Twilight: Eclipse A Blockbuster Hit? Bet Now!

June will see the release of a number of new blockbuster movies and sports betting sites are betting on which one will achieve the highest opening weekend worldwide gross, with Twilight: Eclipse just favored to edge out Toy Story 3 and The A Team. The third installment in The Twilight Saga is set to open on June 30 and film goers will be clambering to get the latest update on this romantic-fantasy series based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer.

Movie critics have the responsibility of reporting to the public which movies are worth their time and which movies are hardly worth renting. It is not common that one will find critics to agree on which movies are good and which movies are bad, but movies goers tend to overlook the harsh criticism and see for themselves what a film is all about. Sometimes it ends up being well worth the money spent, and sometimes not so much.

2010 has already delivered some amazing Hollywood blockbusters, which topped box office sales and set new records for the year. Successful ticket sales generally come from an original film which features new characters and entertaining story lines. The popularity of a film is determined by the box office revenues. It is somewhat of an election in which the votes are cast by purchasing tickets. 

Most critics will agree that just because a film does well with box office sales does not mean that the film is “good”, per se. It only means that movie goers were curious enough about the film to pay the outrageous price it is for a theater ticket now days.

The appeal of films has a lot to do with the star studded cast, or lack there of. Movie goers are more likely to pay ticket price to see a film with successful actors in it, as opposed to a film that introduces a new Hollywood wanna-be. 2010 has already pushed out a little of both, and even the films with some of the biggest names in Hollywood have flunked at bringing the film to the big screen.

Online sports betting sites have created entertainment betting lines which list some of the most anticipated films of 2010. The sports betting sites want to know how the public thinks they will do at the box office upon release. Which films will mark the highest opening weekend, and which films will probably be found on the tomatoreader?

Which movie will have the highest opening weekend? Below are the betting odds of the following upcoming movies:

Twilight: Eclipse – +137

Toy Story 3D – +150

The A Team – +400

Inception – +1000

The Last Airbender – +1200

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – +1400

Knight and Day – +2500

The Expendables – +2500

Salt – +3300

Predators – +4000

The initial episode Twilight grossed a total of almost $409million in 2008 and last year's sequel New Moon made a staggering $710million for Summit Entertainment. The delightful Kirsten Stewart will again star as Bella Swan, who must choose between her love for vampire Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson and her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black played by Taylor Lautner.
 

The usual threat and danger will be present in the background as vengeful vampire Victoria again targets Bella and Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings.

It goes without saying that the subject matter in Toy Story 3 will be much more light-hearted, although there will still be the usual scrapes for Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Co. Over a decade has passed since Toy Story 2 grossed an amazing $485million and a whole new generation of kids and their parents will be piling into cinemas at half-term for a June 18 release.

The plot is that Andy played by John Morris is now a young adult and just days away from heading off to college, leaving his toys worried about their uncertain future - will everything turn out okay once more? An all-star cast sees Tom Hanks back as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack as Jessie, while the likes of Michael Keating and Whoopi Goldberg also get a show.

The A Team is being tipped to fall somewhere in between those two films genre-wise as writer Michael Brandt has hinted the adaptation will be more gritty than the 80s TV series - in the vein of Batman Begins, Die Hard, The Bourne Identity and Casino Royale. Liam Neelson will be Col John 'Hannibal' Smith, Bradley Cooper is Templeton 'Faceman' Peck, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is BA Baracus and Sharlto Copley is 'Howling Mad' Murdock for the June 11 release.

It should be a fascinating Battle of the Blockbusters and Paddy Power - a  renowned sports betting site make Twilight:Eclipse a narrow favourite at 11/8 to fare best, followed by Toy Story 3 on 6/4 and the A Team 4/1 - with the result decided on boxofficemojo.com figures.

Other films included in this market that you can bet on are Inception at 10/1, The Last Airbender at 12/1, The Sorcerer's Apprentice at 14/1, Knight & Day on 25/1, The Expendables 25/1, Salt 33/1 and Predators 40/1.

Sandra “Black Mamba” Naujoks

Finding a beautiful woman who can also indulge in your macho hobbies might be hard, but it definitely isn't impossible. Case in point: not only are these women smoking hot, but they could give you a serious run for your money on poker night.

Whoever thought that women could not beat men at their own game was clearly delusional. Aside from the corporate ladder, women excel in sports, fashion, and even in poker. Now, poker nights are no longer exclusive to men and their cigars because women have been doing the same thing. Aside from the great looks and the sexy smile, these women can successfully maneuver poker hottie Sandra Naujoks their way to the top with their wits.

