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When fans think about the best moments from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, they probably imagine a naked, greased-up Frank Reynolds emerging from a leather couch like a newborn calf, the illiterate Charlie Kelly eating green paint or Dee and Dennis Reynolds getting hooked on crack. But another, not nearly as outrageous “Best of Sunny” moment is an entirely serious dance routine in “Mac Finds His Pride,” the November 2018 episode in which Rob McElhenney’s Mac comes out to his incarcerated father via dance.

Its tight choreography came with no jokes or sarcasm; instead, it was an entirely earnest story about a gay man coming out to someone he’s not sure will accept him. And while Mac’s dad walks out midway through the performance, both gay and straight fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia celebrated the scene for its sincerity and meaning.

Given that we’re in the middle of Pride Month,...

Fatima Robinson (“The Color Purple”) and Parris Goebel (“Super Bowl Lvii Halftime Show”) took home top honors at the World Choreography Awards.

The awards were handed out on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Other winners included Tessandra Chavez for her work on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and Jon Boogz for Starz’s “Blindspotting.”

In a statement to Variety, founder and producer Allen Walls said, “I congratulate all of tonight’s nominees and winners. This Awards Show illustrates our intent to highlight the depth of exceptional talent in our industry. In our 14th year, there were over 275 submissions. We are the Oscars of Dance.”

Robinson fused hip-hop, dance, African history, tap, jazz and even Jamaican moves as she crafted the musical numbers in “The Color Purple.” One highlight was “Push da Button” performed by Taraji P. Henson’s Shug Avery. Robinson made sure there were plenty of props including handkerchiefs, scarves and even a cane.

The choreographers behind “Wonka” and “Barbie” are among the nominees for the 2024 World Choreography Awards.

With over 200 submissions, Christopher Gattelli (“Wonka”), Jennifer White with Kisa Welham (“Barbie”) and Alison Faulk with collaborators made the shortlist.

In addition to motion pictures, choreographers in episodic television, television specials and television reality shows were also nominated. Jon Boogz and his team were nominated for “Blindspotting.” While the choreographers on “Dancing with the Stars,” dominated the television reality/variety category.

Full list of nominations below.

Motion Pictures

Christopher Gattelli – “Wonka”

Jennifer White, associate Kisa Welham – “Barbie”

Justin Peck, associate Craig Salstein – “Maestro”

Alison Faulk, Luke Broadlick, contributing Leo Moctezuma, associates Anthony Bartley and Charlie Bartley – “Magic Mike’s Last Dance”

Fatima Robinson, associates Adrian Wiltshire and Tia Rivera – “The Color Purple”

Television Award Show/Special:

Lukas McFarlane – “Eurovision,” Rita Ora

Parris Goebel – “Video Music Awards,” Karol G

Sean Bankhead – “Billboard Music Awards,” Tate McRae

Tessandra Chavez...

Night one on the 2024 Creative Art Emmys has come to a close, and some very big stars came out with wins.

On Saturday (September 7), the first of two night’s worth of awards were handed out before the 2024 Emmy Awards next week.

In the first night of the ceremony, Angela Basset won her very first Emmy. Maya Rudolph also collected a win, and Dick Van Dyke tied tied a record as the oldest winner at the age of 98.

We pulled together a winner’s list and a roundup of photos of the stars who were there!

Keep reading to find out more…

Keep scrolling to see photos of the attendees…

Ariana DeBose

Fyi: Ariana is wearing Kenneth Cole.

Maya Rudolph

Fyi: Maya is wearing Chloé FW24 Rtw.

Octavia Spencer

Morgan Marcell

Masi Oka

Nikki Glaser

Derek Hough

Shark Tank cast members Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban,...

It was a dance so moving, that it captured the hearts of Emmy voters: a waltz that paid tribute to the late Len Goodman during week five of last season’s Dancing with the Stars just earned a nomination in the Outstanding Choregraphy category.

Valentin Chmerkovskiy and his pro/wife Jenna Johnson choreographed the waltz to “Moon River.” It featured performances by current pros and past faves Kym Johnson, Anna Trebunskaya, Karina Smirnoff, Edyta Sliwinska, Tony Dovolani, Louis van Amstel, Maks Chmerkovskiy and Mark Ballas.

Other nominees in the category are Alison Faulk for the “Step In Time” routine for Dick Van Dyke, 98 Years Of Magic; Mandy Moore for the “I’m Just Ken” routine for the Oscars; Jamal Sims for the Queen of Wind/Power routine on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Karla Puno Garcia for the opening number and lifetime achievement numbers for the 76th Annual Tony Awards.

Related:...

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is an irreverent comedy full of despicable characters. So when Mac came out after years of allusions to his homosexuality, audiences weren't sure what that would mean for the beloved character. Would this mean that Mac, who was always a gun-toting Christian, would transform into a bleeding-heart liberal overnight? Or, worse, would he become a caricature of queerness and epitomize its stereotypes? Thankfully, the "Sunny" creators found a happy medium for their treatment of Mac's sexuality, which was crystallized in his elaborate dance number in "Mac Finds His Pride."

Series co-creator and star Rob McElhenney explained his character's delicate coming out to Entertainment Weekly in 2019:

"I think making sure that we are very careful to not change the fact that Mac is an abhorrent person [...] That is true inclusion, as opposed to saying he's come out and now all of a sudden he's this great guy.

Shirley MacLaine will receive the lifetime achievement award at the 2023 Industry Dance Awards.

Annette Bening will present MacLaine with the award at the event, taking place Oct. 18 at Avalon Hollywood. It’s a family affair: Bening is MacLaine’s sister-in-law, as she’s married to MacLaine’s brother, Warren Beatty.

The ceremony will be hosted by The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette.

The event is a benefit in the fight against cancer. This year, the Industry Dance Awards and Dancers Against Cancer are presenting the inaugural Stephen “tWitch” Boss Legacy of Hope Scholarship. The scholarship aims to honor Boss “by passing the torch to a new generation of gifted dancers, encouraging and supporting their continued journey and passion for dance via an annual scholarship.” Boss, the dancer, choreographer, actor and producer who got his big break on So You Think You Can Dance...

We expect the gang from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to do outrageous things, but the last thing we expect is for them to do something incredibly heartfelt and sincere. And yet, in the incredible season 13 finale, that's exactly what happens. Struggling to find a way to come out to his father, Mac performs an elaborate dance routine that symbolizes his inner turmoil. A lesser comedian might have gone with the obvious punchline, making the dance go horribly wrong and look poorly executed. Instead, this eternally boundary-pushing show managed to subvert audience expectations yet again and deliver a breathtaking number. So how did Rob McElhenney, an actor and series co-creator with zero dance experience, manage to pull off such an impressive feat?

Now, this dance number wasn't the first time McElhenney went to physical extremes on "Sunny," transforming his body in a major way for the sake of a bit.

Channing Tatum suffered a wild injury during the making of Magic Mike's Last Dance. Released in theaters on February 10, Tatum is back for a third and final installment in the Magic Mike trilogy which finds the retired stripper moving from Miami to London to help a wealthy socialite Maxandra Mendoza (played by Salma Hayek) produce a stage play. As part of this stage show, Magic Mike's Last Dance caps off the trilogy with a rain-soaked, ballet-inspired dance sequence at the end of the movie.

Magic Mike's Last Dance choreographers Luke Broadlick and Alison Faulk recently talked to GQ and shared some behind-the-scenes secrets about the dénouement dance sequence. At one point while filming on the water-soaked stage, Tatum's dance partner Kylie Shea accidentally hit him in the nose with her pelvis and caused the star to bleed. Nevertheless, Tatum continued on with the scene, earning Faulk's praise who says, "He...

Back in 2012 when Steven Soderbergh directed the first “Magic Mike” based loosely upon star Channing Tatum’s experiences in Tampa, Fl, no one could have anticipated the actual empire that the film would inspire: two more films, the latest of which, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” opened February 10, a live revue in Vegas, a stage musical in London, and a short-lived reality competition series for HBO Max. What’s interesting is the way that all of those ventures seemed to overlap and inspire one another, leading to “Last Dance” focusing on the staging of a musical in London, in some cases transplanting similar routines from that theatrical production to the silver screen.

On the film’s opening day, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” choreographers Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick, who have worked with Tatum on the series since its beginning, spoke with Variety about the process of leaving everything out on the...

Channing Tatum is back as the magic man, and Stephen Soderberg returns to direct Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Written by Reid Carolin, this stripper story has a feminist edge as it introduces a new character played by Salma Hayek who’s at the center of the story. Like the other two films, Last Dance has some electric dance numbers (choreographed by Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick), with Tatum being as charming as ever. But something is missing from this one and its rushed conclusion makes those ending moments appear random and out of place.

We first see Mike Lane (Tatum) working as a bartender at an event where he meets Maxandra “Max” Mendoza, a wealthy socialite going through a divorce. He goes back to her house, and she offers him six thousand dollars to ‘entertain’ her–prompting the longest strip dance scene ever. All the whining and gyrating wins...

Repeating the blissfully perfect, pure ode to pleasure that is Magic Mike Xxl would be a fool’s errand, so nearly a decade later––with Steven Soderbergh back in the director’s chair–cinema’s finest stripper-verse is closing out on a more gentle, familiar, innocuous note. Hewing, unexpectedly, closer to a family film at its heart, Magic Mike’s Last Dance offers a more generalized message of the power of dance to engender community. This reliance on plot––and specifically this plot––rings a touch disappointing when considering the franchise’s bolder peaks. But thanks to a couple of memorable set-pieces, this final outing is still sexier than anything the likes of 50 Shades of Grey or Sam Levinson could ever dream up.

Slipping back into (and out of) the comfortable fits of his most beloved character, Channing Tatum’s Mike Lane is in a rut. He has yet...

Channing Tatum returns to the dance floor for Magic Mike’s Last Dance. The third film of the Magic Mike franchise just debuted a new trailer that finds Mike performing his magic in London after taking a break from the stage.

Joining Channing Tatum are Salma Hayek Pinault (House of Gucci), Ayub Khan Din (Ackley Bridge), Juliette Motamed (We Are Lady Parts), Vicki Pepperdine (Johnny English Strikes Again), and newcomer Jemelia George. Magic Mike‘s director Steven Soderbergh is back at the helm after taking the second film of the series off. Magic Mike and Magic Mike Xxl‘s screenwriter Reid Carolin penned the third film.

Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Nick Wechsler, Peter Kiernan, and Magic Mike Xxl director Gregory Jacobs produced, with Julie M. Anderson executive producing. Soderbergh’s behind-the-scenes team includes production designer Pat Campbell (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), costume designer Christopher Peterson (The Irishman), music...

Photo Credit: Magic Mike Live Miami

Lovers of the male form are gearing up for the final installment of Channing Tatum's sexy juggernaut franchise "Magic Mike." But before the film hits theaters next Valentine's Day, there's a delicious show waiting for you in sunny, sizzling Miami. Magic Mike Live hit Miami this month and has the making of the best night out with your girlfriends, including a sexy bar for preshow cocktails and even an accompanying restaurant - aptly titled Wildfire by Meat N' Bone, to keep the fun going all night long.

Related: Here's a Sexy First Look at Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek in the New Magic Mike Movie

And the best part is that there's a "Mike" for everyone - just choose your fighter. The cast and crew spoke to Popsugar ahead of the grand opening of Magic Mike Live Miami. Renowned choreographer Alison Faulk -...

Channing Tatum is taking “Step Up” on the road.

Tatum’s production company Free Association is launching a new division called Fa Live, which will focus on creating, producing and distributing live entertainment. The first project will be a high-concept dance show inspired by “Step Up,” the hit dance franchise that spawned five feature films and a TV series.

Similar to the interconnected style of movies, reality TV and live entertainment that Tatum and crew built around “Magic Mike,” Fa Live will seek to extend big and small stories and experiences through their in-person events.

Tatum and Reid Carolin, who recently co-directed the surprise box office winner “Dog,” will serve as chief creative officers. Free Association principal Peter Kiernan will lead Fa Live as CEO. Vincent Marini, who is current “Magic Mike Live” worldwide executive producer, has been tapped as COO and president of production. “Magic Mike” franchise choreographers Alison Faulk...

Channing Tatum’s production company Free Association is starting a new division, Fa Live, which will focus exclusively on creating, producing and distributing live entertainment.

Fa Live’s first project will be teaming with Lionsgate on a high concept dance show inspired by the studio’s global dance franchise Step Up, which spanned five movies grossing over $650M WW and a hit streaming series, Step Up: Highwater, now in its third season on Starz.

The announcement comes in the wake of multiple versions of the Magic Mike Live show and Tatum’s sleeper success, Dog, which he stars in and co-directed.

Free Association principal, Peter Kiernan, will lead Fa Live as CEO with Tatum and Reid Carolin serving as Chief Creative Officers. Current Magic Mike Live Worldwide Executive Producer Vincent Marini has been tapped as COO/President of Production. Magic Mike franchise choreographers Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick will serve...

Channing Tatum is getting back to his dance roots with plans to launch a live stage show inspired by his 2006 dance musical film “Step Up.”

Tatum’s production company Free Association will launch new division Fa Live, which will create, produce and distribute live entertainment. The “Step Up” show, on which Fa Live will partner with Lionsgate, will be the first project for the new branch of the company and is targeting a debut in mid-2023.

The “Step Up” show will also recruit choreographers from the “Magic Mike” franchise Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick as directors of dance. The new live show will be similar to the “Magic Mike Live” performances and aim to extend the story of the film series, and the show will also be performed in an immersive, custom-built venue.

The live show will also include a new dance academy, which will provide young people of all...

Alexa, play "Pony" by Ginuwine. Because Channing Tatum is currently working hard to bring audiences another Magic Mike installment—Magic Mike 3: Magic Mike's Last Dance—even if it means his body has to suffer for a bit. "I am very sore," the 41-year-old actor admitted during E! News' Daily Pop on Feb. 16. "There's a lot of lifting happening, I can say that." More specifically, there's "a lot of people lifting," Tatum said, going on to detail the rehearsal process. "I've been friends with our choreographer Alison Faulk for something like almost 15 years. Making these dances up, like trying to figure them out with a best...

The CW announced a new docuseries titled “March,” which will explore Hbcu band culture. The series will premiere on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. before moving to a Sunday 9 p.m. timeslot on Feb. 27.

With eight parts, “March” focuses on The Marching Storm, the prestigious marching band at Prairie View A&m University, following how the students balance the pressure of band and academics at once. The series is from Stage 13. Executive producers include Cheryl Horner McDonough, Jamail Shelton, Shari Scorca and Marcel Fuentes.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

First Looks

HBO Max unveiled a trailer for the unscripted competition series “Finding Magic Mike,” which debuts with all seven episodes on Dec. 16. The trailer showcases clips of men at bootcamp, practicing dances and stunts in minimal clothing. The contestants appear to be competing in various challenges from dancing in the rain to performing in the desert. “Nothing is more...

Veteran “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer Christopher Scott leads the field with three nominations for the 2019 World Choreography Awards for his work on the reality competition show as well as the feature film “Zombies” and the digital short “Funraise the Musical.”

This year’s Choreo nominations, announced Tuesday, also spotlighted the dance work from the episodic TV shows “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Code Black” and “Disjointed.” Feature film nominees include Justin Peck for the Jennifer Lawrence thriller “Red Sparrow” and Rob Marshall and John DeLuca for “Mary Poppins Returns.”

The awards recognize choreography produced in 2018 in movies, TV, music video and digital media. Winners will be announced on November 11 at a ceremony at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The Next Frontier of Dance Governance Honor will be presented to Glorya Kaufman, for building the awareness of dance around the...

Channing Tatum is the name most synonymous with the Magic Mike franchise — but behind the sexy dance moves that define the two hit movies and its live shows are women.

Alison Faulk served as the lead choreographer on 2012’s Magic Mike and co-directed the Magic Mike Live Las Vegas show with Tatum, which just celebrated its 1,000th performance. Her frequent collaborator Teresa Espinosa, who also worked on the film and its sequel alongside Faulk, is the show’s associate director. Both women helped choreograph the Vegas spectacular where 13 wildly talented performers dance, sing and strip in front of — and all...

There’s no escaping Channing Tatum‘s Magic Mike.

Since making a hit movie inspired by his early career as a male dancer, the actor has seen the project inspire not only a sequel, Magic Mike Xxl, but also three live shows: a Broadway-bound musical; a live show in London; and a successful Las Vegas revue that just celebrated its 1000th performance.

Based on the two sultry films, the Vegas show recreates Magic Mike‘s Club Domina inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino where 13 wildly talented performers dance, sing and strip in front of — and all around — the audience.

Magic Mike: The Musical is finally heading to London after creator and star Channing Tatum revealed the news live on the final of Britain’s Got Talent. The high-profile musical, which is based on the 2012 film starring Tatum and Matthew McConaughey and directed by Steven Soderbergh, will land in London in November at the Hippodrome Casino.

