Every year when April 20 rolls around people across the U.S. celebrate an unofficial holiday: weed day.

Stoners everywhere recognize 4:20 as being the time of day to light up, and when the date is 4/20 it's time to kick back, light up and smoke all day -- especially at 4:20. If you're into that kind of thing, of course.

Now that several stats have legalized marijuana to various degrees plenty of folks from sea to shining sea will be lighting up this year, some even in public. Colorado, which has the loosest regulations on pot, sees thousands gather in downtown Denver -- aka the Mile High ...

During Sunday night's MTV Movie Awards the first trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was unleashed, finally giving millions of fans a good look at the highly anticipated sequel.

Jennifer Lawrence returns as heroine Katniss Everdeen, who returns home to District 12 with fellow 74th Hunger Games winner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Shortly after, the two embark on a "Victor's Tour" of the other districts and Katniss senses that a rebellion is brewing that could free the 12 districts of Panem from the rule of the Capitol.

But the sinister President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has oth...

The buzz is rapidly building for the second chapter in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, with 11 new "Capitol Portraits" of the key players in the story.

The nefarious President Snow (Donald Sutherland), Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), all return for the second film; along with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth).

The portraits also focus on three new characters that will be pivotal to the story and it...

Five new character posters for this fall's Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, have been released, the latest of which showcases Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in a long white gown with a wing-like design over her shoulders (if you want to know more about the dress, you'll have to pick up a copy of Suzanne Collins's book "Catching Fire," the second installment in "The Hunger Games" trilogy).

Also making appearances in the new promo portraits are Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), the head of Katniss' design team; TV talk show host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci); Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks...

Actor Woody Harrelson has voiced a poignant new video calling for an end to the use of fur in fashion.

The former Cheers star narrates The Humane Society of the United States' new campaign promo, in which a model uses different 'killing' techniques on cuddly toys to illustrate how brutally animals can be killed in real life.

Harrelson says, "It's always difficult for people to deal with images of animal cruelty head-on; no one wants to look at what really goes into the making of fur. This video is so impactful because it lets you know without having to see.

"I really hope it makes fas...

What does one little Shih Tzu named BONNY, Seven Psychopaths and one screenwriter suffering from writer's block have in common?

Everything...At least in my favorite film of 2012 so far.

Screenwriter, Marty Faranan (Colin Farrell) is way past his deadline on his latest screenplay. If that's not enough to cause the poor dude major stress, his passive-aggressive girlfriend, Kaya (Abbie Cornish) is about to walk out on him.

Lucky for Marty, his BFF sometime actor/full time dognapper, Billy (Sam Rockwell, in a tour de force performance) is sticking by him; actually a little too much.

In fact...

Several years ago, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger didn't show up to the set of "Cheers" because they wanted to get high.

The actors called in sick and went boating off the coast of California instead. Danson told GQ magazine, "The guys were just (like), 'Let's play hooky.' We'd never done anything wrong before. John had a boat, so we met at Marina del Rey at 8 a.m. We all called in sick."

Their leisurely day off turned bad quickly after too much drug use and a hurricane caused problems.

"Woody and I were already stoned, and Woody said, 'You want to try so...

The Sexiest Vegetarians of the Year are Jessica Chastain and Woody Harrelson. Bosses at animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) chose the duo for 2012.

Chastain ("The Help" and "Texas Killing Fields") adopted a vegan diet 15 years ago, while Harrelson ("The Hunger Games" and "Zombieland") has been meat-free for the past 25 years after giving up his favorite steaks and burgers for health reasons.

The actors' dedication to healthy eating has earned them the 2012 titles as the hottest vegetarian stars in Hollywood.

Previous PETA honorees include Rus...

Woody Harrelson is heading back to TV for a cop show with his pal Matthew McConaughey.

The pair has signed on to star in "True Detective," an eight-episode series currently being shopped to cable networks. If the show gets the green light, the actors will play detectives hunting for a serial killer in Louisiana.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, subsequent seasons will feature new casts and storylines.

"True Detective" will mark Harrelson's first lead role in a small screen series since his days as bartender Woody Boyd in "Cheers." He also made several cameo appearances in "Will & Gra...

The Hunger Games has raced to the top of the U.S. box office with a record-breaking opening weekend gross of $155 million.

