Conan O'Brien And TBS Announce New Show Title: Conan

Conan O'Brien's new late-night series on TBS will have a familiar name to fans of the iconic host. O'Brien's third late-night show will simply be titled Conan when he returns to television Monday, Nov. 8, at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS.

Conan O'Brien added, "I'm just using "Conan" and dropping the "O'Brien" because I want to get away from the whole Irish thing."

Early in his career, O'Brien helmed the legendary Harvard Lampoon and wrote for television series icons Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. It was from there that he was championed by Lorne Michaels to host Late Night with Conan O'Brien, where he combined his talents as a writer, performer and interviewer from 1993 to 2008. The two-time host of the Primetime Emmy Awards then took over the reins of The Tonight Show. O'Brien recently concluded touring the United States and Canada with his live show, Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.

Conan will originate from Stage 15 at Warner Bros. Studios and will be produced by Conaco LLC. Jeff Ross is the executive producer.

Dwayne Johnson Joins Journey to the Center of the Earth Sequel

If this was Career Rehab, Dwayne Johnson fell off the wagon. Hard.

His career was reduced to PG-rated, family-friendly fare for awhile. Although that was a wise-career move at the time, that well ran dry and Johnson since promised a return to the charismatic ass-kicker who showed so much promise with The Rundown. He recently appeared in The Other Guys last month and has a couple more in the foreseeable future: Faster this November, the fifth installment in the Fast & the Furious franchise next June and Protection.

So it's sad to read he's fallen back into the bottle with the revelation he'll co-star in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (as per Heat Vision).

We're talking about the same Journey to the Center of the Earth sequel nobody was asking for, Warner Brothers is fast-tracking like mad for next September and even Brendan Fraser wanted nothing of (not without the return of director Eric Brevig, that is). It even stopped Josh Hutcherson from swinging on wire-harnesses for Marc Webb's 3D Spider-Man reboot.

But we're getting it, so tough shit. If you don't like it, then don't waste your $10. We'll instead spend that time pondering what the Hell Johnson (and/or his representation) is thinking.

Kick-Ass 2 Has Been Green Lit?

According to the most honest man in Hollyweird, Mark Millar, the purposed sequel for Kick-Ass has received the green light from the studio due to an excessive amount of home video sales. The reasoning behind the green light would make perfect sense, but Millar is a notorious bullshitter when it comes to future projects so I'm taking this bit of news with a giant heaping of salt.

The first film wasn't able to find the audience the studio expected in theatres, but apparently faired much better on home video. The box office take was still $96 million world wide with a production budget of only $30 million, so the film still made it's money back and then some in box office alone. However apparently Lionsgate had much higher hopes for the film and in turn had no initial plans for a sequel, regardless of what Millar's had to say about it in the past and quite possibly even now. If an official announcement comes from Lionsgate in the next few weeks we'll know his claims were legitimate, if not he'll continue to be full of shit, no surprise there.

Millar had previously made a press release stating that Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall, would begin production in 2011 for a 2012 theatrical release. Yet nothing official was ever announced by the studio.

The first Kick-Ass was made completely independently and then bought by Lionsgate for distribution, so it’s unclear to me what process a sequel would have to go through to get greenlit (Does Lionsgate have to give the all clear? Can Vaughn just pull together the money independently again?). As for Matthew Vaughn, he’ll be tied up with X-Men: First Class for the near future, but with the way that Fox is fast tracking that film for a June 2011 release, he could conceivably be ready to direct another Kick-Ass film by next year.

As much as I loved the first Kick-Ass, you can read my review HERE, I have find it hard to believe we'll actually be getting a sequel. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm not holding my breath for anything.

Back to the Future UK Re-Release

Oh, you lucky British bastards.  I've been in full Back to the Future geek mode since watching the trilogy for the first time in ages this past weekend.  Technically speaking I've been in BTTF geek mode since 1985, but a Nick at Nite marathon and a blu-ray box set release date looming closer tends to amp up the geekdom a little more than usual.  I even dug out my old Back to the Future official movie magazine that's now in such terrible shape that it looks like a DeLorean ran it over several times...because it's just kinda awesome to still have it after 25 years.

However, something really cool is coming to UK cinemas in October...a Back to the Future re-release!  Check out this sweet new poster, courtesy of Empire:

Sadly, it doesn't appear that a US re-release is happening too (hence the "British bastards" comment mentioned earlier), which is too bad, since it would be amazing.  The movie theater where I saw the original movie was torn down and turned into a Petco years ago, so it's been awhile since I've seen it on the big screen, and I've love a chance to check it out again.

Oh well.  At least we're all still getting that excellent blu-ray box set on October 26th, 2010...which, as BTTF geeks know, is also the date that Doc Brown originally intended to travel to before all hell broke loose in the first film.  And I so plan on watching my new Back to the Future blu-ray that night.

However, if you do wish to continue to remain seethingly jealous over the UK re-release (and that's totally understandable), be sure check out the trailer below.  I promise it won't make you feel any better about all of this.

Marveling At The Past - Punisher: War Zone (2008)

"Did you know that kidneys and apple sauce are a delicacy in Sweden?"

I'll start by telling you a little story about 'Punisher: War Zone'. I am a Punisher fan. I've been desperately hoping that a sequel or reboot to the 2004 film would happen and Frank Castle would be given the proper cinematic treatment he deserved. With the origin story out of the way, it was time to give us a real high-octane Punisher film set in New York with maximum violence and a really cool villain. It appeared that 'Punisher: War Zone' was going to be that film. The problem was it flopped so badly in the States that it appeared it wouldn't be getting a theatrical release in the UK.

So I watched it online. Yes, I confess. Take me away. Faced with the prospect of waiting another four to six months for a DVD release, I downloaded the film. Even worse, I didn't like it at all. Then I found out that the film was getting a UK theatrical release. To atone for my sins I decided, even though I had already seen the film and knew it to be bad, to pay to see it on the big screen. As it turned out, my local theatre was playing it for one week at midnight showings only. I decided I would rather say a few Hail Mary's at home than share a theatre with the type of people who would go and see 'Punisher: War Zone in the early hours of the morning..........oh, and buy the DVD as well. I believe my soul has been cleansed. Or at least it will be once this article is finished and I can rid myself of this terrible movie once and for all.

Though it makes me sound as though I am impossible to please, 'Punisher: War Zone' joined what is becoming a pantheon of films which failed to capture the true essence of the character. The film certainly does an admirable job of showcasing the most glorious and implausible violence seen outside of a Paul Verhoven movie. The world of 'Punisher: War Zone' is one where fists can turn heads into craters, the wives of mob bosses get the same treatment as the criminals and nobody escapes with 'just a flesh wound'. The film is set exclusively in New York and features a villain ripped from the pages of the comic book. It should work.

But it also has the most unbelievably banal plot which strips the film of any momentum, its villains of anything interesting to do, and betrays the very spirit of the Punisher himself.

During an operation which virtually destroys an entire crime syndicate and sends Billy 'the beaut' Russoti head first into a glass crusher which turns him into Jigsaw, the Punisher accidentally kills an undercover FBI agent. With millions of dollars unaccounted for, Jigsaw sets his sights on the agent's wife and daughter to retrieve it as well as recruiting an army made up from the rest of the city's criminal element to take down the Punisher. Meanwhile, Frank Castle himself is determined to protect the deceased agent's family and then retire from his career of vigilantism because he feels........guilty.

The Punisher I know does not feel guilt. The point of the character is that he has become completely dehumanised from a lifetime of violence and retribution. He has gone too far down that path to recognise either himself or differing subtleties in the criminals he hunts. They are simply targets to be lined up against a wall and shot. Sure, he occasionally recognises that there are good people out there but if one of them got killed, even by his own hand, his only reaction would be to kill more people. The idea that the Punisher would throw in the towel after accidentally killing one agent of the law is not only banal, it is ridiculous. If the Punisher had been this far into his criminal killing career, you can be sure there would be plenty of bodies from the right side of the law left in his wake. The Punisher does not stop because of this. He does not compromise.

I don't know whether it was the studio or the filmmakers who felt the need to remove Frank Castle's edge as though a mainstream audience would not be able to connect with him otherwise. Whoever made the decision misses the point of the character. You do not connect with the Punisher. He is an lonely soul who shuts you out of his world. This is not helped by the fact that Ray Stevenson, though not through lack of trying, is completely miscast as the title character. The great thing about Thomas Jane's approach to the role was that you could see the death of Frank Castle on his face after the death of his family. You have no doubt that this is a man that cannot return to a normal life someday. He has lost his humanity. Stevenson portrays Castle as a man who is simply doing what he feels the need to do to protect the people rather than satisfy his own anger and bloodlust, and with the hope that maybe he can hang up his guns someday.

The actor is not helped by a script which requires him to almost openly sob as he realises the mistake he has made in taking an innocent life. We as an audience realise that the hard edged, uncompromising Punisher film we were hoping for has gone down the toilet. Just to rub salt in the wound, they throw in scenes of him visiting a widower and watching her child draw pictures.

Surely though we can rely on the film's villains to give it a shot in the arm. Can we rely on Warner Bros. to stop converting their blockbusters into 3D? Can we be assured that 'The Hobbit' will get made. Of course not. Jigsaw is portrayed as a figure of fun, ashamed of his horribly disfigured face and as a poorly concealed clone of Jack Nicholson's Joker. Just to hammer it home, we get the scene where he proclaims that "Billy is dead, from now on call me Jigsaw". And just because this film is so stupid I believe that the character is only referred to by that name once or twice more and is addressed as either 'Russoti', 'Billy' or 'brother' for the rest of it. Speaking of which, I cannot understand why Jigsaw's brother 'Loony Bin Jim' gets more screen time, personality and memorable moments that the main man himself.

At the end of the film, the Punisher spits out the line "let me put you out my misery" to Jigsaw before killing him. At that point I realised that the hero and villain have had practically no scenes together up to this point. There is no antagonism between the two characters. There is no exciting face off that the film has been building up to. This is just one of a list of mistakes 'Punisher: War Zone' makes as a basic action film.