The London performances will be overseen by Tatum as well as co-director and choreographer Alison Faulk and associate director and choreographer Teresa Espinosa.

The show, which opened in Las Vegas last year, is a prequel to the film and tells the early story of Magic Mike and the Club Domina.

The news was unveiled following a raucous dance performance on the finale of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, with Tatum coming onotage to make the announcement.

As part of hunky boy band 98 Degrees, Jeff Timmons grew accustomed to hordes of women going wild with ecstatic screams each time he went shirtless. “98 Degrees weren’t known as being incredible dancers -- we were the guys next door who were fit,” the now 44-year-old performer laughs. At 18, Channing Tatum also got a taste of serving as eye candy while working as a stripper in Florida. Model Tyson Beckford, 46, meanwhile, recalls walking past New York’s Chippendales club as a kid, thinking, I want to look like that someday. He has since become used to ogling eyes excitedly checking him out in shirtless ad campaigns.

While the thrill of physical adoration has undeniably helped the trio make a buck over the years, none of them could have imagined that years later they would help transform the male entertainment scene in the strip show-saturated city of Las Vegas. Tatum recently launched Magic Mike Live, capitalizing on the...

Jenna Dewan Tatum is one hot mama!

The World of Dance host shared a series of pics and videos to Instagram on Monday, stripping down and proving to fans her sexy dance moves haven't gone anywhere.

Watch: Channing Tatum and Wife Jenna Dewan Tatum Can't Stop Gushing Over Each Other at 'Magic Mike Live'

In one of the videos, the 36-year-old dancer showed off her impeccable figure in a strappy black bodysuit, rolling around on the floor in a garage in Van Nuys, California, to Flume's "Never Be Like You."

"Let's film something!" she captioned it, tagging director Cole Walliser in the post.

Tatum's close pal and fellow dancer, Alison Faulk, also joined in on the dance party, and the two both shared an epic Boomerang video of themselves perfectly in sync while performing jazz turns.

"The band is back together!" Tatum captioned another snapshot of the two practicing their splits. "I've danced...

Jenna Dewan Tatum is a dancing queen!

The actress took to Instagram on Monday to show off her impressive dance moves. Dewan Tatum posted a series of videos and photos with friend and choreographer Alison Faulk.

“The band is back together! I’ve danced with @alison_faulk since I was 19:) so fun to play tonight,” she captioned a photo of herself while in a dance studio.

Dewan Tatum put her fit physique on display, wearing a revealing black leotard featuring straps across her stomach.

In one particular clip, Dewan Tatum stretches out on the ground as music plays in the background.

Actor and producer Channing Tatum has heard the call of women everywhere, clamoring for more Magic Mike. Next spring, their dreams will come true as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will become the permanent home of Mike Lane, America's favorite handyman-turned-stripper, with Magic Mike Live Las Vegas - a complete re-imagination of the male revue based on the hit movies Magic Mike and Magic Mike Xxl. Currently anticipated to open for preview performances in March 2017, Magic Mike Live Las Vegas will recreate the mythic Club Domina with a sizzling 360-degree dance and acrobatic strip tease spectacular, guaranteed to bring on the heat.

Visit MagicMikeLiveLasVegas.com for the most up to date information about the show, the cast and priority ticket opportunities. Channing Tatum starred in and produced the original Magic Mike, which hit theaters in 2012, and last year's sequel, Magic Mike Xxl, both of which are based on...

Actor and producer Channing Tatum is bringing the "Magic Mike" franchise to the stage with the announcement of "Magic Mike Live Las Vegas" which will take up permanent residence at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Currently anticipated to open for preview performances in March 2017, Magic Mike Live Las Vegas will recreate the mythic Club Domina, the Savannah cabaret nightclub run by Rome (Jada Pinkett-Smith) in last year's "Magic Mike Xxl". Film franchise choreographer Alison Faulk will once again reprise her role, creating the stage show's choreography.

This complete re-imagination of the male revue will boast sizzling 360-degree dance and acrobatic strip tease spectaculars. Visit MagicMikeLiveLasVegas.com for the latest information about the show, the cast and priority ticket opportunities.

Tatum says in a statement: "'Magic Mike' has been a special and very personal project for me, and this show is a natural extension of that.

