Moviefone Open Thread: Is Justin Timberlake a Celebrity?

The 2009 weekend was the the most effective pretty-good of occasions and worst not-great of occasions for Justin Timberlake. He was offered one of the lead roles in 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' the completely new drama within the Coen brothers and sisters in regards to the Greenwich Village folk scene in sixties NY. That's excellent! Sadly, the purchase came when his first foray becoming an action star was scuffling within the box office. Released on over 3000 screens, 'In Time' acquired only $12 million, finishing a distant third behind 'Puss in Boots' and 'Paranormal Activity 3.' Not great! Which enhances the question: Is Justin Timberlake a real celebrity? The short fact is a resounding yes. Ultimately, Timberlake is certainly an actress who appears in movies by simple definition, he's a celebrity. But is he a star? You understand, the type of actor audiences flock to find out on opening weekend, whether or not their movie just looks plain bad? You will discover two techniques for searching at Timberlake's burgeoning career. On one for reds, if 'In Time' may have starred Hugh Jackman or Tom Cruise, it seems likely the film may have bending its opening weekend receipts. This doesn't work constantly -- hello, The Actor-kaira Pitt and 'The Rum Diary'! -- however, if stars are stars, they acquire a nearly Teflon quality. Alternatively, Timberlake retains a techniques to visit before he may also be considered an authentic leading guy, a thing that has more associated with chance than other activities. His financial accomplishments becoming an actor ('Shrek the next,A 'The Social Media,A 'Bad Teacher') have include supporting roles just like a lead, he's become two chances: 'Friends With Benefits,' which opened up track of $18 million inside the summer season visiting $55 million, now 'In Time.' Neither were clean-outs, which only means he'll convey more chances to prove themselves afterwards. (Though since 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is poised being another ensemble -- and arises from the Coen brothers and sisters -- more expensive that being his box-office breakout.) So, is Timberlake a celebrity? Not. But unlike Ryan Reynolds -- about whom this debate was elevated with unimpressive results inside the summer season -- Timberlake can be a genuine celebrity. He's easily one of the 15 famous males on the planet -- a personality that you just, your mother, your cousin in addition to grandmother has not only learned about, but many likely likes. That counts for something. Whether Timberlake can make the most of that fame remains to look. The floor is yours, dear Moviefone site visitors: you believe JT a celebrity? Or just a pop star and celebrity who occurs are available in movies? [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Olsen: A sisterly sensation

Elizabeth OlsenElizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, chose a different route to a career in acting than her older siblings.Shunning child roles, the creation of designer backpacks and paparazzi stampedes, Olsen focused on stage work and the academic rigor of attaining a degree from NY U.'s Tisch School of the Arts.That strategy has already begun to reap rewards. Her performance in "Martha Marcy May Marlene" has won critical acclaim and awards buzz.In "Martha," Olsen plays a troubled woman who recently escaped from a cult. Through flashbacks, an intimate character study unfolds, revealing past emotional trauma and its continued impact.Olsen says she was not daunted by the role's complexity."I was cast just 2 1/2 weeks before shooting," she says. "If I had more time to think about it, I might have freaked out."She had been auditioning for parts only seven months before she read "Martha." "It was the only script that required me to do work," she says. "That really excited me."Years earlier, Olsen decided she would study acting before diving into it."I knew no matter what I did, whether it was good or bad, I was always going to be compared to my sisters," she says. "I just wanted to make sure that whenever I put myself out there I would feel as confident as I could."Olsen is completing three of the last five classes needed for her degree."I'll finish the other two when the time is right," she says. "I will finish -- that's very important to me -- but I'm not giving myself a deadline so that I can still work in the meantime. But I'm so close."Lucky break: "'Martha Marcy May Marlene.' It was my second movie but the people I got to work with were people I want to work with for the rest of my life."Favorite film: "I can watch 'Gone With the Wind' and 'Annie Hall' again and again.Career I'd like to emulate: "Kate Winslet. I think she's been able to balance all different types of genres, and also different media. I think she chooses really smart work."10 ACTORS TO WATCH 2011:Benedict Cumberbatch | Jean Dujardin | Luke Evans | Josh Hutcherson | Felicity Jones | Taylor Kitsch | Brit Marling | Elizabeth Olsen | Octavia Spencer | Shailene Woodley Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

From Actorfest to 'Pan Am' in 2 Days

Ready for career takeoff? Ebrima N'Dure sure is. Like a lot of the 2010 Actorfest NY participants, N'Dure turned up towards the Metropolitan Pavilion vibrant and in early stages the morning of Sunday, March. 23 to make use of the annual event's open call auditions and myriad skill-strengthening sections and participants. Little did he realize that following a brief trip to the Grant Wilfley Casting open call, he'd land a featured background role on "Pan Am," the lately released ABC dramatic series having a delicious sixties aesthetic certain to boost the reel associated with a artist lucky enough to end up aboard its friendly skies.The Grant Wilfley Casting open call is a staple of Back Stage's Actorfest NY going back many years, and it is rapport which has demonstrated advantageous to both event participants and casting personnel alike. "Many people who're a new comer to the town the ones we do not see constantly at our other open calls [attend Actorfest]. New faces towards the city will always be great for us," describes GWC senior casting connect Allison Hall, whose current TV projects include Boardwalk Empire, Royal Pains, and Smash, additionally to many high-profile movies featuring NY models."We are forever in another place for 'Pan Am,'" Hall continues, mentioning towards the show's globe-trotting weekly itinerary. "We needed a more youthful Haitian boy, however i was getting a difficult time finding somebody that looked youthful but was still being over 18."Fortunately, Hall and her on-site team found their guy in Actorfest attendee N'Dure. Not 2 days after meeting him at their open call, these were delivering the youthful actor to some wardrobe fitting, preparing him for his first trip to the fabled "Jet Age." "We sent him to obtain fit, and he's working in a few days,Inch Hall verifies.N'Dure wasn't the only person who obtained a ticket aboard Pan Am via the 2010 Actorfest NY casting event. Hall states that her team found several new faces to portray stewardesses and aircraft pilots. They'll join the ranks of 2010 Actorfest NY attendee Colin Buckingham, who arrived focus on Males in Black 3 because of Grant Wilfley's on-site open call this past year, additionally to some part on 30 Rock after an Actorfest "park and flyInch session with casting director Barbara McNamara the identical day.Make sure to look out for N'Dure with an approaching episode of "Pan Am." And when you are a West Coast readers, don't miss Actorfest LA, which is held November. 5 in the California Market Center in downtown La. Open call auditions include NBC, Telemundo, mun2, and Disney Parks Talent Casting. For more information and also to sign up for the big event, visit world wide web.actorfest.com.Find Out More ON BLOG STAGE

Matraga (A hora e a vez de Augusto Matraga)

A Prodigo Films presentation and production, in association with Orkestra Filmes, with the participation of TeleImage, Studio Quanta. Produced by Adriano Civita, Beto Gauss. Exective producer, Elisa Tolomelli. Directed by Vinicius Coimbra. Screenplay, Manuela Dias, Coimbra, based on the short story by Joao Guimaraes Rosa.With: Joao Miguel, Vanessa Gerbelli, Jose Wilker, Chico Anysio, Antonio Petrin, Ze Dumont, Teca Pereira, Ivan de Almeida, Irandhir Santos, Gorete Milagres, Werner Schunemann, Claudio Jaborandi, Vinicius de Oliveira, Odilon Esteves, Romulo Braga, Julio Andrade, Alexandre Zachia, Evil Reboucas, Geraldo Peninha, Glicerio Rosario Dias, Joao Dinico, Iami Lobato Silva, Melissa Isabelli, Carolina Franca.A Brazilian bandit farmer sees the light, only to be faced with more violent enemies in "Matraga," the kind of film where you'd half-expect to see a miniature angel and devil do battle while perched on the protag's shoulders. But newcomer Vinicius Coimbra's suave but simplistic adaptation of the 1946 short story by literary giant Joao Guimaraes Rosa is too invested in being a feijoada Western, seasoned with regionalist touches, to really plumb the depths of Matraga's opposing interior forces. Quadruple wins at the Rio fest should help local odds, while curio factor will inspire some sprocket-opera shootouts. In an unspecified time, fearless rural troublemaker Augusto Matraga (Joao Miguel, adequate) is taken in by two religious outcasts (Ivan de Almeida, Teca Pereira) after being left for dead by his adversaries. He subsequently becomes a God-fearing citizen, until a powerful landowner (Jose Wilker) crosses his path. Lensing and art direction are especially elegant, though the bronzed, leathery faces and whiskey-colored firelight imbue a nostalgic, yellowed-paper quality that romanticizes the violence, to the detriment of psychological insight. Helmer Roberto Santos' earlier "Matraga" adaptation played Cannes in 1966.Camera (color), Lula Carvalho; editor, Alexandre Boechat; music, Sasha Amback; production designer, Moa Batsow; costume designer, Beth Filipecki. Reviewed at Rio Film Festival (competing), Oct. 14, 2011. Running time: 106 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com