Mainly, the problem stems from the fact that most of the film's scenes are completely recycled from a hundred other films of the same ilk. We get the obligatory scene where the villain has a business meeting with a fellow mobster which ends with the latter getting graphically killed. We have the plot thread of a vigilante on the loose with one lone bungling cop on the trail of bring him down. We have said cop being given a straight man for a partner. We have the hero confiding to a priest at church. We have the villains invading the damsel's home. We have the damsel and child being brought to the hero's lair for protection only for them to be left defenceless while said hero runs an errand. Our villains easily find the hero's laid and kidnap the wife and child and leave nothing but a mess and a sacrificial lamb sidekick to cough, splutter and die at the exact moment hero arrives to find out what happened. If you combine all of this with the film's bizarre lighting scheme of casting everything in neon blue, yellow and pink (making it look as if it were shot from inside Joel Schumacher's underwear) and you have an shockingly boring and painful experience on your hands.

The 'warzone' in the title is not particularly accurate either, referring only to a tenement block where all of New York's gangs are recruited to ambush the Punisher at the climax of the film. If you wanted to tell a story that was true to the character and to that title then it should not have been any harder than the following; the Punisher slaughters the most powerful mafia family in the city shattering the balance of power within New York's criminal fraternity. As a result of the Punisher's actions, every smaller criminal outfit take to the streets in a 'winner takes all' fight for control creating a war zone where nobody is safe and millions of innocent people are caught in the crossfire. Rather than a well structured plan that allows him to take on the criminals he hunts one at a time, Frank Castle must face the overwhelming odds of all of them at once in order to put an end to the chaos that he has this time created. At the end of the film, the gangs are eliminated save for one which takes the mantle of power. Crime still exists. The Punisher still has a cause. The circle of life continues.

It doesn't matter of course. Even though Marvel Studios have taken back the rights to the character, it does not have enough in its favour to risk another attempt at a Punisher film. R rated comic book movies seldom make any money. It has had three times (including the Dolph Lundgren version) at bat and failed. Perhaps the character is better suited to short films. And, sadly, perhaps that breed of avenging bad ass vigilante cinematic action hero is an archetype which we left behind us in the 1980's, never to be let back into mainstream acceptance. At least Frank Castle doesn't come back then I don't have to write any more of these.

Movie Prop & Costume Auction: "Resident Evil", "Killers", "Inglorious Basterds"

Pod from RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE

From Ancient greece to the dark future Hollywood’s iconic action props are on the auction block during Premiere Props’ live auctionon Saturday, September 11

Premiere Props announced today they will be hosting their LIVE September Auction Extravaganza, featuring over 750 movie props and costumes from Hollywood’s iconic action films, used by today’s hottest stars.

In honor of the movie opening that same weekend, hundreds of costumes and props used in the making of the hotly anticipated 3D chapter of Screen Gems’ Resident Evil: Afterlife, including knives, bombs and Alice’s katana swords, along with her hero wardrobe, are available for fans to bid on and call their own. From the 10-foot bloody free standing pods to Alice’s iconic hero red and white umbrella pin, all will be available.  The fourth installment of the hugely successful RESIDENT EVIL franchise, RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is again based on the wildly popular video game series, and will this time be presented in 3-D. RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is a Constantin Film International GmbH, Davis Films/Impact Pictures Inc. Production, written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, produced by Jeremy Bolt, Paul W.S. Anderson, Robert Kulzer, Don Carmody, Bernd Eichinger and Samuel Hadida, and executive produced by Martin Moszkowicz and Victor Hadida.

Additionally, rare movie props will be on display and up for bid, including John Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp) pistols from PUBLIC ENEMIES and Lt. Aldo Raine’s (Brad Pitt) screen used star dagger, dog-tags and snuff box from The Weinstein Company’s smash hit Inglourious Basterds. Collectors can own the knives and bats used by Lt. Aldo Raine and Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) in their bloody war against Nazis. Bikinis and bloody and torn costumes from Piranha 3D, worn by the film’s sexy stars, are also up for auction. More artillery and items from Battlestar GALACTICA, Star Wars: Return of the jedi, Conan the Barbarian, Outlander and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves will be on the auction block, including knives, battle axes and ankle bombs. Collectors will also have the opportunity to bid on costumes and props used by Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Sean Connery, Viggo Mortensen, Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Brook, Wentworth Miller and many more!

Premiere Props has also teamed with Lionsgate to promote the Movies On Demand premiere of KILLERS on September 7th.  KILLERS, the action-packed romantic comedy starring Hollywood favorites Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, is also available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Download.  Over 50 items from the film, including hero costumes, accessories, prop guns and more will be available during the auction. The proceeds from the sale of these items will benefit Katherine Heigl’s chosen charities The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation and Dress for Success.

