Leonardo Dicarpio help out Inception to have dream Box office opening.

�Hurt Locker� star braves real Afghan minefield

 

Renner poses for a portrait in New York

Better known for defusing bombs in Iraq in the Oscar-winning film �The Hurt Locker�, actor Jeremy Renner braved a live minefield in Afghanistan yesterday to draw attention to the tireless work of clearing mines that kill and maim years after being buried.

Despite years of effort to dig up mines planted during decades of civil war and Soviet occupation, more than 650sq km of Afghan territory are still considered active minefields.



While 2009 saw a significant drop in numbers, thousands of Afghans have been killed or injured by mines or explosive war remnants over the past 30 years with many losing limbs or suffering serious scarring.

To emphasis the scale of the problem, 39-year-old Renner teamed up with the United Nations in Afghanistan this week, visiting an Afghan de-mining team north of the capital Kabul.

�It�s tremendous,� he told Reuters during his visit to a minefield in Bagram, about 100km north of Kabul.

�Seeing the guys firsthand is a wonderful gift for me,� he said. �I don�t think there are many guys in my position � I�m just a silly actor � that get an opportunity to come out to Afghanistan at a time of war and get to experience this.�

�The Hurt Locker,� which picked up six Oscars including best picture last year, follows an elite band of soldiers who disarm roadside bombs on the streets of Iraq.

At the centre is Renner�s character, Staff Sergeant William James, a reckless rebel. In one scene, he strips off his protective gear before strolling up to defuse a roadside bomb, despite protests by his fellow soldiers.

PRIDE

Yesterday, Renner played it safe, donning a Kevlar suit and protective mask before venturing onto the minefield.

Abdul Latif, a bearded veteran who has worked as a de-miner for 16 years, waved his metal detector slowly across the ground, demonstrating the task to Renner. Renner asked through an interpreter whether he gets a sense of pride from the job.

�I do it because I love my country,� the Afghan replied.

Renner said he had decided to visit Afghanistan because he wanted to see the tangible work being done.

�The possibilities are what I�m so attracted to here. The possibilities are endless for the communities and I think they deserve it,� he said.

While a lot of progress has been made, the UN mine clearance centre (UNMACCA) which oversees all mine clearance programmes in Afghanistan says there are more than 2,000 communities still affected by landmines.

Between January and May this year, more than 11,000 anti-personnel mines more than 380,000 other explosive remnants were cleared, UNMACCA said. Under an international treaty, all anti-personnel mines in Afghanistan are to be cleared by 2013.

On top of Afghanistan�s problem of landmines are the thousands of improvised explosive devices (IED), or homemade bombs, now being laid by insurgents.

In a report on Afghanistan this month, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said there had been an �alarming� 94 per cent rise in the number of IED incidents in the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2009.

�Toy Story 3� beats Sandler, Cruise at box office

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Robin Hood steals UK box office spot from Iron Man

Robin Hood's latest big-screen outing has debuted at the top of the UK and Ireland box office, pushing Iron Man 2 into second place.

The Ridley Scott movie, which openedCannes Film Festival last week, took �5.75m to Iron Man's �1.6m.

Horror remake A Nightmare on Elm Street stayed in third place with �0.65m, and Hot Tub Time Machine stayed in fourth with �0.57m.

Furry Vengeance dropped three places to round out the top five with �0.55m

Critical reaction to Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, has been mixed.



This big-budget epic has taken a few liberties with the traditional outlaw story - Richard The Lionheart is portrayed as a selfish, warmongering monarch, while the Sheriff of Nottingham plays only a peripheral role.

It failed to topple Iron Man 2 from the North American box office last weekend.

Other films in the top 10 include Four Lions with �0.49m, and Jennifer Lopez's latest film The Back Up Plan, which enjoyed till receipts of �0.48m.

How To Train Your Dragon and The Last Song both dropped a place, taking �0.24m and �0.18m respectively.

Date Night, starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, was at number 10 with takings of �0.13m.

'Iron Man 2' rockets to No. 1-Film earned $133.6 million domestically; 'Nightmare' is No. 2

Marvel Studios' summer-launching comics actioner "Iron Man 2" handily outpaced its franchise predecessor but without industry records, opening atop domestic rankings with an estimated $133.6 million in weekend boxoffice.

The first "Iron Man" pic -- also starring Robert Downey Jr., who enjoyed a personal-best bow with the sequel -- debuted with $98.6 million in May 2008. Some had suggested that broad pre-release buzz could translate into a record opening by "Iron Man 2," but the $158.4 million first-frame performance of "The Dark Knight" in July 2008 remains secure in the record books.



Distributed by Paramount, "Iron Man 2" marked the fifth biggest bow ever and Paramount's best to date.

Heated expectations for the opening gave us knots in our subject, a relieved Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige conceded Sunday.

"But what untied those knots was watching the film with a paying audience," Feige added. "It really was an indication to us that they're still with us for this ride."

A franchise three-quel is expected to hit multiplexes sometime in 2013.

"We do have a contract with Robert Downey Jr. to do it, and it will come after 'The Avengers,' " Feige confirmed.

Paramount is set to unspool "Avengers" -- an ensemble superhero actioner featuring "Iron Man" and other Marvel characters -- on May 4, 2012.

Elsewhere this weekend, Warner Bros.' remake of horror pic "A Nightmare on Elm Street" finished in second place in its sophomore session with $9.2 million, despite falling a big 72% from its opening tally for $48.5 million in cumulative coin. DreamWorks Animation's leggy 3D adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" was third with $6.8 million from its seventh frame and cume totaling $201.1 million.

Summit Entertainment's Brendan Fraser comedy "Furry Vengeance" dipped 40% from its week-earlier bow to fetch $4 million in sixth place, with a 10-day cume of $11.6 million. And in a near-wide release, Focus Features unspooled "Babies" -- a documentary about the first year in four babies' lives -- in 593 locations and grossed $1.6 million in 10th place.

That represented an average $2,951 per site and a satisfactory result for a documentary bowing so broadly.

"Our business planning was for a $1.5 million weekend," Focus distribution president Jack Foley said. "So we're really happy."

Foley penciled in a "conservative" estimate for the pic's Sunday gross, though its aggressive distribution involved a Mother's Day counter-programming ploy opposite "Iron Man 2."

"Babies" was acquired for an unspecified modest sum by Focus, the Universal specialty unit that continues to draw rumors of a potential sale by Uni parent NBC Universal. NBC Uni in March rejected a $500 million offer from Media Rights Capital to buy Focus.

"We are not in negotiations to sell Focus Features," a Universal spokeswoman said Sunday.

The weekend top 10 grossed a collective $171 million, or 21% more than top performers in the comparable frame last year, Rentrak said. That was the second frame of last summer, topped by a $75.2 million bow by Paramount's "Star Trek." (The industry marks summer from the first weekend in May.)

Also during the latest frame, Sony Pictures Classics opened "Mother and Child" -- an ensemble drama featuring Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and Samuel L. Jackson-- on two screens in New York and two in L.A. to gross $44,488, or a promising $11,122 per auditorium.

And IDP/Samuel Goldwyn expanded the Michael Caine starrer "Harry Brown" by 24 playdates for a total 43, fetching $139,750, or an acceptable $3,250 per engagement, as cume rose to $381,070.

"Iron Man 2" cost at least $170 million to produce, with Marvel laying out roughly $75 million in additional marketing expenses. Its opening audiences skewed 60% male, with 60% of patrons aged 25 or older.

"We're thrilled to be associated with a picture that's given Paramount its biggest opening ever," Paramount exec vp distribution Don Harris said.

Exit surveys gave the pic top marks, he added.

"We think that bodes for a great Mother's Day and a great long run," Harris said.

Paramount distributed both "Iron Man" pics, though the sequel represents the first Marvel movie to hit multiplexes since Disney finalized its acquisition of the comic book giant in December. A total 181 domestic Imax venues contributed $10.2 million to the "Iron Man 2" bow.

The impressive, if not record, debut of "Iron Man 2" kicked off the summer boxoffice season in encouraging fashion. Even execs at rival studios were pulling for its successful launch, which they will hope suggests a healthy appetite for rest of the summer's popcorn pics.

Looking head to Friday when three new wide releases hit multiplexes, only Universal's Russell Crowe starrer "Robin Hood" takes aim at the same sort of moviegoer as "Iron Man 2." Other wide openers include Summit Entertainment's female-targeting "Letters to Juliet" and Fox Searchlight's urban-oriented romantic comedy "Just Wright," starring Pam Grier, Common and Queen Latifah.

Lost Episode Recap: "The Candidate" - Fill with spoilers and eposide summary.

LOST - "The Candidate" - Jack must decide whether or not to trust Locke after he is asked to follow through on a difficult task, on "Lost,"

In this confusing, heartbreaking hour of Lost, three original castaways died at the hands of an increasingly menacing Man in Black. Jack made the decision to stay on the island. In the sideways world, Jack wanted to save a deeply damaged Locke, but failed to convince him to have spinal surgery.

In this confusing, heartbreaking hour of Lost, three original castaways died at the hands of an increasingly menacing Man in Black. Jack made the decision to stay on the island. In the sideways world, Jack wanted to save a deeply damaged Locke, but failed to convince him to have spinal

Who died?



RIP, Sayid, Sun and Jin. A crafty Man in Black smuggles explosives into Jack's backpack, which he carries unwittingly on to the submarine. When Sayid is unable to defuse the bomb, he sacrifices himself by carrying the bomb away from the others. The resulting explosion floods the sub and traps Sun under debris.



Jin lobbies valiantly to free his bride, but when he can't, he tells her he won't leave her again, and they go to a shared, watery grave. Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim's facial expressions break my heart here, and I wonder how much of it is actually acting. Filming in a water tank has to be legitimately scary, and the Kwons' Charlie Pace-like death is both poignant and harrowing.

The final image, of the lovers' hands almost touching underwater, a perhaps-too-literal reference to the hands of God and man in the Sistine Chapel, reminds me of the porthole creating a watery halo around Charlie's head as he drowns. Darlton sure knows how to stage a pretty death tableux, no?

But! There's an unspoken question that hangs in the air as their lungs fill with seawater: What about Ji Yeon? Sure, Jin had a terrible choice to make, but what kind of parent knowingly orphans his child in a scenario that was, let's face it, avoidable. He didn't have to die. Logically, it makes sense that Jin would sacrifice himself for his lost-in-time lover, especially after their painful prolonged separation, but wouldn't he also hunger to meet the daughter he's never known?

Who is still alive?

Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer grab oxygen tanks from the submarine and escape pretty easily considering their predicament. Kate is shot in the shoulder by Widmore's henchmen as they're boarding the sub, but it seems like one of those injuries that would, in the real world, require six weeks of bed rest, but on TV, is cured within 84 minutes or so. Lapidus gets clocked by an exploding hatch door, but I'm confident that he's still alive � mostly because I'm still waiting for Jeff Fahey to have his moment. Seriously, what has the guy been doing but playing "follow the leader" for the last season? By May 23, he is sure to have his moment, so stay tuned.

Who is the candidate?

Just before Sayid threw himself on the bomb, he tells Jack that Desmond is trapped in a well and that he'll need to find him to do what he has to do. "Because it's going to be you, Jack," he says significantly. Does this mean that Jack is "the candidate" of the episode's title? I don't think anyone would be surprised at this point if he is, based on his 180-degree conversion and subsequent devotion to the island.

Did Desmond "cure" Sayid?

Should we believe Sayid? I mean, the dude is nothing but watery pink mist now, so we have no choice but to examine his last words closely. I might just be hoping beyond hope, but Sayid seemed to be back to his old self on board the sub, no longer the glassy-eyed zombie who pledged his devotion to the Man in Black after his disturbing resurrection.

One possibility: Once Sayid heard Desmond out that day at the well, Des somehow "cured" Sayid. It's a nice thought, especially considering that if we don't take him at his word, it means that a) Des is dead, which he clearly isn't, or b) Des isn't in that well, which, well, we're running out of time, so he just better be. I know this makes me sound like a mouth-breathing simpleton, but at this point in the series, I'm craving streamlining. I want this crazy, twisty, wholly fulfilling narrative to start coming together in satisfying, digestible bites. Further complication will just piss me off, I think.

What's in the box?

This might be a minor point, and maybe my Lost memory center is failing me, but what's up with the music box that Christian left Claire in his will? I seem to recall seeing it before, but I can't remember the context. At any rate, does it make me a total sap to say that I like seeing Jack and Claire finally discover each other and tentatively feel out their unusual siblinghood.

