Webcams are part of pretty much everyone’s life. Do any laptops come without webcams anymore? Even if you don’t use it, it’s there. Webcams are popular in movies, too. They’ve been popular in movies for longer than we may realize. David Whitworth pointed out some examples of the use of webcams in movies:

1. “The Terminator” – $78,019,031 – 1984 — A bullet-proof, super-strong, unstoppable Arnold Schwarzenegger is pretty scary. But The Terminator got a whole lot more scary once the flesh on his face gave way and revealed a cold metal skull and iconic unblinking red cameras instead of eyes.  It was in that moment that the audience finally understood just how inhuman the Terminator really was. Those glowing red eyes made the audience understand that this being was not at all capable of empathy or mercy or fear.  The eyes were the key to letting us know he was truly just a machine.
2. “2001: A Space Odyssey” – $56,715,371 – 1968 — This Stanley Kubrick classic boasts the most famous webcam of all time—the all-seeing eye of HAL 9000.  HAL is Cyclops.  His single unblinking wide eye is mildly unnerving even at the start of 2001, when we know him to be a gentle, benevolent caretaker.  As the plot unfurls, and HAL’s mood darkens, the eye loses any of the humanity it started with and becomes an oppressive, ominous symbol, infusing every moment with anticipation and fear.Kubrick’s vision of the video call was an odd hybrid of Skype and 1960s phone booths.  It is the perfect illustration of science fiction’s biggest problem:  while the technological predictions are often accurate, the context of those innovations in society is almost impossible to predict.  Kubrick showed us the webcam as it would have been without an internet.
3. “Revenge of the Nerds” – $40,900,000 – 1984 – Oh, how we long for the ‘80s, when movies taught us that serious pranks were socially acceptable.  In Revenge of the Nerds, our heroes boldly set up a webcam in the sorority house of some girls who had wronged them.  Oddly, this was one of the more accurate movie predictions of what webcams would actually be used for in the future.
4. “Avatar” – $2,782,275,172 – 2009 — In this Dances With Wolves meets Jurassic Park meets Starship Troopers blockbuster, the futuristic military-industrial complex destroys the environment and the native tribes as evilly as possible.  Avatar is getting a nod here because this movie features a scene where a giant bulldozer is used to mow down the pristine forest…by remote control.  Our hero stalls the destruction by climbing the giant bulldozer and knocking out the cluster of webcams that were letting the operator see what was going on.
5. “American Pie” – $234,723,148 – 1999 — American Pie was one of the first “gross-out comedies” to hit the scene, breaching several taboos and getting laughs out of situations that most filmmakers wouldn’t dare to touch.  In one of the film’s most famous scenes, we see an echo of the Revenge of the Nerds webcam usage 15 years earlier: our protagonists set up a webcam to spy on a disrobing coed.

This was “eye opening” to me (no pun intended)! I never even realized that Wall-E “eyes” were actually two webcams. Learn something new every day, huh? Check out David’s entire list.

INO was lucky enough to get some exclusive scoop on a new housewife joining the other ladies of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey‘! This scoop is from someone in the industry who works very closely with the show, so the person needs to remain anonymous. The announcement won’t be made until after the reunion episode for the current season of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ airs, but we can tell you about one new cast member: Alisa Maria. Alisa is one of New Jersey’s most wealthy and respected socialites. She’s also a well-known celebrity stylist with her own fur, leather, and diamond line called the Alisa Maria Collection.

For those of you who are currently watching ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey,’ Alisa is a familiar face. She’s BFFs with Kathie Walker and Teresa Guidice. Melissa Jorga was one of Alisa’s former clients: Alisa styled Melissa for her ‘On Display’ single cover and Melissa wore one of Alisa’s gold leather jacket in the season opener. Yet notice Melissa is a “former” client: these two may have some issues to dish out on the next season of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’!

Beyonce announced she will release her new single, ‘I Was Here,’ on August 19. August 19 is World Humanitarian Day. It was created in 2008 in remembrance of the victims of the 2003 bombing in Baghdad, Iraq. Beyonce told the United Nations assembly:

“We all see the headlines and think, ‘What can I really do to help?’ World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity for all of us to work together to make a difference.”

Her video for ‘I Was Here’ will be a recording of her performance in the United Nations’ General Assembly Rooms in New York, which is also part of the events to commemorate the day.

Photos by AAR/FameFlynet

We could be seeing Hilary Duff on the small screen soon! Hilary rose to fame starring in ‘Lizzie Maguire.’ After spending some time adjusting to married life with Mike Comrie and starting their family with baby Luca, Hilary is ready to return to her TV roots. Hilary tweeted:

“Ok it’s official! Very excited about my development deal with 20th century fox!! t.v. here I come! (sic)”

Hilary signed a development deal with 20th Century Fox TV. They will work on developing a show for her, and if it isn’t picked up, then Hilary could be cast in another one of their pilots. The goal, according to Deadline, is “finding a half-hour idea and tailoring it to Duff’s comedic sensibilities.” Are you excited?

Photos by FAMEFLYNET

I thought Robert Pattinson’s first interview on ‘The Daily Show’ with Jon Stewart went REALLY well! Jon handled the whole cheating scandal rather gracefully by whipping out the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream- LOL. Robert took the high road, refusing to discuss Kristen Stewart. Jon’s imitation of how women talk after a breakup “Boy, you are better off: kick her to the curb” was hilarious. He probably though Will Ferrell had been rough enough on Kristen.

There was no way NOT to talk about the cheating, but really, could it have been any better than this? Jon wished Robert all the best so he could handle the situation privately. Then they moved on to talking about ‘Cosmopolis.’ ‘Cosmopolis’ sounds like quite a movie. Are you interested in seeing it (if you can find a showing, which sounds like a tough job)?

Could Colin Farrell be any hotter? Seriously, every time I see pics of the screen stud, my heart melts! On Aug. 13, Colin sizzled in his suit at the Berlin premiere of his action flick, Total Recall.

Colin and his costars have been busy promoting their new film all over the globe these past few weeks. Though I would be completely exhausted and look less-than-glamorous, the Hollywood hunk and his leading ladies ALWAYS look amazing on the red carpet!

Photos by Patrick Hoffmann/WENN