The much hyped action movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson, became the most popular midnight opener ever for a non-sequel when it debuted in the U.S. with a stunning $19.7 million in the early hours of Friday, and its winning streak continued throughout the weekend.

The whopping opening weekend takings have catapulted The Hunger Games in to the record books once again, making it the biggest non-sequel film to ever open at number one.

...

Two Jews on Film - By Joan Alperin Schwartz: I'm sure by now almost everyone is familiar with the story of 'The Hunger Games.' The book was the first in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins and all three novels have been on the bestseller list for several years.

But for those people unfamiliar with the story of Katniss Everdeen, the 16 year old girl who competes in The Hunger Games, the time is the future.

North America is no more. Instead we have a nation known as Panem which is broken down into 12 districts. These districts exist to provide goods for the wealthy people living in the ...

Honestly I didn’t have high hopes for the Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum comedy “21 Jump Street,” but I was very pleasantly surprised last week. I laughed my ass off at the antics of the two hapless cops sent back to high school on an undercover mission. Equal parts parody and homage, it simultaneously mocks buddy cop movie clichés and celebrates them. Hill and Tatum are the perfect team, thoroughly convincing you that they’re best buds. My Grade: B+

Things have quieted down a bit at the box office this week in terms of the number of films coming out, but I think a lot of that has to do wit...

With more than 26 million books in print followed by pandemonium at the film premiere of The Hunger Games, fans everywhere are obsessed with the tale of a brave girl in a bleak future world. This week's issue of PEOPLE talks to the young soon-to-be superstars of the action series that sparked a worldwide phenomenon – Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, as they brace for Twilight-level fame. "I did indies and I was in X-Men, but that was a franchise that I just joined at the end," says 21-year-old Lawrence, who plays teenage heroine Katniss Everdeen. "This is like 'N S...

Actress Elizabeth Banks has revealed the set of highly-anticipated fantasy film The Hunger Games was so hot, dozens of young extras collapsed.

The W. star plays Effie Trinket in the big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' bestselling novel about youngsters battling to survive in a series of deadly games.

Banks has now revealed the young cast faced real-life difficulties after the temperature soared on the North Carolina set, and many began to faint.

She tells MTV.com, "It was difficult to shoot under insane conditions, about 105 degrees. We had all these young kids there dropping li...

Actor Woody Harrelson suffered an "intense time" while playing a twisted cop in new movie Rampart and often snapped at friends for no reason as he dealt with the paranoid feelings the role evoked.

The Natural Born Killers star portrays an unhinged Los Angeles Police Department officer in the drama, but getting into character took its toll on Harrelson.

He tells The Guardian Weekend magazine, "It was an intense time. The problem was being seeped in paranoia because that was so much the attitude of the character. That really affected me because I don't normally do paranoia. Well, sometime...

Woody Harrelson is calling on powerful California Senator Barbara Boxer to add her name to a long list of politicians opposed to chimpanzee and ape experiments across the U.S.

In a letter the actor has sent to Boxer on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, he asks the chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to join the more than 160 senators and representatives who are supporting the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, which would permanently end the use of chimpanzees and all other great apes in invasive experiments and retire federally-owned ...

Actor Woody Harrelson is swapping the big screen for the stage - he's set to direct a semi-autobiographical play in New York later this year.

The Zombieland star has turned playwright for Bullet for Adolf, based on his youth in Houston, Texas, and he's planning to launch the production in the Big Apple this autumn.

And despite turning 50 last year, Harrelson has no plans to wind down his career, telling New York Magazine, "I just want to keep trying, because if I ever phone it in (stop), I'm done."

But Harrelson admits he is enjoying his status as an established Hollywood actor.

He adds...

It turned out that my initial optimism about “The Woman in Black” last week was for naught. Unfortunately it is a ridiculous horror movie that made me laugh much more than it actually scared me. For more on why I thought it was silly, check out my review.

This week in theaters, there will be a nice mix of action, romance, adventure, and drama. You’ll have the chance to see Denzel Washington’s action thriller “Safe House,” the tragic Rachel McAdams romance picture “The Vow,” the lighthearted adventure film “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” the Woody Harrelson Los Angeles cop drama “R...

The wait is almost over for the big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins best selling teen novel The Hunger Games, and now there's a newly released second trailer to add to all the excitement.

