Friday, November 18, 2011
New W.E. Trailer: Double-Living in the Material World
Madonna reedited her new film W.E. after its mostly disastrous premiere at the Venice Film Festival a few months ago, and now it’s in new trailer, her watercolored royalty tale looks sleeker, sexier, and — phew — just as ridiculous. In terms of Madonna paramours, W.E. just made the admirable jump from Vanilla Ice to Dennis Rodman. Now there is something colorful and electric about its freakish antics. Glad to see Madge kept that shot of Abbie Cornish emerging from the sea of umbrellas (very “Rain”) and those moments of Wallis Simpson courting paparazzi (very “Take a Bow”). In fact, I prefer to think of W.E. as a conceptual Madonna music video without a song or Madonna in it. Let’s face it, the only way this movie can be any good is if Wallis Simpson finds ultimate salvation in the arms of either a Venetian lion man or a black Christ. James D’Arcy, let’s fit you for a mane. Verdict: Desperately Sleeking Simpson [via Moviefone] Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
5 Moving Moments From Gabby Giffords' Memoir
Gabby Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who had been shot within the mind in The month of january, launched her memoir Gabby: A Tale ofCourage and Hope (Scribner, 307 pages, $26.99) now.our editor recommendsTV Rankings: CBS' Selection Up, Gabrielle Giffords' '20/20' Interview Boosts ABCGabrielle Giffords Informs Diane Sawyer She Gets 'Pretty Good' in ABC News Interview (Video)Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly Recall Shooting in Diane Sawyer Interview, New Book (Video)Diane Sawyer Lands First Interview With Gabrielle GiffordsGabrielle Giffords' Go back to Congress Sparks Support From Hollywood (Video) VIDEO: Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly Recall Shooting in Diane Sawyer Interview, New Book As the shooting may be the central event from the book, its a real love story concerning the relationship between Giffords and her astronaut husband,Mark Kelly [pictured below together with his wife and ABC'sDiane Sawyer]. Indeed, Kelly shows up because the co-author. Listed here are five moving facts regarding their relationship in the book: 1. These were looking to get pregnant when Giffords was shot. She'd a scheduled appointment having a fertility specialist for Jan. 10, 2 days following the shooting. Giffords and Kelly have been discussing getting kids for quite some time. Although Giffords had just switched 40, the issue was with Kelly, whose surgery to reverse a vasectomy he'd throughout his previous marriage had unsuccessful. The pair would make use of a fertility specialist to unnaturally inseminate among Gabby's eggs with Mark's sperm. VIDEO: Gabrielle Giffords' Go back to Congress Sparks Support from Hollywood 2. The final e-mail she sent Mark read, "My poor condition! The nut jobs have stolen it from the good people of Arizona!"She was sending him a news article about how exactly Jon Stewart around the Daily Show had made fun of Arizona's reactionary politics 13 occasions within the this past year. 3. Giffords discovered the entire story about her shooting from the newspaper story. Mark had prevented to declaring that the entire story, especially about who died. But on March 12, three several weeks following the shooting, Gabby saw a headline within the NY Occasions nevertheless "Doctors Detail Giffords's Progress," she was adamant Mark see clearly to her. When she caught him attempting to skip the paragraph listing another sufferers, she was adamant he see clearly to her. VIDEO:Gabrielle Giffords Informs Diane Sawyer She Gets 'Pretty Good' in ABC News Interview 4. Following the shooting, Mark's two kids from his previous marriage rallied for their stepmother's side. His two kids were 9 and 12 when Giffords and Kelly married in 2007. Despite her best efforts, they'd never really heated up for their new stepmother, who they saw rarely simply because they resided in Houston and Giffords in Tucson. But following the accident the women spent considerable time within the rehab hospital using their stepmother. Older daughter Claudia vowed inside a letter she stored folded in her own purse (but ended up being to embarrassed to exhibit Giffords), "I understand we haven't been very close previously few years and i'm really sorry. This will change immediately." 5. Mark, an astronaut, authored a Giffords a "contingency letter" before he travelled around the second-to-last space shuttle mission in April 2011. A contingency letter is really a NASA euphemism for any farewell letter if something tragic happens around the mission. Mark authored, "Please attempt to meet another person and fall madly in love again. You deserve that. Please realize that I'll always adore you crazily." Related Subjects
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Deborah McNulty dies at 56
Makeup artist Deborah McNulty, an Emmy champion in 2005 on her focus on Cinemax series "Deadwood," died Sunday, November. 6, in La. She was 56.Other credits include 1983 documentary "Errol Flynn: Portrait of the Swashbuckler," telepic "The Secretary" featuring "Another Nine & one half Days," "The Mighty," "Stanley's Gig," and "Whipped." Her last bigscreen credit was on 2007's "Guy within the Chair," starring Christopher Plummer.McNulty is made it by her mother a brother and 2 kids. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com
