Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Silence In The Lamb Will Probably Be Maintained

National Film Registry list announcedHannibal Lecter will probably be opening a celebratory bottle of Chianti and getting a partner to own for supper in news reports that Jonathan Demme's 1991 thriller The Silence In The Lamb is part of the National Film Registry's typically eclectic report on films being Maintained Forever.-Introduced with the Library of Congress across water-feature, this list is certainly released around this time around around of the season and flicks increase the risk for cut because, according to Librarian of Congress James H Billington, they are "selected because of their lengthy lasting significance to American culture. Our film heritage ought to be protected simply because they film treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams."Just what other "treasures" are saved to there besides the psychopathic slitherings of Physician Lecter? Robert Zemeckis' still-divisive, Oscar-gathering Forrest Gump for starters, and Charlie Chaplin's 1921 classic The Child for the next.Also available? Disney's Bambi (1942), Billy Wilder's consuming drama The Lost Weekend (1945), George Pal's 1953 undertake HG Wells' The War In The Cell phone industry's and John Ford's Western epic The Iron Equine (1924).And it is not only large, well-known game game titles, either: more obscure work for instance 1971 documentary Maturing Female and child work drama The Cry Of Youngsters from 1912 may also be online. We're especially very happy to realize that Erection dysfunction Catmull's ground-breaking work, A Pc Animated Hands may also be present, which, although it might be basically one minute extended, showcases a technique that's one of the roots of current day effects technology and part of the DNA for Pixar.To consider the entire list, take a look within the LA Times' group of the announcement.*Mayan apocalypse not long lasting, clearly.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Closer's Jon Tenney to visit HBO's Newsroom

Jon Tenney Within The Closer to The Newsroom, Jon Tenney is sticking with cable. The actor will guest-star in producer Aaron Sorkin's approaching new Cinemax series, formally titled The Newsroom, of a imaginary cable news network, TVLine reviews. He'll play Wade, the boyfriend in the cable news show's executive producer, carried out by Emily Mortimer. Jane Fonda to call shots on Aaron Sorkin's new Cinemax series As formerly introduced, Rob Daniels may have an anchor within the network, while Mike Waterston will mind within the newsroom staff including Alison Pill, John Gallagher, Junior., Olivia Munn, Dev Patel and Thomas Sadoski. Oscar champion Jane Fonda was recently brought to experience Leona Lansing, the network's parent company Boss who's more concerned about the organization aspects in comparison to verifying side. Tenney carried out Fritz Howard, the husband of Kyra Sedgwick's character on TNT's The Closer, together with an appreciation interest for Sally Field's character on Brothers and sisters & Brothers and sisters.

Dialect coach Robert Easton dies

Character actor and Hollywood dialect coach Robert Easton, whose accomplishments include teaching Forest Whitaker to speak like Idi Amin inside the 2006 movie "The Ultimate King of Scotland," died of natural causes on Monday, 12 ,. 16, at his home inside the San Fernando Valley. He was 81. Whitaker won the Oscar for top actor for his performance inside the film. Easton was produced in Milwaukee but were living in Texas for a while and attended the U. of Texas at Austin. Just like a youthful actor, Easton frequently carried out country bumpkins on tv because of his drawl. Fearing he or she is typecast, he done different accents and learned he could mimic regional speech designs. He acquired a lot of credits on films and tv shows just like a dialect or dialogue coach, becoming known to as Henry Higgins of Hollywood and coping with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Liam Neeson, Dennis Hopper, Hathaway As Catwoman, Ben Kingsley and Robert Duvall, among others. Easton first began in showbiz inside the 19 forties round the radio show "Quiz Kids" since the one of the youthful, high-IQ rivals. More youthful crowd came out on other radio programs including "Fibber McGee and Molly" and "The Fred Allen Show." He gained his first film appearance, uncredited, in 1949's "Undertow" by 1951 he acquired his first credit just like a dialect coach, round the film "Havana Rose." Easton also acquired dialect-coach credits on "The Molly Maguires," "Scarface," miniseries "South and northInch and "Good Will Hunting." His movie credits just like a thesp include "Fresh fresh paint Your Wagon," "Pete's Dragon," "Working Girl," "Pet Sematary II" and "Primary Colors." On television, he came out on cases of "Gunsmoke," "Father Knows Best," "The Munsters," "The Beverly Hillbillies" (he later came out inside the bigscreen adaptation), "Petticoat Junction," "Lost in Space," "Perry Mason," "Get Smart," "Mod Squad" and "The Bionic Lady," among many other programs. He'd an ordinary stint just like a voice-over actor round the animated series "Stingray" in 1964-65. Easton's wife June died in 2005. He's managed to get having a daughter and daughter. (Connected Press brought with this report.) Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Five Reason To Find Out 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

Ethan Search as well as the IMF have came back and bigger than in the past in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." For your fourth bypass, Tom Cruise helps to make the jump to IMAX screens and helps it be useful. If you undertake visit "Ghost Protocol," make certain to search for IMAX showings. It's the way a film was supposed to have been seen. Listed below are five more reasons why you ought to initiate "Ghost Protocol" now. Dubai You may have seen glimpses in the scene inside the trailers and posters, there is however nothing that can match seeing it on-screen. There is a welcome return to practical stunts lately, and you'll find handful of good good examples of fantastic stunt-work that can match this. The scene doesn't work simply because of the spectacle of Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa. Kaira Bird structures and shoots it together with your skill that keeps the suspense high with the scene. We like them that Tom Cruise is scaling the Burj Khalifa. We're intrigued before the finish, and so they punctuate it getting an ideal comedy note, due to one guy. Simon Pegg An action movie's comic relief rarely increases within the minimum demands of the carefully calculated role. It takes unique comedy timing to go away any kind of impression beyond the periodic chuckle. Here, Simon Pegg goes far beyond the telephone call in the comic relief. His smart, sometimes amusing turn as Benji makes his devote the film instead of just as one obligation in the plot. It takes plenty of talent to boost this type of role, and Pegg on top of that, but he nearly steals the film on the way. IMAX In the perfect world, the push from "Ghost Protocol" and July's "The Dark Dark evening Increases" would start a full-scale format war between 3d and IMAX. Both drive tickets sales up, just one enhances the film going experience. If art galleries still look for new techniques to coax people into theaters, they always can do, IMAX is the easiest method to take action, and not a simple up-conversion to 70mm. The proof is on the watch's screen. Bird shot several key action sequences inside the large print format, as well as the results make one hell from the argument for your survival of theaters. There's just no comparison. Tom Cruise My friend put it best. Some stars use their crazier sides for evil. (See: Mel Gibson.) Others depend in it permanently. Like Daniel Day Lewis, the idiosyncrasies of Cruise personality have only recent results for his audiences. Sure, he may visit Oprah's couch every occasionally, but he's also ready to put themselves outdoors the Burj Khalifa and climb it for that amusement. Say what you need to about his personal existence, the man is dedicated to spectacle, and he's fun to check out. There's grounds Cruise has been around as extended while he remains, and he'll be around for several years for people same reasons. Return in the Action Movie There is something highly comforting about relaxing at nighttime, searching inside a screen bigger than most and basically experiencing yourself. "Ghost Protocol" provides in virtually every major action movie category. Yes, the story doesn't necessarily make much sense. In the event you contemplate it in any much much deeper terms than it's presented to you, you'll come under an in-depth, deep hole, but Cruise offers the experience and Pegg offers the laughs. Getting an outstanding supporting cast including Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner as well as the terribly underused Josh Holloway, "Ghost Protocol" provides a lot more than it has to, but that's what's been missing from massive action movies outdoors of "Beginning." Reveal everything you consider "Ghost Protocol" inside the comments and also on Twitter!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Mexico drives digital

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's national film institute Imcine is going digital with two deals aimed at VOD and YouTube distribution. According to Imcine director Marina Stavenhagen, the agency has pacted with Google to present 71 Mexican shorts on YouTube and has also entered an agreement with Cablevision, the main cabler for Mexico City, to present the same shorts as well as 59 features via VOD. "The future of Mexican cinema is in digitalization, Internet and social networks," said Stavenhagen at a press conference with the local media. "We are going to see how it works. We think that it is an interesting alternative for release and for the impact on audiences, and we are going to see how it goes for us," she later added. The films being released are stand-outs spanning several decades. The shorts include Cannes Golden Palm winners "El Heroe" (Carlos Carrera, 1994) and "See Rain" (Elisa Miller, 2006). The features coming out with the Televisa-owned VOD outlet, and possibly YouTube at a later date, include: Alberto Isaac's "Nest of Virgins" (El rincon de las virgenes, 1972); "El cobrador: In God We Trust" (2006) by Paul Leduc; and Victor Avelar's 2008 "Como no te voy a querer" among others. Imcine's government coin programs Fidecine and Foprocine help produce most films in Mexico, which has churned out approximately 70 movies since 2006. Next year, they are budgeted to provide another $50 million in funding. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Ellen DeGeneres Buy Kaira Pitts Malibu Home For $12 Million

First Launched: December 18, 2011 11:55 AM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Ellen DeGeneres, Kaira PittLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Ellen DeGeneres is putting lower roots where Kaira Pitt once laid his mind. The daytime host completed a deal to purchase Brads Malibu, Calif., home for $12 million on Friday, according to People. A seaside rental fees are split up into two separate houses, which boast ocean sights, lush gardens and beach access. Ellens new pad is substantially smaller sized in comparison to fifteen,000-sq foot . Beverly Slopes home she and wife Portia P Rossi recently put in the marketplace, calculating in at roughly 4,000-sq foot, in line with the mag. Ellen and Portias sprawling estate listed for just about any whopping $49 million was featured in Architectural Digest magazines October problem, where the funnywoman referred to her adoration for home buying and home design. We did not possess a home once i was maturing, Ellen mentioned. We always leased. But my father would dream, which we used to look at houses constantly. Id determine which mattress room might be mine and acquire all excited. The initial factor I did so once i made money was buy a house, she added. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Some of TV's Best Talent Moonlight on the Webseries 'Husbands'