'Pretty Soon, It All Will Be Over': Director Roland Emmerich Thinks You are a Lemming

Throughout Game 5 around the globe Series between your St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers on Monday evening, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa made a number of progressively inexplicable pitching moves within the eighth inning, which assisted lead to his team's loss. After the overall game, LaRussa blamed the bizarre changes (sports fans and non-sports fans can see about the subject here) this is not on unsuccessful strategy, but a faulty bullpen phone. It appears the Texas crowd am noisy the Cardinals' bullpen coach had trouble hearing which pitchers LaRussa was requesting when he known as lower. On ESPN Radio today, hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic imagined one reason behind the telephone disaster: Bullpenfone. Thanks, ESPN? In reaction, Moviefone checked along with the actual Mr. Moviefone to discover what he considered the incident: "Sounds in my experience like Tony LaRussa could have been best calling in the real Moviefone," he stated. "Tony, make use of your day off to look at 'Moneyball' -- you never know? You may learn something!" Press one, TLR! [via ESPN] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Becoming Pro Bono

It wasn't my intention to time this blog to GLAAD's Spirit Day, but things just worked out that way...I would call "Dancing with the Stars" a guilty pleasure, except I feel no guilt over it. There's something gleeful and innocent about a show that brings together people to compete not for money or prizes, but a mirrorball trophy. Still, I was never a fanatical viewer; my participation depended on how invested I became in the contestants. I sort of tuned out during seasons like Nicole Scherzinger (what fun is it when the obvious winner is a gorgeous, athletic woman whopreviously belonged to a song and dance group). But then I would watch every episode of Jennifer Grey's season with baited breath, rooting the "Dirty Dancing" star on.Going into Season 13 (holy cow!), I didn't really have much investment in any of the contestants. They had the typical archetypes filled: the older participant (Nancy Grace), the athlete (Mehta WorldPeace), the redeemed wild child (David Arquette)and I was aware of some grumbling surrounding the casting of Chaz Bono, advocate/author/son of Cher/transgender man. But because I am blessed to live in Los Angeles in the year 2011, I really didn't think it was a serious controversy.How wrong I was. First, Monica Cole of the America Family Association made an announcement stating: "We will not be able to watch the show with Chaz on there. This is going to be very confusing for children and should not be included in their cast." Then, in one of those sweeping statements that would be funny were the person not actually serious, Fox News' Dr. Keith Ablow said children could "turn transgender" from watching Bono on the show. His actual insipid quote: "It's possible that if someone is celebrated and lifted to heroic proportions like that of a civil rights leader, that somebody who is somewhat uncomfortable with his or her gender might say, 'You know what, I'm going down that road.' " CONTINUE READING ON BEHIND THE SCENES

See Matt Saracen and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Set of 'The Last Stand'

There is an unofficial rule here at Moviefone: if Matt Saracen Zach Gilford and Arnold Schwarzenegger are in a picture together, it must be posted on the blog. As such: check out this picture that the former Governator tweeted from the set of 'The Last Stand,' his first starring vehicle since leaving office. It features Gilford! And Arnold! Texas forever, folks! In 'The Last Stand' Schwarzenegger plays a border-town sheriff tasked with stopping an escaped drugkin from crossing over into Mexico. Gilford co-stars as his deputy, with Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzman, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro, Peter Stormare and Johnny Knoxville rounding out the cast. The film is due in theaters on Jan. 18, 2013. [via @schwarzenegger] [Photo: Twitpic] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Primetime toons stay inside narrow lines

"Beavis and Butt-head" "Allen Gregory" In typically low-key fashion, Fox promotes its Sunday-night lineup as "Animation Domination." Yet surveying the state of the genre in primetime, "Animation Stagnation" appears more apt.For a medium normally associated with young males, TV animation is looking awfully middle-age, maybe even a little paunchy. After some hemming, hawing and hardball negotiating, Fox renewed "The Simpsons" through a 25th season; Comedy Central has been celebrating the 15th year of "South Park" (Omigod! Kenny's old enough to have survived puberty! And college!); and "Beavis & Butt-head" is about to make its triumphant return to MTV, a mere 18 years after its premiere.In the midst of a theatrical explosion -- driven creatively and commercially by Pixar, and to a lesser extent DreamWorks -- TV has narrowed its focus rather than expanded it, repeatedly playing to teenage boys and young men with a bad case of the munchies. Heh, heh heh.Yes, there's Seth MacFarlane's empire on Fox, where the jokes fly so quickly the attitude seems to be "If that one didn't make you laugh, just wait a second." Add to his posse a wave of copycats, and the tone of animated comedy is tediously similar -- a mixture of snark, slackers and sniggering innuendo."Beavis & Butt-head" returns this month, for example, accompanied by "Good Vibes," a by-the-numbers take on horny 15-year-old boys in a beachside community. A few days later Fox seeks to refresh its Sunday lineup with "Allen Gregory," a Jonah Hill produced and voiced half-hour about a wildly precocious 7-year-old raised by two gay dads.Neither show specifically requires or exploits animation as a medium, although there are benefits to not having to hire an actual 7-year-old -- and not needing to worry about youthful stars growing up. If you're going to do an animated show that's really just another youth-oriented sitcom, frankly, you'd damn well better have "Beavis" creator Mike Judge writing it, or odds are you'll wind up lost in the pack.Chuck Jones, the legendary Warner Bros. director, once said, "With full animation, you can turn the sound off and you can tell what's happening" -- a line Pixar's John Lasseter, not surprisingly, is fond of quoting. Precious little modern TV animation aspires to that level of visual storytelling.Animation also creates the opportunity to design action sequences on a scale that's more economically feasible than live-action. Even so, animated sci-fi and adventure remains almost solely confined to channels aimed at children, such as Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" or the Hub's "Transformers."Part of that has to do with a long-standing assumption adults will dismiss animation as kid stuff. While that was certainly true once, the performance of Pixar titles like the "Toy Story" franchise challenges conventional wisdom. Moreover, the ability of animation to cross borders in an increasingly global business -- witness "Toy Story 3's" $1 billion international gross -- theoretically provides incentive, both in film and TV, to stretch the form.Compared to live-action, animation should be liberating. That's certainly true of "Clone Wars" -- whose half-hours are frequently more satisfying than George Lucas' later film trilogy -- and direct-to-DVD titles from DC and Marvel, which, tellingly, are calibrated to adult sensibilities. The newest entry, "Batman: Year One," hits shelves this week, in a format that consistently allows greater fidelity to arcane comicbook mythology than many theatrical blockbusters would ever dare.In hindsight, the popularity of MacFarlane's shows and "South Park" has been more corrosive than helpful, if only for inspiring the me-too wave that followed. And savoring "Beavis & Butt-head" once again merely highlights the shortcomings of the various clones introduced since they left MTV.Taking these factors into account along with the aforementioned theatrical trends, TV has really yielded more animation diminution than domination -- a byproduct of too many series that look and sound alike.Of course, to quote an animated star of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" -- like "The Simpsons" a late-1980s artifact that took more creative risks than much of what's now on display -- that isn't to say most of the new shows are bad. They're just drawn that way. Contact Brian Lowry at brian.lowry@variety.com

