Lea Michele's vacation in Italy just got hotter — and POPSUGAR has the exclusive pictures! The Glee actress had a picture-perfect Saturday with her boyfriend, Matthew Paetz, with whom she shared several passionate kisses.
Showing posts with label Entertainment - The Huffington Post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment - The Huffington Post. Show all posts
Monday 21 July 2014
You Betcha 'Fargo' And 'Louie' Got Renewed By FX
FX CEO John Landgraf has announced that the network will pick up new seasons of both "Louie" and "Fargo."
The seven-episode fifth season of Louis C.K.'s comedy series will premiere in Spring 2015, while the ten-episode second season of "Fargo" will feature a new storyline, a new time period and an all-new cast.
(This is a developing story.)
The seven-episode fifth season of Louis C.K.'s comedy series will premiere in Spring 2015, while the ten-episode second season of "Fargo" will feature a new storyline, a new time period and an all-new cast.
(This is a developing story.)
Bill Murray's Newest Character Is A Great Addition To The Greatest Comedic Roster Ever. See For Yourself.
Bill Murray means more to you than you may realize.
With the arrival of the trailer for his new "dramedy," St.Vincent, it looks like the comedic genius is set to carve out another character who will live on in cinema history as a great one. Between the smoking, drinking and complete disregard for those around him, his Vincent de Van Nuys seems like a perfect vessel for all that we love about Murray. Add to the mix that his main foil will be a 10-year-old kid who needs a little guidance and the stage is set for some dialogue that will get its due through the iconic presence of a Hollywood legend. And a legend he is.
Over the past 40 years, Bill Murray has treated us to more amazing characters than most actors will ever do in a lifetime. Saturday Night Live was a the jumping-off point, but he landed in a pile of money as he continued his brand of loveable schmuck humour in big Hollywood comedies. One look at this list and you will be scouring Netflix for as many of these golden oldies as you can find. I challenge you to find another actor who has a repertoire like this guy. Don't take me up on it. Just take a look at these:
11. Herman Blume - Rushmore (check out the clip)
10. Jon Bosley - Charlie's Angels (check out the clip)
9. Phil - Groundhog Day (check out the clip)
8. Frank Cross - Scrooged (check out the clip)
7. Ernie McCracken - Kingpin (check out the clip)
6. Bob Harris - Lost In Translation (check out the clip)
5. John - Stripes (check out the clip)
4. Tripper - Meatballs (check out the clip)
3. Carl Spackler - Caddyshack (check out the clip)
2. Frank Milo - Mad Dog & Glory (check out the clip)
1. Peter Venkman - Ghostbusters (check out the clip)
Check out the original article on AskMen to see all the clips of Bill Murray's best flicks.
Related links:
10 Classic Movie Moments Better Than Anything In Theaters Right Now
Megan Fox + 9 Other Women Michael Bay Added To Our Desktop Wallpapers
Top 5 Things We Learned From The Karate Kid
With the arrival of the trailer for his new "dramedy," St.Vincent, it looks like the comedic genius is set to carve out another character who will live on in cinema history as a great one. Between the smoking, drinking and complete disregard for those around him, his Vincent de Van Nuys seems like a perfect vessel for all that we love about Murray. Add to the mix that his main foil will be a 10-year-old kid who needs a little guidance and the stage is set for some dialogue that will get its due through the iconic presence of a Hollywood legend. And a legend he is.
Over the past 40 years, Bill Murray has treated us to more amazing characters than most actors will ever do in a lifetime. Saturday Night Live was a the jumping-off point, but he landed in a pile of money as he continued his brand of loveable schmuck humour in big Hollywood comedies. One look at this list and you will be scouring Netflix for as many of these golden oldies as you can find. I challenge you to find another actor who has a repertoire like this guy. Don't take me up on it. Just take a look at these:
11. Herman Blume - Rushmore (check out the clip)
10. Jon Bosley - Charlie's Angels (check out the clip)
9. Phil - Groundhog Day (check out the clip)
8. Frank Cross - Scrooged (check out the clip)
7. Ernie McCracken - Kingpin (check out the clip)
6. Bob Harris - Lost In Translation (check out the clip)
5. John - Stripes (check out the clip)
4. Tripper - Meatballs (check out the clip)
3. Carl Spackler - Caddyshack (check out the clip)
2. Frank Milo - Mad Dog & Glory (check out the clip)
1. Peter Venkman - Ghostbusters (check out the clip)
Check out the original article on AskMen to see all the clips of Bill Murray's best flicks.
Related links:
10 Classic Movie Moments Better Than Anything In Theaters Right Now
Megan Fox + 9 Other Women Michael Bay Added To Our Desktop Wallpapers
Top 5 Things We Learned From The Karate Kid
Celebrity Collector: Luis Figueroa
Photo Credit: John Skalicky
Luis Figueroa is not a face you quickly forget. You might recognize him from the Broadway musicals "42nd Street" or "Wicked." He has also worked on numerous commercials for brands such as Coke Zero, Bank of America, US Army, etc. Recently he was cast in Akiva Goldsman's film, Winter's Tale. I have a feeling we are going to see a lot more of this actor in the near future.
When he's not acting, he has another passion; cooking. I'm not going to lie. I don't like to cook. Baking tasty treats...yes. Cooking..not so much. Alas, if I was to spy this guy in the meat department of the grocery store, I might be inspired.
One can only assume with a collection of cookbooks, the kitchen is your favorite place to be. Tell me more.
I can't think of any other place in a home I would rather be. I love kitchens. My kitchen or anyone else's for that matter. I have so many memories that stem from them. From my grandmother cooking when I was little, to prepping Christmas dinner, to my hot plate and microwave in my first NY apartment. I have laughed, I have cried, I have eaten and drank way too much. It's the place where meals are created. How often have you smelled something or tasted something in a kitchen and had it take you back to a specific place, and time? That's the power of a kitchen. It inspires life.
Who or what inspired your interest in cookbooks?
About 10 years ago I was working on Broadway. I met a friend after our matinees for a sensible Sunday cupcake at Magnolia bakery. The line was immense, not to mention they were closing, so we didn't even make the cut off. For whatever reason, we decided we should make our own cupcakes. We headed to a bookstore in the neighborhood and picked up the"Magnolia Bakery Book," got to my place and threw everything in a food processor. Not my best, but I was inspired to try again, and again, and again.
My family thinks of me as a cupcake connoisseur now. Baking led to actual meals and then to hosting dinner parties. The better I got the more complex the books became. Then came the magazine subscriptions and eventually I developed this collection of books and magazines with enough recipes to not have the same meal for a couple of years. I have my go to recipes and a ton of which I have yet to explore. That's the beauty of them. Every time I open a book something new and exciting can arise from it.
Ironically, I used to own a cupcake bakery. Lots of people can cook, but can't necessarily bake and vice versa. Apparently, you have mastered both! Has your passion for cooking turned you into a utensil or cookware collector?
I would like to say no, I don't collect anything else. The cookbooks are enough. I have tons of them here in LA, back in NY, and even some at my mom's house in DC. But I tend to also buy/collect useless kitchen items. Different recipes call for different tools. Zesters, measuring cups, rolling pins, cake pans of all shapes and sizes, sifters, cheese cloths, pots, pans, knives, the list goes on and on. I tend to get up sold easily so I do have a variety of items that I haven't used, some which are still in their original packaging. I'm sure at some point a recipe will call for them, so it's best to be prepared. If you collect cookbooks you have to have the tools to back them up, no?
