Terrence Howard

Revenge can be a powerful motivator — just ask Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace in the trailer for Dead Man Down. The two play Victor and Beatrice, who have both been crossed by gangster/all-around bad guy Alphonse Hoyt (Terrence Howard), and are now teaming up for justice. It's not a totally compliant union; Beatrice has pictures of Victor murdering a man and is using them to blackmail Victor into taking down Alphonse. Dominic Cooper also stars as Victor's partner.

I love a good crime thriller, but I'm on the fence as to whether this is going to be a solid smash-em-up flick or another generic action movie. What makes the trailer pop for me is Pink Floyd's powerful "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," but I don't know if this story is involving enough for a full-length movie. Dead Man Down opens March 8, and you can watch the trailer when you read more.

Jennifer Hudson has gotten more than her 15 minutes' worth out of American Idol. First she earned an Oscar for Dreamgirls, and now in the upcoming Winnie, she takes on the high-profile role of wife (now ex-wife) to Nelson Mandela (Terrence Howard), an activist who kept up her revered husband's anti-apartheid work even during his incarceration. The film portrays the woman's life, from childhood to her marriage to Mandela to the events that took place post his arrest.

This should be a sweeping, epic drama ripe for award season nods: a biopic with romance, a country's turmoil, and a strong central heroine. So why does it scream made-for-TV movie? Perhaps it's the bad age makeup, but this trailer just doesn't seem to live up to the story's potential. Give it a look when you read more

Anderson Cooper was the man of the evening on Saturday as he hosted the annual CNN Heroes Awards. The ceremony honored ten individuals who go above and beyond with their contribution to the world, and each was introduced to the crowd by a celebrity guest. Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, and Eva Mendes were a few of the ladies on hand to do the honors, while Carrie Underwood performed. The evening's biggest award, CNN's Hero of the Year, went to Efren Peñaflorida because of his efforts to bring education to underprivileged children in the Philippines. Kate and Nicole took the evening off from promoting Nine, though they were both out again last night for the American Music Awards. The ladies were joined by other actors like Neil Patrick Harris and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and we'll be able to see the whole show when it airs Thanksgiving evening.

More photos of the CNN Heroes Awards so read more

Olivia Wilde struck a pose this afternoon at the Power of Women luncheon in LA, while elsewhere the news broke that her costar Jennifer Morrison will be leaving their series House. Olivia was joined by a fresh-off-the-Emmys-red-carpet January Jones, along with Anne Hathaway and AnnaLynne McCord. Christina Aguilera was also in attendance, as her husband Jordan Bratman dared to be one of the few guys in the room. The event was designed to honor eight ladies — Christina Aguilera, Christina Applegate, Maria Bello, Anne Hathaway, January Jones, Sigourney Weaver, film executive Sherry Lansing, and producer Laura Ziskin — who all maintain their commitment to charitable causes despite their hectic Hollywood careers.

Lots more photos of the Variety, including Christina Applegate, Maria Bello, and Cheryl Hines, so read more