Owen "Drillbit Taylor" Wilson surfaces. He's no frills this evening. Seriousness does not become him.

So here comes Alan Arkin to give the supporting actress Oscar to, well, whom?

Whoa! It's Tilda Swinton! Holy cow. That's amazing. Her speech is cooler than I thought her performance was. But Tilda Swinton? The White Witch of Narnia has an Oscar. Now the world gets to wonder: Who's that tall skinny lady with the seal-hide dress?

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Brian Evans, a big band singer who began his career on television shows ranging from "Full House" to "Beverly Hills, 90210" is writing his autobiography.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The excitement and glamour of Hollywood is brewing as the final preparations come together for Sunday's February 24, 2008 Oscar Night(r) America Los Angeles Charity Gala, hosted by Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) at Los Angeles' historic Union Station.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- One of the newest "crooners" in the swing music genre is headed to Malaysia for a private concert. Evans, who is currently recording his major label debut, to be released internationally, will promote the new CD with a series of television appearances in Asia.

Filed under: Foreign Language, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Cinematical Indie

In the United States, movie stars often suffer from media scandals, but I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone recently who has voluntarily given up the business as a direct result. In the light of ongoing stories like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, it's startling to hear 27-year-old Hong Kong movie star Edison Chen declare that he will be retiring from show business due to a scandal.

The scandal began about three weeks ago, when private photographs that belonged to Chen surfaced on the Internet. The photos, stolen off his computer when he took it in for repairs, showed Chen and several different paramours, including actresses Cecilia Cheung (The Promise) and Gillian Chung (Twins Mission), in various stages of undress; some were sexually explicit. "I admit that most of the photographs being circulated on the Internet were taken by me," Chen said at a press conference, according to Variety. "But these photographs were very private, not to be shown to people." In front of hundreds of journalists and camera crews assembled for the press conference, Chen "apologized profusely to the 'ladies' in the pics, his parents and to the people of Hong Kong."

Continue reading Edison Chen, Scandal-Plagued Hong Kong Star, Will Quit Business

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Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Oscar Watch, Polls

The decision for any actor or actress to appear naked, whether on screen, on stage, or in photographs, can sometimes help, sometimes hurt, and sometimes not make any difference at all to the performer's career. In the case of Lindsay Lohan, her freckle-baring photos in New York Magazine may reinforce the public's perception of her as a "bad girl." We saw a very different reaction when "good guy" Daniel Radcliffe, better known as Harry Potter, stripped down for a production of the stage play Equus. While some decried the example he was setting, young women reportedly attended in droves for the opportunity to admire his (acting) form. From a career standpoint, he widened his future possibilities far beyond the family market.

On the big screen, Viggo Mortensen's deadly naked spa duel in Eastern Promises caught everyone's eye. Playing a "bad boy" with a good heart, Mortensen's willingness to display every inch of his physique only expanded his appeal. His performance earned him a nomination for an Academy Award as Best Actor. Portraying both "bad boys" and "good guys," none of the other Best Actor candidates appeared in the buff in their nominated films, though all have in the past.

As we did yesterday with the women, today we offer a selection of five Academy Award-nominated men. All have appeared naked on the big screen, either this year or in the past, with their most revealing appearance noted. Whose career benefited the most from their willingness to bare all?

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Retro Television Network (RTN), which is owned and distributed by Equity Media Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:EMDA), announced today that it will partner with Allbritton Communications to bring RTN programming to Washington, D.C. The new affiliate will launch late this year on a digital stream of Washington, D.C.'s ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV.

Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, From the Editor's Desk

So last night I found out my identity was stolen. And not just by some kid who saw a number -- I'm talking a calculated group of thieves snatched up everything on me and used it to go to town. It's times like these where I wish I could kick ass like Jason Bourne; I wish I could hunt down these awful awful people one by one and force them to watch The Hottie or the Nottie for 17 days straight, non-stop. If you've never had your ID stolen, it sort of feels like being raped by the devil. I feel violated, I feel alone, and I feel like I need a hug. Actually, I feel like a naked Lindsay Lohan -- all doped up, looking for help, but not really sure where to begin or how to pick up the broken pieces.

And you think to yourself -- why would someone do this? Why are there people in the world who feed off screwing up other people's lives. And these people probably have families and friends -- some of whom may or may not know what's going on behind closed doors. Heck, some of them may even read Cinematical when they're not selling your social security number on the internet. And if you are reading this, Mr. or Mrs. Identity Thief, I want you to know that you haven't crushed my dreams of posing naked for Vanity Fair or New York Magazine at some point down the line. That will happen! Just not today. Because I've been on the phone with the bank wishing you a long and painful death.

But hey, we're live-blogging the Oscars this Sunday night! So check out how we're preparing for the big night right ... over ... here.

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