VIDEOS OF THE WEEK: ‘Dear John’ Press Tour and ‘Step Up’ Favorites

Most of today's Videos of the Week are related to Channing Tatum's highly successful new movie 'Dear John', which released in the US, Canada, and a few other countries on February 5th, just released in South Africa today, and has a sneak preview in Indonesia this weekend before it's official February 25th debut in that country.

We also have a video that was submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum fan Trecia T., and it's an oldie, but goodie, from their 'Step Up' days. Enjoy!

First up, we have what is hands downs my #1 favorite interview that Chan and co-star Amanda Seyfried did during the 'Dear John' press tour.

It was done on the Toronto leg of the tour, and you may recognize interviewer Jessi Cruickshank from "The Hills", "The City", and "Laguna Beach" after shows on MTV. I've learned that you can always count on Jessi for a laugh, and this interview was no different...

One of the questions I see most often from fans is "What is that song in the 'Dear John' trailer?". As most of you now know, the main song in the trailer is Snow Pa­trol's "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" featuring Martha Wainwright. The film released a music video for the song with footage of Chan and Amanda from the movie. Fans can watch it below...

After Chan's hilarious Chelsea Lately interview, he headed on over to Rogue for Jonesy's Jukebox for a much more laid back interview with Steve Jones, the co-founder of the Sex Pistols (a popular 70's rock group). Listen in as they talk about Chan's provocative interview with Chelsea Handler, his love for football, the south, becoming an actor, and everything in between...

In this last 'Dear John' video, we have a quick PopSugar report on their coverage of the San Fransisco press tour stop where Chan and Amanda made fans really happy by passing out lots of hugs at the event and where Chan first introduced fans to his new site PostThelove.com.

You even get a glimpse of Chan's friend and business partner Reid who was there to get footage for the Post The Love "I Love You" video that Chan made for fans to help launch the site (which currently has well over 6000 thousand members)...

Chan's press tours have gotten so huge over the past three years, that it's impossible for me to cover every single interview, but here's a few more that I thought you might like...

• Soho New York Apple Store Q&A with Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried (Free iTunes Download)


• Y 98.1 in Illinois Radio Interview (MP3)


• Backstage.com Interview: "'Dear' Destiny"


• Collider.com Interview: "Channing Tatum Interview DEAR JOHN, Plus Info on Dito Montiel’s SON OF NO ONE and THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH"


• The Finer Dandy Interview: "Channing Tatum is a no-limit soldier…of love"


• Parade.com Interview: "Channing Tatum: 'I've Been Dumped More Times Than I Care to Remember'"


• Vancouver Sun Interview: “Channing Tatum describes how he lost it in Dear John, a movie he insists is not a chick flick”

If you missed any of my articles on the press tour, no worries. You can CLICK HERE to read all of them and HERE to check out hundreds if photos from the entire tour.

Last, but definitely not least, we have the Ciara Featuring Chamillionaire - Get Up music video submitted by fan Trecia, and here's what she had to say about why she loves this video...

"I really like this video because well, for obvious reasons, both Channing and Jenna are in it! =D I still remember the first time I've ever watched this video. It was when "Step Up" was released back in 06' and was making a huge splash on Asian shores. Then, one day, while I was flipping through some channels on TV, and I saw this video. I didn't know who Chan and Jen were back then, and I remember thinking, "oh, who's that cute guy in the video? And both of them can really dance!"...I almost gave "Step Up" a pass but this video made me change my mind! What with the black outfits and dancing in the rain, they make dancing so damn sexy! So, I watched the film and guess what? I totally fell head over heels in love with it. I bought the DVD and the soundtrack, and you don't even want to know the number of times I have watched this film. (hint: Its a 2 digit number!) Anyway, all I want to say is, if its not because of this video, I would have missed out on a great film and I won't be typing this out at this very moment. =)"

BIG thanks to Trecia for your submission!! If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

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UNWRAPPED PHOTOS | Channing Tatum Leaving Chelsea Lately

After his first ever appearance on Ellen Degeneres, Channing Tatum made his way to E!'s Chelsea Lately show (another first) where he wrapped up the 'Dear John' Press Tour with yet another hilarious interview.

The movie, which hit theaters on February 5, 2010 and skyrocketed to #1 by beating Avatar (the box office leader for 7 consecutive weeks), tells the story of John (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he meets during her spring vacation.

