In Honor of ScarJo's Dean Martin Duet, 5 of the Most Random Celebrity Holiday Tracks

It’s the week after Thanksgiving which means that it’s time to start firing up some holiday playlists. Here to help is Scarlett Johansson, whose virtual duet with Dean Martin hit the Internet today. Is their posthumous rendering of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” creepy? A little. A necessary addition to the holiday track canon? Not at all. But random? Completely! In honor of this Christmas-time cut, let’s review five of the other most random celebrity holiday recordings to confound the masses. 1. David Hasselhoff, “Silent Night” (In German!) Granted, David Hasselhoff lip sync-ing to “Stille Nacht” on a winter wonderland soundstage (complete with dry ice snow effect) may seem semi-relevant in Germany — the nation that made the Baywatch actor a pop star in the late ’80s — but in the U.S., this clip is just deliciously irrelevant and completely random. Dig in! 2. Heidi Klum, “Wonderland” German beauty Heidi Klum is already a successful model, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer and television producer. So why would she dare try her hand at singing? Because she can and because someone — again in Germany — hired her to do so. Here lies the multihyphenate’s 2006 debut single “Wonderland,” which was penned for a series of German ads. 3. Kathie Lee Gifford, “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” (Hip Hop Version) Startling news: Back in 1995, shortly before her sweatshop scandal, Kathie Lee Gifford recorded a Christmas album Rock N Tots Cafe: A Christmas “Giff” Song Album by Kathie Lee Gifford. Even more frightening than the title was her attempt at hip hop with the track “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Below, find the damning music video evidence in which Kathie Lee wears a waitress uniform and bops around a Pee-wee Herman-style set. You’ve been warned. 4. Ozzy Osbourne and Jessica Simpson, “Winter Wonderland” You may not want to put your eyes back into their sockets for the next selection on Movieline’s ode to random holiday tracks. For 2003’s long-forgotten Osbourne Family Christmas Special, mismatched former MTV stars Ozzy Osbourne and Jessica Simpson recorded a duet in which Simpson tried to sexily shimmy up to Osbourne while he shrieked into the microphone like an off-key scarecrow. 5. Bea Arthur and Assorted Aliens, “Good Night, But Not Goodbye” Back in 1978, CBS aired The Star Wars Holiday Special, which followed Chewbacca and Han Solo as they traveled back to Chewie’s home world to celebrate a very special holiday, Life Day. While franchise stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher took part in the small-screen, variety show-style festivities, Bea Arthur inexplicably appeared as a Mos Eisley cantina bartender who sings to a set of aliens including Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes. Enjoy with furrowed brow. Now that you’ve survived the above, what is your favorite celebrity holiday track?

Menkes can get retrospective

Nina Menkes' latest film, 'Dissolution,' may have throughout this spring's retrospective, furthermore to some couple of of her older photos. Gotham's Anthology Film Archives as well as the UCLA Film Archives will partner use a retrospective of films by Nina Menkes this spring.Her latest pic, 2010's "Dissolution," may have with the retrospective week in NY, furthermore to older works.Experimental filmmaking stalwart Menkes, which has made six features, has generated a repetition for controlling every aspect of production, becoming producer, author, director and editor. She's labored with on several projects with sister Tinka Menkes as lead actress.Menkes' first feature was 1986's "Magdalena Viraga," a great L.A. prostitute jailed for killing her pimp. Other photos include Sundance alum "Filled with Diamonds" (1991), "The Bloody Child" (1996) and "Phantom Love" (2007)."Dissolution," shot in black and white-colored in Tel Aviv, is loosely based on Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Israeli music artist and philosopher David Fire stars.Menkes' next movie, "Heatstroke," will probably be shot in Cairo and L.A., with Gus Van Sant onboard as professional producer.Bicoastal retrospective is positioned for March, with exact dates and lineups to produce. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Luke Wilson, Kevin Connolly Join 'Elvis & Nixon' (Exclusive)

Luke Wilson is within talks and Kevin Connolly has signed to become listed on the cast of Elvis & Nixon, the indie drama centering around Elvis Presley's famous ending up in Richard Nixon in 1970.our editor recommendsEric Bana to experience Elvis in 'Elvis & Nixon' Eric Bana has already been aboard to star as Presley while Danny Huston will portray Nixon within the project, which being helmed by actor Cary Elwes, making his directorial debut. The historic meeting was started by Presley, who authored Nixon a six-page letter asking for a trip and recommending he be produced a "Federal Agent-at-Large" within the Bureau of Drugs and Harmful Drugs. Within the script, the background music legend drags his entourage to Washington along with a clash of cultures develops. Wilson would play Sonny, among Presley's "Memphis Mafia" who travels with him to Washington. Connolly is playing a personality named Ronnie, a limo driver. Elwes authored the script together with Joey Sagal and Hanala Sagal. Michael Benaroya (Margin Call) and Carol Wiersma (Bobby) are creating. A The month of january begin in Louisiana has been eyed. As THR formerly reported, the film is just one of several in development concerning the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Wilson, who last made an appearance in Dying in a Funeral, next stars with Anna Paquin and Ryan Phillippe in Straight A's, a comedy from Nu Image/Millennium. He's repped by CAA and attorney Bob Wallerstein. CAA-repped Connolly was among the stars of HBO's Entourage and it has made an appearance such movies as He's Simply Not That Into You and also Secretariat. Email: Borys.Package@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Package Related Subjects Luke Wilson Kevin Connolly

Anchor Bay Acquires Kurt Russell-Starrer Touchback

Anchor Bay has acquired United States distribution privileges to Touchback, the Don Handfield-directed gridiron drama that stars Kurt Russell, John Presley, Melanie Lynskey, Christine Lahti, Came Powell and Marc Blucas. The program would be to release the film the coming year. Presley stars like a battling player and former football hero who laments scoring the winning touchdown within the Ohio Condition Senior High School Championship game years back, while he hurt his knee and was conned of the professional career. He dates back over time towards the week before the overall game and struggles over whether or not to call another play, and whether he should marry his shigh school sweetheart. Handfield authored the script, and Freedom Films’ John Presley, Kevin Matusow and Carissa Buffel created. Anchor Bay’s Kevin Kasha brokered the offer with Gersh’s Jay Cohen. Hannibal Classics is handling foreign sales.

Billy Very Tweets He's 'Doing the Oscars'

Billy Very has tweeted he'll host the 84th Academy awards telecast.He written Thursday, "Am doing the Oscars and so the youthful lady inside the pharmacy stop asking my title once i get my medicines. Searching toward the show."The Academy has confirmed and handled to obtain official by re-tweeting Crystal's tweet.The gig willmark the actor-comedian's ninth turn as master of occasions. He formerly situated in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004.Very will replace Eddie Murphy, who walked reduced our prime-profile gig Wednesday inside the wake of Brett Ratner's decision to step lower on Tuesday. John Grazer, who grew to become an associate from the telecast Wednesay, and Don Mischer will produce.Ratner left as producer in the telecast determination quantity of ill-judged remarks in recent days, including saying "testing is ideal for fags" and speaking about his sex existence with Howard Stern.Very apparently switched lower an offer to host the honours in 2006.He next appears in "The Muppets," being launched later this month.James Franco and Hathaway As Catwoman situated the ceremony this season. The Hollywood Reporter

Gay-Rees: Driving pressure behind high-profile paperwork

James Gay-ReesAlthough he's tried the film business for 25 years, James Gay-Rees is not jaded. Contrary, he finds creating, that they is doing since 2002, invigorating."It's type of addictive," states Gay-Rees, who required doc "Exit With the Gift Shop" to Sundance this year (it later nabbed an Oscar nom) and captured introduced "Senna" towards the Park City fest, where it won a crowd award.Located in London, producer began his film career at Miramax in 1991 after graduation from England's Southampton U. having a degree in financial aspects and accounting. (His stepfather, director Mel Cruz, helmed "Tall Men" for that studio in 1989.)Following a year in NY, Gay-Rees became a member of Orbit Prods. around the Vital lot in La as mind of development, but eventually left to pursue work in creating.Directed by secretive street artist Banksy, "Exit With the Gift Shop" marked Gay-Rees' very first time creating a documentary. Although experts and audiences thought that pic was some type of hoax, it had been among last year's greatest-grossing docus."It could have been so difficult to engineer that," states Gay-Rees. "It's almost too surreal to become a hoax."Only a year later, producer made another splash at Sundance with Asif Kapadia's "Senna," about legendary Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna."It is extremely important with documentaries that you concentrate on great tales that stick out. The setting, for example, Formula 1, comes second towards the human drama."Gay-Rees is creating a story, "The Marriage Video," directed by Nigel Cole ("Calendar Women") in addition to another doc, tentatively entitled "The Pappas Siblings" about Australian skateboarders who self destruct."I wouldn't state that it had been any sort of accident which i experienced creating, however i don't believe should you understood how hard creating was you wouldn't always get into it to begin with. It certainly does not have any simpler as you become films made. It is simply that when you're doing so, despite the fact that you are aware how hard it's, it will get beneath your skin and also you continue returning for additional. Appropriately or wrongly."10 PRODUCERS To Look At 2011Jason Michael Berman Borderline Films Tyler Davidson & Sophia Lin James Gay-Rees Lawrence Inglee Red-colored Granite Pictures Laura Rister Jonathan Schwartz Diarmid Scrimshaw Kevin Walsh Contact Addie Morfoot at news@variety.com

AFM: Drafthouse Films Makes U.S. Distribution Deal With Image Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA Friday, November 4, 2011 – Drafthouse Films, the distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse, announced today from The American Film Market that it has entered a U.S. distribution deal with Image Entertainment, Inc., a leading licensee and distributor of programming throughout North America, solidifying itself as major player in the independent distribution arena. The exclusive distribution deal will span home video, digital, television and VOD platforms helping to further expand the ever-growing Alamo Drafthouse entertainment lifestyle brand. Drafthouse Films will release both new product and repertory titles as part of the deal with Image Entertainment. Drafthouse Films also announced today that it has acquired North American rights to award-winning films, the riveting crime drama BULLHEAD, Belgiums official 2012 Oscar candidate for Best Foreign Language Film and the outrageous international hit comedy, CLOWN. Michael Roskams BULLHEAD is a stunning debut and a harrowing tale of revenge, redemption and fate. The film has played to critical acclaim at Berlin Film Festival, Fantasia and Fantastic Fest and was called one of the most powerful experiences Ive had in a film this year, (Drew McWeeny, HitFix). Mikkel Ngaards CLOWN has been hailed as the funniest movie of the year! (Matt Singer, IFC) and raunchy, fearless and awesome! (Eric Kohn, indieWIRE). The uproarious comedy follows two wildly inappropriate friends as they run amok through the Danish countryside plowing through social taboos and unspeakable debaucheries. Also planned for Drafthouse Films in 2012 are the recently announced releases of SXSW 11 favorite THE FP and the stunning new RealD 3D restoration of 80s cult hit COMIN AT YA! As part of their plans to ramp their acquisitions and build the label, Drafthouse Films also made public today it appointed James Emanuel Shapiro, former Executive Director of Sales Planning and Acquisitions for Anchor Bay Entertainment, as the companys new Chief Operating Officer. James has been with the acquisitions and sales planning teams at Anchor Bay Entertainment since 2006 and helped build Anchor Bay Films into a top full service independent distribution company. While at Anchor Bay, James oversaw home video releases on everything from fest favorites like Paul Solet’s GRACE and Raymond De Felitta’s CITY ISLAND to TV content like AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD and the Starz original SPARTACUS to Overture and The Weinstein Company releases such as LET ME IN, BLUE VALENTINE, and this year’s Best Picture winner THE KING’S SPEECH. We are ecstatic about adding BULLHEAD and CLOWN: THE MOVIE to our growing lineup of films. They perfectly embody the bold and diverse slate that we plan to release under Drafthouse Films, and Image Entertainment is the perfect partner to help us get the broadest possible reach for them, said Drafthouse Films founder Tim League. We are thrilled at being part of Alamos expansion, commented Mark Ward, Vice President of Acquisitions at Image. Its going to be a pleasure working with them, releasing product fans will really enjoy. The deal is being negotiated by Mark Ward and Jess De Leo, Associate Director of Business and Legal Affairs on behalf of Image; Tim League, Founder and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Victoria Cook of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz and Liesl Copland of WME Global on behalf of Drafthouse Films.