The live auction takes place on Saturday, September 11, at Premiere Props’ warehouse in El Segundo, California (128 Sierra Street, El Segundo, CA 90245). There will be a preview from 9am – 11am PST, before the auction starts at 11am. The September Auction Extravaganza will be hosted by Leo Quinones from “The Film Freak Movie Talk Show” on KFWB NewsTalk 980AM Los Angeles and can be seen on Premiere Props’ 3 camera LIVE broadcast show online.

“We are excited to bring together such an amazing opportunity for collectors to own iconic memorabilia from the highly anticipated Resident Evil: Afterlife, Academy Award winning Inglourious Basterds and so many other great films, as well as teaming with KILLERS and Lionsgate on this special charity auction to help these two great foundations.” said Dan Levin, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Premiere Props. “These are some of the best costumes and props for fans of Hollywood’s brightest films to own as a part of their favorite film experience.”

Fans can starting bidding now, placing bids online at http://www.icollector.com/ and http://www.liveauctioneers.com or calling to set up phone bidding with a Premiere Props representative.  Collectors can place proxy bids until the September Auction Extravaganza goes LIVE at 11am PST.  For more information, please visit http://www.premiereprops.com or call (310) 322-PROP / (888) 761-PROP.

The LIVE September Auction Extravaganza will feature movie collectibles and props including: 

• Public Enemies – John Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp) '38 Detective Special' Colt pistol
• Inglourious Basterds – Lt.  Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) screen used, hero, brown, gold, and metallic rubber dagger with black leather case and star
• Inglourious Basterds – Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) screen used, dark brown leather necklace with metal tag with scratches and blood stains
• Inglourious Basterds – Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) screen used, off white invitation ticket with gold and black writing and outlining and Dr. Joseph Goebbels signature
• Inglourious Basterds – Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) screen used, traditional aluminum dog tag
• Inglourious Basterds – Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) screen worn, very bloody with three bullet holes on the front, torn in the middle for stunt red dress
• Inglourious Basterds – screen used, hero, black and silver plastic and metal ankle bomb timer with yellow blasting cap
• Inglourious Basterds – Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) screen used, hero, black binocular with scratches, clean lenses, off white stains, worn off brown leather neck strap, and brown leather and red sway carrying case
• Inglourious Basterds – Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) screen used, hero, white and black glove gun with blood and dirt stains,  wrinkles, and velcro cuff
• Remember Me – Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) dirty, brown wood with blue band in the middle, mini baseball bat used in the alleyway fight
• Killers – Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) screen worn ‘Cole Haan' sunglasses
• Killers – Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) screen used, black rubber with realist parts including 'Kansas City, KS' written on one side, 'Cal. 9 Luger' on the other prop gun
• Killers – Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) screen worn, hero, white metal and plastic fake 'Chanel' watch
• Killers – Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) hero tan long sleeve 'Faconnable' coat, black 'Vince' skirt, black pleather 'Piper & Blue' slip on shoes. Includes wardrobe tag
• Killers – Metal with magnet bottom, clear hard plastic casing with red 'Danger Semtex-A' on each side and LED computer part in the middle bomb, black plastic with buttons and grey cord detonator, and black neoprene tube for the bomb
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Alice screen worn hero, green with dirty tan fur fold up hood, military style jacket, custom made vest, black 'Wilfred' t-shirt, black, 'Lululemon Athletica' athletic pants, black leather gloves with cut-off fingers and dirty leather 'Joie' knee high boots. Includes wardrobe tag.
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Albert Wesker screen used, hero, metal 'VICI Micro-Flo' high pressure syringe with long needle
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Alice silver metal with black graphite-like core grenade
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Alice black with 'Alice' on one side and 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' on the other in red, chairback
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Axeman screen worn hero, brown foam with plastic nails protruding , velcro and broken zipper on the back, muscle and veins upper body suit, and brown twin with bloody splatter all over, plastic nails protruding, black thin cord inside hood
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Plastic red body with battery inside, six silver and black legs, black and blue head, custom made Scarab with tape on the bottom
• Resident Evil: Afterlife– Alice hero, bloody, silver painted wooden dummy katana
• The Book of ELI – Eli (Denzel Washington) screen worn, hero, bloody, dirty, brown fleece aged crew neck 'Redhead' sweatshirt, white 'Hanes' t-shirt, dirty and bloody, dark tan 'Charhartt' painter pants, and dirty, green wool knit fingerless gloves. Includes wardrobe tag
• 300 – Silver fiberglass spear tip the went on the Spartan's spear
• Piranha 3D – Danni Arslow (Kelly Brook) screen worn hero, grey and white tye dye, racerback tank top, (no size, label) red metallic 'Turtle Beach' two piece string bikini and black 'Report Signature' platform heels.  Includes wardrobe tag
• Piranha 3D – Kelly Driscoll (Jessica Szohr) screen worn, stunt, white 'ella moss' racerback tank top, 'Rip Curl' spaghetti strap, reversible bikini top, 'Rip Curl' swim shorts, denim 'Guess' short jean shorts, and pink, white, black and teal print, large 'Ogio' purse. Includes wardrobe tag
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – unfinished piece of the Death Star that was cast from the original molds at Industrial Light and Magic
• Battlestar Galatica – Joe Johnston original illustrations. A set of three conceptual drawings of “Daggit” from Battlestar Galactica.  These are the original concepts created for the vintage film and were achieved in pen, pencil and marker.  Also included is the original template that was used to make the drawings
• Battlestar Galatica – Screen used child’s wrist communicator made of resin and medical gauze, this piece has been hand painted and decorated
• ROBOCOP 2 – Complete Robocop 2 stunt-suit, constructed of fiberglass, screen-used.