‘Dear John‘ is based on a Nicholas Sparks book by the same name, helmed by Lasse Hallström, written by Jamie Linden, and wrapped filming in the Charleston, South Carolina area in December 2008.

Fans can now check out new pics of the hard-working star leaving the E! studios with his publicist after the show courtesy of Socialite Life, and you can watch Chan's really funny Chelsea Lately interview below...

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CTU EXCLUSIVE: Chan and Jenna Behind-the-Scenes at Ellen Degeneres

With best friend Adam and his wife Christin, sister Paige, and wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum in tow, Channing Tatum made his first ever appearance on Ellen yesterday. Based on the hilarious photo that was released prior to the show, it was quite clear that fun was had by all at the Tuesday taping of Ellen where Chan also raised money for Haiti by giving very excited audience members hugs and kisses.

Paige, who was nice enough to take a behind-the-scenes pic of Chan and Jenna in his dressing room just for CTU, said that everyone was laughing hysterically before, during, and after the appearance and had a ton of fun at the filming. When you watch the interview below, you'll know exactly why...

Big thanks to Paige for the great pic! And make sure you tune into Chelsey Lately tonight, because Chan will be making his first appearance on that show too.

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Channing Tatum Wraps Up ‘Dear John’ Press Tour in NYC and Takes Theaters By Storm Across the Country

In case you missed it, Variety and tons of other news outlets are reporting that Channing Tatum's romantic drama 'Dear John' is now officially the first movie to take on Avatar and WIN!

Against all estimates, odds, rain, and what's being call "the storm of the century" in the North East, Chan's fans showed up in droves to the sold-out midnight screenings all over the country and packed theaters during the day to help the film reach $13.8 million on Friday. The movie is now projected to make over $30 million for the entire weekend, beating everyone's original estimates by leaps and bounds.

Regardless of the final weekend number, 'Dear John' has already set records. It's the highest Friday opening for Screen Gems and is also the highest opening for a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. The last two Sparks films, 2008’s "Nights in Rodanthe" and "The Notebook," charted opening weekends just north of $13 million, which is what 'Dear John' made on Friday alone.

I couldn't be happier for Chan and everyone involved with the film. Their hard work is paying off and fans are loving the movie. This kind of success doesn't come easily and both Chan and his 'Dear John' co-star Amanda Seyfried have been working non-stop to promote the film across the country.

They just wrapped up the New York leg of their 'Dear John' press tour yesterday after stops in Fort Bragg, Charleston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles.

Below you can check out some of the new photos from fans and the media for this interview-packed stop that included appearances on Regis and Kelly, The Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and a fan Q&A with Amanda Seyfried at the Soho Apple Store. Enjoy!!!

Fans can also CLICK HERE to check out a ton more photos from New York City and HERE for pics from the entire 'Dear John' press tour in the CTU Photo Gallery.

Here's what one fan had to say about her fan encounter with Chan outside the Soho Apple Store appearance on Thursday...

"I went to see Channing Tatum at the Soho Apple Store for the Dear John Q&A. I actually got to meet him on his way in, he was generous enough to pose with fans and chat up a bit. The Q&A was not allowed to be recorded or anything, and will be available on itunes soon. Channing has such an amazing charm that made the Q&A so much more entertaining. I hope to meet him again soon enough! - Chelsea"

Chelsea also sent a couple of videos from that day. You all can watch videos of Chan and Amanda graciously signing autographs for all the fans both inside and outside the packed event...

As Chelsea said, fans were not able to record the Q&A, but I talked with Apple and they are planning on posting an enhanced podcast on iTunes with audio and photos from the event early next week. I'll let you all know when that's available for download.

You can also check out videos of Chan from his Fallon, Today Show, and Regis and Kelly appearances (both inside and outside) this past week below. Enjoy!!!

You can CLICK HERE to watch the entire show and see Chan's first segment with Jimmy.

Thanks to Chelsea for the great fan encounter and videos from the Soho Apple Store event!

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Channing Tatum's 'Dear John' Press Tour Takes Over San Fransisco

After stops in Fort Bragg, Charleston, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Chicago, the regional press tour for Channing Tatum's romantic drama 'Dear John' made it's last stop in San Fransisco this past Friday.

