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02/23/12--05:04: Sacha Baron Cohen Banned From Oscars For Possible 'Dictator' Stunt? (chan 1409139)

Has Sacha Baron Cohen been banned from attending the Academy Awards on Sunday night? After word spread quickly on Wednesday that Cohen was planning to arrive on the red carpet for the ceremony dressed as his character from "The Dictator," Deadline.com's Nikki Finke reported that the prank-happy star had his tickets revoked. The Academy later refuted those claims, telling the Los Angeles Times that no decision had yet been made about Cohen's credentials. (Finke later refuted that claim, writing that the Academy was backpedalling in the face of public outcry.) The comic was/is set to appear at the Oscars to help support "Hugo," where he co-stars as The Station Inspector. Of course, whether Cohen ever intended to show up on the red carpet dressed as General Aladeen, the ousted North African despot at the center of "The Dictator," remains to be seen. "Friend tells me Sacha Baron Cohen never had any plans to attend Oscars dressed like 'The Dictator' & he's loving the free publicity 4 the film," Variety reporter Jeff Sneider wrote on Twitter. Tune in on Sunday night to see if Cohen actually shows up. "The Dictator" is in theaters on May 11. [via Deadline.com, LAT/24 Frames]


02/23/12--05:23: 'Brave' Trailer: Pixar's Heroine Princess Merida Shows Off Her Archery Skills (chan 1409139)

Last November, audiences were introduced to Pixar's first heroine, Princess Merida, in the trailer for "Brave." She was feisty, she was witty and she was, um, brave! In the newest clip from the film, fans get a quick and important lesson: When it comes to archery, don't test Merida's skills. The two-minute video features a competition to win the hand of the Princess. Unfortunately for the participants, Merida would rather take her destiny in her own hands by showing the suitors a thing or two about shooting a bow and arrow. This leaves her mother, Queen Elinor, none too pleased. "Brave" tells the story of Merida, who, after defying an age-old custom, hopes to undo a beastly curse. The film, starring Kelly Macdonald, Julie Walters, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Craig Ferguson, hits theaters on June 22. [via Apple]


02/23/12--05:29: Lady Be Good (chan 1409139)

Ever since my cousin Kate Middleton became a duchess, I've been more interested in my British roots. So I saw The Iron Lady. Now I know almost as much about the United Kingdom as I do about England. If I've said it once, I've said it 18 times, Meryl Streep is brilliant as Margaret Thatcher. I said it would earn her an Oscar nomination and it did. I can't believe how unbelievably believable she was. I don't know how she did it. Not only does she sound and act like Margaret Thatcher, Meryl also plays her across a few decades. I always knew she was good, but after watching this performance, I think she might be a witch. Whenever someone asks me who should portray me in the movie of my life, I always say the same person -- Taylor Swift. We're practically the same person. But I'd also love to see Meryl Streep play me. She's so good with accents and physicality. Let me tell you, dancing up a flight of stairs isn't as easy as it looks. She really is the greatest actress of our time, and this may be her best performance yet. I can't wait to see what happens on the big night!


02/23/12--05:56: Oscar Predictions: Awards Night Pool Picker For Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay And More (VIDEO) (chan 1409139)

It's Oscar week here at Moviefone and than can mean only one thing: Awards Night Pool Picker! Here's your chance to let Huffington Post executive entertainment editor Michael Hogan, CinemaBlend editor-in-chief Katey Rich, Mr. Moviefone and Moviefone editor Christopher Rosen (me!) help you win your Oscar pool. Whether it's for bragging rights or a little extra spending money, Moviefone is here to help you fill out an airtight Oscar ballot. (Get your printable ballot right here.) Find out who will take home Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup in the fifth episode of Awards Night Pool Picker. Check back throughout the week for the rest of the videos in this series. EARLIER: Episode 1: Best Director And More Episode 2: Best Supporting Actress And More Episode 3: Best Supporting Actor And More Episode 4: Best Actress And More


02/23/12--07:07: Gwen Harmon, National Civil Rights Museum Rep, Discusses Accuracy Of 'The Help' (chan 1409139)

