David Livingston / Getty Images file

Crystal Harris tweeted Monday that she and Hugh Hefner are tying the knot New Year's Eve.

LOS ANGELES -- The runaway bride who left Playboy founder Hugh Hefner out in the cold days before their planned wedding in 2011 said on Monday that she is finally ready to tie the knot with the octogenarian publisher on New Year's Eve. 

"Today is the day I become Mrs. Hugh Hefner," Crystal Harris, 26, wrote on Twitter on Monday after changing her name to "Crystal Hefner" on the micro-blogging site. "Feeling very happy, lucky, and blessed." 

Hefner, 86, and Harris reunited earlier this year after the blonde Playmate jettisoned the adult entertainment mogul in what was called a "change of heart" five days before a lavish June 2011 wedding before 300 guests.

Harris hinted at a low-key ceremony this time around, tweeting a picture of a room at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles flush with an arch of white and pink flowers, and two dozen white chairs aligned for the ceremony. 

Hefner himself was silent on Twitter and the exact timing of Monday's wedding ceremony was not known. 

Crystal Harris / Twitter.com

Harris, who earned a psychology degree, was Playboy magazine's Miss December 2009 and appeared on the July 2011 cover of the adult magazine with a "runaway bride" sticker covering her bottom half. 

The San Diego native born to British parents said she asked for Christmas ornaments at her pre-Christmas bridal shower to help decorate Hefner's famed mansion. 

"I was deciding what kind of shower I wanted, and I thought I didn't really want a lingerie shower, since I have more than enough lingerie," Harris told Us Weekly magazine of the shower. 

Hefner, founder of the Playboy adult entertainment empire, has been married twice before. He and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, also a former Playmate, divorced in 2010 after a lengthy separation. His first marriage to Mildred Williams ended in divorce in 1959. He has two children from each marriage. 

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Marie Claire

Jennifer Lawrence may be an Oscar-nominated actress, but given the opportunity, she'd rather relax at home than walk a red carpet. 

Appearing on the January cover of Marie Claire South Africa, the 22-year-old "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" fan explains why she prefers to keep things low-key when she's not on set.

PHOTOS: Jennifer Lawrence's style evolution

"I don't like going out that much. I'm kind of an old lady. After it's 11, I'm like, 'Don't these kids ever get tired?' When I'm out, I think about my couch. Like, 'It would be awesome to be on it right now. I bet there's an episode of 'Dance Moms' on. Am I missing a new episode of 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians'?'" the "Silver Linings Playbook" star tells the magazine. "I'm just stressed by the idea of missing them."

PHOTOS: 'The Hunger Games' movie stills

Lawrence, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment in L.A., prefers to entertain friends at home. "I like people to come over to my place," she says. "It's like a reality TV show cave. I just learned how to work TiVo. That changed my life. Reality TV is my silver lining. At the end of the day there's probably nothing that makes me feel better than junk food and reality TV."

VIDEO: Remember this 'Hunger Games' scene?

Attending A-list events, Lawrence says, is more stressful than it looks. "They are not fun," the Hunger Games star tells Marie Claire South Africa. "I'm really bad at walking in heels. I'm more of a flats girl and I don't like people shouting at me, and that's pretty much all it is. Just screaming."

ABC

Len Goodman.

We can't help but wonder what their first dance was like. "Dancing With the Stars" judge Len Goodman and his longtime girlfriend, Sue Barrett, tied the knot in a quiet ceremony on Sunday in central London, according to several British media outlets. The couple has been together for more than 10 years.

"I've had a marvelous day, and now my gorgeous Sue is the new Mrs. Goodman," the 68-year-old newlywed told the Daily Mail. "I wanted it to be a low-key affair, so we didn't tell anyone except my 96-year-old mum as I didn't want her having a heart attack with the surprise."

Kate Winslet marries Ned Rocknroll in secret ceremony

The nuptials were reportedly witnessed by about 30 family and friends.

'Dancing With the Stars' special guests

For Goodman, exchanging vows with 47-year-old Barrett marks his third trip down the aisle.

Congrats, you two!

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Efrem Lukatsky / AP

Adam Lambert.

So, did Adam Lambert really want to play Jean Valjean or something? The " American Idol" alum was pretty harsh about the "Les Miserables" cast's vocal skills, tweeting Sunday that the music "suffered massively (because of) great actors PRETENDING to be singers."

"It's an opera," he clarified. "Hollywood movie musicals treat the singing as the last priority. (Dreamgirls was good)"

Anne Hathaway rates her 'Les Mis' performance as 'eh'

"And I do think it was cool they were singing live- but with that cast, they should have studio recorded and sweetened the vocals," he wrote, adding, "I felt like I should ignore the vocals and focus on the emotional subtext- but the singing was so distracting at times it pulled me out."

Lambert was impressed with Anne Hathaway's vocals, describing her performance as "breathtaking."

He also mused that "the industry will say 'these actors were so brave to attempt singing this score live' but why not cast actors who could actually sound good?"

Check out more pics from 'Les Mis'

"Sorry for being so harsh," he wrote. "but it's so True!"

Hey, everyone's entitled to their opinion.

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A great movie poster should sell the movie and make you inscribe the film's opening date in your mind. Admittedly, some of these posters, even the good ones, fail at that. Some are stunning but don't even display the film's title, and may not have brought in one extra ticket sale. That's the studio marketing department's problem, not ours. We're voting just on style here, not substance.

Here are our pics for the four best and four worst movie posters of 2012.

BEST
'Zero Dark Thirty'
The title is there, but it's smeared over with black, as if the CIA itself came in and erased the name of the film. Fitting and creepy for the controversial movie about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. 

Sony Pictures

'Wreck-It Ralph'
The animated film holds charms not just for children, but for their parents and caregivers, who still hold fond memories of hours spent in 1980s and 1990s arcades. So the retro, 8-bit style of this poster fits right in.

Walt Disney Pictures

'V/H/S'
In this cult horror flick, a group of thieves end up watching a number of horrible events on videotapes while looking for the one particular tape they're supposed to steal. The tapes in this poster line up to make a most menacing skull.

Magnet Releasing

'Argo'

The faux-shredding on this poster not only looks cool, but it fits in with the movie's plot, as American employees in Iran desperately try to shred important documents and later, Iranian children are ordered to try and piece them back together to try and identify the Americans in hiding.

Warner Bros. Pictures

WORST
'Ted'
Ha! Get it, the bear is at the urinal along with the human and ... ugh, whatever.

Universal Pictures

'What to Expect When You're Expecting'
Making a movie out of a pregnancy advice book was a horrible idea. The studio just liked the clicky title. This poster does nothing to convince anyone except pregnancy fetishists to see the film. 

Lionsgate

'Alex Cross'
Critics weren't fans of "Alex Cross," though some liked Tyler Perry's performance. The poster shrinks Perry, who's shot in kind of a Batman style, and puts his figure inside villain Matthew Fox. Do you want to see the film based on this?  Can you even tell who the hero is? 

Summit Entertainment

'John Carter'
And at last we come to "John Carter," possibly the year's most-trumpeted flop. It cost nearly a quarter of a billion dollars and confused viewers and critics alike. This poster did not help.

Walt Disney / Pixar

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MTV

Jenelle Evans.

If you thought the 72-day marriage between now-mom-to-be Kim Kardashian and former true love Kris Humphries made for a quick matrimonial turnaround, think again. That union was a long-term commitment compared to the blink-and-you'd-miss marriage for another reality TV star.

Just 26 days after "Teen Mom 2's" Jenelle Evans swapped vows with new hubby Courtland Rogers comes the news that the two have parted ways.

The first signs of trouble for the couple started brewing last week, when a late-night outing for Jenelle led to divorce talk on Twitter. But after a change of heart and a few deleted tweets, they were back on as if nothing had ever happened.

Until Sunday, that is.

That's when Courtland announced that it was over. "So I just got broke up with because of talkin to my lil girl on the phone last night, finally getting to (hear) her tell me she loves dada! Wow," he posted.

Jenelle, however, believed Courtland was more interested in chatting with the mother of his daughter -- his ex, Taylor Lewis -- and that was all it took for her to call it quits.

And this time, the breakup might just stick.

"Jenelle said she was gonna make up charges saying I beat her, and i never did, so that just made me say (expletive) jenelle for good," Courtland later wrote in a tweet to Taylor.

As for Jenelle, she ignored that message but made several more of her own before deciding that Courtland wasn't the only one she was over. She called it quits with Twitter too.

But rest assured, that's one on-and-off relationship that's bound to be back on again soon.

Are you surprised that Jenelle and Courtland's marriage appears to be over after just 26 days? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Walter Bieri / AP

Madonna.

The power of Madonna shows little sign of waning, at least at the cashbox. According to Pollstar, the Material Girl was the runaway leader in concert grosses for calendar year 2012, taking in $296.1 million. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the number two spot with $210.2 million. Like Madonna, Springsteen played to more than two million fans this year. 

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Also making bank was Roger Waters, who brought in $186.4 million, good for third place. Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal" tour were the only other acts to gross over $100 million for the year. Overall, the year's top 50 tours grossed about $3 billion combined, down two percent from $3.07 billion last year.

Bruce Springsteen Requests Fan Submissions for New Documentary

Pollstar's list reflects similarities with Billboard's recently announced list of top earners, which ranks tours from November 9th, 2011 to November 13th, 2012. Rounding out Pollstar's top 10: Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, Metallica, Elton John and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Paul McCartney just missed the top 10, grossing $56.9 million for the year.

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Hollywood may be going gangbusters with a record-setting year at the box office, but not every film can be a "Hobbit," "Dark Knight Rises" or "Skyfall." Some film's going to have to be at the bottom of that barrel.

And it appears, based on data from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo, that "Playback," starring Christian Slater, is that last-place finisher for 2012. The film, which reportedly cost $7.5 million to make, took in $252 on opening night, plus another $12 later that week, according to Movieline, for a grand total of $264.

That makes it the lowest-grossing film of the year -- but bear in mind it was just in one theater, for one week. Perhaps more embarrassing are wider-released movies that still tanked, such as "The Oogieloves in the BIG Balloon Adventure," which now holds the record as the lowest-grossing wide release of all time, according to The Huffington Post. "Oogieloves" earned $1.1 million gross, says The Numbers, averaging just $207 per theater (it opened in 2,160 theaters originally).

And "Playback's" box office return is exponentially bigger than what is largely considered the lowest-grossing American film release; in 2006, the Katherine Heigl-starring "Zyzzyx Road" showed in one theater in Texas for seven days. The $750,000 budgeted film took in $30, according to Entertainment Weekly.

In the case of "Zyzzyx," the release was always meant to be short-term -- thanks to a Screen Actors Guild agreement, low-budget films can pay their actors less if the film gets released domestically. That made the Dallas, Tex. screening a formality.

There's no indication that was the idea behind "Playback," however.

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As the calendar rolls over to 2013, moviegoers have a whole new slate of films coming to theaters. There are some powerhouse titles coming our way, including superhero flicks such as "Man of Steel" and "Iron Man 3" and second films in both the "Hunger Games" and "Hobbit" series. We can't include all the blockbusters here, but have chosen 10 titles to watch for.

Warner Bros, Disney, Universal

"The Great Gatsby," "Oz the Great and Powerful," "Despicable Me 2" and "Man of Steel" are all among the films coming our way in 2013.

Oscar's calling
It's not for everyone, and yes, it features disturbing torture scenes, but "Zero Dark Thirty," Kathryn Bigelow's film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is many critics' choice to win the best-picture Oscar this year. The last hour of the film, where SEALs swarm the Pakistan compound looking for the terrorist leader, is glued-to-your-seat suspenseful, even though we all know what happened. (Jan. 4 in most markets, already open in NY and LA.)

Yippee ki-yay, Mother Russia
"A Good Day to Die Hard" might be great, it might be terrible, but Bruce Willis' John McClane is one of the most-beloved action heroes of all time, so you can bet there will be lines to see it. It's set in Moscow, and Aussie actor Jai Courtney plays McClane's estranged son. And it opens on Valentine's Day, so great date-night fodder! (Feb. 14.)

Back over the rainbow
Before Dorothy and Toto ever showed up, things were swirling in the merry old land of Oz. Sam Raimi's "Oz the Great and Powerful" takes a look at how the wizard and the witches got their start. (March 8.)

Gatsby believed in the green 3-D light
May is a jam-packed month for big blockbusters in 2013, with "Iron Man 3," "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Hangover Part III" among the new releases scheduled. But our top pick is "The Great Gatsby," with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as his beloved Daisy, and Tobey Maguire, DiCaprio's real-life good pal, as Gatsby's friend Nick. We still don't get why it's in 3-D. (May 10.)

Monsters get schooled
"Monsters Inc.," in which cute monsters Mike and Sulley reveal that they're just as scared of kids as the kids are of them, was a hit for Pixar in 2001. Prequel "Monsters University" shows how the monsters meet, at monster college, where they're frat-boy rivals who become friends. (June 21) 

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a reboot
Superman is a great hero, but he can be a bit boring, all clean-cut and square-jawed. Hollywood will reboot the character in "Man of Steel," with "Tudors" star Henry Cavill playing Supes, Amy Adams as love interest Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as villain General Zod. (June 14.)

Haven't had enough zombies? Good!
"World War Z" is based on Max Brooks' excellent book, which compiles fictional interviews with folks all over the world who tell of their experiences with a decade-long zombie apocalypse. Brad Pitt plays the U.N. employee who travels the world interviewing survivors and trying to get things under control. (June 21.)

All hail minions
"Despicable Me" was underrated when it was released in 2010. The characters were funny-looking and unfamiliar, and it wasn't from Pixar. But that film holds up, and now "Despicable Me 2" is on the way, with Steve Carell returning as villain-turned-daddy-figure Gru, Al Pacino as his new nemesis, and a million yellow pill-shaped minions hopping around speaking their own patented gibberish. (July 3.)

Start your engines
Even if you don't know F-all about F1 (Formula One racing, that is), the sport sure gets some great movies made about it.  The 2010 documentary "Senna," about handsome doomed driver Ayrton Senna, was one of the best films of that year. And now comes "Rush," Ron Howard's film about the 1976 rivalry between drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt, and Lauda's recovery from the fiery crash that nearly killed him, and has scarred his face to this day. (Sept. 20)

Supercalifragilisticexpila...well, you know the rest
What's that you say? Tom Hanks starring as Walt Disney? Emma Thompson as "Mary Poppins" author P.L. Travers? It won't take a spoonful of sugar for us to line up for "Saving Mr. Banks," which tells the story of how the beloved flying nanny came to the big screen.  (Dec. 20.)

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OPINION: Wouldn't it be great if the promise of a new year also meant a promise that some of pop culture's more odious trends could be left behind?  Here are 12 I could happily leave in 2012.

Getty, Reuters, YouTube

Blow us a kiss goodbye? Lindsay Lohan, left, a galloping PSY, center, and Brad Pitt mumbling for Chanel.

