We're not surprised at the news that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is locked in at a running time of 140 minutes — at least 20 minutes longer than it should be to achieve that coveted $300 million mark Paramount wants for it. But that's nothing compared to the film's production stills, the most dismaying of which we found couched over at Hollywood Elsewhere and you can check out after the jump.

As if George Lucas' forewarning that Indy 4 just won't be all that great weren't enough to lower our expectations, now we learn that heir to the throne Shia LaBeouf filmed most of his scenes while injured. As the star told MTV News, "I pulled a rotator cuff in my hip...because the injury got worse and worse while filming, I pulled my groin also." And not only did Shia gimp his way through scenes, recent reports suggest that he may have been high as a kite while filming. A recent blind item suggests Harrison Ford and his Mini-Me made a habit out of puffing the green dragon in Shia's trailer and even had code names for being stoned.

Arguably the last Hollywood reach-around that still truly matters, it's hardly a surprise to see some of the world's biggest stars line up for their turn to get slimed at the Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards—a relatively minor price to pay to ingratiate yourself to a new generation of prepubescent fans, who'll come away viewing you not just as some relic steeped in old-man smell, but as certified lunchbox-adornment material.

When it comes to celebrity endorsements, Harrison Ford isn't exactly known for splashing his chiseled face across billboards shilling for shower gels and cell phones (Japanese beer, as you'll see after the jump, is whole 'nother story). But according to Mediabistro, Ford recently agreed to partner with powerhouse advertising agency BBDO to develop a series of environmentally angled ads. And, apparently, Ford's developed a case of the Nortons:

Got an extra six grand lying around with nothing to consume? Well, the folks at Guernsey's Auction House will be happy to solve your fiscal problem. What could possibly be more fulfilling than spending those benjamins on a previously worn wife-beater with holes in it, coupled with silk purple and maroon pants? Not buying it? Well, what if we told you said ensemble was worn by Jim Carrey in the legendary bird-calling scene from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. And if you roll higher than that, say with 100 grand taking up space in your wife's shoe closet, get your ass to Vegas on March 15th because Michael Keaton's likely-sweat-drenched Batman Returns costume awaits. What else will the Pugliese Pop Culture Collection feature? More offerings, prices and images follow after the jump.

With anticipation-levels for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hovering somewhere around those of that other long-awaited sequel, Jesus Christ and the Second Coming, Paramount has arranged for the latest chapter of Steven Spielberg's adventure serial to get a suitably overblown premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. Reports Variety:

Even though Hollywood's A-List was deprived of a chance to eat and drink on Vanity Fair's dime last night, two fiestas proved that celebrities will not let a little thing like tradition get in the way of a night of free booze and swag. Elton John's Annual AIDS Foundation Oscar Party usually has a strong turnout of power players, but the star wattage at the 16th incarnation of the bash last night was a few standard deviations past the norm, thanks mainly to the absence of Graydon Carter's soiree. Highlights included Tilda Swinton kissing her Oscar in some sort of Buddhist mating ritual, as well as the public debut of Hollywood's newest power couple, Sean Penn and Petra Nemcova. We've got pictures after the jump.

Traversing the globe to bring you the latest Indy 4 photo leaks, we now head to Italian magazine L'espresso, for what we believe is the first known image of latter-day Jones in the presence of his single phobia, the dreaded snake. While our Italian is virtually nonexistent, a quick consultation with Google Translate tells us the headline "Poker d'assi per Indiana," in fact means, "Poker of axles for Indiana," suggesting that while he may be a little grayer, and run a little bit slower, everyone's favorite archaeological adventurer is still doing just fine in the Nazi-cargo-truck-dominating arena. [L'espresso via Slash Film]

The latest promotional Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull breadcrumb tossed to fans by morsel-hoarding studio Paramount is MTV's exclusive Indy Standing Atop Some Crates In That Government Warehouse photo, a more than worthy follow-up to previous installments in this series like Indy Sitting In A Chair While Wearing A Fedora and Indy And His Knuckleheaded Greaser Kid Shining Flashlights At Something. We suppose we're to believe that the aging adventure has returned to the Raiders artifact repository to look for the Ark, perhaps in an attempt to knock some good sense into Shia LaBeouf, threatening that if he doesn't get off the dope soon, Dad will pry open a container and let God's unleashed, righteous fury melt that shit-eating grin right off his punk face. [MTV News.com]

Famous for his roles as surly heroes and everymen, Ford will likely always be best known for his iconic portrayals of effortlessly cool adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones and cocky intergalactic smuggler Han Solo.

