Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan, Neil Patrick Harris and other stars who are used to getting applause were giving it gladly at a ceremony honoring people who make a difference in the lives of others. “I’ve cried twice and we’re on hero three,” Harris said backstage after introducing one of the 10 “CNN Heroes” celebrated Saturday by the TV news network for their efforts to fight poverty, disease and other problems. “There are so many awards shows every year for the Hollywood community that participating in something as effective as this makes those others feel inconsequential” and provides perspective, said Harris, star of CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” and recent Emmy Awards host. The top CNN Hero of the Year and a grant of $100,000 went to a young man who embraced education for himself and other Filipinos as an escape from poverty. He and the other honorees received $25,000 each. As a child, Efren Penaflorida picked school over gang life in Cavite City and vowed to create a way for other children to make the same choice. He created a program that brings books to children in slums and on the streets, and the 10,000 members of his Dynamic Teen Co. have brought reading, writing and hygiene to 1,500 youngsters. “My message to children of all races, please, to embrace learning and love it for it will embrace and love you back and enable you to change your world,” said Penaflorida, now a 21-year-old college graduate. “Each person has a hidden hero within, just have to look inside you and search it in your heart and be the hero the next one in need,” he said in accepting the top honor. Brosnan, honoring a woman who started an anti-breast cancer project, created one of the evening’s most emotional moments as he recalled his late wife’s failed battle against the disease. She was a “magnificent mother, a wonderful actor,” he said of Cassandra Harris, who died of ovarian cancer in 1991. “There are too many of us who have lost someone to this brutal disease called cancer, and we are all sick and tired of cancer winning,” he said in introducing breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory, who runs a mobile mammography project in Miami that provides free screenings. The pair posed backstage for photos, Ivory glamorous in a gown with an oversized pink bow — symbolic of the ribbons that mark the breast cancer battle. “Stunning,” Brosnan said, smiling broadly as cameras focused on her. “You make me nervous,” Ivory replied, but Brosnan would have none of it. “You’re the star,” he said. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hosted the Kodak Theatre ceremony that was attended by about 4,000 people and will air on CNN at 9 p.m. EST Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and on CNN International and CNN en Espanol. Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and Maxwell performed, and other presenters included Nicole Kidman and George Lopez.

This is such a great event, I’m so glad that so many celebs are interested in participating in honoring everyday folk who give so generously of their time, energy and money to help others in need. I also love how classy this event is … black tie looks good on so many people. Love and congrats goes out to CNN’s honorees this year … make sure you tune in on Thanksgiving night to see who was honored this year.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

LAST month we gave EVA MENDES’ new Calvin Klein ads two giant thumbs up, hinting it could be her hottest shoot to date. Little did we know there were more scorching pics from the campaign knocking around … [here is a] jaw-dropping … shot of Eva in CK underwear, showing off her towering, toned and perspiration-coated figure.

Okay … so the last batch of photos were so crazy hot, not only ‘cuz Eva Mendes is so beautiful but also because they included the very, very hot Jamie Dornan. BUT, this new pic of the very statuesque Mendes is just … wow. Her body is sick. She should walk around in her underwear more often. Truth be told, Eva’s CK Underwear ads are much sexier than Victoria Beckham’s Armani Underwear ads (tho Becks has got Dornan beat in the male undies department). She looks amazing, y’all … don’tcha think?

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Calvin Klein Jeans was singled out by the media on Tuesday for its provocative billboard at the corner of Houston and Lafayette streets in Manhattan, which show a seminude threesome. It’s the kind of media attention the brand thrives on, but soon it will be out with the old ads and in with the new — and for fall, the campaign includes actress Eva Mendes and Jamie Dornan. Steven Klein shot the duo in, true to form, racy new black-and-white images for Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear. In addition to billboards, there will be Jeans ad inserts in the August issues of Lucky, Elle and GQ, and the September issue of Vanity Fair, as well as cover gatefolds in W, Nylon, Details and Interview. For women and men’s underwear, four-page ad units will run in In Style and GQ. Mendes has developed close ties to the company, adding the new Underwear and Jeans campaigns to her work in Calvin Klein Secret Obsession and the current Underwear campaign. Dornan has worked with the brand for years, previously alongside Natalia Vodianova in fall 2004 and Kate Moss in fall 2006. He’s also in the new Calvin Klein white label ads, with model Edita.

