Hungama Bollywood

Rumer Willis is Upset with Her Famous Parents

2008-08-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Rumer Willis is unhappy with her name—possibly she should seek the advice of New Zealand family court judge Rob Murfitt who was also fed up with parents giving their children bizarre names and did something about it.

Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public this past July reports USA Today.

Murfitt says, "The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

Rumer, the daughter of former Hollywood couple Demi Moore and Bruce Willis hated her name, insisting she "got screwed" by her famous parents' choice according to WENN.

The actress confesses she was envious of her younger sisters, Scout and Talullah.

She tells New York gossip column Page Six, "My sisters, Scout and Talullah, had cute nicknames.

"When I was 12 and had crushes on guys, I'd put my first name with their last name, but it never sounded right. Rumer Depp? Nope. In school, kids would sing, 'Rumer, Rumer with a big hairy tumor'."

Possibly she can use her middle name?

Britney Spears Jokes About MTV Video Music Awards in New Promo

2008-08-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

A year after her rocky performance, Britney Spears is re-teaming with the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 26-year-old singer has shot a promo for the September 7 show with host Russell Brand.

The spot is "mostly ad-libbed, with Russell asking her for advice about hosting the show," a source tells E!. "There's also a 9,000-pound elephant in it, as in 'the elephant in the room.'"

Though it remains unlikely Spears will perform again this year, MTV president Van Toffler has said: "Everyone deserves a second or third chance ... who knows?"

Spears — who has never won a "Moonman" but has been nominated 17 times — is up for two awards this year, including Best Female Music Video for "Piece of Me."

Other Woman in Singer John Mayer's Hot Tub Identified

2008-08-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Photos have surfaced of John Mayer with women in a hot tub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

But relax – a source close to the singer tells Usmagazine.com, "The woman in the photos is one of the wives of his band members."

The source says Mayer, 30, went to Mexico with his band "to take a break from the tour. It was a reward for them to get away and his way of saying thanks for all their hard work."

While Mayer relaxed, girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, 39, was photographed furniture shopping in West Hollywood on Thursday.

"There is nobody on the trip he could possibly hook up with and definitely not the woman in the photos or any of the women there," another source tells Us.

Saw 5

2008-08-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Directed by David Hackl
Written by Patrick Melton,Marcus Dunstan
Starring Tobin Bell,Julie Benz,Costas Mandylor,Scott Patterson,Betsy Russell
Cinematography David Armstrong
Editing by Kevin Greutert
Distributed by Lionsgate
Release date(s) USA October 24, 2008,UK November 1, 2008,France November 12, 2008
Country United States
Language English
Preceded by Saw IV
Followed by Saw VI

Saw V is the upcoming fifth installment in the Saw film series. The film is set to be released on October 24, 2008,[2] following the tradition of the Saw films, being released every year on the Friday before Halloween. Unlike the previous three installments, Saw V will not be directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, but instead by David Hackl,[3] who was the production designer of Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV.

Pineapple Express

2008-08-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

In yet ANOTHER summer romp from the Judd Apatow factory line, Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a beefy rotund guy who delivers subpoenas for a living. He also dates a young jail-bait cutie, Angie (Amber Heard), when he’s not visiting his sweet stoner of a pot dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco) to score the latest and greatest weed. In this case that’s the title star, Pineapple Express, a marijuana combination so lethal and unique Dale is almost (we said ALMOST) reluctant to destroy it by inhaling.

But when he sets out to deliver a subpoena to drug kingpin Ted Jones (Gary Cole), he is spotted by the man as he commits a bloody murder. Freaking out, Dale ditches the scene so fast he dumps some of the precious weed, leaving it behind like a trail of breadcrumbs dropped by Hansel, leading a trail to Saul.

Reefer madness ensues as a full-blown freak out is set in motion, and Dale and Saul hit the pedal to the metal in order to evade Ted and his loony goons (Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson). This leads to so many crazy-weird encounters and near-death experiences, it makes a Road Runner cartoon look like the work of Ingmar Bergman by comparison. Smashed heads, sliced and diced ears, banged up bodies galore--you want it, Pineapple Express has got it. As the film’s ad line implores, ‘put that in your pipe and smoke it!’

Titanic two the surface

2008-08-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

In 1997, a stupendously expensive film was made about the sinking of the Titanic, and the film was stupendously popular. Its success was hardly surprising. Eighty-seven years after the Titanic’s fatal encounter with an iceberg, her story remains intensely interesting–and deservedly so. It is one of the great stories of the world.

During the many decades of the story’s retelling, however, a peculiar thing has happened. The real story, which is the story of individual people and the moral choices they made in their hour of peril, has been replaced by political parables about the arrogance of wealth, the dangers of modern technology, and the pressing need for that dullest of things, government regulation.

The Titanic story began to be politicized as soon as news arrived that the ship had gone down in the North Atlantic during the early hours of April 15, 1912. Senator William Alden Smith, a “progressive” Republican and friend of activist government, called the White House to find out what President Taft intended to do about the disaster. He discovered that Taft did not hold the typical twentieth-century assumption that the president of the United States is responsible for solving every problem in the world. Smith was told that Taft intended to do nothing about the Titanic.

This is not a story about the arrogance of wealth, the hubris of modern technology, or the helplessness of the working class. It is one of the hundreds of stories about individual moral decisions (stories of heroism, stories of disgrace, stories of people doing the best they could) that give the Titanic its perennial interest. They are stories of real people making real choices. We too can choose: do we prefer the reality, or the myth?

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-08-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

The first two Mummy movies were a lot of dumb fun: lost cities in the Egyptian desert, tombs full of mummies, scarabs, Scorpion Kings.

The word “mummy” just lends itself to an Egyptian adventure. But setting the third one in China doesn’t really work. An ancient ruthless Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) and his 10,000 warriors who have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent Terracotta Army just waiting to be awakened to wreak havoc again isn’t one’s idea of a Mummy movie.

A Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon variation, maybe, but not in this milieu. The original Mummy heroes Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) are once again involved, but it doesn’t make it any better.

Even their now grown-up son Alex (Luke Ford), as a mini-Rick, can’t help elevate the proceedings. The only saving grace is perhaps Michelle Yeoh as a sorceress who sticks around long enough to get her revenge on the emperor.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2008-08-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2008 fantasy adventure film, based on the novel by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the popular Harry Potter films series.

Production is in the post-production stage. David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is returning as director for this film. David Heyman and David Barron are producing the film, and Steve Kloves, though he did not write the fifth film, has returned as screenwriter for this instalment.

Filming began on September 24, 2007 and the film is scheduled for a UK and US release on November 21, 2008, South Africa on December 5, 2008, and an Australian release on December 11, 2008.

Like the previous film, the sixth film will be simultaneously released in regular theatres and IMAX 3-D.Editing of the movie has been completed and studio officials will soon see the finished product. The film has been chosen to be screened at this year's Royal Film Performance on 17 November 2008.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-31T02:55:00.000-07:00

After re-invigorating the Batman movie franchise by taking him back to his beginnings three years ago, director Christopher Nolan again tweaks the superhero movie genre and turns it on its ear with this riveting and brilliantly executed sequel.

You could safely say this is The Godfather II of comic-book movies because at its dark heart it really plays like a crime movie, more L.A. Confidential than Iron Man. Joining a triumvirate to eviscerate crime in Gotham City, Batman (Christian Bale) teams with Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and crusading D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to triumph over evil.

But as a true anarchist, The Joker (Heath Ledger) is unleashed by the mob and determined to cause holy bat terror for no apparent reason other than his own enjoyment. Right from the beginning, Batman and his colleagues realize they are not dealing with any rational criminal and must use all their ingenuity to combat him. The film explores the extreme damage one determined person can have on an entire society, an apt analogy to the real world where local terrorists can create havoc beyond human belief. Things also get complicated when a love triangle develops between Batman’s alter-ego Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent (who truly has a dark side ) and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko

2008-07-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

Country Russia Residence Moscow, Russia
Date of birth January 25, 1987 (1987-01-25) (age 21)
Place of birth Moscow, Soviet Unionnow Russia
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 57.6 kg (127 lb/9.07 st)
Turned pro 2001 Retired Active
Plays Right
Career prize money $1,752,092

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko (Russian: Мари́я Ю́рьевна Кириле́нко; born January 25, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. Born in Moscow, she won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6–3, 6–4 in the China Open. Kirilenko reached #18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She is a good friend of Maria Sharapova. She is affectionately called Makiri.

Maria Kirilenko won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian Open, as well as the 2002 US Open junior tournament. In December 2004 she played in a tennis exhibition in Tampa, Florida to raise money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund.

In 2006, she was selected to be the face of Adidas by Stella McCartney tennis range, designed by noted British fashion designer Stella McCartney. Since the 2006 Australian Open, Kirilenko has played in adidas clothing and footwear designed by Stella McCartney at all upcoming tournaments.

Agnieszka Radwańska

2008-07-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) AgaIsiaAgi
Country Poland Residence Kraków, Poland
Date of birth March 6, 1989 (1989-03-06) (age 19)
Place of birth Kraków, Poland
Height 5ft 7in (172 cm)
Weight 132 lb (56 kg)
Turned pro April 23, 2005
Plays Right, two-handed backhand
Career prize money $1,399,658

Agnieszka Radwańska [agˈɲɛʂka radˈvaɲska] ( listen) (born 6 March 1989 in Kraków, full name Agnieszka Roma Radwańska) is a WTA Tour top 10 Polish tennis player.

She defeated Tamira Paszek of Austria to win the 2005 Girls' Singles Championship at Wimbledon. As a professional, her highest WTA ranking to-date is World No. 10, achieved on 7 July 2008.

In 2007, Radwanska became the first Polish player in history to claim a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title when she won the Nordea Nordic Light Open. In 2008, she won three more singles titles: the Pattaya Women's Open, the Istanbul Cup, and the International Women's Open.

At the 2008 Australian Open, Radwanska became the first Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal during the open era[citation needed] and only the second Polish woman (the other being Jadwiga Jedrzejowska during the 1930s) ever to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal.

On May 24, 2008, she became the first Polish female tennis player to surpass US$1 million in career prize money.

Martina Hingis

2008-07-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) Swiss Miss
Country Switzerland
Residence Hurden, Switzerland
Date of birth September 30, 1980 (1980-09-30) (age 27)
Place of birth Košice, Slovakia (then Czechoslovakia)
Height 1.70 metres (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 59 kilograms (130 lb)
Turned pro 1994 Retired 2002; Comeback in 2006;again November 1, 2007
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$20,130,657 (6th in all-time rankings)

Martina Hingis (born September 30, 1980 in Košice, Czechoslovakia) is a retired professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1.She won five Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, one Wimbledon, and one US Open).

She also won nine Grand Slam women's doubles titles, winning a calendar year Grand Slam in 1998, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title. Hingis set a series of "youngest-ever" records before ligament injuries in both ankles forced her to withdraw temporarily from professional tennis in 2002 at the age of 22.

After several surgeries and long recuperations, Hingis returned to the WTA tour in 2006. She then climbed to World No. 6 and won three singles titles. On November 1, 2007, after suffering from injuries for much of the year, Hingis announced her retirement from tennis while admitting she had tested positive for cocaine during Wimbledon in 2007. She denied using the drug. On January 4, 2008, she was banned from tennis for two years due to the cocaine offense. She has stated that she will not return to professional tennis when this ban expires.

Elena Dementieva

2008-07-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Country Russia
Residence Moscow, Russia
Date of birth October 15, 1981 (1981-10-15) (age 26)
Place of birth Moscow, then Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 64 kg (140 lb/10.1 st)
Turned pro August 25, 1998
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money $9,837,500

Elena Vyacheslavovna Dementieva (pronounced: Russian pronunciation: [dʲɪˈmʲentjɪvə] Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Дементьева (help·info)); born October 15, 1981, Moscow), is a professional tennis player from Russia.

Svetlana Kuznetsova

2008-07-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) SvetaKuzzi or KuzzyThe Kuz
Country Russia
Residence St. Petersburg, Russia
Date of birth June 27, 1985 (1985-06-27) (age 23)
Place of birth Leningrad, Soviet Unionnow St. Petersburg, Russia Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Weight 73 kg (160 lb/11.5 st)
Turned pro 2000 Retired Active
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money $ 9,347,346

(born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 4. She won the 2004 US Open singles title and was the runner-up in singles at the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open.

The surname Kuznetsova (feminine form for Kuznetsov) has the -tsov, -tsova syllable accented in Russian.

Jelena Janković posing for sony erricson

2008-07-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) J.J. (in the media),Jeca (in Serbia),Jelly(in the UK) Country Serbia
Residence Bradenton, Florida
Date of birth February 28, 1985 (1985-02-28) (age 23)
Place of birth Belgrade, Serbia then SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight 59 kg (130 lb/9.3 st)
Turned pro February 6, 2000
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money $4,946,612

Jelena Jankovic (Serbian: Јелена Јанковић, Jelena Janković) is a Serbian professional female tennis player born on February 28, 1985, who, as of July 7, 2008, is ranked World No. 2.

