DVD features:

• Presented in widescreen format only
• Audio commentary by Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson
• Muse music video: “Super Massive Black Hole”
• Paramore music video: “Decode”
• Linkin Park music video: “Leave Out All the Rest”
• Five extended scenes with director introductions
• Five deleted scenes with director introductions
• Seven-part documentary: “The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen”
• Comic-Con “fandom” piece
• Comic-Con NY sizzle reel
• Three trailers
• Penelope trailer

Product Description
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) doesn’t expect much when she moves to the small town of Forks, Washington, until she meets the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson)—a boy who’s hiding a dark secret: he’s a vampire. As their worlds and hearts collide, Edward must battle the bloodlust raging inside him as well as a coterie of undead that would make Bella their prey. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling sensation by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight adds a dangerous twist to the classic story of star-crossed lovers.

Get a DVD copy at Amazon.com

The big-screen adaptation of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling vampire romance, is aimed squarely at its key demographic: teen girls whose idea of Prince Charming is a brooding, pale, undead teen who could kill you instantly at any moment. Such a prince is more fascinating than frightening to new girl Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who moves to the rainy-gray town of Forks, Wash., to live with her dad (Billy Burke), the local sheriff who’s puzzled by a series of “animal attacks.” On her first day at school, Bella appears to (visibly) nauseate her lab partner, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Turns out the scent of her blood is this vampire’s “brand of heroin,” and his struggle not to kill her causes an irresistible pull toward her. Whether he’s attracted for the normal reasons or because she smells especially sweet to him is vague in the book and even less clear on-screen; nonetheless, Bella falls hopelessly in love with Edward, which sets her on a dangerous path when a few nomad vampires show up in town, one particularly keen on tracking the human. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), Twilight is full of funny moments–not all of which are intentional–and the casting, from Stewart to Bella’s self-absorbed friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is spot-on. The weakest link, unfortunately, is Pattinson. While he certainly looks the part, his Edward could have used an extra injection of testosterone (Pattinson, who is British, used James Dean as a model for his American accent). In scenes where he growls about the temptation to kill those who would harm Bella, or flitting around a forest warning her how dangerous he is, he comes off more like a whimpering puppy than a debonair monster. The good news is, his chemistry with Stewart (particularly in their big kissing scene) is palpable, which, let’s face it, is really what matters to Twilight fans most.

Lily Collins, the daughter of famous music legend Phil Collins, is going to make a guest appearance in The CW’s teen series, 90210. The beautiful 19 year old, who has been working as a model, is expected to be in two episodes, airing May 12th and May 19th. She will play the rival of the show’s lead character, Annie Wilson (played by Shenae Grimes).

The young stunner also works as a correspondent for Nickelodeon. She is a member of the kids channels’ Election Connection Team, covering election conventions and has been hosting updates on music, fashion, movies and celebrities on the said channel. She has a knack for working in front of the cameras that for college,  she is pursuing broadcast journalism at the USC. She also writes for CosmoGIRL with her column, Lily’s Trend Watch.

For her work as a correspondent, she has already received recognition from the 2008 Young Hollywood Awards.

Modeling opened windows for her when she was discovered by Tommy Hilfiger on a flight from NY to Los Angeles, shuttling between her mother and her father’s house. Though her parents are already divorced, she maintains a close relationship with Phil Collins.

Says Lily of her father in this interview from two years ago: He’s so funny and so supportive. We always talk on the phone; we watch movies; we have inside jokes. I love hanging out with him in New York. We both love the theatre, so we’ll often go to a show. And he knows all the cool places that I’d never know about, like some secret restaurant hidden beneath a terrace. He’s dubbed ‘the shy guy’, but to me he’s not shy. He wrote a song for me called ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’, for Tarzan the musical. That song is very, very close to me.

The 90210 guest appearance is listed as Lily’s very first TV acting gig. Good luck to her!

Do you like the new image?

The press release is after the cut…

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT) and Nickelodeon/Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP), announced today that Dora the Explorer™ is growing up! The companies have introduced a whole new way to look at Dora for girls five years and up. This groundbreaking initiative, featuring fashion dolls and accessories, is a completely new brand extension that empowers girls to influence and change the lives of Dora and her new friends. It’s innovative, diverse, wholesome, bi-lingual and entertaining.

“For nearly ten years, Dora the Explorer has had such a strong following among preschoolers, catapulting it into the number one preschool show on commercial television,” says Gina Sirard, vice president of marketing for Mattel. “Girls really identify with Dora and we knew that girls would love to have their friend Dora grow up with them, and experience the new things that they were going through themselves. The brand captures girls’ existing love of Dora and marries it with the fashion doll play and online experiences older girls enjoy.”

“Dora the Explorer has been one of the most successful properties for nearly a decade, with an average of 21.1 million viewers, including 6 million preschoolers, tuning into the television show each month,” explained Leigh Anne Brodsky, president, NVCP. “We are thrilled to partner with Mattel to develop this brand extension that will enable girls to continue to learn and interact with their Latina heroine, Dora, as they grow up together.”

As tweenage Dora, our heroine has moved to the big city, attends middle school and has a whole new fashionable look. What’s more, she now has a rich online world in which girls can explore, play games, customize, and most importantly solve mysteries with Dora and her new friends. Adding to the play value, Dora’s online world is interactive with the new doll line.

“Dora’s Explorer Girls™ is a unique, innovative product line that the toy industry has not previously seen,” says Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com. “It is very exciting to see such a popular brand expanding upon its key fan base, while at the same time incorporating cutting-edge fashion doll play with a fun online experience.”

Dora Magically Transforms Before Girls’ Eyes

The cornerstone of the entire line is the Dora Links fashion doll. By plugging the doll into the computer, girls can access Dora’s brand-new interactive online world. This exciting innovation in computer-connected play offers girls a unique interactive experience: as girls are playing online they can customize their doll and watch as she magically transforms right before their eyes. For example, by changing Dora’s hair length, jewelry, and eye color on screen, the Dora doll magically changes as well.

The online world will include descriptions and biographies of Dora’s Explorer Girls™ and an immersive online world that will be tied into the complete collection of toys. Online, girls can explore Dora’s world, talk to the characters, earn currency, and help Dora solve mysteries which will be uploaded on a regular basis. As girls explore and solve mysteries online, the doll’s speech will change to correspond with their play. In addition, Dora Links features a magical alert system that lets the doll know when new mysteries are being uploaded to the Dora site. Even when the child is away from the computer playing with the doll, she will let girls know what new things are happening in the online world.

Adding to the play value of the line will be a wide range of accessories (sold separately) as well as the Dora’s Seaside School playset that will work with Dora Links to expand traditional offline fashion doll play as well as to expand the online experience. Girls can download new speech, music, and mysteries into the locker, and also will enter a huge new portion of the online world, which is Dora’s school.

“Typically, children ‘grow out’ of favorite characters,” says Chris Byrne, content director for TimetoPlayMag.com aka The Toy Guy®. “Now Dora has been designed to grow up with her fans, opening the door to extended play that is age appropriate, allowing kids to stay involved with a favorite character and maintaining the core values of Dora the Explorer that children love.”

New Look To Be Revealed in Fall

The marketing teams conducted an unprecedented amount of focus-group research and found that girls love the mystery aspect, the technology of the doll, and above all, were very excited to see what a more grown up Dora would look like. In keeping with this excitement, Nickelodeon and Mattel plan to keep Dora’s new look a secret until the brand launch in Fall 2009.

“The doll really taps into a tween’s love of fashion and empowers girls to influence and change the ‘lives’ of Dora and her friends,” explains Ms. Sirard. “The instant gratification that girls receive as they change Dora online and watch as the doll magically transforms right before their eyes is groundbreaking in today’s toy market. What’s more, parents can feel comfortable knowing that Dora’s online world provides a safe and wholesome play experience for their children.”

The Dora Links fashion doll, for children five years and up, will retail for approximately $59.99.

Via Businesswire

The full report follows after the cut…

From China Daily:

Daniel Radcliffe has been voted most valuable young star.

The ‘Harry Potter’ actor topped a poll based on the Forbes Star Currency list, which measures individuals’ on both their body or work and bankability. Daniel, 19, beat a host of well-known names to the coveted top spot with ‘Hannah Montana’ actress-and-singer

Miley Cyrus, 16, coming second and ‘Secret Life Of Bees’ star Dakota Fanning, 15, claiming third spot. Daniel came out highest due to the success of the wizard movie franchise and his critically-acclaimed stage role in ‘Equus’, which has enjoyed runs in London’s West End and New York’s Broadway theatre districts.

The survey described the British star as someone who ‘was plucked from relative obscurity to take on the Harry Potter role and has made the most of the opportunity.

As Potter wraps up, he’s clearly just beginning.’ Around 150 entertainment industry members were asked to rank Hollywood stars under the age of 19 years on box office success, audience appeal and ability to attract funding to get their Star Currency rating. ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ actress Abigail Breslin, 12, came in fourth place, narrowly beating ‘Heroes’ star Hayden Pannettiere, who came fifth.

Making up the rest of the top ten were Daniel’s ‘Harry Potter’ co-star Emma Watson, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ actor Freddie Highmore, Keke Palmer, Julia Roberts’ actress niece Emma Roberts and Anton Yelchin, who is can soon be seen in ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Terminator Salvation’.

Forbes Top 10 most valuable young stars: 1. Daniel Radcliffe 2. Miley Cyrus 3. Dakota Fanning 4. Abigail Breslin 5. Hayden Panettiere 6. Emma Watson 7. Freddie Highmore 8. Keke Palmer 9. Emma Roberts 10. Anton Yelchin

tipster: Anthon

The actor also talks about Twilight and his role of a lifetime, Edward Cullen…

“I took half a Valium and then went into this thing—and all this stuff happened.”

Okay—to be fair, that’s not all he tells us. He was on the verge of quitting acting, he says. He’d followed up what was, back then, the biggest role of his career—in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as Cedric Diggory, sort of the haughty blond Iceman to Harry’s Maverick—by getting fired from a play in London, where he grew up. He was in Los Angeles, crashing on his agent’s couch, looking for an American job.That’s all Twilight was to Pattinson, at first: an American job. He didn’t know about the cult, about the fans who’d followed Edward and Bella, his perpetually imperiled mortal lady friend, from the first book—which turned author Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon stay-at-home mom from Arizona, into the biggest publishing-industry phenomenon since Potter’s J. K. Rowling—through three increasingly thick-as-a-brick sequels. He didn’t know that as soon as the movie adaptation was announced, those Twilight fans—about 98.999 percent female and 100 percent fervent—started burning up Internet message boards with deeply felt opinions about which actors were right (and wrong, wrong, wr0ng!!!!) for the male lead. All he knew was that he couldn’t remember how to do an American accent. He was freaking out. Hence the pill.

“It was the first time I’ve ever taken Valium,” he says after a second, perhaps realizing how this sounds. “A quarter. A quarter of a Valium. I tried to do it for another audition, and it just completely backfired—I was passing out.” (Don’t do drugs, kids.)

He auditioned in Hardwicke’s bedroom; Hardwicke videotaped him and Stewart performing one of the movie’s big love scenes. By then, Hardwicke had already met with hundreds of potential Edwards. “I’d seen a zillion really cute guys,” she says. “But that was the problem. They all looked like the super-cute kid in your high school. The prom king, or the captain of the football team. They didn’t look like they were from another world and time.”

They did the scene. There was a vibe. Hardwicke waited a day to decide—“No matter how much I fall in love with the person, I make myself review the tape, to make sure I wasn’t just overwhelmed by something in the air”—but says Stewart told her, right there in the room, “It has to be Rob.”

“Everybody came in doing something empty and shallow and thoughtless,” Stewart says. “I know that’s a fucking great thing to say about all the other actors—but Rob understood that it wasn’t a frivolous role.”

Hardwicke still had to convince Summit Entertainment, the studio bankrolling Twilight, that Pattinson was the guy.

“There was a call from the head of the studio,” Hardwicke says. “ ‘Are you sure you can make this guy handsome?’ ”

They sent him to a trainer, dyed his hair and cut it. Pattinson immersed himself in the lore—the novels and Midnight Sun, Meyer’s unpublished, unfinished retelling of Twilight from Edward’s point of view. (“I was a vampire, and she had the sweetest blood I’d smelled in eighty years.”) He showed up to shoot the movie with a lot of ideas about how it could be more than a horror-tinged tween romance. How Edward could be less like the turtlenecked Prince Charming from the novels—“If you met a guy like that in real life,” he says, “you’d think he was kind of dorky”—and more like the edgy dude burning himself with cigarettes in the corner at the high school party. Less hottie, more monster. He thought that at the end of the movie, when Edward and Bella slow-dance to Iron & Wine on prom night, they shouldn’t kiss. “I thought that would be interesting,” he says, “for a teen thing.”

Read more at GQ

Indian Bollywood Actor Aishwarya Rai has been voted by Forbes Magazine as the most bankable Bollywood actor on Hollywood….this after her very tiny role on the Pink Panther 2.

The actress is very much a superstar in her home country. And Forbes Magazine has listed her ahead of other Indian stars like Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Irrfan Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

The beautiful actress is set to work next on projects with Tyra Banks and Will Smith who are said to be interested in casting the Bollywood beauty.

Reacting to the Forbes survey, Ash said — “Me the most bankable Bollywood star in Hollywood? Thank you! I must confess that any acknowledgement of hard work makes me feel content. In all humility, I want to thank all those who feel I’m bankable.”

“Hey guys, this is Ashley Tisdale. I’m in the studio right now listening to the final mix of my single, ‘It’s Alright, It’s Ok,’ and I wanted to give you the tiniest sneak peek. I’m really excited for you to hear the rest of the song and see your reactions. So, keep checking in for more music updates. Bye!”

The young actress is currently working on a forthcoming album and describes this one as:

“It’s just a big anthem song, totally independent woman song. It’s a break-up one. I love break-up songs, which is really funny. It’s really woman driven and I’m excited for it to come out.”

Watch the video to It’s Alright, It’s Ok’ here:

As she has posted on her MySpace, teen actress Selena Gomez is the new ambassador to DoSomething.org. It is an organization that supports a lot of programs and causes which aims to guide Teenagers to make a difference.

Her MySpace entry:

“The last time I was in PR shooting Princess Protection Program we noticed all of these stray dogs and puppies. We ended up finding out that Puerto Rico has a ‘dead dog beach’ its sounds worse than it is but people actually kills dogs for fun here.. This time around im teaming up with DoSomething.org and my mom, Brian, David, Jake, David D are all going to help out today along with some of my crew from set! We are spending the day feeding puppies, washing them and hanging out with them. After we spend the day with them we are sending these dogs to different places in the U.S the no-kill dog shelters so they can find a home…

just wanted to share that with you guys and let you know where ill be for the day

visit DoSomething.org to check it out!
I love you guys!

Sel”

————————–

About DoSomething.Org

Do Something believes you have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org we provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action. Be part of a generation of doers.

Five guidelines we live by:

1. Believe in teenagers. Teenagers can lead today. We don’t require adults.
2. Trust teenagers. We provide reliable, easy to access information and activation strategies, but teens decide for themselves what to do.
3. Celebrate teenagers. We think all measurable contributions from teens are valuable.
4. Respect teenagers. We understand that teenagers have diverse abilities and constraints.
5. Value teenagers. Our programs and products are free. We’re not after teens’ money; we want their passion, time and creativity.

For the first time in 8 Years, American Idol will be having thirteen finalists, instead of the usual 12. Four from yesterday advanced, giving one person the extra spot in this year’s singing contest.

Out of this 13 singers, one will become a big, big star come May of this year.

The full press release from Fox follows…

AMERICAN IDOL” ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER TOP 13
WILD CARD CONTESTANTS JASMINE MURRAY, MEGAN JOY CORKREY,
MATT GIRAUD AND ANOOP DESAI ADVANCE

TOP 13 FINALISTS PERFORM LIVE TUESDAY, MARCH 10, ON FOX
KELLY CLARKSON AND KANYE WEST TO PERFORM DURING LIVE RESULTS SHOW WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

Tonight, in a surprising “Wild Card” episode, it was revealed that Jasmine Murray from Starkville, MS; Megan Joy Corkrey from Sandy, UT; Matt Giraud from Kalamazoo, MI; and Anoop Desai from Chapel Hill, NC, were chosen by the AMERICAN IDOL judges to advance in the competition and join Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nuñez, Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver in the AMERICAN IDOL Top 13. This is the first time in IDOL history that 13 finalists have been chosen to compete for the title of the next American Idol.

Next week America’s Top 13 will take the stage for the first time and battle it out for the IDOL crown. A new IDOL stage will be revealed when the Top 13 finalists perform live Tuesday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Tune in the following night Wednesday, March 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) to the live results show to see Kelly Clarkson perform her smash single “My Life Would Suck Without You,” watch Kanye West entertain the audience with his hit “Heartless” and find out who receives enough votes to stay in the competition and who is sent home.

The AMERICAN IDOL Top 13 finalists are:

• Kris Allen (23) – Currently lives in Conway, AR, but grew up in Jacksonville, AR. Allen is a student at the University of Central Arkansas. He has been singing and playing the guitar since he was 13 years old.
• Megan Joy Corkrey (23) – Corkrey lives in Sandy, UT, with her 2-year-old son, Ryder. She has been singing since age 3, and is a self-professed “foodie.”
• Anoop Desai (22) – Born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC. Desai is working on his master’s degree at the University of North Carolina. During his undergraduate years, he was a member of the UNC Clef Hangers, an a cappella group.
• Matt Giraud (23) – Currently lives in Kalamazoo, MI, but grew up in Ypsilanti, MI.  Giraud is a life-long resident of Michigan who graduated from Western Michigan University in 2007. He sings and plays piano in local clubs and hotels.
• Danny Gokey (28) – Raised and currently lives in Milwaukee, WI. Gokey is the president and founder of a non-profit organization. In addition to singing, he plays the piano and loves salsa dancing.
• Alexis Grace (21) – Born and raised in Memphis, TN.  Grace has been singing since she was 7 years old. She was a member of the Concert Choir at the University of Memphis, and enjoys dancing, playing the guitar and taking care of her daughter.
• Allison Iraheta (16) – Currently lives in Downey, CA, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. Iraheta is a junior in high school who began singing at age 5. She also enjoys playing the guitar.
• Adam Lambert (27) – Lambert grew up in San Diego but currently lives in Hollywood. He began singing at age 10, and has been involved with musical theater for the past eight years.
• Scott MacIntyre (23) – Born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ. MacIntyre earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University at age 19, and attended graduate school in London, England. He also plays piano, guitar and drums.
• Jasmine Murray (17) – Murray lives in Starkville, MS, and attends The Mississippi School of the Arts. She loves being on stage and has been singing since she was 3 years old.
• Jorge Nuñez (21) – Currently resides in Carolina, Puerto Rico, but originally from Cidra, Puerto Rico. Nuñez is in his fourth year at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. In addition to English and Spanish, Nuñez is also fluent in French.
• Lil Rounds (24) – Rounds was raised and currently lives in Memphis, TN, with her husband and three children. Music has always been a part of her life, and she began singing when she was 3 years old.
• Michael Sarver (27) – Raised and currently lives in Jasper, TX. Sarver is married with two children and works on an oil rig. He has always dreamed of being a singer/songwriter. Sarver also plays the piano, drums and guitar.