In the space of nineteen years Batman has made it onto the big screen five times with four different actors in the lead role.

This week Christian Bale becomes only the second actor to reprise the role as the caped crusader in the sixth film The Dark Knight.

Here at FemaleFirst we look back over Batman/Bruce Wayne's previous big screen adventures to see who have aided his quest and those who have stood in the way.

Tim Burton brought the DC Comic character to the big screen for the first time in 1989 with Michael Keaton, perhaps an unexpected choice, in the lead role as the protector of Gotham city.

-Vicki Vale: played by Kim Basinger Vicki is a tough and prize-winning photo journalist who wants to uncover the secret of the mysterious "bat-man". She becomes a love interest for Wayne as well as becoming an interest for the Joker.

-Alfred Pennyworth: played by Michael Gough is the butler of Wayne Manor as well as being the man who looked after Bruce when his parents were murdered.

-The Joker: Jack Nicholson made this character one of cinema's icon as the crazed killer that is bringing a wave of violent crimes to Gotham's streets.

In 1992 both director Tim Burton and leading man Michael Keaton returned to the newly formed franchise for Batman Returns.

-The Penguin: a deformed man abandoned at birth by his parents joins forces with crooked businessman Max Schreck and runs for mayor of Gotham.

-Catwoman: played by Michelle Pfeiffer as a wronged secretary who is thrown off the top of a building transforming into Catwoman and looking for revenge.

Just three years later the franchise got a total make-over as Joel Schumacher took over directing duties and Val Kilmer replaced Keaton as the Dark Knight in Batman Forever.

-Robin: played by Chris O'Donnell this was the first time the character had been introduced to the film franchise. Losing his family at the hands of Two Face Dick Grayson, aka Robin, is trained by Batman as he looks for revenge.

-Dr.Chase Meridan: played by Nicole Kidman Meridan is a psychologist who is also Wayne's love interest.

-Two Face: heavily disfigured former attorney Harvey Dent believes Batman caused the accident with left him permanently scarred and unleashes a reign of terror on the people of Gotham.

-The Riddler: played by Jim Carrey Edward Nygma was a former employee of Bruce Wayne and is out to get the millionaire. As The Riddler he develops a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham.

Change was in the air again in 1997's Batman and Robin as George Clooney almost destroyed his career when he took on the role as Batman.

-Batgirl: a blockbuster role for Alicia Silverstone who is introduced as Alfred's niece who comes to Gotham after her uncle falls ill and helps Batman and Robin fight the new threat to the city.

-Mr. Freeze: played by Arnold Schwarzenegger has blood laced with cryogenic liquid he intends to freeze Gotham unless he gets the money he needs to finish finding the cure for a mysterious disease that has stricken his wife.

-Poison Ivy: a plant lover played by Uma Thurman causes trouble between Batman and Robin while he intends to turn the entire planet into a giant greenhouse.

After the disaster of Batman and Robin the franchise was left well alone for the best part of a decade until Christopher Nolan and actor Christian Bale breathed new life into the franchise.

-Rachel Dawes: the only lawyer willing to take on the likes of Falconi to get them put in prison Katie Holmes' Rachel Dawes is a strong independent woman who has carried a torch for Bruce Wayne for many years.

-Lucius Fox: played by Morgan Freeman Lucius is an employee of Wayne Enterprises and he helps Bruce's mission to clean up the streets with one or two gadgets.

-Henri Ducard: first appearing as Bruce Wayne's mentor, training him in ninjitsu, but he turns out to be the villain trying to heal the world but using draconian methods.

-Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow: played by Cillian Murphy Crane is a psychopharmacologist who works in Arkhman Asylum developing fear inducing toxins. Using these toxins he makes criminals appear insane so they are admitted to the asylum instead of going to jail.

And this weeks sees Bale, Nolan and a string of characters return to their roles in The Dark Knight, which picks up where Batman Begins left off as The Joker is once again terrorising the streets of the city.

-Sgt.James Gordon: is one of very few uncorrupted police officers in the city alongside Batman he wants to clean up the streets of Gotham.

-Harvey Dent: a district attorney in Gotham like Batman and Gordon wants to rid the city of crime but after an altercation with the Joker into a murderous, disfigured vigilante called "Two-Face.

-The Joker: the Dark Knight sees the return of the Joker after almost twenty years off our screens in the form of Heath Ledger. While Nicholson's Joker was played with humour this time around the character is a psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.

source

Whoops!!! ESPN had to edit Justin Timberlake’s opening ESPY night monologue.

JT was reportedly teasing Boston Celtics basketball player Paul Pierce about his injured knee in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In describing how Pierce quickly came back, Justin joked that Pierce was back on the court, “shucking and jiving.”