If you're anything like us, every stolen glimpse of pre-release images from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull, the movie we're all hoping will effectively erase the years from 1999-2007 from Harrison Ford's IMDb profile, sends a pleasant feeling of warmth through your rapidly engorging naughty areas. Excited by the idea of a fifty sixtysomething Jones holding a whip in one hand and a gun in the other? No? Then how about one of the adventurer and his son, who's apparently fallen in with a crowd of leather-wearing bad seeds, crouching and pointing a flashlight at some unseen danger, looking as if he's about to tell the boy, "Listen, I know that it wouldn't be cool to admit to your no-good greaser pals that you're afraid, but where I come from, it's OK to be scared shitless by a pit full of thousands of snakes. So let the old man wet his pants a little and let's not make a big deal about it, agreed?" If neither photo turns your on, you're pretty much out of luck, because the one of Indy standing near a motorcycle probably won't do it for you, either.[AICN]

PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often! Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time you spotted inner-monologue-addicted serial killer Dexter and his completely clueless sister munching on tortilla chips at Marix.

In yet another story about How The Writers Strike Has Affected, Is Currently Affecting, Our Will Affect The Lives of TV And/Or Movie-Loving Americans, the AP looks at the impact the walkout may have on the slew of upcoming awards shows dependent on the work of WGA professionals to provide the monologue jokes, seemingly off-the-cuff banter, and cutting-edge film-parody montages that help fill out the ceremonies' blink-and-you've-missed-four-hours-of-your-life- you'll-never-get-back running times. Reps from the Academy and the HFPA opine on how the strike might hamper both Hollywood's Biggest and Drunkest Nights, respectively:

PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so do your duty and send them in! Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time you couldn't stop giggling thinking about a Tell Me You Love Me star's stunt-cock mishaps at The Grove.

As a reward for assisting DreamWorks in the daring sting operation that prevented further leaking of secrets related to the production of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of This Thing My Wife Bought At Liberace's Estate Sale, a grateful Steven Spielberg invited some members of the online press to the Universal backlot for an audience with the national treasure himself. Once there, he informed his awed guests about his ongoing debate with CGI-happy Indy partner George Lucas on their differing filmmaking philosophies. Reports /Film:

PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time Winona Ryder graciously adopted the role of elevator-operator at the WeHo Target.

· There was a time when a pompadoured Harrison Ford would've been steering that bike instead of hanging on to the waist of some punk kid for dear life and looking scared shitless. Sigh.
· One of the things we missed the most during Paris Hilton's incarceration were her socially responsible, anti-drunk-driving blog posts. We thank God every day she's free again.
· Soon to be a CBS MOW: Sucked Out At 20,000 Feet: The Chris Fogg Story.
· Even on a slow news day, you can find a semicelebrity DUI story if you look hard enough.

IndianaJones.com is currently boasting some big cast gets for Indy 4, the wildly anticipated summer '08 release which promises to do for arthritic archaeo-adventurers what Rocky Balboa did for steroid-abusing former heavyweight champions—i.e., show 'em that Hollywood has no problem employing the elderly if they sense there's some money to be made. Among the announced actors are Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, and Biggest Star in The World For Two Heady Weeks in April Shia LaBeouf. Sadly, however, an official statement penned by Professor Henry Jones himself, aka Sean Connery, informs us that the series' fourth installment will contain none of The Last Crusade's snappy father-son banter: