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From Funny to Fierce: The Lovely Ladies of Summer Movie Season

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:03:03 PDT

Summer is a time to kick back and relax, unless you're one of the ladies on the "fierce" end of our Summer movie spectrum. From Cameron to Charlize, we're highlighting the top leading ladies from this year's impressive crop of Summer flicks, from lighthearted to cold-blooded. So whether you'd prefer to laugh along with Mila in Ted or suit up with Scarlett in The Avengers, we've got someone for every movie lover. Check it out and let us know which starlet you're most looking forward to seeing on the silver screen this Summer!

Met Gala: Scarlett Johansson

Marisa Tom — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:29:19 PDT

Scarlett Johansson hit a fairy-tale princess high note with this special Dolce & Gabbana creation. The ornate embellished bodice provided vintage-inspired glamour; the off-the-shoulder neckline reminded us of a medieval Guinevere; and the tulle mermaid fit-and-flare hem added double the drama to her evening ensemble. All in all? Scarlett didn't skimp on the eye-catching red carpet details. To complement her look, she kept it simple accessories-wise, only adding a single bracelet and small drop earrings into the mix. Are you spellbound by her Met Gala choice?

Scarlett Johansson Makes a Super Appearance in D&G at the Met Gala

Lauren Turner — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:53:50 PDT

Scarlett Johansson was decked out in a special creation from Dolce & Gabbana for NYC's annual Met Gala tonight. She looked gorgeous in the dress as she posed for photographers and chatted with reporters. Scarlett is coming off an exciting weekend with the release of The Avengers. The superhero movie took the top spot at the box office and also broke the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time, giving Scarlett even more to celebrate this evening.

How Scarlett Johansson Got in Superhero Shape For The Avengers

Michele Foley — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:41:07 PDT

Scarlett Johansson kicks major butt as Black Widow in The Avengers, saving Earth from imminent doom, all while wearing a black catsuit. Between slipping into a skintight costume and unveiling some serious moves against Loki's army, this wasn't a character Scarlett rolled out of bed for. To prep for the physically demanding role, Scarlett worked for almost two months with trainer Bobby Strom and her stunt double Heidi Moneymaker. Keep reading to see how Scarlett got herself in svelte shape for The Avengers.

The power of circuits: Strom, who also trained Scarlett during Iron Man 2, says he used a similar training program for her reprisal of this role: 90-minute circuit workouts, multiple times per week. The goal was to get Scarlett ready for those explosive on-screen movements. Strom kept things varied through the use of dumbbells, resistance bands, medicine balls, and TRX; workouts were built around sets of 20, with 25 to 30 reps of each exercise. Strom also had Scarlett doing running intervals, both in and out of the gym. Get in superhero shape like Scarlett did by finishing our full-body circuit workout with weights.

Combative training: One of the first scenes in The Avengers shows Scarlett fighting off multiple members of the Russian mob, something which Moneymaker helped her prepare for. A longtime stunt double in the industry, Moneymaker says she and Scarlett had about six weeks to prepare for the various fight scenes in the movie, using elements of mixed martial arts (MMA) and "hand-to-hand combat and weapons training." Speaking of the role, Scarlett told Vogue, "You get beat up a lot," she says. "It's painful." Get a little MMA into your own life by doing this video workout with former Biggest Loser trainer Brett Hoebel.

An (almost) vegan diet: Scarlett arrived on set already following a healthy diet plan, one that Strom describes as "mostly vegan." He says Scarlett focused on eating several small meals each day. As was the case during Iron Man 2, there was a lot of oatmeal, fresh fruits and veggies, salads, and lean proteins.

Photos courtesy of Disney

See All of the Pictures From The Avengers!

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:32:10 PDT

The Avengers is already shattering records at the box office, but you can still re-live the fun (or get another glimpse), with even more new stills from the film. Get another peek at the film's familiar faces - that is, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Photo courtesy of Disney

The Avengers: Assemble For Awesomeness

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:23:37 PDT

Ensemble romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days, and let's face it: most of those star-studded flicks aren't even that good. But an ensemble superhero movie? Now that's an idea I can get behind. The Avengers rounds up an all-star group of comic book heroes who must get over their inflated egos and differences to take down a villain and save the world. It's a simple enough concept, and the combination of eye-popping special effects, humor, and a stellar cast makes for one hell of a blockbuster movie.

