Sands of Time Prove Jake’s Princeliness

Prince of Persia premiered this weekend nationwide, already carrying the weight of expectations that go far beyond the film itself. Word on the street is that Disney hopes Prince of Persia will blow audiences away, making it the next money-maker ala the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. And while Prince of Persia is a fun film and certainly acted much better than the Pirate films (Mr. Depp’s part excluded), it’s hard to believe that it will ever parallel the Pirates in success.


It’s not that it isn’t entertaining. It is in fact highly entertaining. Its set designs and visual effects are stunning. Yes, it’s a Disneyfied depiction of what Persia might have looked like at different times blended into one time period that is thus impossible to decipher (and god only knows what the point of the jumbled religious terms used in the movie were), but it is richly vivid in detail and the score blends seamlessly throughout, driving the action and making you feel as if you are part of it.

The plot line suffers from the typical blown out of proportion action scenes and over-used now-who-done-it plot twists. You know the kind of cheap tricks that only work in stories in which characters are seriously under-developed leaving their motives open to crafty switch-a-roos. In a movie where a unremarkable twist happens every few minutes it becomes difficult to care. Just wait ten minutes and another twist will bring you right back to where you were and (SPOILER_ALERT! The bad guy is the one who LOOKS JUST LIKE a bad guy, crafty eye-brows and all!)

Action movie audiences don’t typically care about things such as characterization or the uncomfortable and often patronizing appearance of forced dialogue. Prince of Persia delivers what the typical movie-goer wants in a summer action film with just enough twist of fantasy and adventure to make it a sure favorite with audiences this summer. It’s not a movie that will get you thinking, but it will entertain you for roughly two hours in good clean fun.

That said, there is one thing about Prince of Persia that makes it noteworthy, and that is the emergence of Jake Gyllenhaal as a bonafide fantasy/action hero. Gyllenhaal shines as the ragamuffin turned prince who is called to start out on a hero’s journey after the tragic murder of a loved one.

There is nothing awkward about Gyllenhaal’s transformation into a kohl-eyed, sword-wielding, muscled champion fighting alongside the inhumanly beautiful Gemma Arterton. If these two had kids they wouldn’t need to worry about a stupid time-altering dagger full of creepy magic sand. They could rule through good-looks alone. And the great thing about Jake’s version of the action-hero is that there is something essentially real in Price Dasten that makes you actually care what happens to him.

I guess this is what happens when men who can actually ACT take on roles as action-heros. Perhaps Prince of Persia will herald in a new era in which action films are more than mere action. One in which the characters aren’t just muscular guys with a stash of punchy, yet stupid one-liners on deck ready to hand out after each explosion.

While this probably will not be the case (and that’s a good thing since I’d rather the great actors stick to the great scripts) it’s nice to dream now and then. And it’s nice to see a guy like Gyllenhaal show enough range to break our hearts as a love-sick cowboy longing in vain after the only man he’s ever loved, and then to entertain us as a stalwart Persian prince battling forces of inhumane evil to save the girl and the kingdom.

The Tyra Banks Show Finale

After five years on the air, The Tyra Banks Show came to an end today, airing it's final episode. Looking back on the show, Tyra says it was "always about my life's mission of expanding the definition of beauty. I wanted everyone to understand that life is about accepting and loving yourself, flaws and all."

On that mission, we saw Tyra go undercover as an obese woman, a homeless woman and a man. We watched her interview some of the decades biggest stars including Janet Jackson and Beyonce. But what were Tyra's favorite shows?

"I was so nervous, sick to my stomach and my hands were shaking," she told PEOPLE about her interview with then senator Barack Obama. "I asked him to look into the crystal ball and said 'What do you see in your future, Senator?' And without hesitation, he replied 'The White House.' That clip ran on CNN and every national morning show. I'll never forget being a part of political history."

Wow. Other favorites?

"A woman told me she saw the 'Kiss My Fat Ass' episode and she put down the pills she was going to use to commit suicide."

"I even got bitten on the neck by Twilight's sexiest vampire, Robert Pattinson," says Banks. "I don't think I've ever felt so envied."

