Saturday, November 13, 2010

HARRY POTTER STAR

Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi released

(CNN) -- Myanmar's ruling military junta released democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest Saturday to a throng of supporters who rushed toward her house once the gates were opened.

Many tried to reach out and shake Suu Kyi's hand as she appeared at the fence surrounding her lakeside home in Yangon.

Others handed her flowers, which she put in her hair in trademark fashion. It was a small gesture but significant in that the flowers have become a symbol of defiance in Myanmar.

"I'm very happy to see you all again," she said, promising to address her supporters Sunday at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party headquarters.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace Prize recipient in 1991, has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest for her dogged opposition to authoritarian rule in the nation formerly known as Burma.

Recently, she had little outside human contact except for two maids and visits from her doctor. Sometimes, she spoke to supporters over the wall of her compound.

"While the Burmese regime has gone to extraordinary lengths to isolate and silence Aung San Suu Kyi, she has continued her brave fight for democracy, peace, and change in Burma," he said in a statement Saturday.

"She is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world. The United States looks forward to the day when all of Burma's people are free from fear and persecution."

This was the third time the regime has released Suu Kyi from house arrest.

Security has been stepped up in Myanmar, but it was unclear whether it was related to Suu Kyi's release or the country's first elections in two decades that were held last Sunday.

Though Suu Kyi has had minimal contact with the outside world, reports from her domestic lawyer indicate she is in good spirits, said Jared Genser, another one of her lawyers who is based in the United States.

"I am personally delighted for her, for her family," Genser said.

But he tempered his joy with words of caution.

"I don't speak on her behalf as to what comes next," Genser said. "The challenges are enormous."

He said it was unclear whether anything would fundamentally change in Myanmar, given the recent "sham" elections in the country.

Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar specialist, said it made "perfect sense" for the regime to free her since she was no longer an electoral threat to them.

Suu Kyi's opposition party won the 1990 elections by a landslide but the regime never recognized those results. The election Sunday was the first since then but Suu Kyi was barred from participating because of a recent conviction.

The ruling military junta has been slowly releasing official election results, but critics say a victory for the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party is all but certain.

The government has refused to allow CNN and other international news organizations into the country to cover the election and its aftermath. It has also prevented international monitors from overseeing the vote.

The Burma Campaign UK, which promotes human rights in Myanmar, accused the ruling junta of rigging the November 7 election. The group welcomed Suu Kyi's release but warned that it should not be interpreted as a sign that democratic reform is on the way.

"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi is about public relations, not democratic reform," said Zoya Phan, International Coordinator at Burma Campaign UK.

"I am thrilled to see our democracy leader free at last, but the release is not part of any political process, instead it is designed to get positive publicity for the dictatorship after the blatant rigging of elections on 7th November," Phan said.

Suu Kyi's latest house arrest came after she was found guilty of breaching the terms of her house arrest after American John Yettaw swam uninvited to house and briefly stayed there.

The regime passed a law that made her ineligible for Sunday's elections because of that conviction.

Over the years, Suu Kyi has repeatedly challenged the junta and discouraged foreign investment in Myanmar.

In one incident in 1998, soldiers prevented her from leaving Yangon. But Suu Kyi refused to turn back and was detained in her minivan for almost two weeks.

"She is the symbol of the hope for the people of Burma. If she is out today the whole country will rise up, will follow her," said Khin Omar of the Network for Democracy and Development.

TO THE DUST WE SHALL ALL RETURN

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Harry Potter star Emma Watson dazzles fans in skimpy dress at film premiere

Bewitching in a black lace minidress, Emma Watson dazzles at last night's Harry Potter premiere.

Emma's sexy outfit, with its flirty feathered skirt, was a far cry from when she first graced the red carpet as a shy schoolgirl in a shapeless shift dress.

And that sophisticated pose was also worlds away from her awkward stance as an 11-year-old at the Potter premiere back in November 2001.

Emma - famous as swotty Hermione Granger - is sad to be saying goodbye to Harry Potter after nine years and eight films.

She said: "I'm going to say something sad. Knowing there's still more to come from me - it feels very strange to feel like you're retiring when you're 20. But it does feel that way.