Oscar "for your consideration" campaigns are nothing new, but Disney's take on marketing its Oscar-nominated film, "The Help," might make you pause. With offers to cover town hall-style meetings about the film's power to create social change, language describing the film as a "social awakening," and comparisons to classic films, it's hard not to wonder about the authenticity of those claims. Which is why Moviefone called Gwen Harmon, Director of Governmental and Community Relations at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Turns out, Gwen didn't just offer background on the historical touch points explored in "The Help," but she also grew up in Jackson, Mississippi -- the town where the film is set. Gwen described her very personal journey with the material, as well as the context in which the movie fits into our present social subconscious - all apropos thoughts before seeing the four-time-nominated film make a showing at this Sunday's ceremony. You've seen "The Help" - what did you think of it? I've seen it and I've read the book. I am from Jackson, Mississippi so I read the book first. I thought it was an excellent piece of work. The book was good, engaging. The movie -- of course the cast -- was just phenomenal, well-represented. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer just did a tremendous job of bringing those characters to life. So that was to me very authentic, how they did that and how they captured the whole moment of that mood back in the 1960s. In order to ramp up Oscar consideration, Disney has been sending out a bunch of emails inviting folks to town hall-style discussions and calling the film "a social awakening" that incites "social change." In the text they compare "The Help" to classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird," "In the Heat of the Night," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Norma Rae." Do you think it stacks up with those greats? I'm not sure if "The Help" will go down as a classic such as "To Kill a Mockingbird." And I say that because "To Kill a Mockingbird" reached literary status first, and then the film followed in the shadow of that. I don't know if the book by Kathryn Stockett will reach that kind of height. But what I think that film does...in this time and space, is for our particular generation -- especially for younger children who don't quite understand what that history was like -- it's a teaching moment. And I think that perhaps what they see today -- nannies and people who serve as butlers and maids and "household managers" as they put it now -- that they understand that these people are still people. They are doing a job of service and every job has dignity. And people should be treated with that kind of respect and dignity -- I'm hoping that's the teaching moment that comes off from "The Help." Another point, too, is that these other films that Disney is touting "The Help" to be like -- they came out much closer to the time periods they depicted. And "The Help" did not. I know you consider the movie a teachable moment, but do you think this type of film depicting that time period is important for us to see now, or do you feel that there are more current issues that should be tackled? I think this world is in so much trouble that there's enough room for every right to be highlighted. Every issue should have a moment in the spotlight. But there's no way to hold one aside and say, "Maybe it's too late" or, "How do we connect with today's audience?" because I think the popularity of the film connected tremendously with today's audiences. And people were probably surprised about that. The theater -- the one that I went to anyway -- was a generational representation of women and men who were teenagers to grandmothers. And that's when you have a real connection with an audience -- that's when you really bring about social change. You have to connect throughout the generations. And so even though it happened back in the sixties,I think right now, [in] America, there's a sting there when it comes to class. The "haves" versus the "have nots," those who are there to serve us...I think until we start bridging that gap today -- and hopefully films like "The Help" will help us do that -- as a society we're going to remain in a lot of trouble. As far as the historical accuracy goes - "The Help" includes the Medgar Evers assassination, an actual historical event, but I'm curious to know of other things in the film that are accurate, and maybe others that aren't so much. For example: having separate bathrooms for the help - is that something that really happened? Well, there was a social line you did not cross if you were a black person working for a white family. Certainly you did not eat in the dining room with the white family -- you ate in the kitchen. In some households, you didn't use the same flatwear or table settings. There were a lot of rules -- it depended on who the lady of the house was and how liberal she was. But certainly there were some strict limitations, some strict racial limitations. What about the character Hilly Holbrook's "Home Help Sanitation Initiative" - is that based on anything factual? That was a creative liberty. But all the Jim Crow laws...which were, you know, blacks could not sit at the front of the bus -- and that created the Montgomery Movement, and that was led by maids. If you understand the history of that movement in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama -- Dr. King's first movement -- 70 percent of the bus patrons in Montgomery were black women who were maids. And with 70 percent of your customers not riding the buses for 13 months, it brought that system to its knees. So that represents to me just how powerful a network those women really had when they stood together. You mentioned earlier that you're from Jackson, Mississippi -- where "The Help" takes place. Did you or anyone you know have similar experiences to those depicted in the film? There's a scene where they show the black movie patrons going up to the balcony to be seated in the movie theater. That brought back a lot of memories. We sat in the balcony - we weren't allowed to sit down in the larger theater seats. The balcony only would seat about 50 people and it was dark and tight, and then the downstairs was just like a regular movie theater. Not being able to go into a restaurant and order food through the front door -- you had to go through the back door. So there were some painful memories, there were some accurate memories. That part of it hit home for a lot of the people who went to see it, from Mississippi. They remember those days very clearly. Did you just grow up knowing that was the way things operated? Or did your parents have to explain it to you? I'm struggling to understand how any parent would explain that system to a child. You grow up knowing as a child that there's certain things you can and cannot do because of your color. Your parents and your grandparents explain it, of course every child questions why. And the most common answer you'd get is that's just the way it is. And I think for my generation, there was always a quiet moment of waiting -- because we knew that wasn't a good enough answer. So you kept waiting for the day, the year, the moment when "That's the way it is" wasn't good enough. And they came in a series of different moments -- it came in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, it came in the lunch counter sit-ins, it came with the Freedom Riders. And that's when you saw that generation of 20-something-year-olds becoming very active in the movement. Standing up and against that "It's just the way it is" saying, "No, it's not the way it is -- it's not the way it's going to be." Have you ever advised any Hollywood productions? We've actually had a couple studios come to our site to film some scenes. And before they'd do it they'd let us read the script and would ask us about certain aspects of what they were doing. Do you have any words of encouragement for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, since they're both up for Oscars this coming Sunday? We're very proud of the way that they portrayed the women in the film. It was accurate, it was done with dignity and compassion - we saw our mothers, our grandmothers, our aunts, our neighbors, our church members in their portrayals. And we're just very proud of them and their work, and we're very proud of the film.


02/23/12--07:33: Michael Stuhlbarg On 'Hugo,' Working With Scorsese And Season Three Of 'Boardwalk Empire' (chan 1409139)

There's a scene in season two of "Boardwalk Empire" where Arnold Rothstein, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, gives Nucky Thompson a little gambling lesson. It's one of the many cold, calculating moments from the normally stoic Rothstein. Which is why the actor's role in the family-friendly "Hugo" likely came as a shock to "Boardwalk" fans. In the Best Picture-nominated film (which is available on DVD and Blu-ray on February 27), Stuhlbarg plays Rene Tabard, an author obsessed with the works of filmmaker Georges Melies. While Rene is far from the criminal mastermind the 43-year-old actor portrays on the Emmy-winning HBO series, Stuhlbarg's ambition and dedication to the character still shines through. Moviefone recently spoke with the actor about his experience on "Hugo," working with Martin Scorsese, and playing an alien in "Men in Black 3." Also, good luck getting any "Boardwalk" season three news out of him -- he doesn't "know anything yet." One of the many great things about "Hugo" is the attention to detail -- especially with regard to the sets and props. What was your reaction to seeing these things up close for the first time? It was like being in a pop-up book, except it was real life. They were so remarkably real and detail-oriented; every aspect had been thought through. It was like being a child in a funhouse -- you're just sort of walking around agog. You didn't have to do anything, it was all done for you. That's part of the joy of getting to do a movie like this: submerging yourself in a world that they created that all came from Brian Selznick's book ["The Invention of Hugo Cabret"]. Extraordinary. Just extraordinary. Did you have a particular favorite set? I got to visit a couple of the sets that I wasn't personally in; the train station was just stunning. It was enormous -- it looked like Grand Central Station. Size-wise, it was probably around the same size. It was just amazing. I was also privy to get to visit some of the other sets like Hugo's bedroom and Monsieur Labisse's bookstore, which was really beautiful as well. A lot of my sets were real locations. The library was this extraordinarily beautiful library in France that looked like it was out of a storybook. They were all beautiful places to explore. My character's own office, that he brings the children into, with all the memorabilia in it, was like a museum. Other than the sets, what was the best thing about working on this movie? I think it's always a challenge to adapt a beautiful literary work into a fresh, alive film. I think being a part of that process of trying to capture the essence and the joy of a piece of literature and trying to give it it's own fresh life, I think the film succeeds that way beautifully. I feel like that was a tremendous part of this process, of learning what the adaptation process is about. Also, the sense of bringing life to something is always a challenge. But I love the story, I love learning about [Georges] Melies and the first movies ever made, and to get the chance to explore that was perhaps a little less cynical than the world we live in today. Your character's completely jubilant when he meets Georges, both as a child and as an adult. Is there someone for you personally that would elicit that type of reaction? Oh my goodness, I have many heroes. You know, getting to be with Marty -- I grew up admiring his films all my life -- so, to be in the same room with him; often you find yourself pinching yourself, just saying "I kinda can't believe I am here doing this." He's so generous and so engaged in the work. You really feel like a collaborator with him. He's just as much in awe at the making of the projects he's a part of as anybody else. You feel like you're a part of something big. That's been one of the biggest, most beautiful surprises and delights is that I felt like I was apart of something, not just a hero worshiper. Yeah, in all of the Scorsese interviews I've seen for "Hugo," he's so happy and enthusiastic. Yeah! Any sense of intimidation goes out the window pretty quickly, because he's always interested, and that's what I find so fun. His enthusiasm is so infectious. It was amazing. You worked with the Coen bros. on "A Serious Man." The Coens are known for having everything meticulously laid out for actors. Is it the same vibe with Scorsese, or is he more improvisational? It was a very different kind of experience. I think Marty knows exactly what he wants when he sees it, but he also loves to improvise and make things very fresh. So in some ways, he will improvise with something on the set. I am sure he has very strong ideas of the way he wants things to look, but that doesn't stop him from getting what he wants. I remember the one day in which we were shooting that very final, long shot of the movie when the camera takes us through the window to the post-Gala celebration, and it sort of visits all the different characters in the film. We must have shot that sequence 17 times, so he knew pretty much what he wanted to do, but in the creation of it, we sort of found it on the day. So there's always with Marty a sense of plan, but also a sense of improvisation in the doing of it. Well, what about Marty working on a family-friendly film like "Hugo" versus Marty working on something more violent -- say, the pilot episode of "Boardwalk Empire"? Is there a big difference there? I think the enthusiasm is always there. He chooses his projects very well. I think that shows because everything he does is kind of a celebration, whether it's a very dark piece or a very child family-friendly piece. He's always full of interest. Speaking of "Boardwalk," your former HBO co-star Michael Pitt has a nice little cameo in "Hugo" as a projectionist. Did you know he was going to be in it beforehand? No. In fact, I found out Michael participated in it after I was done. I didn't know he was going to be a part of it, which was really fun to find out. So for season three of "Boardwalk Empire," you guys are going to jump a year-and-a-half and start in 1923, right? That's right. It starts New Year's Eve 1922 going into 1923. What can we expect from Arnold Rothstein this season? Well, I don't really know [laughs]. They haven't let me know anything yet. That's sort of part of the fun of that piece, is that we don't know where it's going to go. So I have no idea. Give me a couple of months and I'll be able to tell you more -- if they'll let me. Knowing the way the real-life Arnold Rothstein dies (he was murdered in 1928), is that something you just have to block out when you're playing the character? I suppose it depends on how much time -- if we are fortunate enough to tell these stories for a number of years. Eventually, I will have to come to terms with [his death], but at the moment, it's still early enough in his life for me to block that out. Going back to films, you have "Men In Black 3" coming out. Can you tell us a little about your character, Griffin? Is he an alien or an agent? He is a character we meet from another part of the galaxy, so I guess in that sense, he is alien to the earth. But his character is sort of slowly revealed to us over the course of the film, so I don't want to say too much about him. But I had a great time playing him.


02/23/12--08:00: Awards Show Challenge: Zach Galifianakis Forgot Something (chan 1409139)

On Sunday February 26, the biggest stars in Hollywood gather to bestow Oscars on the best movies of the year. With Billy Crystal hosting the festivities once again, movie fans will be watching how many Academy Awards are racked up by "The Help," "Hugo" and more. And since we won't know who wins the big gold until that 8pm ET start-time on February 26, this is your chance to test your award show expertise. Every weekday between now and February 24, we'll post new questions about what will happen on Hollywood's big night. (Right there on the right side of your screen) Submit your best guesses and you'll automatically be eligible for a daily prize of two free movie tickets. The grand prize -- a YEAR'S worth of free movie tickets -- will be awarded to a user with the most correct predictions.

Want to Win Free Movie Tickets For a Year? Keep Playing Awards Show Challenges Click here for rules.


02/23/12--09:59: Oscars: Academy Awards Best Dressed Attendees (PHOTOS) (chan 1409139)

Sometimes, Oscar attendees decide to go against the convention of dressing like a crazy person on Halloween (Bjork, Cher) and actually look fantastic. Hopefully you indulged your sadistic side with Moviefone's own Tour de Fugly, but now it's time to play nice and celebrate those celebrities who owned the red carpet. From Audrey to Halle, below are the best dressed Oscar attendees ever. PHOTOS:


02/23/12--10:15: Oscar Speeches: Best 'Get-Off-The-Stage' Moments (VIDEO) (chan 1409139)

It's the part of the Oscar telecast you secretly wait for: that moment when a winner gets awkwardly cut off by the orchestra during their acceptance speech. Long-winded winners have been rushed off the stage before, and the odds are high it'll happen again this Sunday. In honor of this cringe-worthy Academy Award tradition, Moviefone presents some of the most memorable "get off the stage!" musical interruptions. Memo to possible winners Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jean Dujardin and Christopher Plummer: keep your thank-yous and oh-gods brief. RELATED: BEST DRESSED IN OSCAR HISTORY


02/23/12--10:23: Academy Awards 2012: What If the Oscars Were a Playoff Tournament? (chan 1409139)