When asking someone out on a date, do you take them out to eat, or do you pull out one of your favorite cookbooks and make something fabulous?
I love to eat out. So first date, absolutely restaurant it is. When I need to seal the deal, that's when I will cook. I have go to recipes for such occasions, but those are my secret weapons...
--------
Look out Curtis Stone... If you tire of films and the theater, I'm sure the Food Network would have something for you!!
Figueroa is in the upcoming film, "And So It Goes" with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. In theaters July 25th!
Follow him:
Twitter @Luisalicious
Instagram @Luisafig
Robert Downey Jr. Tops Forbes' List Of Highest Paid Actors Yet Again
Earning an estimated $75 million, Robert Downey Jr. has topped Forbes' ranking of highest paid actors for the second year in a row.
As Entertainment Weekly notes, this is all the more impressive considering Downey Jr. released only one movie over the course of the year in question (June 2013 to June 2014). Jon Favreau's "Chef" was a "charming treat," but Forbes notes that the majority of Downey Jr.'s earnings come from backend payments off "Iron Man 3," which grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide in 2013.
Downey Jr. is followed by Dwayne Johnson, at $52 million, who has spent the year making movies like the upcoming "Hercules" and "San Andreas." Next on the list are Bradley Cooper ($46 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($39 million) and Chris Hemsworth ($37 million).
Tom Cruise (who topped the list in 2012) is conspicuously missing, and it does seem that the combined net worth of this list has dropped off a quite bit from where it stood last year, but what's a hundred million dollars here or there between A-list stars?
Check out the full ranking over at Forbes, and remember the tally for next year starts today.
As Entertainment Weekly notes, this is all the more impressive considering Downey Jr. released only one movie over the course of the year in question (June 2013 to June 2014). Jon Favreau's "Chef" was a "charming treat," but Forbes notes that the majority of Downey Jr.'s earnings come from backend payments off "Iron Man 3," which grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide in 2013.
Downey Jr. is followed by Dwayne Johnson, at $52 million, who has spent the year making movies like the upcoming "Hercules" and "San Andreas." Next on the list are Bradley Cooper ($46 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($39 million) and Chris Hemsworth ($37 million).
Tom Cruise (who topped the list in 2012) is conspicuously missing, and it does seem that the combined net worth of this list has dropped off a quite bit from where it stood last year, but what's a hundred million dollars here or there between A-list stars?
Check out the full ranking over at Forbes, and remember the tally for next year starts today.
Grandpa Surprises Everyone With Age-Defying Dance Moves, Proves You're Only As Old As You Feel
When this elderly man's song comes on, nothing can hold him back.
Not only does he cut a rug so fiercely that he has to throw off his canes, but see around the 1:50 mark how this stud muffin dances with not one, but two ladies. It just goes to show that age is a state of mind, and you're never too old to bust some serious moves.
Get it, grandpa!
h/t PetFlow
Like Us On Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter
Not only does he cut a rug so fiercely that he has to throw off his canes, but see around the 1:50 mark how this stud muffin dances with not one, but two ladies. It just goes to show that age is a state of mind, and you're never too old to bust some serious moves.
Get it, grandpa!
h/t PetFlow
Ruby Rose Explores Gender In Powerful New Video 'Break Free'
Model and DJ Ruby Rose has released an incredible short film that explores the fluidity of the way humans embody concepts of gender.
Called "Break Free," the video, released last week, is a powerful look at the ways that gender is performed and lived -- at least through a binary understanding of male/female.
Rose has since used the video's visibility to discuss other issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. On Friday she posted the following statement on her Facebook:
Check out the video for "Break Free" above.
Called "Break Free," the video, released last week, is a powerful look at the ways that gender is performed and lived -- at least through a binary understanding of male/female.
Rose has since used the video's visibility to discuss other issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. On Friday she posted the following statement on her Facebook:
You know what needs to stop just as much as homophobia, bullying within the LGBT Community... A 'bisexual' isn't just greedy.. 'Pansexual' exists and isn't a cop out.. 'Straight' people can be gay huge advocates and blessings to the community... you can identify as trans without surgery, you can be gender fluid... in fact guess what... you can be whoever you are and like whoever you like and WE should spread the love and acceptance we constantly say we don't receive.
Check out the video for "Break Free" above.
Ex Destiny's Child Member, Farrah Franklin, Arrested For Disorderly Conduct
A former member of Destiny's Child was arrested in South Carolina over the weekend for disorderly conduct.
Farrah Franklin, who was a part of the R&B group for five months before her exit in 2000, was arrested for disorderly conduct after a night out in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, July 20, the Associated Press reports.
Franklin had been out drinking with NFL players Daquan Bowers and Ricky Sapp when the three returned to Sapp's house early Sunday. The two men told police the 33-year-old was "yelling, slamming doors and refused to stop when asked," so they called the police. When law enforcement arrived, they found Franklin lying in a neighbor's yard. She told them she "did not have anywhere else to go and was planning on sleeping in the woods."
She was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Horry County Sheriff's Office. She was released on $280 bond.
After the incident, Franklin posted a motivational quote to Instagram, and wrote: "That part! I'm good just hate the dumb media sometimes, but hey this is the job I signed up for. So I respect it #TurnDownForWhat #TeamFARRAH #GodsChild #Instagram."
TMZ reported this is not the first time Franklin has been arrested for disorderly conduct. She was arrested in Los Angeles in 2011 for the same offense. At the time, she allegedly claimed she was the victim of racial profiling.
Beyonce told MTV in 2000 that Franklin's exit was a group decision that came after she missed multiple promotional events.
Farrah Franklin, who was a part of the R&B group for five months before her exit in 2000, was arrested for disorderly conduct after a night out in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, July 20, the Associated Press reports.
Franklin had been out drinking with NFL players Daquan Bowers and Ricky Sapp when the three returned to Sapp's house early Sunday. The two men told police the 33-year-old was "yelling, slamming doors and refused to stop when asked," so they called the police. When law enforcement arrived, they found Franklin lying in a neighbor's yard. She told them she "did not have anywhere else to go and was planning on sleeping in the woods."
She was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Horry County Sheriff's Office. She was released on $280 bond.
After the incident, Franklin posted a motivational quote to Instagram, and wrote: "That part! I'm good just hate the dumb media sometimes, but hey this is the job I signed up for. So I respect it #TurnDownForWhat #TeamFARRAH #GodsChild #Instagram."
TMZ reported this is not the first time Franklin has been arrested for disorderly conduct. She was arrested in Los Angeles in 2011 for the same offense. At the time, she allegedly claimed she was the victim of racial profiling.
Beyonce told MTV in 2000 that Franklin's exit was a group decision that came after she missed multiple promotional events.
A-Sides with Jon Chattman: Miguelito Keeps It Humble; Ace Reporter's New Lyric Music Video "Arrives"
In a pop world in which teen stars crash and burn, it's so refreshing to watch and listen to Latin Grammy winner Miguelito. The 15 year old has kept his head on straight no matter the success he's found at such a young age. While most kids are playing video games or getting messy playing in dirt outdoors, Miguelito started his music career at the age of six, releasing Mas Grande Que Tu. That album was a hit, and his follow-up El Heredero earned him a Latin Grammy for Best Childrens' Album. He's been praised by Billboard, and just about everywhere else, and urban legend Daddy Yankee took him under his wing shortly thereafter. Not too bad considering when I was seven, my biggest accomplishment was getting lost on the beach at Wildwood, NJ. Anyway, Miguelito is back with a cover of The Archies classic "Sugar Sugar," and it's as catchy now as it was back then. His "Suga Suga" is a summer gem, and features Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman. At Primary Wave Music's Listening Room in New York City, I spoke with the young talent for A-Sides about his fast rise in the industry and working with Stockman and Daddy Yankee. Enjoy!
