Movies

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" star Jimmi Simpson has solved the greatest political debate of our time ... WHO WOULD MAKE A BETTER VAMPIRE SLAYER -- Barack Obama or Mitt Romney???

Lindsay Lohan was PROHIBITED from driving while shooting "Liz and Dick," because the insurance policy the production company took out made it crystal clear -- Lindsay was not allowed to get behind the wheel ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected with the production tell us ... the insurance company that issued the policy -- which would take a major hit if Lindsay couldn't complete the film -- was extremely reluctant to take the risk. The insurance company set numerous conditions on its coverage, and one of them was banning Lindsay from the roads which have landed her in big trouble multiple times -- DUIs, car accidents, and on and on.

Sources tell us ... the honchos producing the movie knew Lindsay was driving in violation of the policy, but it appears no one cared -- that is until Lindsay crashed a Porsche on Pacific Coast Highway, with a production SUV following right behind her.

As for the consequences, we're told so far the insurance company hasn't attempted to cancel the policy or take other action. For its part, the production company has made it clear to Lindsay -- she is NOT to drive for the duration of the filming.

If you ever wanted to hear a federal judge break down a joke from "Hangover 2" and explain why it was (or wasn't) funny ... you're in luck ... 'cause it just happened.

Long story short ... Louis Vuitton just LOST its legal battle with Warner Bros. over a joke Zach Galifianakis made in "Hangover2" ... when another character pushes his luggage and Zach quips, "Be careful, that is ... that is a Lewis Vuitton!"

LV had claimed WB had infringed its trademark and confused the public ... because the bag featured in the movie was NOT a real Louis Vuitton.

But the judge ruled ... WB didn't do anything wrong because the use of the bag, in conjunction with the joke made by Zach's character (Alan), was an artistic expression protected by the 1st Amendment.

And just in case you didn't get the joke ... the judge provided a detailed analysis. Enjoy!

"Alan's terse remark to Teddy to '[be] [c]areful' because his bag 'is a Lewis Vuitton' comes across as snobbish only because the public signifies Louis Vuitton ... with luxury and a high society lifestyle."

His remark also comes across as funny because he mispronounces the French 'Louis' like the English 'Lewis,' and ironic because he cannot correctly pronounce the brand name of one of his expensive possessions, adding to the image of Alan as a socially inept and comically misinformed character.

Two ex-male strippers who once worked with Channing Tatum claim his new movie "Magic Mike" is a giant SLAP IN THE FACE ... claiming the actor stole THEIR stories and turned it into his own Hollywood gold.

FYI -- Tatum doesn't just star in the film, he's also a producer -- and has claimed the film is partially based on his real-life experiences as a dancer back in Florida.

But TMZ spoke to Thomas "Awesome" Austin and London Steele -- both guys worked with Tatum back in his FL stripper days -- who say the film is based more off their lives than his ... even down to the title -- "Magic Mike" -- which is a name Austin says he coined for another dancer.

'Awesome' Austin tells TMZ ... he and his former male dance buddies are a like a "brotherhood" and, while they're happy for Channing's success, they feel betrayed by the actor for not involving any of them in the film.

They claim they took Tatum under their wings when he was a nobody and taught him all their special stripper-moves like "The Hot Seat" -- which is featured in the film and Austin says he invented it.

The guys tell us, after seeing parts of the final product they feel slighted ... claiming Tatum failed to consult them for accuracy and insist that, without them, he wouldn't have any material.

Austin explains, Channing was an "amateur" when he met him and says "he only danced for 4 months. How many events could have happened to him?"

A rep for Channing had no comment.

Hours after paramedics rushed to her hotel room, Lindsay Lohan was back on the set of "The Blair Witch Project" "Liz & Dick" ... and TMZ has the photo of LiLo in all her Liz Taylor glory.

As TMZ first reported, Lindsay was checked out in her room at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey ... but was NOT taken to the hospital as others had reported.

It was a case of exhaustion and dehydration.

Dressed more like Waldo than the man who changed technology forever, Ashton Kutcher was spotted yesterday walking around set of the Steve Jobs biopic.

So there we were shooting Benicio del Toro in Hollywood on Saturday night ... when something INCREDIBLE happened and we didn't even realize it -- TMZ got footage of THE MOST elusive superstar in Hollywood!!!

The man trying to hide behind Benicio is director Terrence Malick -- an ultra-reclusive Hollywood legend who directed multiple Oscar nominated flicks including "The Thin Red Line" and "The Tree of Life."

Malick NEVER appears on red carpets, doesn't give interviews and is RARELY ever seen in public. In fact, he refused to attend the Oscars even when his movies were nominated.

Ray Liotta says he BARELY knew his "Goodfellas" inspiration Henry Hill -- despite playing him in one of the biggest gangster movies ever -- but now that Hill's gone ... Ray feels like a part of himself is gone too.

Ray tells us, "Although I played Henry Hill in the movie ‘Goodfellas’ I only met him a few short times so I can’t say I knew him but, I do know he lived a complicated life."

Ray adds, "My heart goes out to his family and may he finally rest in peace.”

