BOX OFFICE ANALYSIS

1. Paranormal Activity $54M –  Thus far this franchise has kept its promise to scare us to death, and look how that’s paying off at the box office. The budget on this one was only $5 million and you can bet a fourth is on the way.

2. Real Steel $11.3M — With a total take of $67M in only three weeks it’s no blockbuster but still respectable.

3. Footloose $11M — After a disappointing opening, the remake held on and is now officially not an embarrassment.

4. The Three Musketeers $8.8M — As much as I love what Milla Jovovich and her director husband Paul W.S. Anderson have done with the fantastic “Resident Evil” series,  nothing about the concept of introducing “wire-fu” to this beloved story or the trailer itself made me want to see it for free on HBO, much less in a theatre.

5. Ides of March $4.9M — Clooney’s drama has yet to crack $30 million after three weeks.

9. The Thing $3.1M — The other eighties reboot released the same weekend as “Footloose” but unable to hang on.

MENDES WANTS AN OSCAR: NEW BOND TO BE PERFORMANCE PIECE, LIGHT ON ACTION

Cubby Broccoli, the originator of the Bond franchise, must be rolling over in his grave.

Rumours are growing that new British director Sam Mendes is planning to ditch a host of stunts and action scenes from his first Bond film.

Insiders say the new film, expected to be called Skyfall, will be very different in tone as Mendes instead aims for “characterful performances” that will put his creation in the running for Oscar nominations.

That could put a lot of pressure on Daniel Craig, who will be making his third appearance as the British secret agent It will also provide a big opportunity for the 43-year-old who has said that he wanted to bring more “emotional depth” to the role.

This is what happens when you hire an “artiste” instead of a journeyman action director like Martin Campbell, who brought us ‘Goldeneye’ and ‘Casino Royale.’ First Marc Forster, an otherwise respectable director who nonetheless had never been near an action film, is allowed to ruin ‘Quantum of Solace,’ and now the director of “American Beauty” is going to make a James Bond flick a “performance piece.”

What in the world is going on here?

Part of the problem is obviously Craig, who can’t bring himself to embrace the role for what it is.

BEN AFFLECK TO DIRECT NEW ADAPTATION OF STEPHEN KING’S ‘THE STAND‘?

Awfully hard to believe the terrific television miniseries starring Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald is already 18 years old. As a huge, huge fan of the novel, there was nothing lacking for me in the six-hour television movie. In fact, I still think it’s something of a miracle that such a beloved novel with such a large and expansive scope and with so many characters could be adapted so beautifully.

Prior to the ‘94 miniseries there was also a lot talk of a theatrical film. If memory serves, my paperback edition of the novel announced George Romero as the director. But even then it was impossible to imagine the story being told in a single two or three hour feature film.

But in this era of franchises, “The Stand” could be a huge blockbuster but also a risky venture. Many, many films are released with the idea to create a franchise behind them, but if they flop that’s not the story’s fault, because many of those films work just fine as standalones. Announcing King’s novel as a trilogy would mean that if the first chapter failed to find an audience, the studio would be left with a mess. Either they can invest another $200 million to complete a story no one wants to see or have the first chapter of an unfinished trilogy forever hanging out there as an embarrassment. It would also be hard to market part one on home video if the others aren’t coming.

Even ‘Lord of the Rings’ didn’t face the same risk. At least ‘Fellowship’ represented a completed novel in a trilogy. One third of ‘The Stand’ would be an incomplete novel.

As far as Affleck goes, he’d be an excellent choice to direct. With ‘The Town’ and ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ he’s already proven plenty capable of holding tight to his characters without losing sight of the action necessary to create an exciting story. And characters are everything in ‘The Stand.’

PARKER POSEY DECLINES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Parker Posey is 42 now, which means it’s still not too late for Hollywood to make her the household star she deserves to be. She was always my number-one pick (after the perfect Margot Kidder) to portray Lois Lane, and ten years ago, she would’ve been an inspired choice as ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Posey remains the most talented and interesting actress working who has yet to receive her due.

Posey was right to turn down this award because the best part of her career has yet to begin.

I’m sure of it.

