Movies

'The Magnificent Seven' (1960)
In his day, Steve McQueen defined virility. But home on the range with few ladies present, Steve's character gets mighty friendly with a fellow cowboy.

'Midnight Cowboy' (1969)
Jon Voight's character - gay cowboy/prostitute Joe Buck - is hardly subtle. Ironically, the movie caused less of a stir than 'Brokeback' has more than 35 years later.

'Tombstone' (1993)
While Jason Priestley was becoming famous for his TV romances on 'Beverly Hills 90210,' he also hit the big screen as Deputy Billy Breckinridge -- and his love interest seemed dramatically different.

The screenplay was written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and based on a short story by Annie Proulx. The film stars actors Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal and received a leading eight Oscar nominations.

The writers of the ensemble drama "Crash," which follows the lives of a cast of characters over a chaotic 36-hour period in Los Angeles, won for best original screenplay. The screenplay was written by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco based on a Haggis story.

In other awards, the ABC television show "Grey's Anatomy" won the writing award for a new series.

Larry David, the writer and star of the HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm," won for best writing in a comedy series.

The crew of writers for the hit ABC show "Lost" were honored in the dramatic series category.

In the television animation category, Michael Price won for "Mommie Beerest" an episode on the long-running Fox show "The Simpsons."

"Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit" from DreamWorks Animation SKG took the prize for best feature production. The film, which used computer animation only for some short scenes, beat the digitally animated films "Chicken Little" from The Walt Disney Co. and "Madagascar," also from DreamWorks.

The Annie Awards are presented by The International Animated Film Society. The awards often predict the winner of the Academy Award's best animated film category.

"Wallace & Gromit" also captured best directing honors for Nick Park and Steve Box, and won for best music and writing.

"Wallace & Gromit" was produced by Aardman Animations, which introduced the characters in three TV shorts from 1989 to 1995 and made the 2000 animated film "Chicken Run."

Distributor Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released "When a Stranger Calls," said it was the best Super Bowl debut ever, beating the $19 million haul the studio's horror flick "Boogeyman" took in over the same weekend last year.

20th Century Fox's "Big Momma's House 2" fell to second place with $13.35 million, lifting its 10-day total to $45.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' romantic comedy "Something New," opened at No. 7 with $5 million.

With fans staying home Sunday for the big game, theaters were quiet, though key Academy Awards contenders including Focus Features' best-picture front-runner "Brokeback Mountain" benefited from last week's nominations.

Millions of fans across the world are eagerly awaiting the adaptation of Rowling's fifth book - 'Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix' - which sees the return of young actor Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.

Filming will begin Monday in Hertfordshire, a county in southern England. The movie is not slated for release until next year.

The plot centers on the arrival of Dolores Umbridge, an unpopular new professor at wizard academy Hogwarts. She will be played by actress Imelda Staunton, nominated for a 2005 Oscar for her performance in the bleak period drama 'Vera Drake.'

Potter also wrestles with his attraction to new character Luna Lovegood, a role taken by 14-year-old newcomer Evanna Lynch.

Lynch beat out 15,000 young rivals in an open casting for the part in Britain.

The last film in the series, an adaptation of the fourth book, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,' was directed by Mike Newell and grossed over $285 million at the box office.

The film originally was cleared for distribution on Feb. 9, but the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV reversed itself over the weekend, according to Sony Pictures Entertainment, which had planned to distribute the film in China.

The official reasons weren't immediately clear, and Chinese authorities couldn't be reached because offices were closed for a national holiday.

"We were pleased by their acceptance of the film in November and were disappointed by this decision," said Jim Kennedy, a spokesman for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

"Memoirs," based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden, features "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star Ziyi Zhang, former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li from "Raise the Red Lantern" as geishas -- entertainers skilled in dance, song and conversation.

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.