So what does the supermodel turned mogul see in her crystal ball? Well, she won't be sitting still for long. Her production company, Bankable Enterprises, has plans to branch out into film production. She also has signed on to publish a series of novels, which you can find out more about here on Celebstalk (check our archives for Storytime With Tyra Banks), not to mention continuing the very popular America's Next Top Model which is set to feature a new partnership with Italian Vogue.


Though we bid this show farewell, we will be seeing plenty more of this daytime diva...and you can take that to the bank!

Gary Coleman Dies at 42

Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman passed away Friday after being hospitalized for a fall near his home in Utah Wednesday. It seems when the actor fell, he hit his head and suffered an intercranial hemmorage. He was just 42.

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank says that life support was terminated and that Coleman died at around 12:05 am.

Gary rose to fame in the 1980's when he played the role of Arnold on the popular sitcom Diff'rent Strokes alongside Todd Bridges and Dana Plato. His signature line ("What you talkin' 'bout Willis") and his adorable face made him an icon, however his bright start was overshadowed by legal issues, disputes and health problems.

Gary Coleman leaves behind his wife, Shannon Price, along with many family members, friends, fans and his legacy. He will be missed.

Mariah Carey Unexpectedly Drops Out of Movie

With seemingly no explanation and no warning, Mariah Carey pulled out of Tyler Perry's newest film, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.

Production was set to begin on the film next month and is based on the 1975 Ntozake Shange play and will star Whoopi Goldberg, Anika Noni Rose, Janet Jackson, Phylicia Rashad, Kerry Washington, Loretta Divine, Jurnee Smollett and Isaiah Mustafa.

Mariah's rep, Cindi Berger, would not comment on the reason for her sudden withdrawal of the project, only saying, "I'm not at liberty to discuss her personal life at this time."

This recent news has fueled the already constant rumors that Mariah and husband Nick Cannon are expecting a baby, however they have not commented on the rumors.

Gwen Debunks Pregnancy Rumors

Despite recent speculation that she may be with child, Gwen Stefani's reps told E! News that this was not true.

In the past week or so, paparazzi have been going nuts trying to get as many shots of the No Doubt star wearing her unusually baggy clothing and holding bags in front of her midsection, which looks the same as it always has.

Although we have no idea if Gwen and husband Gavin Rossdale have any intentions of extending their family of four (they are the proud parents of sons Kingston, who will be four this week and Zuma, 21 months old), we can tell you that there ain't any buns in this oven today!

Cameron's Hanging Up Her Halo

California cutie Cameron Diaz, who portrayed the role of Natalie, alongside Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, in the popular "Charlie's Angels" films has passed on returning for a third installment of the movie adaptation of the famous 1970's television series.

Cameron tells US Weekly, "People always ask me if I'd do Charlie's Angels 10 years from now, and I'm like 'What?!' It's a little bit tricky fitting into those pants from 10 years ago (as it is)."

The starlet however did say that she would always be happy to return to the Shrek films and that even though the newest release from the franchise, "Shrek Forever After" is scheduled to be the last of the films, she hasn't given up hope yet for Fiona: "I'm in! Hopefully we won't have to wait that long!"

Looks Like Many "Pleasant Tomorrow's" for Comedian Tina Fey!

Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock star Tina Fey is set to receive the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a huge accomplishment in the comedy world, according to The Kennedy Center.

Fey will be the third woman in 13 years to receive this honor, following in the footsteps of comedic greats Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg. Now that's some serious girl power!

Tina, who has been awarded six Emmy's and two Golden Globes for her show 30 Rock (which she writes, produces and stars in) spent 9 years on SNL bringing us the best of the Weekend Update and her now famous inpersonations of Republican vice-presidential wanna be Sarah Palin.

The Mark Twain Prize was first established in 1998 and was created to honor those American's who have impacted the society in a positive way that can be comparable to 19th century literary great, Mark Twain, who is best known for his novels "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

Some of the other winners of this award include Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Steve Martin and Neil Simon.When Tina, who is the youngest winner of this award at 40, learned she would be receiving the award, she joked "I assume Betty White was disqualified for steroid use."