About Resident Evil: Afterlife

The fourth installment of the hugely successful RESIDENT EVIL franchise,

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is again based on the wildly popular video game series, and will this time be presented in 3-D. 

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead – and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the film is produced by Jeremy Bolt, Paul W.S. Anderson, Robert Kulzer, Don Carmody, Bernd Eichinger, and Samuel Hadida. Executive produced by Martin Moszkowicz and Victor Hadida. A Constantin Film International GmbH / Davis Films/Impact Pictures Inc. Production

About Premiere Props

Premiere Props is the leading marketing memorabilia company to market, authenticate, package, and distribute exclusive movie memorabilia. Since 2001, Premiere Props has represented over 300 movies to date and continues to grow strong. Premiere Props works with some of the largest motion picture studios and independent distributors in the world, such as Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax, MGM, The Weinstein Company, Sony Screen Gems, Lionsgate, TriStar, Spyglass Entertainment, Summit Entertainment, Alcon and many more.

About iCollector

iCollector was one of the first companies dedicated to trading antiques, fine art and premium collectibles on the Internet. Today, armed with more than ten years of experience in the Antique and Collectible sector having run thousands of successful Internet auctions, iCollector empowers hundreds of the world’s leading auctioneers with the tools and support to maximize their results broadcasting their auctions live on the Internet. iCollector has facilitated the sale of tens of millions of dollars of merchandise online and continues to provide unsurpassed service and technology to auctioneers wishing to achieve top dollar values for their auction merchandise.

About LiveAuctioneers.com

Founded in November 2002, Manhattan-based LiveAuctioneers.com provides real-time Internet bidding capability to more than 900 auction houses in a dozen countries. LiveAuctioneers.com has opened up once-exclusive sales to the cyber community worldwide through online publication of auction catalogs, and universally accessible Internet live bidding. For further information, log on to www.liveauctioneers.com.

"How Do You Know" Trailer

Enjoy the trailer for James L. Brooks' "How Do You Know". The film from Sony Pictures stars Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson. Opens December 17

Feeling a bit past her prime at 27, former athlete Lisa Jorgenson finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis competes with Lisa's current, baseball-playing beau.

Dancing with the Stars Season 11 Cast

An all-new lineup of stars -- including a Grammy® Award-winning singer, a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, television’s ultimate mom, an NBA champion, Alaska’s most famous daughter, and the most watched TV star in the world – will battle each week on the dance floor in the sensational two-hour season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars,” MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

All 12 couples will dance for the first time on live national television on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET), with couples either performing the Viennese Waltz or Cha Cha. The couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes for their performance will be sent home on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) in the season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show.” Music legend Santana and rock band Daughtry are slated to perform.

The 12 celebrities heading to the dance floor this season, as announced tonight by “Dancing with the Stars” hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke in a live press conference during “Bachelor Pad,” are:

MICHAEL BOLTON – Michael Bolton has sold more than 53 million records, released 18 studio albums, won multiple Grammys® for Best Male Vocalist and countless other honors, all while selling out arenas worldwide. In 2002 the singer-songwriter earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. He has sung with Luciano Pavarotti and Ray Charles, written songs with Bob Dylan, Ne-Yo and Lady Gaga, penned hits for a diverse range of artists, including Barbra Streisand and KISS, played guitar with B.B. King and had his music recorded on a track by hip-hop superstar Kanye West (featuring megastar Jay-Z). Earlier this year Bolton released his latest album, “One World One Love,” featuring his current single, “Murder My Heart,” which he co-wrote with Lady Gaga, and is currently on a worldwide concert tour. Of all that he has accomplished, perhaps nothing is more important to Bolton than the foundation he founded in1993, The Michael Bolton Charities, Inc. Based in his home state of Connecticut, the major focus of The MBC is the critical issue of violence against women. Since its inception, The MBC has dispersed over $6 million in grants to various organizations that support children and women at risk of poverty, abuse, neglect, homelessness and domestic violence.