Emilie de Ravin is always at her best when Claire is the smiling, flirty, charming "Aussie gull" with whom we all fell in love. (On the flip side, I think Off the Reservation Island Claire is kind of a disaster, acting-wise.) Even though it's a ridiculous plot point, I like that Jack invited Claire to come stay with him, and I look forward to sideways Jack feathering his domestic nest with healthier familial influences.

Why won't Locke have the surgery?

It's an interesting twist. Initially, one might believe that John Locke was afraid of having spinal surgery because of the possibility of failure. The beaten-down Locke appeared to not want to set himself up for yet another disappointment. Further, there was a degree of pride in play as well. Locke is a man who has learned to live with his condition, embrace it even.

But no, there's a whole lot more to his decision to remain in a wheelchair, and perhaps not surprisingly, it stems from daddy issues. Though Anthony Cooper is not the organ-stealing monster we've thus far known him to be, he is still the source of Locke's angst. It seems that in this timeline, Locke asked his dad to accompany him on his maiden flight after getting his pilot's license. They crashed upon take-off, both men were paralyzed, and Cooper was left in a catatonic state, drool and all.

Locke sees his condition as his rightful punishment, and no mere spinal surgeon can convince him otherwise. "I can help you, John. I wish you'd believe me," Jack says to Locke, a clever echo of Locke's suicide note from "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham." There's a flicker of recognition, but Locke remains steadfast in his desire to stay in the chair.

Will the two universes converge?

Exhibit A: As Juliet slips into death, she very clearly says to Sawyer, "Sure, maybe we can grab coffee some time" and then "We can go dutch." Add that to Miles' later discovery that Juliet said "it worked" after she died. Was her sideways self peeking through, giving us a glimpse of her life three years after Oceanic 815 landed?

Exhibit B: In the season premiere, Jack goes to the lavatory on board Oceanic 815 and notices a small cut on his neck, the source of which he clearly doesn't remember. It's my contention that at the end of the series, we'll see how Jack got that injury, on the island, perhaps just moments before he "flashes" on to the plane.

Exhibit C: Locke mumbles two things in his unconscious haze � "push the button" and "I wish you had believed me" � lines we've previously heard in the other timeline.

It seems clear that Desmond's job is to "wake up" the passengers of Oceanic 815, get them to remember their island adventure. So far Charlie, Desmond, Hurley and Daniel (if they were a band, they'd be called The Romantics) are hep to his jive, but what's it going to take to get the others on board?

Where are we heading?

"It feels like we're going in circles," Sawyer says when Widmore's henchmen lock Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Lapidus, Sun and Jin in the polar bear cages. (Remember the last time Sawyer and Kate were locked in a cage together? Rowr!) Anyhow, Hoss makes a good point. We're totally circling the drain that is the 19-hour series finale on May 23, and I still have little idea where we're headed. Sure, we all have our theories about how it will all end, but deep down I think we all want to be wrong. We want to be surprised by how it all comes together, don't we?

We've only got two episodes to go, including next week's mythology-busting meditation on Jacob and the Man in Black, "Across the Sea," before the finale. I'm in mourning already.

American Idol recap Connick'd Four.

SWING AND A PRAYER The Top 5 endured two group performances, but at least they got to wear nifty tuxes.


PUT YOUR DREAMS AWAY Michael Lynche and Aaron Kelly await the sting of Ryan Seacrest's axe.


GAGA OH LA LA Lady Gaga brought her standard-operating raciness/wackiness to the Idol stage.

With just three weeks and six episodes remaining, American Idol's ninth season is sputtering to its conclusion like a wind-up toy running out of juice. Is there any way to inject some electricity back into this machine? Let's turn to our panel of experts!

Harry Connick Jr.? Nope, domestic violence jokes and vaguely creepy tales of elevator encounters with Frank Sinatra aren't gonna cut it.

Randy Jackson? Dude, I'm sorry, but wearing a fluorescent orange V-neck isn't the answer, either.

Ken Warwick? You got anything? Nah, we weren't looking for gratuitous butt shots of Casey James or a double dose of group performances, for that matter.

Crystal Bowersox in fetching man-drag? Better � but not enough to hang a season on.

All right, Seacrest, let's just get on with it. Go ahead and dim the lights and tell us the name of the person whose Idol ''journey'' is coming to an end...



Yes folks, let's put our hands together (though not raised above our heads like a Swaybot) and bid adieu to The Artist Frequently Introduced as ''High School Student Aaron Kelly,'' a polite kid who rode his cuddly teen charm, his country-twang appeal, and a single usage of the ''I'm Dedicating This to My Mom'' card (turned in during Shania Twain Week) all the way to a surprising fifth-place finish. Yeah, okay, so conventional wisdom would've had us believe Aaron's ho-hum ''Fly Me to the Moon'' on Tuesday night was enough to crack the top four, given how Casey James' goat-bleat ''Blue Skies'' was a performance only his adorably enthusiastic but always classy mother could defend. But think about it this way: Aaron made it remarkably far into the season � chugging along through 10 consecutive results-show telecasts � without once looking like a legitimate threat to take a confetti shower at the Nokia.

Didi Benami had ''Rhiannon'' and ''Play With Fire.'' Siobhan Magnus had ''Paint It Black'' and ''House of the Rising Sun.'' Casey, bless his volumizing mousse and wicked inconsistency, has at least managed to have a couple Idol Moments (TM) in ''Jealous Guy'' and ''Don't.'' But Aaron was a singer who spent his Idol run at the intersection of Too Young and Just Ai'ight � solid but certainly not devastating takes on ''Angie,'' ''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing,'' and ''You've Got a Way'' as his legacy � and thus, as Ol' Blue Eyes might've phrased it, he faced the final curtain.

Unfortunately for Aaron, his sing-out occurred while mentor Harry Connick Jr. was on stage with the band, which limited his choice of songs to ''Fly Me to the Moon'' and, well, not really anything else. (You'd have to think the kid would've given an encore of his Shania Twain Week cover, had he really had the option.) That said, my ice-cold heart defrosted at microwave speed when Aaron's mom tearfully declared ''God didn't give you that gift to sing in the shower.''