That's why we love her!

Brittany Murphy's Husband Found Dead

Simon Monjack, Brittany Murphy's 39 year old husband, was found dead by his mother in law late Sunday evening in the home that they shared with Brittany. According to Los Angeles Chief Coroner Ed Winter, it looks like he may have suffered a heart attack.

"He was discovered by Brittany's mom as being unresponsive" in the Hollywood Hills home at around 9:40 pm on Sunday, says Winter. Brittany Murphy's mother, Sharon, contacted paramedics, who pronounced him dead.

No signs of foul play or injury to Monjack's body were reported and although prescriptions were found in the home, overdose is not suspected. An autopsy is planned for Tuesday.

The British producers death comes just 5 short months after the death of his wife, Brittany Murphy, who is best known for her roles in the films "Clueless" and "Girl, Interrupted."

Ashley Greene Wants To Make You Scream!

Twilight star Ashley Greene has been offered a role in the fourth installment of the slasher franchise Scream. According to sources at Empireonline.com, she is lined up to play Neve Campbell's cousin, Jill, and will join Scream alumni Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette who are all signed on to reprise their former roles. Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and Lake Bell (Shrek Forever After) have been rumored to costar in hopes to bring a fresh take on the series. We'll keep you posted on release dates and further information!

Bono in Munich Hospital Following Surgery

U2 frontman/megastar Bono underwent emergency back surgery Friday in Munich following an injury while preparing for the next leg of the bands "360 Degree" world tour, causing delays in tour dates.

The US leg of the tour was planned to kick off on June 3 in Salt Lake City, which has already been postponed. Paul Guiness, the bands longtime manager, hinted that Bono's injury could cause even more delays in the tour.

"It's unfortunate that we're inconveniencing fans" he says "We will make plans to reinstate these dates as soon as possible."

A spokesperson for the 50 year old Ireland native said that the singer was admitted to a specialist neuro surgery unit in Munich Hospital.

"Bono will spend the next few days there, before returning home to recuperate." the spokeperson stated. "Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regardingthe impact on forthcoming tour dates."

We just hope you feel better soon, Bono Vox.

Return to Oz

According to recent reports, America's favorite flower child, Drew Barrymore, has decided to take on Oz. Which one, you ask? Of the myriad of upcoming flicks surrounding Dorothy Gale that seem to be coming out of the woodworks, Drew's choice was "Surrender Dorothy", which has apparently been around since 2002 when  Zack Helm ("Stranger Than Fiction") wrote the script and it recently resurfaced.

We don't have too much to go on yet, but from what we do know, Helms wrote the script with Drew in mind to play the great-great granddaughter of Dorothy who must return to Oz to protect it from the Wicked Witch of the West...who Dorothy defeated in the original...apparently she didn't tell anyone she had mastered resurrection before the whole melting incident.

Anyway, so not only is Drew planning on starring in the film but has also been linked up to direct it, which will be her first time since her debut in "Whip It" starring herself and Ellen Page. Pretty ballsy second project, if you ask us...So, what do you think? Will Drew be able to pull it off? We think that if anyone can put anymore magic into Oz, Drew's the girl for the job!

Megan Fox Will Not Return For 'Transformers 3'

According to reports from many different sources, it has been confirmed that Megan Fox will not be returning for the third and final installment of 'Transformers 3'.

A source at Paramount told Access Hollywood that Fox, who played Mikaela in the first two blockbusters, would not be returning, stating that in order to take Shia LeBeouf's character, Sam, in a new direction, it was better if he wasn't tied down to a love interest.

However, reps for Megan told People that it had been her decision to leave the franchise.

"Megan Fox will not be starring in 'Transformers 3' " her reps said, "It was her decision not to return. She wishes the franchise the best."

Nikki Finke, who first reported the news for Deadline, claims it was "ultimately" director, Michael Bay's decision.

Megan has been quoted as comparing Bay to Hitler and Napoleon during an interview with British magazine Wonderland..

"He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation," she says.

"He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is," she continued. "So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward."