Attention Magic Mike fans: star Channing Tatum is making it rain, again, with the announcement of a live stage version of his star-studded stripper dramedy and it's 2015 sequel. "This is my first Facebook-y live-y thing," Tatum says in his first-ever 'live' post on the social media platform. "I've got a big announcement. We are going to be doing Magic Mike Live in Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino in coming March next year. I'm going to introduce you to some of the guys who are going to be in the show, they've been working really hard. I can't get away from those double entendres,...

Attention Magic Mike fans: star Channing Tatum is making it rain, again, with the announcement of a live stage version of his star-studded stripper dramedy and it's 2015 sequel. "This is my first Facebook-y live-y thing," Tatum says in his first-ever post on the social media platform. "I've got a big announcement. We are going to be doing Magic Mike Live in Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino in coming March next year. I'm going to introduce you to some of the guys who are going to be in the show, they've been working really hard. I can't get away from those double entendres,...

Tuesday’s Faking It began with one of the MTV comedy’s funniest bits to date (“Happy Hump Day!”) and ended with a heartbreaking conversation “Karmy” fans have dreaded for weeks.

PhotosQuotes of the Week From The Voice, Faking It, Scandal, Daredevil and More

“It was hard to film,” Katie Stevens tells TVLine of the episode’s final scene. “There’s never a time when Karma and Amy haven’t made up, so at the end of this episode, it feels like it’s over.”

That said, Stevens is excited that fans are “finally hearing why Karma does the things she does,...

By her own admission, Alison Faulk has never had a problem "dancing like a dude." When she took on the assignment of staging the routines in Magic Mike Xxl, however, the 38-year-old choreographer had to dial her inner oversexed guy up to 11. "We wanted those scenes to feel daring and dirty," she says. "We wanted it to be really sexy — the sort of stuff where you you watch the actors do the moves and then ask yourself, 'Um, have we just crossed a line? Is this too much?'"

Judging...

The McConaissance was a wonderful thing for pop culture. It brought us Mud, and True Detective, and of course, culminated in Mr. Alright, Alright, Alright finally earning an Oscar for his work in Dallas Buyers Club.

But are fans of Matthew McConaughey about to experience a downside to the actor’s recent success? The Channing Tatum-penned Magic Mike sequel, Magic Mike Xxl, just received a release date of July 3, 2015. If things Work Out As They Should, it should be a wonderful two hours of G-strings, ’80s songs, and showcases of Tatum-created dance moves (ideally with less Alex Pettyfer and...

Just about every year, brilliant movies are utterly ignored by the Oscars. The Searchers, Groundhog Day, Breathless, King Kong, Casino Royale, Touch of Evil, Caddyshack, Mean Streets, The Big Lebowski — the Academy has a long history of overlooking comedies, action movies, horror flicks, hard-boiled genre pics, artsy foreign films, and documentaries that aren’t about World War II. This year, we’ll be taking a closer look at films that were too small, too weird, or perhaps simply too awesome for the Academy Awards. These are the Non-Nominees.

The Film: Affectionately known as “Channing Tatum’s stripper movie,” the Steven Soderbergh...

2012 wasn’t a bad year for movies. It was actually a great year. The problem is, the movies we were most anticipating, specifically the Hollywood blockbusters like Prometheus and The Hobbit, didn’t live up to our expectations. With that said I still managed to make a list of 50 films I loved. Maybe I just have bad taste or maybe I just love movies but the most time consuming factor when making this list was sitting down and deciding what makes the cut and what doesn’t. Even with 50 films listed below, I found it hard to not include movies like Frankenweenie, The Loneliest Planet, Footnote, Compliance, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, and Searching For Sugar Man. Come to think of it, every film featured on our list of best documentaries could have easily snuck into this list. I haven’t seen everything of course. Below is...

I didn’t see Magic Mike when it opened in theaters last June. I meant to, I swear. After all, even if the movie looked a little like equal parts 54 and Showgirls, it’s a Steven Soderbergh film: think Traffic, Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven. Plus, I knew it featured a gonzo Matthew McConaughey playing the bongos, which would normally be enough for me to see any movie even if Steve Buscemi had Channing Tatum’s sexy stripper role. But for some insecurity reason, I never made it to the theater to see it on the big screen.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In a seemingly further attempt at throwing random ideas at a movie screen until something sticks, Steven Soderbergh follows the by the numbers experiment in kinetic setups, Haywire, with a flashily choreographed but ultimately, emotionally flat look at the world of male strippers.

Still, for the first half of Magic Mike you’d be forgiven for thinking that emotions aren’t really the prime focus for Mike and his crew, as cash is stuffed in waistbands, women scream and throw themselves at them with abandon, and the nightlife is filled with neon drinking, clubbing and so many more women that the first time we meet the eponymous Mike (Channing Tatum) he’s waking in the company of a pair of them, and being completely clueless as to whom one of them even is. Though to be fair, the one he’s at least familiar with (Olivia Munn...

2012 promises to be a fantastic year in cinema ,(although halfway through the year it has been somewhat of a letdown). Not too long ago, we posted a list of thirty of our most anticipated films of 2012, and so I decided I would keep track of my favourite films released each month. Here are my favorite films released in June.

****

Prometheus

Directed by Ridley Scott

Screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof

2012, USA

Ridley Scott’s ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions (or any for that matter), but it’s redeemed by its sheer visual spectacle, technical wizardry and emphasis on tone and atmosphere. Prometheus is not without problems – just ask the fine folks over at Red Letter Media – but director Ridley Scott takes chances and while some of his choices don’t always work, Prometheus is at least never boring. While weighing heavily on familiar science fiction conceits,...

“Someone asked me recently, ‘How important are clothes to a movie about stripping?’ And all I could say was, ‘Without the clothes, you really don’t have an act as a stripper. You’ve got to have something to take off,’” says Magic Mike costume designer Christopher Peterson. Fair enough. An Emmy nominee last year for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Peterson did some quick research for the film by visiting several male revues on both coasts. What he learned immediately: “A guy walks out onstage, tears his pants off, it’s guaranteed to get a reaction every single time.

There's wild weather in the forecast this June 29th, because Magic Mike will be raining men at the Cineplex as it opens across the country! Set in the world of male strippers, this dramatic comedy stars Channing Tatum in a role tailor made for his biceps and abs. The film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. Now some of you excitable audience members can take part of the magic home with our sexy Magic Mike giveaway. Relive some of the steamy action by pulling on, and then ripping off a branded T-shirt, or simply don a cool military cap in completing that topless ensemble you've climbed into to tease the ladies. Girls, you can show your support with a sultry little tank top number...

A dramatic comedy set in the world of male strippers, .Magic Mike. is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (.Traffic.) and stars Channing Tatum in the title role. The film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.

“Magic Mike,” starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias, will be in theaters Friday, June 29.

What could be better than a girls night out with martinis and manis? Martinis, manis, and the men of “Magic Mike” of course! Warner Bros. Pictures and Wamg invite you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance screening of Magic Mike in St. Louis on June 25th.

Official Rules:

1. You Must Be In The St.

Alex Rodriguez (l) and Alex Pettyfer (r) prepare to give us what we want in Magic Mike.

(photo: WB/Glen Wilson)

Every actor more than likely has a bucket list of roles they’d like to play in their career. For Adam Rodriguez he can cross off music video hottie (Jennifer Lopez’s If You Had My Love video), TV crime scene investigator (CSI: Miami, which just ended it’s ten-year run on CBS), Tyler Perry movie (I Can Do Bad All By Myself) and comedy (Ugly Betty). But did the sexy New York native ever think male stripper would be on that list?

Magic Mike has been on our radar for months now and the June 29th release date is quickly approaching so AfterElton grabbed some time with the gregarious Rodriguez to talk about his experience taking it off in front of the camera with hot actors like Channing Tatum,...

In addition to a fun audition for a new Hollywood remake, Channing Tatum's wife, Jenna Dewan, attended the 2009 Kari Feinstein and Gbk Primetime Emmy Awards gifting suites, Entertainment Weekly And Women In Film’s Pre-Emmy party, and Pink’s Los Angeles concert with Chan’s sister Paige and a friend September 17 and 18th.

Jenna tweeted all about her audition, the events, and going to see her good friend Alison Faulk (Beat Freaks, Groovaloo, and one of Pink's dancers) perform at the concert...

"Just had a fun audition, it's official- Hollywood is remaking everything!...Haven't been to a gifting suite in a while, but I went to Kari Feinsteins today and it was great!...Going to @Pink concert tonight.. Yea!! Can't wait to see my friend Alstar dance her booty off!"

You can checkout some of the photos from the events below, starting with the Kari Feinstein Primetime Emmy Awards...