All About Movies

The sub zero heroes are back. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever elusive nut, while maybe finding true love. Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth. Diego the saber toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too soft and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck and meet a relentless, one eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.

Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts.

Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

The beautiful Mila Kunis, born in the Ukraine, got her biggest breaks by watching The Price is Right and lying about her age -- as a new arrival to the United States, she used Bob Barker's game show to improve her English, and at her audition for That '70s Show, she didn't tell producers that she was three years younger than their age requirement.

Now her voice, good looks and acting talent have been put to good use with voice work on Family Guy, music videos for Aerosmith and modeling for both Maxim and Stuff. In 2008, she appeared in two notable films -- Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Max Payne. She might like World of Warcraft, but there's not very much that’s geeky about Mila Kunis. Besides being a regular in magazines, she's also been featured in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008 list and Maxim's Hot 100 list the same year. Her different-colored eyes give her desirability a quirky and unique twist.

After eight seasons on That '70s Show, in 2008 Mila Kunis jumped to the world of film, with roles in the Mark Wahlberg actioner Max Payne and the breakout hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She hopes to continue to catch our eye in 2009's Extract, the new Jason Bateman-Ben Affleck comedy from director Mike Judge (Office Space).

By 3 years old, Keira Knightley had decided to become an actress and she demanded an agent. It took another three years to get one, but 20 years later, her one-track mind has netted her an Oscar nomination and a spot as one of filmdom's highest-paid women.

Keira Knightley's big-budget debut came in 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Natalie Portman's decoy, but her role in Bend It Like Beckham won her much respect. Since then, blockbusters like the Pirates of the Caribbean have been balanced with critical favorites like Pride and Prejudice. Keira Knightley was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Pride and Prejudice, and her two performances in 2008 have won similar praise. First there was The Edge of Love, based on a screenplay by her mom, Sharman Macdonald, and then there was The Duchess, in which she played the Duchess of Devonshire.

Acting aside, Keira Knightley is also a total knockout. She topped the list of 2007 beauty icons by UK chain Superdrug, and she’ll continue her hallucinatory effects on the male libido in the 2009 film Last Night, with Sam Worthington and Eva Mendes.

There are few jobs in Hollywood more enviable than that of a casting director for a James Bond film.

We can think of worse ways to spend a day than auditioning beautiful actress after beautiful actress for the part of the latest Bond girl.

The most recent of these legendary screen sirens is Olga Kurylenko.

Some suggest this Ukrainian-born actress might be the sexiest to ever share the screen with 007. She started as a model, working in Paris and supporting her family back home.

However, the big screen beckoned, and Olga Kurylenko left the runway behind to seek her fortunes in Hollywood. Since she landed one of the biggest roles a young actress can hope for, that turned out to be a good decision.

You usually don’t associate the name Olga with beauty, but that’s about to change.

Olga Kurylenko was absolutely sizzling as Camille in Quantum of Solace. She brings an exotic, dangerous edge to the classic Bond girl that has never been seen before.

She has big, dark eyes and a body that would make Olympic gymnasts jealous, plus she can speak French as well as Ukrainian -- in fact, the only thing she seems to be missing is the love of a good man.

Actress Isla Fisher penned a pair of best-selling novels in her native Australia before joining the TV soap opera Home and Away. She broke into American movies by playing Shaggy's girlfriend in Scooby-Doo, and got even more attention in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers.

In recent years, she's played mind and relationship games with Jessica Biel and Chris Evans in London and seduced slow-minded bank employee Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Lookout.

This red-haired beauty impressed us through 2008, both in Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds and by providing the voice of Dr. Mary Lou Larue in Horton Hears a Who! In addition, she was named to the Maxim Hot 100 list for the second year in a row -- not bad for a woman who just had her first child in 2007.

Isla Fisher's most intriguing venture for 2009 is the lead role in Confessions of a Shopaholic, the story of a shopping addict who ends up giving financial advice -- expect to see more of the lovely Isla Fisher at her comedic best.

There’s little doubt that Summer Glau has managed to accomplish a heck of a lot in a relatively short amount of time, as she only kicked off her professional acting career in 2002 with a guest spot on the series Angel. That same year, however, she set geek hearts the world over aflutter with her role as the enigmatic River Tam on the short-lived yet beloved TV show Firefly, which was eventually spun off into the 2005 cult film Serenity.

 And, although she’s taken on starring roles in such series as The Unit and The 4400, Summer Glau’s ongoing stint as a protective cyborg on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has proved instrumental in widening her appeal beyond the nerd bSummer Glau’s ability to crawl into the skin of wholly unusual characters has made her a favorite within the sci-fi community, and her unexpectedly layered take on a killing machine in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles caught the attention of a legion of new fans.

 Cast alongside beauties like Lena Headey and Shirley Manson, Summer Glau has, with seemingly little effort, managed to establish herself as a sex symbol for the sci-fi crowd. Her stellar work on the series recently won her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Television Actress, and although she had to share the prize with Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, this win placed her ahead of such small-screen hotties as Jennifer Carpenter and Hayden Panettiere. rigade.

Stacy Keibler actually made her cinematic debut with an uncredited cameo appearance in John Waters’ 1998 comedy Pecker, though it wasn’t until she retired from the wrestling world that she was finally able to devote herself full-time to acting.

 2008 proved to be Stacy Keibler’s breakthrough year, as she took on a one-episode shot opposite her real-life boyfriend Geoff Stults on the ABC series October Road, and subsequently landed a recurring role on ABC Family’s Samurai Girl alongside Jamie Chung and Brendan Fehr. It’s an impressive turnaround for someone who was once best known as “The Legs of WWE.”

This beautiful brunette had her big break in 2008, but few people got to see just how cute she really was. That’s because her break came in Cloverfield, and its jerky “handheld” filming style rendered her face a barely visible blur. However, make no mistake -- this budding starlet is on her way to big things. Her name comes from the ballet Swan Lake, but this California native ditched the tutu as a kid and focused instead on acting.

Moviegoers first saw her in Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger way back in 1990, and she’s been slowly working her way up everIf you’re a fan of the girl-next-door type, may we introduce Odette Yustman. She doesn’t overwhelm with flowing blond hair or bee-stung lips, but her beauty is almost breathtaking. She isn’t just a pretty face, either. Anyone who can pull off what she did in Cloverfield (namely, playing a believable role when her main costar is a 350-foot monster) can act. She did so well, in fact, that The Dark Knight screenwriter David S. Goyer tapped her to star in his upcoming horror flick, The Unborn. We’re going to see a lot more of Odette Yustman, and that is a very, very good thing. since.

Hayden Panettiere’s transformation from talented child actress to sex symbol certainly didn’t occur overnight, as she’s spent the majority of her career taking on roles in family-friendly endeavors such as 2000’s Remember the Titans, 2004’s Raising Helen and 2005’s Ice Princess.

It was only as she blossomed into a beautiful young woman that she was afforded the opportunity to play more than just wholesome characters, with her critically lauded and award-winning stint as the invincible Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes propelling her to an enHayden Panettiere’s star-making role on Heroes took a dark turn this year after Claire was forced to shed her innocence and become a cold-hearted killer, a twist that allowed the actress to tap into other sides of her personality and effectively prove that she’s got the chops to tackle a variety of different characters.

This versatility has certainly been reflected in her upcoming roles, as Hayden Panettiere has managed to land a series of increasingly high-profile gigs -- including the title character in the upcoming romantic comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper. Additionally, Hayden Panettiere was also named a successor to Fergie and Hilary Duff (among others) as the latest spokeswoman for the Candie’s fashion line.tirely new level of fame.

Though she’s been working steadily since the turn of the century, Zoe Saldana has managed to maintain a relatively low profile in spite of an impressive filmography that boasts appearances alongside, among others, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp and Dennis Quaid.

 It’s consequently not surprising to note that Zoe Saldana has slowly but surely begun to establish herself as an up-and-comer worth watching, as her bubbly, downright charismatic screen presence has proved instrumental in elevating even the weakest of movies (check out her work in the otherwise forgettable 2005 Ashton Kutcher vehicle Guess Who for proof of this).


Zoe Saldana’s days of relative anonymity are about to end, as 2008 marked her breakthrough year in terms of roles received. Though she only made one on-screen appearance in the past 12 months (a small role in the ensemble thriller Vantage Point), Zoe Saldana successfully landed parts in two of 2009’s most eagerly anticipated films. First up is her take on the iconic character of Uhura in J.J. Abrams' reimagining of the Star Trek franchise, which she’ll follow with a starring role in James Cameron’s groundbreaking science-fiction epic Avatar.

As Kelly Bundy, the sexy, stupid blonde who warmed our hearts on Married with Children, Christina Applegate helped the fledgling FOX network get off the ground in the late 1980s. In addition to film and stage work, she also starred in another sitcom, Jesse. Despite great reviews and even an Emmy nod, Jesse was canceled in 2000 after just two seasons.

In late 2007, Christina Applegate returned to sitcoms as the star of ABC’s Samantha Who? In August 2008, she announced that she had breast cancer. Following treatment that included a successful double mastectomy, her doctors declared her cancer-free. Christina Applegate began 2008 riding high on the success of Samantha Who? only to be humbled by a diagnosis of breast cancer. Shortly after her double mastectomy, she made an inspirational appearance at the Emmys, saying: “It's a great day. I've got a pretty dress on and lipstick, and it's something I haven't done in two months. It really feels good to be here.”

It feels pretty good to us too to have her back on TV and cancer-free, as she's a woman of incredible talent and charisma, not to mention a knockout beauty.

Christina Hendricks was born in 1975, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Idaho and Virginia. After modeling in New York and London, she made her on-screen debut in the 1999 TV movie Sorority before landing a role on Beggars & Choosers in 2000. A recurring role on ER in 2002 led to appearances on Firefly, which earned her a SyFy Genre Award and a regular role on Kevin Hill. More guest appearances on series such as Cold Case, Without A Trace and Las Vegas followed before she landed the virtually tailor-made role of sultry '60s secretary Joan Holloway on the AMC series Mad Men in 2007. Christina Hendricks has also been featured in the indie films La Cucina and South of Pico.

 One look at this voluptuous redhead should make it clear why Christina Hendricks made our Top 99 list. Physical attributes aside, her perfect portrayal of a seductive secretary in the testosterone, tobacco and booze-fueled world of 1960s-era Madison Avenue in the first season of Mad Men helped her character, Joan Holloway, become more prominent in the second season, which aired in 2008. Christina Hendricks shared a Screen Actors Guild nomination for ensemble performance in 2008 with her costars, and we look forward to catching up with all of them again this year for the highly anticipated third season of Mad Men. She'll also costar with Dermot Mulroney in the film Driving Lessons.

If you don’t routinely watch TV shows made in Spain, you may not think you know who Paz Vega is, but if you don’t know her by name, you likely know her heartbreakingly beautiful Andalucían face from films like Hable con ella or Spanglish. Meanwhile, Spanish viewers know her best as Laurita Arteagabeitia from the most pop

Paz Vega closed out 2008 as Plaster of Paris in Frank Miller’s The Spirit, giving us just a taste of what this gorgeous actress is all about. Fortunately, her profile should skyrocket in 2009 thanks to a number of upcoming releases, including Christopher B. Landon’s Burning Palms, Triage with Colin Farrell and the thriller Not Forgotten. It shouldn’t be too long before Paz Vega’s name is spoken with the same reverential awe as another Spanish-born beauty and international star -- Penelope Cruzular sitcom in Spanish history, 7 Vidas.

Beverly Hills High School alumnus Leighton Meester turned just 22 in 2008, but next year her acting career will enter its 10th year. The adorable brunette certainly has cause to celebrate: Her spin as the wealthy, fashionable and fabulously bitchy Blair Waldorf on the CW’s prime-time teen soap opera GosWe welcomed Leighton Meester’s return to Entourage in 2008 (however brief). Yet, as the second season of Gossip Girl unfolded in all its jealous glory, we were reminded of the scheming, backstabbing queen bee’s rich heritage on American TV: no drama is complete without her, and her snarl can be seen a mile away (Meester's predecessors in this regard include Joan Collins on Dynasty and Michelle Rodriguez on Lost).

However, as Blair Waldorf, Leighton Meester’s sun-kissed cuteness makes for an irresistibly cruel and clever twist on the original (even if she isn’t TV’s first stuck-up, prep-school bitch named Blair), and she' s the No. 1 reason to tune in every week. The role of Blair also garnered Leighton Meester two nods at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards: one for Choice TV Actress and a second for Choice TV Breakout Star Female. sip Girl has made her a star.

View cohost, mother of two and wife of ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck, Elisabeth Hasselbeck hasn’t always been the iconic champion of the oppressed right-wing elite minority that she is today. She got her start on TV as Elisabeth Filarski, the token girl-next-door on Survivor: The Australian Outback, then parlayed that fame into a show on the Style Network before beating out an initially large pool of hopefuls to permanently replace Lisa Ling on The View.

Emily Blunt is an English actress who has appeared in films such as Charlie Wilson’s War, Dan in Real Life and The Devil Wears Prada. She began her acting career at the age of 16, after attending an arts school. She started landing roles soon after that, eventually getting her big break in 2003, when she garnered critical acclaim for her role in Henry VIII. In 2007, she earned a Golden Globe for her role in the British film Gideon’s Daughter.

Emily Blunt has three films slated for release over the next year, including a starring role in the flick The Wolf Man, costarring Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro. She is also now on the market, after recently ending a three-year relationship with Canadian singer Michael Buble.

Born into show business, Blake Lively preferred cheerleading over acting until she played Bridget in 2005's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The offers poured in, including one for the high school comedy Accepted, for which Blake Lively eventually received a Hollywood Life Breakthrough Award.

It's been onwards and upwards ever since for Blake Lively. She's Serena on TV's Gossip Girl, for which she won a pair of 2008 Teen Choice Awards, and she played Bridget again in a Sisterhood sequel. She also hammed it up as a transsexual partyer alongside James Franco in a memorable skit on Saturday Night Live. Blake Lively is hitting her stride as an actress and a babe. Besides her movie and television pursuits, she appeared on the cover of various magazines, including NYLON, Cosmopolitan and Lucky. Her projects aren't the most male-accessible entertainment, but it was hard not to notice this blond beauty, especially in her pro-Obama pitch during election season.

In addition to her continued television work, 2009 will see Blake Lively in more guy-friendly projects like the short-film compilation New York, I Love You (featuring Kevin Bacon) and the Keanu Reeves-Robin Wright Penn drama The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. We can't wait.

Vanessa Hudgens starred in High School Musical 3 in 2008, and went on tour in support of her Identified album. In 2009, Hudgens will star in the comedy Bandslam, a movie about teenagers drawn together by their love of music.

She became the spokesperson for Neutrogena in ’08, and also presented at the MTV VMAs, which makes us think we’ll be seeing even more of this fresh-faced beauty throughout ’09.

Before rising to fame as Gabrielle Montez in the High School Musical series, Vanessa Hudgens made appearances in films like Thirteen and Thunderbirds, as well as on TV shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. After becoming a star, she pursued a music career, and has released two albums -- V and Identified -- on Hollywood Records, though neither album sold particularly well. However, her undeniable cuteness and sweet demeanor continue to make her a hot commodity.

Olivia Munn is a model, actress and television personality, as well as one of the faces of American cable channel G4. She cohosts Attack of the Show! with Kevin Pereira, answering viewer questions about sex and dating. She has also worked as a model for Nike, Pepsi and Neutrogena. In 2007, she appeared in Playboy magazine in a non-nude pictorial spread, as well as in the Rob Schneider movie Big Stan.

Following her role in the 2008 flick Insanitarium, in which she played a nurse in an insane asylum, along with the comedy The Slammin' Salmon, Olivia Munn kept her name on the minds of men everywhere by appearing in an article for Men’s Health Living on creating the ultimate guy’s bedroom. It didn’t take long for Olivia Munn to gain legions of fans across the globe, and something tells us she’ll continue to be desired by many men well into 2009.

Dania Ramirez was born in the Dominican Republic, where she caught the acting bug at a young age. Working in a convenience store in New York City, at the age of 15, Dania Ramirez was discovered by a modeling agency, and was offered a part in a small local commercial. From there, she started to pursue acting more seriously, and headed to the West Coast. After relocating to Los Angeles, she earned minor roles in She Hate Me and X-Men: The Last Stand. She went on to land a part in the TV show Heroes.

Tall and voluptuous with girl-down-the-block beauty, Katharine McPhee can raise our blood pressure without uttering a single note. Yet when she does sing, she soars, leading us to wonder whether she has normal vocal chords like the rest of us or if she has a booming pipe organ inside.

Before the year was out, Katharine McPhee was signed to David Foster’s 143 Records label, meaning that her sophomore album may reach stores in the spring of 2009.Brown-eyed songbird and American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee began 2008 by parting ways with her label (RCA). She then married her (much older) boyfriend, Nick Cokas, in February '08, became a spokesperson for Neutrogena and costarred in The House Bunny with Anna Faris -- not a bad turnaround.

Not only did the impossibly beautiful Holly Weber once have physical imperfections (crooked teeth -- the horror!), but she was also in school to become a dentist. When her braces came off, the beauty lights came on and, more than 25 calendars and multiple magazines later, her viewing audience agrees that she's not too shabby.

Acting is Holly Weber's latest venture, and 2008 saw her guest star on three TV series, including Dirt and Criminal Minds (as the aptly-named Holly Hottie). She also had cameos in the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan and the Oscar contender Frost/Nixon.

If you weren't already convinced by Holly Weber's two-time selection as FHM's Hometown Honey, let's just state the obvious: Holly Weber is hot. Her recent leap to acting in roles as models, playmates and girlfriends emphasizes how important her beauty is to her work. The camera loves her.

We'll be seeing a lot more of her in 2009, as she'll appear in a pair of high-flying action sequels -- Crank 2: High Voltage and Fast & Furious. She's also playing a sexy chef in the Katherine Heigl-Gerard Butler comedy The Ugly Truth. We can't wait to see what she'll cook up.

Camille Belle is one of Hollywood’s emerging starlets. Her credits date back through much of her life, and she has been rumored to be romantically attached to one of the Jonas brothers and Twilight star Robert Pattinson (though not at the same time).

Camilla Bella’s career highlights include The Quiet, the horror remake When A Stranger Calls, and starring as Daniel Day-Lewis’ daughter in The Ballad of Jack and Rose. The exotic looks of this half-Brazilian actress, who stands at 5’8”, understandably reminds us of the Brazilian model invasion that followed Gisele Bundchen’s successful storming of the fashion world. While Camilla Belle does do some modeling, the bilingual actress largely sticks to acting, like her 2008 stint in 10,000 BC.

With no fewer than four projects scheduled for 2009, get ready for Camilla Bella to explode. Among others, she’ll appear in the Heroes-like Push with Dakota Fanning, as well as Three Stories About Joan, Bruce Willis’ directorial debut.

Rumors swirled that 2008's season of The Hills would be its last, but producers decided to keep the show going for yet another season, which will begin airing this spring.

Audrina Patridge, in our estimation, is much hotter than Lauren. Yes, we said it. This new source of eye candy is getting tons of attention these days, and with a big-screen flick coming up in ’09 (Sorority Row) and at least one more in 2010 (Into the Blue 2), we’ll still have many more months of indulging in shots of AuLegend has it that Audrina Patridge was ”discovered” by producers of The Hills, plucked from the poolside of anonymity and thrust to fame and fortune -- a modern-day Lana Turner.

Fine, fine, we believe it, and we even believe that The Hills is real, that it isn’t fully orchestrated from start to finish. Where are these Audrina Patridge naked shots we keep hearing so much about?drina… in a bikini... by the pool… again.

Without a note of acting experience, or even any real interest in it, Anna Paquin became the second youngest person in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Oscar for 1993’s The Piano. She celebrated the win like any preteen would -- she went on a school camping trip in New Zealand, where she grew up.

Over 15 years later, Anna Paquin is fresh off a critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie and is starring in her first TV series, HBO’s vampire delight, True Blood. She currently has roles in three movies lined up: Miss Irena's Children, Flying Into Love and Metamorphosis.

The Observer once described Anna Paquin as “oddball sexy,” a term that introduces what it is about her that we find so desirable: She’s cute, yes, but she’s a misfit too, and she’s been one at least since she won that Oscar.

In fact, even today, at 26, Anna Paquin still looks a bit like the emotionally troubled teen with a questionable reputation who finds refuge at the school theater. Can’t speak for others, but at our high school, this girl was smokin’ hot.

The "Queen of Remakes" nickname that Naomi Watts carries doesn't do justice to her acting talent. Trained in acting since childhood, including a stint at North Sydney Girls High School with Nicole Kidman as a classmate, Naomi Watts started her career in Australian television before earning major kudos in David Lynch's bizarre Hollywood odyssey Mulholland Drive.

While some of her biggest hits (King Kong, The Ring) have indeed been remakes, and there are rumors of another one on the horizon (2011's The Birds, with George Clooney), the Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts has also shown her diverse talents in highly praised films like 21 Grams and Eastern Promises. 2008 featured Naomi Watts in yet another remake, the perpetually creepy Funny Games.

Naomi Watts is a natural beauty with looks that the camera loves and that audiences desire. To date, she's been singled out by People (50 Most Beautiful People, 2002), FHM France (100 Sexiest Women in the World, 2006), FHM UK (Most Eligible Women, 2006), and us (AskMen.com's Most Desirable Women, 2006).

There was nothing sexy about Naomi Watts' performance in 2008's Funny Games. As the strongest voice in a family being held hostage, she was decidedly unglamorous -- and unquestionably talented. In 2009, she teams up with Clive Owen for the thriller The International and her pal Nicole Kidman for the twisted drama Need. She also has roles in We Are All the Same and Kicked, Bitten and Scratched.

The Emmy award-winning Katherine Heigl started modeling at age 9, and made early appearances on-screen with roles in Steven Seagal's Under Siege 2 and the slasher doll saga Bride of Chucky. It was her breakout role on TV's Roswell in 1998 that made her a familiar face.

In 2007, Katherine Heigl scored a double whammy with an Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Grey's Anatomy and a role as Seth Rogen's pregnant companion in the smash hit Knocked Up. She continued her streak by headlining the 2008 comedy 27 Dresses. This summer, she'll appear opposite Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth.

While Katherine Heigl has been busy winning our affections on-screen, she's also found time to flaunt her perfect bod in photo shoots for magazines like Maxim and FHM -- the latter featured her in two installments of its 100 Sexiest Women in the World feature. In 2008, reader and staff votes put her at the top of AskMen.com's list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women.

Katherine Heigl has done little to send our eyes elsewhere. 27 Dresses was an outright chick flick, but its success means we'll be seeing a lot more of her in 2009, both on Grey's Anatomy and in the battle-of-the-sexes comedy The Ugly Truth, costarring Gerard Butler.

The Iranian-Spanish beauty Sarah Shahi is a descendant of a 19th-century king, which surely explains her inclinations toward fame. A former beauty pageant winner in Texas, she studied opera and English at Southern Methodist University before becoming a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys and gracing the cover of their 2000 calendar.

A meeting with the late director Robert Altman sent her to Hollywood, and roles on Alias and Dawson's Creek soon followed. She went on to play DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales on The L Word for three seasons, then Sarah Shahi left the show for her current television home on NBC's Life.


Many actors are lucky to create one TV character who can stick with audiences. Sarah Shahi is working on her second one. As ex-drug-addict-turned-cop Dani Reese on Life, she blends Dani's faults with her own to create an unflinchingly realistic character. This girl's got talent.

Sarah Shahi isn't difficult to look at, either. Maxim featured her in its 2005 and 2006 Hot 100 lists, and she made the top 5 of AfterEllen.com's 2007 hot list. Sarah Shahi will attract attention on the small screen on Life in 2009, and will heat up the big screen as a stripper in an as-yet-untitled murder mystery.

There’s little doubt that maids the world over owe Nadine Velazquez a debt of gratitude, as the actress has single-handedly infused the profession with a jolt of unexpected sensuality with her irresistibly sultry work as Catalina on My Name is Earl. The NBC series has proved instrumental in cementing Nadine Velazquez’s reputation as one of the small screen’s sexiest icons, and her role in 2008’s made-for-television movie Husband for Hire effectively perpetuates that image. It’s certainly an impressive turnabout for an actress previously best known for appearances in entirely forgettable efforts, including 2004’s Eddie Griffin action flick Blast and the needless 2005 House of the Dead sequel.

Though she remains best known for her role on My Name is Earl, Nadine Velazquez has started -- slowly but surely -- to branch out into other endeavors designed to establish her as more than just another pretty face. In addition to her appearance alongside Mario Lopez and Mark Consuelos in Husband for Hire, Nadine Velazquez has busied herself by taking on a small but pivotal role in an upcoming Christina Ricci comedy entitled All’s Faire in Love. The arrival of her risqué 2009 calendar indicates that Nadine Velazquez isn’t quite ready to completely abandon her sultry reputation, and we’re grateful for her willingness to capitalize on her jaw-dropping beauty.

Though she’s only been in the business since 2005, Emma Stone has quickly amassed a small yet potent resume that’s effectively established her as one of the most promising up-and-coming comedic actress to come around in quite some time. She started out her career by taking on one-episode guest spots on shows like Malcolm in the Middle and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, but it was her scene-stealing work as the object of Jonah Hill’s affections in the 2007 smash Superbad that firmly established her as a new face worth watching.

With her off-kilter looks and sarcastic sensibilities, Emma Stone has effectively cultivated the image of an approachable girl-next-door type -- the kind most guys have known (and probably lusted after) at least once in their lives. She’s certainly perpetuated this notion by taking on roles in a pair of 2008 comedies, The House Bunny and The Rocker, and her upcoming gigs will only strengthen her appeal and confirm her impending superstardom. She’ll first be seen alongside Noureen DeWulf as one of the title characters in the Matthew McConaughey/Jennifer Garner romcom The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, then she'll segue into her very first starring role in Paper Man. There’s little doubt that Emma Stone’s days as a bit player are coming to a swift end, as she’s primed to join the ranks of such famously funny ladies as Kate Hudson and Meg Ryan.

As a wee one, the lovely Elizabeth Banks competed on Nickelodeon's Finders Keepers and, once Hollywood found her, it had every intention of keeping her. While climbing the ranks, she used her girl-next-door appeal well as office babe Betty Brant in the three Spider-Man films, and then she got naughty as a bookworm with a wild side in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

2008 saw Elizabeth Banks in no less than seven projects, the most noteworthy of which include the silly comedy Role Models, the politically minded W. (in which she played First Lady Laura Bush), and Kevin Smith's hilarious Zack and Miri Make a Porno (in which she played a broke roommate-turned-porn star). She opened 2009 with a role in The Uninvited.
Elizabeth Banks' bathtub romp in The 40 Year Old Virgin scared Steve Carell away, but we remember it fondly. 2008 saw her get wild again as the sweet and sexy Miri, prompting the question: Who wouldn't want to make a porno with her? Through her wholesome looks and on-screen sincerity, she also made Laura Bush likable in W.

In 2009, we'll get to see the more villainous side of Elizabeth Banks when she plays a nurse with suspicious motives in the horror remake The Uninvited. No matter how mean she might act, though, we still find her adorable.

Nicknamed “Miss Thang,” the January-born and South Dakota-raised January Jones got her start as an Abercrombie & Fitch model before hitting the acting world. A role as a bank robber in the Bruce Willis-led Bandits earned her a shot as an angry lesbian porn star in 2003's Anger Management, after which she played Stifler's (Seann William Scott's) romantic interest in American Wedding.

January Jones now splits her time between television and movies thanks to roles in Tommy Lee Jones' award-winning The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, the football movie We Are Marshall and the critically lauded TV drama Mad Men. Earlier this month she was nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in Mad Men.


January Jones has been on our radar since the Maxim Hot 100 of 2002 list. Her model features make her a winner with guys, including Ashton Kutcher, who dated her from 1998 to 2001. As model-turned-housewife Betty Draper on Mad Men, we've watched her grow stronger through the show's second season, with the third due in 2009.

January Jones also put her looks to manipulative use in 2008 as a sleek con artist for a guest spot on Law & Order. We'll see her incite more desire as a pretty young thing seducing British DJs in the 2009 movie The Boat That Rocked.

Milla Jovovich is an Ukrainian actress, supermodel, fashion designer, singer and public figure, who was on the cover of more than a hundred magazines, and starred in such films as The Fifth Element (1997), Ultraviolet (2006), and the 'Resident Evil' franchise.

She was born Milica Natasha Jovovich on December 17, 1975, in Kiev, Ukraine, Soviet Union (now Kiev, Ukraine). Her Montenegrinian father, Bogdan (Bogdanovich) Jovovich, was a medical doctor in Kiev. There he met her mother, Galina Jovovich (nee Loginova), a Russian-Ukrainian actress. At the age of 5, in 1981, Milla with her parents emigrated from the Soviet Union, moving first to London, UK, then to Sacramento, California, and eventually settled in Los Angeles. There her parents worked as house-cleaners for the household of director Brian de Palma. Her parents separated, and eventually divorced, because her father was arrested and spent several years in prison.

Young Milla Jovovich was brought up by her single mother in Los Angeles. In addition to her native Russian, she also learned French, German and English. However, in spite of her cosmopolitan background, Milla was ostracized by some of her classmates, as a kid who emigrated from the Soviet Union amidst the paranoia of the Cold War. Many emotional scars had affected her behavior, but she eventually emerged as a resilient, multi-talented, albeit rebellious and risk-taking girl. She was coached by her actress mother since her childhood, first at home, then studied music, ballet, and acting in Los Angeles. In 1984 she made her first career move, appearing on the cover of 'High Times' in the UK, at the age of 9.

She shot to international fame after she was spotted by the photographer Richard Avedon at the age of 11, and was featured in Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements, and on the cover of the Italian fashion magazine 'Lei' which was her first cover shoot. She made her first professional model contract at the age of 12, and soon made it to the cover of 'The Face', 'Vogue', Cosmopolitan' and many other magazines. The total number of her magazine covers worldwide was over one hundred by 2004, and keeps counting. In 2004 she made 10,4 million dollars, becoming the highest paid supermodel in the world.

Milla Jovovich was torn between two professions, before she eventually became one of the very few supermodels who also developed a steady and serious film career. In 1988, at age 12, she made her film debut credited as Milla in a supporting role in Two Moon Junction (1988) by writer/director Zalman King. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she played several supporting roles as a teenage actress in film and on television, then starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). In 1997 she co-starred opposite Bruce Willis in the sci-fi blockbuster The Fifth Element (1997), then she starred as Joan of Arc, the title character in the eponymous costume drama. In the early 2000s, Milla had a few years of uncertainty in her acting career due to uneven quality of her films, as well as some hectic events in her private life. However, she managed to overcome her personal crisis. With the leading role as Alice in the 'Resident Evil' trilogy, she established herself as a film star, and her success in acting career eventually matched her success as a supermodel.

Outside of her acting and modeling professions, Milla Jovovich released several critically acclaimed musical recordings, making her debut as a singer, songwriter and musician with the 1994 release of 'The Divine Comedy'. She also gave several live performances with her band called 'Plastic Has Memory', and was featured on 'Hollywood Goes Wild'. Her vocal recordings appeared on soundtracks of several films. She has been writing music and lyrics to her song-demos, playing her guitar and sampling other sounds from her computer, and allowing free download and remix of her songs from her website.

For many years Milla Jovovich has been maintaining a healthier lifestyle, practicing yoga and meditation, trying to avoid junk food, and cooking for herself. Since she was a little girl, Milla has been writing a private diary, a habit she learned from her mother. She has been keeping a record of many good and bad facts of her life, her travels, her relationships, and all important ideas and events in her career, planning eventually to publish an autobiography. After dissolution of her two previous marriages, Milla Jovovich became engaged to film director Paul W.S. Anderson; their daughter, Ever Anderson, was born on November 3, 2007.

John Cusack was born in Evanston, Illinois on June 26, 1966. He was the fourth of five children born to a math-teacher mother, and a filmmaker father. At the age of 8, he joined the Piven Theatre Workshop. By the time he was 12 he had a string of industry films, had acted radio spots and commercial voice overs a his belt. When he was 17 he got his first real acting break in the teen comedy "Class"(1983).

Biography and Career :

He remained busy the remainder of the '80's in hit's like "Sixteen Candles" with Molly Ringwald, "Better Off Dead", "The Sure Thing", "The Journey of Natty Gann," and Cameron Crowe's classic eighties movie, "Say Anything." John Cusack has said that of all the characters he had ever played, his character in "Say Anything" ,Lloyd Dobler , was the most like himself. His performance in the movie effectively confirmed that he was capable of carrying a film and better offers began to role in.

John Cusack won his first grown-up role in "The Grifters"(1990), where he played a small-time hustler caught between the attention of two rival women. His costars in the film Angelica Houston and Annette Benning both received Oscar nominations for their performance in the film but John Cusack had to settle for the rave reviews he received instead of a nomination.

Next, John Cusack appeared in "True colors" with James Spader and had a cameo role in "The Player". He has gone on to continue enjoying roles opposite box office champs. John Cusack has given wonderful performances in dramatic films such as 'True Colors", "Shadows and Fog", and "Map of the Human Heart" as well as comedic roles in "Money for Nothing" and "Bullets Over Broadway". In 1996 he co-starred with Al Pacino in "City Hall".

The next turning point in John Cusack's career was when he starred in "Grosse Point Blank" with Minni Driver. The movie was critically acclaimed and darkly funny and Cusack not only starred in the flick he also co-wrote and co-produced it. Recently he has appeared in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Pushing Tin" and "Being John Malkovich." His latest film was in the lead role of Steven Frears' winning adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-fave novel "High Fidelity" which Cusack also logged co-producing and writing credits for the flick.

Despite many fine performances, John Cusack hasn't launched into the realms of super-stardom. Not that he cares. With his taste for the offbeat combined with his continued loathing for celebrity and for semi-literate, sensationalist film-making. It is unlikely his feelings will be hurt if he doesn't command the lead in the type of conventional big budget flicks that keep the Tom Cruises of Hollywood in the $20 million club.

John Cusack's Dates :


Janice Dickinson

Lili Taylor (1988)

Uma Thurman (1992)

Susannah Melvoin (1992 - 1995)

Minnie Driver (1996)

Claire Forlani (1997 - 1998)

Alison Eastwood (1997)

Pamela Anderson (1998)

Neve Campbell (1998)

Meg Ryan (2002 - 2003)

Britney Spears (2003)

Gabriela Spanic (2004)

Rebecca Romijn (2004)

Alexandra Kerry (2004)

Sheryl Crow (2006)

Gary Oldman (full name Leonard Gary Oldman) was born on Friday, March 21, 1958 in New Cross, London, England. He is a famous actor, producer and director.

Biography and Career:

When he was a child Gary loved to play the piano and sing but he gave this up for an acting career. Although he became a successful actor, Oldman never forgot his love for music and managed to combine his hobbies some of his movies like Track 29 and Immortal Beloved. He studied at Rose Bruford College where he also managed to get a B.A. in Drama.

After graduating in 1979, Gary started playing in various theatre plays and worked in theatre for the next eight years. Although his acting career started in '79 Oldman got hist first leading role in 1986 in "Sid & Nancy", a motion picture which made it poss ible for him to work at Hollywood.

He later played in Prick Up Your Ears (1987), The Firm (1988) and Track 29 (1988) having real-life portrayal roles. JFK, True Romance, Jesus, Lost in Space, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Unborn are some other movies in which he played. Oldman also won more than 22 awards and nominations for his roles in different movies.

General appearance:

- 5' 10" (178 cm) height, blue eyes and brown - light hair.

Being born on 03/21, Gary is an aries and has a slim body.

Gary Oldman attended the BA Theatre Arts, Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama (1979).

Gary dated Lesley Manville and amongst other famous relationships was Uma Thurman.

Nicolas Cage (birth name Nicolas Kim Coppola) was born on Tuesday, January 07, 1964 in Long Beach, California, U.S. He is a famous actor.

Biography and Career:

He was born to August Coppola and Joy Vogelsang, a professor of literature and a dancer and choreographer. He has another two siblings and spent his childhood mostly in Long Beach.

Since he received his first role in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" Nicolas has played in a wide range of genres and received a lot of fame and respect from his fellow actors and not only.

He has received many awards and nominations during his career, including Academy Award for which he was nominated twice and won once for his role in "Leaving Las Vegas".

Bangkok Dangerous, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Next, Ghost Rider, World Trade Center, Lord of War, National Treasure, Gone in Sixty Seconds are some of the best known movies in which he played.

General appearance:

- 6' (183 cm) height, blue eyes and brown - dark hair.

Being born on 01/07, Nicolas is a capricorn and has a bodybuilder body.

Nicolas Cage had studied at Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills, CA (dropped out) and then Nicolas attended the UCLA School of Theater, Film and and Television.

Nicolas dated Uma Thurman and amongst other famous relationships was Patricia Arquette.

Nicolas is also known as: Nicholas Cage.

Uma Thurman (Uma Karuna Thurman) was born on Wednesday, April 29, 1970 and she is a famous actress.

General appearance:

- 6' (183 cm) height, green eyes and blonde hair.

Being born on Apr 29, Uma is a Taurus and she has a slim body.

Uma Thurman studied at Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA (dropped out).

Uma dated Don Johnson and amongst other amorous encounters was Robert Plant.

Holly Madison (birthname Holly Cullen) was born on December 23, 1979 in Astoria, Oregon, USA. She is a model, actress and she is one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends.

Biography and Career :

She attended the Portland State University.

While being a Hawaiian Tropic model she was spotted by one of Hefner's friends and got invited to a Mansion's party. That's how she met Hefner, becaming his girlfriend. She is the only girl who lives in his room, the other two have separate bedrooms. She appears in the television show, "The Girls Next Door", a show that presents the life of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends.

Before being a model she worked at Hooters. She also appeared in the Playboy magazine. Some of the television shows in which she was seen are The Sharon Osbourne Show, The Tyra Bank s Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and Larry King Live.

Trivia :

- Height: 170 cm
- Measurements: 36-23-36
- Two of her favorite books are "The Great Gatsby" and "Vanity Fair".
- She says Hugh is her soul mate.

Quotes :

- "I don't get jealous of other girls, because I was [...] raised in a cloning lab to be the perfect woman for Hugh M. Hefner, so, other than the fact that my I.Q.'s probably a little higher than he would like, I have nothing to worry about."

- "I look back on my middle/high school days and see an Alaskan fish out of water who wasn't good at socializing or fitting in."

- "Well, when your boyfriend dates other girls the age difference is the last thing on your mind."

Filmography :

- Robot Chicken (1 episode, 2006)
- Scary Movie 4 (2006)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (1 episode, 2005)
- Entourage (1 episode, 2005)
- The Last Broadcast (1998)
- Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (1 episode, 2006)
- The Girls Next Door (25 episodes, 2005-2006)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2 episodes, 2006)
- Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher (1 episode, 2006)
- E! True Hollywood Story (1 episode, 2006)
- The Tyra Banks Show (2 episodes, 2005-2006)
- The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (1 episode, 2005)
- Playboy: Hef's Halloween Spooktacular (2005) (V)
- Viva la Bam (1 episode, 2004)
- The Bernie Mac Show (1 episode, 2004)
- The Sharon Osbourne Show (1 episode, 2004)
- Doggy Fizzle Televizzle (1 episode, 2003)
- The Surreal Life (1 episode, 2003)
- Cribs (1 episode, 2002).

Amanda Holden (Amanda Louise Holden) was born on Tuesday, February 16, 1971 in Bishop's Waltham and she is a famous actress from England. Her birth name is Amanda Louise Holden, and she has a younger sister, Debbie. Being born on Feb 16, Amanda is an Aquarius. After a period of 3 years of training at London's Mountview Theater School she made her debut in 1990 at the age of 19 as an unsuccessful contestant on Cilla Black's dating game show "Blind Date".

Amanda has appeared in several stage musicals and in 2004 was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theater Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the West End production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Amanda dated Les Dennis (husband) and amongst other amorous encounters was Neil Morrissey (boyfriend).

Why is she famous

Amanda Louise Holden is well known for her roles as Sarah Trevanion on Wild at Heart. She is also notable for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

Here is one of here famous quotes

"I had a weekend job in a shoe shop to get me through college. I had a grant, but when you study in London you need as much money as you can get. I also once sprayed perfume in Boots for a week, but I couldn't stand the smell."

Kay Parker was born on August 28, 1944 in Birmingham, England. She is a famous actress. She is also known as Jill Jackson. She won 2 awards in her career. Kay started her career as an actress with the famous television series "Howie's Adventure" which was released in 1962.

She acted in the movie "Casanova" in which she played the role of a Secretary in 1977. She also acted in the movie "Sexworld" in which she played the role of Millicent in 1978. Kay got her fame from the movie "Untamed" in which she played the role of a Journalist in 1978. She played the role of Mrs. Bunn in the movie "Downstairs and Upstairs" which was released in 1980. She acted in the movie "Chorus Call" in which she played the role of Mona in 1979.

After that she acted in the movie "Taboo" which was released i n 1980. Her movie "The Dancer" is one of the major project of her career. Her last appearance was in the movie "Merchants of Venus" which was released in 1998.

Life in Brief:

- Being born on Aug 28, Kay is a Virgo.
- her ethnicity: White.

Kay dated Joey Silvera (love affair) and amongst other amorous encounters was John Leslie (love affair).

Aria Giovanni was born on November 3, 1977 in Los Angeles, California and she is a nude model who was Penthouse Pet for the month of September 2000.

Biography and Career :

Aria Giovanni was born in Los Angeles and by high school she was living in nearby Orange County. Growing up Aria Giovanni recounts that she was quite shy, with only one friend in high school, but that she did very well in her classes. According to her website, she did so well that she was able to graduate and head to college by the age of 16.

She attended college for several years, waitressing and tutoring in science and math on the side, when she decided modelling might be an easier way to make good money. Aria Giovanni started answering newspaper ads in October, 1999, and soon began appearing on various amateur pornography websites such as Amateur Pink, Busty Amateurs, and Seductive Amateurs.

In 2000, Aimee Sweet introduced Aria Giovanni to glamour photographer Suze Randall, who in late May of that year shot photos of Aria Giovanni which appeared in the September issue of Penthouse magazine.
At the same time, she also appeared on the web site Bomis, posing clothed for a Ferrari giveaway contest.