Monday, November 14, 2011
AFI's Master Class -- The ability of Collaboration
Produced with the American Film Institute. Executive producer, Bob Gazzale producer, Chris Merrill co-producer, Josh Porro line producer, Bill Urban director, Robert Trachtenberg.With: Steven Spielberg, John Williams.The American Film Institute may have hardly selected an even more appealing pairing to inaugurate its Turner Classic Movies special deals "Master Class -- the ability of Collaboration" than Steven Spielberg and John Williams, whose 40-year relationship is amongst the fruitful and memorable in screen history. The ensuing hour handles being both intimate and revealing, overcoming the seminar format to appear prefer treat for discriminating movie fans -Body that will boost their appreciation from the composer's contribution to films. Completed without any moderator using what appears to become relatively small space, Spielberg and Williams don't just walk lower their personal memory lane. Rather, they begin by stating good good examples of other film music that left marks upon them, from "Vertigo" (Williams) for the fight scene between Kirk Douglas and Woodsy Strode in "Spartacus" (Spielberg). Progressively, they segue for their shared filmography, while using director calling Williams a musical "chameleon," one which nimbly "changes style to complement the look.In . More youthful crowd highlights the value of the score by saying he'll eliminate moments strictly because the music isn't working. Clearly, Spielberg's own diverse resume -- from large action epics to sobering dramas like "Schindler's List" -- has offered Williams options to dabble inside an array of styles. You will discover also lighting sequences featuring what's possibly the composer's most stirring Spielberg score, "Raiders in the Lost Ark" and also the most intrinsic for the film, "Jaws." Well-selected clips overcome the claustrophobic character in the exchange, with the apparent rapport the two artists are suffering from with time. The best portion features a question-and-answer exchange with AFI Men, but frankly, the central chat may have easily gone another 30 minutes with Spielberg and Williams simply altering anecdotes. While handful of collaborators possess quite the identical history -- in both commercial appeal or sheer volume -Body can certainly look at this quantity of special deals as being a fixture round the funnel, additionally to some platform for AFI that could have the ability to be personalized to cinephiles than its bigger network showcases. Of course, TCM will mix the first production with choose movies in the library, including "Saving Private Ryan" and "Spartacus." In this situation, it's much like a fragile wine pairing -Body featuring film leaders who, sometimes, have made an appearance to acquire better as we age.Camera, David Morrison production designer, Ernest D. Kale editors, Asako Ushio, Michael Polito. 60 MIN. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com
IMDb Strikes Back at 'Selfish' Actress Suing Over Age Disclosure (Exclusive)
The Internet Movie Database has launched a blistering counterattack against the anonymous actress who sued the service for revealing her age.our editor recommendsSAG and AFTRA Condemn IMDb Revealing Performers' AgesActress Sues IMDb for $1 Million for Revealing Her AgeIMDb Gets Into the Game Business With Free Mobile AppEnhanced IMDb.com App Offers Complete Coverage of Movies, TV Projects Amazon.com, owner of iMDb, believes it knows the identity of this woman, and it tells a Washington federal court that before she filed the lawsuit, she first tried to get the service to post a false birthdate so she could fool potential Hollywood employers into thinking she was younger than she actually is. Now a judge is being asked to dismiss the lawsuit so as to not perpetuate a fraud on the public. When the anonymous Texas woman sued last month, she not only sparked a guessing game about her identity, but also a larger discussion about ageism in Hollywood. "In the entertainment, youth is king," she wrote in her Oct. 13 lawsuit, leading to a round of applause among fellow actors, including the guilds SAG and AFTRA, which condemned iMDb for its policies and said the company had a moral obligation not to facilitate discrimination in employment. STORY:Actress Sues IMDb for $1 Million for Revealing Her Age IMDb isn't backing down from a debate about values. Far from it. In its motion to dismiss filed last week and obtained by THR, the company questions whether the judicial system should be used to help an actress hide her 40 years of age. According to IMDb: "Truth and justice are philosophical pillars of this Court. The perpetuation of fraud, even for an actor's career, is inconsistent with these principals. Plaintiff's attempt to manipulate the federal court system so she can censor iMDb's display of her birth date and pretend to the world that she is not 40 years old is selfish, contrary to the public interest and a