VES lifetime jerk to Stan Lee

LeeStan Lee remains attracted onto get Visual Effects Society's Lifetime Achievement Award.Award honors industry people whose body at work bakes an long lasting impact on the vfx industry. The extended report on Marvel comicbook figures that bear Lee's stamp as creator or co-creator include Spider-Guy, the Incredible Hulk, X-Males, Iron Guy, the Avengers and Dr. Strange. Lee increased being author of Marvel Comics in 1972 and presently props up position of chairman emeritus of Marvel Companies."Stan Lee's imagination has created an entirely original and lucrative niche inside the entertainment world and contains allowed visual effects to flex its muscle operating in it,In . mentioned VES chair Jeffrey Okun."Visual effects," Lee remarked, "have carried out a pivotal role inside the ongoing success of Marvel's figures and allowed fans to determine their tales inside an entirely new way."Kudo is going to be provided Feb. 7 within the tenth annual VES Honours within the Beverly Hilton. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Inseparable (Xing ying bu li)

A Fantawild Pictures presentation of a Colordance, Fantawild Pictures production in association with Trigger Street Prods., Xinhua Media Entertainment. (International sales: Odins Eye Entertainment, Sydney.) Produced by Dayyan Eng, David U. Lee. Executive producers, Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, Steven Squillante. Directed, written, edited by Dayyan Eng.With: Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu, Gong Beibi, Yan Ni, Peter Stormare, Kenneth Tsang, Zhang Mo, Zhao Xiaoxing. (English, Mandarin dialogue)Taiwanese-born, Stateside-reared, Beijing-based helmer Dayyan Eng makes a clear if uneven attempt to craft a pic that's both China- and America-friendly with "Inseparable," a comic examination of a man's turning-30 crisis. Teaming Kevin Spacey and Hong Kong heartthrob Daniel Wu, the pic is set to preem in China later this year, and based on Wu's huge fanbase there and the allure of the first Sino-funded pic to feature a Hollywood star, B.O. figures to be respectable. However, despite the prevalence of English dialogue, Western auds will be more reticent to embrace a film that sees Spacey retreading his earlier roles. Filmed in Guangzhou, this droll if overlong follow-up to Eng's feature bow, "Waiting Alone," revolves around a suicidal prosthetics-company engineering executive and the provocative Westerner who instructs him on how to perk up and enjoy life. The setup brims with comic potential, but the pic begins to drag after a vital twist is revealed at the three-quarter mark. Thirty-year-old Li (Wu) is slipping a noose around his neck when he's interrupted by an insistent knock at the door of his apartment. In walks Chuck (Spacey), an inquisitive, sardonic Westerner who admits to having poor Mandarin skills; noticing the dangling hangman's knot, Chuck probes the young man's emotional state. Blithely hinting that he's a hitman for the CIA yet keeping his own motivations and true identity a secret, Chuck offers Li a strategy to loosen up and regain control of his life, emphasizing the importance of expressing hostility and taking a stand. As a first step toward helping Li feel more fulfilled, Chuck gets the exec to slash the tires of an annoying co-worker (Zhang Mo). Feeling emboldened and righteous, Li is inspired to help a poor street vendor against a raging, self-important businessman (Zhao Xiaoxing) who settles arguments with a crowbar. This vigorous new approach to life not only improves Li's self-esteem but also augurs well for his moribund relationship with his moody journalist wife, Pang (Gong Beibi). Realizing the lower classes need a hero to defend their interests, Li takes this notion to absurd (and possibly censor-confronting) extremes by constructing a superhero costume out of sportswear. Enjoying the idea, Chuck dons a much classier Batman-like cape and cowl. On the prowl for crimes to fight, the two expose and humiliate a corrupt Western businessman (Peter Stormare), an adventure that not only brings Li to the attention of police, but also introduces a key aspect of his relationship with Chuck that spins the tale in another direction. From here, the narrative attempts to segue gently into a deeper, more somber mode, but is unable to relinquish the comic tone established earlier. Result devolves into an odd pastiche of "Fight Club," Clara Law's ethereal Daniel Wu starrer "Like a Dream," and self-help psychology. Pic's major asset is Wu's buoyant ability to move seamlessly between comic and solemn modes. Given the film's tricky tonal tightrope, Spacey's talent for razor-sharp delivery and sly emotional nuance could have come in handy, but the thesp gives a lazy, uncommitted variation on a persona he and various casting directors have long milked dry. Once Chuck's secret is revealed, his character becomes even less interesting, and the script's weaknesses more obvious. Eng directs with an efficient anonymity that gets the story across. Thierry Arbogast's grainy, washed-out lensing may have been intended to reflect Li's often depressive state but serves to drain the pic of some much-needed life; only a rooftop garden Chuck tends and Li's garish costume provide bursts of color. Other tech credits are fine.Camera (color), Thierry Arbogast; music, Nathan Wang, Eric Lee Harper; production designer, Thomas Chong; costume designer, Lawrence Xu; sound (Dolby Digital), Zhang Yang. Reviewed at Busan Film Festival (A Window on Asian Cinema), Oct. 10, 2011. Running time: 97 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

New Immortals Pictures Online

Cop a load of Tarsem's Greek godsSay what you like about Tarsem, but you can't seriously dispute the man's visual sense. Immortals, out on November 11, seems to be no exception to this rule, with startlingly handsome Greek gods* in bizarre costumes facing off against grimy (but oh-so-handsome) humans and demi-gods, led by HenryCavill's Theseus.{New Immortals Pictures Online}The pictures here show Kellan Lutz (him from Twilight) as Poseidon, IsabelLucas (her from Transformers:Revenge OfThe Fallen) as Athena and Daniel Sharman (from not much really) as Ares. Also,Theseus and StephenDorff's Stavros.Following on from the trailer and the footage we saw at Comic-Con, and we're rather looking forward to this. After all, even if you thinkTarsem puts style over substance, the style is considerable. *We realise we perhaps shouldn't be startled by how pretty they are, what with "looks like a Greek god" being a compliment pretty much everywhere, but bear in mind that the last lot we saw were a bit older and more grizzled.

