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Jolie gifts magical 'bat remains' to Brad Pitt

     New York: Hollywood diva Angelina Jolie has reportedly given actor Brad Pitt a vial of gray powder to ward off accidents. According to the New York Daily News, a close friend of the 'Troy' star discovered the vial when he opened the glove compartment in Brad's car. Brad later revealed to his friend that the 'Tomb Raider' star told him that the vial contained the remains of a bat. Interestingly, Angelina and her ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton used to wear a vial of each other's dried blood in pendants around their neck.

JLo asks God to make her a mother (Go To Top)

     New York: Pop diva Jennifer Lopez is asking God for help to fulfil her dream of having a baby. The 'Maid in Manhattan' has created a shrine at her Long Island home featuring a 17-inch Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Mexican rendering of the Virgin Mary. Lopez religiously lights a candle and prays to the statue almost every day, asking to be blessed with pregnancy. "Praying to the saint was her mom's idea. A year ago, Jen would have said, 'No way.' She's desperate and is praying for a miracle," The New York Post quoted a source close to Lopez's family as saying.

Marlon Brando sued posthumously for sexual harassment (Go To Top)

     London: Marlon Brando's former business manager has filed a 1.8 million sterling pounds claim against his estate, alleging the late Oscar-winner sexually harassed her. This Is London reported Jo An Corrales as saying that Brando sacked her months before his death because she refused to commit tax fraud, and that he owed her 2,65,000 sterling pounds in unpaid commissions. The lawsuit comes nearly six months after 80-years old Brando died of lung failure on 1st July in Los Angeles. The suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says Brando ``caused a hostile work environment due to his continuous acts of sexual harassment" over a three-year period in which Corrales was employed.

Martin Scorsese set to present Oscars (Go To Top)

     Washington: Oscar nominated director Martin Scorsese is set to present this year's Oscar awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on February 27, as per Zap2it. Scorsese's film 'The Aviator' has been nominated for 11 categories this year including best director, best actor and best actress. It is, however, ironical that one of the most recognizable names in the film industry has never won an academy award. The filmmaker had earlier been nominated seven times for his work which includes "Gangs of New York," "The Age of Innocence," "Cape Fear," "Good Fellas," "The Color of Money," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver."

Indian new-comer eyes Oscar with debut short film (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Budding Indian filmmaker Ashwin Kumar claimed that his debut venture, nominated in the Best Short Film category for the Academy Awards this year, was an honest attempt to portray relations between India and Pakistan. Twenty four year-old Kumar's "Little Terrorist" is not only the first Indian film in the nominations category but has also won accolades at various international film festivals. "Little Terrorist" was voted as the "best of the fest" at the Palm Springs Film Festival and has made the rounds of the Manhattan, Chicago and Telluride Sao Paulo short film festivals. The 15-minute film is the story of a small Pakistani boy who strays into India and is suspected to be a terrorist. It shows about the help he receives and how he finally makes his way back home form the core of the plot. Kumar says the film is inspired by the complex and wavering relations between India and Pakistan. "I have been trying to evolve a way of discussing India-Pakistan situation which is not jingoistic, not bashing, not a documentary film, not television news reporting. These are the ways the situation has been presented so far. And I wanted to make a gentle reiterating yet ironical film about it," he said.

     The nomination for the Oscars has come as a surprise to Kumar, who has been struggling to establish himself in the Indian movie world, dominated by the traditional candyfloss Bollywood potboilers. "It is the Oscars, and it is the Oscars and I was ecstatic, but this media attention that has sort of spontaneous outpouring of pride that has come about in the last 48 hours...it's fabulous. I think we as a country need such things to happen. And I am very proud as this is happening," he said. Kumar is the second Indian filmmaker to win an academy award nomination in the last four years after Ashutosh Gowarikar's "Lagaan" made it to the Best Foreign Films category in 2001. "Lagaan" failed to bring home the coveted golden statuette as it lost out to "No Man's Land" from Bosnia. "Little Terrorist" would face stiff competition from four other films "Everything In this Country Must", "7:35 In The Morning", "Two Cars, One Night" and "Wasp" for the awards slated to be announced on February 27.