Jankovic has reached the singles semifinals of the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open. In 2007, she won the mixed doubles title with British partner Jamie Murray at Wimbledon.

Ana Ivanović love to see her smile

2008-07-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) Anči (pronounced Anchi)
Country Serbia
Residence Basel, Switzerland
Date of birth November 6, 1987 (1987-11-06) (age 20)
Place of birth Belgrade, Serbia, then SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Weight 69 kg (150 lb)
Turned pro August 17, 2003
Plays Right; Double-handed backhand
Career prize money $5,686,313

Ana Ivanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Ивановић, pronounced [ˈana iˈvaːnɔviʨ], listen (help·info) born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. She is the current World No. 1 on the WTA Tour. Her first Grand Slam singles title came at the 2008 French Open. She was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open.

Serena Williams in Bikini

2008-07-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, (USA)
Birthdate: September 26, 1981
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Weight: 145 lbs. (65 kg)
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Singles Titles: 23
Doubles Titles: 11
Favorite Author: Maya Angelou
Most Memorable Experience: Receiving an "A" in geometry
Hobbies:Surfing, Skateboarding, Watching Cartoons and Playing Guitar
Favorite Tennis Player:Pete Sampras

Professional tennis players. Born September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. With her older sister, Venus, Williams took the tennis world by storm beginning in the late 1990s. The sisters harnessed their powerful groundstrokes and booming serves to rise in the rankings in both women’s singles and women’s doubles competitions.

Coached by their outspoken father, Richard Williams, Venus and Serena Williams have been credited with raising public awareness of their sport and with bringing the women’s tennis game to a whole new level of power and athleticism.

However, 2002 would belong to Serena. Serena defeated Venus in the finals of the French Open, Wimbeldon, and the US Open. The string of victories catapulted the younger sibling to the top of WTA tour rankings, with Venus dropping to second place.

Sania Mirza looking Inncocent

2008-07-26T02:38:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s) Sania
Country India
Residence Hyderabad, India
Date of birth November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15) (age 21)
Place of birth Mumbai, India
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight 59 kg (130 lb/9.3 st)
Turned pro 2003 Plays Right (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money US$ 1,185,316

Sania Mirza (born November 15, 1986) is an Indian tennis player. She was born in Mumbai, brought up in Hyderabad. Coached by her father, Imran Mirza, (as well as her other family members) she began playing tennis at the age of six, turning professional in 2003. She is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles. She was ranked 31st in the singles category and 21st in the doubles category in the WTA rankings of April 7, 2008.

Ashley Harkleroad Posing for media

2008-07-26T02:35:00.000-07:00

Country United States
Residence Wesley Chapel, Florida, United States
Date of birth May 2, 1985 (1985-05-02) (age 23)
Place of birth Rossville, Georgia, United States
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight 54.8 kg (121 lb/8.63 st)
Turned pro (June 12, 2000)
Plays Right, (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money $927,881

Ashley Harkleroad (born May 2, 1985), is an American tennis player. Born in Rossville, Georgia, Harkleroad reached a career-high ranking of No. 39 on June 9, 2003. She is currently ranked 61 in singles and 168 in doubles, as well as 68 in the Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships. Her career prize money to date is $927,881

Anna Kournikova in Bikini

2008-07-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

Country Russia
Residence Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Date of birth June 7, 1981 (1981-06-07) (age 27)
Place of birth Moscow, Soviet Union
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 56 kg (120 lb/8.8 st)
Turned pro October 1995 Retired 2003
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money $3,584,662

Anna Sergeevna Kournikova (Russian: Анна Сергеевна Ку́рникова (listen (help·info)), Anna Sergeevna Kurnikova; born June 7, 1981) is a semi-retired Russian professional tennis player and model. Her celebrity made her one of the best known tennis players worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name (or misspellings of it) one of the most common search strings on the internet search engine Google.

Although also successful in singles, reaching #8 in the world in 2000, Kournikova's specialty has been doubles, where she has at times been the world's number one-ranked player. With Martina Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002. Kournikova's major-league tennis career has been curtailed for the past several years, and possibly ended, by serious back and spinal problems.

Kournikova was born in Moscow in the former Soviet Union to Alla and Sergei Kournikov; she and her mother later emigrated to the United States. Currently, she resides in Miami Beach, Florida, and plays in occasional exhibitions and in doubles for the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis.

Maria Sharapova-Staring at you

2008-07-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

Nickname(s):-Masha
Country: Russia
Residence :Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
Date of birth: April 19, 1987 (1987-04-19) (age 21)
Place of birth:Nyagan, Soviet Union
Height :1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight: 59.1 kg (130 lb/9.31 st)[1]
Turned pro:April 19, 2001
Plays :Right-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money: US$12,122,252

Sharapova is considered to be a power baseliner, with excellent power, depth, and angles on her groundstrokes. Instead of using a traditional volley or overhead smash, she often prefers to hit a powerful "swinging" volley when approaching the net or attacking lobs.

Sharapova has good speed around the court, especially considering her height.At the beginning of the 2008 season, many observers noted that Sharapova had improved her movement and footwork and added a drop shot and sliced backhand to her repertoire of shots.

Sharapova playing at the Zurich Open in 2006Sharapova's preferred surfaces are the fast-playing hard and grass because her game is not as well-suited to the slower-playing clay.She lacks confidence in her ability to move and slide on this surface and once described herself as like a "cow on ice" whenever she plays on clay.Her limitations on this surface are reflected in her career results, as she did not win a Women's Tennis Association tour title on clay until April 2008 (despite having won 18 titles on other surfaces) and because the French Open is the only Grand Slam singles title she has not yet won.

Rebecca DiPietro-WWE Divas

2008-07-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Rebecca DiPietro (born April 14, 1979) is an American model and former WWE Diva best known for her stint as the backstage interviewer for World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand.
In 2001, DiPietro appeared in the pages of PlayBoy.

She appeared again in 2003 as "Cyber Girl of the Week" for the first week of June, when WWE divas Torrie Wilson and Sable were on the cover. She also finished second place in Mystique Magazine's Mystical Journeys worldwide model search, beating out over 4,000 other contestants, became a Mystique Siren, and posed nude for the magazine. She has also appeared in the magazine Stuff, as a cover girl and model, won the USA title for Miss Hawaiian Tropics International Pageant in 2005, and won the Miss MET-Rx Model Search contest for 2008.

Terminator Salvation - 4

2008-07-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Christian Bale as John Connor: The battle-experienced leader of the Tech-Com human resistance, who is now in his early thirties, is waging war against Skynet after it has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust. Bale was the first person to be cast and signed on for the role in November 2007. McG talked extensively with Bale in England about the role, and they both agreed to move forward.Bale is a fan of the films, and liked the script. He has signed on to appear in two sequels.

He and McG kept working on the story every day. Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese: A teenaged soldier and admirer of John Connor. In The Terminator, to ensure the survival of the human race, he was sent back in time, and fathered John with Sarah Connor.

Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright: A decommissioned Terminator, who befriends Connor and Reese. His last memory is of being on death row, and Connor is unsure of whether he is from the past or the future.

Terminator creator James Cameron personally recommended Worthington (whom he directed in Avatar) to McG.[10] Worthington tore a muscle on his left ribs during the first weeks of filming, but nevertheless insisted on performing his own stunts.

Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor: John's wife, who is helping him build his resistance. Charlotte Gainsbourg was originally set to play the part, but left because of scheduling conflicts with another film.Moon Bloodgood as Blair Williams: A "a no-nonsense and battle-hardened" pilot in the resistance suffering from survivor guilt.Common as Barnes: A freedom fighter and John's right-hand man.Roland Kickinger as the prototype T-800. This will be the first Terminator film in which Arnold Schwarzenegger does not play the Series 800 Model 101 model, because he is serving his second term as Governor of California.

Nevertheless, he granted the Halcyon Company permission to use his likeness in the film. The Austrian-born Kickinger previously played Schwarzenegger in a 2005 biographical film on the A&E Network.Additional cast members include Jadagrace as Star,Chris Ashworth as Richter, Chris Browning as Morrison,and Jane Alexander.

Helena Bonham Carter has been confirmed to star in a "small but pivotal" role as a character named Serena, who may be the lead villain.

Mallika Sherawat is planning to sue Ram Gopal Verma

2008-07-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is what hot bolly-babe Mallika has to say.

Mallika would soon be seen shaking her legs like yesteryears actress Madhubala in Sanjay Chel’s Mann Gaye Mughal-E-Azam in which she is portraying the character of Anarkali.

The fans of this lovely actress has more to cheer about as after seeing her do an item number and a small character in her last released flick Welcome, the lady would now be seen playing a full-fledged role in two of her upcoming comedy flicks Mann Gaye Mugal-E-Azam and Ugli Aur Pagli.

In these two films, Mallika would be seen sharing the screen space with Bollywood’s versatile actors like Rahul Bose, Paresh Rawal and Ranveer Shourey.

When we tried to inquire, whether working with such talented actors has any kind of effect on her real life, the actress replied in her typical confident style, “Definitely. There’s no doubt about it.”

Instead of her habit of running away from media and limelight, Mallika has been able to make a special place in the hearts of her fans.

“I believe in silently doing my work. I am sure that due to my work I have succeeded in making a special place amongst my fans, ” smiles Mallika.

This diva is not only famous for her sensational adas but also for the captions associated with her films.

Mallika is happy that these catch lines helps her films in a positive way, “It’s good that these captions make my films look different from others and hence gets famous amongst the audiences.

If we talk about Mann Gaye Mughal-E-Azam, Sanjay Chel has made a beautiful comedy film. I find myself lucky having got a second chance to work alongside Rahul Bose and Paresh Rawal through this film.”

Very few people are aware that along with being a good actress, Mallika is also a woman who likes to speak her heart out.

The actress isn’t happy the way her name was been used by Ram Gopal Varma for promoting his film Contract. “I am planning to send a legal notice to Mr. Ram Gopal Varma, ” speaks Mallika.

We would have to wait and see whether this hot babe would be able to offer warmness to her fans in this monsoon season with her performance.

Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam

2008-07-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Don't go by the title. Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam is a mad, contemporary comedy involving a drama troupe - Kalakar Natak Company.

They produce socially relevant, thought-provoking plays, which no one understands and hardly anyone sees.

But the actors of this natak company believe they will change the society one day and everyone will say, 'Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam'.

The theatre group gets involved with an undercover agent who is working on saving the country from a bomb blast.

One by one they come forward to help and are eventually instrumental in making a deadly game plan to save the world.

Horn Ok Pleassss

2008-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Horn Ok Pleassss promises to be a laugh riot. This hilarious comedy revolves around a down-to-earth truck tycoon. Govinda (Nana Patekar), who loves his wife (Rimi Sen) dearly.

Being a great believer in love, he saves the life of a heartbroken suicidal photographer Ajay (Muzammil Ibraim).

On learning that the boy loves a married woman, he advises him to kill the husband and chalks out the muder plan himself.

Little does he know that he is cheating out his own end since Ajay is in love with Govinda's wife? More confusion follows when Ajay's look-alike, Rocky, appears in the scene. Thereafter it's madness.

Will Govinda be able to save himself from his own murder plan? Will Ajay succeed in getting the love of his life?

Kismet Konnection

2008-07-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla, Om Puri, Boman Irani, Vishal Malhotra, Himani Shivpuri, Haider Ali, Shehnaz Anand, Karnvir Bohra, Amit Varma, Dimple Sharma

Story: Rahila Mirza

Screenplay: Sanjay Chhel, Vibha Singh, Sai Kabir

Music: Pritam Chakraborty

Director: Aziz Mirza

Ratings - *1/2

Maybe there is on one in this world who doesn’t believe in kismet but for that single reason you can’t blame or over emphasize the issue of kismet. But the story of the film depicts little more.

Just like any other Bollywod flick, in this film also, Raj (Shahi Kapoor) and Priya (Vidya Balan) meet each other. But despite feeling love for each other the only thing they develop for each other is pure hatred.

But see the kismet connection hidden in such a chemistry which turns bad luck of Raj, who has been fighting for getting a better work for last five years in the field of Architecture, into a good one. Raj comes to his fortune teller Hassena Banu Jaan (Juhi Chawla) and describes everything to her.

Banu tells him that Priya is his lucky charm and for a better future he should always take her with him to wherever he goes for his job.

Raj agrees on it and takes Priya to a meeting with Batra & Gill, a company that wants to construct a shopping mall. But soon Raj comes to know that the proposed mall is going to be made by demolishing Priya’s community centre.

Priya helps Raj without having any idea about what’s going on. But as soon as Raj gets the project, the reality comes into open for Priya.

