Depending on where you live in the US (or in the world) you may have seen billboards, posters and/or notices around town promoting a new film called District 9. The promo artwork looks like “official” notices that aliens are not allowed to use certain bus benches, which have been deemed for “Human Use Only” (click HERE to see a few examples). It’s all very ingenious, I think. District 9 is a film that features a future world where aliens come to Earth and are segregated in an area called district 9 in South Africa. Until now, the video promo for the film has been shadowy at best. Today we get to see a newly released movie trailer that gives a bit more info about the film itself:

I really love films like this (check out D-9.com to see how fun the official website is). Taking conventional thought and turning it completely around. We abhor the notion of segregating different races from one another but, in this film, we seem happy to segregate alien species from humans. I love this teaser video … I can’t wait to see more (but not too much more as to ruin the movie before we get to see it). After the jump, check out the new trailer for District 9 in full …

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Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, who has a new film titled I Love You, Beth Cooper opening in theaters soon, is featured in the new issue of Details magazine. In the piece, Hayden talks her paparazzi paranoia, having a high profile personal life and getting beat up in middle school. Here is her Details mag photo along with a portion of her interview:

AS HAYDEN PANETTIERE WALKS a deserted strip in Hollywood, the 19-year-old star of NBC’s Heroes glances around nervously, occasionally spinning her head to check behind her. Wearing short denim shorts and brown UGGs and toting a big bag, the diminutive actress looks like an elfin princess on the run. “Hello,” she says, walking into a little vegan restaurant, greeting me as she shrugs off her load. She orders a bowl of brothy vegetable soup and twirls her little gold whale-tail necklace, a symbol, she explains, of her devotion to the cetacean cause. The petite, bronzed blonde keeps looking out the window, over her shoulder. Not surprisingly she’s afraid she’s been followed—Panettiere has become the ultimate tabloid chum. She has lived her whole life in the public eye. “I started doing this, and I know it sounds absurd, but 11 months old, I did my first commercial.” The daughter of an actress and a New York City firefighter, Panettiere spent her childhood bouncing between 30-second spots and roles on One Life to Live and Guiding Light. “I remember hearing in first grade, ‘Oh, why does she get to skip school?’” she says. “It wasn’t like I suddenly started feeling different. I always knew that I was. I never felt I missed out—in fact, it was like, ‘Oh, thank God I’m not that.’” Namely, she means, a regular kid. It’s not easy being beautiful and special and talented, and Panettiere lived through her share of Mean Girls shit. Mostly homeschooled, she occasionally returned from acting gigs to her public school in Rockland County, New York, and her classmates’ wrath. In middle school, she was punched in the face by “a very angry, very sad girl,” she says, as if echoing the words her mom used to comfort her at the time. “I was tortured, emotionally tortured by these girls. Every time I came back from filming, it would be me trying to find my way back into the clique. And they weren’t having it.” Panettiere seems to have emerged victorious from her teen trials. After a series of minor TV and movie roles, she was cast at age 16 as Heroes’ invincible cheerleader, Claire, and quickly blossomed into the queen of high-school geeks of all ages. (Her new teen comedy, I Love You, Beth Cooper, is about a nerd who falls for the hottest, most popular girl in school—notice a trend?) … There have been times when the media scrutiny was more than she could take. “It’s turned my life upside down and shaken it,” Panettiere says, referring to the incident in August 2008 in which her father was accused of hitting her mother and later charged with misdemeanor battery. Her father called it a misunderstanding, saying, “Nothing actually happened,” then pleaded no contest. “It was very tough, especially since it’s my family,” Panettiere says. “It’s one thing if you do it to me. I get frustrated, but I can handle it. But when it involves my family, my friends, forget it—I lose my . . . ” Panettiere pauses—then regains control. “I learned the game. The more I react, the angrier I get, the more satisfaction they get. That’s exactly what they want.” As Panettiere drains her bowl of soup, two young Orthodox Jewish men who have been circling in front of the restaurant finally come inside, holding cameras. “Excuse me. I’m sorry, I know this is extremely rude, but we’re from the East Coast and you’re the first famous person we’ve met. Is there any way I would be able to get a picture of you?” “You don’t want to meet famous people.” “If it’s possible, please,” the guy says. Panettiere puts down her spoon, and as they awkwardly drape their arms around her, she gives the camera a practiced look. “Thank you so much. Thank you. I’m sorry,” they say as they back out of the restaurant, already reviewing the images on the camera. “I gave them a half-smile,” she says matter-of-factly. “It’s a survival skill.”

On the one hand, I think it’s totally inappropriate to bother someone for a photo or autograph while they are eating … that should go without saying. But for Panettiere to feel she needs to employ “survival skills” when she is recognized by fans then she prolly should seek a different career. I can totally understand how the constant crush of fame can get tiresome but I also know that celebs really love the money and cache that comes from being famous. It is absolutely a double-edged sword … you take the good with the bad. In my personal experience, Hayden has been nothing but totally sweet to me. I’ve met her a few times … we chatted for a bit at the Star Trek premiere a couple of months ago. BUT, one of my very good friends suffered an unpleasant encounter with her when he tried to say hello to her at a public event (not while she was eating, not while she was talking to anyone else … at a promo event that she was paid to attend). I mean … I get it but when fame starts getting too much to bear, mebbe it’s time to try something else? I do enjoy her work and I will prolly see Beth Cooper when it opens (tho, I doubt the friend who she was mean to will want to come with me) but I’d rather the girl keep her sanity and get out of the limelight rather than become a bitter person.

[Photo credit: Matthias Vriens for DETAILS; Source]

Yesterday we learned that US Weekly magazine published, in their new issue, a few outtake photos of Robert Pattinson’s photoshoot with Rolling Stone magazine. US Weekly dubbed the photos, “Robert Pattinson’s Sexiest Photos Ever”. We got to see a couple of the photos yesterday and today we get to see 3 more:

I opted out of showing any further photos of R. Pattz in that studded jean vest … I think the leather jacket is a much better look for him. Also, you can never have enough wet R. Pattz, right? So … now that we’ve seen a few more photos of Rob from this famed photoshoot … do YOU think that this is the sexiest Robert Pattinson photoshoot ever?

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Everyone’s fave rocker who named his child after a burrough of New York City, was spotted out and about on the streets of LA yesterday lookin’ … well … let’s say confident in taking a fashion risk. With pants and suspenders that look like they were borrowed from Urkel, Pete Wentz was lookin’ very much like he was dressed for a coming flood:

While I don’t usually respond well to folks who dress more hipster-than-thou, I do give Petey snaps for the making the effort to look … different. Fashion is fearless and from the look of this outfit, Pete surely ain’t afraid of the ridicule he invites by wearing this ensemble. What do y’all think … is he in or is he out?

[Photo credit: X17]

Last week we learned that pop starlet Rihanna paid a little visit to East Side Ink in NYC, NY to first learn how to tattoo and then tattoo a few people … which, it turns out, is against NY health code laws and is illegal. Today, Life & Style magazine gives us our first look at Rihanna posing proudly with one of the tattoos she inked on one of the gentleman at East Side Ink:

She may be a talented recording artist, but when Rihanna tried her hand as a tattoo artist at East Side Ink in NYC on July 1, she violated the city’s health code. “Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city, according to the health code”, a rep for the New York City Department of Health tells Life & Style. “We sent someone to follow up.” East Side Ink co-owner Joshua Lord happily tells Life & Style the parlor was given a clean bill of health upon inspection, and Rihanna isn’t likely to face arrest or any fines. And it was all worth it, he says: “She did three tattoos, all very small, but by the third one, she was pretty good. The first tattoo she did, an umbrella, was for BangBang (RiRi’s longtime tattoo artist], on his leg. The second was on me, also on my leg. And Patrick Conlon, another artist, got it on his arm.” The “Umbrella” singer personalized the umbrella tats even more by putting an R on them, as well as a number for the order in which she inked them. “I just think it’s so much cooler than an autograph,” BangBang tells Life & Style. “She did an amazing job for her first tattoo. And now I’m one of the three people on the planet who have Rihanna tattoos!”

I mean … I guess the tat doesn’t look bad but … it’s not really something I think I’d want on my body. It’s cute and tiny … I can’t believe these beefy guys would want something so dainty inked on their bodies either but, whatevs. I do agree that having Rihanna tattoo you is cooler than getting an autograph from her but, really, is it worth having something so permanent? Would you let Rihanna or any other unlicensed celeb tattoo you?

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Yesterday afternoon, we got our first look at the new season of Project Runway — which will premiere on Lifetime TV in August — as new stills from upcoming eps were released by the network. Today, the official Project Runway website has been updated with photos and short bios of the 16 contestants who will be vying for the title of PR champ. Here is our first look at 6 of the new contestants:

OOOOOOH … I’m getting excited now. For the most part thus far, things look very similar to the way Project Runway was presented on Bravo TV. I mean, I know there will be a few changes on the new network (especially with a new production company putting the show together) but I think they are very wise to keep the look and feel of the show as close to the original format that we’ve seen in the first 5 seasons. After the jump, see the photos for the next 10 design contestants …

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After completing her first shows in London and Manchester, England, Madonna has packed up her tour (and family) and has made her way to Paris, France for her next round of Sticky & Sweet Tour shows. Here are cute pics of Maddy and her kiddies — Lourdes Maria, David Banda (in the arms of Maddy’s manager Guy Oseary) and Chifundo Mercy James — upon arrival in Paris and checking into the Ritz hotel:

If Mercy James looks a little bewildered, it’s simply because she’s come such a long way. And not just in miles. The little girl who started life in a spartan African orphanage found herself checking into the sumptuous splendour of the Ritz when Madonna brought the family to Paris. Its five-star luxury could offer no starker contrast to the life Mercy left behind in poverty-stricken Malawi when Madonna won her battle to adopt her last month. And her wide-eyed wonder as she arrived at the historic hotel with the 50-year-old singer showed she is still adjusting to a way of life her friends back home would never even dream of. Clutching her new mother’s hand, four-year-old Mercy insisted on stopping in the street as they got out of their car in front of the hotel. Still holding tight for reassurance, she twisted around to take in the beauty of the Paris street and the imposing facade of the Ritz. In a pale pink hooded jacket, jeans and matching pink pumps,she looked like any little girl dressed by a fashion-conscious mother … Mercy is going to have to get used to travelling – albeit in luxurious style – as her pop star mother shows no signs of slowing down her career. Also in the travelling party were Madonna’s adopted son David, 3, and daughter Lourdes, 13. Only son Rocco, who yesterday attended the Harry Potter premiere in London, could not be seen. Meanwhile Madonna is said to be in talks with Simon Cowell about performing on this year’s series of The X Factor. A show source told The Sun: ‘The last series proved anything is possible when Beyonce performed with Alex – the final got 15 million viewers and that is enough to entice the biggest stars onto our stage. “This year is going to be bigger than ever – we are planning to get the best names in music. Madonna would be so sensational.”

Aww … Mercy in pink — so cute!! Yes, I believe that Rocco was not with the rest of his sibs because he stayed back in London for a bit of extra time with his father Guy Ritchie. It must really be a huge shock to the system for little Mercy to go from an orphanage to the most luxurious places in the world. She is absolutely a beautiful child. Madonna is so lucky to be her mother.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]