Movies

It's spooky season, which means it's time for some folks to check out the creepiest haunted houses around town. In honor of the holiday, we take a look at some infamous houses to ever hit the big screen.

The Dakota apartment building in NYC is best known as 'The Bramford' in the 1968 horror film "Rosemary's Baby," and it's got some pretty fascinating history. It was once home to celebs like Leonard Bernstein, Lauren Bacall -- and John Lennon, who was shot and killed at the front entrance.

California is notorious for some of these haunted houses ... like the iconic home of Michael Myers from the 1978 OG horror flick "Halloween," which is currently in South Pasadena, CA ...  and many others around L.A.

There's also a ton of creepy houses around the globe ... like The Oakley Court Hotel featured in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" horror flick.

American actor Matthew Lillard was 26 years old when he was cast as Stu Macher -- the outgoing and slightly strange student attending Woodsboro High School who loves a great party -- in the horror film "Scream" back in 1996.

Matt shared the big screen with Neve Campbell as the smart and sensible gal who successfully flees from the killer, Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as the lens hog newscaster determined to cover and solve the town's unknown killer, Gale Weathers and Drew Barrymore as the innocent girlfriend who is murdered while making some popcorn, Casey Becker.

Michael Myers was killin' it at the gym this week.

Sorry, had to.

Former pro pitcher Logan Chitwood gave meatheads a scare at the gym this week -- by dressing up as the "Halloween" villain and getting in a workout!!

The hilarious prank was caught on video ... showing the YouTube star working on his biceps and triceps while decked out in the slasher's navy jumpsuit, mask, wig, and boots.

Chitwood stayed in character the whole time -- you can even see him holding a fake knife while pullin' this off ... but he did struggle a bit when he tried to do a one-armed pull-up.

The prank got a mixed reaction from the folks at the gym ... with some laughing and recording while the serious gym rats stayed focused.

You know who thought it was hilarious, though?!? LeBron James ... saying on his IG, "That some 💩 I would do!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣"

In fact, the NBA superstar -- who seems to be a huge Michael Myers fan -- has a fake replica of the slasher at his mansion for Halloween decor and recently watched the new "Halloween Ends" movie.

"Halloween Ends was so GOOD!!!!" the 37-year-old said on Twitter, "@jamieleecurtis you're such a LEGEND & BADASS #MichaelMyers"

Timothee Chalamet is only 26, but he's already a massive movie star -- and spending like one too -- after scooping up Kate Upton's Beverly Hills home.

The 'Willy Wonka' actor just snagged the Los Angeles pad for $11M -- owned by Kate Upton and her baseball star husband Justin Verlander -- and passed down by other celebs before them. Kate and Justin listed the place earlier this year for $11.7 mil.

Chalamet will be in good company in his new neighborhood, the home, located in the mountains above Beverly Hills is right next door to Vin Diesel and John Mayer. Cameron Diaz and Eva Longoria are among some of the others in the area.

The pad sits on 1.5 acres and comes with 4 bedrooms and 5 baths ... there's a living room with a huge fireplace, an eat-in kitchen with its own breakfast nook, a lounge and a walk-in climate-controlled wine storage room.

If you step outside there's a plunge pool, a raised spa, and a brick terrace ... not to mention the full-size tennis court!

Maria Salud Ramirez Caballero -- the lady who supposedly inspired one the main characters in the movie, "Coco" -- has died.

Her death was confirmed by Roberto Monroy, the Secretary of Tourism for the Mexican state of Michoacan, who said she'd passed away in Santa Fe de la Laguna ... the same town where she was born more than a century ago.

A cause of death wasn't announced, but Monroy remembered her as a "tireless woman and life model."

She's come to be known as "Mama Coco" -- named after the Disney/Pixar character of the same name in the 2017 animated film, which is centered around Mexico's Day of the Dead traditions. Mama Coco was voiced by actress Ana Ofelia Murguia.

While the Mouse House hasn't officially acknowledged Caballero as the source material behind its titular character -- her family claims a team from Pixar visited their area, photographed Caballero extensively and lived with them for a while.

The family asserts a lot of the exact buildings and architecture Pixar/Disney documented while doing research for the movie showed up in the film ... and that "Mama Coco" likeness is uncannily similar to Caballero.

With that said, her family stopped seeking recognition/validation from the company some years ago -- even though she's a local legend.

Caballero was a clay craftswoman who made pots and other items ... which she'd sell to locals. She's survived by 3 children, lots of grandchildren and even more great-grandkids.

She was 109.

Sonny Vacccaro -- the shoe brand industry legend -- tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely fired up for his upcoming biopic ... explaining he loves that Matt Damon is playing him in the movie!!!

"This is the best thing that I could have ever imagined," the 83-year-old said. "And it's bigger because I never imagined it could happen. It's off the charts. It's off the charts."

Damon and Ben Affleck have teamed up to make the movie about Vaccaro's life -- with Affleck set to play famed Nike honcho Phil Knight in the flick.

Producers promise the movie will tell the story of how Vaccaro and Knight relentlessly pursued Michael Jordan to sign a shoe deal with Nike back in the 1980s. Filming officially kicked off this summer.

Further details surrounding the script haven't been made public yet -- and while Vaccaro himself is unsure of the minutia of the movie, he's pumped for it nonetheless.

"I can't explain," Vaccaro said. "I'm 83 years old. It was complete surprise to me. It's an unbelievable honor and I believe in what they're going to do is going to be the truth on the film."

Vaccaro says he and his wife, Pam, were actually invited to the set recently, and they had a blast. He tells us us they got to meet with Damon while there, and told him they share a funny connection with Jason Bourne.

Vaccaro also told us he was blown away when he saw the entire cast -- explaining, "It's like 'Gone With The Wind' or something. I mean, my God, there are no guys that the world's not going to know."

Ant Anstead might be picking up and moving -- but it's not gonna be across the street where his girlfriend, Renee Zellweger, lives ... despite it looking like he's doing exactly that.

The TV personality recently put his Laguna Beach cottage on the market for $3.3 million -- interesting because he'd called it his dream home after his split with Christina Haack ... but even more so because Renee, his current SO, has recently set up shop across the street.

As their relationship has continued to get more and more serious, there was speculation Ant might be finally shacking up with RZ after months of dating -- especially after some photos surfaced this week showing him carrying quite a few personal items over to her crib.

Sadly for RenAnt stans, that's not what's happening. Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... he's just storing some stuff at her house -- her garage, specifically -- for the time being as he prepares to stage his current LB cottage in the search for a new owner.

In other words, they're not moving in together ... but are still together. Our sources say Ant is still looking for his own new pad -- the reason being ... we're told he simply wants something new. He's been there a year-plus now after snapping it up for $2.8 million.

As for the house itself, well ... it's nice. The home comes with its own wraparound deck, vaulted ceilings, an original brick fireplace and a sunroom that can be turned into a studio.

Jeffrey Dahmer costumes seem to be all the rage for this year's Halloween season, but people are up in arms over the tone-deaf outfit choice ... so we're taking a look at some of the most controversial costumes worn by celebs.

Chris Brown took the terrorist route for an outfit on Halloween ... complete with a beard and a turban.

Shaun White caught some flack when he once dressed up as Simple Jack from the film, "Tropic Thunder" ... a character mentally disabled in the flick.

Several celebs thought showin' up in blackface would be alright ... like Colton Haynes as Kanye or Canadian PM Justin Trudeau -- but none might've taken the controversial cake quite like Julianne Hough, who got a ton of backlash for portraying Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from "OITNB."

Robbie Coltrane, the actor who gained world-renowned fame as Rubeus Hagrid in the 'Harry Potter' film franchise has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Coltrane was sick for years, and passed away in a hospital near his home in Larbert, Scotland. It's unclear what he was battling.

Not only did Coltrane appear in each 'Harry Potter' film, his acting career started back in the '70s ... and included roles like Dr. Edward 'Fitz' Fitzgerald on the show "Cracker" from 1993-2006 as well as Valentin Zukovsky in "Goldeneye."

Coltrane struggled with osteoarthritis, a disease that destroys your joints, saying in an interview back in 2020 at his worst moments, he was in "constant pain." He also underwent a knee replacement.

Coltrane stood at 6'1", but his Hagrid character was portrayed to be 8'6".

Coltrane was married to Rhona Gemmell from 1999-2003, and they had two children together.

Coltrane was 72.

RIP

American actress and model Vinessa Shaw was just 17 years old when she was cast as Allison -- a Halloween guru, Max's crush and a high school student attending Jacob Bailey High School -- in the Halloween classic "Hocus Pocus" back in 1993.

Vinessa shared the big screen with Sarah Jessica Parker as one of the three Sanderson sisters who was awoken from the dead, Sarah, Bette Midler as the oldest and smartest sister, Winifred and Kathy Najimy as the most caring sister, Mary Sanderson.

“Come little children, I'll take thee away into a land of enchantment!"

A bizarre reunion just happened in Nashville, as Kanye West and Ray J came face-to-face at Candace Owens' film premiere.

Both men were in attendance Wednesday night for the premiere of "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM." The event was held at the Woolworth Theater, and while arrivals were supposed to start around 6:30 PM local time, Ye didn't show for more than 2 hours after the scheduled slot ... posing for pics on the carpet with Ray and Kid Rock.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us it was Candace who worked to get both Kanye and Ray J there in an attempt to scorn Kim Kardashian.

It was earlier this week when Candace leaked an old voicemail from Kim to Ray J -- who was dating Whitney Houston at the time -- in which Kim called Whitney an "Old hag."

Kim has remained silent for weeks, even as Kanye wore his "White Lives Matter" shirt to both his Yeezy Show and North's basketball game. He's also had his social media accounts suspended for antisemitic remarks -- and JP Morgan Chase Bank has also allegedly cut ties with Ye's multi-billion-dollar Yeezy brand.

Here's something you NEVER see happen in Hollywood ... Jamie Foxx rejected at the door of a huge event -- in this case, Cardi B's birthday party -- and you gotta see Jamie's reaction!!!

Jamie pulled up to the WeHo shindig in full Foxxy mode -- stepping out of his white Rolls-Royce, and as photogs swarmed around, he coolly changed from driving shoes to party shoes (they look identical 😂).

Then, the unbelievable happened ... Jamie and his group of about 4 to 5 other people strolled up to the event -- only to return to his car mere moments later! As Jamie walked away photogs asked why the hell they rejected Mr. Life of the Party. He played it cool, not saying a word ... but it's obvious the door guy knew he'd screwed up.

He came running out to the street, telling Jamie it's cool for him to enter -- but Foxx wasn't having it, saying ... "No, we not good. Nah ni**a, it's all good! I love you, but it was too much."

According to a photo agency, Jamie was initially turned away because he had too many guests with him. Let's just say ... MAJOR faux pas on the part of someone at the door.

Meanwhile, Cardi celebrated her 30th birthday inside -- oblivious, we're sure, too what went down with Jamie, and probably won't be happy about it once she finds out.

Brendan Fraser is a real-life story about how people can rebound to great achievements after pulling themselves out of a deep depression, and the success story can be told with a 5-minute, standing ovation.

Brendan dissolved into tears Tuesday at the London Film Festival, as the audience expressed their rousing approval of his movie, "The Whale."

The 53-year-old actor has had a rough go over the last 2 decades ... after claiming he had been sexually assaulted by a former President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk, a claim which the 8-term president denied.

Up to that point, Brendan's career was on the upswing, with hits like "The Mummy," "Encino Man" and "George of the Jungle."

After the alleged assault, Brendan says he fell into a dark depression that was so bad, it essentially left him too damaged to work.

In his new film, a psychological thriller, Brendan plays a 600-pound, gay man confined to a wheelchair.

Angela Bassett simply won't crack -- and trust us, we tried -- on the new 'Black Panther' buzz surrounding Letitia Wright, but she is tipping her hat to Marvel's "smart" fans, and Disney ... for not recasting Chadwick Boseman's character.

We got Angela at Wally's in L.A. ... and she knows fans are excited to see the sequel, but she's sticking to an apparent code of silence about who's slipping into the super suit seen in the flick's new trailer.

She does admit the fans are smart, though -- saying Letitia's tech-savvy scientist character, Shuri, would be great to take the reins. Still, no confirmation from AB.

She gives us one interesting hint, saying the keen-eyed can "follow the signs and symbols."

Many have noted, for example, the white dot pattern on the mystery Panther's face to bear some serious resemblance to Shuri's.

Whether she's referring to metaphorical "signs and symbols" is unclear.

As for Chadwick's character, Angela got a little choked up telling us Marvel's decision to not recast the role was the right thing to do ... even though a solid percentage of fans were hoping a change would be made.

Johnny Knoxville was left looking like a real jackass for challenging a track phenom to a race ... because when they finally met up for an epic showdown -- he was left eating her dust!!

Here's the deal -- the stunt legend has been playfully trolling 13-year-old Junior Olympian Jaiya Patillo for months ... demanding a one-on-one battle to prove he can take her on in a 200-meter dash.

Well, that day finally came ... and let's just say Knox has to be wishing it didn't.

Give credit to Johnny for posting footage of the race to his 4 million Instagram followers ... 'cause he couldn't even last a second before he fell far behind, even though he brought his own cheerleaders for the event.

FYI -- Patillo is the top-ranked sprinter in her grade ... and has come in first at the AAU Junior Olympics and USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in the past. She's also gone viral on social media multiple times for showing off her insane speed.

According to her website, Jaiya's fastest 200-meter time is 25.48 seconds ... so, yeah, Johnny never stood a chance.

Knoxville was a great sport about it all ... but said he likes his chances at a second go 'round.

"And just because you NARROWLY beat me this time Jaiya it doesn’t mean there can’t be a rematch!!" Knoxville said.

Hollywood legend Angela Lansbury -- famous for "Murder, She Wrote" and as the voice of Mrs. Potts in "Beauty and the Beast" -- has died.

Angela died Tuesday at her home in L.A., according to a statement from her family. They say she passed in her sleep at 1:30 AM.

Although, she's most beloved for her role as murder mystery Jessica Fletcher on the iconic TV hit "Murder, She Wrote" ... Angela was an incredibly accomplished star of the stage before her huge television career.

The British-born actress won 5 Tony Awards while starring in productions like "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "Gypsy" and "Dear World." She was awarded a 6th Tony as a Lifetime Achievement.

'Murder' ran for 12 seasons on CBS -- from 1984 to 1996 -- and was the network's biggest hit during its run. She got 12 Emmy nominations for the role.

Angela will also be remembered for playing Mrs. Potts in the animated "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991.

She is survived by her 3 children, 3 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and brother.

Angela was 96.