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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINK-TACULAR

FRANK MILLER PROVIDES ‘SIN CITY 2′ STORY UPDATE

‘WORST MOVIE EVER!’ HAS ANOTHER HISTORIC, $12 WEEKEND

EDDIE MURPHY JOKES HE WON’T LEAVE THE OSCARS EARLY THIS TIME

SCIENTOLOGY TARGETED SOUTH PARK’S PARKER AND STONE IN INVESTIGATION

MILLA JOVOVICH SLAMS SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT OVER MUSKETEERS MARKETING; SUMMIT RESPONDS

CAN THE GOP HELP AN OSCAR HOPEFUL?

THE WALKING DEAD AND WHY ATLANTA IS THE ZOMBIE FILMING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

IS METALLICA PLANNING A 3D FEATURE FILM?

FAST AND THE FURIOUS PARTS 6 AND 7 MAY SHOOT SIMULTANEOUSLY

BRADLEY COOPER OFFERED LEAD ROLE IN SODERBERGH’S THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

FOR YOU SCREENWRITERS: HOW TO ADD CONFLICT TO A SCENE

THE 20 BEST POSTHUMOUSLY RELEASED FILMS

8 GREAT FILMS MADE FOR UNDER ONE MILLION DOLLARS

‘SHERLOCK HOLMES 3′ ALREADY IN PRE-PRODUCTION

‘CAPTAIN AMERICA 2′ WILL BE SET ‘PRIMARILY’ IN MODERN DAY

KIM KARDASHIAN TO STAR IN TYLER PERRY’S ‘MARRIAGE COUNSELOR‘

JOSS WHEDON WRAPS SECRET SHAKESPEARE MOVIE PROJECT

DARRELL HAMMOND’S TRAGIC LIFE

BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD ARE BRINGING STUPID BACK

ERIC BANA TO PLAY ELVIS PRESLEY IN ‘ELVIS & NIXON’

SHEEN CRITICIZES ‘MEN’ AS RATINGS DROP

SELLECK HATES ‘MAGNUM’ POSTER

GREAT NEW CLIP FROM TOWER HEIST SHOWS US EDDIE MURPHY THE CAT BURGLAR

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

Some spoilers coming…

Now that the cross-country move and the home renovation are starting to get behind us and our time is becoming ours again, it was a good weekend to clean up the fall leaves, hit Walmart, and catch up on my Redbox viewing. Purely by chance I saw four films with strong Christian themes over the weekend: ‘Priest,’ ‘The Rite,’ ‘True Grit’ (2010), and ‘The Last Exorcism.’ The first two were weak, the latter two terrific, but all four treated the Christian faith with respect. ‘The Last Exorcism’ might have a charlatan preacher as the lead character, but in the end we learn the Devil is real and the con man redeems himself.

Most especially when it comes to matter of faith, things are changing in Hollywood and it would be unfair for us not to recognize that.

Also saw ‘Thor,’ which stunk, and ‘Bridesmaids,’ which was surprisingly funny, touching and intelligent. Kristen Wiig might be the best ‘SNL’ alum to hit the big screen in a decade.

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CLASSIC PICK FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25

TCM:

2:00 AM  EST King of Kings, The (1961) — Epic retelling of Christ’s life and the effects of his teachings on those around him. Dir: Nicholas Ray Cast:  Jeffrey Hunter, Siobhan McKenna, Robert Ryan.  C-171 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

A loving, beautifully filmed and faithful retelling of the life of Jesus. Not a perfect movie by any stretch, and Jeffrey Hunter isn’t always convincing as Jesus, but if you set aside the time and allow yourself to get caught up in the story, the rewards are plenty–most especially the unforgettable Sermon on the Mount and Robert Ryan’s superb turn as John the Baptist.

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--Please send tips/suggestions/requests/complaints to jnolte@breitbart.com

On Wednesday, Affleck — who wrote and directed “The Town” — said that he too found the whole scenario a touch bizarre. And in a statement his spokesperson provided to The Huffington Post, he suggested that Republicans use a different one of his movies next time they need to whip votes.

“I don’t know if this is a compliment or the ultimate repudiation,” said the actor, who is currently in Turkey directing and starring in “Argo,” an adaptation of the Tehran hostage crisis. “But if they’re going to be watching movies, I think “The Company Men” is more appropriate.”

We weren’t aware it was a slow nws day in DC.

In April Jennifer talked to People magazine about her beauty regimen and used the occasion to effusively gush that she is the “happiest” when she’s “home with husband Marc Anthony and their 3-year-old twins, Max and Emme.”