Gangnam style
More than 2 billion people have "liked" the video for "Gangnam Style" on YouTube since it debuted there on July 15, and I can firmly assert that I am not among them. I can appreciate a good earworm; I've been caught humming "Call Me Maybe." But I see no up side to the irritant that is PSY. The dance moves are unflattering, the melody nonexistent. And then it gets stuck in your head. Please: no more.

Lindsay Lohan
I'll keep this brief. Lindsay, I want the best for you, I do. But in 2013 I'd like to not read a word about you. Please stay away from clubs. Call a cab. Pay for everything.

Bad celeb ads
I get it -- endorsements are easy money. Signing on to be the face of a product is little work for a whole lot of dough and if Chanel came knocking on my door, I'd take the gig -- this is the one thing Brad Pitt and I have in common. But I'd want the ad to be spoof proof. Not just to save ego, but because it's not good for the career when you're starring in a film and all the viewer can think of is your silly perfume ad.

Rihanna’s Instagram
The photo-sharing social network, Instagram, has been under scrutiny lately for its advertising policy, but the real scandal is the fact that it allows Rihanna to play along. Sadly, it's a job requirement to keep track of her feed -- how else would I know if she and Chris Brown were together again? How else would I know if she had a new tattoo, or if the skin on her upper thighs was blemish-free? Sharing is one thing, over-sharing another.

Deciphering greater meaning in celeb tattoos
If a celebrity gets a tattoo and doesn't take an Instagram picture of it, does the tattoo exist? Does it have MEANING? Ink up your skin all you want, kids, but let's not spend another moment wondering what its place is in the universe.

The wardrobe malfunction down south
If you're a celebrity and your stylist can't find an undergarment that works with your particular dress, you should probably get another stylist. 

Bump watching
People are either pregnant or they are not. And until someone decides to make it known that their uterus is occupied, we, the public, just cannot know more. I'm fine leaving it at that. (And I never thought the day would come that I'd write this: Thank you, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. You did you part by sparing us from this ritual before the request even went out. Congrats on your baby-to-be.

Kimye, or any other lovers' contraction
The ill-fated romance between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez kicked off the trend, and since" Bennifer" made it into the lexicon there appears to be some strange, unwritten obligation to give all celeb couples the same treatment. Here's the thing: Bennifer worked. It rolled off the tongue, it saved headline space.  But Kimye, for the aforementioned Kim and Kanye? No.

Celebs 'quitting' twitter
And by quitting, I mean making a grand "I am not doing this any more" gesture and then rejoining. Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Alec Baldwin are all offenders. You're either in or out, folks. Commit.

Teen Mom tweets
Speaking of Twitter: Admittedly, I have a strange fascination with "Teen Mom" (especially "Teen Mom 2"). But their tweeting habits -- the fighting, the new baby news, the marriages, the obvious amount of time they're spending on the social network and not with their kids --  it's too much.

The television over-think
You guys, don't ruin shows you love by thinking too hard about everything (Yes, I'm talking about "Homeland" here). Remember, this television-watching stuff is supposed to be fun. 

Madonna's concert stunts
Hopefully, the finale of Madonna's MDNA tour will put an end to her well-publicized concert stunts, but in case that's not her plan ... Please stop waving guns and dedicating stripteases to children shot by the Taliban. The stunts are so commonplace, it's hard to actually get mad about them, instead they're just really irritating and tired.

But let's end on a positive note; there were some great pop culture standouts in 2012.  

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was great comedy and a perfect use of the digital medium.

Alec Baldwin's "Here's the Thing" podcasts for WNYC are real gems -- if you've never listened to any, trust me when I encourage you to check out the subjects that have no initial appeal. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots can put their classroom-instrument spin on any song as far as I'm concerned, and Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield proved that celebs can be just plain nice.

Here's to more of that in 2013. Happy New Year!

Related content:

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• Best scripted TV scenes

Evan Agostini / AP file

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in New York in October.

Move over, Baby New Year, and make way for Kimye Jr. Yes, indeed, Kim Kardashian is pregnant with Kanye West's baby!

E! News has confirmed with the Kardashian family that Kim is expecting her first child with the rapper. But it was West who already spilled the exciting news to a few hundred concertgoers.

During his Atlantic City show on Sunday night, West decided to announce that Kim was expecting to all his fans.

Kanye West says he "ain't crazy"

And the congratulatory tweets have already begun for the future parents.

"Congrats to Kim and Kanye. Happy for both of them... bit.ly/YE4Uzh," Russell Simmons tweeted, while the Kardashians all showed their joy for the newest member of the family. "Im a happy girl !!!!!!!!! Wowza! Oh BABY BABY BABY," Kris Jenner tweeted.

Khloé Kardashian Odom wrote, "Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!!" Kourtney Kardashian also went to Twitter with, "Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!"

Kim is about 12 weeks pregnant.

Keepin' up with Kimye — get the latest and greatest pics now!

Slideshow: The Kardashian Klan

Simon Russell / Getty Images Contributor

Launch slideshow

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The dwarfs and elves of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" prevailed at the North American box office again over the weekend, as its $32.9 million in ticket sales topped both the star-packed musical "Les Miserables" and the western "Django Unchained."

