The reviews are mixed on Baz Luhrmann’s take of The Great Gatsby, which opens in theaters today and kicks off the Cannes film festival next week. But while some critics have panned the film, I was LIVING for it the entire time.

In case you never read the book, the story is told by Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who, while chasing success in the roaring 20s stock market boom, rents a modest cottage on long island only to find that he has moved next door to the home of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), an extravagant mansion that hosts extremely lavish parties.

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The more footage I see from Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s classic novel, the more I’m itching to see it. I’m just crossing my fingers that I’m not extremely let down. Even if the story sucks, the visuals are certain to impress, especially in 3D. Luhrmann never disappoints in that department. Once again, he looks to have hit a home run capturing the glamorous roaring 20s.

Warner Bros. recently released seven clips, roughly about five minutes of footage, from the highly-anticipated film. The selection of clips give a good impression of the lavish visual style created by Baz. Most of the scenes feature several characters talking about Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), often in contradictory, elusive terms. Tobey Maguire’s Nick Carraway, the inquisitive narrator, is the one most prominently shown in the footage. Watch the video below.

watch the video after the jump

The 2013 GLAAD Media Awards took place on Saturday (April 20) in Los Angeles. Drew Barrymore hosted the event at the J.W. Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live which featured a performance by Kelly Rowland.

On hand for the annual event were Leonardo Dicaprio, Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Matt Dallas with his fiance Blue Hamilton, Darren Criss, Alex Pettyfer who gave Betty White a smooch, Chris Evans with his gay brother Scott and many more including Jennifer Lawrence who debuted a brand new hairstyle. The Silver Linings Playbook actress was there to present the inaugural Advocate for Change Award to Bill Clinton for his work campaigning to legalize same-sex marriage.

“I want to keep working on this until not only DOMA is no longer the law of the land, but until all people, no matter where they live, can marry the people they love. I believe you will win the DOMA fight, and I think you will win the Constitutional right to marry. If not tomorrow, then the next day or the next day.” – Bill Clinton

In 1996, the ex-president signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as a partnership only between a man and a woman. In recent years, he’s changed his stance and campaigned heavily against anti-gay legislation proposed in various states. He credits his daughter Chelsea and her gay friends for seeing the way. Others honored last night include The New Normal, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Days of Our Lives. Check out all the winners, Clinton’s speech and a few more photos below.

check out all the winners and the video after the jump

There are a couple of things to expect from a Baz Luhrmann film- great visuals and even greater music. Both Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet were masterpieces with fantastic soundtracks. With the talent on board (onscreen and off) for his big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, I expect nothing short of spellbinding.

Luhrmann just dropped a brand new trailer and it’s even better than the first one. It’s amazing how music can change the mood and help tell a story. A couple days ago, word leaked that Beyonce and Andre 3000 were covering Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” for the film. It’s not the entire thing, but we have our first listen at their remake in the trailer. Also featured in the clip are soundtrack contributions from Lana Del Rey and Florence + The Machine. Both are equally as promising.

I can’t wait for The Great Gatsby to hit theaters on May 10 and I’m even more excited for the soundtrack to drop. Check out the new trailer below.

watch the new trailer after the jump

To say Kate Winslet leads a charmed life is putting it mildly. Not only is she strikingly beautiful, but she’s extremely talented as well. At age 31 she was the youngest actress to accrue five Academy Award nominations. Number six proved lucky when she finally nabbed the Oscar for Best Actress in The Reader. She’s even co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio not once, but twice. Speaking of Leonardo…

Reportedly, her Titanic co-star walked her down the aisle for her recent wedding to Ned Rocknroll. Hopefully, marriage number three will be it. Winslet was previously married to Jim Threapleton (1998-2001) and Sam Mendes (2003-2010). To congratulate the happy couple, one particular tycoon gave a very unique wedding gift. Find out below who, what and why they gave Winslet and Rocknroll this present.

find out how after the jump

Once I saw Carey Mulligan dressed as Daisy Buchanan in her character poster, any trepidation I had of her taking on the iconic role quickly subsided. She is the very essence of Daisy. I’m so glad Scarlett Johansson bowed out of the running due to filming conflicts with We Bought A Zoo ;) Just in case you were curious, Mulligan also beat out a list of other actresses including Keira Knightley, Rebecca Hall, Amanda Seyfried, Blake Lively, Abbie Cornish and Michelle Williams for the coveted role.

The Great Gatsby was supposed to hit theaters this Christmas, but Warner Bros. bumped it to May 10, 2013 to avoid their own film The Hobbit. If Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation is half as good as it looks, it’s going to be a winner. Not surprisingly, it’s visually stunning. Instantly, I felt I was transported back to the roaring 20s to some glitzy jazzy affair. It felt like, fittingly enough a hybrid of Luhrmann’s two successful flicks- Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge.

Watching the trailer definitely inspired me to hold my very own Gatsby party before the film opens. Check out the trailer below along with character posters of Isla Fisher, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki and Carey Mulligan. They’re fantastic.

check out more posters and the trailer after the jump

A couple of days after Kathryn Bigelow’s film scored top honors from the New York Film Critics Circle, Zero Dark Thirty nabs another win. The National Board of Review bestows Best Film honors to the Osama bin Laden movie. Bigelow also won for Best Director. Is Zero Dark Thirty the film to beat at the upcoming Academy Awards? It’s certainly a contender, but keep this in mind. The last time the NBR picked the eventual Oscar Best Film winner was back in 2008 when Slumdog Millionaire danced its way to the podium.

Zero Dark Thirty also earned an award in one of the acting categories. Jessica Chastain who plays a CIA agent on the hunt for bin Laden won Best Actress. Bradley Cooper beat out Oscar frontrunner Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) for Best Actor for his work in Silver Linings Playbook. On the supporting front, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ann Dowd were honored for Django Unchained and Compliance respectively.

Out of all the winners, the one I’m most ecstatic about is Tom Holland’s win in the Breakthrough Actor category. I literally just walked out of a screening for The Impossible and can’t say enough great things about Holland. He was EVERYTHING in that film. The trailers made it look like it was all about Ewan McGregor, but it wasn’t. The entire movie is an acting tour de force from Holland and Naomi Watts. Definitely check out this film. Be warned: bring lots of tissues. I cried at least ten times. Check out the rest of the winners below.

complete list of winners after the jump

What is a Hollywood Maverick in the eyes of Details magazine? They are innovators, risk-takers and big thinkers changing the face of entertainment. “Writers are becoming directors, directors are becoming moguls, actors are becoming all of the above instead of lying around praying for a spin-off.” The publication decided to honor these individuals for their December 2012 issue.

Leonardo DiCaprio received the big honor of gracing the cover, but he’s not the only one being recognized for his big ideas. Chris Colfer for his work as a writer, director and executive producer on Struck By Lightning is being hailed a Career Opportunist. His initiative for writing his next project rather than waiting on the sidelines is the reason why he’s being singled out.

Zachary Quinto is featured in the Creative Collectives category alongside his fellow Margin Call filmmakers. The New Normal’s Andrew Rannells made the Survivors list with Chris Messina for making it big after years of casting calls. Details named John Krasinski as the Idea Man, while Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson is being hailed as The Next Big Thing. Check out their photos snapped by Doug Inglish below.
check out a few of the Mavericks after the jump