For their day jobs, Jane Espenson and Jeff Greenstein bring hit ABC series to lifeEspenson as a writer-producer on the new arrival "Once Upon a Time" and Greenstein as a director on the stalwart "Desperate Housewives." So what would entice these two to work on a webseries whose 11-episode budget probably equals less than the tab for one day's catering on their network shows? Creative freedom and the talent of a man named Cheeks. Cheeks, aka Brad Bell, writes with Espenson and stars in the webseries "Husbands," a comical look at what happens when a famous actor (Cheeks) wakes up in Vegas married to an openly gay baseball player (Sean Hemeon). The result is 11 short, funny, well-produced episodes that could rival many network sitcoms for laughs per second. Back Stage spoke with the trio about their collaboration.Back Stage: How did you become involved with this project? Jane Espenson: We met through social media, actually.I saw Cheeks' material on his YouTube channel (GoCheeksGo), and I wanted to meet him. I found him via Twitter and a mutual friend.We were friends for a while and were basically keeping track of what the other person was doing.When Cheeks started tentatively working on a web project with my friend Alessandra Torresani ("Caprica"), I ended up getting involved.The project evolved into what we now know as "Husbands: The Series." What I love about the project is that it's both really timely and grounded in the marriage equality discussion, and it's also just flat-out character-based humor.It was one of those situations where the combination of elements just felt totally right.Cheeks wrote the first draft incredibly quickly, and that's always a good signif something is off about a concept, it often sort of blocks itself by becoming difficult to write.This was like a good pancake; it just slid off the pan all golden.Jeff Greenstein: Jane Espenson and I have been friends for many years, so when either of us has something new in the works, we always ask the other one to read it. I read an early draft of "Husbands," thought it was hilarious, and gave Jane and Cheeks some notes. Then I read the next draft and offered a few more thoughts. Then, over a dish of spicy fries at our favorite Burbank rib joint, Jane asked me to direct it. Of course!Back Stage: What was the appeal of doing something on such a smaller scale than a weekly TV series? Greenstein: Total creative control, being accountable to no one but ourselves, getting to make exactly the show we wanted to make. I believe that the shoestringiness of a small-scale production always tends to bring out one's creativity.Espenson: In general, it's the speed and flexibility and control.It went very quickly from concept to release, and we were able to make adjustments on the fly without worrying about any bosses above us.It also really fosters a sense of teamwork when you're working in such a small group.Everyone is really motivated to be creative. I loved the feel of it.Back Stage: Jane, do you find you write differentlyperhaps more freelyfor online content? Are there things you've always wanted to do that you now have the opportunity to because of the platform? Espenson: In a way it's a little freer, because we could do things like swear and not worry about whether or not our content was too edgy. But it's also a little more constrained, because you can't afford to change locations or add other actors to a scene.Looking forward, now that I've experienced this, I imagine that I will do more writing for the websome content is just perfect for this forum.Back Stage: And how are you balancing your workload while writing for the new hit, "Once Upon a Time"? Espenson: It was a little tight during the time we were actively shooting "Husbands." I was literally writing on set. But that phase of the work is done, so it's not too much work now.It's just about perfect, in fact.Back Stage: How involved are you both with the running of the series? Espenson: All three of us were very involved. There are decisions to be made at every step of the process, and we tried really hard to reach a decision all three of us were happy with at each point.Casting, shooting, cutting, releasing, promotingthese are all complicated, and we were all up to our elbows.We were also lucky to have a great crew that made it all so much easier.Greenstein: As an executive producer, I help out with everything but the writing, and I even help out a tiny bit with thatthe final line of the penultimate episode was mine. But my primary responsibility is as director, which means it's my responsibility to bring to life the wonderful story the writers have given me.Cheeks: From creation to writing, producing, and distribution, Jane, Jeff, and I really had a hand in every decision. We went through the proper channels for casting and put breakdowns out to agencies. Some actors were submitted by their agents, some submitted on their own, and some actors were recommendations from casting directors. The casting process was long and arduous, but I guess every casting is that way. Our last scheduled audition was Sean Hemeon, who was every bit exactly what we were looking for. He nailed it. Back Stage: How did you go about casting the show? Greenstein: Cheeks and Alessandra were already in place. For Brady, we put out a breakdown and received several hundred responses. But the big break came when Scott Genkinger, the casting director at "Desperate Housewives,"my day job, recommended we take a look at Sean Hemeon. Jane and Cheeks and I auditioned him and, mere seconds after he walked out of the room,agreed he'd nailed it. Sean's just gotten better and better ever since.Espenson: It was an impossible role. He had to be believable as a pro ballplayer, and as a guy who only recently came out.He had to be funny and have good chemistry with Cheeks.Sean is perfect.The scene we had him read became Episode 4 of the series; you can see it along with all the rest of the episodes at HusbandsTheSeries.com. It's the proposal scene, and he just nailed itardent, then defeated, then romantic, then funny. We are very lucky.Back Stage: Cheeks, how important do you think it is for an actor to create their own work or content? Cheeks: I think it's imperative for a number of reasons. Not only can you build your own reel and showcase what it is you do best; you can also create a brand, an audience, a fan following. I think this is an important advantage. An actor that will bring eyes to a project is an asset to the production team. If a director is deciding between you and another actor, the fact that you will put his project in front of thousands of people simply by being attached might just be what wins you the role. It also opens new doors to new people. YouTube is how I met Jane, and that kind of business and personal connection is a large part of why I put myself on YouTube in the first place. Having my work online has brought many a connection, job offer, and audition opportunities.Watch the first episode below.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

First Great Gatsby Images: Welcome to the East Egg Dinner Theater!

So Baz Luhrmann beats on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into 3-D. In the first photos from his splashy new The Great Gatsby adaptation, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Joel Edgerton vamp it up like humorlessly obsessed guests at a murder mystery dinner party. Anybody else find the casting here a bit too pat and obvious? Leonardo DiCaprio is a… a moneyed and aloofly self-interested man! Tobey Maguire is… a nervous, kowtowing outsider! Carey Mulligan is… the new Mia Farrow again! Well. Check out the images for yourself and see if I’m too cynical. Can’t you picture a party tray of spiked punch and pizza rolls just out of frame next to Leo and Carey? They’re high school sophomores wearing their best thrift store finds and acting saucy with the rest of drama club. It’s a little hilariously inept, but it also looks sincere. Question is, do we need to see that hammy sincerity in 3-D? I assume not, but maybe Baz is adding kaleidoscopic flair to the whole thing. Great + Gatsby, if you will. First Official Images from THE GREAT GATSBY Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan [Collider]

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Anderson Cooper, Miley Cyrus, J.R. Martinez Salute CNN Heroes at Star-Studded Tribute

Peter Iovino/The Weinstein Co. The Artist and the entire Harry Potter film series were voted special awards as the American Film Institute chose its official selections for AFI Awards on Sunday.our editor recommends'The Artist's' Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo to Receive the Santa Barbara Film Festival's Cinema Vanguard AwardAFI Fest Hands Out Audience Awards to 'With Every Heartbeat,' 'Bullhead' The AFI Awards, which focus on American features, cited ten movies of the year: Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, J. Edgar, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. For TV programs of the year, it selected Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Justified, Louie, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. The selections were made by two juries, one for film and one for television. They were chaired by producers and AFI board of trustees vice chairs Tom Pollock, for movies, and Richard Frank, for TV, and included Whoopi Goldberg, film historian Leonard Maltin, uniiversity professors, critics and members of the AFI board of trustees. The creative ensembles behind the chosen film and TV shows will be honored at an invitation-only luncheon on Jan. 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. Harry Potter Oscars 2007 The Artist

Thursday, December 8, 2011

'Wrinkles' uses classic techniques to produce miracle

Published: Thu., 12 ,. 8, 2011, 4:00am PTBy 'Wrinkles'The bleak reality of the old folk's home meets magical surrealism in "Arrugas" (Facial lines), the hands-attracted animated feature from director Ignacio Ferreras, in line with the 2008 comic by Spain's National Comic Prize champion Paco Roca."Our large challenge was carrying out a whole feature just for two million ($2.7 million)," states producer Manuel Cristobal. "This is a very tight plan for animation, however it assisted a lot that Ignacio isn't just a really experienced animator and storyboarder but understood how you can tell a tale without needing an excessive amount of animation but still have great results. He could provide a higher style in feel and look, and that we also labored with experienced galleries like Cromasoma, which co-created it."Based on Cristobal, the majority of the animation was completed in The country, with roughly 25% outsourced towards the Philippines. In tugging together the creative team and funding for that project, it assisted to think about such precedents among adult-oriented animated features as "Persepolis," another stylized toon modified from the graphic novel."?'Arrugas' has offered perfectly in The country, Japan and all sorts of over Europe, and that we understood we'd a really effective story to inform,Inch Cristobal states. "Therefore we made the decision to follow along with the comicbook very carefully from both story and artistic perspective. Our film is the same, to ensure that was a benefit, and that we understood we're able to attain the 2D style and appear despite the fact that we'd so very little money. Because animation frontiers have broadened a lot, I understood we're able to consider using a drama such as this.Inch EYE Around The Academy awards: ANIMATION Animated photos boost property valuesWhether focusing on a shoestring hands-attracted project or pushing the limits laptop or computer-produced technology, the 2011 choices transformed major challenges in getting their animated visions to screen. Here's how:'Arthur Christmas' 'Chico and Rita' 'Gnomeo and Juliet' 'Rango' 'Wrinkles' 'Rio' Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Donald Trump's GOP Debate: Mitt Romney Becomes Third Candidate Who Won't Participate

