New York Times magazine has managed to wrangle Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst to recreate iconic moments in film. The series, titled A Touch Of Evil the stars will resurrect the magazines favourite villains from films past.

The first installment stars Brad Pitt as Eraserhead. Much like the cult classic, it’s strange and Pitt rocks the character’s signature hair-do. Not a lot happens here, it’s a slow zoom in on the actor as he glares into the camera with a psychotic stare. To be honest, it looks more like Pitt’s best impression of Eraserhead rather than an actor transforming into character. However, given he probably whipped something together in a day or so, it’s still quite entertaining.

This is without a doubt the shortest, weirdest and most confusing project Brad Pitt has ever worked on. A perfect homage to the original David Lynch film. Many people struggled to understand the meaning of Eraserhead and many more will have trouble deciphering what this is all about.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

The fashion season is in the air, and who better to start off the new year than Angelina Jolie? The actress-turned-director of In the Land of Blood and Honey looks as stunning as always on the January cover of Marie Claire.

She was quick to talk about growing family with Brad Pitt.

“[Brad] has expanded my life in ways I never imagined. We built a family. He is not just the love of my life, he is my family. I hold that very dear,” she said. “I suppose what I’ve learned from Brad is to be able to have the kind of family whose happiness and well-being comes before your own. I’m very, very grateful to have such a loving family, and I wouldn’t have that without him.”

Hearing this makes us so excited for they day Brangelina might finally announce that they’re getting married. Apparently, their kids are just as impatient about it as we are.

“They have mentioned it, yes,” Jolie answered when asked if the kids want them to get married. “If you take it in an emotional way, you think, Ohhh, the children! They don’t feel secure enough! But then you think, Now, wait a minute: They think a wedding is a party with a four-layer tiered cake!”

The family still seem happy as ever, as Brad, Angelina, and all six kids went on a family outing today to New York’s FAO Shwartz, Angelina flashing a giant grin as they walked into the toy store. Despite the current lack of a marriage proposal, it seems like the Jolie-Pitts as a family are here to stay!

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

As we mourn the death of Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard’s relationship, we’ve been gushing over other cute celebrity couplings that are no more. In Hollywood, it’s sort of a right of passage to date a co-star or a bandmate for publicity. Here at andPOP we believe in a thing called love and we think these couples listed below had it!

If you ask me, Justin Timberlake was Britney Spears’ silver lining. Once they went kaput it all went downhill for Britney.

Demi Lovato really bought out the best in Joe Jonas. We keep hearing rumours they’ve been spotted together again and we really hope those rumours turn into facts.

Serial dater Drew Barrymore seemed the happiest with Justin Long. They even made a movie together called Going the Distance. Here’s hoping she goes the distance for his heart again.

Va-va-voom! Jennifer Lopez and P Diddy were the quintessential hot couple back in 1999. Since the break-up they have both dated down.

Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody were the best thing about The O.C. When the co-stars broke up at least fans still got to see their characters in a loving relationship (eventually they got married on the show). Ah, if only real life reflected fictional life.

Some of you may think Brad belongs to Angelina but to me, he looks like a totally whipped and unhappy husband with 395349836 children to take care of. With Jennifer, Brad was so cool, calm and collected and was she.

Rachel McAdams and Gosling were the perfect couple. They never failed to show their love for one another, even in public. Plus, they made The Notebook what it is today. Even though they’re dating different people now, I still think they’re soul mates.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Moneyball hits a home run with the sentimental crowd, but if  you’re looking for this years Social Network, you may be disappointed.

The film is based on the true story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the former general manager of the Oakland Athletic’s and his mathematical stratagem-sabermetrics- to choose strong players for his team while also being cost effective.

Beane is working with the lowest amount of funds to build a baseball team. Compared to the New York Yankees Beane is rather penniless. After a good season for the Athletics, but not a winning season, Beane is forced to rebuild his team, but this time he is using the mathematical prowess of Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to help him.