On the American Idol finale, Marc Anthony, who played Hector LaVoe, and JLo, who played Puchi in the movie “El Cantante” treated the public to a steamy exhibition of marital affection. Marc, accompanied by Shelia E, performed the vocals and music from the lively “Aguanile.” As an added attraction, Mrs. Anthony emerged in a fringed Dancing with the Stars outfit and proceeded to do a bootylicious salsa.

Just 90 days after Jennifer’s “happiest at home” interview and two months after she whispered what appeared to be a naughty remark in her husband’s ear on the stage of the Kodak Theatre, the pair announced their seven-year marriage is over.

Between the two of them, the Anthonys have managed to rack up five official marriages, six children, and a long list of ex-lovers. Jennifer was once married to restaurateur Ojani Noa, who’s presently shopping around a steamy “home video” starring a conjugally-preoccupied Lopez and Noa. Jenny’s split-second-long second marriage was to Chris Judd, her Love Don’t Cost a Thing backup dancer.

After divorcing Judd, Jennifer quickly assumed one half of the famous Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez engaged hot couple duet – affectionately referred to in the tabloids as “Bennifer.” At the time of that romantic betrothal, Jennifer said that “her feelings for Affleck [were] ‘bigger and realer’ and ‘totally different’ from anything she [had] felt before.”

Marco Antonio Muñiz’s relationship history is a little less glamorous.  Marc has a daughter, Arianna, from a prior relationship with a New York City police officer. The Latino crooner started up with the “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman,” Jennifer Lopez, in the midst of his divorce from former Miss Universe and mother to his two sons, Dayanara Muciz (née Torres) Delgado.

Marc Anthony married Jennifer Lopez a few days after his divorce from Dayanara was final. Then, after just four years of marriage, Jennifer and Marc were rumored to be separating. It was then that Marc Anthony did with Jennifer what he did after being estranged from Torres – he renewed his marriage vows.  In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony-Lopez renewed their vows once in 2008 and again in 2010 – a sure sign that something in JLo Land was in dire need of constant revitalization.

In 2010, in an interview featured in Latina magazine, Jenny admitted that “marriage isn’t easy,” but that “everything” about hers “is great.” The question is:  If the marriage was so “great,” what happened?  How could two soul mates with so much shared cultural heritage just throw away seven years of committed love, leaving in its wake two adorable tots whose impending birth was announced in Miami before 10,000 adoring fans?

One thing’s for sure, it’s no secret that in addition to tax evasion and an affinity for beautiful Latina women, Marc Anthony has a reputation as a bit of a control freak.  The man even went so far as to install himself as an uninvited fourth American Idol judge, coaching Jennifer on picks and advising Season 11 contestants.

The year started with God-only-knows-what going down on the buffet line at President Obama’s Super Bowl party and ended with randy 20-year-old American Idol contestant Casey Abrams planting a wet one on Jen’s perfectly lined bee-stung lips. With JLo’s newfound star power, it’s probable that on more than one occasion Marc Anthony  was under pressure  to suppress reacting to strange men fawning over his wife, whose sultry exhibitionism is the basis of her successful career.

One instigating factor in an already tense situation might have been the awkward decision to feature JLo’s former lover Sean “P. Diddy” Combs as a performer on American Idol. Diddy still openly professes affection for the woman he once attempted to woo back with 100 white doves and 100 pink balloons, and having him on the show probably went over like a lead balloon with Marc Anthony.

Then, one week prior to announcing an end to the marriage, JLo arrived accompanied only by mamá Guadalupe Lopez at the BAFTA/Duke and Duchess of Cambridge event, wearing a skintight asymmetrical green Emilio Pucci number which gifted the handsome Duke with an up-close and personal view of the soon-to-be ex-Mrs. Marc Anthony’s famously rock-hard abdominals.

Between the excess baggage, former lovers, lack of adequate clothing, and the huge egos, like most Hollywood couplings the marriage was doomed from the start.  The only real surprise is that this one managed to last seven years.

Whatever the reason for the split, the Marc Anthony-Jennifer Lopez divorce proves once again that in Hollywood, marriage has no meaning, and neither money nor fame possesses the power to keep families together.  The only question that remains for the future is whose name will replace Ojani, Chris, Ben, Sean and Marc the next time Jennifer Lopez professes undying love for someone in the tabloids, where the storyline will remain the same and the only thing changed will be the leading man.