The comment, which was cut out of the broadcast that aired Sunday night, was met with silence from the crowd when the show taped on Wednesday.

For those not in the know, “shuckin’ and jivin’” is a slang term primarily used by African Americans referring to the speech and behavioural mechanisms adopted in the presence of authority figures. The term usually involves clever lies and impromptu storytelling, used to one-up an opponent or avoid punishment and originated in the era of slavery.

source

Omarosa 'delusional, pathetic, TV host Williams says

An after-hours telephone message and e-mail to Omarosa's publicist were not immediately returned Monday.

When Nancy Botwin, Dexter Morgan and Hank Moody cozy up together in a room to talk about their fully awesome shows, you know it's gonna get interesting—and most likely a little scandalous. And it did in the Showtime session that just went down...Click in for the scoop!

DEXTER

Dexter Morgan, You've Got a Friend: “Dexter has turned his back on his father but is still using the code,” Michael C. Hall says of his darky, dreaming alter ego in the upcoming season. “And yet, there still remains an unconscious desire for connection. And certain circumstances lead him into a relationship with Jimmy Smits’ character which satisfy that urge in him.” Executive producer Clyde Phillips teases that Smits plays a an assistant DA with “great political ambition” and he becomes Dexter’s “first adult friend.”

Spoilers:

Emmy Noms—Finally! Producer Clyde Phillips credits Dexter’s run on CBS for its first Emmy Award nods this year (for the series and Michael C. Hall). “People started searching for other shows during the strike, and Dexter fit right into the CBS crime-night structure.”

WEEDS

Agrestic's Destruction Started Right Here: Explains Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, “A year ago at the TCA’s at the little snack table, I whispered to Mary-Louise, ‘How would you feel if we burned it all down?’ And she was psyched. The truth is the writers’ room was getting restless…and I didn’t want them to get tired and leave.”

Adds Mary-Louise Parker (who was the only panelist all week to sip on a caffeinated beverage during the session—so Nancy!): “I think this season was the best season, season four. I think it was a brilliant and really brave idea. I love it."

Fun Fact: Kohan says that, in the initial pitch, HBO passed on Weeds, because "they didn’t want to have a show with kids.” Tootally understandable, since Weeds is all about puppies and flowers and cotton candy and a better fit for Pax.

CALIFORNICATION:

What's Ahead: Producer Tom Kapinos teases, “Season two is very much about the mystique of happy endings. We ended up [in season one] with the guy getting the girl and getting exactly what he wanted. So what happens when he gets the girl and wakes up in the morning and has to figure out what to do with that relationship?” When asked if Hank could ever be faithful to anyone, David Duchovny says, “If it’s going to be anyone, it’s going to be Karen.”

Best for Last: When asked about upcoming romantic storylines, Duchovny playfully announced, “We’re gonna have a little Weeds-Californication crossover,” then leaned right over to Mary-Louise next to him and said all sexily, “and it starts right now.” Um, yes please?

“The protag will be a lawyer of Latin descent who transforms from contingency attorney to hero of the working class when he helps an immigrant win a judgment against his wealthy employer after a landscaping mishap. He also becomes the enemy of L.A.’s power elite.”

The cast of the new Broadway musical [title of show] — including Jeff Bowen, Hunter Bell, Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell as well as musical director Larry Pressgrove — will take part in an upcoming in-store performance and CD signing.

The July 31 event will be held at the Borders at Time Warner Center in Manhattan. The in-store appearance, which begins at 5:30 PM, will feature a performance from the [tos] cast, a discussion about the new musical and an autograph session.

The original Off-Broadway cast recording of [title of show] is available on the Ghostlight Records label.

Borders at Time Warner Center is located in Manhattan at 10 Columbus Circle. The event is free and open to the public, although space is limited.

[title of show], according to press notes, "takes a thoroughly unique and comical look at the pleasures and perils of the artistic process as two struggling writers [Bell and Bowen] and two struggling actresses [Blackwell and Bickenstaff] take on the seemingly impossible task of creating a new musical about creating a new musical. Now with Broadway as their destination, the quartet's saga continues anew as they face mounting pressures and deadlines, and are nearly thrown off-track by disagreements, day jobs and insecurities in this funny and unforgettable look at the birth of a musical as it finally comes to life on the Great White Way."

source

Anyone going?  If so, I hate you.  I'm in my own show that evening and my call time is thirty minutes after this event starts, so I can't go and I am SO PISSED.  I'm seeing [tos] in August, so I'm going to do my best to bring an ONTD sign with me then, but maybe someone can bring one to this?  With all the love the [tos] cast is getting here, I think it's time for us to get some love back.

The "Iron Man" will not be wielding a pen: Robert Downey Jr. has postponed plans to write a memoir and has returned his advance to publisher HarperCollins, a spokeswoman for the actor told The Associated Press.