The film’s crotchety circle of scouts for the Athletics proves to be funny at times and perhaps overly reluctant. Pitt works well as the semi-confident hair flipping manager. However, the film is far too centered on the emotions of Bean and the constant flashbacks of his failed pro baseball career. The flashbacks become superfluous and the film could have been at least a half hour shorter if just the flashbacks were cut.

Some will say that this is Hill’s film, that he delivered a strong acting performance and is very believable st the Yale economics nerd. On the other hand, Pitt’s screen time outshines Hill’s by ten, and while it is known that Brand is working with mathematical equations,  the system becomes arbitrary when emotions rise. The system to choose players just doesn’t have the appeal that Facebook does.

Bean also has a young daughter and an estranged wife who we meet for a second in an awkward series of events. His daughter is very loving of him. It seems that his paternal nature on the field had to be supplemented by the kind father off the field to enable a full understanding of the honesty and dedication of his character. Again, the film is just too tender and the final scene is gaggable.

I almost forgot to mention that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in the film probably because his performance is entirely forgettable. Hoffman stars as the coach of the Athletic’s, an overweight submissive underdog. The usual fortitude of Hoffman’s performance is seriously undermined and his character is difficult to even sympathize with.

Hill is worth a viewing, but the film is only decent at best. Unfortunately it is quite a bore for the crowd that doesn’t love sports or Brad Pitt.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are reconsidering getting married, despite earlier vows to never tie the knot.

The famous couple claims that they are feeling the pressure from their children to become husband and wife, despite previously insisting they would only exchange vows when same-sex marriage is legalized.

In a 2006 interview with Esquire magazine, Pitt famously declared: “Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able.”

But Pitt now admits they are warming up to the idea of marriage, thanks to much convincing from their six children.

He tells USA Weekend magazine, “The kids ask about marriage. It’s meaning more and more to them. So it’s something we’ve got to look at.”

Both stars have been married before; Pitt divorced Jennifer Aniston in 2005 after falling for Jolie while co-starring in action comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith, while Jolie was previously wed to Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.

I hope they do get married. It’s a nice gesture that they are doing by not getting married, as they are standing for equality, but they are my favourite Hollywood couple and I would love to read all the details of their big day. Either way, though, they shouldn’t be forced to get married. They should do what’s right for them as a couple.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Powerhouse actress, Angelina Jolie has officially signed on to star as Egypt’s infamous queen, Cleopatra in the upcoming feature film.

Scott Rudin bought the rights to the biopic and is producing the picture. He reportedly intends to focus on Cleopatra’s abilities as a ruler and a politician rather than a seductress says People.com. The 1963 version of Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, was centered more on Cleopatra’s sexual appetite and lustful persona. A story about Cleopatra without sexual elements seems pretty dull. However, by casting Jolie in the starring role there is no doubt that the picture will contain at least one sex scene if not many (hopefully ha).

Now the question remains…who will play Antony? Many people have compared Jolie and Brad Pitt to Burton and Taylor, so perhaps Pitt is the best choice for Antony. They do have a natural chemistry. George Clooney also seems fitting….

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Angelina Jolie was spotted this weekend doing some extreme Christmas shopping with her brood, reports Pop Eater.

Jolie, who has publicly boycotted thanksgiving because it is a “story of murder,” maintains that the home she shares with Brad Pitt is completely religiously neutral and that the children study all religions of the world.

The Jolie-Pitt Christmas is reported to be equally religiously neutral, instead reflecting Angelina’s childhood and being “a time when [they] open presents, sing songs and enjoy being together. It’s this, not the religious part, that Angie wants to pass on to her kids.”

Angie and the kids picked up pyjamas, gloves, boots, sweaters, stuffed animals and one green plastic alligator in a fancy Parisian boutique. They’ll also play host to Brad Pitt’s family on December 25th.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

The one and only Brad Pitt is looking to acquire the film rights to the story of the trapped Chilean miners, reports Perez Hilton.

Pitt’s company, Plan B, is currently negotiating with legal representatives working on behalf of the miners who spent two months trapped deep underground in a Chilean mine.

The 33 men were left trapped in the mine after a tunnel collapsed, sealing them all in the deepest part of the mine. The men relied on food and supplies sent to them via a hastily drilled communication tunnel mere inches in diameter before rescue workers were able to extract them one by one on October 10^th.