For the sake of love Raj proposes Gill (Om Puri) for building the combination of shopping mall and community center but Gill denies it.

At the end of the story Priya’s kismet helps Raj once again and Mr. Batra (Boman Irani), friend to Priya and partner of Batra & Gill, accepts Raj’s proposal of making the shopping mall beside the community centre.
Shahid must remember that audience’s expectation regarding his characters in films has touched the sky after the success of Jab We Met and he must accept films keeping that in mind only.

At the same time he must avoid playing the stereotype characters. On the other hand Vidya has tried her best to live the life of her character but unfortunately the character, especially her outfits, hasn’t suit her level best.

I guess she must not attempt this kind of characters. Juhi Chawla is excellent in the character of Hassena Bano but the lose bangle in her hand made audience think about possibilities that forced her wearing it.

Few scenes with Vidya made us realize like Juhi’s jewelries are put on Vidya. Om Puri and Boman Irani are good as usual. Himani Shivpuri proved with two scenes that character maybe small but it has to be strong. There is nothing to talk about other characters of the film.

Despite its length of 2 and half an hour, the film seemed longer and unusually slow. Aziz Mirza has chosen beautiful locations but he better has understood that beautiful locations cannot make beautiful films. Music and lyrics are not to the marks.

Expectations of watching a good film may drag a lot of audiences to the theatre but they better know in advance that the film has nothing extraordinary to offer the audience. People will surely fail to connect to the film, if not to the stars.

Chandni Chowk To China

2008-07-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

Chandni Chowk To China, the first ever Bollywood Kungfu comedy takes you on a madcap Journey from the by- lanes of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, to Shanghai, the Great Wall and rural China, marrying in its wake hilarious gags, breathtaking action, spectacular locations, and heart stirring emotions.

Our protagonist Sidhu (Akshay Kumar) is the lowest on the totem pole, cutting vegetables at a roadside food stall in Chandni Chowk in Delhi.

He longs to escape his dreary existence and looks for shortcuts- with astrologers, tarot readers and fake fakirs - believing anything except himself, despite his father figure Dada's (Mithun Chakraborty) best efforts.

His redeeming moment arrives when two strangers from China claim him as a reincarnation of a war hero in the past and takes him to China. Sidhu now dreams of wine, women, and a princely e

xistence in foreign lands.

Thanks to the devious translator, a conman by the name Chopstick (Ranvir Shorey), little does he know that he is being taken to the Promised Land to rid the Chinese village of the vicious smuggler Hojo (Gordon Liu)!

Therefore, Sidhu blissfully sets forth to China with Chopstick who instigates dreams of a delicious future and forgets to reveal the perils, which await him.

Along the way, he meets Sakhi (Deepika Padukone), Ms. Tele Shoppers Media (Ms. TSM) who has embarked on a journey to pay homage to the land of her birth and her dead father and twin.

Initially, Sidhu through a series of lucky coincidences manages to sidestep being beaten by Hojo's men but finally Hojo catches up with him and exposes him as the country buffoon that he really is. Sidhu has the fire of revenge in his belly and finds the one man who will make him a Kungfu expert and set the village free.

Armed with his Sifu (master), faith in himself and the love of the fair Sakhi, Sidhu sets forth to conquer all!

Nicole Kidman: 'Sunday Rose Is a Precious Little Angel'

2008-07-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

HOLLYWOOD - Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are "in heaven" following the birth of their daughter Sunday Rose, who they call their "precious little angel."

The new mom and her singer husband are overjoyed with their first child, who was born in Nashville last week.

And the actress couldn't stop gushing in an e-mail to her friend and New York Post columnist, Liz Smith--who published the correspondence on the newspaper's Web site.

Kidman writes: "We are in heaven. Can't stop staring at her in complete awe. Feeling incredibly blessed to have been given this precious little angel."

And she adds, "Can't wait for you to meet her!"

Kareena and Shahid in cold war

2008-07-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Lover, friends and now foes. Shahid and Kareena have entered into a cold war. After dumping him almost a year a go Bebo is making sure that Shahid is never cast opposite her.

When Imtiaz Ali, director of Jab we Met, approched Bebo for another project with former beau Shahid she expressed her discomfort quite clearly and asked him to replace him with someone else. Finally Akki was offered the role and he happily accepted.

We also hear that Bebo was extremely upset with Imtiaz, because he did not cast her in his next flick and preferred Deepika to co-star with Saif.
Imtiaz, who is back from London after a long schedule of Saif's movie says, "I guess everyone assumed that Kareena would be part of it. Moreover as Saif is the producer, it was just taken for granted.
As a director I have to see what the storyboard demands and accordingly do the casting. It's not that there was any tussle on that front; the fact that we are working together again proves it."

However after a much-publicised break-up Shahid has drwan into a shell.

A gentle query about his one-time friend Kareena Kapoor, and Shahid sounds diplomatic and cagey, “Kareena and I rarely talk. We are not in touch with each other. I guess this is something, which happens naturally. Beyond that I would not like to talk about it.”

I don't have to be Size 0 to look sexy

2008-07-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Irony can go no further.

While producers in India dub Koena Mitra's voice, for her international project Karna she's been asked to cultivate a British accent to speak in her own voice.

For Karna Koena is also cultivating a fat-free athletic physique, the kind she says is not fashionable in Bollywood.

"With the help of my trainer Channel Pereira I've lost lost so much weight. I'm down to 15 percent body fat. The rest is all muscles. This is all for my kick-ass boy-bashing role in Karna. Unfortunately Bollywood goes ga-ga over thin not fit bodies."
She has to train specially hard since she will be the only woman in this all-male actioner. "In Bollywood they think if a leading lady can do one free-falling kick she's achieved the unthinkable. In Karna I've to do the kind of action only male actors have been seen doing in the movies."

Not only that, Koena has to acquire another skill for Karna. "I've to get a British accent, and fast. Yes they've asked me to speak in my own voice and in British accent because the movie will be in sync sound. I've to learn four different types of British dialects."

The film will be shot in six countries. But mainly in Hong Kong and China.

Koena thinks Bollywood isn't ready for boy-bashing chick flicks.

"I recently shot three promos for the film. When I saw myself fighting aliens I got really excited. Our country isn't ready for a real chick flick like Charlie's Angels and Lara Croft. I think I'll be the first Indian actress to go out there and kick ass. And I don't have to become a Size 0 to look sexy, " she chuckles. I don't have to be Size 0 to look sexy

Amy Marie Weber-WWE Divas

2008-07-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Name : Amy Marie Weber

Birth Date : July 2, 1970

Amy Marie Weber is an American actress, model, film producer and a former professional wrestling valet who is best known for her time as a WWE Diva for World Wrestling Entertainment under the Smack Down! brand.

Trained by : WWE

Sunny-WWE Divas

2008-07-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

From: New Jersey
Career Highlights: Managed three teams to the World Tag Team Championship, AOL's most downloaded woman of 1996, two-time Slammy Award winner, made a sex tape with Elmo
Associates: Chris Candido, The Body Donnas, The Godwinns, The Smoking Gunns, Faarooq, L.O.D. 2000
WWE Debut: 1995

No one could have predicted Sunny’s scorching popularity when she and Skip debuted as the spandex-clad Bodydonnas in the summer of 1995. Amid a shortage of females in WWE, this dazzling Diva instantly brightened up sports-entertainment’s atmosphere with her energetic, confident personality, as well as her more scintillating assets. The fact that she was a fitness fanatic also made her the envy of every woman – especially since her seductive ways often “inspired” our male fans to get out and exercise more. And if they weren’t exercising … well, do we really need to explain why Sunny became one of the most downloaded women on the Internet in the mid-1990s?

Beyond her stunning good looks, Sunny shined brightest as a manager of tag teams. She was instrumental in leading The Bodydonnas, The Godwinns and The Smokin’ Gunns’ to the World Tag Team Championship – even though her bad-girl side tended to follow the gold, not the guys. That said, she was also a key component in revitalizing The Legion of Doom, re-christening them L.O.D. 2000 and leading them to a victory in a Tag Team Battle Royal at WrestleMania XIV.

After leaving WWE in 1998, Sunny found her way to ECW and eventually WCW, where she continued to hone her managerial skills while raising a ruckus in the ring only she could get away with. During her time in ECW, Sunny aligned herself with Chris Candido, and she guided Candido through an intense rivalry with Lance Storm while they both became members of the famed Triple Threat – leading right to the top of ECW.

Sunny cemented her place long ago as one of sports-entertainment’s most gorgeous – and most popular Divas – always turning up the heat in such a way that will always remind our fans, “I know you want me, baby.”

Sable-WWE Divas

2008-07-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Signature Move: Sable bomb
Career Highlights: WWE Women's Champion; three-time Playboy cover girl

Today’s Divas owe Sable a lot of gratitude – she defined what it means to be a Diva in WWE today.

Breathtakingly beautiful and tough inside the ring, Sable was the first Diva to grace the cover of Playboy – and she did it three times. She showed that the ladies of WWE had come a long way since the early days and could be considered among the most beautiful women in the world. In many ways, she opened Playboy’s doors to Divas such as Ashley, Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle and others.

Sable debuted in 1996 when she accompanied a young Triple H to the ring at WrestleMania XII. Their alliance was short-lived as The Game mistreated his valet and “Wildman” Marc Mero (Sable’s husband at the time) came to her rescue and took her on as his manager. The glamorous pair captured the imagination of our fans as Mero briefly held the Intercontinental Championship. But when the Wildman was sidelined by a knee injury in 1997, Sable remained in the WWE spotlight, and she became far more popular than her Superstar husband.

By the time Mero returned from his injury in 1998, he had become jealous of Sable and resented her success. Eventually, a rift developed between two, punctuated by Sable delivering a kick to the groin and a powerbomb (which she dubbed the “Sable bomb”) to Mero. A long war between her and Mero and Jacqueline (who became Mero’s manager) ensued and that ultimately led to Sable winning the Women’s Championship from her nemesis at the Survivor Series in 1998.

In Sable’s last WWE run in 2003 and 2004, she found new rivals in Torrie Wilson and Stephanie McMahon. She also served as a trusted confidante of Mr. McMahon in a war with Stephanie. But despite her evil tendencies, our fans loved to see Sable, and she and Torrie Wilson formed a fantasy tag team on a Playboy cover and pictorial in 2004.

Whether she is remembered as the Diva of WWE Divas or a Playboy cover girl, one thing is certain: Sable was a pioneer and broke new ground for the Sexiest Women on Television. That may be her greatest legacy.

Trish Stratus-WWE Divas

2008-07-17T04:48:00.000-07:00

From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Signature Move: Stratusfaction, Chick Kick
Career Highlights: 7-time Women's Champion; Hardcore Champion; 3-time WWE.com Babe of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003); cover girl on three WWE Divas Magazines
WWE Debut: March 19, 2000
Trained By: Ron Hutchinson

Trish Stratus will be remembered as one of the greatest and sexiest WWE Women's Champions of all time. But whether Trish held the title or not, the sultry Diva was one of WWE's elite Superstars.

Trish's beauty was second to none, and her brains, strength and ability to get the job done make her the total package. A three-time WWE.com Babe of the Year, multiple time Divas magazine cover girl and seven-time Women’s Champion, she proved that she can succeed in all facets of being a WWE Diva.

Renowned for her work as a fitness model, Stratus entered WWE in March 2000 as a manager, leading the careers of Test, Albert and Val Venis. As a manager, she led Venis to the Intercontinental Championship and began her long-standing rivalry with Lita, but her beauty and athleticism left the fans asking for more Trish. She made her in-ring debut that June, teaming with T&A against the Hardy Boyz & Lita, and looking back it’s only fitting that Trish’s first match was against perhaps her greatest rival.

After the breakup of T&A, Trish got involved with Mr. McMahon, an affair that did not please the WWE Chairman’s daughter. Thus began a long-standing hatred between Trish and Stephanie McMahon, and the two even fought at No Way Out 2000. Stephanie was victorious, and after Mr. McMahon even turned on Trish the next night, the McMahon family treated Trish rather poorly for the next few weeks. However, she would get her revenge at WrestleMania X-Seven; after wheeling a sedated Linda McMahon to ringside during a match between Shane and Mr. McMahon, Trish and Stephanie got into a catfight. Linda would eventually awaken from her sedated state to cost Mr. McMahon the match as well.

Mickie defeated Trish for the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 22. In the months that followed, she battled the lingering effects of a dislocated shoulder she suffered at Backlash and was unable to regain the gold from Mickie.
Hated rival Lita ultimately snatched the Women’s Title from Mickie and leaked a bombshell revelation on Raw: Trish was planning to retire. It was true – Trish had planned to retire and decided to have her final match against Lita in front of her hometown crowd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto at Unforgiven.

Before raucous WWE fans, Trish used the Sharpshooter to defeat Lita and regain the Women’s Championship. With tears in her eyes, she said farewell to her adoring, appreciative fans and gave her storybook career a storybook ending.

Maria Kanellis-WWE Divas

2008-07-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Maria Kanellis (born February 25, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and model, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) performing on its SmackDown brand. On SmackDown and previously on Raw, Kanellis is known simply as Maria, and she acts as a wrestler, manager/valet, and backstage interviewer. Kanellis was a contestant on the reality show, Outback Jack in 2004. In the same year, she placed fifth in the Raw Diva Search, but was later hired by WWE as a backstage interviewer. Kanellis began competing in the ring as a wrestler in 2005. It was not until 2007, however, that she received her greatest push in the company, as the on-screen love interest of Santino Marella. As a result, she received more air time and began winning more matches than she had previously. She also posed for the April 2008 cover of Playboy magazine, which was incorporated into a storyline on Raw.

Stacy Keibler-WWE Divas

2008-07-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Stacy Keibler (born October 14, 1979) is an American actress and former professional wrestler and valet for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

She began her professional wrestling career as a part of the Nitro Girls in WCW.She quickly moved on to a more prominent role in the company as the manager Miss Hancock.[5] As Miss Hancock, she was known for doing table dances, her relationship with David Flair, and a pregnancy angle. After WCW was purchased by WWE, she moved to the new company, taking part in the Invasion storyline and managing the Dudley Boyz. Keibler also managed Test and Scott Steiner. Before her departure, she was affiliated with Rosey and The Hurricane and nicknamed Super Stacy.

Keibler was a contestant on the second season of Dancing with the Stars, where she placed third. She has also appeared on other American Broadcasting Company (ABC) shows such as What About Brian, George Lopez, and October Road. In addition, she has done modeling, appearing in both Maxim and Stuff. Keibler is also known for her forty-two inch long legs. She has been known as both "The Legs of WCW" and "The Legs of WWE". During her time on Dancing with the Stars, she was nicknamed "The Weapon of Mass Seduction" because of her dancing skills and long legs.

Torrie Wilson–WWE Diva

2008-07-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Torrie Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model perhaps best known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), most recently working on its SmackDown! brand.

As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998. Shortly after, she was signed by World Championship Wrestling, where she stayed from 1999 until 2001.In 2001, she began appearing on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as part of The Invasion storyline.Her most high profile storyline took place in 2003 when she feuded with Dawn Marie.

Wilson has also been a part of the all-female stable, or group of affiliated wrestlers, known as Vince's Devils, which ended its run in 2006. Aside from wrestling, Wilson has been on the cover of several magazines, including FHM and Playboy, which she posed for twice.

I was kidnapped, Miss Universe says

2008-07-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

Miss Universe 2008 winner Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza says an "express kidnapping" in Venezuela taught her how to handle stressful situations.

Mendoza beat 79 of the world's most beautiful women to be crowned Miss Universe at the beauty pageant in Vietnam's resort city of Nha Trang, watched by nearly a billion television viewers worldwide.

She received a crown - made of white and yellow gold and precious stones - by last year's winner, Riyo Mori of Japan.

"I am excited. I cried a lot. I am really glad I made it," Mendoza, the 57th winner of the title, later told reporters.

She admitted she was kidnapped 18 months ago in Venezuela, an experience that taught her how to remain calm in stressful situations.

"It is something that happens in my country and that's why I want to raise my voice and say violence is not the answer," she said when asked about the incident.

Mendoza, an aspiring interior designer, was among four finalists from Latin America, including first runner-up Taliana Vargas, 20, from Colombia.

The rest of the top five were from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Russia.

Communist-led Vietnam spent nearly $20 million on the event, including $7 million on a new resort and convention centre to host the pageant, in a bid to promote tourism to the Southeast Asian nation.

After celebrating at home with her family, Mendoza will spend her year-long reign travelling the world to speak out on humanitarian issues.

"I think I will jump on my family and they will jump on me. I want to have my mum's food," she said.

The Incredible Hulk

2008-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

What little backstory you need to know unspools within the first 10 minutes of The Incredible Hulk. General Ross is the reason Bruce Banner (Norton) has gamma poisoning and turns into a 9’ tall monster when he gets angry. Ross’ daughter, Betty (Tyler), is the love of Bruce’s life, but he can’t be around her, not just because he’s wanted by the American military, but because he doesn’t trust himself to not hurt her after putting her life in danger once already.

That explanatory bit out of the way, it’s off to the races with The Incredible Hulk. Bruce is hiding out in Brazil when the story catches up with him. He’s working in a soda factory, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible, and taking lessons in how to breathe deeply to keep his temper under control. Bruce is not harming anyone, but of course that doesn’t stop General Ross (Hurt) from his nearly one man crusade to get him in custody. I say ‘nearly’ because he finds a kindred spirit in Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). Calling Blonsky a pit bull in military clothing is an insult to pit bulls. The man is obsessed, possessed, and totally absorbed with doing his job. Collateral damage isn’t an issue, so no civilians are safe when this guy’s on the hunt.

After an encounter with Banner that leads to the fugitive hulking out, Blonsky quickly comes to the conclusion that he needs a little of whatever drug Banner has coursing through his system. With Ross’ blessing and backing, Blonsky fully commits to taking down Banner/The Hulk any way possible, no matter what he needs to become to do the job.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008-07-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Jules Verne’s classic 1864 novel has inspired many film and TV versions. None has matched the success of the penultimate 1959 Journey which starred James Mason and Pat Boone and remains a baby-boomer favorite and classic of the sci-fi genre.

That could change with this clever remake--ingeniously filmed in 3D--which goes directly back to the source material of the book and comes off like an endless thrill ride. This updated tale begins with the daily travails of American professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) who has never gotten over the mysterious disappearance of his brother Max several years earlier.

When Max’s son Sean (Josh Hutcherson) pays a visit bearing a box of Dad’s papers, the Trevor discovers hand-written notes in a copy of an original Jules Verne book suggesting his brother may have found a way to confirm Verne’s theories about a direct volcanic entrance into the center of the earth. With nephew in tow and the book in hand, the twosome set out for Iceland on their own perilous journey to test Max’s thesis and trace his steps.

There they are joined by Hannah (Anita Briem), a skeptical mountain guide who agrees to show them the way--though she highly doubts they find anything resembling Verne’s imagined lost world of natural wonders and roaming dinosaurs. But stranger things have happened, right?

Wanted

2008-07-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

You know a guy like Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) and you wouldn't want to be him. He's a cubicle-dwelling sad sack of a man who merely exists.

There's nothing special about his job or his life. He's stressed out, suffers from panic attacks, and even his girlfriend has a bigger set of gonads than he does. A strong wind could blow him away, and odds are if it did no one would notice he's gone.

But there is in fact something special about Wesley. He's gone through life oblivious to the fact his father, who deserted the family when he was just a baby, was actually the world's greatest assassin and a member of a secret organization known as The Fraternity. He 'was' as in he's now dead and it's Wesley's turn to step into his father's shoes.

While shopping in a grocery store, Wesley's approached by the sexiest killer one would ever want to meet (if one did, in fact, actually ever want to meet someone who murdered people as a job). She introduces herself as Fox (Angelina Jolie), gives Wesley a very brief recap on his mysterious father's death, and pulls him into the world of The Fraternity while quite literally pulling him out of the line of fire. Seems she was followed into the store by Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man who took down Wesley's dad and who has now apparently set his sights on sending Wesley to his grave. Cross and Fox take their fight to the streets, engaging in one of the most complex, heart-stopping car chases on film with poor Wesley reluctantly along for the ride.

So now that he knows who his dad was, it's up to Wesley to decide if he wants to leave his rotten life behind and join in with this bizarre group of killers whose mission is to take out only those fated/deserving to die (in other words, someone who in the future will be a child molester, serial killer, or some other sort of despicable character). Oh and by the way, if he does decide to trade in being Wesley the Cubicle Rat for being Wesley the Sleek Assassin, he'll inherit his dad's millions. Wesley returns to work while making up his mind, is pushed beyond his limit by his bitchy boss, and cracks.

There's no turning back after he tells off his annoying boss but, soon after he checks in with The Fraternity, returning to that life in cubicle hell looks mighty appealing. In order to become an assassin and ultimately square off against Cross, Wesley must first get beaten down by various members of The Fraternity before he can begin to build himself up. Once he's completed his training, which involves learning to bend bullets and run on top of trains, Wesley believes he's ready to take down Cross. But things get twisty when deep dark secrets are revealed...

Meet Dave

2008-07-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Murphy is back playing multiple roles in a family comedy which would seem irresistible. Actually, Meet Dave is a germ of a good idea.

Unfortunately, the “germ” didn’t spread into the final script, which has our man Ed literally playing a spaceship that lands in New York City. Inside Dave, as the ship is quickly named, are a group of tiny space explorers--a kind of Starship Enterprise meets Fantastic Voyage--who land on the gargantuan Earth in order to take our resources for their own planet’s survival.

The ship’s commander (also played by Murphy) calls all the shots from his seat somewhere south of Dave’s throat, while other crew members work the various appendages and body functions. The one-joke premise has Dave working undercover as a human being, wandering the streets of the Big Apple, mangling the language while trying to imitate the people he meets along the way in order to go undetected.

A semi-love interest turns up when a young single mother, Gina (Elizabeth Banks), accidentally hits him with her car. This incident leads to a relationship with her and son Josh (Austyn Myers), who immediately bonds with Dave--for some strange reason. But through these encounters with humans, Dave’s crew discovers feelings and emotions they’ve never had--and all hell breaks loose.

Hancock

2008-07-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hancock must have sounded great--at least on paper.

Hancock (Smith) is the anti-superhero, a crime fighter with a bad attitude in contemporary Los Angeles who drinks way too much, dresses like skid row and doesn’t give a hoot what anyone thinks about him.

Of course, since he can fly like Superman, stop a speeding train with his fist and take care of just about any badass gang member with his little finger, he is invaluable to the police. But the public hates him--so into his life comes PR wizard Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), who is determined to remake Hancock into the image of a hero the city can embrace, including getting a spandex outfit.

When Hancock comes over to Embrey’s house, his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) gets an immediate bad vibe about the guy. There’s good reason and therein lies the film’s big twist, which comes at the half-way point of the very tight 92-minute running time. To say much else about where the plot goes would put us in spoiler hell and for a movie so reliant on the sudden turn it takes you’ll just have to figure it out yourself.

WALL-E

2008-07-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

In the not so distant future, humans have quite literally trashed the planet to the point it's uninhabitable. With no means to sustain themselves – the plants have all died or are buried under miles of garbage – humans have fled in luxurious spaceships where their every whim is satisfied by robots. After hundreds of years living in space not having to move a muscle, we've devolved to the point of being fat couch potato globs that vaguely resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Back on Earth, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) goes about his lonely job of compacting trash. It's what he was built for and programmed to do, and there's no reason for him to stop. He was inadvertently left turned on when everyone took off, so he goes about his work each and every day with only an indestructible cockroach named Hal for company.
And after hundreds of years of this, WALL-E has developed a personality.

He's an inquisitive little guy who collects weird items of trash that he then uses to furnish and decorate his home. He's also developed an affection for Hello, Dolly! and watches the old VHS tape over and over again.
Hello, Dolly! has taught WALL-E about holding hands and falling in love, and the lonesome robot has dreams of finding that someone special. After endless years of waiting, WALL-E's shot at love appears in the form of a glistening egg-shaped drone named EVE. EVE was sent to Earth to check for any signs of life, and our little WALL-E falls head over wheels for this state-of-the-art metallic cutie.

He wants nothing more than to make a connection with this beauty, but EVE's not on the same wavelength. Fortunately, WALL-E's a persistent suitor and when EVE's sent back to report her findings to the people on board the Axiom spaceship, WALL-E goes along for the ride. Nothing will stop this starry-eyed robot from being with his EVE, not hundreds of thousands of miles of space travel, evil robots, or weird jelly-ish people who've lost all concept of what life on Earth was like before their ancestors all but destroyed our planet.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

2008-07-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

With a huge fan-base fueled by the original Mike Mignola comic books and the DVD of the semi-hit 2004 film, anticipation runs high for Universal’s all-out sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army--especially in light of director and ultimate fanboy Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar winning masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth.

But beware, this new Hellboy considerably ramps up the body count, triples the creatures and steps up the volume. As you may recall Red, aka Hellboy (Ron Perlman), was born in 1955, the apparent result of a unique mating ritual between the Nazis and the Devil. As years went by, he escaped his grim pedigree by becoming a reluctant cigar-chomping force for good.

Hellboy II opens with a flashback in which his nominal father-figure Professor Broom (John Hurt) reads him a Christmas Eve bedtime story about the creation of the Golden Army, something SO evil, it had to be deep-sixed in a deal The Crown cut with the human race. Cut to a half century later, and this bedtime info comes in handy as Red is now an employee of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense where he works with pyrotechnic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair) and fish-man Abe Sapien (Doug Jones).

