PHOTO: Ashton Kutcher Films His First <em>Two and a Half Men</em>

By Stephen M. Silverman

Update Saturday August 06, 2011 04:00 PM EDT Originally posted Saturday August 06, 2011 10:30 AM EDT

Ashton Kutcher (right) and his Two and a Half Men castmates at the Aug. 5 taping

Adam Rose/CBS

Goodbye, Charlie. Hello, Ashton.

In a last goodbye, Friday night brought the taping of the funeral of Charlie Sheen's character Charlie Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, according to reports from the closed set.

Also there to appear in the season premiere: Ashton Kutcher, who is joining the cast. In the show's readjusted storyline, Charlie's Malibu bachelor pad is being bought by broken-hearted Internet mogul Walter Schmidt, played by Kutcher.

No word yet on the cause of Harper's death, which reportedly is being kept secret by the series' creator and executive producer, Chuck Lorre.

Charlie Harper's funeral, as seen in a photo circulating the Internet, features a casket draped with the colors of the character's favorite bowling shirt.

According to TMZ.com, the staged funeral was also packed with all of Charlie's former girlfriends, as well as guest stars John Stamos – who, among others, was once rumored to be assuming Sheen's role – and Jenny McCarthy.

Sheen and the program bitterly parted ways in March of this year, amid outbursts by the star, both in radio and TV interviews and in live stage presentations.

Now entering its ninth season on CBS, Two and a Half Men also stars Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones. Sheen, meanwhile, has been announced to star in a new show, Anger Management.

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What’s Your Favorite Body Swap Movie?

James Franco and Those Great Apes trounced the movie competition this weekend with $54 million bucks – pretty impressive. It’s a movie I won’t ever see because it’s way too violent and creepy and I’m not into animal devastation films (The Birds, Arachnophobia, Snakes on a Plane, etc). But what is noteworthy – and I hope all of  you who saw Rise of The Planet of the Apes will comment here – is the fact that Andy Serkis, who plays the chimp Caesar, is already getting buzz about an Oscar nomination. Any merit to this chatter, in your opinion??

The movie I saw this weekend won’t get any Oscar buzz. It didn’t even get very good reviews. Largely because it’s a silly, raunchy film with three extremely appealing actors: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds and Leslie Mann, who are all far better than the film itself. Don’t get me wrong, The Change-up is perfectly diverting and lots of lowbrow fun. You will forget where you are for two hours, hands down. Although your mind may begin to wander back to all the other body-swap movies, and you may begin to think you’ve seen better ones. You may also find it a bit vulgar – but then you have the writing team behind the first Hangover to thank for that.

Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds will still laugh all the way to the bank on this one, because even though it’s not doing particularly well at the box office ($13.5 million) it will –  I am absolutely certain —  do gangbusters as a rental. It’s that kind of movie and even though there are those who won’t see this in a theater (for any number of reasons) they will easily and effortlessly fork it over in their own living room.

I’ve frequently asked you all about actors (or actresses) who can singlehandedly propel you into a theater. Even when you know the film might be a stinker. For many moviegoers it’s a Clooney, or a Depp, or a Pitt that powers that ticket purchase. Jason Bateman is that guy for me, and I know that Ryan Reynolds is that guy for plenty of people. Leslie Mann (not a household name just yet, but she wowed audiences in The 40-Year Old Virgin & Knocked Up) is also hilarious. So I went to watch Jason Bateman do his exasperated, buttoned-up, everyman schtick, and the best part? He does it beautifully — but then when he and Reynolds swap identities, they’re both even funnier. Evidently, the movie came close to getting an NC-17 rating and if you watch you’ll see why. Many, many bad words and plenty of bare-chested ladies. I laughed a lot and enjoyed the actors plenty even if the plot was ultra-flimsy and predictable. Which brings up the old why-do-we-go-to-the-movies-in-the-first-place question…to which there are many answers, of course. But when you’ve seen just about everything else in your genre wheelhouse this summer, there really are worse things than eating junk food in an air-conditioned room while watching Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds in a funny if forgettable film.

Today’s poll:

The Change-up is in theaters now. Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these other “Body Swap” movies is your favorite:

1)   Big

2)   17 Again

3)   Freaky Friday

4)   Vice Versa   

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Once-Conjoined Twins Turn 10 - How They're Doing

Josie and Teresa

Josie and Teresa

Mending Kids International

As her friends cheered and applauded, Josie began to tread water like a pro at her 10th birthday party. Her broad smiled spoke to her growing confidence in the pool.

"I'm learning synchronized swimming," Josie says, "and I really like it."

It's hard to fathom that nine years ago, Josie, born Maria de Jesus Quiej Alvarez, was lying in an intensive care unit, clinging to life after surviving a 23-hour surgery at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital that separated the Guatemalan 1-year-old from her conjoined twin sister, Maria Teresa.

Famously known as "the Two Marias," they were craniopagus twins – those who are fused at the tops of their heads – accounting for just 2 percent of conjoined cases worldwide.

Their separation surgery made international headlines and required support from Mending Kids International, then a chapter of Healing the Children, which includes such benefactors Mel and Robyn Gibson, who were on hand Saturday when Josie and Teresa celebrated the Hawaiian-themed birthday at a home in Malibu.

"It's incredible," Mel told PEOPLE. "Conjoined twins joined at the head don't normally get to see age 10. It's special seeing them doing as well as they are, and doing it with such joy. But it's not like they don't have hurdles to hop, they do."

Just 10 months after the Aug. 6, 2002 surgery, the girls were airlifted on a donated private jet back from Guatemala for emergency treatment. Teresa had contracted deadly meningitis, and spent five months in 2003 in and out of a coma. Today, she is unable to walk and cannot speak.

The twins in 2002

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R.I.P. Amy Winehouse 1983 – 2011

The big, sad  – although not altogether unsurprising -  entertainment news from the weekend is the passing of English singer Amy Winehouse at age 27. She died at home, and most of her substantial fan base knew Winehouse battled addiction and substance abuse for most of her (short) adult life. Even more unfortunate is how her very troubles seemed to inform her performance content; songs like “Rehab” put her on the map and contributed to her Grammy Awards triumphs. Professionally, hers was a voice that broke real ground for this decade; her smoky girl-group vocals ushered in a crop of lovely and fiercely talented ladies (like Duffy and Adele) who probably wouldn’t be household names were it not for Ms. Winehouse. She’s credited with kickstarting the British neo-soul revival that’s alive and well today. I was working on-air in alternative radio when she first surfaced, and I remember well the excitement that heralded her arrival. Now, when records get released there are always record promoters trying to sell their artists to radio stations – here it was completely unnecessary because everyone knew that this girl with the signature 60’s beehive had vocal talent the likes of which hadn’t been seen in eons. Really and truly, Amy Winehouse had an astonishing voice.

She was recognized professionally in an almost instantaneous fashion; allegedly as a young up-and-coming singer Winehouse showed such promise that early management decided to groom her and keep her identity a secret. To the extent that when she was accidentally “heard” by music execs, a bidding war ensued and she became a very hot commodity. In 2006 she released the album Back To Black which catapulted her to superstardom, at which point she cleaned up at the Grammys and subsequently set a record for Most Grammy Awards Won By a British Female Act.

One of the other unfortunate features of a death like this is that it calls into question the alliances that she had while she lived. Her addictions were well-known, her reputation as a troubled performer was heavily documented by the press, and her erratic performance schedules became commonplace. Similarly those managing her came under public scrutiny regarding motive and interest. At one point her father requested that fans boycott her albums because he felt that her music (and the people who produced and released it) fed off of, and enabled, her addictions. She once called her former husband Blake Fielder Civil “the male version of me” and the couple was notorious for their public outbursts and his jail time.

Also somewhat disconcerting is the fact that Amy Winehouse is not the only troubled pop phenomenon to pass away at the age of 27. In a bizarre twist, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones also left us at 27; with the exception of Morrison (whose death is still listed as ‘heart failure’) all the performers’ deaths involved unnatural causes.

The music world – and popular culture in general – lost a wildly talented icon this past weekend. It is indeed a tragedy that such extraordinary talent so frequently succumbs to its host’s personal demons; Amy Winehouse will surely be remembered as one of those bright lights unable to surmount that struggle – leaving behind a small but spectacular legacy of song.

Today’s poll:

Each of these artists left this world before reaching their prime; voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which is your favorite:

1) Kurt Cobain

2) Janis Joplin

3) Jim Morrison

4) Amy Winehouse

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Summer TV…and Boycotted TV – Will You Tune In?

Today I’d like to talk about a great show, and another show that – regardless of whether it’s good or bad – probably ought to be given a chance. By viewers.

Even though summer isn’t necessarily filled with TV’s proudest moments (unless you’re managing Gene Simmons’ career), if you look hard enough there is some quality TV. Nor is the quality necessarily connected to TNT’s decision to purchase even more episodes of Franklin & Bash – which is vaguely ludicrous. But there’s quality TV that’s endured cancellations and then mysterious rebirths on strange (albeit cool) stations. I’m talking of course about Damages, which is indeed back and quite spectacularly so on DirecTV. It’s one of my all time favorite shows ever and in the same way that there are those who cannot get enough of Breaking Bad or The Good Wife or House, I’m an unrepentant Damages fan. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it stars Glenn Close as an uber-ruthless lawyer and Rose Byrne (the ice queen from Bridesmaids) as Close’s one-time protégé and sometime rival. Each season they take a real story from the headlines and explore it from a legal angle – like the Bernie Madoff scandal. Currently we have John Goodman (at his very, very best – no question about a guest-star Emmy nod next year) playing a maybe corrupt former Marine-type who now runs a “private security” firm in Afghanistan (think Blackwater). If ever there was first-rate drama, this is it. Close (who’s won an Emmy for the role) is beyond miraculous and Rose Byrne nips gamely and deliciously at her heels. This latest season – while more violent than I’d like —  is nevertheless a real blockbuster. If you get a chance, try out Damages or watch one of the first three seasons on DVD. It’s what keenly intelligent thrillers are all about, and you may find yourself hooked – it’s that good. That smart and that well-acted.