Ohhhh … Ms. Mendes is lookin’ caliente in this photo. But she’s lookin’ caliente-er in the sexy Calvin Klein Underwear ad with Jamie Dornan. After the jump, check it out …

I had to rotate the photo so that y’all could get the full effect (the image would’ve been smaller if posted horizontally). But, if you really wanna, you can turn your head sideways to see the photo as it was meant to be seen. Whatever you do, I’m sure all y’all will find something to enjoy about this second photo. OhLaLaMag provides a few more photos that feature Jamie more prominently:

Eva looks hawt, Jamie looks hawt … mission: accomplished Calvin Klein!

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There were quite a few fashion disasters on the red carpet last night and I’m convinced that many of the folks who made their way down the red carpet were totally loaded. I watched NBC’s red carpet coverage and was aghast at how horrible the whole thing was. Not only did Nancy O’Dell look like she had a mop afixed to her head but she and her interviewer cohorts were simply HORRENDOUS as they interviewed the celebs:

If you watched the show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. But, once the show got underway and the awards started to get handed out, things leveled off and got sorta interesting. In the end, the Hollywood Foreign Press saw fit to bestow HEAPS of awards on Slumdog Millionaire (in the Film categories) and John Adams (in the Television categories). Here are a few pics from the press room and a rundown of what went down last night:

The movie “Slumdog Millionaire” emerged as the big winner at the 66th Golden Globes late Sunday, scooping four awards to underline its credentials ahead of next month’s Oscars. Late Australian actor Heath Ledger earned a posthumous Golden Globe for his performance in Batman blockbuster “The Dark Knight” while Kate Winslet won two awards for best drama actress and supporting actress. But, ironically, on a star-studded night in Beverly Hills, it was “Slumdog Millionaire” the rags-to-riches love story about an orphan who fights his way out of Mumbai slums on an Indian television game show. The film — featuring a cast of virtual unknowns — won best drama and also picked up honors for director Danny Boyle, as well as honors for best screenplay and best music. Sally Hawkins also won the best musical/comedy actress award for her performance in the light-hearted Mike Leigh film “Happy-Go-Lucky.” The 32-year-old actress beat favorite Meryl Streep (”Mamma Mia!”), Frances McDormand (”Burn After Reading) and fellow Britons Rebecca Hall (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) and Emma Thompson (”Last Chance Harvey”). After a disastrous event last year that was reduced to a celebrity-free zone by the entertainment industry’s writers strike, this year’s Globes red carpet read like a who’s who of the movie industry’s A-list. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio were just a handful of the A-listers in attendance at the Beverly Hilton. Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes — which are chosen by around 80 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — have separate best picture awards for dramas and musicals. In the past four years the Globes have failed to accurately predict the best picture winner at the Academy Awards but overall, some 67 percent of Oscars best picture winners had first received a Golden Globe. As such the Globes are seen as an important staging post ahead of the Academy Awards, offering clues to which films will be successful at the Oscars, which take place at Hollywood’s Kodak Theater on February 22. The acting awards on Sunday saw Australian heart-throb Ledger honored as expected for his portrayal of arch-villain the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Director Christopher Nolan accepted Ledger’s award, saying the actor’s death at the age of 28 had “ripped a hole” in the future of cinema. “All of us who worked with Heath on ‘The Dark Knight’ accept this with an awful mixture of sadness but incredible pride,” Nolan said. “For any of us lucky enough to work with him, I think for any of us lucky enough to enjoy his performances, he will be eternally missed, but he will never be forgotten,” he added. The victory cements Ledger’s status as the odds-on favorite to win a best supporting actor Oscar at next month’s Oscars. The other big winner in the acting categories was Winslet, who scooped best actress in a drama for her performance in “Revolutionary Road” and best supporting actress for “The Reader.” Winslet, 33, who had been overlooked after five previous nominations, was overcome following her double win, apologizing to her rival nominees and thanking “Revolutionary Road” co-star DiCaprio. “I’m so sorry, Meryl (Streep), Anne (Hathaway), Kristin (Scott-Thomas), the other one… Angelina (Jolie)!,” Winslet gasped. “Thank you so much… thank you soooo much!,” before adding to longtime friend and fellow “Titanic” star DiCaprio: “I love you with all my heart, I really do!” It was only the third time in Golden Globes history that an actor or actress had been honored with two awards on the same night. In the men’s acting categories there was an emotional victory for Mickey Rourke, who won best actor in a drama for his heart-wrenching portrayal of a washed-up prizefighter in “The Wrestler.” “This has been a very long road back for me,” said Rourke, whose career nose-dived through much of the 1990s after an ill-advised spell as a professional boxer. Rourke — who famously has a pet chihuahua — also paid tribute to canine friends who had comforted him over the years. “I’d like to thank all of my dogs, the ones that are here and the ones that aren’t here anymore because sometimes when a man is alone, that’s all you’ve got is your dog, and they meant the world to me,” Rourke said. Rock star Bruce Springsteen won for best original song for his theme song for “The Wrestler.” But it was a disappointing evening though for Brad Pitt and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” which had started the night with five nods alongside “Frost/Nixon” and “Doubt”. All three films came away empty-handed.

Poor Brangelina … they walked away from the Golden Globes with nothing but a free meal and prolly a very nice giftbag — that’s it! And, to add insult to injury, Angelina got called “the other one” by Kate Winslet (which sounded an awful lot like when John McCain referred to Barack Obama as “that one” during one of the Presidential Debates). Tsk tsk. Neither The Curious Case of Benjamin Button nor Changeling have done very well at winning awards thus far, have they? HMMM. I am SO thrilled that Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up last night … truly an underdog film that is worthy of the praise and accolades it continues to win. If you’ve not see the movie yet, I urge you to do so before the Academy Awards are held next month … you don’t want to miss out. I was happy, too, that Heath Ledger won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Dark Knight. I really hope he is on track for an Oscar, he really deserves the win. Props to Kate Winslet for being the first person to ever win both Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards in the same year (I understand that has never happened before). I’ve only heard amazing things about The Reader and Vicki Christina Barcelona … so I am now on a mission to see those films (as well as The Wrestler, which I’ve been dying to see anyways) as soon as I can. I really enjoyed this year’s Golden Globe Awards mostly because so many small, relatively unknown films did so well. It gets kinda boring when the usual suspects (ie. big, blockbuster A-list celeb movies) win all the awards … it’s nice to see the talented little guys get their time in the sun. Next up, Oscar noms which come out next week. How many of last night’s winners do you think will get tapped for Academy Award nominations? Also, what did you think of last night’s show … good, bad, you’re over it already?

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Samuel L Jackson and Eva Mendez walked the red carpet for the premiere of their Latest film – The Spirit on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The film is directed by Frank Miller who has adapted the comics of his mentor into the film. “Will Eisner was my mentor and he created The Spirit around the same time Superman was created and he drew from older sources. He regarded the Superman and Batman looking like circus performances and so I would rather have a guy with a fedora and red tie,” says Director and Writer, Frank Miller. The Spirit tells the story of a man who [is killed and returns from the dead] and fights crime from the shadows of Central City. Meanwhile, Jackson who plays a villain named Octopuss in the film says he’s wanted to work with Miller since Sin City. “I have wanted to work with Frank (Miller) for a while I was chasing him for a long time trying to get one of those Sin City stories and I couldn’t. Then they end up doing the movie and I am not in it. So when Frank Miller wants to meet I thought I am going to get this Sin City story. Then he tells me ‘I am thinking of doing The Spirit and I want you in it and want you to be the bad guy.” Also starring Scarlet Johansson, The Spirit is slated to release on Christmas Day.

Darion and I were very fortunate to be invited to attend last night’s premiere of this film and I am happy to report that we had a pretty fantastic time. Despite the driving rain, Lions Gate Films really pulled off a spectacular red carpet event on Hollywood Blvd. last night that absolutely did not disappoint. Darion and I were sitting in the same row as Samuel L. Jackson and were only one row away from Scarlett Johannson and two rows away from Eva Mendes. We had a blast! I have a bunch of personal pics that Darion snapped at the afterparty which was held across the street from the theater at the Roosevelt Hotel and will have my full review in the TV Guide post. I must say, tho, that these photos do not do the celebs justice. Scarlett, Eva and Jamie King looked ravishing in person … literally, take-your-breath-away hot! Just being close to them in person was an incredible experience. Getting to meet some of them was just a thrill. More soon …

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Brad Pitt was surrounded by beautiful women at the LA premiere of David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood. Pitt and Angelina Jolie resembled classic old time movie stars. Looking a far cry from their busy mommy/daddy roles, Angie was elegant in a strapless black Versace gown, Ralph Lauren Vintage Collection drop earrings, her hair slicked back. Pitt wore a Tom Ford three-piece tuxedo suit and a moustache. But he also posed for photos with his onscreen love interest, Cate Blanchett, reportedly clad in a short, sparkly Alexander McQueen frock that looked suspiciously like a Nicolas Ghesquiere Balenciaga design, but what do I know. Brad’s parents Bill and Jane Pitt, were also on hand for their son’s big Oscar shot film. So were Jennifer Lopez, Gary Oldman, Eva Longoria-Parker, Sharon Stone and Oscar winning actress Tilda Swinton, wearing a Rodarte gown, who also plays one of Pitt’s lovers early in the film. In this incredibly moving and sweeping romance based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pitt plays a boy who is born old but gets younger. He falls in love with Cate’s character whom he meets when he is very old man and she is very young girl, but they eventually hook up in the middle. It’s an astonishing film (getting major Oscar buzz) that gets you thinking about love, time, aging, youth, impermanence, relationships, faith, communication and all the people who’ve had an impact – big or small – in your life. Most amazing is the makeup and digital aging/youthing FX. Watching Blanchett and Pitt age in different directions is an astonishing feat that doesn’t distract from the magical love story. Blanchett didn’t make it to the flashy post party. But for a darn good reason. She hopped a red eye flight back home to Sydney so she could host the Wednesday “Button” Australian premiere, a big fundraiser for her pet passion, the Sydney Theatre Company.

Brad and Ange looked pretty amazing last night … the old skool Hollywood glam-look really works for them. It’s always a pleasure to see Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton on a red carpet … and Jennifer Lopez was lookin’ like her usual luscious Diva Latina self. Oh and I doubt that the Marley & Me premiere will be as lavish an affair as this premiere was. To be completely honest … I’m not sure I’m all that interested in seeing this film. Having seen the very extensive movie trailer pretty much gives the whole story away. BUT, there are two reasons why I will prolly make my way out to theaters to check it out — the movie is based on a story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and was directed by David Fincher (you may recall that Pitt and Fincher worked together on the stunning film Se7en). Since this is one Fitzgerald story I haven’t read yet, I’m intrigued to see what it may look like on the big screen. Add to that the fact that Fincher is one of my fave movie directors and, well, it looks like Mr. Button will be getting my $15 at the box office (unless I see it at home in Detroit, MI where my out of pocket expenses will be lowered to approx. $10).

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Is Eva Mendes the sexiest woman in Hollywood? Network censors may have pondered that very question earlier this year, when they ruled that 30 seconds of grainy, home-movie-ish footage of the actress wearing little more than a smudge of black eyeliner in a commercial for Calvin Klein’s new eau, Secret Obsession, was too hot for TV. (Not to worry. Mendes—albeit slightly less of her—will still be steaming up your flat screen this fall.) The original “isn’t shocking at all,” says Mendes, whose Sophia Loren contours will also, around the same time, be featured in ads for a new Calvin Klein Underwear line for curvier women called Seductive Comfort. “But it does have a really intimate quality that makes people nervous.” In other words, it’s typical Calvin Klein … The Mendes episode may be relatively minor as CK kerfuffles go (so far, at least), but it serves to remind us of what the company’s marketers happily call “the halo effect” of controversy. The phenomenon dates back to Brooke Shields declaring her indivisibility from her Calvins, then continued with the early-’90s Obsession ads of Kate Moss draped naked across a couch or staring soulfully into the camera, one barely postpubescent breast covered and the other entirely revealed, and Mark Wahlberg’s firm grasp on his Calvin-clad crotch, stretched high above Times Square.

Okay, so I’ve seen this controversial Secret Obsession television commercial and I can understand why it was banned … had it not been for the exposed nipple shot, I think the commercial would’ve been fine for the airwaves. This country is still not ready to expose women’s breasts on TV. After the jump, check out the Calvin Klein Secret Obsession commercial starring Eva Mendes in all her NSFW glory …