Movies

How did Beyonce's album do compared to her first one? -- Sheretha

Two albums, two number one hits. Both her first album, "Dangerously In Love" and the follow up, "B'Day" soared to the top of the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. And Sheretha -- we're definitely not surprised by this!

Click here to read up on this multi-talented star and her latest movie, "Dreamgirls!" To get a glimpse or two of her glam gallery, take a look at this.

On today's NPR "Morning Edition," Robinson said he is "very upset" over the "false information" in the film. Talking about the character modeled after Motown founder Berry Gordy, Robinson said, "Nobody was paying us. So he (Gordy) borrowed $800 from his family's fund and started Motown so that we could be paid. And for him to be maligned and made out like this villainous character is very, very, very offensive to me."

Robinson took issue with the stars of the film, saying that they belittled their history: "Motown is Beyonce's heritage. Motown is Jamie Foxx's heritage. Motown is Eddie Murphy's heritage. You know what I mean? They're black people. They're young black people. America should be proud of Motown because Motown made a statement all over the world that America could be proud of."

Click here to listen to the full story.

What does an Oscar-nominated actor do to celebrate his achievement? He goes to the supermarket and gets a salad!

Mark Wahlberg was spotted two nights ago by one our TMZ spies at Whole Foods Market, just hours after the announcement of his nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "The Departed."

Our informant says that Wahlberg was wearing tattered clothing and had a full beard, reminiscent of Tom Hanks in "Castaway." He bought a bottle of vitamin water and a salad from the salad bar, alone!

Suvari recently hit the hip Suzanne Felsen jewelry shop in search of a pair of large hoop earrings with a bright gemstone that she could wear every day. (The Fred Leighton loaners are for Oscar night!) But when Mena arrived at the A-list haunt, it was so busy that she wound up waiting until closing time -- and helped the staff put away all the displayed jewelry! Now that's an "American Beauty."

Luckily, Mena's hard work paid off; she found a pair of 18K white gold hoops with amethysts, which retail for $3200, so says StyleChic's Aly Scott. Hopefully, she got the employee discount!

Johnny Depp's decorating tastes are "From Hell."

TMZ has learned that the Oscar-nominated actor's Hollywood Hills living room features a gruesome electric chair -- with a stuffed mannequin sitting in it, perhaps like the one in this image. Talk about a "Dead Man's Chest!"

A source tells TMZ that Johnny adorned the dummy with a knit skullcap, the latest in capital punishment chic!

Sounds like "21 Jump Street" is no longer the scariest thing Depp has done.

Ouch.

Normally, we wouldn't comment on a script that's struggling to sell -- most don't, after all -- but when the flailing spec script in question comes from a director whose last four movies have grossed a combined $1.25 billion worldwide, it's really kinda shocking.

Insiders tell TMZ.com that M. Night Shyamalan's newest screenplay, "Green Planet" went out to various studios last weekend, including Paramount, Sony, Universal and Fox.

The Night story, insiders say, centers on an alien invasion of earth carried out using Nature's flora and fauna -- and sources also say that so far, at least three studios have passed (possibly because Steven Spielberg has already made that movie, so to speak) though we hear only Fox was intrigued, but even then was demanding substantial rewrites, something Night is usually unwilling to do.

Explained one motion picture literary agent not affiliated with Team Night: "When this happens we call it, 'Throwing up a burger.' "

Of course, there's still a chance that the Night script might sell, but no doubt buyers are wary after "The Lady in the Water" so badly misfired.

Has Carrot Top had surgery? --Lou

Carrot Top, aka Scott Thompson, undoubtedly looks a bit different nowadays, as opposed to his earlier years. Sorry Lou, we can't give the yea or nay as to whether he actually went under the knife. One thing we can confirm is that he has undergone a complete physique change.

Click here to take a look at the once-scrawny-turned-ginormous orange-head (... and take a moment to compare that suspected face change, too).

Upon exiting his British Airways flight, Hugh was met by an elderly porter who manhandled his, er, bags and escorted the "Love Actually" star to his waiting ride. Looks like Divine Brown has one less job to do.

The actress (?) hasn't been partying through the night like everyone is accustomed to seeing her do. Since filming began on "The Hottie and the Nottie," Paris has been knee-deep in work and focused on her acting career. Yesterday, a source said the heiress spent close to 10 hours filming on the docks in San Pedro, just south of Los Angeles.

At this rate, unreliable Lindsay will be out of a job and Paris will be taking over the box office. Maybe.

While Lindsay Lohan attempts to get clean and sober, TMZ has learned the details of one of her out of control drinking binges less than two weeks before checking into rehab.

As TMZ's Claude Brodesser-Akner reported yesterday, a rep from Lindsay's current film "I Know Who Killed Me" confirmed that filming would not be halted and that Lindsay's rehabilitation plans would include an outpatient program at Wonderland. However, sources inside the actual facility reveal that Lindsay's stay will be at least thirty days.

According to our source, the first seven days at Wonderland Center are dedicated to detoxification. After that, the process of determining each individual's length-of-stay is based on numerous factors, including severity of addiction, medical and psychiatric history, treatment experience and career/family obligations.

As Lindsay detoxes in Wonderland, TMZ has the inside scoop of one of her pre-rehab nights:

On January 5, just one day after having her appendix removed, Lohan was already out partying at the trendy Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. A source tells TMZ that Lindsay lined up mulitple shots in a row behind her so no one could see. Lohan would then drink the shots when no one was looking. Well, almost no one. At another point that same evening, Lindsay retreated to the ladies room and downed an entire cocktail. A few nights later, Lindsay was at it again, partying with three male friends at the new West Hollywood lounge, Winston's. Lindsay's mother, Dina, said in December that her daughter had been attending AA meetings.

Reuters is reporting today that "China's movie censor will not approve Golden Globe-honored film "The Departed" for domestic cinematic release..." because the film's plot involves a Chinese plan to buy highly sophisticated computer chips on the black market.

So, why are we issuing an Irony Alert?

The Chinese government's heavy-handed move will stop no one in China from seeing the movie if they so desire: "The Departed" has already been heavily pirated, using -- what else? -- highly sophisticated computer technology, and is widely available throughout the Chinese black market.

Also amusingly enough, the Chinese news service People's Daily Online goes to extra-special lengths to slap around the Globes' parent organization, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, offering this indisputable but oddly-timed parting shot in its coverage of Scorsese's Globe win.

Viz, "However, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives the awards, has drawn criticism for its small size of 85 members, which theoretically makes it more susceptible to influence by studios and publicists, the absence of members from internationally renowned publications, and the practice of some members of posing for photographs with stars, which would be an ethics breach at most U.S. publications."

For his big screen debut in "Alpha Dog," Justin Timberlake had to bulk up considerably -- damn he looks good!

To play Frankie Cassavetes, a physical trainer in the real world, the slim Justin had to get to the gym and start flexing his muscles -- beginning with just 5 lb. weights. The hardest part -- building his core before starting to lift real weights. "You first look at it like, it's five pounds, it's a girl's weight," Timberlake told Moviefone, "and then all of a sudden, you feel like a girl."

Cameron Diaz is definitely missing out now!

Original Broadway scorer Henry Krieger, as well as songwriters Anne Preven, Scott Cutler and Beyonce are credited on the soundtrack as the writers of the song and were submitted as such to the Academy.

As it states in the Academy's guidelines, it is customary for up to two people to be credited as writers of any given song, but under special circumstances, if it is found that the there were more than two equal contributors, an exception could be made. The Academy made the exception for Preven and Cutler, but not for our girl B.

No word as to why Beyonce didn't make the cut.

Nominations will be announced on the January 23.

After gang violence and a shooting at one of his theaters last month, the CEO of a theater chain said today that he won't screen "Stomp the Yard," a new Screen Gems movie about step dancing at an African American fraternity that opens on 2,000 screens this weekend.

Asked if the decision was a question of race, theater owner Tony Kerasotes told the Springfield State Journal Register: "You could phrase the question that way, but to me, it's a question of gangs. It's about gangs. It's not about race."

Still, Kerasotes' decision has sparked a fierce debate with the NAACP -- both within the small-town Illinois community and nationally -- about whether the decision to pull the film is racist, or simply a common-sense public safety measure following an unsolved attempted murder.

True, the shooting occurred at a nominally "white" horror movie, ironically entitled "Black Christmas," prompting some to argue against linking racial demographics to a movie's title. One reader of the Journal Register posted a comment arguing, "The shooting, while sad and disappointing about the safety of our society (sic), had nothing to the with the movie being shown!! If anything, the movie was 'Black Christmas' (which was a white movie) had nothing to do with gang violence."

Well, not quite: As lily-white as its cast was, "Black Christmas" likely attracted a majority of non-Caucasian audiences, at least according to exit polls. Indeed, according to horror specialist New Line Cinema's own market research, horror movies, like "Jason vs. Freddy" and the like, have always had black and Latino audiences vastly outnumbering white theatergoers. Primarily targeted at black audiences, "Stomp" should mirror or even exceed the black demos of a horror flick.

What's more, as Newsweek points out, the general president of the fraternity depicted in "Stomp the Yard," Alpha Phi Alpha, accused the filmmakers of using the frat's symbols "without authorization, and juxtaposing the organization with gang activity." As early as November, he urged fraternity members not to participate, long before the Christmas Day shooting in Springfield. (In the end, producers for "Stomp" had to digitally remove all symbols and references to Alpha Phi Alpha.)

With all that in mind, Kerasotes' decision might be over-cautious, but it hardly seems ill-conceived or overtly racist, but that this is happening in Springfield is beyond ironic: Not many may remember, but Springfield, Illinois is approaching centennial of one of the worst race riots in U.S. history, a repugnant event which ultimately gave birth to the NAACP. Sadly, a hundred years later, Springfield's race fires are clearly still smoldering.

As Will, Jada and son Jaden walked the red carpet at the Paris premiere of "The Pursuit of Happyness," Mr. Smith showed the City of Lights just how it's done in their household.

Je t'adore Will!

Eva Mendes has nothing but love for her good friend and fellow Cubana, Cameron Diaz.

Mendes tells the new issue of Maxim, "If I were a guy I'd ask Cameron to marry me. She's got the greatest spirit and she has the cutest, tighest butt. Her butt is so cute I can't take it." Please stop Eva, neither can we!

Don't worry fellas, because the stunning beauty is all about the menz, and raves about her hunky male co-stars too. "I'd be blind as a bat not to have chemistry with Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Denzel Washington." Hey, what about Matt Damon in "Stuck on You?"

In the upcoming film "Ghost Rider," Eva stars opposite Nic Cage (sorry) and admits she is willing to do whatever it takes get into character. "The original Roxanne was blonde and blue-eyed, but also had huge bajoongas. If I gain weight it goes to my boobs and my butt. I figured since I can't be blonde and blue-eyed, I'll at least have her bra size. So the bajoongas got big. They were out of control." Thank you Jesus.