The secret to Sacha Baron Cohen's particular brand of comedy has always been its unpredictability. When you watch one of his signature creations -- be it Ali G or Borat or Bruno -- interact with an unsuspecting dignitary, celebrity or just a plain old Average Joe, you have absolutely no idea what he'll do or say... or what they'll do or say in response. His ability to improvise in the moment without breaking character is what makes him such a formidable talent. Even if a particular encounter doesn't yield many laughs, you have to admire the guy for his fearlessness.

In Damsels in Distress, three college girls set out to revolutionize their East Coast university through the power of intellect and dance. The film is Whit Stillman's first picture in 14 years (his last being 1998's The Last Days of Disco) and is far too coy to be successful. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Before the angry hordes gather outside my window with their pitchforks and torches, I want to make something clear -- I do not think Harry Potter is replaceable. Without getting all weepy on you (just kidding, I've been crying since last Monday), Harry was a huge part of my upbringing and is still a part of my life today, even as it ends. The thing is -- and I know this doesn't make me special, because I'm not alone here -- I was 11 years old; Harry's age (as well as Daniel Radcliffe's) when the first film came out. So ten years later, as the core "growing up" years come to an end, it feels like -- and I know this sounds dramatic if you don't "get" Harry Potter -- but it feels like I'm losing a big part of myself.

Today, the news broke that Disney has bought Marvel Entertainment, lock stock and barrel, for $4 billion. That includes Marvel Comics, with over 5,000 characters, and Marvel Studios, with the successful Iron Man and Hulk film franchises, plus the upcoming Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. It seems like it's a win-win scenario -- Disney gets a boys' brand to bookend the Disney Princesses, and Marvel gets some global multimedia clout -- but what does this really mean for our beloved Marvel superheroes? As fans, these are just a few things we're worried and/or excited about.

It's official: the Arrested Development movie is happening! After months of hemming and hawing from one Michael Cera (aka George Michael Bluth), the lone player refusing to sign on to the film, homeboy has finally agreed to do the damn thing. (Mitchell Hurwitz said he wouldn't move forward on a script unless he had all of the original cast members on board.) Over the course of these last tortured months, I found myself asking what the hell was going on with young Mr. Cera. Since when do retiring milquetoast hipsters turn into demanding divas that hold up production of a movie fans have been campaigning for since the beloved show got canceled? Why would Cera, whose public persona has always been affably awkward, essentially bad-mouth the show that made him a star? And you think you know a person. I've pieced together the hellishly demanding terms of his contract in the hopes of revealing MC's true nature.

Since he wasn't getting a nomination for Vantage Point this year, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker joined Academy president Sid Ganis this morning to help announce the nominees for this year's Academy Awards. And while there were a lot of familiar faces on the list, there were also a few nice surprises. Here's hoping they all show up.

The SAG Awards are fun because they're light and fluffy and just about acting and not any real movie jobs like writing or directing. On the other hand, who gives a shit about acting? Anyway, several people were nominated for this award today, and almost all of them are quite famous. I'm here to tell you who and what's what about it.

For a production company who has not made a single movie that I have seen, Nu Image/Millennium Films has managed to put together a movie that I would actually break out of prison to see. And, yes, it's Lindsey Lohan's Labor Pains. How did you guess?! Okay, it's not. What did actually hook me is the fact that the production house has managed to put together the Holy Trinity of Ass-Kicking, bringing together Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and Jason Statham in one shiny package. The three actors will star in The Expendables, as a team of mercenaries who are sent to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator in order to liberate the population. Their team is hired to do jobs that no one else can or will. Duh-duh-DUH! The best part? The script was written by Stallone, who will also direct. I don't care how good or bad it is, I'm in.

Since the news cycle is still pretty clogged with election results and stories (even Variety has an electoral map on their home page) and the rest of the world -- including Hollywood -- can't seem to get much of a word in edge-wise, I'm going to follow Odie's lead and report on a politics-movie tie-in. Over at The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz Blog, Steven Zeitchik explored the possibility of whether or not Republican Presidents are bad for movies. It turns out they kind of are.

Barack Obama has just been elected the first Black President... and I'm here to talk to you about entertainment news. Oh joy. I feel like the guy who goes into the cathouse bedroom after Long Dong Silver. Nothing I say is going to have one damn bit of effect today, and it shouldn't. History has been made! Why are you even here? Get! Go celebrate or mourn, depending on your political affiliation. Sober up or get drunk! Poke your finger into Joe the Plumber's buttcrack as he fixes your sink. Whatever! Just do a Marvin K. Mooney imitation and PLEASE GO NOW! You're still here? I guess that means I have to write something. (I'm never going to sober up now.) Let's cast the upcoming Election of 2008 movie!