On today's post we have new pics and a video from last Friday's Macy's fan meet and greet at Union Square and behind-the-scenes photos of Chan doing press with co-star Amanda Seyfried while in town. You can check out a few of the pics below, and you'll find the rest in the CTU photo gallery...

While in San Fransisco promoting 'Dear John', Chan told the mob of excited fans all about his new site, PostTheLove.com. You can check a video Chan made while at the tour stop below...

And don't forget...Chan has a busy week of 'Dear John' promotions coming up, which includes, but is not limited to, the following...

• Tuesday & Wednesday (February 2nd and 3rd): Hosting Two Nights of MTV from 7pm - 10pm Central


• Wednesday (February 3rd): Live With Regis and Kelly


• Thursday (February 4th): Late Night with Jimmy Fallon


• Thursday (February 5th): 'Dear John' Hits Theaters


• Wednesday (February 10th): Ellen Degeneres

As always, stay tuned to CTU and I'll let you know if I find out about any other appearances for the tour!

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Channing Tatum's 'Dear John' Press Tour Hits Toronto and Chicago

The regional press tour for Channing Tatum's romantic drama 'Dear John' wrapped up this past Friday after stops in Fort Bragg, Charleston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, and San Fransisco. Today's post is dedicated to the Toronto and Chicago legs of the tour, and my next post will highlight Friday's extremely popular Macy's fan meet and greet in San Fransisco.

In case you missed all the up-to-the-minute tweets on Chan's official twitter over the past week, you can check out some of the great fan and media pics of Chan and his 'Dear John' co-star Amanda Seyfried doing press and appearing on MuchMusic in Toronto where fans waited outside in the freezing cold for countless hours for a chance to meet the two stars...

You can also check out a ton more pics from Toronto in the CTU Photo Gallery.

After Toronto, the 'Dear John' press tour headed on over to Chi-town where Chan and Amanda met with the local media. Below, you can read an interview they did at the Peninsula in Chicago with the Chicago Tribune where Chan (the endless romantic) talks about a new love-themed website he told me he plans to launch as early as this week. I'll have a lot more details on PostTheLove.com soon, but you can read a little about it the new article below...

Don't let your girlfriend or wife read this interview with 'Dear John' stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried...As if “The Notebook” didn’t already raise women’s romantic expectations high enough, now guys have to deal with “Dear John,” another romance flick based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, which features a more muscular, Abercrombie model-looking heartthrob in the male protagonist role.

Thanks, Hollywood.

Channing Tatum (or “Chan” as he introduced himself to me) plays John Tyree, a soldier who meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) when he jumps off a dock and into water to rescue her purse. The two instantly fall for each other and stay in touch when he’s away on duty by writing letters.

Like any other bitter male, I went into my interview with Tatum and Seyfried at their downtown hotel on Thursday hoping somewhat to find a flaw in Tatum. You know, so I could tell my female friends who swooned over him in the dancy-heavy “Step Up” films that he’s an arrogant jerk, a womanizer or, at the very least, a meathead.

Unfortunately, that plan backfired.

“Chan didn’t get much sleep last night because he’s working on a website devoted to expressing love,” said Seyfried, 24, who knitted a hat while answering questions alongside Tatum. “He’s reaching out to the public to share their love stories.”

Tatum, who married his “Step-Up” co-star, Jenna Dewan, is hoping to get the website, PostTheLove.com, done before “Dear John” hits theaters Feb. 5.

“You can put up a poem, a youtube video of yourself singing a song or a photo of yourself with ‘I love you’ written on your hand,” said Tatum, 29. “I don’t care what it is. I just want a venue for people to express themselves.”

So much for Tatum being a meathead. The guy is just as romantic as his letter-writing character. And when I asked about his sex scene with Seyfried, Tatum didn't call his blond co-star "smoking hot" and make the cliche "It's a tough job..." joke. No, he had to go and make a valid argument about the cheapness of some sex scenes.

“I think sex scenes in movies take people out of the film,” Tatum said. “It’s like, now it’s Chan and Amanda -- not John and Savannah. If done right, it won’t do that. But sometimes it’s like ‘Oh my God, oh my God, Angelina Jolie is naked.’ ”

(Seyfried, on the other hand, joked "I think they're fun -- I take advantage of them.")

