorsese's ode to classic cinema won the top prize at the 48th annual Cinema Audio Society Awards, earning the award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture. So keep that in mind when you're filling out your Oscar predictions for your office pool this year.

The Oscars are set to air live on Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Getty Images

Oh, that Chris Colfer. "Glee's" breakout star has already proven himself to be an entertainment industry triple threat, earning fans not just for television but also for his music career and his theater work. He's kind of a big deal. Now, though, he's aiming to conquer the big screen as well -- and judging by the new trailer for his upcoming film "Struck by Lightning," he's pretty much got that one in the bag as well.

Looks like lightning really can strike four times.

Written by Colfer himself (is there anything he can't do?), "Struck by Lightning" tells the story of a high school student (Colfer, naturally) who begins blackmailing his classmates in order to provide content for his self-published literary journal.

So check out the trailer, courtesy of YouTube. Because it's safe to say that once again, Colfer's performance is electric:

Sony

It's widely known that Spider-Man does whatever a spider can, including things like spinning webs any size and catching thieves just like flies. Hey, it's his radioactive blood. But a brand new clip from "The Amazing Spider-Man" now shows that there's at least one thing that a spider simply can't do: Get past those pushy New York City doormen.

Hey, even spiders have their limitations.

Of course, we don't expect that a simple doorman will be able to slow down our hero for long. But the latest tease for the "Spider-Man" reboot, which is set to arrive in theaters on July 3, does prove that those spider powers don't necessarily help poor Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) in his daily routine, especially when love is on the line.

Here's the clip, courtesy of the official website. Better luck next time, Petey:

Focus Features / Columbia / Lionsgate

PREVIOUS: Who should win Best Supporting Actress? >>

Universal / Disney / Weinstein

PREVIOUS: Who should win Best Actor? >>