"Suga Suga" (which is an energetic remake of The Archies 1969 timeless classic "Sugar Sugar") made its highly anticipated worldwide debut exclusively via Sirius XM Satellite Radio. "I chose "Suga Suga" as my new single because my family and I would sing along to the original song when I was growing up. Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men and I have created this new upbeat version. I am super excited to be collaborating with him on this song," commented Miguelito. Miguelito's colorful version is sure to have everyone dancing to the contagious beat of the song, and it won't be long until the catchy lyrics become the new teen pop anthem.
It's been a pretty good year for Chicago's Ace Reporter, and that's probably an understatement. The band's Yearling XL was released to much love, and today the band's allowing me to premiere the lyric video for its hit single "Untouched and Arrived" courtesy of Northern
Transmissions. Have a watch and listen, and get on this band now. They're going to make you famous in your social circles one day.
Ace Reporter: Untouched and Arrived Lyric Video:
A-Sides "Delve Into Twelve" Countdown
Each week A-Sides unleashes its Top 12 tracks of the week AKA the "Delve Into Twelve"based on the following contributing factors: songs I'm playing out that particular week NO MATTER WHEN THEY WERE RELEASED (think overlooked songs, unreleased tracks, and old favorites), songs various publicists are trying to get me to listen to that I did and dug a bunch, posts and trends I've noticed on my friends' Facebook walls, and - most importantly - the songs my two-year-old son gravitates toward by stomping his feet in approval. Yeah, you read that right. This weeks follows below (LW= last week's rank).
12. "Hunger of the Pine" (debut) - Alt-J
11. "Overdose" (debut) - Little Daylight
10. "Boom Clap" (debut) - Charli XCX
9."Get Hurt" (LW-11) - Gaslight Anthem
8. "Let it Burn" (LW-5) - The Orwells
7."Out of My Mind" (LW-10) - Magic Man
6."Would You Fight For My Love?" (LW-3) - Jack White
5."Like a Stranger" (LW-6) - Kitten
4. "Reverse" (LW-9) - SomeKindaWonderful
3 "Seasons (Waiting On You) - (LW-4) - Future Islands
2."Shadow" (LW-2) - Bleachers
1."Stolen Dance" (LW-1) - Milky Chance
_________
About A-Sides Music
Jon Chattman's "A-Sides Music" series was established in August 2011 and usually features artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometimes humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, I'm hoping this is refreshing. Artists have included: fun, Courtney Love, Air Supply, Birdy, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Pharrell Williams, American Authors, Imagine Dragons, Gary Clark Jr., and more! A-Sides theme written and performed by Blondfire.
"Suga Suga" (which is an energetic remake of The Archies 1969 timeless classic "Sugar Sugar") made its highly anticipated worldwide debut exclusively via Sirius XM Satellite Radio. "I chose "Suga Suga" as my new single because my family and I would sing along to the original song when I was growing up. Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men and I have created this new upbeat version. I am super excited to be collaborating with him on this song," commented Miguelito. Miguelito's colorful version is sure to have everyone dancing to the contagious beat of the song, and it won't be long until the catchy lyrics become the new teen pop anthem.
It's been a pretty good year for Chicago's Ace Reporter, and that's probably an understatement. The band's Yearling XL was released to much love, and today the band's allowing me to premiere the lyric video for its hit single "Untouched and Arrived" courtesy of Northern
Transmissions. Have a watch and listen, and get on this band now. They're going to make you famous in your social circles one day.
Ace Reporter: Untouched and Arrived Lyric Video:
A-Sides "Delve Into Twelve" Countdown
Each week A-Sides unleashes its Top 12 tracks of the week AKA the "Delve Into Twelve"based on the following contributing factors: songs I'm playing out that particular week NO MATTER WHEN THEY WERE RELEASED (think overlooked songs, unreleased tracks, and old favorites), songs various publicists are trying to get me to listen to that I did and dug a bunch, posts and trends I've noticed on my friends' Facebook walls, and - most importantly - the songs my two-year-old son gravitates toward by stomping his feet in approval. Yeah, you read that right. This weeks follows below (LW= last week's rank).
12. "Hunger of the Pine" (debut) - Alt-J
11. "Overdose" (debut) - Little Daylight
10. "Boom Clap" (debut) - Charli XCX
9."Get Hurt" (LW-11) - Gaslight Anthem
8. "Let it Burn" (LW-5) - The Orwells
7."Out of My Mind" (LW-10) - Magic Man
6."Would You Fight For My Love?" (LW-3) - Jack White
5."Like a Stranger" (LW-6) - Kitten
4. "Reverse" (LW-9) - SomeKindaWonderful
3 "Seasons (Waiting On You) - (LW-4) - Future Islands
2."Shadow" (LW-2) - Bleachers
1."Stolen Dance" (LW-1) - Milky Chance
About A-Sides Music
Jon Chattman's "A-Sides Music" series was established in August 2011 and usually features artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometimes humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, I'm hoping this is refreshing. Artists have included: fun, Courtney Love, Air Supply, Birdy, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Pharrell Williams, American Authors, Imagine Dragons, Gary Clark Jr., and more! A-Sides theme written and performed by Blondfire.
Tom Petty Criticizes Catholic Church For Sex Abuses In New Song 'Playing Dumb'
Rocker Tom Petty has taken on a weighty and controversial topic in the bonus track to his new album, "Hypnotic Eye," and it's not bound to win him any friends at the Vatican.
The song -- "Playing Dumb" -- addresses the victims of the Catholic Church's sex abuses over the last several decades and will appear as a bonus track on the new album's vinyl release.
In an interview with Billboard preceding the album's release, Petty said:
Billboard quoted several lines from the song that illustrate a sense of distrust toward the church: “For every confession that wasn’t on the level/For every man of God that lives with hidden devils.”
Although "Playing Dumb" may be one of the first songs explicitly written about the Catholic Church's sex abuses, Petty isn't the first mainstream artist to publicly condemn the church its response to the allegations. In 1992 singer Sinéad O'Connor unexpectedly ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the set of Saturday Night Live to protest sex abuse in the church.
In an interview with Salon ten years after the incident O'Connor expressed a desire to "be honest" about the Catholic Church, even if that honesty landed her in trouble. "You can’t let fear stop you," she said. "That’s one of the things you learn from people like Jesus, or the Martin Luther Kings or any of those people. You can’t let fear stop you from being honest.”
The song -- "Playing Dumb" -- addresses the victims of the Catholic Church's sex abuses over the last several decades and will appear as a bonus track on the new album's vinyl release.
In an interview with Billboard preceding the album's release, Petty said:
"I'm fine with whatever religion you want to have… [But] if I was in a club, and I found out that there had been generations of people abusing children, and then that club was covering that up, I would quit the club. And I wouldn't give them any more money."
Billboard quoted several lines from the song that illustrate a sense of distrust toward the church: “For every confession that wasn’t on the level/For every man of God that lives with hidden devils.”
Although "Playing Dumb" may be one of the first songs explicitly written about the Catholic Church's sex abuses, Petty isn't the first mainstream artist to publicly condemn the church its response to the allegations. In 1992 singer Sinéad O'Connor unexpectedly ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the set of Saturday Night Live to protest sex abuse in the church.
