OK, so this isn’t exactly the geekiest of news, but it is potentially one of the more earth-shattering entertainment news stories to break in a long time, and so here it is. Oprah Winfrey’s label Harpo put out the press release today, officially announcing that on September 09, 2011, the very last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show would air, which will cap off the universally popular talk show’s 25th season. It looks as if Oprah plans to concentrate on her network, OWN, when the show reaches its closure point.

Rumors of the show’s end have risen and faded, risen again and faded again, but never have they ever come to this kind of finality that her seven million daily viewers feared so dearly. As those of us who are not fans and do not watch know, Oprah is about as close to a god on Earth as there is when it comes to her loyal following, so expect many a hearts to be broken by the news. Lives have been changed, perspectives and paths and physical appearances altered, and books — good and bad — have been made into super-hits all by this woman’s hand. Love her or hate her, the end of Oprah is an occurrence of epic proportions. [...]

Wil Wheaton is something of a fanboy favorite for the people. He’s a former child star, best known as the lead in the Rob Reiner adaptation of Stephen King’s Stand by Me, and also as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He’s done tons of other stuff along with these two better-known titles, but the best thing about him is that he’s grown into a regular everyday guy and fan of many things geek, which puts him high on our list of coolest celebrities in the universe.

One thing that we didn’t know about Mr. Wheaton — and you probably didn’t know it either — is that he was actually in J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek. That’s right, Wes Crusher of Next Generation was in the new Trek.

On the official Wil Wheaton blog, the actor and writer shared the whole story yesterday, and it is quite the amusing tale indeed. [...]

Just last week, we learned that last year’s Academy Awards host, Hugh Jackman, would not be returning for the job (Read: Good News Everyone: Hugh Jackman NOT Hosting The Oscars; Who’s Next?), leaving us wondering who would get the gig and if it would be worth caring about in the slightest. The NY Times is now reporting that the annual show’s producers have made not one choice, but two. That’s right, the next Oscars will have two hosts, and they are none other than comic legend Steve Martin and greatest actor ever to live, Alec Baldwin.

The plan this year to to have the wild and wacky antics of Martin contrast Baldwin’s calm, dry delivery. We know that both are very much capable of some great comedy, so it is easy to declare that this could be a phenomenal production. The two actors are also appearing together in master of the romantic comedy Nancy Meyers’ (What Women Want, The Holiday) It’s Complicated, where they will battle each other for the love of Meryl Streep. [...]

It’s being reported that last year’s Academy Awards host, Hugh Jackman, has decided that he doesn’t want to host for a second year in a row. Jackman currently has a Broadway show going on and obviously has other projects making him quite the busy man. He ensured that he might be willing to return sometime in the future, but as for consecutive appearances, he was not interested.

Every year, fans of the Oscar ceremony anxiously wonder who will host the show that year. The decision on who will host sets the entire table and hints at whether you get really excited, or really skeptical of the show and how entertaining it could be.

Last year, Jackman was brought in to host the ceremony. It was one of many new moves that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science have taken to try and refresh the awards and bring new fans in to fortify their dwindling ratings numbers. Traditionally, the Oscars were hosted by comedic entertainers and actors who weren’t usually nominated and could really own the stage — most popular of them being either Johnny Carson or Billy Crystal. [...]

If you’re into entertaining podcasts and great interviews, then you need look no further than Movie Geeks United on BlogTalkRadio. One of their popular offerings is called the “Director Series” where they focus on some of the greatest directors ever to exist, their careers, and their lives. One of the recent interviews that they did is for their show will look at perhaps the most controversial director we know: Roman Polanski.

As you all know, Polanski was recently arrested in connection to infamous 1977 case which convicted him of having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Because of these stunning developments, the interview — which was conducted hours before news of Polanski’s arrest was reported — looks to contain some very interesting information, and perhaps some new layers to the chaos.

