Joaquin Phoenix Page 4

Joaquin Phoenix is said to be in consideration for the role of Jesus, in Garth Davis’ upcoming Mary Magdalene film opposite Rooney Mara, according to Deadline. The three time Oscar nominee is said to be in early talks for the role, with production on the film due to begin this summer.

Joaquin Phoenix is said to be in talks to play Jesus.

Phoenix is known for his versatility, having previously portrayed country legend Johnny Cash, for which he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. He also reviewed nominations for his roles in 2000’s Gladiator and The Master in 2012.

Continue reading: Is Joaquin Phoenix Set To Play Jesus In Mary Magdalene Film?

Her might not be the most prominent Oscar contender, but it is still one helluva movie

First off we were treated to a Phillip Seymour Hoffman-featuring parody of the new Spike Jonze movie Her, one that used cut-up snippets of the Oscar-winner's film repertoire in place of Scarlett Johansson's soothing utterances. Last night (25 Jan.) we saw Jonah Hill lampoon the film on Saturday Night Live, but earlier this week we're sure the best parody of them all was uploaded on to YouTube.

'Him' doesn't actually star any big names, but it does feature one heck of a good impression of the loveable Canadian comic Seth Rogen. The YouTube channel Paul Gale Comedy created and uploaded the parody, which pokes fun at the Oscar contender as well as gently ribbing Rogen, mocking his penchant for da 'erb and also mirroring his distinctive laugh spot on. It's probably the best portrayal of Seth Rogen since Seth Rogen played Seth Rogen in This Is The End.

Continue reading: The Seth Rogen 'Starring' Parody Of 'Her' Might Be The Best Thing You See All Week [Video]

Remember when we told you about the Fight Club minus Tyler Durden scene lovingly brought to the world by editor/magician Richard Trammell? Well he’s at again, this time with Spike Jonez’s Oscar-nominated ‘Her’, although this time the sultry tones of Scarlett Johansson are replaced with the rather stark cadence of Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his OS in 'Her'

The trailer sees Theodor – played by Phoenix – fall in love with his new and scarily innovate OS Samantha, but Samantha is now an incredibly offensive, sandy-haired man in his mid-40s.

Continue reading: Joaquin Phoenix's Relationship With Philip Seymour Hoffman Develops In Spoof 'Her' Trailer

Shia LaBeouf has pulled what is known nowadays in showbusiness as a "Joaquin Phoenix," whereby one goes undercover, creating a series of provocative stunts to make the media believe that one's marbles have truly been lost then claiming it was all for art. The actor confused fans recently with a string of bizarre and out-of-the-blue incidents which included ripping off artist Daniel Clowes' work, apologising via a sky-writer, and a string of weird tweets over-apologising for his actions.

Shia LaBeouf Has Lifted The Lid On His Bizarre Actions Of Late.

Many probably assumed that LaBeouf, the former child star of Even Stevens, had simply gone off the rails a bit, as the Macaulay Culkins of the world have done before him. The media scratched its collective head and decided to laugh about the Transformer star's weird happenings. The chain of incidents seemingly ended a few weeks back with LaBeouf announcing that he was "retiring from all public life" after all the negative attention he was receiving.

Continue reading: Shia LaBeouf Does A Joaquin, Explains Confusing Incidents As "Meta-Modernist Performance Art"

Joaquin Phoenix could be the next actor to be announced for the upcoming Batman Vs. Superman movie, scheduled for 2015. The movie will see Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman go head-to-head for the first time on film. If the rumour is confirmed, Phoenix will join Cavill and Affleck as well as Amy Adams' Lois Lane and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.

Could Joaquin Phoenix Play Lex Luthor?

Fans of the 39 year-old Walk The Line actor won't be used to seeing Phoenix star in such big-name, huge budget action blockbusters which means the Batman Vs. Superman movie will be an intriguing change of role for the reclusive star. According to sources speaking to Variety, Phoenix is being linked to the movie as the film's antagonist, probably Lex Luthor.

Continue reading: Joaquin Phoenix To Play Lex Luthor In Batman Vs. Superman?

To get your head round Spike Jonze's delicate new sci-fi movie, Her, you need to believe absolutely and unequivocally in the premise: that a sad and lonely man is capable of falling in love with a computerised operating system, think Siri 10 years down the line, and forming a sincere attachment.

Joaquin Phoenix Plays A Man Seeking Love In An Unlikely Place In 'Her.'