Aria Giovanni's professional modeling career began when she was introduced to renowned photographer, Suze Randall. The pictures were shot for Penthouse magazine and the editors noticed Aria's appeal immediately! They decided to put her on the cover and make the her the centerfold of the September 2000 anniversary issue. It's been quite a ride since then, as Aria has worked for every major modeling entity, including Playboy and Mystique. She also appeared on the TV show Shipmates in 2001.

In 2001, Aria Giovanni played Monica Snatch in the movie Survivors Exposed, a parody of the Survivor television series.

Aria Giovanni has also appeared in bondage, fetish (here most notably working with Ken Marcus ) and artistic photography. Aria Giovanni has gained particular respect for being among relatively few large-chested models working in the field who have not undergone cosmetic surgery.

Aria Giovanni has worked extensively with Andrew Blake, appearing in Girlfriends, Aria, Blonds & Brunettes, Justine, Adriana, and Naked Diva. Aria Giovanni has appeared in both softcore and hardcore pornographic movies, although most of her lesbian scenes involve purely implied sexual contact.

She is currently married to John Lowery (better known as John5), formerly of the band Marilyn Manson.

Filmography :

Notable TV Guest Appearances :

Shipmates playing herself, November 16, 2001
Howard Stern playing herself, October 30 2002
Wild On! playing herself in episode: "Wild on Hollywood Nights" 2003
Rock Theatre Television playing herself in episode: "DragonCon 2003" (episode # 1.2) November 2, 2003

Aria Giovanni Videos :

Meridians of Passion (Aria Giovanni & Old Pueblo Distribution)
A day in the Life of Aria Giovanni (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 1 (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 7 (Mystique)
Models of Mystique # 9 (Mystique)
Lingerie : the secret art of seduction
Mystical Journeys (Mystique Magazine)
Mystique presents H2Ohh ! (Mystique)
Aria Giovanni Photos of Mark Daugh (Mystique)
Aria (Andrew Blake)
Justine (Andrew Blake)
Girlfriends (Andrew Blake)
Naked Diva (Andrew Blake)
Adriana (Andrew Blake)
Blond & Brunettes (Andrew Blake)
Aria Giovanni of Mac Daddy ( Stars )
The girls of Penthouse # 4 (Penthouse)
The Thrill Seekers (Penthouse)
Pet of the Year PLAY-OFF 2003 (Penthouse)
Pet of the Year 2003 (Penthouse)
Veronika (Danni)
Virtual Lap Dancers (Danni)
Virtual Lap Dancers 2.0 (Danni)
Erotic Idols of Suze Randall (Suze)
Beach Blanquet Malibu - California Dreams
Aria and Friends
Survivors Exposed
13 Erotic Ghosts (Retro Media 2000)
Matrix Centerfolds :(old Pueblo 2004)
Starz (Macdaddy Entertainment 2003 )
Kokudoh Oh 4 DISC BOX SET Voice of aria
Digital Dream Girls #1 (J.S.Hicks)
Chloroformed Pin-Up Girls! (2004) (V)
Foot Worship Adventures! (2004) (V)
Bubblegirls: Aria Giovanni Danni's Exotic Beauties (Danni 2005)
Busty Dream Tales (Danni 2005)
Mystique Hottest women on Earth 2 (2005)
Mystique Natural Nude Beauties ( Mystique 2005)
Wild Exotics Uncovered Contest (Hotbody.com 2005)
Alabama Jones (Digital Entertainment 2005)
Nikki Nova's Sex on the Beach (Digital Entertainment 2005)
Behind the Fantasy (Mystique Magazine 2005)

This brilliant work by director Morris is the stuff of life. And death. It arouses the most basic moral and immoral questions of being human through an enormously complex and yet simple man, Robert Strange McNamara. It seems no coincidence, his middle name, as we get to know him in all his cleverness and contradictions. Morris subtly illuminates, literally through McNamara's eyes, what it means to have power over life and death. Like God. There is something almost spiritual in McNamara's eyes, edited against searing images of, well, graphs, statistics, memoranda, bursting firebombs and nuclear mushrooms, almost all rarely seen-before footage. The eyes are the soul of this film - McNamara's are a combination of supreme confidence and extreme doubt. But not only his eyes - for example, we see President Kennedy's eyes frozen in the lens as he tells the nation of imminent nuclear war in 1962, a look that would make a Marine shiver. This new interview technique ("interrotron" ) draws us into what? War? Peace? Honor? Life? Power? Evil?
Born 85 years ago, McNamara is the quintessential man of his time, what Brokaw called the greatest generation, a sobriquet this documentary underscores. In McNamara's words he deplored the sorrow and pity of the four great wars of his lifetime; the trenches in France; the nuclear and indiscriminate firebombing of innocent Japanese; the debacle in Korea; the flaming jungles of Vietnam. His command of statistics is breathtaking. But it is the eyes that reveal an inner truth, the precise opposite of his concise, rational words - his 11 "lessons". We see a man who never found himself in harm's way. We see eyes so ironically blinded by a circa 1918 vision of duty and honor that, though he loathed the horrifics of Vietnam, he was compelled to allow his true judgment to go unexpressed until nearly 60,000 Americans were dead. He was at once perhaps the most powerful man in the world and its most despicable. It is easy to see why a brilliant young President Kennedy would choose someone as Defense Secretary who seemed so like himself, but tragically without the courage. And why, with Kennedy's death, McNamara by sheer ambition and brilliance would ascend to the very pinnacle of power.

Yet, I couldn't hate this guy. Perhaps the most telling moment is McNamara's clear devastation at Kennedy's assassination 41 years ago, again told in his eyes and a rare, emotional choking voice. So it's difficult to blame him for all those deaths he might have prevented -- McNamara genuinely believed he was doing the right thing for his Presidents: through an obsessive sense of duty and loyalty. Now that his day of legacy approaches, he expresses criticism over the actions of others -- General LeMay and President Johnson are the favored targets. But McNamara cannot quite bring himself to admit his own mistakes of enormous proportions. Yet it's quite clear that he was one of only two men who could have ended the 7-year slaughter (of his term in office). Many may find that failure a reason to despise the man. I found it just human.

This film offers up no easy answers (certainly not his 11 "lessons'), but more importantly raises many fundamental questions. Philip Glass' elegiac, edgy scoring perfectly meshes with this thriller. An impressive and important contribution to understanding our nation's ambivalent past.

With great pain in my heart, for some time now I have been forced to admit that the United States government is no longer a power for good in the world. This film confirms that and explains why: the increasing hegemony of the military-industrial-congressional complex. The film brilliantly details the problems facing democracy today caused by this behemoth. I wish it had been equally as brilliant in suggesting a way out and a solution, but the first step in treating a disease is to accurately diagnose it.


Shortly after 9/11 I became aware once more of the increasing influence of the military industry and militarism in American life when Bush proclaimed that we were at war with the forces of terrorism. I found this alarming in part because it was obvious that the act perpetuated by bin Laden's men was not an instance of state-sponsored terrorism, and therefore there was no army or even nation with which we could engage. It was very similar to the terrorist killings of the Israeli Olympic Team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The Israelis properly understood that the correct reaction was what was in fact a long, painstaking police investigation. They knew there was no "war" and no army to attack. I was deeply upset by Bush's declaration of war partly because I feared (correctly, it turned out) that he would engage on a series of military adventures that were largely irrelevant to 9/11 and partly because it meant that the U.S. would not be focused on actually dealing with the terrorists (something else I was unfortunately correct about).

What we have seen since 9/11 is the intense and ongoing engagement of America's military in further attempts to dictate world policy through militarism and war. Although this has never previously been an effective tool of government as seen in hosts of previous world empires, and in fact has always signaled the beginning of the end of the predominance of a nation in world affairs (Paul Kennedy's marvelous THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT POWERS examined this in 1987 and predicted then that America's expanding militarism would begin America's international decline), the Bush administrations Neocon foreign policy is yet another instance of people being unwilling to profit from the lessons of history.

This film tells several stories. On one level it tells the story of the growing and expanding military industry that first developed in the wake of WW II and continued throughout the Cold War. On another it tells of the increasing complicity of government and congress in allowing this industry to control and shape national policies. Although America kept no large standing army until the advent of WW II, we now always maintain as a matter of course an inconceivably vast military. As they point out in the film, over half of the money spent by Congress is on the military (some doubting this will look up the budget approved by the Congress each year and see that military spending takes up usually between 28% and 35% of the annual budget, but this ignores discretionary spending, almost all of which goes to the military, and which is the reason why we spend more on the military than all other programs combined). Whatever else one wants to say about the Founders, they clearly never envisioned a situation where most of the nation's resources was going to maintaining a vast army, navy, and air force.

The documentary also deals with the necessity of an aggressive military posture due to this vast military industry. It would be difficult to justify keeping a vast military apart from any actual military conflicts, which explains why we deploy our military in so many petty military operations, and in the case of Iraq, a large one, though against a weak foe. This of course leads to vast profits for the military industry, and as Chalmers Johnson brilliantly remarks in the film, "When war becomes that profitable, you're going to see a lot more of it." Right now it appears that the Bush people have wrongly estimated how much militarism the general population will tolerate, but this is apt to cause merely a temporary lull, not a permanent retreat from attempting military solutions to political situations.

The most upsetting part of the film deals with the complicity of Congress in tolerating this situation. While our elected representatives ought to be leading the movement to reduce the size and influence of the military in our lives, they are in fact protecting it. The film deals with weapons systems that intentionally have parts built in every state, so that representatives from every state will support them in order to protect the jobs the contracts bring. What distresses me is what we lose by devoting so much money to the military. Any sane individual knows that military--as opposed to terrorist, which are not the same things--threats to the US are currently close to nonexistent. Yet we build this massive military that only causes harm to the rest of the world and ill will and hatred to the US. In the many clips of Eisenhower, he at one point mentions that single bombers equal in cost two schools or a hospital or any of a number of other social services. I look in awe at the remarkable system of social services that has been created in the European Union nations, a system that results in a standard of living that surpasses what one finds in the United States. Although the United States has a far larger economy, why are we not able to have quality education for all Americans? Why no universal healthcare? Why do we not have jobs programs to guarantee employment to all Americans? Why are American workers restricted to only two or three weeks of vacation a year, while many Europeans get six to eight? It is because we devote such a vast amount of our economy to the military. Europeans, on the other hand, devote a comparatively small amount.

I consider this a must-see documentary for every American. And I hope that we can do something to resist the beast. To be honest, I don't think there is much that we can do and my fear is that what we will see is no reductions in the size of the military until the inevitable economic collapse of the United States. That was what happened to all the other empires in history after their constantly expanding military led to their end. I see no reason why it will end differently for the United States. I think the shift in power in the 21st century will go towards the E.U. and China. The only hope for the U.S is a halt to the vast military expansion. The film ends with a woman who had retired as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force after becoming disenchanted with the campaign of misinformation that preceded the invasion of Iraq. She expresses the hope that people will just start refusing to go into the military. I personally believe that Americans currently have a patriotic duty not to join the military. Excepting internal collapse due to the increased pressures of an expanding military and the worldwide hatred of our nation that our military escapades creates, I see no other hope except for us to simply refuse to go down this path any further.

This is an extraordinary film about the creation of the American corporation, its legal organizational model, its global economic dominance and its psychopathic tendencies, and its incredible ambition to influence every aspect of culture in its unrelenting pursuit of profit.

The Corporation was spawned from Joel Balkan's in depth book, "The Corporation: A Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power". (Due to be released in March this year) The film and book begins in the 18th century, in the establishment of the 14th Amendment. Initially the 14th Amendment was designed after the Civil War to give ex slaves' legal rights, like any other citizen of the United States, but through a maze of legal precedents, the business corporation organization model was now deemed a "legal person" with all the civil rights accorded to a citizen. This highly absurd precedent has paved the way for corporations to literarily get away with murder, because a "corporation" is not an individual that you can put in jail. In effect, a corporation has no moral or social obligations; their only obligation is the pursuit of profit. This film offers numerous examples of unethical practices resulting in death for many people, and because of their status under the 14th Amendment, and endless legal loopholes, have gotten away with terrible crimes against humanity and the environment with no more than a fine, a mere slap on the wrist.

As the law treats corporations as "persons", Balkan thought it appropriate to put the various behaviours of these companies under psychological examination. What this psychological study illustrated is that corporations, as "persons" behave and display the symptoms of the clinical psychopath. A psychopath typically does not have a social conscience, is guilt free after committing heinous acts, and will destroy anything or anybody that prevents them from attaining the object of their particular obsession - in this case, the relentless pursuit of profit.

This documentary took several years to produce with over 650 hours of footage, director(s), Jennifer Abbot and Mark Achbar, had to chisel down this amazing amount of material into a comprehensible film. What is most astounding is the range of people interviewed for this film, that argue from all sides of the "corporation issue": Ira Jackson, Ray Anderson - CEO of Interface, the world's largest carpet manufacturer; Noam Chomsky, Richard Grossman, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Milton Freidman - Noble Prize winning economist; Jeremy Rifkin - President, Foundation of Economic Trends; Dr. Robert Hare - Consultant to the FBI on psychopaths, and many more individuals from all sides of the debate.

When Balkan wrote his book and then collaborated with Mark Achbar to produce this film, what they did not want was the film to appear as just some left-wing diatribe, attacking the corporations, but to illustrate to people how the corporation began, how they have evolved and what they could well turn into if the people do not become involved in the democratic process, ensuring our governments take back the reigns of power.

After viewing this film, it becomes all too evident that these large corporations have too much power, whose mandate is not the common good of the people, and who will go to any lengths, legally and otherwise, in the pursuit of profit and the bottom line.

I believe this is one of the best and most important documentary films to be made in many years.

'Wal Mart, The High Cost Of Low Price' is filled with first hand testimonials and some hard-fact figures that will help in validating your hatred of this greedy giant, and visually exposes those in other countries who are ruthlessly used as slaves to produce the cheap products you purchase when you patronize this monolith.

These "jobs" provided to the labor forces of India, China, Bangladesh, and Mexico are not 'good wage' jobs even for third world standards. The people are overworked, underpaid, and forced to work in sub-human conditions. These human beings make 13 to 17 cents and hour, and work 10 to 18 hour days without breaks, all so you can have that $1.49 blouse.

Exposed in this film are the squalid, rent controlled apartments in China, provided by the company, that put to shame the most rancid ghetto house in your hometown. And if the employee chooses not to live in these rat-infested housing developments, the rent is still deducted from their wages. Wal-Mart has managed to lower the work standards set for these hard-pressed, low wage, third-world countries that other companies are going to follow, sucking down the standards of working all across the world.

The manager of the Mexico factories went on a tour to make sure that working conditions were humane. He was fired when he reported that the conditions were intolerably inhumane. In his own words, he didn't think retaliation would be brought against him for doing his job.

If you think it was a good thing that America abolished slavery, then think again before you go into a Wal-Mart. Just because the US is no longer "importing" slaves, doesn't make it right to continue to use slavery in other countries to produce high profits for personal gain. Wal-Mart's practices are no different than bringing slaves over from Africa to pick our cotton, it's still a cheap way for the rich to get richer at the expense of human blood and sweat.

Intermittently inserted in the film is a speech made by Lee Scott to the high-end employees and stockholders of Wal-Mart, which sounds very much like an Amway pep-talk. Lee Scott's earnings for 2005 were $27,207,799.00. The average Wal-Mart hourly employee's was $13,861.00.

Interesting facts: After 9/11, the Walton's built themselves an underground bunker in case of another terrorist attack, costing millions of dollars that should have went into paying back the Government for having to subsidize their employee's un-affordable medical benefits.
The Walton family gave less than 1% of their wealth to charity. Bill Gates, not even a nice man himself, gave 58%.
The "Critical Need" fund, set up to assist Wal-Mart employees in emergencies, received five million dollars from Wal-Mart employees (making $13,861.00 annually) and only $6,000.00 from the Walton family, who made, collectively, 102 billion.
Wal-Mart actually had a commercial campaign about "buying American" while all their products come from sweatshops overseas.

Wal-Mart has refused to address crime statistics that show an upswing of violent crime in their large, remote, under-lit and un-protected parking lots, putting their customers in danger and taxing the local law enforcement. The State of California alone paid out 80 Million dollars in medical benefits to poverty-level Wal-Mart employees because the 102 Billion Dollar Walton family does not want to give their "associates" fair medical benefits.

There are many ways to hate Wal-Mart and its ilk, and many books out on the subject, but I recommend watching this DVD so you can actually see the slave workers and conditions overseas that these selfish billionaires exploit without passing down their profit to the "small people" who helped build their empire. The presentation could have used a little more snappiness, and the DVD starts out very slow, but keep watching and you will eventually see the monster peeking out from behind your curtain.
Stop shopping at Wal-Mart. Just stop. You don't need their cheap goods that fall apart two days after you bring them home, and it feels good to know that you make a difference by not supporting slavery. Enjoy!

A great film about another sorry episode in the history of America's automobile and energy industry. Set as a "Who-Done-It", the film chronicles how short sighted automakers (especially GM) develop great electric cars in response to the California ZEV mandate only to do everything in their power - from suing the state, making ridiculous ads, creating a red-tape filled lease application process - to kill them. Consumers buy bigger and bigger vehicles (whether they need them or not). Government officials and staffers bow to the pressure of intense lobbying, and conflicts of interest. The sad fate of most of the EVs produced during the late '90s to 2002 is revealed.

GM, especially, comes off as incredibly vindictive. What automaker ever tracked down every car of any model and crushed them (not the Corvair, Edsel, etc.)? Even after loyal drivers pleaded to keep them, offering to buy the last remaining EV1s with junk titles at lease buyout prices, GM went out of its way to ensure that the EV1 was history.

The passion of GM's EV specialist Chelsea Sexton for the EV1 makes her the star of the movie. One can only imagine what the engineers who designed the EV1 felt when their babies were being crushed.

But the movie ends on a hopeful note. We may never see the EV1 again, but vehicles using electric drive systems, either as full EVs (which are coming from several start-up companies) or plug-in hybrids, must inevitably roam the roads. The upward trend in gasoline prices, the effects of global warming, the inherent efficiency of electric drive trains, the continued improvement of battery technology, and the upcoming reevaluation of the ZEV Mandate guarantee it.

Supersize Me felt to me like two movies interwoven together. First off, and most compellingly, this is a documentary about the fast food industry and its role in the obesity epidemic in this country. Although it's an angle most of us have probably already been exposed to, the movie does a good job illustrating the insidious way that the fast food industry pedals its products to the masses and infiltrates all aspects of our American culture. In particular, Morgan Spurlock does an impressive job illustrating the pervasiveness of marketing towards children. We see what today's parents are up against if we try to teach our kids healthy habits. Throughout the movie, we see repeated references to the famous lawsuit in which McDonalds was sued for making people obese. I imagine most people probably have a similar experience to mine, in which I started out thinking such a lawsuit was laughably preposterous, but by the end of the movie I could actually see the logic in it. I wasn't exactly what point he was trying to make with the graphic footage of the gastric bypass surgeries. If it was suppose to gross viewers out, the reality is that any surgery could do that if shown in that detail. I hope it didn't have the effect of discouraging anyone from pursing a gastric bypass, which happens to be a wonderful operation that has helped many people turn their lives around.

The second thread of the movie is the human experiment, in which our protagonist goes 30 days eating only McDonalds food. For me, this part felt like bad reality TV to me. Although posed a scientific experiment, it is clear our narrator knows from the start what direction it will go. For one thing, we see his vegan girlfriend reprove his plans. From even the first couple of days, we get endless shots of him looking at the food and telling us how gross it looks, or telling us how sick he feels. The shock this study, if you can call a sample size of one person with an agenda a study, is that he actually gets even more physically ill than anyone anticipated. Well, he gains weight and has an elevation of his liver enzymes. His doctors appropriately try to coach their patient into reverting back to a healthier diet, putting as grim a spin on it as possible. Elevated liver enzymes however are the normal response of a healthy liver to an acute insult. It's going abruptly from a low fat diet to a massively high-fat diet that causes it. If he wanted to make the case that this was a dire lethal reaction to fast food, we could have checked the liver enzymes of any of the characters we meet in the movie who habitually eat fast food. He would have found them to be mostly normal, since the bump in liver enzymes is a function of the acute change, not the fast food in and of itself. His doctors make the analogy to alcoholics, who get elevated liver enzymes from the insult of alcohol to their livers. But, in fact, it is when an alcoholic binges and doesn't get a corresponding rise in liver enzymes that there is evidence of end-stage liver disease (Morgan's internists hopefully understand this but are either doing their job by trying to scare him, possibly hamming it up for the cameras, and/or the interactions are edited for maximum melodrama and don't reflect the content of the actual visits.) We even see that Morgan's liver enzymes are returning to normal by the last set of blood tests, even though he is still on the diet at that point, but little is made of that in the movie, because it doesn't support the premise that eating all fast food for a month can kill you. His chest pain, which looked like an anxiety attack, and his other physical symptoms such as headaches are hard to interpret, especially in someone with an agenda to get as sick as possible. Then we get to see footage of Morgan on the phone with his mother, her only half joking that she would donate part of her liver if he needs it, and footage of Morgan on the phone with his girlfriend practically mourning his heroic and fated death. Too much. The informational content is important enough without watering it down with the intellectual equivalent of fast food.

My personal Amazon-confession: I love McDonald's, but I do feel gross afterwards. One of my professors in Med school was fond of saying "there's no good or bad foods, just good or bad diets." The McGridle really puts that sentiment to the test, but I would still agree with it. I always hoped he would slip one day and say "there's no good or bad food, just good or bad people," but it never happened.

Overall, a good movie, I'm glad I saw it. The extras don't add much in particular but still a good DVD. For me, personally, I could have watched much more of the documentary footage and skipped the "reality" melodramatics of the 30 day experiment. However, that experiment was probably the gimmick that got the movie financed, publicized, and accessible to a mass audience, so maybe it was necessary from a practical point of view.

Ok, let me get this straight. They made a documentary about Al Gore giving a lecture? About global warming? Okay, I'm already asleep. Snore. Yawn. Why don't I just stay home and save the money I would spend to take a nap.

All kidding aside, if you know anything about Al Gore, you know this is a subject he is extremely committed to and passionate about. Very passionate. And after five years of some of the worst, most harmful environmental policy to ever come out of Washington, DC, there is no better time for "An Inconvenient Truth".

I know many consider Gore to be less than a captivating speaker. But in "An Inconvenient Truth" he comes across as a different man because he is so passionate and committed to the subject of global warming, he comes across as a different man. Informed, knowledgeable, conversational and persuasive, if he were like this during the election, there would be no Florida Recount in our history books. Okay, so that didn't happen. But the result is that Gore, much like Clinton and Carter, are trying to do something with their status to help better the world. Gore has long been an environmental advocate and it shows. He knows the facts inside and out; people have provided him with statistics, graphs, charts and more, and he uses them in this presentation.

As Gore states, he has given the lecture more than a thousand times around the globe. Because of this, he is extremely comfortable addressing large audiences, giving them a lot of scientific research to digest. Remarkably, he makes it easy to understand, pointing out key facts, walking us through some of the more difficult to understand ideas and problems. He also knows when the audience needs a break and interjects humor here and there. At one point, he shows a spoof of an educational film animated by the people at "The Simpsons". At others, he makes fun of himself and his political ambitions and woes.

Davis Guggenheim, the filmmaker, has apparently presented Gore's lecture virtually intact. As Gore moves around on a dais, clicking for the next slide, he makes persuasive points. But he also reaches a couple of key points. When this happens, the filmmakers smartly pull back from the lecture, giving us a portrait of a few key moments in Gore's life. The argument he makes in his lecture is persuasive, intelligent and well thought out, but because we learn more about the man making the presentation, these points have even more resonance. Not only do these moments give us more details about Gore, they also provide a respite from the scientific data, allowing us to absorb what we have learned.

At one point, Gore states that the data is irrefutable and it appears to be. Remarkably, the filmmakers show footage of various people attacking Gore, or claiming the data he is presenting is not based in fact. Yet, we can see it for ourselves, right in front of us. And I am sure Gore could easily provide a bibliography of resources for us to check out all of the facts he uses. What would drive some of these people to attack Gore and this data? Some of the clips are from Gore's days as a Senator and Vice President, so some of that can be contributed to political parties trying to one-up each other. But currently, Gore does not hold political office, yet the current administration seems intent on giving every break to the worst polluters in the country, allowing them to make as much money as possible while they pollute and pollute and pollute. Gore shows a slide about this argument. Apparently, there is the thought good environmental policy will impact the economy. How do these same people explain the relationship between Toyota, Honda, Ford and GM? Toyota and Honda manufacture vehicles with far better gas mileage than their competitors and are much more successful because of it. An argument Gore makes very convincingly.

Thankfully, Gore stays away from political bias. More or less. A couple of times, he makes funny remarks about his failed run for the presidency, or he makes a pointed comment about the current administration, but by and large his comments are directed at us and what we should do to save our planet. The film isn't void of bias, but there could certainly have been a lot more. The fact the filmmaker and Gore showed some restraint makes his presentation even more persuasive.

The film ends with a series of `calls to action' as the credits begin. Frankly, these aren't needed because Gore's arguments are so convincing. But they are effective. As one call to action states "Urge everyone you know to see this film." Well, folks, that's what I am doing. Go and see this film. We need to do something before it is too late to do anything. Hopefully, this film will one day be viewed as a historical document of the beginning of a great change and not as a horror film.