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Robert Redford directs and stars in “The Company You Keep” and he visits Morning Joe to discuss it. He also discusses the upcoming documentary special regarding “All the President’s Men.”

Laugh, Meryl Streep. Laugh!

When all the dust had cleared, all that was left were fake smiles of the losers and P.R. people promoting why you should see nominated films yet again. Nevertheless, there were awards that should’ve been handed out for only the best of reasons.

1. Best actress in a bout with gravity – Jennifer Lawrence. She could beat out a dozen teens trying to kill her for food in the “Hunger Games,” but she couldn’t walk in a dress without eating Oscar stairs. She got the last laugh taking home Best Actress for “Silver Linings Playbook,” but I guess being hot and coordinated was too much to ask.

2. Best Actress who left her headlights on – Anne Hathaway. Anne made an impression that only Mr. Skin could truly love. The only thing perkier than her upper chest region was the 9 year-old in the audience who probably asked her parents “Was she good enough to be the main actress likes me?

3. Best Host who was damned no matter what – Seth MacFarlane. Word is the senior members in the audience thought he was crude and unfunny. Of course, he got to be clowned by the 81 year-old William Shatner and made out with 66 year-old Sally Field. You’d think he’d get free AARP membership just for that alone. Check out the reaction shots from his “We saw your boobs” song and you’ll see why he needed an escort to his car.

4. Actor who will be referred to as “Mr. Meryl Streep” – Daniel Day Lewis. Winning an Oscar is great. Winning twice is exceptional, but winning three is just showing off. The uber-method actor is the Phil Jackson of acting right now. He’s one superhero role away from making people hating him for just being that good.

5. And the Who can get fired on Oscar night goes to…. – The Onion employee who tweeted a highly offensive comment about Quvenzhane Wallis. Quvenzhane is 9, cute and was nominated for Best Actress. The twittersphere unleashed their fury at the Onion and they rightfully suspended/reprimanded the employee in question. He or she is anonymous now, but people are already calling for their identity to get an additional pound of flesh (with dipping sauce and a biscuit).

God bless you, Hollywood.

Guess who's got his hands full.

1. Seth MacFarlane – Finally, there’s a reason for straight guys to care. Sure, it’s nice to see the comedic stylings of 102 year-old Billy Crystal show us how you can tap dance while being attached to an iron lung, but it’s time to move on. If you haven’t laughed at MacFarlane during Family Guy, Ted or a comedy roast, then you probably flat-lined years ago.

2. It could get you laid – Nothing says “honey, I love you” more than sitting through something she knows you hate. Women enjoy the little things like kindness, consideration, chocolate and diamonds. Just don’t let on that you like it or you won’t be able to cash in later.

3. It’s not the Grammys – A sign you’re old is when you don’t recognize half of the songs nominated at the Grammys. It’s a fact and I’ve got the 8-track to prove it. Everyone has heard of most of the movies at the Oscars and it’s acceptable to lie about the rest. As a matter of fact, lying about the movies makes you an official Academy voter.

4. It’s not real life – Between the Sequester, natural disasters, commercials convincing you that you’re far more sick than you realize and Facebook reminding you how everyone is having more fun than you are, it can be a welcome relief to know that even for one night, millionaires can be called “losers”.

5. A 3rd Grader could be the story of the night – That’s right. Nominated for best actress is Quvenzhane Wallis for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”. I don’t even think hockey announcers can pronounce her name. It’s her first role and I can’t wait to see the shock on people’s faces when they find out next week that she traded in the Oscar for Jay-Z tickets and a Playstation 4.

Every year is an exciting one within the Entertainment world. Figuring out who you should be watching and keeping track of can be difficult. Here are some of the most exciting celebrities to keep your eye on in 2013.

Jennifer Aniston

Even if you’re “Team Jolie” Anniston is someone to keep an eye on. There are few actresses who can pull of smart, edgy and be the charming girl next door type all at the same time. Anniston is one of them. Over the last few years she’s gone from supporting actress to lead actress and has since added the titles of Director and Producer to her resume. She was given a star on the Walk of Fame in 2012 and has a number of projects in the queue for 2013. Maybe this year she’ll find her “Blind Side.”

Ed Sheeran

He may only be 22, but Ed Sheeran is definitely making a name for himself in the music scene. He started out as an independent musician playing gigs almost every day until his indie album caught the attention Asylum/Atlantic Records. Now he’s signed with the label and was named The British Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2012. He’s a great inspiration for people in the indie scene who have dreams of going mainstream.

Kim Kardashian

Yes, we know that she’s Kanye’s Baby Mama but we’re hoping that beyond watching her adjust to new motherhood 2013 will be the year we finally figure out why, exactly, she’s famous.