The new spot, which will air during the Super Bowl, reveals more of the film's futuristic look, from glimpses of Panem's capital city ('The Capitol') to creepy characters who live to watch teenagers kill each other in a controlled habitat.

"Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and gir...

Told through the eyes of John McCain strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson), the man who most championed Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) during the 2008 presidential election, "Game Change" revisits a defining moment in U.S. politics.

The film gives a behind-the-scenes look at McCain's bid for office, from the selection of the Alaska Governor as his vice presidential running mate to their defeat in the general election.

Check out the trailer below:

Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). If she's ev...

Woody Harrelson experienced a bout of depression after viewing the first cut of upcoming movie Rampart, branding it "one of the worst periods in my professional life."

The No Country For Old Men star saw an early screening of the Oren Moverman-directed drama in May, weeks before it was completed - and he was far from impressed with what he saw.

He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "(It was) very different from what was in the script and what we shot - there are probably 36 scenes expunged from that movie and a lot of big scenes too, but it would have been a fricking four-hour epic. But it dev...

The Help, The Artist and The Descendants will be the ones to beat at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards after landing four nominations each.

The Help will go head-to-head with The Descendants in the Best Motion Picture (Drama) category alongside The Ides of March, Martin Scorsese's Hugo, Steven Spielberg's War Horse, and Moneyball.

The Help also received nods in the Best Performance by an Actress (Drama) category, thanks to Viola Davis, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, for Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer's work.

The Descendants scooped mentions for Best Performa...

Action thriller Drive and Steven Spielberg's latest epic War Horse lead the International Press Academy's nominations for the 2011 Satellite Awards with eight nods apiece.

Both movies are up for Best Film, alongside The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris, Shame and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy while Drive's Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks are among the nominees for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.

Competing with Gosling for the Best Actor trophy will be George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Michael Fassbender (Sh...

A New York headhunter (Mila Kunis) enters into a no-strings-attached relationship with her latest client (Justin Timberlake) but finds things getting unexpectedly complicated when emotions enter the picture in "Friends With Benefits."

Need some incentive to see the film? Two hot, naked stars!

While promoting the film last summer Mila talked about calling in a butt double for her naked scenes opposite Justin. She explained, "You got side boob out of me. That's a lot. I was compromising - you get side boob or you get butt. You don't get both in one movie."

Justin also bares all in the...

Moviemaker Kevin Smith has taken aim at the organizers of the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards for failing to tip the stars of his movie Red State in the nominations list.

The shortlist was revealed on Tuesday, with critically-acclaimed apocalyptic drama Take Shelter and silent movie The Artist leading the way with five nominations each.

Ryan Gosling, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Williams were among the celebrities named in the acting categories - and Smith is fuming the stars of his horror were not recognized.

In a post on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "How the f**k did the SpiritAw...

 

Paul McCartney, Natalie Portman and Morrissey are among the famous faces who will adorn a set of U.S. postage stamps in the name of vegetarianism.

Executives at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have picked their top 20 most famous vegetarians of all time to appear on a new series of stamps set for release in the U.S. this week.

Other stars to be included are Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Pamela Anderson, Bryan Adams, Woody Harrelson, Russell Simmons and Leona Lewis, along with historical figures such as Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci and Leo Tolstoy.

Lisa Lange, vice pres...

Lionsgate has debuted the full trailer for "The Hunger Games," which will be released on March 23, 2012.

The film centers on the ruins of what was once North America. The evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its 12 districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their...

Woody Harrelson has been hailed a hero by animal rights activists after his letter to U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno prompted military leaders to cease monkey-poisoning exercises in Maryland.

The actor took aim at the Army in a bid to stop officials using live monkeys in chemical attack training exercises at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Harrelson, who landed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an Army captain in The Messenger, wrote a letter to Odierno on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) a month ago.

In the correspondence, he urged the g...

Woody Harrelson has taken aim at the U.S. Army in a bid to stop officials using live monkeys in chemical attack training exercises.

The actor, who landed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an Army captain in The Messenger, has written a letter to new Army Chief of Staff, General Raymond Odierno on behalf of animal rights organization PETA, urging him to outlaw the "outdated" practice.

PETA officials claim the military "repeatedly injects monkeys with drug overdoses to crudely recreate the effects of a nerve agent attack".

Harrelson writes, "I urge you to stop this crude exercise......