Things heat up when he faces off with the evil Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), who is looking to take over, um, the world. This all leads to lots of confrontation and eventually Ireland--home of the Golden Army and site of the inevitable battle to once again make the world a safer place.

Scary Movie 4

2008-07-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Having director David Zucker (The Naked Gun) take on the latest Scary Movies has made the franchise slightly more watchable.

By now, the hapless style of humour is old school: the inner groan is part of the joke, so any kind of sloppiness is hard to fault. Even so, this series of action spoofs is difficult to watch.

Generally, the better scenes tend to involve a straight-faced, blundering figure (such as Leslie Nielsen); the worst feature actors like Regina Hall, who insist on responding to the comedy with smirks, or uncomprehending frowns.However, the film benefits from having that affable big goof, Craig Bierko, alongside the younger actors.

While he doesn't have quite the same level of skill, Bierko reminds me of Brendan Fraser: a classically trained theatre actor who moved to Hollywood, and now plays a big lunk breaking things (Fraser was at his best putting his fist through a whole cake in Monkeybone.) Bierko's brawn is matched by his amiability, and he often seems like an older cousin roped into children's games, who ends up rather liking them.

I was interested by the way the political skits were played. For instance, when the film sends up George W Bush hearing about the Twin Towers attacks, this incident is treated on the same level as any other: as if it was just a ubiquitous ad, or Tom Cruise jumping on a couch. It's simply an annoying bit of footage that was distributed to the world, and is available for parody. But if the aim was to keep the gags coming at all costs, it didn't work. It feels as if the guest stars (Shaquille O'Neal, Charlie Sheen) were booked in to do their lines per hour; even when the scene fell flat, the film had to use their first takes.

Ugly Aur Pagli

2008-07-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

Cast: Mallika Sherawat, Ranvir Shorey, Tinu Anand, Sushmita Mukherjee & Payal Rohatgi
Directed by: Sachin Khot

The film focuses on Kabir alias Ugly (Ranvir Shorey), a happy-go-lucky guy who has been study engineering for the last 10 years.

His mundane life is turned upside down when he meets the quirky and kinky Kuhu, alias Pagli (Mallika Sherawat).

Ugly always wanted a girlfriend but he never in his wildest dreams thought he would encounter a girl who could make him dance around in circles, run semi-naked, ride bicycles without seats, or wear high-heel shoes.

Pagli, an obnoxious, strong and witty character is totally out of control. She has a knack of disrupting your life in a way you never knew possible.

Recently, Pagli has been going through a personal crisis. She feels the only way she can overcome it is to put someone else through her experiences.

To achieve her aims, she targets a helpless nerd and makes him fall in love with her. Then the fun begins as his life is turned upside down!

Call her simply irresistible, or devil in disguise, Pagli sure has a way of getting around difficult situations.
So when the devil is after you, all you can do is run because if you are caught in her web then all hell will break loose! But as Ugly tries hard to escape Pagli's clutches, he falls more miserably in love with her.

Will Ugly survive Pagli's insane demands and tantrums, or will he run away screaming?

The Break-Up

2008-07-15T05:00:00.006-07:00

The Break-Up has been inaccurately described as this summer’s first romantic comedy, a misleading and inappropriate label. There’s nothing romantic going on in the Vince Vaughn/Jennifer Aniston film and there’s very little real comedy either. Think a watered-down version of War of the Roses with less biting wit and sarcasm - and a little less physical comedy - and you’ve got a very good idea of what you can expect from this mean-spirited movie.

Vince Vaughn stars as Gary Grobowski, a Chicago tour bus guide who spends his days doing stand-up comedy routines in front of vacationers eager to laugh. After putting in a hard days-worth of joke telling, he enjoys nothing more than to go home, crash on his comfy sofa, pop open a few beers, and watch sports or play video games while his infinitely classier girlfriend, Brooke (Jennifer Aniston), takes care of everything around the house. She cooks, she cleans, and does all the planning for those occasions when Gary liberates his rear from the sofa and the two go out. She’s like a classic TV sitcom homemaker without the pearls but with a supermodel body.

The film provides nothing in the way of background information so as far as we can tell, the twosome spend 90% of their evenings together with Gary settled on the couch and Brooke waiting on him hand and foot. Two years of that and finally Brooke snaps out of her Stepford Wives-ish trance. She says enough is enough when Gary brings her three lemons instead of a dozen right before a big dinner party with both of their families. And come on people, how can you possibly have a party without 12 lemons? That's the straw that broke the camel's back? Most women would have pushed him off that couch at least a full year earlier.

Bachna Ae Haseeno

2008-07-15T05:00:00.005-07:00

Why do girls always fall for the wrong guy? Their mothers warn them about him.

Their friends shake their heads disapprovingly. Their minds tell them to escape while the going is good. But no! Oh no! Their hearts are another story altogether.

You see, they are always sending all the wrong signals. His name alone is enough to scramble their brains and set their hearts racing. Meet Raj (Ranbir Kapoor). He is the stuff of dreams, with the looks of a 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' good boy.

Who can blame him for falling in love as many times as love is fortunate enough to find him. It's not his fault that he's a heartbreaker, its in his DNA. Come… discover his three love stories; Raj and Mahi (Minissha Lamba), Raj and Radhika (Bipasha Basu), Raj and Gayatri (Deepika Padukone).

Different ladyloves at different times in his life. And each one of them teach him a little bit about love and a little bit about life, in their own sweet, sexy or sassy way.

Come fall in love... three times over!

Priyanka refuses to Kiss Harman

2008-07-15T05:00:00.004-07:00

Strangely for an intense love story there's a abysmal lack of sexual synergy between the lead pair in Love Story 2050.

And that's because Priyanka point-blank refused to kiss Harman at a crucial juncture in the plot….or perhaps 'point-blank' isn't the correct term to describe Priyanka's reasonable decision to not smooch on screen, even if the co-star happens to be her real-life boy-friend.

When asked about the kiss that the Ms gave a miss Harman laughed, "How did you get to know about?

It's true both Dad and I felt a kiss would have been most appropriate midway through the narration when the first Priyanka character dies in my arms. Dad had written a kiss into the story here.

I was supposed to kiss her as she dies in my arms. But Priyanka chose not to shoot the kiss. We respected her decision and let it be."

But what's with Priyanka's reluctance to express love in a natural way, with a kiss specially when the co-star is Harman?

"That's exactly why she didn't do the kiss, " explains Harman. "She couldn't make a concession with me because then other filmmakers would've accused her of preferential treatment. So we simply scrapped the smooch."
Priyanka incidentally, had done a kiss in her first film Andaaz.

"But that's when she was new and had no choice. Now on principle she won't kiss on screen. I respect her decision," defends Harman.

Priyanka is pretty clear on the issue. "It doesn't matter who the co-star. I won't do certain things on screen. Period."

Were Miley Cyrus' new shower pics faked?

2008-07-15T05:00:00.003-07:00

New raunchy pictures of Miley Cyrus posing in a shower have been leaked onto the internet, but there are claims that they could have been faked.

The photos show the 15-year-old star of hit US TV show Hannah Montana allegedly in the shower, wearing a long white see-through T-shirt.

In another image, Miley poses provocatively with her T-shirt tied tightly under her breasts, exposing her stomach as she pouts at the camera.

The internet user is also claiming he has more scandalous pictures of the multi-talented star, which he is now attempting to sell.

Some websites believed the photos were faked.

Miley, the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, is no stranger to controversy.

Earlier this year, a revealing picture of her taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Vanity Fair magazine showed the young star posing with just a blanket.

Following the controversial image, Miley released a statement saying: "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed.
"I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologise to my fans who I care so deeply about."

Less than a month later, new pictures of the actress were leaked onto the internet, showing her posing in a variety of risque photographs wearing lacy red underwear, after reportedly being taken from her MySpace account.

Eleonora Masalab-Miss Ukraine

2008-07-15T05:00:00.002-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'11"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
From early childhood I've been collecting dolls that I would bring from different parts of the world. I like reading, especially detective stories. I like dancing and cooking very much too. I'm good in preparing dishes of my national, as well as Italian cuisine.

What is your career ambition?
I'm a person with purpose. I want to have my own television program and direct it, but I believe that my main mission is to create a happy family and bring up a lot of children.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I'm not a haughty person and I'm rather self-critical. I find it difficult to talk about my deeds. I'm doing charity and it brings me great happiness. I think that one should behave in such a way for others to respect him or her.
What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
Once I had a dream that I was competing in the Miss Universe competition, and a year later, I won in the national contest, which has given me the opportunity to present my country in the most prestigious contest, Miss Universe!

Lisa Lazarus-Miss UK

2008-07-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I spend so much of my time studying, working and traveling, when I come home I enjoy spending time with my family, and catching up with friends. I regularly visit the gym as it gives me time to wind down after a hard day. I enjoy going on golfing weekends with my family and shopping trips with my friends. I have a huge interest in fashion and later I hope to release my Lingerie and Swimwear range. I have a particular interest in fund raising activities, I love getting involved in physical callenges and enjoy taking part in The race for life.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
The honor of being an Ambassador for The Joshua Foundation. Along with representing my country, I will also spend the next year representing an amazing charity, helping children with terminal cancer and have the opportunity to travel with the children and make their time on earth an enjoyable one.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I was brought up into a very intuitive family, my great grandad lived in Africa and built the first African railway, he was known as an African healer and known to have a very spiritual gift, I was not fortunate to meet him but he published books which are now on show in a London museum. His gift was passed onto my mum, Diane Lazarus who is a Psychic and Healer, she was born with an extrodinary yet amazing gift and is able to help others. I am a very strong spiritual believer.

Jessica Alba sells baby pics for $1.5m

2008-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica Alba has sold photographs of her daughter Honor Marie for $1.5 million.

The Fantastic Four actress – who gave birth to Honor, her first child with husband Cash Warren, in June – signed a deal with America’s OK! magazine, after caving into demand for the exclusive first pictures.

A source said: “Jessica wasn’t planning to sell the photographs, but gave in after she was bombarded by offers from various weekly magazines. She settled on a $1.5 million deal, which will cover the first photographs and a set of pictures of Honor from another event later in the year, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

“Honor is absolutely adorable and the photos are all so cute.”

Jessica isn’t the only celebrity to have sold photographs of her firstborn.

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves – who welcomed their first child Levi Alves McConaughey earlier this week - reportedly signed a deal with the same magazine for $3 million.

Lita-WWE Divas

2008-07-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Height: 5 foot 6
Weight: 135 pounds
From: Sanford, N.C.
Signature Move: Moonsault; DDT
Career Highlights: Women's Championship
Associates: Edge
WWE Debut: 2000
Trained By: Dory Funk Jr.

With her fiery red hair and trademark shoulder tattoo, Lita was recognized anywhere she went, whether she was embraced by the fans or not.

Once beloved by the fans for her extreme ways, Lita became one of the most despised Divas in WWE. After she aligned with Edge in May 2005, she no longer cared what the fans thought of her, standing by the Rated R Superstar no matter what derogatory chants the fans sent in her direction. While with Edge, Lita had no problem saying what was on her mind or doing whatever it took to help her man be successful, often finding herself in the midst of controversy as a result.

After a short stint in ECW, Lita made her WWE debut in 2000 alongside Essa Rios. She quickly led Rios to the Light Heavyweight Championship that February, but the pair split a few months later. Lita then hooked up with the Hardy Boyz, beginning a partnership that would last nearly five years.

Lita soon after went on to win the Women’s Championship from Stephanie McMahon in August 2000. After losing the gold, Lita took on more of a managerial role for the Hardys while competing from time to time. It was here that the long and heated rivalry between Lita and Trish Stratus began, as the two first locked horns while Trish managed Test & Albert against Lita’s Hardy Boyz.

Lita won her last two Women's Championships in 2006, defeating Mickie James on both occasions. She decided to end her career in the fall of 2006 and was determined to retire with the championship (like Stratus did) and prove once and for all that she was the greatest Women's Champion of all time.

But that was not to be. Mickie James defeated her for the title at the Survivor Series, and Cryme Tyme humiliated the raven-haired beauty by giving away her personal items to the crowd.

It was a bitter end for Lita, but she will never be forgotten by WWE fans.

Maria-WWE Divas

2008-07-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

When Maria isn’t busy getting down and dirty in the Raw ring, the Diva is practicing a new, musical hobby.

“I play the drums now. Probably about two months ago I started taking drum lessons. I always wanted to do it,” she told Diva Dish. “My father played drums when he was in high school – he played the drums and was the lead singer of his band – so I always wanted to do it.”

