Movies

Item: A takeoff on Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana.' Chorus: "Up at Brokeback, Brokeback Mountain, Those gay cowboys, they did some mounting. Up at Brokeback, Brokeback Mountain. They felt the passion as they discussed fashion..."

Item: A takeoff on The Beatles' 'Get Back.' "Gyllenhaal's Jack Twist, he thought he was a woman, but he was another man. Hot Anne Hathaway would love to give it to him, 'stead, he'll take it in the can."

Item: The movie is referred to as 'Humpback Mountain,' 'Bareback Mountain,' 'Brokebutt Mountain,' 'Fudgepack Mountain' and on and on.

Dench, 71, was nominated Tuesday for an Oscar for her performance in the film, which was distributed by Weinstein's new production company, The Weinstein Co.

Weinstein, who co-founded Miramax Films, says Dench was turned down for interviews by NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America" and "The View."

"They said that she didn't fit their demographics," the outspoken movie mogul tells the magazine in this week's issue.

"I told that to my mother, who was pretty ... offended," he is quoted as saying. "I mean, what do they think, 25-year-old people can't watch 70-year-old people? The insanity of youth. It also assumes none of us like our families."

The International House of Publicity, which promoted "Mrs. Henderson Presents," declined to comment.

Emma Roberts, who looking almost shockingly like the 'Pretty Woman' star, has the makings of a mini-Julia. A set insider tells TMZ about a shoot earlier this week: "She nailed her scene outside a church in Los Angeles."

But TMZ did some digging, and found that Emma's life was in turmoil until Julia came to the rescue.

With Oscar noms only days away, TMZ reviewed the 2005 Oscar nom track records of USA Today, Us Weekly, the Associated Press and Variety, against Oscarcentral.com, Oscarwatch.com, EverythingOscar.com, and TheFilmExperience.net. So who was more dead-on, respected traditional critics or their blogging counterparts?

The envelope please.

Of the 25 most commonly-predicted nominees, the traditional critics got it right 21 times, the bloggers eeked out a better track record with 23.

Sasha Stone of OscarWatch.com has a theory: "Professionals tend to take bigger chances with their predictions in order to distinguish themselves from the others."

Tom O'Neill with TheEnvelope.com is tougher on traditional critics whom he claims are guilty of "wishful thinking. Don't give me who should win. Give me who will win." Take the poll on Oscar noms, which are announced on Tuesday. See if TMZ does better than the pros.

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Oscar Hopeful: Maria Bello
Oscar Hopeful: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Rachel Weisz of the murder thriller "The Constant Gardener" and Paul Giamatti of the boxing drama "Cinderella Man" received supporting-acting honors.

"Oh, my God, y'all. Sometimes, I can't just shake the feeling that I'm just a little girl from Tennessee," said Witherspoon, who plays Carter during her long, stormy courtship with country legend Johnny Cash. "I want to say my biggest inspiration for this movie obviously was June Carter. She was an incredible woman."

Hoffman had gushing thanks for his "Capote" co-stars.

"It's important to say that actors can't act alone, it's impossible. What we have to do is support each other," Hoffman said. "Actors have to have each others' backs. It's the only way to act well is when you know the other actor has your back, and these actors had my back, and I hope they know I had theirs."

Twentieth Century Fox's "Big Momma's House 2," with $28 million in estimated ticket sales, turned in the second-best January opening ever, trailing only the $35.9 million scored by the 1997 release of a special edition of "Star Wars," according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office results.

As in the original "Big Momma's House," Martin Lawrence layers on the bulges and dons billowy, floral-print dresses, along with a wig. It was followed by another new release, Universal Pictures' "Nanny McPhee" starring Emma Thompson, with $14.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates.

"Audiences are obviously in the mood for some lighthearted films," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. A week after the vampire thriller "Underworld: Evolution" led the pack, the marketplace is proving "adaptable to all these films."

Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution for Twentieth Century Fox, said the popularity of its "Big Momma" films rests with Lawrence's comic appeal.

But the comic, actor and director -- better known as one half of stoners Cheech and Chong -- refused to acknowledge it.

His traveling exhibit of Chicano art, now more than halfway through its U.S. run, is sweet vindication. "Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge" has set attendance records at nearly every city where it's appeared since the exhibit first opened in November 2001 in San Antonio, drawing a mixed-ethnic audience of 1.3 million.

"Visions," the story of Mexican-American culture as portrayed by 26 of its master painters, is a sign of pride and inclusion for Marin, and "one of the most fulfilling things in my life," he said.

The lifelong art collector owns most of the exhibit's works, created from 1969 to the present. A few pieces were loaned by actors Dennis Hopper and Nicholas Cage.

The show, which opened Friday at the Saint Louis Science Center, takes its name from a once-pejorative moniker.

The word, "'Chicano,' started as an insult by Mexican-Americans," Marin said. "You were no longer a Mexicano, but a chico, a satellite Mexican living here, but it evolved into a sense of pride."

The awards, announced Thursday, are given to performers who have made a "lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment," by Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe.

Berry will lead a parade through the streets of Harvard Square on Feb. 16, with students dressed in drag.

Berry, 39, won an Oscar and a SAG award for her performance in "Monster's Ball." She also earned an Emmy for her performance in the HBO film "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge."

Berry will reprise her role as Storm in "X3," the third installment in the "X-Men" series, due May 26.

Gere, 56, won a Golden Globe for best comedy-musical actor, for "Chicago." His other work includes "An Officer and a Gentleman," "American Gigolo," "Internal Affairs" and "Pretty Woman."

Gere is also the founder of the Gere Foundation, which contributes to health education and human rights projects and is dedicated to promoting awareness of Tibet's endangered culture.

