A group of artists have written an open letter to Washington regarding the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP) acts that have led numerous websites to go dark in protest today.

Artists include American Gods, Sandman, and Neverwhere author Neil Gaiman, comedian/actor Aziz Ansari, and Nine Inch Nails frontman and Oscar winning composer Trent Reznor, just to name a few.

The letter was posted on the Stop The Wall website, and you can read it in full below, including a list of those who have signed it. [...]

Frequent Broadway events? Would you if it involved Captain Kirk? Well, get your suits and dresses ready people. Shatner is coming to Broadway.

The NY Post is reporting that William Shatner will be bringing his one man show, Shatner’s World: We’re Just Living In It, to New York. The show will run for a three week period in February.

The show is based on “years of Q&As he’s done to hawk his books,” and has been quite popular. [...]

Today December 20, 2011, Peter Criss, the original drummer for rock band KISS, celebrates his 66th birthday!

The original wearer of the ‘Catman’ make-up, Criss was one of the founding members of the band. He had three spells with KISS playing on their revered 1970s albums including KISS, Hotter Than Hell, and Destroyer [...]

We’ve seen it happen in entertainment numerous time: an author’s fictional written worlds somehow become a reality, and the author must then use their knowledge on said worlds and characters to figure out just what’s going on.

This time, however, it’s not a story.

Crime author Lindsay Ashford has reason to believe that famed author Jane Austen did not die of an illness as is suspected, but that she may have actually been murdered. [...]

The child actor who played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom is all grown up now!

Jonathan Ke Quan, who starred in the 1984 film as the Indiana Jones kid sidekick, turned 40 this year*. Check out what the actor looks like today in the photo here below, along with a video interview with Quan from The Goonies 25th Anniversary release.

Quan is best remembered for his Temple Of Doom role where he spouted classic lines like “Hey, Dr. Jones, no time for love,” “Hey, lady! You call him Dr. Jones,” and “Hang on lady, we going for a ride.” [...]

It’s been eighteen years since River Phoenix died of a drug overdose outside of The Viper Room in 1993 at the absurdly young age of 23.

Before he died he was filming a movie titled Dark Blood, which tells the story of a man (Phoenix) living as a hermit on a nuclear test site way out in the desert waiting for the world to end. One day a couple (played by Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis) break down while driving through the desert on their second honeymoon. The hermit rescues them but then turns around and holds them captive when he falls for the man’s wife [...]

Harrison Ford wouldn’t be the first person you would think to be into video games, and that’s probably because he isn’t. Even so, the legendary star recently filmed a Japanese commercial for the highly anticipated video game sequel from Naughty Dog, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

While the commercial is nothing to go wild over, another video was released of Ford playing the game for almost seven minutes, which is far more entertaining to watch.

You can see Indiana Jones playing seven minutes of the game that’s drawn so many comparisons to his legendary character, as well as the commercial itself and a short behind–the–scenes video. There’s plenty of shots of the game here as well, so potential spoilers ahead if you worry about such things. [...]

An actress—who’s choosing to stay anonymous (for obvious reasons) and going by the trusty fallback name Jane Doe—is suing Amazon.com and IMDb for $1 million for revealing her age against her wishes and refusing to change it when she complained.

Her reasoning? She says “In the entertainment industry, youth is king.” And the complaint filed expands on that, stating that “If one is perceived to be ‘over-the-hill,’ i.e. approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the Plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an ‘upside’ therefore casting directors, producers, directors, agents/managers, etc. do not give her the same opportunities, regardless of her appearance and talent.”

Continue reading if interested in reading the complaint in its entirety.

In addition to the $1 million—being sought after for breach of contract, fraud, and violation of privacy, specifically—she’s also seeking a restraining order against IMDb, as well. [...]

Since 1927 over 200 legends of Hollywood have been honored by the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre by imprinting their hands, feet, or other notable traits in the cement outside, solidifying their cinematic and celebrity legacy for all time.

Just looking over the list of greats who have been given the honor (check them all out here), you can see how significant the honor is. Looking over the very same list, you will then understand why it’s so sickening to hear the news that Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Robert Pattinson, stars of The Twilight Saga, will now be immortalized with their own hand and footprints in the cement.

For the Twi–Hards of the world this will be an exciting event (one you can watch a live stream of on the Grauman’s site on November 3rd at 10am PT/1pm ET), but for everyone else out there it’s a sad, dark, and depressing day indeed. [...]

One of science fiction’s most beloved sons, Zachary Quinto, who starred as the Vulcan Spock in 2009′s Star Trek, has publicly announced that he’s gay, and his declaration is hitting a positive note with fans, inspiring others to come out as well.

The actor, who also had a major role on NBC’s Heroes and is currently on FX’s American Horror Story, revealed his homosexuality to New York magazine in an article published this weekend. While Quinto previously avoided talking about his sexual orientation in the press, the actor made a conscious decision to refer to himself as “a gay man” several times during the NY Mag interview [...]

Just recently Entertainment Weekly gathered up the casts of some popular movies for their 2011 Cast Reunions issue, which included the cast of director Rob Reiner‘s 1987 timeless fantasy classic, The Princess Bride.

And being that it happens to be my own personal favorite movie of all time, I eat this stuff up. So when I saw that Good Morning America also jumped on the cast reunion for their Totally Awesome ’80s Week, giddiness levels elevated. Stars Cary Elwes (Westley/The Man in Black), Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup), Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdinck), Wallace Shawn (Vizzini), Billy Crystal (Miracle Max), and Carol Kane (Valerie) were present to discuss the movie and tell stories from behind the scenes, including a very funny one involving the late Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik.

You can see a video of the cast of The Princess Bride reunited on the set of Good Morning America by heading below now. [...]

At the end of August, many were stunned when it was revealed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was stepping down as CEO, and that Tim Cook would be taking his place. It wasn’t the first time that Jobs had stepped away, and many feared the worst given that he had battled numerous health problems, including pancreatic cancer and a liver transplant.

Now those fears have become a reality, as Apple has announced via a short statement on their website that Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

The statement read:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. [...]

Being a long-time KISS fan and well aware of its bass player’s fear of marriage, I never thought this day would come — Gene Simmons wed his long-time love Shannon Tweed yesterday at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The 62-year-old rocker and the Canadian actress, 54, have been together for 28 years and have two children together: 22-year-old Nick, who stood as best man for his father, and 19-year-old Sophie, who was the maid of honor. The family has appeared together since 2006 on the A&E reality television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels [...]

At one time or another, you’ve probably seen one of the paintings that various people in a position of power have had commissioned of themselves. One particularly notable portrait out there is that of the Russian general, which someone has taken to an extremely entertaining new level.

George Dawe, an English portrait artist who has painted 329 portraits of Russian generals, uses a digital copy of his work as a basis to add his friends, family, and some celebrities into the paintings using Photoshop.

So far he’s done a bunch of celebrities, and most of them look amazing. If we didn’t know who these people were, you wouldn’t think twice about whether most of them were a legit Russian general or not. Some look a little off such as Sean Connery, for example, who looks as though he’s just passed gas in a room full of people, and is pleased that none of them can figure out who it was.

Continue on below now to check out the pictures, and to the source link for even more. [...]

To help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Jim Henson’s birth Archaia Entertainment debuted the first 20 pages of their upcoming graphic novel, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, which is based on a screenplay that was written by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl.

Archaia timed the preview to coincide with search giant Google’s own home page tribute to Jim Henson, which takes the form of [...]

Every year at Fantastic Fest, they hold an event called Fantastic Debate where celebrities, filmmakers, and film critics engage in a head–to–head battle. First, they have themselves a podium debate over a specific topic, and then they move to the boxing ring, where words are not necessary.

This year brings with it an interesting little match–up. Elijah Wood, star of everything from the new FX hit series, Wilfred, to films like Lord of the Rings, Sin City and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, threw down a challenge to LOST star and his LOTR co–star, Dominic Monaghan.

Continue reading for more and to check out videos of Wood’s challenge and Monaghan’s response.

It began with Wood recording a very professional wrestling–worthy video, challenging Monaghan to the bout. Wood definitely brings it with the trash talking (possibly assisted by beneficial qualities of some liquid courage). Monaghan’s response proves that he’s getting in shape…kinda…but he might not be quite as confident. [...]

A photograph was recently discovered being sold on eBay. The photo is of a Tennessee man, and it dates back to around the 1860s or 1870s. But the thing about this particular man, is that he looks an awful lot like a one Mr. Nicolas Cage.

So much so that the seller is even using this in his description, claiming the Cage must be some sort of vampire. Now, some have taken the seller to be completely serious in his statements (especially with a Buy It Now price of $1,000,000 set), but as you can see in the Q&A section at the bottom of the page, he’s actually a pretty funny dude and, even though it sounds like a legit 19th century photograph, is likely just having some fun with it (unless, of course, someone actually pays up that kinda coin, in which case he would be a genius).

You can see the image below and read the seller’s description by heading on below now. [...]

Along with the release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray tomorrow, Lucasfilm has teamed up with eBay, Major League Baseball, and a number of celebrities to urge fans to “Use the Force for Good” and donate to Stand Up to Cancer, the organization that’s tirelessly funding research in the fight against cancer.

In their mission to bring in as much money as possible to fight this terrible disease, a handful of celebrities were brought in to make a video. In it, the stars—which includes Aziz Ansari, Zach Galifianakis, Bill Hader, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Jaime King, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, Emma Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson—re–enact various scenes from Star Wars.

You can see the video by heading below now. Might I add that it involves Miss Stone as Princess Leia? Because it does. Not Slave Leia, as I’m sure you all (I) wanted, but Leia nonetheless. For the rest of you, it also has Galifianakis as Leia…so there’s that, too! [...]

Just a few days ago, filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were on hand to film a new ending for their hit HBO documentary series, Paradise Lost. The moment was was when the West Memphis Three—who had been imprisoned for almost two decades for the murders of three young boy scouts—were set free after DNA testing that didn’t exist when they were convicted proved that none of them were involved.

Some rather prestigious celebrity names were very supportive of the trio, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, and their release, doing everything in their power to see justice done. They include Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder, Henry Rollins, and Natalie Maines, as well as Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson and his partner, Fran Walsh.

As it turns out, Jackson and Walsh have been helping to fund private investigations and forensics experts in hopes of proving the three men’s innocence. And it doesn’t end with their going free because the terms of their release still have many fuming angrily. [...]

Carrie Fisher made an appearance this morning on The Today Show, where she showed off her new slim figure.

The 54-year-old actress, who is best known for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, is currently a spokeperson for Jenny Craig and has lost 50 lbs. in 9 months on their weight loss program.

While being interviewed on the morning show, Fisher talked about her weight loss, a Princess Leia strain of marijuana, and the infamous “Slave Leia” metal bikini. Of the popular garb she wore in 1983′s Return Of The Jedi, Fisher told Today Show‘s Ann Curry, “I wanna get back in the metal bikini…”

You can watch the video of Fisher’s appearance here below. The Princess Leia talk begins at around the 4-minute mark [...]