Greg Pollowitz at NRO:

Interesting. Maybe the next time Maguire is in D.C. for a photo-op with President Obama, he can explain to the president why he’s exempt from paying his fair share of taxes on the winnings — you know, to spread the wealth — or stop by the I.R.S. and drop off a check. 

Fox News reports on other potential legal problems:

Aside from Maguire, RadarOnline reported that entertainment industry power players such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon also tried their hand in the high-stakes game, and that the illicit enterprise was still taking place in the home of a top Hollywood producer.

The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to our request for comment regarding whether or not an investigation was pending, however it seems these big names could all be in big trouble should legal proceedings escalate.

“If a bloodthirsty prosecutor wanted to go after these celebs, the law allows he or she to file charges and seek up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each poker game played,” said California-based criminal defense attorney, David E. Wohl. “The reality is however, that there’s a greater chance of Arnold Schwarzenegger being reelected governor than Matt Damon, Ben Affleck or Toby Maguire actually doing jail time for a game of cards.”

Everything started with this lawsuit, which states:

Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire is among more than a dozen high-profile Hollywood celebrities being sued in connection with a mega-millions illegal gambling ring that ran high-stakes underground poker games, Star magazine is reporting exclusively.

Maguire, 35, won more than $300,000 from a Beverly Hills hedge fund manager who embezzled investor funds and orchestrated a Ponzi scheme in a desperate bid to pay off his monster debt to the star and others, it’s alleged.

An FBI investigation into Brad Ruderman, the CEO of Ruderman Capital Partners, uncovered how he lost $25 million of investor money in clandestine poker games held on a twice weekly basis in suites at the luxury Beverly Hills hotel, Four Seasons, and the Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard.

Tinsel town A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon also played in the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em games which had a buy-in of $100,000, multiple members of the ring told Star. DiCaprio, Affleck and Damon are not being sued.

Others who were part of the secret society and are facing hefty lawsuits include billionaire businessman Alex Gores, The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes, Welcome Back, Kotter star Gabe Kaplan, Paris Hilton’s infamous sex tape partner, Rick Salomon, record label owner Cody Leibel and Las Vegas nightlife entrepreneur and real-estate developer Andrew Sasson, among others.

Full story here.

After the misfire of “Always” and the colossal misfire of “Hook,” he returned to the director’s chair for “Jurassic Park” and “Schindler’s List,” two vastly different movies that demonstrate the different ways that a movie can inspire awe.

Even aside from Spielberg’s contributions, 1993 was a pretty solid year.

The Nominees:

“The Fugitive” – Easily the benchmark for big-screen adaptations of TV shows, featuring an Oscar winning supporting turn from Tommy Lee Jones.

“Schindler’s List” – This was not the sure-fire home-run it seems to be in retrospect. Spielberg turns artsy, but wisely remains high concept in doing so.

“The Piano” – As contrived a movie as you’re ever likely to see. Feel free to tell me where I’m wrong. I can’t be swayed.

“Remains of the Day” – Anthony Hopkins. A shotgun. Awesomeness ensues. Not really, but don’t tell me you wouldn’t go see that movie. Merchant-Ivory. Like Simpson-Bruckheimer. Only…boring.

“In the Name of the Father” – I feel like I should remember this movie more than I do. It’s about…jail, or something. Right?

What should have been nominated:

“Schindler’s List” – I’ll never forget the sheer silence of the packed theatre when I saw this movie…

“Jurassic Park” – …just as I’ll never forget the kids in the theatre going “aaaaah!” when the dinosaurs make their first appearance in this movie.

“Groundhog Day” – Make this same movie about a butler, with none of the laughs, set it in Victorian England…Oscar gold!

“True Romance” – You two sorta roommates? Exactly roommates.

“Dazed and Confused” – One of my favorite opening shots ever. And the movie only got better from there.

What shoulda won:

“Dazed and Confused” – I wonder if this movie would be as good and as enduring, if it had actually been a hit. I personally never wanted to see the movie but my girlfriend and I had gone from Athens to Atlanta for the day and had some time to kill, and we had seen everything else showing at the theatre. So we saw “Dazed and Confused,” and couldn’t wait to tell our friends about it.

While it was never a hit, it gained cult status pretty quickly. I remember it playing over and over again at The Georgia Theatre when there were no bands playing. Essentially a 1970s version of “American Graffiti,” with wall to wall music, fast cars, and teenagers killing time, Richard Linklater’s masterpiece is the quintessential sleeper. Part of the joy of the movie is discovering it.