Although the exact circumstances of the accident are under investigation, Patricola told Us that the 31-year-old star was driving at the time and was not hospitalized. According to Us the accident occurred on a winding stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard just north of Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills.

PARK CITY, Utah -- Al Gore is not all that comfortable being a star of the Sundance Film Festival. He's far more concerned that the celebrity watchers hear what he has to say.

The former vice president came to town for the premiere of "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary chronicling what has become his crusade since losing the 2000 presidential election: Educating the masses that global warming is about to toast our ecology and our way of life.

Gore has been saying it for decades, since a college class in the 1960s convinced him that greenhouse gases from oil, coal and other carbon emissions were trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere, resulting in a glacial meltdown that could flood much of the planet.

Americans have been hearing it for decades, wavering between belief and skepticism that it all may just be a natural part of Earth's cyclical warming and cooling phases.

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The Kansas City-based company now will operate 415 theaters with 5,672 screens in 29 states and the District of Columbia and 11 foreign countries. Annual revenues for the privately held company are expected to be around $2.4 billion.

Financial terms for the deal were not released.

"What I'm most excited about is the potential to continue the innovation and lead our industry the way both of these companies have been doing," said Peter Brown, AMC's chairman and chief executive officer, who will remain head of the company. "I think the innovation potential and the growth potential are enormous." Travis Reid, Loews' president and CEO, will serve as a board member for AMC's parent company, Marquee Holdings Inc.

In an interview, Brown said he didn't foresee the company changing the overall number of theaters, although he said it will continue to replace older theaters with newer, stadium-style ones. He also didn't predict any changes to its worldwide work force of 24,000.

His documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," premiering Wednesday at the Sundance Film Festival, is a harsh indictment of the ratings system overseen by the Motion Picture Association of America, the trade group for Hollywood's top studios.

Dick calls the ratings process a form of censorship carried out by unqualified film judges who operate in secrecy, their procedures favoring big studio fare over movies from independent and overseas filmmakers.

"Independent film tends to focus more on sexuality. Studios tend to put out films that have more to do with violence," said Dick, a 2004 Academy Awards nominee for his documentary "Twist of Faith." "Violent films get through almost unscathed, but the ratings have this excessive focus against sexuality that puts independent film at a disadvantage."

"This Film Is Not Yet Rated" examines the history of the ratings system, set up in the 1960s by MPAA boss Jack Valenti, who retired as head of the group in 2004 and gave up control of the ratings system last fall.

Jeremy Parker is getting a mixed reaction to his asking President Bush if he'd seen "Brokeback Mountain."

The Kansas State University Campus Forum is full of reaction. One student wrote to Parker "you're my hero." Another "thanks" Parker for "embarrassing" their school. And another student wrote "I tried to imagine a bigger waste of space than Jeremy Parker. I got nothing."

Aniston and Cusack, along with Catherine Keener, were at Sundance for the premiere of their new film, 'Friends With Money.'

Watch interview with Aniston, Keener and Cusack

Here's what the driver is saying:

- Aniston was so wound up over paparazzi following her, she told the driver: "You need to take me where nobody is." He accommodated her by driving for 25 minutes, ending up in a church parking lot. Aniston got out of the car and immediately began chain smoking cigarettes. The driver says this happened several times during her stay.

- Cusack was "sick" of all the hoopla surrounding Aniston's personal life. Cusack told the driver that even though she's a celebrity she's a private person and able to live a "nice normal life." The driver says Cusack put it this way: "It's a choice an actor makes." The comment wasn't specifically directed at Aniston, but the implication is certainly there.

The driver also talked about other celebs at Sundance. He says two "well-known actors" (he did not specify whom) tipped another driver with the joint they had been smoking in the car.

Chris Penn, a younger brother of Sean Penn who played supporting roles in films such as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Starsky & Hutch," was found dead in his Santa Monica home, authorities said. Police do not suspect foul play.

Penn's body was discovered in bed inside the condominium on Ocean Avenue, said Capt. Ed Winter of the county coroner's office. He said the actor's housekeeper called authorities.

There were no obvious signs of foul play, Lt. Frank Fabrega said. Autopsy results were pending. Police said Penn was 40 years old, though several celebrity Web sites list his age as 43.

"The Penn family would appreciate the media's respect of their privacy during this difficult time," Mara Buxbaum, Sean Penn's publicist, said in a statement.

Chris Penn's credits included "Rumble Fish," "All the Right Moves," "Footloose," "Rush Hour," "Corky Romano" and "Starsky & Hutch." He also played Nice Guy Eddie Cabot in the 1992 Quentin Tarantino crime drama "Reservoir Dogs."

Although he was not as well known as his brother Sean, 45, critics said he often was underrated.

"Just as talented as Sean -- just a lot less cocky," Slate magazine critic Cintra Wilson wrote of him last year. He "makes you seamlessly believe in characters so much you barely even notice them."

Penn's late father, Leo Penn, directed television shows. His mother, Eileen Ryan, is an actress whose credits include "I Am Sam," "Magnolia" and "Parenthood." His brother is musician Michael Penn.

Disney will buy the maker of the blockbuster films "Toy Story and "Finding Nemo" in an all-stock transaction that makes Jobs Disney's largest shareholder. Jobs, who controls more than half of Pixar's stock and also heads Apple Computer Inc., will also join Disney's board.

"With this transaction, we welcome and embrace Pixar's unique culture, which for two decades, has fostered some of the most innovative and successful films in history," Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said in a statement.

Disney has co-financed and distributed Pixar's animated films for the past 12 years, splitting the profits. But that deal expires in June after Pixar delivers "Cars."

Disney, the theme park owner that also owns the ABC and ESPN TV networks, and Pixar have been talking for months about a new relationship.