Louis CK

His sitcom has been wildly successful for several seasons; he’s won Emmys and has one of the most successful comedy specials of all time (thanks to his selling it independently). With his sitcom, Louie, on hiatus this season nobody is quite sure what he has up his sleeve for 2013 but we’re willing to bet that it is going to be phenomenal.

Katie Holmes

She’s finally free of Tom Cruise and hopefully that means she can start taking on film and television projects again. We’re hoping that her career really takes off now that the two have split. It happened for Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Mimi Rogers (all former or near-former Mrs. Cruises), there’s no reason to believe it won’t happen for the most memorable cast member of Dawson’s Creek. We can’t wait to see what projects she takes on this year!

Justin Timberlake

The mega pop-star took his turn in a Clint Eastwood vehicle in 2012 and has more in store for 2013. In addition to the traditional entertainment projects, Timberlake is also spearheading the MySpace revival effort. The site is due to reopen hopefully soon and if Timberlake can bring it back to life he’ll be able to add “Internet Mogul” to his resume which will make him a…quadruple threat? We’ve lost track of how many threats he is.

Justin Bieber

Isn’t every year a year to keep an eye on Justin Bieber?

2013 is certainly going to be an interesting year—not just for these celebrities but for those of us who are keeping track of them!

It is easy to get swept up in the trappings of Hollywood glamour. We see celebrities and think, ‘if only I could be them.’ The reality is that being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the Hollywood life can be much harder to navigate then people think. As far back as Hollywood has been around so hasn’t celebrities who have addiction problems. Often these addictions are attempts to self-medicate and escape from a complex world mixed with excess and privilege, along with isolation and extreme pressures.

Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry recently went to rehab in an attempt to be proactive in his struggle with addiction to alcohol and prescription medication. It was noted that Perry relapsed after having been to rehab twice before. The first time was while he was a regular cast member on the show Friends in 1997.

Gerard Butler

The 300 star, Gerard Butler checked himself in the Betty Ford clinic and told US magazine in an interview that he “has a pretty addictive personality” and was becoming addicted to prescription drugs. He had the medication because of injuries he sustained from 3 of his films. But when he realized it was getting out of control he went to get help and become “a mental warrior”.

Kirsten Dunst

In an interview with British Elle Kirsten Dunst talks about her time in rehab at the Cirque Lodge. She said her time there was to deal with depression issues she had been struggling with. Ironically Dunst was able to use these personal experiences for a role in Melancholia which made her “the center of attention at the Cannes Film Festival”.

How Celebrities Stay Sober

Actor Martin Sheen told AARP Magazine that he works the AA program and credits his faith in Catholicism to staying sober for so many years. At one time Robert Downy Jr. could have been the poster child for celebrity addiction but it seems he has finally kicked the habit and he credits plenty of yoga, Kung Fu, and the support of his wife for keeping him straight. The types of methods that celebrities will encounter in these treatment facilities include the 12 step programs, care from medical professionals, private counseling and behavior modification, and other treatment that targets the brain imbalance of the addict.

Information about Addiction

According to Intercept Interventions although the US is only about 5% of the world’s population, two-thirds of illegal drugs are consumed here. Between 1995-2005 treatment admissions for addictions to pain killers went up more than 300%. Within the US, 1 in 4 children under 18 are exposed addiction in the family. If you or someone you know is struggling at all with addiction, you can go on sites like DrugRehab.org to find the right place to seek treatment.

With the US alone citing more than 100,000 deaths a year due to drug or alcohol dependence, it is clear that addiction is not something to mess with. Fortunately today there isn’t the stigma that used to be associated with rehabilitation. Now you can take the time to get the help you need with more support and understanding.

It is often assumed that prominent individuals in business or celebrities in the public eye fail to lead normal lives like the rest of us. This dehumanization almost makes it easier for the public to lay judgement upon famous people because they are perceived differently than the more average members of society. The reality is that fame does not mean that fun cannot be had, and by recognizing what these people do in their free time, they become more relatable and human.

Some famous people and their hobbies include:

• Mark Zuckerberg: the creator and CEO of Facebook, who is one of the world’s entrepreneur’s that the media is most intrigued by due to his low-key lifestyle, appears to enjoy traveling, and spending time with his dog and family at home.
• Reed Cagle: Skiing on Vail Mountain is the preferred activity of the Founder, CEO, and President of HEI Resources. As a Colorado resident, the mountains are in Reed Cagle’s backyard and it is a great way for the busy oil and gas industry entrepreneur to unwind.
• Justin Timberlake: the busy celebrity and entrepreneur is a musician and actor, a restaurant owner, fashion designer, and is involved with various other businesses. In his spare time he likes to golf, snowboard, and engage in other fitness-related activities, in addition to simply spending time at home with wife Jessica Biel.
• Quentin Tarantino: the movie mogul may be behind a wide variety of R-rated action flicks, but his favorite hobby is much more family-friendly. Tarantino enjoys collecting board games; specifically those that have a TV show theme.
• David Arquette: the actor may have given himself a “bad boy” image but his favorite hobby is certainly anything but. The actor, once married to Courtney Cox, likes to knit in his spare time.