Me and my friends saw it so many times that one buddy noticed Ben Affleck stumbling in one scene when he’s way off in the background.

The characters that drive the movie are timeless. We all knew bullies like Clint and O’Bannion, fun-loving jocks like Benny, mean chicks like Darla, anointed cool kids like Mitch, introspective jocks like Pink, and we all knew a Wooderson.

Matthew McConaughey was obviously a star in the making. He’s been good in movies since, but he has never been this good. His performance is emblematic of the movie itself. We loved it because we discovered it. Now, we feel like McConaughey is over-exposed, jammed down our throats. But when we were allowed to find him, it was special.

The three company men are Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones), and Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper), who all work for a corporation called GTX. Bobby is the first one to lose his job at the company. He walks into his office confident and enthusiastic and walks out embarrassed and unemployed. He leaves his office with a severance package, a box of belongings, and hope that he will find another job soon.

Gene is eventually laid off as well, despite the fact that he helped found GTX and used to be close friends with the company executive who is making all of the cuts. That executive is James Salinger (Craig T. Nelson), a man who is focused on the company’s bottom line. Gene had previously noted his displeasure with James’s earlier cutbacks, so it’s no surprise that he’s let go. Like Gene, Phil loses his position in the second round of cuts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the youth or the energy that Bobby has or the financial safety net that Gene has built up. Phil is overwhelmed by the bills that keep stacking up and knows that few companies want to hire a man of his age.   

After the layoffs, the story focuses on these three men as they struggle to survive and it excels when it shows the tough decisions that they each have to make. Bobby is forced to make sacrifices at home and must eventually take a job with his sarcastic brother-in-law, Jack (Kevin Costner). Gene must re-evaluate some of his choices in life and Phil must start begging his friends for the opportunity to earn a decent paycheck.

All three main actors in the story settle into their roles comfortably. Tommy Lee Jones is given the meatiest role in the story. Gene has earned a lot of money from GTX over the years, which enables him to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. Although he gripes about the cutbacks, he understands that GTX has paid him handsomely over the years.

Gene isn’t a victim and he isn’t a villain either. Unfortunately, many of the other characters are presented as one or the other. James, with his calls for layoffs, is treated as the story’s villain. He’s the cold-hearted corporate executive who is willing to terminate long-serving employees without a second thought. Phil is the victim who is left with few options when he becomes unemployed. Bobby is a more complicated victim. He’s very stubborn and unwilling to accept help unless it’s forced upon him.

As a whole, “The Company Men” is timely but not timeless. It focuses on the difficult decisions that millions of families face in this tough economy. However, the story isn’t as effective or as memorable as 2009’s “Up in the Air,” which didn’t villainize its characters. Unlike that film, “Men” has an obvious agenda. In addition to the villainization of Salinger, news about corporations paying millions of dollars in bonuses while laying off employees can be heard over the end credits.

Despite some of its one-dimensional characters, “The Company Men” captures the sacrifices that people make during periods of unemployment. It may not be a great movie, but it’s still a good one.

And so it is that I’ve taken a look back over the more than 100 movies I’ve seen in 2010, picking my 10 personal favorites. I won’t presume to say that they’re objectively the 10 best — I would have had to see more than 250 films last year to give an honest assessment of that. And while I know “The Social Network” is great filmmaking and appears to be the unanimous favorite for this year’s Best Picture Oscar, I think it’s too easy to simply agree with the pack. So, instead, I’m offering up 10 flicks that moved me, made me laugh, or thrilled me the most. Many of them were underrated and little-seen, but they are well worth renting now.

1. “Cyrus.” This indie film came out in July and served up what appeared to be the most unusual love triangle ever: Marisa Tomei as a lonely single mother, John C. Reilly as the even lonelier guy who is saved by her love, and Jonah Hill as her grown-up son, Cyrus, who seems way too close to his mom. Thankfully, nothing is as it first appears, and this crazily funny and surprisingly touching film winds up being my favorite gem of the year.

2. “City Island.” In perhaps the funniest movie of the year, Andy Garcia led a stellar, Oscar-worthy ensemble cast in the story of a working-class family in the New York City enclave of City Island, where each family member has their own improbable dream or wild secret. As everything gets revealed in the brilliantly written final half-hour, the audience at the screening I attended was literally whooping with laughter.

3. “True Grit.” My choice for Best Picture among the likely Oscar nominees, this sumptuously mounted Western is classic Hollywood filmmaking at its finest, yet is given an utterly fresh spin by America’s quirkiest filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen. Total newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as the young girl who hires Jeff Bridges to find her father’s killer will likely walk away with Oscar gold.

4. “Solitary Man.” Michael Douglas made more headlines for battling cancer and reviving his Oscar-winning character of Gordon Gekko in the also-solid “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” But he delivered what I believe to be the best performance of his career in this criminally under-viewed portrait of a former used-car kingpin struggling to revive his career and his love life after a stint in prison.

5. “The Crazies.” This remake of an obscure George Romero horror flick came out of nowhere to deliver the biggest mix of laughs and scares to hit theaters in 2010, led by a fantastic performance by Timothy Olyphant as the sheriff of a small town whose residents have suddenly gone insane.

6. “Hereafter.” Clint Eastwood’s epic drama takes on the biggest questions of them all — life, death, and what happens next. Three hauntingly sad stories set in the US, France, and England come together with a powerful yet understated climax, filling me with hope.

7. “The Fighter.” You want uplift? This classic boxing tale follows the true story of Mickey Ward, a career punching bag of a boxer who finds love and finally learns to stand up for himself, both in the ring and in his life. Four of the best performances of the year by Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo, combined with the year’s most rousing climax, has created a new-generation “Rocky.”

While we at Big Hollywood are quick to point out that celebrities can use their soapbox to do some good, but each time they open their mouth to tell us how to behave, they run the risk of losing the magic of their screen persona.  So to help remind you who spoke up on behalf of “all people” this year, here is a rundown of the 10 most asshat celebrity comments of 2010:

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10.  When Whoopi Goldberg went on O’Reilly to discuss her reason for walking off The View (i.e. plug her new book Is It Just Me?: Or is it nuts out there?”) rather than defend her position about the world having a “Muslim problem,” the two also touched on the issue of whether a Jewish kid or a Muslim kid is more likely to be bullied in the US because of his religion.  O’Reilly had the facts but like most good, Hollywood liberals, Whoopi just said, “I don’t believe it.”

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9. Mel Gibson finds himself on the list for having a long history of racist rants, drunk or not. He gets an extra asshat mention for not checking for a wire when being honest in the face of a Russian.

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8. When Hollywood leftists cannibalize one another as if they were a bunch of Troglodytes forced into an out of control Kubrick film, it sends a spool-of-drool to my mouth like a Pavlovian dog. In April, Sigourney Weaver served up this little dish about her showbiz sister Kathryn Bigelow while in Brazil promoting Pocahontas… I mean Avatar.  “Jim didn’t have breasts, and I think that was the reason,” she told told Folha Online, a Brazilian news site. “He should have taken home that Oscar.”

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7. After apologizing profusely throughout 2010 for grabbing Taylor Swift’s spotlight at the 2009 Grammys, Kanye West did an about face and complained that, after he dissed her onstage, he was disappointed that Taylor Swift “didn’t have my back.” Why would she have his back? He’s the one who humiliated her!

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6. After doing what all celebrity women who can’t maintain a healthy relationship do–buy a child–Sheryl Crow got back up on perch to tell Katie Couric about it for Glamour magazine last June. After Crow complained in the interview that Americans have become too blasé about politics and that nobody has taken to the streets to cause “a riot or a revolution,” Couric correctly pointed to the Tea Party as an example of modern day activism.

“What do you think of the Tea Party movement? Because that is the specific sort of group of people who would say we’re out there, we’re getting involved in the process…” asked Katie Couric.

“I appreciate the fact that those people are out there and that they are fired up,” responded Crow, before adding that Tea Partiers “haven’t educated themselves…they’re just pissed off.”

“My main concern is that [the Tea Party is] really fear-based,” said Crow, a cancer survivor and environmental activist. “What’s coming out of the Tea Party most often, especially if you go onto YouTube, and you see some of the interviews with these people who really don’t even know what the issues are, they’re just swept up in the fear of it and the anger of it.”

“They’re not sure what they’re angry at,” Crow continued. “[T]hey don’t understand what’s happening on Wall Street.”

This from a woman who every year tours the country in custom buses so people can hear music inspired by Eric Clapton, Don Henley, Owen Wilson, and Lance Armstrong.

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5. Gwyneth Paltrow said that losing her baby weight after the birth of her second child, son Moses, in 2006, was “by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” the Huffington Post reported on July 11. “It was really hanging on. It was not easy…but I really was seeing results so it motivated me to just work through it,” Paltrow said. She added that her celebrity trainer, Tracy Anderson, helped her lose the weight by having her work out for two hours a day. Two hours a day!  I don’t know any mother with small children that have time or energy to work out for two hours a day.  Oh, but it gets worse.  Paltrow explains: “Every woman can make time–every woman–and you can do it with your baby in the room. There have been countless times where I’ve worked out with my kids crawling around all over the place. You just make it work, and if it’s important to you, it’ll be important to them.

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4. As reported by Hollywoodland, Ben Affleck on NPR said, “The banks shouldn’t — people shouldn’t make such a giant profit off just moving money back and forth. And CEOs’ pay shouldn’t be 200 times the average worker. It used to be nine times.”

NPR didn’t ask whether that sentiment about overpayment counts for movie stars that make $250,000 for simply showing up at a casino grand opening.

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3. When not backing homophobic and misogynistic rappers on their latest “art” and winning awards from the Gay and Lesbian Community, Pink is thinking about beating her unborn child.  “It’s a great idea to spank your children!” And she’s not just talking about a light tap on the butt, either: “I think parents need to beat the crap out of their kids,” the 31-year-old pop star said to Access Hollywood. “Yes, I think the whole spanking and how it’s all gotten P.C. is just for the birds,” says Pink. Apparently Pink herself got paddled on the butt a time or two as a child by her dad. “Oh, he put me through a wall,” says Pink. “It’s the only reason I’m still here. It’s the only reason I’m still alive.” Thanks Dad.

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2. In her self-made YouTube PSA, Kathy Griffin reaches out to young gay teens the way tobacco companies hope today’s youth will bum a “fag,” light up, and pay their future bills. In it, Kathy sympathizes with gay kids stuck in a Bible-belt closet because of evil Republicans practicing trickle-down homophobia. Because Hollywood knows what’s best for everyone, Kathy also reminds us of how wrong Prop. 8 was and how the courts must overturn it. Laws only apply when they favor Hollywood’s agenda; when the law doesn’t and sides with the majority, Hollywood bullies everyone with a differing view. Days later, hosting VH1 Divas Salute the Troops, Griffin decided to bully Bristol Palin about here weight on “Dancing with the Stars,” shedding a light of shame on all young women who struggle with weight issues and don’t have access to personal trainers.

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1. Watching The Joy Behar Show on Headline News is akin to watching dead tuna dry in the sun–and the only thing that squashes this tuna melt more is when her guest is the man who inspired the term “jumping the shark.” I’m not sure what tank Henry Winkler’s been swimming in since he starred in that hit movie Heroes in 1977, but I wish he’d stayed there. Winkler, on the show to promote his children’s book that deals with dyslexia, felt the need to debase an American family that’s done nothing to him other than be different. In the clip, Winkler says this about Sarah Palin and her family: “I do know that she is the most articulate person in her family.” He and Joy then go to criticize Palin for living the good life they have enjoyed for many years.

Who are your Hollywood Asshats of 2010?

From our friends at NewsBusters:

On Tuesday’s Morning Edition, actor Ben Affleck was selling his new movie about corporate layoffs, Company Men, and anchorman Steve Inskeep carefully led the left-wing actor onto a soapbox to lecture about the immorality of American capitalism and financiers who do nothing but “move money back and forth”:

AFFLECK: The banks shouldn’t — people shouldn’t make such a giant profit off just moving money back and forth. And CEOs’ pay shouldn’t be 200 times the average worker. It used to be nine times.

NPR didn’t have the contrarian populist toughness to ask about whether that sentiment about overpayment counts for movie stars that make $250,000 for simply showing up at a casino grand opening.

But then, Affleck somehow this resentment of “giant profits” and overpaid CEOs is universal, and is shared by the Tea Party:

Okay, maybe it’s legal and maybe it passes muster with shareholders. But there’s something about us that fundamentally feels it isn’t right. And I think that’s the frustration that you feel on people speaking out from the left. I think it’s the same frustration you hear from Tea Party activists. And that tells you that it’s common to the entire spectrum of American people. We have a deep sense that what’s happening is wrong and unethical and that we are in decline because we’ve lost our moral compass.

Tea Party people have a sense of America in decline, and unethical leadership — but they were protesting in Washington, not outside a factory, or an overpaid Hollywood actor’s house

Much more here.