To keep that ''awww, how bittersweet" vibe in tact, let's just skip Ryan's very random question to Aaron (''How old do you think you are now?''), which seemed to propose the theory that enduring a painful reality-show elimination automatically results in a five-year flash-forward. At least that would explain Ryan's declaration to the kid that ''you truly are an inspiration.'' Alrighty then!

[Quick and shameless brag: While I�ve been wrong predicting the weekly ouster almost every week this season, on Sinatra Night, I was the only member of the L.A. Times Idol Buzzmeter panel to correctly predict Aaron's eviction. Oh shnapzzz!]

If anything constituted a surprise for me, it was the fact that Casey avoided the bottom two altogether � at the expense of Ol' Ham Sandwich (AKA Big Mike) himself. Honestly, when one judge compares your singing voice to a lamb, and another suggests you'll be playing gigs for $50 and a free meal, you've got to consider yourself pretty lucky (or pretty sympathetic) to avoid a flirtation with disaster. (I liked, though, how Casey enthusiastically declared ''thank you, thank you'' to Kara when Ryan reiterated her barnyard-comparison critique.)

But my apologies, Idoloonies, because I'm even managing to bore myself with all this talk of Aaron and Casey and Big Mike. Let's cut to some important factoids from the telecast: It's Cinco de Mayo! Lee refused to choose which duo (Casey/Crystal or Michael/Aaron) was safe! Over 32 million Idol votes were cast on Tuesday! (Um, does that last sentence really deserve an exclamation point?)

We also got a bunch of behind-the-scenes footage that was far too generic to be interesting. The contestants all explained how dramatically their Tuesday nights have changed since advancing to the Top 24, which seemed like an excuse to show us adorable contestant babehs, a motley band of judges' stand-ins, and Wee Aaron waking up in a wife-beater. (Insert uncomfortable pause here.) Oh, and yeah, we got a shot of Casey's backside going up a flight of stairs. Just wondering: Would the show's producers have made the same choice if the footage involved Katie Stevens or Siobhan Magnus?

We also got an awful lot of Harry Connick Jr. First there was a ''wacky'' rehearsal reel of him yelling at HSSAK, joking about Crystal's insulin pump and birdtail earring, and insisting Big Mike dial back on mentions of his baby. Then we got a rambling interview with Ryan during which Harry exclaimed he doesn't hit his wife (nice to know!), then shared a story of Sinatra kissing his wife on an elevator on the occasion of his 75th birthday. This prompted Ryan, never really the smoothest with nuance and/or human relations, to squeal: ''He's still with his wife!''

And finally, we had the further front-runner-ization of Lee DeWyze. Simon, sounding like Tyra Banks trying to create a contestant story arc, babbled about Lee's ''That's Life'' cover representing the first time the Chicago rocker started believing in himself. (Cue Siobhan Magnus, covered in butterflies, singing an inspirational Whitney/Mariah ballad.) Rated HP...for Honey, Please. Lee, for his part, spent 23 minutes of the one-hour telecast telling us a) he believes he can fly; b) he's his own toughest critic; and c) he looks good in an undone bowtie. Also ''I coulda done better'' and ''I drive myself'' and OH MY GOD SOMEONE GET THE PAINT SALESMAN SOME MEDIA TRAINING.

And now, let's grade the evening's performances:

Ford Music ''Video'' Is it a Lee/Crystal romance? Or a Casey/Crystal romance? Or a Lee/Ford romance? (If he wants to win Idol, he'd better be convincing when he makes puppy eyes at the vehicle, yo!) And why do Michael and Aaron barely have anything to do? Not the worst of the product-shilling segments, but considering I'd have to check my notes to remember what the kids were singing, certainly not the best. C

The Season 9 Top 5: Sinatra medley Wait a sec. Are they lipsynching as usual? Or do I detect some singing-like activitaaaay from Crystal, and maybe Aaron? Or maybe it's just one of those backing track thingies Ashley Simpson is so fond of using. I'm confused about so many things here, especially the wretched arrangement of ''Night and Day,'' a track I thought it was impossible not to enjoy. And yet...here I sit loathing it. Crystal looking extra hot in a tuxedo upgrades this one tick. C-

The Season 9 Top 5: Connick medley If this were The Vampire Diaries and the top 5 were all blood-suckers, they'd have consumed even the marrow of ''We Are in Love'' and ''Hear Me in the Harmony.'' That's my way of saying the kids are sucking the life out of these ditties. And while at least they're cutting back on the strained choreography, I'm dismayed by the fact that I can no longer tell the difference between live performance and pre-recorded vocals. Either Aaron, Casey, and Lee are more in tune than usual, or these kids have really raised their lip-synch games. D+

Lady Gaga and a Pack of Writhing Manflesh: ''Alejandro'' Next stop: The Dante's Inferno Gym, where male dancers in high-waisted undies frolic and aerobicize for your viewing pleasure. Gaga, meanwhile, a tortured forest landscape atop her piano, a giant ballon-ish tree in the foreround, wrapped herself in a head-to-toe fishnet stocking and gives us a spectacle-over-vocal kind of performance. Has she been better than this? Sure. Am I still totally entertained? You betcha. B+

Harry Connick Jr.: ''And I Love Her'' What's with all modern-day crooners needing to sound a little tipsaaaay when they're waxing romantic? This is kinda sexy-sleepy with a couple moments of pitchy. Also: Why is Harry snarling? I assume it's because someone activated the Swaybots? In that case, he gets a slight uptick, too. B+

Nightmare On Elm Street remake tops US box office -'Nightmare' wins weekend with $32.9M debut

New remake Freddy Kruger.


Box office dream...Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger


Jackie Earle Haley stars as Freddy in film No. 9


Rooney Mara in "Nightmare on Elm Street"

Horror remake A Nightmare on Elm Street has topped the north American box office after taking $32m (�21m) in its opening weekend, figures have revealed.

The film sees the return of serial killer Freddy Krueger, who appeared in the original 1984 Wes Craven movie.



Last week's top earner, How To Train Your Dragon, fell to second place with slapstick comedy Date Night in third.

At number four was Jennifer Lopez's The Back-Up Plan and rounding off the top five was family film Furry Vengeance.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" led the weekend box office as the remake of the 1980s slasher film debuted with $32.9 million.

Freddy Krueger is back, only he's just not himself. In fact, he's someone else altogether.

