In Role Models, a pair of irresponsible energy drink salesmen realize that serving a month of hard time is nothing compared to spending 150 hours in a community mentorship program. Also on DVD: Transporter 3, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Cadillac Records, Happy-Go-Lucky & Synecdoche, New York.

Milk star James Franco is taking his creative writing hobby seriously - he has secured a deal to release a collection of short stories.

The 30-year-old actor is currently enrolled on a creative writing graduate course at Columbia University in New York.

And now the star is set to become an author after selling his book to publishers Simon & Schuster, his agent confirms to Fox News.

Publishing appears to run in the Franco family - his mother Betsy is a bestselling children's author.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Maria Conchita Alonso has blasted her Colors co-star Sean Penn for his outspoken political views about her native Venezuela, insisting he should "shut up" and stop showing his support to the country's "killer" president, Hugo Chavez.

Milk star Penn has voiced his admiration for Chavez on numerous occasions - the actor visited the politician in 2007, when he was writing an article about the leader, and caught up with him again in 2008.

In a 2007 interview following his first trip to the South American country, Penn said: "The first thing I'm going to say is that we know more ...

Actor Sean Penn hopes his Oscar-winning performance in Milk will help change laws banning same-sex marriages in America.

The star won an Academy Award for his portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk in the critically acclaimed movie. And now he is urging U.S. president Barack Obama to view the film in a bid to reverse the law and make same-sex unions legally recognized across the country.

Penn says, "Eventually we are hoping for a White House screening. I think this film will be one of the steps forward (in the fight for gay marriage). It will be part of the dialogue. But I thi...

Brad Pitt has a reason to smile despite losing out on the Best Actor Oscar on Sunday - he's been sent a solid dark chocolate bust in his likeness as a consolation prize from deodorant brand Axe.

The Hollywood star was nominated for an Academy Award his role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but lost out to Sean Penn for his performance in Milk.

Bosses at Axe decided to reward Pitt with a statuette of his own - and the sweet treat, to promote their new Dark Temptation fragrance, weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds. An accompanying note read: "We still feel your performance dese...

Sean Penn has hit out at anti-gay demonstrators who lined the streets outside the Academy Awards on Sunday to protest against same-sex marriage.

The star won the Best Actor Oscar at the ceremony for his portrayal of assassinated gay politician Harvey Milk in biopic Milk.

And backstage at the ceremony, he criticized those who support the banning of gay marriage in California.

When asked what he would tell the protesters, he responded: "I'd tell them to turn in their hate card and find their better self.

"It's very sad in a way, because it's a demonstration of such emotion...

Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, the late Heath Ledger and movie sensation Slumdog Millionaire were the big winners at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Click here for red carpet photos from the 2009 Academy Awards

Penn scooped the Best Actor prize for his role as assassinated gay official Harvey Milk in Milk; ahead of hot favorite Mickey Rourke. The actor used his acceptance speech to criticize those who outlawed gay marriage in California and call for equal rights.

He said, "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns. I did not expect this. I do know how hard I make ...

Mickey Rourke added to his award season haul and stole the show at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday with a hilarious and rambling acceptance speech.

A starstudded crowd at the Santa Monica, California ceremony gave the 56-year-old actor a standing ovation when he stepped onstage to collect the Best Male prize for his role as a washed-up grappler in The Wrestler.

Click here for tons of photos from the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards

During a bizarre speech, he dedicated the award to his beloved pet dog Loki, who died this week; threatened to beat up comedian Rainn...

After months of speculation, it's finally time to man up and throw down with some hardcore Oscar predictions. But before we tell you who will and should win the Oscar on Sunday night, let's address the whole secrecy notion surrounding this year's event.

You may not have heard (which is probably part of the point) but the Academy has decided to surround this year's ceremony in mystery. Mainly, they've refused to reveal who will be presenting Oscars this year and have gone so far as to forbid its presenters from appearing on the red carpet. Why? Because they think fashionistas will b...

The 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards ceremony, hosted by award winning actor/comedian Steve Coogan, will air uncut, uncensored, and commercial free on IFC (Independent Film Channel) Saturday, February 21 LIVE at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT. IFC.com will deliver up-to-the-minute news and video on the event, including a live streaming webcast during the red carpet arrivals and from the press room, an updated announcement of the winners, and photo galleries of both the red carpet at the event and at the IFC Indie Film Celebration after party. Last year's Spirit Awards telecast was honored with a 200...

Move over Oscars! Latina.com recognizes the worst Latin performances of the year in film and television with the annual Lazzy Awards.

Jessica Alba is a big "winner," receiving two of the highest (dis)honors: "There’s Always Waitressing Award for Bad Acting" as well as the "We Want our Money Back for Worst Film of the Year" Award for Love Guru.