Winner for the hottest topic in Hollywood: Netflix.our editor recommendsSony Executive Talks Early Digital Film Releases, Netflix, Future of Music Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes: 'Netflix Is Our Friend'CBS CEO Leslie Moonves: 'We Want a Healthy Netflix'Starz Not 'Reveling' in Netflix's Pain After Severing Ties With the Company, Says Top ExecNetflix Hires Former Skype Executive and FCC Advisor to Head Government Relations That's judging from an investors conference in NY that wraps up Wednesday and where some of the industry's biggest players are there to promote their own TV and film businesses, though they couldn't stop talking about Netflix. No wonder, then, when Netflix CEO Reed Hastings finally took the floor, it was standing-room, with heavy hitters like Harvey Weinstein joining an audience primarily of Wall Street bankers and analysts. Before Hastings sat down for a Q&A with UBS executive Aryeh Bourkoff, his ears must have been burning, since he and Netflix had already been discussed by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and others. "Last year you were a key topic here, but you were not here. There was a mix of fear, envy and mystique," Bourkoff said, noting that it was the first time Hastings appeared at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "Now it's just pity," Hastings joked, a reference to a decimated stock price and a dented reputation brought about by a dramatic price increase and other public-relations misfires. Hastings told the audience that he considers the "quite impressive" HBO Go his primary competition. If the on-demand service for HBO subscribers was part of Netflix, it would account for 25 percent of its customers' streaming, he estimated. "They're not competing directly with us, but they can," Hastings said. "We'll push each other like two runners." Referencing Netflix's upcoming original series House of Cards, Hastings said of HBO in general: "They are becoming more like us and we are becoming more like them." Hastings also predicted that within 10 years about half of all TV viewing in the U.S. will come via the Internet, and it's that assumption that caused the company to charge head-strong into streaming even though, in hindsight, the move was "a little too fast" and he ended up irritating consumers. He acknowledged that he and the executives at Netflix rarely watch DVDs anymore, so he may have misread the typical consumer. "Our big obsession for the year was, 'let's not live and die by DVD,'" he said. Of the 60 percent price hike that got the company so much negative attention and cost Netflix about 1 million subscribers, Hastings said: "We berate ourselves tremendously for that lack of insight." Hastings said Netflix will stream 1 billion hours of content this quarter and, if House of Cards goes well, he could see the company eventually spending as much as 15 percent of its content-acquisition budget on original shows. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time Related Topics Time Warner Leslie Moonves CBS Jeff Bewkes Liberty Media Netflix House of Cards Reed Hastings UBS

Monday, December 5, 2011

Angelina Jolie Sued For Copyright Infringement Over New Film

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Just weeks before Angelina Jolie is scheduled to release her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, the actress/filmmaker has been sued by Croatian journalistJames Braddock, who claims the forthcoming movie about a love affair during theBosnian Civil War violates his copyright on a book, The Soul Shattering.our editor recommendsAngelina Jolie Discusses 'Dark Past' on '60 Minutes' (Video)Angelina Jolie Eyes Iraq Pioneer Biopic 'Gertrude Bell' for Ridley Scott (Exclusive)Angelina Jolie Signs with Talent AgencyAngelina Jolie's 'In The Land of Blood & Honey' Trailer Released Braddock is demanding statutory damages plus an injunction against the film's release. Jolie isa goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and she certainly travels far and wide promoting humanitarian causes, but what is the likelihood she had seen Braddock's original book, which was published in Croatian in 2007? According to Braddock's lawsuit, the key figure might be an individual named Edin Sarkic, a co-defendant in the lawsuit who served as one of the film's producers and has been credited in the press with helping Jolie attain the necessary permits to film inSarajevo. PHOTOS: Hollywood's 10 Highest-Paid Actresses Braddock claims that after publishing his book in 2007, he traveled to Sarajevo to promote his work and create awareness for Bosnian war victims. There, he says he was allegedly approached by Sarkic, who told Braddock that he read The Soul Shattering and wanted to meet to discuss the book in further detail. Braddock and Sarkic allegedly met three more times in 2008 to discuss details about the book, "including plot and character development and the story's cultural significance and historical accuracy." The discussions are said to have evolved into the possibility of creating a film adaptation of the book. The two kept in touch over telephone and text messages over the next two years. Braddock also says he e-mailed an individual at one of Jolie's charities to propose a collaboration on a project to build villages across Sarajevo and New Orleans. VIDEO: Angelina Jolie Reveals Past Aspirations to Become Funeral Director Then, Braddock says he learned of Jolie's movie. He details some of the similarities, including the backdrop of war-torn Bosnia and Herzogovina in the early 1990s, a main female character who is captured and imprisoned and raped by soldiers, and a Serbian camp commander who falls in love with the woman and helps her escape. VIDEO: Angelina Jolie Reveals Inspiration Behind Her Directorial Debut, 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' It'll be up to a judge to determine whether the claimed "obvious" similarities meet the high threshold needed to prove copyright infringement. Braddock's lawyer, Kelly Saindon, will have to demonstrate substantial similarity in expression, not merely the use of unprotectable ideas. Besides Jolie and Sarkic, the other defendants areGK Films, FilmDistrict, and Scout Film. The film is scheduled to be released on December 23. Here's the complaint: E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery I'm Quitting the Biz: 16 Hollywood Retirements (and 'Retirements') Angelina Jolie In the Land of Blood and Honey

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dane Cook on His Days As a Stand-Up Therapist, Personal Tragedy and Answers to Nothing

comments: 0 || add yours Whether or not you buy into Dane Cook’s brand of humor, you must acknowledge that the Boston-born stand-up has cornered a sizable comedy market and successfully infiltrated the movie business. Up next, Cook attempts to make the most challenging transition of his career — from dependable funnyman to respected actor. Following smaller dramatic turns in Mr. Brooks and Dan in Real Life, Cook sinks his teeth into his most serious role yet with this weekend’s ensemble drama Answers to Nothing. As a conflicted therapist who struggles to get his wife (Elizabeth Mitchell) pregnant in between counseling a patient (Kali Hawk), dealing with his delusional mother (Barbara Hershey) and maintaining a mistress (Aja Volkman), Cook’s character Ryan searches for existential justification that may or may not be within reach. To discuss his latest dramatic turn, Dane Cook sat down with Movieline yesterday in Beverly Hills, where he also candidly revealed his career goals, recalled the time he played therapist and broke up a couple during a stand-up act and reflected on his own personal breakthrough moment. Hey Dane. How was your Thanksgiving? It was good. I had a stragglers Thanksgiving. I invited everybody who didn’t go home over the holiday. It was a bit of a potluck night. Everybody brought booze or some treat. It was great. So in Answers to Nothing, you play Barbara Hershey’s son. The last actor who played Barbara Hershey’s child won an Oscar for her role. Are you feeling stressed by this precedent? I am not feeling that but I am feeling very grateful — not only that people are acknowledging how incredible Barbara Hershey is as an actor, but to be able to parry and thrust in a moment with her — that was a highlight moment. Your character loves to play the “I have the worst mother in the world” game. He does but there’s a lot of identity stuff happening where you can really empathize with the fact that [my character] has this whimsical, glamorized idea of what his grandparents’ love meant and this anger at what his father is doing and why his mother refuses to acknowledge his absence. You can see though that in the scene [where my character insults his mother] that it comes from pure love. It’s just a disconnect in him. I think that speaks to all of us. The movie opens with Ryan recounting his grandparents’ courtship like it is a Disney fairytale — and then the camera pulls back revealing that as he is reciting this tale, he is receiving oral sex from his mistress. Were you concerned that the audience might not be able to get past this first image of your character as a total asshole? Yes! I read the script and thought, on a lighter scale, I’ve dug the deepest possible hole that I could put myself in and how would anyone want to hang with this guy? What redeeming quality would he have? Most of the discussions I had with our director were about that scene. 99 percent were, “How can I do this effectively? What needs to be done here?” But a lot of it is that Aja [Volkman], the actress playing my girlfriend — the hopelessness and neediness she felt, that desire to fill some kind of void with love — how she receives that scene that we play I think is what makes it buoyant. I’ve been talking a lot lately about breakthrough moments. We all hope for breakthrough rebirth moments. When you’re headed for a breakthrough moment it’s kind of scary because you say, “If I break through then I have to make great change in my life.” That means giving up on certain things whether it’s alcohol, some kind of addiction or you’re having an affair or you’re cheating or you’re about to get a promotion. Whatever it is, that breakthrough of truth alters your life. That’s what all of these characters are experiencing — that precursor to a breakthrough moment. How does everybody approach it and then once you’re in it, everybody isn’t just relieved. Sometimes it’s going to be harder for a long time. The sympatico and serendipity with these characters — those are the kinds of conversations I like to have when I watch an interesting movie that is character-driven. Like Pulp Fiction — that’s a very different kind of movie but I love leaving and discussing the characters and how they lent themselves to one another. I think all of the stuff here lent to a really great story. How do you think someone like Ryan can completely romanticize one marriage, almost to the point of obsession, while destroying his own? He is certainly affected by his absentee father. Anger has a way of seeping into every other emotion and planting itself in there. Speaking from personal experience, I teach comedy camp over the summers. I’ve done it for fifteen years for inner city kids. We do it on Saturdays at the Laugh Factory. It’s wonderful. It’s so rewarding to see these kids find their voices onstage. And as they are standing there and we are teaching them comedy, their stories are bone-crushingly sad. We ask them to tell stories about things they see around them. Some of them are funny and silly. Some of them will start telling a story like, “When I saw my mom get beat up by my dad…” and in that moment we’re laughing and we’re crying because in that moment we are allowing the truth to seep past even what this is — us being together and having a little bit of fun on Saturday before they have to go back to foster care. Some of them leave [the comedy camp] never the same again because the truth and the anger finally starts to dissipate because they’ve shared it. It’s incredible. How do you find that button between comedy and tragedy. Are some personal stories just too sad to ever be funny? We just try to keep the comedy and tragedy together. There are moments I’ve seen in screenings when people nervously laugh and what that says is that they are connecting with me. What’s happening onscreen is so real that they don’t know where to put it — how to interpret it. [They] have to protect themselves with laughter. That’s like ripping somebody’s shield down. That’s kind of the antithesis of vulnerability. I hope what this allows me is — because I’ve done some comedies and some smaller movies like Mr. Brooks and Dan in Real Life that showed my vulnerability in a completely well thought-out character — is to have more opportunities to play moments that are cathartic and funny. Like Woody Allen movies where you’re laughing but you’re touched. He is somebody I’d love to work with one day. How did you prepare to play a therapist? I say it with my tongue firmly planted in cheek but there’s truth to it — being a comedian is very close to being a therapist. When you’re working smaller clubs, you’re listening. You’re feeling an energy, you’re going with a tone but when people start yelling out, you almost start a conversation with people. I never looked at heckler situations as “What can I say that will smash them and shut them down?” I never wanted to just make fun of their hair real quick but I wanted to figure out, “Why did you yell up here?” The heckler was an interview moment for me. I always treated it like therapy. I always thought that if I got no love at all early in my standup career or I was god awful, I thought I’d get into psychology. Seriously! I’ve always read books and loved human behavior since I was ten or twelve years old. Maybe even that’s why I wanted to do comedy. I thought, “This is making people feel joy.” My family had a lot of hardship but we were all up watching Johnny Carson or Saturday Night Live and that made us feel okay. Has there been a moment in your stand-up career when you’ve really worked through an issue with a heckler? There was a moment with a heckler where [laughs] — I haven’t thought about this in so long — I think I was having such a strong performance that night that this guy’s date was attracted to my powerful energy — me being the guy performing. Maybe in this guy’s life, he was that powerful guy. Anyway, he shouted some shit at me. We had a little toe-to-toe and what I ended up doing is breaking down to this guy’s date why she shouldn’t be with a man like this. It was surgical the way I was going in and asking her questions and getting truth out of her. By the end of the show, they had stormed off angrily. Then two days later, I got an e-mail from her asking me out to dinner. Oh no! [Laughs] Yeah! She wrote, “I don’t want to be with a guy who’s like that.” So many truths had come to the surface just from what I — I learned that when you really get that eye contact with somebody and you’re on stage, you can pull the truth out of someone. Just like Howard Stern does on the radio. He pulls the truth out of his listeners before they even realize it. I kind of learned those tricks and how to get into audience members’ souls a little. I’d have therapeutic moments like that which would lead to somewhat life-altering moments. Sometimes they are miniscule but in this case, it led to the end of a relationship. He was a douchebag and maybe his date didn’t realize it until he behaved in that manner. I just brought it all out of him. Did you feel bad upon learning that you had broken up the couple? No. Not at all. Did you e-mail the girl back? No — I didn’t take her up on the dinner. I was in a relationship at the time. I think I told her to bring her next date to one of my shows but make sure he doesn’t interrupt [my act]. It seems like you are making a push towards more dramatic material. How conscious are you of this career transition and do you look to successful comedian-turned-actors like Bill Murray, Jim Carrey and Robin Williams for inspiration? There’s no master plan that says I want to do drama. I’m not going to be content with “just okay.” I want to be patient and do great work with great people around me. What appealed to me about this film is that it was an ensemble piece. Little movie, low budget and we were all going to be in the trenches together. We wanted to get it above the line, we hoped that it would get into theaters, we hoped people would see it. Those were the early conversations. Hopefully with this success and if people find the film, I’ll be up for more compelling roles that are not necessarily just dramatic but different kinds of comedy. Like Jason Reitman that I admire or Woody Allen. It’s funny because I love comedic directors that know how to utilize a comic’s ability for the tender moments as well. What is your dream role? Neil LaBute’s play Fat Pig — we were set to do that and we were about a week away from going back to rehearsal when we lost our key financier. So unfortunately now it’s looking like we might not be doing it until the spring, if we can do it at all. The part of Carter though, that I saw a few years ago when Chris Pine played him — I saw the play and immediately said, “That’s the character I want to play.” What about the character spoke to you? Well the play itself is really a morality tale about how we see image. It’s a four-person play. Tom, my character’s best friend, basically falls in love with an obese woman. We all think she is the greatest until we meet her. Based on physicality, I try to talk him out of this relationship. My character is just an asshole — a caustic, sterile, verbally abusive character. Yet, there is this great moment where Carter talks about his obese mother and what he experienced growing up with her. Similar to my character in Answers to Nothing, it starts out with my character being a complete jerk. No [audience member] is going to want this guy back and yet there is this tremendous floodgate moment where he just opens up and admits that he hated his mother because of her weight. I love roles where you take risks and I don’t mind that these characters polarize people. This is the second dramatic character we’ve talked about — and you’ve either played or are about to play — who has a love-vitriolic hate relationship with his mother that manifests itself in ugly, damaging ways. Is that just a coincidence? I love my mom so much and that could not be further from the relationship that I have with her. I would not be sitting here with you if it was not for my mom. My nickname for my mom was “The Compass.” She actually passed away a few years ago. She always knew the direction I had before I knew it. I had zero belief in myself growing up. I grew up very self-loathing. I was a phobic. I had anxiety. I had panic attacks. Once I left my house I was a wreck. Yet, here was this empowered, funny, very cool woman — my mom would listen to AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” with my friends in the car — and she would tell me, “You have a lot of soul, Dane. Every day, you have to believe in yourself.” I had so much insecurity though and she saw [my whole future] laid out. I can’t tell you how many times I’d call my mom to tell her, “I’m hosting SNL” and she’d just say, “I know.” She knew it was all going to happen. So you’ve talked about your character’s breakthrough moment, the breakthrough moment you forced upon comedy club audience members…what was Dane Cook’s personal breakthrough moment? I think mine happened sometime in the last few years. My mom and dad passed away from cancer. Within nine months, I lost both of my folks. Immediately after that, I had a horrible betrayal where my brother, who worked for me, stole a lot of my money. He’s in jail now. Here I was, reaching a larger success in my life but simultaneously dealing with this. My professional dreams were coming true while I was living a personal nightmare. It’s amazing the lessons that came out of that. I had to go inward and first, I had to accept my accomplishments which I had never done. I don’t think I ever sat and enjoyed them. I was always thinking, “What’s next, what’s next” or just trying to accomplish something for my folks. A gift that [those experiences] gave me was that they taught me to stop and appreciate what I’ve done. I’ve done a lot and it’s okay to share that. Now, I’m starting with something that is all for me. I don’t have to do anything for anyone else’s benefit anymore. I just want to exceed my own expectations. Follow Julie Miller on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter. Tagged: answers to nothing, dane cook, interview, neil labute, woody allen

Will 'The Artist' and 'The Descendants' Turn back Indie Spirit-Oscar Trend?

Will 'The Artist' and 'The Descendants' Turn back Indie Spirit-Oscar Trend? By Scott Feinberg November 30, 2011 Photo by Fox Searchlight The nominations for that 27th annual Independent Spirit Honours were revealed on Tuesday, and were centered through the Weinstein Company's "The Artist" and The new sony Pictures Classics' "Take Shelter," which obtained five nods each. In the past, Indie Spirit those who win have tended to obtain nominated for -- but lose -- in the Academy awards. That may change this year, however, with "The Artist" and "The Descendants," two films which have both resonated as strongly every with Academy people so far, both nominated for the best feature, best director and finest script."The Artist," "The Descendants" and "Take Shelter" will compete for best feature with "Beginners" (the large champion finally night's Gotham Honours), "Drive," and "50/50." Bizarrely, Woodsy Allen's "Night time in Paris," which is among the likeliest best picture Oscar nominees, was refused a place within this category (in addition to best director and finest script), despite the fact that it had been nominated for best supporting actor (Corey Stoll) and finest cinematography. Drake Doremus' "Constantly,Inch that also appeared to become a likely nominee, seemed to be snubbed.A couple of other films were excluded from the main groups for other reasons: Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Existence," using its $32 million budget, was too large to pass through being an indie with this group. Meanwhile, three critics' faves with Oscar aspirations -- Lars von Trier's "Melancholia," Steve McQueen's "Shame" and Lynne Ramsey's "We Want to Discuss Kevin" -- were considered to become foreign films and therefore ineligible outdoors from the category alotted for individuals.Lastly, two inexplicable snubs happened within the lead acting groups: George Clooney, the star of "The Descendants," remained from the best actor race, while Glenn Close, the star of "Albert Nobbs," was excluded from the very best actress area-- despite the fact that her co-star Jesse McTeer was nominated for the best supporting actress. (I wouldn't read an excessive amount of in to these particular final results indeed, it is extremely likely the Academy will reverse them.) I expect that individuals races will be won by Jean Dujardin ("The Artist") and either Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn") or Elizabeth Olsen ("Martha Marcy May Marlene"), correspondingly, which Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants") will prevail within the supporting groups. The Hollywood Reporter Will 'The Artist' and 'The Descendants' Turn back Indie Spirit-Oscar Trend? By Scott Feinberg November 30, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Fox Searchlight The nominations for that 27th annual Independent Spirit Honours were revealed on Tuesday, and were centered through the Weinstein Company's "The Artist" and The new sony Pictures Classics' "Take Shelter," which obtained five nods each. In the past, Indie Spirit those who win have tended to obtain nominated for -- but lose -- in the Academy awards. That may change this season, however, with "The Artist" and "The Descendants," two films which have both resonated as strongly every with Academy people so far, both nominated for the best feature, best director and finest script."The Artist," "The Descendants" and "Take Shelter" will compete for the best feature with "Beginners" (the large champion finally night's Gotham Honours), "Drive," and "50/50." Bizarrely, Woodsy Allen's "Night time in Paris," which is among the likeliest best picture Oscar nominees, was refused a place within this category (in addition to best director and finest script), despite the fact that it had been nominated for the best supporting actor (Corey Stoll) and finest cinematography. Drake Doremus' "Constantly,Inch that also appeared to become a likely nominee, seemed to be snubbed.A couple of other films were excluded from the main groups for some other reasons: Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Existence," using its $32 million budget, was too large to pass through being an indie with this group. Meanwhile, three critics' faves with Oscar aspirations -- Lars von Trier's "Melancholia," Steve McQueen's "Shame" and Lynne Ramsey's "We have to Discuss Kevin" -- were considered to become foreign films and for that reason ineligible outdoors from the category alotted for individuals.Lastly, two inexplicable snubs happened within the lead acting groups: George Clooney, the star of "The Descendants," was excluded from the very best actor race, while Glenn Close, the star of "Albert Nobbs," was excluded from the very best actress area-- despite the fact that her co-star Jesse McTeer was nominated for the best supporting actress. (I wouldn't read an excessive amount of in to these particular final results indeed, it's highly likely the Academy will reverse them.) I expect that individuals races will be won by Jean Dujardin ("The Artist") and only Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn") or Elizabeth Olsen ("Martha Marcy May Marlene"), correspondingly, which Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants") will prevail within the supporting groups. The Hollywood Reporter

Thursday, November 10, 2011

New Muppets Trailer Hits The Net

It's Slumfrog MillionaireWe've had the Eco-friendly Lantern one, The Hangover one, the Dragon Tattoo one, the Paranormal Activity one, the standard one and today it's Bollywood's turn. Yes, The Muppets have headed east for an additional among their loving, trailer-formed homages.We believe they might simply have been fibbing once they stated these were completed with the pastiche trailers but, hey, it is a Muppet fib therefore it does not count. Stay tuned, relax and let everyone's furry buddies sing and dance you into Friday evening. Yes, we all know it's Thursday but it is 24 hrs of fun. This is possibly the ultimate, final pastiche trailer (signal: The Muppets do Tree Of Existence), so simply to recap: Muppet fan Walter gathers your government Gary (Jason Segel) and the girlfriend Mary (Can Be) to assist him recruit Kermie and also the gang and save their old theatre from demolition. The guy to hiss at? Greedy oil maniac Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). Booooo! The Muppets has gone out in america on November 23 and arrives right here on Feb 17.