Hopefully Pitt will do the event justice and honour it rather than exploiting the miner’s plight!

If he gets the rights, will you go to see Brad’s movie adaptation?

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

It has been confirmed that Brad Pitt will be starring in an adaptation of Max Brooks’ zombie novel World War Z.  As E! Online reports, Max Brooks made the confirmation at Comic-Con in San Diego.

Though the details are slim at the moment, some key roles have been filled.  Brad’s company, Plan B Entertainment, has also secured the rights for the production and any sequels that might follow this picture and Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) is slated to direct.

If you haven’t read the book, the publisher’s website has a short synopsis:  “The end was near.  Zombies were taking over.  They were infiltrating ever corner the world.  No neutral ground existed, no nation was secure, and we were in serious danger of becoming extinct – overrun by hordes of the living dead.”

They’re hoping for a 2012 release, so maybe this is what was meant by predicting the end of the world!

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

After months of downing excessive amounts of alcohol and chomping on fried food, Gwyneth Paltrow is getting herself back together, says People.com.

Don’t be too alarmed, she wasn’t on a downward spiral like most celebs these days – it was for a movie role, but the lifestyle had real-life repercussions on her body.

“I was so bad with the food and alcohol in Nashville,” the 37-year-old actress tells Harper’s Bazaar in its May issue about her role as an alcoholic country singer in the new film, Love Don’t Let Me Down.

“If you saw me naked [now] compared to what I looked like when I did Iron Man 2, when I was exercising every day – I’ll get it back together, but I’ve never eaten so much fried food and white flour in my life, ever,” said the mother-of-two.

Paltrow didn’t only have to eat and drink unhealthy, but also learn to play the guitar. Keep in mind, she is lucky to be married to Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin as he helped her with learning the new instrument.

“He was so helpful, so sweet and encouraging,” Paltrow says. “I mean, it’s embarrassing to be playing in front of your husband, especially when he’s in one of the world’s most successful bands.”

Not only is he successful, but sounds like a sweetheart, too.

“He is so great because he’s so supportive of me as an artist … I really lucked out with him. He’s deeply lovely and special,” she added.

So, she also has a fabulous family life and after taking time off to focus on her two kids – Apple, who will be 6 in May and Moses, who just turned 4 yesterday. (Thursday), she is back at it with two new movie roles. She said she missed acting, but that home life has its perks.

“When you’re having dinner with your kids and your husband and someone says something funny or you’re dying laughing because your 3-year-old made a fart joke, it doesn’t matter what else is going on,” she says. “That’s real happiness.”

She also had something to say about the paparazzi when it comes to having a family. She believes that paparazzi pics reinforce negative misconceptions about her as a person. “[The pictures] probably made me look like a really grumpy person,” she says. “But when you’re the person they’re taking the picture of, it’s like, ‘You just followed me and made my kid cry and you’re going to make money off it? You want me to look at you and smile?’ ”

And although her and hubby Chris Martin are in the spotlight frequently, she realizes they aren’t the only ones – and that they don’t have it the worst. She believes her ex Brad Pitt and wife, Angelina Jolie take the cake when it comes to the paparazzi.

“I feel bad for them,” she says. “They have it worse than anybody on the planet. I mean, we get hounded too, but not like that.”

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Angelina Jolie is breathtaking enough to stop people in their tracks – literally. According to People.com, Jolie caused quite the stir in a busy Paris train station early Thursday while filming her new flick The Tourist.

Thousands of onlookers stopped to take pictures or just gaze as the beautiful actress shot a scene that took about 90 minutes in the busy and infamous Gare de Lyon train station. The 34-year-old actress of mother of six smiled and called “Bonjour!” in between takes to the crowd of star struck onlookers as she navigated crowds, scanned the departures list and hurried to a platform, looking elegant in her wardrobe for the film. The shoot consisted of coordinating a group of about 200 extras, along with the regular rush of train passengers.