A Nightmare on Elm Street, No. 9 in the series and a remake of No. 1, opens Friday, but this version of the iconic slasher flick is the first not to involve either slash-maestro Wes Craven as director or Robert Englund as Krueger, the man with the melted face who stalks dreams of his victims and kills them with a razor-armed metal glove.

For the new picture, Freddy is played by Jackie Earle Haley, who attracted attention in 2006's Little Children and this year's creepy Shutter Island. In place of Craven, Samuel Bayer (best known as a commercial and music video director) took the helm, and Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer wrote the screenplay, which again has serial killer Freddy, in his fedora and green-and-red-striped shirt, haunting the dreams of a group of suburban teens.

But if the original Nightmare, from 1984, was so shiveringly memorable, why do it again?

"Not every movie should be remade, but this is a franchise that had run out of steam," Bayer says. "Freddy had become a bit of a comedic character; he had lost some of his power to scare people. We have to wipe the slate clean and start over again. So it's not a remake, it's a reinvention of the legend of Freddy Krueger."

New Line Cinema's Walter Hamada says the natural progression of horror franchises is that the scary things become less scary, more campy. "The best franchises to reboot are the ones that go off the rail," says Hamada, a senior vice president at New Line, long known, he adds, as the "house that Freddy built." The studio had successes in remaking the original Friday the 13th last year and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2006.

Nightmare became one of the "most treasured" horror franchises in Hollywood because it tapped into a fear that anyone around the world could recognize: the fear of being attacked in your dreams, Hamada says. "It's the idea that if you die in your nightmare, you die for real. It taps into universal fears � everyone's got nightmares."

And everybody likes to be scared silly at the movies.

"We love that sense of sitting on the edge of our seats, palms sweating, stomach churning," says Diane Robina, president of FEARnet, the on-demand, online horror channel that is celebrating the new movie with a month of Nightmare-related content.

"It allows people to safely face their fears," adds Mick Garris, a veteran horror writer and director (Critters 2, Sleepwalkers) who is a friend of Craven and Englund and interviewed both for his show, Post Mortem, on FEARnet.

Moviemaking tools, such as CGI and 3-D, have improved in 26 years, but computer-generated effects are not what scares people, Bayer says. "What scares you is that you believe that the Freddy Krueger who exists in your dreams is somehow also flesh and blood. And you recognize a part of yourself in the characters he threatens."

Since 1984, the famously loyal fan base for horror has grown even deeper and wider, Robina says, so remaking A Nightmare on Elm Street is a smart idea from a marketing perspective. She predicts that both old and new fans will want to see the new film, as demonstrated by the success of the remake of Friday the 13th last year.

"But the key is going to be whether it's authentic," she says. "If (the new film) is not good, they will not support it � the (filmmakers) have got to deliver something good."


The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "A Nightmare On Elm Street," Warner Bros., $32,902,299, 3,332 locations, $9,875 average, $32,902,299, one week.

2. "How to Train Your Dragon," Paramount, $10,614,289, 3,426 locations, $3,098 average, $192,173,750, six weeks.

3. "Date Night," Fox, $7,577,352, 3,093 locations, $2,450 average, $73,604,361, four weeks.

4. "The Back-up Plan," CBS Films, $7,255,762, 3,280 locations, $2,212 average, $22,963,517, two weeks.

5. "Furry Vengeance," Summit, $6,627,564, 2,997 locations, $2,211 average, $6,627,564, one week.

6. "The Losers," Warner Bros., $5,888,471, 2,936 locations, $2,006 average, $18,013,781, two weeks.

7. "Clash of the Titans," Warner Bros., $5,855,368, 2,737 locations, $2,139 average, $153,911,073, five weeks.

8. "Kick-ass," Lionsgate, $4,515,940, 2,542 locations, $1,777 average, $42,228,273, three weeks.

9. "Death at a Funeral," Sony Screen Gems, $4,123,105, 2,271 locations, $1,816 average, $34,900,278, three weeks.

10. "Oceans," Disney, $2,564,843, 1,210 locations, $2,120 average, $13,460,115, two weeks.

11. "The Last Song," Disney, $2,255,782, 2,276 locations, $991 average, $58,600,765, five weeks.

12. "Alice in Wonderland," Disney, $1,478,225, 1,050 locations, $1,408 average, $329,686,666, nine weeks.

13. "Hot Tub Time Machine," MGM, $1,125,651, 1,112 locations, $1,012 average, $47,636,575, six weeks.

14. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," Fox, $981,535, 1,166 locations, $842 average, $60,899,640, seven weeks.

15. "The Bounty Hunter," Sony, $846,334, 891 locations, $950 average, $64,065,681, seven weeks.

16. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?," Lionsgate, $812,234, 727 locations, $1,117 average, $58,736,999, five weeks.

17. "City Island," Anchor Bay, $733,338, 269 locations, $2,726 average, $2,086,876, seven weeks.

18. "Housefull," Eros, $642,156, 82 locations, $7,831 average, $642,156, one week.

19. "Avatar," Fox, $633,124, 387 locations, $1,636 average, $747,292,481, 20 weeks.

20. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Music Box Films, $510,509, 199 locations, $2,565 average, $4,632,005, seven weeks.

Paramount Wins Bidding War for latest Sasha Baron Cohen Comedy

Congratulations to Sasha Baron Cohen, who is reportedly going to be a daddy again and just scored big for his next movie project. Armed with a comedy that features him in a dual role with a character who tends goats and a deposed foreign dictator who gets lost in the United States, Sacha has been making his way around Hollywood with �Seinfeld� writers Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel.

The foursome met with a total of six studio presidents over a period of two days, with Paramount eventually besting Sony in the fierce bidding war. Paramount president Brad Grey got so enthusiastic he sent a goat wearing a �Paramount T-shirt to William Morris Endeavor, which represents the creative comedian, reports Deadline Hollywood.

Baron Cohen was impressed by the gesture and probably more that Paramount will be paying him an astronomical $20 million up front and also giving him 20% of the first-dollar gross, which could mean upwards of $50-60 million, based on the grosses of his last few films.