Maria said it takes a lot of coordination to play the drums, and right now, she’s learning the bass drum and the hi-hat. But that’s not all…

“I’ve been taking voice lessons, too! I’ve been taking voice for the last three months,” she revealed. “And actually, I’m starting acting lessons, too. So I’m keeping busy. I have my dog, and I have my voice lessons, my drum lessons and my acting classes!”

Dayana Mendoza-Miss Venezuela

2008-07-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
Interior design, photography, advertising, and I enjoy meeting people from every country and learning languages.

What is your career ambition?
Interior Design and also advertising but as Oscar Wilde used to say, "To define oneself is to limit oneself".

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Being independent from the age of fifteen on, living in different countries by myself without knowing the language at the beginning and without the presence of my parents. Having succeeded in working in different cultures and learning the most from them.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I was once kidnapped, in what in my country is known as an express kidnapping. It was a very hard experience. I learned to remain calm in a very stressful situation and to try to reach to the human part of our abductors.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I am grateful to life for my family and for the opportunities to grow in different places and learn the most from them. Even in the hardest of times what my family and life has taught me has helped me push through and succeed.

Jolie's newborn twins named

2008-07-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has given birth to twins - a boy called Knox Leon and girl called Vivienne Marcheline - and the first photos of the tots have been sold for $15 million.

Oscar winner Jolie, 33, had the twins by caesarean section on Saturday evening at the Lenval hospital on the glamorous Promenade des Anglais waterfront drive in Nice.
Actor Brad Pitt, the twins' father, was at her side.

The girl, named Vivienne Marcheline, weighed 2.27 kg while her brother, Knox Leon, weighed 2.28 kg.
Marcheline was the first name of Jolie's mother, also an actress, who died of cancer last year.

"The parents and the babies are in excellent health. Everything is fine," Jolie's doctor, Michel Sussmann, said.

He said the c-section had been planned for a long time but the date was brought forward "for medical reasons".
The doctor said Jolie was under epidural and was able to speak to a "perfectly calm" Pitt, 44, during the birth.
"They were very happy," Sussmann said. Asked what Pitt was doing during the birth, he said: "He was looking at what I was doing. He was my assistant. No, that's a joke."

Jolie arrived at the Lenval hospital in late June by helicopter from the Provence villa where she and Pitt had been staying with their four other children - Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh.

A frenzied crowd of photographers and camera crews camped outside the building on Sunday, sweating in the humid heat.

Tennis pin-up in first steamy photoshoot

2008-07-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

Women's tennis beauty Ana Ivanovic has satisfied the curiosity of fans around the world by appearing in her first steamy photoshoot for an upcoming issue of FHM magazine.

The world's number-one ranked woman, Ivanovic had a disappointing campaign at Wimbledon, knocked out in the third round, but British fans can't be too disappointed now that she will be appearing in the UK's August edition.

The 20-year-old Serbian is one of many current stars who are propping up the popularity of the sport through gaining attention for their natural beauty.
Needless to say, had Ivanovic not made it as a tennis player, she would still have found work rather easily.

Lam Thuy Nguyen-Miss Vietnam

2008-07-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I enjoy listening to music and singing. I have my own CD out in Vietnam, titled, "Thuy Lam". I also enjoy swimming and traveling.
What is your career ambition?Besides singing, I would like to be a successful business woman in music production.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I am very proud of my accomplishments in being a professional singer, finishing my second year at the Culture and Performing Arts school in Ho Chi Minh. I am the first representative of Vietnam in the Miss Universe pageant.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I have starred in three Vietnamese films within the last two years. What do you want the judges to know about you? I admire my mother very much and because of my admiration for her, I wanted to enter this pageant, not for the competition, but to represent Vietnam and let the world know about our culture, our people and especially the Vietnamese woman. We can carry out our traditional roles as good mothers and wives and can still perform on a professional level.

2008-07-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

Paula Diaz Galione-Miss Uruguay

2008-07-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'5"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My interests are trying to be a better person every day, improving myself not only professionally but also spiritually and intellectually. I like learning new things and I enjoy meeting new people and going to new places because I think in this way we learn a lot from the different cultures and points of view, which enriches our lives.

What is your career ambition?
To be an excellent professional and/or an outstanding businessperson. I'd also like to study medicine, which is something I'm really into.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I'm proud of who I am and of getting so far by myself. I'm also proud of the education I've received.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
The title of Miss Uruguay and having the opportunity of living this beautiful moment.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I'm a woman eager of new challenges, with all the responsibility, discipline and will I have, in order to achieve my goals and to be not only proud of myself but to fill with pride those who are with me.

2008-07-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley says she won't marry again after her fourth marriage ended in a bitter and often sordid divorce case.

The trial ended wtih Brinkley agreeing to pay $2.1 million to her ex-husband, Peter Cook, whose dirty laundry was aired in court in testimony describing his affair with a teenage assistant and how he ponied up $300,000 to keep her from tellling anyone.

It comes as little surprise that Brinkley, 54, a 1980s magazine glamour queen who has been married four times, has no plans to head back to the altar.

“I’m not going to marry again,” Brinkley told the New York Post.

“I know too much about the marriage laws and divorce laws,” she said. “Getting married again would not be a very intelligent thing to do.”

Cook will probably be remembered as Brinkley’s most notorious husband, after five days of testimony that revealed his $3000-a-month porn habit and the lengths he went to keep his affair with then 18-year-old Diana Bianchi a secret.

The New York Post reported that Brinkley’s estate is worth an estimated $60 million, and that she gets to keep her 18 houses in the divorce settlement.

Brinkley, who was photographed in stylish clothes as she came and left the courtroom, said there was one good reason to settle the case.

"I was down to my last outfit!" she joked. "It had to end."

Audrina Patridge Topless in Into The Blue 2?

2008-07-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

I can’t find the original article, so I’m not 100% sure on this one, but according to National Ledger (ever the bastion of journalistic integrity), Star magazine is reporting that we will see Audrina Patridge topless in her new movie Into the Blue 2. The report also indicates that we will soon see pictures of Audrina nude on the set, but I think that’s a stretch.

Audrina will keep the buzz of her cleavage going this summer with more nude pictures from the set of a film she is working on. According to a report from Star magazine, Audrina will be taking it all off again in the film. The scandal from March has not dissuaded the 23-year-old from stripping it off and the magazine is reporting that is what she will be doing during the filming “Into The Blue 2″.

Star Magazine is reporting that it has learned Audrina will have a topless scene in the movie (where she plays Kelsey and stars along side Laura Vandervoort). “The script calls for a moment where Audrina takes off her bathing-suit top for two seconds,” a source tells the magazine. “Still, she’s a little nervous, because she wants to be seen as a serious actress.”

So, are we really going to see Audrina Patridge topless again? Well, considering that she’s a total attention whore (though not as bad as Heidi Montag), and that we’ve already seen Audrina Patridge topless pictures and Audrina Patridge nude pictures, I’d say it feels likely. If it’s true. Plus, she hasn’t showed off her new breast implants yet.

The real question, of course, is whether or not we will get to see Laura Vandervoort topless too…

Giannina Ruffineklli-Miss Paraguay

2008-07-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?What I enjoy doing the most is designing and making dresses.
What is your career ambition?To finish my Psychology studies, in which I am currently completing my second year. Also, I would like to have my own Clinic after specializing in Forensic Psychology Services in order to help all the marginalized people of my society who need professional assistance. Through the beauty title I hold right now I would like to work with those foundations assisting children with AIDS’s and Cancer.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My proudest personal accomplishment is to have achieved all my personal goals by my own efforts, sacrifices and practicing all the good moral values learned from my parents and my sister.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
Something unique that has happened to me was being elected as a beauty Queen in my own city “Miss Luque” and to have consequently represented my community during all the year 2001. What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?What I want the judges know about me is that I’m a simple and humble person, dedicated to my family and friends, affable and with a strong personality that make me appear as a charismatic person to the others.

Carolina Dementiev-Miss Panama

2008-07-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'9"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
All outdoor sports; I'm an athlete.

What is your career ambition?
I own a small real estate business which I'd love to see grow, while promoting Panama's excellent geographical location.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
That would be when I won the Silver Medal in a Regional Swimming competition, representing Panama.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I've always liked working with children, teaching and coaching them in modeling class. I didn't expect it to be of great importance until a 6 year old girl told me that she wanted to be like me.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I would like for the judges to know that I have a great sense of responsibility, hold high levels of discipline and that I am willing to always go the extra-mile to achieve my goals.

Mariann BirKedal-Miss Norway

2008-07-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue/Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?Being with people who mean the world to me; being with my family and friends is what I enjoy the most. I also love swimming, pilates, snowboarding (working out in general), musicals, singing (in a girls' choir), drawing, playing the piano, shopping and modeling.

What is your career ambition?
I'm still not quite sure what I want to end up doing, but I am a very ambitious young woman and feel like I have the time to change my mind when it comes to my career. But as of now, I see myself working in a bank.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
For me, it is very important to have good grades and to constantly do my best in school. My grades have always been in the top of my class, but I didn't expect them to be as good when I moved to the USA to go to an American high school for a year. I did the best I could throughout the school year, and even though all the classes were in English I managed to maintain my good grades and got a GPA of 4.0. I was so proud when I, during graduation, was called up on stage and was recognized for my good grades with a medal.

Stephanie Oforka-Miss Nigeria

2008-07-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'11"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I am interested in helping the abused kids all over the world. I enjoy dancing, cooking and shopping. What is your career ambition?To become a Geologist.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
The day I won the most beautiful girl in Nigeria (universe) beauty pageant. What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?Winning the beauty pageant, most beautiful girl in Nigeria (universe). What do you want the judges to know about you?I am smart and I love attention.

Thelma Rodriguez-Miss Nicaragua

2008-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'9"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I have a variety of interests in my life. Since I was a child, I've enjoyed poetry and my main interest at this moment is to finish my career in the Tourism Business Administration, developing the labor fields and promoting programs that reflect my ideas in how to increase tourism to Nicaragua, strengthening institutions and laws for investment. On the other side, I enjoy artistic expressions, such as dance, poetry, acting and enjoy being active in my classes and participating in cultural events.

What is your career ambition?
My career ambition is to open my own Tourism Company where I'd lead a team of professionals in the industry to create jobs, while promoting sustainable tourism in the region. I believe that we all in Central American have the resources to get our people involved in building over there respectful form of life in rural areas
What is your proudest personal accomplishment?One of my proudest accomplishments is to have been accepted at the Nicaraguan National University, as the spaces are very limited and in order to be selected you must have very high marks.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I am fascinated by Volcanoes and I have visited many of them in my home land. I have learned to appreciate their beauty to the point that I have jumped into the volcanoes and have experienced rushes of adrenaline as I appreciate its unique splendor.

Samantha Powell-Miss New Zealand

2008-07-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Hazel

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?Cooking, dancing, traveling, recreational sports and painting. I most enjoy meeting new people, helping others, living life to the fullest and spending quality time with friends and family.

What is your career ambition?
To forever be successful in business. I wish to utilise my title as Miss NZ in conjunction with my proven knowledge and skills within the banking industry, to create a new role within ASB Bank where I can visit schools throughout the country educating children on the importance of saving and preparing for their futures.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Purchasing my own property at age 20 here in Wellington, New Zealand.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I achieved one of my life goals at 17 years old, saving enough funds by myself to travel for 8 months to many different places around the world: Asia, Europe and the USA. This was achieved by hard work and determination to experience different countries, cultures and to see what each one has to offer.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I am open minded, level headed, compassionate, hardworking, down to earth and always willing to lend a helping hand. What you see is what you get. I'm real.

Charlotte Labee-Miss Netherlands

2008-07-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'9"
Hair Color: Blond
Eye Color: Blue

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My interest has always been the fashion industry. At present I manage a ladies clothing boutique, for which I am in charge of selecting the whole collection and manage the daily activities in the store. I enjoy also modeling, fitness, horse back riding, and spending quality time with my family & friends.

What is your career ambition?
My career ambition is to become Miss Universe and with the help of the publicity that comes with it, support charities I care for as for instance, UNICEF and the WWF. And with all the new contacts I hope to gain during this unique experience, I’d like to expand my business and open several new boutiques in other towns in Holland.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
At the age of 21, I was running a business completely by myself as manager of a famous clothing boutique and at that same age I bought my own house.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I think what makes me unique is that although I am young, I have seen a lot of the world. I have experienced the good and the bad of life. This has made me a grateful and positive person. It’s not for nothing that all my friends and family call me “Mary Poppins”.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
What you see is what you get; no hidden agenda. Honesty is my philosophy in life. When I set a goal in my life I work 200% to make it reality!

Dasa Zivkovic-Miss Montenegro

2008-07-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My biggest interests are in what I'm studying and that is psychology. I'm enjoining reading the scientific books, especially in parapsychology. This science is so interesting because it is the study of abnormal phenomenon from non-explored aspects of the human brain. Also, I'm enjoying massage, singing and listening to oriental music.

What is your career ambition?
I have many ambitions in my life. First is my education, than my desire to become a successful psychologist. Also, I would like to become a professional parapsychologist because this field is not developed in my country at all.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My proudest personal accomplishments are my education, my humanitarian work and my personal achievements. One of my achievements was winning first prize in a state recitation competition when I was only 8 years old.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I'm a very positive person and full of energy. My best qualities are my education, strong personality and charisma. I like to travel because this is the best way to discover other cultures and religions.

Elisa Najera-Miss Mexico

2008-07-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 6'0"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I'm always interested in exploring, developing skills and participating in activities where I can feel useful helping others. My passion is dancing; I feel it is a different way to express myself. In the future I would love to open a school and share my time and experience giving dance lessons, especially to kids. I believe in sharing what is loved the most, that's how I give my best. Another passion I have is cooking. It is an area where I can explore my creativity and combine it with what I have learned during my studies on food chemistry. I have also taken some gastronomy courses and I would like to study more about the subject. I specialize in desserts, but oriental food is my favorite. What I enjoy doing the most is traveling and learning from all cultures and ways of life. I have traveled mostly to the United States and within my country, which is incredible because there is too much to admire, but I dream of seeing the rest of the world.

What is your career ambition?
To finish my studies in Engineering in Food Industries. I want to create my own business in this area with my family. I‘m fortunate to have my mom who is a chef, and shares my dream of combining our knowledge; her‘s in gastronomy and mine in food chemistry, in order to create new and interesting products to sell in our own restaurants. I think there is a big challenge in the food industry; we have to start thinking in ways to make nutritious, economic and delicious food instead of the unhealthy, and over processed food that we are used to eating nowadays.

Olivia Carey-Miss Mauritius

2008-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I like taking care of homeless people with my grand mother. I also like traveling all around the world to discover new countries and the civilisation of people living there. I like to take care of animals.

What is your career ambition?
My career ambition is to one day open my own restaurant and to be the one who manages it by myself.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My proudest personal accomplishment is to receive my last school certificate.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I used to be a tomboy. Thanks to the contest I'm more feminine, self confident, mature, and open minded.

Levy Li Su Lin-Miss Malaysia

2008-07-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I have interest in any sort of challenging outdoor activity, especially any related to nature exploration such as jungle trekking, rock climbing, snorkeling and diving. I also enjoy playing basketball, table soccer, participating in marathons, reading online journals and choreographing dance during my leisure time. Last but not least, I have a huge passion for photography and learning different languages and cultures, which became my main motivation to pursue my degree in Mass Communication and take Broadcasting as my degree major.

What is your career ambition?
TV host, film director and a successful entrepreneur.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My proudest personal accomplishment by far is being the owner of an online fashion business, www.ststerlyvintage.com which was personally set up and handled since late last year. It focuses on the latest trendy clothing targeting female buyers in the age range of 18 - 26 years old. On a bright note, the business has not met its' loss and has been gaining profit up until today. Fingers crossed that the business will expand and this would be the stepping stone to my dream of having my own fashion line.

Zana Krasniqi-Miss Kosovo

2008-07-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I am a very social person. I like to try new things. Coming from a background of singers, I have always loved to sing and perform. My father and my sister are singers and they are my inspiration. To be able to sing with my family was an amazing experience. Right now I also love modeling.

What is your career ambition?
I would like to be a fashion designer someday.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I participated at Ford Supermodel and I represented Albania for the first time in this competition.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I am a citizen of the newest country in the world, Kosova. I experienced the re-birth of my country. It is like the mythological creature, Phoenix, that rose from the ashes and was re-born. We too saw death, but now we have a chance to start over again, and like the Phoenix, we have been re-born. I survived through the war in my country, and now I am lucky enough to have this experience.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I am Albanian from Kosova and we are the descendants of one of the oldest nations in the world. I come from a country with great history, and powerful ancestors, such as Mother Theresa.

Sun Lee-Miss Korea

2008-07-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Age: 25
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I enjoy listening to music, watching movies, skiing, knitting, and talking with firends. I also enjoy traveling and having traveled in Asia, North America, and Europe.

What is your career ambition?
I aspire to become a trend-setting fashion designer.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I was recently selected as one of the finalists in a fashion design competition at Parsons School for a prominent fashion brand in the US.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I would like the judges to know that 1) I am not afraid of new challenges; 2) I value responsibility; and 3) I am confident yet modest.

Alfina Nassyrova-Miss Kazakhstan

2008-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I like traveling and meeting interesting people, learning about new places and getting to know about different traditions. I'm fond of singing, dancing, and playing the piano. I really love reading aphorisms and statements of great people.

What is your career ambition?
I'd like to rise to the achievements I have set for myself. I'm a future designer of fashion wear, and I have chosen this profession to be always in the world of beauty. I'd like to create beautiful wear for beautiful people to make the world better.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I became a winner at math olimped at school. I graduated from high school with excellent results. I entered Technological University on a grant and participated in the contest "Miss University 2006" and won. At the present moment I am working as a model in my country. I have also learned to cook well.

Mima Hiroko-Miss Japan

2008-07-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I am crazy about sports, especially basketball which I have been playing since I was a child. I have also been a competitive high jumper since Junior High School. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and love animals. Relaxing with my family and watching DVDs is always nice too.

What is your career ambition?
I want to use my title as Miss Japan, and hopefully Miss Universe, to launch a career in the media industry where I hope to work as a sports reporter, sharing the joy of sports, one of my greatest passions and my subject of study in university, with the world. Also, because I dealt with a nerve disease called Guillain-Barr$B!&(Bsyndrome in junior high school, I feel like I can empathize with children who are sick and hospitalized and want to use my career and fame to raise awareness and money through charity and speaking events for children's hospitals. I am a believer in the therapeutic model of treatment espoused by Patch Adams and the Gesundheit Institute which emphasize the powerful connection between environment and wellness, especially for children in hospitals. This is a holistic model of treatment that I wish I had had access to when I was a sick child.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
That would be when I moved to Tokyo to enter university. By moving to Tokyo my life has changed so much through meeting many new people and experiencing so many new things that would never have happened to me had I stayed in my hometown of Tokushima.

April Jackson-Miss Jamaica

2008-07-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 6'0"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I am interested in learning about different countries, their people and their culture; hence I love traveling. Cooking gives me great pleasure; food brings families and friends together, it allows me to be creative and experiment with new recipes. When I visit other countries I am always keen to learn new things about their foods and how they are prepared.

What is your career ambition?
I hope to enter the financial and legal industries by becoming an investment banker and lawyer. In addition, after being successful in both areas I will take over my father’s company; Swift Cash Money Transfer.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Without a doubt my proudest personal accomplishment to date would have to be my high school graduation. Just the thought of it still puts a smile on my face. I graduated Valedictorian and I earned countless numbers of awards; two of the most important being the Hillel Award which is given to the person who best represents the school in all aspects of school life and the Principal’s Award for highest academic average. I was so proud and overwhelmed with joy.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
The most unique thing that has happened to me is when I came home and was told by the house-keeper that my mother had left the family and the country permanently. Dealing with this is an example of my ability to overcome life's obstacles and persevere to strive for excellence. I think this makes me an ideal candidate for Miss Universe and the perfect role model for today’s young people.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I am down to earth and I firmly believe that it is important to work towards achieving one’s aspirations but at the same time remaining true to oneself.

Claudia Ferraris-Miss Italy

2008-07-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

Age: 19
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?I like to go shopping, dancing, and traveling. I enjoy listening to music and going to the cinema. My interests are fashion and economics.

What is your career ambition?
My goal is to become manager of a fashion magazine.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I would like to have a dynamic and animated life, but at same time have the opportunity to make my own family.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I love all pets and I have always desired to have one of them in my house but unfortunately I'm allergic to their hair.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
No Italian has won this pageant; I would like to be the first.

Shunit Faragi-Miss Israel

2008-07-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?I have many interests, but my greatest interest is dancing. For more then ten years I studied modern and classic dancing. I also love the sea-shore, so I spent a lot of time with my family enjoying the water and the sun.

What is your career ambition?
I have achieved high grades in mathematics and therefore I plan to study accountancy next year.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I am very proud for serving my country for two years in the military service, in the human resources office. I have learned a lot during my service.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I am very excited and it is a great honor for me to be chosen to participate in the Miss Universe Pageant and to represent my country, and I will try my best to do it in the most successful way that I can.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
In Miss Israel Pageant I was awarded first place not only by judges but also by Israeli public. For me it is really a great compliment.

Lynn Kelly-Miss Ireland

2008-07-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I love Irish Culture and everything my country represents. I am passionate about dancing; I am a professionally trained Irish dancer and I have danced for my country all over the world. I also love fashion and I love to design and make my own clothes when I have the time. I also enjoy debating and I have been elected to be the voice of the young Ireland at a couple of government debates.

What is your career ambition?
Long term I see myself working as a Lawyer; law is an area I am very interested in and it's something I will definitely do in the future.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I have won numerous championship trophies in national Irish dancing competitions. I danced for the European Parliament and it was a huge honour.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
That I am genuine, hardworking, dedicated, Kind, caring and honest -hopefully they will be able to know these things from meeting me.

Putri Raemawasti-Miss Indonesia

2008-07-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I like Javanese traditional dances and doing social works. Particularly in distributing goods collected by my church for the poor and the disables; which I do it on regular basis. I enjoy doing it the most.

What is your career ambition?
To be an entrepreneur, open a restaurant serving Indonesian traditional cuisines,open a dancing institute and fashion gallery for the Indonesian youth. In doing so, I could participate actively in the preservation and development of my national culture.But my special ambition is working for the poor, for the less fortunate and abandoned children.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
My proudest personal accomplishment is that after winning the totle of Miss Blitar in the pageant contest held in my home town Blitar,I won the Title as Miss East Java in the beauty pageant contest for the provincial level in Surabaya.Representing East Java Province I was sent for the beauty pageant contest for national level in Jakarta. They were 36 contestants representing our 33 provinces,which I won too. From that experience ,I learned that only courage could turn challenge into opportunity and ideas into reality.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
During the end of the fasting month or Lebaran, it was difficult to get a ticket traveling from my hometown to Jakarta. We could only find just one seat from any travel agent in Blitar. Suddenly my father had the idea to call directly to the airport seeking help, and surely the answer was, "Sir, we are sorry that there is no seat available". Then my father said, "I need one ticket for Putri Raemawasti." They said, "Oh! That's Miss Indonesia!" And they gave us a seat.
What do you want the judges to know about you?I have a clear destination in my life, I always take priorities among alternatives & try to balance every aspect of my life.

Jazmin Dammak-Miss Hungary

2008-07-07T05:40:00.000-07:00

Age: 24
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I find different energies and spiritual things very interesting. I spend some of my spare time dealing with these topics.

What is your career ambition?
I work as a model now, as well as attend University and I would like to continue this as long as I can. Besides, I would like to try my skills as an actress as well.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Acting in the film "Underworld" as a vampire.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I still do not know who registered me for this pageant.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I like new things, even if they are adventurous. I am not afraid of challenges and I aspire to realize myself via the things in which I am gifted. I am always interested in other people and I strive for creating harmony around me.

Diana Barrasa-Miss Honduras

2008-07-07T05:38:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?I work as a publicist salesperson and I enjoy being able to do so from my home. I also enjoy reading, working out at the gym, dancing and listening to music.

What is your career ambition?I hope to be able to open my own company and be able to work independently as my own boss.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
That being a young woman, I am about to finish my career in communications and as a publicist.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
When I was 15 years old I got lost at the national park and it took me more than one hour to find my way back to the group I was with. I could hear them calling my name but I couldn't find them. It was very frightening.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
That I am an interesting person. I like to work hard and take different challenges and I am not scared to stand up for what I believe in.

Damn, it isn't easy being Shilpa Shetty

2008-07-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

It isn't easy being the desi Vanessa Mae. Damn, it isn't easy being Shilpa Shetty either. So Shilpa discovered this week when within 28 hours she flew from Goa to London and back again in Goa after collecting a distinguished award.
"I've been shooting in Goa non-stop for The Man with Sunny. The only reason I was given a day off was because the Global Cultural Diversity award was really prestigious."
Shilpa received the award along with the Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton. "It's given to people from different parts of the world who've made a difference to global cultural dynamics. It felt…..disorienting.
Because I barely touched down on London couldn't even gather my breath and I was out of London back in Goa to shoot. I didn't even get the chance to catch any sleep. I came straight to shoot, " says Shilpa.
And all this with a severe neck pain brought on by her new avatar as a violinist in Sunny Deol's The Man.
"It's a common malady in violin prayers. With your neck and shoulder pressed forward to hold the violin the pain is a kind of given. However I never thought it'd be so bad."
Shilpa is now serious about pursuing her new violin vocation. She will continue to play the instrument even after the film's shooting is done.
Shilpa says she feels a sense of elation when she represents India at global events in England. "I had a woman coming up to me to say she now feels proud to be an Indian in Britain after the way I conducted myself at Big Brother."