Henry Hill -- the former mobster whose life story became the basis for the movie "Goodfellas" -- died today at the age of 69 ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ spoke with Hill's girlfriend Lisa ... who told us Hill passed away in an L.A. hospital Tuesday after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.

Lisa tells us, "He had been sick for a long time ... his heart gave out."

We're told Hill had focused on mending relationships with estranged family members in recent years ... and Lisa tells us he had made tremendous progress before he died.

Hill leaves behind two children.

Hill was famously portrayed by Ray Liotta in the 1990 classic "Goodfellas."

Lindsay Lohan is so determined to prove she's no longer a slacker -- she's hiding extensive injuries she sustained during her massive car wreck yesterday ... just to keep shooting her new Liz Taylor movie.

Sources close to Lindsay tell us, the actress refused to let producers cancel yesterday's shoot because of the car accident -- bee-lining straight to the movie set once she was released from the hospital.

We're told Lindsay has several visible injuries on her body -- including bruises and scratches -- but she asked to cover them with makeup so she could keep shooting.

Sources tell us, Linds is so serious about nailing the Liz role -- she refuses to let the crash become a distraction.

The NAACP is demanding the removal of a Malibu teacher who allegedly used the movie "Bridesmaids" as inspiration to repeatedly slap a black student in class ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... Dionne Evans (above) -- a 9th grader at Malibu High School -- filed a police report last week, claiming the teacher slapped her in the face 6 times because Dionne forgot to bring her notebook to class.

According to the police report, the teacher made Evans stand in front of the room ... then asked, "Did you see 'Bridesmaids'?" before slapping her multiple times ... a reference to a scene in the movie where one character literally tries to slap some sense into another.

Now, the President of the Santa Monica branch of the NAACP tells us, the organization is looking into the incident -- and will attend a school district meeting tonight, insisting that the teacher be placed on administrative leave while the matter is investigated.

We're told Dionne's family and their lawyer Donald Karpel met with the NAACP on Tuesday for several hours to discuss legal options.

Little people across Hollywood are rising up against the producers of "Snow White and the Huntsman" -- for casting tall people in the role of Snow White's dwarfs -- and now, a prominent "midget" theater group plans to stage an over-sized protest.

The wee man leading the charge is a guy named Matt McCarthy -- a 4'1" self-described "midget" who works for Beacher's Madhouse at the Roosevelt Hotel, a theater troupe that features more than 20 little people.

Like Little People of America, McCarthy's pissed "midgets" weren't cast as Snow White's dwarfs in the new movie -- producers cast normal-sized actors instead, digitally resizing their limbs or transplanting their faces onto little people's bodies.

But McCarthy's not fuming in silence -- he just fired off a letter to Universal Chairman Adam Fogelson, informing him, "In response to and in protest of this incredible injustice and prejudice, the Beacher's Madhouse midgets and I are coordinating a 100-midget march to Universal's offices."

McCarthy adds, casting average-sized actors as Snow White's dwarfs "is the equivalent of Universal casting a white actor to play a role written for an African-American person and digitally changing the color of their skin."

So far, a date for the march hasn't been set.

While filming a fight scene for her Elizabeth Taylor Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick" in L.A. on Monday, Lindsay Lohan could hardly contain herself ... as she nearly popped out of her dress.

With Grant Bowler playing Richard Burton at her side, Lindsay's acting nearly got the best of her as she almost bared a lot more than her soul.

Hopefully wardrobe malfunctions will be LiLo's only on-set issues.

The producers of "Snow White and the Huntsman" passed over able-bodied little people to fill the iconic roles of Snow White's dwarfs -- casting big people instead -- and a prominent little people organization is pissed.

A rep for "Little People of America" tells TMZ, the entertainment industry should be actively casting little people.

The rep adds, "This means both casting people with dwarfism as characters that were specifically written to be played by little people ... and other roles that would be open to people of short stature."

In case you didn't know -- the dwarfs in the new movie are played by normal-sized actors, whose limbs were either digitally shrunk, or whose faces were digitally transplanted onto little people's bodies.

Calls to "Snow White" producers were not returned.

Lindsay Lohan is all dressed up and ready to take on the role of a lifetime -- and TMZ has obtained the first of photo of LiLo in full Liz Taylor wardrobe ... as she gets set to start filming her new movie.

Shooting on the movie starts this week with Grant Bowler from "True Blood" co-starring as Richard Burton.

You can add "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" to Spike Lee's legendary resumé ... because TMZ has learned the director will helm the one-man show when it comes to Broadway later this year.

Sources close to the boxing legend tell TMZ ... Lee is in final talks to join the production as it gets ready to debut on the Great White Way. Tyson did the show for a week in Las Vegas and we're told Lee and Tyson have been talking about what changes need to be made as they transition to the biggest stage of all.

Our sources say Lee brought in theater mogul Jimmy Nederlander Jr. who owns a slew of Broadway venues and is interested in bringing in the Tyson show ... hopefully by this summer.

Tyson was on TMZ Live this week, where he plugged the upcoming show and teased Lee's involvement.