In an interview with Salon ten years after the incident O'Connor expressed a desire to "be honest" about the Catholic Church, even if that honesty landed her in trouble. "You can’t let fear stop you," she said. "That’s one of the things you learn from people like Jesus, or the Martin Luther Kings or any of those people. You can’t let fear stop you from being honest.”
The Frustrating Plot Hole In The Superman Movies That Seems To Fly Over Everyone’s Head
Comedian Hari Kondabolu humorously points out an inconvenient fact about Superman.
Tamar Iveri, Georgian Soprano, Announces Benefit Concert To Apologize To Gay Communtiy
How do you earn back the respect of the queer community after making some pretty horrific anti-gay comments?
This seems like a pretty good start.
Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri landed herself in hot water earlier this year when the press brought to light an anti-gay Facebook post made by the singer in May 2013. After being released from her contract with Opera Australia as a result of the anti-gay Comments, Iveri is now reportedly planning a concert to benefit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) victims of violence.
According to Classicalite, the concert is scheduled to take place on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11, in Tbilisi, Georgia and will be "dedicated to the victims of all kinds of violence."
Iveri's comments were originally presented as an open letter to the president of Georgia in wake of violence at the 2012 Gerogian gay pride march. The comments stated,
(h/t Towleroad)
This seems like a pretty good start.
Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri landed herself in hot water earlier this year when the press brought to light an anti-gay Facebook post made by the singer in May 2013. After being released from her contract with Opera Australia as a result of the anti-gay Comments, Iveri is now reportedly planning a concert to benefit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) victims of violence.
According to Classicalite, the concert is scheduled to take place on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11, in Tbilisi, Georgia and will be "dedicated to the victims of all kinds of violence."
Iveri's comments were originally presented as an open letter to the president of Georgia in wake of violence at the 2012 Gerogian gay pride march. The comments stated,
I was quite proud of the fact how Georgian society spat at the parade… Often, in certain cases, it is necessary to break jaws in order to be appreciated as a nation in the future, and to be taken into account seriously. Please, stop vigorous attempts to bring West’s "fecal masses" in the mentality of the people by means of propaganda.
(h/t Towleroad)
Sunday 20 July 2014
'Gotham' On Fox: Talking Superheroes And Cops With The Man Behind The Show
One of the most hotly anticipated fall shows is Fox's "Gotham," which chronicles the career of police detective James Gordon, the man who goes on to be Commissioner Gordon in the Batman universe.
The opening moments of the "Gotham" pilot, which will be screened next week at Comic-Con in San Diego, depict the murder of young Bruce Wayne's parents -- the cornerstone of the Batman myth. But while Wayne and his butler Alfred are part of the show, the drama doesn't revolve around them. "Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Gordon, who is uneasily partnered with the shady cop Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue).
At a panel discussion of "Gotham" at the Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday, executive producer Bruno Heller discussed making a superhero show that is essentially without a superhero.
"The show is all about, how do you deal with crime at this level when there are no superheroes," Heller said. "It's about ordinary, mortal men and women and the struggle they are engaged in" to keep crime and corruption from overwhelming an increasingly chaotic city.
"To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," Heller added. "The difference is, superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the possible -- the physically possible. This is about people trying to overcome real problems as opposed to trying to learn how to fly. … Certainly for me, the really interesting parts of these stories are the origin stories -- as soon as you're into the capes and costumes, it's less interesting than seeing how they got there."
Heller said that the show, which is set in an indeterminate past that melds boxy '70s and '80s cars with flip phones and brooding film-noir elements, will stick to the core, "canonical" elements of the Batman mythology. But he made it clear that "Gotham" won't shy away from adding to or altering the stories that fans may know from the films or comic books.
For example, Jada Pinkett Smith's character, underworld boss Fish Mooney, is a new creation for "Gotham," but the pilot also features a number of well-known characters from the Batman universe. Heller noted that much of the first year's overarching plot will chronicle the rise of Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin) and his power struggles with Mooney, but it remains to be seen how other characters, such as Selina Kyle and Edward Nygma, will be woven into the overall narrative.
In an interview with several journalists after the TCA panel, Heller was asked about one element of the pilot: The introduction of a character named Ivy Pepper, who of course instantly brought Poison Ivy to mind. Without giving too much away, Heller sketched out a season one path for the character that appears to vary from past depictions of Poison Ivy. (IGN has more details on what Heller said about Ivy Pepper and another character who may or may not be the Joker.)
"It's really about being able to tell the secret histories" of the characters, Heller said. "If you just re-tell the stories exactly as they've been told before, while you're being true to the created mythology, you're not really adding anything to it, so you have to find ways of [coming up with] more."
The good news is that Heller and his writers, who have to run major story ideas past the DC Comics' brain trust, aren't hemmed in by an overly dense Jim Gordon mythology. A few ideas have been shot down, Heller said, but it's been generally clear sailing.
"Because we're dealing with pre-Batman period, there are a few issues of chronology that will come up later that will be tricky, but at this stage, we've got pretty much free rein," he said.
I asked Heller how the show would balance the crime or criminal of the week with serialized storytelling.
"That's the biggest question for us as well. We know the answer, but it's a tough balance," Heller said. "They're cops, Gordon and Bullock, they're the center of the show. Every week, there will be a standalone story or case that they're investigating. We combine that with the serialized elements as we roll forward. Occasionally, when that serialized element reaches a climax, we will do fully serialized episodes that don't have a closed-ended case.
"TV has become more about binge-viewing and DVRs and all the rest of it, so there's more space for that," added Heller, who created CBS' "The Mentalist" and HBO's "Rome." "The networks are more [accepting of that]. Five years ago, no one wanted that. ... Now it's balanced by the fact that the appetite for serialized storytelling is that much stronger. Then the responsibility becomes telling that serialized story in as exciting and satisfying a way as possible. You've also got to tell the standalone stories, and you're never quite sure whether you've got the balance right."
Heller also expanded on the reason to make "Gotham" much more about Jim Gordon and the city's criminals than about the caped crusader who comes to the city's rescue years after his parents' death.
"When you have a superhero on the screen, ordinary people are kind of diminished, and you're just waiting for the superhero to arrive," Heller noted. "So how do you do a DC story on TV? Concentrate on the ordinary, real people."
Though I understand Heller's reasoning, I'd respectfully disagree with aspects of that last statement. One thing the CW's "Arrow" has done well is depict a superhero character who is clearly flawed and whose occasional failures add depth to the emotional narrative, and the roster of worthwhile characters on that show means that scenes without Oliver are far from dead weight. And I've only seen the pilot for "The Flash," which arrives on the CW this fall, but it also has a promising ensemble and a similarly layered lead character -- one who certainly has not reliably mastered his new powers by the time the pilot ends. One thing the pilots for both CW shows had: a lively energy, something the more labored "Gotham" sometimes lacks.
Clearly these are very different shows with divergent tones and goals, and from his comments, it appears Heller has thought hard about how to make "Gotham" work in the long term. I'll write more about the show close to its Sept. 22 premiere, but my chief concern about the "Gotham" pilot, which is generally solid, is that it retains the grim tone of the Christopher Nolan films without also offering those movies' style, scope and visionary thrills. There's a somewhat strained quality to the pilot that makes Pinkett Smith's lively performance as Fish Mooney that much more necessary.