The cast of characters - and each one is very much a character in their own right - is mostly composed of people you've seen before and are happy to welcome back. There's Chris Evans as Captain America, whose situation as a '50s guy living in a 2012 world is funny to the audience, if not to him. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Iron Man, and his wisecracks and borderline obnoxious behavior carry the film and much of the dialogue; Chris Hemsworth is back as demigod Thor, though his role feels a bit downplayed in the midst of the rest of the hubbub. Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner return as Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who kick butt but are never really as much fun as their power-wielding cohorts. The only guy who's new to the group is Mark Ruffalo, who takes on the role of Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) for the first time, and Ruffalo's so quietly engaging that you won't even remember Eric Bana or Edward Norton in the role.

To see what else is great about The Avengers, just

Taking on this team of good guys is Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's maniacal brother who's literally plotting world domination. His quick wit and completely deluded view of the world make him a layered villain who's incredibly fun to hate. The fun doesn't even stop there: the film is chock-full of cameos and appearances from characters from The Avengers prequels, which is an added bonus for fans that have been following The Avengers since the beginning. You don't need to be a fanatic to enjoy the movie though; the film has nods to the previous films but it still makes for a nice introduction to each of the characters as they're rounded up one by one.

Writer/director Joss Whedon goes from Buffy to the big leagues here, and he masterfully puts together a film that goes big, but doesn't let action overshadow the script. The dialogue is packed with so many one-liners that you'll likely miss half of them because the audience is still laughing at the most recent joke. Though the humor pretty much writes itself with characters like these, Whedon is wise to make it obvious that the film doesn't take itself too seriously.

The action sequences are also handled with care; the fight scenes don't linger too long, and most of the scenes showcase each of the Avengers, which helps keep the pace moving right along. I'm not usually one to gush over special effects, but I literally gasped when Mark Ruffalo transforms into The Hulk for the first time. The scene, in a way, is like the film's secret weapon. The first transformation is teased throughout most of the movie, and the suspense builds to a moment that feels perfectly constructed to grab the audience by the throat.

The only downside to The Avengers is that with so many characters, you just wish you could spend a little more time with each of your favorites. The good news is that we'll probably be hanging out with them in many sequels to come.

Photos courtesy of Disney

Scarlett Johansson Makes Jimmy Kimmel's Prom Dreams Come True

Allie Merriam — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:50:41 PDT

Scarlett Johansson swung by Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to chat about her new movie The Avengers. Talk turned personal, with both Scarlett and Jimmy chatting about high school and the prom. Making some revisionist history, Jimmy tried to erase his past and redo his own prom with Scarlett as his date. See how Scarlett gamely complies!

Buzz Time Machine: Scarlett Johansson Auditions For Jumanji

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:30:00 PDT

In this week's edition of Buzz Time Machine, we've got a very young Scarlett Johansson auditioning for the 1995 family action movie Jumanji. The role of Judy Shepherd ultimately went to Kirsten Dunst and Scarlett had to wait a few more years to get her breakout performance, but something tells us she landed on her feet. After all, she is starring as Black Widow in The Avengers, which is poised to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. Yeah, we think she'll be OK.

See the Avengers' Non-Superhero Movie Collaborations

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:18:20 PDT

With so many A-list actors in one action-packed movie, it's no shock that some of the stars of The Avengers have crossed paths before. However, we were surprised at how many times the stars have appeared onscreen together in the past. It's no wonder they all seem so chummy off set! Take a look at the famous (and not so famous) movies the heroes have been in before!

Video: Scarlett Johansson Tears Up, Jokes About Avengers Costume: "It's Like Sweaty Pajamas"

Lauren Bradshaw — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:39:51 PDT

Scarlett Johansson may look sexy in her Avengers costume, but she told Jay Leno, it's actually kind of gross! Scarlett went on The Tonight Show last night where she got candid about her role in the blockbuster, and spoke about her Walk of Fame ceremony. We have your look at the interview - and at the sweet moment when she teared up while receiving her Hollywood star - in PopSugar Rush.