BRANDY – Brandy is a platinum-selling R&B and pop singer, actress, songwriter and record/television producer. In 1994, at the age of 15, Brandy released her eponymous debut album, selling over 6 million copies. Following a major success with “The Boy Is Mine,” a duet with singer Monica, which spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, she won a Grammy® Award for Best R&B performance by a duo or group. The accompanying album “Never Say Never” in 1998 sold over 16 million copies worldwide. A series of hit CD’s followed, including “Full Moon,” “Afrodisiac” and “Human,” bringing the star’s sales to over 30 million records to date. While maintaining a recording career, Brandy also gained fame as an actress, starring in several film and TV projects, including the popular UPN sitcom, “Moesha” (1996-2001), the 1997 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella, Double Platinum,” a miniseries co-starring Diana Ross, and the movie “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.” Brandy has also been spokesmodel for Cover Girl, Candies Shoes, DKNY, Sketchers Shoes and Ultima/Kaneka brand by Brandy. Her civic and charity interests include the Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Norwood Kids Foundation, which supports music and the performing arts in public schools. She is currently filming Season 2 of the hit VH1 reality show “Brandy and Ray J: a Family Business,” in which she stars and on which she’s executive producer. She is also in studio recording a new CD for release in 2011.

MARGARET CHO – One of the most successful stand-up comediennes of today, Margaret Cho’s performances have been seen by millions around the world. Having first performed stand-up in her native San Francisco at the age of 16, Cho’s best-selling tours include the off-Broadway hit/concert film “I’m the One That I Want,” “Notorious C.H.O.,” “Revolution” and “Beautiful.” She is also a regular cast member of the hit Lifetime series “Drop Dead Diva.” Other acting work includes her starring role in the sitcom, “All-American Girl,” “Face/Off” and several guest star appearances, including “Sex and the City” and “Ghost Whisperer.” Cho is also a best-selling author whose work includes the book I’m the One That I Want and a collection of essays entitled I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight. A passionate advocate for equal rights, she has received honors from GLAAD, the National Gay and Lesbian task Force, National Organization for Women, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Victory Fund and many others. Cho is currently touring with “Cho Dependent,” which features both stand-up and songs from her new music comedy album of the same name.

RICK FOX – Three-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, actor and producer Rick Fox has appeared in a number of film and television projects, sharing the screen with actors ranging from Whoopi Goldberg to Henry Winkler, Angela Bassett and Shia LeBeouf. Fox’s acting debut came in 1994 in William Friedkin’s “Blue Chips.” Similar roles followed in 1996’s “Eddie” and 1998’s critically acclaimed “He Got Game” (directed by Spike Lee), before Fox’s breakout role on the hit HBO series “Oz.” Since then he has appeared in over a dozen network shows, including “Ugly Betty,” “One Tree Hill,” “The Game” and “Dirt.” In addition he has appeared in such diverse films as “Resurrection,” “Holes,” “Mini’s First Time” and Tyler Perry’s “Meet The Browns.” While Fox continues to strengthen his craft, he’s just as busy behind the camera developing his own film and television projects for his production company, 1744 Entertainment. As a star basketball athlete, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was coached by the legendary Dean Smith. He began his pro basketball career when he was drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics as a first round pick. He went on to be the captain of both the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers while being coached by 11-time champion Phil Jackson. Fox is a father of two and currently resides in Los Angeles.

JENNIFER GREY – A beloved actress of both film and television, Jennifer Grey is best known for her starring roles in the iconic movies “Dirty Dancing” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Grey starred as Frances “Baby” Houseman in the award-winning box office hit, “Dirty Dancing,” which is widely considered one of the best dance movies of all time. Some of her other films include the Ben Affleck movie “Bounce,” “Red Dawn” and “The Cotton Club.” She starred in the television sitcom “It’s Like, You Know…” and has made memorable television appearances on such shows as “Friends,” “John from Cincinnati,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and an upcoming episode of the medical drama, “House”. Grey has also starred in various television movies, including “A Case for Murder,” CBS’s “The West Side Waltz” and the Lifetime original movie “Road to Christmas.” The daughter of Tony® and Academy Award® winner Joel Grey, she resides in Los Angeles with her family, actor/director Clark Gregg and daughter.

DAVID HASSELHOFF – Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The Most Watched TV Star in the World,” David Hasselhoff is an international superstar across all genres of music, television and film. Hasselhoff got his start in entertainment on the popular soap opera, “The Young and the Restless,” and was quickly pursued to play the lead role of the 1980’s cult favorite, “Knight Rider.” But hi fame was really catapulted when he starred in the television phenomenon “Baywatch.” The series ran for 11 years and is still viewed in 140 countries by over one billion viewers every week. Throughout his extraordinary television career, Hasselhoff has also appeared in such feature films as “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” and Adam Sandler’s “Click.” Off screen he has recorded multiple albums -- one that has gone triple platinum -- starred in the Broadway musical “Jekyll & Hyde,” in London’s West End production of “Chicago” and in “The Producers” in Las Vegas. Most recently he was honored by Comedy Central with “The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff,” which premiered as one of the top-rated comedy roasts on the network. Not only is Hasselhoff a multi-faceted talent but he is also a writer of an autobiography, Don’t Hassel The Hoff, which made the UK Bestseller list re-titled as Making Waves and debuted at No. 8 in Austria on the non-fiction charts. Beyond his entertainment contributions, Hasselhoff is the co-founder of Race for Life and an active participant in Wounded Warriors and Wheels for Humanity.

FLORENCE HENDERSON – Florence Henderson is a multi-talented actress, talk show host, recording artist, author, Broadway veteran and philanthropist. Her career is as active today as when she first appeared as the “Today Girl” on “NBC’s Today Show,” and as the first woman to host “The Tonight Show.” Henderson has appeared on such popular primetime programs and made for television specials as the critically acclaimed movie of the week for Hallmark entitled “Ladies of the House” and the popular RLTV Network’s “Florence Henderson Show.” She will always be best known in syndication worldwide as “America’s Favorite Mom” and matriarch Carol Brady on the classic hit TV series “The Brady Bunch,” which aired for five seasons (1969-1974), has never been off the air in this country, and currently airs in 122 countries around the world. Acknowledged as one of the top leading spokespersons in the U.S., Henderson has been a celebrity spokeswoman for Oldsmobile, Tang, Polident, Rain Soft, Pepsi Light and Wesson Oil. She maintains a busy schedule as one of the country’s most popular and sought after motivational speakers, as well as performing her one-woman show, “All the Lives of Me… A Musical Journey.” Her first role on stage was in Joshua Logan’s musical, “Wish You Were Here,” and shortly thereafter she was cast in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s last national tour of “Oklahoma!.” Her long list of stage credits includes the starring role in “The Great Waltz” for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, the starring role of “Fanny,” the lead role of Maria in “The Sound of Music,” the lead in “The Girl Who Came to Supper” the role of Nellie Forbush in Noel Coward’s “South Pacific” and the starring role of Anna, opposite Ricardo Montalban, in “The King and I.” Her first feature film credit was in “The Song of Norway.” As a producer and a talk-show host, her credits also include The Nashville Network’s cooking and comedy series, “Country Kitchen.” The experiences inspired her to write a cookbook, A Little Cooking, a Little Talking and a Whole Lot of Fun.

KYLE MASSEY – Kyle Orlando Massey stars as Cory Baxter in Disney Channel’s No. 1 hit sitcom, “Cory in the House,” Disney Channel’s first-ever spin-off. He originated the role of Cory in Disney’s “That’s So Raven,” the first show in Disney’s history to produce over 100 episodes. For his work on “That’s So Raven” and “Cory in the House,” Massey received an NAACP Image Award nomination. In addition to appearing in numerous commercials, he starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Life is Ruff.” He has a recurring role on the animated series “American Dragon: Jake Long” and sings the main title theme songs on “Cory In The House,” “Yin! Yang! Yo!” and performed the title track for Walt Disney Picture’s “Underdog.” Currently Massey is starring as the voice of Milo on the Disney Channel’s upcoming animated , “Fish Hooks.” For his prowess in golf, he won first place in the National Minority Junior Golf Tournament in 2003. He has participated in several celebrity golf tournaments, placing 3rd in a recent White House Golf Tournament. Together with brother Christopher, he has worked on projects to benefit the charity organization Feed the Children and traveled to Africa for the network primetime television special, “Eyes on Kenya.” They have also performed their rap music in “Heroes Among Us: The 2009 Hero Awards” and in MyNetworkTV’s “The Spirit of Christmas.” Currently they are co-hosting and starring in the comedy series “World’s Funniest Moments.”

BRISTOL PALIN – Bristol Palin, former first daughter of Alaska, first entered the national spotlight when her mother, former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, was selected to be John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 Presidential election. Bristol traveled the country, alongside her mother, father and siblings on the campaign trail. After giving birth to her son, Tripp, and becoming a single teen mother in 2008, she became a spokesperson for the prevention of teen pregnancy and for other teen issues. As an advocate for the protection of life, Palin wanted to share her story with other teens who may one day face a similar situation. She also acts as Teen Ambassador for The Candie’s Foundation to prevent teen and unplanned pregnancies. As part of her campaign, Palin recently guest starred as herself on an episode of ABC Family’s teenage drama, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” She resides in Alaska with her son and family.

AUDRINA PATRIDGE – After starring in six seasons of the hit series “The Hills,” Audrina Patridge has joined the ranks of young Hollywood as one of the most sought-after and talked about talents on television. Patridge, who aspired to become an actress from a very early age, has been honing her skills with regarded coaches and private acting classes. She made her debut on the big screen last fall in the thriller “Sorority Row.” Other film credits include the action-adventure film “Into the Blue 2” and “Honey 2.” She has also tested her hand at comedy, appearing on an episode of the sitcom “Do Not Disturb” and in a hilarious skit for “MAD TV.” Last summer Patridge made headlines steaming up TV screens in a commercial for Carl’s Jr. This July she became the latest Bongo girl, shooting the fall advertising campaign with famed photographer Tony Duran.