Will "Gotham" ultimately become as addictive as "Arrow" or wrestle with the kinds of lumbering problems that affected "Marvel's Agents of Shield" during most of its debut season? There's no way to tell, but if Heller can inject some "Rome"-style complexity and character-driven storytelling into this evolving Batman backstory, it could be a worthwhile ride.
The opening moments of the "Gotham" pilot, which will be screened next week at Comic-Con in San Diego, depict the murder of young Bruce Wayne's parents -- the cornerstone of the Batman myth. But while Wayne and his butler Alfred are part of the show, the drama doesn't revolve around them. "Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Gordon, who is uneasily partnered with the shady cop Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue).
At a panel discussion of "Gotham" at the Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday, executive producer Bruno Heller discussed making a superhero show that is essentially without a superhero.
"The show is all about, how do you deal with crime at this level when there are no superheroes," Heller said. "It's about ordinary, mortal men and women and the struggle they are engaged in" to keep crime and corruption from overwhelming an increasingly chaotic city.
"To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," Heller added. "The difference is, superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the possible -- the physically possible. This is about people trying to overcome real problems as opposed to trying to learn how to fly. … Certainly for me, the really interesting parts of these stories are the origin stories -- as soon as you're into the capes and costumes, it's less interesting than seeing how they got there."
Heller said that the show, which is set in an indeterminate past that melds boxy '70s and '80s cars with flip phones and brooding film-noir elements, will stick to the core, "canonical" elements of the Batman mythology. But he made it clear that "Gotham" won't shy away from adding to or altering the stories that fans may know from the films or comic books.
For example, Jada Pinkett Smith's character, underworld boss Fish Mooney, is a new creation for "Gotham," but the pilot also features a number of well-known characters from the Batman universe. Heller noted that much of the first year's overarching plot will chronicle the rise of Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin) and his power struggles with Mooney, but it remains to be seen how other characters, such as Selina Kyle and Edward Nygma, will be woven into the overall narrative.
In an interview with several journalists after the TCA panel, Heller was asked about one element of the pilot: The introduction of a character named Ivy Pepper, who of course instantly brought Poison Ivy to mind. Without giving too much away, Heller sketched out a season one path for the character that appears to vary from past depictions of Poison Ivy. (IGN has more details on what Heller said about Ivy Pepper and another character who may or may not be the Joker.)
"It's really about being able to tell the secret histories" of the characters, Heller said. "If you just re-tell the stories exactly as they've been told before, while you're being true to the created mythology, you're not really adding anything to it, so you have to find ways of [coming up with] more."
The good news is that Heller and his writers, who have to run major story ideas past the DC Comics' brain trust, aren't hemmed in by an overly dense Jim Gordon mythology. A few ideas have been shot down, Heller said, but it's been generally clear sailing.
"Because we're dealing with pre-Batman period, there are a few issues of chronology that will come up later that will be tricky, but at this stage, we've got pretty much free rein," he said.
I asked Heller how the show would balance the crime or criminal of the week with serialized storytelling.
"That's the biggest question for us as well. We know the answer, but it's a tough balance," Heller said. "They're cops, Gordon and Bullock, they're the center of the show. Every week, there will be a standalone story or case that they're investigating. We combine that with the serialized elements as we roll forward. Occasionally, when that serialized element reaches a climax, we will do fully serialized episodes that don't have a closed-ended case.
"TV has become more about binge-viewing and DVRs and all the rest of it, so there's more space for that," added Heller, who created CBS' "The Mentalist" and HBO's "Rome." "The networks are more [accepting of that]. Five years ago, no one wanted that. ... Now it's balanced by the fact that the appetite for serialized storytelling is that much stronger. Then the responsibility becomes telling that serialized story in as exciting and satisfying a way as possible. You've also got to tell the standalone stories, and you're never quite sure whether you've got the balance right."
Heller also expanded on the reason to make "Gotham" much more about Jim Gordon and the city's criminals than about the caped crusader who comes to the city's rescue years after his parents' death.
"When you have a superhero on the screen, ordinary people are kind of diminished, and you're just waiting for the superhero to arrive," Heller noted. "So how do you do a DC story on TV? Concentrate on the ordinary, real people."
Though I understand Heller's reasoning, I'd respectfully disagree with aspects of that last statement. One thing the CW's "Arrow" has done well is depict a superhero character who is clearly flawed and whose occasional failures add depth to the emotional narrative, and the roster of worthwhile characters on that show means that scenes without Oliver are far from dead weight. And I've only seen the pilot for "The Flash," which arrives on the CW this fall, but it also has a promising ensemble and a similarly layered lead character -- one who certainly has not reliably mastered his new powers by the time the pilot ends. One thing the pilots for both CW shows had: a lively energy, something the more labored "Gotham" sometimes lacks.
Clearly these are very different shows with divergent tones and goals, and from his comments, it appears Heller has thought hard about how to make "Gotham" work in the long term. I'll write more about the show close to its Sept. 22 premiere, but my chief concern about the "Gotham" pilot, which is generally solid, is that it retains the grim tone of the Christopher Nolan films without also offering those movies' style, scope and visionary thrills. There's a somewhat strained quality to the pilot that makes Pinkett Smith's lively performance as Fish Mooney that much more necessary.
Will "Gotham" ultimately become as addictive as "Arrow" or wrestle with the kinds of lumbering problems that affected "Marvel's Agents of Shield" during most of its debut season? There's no way to tell, but if Heller can inject some "Rome"-style complexity and character-driven storytelling into this evolving Batman backstory, it could be a worthwhile ride.
Fox's 'Gotham' Series Will Not Feature Batman, But It Will Include Bruce Wayne
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Yes, the new Fox series "Gotham" will feature a young Bruce Wayne, but don't expect him to turn into the caped crusader.
Creator Bruno Heller told journalists Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that "If there is a superhero on this show, it's Gotham." "To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," he said, "because the difference is superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the physically possible. This is about people and people trying to overcome real problems versus trying to learn how to fly."
"Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon. Heller says he's "the moral lynchpin of the show. If you look at the mythology, he's the guy that creates Batman or gives Batman permission to exist in that world."
We also meet the future Penguin, future Riddler, future Catwoman and future Joker.
There's a new villain called Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. The possibility she will evolve into another character from the story's mythology was teased at Sunday's panel.
Season one, says Heller, will focus on the rise of the Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor, and his power struggle with Fish Mooney.
"Gotham" is scheduled to premiere Sept. 22 on Fox.
___
Online:
http://ift.tt/1cGhKdj
Creator Bruno Heller told journalists Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that "If there is a superhero on this show, it's Gotham." "To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," he said, "because the difference is superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the physically possible. This is about people and people trying to overcome real problems versus trying to learn how to fly."
"Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon. Heller says he's "the moral lynchpin of the show. If you look at the mythology, he's the guy that creates Batman or gives Batman permission to exist in that world."
We also meet the future Penguin, future Riddler, future Catwoman and future Joker.
There's a new villain called Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. The possibility she will evolve into another character from the story's mythology was teased at Sunday's panel.
Season one, says Heller, will focus on the rise of the Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor, and his power struggle with Fish Mooney.
"Gotham" is scheduled to premiere Sept. 22 on Fox.
___
Online:
http://ift.tt/1cGhKdj
"Who is the Tall Dark Stranger There?" My First Man-Crush--James Garner
The following was originally posted on Kevin's blog, MyMediaDiary.com.
"I'm getting a little jealous of James Garner," my wife informed me as I headed down the basement with my burned DVDs. I was in the middle of a bit of binge-watching a few months before Netflix appeared on our horizon. It involved setting our DVR for a series of old Maverick episodes on the Starz Western channel.
I'd finally figured out how to burn a bushel of the episodes to a DVD and was taking them downstairs to put by the dusty exercise equipment to induce me to get hooked on a show and lose pounds at the same time.
I knew the Maverick theme song years before I finally saw one of the old episodes...
My dad and his brothers-in-law were children of the fifties and grew up with the Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the romance of the west that was echoed so beautifully in the love affair with the Red Rider BB gun in A Christmas Story.
But my first introduction to James Garner wasn't in a stetson, but in a beat up old RV on the beach. Jim Rockford had the great gold Firebird, the great ocean-front property and in The Rockford Files he got beat up and arrested enough times, but it seemed to a 12 year-old a pretty glamorous lifestyle.
But like Maverick, Garner had the great fortune to have an outstanding opening song with a great teaser of different voice-mails (echoed in the various chalkboard punishments for Bart in The Simpsons). Thanks to Youtube's Mick2090 who edited together Season 1's opening messages...
Garner's folksy, relaxed manner--even on an answering machine message--was his calling card. I was hooked on the crime drama and when my dad suggested I stay up late one night to see the Channel 20 movie one Saturday night to watch one of his favorite films, I was very happy to see Garner in The Great Escape--like seeing an unexpected friend at a reunion. In this scene, his character, "The Scrounger" prepares Fourth of July moonshine to share with the non-Yanks in the prison camp.
Steve McQueen, at the time, was already had such an ego and well-beyond being part of an ensemble cast that he insisted on having most of his scenes shot with only a few other actors--thus the motorcycle stunt, etc.
But Garner was a scrounger in life as well. He had to leave Maverick under tough circumstances and received many broken bones for his own stuntwork on Rockford. But like Bill Cosby and Jell-O, he discovered a natural talent for advertising as Mariette Hartley and Polaroid became his most successful co-stars.
I'm not sure I ever saw Garner not playing Garner. Nor did I ever really want to.
In the Blake Edwards hit, Victor Victoria, he plays usual the man's-man that made Cary Grant and George Clooney so popular with both genders. But add in the ingredients of him as a gangster who has certain homophobic leanings that somehow can't stop him from falling for Julie Andrews' female-impersonating "Victor."
And he even aged well. In college, I took a date to see Murphy's Romance, when again he played a folksy-towny who cannot stand the young moron who has returned to ruin the life of Emma (Sally Field) and her young son.
At the end of the film, he confesses to Emma that he's 70, but she doesn't care and neither do we.
Finally, he spanned his third generation of fans--from my father and uncles to my daughter and every female student I've had for the past ten years, in 2004's The Notebook with his wrenching "I'll be seeing you."
Four important men in my life were taken far too early--my father, Jim, in 1997, his brother Bob in 1985, Dad's buddy Rick Olshove in 2005 and my Uncle Tom just four days ago. All had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh--especially at themselves. Rick's was perhaps most like Garner's characters--very dry, a bit caustic but pretty unconditionally accepting. (My favorite Rick-ism was "Whatever!" when faced with a strange turn of events.)
My dad in the back behind my mom's four brothers, John, Larry, Tom and Joe.
When my sister Katie was married in 1996 in northern Michigan, we had a big campfire and Uncle Tom produced stetsons for all the cousins and uncles who joined in a rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" along with many other western themes. I suspect that "Maverick" was also sung. In the air was total acceptance, joy of the moment and each other's company.
Perhaps with the loss of an omni-presence such as Garner's in my life feels as sad and empty as the loss of Jim, Bob, Rick and Tom.
Perhaps the still shot of his smiling upward gaze from the titles of The Rockford Files' (with his dad "Rocky" in the background) summed up Garner and the ironic, but still hopeful, perspective that he instilled in many of us.
Perhaps that was Garner's greatest role--not just every-man, but every-friend.
"I'm getting a little jealous of James Garner," my wife informed me as I headed down the basement with my burned DVDs. I was in the middle of a bit of binge-watching a few months before Netflix appeared on our horizon. It involved setting our DVR for a series of old Maverick episodes on the Starz Western channel.
I'd finally figured out how to burn a bushel of the episodes to a DVD and was taking them downstairs to put by the dusty exercise equipment to induce me to get hooked on a show and lose pounds at the same time.
I knew the Maverick theme song years before I finally saw one of the old episodes...
Who is the tall, dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Ridin' the trail to who knows where,
Luck is his companion,
Gamblin' is his game.
Smooth as the handle on a gun.
Maverick is the name.
Wild as the wind in Oregon,
Blowin' up a canyon,
Easier to tame.
My dad and his brothers-in-law were children of the fifties and grew up with the Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the romance of the west that was echoed so beautifully in the love affair with the Red Rider BB gun in A Christmas Story.
But my first introduction to James Garner wasn't in a stetson, but in a beat up old RV on the beach. Jim Rockford had the great gold Firebird, the great ocean-front property and in The Rockford Files he got beat up and arrested enough times, but it seemed to a 12 year-old a pretty glamorous lifestyle.
But like Maverick, Garner had the great fortune to have an outstanding opening song with a great teaser of different voice-mails (echoed in the various chalkboard punishments for Bart in The Simpsons). Thanks to Youtube's Mick2090 who edited together Season 1's opening messages...
Garner's folksy, relaxed manner--even on an answering machine message--was his calling card. I was hooked on the crime drama and when my dad suggested I stay up late one night to see the Channel 20 movie one Saturday night to watch one of his favorite films, I was very happy to see Garner in The Great Escape--like seeing an unexpected friend at a reunion. In this scene, his character, "The Scrounger" prepares Fourth of July moonshine to share with the non-Yanks in the prison camp.
Steve McQueen, at the time, was already had such an ego and well-beyond being part of an ensemble cast that he insisted on having most of his scenes shot with only a few other actors--thus the motorcycle stunt, etc.
But Garner was a scrounger in life as well. He had to leave Maverick under tough circumstances and received many broken bones for his own stuntwork on Rockford. But like Bill Cosby and Jell-O, he discovered a natural talent for advertising as Mariette Hartley and Polaroid became his most successful co-stars.
I'm not sure I ever saw Garner not playing Garner. Nor did I ever really want to.
In the Blake Edwards hit, Victor Victoria, he plays usual the man's-man that made Cary Grant and George Clooney so popular with both genders. But add in the ingredients of him as a gangster who has certain homophobic leanings that somehow can't stop him from falling for Julie Andrews' female-impersonating "Victor."
And he even aged well. In college, I took a date to see Murphy's Romance, when again he played a folksy-towny who cannot stand the young moron who has returned to ruin the life of Emma (Sally Field) and her young son.
At the end of the film, he confesses to Emma that he's 70, but she doesn't care and neither do we.
Finally, he spanned his third generation of fans--from my father and uncles to my daughter and every female student I've had for the past ten years, in 2004's The Notebook with his wrenching "I'll be seeing you."
Four important men in my life were taken far too early--my father, Jim, in 1997, his brother Bob in 1985, Dad's buddy Rick Olshove in 2005 and my Uncle Tom just four days ago. All had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh--especially at themselves. Rick's was perhaps most like Garner's characters--very dry, a bit caustic but pretty unconditionally accepting. (My favorite Rick-ism was "Whatever!" when faced with a strange turn of events.)
My dad in the back behind my mom's four brothers, John, Larry, Tom and Joe.
When my sister Katie was married in 1996 in northern Michigan, we had a big campfire and Uncle Tom produced stetsons for all the cousins and uncles who joined in a rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" along with many other western themes. I suspect that "Maverick" was also sung. In the air was total acceptance, joy of the moment and each other's company.