The hobbies of famous people prove that while they may have made a big name for themselves in whatever business they’ve endeavored to be a part of, that they have the same basic interests and enjoy the types of things that everyone does. Take this into consideration next time you hear a news story about one of these celebrities, or anyone else that has found themselves in the limelight!

Matt Damon, star of the Bourne series is among the big names to be spared a court battle which would have revealed details of massive illegal poker winnings.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Damon’s Good Will Hunting co-star Ben Affleck have also escaped the courts after being involved in games with jailed hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman.

Ruderman conned multiple people out of millions of dollars before surrendering to the FBI in 2009. Two years later news broke that after reportedly losing $25million of his investors’ money, Ruderman was suing the celebrities who beat him.

It seemed inevitable that details of the high-stakes poker games; illegal in Hollywood; would come to light in the courts, but yesterday it seemed that the quartet of celebrities have gotten away with the cash.

The bankruptcy trustee who sued Damon, Howard Ehrenberg, told celebuzz.com that “all of the poker defendant cases are settled.

“The settlement of every poker related case without having had to incur the cost of taking any of them to trial means that the fund available for the victims has been maximized.”

Ruderman had been living a celebrity lifestyle himself, spending the victims’ cash in Malibu, California, before being jailed.
Poker is still illegal in California, though some States allow the game, and others are looking to get in on the act. There is a lot of revenue available in online gambling, Texas Hold Em and Fast Poker games on the net, and North Dakota is among the States already reaping rewards.

Tobey Macguire was the among the first to settle, agreeing to hand over $80,000 of the $311,200 that he took from Ruderman in the series of underground poker games. It is currently not known how much Damon settled for, but he is believed to have taken significantly more money from the ex-hedge fund manager.

While making the rounds last week doing press for “The Raven,” Bullz-Eye’s Bob Westal had the chance to sit down with John Cusack to discuss the actor’s new film, his recent star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and other projects in development. But perhaps the most interesting tidbit in the interview is his explanation of why late American poet Edgar Allen Poe has remained so contemporary for all these years:

“I think he’s this classic sort of archetype for all of the shadow parts of ourselves that we don’t want to admit out loud or you’re not supposed to admit in polite company or society. You know, all of these terrors and fears and phobias and anguishes and torments, and also this kind of grave, deep love of language and poetry. I think he’s a genuine genius and he spoke to the language of the subconscious and he was a great poet and artist. A great storyteller; a wild creator of different genres and hybrids of genres and mash-ups of genres. He was a pretty talented man, and he was also just wired way too tight, so it was a volatile mix.”

Be sure to check out the full interview with Cusack at the Bullz-Eye Blog for more on “The Raven,” the possibility of a “Say Anything” sequel, and his upcoming role as Richard Nixon in Lee Daniel’s “The Butler.”

It’s time for another look at (relatively) recent Blu-Rays and DVDs aimed at the hardcore movie lover  — though more casual viewers looking for something beyond Hollywood’s latest mass-market offerings are certainly allowed to kibitz at the Corner as well. Today’s selections are from Hollywood, off-Hollywood, England, and France and were made mostly in the 1930s or the 1970s, though we will be looking at one from 1998 — only yesterday!

And so we begin…(after the flip, that is.)

Read the rest of this entry »

With Brad Pitt getting nominated for an Academy Award, we all have another reminder of the benefits of looking fit and sexy. In today’s Hollywood, glamour and beauty is just as important as ever. The difference is that the ripped and cut look is in, as all the men want 6-pack abs and the women want to look lean and mean. Some older celebs take this way too far, but the fit and beautiful celebs can offer us good motivation.

There are tons of great workouts out there, and everyone needs to find one that fits their goals. If you already in decent shape but want to take things to the next level, think about the programs used by MMA fighters. They’re the newest celebrities these days!

MMA World Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre is now a legend in the MMA community, and now he’s sharing his training secrets with this men’s exercise program.

MMA is more than just a sport or a form of entertainment. It has spawned a new lifestyle approach, and central to that is the sculpted look you see with the best MMA fighters.

It’s only attainable, however, if you’re willing and able to undergo an intense workout program. You have to be committed, and you have to be the type of person that sets the bar high. You might not be able to fight like St-Pierre, but you can push your body to the limit and achieve fantastic results. And we’re sure that if you’re an aspiring actor in Hollywood, something like this can be a huge tool in your arsenal.

Celebrities who look great have to work at it as well. Don’t thing they don’t spend the needed time in the gym. They have personal trainers, but this program is even better!