Hosts Jamey DuVall and Geeks of Doom’s own Jerry Dennis spoke to a multitude of people, including Brett Ratner (Rush Hour); Bobbie O’Steen, the wife of Roman’s late editor, Sam O’Steen (Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Frantic); cinematographer William A. Fraker (Rosemary’s Baby); and critic Keith Uhlich. They will also refer back to a 2008 interview that they had with Marina Zenovich, director of the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. [...]

Geeks of Doom has had the honor of interviewing some of the great cast members of Troy Duffy’s desperately-anticipated sequel, Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. First up was the wonderful Clifton Collins Jr., who’s new to the gang in the sequel. And now, I’m pleased to present our own little chat with the best two good guy killers ever seen in a movie — the Boondock Saints: Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus!

Whether you’re a super-fan of the original 1999 cult classic The Boondock Saints or not, you’ve very likely seen both of these gentleman in numerous other movies and TV shows. Sean has appeared in movies like Powder and Suicide Kings, and he even rocked the fedora and whip as Indiana Jones in Young Indiana Jones. Norman will soon be seen in Pandorum, and is also known from his roles in movies like Deuces Wild, Blade II, and Ridley Scott’s American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

You can stay up to date with both of these fine actors by following them on Twitter, or by going to their official websites for all the information you need on all of the past, current, and future projects discussed in this interview. [...]

CBS News is reporting that Patrick Swayze, best known for his many works on screens big and small, has succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. His family was by his side when he passed on.

Swayze’s illness, much like the late Farrah Fawcett, was highly publicized and many people watched on as the actor made every effort to beat this impossible sickness. When it was first reported that he had the disease, he was only given an unbelievable two weeks to live — this was two years ago; proof positive that he fought tooth and nail with all his heart and soul overcome the odds, even continuing to work on shows like The Beast, which earned him a multitude of critical acclaim.

Patrick Swayze is perhaps best known for his many roles ’80s. He first made an impact with his roles in the gang fighting movie The Outsiders and the pre-World War III drama Red Dawn. His then moved onto movies like Dirty Dancing, Road House, and Ghost, which made the man a huge star in the business. Since then, he was seen in the action favorite Point Break, To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar, Black Dog, and Donnie Darko. [...]

The man whose name was synonymous with the electric guitar and multiple important evolutions in rock ‘n’ roll music, Les Paul has died at the age of 94. The musician passed away in a hospital in New York due to complications from pneumonia.

Les Paul was born in Wisconsin in 1915 and was always big on music and inventing new things. A fighter from the start, Paul was a high school drop out who worked hard to get to his larger-than-life status. Even after he started making his unequivocal mark in music, he was in a terrible accident which almost claimed his life and left his arm in danger of never working properly the same. Still he fought, instructing the surgeons to set his arm at an angle where he would still be able to hold and pick the guitar.

He was one of the very first to build a solid-body electric guitar that was called “The Log.” This eventually moved on to become the legendary Les Paul guitar that’s been loved and used by greats of the electric guitar like Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Pete Townsend of The Who, and Eric Clapton. [...]

TMZ is reporting that legendary writer and director John Hughes has died. The report is that Hughes was out for a morning walk in New York while visiting family when he suffered a fatal heart attack. The news has since been confirmed by multiple other top news sources.

John Hughes was not only a staple in popular ’80s cinema, the man was an ’80s cultural icon. His brain was responsible for some of the best comedies and teen angst movies ever created.

While most of his credits came as a writer and a producer, he’s best known for his work behind the camera. His directing resume only contains eight films, but those eight films have made more of an impact in cinematic history than most directors could pull off in 100 movies. Below are the eight films he directed. [...]

Kevin Smith made his triumphant return to the San Diego Comic-Con this year with some news about his new buddy cop movie A Couple of Dicks staring Bruce Willis. Smith said that the film’s title may change between now and its tentative February 2010 release date.

However, it was Smith’s “Moist” commentary on Twilight that had the entire convention center buzzing. The crowd began booing after being asked who watched the trailer for the next film New Moon, [for New Moon details, check out our coverage SDCC 09: ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ Panel]

Geeks of Doom captured video coverage of Smith’s Q&A, which, in addition to the Twilight fans comments, includes plenty of other Smithian insights… Click over to watch the 7-part video.

From Smith regarding the Twilight fans at the Con…

“Stop…stop, that’s the next generation of fans… How dare you pass judgment on those 12-year-old girls who like vampires! They need to be encouraged because in six years they’ll be 18-year-old girls who like vampires and are into all sorts of goth-permissive and whatnot. Don’t Boo-poo it. There’s a plan, and it’s working.”

Clifton Collins Jr. is one of Hollywood’s truly unheralded talents. He has appeared in an impressive amount different movies, from summer blockbusters like J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek to comedies like Sunshine Cleaning; action movies like Crank 2: High Voltage to Oscar-winning dramas like Traffic, Babel, and Capote. He’s even done popular video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Acting is in Clifton’s blood: his grandfather Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez has a huge resume, appearing in movies like Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin; as well as many TV appearances on classic shows like Gunsmoke, I Dream of Jeannie, and Perry Mason. For a while, Collins Jr. went by the name of Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez in honor of his grandfather.

Mr. Collins Jr. was gracious enough to answer some questions for Geeks of Doom about his work on the highly-anticipated sequel Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day and Mike Judge’s new movie Extract, as well as some other areas of his great career. [...]

In memory of Michael Jackson, CityWalk at Universal Studios Hollywood will be transformed into Universal Moonwalk, a massive outdoor celebration of the performer and his legendary career, on July 9, starting at 7PM.

The free event will include screenings of Jackson’s Thriller music video/short movie and his The Wizard of Oz remake, The Wiz. Along with the screenings, a special live dance retrospective will be performed. This dance retrospective will showcase the many years and styles of Michael Jackson’s musical offerings and dancing styles.

As we all know, Michael Jackson died last month after suffering cardiac arrest at the age of 50 after years of incredible stress and unfathomable amounts of medications were just far too much for his body to handle anymore [...]

As we all know, this past week or two has been incredibly unfortunate with the passing of many beloved celebrities, including David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. As depressing as all of this loss was, at one point in the chaos that occurred on the day that Fawcett and Jackson were lost, there were also various reports that actor Jeff Goldblum had also died after falling off a cliff in New Zealand while filming. This news never really seemed legit and we later found out that it was in fact false — but it had actually gotten as far as foreign news programs reporting that police in New Zealand had confirmed it as true.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to bring a little laughter to us at a time where many are mourning, Stephen Colbert decided to report the sad demise of Jeff Goldblum on The Colbert Report while touching on the journalistic accuracy of Twitter. [...]

The LA Times is reporting that world famous product endorser Billy Mays was found dead in his home this morning by his wife. He was 50 years old.

Famous for his loud, in-your-face delivery of information of such products as OxyClean, Orange Glo, and Mighty Putty, Mays was also more recently featured on the fantastic Discovery Channel show Pitchmen, which followed him and Anthony Sullivan as they pitted “made for TV” products against one another, picking the superior one to provide their services to.

The cause of death is unknown, but a full autopsy is expected [...]

In what has turned out to be one of the more depressing days in entertainment, the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, has died at the age of 50. The news came mere hours after the report that actress Farrah Fawcett had lost her long battle with cancer.

The Michael Jackson news was surreal, as while it was unfolding, many thought it was simply inaccurate news. When word first broke, it was said that Jackson was found in cardiac arrest and not breathing; this news quickly took a turn for the worst when rumors started flying out that he had passed away; this shock was followed up by suggestions that he was actually in a coma, and the reports began alternating, leaving everyone confused as to what was actually going on. Sadly, as time moved forward, this news — first reported by TMZ — was confirmed by the LA Times to be true.

Many have been worried about the health of Jackson for a while now, but with a hopeful three-year world tour set to kick off with 50 sold out shows in London, it appeared that the star was feeling well and prepped for an attempted comeback of epic proportions. [...]

Farrah Fawcett, the ’70s bombshell with glowing blonde hair, has passed away at a hospital in California after her long battle with cancer. She was 62 years old.

Fawcett’s three-year battle had been very public, keeping fans well up-to-date on her progress in this incredibly difficult fight. She even appeared in a TV documentary called Farrah’s Story, which gave us a close-up look at the actress’s terrible struggles, and her determination to find beat it and find a cure.

Farrah Fawcett first showed up in the late ’60s, appearing briefly on legendary TV shows like I Dream of Jeannie and The Partridge Family. She made many other appearances as well, but it wasn’t until 1976 when she broke out in a big way with her highly-recognized run as one the beloved Angels on Charlie’s Angels, as well as her turn in Logan’s Run. Surprisingly, she only appeared in 29 episodes of Charlie’s Angels which ran from 1976 to 1981, yet she is known all over the world for it. After Angels, she became every man’s dream girl — her poster was on almost every young boy’s wall. She moved on from the show to do a lot more drama work, and she was in well-known movies like The Cannonball Run and Dr. T and the Women. [...]

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like Betty White?

I didn’t think so.

White made an appearance this week on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon where the 87-year-old beloved actress went up against the host in a game of Beer Pong. I suggest you take a moment to watch the clip here below; it’s funny and quite enjoyable. I think I could have watched like an hour of Betty White playing Beer Pong. And I love how the audience loved White too, screaming her name like she was a rock star. Awesome.

White was promoting her new movie The Proposal, a rom-com starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds that I probably wouldn’t have given a second glance to had it not been for White’s role in it [...]

Bruce Campbell. The man, the myth, the mighty chin.

In the realm of cult cinema there is no greater name than his. Bruce embodies all the great qualities we look for in our cinematic icons: talent, personality, wit, charisma, humility, grace, and honesty. He may never be accepted in the Hollywood circles like so many before him who got their start in B-movies and then forgot about where they came from, because Bruce will never betray his roots or his massive, well-deserved international fanbase. Any movie he’s part of, be it a clever cameo (the Spider-Man movies) or a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it bit part (the last shot of Darkman, The Demolitionist, several recent Coen Brothers flicks), is all the better for his presence alone, but Bruce has more acting talent than his extensive resume of Sci-Fi channel flicks, failed television shows, and countless convention appearances would reveal to the uninitiated.

Here’s a list of Bruce’s 10 best performances in film and television, in the humble opinion of this writer [...]

The career of William Alan Shatner will be nothing short of legendary when people read about him in history books at the turn of the next century. How is it that one man can achieve so much all the while at the same time giving you the feeling that he’s not really taking a single one of his performances seriously. Actor, singer, songwriter, stand up comedian, negotiator of pricelines — and let’s not forget the role that created a now fabled science fiction archetype: The Space Captain.

So you can imagine the heartbreak we Geeks of Doom felt upon hearing that The Shat had not been asked to join the cast of the new Star Trek film. The Federation may have a new Kirk sitting in the Enterprise, but it’s impossible to forget the Shat’s epic mark on the world. Below are just six reasons why Bill Shatner is the greatest performer of all-time. [Feel free to comment with additional reasons.] [...]

The cameras of The Shatner Project were rolling again last month, capturing the official first meeting between the original James T. Kirk, William Shatner, and Chris Pine, who plays Kirk in the upcoming JJ Abrams prequel/reboot Star Trek.

The historic meeting took place on April 25, 2009 at Priceline’s Charity Horse Show Dinner, where many of the cast and crew from the upcoming film came out to support this charity that Shatner is very involved with. Shatner was the host of the dinner. The momentous meeting is quick, but definitely worth watching. Check it out here below.

Also, Pine and his co-star Zachary Quinto did an Artist On Artist feature on MySpace where the two actors interviewed each other about working with JJ Abrams and the cast of the new Star Trek. The 5-minute video includes clips from the upcoming film, along with some behind-the-scenes footage [...]