"Delicate" is rarely a word you'll hear attributed to sci-fi movies but Jonze's masterful new film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, is both a strange tale of human attachment and a potentially troubling insight into the future of technology.

Continue reading: Joaquin Phoenix Is On Top Form And Ready To Win Back Hearts In Spike Jonze's 'Her' [Trailer]

We normally look at the precursory awards in the lead up to the Oscars as a bellwether for Academy predictions, but this year’s gongs have gone to a varied set of recipients, giving us no indication as to which direction the golden statuettes will be heading come March 2014.

Joaquin Phoenix in Her

And it appears as though The Los Angeles Film Critics Association are just as muddled with their hypothesis - they couldn’t split the difference between Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and Spike Jonez’s latest effort, Her. The first is an epic journey through space with incredible visuals, while the second is a futuristic love story starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, but they both received the top prize from the LAFCA last night (Sunday 9, December).

Continue reading: The L.A. Film Critics Association Shed No Light On Oscars Race With Her/Gravity Tie

Spike Jonze's off-beat romantic-drama Her was unexpectedly named best film of the year by the National Board of Review on Wednesday (December 4, 2013). The long-established and well respected educational organisation also gave Jonze the best director award for the movie, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as an office worker who falls in love with his computer system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

Joaquin Phoenix in Spike Jonze's 'Her'

Jonze also wrote the script, but was denied an awards hattrick when the NBR's best original screenplay award went to the Coen Brothers for Inside Llewyn Davis. The Martin Scorsese-directed The Wolf of Wall Street took the award for best adapted screenplay, capping an evening of surprise winners that must all now be mentioned in Oscars discussions. Until now, the likes of 12 Years a Slave, Gravity and Captain Phillips had dominated nominations talk, though with American Hustle winning best movie at the New York Critics awards earlier this week and Inside Llewyn Davis beating 12 Years a Slave at the Gotham Awards, we probably need to start rethinking our speculation for the major ceremonies.

Continue reading: Wait, Should We Be Calling Spike Jonze's 'Her' An Oscar Contender?

This week is pretty much all about The Hunger Games as Catching Fire arrives in cinemas around the world. After last week's world premiere in London, the cast headed back to America for back-to-back premieres in Los Angeles and New York. Meanwhile, a range of clips and short online features have whipped up fan frenzy to potentially record-breaking box office potential. Take a look over all the best bits of the American premiere's here or our The Hunger Games: Catching Fire critics round up here or just read our own review here. 

Slightly less flashy was the New York premiere of the Christmas drama Black Nativity, attended by stars Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker, all caught by paparazzi on the red carpet looking very glamorous. The film opens in time for the holidays. Check out our videos from the event Jacob Latimore and Angela Bassett arrive, Jennifer Hudson shows off her stunning pixie crop and Forest Whitaker takes his family to 'Black Nativity' NY Premiere.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Catching Fire Lands In Cinemas, Black Nativity Premieres, A First Peek Into Noah's Ark

Michelle Pfeiffer admitted to being in a cult when she was younger. The 55-year-old actress discussed her involvement with an unusual couple which led to her involvement into a cult called breatharianism. This involved abstaining from drinking or eating as they believe it food and drink are not necessary to live.

Michelle Pfeiffer discussed her cult-like lifestyle in a magazine article promoting her latest film, The Family.

The Batman actress spoke to The Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine (published on 3rd November) about her youthful involvement in the cult. Pfieffer described how, after leaving home at the age of 20, she became involved with a "very controlling" couple when she arrived in Los Angeles. She described the couple as "kind of personal trainers" who placed her on an extreme diet, breatharianism, which "nobody can adhere to."

Continue reading: Michelle Pfeiffer Led Cult-Like Lifestyle As Young Actress In L.A.

With the news that the John Belushi biopic is back on after a stagnant few years, thoughts have turned to who will play the mercurial talent who was there at the very beginnings of Saturday Night Live. Joaquin Phoenix’s name has emerged amongst a bunch of potential actors.

John Belushi [L] and Dan Akroyd as The Blues Brothers

The fact that Phoenix’s name has been mentioned shouldn’t have much bearing on who actually plays the late star. So far, according to a quick trawl of the net, Zach Galifianakis, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Ethan Suplee, Tyler Labine and Emile Hirsch have all been suggested. (Digital Spy)

Continue reading: Joaquin Phoenix Circling John Belushi Role

The New York Film Festival screened for the first time, Spike Jonze's new science fictional romantic drama called 'Her' on Saturday (Oct 12th). The film is set in the not-so-distant and it attempts to depict how humans become too reliant on technological devices. Though the film carries a sci-fi label, it is an insightful story of romance and human emotion.

Pheonix stars in the leaidng man role as 'Theodore Twombly' 

The leading man in 'Her' is 38 year-old Joaquin Phoenix as he plays 'Theodore Twombly'. A complex and passionate man, whose career consists of writing touching, heartfelt letters for other people. Phoenix is tasked with connecting love and technology to a human emotional level, after his character download's a new "operating system" named Samantha who has the power to evolve.

Continue reading: NYFF 2013: Joaquin Phoenix Combines Sci-Fi With Romance In 'Her'

Six months of anticipation for four hours of award giving: that’s what you signed up for. The Oscars 2014 has its host, and now it has its favorites. Which director will be hurtling through an acceptance speech at breakneck speed, and which actor will be practising their sad-yet-humble loser face?

Sandra Bullock [L] and George Clooney [R] In Gravity

It’s Oscars season.

Continue reading: Predicting The Oscars 2014: Is George Clooney Guaranteed An Academy Award?

In Her, Spike Jonze’s highly anticipated new movie, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodor – a recently divorced man living city life alone until a new piece of technology enters his life: Samantha (Scarlett Johansson).

Joaquin Phoenix in Her

Samantha is a computer program: a Siri-like entity that accompanies Theodor in his professional and personal life. Their relationship soon turns from user/product to a more romantic one, as our protagonist falls in love with his new toy.

Continue reading: Joaquin Phoenix Falls In Love With EWoman In 'Her' [Trailer + Pictures]

The 2013 Cannes Film Festival will open on Wednesday (May 15, 2013) with Baz Luhrmann's 3-D version of The Great Gatsby, a throwback to the roaring twenties adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic book of the same name. The announcement caused unrest earlier in the year given that Gatsby would already have been released in the U.S by the time Cannes came round (it was released last week) though there's a couple of other things to worry about.

The Great Gatsby opened in the United States to fairly lacklustre reviews, dampening the buzz surrounding the start of the 12 day Cannes Film Festival. The critics have already seen it. The critics didn't like it very much. "This dreadful film even derogates the artistry of Fitzgerald, who wrote "The Great Gatsby" while living on Long Island and in Europe," said the Wall Street Journal. It holds a score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Nevertheless, champagne bottles will be popped, deals will be made and Harvey Weinstein will be wandering around deciding which movie to snap up as his next Oscar winner at this year's festival. Stars expected to attend include Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson and the legendary Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachan. "This is the hardest 10 days of the year for me. There are always three or four movies that are exceptional and you have to find them so it is a detective job," said Tom Bernard, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics.

Continue reading: 'The Great Gatsby' Opening Cannes Doesn't Seem Like Such A Good Idea Anymore

The Screen Actors Guild Awards is tonight (Jan 27) and it looks like it could be a close one. What's more, the SAG Awards usually offer a good indication of who will win what at the 'big one' that is the Academy Awards in February. So who'll win what? Here's our prediction of who may emerge victorious at tonight's ceremony.

Best Actor: Ok, this is a bit of a no-brainer. With a Golden Globe and just about every other award under the sun already in his possession, Daniel Day-Lewis looks like the clear favourite to take home the top award. With Cannes winner Joaquin Phoenix not even on the shortlist, it looks like Golden Globe winner Hugh Jackman might be his only competition for the award, but it probably wont be much of a contest.

Best Actress: Again, this one might be a bit of a predetermination, but Jennifer Lawrence is looking like the favourite to take home the top acting prize for the ladies. Even though she's battling pneumonia at the moment, it is believed that she'll show up anyway and with that kind of determination then frankly she deserves the award.

Continue reading: SAG Awards Tonight: Who'll Win What?

Daniel Day-Lewis will make Oscar history on February 26, 2013, when - as expected - he takes the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's critically acclaimed Lincoln. Should Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix or even Denzel Washington steal away the gong, it would almost certainly represent the biggest Best Actor shock since Robert Benigni somehow usurped Tom Hanks and Nick Nolte to the award in 1999. Though Jack Nicholson was considered the favourite, Day-Lewis could have had another award in 2003, (Gangs Of New York) had Adrien Brody not upset the apple-cart for his role in The Pianist.

As 'Lincoln' prepares to hit screens in the UK, critics have seized the opportunity to laud Day-Lewis' performance - "legend", "genius" and "one of the greats" are words and phrases found in almost every review. Ian Nathan of Empire Magazine said, "As unexpected as it is intelligent, thanks to virtuoso work from Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln is landmark filmmaking, while Day-Lewis is so authentic he pulls off that stovepipe." Matthew Turner of ViewLondon said, "Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an absorbing and enjoyable political drama with an Oscar-worthy central performance from Daniel Day-Lewis." Shaun Munro of What Culture agreed, writing, "Daniel Day-Lewis gives yet another performance for the ages in Steven Spielberg's admirably literate, thoroughly charming biopic."

Continue reading: Lincoln's Daniel-Day Lewis To Outdo Brando, Penn, Hanks With Oscar Win

Due to much of its tighter focus on British and/or Irish films and their actors, the London Critics Film Awards list of winners often differs greatly from the other big awards of the season. This year, however, they have gone even farther left field, rightly awarding some of the distinctly lesser known films and actors, triumphing over those better known.

Berberian Sound Studio, which came out last August, did very well, winning the Attenborough Award for the best British Film of the Year. Written and directed by Peter Strickland this is only his second feature. Having been described as 'seriously weird and seriously good' by Peter Bradshaw, Berberian Sound Studio is a psychological thriller set in an Italian horror movie studio of the 1970s. 

It stars Toby Jones who also won the award for Best British Actor of the year. 

Continue reading: London Critics Circle Film Awards Choose Unexpected Winners

As awards season kicks off, today with the BAFTA nominations and tomorrow with the Golden Globe award ceremony, actors, actresses, directors and producers everywhere will be biting their nails and praying for a win from at least one of the big three coming up, the aforementioned two, of the Oscars, nominations for which will also be released tomorrow. 

There are very few surprises in the BAFTA nominations as this year has some clear stand-out offerings to the trade, and as announced by Alice Eve and Jeremy Irvine, here's the low down on the biggest prizes. 

Nominations for best film are the big five: Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty. Despite BAFTA being a British institution, there's not a British film in sight (except Les Mis, but the majority of leads aren't from the fair isle). Luckily, however, there's a whole separate award for Brits. In that list, the contenders are Anna Karenina, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (that was 2012? it seems so long ago), Les Miserables, Seven Psychopaths and a much deserved Skyfall. 

Continue reading: British Awards Season Begins With The Unsurprising Nominations At The Baftas

It was 'coming' for months; teasing us with enigmatic trailers, laced with a disconcertingly mistimed drum. It was the next big thing. With a directing CV representing no mistakes, this was going to be Paul Thomas Anderson's official entry into the pantheon of the greats.

And it still might be, but, as many are predicting, not via an instant hit of Oscar-narcotics. The 2013 Academy awards will recognise great films, no doubt, but it's likely The Master will be lucky to walk away with one.

So why is a film - which has been at the top or near the top of many critic's end of year lists - destined to 'underachieve' come Sunday, February 24th, only to spend years accumulating a cult status of its own? Here are three perfectly ridiculous reasons why not.

Continue reading: Three Reasons Why The Master Won't Dominate The Oscars

The race to the Academy Awards is beginning to hot up with movie executives beginning to hobnob with various industry people and drum up support for their respective films. Sir Anthony Hopkins recently explained how he refused to travel to New York just for the sake of speaking to the right people about his movie Hitchcock, and we all know what Joaquin Phoenix thinks of the whole charade. 

Though some people really want to win an Oscar. The people behind Denzel Washington's Flight have released a special trailer targeted at Academy voters, and the people over at Team Cloud Atlas would probably kill to just spend five minutes with one of the statuettes, any of them. One actress who would love to get her hands on the Best Actress gong for a second time (though she'd never admit it) is Marion Cotillard, whose turn in Rust and Bone has been winning quiet praise in the lead up to awards' season. The movie focuses on a man's bond with a killer whale trainer, which grows deeper after she suffers a horrible accident. Sounds pretty grisly huh? But the critics loved it, and lauded Cotillard's performance in particular. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote, "As an orca trainer who loses her legs, Cotillard is astonishing, as is Schoenaerts as a boxer who helps restore her sexual identity. Audiard's hypnotic film means to shake you, and does." Tim Robey of The Telegraph said, "Cotillard, who's been waiting since La vie en rose for a role this substantial, is at her damaged, devastating best". 

For punters, Cotillard represents one of the best value for money bets of awards' season. She's currently available at 8/1 to win Best Actress at the Oscars - seen as a wide open race. Pretty much everyone knew Meryl Streep was going to win last year, though in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) Emannuelle Riva (Amour), Ouvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty),  Helen Mirren (Hitchcock) or Cotillard could all scoop the prize.

Continue reading: Could Marion Cotillard Win An Oscar For Rust And Bone?

Joaquin Phoenix recently discussed his new movie 'The Master' in an interview with The Mirror and believes leaders of Scientology type cults are 'very human' in that they can't see themselves becoming obsessed with power.

The Oscar winning actor hasn't worked on any movie project since 2010 when he did a comedy documentary called 'I'm Still Here' which featured his transition from famous actor to aspiring rapper and he admits that he was in danger of becoming 'bored' of his career. 'I just felt like I needed to change something drastically, so I wasn't bored', he told The Mirror. 'I wanted to have the feeling that I had when I was young when it was like, 'This is the most important thing to me, and I'm going to put everything that I have into this'.' 

He certainly seems to have put his all into 'The Master'; a movie, apparently based on Scientology, about a drunk and spiritually lost man finding solace in a religious cult led by a charismatic but dubious scholar. When asked his feelings on the subject matter he replied, 'I know people talk about it, and some of their beliefs are ridiculous, but I don't know how they sound any more absurd than Catholic or Christian beliefs - no offence to anyone who believes in those.' He was also struck by the authenticity of the movie and believes that leaders in that situation don't realise how much power is affecting them. 'I think it's easy for people to convince themselves that they are doing something altruistic and doing something with the group ultimately, and it is a selfish act', he said.

Denzel Washington’s latest film, Flight, has garnered much praise already – and for all the right reasons too – with Washington already tipped for Oscar glory for his staring role.

The film itself, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by John Gatins, tells the story of an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, however the post-flight investigation into the plane’s malfunctions reveals some worrying revelations. Washington stars as said pilot, Whip Whitaker, who on top of being a veteran of his trade is also a serious alcoholic. The film also stars Bruce Greenwood as the character Charlie Anderson.

Whilst still a newcomer to the box office, critics look as though they can’t get enough of Washington and his performance, and betting sites have already placed the double-Oscar winner among the top contenders to achieve Oscar glory at next years ceremony. 

Continue reading: Denzel Washington Set For Oscar Success With ‘Flight’?

Joaquin Phoenix, the star of The Master and current second-favourite to scoop the Oscar for Best Actor in February, has played down his acting talents claiming to actually be "not very good." Phoenix - who was rumored to be quitting the movie business before signing on for Paul Thomas Anderson's movie - said he needs to be "very close" to directors in order to get through shoots.

In a nervy interview with The Independent, Phoenix explained his self-doubts and on-set needs, "I think the trouble is that I'm not very good and I need a lot of help; I need the entire set to be working to help me," he said, adding, "The only way I can work is to be very close to the director and the acting. At least people like Paul make you feel that is a priority." Since his superb turn in Gladiator, Phoenix has decided against appearing in further blockbusters, though noted, "If every single movie was The Master it would be a pretty boring world out there. I think it's fine to have those blockbusters. I'm not against those movies. I just don't want to experience them." He has a similar outlook on awards season, recently telling Interview magazine, "I think it's bullsh*t. I think it's total, utter bullsh*t, and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't believe in it. It's a carrot, but it's the worst-tasting carrot I've ever tasted in my whole life. I don't want this carrot." He may be forced to at least nibble on the carrot should he be - as expected - nominated for a slew of awards in the coming months. Though Daniel Day Lewis is the overwhelming favourite to win the Best Actor for Lincoln, Phoenix isn't far behind in the betting, at around 3/1. 

The Master's producer Harvey Weinstein - famous for his awards season nous - will at least have Oscar's mainstay Philip Seymour Hoffman around for the publicity push. In fact, the veteran is almost certain to win Best Supporting Actor for his L Ron Hubbard-like role.

Continue reading: Oscar-Tipped Joaquin Phoenix: I'm Not Very Good And Need Lots Of Help

Joaquin Phoenix would have been one of the favourites for an Oscar come January 2013, considering his fantastic work in The Master, but he may have blown it in a recent interview.

But it's not like he really cares. Phoenix offered his modicum of the truth when it comes to awards season, and more specifically The Oscars whilst having a candid chat with Interview Magazine. "I'm just saying that I think it's bulls---. I think it's total, utter bulls----, and I don't want to be a part of it," Phoenix told interviewer Elvis Mitchell when asked about the potential honor. "I don't believe in it. It's a carrot, but it's the worst-tasting carrot I've ever tasted in my whole life. I don't want this carrot. It's totally subjective. Pitting people against each other ... It's the stupidest thing in the whole world.

If Phoenix stopped being so damn good at acting, then he might not have to deal with being recognised for it, and given the amount of money he makes to pretend to be someone else for a while, and hang out with some of the biggest stars in the world for a living, we can think of worse things to be angry about.

Joaquin Phoenix doesn't pander to the etiquette so frequently conveyed by the Hollywood A-listers. He'll no doubt be in the running for an Oscar for his role in The Master, but what does he really think of the awards?

"I think it's bullshit," Phoenix told Elvis Mitchell in Interview magazine. "I think it's total, utter bullshit, and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't believe in it. It's a carrot, but it's the worst-tasting carrot I've ever tasted in my whole life. I don't want this carrot. It's totally subjective. Pitting people against each other ... It's the stupidest thing in the whole world." Well there you go, Academy Awards, you've been told. We firmly believe that Phoenix deserves an Oscar, as his portrayal of erstwhile vet. Freddie Quell, but we also quite want him to win just to see what he says when he does. Phoenix, by all accounts, doesn't care about how he's portrayed, and his documentary experiment, which delved into the lack of humanity in Hollywood, was a great example of his forward thinking and candid approach to western attitudes.

"It was one of the most uncomfortable periods of my life when 'Walk the Line' was going through all the awards stuff and all that," Phoenix told Mitchell. "I never want to have that experience again. I don't know how to explain it -- and it's not like I'm in this place where I think I'm just above it -- but I just don't ever want to get comfortable with that part of things."

Reese Witherspoon has named her new baby boy Tennessee James, reports The Huffington Post. He was born yesterday (September 27th).

The 36-year-old's third child is guaranteed a shot at acting with a name like that. Witherspoon already has two little ones from her previous marriage with Ryan Phillippe; Ava, 12, and Deacon, 8. Linda Rosenkrantz, co-founder of Nameberry.com, has some explanations behind naming techniques employed by parents. "It's a trend that had its roots starting in the late 1980s," she said," with several celebs picking names from the American West, like Austin, Dallas and Dakota, including Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, whose now grown daughter Dakota is the star of a new sitcom. But lately the trend seems to be heating up and much more widespread." Celebrities seem to be obsessed with choosing never-heard-before names for their offspring, and are looking far and wide for names that fit the bill: "The current trend seems to be really exotic-sounding spots, like Morocco, Egypt and Asia, and states rather than countries or cities -- Alabama, Arizona, Indiana and yes, Tennessee."

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon made her name in 2001, with her breakout role as Elle Woods in the box office hit Legally Blonde, after bagging a Golden Globe nomination for the critically acclaimed Election. She also garnered critical praise for her performance in Walk The Line alongside Joaquin Phoenix.

River Phoenix’s final movie ‘Dark Blood’ will finally be released on September 27, 2012, almost 20 years after the aspiring star died outside The Viper Room in Los Angeles. Phoenix –who had ingested a lethal combination of cocaine and heroin – stars in George Sluizer’s thriller about a young widow living in the desert on a nuclear testing site.

Phoenix – who was considered one of the finest young actors in Hollywood – died as he and Sluizer were putting the finishing touches to the movie. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the director, now 80, said of Phoenix’s death, “I was devastated…It was a terrible sadness.” The movie had roughly 11 days of production to complete when the actor died, with an insurance company making the call to abandon the project and pay out to the original investors. As the firm became owners of the movie, it sat in storage until 1999, at which point they decided to destroy it. “That’s when I said, ‘No, no, I’m going to save it from destruction”, said Sluizer, without going into detail as to how he took ownership of ‘Dark Blood’ once again. After suffering an acute aortic dissection while holidaying in France and spending months recovering, the director decided he had to finish the film, “I said, I want to finish the film before whatever happens,” adding, “At least I will finish my job as best as I could.” The movie will premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht this week, and is competing for the festival’s Golden Calf award.

Meanwhile, River’s brother Joaquin Phoenix is tipped to receive an Oscar nomination for his turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘The Master.