Britney Ross of Rogers & Cowan declined to say Tuesday why Downey wouldn't be writing the book, originally scheduled to come out this year. HarperCollins had billed it as a "candid look at the highs and lows of his life and career" when the publisher announced the project two years ago.

Downey, 43, has struggled often with drug abuse, but has also received much acclaim for his acting, including an Academy Award nomination for his starring role in "Chaplin" and strong reviews for his title performance in "Iron Man," one of this year's biggest hits. He next will be seen in "Tropic Thunder," along with Ben Stiller and Jack Black.

[American Artist] has been described by the Elves team of Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz as a "Project Runway"-style competition series that takes on the art world.

Aspiring artists compete to produce various styles of artwork (painting, sculpting, etc.), which is then judged by a panel of experts.

(Sorry y'all, I hate Katy Perry too - and a big FUCK YOU, Katy Kats -- but this article and some of the others it links to are calling KP on her BS. The tl;dr parts are in red for easy reading. cajcameron/"Hot Youtuber", come save us!)



Well, it’s official. It’s cool to make fun of gay people again.

How do we know? Because the folks in Medialand told us as much by relentlessly cheerleading two gay-unfriendly songs by newcomer Katy Perry: “Ur So Gay” and “I Kissed a Girl.” The first derides an emo guy with a barrage of gay stereotypes that were cliché even in Boy George’s heyday. The second addresses same-sex kissing (and, by extension, bisexuality) by putting forth the judgment that such a smooch is “not what, good girls do… not how they should behave.”

Although these tunes have definitely amused mainstream listeners, with “I Kissed a Girl” staying at No. 1 for several weeks, they’ve been less welcome by some members of the gay community and the alternative press.

The first (very negative) review

Despite the fact that it was the 1990s and we were used to this sort of thing, and despite the fact that I was only about 14 years old, I still thought that the opening credits of "The X-Files" were a little silly. I mean "Government Denies Knowledge" and "Trust No One" or whatever floating across the screen? Why not just have "This Is Spooky" and "Cloyingly Self-Conscious and Non-Evocative Words" printed up there? But then, I got into it. And then I started to get it. It was camp. Not Kenneth Williams camp, but quasi-Ed Wood camp. It wasn't a serious show, no matter how seriously Mulder took himself, or how seriously Scully took everything except Mulder. Embracing that campness meant that I was able to enjoy the otherwise-ridiculous movie subtitles of FIGHT THE FUTURE and, now, I WANT TO BELIEVE.

Of course, a more appropriate title for this second film would be THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE A PEDOPHILE PRIEST HAS PSYCHIC ABILITIES, because that is exactly what the title refers to.

( i want to believe? )

LONDON (Reuters) - British folk singer Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, accepted libel damages and an apology on Friday from a news agency that reported he had refused to talk to women at an awards ceremony who were not wearing a veil.

The artist, who changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, will donate the "substantial" payout to Small Kindness, a U.N.-linked charity he chairs.

Adam Tudor, the singer's attorney, told London's High Court that the story behind the legal action was published by World Entertainment News Network and was used on Contactmusic.com, a website said to have 2.2 million page views a month.

The article appeared in March last year and suggested that the singer was "so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil," Tudor said.

"It went on to suggest that Mr. Islam's manager had stated 'Mr. Islam doesn't speak with women except his wife, least of all if they don't wear a headscarf. Things like that only happen via an intermediary.'"

Tudor said the article had embarrassed the singer, creating a false impression of his attitude to women and also casting serious aspersions on his religious faith.

World Entertainment News Network issued an apology, saying:

"We now accept that these allegations ... are entirely without foundation, and that Mr. Islam has never had any difficulties working with women, whether for religious or for any other reason."

Islam, 59, is still best known for his hits as Cat Stevens, including "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken" and "Moonshadow."

He sold an estimated 60 million albums as Stevens, but retired from showbusiness in 1978 after converting to Islam. He released his first mainstream pop album since then in 2006.

source

Miley's #1 Fan!!

I want to thank everyone involved in the Television Critics Association, not just for this award but for your very very generous support of 30 Rock. ... Thank you to you guys for making 30 Rock the most successful cable show on broadcast television. [laughter] Oh, it's a great time to be on broadcast television, isn't it? It's exciting! It's like being in vaudeville in the '60s! [laughter] We're thinking of actually changing the name of the show to Ratings-Challenged 30 Rock, just to take some of the power out of it. It's like taking back the N-word; we're gonna do it. It might make Elisabeth Hasselbeck cry, but we're gonna do it. [laughter]
But in spite of the weird state of our industry, there are some amazing things going on on television right now, which is why I feel very honored to be in this category with Christina and Alec and Stephen Colbert and Mr. Wise, who I don't know personally but who is amazing. Also I find it — I have to say I find it very exciting that at these awards, this category is not separated by gender. Because it doesn't really need to be. It's not weight-lifting. [laughter] You know what else is? Uh, professional billiards. [laughter] Why is that, uh, separated? [laughs]

Slap-Happy Celebs and the People They Slap

FIGHT SCHLUBS Penn, Pap

Bob Geldof's TV presenter daughter Peaches stopped breathing and was given mouth-to-mouth by a friend after a suspected drug overdose in her London flat, media reports say.

