iFilm has top ten lists of the best and worst movie trailers of 2006. The best trailer is said to be for Martin Scorsese’s The Departed featuring Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and Jack Nicholson. Other great trailers include A Scanner Darkly, An Inconvenient Truth, and Casino Royale.

Here’s the trailer for The Departed. It’s fast-paced, cool, and makes you want to see the film:

They say the worst trailer is for a movie I’ve yet to hear of called Epic Movie, which is listed as “A spoof on all epic movies and more written by two of the six writers of Scary Movie.” It does look really dumb and about twice as long as it needs to be:

Other crap trailers include Jessica Simpson’s snorefest Employee of the Month, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, and Basic Instinct 2.

Britney Spears appeared in a clip on Access Hollywood last night promoting her fragrances for the holidays. It looks like the first time she was home in ages, and true to form the celebrity news program reports that she was out partying again that night:

Britney has purchased a new home in Beverly Hills for $7.2 million, and from the looks of this video she seems to be already set up there.

Thanks to BreatheHeavy.com for linking this video.

You may have already seen these pictures from the upcoming film, The Good Shepherd with Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. They’re new to me, though. Damon plays a CIA agent who is suspicious of the new agency and ends up at odds with his family and coworkers.

The Good Shephard is getting mixed advance reviews, and has just a 45% aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is directed by Robert DeNiro, who is lauded for his attention to historical detail, but it is said to be a little too long and clocks in at almost three hours.

The film is out on December 22nd. Here is the trailer:

Pictures from allmoviephoto.

After Rosie and her hack’s haughty refusal to admit that it was mean to mock asians in sing-song gibberish, her inevitable “oh yeah, I was wrong” apology seems fake and forced. She said that she asked her asian hair and makeup person, who obviously cannot work miracles, if it was wrong to use that “Ching Chong” crap, and the woman said that it’s the oldest trick in the book and she heard it when she was a kid.

After running a clip of the offending segment, which originally ran Dec. 5, she said, “This apparently was very offensive to a lot of Asian people. So I asked Judy, who’s Asian and works here in our hair and makeup department. I said, ‘Was it offensive to you?’ And she said, ‘Well, kinda. When I was a kid people did tease me by saying ching-chong.’

“So apparently ‘ching-chong,’ unbeknownst to me, is a very offensive way to make fun, quote-unquote, or mock, Asian accents. Some people have told me it’s as bad as the n-word. I was like, really? I didn’t know that.”

O’Donnell said that her joke was “never intended to hurt anyone, and I’m sorry for those people who felt hurt or were teased on the playground,” but added that in the future, “there’s a good chance that I’ll do something like that again … Not on purpose.”

If someone were to mock gay people with a limp wrist and lisp, would it be ok if they said they had no clue, and that uh, apparently, it’s offensive? No, Rosie should have fessed up right away and not had her rep initially that say no one got her dumbass humor. At least she’s apologizing now, but it seems less than sincere.

Here’s what asian activist Angry Asian Man says about Rosie’s apology:

It’s a joke. The entire thing is played for laughs, like it was no big deal—a case of some offended people overreacting. Elisabeth Hasselback leads in with this bit about what sounds like acupuncture, and they give some background about what happened (replaying the original clip). Rosie does this whole, “Oh, I had no idea about your pain” thing. Listen as the audience is completely incredulous when they find out that saying “ching chong” is apparently offensive to some Asian people out there. Sorry to burst your bubble. Though you had it all in check, huh? Of course, this whole apology is completely negated by the fact that O’Donnell goes on to say, “Hey, I still think it was funny!” and encourages everyone to still laugh along with her about the whole thing. But the part that infuriates me the most is when Joy points to two Asian women in the audience who are nodding in agreement. I guess if these two women say it’s okay, it must be cool! Oh, it hurts. Betrayed by two of our own, on national television. What a pathetic excuse for an apology.

This is too funny. Damon was on Letterman to promote his new film “The Good Shepherd” with Angelina Jolie. It opens on December 22nd in the states.

Video via Faded Youth.