Shortly after, the Transformers crew posted an open letter on the director's site addressing Megan's behavior, calling her "the grump of the set" and also describing her as "thankless, classless, graceless" and "unfriendly".

Michael Bay immediately removed the letter from the site and eventually addressed the accusations himself stating "I don't condone the crew letter to Megan. And I don't condone Megan's outlandish quotes."

Well, either way, regardless of the whole 'he said/she said' routine, Megan is out. Keep checking in to see what she's up to next!

SPANDEX NOW!

Comedian Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on Seinfeld, will appear in hilarious new Jenny Craig ad after dropping 30 pounds with the program. In the ad, he dons spandex and has a song and dance routine broadway style. In the ad he dances alongside 7 other spandex clad men singing "Take a look, drink it in. I was fat, now I'm thin" and then strips off the spandex for a full monty style finale.

Charlie Sheen Returns to Two and a Half Men

Despite recent speculation that Charlie Sheen would leave the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men, the actor has signed on for two more seasons.

Sheen said last month that he was ready to walk away if contract negotiations were to fall through. Charlie earned $825,000 per episode last season, making him the top paid TV actor. He denies that a higher paycheck was a last minute tactic to renegotiate, stating that he put in his terms last year for season eight.

Terms of the deal with Warner Bros. and CBS have not been disclosed, so we don't know those details yet.

"To put a fitting end to the two and one-half months of whirlwind speculation, I'm looking forward to returning to my CBS home on Monday nights," Charlie said in his statement. "I want to thank (CBS pres and CEO) Les Moonves for his support."

Tune in Monday nights at 9/8 central on CBS.

Could Jake Gyllenhaal Be Kurt Cobain?

Jake Gyllenhaal, star of blockbuster hits such as Brokeback Mountain, The Good Girl and the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time told NME.com in a recent interview that he would be happy to grow out and bleach his hair to play the late Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, in the upcoming biopic.

In the interview, he tells NME.com :I don't know if I'd be the right choice. But the hair from Prince of Persia could translate somehow. We could just bleach it."

Gemma Arterton, Jake's costar in POP, disagrees. She said "I actually read a script recently, which was amazing. Someone needs to play Kurt Cobain. I don't know, maybe they should find someone new. Because when your playing an iconic character, when you get someone really famous to play them, sometimes your just watching a famous person play someone else and it's nice when it's a completely new person."

There have been a few stars linked to the still unnamed project recently, though nothing has been confirmed. Just a few of the names that have come up have included Iron Man 2's Scarlett Johansson and international hotties James McAvoy  and Robert Pattinson.

Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, almost immediately vetoed the idea of Pattinson playing the troubled icon, saying "Isn't that so stupid, who would cast him? That's just wrong, no offense. I watched the Twilight stuff very, very recently and I get it, it resonates with the teenage girl in me, I understand epic love of that nature; I write about it all the time. But isn't that silly?"

Is LaBeouf a LaDouche?

What is up with Shia these past couple of days? A couple of days ago, we saw an interview that had him saying that he didn't like Transformers 2 and that he thought Michael Bay went "too big" with the action and too small with the personal relationships. Now, today we find out that he's criticizing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, telling LA Times he "dropped the ball". Umm...I don't know if anyone has told you this Shia, but it maybe isn't the best idea to criticize YOUR OWN movies. Really...it's bad for business. Not to mention, I am pretty sure that Steven Spielberg could take you out from his bathroom...just FYI.
So why is he being so negative the past couple of days? Shia, are you planning on dumping on ALL of your movies now? Tomorrow, will I get to Yahoo! and find you bashing Eagle Eye? Or maybe Disturbia? How can we trust you now? Well, I love you Shia and I will forgive you, just leave Even Stevens out of this or it is so on!

Gisele Bundchen World's Top Paid Model

According to Forbes, 29 year old Gisele Bundchen is now the world's (that's right...the WORLD's) highest paid model, earning $25 million last year alone!

Ranking in second place was Heidi Klum, making $16 million and Kate Moss, who raked in $9 mil.

This is the second year these three beauties have topped the Forbes list and it doesn't look like they are going anywhere.

Steve Bertoni of Forbes says "These are the tried and true supermodels of the last decade...the household names of the industry.

The complete list of supermodel salaries can be seen on www.forbes.com

Story Time With Tyra Banks

Supermodel and host of "America's Next Top Model" Tyra Banks has reportedly signed a deal with Delacorte Press to release three books, the first of which will be released next summer.

The first book, called "Modelland" is about a teen girl who is accepted into an academy for exceptional models called Intoxibellas.

Banks says on her website that Modelland is "for all the guys and girls who want a lot more FANTASY in their lives and some fierceness and magic, romance and mystery, crazy and wild adventures, and yeah, some danger, too."

Banks announced in January that she would be ending her award winning talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, to launch her own production company, Bankable Studios.

I Spy a Sexy Moug

Just a couple of months after enduring a quintuple bypass in March, master moug Burt Reynolds is already back to work.

Burt will be making a guest appearance on USA's Burn Notice as burned spy Paul Anderson, a once legendary CIA operative who was cast out of the agency and will serve as a warning for Michael Westen.

"Things have not gone well for him since he left the spy service," creator Matt Nix tell EW regarding Burt's character "He's now working as a bartender under an assumed name , and he gets into some trouble with some very nasty Russian guys."

To catch the silver fox in action, check out Burn Notice on USA returning for it's fourth season on June 3.

Snoop Robby Rob?!

In a sneak peek of the much anticipated Oprah show Thursday, which will feature the three leads to the Twilight phenomenon, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, Rob reveals a little something about himself you likely didn't know.

Oprah asked the British babe how he learned to speak in an American accent for his films and he said "I grew up watching American movies and stuff, I don't know...And also, I used to, I think what the main thing was I used to want to be a...a rapper, when I was like fourteen."

Awesome! You can see clips from Thursday's show on Yahoo! Movies or you can tune in to watch the entire show tomorrow.

Leo Gets No Respect

Hollywood heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio, and his girlfriend Bar Rafaeli, were at LA's Century City on Saturday to see the new Iron Man 2 movie and were asked to change seats four times. Leo was hiding under a hat and from the way it sounds, his disguise worked because nobody recognized him.

A source said "He clearly didn't realize you could reserve seats. During the previews, Leo and his group were asked to move three times, then as the trailer for his new movie "Inception" began playing, they asked him to move again. They were gracious, (and) Leo was smiling at the irony of it." Finally they found seats in the front row.

Bobby Brown Found Himself a Roni

Last night during the first night of Funk Fest in Jacksonville, Florida, Bobby Brown proposed to his manager and girlfriend, Alicia Etheridge, onstage as she held their 11 month old son, Cassius. She accepted with a kiss while thousands of fans screamed and cheered in approval.

Bobby Brown stated that he would work harder this time then he did in his last marriage. While I'm not sure how I feel about a proposal onstage, I won't be cruel. It's his perogative.

Reality Show Star Charged in Orlando Bloom Robbery

Reality show star, Alexis Neiers, 18, was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation today for pleading "no contest" to breaking into Orlando Bloom's home last summer.

The robbery resulted in the loss of Orlando's watches and artwork, but Neiers denied having taken anything.

Alexis is tied to the teenage group, the "Bling Ring", who got its moniker from targeting celebrities. Five other people associated with the group are awaiting possible trial for this break-in, along with other celebrity break-ins including Megan Fox, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge and Rachel Bilson. Combined, it is reported that millions of dollars worth of jewelry and clothing were stolen.

Really? Artwork? Watches? I know it's more lucrative than some things, but still. I bet there are millions of women just waiting for some of Orlando Bloom's underpants to show up on Ebay! There's your payday, chica!

 

Sealed With A Kiss

After five years of wedded bliss, Heidi Klum and Seal renewed their wedding vows for the sixth time on Saturday in Costa Careyes, Mexico.

The couple have made it a tradition to renew their vows every year on their wedding anniversary. Last year, they  kept it casual with Heidi rocking cornrows and Seal sporting a mullet. This year, they asked their 80 guests to wear black and white to resemble brides and grooms.

"We love to renew our vows," Klum told Redbook "It's so special to us, something we love and something our children have gotten accustomed to. It's like "Hey, Mom and Dad love each other and they get married every year!"

Seal and Heidi are the proud parents of four children, Leni, Henry, Johan and Lou.

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Sienna Miller and Jude Law made their first public appearance since the couple reunited on Monday on the Red Carpet at the 2010 Costume Institute Gala in New York.

Jude, who was recently nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Hamlet, told Access Hollywood at the nomination luncheon, "I'm very happy. I'm very happy to be happy."

Victoria Beckham Voted Most Glamorous Celebrity

The votes are in and according to Max Factor cosmetics, Beckham wins! Victoria beat out hot celebs like Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox for the title of "World's Most Glamorous Celebrity" based on her famous fashion sense and consistently polished look.
In an interview with Starpulse, a Max Factor spokesperson said:

"Victoria Beckham has been gracing the fashion pages for years now with her glamorous looks and she has designed her own clothes range. She never leaves home without being fully made up and her signature glossy pout has become her calling card. Her simple tailored clothes, along with her love of heels and elegant make-up, have made her a fashion icon and queen of glamour."

Okay, so we admit it: Victoria Beckham is hot and has definitely influenced others with her fashionista qualities, but really...MOST glamorous in the ENTIRE WORLD? REALLY??


So let us know what you think. Do you agree with Max Factor? Is Victoria Beckham the most glamorous in all the land or can you think of someone you would have rather seen picked?

Eclipse Released Premiere Info!

Okay Twihards...it is official! The Twilight Saga:Eclipse has finally released where and when it will premiere....drumroll...It will be at the LA Film Festival next month and although no exact date has been released, we know it will be between June 17 and 27!

Also, Summit has FINALLY given us a release date for Breaking Dawn, which will be the Twilight Saga's final installment. We can look for that on November 18, 2011!

Recently, Bill Condon took on the task of directing Breaking Dawn, but we still have no confirmation on whether that will be a two parter or not.

No word yet on whether stars of the films Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart or Taylor Lautner will be attending the LA premiere, but when we find out, you will be the first to know!

McDreamy is More Than Meets the Eye

Super Mougar Patrick Dempsey has signed on for the third and final installment of the Transformers film franchise. Reps for Paramount told E! that Patrick will play a dark role as Megan Fox's boss in the flick and simply added that his role will be "significant to the plot."

Dempsey will join new cast members John Malkovich and Frances McDormand to wrap up the series in the finale of the trilogy.

Production is set to begin at the end if the month in the US, Russia, Africa and China.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Going on The Walk Of Fame

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, famous for playing Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, is getting her star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame today. She is the first cast member of the show to receive the honor.


Julia is currently starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine, on CBS and the fifth season finale will be on just 8 days after the unveiling of her star. 


Back in the 80's, she became the youngest female cast member of SNL at the age of 21, but didn't see the peak of fame until she joined Seinfeld in 1990.  

Superheroes Unite to Stop Thief!

Okay, so this isn't your typical celeb news, but it's awesome and must be done.

Imagine this: you are in Austrailia. You enter a comic book store. You want to the buy special collectors issue of X-Men Omnibus, but the damned thing is $150! You decide you can't live without it and trade your soul for a little Wolverine action. You make a run for it and BAM! Spiderman is right in front of you! You turn to your left. POW! Two Jedi Knights cut you off! You turn to your right. BOOM! The Flash stops you dead in your tracks! You think about running, but c'mon...do you really think you will outrun The Flash, dude? He ain't called The Scarlet Speedster for nothing!

Well, that is exactly what happened in an Australian comic book store on Saturday during a promotion for Free Comic Book Day, a promotional celebration for literacy.

Michael Baulderstone, owner of Adalaide Comic Center, said he was dressed as superhero Spider-Man to promote the event when he noticed some shady action from a customer in his store.