Saif's parents approve Kareena Kapoor

2008-07-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

Saif's relationship with Kareena just went to another level.
Last week while she was visiting Saif and the unit of his first production in London Kareena bonded big-time with Saif's parents who were also there.
Says a member of Saif's sprawling production unit, "Kareena looked after Saif's parents as she would her own parents. And it wasn't put-on or done to impress them, or Saif. When she feels affectionate towards people she gives unconditionally."
And Kareena is unarguably the first of Saif's lady-loves whom his parents have taken to so wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
Says a source from London, "Kareena has always been an extremely affectionate and warm girl. It wasn't the least hard for her to bond with Saif's parents who immediately took to her in a way they've never done with any of his earlier companions."
Says Saif from London, "It's true. My parents met Kareena here in London and they really got along well. My parents completely adore her, and not because they respect the space she occupies! Oh no! If they disapproved of her they'd certainly make their displeasure clear."
What Saif leaves unsaid is that his parents, one of them totally non-filmy, have disapproved of his earlier relationships.
"But they adore Kareena, " he says a tad wistfully from London since his ladylove left London for Los Angeles some hours earlier. "My dad think she's lovely. That makes two of us."
With Saif's parents thoroughly approving of their future daughter-in-law, one of the major hurdles in the way of the marriage has been solved.
Now all Saif has to do is win over Kareena's parents. A process that he has already started.

There is a huge hunger in Rakhi Sawant: Vidya Balan

2008-07-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

When Rakhi Sawant invited Vidya Balan on her new talk-show Vidya said yes without a moment's hesitation. That Aamir Khan also turned up to be part of Rakhi's show was a bonus Vidya hadn't anticipated.
"Rakhi recorded with me and Aamir on Tuesday. I finished my episode with her and then Aamir came in. I think he will be her guest on her first episode.And I'm on her second episode."
This is as close as Vidya has got to Aamir so far. She feels it's an omen that they'll sign a film together. And she has only Rakhi to thank for it.
Doing a chat show with Rakhi was something Vidya hadn't even thought of. "But when she invited me I didn't hesitate for a moment. I really really like Rakhi for the way she has made a place for herself. No one else is quite like her. She has marketed herself as an extremely unique entity. I think it's truly admirable."
Vidya says she was surprised by the sober intelligent questions asked by her hostess. "Rakhi conducted the interview straight and simple. There was none of the flamboyance associated with her. And that really surprised me."
The two of them had a heart-to-heart, and yes, Vidya and Rakhi are the unlikeliest of friends now.
At this point of time Vidya wouldn't mind doing something a little wild, something a little Rakhi Sawant.
"I believe when you want something you get it. When I joined films Aziz Uncle (Aziz Mira) wasn't making films after his wife's demise.
I so badly wanted to work with himI love his workingclass romances and I believe in his kind of cinema. Two years later he called me. In Kismat Konnection I got a chance to get on the dancefloor and shake a leg, something I thought I had left behind in college. But always wanted to do again.
Somehow I always end up realizing my secret wishes. I remember years ago when I was happy doing my ads and not even dreamt of being an actress I saw Pradeep Sarkar's music video with Shubha Mudgal.
I desperately wanted to be in his music videos. The next thing I know I was offered Dada (Sarkar)'s video for Euphoria's Aana meri gali.
Dada then promised he'd cast me whenever he made a feature film.

He kept his word. And in fact fought tooth and nail to have me in Parineeta although I wasn't a big name."
Vidya feels a strange kismet connection with Rakhi. "There's a hunger in her to excel to prove the naysayers wrong. I quite empathize with that."
Don't ever challenge Vidya into doing anything. Chances are she would turn ar

ound and do exactly what you think she can't.
"I got Kismat Konnection although Shahid Kapoor had already been signed and I was at that time working with a more senior generation of co-stars like Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar. But I wanted to be part of whatever Aziz Uncle made and here I am.
Likewise I always wanted to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He always presents his women so beautifully. Today I'm doing his production. Tomorrow I'll be directed by Mr Bhansali. That I'm sure of."
That's another common factor between Rakhi and Vidya. They both want to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
"Really?" smiles Vidya. " In that case that's a common factor I share with all the actresses in our industry."

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

2008-07-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Starring: Imran Khan, GeneliaWritten & Directed by Abbas TyrewalaRating: ***

A blessed week at the movies. If this week we get Harman Baweja as the full filmy package of an all-rounder, we also get Imran Khan…Fesh - faced original and possessing a natural screen presence that immediately connects him with the audience.
Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut has a certain sparkling spirit, a zest for living life quirk-sized and a certain zing thing about the way the characters look at life and love.

It's not only about the way the characters' exuberant yearnings connect with the audience. It's also about the casual free-flowing downloading of events and dialogues in the narrative that give the characters an edge over other urbane youngsters who have come and gone in the past creating a spirit of lingering joie de vivre.
The bunch of collegians here take their cues from Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai, Rakeysh Mehra's Rang De Basanti and even Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Echoes from these iconic youth -films fill out the outer edges of the 'cool' canvas creating for the characters at-hand a sense of wondrous and informal perpetuity as they go from humorous heartbreak to sober selfrealization in a plot that accommodates both impulse and pre-meditated thought in a mix that is engaging endearing and fairly original in spite of the derivative echoes.
While the supporting cast of friends are both real and tangible, at the core of this romantic musical are Jai (Irfan Khan) and Aditi (Genelia) who are "best friends" in the coolest sense of the term.

Bantering bum-chums at the surface but sharing a much deeper bond underneath, all their friends can see that the twosome is made for each other.
But they can't.

It's an exceedingly old formula for a romantic comedy given a fresh new spin by a storyteller who picks on moments from ordinary lives and converts them into a celebration of life and love.
Old songs (R.D Burman mainly) and new original music (A.R Rahman) coalesce with the minum fuss while Jai and Aditi's love story goes through several turns and twists until they arrive at that traditional end-game for romantic films: the grand reunion at the airport seconds before the girl is scheduled to take off for good.
The flurry is charming, though a little to selfconsciously designed at times.

Peep underneath. And you see the narration covering a lot of familiar ground.
The freshness lies in the way the characters respond to the familiar material often exceeding the domain created by the script.

Every actor pitches in at just the right volume of vivacity. There are stand-out supporting performances by Naseeruddin Shah (playing the hero Jai's dead father in a portrait), Ratna Pathak (superbly skilled as Jai's mom), Paresh Rawal (flawless as a boorish cop) and Arbaaz and Sohail Khan (as a couple of outlandish cowboys they supplant the believably urbane love story with a touch of the surreal).

Then there's Manjrai Phadnis as the hero's could-be love interest. Living in perpetual denial she thinks her embittered parents (Rajat Kapoor and Kitu Gidwani) actually love each other under the acrimony.

The characters never claim to be extraordinary in their desires. It's their ordinary dreams and down-to-earth desires which give the narration a spirited spin.

And then there are protagonists. Not just young Imran Khan and Genelia. But their friends. Each one played as though the wall dividing the actor from the characters had disappeared.
While Genelia is a natural in most scenes, Imran's unassuming boy-next-door personality lends itself with picture-perfect precision to the mood and tenor of the narration.

Here's a young actor who has a long innings ahead. He doesn't think before he acts.It's not about how deep he goes into his character. It's more about how much at home he's occupying the space provided by the script.
The same is true of the other actors.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na exudes an urbane cool. It's not really trying to be anything. It doesn't have an earthshattering message for the masses. What it has is an honest story about a bunch of credible characters told in a fashion that's casually trendy and warm.

Manoj Lobo's cinematography and Shan Mohamed's editing assist the director in making this a film that you'd probably like to watch again just to see if you missed out a vital bit of the characters' lives while they were looking for love.

Jennifer Chiong-Miss Guatemala

2008-07-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Age: 25
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I enjoy being a model and businesswoman.

What is your career ambition?
To open an international modeling agency.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Receiving a University degree in communication and doing international modeling of my own merit. What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?What is interesting about me is normalcy. I am unique because of that.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I like to educate myself about others.

Siera Robertson-Miss Guam

2008-07-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

Age: 18
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Dionisia Koukiou-Miss Greece

2008-07-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My greatest love is going to the gym for physical exercise. I also enjoy going to the movies, as well as reading literature.

What is your career ambition?
To have a successful modeling career in my country and mabye later to to have my own hairstyling company.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I recently passed the exams of the city's Health Department and acquired a business license; something that usually takes more than one effort and I made it on the first try.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I recently had an overwhelming experience, when an earthquake struck our region. I saw whole villages turn into ruins and their people become homeless and helpless. I realized the fragility of the things we take for granted. And I also realized the importance of volunteering, in order to support people who need us.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
That I'm a good person with a tender heart and if I win, I will do my best to honor the title and the causes of the Miss Universe Organization.

Madina Taher-Miss Germany

2008-07-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

Age: 21
Height: 5'8"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
Spending time with my dear family and friends, as well as enjoying music and art! I also love spending time with my little dog!

What is your career ambition?
To be Miss Universe, of course, and to run my own agency for graphics after!

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
The way I have chosen to live my life and staying a good person; good at heart and a strong will to achieve all my goals in life!

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
The birth of a child, which is something phenomenal and amazing, it takes your breath away, in 2 meanings!

What do you want the judges to know about you?
Actually, I am an ordinary girl, with common dreams and wishes, who has luck and blessings from god, who always supported me in any aspect. I see myself as privileged to somehow have the chance to achieve something in a country I was a stranger to. My migrant background is what pushes me to continue to fight and realize a dream and to keep the chance of making this dream a reality! And to become the best friend to a nation to which I was once a stranger!

Gvantsa Daraselia-Miss Georgia

2008-07-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

Age: 18
Height: 5'7"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I enjoy singing, dancing, and promoting.

What is your career ambition?
I want to have my own Talk-show, which will support my country in achieving it's goal of becoming an independent, strong and democratic country.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I'm very proud that in spite of my age, I became a presenter of a Morning Program at one of the leading broadcasting companies in Georgia. What do you want the judges to know about you?That I will do everything to reach my goals.

Laura Tanguy-Miss France

2008-07-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

Age: 20
Height: 5'9"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My passion is helping others, that is why I chose to become a nurse. I enjoy reading as well, and have practiced a variety of sports.

What is your career ambition?
I wish to become an independent and devoted nurse. I have started nursing school, and am eager to continue my studies.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I was very proud when I passed my Nursing School admission exam.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
My two years living in the USA, where I was capable of blending into American culture, was an enriching experience.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I would like them to see that I have come to represent France at its best, and show a good and positive image of my country.

Satu Tuomisto-Miss Finland

2008-07-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'9"
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I like traveling and seeing new places and meeting new people. My goal is to visit every continent in the world. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

What is your career ambition?
To bring some new brand to Finland and make it a success.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Creating my own company and being successful in a modeling business in Finland.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
My parents said that I never hit puberty! I have always been nice to every person I've met.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I have never had a bad day because I think that you never know if it is your last day.

Julia Kovaljova-Miss Estonia

2008-07-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'10"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
Photography, fashion (sometimes I work as a photo assistant and I help with styling different photo sessions), drama, and mountain skiing.

What is your career ambition?
I was born in a small country and I am used to achieving success by myself. My career ambition is to become a self-made woman and be an example for other people.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
I am a founder of the charity foundation "Wide Look Foundation". The mission of the organisation is to provide the elderly, the disabled, children’s homes and poor families with TV sets, radios computers and Internet. All this can help them not feel cut off from the modern world.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
Once I was in a real sea passage and I was standing at the wheel of the freight ship. I was ten years old. At that moment I understood I was the "captain of the ship" and I had a great power and responsibility in my hands. From that moment I realized that I am the "captain" of my own life, with power, responsibility and an ocean of possibilities.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
I am interested in Socionics - a theory of personality and interpersonal interaction. It is enough for me to communicate with a person for about half an hour to draw his psychological portrait.

Rebeca Moreno-Miss El Salvador

2008-07-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Age: 22
Height: 5'3"
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I love to dance, watch movies, and spend quality time with family and friends.

What is your career ambition?
To work with children to make a difference in their lives, since they are the future of the world.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?
Being part of CISV, where I get to learn about other cultures and teach them about my own.

What is something unique that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
Three days before my 15th birthday, there was an earthquake in El Salvador. I got the chance to help those who suffered and lost their homes and most of their belongings. Even the day of my birthday I spent preparing packages for those in need.

What do you want the judges to know about you?
That they can learn about my personality; that I am a humble, charitable, happy, and a fun person. I love to travel and learn about other cultures.