Johnny Depp in 'Dark Shadows' trailer

 A movie without Johnny Depp wearing a wig and plenty of makeup ( *cough* "Rum Diary" *cough*), and you're taking your chances at the theater.

But put the man in some powder and eyeliner, and the odds that the movie will be good only go up from there.

We're hoping this theory holds true for Depp's upcoming "Dark Shadows," which once again pairs the actor with director Tim Burton.

In this film version of the retro ABC soap, Depp plays vampire Barnabas Collins, who resurfaces two centuries after being cursed by a witch to find himself in 1972.

Jennifer Lopez: Venus Rising

With American Idol, two new films, a red-hot producing career, and the body to match, newly single Jennifer Lopez is back with a vengeance.

Here she comes, in a flirty black dress with the word LOVE emblazoned in red above its very short hem. Her orange-and-pink platform stilettos are just this side of dangerous, yet she saunters along like she was born in them. A lot has been made of J.Lo’s posterior over the years, so I am going to say it here first: The legs have it. They are tan and smooth and

What country gets the most vacation?

What country gets the most vacation? (CNN) – Earlier this week, voters in Switzerland went to the polls and said "no" to an additional two weeks vacation a year. In a national referendum, 66.5% opposed the chance to put Switzerland in line with its neighbor Germany, where employees enjoy six-week paid vacation every year. The Swiss apparently considered previous warnings of the government and business representatives who claimed that an additional fortnight of paid holidays increase labor costs and put their economy at risk.

2 nurses in Uruguay charged with killing patients

March 19, 2012 -- Updated 1119 GMT (1919 HKT)

Suspects in the killings of patients by nurses are transferred to a police van after a court appearance on Sunday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: One patient died a day after his discharge order was signed, an official says
• Two males nurses admit to killing patients at Uruguayan hospitals, a judge says
• A woman has been charged with being an accomplice in one of the killings
• According to the judge, the men say they didn't want to see the patients suffer

(CNN) -- Two male nurses face murder charges in Uruguay after admitting to killing at least 16 patients in two hospitals in the country's capital, Montevideo, a judge told CNN affiliate Teledoce.

One of the men has been charged with five aggravated homicides, while the other has been charged with 11 aggravated homicides, Judge Rolando Vomero said in an interview Sunday with Teledoce, noting that the two men appeared to have acted independently of each other.

The authorities are also charging a woman as being an accomplice in one of the murders, he said.

Video 'Hunger Games' Song 'Eyes Open'

: Taylor Swift Performs New 'Hunger Games' Song 'Eyes Open'

March 19, 2012 03:08:10 GMT

The 'Safe and Sound' crooner performs the new song in front of her devotees who attend her live concert in Auckland, New Zealand.

Photo credit: Judy Eddy/WENN

Taylor Swift gave her fans in Auckland, New Zealand a special treat. When hitting Vector Arena as part of her world tour recently, the country music crooner played "Eyes Open", a brand new theme song from highly-anticipated movie "The Hunger Games".

Wearing a shimmering dress and sitting comfortably on a couch with a guitar in her hand, Taylor teasingly asked the crowd, "You don't think I'd get in trouble if I played it now?" She added, "Probably not, right? I don't know, what do you think?" before launching into the song.

"Eyes Open" is taken from a compilation of "songs from District 12 and beyond." The soundtrack album is going to arrive in the United States on March 20, while "The Hunger Games" itself will be released nationwide three days later.

George Clooney

 I Don't Have Any Interest in Running for Office

Two days after being arrested during a protest over Sudan's humanitarian crisis, the 'Descendants' star shares his belief that he has 'a lot more influence' as an activist rather than as a politician.

Photo credit: Ryan Shapiro/WENN

George Clooney might have been vocal in standing up for what he believes in, but he isn't tempted to take a plunge into the politics. Two days after being arrested during a protest outside of the Sudanese Embassy, the Hollywood hunk said in a recent TV interview that he doesn't have any interest in running for office. 

Denise Laurel’s hilltop refuge Philippine

THE LATE Vice President liked to meditate in this chapel.

Actress and new mom Denise Laurel says her 10-month-old son is fortunate to have as playground the four-hectare Laurel estate in San Pedro, Laguna.

Denise’s grandfather, the late former vice president Salvador “Doy” Laurel, bought the hilly property during the Martial Law years. On the hilltop is a two-story house that Doy and wife, Celia Diaz, built for their retirement.

“I spent lazy Sundays here as a kid with my other cousins. It is nice to have a place that is quiet and pleasant. It lifts your mood. It is cool and windy here all year round,” Denise tells Living Stars. “I remember Papa Doy telling us there were dinosaurs here and we believed him! Below the hill is a virgin forest.”

Denise’s grandparents planted fruit trees such as mango, duhat, chico, guyabano, santol and sampaloc, as well as herbs like banaba, tanglad and gotu kola, all around the area

Victoria Azarenka beats Maria

Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova to win Indian Wells title

Victoria Azarenka made easy work of Maria Sharapova as she won the Indian Wells title 6-2 6-3 in 85 minutes.

The world number one dropped only four points on her serve in the first set before breaking her Russian opponent four times in the second set.

The win was the 22-year-old's 23rd consecutive victory in 2012 and her second over Sharapova, following her Australian Open final success.

Top seed Azarenka dropped only one set throughout the tournament.

Middle East

Syria, rebels trade blame for bombings March 19, 2012 01:51 AM People gather at the site of the car bombing in Aleppo. BEIRUT: Syria and opposition forces traded accusations after a car bomb ripped through a residential area of Syria’s second city Aleppo Sunday, a day after twin blasts killed 27 in the capital Damascus. The series of deadly blasts came as U.N. teams prepare for a government-led humanitarian mission and work at launching a monitoring operation to end a year of bloodshed that has seen upwards of 8,000 people killed.

Coup on the Coral Islands?

101 East speaks to the new president of the Maldives and asks if the country could slide back into dictatorship. ck

A dramatic leadership change in the Maldives has led to protests on the streets. Could this island paradise slide back to dictatorship? The Maldives has seen its first democratically-elected president, Mohamad Nasheed, resign amid rumours of a coup. It has thrown the South Asian archipelago into political chaos, with Nasheed's supporters continuing their protests in the capital, Male.

Indonesia police kill 'terror suspects'

Five people shot dead on resort island of Bali "for planning acts of terrorism and robberies"in

Indonesian anti-terror police have killed five suspects in raids on the resort island of Bali. "Five people who planned to