New �Twilight Eclipse� Trailer Premieres (VIDEO)

The new and final trailer for the next film in The Twilight Saga, Eclipse, premiered on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday. While Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner continue the love triangle, their appears to be less moping about and more action this time, set up by the threat of an army of vampires. We finally get a glimpse of the much-anticipated battle scene between the Cullens, the Wolf Pack and Victoria�s army of newborn vampires. Twilight Eclipse is set to take a bite out of the box office on June 30. But you can catch Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and Dakota Fanning on a special episode of Oprah on May 13.

Scarlett Johansson Unleashes Her Black Widow Booty

Here�s yet another new Iron Man 2 promo shot of Scarlett Johansson as her Black Widow character from the latest edition of Famous magazine, and as you can see, she�s looking smashingly bootylicious in her skin-tight costume. Heck, if this shot is any indication, we�re going to be drooling over Scarlett�s shwingtastic curves during every Black Widow scene� but we already knew that the second she was cast in the flick, right? Enjoy!


Click Continue Reading for more Black Widow Scarlett Johansson Iron man 2 pictures.

Making of 'Iron Man 2'-Conversation with the director and stars

In a summer season full of sequels, one movie stands out. "Iron Man 2," opening May 7, is the follow-up to 2008�s surprise mega-hit "Iron Man," which took a lesser known Marvel comics character and brought in nearly $600 million worldwide.

It also turned Robert Downey Jr. into a full-fledged movie star and put actor-turned-director Jon Favreau on Hollywood�s filmmaking A-list. Both men reprise their roles for the sequel and Gwyneth Paltrow is also back as Tony Stark�s loyal assistant, Pepper Potts. They�re joined by Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Don Cheadle (who takes over for the first film�s Terrence Howard).

The entire crew (except Rockwell, tied up with a play) was on hand at a recent Los Angeles press conference to discuss the film�s production. The following are highlights of that conversation.





Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau and more talk Tony Stark's return
"I've never done a sequel before. For me it wasn't the same pressure you usually feel, especially making smaller movies. Here we knew people were gonna show up, we just wanted to make sure everyone who showed up had a good time and this was going to be as fun or more fun than the last one."


"These are all folks I'd be happy to work with in any circumstance in any medium. I felt like a co-manager of a baseball team that got an even better line-up in the spring. I felt a little beholden to be partially responsible for their experience. A lot of that fell on Justin [Theroux, the screenwriter]..."

"It's a heavily improvisational set, everyone gets to chime in. My job as the writer was to stay on the dance shoes of Robert, Jon, Gwyneth and everybody and try to rewrite things on the fly. We had an extensive development process where we had a script and that ball keeps rolling into production. Once we're on set it gets very frenetic very fast."

"I felt very fortunate to get an opportunity to work in a film like this. Terrence is a friend, I've known him for a long time...we're cool. [Working on the movie] was a lot of fun, we get to play with the best toys and the best technology. It's like what you do as a kid but all fleshed out."

"I met with Mickey and brought him some artwork. Whiplash in the comic book is a guy wearing tights with a big purple feather coming out of the top of his head. That wasn't what we wanted. We were concocting a version of a Russian, thinking of Viggo [Mortensen] in 'Eastern Promises' with the tattoos.

"Between Marv [in 'Sin City'] and 'The Wrestler,' between the fanboys and independent film community, [Rourke] was back with a vengeance. There was a lot of people [in the movie], [Whiplash] wouldn't have a tremendous amount of screen time. We needed someone able to make an impression where you feel like [Iron Man] is in trouble. Mickey brought a lot of intensity."

"I had a lot of fun. I worked with some great people. [Favreau] is real easy to work with and makes it fun. I just came off working on a film with no budget [where] I didn't have a chair to sit in. I remember the first day [on Iron Man] I asked for a cappuccino. They said 'what kind would you like?'"

RDJ: "I couldn't get her off me, it was embarrassing."

GP: "It was great because both my husband and his wife were right there."

RDJ: "She said to me that I didn't know what I was doing, it didn't feel good. I'm like, you know what, first of all we're all friends. So what would be creepy would be if I was coming off all sexy. By the way, done that move and it creeps 'em out. Why am I going to creep [her] out? Despite what she said on set she still thinks about it."



"I've never really seen a film of this genre where the female characters' sex appeal came second. To be just a pawn in the story of a whole bunch of men fighting it out�to be a vision in a tight catsuit�is boring to me.

"Jon made it clear from the beginning he felt as far as [my character] Natalie was concerned she was mysterious and nuanced, something to peel back the layers to. He wanted that. That's why I think this film is so much more dynamic�since Gwyneth and I are able to be the brains behind the operation. It adds to the charm and charisma of the finished product."


I think it's a very smart decision to have [female characters] who are capable and intelligent because it appeals to women. It's not only a film for 15 year old boys. It's a film that can relate to a lot of people on a lot of levels. When you take your kid, if you're a mom, it's really fun for you to watch as well. It's nice to see women who are aspirational, smart and sexy all at the same time."

Avatar Sells 6.7 Million DVDs in 4 Days.Highest sell for Blu ray disc.

A scene from the film ''Avatar'' is shown in this undated publicity photo released to Reuters February 2, 2010.

Four days after its release on DVD, "Avatar" is on track to become as big a movie phenomenon in home entertainment as it was in theaters.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment said on Sunday that it sold 6.7 million DVD and Blu-ray units of the film in the United States and Canada since the discs were released on Thursday.

That amounts to gross sales of $130 million, making the film from the studio division of News Corp. the No. 1 home entertainment opening ever over a four-day period.



The previous record holder for a similar stretch had been "The Dark Knight," which came out in 2008.

Fox said 2.7 million of its disc sales for "Avatar" came on Blu-ray, which is a newer technology that has a higher image quality than DVD but requires its own special player.

Director James Cameron's 3-D fantasy adventure become the No. 1 film ever at worldwide box offices after opening on December 18. "Avatar" made $2.7 billion, and beat the record set by Cameron's 1997 "Titanic."

The film is about a soldier who infiltrates a tribe of space aliens on a distant moon, falls in love with a princess from the tribe and leads a rebellion against the human invaders who sent him on the mission.

Fox released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on Thursday to coincide with Earth Day, saying the timing dovetailed with "Avatar's" theme of guarding the environment.

"Avatar" is maintaining its popularity in the move from box office to home video, with sales of 6.7 million DVDs and Blu-ray disks in the first four days.