Friday, November 4, 2011

ABC Orders Full Seasons of Once Upon a Time, Last Man Standing, Happy Endings

Lana Parrilla, Tim Allen, Elisha Cuthbert Expect to see more evil queens and disgruntled men on ABC. The network announced full seasons of Happy Endings and freshman shows Once Upon a Time and Last Man Standing on Thursday. Five additional scripts for the '60s jet-setting period drama Pan Am have also been ordered. Once Upon a Time Tales: Meet the mistress of all evil, Maleficent In its sophomore season, the relationship sitcom Happy Endings has averaged 7.3 million viewers in its last six outings. The Oct. 23 debut of the fairy-tale drama Once Upon a Time gave ABC its best scripted series premiere numbers in two years. It drew in 12.79 million viewers and posted a 3.9 among the coveted 18-49 demo. Last Man Standing, Tim Allen's return to series television, premiered to 13.19 million viewers. The sitcom has slid in subsequent weeks, but still grabbed a respectable 9.3 million on Tuesday. Pan Am, which stars Christina Ricci, had a strong takeoff with 11.06 million viewers, but has been steadily descending in the ratings. Its last outing only drew 5.46 million viewers. Are you happy to see more episodes of these shows?

Monday, October 31, 2011

'Field of Dreams' Field Sold: Kevin Costner Not Included

The field from 'Field of Dreams' has been sold. But fear not, baseball diehards: the patch of land in Iowa made famous in the 1989 film is going to big fans of the movie, who plan to keep the field Kevin Costner built untouched. The name of their company: Go the Distance Baseball L.L.C. Even though it's privately owned, the site has attracted 65,000 visitors a year without any promotion and has always been free to all comers. It's not clear if the free admission will continue as the new owners plan to build more baseball fields on the 193-acre farm. Current owner Don Lansing was born on the farm that includes the field; it has been in his family for over a century. As his wife Becky told the NY Times, "We have done what we needed to do with the field. We nurtured and protected it and allowed the field to become all it is meant to be." The Lansings, who tended the grounds, gave tours and sold souvenirs over the years, held out for a buyer who would preserve the authenticity of the field. The new owners, Mike and Denise Stillman plan to do just that, keeping the famous field as is, but adding several others and an indoor center for youth baseball and softball tournaments. Lansing said it's bittersweet saying goodbye to the field: "I never really dreamt people would come, just like they say in the movie," he said. "I have a lot of affection for the place. I'm not in it for the money. I'm in it for the fun. My fun is over, and I'm ready to move on." [via NYT] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Friday, October 28, 2011

Yes, 'Like Crazy' Director Drake Doremus Did Have a Doomed Long-Distance Marriage

People tend to react in one of two ways to 'Like Crazy,' the Sundance-approved long-distance-relationship saga that Paramount is billing as something like the second coming of 'Love Story.' ("Love means never having to renew your visa"?) Some viewers experience a Kleenex-obliterating sense memory of what it felt like to be young, naïve, hopelessly in love, and separated from one's object of desire by circumstances beyond one's control; others check out emotionally as soon as they decide that these two idiot kids brought all their troubles on themselves. I fall decidedly into the former camp, so I jumped at the chance to interview the film's 28-year-old director, Drake Doremus, who shot the movie with no script and $250,000. He shared a few gory details about the long-distance relationship(s) that inspired the film, and even offered some advice for those foolish enough to attempt one in real life. I saw the movie two or three weeks ago and, like anyone who's ever had a long-distance relationship, I was just a shattered mess after watching it. I'm glad to hear that and I'm sorry to hear that. How did you make it so real? The truth is, they made it real, you know? Anton, Felicity, right when we started working together, I asked them to make this a boundary-less process. I said, 'That's what I want to do. I really want to push things so that we're really in it and it's really happening.' They said, 'OK, we'll do it.' Once we started rehearsing, once they were in character, they were in character for a month. Really? That was the mandate. The camera was constantly moving around. You never know when it's going to be rolling -- they needed to be Jacob and Ana and in a relationship. So they crossed into that territory and let themselves be vulnerable and trusted me. It was incredible because I was able to steal some really true and authentic moments, because they were willing to go there. For that entire month, we were just in it. Were either of them in relationships at the time? Yeah, they were both in relationships. It was still a professional thing; they were friends. And then when it was done, it was done. They were just genuinely reacting and responding to the imaginary circumstances which I put in front of them, so that it could feel as authentic as possible. You never saw the strings; it was always real. I think it was hard for them, but I also think that they're such bold and exciting actors, they're willing to go places that most actors aren't. What's the difference between Felicity Jones and her character? How different are they? Well, they're very different. I think Felicity would say that Ana's a lot more naive and hopeful and pushy than she is. And how did you come to cast Felicity in that role? I cast Felicity based off a tape. I had seen a bunch of different actresses in Los Angeles in chemistry reads with Anton, but nothing was really clicking. I had spoken to Felicity on the phone for about an hour and we talked about 'Breaking the Waves' and performances that we loved over the years. We really bonded, and I was excited to see her tape, because I was thinking to myself, 'Oh my God, she really gets what I'm looking for.' And then she sent me her tape. She had gotten in her shower and she did the last scene in the movie and she framed it close upon her face. She sent me that scene and a couple of other scenes, and I was just floored by her and took the chance of casting her without seeing her with Anton at all. Or without meeting her in person. Flew her to L.A. and we were shooting five days after she arrived. So you had rehearsals for five days and then jumped right in? You got it. We did 12 hours a day. We started at 3 p.m. and went to like 3 a.m., which was awesome because it felt like we were being mischievous. We were up all night just doing our thing. And how did you end up casting Anton? I met Anton through my producer, Jonathan Schwartz. Just researching actors in their young 20s, in their early 20s, really he was on the top of my list. He's such a great character actor and a chameleon. He's not just a good-looking kid; he can really act. The film is based on your personal experiences, is that right? Yeah, somewhat, for sure. So you had a long-distance relationship? At what point in your life? From 19 to 25, pretty much. I'm 28 now. She had to leave the country for visa reasons, so all that stuff is really personal to me. I really wanted to maintain and sort of explore the emotions I was going through and had gone through in the relationship, but at the same time my co-writer Ben York Jones had been through a long-distance relationship and put a lot of his emotions and detail into it. And then Felicity and Anton put the final touches on a lot of that stuff and brought a lot of themselves too. In a way, it's a collaboration based off of an amalgamation of a relationship that I did have. Did any of you guys get married in an attempt to get a visa sorted out? Yes, yes. You did? Yes, I did. And I'm assuming that it didn't work out in the end? I am a divorcé, Michael. I am a divorcé. I'm sorry to probe. No worries, man! Nah, I don't mind talking about it. You know, it's funny, I knew what I was getting myself into doing this movie, and now, having to talk about it. So I'm comfortable with my past and my life and it is the way it is. Your previous movie, 'Douchebag,' also dealt with marriage in a really unorthodox way. Marriage is obviously one of the great subjects of literature and film, but does it mean something special to you as a writer? It is. It's so funny, my new movie that I just shot this past summer is about fidelity in a marriage. I'm definitely fascinated by the subject. I'm more fascinated than anything by the idea of being with one person and monogamy and what that means, what that says about your life choices. It's something that I think about every day -- it's sort of at the center of my work. It's challenging at times to keep rooting for Jacob when you see him, not quite two-timing because it's a long-distance thing, but kind of two-timing. Yeah, I think that both are two-timing and that's the greatness. Once they have a conversation about seeing other people when they're not together, it's fair game. It's that greatness: well, we're married, but we're not. It's a very delicate thing, and it's hard, you know, the long distance thing is hard 'cause you're not really in each other's lives. You are but you're not. Did you actively try to avoid romantic clichés while making this movie? I really did consciously try to avoid them, because that was what kind of inspired me to make my love story. Because there are a bunch of movies that I have seen over the years that didn't really convey the truth about it. This was sort of a response to that. Obviously there are certain things that are inherent in relationships. Some of the scaffolding and structure, I think, could be perceived as that way, but I really tried to do something fresh and different and tried to do my take. You did have a montage with a music overlay on it. Yeah, there are a bunch of those. I love montages. If you've seen 'Douchebag,' I've got a lot of montages in that one too. Hard to get around that when you have people falling in love. Agreed, agreed. What I found interesting was that most of the story takes place after the point where most romantic movies end. Your characters fall in love at the very beginning of the movie and then it's a kind of a "now what?" issue. Yeah, exactly. I wanted to shake it up and sort of spin it. Here's an insane question: Do you have any advice for people who are actually in long-distance relationships? Yes. I have a very specific piece of advice: Have an endpoint in sight. It's a lot easier if you're going through the long-distance relationship when there's a drop-dead date of, 'Well, OK, in three months we're going to give it a shot in one of the cities.' If it's open-ended and it's just, 'OK, we're in a relationship but who knows if we'll ever actually be in the same city?," that's when it erodes and can fall apart. But I think if there's an end goal in mind that you guys set together, if you really want to give it a shot, then there's a little bit more of a hope and a chance. Do you know anyone who had a long-distance relationship that actually worked out? Yeah, it's funny! So many journalists, to be honest, that I've talked to, have told me their stories. I was in San Diego and this guy told me a really great story about how he met up with his high-school friend after not seeing her for 10 years and they started a long distance relationship, and now they have kids. It's really inspiring and exciting to hear that it works out for some people. It can be done. I think so. I mean, you can't choose who you love and you gotta be with who you love. Sometimes you have to make compromises and hard decisions in your life. You'll make the right decisions if it's the right person. I think it can be done. I think my version of it was that I was just so young and hadn't experienced enough of life to really understand and get through it and make it work. So when I look back on the movie now, and my personal experiences, I just wasn't prepared or in a place in my life where I could handle that sort of situation. [ALERT: THIS NEXT QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SERIES CONTAINS A SPOILER OF SORTS] But the movie is kind of open-ended, right? I kind of assume that they're gonna make it in that final scene. Well, great! I hope that they do, and I don't want the audience to walk away thinking they didn't. I think there's a lot of exhaustion -- the relationship has taken a toll on them and they have to rest and regroup. Whether that regrouping leads to a healthy, normal, functional relationship now? I mean, that's really up to the audience, for them to bring their life and their personal experiences to it. I read something that there was like a crowd of folks who were 70 and up who really flipped for the movie. What's been your reflections on watching people watch the movie? It's crazy. Yesterday, we were at the Hamptons Film Festival to screen the movie for about 850 people. I'd say 90 percent of the crowd was 40 and older. It's incredible the response it's getting from an older audience. I was not expecting it, but it's really exciting because I think that there's a real nostalgic connection to what this feels like for an older audience. I think they're discovering it and they're making it their own. That's funny because it feels very contemporary and true to the way people date now. But it's probably the way people dated back then too. Yeah, I think that's the case. I think that love doesn't change, only technology does. [Photo: Getty Images] For more on Drake Doremus, head over to Huffington Post. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Thursday, October 27, 2011

