The Very Best Geek Moments of 2011: From 'Transformers' to 'Deathly Hallows,' the very best 11 in '11

Movies fit in with the nerds -- how else would you explain this area-office dominance of Harry Potter, Transformers and Marvel superheroes? Fans want out-of-this-world action and dazzling effects, and 2011's movies were pleased to deliver in spades. Maybe it's a summer time blockbuster or perhaps a frightening monster movie, we would like the most popular figures doing among three things whatsoever occasions: coming something up, doing something amusing or kissing someone hot (bonuses when they accomplish the 3 at the same time). But each year full of curler-coaster thrills, how can you choose the greatest peaks? We required another to trap our breath and title the moments that made us geek the most this season. From wizard make-outs to absurd foreheads, listed here are Moviefone's Best Geek Moments of 2011. The Geekiest Movie Moments of 2011 11. Wolverine's Cameo in 'X-Males: Top Classཆ. Peter Sarsgaard's Temple in 'Green LanternƏ. Geek Hollywood Unites on 'The Adventures of TintinƎ. The Plague from 'Hobo Having a Shotgunƍ. All of the Asgard Moments in 'Thorƌ. The Jotnar from 'The Troll HunterƋ. They Finally Hug in 'The Deathly Hallows, Part 2Ɗ. The Driller from 'Transformers: Dark from the MoonƉ. Andy Serkis as Caesar in 'Rise from the Planet from the Apesƈ. Moses Versus. the Monsters in 'Attack the BlockƇ. 'The Situation' from 'Super 8' See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Chinese Government Thinks Christian Bale Should Be 'Embarrassed'

And you thought Bane was Batman's biggest antagonist. Following his scuffle with government authorities in China last week, Christian Bale has been called out by the Chinese government for being an opportunist looking to "create news." Bale was detained by Chinese guards last week when he attempted to see Chen Guangcheng, a blind civil rights activist and lawyer who has been under house arrest in China for over a year after defending "thousands of women who were victims of forced sterilizations and abortions." "I'm not being brave doing this," Bale told CNN. "The local people who are standing up to the authorities and insisting on going to visit Chen and his family and getting beaten up for it and my understanding is getting detained for it -- I want to support what they're doing." About his own lack of bravery, it seems the Chinese government agrees. "If anyone should be embarrassed it's the relevant actor, not the Chinese side," Liu Weimin, a Chinese ministry spokesman, told Reuters. "What I understand is that the actor was invited by the director Zhang Yimou to attend the movie premiere. He was not invited to any village in Shandong to create news or make a film. If he wants to create news, I don't think that would be welcomed by China." Bale stars in 'The Flowers of War,' about the infamous Rape of Naking in 1937. As Bale's publicist told Huffington Post, the Batman star was "there for work" and was "just really moved on a personal level," which is why he attempted to see Chen. [via NYT/ArtsBeat] [Photo: AP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Vin Diesel Confirms Back-To-Back 'Fast Six' And 'Fast Seven'

Plenty of movies are split into two in order to give the story more room to breathe. "The Hobbit." "Twilight: Breaking Dawn." "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows." Why can't the "Fast and Furious" franchise join all the fun? Vin Diesel, star of the franchise and one of its producers, announced that upon planning the sixth "Fast and Furious" film, the team realized that they would prefer a seventh movie to wrap up every storyline. "With the success of this last one, and the inclusion of so many characters, and the broadening of scope, when we were sitting down to figure out what would fit into the real estate of number six, we didnt have enough space," he told The Hollywood Reporter. The sixth and seventh movies will be written simultaneously, though he gave no details on a possible production schedule. "Fast Five," if you remember, was more of a resurgence than a sequel for the long-running series. Dwayne Johnson provided reliable action and catchphases, while the return of Eva Mendes and Michelle Rodriguez was teased in the final scene. It also made gobs and gobs of cash, certainly a powerful motivator for studio executives looking to pass the green light. "We have to pay off this story, we have to service all of these character relationships, and when we started mapping all that out it just went beyond 110 pages," Diesel told THR. "The studio said, 'You cant fit all that story in one damn movie!'" You know what's coming with a sixth and seventh movie, right? Oscar gold. All of the blown up cars and carbon emissions will be so worth it if Diesel takes home Best Actor. Tell us what you think of back-to-back "Fast" sequels in the comments and on Twitter!

Rooney Mara's 'Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo' Training Made Her Attack a marriage Guest

Sometimes, stars go so deep into character, the role will suddenly appear within their actual lives -- or, based on Rooney Mara, despite the film has finished shooting. Mara, who got a Golden Globe nomination on her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in 'The Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo' -- a job that involved moments of torture, rape and nudity -- revealed to David Letterman the intensity she put in Salander suddenly arrived on the scene in a friend's wedding, following a drunk guest got a tad too frisky using the actress. Regrettably for him, which was an awful idea. "It had been very hard to leave [character]," she stated. "Right whenever we finished, my closest friend got married and that i visited her wedding, and among the visitors there is quite inebriated. He came to me and that he was attempting to dance beside me and that he selected me up, and that i guess I had been still kind of in character and that i just immediately snapped up his throat, and was like 'Put me lower. I'll hurt you,'" stated Mara. A clip from the interview, thanks to Vulture, is below. For Mara's Lisbeth Salander, you should check her in 'The Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo,' if this hits theaters 12 ,. 20. Best Performances of 2011 11. Uggie, 'The Artistཆ. Corey Stoll, 'Midnight in ParisƏ. Ryan Gosling, 'DriveƎ. Kristen Wiig, 'Bridesmaidsƍ. Michelle Williams, 'My Week With Marilynƌ. Meryl Streep, 'The Iron LadyƋ. Michael Fassbender, 'ShameƊ. Albert Brooks, 'DriveƉ. Charlize Theron, 'Young Adultƈ. Kaira Pitt, 'MoneyballƇ. Rooney Mara, 'The Girl Using the Dragon Tattoo' See All Moviefone Art galleries » [via Vulture] [Photo: AP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Componen publish czar Paul Haggar dies

Paul Haggar, who brought theatrical publish-production at Vital in the seventies until his 2005 retirement, died 12 ,. 7 of natural causes in La. He was 83. Throughout work at Vital that survived 54 years, Haggar grew to become probably the most well-known figures within the Hollywood publish community, managing publish on 100s of films, including "Love Story," "Chinatown," "The Godfather," "Yellows" and "Paradise Can Wait." A structure around the Componen lot was refitted for editing work and named the Haggar Building later. Haggar received the Hollywood Publish Alliance's lifetime achievement award last year. At that time, HPA leader Leon Silverman stated, "For many years, the title Paul Haggar was symbolic of publish-production. It's no exaggeration to express that Paul stored all of us on our toes. He required the very best and first got it from his publish-production team and the suppliers. He would be a master at balancing the creative and also the business, because he was always a tenacious advocate of both filmmaker's vision and also the studio's needs." Haggar was created in Brooklyn, but his family gone to live in La when he was youthful. He started his career within the Vital mailroom and rose to apprentice editor and finally to professional Vice president of publish-production, employment by which he continued to be in excess of two decades. Haggar was notable for his charitable organisation fund-rasing work with organizations such as the Vision Honours, that they chaired, American Heart Assn. charitable organisation Hollywood Has Heart. Children include four kids and 2 sons. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Dodgers Win Approval For Early TV Privileges Putting in a bid Bloomberg Reviews Fox To Appeal

The La Dodgersreceived personal bankruptcy court permission Thursday to try and sell future TV privileges to the baseball games several weeks before their existing contract with Fox Sports enables, Bloomberg reported. The government personal bankruptcy judge in Delaware overruled Fox’s objection towards the team entering early discussions with Fox rivals. Fox Sports has broadcasting privileges with the 2013 season but was fighting to retain exclusive putting in a bid privileges under that contract until November. 30, 2012. That contract might have precluded every other bidders just before that date however the judge’s decision Thursday removed that exclusivity.The judge gave Fox 45 days exclusivity arrive at a brand new agreement using the Dodgers. The countdown for your window began November 30. If no deal is arrived at, Time Warner Cable is wanting to jump in to the fray. It already won the privileges to broadcast La Opposing team games on the new regional sports network that will replace previous privileges holder Fox Sports. Competition for sports programming is driving up prices for privileges and permitting early putting in a bid around the Dodgers will probably increase the need for they within the approaching purchase. The Dodgers declared personal bankruptcy in June with the concept that arises from the purchase of media privileges would be employed to pay creditors. Current team owner Frank McCourt meant to retain possession but Mlb decided to a purchase to eliminate McCourt, whose stewardship continues to be under optimal. Fox appeals the ruling. Meantime, the Dodgers and Fox will attempt to determine whether discussions for any new TV contract can start immediately or must wait pending the network’s benefit of Thursday’s ruling. Regardless of the outcome, any purchase of TV privileges necessitates the approval from the personal bankruptcy judge, Major league baseball and also the winning bidder for that team.

Mark Zuckerberg's Private Photos Released After Facebook Security Glitch Is Discovered

In mid-December, Taschen Books releases what is perhaps the most weighty tribute to Marilyn Monroe ever produced: an 18-pound limited-edition art book titled Norman Mailer, Bert Stern: Marilyn Monroe. Each book, clocking in at almost two feet tall and wide, is signed by Bert Stern, who shot sessions with Monroe on assignment with Vogue magazine over the course of two weekends just six weeks before her death in 1962. The intimate portraits, which ranged from nude to fashion shots, are paired with Norman Mailer's 1973 biography Marilyn in this gorgeously executed book. The $1,000 book runs to just 1,962 numbered copies (with 250 of those a $2,500 art edition that comes with one print).our editor recommendsPhotographer of Marilyn Monroe's Famous Nude Photos Discusses the Icon's Calculated Bid for Publicity and Her Final Days (Q&A)The Making of 'My Week With Marilyn' PHOTOS: The Making of 'My Week With Marilyn' THR spoke with Stern-- who is also of the subject of an upcoming documentary, Becoming Bert Stern --- at the Bel-Air Hotel where his portrait sittings with Monroe took place almost 50 years ago. ON HOW HE GOT THE NUDE PHOTOS: "That was her idea," says Stern, who had brought a number of transparent scarves as accessories. "She could see they were transparents so she asked her hairdresser what he thought of doing nudes and he thought that would be a good idea. I didn't know what was going to happen." ON WHAT MOTIVATED HER TO POSE NUDE: It was "absolutely" calculated says Stern. "She had just had a divorce from Arthur Miller, she'd lost the movie Something's Gotta Give. I thought it was the only time in her life I could approach her. I had thought of it but I didn't think she would do it." ON HER RIVAL ELIZABETH TAYLOR: "On my way to photograph Marilyn Monroe I photographed Elizabeth Taylor," says Stern. At the time, Monroe was jealous of the huge amount of public attention Taylor was receiving. "Taylor was much more stoic for a portrait subject. Marilyn was a free spirit." ON MONROE'S BEHAVIOR DURING THE SHOOT: "She didn't talk about her life but she talked. She was combative in a way, confrontational. She asked me: Didn't I want to be a film director? What was my premise? She just made little comments." ON WHY HE HASN'T READ MAILER'S BOOK: "I read a few pages. I'm not a big reader," admits the often curmudgeonly photographer. ON MONROE'S UBIQUITY: "She's like part of the world. She's like the weather." PHOTOS: Hollywood's Lost Letters ON WHY SHE IS STILL AN ICON: "In the way that Christ represents religion, she represents femininity. The female spirit. She's the girl next door. The American dream girl. She was just gorgeous. She was everything, Funny, beautiful, very sexy, great body, she was clever, a good model. I didn't expect her to be so naturally beautiful. I had expected her more blown up, heavier, much more fake. She was very real. I took to her right away." ON WHETHER HE SAW HER END COMING: "No, I had no inclination. I just thought she was a typical beautiful crazy girl but particularly pretty and a lot of fun." ON HAVING PASSION FOR HIS SUBJECT: "I think I was in love with her before I met her. I would have run away with her. Who wouldn't? If you have a passion, it will do a lot. And I was the right age for those pictures," says Stern, who was around 31 years old at the time. "When the first sitting was over, we were gathering all the photographs together. I figured, well, I didn't get Marilyn but I got the pictures. But it wasn't over because after Vogue saw the first pictures they sent me back to do more. It's never over. Marilyn goes on." Below view an exclusive image from the book: PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery The Making of 'My Week With Marilyn' Related Topics Marilyn Monroe Books

New John Carter Banners Online

Check out the thoats on that!After Thursday's latest John Carter trailer, here are a few new banners for the film - and fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs' books can enjoy a closer look at the film's thoats, Tharks and white apes. The rest of you can find out what the heck a thoat is below.{New John Carter Banners}The film stars Taylor Kitsch as the titular adventurer, Lynn Collins as Princess of Mars Dejah Thoris, WillemDafoe as the green, four-armed Tars Tarkas and Mark Strong as no-goodnik Matai Shang. And vocabulary-wise, "thoats" are the big ox-looking things they're riding here, Tharks are the aforementioned speccy four-arms, and white apes are very big, very scary King Kong-looking monsters.JohnCarter is out on March 9 next, and there will be lots more about it in a future issue of Empire.