frivolous abuse of this Court's resources." The company also claims to be taking the moral high ground in protecting entertainment consumers from an actress who wants to "more easily deceive the public and prospective employers about her age and potentially be considered for more roles." The woman is said to have contacted the company previously in an effort to get IMDb to print false birthdates or to remove her birthdate altogether. STORY:SAG and AFTRA Condemn IMDb Revealing Performers' Ages Three years ago, according to the court papers, the woman who iMDb suspects as the plaintiff had her lawyer send a letter attempting to get the site to change her birthdate under the excuse that the wrong date was submitted by her former manager. The woman allegedly faxed a birth certificate and a passport to iMDb's offices, but certain information was redacted so iMDb declined to make changes. This past May, the woman is said to have hired a new lawyer, who sent a warning letter that threatened a class action lawsuit. The threats didn't move iMDB either. So the lawyer filed a lawsuit last month. Based upon a comparison of these past communications and the complaint, IMDb says it is confident the lawsuit was filed by the same woman. Nevertheless, the company says it can't be totally certain of her identity, pointing to certain discrepencies. Absent certainty, it says that it will be prejudiced if this woman is allowed to remain anonymous: "IMDb.com cannot fairly defend against the Complaint in this case with the identity of the plaintiff secreted." The judge is being asked to dismiss the case because the original lawsuit was an alleged violation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 10(a). IMDb believes the plaintiff has no proper reason to file her case anonymously, so the company is attempting to get the case dismissed if the woman doesn't step forward to reveal herself. In the 9th Circuit, plaintiffs are allowed to proceed anonymously when doing so is justified by the harm that would be inflicted on the party if he or she is revealed. (Here's THR's analysis of whether IMDb can force the woman to reveal herself.) IMDb says the plaintiff hasn't made specific allegations or shown evidence of any retaliation beyond "generic damage and economic injury." On the contrary, the company says it will be hurt if this case is allowed to go forward in this fashion. E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner IMDB
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sports' struggles can teach Hollywood
A sparse crowd attends a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies this summer at Dodger Stadium.
For years Hollywood's leading players have taken refuge from their mission to entertain the world by settling into choice seats at Lakers and Dodgers games -- especially when the local teams were winning championships.So what can the town glean from the sports world's current convulsions -- including labor strife threatening to scrub the NBA season and the auction of the Dodgers, after a public meltdown that ought to have people wondering who will play owners Frank and Jamie McCourt in the movie?These situations aren't completely analogous, but parallels to entertainment do offer some lessons.Under the McCourts, the Dodgers managed to alienate fans of what appeared to be one of baseball's unshakable attractions. Even when the team was mediocre the franchise consistently drew well, in part because visiting Dodger Stadium was such a pleasant experience.It's possible, in other words, to mismanage a beloved property into a temporary shambles. And on the entertainment side, the deluge of alternatives means such missteps can wreak havoc faster than ever.As for the NBA, where the lockout has claimed part of the season and could jeopardize the whole thing, it's hard not to watch charges and counter-charges flying via Twitter without hearing echoes of the last writers strike.Admittedly, the talent guilds are significantly different from pro sports, since anyone drawing an NBA or NFL paycheck these days is raking in a sizable amount of money. There aren't middle class and struggling members, as is true for many actors, writers and directors for whom unemployment is the norm and working the welcome break.There are key common threads, though, beginning with the brevity of careers (particularly in sports), which provides management a powerful bit of leverage -- nobody wants to squander their prime earning years -- and can drive a wedge between legitimate "stars" and journeymen. Billionaire owners also do a fair job impersonating major studios when insisting their broken business model actually makes them the aggrieved, needy parties.The one element of reassurance, for both Hollywood and sports, is the public's inability to hold grudges against things that delight and divert them.The NFL endured its own labor discord and promptly roared back in the ratings. Past NBA and Major League Baseball stoppages and scandals yielded predictable griping -- a pox on their over-privileged houses! -- that proved toothless once the business of thrilling playoffs and seven-game series resumed.Most people find it equally hard to stay mad at movies and TV, whether