In "Crazy, Stupid, Love.", Steve Carell plays a long-married man whose imploding life-long marriage leaves him adrift and lost -- the perfect kind of human jetsam for smooth seducer Ryan Gosling to meet, mentor and make-over after childhood sweetheart Julianne Moore pulls the adult trick of crushing his heart. Carell's character, flailing and failing, is the center of "Crazy, Stupid, Love."  -- with the intriguing irony that Carell's never been more in control of his career; the comedy marks the first release backed by his own production company. We spoke with Carell in New York.

This film looks at a lot of big relationship issues and a lot of things about truth, but let's talk about the tough stuff first: You get a pretty good makeover.

Carell: I do.

 Was that gratifying to see that happen?

Carell: Yeah, I needed it.

 You're certainly a stylish gentleman in the real world.

Carell: For sure.

When they slump you down and then you get to twirl as if by magic and you're like Cinderella at the ball with Ryan Gosling --

Carell: It's a dream come true.

Few films have earned a permanent place in the hearts and memories of so many people as MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.” The 1939 classic made a star out of young Judy Garland and became such a sensation that it was re-released regularly in movie theaters and became a Special Event when it started airing on television. The film still captivates generation after generation with screenings, public sing-alongs, and deluxe versions on DVD and Blu-Ray.

There have been many attempts to capitalize on this phenomenon with new versions of the story but the only one that has met with success is “Wicked,” the Broadway musical written by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman that is based on the Gregory Maguire book. That show, which has become an international phenomenon of its own, is a prequel of sorts, imagining the early years of the two main witches seen in the film. Universal owns the rights to the Broadway show but has no plans to film it any time soon.

The Wrap reports that a panel at this weekend’s Comic-Con showcased what may be the first film sequel to gain acceptance by the original’s legion of fans. Stars Patrick Stewart and Megan Hilty introduced clips from the upcoming animated film, “Dorothy of Oz” that picks up where the MGM movie left off and involves a return trip to Oz for young Dorothy. Surprisingly, it was the first Comic-Con visit for Stewart, despite his iconic “Star Trek” role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a character beloved by Comic-Con geeks near and far.

Stewart was delighted to play a role in the new full-length feature which was written by Roger S. Baum, the grandson of L. Frank Baum, author of the original Oz books. “Right now my feeling is that the greatest innovations in cinema are being made in the world of animation,” Stewart told the crowd. “There’s such a diversity of work that’s being done.” The British actor, who plays a character called Tugg in the film, said that his acting style is particularly suited to animation. “I’ve always thought of myself as a stage actor who occasionally does movies and television,” he admitted. “So when I get in front of the camera, invariably the director is saying to me, ‘LESS!’ In my experience in animation, the directors always want ‘MORE! MORE!’”

Starring as Dorothy in the new film is “Glee’s” Lea Michele, who certainly has the powerhouse voice necessary for the role. Michele has sung several of the well-known hits from “Wicked” on the TV series and seems like the musical star of the moment (it’s rumored that she’s being considered for a revival of “Funny Girl” on Broadway). In this film, Dorothy returns to Oz only to find her friends there in grave danger thanks to the machinations of a wicked Jester (played by Martin Short). 

“Dorothy of Oz” also features the voices of Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man, and James Belushi as the Cowardly Lion. Hugh Dancy and Oliver Platt join Patrick Stewart and Martin Short playing characters new to the story.

Directed by Dan St. Pierre, who worked as an animator on a bunch of successful Disney classics including “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and the “Lion King,” the film, produced by Summertime Entertainment, is scheduled to be released next summer.

Will it work? There are a few live-action sequels to “The Wizard of Oz” in the works along with a new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the film and at least two TV series in development. Which project will make it down the Yellow Brick Road and which will meet the dark fate of “The Wiz” (1978) or “Return to Oz” (1985)? I'm sure studio executives all over town are clicking their heels together three times and hoping they make it over the rainbow.

Who could have anticipated that two of the original Bond girls would be in the news this past week? Actress Linda Christian, the first ever Bond girl, died over the weekend. A few days before that, an inquest was held in London regarding the recent suicide death of Angela Scoular, who seduced 007 in the classic “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Scoular’s death was particularly sad and gruesome. The 65-year-old actress, who suffered from bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and a bout of bowel cancer, ingested highly toxic drain cleaner and then poured the caustic substance all over her body.

Linda Christian, on the other hand, whose sensational figure earned her the nickname “the anatomic bomb,” died of natural causes at the age of 87. Did you hear that, Baby Boomers? The original Bond girl was EIGHTY-SEVEN! To be precise, Christian, who was the widow of 1940s heartthrob Tyrone Power, appeared as James Bond’s babe in an early TV version of Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale” which featured Barry Nelson as the suave secret agent. So if you’re being a stickler and insist on starting the count with the series’ big-screen adaptations starring Sean Connery, then the honor of first Bond girl would go to the three sexpots appearing in “Dr. No” including Ursula Andress (who is alive and well at 75).

Some people have speculated about the “curse of the Bond girl,” claiming that the careers of the young actresses who appear in these high-profile roles take a nose dive after they hit the sheets with Mr. Bond. Apart from the personal travails of certain alumni, most notably poor Ms. Scoular, the theory doesn’t hold a lot of water. Just take a look of some of the women who have played Bond girls early in their careers: Diana Rigg, Jacqueline Bissett, Honor Blackman, Jill St. John, Britt Eckland, Maud Adams, Jane Seymour, Barbara Bach, Grace Jones, Carey Lowell, Minnie Driver, Eva Green, Teri Hatcher—not to mention Oscar winners Kim Basinger and Halle Berry. Hardly a downtrodden group!

And frankly, anyone whose career can survive characters with names such as Holly Goodhead, Plenty O’Toole, Kissy Suzuki, and Pussy Galore must have some well-seasoned acting chops!

While some diehards consider Sean Connery the only “real” James Bond and other fans have a strong allegiance to Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan, actor Daniel Craig has held down the fort since 2006. After two successful outings, Craig is getting ready to start filming the 23rd film in the series. This new caper will be directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes and is scheduled for a November 2012 release. Dame Judi Dench will reprise her role as the mysterious M, with the addition of Javier Bardem as a new super-villain, but no word yet on the lucky (or unlucky?) bevy of women who will get to have their way with James Bond in the upcoming film.

With her wide eyes, quick manner and sass-tastic demeanor, Emma Stone's pulling off a delicate trick -- she's somehow becoming the next big thing without becoming in any way like all the other next big things that have preceded her. Best-known for turns in "Easy A" and "Zombieland" -- and poised for megastardom with a role in next summer's "The Amazing Spider-Man" -- Stone's currently starring as the woman who turns the tables on womanizer ryan Gosling in "Crazy, Stupid, Love." We spoke with Stone in New York.

Ryan Gosling -- talented actor, more associated with slightly more serious films, but he brings that intensity to the comedy here -- what was it like working with him?

Stone: It was fantastic. He's so funny naturally in real life that it was a little mind-boggling that he's not known for being a funny guy. I think he's funny, and it was great getting to have fun with him and play around and see what happened. He's a great teammate.

There's a lot of funny stuff in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' but there's real stuff on the table too. Did directors ever say to you, 'That take was great, but this time let's move the mixer away from funny or toward funny?' How did you get the calibration of the scenes right?

Stone: There'll be the times where you step in and it's like, 'Let's pace this up a little bit,' or, 'Let's slow this one down,' or, 'Let's skip this,' or, 'Let's move forward to that.' For the most part, I think life doesn't really follow  …right now I'm not thinking of how to balance humor with serious answers. It comes out of my mouth. That's my approach when it comes to characters. A bunch of different emotions are always battling within us as human beings, so over-thinking that balance would take away some of the humanity of it -- for me.