"My Spider-sense was tingling" he said "I didn't want to scare him off so I followed him around the store and eventually said: 'Are you right there mate?'"
"I'm a tiny bloak, but I just grabbed his bag and looked in it and there was a book," he said "I had 50 people in the store so I shouted for someone to guard the door and it just happened that the Jedi Knights were there and they had their light sabers out so they held the door until the police arrived. My colleague, who was dressed as The Flash, kept running the shop and stayed calm; it was really a team effort."

"When the police came in they managed to keep a straight face and just hauled him away," Baulderstone added.

Chely Wright Comes Out!

Yesterday morning, country music star Chely Wright announced that she is gay, making her the first major country music star to publicly come out.  In an exclusive interview with People, Wright discussed why she waited so long to go public with the news.

"There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality." she said. "I wasn't going to be the first." So what changed her mind? "Nothing in my life has been more magical than the moment I decided to come out."

Wright, whose debut album was released in 1994, says she has directed her entire life around becoming a musician and states in the interview "I hid everything for my music."

So far there has been no word from Nashville on the news (however they are in the midst of an emergency situation experiencing record flooding), and nothing yet from Chely's fans, but we guess that she will have a ton of support. Of course there will always be haters, but we think that she has essentially paved the way for more country stars to come forward with their gay pride.

You can see more about Chely Wright on Wednesday when she is set to appear on NBC's The Today Show, and this week she will also be releasing her first album in five years, entitiled Lifted Off The Ground. She will also be releasing her memoir, Like Me, this week.

Johnny Depp Saves Friend from Mugger!

If Christian Bale decides not to reprise his role in Batman 3 we know someone who could play the part! Johhny Depp is said to have pulled some real-life superhero moves to save a friend from being mugged.

According to a report in The Sun, Johnny saved the day when a mugger with a broken bottle attempted to rob his friend Stephen Jones as they were leaving a recording studio in LA. The Sun reports that a source claimed that Johnny Depp stepped out in front of his friend and told the mugger to get lost.

As exciting as this story sounds, odds are that it is merely one more fabrication from the ever-dubious ‘news’ source that is The Sun.

Johnny is currently in Europe where he has been filming The Tourist with Hollywood hot mama Angelina Jolie. That is….unless he sensed the trouble brewing with his spidey-sense and used his superpowers to fly across the world and save his buddy just in time!

Hey, if anyone in Hollywood could be hiding a secret superhero identity, we bet it would be Johnny. So even if this sexy mougar didn’t really fend off a mugger we still love him.

Anyone in the Market For A Mansion?

Eternally eccentric Nicolas Cage shocks us again with his latest extravagant property purchase. It wasn't another mansion and he wasn't replacing the island he recently was forced to sell. Nope, it was a 9 foot tall tomb in the shape of a pyramid! What else?

Cage reportedly commisioned the giant mausoleum to sit in side a New Orleans cemetery to serve as his final resting place. The actor is known for his love of New Orleans, but why the tomb, dude?

Cage has been in the news quite a bit recently due to his financial troubles that stemmed from the alleged misguidance from his financial advisor, forcing him to sell off quite a few of his homes, including a castle in Germany, a Rhode Island estate and a Bahamian Island. He is also currently auctioning off his mansion in Bel Air, the bidding starts at $10.4 Million.

In a recent interview, fellow A-lister Johnny Depp offers Cage his support, stating to do "whatever it takes" to help his friend. Awww!

Robert Pattinson is Done with Twilight!!

But relax! He’s only done for the time being…
Robert Pattinson, who plays teenage vampire Edward Cullen, was spotted at LAX airport earlier today coming in from a stop in Vancouver. The sexy British star was there finishing some filming for the much anticipated third installment to the Twilight film franchise. The film, entitled Eclipse, is set to hit theaters nationwide on June 30th of this year.

Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob the second love interest of Kristen Stewart’s Bella also arrived in T-town today. Unfortunately, he arrived around the same time as Robert Pattinson so hardly anyone cared (we kid!)

Robert Pattinson, always the understated icon for the current Hobo-Chic fashion trend wore classic wayfarers, a faded jacket that appeared to have stains all over it, and he carried a battered old guitar case. Very Cool Robert. No sign of Kristen Stewart or any of Robert Pattinson’s Twilight costars.

