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MARTIN SCORSESE’s star-studded mob drama THE DEPARTED has been named the best film of 2006 by website Moviehole.net.
The Departed topped LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and CHILDREN OF MEN, which came second and third respectively in a list compiled by critic CLINT MORRIS.
Moviehole’s top 10 movies of 2006 are:

1. THE DEPARTED
2. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
3. CHILDREN OF MEN
4. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
5. CASINO ROYALE
6. SUPERMAN RETURNS
7. STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
8. UNITED 93
9. LAST TRAIN TO FREO
10. BRICK
.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

CATE BLANCHETT loved living in London, because when she was recognised by members of the public, she was usually mistaken for someone non-famous.
The Australian actress and her husband and two children spent several years in the English capital as Blanchett’s acting career took off.
They have now relocated in her Sydney, Australia hometown - but Blanchett is grateful for the privacy London life afforded her.
She says, "We enjoyed London and it was good for anonymity. I was always being mistaken for other people. I’d be in supermarkets and it was a case of, ‘You look so much like my cousin Jane.’ "So it was rather nice living that kind of life, below the radar."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

KATE BECKINSALE loves being an exhibitionist - and once let her breasts distract an unsuspecting journalist during an interview.
The 33-year-old PEARL HARBOR star admits to flashing parts of her anatomy at inappropriate times, and isn’t fazed by impromptu nudity.
She says, "A friend made me wear this top for an interview. I had one t*t entirely hanging out in front of this Japanese man.
"I think I really scared him. He was fumbling around and couldn’t get his tape recorder to work." Beckinsale also confesses to exposing herself again when a pair of trousers she was wearing shockingly split.
She adds, "My trousers had worn through so much you could see my bottom."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Hollywood director OLIVER STONE finds it difficult to deal with the frosty critical reception his films often receive - and insists no matter what movie he directs, it will still be rubbished by the press.
Despite winning the Best Director Oscar twice to date, for PLATOON and BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, Stone admits he doesn’t expect to gain critical acclaim, and believes he’s unfairly singled out for criticism.
He says, "I sometimes feel I am fed up defending my work. It is hard.
"After NIXON and ANY GIVEN SUNDAY were trashed by the critics, the message was clear to me that I am never going to be CLINT EASTWOOD or MARTIN SCORSESE and that’s okay.
"But I can guarantee that if I made a comedy that made you split your sides, the film would still be criticised to hell."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

French director LUC BESSON has been awarded the highest Serbian film accolade for "his contribution to the art of cinematography" - but used the occasion to attack US cinema.
The LEON filmmaker was honoured with the Golden Seal at the French embassy in Belgrade, where he is promoting his latest film, ARTHUR ET LES MINIMOYS.
But Besson made his negative feelings toward American movies clear, branding them "boring".
He says, "(US cinematography) has become more like an industry after a long domination (with the audience) getting bored with it.
"That is why in France, but also in other European countries, the audience is turning back its attention to a national cinematography."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Actor/director CLINT EASTWOOD has been branded a "national treasure" by the American Film Institute (AFI) - with his work named the "greatest cinematic work of this century".
The DIRTY HARRY actor was praised by the AFI at the Moments Of Significance ceremony on Wednesday (27DEC06) for his World War II movie FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and its Japanese-language counterpart LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA.
The AFI felt Eastwood’s works "not only complement one another, but they resonate together to create one of the great motion picture experiences of the new century." Director ROBERT ALTMAN, who died last month (NOV06), was also honoured for his contribution to the cinematic world.
A spokesperson for the AFI says, "(Altman was) a true maverick of American film.
"His body of work - both in film and television - reflects an exceptional diversity in genre, but always with his indelible signature. From overlapping dialogue to the epic ensemble pieces filled with actors who revered him, Altman’s style continues to inspire artists and audiences alike."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

British pop newcomer LILY ALLEN is planning a quiet, romantic New Year’s Eve (31DEC06) in Jamaica after her crazy, party-filled year (06).
The SMILE singer flew to the Caribbean earlier this week (begs25DEC06) with record label A&R man SEB CHEW, who she recently reunited with after a break.
And Allen, whose New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking, wants her 2007 celebrations to be low key.
She says, "I’m going to be with my boyfriend in Jamaica." (GES/WNWCPW) WENN - THIRD - HOLLYWOOD, SHOWBIZ & PEOPLE NEWS - 29 DECEMBER 2006

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

TRACE ADKINS is hoping to follow BRAD PAISLEY and GEORGE STRAIT into the country Christmas charts - he’s planning a Celtic album of festive favourites for 2007.
The CHROME singer admits he’s been thinking about recording a Christmas album for the past few years, but his festive favourites would be full of ancient Celtic hymns.
He says, "It is something on my to do list…. It will be very traditional.
I’m talking about so traditional that it’s going to be really organic, and all the songs that we record are going to be very, very old - like in the old English traditional sense.
"(It’ll be) almost a Celtic, organic-sounding thing.
"I’m just really, really old school. And when I think about Christmas, (it’s) like A CHRISTMAS CAROL (by CHARLES DICKENS). That’s the period of time that I think Christmas was the best.
"It was very simple and it wasn’t so commercialised. So that’s the kind of music I want to do - from that time period."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Cult rockers THE ARCADE FIRE have accidentally leaked a track from their forthcoming album NEON BIBLE online.
The Canadian band were due to upload another new track, INTERVENTION, onto iTunes but inadvertently placed BLACK WAVE/BAD VIBRATIONS on the website instead - and, on Tuesday (27DEC06), two days too early too.
Band member WIN BUTLER writes online: "I guess it is sort of charming that we can send the wrong song to the whole world with a click of a mouse… Oh well." Both Intervention and Black Wave/Bad Vibrations appear on The Arcade Fire’s upcoming second album Neon Bible, due for release in March or April (07).