Other Winners:

The John T. Leguizamo Award for Bad Acting (Male)

MOVIE: Diego Luna for Milk

TV: Cristian de la Fuente, In Plain Sight on the USA Network

There’s Always Waitressing Award for Bad Acting (Female)

...

Special guest Will Leitch, Deadspin founder and current contributing editor at New York Magazine, and our own Mike Ryan have taken their Oscar disagreements public in a series of open letters debating this Sunday's telecast of the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

An Academy Awards telecast that Mike will be live blogging this Sunday night at 8:30 PM EST, in real-time, here on Starpulse.

Mr. Leitch,

"Slumdog Millionaire is the film world's first globalized masterpiece." Joe Morgenstern - Wall Street Journal

"Slumdog Millionaire is a ruthlessly effective paean to destin...

Actor James Franco was forced to "milk" a man dressed as a cow to earn his Hasty Pudding Man of the Year at America's Harvard University. The Spider-Man star received the wacky tribute from the prestigious Massachusetts college's amateur theatrical organization as part of their annual award ceremony.

Franco donned a blonde wig, gold bra and purple high-heeled shoes to accept the award, his challenges included milking a "gay" cow to symbolize his role in new movie Milk. He was also handed a fake bag of marijuana for his role as a clueless cannabis dealer in 2008's Pineapple Express.

...

Mickey Rourke is hoping Sean Penn lands the Best Actor Oscar over him - because he credits the Milk star with turning his life around.

The pair is competing for the award at this month's Academy Awards; Penn is nominated for his portrayal of American politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk and Rourke for his turn in The Wrestler. However, Rourke is adamant he wants his pal to scoop the honor - because Penn helped him get his life back on track when he hit rock bottom battling drug addiction in the 1990s.

He says, "Sean Penn is a good friend of mine. When I was down ...

Alaska governor Sarah Palin has inspired two of Hollywood's top screenwriters to fight for the right to make a movie about her life.

Republican Palin's role in the 2008 White House race divided America, with many questioning her credentials, her intelligence and her penchant for moose-hunting. But Tinseltown's top scribes believe she is great movie material.

Milk writer Dustin Lance Black tells Variety, "I'm always down for politics as humor. I'm also interested in great characters."

The Visitor writer Todd McCarty, meanwhile, wants to focus any movie he makes on the t...

Sean Penn is stunned pal Benicio Del Toro hasn't been recognized for his portrayal of revolutionary Che Guevara in biopic Che.

Penn singled out Del Toro as one name the film award organizations had overlooked during his Best Actor acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 25th, and he's still struggling to come to terms with the fact the four-hour epic has become the forgotten movie of 2009.

He says, "The fact that there aren't crowns on (Che director Steven) Soderbergh's and Benicio Del Toro's heads right now, I don't understand. That is such a sensational ...

Let's be honest, men's fashion isn't nearly as much fun as women's, especially when it comes to getting all gussied up in formal garb. For men, the pot can pretty much be boiled down to three basic variables: 1. Tie shape 2. To cummerbund or not to cummerbund and 3. Level of fashion bravado. So it is totally understandable for male celebrities to become jaded with the limited realm of prosaic male attire and seek other methods of adding a little snazzle dazzle to their personal senses of style.

Many men dabble in self-expression via varying facial hair patterns - a.k.a. "manscaping." ...

With the biggest gambling day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday, having just passed, it's time to turn our attention to best gambling day to beat Vegas: Oscar night.

Yes, Oscar night. You can bet on the Oscars on various websites, at various casinos, and probably in many illegal outlets as well (though we discourage this practice). What does each betting spot have in common? They probably have no idea how to handicap the race, giving the savvy better tremendous odds of winning big.

Whether it's Frances McDormand getting 6-1 for "Fargo", Helen Hunt 8-1 for "As Good As It Gets" or M...

Danny Boyle has scooped the top accolade at the Directors Guild of America Awards for his hit film Slumdog Millionaire.

Boyle beat out competition from Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Gus Van Sant (Milk) and Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The Best Director nod is a key indicator of possible Oscar success for Boyle later this month, who is up for the same nod, while the movie will compete in nine other categories.

Accepting his award onstage from directors Joel and Ethan Coen,...

(TJAGS is a weekly column) "Whatever happens, whether it includes Mickey or I, or not, at this next thing ... we know that the TV people have got their dog fight. But, they're idiots."

- Sean Penn, during his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Award Ceremony

I am not what Sean Penn would probably classify as a "TV person" (I do like TV, though, if that's what he meant); luckily though, I am kind of an idiot. So, yeah Sean, you're right! We do have a dogfight for the Best Actor Academy Award on February 22. In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, it ...

Comedy series 30 Rock was a triple winner at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, but Hollywood was toasting Slumdog Millionaire and Heath Ledger.

After claiming gold at the Golden Globe Awards and Producers Guild Awards, director Danny Boyle's acclaimed movie was named the Best Film at the SAGs - making it a clear favorite for the big prize at the Oscars in a month.

Meanwhile, Kate Winslet's amazing 2009 continued as she claimed a Best Supporting Actress accolade for her role in The Reader, and Ledger, who recently landed a Golden Globe, was again post...

Actor Josh Brolin was initially convinced he had missed out in this year's Oscar nominations - because he slept through the announcements.

The star won a best Supporting Actor nod for his turn in Milk opposite Sean Penn on Thursday. But Brolin was in Utah for the Sundance Film Festival when the honors were revealed early in the morning in California. And after forgetting about the time difference between the two states, Brolin woke up to disappointment - thinking he had been omitted from the coveted awards list.

He tells the Chicago Sun Times, "When I woke up, looked at the clo...

There's nothing better than a good surprise on Oscar morning, and this year we had one in almost every category. Before we get to the snubs, the surprises and who shouldn't be nominated, let's take a look at what type of a morning this was:

This was the morning that The Academy once again showed how out-of-touch it is. By not dominating "The Dark Knight", the Oscars continued to show that it doesn't care about nominating movies people actually like. There was absolutely no reason this film shouldn't get nominated: It has a 94% percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it got an A from audi...

The 5 nominations for 2009 Oscar Best Picture are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire. Click through the slideshow of photos from the nominees and let us know who you think should win by leaving a comment below!

- Click pics for next page -

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett & more

- Click here for tons more Benjamin Button photos -

Who do YOU think should win Best Picture? Leave a comment below!

Full list of 2009 Academy Award nominees

...

Tom Cruise was originally selected for Josh Brolin's acclaimed role in Gus Van Sant's new biopic Milk.

Brolin plays the part of Dan White, a Vietnam veteran and former police officer and firefighter. But filmmaker Van Sant's first wanted Cruise for the role - because he thought the megastar's involvement in the movie, alongside fellow Hollywood actor Sean Penn, would get the controversial project off the ground.

He says, "I thought if I connected those two guys (Cruise and Penn) at the time I could go into the studio and say, 'Look, I have these two guys' and they would do it. T...

The time has come, after several months of campaigning and voting, we're finally set for the big day. No, not the inauguration. Please. We're talking about Oscar morning.

Those fifteen minutes at the crack of dawn where overly-caffeinated celebs awkwardly read the names of the top five in each category. Always gripping. Also, this is prime time for predictions. All the returns are in, the precursor season is over, so there's not excuses left. Without delay, here are my final Oscar Predictions.

Okay, one delay. I should note that I hate being right. I hate getting predictio...

Two-time Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet is set for more glory - she is nominated twice in the best actress category at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs).

The Titanic star has been given the nod for her performances in Revolutionary Road and The Reader.

Winslet will go up against fellow Brit Kristin Scott Thomas for her role in I've Loved You Too Long, Angelina Jolie for The Changeling, and Meryl Streep for Doubt.

British director Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire - which scooped four Golden Globes this year - has been nominated in eleven catego...

After being deprived of the biggest night in Hollywood last year, we're more than ready for some delicious, celebrity-rich Golden Globes goodness! Read on for our predictions of the winners, the losers, and those who sadly won't be attending.

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Will win: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Should win: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Why: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) can't resist the whimsical, weepy romance; plus, its sheer star power ups its chances, and apparently it's a pretty good film to boot. It's the most well-rounded an...

Mickey Rourke has denied launching a verbal attack on Sean Penn - after a website alleged the The Wrestler star had called his fellow actor "homophobic".

Celebrity site The Daily Beast claims that Rourke sent a text message to a top Hollywood executive in which he slams Penn's portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk, in new Hollywood biopic Milk.

According to the website Rourke wrote, "Look. Sean's an old friend of mine and I didn't buy his performance at all - thought he did an average pretend acting like he was gay besides he's one of the most homophobic people I kno (sic)."

...

Who were the hottest male stars of 2008? Click through our photo slideshow for the men who topped the box office, the music charts, and our list of the sexiest men in showbiz today. Is there someone we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Click here for the 37 hottest female stars of 2008!

Patrick Dempsey

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One of TV's most beloved doctors, Dempsey resurrected his career on Grey's Anatomy several years ago, and there's no looking back.

More Patrick Dempsey Pictures

Brad Pitt

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Pitt ...