[Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; February 7. Image via Flynet ]

Angelina Jolie traded heavy PDA and Super Bowl cheering with Brad and Maddox for more serious fare in the Dominican Republic yesterday. The UN global ambassador met with the country’s president Leonel Fernandez to speak with him about the situation in Haiti as well as visit a local hospital to talk to refugees from the nation devastated by the recent earthquake. In the wake of the tragedy, Angelina and Brad donated one million in aid, though only he came out to answer phones at George Clooney’s huge telethon . While Angelina

“I have faith in God,” says one missionary jailed in Haiti . “But maybe the U.S. government could help a little more too.” Maybe the government’s more concerned with helping Haitians than those who violated Haitian law? [ NYT ]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the most bloated, hackneyed, absurd ensemble films often result, for the same reasons, in the best premieres. Garner, Alba, Biel, Cooper, Hathaway, Beauvais, Roberts. The Valentine’s Day premiere, at least, is worth seeing. Doesn’t Anne Hathaway look like she’s poised to play Papagena in a new, modern production of The Magic Flute ? No? Okay, then. Jessica Alba’s agent was like, “Papagena’s available! Get down there, in character!” I know I’ve been moaning about the bandage dresss forever, but I must say, Jennifer Garner ’s is not the sort of evolution I had in mind. I know, there’s no pleasing me. I hate the term “confection,” but Jessica Biel ’s peppermint-stick sundae is just…

Next month a wind-up flying panties toy will be released in Japan. Apparently, it’s based on the intro to the anime series Sora no Otoshimono , but that still doesn’t explain why the panties are flying in the first place. [ InventorSpot ]