Hey, is everyone excited for the Oscars? The intrigue associated with the outcome of the major categories is ... zzzz. Oh, sorry, I nodded off there for a bit. Alas: unless there are some major upsets in store for us on Sunday night, most of the winners at the 84th annual Academy Awards are a foregone conclusion. Just like last year, with so much attention paid to the onslaught of pre-Oscar awards, the excitement over the major award is slightly anti-climatic. I mean, how many times can Christopher Plummer win a Best Supporting Actor award before, we, as a society, exclaim a collective, "Enough, already; we get it"? So, what if, in an alternate universe (yes, perhaps the same alternate universe in which Eddie Murphy is still hosting the Academy Awards), awards season was a bracket-style tournament? To even make it to the Academy Awards, you had to win three other critics association awards to advance. Wouldn't that be more exciting then the endless parade of the same winners, time after time? Well, here's our solution (click the photo for a larger version): For example: Does Harvey Weinstein really care that The Artist won Best Picture from the Washington D.C. Area Film Critic's association? No, he doesn't. But! If The Artist had to beat Sucker Punch (in your classic one seed versus eight seed situation) to advance to the London critics, well, the stakes would be quite a bit higher. In other words: An upset would actually mean something. If The Artist failed to defeat Sucker Punch, London would be deciding between that atrocity and A Separation. Finally, the larger awards bodies would decide on the four films represented at the Academy Awards -- which, yes, would make for a much shorter show and make everyone happier. Sure, The Artist might still be a favorite, but, up until this point, it's never gone head-to-head against The Help, Hugo and The Descendents. So, at this point, who knows what can happen? And, like the bracket that we did last year, it would have been much more exciting than watching The King's Speech cakewalk though the entire show, as expected. (Also, I should add: (A) I know this will never, ever happen and (B) I think I want to live in this alternate reality.) Mike Ryan is the senior writer for Moviefone. He has written for Wired Magazine, VanityFair.com, GQ.com, New York Magazine and Movieline. He likes Star Wars a lot. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.


02/23/12--12:00: Amanda Seyfried On 'Gone,' Self-Defense And Being Stuck In A Hole (chan 1409139)

In "Gone," Amanda Seyfried plays Jill, who survived a kidnapping at the hands of a serial killer and is convinced that he's now come back for her sister. Trouble is, no one else believes that this killer really exists and they think Jill made up her entire ordeal. The film takes place in one day as Jill tries to save her sister before it's too late. Seyfried told Moviefone she learned some Krav Maga for the part and got genuinely creeped out when one scene went on longer than she liked. Your character kind of kicks ass in this movie, is that why you wanted to take on the role? Yeah, she's pretty normal and I think that was kind of awesome because the script is really rounded. We're talking about serial killers abducting their prey and all this stuff that does happen. There's no blood and guts, there's no super-powers. It's very grounded, and I liked how it's about this regular kind of girl next door who's been damaged and is really vulnerable, but at the same time, just has this strength to her. And you see her take action and come out at the end strong. It's just nice to see a normal girl find that she's capable of anything. It's a thriller, but it's also sort of an action movie. It is, a little bit. In my opinion, action movies can seem kind of fake in some ways, but I did most of my driving. I did my own Krav Maga. I did handle the gun, I was shooting. It's not like a lot of it was done with other people or CGI, it was all real. It's nice to have a smaller movie and to keep it in one vein. It's nice that we never really went out of the boundaries of reality. Did you study Krav Maga just for this role? Yes, but I just learned specific sequences. It wasn't extensive whatsoever. So, you versus Matt Damon, how would that work out? Matt Damon seems like he could throw down! Have you ever done any other self-defense training? Do you feel like you could handle yourself if something happened? I don't. My trainer in New York is trying to teach me this fight training, I forget what it's called, but it looks really physical and you have to be really coordinated. I don't know, but I'll try it. When I'm in New York, I'm going to give it a shot. I think it would be great, I just don't see myself getting good at it. I mean, we are capable of anything we put our mind to, like you see in "Gone," but... The scene where you're held captive in a deep hole in the ground, how long were you in there? It looked pretty creepy. All day. In and out though. We had several holes, like four all together, one really deep one and one that had different compartments in it that would open up for the camera and it wasn't really that scary. Except there were a few takes where they kept rolling on me screaming at the bottom of it and all the compartments at the bottom were covered up so I did actually feel really claustrophobic. Part of that was really me screaming and to cut the camera. So you were happy when that scene wrapped. Yeah. It is fun to go out of your comfort zone, but you're never fully out of your comfort zone because you're never really doing anything that's dangerous. Except in "Mamma Mia," I had to jump off of a cliff. I wasn't very happy about that. It was so not fun. But that's the only other time I had to do something so dangerous. But it's fine, there's 100 people around who are trying to protect you for insurance purposes. "Gone" is out on Friday; for more on Seyfried's upcoming role as Linda Lovelace in "Lovelace," click here.


02/23/12--12:14: Awards Show Challenge: Tim Gunn's Guest (chan 1409139)

On Sunday February 26, the biggest stars in Hollywood gather to bestow Oscars on the best movies of the year. With Billy Crystal hosting the festivities once again, movie fans will be watching how many Academy Awards are racked up by "The Help," "Hugo" and more. And since we won't know who wins the big gold until that 8pm ET start-time on February 26, this is your chance to test your award show expertise. Every weekday between now and February 24, we'll post new questions about what will happen on Hollywood's big night. (Right there on the right side of your screen) Submit your best guesses and you'll automatically be eligible for a daily prize of two free movie tickets. The grand prize -- a YEAR'S worth of free movie tickets -- will be awarded to a user with the most correct predictions.

Want to Win Free Movie Tickets For a Year? Keep Playing Awards Show Challenges Click here for rules.


02/23/12--12:32: Blu Ray Review: Justice League: Doom Is Paint-by-numbers, Lacks the Depth of Its Source Material.. (chan 1409139)



