Movies

Michael Bay has a strong message for the panicked Ninja Turtles fans who are freaking out about his new TMNT movie ... CHILL THE HELL OUT!!!!

Turtle fans have been going INSANE ever since Bay announced he was planning to tweak the origin story in his upcoming live action movie ... with Leo and the gang belonging to an alien race instead of mutating from ooze in the sewer.

Now, Bay has released a statement ... saying, "Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story."

He continues, "Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world."

The guy who voiced Michaelangelo in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movies is FURIOUS with Michael Bay ... claiming the director is "sodomizing" the franchise by changing "turtle" history in an upcoming flick.

The outrage stems from a comment Bay made about his upcoming live-action flick at a recent media event ... in which he said, "These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.”

Of course, TMNT fans are FLIPPING OUT ... since everyone knows the turtles mutated during a brush with radioactive ooze after falling through a sewer ... duh.

One of those pissed off fans is voice-actor Robbie Rist ... who recently posted a letter to Bay stating, "You probably don't know me but I did some voice work on the first set of movies that you are starting to talk about sodomizing."

Rist added, "I know believing in mutated talking turtles is kinda silly to begin with but am I supposed to be led to believe there are ninjas from another planet? The rape of our childhood memories continues ... "

Still, Rist tells TMZ ... "Everything I have said here could be off base and wrong ... He has made WAY more money at this than I have."

Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Mission Impossible, Mission Impossible 2, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds ... classics ... but NONE of which classify as the #1 action movie of all time, this according to Tom Cruise's son.

Katniss, Peeta and Gale -- more commonly known as Jennifer Lawrence (right), Josh Hutcherson (left) and Liam Hemsworth (back) -- arrived in Los Angeles yesterday as the March 23 release of "The Hunger Games" is almost upon us.

The movie is based on a book of the same name ... which at one point was on The New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks. Advanced tickets for the movie broke Fandango's record for advanced sales, beating out "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

The Lone Ranger is gonna have to travel a LOOOOONG way to catch bad guys ... 'cause brand new video shows the set for the new movie is MILES from any sort of civilization.

Producers have erected an authentic-looking old west town in the middle of the New Mexico desert ... complete with a saloon, a jail and a real functioning railway.

Price was no object ... the budget for the movie, featuring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, is reported to be north of $200 MILLION.

Marvel fans rejoice -- 221 of the coolest, awesomest “Captain America”, “Thor” and “Iron Man” props are hitting the auction block ... and they can all be YOURS ... if you got a 6-figure bank account.

The auction -- run by a group called Profiles in History with help from Marvel Studios -- is set to kick off online April 14th ... and in-person at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Among the ridiculously expensive collectibles (with their starting bids) --

-- The full Mark II “Autopsy” Suit from "Iron Man 2" ... $60,000
-- Chris Evans' complete Captain America Suit ... $20,000
-- Steve Rogers’ Hero Motorcycle (Harley Davidson) ... $12,000
-- Thor’s Hammer ... $4,000
-- Captain America Stunt Shield ... $3,000
... And hundreds of other pricey gadgets, props, and costumes from the movies.

Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" was 133 minutes of unbearable, brain-melting MISERY ... this according to Mickey Rourke.

Rourke was leaving the gym in L.A. yesterday when he joked about using the movie as a torture device ... "I'm gonna tie you to a chair and make you watch 'Moneyball' all f*cking night."

For the record, Rourke and Brad Pitt don't seem to have a beef ... in fact, there are all sorts of pics of them smiling together over the years. Guess he really just HATED the movie.

So, we gotta ask ...

Whitney Houston's final movie is on lockdown ... over fears that people will leak Whitney's scenes and music ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the production tell us ... the people working on "Sparkle" -- starring Whitney and Jordin Sparks -- are working "around the clock" to finish post-production work on the movie as quickly as possible.

We're told the building where the film is being edited is also under tight watch -- with ramped up security in the hopes of preemptively clogging a leak.

So far, no comment from Sony.

Talk about ingratitude. Harvey made a passionate case for Uggie -- the dog that stole the show in "The Artist" -- to walk the red carpet at the Oscars. In case you didn't know, he's been snubbed by the Academy.

Here's Mark Ruffalo playing not-so jolly green giant the Hulk in the upcoming "Avengers" movie, following in the muscled footsteps of Edward Norton in the 2008 film "The Incredible Hulk," Eric Bana in the 2003 Ang Lee version "Hulk" and Lou Ferrigno in the classic '70s TV series "The Incredible Hulk."

Question is ...

Sacha Baron Cohen is comparing the Oscars to a power hungry tyrant ... pointing out how the Academy has stripped him of his right to free speech ... just like his dictator alter-ego would do. Oh, the hypocrisy!

SBC released a new video statement -- while in character as General Aladeen from his new movie "The Dictator" ... in which he says, "I am OUTRAGED at being banned from The Oscars by the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts and Zionists.”

He adds, "While I applaud the academy for taking away my right to free speech ... I warn you that if you do not lift your sanctions and give me my tickets back by 12 PM on Sunday, you will face unimaginable consequences!"

Cohen also takes a shot at Hilary Swank ... presumably because she attended a birthday party for an alleged war criminal.

Daniel von Bargen -- who played Mr. Kruger in "Seinfeld" -- is clinging to life in an Ohio hospital after shooting himself in the head Monday morning in a failed suicide attempt ... and TMZ has the horrifying 911 tape in which he calls for help.

Daniel tells the 911 operator, "I've shot myself in the head ... and I need help."

The operator asks if it was an accident -- Daniel replies, "I was supposed to go to the hospital and I didn't want to." Daniel says he's diabetic, explaining, "They were supposed to amputate at least a few toes."

The operator asks where the gunshot wound is -- Daniel replies, "I shot in my temple."

Law enforcement officials confirm they were dispatched to von Bargen's Cincinnati apartment complex a short time later -- and when they arrived, you can hear them on the 911 tape ... yelling at Daniel to keep his hands where they could see them.

Von Bargen -- who also played Chief Grady in "Super Troopers" -- was transported to a nearby hospital where he is currently in critical condition.

During the call, Daniel goes into even more graphic detail about his condition. Listen at your own discretion.

Lindsay Lohan ain't no slacker -- TMZ has learned, the actress is studying up hardcore for her new movie role ... doing everything she can to accurately portray a young Elizabeth Taylor.

In case you haven't heard -- Lindsay just inked a deal with Lifetime to play Liz Taylor in the network's new made-for-TV biopic called "Liz and Dick." Production is scheduled to kick off late March, after Lindsay's probation is terminated.

Lindsay is telling friends, she's taking her new gig extremely seriously -- "obsessing over getting the part right" for the film.

According to sources, Lindsay is doing nothing but watching old Liz Taylor movies to help her recreate the Hollywood icon's posture, speech, and every other little detail.

We're told Lindsay has also been watching old Liz interviews online and reading a bunch of Liz biographies.

Wearing a plunging low cut orange number, Best Actress Oscar nominee Viola Davis showed off some of her other God-given talents at the NAACP Image Awards in L.A. this weekend.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone got his and his shoulder surgeries at a hospital yesterday ... making millions of fans feel sad and old at the same time.

Ahnald posted the pic yesterday ... with the caption, "After all the action, stunts & physical abuse shooting 'The Expendables 2' and 'The Last Stand,' it was time for a little tune up on my shoulder. Look who was coincidentally waiting in line behind me for his shoulder surgery."

He added, "Now we're ready for another round of great times and action when we shoot 'The Tomb.'"