After shooting in the train station, Jolie switched location to an apartment for the afternoon followed by a lunch with sons Maddox, 8 and Pax, 5.  Daughters Zahara, 5 and Shiloh, 3, were not left out as she had a lunch with them previously on Tuesday.

Jolie is impressive wherever she goes, as bystanders of the shoot had only positive things to say about the star.

“She was very nice to everyone, very patient,” said a restaurant employee. “No fuss, and she is trés Jolie.”

Jolie not only stopped traffic, but business, as an employee of the station ignored a line of customers in her coffee bar to snap rare photos of her own. “She’s much more beautiful in person. I can’t believe how beautiful,” she said.

The Tourist, also starring Johnny Depp is about an American tourist who is used by an Interpol agent is used by an Interpol agent attempting to flush out a criminal, with whom she had an affair. The film is to be released in 2011.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Does Jennifer Aniston really plan on dieing alone?

According to Perez Hilton, Aniston’s Beverly Hills mansion is going under renovations to transform it from a potential family home into a full-fledged bachelorette pad.

The star’s home “originally had his-and-hers baths, but Aniston has turned the ‘his’ into a spa bath with a soaking tub” reports Architectural Digest.

Aniston has been a single lady ever since her embarrassing breakup with John Mayor in 2009. Aniston apparently ended things with the acoustic rocker because, although he didn’t have enough time to wine-and-dine Aniston, he did have enough time to update his Twitter on an hourly basis.

Aniston’s other blunders in the men department include her short-time relationship with Vince Vaughn and, of course, her title as ex-wife of Brad Pitt.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Well it turns out the earlier reports were false. TMZ is reporting that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are staying together, according to sources close to the couple.

The reports from the British newspaper according to the source are “B.S.” We think many people around the world will sleep better tonight.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Could it really be over? It looks like it. The Sunday Times of London is reporting that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have filed the papers to separate.

The paper further reports that the couple will share custody of their six children, however the children will live with Jolie. The National Enquirer also reported that on January 6 the couple had a major blowout in a New York restaurant which was the final straw of the relationship.

Both Pitt and Jolie will keep the money they earned individually, the Times reported. So far there has been no comment from either one of the actors’ publicists.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

After the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have announced that they have donated $1 million towards relief in Haiti.

According to MuchMusic.com, The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, as the couple identifies themselves, made the donation towards Doctors Without Borders, an organization that saw each of it’s Haitian hospitals destroyed.

“It is incredibly horrible to see a catastrophe of this size hit a people who have been suffering from extreme poverty, violence and unrest for so many decades,” said Jolie.

Pitt agreed with Jolie, and urged for more people to get involved with the relief programs.

“We understand the first response is critical to serve the immediate needs of countless people who are now displaced from their homes, are suffering trauma, and most require urgent care,” said the film star.

The Canadian Red Cross, UNICEF, Save The Children, World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, Salvation Army Canada, and many other organizations are pleading along said Pitt.

Please visit their respective websites to learn more.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

As a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, Angelina Jolie, accompanied by her partner, Brad Pitt, travelled to Syria to raise awareness of the situation there regarding Iraqi refugees.

In addition to meeting with President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma, the couple visited two refugee families in the capital, Damascus, reports Perez Hilton.

“Most Iraqi refugees cannot return to Iraq in view of the severe trauma they experienced there, the uncertainty linked to the coming Iraqi elections, the security issues and the lack of basic services,” said Jolie. ”They will, therefore, be in need of continued support from the international community.”

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

It only seemed like a matter of time before World War Two was “Tarantino-ized.” After all, it’s the perfect setting for the “Pulp Fiction” director’s self-proclaimed poetry and mind-boggling gore.

Set in the first year of Germany’s occupation of France, “Inglourious Basterds” – a film that’s loosely based on the 1978 Italian war flick “The Inglorious Bastards” – kicks off with Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (played by German actor Christoph Waltz) who’s on the lookout for Jews (he’s literally referred to as the “Jew Hunter”). One of Landa’s searches in the outskirts of France leads him to a Jewish French girl, Shoshana Dreyfus (played by the beautiful Melanie Laurent) – whose family is killed by Landa and his crew.