MIKE “THE SITUATION” SORRENTINO – Mike Sorrentino has become one of Hollywood’s emerging talents. Born in Staten Island, New York and raised in Manalapan, New Jersey, Sorrentino is most known for starring on the hit show “The Jersey Shore,” now in its second season on MTV. He graduated from Manalapan High School and went on to college in NJ. After graduation in 2004, he tried his hand at personal training, fitness modeling and soon after was scouted for an upcoming reality show which would eventually become “The Jersey Shore.” The show caught fire, becoming one of the highest rated shows in MTV history, and propelled “The Situation” into pop culture phenomenon. As “The Jersey Shore” continues in its unrivaled success, Sorrentino also continues to gain in popularity nationally and internationally. He was nominated this year at the Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV: Male Reality Star. Upcoming projects include a book, Here’s the Situation, which will be out in stores on November 2, a vitamin line with nationwide store GNC that will launch in the fall and a fitness DVD which will be out in December.

KURT WARNER – Kurt Warner is the first quarterback ever to participate in “Dancing with the Stars.” In 1999 he emerged from obscurity to lead the St. Louis Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. In that same year, Warner was named the NFL and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. As the ringleader of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” he led the Rams to two additional playoff appearances – including another Super Bowl -- and received Pro Bowl honors for three consecutive years (1999-2001). He also earned his second NFL MVP in 2001. Injuries led Warner to move from the Rams to the Giants, and finally the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. In 2007 he led the Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl berth, was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl and surpassed several Cardinals franchise records, including touchdowns, attempts, completions, completion percentage and passer rating. Warner’s gridiron accomplishments pale in comparison to the dedication he shows to the community. In 2001 he and his wife, Brenda, established the First Things First Foundation, a non-profit public charity dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values, sharing experiences and providing opportunities to encourage everyone to believe that all things are possible when people seek to put first things first. Warner was born and raised in Iowa and played college football at the University of Northern Iowa. He lives in Arizona with his wife and seven children.

“Dancing with the Stars” returns with new surprises and all the elements viewers have come to know and love. “Macy’s Stars of Dance,” which features some of the most renowned dancers and choreographers of our time, will be back with performances on “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show.” One of the “Macy’s Stars of Dance” performances will be the hugely popular “Design-a-Dance,” where fans have the chance to select their favorite professional dancers, dance styles and music at www.abc.com.

Below are key dates for Season 11 (dates and times subject to change):

· “Dancing with the Stars,” two-hour season premiere performance show, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET).

· “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show,” two-hour season premiere, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET).

· “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show,” regular time premiere, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET).

· “Dancing with the Stars” 200th Episode Celebration, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1 and TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 (Time is TBD)

· “Dancing with the Stars,” final performance show, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (Time is TBD)

· “Dancing with the Stars” season finale, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 (Time is TBD)

Hosted by Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Brooke Burke (“Dancing with the Stars” Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the “Dancing with the Stars” performance shows. AT&T customers may also text message their votes by texting the word “VOTE” and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast.

“Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Rob Wade is co-executive producer. Alex Rudzinski directs. “Dancing with the Stars” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This series carries a TV-PG, L parental guideline. 

"Secretariat" Poster

A house wife with little knowledge of horse-racing fosters one of the greatest race horses of all time as the story of the 1973 Triple Crown winner comes to the screen in this inspirational underdog drama starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich. Penny Chenery (Lane) is a devoted mother and housewife whose ailing father is the proprietor of Meadow Stables in Virginia. When her father becomes too ill to tend to his horses, Penny agrees to take over the stables despite her inexperience. Desperate, she turns to veteran horse trainer Lucien Laurin (Malkovich) to help show her the ropes. Up to this point, horse racing has been a decidedly male-dominated sport. But with Lucien's help, Penny prepares to prove that gender has no bearing on one's ability to breed a fast race horse. As Secretariat blasts out of the gates to leave his competition in the dust, the whole world watches in amazement, and a legend is born. 

"Lake Placid 3" Red Band Trailer

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...or something like that. "Lake Placid 3" is coming to DVD/Blu-ray on October 26th, 2010. Check out the Red Band Trailer below for some crocodiles mixed in with a little T&A.

The monster crocodiles return in a frightening new installment of the successful horror franchise when the unrated Lake Placid 3 debuts on DVD October 26 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Colin Ferguson (TV’s “Eureka”), Yancy Butler (Kickass), Kacey Barnfield (Resident Evil: Afterlife), and Michael Ironside (Terminator Salvation) star in the latest incarnation of the campy, blood-thirsty horror series. Fans will eat up the steamy, sexy and gory Lake Placid 3 when it arrives on DVD for $24.96 SRP, boasting unrated, unreleased scenes suitable only for adult audiences.

Get ready for a living, feeding nightmare when a swarm of gigantic crocodiles terrorizes a secluded country lake. When local wildlife is brutally mauled and campers are reduced to carcasses, biologist Nathan Bickerman (Colin Ferguson) knows a voracious predator is on the loose. So does a feisty female hunting guide (Yancy Butler) out for her next trophy. As the body count rises, the local sheriff tries to keep things quiet and keep the tourists coming. But when the horrifying, hulking truth emerges, can anyone stop these cold blooded killers before they claim their next victim? Lake Placid 3 is pulse pounding, adrenaline pumping, pure horror film fun.

Lake Placid 3 has a running time of 93 minutes and is unrated. The film contains graphic violence and full frontal nudity.