Eva Mendes

Biography
Eva Mendes was born March 5, 1974, in Miami, Florida. A particularly observant Catholic, Eva grew up with dreams of becoming a nun before she was bitten by the acting bug while attending California State University Northridge. “Acting fell into my lap when a neighbor took pictures of me and showed them to an agent,” she recalls. “Then I found an acting coach and worked my butt off.”

eva mendes debuts in a night at the roxbury
Eva Mendes’ first foray into showbiz came as a featured performer in music videos before she made her big-screen debut in 1998 in the schlocky horror film Children of the Corn V. “I was awful in Children,” she admits. “It was my first movie, and I hadn’t acted since being the fairy godmother in fourth grade. C5, as I call it, was a disaster.” Luckily, Eva Mendes learned from the experience, and she bounced back later that year with a memorable role in A Night at the Roxbury starring opposite Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. “It was only my second job in the business,” she says, “and seeing them work and have fun made me decide that I could do it too.”

eva mendes stars in training day
Eva Mendes proved just that in 2001 when she was cast alongside Denzel Washington in the gritty thriller Training Day. The critically acclaimed film became a box-office smash, and Eva cashed in on the added attention with roles in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Stuck on You, and Hitch, for which she received an ALMA Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. Eva Mendes also broadened her footprint in the industry by joining fellow beauties Jessica Alba and Halle Berry as a spokesmodel for Revlon.

Why Is She Famous?
By the start of the new millennium, Mendes appeared in several action-packed and fun films worthy of half-price night at the movies. These include A Night at the Roxbury, Exit Wounds and All About the Benjamins. Of late, her resume has become quite impressive, with a steamy performance as Denzel Washington's woman in Training Day and a turn as Paul Walker's love interest in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Etiquette Of A Gentleman

By Michael Bucci

Always be polite
Even if you don't like someone, there is no need to lower yourself to their level. Be polite and courteous; show that you're the better man.

Do not curse
Swearing is a big no-no. It shows that you don't have the vocabulary to express your thoughts appropriately. Furthermore, it is always very crude and impolite to be vulgar.s
Do not speak loudly
When you speak loudly, it raises the stress level among company. It always implies that you can't reason with people and rely on "brute force" to get your point across. It also draws attention -- negative attention.

Do not lose your temper
When you lose your temper, you are showing everyone that you can't control your emotions. If you can't even control yourself, then how can you possibly control anything else? Keep your cool at all times (it won't be easy but it is worth the effort) and people will take positive note of your levelheadedness.

Do not stare
Ogling someone is the equivalent of psychological aggression. You don't want to intimidate people for no reason.

Do not interrupt
Let people finish what they are saying before adding your comments. Interrupting others is a sign of poor etiquette and a lack of social skills. If you want to come across as egotistical, you can do so by constantly interrupting.

Do not spit
A lot of men do this almost subconsciously. Spitting is very crude and not too pretty to look at. Do not spit in public unless you want to look like you were raised in a sewer.

Respect your elders
In fact, you should respect others as you would like them to respect you. I am specifying elders because it seems that today, young men think they know it all. Well, they don't. Just think of yourself five years ago... you're much smarter and experienced today, aren't you? Of course, yet you thought you knew it all five years ago.

Now on to how to be a smooth gentleman with the ladies

Do not laugh at others' mistakes
This is perhaps one of the cruelest things one can do. When you mess up, the last thing you want is for someone not only to bring it to your attention, but to ridicule you on top of that.

Remove your hat indoors
This rule seems to have gone out the window these days. You should remove your headwear upon entering a building. Furthermore, never keep your hat on while at the dinner table. It reflects very poor etiquette.

Wait for seating before eating
When sitting down for a meal, you should wait until all the guests are properly seated and ready to commence the meal before eating. Everyone should start dining at the same time; this is a subtle but very important rule.
the basics of chivalry
In addition to the aforementioned rules, gentlemen (in training) should follow these additional rules when in the presence of a lady. Chivalry may be on life support, but it is not dead yet. Be one of the few to keep this flame burning for many years to come.

Always open doors
This is perhaps the most basic rule of male etiquette out there. It is also one of the easiest to follow so you have no reason to forget it. Whether she is about to enter your car, restaurant, club, or anyplace with a door, you should always hold it open. If there are many doors, then hold them open one after the other.

Put on her coat
Always help a lady put on her coat or overgarment. This is a simple but powerful action.

Help with her seat
If an unaccompanied lady is sitting next to you, it is important that you help her be seated by pulling her chair out for her and gently pushing it back into place, with the lady seated of course.

Give up your seat
If a lady arrives at the table and there are no available seats, you should stand up and offer yours to her.

Stand at attention
Always stand when a lady enters or exits the room. This rule has been somewhat relaxed, so you can stand upon entrance but remain seated upon exit. Nonetheless, if you can do both, you should.

Give her your arm
When escorting a lady (that you know) to and from social events, you should offer her your arm. This is a little more intimate, but serves well when walking on uneven ground -- especially if she's wearing high heels.

Ask if she needs anything
This is one that most guys already do, but helps complete the gentleman in all of us nevertheless. When at social events, make sure to ask the lady if you can get her something to drink (or eat, depending on the event). Show her that you care about her comfort and needs.

Gentlemen, if I may call you that, these are the rules of etiquette you should observe in everyday life. Elevate yourself above the rabble and display the mannerisms of a true gentleman. The world will appreciate such a rarity and your career will most definitely benefit from your good manners and savoir-faire .

AMERICAN GANGSTER

Movie Highlights
Release Date: Nov 02, 2007
Rated R
Nobody used to notice Frank Lucas, the quiet driver to one of the inner city's leading black crime bosses. But when his boss suddenly dies, Frank exploits the opening in the power structure to build his own empire and create his own version of the American Dream. Through ingenuity and a strict business ethic, he comes to rule the inner-city drug trade, flooding the streets with a purer product at a better price. Lucas outplays all of the leading crime syndicates and becomes not only one of the city's mainline corrupters, but part of its circle of legit civic superstars. Richie Roberts is an outcast cop close enough to the streets to feel a shift of control in the drug underworld. Roberts believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere to dominate the scene. Both Lucas and Roberts share a rigorous ethical code that sets them apart from their own colleagues, making them lone figures on opposite sides of the law. The destinies of these two men will become intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top.

Director Ridley Scott

Cast Russell Crowe
Denzel Washington
Josh Brolin
Common
Robert 'The Rza' Diggs
Ted Levine
John Ortiz
Yul Vazquez
J Kyle Manzay
Roger Guenveur Smith
Robert Funaro
Jason Furlani
Malcolm Goodwin

Release Date November 02, 2007
Studio Universal Pictures Distribution

SHUT UP AND SING

Release Date: Oct 27, 2006
Rated R
On stage at a 2003 London concert, Natalie Maines, lead singer of Texan trio the Dixie Chicks, spoke these 15 words to a small audience at the start of their sold-out international tour: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment was delivered on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq, and drew cheers from the decidedly anti-war and anti-Bush British crowd. It was an off-the-cuff remark typical of the lead singer's temperament. Natalie, and fellow Dixie Chicks Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, thought little of it. But history and this film demonstrate that at this heightened moment of political polarization in the United States, many people did care, and empowered this simple, yet loaded remark to carry serious and longstanding ramifications. The documentary shows the band from their peak of popularity as the national-anthem-singing darlings of country music and top-selling female recording artists of all time, through the now infamous anti-Bush comment, and on through the days, months and years of mayhem. The film also follows the lives and careers of the musicians through the writing and recording of their first album since "the incident"--and three years of political attack, making music, birthing babies, bonding, death threats, and laughter.

Director Barbara Kopple
Cecilia Peck

Cast Natalie Maines
Martie Maguire
Emily Robison
Simon Renshaw

Release Date October 27, 2006
Studio The Weinstein Company

TATOOS

Many stars, such as Angelina Jolie, are covered in tattoos. How do they deal with these for films? Are they covered with makeup, or are they removed digitally afterward? If the latter, that sounds like a lot of expensive extra work.

JANET JACKSON: RELOADED!

Things have been rough for Janet since Justin Timberlake helped her flash Super Bowl...

Unfortunately for Janet, the wardrobe malfunction happened at the wrong time. Tabloid media, internet gossip and E! True Hollywood Stories had already desensitized the public to ridiculous celebrity woes.

It's kind of hard to feel sorry for someone who was born into one of entertainment's most noted families, yet managed to expose one of her nipples during the halftime performance of one of the country's biggest annual family events.

The incident and the FCC backlash put the pressure on Janet's Damita Jo album. But Damita Jo couldn't handle it. And neither could 2006's 20 Y.O. While I personally liked both albums, neither delivered the impact necessary to shut down the haters.

When R. Kelly's sex abuse scandal hit, his infectious "Step In The Name Of Love" refocused the fans on his music. Mariah Carey recovered from her public mental meltdown and Glitter flop in 2005 with "We Belong Together" which set a record as the most played song in radio history.

Janet's forthcoming Discipline album needs to deliver her the same type of career blessing.

DENZEL WASHINGTON

Though he has been keeping a low profile for much of 2007, Denzel Washington has found himself on the receiving end of some serious Oscar buzz, both as a performer and as a filmmaker -- stemming from his upcoming films American Gangster and The Great Debaters. The former casts the actor as a vicious drug kingpin named Frank Lucas, while the latter tells the true story of a circa-1930s debate team (the movie also marks Washington’s first effort behind the camera since 2002’s Antwone Fisher).

2007 Resume
Nominated for Favorite Male Movie Star at the People’s Choice Awards.
Named “the guy women want to tuck them in at night” by Lifetime Television.
Starred in Deja Vu, which grossed over $40 million on home video.
Awarded the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Received honorary doctorate of humanities degree from Atlanta’s Morehouse College.
Named one of the Top 10 Most Powerful Blacks in Hollywood in Black Enterprise Magazine, alongside Eddie Murphy and Will Smith.
Paid $20 million for his role in American Gangster.
Agreed to reteam with Man on Fire director Tony Scott for a remake of 1974’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
Named America’s Favorite Movie Star by a nationwide Harris Poll, beating out Harrison Ford and Johnny Depp

Behind the Scenes
Denzel Washington’s efforts to secure racial equality for his fellow actors and fellow human beings have earned him the respect of critics and audiences alike, and the actor has consistently gone out of his way to assist a number of relevant causes and organizations. Denzel has also been a prominent fixture in advertising campaigns for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, having popped up in a number of TV, radio and print public service announcements. Denzel's compassion was evident in a recent visit to the Brooke Army Medical Center, where he spent time with wounded soldiers and even donated money to an organization that secures housing for the families of hospitalized soldiers.
2007 Manly Moment
In a 2007 book by Allison Samuels entitled Off the Record, Denzel revealed that he turned down a role opposite Michelle Pfeiffer (in 1992’s Love Field) due to the script’s overuse of the “N” word.