HBO grabs TV production rights for The Dark Tower

If last week you'd asked us to bet on The Dark Tower getting made anytime soon, we'd have saved our money for something with less financial risk. Like buying Netflix shares.This week the project is surrounded by so much positive buzz it could be the uplifting "And finally..." segment at the end of a TV news report.We've already heard producer Brian Grazer's comments that shaving $45m-$50m from the budget and improving the ending has given the project a new lease of life.Now he tells us that the rights to the TV show that would follow a trilogy of movies have been snapped up by HBO."We're going to do [The Dark Tower] with HBO. We'll do the TV with HBO, and we'll do the movie with... to be determined," he teased, before adding: "We'll do it right."With backing from HBO, can a film studio willing to tackle the series be far behind?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

13

Conflicting ideaologies clash in Mike Bartletts 13.A National Theater presentation from the play by 50 percent operates by Mike Bartlett. Directed by Thea Sharrock.Ruth - Geraldine James John - Trystan Gravelle Stephen - Danny Webb Mark - Adam James Rachel - Kirsty Bushell Amir - Davood Ghadami Edith - Helen Ryan Sarah - Genevieve Reilly Dennis - Nick Sidi Ruby - Sophistication Cooper Milton/ Jadie - Rose HobsonConflicting generational ideologies, the corruption of one's, political disaffection versus. the requirement of belief, war versus. pacifism, the sights and challenges of free-market capitalism ... Everything plus much more is audaciously presented, in comparison and chewed in "13." The intellectual plate-spinning of playwright Mike Bartlett (U.K. hit "Cock," bowing Off Broadway in the year) might be as pleasing, however, if ambition didn't so clearly outstrip dramatic achievement. Twelve rapidly introduced, apparently disconnected figures -- from tired charitable organization worker Rachel (nicely finish-of-tether Kirsty Bushell) to Ruth, the Conservative Pm (Geraldine James), to lawyer Mark (Adam James) -- all appear to become talking about exactly the same bad dream. Their fascinatingly surreal linkages with one another advise a pending crisis in this near-present-day dystopia, rising with a peak as all twelve, under your own accord or else, belong to the sway of political prophet John (Trystan Gravelle). He appears as if from nowhere and evolves a Christ-like presence of unencumbered goodness. His huge following made with the Internet expects the us government, particularly since it stands poised to invade Iran over its nuclear weapons policy. Working out backlinks involving the disparate figures gives momentum up up to the more effective first half. How can the God-fearing wife in the U.S. politico go with the look? What's the outcomes of the atheist academic as well as the Pm? Yet once the connections are produced, they don't deepen. Puzzlingly, as if not fully in charge of his structure, Bartlett also changes stylistic tack, losing the higher surreal tone inside the weakened partner and climbing lower rather with a standard-problem debate getting a mind-to-mind of conflicting ideologies across a table involving the prophet as well as the Pm. Worse, anybody even vaguely conversant with conspiracy thrillers can smell the inevitable routing in the idealist miles-off. Despite the fact that intelligence in the writing is not uncertain, the theatrical texture wears thin because the diffuse ideas remain underdeveloped. Bartlett isn't aided by Thea Sharrock's fitful production. Her awkward, effortful crowd moments are unconvincing and although she gives clearness for the mix-cut tales, there's a draining inadequate cumulative energy. Moment by moment, the heavens illuminate their individual situations. Adam James brings piercing emotional precision for the lawyer who cracks up beneath the realization that his all-consuming rage is really keen on themselves. And Geraldine James survives the caricature of her high-heels and upswept-hair costuming to breathe existence into implausibly isolated Ruth. Taking its signal from Tom Scutt's mainly black set oddly lit by Mark Henderson, Sharrock's bleak staging is at thrall with a giant, progressively spinning black cube within the center in the stage that signifies a metaphor whose meaning remains vague. More awkwardly still, its constantly turning surface serves to underlines Bartlett's uncharacteristic inadequate decision about his play's sense of direction. His queries about the smoothness of fine and evil nowadays are bold but an amount bigger question for you is brought to light with the drably staged coda in which the conclusions for the tales in the twelve are trotted through the stars in the straight line. Why didn't the National's literary management persuade Bartlett to think about a play of those potential through one or more more major draft?Sets and costumes, Tom Scutt lighting, Mark Henderson appear, Ian Dickinson music, Adrian Johnston production stage manager, Laura Flowers. Opened up up, examined March. 25, 2011. Running time: 2 Several hours, 50 MIN.With: Matthew Barker, Nick Blakeley, Katie Brayben, Natasha Broomfield, Martin Chamberlain, Sioned Manley, Barbara Kirby, Esther McAuley, Lara Rossi, Zara Tempest-Walters, John Webber, Shane Zaza. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Box Office Report: 'Paranormal Activity 3' around the right course for Jaw-Losing $45 Mil to $50 Mil Weekend

Inside an early Halloween gift for Vital, Paranormal Activity 3 is on course to earn $25 million within the Friday box office for just about any whopping weekend gross close to $45 million to $50 million -- unquestionably the most effective launch in almost four several days within the domestic box office.our editor recommends'Paranormal Activity 3' Trailer Shows Retro Scares (Video)Paranormal Activity 3: Film Evaluate It's rare for just about any threequel gain bigger amounts in comparison to 2 preceeding photos, which is evidence of the originality in the Paranormal franchise, produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli and Steven Schneider, additionally to Vital's marketing acumen. This past year, Paranormal Activity 2 opened up as much as $40.7 million. PHOTOS: Legendary Horror Movies Paranormal 3, a prequel, looks gain the most effective domestic opening since Fox's Rise in the Planet in the Apes noisy . August. That pic acquired $54.5 million within the first weekend. Friday's $25 million estimate for Paranormal 3 includes $8 million in evening time shows, which have been 30% greater in comparison to $6.3 million produced by Paranormal 2. Inside an unusual twist, Paranormal 3 received a C+ CinemaScore, a grade that doesn't usually correspond with large grosses, although horror films generally usually draw lower scores. The weekend's two other new wide records got away and off to a soft begin Friday, not remarkably, despite both obtaining a B CinemaScore. Paul W.S. Anderson's $90 million The Three Musketeers, compiled by Summit Entertainment in your area and produced by Germany's Constantin Films, may not achieve $3.5 million on Friday for just about any $ten million roughly weekend opening (it absolutely was in the close race Friday with Vital's Footloose for No. 2). FILM REVIEW: Paranormal Activity 3 Universal's Rowan Atkinson action-comedy Johnny British Reborn is forecasted to gross just north of $millions of throughout your day, and shy of $4 million for your weekend. The good thing--both films, and particularly Johnny British, are large hits overseas. Johnny British Reborn can be a runaway hit worldwide, which is poised to leap the $100 million mark a couple of days ago, no matter the tepid U.S. launch. It's opened up up No. one out of most of the 43 foreign areas where it's been released and it is in six additional areas a couple of days ago, including France. STORY: New Movie Reviews: 'The Three Musketeers,' 'Paranormal Activity 3,' 'Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene' Striking Theaters Paranormal 3 can also be away and off to a effective start overseas, where it's outpacing Paranormal 2 too. The film opened up as much as $521K in France on Thursday, 13 pecent of Paranormal 2. In Russia, the $550K opening waas 45 percent greater in comparison to follow-up, while Australia completed $516K, fourteen percent ahead. The Paranormal franchise remains most likely probably the most lucrative film series in recent memory. The initial Paranormal, which cost $15,000 to produce and opened up up in the limited run in September 2009, ongoing to gross $193.4 million worldwide. Paranormal 2 cost $3 million to produce, making $177.5 million worldwide. The threequel's money is known as at $5 million. Related Subjects Box Office Paranormal Activity 3 Johnny British Reborn

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

'Knight' leads offlot L.A. production

"The Dark Dark evening Increases" ongoing to become most likely probably the most active offlot feature in La the other day since the Batpic introduced shoots for your sixth frame back to back -- but overall feature production was far much much softer than average. The Batman follow-up from director-producer Christopher Nolan, from permits as "Magnus Rex," totalled up nine permitted days the other day, according to figures provided Tuesday with the FilmL.A. enabling agency. Locations used through the shoot are the L.A. River, beneath the sixth Street Bridge Dominguez Funnel near El Camino College Grand Avenue downtown Figueroa and 4th Street downtown 830 S. Hill within the Broadway Trade Center and Frank Court Alley between sixth and seventh streets. Warner Bros. has set This summer time 20, 2012, since the release date for Nolan's third Caped Crusader pic. Total feature days permitted the other day were lower 23% at 85 days, or 26 less in comparison to same week this season. Feature activity rose 50% through the 3rd quarter and averaged 160 days every week. Capabilities presently shooting in La include "Argo," "Virtually Heroes," Lords of Salem," "Violeta," "The Vortex" and "531," that have the second-finest volume of permitted days with eight. Total permitted production days rose 13% to 600 the other day. TV shooting leaped 27% to 420 days, with "Raising Hope" most likely probably the most active the other day with 16. Activity rose in dramas, sitcoms and reality. Other TV productions shooting in La include "506," "House," "Shameless," "Fact or Fake," "Got Home Alive," "Joan and Melissa," "Top Gear," "Up With The Evening" and "New Girl." Commercial shooting was up 6% to 95 days, with Arts & Sciences' Google commercial shot accumulating most likely probably the most days at 10. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