Tatum -- as sensitive as he might be -- still manages to give off a likeable guy's guy vibe. He’s worked in construction, has a few future Spike TV movies to his name, including “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Fighting,” and practices mixed martial arts in his basement, according to his cover story in this month’s “Details.”

He was also self-depreciating during our 15-minute conversation, but only a little because there’s only so much Chan could depreciate.

When Seyfried called Tatum a better kisser than her “Jennifer’s Body” co-star Megan Fox, Tatum sheepishly responded “It’s because she likes guys.”

According to Seyfried, that was only part of the reason.

“I prefer being intimate with males,” she said. “And the kiss with Megan was very technical. There were extreme close-ups of tongue and lips -- maybe too much -- but it was kind of necessary for the movie. With Chan, they were romantic kisses. I felt more comfortable doing it with Chan than I did with Megan. That’s for sure.”

When I saw 'Dear John' a few weeks ago, one of my favorite things about the film is the relationship between John and his father. Here's a new clip from the movie that shows how difficult there relationship can be at times...

In addition to an impending website launch, the hard-working actor has a busy week of 'Dear John' promotions coming up, which includes, but is not limited to, the following...

• Monday (February 1st): Los Angeles 'Dear John' Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater at 6pm


• Tuesday & Wednesday (February 2nd and 3rd): Hosting Two Nights of MTV from 7pm - 10pm Central


• Wednesday (February 3rd): Live With Regis and Kelly


• Thursday (February 4th): Late Night with Jimmy Fallon


• Thursday (February 5th): 'Dear John' Hits Theaters


• Wednesday (February 10th): Ellen Degeneres

Stay tuned to CTU and I'll let you know if I find out about any other appearances for the tour!

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Channing Tatum’s ‘Dear John’ Press Tour Hits Philly

The 'Dear John' press tour started out at Fort Bragg, moved on to Charleston, had to skip over Atlanta because of bad weather, and moved strait to Philadelphia, which prompted Chan to tweet...

"Yo tweeters in Philly doing press for Dear John. It's a little cold but three words philly cheese steak... Ballin!...I love my life and I keep waiting to wake up. I've had a crazy life been way down at times and way up at times...To all the tweets reading I love you guys and can't quite find the words to say thank you but THANK YOU!!"

In case you missed it, Chan had a full-on tweet session with over 160,000 of his closest fans on Tuesday to thank you guys for all of the support. I told you all it could happen at any time, so hopefully you didn't miss it and got a response from him before he jumped on a plane to Toronto, the next stop on the multi-city press tour.

Below are a few behind-the-scenes pics from the Philly stop on the tour...

You can also check out more pics in the CTU Photo Gallery.

One of Chan's many press stops in Philly was at The 10-Show. Fans can CLICK HERE to check out the interview with Amanda Seyfried. You can also watch a couple of interviews they did while in town for the local CBS affiliate and the Chio in the Morning radio show and a new "First Look" at 'Dear John' courtesy of Trailer Addict below. Enjoy!!!

I also thought I'd share this great comment about 'Dear John' and Chan from Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer...

"Finally, a movie recommendation: Dear John comes out Friday the fifth of February. Thanks to my cool friend Wyck (who many of you have seen in various Twilight Saga interviews, as he is one of the producers on our movies, and who is a producer on Dear John) I got to see this one early. I will confess, I cried. Also, I discovered Channing Tatum, who I've somehow missed until now. Likey. Lots. Amanda Seyfried is entrancing as always, and the chemistry (chemistry is always the crux of a movie for me) between them is lovely. Though the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Richard Jenkins (who plays his father) was my favorite part."

In addition to the Twilight Saga's screenwriter, sounds like Chan has converted yet another and all those fans who still hope to see him in a Twilight film, may just be one step closer to getting your wish one day.

Chan also did a ton of press in Chicago today and will end this leg of the press tour with a stop in San Fransisco tomorrow that includes a meet-and-greet at Macy's in San Fransisco's Union Square.

Chan and his 'Dear John' co-star Amanda Seyfried will be on hand to meet and greet two hundred fans from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Impulse Department on the third floor of Macy's at 170 O'Farrell Street.

After that, he'll head home to get ready for another busy week of 'Dear John' promotions, which includes, but is not limited to, the following...

