Movies

The plot twists and turns about gangsters, snitches, magicians, FBI agents, assaassins and hookers. Alicia Keys plays a contract killer out to snuff Piven, while Affleck plays the bail bondsman.

Ryan Reynolds tells the Chicago Sun-Times: "You'll be shocked to see a very different Ben Affleck in this movie."

Not bad for an actress who was thinking a few years ago that maybe she wasn't supposed to have a Hollywood career, after all. Through the few ups and many downs in her career, Huffman often thought about quitting, pulling into her driveway and crying with her head on the steering wheel after bad days and failed auditions.

Huffman managed to fleetingly catch the eye of audiences with bit parts "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Magnolia," and she endeared herself to a cult of fans who caught her as the slightly flighty producer on the acclaimed but short-lived TV series "Sports Night."

To those who wondered why Huffman did not steadily rise to bigger and better parts, the answer is easy.

Allen was in the city on Sunday for the British premiere of his new film "Match Point," which swaps the director's beloved Manhattan settings for the gray streets of London.

"I let the cast improvise a lot, especially with the slang, where they would say 'g and t' for gin and tonic. I wouldn't say that," said Allen. "I would say 'dicey' when they would say 'dodgy.' I learnt a lot."

"Match Point" charts the fortunes of an Irish tennis player, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, at the hands of an upper-crust English family.

It is Allen's best-received film in years and has gotten Golden Globe nominations for best picture, best director, best screenplay and best supporting actress, for Scarlett Johansson.

"The weather was absolutely superb for photography," Allen said. "Gray skies photograph beautifully, the light it casts is very soft.

But what was different: He did it for a documentary to air on Sundance Channel, the cable network he founded but seldom appears on.

As the season finale of "Iconoclasts," this hour-long portrait sticks to the format of the five that came before. It brings together a pair of innovators from different creative fields for one to serve as an admiring guide into the world of the other. Like chef Mario Batali on rocker Michael Stipe. Actress Renee Zellweger on correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

Or Redford on Newman beyond his role as screen legend. It premieres 10 p.m. EST Thursday (with additional play dates).

"It was never going to be 'The Paul and Bob Show,"' says Redford, who also executive-produced the series. "Instead, the idea of me presenting a friend who was also a colleague to speak about what inspired him -- his salad-dressing company, his racing interests, his camp for children -- those were areas that I thought were worthy of attention.

So it's a little ironic that he publicly worries that his days as an A-list actor are numbered.

Hanks stars in the upcoming summer 2006 movie 'The Da Vinci Code,' based on the bestselling book and directed by Ron Howard. The book has more than 25 million copies in print worldwide and has inspired a trend of religious thrillers. The movie will be an undeniable blockbuster, Hanks will probably get a slew of award nominations and ticket sales will go through the roof. Earlier this year, he was voted America's favorite movie star of 2004.

He reportedly said recently, "There are quite a few people no longer getting hired who were big stars as recently as 10 years ago."

"So I've already overstayed my welcome." He also says he's had luck "by the bucketload."

Which got us here at TMZ thinking: Tom, you really have nothing to worry about. Other stars like Tom Cruise, Robert Redfod, Julia Roberts, also have nothing to worry about. You actors could spit and it would probably garner three Golden Globe nods.

But what about others, those Hanks probably refers to? Meg Ryan? Kevin Costner (who's actually trying to make another comeback with his role in Jen Aniston's vehicle, 'Rumor Has It...')? Sly Stallone (who's making another 'Rocky??')

She may have ended a marriage, moved from a fab Beverly Hills home, dealt with her ex-hubby's very public new romance, and tried to keep her own under wraps, and still, Jen looked fabulous at the LA premiere of her new film, 'Rumor Has It.'

Aniston, her co-stars -- Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Mena Suvari, and Mike Vogel -- and director Rob Reiner all made appearances at the premiere in Hollywood last night.

Jen overcame a scratchy throat to tackle a bevy of rumors on any number of topics, including her recent chat with Jessica Simpson following her oh-so public split from Nick Lachey.

Other entertainers who've resurrected their dead or dying careers include:

Paula Abdul As a singer, she hasn't had a hit on the charts in more than 10 years. But Abdul became a household name again as a judge on 'American Idol,' where she's known just as much for her effusive praise of contestants as her on-camera spats with fellow judge Simon Cowell (and sometimes incoherent ramblings).

Teri Hatcher She was stuck in obscure TV movies and doing embarrassing Radio Shack commercials after her 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventure of Superman' TV series was cancelled in 1997. Then came 'Desperate Housewives' last year, followed by a slew of awards and an ubiquitous media presence that has arguably reached overexposure.

"The Ringer" sounds like a politically incorrect disaster -- but the Special Olympics couldn't be happier.

Knoxville plays a mild-mannered workaday chap who, in a desperate bid for cash, agrees to go along with his smarmy uncle's underhanded plan: he'll feign a mental disability in an attempt to rig the Special Olympics.

"Come on, a normal guy against a bunch of feebs? You'll look like Carl freakin' Lewis out there," says the uncle.

No wonder it took nearly seven years to get the movie made.

But after a long courtship, the Special Olympics decided "The Ringer" could humanize their athletes and add a new cachet of cool to their organization.

The star studded affair also included Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, and Craig T. Nelson, just to name a few. 'The Family Stone' opens in theaters on Dec. 16.

The pair had previously gone to great lengths to avoid being photographed together, but took no such precautions this time.

Brad and Angelina, along with Jolie's adopted children, Maddox and Zahara, were filmed as they arrived at the Narita Airport in Tokyo. They later arrived together at the film's premiere, pulling up in the same car, but then quickly went to different areas in the crowd to greet fans and press.

The movie's DVD will be available in stores on Nov. 29.

'Spider-Man' still holds the record for the biggest opener ever at $115 million back in 2001.

'Goblet' took in an estimated $36 million on its opening night (Nov. 18) and recorded the biggest opening weekend of any of the 'Potter' films.

The film could mark a turnaround in the slumping movie business, which has seen 2005 revenues decline seven percent from last year.

The Firm, which reps a number of big celebs, claims Bloom scored starring roles in 'Elizabethtown,' 'Haven,' 'Kingdom of Heaven,' and the sequels to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' while the company repped him. Bloom fired The Firm in July of this year and jumped to Brillstein-Grey Entertainment.

TMZ obtained the lawsuit filed on Monday (Nov. 14) in Los Angeles Superior Court. The Firm claims Bloom owes "no less than $660,000 in commissions" related to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequels alone.

Bloom was managed by Aleen Keshishian, a former member of The Firm who left to become a partner at Brillstein-Grey. The suit claims Keshishian is personally behind the alleged wrongful withholding of some of the commissions. The Firm also filed a separate suit against Keshishian and Brillstein-Grey.

Early interviews:
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint