The Roles They Left Behind

They maximize studios' return on investment (and the top woman's not who you think)

(NEWSER) - Want the biggest bang for your production buck? Forbes says not to look at the mega-celebs—the biggest return per dollar spent on a star's compensation belongs to some lesser lights in the Hollywood constellation.

1. Matt Damon
2. Brad Pitt
3. Vince Vaughn
4. Johnny Depp
5. Jennifer Aniston

Action flick less than the sum of its all-star parts

(NEWSER) - Sylvester Stallone directed and co-stars, alongside a Magnificent Seven-style roster of action-film legends—Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Jason Statham—but critics have some issues with The Expendables.

• James Verniere (and a friend), Boston Herald : "Hulk like Expendables. It SMASH. Guns go BANG-BANG. Things go BOOM. Fire EVERYWHERE. Cars crash and make even MORE FIRE. HA-HA-HA. Hulk no like Rourke, though. Rourke NUTS."

Pop star wants to follow in Michael Jackson's footsteps

(NEWSER) - Not content with entrancing Bill O'Reilly , Lady Gaga is planning her next pop-culture triumph: a blockbuster movie. "Gaga wants to emulate what Michael Jackson did during the 80s. You can already see that with her music videos," a source tells the UK tabloid News of the World . "Every one of them is a mini event. So it's only logical she moves that on to the big screen." More»

'The silly is slowly being leeched out of him'

(NEWSER) - Paul Rudd is Hollywood’s next big thing —but not in the way he should be, writes Elbert Ventura in a Slate piece arguing that Tinseltown is squandering the actor’s comedic talents. “Rudd's rise is well-deserved,” considering his body of work “is one of the funniest—and most underrated—in recent American comedy.” But Rudd, “an absurdist at heart,” has gone from “unhinged, even surreal” movies like Wet Hot American Summer and Anchorman to bland, conventional fare. More»

Critics aren't impressed, but most think Zac is great

(NEWSER) - Critics agree on one thing when it comes to Charlie St. Cloud: Tween girls will love it, thanks to the number of times Zac Efron takes off his shirt. Beyond that they’re split, though the majority aren't enthusiastic:

• The movie, about a teen who loses his brother in a car accident, “tries to capture the crushing weight of loss, but between the insipid pop tunes and the repetitive shots cutting away to a lighthouse on a scenic outcropping, it feels more like a film version of a condolence card,” writes Claudia Puig in USA Today .