Perhaps with the loss of an omni-presence such as Garner's in my life feels as sad and empty as the loss of Jim, Bob, Rick and Tom.
Perhaps the still shot of his smiling upward gaze from the titles of The Rockford Files' (with his dad "Rocky" in the background) summed up Garner and the ironic, but still hopeful, perspective that he instilled in many of us.
Perhaps that was Garner's greatest role--not just every-man, but every-friend.
'The Patriot' Actress Skye McCole Bartusiak Dead At 21
Skye McCole Bartusiak has died at age 21. She was best known for her role as the daughter of Mel Gibson's character in "The Patriot."
Bartusiak was found dead in her Houston home on Saturday. "We lost our girl," her mother Helen McCole Bartusiak told CNN. "She was a kind and really beautiful girl."
CNN further reports that investigators have yet to determine a cause of death, though Bartusiak's mother notes she had been suffering from epileptic seizures in days prior. According to Variety ,Bartusiak died in her sleep.
Aside from her memorable role in "The Patriot," the 21-year-old was known for her roles in "Cider House Rules" and "Don't Say A Word." She also appeared on television in "24," "Lost," "CSI" and "House." Her mother noted that she was preparing to produce and direct her first feature film.
Bartusiak was found dead in her Houston home on Saturday. "We lost our girl," her mother Helen McCole Bartusiak told CNN. "She was a kind and really beautiful girl."
CNN further reports that investigators have yet to determine a cause of death, though Bartusiak's mother notes she had been suffering from epileptic seizures in days prior. According to Variety ,Bartusiak died in her sleep.
Aside from her memorable role in "The Patriot," the 21-year-old was known for her roles in "Cider House Rules" and "Don't Say A Word." She also appeared on television in "24," "Lost," "CSI" and "House." Her mother noted that she was preparing to produce and direct her first feature film.
FACE IT: A Real Maverick Remembered
FACE IT: A Real Maverick Remembered
By Michele Willens
I have interviewed hundreds of celebrated folks over the years and am often asked if I had a favorite. My answer has remained the same: James Garner. The first time consisted of a couple of days trailing him around the streets of New York City, where he was filming Barbarians at the Gate. He was funny and frank and somewhat embarrassed by the size and splendor of his trailer. I recall his co-star, Jonathan Pryce, knocking on its door once, looking around, and saying in that wry British way, "ah, so this is where the budget went." Garner guffawed.
The HBO trailer aside, James Garner was not only the most charming and honest of stars, he was the least interested in frills. He demanded only fairness, which is why he took a couple studios to court over the years to get the compensation he deserved. He is a hero to many a TV series star for doing so.
Everyone loved James Garner, even those who couldn't remember his name. I still recall a stunned, stuttering stranger across the street noticing him and yelling, "you're...you're.....what's your name?" "Garner!" the star responded. "Yeah, you look like him!" came the response. "That's why!" he shot back. The exchange lasted about five seconds but I couldn't stop laughing. He told me similar stories like being in an elevator once when someone said he looked familiar, kept snapping his fingers and saying "don't tell me...". When Garner finally did, the person thought a few seconds and said, "no....."
The truth is, if you spent any time with Garner, you could not forget him. The next time I saw him was at the Bel Air Hotel, where I interviewed him for a cover story for TV Guide. I came in eight months pregnant and he was the perfect gentleman. He insisted on walking me to my car to make sure I was okay. By the way, he never came accompanied by a publicist or entourage. He would have probably been their nightmare come true, as he always told it exactly as he saw it.
I grew up in the fifties so perhaps the only show, besides The Mickey Mouse Club and American Bandstand, that I recall vividly is Maverick. I was too young to get the idea of anti-hero, but somehow it registered that here was a cowboy who was going to win with his gumption, not his gun.
Which brings me to The Americanization of Emily, one of the most perfect films never seen by millions. Garner told me he was shocked it disappeared so quickly, and confessed he was sure he and his co-star Julie Andrews would be up for Oscars. But he said the timing of its release was obviously wrong: "The country was just getting into Vietnam and had conflicted feelings about patriotism and war," he mused. Ironically, last year in my Columbia University class on World War Two and Narratives, we had to write a paper on one book or film. I chose that one.(My title was "When is a Coward a Hero?) It was such a pleasure to go back to watch Emily again and quote those amazing lines ("Cowardice will save the world." "It's not war that insane, it's the morality of it") from the pen of Paddy Chayevsky, spoken by Garner's self-satisfied Navy man whose goal was to remain combat-free.
James Garner told me so many wonderful stories: how if he had not found a parking spot in front of a Los Angeles producer's office, he likely would never have become an actor; how he learned more "watching Henry Fonda's back" during a year as a juror on stage in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial than in any acting class; how every bone and muscle ached each day he went to work on The Rockford Files.
He left behind a treasure trove of stellar performances, particularly in an unparalleled string of television movies. Mostly, he left behind the idea that one could be leading man handsome and yet self-effacing, funny, and relatable. He will be missed by viewers, fans, and by those who were privileged to have spent a little time with him.
By Michele Willens
I have interviewed hundreds of celebrated folks over the years and am often asked if I had a favorite. My answer has remained the same: James Garner. The first time consisted of a couple of days trailing him around the streets of New York City, where he was filming Barbarians at the Gate. He was funny and frank and somewhat embarrassed by the size and splendor of his trailer. I recall his co-star, Jonathan Pryce, knocking on its door once, looking around, and saying in that wry British way, "ah, so this is where the budget went." Garner guffawed.
The HBO trailer aside, James Garner was not only the most charming and honest of stars, he was the least interested in frills. He demanded only fairness, which is why he took a couple studios to court over the years to get the compensation he deserved. He is a hero to many a TV series star for doing so.
Everyone loved James Garner, even those who couldn't remember his name. I still recall a stunned, stuttering stranger across the street noticing him and yelling, "you're...you're.....what's your name?" "Garner!" the star responded. "Yeah, you look like him!" came the response. "That's why!" he shot back. The exchange lasted about five seconds but I couldn't stop laughing. He told me similar stories like being in an elevator once when someone said he looked familiar, kept snapping his fingers and saying "don't tell me...". When Garner finally did, the person thought a few seconds and said, "no....."
The truth is, if you spent any time with Garner, you could not forget him. The next time I saw him was at the Bel Air Hotel, where I interviewed him for a cover story for TV Guide. I came in eight months pregnant and he was the perfect gentleman. He insisted on walking me to my car to make sure I was okay. By the way, he never came accompanied by a publicist or entourage. He would have probably been their nightmare come true, as he always told it exactly as he saw it.
I grew up in the fifties so perhaps the only show, besides The Mickey Mouse Club and American Bandstand, that I recall vividly is Maverick. I was too young to get the idea of anti-hero, but somehow it registered that here was a cowboy who was going to win with his gumption, not his gun.
Which brings me to The Americanization of Emily, one of the most perfect films never seen by millions. Garner told me he was shocked it disappeared so quickly, and confessed he was sure he and his co-star Julie Andrews would be up for Oscars. But he said the timing of its release was obviously wrong: "The country was just getting into Vietnam and had conflicted feelings about patriotism and war," he mused. Ironically, last year in my Columbia University class on World War Two and Narratives, we had to write a paper on one book or film. I chose that one.(My title was "When is a Coward a Hero?) It was such a pleasure to go back to watch Emily again and quote those amazing lines ("Cowardice will save the world." "It's not war that insane, it's the morality of it") from the pen of Paddy Chayevsky, spoken by Garner's self-satisfied Navy man whose goal was to remain combat-free.