"I've spent 10 years making these movies. I just hope that the second part of my life is as incredible as the first half."

Hundreds of fans - some brandishing cheeky banners - braved heavy downpours just to glimpse Emma, Daniel Radcliffe, 21, Rupert Grint, 22, Bonnie Wright, 19, and other stars arriving at the Odeon West End for the Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 premiere.

Some had even camped out in a spooky London's Leicester Square. Well, it might be their last chance to see Emma.

A student at Brown University in the US, she says she may never return to acting after graduating. That's one vanishing act no one wants to see..

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/11/12/harry-potter-star-emma-watson-dazzles-fans-in-skimpy-dress-at-film-premiere-115875-22710399/#ixzz15BgUcjfV

Friday, November 12, 2010

Audley Harrison credits game of poker for saving his career

Audley Harrison has revealed how a game of poker turned up trumps and saved his career.
Harrison was in the wilderness after his fourth defeat in eight fights to Belfast cabbie Martin Rogan when promoter Eddie Hearn bumped into him during a poker tournament in Las Vegas 18 months ago.
Hearn offered him the chance to take part in his Prizefighter tournament and the 2000 Olympic gold medallist won to launch himself towards his £10million world title shot with David Haye.
Harrison, who plays professional poker as a sideline, said: "I was in Vegas playing in a poker tournament and it was a time for reflection for me, thinking about what I would do with my career.
"I was really stuck. And it was just a matter of waiting it out. But I wasn't going to give up. I prayed for an opportunity to fulfil my dream of becoming heavyweight champion of the world and it came along."
Hearn was playing in the same World Series of Poker tournament as Harrison and knew the fallen star was the ideal boxer to publicise Prizefighter.

"We were drawn on the same table in the tournament," said Hearn, who has turned Harrison's career around as his promoter.

"I knew Audley was looking for a way back and I wanted to get him into our Prizefighter event because it would be good for the tournament.

"I saw a burning desire in him to become the world champion and I told him that Prizefighter could provide him with the route.

"I told him that if he could come and win Prizefighter it would catapult him right up there instead of having to face a number of contenders."

Harrison landed a European title shot on the back of winning Prizefighter and his 12th-round KO of Michael Sprott has earned him his dream fight with bitter rival David Haye and a purse of at least £1m.

"I prayed for the a chance to fight David Haye and, like all my other prayers, it has been answered," said the Londoner.

"I did that because Haye really deserves a whipping and, most of all, it should come from me."

X Factor: Judgement day as Cheryl Cole gets company

It was scandalous of Cheryl Cole not to vote on Sunday's sing-off between Katie and Treyc - surely she could have at least mimed her decision.
Who'd have thought X Factor producers would allow Cheryl not to judge? Now hopefully they'll allow her not to sing.
Her credibility as a judge has disappeared without Treyc. Many viewers are branding her a coward.
Amid rumors that Simon Cowell is ready to appoint a fifth judge, maybe even this weekend, Boyle sports make Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger the 13-8 favorite to get the gig, with blow-up doll Gary Barlow 3-1.
Cheryl's decision to withhold her vote means Katie (hair: Marilyn Monroe; chin: Matt Munro) lives to die another day.
She's been in the bottom two more than West Ham and is now as short as 5-6 to get the boot this weekend. Like West Ham, she has no like ability and no ability, like.

Her biggest rival in the eviction market is Wagner, who when he sang in Latin sounded like he was conjugating verbs and looked like he wanted to conjugate the dancers.
Latin is hardly a vote-winner, as anyone forced to study it at school will testify. My Latin teacher wasn't popular and was once set upon by a bunch of hoodli.
Wagner is 7-1 to make it all the way to the final. To do that he'll have to start beefing up his singing, start brushing up his dancing, and stop touching up his dancers.
Tesco's finest Mary is another who could exit the competition this weekend. Mary admitted last week that she wasn't in the zone and the zone she was thinking about was the twiglet zone.
Mary is counting on compatriot Louis's support. She is counting the days before she is reunited with her daughter. But she is definitely not counting calories. Next elimination (Hills) 5-6 Katie, 5-2 Wagner; 9-2 Paije, 10-1 Mary, 12-1 Aiden; 33-1 Cher, 66-1 bar.

