Pat Robertson to SNL: Leave Tim Tebow Alone!

Saturday Evening Live Pat Robertson's latest target? Saturday Evening Live. The televangelist railed against a skit mocking Colorado Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow, a wide open and devout Christian, calling it "anti-Christian bigotry." Within the sketch, Jason Sudeikis made an appearance as Jesus and told Tebow to focus on his game and ease on the praise. The breakout stars of 2011 "If the have been a Muslim country plus they tried that, coupled with Muhammad doing that stuff, you'd have discovered tanks being tossed off!" Robertson stated around the Christian Broadcasting Network. "Tebow is definitely an example, and i believe he is an excellent individual,Inch Robertson stated. "We want more religious belief in today's world. We are losing our moral compass within our nation which guy continues to be put into a distinctive position and that i applaud him. God bless him." Watch Robertson slam SNL, thanks to Mediaite: And also the original sketch:

Kim Jong Il Dead: North Korean Leader Once Kidnapped Filmmaker and Actress to Work for Him

The death of Kim Jong Il will have real-world ramifications far into 2012, but -- for now -- feel free to recall the North Korean dictator's more ka-razy personality traits. Like how his thoughts could control the weather. Or that time Kim kidnapped a director and his actress-wife, held them captive separately for five years, and finally hired them to make North Korean films that weren't just "perfunctory." Dude was a regular Robert Evans! Kim's obituary only makes passing reference to the kidnapping of South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his Choi Eun-hee in 1978, but a 2003 Guardian article on the bizarre incident goes far into what transpired between the dear leader and Shin in the eight years before the filmmaker escaped North Korea for good. After being kidnapped, Shin -- who had been described as South Korea's answer to Orson Welles because of his groundbreaking film working during the '60s and '70s -- tried to escape, which landed him in Prison No. 6, a place where he was fed grass, salt and rice for four years. Then, out of the blue one day in 1983, Shin was released and reunited with his thought-to-be-dead wife at a reception, where Kim presented the pair with his vision for the future of North Korean filmmaking. "The North's filmmakers are just doing perfunctory work. They don't have any new ideas," Kim apparently told the couple. "Their works have the same expressions, redundancies, the same old plots. All our movies are filled with crying and sobbing. I didn't order them to portray that kind of thing." Kim, who wrote multiple books on film, considered himself a film theorist. As he wrote in 'The Cinema and Directing': "The basic duty of the creative group is to make revolutionary films of high ideological and artistic value, which make an effective contribution to arming people fully with the Party's monolithic ideology and which imbue the whole of society with the great Juche idea." That, plus less crying and sobbing. Following his "release," Shin made seven films with Kim Jong Il -- who acted as executive producer -- including 'Pulgasari,' a North Korean take on 'Godzilla' that the Guardian once described as a "terrifically bad movie." After their escape to the American embassy in Vienna during a trip in 1986, Kim claimed that Shin and Choi were kidnapped by Americans. Shin Sang-ok died in Seoul, South Korea in April of 2006; his wife remains alive to this day. You can read more about Shin's amazing story over at The Guardian online. [via @thehighsign] [Photo: AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Holiday Gift Guide for Fans & Fangirls

Do not let the snarl inside the above photo within the movie 'Hugo' confuse you: Mister Ben Kingsley is not such as this in solid existence -- or, no less than nothing can beat that within a 15-minute interview. When Moviefone spoke for the Oscar-winning actor the 2009 week, Kingsley was humble, forthright and excited to talk about his new movie, together with the pleasure he got from coping with Martin Scorsese. Clearly, this being Mister Ben, more often than not there's apt to be something interesting to go over: recent projects of his, considerably acclaimed roles he's had, even movies he's not experienced. From his concentrate on 'Hugo' and 'Gandhi,' to the love of 'Close Encounters in the Third Kind,' to his cameo on 'The Sopranos,' Kingsley gave Moviefone an idea of the items continues inside the mind from the acting legend. To help prepare for this interview, I came back and seen a childhood favorite of mine last evening: 'Searching for Bobby Fischer.' Oh, I like that movie. From the that so clearly round the number of 'Bobby Fischer,' [author/director] Steven Zaillan handed me the script to 'Schindler's List.' It's funny, coming back to 'Fischer,' you'll find plenty of parallels between that film and 'Hugo' -- particularly, the bond between chess coach Bruce Pandolfini and legendary filmmaker Georges Melies, both patriarchal figures who've apparently lost their way. If this involves Melies, perhaps you have fight to investigate role without getting many tracks or interviews of his to consider? What's available certainly are a box number of films of his that Martin Scorsese provided. I seen about 90 of his films and saw, with my own, personal eyes, how energetic he was, how skilled he was, how brilliant at multitasking he was, how he broke lots of restrictions with film, how inventive he was and, most considerably, how happy he was. Which will be a tremendous response to releasing Georges, because when he's inside the toy shop, all items have been taken off him, and also to have the ability to measure how painful his exile was I desired to completely appreciate and luxuriate in and inhabit how glorious his existence was when he is at the feel of his fame and. So my research was greatly dedicated to the his creative existence especially to experience a person's research ongoing in flesh and blood stream, by re-creating people films inside the glass studio as well as the pleasure of the, after which it, sadly, requiring to lose everything regarding our movie, Hugo. I must admit that people moments, personally, to film were very distressing and oddly tragic and melancholy, because I used to be burning beautiful products out of your own film set ... I used to be burning sketches, I used to be burning weapons and suits of armor. It absolutely was a very painful process following my happiness inside the glass studio. Therefore I was physically informed by his pleasure, then losing that pleasure, after which it clearly his exile inside the toy shop. You'll find nobody-on-one interviews of him but you'll find amazing photographs of him inside the toy shop searching absolutely forlorn, searching completely lost, unable to smile, almost dead behind your vision, however, many sparkle remaining. In 'Hugo,' you'll find several moments where Melies, directs their very own films. Did Scorsese let you really direct a number of people hobbies? Well, with Marty it definitely is a collaboration. Marty choreographed the essential outlines, however he allowed me to use within that [and] improvise within that, therefore i could choose people round the set and supply them direction, give them notes -- [Scorsese] taken everything along with his camera. The wonderful factor about Marty is whatever you offer him, he'll use, he'll see, he'll use in the fantastic massive of footage he'll edit. Almost no is wasted with Marty. He sees everything, which is a superb feeling with an actor, being round the film set and understand that whatever you supply the camera, he'll certainly notice. Jude Law's character describes seeing Melies' most well-known film, 'A Trip to the Moon,' and being amazed with the pictures. Will there be any film that has had that type of effect on you? 'Close Encounters in the Third Kind' was an indelible experience personally initially initially when i first first seen it. The visual resonance of the mountain as well as the sketches as well as the obsession of the shape. From the the mail boxes smashing and rattling backward and forward. Spielberg using visual narrative, storytelling with lights -- and Melies was mounted on that tradition. [He was] the dad from this. Marty may also be a great deal apart of the great tradition of telling tales with lights. This can be tough considering you're really in 'Hugo,' but I am wondering that you think the film may sit inside the Scorsese pantheon, facing a couple of of the highest quality mob movies ever. Well, a few things i learned coping with Martin Scorsese on 'Shutter Island' and 'Hugo,' and looking out whatsoever his work, he's a maestro in the research into male vulnerability. 'Raging Bull': vulnerable guy. 'Casino': vulnerable guy. 'Goodfellas': vulnerable guy. 'Hugo': the research into a vulnerable guy saved having a child. I will tell a really consistent thread which personally i think it'll fit in the center, easily, of his body at work. Coming back for the film that set your movie career moving, 'Gandhi,' you're 37 years old if you carried out that role, which ended up winning an Oscar. Would you see daily that time and question in the event you could've handled being thrust the main attraction within an earlier age, say 27? The simple truth is, I [happen to be acting for] 15 years inside the theater. Plus it provided an appreciation of epic future, because I [was] in several Shakespeare plays. It offered us a stamina, it provided an appreciation of undertaking a distinctive future by having an historic landscape, because all Shakespeares plays are similar to that. To ensure that all I am able to need to have to say is this, honestly without Shakespeare, my performance as Gandhi won't have happened. In 1982, getting just won an Oscar for that initial film role, was there one minute that you thought to yourself, 'How is one able to top this?' Not always [laughs]. I have been lucky enough to get be nominated three extra occasions, which personally i think fortunate every time I energy for the film set. It's all regulated controlled an unpredicted personally. It's all regulated controlled challenging together with an unexpected which is beautiful. Around the completely unrelated note, I used to be always thinking about your cameo in 'The Sopranos,' that you play yourself. How did that can come about? They just asked for me, it absolutely was great. They'd this script that involved the gift suites or anything they are classified as. It really happened: they rang my agent and mentioned, would relative it is and supply us a few tips. Which I began use Lauren Bacall! That's something I i i never thought happens. She's a great person, I'd met her socially nevertheless it was wonderful coping with her. Just what a giant. [Photo: Vital] The Most Effective Movies of 2011 The Most Effective Movies of 201150. 'Breaking Beginning཭. 'Transformers: Dark in the Moonཬ. 'The Tripཫ. 'Warriorཪ. 'Cave of Forgotten Dreamsཀྵ. 'The Iron Ladyཨ. 'We Bought a Zooཧ. 'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocolས. 'Horrible Bossesཥ. 'Contagionཤ. 'Winnie the Poohལ. 'Win Winཡ. 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyར. 'Hannaའ. 'Extremely Noisy and very Closeཟ. 'The Interruptersཞ. 'Crazy, Stupid, Loveཝ. 'The Guardཛྷ. 'Captain America: The Initial Avengerཛ. 'The Ides of Marchཚ. 'Beginnersཙ. 'Martha Marcy May Marlene''A Dangerous Methodབྷ. 'The Adventures of Tintinབ. 'Bill Cunningham NYཕ. 'We Need to Discuss Kevinཔ. 'Young Adultན. 'My Week With Marilynདྷ. 'Margin Callད. 'X-Males: Top Qualityཐ. 'Attack the Blockཏ. 'Shameཎ. 'Super 8ཌྷ. 'Melancholiaཌ. 'The Muppetsཋ. 'Rise in the Planet in the Apesཊ. 'Tree of Existenceཉ. 'Rango཈. 'The Helpཇ. 'Moneyballཆ. ཮/50Ə. 'DriveƎ. 'The Girl While using Dragon Tattooƍ. 'Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows, Part IIƌ. 'Midnight in ParisƋ. 'BridesmaidsƊ. 'The DescendantsƉ. 'War Equineƈ. 'The ArtistƇ. 'Hugo' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Rooney Mara on Her Law & Order: SVU Role: "It Was So Awful"

Rooney Mara Rooney Mara isn't looking back on her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit guest role with much fondness.In a recent interview with Allure, the star of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo slammed the character and story line she was asked to play. "It was so awful. So stupid," Mara said. "[In the episode] me and my boyfriend-although I don't look old enough to have a boyfriend-went and beat up these fat people, and at the end of the show you find out that I used to be obese and I hate fat people. It's ridiculous."Rooney Mara debuts Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-inspired lookMara, 26, landed the guest spot in 2006 during the NBC drama's seventh season. But it's clear she isn't much a fan of the veteran NBC drama."Who would beat someone up because they're fat?" Mara continued. "People are obsessed with that show. I don't get it."What do you think about Mara's comments?

Witherspoon Untangles Devil's Knot

For Atom EgoyanNo stranger to questionable material, director Atom Egoyan walked aboard Devil's Knot, the dramatic interpretation in the West Memphis Three situation in August. Now he's found the initial from the products promises to become large ensemble cast: Reese Witherspoon.Devil's Knot is founded on reporter Mara Levitt's 2003 book, subtitled The Actual Story In The West Memphis Three. Within it, she adopted the twisted, prolonged murder trial of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Junior, who offered 17 years jail time just before being released the 2009 August. They were billed with killing three 8-year-old cub scouts contained in a wooded portion of Arkansas referred to as Robin Hood Slopes. While they're now free, the judge didn't let them seek compensation for your lost years.Witherspoon will switch into drama mode to see Pam Hobbs, mother of one of the sufferers who initially thought they were guilty but since the situation drawn on, found believe they were innocent.Getting a script originated from by Mark Sevi after which it re-put together by Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman, Egoyan expects to begin shooting next summer season.

Q&A using the 'Potter' patriarch

Using the Harry Potter film franchise ended, its creatives are thinking of getting honours possibility of Deathly Hallows Part 2. HeymanFor David Heyman, "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" was bittersweet. It had been a farewell, but he stresses that "focusing on 'Potter' was among the great gifts of my professional existence and private existence," because it enabled him to utilize top authors, stars, company directors and specialists for any decade. Heyman spoken with Variety's Christy Grosz from NY.Grosz: Besides its tremendous box office, what impact do you consider "Harry Potter" had around the business?Heyman: The (U.K.-based) visual effects industry, that was not nascent but certainly small, has changed into a (prominence). The homes can contend with all over the world. We'd over 2,000 people focusing on all these films. Individuals who started as assistants are actually running departments.CG: Would you attribute that success to being faithful towards the books and keeping fans happy?DH: (Author J.K. Rowling's) books give a loyal fanbase, however i also feel we made films that was by themselves terms. You won't ever see "Harry Potter and also the Sorcerer's Stone" with film covers. Jo was very keen to help keep the books and also the films separate. They are completely different. Clearly, the prosperity of the books makes the flicks possible and fueled their success, but it is amazing what number of filmgoers didn't arrived at the flicks in the books.CG: You notoriously optioned the very first book within the galley stage in 1999, being unsure of its franchise potential ...DH: I never seen it as being a franchise. It's a number of films, one film at any given time. That's been the way you have contacted it. This label 'franchise' ... that isn't where it started.CG: The flicks clearly associated with audiences but haven't received much attention around the honours circuit. Do you consider that's important when you have financial success?DH: The way you started the procedure was to try and make the most effective films possible. That's everything really mattered. Then, we attempted to create films that Jo would be pleased with which the fans would be pleased with. It appears like we been successful with this. The truth that we're getting a conversation round the honours is really a bonus. We've got 97% approval on Rotten Tomato plants, that we think is among the greatest (rankings for any) film this season. I actually do think the technical characteristics are just like any film available. I believe the performances of Rob Fiennes and Alan Rickman are masterful. Should you take a look at our cast, adult and child, it's phenomenal. But ultimately, I am just really excited that people made films that associated with a crowd. Hopefully, it'll interact with some Academy voters, and when it does not, I am still really happy with the flicks that people made -- particularly the final film that David Yates made. I do not think imaginable how hard it's to accomplish a set on the high after ten years and eight films, and David Yates and everyone handled to achieve that.CG: Although "Harry Potter" has came to the conclusion, your production company, Heyday Films, continues to be going strong. What type of business goals have you are thinking about whenever you began it in 1997?DH: I thought about being a bridge between your two nations. I speak British, and that i speak American. I realize both British and also the American worldwide marketplace, getting resided both in individuals areas. I additionally desired to bring British material, which I believe there's an excellent amount, towards the U.S. as well as bring U.S. material another way. There's huge talent that is based on both places.CG: It had not been simply from the financing or business perspective?DH: No, it had been an interest perspective. It is the material. Also to get at use BBC and Film4 and Studiocanal -- take a look at how Studiocanal is flourishing. They did all of this new funding they would like to make British-language films, European-brought but worldwide films, and that is thrilling. For a few of the other material, films which are nontentpole -- as well as some that could be, and surely for individuals that aren't -- worldwide bankers offer great possibilities. You will find certainly a few things i desired to get developed -- in the beginning, anyway -- in the BBC or at Film4 that certain could not get developed at say Warner Bros. or The new sony or Disney. That enables certain projects that might possibly not have a existence to possess a existence.Next: David Cronenberg Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

David Fincher on New Yorker 'Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo' Review: 'Film Experts are members of the Business'

Much is made of David Denby's embargo-breaking overview of 'The Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo' within this week's edition from the NYer. (Denby and also the magazine released overview of the long awaited to produce full eight days prior to the agreed-upon embargo permitted.) 'Dragon Tattoo' producer Scott Rudin even got active in the brouhaha, delivering a scathing email to Denby that "badly broken" 'Dragon Tattoo' by writing early, which the critic would no more be permitted to determine another Rudin production. (Sorry, David you will need to pay to determine 'Extremely Noisy & Incredibly Close' using the relaxation people!) Now, 'Dragon Tattoo' director David Fincher has joined in to the fray, with a little of real talk which will most likely have iconoclastic film experts wilt. "I believe Scott [Rudin]'s response was totally correct," Fincher told Rene Rodriguez in the Miami Herald. "It is a hard factor for individuals outdoors our business to know. It's a little of the tempest inside a teapot. But as silly because this may all look in the outdoors -- fortunate people bickering -- I believe it is important. Film experts are members of the company of having movies made. You go swimming within the same water we go swimming in. And there's a company to letting people know your movie is being released. It's not a charitable organisation business. It's a business-business." Translation? Experts are members of the film publicity machine, even when they do not really believe way. Ongoing Fincher: "This isn't about manipulating the media. If people recognized just how much thought adopts determining when are we able to allow our movie to appear, they'd understand. You will find a lot of other activities constantly screaming for individuals attention. I began shooting this movie 25 days once i completed 'The Social Networking.' We've been working very hard to create this release date. So when you are attempting to orchestrate a build-from anticipation, it's very frustrating to possess someone accept something after which upturn the apple trolley and alter the guidelines -- for everyone." Not too the director enjoy embargoes or pre-release press. Per Fincher, whether it were as much as him, his movies would not screen with no marketing could be done beyond a trailer and three TV spots. Still, if there is a silver lining to any or all this for Team 'Dragon Tattoo,' it's the conversation continues to be squarely centered on their film now not really 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' and 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Title of Shadows' are experiencing this type of coverage, plus they both emerge in a few days. Read the entire Fincher interview at Miami.com. 'The Girl using the Dragon Tattoo' opens on 12 ,. 23. [via Miami.com] [Photo: The new sony] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Nigel Lythgoe Weighs in at In On Howard Sterns Possible Americas Got Talent Move

First Released: December 1, 2011 11:03 AM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Nigel Lythgoe attends the after party for L'ensemble des Pauls 95th Birthday at Iridium Jazz Club in NY City on June 9, 2010 Being an executive producer of yankee Idol which means you Think You Are Able To Dance, Nigel Lythgoe knows a few things about reality TV competitions and also the open Brit states hes unsure Howard Stern may be the right fit for that vacant idol judges chair left by Piers Morgan at Americas Got Talent. Its likely to be quite interesting. Piers is clearly very effective in the areas now [he] does not want almost anything to get when it comes to that, Nigel told Access Hollywood in the BAFTA Honours in La on Wednesday, when requested about Piers exit in the NBC hit. Stern, I have no idea. I have no idea what hes likely to be like like a judge. Nigel stated that although the shock jock includes a gift for speaking his mind, his actual understanding of what must be done to become a effective performer might not be extensive enough to do the job. I believe hell be truthful, Nigel stated. But what he really is aware of show business and talent and functions, I have no idea. As formerly reported on AccessHollywood.com, a week ago, Simon Cowell AGTs executive producer told Access hes keen on Stern, but that filling out the SiriusXM radio host was determined by a number of factors. I love him, Simon stated. Theres many people who make choices about this stuff. Moneys started work, agendas [have] started work. There can be a couple of twists and turns still. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.