Lainey’s gossip predicted that Brad and Angelina would walk the red carpet together this winter, and she suggested it would have something to do with awards season. No matter their motivations, Brad and Angelina look relaxed and happy as the meet a firestorm of flashes at the NY premiere of Angelina’s new film with Matt Damon, “The Good Shepherd.”

It doesn’t seem like these two can catch a break, and I admit I was down on them after all the scandals with Angelina’s heavy-handed security staff in Namibia and India. According to reports from New Orleans where Brad was filming, Angelina kept the brutes in check and was gracious with the locals. After the cute news that they toured Frank Llyod Wright’s masterpiece home, they seem like America’s golden couple again. Now that Reese and Ryan have split, someone’s got to take over. They seem to be all too aware of the role the public wants them to fill, and are still willing to play the game for us anyway. Thanks, you two.

Here’s the trailer for the film, which is a fictional retelling of the start of the CIA. Matt Damon looks incredible.

Pictures from SimplyBrad.

Pauly Shore was doing his comedy routine on stage at the 8th Street Comedy Club in Odessa, Texas over the weekend when he had to ask some people to stop talking. He stuck to the issue of the hecklers interrupting him, and didn’t get sidetracked and make stupid attacks on them personally like another washed up star from the 90s who’s on the comedy circuit. He just said that they should shut the fuck up.

A big ‘ol man in a giant hat took offense and got up on stage and popped him one, and the whole thing was caught on tape. There’s lots of swearing so it’s NSFW

He called the man white trash afterwards and walked off stage once the security took him away. The guy never should have been allowed to get on stage in the first place. It doesn’t look like Pauly is going back to Odessa any time soon.

Video found through digg on redban.com.

Eight year-old Bindi Irwin has a busy schedule coming up. She just released a children’s exercise DVD that she made with her dad. She also announced that she’s going to tour with the Wiggles next month. Oh and she has a TV show coming out early next year.

Her mom was said to be worried that Bindi was carrying on so well after her famous father, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, died and took her to a therapist. The therapist said that was dealing with the grief in her own way and that she was well adjusted.

Here’s the promo for Bindi’s kid’s exercise DVD with moves inspired by animals. My son loves dancing and would probably jump around to it for a while.

It was announced this weekend that Bindi is going to take to the stage with The Wiggles in their upcoming tour next month. She will appear with them in LA and New York:

The eight-year-old daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, announced on US television overnight that she would perform the concerts in Los Angeles and New York.

The young wildlife warrior promised her high-energy show, called Bindi and The Crocmen, would have Americans on their feet.

The Crocmen are three men who will perform alongside her.

“We’re doing some dances which will be really fun because all the people get to get up and dance along with us,” Bindi told US morning TV show, Good Morning America, today. The concerts are part of the annual G’Day USA: Australia Week 2007 festivities being staged in Los Angeles and New York in January to promote Australia to Americans.

Bindi’s father had been a great supporter of the festival in past years.

With Bindi performing on the same bill as The Wiggles, the tickets, on sale for up to $US65, will be hot property.

Incorporated into Bindi’s act will be an animal show in which she will be joined on stage by her mum Terri and her dad’s “best mate” and Australia Zoo Director Wes Mannion.

Yellow Wiggle Greg is ill with orthostatic intolerance from an unknown disorder, which makes him light-headed and dizzy. He has bowed out of the famous Australian kids’ group, and is being replaced by his understudy.

Bindi also incredibly has a TV show coming out, Bindi the Jungle Girl, that will air in the states early in 2007.

I guess if eight year-old Bindi wants to do all this, more power to her. It just kind of screams cheesy to me for Bindi to put out an exercise video, to tour with the Wiggles, and to star in a TV show. Shouldn’t her mom be trying to balance her performance schedule so it’s not so hard on the elementary student? From what I understand she taped most of this when her dad was alive, but it still seems like too much for a little girl.

When trying to describe how far and wide the news of Danny Devito’s drunken appearance on The View travelled, Rosie O’Donnel parodied the Chinese language in a way that many people consider offensive:

Asian groups are calling her idiotic parody for what it is while Rosie’s rep is defending it:

“The use of the distorted phrases is insulting to the Chinese and Chinese-Americans, and gives the impression that they are a group that is substandard to English-speaking people,” says the Asian-American Journalists Association. But Rosie’s rep thinks they just don’t get it: “I certainly hope that one day they will be able to grasp her humor.”