Then there’s another show – one of NBC’s most heavily hyped – that’s already in a ton of hot water and it hasn’t even aired yet. Hunhh?

A few weeks back we talked about The Playboy Club. Now a local station in Utah refused to air it this fall on account of its “racy nature”. As you may recall the show stars Eddie Cibrian as a very suave Don Draper-type who’s kind of a “fixer” at Chicago’s Playboy Club in 1963. In the show he’s charged with keeping everything running smoothly when one of the Playboy Bunnies gets herself into a pickle and someone dies. Now – on top of the Utah NBC station —  we have an even bigger entity going after the show. The Parents Television Council has lodged a major complaint, arguing that The Playboy Club should be boycotted because it  “glamorizes porn” by putting a “veneer of sophistication on an industry that exploits women and destroys families…it is disgraceful.”  What do you think? Does this bug you or do you think these folks have a point? Will you boycott it? Here’s what I think. Obviously exploiting women is bad, in any way, shape, or form. No question about that. But if these associations and groups are going to band together on behalf of their children’s purity and impressionability, shouldn’t they be going after other shows first? Haven’t they got bigger, racier, far more inappropriate & gory fish to fry than a network period piece that may not even last two episodes?  How about all the other shows which feature porn stars – only these are the dismembered, dead porn stars who hunky cops discover in those insanely popular crime dramas — those are okay, right Parents TV Council? But we’re not allowed to watch the ones who lived forty-seven years ago? And what about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette – doesn’t that glamorize something unseemly?  Don’t even get me started on MTV – but that’s okay with all the parents’ groups?

I make this point all the time, and I feel strongly that a lot of TV is just bad for kids to watch because it gives them ideas and glamorizes just about everything. But to go after what is essentially an historical drama when we have heinous crimes depicted and horrific monsters and psychopaths wandering around on prime time feels kind of ridiculous. There’s an unfortunate double standard at play which may never change. But it seems to me that when these groups start targeting TV shows maybe they should target something that’s a) current and or b) worth the attack.  Now let’s talk about Damages.

Today’s poll:

The current season of Damages is in full swing. Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these Glenn Close vehicles is your favorite:

1) 101 Dalmations

2) Dangerous Liaisons

3) Fatal Attraction

4) Jagged Edge

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Lose Weight Losing Weight

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Google Kits Scam - 3 Very Important Facts about Google Biz Kits That You Need to Know

<p>You are about to learn about the Google Kits scam and 3 very important facts about the Google Biz Kits that you need to know. A lot of people have found this opportunity online and many have given their credit card information to get the kits. Find out below why you should avoid a Google kit at all costs.<br /><br />1. Not Endorsed by Google: While it is possible to make money online with Google, both with their Adsense program and Google Adwords, Google itself does not sell a kit to show you how to do this. Many companies are using the name of Google to get people to sign up for their programs and it is wise to be aware of this fact. The names can vary from Google Biz Kits to Google Cash Kits; some may even drop the name Google but are still promoting the same idea. <br /><br />2. Fine Print Reveals Hidden Charges: If you come across one of these companies, it is imperative that you read the fine print before giving your credit card number. Although many of these companie
s charge a low shipping fee to receive the kit, many times they will charge your credit card on a monthly basis upwards of $80. The fine print often reveals that you will be enrolled in other programs as well that have trial days that later lead to monthly fees as well. In all, these charges could be greater than $100/month for life.<br /><br />3. Often Hard to Cancel: Taking a chance on programs to enrich your life is human nature; you never know when an opportunity might just be the real thing. The trouble with giving some of these programs a try however is that it can often be difficult, if not impossible, to cancel the program once you have joined. Many times people have had to resort to canceling their credit cards just to escape the huge monthly fees.<br /><br />In this article we discussed Google kits and 3 facts that you should know about Google Biz Kits. These cash kits are not endorsed by Google and in fact, to make money with Google you do not need a kit to get st
arted. Anyone can make money with Adsense and Adwords and while an education is needed in order to do well, a kit is not the answer. The fine print for these kits reveals hidden charges that most people never even see; these hidden charges can amount to hundreds if not thousands of dollars on your credit card if you are not careful. Once you have given your credit card number and have become aware of the charges and try to cancel, you may find that it is impossible to do so as reaching a human being isn't likely.</p>
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