the source of friction stems from strikes or conservatives (primarily) who insist they'll boycott shows or movies because of a star or filmmaker's politics. The same goes for cable-carriage fee disputes, which almost never trigger the wholesale subscriber flight that channels dangle to weaken a distributor's resolve during negotiations before the parties inevitably reach a compromise.Ultimately, consumers are creatures of habit who don't like being forced to contemplate the people behind the curtain when it comes to their entertainment. Confront them with the fact that artists and athletes don't ply their trade strictly out of devotion to craft or the game, and they'll lash out temporarily at them, or at management.Remove the distraction and put out a product they like, however, and all is forgotten. Yet despite repeated demonstrations of this dynamic, in the heat of the moment fans and media pundits frequently sound false alarms about lingering damage and unforgiving viewers.Former Dodger Steve Garvey, who is part of a group bidding for the franchise, recently told a sports radio show, "Sports is the memory business," which reflects an alluring sense of nostalgia, infused by the warming imagery of fathers passing their passions to sons.The reality is harsher than that -- and these days, more likely involves dad watching sports alone. After all, how many young kids stay awake until midnight to watch big games almost invariably scheduled under the lights -- not to create shared memories, but rather to maximize TV revenue?For Hollywood and sports, therein lies the real lesson: Due to its excesses, sports often finds itself in the amnesia business. As for the pervasiveness of that condition, the NBA and whoever winds up owning the Dodgers ought to thank their lucky stars. Contact Brian Lowry at brian.lowry@variety.com
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
CBS laughs method to Monday victory
CBS was no. 1 broadcaster in key demos in most six half-hrs of primetime Monday, because the net's comedy anchors ''How I Met Your Mother'' and ''Two . 5 Men'' still outshine last year's rankings levels. ABC's ''Dancing Using the Stars'' was increasing, though still lower year upon year, however it was another weak showing for NBC's new John Williams newsmag. Based on preliminary Nielsen estimations, the CBS comedies paid for for Monday's top four entertainment-series scores among teenagers, brought as always by ''Two . 5 Men'' (5.1 rating/12 be part of grown ups 18-49, 14.5 million audiences overall) -- the night's No. 1 broadcast in 18-49, rising 19% versus. exactly the same evening last year. All the network's programs were up versus. the comparable Monday timeslot perf of this past year, with 8 p.m. anchor ''How I Met Your Mother'' (4.4/12 in 18-49, 10.4 million audiences overall) up 25% over its year-ago showing, and 8:30 p.m. newbie ''2 Broke Girls'' (4.5/11 in 18-49, 11.3 million audiences overall) up a large 50% over last year's ''Rules of Engagement.'' Closing the evening, ''Mike and Molly'' (4.2/10 in 18-49, 12. million audiences overall) was up 20% over its year-ago score, and 10 p.m. drama ''Hawaii Five-0'' (3./8 in 18-49, 10. million audiences overall) was up a tick to simply top its broadcast competition in demos for that hour. At ABC, ''Dancing Using the Stars'' (3.3/8 in 18-49, 18. million audiences overall) rallied to the best delivery since its season premiere, but that also left it about 15% below last year's performance around the comparable evening it continued to be the evening's most-viewed entertainment series overall. And also at 10, ''Castle'' (2.5/6 in 18-49, 11.3 million audiences overall) was consistent with its performance of this past year, also leading its timeslot broadcast competition as a whole audiences. Fox's ''Terra Nova'' (2.6/6 in 18-49, 7.7 million audiences overall) returned back from a week ago to put third one of the tv stations within the 8 o'clock hour. The internet maintained that standing around 9 p.m. with ''House'' (2.7/6 in 18-49, 7.5 million audiences overall), that was substantially more powerful last year within the leadoff position (3.7/10 in 18-49). NBC again battled, as ''The Sing Off'' settled for any 1.4/3 in 18-49 and 4.two million audiences overall, and newsmag ''Rock Center with John Williams'' (1./3 in 18-49, 3.5 million audiences overall) was on componen using its low-ranked debut from the previous week. ESPN will win the evening in key demos using its ''Monday Evening Football'' game between your Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, which averaged a powerful 11.7 household rating in Nielsen's metered-market overnights. Additionally towards the cable internet, the overall game also broadcast from our marketplaces on independent stations, thus not affecting the preliminary overnights from the Large Four. Preliminary 18-49 earnings for that evening: CBS, 4./10 ABC, 3.1/8 Fox, 2.7/6 NBC and Univision, 1.3/3 CW, .6/1. As a whole audiences: ABC, 15.8 million CBS, 11.4 million Fox, 7.six million NBC, 4. million Univision, 3.two million CW, 1.3 million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com
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