Why she couldn’t have said something like “Even Chinese newspapers were reporting it?” This is the woman who claimed that Kelly Ripa was somehow being homophobic when she said she didn’t know where Clay Aiken’s hands had been after he pawed her mouth. She just doesn’t get it when she does something that’s more obviously offensive when it’s directed against another group. Maybe Rosie could have scrunched her mouth up to make her teeth look bucked and used her index fingers to make her eyes seem slanty while saying it.

Note that I am stating how I feel about it without calling her ignorant or anything. I learned my lesson on the Jennifer Hudson thing and I appreciate your comments. If someone has an opinion I will respect it as long as they state it respectfully, which Hudson sort of did. (That doesn’t mean I have to agree or whatever.) Rosie didn’t state her opinion respectfully, though, and no one else brought up the subject - she decided rip on another language in a dumb, pointless attempt to be funny.

I have a feeling half the people are going to tell me I’m stupid and should lighten up, and the other half are going to say I’m right. That’s kind of how these things work.

Maybe Rosie will have the sense to issue an apology on Monday. The ratings for The View are up 15% since Rosie joined this season, and if they weren’t always fighting and pulling stupid shit like this it’s doubtful that their audience would extend beyond the retired ladies in Boca.

Jennifer Hudson of “American Idol” fame is generating Oscar buzz with her amazing upcoming role in “Dreamgirls.” Beyonce plays a backup character in the film adaptation of the musical and is second fiddle to Hudson. Beyonce denied that there’s any rivalry between her and Hudson, but people are saying that her comments show otherwise. She told reporters that she wanted to play Hudson’s central role of Effie, of course, and wish she could of gained the 20 pounds required for for the role:

“I knew that the character that I played wasn’t the star,” Knowles, 25, told reporters on Saturday about knowing full well that her Diana Ross-esque role of Deena Jones was less meaty than Hudson’s part as Effie White – a part that is already getting Hudson Oscar buzz. “She wasn’t the underdog. She didn’t have the struggle and the pain and the dramatic scenes that Effie had, and I was fine with that.” Taking the role was about proving herself as an actress. “I’m already a star. I already have nine Grammys. Everyone knows I can sing,” Knowles said. “I did this because I wanted people to know that I can act and I can play someone so different from myself.” “Because I’m a star they just automatically assume that I’m not humble enough to sit down and take a back seat, which I am.” But the R&B star did admit that she would have liked to have sung Effie’s song, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” a showstopper that, in large part, helped get Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award for best actress for the original 1981 Broadway version of Dreamgirls. “I mean,” said Knowles, “I wish I could’ve gained 20 pounds and played Effie.” Asked if she’d really have packed on the weight for the part, Knowles said, “Yes. I absolutely would have, but Bill (Condon, the movie’s writer-director) didn’t even believe that I could be Deena. So imagine if I would’ve said, ‘Bill, I want to be Effie.’ “ And Knowles has high praise for Hudson’s portrayal of Effie. “Jennifer Hudson had such a pressure, first of all, never being in a film and never have done an album and still having to live up to those expectations,” said Knowles. “She did incredible.”

It does sound like Beyonce is calling Hudson fat, and is suggesting that Hudson got the role because she’s heavier. Hudson did actually gain 20 pounds for that film according to Wikipedia, so Beyonce might not have meant it as harshly as it came off.

Commentor kailie2 notes that Beyonce’s rumored wedding to Jay-Z next weekend may be her attempt to gain back the spotlight dominated by newcomer Hudson’s sheer talent.

That’s a pretty good theory considering how much praise and publicity Hudson is getting:

Hudson, taking over the role of Effie played on stage by Jennifer Holliday, is in charge of “Dreamgirls” from her opening scene, blowing away Grammy-winner Beyoncé Knowles, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx and anyone else who gets in her way.

When she sings “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” - one of the most heartfelt cries of pain ever written for a musical - Hudson inscribes her name on an Oscar.

“Dreamgirls” is out in the states tomorrow, 12/6. Here’s the trailer:

Header image found at Bossip.