James Fisher / Reuters

Actor Martin Freeman is shown in a scene from the film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

Despite surging past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day with an $18.1 million opening, "Les Miz" managed only third place in U.S. and Canadian sales with $28 million as Christmas shoppers returned from the malls to boost Hollywood's box office, according to studio estimates.

"The Hobbit," in its third week of release, has now grossed $222.7 million domestically, Warner Bros said.

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," a western starring Jamie Fox as a slave turned bounty hunter, took second with an impressive $30.7 million.

Tom Cruise's crime drama "Jack Reacher," which features author Lee Child's former military investigator solving a fatal sniper attack, landed in fifth with $14 million, outpaced by "Parental Guidance," the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler as grandparents comedy which took in $14.8 million to nab fourth.

Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for Fox, said the "Parental Guidance" performance was "just a tremendous result for our little engine that could."

Backed by a musical score that made it a Broadway icon, "Les Miz" surged past "The Hobbit" on Christmas day, collecting $18.1 million to pass "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" with the biggest midweek opening day by a musical.

But it was not enough to conquer the "Hobbit" juggernaut, which scored its third straight box office weekend win.

Universal's president for domestic distribution Nikki Rocco called the "Les Miz" $28 million take "phenomenal, especially considering we went into the weekend with $40 million," an unexpectedly strong figure for its first few days in release.

"People really love this movie, which is even more rewarding and gratifying," Rocco said.

"Les Miserables," which stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, benefited from Oscar buzz and its star power, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, who said he wouldn't be surprised to see the musical pass $200 million before it's done.

That would put it among the Hollywood's Top 20 best-selling musicals. It would pass the 1972 film "Cabaret," which grossed $191 million in box office sales adjusted for higher ticket prices, and put it close to "Camelot," which sold $204.5 million in 1967, according to the web site the-numbers.com.

The most successful musical is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which grossed more than $6.3 billion but has been re-released by Walt Disney nine times since its 1937 premiere, according to the site.

A rush of high-profile films in December is expected to push 2012 to a domestic box office record. The current record is $10.6 billion, set in 2009.

"Jack Reacher" debuted just days after the Newtown, Conn., school shooting sparked new debate about the impact of movie violence. "Reacher" begins with a sniper killing a handful of seemingly random victims. A red-carpet premiere and a screening to promote the $60-million production were postponed after the Dec. 14 Newtown tragedy.

Adult comedy "This is 40" starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a middle-aged couple was sixth with $13.2 million. The Judd Apatow $35 million film totaled $37 million after two weeks. The seventh spot went to Steven Spielberg's historical film "Lincoln," with $7.5 million for a $132 million domestic total.

Comedy "The Guilt Trip," starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as a mother and son on a cross-country drive, pulled in $6.7 million for eighth.

Also this week the latest James Bond hit "Skyfall" topped $1 billion in worldwide sales, despite falling out of the week's top 10 films at the box office.

"The Hobbit" was distributed by Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studio. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc released, "Jack Reacher" and "The Guilt Trip." Comcast Corp's Universal Studios released "Les Miserables" and "This is 40." "Django Unchained" was released in the United States by the Weinstein Company.

More movie news:

• Kevin Smith hints 'Clerks 3' would be last film
• 'Twilight' named worst film of all time

It's time, at last, to return to that towering English manor house known as "Downton Abbey." This season, America meets England, as Shirley MacLaine muscles her way into the mansion, playing Cora's mother. Also this week: The chilling and engrossing "Zero Dark Thirty" opens, and the fascinating "Looper" hits home video.

Slideshow: 'Downton Abbey' season 3

Launch slideshow

MONDAY: 'Looper' on home video
"Looper" put a chilling twist on time travel. In the future, it exists, but is only used by mobsters looking to dump enemies into the past and have them shot by "loopers." Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a looper who's pretty good at his job, until the inevitable day when the mob sends his own future self (in the form of Bruce Willis) back for the fatal shot. It's a twisty, tricky film that's fun to watch. (On DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 31.)

FRIDAY: 'Zero Dark Thirty'
If you're in New York or Los Angeles, "Zero Dark Thirty" may already be playing, but the rest of us get a chance to see this early favorite for best picture this week. It's not for everyone. As you may have heard, the film opens with raw phone conversations from 9/11, and moves on quickly to detainees being tortured at CIA black sites. If you get through that, Kathryn Bigelow's film rewards with perhaps the best final hour put on film this year, as Navy SEALs pour into the Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound looking for Osama bin Laden. Jessica Chastain shines as a CIA agent who's determined to find the terrorist mastermind, and Jason Clarke, who plays a fellow agent, has come a long way from "Brotherhood." (Opens Jan. 4 in many cities.)

SUNDAY: 'Downton Abbey'
Finally! The Brits have been watching season three ("series 3" to them) for months now, but we Yanks can finally get caught up. (Hope you've avoided the Internet spoilers!) It's certainly not a spoiler to say that Shirley MacLaine is sweeping in as the mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham, and is sure to have more than one run-in with the imposing Dowager Countess. And Lady Mary and Matthew are preparing for their wedding. Here's to the bride -- and the grandmother-in-law-to-be.

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Carlo Allegri / AP file

Kevin Smith.

Kevin Smith is hoping to leave the movie biz on a high note. The director has revealed plans to release what he expects will be his last directorial effort: "Clerks 3," the final installment in his slacker saga that began with the 1994 flick that put the indie filmmaker on the map.

Smith's announcement follows the news that his hockey flick "Hit Somebody" will now be turned into a six-part miniseries on an unannounced network.

Southwest Airlines apologizes to Kevin Smith

"So with the HIT SOMEBODY shift, the minute Jeff Anderson signs on, my last cinematic effort as a writer/director will be CLERKS III #TaDa," he tweeted.

2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the original film, which was shot in a convenience store and continues to have a cult following. The movie is responsible for launching Smith's career, and he'd later go on to direct indie staples like "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."

"Instead of letting people [guess] for years, I said, 'I will do 'Clerks 3,' and by 2014 it is the 20th anniversary. We're going to mark it somehow, God willing, with 'Clerks 3,'" Smith said in an interview with "Good Day LA." "We need Jeff Anderson to come back and say yes."

Check out other movies hitting theaters soon

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Handout / Reuters

Actor Harry Carey Jr. in an undated family photograph.

LOS ANGELES -- Veteran character actor Harry Carey Jr., who appeared in scores of television shows and films including nine of famed movie director John Ford's classic Hollywood westerns, has died at age 91, his family said on Friday.

Carey, a frequent supporting player in films starring John Wayne, died peacefully of natural causes on Thursday morning in the seaside town of Santa Barbara, Calif., surrounded by family members, said his daughter, Melinda Carey.

"No cancer or nothing, he just got old," she said of her father, who is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marilyn, and three adult children.

Carey's more notable big-screen credits included a co-starring role with John Wayne in Ford's 1948 outlaw film "3 Godfathers," the role of a young cavalry officer in Ford's 1949 western "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," also with Wayne, and a turn decades later in a saloon scene in the 1990 sci-fi comedy "Back to the Future Part III."

In all, he made 11 movie appearances with Wayne.

Among other Ford-directed films in which Carey appeared were "The Searchers" (1956), "Wagon Master" (1950) and "Rio Grande" (1950).

In addition to a prodigious movie career that encompassed more than 90 films, Carey was a fixture on television during an era when westerns proliferated on the small screen, popping up in various character roles on such prime-time hits as "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "Wagon Train" in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1950s, he had a recurring role in "The Adventures of Spin and Marty," a series of TV shorts that aired as part of "The Mickey Mouse Club."

Carey was born in 1921, the son of silent film star Harry Carey and his wife, Olive, who also was an actress.

The young Carey was raised among cattle and horses on his parents' 1,000-acre ranch in California's Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, and he earned the nickname "Dobe" because his hair color was the hue of the ranch's reddish adobe clay. Even late in life, he went by that nickname.

The John Ford Stock Company
The family's affiliation with Ford dated back to the director's earliest westerns, with Carey's father appearing in some of Ford's silent films in 1917.

During World War Two, the younger Carey worked with Ford on training and propaganda films for the U.S. military. He went on to become a regular performer, along with his father, in the John Ford Stock Company -- actors and crew members who Ford used repeatedly in his films. Carey Jr. was reported to be the last surviving member of Ford's stock company.

Slideshow: Curtain calls

Getty, Reuters, Getty

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Carey's first feature collaboration with Ford in "3 Godfathers," playing the Abilene Kid, saw Carey, Wayne and Mexican-born actor Pedro Armendariz co-star as cattle rustlers and bank robbers who care for an orphaned baby boy while dodging the law. Carey's father starred in the original 1919 version, also directed by Ford.

Carey began his association with Wayne in another 1948 release, the classic Howard Hawks western movie "Red River," which also starred the elder Carey, though father and son had no scenes together.

Among Carey's last screen appearances were his turn as a U.S. marshal in the 1993 film "Tombstone," which starred Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell, and a supporting role in the 1997 TV movie "Last Stand at Saber River," which starred Tom Selleck.

The Carey family ranch, which was visited over the years by Wayne and fellow actors William S. Hart and Gary Cooper, has been turned into a Los Angeles County historic park called Tesoro Adobe.

Laurene Weste, city councilwoman in Santa Clarita, said Carey Jr. remains a beloved figure in the area where the family ranch was once so prominent. "He was just a wonderful, loving, kind, down-to-Earth man," she said.

Sure, we'd like to have the bank account of a celebrity. But we wouldn't want the attention they get, where every utterance out of their mouths is transcribed and shared worldwide. Some of those quotes are hilarious, some are just dumb. Here are our 10 favorites from 2012.

AFP-Getty Images, Getty (2)

Clint Eastwood, Madonna and Justin Bieber all made our best celebrity quotes list.

Best comeback
"If they have a problem with spokespeople, what about the Pillsbury Doughboy? He runs around without any pants on, basically begging for people to poke his belly. What kind of message is that?" -- Ellen DeGeneres, on One Million Moms protesting her use as JC Penney spokeswoman.

Best photo explanation
"I think you can see I'm forming the letter F with my mouth. And what I'm saying is ... 'What F-stop are you on with the camera?'" -- Alec Baldwin joking about a photographer run-in on "Late Show With David Letterman."

Best political quote
"I figure if somebody's dumb enough to ask me to go to a political convention and say something, they're gonna have to take what they get." -- Clint Eastwood on "Extra," about his GOP convention appearance.

Best TMI quote
"I plan to be done. But my husband is kind of a wonder sperm kind of guy." -- Jennifer Garner on whether she and Ben Affleck will have more kids.

Best awards-show greeting
"Welcome to the 66th annual Tony Awards, or as we like to call it, 50 Shades of Gay." -- Neil Patrick Harris

Best parental wisdom
"This is mommy when she was 21. This is what not to do. Learn from it." -- Snooki on "Late Show With David Letterman" on what she'll tell her kids.

Best daughter wisdom
"I say to my daughter, 'That outfit is a little bit too risqué or revealing' and she looks at me and says, 'That's rich coming from you.'" -- Madonna, on "The Graham Norton Show."

Best in-your-face response
"Get used to it because I am going to live to be 100, and I am going to show my thighs every day till I die." -- "Girls" star Lena Dunham on being criticized for a short red-carpet outfit.

Best gaffe
"I'm not going for the Sixteenth Chapel." -- Justin Bieber, who wasn't going for the Sistine Chapel either, when asked about his tattoos on "Late Show With David Letterman."

Best blame game
“With Angus’ Hale-Bopp-like meltdown, it is radically clear to me that the show is cursed.” -- Charlie Sheen on his former co-star's YouTube video calling "Two and a Half Men" filth.

Dan Steinberg / AP file

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are parents again.

Editor's note: Reports Friday said Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves had welcomed a baby girl. This story corrects that information.

Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves have welcomed another son to their family. The actor confirmed the baby boy news on Saturday evening via his Twitter and WhoSay accounts.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads & Their Adorable Little Ones!

“Camila gave birth to our third child yesterday morning,” he wrote in a post on both sites. “Our son, Livingston Alves McConaughey was born at 7:43am on 12.28.12. He greeted the world at 9lbs. and 21 inches. Bless up and thank you for your well wishes. Happy New year, and just keep livin, Camila and Matthew McConaughey."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Matthew McConaughey

Matthew first revealed he and Camila were expecting their third child on July 4 when he Tweeted, “happy Birthday America, more good news. Camila and I are expecting our 3rd child, God bless, just keep livin.”

A little over a year ago, Matthew proposed to Camila next to the Christmas tree. The pair, who are parents to Levi, 4, and Vida, who is 3 in January, married in June of 2012.

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She is never, ever getting a bad reputation, at least for charitable works. Country star Taylor Swift is No.1 on the 20 "Celebs Gone Good" list put out by non-profit group DoSomething.org.

Carlo Allegri / Reuters file

Taylor Swift.

The group praised Swift, 23, for being the youngest person ever to receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for her charity work, for donating $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame Museum, and for her work with children who have cancer.

Just behind Swift on the list? Actress and singer Miley Cyrus, who was highlighted for her work with Saving SPOT! Dog Rescue, for going barefoot for a day for TOMS’ One Day Without Shoes challenge, and for other charity work.

Also making the list were Channing Tatum, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Robin Roberts and others.

Slideshow: Taylor Swift

Isaac Brekken / AP

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Reuters

Singer Elvis Presley is pictured in an undated, autographed publicity photograph.

LOS ANGELES -- Elvis Presley and The Beatles top the list of most-forged celebrity signatures in 2012, with less than half of their autographs for sale certified as genuine, memorabilia authenticators PSA/DNA said on Thursday.

The King and The Fab Four British rockers, who topped the list two years ago when it was last released, joined notable figures such as former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and late pop star Michael Jackson on the list of most-forged celebrity signatures.

Late American astronaut Neil Armstrong landed at No. 3 on the list, after fake Armstrong signatures rose significantly after his death in July.

One reason forgeries of Armstrong's autograph soared was that he rarely signed for fans during his life, Joe Orlando, president of Newport Beach-based PSA/DNA, told Reuters.

"Armstrong is someone who is very conscious of the value of his own autograph," Orlando said. "Even before he passed away he was very tough to get ... It really heightens the level of his market."

Secretaries and assistants responding to huge volumes of fan mail are one reason for fake signatures floating through the marketplace, said Margaret Barrett, director of entertainment and music memorabilia at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles.

"Back in the day, the kids would write to the movie studios," Barrett said.

Initially the first tweet caused waves of interest from news outlets, but when Shakira herself failed to also tweet the good news -- and Pique went silent for the next 11 hours with no follow up -- it appeared that the news might be a bit premature. His most recent post, actually noting the "prank" day, seems to confirm that he was just joking.

Still, a baby is definitely on the way; the couple, who met while Shakira was filming a video for the South Africa World Cup, announced via Facebook in September that they were expecting a child.

"Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby," said the 35-year-old singer and new mentor on "The Voice." "At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days."

Looks like they'll have to extend those postponements a little longer.

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No one knows bad movies like alums of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" -- and they say that Bella and Edward's vampire love makes for the worst movie -- er, movie series -- of all time.

Former MST3Kers Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett now riff on bad movies as Rifftrax, and have published a list of the 20 films they pick as the Worst Movies Ever.

Of the "Twilight" series, the riffers write, "There’s a lot to cover in this vast, sprawling film series so let us try to boil it down for you: 'Mumble mumble mumble moon eyes. Mumble mumble mumble mumble lay in a field. Mumble mumble mumble perv on a baby. Mumble.'"

Rifftrax offers humorous commentaries for all of the "Twilight" films except "Breaking Dawn Part 2," which they'll surely cover when it's released on home video.

"Yes, as the new girl, she'll fit right in by driving Fred Sanford's truck," they crack when Bella (Kristen Stewart) drives her old red pickup to school. And when Edward (Robert Pattinson) throws her a piercing gaze, Nelson notes, "That look is from the 'Guy You Alert the Flight Attendant About Collection.'"

The 1997 superhero film "Batman and Robin" fills Rifftrax's No. 2 slot, with Halle Berry's "Catwoman" at No.3 and "Spider-Man 3" at No.4. Some of the films are lesser-known to mainstream moviegoers yet favorites to Rifftrax and MST3K fans, including "Birdemic: Shock and Terror," "The Room" and "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny."

And that "Mystery Science" classic "Manos: The Hands of Fate," redone by Rifftrax in theaters this summer, makes the list at No. 21. The Rifftrax version of "Manos" will hit theaters again Jan. 24.

Do you agree that the "Twilight" series should top the list? What makes your own worst films list? Tell us on Facebook.

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Ray Collins, the guitarist who helped found the Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa, died on Monday after being admitted to the hospital a week earlier for cardiac arrest, the New York Times reports. He was in his mid-70s.

Donaldson Collection / Getty Images file

Frank Zappa, Roy Estrada and Ray Collins perform as the Mothers of Invention in 1967.

While the Mothers of Invention helped pave the way for avant-garde rock, Collins started his music career singing in the R&B cover band the Soul Giants. Collins met Zappa in 1961 after seeing him perform at the Sportsman Tavern in his native Pomona; Zappa later joined the group after Collins fired the guitarist Ray Hunt. How the firing actually went down, though, is the subject of some speculation: Zappa said in one interview that Collins "punched [Hunt's] lights out." Collins, however, recalled it differently, with no punching involved.

From 2008: Mothers of Invention drummer dies

The addition of Zappa transformed the group. The guitarist encouraged the group to perform original material (often his own), and soon the Soul Giants changed their name, first to the Mothers and eventually to the Mothers of Invention. Collins sang lead on the Mothers of Invention's first record, "Freak Out!" (1966), as well as its follow-up "Absolutely Free" (1967). He quit the band after that album.

500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Mothers of Invention, 'Freak Out'

In a 2009 interview with The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Collins said he'd grown tired of Zappa's emphasis on satire: "I wanted to make beautiful music. I was raised on Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole." Still, Collins reunited with his former bandmate several more times, including on the 1968 doo-wop concept album "Cruising with Ruben & the Jets."

2011: Jim Sherwood of The Mothers of Invention dies

In recent years, Mr. Collins was reportedly living out of a van in Claremont, California, where he was frequently seen on sidewalk benches. He'd worked as a taxi driver in Los Angeles and a dishwasher in Hawaii, receiving Social Security checks and some royalties from "Memories of El Monte," a ballad he and Zappa wrote based on the chords to the Penguins' "Earth Angel."

If you're tired of Miley Cyrus stories that call attention to her hair, her outfits, her birthday parties or any other thing not related to her singing, you're in luck. Here's a story about her singing.

A new video released as part of Miley's "Backyard Sessions" from earlier this year features the singer covering Dolly Parton's "Jolene."

With her previously long brown locks in a bun atop her head, Miley sways in a long black skirt and bare feet as she's joined outdoors by her 5-piece band. "Hannah Montana" has long since transformed into a pop music star, but there's talent in that twang.

Check out Parton performing her hit nearly 40 years ago. We think Miley has done her godmother proud. Tell us if you agree and vote below.

The pros at Bad Lip Reading have set their sights on the boys of One Direction and made them the stars of a spoof foreign language film called "Shadow Pico."

Set to the visuals of the British band's video for "Gotta Be You," "Pico" dubs phony languages over the top for a dramatic art-house feel.

"They've captivated the world with their music," the intro says. "Now experience One Direction as you've never seen them before. In their first foreign language motion picture." And then, instead of bubbly lyrics about girls and bro-bonding, the gibberish begins.

Turning on the video's closed captioning makes the entire effort all the better, especially when "Ooh, ooh, ooh" is translated as "Ooh, ooh, ooh."

With 82 million views, the real music video is in no danger (yet) of being eclipsed by the spoof's 29,000 views. But Bad Lip Reading does attract a lot of eyes -- this classic "Twilight" spoof has 16 million views.

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