Action And Adventure Movies

When considering the meager merits of the bone-snapping, blood-splattered "Ninja Assassin," it's best to remember the words of John Goodman's PC-challenged character in "The Big Lebowski": "The man in the black pajamas, Dude.

HONG KONG - Action star Donnie Yen says he signed on to play an ancient Chinese secret service agent in his new film - even though it was another kung fu epic - because he wanted to tackle the role of a villain who discovers his humanity.

LOS ANGELES - Lou Filippo, a World Boxing Hall of Famer who judged 85 world champion fights and had small roles in the "Rocky" movies, has died.

As Hollywood closed specialty divisions that aimed for quality and personal stories, as studios focus more and more on superhero sagas and action blockbusters, cinema fans have rightly wondered, who's left to make great American movies? For one, the makers of "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," who assembled some of the unlikeliest ingredients - Mariah Carey, Mo'Nique, and a lead actress plucked from an anonymous casting call - to create a wondrous work of art.

LONDON - What do Amy Winehouse's flaming beehive and Guy Ritchie's self-inflicted black eye have in common? Both stories appeared in the pages of Britain's tabloid press.