The 19-year-old stopped breathing for several minutes before a friend realised and revived her, Britain's The Sun newspaper reports. 

An incredible OK! World exclusive!
AMY WINEHOUSE

The singer shows a softer side as she talks about health woes, her love for Blake and her dreams of being a mum

Amy Winehouse beckons us with her finger through the bar and dining area of a plush Camden wine bar and into the ladies loo. Here she plonks herself, beehive slightly squished, on the shelf next to the sink, opens the Daily Star – and begins to work her way through the crossword and Sudoku, while OK! Conducts one of its most unusual interviews of all time.

Given the rather public nature of the location, it’s hardly suprising that Amy, 24, is interrupted continuously throughout the interview by fans offering love and asking for photographs and autographs. Without fail though, she is gracious, patient and kind – posing for pictures, signing their beer mats and even chattering to foreign devotees in Spanish and Portuguese! She’s undoubtedly skinny, but she has definitely gained a few pounds and, in the flesh, looks more robust and prettier than you’d expect. Tonight she seems a long way from the disheveled, deranged, decaying, violent pop wreck we’ve all read about.

Amy has agreed to talk so she can introduce her musical goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, a super-talented 12 year old whom Amy has known since she was a baby. The bond we saw between the two earlier in the evening, as they cuddled, walked arm-in-arm, and whispered in each other’s ears secretively, was truly heart-warming – showing a maternal side of Amy we’ve not seen before.

Her friends tell us Amy is battling the drug problems that she has been blighted with recently, and is determined to be back to her best for her husband Blake Fielder-Civils return. With his trial reaching its climax this week, pals were fretting about how she would cope if her hopes were dashed about him being released from prison, and given the couples turbulent history together, they could be forgiven for worrying even more about what might happen when he does get out.

But for now Amy is chipper, gossipy and bursting to tell us about her dreams for the future – a life of domestic harmony featuring Amy the housewife, at home with her husband, doing the ironing and raising five kids and perhaps even making the odd appearance on Countdown…

You and Dionne seem really close…
Dionne is definitely the nuts. She’s better than I was at that age. The way she plays guitar and accompanies herself is something else. When I was that age, I didn’t want to do it for a profession but it was something I knew I had and I could always rely on. It’s all very well being good at music but you need to have a trade. Dionne said to me before she just wants to get a degree and then she’ll think about music, which is the loveliest thing I could ever hear.

"The Lucky 13 Villains We Would Like to See in Batman 3"

Source

Bee Shaffer is the pretty co-ed, Columbia-studying daughter of Vogue chief Anna Wintour who is currently on a European tour.

Emma Watson is the pretty Harry Potter actress who wears Chanel on the red carpet and is part of Karl Lagerfeld’s harem of stylish muses.

Together, the two pretties were seen partying it up together in Ibiza this summer, hopping from bash to bash, leaving a trail of fashion fairy dust in their wake.

No word if Bee was spotted in Nina Ricci or Emma in Chanel, but we’re almost certain their luggage had a piece of two.

*lololol never would I have called this in a million years.*

This post has been approved by

source 1

source 2

Mariah Carey was all smiles after filiming an appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live today in New York City.

Mimi appeared to still be glowing in her post-nuptial bliss with actor/comedian Nick Cannon

Matthew McConaughey is back to his running and personal training lessons.

The new dad spent his Tuesday afternoon out with his hot personal trainer who’s toned body puts Matthew’s to shame. As he paced steadily rocking a weight vest, she played the role of pseudo bodyguard blocking her superstar client from the cameras.

How does Camila Alves feel about her babydaddy running around town with this bombshell? Mr. McConaughey has to set a great male example now for his new son Levi.

Samantha Ronson’s embarrassing plate disaster wasn’t the only mistake that went down at Bar Pitti in New York City today.

Reality T.V. socialite Kourtney Kardashian flashed a little more than her million dollar smile while enjoying a romantic lunch with her man, Scott Disick.

With one sister forever immortalized in a celebrity sex tape and another sister zeroing-in on the spotlight following her recent stint for a DUI arrest, can you really blame Kourtney for flashing a little skin in an attempt to keep up with her little sisters?