Paul Wesley and Joseph Morgan Discuss Their Vampire Diaries Bromance

Paul Wesley, Joseph Morgan Sure, Elena (Nina Dobrev) is growing closer to Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Caroline (Candice Accola) is cozying up to Tyler (Michael Trevino), and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is bonding with Bonnie (Kat Graham), but the couple we're really digging is sexy vampire BFFs Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Klaus (Joseph Morgan). And just wait till you see the bloody damage they do on this week's episode. But first, the actors talk about relationships, redemption, being British and playing bad. TV Guide Magazine: You wreak havoc so well together. You were buddies before Joseph joined the show, weren't you? Wesley: We met through friends and immediately had a good rapport. Joseph's a really cool guy and so when I was talking with [executive producer] Julie Plec about Klaus, I said, "You have to look into this guy Joseph Morgan." Morgan: I wondered why Julie told casting to call me! Wesley: And six months later I heard he was cast. TV Guide Magazine: Your characters are murdering their way through America, trying to build a hybrid werewolf-vampire army. What's it like to collaborate on such intense, blood-soaked scenes? Morgan: Klaus really just wants companionship with someone as dark, if not darker, than he is, so the more we delve into Stefan the Ripper, the more fun we have. Wesley: What's cool, too, is that our characters have this history. Stefan just found out that he'd been compelled to forget that Klaus and he were pals in the past. It's completely shocking to him, but it makes him see Klaus not just as this archetypal evil guy. He's suddenly a guy that Stefan empathizes with. Morgan: I'm so excited to see how far Stefan will go. I wonder whether he'll surpass Klaus in his evilness. Wesley: I'm all for that! TV Guide Magazine: Sounds like you're having a blast playing Ripper Stefan. Wesley: It's like a weight is off my shoulders, honestly. I was getting down on Stefan in Season 2. He needed to show some more flaws. You never saw him enjoying himself because he was always protecting everyone. So it's nice to not have this oppressive air of him always needing to do something the right way. TV Guide Magazine: But how bad can Stefan go before he can't be forgiven? He's supposed to be the show's romantic hero! Wesley: Even when he's so far gone that you think there's no way we're ever going to like or trust this guy again, I still believe the writers have the capability of redeeming him. Morgan: Damon's been forgiven. For a lot. But with my character killing Aunt Jenna [Sara Canning], I do wonder if there is any redemption there. Wesley: I think it's very simple to redeem you. Morgan: You'll forgive me? Wesley: Yes, but I'm biased. TV Guide Magazine: This sounds like a real bromance. Morgan: It's sounding a bit suspect. We need to tone it down! TV Guide Magazine: Will this be a long-term relationship? Morgan: I don't think someone's going to pop up and re-compel Stefan next week and everything goes back to normal and he's with Elena. Like in every relationship, it will get more complicated and build more layers. I am excited to see where it goes. Wesley: Am I going to get an Episode 13 breakup text from you? Morgan: I won't do it by text. TV Guide Magazine: In between the killings, can fans expect any romantic interludes for these guys? Wesley: When there's so much evil to do, there's not a lot of room for really emotional, visceral romance. What do you think, dude? Morgan: I wonder how Klaus would react to a romantic interest. He is an absolute self-involved egomaniac. But at least he is protective of his sister Rebecca [Claire Holt], so that's been a nice change. TV Guide Magazine: Julie Plec suggests that Klaus wasn't born evil but that his parents just didn't love him enough. Morgan: Yeah, he's the product of a dysfunctional family. The father of his siblings isn't his father - his mother had an affair with someone from a werewolf bloodline. So there's always been that feeling of not being loved as much as his siblings. He carries his entire family around in boxes. I love that. He's killed them all but he wants to keep them close. Now he wants Stefan and this hybrid army to be his new family, to replace the love he's missing. TV Guide Magazine: But Stefan is keeping something pretty big from Klaus, the fact that Elena did not die during the sacrifice. Morgan: [That secret] needs to come out if that friendship is ever going to progress. Wesley: Every relationship is about trust, Klaus. Otherwise we have to break up. [They laugh.] TV Guide Magazine: Has Stefan found out about Elena and Damon's growing closeness? What will he do? Wesley: He suspects. But the more he gives in to his Ripper ways, the less concerned he is. The further he is from Elena, the further away he is from his humanity. Morgan: Stefan and Elena needed to be pulled apart; we had to see more turmoil. Also, there is a big Damon and Elena team out there rooting for them to be together. TV Guide Magazine: At some point, doesn't it seem that Stefan will have to choose between Klaus and Elena? Wesley: If I had to speculate, I would think that would be a compelling and dramatic way of kicking off the story. Or maybe something will happen to Klaus. Morgan: [Laughs] I don't know how much I would fancy Klaus' chances. But there's always going to be that connection between Elena and Stefan. So maybe eventually, that will win. Won't it? TV Guide Magazine: Romantic! This is your first American series, Joseph. What kind of tips did you give him, Paul? Wesley: I just told him not to be so damned British! None of that "cheerio" crap. Morgan: So I try to put as many cheerios in as I can. The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

VES to honor Douglas Trumbull

TrumbullDouglas Trumbull will receive the Visual Effects Society's 2012 Georges Melies Award, honoring those who have made significant, pioneering contributions to the vfx biz. VES chair Jeffrey A. Okun called Trumbull as "an innovator in all things entertainment." Trumbull's work in f/x can be seen in "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Blade Runner." In addition to his effects work, Trumbull helmed films such as "Silent Running" and "Brainstorm." The f/x guru has been honored in the past with the American Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award and was recently named a VES Fellow."My philosophy is that everything in a movie is an illusion of some kind. I am very excited that the industry today is now embracing 3D, higher frame rates and other opportunities that...we in the VES can provide," Trumbull said.Award will be presented to Trumbull at the 10th annual VES Awards at the Beverly Hilton Feb. 7. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Rankings: 2 . 5 Males Declines

Jenny McCarthy and Ashton Kutcher 2 . 5 Males began so large that a 4th consecutive week of decline has quit it with alluring amounts. The -brought CBS sitcom at 9/8c entertained 16.20 million fans and obtained a 5.9 rating among 18-to-49-year-olds Monday evening. Most network implies that evening hit season lows facing the main league 2010 nfl playoffs on Fox, in addition to Monday Evening Football -- which obtained 16.38 million audiences --and Kim Kardashian's "fairy-tale" wedding. Some 4.39 million people and three.98 million viewed the 2-part wedding extravaganza Sunday and Monday nights, correspondingly, on E! Hank Williams Junior. creates song, seems on talk shows after Hitler-Obama uproar The American League Division Series contest between your Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers went a lot more than 50 minutes in to the first hour of prime time, garnering 6.57 million fans along with a 1.9 rating within the valued demo while pushing back both scheduled Fox shows. Meanwhile, CBS sitcoms Generate An Income Met Your Mother attracted 8.89 million fans (4.) and a pair of Broke Women 10.71 million (4.3) and also the CW's Gossip Girl 1.27 million (.6). Read our Dwts recap Also beginning at 8, Dwts averaged the night's greatest viewership at 16.79 million (3.), and NBC's The Sing-Off 4.35 million (1.5 rating) over two hrs. In prime time's middle hour, Terra Nova skidded to 7 million - lower from last week's 8.31 million audiences, which itself marked a good 8 percent decrease from the debut. Following a 3.1 demo rating within the first couple of days, the Fox sci-fi thriller sank to some 2.5. The 3rd episode from the CW's Hart of Dixie fell to at least one.57 million along with a .6 from 1.78 million along with a .8. Browse the relaxation from the day's news on TVGuide.com Following Males, Week 3 of Mike & Molly attracted 11.sixty five million (3.9) - a large drop-removed from a week ago (13.24 million /4.3). In prime time's final hour, NBC put within the towel, managing a repeat of Prime Suspect to exchange The Playboy Club, which grew to become the very first cancellation from the 2011-12 TV season a week ago. The rerun got 2.92 million people (.7). ABC's Castle nabbed probably the most audiences within the slot for that 4th straight week - 10.23 million (2.1) - versus. CBS' Hawaii Five- with 10.07 million (2.7). An hour or so after usual due to the overall game, House known as on 6.85 million (2.7).

The Simpsons Executive Producer Al Jean the way the Show Was Saved

The Simpsons Mmmmm... contract renewal. Things were searching harsh yesterday for your Simpsons, since the possibility loomed the new deal involving the voice stars and last century Fox TV might not happen.Now, having a completely new pact in place together with a 24th and 25th season secure, The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean notifies TV Guide Magazine the discussions had really been happening for many days without resolve. Things began to exhibit around the other day after he and fellow executive producers Matt Groening and James L. Brooks sitting lower while using stars."I used to be always cautiously positive," Jean states. "Sometimes for Fox however represent the show, which i really like the cast, therefore i don't get involved prior to the very finish where we're saying, 'OK you will notice a deal or else a deal, it's under me however hope there's.' Once we spoken for the cast in those days I used to be very positive it absolutely was very apparent in my opinion simply how much they loved the show and the way much they preferred to carry on doing the work.InchEven though the deals are between last century Fox TV as well as the stars, Brooks remains proven to smooth things in between each side formerly - and also the attorney, Mike Fischer, has every once in awhile walked straight into resolve stalemates throughout previous standoffs.Jean won't divulge more understanding about how exactly this settlement switched around (the heavens had wanted a little from the show's back-finish profits, but last century Fox TV handled to obtain apparent that wasn't an option), but states, "It definitely is helpful to own two effective males, Jim and Matt they require the show to continue but want that it's a good show. Their motives are apparent."Now, even though it's been thought the 25th season might be the Simpsons' last, Jean states there's pointless to consider the show won't continue extended beyond that. More youthful crowd gives some knowledge of when fans could possibly get another Simpsons movie in theaters.TV Guide Magazine: It absolutely was each week of uncertainty, nevertheless it introduced around this being resolved rather quickly. Walk me through what went lower. Was there's one minute that you thought maybe it had been throughout?Ing Jean: It absolutely was certainly serious because we won't happen to be cut in exactly the same amount the show now costs. Fox had really showed up at us several days ago by getting an analysis basically saying, DVD sales are less, foreign revenues are less, and that we really are a very pricey show. They mentioned, "This is just what we should have the budget lower to," that was distributed towards the cast not long ago. Plus it just increased being public yesterday, which happens when everything switched in the "settlement" to have an "impasse." We have got mislabeled with the verifying. One factor that was really false, it absolutely was never spoken going to complete just one more year. It absolutely was going with the idea to finish, or perform a the least two more years.If this involves the mortality in the show, I wound up in an undesirable vehicle accident on Thursday, although I'm fine. But if you undergo that, you aren't going, "I'm with the mortality in the Simpsons." You're just glad you're alive. Yeah, there's an opportunity The Simpsons may have ended, however this didn't, because we value everyone's contribution, specially the cast, which we love the show and also keep on doing the work.Television Guide Magazine: The Simpsons renegotiations generally happen in the year. Why did all this come down at this time around?Jean: The network mentioned, either we have a deal where we're set, or we'll just announce that people 're going in the air. We'd have prepared an ending for your show, which we still needed time to do, even though it will likely be annually from now.TV Guide Magazine: The idea of recasting the roles wasn't an option this time around around (appreciate it was throughout a young renegotiation more than about ten years ago). Why was this is this is not on the table?Jean: Every settlement I've ever attempted, it is not an option. These stars are these figures. There's pointless and provide people under what you've grown to love over 23 years.TV Guide Magazine: When these studies started arriving illustrating how News Corp. ended up being to create a lot more money once the Simpsons stopped the atmosphere, did that offer you pause whatsoever? Jean: This is among people things they told us six several days ago. It had been told for the cast and everyone involved. Incidentally, I will say you will discover other budget cuts and possess been other budget cuts formerly couple of years because of this. In my opinion the Fox network as well as the studio, they were really searching for a means to keep the show going. I figured them after they mentioned the show had become too pricey it forget about made financial sense within the level i had been at. Nonetheless they still loved the show and preferred to carry on it.TV Guide Magazine: Even though it might have been more profitable to seal it lower?Jean: That was an authentic debate. It's a large company, and you'll find certainly people whose interests might have been better provided by ending it. People interests were superceded because we're still valuable for the network if this involves our ratings. We still double our lead-in every single Sunday.TV Guide Magazine: Among the budget cuts were a reduction in salary for your producers. Is it possible to consult with where else things were trimmed?Jean: They all are round the budget. We will not discuss specific areas or specific people salaries. But everything mixed up in show, within the animation as well as the publish-production for the writing, yes. But this really is really the planet we live in. Everyone involved, especially me, thinks this is often a terrific place to operate. You will discover lots of economic difficulties that people face now, I'd never complain about anything we're requiring to complete.Television Guide Magazine: As animation production has changed, had you been able to find some efficiencies there?Jean: Digital animation (has aided). You will discover initial startup costs, but with time it's less pricey. Personally, i tend not to express "cheaper animation" since it looks a lot better than it ever has, but sometimes money was saved... With personal computers you're in a position to understand different savings when you still refine the strategy. There's a sizable cost incurred for switching to high def, however that people have been in high def we could realize some savings too.TV Guide Magazine: When Harry Shearer launched his statement on Friday, the thing that was the response, and managed to get happen guide a deal along?Jean: Really the only comment I'd make is the stars are very valuable and really should play in the wealth from the show. To be certain with all of people claims. The settlement determines with what manner that happens. We'd never execute a show with out them. In my opinion everyone which has labored for a while [has] certainly done perfectly with the Simpsons, and everyone is grateful with this. We will probably go forward now and settle the Basketball strike.TV Guide Magazine: You might can resolve Michael C. Hall's contract discussions for Dexter.Jean: We actually have a very little homage to Dexter inside our Halloween show developing October 30. And that we are actually proud our Halloween episode airs before Halloween this year.Tv Guide Magazine: When the two-year renewal showed up in this area, we're able to not help but notice the actual way it brings us to that particular nice 25-year number. What's your sense of when the Simpsons will finish next?Jean: Nobody can predict just what the future holds. But the fact we have got the cost lower is, for me, a very large hope that individuals can continue beyond people two seasons. They never mentioned, "You need to finish it." They mentioned, "You need to uncover a method to ensure that it could continue into the future."TV Guide Magazine: So thirty years?Jean: I'm so positive I'm improving it to fifty years now.TV Guide Magazine: Everybody are approaching Gunsmoke's 635-episode record. Is always that something to need to?Jean: A little, but honestly, you don't do this only to break records. You are doing this because you think you'll be able to still do funny shows. We just stood a table read of next year's Halloween episode, which went great. Help with these reads and discover how funny it's, as well as the cast being great, and you also tell yourself, "Because of this you need to training.InchTelevision Guide Magazine: Plus, nowadays, even when you place from the atmosphere, there's opportunity to restore these franchises later on, like Futurama or Family Guy.Jean: So extrapolating that, we'll be round the air 75 years. Animation is evergreen. I've quit trying to forecast it. I'd just say, don't wager against us. We really kill ourselves and also hardwearing . show funny and current.TV Guide Magazine: Can you really execute a final episode in the Simpsons? That seems as being a tall order.Jean: We now have done cases of The Simpsons that might have been great final episodes, like the one where Bette Davis was Maggie's voice in Season Four. But we will not say, "Watch this last episode as well as the idea of existence will probably be revealed." Sometimes shows put themselves in the box by trying to promise that. Everyone knows a number of things we wish our last episode not to be. That which you do wish it to be is great, consistent with the show and funny.TV Guide Magazine: Will there be ever a location that you revisit a spin-off? There is not talk of just one since the expects to carry out a live-action Krusty the Clown show was scrapped in 1994.Jean: That was the only real person who got close. For me, in the event you start watering lower that world you start losing something.TV Guide Magazine: Since that is taken proper care of, we could go back to asking of a second Simpsons movie.Jean: Oh, seriously! I've been in the view when we've did another movie, which might be exciting, it may be whenever the run in the show ended. Therefore I guess what is the news can be a Simpsons movie remains pressed back another couple of years no less than.Tv Guide Magazine: You're always working while watching overall game, keeping some episodes remaining for the next year. Stood a deal not closed, when are you able to have exhaust fresh episodes?Jean: Season 23 might have been the ultimate recorded season, the completely new episodes may have broadcast through December 2012, in compliance while using finish around the world in line with the Mayan Calendar. I guess we beat the conjecture.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

The X Factor Recap: Meet the Final 32!

Can you believe it's already time to narrow the X Factor field to just 32? Ready or not, here it comes... but not before we see the rest of the "ensemble" performances and one last round of (sometimes embarrassingly bad) solo performances. So, who made it to the semifinals? And which category will each judge be mentoring? Let's find out!Hey guys! Guess what? Tonight is the night the acts get split into four categories! You know how I know...because Steve Jones tells me after Every. Single. Commercial. Break. Oof. In any case, before we can get to that, we have to finish what was started on Wednesday night.An ensemble including Brennin Hunt, Chris "Little Homey" Rene, his sister Gina, Marcus "One to Watch" Canty sing Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" I won't say it was perfect, but there were no huge disasters. And I will agree with Simon: Marcus was pretty amazing.Next are some quick shots of groups performing "Kids in America" and "I'm Every Woman." Since none of the singers were mentioned individually, I think we can assume they aren't important and won't be making it to the judges' houses. They're followed by a group containing Matthew Slovacek, the duo Kingston, Tim Cifers, and Hannah Bethel. Although their performance of "Love Song" was far from my favorite, it may have been the best top-to-bottom group song we've seen. Each person got a chance to shine, particularly Tim Cifers, who I, like Simon, gained a new respect for after this number.Next up a group containing The Brewer Boys, Hannah Jackson, Emma Henry, Henry Bredouw, and Christa Collins absolutely murders Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars." And then they stomped on its corpse. Seriously, the first half of the song was an awkward mess of people trying too hard to make the song "their own." The Brewer Boys finally got it back on track, and it ended well, but ...that version would have never made it on Grey's Anatomy. (Or as L.A. Reid said of one of the contestants: She's got energy, but, boy, she cant sing!")After the ensemble rounds, the judges cut the 100 or so acts down by a third. There are lots of tears, and even a few American Idol-inspired yell-at-the-camera moments. "I'm just too talented" argues one eliminee. Sure, sweetheart, sure.The remaining contestants choose from a list of 35 songs. The task is to pick a tune that best represents you as an artist. Also, after spending the night rehearsing, the acts will not only perform for the judges, but also 3,000 fans in the theater. What follows is a five-words-or-less review of most of the solos that were featured.Rachel Crow, "If I Were a Boy": Adorable, surprisingly mature and passionate.Audrey Turner, "Aint No Mountain": MehPaige Ogle, "Somewhere Only We Know": Boring. Wrong songTiger Budbill, "Billie Jean": Solid. Chris Cornell's cover's better.Josh Crajcik, "Up to the Mountain": Soulful, strong, but shouty. (Aside: Anyone else thinks he looks a little like the Cheshire Cat?)Simone Battle, "Your Song": Forgetful. (No really, she forgot, like, all the words and just made up stuff about how bad she wanted in.)What followed was a montage of just awful arrangements that eventually led to Simon shutting down the show. He chided the producers to tell the kids to get their act together. Back to short, sweet reviews of the solos.Stereo Hogzz, "Cry Me A River": More dancing than singing.Stacey Francis, "Summertime": Overrated. (I know I will get grief for this since she told a sad story about her father dying on the first day of boot camp. And while I probably would have gone to the funeral, I get why she stayed to follow her dream. But singing big notes and holding them for a long time is only impressive when they are in tune. And she's sharp a whole, whole lot.)Tiah Tolliver, "It's a Man's World": Don't know. Distracted by bangs.Cari Fletcher, "I'm Already There": SnoozefestLeroy Bell, "Feel My Love": Quiet, but honest and powerful.And so, the judges deliberate one final time. Nicole argues. Simon scolds. Paula looks confused. L.A. speaks very calmly and slowly and precisely and...we have our finalists! My overall take: This is a predictable bunch. Why do I say that? Because nearly every semifinalist has been heavily featured while many of the ones left crying on stage I've never seen before that moment. In any case, here's how it breaks down:THE GIRLSCaitlin KochTora WoloshinSimone BattleDrew RyniewiczRachel CrowJazlyn LittleMelanie AmaroTiah TolliverTHE BOYS Brennin HuntBrian BradleySkyelor AndersonNick VossTim CifersPhillip LomaxMarcus CantyChris ReneGROUPSStereo Hogzz2Squared4 ShoreThe Brewer BoysIllusion ConfusionThe AnserOVER 30sElaine GibbsTiger BudbillLeroy BellJames KenneyJosh KrajcikKrista CollinsDexter HaygoodStacey FrancisThe only real surprise to me is that Chris Rene's sister Gina, who was featured alongside him through much of boot camp didn't make it. Again, I am hard-pressed to think of a contestant I really got to know who didn't move on.But wait! That's only 30 acts. That's because instead of sending through some groups they didn't like, the judges grabbed a whole crop of solo singers and formed two new groups. One is a four-member all-girl group while the other is a massive 10-singer collective from the boys and girls groups. Some were familiar, some weren't, but all their names weren't given. I am sure we will meet them all in the judges' homes.Speaking of the judges, here's how the mentoring will break down.Nicole: Over 30sL.A.: BoysPaula: GroupsSimon: GirlsSince Nicole was in a group, I would have probably swapped her and Paula. Or maybe given the groups to L.A. But, as the producers sort of showed, I think this will be a battle between L.A. and Simon's teams, though the judges all agreed that the Over 30s might be the most talented group. In any case, Simon notes that the judges aren't a team anymore. "Nobody wants to lose," he says.Are you happy with the finalists? And the mentor assignments? Do you already see a winner in this bunch? Sound off in the comments! show less

Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries Renew Vows, Talk Baby Plans

First Released: October 5, 2011 6:06 PM EDT Credit: The Ellen DeGeneres Show Caption Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries renew their vows around the Ellen Degeneres Show on October 5, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Bride and groom Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries happen to be married for under two several weeks, but because of Ellen DeGeneres the cute couple has restored their own vows. Throughout a look and feel on Wednesdays The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the comedienne gave Kim and Kris the chance to resume their commitment in private, and asked the happy couple by what theyd change regarding their glamorous wedding when they had the opportunity. Should you could got married again, what can you in a different way? Ellen requested. Elope, Kim clarified. Really? a surprised Kris responded. I'd say longer after party. I'd say longer after party, however i am crazy in love with a whole month I literally I went crazy, Kim described. It had been so demanding. Furthermore, within an interview with E! on Tuesday evening, Kim says using the hectic wedding in it, the pair is starting to consider contributing to their loved ones. I believe we'd wait like, annually before we actually start attempting to have kids, Kim told the network when requested about baby plans. I believe you want to determine where [Kris] is gonna play and determine his career and when we must clean up and move somewhere, such as the Area. You never know? For exactly what the future holds for that reality royalty, Kris stated he hopes to possess a large family. Plenty of kidshaving fun together, understanding that we are able to have some fun which existence is fun which we are able to spend some time together and support one another, he told E!. Kim and Kris large day will air like a two-part special, Kims Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event, on October 9 and 10 on E!. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AFM Encourages AFTRA Effort to attain Recording Agreement

The American Federation of Music artists originates out meant for AFTRA within the latter's rocky discussions using the record labels."The AFM supports our AFTRA siblings and siblings within their effort to achieve a reasonable agreement using the seem recording industry," stated the business within an exclusive statement to "The Hollywood Reporter."As THR formerly reported, AFTRA is "very frustrated" using the pace of discussions using the major record labels and over the past weekend required the step of inching towards a strike posture. The particular probability of a strike is unknown, but AFTRA's metabolic rate takes a 75% affirmative election, of individuals voting, to be able to authorize a strike.The union's existing agreement using the labels expires December 31, but AFTRA's seem recording deals are often arrived at 3 or 4 several weeks out. That isn't happened this time around, despite three days of conferences to date.One more day's talks are scheduled for Wednesday.Meanwhile, AFM's own seem recording labor agreement expired in The month of january of the year. Discussions using the industry started in The month of january and can resume later this month.The 2 unions have complementary jurisdiction within the recording area: AFTRA signifies recording artists for example performers, whereas AFM signifies music artists and certain others. The Hollywood Reporter