After studying German and History she became a teacher, only to give that up to be a successful Graphic Designer and Model. However, another new direction has now come to fruition. While teaching Sandra spent her free time playing around with graphic design. She decided that this was more her thing and pursued this as a career while modeling on the side.

While modeling and working as a graphic designed, the poker hottie Sandra Naujoks was also playing some online poker on the side as a hobby under the username "Black Mamba". After a few good wins she decided to enter more live tournaments and was finishing very strong in these events. Her first big win in a live tournament was at the CAPT Baden event where she came first in the 4000 euro No Limit Poker event. There she won 174,5000 euros and beat out some very tough competition with players such as Pokerstars pro Alex Kravchenko who she faced heads up to win the tournament.

In 2008, she got her career rolling with a fifth place finish at the Casinos Austria Poker Tour Graz Open for $23.5K. A few months later, she won CAPT Baden for $240K, an astonishing achievement for somebody so new to the game. A year later, Naujoks shocked the world again by winning European Poker Tour German Open for a staggering $1.1 million. Not only did she win an incredible sum of money, but the time, she was the first woman to win an EPT event. She has gone on to record multiple cashes since, including a $52K score for 36th in the 2009 $10K EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo and first in the 2009 Team Cup Mountain Poker Party in Seefeld for $11K. All told, Sandra has over $1.5 million in live tournament earnings.

Sandra Naujoks really became popular in March of 2009 after she won the German EPT event in Dortmund. There she cashed for 917,000 euros and became the 2nd woman ever to win an EPT title.

With already two major poker titles under her belt, Sandra Naujoks has established herself as an extremely gifted poker player, and she sits among the all-time German money winners. She’s also been recognized with many awards, including European Female Player of the Year. Already a star, Sandra is sure to be a familiar face at the tables in years to come.
In her spare time, Sandra Naujoks likes to travel and work with the charity groups, including All in 4 Kids, which she established herself. Online, she is also a Team PokerStars Pro and plays as under the name “S.Naujoks”.

Sandra Naujoks' Photos

Celebrity Poker Player: Scarlett Johansson

Celebrities that have become part of the poker community either by sponsorships or in some cases have become the face of a poker show or at one of the many online poker sites. You do not need to be good at maths to be good at poker. You do not need to be physically attractive to be good at poker. You do not need charm to be good at poker. But for this sexy poker player Scarlett Johansson, she has it all!

Celebrity poker player Scarlett Johansson's figure has caught up with her already-mature and collected personality -- and now that she can scratch "child actress" off her resume, we can admire the sexy young woman she has become. An extra part of Scarlett Johansson's allure is her uniquely throaty voice, which entices us. 

 

About Scarlett Johansson: As might be expected of an acting prodigy, Scarlett Johansson had an unusually early interest in performing: She wanted to be an actress since age 3, and was acting professionally when she was only 8 years old. After taking classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People, Scarlett Johansson made her stage debut in the early 1990s in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry, alongside Ethan Hawke.

Scarlett Johansson's first film role came in 1994's North, starring Elijah Wood, another child star survivor. The following year she played Sean Connery's daughter in the thriller Just Cause, and then in 1996 she appeared in If Lucy Fell and Manny &; Lo. For the latter film, Scarlett Johansson was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress in 1997. That year she added Fall and Home Alone 3 to her burgeoning list of credits as well.

In 2002 Scarlett Johansson shot three films – The Perfect Score in Vancouver, Lost In Translation in Tokyo and Girl with a Pearl Earring in Luxembourg. The first to hit theaters was Lost In Translation. It was an instant hit ever since its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where Scarlett Johansson won the Upstream Prize for Best Actress. Indeed, her performance was stunning, even more so when you consider that Scarlett was mere 17-years old when she played the newlywed twentysomething.

In some ways 2004 started out as a low year for Scarlett Johansson. The long overdue The Perfect Score was finally released and neither the critics or audience warmed up to the teen comedy. They just couldn’t help comparing it to the extraordinary cinematic masterpieces known as Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring. Although nominated twice for Best Leading Actress at the Golden Globes, Scarlett Johansson ended up empty handed… And she didn’t receive an Oscar nomination. After the prestigious award ceremony in February, Scarlett made first-hand experience with awful gossip. 

 

As a supporter of runner-up for democrat presidential candidate Howard Dean, Scarlett Johansson was wearing a Howard Dean badge to the The Perfect Score premiere. When John Kerry ended up being the democrat candidate, she also supported his campaign on several occasions. Obviously, the re-election of George W. Bush as the US president must have been some sort of setback for the opinionated actress.

Aside from the movie world, Scarlett Johansson was also active in the fashion world: she signed a contract with Calvin Klein to be the face for their new fragrance ‘Eternity Moment’ and was part of the fall/winter 2004/05 campaign for Louis Vuitton. Her newly found fame also led to more roles: She plays Dennis Quaid’s daughter and Topher Grace’s love interest in In Good Company (shot in spring/early summer 2004 and released in December). 

 

After some projects were delayed and caused a free schedule for the summer, her hero Woody Allen cast her in Match Point. Scarlett Johansson packed her bags and flew to London to work on the movie in July 2004. In September Scarlett was part of the Venezia jury at the 61st Venice Film Festival and A Love Song for Bobby Long also had its world premiere there.

After promotional work for Calvin Klein, a short vacation, getting her tonsils removed and making two appearances at the Hollywood Film Festival, Scarlett Johansson started work on The Island in October 2004, the sci-fi thriller directed by Michael Bay, co-starring Ewan McGregor. And somewhere in 2004 Scarlett Johansson also managed to contribute voice work to The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Talk about a busy year!

Scarlett Johansson received a Golden Globe nomination for her work in A Love Song for Bobby Long in 2005 but the award went to Hilary Swank, who was soon to co-star with Scarlett in Brian De Palma’s The Black Dahlia. After finishing work on The Island in early 2005, Scarlett Johansson flew to Bulgaria to work on The Black Dahlia in April. After a long delay, the film finally started production. Woody Allen was so taken by Scarlett’s work in Match Point that he quickly hired the actress for his next film, a comedy titled Scoop. It was also filmed on location in London in June and July 2005.

After wrapping up the comedy, Scarlett promoted The Island all over the world, attending premieres and gracing magazine covers worldwide. Unfortunately, the response to the Michael Bay action movie, which opened in July 2005, was a let down – both in the box office and in the eyes of the critics. After months of promoting The Island and filming Scoop, Match Point opened in late 2005. Scarlett received rave reviews for her performance as Nola Rice, an actress struggling with love and passion. The film also earned Scarlett Johansson her 4th Golden Globe nomination.

Year 2006 started with a bang for Scarlett. She signed a reported $4mil deal to become the new face of cosmetics giant L’Oreal. Within a couple of months time she also signed on to star in two more films; The Prestige and The Nanny Diaries. Scarlett began filming Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige in January. After wrapping up, she had a well-deserved break from the spotlight before dying those well known locks of hers to brunette and starting to film The Nanny Diaries in April.

Scarlett Johansson soon signed on to star in Justin Chadwick’s period piece, The Other Boleyn Girl. She traveled back to England to work on the film and befriended co-star Natalie Portman. Scarlett Johansson also became more involved with charity causes and raising awareness. When Bono and Bobby Shriver organized the RED campaign with the UK’s Gap, Scarlett was the first celebrity to sign up, wearing RED clothes on the covers of two British magazines. With the releases of Scoop, The Black Dahlia and The Prestige, the RED campaign and more media coverage than perhaps ever, late 2006 turned out to be a very busy year for Scarlett, who was crowned the sexiest woman of the year by FHM and Esquire magazines!

Scarlet Johansson's recent movie Iron Man 2 with Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle. Scarlet Johannsson played the role of Natasha Romanoff, the new Tony Stark’s secretary, and her alter ego, the Black Widow. There is a lot of mythology surrounding her character and several variations so we’ll just have to await how the movie’s version will feature her and of course how Scarlett Johansson adapts her.

Celebrity Poker Player: Rihanna

Most have probably heard the tones of the track “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga over the years. And now there's maybe chance, or risk if you like, to airwaves are filled with several poker songs. The music video for Rihanna's newest popfænomenet number called “Hard”, the poker fans for quite able to recognize a special logo.

What about the middle of the music video where sexy poker player Rihanna gets a slap poker with two unidentified gentlemen. Repeatedly zooms in on the chips, where the wording PokerStars not to be mistaken. And also the cards as the game's three participants are using, is adorned by the large poker sites logo.

What the agreement has cost PokerStars is not known but it has hardly been cheap. Is “Hard” a great success, the site at least could look forward to massive exposure. For example, the music video for another of celebrity poker player Rihanna's tracks, Do not stop the music, been viewed more than 106 million times on YouTube.

About Rihanna: Robin Rihanna Fenty a.k.a Ri-Ri or Rihanna sudden and meteoric rise made American Idol hopefuls look like seasoned crooners who had spent a decade on the road before hitting the big time. A native of the island of Barbados, Rihanna lived an average life and barely even dreamed of show business before she was discovered in late 2003.

Despite her total lack of professional singing experience, Rihanna was snapped up by Def Jam, and had a hit with her single "Pon de Replay" in 2005. She quickly followed this up with the release of her debut album, Music of the Sun.

Rihanna wasted no time in putting out a second album, A Girl Like Me, the following year, and her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, took listeners by storm in 2007 with a slew of hit singles including "Umbrella" and "Don't Stop The Music."

Rihanna's instant success wasn't all luck, though. Her talent is undeniable, and her personality is determined yet appreciative. She instantly caught the attention of the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and Sean Paul, and in 2007, when she released her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, all signs indicated she would be a massive success. Her fourth studio album was released in November 2009, entitled Rated R, and it is Rihanna's highest.

The wave of popularity that stemmed from Rihanna's impressive debut carried her onto the small screen. She's been on Live with Regis and Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Today, and has performed at the 2005 Video Music Awards, World Music Awards and MTV Awards. 

 

She's also helped kick off sports events, from a performance alongside Kanye West at the start of the NFL season to a show for the start of the 2005 U.S. Lawn Tennis Open Championships.

In 2006, Rihanna released her second album, A Girl Like Me, which boasted the hit singles "SOS," "Unfaithful," "We Ride," and "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul. In 2007, it was another successful year for the budding talent. Rihanna released her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad.

A number of hits also resulted from this album including "Umbrella," which featured Jay-Z. This song was the longest running No. 1 single since Wet Wet Wet's' single "Love Is All Around" back in 1994, and the longest running No. 1 by a female artist since Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You."

Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad also included the hits "Shut Up And Drive" and "Don't Stop The Music." At the 2007 American Music Awards Rihanna won for Favorite Female Artist in the Soul/Rhythm &; Blues category.

Rihanna's skyrocketed career falls down when Rihanna was scheduled to perform at the 2009 Grammy Awards show, an incident of physical abuse from boyfriend Chris Brown kept the two from performing together on stage. 

 

Photos of battered Rihanna circulated the internet days after the incident, and Chris Brown released a statement to the public claiming he was finding the guidance he needed with friends and family, away from Rihanna.

After the courts agreed to a plea bargain with Chris Brown, Rihanna fans will be happy to know that part of the plea bargain requires Chris Brown to stay far away from Rihanna.

Brandi Hawbaker: Controversial Poker Hottie

With so many names like Brandi Hawbaker, Brandi Rose, Naami Dea her life and the events surrounding it were like a movie. A never ending cycle of men, shags, drugs, money, poker, people getting hurt, and despair. These events were only heightened by the Internet and forums willing to discuss and debate these events at every possible opportunity. Brandi Hawbaker became somewhat of a cult personality, loved by some, and hated by many.

Full Tilt cover girl Brandi Hawbaker is more known for her exploits off the poker table onto the scene in 2006, when she finished 35th in the Festa Al Lago WPT main event. Poker hottie Brandi Hawbaker was seemingly constantly in the news after this, becoming entangled in public feuds with numerous different personalities in the poker world.


Brandi Hawbaker Skyrocketed Poker Career

Poker hottie Brandi Hawbaker has stated that she spent six years backpacking around the world doing odd jobs in exchange for a place to stay and food to eat. She returned to the United States in 2005 after spending a summer in Guyana and worked as a project coordinator for a company for a while before somehow, somewhere, someday, she found herself playing poker .

It looks like Brandi Hawbaker has won $30k plus recently in a tournament and has been making waves on the circuit as an up and coming player. It was her deep run at the World Poker Tour Festa Al Lago event, she finished 35th winning over $20,000 in the process and her subsequent photo of a online poker site logo covering her bared breast that catapulted her into the poker world.

She became something of a cult figure in the online poker world and on the pro poker circuit. I didn’t know her personally but like many other online poker players and bloggers followed the roller coaster of her life with some interest.


Brandi Hawbaker Tragic Contoversy

Brandi Hawbaker was often a controversial and seemingly complex character but was best known for her over the top publicity stunts and exhibitionism. Perhaps the most infamous woman in poker took her own life. Brandi Hawbaker more known for her exploits off the poker table than at them, was found dead in Los Angeles.

She was in a relationship with a somewhat unknown person named Brandon who posted in January that Brandi had taken all of his things out of his house and sold them and taken off. Most recently, her former boyfriend posted a thread on 2+2 detailing their sordid relationship. Since then, rumors floated around that Brandi had left Las Vegas and relocated to Southern California where she converted to Islam and changed her name. She was reportedly seen playing cash games in L.A. based casinos.

Brandi Hawbaker wiped out one of his online poker accounts to the tune of approximately $30,000. What exactly happened is a he said, she said. In a bit of eerie foreshadowing, Brandi Hawbaker locked herself in the bathroom, smashed a bottle of wine, and cut herself.

Brandi Hawbaker’s poker career included only $40,000 in tournament winnings but she was better known as a central figure in a number of drama-filled episodes on various internet forums. It's a sad ending to a sad story.

Brandi Hawbaker Photos

Teri Hatcher: Sexy Celebrity Poker Player

If you've been following the celebrity highway maybe you've missed the road signs along the way that told you what celebs are playing lately, which games and where. Teri Hatcher is one of the most sexy and hot female celebrity poker player who got involved like many celebrities have in the last few years through playing TV celebrity poker programs.

Celebrity poker player Teri Hatcher was once spotted playing poker and the World Poker Tour Invitational in City of Commerce. With a motley crew of over 100 stars from the screen and the world of poker, the World Poker Tour’s Celebrity Invitational will get underway tomorrow. The proceeds will go to Chrysalis, a charity that helps economically disadvantaged and homeless people find work. 

The guest list at Los Angeles’s Commerce Casino this weekend includes, among others, Marlon Wayans, Eric Dane, Hank Azaria and Ricki Lake. There is also a $200,000 prize pool that will go to the recipients’ various charitable organizations. The grand prize is a seat in the World Poker Tour’s Championship.

About Teri Hatcher: Teri Hatcher’s wildly successful portrayal of Susan Mayer in the award-winning ABC Comedy Desperate Housewives earned her a 2005 Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Leading Role, Musical or Comedy, Television, a 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award as Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, a 2006 Golden Globe Award nomination, a 2005 Television Critics Award nomination and a 2005 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. The role of the single mom searching for love in the sometimes sordid, always intriguing world of Wisteria Lane has vaulted Teri Hatcher to the pinnacle of today’s hottest comic actresses.

Teri Hatcher’s international success has continued to grow since her days starring as the unforgettable Lois Lane in the 1994-97 series Lois & Clark. Her most recent successes resulted in recent honors by the U.K. edition of Glamour magazine as one of its 2005 Women of the Year, as well as also winning Glamour’s 2007 Writer of the Year. She was also honored by the Women’s World Awards in 2006. 

She recently became a New York Times best-selling author with her first book, Burnt Toast and other Philosophies of Life, which was released in May 2006 and in paperback in May of 2007. In the critically acclaimed bestseller, she offers a personal, heartfelt and often very funny manifesto on life, love and the lessons we all need to learn — and unlearn — on the road to happiness.

Among the many highlights of her career is hosting Saturday Night Live, which had USA Today commenting, “She gives one of the best and most energetic performances by a good-sport host in a long time.” What’s more, the sketches she participated in have become part of SNL’s Best Of. Other favorite roles include that of Sally Bowles in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical, Cabaret, and in Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.

Of all her film credits, Teri Hatcher still considers the first film she ever made — The Big Picture, directed by Christopher Guest — to be her favorite. Other movies that followed were Soapdish, with Kevin Kline, Two Days in the Valley, Spy Kids, directed by Roberto Rodriguez, and as “Bond” girl Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, opposite Pierce Brosnan. Nor will anyone ever forget the line she made famous in Seinfeld, which was, of course, “They’re real — and they’re spectacular.”

Teri Hatcher is also well known for her involvement in worthy causes, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities such as The Starlight Starbright Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Aviva Center in Los Angeles, CARE Humanitarian Relief Organization and the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. She has also been a strong advocate of both AIDS Walk Los Angeles and AIDS Walk New York, and an active participant in the battle against breast cancer. 

The gown Teri Hatcher wore to the 2005 Golden Globe Awards was sold at auction to benefit Clothes Off Our Back, as was a Versace couture dress from an In Style Magazine cover shoot.

Among her pop culture honors, Teri Hatcher has had the distinction of being the most downloaded image on the internet the year she posed wrapped in Superman’s cape — and nothing else!