Twentieth Century Fox announced Sunday that James Cameron's sci-fi epic has sold 2.7 million Blu-rays and 4 million DVDs since April 22.

The combined sales brought in $130 million.

The studio says "Avatar" has become the fastest-selling Blu-ray of all time.

No announcement has been made regarding a 3-D DVD release, but a Fox spokesman said one can be expected in the future.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is proving hard to slay -- claiming the top box-office spot in its fifth weekend in theaters,

SOARING AGAIN: Hiccup and Toothless in "How to Train Your Dragon" are back on top of the box office after weeks in second and third place.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is proving hard to slay -- claiming the top box-office spot in its fifth weekend in theaters, studio estimates released yesterday show.

The animated film earned $15 million, dropping just 23 percent from last weekend's take.



Jennifer Lopez's "The Back-up Plan" made $12.3 million, while the action comedy "The Losers" opened short of expectations, at $9.6 million.

"We couldn't be more thrilled," said Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation SKG, which produced "Dragon."

"The Back-up Plan," Lopez's first screen venture since 2006, opened within industry expectations. The singer/actress stars opposite Alex O'Loughlin.

Released by CBS Corp.'s film division, it was made for $35 million and ruled Friday night -- only to lose the lead as families streamed into matinee showings of "Dragon."
"How to Train Your Dragon" worked its way back into first place at U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend, Bloomberg reports. "How to Train Your Dragon" debuted as the top movie on March 28 before dropping to third place and then inching its way into second place last weekend.

Weekend Total
in millions of dollars
1. How to Train Your Dragon (5) 15.0 178.0
2. The Back-Up Plan (1) 12.3 12.3
3. Date Night (3) 10.6 63.5
4. The Losers (1) 9.6 9.6
5. Kick-Ass (2) 9.5 34.9
6. Clash of the Titans (4) 9.0 145.6
7. Death at a Funeral (2) 8.0 28.4
8. Oceans (1) 6.0 8.5
9. The Last Song (4) 3.7 55.4
10. Alice in Wonderland (8) 2.2 327.5

'Iron Man 2' will Feature DJ A.M. Cameo

Of all of the celebrity cameos in "Iron Man 2," the appearance by Adam Goldstein (aka DJ. A.M.) has a particular resonance for director Jon Favreau, due to Goldstein's sudden demise last summer.

"I was just a fan of his, just an admirer of his work, and it was supposed to be a one-day bit," Favreau told The Los Angeles Times. "But Robert [Downey Jr.] took a real shine to him, as we all did. His energy was amazing, he was such a inspiring guy and there was a lot of depth to him and this positive energy.

"He ended up staying on with us for about a week and it was just great," continued Favreau. "We set up this turntable and between takes he would give me pointers."

Goldstein's cameo reportedly occurs in a scene in which Tony Stark is celebrating his birthday during a wild party while "boozed-up" and wearing his latest Iron Man armor. The scene also features Goldstein as a DJ one more time, for perhaps his biggest audience to date.



"We tried to make it respectful," said Favreau. "And for people who know him, they'll get a kick out of it and for people who don't, it will sort of slide by without much notice."

Goldstein rose to prominence as one of the top DJs in the music industry and collaborated with several artists, including Will Smith, Jay-Z and Madonna. He also survived a harrowing plane crash in 2008 before succumbing to an accidental drug overdose last August.

According to Favreau, word of Goldstein's death deeply saddened the cast and crew of the film.

"When he passed, it was very difficult for a lot of us," related Favreau.

Goldstein's cameo will include music Queen, Rob Bass and Daft Punk mixed together in the style of DJ A.M. by Kevin Scott, one of Goldstein's closest friends. Favreau reportedly had difficulty securing the music rights for that scene, but indicated that it was well worth it to complete his tribute to Goldstein.

"Our heart goes out to his family and friends," related Favreau. "And we hope what we've done is pleasing to them and to the many, many people who held Adam in high regard."

Favreau also revealed that the film is dedicated to Goldstein and that his distinctive lightning-bolt symbol will be displayed in the end credits.

Christina Hendricks: Esquire�s Hottest Woman -Actress in Hit Mad Men is new hottest women in poll.Huge boobs cleavage.

The curvaceous star of AMC�s hit series �Mad Men� has been rated the hottest woman of America in a poll of 10,000 men. Christina Hendricks� Esquire cover was the result of the poll, with over 30 percent of respondents picked her over model Adriana Lima and actress Megan Fox. Check out the full story, with pictures and video below!






Along with her cover, she included a letter to all men perusing the magazine with tips on what women want. Not only do I like this choice for America�s hottest woman because she�s gorgeous, you can see by what she writes that she�s classy as well.

Going inside the Christina Hendricks Esquire cover, her note to men has all kinds of tips about dating and what women want. Her ideas range from traditional: �stand up, open a door, offer a jacket�; to a little edgy:

�The only things that will get a married man laid that won�t get a single man laid are adultery and whores,� she advises. �Intelligence and humor�got you laid when you were single. That�s what gets you laid when you are married. Everything still works in marriage: especially intelligence and humor. Because the sexiest thing is to know you.�

It�s a good point though; basically just because you�re married you shouldn�t stop trying. She continues:

�We remember forever what you say about the bodies of other women. When you mention in passing that a woman is attractive�your comment goes into a steel box and stays there forever. It�s about learning what you think is sexy�it�s about keeping your man and knowing what he likes.�

First Look: New `Shrek' premieres at Tribeca-Shrek hit my midlife crisis,Pussy is fat.

From left, actors Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers and Antonio Banderas attend the premiere of "Shrek Forever After" during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival in New York, on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.


In this film publicity image released by DreamWorks Animation, Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, left, and an over-fed Puss In Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas are shown in a scene from "Shrek Forever After." 

One thing hasn't changed with "Shrek": Puss in Boots still steals the show.

The fourth and supposedly final "Shrek" film, "Shrek Forever After," premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday night at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre.

It was a glitzy affair for the film, the first in the franchise to be released in 3-D. Given the box-office boost 3-D films have seen � particularly since "Avatar" � the film's studio, Dreamworks, expects a 3-D "Shrek" to be a hit, capping a franchise that has already earned more than $1 billion at the domestic box office.

"Shrek Forever After," which will be released May 21, returns the voice cast of Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, the Zorro-like feline.