Apple Introduces iPhone 4S With Voice Control Features

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced a new iPhone at a press event Tuesday and while it was not the rumored iPhone 5, the new model dubbed the "iPhone 4S" is going to win lots of fans for its new features. Siri, Apple's new voice control assistant, which is exclusive to the iPhone 4S, is going to blow people away. Think HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey come to life.our editor recommends'Evil Dead' iPad and iPhone Shooter Game Launching 5 Questions For Tuesday's Rumored iPhone 5 LaunchApple's Tim Cook: 5 Things to Know About the New CEO On the surface the iPhone 4S looks exactly like the existing iPhone 4, but it has a supercharged engine under the hood. The 4S uses the same A5 chip found in the iPad2, so it offers 2X the processing speed and 7X the graphic performance of the existing iPhone. Apple has also tweaked the battery so the phone delivers eight hours of 3G talk time, ten hours of video watching, or forty hours of music. The most impressive new hardware feature is the upgraded 8MP camera, which delivers 3264 by 2448 resolution and the ability to print beautiful looking 8x10 inch photos. It can also record 1080p HD video. Said Cook, "We set our sights on competing with the best point-and-shoot camera." PHOTOS: 9 Highest Paid Entertainment CEOs The iPhone 4S is a world phone, combining GSM and CDMA technology in the same model for the first time. In real world terms, this means the end of separate Verizon and ATT models and the introduction of a model for Sprint. Americans can now use their phone while roaming in Europe or Asia with less concern about compatibility with foreign carriers. The new iPhone 4S will come in 16GB/32GB/64GB models priced at $199/$299/$399 with a two year contract. Preorders start Oct. 7 and delivery begins on Oct. 14. Apple also introduced a budget iPhone 4 with 8GB of storage for $99 with a two-year contract and made the 3GS free with contract. The killer feature in the iPhone 4S is the new voice assistant dubbed Siri (after the company Apple bought which pioneered the underlying technology). Siri allows users to have a natural language conversation with their iPhone. Scott Forstall, the Apple executive in charge of iOS development, asked, "What is the weather today?" The phone replied, "Here is the weather for today," displaying the weather on the screen. Forstall then said, "Do I need a raincoat today?" "It sure looks like rain today," answered the phone.. "Wake me up at 6 a.m.," asked Forstall. "O.K., I've set an alarm for 6 a.m. tomorrow," replied the phone. Apple has also set up partnerships with Yelp and Wolfram Alpha so the iPhone can answer more sophisticated questions. For example, to "find me a great Greek restaurant in Palo Alto," the phone responded, "I've located 14 Greek restaurants. Five are in Palo Alto. I've sorted them by rating." Or when asked to "define mitosis," the phone spoke a definition. Forstall asks Siri, "Who are you?" Siri replies, "I am a humble personal assistant." PHOTOS: Super Bowl's Most Iconic Ads, With Macintosh '1984' Commercial Compared to Siri, the other new software features pale in comparison. Apple announced that iCloud, its cloud storage system will launch October 12. iCloud allows users to re-download music purchased on iTunes anytime and anywhere there is Wi-Fi or cellular reception. For an extra $24.99 iTunes Match will extend this feature to a user's entire music library.Cards allows a user to design a greeting card on an iOS device, email it to Apple, and the company will print it out on high quality paper and snail mail it for $2.99 to U.S. addresses and $4.99 internationally. Apple also added "Find My Friends" which allows users to locate friends and family on a map, provided they also own an iPhone and have given permission. Apple also updated its iPod lineup. It introduced a new iPod touch that is slimmer, faster, and cheaper than the existing model. It will also now come in black and white models. The Touch will come in 8GB/32GB/64GB models priced at $199/$299/$399. Apple updated the software on the iPod nano to make it easier to navigate and built the Nike run+ feature right into the nano. It dropped the price to $129 for 8GB and $149 for 16B. As just a piece of hardware, the iPhone 4S is a nice upgrade, but combined with Siri, the new iPhone is going to be a massive hit for Apple. Related Topics Apple

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Amanda Knox Appeal Brings Courtroom to Tears in Perugia, Italy (Video)

Amanda Knox brought the jury and journalists to tears in a Perugia, Italy courtroom Monday after insisting she did not kill her British roommate four years ago.our editor recommendsAmanda Knox's Lawyers Threaten Lawsuit if Lifetime Doesn't Scrap MovieLifetime Announces 'Amanda Knox,' Unscripted Series Premieres "I've lost a friend in the worst, most brutal, most inexplicable way possible," she said in an emotional, 10-minute address. Watch below. Her roommate Meredith Kercher, 21 was found stabbed to death in her bedroom in 2007. In 2009, Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Kercher. Knox was sentenced to 26 years (she has been jailed for four years), and Sollecito to 25. They have both denied involvement. STORY: 27 Fact Flubs in Hayden Panettiere's Amanda Knox Movie? A jury may overturn the conviction Monday; Judge Claudio Pratillo Hellmann said it would not return from deliberations before 11 a.m. PT. The verdict will be broadcast live. CBS News reports that there are hundreds of reporters and cameras outside the courtroom. "I'm paying with my life for things that I didn't do," Knox added in Italian while fighting back tears and occasionally pausing to catch her breath, CBS News reports. PHOTOS: The Faces of Broadcast and Cable News "She had her bedroom next to mine, she was killed in our own apartment. If I had been there that night, I would be dead," Knox said. "But I was not there." "I did not kill. I did not rape. I did not steal. I wasn't there. I wasn't there at the crime," Knox went on. "I insist I'm innocent and that must be defended. I just want to go home, go back to my life." 48 Hours Mystery's Peter Van Sant says that several members of the jury openly wept, as did journalists who have been covering the case. Sollecito -- who met Knox just as he was finishing up his graduate degree -- also addressed the courtroom Monday: "I never hurt anyone, never in my life." The murder weapon recently underwent more DNA testing that ruled Knox's DNA was "proved to be insufficient to convict." STORY: Lifetime's Amanda Knox Telepic Draws Decent Ratings Hayden Panettiere starred in a Lifetime movie, Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial in Italy. Related Topics Hayden Panetierre Amanda Knox

Wall Street protests roil Gotham

Tensions happen to be rising between your Occupy Wall Street protesters and also the NYPD on Saturday, 100s of demonstrators were detained attempting to mix the Brooklyn Bridge. The audience was permitted to the bridge through the police after which corralled and forced back to the Manhattan side where some 700 everyone was arrested and held.The protest, loosely organized by activist group Anonymous, has created sympathy actions in Boston, La, Bay Area, Chicago and Tigard, Ore. The audience makes no demands, but has camped in Zuccotti Park at a corner of Cedar plank and Trinity in Manhattan's financial district for pretty much three days. On Friday, gossips of the appearance by politically active band Radiohead spread with the media, but ultimately switched to be false."Basically was planning this, I'd tell people Jesus was coming," stated one youthful lady in the protest, who didn't leave her with title.The audience appears to possess ready for the lengthy haul, despite not getting made any concrete demands. Steve Cruz, 24, told Variety he was in the rally "because my whole existence I had been told, 'go to school or else you will not obtain a job. I visited college and that i don't work, and companies are earning increasingly more and never even having to pay taxes." Smith's story was repeated with slightly different particulars by many people people from the crowd. One lady knitted and offered grocery bags and middle-finger-only mitts. "It is the only job I have nailed now," she stated. "I give half the cash towards the kitchen."The "kitchen" would be a loosely-put together assortment of food that various cooks passed out, totally free, to anybody who requested. The audience also had medical facilities and "comfort," which provided blankets and pillows. The only real essential not given was the restroom. "The folks at Carl's junior happen to be great,Inch stated Cruz. "Hamburger King will not serve us."Generally, the protest is from the influence of corporate America around the country's government signs are the reasonable ("Individuals who make money from the suffering of other medication is immoral!") towards the completely strange ("Glenn Beck was fired for subjecting the Given, so... who runs the united states?Inch).The busts are just the most recent flare-up between protesters and city authorities a week ago, a officer was caught on video allegedly pepper-squirting several twentysomething ladies who made an appearance to happen to be subdued. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Dolphin Tale Leaps Moneyball To #1 But New Pics Weak: 50/50 #4, Courageous #5, Dream House #5, Whats Your Number? #8

SATURDAY PM, 4TH UPDATE: Still on vacation in a different time zone. Unfortunately, my definition of time off still involves working almost 24/7. Yes, the newest numbers have changed the order yet again tonight and probably in the morning, too. The studios don’t agree, either. (Oh no, another confused weekend like the last one!)This crop of four freshmen failed to make much of a dent in moviegoing because holdovers still ruled the North American box office. But overall the weekend is up +10%from last year.Analysis coming. Here’s theTop 10: 1. Dolphin Tale (Alcon, Warner Bros) Week 2 [3,515 Theaters] Friday $3.4M, Saturday $6.5M,Weekend $14.3M (-25%), Estimated Cume $37.5M Terrific hold as Alcon uncorks anotherfeel goodfavorite. But the cume is stilllagging. And DreamWorks Animation/Paramount just pushed up the release of Puss ‘N’ Boots to October 28th — which will deprive Dolphin Tale of an extra week of alone time with families. 2. Moneyball (Sony) Week 2 [2,993 Theaters] Friday $3.8M, Saturday $5.5M,Weekend $12.2M (-37%), Estimated Cume$38.2M Excellent hold especially for a 2-quadrant pic. ButMoneyball‘s cume needsmore beer and peanuts. 3. Lion King 3D (Disney) Week 3 [2,340 Theaters] Friday $3.3M, Saturday $4.5M,Weekend$11M, Estimated Cume $79.6M Very impressive, still for this juiced uptoon. Snarked a rival studio exec, “I could have told them about that 2-weeks-only crap…” By the way, remind me to tell you aboutthe months of meetingsDisney’s Frankeneisnerledabout the story problems posed by ‘lion cub incest’ for the sequel after the originalwasreleased. Onlyon Dopey Drive… 4. 50/50 (Summit/Mandate) NEW [2,458 Theaters] Friday $2.8M, Saturday $3.8M,Weekend $9M The first thingto ponderabout this male Terms Of Endearment is that James McAvoy was supposed to play the guy with cancer. Instead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt came in at the last minute. Now it’s hard to imagine this truthful dramedy starring anyone else. Levitt is really becoming one of the most interesting young actors around even if he’s not box office — yet.Summit Entertainment and Mandate Pictures gave50/50 a surprisingly wide release this weekend: in the old days this pic would have been platformed so audiences could “find” it. But these days, with the skyrocketing costs of marketing, there’s simply no time or purpose to doing that anymore. (“It was always envisioned as a wide release picture as opposed to platformbecause of its playability,” an insider tells me.) Problem is, Summit thought the film wouldopen around the low double-digits. Nope, despite an ‘A-’ CinemaScore from audiences. On the other hand,studio sources claim the films negative cost is only $8 million. The question now is whether strong word of mouth will allow this pic toplay for several weeks and end up with a decent cume.As you must know by now,the screenwriter Will Reiserbased the story in part on his own life, and filmmaker Jonathan Levinepromoted not only the film and but alsocancer awareness.Pre-release, 50/50 was tracking well with both male and females and with older and younger audiences showing interest. Butthe really downer disease just kept audiences away despite partnershipswith leading national Cancer support groups likeStand Up To Cancer and Lance Armstrong’s Livestrongas well as many regional orgs.Marketing-wise, the film at first was positioned as a broad Seth Rogen comedy (not another one!). But thenthe studio imbued it with the feel ofa specialty film. TV buys focused on younger movie-goers first and then expanded to older males and females based on the evolved positioning. Summit beganan extensive word-of-mouth screening program in early August and premiered it at the Toronto Film Festival to a standing ovation. People, don’t complain about Hollywood’s crappy movies if you won’t support thequality ones. I’m truly disappointed that this movie didn’t do better.It deserves to be seen. 5. Courageous (Sony) NEW [1,161 Theaters] Friday $3.1M, Saturday $3.2M,Weekend $8.7M This movie was Fireproof 2 — only substitute fatherhood problems for marriage woes, and law enforcement officers for firefighters. Like most of these faith-based films, Sherwood Pictures’ Courageous was front-loaded because of pre-sales and church groups bussed totheaters. But Sony initially expected a mid-teens opening weekend even though it was playing in more than half as many locations as the other new releases.Still, it made the best per-screen average and rated a rare ‘A+’ CinemaScoreacross the board with men and women of all ages.Plus, these pics cost next-to-nuthin’ –Courageous made back its$2 million production budget in its first day ofrelease. Sherwood Pictures is based in Albany, Georgia, where moviemaking ministry Sherwood Baptist Church churns out these inspirational films aimed at Christians.Sony Pictures’s secular TV media was concentrated in outlets like Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Hallmark Channel, TLC, Lifetime, and TV Land as well asmore conservative-leaning outlets ranging from Fox News, CMT to Christian Broadcasting Network and Gospel Music Channel. The marketing budgetwas “modest and grassroots’, I’m told.Like Fireproof (2008), Facing The Giants (2006), Flywheel (2003), and the co-writers wereStephen Kendrick, who also produced,and Alex Kendrick, who also directed. They, along withproducers Michael Catt and Jim McBridetogethermake every movie decision at Sherwood where the four-man team also serve as pastors of the church.Fireproof opened at No. 4 in the nation this same time of year in 2008, eventually grossing $33 million theatrically, and becoming the No. 1 independent film that annum. It also was the highest-selling DVD in the nation the week of its release in January 2009. But it also starred former TV teen hearthrob Kirk Cameron, and Courageous was cast with unknowns. 6. Dream House (Morgan Creek/Universal) NEW [2,661 Theaters] Friday $2.9M, Saturday $3.7M, Weekend $8.8M Jim Robinson’s Morgan Creek shows yet again that it can’t make or market a movie to save its life. It can’t even handle publicity:MC’s moronsapparently can’t find my email address because I’ve received nada from them about this opener.Universal was just distributing; Morgan Creek paid for and did everything else. Directed by Jim Sheridan and starringDaniel Craig, Naomi Watts, and Rachel Weisz, they all must have needed the paydaybecause they’reway toomajor to do this critically-reviled drivel from a script credited to David Loucka. Seriously, this derivative haunted house tale gives new meaning to the definition of derivative. Worst were those TV ads thatstole scenes from The Shining. I think it’shigh time that the insufferable Robinson switches professions and starts selling used cars instead of used movies. 7.Abduction (Lionsgate) Week 2 [3,118 Theaters] Friday $1.7M, Saturday $2.6M,Weekend$5.7M (-47%), Estimated Cume $19.2M 8. What’s Your Number? (Fox) NEW [3,002 Theaters] Friday $2M, Saturday $2.1M, Weekend $5.3M Anna Faris is the modern-day Goldie Hawn: it’simpossible not to like her. Unless you put her in a reallylousy R-rated New Regency fully-financed movie like this that Fox surrounded with a muddled marketing campaign vascillating between a female-empowerment pic and a run-of-the-mill rom-com. Problem is, daters haven’t talked about their “number” since the mid-1980s when sexually-transmitted diseases were scaring the bejesus out of singles. Audiences gave What’s Your Number? a ‘B’ CinemaScore. Pic cost only $20M.Its cost to Anna’s career may be more.(I’d like to see Faris in that remake of Hawn’sPrivate Benjamin she was supposed to do for New Line. It earned Goldie a Best Actress Oscar nom.) Directed byMark Mylod and produced by Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson with screenplay credit given toGabrielle Allan & Jennifer Crittenden, based on the book 20 Times A Lady by Karyn Bosnak. 9. Contagion (Warner Bros) Week 4 [2,744 Theaters] Friday $1.4M, Saturday $2.3M,Weekend $5M, Estimated Cume $64.6M 10. Killer Elite (Open Road) Week 2 [2,986 Theaters] Friday $1.5M (-57%), Saturday $2.1M, Weekend $4.8M, Estimated Cume $17.4M FRIDAY 1 PM: These are very early numbers based on matinees. Therefore the order could change dramatically by tonight. My sources say that according to noon averages, this is simply a snapshot of where the North American box office is right now: 1. The #1 film at this time is Sony’s Courageous which is running 55% ahead of where Fireproof was at this time of day. (Fireproof went on to gross $6.8m for its first weekend. Estimates are for Courageous to earn $5M Friday and a weekend in the mid-teens. Not surprising that it’s trending in front right now because faith-based movies engender a lot of pre-sales as church groups bus to the theaters. 2. Right now it’s too close to call for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place as Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dolphin Tale, Sony Pictures’ Moneyball, and Disney’s Lion King 3 are all ranking close together. 5. Summit’s 50/50 is estimated at $3M for Friday with a weekend of $9M. Note that this film is R-rated so matinees are not a good barometer of its strength at the box office. 6. Based on noon averages, Universal’s Dream House is trending toward a Friday estimated gross of $4M with a weekend of $11M if the box office picks up significantly tonight as predicted. 7. Fox’s What’s Your Number is a tough call this early. It could go to $3M today and $9M this weekend.

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