ROLL CALL: Jennifer Aniston Wows In Plunging Dress

First Released: October 18, 2011 12:45 PM EDT Credit: Getty Premium La, Calif. -- Caption Jennifer Aniston gets to the 18th Annual ELLE Women In Hollywood Tribute in the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hillsides, Calif. on October 17, 2011 Your Everyday Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans Jen Turns It!: Jennifer Aniston turned up at Elle magazines Women in Hollywood event on Monday evening revealing all her assets. The actress looked fierce inside a sparkly, backless Kaufman Franco dress (having a plunging neck-line!), Balenciaga footwear, holding a Ferragamo clutch and sporting Fred Leighton jewels. Throughout the big event, Jens good friend Reese Witherspoon who presented Jen together with her award joked concerning the actress, saying, [She's] attractiveness and finish lovability. You want to get a nails completed with her making by helping cover their her simultaneously, a minimum of I actually do, and thats what we should do sometimes on Saturday. Boyfriend Justin Theroux seemed to be available for Jens recognition. Shia Slugs It: Appears like Shia LaBeouf had quite the evening a week ago in Vancouver. Based on TMZ, the actor was involved with a scuffle outdoors local bar Cinema Public House. Take a look at Shias incident, HERE! Lauren & Derek Allow It To Spend Time: Lauren Conrad and Derek Hough haven't yet confirm their reported romance, but based on People, installed their affection displayed lately in La at Trousdale Lounge. Based on the mag, the happy couple was spotted around the party area and apparently exchanged numerous kisses. LC and also the DWTS professional apparently had pals Lo Bosworth and fellow dancer Mark Ballas with you on the evening out. Demi Steps Out: Demi Moore was out last evening in NY City in the premiere of her new movie, Margin Call. The actress, who showed up solo inside a Zac Posen dress, was spotted sporting her wedding band. Begin to see the actress take a look here! Harrys Bumped Out!: Somebody understand this guy a pillow! Music legend Harry Belafonte was scheduled to look on the morning news enter in Bakersfield, Calif., last Friday, however the 84-year-old made the decision to rest rather on live television! Click The Link to look at Harry catching some Zs! -By Jesse Spero Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Mark Consuelos Joins I Hate My Teenage Daughter

Mark Consuelos Mark Consuelos has been tapped to play Jaime Pressly's potential love interest on Fox's new comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Consuelos, husband to Kelly Ripa, will portray a Spanish professor who sets his sights on Alice (Pressly), a student at the community college where he teaches. How's that for awkward? Check out the rest of today's news The All My Children star is set to appear in at least two episodes of the freshman comedy, which centers on two women (Pressly and Katie Finneran) who fret that their daughters are turning into the type of girls who picked on them in high school. I Hate My Teenage Daughter is the last of fall TV's new series and will premiere on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 9:30/8:30c on Fox.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Taylor Swift Wants To Wear Her Fragrance Everyday

First Published: October 14, 2011 4:29 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images NY, N.Y. -- Caption Taylor Swift attends her Wonderstruck fragrance launch at Macys Herald Square in NY City on October 13, 2011 Taylor Swift is going to be smelling quite wonderful Wonderstruck even! The 21-year-old singing sensation launched her new fragrance, Wonderstruck, on Thursday in NY City, where Access Hollywood guest correspondent Jill Martin got to the bottom of her magical scent something her inner circle will be smelling a lot of in the coming days! Putting out your first fragrance, its been so much fun, because we worked on it for a year and made it really something Im so proud of, Taylor said. Its something I really love, and something I want to wear every day, she continued. Its really fun, and I love it. When people compliment me on the perfume Im wearing, I can just be like, Oh, yeah, its the one that I made! Wonderstruck is a blend of many notes including freesia, raspberry, vanilla, honeysuckle and sandalwood. The Grammy winner also gushed about her latest musical honor, being named Billboard Woman of the Year. Im so happy about that. Its such an honor, and it was definitely one of those moments where I got the phone call, and I was just jumping up and down, so excited, Taylor told Access. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Hilary Duff Moving Full Speed Ahead With Life

First Published: October 12, 2011 9:04 AM EDT Credit: Getty Images NY, N.Y. -- Caption Hilary Duff signs copies of Devoted, her new novel, at Barnes & Noble Tribeca in NY City on October 10, 2011Although shes appeared in hit movies, starred on a Disney TV show and sold millions of records, Hilary Duff still feels like she has things to prove in showbiz. Duff says during her time on Lizzie McGuire, the show she starred in for two seasons that made her famous, she got to do so many fun things and be so physical with my comedy. I had no inhibitions. It was fun for me to be goofy. Then I wanted to sing and that was new but I had so many fans by that point they were all supporting me so I was really confident. Now Im a little older and I feel I need to re-learn some of those things. I have goals and aspirations but they kind of fall into what Ive already accomplished. I feel like I still have work to do within things Ive already dabbled in. One recent success shes had is in the publishing world. Duffs a best-selling young adult novelist with her Elixir trilogy. The second book, Devoted is now in stores. To put a book out was huge, she said. To hear people be like, I didnt want to give you much credit but I love this book. Its an overwhelming feeling of gratefulness and relief. Besides writing, 24-year-old Duff is expecting her first child with pro hockey player Mike Comrie. The two married in 2010. She says she sees fans posting on Twitter that her pregnancy makes them feel old. The truth is that Im very young and things in my life have happened very fast. I guess, why stop now? She doesnt know if the baby is a boy or a girl, but plans to take her husband, mom and sister (actress Haylie Duff) to the appointment to find out. Duff says the suspense is killing her and predicts it will be a boy. Although shes grown up in the spotlight Duff says being in the public eye can be hard while shes experiencing the ups and downs of pregnancy. Being pregnant every day is a little bitdifferent. Sometimes youre feeling great and sometimes you just like could cry at the drop of a hat. I handle it as best as I can I think. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Profits at Japan's Toho fall

Tokyo -- Toho, Japan's biggest studio, distributor and exhibitor, forecasts net profit will fall 12% to $130 million for the fiscal year ending in February -- $34 million better than its previous estimate. The reason for the brighter outlook is that the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima reactor meltdown did not hit box office takings as hard as had been expected. In the aftermath of the disasters, Toho and other exhibs expected power blackouts to cut severely into summer B.O. But power savings prevented the blackouts and theaters operated at near-normal levels during the peak summer months. In April, the company projected that the disasters would trim $104 million from sales and $52 million from pre-tax profit, but the actual impact was far lower. Toho now expects an 8% drop in sales to $2.2 billion and a 27% plunge in pre-tax profit to $222 million. This represents $47 million more in projected sales and $55 million in profit over the previous forecast. In the first nine months of the year, B.O. for the Toho chain totaled $436 million or 79% of the same period the previous year. The drop, Toho said, may be have been due to the weakness of its slate, a change in audience psychology following the disasters or some combination of both. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Primetime Comedy Completes Comeback With Ruling Fall Showing

It calculates Modern Family was the Robin that signaled the comedy spring within the broadcast systems. couple of years following a Emmy-winning ABC series increased being the initial out-of-the-gate large comedy hit inside a very long time, the genre’s comeback is complete, while dramas appear headed for just about any lower cycle. Listed below are the particulars: Four new series are actually given full-season orders up to now this fall — these comedies: Fox’s New Girl, CBS’ 2 Broke Ladies and NBC’s Up With The Evening and Whitney. The first time in the very very long time, there is no breakout new drama three days into the season, without any hourlong newcomer series remains given a back-nine order. What’s more, 2 in the 4 restored new comedies, New Girl and two Broke Women, are becoming rare instant hits. In comparison, it needed CBS’ The Big Bang Theory a couple of seasons to find its footing and rose with a hit status after being put behind two and a half Males within the third season. And CBS’ Generate An Earnings Met Your Mother just found a completely new gear with series levels within the seventh season. With a lot of veteran dramas diminishing, comedies dominate the fall schedule, mainly in the important factor grownups 18-49 demographic. A comedy series remains the most effective entertainment type in 18-49 on each night which has comedies throughout all the first three days in the year. Including 5 most seen nights every week: Monday, where two and a half Males might be the very best dog, Tuesday (rookie New Girl), Wednesday (Modern Family), Thursday (The Big Bang Theory) and Sunday (Fox’s Family Guy, leading the entertainment pack behind Sunday Evening Football). What’s more, on 3 in the 5 nights, people comedies were also most likely probably the most seen programs (two and a half Males, Modern Family as well as the Large Bang Theory) For Week 2 of the year, the latest week there are full ratings information, comedies were the most effective 7 finest-rated entertainment series among grownups 18-49: 1. two and a half Males (7.4/17) 2. Modern Family (5.7/15) 3. The Big Bang Theory (4.9/15) 4. Mike & Molly (4.8/11) 5. 2 Broke Women (4.6/12) 6. Generate An Earnings Met Your Mother (4.5/12) 7. New Girl (4.5/11) The initial drama to produce a feel and look is CBS’ veteran NCIS (4.2/12) at No.8. With ABC’s new comedy Suburgatory also with an encouraging start and likely to acquire a back order as well as the network’s high-profile Tim Allen comedy Last Guy Standing slated to create on Tuesday, there can be around 6 newcomer comedy series given full-season orders this season on all 4 major systems. As well as the genre’s momentum will most likely continue next season. Comedy’s hot fall was preceded by an amount warmer summer season, through which comedy pitches were flying fast and furious, frequently leading to investing in an offer wars and landing large obligations.

MacLaine set as AFI Life Achievement honoree

MacLaineShirley MacLaine has been set as the American Film Institute's 40th Life Achievement honoree.The AFI will fete MacLaine's long and multi-faceted career on screen at its annual gala on June 7. The ceremony will be broadcast later in June on TV Land."From ingnue to screen legend, Shirley has entertained a global audience through song, dance, laughter and tears, and her career as writer, director and producer is even further evidence of her passion for the art form and her seemingly boundless talents," said Howard Stringer, Sony Corp. chief and chair of AFI's board of trustees, in announcing MacLaine's selection.After starting out as a hoofer on Broadway, MacLaine made her film debut in 1955's "The Trouble with Harry." Since then, screen resume has included such standout pics as "The Apartment," "Irma La Douce," "Ocean's Eleven," "Being There," "The Turning Point" and "Steel Magnolias." She's earned six Oscar noms to date and one win, for 1983's "Terms of Endearment."MacLaine will be on screen next in the indie "Bernie," opposite Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey. She's also touring with her one-woman show that blends a career retrospective with ruminations on spirituality and other metaphysical matters she's discussed in her numerous books. Her most recent memoir, "I'm Over All That -- And Other Confessions," was released in April. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Friday, October 7, 2011

Jim Troesh dies at 54

Author-actor and entertainment industry disability advocate Jim Troesh died on March. at St. Frederick Clinic in Burbank at age 54. Troesh performed a 3-season role like a quadriplegic attorney on "Highway to Paradise," a show younger crowd authored for. His screenwriting credits range from the 2006 film "Colour of the Mix."He was an energetic person in the Authors Guild of America West's Authors with Disabilities Committee and also the first quadriplegic actor to become listed on the Screen Stars Guild.He offered around the Entertainers Executive Committee from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was former National Chairman of AFTRA's Entertainers with Disabilities Committee, and former leader from the Media Access Office."What Jim introduced towards the disability equation was an irreverent, disarming feeling of the absurd. Humor stored him opting for 41 years," stated WGA Authors with Disabilities Committee Chair Allen Rucker. Troesh received the Michael Landon Award in the Media Access Office and seemed to be a person receiving the ABC/Disney Writing Scholarship.Troesh also produced the television pilot "The Hollywood Quad," that they authored, created, directed and starred in.Troesh's other acting credits include "Boston Legal," "Special Unit," "Notes in the Subterranean," "Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story" and "Airwolf." Skilled in improv, Troesh trained with Avery Schreiber, Theatersports, and Off The Beaten Track, and carried out using the Moving Targets, a political satire/sketch comedy/improv troupe younger crowd co-created and authored for. Like a teen, he aspired to become a digital specialist and wanted to utilize his hands. At age 14, he fell off a roof and sustained a spine injuries that left him paralyzed. Throughout senior high school, among Troesh's instructors urged his curiosity about writing, and that he started creating action-adventure short tales.A memorial service is going to be held March. 21 at 2 p.m. in North Hollywood at place to be determined. Instead of flowers, the household has asked for that donations might be produced in Troesh's title to "Total Improv Kids - Jim Troesh Scholarship." Inspections could be sent c/o Linda Fulton - Avery Schreiber Theatre - 11050 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

New Poll Shows Republicans Hate Sean Penn, Dems Hate Mel Gibson

Even just in present day partisan political climate, you'd think their could be some activities -- like visiting the cinema -- that will transcend party lines. Well, not based on research conducted recently made by The Hollywood Reporter. Inside a poll featuring both liberal and conservative voters, 35 % of Republicans (and 45 percent of tea party people) consider an actor's political position when visiting a film instead of 20 % of Dems. The research also pinpoints the share of people that intentionally avoid an actor's movie because of their political preferences. Stars Republicans Avoid Sean Penn (52%) Jane Fonda (48%) Whoopi Goldberg (47%) Stars Dems Avoid Mel Gibson (36%) Arnold Schwarzenegger (30%) Tom Cruise (27%) As the statistics aren't particularly shocking -- Schwarzenegger, Penn, Fonda and Goldberg are open regarding their values -- the research implies that you will find two stars who completely transcend political lines: Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon, that is pretty interesting since both of them are boisterous regarding their ideologies (Eastwood is Libertarian, Damon is really a staunch liberal). Other findings within the study range from the area of voters who think America is described well in films (62 percent of Dems instead of 39 percent of Republicans) and the kinds of movies voters enjoy (Republicans prefer family films, Dems prefer edgier and more personal movies). Read the whole study over on THR. The Film-Watching Habits of Dems and Republicans See All Moviefone Art galleries » [via THR] [Photo: AP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

The new sony Near to Obtaining Biography of Jobs

Following the dying of Apple's Jobs on Wednesday evening, it did not appear enjoy it would take lengthy for Hollywood to evolve his legendary existence for that giant screen. Also it most likely will not. Deadline reviews that The new sony is within foretells get the feature film privileges to 'Steve Jobs,' the approaching approved biography around the late Apple co-founder. Compiled by former CNN chairman and Time Magazine controlling editor Walter Isaacson, 'Jobs' will hit shelves on November. 21. When the deal experiences, Mark Gordon will produce the feature film. [Deadline] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

LFF Competition & Juries Introduced

Cronenberg & Fiennes get BFI FellowshipAs the outlet from the bfi London FilmFestival on October 12 looms ever closer, the road-up for that Festival's honours, juries and Fellowship candidates just been introduced, and it is great news for David Cronenberg and RalphFiennes, who are going to get the BFIFellowship, its greatest honor.Both filmmakers are getting directorial efforts towards the Festival this season:Cronenberg A Harmful Method and also the debutant director Fiennes Coriolanus. He's, obviously, also behaved a little. We believe he'd some kind of role in Harry Potter?Also introduced may be the candidate for top Film award, Best British Newcomer, the Sutherland Award for "the director of the very original and imaginative feature debut within the festival" and also the Grierson Award for the best Documentary. The entire listing of nominees for individuals is below, along with the jurors in each category.The BFILondon Film Festival starts on October 12 and runs until October 26. The Honours will be provided around the 26th at LSO St Luke's.BESTFILM360 - Fernando MeirellesThe Artist - Michel HazanaviciusThe DeepBlue Ocean - Terence DaviesThe Descendants - Alexander PayneFaust - Aleksandr SukurovThe Kid With ABike - Luc & Jean-Pierre DardenneShame - Steve McQueenTrishna - Michael WinterbottomWe Have To Discuss Kevin - Lynne RamsayJury membersJohn Madden, Gillian Anderson, Asif Kapadia, Tracey Seaward, Andrew O'Hagan, Mike Taylor Wood OBEBESTBRITISHNEWCOMERNick Murphy, Director, The AwakeningTinge Krishnan, Director, JunkheartsCandese Reid, Actress, JunkheartsNirpal Bhogal, Author/director, SketAimee Kelly, Actress, SketTom Cullen, Actor, WeekendChris New, Actor, Weekend D.R. Hood, Author/Director, WreckersJury MembersAnne-Marie Duff, Tom Hollander,Nik Powell, Andy Harries, Edith Bowman, Stephen WoolleyTHESUTHERLANDAWARDCorpo Celeste, Alice RohrwacherEternity, Sivaroj KongsakulHere, Braden KingThe House, Zuzana LiováLas Acacias, Pablo GiorgelliLast Winter, John ShankMichael, Markus SchleinzerMourning, Morteza FarshbafShe Apes, Lisa AschanSnowtown, Justin KurzelThe Sun-Beaten Path, Sonthar GyalWithout, Mark JacksonJury MembersPhil Collins, Andrew Eaton, Joanna Hogg, Peter Kosminsky, Saskia Reeves, Hugo Grumbar, Tim RobeyTHEGRIERSONAWARDFORBESTDOCUMENTARYBernadette: Notes On The Political Journey, Lelia DoolanBetter Our Planet, Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane p la VegaThe Black Energy Mixtape 1967-1975, Goran Hugo OlssonDragonslayer, Tristan PattersonDreams Of The Existence, Carol MoleyInto The Abyss: An Account Of Dying, An Account Of Existence, Werner HerzogLast Days Here, Don Argott & Demian FentonWhore's Glory, Michael GlawoggerJury MembersAdam Curtis, Kim Longinotto, Mandy Chang, Charlotte now Moore

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Bob Pittman Elevated to Boss of CC Media Holdings

NEW You are able to -- CC Media Holdings, the organization behind the Obvious Funnel radio business and Obvious Funnel Outside, stated Sunday it has elevated former MTV, America online and Time Warner top executive Bob Pittman towards the Boss role.our editor recommendsBob Pittman Sees Digital Upside for Radio Former America online Top Executive Bob Pittman Joins Obvious Funnel to assist Drive its Radio Business He'd became a member of the biggest U.S. radio company in November being an investor and chairman of media and entertainment platforms. In the new role, he'll oversee the business's global media qualities, such as the biggest U.S. radio group, digital and mobile distribution, media representation and outside. Pittman will join the board of CC Media Holdings and Obvious Funnel Communications and can become Obvious Funnel Outside's executive chairman. Pittman will even remain an associate of Pilot Group, a NY private investment firm. Mark Mays, chairman of Obvious Funnel Media Holdings, stated about Pittman:"He's been an excellent cause of Obvious Funnel Radio since last November, and that he is the best person to consider Obvious Funnel one stage further.Inch The organization have been searching for anyone to fill its Boss role since Mays this past year stated he was shedding the Boss title. "Bob Pittman brings a lengthy history like a brilliant innovator and brand builder -- from his days like a very effective radio programmer, creator of MTV and Boss of MTV Systems to his work assisting to drive the phenomenal development of America online and the effective opportunities in other digital, media and technology companies," stated Scott Sperling, co-leader of Thomas H. Lee Partners, among the private equity finance proprietors of the organization."He's already produced a restored feeling of confidence and direction not just at Obvious Funnel, but over the entire radio and media landscape." Stated Pittman: "I understand first-hands that people have great people and also the assets that permit them to do excellent achievements.We're a lot more than just transmitters and broadcast towers -- we leverage our local brands, personas, proper associations and programming expertise to produce unique encounters that forge real connections with customers across our multiple platforms." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Obvious Funnel Communications