Five come alive again

With the launch of their sixth studio album - rush-released to appease public demand and beat young pretenders JLS to the shops by a week - Take That are on a high, consolidated by the return of prodigal absconder Robbie Williams.
Producer Stuart Price (Madonna, Killers) is the perfect choice here, mixing risque sonics with plenty of razzle and stomp. SOS is the storm after the calm of opening lead single The Flood and signals the mood of playful panic that underscores the album.
It contemplates the apocalypse and sundry disasters in a hyperventilating operetta, several light years away from anything you'd have found on their 1992 Take That & Party debut.
More shocks to the system follow. Kidz warns "Kings and queens and presidents/ Ministers of governments...." of the impending wrath of youth.

On an album which is the first featuring the composing talents of all five TT men, this sounds like the revenge of Mark Owen. His socially concerned solo albums may have sunk without trace, but now he has his gang with him.
The Robbie Williams effect looms large on Happy Now, a slyly ironic, creepy song where the lead vocalist claims to be "A supersonic specimen/ A minor miracle of medicine".
The heavy duty Underground Machine has the feel of a galumphing robot at a metal disco, cast in the slipstream of Rock DJ. With its bolshy, male stripper beat and see-sawing chorus, it's set to become a big live favourite.
Take That's comeback has not only accommodated but been strengthened by Williams' return. Its one notable misfire, What Do You Want From Me? is quickly covered by the polite finale Eight Letters.
They've pushed the envelope while playing to their core audience, who will love them even more. That must be why it's called Progress.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Monday, November 8, 2010

Megamind Takes Over the Box Office

Source: Box Office Mojo

November 8, 2010

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.

DreamWorks Animation's Megamind topped the weekend box office with an estimated $47.7 million from 3,944 theaters, a strong average of $12,082 per theater. Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, the 3D animated comedy also earned $8.2 million internationally in just seven markets for an overseas total of $18.6 million so far. The film cost about $130 million to make and $160 million to market worldwide.

Opening in second place domestically was the R-rated comedy Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The Warner Bros. Pictures release earned $33.5 million from 3,355 theaters and averaged $9,985 per site. The movie, budgeted at $65 million, topped the international box office with $21.5 million this weekend in 36 markets for a worldwide total of $55 million.

Coming in at #3 was Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls with $20.1 million. The Lionsgate release, which played in 2,127 theaters, averaged $9,450 and cost just $21 million to make.

Dropping one spot to fourth, Summit Entertainment's RED added $8.9 million in its fourth weekend for a total of $71.9 million. It took fifth place internationally with $9.5 million in 37 markets and has earned $114.5 million worldwide so far. The graphic novel adaptation was produced for $58 million.

Lionsgate's Saw 3D rounded out the top five with $8.2 million, a drop of 63.6% in ticket sales from its first weekend. The final installment in the franchise, made for $20 million, has grossed $38.8 million domestically.

Paramount's Paranormal Activity 2 brought in another $7.3 million its third weekend for a domestic total of $77.2 million. Internationally, the sequel added $11.6 million from 37 markets to take its overseas total to $66 million. Made for just $3 million (not counting marketing costs), the movie now stands at $143.2 million worldwide.

Landing in seventh place was Jackass 3D with $5.1 million. After four weeks in theaters, the third installment has brought in $110.8 million in North America for Paramount. The film has added another $18.8 million overseas so far.

In limited release, Doug Liman's Fair Game, starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, earned $700,000 from 46 theaters, an average of $15,217 per theater. More impressive was the $266,000 that Danny Boyle's 127 Hours made from just four theaters - an average of $66,500 per theater.

The Teaser Trailer for Kung Fu Panda 2

Source: DreamWorks Animation

November 8, 2010

DreamWorks Animation has debuted this teaser trailer for Kung Fu Panda 2, coming to theaters on May 26. The sequel features the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Victor Garber.

In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five - Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.