We received a text message from B&U blogger Lauren, who inturruped our Baja Chalupa to tell us that new images from Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince have been thrown online at Rotten Tomatoes. You can see the slideshow HERE.

On a fan-boy level, we’d much rather have had the whole movie in a little over a month rather than a little under a year, but pictures of Emma Watson will do until then.

As Iron Man II continues to roll, we keep getting more info about War Machine from press tours involving the first Iron Man. Not only is some nifty War Machine concept art included on the DVD, but a new interview at CHUD featuring Devin visiting Stan Winston’s workshop to learn about the Iron Man armor features this as the closing tidbit:

On getting to work on Iron Man 2.

[Key Artist Christopher] Swift: We’ve gotten very little information. The most I’ve heard is the possibility of the War Machine, and that it’s Terrence Howard in this one. I have to say, I talked a lot with Terence on the set, and I said, “Get ready. Because in the comic books, you end up in the suit.” And he said, “Really!?!? I love the idea! I want to be in that suit!” And you know what? He’ll probably get his opportunity. He’s got a great build; he’s very skinny, so we wouldn’t have a hard time fitting him in the suit.

You can (and should) read the rest of the practical effects geekery HERE.

DJ AM was released form the hospital on Friday, making his first appearance today at a Memorial Service for one of the victims of the jet crash that left him burned…

Madonna made a short. Then that short got longer. Now, it’s 80 minutes long, and touted as her directorial debut.

Yes, Madonna: Director.

If that isn’t wierd enough, the film looks to star Eugene Hutz of the Gypsy-punk band Golgol Bordello, a band Dave got to see in Lollapalooza and a band that brought Dave’s friend Tai into conflict with Frodo himself during one of thier concerts (Elijah Wood is a fan and dated one of the band’s dancers - Dave saw him at Lollapalooza as well, but was shunned when he yelled “Share the load!’ during Radiohead).

Here’s the official:

A Ukrainian immigrant, A.K. (Eugene Hutz), finances his dreams of ‘trans-continental superstardom’ with his band, Gogol Bordello, by turning tricks as a role-playing cross dresser. As A.K. literally whips the privileged of London into shape, he also secretly pines for the object of his affection, Holly (Holly Weston), an aspiring ballerina looking for her big break while moonlighting as a slippery stripper. Meanwhile, Juliette (Vicky Mclure) steals medicine from her pharmaceutical job in hopes of quenching her dreams of helping Africa’s youth. FILTH AND WISDOM is every bit as erotic and playful as it is poignant and touching, revealing the universal struggles we all face in our pursuits of happiness.

It doesn’t take much to have low expectations for this film, especially since it’s only getting released for a week in California and for one day in select cities. But, the trailer features some cool Golgol Bordello music, and Eugene is entertaining on film and on stage, so why not make the jump and peep the preview…

Yes, dissent has been filed over using the word “neat” in the headline. Get over it.

During the Writer’s Strike of yesteryear, SNL, the Colbery Report and 30 Rock all did live shows to benefit various funds to hold the crews of their shows over until the WGA was ready to play dead. The 30 Rock reading got especially good reviews, so we’re excited that NBC’s promotional clips from the 30 Rock Season 2 DVD include a brief segment from the strike-time reading at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade theater.

Another clip that teases an extra feature we’ll look forward to is a table read featuring the cast. Bonus, because a split screen should scroll down the script so you can read along and DOUBLE BONUS because it’s for the script that won Tina Fey and Emmy, the series finale, “Cooter.”

Check out those clips after the cut, and hope against hope that they don’t shut down Dave’s YouTube account…

Oh, the trash of this past hour!

Due to a DV-R malfunction, we missed Gossip Girl last night and were forced to add to their pool of iTunes download money. If that wasn’t trashy enough, we ended up listening to Paris Hilton’s newest song called “My BFF,” which will double as the theme song for her MTV series we already hate.

“My BFF” was co-written by boy-toy Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, so though it sucks because it’s pop from a stuck-up heiress who wasn’t THAT famous until we all had the option to buy a porn with her in it, it is catchier than previous Hilton efforts, which only means that 14-year-old girls who are unsure why she’s famous in the first place might just latch on to this.

Give it a listen if you are 14 or especially brave. HERE.

You’re right! Congress has failed us! We can’t trust our leaders! Let’s turn to the clown!

Wait. I think I remember how this goes. Something about Obama getting burned in a fire and wearing a half-pimp suit.

One of the times we saw the first Transformers with an audience was opening day at a movie theater in the downtown area of Brooklyn. The theater was on the sixth floor of the complex and was filled with kids and high teenagers who were thrilled to the get the companion Bumblebee comic book to look at before we saw if Michael Bay could pull off a movie based on a line of toys from the 80s (though it couldn’t be that hard, since in scene in the Tom Hanks movie BIG, toy executives essentially come up with the idea for Beast Wars on screen)

When Optimus Prime takes on Bonecrusher, the skating robot that takes on a bus, the guy sitting in front of Dave turned around and slapped him on the thigh, yelling “robot fight!” This elicited many cheers within the theater.

So, we pose the question, what about Revenge of the Fallen is going to be bigger and better (UPDATED!)…

These comments were culled from our Johnny Depp/Disney post, where we announced along with the internet: Johnny Depp will be the Mad Hatter, Tonto and return as Jack Sparrow for Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

MovIeFreaKE, this rant’s for you…

As far as we know, Baz Luhrmann’s Australia is going to be massive. We didn’t initially think so, and the first trailer had Nicole Kidman’s aristocrat-turned-ranch owner telling a story to a child that seemed to involve Hugh Jackman’s scoundrel cowboy. Now, the film looks much more complex.

From what we know officially, it’s sometime pre-World War II and Kidman’s character inherits a ranch. Hugh Jackman helps her with cattle barons, but we’re guessing something else happens, since most cattle barons around that time didn’t have fleets of airplanes and bombs.

Either way, this preview looks Gone With The Wind mixed with a smattering of African Queen. And that’s a tall order.