• Monday (February 1st): Los Angeles 'Dear John' Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater at 6pm


• Tuesday & Wednesday (February 2nd and 3rd): Hosting Two Nights of MTV from 7pm - 10pm Central


• Wednesday (February 3rd): Live With Regis and Kelly


• Thursday (February 4th): Late Night with Jimmy Fallon


• Wednesday (February 10th): Ellen Degeneres

Stay tuned to CTU and I'll let you know if I find out about any other appearances for the tour!

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New Photos and Video of Chan and Jenna at the Fort Bragg and Charleston ‘Dear John’ Premieres

Channing Tatum's version of Nicholas Sparks' Dear John recently hit the No. 1 spot on the USA TODAY best selling books list. With hopes that the film will mimic that level of success, Chan and his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum kicked off the 'Dear John' Press Tour by attending a premiere at the Fort Bragg military base this past Saturday.

From there, the tour took Chan and Jenna from North Carolina to Charleston and will continue on through Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, and San Francisco before it lands back in Los Angeles for, from what I hear, a February 1st premiere. On today's post, you'll be able to check out a ton of new photos and video from fans and the media who attended the events. First up, FORT BRAGG...

The Fay Observer reports that hundreds of fans stood outside the York Theater on Saturday afternoon vying for a chance to hang out with the stars of 'Dear John' at Fort Bragg. At the event, which was open to military ID holders, Chan told the Observer...

"I just really hope that everybody likes the movie. We just really wanted to make a beautiful movie about two kids falling in love and extraordinary people in extraordinary circumstances."

Chan and his co-star Amanda Seyfried arrived at the York Theater in humvees and made their way down the camouflage carpe, which was topped with a red carpet, to sign autographs, pose for pictures, and talk to fans who had been waiting for hours in some cases. Chan, Jenna, and Amanda also visited Womack Army Medical Center to meet with wounded Soldiers from the Warrior Transition Battalion.

Once inside the movie theater, Fort Bragg garrison commander Col. Stephen J. Sicinski presented the stars with miniature "Iron Mike" statues as a token of appreciation.

You can CLICK HERE or on the image above to check out a ton of new photos of Chan and Jenna from fans and media who attended the special event in the CTU Photo Gallery.

Here's some footage and interviews from the Fort Bragg premiere...

Fayobserver.com also posted a really great review for 'Dear John' . You can read a snippet of it below...

"Dear John" is everything you expect it to be - weepy, touching and downright sweet...Seyfried and Tatum are charming enough to hold interest in their leading roles. Tatum, who starred in the lesser "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra," can come off as wooden, but here he gives a believable, heartfelt performance. Seyfried, of the TV series "Big Love," has those large expressive green eyes perfect for showing how it feels to find true love...The film, though, truly belongs to the terrific supporting characters and mainly to the great character actor, Richard Jenkins, who plays John's father. Jenkins gives an engaging performance as a man who does not know how to behave in social situations nor, most heartbreakingly, how to embrace his distant son. The story is as much about John's relationship with his father as it is about the love story between Savannah and John....Henry Thomas of "ET" also gives a stellar performance as Savannah's neighbor, a single dad who is raising an autistic son. Thomas is an understated, deliberate actor who gets a lot of the film's funniest and most touching lines....Yes, there are humorous parts in "Dear John" as well as a grand romantic gesture, but there's also sadness and sacrifice which make it a true Nicholas Sparks tale."

Next stop...Charleston, South Carolina...

After honoring the military at Fort Bragg Chan and Jenna headed on over to Charleston, South Carolina (where a lot of the movie was filmed in late 2008) to attend a star-studded fundraiser for Carolina Autism, a local nonprofit that provides services to children and adults with autism. Ticket holders received a private screening of the film and the opportunity to mingle with the actors at a party afterward at the S.C. Aquarium.

Phil Blevins, the Executive Director of Carolina Autism, contacted me this morning to share the following details about the very successful event which raised approximately $100,000 for children battling autism...

"Had a blast. The movie had people crying. Channing and Amanda stayed for the afterparty and participated in the charity auction. Channing auctioned off his Armani scarf for a thousand dollars and even auctioned the gum he was chewing."

You can CLICK HERE or on the image above to check out a ton of new photos of Chan and Jenna from fans and media who attended the charity premiere in the CTU Photo Gallery.

In the videos below, fans can check out footage and interviews from the event...

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