The film takes the shape of "It's a Wonderful Life." A mid-life crisis comes to Shrek, now a father of three, who laments the loss of his younger, wilder days as a fearsome ogre. The evil magician Rumpelstilskin (Walt Dohrn) makes a dubious deal with Shrek, the result being that Shrek was never born and never married Fiona.

The bizarro world Shrek encounters � something like the sideways shifts of ABC's "Lost" � is a mishmash of mostly the familiar fairy tale characters, but with different twists of fate. The Gingerbread Man, so meek in previous "Shrek" movies, is now a kickboxing warrior.

Puss in Boots, too, has been inverted. In this "Shrek," the debonair swashbuckler has turned out an obese house cat, too lazy to shoo a mouse drinking from his bowl. He doesn't even have his namesake's footwear.

The character, something of a sensation after his debut in "Shrek 2," won many of the laughs at the premiere of "Shrek Forever After."

Shortly before the premiere, Banderas said he believed the "Shrek" films have been popular because they're enjoyed by both kids and parents � "but most especially by the parents." He credited a loose atmosphere for the films' tone.

"We are absolutely not conditioned to say the lines in a specific way, but they allow us to improvise a lot," said Banderas. "I know that is not the method used in all animated movies."

"Shrek Forever After" continues many of the familiar characteristics of the franchise � the pop song allusions, the fractured fairy-tale storytelling � but moviegoers can expect Puss in Boots to again be a memorable part of the experience.

The premiere was the opening night for the Tribeca Film Festival, which was co-founded by Robert De Niro. The festival, in its ninth year, runs through May 2.

"Glee's" Madonna album eyes No. 1 on U.S. chart-Madonna Invades William McKinley High Sue Sylvester takes center stage during the all-Madonna episode.

Madonna features in a whole episode in Glee.


Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz and Chris Colfer in "Glee"

The kids from Fox TV's "Glee" could earn their first No. 1 on the U.S. pop album chart next week with "The Power of Madonna" soundtrack.

The companion album from the show's same-named episode, which aired Tuesday to much fanfare, has a shot at selling in the range of 100,000 to 125,000 copies by week's end on May 1, according to industry prognosticators. Final data will be issued on Wednesday.

The best week for a "Glee" set was racked when its "Season One, The Music Volume 2" soundtrack began at No. 3 with 173,000 last December.



The week's other big debut -- the "Iron Man 2" soundtrack, which essentially doubles as the first-ever hits package by AC/DC -- should debut at either No. 2 or No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with between 75,000 and 100,000 copies. Sales will take a hit from the lack of availability at digital retailers. The rockers have yet to make their catalog available digitally.

Where AC/DC will ultimately debut also depends on the punch last Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards will have on Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (No. 3 this week with 65,000) and how reigning champ Justin Bieber's "My World 2.0" (92,000) will fare. Other albums looking to make high entries on the Billboard 200 next week include Sevendust's "Cold Day Memory," Circa Survive's "Blue Sky Noise" and Jimmy Buffett's Wal-Mart-exclusive "Encores."

Tuesday's (April 20) all-Madonna episode of "Glee" imparted an important lesson: Even the almighty Material Girl can be upstaged by the power of Sue Sylvester. From her shot-for-shot remake of Madonna's "Vogue" music video to her extra-acerbic insults of Will Schuester's hair, the Cheerios coach was just on.

At most high schools, Madonna songs blaring at high volume over the loudspeaker would prove to be a bit distracting. Then again, most schools aren't William McKinley High, where Sue blackmailed Principal Figgins into playing her idol's music full blast to inspire the students to be more independent and powerful. (This also, conveniently, allowed as many Madonna songs as possible to be squeezed into the 44-minute episode.)

Sue had her Cheerios harness Madge's power by encouraging them to troll the middle school for younger boyfriends and abandon their last names. She also choreographed a routine to "Ray of Light" involving stilts (not creepy � in fact, amazing) and hurled her greatest one-liner yet: "Sloppy freak-show babies. Somewhere in the English countryside in a stately manor home, Madonna is weeping."

Following Sue's lead, Will made New Directions brainstorm Madonna numbers in an attempt to empower the female glee clubbers and discourage the guys' misogynistic tendencies. This brilliant idea struck him when he overheard Rachel asking the female gleeks for hypothetical romantic advice after her new boyfriend tried to get her to do it after a Wiggles concert. (Remember, Rachel and Vocal Adrenaline's Jesse St. James are secretly dating.) Unfortunately, guidance counselor Emma was no help. As we learned last week, she's a virgin, too, but she did have some pretty hilarious sex-education brochures.

After Rachel's girl-power-y "Express Yourself," her duet with Finn on the "Borderline/ Open Your Heart" mash-up, and a clandestine meeting with Jesse in the Stephen Sondheim biography section of the library, where he apologized for pressuring her, she decided she would have sex with Jesse after all. But Rachel wasn't the only character contemplating losing her virginity: Emma took to heart Sue's quip that she wasn't powerful enough to have Madonna piped into her office and told Will it was on. Foreplay would start at 7:30 sharp. And Santana decided Finn was the younger, inferior man she needed in order to emulate Madonna.

The resulting (and inevitable) "Like a Virgin" extravaganza followed the three couples on their sexual adventures and was perhaps the best "Glee" number yet, as far as integrating the song and choreography into the plot and allowing multiple characters to sing solos. All six shared vocal duties � even Santana! And she sounded great.

Still, it turns out that not all the couples went through with the deed. Although she told Finn the next day that she did it, Rachel didn't actually leave the bathroom, even as Jesse implored her to "Just come out so we can talk. Or sing about it." Jesse's solution: transferring to McKinley to prove how much he respected Rachel. Finn, on the other hand, lied and said he didn't do it when he actually did. Emma chickened out and ran home barefoot. She and Will decided Monday that they'd readdress their sexual chemistry after his divorce was official and she got help for her OCD.

Kurt and Mercedes made the Sue Sylvester "Vogue" video as a multimedia presentation for their New Directions Madonna song (it's almost indescribably amazing), and they were rewarded for their hard work in the form of positions as the Cheerios' new lead singers, roles they debuted with a cover of the Madonna/ Justin Timberlake duet "4 Minutes." Closing out the episode was a take on "What It Feels Like for a Girl" from the boys and a show-stopping "Like a Prayer," complete with gospel choir, from the whole gang.