Justice League: Doom

I've complained before about the inexplicable need for the DC Animated Universe features to be so bloody short.  Only the anthology Green Lantern: Emerald Knights has run over 80 minutes and at least two (Batman: Year One and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) were barely an hour.  For whatever reason, the 13 features since late 2007 have all hovered around the 75 minute mark, and it's almost always been a point of contention.  But this time around, that truncated running time has become a fatal flaw, as this loose adaptation of a 2000 Justice League of America arc ends up sacrificing the entire dramatic crux of the story.  All that's left, while not boring, is a rather route pure action tale with one large-scale set piece after another.  And by holding off the story's key reveal until near the end of the picture, the film ends up being a giant set-up to a plot twist 90 percent of the viewers will already know about, and the other 10 percent will be spoiled by the synopsis on the back of the box. A token amount of plot:  Umm... not much.  Most of the first act is filled up by a sprawling battle between the Justice League and the Royal Flush Gang.  After the league goes their separate ways, we are introduced to what amounts to a new Injustice Gang/Legion of Doom, comprised of several B+-level super villains (Star Sapphire, Metallo, Ma'alefa'ak, Bane, and Cheetah) led by Vandal Savage.  Long-story short, Mirror Master has some new intelligence that will allow this group to take down our super friends, and the second act basically plays out as a montage of one super hero after another being physically and mentally crushed.  Can the Justice League survive this onslaught?  What is Vandal Savage's master plan?  And just how did this motley crew of super villains so efficiently bring down the Justice League?  If you read Tower of Babel or the back of the box for this Blu-Ray release, you already know the answer to the last question. It's difficult to discuss this film's failings without heading into third-act spoiler territory, so I'll hold off for now and offer a warning when the time comes.  The film is visually gorgeous, as are pretty much all of the DCAU features up to this point.  I could carp that Superman's facial features make him look a bit young, but that would be petty.  Come what may, the picture is basically three large action sequences that take up about 20 minutes apiece, with 3-5 minutes before and after for 'plot and character.'  The action sequences are suitably violent and well-staged (the film earns its PG-13), and the whole 'each hero gets taken down' scenario allows for a wide variety of action sequences.  But there is no emotional investment and no real dramatic arc.  It's obvious by the voice casting that this is intended as a kind of Justice League: Unlimited reunion (Kevin Conroy, Michael Rosenbaum, Susan Eisenberg, and Carl Lumby reprise their iconic heroic roles, as do several of the villainous voice actors).  The film would have been stronger as a visual continuation as well, since we'd have the appropriate mythology to work off of as opposed to a one-off story. If you've read Tower of Babel, then you'll know that the story (which involves Ra's Al Ghul instead of Vandal Savage) revolves around a seemingly unthinkable betrayal by a member of the Justice League against his or her fellow members.  In the original four-part story, said reveal occurs at the halfway point, leaving plenty of time to both wrap up the actual action story-line and deal with the repercussions of said actions.  This film version barely touches on the moral and ethical ramifications of what transpires, giving but a few lines right before the climax and a brief epilogue where no real discussion is had.  Without the meat of the story, what we're left with is just a 75-minute smack-down, without even the kind of clever dialogue and interaction that would have made it worthwhile beyond the visceral appeal. Thus, despite some fine super-heroic action and perfectly solid vocal performances (even though I've gotten to the point where I prefer George Newbern as Superman as opposed to Tim Daly), Justice League: Doom is, like Justice League; Crisis On Two Earths, basically a glorified four-part Justice League: Unlimited episode with the meat removed.  There are other minor nitpicks, such as swapping out Phil LeMarr's John Stewart for the more fanboy-friendly Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan (Bumper Robinson as Cyborg shows up here, so I suppose someone decided that there couldn't be more than two black superheroes).  There is a somewhat confusing bit in the second act involving a hostage situation where at least some of it is revealed as a visual hallucination, but how much of it was real is never revealed.  Also, in the final battle, it would have been far more entertaining to watch the various heroes go up against villains other than their designated opposite number.  Justice League: Doom is an entertaining, but painfully thin, animated movie.  It is not boring, but it is also not very engaging and lacks any real reason to exist. Grade: C+



The Blu Ray -- Technical specs are snazzy per usual.  There are two major bonus features, both of which exceed the main feature in both entertainment value and sheer quality.  There is an 18-minute discussion entitled "Guarding the Balance: Batman and the JLA".  It deals with the moral issues that the film skirts around and applies it with surprisingly thoughtfulness to our current post-9/11 surveillance state.  Of course, it makes it all the more frustrating that the feature feels so thematically empty.  There are two six minute pieces, one is a look at the somewhat groundbreaking creation of Cyborg (a black super hero who was not defined by his race), as well as a preview of the next DCAU feature, Superman vs. the Elites. Also included is a crew commentary, the usual DVD and digital copy of the feature, and two bonus episodes of Justice League.  In this case we get "Wild Cards", the two-part episode that features the Royal Flush Gang and, more importantly, Mark Hamill's last vocal performance as The Joker for a DCAU project (he reprised the role for Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City video games in 2009 and 2011 before apparently retiring the role).  

The prime bonus feature is an unfortunate one.  There is a 36-minute documentary on the life and work of writer/producer Dwayne McDuffie, who suddenly died last year of complications from heart surgery at the age of 49.  It's a touching and compelling documentary, discussing both his art, his apparent genius, and the ground-breaking strides he made in regards to African-American superheros in mainstream comics and cartoons.  I said my piece about him last year, but I firmly believe he is responsible for basically saving the DC Animated Universe by pulling the animated Justice League cartoon out of its season one-slump and righting the ship.  His loss is our loss, and this documentary makes you all-too aware of that (and makes me feel bad for basically panning his last couple DCAU movies, but I digress). The film is thin but entertaining, and the special features are worth at least one gander.  This is the 13th such feature since 2007, so you don't need me to tell you whether this is a rent or a purchase for you at this point. Prior DCAU reviews -- Batman: Gotham Knights, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, Batman: Under the Hood, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, All-Star Superman, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Batman: Year One 77 minutes Rated PG-13 Available for OnDemand on February 21st, available to purchase on DVD or Blu Ray on February 28th.


02/23/12--13:07: 'Hercules': Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson In Talks To Join Brett Ratner's Action Film (chan 1409139)

It's the role Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been preparing for his entire life. Maybe. According to Variety, Johnson is currently in talks to star in Brett Ratner's "Hercules." Although the report doesn't state what role Rocky would play, it's almost certainly has to be the Greek god, right? (Could you even imagine a "Hercules" movie starring the Rock where he played someone other than Hercules?) The movie is being adapted from the 2008 graphic novel "Hercules: The Thracian War." Johnson, who's currently starring in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," obviously won't need to do much preparation for the role. (Get it? It's because he's already very muscular -- like Hercules!) Of course, whether he has time remains to be seen: in addition to press rounds for "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" (out this summer), Johnson is starring in Michael Bay's "Pain and Gain" as well as the eventual sequel to "Fast Five." It's a schedule that even he admitted was tight. "Unfortunately, we have a very small window of time to shoot ['Pain and Gain'] before I go off and film 'Fast Six,'" he recently told Moviefone. "Hercules" would be Ratner's first film since "Tower Heist." [via Variety]


02/23/12--13:17: Academy Awards 2012: Favorite Foreign Born Oscar Winners (chan 1409139)

After Jean Dujardin took home the Golden Globe and SAG Award for his performance in "The Artist," everyone had the same thought: This Frenchie -- c'est incroyable! -- is probably going win the Oscar, too. He played off the possibility of being the first Frenchmen to win the Academy Award for Best Actor (via the French national anthem) but now, with only days to go, everyone's money is on Dujardin to win. To celebrate the possibility of Dujardin's historic win, Moviefone has decided to fete for our all time favorite Oscar winning étrangers! From Laurence Olivier to Sophia Loren, take a look at the foreign-born winners. PHOTOS:


02/23/12--13:39: David Wain, 'Wanderlust' Director, On Dirty Comedies And 'Wet Hot American Summer 2' (chan 1409139)

The new comedy "Wanderlust" (opening this weekend) stars Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd as a busy New York couple that bottom out on their demanding, fast-paced lives, and retreat to the Elysium Bed and Breakfast in the Georgia countryside. While there, they are embraced by the B&B's owners, a hippie commune (populated by Alan Alda, Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman and a cast of weirdoes) that tries to help them adjust to a new lifestyle filled with psychotropic drugs, farm animals, free love and a lot of casual nudity. Comedy geeks are excited for the the creative team behind-the-scenes; the film is co-written and directed by David Wain, whose last project was the surprise hit "Role Models." Wain has been an influential voice in comedy since the '90s when he starred on the cult MTV sketch show "The State." Since then, he created one of the Internet's first big web series, "Stella" (which even got a short-lived show on Comedy Central), and directed "Wet Hot American Summer," an '80s spoof that didn't light the box office on fire, but became a huge midnight movie and and gave an early break to stars like Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler. Poised to take a big step forward with "Wanderlust," Wain spoke with Moviefone about the best way to direct naked actors, the dirty jokes that have shocked him, and revealed more info on the recently-announced "Wet Hot" sequel. David Wain: I subscribed to AOL in 1990 before anyone knew about it; can I get a credit on that or is that not your department? I can only handle showtimes. Well what time is "Journey 2" playing at Westwood? What's the zip code? I don't know. [Laughs] Talking about your own movie, it's got a lot of full frontal nudity; was that a hard sell to the studio? It was definitely controversial and even test audiences had some issues with it. Quite honestly, the cut that you'll see has way, way less than we shot. So there's an extended naked edition? When the DVD comes out, you'll see much more extensive nudity. What's the most effective way to direct naked people? Say "action" and close your eyes. With Jennifer Aniston involved, you're attracting a whole different audience who aren't used to your style of comedy. How far did you want to go making an R-rated comedy for a mainstream audience? We shot everything we could think of. We shot things that went way farther in various points. And it's in the editing process and testing process where you see how far you can go before you lose the audience; in some cases we lost the audience, so we took some things out. It seems like the biggest challenge in making a comedy is finding a balance between moving the story along while still giving the actors a chance to actually tell jokes and be funny. How do you find that balance? That's a huge, huge part of the editing and directing. Ideally, you're hoping that every moment in the movie is both on story and funny. And when you have those digressions that are really just for jokes, you have to really pick and choose. There's no science to it, you just have to follow your instincts and look at screenings and try to make the right decisions. But it's a very difficult part of it. Especially in a comedy like this where there are so many areas where we could have left in so much genius riffing from so many of the cast people, but we don't want a movie that's two hours long. You're also really good at getting great foul-mouthed performances out of children; what's your secret? It's always awkward with the parents. You have to do a lot of stuff that's not foul-mouthed, then you have to say "Just for this one take, we're going to have him say something a little bit risque." And everybody's comfortable, we're all having a good time, so they're like "sure, do whatever you want." And of course, we use that take. As a big "Role Models" fan, I'm just glad that a recording of "Love Take Me Down (To the Streets)" exists now. That was totally improvised by A.D. Miles as the camera was rolling. And then we recorded the song for the end credits, during the editing process. Now you just need to get it to Paul McCartney's ears and the journey will be complete. He said to Paul Rudd in his opening monologue on "Saturday Night Live" how much he loved "Role Models." But then I heard it was a written joke that the writers told him to say. Switching gears, the other big project fans are talking about is the "Wet Hot American Summer" sequel. Will this be an indie affair like the first one or will you attempt to make it more of a blockbuster considering the cast? From a "creating it" point of view, we're going to do it the same way; it's going to be very low-budget and very quick and it will be the same situation as the first one. It would be silly to make a 30 million dollar movie for that. We're writing the script and we're just figuring out how to get everybody in one place at one time. Will this specifically be a reunion of the original gang or are you hoping to get new characters into the fold? Um, now we're into areas that are classified. When did you start to notice that your work was catching on with a generation of fans? From "The State," we had a pretty devoted following, but because it went away, I think it strengthened the cult following, and I remember people coming up to me in the late 90s going, "Oh my god, you guys are my favorite comedians." And I was like, "Great, can you buy me a sandwich because I have no money and no job?" I think "Wet Hot American Summer" really solidified it because it did so poorly and it was something to discover; the people that found it really felt ownership over it. If you had the chance to change the path to success that "Wet Hot" took, what would you change? I wouldn't trade it for anything. On some level we suspected it would go something like that; when we were shooting, we were like "I can't believe anyone is letting us shoot this." I remember a conversation on set with Michael [Showalter] saying "I don't know if this is going to come out, but I do think it's going to reach the people that want to see it, at some point." That's happened a thousand-fold. Is the "Wet Hot" sequel your next priority after "Wanderlust"? Well I'm always multi-tasking. I'm working on that as well as the next season of "Children's Hospital" and the first season of "Newsreaders," which is a spin-off of "Children's Hospital" on Adult Swim. And we're making the third season of "Superjail" right now and the DVD of "Wainy Days" just came out. Are you going to concentrate on filmmaking, or is web comedy something you'll still actively pursue? "Wainy Days" is open-ended enough that I can put almost anything I could think of into that. I couldn't possibly predict how the web is going to change, but if it resembles how it is now, then yeah it's a great way. We shot a little short with CollegeHumor that just went up. Will we ever get a "Stella" movie in our lifetime? There is a "Stella" movie in early gestation... "Stella," "The State," "Wainy Days" -- these are things I have no intention of ever stopping, we'll just see what the schedule looks like. You always seemed to have to have the darkest, filthiest jokes at your expense in "Stella"... Is the question have I ever really had sex in real life? Have you, for the record? This is definitely the year I'm going to go all the way. Anyone in mind? My wife probably. Does she know? Not yet, I'll spring it on her. Well now that you have a family, are there any jokes from your projects that make you shake your head? There were so many in the "Stella" shorts. Most of the jokes we did in "Stella" were for the audience at our nightclub show at Fez in New York, assuming that it would show there and that would be the end of it, and no one would ever see it again, no adults would ever see it. That those shorts are still on the Internet, it's like these little sketches that you thought were personal. The fact that we were sucking Mrs. Claus' dick was like, "What the hell is going on?" (Link obviously NSFW) So often we would pull each other off a ledge saying, "Why are we rolling on this?" And then one person would go, "Just do it, it's okay, just try it." I'm just scared that my son is four and someday he's going to be Googling his dad. Have you already prepared the talk you're going to have with him? I don't know what the fuck I'm going to say.


02/23/12--13:50: Stars' Uncomfortable Award Show Moments Caught On Camera (chan 1409139)

On television, award shows seem so full of glamour, beauty, emotion. But there's another way to describe these spectacles of Hollywood pageantry -- AWKWARD.


02/23/12--14:19: Nostalgic Oscars Party Like It's The 1920s Again (chan 1409139)

LOS ANGELES — It's only the 84th year of the Academy Awards, yet the nostalgia factor feels as though Hollywood is celebrating a centennial of some sort. Film itself has been around for well over a century, and Sunday's Oscar nominees span every decade of the last hundred years, with an unusual emphasis on the history and artistry of cinema's earlier days. Oscar show producer Brian Grazer says that the Hollywood & Highland Center, the hall formerly known as the Kodak where the ceremony takes place, will be redesigned to resemble a "timeless movie theater." It's a fitting transformation on a night whose key nominees are "Hugo" and "The Artist," two love songs to forebears of the flickering image. Set amid the transition from silent cinema to talking pictures in the late 1920s, "The Artist" is the best-picture favorite and would become the only silent movie to win top honors since the first Oscar show 83 years ago. The leader with 11 nominations, "Hugo" was made by Martin Scorsese, arguably Hollywood's biggest cheerleader for the rediscovery and preservation of early films. Adapted from Brian Selznick's children's book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," the film centers on a boy and girl in 1930s Paris who unravel a mystery surrounding French film pioneer Georges Melies (Ben Kingsley), whose fantastical silent-era shorts of 100 years ago or more are re-created by Scorsese using the best technology modern digital Hollywood has to offer. Known for tough, violent adult stories such as "Raging Bull" and best-picture winner "The Departed," Scorsese clearly had a ball making his first digital 3-D film. Using today's technology to revisit the past also imparted a sense of the innovation required by Melies to make his films in the first place. "Every time we put the camera in a position I wanted, we discovered new ways to do things or wrong ways to do things," Scorsese said. "We had to rediscover how to make movies every day, every setup." "The Artist" is right behind with 10 nominations and also is favored to win best director for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius. People thought he was a little soft in the head a few years ago when Hazanavicius pitched his idea of making a black-and-white silent film the way almost no one has since the 1920s. Modern dabblers in silent cinema often take an avant-garde approach, but Hazanavicius wanted to make something for general audiences. After all, there was a time when silent movies were the only game in town, and Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and D.W. Griffith were the blockbuster filmmakers of their era. Writer-director Hazanavicius settled on a comic melodrama following the decline of a silent-film superstar (best-actor nominee Jean Dujardin), whose career crumbles in the sound era and who finds a guardian angel in a rising talent (Berenice Bejo, a supporting-actress contender and Hazanavicius' real-life romantic partner). "One of my concerns was how people are going to react to a silent movie now," Hazanavicius said. "I thought it was easier for people to accept, to see a silent movie if the subject is about a silent actor. As an audience, to say, `OK, it's a silent actor, it's a silent movie. Why not? That makes sense.'" On a nostalgia-tinged night, it also makes sense that Billy Crystal returns as Oscar host for the first time in eight years. The most-beloved modern Oscar emcee, Crystal is back for his ninth time, second only to Bob Hope, who was host at 19 ceremonies. Along with "Hugo" and "The Artist," which span the early 1900s through the 1930s, key nominees cover the last century, from Steven Spielberg's World War I saga "War Horse" to Stephen Daldry's Sept. 11-themed drama "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" and Alexander Payne's contemporary family story "The Descendants." All are among the nine best-picture contenders, joined by Woody Allen's romantic fantasy "Midnight in Paris," which time travels from today to the 1920s and earlier; Tate Taylor's Deep South drama "The Help," set at the start of the 1960s civil-rights movement; Bennett Miller's baseball story "Moneyball," chronicling the Oakland A's efforts to build a winning team on a penny-pinching budget; and Terrence Malick's family drama "The Tree of Life," an elegiac tale largely set in the 1950s, with sweeping glimpses back to the dawn of creation. The latter two star Brad Pitt, a best-actor nominee for "Moneyball." The A-list crowd also includes acting nominees George Clooney for "The Descendants," Meryl Streep for the Margaret Thatcher story "The Iron Lady," Glenn Close for the Irish drama "Albert Nobbs" and Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh for the Marilyn Monroe tale "My Week with Marilyn." Williams as Monroe and Branagh as Laurence Olivier bring another dose of old-time Hollywood to Sunday's show, their film chronicling the uneasy collaboration between the screen legends on the set of the 1957 romance "The Prince and the Showgirl." The record-holder with 17 acting nominations, Golden Globe winner Streep looked like an early favorite to claim her third Oscar, which would be almost its own bit of nostalgia: She hasn't won in nearly three decades. But at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, one of the most-accurate forecasts for Oscar night, Viola Davis beat Streep for best actress for her role as a maid taking a stand against racial prejudice in 1960s Mississippi in "The Help." While Davis and Streep are in a showdown for best actress, "The Artist" star Dujardin and "The Descendants" star Clooney, playing a father weighed down by family crises, are in a two-man race for best actor. Dujardin won the SAG honor and a Golden Globe for musical or comedy performance, while Clooney was the recipient of the Globe for dramatic actor. SAG recipient Christopher Plummer is the front-runner for supporting actor as an elderly dad who comes out as gay in "Beginners," and at 82, he would become the oldest acting winner ever. Davis' co-star – Octavia Spencer, playing a brash fellow maid in "The Help" – also won at SAG and looks like a rock-solid winner for supporting actress. An Oscar would cap a venerable career for Plummer and mark an abrupt career transformation for Spencer, who toiled in small parts for years before her breakout role in "The Help." "I'm an Oscar nominee. I love saying that," Spencer said. "So whatever happens, I can always say that." ___ Associated Press Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report. ___ Online: http://www.oscars.org


02/23/12--14:22: Oscar Presenters: Melissa Leo, Christian Bale, Colin Firth And Natalie Portman Return To Academy Awards (chan 1409139)

All four of last year's acting winners -- Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman and Melissa Leo -- will return to present at the Oscar ceremony this Sunday, producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced Thursday. We assume Leo, who claimed her statuette for her role in "The Fighter," will riff on her f-bomb gaffe from last year. And she might name-drop her presenter, Kirk Douglas who famously stalled for several moments before naming her as the winner. She then asked him out, saying, "You're pretty good looking. What are you doing later?" (This year her pool of potential Oscar dates, if she presents the Best Supporting Actor award, is Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Nick Nolte, Jonah Hill and Kenneth Branagh.) The Oscared foursome join previously announced presenters, Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Michael Douglas, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Zach Galifianakis, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Ellie Kemper, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Kristen Wiig and, of course, Miss Piggy and Kermit. ABC will broadcast the 84th Annual Academy Awards live coast-to-coast this Sunday from ... can we still call it the Kodak Theater? We'll just refer to it as the Hollywood & Highland Center until a new sponsor comes forward. [via THR]


02/23/12--14:34: New Releases: 'Wanderlust,' 'Tyler Perry's Good Deeds,' 'Act of Valor,' 'Gone' (chan 1409139)

Hollywood's biggest night of the year may be happening this Sunday, but that doesn't mean there are no new movies to see in theaters. On the contrary, this weekend includes the release of Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston's "Wanderlust," a new Tyler Perry movie called "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" and the Navy Seal action flick, "Act of Valor." For a guide to this week's slate of films, let's take a look at Moviefone's Weekend Movie Preview. NATIONWIDE RELEASES "Wanderlust" What's the story: Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star as George and Linda, a married couple who live in New York City. When George loses his job, the two are forced to leave the city and look for work elsewhere. However, they end up stumbling upon a hippie commune, where free love and drugs rule. Hijinks ensue. Box office prediction: Aniston is usually a big box-office draw, and Rudd has a dedicated -- albeit smaller -- fan base, too. With no straightforward comedies to compete with this weekend, "Wanderlust" is likely to come in with a pretty decent haul. $13 million [Showtimes & Tickets] "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" What's the story: Tyler Perry stars as Wesley Deeds, a wealthy businessman who's always done what's expected of him. However, when Wesley stumbles upon a cleaning lady and her son living in the office building, Deeds finds himself trying to do what's right and help her get back on her feet. Box office prediction: Here's how Perry has faired on opening weekend with the last four movies he's directed: $25 million, $19 million, $29 million, $23 million. Although none of the films grossed over $100 million, these numbers pretty much guarantee that Perry's dedicated group of fans will come and support him the first weekend out. $20 million [Showtimes & Tickets] "Act of Valor" What's the story: This unique film stars a group of real-life active-duty Navy SEALs. Inspired by true events, "Valor" starts with the discovery of a terrorist plot against the U.S. The SEALs are soon enlisted to help track down the threat and save the country. Box office prediction: The movie has gotten a strong promotional push, including a trailer during the Super Bowl. However, the high-octane fight scenes and use of real SEALs might not save "Valor," which will likely fall short due to another action-packed film -- one with stars general audiences know ("Safe House"): $10 million [Showtimes & Tickets] "Gone" What's the story: "Gone" stars Amanda Seyfried as Jill Parish, who discovers her sister has been abducted. Jill was kidnapped the year before and thinks the perpetrator behind her sister's disappearance is the same person. However, with no evidence, the police are unable to help, meaning Jill has to go after him on her own. Box office prediction: Lack of trailers + lack of posters = Small returns. $7 million LIMITED RELEASES The post-apocalyptic "Tomorrow When the War Began" follows a group of high-school friends whose small Australian town is invaded by a mysterious army. Eventually, the teens decide to band together and strike back. Audiences looking for a little Bollywood in their lives can turn to "Jodi Breakers," a musical about dysfunctional relationships. Finally, opening in New York City and Los Angeles is "The Forgiveness of Blood," which follows an Albanian family in the midst of a feud.


02/23/12--14:54: The Funniest Movie Couples: 'Harold And Maude,' 'Dumb And Dumber' And More (chan 1409139)

This weekend, Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd join a long, storied list of funny movie couples, when their film "Wanderlust" hits theaters. The movie stars the duo as city dwellers who accidentally stumble upon a hippie commune where drugs and free love rule. Obviously, shenanigans ensue. In honor of "Wanderlust," let's take a look at some of Aniston and Rudd's hysterical movie couple ancestors. From Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" to Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon in "Harold and Maude" to Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall," Moviefone presents the Funniest Movie Couples Ever. PHOTOS:


02/23/12--15:23: 'Spartacus' Star Lands 'Die Hard' Role (chan 1409139)

Who's tough enough to play the son of John McClane (Bruce Willis)? 20th Century Fox has tapped Australia actor Jai Courtney, who plays Varro in TV's "Spartacus: Vengeance," as Jack, who's presumably a chip off the old yippi-ki-yay block. THR ran a photo of Jai from his screen test for "A Good Day to Die Hard" that shows him aiming a gun and (apparently) sassing his dad. Yep, looks like a McClane. Courtney reportedly beat out fellow Aussie (and "Hunger Games" star) Liam Hemsworth for the part. Courtney most recently filmed "One Shot," with Tom Cruise and is also attached to star opposite Aaron Eckhart in "I, Frankenstein." The film won't start shooting right away, but it already has a release date: February 14, 2013. The fifth "Die Hard" installment will find the McClanes in Moscow, with dad apparently arriving to save junior from a terrorist plot. It seems there are no plans to bring back McClane's daughter Lucy (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who was introduced in 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard." [via THR and Slashfilm]