James Garner told me so many wonderful stories: how if he had not found a parking spot in front of a Los Angeles producer's office, he likely would never have become an actor; how he learned more "watching Henry Fonda's back" during a year as a juror on stage in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial than in any acting class; how every bone and muscle ached each day he went to work on The Rockford Files.
He left behind a treasure trove of stellar performances, particularly in an unparalleled string of television movies. Mostly, he left behind the idea that one could be leading man handsome and yet self-effacing, funny, and relatable. He will be missed by viewers, fans, and by those who were privileged to have spent a little time with him.
'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Tops Box Office For Second-Straight Week
NEW YORK (AP) — The summer box office continued to lack mojo, as the R-rated "Sex Tape" failed to turn on moviegoers on a weekend where "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" maintained its rule.
20th Century Fox's science fiction sequel outmuscled a trio of new films to top the North American box office for the second-straight week with $36 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The acclaimed sequel to 2011's reboot of the chimp franchise has now made $139 million domestically in two weeks. Its closest completion over the weekend was the home-invasion horror thriller "The Purge: Anarchy," written and directed by James DeMoncaco. Universal's low-budget sequel to last year's surprise hit, "The Purge," opened with $28.4 million, down from the $34.1 million the original scared up on opening weekend.
Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, though, noted the stronger competition this time around and the overall "depressed" business at movie theaters. Weekend revenue was down 24 percent from the same weekend last year, continuing a cold summer for Hollywood that's more than 20 percent off the pace of summer of 2013.
But "Anarchy," which imagines an America where all crime is legal for 12 hours every year, was made for only $9 million, making it immediately profitable for Universal. Such success is the envy of most movies, particularly Sony's "Sex Tape," a starrier, more expensive release that opened with $15 million.
The Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz R-rated comedy failed to turn on moviegoers or critics. "Sex Tape," in which a married couple makes a pornographic home video to stoke the flames of their lagging sex life, came in fourth place behind Disney's "Planes: Fire & Rescue." The animated sequel to 2013's "Cars"-offshoot, "Planes," opened with $18 million.
"It was kind of a middling weekend unless you were the top film," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. Dergarabedian looks ahead optimistically to upcoming releases "Lucy," starring Scarlett Johansson, and the Marvel space film "Guardians of the Galaxy," of which he noted: "A lot of pressure is being put on that movie. It may be the last big summer blockbuster."
But as July turns to August, Hollywood's summer is certain to be a down one.
In a limited release of 68 theaters, Zach Braff's crowd-funded "Wish I Was Here" also arrived with a tiny weekend opening of $495,000 for Focus Features. The film, Braff's directorial follow-up to 2004's "Garden State," was much criticized for depending on fan contributions for funding. "Wish I Was Here" will expand to more theaters next week, but it is sure to fall far short of the $26.8 million "Garden State" earned.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," $36 million.
2. "The Purge: Anarchy," $28.4 million.
3. "Planes: Fire & Rescue," $18 million.
4. "Sex Tape," $15 million.
5. "Transformers: Age of Extinction," $10 million.
6. "Tammy," $7.6 million.
7. "22 Jump Street," $4.7 million.
8. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $3.8 million.
9. "Maleficent," $3.3 million.
10. "Earth to Echo," $3.3 million.
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://ift.tt/xCXBuG
20th Century Fox's science fiction sequel outmuscled a trio of new films to top the North American box office for the second-straight week with $36 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The acclaimed sequel to 2011's reboot of the chimp franchise has now made $139 million domestically in two weeks. Its closest completion over the weekend was the home-invasion horror thriller "The Purge: Anarchy," written and directed by James DeMoncaco. Universal's low-budget sequel to last year's surprise hit, "The Purge," opened with $28.4 million, down from the $34.1 million the original scared up on opening weekend.
Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, though, noted the stronger competition this time around and the overall "depressed" business at movie theaters. Weekend revenue was down 24 percent from the same weekend last year, continuing a cold summer for Hollywood that's more than 20 percent off the pace of summer of 2013.
But "Anarchy," which imagines an America where all crime is legal for 12 hours every year, was made for only $9 million, making it immediately profitable for Universal. Such success is the envy of most movies, particularly Sony's "Sex Tape," a starrier, more expensive release that opened with $15 million.
The Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz R-rated comedy failed to turn on moviegoers or critics. "Sex Tape," in which a married couple makes a pornographic home video to stoke the flames of their lagging sex life, came in fourth place behind Disney's "Planes: Fire & Rescue." The animated sequel to 2013's "Cars"-offshoot, "Planes," opened with $18 million.
"It was kind of a middling weekend unless you were the top film," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. Dergarabedian looks ahead optimistically to upcoming releases "Lucy," starring Scarlett Johansson, and the Marvel space film "Guardians of the Galaxy," of which he noted: "A lot of pressure is being put on that movie. It may be the last big summer blockbuster."
But as July turns to August, Hollywood's summer is certain to be a down one.
In a limited release of 68 theaters, Zach Braff's crowd-funded "Wish I Was Here" also arrived with a tiny weekend opening of $495,000 for Focus Features. The film, Braff's directorial follow-up to 2004's "Garden State," was much criticized for depending on fan contributions for funding. "Wish I Was Here" will expand to more theaters next week, but it is sure to fall far short of the $26.8 million "Garden State" earned.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
1. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," $36 million.
2. "The Purge: Anarchy," $28.4 million.
3. "Planes: Fire & Rescue," $18 million.
4. "Sex Tape," $15 million.
5. "Transformers: Age of Extinction," $10 million.
6. "Tammy," $7.6 million.
7. "22 Jump Street," $4.7 million.
8. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $3.8 million.
9. "Maleficent," $3.3 million.
10. "Earth to Echo," $3.3 million.
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://ift.tt/xCXBuG
Adam Levine Marries Behati Prinsloo In Front Of Robert Downey Jr., Others
Adam Levine, alleged Sexiest Man Alive and person who knows you think he's a douchebag, is now married to Behati Prinsloo. According to People, the couple tied the knot in Mexico on Saturday night, July 19th, in front of an intimate group of approximately 275 guests, which included Robert Downey Jr.
Levine, 35, and Prinsloo, 25, got engaged in June of 2013 after dating for a year. While preparing for their wedding, Levine spoke openly about being ready to settle down. "I definitely feel like I'm sitting in the chair I'm supposed to be sitting in right now," he told People. "It all feels very natural."
E! News reports that Levine "looked dapper in a fitted tux," while Prinsloo wore a white Marchesa gown. The couple, who is headed to South America for their honeymoon, received no gifts from Robert Downey Jr. or anyone else, having requested that guests donate to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
There is no report as to whether "She Will be Loved" was played on infinite loop at the reception, but it probably was.
Levine, 35, and Prinsloo, 25, got engaged in June of 2013 after dating for a year. While preparing for their wedding, Levine spoke openly about being ready to settle down. "I definitely feel like I'm sitting in the chair I'm supposed to be sitting in right now," he told People. "It all feels very natural."
E! News reports that Levine "looked dapper in a fitted tux," while Prinsloo wore a white Marchesa gown. The couple, who is headed to South America for their honeymoon, received no gifts from Robert Downey Jr. or anyone else, having requested that guests donate to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
There is no report as to whether "She Will be Loved" was played on infinite loop at the reception, but it probably was.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)