PS. Someone tell this boy to start lacing up his shoes before he smashes that pretty face all up!

Just Go With It: Movie Title or Desperate Cry to Go Against Your Better Instincts?

Filming has recently begun for the film “Just Go with It”, and its oddball cast, a mixture of A-list stars and wannabe actors makes us wonder if the title isn’t just an attempt at some subliminal coaxing into giving this potential bomb a chance.
According to imdb, the film is a romcom about a man (Adam Sandler) who enlists the aid of a woman (Jennifer Aniston?) to help him to get his dream girl. A-list actress Nicole Kidman will also have a starring role in the film. There’s even a little something special in there for you guys who will inevitably be dragged to see this one by your girls in the form of Brookyln Decker. Decker is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and the wife of Grand Slam winning tennis player Andy Roddick. Not so bad, right?

The disturbing thing is the news that one-half of the publicity-hound partnership that is “Spidey” has also been cast in the film. That’s right. Even though her part will no doubt consist of her playing a parody of herself, Heidi Montag is officially making her first appearance in a major film.

This makes us question the reason that the makers of this movie had of casing the young blonde. Did they give her the part because they saw some talent in her? Or, is it a cheap tactic to draw attention? I’m no fan of Heidi, but this kind of exploitation of a sick and intellectually challenged young woman kinda makes me wanna barf.

Personally I think I’d rather watch Vanessa Hudgens, and Zac Efron star as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in “Twilight the Forks High School Musical.”

Originally called The Pretend Wife, “Just Go With It” is being directed by Dennis Dugan and is slated to come out early next year. Can you hear me sucking in a huge breath to hold it?

Captain Jack to Play The Prince of Darkness?

News from London today that Johnny Depp has emerged as the top pick to play Ozzy Osbourne in the new film in development based on the rock legends life.

A source shared with express.co.uk today "Ozzy loves Johnny's films and would ideally want him to play the lead role in the movie."

The Prince of Darkness himself has confirmed this information and has said he "would love to have a movie made with Johnny Depp playing me."

 Ozzy's wife Sharon had recently revealed plans that the plans have started on the flick based on his life. Awesome!

Check Out Our Taking Down Tinseltown Page!

Be sure to check out the new posting on our Taking Down Tinseltown page where we name the Jack-Ass of the month for April 2010 !

Who Will Be the New Gay Star in the Sky Above Hollywood??

The buzz around T-town is that a major celebrity will come out of the closet on May 5th of this year!
Apparently the big gay reveal is set to occur on The View and will be covered by none other than People magazine. The mystery star is also being supported by the Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman who has helped gay actors and actresses such as Meredith Baxter come out in the past. (For those that don’t know she’s the mom from Family Ties! Imagine what uber-republican son Alex P. Keaton would have thought!)

No one knows the real identity of the secret star who is about to kiss the days of hiding with the mothballs goodbye. Even the producers and cast of The View are believed to be in the dark about the celeb’s true identity and gender. Somehow Howard Bragman was able to convince them to book a mystery person based solely on the promise of the person’s star power.

Sounds exciting! But left without any substantial facts about this celeb’s identity we can only guess as to who it might be.

So let’s look at what we do know:

1.) The star is coming out on The View

2.) The date is May 5th, or Cinco de Mayo

Coming out on The View? At first it seems that this might hint that the star may have a place with power lesbians such as Ellen and Wanda Sykes. But then again coming out on The View is so….gay…that we can’t discount a male star.

Next we have to wonder if the date has some kind of significance. Do we dare to hope for another Gay Latin Star in the heavens? We just found out (asifwedidn’tknowallalong) about Ricky Martin. Could the mystery person be Shakira? George Lopez? J-LO??!!

Or, could we dare to hope for a new Hollywood gay power-couple ala Ellen and Portia?

No matter who it is, CelebStalk is ready to support them in their brave journey out of the closet.

And I for one would like to say thank you to each of these brave gay stars who are finally beginning to make the disconnect between the large number of gay drama students and theater actors and tiny number of Hollywood gays make some sense.

Thanks Doogie!

So who do you think it is? Leave your guess as a comment below and discuss!