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Veteran 1960s rocker DONOVAN and RON SEXSMITH have signed up to perform at the Sundance Film Festival next month (JAN07).
The stars will play as part of the Utah event’s musical programme, which will include talks, discussions and concerts in addition to the movie screenings.
Donovan and Sexsmith will play at Sundance’s Music Cafe alongside other artists at the event which runs from 19 until 29 January.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

An Indian athlete who came second in the women’s 800 metre sprint at the 2006 Asian Games may be stripped of her silver medal after failing a gender test.
Test results sent to the Indian Olympic Association showed that 25-year-old Santhi Soudarajan "does not possess the sexual characteristics of a woman".
Gender tests are not compulsory in International Association of Athletics Federation affiliated events, but athletes can be randomly tested.
The medical evaluation panel usually includes a gynaecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, and an internal medicine specialist.
Soudarajan’s coach, P. Nagarajan, said: "If the reports are true, then it is very sad and extremely disappointing." The Olympic Council of Asia have been informed of the test results and are now trying to contact Soudarajan.

© bangshowbiz.biz

A UK pilot was forced to watch from the ground as his plane took off without him.
The 70-year-old airman had climbed out of the cockpit to manually start the engine after it had cut out during take off.
But he accidentally nudged the throttle of the single-seater Luton LA4A as he climbed out so when he spun the propeller the plane ploughed down the runway on its own.
The unnamed pilot clung to the wing in attempt to stop the plane from taking off, but lost his grip and fell off.
The plane did a loop in the air before crashing and was severely damaged, while the pilot escaped with cuts and bruises.

© bangshowbiz.biz

A US high school teacher has been reprimanded after she duct-taped the mouth of a noisy student.
Science teacher Carol Humphrey from Bakersfield High School was placed on paid leave after mobile phone footage emerged showing her taping the trouble maker’s mouth shut and a few of his fingers together.
The boy was disrupting the class, making a sound by thumping his fingers against his cheeks.
District spokesman John Teves said: "I think the teacher may have thought this was a humourous way to address it. It was not humourous. Putting hands on a student is not acceptable." Humphrey has been a teacher for 35 years and was once voted by students as the female teacher "Most Like a Parent".

© bangshowbiz.biz

China has recruited a team of "smiling volunteers" to cheer up gloomy residents before the 2010 World Expo.
Forty students have agreed to beam at strangers in Shanghai’s public spaces, after a survey showed only two per cent of Chinese smile at each other on the street.
Team leader Xu Xiaohong revealed: "We ask all volunteers to practice smiling at home. We smile in front of a mirror to determine if our smiles are acceptable." The volunteers began work last weekend at a local theatre where they grinned at visitors and asked people if they needed help.
Attempts to generate warmth amongst strangers has had mixed success in China – volunteers offering free hugs to strangers were detained by police in October.

© bangshowbiz.biz

THE ROLLING STONES are the most successful live act in terms of ticket sales in North America for the second consecutive year, beating out competition from BARBRA STREISAND.
The BROWN SUGAR band sold $138.5 million (£71 million) worth of tickets from 39 gigs in 2006, whereas Streisand earned $92.5 million (£47.4 million) from 20 concerts.
According to trade magazine Pollstar, country duo TIM McGRAW and FAITH HILL made $88.8 million (£45.5 million), while MADONNA grossed $85.9 million (£44 million).
KENNY CHESNEY played to 1.13 million people, making him the most seen performer in North America during 2006.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

LATEST: Singer MARIAH CAREY is appealing to the US Patent And Trademark Office to ban porn star MARY CAREY trademarking her name, claiming their identical surnames could confuse fans.
The HERO hitmaker’s company Automatic Princess Holdings claims Mary’s bid to trademark her name to use in adult entertainment products will confuse consumers.
Mariah claims the public is "likely to mistakenly associate the goods offered" by Mary with the singer’s "goods and services".
Mariah’s firm filed an opposition to the trademark application on 27 December (06), according to TheSmokingGun.com.
Mary - real name MARY COOK - has been performing in adult movies since 2002.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

LATEST: Singer/actress JENNIFER LOPEZ is pushing for arbitration in an ongoing legal dispute with her first ex-husband OJANI NOA, who has previously vowed to fight her "to the end".
Lopez filed her suit against former waiter Noa in April (06), after he announced plans to detail their one-year marriage in a tell-all book. She also obtained a restraining order barring Noa from revealing intimate details of their sex life.
Noa and Lopez signed an agreement in 2005, ruling he could not disparage the JENNY FROM THE BLOCK star or make money from disclosing information about their brief marriage.
Earlier this month (DEC06), Noa told a judge he regrets agreeing to the preliminary injunctions.
He said, "I want to fight this thing to the end. My life has not been the same since this lawsuit was filed." But Lopez now seems determined to move the settle the case out of court, and is pushing to enter arbitration, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles.
A hearing is now set for 29 January (06) to consider Lopez’s arbitration request. Should the former couple reach a settlement during the arbitration period, it is legally binding.
Lopez married Noa in 1997. They divorced 11 months later.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

An Indian Hindu wedding ceremony for 18 dogs has been called off after animal rights campaigners branded it cruel.
The marriage of nine dogs to nine bitches – to promote canine culture – was due to take place in Jaipur last weekend, but it was cancelled after People for Animals (PFA) objected.
PFA’s chairman Naresh Kadyan fumed: "In my opinion, marriage of dogs is cruel to animals.
"People hold the front legs of the dogs against their will and force them to dance, which is cruel. The lights and sound used in these kinds of events also hurt them." The organisers have apologised for the ceremony, but revealed they are planning a beauty pageant for "unmarried dogs" next month.

© bangshowbiz.biz