Simultaneously (but in a different part of Europe) Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish American soldiers to perform swift acts of retribution. And by retribution, he means Tarantino-style revenge (which translates to gore X 150).

See, Lt. Aldo wants each and every one of his “Basterds” (as they’re nicknamed in the movie) to conclude the mission with 100 Nazi scalps – not in a figurative manner. He actually wants Nazi scalps peeled from their heads. And let’s just say the special effects and makeup department do a damn good job of literally pulling that off. Eventually “The Basterds” cross paths with Shoshana and the two stories mend together.

Odds are you won’t be looking at your watch throughout “Inglourious Basterds” (although you might look away at multiple borderline repulsive scenes in the film, like when Brad Pitt’s character puts his finger directly into another character’s wound).

Only Tarantino can create a movie that combines action-packed gore with an equally powerful screenplay that carries on like rapid fire. All in all, there are four languages spoken in this film (German, Italian, English and French) which could have easily turned “Inglourious Basterds” into a chaotic mess – but that’s not the case, mainly because Tarantino made it clear that he wanted native talent in his film.

And what a relief it is to see Germans play Germans, Americans play Americans and French play French (for the most part), which really adds some authenticity to Tarantino’s take on the Nazi regime.

Waltz’ portrayal of a Nazi colonel is by far the standout performance of “Basterds.” He makes music out of Tarantino’s dialogue with his sly rendition of the character. The actor, who’s relatively unknown outside of Germany, has already won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and there’s buzz about an Oscar nomination as well.

French actress Melanie Laurent is equally dead-on with her role. Anyone who’s seen “Kill Bill” knows Tarantino is keen on having strong-willed women in his movies and this is the case for Shoshana and somewhat for German-movie-star-turned-ally, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger). It’s needless to say Pitt stands out in the movie as Aldo. Although the previews make him out to be the film’s protagonist, be warned that he’s not. Aldo is a cartoon-like character that oozes some comic relief in the gloomy WW2 setting.

Sure “Basterds” is a half hour too long, bounces around like a 1940’s Volkswagen Beetle and drags out some of its scenes, but its greatest flaw is a Mike Myers cameo. Nothing against Myers but come on; who can think of the man outside of comedies like “Austin Powers?”

As is the case for most Tarantino flicks, you either glorify them or in-glorify them. And you might even call him a bastard – whether it be a brilliant one or not.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

The movie comes out tomorrow so check back for our review later tonight. In the meantime here’s the trailer for the film starring Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

andPOP was at the Canadian premiere of the highly anticipated “Inglourious Basterds,” the latest Quentin Tarantino film. The director himself was present along with Eli Roth, who plays Sgt. Donny Donowitz in the war movie.

The event took place on Aug. 12 at the Scotiabank theatre in Toronto and featured two World War II vehicles mounted with models dressed in ‘40s attire. Hundreds of fans lined the street of the theatre to catch a glimpse of the director and a star of his film.

“Inglourious Basterds” is set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, where a group of Jewish-American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt) are chosen to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by killing Nazis. The group, known as “The Basterds,” soon cross paths with a French-Jewish girl who’s escaped a near-death experience.

“Inglourious Basterds” opens in theatres on Aug. 21. Keep checking back for a review of the film.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

I have been waiting for Inglorious Basterds since it was announced.  I have been waiting for the newest Wolfenstein game since I finished the last one I played.  What can I say? I enjoy killing Nazis.

Tarantino’s magnum opus depicts a team of American soldiers performing shocking acts of brutality on Nazis so intense that it really only makes sense to have an affiliation with the Wolfenstein franchise, where players get to do basically the same thing, but with cooler weapons.Activision has announced that they are sponsoring a contest for 2 lucky winners to attend the premiere of Basterds in Hollywood, and the sure-to-kick-ass after-party.  The prize includes a pair of roundtrip tickets to L.A., a three-night stay, and 2 tickets to the show and after-party.  I haven’t been this excited since Crank paired off with Grand Theft Auto.

Oh wait, that never happened – but why not?

Check out http://www.gamespot.com/ for details.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance